It's hard coming up with an Opening AN… Here's some stuff to tide you over till next chapter. Believe me, you'll want the next chapter to come quickly after this.


August 22nd, 2015

"What are you looking at, Sachiel?" Shinji asked, as they stood outside the local park, waiting for something interesting to happen. The last few days had been boring, as there had been nothing with NERV since the Jet Alone incident, he hadn't had a Sync Test yet, or had there been an Angel that had come knocking on their door.

"Nothing, just seems like there's something up there."

"What are you talking about?"

"Up there," Sachiel replied, pointing at the sky, before ducking into Shinji's pocket as someone passed. "In the sky." Shinji squinted his eyes, but saw nothing unusual.

"Are you sure you aren't seeing things, Sachiel?"

"Positive!" Sachiel replied in exasperation, pointing back at the sky. "It's right there!"

"Still nothing." Shinji replied, thinking his Angel friend had gone nuts, when a sudden shout got his attention.

"Look out below!" Shinji didn't have time to say anything, before he was suddenly sent sprawling to the ground. Groaning in agony, Shinji opened his eyes, only to stare into white space, feeling something squishy on his head.

'Oh… Shit…' Shinji thought in realisation as the person quickly got off him. He glanced at the person, realising it was a girl, probably slightly older than him, with long brown hair tied in a single ponytail. When she turned slightly, she could see a pair of glasses perched on her face, with a pair of teal eyes behind them.

"Shit!" She said, glancing around her. "Dammit! If I lose anything I'm dead!" She cried out as she turned, noticing Shinji staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, letting her eyes wander over the boy. "What? Cat got your tongue?" She asked coyly, letting a sly smile settle on her face. "It looks like you've never seen a girl before."

"I-I have."

"Smooth."

"Shut it, Sachiel!"

"Sachiel?" She asked curiously, crawling towards him. Shinji scurried back slightly, as she approached him, before she was pretty much on top of him again. She smelled him, before humming in content. "You smell of LCL, I like that smell." She said, backing away from him, she started laughing as she saw the look on his face. "Don't be so weirded out, this is just how I am."

"Did you say LCL?" Shinji asked, not bothering to get up.

"Yep, wonderful smell, don't you think?" She asked, as if this was perfectly normal conversation. Shinji didn't reply. Personally, he thought LCL smelled a bit like blood, but couldn't quite place it. "Before you ask, I am an Eva Pilot." She said, confirming any suspicions he might have had. "The Proto Child."

"I heard about an incident with another Eva Unit. Unit-05?" Shinji asked questioningly.

"Yep! I was there. Mari Illustrious Makinami!" She said, offering her hand to pull him up. Taking it gratefully, he stood up again. "Who's Sachiel?" Shinji opened his mouth to say something, but he was beaten to it.

"I am Sachiel!" He replied, flying out of Shinji's shirt pocket to greet the new girl. "An Angel!"

"Nice to meet you Sachiel!" Mari replied, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "Skeletal!" She called out suddenly.

"Who's…" Shinji cut himself off when another Angel came out from behind Mari, looking like a mess of bones.

"I-I-I-I'm Skeletal!" He replied, his voice having a slight manic edge to it.

"There's more…" He asked in exasperation.

"Yep!" Mari replied, as she usually did. "Turns out this one is the Nineteenth!"

"But I recently killed the Fifth?"

"Yeah you did, I didn't get to see it unfortunately." Mari replied, before turning away from him to stare out at Tokyo-3. "The Old Men don't know that there are more than they think."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" She replied, turning back to the boy quickly. "Anyway, I haven't seen Tokyo-3 before. Show me around!?"

"I mean…"

"Great! Let's go!" She called out, pulling him along. He smiled slightly, knowing this new person was going to be a big part of his life.


August 23rd, 2015

"Fuyutsuki." Gendo Ikari intoned, seated in his usual spot behind his desk in his dark office. Kozo Fuyutsuki stood nearby, staring out the window towards the Geofront.

"Yes, Ikari."

"We need to talk." Fuyutsuki turned, heading towards the seat sitting in front of the Commander of NERV, settling down, waiting for Gendo to speak. "These Angels, they have more abilities than we once thought."

"Yes, Ikari. I assume you're speaking of their ability to stay after their supposed deaths."

"Indeed."

"Ikari, why only speak of this now." Fuyutsuki asked, curiosity lining his features.

"When the Third Angel attack in July, we didn't know they continued to live after their death. It was only when the Fourth Angel attacked that we found out about this interesting ability, when the Third went into the Core of Unit-01 to help in the battle. The very quick appearance of the Fifth Angel halted plans, and we had to deal with the Jet Alone Unit. That, Fuyutsuki, is why we are talking about this now."

"I see. What do you suggest?"

"I was going to ask you that, Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied, a small smirk on his lips. Fuyutsuki stared back, before replying.

"I don't see a reason to try and bring the Angels down again if that's what you're implying. But, due to the actions of the Angels with the Fourth, as well as the Jet Alone. It seems that they are intent on helping us towards our ultimate goal."

"Thank you, Fuyutsuki."

"Ikari?"

"I agree, if they continue to show this amount of help, especially with the Second Child and Unit-02 arriving soon, we should have no problem moving forward with the Scenario."

"I agree, Ikari."

"But," Gendo continued, turning to stare out at the Geofront. "If the Angels ever show any sign of going against NERV and the Scenario, I will not hesitate to order them terminated. I will not have anything prevent us from reaching the ultimate outcome of the Scenario."


