Chapter 8: Learning Experience
Author's Note: First, I want to apologize to the readers for being abrupt and seemingly random. Second, it will all come together, just much later on. And again, I apologize for the shortness of my chapters. Also, I apologize for my writing, I'm still working out how to put into words, but I am getting better, right?
Disclaimer: I do not own NGE, Gainax does (Do I have to say this at the beginning of every chapter?). I do own any original characters that appear in the story. If there is any resemblance to characters of other stories or to real people, that is purely accidental.
Now on with the show…
Asuka: Cut it with the cheesy lines!
Ninetri9: What! Asuka, how'd you get here?
Shinji: Through the door
Ninetri9: Arghh! You too?
Misato: Hey, it looks like a party is happening here!
Ninetri9: What's going on here? This is MY ROOM; none of you shouldn't even be here!
Rei: Hello, I hope that I am not late for the celebrations.
Ninetri9: REI! Great, who else is coming?
Asuka: Everyone really
Ninetri9: Wait, even my own characters!
Kaitos: Hey, a party. Come on in guys!
Ninetri9: Oh dear…
Hunter: I brought the beer that-
Misato: BEER! Gimme!
Asuka and Shinji: Here we go again
Ninetri9: Oh man. I hope this doesn't interfere with my story
Kensuke: Hey, it's the writer!
Touji: Yeah, we've been meaning to talk with you.
Ninetri9: groan What do you two want?
Kensuke: We want more time and lines in the story
Ninetri9: Did you not read my summary? I've got Touji already planned for more show time
Kensuke:whineBut what about ME?
Shuri-Shara: Hey, sorry we're late, but we took a wrong turn
Mystery Man 1: Hey Asuka, ready for round 2? I've been aching to pay you back for the other day at the school
Asuka: What, you want another beating already?
Mystery Man 2: Easy, we don't want to mess around in the author's room
Mystery Man 1 and Asuka: Stay out of this!
Mystery Man 3: Hey, Ninetri9, I wanted to talk with you…
Ninetri9: sigh Let's just get this chapter rolling…
(Borrowed this idea from other fictions, not sure if anyone owns this idea, but I disclaim it anyway)
Temporary Base
Within the tent was full of tension. All the techs were hard at work, pulling overtime to defeat the threat before them. Pacing among them, looking at the data they were working on, was a fatigued Ritsuko.
Interrupting her pacing, Maya said, "Eva should be near the end of its power by now"
Shigeru added, "The plug suit should be nearing the end as well"
Ritsuko stopped her pacing as she looked over at the terminal that Maya was working at. Contrary to what she said to Misato, she was as worried as the purple-haired woman about Shinji's wellbeing.
Sighing, she said, "Advance the scheduled attack by 15 minutes"
Even though there was less than 0.000001 of Shinji surviving the assault, there was still the chance he would survive. It was better than leaving the boy in the Sea, where he had no chance of surviving.
Outside, in their respective Evas, Rei and Asuka were awaiting further orders. The blue-haired girl starred impassively at the Sea. In her mind, she was growing more worried, a feeling that she had not felt before. The prospective attack would more than likely kill Shinji. As she waited, Rei's thoughts returned to the events that occurred during the Fifth Angel. She remembered how he had risked burns in order to get her out of the plug. Leaning back in her seat, Rei could see him clearly; the tears on his face that she had mistaken for sorrow were actually tears of happiness. He was happy to see she was alright, and it had given her a good feeling. He had risked a great deal to ensure that she was alright. Looking back to the black pit, she desperately wanted to jump in and accomplish the task that the alternate travelers had wanted of them, and save the boy who cared so much for her. But the orders of her superiors prevented her from doing so.
In her red Eva, Asuka mind was whirling. She had heard of the attack that would occur at any minute. The chances of Shinji surviving was very slim, he might not even have that chance. She kept having mixed thoughts, so Asuka attempted to bring her mind back to order. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept returning to the brown-haired boy trapped in the pit. She recalled all the times he helped her, the times he was kind to her.
