Neon Genesis Evangelion
Fourth Book – Suicide
Asuka walks on the war torn beach, her head hanging high as she makes her way to the endless sea of blood with firm and certain steps. Her toes taste the sweet and heavy blood for only a moment as she continues walking into the deep and endless stretch of red.
Shinji is still asleep, and dreaming too. In his mind, Asuka appears lying next to his sleeping form.
"Shinji baka," she whispers into his ears, "I'm going to kill myself. You can't save me. I'm going to kill myself and leave you alone with your regret. Goodbye, for now I die."
Shinji suddenly sits up on the beach.
"Asuka?"
He looks forward and sees only half of Asuka, as she is already deep within the sea. Her red hair does not help Shinji in this endless sea of crimson.
"Shinji baka, I'm going to kill myself. You can't save me. I'm going to kill myself and leave you alone with your regret. Goodbye, for now I die.", the words ring in Shinji's head.
Feeling inspired or perhaps desperate for company, Shinji runs into the Red Sea after Asuka. Perhaps his intention was to be the first to die, since he so deserved it.
"Asuka! Matte! Matte!", Shinji cries out. (Asuka! Wait! Wait!)
Asuka does not stir, she does not so much as respond to Shinji's outcry, but instead continues at her pace, although Shinji would think it has quickened slightly. Her next step suddenly sends her in over her head and her form slowly sinks into the deep and slimy pool of blood.
Seeing Asuka sinking, Shinji jumps up and dives into the ripples where she disappeared.
The thickness of the blood and its heavy scent is a completely new sensation compared to that of the LCD fluid in the cockpit of the EVAs. Shinji could neither see through nor breathe in the blood. Blindly he swims around holding his breath in a battle of life and death.
Asuka, on the other hand, seems completely unaffected by the effects of the structure of blood. She sinks through it as if water. Her eyes are wide open and images of scuba diving in a crystal blue sea dance in her mind. A smile adorns her face as she admires her imaginary new world.
However, the image does not stay with her very long, as the crystal sea quickly returns to its true image, that of death and destruction. Asuka tries to ward off the truth, to defeat reality. She closes her eyes in frustration, but the lack of air is quickly getting to her. A hand reaches out to her. She looks up, but the density of the blood blinds her and stings her eyes.
Shinji slowly manages to pull Asuka out of the Blood Sea and blindly stumbles back to shore. Indeed, even the blood has taken a toll on his sight and the stench itself is slowly suffocating him.
Away from the Crimson Sea, Shinji collapses, falling down on the sands with Asuka in his arms.
The two lie down beside each other, covered in blood, as the horizon stretches across a crystal clear ocean blue.