Record That
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN EVANGELION, NOR ANY OF THE SONGS! DON'T SUE ME!
Chapter 12: Hypnosis
Its black eyes scanned the horizon, taking in the people screaming on the hilltops. Noticing the ones hiding beneath the steel and concrete being used as a shield. While they waited for the machines to win their war for them. They did not come to face their foes with honor. To Diligentia, these children of Lilith only cared for themselves. The entity wouldn't take issue slaughtering them if they did not bow to its will.
"I have come bearing news, that your easily swayed minds will soon come to reject. As it seems you have all fallen to the sway of the one who hypnotizes thou with illusions and sounds. It will shake all of you to your cores to know that the creature you've seen is more than simply a false God. It is a monster, whose madness knows no bounds. Serving and worshiping me, is now your only way towards salvation."
Everyone remained silent, they didn't know how to respond to such a massive creature. Telling them that the clone of Shinji, and it's true extensions were much more evil than expected. How was anyone supposed to take that in? Though, certain groups didn't even bother taking what it had to say into consideration.
Three all to familiar groups in particular. Rei, the staff down in the Central Dogma, and the kids up in the hills. All began to panic/plan, as Diligentia seemed to be distracted with the main population of Tokyo-3 instead of their tiny little group. What they didn't know was that it had already noticed them. And it was planning to use them as an example, they were close to the Reflection after all.
First, it dealt with the clone of Lilith. After the tentacle pierced the invisible barrier in order to kill the Reflection. Or at least the one that was talking to her. It had left a hole in the barrier for Rei to fly through. With that, she jumped into action and took towards the EVA. With the Reflection dead, Shinji was unconscious inside a massive machine. He was the Reflection's only true weakness, meaning it wouldn't leave Shinji unguarded.
Though she didn't get far, she was a lot slower than she usually was. This was due to a couple things, but mainly for the first time feeling an overwhelming amount of fear. All she could think about was running to safety. Not standing and fighting, she could be replaced, not flying to the EVA, that would be faster. She didn't do any of this, because for the first time in her life. She wanted to live, and this massive entity could easily kill her.
As long as it didn't see her, she would be fine. Though she never had a chance to hide. As before she was even halfway there. One of Diligentia's tentacles came out of the ground right in front of her. It immediately wrapped her up and brought her up in front of the giant's eyes. For the first time as well, she was screaming for her life.
Begging and shouting for the Reflection to come save her. Though she didn't call it the Reflection, all she knew was that it was another Shinji. So all she did was scream for Shinj's help.
"I hope you realize that it was not Shinji that you slept with." Diligentia said.
This shut her up, this massive creature just exposed her in front of hundreds upon thousands of people. Now she began to cry.
"Don't bother with crying. You'll find no salvation in trying to find pity. Everyone here does the same thing as you, and it only ends in pain. So much pain."
The tentacle tightened, causing Rei to cry out in genuine pain. Regardless of if she had felt emotions before the Reflection brought them out of her. She knew what pain was.
"You have chased pleasure in order to compensate for your pain. It gives you back your emotions, just so you could chase after it. Instead of reporting to your creators, you run towards the true monster. All you want is fulfillment in the quickest way possible. You are a sloth of an entity."
Diligentia started tightening its grip again, but Rei didn't scream. Instead, she shouted back.
"I'm no sloth! I've never been able to feel this way! All I wanted was answers. I would've brought these answers to Gendo. And I would've saved Shinji regardless of if he was or wasn't different from the other one. Please! Understand. I was only trying to understand what was-AHHHH!"
The tentacles tightened to a point where Rei's body was crushed, to a point where her head popped. Joining the viscera covering Diligentia's face.
"Again, don't ask for pity. If you want answers, you'll find them in the constant torment of my body. Where one is reborn, to serve me."
Another tentacle grew on Diligenta's beard, with the screams of Rei being heard as it fully formed.
This horrified everyone, especially those down in the Central Dogma. Everyone was borderline panicking, while some were trying to take in what just happened. This thing just revealed what Rei was and had done. Then killed her without hesitation. This thing's power must be even greater than the Reflection.
