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platypus3333
platypus3333@yahoo.com
http://members.tripod.com/Platypus3333
this is Tracks 1, which was released a while ago, but this version is rewritten slightly.
there're several passages added.
c&c is always welcome.
the above site isn't netscape compatible. however, i'm working on a version that
IS netscape compatible. :)
Borrowed this concept from a Peter David book, Q-Squared. This happens
before the ending of "The Other OTHER Aftermath," which I wrote a while ago...
A LONG time ago...
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Switches
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Track A
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Ikari Shinji sat next to Sohryu Asuka Langley and listened to the
waves crash against the beach. They stayed there for several minutes.
"Kind of peaceful, don't you think?"
Asuka looked up. "It's YOUR mind..."
"Right." Shinji leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows.
"Right."
"Yeah."
"So what do you wanna do?"
"I dunno...What do you wanna do?"
"We could start making out again..."
Shinji blushed. "..."
"Jeez, ya don't have to get all red!"
"Oh."
"Hmmph. Moron." Asuka started looking at the sky.
"..."
"..."
"So..."
"What?"
"Um..."
"WHAT?"
"...So I don't get any?"
Asuka grinned. "Nope."
"..."
"Hehehehe..."
"..."
"Heh."
"What's so funny?"
"You're cute when you're embarrassed."
"I am?"
"Well, no. Yeah. Kind of."
"...Kind of?"
"When compared to me, nothing is cute. Only average."
"Oh."
"Don't you agree?"
"I...er..."
She started tracing his chin with her fingers. "I said, 'don't
you agree?'"
"Um...yeah, I guess..."
"I make you nervous, don't I?"
"...Yes. Really nervous."
Asuka withdrew her hand and giggled. "That's the point."
"Oh."
"Hehehe..."
"..."
The laughter died down. "So what DO you wanna do?"
"...Um..." Shinji averted his eyes.
"Forget it, I can guess." She put her hands behind her head.
"Ah, what an idiot."
"..."
"You gotta start talking more...I need a conversation with
someone."
"Ok."
"So start talking, understand?"
"Yeah."
"...Is that all you're going to say?"
"Ye--Um, no. Of course not."
"Heh."
"Um. Right."
"..."
"Yeah."
"Jeez, Ikari Shinji, one of the greatest conversationalists of
the 21st century. What a privilege."
"Um..."
"Okay, forget it."
"Forget what?"
"Forget talking. Let's just start making out again."
"Oh."
Two Children on a beach moved closer to each other.
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Track B
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Ikari Shinji was having a pretty interesting dream. It involved
a bunch of stuff, but mostly whips, leather, and cream. Interesting,
indeed. Then something hit him. "Ow!"
"'Ow?' Is that all you can say to your oldest and dearest friend?"
Shinji opened his eyes so see a face framed by red hair. It was 4 inches
from his own.
"Gah! Jeez, Asuka!" He took his pillow and stuffed his head under
it.
"Ach! The trouble I have to go through!" Sohryu Asuka Langley whipped
the pillow away.
"Hey!"
"Come on! You're making me late!"
"Aw..." Shinji flipped over and buried his face into the mattress of
his bed. "Gimme 5...10 more minutes..."
She smacked him upside the head. "You get up when I tell you to! Come
on!"
"Ow! Asuka! You don 't have to hit me!" Shinji quickly got up.
"Of course I do! It's the only way to get your attention!" She glanced
down. "Not THAT kind of attention! PERVERT!"
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Shinji ran out of his room, chased by a screaming red-head with a pillow.
"Ow! Ow!"
"SICKO! SICKO! SICKO!"
"Ow! Ow!" Shinji bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door in Asuka's
face.
"Hey! Baka Shinji! Hey!" Asuka banged on the door for several seconds,
then pouted and sat down on a chair. "Stupid pervert."
Yui poked her head out of the kitchen. "Good morning, Asuka."
"Guten morgen, Mrs. I!"
"Could you tell Shinji to hurry up? His breakfast is almost ready." She
ducked back in.
Asuka shrugged and started banging on the door again.. "Hey, Shinji, you
hear that? Your mom wants you to hurry up!"