Mari hurried through the NERV HQ, intent on finding one office in particular. She was happy, for the first time in a long while, she had met Shinji, who seemed like a nice, albeit timid boy, for the first time, and they had explored Tokyo-3 together, they had found a nice little place in the corner of the city, largely unknown, that housed a nice little restaurant that had a karaoke bar. After a bit of a conversation (largely Mari telling Shinji they were going to come back later, with Shinji not really saying much), they had agreed to return at a later date and do some karaoke.

Mari's thoughts on the previous day disappeared when she arrived at a door, a door marked with one large word: Sub-Commander. She breathed in and out, letting her nerves settle before she opened the door. She was scared, scared of what would happen inside this room. How the man on the other side would react to her.

With one last sigh, she opened the door.

"Yes, who is it…" Fuyutsuki stated, glancing up, and staring straight at her in shock. Mari smiled slightly, letting the man know what had happened.

"Hi, Professor." She said, stepping into the room as the door shut behind her.


Shinji relaxed in the Test Plug, letting the LCL wash over him. To his left, as usual, Rei sat in her own plug, doing her own Sync Test. Shinji found Sync Tests annoying, but understood why they did them. It was always a matter of getting better, so that when the next Angel would appear, they were ready.

The Angels were with the Bridge Bunnies, settling and watching the pilots, as they always did, considering that the Angels did not affect Sync Ratios whatsoever, Ritsuko had deemed it unnecessary to test the pilots with the Angels inside with them, as such, normal testing continued.

When the LCL drained from the Plugs, Shinji and Rei knew that the Test was over, waiting for a moment, the voice of Maya came over the speakers in the plugs, letting the two pilots know of their results.

"Okay, great job guys, both of you improved a bit since Ramiel!" She said, happy with the results the two pilots were getting in their scores. "Rei, you're going well, but still sitting at about 50, try and get it up a bit."

"Yes."

"Shinji, you're sitting well at 60 right now, better than what it was when fighting Ramiel, and about the same as the Jet Alone."

"Okay."

"Great!" Maya stated, turning to Misato who was swinging around in a chair behind them. She nodded, letting the younger girl know that the test was over and they could go home. "Alright, you two can go get changed and head out now!" The speaker cut with a blip, leaving Shinji and Rei alone in their plugs.

They both exited quietly, heading down the hall towards the change rooms. They both striped off their plugsuits and got into the showers, before heading back to the main area and getting dressed again. Shinji couldn't be bothered to put up the privacy screen, and Rei didn't care about her nudity anyway, so it was fine.

"Hey, Rei."

"Yes." She replied, turning to the boy. Shinji turned away quickly, not knowing that Rei was half-dressed.

"I found a nice little restaurant while exploring the city yesterday. We were going to go there as a group. Are you interested?" Rei stood in thought, before replying with her decision.

"Yes, I will come, Shinji." She turned back to her clothes and continued dressing. Shinji sighed in relief before picking up his stuff and exiting, heading out towards the city for the rest of the day.


August 24th, 2015

The day started like any other, Shinji noted, as he woke up that morning with a yawn. Sachiel once again, as he usually did, swatted him away with his stick arms as Shinji tried to wake him up. He sighed as he moved away, Shamshel waking up and following soon after, Ramiel simply lying somewhere, as Shinji didn't know what Ramiel was doing currently. Overall, a normal morning.

Trudging into the kitchen, Shinji prepared Breakfast for that morning, another thing that had become quite common in the apartment recently, due to Misato finding out he was actually quite a decent cook. Looking down at his watch, Shinji counted down in his head, knowing when Misato would open the door and get up for the day. '5… 4… 3… 2… 1…'

Right on cue, Misato opened the door with a massive yawn, her clothing as usual in a state of some disarray. "Morning Shinji, Shamshel." She replied tiredly, heading towards the nearest fridge for her usual morning beer.

"Morning, Misato." Came the reply from both Shinji and Shamshel, as Misato settled at the table and cracked open her can of beer. The "YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAH" that followed let Shinji know that the morning was off to a good start.

Finishing making breakfast, he settled down at the table and handed everyone their meals, digging in. It was silent, as it usually was, letting everyone eat in peace. Misato didn't have anything to say today, not after NERV had had words with her after her performance during the Jet Alone incident, knowing her actions were rash, and her distaste towards Shiro Tokita unacceptable.

"Alright, Misato." Shinji called, as he headed towards the door. "I'm heading out now!"

"Alright, have fun at school, Shinji!" She called back enthusiastically as she returned to her meal, letting her charge head to school, she couldn't keep him from that, even if his job had something to do with saving the world.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Sachiel floating in front of her, thoughts clearly on the Angel's mind.

"Can I investigate the large tumours on your chest for scientific purposes?"

"Okay, Sachiel. First off, they are called breasts, or boobs." She replied matter-of-factly, "Secondly, do you even know what Science is?"

"Breasts? Interesting name. They look like tumours to me. Also, what is Science?"

"That's what I thought!" Misato replied enthusiastically, heading away from the table after depositing her dishes in the sink to be cleaned up later. "I'm going to go have a shower now. No peeking!" She said, directing the final part specifically at Sachiel.

"What!?" Sachiel replied unconvincingly, watching to woman head towards the bathroom.

Misato laughed from inside the bathroom, when Shamshel let out a massive "No, Sachiel!" Knowing exactly what the Angel was trying to do.


School that day was interesting, Shinji assumed that it would be like any other day. Sensei talking about Second Impact and the majority of the class either not paying attention or sleeping to pass the time. Today however, was different.

It started normally, Shinji arrived at school and met up with Toji, Hikari, Kensuke and Rei, who had taken to hanging out with them a lot more than she used to, and heading to the classroom for the day. They'd set themselves up at their desks and prepared for another day of 'learning' about Second Impact.

