Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Comfort and Kindness ❯ The Waiting Game! ( Chapter 9 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimers:
Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc. are
Property of ADVision and Gainax. I only *wish* they were mine.
Please try to be good to me; this is my first stab at an Evangelion "Only" Fic.
If you have read this whole fic, I do state now this is a Waffy fic, with a bit of action as well!
Thanks to Andre Laval for pre reading this chapter!

Comfort and Kindness

( ) = Thoughts by characters

Chapter #9: The Waiting Game!

It had been a week since Shinji Ikari become one with Evangelion Unit-01.
Since then the retrieval of it's pilot became the paramount issue,
other than repairing the two other operational Evas.
Those two pilots were deeply affected by Shinji's disappearance.
Rei Ayanami was devastated. Shinji had become the only real light in her life.
She had retreated into her "old" self, becoming the doll that Asuka had so many times
called her.
This also affected the second child. She had lost a friend, no two friends.
Not only was Shinji gone for now, but Rei was effectively gone as well.
Touji was trying his best to be supportive of both girls, but even he was missing his friend.
Of course at first none knew of Shinji's predicament.

[Flashback, 6 days]

Misato was beside herself trying to comprehend that Shinji had literally disappeared.
She listened to her friend Ritsuko as she explained that Shinji had joined with Unit-01.
So the entry plug could not be withdrawn without losing Shinji's body now one with the LCL within the plug.
Many things raced through the Major's head. What to tell the pilots, and who?

Misato then made decisions about who should know.
Asuka should probably not be told since she could tell Rei,
whom Misato already knew shouldn't know, while Touji might handle it better.
Then it became a moot point when Ritsuko informed her that Rei knew
within an hour since Shinji disappeared.

"Who told her?" asked an angry Misato.

"The Commander," replied Ritsuko casually.

"But, doesn't he know she would be devastated?"

"She did revert to her former Emotionless self, at least since he told her." replied the doctor sadly.

"That bastard! He just wants his doll to manipulate again!" said Misato with spite.

"Have you seen her at home?" asked Ritsuko?

"No, now that you've mentioned it, she hasn't been home since she was released from the infirmary."

"I bet she returned to her old apartment, just like her obedient old self. I bet Gendo is happy now."
Then after a pregnant pause,
"DAMN HIM!" Dr. Akagi slammed her papers and workpad to the floor in front of her.
He was manipulating Rei again, but now Ritsuko now had concern for her, now that she was her sister.

"After this shift is over we need to go out and talk Misato. Can you get a hold of Kaji, I need him there too!"

"Ye ... yeah, no problem." answered a surprised Misato thinking why would she react that way.

___________________________________________________________________ _________________________________

As they finished up their work, back at the Katsuragi apartment,
another lone figure was staring out on the city. Asuka was contemplating what had happened.
She had lost rather badly to the Eva possessed Angel. She felt bad not just because of that,
but that Shinji and Rei were injured, and Rei returned to her old apartment. While angry at the
girl's departure, she somehow felt for her. She was very much like Shinji.
Rei closed herself off and the one time she saw her, Asuka was angered and surprised to see the old Rei back.
"Pilot Sohryu, I am returning to my former residence, please tell ....Misa ... the Major for me."

"Are you going because Shinji's hurt, or because the Commander told you to?"
asked a stunned Asuka.

"Both." Asuka then slapped the other girl. "Dumkoph!"
She then stormed to her room, but before she could slam her room's door, she heard the front door thrown open
and the steps of a running Rei echo out. By the time Asuka reached the front door she was gone.
(Damn, ... I overreacted. Sorry Rei.) She said to herself. (Well at least I know where she is.
I'd better talk to Misato about this.) Asuka then quietly closed the apartment's door.

Touji had been out in front of the Major's apartment. His initial intent was to visit the girls
to see if he could help out. But, that changed when he saw a running and crying Rei as she left the apartment.
Being a track team athlete, it wasn't to hard for Touji to keep up with upset pilot as she ran down the streets.
She then veered away from what he thought was her old apartment,
where she kept going out and away from the city, towards the outskirts.
She finally stopped, with a worried Touji looking at her behind some shrubs where he hid.

Twenty minutes later Asuka was grabbed from behind and led to the bushes behind Rei by Touji.
"SHHHH!" Touji said quietly as he motioned her to be quiet, and to look at the first child.
She gave him a glare to scare King Kong, but nodded belligerently at the now cowering jock.

A lone figure sat on a familiar cliff, overlooking a rebuilding Tokyo-3 skyline.
She had her head on her knees with her arms wrapped around her legs
quietly staring out towards the city.
A path of liquid shown on each cheek testifying to the fact of the crying this child had done.
Yet no sound was heard there other than the cicada's call

"She's been like that for twenty minutes now," whispered Touji.

