The End, Or the Beginning?
Chapter 7: What is reality part 2: Choices
Disclaimer: Do I really have to tell you again (Bucky raises a pistol to readers head) I didn't think so!!!
Shinji found himself in a black void; it was completely dark like the other times he had been here before. He sighed loudly as he realised he was once again drawn into the Eva, or he was at least having a psychotic episode. Which ever came closest to the truth didn't matter, he was there and there was nothing he could do.
The land around him began to manifest itself the ground became solid to stand on and then took on a grey colour. Buildings sprouted from the ground and raised high into the newly formed blue sky. Shinji watched as the world around him built itself from scratch. Trees on the side walks grew in seconds. People began to appear standing in a crowed, surrounding a square outlined with yellow tape.
He walked forward a little to gain better sight at what the people were staring at. It didn't take him long before he could see a redheaded teenage girl sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees.
He knew this scene; he knew it all to well. Asuka had just faced her most frightening experience in her life, the battle with the 15th. Shinji looked down and he found himself once again standing on the wrong side of that yellow tape. He had been a coward, not crossing over to help his friend. "What is going on?" he whispered to himself. This scene was over with; it was nothing more than a memory now. But here and now it felt real.
"Asuka! What is going on?" he asked the redhead, if he was where he thought he was she would reply. Nothing. He asked again this time putting more concern in his voice "what is going on?"
A voice, unfamiliar, yet recognizable answered "this is your past." The voice came from behind, Shinji turned to find himself staring down at a young boy. The boy had brown hair and dark blue eyes, it was himself. "This is your most hated moment. The time that you beat yourself up over. You let her face the pain alone; you left her alone because you ran away."
"I didn't runaway" Shinji defended, his gaze shifted to the girl. "She pushed me away" he sighed, "I tried and she pushed me back. I cared for her and she threw it in my face. I was nothing but kind to her and she was spiteful, she hated me for it."
"That is true you genuinely cared for her" the boy moved to the yellow tape "but yet you still ran. She knew not of the words she spoke then, she went through hell." He stepped over the tape and walked over to the girl in question. "Just think, what would've happened if you had crossed the line that day."
Shinji looked at his young self and sighed "we will never know we cannot change the past."
"This is true, but we can alter the course of the future. We can make it as pleasurable or as painful as we wish. The choice is yours and yours alone." The young boy stared into Shinjis eyes "there is no fate but what we make. Cross the line and behold your possible future."
Shinji looked confused, he thought for a moment before he even moved an inch. When he did he walked on shaky feet to the barrier that separated him from Asuka Langley Soryu. He lifted his right foot over the tape and set it gently down on the ground, his left followed shortly. With the first two agonising steps taken he quickened his pace and arrived behind the girl.
"Asuka" he whispered loud enough for her to hear him, "I…I'm glad you're ok."
"Who is ok?" for the first time he heard her voice, it was filled with pain, sorrow. "No body is ok. That bitch…that bitch saved me." She continued to berate Rei Ayanami for her actions in battle. Asuka hated the blue haired girl, and she hated the fact that she had saved her from the 15th. "I would've rather die! I hate her…I hate you Shinji! I hate everything."
Shinji was taken aback, he had heard those words many times before, but this time it hurt. He felt the sudden urge to turn around and retreat to his room in the apartment with his SDAT. "Fight it Shinji" the younger version of Shinji said "fight it and be free."
Shinjis' fist clenched and unclenched, he had begun his fight and there would be only one winner. Before him he saw the girl he admired most, he admired her courage, her drive and her pride. She was now a wreck, a sobbing little girl. He could feel her pain the thought of being alone. He knew now what information he lacked then, he knew about her past. After Asuka fell victim to her coma Misato had let Shinji read the file on the Second Child. He was surprised how much alike they were.
"I mustn't runaway; I mustn't run away…I won't runaway. There can be only one Shinji Ikari." His hand clenched tightly, so tight his knuckles were showing. He placed his free hand gently on the redheads shoulder. She gave no resistance, but he felt her tense slightly "Asuka…I…I'm here…for you. I won't leave you, no matter how hard you push."
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Shinji woke slowly, his vision was blurred but he could make out a brown ceiling. It looked strange to him like he had never seen it before, yet it felt so familiar as if he had woke up to it all his life. He looked up at the ceiling his mind full of thoughts, memories, but they weren't his. "Where am I?" he asked in a whisper.
He pulled himself into a sitting position to find himself in a large bed. The white sheets were cleaned recently he could smell the fabric softener. He took a look around the room it was a large room with lots of different little furniture hear and there. A bedside table on each side of the large bed, a small chair in the corner of the room a dresser at the end of the bed. The windows to his right were covered by dark red drapes.
A loud noise attracted his attention to the hallway to his left sounds of playful screaming. "Ahhh help me…" was a young girl's cry. Shinji tensed unsure why. He relaxed when a small girl ran into the room; she was about five years old. Her eyes were dark blue like his and her hair was a dull red. The young girl dressed in a silk nightie jumped up onto the bed and wrapped her hands around Shinjis' neck "Help me daddy!"
