The things you own end up owning you. However, this is not the case with GAINAX and Evangelion because I never owned them in the first place.
Greetings, Lilim, and welcome once again to Evangelion: All is Right With the World. I really don't know how to reply to your compliments, comments and reviews, which were all more than kind. Many, many thanks to everyone who gave them. I felt slightly guilty about not mentioning dennisud last chapter, as he's been here since the beginning, virtually. So, comrade, an official thanks goes out to you in particular.
On that note, dennisud made a comment at the end of his review that had me tearing my hair out. I didn't deal with Asuka's mind-rape. Damn! I should have integrated it into the last chapter. I've have to stick it in somewhere up ahead. However, I have thought of a few reasons why she isn't a total wreck for the experience. If you think about it, Instrumentality may not have been so bad after all…
Last chapter seemed to go down reasonably well. I'm glad. I think most people who have been regular readers were relieved to be back with Shinji and Asuka… myself included. Last chapter focussed solely on them but in this chapter, things actually start happening. The UN finally gets its rear in gear.
As for the romance between Shinji and Asuka… I'm relieved most people seem to think it's going all right, in-character, and most importantly, realistically. I do my best to write so that you can visualize Shinji and Asuka speaking, moving, and so on. I want to write things they'd actually do.
As always, enjoy, as always, I hope to see your reviews.
P.S. Thanks for telling me about the EFO thing, everyone. I'd never heard of it before. When this is finished, I may well send it in.
Take it easy,
RENEGADE
________________________________________________________________________
ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD06. For All Mankind
On the outskirts of Tokyo-3:
The young woman groaned and forced her eyes open. It was dawn, and she had never been so glad to see it. Spending an uncomfortably warm night lying outside on the hard ground had taken its toll on her body, and she could feel the stiffness in her neck, back and limbs. She shook the arm she had been using as a pillow to try and get some blood circulating and blearily gazed around at the other members of their little group.
Most of them were still asleep. She could see two that were not; one was sitting wearily with his back against the skeletal remains of a building and another was standing nearby, trying unsuccessfully to tidy herself up.
The woman blinked and sighed, turning tiredly away from the sorry spectacle. She repeated a question in her mind, the same question every human being would ask themselves at least once: what now?
She had returned from the LCL sea on a beach to the north of here. She was terrified over what had happened, but she had seen many troubling and disturbing sights in her time. This woman was stouthearted and refused to allow anything to bother her for long.
At least, that is what she made herself believe.
She remembered only a few things from her time in Instrumentality, but she supposed that she had returned to the place where she had envisaged herself as being most comfortable. She had awoken close to her sister's home. She had lived with her on the outskirts of Tokyo-3 for nearly five years, up until a year ago when she was forced by working obligations to move inwards.
After returning from the LCL sea she had wandered aimlessly for quite a while, staggering about in a daze until she suddenly realised she had no idea where she was. That was when the tiny, terrified group came upon her.
They were led by a police officer who had hesitantly and somewhat reluctantly taken charge. Nobody had any idea what had happened and so the exhausted woman had explained it to them as best she could before literally falling to the ground and into a deep sleep.
When she awoke she learned that her newfound friends had carried her as they moved further into the shattered city to find help. As they journeyed onwards, occasionally finding one or two weary survivors, their small group had grown steadily until it was at least twenty people strong.
Back in the present, the young woman sighed. More people were waking up now, and, following her own advice, they had all decided to push on as fast as they could towards NERV headquarters. Resigning herself to her strange new fate, the young woman stoically but tiredly followed the others when they set off fifteen minutes later.
* * *
Reflecting in the sunlight of the dawn, Asuka Langley Sohryu leaned heavily against a crumbling wall, grumbling to herself. She took a deep breath and blinked in the gathering light. The night had been warm and the day, it seemed, was shaping up to be the same.
She glanced over her shoulder. Shinji was still asleep, lying on his back with his mouth open, snoring quietly. Asuka snorted in amusement. She hadn't known he snored. She'd certainly never heard him back at Misato's. Idly, she wondered if she had ever snored, but immediately dismissed the idea as ridiculous.
Asuka wondered vaguely what would happen now. She'd spent a long time last night talking to Shinji (and shouting, and accusing, and whining, of course – but none of their conversations would be the same without any of that) and had fallen asleep on his chest, holding his hand in her own.
Weird, mused Asuka. Nothing's changed about him. At least, not much. He's still practically the same dummkopf he was when I first met him, but there's something… new. He's still a dork and a wimp and a showoff, but… I don't know, Instrumentality changed him somehow. He's more… at peace. Like I am, I suppose.