"So, why'd you call me? I'm not that close to her you know. Hikari would have been a better pick."
whispered a grumpy Asuka .

"Would you just listen you German blowhard, I did call her, but she couldn't get away
because her sister is sick," was his reply.

"So you called me next? Why?" asked Asuka sternly.

"Hikari told me to call you. Rei really only has you two as friends."
(She glared at him, ) "Ok, acquaintances."

After sitting down and contemplating Hikari's reasons in her own head, then she knew Touji was right.
Asuka replied; "Ok, so why are you here anyhow?"

He looked down and said; "I care for her as a friend, ... and she is Shinji's girlfriend."
(He shook his head) "I promised myself that if anything happened to him, I'd look after her."

"Why?" a confused Asuka said.

"Because I want him to know that he .... is my best friend, ...
and that I have forgave him for my sister getting hurt, and for what happened with the 13th angel."
Asuka knew of what he spoke. She had been briefed of this and other incidents before she arrived.
Of course she was a victim of that Angel as well.

"Ok, ... so you have any ideas?" asked Touji.

Asuka looked at him with a puzzled look. "Why did you think I called you here?" he said.

"Ok, how about we join her and try to talk to her. She seems like her old self and I need ...
your help to get the Rei we know back." (She emphasized "back")

"See I knew you had some idea. Yeah I'll help, I'll just follow your lead," replied Touji

"Well what do you know, a stooge has some sense after all!" The insult was not taken seriously,
because Asuka had the same smile she has when they had their constant verbal spats.

Both walked towards the quiet Rei as she turned towards them.

"Why are you here?" Rei asked in her monotone voice completely lacking of energy or feeling.

"Well, First child, why are you acting like the old Rei, you know before you became Shinji's girlfriend?"
asked Asuka bluntly.

"Has the Major not told you?" Rei said.

"No, what?" asked a now curious Touji.

"Pilot ... Ikari ... is assimilated with the ...Unit-01 Evangelion," Rei said as her voice stammered.

Both Pilots looked confused. But, before they could react, Rei got up walked unsteadily towards them,
her re-injured arm in a sling.
She looked impassively at Touji, then Asuka, then quite unexpectedly latched onto the German girl
with her one good arm and a flood of silent tears came from the first child.
Asuka was stiff with shock as she looked at an equally stunned Touji.
She held her arms out then slowly they came around the quietly sobbing girl.
Asuka stiffly patted Rei's back to try to calm the girl. Touji just looked on, frozen in the spot he occupied.
After a few more minutes Rei finally described what had actually happened to Shinji,
which of course upset Asuka, and Touji.

"How can he ... be ... in the Eva?" asked a stunned Touji who had inadvertently started to hold someone's hand.

"The Eva (Sniff) simply joined itself to (Sniff) Shinji when he reached
(Sniff) the 400% sync Ratio," replied a quietly crying Rei.

"You mean that Baka got to 400%, and simply ... vanished?" asked an equally stunned Asuka,
not noticing who had been holding her hand,... and yet not letting go. A small blush occurred,
but was quickly squashed by the German girl.

"Dr. Akagi (Sniff) said that (Sniff) it will take (Sniff) three more weeks (Sniff)
for them to be ready (Sniff) to try to (Sniff) extract him from the Eva," Rei quietly answered though.

"THREE WEEKS!" yelled Asuka.

"I do not know what to do? (Sniff) Now that the Commander told me to return to (Sniff) my old residence."

"Oh no you're not! That bastard won't control you. You are your own person!" said Touji.

"You are staying with me until Shinji gets back, and I'm not taking no for an answer, got me Rei?"
All Rei could do between sobs was give a small warm smile an a positive nod to her room mate ... and friend.

"Listen Touji, since the Commander is trying to get to Rei, I was wondering...
if you could ... bunk in Shinji's room till he gets back?" asked Asuka
trying to keep her tough facade as Rei finally stopped her crying.

"Humm, ... Ok. (Looking surprised) If it's Ok with Rei and Misato."
(Wow, I get to stay near Asuka while keeping an eye on Rei.
And as a bonus seeing Misato everyday, Kensuke eat your heart out!) thought Touji.

"All right. Can you help me walk Rei back home?"

"It would be my pleasure, M'lady's." Touji then bowed deeply causing Rei to smile and Asuka to smirk.

"Ok Sir Jester, lead on!" Asuka then helped Rei up and all three headed for the Katsuragi apartment.

_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________

Shinji Ikari was floating. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, except he wasn't in his Eva's entry plug.
He was in a void of white. He couldn't tell what was up, or down. Then he felt a presence,
a feeling he had not felt in many years. He seemed to be able to turn around with his hands as if he was in water.
As he turned around he saw a woman. She seemed to be roughly about Misato's age
with black shoulder length hair, and the same deep blue eyes he had. The it dawned on him.
She looks like... Rei. Curious he simply asked;

"Who are you, and where am I?"

