A new beginning

Chapter 1: Redefining Reality

By: Daetor

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to this story or the characters, I'm just obsessed by it. I'm writing this because i want to and no other reasons, I'm not getting paid or anything. Gainax owns this stuff and they can sue me if they don't like what i did here.(Though I hope they don't)

Asuka felt awake again, after it began, after what began she asked herself, then she remembered her Eva running out of power, the Eva series ripping her to pieces. Then Shinji asking her for help and she refused, then thoughts, minds, souls, merging with her, she had wanted to run but it was over for some reason. She opened her eyes, realizing she was naked, wishing she had some clothes. As if on queue her yellow dress appeared on her, but that didn't calm her mind though, because she was nowhere in a sea of white.

She then saw someone, she got on her feet trying to approach the person, wandering how she could stand on nothing. She moved closer and saw Rei, in her school uniform, but she was not alone. Behind her floated another figure, a woman who seemed somewhat transparent, yet somehow more real that the girl before her, a woman with a determined look on her face and a burning flame in her eyes. The woman had long brown hair and was wearing on odd uniform, black and red, with what looked like some strange armor plates over her shoulders, her chest and her legs. Her eyes were frightening, the irises were green encircled by burning red flames.

"Rei? Where am I?...What is this place?" Asuka asked angered by her own fear.Why am I so afraid? She asked herself, not knowing that 'here' there was no difference between words and thoughts.

"It's normal to be afraid." Two voices answered instead of one but, only Rei spoke with her mouth. The second voice was older, it had to be the woman's, and it wasn't an echo. The two voices spoke in perfect unison, as if it came from one person, one thought."Everyone fears what they cannot understand. You are no exception to that rule."

"I'm not afraid!" Asuka protested.

"Do not deny it." The two voices spoke again, in the same frightening manner."Here, here is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He has decided to return, and so everyone can return, you as well." The voices paused for a moment as if gathering the proper words."I will leave you a gift, a very special gift, which will help you choose your own destiny and be an important part in shaping the destiny of the world."

Then Rei placed her hands over her chest and in them appeared a sphere of red light. The flame in the eyes of the woman behind her disappeared as Rei gave the sphere to Asuka. Asuka took it into her hands, feeling drawn to it by some reason. She looked at it wondering what it was, and why did Rei give it to her. Then another thought came to her, who was that woman?

"I... what is this? What do I do with it?"Asuka managed to ask.

"Keep it in your heart and use it when you need it." The two replied with no visible emotion. No, that wasn't true, there was hope.

"What about you two?"Asuka asked, trying to get at least one straight answer. Rei seemed to frown a little from the question."Rei?"

"No, I'm not Rei... I have never been Rei." The voices said confusing Asuka even more.

"How can you not be Rei?"

"What you see are not two beings. You see that which you know and that which I was... a long time ago before this Earth" The voices paused then both figures stared Asuka into the eyes."You know me as Lilith, the second Angel, but those are just names given by humans, nothing more. I am not important anymore, it's time to end my role in this war."

"What war? The war with the Angels?"Asuka asked, suddenly realizing who she was speaking to. As she did she failed to notice the red sphere melt into her hands, becoming one with her, forever. She didn't know at that time but she would be grateful for that gift later.

"No, that was just a battle in this war. The war I'm speaking of is much older, older than human life on this planet."The voices stated."Take care of him, and make good use of my gift." Then everything faded into nothing for Asuka.

--

Shinji found himself in front of Kaworu, after his conversation with both him and Rei, only that this time, Kaworu held a bright blue sphere of energy in his hands and he was handing it to Shinji. "Thanks..."Shinji said not knowing why.

"This is my final gift to you, Shinji Ikari. It cannot make up for my mistakes but it can help you make up for yours." Kaworu stated, then looked behind him where an enormous figure stood bathed in light, the first Angel, Adam.

"This is the last time I'll see you isn't it?" Shinji asked.

"Yes. It's time for me and Lilith to end our war, and leave your people find a new path. Neither of our previous plans worked, that's why I'm leaving you my power, and Lilith is leaving hers to 'her'."Kaworu stated then looked at Shinji, with a strange trace of guilt in his eyes."We cannot be gods, I now know that lesson, you should remember it as well, so that you won't make the same mistakes we made so long ago."

"I don't understand all of this..."Shinji said, feeling confused and somewhat hopeless."How will I know what to do? What if I end up hurting everyone again? What if I end up not being able to help her again?"

"Follow your heart. This power is only yours and no one can tell you how to use it." Kaworu said offering a warm smile."There will be someone there to help you, he won't deny you your freedom. This time you will be able to make your choices as you wish."

"I...what about..."Shinji muttered not knowing himself what he wanted to say. Finally he managed to form his thoughts into a question."Will I have to fight again?"

"That is you decision, but sometimes you have no choice if you want to protect the things you believe in and especially those you love." Kaworu said."Will you run away again?"

Shinji thought, he said before that he wouldn't but in the end he did. Still this time it was different, he felt that he couldn't and he didn't have anything to run away from anymore. He could only run away from himself now, but there was no point in it, this time, he wouldn't.

"I won't run away, not again."He finally said.

"Then you are ready." Kaworu said and Shinji was enveloped by darkness. He didn't know it then, but he would never run away again.

--

In the physical reality, Lilith's giant form collapsed, it was destroyed as all the souls were released back in the world and a giant sea of LCL filled the hole in which the geo-front once stood. On one of the shores, what seemed to be an Eva unit similar to the first ones stood and watched silently. It raised it's arms as the souls were released and a red light emanated from it as the souls were scattered all over the world, back to where they belonged, or where they wanted to go.

