An Angel at Last

It was dark.

Narikage stood alone in this black place, shivering. He could hear faint sounds, sounds of explosions, sounds of screaming. He shuddered, knowing he was the one causing the sounds.

'I wish I could tell them I'm sorry...'

He bowed his head, a tear falling into the murky darkness that rippled under his feet.

'I want to say goodbye...onegai...just one more time...I want to see them...onegai...'

He raised his head, looking up from the darkness. He could see a faint light high above and he closed his eyes to it, turning his face away.

'No...not yet...please...just let me see them one more time...'

The light around him began to grow brighter but he retreated into darkness, shaking his black head.

'No, I'm not ready...I want to say good-bye...onegai...just once more...just once more I want to see them...onegai...'

Suddenly, pain erupted in his belly.

Narikage screamed.

(Cut)

"Rei! Rei!" The blue-haired girl stirred and her eyelids fluttered open. Asuka's face came into focus above her and Rei read relief in her blue eyes. "Oh, thank God. You scared me."

"What happened?" Rei turned her head, finally realizing that she was outside, resting on one of the few flat places left in the demolished city. Her crumpled unit wasn't far away, looking as if it had seen much better days.

"Your unit shut down right after you fired the rifle," Asuka informed her. "Misato told me to get you out, just in case." Rei started to sit up but stopped when pain tore through her body. Asuka leaned forward, gently helping her friend. "Don't try to move too much; Narikage tore you up pretty bad." Her eyes widened.

"Narikage! Where is he?!" She searched the area frantically with her gaze.

"When Misato called...right before I got you out...the blue pattern is gone," Asuka whispered.

"H-he's...?" Asuka bowed her head, averting her gaze. Rei squeezed her eyes shut. "I killed him..."

"Rei, we had to. If we hadn't killed him, he would have torn everything apart. Try to think of it as setting him free."

Setting him free...

Set him free...

Those words!

Rei's eyes flew open. That voice! Just before she fired, she had heard that voice, telling her to set Narikage free...

It had to be...

No.

It couldn't have been HER.

Could it?

"The medical team will be here soon," Asuka was saying. "They'll take you to emergency—"

"We have to find him," Rei broke in. The German stopped, blinking.

"What?"

"Narikage. We have to find his body."

"Rei—"

"Asuka. Do you really think this deserves to be his burial site?" Rei gestured to the wreckage around them. "He deserves to be buried with Shinji."

"Rei, he's twenty feet tall. That would be one hell of a grave."

"But it's better than letting them just throw his body somewhere and leaving it to rot. Please, Asuka. I can't do this without your help." Asuka looked down into Rei's intense crimson eyes for a long moment, struggling with herself. Finally, she let out a sigh.

"I'm too nice to you sometimes." Rei smiled a little.

"Arigato."

"Yeah, yeah." Asuka took Rei's arm, slinging it over her shoulder. "Alright, here we go." Slowly, she got to her feet, Rei leaning against her heavily. "It's a good thing you're light or this would be a lot harder."

The girls began picking their way over the debris in the direction Narikage had landed. It was slow going and they had to stop every so often to let Rei rest. After about twenty minutes of walking, they heard sirens in the distance, coming steadily closer.

"That's the medical team. Come on, Rei. We can keep looking after they bandage you up."

"No! No, it's not much further now. I can feel it." Asuka sighed again, humoring her friend. They reached a large crater and Rei's eyes searched the rocky area. She knew it was close...

Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Asuka!" The German looked where she pointed and her own mouth fell open.

"Holy shit!"

(Cut)

"What's the damage report?"

"The heat stopped just before it melted the last plate. We're going to have to COMPLETELY redo the rest; everything is gone." Commander Fuyutski fell back in his chair with a sigh.

"That plus the damage to the city is enough to bankrupt us," he muttered, shaking his head. "What about the pilots?"

"The medical team is on its way and should be coming into contact with them in ten minutes. The area is too cloudy for us to get a visual," Ritsuko replied. Her gaze slid over to Misato, who had collapsed in a chair, a strange look of horror and victory on her face. She walked over to her friend, touching her bandaged arm. "Misato, you did the right thing."

"The right thing for whom? I killed a boy today." Her head fell into her hands and her shoulders began to shake. Ritsuko knelt by her, hugging her tightly. A solemn silence fell over the control room, interrupted by a loud buzz coming from above them.

"Can anyone hear me?!"

"Asuka?"

"Yes! We're going to need more than one medical team out here!"

"Why? What's wrong? Is Rei alright?"

"Rei's fine! Just send the extra medical teams! Narikage's alive!"

(Cut)

Misato sat in the slow-moving jeep, ready to scream in frustration at the driver who was driving at a snail's pace. She had tried to get in the ambulance with Ritsuko but it had been too full of medical equipment. Now here she was, stuck with the world's slowest driver while the boy she had cared for was dying in some crater.

What a wonderful day this had been.

Finally they pulled to a stop in front of the bustling crater but before the wheels had stopped rolling, Misato was out of the jeep and running for the edge. Ritsuko, who was just climbing out, saw this and reached out, grabbing her friend.

"God damnit! Let me GO, Ritsuko! I want to see him! Where is he?!"