As Asuka watched, Shinji shifted and murmured something. I guess it's me that's changed, thought the redhead pensively. I guess. I mean, I can't think of any other reason why we ended up like we did last night. A year ago, I'd never have imagined.
First time I saw him, I… well, I don't know. I didn't think anything of him or about him. He was just another person not worth knowing, really. But then I was forced to know him so I began to find out what kind of a person he was.
Even then, though, I didn't understand him. Just like he didn't understand me. We were too wrapped up in ourselves to worry about someone else.
Asuka frowned. Is that it? Instrumentality threw away the borders of our minds… and we finally understood one another? Was that all that was standing between us? Understanding?
She snorted mentally. That idiot was too selfish to understand me back then. Her sour expression, however, transformed into a silent laugh. We were forced to meet each other, forced to live together, forced to know each other… and now, forced to understand each other. I guess I should have seen this coming.
But there were times when we thought for ourselves… Asuka allowed herself a devilish grin. I remember. The volcano… that time in the vertical shaft against the acid-dripping Angel… the kiss…
Her grin faded. All right, so there weren't that many times, but they were there. I guess Instrumentality let us both put things in perspective here.
Asuka snickered quietly at the absurdity of it all. It took us Third Impact, but we finally got it together.
The sun was coming into view now, lighting up the area with a ruddy light.
Well, Mama, she reflected, I said I'd let him in, and I did. See? Your Asuka keeps her promises.
Asuka ran a hand through her long, red hair, sourly noting how stiff and dirty it had become. She desperately needed a shower, though not as much, she suspected dryly, as Ikari. Her plugsuit, at least, kept her body reasonably clean, but Shinji had been wearing his everyday clothes for maybe three or four days now.
Glaring at the sleeping body of Shinji as if daring him to make a comment, Asuka turned her face back towards the horizon so that she could warm herself from the sun's rays.
Yes, she had held mixed feelings for Shinji Ikari over the time that they had known one another. She had been savagely competitive with him, been jealous of him, hated him, been disgusted with him, been furious with him, been frustrated with him, been puzzled by him, … but this feeling took the cake as being the one she least would have expected.
"Well, I'm not going to get all sugary and gooey on him, if that's what you're wondering," Asuka irritably declared to the morning. "He's still an idiot." A tiny smirk, almost non-existent, appeared on Asuka's lips. "But I can live with that."
A loud gurgle and snore from the blissfully ignorant Shinji granted him another dangerous glare from the Second Child. "Whether he will is another matter entirely."
She moved over to give Shinji his wake-up call.
* * *
The young woman picked her way over the unstable piles of rubble, wincing as she cut her finger on something. This section of the city was utterly devastated. There wasn't a single piece of cover or shelter for miles around. No two stones sat on top of one another. The entire area had been blasted into oversized gravel.
"Over here!" called one of the group members anxiously, a man in a (now) tattered business suit and tie. "There's someone here! Quickly… I think she's hurt!"
Along with a few of the others who happened to be nearby, the young woman hurriedly scrambled over the rubble to where the former businessman knelt. In his arms he was holding a miserable looking woman with pale skin and dark-rimmed eyes. It looked as though she hadn't eaten at all since coming back, and her entire appearance was a mess. Her unkempt, stringy hair was matted in places and through the torn areas of her clothing, the young woman could see several bruises and cuts.
"It's all right," the balding businessman was soothing. "Everything's going to be all right now."
But the injured woman wasn't listening. Despite her obvious pain and fatigue, she started suddenly and stared at the newcomer. Reaching up with a weak hand, she grasped the young woman's arm.
"Maya?" gasped the injured woman in disbelief.
"Ma'am," murmured the young woman, kneeling down to help.
* * *
Shinji rubbed his head where he'd banged it and glared at Asuka, who ignored him. She was standing side-on to him, smiling smugly as Shinji struggled to his feet.
"How did you sleep, Shinji?" Asuka asked him sweetly.
Shinji mumbled noncommittally, scowling sulkily to himself.
Asuka yawned loudly. "Another day," she commented. "I wonder if anything will happen."
There was still no reply from Shinji. Asuka glanced at him crossly.
"Hey, earth to Ikari." She moved over and flicked his ear, causing him to yelp. He gave her a dirty look.
"Oh, fine then," she snorted in exasperation. "Ignore me like you always do, Shinji the hero. You know, I've never heard anyone snore as loud as you do, you big fat dork!"
"Me!?" Shinji burst out for the first time. "Your snores are louder than an orchestra!"
"Mmwhatwasthat!?"
He took grim satisfaction in Asuka's shocked, red face, but it lessened when she supplied him with a slap around the head and a very long and involved string of complicated German curses.
