Mobile Fighter Evangelion [NGE/AU/Not a Gundam crossover]

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/April 29, 2027/

/Ikari Residence, Yonaguni Island/

"You know, even after reading about Misato Katsuragi's stories about her time in Australia…I still can't believe everything about the penguin."

Yui smiled at Mari Langley-Sohryu's disbelief. "Well…the sensation of Pen-Pen's soul was very unique. From what I read after the fact, he had been bonded with the physical host of ADAM's soul for years. We unfortunately weren't in a position to study his soul after the fact," for obvious reasons, "so I can only speculate."

"And what do you speculate?"

"Well…you have the soul of a creature created by LILITH, altered by constant exposure to ADAM. Neither Adamite nor Lilithian, but a mix…and a stable one."

A gruff voice interrupted the two women. "I'm reminded of Dr. Akagi's constant jokes about deifying that penguin." The two turned, seeing a man with sun-kissed skin, contrasting with his thinning hair and the salt-and-pepper color of his facial hair. Despite the white tank top and dirtied khakis, his shades were as distinctively orange as ever. "In retrospect, she may have had a point." He set a small box on the table in front of them; inside were old bottles that had been washed and cleaned, now filled with freshly home-brewed saké.

Mari chuckled. "Ah yes, you haven't been able to keep up to date with the old Angel cults."

"Beyond their interest in space exploration?" asked Gendo, calmly pouring three separate cups as he spoke. "Not really."

"Well, to put it one way, the Light of the Divine have publicly acknowledged their interest in finding the 'savior of humanity'."

"…I see."

Yui giggled at Gendo's consternation. "To be fair, Pen-Pen was the opening salvo." She took a small sip from her cup, lightly licking her lips. "Hmm. It's…getting better."

"Acceptable then."

The native German grinned as she grabbed her own cup. "Ah, the hobbies of exiled prisoners." The young woman downed her cup in one gulp, letting loose a throaty exhale that would have made Misato proud. "…well, it is better than the batch I had when I was last here. Still needs more kick."

"Says the woman who has admitted her alcohol of choice is vodka," dryly said Gendo.

"Yes. And?"

Yui giggled at the banter between the two. "Well, now that my husband is here…shall we continue? Because we're almost at the part where you and everyone else come in."

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/Local Japan Time: April 15, 2016/

/Primordial Sea/

The six flames formed by the golden Star swarmed the two Lights.

(The First Angel clutched the Sword and the Lance tightly as the six MP-Evas charged at him.)​

The Star flickered with agitation, several small sparks fluttering about the souls of Ai, Asuka, Kyoko, and Yui. Their light rippled through the ether, imparting understanding upon the four.

"…do you really think you can hold off ADAM on your own?" asked Kyoko.

WARK.

"…long enough will have to do," murmured Yui.

"Long enough for what?" asked Ai.

"…to get help," answered Kyoko, looking above at the celadon sphere that housed the remnant of the living. Flashes of stark white and black Light broke through the blazing inferno that surrounded the shade of ADAM. "We will have to be swift."

(ADAM swung the Sword of Uriel, firing waves of ethereal energy at the six beaked titans. They splashed against AT-Fields, the very molecules of the air burning away in bursts of radiation.)​

"Yes! Reinforcements!" cheered Asuka. "Let's go!"

"Easy, Liebling," cautioned Kyoko. "We will still need to be…delicate."

"…delicate. Yes." That was one way of putting it. Yui glanced down at the specter of Ai Suzuhara, who was looking decidedly anxious. Holding out her hand, the woman smiled gently. "Would you like to see your brother again?"

"…I can see Ji again?" Ai looked at the woman suspiciously. "How do you know about him?"

Not counting her impressions gleaned from her imprisonment within Unit-01? "Well…looking at your spiritual form, I see the ones who are most important to you. And Toji Suzuhara is very important to you, I can tell."

"…huh…" The young girl suddenly smiled. "Then that means…if I save Ji…he'll owe me. For like, ever." The spirit glowed with childish glee. "Let's do it!"

"That's the spirit!" exclaimed Asuka, her hand firmly gripping her mother's.

Kyoko held her free hand towards Yui. "It might be difficult to maintain our ego barriers in the midst of such concentrated metaphysical energy."

The brunette smiled as she clutched her colleague's hand. "Then we'll just have to hold on tight, won't we?" A shimmering aura surrounded them all. "…well. Away we go."

