Evangelion Rewrite: Chapter 12 Things that get passed down
"Hello, Shinji. Gutan Moorgun." spoke Asuka Langley as she approached a fleeing Shinji. If there was one thing that Shinji didn't want to do, it was be anywhere near this red head, especially at school. But now that she was here, he might as well rub her up the wrong way. "Hello Asuka, still bastardizing the German language I see." The red head immediately flamed up when Shinji said this, so he knew he hit the right nerve and decided to continue. "It's pronounced Guten Morgen." Asuka seethed anger at being shown up, but she decided that she could get some of her pride back by flicking Shinji in the forehead. It was one of the bigger mistakes of her life. Shinji head butted Asuka and she fell backwards, onto her ass, regretting her decision straight away. Shinji rubbed his head, he hadn't hit her hard enough to knock her out, but it still hurt him a little. "Hey, hey Shinji. What the hell do you think you're doing?" A classmate who had stood in front off Shinji said this to him. But Shinji, ignored him and walked off. "What rubbed him up the wrong way?" A girl said behind him, but Shinji didn't hear an answer, he'd already left school early.
Shinji was trying to keep his temper in check by going for a ramble around Tokyo-3, he knew that Asuka was being a brat. But he also knew that attacking her was going way overboard. But things had been piling up recently and she wasn't helping at all. He looked up and saw a railing next to the road, so he leant on it in order to try and think things through. 'Those hallucinations have stopped all of a sudden, that one back on the aircraft carrier was the last.' Shinji pondered upon this before delving deeper into his thoughts, the scenery around him became black as his mind was too focused to take in any extra stimuli. 'Everything has a purpose, that's what the boss taught me. So these hallucinations must indicate to something I've seen but haven't noticed... that first one though, that was more like inner conflict. It was different from the others. I think it's safe to say that was a result of stress, but the other two... well in my second hallucination I was in prison, with people chasing me. So it's a possibility that this was a result of the adrenaline after breaking into that bank. Or it's a possibility that it was caused by my fear of being caught for my crime. However that last one is the strangest, there's nothing that I can remember that would explain myself seeing that bastard again. Sitting in his chair, beckoning me over. I feel unclean just thinking about it.' "Hey kid!" A man shouted out and brought Shinji back into reality, he looked around for the source of the voice, but he couldn't find the man until he shouted out "over here!" From the other side of the road. Shinji spun round and spotted an old man with white hair, a slight beard and glasses. "Hey, if you're not doing anything, do you mind helping me out?" The old man asked this and Shinji found that people were staring at them. So he quickly followed the old man to try and get rid of the growing crowd.
The old man walked silently after Shinji had crossed the road to catch up with him. Ignorantly expecting Shinji tofollow with no explanation. Shinji thought about just walking away now that he had gotten rid of the unwanted attention, but curiosity had gotten the better of him and so he followed the old man into a small shop.
The sight that laid before Shinji was very strange and unexpected. Shinji had walked into a vast bookstore, with books set up all over. They were on the shelves, on desks and even on the floor. But despite this, nobody was here except Shinji and the old man. "It's good that you came, I needed somebody to help me pack these books away." The old guy said to Shinji, appearing out of a corner with a handful of books. "What do you mean by pack away? Aren't you going to sell these old things?" Shinji asked, but the old guy just chuckled. "No, no. I'm moving out of the city and before you got worked up about those monsters I'm going to have to immediately answer you with no. It's not because of them. I think, like these old books, I've given it all I can give. I've outlived my wife and my children are all grown up, so now it's time to settle down in a place that I can be happy. Besides, nobody's been interested in these books for ages. Which is why I need you to help me pack these books up so that I may find a library to donate them to." After hearing this from the old man, Shinji walked into the library and started to collect books. "That's it." The old man shouted out to him. "When you've got a large pile of books, then you can put them out near the front door." Shinji called back that he understood and went back to work.
The dust seeped up his nose and irritated his eyes. 'Just how long has it been since these old things have been used?' Shinji thought to himself. But he worked on, every now and again stopping to read the cover of a book that took his interest, before putting in with the others that he was carrying and putting them with the growing piles near the door. Then, sooner than expected, the store was empty and Shinji had begun tying the books up into bundles with the old man.
"So how do you plan to transport these books then?" Shinji asked when they had finished. The old man finished up and turned to Shinji, he had a calm look about him and, despite his age, didn't look at all tired. "The new owners of this shop are going to give me a lift to a library in Tokyo and then I'm going to hitch a ride to the country." The old man said this, but something immediately struck Shinji as odd. "These new shop owners seem very nice, since they're helping you out so much and all." The old man laughed when Shinji said this.
"Nah, they're getting the shop for free if they do this for me. Not like I care, I don't need any extra money." When the old man said this, Shinji decided that he had to protest to this. "It sounds more like you're going out to die."
"No, to the contrary. I'm going out to find peace. It's just that peace means many different things to different people and at different times in the lives of those people. It just so happens that, for me, peace means living my remaining days without a worry." The old man concluded and Shinji backed down, but the old man smiled and took something out of his back pocket. It was a white book. "Here have this, I have a feeling that you'll like it young man." He said this and handed Shinji the book. Looking at the cover Shinji read the title: Catcher in the rye, a novel by J.D Salinger. "Thank you for this, but why are you giving it to me?" Shinji asked.
