"And just like that, things are back to normal! Funny how that works, huh?" Toji asked, leaning dangerously in his chair.

It had been two days since their visit to the Over the Rainbow. The new pilots and Shinji's group had parted ways at port and that was the last time Shinji or either of his friends had seen the pair. Shinji was sure that's why he hadn't been called to base, as they were too busy with Kaworu and Asuka to need him at the moment.

"You don't think we'll see Asuka and Kaworu again?" he asked skeptically.

"Haha, maybe you will but not me n' Ken! Sorry, Shinji. You'll have to deal with the Red Devil alone," Toji crowed.

Shinji frowned but didn't argue, instead making himself look busy with something on his computer. Kensuke instead argued, "I don't think that's likely Toji! Ayanami and Shinji are pilots too but here they are!"

For emphasis, he gestured to Rei, who was reading a book quietly at her desk in the corner. She made no indication she heard—or cared about what he was talking about.

Toji grimaced and sat up, his chair clicking sharply against the tile, "Shaddup, you! Stop making sense!"

Kensuke only chuckled in response. Shinji spoke up, "Having Kaworu around won't be so bad. Asuka…" he trailed off.

"She slapped you for no good reason! In my eyes, she is unsalvageable!" Toji declared.

"I'm sure she'll come around," Shinji mumbled.

"Let's hope for your sake," Kensuke commented.

Further conversation was stopped by the teacher shuffling in and sitting at his desk. After Hikari led the class through their morning ritual, he coughed to get their attention, "Class, today we have two new students today…"

Shinji couldn't help but give Toji a side eye. The other boy shoved his head onto the desk and groaned overdramatically, "Nooooo,"

Kaworu entered followed by Asuka, who had a skip in her step. He wrote his name on the blackboard in neat script then turned to the class with a serene smile, "My name is Kaworu Nagisa. Nice to meet you."

Asuka practically shoved him aside and would have if he didn't move out of the way. She wrote her name in loopy curls then turned on her heel to smile, "I'm Asuka Langley Soryu! Charmed, huh?"

Toji grumbled, just quiet enough for Shinji to be the only one to hear, "Yeah, a real charmer…"

The pair filed into their seats. Asuka swatted Toji on her way by, giving him a smirk, before sitting a few seats away. Kaworu himself took the empty seat beside Shinji, giving him a cheerful smile, "I knew we'd see each other again."

Shinji nodded, a faint tinge of crimson to his cheeks, "Yeah...Toji said you guys wouldn't be students but I knew he was wrong."

"I get it, I was wrong!" Toji snapped then rubbed the back of his head, "Ugh, I've jinxed us all."

Kensuke gasped, "Toji, Toji! Tell me I'll never be an Eva pilot! Since the universe is bent on proving you wrong!"

Toji frowned then deadpanned, "Kensuke Aida, you will most certainly be an Eva pilot."

Shinji grimaced as the pair continued to banter. Kensuke was his friend but he wasn't very realistic. Somehow, even seeing his suffering firsthand, he couldn't get it through his head it was not something he wanted. And even if he could somehow trade places, he would never do that to him. He wouldn't wish such a fate on anyone.

Kensuke pointed at Kaworu, "New kid! What do you think my chances at becoming a pilot!"

Kaworu blinked, somewhat put on the spot. Still, he answered, "It's not impossible but I wouldn't know the chances. It's hardly as glamorous as you think though."

Kensuke groaned but let the topic drop. Toji half-twisted in his chair to address Shinji, "I've meaning to ask you, Shinji. Would you like to come with me n' Ken to visit my sister Sakura in the hospital?"

He blinked in surprise, "You think she'd want to see me?"

"Bah! No one's mad at you about it!" Toji brushed him off.

Always ready to clarify, Kensuke did so, "Actually, Toji was the only one mad at you about the whole thing! Sakura was excited when Toji told her he was going to school with the pilot of the "cool purple dinosaur robot"."

"Andddd then demanded I apologize when Ken let it out that I clobbered you," Toji grumbled, an embarrassed shade to his cheeks.

"She really wants to meet you actually," he continued.