'Must' was the key word, for Gendo at least. He couldn't believe that the Reflection was dead. This creature came off as too smart to allow this Lovecraftian creature to get the drop on it. Especially since it apparently knew the creature from the past. Though no one else was considering that, they were more or less taking in how a tentacle had just pierced the Geofront to kill the Reflection.
The Bridge Bunnies were screaming that they're sensors didn't work. Misato was trying to calm everyone else down and keep them at their stations. While Ritsuko and Kozo were screaming at Gendo to tell them how they should proceed. Though, he knew that there really wasn't anything he could do about it.
For now, he was trying to plan ahead. While he left dealing with this new enemy to Shinji and his Reflection. So, he was trying to think of a way to explain this to his fellow staff members. What Diligentia meant by Gendo being Rei's creator. Though, perhaps he should've been paying more attention to the flickering screens showing the giant. As it began to look directly into the camera.
Soon, its tentacles dug back down into the Earth again. Where they emerged in the Geofront yet again. This time coming right up to the main players in the Central Dogma. Gendo, Kozo, Misato, Ritsuko, and the Bridge Bunnies, basically anyone who could take charge of the situation had a tentacle pointing right at them. They all went silent in fear, except for the other staff members who all ran out of the command center.
"You all have failed." Diligentia said, its voice only being audible over the garbled speakers of the control screens. Or at least, what remained of them.
"All of your constant attempts to find new knowledge. Weather about your enemies, friends, or lovers. Has all led you down the path of degeneracy. And while some have yet to perform truly heinous acts. That was only temporary, and all of you know this. Let's hope you sloths can accept your death more gracefully than that Lilith clone did."
The sharp tentacles began to slowly close in on each of the NERV members. With how slowly they moved, it was easy for them to back up. Though no matter how far they moved, the tentacles would always follow. Everyone reacted relatively the same way, only slightly different. Once backed up to a wall, Makoto, Shigeru and Kozo realized that this might be the end.
Maya fell into Ritsuko's arms crying, and Ritsuko didn't mind. At least she would have some company that she never knew wanted her. Misato tried to make a run for it, but not before Gendo started to shout.
"Wait!"
The tentacles stopped.
"Please, just kill me and spare them." Gendo asked, not moving too far from his spot. "It's clear you detest us due to hunting for forbidden knowledge. Though, if you know this, then you already know that I'm the Genesis of their actions. Their current situation is caused because I couldn't handle things better."
He stepped forward, pushing his head up to the spike. His head began to slightly bleed.
"If anyone deserves to die, it should be me."
"Wrong!" Diligentia nearly shouted. "All of you are your own people. While it's true that you are the cause of most of their curiosity. That doesn't excuse them from their sins."
"Then why not just take away our knowledge? Let us start anew." Gendo pleaded.
"You disappoint me, as I said to your creation. Don't ask for pity. You've now just asked for a fate worse than death. One that you've brought upon them as well." Diligentia said.
In the blink of an eye, all of the tentacles found their targets. The heads of its victims, to which they began withdrawing vital brain matter from their skulls. Once all life had been sucked from their heads, the tentacles withdrew. Leaving the bodies as twitching slabs of meat, with just barely enough nerves to keep them alive.
Though Gendo had a sly smile on his face. However, Misato kept running. Feeling shame on leaving her friends behind, but taking advantage of the tentacle stopping. In the hallways of NERV, she stopped to take out her phone. Where she began to send a message to her old soul mate, Kaji.
She knew that this might be her last message, so she made it count.
"I love you, I'm sorry." She texted it without any real emotion in it. The adrenaline of running for her life getting to her. More than her feelings. Though she knew deep down that she was going to die. This was something she had to do.
Then, right as she hit send, the tentacle caught up and did the same to her as the others did to their other victims.
As the tentacles retracted to the surface. Diligentia turned its attention to the horrified observers on the hill top. Though a couple are missing. Toji, after witnessing the thing that saved his sister's life being brutally killed. Realized that if he wishes for her to remain safe, they need to move now.
