AN: Well, here's chapter 15. Well, without further ado…

Let's get on with the show!

XXX

And the Sky Shall Unfold

School was mind numbing. Which wasn't anything new for Shinji. In fact, he welcomed it. This was the normality he'd been missing. So much had happened lately that he'd not been able to enjoy just being a kid.

How could he?

The Third Child had even more responsibility on his shoulders now than he did in his original dimension. He knew nothing then. Shinji knew everything now. That's why when he finally stepped into the too clean halls of the school, he felt at peace. Finally, he was in a place he could be free to relax. He could fall into the monotony of classes. This was a routine he could get behind.

But today was not routine.

"Shinji!"

He turned at her voice, a smile slipping onto his lips that he was incapable of suppressing. Not that he would want to. He didn't want to hide his happiness at all. Asuka walked up to him, slowing down as she must have been speed walking. The girl threw her arms around him in a hug that filled his nose with apple and jasmine. Her locks of silky red hair tangling between his fingers as he circled his own arms around her.

Shinji Ikari found that Asuka was much more upbeat here than in his own dimension. He already knew that she was just a happier and lighter person overall thanks to actually having a family, but even then, she was grumpy and downright mean on occasions. He wondered if these were the perks of being the boyfriend now. As long as he didn't make her mad, he should be free to see her this cheerful all the time. Note to self, don't piss off Asuka. I like this cheer.

"That's just gross," gagged Toji. And from right next to his ear he heard Asuka sigh before he felt her head lift out of the crook of his neck.

"Shut up, stooge."

"When did this development come about…?" Mayumi asked, closing her thick book. Shinji hadn't caught the whole title. Something "light."

"Two days ago," he responded as Asuka detangled herself from him. That was a Saturday night he couldn't forget. Saving his mother, thwarting his father's plans, and finally getting together with Asuka. A lot had transpired in such a short amount of time. Overall, the past two days had been great. He'd spent them talking to Asuka, much to the amusement of Misato. He was still living with her. Yui had not woken up yet and that was the only damper to his days.

Putting the more troublesome thoughts out of mind, Shinji took her hand in his own but didn't get to enjoy the warmth or softness for long when Hikari and Mayumi pulled her away. Asuka looked back at him with an apologetic glance as she was accosted.

"We're only just now hearing about this today!?" Hikari yelled. Next to them, Mari laughed at Asuka's misfortune and earned herself a punch for it. As she rubbed her shoulder, Rei shook her head at their antics. Mari should know better by now.

"I don't know how you do it Shin-man, or why you would do it for that matter. The she devil is unbearable… but let us know if anything goes wrong with you two and uh… we'll have your back," Toji finished weakly, holding his hands up in surrender as he and Kensuke walked alongside Shinji to class. Shinji didn't enjoy them calling Asuka names and apparently, he must have shown his displeasure more than he'd intended considering Toji's backtracking.

Yes. Today was shaping up to be nothing like his previous school days. Maybe it wouldn't be so mind numbing after all.

She slid her finger along the rim of her glass, tracing out the perfect circle that it was. The wine inside was white and the glass had no lipstick marking its transparent surface. The liquid inside was untouched. It had been since she'd poured it over an hour ago. Kyoko wanted to drink, but she couldn't bring herself to take that first sip. The wine always relaxed her, but that was the last thing she needed. Kyoko needed to think. Shinji's tale and the circumstances surrounding his mother disturbed her. She now understood exactly what happened to all the "dead" parents of the pilots.

Heaving a sigh, Kyoko stood from the black leather recliner she kept in her room, leaving the wineglass on a small side table she kept next to it. She padded across her carpeted floor and stepped into the tiled bathroom that was within her master bedroom. Her home was western styled, but she liked it that way. She'd spent far more time overseas than in her home country, after all.