What is wrong with me? She thought
Why does my mind keep going to that spineless baka?
Leaning back, Asuka remembered her earlier epiphany, which was that Shinji cared for her
No, that can't be true. No one could possibly care for me, especially that idiot.
Exactly, no one could care about you
I can take care of myself, I don't need anyone
Right, we don't need anyone. We have to keep them away from us, away from our heart, so that no one can ever hurt us
No one will hurt us
Her thoughts set were set, but her heart was not so calm. She felt empty inside, as though by closing herself from others actually caused more pain. And yet she resolved herself, whether or not Shinji came back alive would not affect her. She will keep him away, to keep herself unhurt and safe. Nothing would change her mind.
How wrong was she? Overlooking the Evas and the sight of the soon to be ground zero, three figures stood up high on a cliff. The smallest was holding a crystal ball from which the spoken thoughts of Asuka's mind had moments before came out.
"This isn't right," the child said, "we have no right to be listening in on someone's personal thoughts"
"It is for the best" the cold tone of the leader said, "She is hiding her feelings, which will cause more damage to everyone in contact with her"
Sighing, the third member made himself known, "Keevan-kun, you know that this is what we need to do"
The boy sighed, "I know, but come on, peering into someone's mind?"
Patting the boy on the shoulder, the other cloaked person said, "Don't worry, just don't tell her when you meet her"
"Hai.And speaking of which, why was I chosen to be sent to the pilots' school? I'm only 10!"
"You are extremely smart, and besides, aren't you supposed to skip grades back in your world?"
Grudgingly, Keevan nodded, "But what if people become suspicious? I don't want to mess up, but what if I do? I'm only a kid!"
Waving his hand dismissively, the older person said, "Relax, you won't mess up, and anyway, we'll be there to help you."
Looking back up, he then asked the leader, "When do you wish to make your appearance?"
The enigmatic leader was silent for a long moment before he spoke, "During the Thirteenth's attack"
Nodding, the other two accepted his decision, considering that is the best time for their organization to become actively known to the public, or at least to Nerv.
Shinji's Mind (Or dreamscape, rather)
Shinji was in awe of all he saw, "This is your home?"
His companion spoke with a touch of sadness in his voice, "It was"
Looking back, Shinji saw that he was removing the cloak he was wearing. He could now see that the person was about his age, maybe older. His hair was black with blue highlights and tied into a braid that reached just past his shoulder. His eyes were yellow, like the eyes of a falcon. The person also had a scar across his left cheek, reaching from his jawline to almost touching the far corner of his left eye. The most amazing part of him was the wings on his back. Coming from two slits cut into his dark blue shirt was a pair of large black wings. The span seemed to be about 18 feet, while his height seemed around 5 feet 10 inches.
Spreading his wings slightly to stretch them, he said, "I apologize for my rudeness. Like my friend from the plug would say, I should introduce myself. My name is Iak, a pleasure to meet you, Shinji"
Nodding, Shinji replied, "I-I-it's nice t-to meet you, too. Umm, how do you two know each other?"
"We have the same line of work"
Turning his head, Iak pointed out towards the masses of people, "Just like I and my associates are, everything you see here is from another reality, another dimension"
Shinji looked around. He could easily believe that he was in another world. Nothing he saw would have belonged in the world he was from.
Looking up with a confused look, Shinji asked, "Did you take me here?"
Shaking his head with a small smile, Iak replied, "No, this is only a memory of mine."
Moving his arm in a wide arc, he asked, "Look around. What do you see, or rather what do you not see?"
Shinji decided to look, and turned. Looking from person to person, he began to realize something. Turning back to his companion, he said, "There's no one with black colored wings"
Sadly smiling, Iak expounded, "These people are the middle class of the Aerolan Empire, called Anamars"
Pointing to the castle above them, he continued, "The royalty live in the castle above us, and are known as Miralans. They are all possessing of the pure white wings that is their symbol of royalty"
When he stopped, Shinji asked, "What about people like you, the ones with black wings?"
