Sokila wasn't there, this time.
Rather, he gazed upon a golden door, upon which was affixed a crucified effigy.
Rather, he gazed through endless fog, at a young man removing his glasses.
Rather, he gazed at a thief in black, one beholding a golden chalice.
Symbols of sacrifice, tones of triumph, notes of...
"These are not for you to see."
A new voice. Familiar, yet not...?
"You are not yet ready."
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Saturday: June 13, 2015/
/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/
Shinji Ikari grumbled, rolling over in his sleep.
Uncertain dreams, unknown and unrecognized, assailed the fortress of his slumber.
He weathered through, and soon went still, once more at peace.
Dawn was still hours away.
xxxx
/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/
It was 5:00 AM on the dot when Rei Ayanami materialized into the cavernous office of Gendo Ikari. Many had likened its shadowy innards to a tomb.
So close, and yet so far. "You wished to speak with me?" she asked, speaking into the darkness.
"Major Katsuragi submitted a formal complaint regarding your behavior," replied Commander Ikari, hands folded together. "She seemed very disappointed."
"I am aware."
"Have a seat."
"...is that an order, sir?" She preferred to stand.
"...yes," said Gendo, after silent deliberation. She relented, and sat in the chair in front of his desk. How strange it would seem to an outsider, to see an old man and a young girl speaking to each other in the dark; stranger it would be, for the lights to be on, for both were more at home in the abyss, for vastly different reasons. "Your record will not be officially marked. I am speaking to you only as a matter of formality, to placate the Major."
"I understand."
"Good. You have been spoken to." The air of seriousness and solemn authority faded. "...tell me truthfully, Rei," he said, as his lips contorted into a knowing smirk, full of spite and malice, "is the facade already beginning to wear thin?"
Rei narrowed her eyes at the expression on the Commander's face. "That look does not become you."
"Neither does your stoicism," he replied. "It's an interesting mask. Do you find it nostalgic?"
"...despite your words, you persist as I have."
"Only so that I can see your face at the very end, when that which you've placed your hope in fails."
She briefly inhaled, collecting her thoughts, letting those churning waters still in the face of one she had once devoted herself to-
xxxx
The Beast within wailed.
xxxx
-no. She would not allow herself to ponder the alternatives. That way lied madness. "You hope as much as I do, that your son will succeed."
At this, Gendo's expression cooled. "...'hope' would be a very strong word."
"Then what word would be fitting?"
"To believe that he will do what must be done is to believe in a fantasy."
"...your demeanor will not change anything regarding the fate of Yui Ikari." There was a sudden change in pressure, as the man's tempestuous mind weighed on the cognitive realm; if nothing else, that aspect of him was still dangerous. Sheer spite had tempered it into a deadly blade. Still, she did not relent. "You know that I speak the truth."
"...just as you know that I speak the truth, when I say that he is not the salvation you have hoped for." That pressure slowly faded.
"I do not share your cynicism." She quietly stood up, lightly bowing towards him. "Today, we shall begin training Shinji Ikari in earnest. He will be ready...if nothing else, be assured that I will make certain of that." She slowly turned, walking away.
The Commander had once last parting shot. "Does the fear keep you up at night?" A beat. "The fear that he will show his true colors? That he will prove your faith in him wrong?"
"...I do not feel such fear."
A bitter chuckle. "If there's one thing I never raised you to be, Rei Ayanami...it was a liar."
"...you never raised me at all," she calmly retorted. "You never raised anyone or anything. Not even yourself." She left the office, electing to walk within the boundary of the physical. Her mind inwardly roiled, and her spirit...well, it went without saying. Before she realized it, she found herself sitting on a toilet in a bathroom stall. The porcelain was cold, numbing; her hands fell upon her knees, gripping at the bare flesh.
An acceptable feeling. It helped her to subdue the torment that Gendo Ikari's words had stirred.
xxxx
The Beast shed tears of blood.
"He is right, you know."
The blood threatened to consume them both, as always.
"We cannot be forgiven."
Her voice was drowned by Despair.
"We are forever damned..."
xxxx
...that may be so. Yet to fail...to turn her back on humanity...to let the current course continue...it would only solidify her sin. I must atone. There was a brief twinge, as her nails managed to pierce the skin on her legs. It would heal, before the Saturday classes started.
