No time, no see! Sorry about the very late update…exams and all. Anyways, here's chapter Fourty Seven. I hope you enjoy it. Also, there are some parts that will not make sense to some people so try to understand it to the best of your ability. Thank you.

Don't own anything except the concept of the story.

CHAPTER FOURTY SEVEN: PICNIC

Besides almost defeating ultimate evil and saving the world from ultimate destruction, there was nothing special about it; really and truly. Coming back from Asgard, exhausted from the day's battle, the team decided that it was best to continue resting until the Angel of Ice made a surprise appearance. Lloyd decided on a picnic outing to the Lake of Umacy. Everyone (most of them anyways) agreed on this plan of action. By noon, everyone had everything packed and flew over to the lake.

Lake Umacy was usually peaceful because a) everyone kept away from it due to monsters surrounding the area, b) because no one knew that the lake was there and c) there were rumours going around that whoever visited the lake, he or she w

ould have to deal with a unicorn's spirit (which could be really good or bad, depending on how it sees your heart).

"See? I told you no one would be here," said Genis.

"I suppose this is peaceful enough," replied Wilder. "I just hope that the peace will not be--"

"Cannonball!" yelled Aurion and Zelos as both of them dived into the water wearing only their boxers. Water splashed all over the governor.

"…disturbed."

"Looks like your peaceful day have been ruined, sir," replied Professor Genis, who was grinning ear to ear.

"Children…I'm dealing with children."

"Brr…" chilled Zelos, "The…the water is…"

"…c…cold," added Aurion, popping his head up from the water. "It….it takes so…some time…t…to…get…use to…it…"

Aryll was starring at Genis, who, he too, was getting into the water.

"What are you starring at?" asked Raine to Aryll.

"…I didn't know how cute your brother can be," replied Aryll. "Just look how he gets into the water."

Genis dipped his toe into the lake. "So cold…"

"I think you like him," said Raine in a taunting tone.

"I do not!" exclaimed Aryll. "I just…said he looks cute when he gets into the water, that's all...reminds me of my big brother..."

"Are you guys talking about me?" asked Genis from afar.

"Um…no," said Raine. "Why'd you ask?"

"Hmm…my ears are burning."

"Well, shall we set up?" asked Professor Raine, unravelling a blanket on the ground.

"I'll help," replied Colette. "Lloyd, you go get some firewood."

"What are you going to use it for?" asked Lloyd.

"Uh…cooking, what else?" asked Sheena.

"I…I knew that. Presea, wanna come?"

"I do have a rather large axe," said Presea. "So my assistance would be more than helpful."

"How 'bout you, Regal?"

"I think I'll stay here," he said. "Professor Sage said that she'll cook for us. I just hope that she won't include anything poisonous in our food."

"I… I can cook," stuttered Raine. "I just have trouble getting the taste right."

"………"

While under a tree, Shinji and Asuka were busy watching everyone at either work or play.

"Do you think we should help out?" asked Shinji. "I'm a good cook you know."

"Idiot Shinji," mumbled Asuka, half asleep. "They're doing all the work for us. Why would you want to help them when they're doing everything?"

"I'm just trying to be helpful…"

"That's the problem with you. You're too helpful. It gets annoying and sooner or later, it's gonna annoy them too."

"You really think so?"

"It doesn't look like that to me," said a voice behind the tree. At this, Shinji and Asuka both jumped.

"Who said that?" asked Shinji, trembling.

"Where are you?" yelled Asuka, taking out her sword.

"Do not be alarmed, I will not hurt you," said the voice, which was Brunel, "Not like before anyway…"

"It's that thing that too us both down," said Shinji.

"You mean that huge shadow?" asked Asuka. "I always wonder what you were…"

"I was once just like you…even my physical form is not what it used to be…"

"You didn't answer the question 'who are you'," said Shinji.

"Do you see the chirpy little girl with blond hair and blue eyes setting up that picnic?"

Obviously this was a reference to Colette. The both of them said, "Yeah."

"I am her opposite, completely different…"

"Colette's chirpy and upbeat," said Shinji. "So you're…depressing and sad, right."

"And very grumpy…very, very grumpy."

"You sound like a very mean spirit," added Asuka, "Any reason why you're like that?"

"I loved someone. Then suddenly, he turned on me and sealed me away in a glass prison for a consecutive number of years. Why do you think I'm mean?"

"So…who sealed you away?"

Lloyd came by and picked up the firewood that was near Shinji's foot. Brunel threw a rock at his head.

"Oh, him…"

"Why'd you do that for?" asked Lloyd, rubbing his head.

"It wasn't me!" exclaimed Shinji. "It was a spirit behind this tree!"

"Right, and here's another spirit throwing a rock at your head!" Lloyd picked up a rock and threw it towards Shinji who duck and redirected the rock right to Asuka.