Shinji gasped for air, strangely this situation made him happy, he felt comfortable. In an instant he found himself recognising this young girl around his neck "What is it Rissa honey." He knew for a fact that this was his daughter, he didn't know how he knew but he did.
"Mommy is trying to give me a bath!" the young girl pouted. "I hate baths!"
Shinji laughed a little then smiled at the young girl "you have to have a bath honey; you wouldn't want to be all messy for uncle Tojis wedding would you?" His mind snapped, all of a sudden he knew everything about this life, he was married he had a daughter who resembled both himself and her mother. And her mother was…
"Rissa! Come get cleaned up NOW" the voice was unmistakable, in the doorway of the room stood a beautiful woman. Her hair was a brilliant red and it reached down to her back, her blue eyes were as soft as ever. "And you Baka, you shouldn't be encouraging her like that" Asuka smiled happily.
Shinji let out another laugh "Rissa, go have a bath for mommy and I'll take you to see Aunty Misato." Shinji felt the hands gripping him tighten even more and then he felt a quick peck on the cheek. "Now go on off you go" he smiled as Rissa got off the bed and walked down the hall.
"And you, you better get out of bed and get ready yourself" Asuka growled her smile turning to a frown "you wouldn't want to be late. You are the best man after all!" She crossed the room to Shinji and poked him in the chest.
Shinji smiled and grabbed Asukas wrist before she could poke him again, "you know I am the best man" he grinned as her face softened. He pulled her down slightly and placed a delicate kiss on her lips.
She smiled at him then kissed him again "you know Shinji; I have something to tell you…"
"Yeah what?"
"Well, you know how I've been sick the last few days"
"Yeah" Shinji felt his throat harden
"Well I know why" she kissed his neck a couple of times, "I'm pregnant again."
What is this, this isn't real!
"Your right this isn't real" the young Shinjis voice again.
Then how am I seeing it? Why am I seeing it?
"This may not be real, but it could be. If you so chose"
This could be real? But how, Asuka hates me. Even after her coma she still treats me the same.
"You have not given her a reason to change and it does not have to be her" The image of Asuka changes into the form of Rei Ayanami then to the form Misato then to Hikari.
If it can be any of these people, why did I see her first?
"Because that is what your heart desires. These are merely people you like, she is someone you love"
But how… how do you know that?
"You really are a Baka. I know because you know. I am you"
Ok then, if you know this then you'd know why I can't let it happen
"Yes, we are afraid, our father deserted us. Our mother disappeared and left us. We are afraid that she will do the same."
If you know this then you know why I can't
"If you do not try then you will never know"
Are you saying I should ignore my pain and try anyway?
"Yes, you are still afraid she hates you?"
Yes, she does not think me worthy of her she doesn't even care enough to stop calling me Baka.
"Didn't those words make you happy just a second ago?"
I…I…yes, yes they did
"If you do not open your heart you will feel ten times the amount of pain then if you do. Mans greatest enemy is loneliness, no man deserves this fate."
Not even father
"Listen Shinji, she is calling"
Shinji! Wake up, wake up
Are you sure, it could be another illusion
"That is for you to decide as I said the choice is yours and yours alone"
I don't know
"As a great man once said 'I can only show you the door, you must walk through it' this I leave up to you"
I…I will go…I will try even if she hates me, I'll still have my friends
"Go Shinji, your friends await"
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"The third child has awakened," Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki placed the red phone down in its place and turned to the commander. "Everything went as planned" he added quietly.
Gendo Ikari smirked from behind the protection of his hands "of course." His voice was cold as usual, he liked knowing what the future held, and what he knew would be the end of man kind. "Everything is on schedule" he smirked again this time even wider, 'soon' he thought.
Fuyutsuki stepped forward a little closer to the commander "and Unit-02 and the Seconds actions, was that foreseen as well?" He knew what the answer would be but he asked anyway. It was an old habit of his, one that wouldn't die as long as Gendo Ikari was alive.
Gendos smirk disappeared, "it does not matter the actions of the Second will not interfere. She has been detained for the unauthorized use of an Eva and dangerous experimental weaponry." He leaned over to view two separate video screens imbedded in his black desk.
The one on the left held the image of a white hospital room with an above view of the Third Child sitting up in his bed.
The second was of a small dark prison cell deep in central dogma, where the small frame of a teenage girl could be made out in the corner. Hunched over holding her knees with her arms, the Second Child could be heard sobbing on the audio feed. Her only word spoken in the last three hours was a name, "Shinji."
The commander sighed, "This could cause problems." The Sub-Commander was about to question his superior when Gendo continued, "There can be no relational bonds between the children, especially the Third. We will have to deal with the Second if she pursues anything."
Fuyutsuki suppressed the urge to beat the shit out of his former pupil, instead he settled for a quick but silent growl. After a moment he nodded and replied with a simple "yes." 'When that day comes Gendo, I will no longer hold back. And neither will Yui.'
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The small dark room was all but silent; Asuka Langley Soryu had long since been dragged into a wrestles sleep. She rolled back and forth on the hard ground on which she slept, her dreams plagued by terrifying images.