* * *
Yesterday had not been easy for NERV Acting Commanders Hyuga and Aoba. They had begun regretting their promotion two minutes after Vice Commander Fuyutsuki had been taken away. There had been work parties to oversee, communications to be opened, plans to be drawn, decisions to be made…
The NERV facility had never really recovered after Zeruel, the Fourteenth Angel, had attacked. That battle had been costly and headquarters had sustained heavy damage. Following that there was Unit-00's self-destruction, which had blasted Tokyo-3 to ruins. Then there was the JSSDF's ruthless attack, and after that there was Third Impact.
Shigeru Aoba reflected grimly that Vice Commander Fuyutsuki had been right when he said that NERV was already dead and buried.
Makoto Hyuga leaned back in his chair and sighed in exhaustion. While technically – if not officially – they were in charge of NERV, neither of the two former techs had felt comfortable sitting at the Commander's desk and so had remained at their MAGI terminals.
"The UN seems to have calmed down," Hyuga commented tiredly as he lolled back in his chair. "Four more of their high council members appeared between one and four this morning."
Hyuga and Aoba had decided to split the night up into shifts so that they could both get some rest. Each of them understood now that five hours of sleep was not nearly enough.
"Yeah," grunted Aoba. "They're still ridiculously understaffed, but even one person is better than none."
"Don't I know it," Hyuga agreed soberly. He rolled his neck and stretched. "There was even talk yesterday of sending peacekeepers out. What… ah… what's the latest damage report?"
Aoba tiredly keyed a few commands in on his terminal and eyed the screen. "There's been some seriously heavy flooding in China… three quarters of the entire country was, well… you know. It's going to take millions and millions to clean it up."
"Well… at least it's not billions," mumbled Hyuga, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Half of all the cities in Australia were obliterated. The affected area was mostly desert, so the environment will be all right, but… well, half the county is now homeless…"
"All right," Hyuga admitted dejectedly. "So now it's billions…"
"Almost all Indonesian civilisation has been lost, along with the other major islands in the Pacific. Just… wiped out. They'll have to rebuild their entire countries from scratch."
"Oh."
"Add all that to Japan's repair bill, as well as the damage to the oceans, atmosphere, landscapes…"
"…and the UN is going to be asking it's employees for donations." Hyuga leaned back and shook his head. "The Vice-Commander said that the Third was nowhere near as bad as the Second. Which is true, obviously, I mean the Second Impact blanketed the whole world…"
"But…"
"But the Third Impact came too soon after the Second. We'd barely recovered from that."
The phone rang. Aoba looked at his watch, sighed and slumped forwards, his forehead resting against the MAGI terminal's screen. Wearily, he reached out a hand to answer the next in a long line of phone calls as he thought dryly, not for the first time and definitely not for the last, that today was going to be a long day.
* * *
"I'm hungry," Shinji groaned miserably.
"Tell me about it," Asuka muttered darkly, glancing around at the other people who shared the auto-repair shop's garage with them.
Nobody had any food. Nobody knew where to get food. They had eaten yesterday; the junk food contents of the shop's snack dispensers were now totally depleted. Somewhat foolishly, Asuka realised, they had not rationed their supplies and now they were regretting it.
Suddenly and decisively, Shinji stood up. "Where are you going?" Asuka asked, surprised.
Shinji glanced down. "To look, of course."
"Look?"
He gave her a strange one. "For food."
Asuka frowned as Shinji turned away to exit the building. Slightly annoyed, she reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Wait," she commanded, raising herself to her feet. Once standing, she made a futile attempt to wipe away some of the grime that had inevitably accumulated from the garage floor.
"Huh?"
She gave him an annoyed look. "I'm coming too, of course. If that's all right with you, Third Child."
She pushed past him and strode towards the door.
"Uh… sure," he said bemusedly, surprised she was willing to work.
Out in the bright sunlight, Shinji realised that he didn't have the faintest idea of what to do. He didn't say anything, though, just walked beside Asuka, who was choosing their course, as they made their way further from the garage.
"I don't know what you expect to find," Asuka was grumbling. "It's not as if we have a microwave on hand for a cup of instant ramen."
Shinji smiled, remembering some of the infamous cooking that had gone on back at the Katsuragi household. He fingered the white cross hanging around his neck. "What I wouldn't give for some of Misato's cooking now."
Asuka shuddered. "That woman is disgusting," she snapped. "How the hell does she eat that stuff? I mean her stomach must have its own AT Field!"
Having had similar thoughts in the past, Shinji snuffed a laugh.
"Still," Asuka said dryly, "I'll just bet you that we somehow find a frozen bowl of Misato's instant ramen. It'd be typical."
