Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. Eva is owned by others that make more money than I do (People like Hideaki Anno and Gainax, for example).
However, I DO own this story. I wrote it, for people to enjoy, not to plagiarize or sell for profit. Please do not claim it as your own, or try to make money off it. If you want to repost it, just send me an E-mail if you want to translate it or post it on your site.
Comments and Creative Criticism are always welcome. Please send all E-mail to: willz@wpi.edu. No flames - we are all better than that.
Thanks: Special thanks goes to numerous people. I appreciate all the help everyone gave me, and I appreciate their letting me pester them a lot. Special thanks to Aisu, Dr. Geoduck, Defiler_Bob , Big__D, , Sethra_lavode, LedZepFan, Gendo_ohki, Taloon, Beagle-san and Kyokki, to name a few.
Dictionary:
No notes or Dictionary this chapter. More will probably be added with the next chapter, so be warned!
Now, Will Z Presents:
She's Got a Way About Her
A Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction
Chapter Six: Consequences
Asuka was once more surrounded by darkness, but this time, she could feel a dull ache in her hand and her eye. The feelings grew sharper, as she remembered why she hurt so much. The smell of salt water and blood filled her nostrils each time she heard a wave crash nearby. Her mind processed off-hand that the N2 mines must have torn into the salt deposits surrounding the Geofront, but she dismissed it promptly, as she felt cold hands wrap around her throat.
What's happening? She thought, trying to make her already-strained body escape. She could feel her eyes, and knew that the one without a bandage was open, even though nothing could be seen. Seconds passed by, and the pressure on her throat and stomach increased. Oddly, the sensations in her body seemed to be reacting to the stimulation. She could move her hand a little now, and the person breathing into her face sounded like Shinji to her.
With an effort, Asuka lifted her right hand, and placed it on her attacker's face, tracing the shape of it with both the bandages and her fingers. The attacker's jaw was the same shape as Shinji's, too, making her fear that she had just been transported into yet another nightmare. Suddenly, moisture fell on her cheek, and she could hear the sound of sobbing. The pressure on her throat disappeared, even as the pressure on her stomach increased. The extra weight added to the LCL ingested became a very unpleasant combination, but she still couldn't move much. With her strength dwindling, she lowered her hand as the crying continued.
In an instant, her eyesight returned and she looked at her would-be attacker, hoping that her fears were unjustified. Her stomach roiled from the strains it was under, causing the wave of nausea to grow.
Shinji's dark hair covered his eyes, but she could still see the trail of the tears running down his cheek. She wanted to comfort him, but the strains from her previous ordeals took precedence. Asuka really needed him to get off of her soon. Her strength wasn't enough to force him away yet, and if she didn't do something, she was probably going to choke on her own vomit.
She opened her mouth, praying that she could actually say something that he could understand.
"I feel sick." She said, swallowing hard. The nausea wouldn't subside; rather, it seemed to build inside her. She closed her eyes, thanking God that Shinji complied with her unspoken wish. Gulping, she turned to her side, and started to bring up the contents of her stomach.
Endless moments later she stopped and dragged herself weakly away from where she had... been. The thought made her stomach shudder, even as she felt her face hit the wet sand. Blackness came to her once more.
Rei awoke with her head feeling as if it were being stabbed with several hot needles at once. Why was she extending herself? She knew that Shinji and the others were ok, but what made her go back to check on them? She was glad she had decided to see them - they all seemed to be healthy, even though the only one conscious was Shinji. She was still surprised that he had known that she was there, and she sighed as she realized that, for the two seconds she had been there, that she had taken on her original appearance. It was going to be tough to see him anyways, looking like a younger version of his mother, but that would be dealt with in its own good time.
Rei stood up tentatively, feeling somewhat strange. She looked at her skin, noting its color was far better than that of her original form.
She tried to take a step, almost falling on Kensuke in the process. The sensations inside her were very hard to get used to. With a frustrated sigh, she collapsed into a sitting position and started to wake him up.
Her hand touched his shoulder and he gasped awake, causing her to start, as well. She blushed furiously as she looked at him. He was sitting up, gasping for air. He still hadn't looked at her yet.
"Are you all right?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I had this weird dream," he replied, swallowing. He replied, still breathing as if he had run a marathon, "You were there, and there were two of you - one glowing and bigger then the moon, and the other kept changing, teasing me on whether I preferred blondes or redheads, or..." He blinked, looking at his surroundings. "Where am I? I just remember my computer screen going blank, then..." He finally looked at her.
Instantly, his left arm crossed his chest, and his right arm went over his head, with both of his palms out ward as if he were going to stop traffic, making a high-pitched squeaking sound as he stared at her.
If she weren't so afraid, the gesture - along with his bulging eyes - would have been comical.
"R... Rei?" He said, still making the gesture even as she nodded.
He finally put his arms down, which made her relax some. Maybe she should have kept her original form, but that would have meant keeping Lilith with her, and that would have been unpleasant to say the least. Maybe she could use some of the residue power that...
"You're beautiful," Kensuke said, "I..."
He stopped, blushing. Should she say something to him? Maybe if she kissed him...
"Rei," Kensuke began, seeming to regain a bit of his composure "It's... I don't know..." He absently moved to adjust glasses that weren't there, and blinked. "I think you're beautiful no matter HOW you look. There's just... Something about... and..."
Rei barely heard. He kept rambling for a few minutes, failing to really put his words eloquently as he had before. Maybe he had really thought Third Impact had been a dream? The thought flitted away, and she found herself thinking of how he thought she was beautiful no matter how she looked.
