Chapter 7: New Sights

Disclaimer: I do not own NGE, Gainax does. I do own all original characters though. If there is any resemblance between my characters and any characters of other stories of real people it is purely coincidental.

Now on with the show…

Within the Sea of Dirac

Shinji was just awakening within the darkened plug. Seeing that he was still there he took the time to momentarily activate the Eva. After startup, the screens were all showing white.

"There's still white noise" Shinji said before turning off the Eva.

Leaning back, he took a peek at the timer set into his plug suit. It read fourteen hours forty-eight minutes.

"Fourteen hours, that means that I have maybe two or so hours left."

Closing his eyes he was silent for a few moments before he spoke up again, "I'm hungry"

"If you're hungry, here"

Flying into his face was a wrapped sandwich. Startled he turned his head around and saw another person was in his plug.

Shinji stammered, "H-h-how did y-you get in?"

The person he was talking to appeared to be in his early twenties. He had a darkly tanned face with shoulder length black hair tied in a slight braid. When he spoke, his voice was of the deepest tone, but still seemed to have a very light tone to it. The strangest aspect of this person was his eyes; his pupils were white and the white parts of his eyes were black.

Chuckling, the man said, "The proper greeting is 'Hello, how are you?' or 'Hello, my name is so and so, what's yours?"

Meekly, Shinji replied politely, "Hello, my name is Shinji Ikari. What is your name?"

Again chuckling, the dark man replied "Better. My name is Cairn Yami; it's a pleasure to meet you Shinji"

Catching himself, "Wait, you still didn't answer my first question!"

Smiling like a Cheshire cat, Cairn replied, "I got in through the shadows, like this."

He then faded out, but before Shinji could panic he reappeared in front of him.

All that Shinji could say was "Wow"

"Heh, wow indeed"

Shinji's face began to glow with new hope, "So you can get me out of this empty space?"

With a sheepish look, Cairn replied, "Sorry, the AT field of the Angel prevents me from getting us out of the Sea"

Looking crestfallen, Shinji began to feel more depressed. With a contrite look, the dark person pushed the sandwich from earlier towards the boy.

"Here, eat this and you'll feel better"

Looking up, Shinji held up the timer set into his watch. He then said bitterly, "How can I feel better if I'm going to die in less than two hours?"

Knocking Shinji gently on the head, Cairn retorted, "Stop the negative thinking. I know I got your hopes up and brought it down, but I can still help you get out of here!"

Curling himself into a ball, Shinji said, "Sorry, it's just that it all seems hopeless."

Leaning back, Cairn was silent for a few long moments. Shinji was equally quiet, and from time to time he would glance towards his companion. He saw that the man seemed to be silently conversing with himself. Deciding not to interrupt, he remained silent. After a long silence Shinji saw something that drove all other thoughts from his mind. The LCL filling the plug was getting cloudy.

Panicking, Shinji began to hyperventilate, but he began to choke as he smelled the liquid he was in.

"It smells, oh god the purification system must be going! It smells like blood!"

Panicking, Shinji frantically reached for the plug handle, "Let me out! Why won't this stupid thing open!"

He jumped a mile when he felt a hand on his arm. Turning, he saw that Cairn was holding him with a stern look on his face.

"Calm down, panicking is not going to help you now"

His breathing becoming slower, Shinji soon calmed down. Returning to his seat, Shinji looked to the man sitting on the console in front of him.

"How do we get out?" he asked

"The only way that you can get out is if you use your Eva's AT field to rip apart the Angel's AT field. Doing so will destroy the Angel in the process of your escape."

Smiling, Cairn joked, "Its killing two birds with one stone"

Shinji managed a small smile. Nodding, Cairn patted Shinji on the shoulder for encouragement.

His smile fading, Shinji asked, "How do I do that? My Eva has no power left!"

Cairn pointed at Shinji, "You do have power; you just need to look deep in your soul to find that power."

