Alright...sorry about the wait on this everyone. I had so much stuff going on in November that I hardly had time to think. But schools over now (and a bunch of other side projects) so now I'm free to work on Spawn of Adam...and my other story. Yeah, I'm doing a Christmas special again. More info on that at bottom of page. I'm gonna try to get a chapter of this out a week before school starts again...so hopefully that will come true. (I can only pray) Have fun reading this!
Within an hour of the initial attack by the countries backed by Seele, Tokyo-3 had turned into a ghost town. The entire city was coated in dust and debris from the destruction and the rampaging Eva Units. Buildings lay knocked on their sides with thousands of papers flying through the air and glass covering every inch of ground. The city looked like something right out of the apocalypse. But two people still stood up in this wasteland and waited for the new dawn to break.
After Asuka passed by Shinji in Unit 02, he thought long and hard about what to do next. He had never dreamed that Asuka would have followed him this far, and he had to admire her slightly for that amount of determination she had shown him. Certainly she had never been more sure of something in her entire life before this. But Shinji still didn't like that she was here, because he was starting to get bad vibes.
The Eva Units had been destroyed, that much he was sure of, but something else still didn't feel right, and for a while he thought about Lilith. She was somewhere out there, moving events so that it fell in line with her plans, and he didn't like it. No doubt she knew about him and Asuka, and would no doubt use that to her advantage if she had to.
He also thought about Gendo and Rei, wondering what they were doing, and even Misato. He thought about asking Asuka about it, but was unsure if she would even tell him, and whether he would like the answer. So he preferred to keep his mouth shut, but what did he have left to do? He could hardly travel to every nation looking for Seele, even though it was likely a few of there members may very well be right here in Japan, overseeing their attack against Nerv. He could continue fighting the nations, but what relevance did that really have? No, there was something else he had to do, but he just couldn't figure it out.
"Oi...Shinji? Shinji? ...Idiot! Wake up!"
"What!" snapped Shinji instantly as Asuka pulled him out of his own thoughts.
"Jeez, you don't have to be rude," retorted Asuka.
"And don't you go jabbing me in the side with your Eva Unit!"
Asuka had been poking Unit 01 in its side where the rib cage was with the remaining arm of Unit 02. Of course, because of Shinji's strong connection with Unit 01, he was able to feel every bump, and it was thoroughly annoying him.
"Why are you so pissed?"
"Haven't I told you! Whatever happens to Unit 01 happens to me, so I just felt your Unit 02 poking me, and it felt like a bee sting."
"Well sorry," grumbled Asuka as she turned away from him, and then she noticed the large hole in Unit 01's upper arm. "What about that? I thought that you were able to regenerate, so why isn't that healing?"
"Forget about that," said Shinji as he ignored the pain that coursed through his arm at his own words. "What did you want?"
"What are we supposed to be doing?"
"If I knew, do you think I'd be just standing here?" Shinji snapped back at her.
Asuka then mumbled something about Shinji having a stick up his ass before she said, "The Eva Units are already destroyed, so what is there left? We can hardly attack Seele."
"I know that already," said Shinji annoyed. "But...I don't know...something doesn't feel right."
Asuka watched him for a moment before she said, "Maybe you're just imagining things," scoffed Asuka lightly.
Shinji grimaced at her remark but didn't say anything. Maybe she was right...
No, something else was wrong, but-
Shinji whipped around suddenly as he felt a surge of energy rushing towards them. Turning back around he shouted, "Asuka get out of here, something is-"
Out from the dust and smoke emerged the first Eva Unit that Shinji had defeated. The jaw which had been completely shattered was repaired as though nothing had happened.
With a Lance of Longinus in hand, the Eva Unit rushed at Unit 01, thrusting outward. Ignoring the shouts from Asuka, Shinji made Unit 01 step in front of the Eva Unit, blocking it from attacking Unit 02. Ducking under the attack so that it soared above Unit 01, Shinji struck outward with the fists of Unit 01, catching the Eva Unit in the chest. As the Eva Unit went reeling backwards, Shinji grabbed the Lance of Longinus, and wrenched it out of its grip.
"Hold onto this," Shinji shouted at Asuka as he spun around and threw her the pseudo Lance of Longinus. Asuka mumbled something after he shouted at her, but he wasn't paying attention.
Turning back around, he saw that not only the first Eva Unit, but several of the others had arrived to continue the battle. It was as though he had never fought them in the first place.
"What the fuck!" shouted Asuka. "I thought you defeated them!"
Shinji was silent as he continued staring at there resurrected bodies. He should have seen this coming though. They had the DNA of Kaoru in them, were able to create AT-fields, and now apparently were able to regenerate damaged tissue.
"I did," yelled Shinji back at her, finally answering her question. "But they are able to regenerate like myself!"
"Then how the fuck are we supposed to defeat them!"
'How about you charge at them and act as a decoy,' thought Shinji bitterly, before he turned to the Eva Units slowly gathering around them. If he didn't do something soon, they would be surrounded.
Looking around desperately as though looking for a way out, he suddenly spotted the last Eva Unit that had been defeated, the one that Asuka had sliced in half with Unit 02's AT-field. The sinews and nerves were starting to rejoin the two halves of the bodies and were slowly forming new tendons to connect the muscles.
'If I could destroy that one a little more, it would make the regeneration slower, but it would still regenerate eventually...'
As he finished his thoughts, two Eva Units which had been hiding behind the curtain of dust suddenly charged out in front of him. Cursing slightly, he brought Unit 01's right hand down and generated Unit 01's AT-field, cutting the legs of both Eva Units off in one fluid motion. But it was only a temporary fix to the problem.
"Shinji, to your left!" came Asuka's screech from somewhere behind him.
Not even hesitating to think about her command, Shinji made Unit 01 swing around to its left just in time as the AT-field of the Eva Unit erupted in front of him. Quickly projecting Unit 01's AT-field, the two clashed against each other, sparks ricocheting off each other and falling to the ground. Just as Shinji was thinking about generating his own AT-field, a prog knife came flying from Unit 02's direction and stabbed into the back of the Eva Unit, paralyzing it momentarily. Taking this chance, Shinji forcefully ripped open the Eva's AT-field with Unit 01's, and struck the Eva Unit in the side of its head with Unit 01's fist. The side of the head caved in on itself, creating a large indent. As the Eva Unit toppled backwards, Shinji whipped his head around briefly to see Asuka in Unit 02 giving him an okay sign. He was almost certain that she was smirking inside her entry plug and hated himself for being saved by her again.
