Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Only in Your Eyes Am I Worthy	By : Lucythebeast Category: +M to R > Neon Genesis Evangelion Views: 28767 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 35
- 36
Evangelion: Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy

Author�s Note: It�s been a long crazy ride� and we�re
almost done with it. I hope you�ve enjoyed it thus far� it isn�t quite over yet
though. Muahahahah!!!

Required Disclaimer:
Disclaimers are like a box of chocolates� yum. This story is of course a
fan-work. It is a simple homage to the wonderful work of Gainax
Studio and Anno-sensei.

Chapter 36: Until the End of the World

Gendo Ikari and Rei Ayanami
stood before the crucified image of the masked Lilith.
The commander looked down at the girl who would bring about the culmination of
his plans, a hint of a smile upon his lips as he felt his reunion with his late
wife Yui upon him. �I have already joined with Adam.
The only way I will ever see my Yui again is through
the forbidden fusion of Adam and Lilith. Your AT
field won�t hold its shape for much longer� let us begin, Rei.�

The commander
gave the girl a slight smile before he continued. �Release your AT field, the
barrier of your mind. Make our imperfect souls whole again. Discard this
unnecessary physical shape. Merge all souls into one. And then� take me to Yui�s side.� Gendo reached out
with the hand that Adam was implanted into as the first child�s eyes closed. He
pressed his hand into her breast to pass it through her chest and then down
into her S2 organ. A moment later, however, his eyes widened
in surprise. �What?�

Rei�s
eyes reopened and she stared up at the commander.

�Why haven�t you
dropped your AT field?!� Commander Ikari demanded,
attempting to press his hand past the barrier of her flesh again.

�I am sorry,
commander. But I will not merge with you.� The young Ayanami
stated dispassionately.

�You agreed to
this! We must merge Adam and Lilith together! How dare you defy me?!� Gendo
growled, pushing his hand against the girl�s stomach as hard as he could, but
it did not pass her skin.

�It would not
matter if I allowed your hand inside me or not, commander. Adam is dead. What
you have in your hand is an empty shell.� Rei touched
her hand to it and the fetal form of Adam blackened and decayed, falling away
from the commander�s hand a few moments later in an LCL-like sludge. �I will
not give you the throne of God.�

Commander Ikari stared down at the red-eyed angel with shock-widened
eyes, clutching his raw and bleeding right hand. �You�ve doomed us all. Including Shinji.� He accused.

The first
child gave the man a sad smile as she leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his
lips. �Adam yet lives. In him.
You know this because you placed him there. However, I do love you, Ikari-san. I will reunite you with Yui-san,
if that is your greatest desire.�

Gendo
watched the girl start to walk away. Something about all this was wrong. �How
do you know you are doing the right thing, Rei?�

The
blue-haired beauty paused and turned her head enough to see the man she was
leaving behind. �The first time� I did as you asked. I took you to the throne
of God. Third Impact proceeded just as you planned. But it was not enough.
Humanity rejected it. They chose death over happiness because regrets held them
back. The second time� I betrayed you. I chose to bring Shinji to the throne of
God instead and Third Impact proceeded as SEELE had planned. However, Shinji�s
regrets held him back and humanity once again chose death over happiness. I
will not make the same mistakes I made those times.�

The commander
narrowed his eyes as he clutched his wounded hand to his side, allowing the
revelation of the previous two attempts to sink in. �That�s why she seemed to know more about what was going to happen than
we did.� He reaized. �What will you do, then?�

Rei
turned back towards the elevator leading up to Central Dogma and replied, �I
will not give humanity a choice in the matter this time. God can keep his
throne. All I want is a Second Genesis.�

Gendo
plopped down on the ground, grimacing as the bleeding refused to cease. �Rei� you�ll really take me to Yui-chan?�

�Sayonara, Ikari-san.� The first child stated a moment before
the elevator closed behind her.

The commander
sighed and lay down, staring up at the form of Lilith,
which was decomposing into sludge before his eyes. �Sayonara� Rei-chan.�
He stated to himself, a moment before the whole room exploded from the release
of Lilith�s energy.

Soon after,
the newly redressed Rei stepped into the command
center, where the fighting had seemed to suddenly stop for an unknown reason.
She gave the former professor a courteous nod as she walked up beside him.

�So what will
it be? Plan A or Plan B?� Fuyutsuki inquired.

The first
child watched the monitors for a few moments before she replied. �Plan A. Plan
B is no longer� viable.�

The deputy
commander smiled and placed a hand on her slender shoulder in a gesture of affection.
�Be happy, that is my last and only request.�

Rei�s
eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as she turned to look up at the man. �Are
you sure? I am sure that Yui-san would not mind��

�Rei-chan� the only reason I ever agreed to any of this was
for your happiness. It is enough. I regret nothing.� The professor stated
firmly.

The young Ayanami nodded and smiled up at the man. �Thank you�
father.�

Professor Fuyutsuki stared down at the girl in surprise for a few
moments before a smile appeared to match hers. �That was my regret last time�
wasn�t it?�

Rei
looked back at the monitors for a few moments before replying. �Does it
matter?�

�No� no it doesn�t.� The man responded.