"You're dead, Irving!" yelled Asuka as she began to chase Lloyd around the lake. Lloyd dropped his firewood and ran off.

"Lloyd's a nice guy," said Shinji. "I don't see how he could seal you away."

"It was someone that looked just like him," said Brunel. "I just…when I look at him…I grow angry…although it wasn't always like that."

"How was it before?"

"When I saw him…I…I felt safe…that he would protect me…hold me…"

"Love you?"

"That too…but now that he had betrayed me…"

"You can't trust anyone ever again."

"Seems that you had the same situation as I did."

"Let's just say that I've seen it happen."

"………"

Asuka finally caught up to Lloyd and kicked him in the crotch and threw him into the water. After about fifteen minutes, Colette was still tending to him while Genis, the two professors, Raine and Regal cooked while Aurion, Zelos, Wilder and Aryll continued to play in the water. Shinji and Brunel continued to talk with each other about their past and their dreams. No, not dreams of a future but dreams that you had when you were asleep. There was one in particular dream that Shinji wished to share with Brunel.

"Have you had one of those dreams that you could never understand?"

"Are those the kinds of dreams you have?"

"Yeah, but only one though. It happened last night."

"Then what was this dream you had?"

"…there was an image of a red machine being torn apart by huge monster birds. Then, something shot up from a pyramid structure. It was a purple humanoid machine and I was inside it. When I caught a glimpse of the red machine I yelled out loud. I started towards the monsters but suddenly, four spears pierced my hands and feet. I was taken up towards the sky, followed by the birds. A giant tree formed with me in the middle of it. Then, a giant pierced the sky."

"A giant?"

"Yes, it was a girl. Her skin was white and her eyes were red. Then, she was replaced with a figure of a boy. I closed my eyes and had many images about Asuka, Rei and another person. I don't know who she was but she was sure pretty. Anyways, then I ended up in a sea called the Sea of LCL. Rei talked to me about some things but I didn't understand them. I cried at my ignorance. Then another woman came and comforted me, asking a question."

"What was the question?"

"I don't know. But it was something called Human Instrumentally. Then Rei said that everyone could return to the way they were. They only had to think of themselves as individuals. I was returned to a beach. Lying beside me was Asuka. Then I started to strangle her. When she woke up, she stroked my face; I stopped and started to cry. The last words I heard were 'how disgusting,' Then, I woke up. So, what do you think it means?"

"You dream is very complicated, Shinji. But it is either one of two things. One, it could all be nonsense trying to make sense of the world; two, it is a prediction of what things are to be or three…"

"…three?"

"That this has already happened to you."

"Indeed, it has," said a voice above them. The both of them looked up and saw Xavier lying on a tree limb.

"What are you doing here?" asked Shinji.

"What else, counting the leaves."

"What do you mean it has already happened?" asked Brunel.

"As you are already aware, alternate universes have existed on the same plane of existence as our dimensions. The Great Sea being connected to the world of Symphonia as the other world the Genis and I have visited. Anyway, the mana links connects the dimensions together. If one was to unravel the mana links, then one cannot get back to that dimension. The world that I have travelled to with Genis have clones, if you will, of three people: Shinji, Asuka and Rei. There might be others but I highly doubt it. I have been observing during the last couple of days the activities that Shinji and his friends have been going through."

"And what have they've been doing?"

"That would require a lengthy explanation on anomalies known as evangelions, angels and defining the terms LCL, entry plug and others."

"Can you at least tell me what my dream means?" asked Shinji.

"In a nutshell, and in the eyes of other people, you screwed over humanity in that world."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

"Guys! Time for lunch!" called Raine. "Come on, we've cooked up something really good."

"And it's poison free," Professor Genis added.

"I heard that," Professor Raine said in disgust.

"Let's go," said Xavier, jumping down, off the tree.

"Am I really that much of a failure?" mumbled Shinji.

"You're not the failure. It's just the other you who failed in true peace, that's all."

"One always wishes to turn back the hands of time to reverse things he regrets doing in the first place," said Brunel.

"Do you have any regrets?"

"Only one."

"What's that?" asked Shinji.

"…meeting him, loving him, only having him to stab me in the back." Then, she disappeared.

"She must still hate him a lot," said Xavier.

"I hate myself right now," replied Shinji. "Martel, how could I screw the world over like that?"

"Don't worry, in my view, individuality is better than being incorporated in one being. So…you didn't do too back. Some might say that you've actually saved humanity."

"………"

"What?"

"For now, I just want to forget about all of this."

Walking towards the rest of the group, the rest of the day went on as planned. Full of memories of enjoyment and laughter, the team left back to the base where chaos greeted them the very next day.

So…the next day, something is happening. What is it? Please R&R and no flames.