Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Together Forever ❯ Chapter 1

Together Forever

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion. It belongs to Gainax, and they did a poor job of ending the story: / I really want them to create a better ending…anyway, I've written this story, `cos I've got absolutely nothing better to do. I'll be using sections from both the manga and the series, so if you have any problem, please refer to them. I'm also using several songs in my fic, and I also do not own them. Now I'll get on with the story: )

Chapter 1

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For: This story is dedicated to my friends, Rainbow, Erf, Sividas, Sweety-Tweety, LadyDragoness, ^AussiLady and many other friends who have helped me in this story in any ways possible, from supporting me during the exams and write-up, to helping me get ideas for the story. Thanks Guys!

- - - - -

"So what about Shinji?" Ritsuko asked. Misato wanted to know what was wrong with Shinji.

"Shinji is so lethargic, not doing much, looking gloomy all the time I've seen, skipping school, wondering around Tokyo-3 with his SDAT in his ears, and as what Kaji told me, `he'd become roadkill if you let him wonder around like that'," Misato said, stating Shinji's symptoms.

"Depression, we'll have to watch out for him," Ritsuko said, after drinking a sip of her coffee.

"But it's unlike what we've seen before...look. He's been in depression before, but now it's like...totally different."

"Like I said, we'll have to watch out for him. If he keeps this up, he might suffer a nervous breakdown."

"How can you treat this so calmly! He could end up like Asuka in the hospital, partially brain-dead and..." Misato began yelling at her friend.

"I did not say that he'll end up like Asuka. What I meant was that he'll go...cukoo," Ritsuko said, twirling her fingers, pointing at her temple.

Misato's jaw fell to the floor with a resounding `Bang!"

Then, Kaji decided to come in. "So, what's going on?"

"Help me close her mouth first, before bugs start coming to get a drink from her mouth," Ritsuko said, turning in her computer chair to face him.

-Five Minutes Later-

"Nope, it's totally out. She'll just have to fix it herself," Kaji said in defeat. "Anyway, what was going on?"

"Shinji might be going cukoo," Ritsuko told the unshaven man.

"Bang!"...you know what happen.^_^

-Five Minutes Later-

"So what can I do?" Misato asked.

"Think about it. What did he kill a month ago?" Ritsuko asked her friend as she continued typing her report.

"Hmm...erm...let's see...Tabris?" Misato said after much guessing.

"Yep, but being a fifteen year old kid, what do you think he thinks he killed?"

"Oookkaayy...I'll see what I can do about that."

- - - - -

For once, Rei was not looking out the window. Instead, she was staring at the younger Ikari's seat. It has been almost a month since the `Angel War' ended, but he has been absent since Kaoru was crushed.

Up till date, only Rei knows the fate that awaits the angels. They were enjoying themselves in heaven, since they did a pretty impressive job of attacking and dying at the hands of the Evas. She knew, since she had just been made one of them.

*~Flashback~*

"Do you think you know how to control them? It's not easy, you know," Kaoru asked concernedly. He did not want his little sister to be hurt, when she has to use her powers. He also wanted to protect her, because he was no longer the youngest, and he's had enough being protected, and being picked on.

"Yes, Kaoru. I believe that I can control them," Rei told her brother. After all that she had gone through, she was not afraid of hurt and pain, but was VERY fed up to find out that the three of them pilots had gotten hurt, while the angels were having fun playing `Hit Me!'.

"Then show me how can you produce an AT field box around yourself," he retorted.

Rei rolled her eyes mentally. She was getting fed up, and she still had school tomorrow. "Can you promise me that if I do it right, you'd let me go to bed?" Rei requested in her calm monotone voice.

"Fine...I just want to make sure you can handle it. I remember the first time..." Kaoru trailed off.

Rei simply thought of herself in an orange hexagonal box, and the AT field appeared instantly.

"He near-" Kaoru stopped talking as he saw Rei in the protection of the AT shield.

Rei stared at him. Now that she had make the force field around her, she expected him to go, but the seventeenth angel was staring at her like he had never seen her before. She gave a tiny grunt, and floated herself over to him, still within her box.

"Now. Will you trust me enough to go?" Rei asked mildly, though a hint of annoyance could be heard.