Picking their way over the rubble, Shinji and Asuka squinted in the glaring sunlight. The weather certainly was strange. Yesterday had heralded a heavy rainstorm, and today was looking like being extremely hot.
"Do you know where we're going?" Shinji ventured.
"To the restaurant district of course," Asuka replied with a frown. "Can't you tell?"
"I don't know," Shinji admitted. "It's kind of hard…"
"Heh. Yeah, I guess so." Right now, every building looked exactly the same: like rubble.
They stood atop a mound of stone debris, what once might have been one of Tokyo-3's most popular nightclubs, and stared about them sadly. Neither of them expected a buffet lunch to jump out at them; however, both of them had feebly hoped that they would not actually have to dig for their food.
Shinji was the first to give in, prompted both by his stomach, which gave a painful rumble, and by Asuka, who gave him an impatient glare. He sighed. "Come on. I think this was the restaurant district. Let's just… dig around. We may find something, you never know."
Asuka stared in disbelief as the Third Child moved over to another ruin and began sifting through the rubble on all fours.
"Are you out of your mind?" she snapped, following him but not getting down to help. "I'm not going to root around in the dirt like a pig!" She turned away, crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air.
"I thought you were hungry, too."
"That's not the point, idiot. You're a boy and I'm a girl. That means that you have to do whatever I say. Now get to work, I'm starved."
"Well… okay. I'll do it."
"Hmph."
Asuka sat down on an oversized chunk of masonry and watched Shinji work. He scrabbled around amongst the rocks, shifting the larger ones aside, and uncovered quite a few odds and ends, though nothing edible.
"Hey, Shinji…" Asuka began thoughtfully after a few minutes, casually swinging her legs on the ledge.
"Uh… yeah?" Shinji said, not glancing over his shoulder. He had his back to her, but he realised she had been looking at him curiously as he dug. He blushed quickly, glad Asuka couldn't see his face.
"Do you ever think about Commander Ikari?" she asked him directly.
Shinji slowed, but didn't stop his work.
I have no time to waste on a petulant child.
Good work, Shinji.
You disappoint me. I assume that we will never meet again.
Forgive me, Shinji
"Sometimes," he admitted quietly.
Asuka digested this answer, and readied another question. "D'you think he'll come back?"
"No," Shinji said flatly. "He… I don't think he would have… um… well, he won't come back," he finished lamely.
The redhead gazed at him inquisitively, rocking backwards and forwards on her perch. "Hmm…"
"He… I found out some things about him… during my time at NERV," Shinji explained hesitantly, diligently searching the rocks before him. "I found out how he felt… about my mother and his work. But then… he made me hurt Touji. And… we fell further apart than we'd ever been."
Shinji bowed his head. Asuka kept her eyes on him, examining his movements.
"And… well, I guess… Instrumentality helped me learn more. Not everything. You remember how you said that we only got memories and thoughts from people we were close to? Well… I barely touched my father."
"Uh-huh. I guess you never liked him much."
Shinji did not reply to this. Frowning, Asuka tried to comprehend what it could mean. Suddenly, a memory flashed before her eyes, a conversation she had had with Misato some time ago.
If he hates him so much, why doesn't he just say?
Well, he doesn't actually hate him… that's the problem.
"You never hated him, did you?" she asked curiously. "At least, not all the time. Why is that?"
"I… I just wanted a father," Shinji said, somewhat angrily, though Asuka realised it wasn't directed at her. She didn't know who the target was: Commander Ikari, or Shinji himself. "I did hate him… sometimes… Like you said last night… when I didn't have a choice."
Asuka nodded, but Shinji still had his back turned and so did not see it.
"He tried to kill my friend by using me. He deserved to be hated," he snarled angrily. Before Asuka could even be taken aback by this uncharacteristic behaviour, though, the anger quickly faded and Shinji became more subdued. "But in Instrumentality, I heard his last memories. The one thing he wanted to show me."
"Yeah? What did he say?"
"He asked me to forgive him."
"He what? Did you?"
Shinji wrung his hands helplessly. "I… I… it… to find out that he never… hated me, it was… I felt… it helped, Asuka. When it counted, it helped, but… again, what choice did I have?"
Asuka nodded. "I guess some people just don't deserve forgiveness."
"I guess. But I… I did… forgive him."
"Huh?" Asuka said, confused.
"I had no choice. He made me… hurt Touji, I had to hate him. He asked for my forgiveness, I had to give it to him."
"But… why? After everything…"
"Because… I can't help but think…" Shinji turned around, tears shimmering in his eyes. "That… if there were no Angels… I would have had a father."
"But Shinji… does that kind of forgiveness mean anything? As if you were obligated to forgive him?"
Shinji smiled sadly. "I suppose… that's up for him to decide. Wherever he is."
