Disclaimer: Well, if you need to, watch the previous chapters.

Chapter 3

After an hour sitting there, deep in thoughts, there was a sound.

Shinji noticed movement on his right.

'What was that ?'

With wide eyes he watched intently. He was looking in the direction of the sea.

The orange sea which was a little more wild than usual, he noted.

Then, something moved again.

'Who ? '

Shinji quickly looked back at where Asuka was and noticed she was still there.

He was still looking in Asuka's direction when he heard a groan at his right.

'It's ...a boy ? or....'

He noticed his surrounding were changing. The clouds in the sky were moving faster than usual.

His heart was beating a lot faster too. Shinji swallowed as he prepared on what was to come.

Meanwhile, Asuka was waking up a little.

She opened her eyes and saw a vague image of Shinji. She rubbed her eyes a little and looked again.

She sat up and looked around. She ruffed her own hair a little and blinked her eyes.

'Where am I ? '

Asuka yawned and her vision became foggy again. She rubbed her eyes again and was more awake now.

"Shinji ?"

Shinji whipped his head around with wide eyes as he heard Asuka call him.

Asuka could tell Shinji was afraid. Then again, Shinji is almost always afraid.

But this time it was different somehow. Shinji was scared, but also......curious,

afraid of what he's going to face.

Asuka stood up and walked over to Shinji, who had his back turned to her, face facing to the right.

As Asuka walked she heard something on the right side of Shinji. She looked and saw something move.

She also noticed the wind was blowing harder than usual. Her long red hair was blown backwards a little. She narrowed her eyes.

"Whu-what is it.....Shinji ?"

Asuka was already prepared to attack whatever it was.

Shinji: "I-I think it's a boy..."

Asuka: "Be quiet.."

Shinji complied, although he was just answering Asuka's question.

Asuka was fully awake now and her attention was completely on whatever was moving once in a while in the mud.

The moving thing groaned again. It was obviously in pain as it tried to move.

Shinji realised that and crouched down, trying to see what it was.

"Idiot, what are you doing ?" Asuka whispered. "Maybe it'll attack you."

Shinji looked at Asuka just when it groaned again.

Asuka turned her attention back toward the groaning thing and tried to make something out of it.

Asuka: "It's too dark to see something."

Shinji's lips were trembling wildly as he looked down on the black figure.

To Shinji, Asuka was also a black figure and vice versa.

"Wh-what should we do ?" Shinji whispered.

"How should I know ?" Asuka whispered back.

"Go look what it is, idiot."

"Uh...ah,But, why me ?"

As they looked at each other,Asuka ofcourse staring Shinji way down the mud, the object of their attention moved again.

"Uuhh...."

The object groaned again. Shinji stared at it with wide eyes as his lips were trembling.

Asuka, too, was staring at it with wide eyes.

"Shinji, aren't you going to do something ?"

Shinji kept silent as he stepped a little closer.

"Ba-but what if it attacks me ?"

"Are you stupid ? Attack back, ofcourse"

"And what about you ?"

"I'm just going to watch you prove yourself."

"Hmm.."

As Shinji appraoched it slowly his own courage, wich already was less, dropped way down.

Shinji stood silent for a second and looked back at Asuka, who beckoned to go further.

Shinji turned his attention back just when the thing grabbed Shinji and lay on top of him.

Shinji's eyes were closed as he expected several punches or at least a bit of spit.

As he opened his eyes and looked up he saw a boy his age on top of him. And, after adjusting his own view, he recognised him.

"Tu-Ta-Toji ?!"

"What ? What do you mean 'Toji ? Is that him !?'"

"Yu-Yeah ! I think he is !"

"Ikari ?"

Shinji and Asuka looked at Toji. His voice was somewhat weak as were his body movements as he got off Shinji. Suddenly Shinji's eyes widened.

"Ha-Huh ?! Toji ! You're legs !! They.."

Asuka looked at the spot where the legs are supposed to be and found they were still there.

After frowning at Shinji why he was getting upset, she realised Toji wasn't supposed to be having both legs. Her eyes, too, widened at the sight.

Both Shinji's and Asuka's attention flew from the leg to the arms. And to their surprise, they were both there.