Asuka looked around this was familiar all her dreams were. If she could call them dreams she knew they were more nightmares then anything else. She hated to recall the amount of times she had seen the image of her mother hanging from a ceiling, calling her daughter to die alongside her.
This one was different; no image appeared it remained black. A small beam of light shot up from the ground and revealed a little girl around 7 with red hair. She was clutching a teddy close to her chest.
In the darkness the child speaks
Child: You have failed him
Asuka: What? Failed who?
Child: You have failed him and he has paid the price
Asuka: What, who are you talking about?
Child: You know who
Asuka: No…I haven't failed him…he's alright I saw him
Child: He is alone, therefore you have failed him
Asuka: I…I, it's not my fault
Child: It is all he needed was to see you. As you noticed your presence in the fight was not needed
Asuka: All he needed was to see me?
Child: Yes, all that is needed to send the chosen one over the edge. An image of a loved one
Asuka: A loved one…he loves me?
Child: That is for you to decide, you chose weather you are willing to change for him. Choose right and he will love you, choose wrong and you will loose more than your soul
Asuka: My soul?
Child: In due time you will know the truth, just remember 'reality is what you make it' and that Instrumentality is not the end, but only the beginning.
Asuka: Instrumentality?
Child: It is time to wake…show him, do not be afraid, do not be to proud to let one in
The image faded, leaving Asuka to herself in the void until….
"Asuka!" Misatos' voice echoed through the small cell. In the few seconds it took the door to open the violet haired woman had crossed the room and bear hugged her young ward. "Oh I'm so glad you're ok" she almost cried holding Asuka in her arms, "they said you used a weapon that had self destructed at the last test."
Asuka just sat there, her thoughts reeling over something more important then the battle or her criminal charges. 'What is Instrumentality and how is it the beginning? And…' her thought found itself manifesting into words "how is Shinji?"
Misato pulled away from her charge and stared at her for a little, her eyes wide with shock. "H-he's fine" Misato stammered, still taken aback by the young redhead's interest in Shinjis well being.
"He is at home, resting" she added smiling now, her mind had latched into what was going on. She had seen that look in her eyes only once before, during the 12th Angel as Shinji was being sucked into the shadow. Her eyes showed the same concern and dread that they had when Misato told them to retreat. "Come on I'll take you home."
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A large dark room was slowly lit by the lights from under 11 monoliths; the regular gathering of SEELE had begun.
"We have not heard from SEELE 9 in over three days" Keel said in a concerned voice, "does anyone know where he is?"
SEELE 6 spoke up "We do not Keel." There was a moment of silence "he has not reported in for a while."
"What does this mean?" SEELE 3 asked
"There is something amiss" 4 added
Soon the monoliths broke out into a loud collective discussion on the disappearance of their fellow member. Keels light disappeared for a moment then activated a moment later. "I have disturbing news," he announced "It seems our dear friend and collaborator 11 has met an untimely end."
The room was filled with gasps and mutterings, "How?" 5 asked.
"We are unsure as of yet" keel answered
"We must go on high…" the monolith of SEELE 7 suddenly vanished after a soft muffled sound.
"7, 7 are you there?" SEELE 2 asked wordily, a soft muffled sound echoed throughout the chamber once again, "WHAT THE….." 2 went dark.
"Ikari" Keel said disgusted. One by one the twelve monoliths of the infamous SEELE were silenced forever, until one remained. "Ikari you have betrayed us" Keel said aloud to himself before one last muffled sound echoed through the room.
Then there was darkness…and silence
Omake: Yay my first try at an Omake, please be easy on me
A large dark room was slowly lit by the lights from under 11 monoliths; the regular gathering of SEELE had begun.
"We have not heard from SEELE 9 in over three days" Keel said in a concerned voice, "does anyone knows where he is?"
"Maybe he is on the toilet again, you know he gets bad gas" 2 said with a chuckle
"Or maybe he has been assassinated?" 4 said more seriously
"Lets try him again shall we?" keel said picking up the monolith phone
The monolith of SEELE 9 activated "ah its ringing" Keel said optimistically
7 Monolith: Hi you've reached SEELE #7 if you are calling for plans of world domination press 1, if you are calling for Instrumentality details press 2. If you are trying to sell anything F&%# OFF. If you are wondering where I am look under your desk"
Chairman Keel puts the phone down and looks under his desk; he sees only his dog Ralph. "Hmmmmm……."
A/N: I know it was stupid but hey can't blame a guy for trying ^_^ seriously if anyone wants ta make an Omake for me I'd love to post it on my fics. Anyway I hope that I have grabbed your interest with the whole Gendo scene and the last scene with SEELE. HEHEHEHE was it Gendo who saught them out and ELIMINATED them or was it someone else? But who else could it be? Aren't they the most protected identities in the world? Find out l8ter
PS: Major OOC warning for Asuka and Shinji comin up, can't have romance between them without OOCness, and also a little for Rei, how you ask? I'll show ya ^_~
Seya on da other side……