"Ok! Ok! Jeez! 10 more minutes!" Shinji was glad that they had installed
a lock on the door.
"Argh! Dummkopf!" Asuka sat back down again. "..."
------------------------------------------------------------
Shinji came out 15 minutes later, drying his hair with a towel. "Much
better..." He threw the towel onto a rack and walked to the table, sitting down
next to his father. "Hey, Dad."
"Hello. Want the comics?"
"Yeah, thanks." Shinji reached out for the proffered pages, but Asuka beat
him to it. "Hey!"
"Ladies first, baka." She stuck out her tongue, then flipped open the pages.
Yui walked out holding a plate. "Good morning, Shinji."
"Hi, Mom." Shinji took the plate. "Thanks."
"Do you want any, Asuka?"
She looked up. "Nah, thanks."
"Ok." Yui sat down and took a sip of her tea. "Better hurry, though...
you have 3 minutes before school
starts."
Shinji glanced at the clock. "MMPH!" He stood up, then grabbed Asuka's
arm.
"Hey!"
"We're gonna be late!" He dragged her towards the door.
"What about you breakfast?"
"I'll finish it when I get home, Mom!"
"Ok."
The door slammed shut. Yui watched it for a few seconds, then turned
back. "You're going to be late, too."
Gendou kept reading. "I'm the boss. They can't do anything to me."
"Oh. Then gimme the sports page." He obliged.
------------------------------------------------------------
They bolted down the street. "This is...*gasp *...all...*gasp*...your
...fault!"
"Yeah, yeah...hey, Ayanami!" The blue-haired girl watched as twin
streaks of light flew toward their destination. She shrugged and jogged
after them, chewing on her toast.
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Track C
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Ikari Shinji stood over the housing the still form of Sohryu Asuka
Langley. The only sounds in the room were of her quiet, even breathing.
"..."
"Asuka..." He looked at her still face. "Dammit..."
"..."
"...Why did you have to go?" He pulled up a chair and sat down. "...I
don't know why, but I miss you..."
"..."
"Just...come on, hit me or something...call me 'baka' like you always do
...anything..." There was no response. "Come, on Asuka! Whap! Pow!" He pantomimed
smacking himself in the face with his fist.
"..."
He slowly reached out and caressed her cheek. "..." Tears slowly came
to his eyes. "..." He looked up as the door opened. "..."
Rei walked in. "Ikari. You are needed." She watched as Shinji stared
at her. "Is there something wrong?"
"...No, nothing wrong...nothing at all..." Shinji stood up again. He
stared down at the prone form before him. "...I'll come soon. Go on ahead."
Her job done, the girl left, leaving the two. "..."
"Asuka...don't you see? Rei is different...worse than before...and...I
don't know..." He bent down. "They want me again, for who knows what...
probably an angel or something...I just don't care anymore..." His lips
lightly brushed hers, and then he slowly walked out.
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Track A
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"Mm..." Asuka gently pushed him away. "...That was fun."
"...Yeah."
"Uh huh."
"So what do you wanna do now?"
"We still need to go find some food..."
"Oh, yeah."
"I'm sick of living off LCL and leaves...it creeps me out...
I keep thinking that I'm eating Misato or something." She glanced at
him, then hit him. "Wipe that look off your face!"
"What?"
"Never mind." Asuka got up and pulled Shinji after her. "Let's
go the other way this time. No way am I letting you lead again..."
"I got some nice mangoes, didn't I?"
"They weren't mangoes."
"How could you tell?"
"The 23 flies that tried to eat died. As a matter of fact, the gave
little screams of anguish before they dissolved into shriveled balls."
"So what does that mean?"
Asuka rolled her eyes. "It means, dummkopf, that the mangoes were poisonous."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense."
"Anta baka? Of COURSE that makes sense!"
"Ok."
"..."
"..."
"I just realized something."
"That you nearly broke my arm 3 minutes ago?"
She hit him. "No, baka, I mean that we have absolutely nothing to do on this
godforsaken planet except make out, find food, and talk!"
"I like the first one mys--ow!" Shinji rubbed his head with his free hand.
