I feel motivated, and then I have to work and I'm not so motivated , but I'm pushing through, this one might be a bit short, got some stuff to do on Friday and Saturday, but I promise it'll be worth your time, I really was motivated when I wrote this, it's just hard to decide which Asushin pairing to go with, and how to build that, but idk you tell me. Bear with me we're going to spend time with Mari and Shikinami for a while, yes it's absolutely necessary.
Always I Appreciate you for even so much as looking at what I wrote, appreciate every review or comment, thank you.
BEGIN
Through the thick fog of a mighty blur, Asuka Langley Shikinami opened her eyes, slowly, but surely. She couldn't make out much but it would seem that she was in that same NERV hospital ward. She sighed, if only this had all been a dream, but then again she couldn't really remember much of her old world either, just bits and pieces, at least for now. Now getting up, she saw a nurse in pink scrubs looking out the ward windows.
"It's beautiful isn't it…the Geofront." The nurse said, "I'm sorry ma'am." Shikinami said, ignoring her, " but I think I'm ready for discharge now."
"What?" the nurse turns around, "Don't remember me?" she asked. Now facing Asuka(Shikinami) directly, she seemed familiar to her. Shikinami squinted, "Oh." The nurse said now putting on her glass, fixing them onto her face. Looking closer she now saw, "Glasses!?"
[She calls her Mari Kone Megane – which translates to glasses-wearing person with connections, but I feel glasses rolls of the English tongue better.]
"In the flesh." Mari responded, with quite the confident look on her face, "How- how are you even here?", "had help from a spy." Mari responded.
"No I mean how did you get here, in this world."- Mari shrugged and grabbed herself a chair, "that's the thing princess, I don't know. Last thing I remember was talking to you before we headed into battle, the rest is all…foggy." Shikinami sulked,
"So you're just like me huh", "Yeah pretty much," Mari said, "but I woke up in an abandoned Nerv facility, through an LCL tank just like one of the clones.", "Clones?" Shikinami asked, Mari ignored her instead and went closer, so that she could examine her.
"You're not a real doctor y'know." Shikinami said, with which Mari responds, "Nurse" "But I might as well be…don't worry about the clone stuff, what we gotta worry about is getting back to our world, or is it timeline, I'm not really sure."
"It's definitely a different world" Shikinami spoke, "everything here is different, just slightly but ever so significantly." Hmph, Mari thought , "Well we gotta get back and so far I haven't made much progress in that department." She stopped her examination, and sat back down on her chair.
"Me neither" Shikinami said, "so far I've been living with this worlds version of me and Shinji",
"So there's two of you?" Mari asked, "Yes." Shikinami responded, "Interesting" Mari now looked like she was in deep thought, "what about our little puppy?", Mari asked once more,
"what about him?", Shikinami questioned, "is he here as well?", she asked back,
"Well, what are you-", "Are there two Shinji?" Mari ended on that note,
"So far no." Shikinami replied, "but with you being here I don't know anymore, maybe it's only a matter of time.", Mari gave her a conceited look, "I don't think so princess.", "and what makes you say that." Mari stood up and began to make a demonstration with her hands.
"So I have a theory. You and me, whatever happened to us before we woke up in this world, pushed us into an alternate reality, a separate world if you will, similar to ours but as you said, it's the tiny things that differ so slightly , yet significantly , that determine the direction of this world to be on a different path then ours."
"What are you getting at?" Shikinami asked, "how long have you been here princess, according to the files and data I hacked from Nerv, there have been 10 angel attacks, Ten!" Mari emphasized,
"Yeah so?", "The angel that you guys destroyed just now, was the tenth, in our world that very same angel that fell from the sky, was the 8th. And I needn't tell you that it's appearance was also significantly different." , "Okay-" Shikinami still didn't see where she was going with this, "How many more attacks did we have compared to the attacks of this world, so far they've had 10 and I remember little over 12 or 13 it's still a bit foggy." Mari shook her head straight, "I'm rolling off assumptions here, but I think it's safe to assume this world will continue to have more angel attacks, I can't really say how many, not yet." Mari sat back down again, "but eventually Third impact will happen, that to me seems like a constant."