Perhaps it would be okay, to simply rest here until it was time for homeroom.
I wish I could cry.
Crying sounded so wonderful.
xxxx
/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/
"-and we'll be covering the various philosophical differences between Confucianism and Buddhism on Monday, so I recommend reading Chapter 4 in your textbook before the next class," advised Fuyutsuki-sensei, glancing towards the clock as it inched towards noon. "Any other questions?"
"No, sensei," repeated most of the class.
"Now, for some announcements...remember, the new moon is set to occur this upcoming Tuesday, crossing the meridian at approximately 11:30 in the morning. Current forecasts indicate that the potential for Ghost activity will be minimal for Tokyo-3...however, the government's safety recommendations are still advised. Also, we're only a month away from the first term final exams, so start preparing yourselves. Lastly, the common kitchens on the second floor of the Izanami Dorms are still being aired out after this morning's...accident...so I would advise the girls to occupy yourselves until that's all taken care of."
There was a round of general discontent from the female students, but Shinji Ikari found himself impressed more than anything. What kind of cooking accident would do that?
At last, the clock struck noon, and the Saturday classes came to an end.
"Freedom!" exclaimed Toji Suzuhara. "Feel like I've been run ragged, recently..."
"That's cause you've been hitting the track nonstop," griped Kensuke Aida. The bespectacled turned towards him - for an opinion, maybe? - only to pause at the sight of a certain blunette. "...hello, Ayanami."
"You and Ikari have both been requested. We have much to do today."
"Yeah yeah, no need to rush the proverbial execution," said Aida with a grumble, slowly rising from his chair. "Catch you later Toji."
"...yeah, sure," murmured the athletic boy, looking quietly at the trio before leaving.
Shinji stood to follow, only to pause as his phone buzzed. Huh? He pulled it out, looking at the messages coming in.
HEROD: WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE YOUR ANSWER TO OUR PRIOR INQUIRY.
HEROD: WE REQUEST A STATUS UPDATE.
HEROD: UTENSILS OR CHOPSTICKS?
Shinji almost drew a complete blank until he realized what these messages referred to. Really? He had honestly completely forgotten about the random message from an unknown figure. Not that that was surprising. Relenting, he typed back.
SI: chopsticks
There. Short, simple and to the point.
The response was almost immediate.
HEROD: YOU VALUE TRADITION OVER EFFICIENCY.
HEROD: THIS IS USEFUL DATA.
HEROD: WE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INQUIRY SOON.
"...okay...?" Nothing ever seemed to resolve itself neatly...
"Ikari, you coming along?"
Aida's words jolted Shinji out of his interior focus. "Oh, um, I'm coming!"
xxxx
Misato Katsuragi, sitting in the driver's seat of a blue Alpine Renault, stared tersely at Rei Ayanami. "Did you speak with the Commander?"
"I did."
"Were you disciplined?"
"In a sense."
"...did he ask about your mysterious 'friend'?"
"He did not."
Katsuragi snorted, finally looking at Shinji and Kensuke. "Get in."
Needless to say, the ensuing ride over to NERV had been...awkward. The two boys sat quietly in the back, while Ayanami occupied the passenger's seat. Her silence seemed natural, while Misato's was...tense, a proverbial pressurized kettle keeping the steam in. "What's their deal?" whispered Aida.
"I don't know," he honestly admitted. Something to do with the Commander, apparently...?
"...who do you think would win in a fight?"
"What kind of question is that?!" he barely managed to keep from shouting back.
"I'm just asking for your opinion on their power level. I have no reference for the abilities of an Evangelion-user, and Katsuragi's apparently some kickass A.T. agent."
"...why is this even relevant?"
"Man, you're hopeless."
How was he hopeless?!
The car pulled into the parking garage adjacent to NERV headquarters, going to a lower level than when Shinji had first been brought here. After passing through several scanners, an armored barricade opened up, letting them drive even deeper. She eventually parked relatively close to a set of sliding glass doors, which were guarded by men with guns. "Come on."
Ayanami dutifully walked behind her in lockstep; Aida was muttering somewhat excitedly to himself - "a super secret entrance!" - while he simply looked warily at the armed guards. After passing several security cameras, they passed through another armored door.
Ritsuko Akagi waited on the other side. "Good timing. Aida, you're with me."