He picked up his completely traumatized sister. Who had become non-commutative due to watching her new friend getting brutally impaled. And they began to run, he shouted for his friends to follow behind which they soon did. With Kensuke lagging behind. The three older kids ran for the hills, while Hikari screamed "What is that thing?" And "What does it want?"
Toji simply responded with "I don't care!" For all of her questions. All that mattered was getting away. The two didn't know what was making Kensuke go so slow, but it didn't matter. Soon, they all fell through the ground. They continued to fall as bright colors and visions of an alien landscape flew past them.
Then they appeared right back with the rest of the adults. The three kids became violently sick and began puking. While the adults watched in confusion, Diligentia watched with slight glee.
"You all have been listening to my punishments without any context, and for that I apologize." Diligentia explained. "While I have dealt with those who thought themselves to side with the true enemy. I will give you all a chance at redemption."
The giant looked down to the three kids who were recovering.
"These are the last ones to side with the enemy. If you beat them with inches of their lives. I will all allow you to join me in perfect diligence."
The three kids suddenly feel a fear unlike any they've felt before. Though for a moment, it seems like they would be fine. As almost every adult objects to this command. One shouting:
"We'd rather die than kill our children!"
"You won't kill them." Diligentia confirms. "They aren't as guilty as the previous heretics are, but if you're not convinced. Allow me to show you what pure diligence sounds like. As you all seem to love sound and visions."
Diligentia then raised his tentacles and began to vibrate them. They began to make noise which sounded like singing. A sound so hypnotic that all those who heard it became entranced by it. So much so that they basically became brain dead. Everyone from the ones on the hill to those in the geofront.
"Are you all convinced?"
Everyone nodded, even Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke. Though Sakura remained unresponsive.
"Well then, do my bidding."
The adults then proceeded to brutally harm the three children. With Sakura being relatively protected by her brother's body. After they had received a thorough beating. The adults stopped and began praying to their new lord. Even those from the underground began to come up and join in with the praising in the hills.
"I am all that is and ever will be in this new world. Now gaze upon my magnificence."
Diligentia soon began to fully emerge from the portal that had sprung out of Sachiel. Its long fat arms, followed by its massive gut and big feat came forth. It stood slightly taller than the tallest skyscraper. It spread its arms out wide open. With its tentacles all vibrating and singing.
"Now, feed me my new followers!"
The tentacles then shot for the massive crowds of people up in the hills. Only for them to bounce off the barrier. Diligentia was surprised by this and tried to send them underground like before. Yet there was now a barrier there as well. The tentacles flailed around looking for a way out to crush their new victims.
Yet there are no exits, only a massive invisible field. It was at that moment, even in its black hollow eyes. Diligentia felt both anger and fear.
"DOMINUS!" It shouts.
Shinji was forced to watch this all from the cockpit of his EVA. Hearing his name being screamed out for him to help Rei. Listening as Diligentia does the same to the crew in the Central Dogma. Then, watching as everyone beats up three innocent people, all for a song that the boy couldn't even make out. Why couldn't he make it out? Why was everything so blurry?
'Where? Where am I?' He thought, as he began to fall backwards.
Once he hit the ground, Shinji realized he still had his eyes closed. When he opened them, he realized he was lying on a beach. The water was red, it was night time, the landscape was desolate and destroyed. It was as if Tokyo-3 had been hit by multiple nuclear bombs. And the smell, oh God the smell.
It seemed to be coming from the rotting corpses of the massive dead pure white bodies. Just like in the visions that he had been witnessing whenever he passed out. Though this all seemed too real to be a dream.
"Step one, return to your home universe. The original timeline that came from."
Shinji looked up to see the Reflection looking off at the wide open red sea.
"Step two, make a lot of noise. Preferably with music, something that's familiar so you can sing along."
Shinji began to stand up, slightly burning his skin on the cold rough sand.