Her vision started to blur a bit, but at least he was winding down, probably now realizing he couldn't put his thoughts to words. She reached over with a hand and gently caressed his face as she pulled him closer.
"Thank you," she said, letting the tears slowly fall down her face as she embraced him. "Thank you."
Asuka opened her eye, only to close it once more when sunlight blinded her. There was no sound, not even the crashing of waves against the new beach where most of Tokyo-3 used to be. The chirping cicadas couldn't be heard anywhere, either. Shielding her eye from the sun, she opened it to get her bearings a bit better.
What she saw was not encouraging: Wasteland for 400 meters around the beach, and several buildings spiking out of the cove made by the detonation of Rei's Eva were all that could be seen. Trees lined the area after the wasteland, but the front line looked battered and broken, and several were bare of any foliage whatsoever.
The large face that had been split in half still looked like Rei, which made its decomposition much more disturbing. The top half was almost fully decomposed, its all too human interior had leaked out, leaving trails in the lower portions of the face. That, added to the degradation of the skin made for a sickly trail down through the remaining open eye.
It made Asuka want to retch again, so she turned away from it before the image got the better of her already tortured stomach.
Asuka walked north, hoping that the cataclysm that had destroyed the city had not done the same damage to any of the survival bunkers. If she was lucky, she could hold up there for a while, until Shinji returned. What if Shinji had already thought of that, and was already returning? Which direction did he go? His footprints crisscrossed the sand to the point she couldn't discern which way he really went.
With the desire to be alone quickly waning the more she remained in the eerie silence, she decided to try her luck northward. Hopefully the X she drew on the ground and the "12" next to it would be a good indicator for the baka that she would meet him here at noon, if he returned before she did.
Asuka traveled slowly as she tried to get used to the aching throb caused by her injuries. The eye injury was the worst - it felt like someone had dug a spoon into her, swirled it around, and was now trying to reassemble it from scratch. She could feel the eye pulse in time with her heartbeat, numbing the burning sensation that seemed to be searing her arm to the bone.
After what seemed like forever, she leaned against the stump of a devastated tree. The heat was starting to get to her. Even though her plugsuit no longer had its sleeves, she was still sweltering in the thing from the relentless heat of the Sun. Maybe the first order of business would be to find something more appropriate to wear. Something like a sundress, or even a school uniform would be welcome at this point!
She discarded for at least the tenth time, the temptation of diving into the water - the reddish-orange tint it had still made her feel queasy. It might not be LCL, but she couldn't get the thought of LCL out of her mind: The bitter aftertaste when she vomited still lingered in her mouth. With a grunt of disgust, she pushed herself away from the tree and made her way deeper into the remains of the forest.
Shinji watched, unsure what to do. He wanted to be near her, like he said in his dreams, but he was too afraid to go to her, especially after he had attempted to strangle the life from her.
Why had Rei sent him back? Was he really back? He felt like he was in Hell, and there was only Asuka there to make him suffer more.
"Why Rei?" he whispered, choking back tears "Why?"
On silent feet, he followed the redheaded girl, wondering why he couldn't wake up from this nightmare.
Rei looked into yard with interest. The house was as close to the American Air Force base, but still far enough away to have access to the local marketplaces. She entered the small garden, making her way to the rear entrance that would also lead to the master bedroom. She had only been here once before, when the commander had visited the base for the last crucial piece of her now-destroyed Eva. The breeze cooled the guesthouse pleasantly, as it brought the smells of cooking to her nose.
She turned down a corridor, walked a ways, and turned yet another corner to get to the kitchen. The house might have seemed cramped due to the numerous halls, but each room the halls lead to would open up into vast rooms with furnishings from all over the world. The kitchen looked like a traditional Japanese kitchen, but even so, the myriad of utensils and appliances, as well as the odd pieces of furniture all but screamed of the varying tastes of each guest that had stayed there at one time for an extended period.
She saw Kensuke in front of the stove, cooking what seemed to her to be ramen. She blinked in surprise that he had an aptitude in the culinary arts. She hadn't been thinking about how they would survive, other than on canned goods. She smiled weakly at him as he stopped tossing the noodles long enough to wave the spatula at her.
Rei took a seat at the table, watching Kensuke with fascination. She had never cooked before, especially when the NERV cafeteria provided most of her meals. She honestly didn't know what she should expect from herself and Kensuke, and it frightened her a little.
The feeling didn't last long; her stomach growled loudly, causing her to blush furiously.
"Have no fear!" Kensuke said, making his way over to her "Kensuke is here to save the day!" With that, he put a plate of the noodles before her. On top of the noodles were some carrots, mushrooms, peppers, onions and broccoli.
Rei blinked in amazement.
"How did..." She began, but he interrupted her.
"Asuka and Shinji told me about how you went for ramen with them and Major Katsuragi." He said, pushing the plate closer to her. After he picked up his chopsticks, he broke them apart and began shoveling the contents into his mouth with gusto.
She must have been staring at him, because he suddenly blushed and began eating at a slower rate with smaller clumps of noodle in each bite he took. Rei broke her chopsticks apart and tested the noodles. They were lightly spiced with ground pepper, along with a basic stir-fry sauce.
The rest of the meal passed in silence, as Rei tried to puzzle out these new sensations she was having. She had known so much about so many peoplewhen she had been in control of all humanity, that she thought she could puzzle out Kensuke, yet here he was; as enigmatic as she had been.
The thought didn't comfort her in the least.
"Are you ok, Rei?" Kensuke asked, causing her to look up at him. She brushed brown bangs from her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say, because she still wasn't entirely sure if she WAS ok or not. She looked down at her plate and was surprised to see the vegetables and noodles had been separated into individual mounds in her bowl.
