The Wish
By Mark Ferrer
A familiar blue sports car finally came to a gentle stop, that
action being a large contrast to how the car had been pushed previously.
In the year 2015, replacing your brake pads still cost a fortune, but
many just chalked it up to a scam the world was under.
"I know you've been worked pretty hard the last week so here's my
surprise." said Misato, climbing out of the car.
"A crummy fair! We're saving the world and we get to go to a
fair?!" whined Asuka. "When are you taking us to Tokyo Disneyland?"
Misato's eyebrow twitched but she said nothing.
"Actually, it's kinda nice." said Shinji. "It's nice to be away
from all the high-tech stuff."
"A little low-tech fun alright." said Misato, glad to have someone
on her side.
"What about you Wondergirl? Anything to add?"
"This place looks interesting. I do not mind being here." Rei said,
calmly of course.
"Hey Shinji!" called Kensuke, running towards the pilots and their
guardian. Touji followed with Hikari by her side, carrying a large
stuffed cabbit.
"Oh brother. That makes a full stooge compliment." Asuka muttered
under her breath.
After a brief meeting, the Larry and Moe managed to drag Curly
away. Asuka dragged Hikari to the nearest fast ride, Rei following out
of curiousity.
The smell of alcohol called to Misato and she finally left to enjoy
the fair.
* * *
"Wow! Cool! How retro!" exclaimed Kensuke, pouring over the old
video games the arcade had.
Touji merely smirked. A loud ding called to his attention. "Hey!
It's one of those hammer thingys. I'll be right back."
Shinji spent the next hour alternating between Kensuke play and
Touji hammer the bell into submission.
After getting a sore neck from watching as Kensuke battled a
4-armed boss, Shinji looked around to see if there were any other games
worth playing. One game stood out.
A lone machine, away from the flashing lights and noises the other
games made. One with a weathered wood finish instead of shiny plastic
and laminated wood.
Thinking back to english class, he tried pronouncing the name,
"Zolar?"
From the instructions on the machine, it seemed to be a mechanical
wishing machine. Simply aim the coin ramp at the wishing genie's mouth
and you get your wish.
Seeing he had no other coins, he used a 50 yen piece. A turning of
the dial aimed the ramp at the wishing genie's mouth, which had started
opening and closing, no doubt to make the wish harder to achieve.
A message flashed that read, "Make your wish. Then press the red
button."
Shinji closed his eyes and mouthed the wish. Eyes still closed, he
pressed the button.
There was no sound of the coin missing. It sounded as if it had
gone into the genie's mouth. He mentally kicked himself for not keeping
his eyes open.
Suddenly, all the machine's actions stopped. It looked as if the
wishing machine broke. Shinji was about to step away but a bell rang and
a card appeared in a card catch beside the dial.
Thinking nothing of it, he took the card. One blank side but the
other said, "Your wish is granted."
Shinji smiled and said, "Yeah, right."
He said he didn't believe it but he still placed the card in his
black pocket. He walked away and stepped on something. Looking back, it
was a electrical plug. He traced the cord to where it lead and found
that it went to the wishing machine. Unplugged yet the machine still
operated.
In a world where Angels and giant robots made to battle them
existed, this wasn't so out of the ordinary.
* * *
Shinji awoke, still groggy from the previous day's activites. As if
Misato's driving wasn't bad enough sober, he and Asuka weren't taking
any chances of her driving back home. He and Asuka declined offers from
Hikari, Touji and Kensuke's parents to drive them home due to the
embarassment of a guardian who drunk to excess.
Luckily, the cellphones they had hailed a cab that got them home in
the not-most direct manner. Shinji had made the mistake of flashing
Misato's NERV credit card to the cab driver.
Shinji sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He didn't notice
that his feet hung over the end of his bed. A splash of water in his
face finally revealed the morning to his eyes.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!"
Thoughts flash fast as he stared at his now older face. There was a
striking resemblance to his father, softened slightly by the features of
his mother.
"That wishing machine!" he said aloud. "It actually worked."
The mirror informed him of his now under sized shirt that had torn
and was barely on. He removed the now useless piece of clothing. He
sighed as he looked down. It was a good thing he decided to change his
baggiest shorts the previous night. They were still tight though.
"Shinji! What happened?" asked Asuka from beyond the door.
"Nothing hap-" was all Shinji said before he clamped his hand over
his own mouth. His voice was now a lower octave.
"You getting a cold?" Asuka asked, in a rare display of care for
the Third Child.
Shinji tried to talk in his highest falsetto. "I think I might be."
"It's just a cold Shinji-baka. No need to scream." said Asuka. "I
thought there was an intruder or something."
Shinji smiled. Of course she jumped to conclusions.
"I thought I'd have a chance to try out my new bat." said Asuka.
Sounds of wooden bat clapping on a hand made Shinji shiver.
"Hey, you coming out yet? It's your turn to cook."
"I- I'll be right out." Shinji said, still in his highest voice,
which was still lower than his normal one.
He waited a few seconds before cracking the door open. Coast clear.
He hadn't taken even three steps before Asuka came back out.
A strange man who was topless and in rather tight shorts was
standing in the middle of the living room.
"MISATO, THERE'S AN INTRUDER IN HERE!" she called over her
shoulder. She addressed the boy turned man, "I don't know how you got in
here, but it's batting practice."
She hefted her bat and swung at her fellow pilot.
"Asuka! I can explain!" said Shinji desperately.
"Explain this!" shouted Asuka, taking another swing.
The self-presevation instinct kicked in and Shinji ducked out of
the way. Unfortunately, drywall doesn't have that particular instinct
and crumbled under the power of an angry redhead.
Misato came onto the scene as Asuka forgot about the 'three strikes
you're out' rule as Shinji amazingly dodged most of her attacks. She
rushed back into her room a retrieved the gun she kept.
"STOP!"
Both Asuka and Shinji did so.
Misato leveled her gun at the intruder.
"I don't know who you are but you've got some explaining to do."
"Misato, it's me! Shinji!" Shinji said, raising his arms.
Not taking her gun off the grown man, she glanced into Shinji's
empty room and cocked her gun. "You've got some explaining to do.
Where's Shinji?"
"I'm right here Misato! I made a wish on a wishing machine and it
came true, I'm older." Shinji pleaded.
"Tell me something only Shinji would know."
Shinji's thoughts flashed but stopped on one thing. "Toothpicks."
"What the hell does toothpicks have to do with anything?" asked
Asuka.
Misato blushed, "That was Shinji's first night here. I guess you'll
need something more than toothpicks now, huh?"
Shinji blushed too. Why was that the first thing he thought of?
* * *
Notes: So, anyone guess what I just watched on tv? Oh, and for those
interested, I am still working on everything I started. I've added a
couple 'k to all my fics.