"...ugh." Aida mulishly followed her, glancing over his shoulder with an irritated glare. "For the record, being an intern with NERV sucks!"
"Being an intern is a rite of passage no matter where you go," remarked Dr. Akagi. The duo soon disappeared around a corner, leaving Misato, Ayanami, and Shinji alone in the hallway.
The Major looked down at the stoic blunette. "You'll be in Training Room Seven. I'm heading up to Operations."
"Understood."
"Shinji-kun..." The woman looked at her with a measure of weary warmth. "...just, do your best, okay?"
"...my best?" As she walked away, he turned confusedly toward Ayanami. "What are we doing?"
The girl looked heavily at him. "Today, you will learn how to summon your Evangelion at will."
xxxx
Kensuke Aida wondered about many things.
Currently, he was wondering how he had gotten himself into this mess.
(He watched as NERV pried open his makeshift portal to the Metaverse, trying to see what made it tick. He knew that protesting their work would only be ignored, so he remained silent unless they asked questions. Alas, their enthusiasm was greatly chilled once they pulled a familiar medal out of its innards.)
Oh yeah, that was how.
"Pay attention to these parameters," instructed Dr. Akagi, lightly pointing at a monitor displaying several graphs and statistics. Several meters away, the MAGI loomed with an ominous hum. "If the Third Child ascends, I want to grab as much data as possible."
"Question."
"Yes?"
"Why call it ascending?"
She shrugged. "My mother had a thing for esoteric wordplay. How else do you explain her naming a troika of biocomputers after three Persian wise men from a Christian story?" Aida blinked, prompting her to chuckle. "Mothers can be weird, alas. Personally, I don't see anything very ascendant about manifesting an Evangelion."
"Why?"
Dr. Akagi slid another monitor over, this one detailing a video feed of a wide, sparse chamber, formed from white tiles bearing the numeral for seven. "Watch and see."
On that tiny monitor, a boy and a girl could be seen, entering the empty expanse.
xxxx
/Training Room Seven, NERV/
Shinji winced at the seeming brightness of the chamber. "Why does it have to be so bright?"
Ayanami did not answer that question. Rather, she said, "you have awoken to your Persona, correct?"
"...yes." He thought back to the eighth of June, when he had first opened up his phone. Those cryptic messages, courtesy of the girl before him. "Have I faced my Shadow in its fullness?" He then thought back to what Misato had told him, on the tenth of June. "But...Evangelion-users never faced their own Shadows before awakening a Persona...so how...?"
"There are manifold meanings in the words that people say. Empirical, literal, philosophical, metaphorical...my words to you were no different." Her stoic stare pinned him in place. "A Shadow can seem to be an entity with a will of its own, loose and free...for the minds of man are varied and strange...and yet, to be an Evangelion-user is to have a mind and a soul that cooperate willingly with each other, to a degree no one else in this world can manage. Hence, our Shadows are always with us, and in us; our deepest selves are bound tightly, by necessity."
"...but how? Why am I able to do that? Why am I like that?"
"That is something that I cannot help you with." A brief pause. "What were the words of your Persona? What was the idea that inspired it?"
He thought hard about it. He thought very hard. But certain things stuck out more than others, and those were what he went with. "To make a choice and live with its consequences...to take a stand."
For some reason, that elicited a tiny smile from her. "I see."
From high above, a crackling of static sounded, drawing his attention. "Okay, check check...all right. Operations is actively monitoring," explained Misato, from a place unseen. "Begin at any time."
Ayanami had not looked away. "It is one thing, to gaze within, and face the parts of us we may not like, or do not wish to accept...it is another to make them tangible." Blue fire sprouted from her form, spectral flames transforming her clothes into that familiar white bodysuit. "To open your heart is to let unpleasant things be known to more than just yourself." Her eyes gleamed yellow, as though she herself were a Shadow. "Do not hesitate."
Shinji gulped, right hand nervously clenching back and forth. "But...how am I supposed to-?"
"You have already done it before. You simply need to remember, and hold on tight to whatever may come."
Why was he feeling short of breath? Why was the back of his mind beginning to hiss? "I...I don't..."
xxxx
The voice that sounded like him was curious.
"You swore an oath, to choose for thyself."
It was knowing, and accepting.
