Snow was crushed underfoot as a young boy of 14..no, he reminded himself, 15 today. Moved through the white streets of Tokyo-2, or what was planned to be renamed Kibou city in the years to come. The goal of the now 15 year old Shinji Ikari was the city's hospital.
As he entered, his breath no longer visible, he headed to the reception desk and leaned in with a slight smile. "Hello, I'm here to see Yui Ikari."
"Her son right?"The man at the desk asked,Shinji nodded as he handed him his ID. "Everything checks out, there's another man in there right now though one Gendo Ikari."
"My father, I'm sure he won't mind."Shinji said, the man at the reception nodded.
"Oh right,should have double checked the ID..well,It's room 303 then."
"Thanks."Shinji said,bowing his head ever so slightly.
Yui Ikari's room had the scent of autumn in it, there was no other way to describe the feeling that it let off other than with the singular word that it was autumn-like. Shinji's eyes trailed to his father, the man's clothes much more casual than Shinji had seen them in years but, then again, there was no more Nerv to be commanded.
"Hey dad."Shinji greeted,the man in question's eyes turned toward him.
"Good morning Shinji."He greeted before turning back to his comatose wife.
"Still nothing I see."Shinji mused aloud. "Well,I'm sure she'll wake up soon enough."
"She will."Gendo said, an attempt to assure himself more so than his son. "I'm sure she will."
Shinji sat down on a chair,opposite to his father's and turned on the TV, the news again, something about the formation of the European federal Union again. What remains of Seele wasted no time in jumping ship to the next best thing it seems. Shinji thought but shook his head, no longer his problem,not for now at least. He clicked again and some old 90's show about a 'mobile suit nudam' or something like it,was now playing. Really,how unrealistic.
"How have you been?"Shinji asked after a few seconds of silence, eyes not leaving the TV, not that his father's left his mother,so it was fitting.
"The investigation into Nerv,Seele and their influence on the United nations is still ongoing and I'm still under house arrest. They only allow me here every so often"Gendo answered, Shinji gave a hum in response.
"It seems like that's what you get nowadays for saving the world."He said, turning toward his father. "Then again, you're not the type of person who really cares much, are you?"
His father nodded. "As long as I have Yui all will be right with my world."
Shinji smiled. How oddly romantic of you father, then again,all of this was for her sake wasn't it? He asked within the confines of his mind.
"What about you?"Gendo asked,Shinji raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You and the third."
"Ah..Asuka."Shinji said, his voice suddenly being filled with a hint of sadness. "She's leaving this Sunday, for Germany."
"I see." Gendo said, sounding as to a loss to what to say before he found instead something to ask. "To her parents?"
"No."Shinji responded. "She says she isn't ready to face them,accepted some university course that let her in early, it's mostly just an excuse not to see them for the next four years."
"In a lot of ways you are both very much alike.."Gendo commented under his breath, but the boy was able to pick up on this.
"You mean that we both run away from our problems."Shinji replied. "Well,you aren't wrong."
"Even so." Gendo began. "Neither of you run away when it truly matters."
"I don't know if that's bravery on our part or stupidity."Shinji said, a smile crossing his face. "Maybe it's a bit of both...but I'm glad Asuka and I got to meet, even if we might never again."
"You never know Shinji." Gendo answered. "The world is a mysterious place."
Shinji gave his father a side-ways glance before looking up with a pleased smile. "Yeah...it is."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Having left the hospital Shinji was now headed to school, thankful that he was lucky enough to be in one of those few days where classes started later than usual. A girl with a single blue eye,an eye patch over the other and red hair was waiting for him by the bus stop they normally both took.
"Hey Asuka."Shinji greeted, a smiled spreading across his face as he saw her, she lifted her hand in greeting.
"Morning mon leibe."She greeted as he sat down beside her, both watching as a light snow continued to fall. "It's been snowing for a while now hasn't it?"
Shinji nodded. "Yeah..i think the world is making up for those 15 years in which it never did."
"I Wonder how Germany's weather will be like."Asuka commented under her breath, a certain hint of sadness clear within it.
"I'm sure it will be nice as well."Shinji said, trying to sound comforting. "And even if it isn't, you'll still have the memories of Japan's."
Asuka nodded. "I guess I will."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
School was, as per usual, filled to the brim, the unfortunate consequences of having brought everyone from his old school in Tokyo-3 and into an already filled one. Governmental incompetency at it's best, but it was cozy in a way as well.
