Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Duo Awakenings ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimers:
Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc., are
property of ADVision and Gainax. I only *wish* they were mine.
This is a what if story, so take it as a divergence from the EoE Movie.
So, an A/U story as well.

Duo Awakenings

chapter 1: Who Returns

This story is wholly in the third person, unless indicated.

Two figures lay motionless on a deserted beach near the remains of Tokyo-3, once the fortress of mankind…
Then the first figure, a teenage boy awoke and after a few shakes of his head,
focused on his surroundings.
He then appeared to focus on his red suited companion.
He then whirled around and straddled the second figure now recognizable as a female and puts his hands around her neck as he proceeds to strangle her.
This goes on for a few moments until the female moves her hand to gently stroke the male's cheek, he then cries out and collapses on her. She then mumbles something and turns to her side where she is observed throwing up.
She soon recovers and stares rather lifelessly at her companion who is still crying and still laying on her.
She then again caresses his cheek and smiles with newfound strength, and then hugs him with her one good arm, as the other is bandaged and laying on her side.
Within a few more minutes the boy calms down and slowly looks up at his companions face.
"Asuka…I thought you were one of Lillith's illusions. I thought you weren't real! So, I reacted and…" was heard from the boy.
"Shhhh, Shinji. I was there too. Remember? We were all joined together and saw what you had to go through…and what you decided," was the response the girl made, keeping her arm around the whimpering boy.
"But…but! I tried to kill-"
"But, you didn't." She looked at him knowingly, "You realized that I was real, my Shinji baka, so for once it wasn't your fault." The girl then smiled at him, which finally stopped the boy's crying.
Then he let his head hang, as she took her arm from him and raised his head as she put her hand below his chin.
"Now baka, can you help me up so we can find some food, clothes and shelter? Or am I going to have to get rough on you!" She said it with a smirky smile. He seemed to sigh with relief and a smiled as he then moved to help her stand up.
Taking a moment, they observed they're surroundings. Around the city were the broken husks of what were once the Mass-Production Evangelion Series.
Both gasped, as they were now nothing more than grotesque memorials to their mad creator's failed dream of oneness.
The shivered as they looked at the things they both now hated more than anything. They both seemed to be reliving their past memories and grimacing all the more, before he started to move away while taking a hold of her by the waist, moving her as well.
She seemed reluctant to have him hold her at first. But after some unsteady steps, she grabbed him, and with his help they made their way off the beach and towards the remains of the city.

A day later

Two more figures appear in approximately the same spots as those who were there the day before.
The differences though were apparent.
The first of the two figures who awoke threw up almost immediately and then fell on it's back, right next to the second figure.
The first was now seen as a male in a tan uniform with red and black trim.
His unconscious companion, who now stirred with the first figures contact, then sat up,
covered her mouth with her hand, then turned the opposite direction, and threw up the contents of her stomach.
They turned to each other, and both immediately seemed to recognize each other. They hugged in an apparent gesture of comfort and relief.
"Shiegru?! Oh, thank god you're here. I thought I'd be alone coming back, since Sempai…" She cried, then broke down.
He looked down, and soothed the crying female in his arms trying to calm her down by rubbing her back and saying calming words to her.
She seemed to be wearing the same tan uniform as the male. Though while he had long hair, she didn't.
"There, there Maya, I'm here. I wasn't going to let you come back alone."
He rubbed the tears from her eyes as he looked into them. He continued to talk. "So at Dr. Akagi's request, I came back to help you."
She then grabbed his hands and said rather loudly.
"Sempai asked you to help me?"
He started nodding his head in the affirmative. She then looked back up from her position on his chest.
"Do you know why she didn't come with me?" the female asked.
He sighed and began his answer.
"She told me that she didn't deserve to come back. She felt especially responsible for what happened and preferred to live in limbo as a punishment rather than be allowed to return to the real world."
he held her from her shoulders looking straight into her eyes." She also said that she wanted to have a normal life."
She shook her head negatively, "But why couldn't she tell me this when I was with her. Why couldn't she tell me that then?" said the despondent, crying female.
Her action s were a reminder of the day before, except it was the boy who was crying from his apparent feelings of guilt and anger.

The male then gathered the crying woman in his arms again, trying to soothe her.
"I can only tell you that I am your friend Maya, and I chose to comeback for you, and for your Sempai's request.
Now are you strong enough to stand and come with me, or are you going to sulk here on the beach?" He looked at her trying to gage how she would respond to his last question.
His answer was a solid slap on his cheek by his now angry female companion.
"How dare you tell me that! And how do I know you're not lying to me. For All I know you..." She then focused on his face and knew he wasn't lying. He had never lied to her ever. His sad and hurt face now with a growing hand shaped welt on his right cheek told her just how wrong she was.
She then hugged him, crying again. "Oh Shigeru, I'm sorry. I just . . . can't bare to know she's not coming back."
It seemed that he sensed her sincerity, and hugged her back. Then, he held her away from him, and turned her towards the footprints he had discovered while they had talked before. "It seems that someone got here ahead of us."
She turned and stared at the footprints, scrutinizing them. "They seem to be a bit small, aren't they?"
"Yeah, like they're a kid sized footprints." They both nodded unconsciously. "Well, we'd better follow them, just in case they are kids. They may need some help."
He then started towards the direction where the footprints led.
"And what help can two ex-Nerv Techs be?" She said with a smirk.
"Haven't you completed the survival course required by all Nerv personnel?" He asked.
"Yes, but it's been awhile." She had a concerned look when she said that.
"Well, I had mine only last month, so just follow my lead and we'll be ok."
"OK, as long as I don't have to skin a rat." They both laughed and continued towards the two sets of footprints. Not knowing whom they would lead to, but comforted that they weren't alone in this barren world they had come back to.