"Oh, I guess I could," Shinji mumbled, "We don't have any tests or anything like that. You think I need to bring anything?"

"Naw, just yourself," Toji leaned further over, "Hey, Nagisa! You wanna come hang with us after school!? Or do you have important pilot-y things to do?"

He shook his head, "Mine and Asuka's first tests have been done for a few days now. So yes, I am free."

"Oh this is great!" Kensuke clapped his hands together, "After we visit Sakura, we go over to my place! We'll have the place to ourselves since both Dad and my brother work late!"

"Where's your brother work?" Shinji asked, "I don't remember you saying."

"It's not a big job," he shrugs, "He's a part-timer at the convenience store down the way from our house. With Dad working at NERV, most of our bills are paid but Goichi said he had to be doing something or he'd go insane! So he works part-time and we get some extra spending money."

"Doesn't sound half-bad," Shinji commented.

The school day droned on until lunch came, a time much rejoiced. The trio accepted Kaworu easily; or rather Toji forced him to hang out with them. According to him, being Shinji's friend made him their friend too. Neither boy bothered to point out they barely knew the other—or at least in Kaworu's case, Shinji barely knew him.

The sun was beating down too hard for the boys to hang out at their usual haunt at the roof so they opted for the trees outside. Toji groaned, "Man, why couldn't we get eternal winter instead of an eternal summer?"

"Then you'd be complaining its too cold," Kensuke gasped then elbowed Shinji lightly, "Hey, hey. Piloting an Eva almost makes you wish for an eternal winter, huh?"

When Shinji stared at him, confused, he sighed, "Never mind."

The mislanded joke past, Shinji said, "Winter sounds nice. So cold and crisp and there's even snow!"

"Snow is overrated."

Shinji jumped and turned to find Asuka standing over him, the sun setting her orange hair ablaze. She scoffed, "Hey there, dorks!" and planted herself right on Kaworu's other side.

"Excuse me, who invited you?" Toji cried, pointing a finger at her.

She turned her nose at him, "Me. Us pilots gotta stick together," she elbowed Kaworu, "Right, Prettyboy?"

He smiled, a mischievous light in his eyes, "If that's the case, how about Ayanami?"

"Wha-I didn't mean her!" she whipped her head to the side, scanning the courtyard for her.

There she was, tucked up against the wall of the school, her knees drawn to her chest. Perched precariously on them was a tray from the cafeteria that she was demurely eating from.

To her surprise, it wasn't Kaworu who took initiative but Shinji. He stood and agreed, "We should invite her over. She looks so lonely and I guess I'm not a great friend for not inviting her sooner."

Kaworu beamed and stood too, "Let's go!"

Behind him, Toji grimaced but didn't complain, deciding it would be too cruel to. Even if he thought she was a total weirdo, it was the kind thing to do. Asuka watched the pair walk over.

She had no interest in making friends with the First. Sure, it was probably a good idea. But thinking about it made her insides knot uncomfortably.

Not only was she the doll: symbol of everything that had gone wrong in her life but Asuka had no idea what was up with her. She vaguely remembered that she had been fatally injured against one of the last Angels back in the "Prime Loop" (as she had been calling it) but she had no idea what had happened after except she was...still there. And something had allowed her control over Third Impact in the end.

She felt there was something she was supposed to know about Rei but, because her state at the end, she just didn't. Perhaps Kaworu could shed some light on that.

"What's your problem with Rei?" Kensuke asked.

Broke from her thoughts, Asuka scoffed, putting her mask back on, "There's no problem! I just hardly know her!"

"You're really giving her the stink-eye for someone who doesn't know her," he pointed out.

Further argument was stopped in its tracks as the two boys returned with Rei. Shinji gestured for her to sit next to him which she complied with. Settled down, she resumed eating, as if she had never moved at all.

Shinji sat down too, "You just met Kaworu but this is Asuka. She's another pilot."

"I know," Rei said, looking up from her meal at her, "I was informed."

Rei's eyes bore into her, brilliant red—like freshly spilled blood, like eyeless smiles, like the sea at the end of the world. She said in her usual tone, "Hello and nice to meet you. I hope we may work efficiently together."