Stepping up to the sink, Kyoko turned on the water and splashed some across her face, idly watching the droplets fall back into the sink. Just thinking about what those who were unlucky enough to be trapped within the Eva's must be going through made her stomach lurch. She knew it was necessary to fight the angels, but that didn't make her feel any less dirty. She was involved after all. She felt like she'd betrayed so many people simply by working for Nerv.

She knew she had.

Her husband was in Unit Two. He had to be.

There was simply no way it would work without a soul, and she could infer on her own based on past sync tests and small bits of information Shinji had dropped that the soul's inside the Eva being related to the pilot made for the best connections. Kyoko suddenly heaved, expelling her earlier lunch into the sink at the mere thought of her husband being trapped inside that monstrosity she'd helped create.

When she was done vomiting, she brushed her teeth and gargled some mouthwash before she undressed and took a shower, scrubbing away at her skin until it was red and raw. It was nearly a week ago that Shinji had revealed so much to them, nearly a week of harsh scrubbing in the shower.

Kyoko still didn't feel clean.

She wasn't sure she ever would.

Thirty minutes later found Kyoko stepping out of the shower, gingerly wrapping a black towel around herself. She didn't use it to dry, as that would be painful, but it kept some of the warmth close to her body as she stepped into her cold bedroom. She wondered if she'd be able to finish her wine now. She hadn't even had a chance to finish clothing herself when the alarms sounded. The next Angel had finally arrived.

"So that's Sahaquiel?" Misato asked as they all looked up at the large monitor in Central Dogma. The screen was a little staticky after how often it had been used, but Nerv made sure it was maintenance often enough that that's the only problem anyone would ever notice about it. Shinji nodded as he wiped some sweat from his brow. The room was warm normally and all of them crowded together didn't help.

"Yes, that's her… though she looks a little different. I can't put my finger on it though," Shinji responded, narrowing his eyes at the image. It wasn't the best. The captured image of Sahaquiel was a little fuzzy, though not because the monitor was bad. His "heavenly" sister was just so far away. As she had been when he first encountered her, Sahaquiel was in Earth's orbit. Unlike the last time though, any satellites that neared her were shot down.

It had only taken one satellite falling to earth for Nerv to not try again.

"So she plans to fall on us and kill everyone?" Asked Commander Ikari. Ritsuko had briefed him on everything Shinji had said. Even though most everyone was not too fond of him now, business was business. They couldn't afford to ignore him under these circumstances. "And you suspect that she is a Seraph?"

"Yes. During our sync test a while back, Leliel and I went to the angelic realm. There was something about her that just… felt wrong. Again, I can't explain it exactly, but I feel pretty certain." Shinji's father steepled his hands in front of his face as usual, preventing anyone from seeing what sort of expression he was making with his lips. The whole act was not as effective today, however. Gendo did not have his shades. His wife had broken them.

"I see no reason to deviate from the plan used from Shinji's home dimension commander," Misato said.

"No. Sahaquiel probably knows about it. It's the most efficient thing to do though…"

"How would she know that?" Gendo inquired.

"I… don't want to talk about that… okay?" The look on Shinji's face told them all that whatever it was, was very unpleasant for him. They'd never seen him quite so downcast or frustrated. "Just take my word for it. She likely knows… but that's okay. We can use that to our advantage. You guys attempt to catch Sahaquiel and I'll handle the rest."

"How're you gonna pull that off with no Eva?" Toji grunts. Shinji just smiled.

"Whoever said I didn't have an Eva? Leliel and I have been preparing to fight without Nerv and Unit One for months. We always knew losing our support here was possible. Just because that's not the case anymore doesn't mean we have no contingencies." They all waited for the Third Child to elaborate and share these contingencies, but Shinji never spoke on them again. But though they all didn't completely trust him yet, they had enough faith in him to let the lack of response pass.

If he was intent on betraying them, they couldn't imagine he'd play this long of a game, after all.

Rei sat in the plug, trying to clear her mind. It was rare that she was ever troubled. At least, it used to be. She found that the more time she spent with her brother and their friends, the more she felt she had to worry over. They were useless things. But that was an opinion she'd had when she felt that Commander Ikari's word was law. She couldn't think that way anymore.

