Note: A new fanfiction I am beginning, set after the End of Evangelion movie.
Chapter I
Shinji looked out across the infinite sea of LCL, a neverending orange sea. To his left, he could see the remains of Ayanami Rei, who became a seraphic being during the Third Impact. A giant head rising from the sea of "the soup of life", falling into decay, a final, sadistic smile on its pale face. All of the memories of his life at NERV coming back to him as he looked upon the face of what was once a seemingly android-like girl. Now, all those memories were just memories, except for a few. Only two remained on Earth: Asuka Langley-Sohryu, the "Second Child", and him, Shinji Ikari, the "Third Child".
Unfortunately, the ominous head continously sent mental images to him: Misato, shot and dying; Gendo, his father, also dead; all of the smiling faces he had ever known but one gone. Shinji sighed, and poked the LCL with his finger. It was a thick substance, but not sticky.
How ironic, he thought. The "soup of life" only a grim reminder of all of those who died before and during Third Impact. He sighed. I'm too paranoid nowadays.
Asuka had walked off across a landbridge to see if there was any food to be scavenged. Shinji had protested, saying there couldn't be, as there was no life to be found other than themselves. "Thus," he had said, "There can't be any food we can eat."
Asuka being Asuka, she retorted with, "Idiot! We both should be dead, but we aren't! Obviously we are supposed to live: can't you read the writing on the wall? Besides, when all else fails, we can swim through the LCL and eat the remains of the First."
Shinji remembered how she always called Ayanami Rei "First", referring to Rei being the "First Child" in the NERV organization. He couldn't imagine becoming a cannibal, and eating Rei of all people, but at least Asuka was alright. Just a few hours before, she had looked pale and as lifeless as Ayanami. Before Third Impact, she was dead.
Coming back to reality, Shinji was slammed with the thought: Dead. He couldn't keep coming back to this, he knew: survival and moving forward were the main priorities. The dead were dead, and wouldn't be coming back, but he was here, and wasn't dead yet.
Shinji stood up, his jaw set. "No turning back. No giving in, no running away. I will survive -- we will survive. There will be no more tears...Misato, Rei, Father! I will live up to my promises to you, and grow strong in this new world, no matter what!" he shouted to the sea. Asuka would have laughed, but he would stay true to his word: he would grow strong.