Asuka was able to rip herself away and looked into the green, fresh grass, "Um. Yeah."

The group went deathly silent, confused or surprised at her sudden out-of-character behavior. She could feel their eyes bore into her, all wondering, maybe even thinking that something was up...or out of place.

Kaworu came to the rescue, "Asuka. I've been getting a lot of attention. Have you?"

She looked up to find him gesturing to a gaggle of boys across the way, all trying to sneakily watch her. At her gaze, their heads snapped away so fast, she could swear she heard the bones in their neck crack. She sighed, "I've noticed. I get it! Exotic girl and an Evangelion pilot to boot? What's not to love?"

She popped a rice ball in her mouth and chewed. After swallowing, she added, "So annoying though. Like I'd give any of them the time of day."

Kaworu laughed softly, obviously unsure how to reply to that, "I've even noticed people looking at me. Though, maybe it's because my appearance…"

"It's alright, Kaworu," Shinji sighed, "It's not just how you look. People stared at me too. It'll die down."

He then looked at Asuka, "I bet it's worse for you, huh?"

"Most certainly. I don't even need to be here!" she threw her arms in the air for dramatic effect, "I've got a college degree!"

"Okay, now you're screwing with us," Kensuke cut in.

"I am not!" she cried and, for good measure, slapped him.

He recoiled, nursing his cheek, "Alright, message got, loud and clear!"

Desperate to alleviate the tension, Shinji turned to Rei, "How did people treat you when school started?"

Rei considered the question before she shrugged, "I never noticed. What others thought of me has never been my concern."

That killed that topic but soon conversation resumed on more mundane topics like how much a drag their history class was or Kensuke pressing the pilots for the smaller details of their jobs—and then growing frustrated when they couldn't tell him the exact specs for their Units.

Once school was over, Asuka returned to NERV, to the housing they had provided her. She had no doubt in her head that it was temporary and, as such, did not bother unpacking most of her things. It felt temporary, as it was little more but a modest living space, a bathroom with a shower stall, sink and toilet and an even smaller kitchen area. How employees who didn't live outside the Geofront dealt with this she had no idea! Must be some remnant of Japanese culture.

She hoped she'd get moved at some point for other reasons than the space. She doubted there was anywhere in the Geofront, past maybe the open field in the middle, that was safe to talk to Kaworu at. Perhaps the bathrooms were safe but she had her doubts. She tried to not think about the idea of listening devices and cameras being there too.

Kaworu was out with the stooges today and she probably wouldn't see him again until that night. They were off to see Toji's sister than hang out at Kensuke's. Now, she had resigned herself to returning topside alone, sure that she'd find something to do in the waning hours of the day. She lingered at the entrance, wondering where to go.

"Hey, kiddo!"

A silver car stopped beside her and the driver rolled down his window to reveal Kaji. Relieved a solution to her boredom had presented itself, she smiled, "Kaji!"

Her crush on him had been truly and certainly killed sometime in the last timeline but she still liked the man, at least in a neutral way. He seemed to want to protect her and cared for her so she had to respect him in that way. He gestured to the passenger seat, "Going somewhere?"

"Not really," she answered as she rounded the car to get in.

"I'm headed to get a bite to eat. Wanna join me?"

She nodded, "Much better than what they'll have in the cafeteria."

"It's like you read my mind."

As they drove, Asuka struck up conversation, "So what are you doing here in Tokyo-3? I thought your job escorting me was over."

She had a decent idea why but it couldn't hurt to have something to talk about. And maybe she'd learn something new.

Maybe Kaji has rubbed off on me, she wondered.

"Yeah, that job's done but the Commander seems to believe he has use of me yet," he hummed in thought, "Y'know, Katsuragi asked me that too. Though she wasn't nearly as happy to see me."

"She asked about you on the Over the Rainbow. Twice actually," she commented.

Just because she had no chance with Kaji didn't mean someone else didn't.

A sly smile creased his lips, "Is that so? I hadn't a clue she cared that much. Why would she give me the cold shoulder though…" he trailed off.

Asuka shot him a curious look but he paid her no mind, "I guess she wants me to put in the work," he continued.