(ADAM phased through MP-03, his arm disintegrating the Evangelion's torso.)​

The four spirits rose, delving into the sphere of souls.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

At once, the souls of Ai, Yui, Kyoko, and Asuka were buffeted by a whirlwind of cool green energy. As the mass of undifferentiated souls rushed past them, trace remnants of memories - scattered fragments, bereft of context, reduced to pure impressions - filtered through, threatening to overwhelm them.

I left the abbey, soul full of sorrow at the death of Maxwell-

-running through the fields, skin tanned by constant sunlight-

-crack, went the pistol, and down went my bastard of a brother.

A hand tussled my long hair, yet another hopeless suitor-

-I cried and cried and cried for my parents as they were executed-

-her nostrils widened, relishing the smell of grilled steak.​

Ai shrieked, her limbs going slack. "This...this...!"

-the book made a decent paperweight, even if they did carry my father's last words-​

"Our ego barriers are reacting," murmured Kyoko, her form rattling with tension.

I refused to entertain the prospect. The scandal would utterly ruin the government's civil authority-​

"When ego barriers interact, their i-quotient positively correlates with whether their spiritual integrity will trend towards an average," recited Yui, recalling academic lessons from long ago. "Fuyutsuki's Second Theorem. Against so many souls lacking individuality..." The implication was not a good one. Even though the four were utilizing their mutual connections and experiences to maintain their forms, the utter homogeneity of the other human souls was a deadly siren call; if they slipped even once, they would be undone.

-always and forever, I would relish the taste of my aunt's velvet cake.​

"Then we need...more...!" yelled Asuka.

Of all my clients, his touch was my favorite-​

Yui scowled. "Nothing ventured...nothing gained..." The light of her soul shimmered, briefly warding off the gale; of those she was closest to, she would bet on the most obsessive one of all. "...Gendo!" Her cry echoed through the howling maelstrom.

I raised my hands in triumph, such was the glory of victory-​

"Gendo Rokubungi!" She needed to provide an anchor...

-I grimaced as my mother slapped me, her bloodshot eyes red with rage. What a worthless human being-​

...wait. There was something...faint. "Gendo Ikari!"

My fist smashed into the police officer's face. I grinned, feeling a savage satisfaction as I broke his nose-

-I waved my drink around, relaying yet another grandiose story designed to elicit reactions. She smiled sweetly, and proceeded to verbally eviscerate me-​

"GENDO IKARI!"

The subject material was difficult, but stimulating. Even if it wasn't, I would follow her anywhere-​

"LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE..."

-I gladly threw away my old name. She was my everything.

-I looked at the young infant's curly brown hair, and marveled at what the two of us had made-

-my vision was all that mattered. So long as there was even a slim possibility of reuniting with her...I would have hope.​

"...AND WAKE UP!!!"

...Yui...?​

A small kernel of celadon energy blossomed, taking form. Yui felt a weight settle upon her, wrapping her form in a deep embrace.

The soul of Gendo Ikari simmered with a deep affection. "...even without flesh and blood...I could never forget this feeling..."

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

The soul of Gendo Ikari simmered with a deep affection. "...even without flesh and blood...I could never forget this feeling..."

"I missed you too, dear," said Yui, calmly pushing Gendo away. "We can make up for lost time later. We have a situation."

The soul of NERV's Supreme Commander - curling his lip in a way that would've looked like a pout on anyone else - relented, taking in his surroundings with an observant eye. "Ah. I see."

-I yelled loudly, there was absolutely no way it was that cheap-​

Gendo grimaced. "...so this is Instrumentality."

"A variant, without SEELE as the controlling godhead."

Another day on the job, the most exciting and most boring beat of all-​

"...I'm already struggling to maintain my individual form," admitted Gendo.

"We need to establish a connection in order for a soul to coalesce and regain its ego barrier!" yelled Kyoko, her form flickering as fire. She turned to the glowing maelstrom, and shouted, "PIETER!"

"PAPA!" shouted Asuka, taking a cue from her mother. "MARI! Rei? Shinji?!" The young woman frowned, her spirit blazing with anxious energy. "KAWORU! I know you're all out there!"

"Bro!" Ai looked around frantically. "Come on brother, you need to wake up!" The child was nervous, her apprehension manifesting as a gulp. "Nozomi-chan? Mari-chan? You gotta answer me!"

