Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ A New Beginning/ A New World: Emerald Edition ❯ Chapter 1: End of Evangelion + 1 minute ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 1: End of Evangelion + 1 minute

 

This is the 2nd of the revised “Emerald” edition chapters. I will try and get a chapter or two a week back up, it does take a while to rewrite these in narrative. I hope you the reader enjoys all the hard work I've put into this story over the years. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Shinji is now looking over the lake in front of him, gazing around at the new world that is before him. Asuka is now sitting up as well, joining him in scanning the surroundings around them.

 

Shinji sniffs the air and cannot help but make an observation. “It smells… like LCL.” He looks around for a moment and is simply in awe of his surroundings. “What in the hell is all of this?”

 

Asuka decides to speak, and she does so in a sarcastic tone of voice. “Well, I guess it's the world you wanted. You were the one who stopped Third Impact, and you did ask me...” She pauses to sigh aloud. “You asked me to help you. I guess were the only ones here on earth...” Asuka pauses again and shakes her head. “Looks like it's just me and you, Adam and Eve... just my luck. This and those killer Eva's... this was just one of those days...”

 

Shinji bows his head down and tries to apologize to Asuka. “I'm sorry I didn't come out there in time to help you.”

 

A feeling of sadness overcomes Shinji as he thinks about what happened to Asuka. She soon has a reply for his last statement.

 

“Well, it didn't really matter in the end, anyway. Those bastards regenerated themselves...” Asuka says as she comes to grips with what happened before… she tries to push the memory of what happened out of her mind but fails. She is almost brought to tears with the memory of the pain... but she quickly thinks about something else.

 

“If I had known more about them, I would have knocked out there S2 unit, or whatever it was that let them regenerate.” Shinji can hear her getting excited. “I still kicked some butt, though! You should have seen it, Shinji!”

 

Shinji nods his head. “I did see the battle, from inside my mind I saw what you saw.”

 

Asuka rubs her head and thinks about what he just said. `He saw the battle… from my point of view? How? If he did see that… did he see more of my past? I better ask him…' Asuka clears her throat. “Soo… how far back did you see?”

 

Shinji finds her question curious and quickly responds. “It wasn't much, I think back to when we first met. Why do you ask?”

 

Asuka quickly evades the question. “No reason… but… I also saw in your head as well, about as far back. You had some interesting thoughts in there, Shinji. Especially about me...” She says that last part as she places her hands on her hips.

 

Shinji blushes. “Uh... I guess.” After taking a moment to regain his composure, he has a question for her. “Hey... what about you? I saw some of your thoughts, and you had some `interesting' ones of me as well.”

 

Shinji's comment causes Asuka's face to turn a bright red. “Well... oh shut up! I was deciding in my head whether you worthy of further attention, whether you were a real man or a coward. It seems like you were debating the same thing about me in your mind. Only it was, `Does she actually care about anyone?' , `Can she put her pride aside and not be a bitch all of the time', and `Can anyone truly like me in that way?'… questions like that…”

 

“You're right, those were my thoughts. I never thought we would end up in a place like this! I didn't picture this as a way to get to know you. This is not earth, it's like someone's idea of hell! I want to also be back with other people, in a normal environment, like we were in before. It wasn't perfect, but we survived. I miss all of them already, our friends... Asuka, I'm sorry…” Shinji starts to cry, his heart filled with sadness about their current situation.

 

Asuka looks at Shinji and realizes the true impact of their current situation. Everyone and everything is gone. The ravaged landscape that surrounds them appears to be the only future that they will face. She contemplates what to do and say next and then stands up...

 

“I'm sorry, Shinji.”

 

Asuka puts her bandaged right hand on his shoulder. “I wish there was something we could do, but I don't think there is. My feelings in the past for you aside, I guess we have to make the most of it, now. I guess I'm stuck with you, Third Child, whether I like it or not... “

 

Shinji stops crying in response to what Asuka just said. He realizes that she is absolutely right, they have to move forward now, together...

 

“ I guess we'll have to make due, Asuka.” Shinji says with a sigh.