'Damn it,' he thought bitterly.
Wrenching the prog knife out of the Eva Unit's back, he stared down at it for a second before he brought the heel of Unit 01 down on its skull, instantly shattering it and created something that looked like cherry jello.
'That should buy us some time.' Shinji cringed slightly at his own words, as us referred to both him and Asuka.
Turning back to the other Eva Units, he stared them down for a few seconds before he mumbled slightly to Asuka.
"I'm going to do something, and I want you to stay directly behind me."
"Why?" asked Asuka with her eyebrows slightly raised.
"Do you need a reason every time I tell you to do something!"
"Ass," grumbled Asuka inside Unit 02's entry plug. But she was smiling slightly.
"Right then," mumbled Shinji.
Taking a few steps forward in Unit 01, he suddenly broke the sound barrier as Unit 01 rushed forward. It was so fast that Asuka blinked, and then Unit 01 was suddenly in front of the Eva Units.
"Idiot, tell me what you're gonna before you do it! How the hell am I supposed to keep up with your stupid speed!"
"Figure it out!" laughed Shinji slightly as he drove Unit 01's fist into the jaw of the nearest Eva Unit, generating the AT-field of Unit 01 simultaneously so that the entire top part of the Eva's head popped off like a cork.
"Jeez," grumbled Asuka as she ran forward with Unit 02 also. Suddenly from her left an Eva Unit emerged out of the dust that Unit 01 had kicked up when it had rushed forward. Dodging the thrust of another Lance of Longinus without too much difficulty, Asuka twirled the lance that Unit 02 had grasped in its own hand and stabbed it into the chest of the Eva Unit. Next second, she made her Unit 02 generate its AT-field, forcing the lance in further and out the other side, creating a gaping hole in the Eva's chest cavity.
"See, I can take care of myself," said Asuka haughtily as Unit 02 straightened up. Though as she looked to her right, she saw that Shinji was fighting three Eva Units at once.
'Show off,' she thought slightly as she picked the Lance of Longinus off the ground and rushed forward to help him.
Feeling Asuka nearing him, Shinji quickly shouted, "Don't come any closer!"
And he was right to stop her.
The three Eva Units all at once discharged their AT-fields directly at Unit 01. The ground was ripped asunder as Shinji generated both his and Unit 01's AT-field, clashing against the other three. Asuka stopped in her tracks as she saw this, amazed that just a thing could actually happen. As she watched though, she started to become worried about Shinji; it was apparent that he was having difficulty holding off the three Eva Units. Though even as she took a hesitant step forward to help he shouted at her-
"DONT FUCKING MOVE!"
Just as Shinji shouted this, he twisted Unit 01 around with a quick side step and broke through one of the Eva Unit's AT-fields, sinking Unit 01's fist into the Eva Unit's stomach. As it reeled backwards, Unit 01 ducked down quickly and swung its leg around, catching the other two Eva Units so that they fell down. With the AT-fields down, Shinji made Unit 01 bring back its fist and drive it into the head of one of the downed Eva Units. The skull crushed, splattering the ground with bone, gore, and brain matter.
Turning to the other downed Eva Unit, Shinji suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg as the Eva Unit had grabbed ahold of Unit 01's left leg, and bitten into it. A large chunk of Shinji's own leg was ripped apart, leaving the bone sticking out a a strange angle. Screaming venomously, Shinji grabbed the head of the Eva Unit and yanked its head upwards, before punching a hole straight through its chest. Throwing away the body, Shinji winced slightly at the gaping hole in his leg before he turned towards the other Eva Unit just in time, as he was forced to dodge as a Lance of Longinus was lunged towards him.
'If I get hit by that again, I don't know if I'll be able to continue,' thought Shinji.
As the Eva Unit thrust the lance again towards him, Unit 01 grabbed it with both arms, making pain sear through Shinji's shoulder. Attempting to twist it out of the Eva Units grasp, Shinji was about to pull it out of its grasp, when its AT-field suddenly erupted in front of him. Catching Shinji by surprise, he was forced to let go of the Lance of Longinus and dive backwards as the AT-field rushed after him. Skidding against the broken up ground, Shinji suddenly generated Unit 01's AT-field and crashed it against the Eva Units. Sparks flew and fell to the ground as the two raw energies crashed against each other. Dust flew into the air while large chunks of earth were thrown into the air before being turned to dust by the ensuing energy.
'Damn it, its just one more...but-' Not only was Shinji's wounded shoulder paining him, but his leg seemed to be taking longer to heal. It was possible that a splinter from the Lance of Longinus that had pierced him had a fragmented piece still lodged in the shoulder of Unit 01.
As Shinji was about to break the AT-field of the Eva Unit though, he felt another presence nearing him, and next second, instantly knew who it was.
"Don't-"
But he was cut off as the Lance of Longinus that he had thrown Asuka earlier pierced straight through the neck of the Eva Unit, creating a fountain of blood that spewed outward and covered Unit 01. The Eva Unit dropped almost instantly, its AT-field dissipating and the lance it had had in its hand dropping from its grasp. As it fell to the ground, Shinji saw Unit 02 standing directly behind it with the lance still extended. The two looked at each other for a few seconds amidst the body of Eva Units before Asuka said-
"What, don't I deserve a thank you?" asked Asuka.
Shinji snorted slightly and turned away from her, ignoring the glare that he knew she was giving him.
"Fine, be that way," grumbled Asuka as she turned away from him and started walking away before pausing slightly and turning back around.
"Is your leg okay?"
Shinji didn't bother turning around, but he did eventually say, "Its fine, it'll heal on its own."
"Then what about your shoulder?" asked Asuka with her eyebrows slightly raised.
Shinji finally turned around and stared at her for a few moments before he said, "Thats a little...different. I was pierced by a Lance of Longinus earlier...even I can't regenerate from a wound from that supposed holy relic."