"Step three, show weakness, not enough to expose your Achilles heel. Just enough that your enemy thinks you're vulnerable. A good example would be torturing your past self."
"Yet doing so harms you. You're basically your own worst enemy."
The Reflection smirked at that. Though it didn't look in Shinji's direction.
"I never said I wasn't. Nor will I ever deny it. Besides, I deserve to get living shit kicked out of me. Don't I?" It said, this time slightly looking at the boy.
"Step four," It continued. Looking back out into the distance. "Attack a creature that holds a slight fraction of power to open up a portal. One that it can't normally do under the correct circumstances, but something a much more powerful entity can take advantage of. You'd be basically putting up a sign saying 'Come on in. Definitely not a trap.'
I even purposefully let my guard down when talking to the different groups of people, I mean come on, it was so obvious. Though they don't see it like that. Hell, they're all so prideful, they don't even notice that you're in your home universe. And that you're attacking your original form. They've seen this happen thousands of times across billions of different timelines. What makes this one so special?"
The Reflection made sure to emphasize that last part. Only for it to fully turn to face Shinji, with that same old devilish grin.
"Step five, you." It said pointing to him. "You're the trap, Shinji. You're the one who's going to kill that thing."
"Wait, slow down. How? Why? And why can't you do it yourself? Not only that, what is that thing!? And what is it doing to everyone!? It just killed Rei! And it sounded like it just killed everyone at NERV! Now it has everyone hypnotized by its power! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KILL THAT THING!? WHAT IS GOING ON!?"
Shinji's shouting started to echo. Something the Reflection let play out for as long as possible. As if it was making a point. Something that Shinji took notice of, and realized before the Reflection began to speak.
"You forgot one, no two, you forgot two important questions. What is this place? Though you probably already have that one figured out. The second question is, or at least should be. Why aren't we doing something about that right now?"
The Reflection spoke and gestured like it was mocking yet educating Shinji at the same time.
"This isn't just the future; this is my home. My own little pocket dimension. Where time moves differently, due to how far away we are from our original starting point in time."
It began walking around and making its way towards the overgrown road. It's here that Shinji noticed that there was no life around here. Not even the sound of cicadas. Simply pure silence, aside from the sound of the Reflection's footsteps.
"Here, I can plan, watch, and even train for the events ahead. The catch is that I can't drag in beings like Diligentia. Though the plus to that is he can't do the same to me."
"Then…then…" Shinji was becoming overwhelmed by all of this. Especially with how much sheer power was on display.
"Take your time. It takes twelve months here for a single minute to pass there."
With that little bit of information, Shinji calmed down a little. And focused on what he wanted answered.
"Okay, fine. What even was that thing? It's like something out of Hell, looking like something out of Heaven."
The Reflection laughed at that description.
"You're not too far off." It said, with its tone shifting to more serious.
Then, it snapped its fingers, and the two were on the hillside. Similar to where the civilians were standing. Shinji wasn't even really surprised by this, though he was interested in why two comfortable looking chairs appeared out of nowhere.
"Come, take a seat. You might want to hear this next part sitting down." The Reflection said.
Shinji decided to just go along with it. When the two had gotten comfortable, the Reflection looked off into the distance.
"You know what's funny? If I have to teleport someone, I have to take them through this world. And with how slow we're going, compared to how fast the world is moving. It would immediately make them sick. Yet, when we're in here, we can teleport around all we want. Like something out of an anime. Like something out of an…."
The Reflection sighed. Shinji felt a little awkward, but he was getting tired of the Reflection's musing. Though who was he to judge? Oh, wait, he was judging himself.
"Life is like an anime, now more than ever. The difference is that I want to kill myself more than I want to fight monsters. Care to explain why I should fight them?" Shinji asked, slightly audaciously.
The Reflection didn't take this lightly for once. Instead, it looked at Shinji with a judgeful look of disappointment.
"That question doesn't need answering, because you should fight your enemies regardless."
"Easy for you to say when you have all the power. And you didn't answer my true question. You're the master of reading people apparently. Why don't you tell me what that Diligentia thing is?" Shinji snapped back.
