WORLDS AWAY FROM HOW IT USED TO BE

Rei moved over helping Asuka in to her wreck room chair, she was really struggling she had already sent Mari off to get her something to eat because she was sure that, that was the problem. She had helped her shower and redress and her plug suite and interface clips had been taken away because Maya's had said that the science division wanted to look it over though Asuka has outright refused to give up her pendant.

She moved over to her gently easing off the leather jacket. "You should have this back." Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Before you give it back maybe you should look in the inner left hidden pocket there's something in there just for you, I brought it the day I was taken over by Bardiel I was going to give it to you."

Rei blinked in confusion the whole time she had been wearing this jacket she hadn't paid much attention to the inner pockets. Granted she knew the digital scroll was in the right pocket out of sight but she had never looked in the left one as she thought that Asuka never kept anything in there along with the main pockets because her phone was kept in a leather holder on her belt and her wallet was always in her jeans.

When she'd gone into the smashed wreck room she'd found her t-shirt, trousers, socks underwear and bra and shoes scattered around the pace. It had been the first place to be repaired as the work man and women had spent all night getting it back up and that included fixing Asuka broken glass case for her plug suite.

They'd also kindly thrown out her old towel and old dented locker and fixed the door and got all of the power back on permanently. It would take them another three days to refit all the glass up both corridors, but the damage in the Arcade's two levels leading up the bay would take much longer it would probably be a week long job. Though the businesses in the Arcade could now at least open again as the glass had been cleaned up but they had to all have there metal blinds down in the front windows.

Rei breathed in putting her hand in the right pocket feeling a box she eased it out she looked at curiously as she placed the jacket on Asuka's chair before slowly opening the little box seeing a shining pendent appear which consisted of three interlocking white gold triangle's all combined which was on a semi thick woven white gold and blue necklace she eased it out staring at it.

Asuka looked at Shinji who was giving his younger sister a smile. "Shinji said you prefer silver and white gold to normal gold and we are only allowed to wear pendants in the entry plug nothing else is allowed so it seemed fitting." She breathed in before speaking. "It's just something for you to wear you know so you know I'm thinking about you."

She looked up slightly. "The pendent is called Valknut or Odin's knot as it was said that Odin gave up an eye and sacrificed himself up on the tree of the world to gain understanding. It's the most powerful of all the Viking symbols in my view as it symbolizes wisdom, strength and sacrifice."

She paused looking at her hands feeling slightly nervous about her next words she could see Shinji, Toji and Kaworu were now hanging on her every word. "I thought that maybe you'd like to move in with me." She took in a sharp breath as she found herself fidgeting a little in her chair. "I know it's really sudden, I know you might not be ready and maybe I'm asking too much but after everything that's happened I never want you away from me ever again."

Rei looked up about to say something only for Mari to come flying in through the double doors she spoke smirking. "I got food for everyone I know you're all hungry because you didn't eat much over lunch!" She paused looking up realizing that some thing big was happening and she could see it as Toji giving her the gesture to be quite she turned seeing that Rei was looking at a very charming necklace and pendent while Asuka just looked really nervous.

Rei breathed in deeply seeing Asuka left eye suddenly ignite in blue and white light as it always did when she struggled with extreme emotions. She felt a smile form Anneberg had told her about this already but it took away none of the surprise because she still hadn't expected her to ask right away she'd expected her to wait for a while but clearly something had changed or more to the point Asuka herself had changed. She put the box down looking at the necklace. "This is really beautiful." She moved a step closer slowly kneeling down in front of Asuka. "Maybe you'd like to help me put it on?"

Asuka breathed in deeply slowly easing up the necklace undoing the clip and putting it around the younger woman's neck, she was so nervous right now and she knew it was really showing because her left eye sometimes betrayed her emotions as it was so warm which meant it had ignited. She took in a deep breath taking hold of Rei's hands very gently. "I'm glad you like it."

