Well, I like very much how this fic is going…Don't worry, I'll update Madness in a few days, I'm like eighteen chapters in, Chapter Nineteen will come soon…
As for this fic, I'm pleasantly surprised, I like writing it, and I'm getting a good deal of reviews, more than what Darkness got in the months it was out…
By the way, if you like this fic so far, go ahead and read and review my only completed fic, End of Evangelion: Darkness, it's not so bad.
I appreciate your reviews…interesting input, please keep on writing…Hrmmm…R/S….love triangle…
And for those of you that have unanswered questions…Don't sweat it, this is only Chapter Four, unlike Madness (Where I'm pretty sure it's going to last a gazillion chapters) and Darkness (Where I was 100 sure it would be seven chapters), I'm not exactly sure how long this fanfic is, so your questions will be answered eventually.
Well, let's start the show.
Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or its characters. Gainax does, and they rock. Who else could create both Evangelion and FLCL! I also don't own anything that happens to be referenced in this story.
Tokyo 3, Japan
Outside Shinji's Apartment
Rei's eyes darted around the hall as she stopped in front of a small metal door and opened it, quickly tossing two bags of what appears to be garbage into it.
She hesitated with a third, small black plastic bag, peering at it. After a moment she reached into it, pulling out a picture of Shinji and Asuka, a queer look on Shinji's face while Asuka stood with a confident sneer.
With cool deliberation, she dropped it into her chute.
Suddenly the sound of a door opening and Rei quickly dropped the paper bag into a small opening, and shut the metal door of the opening which read, "Incinerator".
Shinji smiled, closing the door of his apartment and strolling up to Rei, who had an odd unreadable expression on her face.
He offered his arm, his face betraying shyness.
"Ready, Aya…Rei?"
Rei's face returned to her normal smile, and she took Shinji's arm, causing the young man to blush as they strolled down the hall.
"Simply disposing of the trash, Shinji."
Meanwhile, the simple bag containing all the memories of Shinji's life fell within the dark recesses of the trash incinerator, Shinji's face curled with fire, as did Misato's, Gendo's, Kawuro and Kawuro the lesser, and even Rei's herself.
She sighed as she walked back towards the apartment, closing her eyes.
It is best for Shinji, that he leave this past, it will do nothing but hurt him if he delves into it.
Six Hours Later
Tokyo 3, Japan
Tokyo 3 Public High School
Shinji Ikari stood next to the school gate as he watched students leaving in streams, a few waving goodbye to "Ikari sensei", rubbing his back as he felt the familiar aching there again.
He strolled through the small, now empty schoolyard, his back out, singing an old song softly to himself.
"With or without you…with or without you…I can't live, with or without you…"
He stopped in front of a cement bench and sighed, noticing a large pile of newspapers next to it.
Shinji reached out for the nearest section, yawning.
To his shock, one of the newspapers began to shake and Shinji stepped back, his eyes widening, at poked at it with his foot.
Instantly, a terrifying shadow sprung up, taking on the figure of a stooped over dirty man, apparently homeless, his face grimy and almost…deformed.
Shinji jumped back as the man fixed him with a terrifying glare, slowly realizing that he was facing an old wino.
Harmless…Harmless…
But Shinji could still vaguely remember his terrifying encounter with the other homeless man in this very same park a few days ago.
The wino stooped towards him, and Shinji could see that his face was mottled with an array of odd bumps.
Shinji took another step backwards, confused.
"What the!"
The old mans rushed towards him, pleading.
"I didn't take nothing! Don't hit me! I was just napping, it was cold!"
The man tripped over and Shinji slowly bent towards him, lifting him up delicately.
"What's wrong, what are you doing here? You know you can't be here…Sorry, but this is trespassing…"
He begins leading the wino past the school gate, but the old man resists and grasps onto the gate, pleading.
"Don't throw me out there! They're gonna get me! They're going to tear me to pieces!"
The old man stumbled backwards and fell, holding onto Shinji's leg.
"What are you talking about!"
"No! Please! No!"
"Come on sir, you can't stay here on school property…"
"Please! Please! I never hurt anybody while I was alive, believe me! I don't belong here!"
Shinji sighed, giving the old man a strange look, escorting him across the street, off school property, glancing up towards the school building and noticing shadowy figures outlined in the windows, staring at him escorting the hobo.
"You'll live, you're fine, alright…"
He led the old man onto a sidewalk opposite the school and reached into his pocket, handing him a weathered bill.
The old man shook his head sadly an almost frightened look on his face, crumpling the bill and throwing it at Shinji's feet.
Shinji shook his head, sighing as he walked off towards his parked car, taking one look back at the homeless man, who was edging along fearfully along the wall of a small building.
He peered at his watch, realizing that he was already late for his appointment and stepping into his small blue sedan, turning it on and slowly backing up, but not before sneaking a peek in his rearview mirror.
The homeless man was gone.
Tokyo 3, Japan
Ookami Chiropractor Office
Shinji let out a piercing scream, his face dazed as he lay on a long, leather padded device that looks very much like an instrument of torture.