Gendo looked at the other three with a calculating gaze; despite being a spirit, his self-image included his ubiquitous shades, so long had they been a part of his public persona. "...I see. How much time do we have before ADAM and LILITH intervene?"

(MP-05's hand grabbed ADAM by the neck, squeezing; in the next instant, the First Angel's eyes flashed, and a burst of power blew the white Eva in half.)​

"I would ere on the side of haste," cautioned Yui, before turning looking back into the shining abyss of souls. "SHINJI! This is your mother! Tomoe? Answer your sister! Fuyutsuki-sensei?! Wake up!"

"...hmm. To try and restore their individuality requires a stark image to contrast themselves to, something that they can readily identify..."

Yui paused in her attempts to wade into the spiritual storm, recognizing that tone in Gendo's voice. "...you have something in mind?"

"Yui; you've been bound within Eva for so long, that some of the finer details of life may not have been made apparent when Shinji and Rei were synchronizing with you." The man turned around, cracking his knuckles in an entirely self-indulgent fashion. "When it comes to providing a connection...you couldn't have picked anyone better."

"...pardon?"

"I was the public face of NERV, through all its ups and downs. My very image was used to target and manipulate public opinion in whatever way I could manage; anything that could be used to try and obtain leverage against the old men, I took advantage of. There are some who admire me, many more who hate me, and others who are simply aware of the influence I wield...in terms of public perception, I'm one of the most famous individuals in the world." Gendo glanced over his shoulder, a smug smirk on his face. "Congratulations on being married to a celebrity."

Yui paused. "...oh." The implications quickly dawned on her. "...oh."

"Yes."

"...do it!"

The Supreme Commander of NERV turned back towards the maelstrom, his spirit shining amidst the ghostly whirlwind. "PEOPLE OF EARTH! Hear my voice!"

Trace elements filtered through.

-that blowhard is going to get us all killed one day.

-have you ever seen him actually take a break? I don't-

The Supreme Commander knows what he's doing-

That madman has no business being in his-

-who can trust him-

-I don't know if things will work out...but I made a promise.​

"In this realm, where all AT-Fields have been annihilated, and your very beings have been unmade...there are still traces! Even if you have been stripped down, your very essence can draw you back!" He pounded his chest, each motion punctuated by a spark of light. "Let me be the focus! Even if it is nothing but hate or derision...who among you is truly ignorant of NERV? Who is ignorant of Gendo Ikari?!" He raised his fist, face shining brightly amidst the torrents. "If you remember how you felt about me...about NERV...then you can follow it back, as a stream leads to a river! Follow it!" The sea of souls swarmed, rushing over the five individuals. "REMEMBER HOW THE NAME 'IKARI' MADE YOU FEEL! REMEMBER HOW YOU THOUGHT! REMEMBER THE PERSON THAT HAD THOSE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!!!"

The impressions...the thoughts...the remnants...

-Commander Ikari?

Gendo Ikari-

Ikari?!

Ikari!

Supreme Commander?

Professor...

...father?​

...filtered through the widespread perceptions of Gendo Ikari, they regained a sense of perspective. Through perspective, came individuality. Through individuality...came the self.

Whole segments of the abyss splintered and fractured, solidifying into something concrete, something...familiar.

As more souls remembered their individual forms, their very beings served as additional anchors for others to latch on to. Even if Gendo Ikari's message had not been enough to fully restore their self...there were others who could.

-my dear?

Honey?

Mom?

Daddy?

BROTHER!

Grandpa!

It's you!​

Ai, Yui, Kyoko, Asuka, and Gendo watched in silence as the whirling energy took on human form in the dozens.

Hundreds.

Thousands.

Millions.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

As the living remnant of humanity regained their individual cohesion, emotional reunions - made all the more stark by their current state, unimpeded by the divisions of flesh and blood - carried on en masse.

xx

Asuka giggled with glee as the tiny specter slammed into her.

"Ska'!" wailed Mari, her joyful sorrow manifesting as heaving sobs. "I thought...I thought...that I'd...I'd...!"

"Hey, it's okay," murmured the Second Child, rubbing at the girl's ethereal hair, "I'm here...and I'm not alone either."

"...Mari?"

The young girl turned, looking at the soul of a taller woman standing beside Asuka. She looked...nay, felt...familiar. "...who are...?"