"To accept whatever the results of those choices would be...no matter what."
Then, there was another: both monstrous and feminine, almost sounding like two voices overlapping each other.
"Do you have the strength?"
xxxx
Shinji winced, feeling for his head. Why was it so hot? "I..."
"If you do not control it, you will be devoured...either here, or in the battles to come."
"Easy...for you...to say..." he snarled, because it felt like his head was going to split open. It was just like at the elevator, when he had faced that man.
xxxx
The Beast chuckled.
"Your father...NERV...this whole wretched world..."
It lightly caressed his face.
"Even if you've forgotten...that hatred still kindles."
xxxx
Shinji found himself glaring at Ayanami. Little did he know, that his eyes were now the same shade of yellow, even as azure flames roared around him.
"It wants to break free. But for there to be control, you must accept the pain that comes with letting it out." To punctuate her point, her own hand delved into her stomach, tearing away a raging spark of blue. Blood stained her immaculate body suit, even though no wound could be seen. For some reason, the violence of that move didn't really bother him like it should have. "Take hold, and set it free."
xxxx
The Beast grinned. Its smile - her smile? - was full of teeth.
"Light it, and let it BURN."
xxxx
Without hesitation, Shinji - impossibly, unspeakably - tore into his own head, to unleash the Beast within.
xxxx
Dr. Akagi looked wryly at Kensuke Aida's gobsmacked expression. "Rather brutal, isn't it."
"...are they pulling those things out of their bodies? How are they not bleeding out?!"
"It's the damnedest thing: despite the apparent physicality, the injuries don't truly exist."
"...I'm watching my roommate tear his own skull open."
"It's simply a residual effect of how they're peeling their A.T. Field open to manifest the Evangelion. It's an inherently violent action, to imbue the soul with the mind, given the intrinsic disparities...although, theoretically a nonviolent materialization is possible-"
"Wait, so you're saying that blood is there only because we perceive it?"
"Essentially."
"...wicked." Aida's glee was undeniable. Then he promptly ran over to a nearby trash can and began throwing up.
The blonde rolled her eyes.
xxxx
Within Operations, Misato Katsuragi let the words of various technicians wash over her, as they observed the live footage of Rei Ayanami and Shinji Ikari manifesting their Evangelions. The seeming gore involved with manifesting an Evangelion always unnerved, in various different ways.
Shinji's seemed especially sad, for some reason. What goes through your head?
xxxx
From within his office, Gendo Ikari watched the events in Training Room Seven on his computer, hands folded together in contemplation.
He watched as Shogoki began to take form.
He watched the hateful rictus form on his son's face.
He smiled, quietly indulging in bitter satisfaction. You haven't changed at all.
xxxx
Within the gymnasium of Hakone Academy, a pale hand paused, mere inches away from hitting a punching bag.
Kaworu Nagisa looked aside, red eyes narrowing. That sensation...it was just like before...could it be...? I mustn't assume...I must make sure.
"Uh, you okay, Nagisa?"
"Ah. My apologies," he said, speaking to his Boxing Club teammate that was holding the bag steady. "I was merely distracted. Let us continue." He continued punching the bag, bare knuckles smacking harshly against the leather.
If his blows seemed to be harder than before, no one commented on it.
xxxx
Rei Ayanami watched quietly, as the spectral flames that had consumed Shinji Ikari faded. The bodysuit was mostly blue, with black highlights and armored protrusions of bluish-white metal covering his shoulders and upper torso. This was not the uncontrolled eruption from the elevator one week ago; this was more akin to the bestial fury that had been freely chosen, on the train to Tokyo-3.
She stared at his yellow eyes, gleaming with a mad hatred. What drives your hatred now, I wonder? Was it something old, something new?
Her gaze fell upon the Evangelion manifesting behind him, hunched and vibrating with tension. The purple armor with green highlights and hefty shoulder fins; the singular horn protruding from a demon's helm; those piercing eyes, glowing behind yellow lenses; despite the lithe body, it exuded a primal sense of power.
The violet Beast gazed down at her, and growled.
So...there is a part of you that realizes that much, at least.
Buried deeply, perhaps.
Shogoki attacked first, lunging forward; Zerogoki rose to meet her, grappling viciously.
Shinji actually delved through them, their essences parting like ghostly fog to let him pass, and screamed madly as he threw a wild haymaker.