"I see," mumbled Asuka as she looked down.
Shinji continued looking at her for a few seconds before he sighed and said, "Don't worry about me and get out of here. These things are likely going to continue regenerating, so I'll just have to keep killing them."
"Haven't I already told you that I'm staying with you," she said.
"I think you've made yourself pretty clear about that," replied Shinji, "but it doesn't mean that I have to agree with you."
"I've saved your ass several times now, so at most you should be grateful."
"Like that'll ever happen," laughed Shinji as he turned away from her, and starting walking towards a nearby Eva Unit which he assumed would be regenerating soon. Though with him walked Asuka.
"What are these things exactly?" she asked after they looked down at the mangled body of the Eva Unit for a moment.
Shinji paused for a moment before he decided it wouldn't hurt to tell her though he decided to start off snide.
"What? Misato never told you?"
"Well...she did I think..."
"Idiot," mumbled Shinji.
Asuka then took a swipe at Unit 01 with Unit 02 but missed horribly.
"Are you going to tell me or what!"
"If you stop annoying me I will," laughed Shinji, but quickly clammed up. 'Damn it,' he thought, 'I can't let myself get dragged into her pace...'
"Fine..." Shinji paused here for a minute as though gathering his thoughts, though in actuality wishing he could get away from her.
"The Eva Units, or the Mass Produced Eva Units were created by Seele to replace the Prototype, Test Type, and the Combat Type."
"So mine, yours, and the pets in other words," said Asuka.
"...Right," said Shinji testily, making it apparent he didn't want her interrupting her.
"The Eva Units were created from the DNA of Kaoru Nagisa, or Tabris, the final angel. They all have the S2 engines that allow them to run for an indefinite amount of time, are able to regenerate, and can generate an AT-field rivaling that of the Combat Type. They don't seem to have much intelligence but seem to grow angry with the death of their comrades. Other than that I really don't know much about them. I figured Misato would know more, but she never told me much about them."
Asuka was silent for a minute as she soaked all this in but she eventually asked, "I can't imagine that being all to them."
"Nor can I admittedly," said Shinji. "I can't see Seele creating them just to replace the other Eva Units. Even the later Combat Types were cancelled to produce the Mass Produced Units."
"Hey Shinji?"
"...What?"
"What about the Lance of Longinus? I thought there was only one of them?"
"So did I. The real one should still be floating in space."
"What? When the hell did that happen?"
Shinji was silent at Asuka's question, thinking about the many possible answers and coverups until he finally said, "Ayanami saved you with the lance when the twelfth angel attacked you."
"How do you know that?" asked quickly, almost accusingly at Shinji.
"I only heard about it," shrugged Shinji.
Asuka watched him for a moment before she said, "I remember something about that...but everything is still hazy..."
Shinji didn't bother commenting on that and instead turned his attention back to the Eva Unit which had started regenerating. Quickly generating Unit 01's AT-field, he slashed into the reforming tissue of the Eva Unit, splattering the reformed muscles and tendons across the ground.
"Hey Shinji?"
"Now what?" he snapped back at her, getting irritated.
Asuka ignored the tone of his voice though and asked, "These...well, Lances of Longinus that the Eva Series have, they function like the original-"
"Seems to be that way," Shinji grumbled as he briefly glanced at his mangled arm.
"-and they seem to be able to destroy AT-fields and they prevented yourself from regenerating. So shouldn't that also be the same for the Eva Series?"
It took her words a few seconds to register with him, but when they did-
"Are you saying that we should stab each of the Lances of Longinus into the Eva Units?"
"Its worth a shot," said Asuka as she shrugged her shoulders. "And I can't think of anything that has a better chance of doing something. Its not like we can just keep killing them only to have them regenerate."
Shinji hated to admit it, but she was right, and she did have a point. If they were anything like himself, then that should work. Though speaking of which, didn't Asuka already kill two Eva Units with the lance?
Looking over at the bodies of the crippled Eva Units, Shinji quickly picked out the ones that Asuka had stabbed. Walking over to them, he looked down at the corpses and saw what the lance had done. It was similar to what he had expected he supposed, since the same thing had virtually happened to him. The entire body of the Eva Unit was perfectly fine, except for the large hole in its chest where the lance had penetrated. The wound was still bleeding profusely, and though the Eva Unit moved ever so slightly, it was apparent that it wouldn't be attacking them anymore. Looking over at the other Eva Unit that Asuka had killed by piercing it through its neck, he saw virtually the same thing happening, though he figured the neck was more painful then the chest wound.
"Give me the lance," said Shinji after he was done looking at the bodies.
"Why?" replied Asuka.
"...You were right," Shinji said as he started walking towards her. "The lance does affect them, or at least paralyze them would be more accurate."
"...So what are you going to do?" asked Asuka as she passed the lance to Unit 01.
"Remove each of their heads with this thing," mumbled Shinji as he grasped the lance she had thrown him and pierced it directly into the skull of a nearby Eva Units head. Wrenching the lance upward, he ripped off the top part of its skull, splattering bone and brain matter across the ground. Asuka turned away though as he did this; she had seen enough death recently and was thoroughly sick of it.
"You don't have to watch if you don't want to," said Shinji as he flicked the Lance of Longinus, removing some brain matter from the end of it. He had noticed her slight discomfort at what he had done.
"I don't plan on it...but its just that, there's so much death here."
"Didn't I tell you not to follow me," said Shinji as he turned away from her. Asuka bit back the remark she wanted to shout at him; she was still feeling sick about what she had seen.
"I'm not just talking about here though, Nerv, Dogma, Tokyo-3, why did all of this happen?"
Still walking, Shinji said, "Not sure, Seele had likely planned to attack Tokyo-3 long before this, and after...Kaoru died, it was only a matter of time. Though I suppose that they wanted to kill me also, for what I am."
"Is that why you're fighting by yourself? Because you think this is all your fault?"
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," replied Shinji evasively, "doesn't really make a difference why they're here in the end does it?"
Asuka frowned at him for a second, wishing she could get a better understanding of him, but she had to admit that it didn't matter in the end. They attacked here for only one reason, and that was to kill everyone.
