Disclaimer
The series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, from which this work of fiction is based, is owned by GAINAX. Characters presented in this document that come directly from the series are also owned by GAINAX. "Lady Pheaura" owns Madison Timlitt. I own all other original characters.

Evangelion: Primum Revelation
Chapter 11: Getting Older
Written by T.S. a.k.a. "Kain Tempest"
German Translations by "Steve Vader"

"Hit me." Tristan ordered.

"What?"

"Hit me." Tristan repeated. The boy looked at his commanding officer as if he had lost him mind.

"Why would I want to do that?" Tristan put his hands on his hips and made a growl of frustration.

"My God, are you really that dense? We are talking about your training. I want to see you hit me so I know where to begin
teaching you."

"I still don't understand."

"From what I know about Japan, it's common for the children there to have at least some kind of martial arts training. Not to be prepared for war, but for the sake of discipline and work ethic. You should have at least gotten something out of it than just peace of mind." Shinji looked down at his bare feet on the sparring mat. He couldn't even recall how many years it had been since he had a martial arts lesson."

"I… Uh-" The boy murmured.

"Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. What discipline were you trained in?"

"Um… Tai chi… A long time ago."

"Well it's like riding a bike, so you should be able to do something, even if you were only an amateur."

"No. I never learned how to use it to fight, just as…" Shinji struggled to find the right word. "Meditation?" Tristan shook his
head in disgust.

"Stop with the excuses. Even if you don't know how, it should be too difficult to throw a punch."

"But, I-"

"I'm not going to hit you back. So stop whining and just do it." Shinji hesitated. Which was just too long for Tristan. With a snort he turned to the redhead, who, to the Captain's amazement had held her tongue. She looked sternly at his instructor.

"Well then? Don't tell me you have no guts either?"

"I have more balls than the two of you combined." Asuka remarked.

"Which explains why you're such an ugly woman." Tristan retorted. Asuka's face contorted in a sneer and she threw a punch. As quick as lightning, Tristan stepped to the side, grabbed her wrist and shirt and threw her to the ground before immediately stepping back. Tristan placed his hands on his hips in the standard fashion showing how unimpressed he was.

"My God, only one year and you have forgetting everything you've been taught. What would the instructors be saying now that you couldn't even hit an idiot like me?" Asuka just glared at him. Tristan then turned to Shinji. "See? There's little chance that you're going to hit me, I just want to see what you know from your previous training." Shinji was still hesitant and slowly placed himself in a tai chi stance, though he wasn't quite sure what he was doing.

The moment Shinji threw his fist at his opponent, the Captain had locked his arm and hooked his leg, gravity did the rest of the work and Shinji hit the mat with a yelp.

"You're both absolutely pathetic!" Tristan cried. He pointed to Asuka. "You've forgotten all of your techniques." His finger switched to Shinji. "And you're too slow and are afraid of hurting people. This is a brave new world we live in, ladies and gentlemen. The universe is not going to be merciful all of the time so you're going to have to get stronger not only for basic survival, but also for piloting your Evangelions."

"Well why don't you tell us why we're here in the gym getting insulted by you rather than being in our entry plugs?"

"Because your training begins outside of the plug and ends inside it."

"What the Hell does that mean? I've spent a year in Japan and I am sick of all this Buddha, Zen, whatever! What is this all
about, you jerk!" Without responding, Tristan looked back at Shinji.

"It took Asuka and I several years in order to develop the skills necessary to synchronize with the Evangelions. Unlike you we didn't have the natural proficiency you had with Unit-01. However, it is now apparent that your talent was limited only to piloting that one particular unit, I don't know why but that isn't the point right now. If you're going to become a pilot again you will have to go through the same training that we had to go through. But we will be condensing it into, at most, a couple of weeks. It will be hard, but you already know half of what you need to know." Shinji sat up and slowly nodded.

"And what do you need to fix about me?" The German girl asked while getting up. Tristan didn't even turn to her.

"You haven't been training as you should have been and your capability to synchronize has become lax. You are going to take the same program that Shinji is on, but I think that may change depending on what the researchers come up with."

"'The researchers'? What do you mean?"

"Never mind. Today we're going to start with some basic exercise routines and fighting lessons. Physical abilities you acquire will affect your performance as a pilot. A pilot who is capable of fighting in hand-to-hand can do roughly the same in the entry plug. Provided the synchronization ratio is high enough."

"Sparring won't get us to synchronize any faster." Asuka grumbled.

