Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Shinji Almighty ❯ And Shinji Said, Let There be Light! ( Chapter 1 )

And Shinji said, "Let there be Light…"

One month after the defeat of the 14th Angel, shortly after Shinji was recovered from the core of Unit 01. Shinji hasn't moved from his hospital bed for over a day. His guardian, Major Katsuragi, has become worried about his lethargic state.

His father, Commander Ikari, hasn't said anything positive or negative, once again convincing everyone he doesn't give a damn. The Eva is in lockdown anyway, so it doesn't matter either way to his status as a pilot.

But some people it does matter to. It matters to the Second Child, Asuka Langely Sohryu, stealing chance glances as she passes by his hospital room on a frequent, suspect basis. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was just waiting for something, any sign that he was alive…

Not that he wasn't. He was just listless…and that worried her. She expected him to apologize for being absorbed by his berserk Eva at any moment…and she still holds out hope he will.

It also matters to the First Child, the enigmatic Rei Ayanami. Though she would not show it, they know she cares. Especially her guardian. He especially knows, but would not show any sign. His plans are too important to be interrupted.

And so Shinji is left alone, lying listless, facing the white ceiling of the infirmary, his view only interrupted by his blinking. Memories he's finding himself forced by his sanity to forget slip through to the surface. Of his mother's face. Of the heartbeat of 01 moments before it absorbed him.

Of the fact that he spent a month inside the beast which devoured his mother when he was barely even a toddler.

Things that any person, even a mature, stable adult, shouldn't have to cope with his fragile teenage mind finds itself reeling in…until a calm overtakes him.

And sunlight streams through the windows as the blinds are parted.

"Time to wake up, Shinji."

The boy blinks, his mind registering the idea that another person is in the room. Turning his head, he sees the figure standing by the window, silhouetted by the sunlight, arms folded behind him.

"Father," Shinji asks.

The visitor chuckles, turning to Ikari.

"It's been a while since I've been called that."

Walking from the light and into the tolerable illumination of the hospital lights, Shinji sees why he mistook the visitor for his father.

The man is tall, broad shouldered, with close-cropped black hair and clear, square glasses adorning his nose.

But instead of a black and red uniform like his father's, the man is clad in a suit. Gray, light gray to the point where it resembles white, the jacket open to reveal a collarless white buttoned shirt. His white shoes make no sound against the floor, and there is something in the man's blue eyes that seem…right…when he looks at him with an admiring gaze.

"Hello, Shinji Ikari," the man says, "I've come to talk with you."

The man pulls up a chair, sitting next to Shinji's bed. For a moment, the two stare at each other, knowing nothing of each other…but at the same time, feeling a familiarity that Shinji has never felt with anyone ever before.

"Who are you?"

The man smiles, folding his hand in front of him and placing them on his lap.

"I'm God, Shinji," the man responds, "Ever since your mother first disappeared, ever since your father abandoned you, you've wondered if I even exist. And you've wondered that, if I did, if I knew what I was doing. So, I've decided that we should put that to the test. We're going to try something that has not been tried before. At least, not any time in recent memory."

The man places his hand on Shinji's forehead, the fingertips glowing, the eyes of the stranger glowing with white, warm light.

"When I leave this room," he says, "You will be bestowed upon with all of My power. For one month, you shall be in My rank and position. But on Earth. And you will be the director of My plan, and we shall see if you can do this job better than I can."

The glow relaxes…and the man pinches Shinji's cheek, stretching out the boy's mouth in an elongated smile.

"You're a good kid," he says, "Don't worry. Help'll be on the way to guide you later on."

And with that, the stranger is gone.

"I think," Shinji says, "I'm ready to go home now."

The drive home was spent in silence. Well, at least for Shinji, as he sat in the back seat of Misato's car, not paying attention as the Major drove in her typical psychotic fashion as Asuka yelled out traffic laws to her. But through it all, Shinji simply sat in silence, pondering his visitation…or was it even that? Or merely a stress induced hallucination?

I wonder what Asuka's thinking right now…, he silently muses.

Thank God this is over.

Shinji perks his head up at the sound of her voice, leaning over the divider to ask her what she meant, when a sharp turn slams him back into his seat…and a hand steadies him to keep from slipping out of his seatbelt.

When Shinji looks to his side, he sees no one there…but sees a feather laying on the seat which he knows was not there earlier.

His musings are cut short as Misato pulls into her parking space at the apartment building, Asuka and Shinji stumbling out of the car and following their guardian to the elevator.

The ride up is spent in silence…until, finally, Shinji speaks up.

"I'm glad it's over to," he says, turning to Asuka…who narrows her eyes in confusion.

"What?" she asks.

"I…never mind," he sighs, turning back to the elevator doors as their guardian smirks.