There was a long silence between them after that. It went on for what felt like minutes. Shinji slowly began to feel uncomfortable again, he was being rude to someone who could kill him instantly. Yet, it was trying to help him, for now. For all the frustration that had built up in Shinji when dealing with his Reflection. It all disappeared so easily in the face of pure authority and cold-hearted discipline. The boy was in this entity's world now, he didn't get to make the rules.
Though the Reflection did eventually break the silence. By taking out a glass of bottle of whisky and taking a sip. Not even pouring a glass.
"Ah…didn't even feel it. I can't anymore. Only if you drink it. Want some?" It offered some to Shinji.
The boy refused.
"Oh, you'll want some. Trust me." The Reflection's evil smile returned. "Diligentia would like some. In fact, he gets plenty every night. Drinking loads of it while no one is looking. I helped him with that, but that's a story for another time."
The Reflection took another sip and then made the bottle disappear and reappear in Shinji's lap.
"What you ought to know is how he drinks it. All of those tentacles on his face used to be people. So, he can use them as substitutes for an old self. I don't even know what happened to his original body. And why should I? I was only born fourteen years ago. Him…. he was…...created, billions of years ago."
Another brief silence, just so the Reflection could take in Shinji's confused face.
"Tell me, Shinji, do you even know who our Grandparents are? On both sides of our family."
Shinji thought for a second, then simply shook his head. Making the Reflection laugh a little.
"Trust me, you don't want to know. They're all the embodiment of one of the many sins of life in one way or the other. And the further back you go, the more you realize just how much of a failure they all are. Especially when you travel back to your oldest relatives. And I don't mean the monkeys, or even the fish that eventually came out onto land. No, I'm talking about the ancient ones, creatures billions of years old, not even from this Earth.
Yet they're still flawed and foolish all the same. Like father like son, I guess. Or in this case, like creator like created. Though can you really call them creators when all they did was destroy each other? Only setting their differences aside when their offspring started to approach their level of power. They were supposed to die out, let us take the stage in the billion-year tale that is the universe.
Though I guess immortality was still too much to give up. What a joke of a race."
The Reflection stared up at the starry sky, as Shinji sat there. Silent, but entranced by what it was saying. Connecting the dots in a way that made him realize what those shiny beings were in his visions of the future. And how Diligentia bore the same resemblance.
"We…we…humanity…we come from aliens?" The boy eventually stuttered out.
The Reflection looked back to Shinji, letting its head drop to the side in order to do so. Giving it an uncanny look to it, making the boy jump a bit.
"What else would you call them?" The Reflection giggled a little bit. "They go by many names, though what humanity gave them as a name is my personal favorite. The First Ancestral Race if I remember correctly. It's hilarious, right? That would have to imply they're the least bit human, and not the selfish false Gods that they actually are."
Shinji was silent, looking at the Reflection in disbelief. His entire body began to shake, and it was then that the boy decided to take a crack at that whiskey. He had heard that in the past adults would use the drink to calm their nerves. Now if only they mentioned how badly it tasted. Resulting in Shinji immediately coughing a lot of it up.
The Reflection started laughing at the boy's pain, only to start coughing as well. Their sounds echoed throughout the landscape. Shinji almost joined in the laughter as well, because even though he only took one sip. It was some damn powerful whisky, doing its job of loosening the boy up. Though his thoughts were keeping him from fully taking in the new experience.
Eventually, the boy gained his composure and even though he had a lot of alcohol stains across his shirt. Joining the LCL and blood stains as well. Shinji focused back on what was going on.
"So…aliens created us. Only for them to want us dead. That's…. your right about this whisky. I needed it." Shinji said.
"Ha! It's great. I haven't felt like this in a long time. So clear headed and calm. What a feeling, what freedom." The Reflection responded, spreading out and laying down in its chair.
"God, you are the embodiment of an enigma. You know that?" Shinji said.
"Oh?" The Reflection asked.