"But it will put you in a state of mind in order to do so." Tristan stepped over to a table and picked of a pair of heavy padded mitts and put them on. "We're going to start with something very simple to get your blood pumping. We'll start with basic boxing."

"This isn't going to work."

"I'm amazed that you even became a pilot with that crappy attitude. Whatever happened to the 'Wildfire'?" Asuka looked at him and frowned, not that she didn't know who he was talking about, but that he would actually being up that name.

"This is a waste of time, I know that I'm not going to get anywhere with your training." Tristan sighed and pulled off the mitts. He dug a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Asuka.

"What's this?"

"My synch ratio and yours. The difference is only by one week." Asuka blinked and unfolded the paper and quickly scanned the graphs and data. "Coincidentally, Sub-Commander Septerra and I decided to get a synch test in order to ensure that I was still capable of piloting an EVA should we lack any pilots. There is a second set of pursuits for Unit-05 designed for me." Asuka's hands were trembling, out of fear or anger, Shinji couldn't tell.

"Is this a threat?"

"No, this is a reminder that you're replaceable at this stage of the game. You can't seem to focus on synchronizing anymore so we are going to have to start from scratch and found another route if it pops up."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then you'll never know what it is like to pilot an Evangelion again." Asuka folded the paper and handed it back to Tristan.

"Alright, I'll do it. But if you're going to be my trainer, I will never forgive you if you fail in getting this right." Tristan shrugged.

"Let's get started then." The captain put the mitts back on. "I'll use this mitts to see how hard you're hitting with your punches. Right arm to jab, left arm to strike. Got that, Shinji?" Shinji jumped to his feet and nodded. "Alright, you're first. Give me your best."

"Catch." The bottle of water practically leapt into Asuka's arms. She hastily unscrewed the cap and after several long gulps took a gasp of breath before returning a slower yet still laboured series of pants. "Hurry it up, Ikari!" The Captain barked to the straggler. Shinji looked up the incline and with a sigh, pushed the rest of the way up the hill. At the top of the hill, Shinji bent over, panting and wiping the sweat off of his brow. Tristan handed him his water bottle.

"Damn it, Tristan. Are you going to run us into the ground like this everyday?"

"I admit that it may have been harsh for Shinji, but I though, you Asuka, could have done it without even breaking a sweat. You really got out of shape while in Japan."

"Are you calling me fat?" The redhead growled, taking another sip of water.

"Shinji?"

"What… What?" Shinji stammered, still trying to catch his breath.

"Back in Tokyo-3, who cooked?"

"Huh? Well… Um… Major Katsuragi used to cook but I guess I eventually took over."

"And how many times did this prissy bitch complain about Japanese cuisine?" Asuka couldn't decide whether or not to glare daggers at Tristan for his remark, or watch Shinji and ensure he understood the gravity that this question now had.

"Every meal, I guess… For a couple of months anyway."

"And if not in a plug suit, sleeping, eating, or at school, where could she usually be found."

"Watching television, reading fashion magazines, and eating potato chips." Asuka was ready to tear the boy's throat out at that very moment when she heard Tristan laugh triumphantly.

"Check and mate, Asuka. Looks like you haven't been keeping fit at all."

"Screw you, Tristan. I've been working hard just to keep up with schoolwork and fighting Evangelions." Tristan folded his arms.

"That sounds like a really crummy excuse." Asuka gave a low growl and looked away with a snort. Tristan just gave a brief laugh. "There are some benches up ahead, so you can park your asses and take a break."

"Are we finished for the day?" Shinji asked. Tristan looked skyward at the late morning sun and shrugged.

"I suppose. I'm only going to work you into the ground during the mornings, synch tests in the evening… It's a way of making a routine."

"But when are we going to have time to actually have a life?" Asuka complained. Tristan rolled his eyes.

"You whine too much. As if you actually have a social life to begin with. Neither of you know anyone in this city I'd assume." Shinji nodded, already agreeing with his commander's argument.

"Well then, you think it would be logical for our supervisor to consider the personal feelings of his followers."

"I am not your supervisor and this isn't so much your job. I am your commanding officer and this is your duty to humanity. Why do you think you're never paid to do this? NERV is providing you with everything, and yet you only want more. How disgusting." Asuka remained silent and watched the captain turn away. "Shinji, you coming?" Shinji nodded and followed Tristan up to the rest stop at the top of the hill. Asuka simply stood where she was.