"Y-yes...see you soon, little sis," he stammered, not wanting to face her anger again. Then he disappeared in a flash of green.

`He's going to need some getting used to,' Rei thought, as she climbed onto the bed, and settled down for half a night of fitful sleep.

*~ Present ~*

"Is Rei Ayanami here?" the teacher called.

That snapped her out of her stupor. "Present," she called out softly. She was hoping to see Shinji today. It had been some time since she had last seen the quiet boy.

"Shinji Ikari?" the teacher continues on his roll call.

"Here," Shinji answered to his name, strolling into the class, looking downcast. "Sorry sensei, I'm late."

"Why didn't you attend school the past few weeks?" the elderly teacher demanded.

Shinji said nothing, but just went over to put a piece of paper on the teacher's desk, before returning to his own.

Rei frowned mentally. It was unlike Shinji to skip school, even for one day. `Something must be wrong,' she guessed. Then, she remembered her brother telling her that she could do virtually anything, if she wanted to.

She was about to start reading Shinji's mind, when suddenly, a voice broke into her thought.

<Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, sis.> Kaoru spoke to her mentally, causing her to give a tiny yelp of surprise(though not loud enough for anyone to hear).

<Moronic, idiotic, asshole! Damn it! Why didn't you tell my you could do that? I would've been better prepared!> Rei demanded, regaining her composure. Then she frowned. <How did you know what I was thinking?>

<The same thing you wanted to do to Shinji-kun,> Kaoru told her.

<Great. Now, if you please, can you get out of my mind, and let me do what I want to do? And don't come `talking' to me without some form of warning, alright?> she grumbled.

<Sheesh! Can't you relax a little? See ya later lil' sis,> Kaoru told her, then broke contact with her mind.

`Useless bum. Now to continue on what I was going to do…' Rei trailed off, unhappy at the fact that she had been interrupted.

Pretending to return to her usual state of staring out the window during lessons, she stealthily probed Shinji's mind.

`So...that stupid idiot was the cause of all of Shinji's misery, eh?' she thought, and went on to looking into his brain files. `That dunce of a brother I have! That guy thought he knew enough about humans to join the society, and ended up `betraying' Shinji…...So, now Shinji is guilty of `murder'. Hmmm...'

Rei turned to look at her fellow pilot and only friend(of her age) she has. Shinji, who was coincidentally thinking about her, also turned to look at her. In his eyes, she saw flashes of emotions, those of which practically dominate his life. That of which are fear, guilt, pain, rejection, and a very tiny flash of hope.

- - - - -

Shinji, who was usually thinking about his good friend, `*Ex-* good friend,' he reminded himself, found himself thinking about Rei at the present point in time.

`Strange...I can't seem to get Rei out of my head...' he thought to himself. Then he continued, `I've never really thought about it, but it suddenly seems like...I find her...pretty? Stunning? ...No. Beautiful. I find her beautiful...' Shinji thought in a dream-like state.

He had never noticed it before, but as his mind slowly slipped from thinking about Kaoru, it went over to the one girl he feels that has ever understood and supported him. He glance over to her, and saw her looking at him.

In her eyes, he saw that he could actually understand what she was feeling. Now, he saw that she was trying to understand him. There was also a little sparkle near the center of her eyes. What it meant, he did not know.

`Her eyes really does reveal her feelings...' Shinji realized. `So that's why some people say that a person's eyes is the window to his or her life...'

He then gave the blue haired girl a tiny smile, before turning back to look at his computer screen.

- - - - -

Rei kept her usual `I'm bored' face on, but she blinked in surprise. `He...smiled at me?' Rei thought. She did not know why, but she felt a sense of warmth emitting from her stomach when Shinji smiled at her. It filled her from top to toe, and gave her a sense of security.

Then, she went back to her task at hand. `Shinji is depressed...so what can I do to cheer him up?' Rei pondered, returning her attention to the scenery outside the window. On the far off hill, there were plants growing all over it, and she found some comfort staring at the lush green patch of land.

<So what are you going to do?> Kaoru popped into her mind for another visit.

<Eep! Damnit bro, why the heck do you like doing this so much?> Rei jumped slightly in her chair.

