Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Evangelion: Tribulations After ❯ Where are you Going? ( Chapter 11 )

"Who are you?"

"Rei Ayanami."

"Why are you here?"

"I do not know."

"What do you want?"

"I do not know."

"Where are you going?"

"I do not know."

"You can not answer the first three questions. If you do not answer the final question, you will not leave."

"But I do not know where I am going."

"Yes, you do. All of us do."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I am doing nothing. I am merely a messenger. Where are you going?"

"How should I know?"

"Buried, deep into our own souls lies the answer to each of the questions that define us. We all know who we are, what we want, why we're here, and where we're going."

"I haven't gotten much of a chance to look into my soul very much."

"Do you believe in yourself?"

"Yes."

"Then you should be able to answer the question."

"I don't understand how the questions relate to one another."

"Then you have not dived deep enough into your soul."

"I told you-"

"Who are you?"

"Asuka Langley."

"Why are you here?"

"To pilot the EVA."

"That is a contradiction. Your mission is done with. The Angels' thesis has been written. The decision made."

"Maybe."

"What do you want?"

"To be accepted by others for what I am."

"But you are. The others know you."

"True, but I want more than just them."

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere I have to."

"Incorrect. I was not asking where you are going to accomplish what you want, I am asking where you are going."

"Why the hell do you care so much?"

"I don't. You do."

"Why do I care so much?"

"I do not know. Why do you care so much?"

"I can't answer something I don't know!"

"We all know where we are going."

"And that's where you're wrong. Most of the people today are just wanderers who have nowhere to go or any idea where they are going."

"Then nowhere is where they are going. Nowhere is somewhere."

"Oh for God's sake-"

"Who are you?"

"Shinji Ikari."

"Why are you here?"

"Because I was meant to be here."

"Meant? By whom?"

"I assume by whoever decided I should be a pilot."

"You don't know? How can you be sure, then?"

"I don't know."

"What do you want?"

"I have what I want. Others accept me for who I am. I don't need to pilot EVA to get my own self-worth, anymore."

"What if you didn't need it in the first place?"

"I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did. People only respected me when I piloted EVA. However, now that they know me, and I know I can take care of myself, I don't need to pilot EVA."

"Then why do you continue to?"

"Because I know they need me. They need me to protect them and their world."

"From what? The Angels' thesis has been written, their decision made."

"Who knows what else is out there. Just like those terrorists with the NIOs, the world still needs EVA."

"It does not need EVA, the EVA needs the world."

"How do you figure that?"

"The souls within the EVAs have business still with the world. Until their mission is finished, they will never go to what is beyond."

"My Mother stays in Unit 01 to protect me?"

"Where are you going?"

"What do you mean?"

"The question makes perfect sense. Where are you going?"

"I think I'm going to find my father."

"That is illogical. The best tracking agents of the world have tried to hunt down your father, but no one can find him."

"Maybe I can."

"Why? Why do you wish to find your father?"

"Because..."

"You still need his approval, don't you?"

"That is what ties me to this earth, really. Only once have I gotten real, honest praise from him. But once is not enough."

"I hear one is the loneliest number."

"Isn't that a song?"

"Probably, I really don't care. Er, um, let's get back on topic. Why do you want your father's approval?"

"Because he's my father, and he's the only person I can truly look to for the best praise. I am his own flesh and blood. To be disappointed by your own flesh and blood is the worst disappointment."

"But you are your own. You are the beast that shouted `I' to the heart of the world."

"Okay, that's it, this little cryptic dream sequence of yours has gone far enough, Tenshi."

Shinji woke up as he always had done. Tenshi had his hand on Shinji's forehead, using his tactile psychic ability. Tenshi winced as Shinji woke up, and quickly retracted his hand.

"I was-... Um, er... I-" Tenshi stuttered.

Shinji promptly punched him in the face. Tenshi had been sitting on a chair, so he fell back on it, sending his head against the nearby wall. Tenshi got back up and held his head in pain.

"I told you," Shinji calmly said. "I don't want to deal with anymore of those cryptic mind messages. I dealt with enough fighting the Angels and during the whole Third Impact dream thing, and I don't want to deal with them anymore!"

"Okay, okay! I just wanted to see if one of my particular powers still worked..."

The door suddenly swung open, revealing Asuka and Rei with bloodshot eyes. They had been awakened as well from Tenshi's dream they had been placed in. Both looked pretty peeved.

"Suddenly I have this feeling you guys are going to open up a whole can of whoopass on me. Guess that's my cue to exit!"

Tenshi ran into the wall, but slammed hard into it instead of going through it.

"Oh yeah, I can't do that anymore..."

To Be Continued...