"No, I suppose it doesn't...but Misato...and Kaji...Ritsuko...everyone-"
"It's no use dwelling on them. If they are alive, they are alive. If there not, then there not."
"Don't you care about them-"
"Course I do, but what I'm doing right now is something that only I can do. I can recognize that. If I wasn't here...a lot more people would be dead right now," said Shinji remorsefully.
Asuka stared at him for a few seconds, watching him peer over an Eva's body before plunging the lance into its head and then wrenching it out moments later.
"Are Misato and Kaji alive?" she eventually asked in almost a whisper, but Shinji caught her words.
For a moment, he didn't say anything, and continued the maiming of the Eva Units, but after killing another one, he paused and said-
"I don't think so...at least, their AT-fields have disappeared."
"You think so?" asked Asuka incredulously, amazed that he could evade such a question. "What do you mean you think so?"
"Just that," replied Shinji simply. "I haven't seen their bodies, nor have I gotten anything like a vision of them in a while, and even if I did, I wouldn't trust it right now. But I can't feel their AT-fields, which likely means that they have died..."
"But you said you think so," Asuka replied crossly.
Shinji finally plunged the lance into the last of the Eva Units and stood up with Unit 01 to its full height. The sun reflected off the purple metallic bindings that protected Unit 01, bathing the blood splattered ground in an almost blue hue.
"I've finally stopped the Eva Units, but something else is bothering me..." mumbled Shinji.
"We stopped them," Asuka reminded him, "though what does this have to do with Misato and Kaji?"
Shinji was silent as he looked up into the sky, expecting to see a hawk or something. His mind was clouded over. The Eva Units were defeated, so what did Seele have left to throw at him? He almost expected something to strike him at any moment, but nothing did. Still looking around, he looked down towards where Terminal Dogma was, and wondered what Gendo, and more importantly Lilith was doing.
"Are you nervous Shinji?" asked Asuka after a few moments of silence between them.
"What?" asked Shinji, making it apparent that he had not heard her.
"Are you nervous?" she repeated, "you keep looking up at the sky and down at the ground."
"No...not nervous, more like...anxious," he replied.
Asuka frowned at him. He was normally so sure of himself, at least the times she had seen him, so this uncertain side to him was a little unnerving.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure its all in your mind," said Asuka, making fun of him again.
Shinji ignored her as though she wasn't even there, which Asuka didn't care for.
"Hey! Did you hear me idiot!"
"Can't you even give me two seconds of quiet?" asked Shinji rudely, as he turned towards her.
"What! So you can get all moody and glassy eyed?"
Shinji groaned audibly as she continued berating him.
He wasn't sure why he was anxious, though he unwilling though that nervous might be a better word. Whatever it was though, several thousand feet below him in Terminal Dogma, he wasn't liking the feel of it.
"What are you doing Lilith?"
The eyes of Gendo Ikari traveled up the enormous body that was Lilith as he took in every detail, of its being, or was it her? He had never really determined this. What he was determined of though, was that he was about to be reunited with the person he had loved. Looking down at his disfigured right hand, he saw more dead tissue fall to the ground. If he didn't hurry, he'd likely be dead in an hour. Turning towards the person beside him, who was also looking up at the body that was Lilith, he looked at the figure known as Ayanami Rei.
"It is time, Rei," he mumbled.
Ayanami Rei turned towards him ever so slightly, breaking her gaze away from Lilith, as though it pained her. Without voicing her displeasure, or opinion, she slow walked towards him and offered herself to him. Though as Gendo reached towards her, preparing for the joining of Adam and Lilith's DNA, a voice inside the chamber spoke out to him.
"So you're really going to go through with this Commander Ikari."
Gendo spun around quickly, unholstering a gun in his jacket pocket as he went, expecting to see Ritsuko there, but met nothing but empty air.
"Up here!" came the voice again.
Looking upwards, Gendo opened his mouth in surprise as he saw that a person was sitting on the shoulder of Lilith, and for a minute he confused that person with Rei. But she was standing beside him...or was the person beside him now up their.
"Would you prefer it if I called you Gendo?" came Yui's voice.
Gendo stared up into the face of the person that he had always loved...Yui.
"Yui...what are you-"
"Jeez, you've really made a mess of things," sighed Yui as she crossed her legs. "Not only did you steel Adam's DNA from Shinji, but you really intend on creating Third Impact just to see me again."
"But you're right here...now...the soul of Unit 01-"
"Shinji will be fine without me with him," said Yui. "He's grown to be able to take care of himself, and those around him. It even seems that he's found someone he loves. Even though you two aren't even father and son, it seems that you two share similarities anyway. Maybe he picked up on certain things just by watching. As I recall, you'd always loved me since our high school days, we even dated a few times."
"Me and him are nothing alike," said Gendo abrasively.
"You always did look at it from a biological perspective," sighed Yui. "Maybe that's why you were never able to get along with him. But you did take care of him, and I suppose I should be grateful for that."
"I only did so so I could get the DNA from him."
"Liar," said Yui simply, "face it, you loved him in your own way, maybe because you found him as a link to me, though it seems you've found an adequate replacement for that as well."
Yui said this as she nodded to Rei, who had not moved, or even gave indication she had heard Yui.
"No Yui, you were always in my heart. Why do you think I went to such lengths to see again. Even now-"
"But what about Shinji? What does he want? What does everyone else want? Why do you always think of yourself? Why are you always so selfish?"
Yui suddenly jumped from the place she was sitting on Lilith's shoulders and flew down to the ground, landing easily and gracefully on the hard cement floor.
"My selfishness may be overlooked by the fact that I love you," said Gendo convincingly.
"Hmmm, that may be true," said Yui, "but don't forget Gendo that the current generation will never outlive the future, nor is the future determined by us adults, but by the future generation. You and Seele don't differentiate in this, and they still set incredible stock by the Dead Sea Scrolls, even though they were written by man."
"I never said anything like that, it was only my wish to see you-"
"And you got to see me did you not? Is it really necessary for you to create Third Impact just for the sake of seeing me? Everyone will be as one, yet at the same time I will not be myself, and nor will you be yourself."
"But I didn't see anyway of seeing you otherwise-"
"Did you ever consider death?" asked Yui.