"Ach! Horny idiot!" She glanced to her left, and brightened. "Hey, fruit!"
"Ow."
"Shut up." She let go and walked over. "Hm...looks ok..."
"Could be poisonous."
"Yeah..." She had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Give me your sock."
"What?"
"I said, gimme your sock."
"What for?"
"So I can take this without being poisoned."
"Use your own!"
"What! You want me, the delicate female, to begin taking off my clothes?!!"
"Um..." Shinji stared at the huge fist and sweat-dropped. "No, of course not!"
Discretion being the better part of valor, he chivalrously took off his sock
and offered it to her.
"Ew! You use it!"
"...You asked!"
"But I didn't know it smelled like THAT!!"
"...Fine." Shinji put the sock on his hand and plucked the fruit from the tree.
He sniffed it. "Smells like an apple."
"Are you sure?"
"That it smells like an apple?"
"You idiot! That's not what I meant!"
"How the hell would I know!"
She stared at him in shock. "When did you get guts?"
"I dunno. When you started passionately kissing me?" He looked at her with
hopeful eyes.
"Stop looking at me like that, you horny jerk!"
'Damn," he thought to himself.
"Go watch the statues if you want that sort of thing!" She turned to see
Shinji with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Ach! I wasn't serious!"
"Oh."
"Arg. The things I put up with..."
"Right. You think this is edible?"
"I dunno. The fly test again?"
"Sure."
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Track B
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Shinji and Asuka burst into the classroom and looked around. Misato
wasn't there. Shinji sighed contentedly. "Great--ow!"
"You made me run for this? Dummkopf!" She headed toward her seat.
Shinji shrugged and walked to his own. He sat down next to Touji and Kensuke.
"Hey." Touji turned.
"Where's Ayanami?"
"I think we ran past her on the way here..." He looked up as Rei
walked in and sat down in her corner spot. "Oh."
Kensuke nudged him. "You and Asuka have gotta--Ow!!" He started
rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"
"I dunno. I just felt you were gonna say something immature."
"Well, just for that, I'm gonna send this!" He clicked the "Send to
All" button on his laptop.
Shinji turned. "Send what?"
[You've got mail!]
"Oh. He opened the file up at the same time as everybody else in the
class. "What's--" He gaped at the finely manufactured picture of him doing
something illegal to the red-head. "..."
Touji slapped Kensuke on the back. "Excellent work. I'll have to save
this for my private collection."
"Heh. Hehehe..." Kensuke turned as a shadow loomed over him. "What--
Oh, Asuka...damn." He glanced to his right, where Shinji was glaring at him
angrily. "It was just a joke, right? Guys?"
------------------------------------------------------------
Misato looked up as a boy flew out of the window and landed with a
sickening * thud * noise. She shrugged and slammed her car door shut.
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Shinji nodded to Asuka and they both returned to their seats, just as
Misato walked in. She stared at the class. "Where is Kensuke?"
They all shrugged. "I dunno," Shinji said.
"Oh. Ok. Let's begin, then." Misato walked over and sat down at her
desk. She clicked the icon to check her mail, and waited patiently for it
to load.
Shinji watched as his teacher turned on her computer. Then a thought
occurred to him. "...Oh, SH--"
Misato's eyes widened to dangerous sizes. "..."
"--IT!"
Misato stood. "Mr. Ikari, Ms. Sohryu, out in the hall right now."
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Kensuke was lying on the black parking lot surface, staring up at the
sky. "Nice day..." he said to no one in particular. "Nice...what's that?" He
tilted his head back in time to see Principal Aoba's SUV. "GAH!"
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After hearing a disturbingly loud crunch, followed by a wet squishy sound,
Aoba pulled the key out. "What the hell was that??!"
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"Ok, how did this photo get sent to me?" Shinji and Asuka were
sweat-dropping.
"Um...see, Kensuke faked it with his computer." Shinji smiled nervously.
"Yeah, and then he sent it to everybody in the room. Clicked 'Send to
All' or something."
"...You expect me to believe that?"
"Yeah, of course." Asuka smiled brightly.