Rei felt her smile widen. "You know I think I would enjoy moving in with you, I mean like I've always said I like your house better than mine and I wasn't happy there anyway." She stood up slightly giving her a long slow kiss ignoring Mari's wolf whistle and Toji's and the others clapping before pulling away. "Just kept getting harassed by Shigeo anyway I'll be glad to see the back of him."

Toji raised his hand watching as Asuka eye returned to normal. "Yeah not to ruin the moment but I heard that he is dead, he had an accident out in Naples he was there on business and got churned up in the boats propeller." Rei stood up keeping one hand in Asuka's. "Really?" Toji nodded. "Yeah not that it would effect your discussion any but I just thought you should know because I heard from Shinji that he's an annoying chicken shit bastard who doesn't get what the word no means."

He leaned back slightly. "Personally I think he was probably murdered, because people who don't get what the word no means when it comes to relationships always end up pissing someone off bigger than themselves and pay the price big time." Rei moved slowly sitting herself on Asuka's lap feeling her other arm wrap around her waist. "Is it wrong that I don't feel bad about hearing this?"

Shinji shook his head. "No I hated that guy too and I swear that he started acting really weird when you got together with Asuka he kept calling me asking me for your mobile number and asking where Asuka's house was." Kaworu breathed in deeply. "He seemed rude and misguided and it was most annoying us getting his calls."

Asuka felt a slight sneer form on her lips. "Yeah well my house rule is if you're not verfickte welcome and you entered by force I'll shoot you, I already knee capped one idiot stalker who broke in some years back." She looked up slightly. "So if he had sent his thugs out to hurt me I'd have shot them first." She breathed in sharply. "Because seriously that's what it sounds like he was going to do, why else would he want to know where my house was?" Mari moved putting the food on the central table. "I agree it sounds like he took offence to you Asuka because you got the girl and he didn't."

Rei turned watching as Mari started to hand out food. "No I pursued Asuka, not the other way around." Mari passed Asuka some roasted chicken. "Hear that Asuka your Rei's prize." Asuka rolled her eyes taking her food which smelt so good. "Yeah well she's right as I already told you I didn't pursue her because I was afraid, so sue me."

Mari turned passing Shinji some Chinese take away along with Kaworu then turned handing some roasted chicken to Toji which had a special Chinese seasoning and was very red colour. "So I'm guessing you'll be next to move in together?" Shinji turned away smiling. "Perhaps." Kaworu moved putting an arm around him. "There's no rush we can take our time, plus like your sister I feel that maybe the house you need to find is a house that speaks to you before you move out."

Shinji looked up. "Yeah well I have been thinking about it." He felt a nervous smile form. "Maybe I could visit your home tonight because it's normally always the other way around." Kaworu gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Whatever you desire." Mari picked up some food moving it towards Rei who stood up then sat on Asuka's sofa chair opposite her. "I got you some Chinese fried sea food and noodles and other stuff, I heard you can eat that along with vegetables and dairy but you don't eat red meat."

Rei took the food from her hands. "Yes that's correct, thank you." Mari moved grabbing her own food which was chicken sitting on her sofa chair. "Well I'm not moving I like my apartment." Toji started eating. "Yeah same here plus Sakura likes the place." Mari looked up as Misato Kaji entered the room followed by Maya who gave everyone a smile as she spoke. "Nice to see you're all finally eating."

She turned to Asuka pulling out a little bottle from her lab coat pocket. "Asuka you need to take these pills two a day for the next three days." Rei took them from her hand. "What are they?" Maya looked at her. "Asuka's blood is showing that her white blood cell count is lower than it should be, we think it's an after effect of Bardiel because he was causing strain on her bodies system we've only just checked the read outs from when she came back." Misato looked up watching as Asuka took the bottle from Rei's hand turning it between her fingers. "We want you to take at least two days off Asuka and just rest up and recuperate."