Sensei had entered the classroom, standing at the front of the room. Hikari stood, as usual and called out in her authoritive voice. "Rise! Bow! Sit!"

"Today class, we have a new transfer student." Sensei started, once everybody was seated and ready to begin. Shinji glanced at the door, wondering who the new arrival could be. The door opened, and in stepped Mari, her brown hair done up in a single ponytail today. She smiled at the class on arrival, prompting many of the male students to stare at her. "If you'd like to introduce yourself." Sensei said, his usual droning tone still coming through despite this being something different.

"Hi everyone! I'm Mari Illustrious Makinami! I hope we all have fun together!" She smiled as she turned back to Sensei.

"Mmhmm, yes, Miss. Makinami, there is a seat near the back next to Mr. Ikari." Mari smiled and headed towards Shinji's desk. She smiled and waved, before settling down next to him.

Sensei than started on the lesson, beginning his spiel about Second Impact as usual, not noticing that most the class was either staring at Mari with lust (majority of the boys), while the girls of the room glared angrily at their boyfriends, or just at the boys for being perverts. Mari smiled, happy to be here.


"Shinji, you didn't tell us you knew such a hot babe." Toji said, cornering Shinji after class ended that day. Shinji grimaced, waiting as Toji continued to hound him.

"Yes, I know her, after she kind've collided into me a couple days ago."

"Collided, eh?" Toji replied, raising an eyebrow. "Get any good feels, Shinji." He asked, waggling his eyebrows. Shinji blushed hard, stammering in reply, an attempt to get a string of words out.

"Suzahara!" Hikari called suddenly, stomping into the hallway. "Don't you ever let me hear you making perverted comments again! If I do I will put you on cleaning duty for a week! Understand!"

"Yes, Class Rep! Sorry, Class Rep!" Hikari growled again, knowing that whenever she got into her "Class Rep Mode", as Toji called it, he would revert to calling her Class Rep.

"I have a name you idiot!"

"Sorry, Hikari!"

"Better." She commented, before turning to Shinji. "So, who is this new person."

"You talking about me?" A female voice said from behind the pigtailed girl, Hikari turned, finding Mari standing there with a wide smile. "I'm flattered Freckles, really."

"Freckles…?"

"Sorry, I'm Mari, I give nicknames to people who I like. The Puppy here knows that." Mari replied, Shinji blushed again at the nickname, before speaking up.

"So, who's everyone else?" Shinji asked, curious as to what everyone else could be.

"Well, you're Puppy, and Class Rep here is Freckles. Dumb and Dumber over there, ("Hey!" Toji called out in indignation.) are Jock and Nut. While your fellow pilot, Rei, is Blueberry."

"Okay then…"

"Don't question it, Puppy, just roll with it." Shinji just nodded, while Hikari simply stared dumbfounded.

"So, where is the Blueberry anyway?" Mari asked, intent on formally meeting her fellow pilot.

"Rei doesn't usually stick around long after school, she's usually at NERV though, you might see her there."

"Damn." Mari replied casually, before turning to Toji and Kensuke. "Don't stare for too long boys, some people might think you're going crazy." She said seriously, causing both boys to blanch in reaction. Mari then started laughing. "I'm kidding! I say if you have it, flaunt it!" She replied in complete seriousness. "I don't care if you stare at me, or my boobs. Don't ask me to show you though, that's only for special people." She said, winking at Shinji. Shinji blushed all over again, causing the older girl to laugh again. "Well, it's been fun, I'll see you all tomorrow." Mari said, turning to leave, before stopping and turning to Hikari. "Don't worry about yourself Freckles, he'll notice you sooner or later. You're not that small!" She added playfully, before leaving for real.

Hikari stammered all the way out the door and all the way home.


August 25th, 2015

"Well, here it is!" Mari said as the group entered the local buffet restaurant. It had been a long day of not paying attention at school, and Mari had decided to coerce the group into coming to the buffet restaurant that she had found with Shinji a few days before.

"It's definitely a buffet." Shinji commented dryly, glancing around himself. There was a large table set up in the middle of the room, with an assortment of foods layered across, tempting the people around to grab a plate and start taking some food.

The main attraction of the place though was its karaoke machine. A large stage stood at one end of the building, with people coming up and playing after registering for it. Mari was very intent on trying this out, the rest of the group was rather indifferent about it.

"Anyone else going to sing?" Mari asked, intent on not being the only one to sing on this day. No one else really felt like going up though, which became apparent when no one spoke up at Mari's question. Mari sighed, turning away and heading towards the karaoke table, to register to do some karaoke on the stage.

The rest of the group collectively went towards the buffet table, and started to get some food. It took a little bit, but once everyone had collected their food, they had found a nice round table to sit at, waiting for Mari to take to the stage and start singing because she really wanted to do it.

It didn't take long until Mari was found standing on the stage. She smiled wide, letting everyone know that she felt quite at ease here. "Hi everyone! Today I am going to sing a song for you, a song that I like very much, to show everyone how I feel about being here today in this city." She smiled again, nodding towards the man sitting behind the nearby desk, ready to sing her song.

– Evangelion 1.0 OST – Track 31 – Beautiful World –

It's only love.

If I can be granted just one wish,
Please let me sleep next to you. Any place is fine.
Beautiful world
Without regrets, my eyes are only on you.
Beautiful boy
You don't know yet, just how beautiful you are.

It's only love

Whether you're sleeping or awake,
You just dream of shounen manga. Don't you like yourself?

You don't know what you want, but you can't stop wanting.
Lukewarm tears roll down your cheeks.