"...You DO know that the 'Send to All' button sends the message to
everybody in the school. It's mostly for administrative purposes."
They started twitching.
------------------------------------------------------------
Touji was explaining the exact nature of their relationship
from the front of the class. "So ya see, they go at it every morning,
every night, and sometimes a 69 position before exams...I knew this from
the start, I did. It was obvious. So now they..."
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Station
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The platypus sighed. Writing three different tracks was hard as hell.
Something significant would have to happen soon. He reached for a nacho. "Oh,
CRAP!" He watched in horror as, in slow motion, the can of Pepsi tipped over.
* ssplsh *
* fzzt. *
"Aw, no, not again!"
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Track C
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"DAMMIT!" Shinji gripped his gun and fired it at a rapid rate. "Stupid
...stupid...angel! I am in a FUCKING bad mood!" He stopped and waited for the
smoke to clear. 'Might be gone...' All such thoughts were dispelled when a huge
arm lunged out and grabbed him. "#&@*#!!" It then threw him at Rei.
"..." Unit 00 casually pushed 01 off and stood up, then leapt for the
core with a knife.
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Track B
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"...So, you see--ow! Hikari!" The representative held onto his ear and
dragged him toward his seat.
"What were you saying, Mr. Suzahara?"
"Nothing! Nothing!" He waved his arms frantically. "Nothing at all! Ow!"
------------------------------------------------------------
"Ok. I guess having this spread throughout the entire school is lesson
enough." Misato sighed.
"But we didn't do anything! Ow! Asuka!"
"Shut UP, Shinji!"
"Ow!"
Misato cocked an eyebrow. "Um. Right. Well, we better get back to
class..."
Asuka smiled sweetly. "Of course, Ms. Katsuragi..."
She got up, then paused to turn around. "Oh yeah- And next time, use
this." Misato reached into her pocket, felt around, then handed Asuka a package.
"Safer. I would know." And then she left.
Asuka stared. "A CONDOM??!"
Shinji stopped squirming. "Hey, that--"
------------------------------------------------------------
Rei looked up. "Shinji, why do you have a balloon stretched over your head?"
"What balloon?"
"...The one on your head."
"This?" Shinji grinned in what he thought was a reassuring manner. "Oh,
THIS! This isn't a balloon! This is...um..."
"Does this have anything to do with you and Asuka having rough sex last
night?"
"What?!"
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Track C
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Rei slashed the core and jabbed the knife in through the fissure. "..."
Shinji got up and slowly stumbled toward them. "Um...what's that stuff
leaking out?"
"..."
"Misato?"
"We don't know, Shinji. The Magi are producing some readings now..."
"...It looks like blue Jello."
"Ok. So, Rei finished it off, then?"
"Yeah, it's dead."
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Track A
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Asuka and Shinji stared at the fruit as a fly landed on it and took a
nibble. "There we go..."
"You know, that doesn't really look like an apple."
"Nope." She sighed. "I don't know WHAT it looks like."
"Neither do I."
"Ah well."
"Yep."
"It's not dead."
"Nope."
"Ok, I'm trying this." Asuka took her fruit from her pocket and opened
her mouth. Shinji stopped her.
"No, wait!"
She glared at him. "What now?"
"Um. Let me try it first."
"...Fine. Thanks."
"No problem." Shinji opened his mouth and took a bite. His eyes widened.
"What? Do you feel any pain in your stomach?"
"No, it's not that. This tastes weird. Like a tingly sensation for 3
seconds, then it's gone."
"Oh. Is that good?"
"I don't know yet. Tastes ok."
"Ok." She took a bite.
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Track C
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"Hey! This crap is on my arm!" Shinji tried to scrape it off onto a
building.
"Shinji! Don't panic! It is VITAL that you DO NOT PANIC!"
"..." Rei tried to do the same with a car. It didn't work.
"What's it doing? What's it doing?"
"Like...I don't know...this weird sensation...tingly..."
"Rei? What do you feel?"
"...Tingly."
"Hey! It's spreading! It's spreading!"
"SHINJI! CALM DOWN!!" Misato watched wide eyed as Shinji tried to shake
it off.
And then it reached his the head. "Ah!"
