Ch. 1 / Alone Once Again.
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The world is quiet. Too quiet. The sound of waves rolling up the beach is the only audible noise other than Shinji's own quiet breath. The sky is dark, a red streak crossing the moon and the splitting the sky. The moon is full and stars glisten all around it. A beautiful sight, even with the giant red mark plaguing the view.
Shinji sat alone on top of a little sand hill overlooking the beach in front of him. He could see the entirety of it from left to right. In front of him, Rei Ayanami's ghostly god sized head lays, half covered with the blood red sea. Her left eye stares straight ahead, giving Shinji a slight shiver down his spine. Scattered around the head, deactivated and dead versions of the Mass Produced Evas sat in the water. Their arms are spread out wide.
To Shinji's right, a lone tree sits with a cross necklace nailed to its trunk. Shinji can't help but to sit and think about the people in his life prior to the Third Impact he just caused. The people he got along with, didn't get along with, the people who cared for him, those who didn't, and of course the people he cared about.
'Was my decision worth it?' Shinji thought to himself.
Rei told him that people could come back if they had the will to. 'If so, where were they?' Shinji kept thinking.
The sea was empty, the city behind him was empty. No noise was made anywhere and Shinji found himself staring at Rei.
'No. It was worth it.' Shinji assured himself. However, the lack of people really made Shinji second guess himself. He found new meaning in life and realized that life would be hard and tough, not easy. Instrumentality changed his view on his own life and realized that his is worth living. But he thought that people would come back and make living worth while though, not this boring and bleak city he's currently in. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same as before, Shinji all alone. Plus, he secretly hoped to see the people he cared about again. Especially Asuka.
It wouldn't hurt to see others though. Misato would be nice company to have. He had some things he really wanted to talk about with those two girls.
As minutes pass, nothing significant happens. Shinji just sat there, alone with his thoughts debating whether rejecting instrumentality was a good idea. The waves kept moving up and down the beach, creating the only sound for Shinji.
Eventually, Shinji grew tired of sitting there and felt his throat scratch a little upon swallowing. He needed water. So Shinji stood up, swiped the sand off from his butt and turned to look at the destroyed city behind him. He couldn't help but to think about the past and how alive this city used to be. He never went around this part of Tokyo-3 so the environment was unfamiliar but he could still picture the cars moving, people walking, and the constant noise and chatter that filled this area.
Once Shinji got to the street he was greeted with a wall of buildings, damaged, cracked, and empty. To his left, the street turned to the right and led to more buildings. Shinji walked down the street, looking for some place that would have water.
Eventually, he found a convenience store that seemed promising. The windows were shattered and the road surrounding it was all destroyed. Shinji walked to the front door and opened it, ringing a bell that was placed on the top of the door frame. Inside, the store was very neat. The shelves were stocked with food and the fridge in the back held many drinks. The food looked untouched and apart from the shelves closer to the windows, the innermost shelves were spotless. Shinji took note of the lack of dust on the food packages. 'I haven't been gone long then…'
Shinji made his way to the back and opened the fridge door. A slight cool air blows onto his face.
'Still cold…' Shinji notices.
He grabs a bottle of water, twists the lid open, and chugs the bottle down. After a refreshing sip, he sighs and looks at the bottle. Less than a quarter is left. Shinji finishes the rest.
'Maybe I should take some on the go.' Shinji thinks to himself.
Looking around, Shinji looks for a bag of some sort to store his bottles. Luckily, the convenience store was like a jack of all trades, having everything he could need. He grabbed a flimsy looking backpack from the shelf and filled it with water bottles. Some snacks wouldn't hurt either so he grabbed a bunch of chips and such that he enjoyed. Shinji even grabbed a flavor of chips he thought Asuka would enjoy.
After he was satisfied with his haul, Shinji decided to return to the beach. He wanted to grab Misato's necklace from the tree and check if anyone else rejected instrumentality. Shinji made his way through the streets and climbed back up the sand hill he originally descended. He came back to the tree that held Misato's necklace and took it off from the nail. In the distance, he spotted something that looked like a person. Whoever it was, was covered head to toe in red.