*************************

Unit 01 tore
into the first of the remaining MP Evas, ripping its
arms off and using its own limbs to beat upon the injured Eva enough to knock
it down to the ground. The purple behemoth then swooped down to the ground to
stand over the impaled Unit 02 to prevent the creatures from inflicting any
more damage on it. �Asuka?! Asuka, can you hear me?� Shinji demanded, glancing down at
the red Eva for a moment before turning his attention back towards the circling
enemies. �ANSWER ME, GOD DAMN IT!�
He screamed desperately.

�Shinji, we
can�t get any readings from inside Eva Unit 02. Even if she�s still alive, she
can�t answer you. Focus on those Evas! Defeat them
and we can help Asuka!� Misato yelled into the
communicator.

The third
child�s eyes narrowed, confused as to why the creatures hadn�t attacked yet.
They seemed as if they were waiting for something, but he wasn�t sure what it
was. �Damn it� Damn it! ASUKA!
Please� please be all right.� He choked out as he sobbed.

�Shinji-kun,
defeat the Evas! You have to!� The major reminded him
as she prayed that he wasn�t too distraught to see reason.

�Everything I
touch turns to shit. Maybe� it�s better this way. Maybe I should just stop
fighting�� The young Ikari stated, staring down at the
impaled body of Unit 02. �I�m no good. I can�t do this by myself. I�m just a
stupid little boy. Asuka� wake up! Tell me what to
do!�

�Damn it,
Shinji! Snap out of it and� HEY!� Misato scowled as the communicator was pulled
out of her hand and she stared in surprise at the person whom had grabbed it.

�Shinji-kun. Fight the Evas. You must destroy them all.� A soft voice
stated, replacing the angrier voice of the major.

Shinji snapped
out of his self-loathing inside the Eva. �Rei-chan?�

�Kill them
all, Shinji-kun. Pay them back for what they did to Asuka-chan.�
Rei responded and then handed the communications
microphone back to the major before the woman got too pissed off.

The blue-eyed
boy turned his gaze back up to the MP Evas, a growl
issuing forth seemingly from the depths of his soul. Unit 01 howled in
challenge as it took to the air upon its wings of energy, pulling out its prog-knife as it reached the first enemy Eva. They collided
in midair and then lightning-fast slashes with the prog-knife
scored numerous cuts on the fish-faced Eva as the others swooped in towards
him.

Unit 01
grabbed onto the slashed up MP Eva and used it as a weapon to bash it into one
of the others as it attacked before the first child flew away from the
creatures for a moment after his prog-knife got
slapped away from his Eva�s hands. He swooped around behind one of the
creatures and landed on its back, grabbing its white wings and tearing them off
as he used its back for leverage. The creature plummeted to the ground a moment
before another of the MP Evas crashed into him from
behind. �Ah!� He cried out as it pushed him all the way down to the ground
where they slammed into the surface of the GeoFront,
creating a crater in the ground.

Shinji cried
out in pain and felt even more when he felt the creature clawing at his side.
He threw his elbow back and dislodged it long enough to regain his footing and
then he grabbed onto the creature and tore its throat out. �You
son of a bitch! You stupid, ugly OOF!� He cried
out in surprise as another of the Evas swooped into
him, knocking him back as it bashed Unit 01 in the head several times. �Nng! Damn it! Get off!� He
grumbled, trying to knock the persistent creature away. His eyes widened in
horror when he saw two of the other Evas approaching
the fallen Unit 02, seeming to grin maliciously down at it. �No!� He screamed,
finally managing to kick his attacker off. He scrambled up to his feet and ran
after the two that were bearing down on the red Eva.

One of the MP Evas turned to face him as another pried one of the Lances
out. He crashed into the one that was facing him and yanked its jaws apart,
sending out a shower of blood-like LCL and he immediately attacked the one
holding the replica Lance. It jabbed the weapon forward and tore into the chest
area of Unit 01, narrowly missing the spinal area where Shinji�s entry plug was
located. The third child grimaced in pain but punched the creature in the face
to knock it down. Then he pulled the Lance from his chest and immediately used
it to stab into the head of the fallen Eva before it could get up.

The young Ikari saw the armless Eva he had first attacked
approaching, as well as the one he had dislodged to get over to Unit 02. �Damn
it� they just won�t stop!� He cried.

�Asuka was going after their S2 engines, Shinji! That seems
to be the only way to get rid of them for good.� Misato informed the clueless
boy over the communicator.

Shinji nodded
and pulled the Lance out of the head of the Eva and backed away from the two
approaching ones, lowering Unit 01 into a defensive crouch. �Understood.�
He responded, watching them carefully. His eyes widened in fear, however, when
another one of them was approaching the red Eva, likely intent on grabbing one
of the Lances and possibly to further maim the fallen Unit 02. �No!� He
screamed, throwing the Lance directly at the creature, which seemed to fly
forward with a life of its own straight into the chest of the MP Eva, imbedding
itself into its core. It blew up just as the armless Eva jumped on Unit 01 and
started stomping on it, using its wings for leverage.

The purple
behemoth grabbed the ankle of the attacking MP Eva and slammed it into the
other approaching one, a moment later ramming its fist through the both of
them. Shinji screamed both in pain and rage as a shower of LCL sprayed out of
the wounds and the creatures wiggled futilely underneath him. �Die!!!� The
blue-eyed boy screamed, using his other hand to bash the closest Eva in the
head repeatedly. When the struggling of the creatures died down, he pulled his
fist out and slammed it through their chests again, lower this time and through
both of their cores simultaneously. A moment later they exploded and Unit 01
walked with purpose through the flames towards the last two remaining Evas, its eyes glowing with demonic intensity.