When the two were out of sight, Asuka heaved a sigh and looked down the hill, which the three of them had charged up. Tristan had no problem in getting up the slope, having spent all of his free time getting buff and healthy. Asuka and that bastard on the other hand, had to spend most of their time and energy simply trying in stay alive in the hostile environment outside the NEC. The majority of Eastern Europe and Asia was now a no man's land and here was this oasis of civilization with the dream of a utopian world, provided that the Angels could be defeated.

Asuka began to wonder how her child was holding up, even though she was still at the end of her third trimester, she knew that this was the critical stage for development and she didn't want to cause complications in this child that she could have prevented. She laughed to herself, look at her, at her age she should only be caring for herself and no one else, but here she was, considering the fate of a child that she never wanted in the first place. Asuka had always heard the horror stories about teen mothers, those who made the stupid decision to throw their life away for some little boy just because they threatened to dump them. How pathetic.

Here she was, however, carrying Shinji's child, the father being a little boy himself. Asuka at once felt helpless, angry, and a little of something that she wasn't sure what to name it. Asuka was a statistic, and was no longer the exception to the rule, the prodigy or what have you. She was less than Shinji as a pilot, less of a perfect fighter like Tristan, but damned if she wasn't going to be the best mother.

Asuka mentally slapped herself. What an idiot she was. The NEC was barely providing her most basic needs, if she wanted the child or not, the NEC would likely take the child into custody. Considering how valuable they were to the future of the human race, they couldn't even be spared to be in the incapable hands of a new mother. The German girl remembered reading a headline in a paper she had picked up some days ago, when she felt too cooped up in her apartment and decided it was high time she took a walk and saw whether or not the city she hated so much had changed during her absence, when she was busy fighting Heaven, and drifting slowly into Hell.

The headline Asuka read was covering a case in which numerous people were protesting against the new created by the NEC for 'experienced' parents to take care of a child even if they are not their own. This would likely be the same fate that Asuka's child would be faced with. The fact that Asuka was a pilot wouldn't help should she resist. Another reason not to get attached, the most difficult thing to do.

"Sohryu! Move your ass!" Tristan barked. Asuka turned away from the view and followed Tristan up to the very top of the hill.

"What is it?"

"I suggest you take your break now since I won't care if you decide not to sit down." Asuka rolled her eyes and passed him.

"Whatever." Tristan didn't respond but followed her to the rest stop. Shinji was already their, nursing a bottle of water. Asuka sat down across from him, however, considering the fact that the boy was avoiding eye contact, Asuka decided not to waste any more energy simply glowering at him. She opened her bottle and started drinking.

The three of them remained in abject silence for several minutes. Tristan stared off into space, lost in though, Asuka leered at Shinji, and Shinji simply tried to avoid eye contact. The situation persisted until Tristan's digital watch was brave enough to start beeping, sounding off in a fashion just irritating enough to set things to the break point.

"Break's over. Finish your bottles and let's get going." Tristan announced. Shinji obediently downed that last of his water before handing the empty bottle to the captain.

"But we barely even got the chance to sit down." Asuka whined.

"I gave you ten minutes to rest. I could have gone farther, but I decided that this might shut you up. Guess I learned not to make that mistake again." Asuka stood up and glared at Tristan.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Give an inch, take a mile? Offer a hand and they'll take an arm and a leg? Do you follow me?" Asuka put her hands on her hips.

"Humour me."

"Quit your bitching and get you lazy ass down this hill."

"Lazy! We'll see how lazy you are when I put you in traction."

"Then who, pray tell, will take you two out for lunch?" Asuka stopped and both she and Shinji looked at their commander quizzically.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Well at first I was going to treat you both as a reward for getting this far without complaining, but I think you, Asuka, have done enough complaining for the three of us."

"You mean you're not-"

"Nope!"

"Probably because you can't afford it, right?"

"No, I mean what I say. But I'll tell you what. I plan and walking my way down the hill using the path we charged up. There's a second trail on the other side of the hill. It's a little overgrown and was only used by those who wanted to actually challenge themselves when they crawled up the bluff. If either of you make it down before me, then I will be more than willing to pay for anything on the menu when we go down to the pier." Upon mentioning the pier, Tristan could Asuka's saliva glands working over time.

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose when I get down there the food will be ready, snail boy." Asuka started for the other side of the bluff, found the steep incline and started working her way down. A self-satisfied grin. He looked towards Shinji.