My troubles may seem of little worth to my father, but they matter to myself. She thought to herself. Rei enjoyed her worries. They made her feel normal. Trying to find good days to meet with Mayumi and peruse books or wondering if Mari would keep her promise and not frisk her while they were changing for gym. Her worries with her friends were such trivial things… but that's what made it all so fun.

"Everyone ready?" Called Misato over the comm link. Rei pushed her troubles aside, something that had always been easy for her. She focused on her mission now, as unpleasant as that had become.

"I am prepared for launch Lieutenant colonel," Rei confirmed.

"I'm good," came Toji's response. Kensuke saying the same soon after.

"Let's do this!" grinned Mari.

"I'm ready. Has anyone heard from Shinji yet?" Asuka's question prompted Rei to frown. She had not heard from her brother at all. Not since he left earlier, saying that he was going to prep his Eva for launch. She could not help but wonder how he planned to do that. Where could her brother possibly hide an Evangelion in the city? No where was large enough aside from Nerv.

"Not yet," Misato replied, biting her lip.

"We have enough pilots for the operation," Gendo cut in, "Get them in their positions." Misato looked back towards the screen, sighing and making an apologetic face at them.

"Well, you heard him. Launch."

Rei's Evangelion rushed upwards, her body feeling as though something was pushing down on her. She never told anyone about this aside from Shinji, but she'd always found gravity to be an odd sensation. She thought it unnecessarily cumbersome and intrusive. She could not explain why.

The rapidly moving lights within the darkness before her shifted abruptly into the blue skies and grey of the city. Rei hated the concrete roads and metal buildings, their reflective glass occasionally blinding her. She would have preferred a vast forest in its place.

She did not know why she thought this way.

It frightened her.

Putting such contemplations aside, she had only taken a single step towards her position when Misato's panic-stricken voice flooded her ears.

"Sahaquiel accelerated! Head to your positions but be ready to deviate at a moment's notice!"

Rei broke out into a run, pushing her Eva to speed up. She did not have the best relationship with her unit, but it would be sufficient for now. She hated the look of this city. She hated the feel of it. The lack of nature. Too many loud humans. The cars and their exhaust. The pollution.

But this was the city her brother wanted to protect. Shinji had people he loved here… and now she did too. There would be ways for humanity to live alongside nature eventually. She felt that Leliel would see to that. Leliel undoubtedly understood. None of that would matter if they fell today though.

Rei pushed her Evangelion to move faster.

And for once it listened.

At first, she heard nothing. It was quiet up here. The tranquility that was the blackness and coldness of space had always been her comfort. She loved it. But from the moment the first note reached her soul, she knew it was time. If there was one thing she loved more than the quiet of her domain, it was the joyous tunes of her kin. The songs of those angels lesser than herself.

The high notes drove her downward as the song became a battle cry in her heart. It filled her with righteous fury. Power and hatred for the Lilin flowed through her veins as she picked up speed. She was within the Earth's atmosphere in a beat, screaming and burning through the air. The song of her brethren grew faster and so did she. The wretched city that held her creator captive came into view.

Her blood boiled. She saw the cousins running around like headless chickens. They would try to catch her. Seraphiel—the decent part of him—had told her so. They would fail.

She was not like her other self that had been bested in that other dimension.

The song grew louder as she angled herself towards the green cousin. That one was weak and ill fitted for close quarters. Destroy. Maim. Kill. He would fall to her. Then she would be with the father.

The green cousin's soul wall spread to meet her. It's light was weak, pitiful. Crush. Break. She would tear it down. Tear it down! Tear it down! Tear it down!

Her own light of the soul spread now, eclipsing the cousin's with its brightness. Their Holy Regions connected and the song that was once at its peak went quiet. For a moment, she felt his resistance. Then the song roared back to life, its notes rising even higher than before. The cousin's Holy region began to falter, its knees bucking under the force of her assault. She watched its hands burn and melt. She would win.