"I think, that you can make the most out of it right now. Besides, I need to pay you for your hard work." Shinji laughed at the old man's honest words. But as a truck appeared in front of the store, he remember something. "I don't even know your name, let alone why you decided to ask me to help you." The old man stoked his beard when pondering Shinji's words. "Well you can call me by my family name Takahata, as for why I picked you? I saw you leaning against the railing and decided that you were crying out for something to take your mind off of things, it's not good for you if you try and solve the whole world." Shinji smiled at these words and nodded his head profoundly. Takahata chucked and ruffled Shinji's hair, Shinji froze at this sudden contact, but was woken up by Takahata's laughing. "You know, you remind me a little of a friend I had when I was young. He was so brazen and unused to human contact, but he was still just a normal kid with a kind soul. I guess I really did make the right decision to give you that book after all. So long kid" Shinji nodded to Takahata and then walked to the entrance before turning around and bowing. "My name is Shinji Ikari and I thank you for allowing me to help you." As Shinji said this, Takahata smiled and waved him off.
Misato's apartment was nice and welcoming, the right atmosphere to read this book. Misato was at Nerv and not a single sound could be heard in the building. That was, until Asuka came home before Shinji could open the book. With a sigh, Shinji put the book in his back pocket and went to greet Asuka. "Asuka, about earlier today. I feel that I should apologize for winding you up and having a go at you." This froze Asuka dead in her tracks, then she grinned, put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth; but Shinji interrupted her first. "However, I will not apologize for head butting you. Since you did flick me first, if you want me to apologize for retaliating, you're going to have to apologize for flicking me first."
"No way. I-" Asuka began, but was interrupted by Shinji again.
"Then you will never hear an apology from me." Shinji got up and left for his room. Asuka huffed and went off to create a lot of noise.
Shinji cooked diner with one hand, the other hand held his book and his stern gaze as he read through it. Flicking through the pages with his thumb. "Oi! Shinji! You're meant to pay attention to what you're cooking." Misato called out to him from the table that she was sitting at. "It's still safer than letting you cook Misato." Shinji called back in an attempt to antagonize her. Shinji's jab worked and Misato huffed and then slouched over the table. "All right, it's done." Shinji said and began to serve up dinner.
The dinner was eaten silently, by Shinji. Misato and Asuka were to engrossed in watching Shinji read his book whilst eating his food. It was an unnatural sight that made Shinji look like a professional bookworm. "Hey now Shinji." Misato said reassuringly, "I think you better try and put that book down for one moment."
"I would. But this idiot of a main character keeps me reading." Shinji said this quietly and forked another mouthful of food into his mouth, nearly missing. "Ha! Well at least you and the this guy have something in common." Asuka insulted Shinji rather childishly and waited for his reaction. But Shinji just finished what he had in his mouth and nodded in agreement before saying. "Perhaps we do share a few qualities... but this doesn't mean that I'm going to let you off for calling me an idiot Asuka." Shinji then looked up from his book for the first time that evening and fixed Asuka a frightening stare.
Shinji turned to the last page of his book and savoured it whilst laying on his bed, then he slammed his book closed. Which indicated that he had finally finished. Just then Misato opened the door to his bedroom and closed it behind her. "I never asked you Shinji." She began. "Where did you get that book?" Shinji thought about how to answer Misato's question. It had been an odd day to say the least, so he decided just to simply tell her the whole story start to finish. "Is that so?" Misato asked rhetorically and then sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Shinji. "I suppose that old man must have been the kindest person you've ever met in your life then?" Shinji shrugged at Misato and then said. "Recently yes, but a long time ago, my teacher looked after me. This was when I was left on my own. He looked after me and taught me how to play the Cello and even gave me my own. However I left his care a long, long time ago. So, Takahata has been the kindest person I've met since then." Misato looked away when Shinji had finished then she apologized. "I'm sorry Shinji, not even after you ran to help me when I shut off that nuclear reactor, did I ever even think to thank you. You came here empty and I didn't even give you anything except for your school clothes that you're wearing now."
"That's not true." Shinji said and then got out the photo of Misato that he had in his back pocket and showed it to her. "You gave me this and I kept it, wanting to have at least something to hold onto even when I had nothing." Misato looked at the picture of herself pulling a pose and laughed. "Hey now, I sent you a whole bundle of those. What did you do with them?" Misato asked this and smiled kindly.
"I discard everyone of them except for this one." Shinji answered.
"What's so special about that one then?" Misato asked.
"It's the last one you sent, making it the one that made me decided to come here in the first place." Shinji said Misato laughed, probably alerting Asuka over in her room.
"You're a strange boy Shinji." Misato said this and tried to hug Shinji, but he swiftly got up off of the bed and turned her back on her. Misato took the hint, she tried to force her motherly tendencies on him too soon. She cursed herself for forgetting the situation and got up. "Goodnight Shinji." She said and left quietly, without another word. "Goodnight, Misato." Shinji whispered to the photograph.
Omake:
Shinji sat down in Ritsuko's medical office, observing the medical equipment lined up in their retrospective places. "Shinji!" Ritsuko called out from behind, making Shinji jump a little. "Yeah, what is it doctor? Do you know why I'm getting these chest pains?" Shinji fired off these question at Ritsuko who sat down and made herself comfortable. "Yes Shinji, now this may take you a little off-guard. So please prepare yourself." Shinji nodded and waited for Ritsuko's answer. "Very well then. Shinji Ikari, you have somehow turned into a girl." Time stopped before slowly beginning again, speeding up gradually as Shinji moved his hands towards his chest. Then his hands reached his chest and he grabbed firmly. Two soft mounds of flesh were squished by this sudden grasp. Shinji quickly stood up and roared. "DON'T I EVER GET A BREAK IN THESE OMAKES!?"