Kyoko smiled at Asuka's naive comment, gently correcting her as to the sex of her new child. "She. It's a girl."

Unit-02 loomed behind them, waiting for Kyoko. Her lips brushed against Mari's feathery hair, quietly murmuring, "I'm sorry I won't be there to see you grow up...but your father and sister will. Be good, meine Süße...for them."​

Mari blinked. "...Mutter...?"

"...yes."

"...this..." She didn't quite know what to feel. The trace sensation she felt was...heartening, in a way. "Um..." She suddenly felt embarrassed.

Fortunately, the awkwardness was taken care of by one Pieter Langley, who wrapped all three of them in a massive bear hug.

"Papa!" squeaked Asuka, eliciting chuckles from Kyoko. "A little too tight!"

"...my family..." murmured the man, his soul trembling with a pained, agonized happiness. "...to have you in my arms..."

Mari, despite her bewilderment with her mother's presence, couldn't help but agree. This...felt right.

xx

Ai babbled something incoherent as she and Toji crashed into each other.

"I don't know what the hell's going on, and I don't care!" exclaimed the Sixth Child, his spirit lined with streaks of white light.

Ai agreed.

Then they were set upon by the two youngest daughters of the Horaki family. Nozomi cried with happiness as she embraced her best friend, while Hikari gave Toji a metaphysical lip-lock.

Kensuke Aida floated beside Toji, a knowing grin on his face. "I kinda wish I had my camera right now, to document your first kiss for posterity." The Gendotaku suddenly frowned, looking around him with a curious eye. "...though, since it's soul on soul, would it actually count? Or would it count as something more?"

"Ken."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Never."

Toji grinned. "Of course you won't."

"Toji-kun." said Hikari, her spiritual body clutching tightly to his.

"Yes?"

"...shut up." And then she kissed him again.

xx

Shiro Tokita gulped as Hikari Kirishima grabbed him by the neck. "...I honestly didn't expect to see you again."

"If we get out of this, we are going to have words," snarled the woman, her spiritual form vibrating with a mixture of fury and...something else.

That's when she - and Tokita, by proxy - got tackled by Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

As the entire realm wavered under the force of these spiritual reunions - joy and bewilderment being the most prominent of all - Gendo's gaze fell upon a very familiar figure. "...hello Shinji."

"...father." Shinji turned towards Yui, his form flickering with uncertainty. "...mother?"

"Yes." The woman smiled, her form alight with a serene sort of happiness. "...come here."

Shinji did so, and the two embraced. "...you feel...different, than when you were in Eva."

"My spirit is whole." But the flesh was not. "...we need to focus now. Even if our individual identities have been restored..." She looked to the side, noting her brother Tomoe looking about with a sense of befuddlement. Her sister-in-law Alicia was similarly so, while her darling niece Annette - oh, how much she had grown! - was stunned by the entire proceeding. If only there were more time to reunite! "...ADAM is still out there, and is still all-too-willing to reduce us to nothing."

(MP-08 and MP-09 slammed the ground, shattering the earth beneath ADAM's feet. The First Angel floated, eyes blazing with beams of power.)​

"Then we need to hurry up and get a move on!" Asuka poked her head out from Pieter's embrace, looking around the proverbial sea of humanity. "Speaking of which...shouldn't that baka have shown up by now?"

Shinji turned, seeing two particular figures emerge from the crowd. "...do you mean Kaworu?"

Asuka followed his gaze, her smile widening at what she saw. "There you are!"

The souls of Rei Ayanami and Kaworu Nagisa floated in an odd sense of isolation; the former, disbelieving their current circumstances; the latter, unsure of whether he even had the right to approach them. Their souls had an oddly robust feeling to them, with more definition, and a faint red tinge: traces of their Angelic heritage. Kaworu, in particular, had a burning red light within his chest.

"...Rei-chan?" asked Shinji. "...are you okay?"

"...I feel as if I am in a dream." The young woman glanced around, her spirit rippling with an uneasy tension. "...there was a sense of peace. Tranquility...but there was no reason to care. To feel. To know. I am...uncertain if that was a bad thing."

Kaworu looked at his feet, unwilling to look directly at the Second Child's soul. "The pain was gone. The loneliness...had departed. It was empty...but in that state, it wouldn't have mattered." The former Angel hugged himself, looking remarkably small for one whose soul shined so brightly. "I...don't know if I can go back to the way things were in the waking world..."