The two
creatures seemed to look at each other for a moment, despite their lack of
eyes, and then they attacked him simultaneously. Unit 01 grabbed onto one of
the creatures around the neck and pulled and twisted as he kicked away the
other one which was wingless from his earlier attack. Inside the Eva, Shinji
screamed in fury as the MP Eva in his arms frantically struggled, but it was
unable to pull away. With one last mighty yank the head of the bone-white creature
was ripped off, a spray of LCL flying up to coat Unit 01, making it look even
more evil than before. After kicking away the other Eva again, the purple
demon-like Eva reached through the neck stump of the recently decapitated
creature, ramming his fist through its body and grabbing the core and crushing
it. After he pulled his fist out and threw the creature aside, he noticed the
plug he had grabbed on the way out, as he had been curious to see who this
bastard was that was piloting the monstrosity. His eyes widened as he saw the
name of Kaoru on the plug after a swipe of his thumb cleared away the LCL
enough to read the markings. �Ka� Kaoru?� He gasped
out. Shinji growled and crushed the plug in his Eva�s hands as he faced the
last remaining Eva.

The Eva tried
to take to the air in an attempt to retrieve one of the Lances, but it crashed
back to the ground, seeming to not remember it was wingless until it was too
late. It tried running towards the fallen red Eva instead, but Unit 01 was
faster, catching up to the creature and tackling it to the ground. �I�ll kill
you! I�ll fucking kill you!� Shinji screamed in wrath as he pummeled the MP
Eva, slamming his fists into the creature until the armor around Unit 01�s
hands started shredding away, leaving the biological hands exposed. He tore
open the chest of the Eva and yanked out its core and then he rammed it down
the creature�s mouth before crushing it. He ran towards Unit 02 as the last MP
Eva exploded behind him.

�Eject Asuka�s plug!� Shinji cried as he reached the red-armored
giant.

�We can�t!
Unit 02 is completely dead! No signals can get through.� Misato informed him.

The boy sighed
and pulled out the Lance of Longinus replicas and
turned the red Eva over so he could tear the armor plates off the Eva�s back.
He tore into the flesh underneath until he exposed the spine of the behemoth,
quickly locating the plug inside and pulled it out. �It looks damaged.� Shinji
whispered in fear as he set it down as gently as he could before ejecting his
plug.

The third
child ran to the damaged plug unit and tore the hatch open, becoming even more
worried when barely any LCL fluid flowed out of the plug. He peered inside and
his heart went up into his throat as he saw the slumped over and bloody image
of the second child. �ASUKA! NOOOO!!!!!� He screamed, clutching at his
temples as he sobbed.

�Ow. Shut up, stupid. My head hurts enough already without
you yelling like that.� Asuka hissed out, turning her
gaze up a bit as she winced in pain.

�Asuka-chan! You�re alive!� Shinji cried out,
staring up at the girl. He saw blood oozing out of the girl�s eye like tears as
well as from the corners of her mouth and she was clutching at her side where
most of the Lances had embedded into Unit 02, but she was indeed alive.

�Of course I�m
alive. What are you, stupid? You think I�d let myself die because of them? You
should know better, idiot. I could use a bath, though. And maybe another coma��
The second child groaned out a moment before her eyes closed and she became
still.

�I�m glad
you�re ok, Asuka-chan. I�d never forgive myself if
you were� Asuka-chan?� The blue-eyed boy stared at the girl, her lack of motion
disturbing him. �Asuka-chan?
Asuka!�
He cried out, climbing forward to shake the girl.

�ARGH!
Schei�e! What are you, stupid?! Are you a sadist,
shaking an injured girl like that?!� Asuka cried out
as she coughed up blood.

�Sorry! I
thought� damn it, where is the ambulance?� The third child wondered, poking his
head out of the entry plug and looking around. The reason they were without
assistance became apparent as he saw military units that hadn�t attacked Unit
02 earlier starting to approach. �Aw shit, we have to get back to my Eva! Those
military guys are coming back.�

The red-haired
girl grimaced and tried to sit up but she slumped back and waved the boy away.
�Go on without me then. Kick their asses.�

Shinji frowned
and moved back over to her and lifted her up, despite the cry of pain that
issued forth from her mouth. �I�m not leaving you here to die, damn it. We�re
taking care of those guys and going back to headquarters so you can get some
medical treatment.�

�Stubborn�
sadistic� I think my eye just fell out.� Asuka
complained as she was dragged towards Shinji�s entry plug.

The
dark-haired boy glanced over and then looked back towards his plug. �It�s still
there. Don�t worry, we�ll be safe in a minute. I just
hope they don�t get close enough to shoot before we get in my Eva.� A moment
later, he cursed himself for commenting as gunshots chewed up the dirt near his
feet. He started to panic until Unit 01 lowered its arm to block him and the
second child from the weapons fire as he dragged the girl towards his plug. He
stared up into its evil looking eyes for a moment before continuing the slow
trek to his entry plug and helped the girl inside. A moment later he closed the
hatch behind himself and retook the seat and controls.

They felt the
plug lifted back up and a few moments later it was sliding back into Eva Unit 01
and the surroundings lit up on the screens. �Whew. For once I�m glad that my
Eva sometimes moves on its own.� He muttered.