She paused before speaking. "Rei can take the time off with you." Kaji looked at Asuka. "Also once you return, you will have to appear with me at a formal press conference, I know you hate these things but the world needs to hear about what you did and how you created the spears." Asuka looked up sharply. "Spears?"

Rei eased up her hand. "I'll talk with her about that, please just leave it to me." Asuka turned sharply. "What spears are you talking about!?" Rei turned to her. "You really don't remember?" Asuka put the pills down. "Like I said after I ate Bardiel its gets really fuzzy." Mari raised her hands. "How is it you remember eating him but not turning the two thirds of him you ate into two massive fucking separate spears?" Asuka put her food down grabbing her jacket as she pulled her digital scroll out opening it. "Wait a second…" She flicked through the images finding the very last one she had drawn as she turned it so Kaji could see it. "Do they look like this?"

Kaji blinked seeing the utter shock appear in Misato's face along with Maya's. "Yeah this is them." Asuka breathed in eyeing the painted images of the two crossed over red spears with gold and silver sections near the spear points. "I remember drawing this but I had no idea why I was even drawing it I remember now, I couldn't remember before because Bardiel was messing with my brain and blocking certain thoughts."

She eyed the image. "They're not Lances of Longinus, they're Spears of Destiny Bardiel and made me draw them." She eyed the image. "I have no idea what they're for or even what they do I just know that he said I should be their creator." Maya leaned over. "Can you copy this image to the Nerv cloud? Its just I want to look this over." Asuka looked up slightly. "Yeah sure." Kaji looked at the sketch. "When your rested and feeling better we will go over it with you, now you need to work on just getting better."

Asuka looked at him for a long moment as finishing the digital download before closing her digital scroll truth was she could still feel the fatigue and maybe it was better to not bother to piece anything together right now and just sleep it off. It wasn't like she had Bardiel swimming around in her mind anymore and she was so grateful for that.

It was such a massive relief to hear her own mind talk and not feel him hanging out and listening to her every thought and word. "I'm okay with that maybe a few days away would be good for me." Maya blinked okay that was a surprise normally when Asuka heard the words time off she didn't like it but she wasn't even fighting this she was just going along with it, maybe it was Rei being there with her.

Asuka looked up. "Could I send a formal apology to all of those employees who I terrified when Bardiel took over me, because I remember breaking the glass to so many room and business windows?" Rei looked up as she finished her food. "That wasn't you Asuka it was Bardiel." Asuka looked up slightly. "Yeah but I'm the one they saw." Misato looked up. "That's already been cleaned up Asuka, everyone knows it wasn't you."

She moved over putting a hand on her shoulder. "We told everyone the truth after what happened in Antarctica, they were very sympathetic they already knew that you had been through a lot but they just had no idea that he was stuck in your brain and they didn't see you as the aggressor but the victim." She paused pulling out the graphic novel from her bag passing it to her. "Speaking of which, we gave you this the day it happened and you dropped it, I wanted to return it to you."

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Asuka smiled flicking through pages. "I forgot about this." Misato eased her hand into her pocket easing out the black eye patch. "Oh yeah and this as well because we know you don't mind people you trust seeing that glowing eye but it's not for everyone to see and Rei told me that she has your phone which you might need if you want to talk to Anneberg again as he's been missing you." Asuka smiled taking the patch from her hand. "Thank you."

Misato moved away from her. "Also I have not forgotten about your house warming or you and the others visiting." Asuka felt a sly smile form. "You know maybe you could change the date of that house warming." Misato blinked in confusion. "Why?" Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Because Rei's moving into my home, so it might be better once all of her stuff is at my home then it will be more for both of us."

Kaji moved forward. "Yeah we can do that and you're right it is more fitting." Maya breathed in deeply that was such a shock she had never expected Asuka to ever get this far, granted she knew Rei would always visit her but she never thought that she would ask her to move in. Mari raised her hand. "You know since my little sisters having this moving in party with Rei does that mean I get a day when I can have cocktails?"

