Neon Genesis Evangelion: Another Way

by bakercomics

In a world where Shinji and Asuka killed the EVAs in the SEELE attack on NERV, Shinji and his father reconcile and everyone else goes their separate ways. Four years later, after moving to Tokyo-02, Shinji is (again) alone with his father, as he is dealt with a comatose Rei, a potentially unforgiving Asuka away in Germany, and a busy and family-oriented Misato. Will things change?

6. Homecoming, II

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Another Way

Chapter 6

Homecoming, II

Shinji

I remember standing in the exact spot Misato showed to me when I had first arrived. It had only been 2 days since humanity was nearly wiped out. Most of the NERV staff were off fixing things at the battlefield and at meetings, and I was tired of being at the infirmary to check on Misato and Rei. I stared out into the new sea that Rei II had created only weeks before.

Most of the buildings in Tokyo 3 were destroyed, while the rest were sealed underground in what remained of the Geo-Front.

I felt remorse for all the damage caused in the year I was there, by both the angels and the EVAs. I wished I had moved to Tokyo-03 for another reason, with Misato being my guardian in some other way, Father acting like a father, Mother being alive, Rei being a close friend or sister, and Asuka...

My thought process faded as the last name crossed my mind. What is Asuka to me?

Obviously, it wasn't clear as bad memories and guilt shadowed over a true answer.

Speaking of the red-headed devil, I saw hear approach me from feet away.

"Hello, Shinji," she greeted, still passive after the attack.

"Hey, Asuka," I greeted back.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I took a walk and ended up here. Crazy how something so devastating can turn into this," I answered, looking at the man-made lake infront of me.

"Huh?" she asked, turning to where I was staring.

She gazed at the sea with her blue-green eyes.

I couldn't resist looking back toward her. Her gaze was always sincere, the opposite of what I thought her personality was. The expression in Asuka's eyes seemed accepting yet sad, as if she'd been free for the first time, but to her it wasn't worth it.

"You're right. It's beautiful after something so devastating."

"To think we fought here three days ago. I hope to never see anything like that again."

Asuka turned back to me.

"You wouldn't fight to save the world again?" she asked, half-jokingly.

"I'd probably be dead before I see that day. I'm sure everything is over by now. The true question to ask is what lays next for mankind."

"Ever since that bastard in the sky nearly destroyed my mental state and since we nearly died, I've been reconsidering what I said. I don't think- no - I can't rely on piloting anymore."

"It's impossible now. We're in a normal world now, Asuka," I pointed out, beginning to walk back toward the Geo-Front, with Asuka (quietly) trailing behind.

4 years later, we stood the same. Face to face with an open door between us, her eyes peered at me, those same eyes I saw as she left, those same eyes I thought I'd never see again. These few seconds felt like hours.

Aside her obvious transition from 14 to 19, Asuka didn't look all that different. She still had her fiery locks and her small closed mouth that opened wide when she used to scream at me. Her nose had grown a little larger, but it almost wasn't noticeable. What I did notice that there was a small scar below her left eye from the last battle. She was still Asuka though, no matter how old she was.

I still had the same startled expression on my face. She appeared at of nowhere in my eyes.

Is this a fantasy? There's no way she could be back for me. Has she forgiven me? Or is she here just to bring me back to the grief I suffered before?

Is she even here for me?

Misato suddenly appeared next to me.

"Asuka! It's so good to see you!" she said, hugging her previous roommate.

"It's good to see you too, Misato. It's been too long!" the younger girl responded.

I still stood there, silent and overwhelmed.

This is all coming too fast...

Suddenly, Asuka's face was very close to mine.

"What's wrong, Shinji? Aren't you glad to see me?" she asked.

My face was soon tinted with red, as her face was centimeters from mine.

I backed up by a few steps.

"O-of course I'm glad to see you. It's been t-too long," I replied.

Maybe not long enough...

"I'm glad to see you too, baka. I just wish you'd lighten up sometimes," she replied, with a smile. That smile, was a smile I hadn't seen since Arael, not even after the last battle did she smile like that.

Has she gone back to lying to herself about her personality?

I hope she's joking. Please be joking. Please don't be like this to me again.

"How's Wondergirl?" she asked, approaching Misato.