Toji was surprised too.

"And to think....I didn't believe them.."

Asuka and Shinji heard the last comment very clearly.

"What ?!" They said unison

"What do you mean ?! Who is 'they' ?"

Toji groaned as he tried to get up. Thanks to some help of Shinji he was able to stand, while leaning on Shinji's shoulder.

"Uuuhh, I'm not used of having both my legs again...I haven't been walking for a long, long time.."

Asuka snorted as she walked back to where she was sleeping.

"I see the redhead hasn't changed."

Shinji smiled as he helped Toji getting to where he was sleeping.

"You could've helped a lot sooner, instead of staring at me the entire time."

"Sorry."

Shinji helped Toji sit down. Toji was quite tired. Shinji was watching Toji intently.

Shinji was glad it was Toji, unlike Asuka, who was quite upset it turned out to be him.

Asuka was now walking toward their direction and sat down next to Shinji.

"So, Suzuhara. Speak up." She began.

Shinji: "Maybe we should sleep a bit first Asuka."

Toji: "I agree. I'm really tired now."

Asuka stood up and snorted loudly.

Asuka: "Hmph ! Very well. But tomorrow you're speaking, got it ?"

Toji looked up at Asuka with a smile.

"Ok. "

As Asuka walked away, he turned his attention back to Shinji.

"I'm quite glad to be here."

Toji was touching his right leg the whole time.

"Let's sleep"

"Ok."

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Shinji was the first to wake up. He grabbed a little bit of food he had packed and began to eat.

He looked down and saw Toji sleeping just a meter next to him.

'So...it wasn't a dream..Toji's really here. '

His attention dropped from his face to his right leg and after that, his arm.

'My mistakes aren't showing on your body, Toji...but I bet, you still feel them, inside of you.. I wonder how you got your leg and arm back, though.'

After he finished his little snack, he walked away from both Toji and Asuka, about a small thirty meters. He looked up at the sky.

'Toji really came back....after two months, and he was lucky we, Asuka decided to leave Tokyo-III. If not, we would have never found him. But Toji's back, does this mean the others can come back too ?'

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After half'n hour, Asuka woke up, noticed Shinji standing a few meters and then grabbed her food and started eating. She looked at the still sleeping Toji and remembered he also was here.

'I completely forgot he was here, too.'

Asuka drank some of her water and stood up. She looked over at Shinji and decided they needed to talk.

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Toji opened his eyes and saw Asuka walking toward Shinji. When his stomach made a loud sound he started looking for food and saw some in front of him. He attacked the food as quickly as he could.

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Shinji knew someone was walking toward him, but he didn't expect it to be Asuka.

After some thinking, he realised it had to be Asuka, since Toji can't walk properly yet.

"What do we do from here, Shinji ?"

"I don't know..I guess we should wait for Toji to learn to walk again."

"But that took me almost two months, which means it will take at least four months for that moron over there."

"Asuka ?"

"What ."

"Do you think.....everyone will come back ?"

Asuka stayed silent for a few seconds.

"How should I know ? It's bad enough the first one to come back has to be the monkey Toji."

"The first one.....So you're saying there will be a second one ?"

"No..Maybe...I don't know, ok ? We'll just have to find out. Now let's go back and make Toji talk. Apparently he knows something."

"Ok."

Shinji and Asuka walked back toward a still eating Toji. Shinji's eyes widened at the sight.

He ran at Toji.

"Toji !! Not everything !!"

"What a stupid moron..." Asuka said while touching her forehead.

"Uh ?"

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"So start talking !" Asuka began as they sat in a little circle.

"Ok, do you know that I could see you ? I mean what you were doing for the past few weeks ?"

"What ?!" Asuka exclaimed.

Toji: "Well, not like there's a TV or something. I just remember it like watching a dream. The only difference was I wasn't in it. Well, now I am."

Shinji: "So, you were watching us ?"

Toji: "They explained it to me."

Asuka: "Who did ?"

Toji: "Well, Ayanami Rei and her brother."

Asuka: "Wondergirl has a brother ?"

Shinji: "Another.....clone ?"

Toji: "I'm not certain he was her brother. He only looked a lot like her. And what do you mean by 'another clone ?'"