As they spoke, more sensations filtered through from the mass of humanity...all of them, laced with uncertainty and budding panic about what to do now.

-this is the judgment of the Angels!

How can we go back? How?!

-this feels...nice....

My life wasn't really anything special. This isn't bad-

Can this even be called life-

-how could we even hope to stand against ADAM-​

Right now, there was no direction. No plan. Multiple paths, leading in different directions...but in their current state, as spirits only, there was nothing they could do to act. Even within the metaphysical realm, the individual human soul was weak, easy pickings for a being like ADAM. Unless this situation was rectified, they were still doomed.

Gendo Ikari moved to speak...but stopped when he saw the Second and Third Children act first.

Shinji and Asuka looked at each other. Then, as one, they walked towards their comrades; their friends; perhaps, in a more than academic sense of the word...their loves. "Rei-chan...do you remember everything about your life?" asked Shinji.

"...yes."

"And what about you Kaworu?" asked Asuka, grabbing his chin so that he had no choice but to look at her. "Do you remember everything?"

"...of course, Miss Sohryu."

"Everything good, and everything bad," continued Shinji, gazing above at the seemingly infinite sea of human souls. "...share it. Let everyone know."

"As though it were real, and happening right now," finished Asuka.

Rei and Kaworu glanced at each other, somewhat perplexed by this request. But Rei trusted Shinji. And Kaworu trusted Asuka.

So they did so.

The memories and experiences of Rei Ayanami spread throughout, bolstered and amplified by her nature as a nephilim; the attention of humanity was caught.

I am replaceable. I am secondary compared to those I was born to protect.

For the sake of everyone else, I will sacrifice everything.

...hatred can make for a stronger connection than indifference. Because to hate, you must be capable of love...I am strong because there is no alternative.

My control is absolute, and I have done all I can to master myself…

If you open your hearts to each other, is it possible to remain as you are? Is it possible to remain unchanged?

…I do not like the smell of blood, or the look of it. I tolerate it when it is necessary. I have always been told that I was created to protect humanity. And I believed it. I still do. So the thought that these hands of mine…were used contrary to that purpose...I…hate it…

I can still fight. So long as I draw breath…I will never give up!

...Ikari...Ikari-kun...Shinji-kun...Shinji...! Give him back...GIVE HIM BACK!

This closeness. This...feeling. I wanted to experience more of it.

The ability to kill is part of the reason why I exist. I…have come to terms with that...but it is a duty that I gladly accept. For your sake...I…I choose to accept it.

This is...agreeable. No. More than agreeable. This is...good. Yes. This conversation. This group. This friendship. This is yet another reason why we Pilot the Eva, to ensure that events like these can continue. More people deserve to experience these feelings.​

Likewise, for the memories and experiences of Kaworu Nagisa.

I feel so…empty. We are incomplete.

There is a time and order to all things, Mister Lorenz. The name for this body of Angelic flesh and human bone…that name is Kaworu Nagisa, because it must be. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Ah, forgive my rudeness. I didn't mean to come across so strongly...we will be seeing a lot more of each other, Miss Sohryu.

I commend your performance...it makes me wonder how you will fare with what is to come.

In all honesty, I don't know what I was looking for. I suppose that was the whole point; have you ever felt that way, Mister Lorenz? Adrift, seeking something concrete, something tangible, to grasp in your hands?

My heart is completely open to that of the Evangelion. When I pilot, the Evangelion and I are one...I...feel whole.

Tell me Miss Ayanami, do you believe that the heavens complement this land? That one without the other would have less meaning? Do you desire that same sort of complementation?

The living are easier to understand than the dead.

…your cheer is something I needed right now. The future is uncertain, and I am wary of what these next days will bring. You have my gratitude, Miss Sohryu.

…I am all alone, now.

Miss Sohryu...it was nice knowing you. Goodbye.

It doesn't matter what I want. I tire of being incomplete, of this existential loneliness. In the grand scheme of things, this existence of mine had no meaning. I welcome the oblivion that has taken my kin. But your species has the right to defend itself: so the choice you have is to stop me or die trying.

Miss Sohryu...you are truly amazing. I haven't felt a single ounce of hatred or fury from you throughout this battle, even though you have every right to...It was an absolute pleasure to know you. I mean that, with every fiber of my being...please. Stop fighting. I beg you.