"Rei's actually recovered as of late. Ironically, she's in her room sleeping," Misato answered.

"Oh, really? It's about time we catch up."

I remained quiet. I didn't like what was going on at all, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel a longing to see Asuka. It all came at once, rendering me speechless.

My old co-pilot looked around.

"This place sure is different from the old apartment," she pointed out.

As she said that, I was thrown back to the days of the old apartment. All the fun memories, bad memories, struggle and awkwardness flowed through my brain.

I had my shoes on already, and began eyeing the door.

I can't take this right now, but I can't leave. Yes, I can if I come up with an excuse. But I shouldn't. But I have to!

"I gotta go pick some stuff up. Please, get settled in and stuff. OkIgottagonowbye!" I announced, nearing my exit.

The door was nearly shut, before I heard a "Wait!". I still shut the door and was about to make a run for it before the door opened again and I felt a grabbing hand around my wrist.

Damn.

I turned around in defeat, only to see Asuka.

"I just got here! If you're going anywhere, baka, at least let me come. I wanna see the town, you know?" she insisted, angry at first, but with a hint of a smile toward the end.

Even with the rarity of a non-arrogant smile, I still thought that I wasn't having any of it, but I was defeated, meaning it was that or bust.

"Fine, let's go," I responded, as Asuka let go of my wrist.

Asuka walked back into the apartment for a moment, and came back with a small bag.

We walked down the stairs from the complex and toward the train station.

"I've never seen Tokyo-2 before," Asuka pointed out, trailing me closely.

"Well, I'll tell you now that it's nothing like Tokyo-3."

"I'd prefer that. Gives me a sense of mystery and rids of the past."

I rolled my eyes, still wondering what brought this Asuka back all of a sudden.

Is the sense of trauma and relief gone? Does she not remember we are overly similar? Is it because of what I did or that we were separated?

I then reflected back, I remembered those last few words of that sentence. I had forgotten what I had done to her, and how I told her for a few moments.

She remembers. Yes, she does. This is why she's here, following me in particular.

I aimlessly walked toward the train station, while Asuka looked around, remaining quiet.

I thought I heard my name multiple times, but I brushed off, thinking it was apart of my thought process.

I grew deeper into thought, until I felt a tug on my shirt, turning me around.

"Shinji! Earth to Shinji!" Asuka called.

I was snapped out of my trance to see Asuka standing in front of me.

"Huh? What?" I asked.

"I- uh- How close are we? This seems like a long walk." She asked, as I ignored the seeming fact that she was going to say something before.

"It should be just up ahead."

I was right; We turned a corner and arrived at the station. I used my card to get through for the both of us. We were early for the scheduled train, prompting us to sit on one of the benches where we were to be pick.

There was silence around us, despite the many people walking by.

Asuka looked extremely bored, making me start the conversation.

"S-so, how's Germany?" I managed to spit out.

She turned to me, with a little bit of a surprised expression that I, Shinji Ikari, started the conversation.

"Great. I love living in Hamburg."

"Hamburg's a city, right?"

"Yeah, baka."

I frowned at the last word, as if it hadn't been used properly.

"Cool."

That silence and interaction flushed more and more memories into my brain, but instead of thinking of them, I thought too much of the sweeter Asuka I knew after the angels.

Why can't you be like her? Aren't you the same person? Can't you change or is it all set in stone? Did I do this?

I looked down, saddened and disappointed.

Well, this is once again fact that I must deal with this.

4 years before...

I remember heading back to my room from Rei's hospital room in NERV HQ.

It was late, so decided to wind down and then sleep.

I arrived in my room, going through my bag on the stuff I was able to get from the apartment before moving into NERV. Most of the place was destroyed, but the foundation was intact.

I pulled my SDAT out, which was changed with new batteries and another tape.

The tape filled my ears with softer and more dramatic sounds than the last. The first tape was a mix between a few new wave bands, pop acts, and classical pieces, while this one I had found had many acoustic or indie acts I hadn't heard of.

I laid there for a while, with my mind fluttering hypnotically in the night sky as the beautiful music played though the tape. The SDAT was still one of the places where I felt most calm, despite my attempts to avoid it.

I nearly fell asleep in the incredibly mesmerising immersion though I pulled through, remaining wide-eyed and expressionless.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door.