"I'm fine," she lied, resting her chopsticks atop her bowl. She got up from her seat, reaching a hand towards Kensuke. "Want to go out and see what's around here?"
Kensuke looked at her askance, but finally did take it. She tried to keep from shaking, but it was difficult with her thoughts making the nervous feeling in her stomach intensify. She looked at Kensuke, who was eyeing her with a worried frown on his face. What was she to do?
The walk from the base to that of the nearby town was uneventful. The climate was temperate, so the basic dress she had acquired for herself was adequate for the weather, but still, she could almost feel the sweat exuding from her pores. She had avoided talking to Kensuke because she realized she didn't know what she should say to him. The soft sound of the keening seagulls, and the scent of the sea air was somewhat calming, but even that... If she told Kensuke about what really happened, would he hate her for her selfishness? Would he even believe her?
Too many questions, and she didn't know the answers. She didn't like the not knowing; she had always seemed to know things before, when she had been part of Lillith. Now, she was only Rei Ayanami: Former Eva pilot, former tool, former...
"Rei?" Kensuke's voice made her hear skip a beat in panic. She had no idea what she was going to do now. Were her choices the right ones? What of the consequences?
She broke away from Kensuke, bolting down the street towards the beach.
Asuka felt at her eye again, wishing she could take the bandage off. The sun had risen to it's zenith, and the remains of her plugsuit combined with the relentless heat made for an unpleasant trek back to the spot she had started from that morning. The air shimmered as she kept moving forward. The only sound she could hear was that of the crashing waves: She hadn't heard any birds or cicadas, with their endless keening even at the start of the forest. Any sound would have been welcomed; the world seemed dead in its silence.
She had had no luck with the shelter, since the location of where it used to be was now just a giant crater full of burnt pieces of flesh and machinery. She had also been unsuccessful finding any of the other shelters, since the crater's distance spanned further than she thought it had, and she really wanted to make it back to the place she hoped Shinji would meet her.
The more she walked, the more she wished she could reach her destination. Sweat kept pouring off of her in runnels, and her throat was so parched, she could swear that her tongue was made of sand. Hopefully Shinji would have had better success, and would be waiting for her with some food and some fresh water.
Finally, tired and spent, she made it back to the rendezvous point. To her surprise, she saw a ditch; the pile of sand and dirt it made shaped into a barrier in case the water rose to that point. Inside was a handful of candy bars, several instant meals, an extremely large collection of cooking equipment, and a large container of water.
Her knees gave way as she all but collapsed into the ditch to get at the water. With shaking hands, she opened the container, and started pouring the liquid into her mouth. It surprised her that it was cool, but she didn't care; she had something until Shinji came back. Hopefully he would come back soon, just so she had someone to talk to.
Kensuke's arms went around Rei as she leaned across the railing, trying to catch her breath. Her feet were sore, and she felt horribly out-of-shape, even though her body was in peak physical form. The sides of her ribs ached, and her feet felt like lead.
"What's wrong, Rei?" Kensuke asked. She took slower, more even breaths, to try to get her heart rate back under control. After a moment, she was able to speak.
She told everything to Kensuke, about the real purpose of the Eva project, about Gendou's use of her and the other children as pawns to thwart Seele and bring about his own Heaven with himself and Yui. She even told him about how, at the last, she was able to refuse Gendou, because she finally understood what type of monster he had become.
After that came the hard part: Telling Kensuke how she HAD to bring everyone together to fulfill the instincts of Lilith, to merge Humanity into one entity, and how, because of it, she was able to take a few liberties, and give each of them a "gift" for their unwanted part in the whole mess.
Kensuke was silent. He just held her in his arms, not questioning or accusing. She didn't know what to make of it, but the fact that she told him about it had finally lifted a weight form her heart.
They were silent as they walked the short distance to the boardwalk. It was a new structure, barely in its planning stages when she had been there three years ago. They didn't go far onto the boardwalk, when Kensuke gently coaxed her into the Karaoke bar. The lights still flickered on-and-off as the music played a cheery tune from some male pop band that had been popular a decade ago. Kensuke went over to the machine, turned the music off, and gestured Rei to a seat while taking a seat next to her.
"What about your hair?" Kensuke asked calmly. Rei blinked, startled at the question.
"It is what happened when I... Broke free of the other part of me. The part you saw that was glowing.
"So that wasn't a dream." he muttered, shook his head, and continued in his normal tone, "Are you ok? No detrimental side effects?" Rei shook her head, and relaxed as she saw the tension drain from Kensuke's shoulders. He got up slowly, making his way over to the music machine. She eyed him warily, afraid of what else he might ask her, afraid of what she'd have to tell him that might hurt him more than what she had already told him.
"Do you know," Kensuke said while typing on the karaoke machine, "when it was that I fell in love with you?"
Rei unconsciously bit her lower lip, shaking her head negatively.
Kensuke went over to her, offering his hand to her right as the music started to play. She knew this song; it wasn't the one she had first played, though she wouldn't be surprised if that song hadn't been the one he implied, now that she remembered his reaction.
She took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the spacious floor as the lights still blinked and flickered.
"It was your singing that first caught my attention. When you sang this song... I couldn't help but fall in love. It is a beautiful song; I now why mother always talked about playing it when she was at work."
"She always played this song." Rei agreed, "Every time I had to go to her office to pass orders to her from the Commander. It's a beautiful song. Without realizing it, I had discovered I had learned the lyrics and tune."