It's okay. I don't expect much...I don't have the right. Who am I to ask anything of her whose lineage is of the Fruit of Knowledge? I am of the Fruit of Life, as you are, Unit-02...our destinies may be interwoven, but never would they meet...as is proper. As is necessary. I wonder...if this is the emotion that you Lilim would call fear...

...even if you can't forgive me...can you fight by my side, just this once?

I see now. I see now! This...this...is Complementation!​

Such feelings and experiences were completely out-of-step with the majority of humanity, so harsh and alien were they. Lives of conflict, of bloodshed, of unknowns, of mystery...and yet, there were elements of humanity there, undeniable, and they manifested so starkly by comparison. The sheer whimsy, the emotional highs, the unvarnished charm and idealism and romance...one could be forgiven for feeling utterly enraptured by it all.

Shinji Ikari looked warmly at the First Child. "Well?"

"Be honest, Dummkopf," said Asuka with a wide smile. "What do you want to do?"

Rei Ayanami and Kaworu Nagisa looked at each other, and then back at their dearest friends. With the eyes of humanity's remnant focused upon them, they spoke. Though soft, their words resonated like thunder.

"...I want to live."​

In that moment, the rest of humanity agreed.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

"Now this is truly a moment!"

Shinji Ikari yelped, whirling to face his cousin. "Annette?!"

"Through the power of love and friendship, the entire narrative of humanity is united with one overarching purpose: to fight for their lives, and their right to live!" The theater buff swelled with visible pride, even as the souls of her parents looked at his mother with a sense of disbelief and wonder. "Congratulations on being on the biggest stage of all."

"...thanks?" said Shinji. His bewilderment caused Asuka to giggle.

Before they could continue, Gendo stepped forward. "The reunions will have to wait until later," he said, looking knowingly at Tomoe. "Now that we have some measure of unity, in thought and purpose...we can proceed." He turned towards the soul of his wife. "Yui?"

The woman nodded. "Of course. Though we are no longer bound within Eva," she said, gesturing towards Kyoko, Asuka, and Ai, "we are still linked. Without a physical form, we will be unable to withstand the might of ADAM."

(ADAM's hand flexed; through sheer willpower alone, the gravitational force around MP-12 increased by a factor of forty; the force bled through the MP-Eva's AT-Field, crushing it into a pulp.)​

Kyoko's gaze was far in the distance, as though sensing something beyond the sphere that contained the living remnant of humanity. "...I don't believe our benefactor will last for much longer."

"Then we need to hurry up and help him! Pen-Pen can't save the world on his own!" exclaimed Asuka.

And just like that, in a blaze of light, Misato's soul was right there. "Did you say Pen-Pen?"

Yui and Kyoko looked at the woman, befuddled by her sudden arrival; other souls were trailing behind her - one Inspector Kaji, her Team, and other various members of NERV's Command Staff and Section 2 - inexorably drawn in her wake. Finally, Asuka answered the question. "Yep!"

"Then what the hell are we waiting for, an invitation?!" Misato turned around, her eyes gleaming with a metaphysical radiance. "EVERYONE!" Her shout resounded, reverberating through every human soul. Her time as a leader, her experiences as a child and a woman and a soldier...all of it bled into her words. "Get your asses in gear, because this isn't the end! Not by a long shot!" She turned towards her boss, a knowing look in her eyes. "Whenever you're ready...give the word."

Yui couldn't help but smile. "I like her."

"I only hire the best," said Gendo with a smirk.

"So...uh..." Toji's soul seemed to vibrate with a nervous tension. "...what exactly do we do?"

"The Eva Pilots are all needed," said Kyoko. "They are the ones with the greatest knowledge of synchronization."

Dutifully, the souls of Rei, Asuka, Shinji, Kaworu, and Toji surrounded those of Yui, Kyoko, and Ai.

"Hold hands," said Yui, reaching for Ai and Kyoko. The three faced each other, the youngest of the trio looking decidedly uncertain. "Don't worry little one...we're all in this together."

Ai nodded quietly. "...okay."

The trio's hands gripped each other's tightly, and their souls flared with an otherworldly light.

xxxx

In the waking world - as ADAM continued his brutal retaliation against the remaining MP-Evas - the Cores of Units-00, 01, and 02 began to shimmer.

Deep within the Geofront, the Core of Unit-03 also shimmered, burning through its restraints with a power beyond reckoning.