�Shinji!
Thank God you�re back! Headquarters is completely cut off. You�ll have to get
back here on your own. Is Asuka��
Misato�s voice started asking.

�She�s here
with me. A little banged up but she�ll live.� Shinji informed the major
quickly. He glared down at the soldiers and swept out the hand of Unit 01,
reaching out with his AT field to sweep the tanks and soldiers away as if they
were toys. �Get out of my way, you stupid bastards!�

�Try not to
rock us too much, will you? I think my guts came loose.� Asuka
complained, glaring up at the boy.

�Just try not
to interfere with my synchronization, ok?� The third child yelled back at the
girl, hoping to give her something to concentrate on other than her injuries.

�Ach, let me at the controls then if it�s such a problem for
you, Shin-chan.� The German girl retorted, spitting
to clear her mouth of blood.

The young Ikari grinned and stomped on the tanks and artillery
cannons on his way back to NERV headquarters, trying not to think about the
lives he was probably snuffing out. Right now he had more important things to
worry about. They were trying to kill him, so he focused on that. He wasn�t so
much worried they�d be able to succeed, since even if his AT field dropped for
some reason, he still had enough armor plating left to keep them safe, but he
was worried they�d still be around to follow him into the headquarters and kill
them when they exited the safety of the Eva. �Mmph� I
wish they�d stop shooting the exposed arms. That hurts.� He complained.

�Tell me about
it, I feel it too, Third. Hurry up and bash their
brains in!� Asuka demanded.

The blue-eyed
boy nodded, sweeping more soldiers and weapons aside with his AT field, wishing
he had one of the massive guns to shoot back at them. Soon enough, though, the
soldiers were either dead, unconscious, in units too damaged to do anything or
retreating. So he took that opportunity to take back to the air on his Eva�s
energy wings, flying back to NERV headquarters and reentering it through one of
the remaining working extraction tubes.

After the
entry plug was expelled, Shinji helped Asuka out of
it and to the elevator, praying it still worked. They entered it and were
surprised to see Misato and Rei waiting for them.
�I�ll take care of Asuka-chan.� Misato offered,
taking a look at the girl. �Looks worse than it is, I�d say.� She informed them
as she wiped blood off the girl�s face.

�Feels like I
got stabbed by a bunch of lances.� The second child bit out as she leaned back
against the elevator as it went back up to the command level.

Rei
frowned and reached forward to brush her fingers over the girl�s cheek. �You
survived.� She stated simply.

Asuka
blinked a few times and stared down at her abdomen with a perplexed look on her
face. �True. Strange� I feel a lot better. Still
hurts, but not so much.�

A corner of
the first child�s mouth lifted up in a half smile as she turned her attention
to her beloved. �You both did well.�

Shinji nodded,
but he was confused as well. �Does this
mean we averted Third Impact? But Rei-chan said it
was necessary. Why did she want us to stop those other Evas?�
He wondered.

After they exited
the elevator to the command level, Asuka plopped down
on the nearest empty seat, ignoring Lt. Aoba when he grumbled about his chair
getting stolen. �Make yourself useful and get me some water or something, will
you?� She flashed the long-haired lieutenant a smile as she slumped back into
the chair, clutching at her still sore stomach as her other hand absently
rubbed blood out of her left eye.

Vice-Commander
Fuyutsuki nodded at Rei
when she looked up at him.

The first
child nodded back and turned to look at Shinji, a smile forming on her lips.
�Shinji-kun� may I speak to you in private for a few moments?�

The third
child nodded, scratching the back of his head nervously as he followed the girl
up to the observation deck where they wouldn�t be overheard. �What is it, Rei-chan?� The boy asked a little apprehensively.

Rei
glanced down towards her feet for a few moments before turning her head up to
look at the young Ikari. �I am ready.�

Shinji
swallowed nervously, intimidated by the intense look in the girl�s eyes. �Ready for what?� He asked with a little fear in his voice.

The red-eyed
angel gave the boy a gentle smile. �I love you, Shinji-kun. More than words can
ever express. You wanted to hear the words, so hear them directly from my
heart. I love you.�

Tears dripped
unhindered from the boy�s blue eyes as he reached out to hug the blue-haired
beauty and held her close. �Rei-chan� thank you. I love you more than life itself!� He cried,
sobbing in joy from hearing the words he wanted most.

Rei
hugged the boy back and felt his AT field weakening as he opened the barrier of
his mind without realizing it. The girl smiled down at the people standing up
to �covertly� watch them. �You will all be happy� I promise.� Rei informed them, moments before letting her own AT field
drop so that she became one with Shinji Ikari,
completely. The S2 organ of Lilith inside Ayanami and the S2 organ of Adam inside Ikari
became united.

*************************

Warning
klaxons sounded in the command center. Lt. Aoba leaned over his console since Asuka was still in his chair and tapped at his keyboard. �Oh my god! Two blue patterns detected in headquarters! No
wait� one blue pattern! There�s an angel inside the complex!�

�Don�t worry
about it.� Professor Fuyutsuki told him, watching the
two pilots embracing up on the observation deck. He saw the happy smile on the
girl�s lips as her body seemed to be fusing with Shinji�s.

�Wait! There�s
an Anti-AT field expanding� oh god!� Shigeru yelled, turning around as his eyes
widened in horror, realizing where it was coming from.