Not answering his question he continued, "Anamars is Happy Flock in your language, and Miralans is Ascended or White Wings"
Iak began to walk into the village, leaving Shinji with little choice but to follow. They walked in silence for what seemed hours. After an intermit walk, Iak stopped in front of one of the houses. Shinji looked at the building, but he could not see what was different about this building.
It was a large dome, like the others. In front were a door and a window to its left. Above the door were two more windows, which showed that there was a second level within.
"The strangest thing is that the color of our wings are not always passed down from our parents"
Shinji jumped a little since it had been a while since Iak had last spoken.
"Some members of royalty were born here, among the Anamars."
Suddenly, a little blonde bird-girl ran past them and up to the door. She ignored them and went to knock on the door. Shinji was confused and turned to Iak for an answer.
Chuckling, he answered before Shinji could ask, "We are only phantoms here in the world that is my memories. All this had already happened, and nothing we do will affect it. The past is only the past, we remember it but we can't affect what has happened"
Turning, Shinji returned his gaze to the little girl just in time to see the door open. Appearing at the door was a bird-woman who seemed in her early 30's. She wore a pale green dress with an apron covering her front. Her hair was black with blue highlights, like Iak's hair, and tied in a bun. Her wings were a light red tone that reminded Shinji of a certain red-head.
"Hello Kari," the lady said in a lilting tune, "Iak will be out as soon as he finishes-"
"All done!"
Turning, the woman put her hands on her hips and spoke to the little boy who had interrupted her. Shinji was in shock, he saw a younger version of the person who was next to him. Looking harder, he saw a boy the same age as the little girl, about 4 or 5, with short black hair like his mothers.
Turning towards his companion, Shinji asked, "Is that you?"
Ruefully nodding, he replied, "Yes, that was me before my colored flight feathers grew in"
Nodding his head toward the woman, Iak continued, "That is my mother, Kana. My father, Tek, was a member of the royal guard, who protected the people"
Looking back, Shinji saw that the wings of both children had the same gray-white fluffy feathers. Seeing them, he was instantly reminded of chicks before they grew their flight feathers.
"Flight feathers grow in at around the age of 5," Iak explained while watching his younger self being scolded for interrupting his mother, "The colors of the feathers determine where you belong, among the Anamars or the Miralans"
Shinji frowned at this, "But that doesn't seem right, if anyone can grow any possible color, than why do those with white feathers become royalty?"
"It's religion" Iak stated. Seeing the still confused boy, he expounded, "In our society, legends say that the first goddess, Mira goddess of the heavens, had wings of the purest white, and that she was the one who created our kind in her image. It is said that she proclaimed that all those born Mira, or white, are to lead the Aerolans on to greater things"
Turning back to the boy, Iak continued, "It is the way that they live and have always lived"
Turning back, Shinji saw that the two children were already running off to play. Iak took off to follow them, leaving Shinji to follow blindly. They soon reached their destination, a playground full of young kids, all with fluffy feathers. Looking around, Shinji soon spotted the blonde and black heads of the kids from earlier. Silently, Shinji and Iak stood there watching them play with the other children.
Eventually, after having debating himself, Shinji interrupted the silence by asking, "You still haven't told me the significance of the black colored wings"
For a long moment Iak didn't answer. Shinji, fearing he had upset his companion, was about to apologize when he spoke up.
"You saw that there were no people with black wings. In fact, there are only two people living who have black colored wings. Myself and my little sister."
With a look of sadness, Iak continued, "Black winged Aerolans are known as Saidagans, which means Curse of Evil"
Surprise on his face, Shinji asked, "Why are you called that?"