"Hey man!"Touji greeted him from among the crowd, a familiar face among a sea of unknowns. Shinji approached him as well as the girl that stood by his side.
"Touji,class rep...wait,you aren't our class rep anymore."Shinji said. "I guess I'll just have to start calling you Kari again."
"Don't you dare!"Hikari said while puffing out her cheeks in rather adorable fashion, Shinji just laughed in response.
"You're too easy to rile up."He said. "And with a boyfriend like Touji one would think you'd learn, considering how much he teases you."
"How can I not?"Touji asked, turning toward her. "Hikari's the cutest thing to ever walk this earth!"
The girl in question blushed,hiding herself beneath her hands,which caused her boyfriend in Touji Suzuhara to begin laughing.
"Well..talking about lovers and all that."Touji said In a teasing tone, this time directed at Shinji "Where's the demon?"
"Asuka?"Shinji asked. "just talking with some of the people she knows from here, I don't know if she told you but she's leaving the country for good in a few days."
Hikari nodded. "She told us, for university right?"
Shinji nodded. "Yeah...without Nerv here she has no legal reason to stayit's a miracle she wasn't put in the first plane going to Berlin in the first place."
"Damn, things will get boring without the devil, I have to admit."Touji said with a small smile.
"Yeah..."Shinji said, looking behind himself and toward where Asuka was informing a few of her girl friends about her departure to Germany. "...boring."
School was over and as per usual Shinji and Asuka were walking home hand in hand, the latter seemed hesitant for something.
"Say whatever you have to say."Shinji told her,turning his head to face her with a smile. She looked away with a huff.
"You're too good at reading my signals!"Asuka said I a tone of mock indignation.
"Would you prefer I was bad?"Shinji joked. "But seriously..you seem like you want to say something."
"Well..."Asuka began, once more hesitating. "It's just that...it's this Sunday."
"Your flight."Shinji said. "What about it?"
"Well...we might never see each-other again in...maybe ever."She said, a certain tone of sadness to her voice.
"I know."He replied, also hidden behind his tone a certain sorrow as he squeezed her hand.
"And you're okay with that?"Asuka asked.
"No.." He replied. "Not really...but I know that there's nothing that we can really do about it...so i'll just be happy I got to spend this year with you."
Asuka breathed in, seeming ready to say something but failing to let the words out as they walked along toward the place wherein they resided.
Shinji opened the door to the Katsuragi household and stepped in. "We're home!"
No answer. "Misato must still be in her job." Asuka said.
"I'm surprised she got a job as a barista."Shinji said with a smile. "One would think she'd drink all she's meant to sell."
Asuka laughed. "If she gets fired don't be too surprised if that's why!"
Asuka and Shinji both walked into the place they had called home for the last six months of their life, the Katsuragi household. After the third impact and the dissolution of Nerv a month later and with few options as to where to go,Misato had offered to take the kids in and the government had quickly agreed that this was,for Shinji at least,a better option than being with his still under investigation father.
Shinji certainly liked things better this way, Misato's new apartment in Tokyo-2 was many things, messy, filled with the smell of fish coming from a certain penguin and somewhat small, but it also home in the way that the gigantic quarters that had been given to the pilots never were. Asuka does miss having a private pool though. He thought with a smile.
Well..soon enough there will be one less person in this household..for some reason I don't find thata as bad as it could be...I'll miss Asuka for sure but.. His eyes trailed over to her and then to the necklace around his neck. I'm sure we'll meet again...no matter what.
Days had passed with nothing to break the monotony of everyday life and,eventually, Sunday arrived.
The party that had come to greet Asuka off was rather large, nearly everyone she knew in Japan had come to say their goodbyes, it did bring a smile to her face to see that so many people cared. Asuka looked at the clock, taking notice that a few people were late, only for them to arrive exactly as she did.
"Apologies for the tardiness."Rei said in her usual polite tone. "Makinami was attempting,against the doctor's best wishes, to skip over approximately 15 steps in her physical therapy and walk here instead of using her wheel chair."
The girl in question, Mari Makinami, whose left side of the face was littered with burn scars, pouted in response. "I could have totally done it if you didn't stop me!"
Then she turned toward Asuka. "Anyways, you're going off already princess?"
Asuka looked at the clock "Ten minutes, glad to see you're late as usual thunder tits."