Gendo was surprised by this question, for it was something he had never considered, and never would.
"Of course not Yui, you were the person who taught me life always has meaning."
"Then why are you so determined to turn all of humanity to soup just to see me again?"
"Because I lov-"
"You loved me, I know that already. I've heard you telling me that at least three times in the last three minutes," she snapped at him.
Gendo cringed back slightly at her words. Her voice had suddenly turned harsh.
"You always followed after me, even after I was already married, even after I had Shinji. During the creation of the Evangelions you still followed me around."
"But we were keeping up the facade that we were married. That you were my wife."
"And didn't you ever realize that you repulsed me!" Yui replied scornfully.
Gendo felt like his entire world had shattered at her words. What had he been doing all his life then if what he thought true was not. The last fifteen years of his life had been wasted then. This, Nerv, Shinji, everything had been wasted away.
"Nothing...nothing whatsoever..."
"Never," replied Yui, "I never felt a thing for you, it was all in your imagination. The delusions of a lonely old man. That was probably why you cared for Shinji, because you always wanted a son of your own-"
Gendo broke at this point and rushed towards Yui, swinging his right arm downward and generating his own AT-field as he went. His AT-field crashed into Yui, instantly destroying her on the spot. A fountain of blood leapt on high where the upper part of her torso had been, spewing blood and gore across the room. Breathing heavily, Gendo looked down at his loved one with his eyes watering, making his glasses blurry and hard to see. He had blood drenched down the front of his normally neatly kept shirt and pants. But how could she have done it? How could she have rejected his feelings so brutally. How could she have-
"You shouldn't have done that honey," came a sickening blood choked voice from his right. Gendo turned just to see Yui standing inches away from his face, half her face a bloody pulp and her eyes and ears bleeding like candle wax. Gendo just had time to open his mouth in half a scream when an AT-field cleanly sliced his rotted arm off, sending it skidding across the floor as black rotted blood shot out of the stump of an arm.
Gendo screamed in agony as he cradled his destroyed arm. A black mucus like substance was slowly trickling out of his bloody arm, while the arm itself had turned an ashen black.
"You should feel much better now that your human body doesn't have this eating into it, though I suppose thats little consolation to you."
Gendo looked up and saw that the person who was Yui was clutching the blackened arm that she had sliced off. The destroyed side of her face was slowly reforming itself, along with the bottom half, which floated below the torso, creating new tendons and nerves which formed together.
"You...you..." muttered Gendo as black blood frothed up and spilled out his mouth.
"Yes?" spoke Yui as a purple mask materialized on her face. Next second, she pulled it off to reveal blankness: a face with nothing on it.
"Lilith," mumbled Gendo.
"Took you long enough," laughed Lilith. "And I thought you couldn't be nearly that stupid to believe that Yui was back in the present world. I mean, sure her soul is trapped in Unit 01, but for it to materialize here of all places. You'd have to be fuckin insane! Though I guess that fits with you."
"You...everything..."
"Sometimes I wonder if I made you too stupid when I created you humans. The black moon should have wizened you up a little, but then again I guess its best you don't get too smart."
Taking the arm and breaking it off at the hand, Lilith looked at it for a moment before she held it up to her stomach and her stomach seemed to open up for it, eating it as though it were a mouth.
"Ah, finally I got the DNA of Adam. Sorry you had to go through all that trouble just to hand it over to myself."
Turning to Rei, she gestured towards her and said, "You'll of course be coming with me, since you are part of me after all. I'm sorry that I left you all alone like that, but you have been rather convenient when I haven't been around."
Rei finally seemed to acknowledge Lilith's presence and looked at her for a second before Lilith answered her unanswered question.
"We go to Shinji now of course...and her. Yes...I think this is best, and from the feel of things, the Eva Series has been defeated. Hmmm, and of course the Tree of Life awaits us." Turning back to Gendo, she said, "Well, I'm really sorry about deceiving you like that, but you know, a good portion of that was real after all, though I'm sure you know that already. You never know though, you may get lucky and see Yui in the next life, though that of course all depends on Shinji."
Lilith then floated upward with Rei, and stood before the giant body that was herself.
"Time to start moving I suppose. Those two should be ready for me..."
Asuka continued looking over at Shinji as he resumed his staring up at the sky. She wondered what was making him so anxious, though she herself thought it more like nervousness. She had a million things that she wanted to ask him, but was either to unsure of herself, or that he would flat out refuse her if she asked something a bit...questionable.
"Hey...Shinji?"
Whether he ignored her or just didn't hear her, Asuka didn't know, but she continued anyway.
"How well...do you know me exactly?"
"Huh?" Shinji finally asked, though he continued looking up at the sky.
"Do you know me?"
Shinji paused for a moment before he asked, "What do you mean?"
"How well do you know me? Misato said something before, about her watching us grow up together."
Shinji was silent, unsure of how he should reply. Asuka was acting the complete opposite of what he had expected from her. When he had threatened her with his AT-field, he had been certain that she would not follow him, was certain that she wouldn't be in his life anymore. But she became curious again, and Shinji was starting to wonder if part of that was because of how he had acted when he had said goodbye to her. He was positive that that was the last time he was seeing her when he left her and Rei at the elevator, but now seeing her in front of him, and guessing what she had gone through to obtain Unit 02 again... He wasn't sure about anything anymore.
"Why do you think I know you?" he said eventually. "We only meet a few-"
"Like I said," replied Asuka testily. "Misato told me that she was glad she could see us grow up together."
Shrugging, Shinji said, "She was lying."
"No she wasn't...not the way she said it. It was one of the only things I know to be true."
"Why is that?"
"Because of the way you denied it."
Shinji blinked, not expecting her to say something like that.
"...Shinji," said Asuka after a moment of silence. "What were we to each other? Why do I feel so...confused every time I talk to you? Why is it that I'm able to be so open with you, even though I barely know you?"
"No idea," said Shinji with no emotion.
Asuka looked at him in Unit 02 before she sighed and said, "Fine, be that way."
Shinji turned away from her quickly then, not wanting to have to see her. He was having difficulties keeping his emotions in check, especially the angel half of him. He had always known that Asuka had a strong will, but he had never guessed she'd be able to retain a part of her emotions towards him.