"Shinji? You in there?" a feminine voice called.

I pulled the ear buds out and sat up.

"Yes. Come in," I responded, putting the SDAT on the small table next to my bed.

The door opened, with Asuka coming through.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting next to me on the bed.

"What's up?" I replied, in a quiet tone.

"I didn't feel like sleeping just yet, and I didn't want to both Misato, so I came here," she explained, removing her shoes.

"I guess I had nothing to do," I said, slightly lying.

"So, how long until you leave?" she asked.

"Not for a while. Why? Do you want me to leave?" I asked back, half-joking.

She blushed for a second.

"No! Of course not, you baka!"

"Fine then, when do you leave?"

"I don't know. I don't know where I'll go either."

"I think it'll work out in the end. We're not dead after all."

Asuka sat up in a ball, her body laying against her legs.

"Yeah, I guess you are right."

"How's Misato? Haven't seen her today."

"I saw her this morning. She went to some debrief today. She also mention she'll have a lot more of these when NERV is 100% down."

"Oh. This must be annoying for them. I'd think they'd want to just move on already."

"Agreed. We ran into so many close calls, this has to be tiring. Especially for people like Misato and your father."

There was another brief silence, before Asuka moved backward and lied on the bed.

"W-what are y-you doing?" I asked.

"Laying back. Is that okay?" she asked back.

"It's fine," I answered, with a small smile.

Another silence began as the clock passed to the next minute.

"You know what, Asuka?"

"Huh?"

"Asuka, this year's gone by fast. Saving the world and all. We've been pushed so far yet we've gotten to know each other so well, especially since SEELE was destroyed. I-I've thought about it and I want to know-"

I stopped.

"Asuka, are you listening?"

I turned.

She had fallen into a deep slumber, her eyes shut and her mouth barely open.

I sighed.

What do I do?

It was much too late to ask for access to the next room, so I just shut off the light and laid down, far enough from Asuka to hopefully not make it look wrong in the morning.

4 years later...

We had arrived at the store after I took Asuka (it was more like she forced me to) on brief walk around the area. I remembered that leaving was an excuse, so I guessed that I should prep for dinner while I was at it.

It took me merely 10 minutes of choosing before we left. The trip back felt much faster, as Asuka asked me mindless questions that didn't seem like it would phase me outside of my mind. I honestly thought that I wanted her gone and was panicking in my brain.

We got home and had to go to stuff for school (more excuses) while Misato (who understood but also didn't) and Asuka caught up. Rei, for some reason, was still sleeping and my father was at work.

I kept working and studying away, until Misato came in.

"Shinji, your father will be home soon. Don't you think you should take a break and come cook dinner?" she asked.

"I guess. What about Rei? Is she up?" I asked back.

"No. Do you want me to check on her?"

"Yes, please."

I got up and moved to the kitchen, while Asuka seemed to be occupied with something.

As I prepared, I couldn't stop looking up at her.

How am I going to approach her the entire time she's in Japan? Am I going to be saved by Misato or dragged by my ear the whole way?

I then looked out of the window to my right, spotting the sun getting closer and closer to the horizon. I then went back to cooking.

I guess this is all I can do for now.

After a while, Misato finally checked in on Rei.

I saw the two walk out, with Misato walking my direction and Rei immediately getting Asuka's utmost attention.

I tried to eavesdrop, but Misato came up to me.

"Turns out she's been sleeping. That's a bit concerning, isn't it?" she asked.

"Maybe she didn't go to sleep last night and fell asleep this morning."

"She told me otherwise. Rei's been sleeping since last night."

"It's 4:30! Looks like I have another responsibility to take care of every morning."

"I think she's just getting used to her surroundings. Rei hasn't been in a house like this for long."

"I guess you're right."

By the time, Misato and I finished our conversation, the interaction between my old co-pilots had ended. Based on Asuka's expression, they didn't seem like they argued or anything.

As the time ticked by, I had nearly finished dinner and Father got home from work.

He didn't seem surprised that Asuka was here, which immediately drew suspicion.

"Hello, Asuka. Nice to see you here," he greeted.

"It's nice to see you too, Mr. Ikari," she replied, with a little uncertainty in her voice, indicating she remembers all he did during the fight with the angels.

Father was about to pass but I pulled him aside.

