Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Evangelion: Tribulations After ❯ And to all, a Good Night ( Chapter 12 )

"This one goes out to my friends in the front table here! Let's get a light down on them!"

Tenshi was on the stage of the restaurant once again. It turned out that Tenshi retained his natural gift for singing even when he was returned to a human form. It was December of 2016, nearly a year after they had first met him. It was sort of a sad time for the group of Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Misato. Tomorrow was the scheduled day for the official destruction of NERV and the Evangelion, and they decided to honor the event by holding a party at the restaurant where Tenshi performed.

The guitars and drums began to play to Matchbox 20's "Real World."

"`Well I wonder what it's like to be a rainmaker. I wonder what it's like to know that I made the rain.'"

"I can't believe it's been nearly two years since we began this whole thing. I mean, look how much we've all changed thanks to EVA." Rei states.

"Ah, big deal, we've changed. Change happens whether we want it or not. Hell, we've managed to win over more emotional conflicts than Freud could ever hope for." Asuka says.

"`I wonder what it's like to be a super hero.'" Tenshi sang.

"Not all the changes have been for good, you know. My father is still in hiding, and I intend to find him." Shinji states.

"We already know, Shinji. Seems to me like that guy was a big coward to run away when SEELE showed up." Asuka says.

"I actually think it was the smartest thing to do. If I knew SEELE was going to put me in that drug-induced dream thing, I would've run as far away as I could." Misato said.

"The fact remains, however, that he did not warn anyone else about SEELE coming. He did not warn me, and that especially makes me feel... uncomfortable." Rei says, then drinking some water from her glass.

"Ah, you're worried that your pedophile lover wasn't being honest with ya?" Asuka says, grinning.

Rei spit out her water at the table, and Shinji immediately got angry as well at Asuka's remark.

"Ah, you two are big babies. I'm just joking." Asuka stated.

"It's not always funny." Shinji replies.

The group realized that Tenshi had stopped singing, and they immediately clapped like they had been listening.

"Alright, everyone, we're going to take a short break here while I apply some special makeup for my next song." Tenshi said, getting out backstage.

"Special makeup?" Rei asks.

"Knowing him it'll probably be clown makeup." Asuka suggests.

"Let's get back on the subject at hand, which is whether EVA has changed us." Misato says.

"You're taking this like a political debate, Misato." Shinji states.

"I'm only trying to keep us on the same conversation. Has EVA really changed us all?" Misato asks.

"The EVAs didn't do anything, it was the people involved with it who changed us. Tenshi, for example, sealed my soul to this body and gave me total control over my actions." Rei says.

"Tenshi's been helping us since day one. He's been watching us, protecting us, and trying to altogether do the right thing." Misato states.

Asuka holds up her glass. "To Tenshi, the most annoying, egotistical, and downright stubborn former Angel we know."

The others toasted with her, and then the lights in the restaurant shut off. A little bit of music began, starting off with some techno rythms, then continuing with a little guitar solo. All of a sudden, a white light shines down upon Tenshi, who's face has been painted. The face itself is painted white, and black lines have been made coming down through his eyes, and black lipstick has been placed on his lips and made lines going out from the side of his lips. Basically he's been painted up like the main characters in The Crow movies.

The music is playing to that of Rob Zombie's "Dragula."

"`Dead I am the one, exterminating son! Slipping through the trees, strangling the breeze!'"

Tenshi grabbed the microphone and continued singing into it.

"`Dead I am the sky, watching angels cry! As they slowly turn, conquering the worm!'"

"`Dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and slam in the back of my Dragula!'"

"That kid has serious problems." Shinji whispers.

"You're one to talk, baka-Shinji..." Asuka smirks.

"Yeah, but I have actual cause to be insane. That kid takes it naturally."

"And how's that?"

"Would I ever dress up like a mime from hell and sing something like that on stage?"

"If I got you drunk enough."

Shinji sighed.

"`Dead I am the dog, hound of hell, you cry! Devil on your back, I can never die!'"

"`Dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and slam in the back of my Dragula!'"

"Remind me again why we hang out with him..." Rei says.

"Because he's the only remaining force on this planet who can sing worth shit." Misato replies.

"Well, it looks like he's finally finished up this one." Shinji says.

The entire crowd gives him a standing ovation, as do Shinji and the gang. Tenshi smiles and bows, getting a towel from the stage crew and wiping off the makeup that he had put in.