"You're murderous, yet gentle. You hate people, yet you wish to guide them. One moment you're trying to put the fear of God into me. The next you're laughing at us both being in comedic pain. Is this really who I am to become in the future? No wonder they hate you, the aliens of course."
"Yes, oh you have no idea of their hatred for me." The Reflection said in a jovial tone.
"I already do. They kill anyone who even comes close to you. If you hadn't teleported me away. I'm sure I'd already be dead." Shinji said, very matter of fact. His serious tone actually did manage to catch the Reflection off guard. At least for a second.
"Oh, aren't you the serious one? Well then tell me, EVA pilot, how much do you know about them?"
Shinji remained silent, though didn't feel embarrassed. At this point he just wanted the Reflection to get his lecture over with.
"Did you know that they sent out multiple seeds of life? Containing the souls of the not only Lilith, mother of humanity, but also Adam, the father of the Angels?"
Here it came again with the overwhelming amount of information.
"Did you know that both of them crashed on Earth. Causing the dilemma we're in right now? Did you also know that the Ancestralials saw this happen, and decided to do nothing about it?"
The Reflection made sure to stand up for this one and approach Shinji. Towering over him like the grim impression that it was.
"And tell me Mr. KnowItAll. How much do you know about NERV and Diligentia outside of what I've hinted at and told you directly?"
It put its foot up onto one of the arms of Shinji's chair. Almost even stepping on his arm. Not until the boy pulled out of the way in fear.
"There are a lot of things that you don't know, but you will know them when the time is right. And I'll decide when that happens. Understood?" The Reflection said in its most authoritative voice.
Shinji nodded in recognition. To which the Reflection frowned at and began walking back to its seat. Though it didn't sit down. It laid its hand on the top of the chair and looked off into the distance. For a minute or so it stood there, until eventually saying.
"There's one question of yours that I didn't answer. How are you supposed to kill these things?" The Reflection turned, looked behind its shoulders and smirked. "It's to get under its skin. Something you've done a pretty job at so far."
The Reflection then fully turned around and leaned on the chair with an incredibly confident demeanor.
"The Ancestrals are an incredibly selfish race. They're the embodiment of everything wrong with life itself, and so am I. When I became this powerful. I became the bane of their existence, the thing they never wanted to happen. Leaving their emotions heightened, shivering in fear, making them realize that for all their power.
They're still mortal, just with long lives, nothing more. And another being is just as strong as them. That will kill them without hesitation, well, let's just say I became rather popular. Right now, I've lured Diligentia into one of my greatest traps. One that I want you to spring. He'll use up all of his power that could be used to destroy the planet trying to escape. Leaving him incredibly vulnerable."
Shinji was shaking again, so he took another drink of that whisky. This time, he didn't cough, but he did make a face of disgust. Once the alcohol took effect again, Shinji addressed his Reflection.
"And just how am I supposed to do that?" He asked.
"Let me handle that part. The music you listened to earlier. It will help you with the process. Just remember something my dear other self. I am you, you are me, and I am the embodiment of everything these deities hate. As far as I am concerned, you've already won."
Whether or not it was the alcohol that was doing this. Shinji didn't feel scared by what the Reflection said, and simply stood up.
"Well, let's get it over with then." Shinji said.
The Reflection walked up to him and placed its hand on his head. With its thumb right on top of his forehead.
"Now, let's have some fun." The Reflection responded. With a truly sick twisted grin.
Oh no! Everyone is dead! Just like my soul.
Sorry if this wasn't out last week, or two weeks ago depending on when this is released. Life just fucking sucks. I'm currently going through a really rough time in my life. Though, I'm not going to bore you with the details. I'd just like to let you know, that for every good thing comes something ten times worse.
For every moment I realize just how I want to take this story. There's a reminder of how much I've lost control of my life. So, if things slow down, or speed up only for a dry spell to occur. Please understand, it's never going to be you guys and gals. You all could throw literal shit at me and I'd still try to please you.
I'm a wreck of a human being. Though at least it helps me write.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the new one should be out soon. Though don't get your hopes up.
Thanks for the support.