Rei caught the blow and - twisting with her hips - used his momentum to throw him over a dozen feet away. "I acknowledge your hatred." It was well-deserved. "But we will not leave until you can control it."
xxxx
Shinji Ikari was on fire, from the top of his head to the bottom of his soul. And that fire wanted to destroy.
"What has this world done for you?"
It was the voice of the Beast. He did not know if it spoke aloud, or if only he could hear it. If the former, Rei and her spectral creature did not react.
"What can this world do, but take?"
It was the same fury that had erupted from within, when the creature on the train - that Angel, that was the word - had compelled a man to go berserk. It was an anger that demanded he face everything, to never run, because he had to destroy!
"What has been taken from you, if not everything that mattered?"
Shogoki's mouth unleashed a wave of force, blasting Zerogoki into the wall. Then, there was a flash of orange octagons, manifesting in front of the cycloptic creature, pushing the purple demon away. All the while, his hands lashed out with abandon, seeking to pummel the blue-haired thing in front of him.
"Your peace and happiness mean nothing to these people."
She dodged with ease, stepping away from each wild strike. A backhand was ducked, and she punished him with a brutal punch to the gut. Somehow, it didn't bother him.
"Your existence means nothing to these people."
With furious abandon, he brought his head down - CRACK! - into her own, forcing her to stumble back. His right hand clenched into a fist, which he brought straight into the middle of that pale, red-eyed face. All the while, Shogoki finally tore through the spiritual shields of Zerogoki, bringing a knee into the ghostly titan's face.
"You are but a means to an end, in their eyes..."
Zerogoki huffed and snarled, her single eye unleashing a torrent of red energy. Shogoki roared, forcefully splitting the beam into streams that smashed into the walls around them, cracking tiles and causing the lights to flicker.
"...so why not be the means to THEIR end?"
A gut-wrenching howl - full of so many things, they it would take an eternity for him to describe them all! - slipped past Shinji's lips, as he rushed forward to strike again. Rei Ayanami dug her heels in, staring at him with stoic intensity-
xxxx
Another place. Another time. Somewhere...important.
"KILL ME!"
Such was the demand given to him.
His answer was a mere whisper.
"No..."
xxxx
-and he blinked-
xxxx
Sokila hid behind the velvet curtains.
"Why..."
Her yellow eyes were wide with fear.
"Why do you look like that...?"
xxxx
-and he hesitated.
SMACK!
His entire skeleton rattled from the force of Ayanami's palm smashing into his cheek. He instinctively twisted with the blow, lest his head go flying off; even so, he nearly stumbled, and fell. Yet, his feet held sure, and he did not fall.
In the background, the struggle between Shogoki and Zerogoki went quiet. The orange titan stood quietly, while the violet monster panted heavily. Both were waiting for their original selves to make a move.
Rei Ayanami's stare was cool; she was waiting for him to make a move.
Why me? It all came down to that question, in the end. Why had all of this happened to him?
xxxx
His other self spoke with understanding.
"You may not know. You may not understand. Not for a very long time. And that's something you accepted."
His other self stood tall.
"For otherwise, what choice did you have but to run away?"
And then, the Beast loomed large.
"I am that which you fall upon when you have nothing left..."
She sneered, bestial and savage; ready to go at a moment's notice.
"...after all..."
Both figures began to fade away, now speaking in unison.
"...I am thou...and thou art I..."
xxxx
"...ow." Really, he had nothing better to say, because OWW.
"You have come to your senses?" inquired Ayanami, yellow eyes gleaming.
"...maybe." It wasn't inaccurate to say that he had burned himself out. Yet, he suspected that the source of that strange and otherworldly fury still remained. And that scared him. "I...I'm..."
"You do not have to apologize. I have faced what you face now."
"...can I at least say sorry for giving you a bloody nose?"
"If you wish," she said, uncaring of the trickle of red coming out of her nostrils. "It will be healed by evening."
"That's...good." And also very convenient.
She gestured with her hand; in a flash, Zerogoki manifested right behind her.
Blinking, Shinji looked over at Shogoki; the spectral creature slowly walked over, standing behind him. "...how...did you do the teleport thing?"