Kensuke nodded, pulling her closer. Her heart beat faster as his arms wrapped around her. He always surprised her. He could be irrelevant at times, and wild often, but now... He had never questioned how he got there from Tokyo-2, or why there were no others around, or why this place of all locations she could have chosen. He just accepted it all.
Before she could think about it, she was pulling him closer, pressing his mouth to hers. He was always there for her, and now, without a doubt, she felt glad that she could always be there for him, too.
Asuka watched the sun set, feeling a little better after getting a meal into her. She had started a fire with the supplies that Shinji had left for her, and was awaiting her second meal to be finished. She had saved one for Shinji, in hopes that he would return before he lost the light completely. She could see some of the stars in the dwindling light, and hoped that the clouds would not cover up the moon, so Shinji could return unhindered.
Asuka took time making a campsite, while she awaited Shinji's return. Some of what Shinji had brought her was a real surprise: Under the cooking equipment was a pair of Khaki pants and a very loose gray tee-shirt. She quickly removed the wretched plugsuit, replacing its thick hot rubbery feel for that of the cooler, lighter linens. If she ever saw another plugsuit, it would be too soon for her taste.
The redhead then proceeded to drag the treasures left by her absent companion towards the ragged forest, stopping about halfway from the start of the beach sand and the tree line itself, finding solid rocks on which to secure and set the supplies.
After setting up a small lean-to made of branches, she started to make a fire to help guide Shinji to her new location. She was rather proud of herself, considering that she had to snap a load of branches instead of try to cut them with the one knife she possessed. When she finished that, she took a branch from the fire, and lit it at the new campsite. She finished off her work by dousing the original fire, and leaving a marker to the new location away from the surf.
When she finished, the sun had finally set. There was still no sign of Shinji anywhere. She had looked a short distance in each direction for any indication which way he had gone, but still there was nothing, save for the few footsteps leading to and from the post with Misato's cross hooked on it to an old, bent nail.
She couldn't figure out the how or the why of it, until she saw the footsteps going into the filthy water. He must be using the water to keep her from following. Why was it such a big secret, anyways? They had to work together, she realized as she pushed her hair away from the bandaged eye. She looked out at the night past the light of the fire, hoping that maybe he would return.
But what if he didn't return? What if he was hurt somewhere, and...
"Shinji!" Asuka called, looking from side to side anxiously "Shinji!"
Silence was still the only thing to answer her.
She stood up, holding her injured hand with the good one, as she started to circle the campfire, hoping to see something - anything that might take her to him.
"Shinji!"
After calling for him until her throat was raw, she gave up, returning to the light of the fire. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the moon had now climbed, casting its light through a spray of red the color of blood. Asuka didn't even want to THINK of what that might be. Maybe it was an omen. Maybe...
Wrapping her arms around her knees, she shivered, trying not to think about the sky, the world, anything. She looked down at the meal she had saved for Shinji. If he came back, she was going to give him the harsh side of her tongue and then some!
If he came back, she would probably cry herself to sleep from frustration, fear and exhaustion.
She held the meal for a while, feeling foolish that she did so, but right then, it was her only link to him: he had gotten it for her to eat, and maybe, if she wished hard enough, he would appear.
"Please don't leave me alone." she whispered, slowly letting the silence lull her to sleep.
Shinji's meal was still wrapped in her arms, uncooked.
** OMAKE **
*** Outtake #1 ***
Instantly, his left arm crossed his chest, and his right arm went over his head, with both of his palms out ward as if he were going to stop traffic, making a high-pitched squeaking sound as he stared at her.
If she weren't so afraid, the gesture - along with his bulging eyes - would have been comical.
"R... Rei?" He said, still making the gesture even as she nodded.
Blood gushed out of his nose in a torrential fountain, even as he fell backwards, his hands still in that same odd position.
She looked down, and blushed. She wasn't wearing any clothing at all!
"AAAH!" She screamed, racing into the bushes, completely mortified that she had clothed EVERYONE but herself!
*** Outtake #2: ***
"Are you ok, Rei?" Kensuke asked, causing her to look up at him. She brushed brown bangs from her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say, because she still wasn't entirely sure if she WAS ok or not. She looked down at her plate and was surprised to see the vegetables and noodles had been separated into individual mounds in her bowl.
The noodles were arranges to look like hair, the zucchinis she had made into an eye, the broccoli another eye, and finally, the carrots were the mouth. The whole thing looked like Jack from the Jack In The Box fast food chain.
She had the greatest craving for fried tacos.
"No," She said. I want Jack in the Box." She complained.
Blushing, Kensuke began to unzip his pants.
"Not THAT, you PERVERT!" Rei screamed, malleting Kensuke through the thick oak table with her hammer.
*** Outtake #3: ***
She couldn't figure out the how or the why of it, until she saw the footsteps going into the filthy water. He must be using the water to keep her from following. Why was it such a big secret, anyways? They had to work together, she realized as she pushed her hair away from the bandaged eye. She looked out at the night past the light of the fire, hoping that maybe he would return.
But what if he didn't return? What if he was hurt somewhere, and...
"Tenchi!" Asuka called, looking from side to side anxiously "Tenchi!"
She blinked. Why had she thought about that nice boy that she saw one day at college? She shook off the thought, and continued to look for the only other person she knew was there.
"RANMA!" She called, then stopped. Sure he had been cute, but he was a massive jerk and.. What was she THINKING?!? Picking up the metal box that contained Shinji's meal, She started to smack it against her head.
"Shinji, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji," She said, emphasizing each part of the mantra with a sharp smack to her forehead with the meal box.