"So I still gotta keep fighting to stop third impact?", Shikinami asked, "Not necessarily." Mari replied, "You could let your counterpart do it, I'm not sure if altering this timeline is a good idea, just us being here brings to cause so many ramifications.",
"Don't overthink it." Shikinami responds, "We just gotta find a way to get home?", "but then do you want to?" Mari asks her, "what do you mean?", "do you remember the planet we call home." Just as Mari asked, Asuka got those sharp pains in her head again, "red desserts princess, just think red desserts." Shikinami let go of her head as the pain faded, she was shaking now, "what the hell happened?" Shikinami asks.
Mari didn't answer, she instead, kept quiet for a while and got to thinking, at least until Asuka was calmed. "in our timeline the angel that attacked you was the 9th." Mari spoke, "It came right after this one?", Shikinami remained silent, but Mari kept talking,
"You were attacked within unit-03, the angel possessed the EVA. Fortunately the testing of evangelion unit-03 in this world isn't for quite some time." She drew something on the clipboard she was holding within her hands, "So I can only assume once again based on the numbers, a certain amount of angels have to attack between now and the testing of Unit-03."
"Will my counterpart pilot it?" Shikinami spoke after quite some time, Mari looked to her, "I'm not sure, there's only so much I information on Nerv's servers and database, the rest is spread out through a network, too hard to access. But I'm going to find out, until then princess, when it comes to the matter of getting us back, I can only think of one thing," But before Mari could finish the door opened, she quickly stood up and held her clipboard close to her chest, taking off her glasses.
Ritsuko walked through the door, "Oh sorry Ma'am, I just wanted to see if the patient is-", "you can drop the act, I heard everything, almost." Ritsuko said, Mari rather displeased stopped, "And here I thought I disabled the camera's and mic's",
"And you did a fine job at it." Ritsuko responded, "luckily I added extra tabs to this room just in case.",
"been watching her doc?, that's not very nice.", Mari retorted, "Stop with the games." Ritsuko said, "Just who are you two?"
"We're travellers from another world come to save the day." Mari stroke a pose and made a peace sign, "if you insist on playing I'll just report you to the commander.",
"Fine." Mari said, "You never were any fun," Mari said now standing seriously, "But I'm not lying we really are from another world.",
"so why then, is one you an angel." Ritsuko said eyeing Asuka specifically, "Well I wouldn't call her an Angel per-say, but she's definitely contaminated.", "HEY!" Shikinami yelled, but Mari ignored her.
"And how did she recover?", Ritsuko asked, "that was thanks to your handy work doc, you brought her back in one piece, well…more or less." Ritsuko was still a bit suspicious, "So I'm assuming she gets infected during an angel attack, Unit-03 is what I heard from the mics.", "That's right" Mari responds.
Ritsuko paused to think about the matter, following what Mari said, she says, "If our worlds follow similar paths on a timeline, then that would mean at some point third impact happens, so did it happen for you?", Mari was kind of sitting on the fence on what to say to her, after a thinking for a while she spoke.
"Not really." Mari said, "We had a Near third impact."
Ritsuko was now confused, "A what?", "Near Third-impact." Mari replied, "How does that even happen?" she asked
"Wellllll…Shinji in an attempt to save a Rei Ayanami type fully syncs with the EVA, going into the negative values past 180 into 200, defeating our tenth angel and reviving the Rei Ayanami type it had absorbed, instigating third impact-
-The fourth child, who was also, by the way an angel, stops him halfway through, he came to earth aboard Evangelion Mark.06, which instigated the near third impact from where Shinji left of, turning our world into an even more red mess than it already had been." Ritsuko stood there processing what had just been said, "How did, what?", "it didn't happen instantaneously there was a time gap between-" but Mari noticed she had been slowly losing her, so she stopped.