"See icy?"Mari asked as she turned her head toward Rei. "She's totally being mean to me."
"She would be if we were not late,which we are,extremely,because of you might I add."Rei Ikari said, causing the girl that stood in the wheel-chair below her to cross her arms in righteous indignation.
"Even you betray me Ikari!"
Misato,who stood near the wall along with Ritsuko, both wearing more casual clothing, shook her head. "You kids really never change do you?"
"You say that as if you have."Shinji commented sarcastically.
"Not that that's a bad thing! You're the best!"Touji commented before being promptly slapped in the back of the head by his girlfriend."Ouch...sorry."
"Ah."Ritsuko commented as she looked at the two. "Young love,how I yearn for those olden days."
"You say that as if you weren't a shut-in who never even talked to men much less dated them."Misato said, causing the doctor to giver her a glare.
"At least I didn't sleep around with everything that had a dick..and even some things that didn't."Ritsuko commented, causing Misato to look away.
"I was drunk and she looked a lot like a dude okay?!"Misato said with a blush in her face, causing everyone assembled there to begin laughing.
"With the arrival of wundergirl and thunder tits I'm pretty sure that's everyone."Asuka said. Shinji nodded.
"Yeah..Kensuke's not coming, said he wouldn't feel comfortable around us all and my dad's not allowed within a mile of an airport." Shinji said. "Not that he's good with goodbyes, he did tell me to tell you that you're and I quote 'an appropriate enough pilot,at times'."
Asuka laughed. "Sounds exactly like something your dad would say."
Silence for a few seconds before Asuka spoke up. "Damn,i think I'm gonna miss this."
"And this coming from the girl who thought Japan was stupid."Misato commented with a smile.
"I admit that maybe my initial impressions of this country were a bit off."Asuka said. "But I still think that some things are really stupid."
"And you still don't know Kanji." Ritsuko commented as well,causing Asuka to give her a glare.
"Hey, at least she managed to teach me how to swim."Shinji replied jokingly.
"What you call swimming Shinji I call 'barely being able to not drown'."Ritsuko said,Shinji glared at her.
"That's it!" he said,faking anger. "I'm revoking your status of surrogate mother!"
The doctor brought a hand up her chest as if wounded, making a dramatic expression. "AH..but whatever shall I do!"
Everyone assembled laugh once again and a few seconds of silence followed. Asuka looked at the clock.
"5 Minutes..i should be heading out.."Asuka said, turning toward Hikari. "Hikari...you're the first friend I..i ever really made here..or anywhere to be honest. I'll..miss you."
The girl in question's eyes began to water as she hugged her older friend. "Damn it Asuka,don't say things like that or I'll cry."
Asuka gave a slight chuckle as she hugged the girl back. "Try not to be too demanding with the class,remember you're not the representative anymore."
The girl in question nodded with a sniff. "Thanks Asuka...try not to be too mean to your classmates in Germany as well."
Asuka smiled. "I'll do my best."
With that,they broke apart their hug and Asuka turned toward Touji.
"You...you're still a pervert in my eyes..but you're Shinji's friend and Hikari's boyfriend,so I guess there must be something good about you."She joked..
"Very funny demon."Touji commented with a roll of the eyes.
"Seriously..treat her well, and stop being such a perverted idiot or she'll rip out your eyes,if you're lucky."
Touji laughed. "Sure will do!...well,there's also something I have to give ya."
Touji handed her over a bunch of cash along with some pictures. "What's this?"
"Well...back in the old school Kensuke and I..we...kinda..maybe sold some pics of you for money."
"You what?!"Asuka,Shinji and Hikari all asked in sync,causing Touji to blank.
"H-hey now,I'm doing this to apologize for that!"Touji said. "They weren't lewd pics or anything but...yeah,I know we crossed the line..this is all the money I made with em..as well as the pics I could get back from a few guys...just don't ask them me how I got them to give em back."
Asuka glared at his hand and swiped the few yew notes and pictures from it. "Just because you came clean I'll consider not castrating you!"
She turned away from him with an indignant huff and toward Ritsuko. "Doctor...i don't even know what to say..honestly I wouldn't even have expected you to be here."
The doctor shook her shoulders. "I don't really mind, it's natural, I seem to radiate natural bitch energy."
Asuka snorted. "Yeah...but you're..you're pretty decent all things considered,good support in battle as well."
Ritsuko nodded. "As far as compliments go from you, I think that one's not too bad."