�It�s Third
Impact. This is the way it should be.� Maya stated calmly, despite her nervous
shivering as she watched the two lovers becoming one.

�What the hell
are you guys drinking, and can I get some?� Asuka
inquired, shaking her head in confusion.

�Anti-AT field
has exceeded critical limits! Why aren�t we doing anything?!�
Lt. Hyuga demanded in a panic.

�What the hell is happening?!� Misato asked, looking between the
deputy commander and Captain Ibuki as they shared a
smile.

�If this
continues, individual entities will be unable to maintain their separate
forms!� Lt. Aoba cried.

The second
child sat up straighter, now becoming concerned. �What?!
What are you talking about?! What�s happening?�

�The Chamber
of Guf is open.� Fuyutsuki
informed them, nodding at the Egg of Lilith that
appeared on their display screens. �The door to both the beginning and the end
of the world is open at last.�

�What have you
done?! How are you doing this?!� Misato demanded,
drawing her firearm and pointing it at the former professor.

�You think I�m
causing this to happen, Katsuragi-kun? Don�t worry, you will soon know peace at last.� Kōzō shook his head in amusement as he gave the
woman a kind smile.

�Misato-san�
just put the gun down. This is a good
thing.� Maya stated, nodding at the woman and smiling.

Misato lowered
the gun and frowned. �But� we�re all about to die� aren�t we?�

�No. We will
not die. Not exactly, anyway.� Fuyutsuki
stated with confidence, looking from the Egg of Lilith
on the display screen to the merging pilots.

Makoto
shivered as he looked up to see Rei floating down
towards him, but a moment later she was Misato, reaching out to him with love
in her eyes. He smiled and reached towards her and turned into LCL fluid.

Shigeru cried
out in fear and curled into a ball, shaking his head as Rei
leaned down towards him. Maya appeared before him and smiled at him. �I�ve seen
you looking at me� don�t you want to be one with me?� She asked, reaching her hand
out to the man.

�No! Not this
way!� Lt. Aoba screamed out as he shuddered in fright.

Multiple Reis
appeared and shook their heads sadly. �You�re forcing me to do this the hard
way. I am sorry.� She informed him as they all placed their hands on him,
forcing their way past his AT field to turn him into LCL.

Maya shivered
as she began to worry over whether they had done the right thing. She blinked
in surprise as Ritsuko Akagi
appeared before her. �Senpai?�

�I need you,
Maya-chan.� The doctor informed her with a loving
smile.

�No!� The
captain pulled away from the woman, shaking her head quickly. �I can�t� not
with you. Not after what you did.�

Rei
appeared behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. �Is this better?
You can be one with me, Maya-chan��

Maya looked
into the girl�s crimson eyes and smiled. �I could have� fallen head over heels
in love with you� if only you were a little older.� The captain informed her,
embracing her closely and dissolving into LCL.

Professor Fuyutsuki smiled up at Yui as she
floated down from the ceiling, reaching out to him. �Rei-chan�
thank you. You are too kind� He stated, bursting into LCL as Yui embraced him.

The major
dropped the gun she had still been clutching in her hand as Kaji
appeared in front of her and reached his hand out. �Misa-chan�
I love you.�

Misato felt
tears falling from her eyes as she saw the man she loved. �Kaji�
you remember me? Take me away from here�� She embraced the man, letting out an
ecstatic cry as her physical form was shed in a shower of LCL.

Asuka
shook her head, freaking out as she watched everyone turning into LCL fluid. �O
Gott� O Gott� what�s
happening?!�

�Asuka-chan. Do not be afraid.� Rei
stated, kneeling down to look the girl in the eye.

The second
child noticed both Shinji and Rei standing before
her, with love in their eyes. �What� is going on?� She asked them.

�Do you trust
me?� Ayanami inquired.

�And do you
trust me?� Shinji asked as well.

The German
Girl looked between the two and then finally nodded. �Ja�
I trust you.�

They both
reached their hands out as Rei stated �Then take our
hands. We love you, Asuka-chan.�

Asuka
swallowed nervously and reached out to take their hands. �I love you, too.� She
told the both of them just before dissolving into LCL fluid.

All around the
world, similar events played out as billions of people dropped the barriers of
their hearts and turned into LCL fluid and their souls floated up into the Egg
of Lilith.

*************************

Shinji glanced
around and was surprised to find himself in Misato�s apartment for a moment,
but then it just felt right. Things were a little confusing but he noticed Asuka sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at her
hands. �Asuka-chan� are you
all right?�

�You said you
loved me. You don�t love me though, do you?� The second child asked in a sad
tone.

�No, you�re
wrong. I do love you. Really!� The blue eyed boy
insisted, leaning over to rest a hand on the girl�s shoulder as he tried to
lean down enough to look into the girl�s royal blue eyes.

�Liar.
You don�t love me. You pity me.� The German girl spat out bitterly.