"Okay, point is we didn't avoid third impact, it inevitably happened, so if you're looking to us for some insight into the future, then you're looking in the wrong place.", Mari ended on that note.
Ritsuko sighed, "it's food for thought I'll give you that." "Yeah." Mari responded.
Ritsuko wasn't the only one who was overwhelmed, Shikinami struck by all this at once, blacked out, the infection on her right eye was worsening, "not good.", Ritsuko said "Medic" she yelled, the doctor rushed in, once he came, Ritsuko told him to, "Handle this please." She left the ward, looking to Mari the doctor spoke, "Well, aren't you going to help?", "Oh" Mari said, "I'm a nurse." The doctor gave her a weird look.
Ritsuko had still been processing everything she'd just heard, fourth child?, near third impact, Evangelion Mark.06, interdimensional travellers, red planets, for maybe the first time in scientific career, she had no idea what was going on, she let out a heavy sigh, "I need a drink."
Later Shikinami awoke again in that same hospital bed, Mari was also there scribbling down onto her clipboard, as always Shikinami could assume Mari had been thinking. "Ugh no." Mari said out loud, turning a page over and writing unto the clipboard again. Asuka just went back to lying on her bed, she didn't know what to think anymore. "You still figuring out how we can go back?" Shikinami asked, her voice was dry though, "You should drink some water first." Mari said pointing towards the glass of water on the table, "Thanks." Shikinami responded, "How long was I out.", "A day." Mari casually responded, "One whole day?" Shikinami asked, "Yep.", she groaned as she lay on the bed, "yeah I feel that way too." Mari replied.
Just then Misato, Shinji, and Asuka, entered the room. Upon seeing them Mari was hit with a bit of Nostalgia, but then she remembered, they don't know me, "Sorry Nurse, but is it okay if we come in for a visit?", Misato asked, Mari stood there blank, "Sure why not?" , "Thank you, I guess." Misato replied, Mari got up and headed towards the exit, walking past Soryu the similarities to Shikinami were incomprehensible, she really does look like the princess. Or is it vice-versa Mari thought as she closed the door.
"Hey kiddo." Misato gave her warm smile, but Shikinami was tired and traumatized, every time she looked to them, she was hit with visions of her old world, the only exception was ironically her counterpart, nothing from her opened any old wounds. That's when Soryu approached her, "you okay?" she asked, looking up at her and Soryu looking down, she saw that Shikinami wanted to cry, "Are you-" but before Soryu could finish Shikinami pulled her in for a hug, Soryu was taken aback, she didn't know what to do, and it sounded like Shikinami was indeed crying, or if not she was extremely sad, "no you idiot." Soryu whispered to her counterpart, "we don't cry, you're stronger then this.", but Shikinami only held her closer, "don't do this." She whispered, but Shikinami didn't listen, she just kept embracing her counterpart until eventually Soryu embraced her back, which also surprised Shikinami, "just stop crying…please." Soryu asked her nicely, there was no mean intention, no false security, it was genuine request, "it's okay." She said, "you'll be okay." Soryu whispered to her. "Thank you." She replied, hugging her tighter for a little while longer, but eventually she let go, Shikinami was a little relieved now, and maybe so was Soryu. It was a little awkward but at least her counterpart had been calmed.
Meanwhile Ritsuko had called Mari to her office/lab, "I looked you up in our Database, your name pops up here and there." Mari playfully shrugged, "Assumed as much." She replied, "You should be as old as my mother.", "Yep." Mari agreed, "in this world I'm either very old or very dead, but such is life." She let out a melodramatic sigh.
"But in your timeline you're somehow as old as Asuka and Shinji." Ritsuko said, "I'm a tad bit older.", Mari replied
"None the less you maintained your youth…how?", Ritsuko asked that one rather seriously, "Sorry doc, but I can't tell ya." Mari responded.