It was a sensation not entirely unlike that of being filtered through
an inverted perfect diamond, and being transferred atom by atom through warm
honey, and throughout the entire process you keep hearing perfect, haunting music,
the music of your soul-
"..."
"AAH!" Shinji clutched his head, inside the Eva. "Guh!"
"Shinji! REI!" Misato watched in horror as both machines fell to the
ground coated with a murky pale blue gelatin. "It's heading toward the hospital!"
She spun and grabbed her phone. "GET PEOPLE THERE NOW!"
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Track B
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Shinji walked sullenly alongside Asuka. "What a crappy day."
"Oh, shut up. It was YOUR perverted friend that started it off..."
"...I wonder where Kensuke is?"
"I don't know." She paused thoughtfully. "Though I DID hear some
ambulance around noon."
"Ah."
"Hey, I need to stop by and get something from my house."
"What?"
"Never you mind. Come on!" She grabbed his arm. "Cutting through the
park is faster."
"But it's weird as hell in there..."
"So? Come on!"
He sighed and allowed himself to be dragged along. "All right..."
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Track A
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"This is pretty good," Shinji said, munching appreciatively. "REALLY
good."
"Yeah. But that tingly feeling is back again..." Asuka rubbed her head.
"Really weird..."
Shinji stopped eating. "Yeah, me too. Think we shouldn't have eaten
this?"
"I don't know...we would've had to eat something eventually..."
"Yeah."
"Besides, it's won't be that bad if we die together...I guess..."
"You're a real pessimist, you know that?"
"Yeah." She grinned, then winced. "Ow."
"Ow." They both clutched their heads. "...I thought this head stuff
would be over after the third impact..."
"Yeah, me too..."
"Wait--" They both collapsed to the ground.
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Track B
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Shinji looked up. "What was that?"
Asuka glanced back at him. "What was what?"
"That." They stopped.
"No, I still don't hear it."
"That! Can't you h--"
They both collapsed to the ground.
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Track Switch
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The Children knew nothing, and yet knew everything. As far as the
eye could see, there was nothing. Nothing but strange images that weren't
there, strange thoughts that weren't theirs, strange feelings that they had
never felt. It was a strange gelatin world, and they were the inhabitants.
This was the world of the mind, of every mind.
It was beginning to get clearer, and each could dimly make out the
outlines of a reality.
------------------------------------------------------------
Track B
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Asuka blinked. "What the hell?" She rubbed her head. "...What the heck
is going on here?" She turned to Shinji. "Shinji? You okay?"
He slowly opened his eyes. "..." His eyes widened and he jumped up.
"ASUKA! You're awake!"
"...Um, yes...thanks for pointing that out...I was a little unclear
on that." She then noticed something and blushed. "Um...why are you wearing
that tight suit all of a sudden?"
"What? Oh, this..." He stared at her with a strange look on his face.
"This?"
She nodded and got up. "And why are you wearing hair clips? I never
knew this side of you exist--"
"Where am I??!" He started looking around frantically.
"...The park, idiot. We were going to my house, remember?" She stared
at him. 'Mein Gott, he's lost it...he thinks he's a superhero...'
'She's lost her memory...' "Asuka! Don't you remember? The angels?
And you were in a coma, remember? Remember?"
"...Shinji, we need to get you some help," she said in that "you are
a deranged nutcase and I don't want to provoke you to violence" voice.
"No, Asuka! Oh my God, it IS you!" He scratched his head. "Oh jeez..."
"Um. Right. You never did tell me why you were wearing that, by the
way..."
"Never mind that! I don't care!" He grabbed her arm. "You're back!"
"..." Asuka was having a hard time following this. "..."
"Oh my god, I missed you so much..." He started hugging her tightly.
"Everybody else was just gone..."
Asuka's eyes were fused open. '......' It was not an entirely
uncomfortable position for her to be in. Unfortunately, she had her own
honor to think of. "Um...Shinji...let go of me."
He backed off quickly. "Oops. Sorry." Then his face assumed a pleading
look. "Please don't hit me."
She kept staring. "Shinji, I have the feeling that there is something
seriously wrong here..."