I have nothing I want to tell you,
I just want to meet you again.
I can't say what I want to tell you,
Maybe I'm just a coward.
But that's alright too.

If I can be granted just one wish,
Please let me sleep next to you. Any place is fine.
Beautiful world
Without regrets, my eyes are only on you.
Beautiful boy
You don't know yet, just how beautiful you are.

It's only love

No matter what it is, give everything a try.
Even if you get hurt, it's a valuable experience.

I don't need newspapers.
The important things are not printed there.
How are you doing recently?
If you are fine,
Then that's good I guess.

If I can't meet you before my world ends,
Please let me sleep next to you. Any place will do.
Beautiful world
As these fleeting days pass by,
Beautiful boy
It's natural to feel whimsical.

If I can be granted just one wish,
Please let me sleep next to you.

– End –

Mari finished the song, letting the microphone fall from her hand and hit the ground lightly. A large applause came up after she had finished her song, and she smiled happily as she stepped down and headed towards her friends.

"So, what'd you think?" She said, a large smile on her face.

A chorus of various compliments came forth, causing the teenage girl to smile happily. "Thanks guys, but next time you're going up there as well!"


August 26th, 2015

Toji glanced around him, everywhere, nurses ran back and forth as they attended to patients situated in lots of places at the hospital. Toji was here one reason. His sister, Sakura Suzahara. After being in the wrong place at the wrong time while Sachiel was attacking the city, Sakura had ended up caught under a rather large bit of rubble, Toji himself having barely been missed. Somehow, despite all the odds, she had survived, but was going to be in the Hospital for who knows how long.

Ever since Toji had decided to jump to conclusions and punch Shinji instead of approaching the boy calmly, something that Hikari had made sure to hammer into his head the next day, Toji had visited the Hospital every day when he had the time, at this point though, Sakura was still in a coma, and because of his sister's current predicament, and Shinji himself showing he didn't really care for piloting the Eva, was when Shinji became his friend.

Today was no different, Toji sat in thought, particularly of a Pigtailed Class Rep, and simply watched his sister lay on her bed. His thoughts had been muddled lately, ever since Ramiel had decided to remove Hikari's pigtails he found himself thinking about the girl constantly, she always popped up when he least expected it, and currently, he had no idea why.

"Toji?" His thoughts were broken as he glanced to his left to find the exact girl he had just been thinking about. "Are you alright? Your face is red." Hikari asked, standing nearby, holding a bag of groceries, inevitably for the family dinner that she would be cooking that night. A commonality in her family, and many others in their class, as all of them no longer had their mother around anymore. An anomaly that Hikari had brushed of as a coincidence.

Toji cursed to himself, making sure Hikari couldn't hear him as she would chew him out for it, before turning back to the girl, hoping his blush had subsided. "I'm fine." He replied simply, hoping that she would be happy with that and leave him alone, but knowing her, she was far more perceptive than that.

"No, you're not." She replied, settling down into the seat beside him, letting her groceries sit on the ground beside her. "You're hurting," She said, resting her hand on his own, letting him know she was there for him. "What it is I don't know, but just know that I am here for you." She finished letting him hold her hand silently, a simple gesture, but he knew she would always be there for him.

That's when it hit him, why he constantly thought about her, why she had occupied his thoughts so much over the past few weeks. He pulled his hand away quickly, not wanting to talk about this newfound feeling that he had. "I'm worried." Was all he said, letting the words sink in.

Hikari's heart dropped, she hated seeing him in such a terrible moment, knowing that whatever was happening was ripping him apart inside. "What's going on?" She said slowly, questioning but wondering both lacing her tone.

"My sister is in there." He replied, pointing at the door, slightly ajar, giving the boy a clear look at his sister. Hikari glanced over, and gasped, a small girl, about six years old lay silently on a bed inside. Breathing, but otherwise not moving. "They say she's fine, but she hasn't woken up yet." Toji said, his voice cracking slightly. "I just don't know whether she'll ever wake up!" He said, letting the tears he had held in start to flow. Hikari pulled the older boy into a hug, whispering sweet nothing into his ear as he continued to cry into her shoulder.

"It's okay, she'll wake up, Toji. I'm sure of it." Hikari said, giving the boy a small smile to let him know that everything was okay. "No matter what happens, she'll wake up and end up as her usual self."

"Thanks, Hikari." Toji replied, standing and heading towards the door, stepping inside to get a full view of his sister. Hikari hesitated, before grabbing her groceries and starting to head out of the Hospital. Toji ran back after her, pulling her around to face him. They stared at each other, wondering in both their faces. "Don't leave." Toji finally said, letting his hold on arm drop. "Stay, please."

"Of course." She finally said, after what felt like forever, following Toji back to his sister's room. She watched the young girl, her stomach rising and falling with every breath she took. "She's adorable." Hikari said, watching silently.

"Yeah, she is." Toji replied, letting a smile overcome him at memories he had with his sister. "She can be a cheeky little devil though, when she wakes up you'll see." Hikari smiled, knowing his comment meant two things, that he thought she would be okay, and that he wanted her to see his sister with him again.

"I'm sure she'll get on swimmingly with Nozomi."

"Your younger sister?"

"Yeah." The two continued to watch Sakura, letting her know, even if she didn't in person, that she was still loved, despite the situation she was in.

"Well, let's go." Toji said, silently taking Hikari's hand and pulling her slowly towards the door, the intent to leave and visit another day in his mind.

"Toji…" He stopped, turning slowly, the voice so familiar to him he almost broke down in happiness right there. Lying in the bed, Sakura watched him with an air of amusement in her tired eyes. Her brown hair splayed out across her pillow, her brown eyes sparkling as she stared at him. "Hey big bro…" She said, her voice slow and slightly raspy due to non-use. "You didn't tell me you'd gotten a girlfriend…" She teased, causing Toji and Hikari to release their hand-hold quickly.