He thought of his mother resting within the shell of Evangelion Unit-01, billions of miles away, floating in an endless, celestial orbit throughout the void. He felt a pang of sadness, guilt and regret for Gendo Ikari, who would not see his wife again in Instrumentality. But the way of the two male Ikaris, for as long as Shinji could remember, had always been that each of them lived their own lives. Alienated from the other.
Because of both of them, it was too late to change that now. Shinji could do nothing but move away. Perhaps, he reflected silently, that's why I forgave him. Maybe I wanted him to let go, too.
Suddenly, he felt cold steel underneath his hands. Startled, Shinji quickly began digging deeper, until he could get both hands onto the tin – that is what it was – and began pulling.
"Hey… have you got something there?" Asuka demanded, jumping down and peering over his shoulder as her flat stomach rumbled again. "Pull it out, quick!"
"I'm trying," Shinji grunted as he tugged, finally pulling it free. Excitedly, the two ex-pilots gazed at the find. However, Shinji's victorious smile faded and Asuka grew an impressive scowl.
"At… least it's not ramen," Shinji tried meekly.
Asuka glared at him. "No, it's not," she said coldly. "It's dog food. I don't believe this!" she screeched furiously, getting up and throwing her arms wide to the heavens. "Only a pure, unfiltered dummkopf like you could have pulled that off, Shinji! Out of all the cans you could have found, you just had to find the dog food!"
"Er… well… sorry…"
They looked at each other, then down at the can in Shinji's hand. Despite himself, despite their somewhat desperate situation, Shinji felt a smile creeping over his face, a laugh building up in his chest, and quickly turned away so that Asuka wouldn't see it.
The Second Child tried to push her own smile away by scowling harder, but it didn't work, and hearing Shinji try to hide his snicker only made it worse. Try as she might, Asuka couldn't stop the laugh from bursting free at the same time as Shinji's.
They laughed hard and long, clutching their sides and staggering about until tears rolled from their eyes. Sometimes, in the worse situation, laughing is the only thing left to do.
When they finally calmed down, Shinji turned away and, still cackling, wiped the moisture from his eyes. "Sorry… Asuka… oof!" His giggle was cut short by Asuka engulfing him in a hug from behind.
Slightly startled, Shinji was acutely aware of the girl's smiling face pressed against his neck and her arms wrapped tightly around him. This was the same hug she used to give to Kaji… but now it was Shinji who was feeling Asuka wrapped tightly around him. He furiously fought off all thoughts that might lead to thermal expansion, instead trying slowly and nervously to turn around in her arms.
Despite himself, he succeeded but just as he was about to hesitantly return the hug it, Asuka pushed him away and slapped him lightly around the head.
"Ow!" Shinji yelped.
"Don't push it, Ikari," Asuka warned slyly, waving a finger in front of his nose, before giving him a quick wink and spinning away. "I didn't give you permission," she added rather coyly over her shoulder.
Staring after her, a confused Shinji muttered to himself, "I'll never understand her."
Asuka gleefully called to him from the other end of the ruined street. "Hey! Come on, stupid, you haven't found me anything to eat yet!"
Shinji sighed and obediently trudged after her, silently reflecting that it would be easier to figure out an Angel's mind than that of Asuka Langley Sohryu.
* * *
The grubby, disoriented figure slowly woke up from the slumber that all newly returned people quickly succumbed to. Dark dreams faded with the last vestiges of sleep and the slightly disheveled character groggily rose himself up from the sand.
Glancing around with weary eyes, he blinked in the bright sunlight and his heart race quickly increased when he noticed something was amiss. He tried to speak, but his throat was as dry as sandpaper.
"Wh… where are you?" he rasped.
Suddenly, from behind a pile of rocks a short distance away, the figure noticed movement. He saw a slim hand waving to him and a much smaller figure appeared, nimbly moving over the rocks towards him.
"There you are," the first figure sighed in relief.
* * *
Asuka had merrily berated Shinji all the way down the street until, like a bolt of lightning, inspiration had struck her. Puffing her chest out and making sure Shinji was listening, she had proclaimed that they should go to the ruins of the supermarket. Surely they would be able to find food there? And it wasn't too far off, either.
Shinji had wholeheartedly agreed, but had been adamant about going back to the auto-repair shop so that they could get the rest of the group to go with them. Asuka had protested loudly, saying that they could tell the others when they got back, but Shinji was firm. So, back they had gone and now it was a small troupe that sifted through the rubble of the small supermarket.
Others had the same idea; there were quite a number of strangers here now as well. Not surprising, really, for the supermarket was a veritable gold mine. Asuka stuffed her face with chocolate bars she had somehow uncovered, at the same time savagely defending them from Shinji and everyone else. The Third Child had no idea how she had found them, considering how she refused to get down and dig through the rubble.