Maya eyed her. "No it doesn't what part of no cocktails for three months, don't you get?" Mari eyed her trying again speaking in a lower more seductive tone. "Oh come on please Maya you know you want to, because you like me and all that and I like you." Maya shook her head seriously she had never had to deal with this from Asuka, granted Asuka could be difficult but she had never ever stroked her ego to get what she wanted. "No Mari and quit trying."

Asuka eyed Mari who breathed in she knew she would probably not give up she never did. Kaji felt a smile form. "We'll leave you guys to eat we have a lot of paper work to get through." He raised his hand. "In fact you can all take two days off with Asuka if you want as well because it will take us that long to sort this all out."

He turned to Asuka. "Also before I came up here, I called your grandmother over in Germany, to say that we got you out of the core and the world media press will hear the same tonight." He put his hands in his pockets. "Your grandmother wants you to call her as soon as you get back home she set up a private encrypted line."

Asuka nodded calmly. "I'll do that." She breathed in deeply before looking up. "Thank you for everything." Kaji felt his smile widen. "You're very welcome." He moved pushing her food back in front of her. "Now finish up and remember not to take alcohol with your medication, I've had that medication myself it's not fun but it helps." He turned easing up his hand to the others. "Back in two days okay?" He watched as they all nodded as he moved towards the double doors opening them so the others could leave.

Shinji watched as they all vanished from sight. "Two days off doesn't sound bad might finally complete that canvas I'm working on." Mari eyed Asuka who had started eating again and clearly something in her stomach had kicked her brain because she was starting to eat fast and the colours in her left eye were starting to pulse. "Hey do think me and Maya?" Asuka eyed her. "We are not having this conversation, four eyes." Mari raised her hand. "Oh come on princess don't be such a spoil sport!" Asuka shook her head. "As a rule I don't sleep with my therapist."

Mari ignored Toji who was smirking. "She's not a therapist she's a medical doctor who also works with the Evangelion's and the science division." She felt a coy smile form. "Plus you must have kissed her at least once I mean from what I've heard you've been friends for years." Asuka picked up a chicken bone looking at it. "No I haven't how many people do I have to tell this to we have never slept together we have always just been friends." Mari put her hands together. "Oh I see forbidden fruit you don't sleep with Nerv staff."

Asuka eyed her. "Hardly, I've slept with Nerv staff before but that was years ago back when I was nineteen and it was always casual." Rei put her hands together folding her legs as she lay back on Asuka's sofa chair. "I think we've all slept with Nerv staff at one point or another." Toji eased up his hand. "I haven't I thought we weren't meant to, Ritsuko told me so."

Kaworu looked up. "Ignore her I've slept with a few of the male staff here." Shinji put his hands together. "Same here though I slept with female staff, it's not forbidden." Mari eyed him. "Yeah but I heard we weren't allowed near the superiors?" Shinji leaned back. "No it only applies to Misato because she's giving us orders it doesn't apply to Kaji, Maya or Shigeru." He felt a smile form. "So if you're interested in Maya you can pursue her."

Asuka pushed her empty box of food away realizing that she'd just put away half a roasted chicken. "Don't give my sister ideas she'll get delusions of grandeur." Mari turned eyeing her. "Oh that's rich coming from you." Asuka lay back in her sofa chair. "Yeah and look where that ego got me?" Mari smirked. "Yeah it got you Rei, I wish I could have been there to see you two in school." She watched as Asuka looked down saying nothing much to her surprise.

Rei turned seeing something in Asuka's face it wasn't sadness or even guilt it was more like she trying to put something together in her mind. "Well she nearly threw up all over me once, we were in the back of Misato's car and it was like some really awful roller coaster ride." She paused looking at Asuka being a little uncertain of her response because she didn't normally like this topic. "Didn't you eat a whole meat feast pizza that day?" Shinji eased up his hand. "Yeah I remember that day we had just come back from the beach Misato had this massive beach barbecue." Asuka felt a smile form. "Yeah I did I even called a car the vomit comet afterwards which she hated."

