Dream
Disclaimer: Don't even think for a second that I own
Evangelion or any related titles, characters, products,
objects, etc. I don't own Shinji, sadly. Don't sue, and if
you do I'll sic my Gundam pilots on you. Have a nice day.
Rubbing my eyes sleepily, I stumble—over an empty case of
Yebisu beer—into the cluttered kitchen. Misato is already
seated at the small table, munching a bag of barbecue
potato chips and gazing into space. Her trance is broken as
she notices my groggy entrance and smiles, offering me some
chips.
"Ohayo, sleepyhead. Want some?"
I shake my head, pulling a box of the junky, sugary cereal
that Misato bought /especially/ for me out of the cupboard
and producing a bowl, milk and spoon from various cupboards
and drawers that my sleepy limbs instinctively open.
After preparing my none-too-healthy breakfast, I join
Misato at the table, still blinking sleep from my eyes. She
finishes off a can of beer, crushing it in her hand and
tossing it deftly into the recycling bin by the corner. She
then turns to me.
"Did you have any good dreams last night?"
I ponder, recalling my visions of slumber. I wonder how I
should answer this; should I tell her about the strange
dream I received, or play the bland, shy boy she knows so
well? I choose the latter, shaking my head and chomping on
the marshmallowy sweetness of my cereal.
"I can't remember. Don't think so," I answer, after
swallowing the spoonful. My eyes avert to the bowl of
cereal quickly becoming soggy, remembering the dream.
I was alone. I hopped out of unit 01's plug, gazing
around at my surroundings. My brain told me Rei had been
with me, and Asuka too. But searching around, I found no
traces of unit 00 or 02 anywhere. Not a footprint in sight.
Fear began to creep over me, as I realized the night was
cold. I shivered slightly in the skin-tight material of my
plug suit. I wasn't able to force sound from my throat as I
tried to call for Rei, Asuka, Misato, or anyone that could
help me find my way home.
The thin forest was unfamiliar, and an unearthly sound
came from within the trees. When I looked around, even unit
01 was gone, vanished. Then I was really alone, no form of
life whatsoever. Something caught my attention, and I
glanced upwards at its source.
A tiny light in the sky, like a beacon, it filled me
with an oddly warm feeling. I felt myself rising then; up
towards the light that was growing steadily the more I
looked at it. Reaching my arms out into its brightness, the
light swallowed me up and the dark, barren forest was no
more. Instead, I was floating in a world like no other. I
can't remember now how it exactly looked like, just one
word made its way into my mind: safe. I was safe, in a
haven to protect me from harm. I then realized I was naked,
but saw to problem with it. I was safe, in this
otherworldly land of light and air.
Someone else was in this place, and I squinted my eyes
to make out their form. It looked like a human, but I
couldn't be sure of its species, since my eyes couldn't
quite open right. I then heard my name, floating towards
me, on an unseen breeze that didn't even ruffle the cloth-
like forms around me.
"Shinji…" The voice is soft, calm and gentle, and it made
me think of tiny wavelets crashing silently onto a white-
sanded beach.
"Shinji…" it said again, coming closer. It was the other
thing that was there with me, moving towards me. I couldn't
be sure if it were walking or flying, its movements were
blurred, as were the rest of its form.
"Hello, my friend…" The being came into focus, and I could
make out what it was. It looked like a boy, though I
couldn't be sure of its gender. Its short, unkempt grayish
hair moved slightly in the breeze that I somehow couldn't
hear or feel, but its features were blurred. I couldn't
make out its face.
"Who are you?" I asked, the sound of my own loud voice
startling myself. The being looked unfazed, though again I
was never sure.
"That is for you to choose… friend, enemy, lover, whatever
you like. I rely on your choice," it said. I frowned.
"Why would you want to rely on someone like me?" I replied
coldly, looking at my feet, hovering in the off-white
world.