"I shouldn't expect you to follow her, should I?" Shinji shook his head.

"Besides, I'm really not the competitive type." Tristan shrugged.

"Of course you're not." The captain turned and started walking down the gradually descending path. He stopped and turned.

"Coming?" Like a faithful dog, Shinji came to Tristan's side and followed, looking off towards where the other trail would likely be.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"There isn't anything that could kill 'Wildfire' out there, so long as she isn't stupid enough to try and cut through the brush, then she'll probably be eating a lot of dirt from all the roots coming out of the ground."

"'Wildfire'… You've been referring to her by that name for quite awhile. What is the significance behind it?"

"It's kind of a pet name the two of use were given when we were training to be Evangelion pilots. She was called 'Wildfire' because of her violent, aggressive attitude."

"So what were you called."

"'Winter'."

"'Winter'?"

"Cold, bitter, cruel, and patient."

"You don't really seem that way to me."

"There can be warm days in winter. Or so I've heard." Shinji looked skyward, thoughtfully. "Hey, I've got a question. Is there any particular reason you are always holing yourself in your room back our apartment?"

"Uh… It's nothing."

"You sure? If there's something that's wrong, I'm probably the best person to talk to, I am your commanding officer and it will remain confidential."

"That really doesn't…" Shinji went quiet.

"This is about you and Asuka, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'm a little concerned about how you're treating her."

"Haven't we already gone over this?"

"Yes, well I uh…"

"Just spit it out!"

"There is something more to why you chose to let me stay with you. Other than trying to help me, you are doing this for something personal aren't you?" Tristan stopped and turned to Shinji, a surprised look on his face. The shock quickly faded.

"It's that obvious?"

"Well, no. It took me awhile to notice it, but it has something to do with your, uh, relationship with Asuka." Tristan slowly nodded and looked away.

"I admit it. Half of my good will towards you was aimed only to make Asuka more upset."

"So you were using me to hurt her?" A pained look came across Tristan's face.

"No. That's too strong a word, I don't want to use you like a weapon, or that you are simply a convenient medium to get back at Asuka. But…" Tristan was at a loss for words. Disappointed, Shinji looked down at the dirt trail.

"Why do you hate Asuka so much?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's this egotistical, stuck-up, pushy, arrogant, bitch!"

"Of course. I already know what she's like, but that's just the way she is. Surely you were able to deal with her through your training? I managed to keep my cool when I lived with her for barely a year."

"What? Are you now analysing me? In fact, why are you defending her? For God's sake, she is accusing you of a rape that never happened!"

"Because… Uh…" Shinji looked away and a spasm passed through his right hand, signalling the stress he was feeling. Again, he didn't want to tell Tristan the truth. He wanted Asuka to tell him herself, on her own terms but it looked like it was going to be harder and harder to hide it. "She doesn't deserve to be hated. Although I don't know exactly what she went through, I can… Empathize. She… You… Both of you had spent years training to become Evangelion pilots and then when I showed up and got all of the praise… Just because I synchronized faster with my Evangelion, it took away all that hard work, so I guess I understand why she is so resentful towards me."

"You made her feel cheap. That she had lost her value. That would be the sweetest revenge imaginable. If only…" Tristan laughed.

"It's not something to laugh about!" Shinji growled. His hand became a white ball of flesh and bone. "Every time I piloted the EVA it was like I was stabbing her in the heart. Over and over again… I was killing her… I was the one who killed Asuka! I pushed her over the edge and that was why she went into that coma, why she wandered off into Tokyo-2 on her own. That's why she hates me!" Hot tears streamed down Shinji's cheeks from beneath his dark brown bangs of hair. As first this was surprising for Tristan to see, but then realizing his top pilot was getting soft, the shock and fear transformed into anger.

"No damn it! That bitch just hates everyone. Stop acting as if everything is your own damn fault. I don't give two shits about all this whiny bullshit of yours!" Tristan grabbed Shinji's shoulders and shook him. Memories of the last time Shinji saw Misato flooded his mind as Tristan glared into his eyes. "You are an Evangelion pilot, Ikari, your destiny, your purpose in life is to defend the NEC and UNIT. You are the protector of humanity, Shinji. The hero never cries. The hero NEVER cries!" Shinji stood there, dumbfounded and confused, not knowing what to say. "Never blame yourself for everything. The world has too many lost causes and I'm not going to let you become the martyr for one of those. Asuka is a bitter girl who will grow up to be a bitter woman, and will die the same way. I'm a vindictive asshole and I should be the one to deal with her. You have better things to do with your time. Understand?" Shinji slowly nodded his head. "Good." Tristan released the boy and started walking down the path again.