Shinji's eyes widened when he finally could make out the shape.
He quickly sprinted over to the body, laying idly on the beach. Sand was flying behind him and getting into his shoes. As he approached the body, he was sure that his first thought was correct. Shinji recognized the girl immediately.
Asuka laid on her back, peacefully. A bandage was covering her left eye and some more was wrapped all around her right arm. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be deep in sleep. Shinji quickly put two fingers to her neck, checking for some pulse. It was beating.
Shinji sat down next to her and stared at Asuka's face. She was breathing steadily and Shinji couldn't help but stare. Despite the bandage on her face and messed up hair, she looked good Shinji thought to himself.
Uncertain on what to do, Shinji continued to sit next to Asuka while staring at her. He wasn't sure if he should wake her up or just leave her be.
And so, Shinji just sat there. He sipped on a bottle of water and laid right next to Asuka. The stars were shining in the sky and the moon remained in the same spot. That red streak bothered Shinji, however it made an interesting contrast and he wasn't sure if it looked good or not.
As Shinji continued his laying next to Asuka, he listened to the waves moving up and down the beach. And to Asuka's breathing.
Suddenly, the waves got loud and pushed up higher on the beach. It just barely touched the bottom of his shoes. To his left, a noise was made but not by Asuka.
Shinji sat up and looked to his left. His eyes grew wide and he was shocked.
"What the hell?"
Shinji was stunned. Not only was Asuka laying right next to him a foot away, another Asuka just washed up on the shore a few feet away. She looked identical to the first Asuka closest to Shinji.
"What the hell what the hell??"
Shinji couldn't help but raise his voice. The sight of two Asuka just surprised him.
'Is this all apart of instrumentality? What is happening?' Shinji thinks.
Right next to Shinji, the first Asuka wakes up. Her eyes jolt open and she sits up, looking around. She quickly sees Shinji and lunges at him. Asuka hugs Shinji in a tight hug, digging her face in his neck.
"Shinji!" Asuka exclaims.
Shinji awkwardly hugs her back. "Uh… hey Asuka."
"I'm so glad you're alright! After you left I got so worried." Asuka said.
"Left where?" Shinji asked. Why was Asuka so affectionate here? Shinji was just puzzled at how Asuka changed so much in a short period of time.
"Whatever that place was before here. You said you were going and I got really scared. I didn't want to see you leave and I didn't want to lose you and I wanted to…" Asuka just kept going on and on. She seemed very quiet and small.
In the background, the second Asuka awoke and looked over at the two. The first Asuka broke off the hug but still kept close to Shinji.
Shinji looked over to the second Asuka. She stood up and stumbled a little bit. Shinji quickly got up.
"Hey do you need some help?" Shinji asked.
"Does it look like I need help? I can walk by myself, thanks." Asuka replied bluntly.
'What??' Shinji thought to himself.
The first Asuka was just hugging him and exclaiming her worry and suddenly this Asuka just rejected his help. Shinji didn't even notice it but the first Asuka was quietly staying close to his back like a scared animal.
"Are you sure? You could be injured badly." Shinji said.
"Like I said, I'm fine. I can walk fine and I don't need any help." Asuka turned her head away from Shinji.
Shinji didn't say anything back. He just quietly looked at her. The second Asuka then looked back Shinji then to the first Asuka hiding behind Shinji.
"You're me." The second Asuka pointed at the first Asuka.
"You're me." The first Asuka nodded.
"We're Asuka." They said in unison.
'What the hell is actually going on??' Shinji couldn't help but yell in his thoughts.
While they stared at each other, the waves grew again and it sounded like it spat something out. Shinji leaned to the right to look past the second Asuka.
A third Asuka was laying on the beach.
Shinji looked to the two Asuka's with him and quickly went around them to get to the third Asuka. The first Asuka quickly followed behind Shinji like a dog and the second stayed put. She thought about something and then decided to follow Shinji.
Shinji and the two Asukas looked down at the third Asuka.
"That's us." The two Asuka's said in unison.