This continued well into the night. If anyone had been close enough to hear it, it would have been really creepy.
However, I DO own this story. I wrote it, for people to enjoy, not to plagiarize or sell for profit. Please do not claim it as your own, or try to make money off it. If you want to repost it, just send me an E-mail if you want to translate it or post it on your site.
Comments and Creative Criticism are always welcome. Please send all E-mail to: willz@wpi.edu. No flames - we are all better than that.
Thanks: Special thanks goes to numerous people. I appreciate all the help everyone gave me, and I appreciate their letting me pester them a lot. Special thanks to Aisu, Dr. Geoduck, Defiler_Bob , Big__D, , Sethra_lavode, LedZepFan, Gendo_ohki, Taloon, Beagle-san and Kyokki, to name a few.
Dictionary:
No notes or Dictionary this chapter. More will probably be added with the next chapter, so be warned!
Now, Will Z Presents:
She's Got a Way About Her
A Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction
Chapter Six: Consequences
Asuka was once more surrounded by darkness, but this time, she could feel a dull ache in her hand and her eye. The feelings grew sharper, as she remembered why she hurt so much. The smell of salt water and blood filled her nostrils each time she heard a wave crash nearby. Her mind processed off-hand that the N2 mines must have torn into the salt deposits surrounding the Geofront, but she dismissed it promptly, as she felt cold hands wrap around her throat.
What's happening? She thought, trying to make her already-strained body escape. She could feel her eyes, and knew that the one without a bandage was open, even though nothing could be seen. Seconds passed by, and the pressure on her throat and stomach increased. Oddly, the sensations in her body seemed to be reacting to the stimulation. She could move her hand a little now, and the person breathing into her face sounded like Shinji to her.
With an effort, Asuka lifted her right hand, and placed it on her attacker's face, tracing the shape of it with both the bandages and her fingers. The attacker's jaw was the same shape as Shinji's, too, making her fear that she had just been transported into yet another nightmare. Suddenly, moisture fell on her cheek, and she could hear the sound of sobbing. The pressure on her throat disappeared, even as the pressure on her stomach increased. The extra weight added to the LCL ingested became a very unpleasant combination, but she still couldn't move much. With her strength dwindling, she lowered her hand as the crying continued.
In an instant, her eyesight returned and she looked at her would-be attacker, hoping that her fears were unjustified. Her stomach roiled from the strains it was under, causing the wave of nausea to grow.
Shinji's dark hair covered his eyes, but she could still see the trail of the tears running down his cheek. She wanted to comfort him, but the strains from her previous ordeals took precedence. Asuka really needed him to get off of her soon. Her strength wasn't enough to force him away yet, and if she didn't do something, she was probably going to choke on her own vomit.
She opened her mouth, praying that she could actually say something that he could understand.
"I feel sick." She said, swallowing hard. The nausea wouldn't subside; rather, it seemed to build inside her. She closed her eyes, thanking God that Shinji complied with her unspoken wish. Gulping, she turned to her side, and started to bring up the contents of her stomach.
Endless moments later she stopped and dragged herself weakly away from where she had... been. The thought made her stomach shudder, even as she felt her face hit the wet sand. Blackness came to her once more.
Rei awoke with her head feeling as if it were being stabbed with several hot needles at once. Why was she extending herself? She knew that Shinji and the others were ok, but what made her go back to check on them? She was glad she had decided to see them - they all seemed to be healthy, even though the only one conscious was Shinji. She was still surprised that he had known that she was there, and she sighed as she realized that, for the two seconds she had been there, that she had taken on her original appearance. It was going to be tough to see him anyways, looking like a younger version of his mother, but that would be dealt with in its own good time.
Rei stood up tentatively, feeling somewhat strange. She looked at her skin, noting its color was far better than that of her original form.
She tried to take a step, almost falling on Kensuke in the process. The sensations inside her were very hard to get used to. With a frustrated sigh, she collapsed into a sitting position and started to wake him up.
Her hand touched his shoulder and he gasped awake, causing her to start, as well. She blushed furiously as she looked at him. He was sitting up, gasping for air. He still hadn't looked at her yet.
"Are you all right?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I had this weird dream," he replied, swallowing. He replied, still breathing as if he had run a marathon, "You were there, and there were two of you - one glowing and bigger then the moon, and the other kept changing, teasing me on whether I preferred blondes or redheads, or..." He blinked, looking at his surroundings. "Where am I? I just remember my computer screen going blank, then..." He finally looked at her.
Instantly, his left arm crossed his chest, and his right arm went over his head, with both of his palms out ward as if he were going to stop traffic, making a high-pitched squeaking sound as he stared at her.
If she weren't so afraid, the gesture - along with his bulging eyes - would have been comical.
"R... Rei?" He said, still making the gesture even as she nodded.
He finally put his arms down, which made her relax some. Maybe she should have kept her original form, but that would have meant keeping Lilith with her, and that would have been unpleasant to say the least. Maybe she could use some of the residue power that...
"You're beautiful," Kensuke said, "I..."
He stopped, blushing. Should she say something to him? Maybe if she kissed him...
"Rei," Kensuke began, seeming to regain a bit of his composure "It's... I don't know..." He absently moved to adjust glasses that weren't there, and blinked. "I think you're beautiful no matter HOW you look. There's just... Something about... and..."
Rei barely heard. He kept rambling for a few minutes, failing to really put his words eloquently as he had before. Maybe he had really thought Third Impact had been a dream? The thought flitted away, and she found herself thinking of how he thought she was beautiful no matter how she looked.