"Misato—"

"Where is he?!"

"He's still in the crater. But listen to me—"

"Why the hell is he still in there?! You said you were going to get him out!" Misato continued to struggle, but the blonde's grip was firm.

"Misato! Listen to me! We can't move him. If we try, he'll die. Instantly." This caused the other woman to freeze, eyes wide. Sure that she had gotten her attention, Misato let go, tucking her hands in her lab-coat pockets. "Narikage shouldn't even be alive to begin with."

"I...I don't...i-is he...?" Misato made a shrinking movement with her hands.

"Yes. He's back to his normal size and that's why he shouldn't be alive. The blast hit him when he was an angel and...well, to be blunt, it pretty much blew a hole through his stomach." Misato paled. "But, for some reason, right afterwards, he reverted to human size with the wound in scale to his new form. The damage is much too great for us to even begin to repair. He is conscious and he's been asking for you. He refuses to go anywhere until he sees you, or so he says." Misato was trembling from head-to-toe, tears falling from her eyes.

"H-he...he wants me to watch him...die...?"

"No, Misato. I don't think that's why he wants to see you. I think he wants your permission to go. We've given him medication to help with the pain but he won't last much longer. He wants to make sure you're alright before he goes." Misato closed her eyes for a moment then gave a small nod.

"A-alright." Ritsuko turned, leading her friend down the steep crater sides.

A tent had been erected at the bottom, providing Narikage with some privacy against the busy medical and military teams swarming the area. Rei and Asuka were sitting on stretches near the canvas tent, getting treated for their wounds. Both were crying.

"Are they alright?" Misato asked in a soft voice.

"Physically, yes. Rei's beaten up fairly well and Asuka's hands are burned from opening the capsule, but other than that, they're fine. Mentally, however..." Ritsuko trailed off, shaking her head. "They'll never pilot again."

The reached the tent entrance and Ritsuko turned to Misato. "You had better brace yourself, Misato. He's looked better." She pulled the tent flap aside to the woman could duck in.

Narikage had been covered from the chest down in a thick blanket, hiding the gaping wound in his stomach. Blood had already saturated the cloth. His head was perched gently on a soft pillow in an attempt to make him more comfortable on the rocks that were his bed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth in a never-ending stream, as it did from the corner of his left eye. His body was badly battered and covered in cuts and bruises.

Misato's hand flew to her mouth when she saw his condition and, for a fleeting second, she considered turning and running. But then he drew in a shuddering breath and her sense returned. He was living in pain so he could see her one last time. She wouldn't disappoint him.

Carefully picking her way over the jagged rubble, she went to his side, kneeling there. Reaching out, she took his cold hand, squeezing gently. "Narikage, I'm here." The boy turned his head slowly and a tiny smile touched his cracked lips.

"M-Misato...san...I was afraid...you wouldn't come..."

"Of course I would." She reached out, brushing a lock of hair from his pale eyes.

"Sorry...I can't stand and...greet you properly..." Misato laughed, her eyes misty.

"Oh, that's quite alright. I'm just happy to see you, period." He was about to reply but a wave of pain crashed over him, tearing a gasp from him. His grip around Misato's hand tightened and she moved closer, carefully sliding his head into her lap. After a few minutes, he relaxed, but it was clear he was still in agony.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...for hurting everyone..." he whispered.

"Shhh...stop now. What you did wasn't your fault."

"I wish...I could have had more time to spend with you..." He smiled a little. "I liked...our movie time..." Misato broke down completely but managed to stammer:

"M-me too. Movies won't be the same without you." Narikage closed his eyes and a tear fell from the corner of his eye: a real, crystalline tear.

"I-I've spent...my whole life...waiting for this day...and I'm so scared..."

"You don't have to be." Narikage opened his eyes, looking up at her smiling face. "You have two wonderful people waiting for you."

"What if...they don't...remember me?"

"No one could ever forget you, Narikage, especially not your family. Don't keep them waiting; it's okay to let go." Tears were flowing freely from both their eyes now and Misato touched one. "You can cry now, Narikage. Did you see?" He took her other hand in his.

"But...you...I don't want you...to be sad..."

"I'll be alright because I'll never forget you either. I couldn't even if I wanted to." She leaned down, pressing a kiss to his cool temple. The pain in his eyes melted away and real smile touched his lips.

"Arigato...Misato...I left something for you on my dresser..."

"I'll find it, don't worry. Now go see you're family. They'll get mad if you keep them waiting for much longer."

"You aren't...going to leave...are you...?" His eyes were beginning to darken already.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Narikage gave her a lingering smile, pressing close to her warm side.

"You still smell...like her...Misato..." he murmured.

"Arigato...Yoshiko." His smile grew as his eyes drifted shut. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

He didn't draw another.

(Cut)

Sometime near sunrise, Misato left the tent, her clothes stiff with dried blood. The pendant she usually wore around her neck was missing and it was obvious who wore it now.

When Ritsuko spotted her, she walked over slowly, face solemn. "I'm so sorry, Misato," she said in a quiet voice. Misato surprised her by giving her an actual smile.

"I'm not. He's finally where he belongs: with his mother and brother. Finally, he's a real angel."