<Cos I like it,> he answered smugly.

<Let's see…maybe I can tell Shinji that you're still alive…> Rei told her brother, making him stop being so smug.

<Oh…no you don't!> Kaoru seemed to scoot back in fright. <I'm not ready to face him yet!>

<Jackass,> Rei mumbled.

<I heard that!> Kaoru retorted. <Anyway, you're on your own. I don't wanna do anything to make his life worse that it is now.>

<Yeah…right,> Rei snorted. In her opinion, Shinji's life was as bad as it could get now.

<And don't mention anything gotta do with us,> he added.

Rei knew what he meant when he said us, and she had absolutely no wish to reveal her relationship with Kaoru.

<Useless bum. Now get lost and leave me alone,> she ordered.

<Alright…keep your hair on,> Kaoru answered.

<What? My hair will not fall off, unless I cut them.>

<Oh...never mind,> Kaoru grumbled, before going off.

Rei then continued to think about what she could do, even using her status as third commander if required.

- - - - -

<Asuka? Are you decided?> Kyoko asked, reappearing next to Asuka, from the darkness that surrounds her.

Asuka yelped, before turning to her mother. <Eep! Mom! Don't do that!>

<Sorry, my dear, but it was imperative that you give me your choice now.>

<Well...mom, you know, I always used to think that all that I have left was my Eva, but the time I had has given me a whole new point of view of life. Thinking over what baka Shinji and Ayanami has told me, I, I...I've decided to return,> Asuka spoke, after some time of deliberating.

<That's very good, you have finally understood,> Kyoko said, smiling. <However, there are also some things that you will have to find out for yourself, and it might come to you as a shock.>

<Like what?> Asuka asked curiously.

<I'm sorry, but it'll be both shocking and a relief to you,> Kyoko continued, not really answering her question. <I'm sorry, Asuka, but I have to go now...> she added regretfully.

<So can I see you again, mama?> Asuka requested hopefully

<You might be able to see me sometime in the future, but till then, goodbye,> Kyoko said, disappearing to the darkness.

Light began to engulf Asuka. <Mama! I promise you! I will bring the two together!> she yelled, before she was brought back to the present...

- - - - -

"Mama!" Asuka cried, sitting straight up in her bed.

"Asuka...? Asuka!" Misato cried, bursting through the door and grabbing the girl in a fierce bear hug.

"Misato-san! I've missed you!" Asuka cried, hugging the violet haired lady tightly.

"Oh, god," Misato cried, "We'd thought that you'd never wake up," she sobbed. According to what the doctors told her, the only for Asuka to return to consciousness, was through the girl's own free will. If she made up her mind to, she could come back, but with the past experiences she had, wanting to come back would be one of the last thing's on her mind.

"Who are you to judge if I'm going up? My mother?" Asuka teased, though she also had tears coming down her face.

"No, but close enough." Misato was pleasantly surprised. She never knew that the cerulean eyed girl had real tears in her, like a normal girl.

"So what's happened? How long have I been like this? Where's baka Shinji? Is the..." Asuka began firing a volley of questions at her guardian, the moment she recovered.

"Now, now, Asuka, let the doctor check you first, then I'll answer your questions," Misato laughed. "But to tell you truthfully, your mental will began to deteriorate, and you fell into unconsciousness. There were times when we thought you'd come through, only to be disappointed again and again."

"I'm sorry I worried you, Misato-san. I didn't mean to," Asuka apologized in a genuine, sorry voice.

"It's alright, Asuka. I love you just like my own daughter, and I won't let that go just yet. It's been really nice to take care of you and Shinji," she said, stroking Asuka's hair.

"Major Katsuragi? Can you please step outside for a minute, while I check Asuka," the doctor called, entering the door.

"Why the hell does the Great Asuka Langley Soryu need to have a check up? Misato, just bring baka here, let me hear his continuous `sorry' and I'll be sure that I'm fine," Asuka grumbled.

Misato sweatdropped. "Er…because the doctor knows what's best for you?" she suggested. She knew better than to try and aggravate the fiery girl.

"Fine...but you better get my something to eat. I'm not going to eat any of these hospital food!"