Shinji: "He looked like Ayanami.....Kaoru ?"

Asuka: "Kaoru ? You mean, the angel Kaoru,but you destroyed Kaoru, right, Shinji ?"

Shinji just kept silent as he went over everything again inside his head.

Toji: "So his name is Kaoru ? Anyway, they both said I was one of the chosen to be here with you two."

Asuka: "Chosen ? What's that supposed to mean ?"

Toji: "How should I know ? I was only an EVA-Pilot for one day."

Shinji flinched at the remark. Asuka continued the third degree.

Asuka: "So continue !"

Toji: "Well, they said they'll explain later. That's when I found myself at this beach. And you two staring at me like two scared rabbits, heh !"

Asuka: "Shut up, if I knew it was you, I would've just left you there. You're lucky Shinji's here."

Toji: "Shut up."

Shinji: "Kaoru-kun..."

Asuka and Toji were having a fight as Shinji was having some flashbacks..

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"Call me Kaoru, Ikari-kun."

"Uh, then call me Shinji, Kaoru-kun.."

Shinji watched as they had a shower together and slept together.

Kaoru became his best friend in one day. Sure, he had Kensuke and Toji.

But it was different, Kensuke just liked him because he was an EVA-Pilot. And Toji was his friend because he pitied him after punching him. And Toji still felt remorse for his little sister.

But Kaoru liked Shinji for who he was.

"I like you, Shinji-kun.."

Kaoru was the first one ever in Shinji's life to say that to him. Shinji changed from depressed to happy after those words.

But happiness never stayed long in Shinji's life. The next day, there was an angel attack. And Kaoru was the angel. It was up to Shinji to destroy the angel, to destroy Kaoru.

"I choose to die, Shinji-kun.."

Shinji fell from the heavenly happiness in the darkest depression ever.

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"I must say, watching you two live with each other saddened me. You both are really pathetic, no offense, Ikari. But, come on, you two lived together before. It wouldn't hurt to talk some more. Look at me. I'm sorry Asuka, but I don't really like you. And looky here, I'm still talking to you."

"Shut up, your voice alone is even more annoying than Shinji apologizing ten times in one minute."

"Look and see you get all offensive again. But me, Toji, will save the day. Why did you pack so little food by the way ?"

Asuka chose to ignore Toji and just closed her eyes.

Shinji: "Toji ?"

Toji stopped talking against Asuka and looked at Shinji.

"Hm ?"

Shinji: "Didn't they say anything more ?"

Toji: "Nope, just that I was chosen or something, and that they will explain later."

Shinji:"Oh. Toji ?"

Toji: "Hm ?"

Shinji: "How long will it take for you to be able to walk again ?"

Toji answered with a frown:"What do you mean ? Walking isn't that difficult. I only lost my right leg. And I basketballed, remember ? I think I can already walk."

Toji stood up with much difficulty, using only his left leg to stand up. The first step succeeded, as it was his right leg that was moving. The second step, though, failed. It seemed his right leg was still too weak to support his weight. Toji fell face down in the mud.

Shinji helped Toji up again.

"Are you ok ?"

Asuka was laughing loudly at first, but was now just laughing with tears.

"You..idiot !! Hhahhehhehh .. Did you really think you could just walk like that ?!"

"Urusai !"

Asuka just continued her laughing.

As Toji was yelling at a lauging Asuka, Shinji was in deep thoughts again.

'They'll explain later......Does that mean they'll come back too ? Ayanami...and Kaoru too ?'

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Three figures were sitting around a fire in the middle of nowhere.

All three were quiet, deep in their own thought. The temperature seemed to be rising every day.

Toji just got back and needed to learn walking fast. He didn't know why, but Asuka seemed to think he needed to.

Shinji didn't care if he could walk soon or late, as long as he just stayed with them.

It has been three days since Toji's arrival and they stayed at the same spot ever since, because they had to wait for Toji.

Shinji was a little less depressed, but depressed nonetheless. And Asuka, she was turning into her old self very fast.

Shinji was in a weird way happy that Asuka was more herself. And in a normal way, he got more depressed because of it.

Asuka left Toji and Shinji and went for a walk.