 

 

 

Both pilots stand still and just stare out in the space in front of them, not speaking for almost a minute. Their new surroundings still inspire feelings of loneliness, isolation, and uncertainty with just a glance. Both are lost in thought when something suddenly appears in front of them...

 

A genuinely frightened Asuka grabs a hold of Shinji. “Who... or what is that?”

 

“I have no idea!” Shinji says as he tries to figure out what's going on.

 

The ghost-like figure begins speaking to them. “Do not be afraid!”

 

“It's a little to late for that!” Asuka says with a hint of sarcasm.

 

The ghost-like figure speaks again and tries to get their attention. “Is this the reality you wanted, or do you want a different earth? You do have a choice, since you were the one who controlled the outcome of Third Impact.”

 

Shinji and Asuka are shocked to see the figure materialize and take the form of Rei Ayanami. “You can set out a new path for Earth, Ikari. The only thing that cannot change is the event of Third Impact taking place. It has happened, and there is no turning back. What do you wish to do?”

 

Shinji tries to figure out the full mean of what was just spoken to him. 'I have a choice... but what does that mean? She said I could set a new path...'

 

“Wait... hold on a second. You're saying I can change the present, and bring back all of the missing people/souls that were on Earth when Third Impact happened?”

 

Rei slowly nods her head. “That is correct.”

 

Asuka looks over at Shinji hopefully. “Well, this is our chance. Shinji, what do you want to do? We have a chance to see Misato, Hikari, Pen-Pen... everyone again. Go for it, Shinji.”

 

Shinji cannot help but sigh as he remembers what happened just prior to Third Impact. “Misato was bleeding to death before I went down to my Eva, she probably died down there.” He pauses to hold up a cross that Misato gave him. “She gave me this...”

 

Rei continues her explanation. “Everything will be like it was just prior to Third Impact. No one will remember the events after that, and the JSSDF attack force will find themselves somewhere else. The other Eva units will be deactivated and disabled.”

 

“I guess its time to make a decision here.” Shinji takes a moment to think to himself. `I want everything back the way it was... Asuka and I can't live in this environment. I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away!'

 

 

Asuka waits for Shinji to respond… and when he does, she cannot help but be happy because of his words.

 

“Rei, can you make the world in the same state that it was just before the third impact, and make sure that Misato and everyone else is ok. Is that ok with you, Asuka?”

 

Asuka slaps Shinji on the back. “Nice to see you get the guts to make a major decision like that. Of course it's fine.”

 

“What about you, Rei?” Shinji says, wondering about Rei and her fate in all of this.

 

Rei feels confused as a result of the question just asked of her. “What about me...?”

 

“Why don't you come back and live as person as well? Otherwise, everyone will be asking about you, and that could lead to questions that don't need to be brought up...” Shinji says, thinking ahead about what would happen in the near future.

 

“I guess that can be done, if it is your wish. What do you want to do?” Rei replies with a slight bit of hesitance.

 

Shinji puts his hand on Asuka's shoulder nervously and looks at the redhead. “Ready, Asuka?”

 

Asuka nods her head and then Shinji makes his wish known.

 

“Rei, I want the scenario I had just described earlier. The Earth back to the way it was just before Third Impact, as we just talked about. I want you back as a person as well. Am I leaving anything out?”

 

“Seems fine to me. Now, let's get this started, dummkopf.”

 

Shinji takes a deep breath before speaking his next words. “Go ahead, Rei.”

 

“Very well. Your wish will now come true…”

 

Streams of light start emitting from Rei, like the light coming from the sun. The LCL lake and all of the surrounding area also starts to glow. Bright light is everywhere and continues to spread, soon engulfing the entire earth. Asuka and Shinji both pass out, and have strange feelings and dreams...

 

 

 

Some time later, both wake up with a slight headache, near Kaji's melon patch in the Geofront. Both get up almost simultaneously and rub their eyes... and then look at Rei, who is also feeling slightly groggy...

 

To be continued in the next chapter: Chapter 2: The Earth Renewed- All's right with the world, or is it?

 

Hope you enjoyed this first of many redone chapters, be on the lookout for more as the summer rolls on.