Toji stepped forward, stopping right beside the bed. "Sakura… You're awake!"

"Yeah… but I don't know for how long…" She said, turning to Hikari. "She's your Class Rep right…?"

"Yeah, I am," Hikari replied, smiling down at the physically weak girl. "I'm Hikari."

"Hikari… I like that name…" She replied, turning to her brother. "The pilot… of the giant robot… Did you give him a hard time…?"

"A little bit." Toji admitted, looking down in shame. Sakura tried her hardest to give Toji an annoyed look, but it came out looking cuter than anything.

"Idiot…" She said, letting the boy know she was teasing him.

"Don't worry, Sakura, he's my friend now. His name's Shinji. I can bring him over sometime."

"Thank you…" Sakura replied, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. "I'd like that a lot…"

"It's done. Sleep well, Sakura."

"Bye… Toji…" Sakura replied, letting her eyes close once again, sleep overcoming her as Hikari stood silently behind Toji, her hand resting on his shoulder in comfort.

"See?" She said, as he continued to watch his sister. "I told you that everything would be fine."

"Thanks, Hikari." Toji said, getting up and hugging her for a moment, letting his emotions come across.

Hikari blushed as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. "You're welcome, Toji. Anytime."


August 27th, 2015

Life was returning to a somewhat normal back at NERV HQ, the kids weren't required for a sync test today and everything had quietened down a bit.

For the most part, in a small corner of the large pyramid, work was happening very quickly and in quite a rush. Evangelion Unit-02 would be arriving in Tokyo-3 soon, and NERV's First Branch, located in Massachusetts, USA, had called ahead to Tokyo-3 to let them know that they had completed work on Evangelion Unit-03 far earlier than expected, and were also sending down the Unit by air a couple days later.

Because of all this, Ritsuko was very stressed out, not only was the Second Child going to be arriving with Unit-02 on the Over the Rainbow, an old battleship from Pre-Second Impact, and the rest of the United Nations Pacific Fleet in a bid to keep the giant weapon safe. But another Evangelion, one that they didn't expect completed for months, was going to be arriving as well, and the unexpected Unit didn't have a pilot yet.

Due to this, Ritsuko was currently fretting around, stepping into a lift nearby to head towards the Eva Cages, where work was currently underway in a place for the two new Units to be stored was in progress. She sighed as the lift headed down quickly, letting her thoughts run wild. 'Damn them!' Was common in her thoughts, targeted specifically towards the Second Branch, having only given them a warning recently about Unit-03 and expecting HQ to take it with no qualms. 'No qualms, huh!? There'll be qualms!' Ritsuko thought as the lift stopped and opened with a ding.

Stepping out onto the parapet nearby, she glanced down at all the machinery in the two cages being set up for Unit-02 and Unit-03. Across the building, preparations were being made for the Major's arrival on the old battleship in a few days' time, ready for both her, and the Third Child's, arrival to collect the Second Child. Misato had also noted to her, that three of Shinji's school friends were coming with them.

'Well, at least it won't be a completely boys club.' Ritsuko thought as she headed back upstairs, things were moving smoothly, and she was satisfied with that. 'At least Hikari will be there, might give Asuka a friend of some sort.' She thought as she headed up towards Gendo Ikari's office, a meeting having been called a few hours earlier regarding the progress towards Unit-02's arrival.

She stopped outside the large doors, men of Section 2 standing on both sides. She simply nodded to the men and pushed open the door.

"Dr. Akagi?" The cold but stern voice of Gendo Ikari came across the room.

"Here, sir." She replied, stepping into the low light of the room.

"Ah, take a seat." He replied, gesturing to the chair sitting in front of his desk, a courtesy, that must be earnt.

"Yes, sir." Ritsuko replied, taking a seat and staring back at the man who gave her so much emotional pain.

"What do you think of the Angels?" The man asked, his hands folded in front of his face as they always were, staring ahead, letting no emotions out.

"The one's we're trying to defeat, sir?" She asked, not completely sure what the man was saying.

"The Angels that, despite our efforts, have managed to stay behind and stay with the pilots."

"I think they're fine sir. They don't seem to have an idea about killing us all anytime soon, if that's what you're implying. Sachiel, the Third Angel, said a couple of weeks ago that they would help us towards our goal."

"Splendid." Gendo replied, smirking slightly. "Now about the progress on Unit-02?"

"Yes, preparations are well underway for the Evangelion's arrival. Major Katsuragi will board a transport along with the Third Child and a few of his classmates to retrieve the vessel and meet the Second Child in a few days' time."

"Excellent, is there anything else to note, Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes, the First Branch called, they're sending over Unit-03 by air in the next few days."

"Interesting, what do you make of this, Doctor?"

"I think they're rushing things to compete with the Third Branch, completely forgetting that Unit-02 began construction years before they even considered building an Evangelion. I think they need more time."

"Did you tell them this?"

"No, I didn't, I told them we'll be ready for it."

"Excellent work, Doctor. I am pleased with the progress made. Let Major Katsuragi know that she will be required to depart for the United Nations Pacific Fleet in three days' time. That will be all."

"Thank you, Commander." Ritsuko stood, and turned to leave, letting the doors close silently behind her. Gendo stared after her, waiting till she was completely gone.

"Are you sure this was a good idea, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked, standing to the side in the darkness, having heard the entire conversation. "Unit-03, completed so soon? What is the First Branch thinking?"