"...Shinji," came Asuka's voice suddenly very close to him. Hearing this, Shinji quickly turned back around and saw that Unit 02 was directly in front of him.
"What are you-" Shinji started quickly, but cut himself off as the entry plug of Unit 02 suddenly shot out of the neck of Unit 02. Watching silently, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing, Shinji saw Asuka climb out of the entry plug and slid down its smooth surface. Standing up, Asuka looked towards Unit 01 and opened her mouth before shouting-
"IDIOT!"
Shinji was so surprised by her sudden shout that he almost toppled over inside Unit 01. How could she be so stubborn as to pull something like this?
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" shouted Shinji with almost equal volume. "Get back inside Unit 02 and-"
"I won't," replied Asuka as she crossed her arms. "Not until you tell me what happened between us!"
"Nothing happened you moron!" yelled Shinji.
Asuka stood her ground though and put her hands on her hips.
"Shinji, I'm not stupid. I know everybody's been lying to me since the moment I woke up from whatever the hell happened to me. Maybe my mind was invaded by an angel, maybe it wasn't and something else happened. I don't know, nor do I fucking care how I lost my memory anymore. What I can't stand is that you keep on ignoring whatever it is we had. Maybe you want to forget it for your own reasons, and I can understand that with what you've been through. But I'm telling you this right now: I understand you! We are alike Shinji, and thats why I think I'm drawn to you, ass-hole as you may be. I fucking hate it, and can't stand seeing your stupid face every damn day as though no matter where I go I see you. But the other part of me wants to know you, really know you. I don't care what you say, or how you act around me, because I know that you were doing it to shun me. Maybe you thought it was best that we didn't see each other, because of whatever happened between us, whatever happened to me that caused that section of my memory to be erased. But everything that I remember, there are large blanks, and not just of the Eva battles. At school, at Misato's apartment, here at Nerv, it's almost as though somebody was cut out of my life. I don't like not knowing what that was, because I believe that those were the happiest moments of my life, those memories which I no longer have. So please tell me, I want to know what we were, what we had. Even if its something that I wont like...I don't care. I want you to tell me Shinji..."
Asuka took a deep breath as she finished this and then exhaled, releasing all her pent up thoughts and emotions in the process. Feeling tired slightly, she rested her hands on her knees for a minute as she allowed herself to catch her breath, and then looked up at Unit 01 and Shinji, who hadn't moved an inch.
"Your answer..." she whispered softly.
Shinji watched her from the cockpit of Unit 01, his mind a blur. Everything he had ever done with Asuka, every word he had spoken to her, every caress of her skin, or touch of her hair whirled around his mind until he became dizzy of it. It made him sick that he could be brought to his knees with such words. He hated himself for letting her words affect him so, but still, a small part of him also wanted it to happen. The possible hope that maybe things could go back to what they were.
'But thats all a lie,' he told himself. 'You're just imagining what you want to happen and not worrying about the actuality of it. Its impossible! I made my mind up a long time ago!'
'But she wants to try nonetheless, even though she knows the risks of it. And would she be here if she didn't care for you? Here at the center of everything.'
'But we don't know if we can survive it, I don't know if I can!'
'Isn't that the point of it? You don't know if will work, but you don't know if it wont work either.'
'I can't deal with the uncertainty.'
'You have to if you want to reconcile everything. Your feelings for each other will certainly-"
'What feelings! Its just a shadow of something that used to exist!'
'...But it did use to exist, and there is value in that. Why don't you just admit that you feel for her?'
'I don't feel anything for that bitch! I never did!'
'Then what was the kiss about?'
Shinji's eyes flew open at that as the very vivid memory came rushing back to him. The darkness of the room, the outline of her body resting comfortably on the hospital bed, the warmth of her lips as he kissed her-
"Its a lie," mumbled Shinji inside Unit 01.
'Whats a lie and what isn't?'
"I don't know..."
'Why are you doing this to yourself?'
"I don't know..."
'Why wont you try?'
"I don't know..."
'Are you scared?'
"...Maybe..."
'What are you scared of?'
"...Knowing that she's not okay. Knowing that I did something to harm her. I can't...let that happen... I can't-"
Shinji?
"No...I don't want to let that happen to her. I don't-
Shinji?
"Because of her I...I was able to continue...without her I-
Shinji!
"Don't bother me, I don't know, I don't know!"
"SHINJI!"
"WHAT!" he shouted with everything he could muster. Realizing that he had been stationary for several minutes, he looked around wildly before his eyes settled on Asuka.
"Asu...ka," he mumbled. Blinking several times, he noticed something pearly white floating in the entry plug before disappearing because of the high concentration of LCL fluid.
"My...tears?" he wondered.
"Shinji! Answer me!" Asuka suddenly shouted at him. "What am I to you! What are we together!"
"You...Me...We..." Shinji repeated.
Ah...so thats it...
I think I know...the answer
Shinji smiled slightly at his realization, something that he had been running away from the entire time.
Asuka continued watching Unit 01 waiting for a response from Shinji. Though when it didn't seem he was gonna reply again, she started opening her mouth, but as she did, the entry plug from Unit 01 was ejected out. Asuka eyes widened just as Shinji's had done as he stepped out of the entry plug. Instead of sliding down it as Asuka had done though, he materialized his AT-field and seemed to be jumping from ledge to ledge in midair as he made his way down to Unit 01's shoulder.
"Shinji..." Asuka whispered slightly as Shinji feet final touched down on Unit 01's shoulder. He didn't move from that spot.
"Asuka!" Shinji suddenly shouted at her, catching her slightly off balance with his shout. Catching herself before she slid down its back-
"You idiot!" she shouted back at him. "You almost made me fall-"
"We were friends!"
"...Huh?"
Shinji stared back at her with such determination that Asuka felt her cheeks turn pink slightly.
"F-Friends? Don't be an idiot, we hate each other. We-"
"Thats not it though!" Shinji shouted back at her, silencing her almost instantly. "Asuka you...you were somebody who was irreplaceable in my life. Someone special...and I think you felt the same towards me."