Shinji shook
his head in confusion. �Why are you saying all this? Why don�t you believe me?
I love you, damn it!�

The red-haired
girl stood up and advanced towards the boy who backed away from her
apprehensively. �Tell me the truth, for once in your life. Do you really love
me? Do you love me the same way you love Rei? Be
honest!�

The third
child looked away as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. �No. But� I do love you.�

�You disgust
me.� Asuka sneered down at the cringing boy. �You say
you don�t love me and then say you do. That�s not an answer.�

The young Ikari shook his head. �But I do love you! I really do! Don�t you understand, Asuka-chan?
I think of you� as a sist-�

�GOD DAMN YOU!�
The second child screamed, viciously shoving the boy to the ground. �How dare
you?! I gave you my heart and you made me into your little fucking sister?! How
could you do that to me?! You knew I loved you the same way I love Rei! How can you say you love me like a sister when you
look at my body with lust?!�

�I can�t help
but find you attractive, Asuka-chan. But� that
doesn�t change how I feel. I�m sorry� I wanted to love you as I love Rei-chan� but I can�t change my heart. I will always look
out for you� I�ll always take care of you. I�ll give you what you want if you
insist on it� but I just� can�t love you passionately. I can only love you� the
way I love you. Forgive me.� Shinji stated, standing up and looking at the girl
hopefully.

The German
girl stared back at him for a few moments before responding. �No.�

�Please, Asuka-chan, don�t push me away. I can make you happy, if
you just give me the chance. I have no problem with what is between you and Rei-chan� just don�t expect me to change how I feel!� The
blue-eyed boy pleaded.

Asuka
continued staring at him. �No.�

The third
child shoved the table over. �God damn it, if you really loved me, you�d love
me for the way I am, not how you want
me to be! Don�t try to change me! I would never
try to change you!� The boy yelled as
he tossed the chairs away and approached the girl. �Please� don�t push me
away!�

The red-haired
beauty frowned thoughtfully. She looked over the boy�s shoulder and saw Rei silently watching them from the next room. Finally, she
made her choice. �Fine. But don�t expect me to call
you big brother, because I�m not changing how I feel about you, either.�

�Thank you, Asuka-chan! Thank you!� Shinji cried, clutching the girl in
a desperate hug as he sobbed.

�Hmph. Idiot.� Asuka sighed
and hugged the boy back as she watched the first child in the distance. The
world seemed to melt away.

*************************

Misato sat in
a caf� and watched Kaji as he talked to a man who
operated a hot air balloon in an attempt to have him take them up at a discount
price. �Hmph� cheapskate.�
She muttered, but really she was blissful. Everything just felt� right.

�You seem
happy, Katsuragi-san.� Rei
commented from the side of the woman.

The purple-haired
beauty looked down at the girl, only partially surprised to see her there. What
was more surprising was that the girl was actually talking to her. �I am. I�m
with the man I love� everything is right with the world.�

The first
child nodded and sat down next to the woman, watching Kaji
and the hot air balloonist argue. Or more precisely, Kaji
was trying to be charming and persuasive and the other man was yelling and
being stubborn. �I wanted to thank you. Though you never treated me very well, you
were never purposely unkind to me. More importantly, you saved Shinji-kun�s life twice at the cost of your own. This is a debt of
gratitude that I owe you.�

Misato
scratched her head and looked down at the girl, confusion evident on her face.
�Huh?�

The red-eyed
angel shook her head. �It is not important now. I simply wanted to thank you,
whether you remember saving his life or not is unimportant. But, because I owe
you a boon, I offer you this. Unlike most others who choose the dream, you and Kaji-san can be together in a shared dream. I believe this is what will make you happiest.�

The major
fixed a look on the girl beside her, a part of her
understood what she was being offered while the rest of her was clueless. So
she decided to trust her instincts. �Thank you. Yes� this is what I want.�

Rei
nodded and stood up. �Have a happy life, Katsuragi-san.
My debt to you is thus paid.� She walked away, disappearing a few moments
later.

Misato shook
her head in confusion for a moment but quickly forgot the girl had even been
there. She turned her attention back to Kaji and
smiled as she saw him giving her a �thumbs up� signal. Today was going to be
just perfect.

*************************

Maya Ibuki was riding a train on the way to a big anime
convention, a happy smile on her face. She had heard that there would be a demo
for Dragon Quest X there, which made her giddy with excitement. Not only that,
but she knew for sure that several of her favorite manga
artists would be in attendance as well. All that, plus nonstop screenings of
anime shows made her feel like she was riding the train to heaven.

Maya glanced
around and spotted Rei watching her curiously. �Oh,
come on Ayanami-chan� don�t tell me you aren�t the least bit excited?�

�Perhaps.� The first child responded neutrally. She was quiet for a while
before she spoke up again. �Ibu� Maya-san.
You seem happy here. Is this what you really want?�

The young
captain raised an eyebrow inquisitively as she regarded the blue-haired beauty.
�What do you mean?�

Rei
looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. �Your situation is a bit�
complicated. Shinji-kun shared his essence with you� which gives you the option
of returning to earth if you choose to. However, he does not love you and you might
not be happy returning to that situation.� She paused for a few moments as she
gained the older woman�s complete attention. �However, despite not sharing myself with you in that manner, I do
love you. But Asuka-chan recently pointed out to me
the different aspects of love. I find myself caring for you as� a mother,
perhaps? Or an older sister?�

�Let�s go with
older sister. My ego can�t take being thought of as your mother. I feel old
enough around you as it is.� Maya teased.