After it was over, the monster kneeled as if it was recovering after a great effort. If anyone would have been near it, they would have heard the tired sigh it gave out, which sounded almost human. 'It will be a long night' a thought ran trough it.

--

Asuka opened her right eye, feeling her left one sore and her right arm in pain. She felt dizzy to say the least. 'Maybe this is how Misato feels when she wakes up after getting drunk.' She thought looking at the sky above her, the image of a trail of blood didn't make her feel any better. Only one thought echoed trough her mind:"Take care of him and make good use of my gift."

She turned her head to her left where she saw Shinji, he was doing the same thing as she was, staring at the sky. He got on his feet looking around. She just managed to stand a bit than she sits, feeling too exhausted to stand. She tucked her legs underneath herself, feeling cold in her plug-suit, and also feeling the smell of blood. They were both silent, neither of them daring to break the eerie silence that settled between them.

Shinji stared at the sea of LCL wondering if there was anyone left in the world around them, but he was to tired to think about it. He didn't want to look at Asuka, not after he tried to strangle her in that mixed up world of thoughts, not after killing everyone on the face of the planet in his selfish rage. Still he wasn't going to run away anymore, he had a gift from his friend, one which could change destinies or so he understood. Maybe there was still something he could do, maybe he could at least make something right.

Asuka was feeling just as confused at the moment, she didn't know what to do and the pain from her wounds didn't help her think at all. She was also wondering if anyone else was alive, but that wasn't important now. She remembered Shinji coming to the hospital to see her, and then the fact that she tried to strangle him. He came to see her and she tried to kill him, the thought made her feel awkward. She didn't even fight back in the world of thoughts when he tried the same thing, she knew she deserved it.

Neither of them wanted to talk, but both were glad that the other was there, even if they weren't really aware of it. Shinji admitted that he cared in his thought, well it was more than that, but he couldn't place his word on it just yet. Asuka on the other hand wasn't as willing to accept her own feelings towards the boy, she didn't even realize that she was grateful for his presence. Still the moment was broken by the loud landing of a giant beast further right down the shore, the creature as large as an Eva unit looked right at them.

Shinji knew they had to leave now, but when he looked at Asuka he knew that she probably couldn't move at all and he also became aware of his own pain in his chest. He probably had some broken ribs, maybe even more, he wouldn't be able to move to fast himself, much less carry the girl with him. Meanwhile, the monster turned it's head towards them, it resembled the mass production units, only that it had a pair of black eyes which held no expression.

At first it did nothing, then something red caught it's eye, Shinji could see the red spot in the giant monster's eyes. There was only one possibility, it was looking right at Asuka, and then the beast jumped forward. It lifted it's right arm and stretched it towards the girl who paralyzed in shock. She couldn't move, even if she could it wouldn't do her any good, but then her vision was covered by Shinji who put himself between her and the giant arm.

"Idiot, run!" She yelled.

'Let's see what you left for me Kaworu.' Shinji thought in the second before the impact. 'I won't abandon her again.' Then the arm hit, but it didn't reach the boy with his arms outstretched, it was stopped a meter away from him by a blue barrier. The creature began to push on the barrier, but it wouldn't give away, instead it seemed to push the hand back slowly, inch by inch.

Only one word came in Shinji's mind:'die, die, die' "DIE GOD DAMN YOU!" He yelled in anger the barrier lashed out and cut the arm of the monster in half, it threw it away as several flames made deep cuts in it's chest and face. The hits were furious and they threw the monster back, it fell and it remained silent for the moment, but Shinji collapsed and fell right on Asuka. She caught him as he slumped back, ignoring the pain in her right arm, she was just too shocked by what she has seen. "why?...How?" she managed to ask."Sorry..." was all Shinji could say before darkness wrapped it's gentle wings around him. The effort had been to much for him, his body was never ready for the new power he had.

Still it wasn't over, the creature began to stir again, it wasn't dead yet, and it had no intention of giving up. It had a purpose to fulfill and the Throne of Souls wouldn't be satisfied with failure. Asuka looked in horror as the beast got on it's feet. Still it didn't even get the chance to take a good look at it's targets, because several spikes impaled it.

The spikes flew from the other side of the LCL sea, or at least that was where they had been fired. The source of the spikes, another giant beast, landed on the first while extending some ribbon like tentacles from it's shoulders. They reminded Asuka of the 14th angel and it's ribbon arms, only that these were eight and they seemed armor plated but they proved to be just as flexible as the 14ths arms. The second combatant quickly finished the already wounded monster, at least this one looked like a normal Eva unit.

It turned towards the two then kneeled, a sound was heard as if heavy doors were being opened somewhere. Then a man came from behind the unit and looked at the two, in his eyes you could clearly see guilt. He approached the two and Asuka wondered what he wanted, but she didn't feel afraid, there was something about him that made her feel that she could trust him. At the moment both her and Shinji needed help, but she tightened her grip on Shinji as if just by holding him she could somehow help him.

"Damn, I got here late. How bad is he?" The man asked.

"What?" Asuka asked surprised that he was more worried about them than other things."I don't know... He just collapsed, after..."After what? What did he do? How did he do it? And why? Did he do it for me? She thought unable to answer anything else, still at least the pain gave away and she could think properly.

"I see, I'll take you two at a safe place, before anything else tries to kill you. I'm sure that he would never forgive me if I'd let anything happen to you."

To be continued...

A/N: This is the first chapter of my first fic, but the thing is that I have more written out than this. Still, the head ache gives me with the formating prevented me from getting more out right away. Still if you want to see more, check out my profile, I'll have a link there, to where it's posted.