"Huh? Did you hit your head climbing out of that entry plug?"
Shinji laughed silently. "You're exactly as you used to be, always thinking up stuff like that on the spot. The truth is, we both lived at Misato's apartment during our time at Nerv. We went to school together, ate meals together, watched T.V. together, and fought the angels together. Everything we did was together...because we formed a bond."
"...Now I really think something is wrong with you," said Asuka as she held her face in her hands, though she was smiling slightly.
"Nothing is wrong with me...at least now," said Shinji. "I was just denying everything...I didn't want to admit it, because then I'd have to realize how wrong I was."
"What were you wrong about?"
Shinji was silent for a minute before finally take a breath and saying, "I suppose it would be the bond I talked about earlier. I took it for granted...and things ended up as they did."
Asuka frowned slightly as she looked at him.
"So...we were friends..."
"We argued a lot, and made fun of each other, but we were definitely friends. Looking out for each other when the other was down, helping the other in their time of need. Honestly, if it wasn't for you being there with me, I would have lost control of my angel powers a long time ago."
"But why don't I remember any of this? I mean...I remember some I suppose, flashes and such. But-"
"The angels," said Shinji simply. "From what I remember Ritsuko telling me, the angel that invaded your mind searched for memories of me. It was too much of a strain though and everything that was related to me was destroyed so that the rest of your mind would remain intact."
"And you didn't think to help me regain them? You said that we helped each other when the other was troubled."
"I didn't want to risk the chance of harming you further. The way I saw it, everything that you had ever been through was a direct link with me. If you no longer had anything to do with me, then you would be fine. Though you became interested in me of your own free will, which I didn't expect. It goes back to the bond that we formed."
"I don't understand..."
"What don't you understand."
Asuka looked at him for a few seconds, bit down on her lips before she said, "Alright, so we were friends. But I still don't understand why you tried to stay away from me to the point of threatening me."
"Asuka...I've seen you die too many times, and I don't care to live out any of those scenarios."
"Wh-What are you talking about?"
Shinji was silent for a minute until he looked up towards the cloudy sky and said, "As best as I can tell, there is only one plane on which this planet rests, only one dimension where I exist and where you exist. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know. I can see visions of possible futures, and based on that information I can change the outcomes of the futures by altering my actions and the actions of others around me. I've seen you die in many different scenarios, all of which I was able to prevent. But there was always that thought of 'what if' in the back of my mind. 'What if I made a mistake? What if she dies?' That thought gnawed at me until the day your memories of me disappeared and you became unfit to pilot Unit 02. I decided that I would walk away from you then, and not involve myself with you."
"But that didn't work," finished Asuka quietly.
"No, that didn't," said Shinji as he looked back at her. "You searched me out and tried talking to me. I don't know if that was your superiority complex, or simple curiosity. The worst mistake I probably made though was going to Misato's apartment after swearing to never step foot in there again. I thought I could deal with seeing you again, seeing you in an environment I was so used to. The empty room at her apartment, used to be my room. But I was wrong, and everything went down hill from there, especially today. I destroyed the elevators in the Evangelion chamber, thinking you'd never make it there, but you found a way in. Not to mention you're still able to pilot Unit 02, though I suppose that has something to do with your mom."
Asuka crossed her arms and looked at him while frowning slightly. "There are still a lot of things that I don't understand, and your logic makes so sense. So what if you saw me dying thousands or even hundreds of thousands of times. They weren't real!"
"How would you like it if you saw someone you cared for dying repeatedly and all you could do was stand there and watch."
"I-Idiot, don't say it like that. Someone you care for...makes it sound like..."
Asuka's face was scrunched up slightly in embarrassment now at Shinji's words.
"Now let me ask you something," said Shinji. "How much do you remember."
"I told you, just flashes of things, but whenever I'm around you...hmmm...I don't know how to say it. But the earrings...and the fried rice you made, those I think are the things that stand out vividly for me."
"Objects then," sighed Shinji.
"And certain emotions I feel occasionally," Asuka replied. "...Hey Shinji?" Asuka said after a few moments.
"What?"
"How much do you remember?"
"More than you do, but its hazy. A lot I forgot after my battle with Kaoru, because my angel powers woke all the way. If I try, I can remember things though..."
"What about after all this?"
"...After this?"
"I want you to tell me more...about when we lived in Misato's apartment, and I also want to hear it from Misato herself."
"Yeah...that will be okay," said Shinji, not voicing the problems with that promise.
"One last thing Shinji."
"Huh?"
"...You know...never mind, I don't think I want to know that..."
"Hmmm? Okay then," mumbled Shinji.
'Its fine like this,' he told himself. 'If its just like this, then its fine...'
'But you lied,' said a small voice in his head.
'Friends...just friends...'
"Asuka, its best if we get back in our Eva Units..."
"Huh? Oh...you're probably right."
Smiling ever so slightly, Asuka turned away from Shinji, her strawberry colored hair flowing behind her and started climbing back up Unit 02 to the entry plug. Shinji meanwhile watched her ascend the entire way until he was positive that she was inside her entry plug.
'This is enough,' he thought.
Turning towards Unit 01, he looked up into its face and let out a low sigh. Knowing what likely came next, he used his AT-field to jump through the air back to his entry plug. Though he stopped in mid air as he felt something. Looking down towards the ground, his gazed pierced through the earth and down into the bowels of Terminal Dogma where he felt a strong AT-field drawing quickly towards them.
'Lilith? No...Ayanami?'
Knowing that he didn't have time, he hurried back into Unit 01's entry plug and through himself at the controls.
"Asuka!" he yelled quickly at her.
"Huh? What do you want now? Or is there something else you want to say-"
"No! We've got a problem! Lilith is coming. Get out of here fast!"
"Idiot, didn't I say that I'm staying with you-"
"That doesn't matter right now! What matters is that you get out of here now-"
...Too late...
A white shape emerged out of the ground aways away from where Unit 02 stood. It seemed to pass directly through the earth as though it was transparent. Limbs sprung forth from the ground as the massive body of Lilith continued upwards into the sky. As Shinji continued watching though, he noticed that the mask it had worm before was gone, and that now a face similar to that of Ayanami Rei adorned it. The eyes were a blood red just as Shinji's, but he could feel a malice which he had never felt before.