Ookami the chiropractor is a large, middle-aged, heavy-set man, with a calm, benevolent expression on his face.
"Come on Shinji, it didn't hurt so bad."
Shinji sighed as Ookami pressed against his back.
"How do you know?"
Ookami chuckled.
"I know you. How come you're so tense today?"
"I don't know…What can I tell you."
Ookami smiled, continuing to work on Shinji's back.
"I saw Asuka the other day."
Shinji's eyes betrayed no emotion.
"Oh yeah? Her knee acting up again?"
Ookami's face was indiscernible.
"A bit."
"So what did she have to say?"
Ookami's face seemed serious and he spoke, his tone collected as he raised up the head of the leather bed.
"Turn on your right side."
Shinji turned on his left.
"How about your 'other right'"?
Shinji turned back and Ookami nodded, continuing as Shinji lay on his right side.
Ookami sighed as he continued talking, his hands hovering over Shinji.
"I don't understand you quiet philosophers…You've got the whole world figured out but you don't understand the difference between right and left…"
Shinji smiled absentmindedly.
"I was gone the day they taught that in school…Now tell me, what'd she say?"
Ookami began to work on Shinji's back, talking as he felt around the young man's spine.
"Who?"
"Asuka…"
"She talked my head off…But nothing about you…That's the way you two are…Hiding their feelings all the time…No wonder it didn't work out…Put your hand under your head."
He put his hands on Shinji's left shoulder, leaning in.
"Take a deep breath…slowly…slowly…"
Ookami's voice calmed Shinji and then suddenly the chiropractor moved quickly, making a rapid adjustment, causing Shinji to groan, but apparently not in any great pain.
Ookami stood, smiling, wiping off his hands.
"Ah, that's good…that's good. Now turn to your left."
Shinji slowly turned to his left, his eyes wary.
"So she didn't talk about me at all?"
Ookami smiled.
"She says you're a son of a bitch and she regrets the day she set eyes on you."
Shinji chuckled.
"I thought she didn't say anything about me."
Ookami bent over Shinji's back.
"She didn't, that's about all she said. Put your hand on your hip. Take a breath…easy…"
And Ookami quickly reached out, pushing against Shinji again, satisfied at the resounding crack, causing Shinji to let out a scream.
"Alright, on your back."
Ookami circled around him.
"I think she still loves you…"
Shinji shook his head as Ookami lifted up his leg.
"Loves me! She never said a kind thing about me in all the years we were together…"
"Right…but she doesn't stop talking about you…"
Ookami pressed the leg to Shinji's chest and then released it, moving towards the other one.
"Now that's love, Shinji."
"She hates me, Ookami…"
"I think you should go back to her…"
Shinji sighed as Ookami pressed his other leg forward and then released it.
"She threw me out, remember? She wanted something I couldn't give…She wanted Kaji…And after Kawuro…Well…I couldn't take it anymore either, I couldn't let my brain take it, not after the Angel Wars, I decided that my mind was too small to comprehend all this chaos…"
Ookami looked down at Shinji from above his face, his hands resting on Shinji's upper shoulders.
"If it was any other brain but your's, I'd agree…Relax, this one might be a bit strong."
"I can't relax…"
"Come on Shinji…That a boy…That a boy."
And then a loud crack, and simply darkness.
Shinji peered out from within the darkness, as a huge flash of light illuminated him. His pain was forgotten, his misery was numbed.
There was only a surge of energy, familiar energy…someone who cared for him was close by.
"M-Mother?"
Then a stronger burst of light, blinding him, and then a feeling of…
Shinji blinked through the blinding light, staring up into the lamp hanging over the chiropractor bed.
Shinji looked up dazed and the light seemed to form a halo around Ookami's head, making Shinji chuckle tiredly.
"What…God almighty…What did you do to me?"
Ookami smiled.
"I had to get in there. Deep adjustment…Rest a little, and it'll settle a bit."
Shinji shook his head.
"I just had this weird flash right then…"
"What?"
"I don't know…I've been having flashbacks recently…"
Ookami nodded.
Shinji sighed and looked up, chuckling at Ookami and changing the subject.
"You know you look like a chubby angel, Ookami…And overgrown cherub. Anyone ever tell you that?"
Ookami nodded, chuckling.
"Yeah. You. Every time you come in here. Now lay off any heavy lifting and tell that girlfriend of yours to lay off the rough stuff, if you get my meaning."
Shinji blushed, shaking his head.
"Ookami, it's not like that!"
The chiropractor chuckled.
"Yeah yeah…"
"You're a lifesaver, you know that man?"
Ookami nodded, helping Shinji up.
"I know, I know."
Anticlimactic? Short? Lame? Cool?
Hope you liked this chapter…I'm getting into the flow of the story…It's going to be fun…
I hate it when authors insert real songs in fics, by the way…Just because they like them, etc…But I had to, for the purpose of this fic…It was minor though…
See you next time.