"Why?", "because we are literally in NERV HQ, and I know you agree with me when I say these guys are pretty shady, they could be listening in on us right now, So, if you want the information, you're gonna have to meet half way.", Ritsuko turned back in her chair and faced Mari,
"what do you want?" She asked, "Simple, don't tell the commander or any other Nerv higher ups about me.", "they probably already know." Ritsuko replied, "about Kaji yes." Mari responded, "but me, I'm special." Mari said so confidently, "So keep my existence a secret and you'll know all you need to know to feed that scientific curiosity of yours." Mari finished, giving her a little wink at the end. Ritsuko didn't really want to but, if thigs went south she could always report her to the commander, but then they'll find out she had been collaborating with her, eventually she conceded, "fine. But you're going to tell me everything."
"of course." Mari replied, "but not here, we have to meet somewhere outside of Tokyo-3.",
"Just not too far away." Ritsuko replied, "Got ya Ritz." Mari playfully responded as she made her way out, that girl. Ritsuko thought, I wonder what she's planning.
Mari once outside of NERV HQ, met with Kaji, "How'd it go with Ritsuko?" He said whilst waiting besides his car, " it went well, she even agreed to meet outside of Tokyo-3.", "so it was that easy?" Kaji asked, "No, I still don't trust her." Mari replied.
They both got in the car, and Kaji started the engine. "what's the worst Ritz could do?", he asked "A lot." Mari responded as the engine revved and they drove off.
Shikinami had been discharged and released, not wanting to be alone she asked if she could sleepover with Misato and them, and they(Misato) agreed. Once inside the apartment, they got to the usual, Shinji prepared dinner, Misato went to her room to work and Asuka(Soryu) sat down to watch the TV, Shikinami pulled out her switch and sat next to her counterpart playing her game. It was a normal silent evening. "Hey Asuka." Misato said, coming out of her room, "You don't mind sharing a room with Asuka do you?", Soryu hesitated but after that display at the hospital ward, she reconsidered "yeah, I don't mind.", "cool" Misato said, "Man, I'm hungry" she said, "I'm almost done." Shinji said from the kitchen.
Once done, he served out the plates and they all ate together for once, it was one of the rarer quiet moments, just sitting down eating in silence, it was when Misato received a phone call that Shikinami's heart began to pound. "An angel?" Misato asked, "I'll be there right away.", she replied to the phone call. Shinji and Asuka also stood up, preparing to leave, but Misato stopped them. "this angel isn't physical in appearance, it seems to be microscopic, it's infiltrated the Magi, I need to help Ritsuko and the others.",
"shouldn't we at least be there, just in case?" Soryu asked, "No, you three are our absolute last resort, you're safer out here, away from the microscopic invasion." Misato adorned her jacket and dress, "I promise I'll be back soon, if we really need you an agent will come." She closed the door and hurried off.
"You okay Shikinami?" Shinji asked noticing that she was shaking, "Yeah" She said, "yeah, I just need to sleep." She hurried over to her and Asuka's room, immediately closing the door, "Somethings happened to her Shinji?" Soryu said, "and I think it has to do with the Angels.", Shinji was unsure but, "you think maybe…", Asuka got what he was implying, but right now that would be impossible, "whatever it is wonder girl must know, I think we'll ask her about it tomorrow.", ''Yeah.'' Shinji agreed, "best go to bed.", "with an Angel on the loose?" Soryu asked, "I'm pretty sure they can handle it." Shinji replied, Soryu clicked her tongue, "I'm not sure I want to sleep in the same room, let alone bed with her.",
"After today Asuka, I think you're pretty much the only one who can help her." Shinji said, "if you like her so much why don't we switch places.", "It's not like that and you know I can't do that, plus I genuinely think you could help her and maybe she could help you.", "how so?" Asuka(Soryu) inquired, "You may be different but you kind of understand each other, there's no barrier prohibiting you two from connecting to each other, why you two choose to resist to each other is what surprises me."
"Maybe if your interdimensional counterpart comes into our world, you'd understand.", Soryu replied, "I actually think I'd agree with myself more than anything." Shinji chuckled at the prospect of it.
