SPOILER WARNING!
This fic DOES contain spoilers for what happened the the 'End of
Evangelion' Movie, so unless you've seen it, or don't mind being spoiled,
don't read on. ^_^
Neon Genesis Evangelion and all of its characters and
situations are the creation and property of Hedeiki Anno
and Gainax. I use these characters and situations without
permission.
Come, Sweet Death.
by Kyle Emmerson
****
The sun arose over the horizon like a shimmering penny
over the translucent western waters of Japan. It had taken
weeks for his travels to reach this point.
Shinji sighed and looked back over his left shoulder at
the staggering form approaching the cliff. Asuka hadn't said a
word for days. Her first words since... the resurrection, had
been quite plainly, 'I feel sick.'
Since then, the only words she had even managed to
utter were simple phrases. 'I'm hungry,' or 'good night.'
Shinji sighed remorsefully. Not even a single 'what are
you, stupid?'
The reason for the travel has been quite simply, the
smell. The smell of the rotting flesh of the... giant Rei.
Shinji shook his head. A mere month ago, he wouldn't
have even been able to imagine such a thing, but nonetheless,
it had happened. He had been the epicentre, and all he knew was
either dead... or incoherent.
The smell still traveled over the lands of Japan.
Shinji wasn't surprised. Rei's head alone was half the size of
Japan. It has taken him six hours to pass the stub of her
severed neck, all the while trying to keep from vomiting.
The strange part was that there was no blood, and yet
it still smelled of rotting flesh. As if there were giant
maggots and flies feasting upon her.
The flies. The maggots. Shinji chuckled under his
breath. They were his only company. The insects, various small
animals that had managed to avoid the destruction of the third
impact. That managed to avoid being crushed by various body
parts. Shinji saw a dog the day before. Cold, starving and
alone, however fearful. The dog had taken one look at the
approaching forms of Shinji and Asuka and ran, an abusive
testament to the remains of the human race.
Shinji watched with mild amusement as a cockroach
scuttled around on the road below him. He brought his foot down
and crushed it without another thought.
They had no right. No right at all. How dare they
survive the human race? How dare the little unintelligent,
anti-sentient creatures manage to live past them? Sure, they
could survive nuclear contamination. They were resistant
against many, many poisons, but Shinji thought... no, he knew
that they wouldn't be able to survive the third impact.
As Shinji travelled the deserted Japanese isles, he
noticed something of great importance.
The skies may have been blood red, staining the sun,
moon and stars with its impurities, but the cities were intact.
In fact, had he not known the third impact had
happened, he could have sworn there were people in the houses.
Watching television, laughing and joking with family and
friends.
But no, it was impossible. The cities were intact,
which was how Shinji and Asuka had fed themselves, eating
canned from the supermarkets and convenience stores. Sleeping
in the show beds in department stores, or using some poor
soul's futon.
Shinji looked to the north. The coast still went up for
quite a way, but it too exhausting for him. No. He wouldn't go
today.
The city they were in at the moment was not badly
damaged. The smell was faint here, but the giant head rotting
in the distant horizon stood testament to the fact that it
would only get worse. He had to get off of Japan. Maybe to
China.
He and Asuka would camp out in the city for a day or
two, perhaps try to find a small boat or something in order to
travel across the ocean. They would have to stock up on
supplies. They would have to--
Shinji paused. He heard something. A small squeak at
first, then it grew into a full blown gasp. He spun around to
see Asuka, her eyes wide with... fear, surprise, amazing. Full
of something.
And then she pointed to the ground, with a shaky hand.
Shinji's eyes burst open.
Footprints.
There were footprints. HUMAN footprints.
And they were fresh. Shinji followed the deep
impressions in the soil for a good twenty feet until he turned
to ensure that Asuka was following.
She was, even if slowly, and focusing her full
attention to the impressions.
And Shinji followed them for as along as he could. But
it wasn't long enough.
The footprints ended as the soil gave way to concrete
road.
He squatted to the ground, fingering the edges of the
footprints gracefully. They were small, perhaps belonging to a
young person. Maybe ten, twelve.
Shinji shook his head. There couldn't have been more
survivors. There was no way. After what had happened... People
were only left as a pool of rancid pus and a pile of clothing.
It was impossible.
Shinji looked up. The road let out into a series of
storefronts, with a few upper floors, some windows looking out
over the street.
He had to look. If there were survivors, then that
meant...
That meant hope. That meant that the human race could
continue, the right way.
That meant...
That meant he didn't have to be alone.
He stood up and regarded each storefront with severe
interest.
Most seemed ragged, the windows stained by the stale
air, but one stood out in particular. It had perfectly clear
windows, even the signs had been maintained.
And flower pots stood outside of the front door.
Shinji looked back to Asuka and gestured her to follow.
He then stepped onto the hard concrete ground and made his way
nervously to the store.
He paused just before appearing in front of the window.
If there was someone there, it meant the change of everything.
It meant that humankind could live on, other than two...
invalids, there would be living people. Civilization would have
a chance--remote as it may be, to return.