Her vision started to blur a bit, but at least he was winding down, probably now realizing he couldn't put his thoughts to words. She reached over with a hand and gently caressed his face as she pulled him closer.
"Thank you," she said, letting the tears slowly fall down her face as she embraced him. "Thank you."
Asuka opened her eye, only to close it once more when sunlight blinded her. There was no sound, not even the crashing of waves against the new beach where most of Tokyo-3 used to be. The chirping cicadas couldn't be heard anywhere, either. Shielding her eye from the sun, she opened it to get her bearings a bit better.
What she saw was not encouraging: Wasteland for 400 meters around the beach, and several buildings spiking out of the cove made by the detonation of Rei's Eva were all that could be seen. Trees lined the area after the wasteland, but the front line looked battered and broken, and several were bare of any foliage whatsoever.
The large face that had been split in half still looked like Rei, which made its decomposition much more disturbing. The top half was almost fully decomposed, its all too human interior had leaked out, leaving trails in the lower portions of the face. That, added to the degradation of the skin made for a sickly trail down through the remaining open eye.
It made Asuka want to retch again, so she turned away from it before the image got the better of her already tortured stomach.
Asuka walked north, hoping that the cataclysm that had destroyed the city had not done the same damage to any of the survival bunkers. If she was lucky, she could hold up there for a while, until Shinji returned. What if Shinji had already thought of that, and was already returning? Which direction did he go? His footprints crisscrossed the sand to the point she couldn't discern which way he really went.
With the desire to be alone quickly waning the more she remained in the eerie silence, she decided to try her luck northward. Hopefully the X she drew on the ground and the "12" next to it would be a good indicator for the baka that she would meet him here at noon, if he returned before she did.
Asuka traveled slowly as she tried to get used to the aching throb caused by her injuries. The eye injury was the worst - it felt like someone had dug a spoon into her, swirled it around, and was now trying to reassemble it from scratch. She could feel the eye pulse in time with her heartbeat, numbing the burning sensation that seemed to be searing her arm to the bone.
After what seemed like forever, she leaned against the stump of a devastated tree. The heat was starting to get to her. Even though her plugsuit no longer had its sleeves, she was still sweltering in the thing from the relentless heat of the Sun. Maybe the first order of business would be to find something more appropriate to wear. Something like a sundress, or even a school uniform would be welcome at this point!
She discarded for at least the tenth time, the temptation of diving into the water - the reddish-orange tint it had still made her feel queasy. It might not be LCL, but she couldn't get the thought of LCL out of her mind: The bitter aftertaste when she vomited still lingered in her mouth. With a grunt of disgust, she pushed herself away from the tree and made her way deeper into the remains of the forest.
Shinji watched, unsure what to do. He wanted to be near her, like he said in his dreams, but he was too afraid to go to her, especially after he had attempted to strangle the life from her.
Why had Rei sent him back? Was he really back? He felt like he was in Hell, and there was only Asuka there to make him suffer more.
"Why Rei?" he whispered, choking back tears "Why?"
On silent feet, he followed the redheaded girl, wondering why he couldn't wake up from this nightmare.
Rei looked into yard with interest. The house was as close to the American Air Force base, but still far enough away to have access to the local marketplaces. She entered the small garden, making her way to the rear entrance that would also lead to the master bedroom. She had only been here once before, when the commander had visited the base for the last crucial piece of her now-destroyed Eva. The breeze cooled the guesthouse pleasantly, as it brought the smells of cooking to her nose.
She turned down a corridor, walked a ways, and turned yet another corner to get to the kitchen. The house might have seemed cramped due to the numerous halls, but each room the halls lead to would open up into vast rooms with furnishings from all over the world. The kitchen looked like a traditional Japanese kitchen, but even so, the myriad of utensils and appliances, as well as the odd pieces of furniture all but screamed of the varying tastes of each guest that had stayed there at one time for an extended period.
She saw Kensuke in front of the stove, cooking what seemed to her to be ramen. She blinked in surprise that he had an aptitude in the culinary arts. She hadn't been thinking about how they would survive, other than on canned goods. She smiled weakly at him as he stopped tossing the noodles long enough to wave the spatula at her.
Rei took a seat at the table, watching Kensuke with fascination. She had never cooked before, especially when the NERV cafeteria provided most of her meals. She honestly didn't know what she should expect from herself and Kensuke, and it frightened her a little.
The feeling didn't last long; her stomach growled loudly, causing her to blush furiously.
"Have no fear!" Kensuke said, making his way over to her "Kensuke is here to save the day!" With that, he put a plate of the noodles before her. On top of the noodles were some carrots, mushrooms, peppers, onions and broccoli.
Rei blinked in amazement.
"How did..." She began, but he interrupted her.
"Asuka and Shinji told me about how you went for ramen with them and Major Katsuragi." He said, pushing the plate closer to her. After he picked up his chopsticks, he broke them apart and began shoveling the contents into his mouth with gusto.
She must have been staring at him, because he suddenly blushed and began eating at a slower rate with smaller clumps of noodle in each bite he took. Rei broke her chopsticks apart and tested the noodles. They were lightly spiced with ground pepper, along with a basic stir-fry sauce.
The rest of the meal passed in silence, as Rei tried to puzzle out these new sensations she was having. She had known so much about so many peoplewhen she had been in control of all humanity, that she thought she could puzzle out Kensuke, yet here he was; as enigmatic as she had been.
The thought didn't comfort her in the least.
"Are you ok, Rei?" Kensuke asked, causing her to look up at him. She brushed brown bangs from her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say, because she still wasn't entirely sure if she WAS ok or not. She looked down at her plate and was surprised to see the vegetables and noodles had been separated into individual mounds in her bowl.