The doors open as they reach the floor, the two following their guardian to the apartment door and following her into the living room. And Misato promptly sighs once she hears the message on her answering machine, walking past them and grabbing her uniform coat from her coat rack.

"What's wrong?" Shinji asks.

"NERV wants me back at base," Misato says, "More tests on Unit 01 and I have to supervise. I'll be home late, so go on and make dinner without me."

She walks to the door, opening it and turning in the doorway to her charges.

"So you two be careful, and if you can't be careful be safe," she says with a grin, "And if you can't be safe, then name it after me."

And she closes the door before the entendre can sink in, and escapes the series of blistering oaths from Asuka.

Shinji, on the other hand, saw it coming and escaped to his Spartan room, leaving only poor Pen Pen to deal with the mighty Langely's wrath…although now that he sees the room, he believes he may be safer with her.

Standing in the middle of his room is a grown man, with long brown hair tied into a waist-length ponytail, with an aged, worn face and clad in a white tunic and gold armor covering his knees down, and his forearms and hands.

And coming out of his shoulders are a pair of massive, feathered, beautiful wings.

"Oh, Hell," the man says, "You're going loopy seeing my like this, aren't you?"

The man snaps his fingers. His tunic and armor is replaced by a brown leisure suit and yellow shirt, his wings vanished into small clouds of feathers.

"Right," he says, "As you can tell, I'm an Angel. But I'm here to help you adjust to your new, hopefully temporary role and provide instruction. I am…"

The man spreads out his arms, the room rumbling faintly upon his pronunciation.

"…the Metatron."

Shinji scratches the side of his head, shrugging…and the man sighs, shoulders slumping.

"The Voice of God," he growls, "You know, the voice prophets hear and the like? I'm that. With the sole exception of you, whenever God has spoken to a corporeal human, He has done so through me. I swear, go without a prophet for a few centuries and everyone ignores you."

"Wh…what are you doing here?"

"As the Lord has granted you His position, I have been selected to act as your guide to your new powers. Don't worry about the mundane stuff for now, your subconscious has split off a portion to deal with day-to-day 'running the cosmos' stuff, but it's the actual power I'm here to provide a guide for."

"Oh…oh, okay. What do I do?"

Metatron raises a hand…and stops, realizing that the first thing Shinji said wasn't a questioning of whether or not he was hallucinating.

"Must come from piloting the giant purple people eater," he says, and folds his hands behind him, "Very well. To use your powers at present, you will for it to be done."

"Will it to be done?" Shinji asks, scratching his head, "How do I do that?"

"You know… 'thy will be done, thy Kingdom Come?' That's how it works. At this point, you have a very limited state of conscious control over the Power. Therefore, you must verbalize your actions. Say 'I wish that I had wings' and then, BAM, you have wings. It's that simple."

A small grin appears on Metatron's face, as the Angel bounces slightly on his heels.

"Let's take that omnipotence for a test drive, then," he continues, "Make a wish. Anything. But…"

"But?"

"But try not to destroy the world. It kind of ticks off the rest of the Host."

Shinji stares at the seraphim for a long moment…and sighs, shrugging.

"I'll try," he says, "But…I don't know what to wish for."

"Anything. Confidence, a new tape player, a large cheeseburger with fries. Anything you want, even if it is to appease the banshee you're dealing with. Just see if the power reacts to you like we think it will."

"But, I don't want any of that," Shinji says, lowering his head, "I just wish we could understand each other."

Asuka drums her fingers on the kitchen table as Pen Pen continues chiding her in his own little bird language. She ignores him, her mind focusing on and picking apart the declaration their guardian made before she left, as the can of soda she has in her right hand slowly crushes in its vice grip.

"Wark! Wark wark wark! Wark! Wark! Wa-and do you have to sulk around every damn day?! The sexual tension here's thick enough to cut with a god damn knife! And another thing, would it kill you to actually feed me, I mean, you know I don't have thumbs!"

Asuka's eyes snap open at the voice. Slowly, carefully turning, she looks down to the glaring penguin…

"And what the Hell are YOU looking at?!" the Penguin demands.

It starts somewhere at the bottom of her lungs. Slowly, it travels through the esophagus, up into her throat, into her mouth…and comes out in the form of Asuka's ear-splitting scream, as she falls out of her chair and onto the floor. She scrambles to her feet, running from the now speaking pet, and into her room, where she locks the door and keeps repeating to herself something about only dreaming.

Shinji closes the door, turning back to Metatron, having witnessed the entire episode.

The Angel grins, folding his arms.

"Congratulations. First use of the Power and you make the family pet talk. Not bad. Nice and non-destructive."

"What do people who get this power usually do with a first wish?" Shinji asks, idly turning back to the kitchen and the still ranting bird.

"Invade Asia," Metatron responds, patting Shinji on the shoulder, "Don't sweat it. I think you'll get along fine."