Victory. Victory. Victory. Victory. Victory! The cousin was on both knees now, incapable of keeping her up all on its own. Delight. Joy. It would fall. Die. She would succeed. The father would praise her. Sahaquiel bared down, allowing even more of her weight to push down on the green cousin. She was so close. She could taste it.

The song of triumph quieted. Sahaquiel's fury tripled. More cousins had arrived, trampling upon small mobile boxes of the Lilin and leaving indents upon the blackened earth the Lilin had created. A pink and blue cousin kneeled next to the green one and helped it push upwards, their soul walls expanding and harmonizing with its own. Sahaquiel began to be pushed back.

No. She would not allow defeat. Loss. Humiliation. Shame. No!

Sahaquiel screamed.

The cousins froze. They heard her. Her rage. Her hatred. Her determination. She would not lose. She refused. They would fall. Not her. Not her. Not her! The song quickened once more, even as a red and silver-grey joined their companions. They did not attempt to help hold her up. No, they pulled out their weapons and attacked her Holy Region.

She had had enough of their resistance.

Her iris opened up, and from within it came her main body. It was skinnier than her brethren's forms, but no less powerful. Her arms came out of thee iris next.

She had enough for all her enemies.

Sahaquiel's caught their hands with her own, squeezing them in her grip as they all grappled. But that was not all. Spikes shot out of her palms, impaling the hands of her enemies. She felt the blows from the red and silver cousin as she grappled and looked their way. They tried to move. It was too late. Fire. Smoke. Destruction. Part of her Holy region had been converted into power and light. A deafening sound followed the explosion that had her two assailants smoking upon the earth.

This was the end. The song of triumph grew so loud it blocked out everything else.

Fall.

She felt their knees buckle once more,

Fall.

Slowly, her head turned to them as they grappled.

Fall.

Her eyes lit up, preparing to engulf them in power and light. Energy built within her, diverting power from her Soul wall so she could smite her enemies.

Fall!

Sahaquiel's vision blurred, spinning into a view of the sky first, then buildings. She did not understand. Her eyes darted around frantically as her song cut off abruptly. That's when she saw it. Opposite of where the red and silver cousin had come from stood a black cousin with red and purple accents. It radiated menace and felt more like true kin than the created abominations that were the cousins.

It stood at least a full foot taller than the others and had two horns protruding from the center of its head while two more horns extended horizontally from either side of its skull. Floating behind its head was a single perfect circle of what seemed to be golden light. It was a new form, but the same hated enemy. She could feel him.

Seraphiel.

Sahaquiel screamed again, but it mattered not. The black cousin rose its left hand, clawed fingers outstretched as if reaching for the iris on her larger body. She saw it before the feeling registered. As if in slow motion. The light building in that black palm. Purple in color. A soul wall that shifted and spasmed, making odd shaped before it shot forward into her body. Her core burst. The world around her began to fade.

Shame. Shame. Shame. She felt so much of it. She felt weak.

She hadn't wanted it to come to this. What came next…

XXX

And that's the chapter! It was fun to write. By the way, did you know that the apple jasmine scent I gave Asuka this chapter is at least mildly legit? I looked up how she might smell (that felt so weird doing and admitting to) and found a page where fragrances were made in representation of Shinji, Rei, and Asuka. A look into Rei's head here too. She's more angel than some people might have expected. Unlike her murderous kin though, she's far more docile and willing to cooperate with humanity. This is also my first foray into a battle from the perspective of an angel for the entirety of the fight. That part was really different, but thoroughly enjoyable. Also there are more names for an A.T. Field than I remember. Lol. I'd forgotten it was called the Holy Region and Light of the Soul once. Totally served it's purpose though. I didn't think Angels who hated the Lilin would call an A.T. Field an A.T. Field. That's a human designation after all.

New chapter of my personal work is up. Check out P/atreon/Reixe if you'd like to read it. See you all in the next update.