'That idiot better hurry up and walk again. And Shinji needs an attitude-adjustment, I'll help in that department.'

Asuka was getting quite annoyed for staying at a place for too long. She kicked a tiny pile of sand out of her foot's way

and continued her walk. She looked up at the sky suddenly.

'What I wouldn't give to just see Kaji or Hikari again.'

She changed her view toward the sunset, and watched it with sadness.

'At least I can still see the sun...'

She watched it for another ten seconds before she continued to walk ahead.

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Ayanami Rei was floating through complete darkness. Who was following her, was Kaoru Nagisa.

"What do you think, Rei, will they do the right things ?"

"They will do what they think is right."

"And will that be the right thing ?"

"We can only watch."

"If they do the right thing, it means we'll have to it as well. Do you know what to do ?"

".........No.."

Kaoru smirked slightly.

"Hmm, I guess I'll just do what seems right at that moment."

Rei just kept silent. Kaoru ofcourse began talking to her again.

"Rei, do you think we'll make it ?"

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Toji and Shinji were about to begin a discussion Asuka, although Shinji didn't know that.

"So, what do you really think of Asuka, Ikari ?"

Shinji looked up at Toji with wide eyes.

"Wha-what do you mean ?"

Toji responded with a sly look and a wide smirk. "You know what I mean."

"I remember you always looking at Ayanami when you first arrived in Tokyo-III. And when Asuka arived

you began looking at her a lot."

Shinji sweated a bit. "N-not true ! I kept watching Ayanami too !"

Toji put his thumb under his chin and looked a bit up, as if trying to remember something.

"Hmm, as I remember, you were watching Asuka a lot more."

Shinji eyes widened even more, "N-no ! Wha-what about you then ?"

Toji looked at Shinji, "What about me ?"

"I also saw you look quite often at Horaki-san."

"Class rep ? Yeah right !

Shinji kept silent as he watched the fire in front of him.

Toji looked at Shinji before turning to the fire too.

"I wonder if it'll ever rain here."

"I hope not...there's no shelter anywhere."

"Still, it would be nice, wouldn't it ?"

"Maybe.."

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Kaoru smiled as he looked at Rei, "What do you it will feel like, Rei ?"

Rei never changed expressions as she answered, "It will be the same."

Kaoru frowned a bit, "I don't think so. I think it will be completely different. Observing them isn't enough to know them.

In fact, I think it will be harder for you than for me. But don't worry, we'll help each other."

Rei blinked once, but not because she was starled or something, "I do not see why I should worry."

"Well, for example, everything inside and outside of you will change.

You're strong Ayanami, probably stronger than me, but don't think it'll be nothing."

Rei didn't answer and floated further ahead. Kaoru just shook his head with his eyes closed, before he followed her.

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Toji and Shinji were already asleep when Asuka returned,

The fire was almost out. Asuka looked at Toji and Shinji, while she looked a little bit longer at Shinji.

She sighed deeply and went to sleep as well.

Three and a half weeks later,

"I told you, it wouldn't take that long !!"

Toji, Shinji and Asuka were now back at the apartment, after food and water ran out.

This time they packed a lot more. It took a long time to find some decent food, since most of it was rotten.

Toji mastered walking again after three weeks, that's when they returned back to the apartment.

"It took you too long, you idiot ! It isn't even hard, try lying in a coma and then walk. I don't see you do that ! You're just pathetic."

Shinji was still looking for something edible to bring with them as Toji and Asuka started to verbally attack each other...again.

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Rei stood watching the shadow in which she was enshrouded. Kaoru was watching her instead.

"Don't you think it's about time we get there."

"Yes."

"I wonder, Rei, why you are like that. I mean, we're the same. Yet you are also so different.

Maybe because you were raised by Shinji-kun's father. Although I think SEELE is worse. "

"......."

"They didn't care for me at all. I was ignored for years. Floating in a tube, sometimes not being watched for months. Maybe even years...."

"........"

"When they released me, I was so surprised at how the world looked. So curious, like you.

A week later I had to move to Tokyo-III, to destroy it, to cause Third Impact. I knew about Third Impact, somehow,

I had memories, even though I don't remember anything before living in that tube. I saw Lilith, not Adam."