"I'm surprised you don't know little one."

"Should I know you, Miss?"

"My, I'm sure you're charming all those girls you go to school with. Am I right?"

"Hey, how do you know anything about me?"

"I should know, since every time you sync I get a window on your life." Shinji then thought for a minute after that comment.

"Are you Unit-01's soul?"

"Yes, you could say that, though I wasn't here originally."

"Ok so you mean, you were a person before.... oh my god, you mean my father trapped you in this monster?"

"Well,... yes and no. Your father had a hand in trapping me here, but part of it was my fault."

"So,... you intentionally got yourself stuck as this Eva's soul?"

"Well, ... it was more of an accident. I really didn't want to be here, ... I still don't." she looked down with sadness.

He looked at her face again, and finally all the pieces started to fall into place.
The accident, the entrapment, Gendo Ikari's involvement, and the Eva.

Then the memory from long ago became clear, Shinji was observing the activation test for Unit-01.
Then the Klaxons sounded. All the adults were scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Then a wail sounded as Gendo was running to the entry plug where his wife had disappeared from.

Shinji then looked up to the woman's face. "MOTHER!"
He ran or swam to her and they hugged though Shinji was a bit stiff at first since the only close contact
he had through his short life was Rei, ... and now his mother.
"Mother, I missed you so much." Shinji repeated this while in Yui Ikari gently stroked
his head and back trying to comfort him. They stayed that way for an indeterminate amount of time.

"So, how's Rei, Shinji?"
Shinji's head popped up with a developing blush.
"Yyyoou, know about that, ... Mother?"

"Yes. Remember when you sync with me and the Eva, I can see your memories.
So, she seems to be a good kisser, huh?"

"Ah, Mom your embarrassing me!" said a now red faced Shinji as he turned away from her.

"But you do have a question about why she looks like me, right my son?"

"I did notice the resemblance, Mother. I, well is she my ... sister?"

"Oh, don't worry about her being related to you Shinji. She only has about 5% of her DNA coming from me.
Your father used someone else's ova (She sneered and wrinkled her nose) ... to help create her."

"You mean he only used a little of your DNA to create Rei? What do you mean create?"

Yui looked lovingly at her son, then she sighed.

"Shinji (She grabbed his hands in hers) your father was an odd man.
I did fall in love with him for many reasons and his quirkiness was one of them.
I knew deep down he loved me. But due to his ... nature he became obsessed with
getting me to come back."

"What? I don't understand!"

"He wants to get me out of Unit-01."

"I can understand why he wants that. But, why does he have to manipulate people
and be such a ...well you know Mother. Why?"

"Well, your father never got along with most people.
I and Professor Fuyutski were some of the few who he could relate to.
So, all he knows is to order others around. He even had trouble with you as a baby.
He could never get comfortable when you cried or threw fits. But that was normal for him."
Shinji looked concerned. "I can see that in Rei when I first met her."

"Remember, Shinji he raised her from when she was activated."

"That's the second time you refer to her being created or activated, not born! Why?"
he said a bit more sternly.

"Shinji, your father literally created Rei in a large tank filled with LCL,
using my and another donor's DNA to make her."

"You... mean she was ... grown in a big version of a test tube?"

"Yes, but she is human, well as much as she is."

"What does that mean, Mom?"

"She is part human, and part ...Angel DNA.

"WHAT? YOU MEAN SHE'S AN ANGEL?"

"Technically 1/2 angel, but she wasn't designed to hurt humanity. She has a specific purpose."
Yui sighed after that.

"And what's that?"

"She was designed to start Third Impact!"

"But, we're fighting to stop Third Impact, right?"

"Yes, and no. Your father is trying to manipulate things so he can get me back."

"By causing a Third Impact? I don't know about you, but that's a bit extreme Mother."

"I agree with you Shinji, my life ended 10 years ago, and when the Angels are defeated,
I'll be glad for my soul to move on."

"But, Mom how can you, well how can it be possible to..."

"Shinji, my love, (Cradling his head on her chest) I will be here to protect you,
please remember that. I will help you and the others until this is over.
Tell Asuka and Rei to believe in themselves and they will survive."

"But Mom, I'm still confused. I can't seem to understand this all."

"Shinji, please remember this, do your best, and don't let your father win.
Protect those who you love, and I and the others within the Evas will do the same."

"Wait Mom, there are others in the Evas?"

"Let's say that mothers will protect their children with their lives."

Still perplexed, Shinji just kept himself still and thought about what his mother said,
as he was being held by his mother's spirit.