------------------------------------------------------------
Track A
------------------------------------------------------------
Rei stared. "Um...Hi."
"..." Rei stared back.
"Ah. Ah heh. This is weird."
"..."
They were standing on a beach.
------------------------------------------------------------
Track C
------------------------------------------------------------
Misato watched nervously as the crew pried open the plugs,
then dashed in. "Shinji! Shinji!" She looked around. "Where--ASUKA??!"
Asuka stared back. "MISATO??!"
"..."
"...Ok, this is really weird. I feel sick." She started scratching
the back of her head. "This better be a dream. Stupid Shinji with that fruit..."
"Asuka, how did you get here? And why are you dressed in your
school clothes?"
"What? Forget that. Why are YOU here??! And why am I in a plug?"
"..."
"..."
"...Um..." Misato looked back as a service technician yelled.
"Major! We've opened the plug of Unit 00!"
"Be right there!" Misato turned back. "Asuka...you better come
with me..."
"Right..." Asuka got up and followed the major toward the other
plug. "Where's Shinji?"
"I don't know...this is really messed up..." She pulled out a phone
and dialed a number. "Hello? Security? Did you get to the hospital room?"
"Yes, ma'am. We found the Third Child there, dressed in civilian clothes."
"...That's..."
"Major?"
"Good. Um. Send him here." She turned off the phone and glanced at Asuka.
"Um. Heh. Shinji has been really worried about you...he's been with you as much
as possible..."
Asuka snorted. "Of course he has! We've been living together for the past
several weeks!" She noticed Misato staring at her. "What?"
"Asuka...you might not have had a sense of time in there, but it's been
far more than that..."
"What?!"
"I..." She turned as Ritsuko walked up with 2 men and a stretcher. "Yes?
How's Rei?"
"We didn't find Rei, but we foun--" Her eyes focussed on the girl standing
next to Misato. "..."
Asuka ran to the stretcher. "Who is...it..." She gaped.
Lying on the stretcher was the 2nd Child, Sohryu Asuka Langley. Misato
decided to go have a beer. Or thirty three.
------------------------------------------------------------
Station
------------------------------------------------------------
The platypus cackled. "Oh, damn, it's really screwed up now! Bwa hahahaha!"
Then he spun when he heard a sound. "Who's that?" His eyes widened as the door
opened.
"Um. I'm Ikari Shinji. Um. Sorry about dropping in like this, but, uh..."
"..."
"I was walking through the park with my friend Asuka, ok, and then we pass
out and I wake up on your couch..."
The platypus stared. "Damn, forgot about you..."
"What?"
"Never mind. You want something to drink?"
"Yeah, sure..."
"In the fridge." The platypus gestured, then returned to his screen.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
------------------------------------------------------------
Track A
------------------------------------------------------------
Two Reis sat on a beach, one in a plug suit and one wearing a school
uniform. "Um. You really shouldn't wear clothes like that..."
"..."
"They're too tight...all the boys would just collapse..."
"..."
"Um. Right. Do you have any idea how we got here?"
"Ikari and I were fighting an angel when a gelatin engulfed us."
"..."
"..."
"Right. That's...interesting."
"You do not believe me."
"No, I do! Really!"
"You do not."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Oh. I guess I don't...sorry."
"..."
"I mean, sorry for lying to you and all..."
"..."
Rei decided to shut up.
------------------------------------------------------------
Track B
------------------------------------------------------------
"Jeez, Shinji! Quit squirming! No way am I letting you be seen with
me dressed like that!"
Shinji, after several minutes, had decided to obey Asuka. Like he
always did. "Ok!"
"Good." Asuka tossed him a shirt. "This is my dad's. It should fit
you."
"Um. Yeah, thanks."
"Right."
"Nice seeing you again..." Asuka stopped and stared at him.
"I TOLD you, I was NOT in a coma!"
"Right..."
She sighed. "Where did you say you came from again?"
"I was fighting an angel, and Rei stabbed the core, and then this
gelatin crap got on all of us..."
"Right..." She gave him that look again. "Somehow I don't think
you're the Shinji I know."