The ruins of the shopping center were spread around a large crater, courtesy of a stray JSSDF bomb. Some people were currently attempting a slightly hazardous climb down the rocky embankment that made up the crater's wall; unable to find anything else worthwhile to eat around the rim, Shinji and Asuka decided to copy them and try their luck further down.
"I don't really know if we should be doing this Asuka," Shinji said warily as he peered down the steep incline. "There's a lot of jagged rocks and things…"
"Oh, you'd rather stay up here and go hungry a little longer, would you?" snapped Asuka, coming in close from behind and giving him a light push. "Well let me tell you, Third Child, I am not, so if you're too scared to climb down then get out of the way!"
"I'm just being careful," Shinji replied crossly. "If you want to break your neck jumping down like an idiot, go ahead, but I'm going to take it slow…"
"Idiot!? How dare you, Ikari? You'd best hurry up and get down there before I throw you down!" The fuming redhead gave him a harder push and before he could react, a surprised Shinji slipped forwards. Startled, he fell down a few feet into the crater, landing heavily and unceremoniously as his rump connected with the sharp corner of a rather large chunk of strategically placed masonry.
Shinji's squawk of pain had Asuka laughing in fits.
"What did you do that for?" he snapped when he got up, glowering up at his cackling companion as he subtly tried to rub his injured backside. "I could have been seriously hurt!"
"Geez, you're always so pessimistic! Here, watch me." Asuka deftly hopped down and holding her arms out for balance proceeded to slide somewhat recklessly down the precarious slope. Despite himself, Shinji couldn't help but be impressed at her balance as she made it all the way to the bottom of the crater without actually taking a single step.
"Come on, Shinji!" she called. "Or I'll start work without you!"
"Do me a favour," he mumbled as he picked his way slowly downwards, clambering over the debris.
Asuka had stopped at the bottom and was gazing impassively around at the shadowy base as if she expected someone to rush up and offer her a three-course meal. It was at this point that Shinji, close to the bottom now, suddenly noticed two tins of fruit salad. It was the canned kind that wouldn't go off if you didn't open it. However, when he bent down and picked them up he caught his foot, and with a cry of alarm he lost his balance. Gravity took over and he began wildly dashing the remaining distance, waving his arms and yelling in a panic, unable to stop himself.
Hearing her companion's cry, Asuka casually glanced over her shoulder just in time for her eyes to go wide as Shinji barreled into her, sending the Second Child crashing forwards – straight into a large puddle, a remnant of the rainstorm the previous day, with a loud splash.
All Asuka could do for a few moments was remain motionless on all fours in the puddle, murky water dripping from her stunned face and red hair, unable to believe what had just happened. Then…
"Rrrgghhssscheiss!" she screamed furiously at the top of her lungs. Hauling herself to her feet, she spun around, eyes burning with rage. "IKARI!" she roared, storming over with clenched fists, droplets of water flying away from her in all directions.
Terrified, Shinji began backing away. "Sorry! Asuka, I'm sorry!" he pleaded. "I didn't mean to! Asuka!" He was about to turn and run when Asuka lashed out and grabbed his ear in a merciless deathgrip. "Ah… ah… ow!" he cried.
"Any last words?" she hissed furiously, grabbing him by the lapels and pushing her face in close to glare into his eyes.
"I… I… found us some food," Shinji tried, offering the tins of fruit salad. He feebly trying to worm away, but Asuka was holding him too strongly as she examined his find.
Asuka's eyes narrowed. Wordlessly, she snatched away one of the tins in Shinji's hands and, releasing his ear, she silently peeled off the top, scooping the contents up with her fingers.
Shinji sighed in unutterable relief. She could actually be scary sometimes. He reached down to peel the top off his own tin.
"I sure am hungry," Asuka said flatly, staring coldly at him. "Really hungry," she added pointedly.
Shinji's stomach rumbled, but all he could do was sigh and hand over his own tin. As Asuka scoffed the food, he sadly turned away to see if he could find something else to eat.
* * *
The still, late-morning air was suddenly shattered by a deafening sound. Looking up in surprise from their impromptu meal, Shinji and Asuka saw two large, black shapes roaring across the sky. Far overhead, the United Nations helicopters moved steadily over the ruins of Tokyo-3, occasionally dipping low as they surveyed the damage.
Up above the pair of ex-pilots, they could see a few of the others leaping about, waving their hands and yelling for the helicopters to land. They didn't, of course; soon the thud-thud-thud of the helicopter's rotor blades was fading into the distance.