"They're content on having the best Evangelion, Fuyutsuki, completely disregarding that Unit-02 had the best scientist available at the Third Branch on its construction."

"Ah yes, Kyoko wouldn't be very happy. One more thing, are you sure it's a good idea for Shinji to go get Unit-02? Who knows what could happen once he meets Asuka."

"Kyoko would've wanted it that way." Gendo replied, "Besides, Yui would've wished it too."

"Ah yes, they were great students Ikari, all three of them."

"I know they were Fuyutsuki, I didn't marry Yui for nothing."

"She's watching from above Gendo. Both of them are."


August 28th, 2015

Mari felt strange. This world, it was so familiar, yet so different at the same time. There were landmarks that were obvious to her, and places that had been completely wiped off the map. It had taken a few weeks, with the battle against Skeletal and the destruction of Unit-05, and her arrival at Tokyo-3 and meeting with Shinji, to get used to the altered state of the world.

It pained her, of course it did. She felt out of place in this world that she didn't grow up in. Lots of things had changed, and seeing Shinji in person had only exemplified that. Asuka was going to arrive soon as well, but she couldn't go see her either. NERV had a lot on its plate right now, and her being a pilot, and one that was kind've supposed to be dead, just added to that. She had wanted to go see her, she really did, but NERV needed her.

So, she stared out at the Geofront again. She hadn't been able to leave much, only for school really, which just felt odd to her. She was 16 after all, physically at least, and the rest of the class she was placed in were all 13-14, making her feel like the odd one out in the group of students. She didn't mind much though, the just developing mind of the boys in the class gave her something to laugh at. It was as she always said, if you've got it, flaunt it. Hikari had blushed quite badly at that. That was a good day.

The door opened behind her, and in stepped Kozo Fuyutsuki, the door shut again. She turned and smiled, she was happy it was at least a familiar face instead of someone she didn't know. That wouldn't be very helpful.

"Mari." The man stated, sitting down at the nearest chair and watching the girl in front of him. She smiled back at him.

"Hi, Professor."

"I'm no longer a Professor, Mari." Fuyutsuki replied, smiling gently at her. "You don't need to call me that."

"Sorry, but old habits die hard I guess." Mari replied, settling on the bed. "I hate it here, this room sucks."

"I know, but it's the only place we have right now, especially while you're required here at NERV."

"I know I'm required, I'm an Eva Pilot!" She said, happily taking on the words. "It just feels weird, and dark for some reason."

"I'm sure once NERV clears you for piloting you can move somewhere else."

"Can I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Can I move in with the Puppy and Miso?"

"Who?" Mari laughed, forgetting that she was speaking to one of the highest people in NERV.

"Sorry, Shinji and Misato."

"I'm sure that's fine, although there were plans to have Asuka move in as well when she arrived."

"Great! The more the merrier!" Fuyutsuki laughed, revelling in the joy that didn't come around much anymore.

"That's all I've come down here for, just to see how you're doing. You're still an active pilot, despite not having an Eva to use, that is being worked on however, fitting for a new plugsuit will take place in a week."

"Thank god! That other one hurt too much."

"See you later, Mari."

"Bye, Professor!" The door shut behind the man, leaving Mari alone all over again. She lay down for a while, but decided to get up and explore.

The door opened and she ducked out, heading towards the nearest lift. She knew where she wanted to go, so headed there quickly. She smiled sadly as the lift doors opened to the Eva Cages, she felt bad doing this while Unit-02 was still in transit, but she couldn't wait any longer. She stepped out, the doors closing behind her.


Kensuke was very much looking forward for the coming trip. He'd been allowed to go see the Over the Rainbow! The most famous pre-Second Impact battleship there was!

Of course, they were also picking up another Evangelion! Unit-02! So, it definitely meant that more Evangelions were being built. He really wanted to be a pilot, ever since he found out about them, being friends with Shinji, and now Rei to an extent, could possibly give him a way into NERV.

"Son, I'm home." Kensuke packed up all his military models and went out to meet his father. This was not a common occurrence, as like many of his classmates, his father worked for NERV, and his mother had disappeared long ago. "How are you doing, Kensuke?"

"I'm good, Dad. Just excited for this coming trip." His dad laughed, revelling in the feeling of being with his son for a little while.

"Ah, yes. I would be too." His father smiled, before heading to the kitchen to have a drink. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes, Dad. Ready to go in a couple days' time."

"Good job, son. Say hi to your friends for me when you go."

"I will Dad." Kensuke replied, before looking up at him. "Do you know if I can be a pilot?"

"Ken, I don't know what goes on up above, I only do the work I need to, so I can support you."

"Mum would be happy that you're doing this." Kensuke replied, looking down.

"I know she would. She's very proud of you."

"I miss her, Dad."

"So, do I Kensuke. So, do I."


August 29th, 2015

Rei was an enigma. Someone who felt like she was there and wasn't at the same time. She herself didn't mind of course. To her she was simply someone to be used. Once she had served her purpose she would be discarded, and if she died than she could be replaced. That was what she had been told for years. 'So why do I feel different now?' She thought as she stood in her drab apartment, the way it had always been, in her natural state. She didn't think much of clothes, only wearing them when absolutely necessary.

She stepped towards the bathroom, turning the knobs on the shower and stepping inside, letting the water wash over her. 'Friends? They give me these weird feelings. I know my purpose, so why do I feel different? Why do I feel like my purpose is a bad idea?' She was happy really, but these new sensations were unknown to her. She felt happy when she was around Toji, Hikari and Kensuke. Mari was an enigma to her, although she hadn't really spent any time with the girl yet, maybe while Shinji and the others were getting the Second Child they could interact. But the person who meant the most to her was Shinji. She felt a kind of familial bond with the boy. Someone she should love, but not romantically. To her, Shinji felt like the sibling she never had.