Shinji leaned over he could sort of see Kaworu doing the same because normally when this topic came up even if it was nice memories Asuka normally became cagey but she acting the complete opposite right now in that she was being very relaxed about the subject. What had happened inside the core, because this was so strange? Asuka suddenly started to laugh as a memory flashed across her mind. "Yeah I was so angry over the fact that she made me loose my lunch that day that I painted vomit comet next to her cars special garage space at Nerv on the wall in big bold white letters she was so verfickte pissed."

Rei blinked in shock. "So that was you." She raised her hand. "We all suspected it was, because the person who did it broke the camera." Asuka felt her smile widen. "Yeah I broke the camera, because that's my speciality breaking Nerv cameras." Mari leaned forward. "How many cameras have you broken in total just out of curiosity?"

Asuka pushed her hair back. "Probably over a hundred if I was to count the one I purposely broke before I went to sleep in the lift that time but to be fair I broke the first lot because I was doing bad things and trying to hide them. The more recent ones it was more the desire that I didn't want to be watched because my depression was showing through and I thought if they saw it Ritsuko would be hot on my tail since we don't get along."

Rei leaned over putting a hand on Asuka's. "Well it's not like she or the world press and media can ever put your abilities into question again since you killed an angel all on your own." Asuka shook her head. "Personally I don't care about that part I mean it's not all that important to me I'm just happy that I can do my job again without having Bardiel speaking in my head."

Rei looked up. "Yeah but Misato has made clear to me that once they dragged you back out of the core, that it's no longer going to be your only job to deal with war she wants you doing different things and besides that's why your sister and Toji were brought in to take the strain off you hence you can go out with me instead." Asuka looked up slightly. "Well I'll be interested to see where she sends me with you."

8

Mana eyed the single pure white stone monolith in the light filled room which matched that any Greek temple with white stone pillars and its huge Greek statue of Hades which stood behind it she watched as the glowing green three headed roaring dog logo appeared as the monolith spoke calmly. "What happened in the US was most unfortunate but it was not a complete loss as one of the scientists came to us willingly and she is being treated very well."

Mana breathed in deeply pushing her medium length brown hair back she hated to be bringer of bad news not because she feared the being in the room but because she didn't like it when they weren't winning. "We were unable to get the part of Bardiel's genes you wanted and sadly our men and women died trying we were not the only ones there that day there was a blood bath of a fight going on under the dead zones red sea and all for Bardiel's tongue. I'm sorry that recently we have not been having the luck we desire and I will try harder."

The monolith spoke again but in a soft voice. "Do not blame yourself Mana I would not see you loose heart over this it is just the way of the world but there will be other battles and we will see more victories very soon."

There was a long pause before the Monolith spoke again. "We have just tested the first anti AT weapons and they have been very successful, but there's much more." Mana looked up her light blue eyes darting. "Really?" The monolith spoke the intrigue in its light tone. "The group we sent to Mars has uncovered something but it will be some time before they get it back to earth but as we speak they are coming home."

Mana turned as an image was brought up on the hologram screen opposite of the astronauts uncovering the base of a massive lance. "Is this the Lance of Longinus the missing one?" The monolith spoke again. "It would appear so, it would seem that Asuka went to great length to get rid of it, she threw it to Mars the planet of Ares and we know it's hers. Because rumour has it, it predates Lilith by four thousand years like its counterpart which Nerv threw away which was from the same time frame from what our spies tell us. Though we have no idea which faction has it now." Mana put her hands behind out back. "This puts us all in a very difficult situation and I know as much as you hate Nerv I know you hate Ouroboros and Ankh more."

The Monolith spoke once again with out anger. "Yes it does, I think no Evangelion should exist as humanity should be allowed to choose without living gods but I feel that this lance must not return to Asuka's hand and we must find a way to destroy it. She clearly doesn't want it back or the other one, we all thought that was why she was returning to Antarctica to call them back to her but instead she created two spears of destiny."