Shinji and Asuka looked at one another in surprise, but before either of them could say anything there were shouts and calls from the rim. Looking back up, the two of them could see that there was something going on. People were running, all in the same direction.
"What's going on up there?" Shinji wondered.
"We'll never find out sitting here," Asuka replied, getting up. "Come on!"
Scrambling back up the slope (Shinji being extra careful) they were surprised to see a large mass of people filing slowly past. The members of their group were rushing to join, happy to see that they were not the only survivors of Third Impact.
One of the two extremely harried and nervous-looking European soldiers that led the parade called over in broken Japanese. "Come over! We are from the United Nations and are taking all refugees to the rescue camp in the Tokai District!"
Upon hearing this, the stragglers doubled their pace. Shinji glanced over at Asuka. "Coming?"
"Of course I'm coming, stupid," she replied irritably.
Together, they dashed over and merged with the refugee column.
* * *
The going was slow. Very slow. From the exhausted chatter that was going on all around them, Shinji and Asuka learned that the two soldiers leading this column were part of a ten-man unit – literally all the UN could spare to send to Tokyo-3. Peacekeepers had been sent to other cities and other countries – it sounded really bad – but rumour was that Tokyo-3 had priority because of NERV headquarters.
"We get priority, and they send over two grunts?" Asuka muttered in disbelief. She glared about at the ragged, unwashed mass of humanity around her and wondered how the hell the world was going to solve all of this. "Yeah, I know, Mama," she mumbled. "Hold true to hope. It's just that it's… hard. Sometimes."
The procession continued all throughout the day, moving at a snail's pace. The idea, apparently, was to search the entire area and get everyone they found to join them. Thus, everyone was expected to help in searching the surroundings whenever the two stressed soldiers called a halt, and Shinji and Asuka were no exception, much to their chagrin.
However, progress was being made, and by late afternoon they had covered a reasonable distance. Nobody, however, knew how close or far they were from the Tokai District. As it turned out, they had covered more distance than they expected.
While he was oblivious to this, though, Shinji was well aware that Asuka was less than happy about the way things were going.
"Oh, man! I can't believe we're doing this!" she was moaning again. "I mean, we piloted Eva! We literally," here she moved in close to Shinji and waggled a finger in his face, "saved the world. Several times! And here we are, crawling through the ruins of the city with a bunch of bums! Don't we get any kind of special treatment? This really sucks!"
"Well, we've got no choice," Shinji reminded her mildly. "I mean, what else could we do? You didn't want to go back to NERV headquarters, right?"
"Of course not! You never know what they'd want to do with us if we went back there!"
"So what do you want to do?"
"Look," Asuka said, a little testily, "all I'm saying is that we should be cut a little slack, all right? Mein Gott, it's not as if we don't deserve it!"
"Yeah," Shinji agreed soberly.
They continued to walk on in silence. Shinji stole a few glances sideways at Asuka, who didn't really seem to mind the trek all that much. She gazed about her absently, and Shinji heard her humming a few tuneless bars every now and then. With some trepidation, Shinji realised she was walking beside him, not just next to him. More worryingly, however, she occasionally bumped companionably into Shinji's side when she walked too close.
He knew that she was doing it on purpose, to tease him as much as anything else, but even so he found himself absurdly pleased that she was doing it.
Suddenly, the call came down the line, passed on by those in front of them: another halt had been ordered. Sighing, Shinji looked at Asuka expectantly, and she nodded wearily. "Yeah, let's go," she said somewhat unenthusiastically, and they were about to begin plodding off to search for survivors when they noticed that there was some sort of commotion up ahead.
There were about four hundred people in this column; the two UN soldiers had a stressful time of controlling proceedings, occasionally even resorting to threatening people with their guns. Shinji and Asuka noticed an odd thing, however… there seemed to be five soldiers now.
Squinting, Shinji nodded in understanding. "We've come to the rescue station," he confirmed.
"About time. All this walking was getting on my nerves," grumbled Asuka. "Come on, let's go and see if we can get something to eat."
"We ate just before. You shouldn't be so greedy. Other people…"
"Are you dense? Other people will be thinking exactly the same thing, Shinji. Now come on."
It wasn't much of a rescue station; nothing more than five or six huge, blue tents with UN printed in white all over them. A small group of soldiers were desperately trying to keep order, watching over the distribution of blankets and food for the writhing mass of people. Still, it looked infinitely more appealing than the auto-repair garage Shinji and Asuka had been spending their time in.
The newest arrivals all sensed that if they wanted help, they would have to behave, so everyone was soon seated or lying about amongst those people already there. There were several large pots – almost like cauldrons – in which some kind of meal was hastily being prepared, and blankets were not in short supply.