"Did you know about this?" I asked.

"What? No," he responded with a confused smile.

I gave him a look as if I wasn't taking no for an answer, and he sighed.

"You'll figure it out. I know you're stressed, just work it out while you can. Alright, Shinji?" Father explained.

"Fine," I agreed.

That night's meal: shrimp and rice, was finished cooking, and Rei helped me set up the table. She gave me concerned glances, but remained quiet.

"Looks like dinner's ready," Father announced, looking at the food and taking a seat.

"It's been so long since I've had this cooking! Ain't that right?" Asuka complimented.

I guess she expected me to respond, because she frowned.

Misato stepped in again.

"It's only gotten better since then! Trust me on this," she cheered.

It was a quiet dinner, as the other three currently living in the apartment saw my discomfort and Asuka was eating away.

I finished my food first and put away my plate. I felt sick to my stomach, but not in a nauseating way, so I had to get out.

"I don't feel very well, I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll be back in a few," I announced, putting on my jacket.

"Where are you going?" Asuka demanded.

"I'll just be outside," I responded, walking out the door.

I could hear her try to speak, but I couldn't help shutting the door. I then walked down the stairs and down to the street, finding and sitting on the bench.

Rei

Shinji had left the house, presumably to get away from Asuka. This didn't surprise me, but was indeed concerned.

"What's wrong with him anyway? It's like he's Mr. Lonely again," Asuka spat out, finishing her meal.

"Asuka, stop acting like this. I thought you got over this," Misato retorted.

"How do you know? You haven't been there for me once in 4 years! You've ignored me just as he did! He never kept in touch like he said he would!" Asuka argued.

"You know damn well that isn't true!" the older woman yelled back.

The room got silent. Ikari looked as if he was going to intervene, but failed to do so.

"Asuka, I would like to speak alone. Please come with me," I requested, gazing at my fellow pilot right into her eyes.

"What are-"

I interrupted her.

"Please."

She stood, as I did. I made my way to my room, as she followed suit. When she sat on the bed, I shut the door behind me. I pulled up the chair furnished into my room in front of Asuka.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" she asked, in a sort of irritated tone.

"You have to hear me out when I explain everything to you. Shinji obviously isn't being himself around you. You should be able to guess why."

"I know what he did to me. He sent me that letter."

"Did you write him back?"

"N-no. I didn't know what to say. I-I thought he would try to reach out a-again."

"This is why. You two never reconciled and ended the whole mishap. He's been scared of you. Shinji feels like he wrote you off by not telling you before you left for Germany."

"He should know I've gotten over it. I know how Shinji felt! He was pushed too far and the world was nearly ended because of it. I was one of the reasons that happened. I wasn't there-"

"But he doesn't know that. He thinks you don't understand and the way you've acted today proved it to him. I need you to talk to him again and prove him wrong. Please, he's done too much for me to not beg you to help him," I explained, nearly shedding a tear at the last part.

The girl opposite of me looked at me in defeat.

"You're right, First- I mean, Rei. Thank you," she said, getting up and leaving the room.

Shinji

I breathed the cold October air. I had been sitting there for quite some time, but I wasn't ready to go back in just yet. I needed to face her, but I just didn't know how.

I shivered.

What if it is this way forever?

I hoped not. I stared straight up as the sun went down and the stars began to show.

I heard footsteps.

"Shinji Ikari," a voice called.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It isn't your fault, Asuka."

"You're wrong."

"Yes, it is! I sent you that letter and I did what I did to you! You know that."

"But I didn't have the courtesy to write back. I never answered you and buried the hatchet. I never fixed things."

"But I didn't clear it up before you left."

"You didn't have to. It's not what I would've wanted."

"It doesn't change what I did."

"It doesn't, but I can't help but forgive you because I know you were pushed too far! I was too! NERV was killing us. I shouldn't have been acting like I was before that day! This isn't your fault! Nothing is or was."

I stopped. I was officially moved.

"I should've given you a reason to stay."

"Yes, you should've, but here we are."

"Let's go back to the way things were, okay?" I asked.

"Okay," Asuka answered, smiling.

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the short absence, but here's the next chapter. I had plenty of revising to do so here it is. I hope it turned out well, and have a great Thanksgiving!

-bakercomics