"You are more than you think. Although mentally you are
unstable, within you lies the courage you need for the
Judgment. The final test is approaching," it said, the
sound of its voice reassuring me somehow. I wanted to drift
away, forever in this warm, bright land, and never return
to the harsh life I knew so well.
"What is your name?" I asked, trying again to make out its
facial features.
"I am called… Tabris. I shall serve as part of the
Judgment." The being's very name made me melt. It was
beautiful, a name fit for someone not of my planet.
"Y-you have… a beautiful name," I said. Even though I
couldn't make out its features, I was sure I saw it smile.
That smile filled me further with warmth, and I was full
fit to burst with bliss that this unearthly place. I look
up at the being, smiling warmly and moving towards it.
"I think I want to be your friend, Tabris."
Without warning, Tabris brought me into a warm embrace,
thought I could barely feel its body close to mine. I
accepted it, bringing my arms around its shining form and
nestling my face in its gray-white hair. I thought I caught
a glimpse of unfolding pale wings from its back, but the
vision disappeared quickly. Tabris' hair smelled good, like
some exotic pale flower, and I could've stayed like that
forever, there in its arms.
"If you would like, I can be more than that," it said
finally. I brought myself out from our hug and smiled up at
him. It was then that I finally saw some part of his face,
but just his eyes. Deep, ruby red, the same crimson I had
only seen one other place…
"That would be nice…" I whispered sleepily into its ear,
closing my eyes. However, when I opened them, I found
myself not in the pale, warm world, or even in the dark
forest of the night. I was back in my bed, in my room in
Misato's apartment. I stared for a long time at the
ceiling, remembering small parts of the dream I had just
had. I smiled, thinking of the sweet Tabris and the bright
place that filled me with blissful feelings. I rolled over
on my pillow, closing my eyes and wishing to be sent back
into that vision again, but no such luck as I encountered
dreamless sleep. I wondered if I would ever see Tabris
again. Though there were doubts in the back of my mind, as
always, something told me I would. That very hope was what
helped me sleep, even dream every night.
Disclaimer: Don't even think for a second that I own
Evangelion or any related titles, characters, products,
objects, etc. I don't own Shinji, sadly. Don't sue, and if
you do I'll sic my Gundam pilots on you. Have a nice day.
Rubbing my eyes sleepily, I stumble—over an empty case of
Yebisu beer—into the cluttered kitchen. Misato is already
seated at the small table, munching a bag of barbecue
potato chips and gazing into space. Her trance is broken as
she notices my groggy entrance and smiles, offering me some
chips.
"Ohayo, sleepyhead. Want some?"
I shake my head, pulling a box of the junky, sugary cereal
that Misato bought /especially/ for me out of the cupboard
and producing a bowl, milk and spoon from various cupboards
and drawers that my sleepy limbs instinctively open.
After preparing my none-too-healthy breakfast, I join
Misato at the table, still blinking sleep from my eyes. She
finishes off a can of beer, crushing it in her hand and
tossing it deftly into the recycling bin by the corner. She
then turns to me.
"Did you have any good dreams last night?"
I ponder, recalling my visions of slumber. I wonder how I
should answer this; should I tell her about the strange
dream I received, or play the bland, shy boy she knows so
well? I choose the latter, shaking my head and chomping on
the marshmallowy sweetness of my cereal.
"I can't remember. Don't think so," I answer, after
swallowing the spoonful. My eyes avert to the bowl of
cereal quickly becoming soggy, remembering the dream.
I was alone. I hopped out of unit 01's plug, gazing
around at my surroundings. My brain told me Rei had been
with me, and Asuka too. But searching around, I found no
traces of unit 00 or 02 anywhere. Not a footprint in sight.
Fear began to creep over me, as I realized the night was
cold. I shivered slightly in the skin-tight material of my
plug suit. I wasn't able to force sound from my throat as I
tried to call for Rei, Asuka, Misato, or anyone that could
help me find my way home.