As the Second and Third Children wandered vaguely around the camp, they saw the two helicopters they had noticed earlier that day fly in from somewhere over the city. They did not land, but lowered wooden crates down to the waiting soldiers on the ground. More supplies.
Gazing around them, it was a sorry sight indeed. People were dirty, hungry and annoyed. Still, what else could they do but wait? Shinji and Asuka began to look for a place to sit.
Two figures steeped in shadow caught Shinji's eye at the same time Asuka noticed them. One was standing around, looking slightly nervous and more than a little worried. The other was seated next to the first, head bowed, knees pulled up to the chest.
Heart rates quickening, not daring to hope or speak, Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Sohryu grabbed one another, each intending to show the other, as they jerkily pulled themselves towards the two figures.
The standing figure's gaze fell upon the Children staggering forwards, saw the expressions of shock and terrified hope on their faces and their mouths trying to shape words they could not speak. Feeling her heart leap into her chest, not taking her eyes off the pair, Maya Ibuki reached down and shook the other figure's shoulder furiously.
"Ma'am!" she shrieked.
The second figure wearily raised her battered face to see what Maya was yelling about and gasped when she saw the two Evangelion pilots coming towards her. They were holding each other, helping each other forwards, silent tears streaming down their faces, disbelief and joy etched on their features. Not believing her own eyes, the blood drained out of her face and her veins went cold. She tried to choke some words out but they were lost in the uncontrollable tears that overwhelmed her. She shakily raised herself to her feet and stared, wondering if this was some dark dream.
Shinji and Asuka were almost upon her.
"M… M… Misato!" Shinji screamed in despair and joy. Asuka started to cry. Forgetting themselves, they hurled themselves towards the stunned, weeping woman in the red flight jacket, standing there limply, crying as she watched them approach.
"Sh… Shinji… Asuka…" Misato whispered as they flung themselves on her in desperate joy and despair, crying their hearts out, wrapping their trembling arms around her. Choking on her tears even harder, Misato Katsuragi pressed her face into the tops of the weeping heads of the Children, hugging them fiercely and with all her strength.
Shinji grasped Misato for all he was worth, sobbing his heart out. He had missed her, he had missed her so much, and to see her now, to see her alive… She had always been more to him than a guardian, and she meant worlds to him. He loved her like the mother he had lost. He wished, he wished he had been there for her when she needed him, but he had run away and hidden from a reality that hurt him. Not any more. As he felt Misato's trembling touch, as he smelled the familiar scent of her hair, Shinji Ikari vowed that he would never run away again.
"Misato you're all right oh thank God I'm so sorry for everything that's happened…" he choked out.
Asuka cried in shame and relief, weeping her soul out, her guilt rising to the fore as she remembered the horrible way that she had treated this woman. Ashamed for things that could not be unsaid, regret pounded in her heart as she realised just how much she despised that part of herself that had said those things to Misato. But words were not needed to convey her heart and Misato's hold swept the past away in a flood of tears. It was only now… it was only right now that mattered. That had ever mattered.
"I'm sorry, Misato, I'm sorry I said those things I didn't mean them…" she wept, crying into Misato's shaking shoulder, arms around her neck.
And Misato Katsuragi, former NERV Major, forgot her pain and her weariness as she once again found the two people she cared more about than anyone else in the world. She had given her life to save Shinji and she would do it again for either of them without thinking twice. Through the hot tears, she found that her heart telling her that these two really were her children, because families are held together by love, not by blood and Misato loved them both more than anything.
"Oh God thank God you're all right I'm so glad I thought I wouldn't see you again Oh God I'm sorry for everything…" she whispered hoarsely through her endless tears.
The three of them cried together for a long time, arms wrapped around each other, rocking gently.
Standing nearby, Maya Ibuki wiped away her own tears and smiled in determination.
She was happy for them. God knows, they deserved this.
"I… I'm home," whispered Misato, clutching the two people she loved like her own children, stroking their hair as she held them to her.
"Welcome home," sobbed Shinji.
________________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Cliffhanger? What cliffhanger? Heh heh heh. Well, I hope you enjoyed the latest installment. Don't forget about the grubby figure that woke up on the beach, either… So, I was thinking about Asuka's mind-rape and I'll probably do it next chapter, in a conversation with Misato or something. If I'm too afraid of going OOC for someone, I just won't make them say much, like Maya. Don't worry, I'll study up on her. By the way, if anyone has some personal rules of how they write Misato, and you could give them to me, I'd really like that. If you have suggestions for the story, reviews, comments or whatever, I'd really appreciate it, as always. In particular I'd like some criticisms for this chapter… I don't know, I can't help thinking it's missing something. I think that's it… thanks for reading. Till next time.