"I have similar feelings..." They stared at each other. Then she
stomped her foot.
"I have a feeling that someone has screwed with me and when I find
him, I'm going to kick his sorry ass..."
Shinji sweat-dropped. 'Maybe this IS her.'
------------------------------------------------------------
Track C
------------------------------------------------------------
Shinji stared at Asuka and Asuka. Asuka stared at Asuka and Shinji.
Asuka stared into space. Misato was slumped in a chair holding a bottle of
Jack Daniels. "Um. Asuka?"
"Yeah, Shinji?"
"Um, we shouldn't have eaten that fruit."
"No, we shouldn't have."
"Um."
"..." Shinji turned to the other Asuka. "I can't believe I'm back here
again..."
"What?"
"This is when you were in a coma..." Shinji walked over and tenderly
stroked her cheek. "I was really messed up at the time..."
"Hey! Watch those hands!"
"This is you!"
"Oh...um...still!" She stomped over and swiped his hand away. "You can
have some later," she said to the comatose figure. Then she started kissing
him.
"Mmph."
------------------------------------------------------------
Asuka's mind drifted.
'What is this? What can I do?'
You can die.
'I have failed...'
Die.
'Mama... I miss you so much...'
Die, and join me.
'Papa...papa, why have you ignored me?'
Die, and be happy.
'I have failed... failed everyone...synch ratio zero...'
Then die.
'I do not know... I'm not worthy...'
Die, and you will know all.
'Shinji...'
Die.
'I miss...you...Shinji...'
Die!
'Shinji... I need you...'
DIE.
'No...'
DIE!
'I...'
DIE!
'I... Shinji...'
DIE!
'I..."
DIE!!
'I...d...don't want to!'
DIE!!!
'No!"
DIE!!!!!!!!
'NO!'
DIE!
'NO!!!'
DIE!
'I...'
DIE!
'I want...'
DIE!
'I want to LIVE!'
DIE!
'NO! NO!!! NEVER!'
------------------------------------------------------------
"I...DO...NOT...WANT TO... DIE YET!" Asuka burst into consciousness.
Then she noticed somebody kissing Shinji. "...Hey! Hands off!" She watched
in shock as the girl turned.
"The hell I will! This baka's mine!"
"Mein Gott..."
Asuka blinked. "Oh, sorry about that. I'm Asu--you already know
that..."
"What the hell is going on?"
"Um. Well, me and Shinji were on a beach, right, and then we ate some
bad fruit and woke up here." Asuka grinned weakly.
"..."
Shinji decided to speak up. "So you see, I'm not that Shinji you knew,
so..."
"This is all your fault! Baka Shinji!"
"Um. Right...sorry..." 'I really don't think I could handle two Asukas.'
"I think...er...let's wake up Misato..."
------------------------------------------------------------
Station
------------------------------------------------------------
The platypus and Shinji were sitting on the couch and playing Nintendo
64. More accurately, Evangelion 64. Shinji was staring in fascination. "So, say
again: why am I in this game?"
The platypus twitched nervously. "Well, um, it's really hard to explain..."
'You're really a fictional character that I accidentally brought to life when
I spilled Pepsi onto my keyboard while writing stories of your life...' "I don't
really know. I guess coincidence."
"Ok. Cool. What's this machine thing called again?"
"An Evangelion."
"Cool."
Shinji started beating on him. "Ow."
------------------------------------------------------------
Track B
------------------------------------------------------------
Shinji and Asuka were walking toward his house. Or, more accurately,
the house that he had supposedly left this morning. Or, even more accurately,
the place where people who looked like his parents lived. Very confusing. At
least that's what he thought. "Um. Are you sure we have to head this way?"
Asuka hit him. "Of course I'm sure! This is where you live!"
"Ow! Asuka!"
"Stop whining and come on!"
"..." She dragged him through the door and into the elevator.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Hello, dear! You're home late!" Yui poked her head out. "Shinji, what
happened to your clothes?"
Shinji was gaping. "..."
Asuka elbowed him. "Oh, he spilled a can of soda on himself, so my dad
lent him some clothes."
"That was nice. Go get cleaned up, dinner starts in a little while. Can
you stay, Asuka?"