After some more generalized conversation, Yui indicated that their time together was growing short.

Yui and Shinji then started what would be their final conversation.

"Mom, I don't want to leave you."

"And I don't want you to leave. But, you have someone waiting for you, and some great friends and family."
(Shinji knew she meant Rei, Asuka, Touji, Misato, Kensuke, Hikari and the rest.)

"Mom, how am I going to remember what we talked about. You did say that when I go back, I won't remember."

"In your dreams, Shinji, (She tapped his forehead) use your dreams to remember me, and what we talked about."

"I ... understand ... now," Shinji then gave her a tight hug, Only the second person he did hug in his life.
while Yui just held him and kissed his forehead.

"I'm going to miss you my little Shinji." She began to cry quietly, but still with a smile on her face.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too. Have a good life honey."
With a final hug, an invisible force pulled them apart and both saw with longing eyes as
Shinji slowly faded in Yui's vision as she did the same in his.
Then darkness came to Shinji, followed by the multicolored start sequence he was used to in his entry plug.
The only difference was that there was no plug!

"Rei, I'm coming. Mom, I'll miss you." was Shinji's last thought as unconsciousness claimed him.

___________________________________________________________________ _________________________________

Through the next 2 weeks the three active pilots with Kensuke and Hikari stayed together
and were seen constantly either in school or out in their free time.
They became a self supporting unit, helping each other.
While Rei seemed to be the focus of the group's efforts to keep her going until Shinji's return,
the other four started to become closer to each other as well.
Hikari now understood the dynamics between Asuka and Touji, even before they did.
Kensuke was there for all of them, but for Hikari in particular.
Throughout the time Kensuke had seen the developing relationship between Touji and Asuka.
He knew of Hikari's feelings and of his own. He determined to be there for all three.
Being a friend first. If things develop between him and Hikari, well then he'll go with it.

Asuka had mixed feelings throughout this time. Though at times she wished for an Angel to attack
when Touji or Kensuke became too much for her, she recognized that deep down
they were all there for each other. She started noticing that when they went out as a group
two people were always sitting next to her. Rei to be close to her as a friend,
while Touji who always seemed to be on her other side. While Asuka was becoming more comfortable
with the fourth child, that didn't preclude their verbal fights which both seem to relish.

Then one day, during their lunch period at school they had one of their fights.
This one a particularly loud one at that.
So, the other three children slowly made their way out of the courtyard as the rest of the few students that remained
did the same, they continued the loud and what was becoming lewd argument.
As both children faced each other red-faced, shouting and clenching hands
by their sides eye contact was made, ...
and both flew at each other. Now what normally would have happened before would have been
some well placed slaps by Asuka, with a running commentary, by the German girl,
while Touji while taking the punishment would have some creative way
of defiling Asuka's parentage and ancestry.
But, instead there was silence. Not a pin dropped for what was about 30 seconds.
The other children had departed and arrived in their classrooms overlooking the courtyard.
What caught the children's attention was the silence. As a group, all looked out the classroom's windows
watching the change in the two combatants.

Then the world stopped for about 1 minute!

At least it did for the student body of Tokyo-3 Junior High, as Touji Suzahara, class Jock and Fourth Child of Nerv,
and Asuka Langley Sohryu, the most confidant, pain in the ass, and Second Child of Nerv were ...

KISSING! And kissing passionately. For a whole minute.

If it could be done, enough jaws dropped through floors to have imploded the school's main building.
While there was a side benefit for the boys as many girls fainted.
Though many seemed to have left school later that day with hand shaped welts on their faces!

As the school calmed down, the couple in question were arguing again,
this time fighting over who kissed first, then who kissed best!

"I need a Tylenol!" said Hikari.

"I need a Hari-kari knife!" said Kensuke

"I need to talk to Dr. Akagi." said Rei in a flat tone.

Everyone turned to the blue-haired Pilot.

"Why, Rei?" asked a now confused Kensuke.

"I must return to the Geofront," said Rei in a flat tone as she stood and
began to pack her bags.

"Why, Rei?" asked a now confused Kensuke.

"Asuka informed me that if this (she pointed to Asuka and Touji kissing in the courtyard)
would only happen if 'hell froze over'.," Rei quoted in a completely serious tone,
"My prescene may be required."

For the next five minutes there wasn't a perplexed look, or a dry eye in the classroom.
Not caused by sorrow, but by laughter and confusion.
"I fail to understand what is so funny about my comment."
Another five more minutes of laughter, giggles, and guffaws continued in
class 2-A.

Next chapter becomes more serious as the girls face their individual hell on earth,
while Shinji freshly back from the dead, has to deal with ... the consequences.
Chapter # 10: Catharsis of the Soul