Finally, it began to rise, accelerating with each passing second.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Kyoko nodded to herself, her body blazing with a red glow. "Asuka, your link with Eva is more…tenuous. You will serve as the bridge to Mister Nagisa."

"Can do, Mama!"

"Shinji, Rei, place your hands upon me." Yui looked over towards Toji's soul. "Suzuhara-kun, please place your hands upon your sister."

"Uh…sure thing, doc," murmured Toji, not really needing an excuse to be by his sister again. "So…what now?"

Kaworu smiled knowingly. "Ah…I see your stratagem now. It might just work."

"Remember all of your lessons with synchronization," muttered Kyoko, her voice sounding impossibly clear. "To unite with Eva, you must unite with us…and so you will serve as the conduit by which all other souls will unite with Eva."

It was a herculean prospect.

Rei, Asuka, Shinji, Kaworu, and Toji didn't hesitate; with the ease of riding a bicycle, they let their souls intermingle with those of Yui, Kyoko, and Ai.

All five Pilots began to blaze, threads of blue light streaming from their backs, connecting with those they were closest to. These connections spread out in a wave, binding all of humanity together in a massive metaphysical web; in a matter of seconds, they were all linked to the souls of the Eva Pilots.

It was…a heady feeling, to have so many directed towards a single purpose.

xxxx

In the waking world, MP-10 was the last one standing.

"AN INTERESTING EFFORT…BUT FUTILE." The corpses of the other five Mass Production Series littered the ground, overwhelmed by the First Angel's might. "YOUR SOUL IS A CURIOUS EXISTENCE…I WOULD LIKE TO STUDY IT FURTHER."

The great red sphere that contained the souls of humanity quivered, glowing with a radiant celadon glow. This sudden outpouring of spiritual pressure caught ADAM unawares. "WHAT-?"

MP-10 suddenly squawked, and the pulverized and shattered flesh of the other white Evangelions flung themselves towards the First Angel, trapping him in a sticky prison of flesh. MP-10 launched itself at ADAM, wings flapping as it grabbed hold of him; soaring skyward, Pen-Pen's last directive to the MP-Evas made itself manifest.

They're undergoing a severe energy shift.

I CAN SEE THAT…FOR SOME REASON, THIS SITUATION FEELS RATHER FAMILIAR-

The remaining S2 Organs, in a massive conversion of metaphysical energy, detonated.

The sky above Hakone thundered with a monstrous explosion that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Earth.

xx

Within the metaphysical, the golden Star that was Pen-Pen's soul observed the spiritual conflagration that consumed ADAM and LILITH; depressingly, within the maelstrom, the two Lights remained as bright as ever.

But that was fine. This had been anticipated.

WARK. The golden Star turned its light towards the three flames emanating from NERV-1's Evangelions, levitating as though called by some unseen force. A fourth fire joined them (the Core of Unit-03 boiled through the ground, joining Units-00, 01, and 02 in the air), and they began to pulse in tune with the sphere of souls.

Pen-Pen situated himself between the four flames, and let humanity understand the shape that they would become. WARK.

xxxx

Yui's form burned, a white-hot fire brighter than the sun. "…do you see that?"

Kyoko nodded, her spirit blazing with equal measure. "I do."

"Wow…" murmured Ai, her diminutive soul shining radiantly.

Beyond the metaphysical barrier formed by ADAM's lifeblood, a great light beckoned them.

"That's our cue." Yui raised her voice, her spirit broadcasting to all of humanity. "Is everyone ready?!"

In the end, perhaps it was fitting that humanity's overall feeling was echoed by Shinji Ikari; despite all that had happened to him over the course of the Angel War, his feelings now were the same as they were when he had stepped off that train station into Tokyo-3, on a warm September afternoon that seemed a lifetime ago. "…we're not running away. Let's go."

And so, as one, humanity took the plunge.

xxxx

Unit-00 shook.

Unit-01 growled.

Unit-02 snarled.

And then, they howled, arms rising towards the glimmering globe of Angelic blood and human spirits. Unit-03's Core sparked, taking on a golden glow.

In a massive deluge of emerald light, the sphere unfurled and emptied itself, consuming the titans with a brilliance that drowned out the sun.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/April 29, 2027/

/Ikari Residence, Yonaguni Island/

Mari Langley-Sohryu leaned back, humming thoughtfully to herself. "…what was it like? Being inside Eva?" The young woman fiddled with her pen, anxiously clicking it.