�Indeed. Now
on the matter of the problem: you may return to earth if you choose to, where
you will have the opportunity to be a mother to Shinji-kun�s
children, if you both so choose. Life may not always be happy or easy, but it
will be life, not a dream. We will care for one another� and perhaps you shall
find love with one of us. As long as there is life, there is the possibility
for love.� The first child paused for a few moments to allow the woman to fully
contemplate the first choice before she moved on to the next. �Or, you can stay
here. A world without pain or fear or loneliness, where there will always be
things you can look forward to and be excited about. I have no control over
what happens to you here after this point� so you may never find love here.
These are your choices.�

The cute
computer geek frowned thoughtfully and gazed out the window, seeing the
convention site in the distance. With a squint she could see people dressed up
for costume play while others were wearing shirts with various anime or manga characters on them, anxiously awaiting entrance. She
turned back to the girl, noting how patient she looked. �So� I can stay here
and be happy� but I will probably never fall in love. Or I can return to earth
where I might be very unhappy, but there is at least a chance of falling in
love, right?� After receiving a nod from the girl, she thought about it. �Happiness versus the chance
at love� that is my choice.� The captain sighed. �I have to decide
this now, don�t I? And I won�t be able to change my mind afterwards.�

�Once I ferry
your soul through the Egg of Lilith to your
destination, I cannot come back for you. If you stay on Earth, it will be as it
always has been� the only way out will be death. So yes� you must make this
decision now, before I carry out my task.� Rei
responded.

�Hmm.
You already know what my decision will be, don�t you?� Captain Ibuki inquired, staring off at the convention the train was
approaching.

�Yes.� The
first child responded with a nod.

�Good. Go with
that then.� Maya decided.

Rei turned
to look over at the convention, an amused smile forming on her lips when she
saw a girl wearing an outfit that looked very much like a plug suit with a
short blue wig on. �Yes, Maya-san.� She replied
finally.

*************************

Shinji looked
around again and found himself in a sky trolley as it made its slow trek up
towards the top of a mountain. He turned to look at the girl beside him and a
smile appeared on his mouth as he saw his girlfriend wearing a lovely fancy
looking dress and a lacy black choker. �Wow� Rei-chan�
you look beautiful. I mean� not that you don�t normally� but wow.�

Rei
turned her head to smile at the young Ikari and held
his hand. �We were never able to find the time for that date you wished to take
me on. This is not disappointing, I hope?�

The third
child shook his head, gazing down at the trees as they receded below them. �No,
this is great. Wow, look! Sakura trees!� He pointed
down at said trees, grinning with joy.

The crimson-eyed
angel leaned over to look down at the trees with vibrant-looking cherry blossom
leaves. �They are lovely.� She remarked.

�Not as lovely
as you are, Rei-chan.� The blue-eyed boy stated,
hoping it wasn�t too sappy for his beloved.

Rei
smiled at the boy and sat back down beside him, looping her arm in his and
leaning her head against his shoulder. �I am happy. You make me happy,
Shinji-kun.�

The young Ikari brushed his fingers gently through the girl�s silky
blue hair and kissed her forehead before resting his own head against the top
of hers. �I hope I always do, Rei-chan.�

The first
child brushed her fingers idly over the boy�s arm as she enjoyed the quiet
affectionate moment with the boy. �Shinji-kun� I hope you are not angry with
how long I waited to tell you that I loved you. I� knew that when I did, the
barrier of your heart would open fully to me. The other Evas
had to be destroyed before that happened, or I would have no control over what
happened afterwards. I would be� a puppet to the whims of SEELE. I refuse to be
a doll.�

Shinji shook
his head. �No� I�m not mad. I�m just glad you had a good reason, because I was
really starting to worry that I was misreading your affections for me.�

The
blue-haired beauty watched as they approached the mountain top. �Have you any
regrets, Shinji-kun?�

The third
child frowned thoughtfully as he stroked the girl�s hair. �Well� there are
things I wish I had done differently. But� my actions led me here. Asuka-chan is happy and you�re happy, so that fills my
heart with joy. So regrets? No, I regret nothing. Before� my only worth was in
piloting the Eva. And even that didn�t make me special. But then it changed� in
your eyes I am worthy. And that makes me special. Nothing could
ever make me regret anything that led
me to falling in love with you.�

Rei
nodded and sat up straight and turned to look at the boy silently for a few
moments before she nodded. �I am glad.�

The young Ikari blinked a few times, baffled by what he was seeing. �Rei-chan� is it me or did your eyes change color?�

The girl
laughed softly and held her hand out. �Do not be afraid, Shinji-kun. Take my
hand. It is time to leave this life behind.�

Shinji nodded,
a part of him understanding what was going on. �I love you, Rei-chan.�
He said as he took her hand and kissed her gently. A moment later, he had
dissolved into LCL.

�I love you,
Shinji-kun.� Rei whispered as the world melted away.

*************************

Shinji opened his
eyes as he found himself lying in a grassy green field. He sat up slowly and
looked around, seeing Asuka and Rei
sitting up as well. �What� happened?� He asked, looking around uncertainly.

�Humanity has
rejoined with God. We are all just outside of the Egg of Lilith.
Can you not feel them?� Rei inquired.