Tilting his head back to his younger self playing a game sort of like tag with the other children, Iak said, "There was another deity, Saidon, god of the underworld, who was jealous of Mira for creating us without his knowledge or help. He was arrogant and prideful, and plotted against the other gods. He had planned to take the place of his sister and be the one that the Aerolans she had created would worship. He was stopped before he could do anything, and when he was banished from the earthly realm Saidon cast a curse on our people"
After that, the cursed bird-man became quiet, watching the children play, oblivious to the dark discussion being made.
Again there was quiet, but this time Shinji's curiosity got the best of him. He turned and asked, "What was the curse?"
Closing his eyes, Iak took a deep breathe. Exhaling, he said, "We would destroy the entirety of the Aerolan society."
Wide-eyed, Shinji couldn't help but take a step back from the man.
Looking him straight in the eye, Iak said, "That is what the people did, when they realized that I was one of the cursed beings"
Angry at himself, Shinji stepped back and said, "Sorry"
With a small smile, Iak nodded, "Apology accepted, especially since you didn't try to kill me"
"What!"
"I said that I and my sister were the only Aerolans with black wings. What did you think happened to all the others?"
Bowing his head, Shinji said, "I didn't know"
Patting him on the head, Iak said, "Its okay, but I think you can understand my feelings from that moment."
Confused, the brown-hair asked, "What do you mean?"
The scene faded around them. It was soon replaced by a new one; all around them were angry people. The object of their anger was Iak's younger self, only this time he had his flight wings. The wings were covered in dust, but it could still be seen that the color of the feathers were black.
"You and I were both abandoned, both left out, both hated."
The child attempted to run, his wings flapping clumsily as he tried to take flight. The crowd didn't pursue him, but a group of armored fliers did.
"Shinji, both of us were rejected, because we were something they didn't want"
Shinji could only look on in horror as the child was trapped against the edge of the cliff. The pursuers slowed, seeing their prey was unable to escape.
Shinji was about to jump in to save the child, but was stopped by a sad looking Iak.
"It is only a memory," he said, "You can't change the past"
One of the armored warriors stepped up close. He swaggered, sure of himself since the child was defenseless. The child sank to his knees, tears flowing from his eyes.
Shinji couldn't tear his eyes away, "Where are your parents?"
Fingering the scar on his cheek, Iak replied with a question, "Who do you think gave me this scar?"
Horrified, Shinji turned in time to see the guard pull his face guard up. The face was an exact copy of the boy kneeling before him.
"When I saw that it was my father who would kill me, I lost all hope, and I did what you are doing now. I ran from the reality before me"
At that exact moment, his father raised his axe and swung hard. The younger Iak jumped backwards, the edge of the blade cutting across the left side of his face. And he fell to his apparent death. None of the guards followed; sure he would fall to his death.
The scene then switched again. Now they were flying through the air. At first, Shinji panicked before he remembered that it was all an illusion. Looking, he soon found the child falling. The look on his face was that of utter content and resolution while blood leaked from his face.
"I was ready to die, because I thought that I had lost my reason to live"
Shinji could only look on with mixed feelings. He himself had thought that same way, that is, until his father gave him Eva and a purpose. He understood exactly how he felt.
The scene faded and was left black. Shinji looked frantically around, "What happened next?"
"I survived the fall, obviously, and I was taken in be humans. They raised me, but I was indifferent to them, like you were with your caretakers"
The pilot bowed his head, seeing the truth that was being said. Turning back, Shinji asked, "You still ran, but you look as though you have found your purpose in life"
"Not really a purpose, but rather a reason to want to live"
Iak turned to Shinji with a stern look on his face.
"Shinji," he said, "There is always a reason to live, a reason to face the future and what it holds"
Shinji turned his head, "I only have Eva…"
"And when the Angels stop coming, what will your reason to exist be?"
"I don't have anything else"
Grabbing his shoulders, the winged man shook him, "You DO! Look in your heart; you know you have another reason, something to keep your spirit up."