"Whatever you think will work," she shrugged, hoping to come off as if she didn't care one way or another.

It wouldn't hurt the progression of things, surely. Maybe Misato being happier would have some sort of positive butterfly effect. Or maybe it would just open up new opportunities to tease her.

They came to a cafe tucked in a quiet corner of the typically busy downtown. She hadn't taken Kaji for a fan of the quiet atmosphere. Since it was their dinner, they both got sandwiches; katsu sandos specifically though Kaji ordered his with a spicy sauce. While he opted for a simple tea, Asuka went for a sugary coffee concoction and even a slice of chocolate cake. As they ate, Kaji asked, "So how was the first day of school?"

"Ugh," she groaned, "Dull. Boring. Nothing I didn't already know."

He chuckled, "Ah. Public school. Just as I've heard. I'm sure you have all the boys gawking at you."

She scoffed, "I've got more important things to worry about than some boys."

Kaji didn't know whether to make a proud comment on her maturity or remind her she should savor her childhood, boys and all, as long as she could. He opted for the latter, "You should enjoy your youth. Boys n' all. Or girls. If that's what you prefer."

Instead of the angry fit he expected, she opened her mouth to complain then shut it with a pop. She furrowed her eyebrows in a curious, unexpected way. Finally, she answered, "I did make some friends. I talked some with the class rep before lunch then spent lunch proper with the Third and his friends. Kaworu was there too."

He noted the use of the Fourth's first name, filing it away for later, then nodded, "Good. How about the First, Ayanami? She goes to school with you too."

Her expression grew uncomfortable—which he could hardly blame her for. He had passed the girl in the halls a day ago and she had this unsettling way about her. Like she was an "old soul", beyond her youth. It hardly helped that she didn't seem to ever blink. Asuka shrugged, "Ikari had her eat with us but we didn't talk too much."

Kaji hummed, "I didn't take her for the talkative sort."

Asuka wondered what he thought of Ayanami. Her memories of her were hazy at the end, growing more and more surreal as Instrumentality began. She got the sense that she had died in an Angel attack but yet she was the specter of the end.

She remembered the massive, decaying corpse of her at the sea at the end of the world. And she remembered her ghost, looking at her and Shinji with what might have been sadness.

And then she disappeared.

Everything after her "death" inside 02 felt like a dream, hazy memories that couldn't be real. She was certain Third Impact had happened and instinctively remembered the collective dream after as Instrumentality, a joining of all as one and one as all. The dream itself manifested as a collection of snippets of scenarios, all meaning nothing in the end. Though, she couldn't remember the enormity of the experience. Perhaps her mortal brain could not comprehend it as she had within the collective.

The dream had been broken by Ayanami.

The final dream had seen her as an ace pilot—the best without any rivals. She could kill Angels with ease and even worked alongside her mother, who had not died. Her mother worked on her Eva alongside Dr. Akagi. Shinji and Rei even liked her, wanted her around. She nursed a crush on them but the notion of ever picking one (or both?) for sure never occurred to her. It was mundane. It was delightful. It was idyllic.

And it was fake.

One day among many fake days, she walked in her room from another sync test to find Ayanami sitting cross-legged on her bed. She had shrieked and berated her but deep down, couldn't shake a sense of wrongness. After all, hadn't she had just left Ayanami at NERV? "What are you doing here?" she spat.

"Pilot Soryu, I regret to inform you this isn't real," she delivered in a serene, almost sad tone.

"Of-of course, it is!" she picked up a trophy from her desk, "See! I can touch this!"

Ayanami rose from the bed, taking the trophy from her. In her hands, it melted into LCL, dripping through her fingers and into the carpet where it was absorbed instantly. She said, "I mean to say, this is the fantasy you have constructed inside the red sea. A fabrication of reality, a dream. It is nothing more than a wish for everything you've ever wanted. Comfortable, happy...but not real."

"It's...it's…" Asuka sputtered and without a refute, attacked her, "So what if it's not real?! Why should I leave?"

"I cannot make you leave. That is a choice you must make on your own," she turned, as if to leave, "But someone on the outside misses you very much."