The third
child closed his eyes and then nodded, feeling the hearts and minds of billions
of people. He felt their fears and doubts, as well as their hopes and dreams
and their love and hatred. It was all a bit overwhelming so he opened his eyes
and shook his head to clear it. �Yes. This is� weird.�

�I don�t like
it. These people are creeping me out!� Asuka stated, shivering in revulsion as she opened her eyes
up. She looked over at the young Ikari and raised an
eyebrow up. �Like a sister, huh?�

The
dark-haired boy smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. �I guess
that wasn�t a dream.� He replied, to which the girl rolled her eyes.

�We have
things to discuss and decide upon.� The blue-haired girl stated, resting back
on her hands as she looked at her fellow pilots.

�Like what?
Who gets to puke first?� The German girl asked.

Rei
smiled and shook her head. �Where we go from here. We
have several choices. We can live in a world where there are no boundaries
between people� where everyone is as one. There will be no beginning or end of
any one person� we will all be continuations of each other. There will be no
sorrow, no pain and no fear� only acceptance. No one will ever be alone.�

�That doesn�t
sound so bad.� The third child stated.

�The hell it
doesn�t. I�d rather die than be one with everyone else. I�m Asuka
Langley Soryu, I�ve fought all my life to be my own person. You think I
want to give that up just so I don�t run the risk of being alone? What are our
other options?� The second child demanded, waving off that choice with a scowl
of disdain.

Rei
looked at Shinji and saw the doubt in his eyes. �If it helps� you each rejected
that world last time.�

The blue-eyed
boy nodded. �Ok, I�m sure I had a good reason. Like Asuka-chan
said� what�s our next option?�

The red-eyed
girl nodded, accepting their rejection of the world with no boundaries. �Our
next choice is a world of dreams. Idealized versions of reality� where one need
not feel pain or loneliness unless they really want to. Everyone will be
connected, to some extent� but in that world will exist
the versions of people that are in their hearts. The Rei
and Asuka of Shinji-kun�s
mind will be in his world, while the Rei and Shinji
of Asuka�s mind will live in hers� and the versions
of you both in my mind will exist in my world.�

Shinji
considered the girl�s words as he felt his own fears and doubts tugging at his heart.
�We won�t really be together? Just� it�ll seem that way? Is that what you�re
saying?�

Ayanami
nodded. �If you wish for a world without pain, you will receive it. But it will
not be me there with you� only the me that exists in
your heart.�

Asuka
snorted. �Screw that. I had that with Shinji when I was in my coma. He was
there, giving me love, but I woke up because I knew it was only a dream. I
don�t want a dream, I want the real thing. I want to be with the real Shinji
and the real Rei, not some idealized dream versions.�

The third
child nodded. �I agree. I want you, Rei-chan. Not a dream of you.�

Rei
nodded in acceptance. �I am not surprised. The first time we tried Third
Impact, it was like that. And you both eventually rejected that state as well.�

�Right.
Next choice?� The red-haired girl inquired
impatiently.

�I can return
you to the real world, where you�ll live out the remainder of your days as
individuals.� The first child stated. �It won�t be easy� there will be no one
else. They will all only have the choice of being in the world without
boundaries or the world of their dreams. Whatever makes them happiest.�

�I like that
one. I can�t give up who I am and I won�t
accept a dream. Anything is better than that.� Asuka
stated confidently.

Shinji�s eyes
narrowed as he considered the phrasing of the girl�s statement. �It does sound
like the best option. So if that is our choice, we�ll stay on Earth� but
everyone else will move on?� He inquired to clarify. �That must be why Rei was so concerned about
children� if we�re the only ones left� humanity will only exist as they choose
to after Third Impact� and when we die, if we have no children, no one will be
left on Earth.�

�Yes� they
will have the true forms of humanity, so there is no reason for them to come
back. They would come back as they were before, a dead end of evolution.
However, twice you both expressed the desire to return to corporeal and
individual form. So I gave you a way to evolve. It is what I knew you would
choose. You are happy with this decision then?� The crimson-eyed angel
inquired. After receiving nods from them both, she smiled. �Then lie back down
and close your eyes. I will return you to Earth and bring the new worlds to the
rest of humanity.�

The second
child smiled and lay back down, resting her head on her hands behind her head
as her eyes closed. �It could have been worse.� She commented as she
disappeared from the minds of the other two children.

Shinji turned
his eyes back to his beloved and smiled at her. �I love you, Rei-chan.� He reclined back in a similar way to how Asuka had and stared up at the Egg of Lilith
floating over their heads, watching the souls of humanity merging with it
above.

�I love you as
well, Shinji-kun.� The first child replied, watching her beloved as his eyes
closed.

After the
boy�s eyes closed a thought came to his mind, a wish in his heart. He smiled at
it, even though he knew it was impossible. A few moments later, he disappeared.

Rei
turned her attention back up to the Egg and floated up to it. �Make your
choices.� She stated into each of their minds. She closed her eyes for a few
moments and then she nodded. �Goodbye.� A few moments later, both she and the
Egg disappeared from the sky as she guided them to each individual�s chosen destination.

*************************

The end.
Thanks for reading! *runs away* *Comes back a minute later* What,
you want more? Well it would certainly be in the spirit of Evangelion
if I left the story there, now wouldn�t it? But ok, then the epilogue will be
coming soon. Teehee Final chapter: The epilogue, of
course. Find out the final fate of the Children. Hopefully Shinji won�t
strangle Asuka the moment he wakes up this time, huh?
Hmm� or will Asuka strangle him instead? haha
- 35
- 36
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Only in Your Eyes Am I Worthy