Suddenly, the third Asuka awoke. Her eyes darted around and they landed on Shinji.
She quickly sat up and started backing away from Shinji.
"You…" That one word sounded like it had some venom behind it.
"You are so disgusting." Asuka gagged and kept walking away from Shinji and the two Asukas.
Shinji stared at the third Asuka. What's with this change in personality?
'What the hell is going on?? First there's one Asuka that needs me, then an Asuka that doesn't need help, and then now this Asuka is disgusted by me?' Shinji kept to himself.
Ideas and thought were flying around Shinji's head, trying to piece it all together.
Shinji tried to take a step toward Asuka.
"No don't come anything closer you fucking pervert." Asuka's face was disgusted. "I don't even want you near me."
Behind her, another Asuka washed up on the shore.
'You've got to be kidding me.' Shinji thought to himself.
Shinji then went to walk over to the fourth Asuka. The first followed behind close, the second was reluctant to follow, and the third stepped to side quickly to get out of Shinji's perverted way.
The fourth Asuka woke up the same way as the other three. Looking at each Asuka and then to Shinji.
This Asuka's eyes lit up. She quickly got up but this time she wasn't backing away from Shinji. This one seemed to get closer however. Not the close like the first Asuka, but a closeness like she wants him to notice her. Like she wants him to notice her body and the advances she's putting on Shinji.
"Hey Shinji." Asuka said in a flirty tone.
"Hi Asuka…" Shinji said this and the three other Asukas raised their head in reaction to Shinji.
Shinji chuckled a little. The pieces were starting to come together. He had a working theory going on in his head but he wasn't too sure yet.
The fourth Asuka noticed her bandage eyepatch and arm wrap. She quickly tried to hide from the bandages from Shinji. "Don't look at me! I'm not presentable!!"
Asuka let out a single audible laugh and turned his head. He looked at what was in front of him and well, behind him too.
Once again, another Asuka washed up on the shore. Shinji led the four Asukas over to the new Asuka.
Once again, she looked the same as the others and she once again opened her eyes and landed on Shinji.
Her brow furrowed and her eyes slanted.
"You asshole! You left me to die!" Asuka jumped up and karate chopped Shinji's head as hard as she could. She had an angry aura around her and she was breathing hard.
"I can't believe you!" She yelled.
Shinji looked scared. Not only from the hit but also from the yelling that this 5th Asuka brought. The 1st Asuka cowered behind Shinji, the 2nd was too focused on herself, the 3rd looked to side with this new Asuka, and the 4th just stared.
'I think I get it now…' Shinji thought.
Right on cue, another Asuka washed up on shore. Following the same routine, this Asuka quickly stood up and tried to tower over Shinji.
"What the fuck are you looking at loser?" This Asuka was a giant asshole. "Why are we here? You could've chose any other place."
She seemed to dislike anything that Shinji did, even if it was out of his control.
"I'm sorr-" Shinji was cut off.
"Don't even start with that shit again. God you're such a… I can't think of a good word…" The 6th Asuka said coldly.
"I hate when you say sorry!" The 5th Asuka exclaimed and punched Shinji.
Shinji fell over and coughed. The punch hurt quite a bit.
"Serves you right pervert." The 3rd Asuka said.
"I'm sorry Shinji." An Asuka lifted him up and patted his back.
Shinji looked at her, she was the same as the others. He did a head count and noticed this is the 7th one.
"I didn't want you to get hurt there, I'm sorry." This Asuka seemed calm. She was sympathetic with Shinji here.
'She must've came up without me realizing.' Shinji thought to himself.
Slowly Shinji backed away from the 7 Asukas. He looked at all of them together. They looked the same. They had the same eyepatch, same arm bandage, same red hair, same headset clips, same pretty face. The only thing setting them apart was their actions and emotions.
That's when it clicked for Shinji.
The seven Asukas standing in front of him represented a different part of Asuka. The different emotions she felt and the different personalities she had within her.
Somehow, during Instrumentality, she split off into 7 versions of herself each representing a different side of her.
Shinji looked at each Asuka one by one.
'Rei how the hell did this happen?'
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