"Commander Ikari."

"Yes, he knew what he was doing. And I understood why he was doing it. I saw through Shinji how humanity lives through horrible experiences.

I saw emotions in Shinji so intense that I envied him, but I pitied him too. I felt those powerful emotions missing inside of me.

I stayed with him because I believed I could learn those emotions that way."

"You used him. But he used you too."

"Yes. To use people for your own benefit, for your own comfort, it's something that comes natural to lilum.

Yet some people don't use others, or at least not much, and they are even more often used by others.

Like Shinji, and the other Children.."

"Ikari-kun is strong. But, he doesn't believe in himself."

"Do you think we can handle true emotions ?"

"We can only hope so, for ourselves, and humanity."

"You know why Shinji and I became so close so soon ?"

".......It is time."

"Oh. Well, I'm ready, I hope you are, Rei."

"I am ready"

Rei and Kaoru changed into two red wet clouds and vanished.

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Toji, Asuka and Shinji stood face to face with Kaoru and Ayanami.

Shinji looked as if he was watching a ghost.

Asuka looked a bit annoyed.

Toji looked surprised and curious at the same time.

Asuka: Wondergirl..

Kaoru looked at her for a brief instant and shrugged.

Shinji's eyes were wide open as he began to stutter.

Shinji: K-Ku-Kaoru-k-kun ?

Toji just kept silent as he watched them.

Kaoru smirked genuinely as he focused his attention on Shinji.

Kaoru: Hello, Shinji-kun.

Asuka frowned at Shinji for a second and changed to her 'I'm disappointed' look.

Rei just stared at them.

Shinji fainted. Asuka sighed and groaned at the same time. Rei stared at Shinji's lying form.

Toji ran over to Shinji. Kaoru looked a bit surprised.

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Shinji was floating in a red-orange sea.

"I-I can't swim !!", Shinji started swinging his arms up.

"Don't worry, Shinji-kun.." A deep, but very gentle voice boomed through his head.

Shinji looked around and found out he could breathe here.

"L-LCL ?"

Shinji felt at ease after a few seconds.

"This feels like, like the entry-plug of Evangelion Unit-01 !"

"Listen, Shinji-kun." The female voice began.

"Who….are you ?"

"…….I, I am your mother, Shinji-kun."

Shinji's eyes widened at the last remark and he felt like he was going to faint, which didn't happen, strange enough.

"Ma-mother ? Mother ? ……is, is it really, you ?"

A soft and friendly chuckle filled the area.

"Yes, Shinji-kun…It's really me.."

Shinji's eyes watered a great deal as he scanned the entire area.

"But, where, why can't I see you ?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Shinji-kun."

"W-Why ?"

"My body is, gone…and even the sea of LCL can't restore it. It's been too long."

Shinji began to spill some tears, although you only noticed because his eyes became a bit red..

"So….wha, what. Why, am I here….then ?"

"Basically, I'm here to talk to you. Now listen, Shinji-kun. Please."

"O-o…kay"

"I'm sorry, for everything Shinji…"

Shinji's head now hung low as he listened to his mother.

"I'm sorry for Gendo, Shinji. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Shinji was crying as he heard the words, "Mother…I don't even know, remember, what you look like…"

"Hush now, Shinji-kun..I know it's hard, and you did great so far. You even changed Third Impact in something that can be restored again."

"I…I, because of me everyone died, mother ! Misato died because of me ! All those people died, mother…because of me.."

"They died….and nothing will bring them back again. At least, not all of them.."

"What do you mean ?"

"Ayanami Rei and Kaoru Nagisa will explain it to you."

"….."

"All I'm asking you is to think things through before making decisions."

"What do you.. ? I don't understand…mother…?"

"You'll understand soon. Just remember those words I said, ok ?"

"U-understood, mother."

"Now then, you'll regain consciousness soon."

"What you will feel now is a warm feeling, basically, I'm going to hug you, with my soul. It'll feel even better, I promise."

A few seconds later, Shinji felt like being hugged by everyone he loved. He had a huge grin plastered on his face.

Shinji cried again and laughed like a little child finding what he was looking for.

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