"A mere function of will and intent. You will be capable of the same before long." She inhaled deeply, and then exhaled; a veritable mountain of stress seemed to fall off of her shoulders. "Now...we may truly begin your training."
xxxx
Dr. Akagi sighed as she glanced at readouts coming from the MAGI. "Well, that could have gone worse. A fairly quick turnaround...not that we have much in the way of a sufficient sample size." Her gaze focused on Aida, who was still watching the video footage with rapt eyes. "Come on Aida, we have data to analyze."
"...Evangelions have, like, force fields and lasers?"
"...in layman's terms, yes." She didn't feel like getting into the overall intricacies of the A.T. Field manipulations involved to produce those 'effects'.
"...my roommate can shoot lasers with his soul. That's awesome!"
Dr. Akagi groaned. Why does he have to be such a teenager? Rhetorical thought, obviously. "If he ever has to deploy an Evangelion in battle, the situation would be decidedly 'not' awesome."
Aida's eyes stared at the general state of Training Room Seven, and dumbly nodded. "Point taken."
xxxx
Major Katsuragi nearly sagged into her chair, relieved that the battle had concluded with relatively little in the way of collateral damage. So to speak. "Put in a requisition order for Section 3 to repair Training Room Seven after they're done," she said aloud, not really caring who heard her, because it was going to get logged anyway. "How much power was Shinji putting out?"
"Still processing, ma'am."
The techie's answer was expected, but Misato wanted an actual answer now. Speaking of actual answers, she apparently needed to schedule a round of psychiatric evaluations for the Third Child earlier than expected...because the expressions on his face...
(When she asked the Second Child about what it was like manifesting her Evangelion for the first time, the redhead actually paused to gather her thoughts. Finally, the young preteen answered, "I felt an overwhelming desire to protect something...important. I know, sounds weird coming from me, right?" The blue-eyed girl huffed, lips contorting into an irritated pout. "Still trying to figure out what that 'something' is.")
(When she asked the First Child about what it was like manifesting her Evangelion for the first time, the blunette answered immediately. "I would rather not say." When she pressed further, the young girl added, "it has nothing to do with you, Misato Katsuragi. My answer tends to depress those who ask.")
...they hinted at his Evangelion sourced to something altogether darker and more primal. What the hell kind of life have you lived for a fourteen-year-old to have that kind of anger?
xxxx
"An impressive slap," mused Commander Ikari, watching as the violent 'spar' cooled down into relatively unimpressive calisthenics.
He wondered if that slap reminded the boy of anything.
He wondered if Rei hadn't loosed some of her own bitter feelings in that strike.
He wondered how deeply that anger of Shinji's went.
I wonder what seed sprouted that rage?
he pondered, trying not to enjoy that realization. I wonder what it is that drives you, deep down?
He couldn't wait to find out, if only so he could rub it into the boy's face.
Shinji Ikari deserved nothing less.
xxxx
Shinji Ikari slowly let his thoughts settle as he willed his Evangelion to follow the slow, measured movements of Ayanami's; it was rather bizarre, seeing Shogoki clumsily trying to imitate the stretches and motions of Zerogoki. 'Clumsily' being the key word.
How was this even working, anyway? How was his...mind-empowered soul...able to do this?
It was a decent question, so he asked it.
"It is one of the mysteries of Evangelion-users," she admitted. "NERV has not been able to ascertain a rational explanation as to why we can do what do. There are those who can wield the mind, as you have seen in the cognitive world; there are relatively fewer, who can wield their own souls, and manipulate their own A.T. Fields...but we are able to manipulate both, in a manner that no one else can."
"But why?"
"If they knew, they would tell us."
That was a very unsatisfactory explanation. "Okay then...what about the change in our uniforms?" He gestured at the strange bodysuits that both he and Ayanami were clad in. "And...why do our 'Evangelions' look the way they do?" Which brought to mind another question. "And...why the names? Zerogoki? Shogoki?" It was a weird similarity.
"...if they knew, they would tell us."
Shinji tried not to deflate. He failed.
"You are disappointed."
"I...well..." He a ran a hand through his hair, briefly flinching at the twin...hair clip thingies...resting atop his head. Why did they manifest? "...I just wish I knew more about why."
"The lack of knowledge has not stopped you thus far."
"...I guess." He felt like that should bother him more. "But is it wrong to want to know more...?"