"I'm fine," she lied, resting her chopsticks atop her bowl. She got up from her seat, reaching a hand towards Kensuke. "Want to go out and see what's around here?"
Kensuke looked at her askance, but finally did take it. She tried to keep from shaking, but it was difficult with her thoughts making the nervous feeling in her stomach intensify. She looked at Kensuke, who was eyeing her with a worried frown on his face. What was she to do?
The walk from the base to that of the nearby town was uneventful. The climate was temperate, so the basic dress she had acquired for herself was adequate for the weather, but still, she could almost feel the sweat exuding from her pores. She had avoided talking to Kensuke because she realized she didn't know what she should say to him. The soft sound of the keening seagulls, and the scent of the sea air was somewhat calming, but even that... If she told Kensuke about what really happened, would he hate her for her selfishness? Would he even believe her?
Too many questions, and she didn't know the answers. She didn't like the not knowing; she had always seemed to know things before, when she had been part of Lillith. Now, she was only Rei Ayanami: Former Eva pilot, former tool, former...
"Rei?" Kensuke's voice made her hear skip a beat in panic. She had no idea what she was going to do now. Were her choices the right ones? What of the consequences?
She broke away from Kensuke, bolting down the street towards the beach.
Asuka felt at her eye again, wishing she could take the bandage off. The sun had risen to it's zenith, and the remains of her plugsuit combined with the relentless heat made for an unpleasant trek back to the spot she had started from that morning. The air shimmered as she kept moving forward. The only sound she could hear was that of the crashing waves: She hadn't heard any birds or cicadas, with their endless keening even at the start of the forest. Any sound would have been welcomed; the world seemed dead in its silence.
She had had no luck with the shelter, since the location of where it used to be was now just a giant crater full of burnt pieces of flesh and machinery. She had also been unsuccessful finding any of the other shelters, since the crater's distance spanned further than she thought it had, and she really wanted to make it back to the place she hoped Shinji would meet her.
The more she walked, the more she wished she could reach her destination. Sweat kept pouring off of her in runnels, and her throat was so parched, she could swear that her tongue was made of sand. Hopefully Shinji would have had better success, and would be waiting for her with some food and some fresh water.
Finally, tired and spent, she made it back to the rendezvous point. To her surprise, she saw a ditch; the pile of sand and dirt it made shaped into a barrier in case the water rose to that point. Inside was a handful of candy bars, several instant meals, an extremely large collection of cooking equipment, and a large container of water.
Her knees gave way as she all but collapsed into the ditch to get at the water. With shaking hands, she opened the container, and started pouring the liquid into her mouth. It surprised her that it was cool, but she didn't care; she had something until Shinji came back. Hopefully he would come back soon, just so she had someone to talk to.
Kensuke's arms went around Rei as she leaned across the railing, trying to catch her breath. Her feet were sore, and she felt horribly out-of-shape, even though her body was in peak physical form. The sides of her ribs ached, and her feet felt like lead.
"What's wrong, Rei?" Kensuke asked. She took slower, more even breaths, to try to get her heart rate back under control. After a moment, she was able to speak.
She told everything to Kensuke, about the real purpose of the Eva project, about Gendou's use of her and the other children as pawns to thwart Seele and bring about his own Heaven with himself and Yui. She even told him about how, at the last, she was able to refuse Gendou, because she finally understood what type of monster he had become.
After that came the hard part: Telling Kensuke how she HAD to bring everyone together to fulfill the instincts of Lilith, to merge Humanity into one entity, and how, because of it, she was able to take a few liberties, and give each of them a "gift" for their unwanted part in the whole mess.
Kensuke was silent. He just held her in his arms, not questioning or accusing. She didn't know what to make of it, but the fact that she told him about it had finally lifted a weight form her heart.
They were silent as they walked the short distance to the boardwalk. It was a new structure, barely in its planning stages when she had been there three years ago. They didn't go far onto the boardwalk, when Kensuke gently coaxed her into the Karaoke bar. The lights still flickered on-and-off as the music played a cheery tune from some male pop band that had been popular a decade ago. Kensuke went over to the machine, turned the music off, and gestured Rei to a seat while taking a seat next to her.
"What about your hair?" Kensuke asked calmly. Rei blinked, startled at the question.
"It is what happened when I... Broke free of the other part of me. The part you saw that was glowing.
"So that wasn't a dream." he muttered, shook his head, and continued in his normal tone, "Are you ok? No detrimental side effects?" Rei shook her head, and relaxed as she saw the tension drain from Kensuke's shoulders. He got up slowly, making his way over to the music machine. She eyed him warily, afraid of what else he might ask her, afraid of what she'd have to tell him that might hurt him more than what she had already told him.
"Do you know," Kensuke said while typing on the karaoke machine, "when it was that I fell in love with you?"
Rei unconsciously bit her lower lip, shaking her head negatively.
Kensuke went over to her, offering his hand to her right as the music started to play. She knew this song; it wasn't the one she had first played, though she wouldn't be surprised if that song hadn't been the one he implied, now that she remembered his reaction.
She took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the spacious floor as the lights still blinked and flickered.
"It was your singing that first caught my attention. When you sang this song... I couldn't help but fall in love. It is a beautiful song; I now why mother always talked about playing it when she was at work."
"She always played this song." Rei agreed, "Every time I had to go to her office to pass orders to her from the Commander. It's a beautiful song. Without realizing it, I had discovered I had learned the lyrics and tune."