She stepped out of the shower and gently shut it off, she wrapped a towel around her neck and stepped back into the main room. She moved towards her dressers, packing some items for that night. Despite not going to get the Second Child, Major Katsuragi had decided to invite her over for a sleepover with the rest of her friends anyway, to spend some time with them before they had to leave early the next day to retrieve the Second Child.

'Maybe I can speak with Mari there?' Rei thought as she continued to pack her stuff into a small, generic backpack. Once she was happy, she glanced over her apartment one last time, before heading towards the door and stepping out. She nodded silently to herself, before closing and locking the door behind her.


"Shinji!"

"Gah!" Shinji cried, losing his balance and toppling to the floor, his limbs a tangled mess as he stared up at the ceiling. The blankets and pillows he had gotten out strewn around him in a mess of cloth. He glared as Sachiel brought his head into sight, looking down at the boy.

"Whatcha doin?" The Angel asked, chuckling as Shinji pulled himself up from the floor, annoyance in his eyes.

"Working, now leave me alone." Shinji turned and started picking up the cloths on the floor, indicating to Sachiel that he didn't want to talk to him. He didn't listen.

"Aw! That's no fun! Come on, do something productive for once!" Shinji glared again as the Angel continued to annoy him to death. He really considered the Angels' his friends now, he really did, but he still got annoyed with them. Mainly Sachiel, as Shamshel seemed to be the mature one of the group, and Ramiel was just strange to him.

"I am doing something productive, Sachiel!" Shinji replied, his eyes flashing slightly in annoyance. Sachiel still floated, watching the boy.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Sachiel folded his arms in front of him, attempting to look serious… and failing miserably. Shinji softened considerably, trying hard not to laugh at the absurd sight before him.

"Fine." Sachiel huffed dramatically, turning away from him. "But I have something to show you." He said, flying out of the room.

Shinji sighed, returning to the task at hand, preparing the room for a big sleepover, with Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Mari and Rei. He remembered when he had proposed the idea, (Actually, Misato came up with the idea, as it made it easier to leave in the morning), to his friends. Toji and Kensuke were on board, Mari was all for it, Rei simply said, "I will think about it", and Hikari… had a massive freak-out.

Shinji chuckled as he remembered the reaction his first friend in Tokyo-3 had given him. Noting how inhumane it was to have six teenagers at night, in the same room together. It had taken Misato calling Hikari's father (Who really didn't want to be disturbed), to get her to calm down. 'It didn't help that Kodama was all for her younger sister to go sleep at a boy's house.' Shinji thought as Misato snuck into the room behind him. She had been at the apartment for a while, having been given the day off to pack and prepare for the trip to the Over the Rainbow to pick up Asuka, and Unit-02 of course.

"Gah!" Came Shinji's cry as he was enveloped from behind by Misato, hugging the boy to her chest as a show of familial affection. Shinji blushed. "Misato!"

"You're adorable, Shinji!" She replied, releasing him. "I'm glad you've decided to go through with this. It's good that you're able to see your friends."

"Thanks, Misato. It was all your idea though."

"Oh, hush!" She replied, waving his comment off. "You would've thought of it anyway." Shinji smiled, finishing his setup of the room before him. He glanced around, satisfied, as the doorbell rang.

He smiled as he rushed to the door, opening it to find Mari standing behind, she smiled before stepping inside, glancing around the apartment. Shinji was happy that Mari came first, so he could introduce her to Misato in a more casual manner than the more formal introduction that would've come later.

"Wow! This is a nice little place, Puppy! Looks like you keep it nice and clean!" Mari said, indicating to the spotless apartment. Shinji laughed.

"Yeah, that's what I do around here." Mari laughed, as Shinji led her to the adjacent room. Misato was already perched on the nearby couch, a can of cold beer already in her hand. She glanced up as Shinji entered the room with a girl who she had seen around NERV HQ over the past week.

"You must be Mari!" Misato said, as she stood from her seat and crossed the room.

"And you must be the Major!" Mari replied, equally as cheery, glancing at the woman. "I feel we're going to get along splendidly!" Misato laughed heartily, bringing her can up to her lips and taking a sip for once.

"I'm sure we will! I'm still your superior officer though, don't forget it!" Mari mock gasped.

"Never, Major!" She replied, not having found a suitable nickname for Misato just yet. 'I do like the sound of Miso though.' She pondered as she sat down, Skeletal warily coming out of his hiding spot in her clothing. "Oh, I forgot! This is Skeletal!" The boney Angel stared around him quickly and harshly, taking in the new environment. Misato just stared, this felt weird, she hadn't gotten any reports about a Sixth Angel. Mari noticed her confusion, and supplied her with an answer. "Sorry, this is the Nineteenth Angel."

'Nineteenth?' Misato thought as she knelt in front of Skeletal.

"Y-y-yes?" The Angel asked, his voice raspy and broken, the sound of clanging was heard, and in rushed Sachiel, having knocked over god knows what in the Kitchen. Ramiel followed swiftly, with Shamshel bringing up the rear at a more acceptable pace.

"See!" Sachiel said, gesturing at the Skeleton Angel wildly. "I told you there was another one!"

"Gaghiel isn't here, Sachiel!" Shamshel replied in an exasperated tone, before settling eyes on Skeletal, scuttling about on the couch. "Well this is unexpected."

"Yes."

"I'm S-s-skele-t-t-tal." The Angel replied, "I'm the Nineteenth."

"Nineteenth? We have more brothers and sisters?"

"Obviously!" Sachiel replied, flying into Shamshel's face. "Who knows how big our family is!"