"...no. It is not. If you persevere, you may be able to come to a greater understanding."
"...would...you help me?" Because honestly, it seemed like Rei Ayanami knew a lot more about this whole life than he did. Even if she did seem kind of scary at times. "I mean...you don't have to-"
"No. That would be..." The blunette looked at him with those enigmatic eyes, and why did he have the strangest impression that she wanted to smile? "...agreeable."
xxxx
And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:
I am thou, thou art I...
Thou hast acquired a new bond.
It shall lead thou to the truth
that parts the seas of depravity.
Take hold of the Priestess Arcana,
and let it guide you
to a new Promised Land...
xxxx
"...okay." He briefly bowed. "Thank you."
"...you can show your gratitude by continuing with your training. Shogoki has been standing still for the past three minutes."
Shinji twitched. "Grk!" And made...whatever that noise was.
And so their training continued.
xxxx
/Outskirts of Hakone Academy/
The Alpine Renault pulled to a stop by a curb; the grounds of Hakone Academy loomed in the background, stark against the twilight. "We'll be going over the data for the next couple of days, but be prepared for any alerts in the meantime." Misato glanced at the two Evangelion-users. "Also, I shouldn't have to say this...but please don't summon your Evangelions outside of NERV unless absolutely necessary."
"Understood."
"...okay."
She then looked at Kensuke Aida, who was looking somewhat flummoxed. 'Bewildered' was an actual mood that he possessed, heightened to a perpetual emotional state. "Hate to break it you, but Ritsuko's probably gonna have you come in tomorrow to work with her on the analysis."
"Bleh."
Aida's succinct response elicited a chuckle from Misato. "All right you kids, get on out." As they did so, she called once more. "Hey, Shinji-kun."
"Yes?" he looked back over his shoulder, into Katsuragi's concerned eyes.
"...just...take care of yourself, okay?" she requested, somewhat tentatively.
"...okay?" he responded, somewhat confused by the sudden concern.
The woman smiled, apparently amused by his response. "Enjoy the rest of your weekend."
Shinji watched quietly as she drove off, her vehicle soon blending in with the evening traffic. "...huh." What was that about? Was it something related to what she had seen at NERV, today? I wonder how I looked...come to think of it. "Aida-san."
"Yeah?"
"How did I look today, when summoning Shogoki?"
"You were equal parts awesome and scary," he instantly replied.
"...ah." His mind instantly harped on the 'scary' part. "Ayanami-san...was I scary?"
"I do not think you were scary."
Kensuke eyed Ayanami oddly. "Your vantage point is obviously biased."
"I cannot be held accountable for your insufficient courage."
The girl's retort earned a jaw-drop from the bespectacled boy. "Oh, that was uncalled for..."
Shinji slowly trailed behind the two (classmates, definitely; acquaintances, sure; he didn't quite know if the title of 'friend' was warranted yet...), wondering about the events of that day. Evangelion...Persona...I am thou, and thou art I...but...who am I, exactly? How did he appear to others?
Who was 'Shinji Ikari', in the eyes of everyone else?
xxxx
Later that evening.
Within Room 23 of the Izanagi Dorm's second floor, four boys slept quietly, more or less. Shinji was listening to classical music on his SDAT player (and this time, he had remembered to switch out the Velvet Room tape), letting the sounds drown out the rest of the world...which included Toji, because his snores were loud. Kaworu slept as the dead, unmoving and still, save for the slight inhale and exhale of breath. Kensuke looked and sounded the most normal of them all, slightly sprawled out on his top bunk.
Then, there was a quiet shift.
Atop Aida's mattress, but beneath the boy himself, a white void slowly began to manifest, a sliding door opening up to another world. The boy still slumbered as he slowly tumbled in; moments later, the void closed silently, as though it had never been.
Kaworu soundlessly sat up, red eyes darting around with caution. He focused upon the empty bunk bed of Kensuke Aida, and his expression narrowed with suspicion. Hmm.
Slowly, he laid back down, and returned to sleep.
And so the night rolled on, three boys sleeping soundly.
xxxx
END OF 6/13/2015
xxxx
/brief note
/this story is updated regularly on SpaceBattles' Creative Writing forum
/and Sufficient Velocity's User Fiction forum
/pop in for reader commentary and random asides!