"T- Tristan?" Shinji stammered, blinking away the last of the tears.

"What!" The captain spun around, his patience almost completely gone.

"Why do you hate Asuka so much?" This question gave Tristan pause and he stood there for several seconds as if pondering. He then took a deep breath and looked directly at Shinji.

"She broke my heart." He turned away again and started down the hill. The atmosphere already told Shinji that the conversation was now over.

Tristan climbed his way up the steep incline, using the exposed tree roots as steps, grumbling every few paces. Asuka had been gone ten minutes too long, in fact, Tristan expected her to get down first. Considering that she didn't know how to cook, she surely was craving some decent food after having to eat instant crap for so long. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Shinji was always silent and tried to avoid complaining about the cuisine. He always said it was good, but he would only eat two or three bites before stopping. Saying that it was too heavy was probably the truth, considering the Japanese diet was usually fish and rice. At least that would be what an ignoramus like him would fathom.

"Asuka!" Tristan hollered after getting to the top of the incline. He listened, hearing nothing but the wind through the canopy of trees. This path extended into the woods, but the trail was obvious that she couldn't have gotten lost and since wild life had been all but extinct there was little chance that a bear had mauled her. But in retrospect, the bear would have to be very brave to take on that bitch without first getting its head examined.

Tristan called for her again. The return wasn't exactly an answer, but a cry and a loud curse. Tristan followed it up the trail to find Asuka leaning against a tree, gripped her ankle. He immediately knelt down next to her.

"What happened?"

"What does it look like? Itwisted myankle, you jack ass!" She bellowed.

"Take off your shoe and sock."

"What?"

"Do it!" Asuka pulled off her shoe and took a sharp intake of breath. Tristan grabbed hold of her leg and gently moved her ankle.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" She cried.

"I'm checking to see if it's a sprain."

"You idiot! I don't need to-" A yelp of pain both answered Tristan's query and shut Asuka up. Tristan immediately pulled off her sock and picking up a stick lying nearby he made a simple splint.

"There." He stood up and offered his hand to Asuka. She slapped it away, using the lean she had been leaning on to get up to a standing position.

"You moron! You probably made it worse!"

"I was trying to help!"

"I don't need your help damn it. It was just a twist."

"The swelling and bruising mean you've sprained it."

"And that is all your fault for trying to help."

"Well if you weren't so damn incompetent, this wouldn't have happened."

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you, too!" The two glared at each other in silence, trying to stare the other down.

"Why do you always have to be such an asshole?" Asuka grumbled.

"Why do you have to be such a stubborn bitch?"

"I don't have to take this!" Asuka turned away and was about to leave the tree trunk she was leaning against behind, but realizing she could only walk on one foot and looking down the trail, she knew that she wasn't going to go far. Tristan glanced down the path and then back up at Asuka with a smug expression on his face.

"I doubt that you'll be going very far on that foot." Asuka glared at the captain who simply shrugged. "You can say that I broke your ankle as much as you want, it's just going to roll off their backs like your other lie."

"What the Hell are you talking about?"

"Your story that you had been raped." The expression on Asuka's face looked like shock because Tristan knew the truth, but in actuality, it was despair at the realization that it wasn't that her commander didn't care, but that he didn't believe her in the first place."

"But-"

"It was all bullshit to put yourself above Shinji. You never change! I swear you've been using other people in order to get ahead your whole damn life!"

"You still bitch about my becoming the Second Child, aren't you?"

"Damn it, you stupid bitch this has nothing to do with EVA. I didn't care which of us became the pilot of Unit-02! But it seems that you can't even get past that. That's all you care about. That piece of crap that's now sitting at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. You never cared about anyone but yourself!"

"Just shut up!"

"Why? Because you don't want to hear this? You want to believe it's your victory over me that bothers me because it gives you comfort. Isn't that right? Well it isn't. It was the means that you used to gain your victory that hurt Asuka! But why should I even bother telling you that? You'll just die old and alone when all is said and done." Asuka finally quieted down and paid attention to what Tristan was saying. She frowned, trying to understand what it was that was bothering him. She didn't know the answer and it frustrated her.

"I wish I never came here." Asuka murmured.