And Shinji wouldn't be alone.
The nervousness had remained in full force. Shinji was
afraid to go further, he even came close to the point where he
would refuse.
And then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned
around to see Asuka, her blank expression suddenly changed.
She looked... she looked like she truly cared.
"Go," she said, a tinge of a sob crackling in her
voice. "I'm with you."
Shinji was shocked. It was the first... coherent thing
she'd said since... the third impact.
Shinji looked forward, held his breath, and then
stepped into the doorway of the store.
He looked around and let his jaw drop.
"Hi there! Can I help you?" the cheery little girl
behind the counter asked.
Shinji was dumbfounded. "I... You..."
The girl blinked in confusion. "What's wrong? Did I
miss a spot while cleaning?" She looked around thoughtfully,
checking the counter for dust and generally examining the
place. "Mom will be mad when she gets back!"
Shinji turned around to look out the window. Same red,
hateful sky. Same deserted street. Same Asuka, looking just as
confused as Shinji.
"How... did you get here?" Shinji asked.
The girl smiled. "Well, I live upstairs."
Shinji shook his head. "No, I mean how are you still
here?"
"Where am I supposed to go? I've been trying to call
the electric company, but the phones seem to be dead too." She
tapped her finger to her chin thoughtfully. "In fact, you two
are the first customers we've had in days."
"A week," Asuka muttered.
The girl nodded.
Shinji was completely dumbfounded. Here was a twelve
year old girl, all alone for a week, but acting as if the Third
Impact were nothing more than a trip to the bathroom.
"Where are your parents?" Shinji asked.
The little girl blinked, then looked down. "I... I
don't know. I woke up one morning, and they were gone. So I
opened the store myself. But they'll be back! Same with the
rest of the town. It's just a joke."
Shinji scoffed. "A joke? Have you seen the sky? Have
you looked to the east?"
The girl gasped, taken aback. "I..."
"Look around! There's nobody left! There's just... just
us. And that's it."
The girl shook her head. "No, it's just a big joke. I
know it is."
Asuka pushed Shinji to one side and walked over.
"Listen to us," she began. "We've travelled all the way from
Tokyo-3, and you are the first person we've seen. I don't know
how you managed all by yourself, but you've got to face
reality."
The girl shook her head. "I don't wanna."
"Please. Tell me your name," Asuka suggested.
"Aki... Aki Yonizama." She looked towards the ground.
Asuka reached over and cupped Aki's chin. "You aren't
alone any more."
Aki looked up. "I... I wasn't... alone, I couldn't have
been."
Shinji stared breathlessly as the two girls stood in
the crimson light from the dawn sky. The shaded forms seemed to
stand absolutely still.
"Come with us," Asuka suggested.
Aki shook her head. "I can't... I've gotta wait for my
mommy."
Shinji closed his eyes. She had called her mom earlier,
and now it was mommy. She was regressing after learning of the
harsh reality.
"Aki, listen. I lost my mommy too. I was very young
when it happened, and I wanted to wait for her too." Asuka
began. "But I found the longer I waited, the more it hurt that
she wouldn't come. Aki, you've got to make a choice. If you
want to stay here, we'll stay here with you until you're ready
to come, but we can't leave you. We won't."
Aki's tears were flowing freely from her eyes, staining
her clear complexion.
"Aki, we'll stay with you. We're three of a kind right
now. Maybe the last of our kind. We've got a great
responsibility."
"I..." Aki choked on her sob. "I don't know."
Asuka turned back to Shinji. "We've got to stay with
her, Shinji. We have to."
Shinji was dumbfounded. Asuka had said barely three
sentences for the past week, yet now she seemed to be more
solid than he himself.
And she was taking care of a girl not two years younger
than her as if she was her own child.
Shinji swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he did
so. "We..." He sighed. "We'll stay."
It was true. He couldn't leave her there. No matter how
much he wanted to leave Japan. No matter how much he wanted to
get away from the stench.
No matter how much he hated his father.
He couldn't leave her alone. Shinji looked around the
store, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Things were
different. So different.
Shinji had to face things. He had to. No more fear. No
more running away. He had to take care of not one, but two
people now.
And it scared the hell out of him.
He walked toward Asuka and Aki, and placed a hand on
their backs.
"We won't leave you, Aki," he said.
****
This fic was originally written for the FFiRC one-hour challenge, which is
why it has the... rushed effect. I didn't want to change anything because
it was so well receieved. Anyway, here it is. ^_^
Let me know how you folks like it, and I might be
persuaded into writing it into a series, full of explanations
how others survived, etc, etc, etc.
ttyl,
-------------------------
| The TydRipper | "Tyd, you need a smaller
| | .sig. :-)"
| Master of the Tides, | - Gary Kleppe, FFiRC
| Devourer of noodles, |
| Writer of the Fanfic, |
| Baka to the end... |
-------------------------
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~ The TydRipper
Author of:
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[How many fates turn around in
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Ballerinas that have fins that
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You thought that you were the bomb,
yeah well so did I.]
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