In the face of that, of being missed and wanted, all her connections within the sea became hollow and cheap. Even if the world outside was frightening and unknown, it was real.

She needed to drag Kaworu somewhere and have him make sense of that.

"You're thinking hard. Need to talk about it?" Kaji raised an eyebrow.

"I just...have a lot on my mind," she stirred her drink and took an idle sip.

Now that was quite un-Asuka-like. She liked it when people thought she was unflappable, even him. The show of vulnerability was startling. Even if she may never open up to him, he offered, "You can talk to me with whatever you need, Asuka."

"Oh," she looked up as if she hadn't expected that, "Maybe...maybe sometime then."

Alright, that all but confirmed something was up with Asuka. She must have been hiding something. He had to know what it was, this time not for his own curiosity but for her own sake. The Asuka of a mere week ago would have never wanted to be that kind of vulnerable to him.

Hell, she had also quit coming onto him too all of a sudden. He appreciated it, as he didn't enjoy a teenager flirting with him like she was his equal, but it was jarring nonetheless.

He took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. It all seemed to happen after she talked to that Nagisa kid. He was already suspicious of the boy, from the fact his past was impossible to discern and his uncanny resemblance to Ayanami. There was yet more to be uncovered and he felt he was barely scratching the surface.

Meanwhile, across the city, Shinji and company had arrived at the hospital Sakura was at. Hospitals never failed to unnerve Shinji; every memory he had inside one was painful. But, somehow, this one wasn't so bad. Maybe because it was a civilian hospital so there was plenty of people around. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder how many were here because an Angel attack.

"Guys, give me your school IDs," Toji asked, breaking him from the beginning of a self-deprecating spiral.

He took their IDs and showed them to the receptionist, explaining how he had brought his friends to see his injured sister. The lady looked around him, seeing the whole gaggle of people with him and pulled a face. She didn't scold him though, instead dutifully recording their visit and directing him to the correct room.

Kensuke leaned in to Shinji and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Considering how often he visits, I don't know why they bother to ask for his ID at all!"

Toji returned their cards to them and they got into the elevator, taking it to the second floor where long-term care was. Shinji asked, "She's been here so long. Is that normal?"

"It took a lot of work to get her arm n' leg back in working condition after her accident and she's still recovering! Though, they tell me physical therapy can do wonders. It'd be too hard for me to run her back and forth for that so it works out," Toji effortlessly kept up an air of casualness.

"Your parents can't help?" Kaworu asked.

Toji scowled, "Dad's a maintenance man at NERV and Mom's just not well enough to be making the trip that often."

The air in the elevator grew tense, moreso when Shinji observed, "So many people in this city work for NERV…"

"Tokyo-3's basically a company city at this point," Kensuke said, "With each Angel attack we see more and more civilians leave. There's plenty of people and companies who are under contractual obligation to stay. Then there's people like us; whose parents work for NERV or work for them themselves."

"When you put it like that, it sounds quite dystopian," Kaworu pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's the truth," he shrugged.

When they left the elevator, it wasn't a long walk to Sakura's room. Toji went in first, leaving the trio to linger in the doorway. He gestured to them, "I brought my friends Shinji and Kaworu! They're pilots of the big robots."

Sakura gasped, "Whoa! Hi!" she frantically waved at them, beaming.

Shinji wandered inside first, hesitant, "Hello...it's nice to meet you…"

Kaworu lingered behind him, "Hello."

"Alright, file in everybody, Sakura won't bite," Toji grumbled, earning a giggle from his sister.

There was only two chairs in the room so they relegated Shinji to one, leaving the other three (or mainly Toji and Kensuke) to bicker over the free one. While they did that, Sakura asked him, "Yours is the big purple robot, right? Toji n' Kensuke told me about it!"

Shinji nodded, "Y-yeah. That's Evangelion Unit 01. That's the one I pilot."

"Wow! Thank you!" she cried.

"What...what for?"

She giggled, "Saving us all, silly! Toji said so! You're a hero!"

Shinji shot him an inquisitive look and he chuckled, "I didn't come up with that last part...but she made me admit it."

He turned back to the young girl, his hands clasped, and finally he said, "Thank you. I want to try my best."