"Hmph, you really have changed." Asuka said, "You keep saying that but I honestly don't see it, and if it's so then the same applies to you, you've changed too" He said looking towards her directly. Asuka shied away, "How exactly?" she asked,
"Well you're talking to me more often for starters, and you express yourself more than you use to.", "I can't very well talk to Shikinami can I?", she retorted, "you actually can but like I said, you guys choose to resist each other.", "and like I said-" but Asuka stopped, "we're gonna be spinning in circles" she stood up and went to her room, but before she could, Shinji spoke, "even this conversation between us wouldn't last as long as it did before Shikinami came.", "Shut up." Asuka melodied as she headed into her room.
Once again in the dead of Night, Soryu and Shikinami lay in the same bed, back to back, but neither could really sleep, Soryu because of the strangeness of the situation and Shikinami because her memories were slowly seeping in, "Hey." Shikinami said, "Yeah" Soryu replied, "I've got a question for you." she said "Ask away." Soryu responded
"What do you really think of the idiot.", Shikinami said. "Shinji?" Soryu asked, "Who else?" she responded. They both kinda laughed at that comment, but afterwards Shikinami asked once more, "so, what do you make of him?",
"I'm not sure what to make of him.", Soryu replied, "just say how you really feel" Shikinami responded.
"That's the thing, I genuinely don't know.", Shikinami could hear the uncertainty in her counterparts voice, but she continued nonetheless.
"I think you do know." Shikinami said, "You just don't want to say it", "Like you know me." Soryu responded,
"I think I do know you, because to some extent, I used to be you.", she said, but Soryu got up and looked to her, "what are you talking about?" Soryu asked.
"You're both so fragile and insecure," Shikinami responded, "That you can't even communicate properly.", "Me? Fragile?" Soryu questioned her, "mentally yes" Shikinami fired at her, Soryu annoyed, abruptly pulled the sheets, "whatever, like you're so perfect, I don't know what happened to you and your Shinji, but me and my Shinji, we're different , dare I even say better." She was a little smug about that comment, but then Shikinami asked her once more, "and that's why you're so sure it'll work between the two of you?", "I don't know what you're implying." Soryu said as she went back to lying down on the bed, "if you can't see it by now, you're as stupid as he is" Shikinami said. Soryu could feel the smile on her face, but she wasn't going to let her, get to her.
So she ignored that last comment and instead tried to get some shut-eye. 5 minutes pass and Shikinami got up from the bed, "hey where are you going?", Soryu asked, but Shikinami didn't respond, she only opened the door and headed out to the next room, realizing this Soryu quickly followed her,
"Don't go in there." Soryu said, "Why?" Shikinami asked, "because he'll wake up and make a fuss about it, you know how he is.", "I do know" Shikinami said, "that's why I know he won't do anything like you said." Dammit Soryu thought, "Just don't okay.", "you ready to admit now?" Shikinami asked, "About what?" Soryu asked back, "Don't play stupid, that game is for Shinji.", "I don't know what you're talking about." Soryu responded, but Shikinami held the door and was to slide it open,
"Okay fine." Soryu said, "maybe…just maybe I like the idiot, still doesn't mean anything.",
"And maybe, just maybe he likes you too, dare I say-", "Shut up." Soryu interrupted.
Shikinami bore a little smile on her face, a small laugh escaped her person and the thought of it kind of made Asuka(Soryu) blush, but she quickly snapped out of it. "Stop it, I'm going back to sleep, if you know what's good for you you'll come back with me." Shikinami teased her counterpart, "I think I'll wait out here for a while.", "Dammit Asuka" Soryu said rather angrily "fine." Shikinami conceded, letting out a few giggles. They both went back into their room, meanwhile Shinji in his room, had heard their whispers, leaving him to ponder on their words. "oh no." he said out loud.
Before succumbing to slumber, Shikinami thought back to Mari's words, she never really explained why their Shinji wasn't here with them.
END.
Not a strong ending but we had to get Mari established, next chapter I swear full on Asuka and Shinji…maybe.