There was a long pause. "No one wants the final impact not even Asuka herself if she did she would have completed it with spears of destiny which have to be ascended to gain their power but its very clear that she wanted it to stop." Mana looked up. "Might it be prudent then to somehow gain Asuka's favour?" She paused adjusting her white shirt. "We can never side with Nerv but maybe if we help the second child it might be to our favour as she might find a way to destroy both lances because once they're destroyed the spears can protect this world for as long as it endures."

The monolith spoke again. "From this day forth we will no longer attack the first child or second child the others are of no consequences but attacking Asuka's lover would not be prudent in any way and I have no wish to anger the former destroyer of worlds anymore. We only attacked her before as we wanted her to regain her strength and Nerv made it easy for us as they sent her to do their bloody dirty work and unlike the pilots she much more warrior than diplomat now."

Mana looked up. "Your actions will confuse Nerv and Ouroboros as well as Ankh." The monolith spoke again. "I care nothing for their confusion, I created this organization because I saw the chaos human instrumentality caused I am Seele's and Ouroboros's missing piece. They believed that I died that I never came back. No I came back after Asuka woke me up in instrumentality and made me see the errors within myself. She gave me freedom from torture because I begged for her forgiveness and mercy and she let me go I saw that it was our fault we drove her to behave the way she did we turned an already broken teenager into a psychotic monster by pushing her to breaking point by treating her as worthless and expendable."

The monolith breathed in deeply and sadly. "Yet this so called monster still showed me compassion because somewhere deep down there was a fine shred of her humanity still intact but it was buried under the pain, rage and hurt. Though she was the first one to leave thousands of us followed her out after she spoke to the goddess on the beach and reset the clock because of her we can all swim in the red sea, that is her gift to us. Humanity is not meant to linked in, instrumentality we should have free choices and false gods should no longer be made to shift the worlds balance rebirth should be normal and without force."

There was another long pause. "I believe as long as the Evangelion's only hold the two spears of destiny that they can remain but so as long as the lances exist there is no end to the suffering they'll bring this world."

The soft voice spoke again. "I also believe that Nerv and Seele six purposely ensured that Asuka was downtrodden because they were trying to make sure that she would never rise and gain power but it's not panned out in their favour. You can't treat a destroyer of worlds as throw away all they did was prolong her power and it didn't work because Rei screwed it up for them because they never expected the change in sexuality in both her and Asuka as they both redefined themselves in this world becoming who they wanted to be."

Mana breathed in deeply. "You don't believe a former destroyer can become a creator though?" The monolith spoke again. "No I don't which is why I feel we are missing something huge but only time will tell what that is." Mana looked at the Monolith raising her hand. "Perhaps you should not dwell on it my lover we always make it work for us in the end."

She watched as white light slowly came out of monolith surrounding her in soft light which felt like she was being touched by soft hands as the Monolith spoke softly. "You are right we always make it work out and I care not for the rules of Seele or Ouroboros anymore they don't understand how precious love is or the value of kindness and compassion they are both fixated on using humanity as tools and they don't see how precious you are. I was like them once, I lost sight of everything and I tried to rule humanity instead of acting as a guide and I was deeply foolish and it cost me so much."

The white light moved stroking her hair. "Keel took you from me in the former world because I loved you he will not do it a second time." Mana breathed in feeling the red flush in her cheeks as the light started to move through her clothing touching her skin as the Monolith spoke again. "There should also not be rules that we can't have relationships with you, because we deserve to know love as much as you deserve to receive it."

Mana felt herself smile as the feelings became more intense as she found it harder to concentrate as the metal doors behind them slammed shut giving them both privacy. "Please don't stop." The Monolith spoke softy. "Whatever you desire just ask and may it be fulfilled my beautiful star of Thessaly."

End of part 68

Silvermoonlight