Meanwhile, out by the temporary base

"Forced Eva salvage?" Misato asked incredulously

Ritsuko replied, "Yes, it is the best possible plan. We will drop all 992 remaining N2 mines into its center. Our remaining Evas will then activate their AT fields to direct the charge and disrupt the circuit of the Angel. The concentrated strike might destroy the Angel and the Sea of Dirac"

Misato interrupted, "But what about the Eva? Shinji wouldn't survive the blast!"

"Salvaging the Eva is the highest priority. The pilot's life is not our concern"

Angrily, the purple haired guardian spoke, "How can you callously throw away someone's life like that?"

"Have patience"

Both women turned towards the source of the interruption. The source was Kaitos, who, along with his allies, were under strict guard. Raisingand stretchinghis left arm, he said "Cairn can get Shinji out of the Sea, but you need to give him some time"

"Time isn't something we have!" Misato retorted angrily

"We do, actually." Ritsuko said matter-of-factly, "In all likelihood, Shinjiwill haveperished from the lack of oxygen"

"You-"Misato began, but was interrupted again, this time by the military pilot

"Why do you want to save Unit-01 so much?"

Misato turned back to the doctor, "Yes, why do you and the Commander care so much about it? What is it?"

Turning, Ritsuko only replied, "I have given you all the information"

"Liar"

Looking Misato straight in the eye, the faux blonde doctor said, "I am taking command of this operation; you had better stay out of the way"

With that, Ritsuko walked away while telling the people to contact airports to direct the incoming bombers.

"Have faith, Misato-san"

Surprised, she turned to the youngest who had spoken. Leaning forward, Misato asked, "How? How can I have faith if Shinji is going to be killed?"

Smiling gently, Shuri-Shara replied, "A miracle will only happen if you keep fighting to the very end, so don't give up yet. Believe in my friend, believe in Shinji"

As he said this, Misato relaxed. Nodding, she thanked the boy for the inspirational words and left. Once she was out of earshot, Kaitos began to laugh. He laughed so hard that he had a fit of coughing and had to drink more of his medicine.

Gasping, he said, "Since when did you become a soothsayer?"

Flushing, the boy said, "Shut up! I just did it to make her feel better, alright?"

Patting a hand on Shuri-Shara's shoulder, Hunter said "You did the right thing kid. Like you said, have faith"

Chortling, Kaitos said, "Wait till the others hear this, they are going to laugh!"

Angrily, the boy smacked the cripple, who only continued to laugh, albeit in a quieter tone. Ignoring the two, Hunter stared out across the expanse, to where the sun was rising. He had faith; he knew that Cairn would pull through and get Shinji out.

Within theSea of Dirac

Shinji was beginning to feel light-headed from the lack of oxygen. Pulling himself together, he focused his attention back to the matter at hand; getting out of the Sea.

"There's a power in the Eva that can help me get out?"

Nodding, the dark pilot said, "Yep"

Shaking his head to clear his foggy mind, Shinji asked, "How do I do that?"

With a wry look on his face, Cairn replied, "Sorry, but that is something that you alone can figure out. I don't really know how myself"

His vision fading, Shinji was gasping, desperate for air. Before he passed out, he heard one last piece of advice from his new companion.

"You must look in you heart and find the reason to keep living. You already know it, now you must find it"

With that Shinji lost all consciousness, and his subconscious began to take over. When he can see again, Shinji found himself in a train car, dressed in his school uniform, andthe sun setting in the windowacross from him.

Looking he saw another person, "Who's there?"

"Shinji Ikari" was the reply

"But that's me"

"I am also you, the self that incorporates another self. The self that has always been composed of two selves"

"Two selves?" he asked

"Yes, the self that is observed and the self that observes itself. You see, the Shinji Ikari in your mind is only one Shinji; there is the Shinji Ikari in Misato's mind and the Shinji Ikari in Asuka's mind. There are dozens of varieties of Shinji Ikari in everyone"

Continuing, the other spoke, "What you fear is the other Shinji's in the minds of others."

"No, I'm afraid of being hated"

"You're afraid of being hurt"

Abruptly, he was jolted as he saw another being appear in the train car. The being was another cloaked figure, who sat next the other Shinji.

