Well, I've been in bootcamp ever since the long absence. So without a further ado here's the new installments.
Asuka didn't say a word for weeks after that night. Shinji couldn't bear the sight of her, not because he detested her but because it only brought him pain. To lose what he knew he had only sent a mental shockwave through him and he couldn't find the strength to continue on. He sat quietly in an old shed he had found a week ago. His back against the wall, his eyes staring emotionless at Asuka who too sat placidly. His eyes wandered to her forearms where a vast assortment of lacerations and cuts peppered her once fair skin. At her bedside sat multiple gauze pads soaked with her blood. He had found her several times near death and each one marked the ending of their sanity. He no longer left her by herself in order to find food. As a result, neither of them had eaten for several days. The only thing keeping them from dying was a fresh water pond several yards away from their shed. Even that was a risk, he thought, the only thing keeping himself alive was her. But… he knew their sanity was beginning to wane. Death's embrace was no more than one fatal mistake away.
"Asuka," he whispered. She didn't respond, her eyes sat open and her gaze staring aimlessly at her lap, her arms lying lazily at her sides and her now dirty red hair clinging softly to her face, "Asuka."
He stood and sat beside her. Placing his fingers along her wrists he felt for a pulse and to his relief he found one. He wiped her bangs away from her face and noticed streams of tears falling from her magnificent blue eyes. She continued to look down as if she was unable to blink. He could feel her heart beating frantically but she seemed not to be under any harm. Finally he saw her jaw tighten and her fists curl into a ball and suddenly he knew what was going on. He decided to do something that would feel foreign to him.
He pulled her close and hugged her.
She began to cry frantically, heart wrenching screams echoed from her lips.
"WHY?!" she bellowed as she clutched him close. He didn't say a word; he kept his arms around her frail frame and lifted his head upward in efforts of shielding his own tears from escaping.
She screamed: "They took everything from me! THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"
He took in a deep breath and pushed out the air from his lungs; tears fell quietly as his strength almost broke. He didn't dare say a word for he knew one word would cause him to lose his battle with his inner self.
"THEY TOOK MY BABY!" she screamed, "THEY TOOK MY BABY!"
Shinji could no longer control himself as he let out a painful scream of agony as the realization of her words finally cracked his barrier. He rocked back and forth unable to comprehend what to do next. All he could do was let out whimpers of pain. They never had a chance to grieve, they didn't know how but now it seemed to connect. Their complicated relationship seemed so simple now. They needed each other. They could not survive without each other. Their… love… although misinterpreted by many was nothing short of the truth….
Reunion…
She ripped away from him so fast Shinji couldn't understand what was happening. She picked up a sharp piece of glass and kicked the shed door open, her oily and drained hair whipping from the fresh air that filled the room.
"Asuka, what are you doing?" called Shinji trying to comprehend what was going on. She ignored him and proceeded into the open. It was midday; the sun had begun to wane over the hills. She became blinded for a moment but quickly adjusted from the lack of sun.
She wasn't going to go out without a fight. She wasn't going to allow Him to win. Her life was her own and she was going to take it herself. She held the glass shard against her neck and pierced herself lightly feeling her blood slowly fall to her collar bone. Her eyes darted around awaiting some sort of answer but nothing came.
"How about I make this easier for you? I know you want me dead, why don't I do it myself huh?" she called out into the sky, "Isn't that what you want?"
Shinji's eyes widened as he finally understood what she was about to do. He quickly gained his footing and rushed out. He couldn't survive this hell without her, he would be damned if he had to bury her.
"Asuka wait!"
"You want me dead, right? You took everything I had! I defied you and I will spoil your fun by taking the fun out of trying to kill me!"
"Don't do it, Asuka! Please!"
"See you in hell!"
"NO!"
All Shinji could see what Asuka's body fall lifelessly to the ground, a harsh gurgling sound hinted to her demise. He slid to his knees and felt his hands cup his mouth in horror.
"No," he whispered, tears welled up in his eyes, "You… you idiot!"
Her eyes stared out into the abyss, blood seeped from the hideous wound she inflicted on herself. He knew she was dead. She impaled herself right through the jugular. He knelt over her.
"You FUCKING idiot!" he shouted slamming his forearms onto her corpse.
What happened next he couldn't comprehend but something within him began to stir? Something he hadn't felt since he controlled his EVA. He wanted to kill, he wanted to rage, and he wanted to find something alive so he could rip it to shreds.
He wanted to murder.
From a distance a gigantic roar echoed across the land breaking Shinji from his mental state. His head whipped around toward the dead city behind him. The roar continued to cry out as if in pain. The Earth began to tremble, the LCL clouds parted, fury was in the air. He felt his innards begin to tremble and suddenly something within him spoke:
"EVA!"
A blur of red vaulted from the horizon. His eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be? That battle cry was so familiar. Could they still exist? A giant wind swept through and suddenly Shinji was within a giant shade. Looking up he could feel an ominous presence hovering over him.
It took him all of ten seconds to realize…
Unit 02 was alive.
The giant Evangelion knelt over the past Asuka and effectively over Shinji. It let out a single bellow of agony as if it gained its own consciousness. Its red armor had begun to rust and some of it had completely disintegrated exposing the monstrous flesh and bone. The Eva lowered its hand and scooped up the girl holding her preciously. Shinji watched in awe as a torrent of tears overflowed the Eva's visors.
Was it really crying? Was it mourning Asuka?
The Eva looked towards the sky and stared for a moment, Shinji watched, unable to figure out what the Eva was trying to do. The sky darkened and several pairs of translucent wings flickered behind Unit 02. It screamed into the air but only became louder and louder. The Earth shook heavily forcing Shinji to grab onto something to maintain himself. It became so loud he could feel blood flowing from his ears. Finally the roaring subsided; Unit 02 then clasped its hands together with Asuka within. Shinji felt a sense of panic rushed into him but before he could say a word a brilliant light bloomed from the Eva's hands.
"Asuka!" he called.
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."
1 Timothy 6:12