They introduced Kaworu after, explaining he didn't have a giant robot yet. Sakura came up with an idea of one that she thought was cool: a hot pink robot with bunny-like ears. He chuckled and told her that maybe he'd get lucky and his would look like that. They didn't stay too long after as a nurse hurried them out so her casts could be changed before dinner.

Outside, the sun was setting, dying the world a vivid orange. Shinji called Misato before they left the hospital, giving her a heads-up he'd be home after dark. She wasn't upset at all; rather ecstatic he was spending time with friends—a detail that made him a little self-conscious. He'd most likely have to let himself in, as she was still dealing with mountains of paperwork from Asuka and Kaworu's debut fight and arrival after.

Once at Kensuke's home, he let them in, saying as he did, "You guys can stay as long as you'd like! We have the whole house to ourselves."

"Do you now?" a voice called from the hall, all four freezing like deer in the headlights.

The man who walked into the opening hall looked like a near-copy of Kensuke. He was tall and had similar sandy-blonde hair to the younger boy, albeit longer and fluffier. His face was more aged and he even had a dusting of stubble on his chin. The most striking feature was the long, white scars trailing from his temple to the underside of his chin, crossing over one cloudy eye.

He smirked at them in an amused manner, even pushing his own glasses up in a way that evoked the younger Aida brother. Kensuke, practically tackled him in a hug "Goichi! What are you doing here?!"

He lovingly ruffled his brother's hair, "Shopkeep's sister showed up as a surprise so he closed the shop for the day."

He looked over his shoulder, "You brought Toji and...new friends? Hey, man, I'm proud of you! Making more friends!"

Kensuke's cheeks flushed red and he turned, "Right! Goichi, here's my friends Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa. And you two, this is my brother Goichi!"

"Kaworu Nagisa and...Ikari…" he pushed his glasses up in a way that made them catch the light.

Shinji cringed but Goichi grinned, the glasses dropping as he did, "Well, I can't say you look like you're the NERV Commander's son...but maybe you're better off for it."

Shinji nodded slowly, "Yeah, um...yeah. We're not very close."

"From what I've heard, I'm hardly surprised," he ushered them into the living room.

Shinji lingered at his side, "You know of my father?"

"Loads of people do, he's only the big man at the top of NERV," Goichi shrugged, "Not that anyone knows more than that. Our dad has always given us the impression he's married to the job, ah...so to speak. No offense."

"None taken."

Toji fell in beside him and whispered, just low enough for him to hear, "Y'see where Kensuke gets it? Nothing gets past his brother. And he's also a huge nerd to boot!"

Shinji couldn't say he was surprised by the resemblance.

Once the kids got settled in, Goichi brought them snacks; bags of chips and cans of various flavors of soda. Toji and Kensuke preoccupied themselves with setting up the game console, bickering over whether it was in poor taste to start with the robot fighting game. Once everyone was relaxed, Goichi asked, "So Kensuke, I know about Shinji but how about Kaworu? Met at school?"

Kensuke did a little 'sorta' gesture with his hand, "Remember the trip Shinji invited us on, to that battleship?"

Goichi's eyes lit up, "I remember!"

"We met Kaworu there along with another Eva pilot, Asuka Langley,"

"Soryu," Kaworu added.

"Right, Asuka Langley Soryu. What a name," he shook his head, "I'll have to show you all the cool footage later!"

"I'll hold you to that," Goichi told him.

"There was an Angel though," Toji said offhandedly.

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Hey!" Kensuke held his hands up in the air, "We were like, a hundred meters in the air! And Asuka and Kaworu dealt with it!"

He whirled onto Toji, "Why the hell did you share that?"

"He woulda found out when you showed him the footage," the other boy shrugged nonchalantly.

Kaworu spoke, his hand on his chest, "Mr. Aida, me and Miss Langley would have never let them come to any harm. We had it well under control."

Goichi looked helplessly from him then to Toji then Kensuke then to Shinji, who was trying his best to stay out of it. Finally he sighed in defeat, "As long as you were safe then."