"Do I want to know?" Misato replied, dreading the answer.

"Probably not." Sachiel hand waved, before turning back to Shamshel. "Do you know what this means!?"

"Quiet, Sachiel." Shamshel reprimanded. Sachiel stuck his tongue out, hoping to strike back before the doorbell rang again. Shinji ran to the door, and soon after, Toji, Hikari and Kensuke entered the room. Ramiel glanced up as soon as Hikari entered the room, but settled down in satisfaction as he saw her hair lying straight down her back. She blushed at the attention that was being brought to her, looking down.

"Never thought you to wear your hair down, Freckles." Mari commented, idly waiting on the lounge. "You look good, he'll figure it out soon." Hikari and Toji both blushed, remembering back to a few days ago, at the Hospital, where Toji's sister had said something along those lines after waking up. Kensuke didn't pay attention, he had noticed Skeletal in the background, and had decided to interrogate the Angel, to the Angel's dismay.

"Tell me all about it!" Kensuke demanded as soon as he came to the Angel.

"W-w-w-what?"

"Being killed by an Eva! How it works! What happens!?"

"I don't know?" Skeletal replied honestly. "What's an Eva?" Kensuke stared, dumbfounded, as he felt little arms and legs on the back of his shirt, dragging him away.

"Leave him alone, Kensuke." Shamshel said, dragging him away from the Angel. Kensuke pouted, but followed through with the request. The group had set up, Hikari still a bit weary, and started to just talk and chat. Mari was heavily intent on playing a game, and her malicious smile said she had plans, but before she could say anything, Rei had entered the room.

"Am I missing anything?" She asked simply, her monotone coming through in her voice. The pieces of a young teenage girl there but not complete.

"Yes!" Mari replied, finally seeing the girl and being able to talk to her. "I'm Mari, we were going to play Truth or Dare."

"No, we weren't."

"I think it'll be fun!"

"I don't even know anymore, Sachiel." Rei smiled slightly, moving her lips slowly, barely.

"I'm glad I could be here. Despite not going to get the Second."

"It's fine, Blueberry!" Mari said, helping the girl settle, she just felt familiar to her, she couldn't place why. "Have a seat!"

"Thank you." She simply said, as she settled gracefully on the blanket before her, like an Angel almost.

"Well, let's play!" Mari replied, preparing to get a bottle from the Kitchen when Misato stepped into the room. She had retreated earlier, when they had started to chat as friends.

"No can do, Mari! These guys have got to sleep, you might not be going to the Over the Rainbow, and neither is Rei, but these guys need to be up early for their trip."

"Oh, you ruined the fun, Miso!" Mari replied, making a show of crossing her arms under her breasts for fun. She laughed as Kensuke fell onto his blanket fainted. Misato smiled, rolling her eyes as she left the room.

"Well, you heard Miss Misato." Hikari said, moving out of the room, towards the bathroom to get ready for bed. "Let's get ready for bed." Mari moved to follow, as did Rei, leaving the boys in the room alone.

"Think we should wake him up?" Toji asked, indicating to Kensuke.

"No, let's just let him rest." Shinji replied cheekily, changing quickly into sleepwear, Toji doing the same. They were just settling in when the girls returned. Hikari and Rei both wore simple patterned pyjamas, while Mari made a show with her pink nightgown. They all settled in, as slowly, one by one, they each settled into a sleeping rhythm.

Shinji fell into a slumber last, dreaming as he did of a Red-haired Girl, waiting for him to arrive and see her again. He didn't know why, but he felt familiarity at the thought of retrieving and meeting the Second Child, as the girl helped him sleep, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, he smiled as he relaxed against the pillow.

Miles away, drifting on the waves of the sea, the Over the Rainbow continued its trek, it's decks deserted due to the night owl, the only people awake up on the bridge, surveying the surrounding seas.

Deep inside a cabin, Asuka Langley Soryu settled into her own bed in her room, happiness at being able to see Misato again tomorrow, and anxious to meet the Third Child and prove she was better than him.

As her eyes flittered shut, her dreams showed her a brown-haired boy with a shy but happy smile, taking her hand and leading her into the depths of sleep. Comfort, that was all she needed. As she dreamed, she had a smile on her face. Not one of sadness, or forced as she had to do many times, but one of complete and utter happiness.

つづく


Well that's Chapter 18! Just some filler, but I needed to get Mari into Tokyo-3 and some scenes for each student individually. Not much of Misato here, or the NERV staff unfortunately, due to them getting a lot of presence in the last two Chapters. Lots of focus on the children cast here, and a little Toji/Hikari fluff for you all.

Now, next chapter, it's the one you've all been waiting for… That's right, Shinji and Asuka are finally going to meet! I need to note that Shinji/Asuka is the main pairing for this fic. Shinji/Rei is going to be very much a brother/sister relationship here. As for Mari, well, her reasoning and closeness to Shinji will be explained, let's see if some of you can figure it out before the reveal, as Mari is an interesting character. But I know Shinji and Asuka meeting is what most of you are looking forward to! As such, next chapter begins the adaptation of Episode 8!

Finally, I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for sticking with me around my bad timing and similar. I will try very hard for the next chapter to not take so long to get out! I'm aiming for updating Story Untold one week, than Little Angel the next, so you'll have to wait a couple weeks for Asuka proper unfortunately.

Until the 19th…

Chapter Title taken from: Evangelion 1.0, English.

Reviews!:

whitfordstephen53: Hi, thanks for your constructive review, and for not being a dick about your criticisms. Your review actually gave me an idea for this chapter, so I hope this is at least pleasing, and makes sense in story.