"Thank you very much! Thank you all so much! Now, this next little piece is something that the group that I so always give attention to, will have to pay attention to. You see, Shinji Ikari, I couldn't just let you walk out of here without getting embarrassed somehow, tonight." Tenshi says, smiling.

The crowd notices that a large television screen, almost as large as the stage is coming down behind Tenshi.

"And so, I've made a little compilation for our hero, Shinji Ikari. Who I know as the Lady's Man."

The screen suddenly turns to an image of Asuka, who is pointing out at the camera. There is no sound, but Tenshi sings for it. What's he singing? The Offspring's `Pretty Fly for a White Guy.'

"`Unta Gleiven glouten gloven!'" he sings.

And then there was a drum solo as the image turned to a brief view of Shinji gritting his teeth.

A light shined down and showed three women standing on stage near Tenshi. The image switched to when Misato had bore down on Shinji when he had commented about her usual breakfast.

"`Give it to me, baby!'" the girls sang over Misato's lip movements.

"`Uh-huh! Uh-huh!'" Tenshi sang.

The image switched to Misato and Shinji in Misato's car together.

"`Give it to me, baby!'" the girls sang over Misato's lip movements.

"`Uh-huh! Uh-huh!'" Tenshi sang.

The image switched to Asuka meeting Shinji outside of the school.

"`Give it to me, baby!'" the girls sang over Asuka's lip movements.

"`Uh-huh! Uh-huh!'" Tenshi sang.

The image switched to Rei and Shinji on an escalator in NERV. Tenshi sang over Shinji's lip movements.

"`And all the girlies say I'm pretty fly, for a white guy!'"

As the image showed Rei slapping Shinji, a guitar began playing.

"`Uno, dos, tres! Quatro, sinco, sinco, seis!'"

The image switched to Unit 01 walking down the streets of Tokyo-3, but then tripping and falling flat on it's face.

"`Well you know it's kind of hard just to get along today, our subject isn't cool but he fakes it anyway!'"

"`He may not have a clue and, he may not have style, but everything he lacks, well he makes up in denial!'"

The image switches to when Shinji accidentally tripped in Rei's apartment and sent all her underwear flying and he ended up landing on her.

"`So don't deface, and play us straight! You know he really doesn't get it anyway!'"

"I'm going to kill him." Asuka says.

"I know, me too." Shinji says.

"I mean YOU, Ikari, not Tenshi." Asuka states.

"Eep..." Shinji whispers.

"`Hey! Hey! Do that brand new thing!'"

The group continued to watch Tenshi sing as the clips ran by of embarrassing situations for Shinji as Tenshi continued singing, obviously having a fun time.

"Why does he hate me so much?" Shinji asks.

"Why does toast land butter side down? No one knows, Shinji. Maybe it was because he invested so much time into you, but yet you still have problems coping with reality." Misato suggests.

"Reality ain't so bad when I've got Asuka." Shinji replies.

"Got that right, baka." Asuka grins.

"But still... I think I might know what I'm missing." Shinji says.

"So, this is it. You're leaving." Misato says.

Shinji was still packing his last suitcase. Misato and Asuka stood in his room.

"Yep." Shinji replies.

"But why? Doesn't our relationship mean anything to you?" Asuka asks.

"It means the world, Asuka. But my Father's still out there, and I've got to find him." Shinji says, putting his last shirt in the suitcase and closing it.

"We've had agents searching for him everywhere. Why do you think you'll have more luck?" Misato asks.

"I may have been distant from him last year, but I do know of some places he would go that people wouldn't think of looking. By the way, how's `NERV?'" Shinji asks.

Misato smiled. "As far as the public knows, destroyed. However, it has come to the attention of the UN that we may need EVA again. And because of that, they have approved funding for the secret organization called SYNAPSE. Tenshi, Asuka, and Rei will continue to work for it until such time when we don't think we need the Evangelions any more."

Shinji smiled as well and said, "Keep Unit 01 in mothballs until I come back."

Shinji lifted up all his suitcases, but Tenshi walked in and helped him carry them out. After he had left in Kaji's car for the train station, the group stood in the doorway of Misato's apartment.

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Rei asks.

"Of course! We're the kid's only stabilizing force. He's got to come back to us." Tenshi states.

"Yeah, but he never truly felt at home here." Misato says gloomily.

"There's an old Angel saying that I think applies in this situation. `Only Nixon can go to China.'" Tenshi says.

The others stared at him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Asuka asks.

"Forget it, my talents are wasted on you people." Tenshi says, walking back inside.

TO BE CONTINUED