Conversation lapsed into a comfortable rhythm as Shinji was successfully coaxed into trying the fighting game, which he wasn't too good at. They had urged him to try the purple mecha which was a bulky monstrosity that didn't stand a chance against the sleek black beast Toji was well-versed in. After losing for the third time, he handed the controller back to Kensuke, "I think I'd much rather watch."

"Oh well," he waved Kaworu over, "You next!"

Kaworu was much more eager to join, leaving Shinji to retreat to the couch beside Goichi. He found he was quite comfortable around the man. He hadn't any siblings and hadn't wished for any but was now wondering if it might be nice to have a sibling.

Well, in a sense, Rei could be his sister, as her guardian was his father. He wondered what she would think of the idea.

He snuck a look at the older boy only to find him looking back. He smiled warmly and held out a peach soda for him, which he accepted gratefully. He asked, "Is it my face?"

Shinji's eyes roved over the white scarring once again then meekly nodded. There was no anger though in Goichi's face as he said, "Kids your age always do. You aren't used to it."

"Used to what?"

"They're scars from the Second Impact."

Oh. That would make sense. Goichi continued, "Dad always said before Second Impact, people would stare at people with scars. But right after, people stopped. If you had a scar like this, they just assumed you got it during that day."

"That day," he paused then couldn't resist asking, "What was it like?"

Goichi closed his eyes thoughtfully, taking a long sip from his soda. Then he said, "It's not easy to talk about. But if NERV has you and kids like you fighting, you're owed that much. It all began 15 years ago...just before you...Kensuke, anyone else your age was born."

Shinji nodded mutely, unsure what to even say to that. Even the other three had grown silent, secretly curious. Kensuke knew the story as did Toji, who asked when he was younger. Kaworu himself knew of Second Impact but nothing personal, nothing this raw.

Goichi began, "Everyone who can remembers that day. I remember the sky was so blue that morning. Then came the howling and the wind. The sky turned orange. The wind was so terrible it started to tear the house apart. Dad got us out in the end but when the house collapsed," he traced the scar, instead of saying what happened.

"I was knocked out cold by the debris but Dad got us to a shelter. By the time I woke back up, it was over. A good portion of the town had been wrecked by the wind and later, the waves. But whatever terrible thing, that made the wind and the sky turn orange...it stopped."

Goichi frowned, lost in thought before he said, "The school says it was a meteor, right?"

"That's right," Shinji nodded.

"That never sat right with me," he shook his head, "Meteor wouldn't do that. I don't know what it was but I don't think it was a meteor."

Shinji pondered his words. Of course it wasn't a meteor. Everyone at NERV made it sound that if the Eva pilots would fail, Third Impact would come. Goichi's idea that it was something else was probably accurate.

"Things worked out in the end," Goichi shrugged, "We lived in a shelter for a year or so and mom had that little rascal," he pointed at Kensuke who chuckled at the nickname.

He smiled, "Mom called him her "little miracle" and never stopped that, even before she died."

Of course she was dead too. Shinji looked at both brothers, who looked sullen at the mention. Toji had mentioned his mother earlier too. According to him, she was alive but deeply unwell; having had some sort of brain damage due to an incident with her health. He couldn't help but think of his own late mother.

Goichi coughed, noticing the tense atmosphere, "But she'd be happy we're all alive and having a nice moment here, together. Despite everything."

The atmosphere lifted and the three at the game console returned to their game. Kaworu proved good at any game they threw at him, picking all up easily and enjoying the challenge of doing so. Goichi occasionally threw out suggestions for games that just might stump him, the most recent being some sort of ultra-hard dark fantasy game.

Shinji sipped his soda, wondering what his mother would think of him now, if she could see him. He liked to think she'd be proud of him.

He'd like to think she'd be happy for him.

Author's Note:

What's this, an early update? Yeah, by some miracle of hyperfixation, this fic's backlog is complete (sans whatever tweaks come as I go over it a final time before posting)! So as I wanted to, I'm upping it to a weekly update.

This is another chapter where the chain of events aren't really changed, though I think the writing is better and clearer! This will probably be the norm for at least a few more chapters. I also did away with the double chapter name thing because as cool as it was, I have having trouble coming up with one for all of the chapters!