Kensuke nodded, pulling her closer. Her heart beat faster as his arms wrapped around her. He always surprised her. He could be irrelevant at times, and wild often, but now... He had never questioned how he got there from Tokyo-2, or why there were no others around, or why this place of all locations she could have chosen. He just accepted it all.
Before she could think about it, she was pulling him closer, pressing his mouth to hers. He was always there for her, and now, without a doubt, she felt glad that she could always be there for him, too.
Asuka watched the sun set, feeling a little better after getting a meal into her. She had started a fire with the supplies that Shinji had left for her, and was awaiting her second meal to be finished. She had saved one for Shinji, in hopes that he would return before he lost the light completely. She could see some of the stars in the dwindling light, and hoped that the clouds would not cover up the moon, so Shinji could return unhindered.
Asuka took time making a campsite, while she awaited Shinji's return. Some of what Shinji had brought her was a real surprise: Under the cooking equipment was a pair of Khaki pants and a very loose gray tee-shirt. She quickly removed the wretched plugsuit, replacing its thick hot rubbery feel for that of the cooler, lighter linens. If she ever saw another plugsuit, it would be too soon for her taste.
The redhead then proceeded to drag the treasures left by her absent companion towards the ragged forest, stopping about halfway from the start of the beach sand and the tree line itself, finding solid rocks on which to secure and set the supplies.
After setting up a small lean-to made of branches, she started to make a fire to help guide Shinji to her new location. She was rather proud of herself, considering that she had to snap a load of branches instead of try to cut them with the one knife she possessed. When she finished that, she took a branch from the fire, and lit it at the new campsite. She finished off her work by dousing the original fire, and leaving a marker to the new location away from the surf.
When she finished, the sun had finally set. There was still no sign of Shinji anywhere. She had looked a short distance in each direction for any indication which way he had gone, but still there was nothing, save for the few footsteps leading to and from the post with Misato's cross hooked on it to an old, bent nail.
She couldn't figure out the how or the why of it, until she saw the footsteps going into the filthy water. He must be using the water to keep her from following. Why was it such a big secret, anyways? They had to work together, she realized as she pushed her hair away from the bandaged eye. She looked out at the night past the light of the fire, hoping that maybe he would return.
But what if he didn't return? What if he was hurt somewhere, and...
"Shinji!" Asuka called, looking from side to side anxiously "Shinji!"
Silence was still the only thing to answer her.
She stood up, holding her injured hand with the good one, as she started to circle the campfire, hoping to see something - anything that might take her to him.
"Shinji!"
After calling for him until her throat was raw, she gave up, returning to the light of the fire. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the moon had now climbed, casting its light through a spray of red the color of blood. Asuka didn't even want to THINK of what that might be. Maybe it was an omen. Maybe...
Wrapping her arms around her knees, she shivered, trying not to think about the sky, the world, anything. She looked down at the meal she had saved for Shinji. If he came back, she was going to give him the harsh side of her tongue and then some!
If he came back, she would probably cry herself to sleep from frustration, fear and exhaustion.
She held the meal for a while, feeling foolish that she did so, but right then, it was her only link to him: he had gotten it for her to eat, and maybe, if she wished hard enough, he would appear.
"Please don't leave me alone." she whispered, slowly letting the silence lull her to sleep.
Shinji's meal was still wrapped in her arms, uncooked.
** OMAKE **
*** Outtake #1 ***
Instantly, his left arm crossed his chest, and his right arm went over his head, with both of his palms out ward as if he were going to stop traffic, making a high-pitched squeaking sound as he stared at her.
If she weren't so afraid, the gesture - along with his bulging eyes - would have been comical.
"R... Rei?" He said, still making the gesture even as she nodded.
Blood gushed out of his nose in a torrential fountain, even as he fell backwards, his hands still in that same odd position.
She looked down, and blushed. She wasn't wearing any clothing at all!
"AAAH!" She screamed, racing into the bushes, completely mortified that she had clothed EVERYONE but herself!
*** Outtake #2: ***
"Are you ok, Rei?" Kensuke asked, causing her to look up at him. She brushed brown bangs from her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say, because she still wasn't entirely sure if she WAS ok or not. She looked down at her plate and was surprised to see the vegetables and noodles had been separated into individual mounds in her bowl.
The noodles were arranges to look like hair, the zucchinis she had made into an eye, the broccoli another eye, and finally, the carrots were the mouth. The whole thing looked like Jack from the Jack In The Box fast food chain.
She had the greatest craving for fried tacos.
"No," She said. I want Jack in the Box." She complained.
Blushing, Kensuke began to unzip his pants.
"Not THAT, you PERVERT!" Rei screamed, malleting Kensuke through the thick oak table with her hammer.
*** Outtake #3: ***
She couldn't figure out the how or the why of it, until she saw the footsteps going into the filthy water. He must be using the water to keep her from following. Why was it such a big secret, anyways? They had to work together, she realized as she pushed her hair away from the bandaged eye. She looked out at the night past the light of the fire, hoping that maybe he would return.
But what if he didn't return? What if he was hurt somewhere, and...
"Tenchi!" Asuka called, looking from side to side anxiously "Tenchi!"
She blinked. Why had she thought about that nice boy that she saw one day at college? She shook off the thought, and continued to look for the only other person she knew was there.
"RANMA!" She called, then stopped. Sure he had been cute, but he was a massive jerk and.. What was she THINKING?!? Picking up the metal box that contained Shinji's meal, She started to smack it against her head.
"Shinji, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji," She said, emphasizing each part of the mantra with a sharp smack to her forehead with the meal box.
This continued well into the night. If anyone had been close enough to hear it, it would have been really creepy.