The thin forest was unfamiliar, and an unearthly sound
came from within the trees. When I looked around, even unit
01 was gone, vanished. Then I was really alone, no form of
life whatsoever. Something caught my attention, and I
glanced upwards at its source.
A tiny light in the sky, like a beacon, it filled me
with an oddly warm feeling. I felt myself rising then; up
towards the light that was growing steadily the more I
looked at it. Reaching my arms out into its brightness, the
light swallowed me up and the dark, barren forest was no
more. Instead, I was floating in a world like no other. I
can't remember now how it exactly looked like, just one
word made its way into my mind: safe. I was safe, in a
haven to protect me from harm. I then realized I was naked,
but saw to problem with it. I was safe, in this
otherworldly land of light and air.
Someone else was in this place, and I squinted my eyes
to make out their form. It looked like a human, but I
couldn't be sure of its species, since my eyes couldn't
quite open right. I then heard my name, floating towards
me, on an unseen breeze that didn't even ruffle the cloth-
like forms around me.
"Shinji…" The voice is soft, calm and gentle, and it made
me think of tiny wavelets crashing silently onto a white-
sanded beach.
"Shinji…" it said again, coming closer. It was the other
thing that was there with me, moving towards me. I couldn't
be sure if it were walking or flying, its movements were
blurred, as were the rest of its form.
"Hello, my friend…" The being came into focus, and I could
make out what it was. It looked like a boy, though I
couldn't be sure of its gender. Its short, unkempt grayish
hair moved slightly in the breeze that I somehow couldn't
hear or feel, but its features were blurred. I couldn't
make out its face.
"Who are you?" I asked, the sound of my own loud voice
startling myself. The being looked unfazed, though again I
was never sure.
"That is for you to choose… friend, enemy, lover, whatever
you like. I rely on your choice," it said. I frowned.
"Why would you want to rely on someone like me?" I replied
coldly, looking at my feet, hovering in the off-white
world.
"You are more than you think. Although mentally you are
unstable, within you lies the courage you need for the
Judgment. The final test is approaching," it said, the
sound of its voice reassuring me somehow. I wanted to drift
away, forever in this warm, bright land, and never return
to the harsh life I knew so well.
"What is your name?" I asked, trying again to make out its
facial features.
"I am called… Tabris. I shall serve as part of the
Judgment." The being's very name made me melt. It was
beautiful, a name fit for someone not of my planet.
"Y-you have… a beautiful name," I said. Even though I
couldn't make out its features, I was sure I saw it smile.
That smile filled me further with warmth, and I was full
fit to burst with bliss that this unearthly place. I look
up at the being, smiling warmly and moving towards it.
"I think I want to be your friend, Tabris."
Without warning, Tabris brought me into a warm embrace,
thought I could barely feel its body close to mine. I
accepted it, bringing my arms around its shining form and
nestling my face in its gray-white hair. I thought I caught
a glimpse of unfolding pale wings from its back, but the
vision disappeared quickly. Tabris' hair smelled good, like
some exotic pale flower, and I could've stayed like that
forever, there in its arms.
"If you would like, I can be more than that," it said
finally. I brought myself out from our hug and smiled up at
him. It was then that I finally saw some part of his face,
but just his eyes. Deep, ruby red, the same crimson I had
only seen one other place…
"That would be nice…" I whispered sleepily into its ear,
closing my eyes. However, when I opened them, I found
myself not in the pale, warm world, or even in the dark
forest of the night. I was back in my bed, in my room in
Misato's apartment. I stared for a long time at the
ceiling, remembering small parts of the dream I had just
had. I smiled, thinking of the sweet Tabris and the bright
place that filled me with blissful feelings. I rolled over
on my pillow, closing my eyes and wishing to be sent back
into that vision again, but no such luck as I encountered
dreamless sleep. I wondered if I would ever see Tabris
again. Though there were doubts in the back of my mind, as
always, something told me I would. That very hope was what
helped me sleep, even dream every night.