Bowing his head, Shinji did that and looked within himself. He saw flashes of memories, flying through his mind too fast for him to concentrate on. The ones that stood out the most, though, were images of his friends, Touji and Kensuke. Next, were images of his guardian, Misato Katsuragi. Then, images of his fellow pilots appeared, the quiet blue-haired Rei Ayanami and the fiery red-headed Asuka Langley Sohryu.
Looking up, he saw that Iak was smiling, as though he had seen what Shinji did.
Patting him on the shoulder, he said jokingly, "How about we get you out; I think you've been in the water for far too long"
Turning, he called to a person Shinji could not see, "Would you help?"
Squinting his eyes, the boy saw a new person appear, a woman. When she came closer, Shinji thought that she felt familiar. Holding put her arms, she hugged him, and feelings of comfort flowed through him. He now remembered this feeling, it was the feeling he had whenever he was with his mother.
Shinji awoke light-headed, but with a sense of great strength. He saw his other companion, the dark Cairn Yami with a smile on his face.
Waving his hand, Cairn said, "I'll see you outside" and then faded away.
Smiling as well, Shinji grabbed the controls, his heart and mind set on getting out of his isolation. Closing his eyes, he felt his mother giving him new strength. Opening his eyes again, he activated his Eva, and proceeded to fight his way out, to see the people who helped give him the reason to keep living.
Ninetri9: There, another chapter done. I want to thank everyone for reading my story. And if it seems odd I apologize-
Asuka: ARGHH!
Ninetri9: Err, Asuka, what's wrong?
Asuka: You're just like that dummkopf; you apologize for every little thing!
Shinji: I do not!
Asuka: What was that!
Shinji: mumblingnothing
Touji: Heh, it seems the devil's whipped you again, Shinji
Kensuke: I wonder if she's like that in private.
Misato: Yep
Shinji and Asuka: MISATO!
Shuri-Shara: Hey, the pizza's here
Ninetri9: Wait, you ordered pizza without telling me!
Kaji: Hello everyone. Hope I'm not too late for the party
Ninetri9: I hope no one else is coming
Shuri-Shara: Actually…
Ninetri9: groanwho else?
Ritsuko: Hey, sorry we're late, had to pick up some dry cleaning
Maya: Hey pizza!
Shigeru: Man am I hungry!
Mystery Man 2: Help yourselves
Pen-Pen: Wark!
Shinji: Don't worry, we ordered anchovy toppings too
Rei: Is there vegetarian?
Mystery Man 3: Yeah, it's over here
Makoto: Hey I've got drinks!
Misato: You got beer as well?
Makoto: Umm…
Misato: Gimme!
Kaji: Take it easy
Ninetri9: Okay, if you people are having a party here, I'm laying some ground rules-
Gendo: And what rules would those be?
Fuyutsuki: Now Commander, be polite, you are in his room
Ninetri9: I swear, I'll kill the next person who comes in through that door
Hikari: Hey guys!
Ninetri9: THAT'S IT! Pulls out chainsaw GET OVER HERE!
Touji: Wait! Stop, put the machine down!
Hikari: EEK! Help!
Iak: Okay, now calm down and the chainsaw down
Ninetri9: I'VE HAD IT WITH ALL THIS! SOMEONE'S GOING TO DIE!
Bang
Silence
Shinji: Uhh, Misato, you just killed the author
Misato: No I didn't
Asuka: WHAT DO YOU MEAN! HE'S LYING IN A POOL OF HIS OWN BLOOD!
Ritsuko: If he really died then the fiction would have stopped and we would cease to exist
Misato: Exactly
Kaitos: That and the fact that you actually shot Kaji
Misato: WHAT!
Ninetri9: Yeah, I'm still here, under Kaji
Misato: sobbingOh god, I killed him
Kaji: groanActually, I'm still here too
Ninetri9: I'm ending this before anymore blood is shed. Thanks for reading, send in reviews and I'll get back as soon as I can. Hopefully with a less crowded room.