"Don't expect any more though."Asuka said as her eyes trailed over to Misato. "Misato...you...hell,i don't even know what to say to you..you've been...good,really good actually."
"Really kid?"Misato asked with a happy smile. "If...if anything I would say I wasn't there for you guys enough."
"You were there when Shinji went and disappeared..i really needed you then and..you were a good shoulder to nearly cry on."Asuka said. "Thanks for everything and...with Kaji...i can't imagine how you feel."
Misato looked away,her eyes turning downcast. "I...i still think I haven't gotten over him yet."
Asuka nodded. "Ganbatte Misato-san."
She laughed. "Thanks Asuka, I'll do my best!"
Asuka looked then at Mari, who smiled at her from the wheel-chair she was forced to use for the next few months. "You...I'm not even gonna pretend that you won't personally find a way to annoy me considering how close our homelands are but..until then,get walking and stop giving people nicknames!"
"Never princess,never!"Mari declared in an over the top fashion. The red-head rolled her eye and shook her head as she turned next toward Rei.
"Ikari..."Asuka began. "You..you aren't a doll..and that's all I have to say."
She smiled. "Ayanami Rei would have appreciated that commented Miss Sohryu."
"And if we ever meet again,drop the miss." Asuka commanded,turning then toward her boyfriend and giving him a soft,forced smile. "Shinji.."
"Asuka.."He replied, not really knowing what to say. Then they both just hugged each-other,staying as such for a few seconds.
"You two look like two lovers!"Touji commented sarcastically,only for Hikari to lean in and whisper something into his ear. "WAIT WHAT SHINJI AND THE DEMON?!"
Asuka and Shinji both laughed as they heard this. "He never does change."
"It's his most admirable quality."Shinji commented as they continued to hold on to each-other. "I love you."
"I love you too baka..I'll miss you lots..and you better call me every day!"Asuka said as they broke the hug.
"Of course I will, I'm too used to your eccentricities to go even a single day without them."Shinji said,causing her girlfriend to playfully poke him in the stomach,looking at the clock as she did.
"Well...I'll be late if I don't go..see you guys all some time..or in another life,whichever comes first."She said.
"Cya!"Touji
"Goodbye."Ritsuko
"Next time."Misato.
"Have a good trip." Hikari
"Farewell"Rei
"Don't fall off the plane!"Mari.
Shinji just waved, she walked off and,just as quickly as she had appeared in his life she was gone. How depressing...the tears won't fall.
A week had passed since the day Asuka had gone off to Germany, she'd arrived safely and since then Shinji and her had been talking nonstop on the phone, Misato actually found it kind of cute in a way,how much they reminded her of kaji and herself...
Kaji..the man still haunted her thoughts even so long after his death. She still had that message he'd given her,still replayed it in those nights where she felt particularly down, but mostly she was moving on, moving on and healing.
Her now job was part of such a process, being a barista was an unexpected vocation for her, especially after years of being part of a military organization but...there was something to be said about how it was good in it's own way,even if the lower pay when compared to what she got when she worked at Nerv did make her want to cry every time she received her paycheck.
A man walked in,not the kind of person one would expected in a bar like this, not that it was a shoddy bar or anything, but the man was dressed in clothes that made him look like a government official rather than a man coming in for his afternoon drinks.
He approached the counter and she walked up to him. "Hello sir, how can I help you?"
The man looked at her for a few seconds in silence before answering. "Would you happen to know one Katsuragi Misato?"
Misato nodded. "Yes,yes I do. In fact, that's me."
The man seemed a bit surprised but nodded nonetheless. "I'm Mathias Johann from the IPEA,we've got an offer for you."
"IPEA?"Misato asked.
"Ah yes,my apologies."He said. "The IPEA is the new organization under the united nations that deals with matters regarding the bio-mechanical combat units called Evangelion,the acronym stands for International Project Evangelion Agency."
Misato's eyes widened somewhat. People that were given the duty of dealing with the Evangelions was something she'd never expected to hear again, much less this soon after the third impact. Not only that but they had an offer for her?
"Well...why do you need me?" She asked, the man took out a card out of his pocket and handed it to her, three marked stripes that made up a logo.
"WILLE?"She asked.
"An organization to protect mankind...and it's in need of a leader." The man said.
AN:Well,that's it, the epilogue marking the end of this story, but just because this story is done doesn't mean there aren't more to be told.