'We have to move,' he thought. Turning towards Asuka, he was about to tell her this, but saw that her mind was preoccupied on something else. The Eva Series, which they seemed to have defeated were rising up again and pulling the many Lances of Longinus out of their bodies.
'No...way,' thought Shinji. 'Even now, they still aren't defeated?'
Turning his gaze back to Lilith, he saw that white wings were sprouting from her back. As he continued watching in horror, he thought briefly of Gendo, and what had happened to him, but brushed it aside. He didn't have to worry about that bastard anymore. But where was Ayanami?
For answer, he had to look at the spot between Lilith's breasts. The body of Ayanami Rei seemed to have joined with that of Lilith's. One body, one mind.
"Ayanami..." Shinji whispered, not believing what he was seeing. But no, he had to focus on somebody else. Asuka was in danger.
"Asuka!" he shouted as he turned towards her. Though again, she didn't respond. Thinking quickly, he didn't see any alternative and quickly rushed to Unit 02 side. Not knowing whether this would work or not, he projected his AT-field and encased it around the entry plug of Unit 02. Yelling with everything he had he shouted hoarsely at her-
"ASUKA!"
His feelings seemed to have gotten through to her, because the glassy eyed expression she had had disappeared as she heard his voice. Looking around quickly, she jumped suddenly as she seemed to notice the strange presence that was enveloping her.
"Shinji wha-"
"Don't worry about it," he yelled back at her, hoping she hadn't felt the emotion that had filled him up as he used his AT-field.
"But-"
"No time! Just get out of here now!"
"But you-"
"I'll be fine! Just move it! If anything happens to you..." Shinji left his sentence dangling not willing to voice those words, and admittedly, he was still stubbornly lying to himself.
Asuka was silent for a second before she finally nodded her head and said, "Alright, if it means that much to you...but if you need any help-"
"I'll be fine," Shinji curtly cut across her.
Asuka gazed at him for a few seconds longer before she nodded her head and said, "I know...just a little longer then..."
"Yes," replied Shinji, not quiet understanding what she was getting at.
"Be safe," said Asuka. As she said this, an almost uncontrollable desire to grab ahold of Shinji and wrap him in her warmth seemed to envelop her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. If there was an after...well...
Without another word, Asuka turned away with Unit 02 and past Unit 01, running in the opposite direction. Though unbeknownst to Shinji, Asuka was silently crying...
Shinji didn't turn around as Asuka left; only his eyes were fixed on Lilith and the Eva Units, being sure that they wouldn't pursue Asuka. Though when he was certain that she was far enough away, he finally spoke.
"Lilith...what do you want with me? And furthermore, I'm telling you only once to let Ayanami go,"
Lilith was silent for a while, silently glaring down at Shinji until she finally spoke, though it was with Ayanami's voice.
"What I want with you? Well thats nothing new really. I'm mainly curious about you from an angelic point of view. Though strictly speaking, I'm something of an aunt to you. Rather interesting...isn't it?"
"Let Ayanami go right now!"
"Why? Its not like she belongs here anyway. She was part of me to begin with."
"She is her own person, and you don't have that liberty to take it away from her."
"Certainly I do. She was born from me after all. All I'm doing is taking back what was once mine."
Shinji shook his head and mumbled, "But she isn't just you, she's a separate person."
"Does she have a soul," asked Lilith almost sounding bored. Shinji was silently however, as he didn't have an answer to that.
"Exactly," continued Lilith. "The person known as Ayanami Rei never had a soul, only my own soul which I lent her. You can't call that a person. But what is a person except for a bunch of LCL fluid. Tabris told you about the creation correct?"
"...He did," mumbled Shinji.
"Then you already know how humans came to exist, so I can save that blather. But nevertheless, we still need to talk."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Oh? You don't want to here about your birth? How you came to be and your mother and Adam's relationship. Or what about your visions? How about everything you've seen and heard including that special girl of yours."
"Leave Asuka out of this," Shinji growled back at Lilith.
"Oh...testy. So you do care for her after all?"
"I said to leave her out of this," shouted Shinji. At his words, his AT-field shout outwards slightly, cracking the ground where Unit 01 stood. But he had to control his anger. If he let his angel half take over, nobody would be able to bring him back.
"Fine then," said Shinji, "you want to talk about my birth, fine, I'm listening."
"Oh? Don't tell me you aren't interested to know about how those two people met. I thought you would care after all this time."
Shinji was silent, because he was unwilling to admit to her that she was right. Since he had learned that he was the child of Adam, he had wondered how his mom and Adam had met, but hadn't asked her the last time they had talked. But hearing it from Lilith was...
"You also wanted to talk to me about my visions...correct?"
"More or less," said Lilith with a slight smirk. "So then am I to understand that you agree to this?"
Shinji thought about it again for a few seconds, but his curiousness won over his wariness and he nodded his head.
"Splendid," laughed Lilith. "Then in that case, why don't we get started. But, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to change into something a little more comfortable, to set the mood if you please."
Shinji was rather taken aback at this statement, not understanding it in the least.
"What? I don't understand-"
But then he froze as he saw the facial features of Lilith change. The face that was Ayanami Rei was disappearing and was being replaced by a new face. The hair lengthened, the nose grew slightly longer, the cheekbones were more pronounced, the breasts even grew ever so slightly larger. But it was the change of the color of the eyes from blood red to ocean blue which made Shinji truly realize who he was starring at, and it was the eeriest thing he had ever witnessed.
Smiling sinisterly, Lilith spoke back with a voice so similar to that of the real person, that Shinji was unsure what was fiction and what was real now.
"Long time no see. Baaaaka Shinji," said the Pseudo Asuka.
So my new story called Christmas Together is obviously a Christmas special and is set five years after Third Impact is avoided, and no its not like Sorrowful Winter much more...fluffy I guess, and its been a while since I did a fluff so I figured I'd have fun with it. Also, I'm writing Shinji and Asuka in a setting which I've always wanted to try but haven't gotten around to it until now, but seeing as its Christmas, I figured its the perfect time. Anyways if you wanna check it out, head over to my profile, it should be up soon...