"Sure. Thanks!" Asuka grabbed his arm and dragged him toward his room.
"Come on, baka!"
"But..." He didn't resist as she pushed him in and then shut the door
behind her. "..."
"What? What's wrong?"
"That was my mom..."
"...No kidding, dummkopf! What clued you in??!"
"She's dead..."
"..." Asuka stared at him. "..."
He spun. "Oh my God, where the hell am I? First you, and then my
mother..."
She sat down on the bed next to him. "What?"
"..." He shook his head. "...Where the hell am I..." He stared at the
ceiling.
"Um. What are you doing?"
"...Unfamiliar..."
"...You're in Tokyo-3, idiot! Jeez! The other Shinji made more sense
than you do, and that's saying a lot!!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and
shook him. "Come on! Get a grip!"
"..."
She let go when she saw it wasn't helping. "Arg." She lay down on the
bed. "I don't believe you. All Shinjis are mental."
"..." He looked over and watched her sulk. "...Asuka..."
"What?" Her eyes widened as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Hey!"
He leaned back and started staring at the ceiling. "..."
"Right." She was touching her cheek. "Right. Don't try that again, or
else."
"Ok."
"Or I'll smack you."
"Ok." He smiled.
"What are you smiling at?"
"Just would've given anything yesterday to have you abuse me like this
again...ow!" She slapped his head.
"What kind of sick pervert are you! You ENJOY getting hit?"
"Well..." He shrugged.
"Ach! Fool!" She started staring at the ceiling too. 'All Shinjis
are perverts.'
------------------------------------------------------------
Track C
------------------------------------------------------------
Misato had waken up, taken one look at the three, and collapsed again.
They (or, more accurately, Shinji under the control of two Asukas) had carried
her to the room next door. Now they were all contemplating each other.
"Well..."
"Well..."
"..." Asuka slapped her head with her palm. "This is really weird."
"No kidding." The other Asuka started rubbing her head. "..."
"How did you get here again?"
"Me and Shinji were eating fruit, and then passed out..."
"Weird..."
"Hey, speaking of Shinji, guess what he did while we were in a coma?"
She grinned.
Shinji started sweat-dropping. "Um, that's okay! I'm sure she really
doesn't want to know!"
"Yes, I do! What!" Shinji started edging toward the door as one Asuka
whispered to the other.
'Oh, no...'
"You're kidding!" Her eyes widened.
"Nope. The pervert actually did."
"..." She lifted her fist. "Shinji...come over here. NOW."
"Er..." He didn't want to prolong the pain, so slowly walked over. "A
heh. Heh. Er..."
* Whap *
"Ow." Shinji clutched his left eye. "Asuka..."
Both of them smiled at him. "Baka."
'I have a feeling that my life has gotten incrementally more difficult...'
"So. Um. What now?"
"Wait for a minute." The two Asukas huddled together in the corner.
"Hey, we should go easy on him..."
"Yeah...can't believe he had the guts to do that, though."
"We were unconscious..."
"How did you find out?"
"I wrung it out of him when we were on the beach."
"I END UP STUCK ON A BEACH WITH HIM??"
"Well, yes, we do." Asuka shrugged. "He's actually not bad...and
he's cute..."
"Well, yeah..." She looked at the boy at the opposite corner.
"Any ideas?"
"That aren't illegal?"
"No, illegal is fine. Besides, I'm bored."
"Me, too." They turned. "Oh, Shiiinji..."
He sweat-dropped.
------------------------------------------------------------
Track A
------------------------------------------------------------
Two Reis were walking in a forest. One turned to the other. "This
fruit appears to be a pear."
"Oh, yeah...how do we know it's safe to eat?"
"We do not." Rei took a bite. "..."
"Um...wasn't that risky?"
"..."
"Um. Right." She plucked a pear from the tree and bit it.
------------------------------------------------------------
Station
------------------------------------------------------------
The platypus had a very large frown on his face. "Damn..."
"Ha! I win again!"
"Um. How about Goldeneye?" The platypus said hopefully, holding up
a cartridge.
"Sure."
END PART 1