"What was that?"

"I wish I never came back to Europe you bastard. I was so stupid to think that there was a reason for me to come back here. I thought it would mean that I would be safe, in a place where I knew the language. But after I found out what happened, and when I realized that you were here, that dream was shot to Hell. I wish that those things, the EVA series, had just killed me and I stayed dead, rather than returning to this, my own personal Hell. My mother did the right thing in killing herself and saving herself the trouble of living this horrible life." Tristan narrowed his eyes, strode over to Asuka and slammed her shoulders into the tree.

"I'm tired of all this self-loathing bullshit you pilots throw around. If I know that this was what my future was, God willing I would have shut you up when I could. But enough of that! You sound just like Shinji and I can barely deal with one whiny little brat under my command, let alone two!

"When you say that you wanted to die on the eve of Third Impact, that not only disrespects yourself, but it also disrespects everyone else who survived. We struggled to get back to this place, to find stability and to try and build a utopia of equality for the future generations. I will not allow someone -even because of my presence- give into despair. Our parents' generation survived Second Impact and as God as my witness we will survive Third Impact." Asuka's face hardened and she showed Tristan away, using the tree for support.

"What the Hell is wrong with you? First you hate me because of something and now you are telling me not to feel bad about it." Tristan stood up straight and took a long breath.

"I guess that's what people do when they still have feelings for someone." Asuka looked at him as though he had just admitted he was insane.

"What?" Tristan shook his head.

"Never mind. Let's just get out here before it gets dark. I'll carry you on my back." He turned and bent forward, offering to take her pick-a-pack style.

"You're really fucked up, you know that?" She climbed up. "And don't get any ideas of having your hands wander."

"Like I would be interested in doing that." He murmured. The two made there way down the path in silence for a little while before Asuka piped up again.

"You mentioned something about feelings, what was that about." Tristan sighed.

"It's nothing."

"Like Hell it is. Spit it out." Asuka smacked Tristan on the top of the head to accent her point.

"Keep that up I'll make you walk." He threatened. "Anyway, it just slipped out and didn't mean anything, alright."

"Then why the Hell did you say it. Considering you have the discipline to become a NERV captain at your 'ripe, old age' I would think that you could hold your tongue better." Tristan gave a growl.

"What happened to us? Before all this we used to be friends, before you left for Tokyo-3, that is. But you seem different now. You're more high strung and you're fighting every damn thing that comes up as if you're constantly at war with the world."

"See? Now you're getting back to all that sentimental crap. Would you just stick to one kind of personality for once in your life? Hell you have old memories of me; well I have those of you. They called you 'Winter', you were tough, but now that I look at you, you seem ready to break down and have a fit. You could take anything, when we met again in that military base where you got my report on what had happened at Tokyo-3, I was kind of worried, you were weird."

"It bothered you that much?"

"Again! What the Hell did you do with 'Winter', you impostor!"

"Shut up!"

"I mean, 'Winter' had no friends except for 'Wildfire' and even then it was more like a friendly foe thing. You, you on the other hand can be seen talking with the lieutenants over coffee and have a girlfriend."

"What?"

"You know who I'm talking about, the Timlitt girl."

"Madison? It's not like that."

"Oh yes of course, you're just 'good friends'." Asuka mocked.

"People change, Asuka."

"Exactly my point! So why don't you stop complaining how I act!"

"At least I could tolerate the old Asuka."

"Tough." The conversation ended there, the argument coming to a temporary cease-fire, both sides descending the hill.

Tristan felt conflicted. Asuka was right, over the course of one year he had changed so dramatically. 'Winter' seemed like an old moniker, one that was no longer fitting. He was no longer the tough, cold character he once was, but at the same time he wasn't completely a nice guy. He was simply more passionate about his feelings. That's why he fought with Asuka; it was something that had in common, their former shouting matches. Earlier they had been one-sided, but now it was different and Tristan was talking back to her. It bothered her, and that was probably why she continued to argue.

Tristan of course knew that he couldn't bring up his hypothesis with Asuka. She always hated being analysed. At least some things never change.

To Be Continued...

Author's Notes
This was a rather interesting chapter to write because after awhile, it left me scratching my head as to why I had Tristan do what he did and how Asuka's voice changed near the end of the chapter. Maybe I shouldn't have watched any other anime before finishing this.

Thanks for the support. Again I assure you that I will finish this story so don't worry. I appreciate your encouragement all the same though, thank you.