Speaking up, Shinji realized that it was the same person as the one who was on the bus, "You're afraid of being alone, aren't you?"

Confused, Shinji asked, "What…"

Interrupting, the other spoke, "Who makes you feel alone?"

Looking down, flashes of memories appeared in his mind, "Father, he abandoned me, he's terrible"

He saw the cold emotionless face that his father always wore. The feeling of emptiness and inadequacy that was associated whenever he looked at him flashed through him.

"No," his other spoke, "you are the one that is terrible"

Then there were other flashes, of Asuka berating him for being weak.

Sobbing, Shinji said, "I'm worthless"

"No"

Looking up, he saw the cloaked person walking towards him. Leaning down, he placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder and spoke calmly but sternly.

"You are not worthless, you are not terrible"

More flashes passed, of Misato trying to make Shinji feel better, when Rei slapped him for doubting his father. Then memories of his father praising his good work for destroying the previous Angel.

"Good job Shinji"

"He praised me. My father said my name and he praised me"

Shaking his head and tightening his grip on Shinji's shoulder, he said, "All a ruse, to make you keep believing that there might be a chance for you to get back with him. He set you up so that when you fell, it would completely destroy your mind and heart. Gendo is using you, just like he uses everyone else."

Shaking his shoulder free, Shinji said, "No, if I trust his words, it's enough to keep me alive"

His other self spoke up again, "Even though you are deceiving yourself?"

"Everyone does it! That's how people survive!"

"By keeping to the past," his other said, "You won't change; you won't be able to continue"

Speaking back, Shinji boldly stated, "The world is filled with to much pain to continue"

"You keep running away from things that you wished to avoid, things that hurt you"

More memories flashed through the mind of the boy. When Touji had hit him to compensate for his sisters injuries, when his father told him to go away. Each memory of the worst experience he had passed through his mind

"No" Shinji screamed, "I don't want to hear this"

As quick as the flashes started, they stopped.

His other said, "See? You're running from reality again. No one can exist just by focusing on the happiest moments of his life."

Interrupting, the cloaked man came and grabbed Shinji by his collar, lifting him from his seat.

"That is enough of self-pity. Know this, there is no amount of pain that will cause a person to stop, there is no way to exist by living in your past"

Sobbing, Shinji said, "What's wrong with that?"

"There are reasons for people to live, for people to continue. You need to find yours."

Looking him in the eyes, Shinji replied, "There's nothing for me, all I have is Eva. It's the only way that I can prove my existence, the only way for people to look at me"

"The only way that you can be liked, the only way to be loved?"themanasked angrily.

Shaking him roughly, the man said, "You don't need to do things for people to want to be with you, you need to be yourself"

Getting angry, Shinji asked "How can you know how I feel? You don't understand me!"

Putting him gently back on the ground, the cloaked man said softly, "I do know what it is like to feel inadequate, to feel unwanted"

Slowly the train they were on faded, along with the other Shinji Ikari. Soon, it was replaced with a new scene. A large village comprised of average sized dome shaped houses atop a great cliff appeared. If one looked over the edge of the cliff, they would not be able to see the bottom. Adding to the scene was the top of the mountain jutting straight into the sky, casting a shadow over the village. Near the peak was a large castle, big enough to have encompassed the whole of the village below.

Shinji turned, taking in the sights that surrounding him. He was in awe, but was truly surprised when he saw the inhabitants of the village. Every man, woman, and child had large bird-like wings upon their backs. The colors were great and varied, from blues to reds, from browns to yellows; there was almost every color of the rainbow here. Only the youngest of kids seemed to have some sort of pattern. Their wings were small and fluffy, like the feathers of baby birds.

Awestruck, Shinji asked, "Where are we?"

Chuckling softly at the expression on the pilot's face, his traveling companion replied, "This was my home. This is the great capital of the Aerolan Empire, Casaransha"

I'm ending this chapter here before it gets to long. I hope that you enjoyed this very much, and again if it seems odd, it's just me trying to put my story into words. In my next chapter, we enter an all new world, but rest assured, we'll return to Japan soon enough. Please R&R and I'll get back as soon as I can.