"Will do. I'll be outside. I'll come in again when the doctor's finished, alright," Misato assured her ward, stepping out to the corridor, where she laughed at Asuka's last comment. "Bring baka here...listen to his `sorry'...hahaha!"

- - - - -

"Brrrriiiiinnnngggg!!!!!" the lunch bell went off. One by one, everyone left the room to eat, till only two figures were left.

Shinji sighed and leant back on his chair. `So, Kaoru, where are you and what are you doing now? Looking down from heaven and mocking me?'

"Ikari, is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Shinji sat up. Looking round, he finally noticed that only he and Rei were left in the class.

"It…looks as if you're depressed," Rei said in her monotone voice, but she knew exactly what was wrong. She just wanted to hear it from Shinji himself.

Shinji felt like he was caught in a bout of déjà vu. It was like the time he had come out of the synching test after seeing Lilith.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Shinji answered unhappily.

"Are you sure?" Rei tried again.

"Yes, Ayanami. Is there anything I can help you with?" he replied, turning to his fellow pilot.

"Where were you the past few weeks? I did not see you when I went over to give you the handouts," she said doubtfully, though she neither showed nor let it escape in her voice.

"I...was out..." Shinji answered slowly, with a little guilt in his voice.

`Looks like he took it worse than I thought,' Rei thought. `But it's almost impossible to make him feel better, if he wouldn't admit it.'

Then, Shinji's phone rang. Picking it out of his bag, he answered it. "Shinji Ikari…yes Misato-san?…What? Really? That's good! I'll be there ASAP!" Shinji began tersely, then he began to become excited at the major's news.

"What happened, Ikari?" Rei asked politely, after Shinji had kept his phone.

"It's Asuka. She's finally awaken!" Shinji said, in slightly better spirits then before. "I'm going over to the hospital now."

"That's good. So I will see you later?" Rei asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

"Nah...do you want to come with me, Ayanami?" Shinji said, standing at the doorway.

"Are you sure that I won't slow you down?"

"Of course not! Come on. Let's go meet our `best' pilot," Shinji said, walking towards Rei, took her hand and was about to walk out, when Rei stopped him.

"Ikari, you go on ahead first. We will have to leave the sensei a note stating where we went and why," Rei reminded the bo- teenager.

"Oh, right, I'll wait for you, Ayanami," Shinji voiced, giving her another of his rare smiles, before letting her hand go.

Rei couldn't help herself. She smiled back, and went to write a note for the teacher.

Now, Shinji was surprised. This was the second time he had every seen her smile, and it wasn't a request. `Oh...Wow...she looks so beautiful...' he thought, staring at the back of Rei's head.

Rei was also in the same state as Shinji. `Oh, gosh! He looks so handsome when he smiles…' Her heart was beating hard, and once again, she felt warmth emitting from her abdomen. She quickly scribbled a note and left it on the teacher's desk, before rejoining the third child.

Soon, they were exiting the school together.

- - - - -

On the roof top, unnoticed by the two teenagers, three of their classmates were looking.

"Shinji you bastard!" Kensuke grinned. He wished that he had brought along his camera, to capture this scene.

"Skippin school ta make out with Ayanami, eh?" Toji added, next to his equally perverted friend. "Ow!"

Hikari punched her `crush' on his arm. "You better not think what I think you're thinking, or I'll beat you harder," she threatened. Although she seemed not to do anything in class but listen to the boring lecture on the second impact, she was actually as bored as the others. By chance, she had noticed Rei's `liking' for Shinji. `Good luck, Rei! I believe that you and Shinji-kun will come together one day!'

"So what d'ya think day'd do?" Toji asked his friend. "Ow!"

With the two perverted minded boys seeing the two teens, they'd most likely be the main target of class 2A's gossips later.

- - - - -

~ End Of Chapter One~

Finished chapter one. Written the next chapter, but still typing. I'm a slow typer. Anyway. I don give a damn if I get any reviews, COS I LOVE DOING THIS ^_^ I know that I might have made the characters OOC, but who cares, it's a fan fiction. I've also decided to use sections from `End of Evangelion', cos I really suck at writing the adventure parts. Gotta go now. Till next time!