Gendo reached into the pocket of his khakis and tossed her a stress ball.

"…do you always have trinkets in your pockets?" That had been one particularly universal impression amongst the former NERV-1 employees that she had interviewed over the years: the uncanny timing of the Supreme Commander, and the seemingly endless variety of thingamabobs in his cloak.

"One of the desk drawers in Keter was filled with random junk and widgets," said Gendo, referring to his old office, back when he had been the head of NERV-1. "I picked a random selection every single day and put them in my cloak." He patted the dirtied side of his khakis, a rather disappointed look on his face. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep my uniform after the sentencing was handed down."

"If it makes you feel any better, the current Commander of WILLE cuts a pretty good figure in it."

"Good. The cloak deserves respect."

Yui rolled her eyes at the banter between the two. "To answer your question, Mari-chan…it was different, in my case. Kyoko was completely absorbed by Unit-02, as was Ai-chan by Unit-03. Asuka-chan was bound for a very short time within Unit-02…but me? I was split in half. Utterly, and completely. Even after my soul was made whole…my recollection of events during my time in Eva is scattered. Disjointed. Vague impressions, occasionally punctuated by stark emotions. At times, I'm struck by déjà vu in the oddest ways…however, the overall sense of Eva was of being buried within my own body, unable to act or perceive without a Pilot to synchronize with. And yet…I don't feel like I had missed anything at all, whenever I synchronized with Rei, or Shinji."

"…that doesn't make sense."

"Souls are not made of physical matter, and are not subject to the limitations of physics," commented Gendo. "Given that her experience was completely subjective, it doesn't have to make sense."

"A fair point."

Yui smiled, sipping from her cup of saké. "By comparison…the final battle with ADAM was crystal clear."

xxxx

/April 15, 2016/

/Outskirts of Hakone, Japan/

As the smoke and charred residue faded, ADAM slowly descended from the sky; the self-destructive action of the six Evangelions, although bringing to bear a massive amount of energy, had not been enough to harm him. Then again, he suspected that hadn't been the intention…especially in light of the phenomenon ongoing nearby. HMM. INTRIGUING.

The souls of humanity are being channeled into those constructs.

YOU SOUND RATHER PLEASED.

Oh no, I'm not excited at all, why would you ever think that?

ADAM sighed, holding the true Lance and the true Sword loosely. If nothing else…he was also interested in seeing how this would pan out.

Finally, the light faded…and the apotheosis of Evangelion remained.

ADAM had a vague recollection, from one of his remnants: 'Bardiel' had physically combined multiple Evangelions into a single being, disparate entities held together by his own viscous body.

What he faced now was a true fusion.

The Evangelion – the last and the greatest, supreme, and truly Prime – slowly descended, its armor gleaming various shades of gold. The armor was a seamless combination of Units-00, 01, and 02, fit together in a harmonious fashion; its six arms were extended to the side, lean muscles throbbing with power. However, the three heads had become one: Unit-02's four eyes surrounding Unit-01's two, with Unit-00's sole eye resting in the middle of the face. Unit-01's helmet was the most prominent in the fused design, due to the sharp horn protruding from the forehead. Finally, a thick crest of red, feathery hair extended from the back, falling down past the shoulders.

ADAM briefly peered into the metaphysical, and resisted the urge to recoil at how bright this being was. "…FASCINATING."

The Prime Evangelion – or perhaps, simply, Eva Prime – clenched its hands. The air hummed, and the various fallen Replicas responded, flying towards it; with an act of will, the Replica Lances combined into one single bident, and likewise the Replica Swords into one single zweihander. The weapons that remained were of stark contrast, the lance as black as night and the sword as white as snow.

"COMBINING YOUR VARIOUS COPIES, TO MAKE MORE DENSE AND DURABLE WEAPONS…PERHAPS YOU'LL-"

And then Eva Prime was in his face.

POW!!!

ADAM's body quivered as fist after fist after fist slammed into him, the Prime Eva's momentum sending them thousands upon thousands of miles every second. Past the atmosphere, curving away from Earth into the blackness of space, towards the planet's largest natural satellite.

Eva Prime reared its right arms, delivering a simultaneous triple haymaker into ADAM's face.

The First Angel crashed into Moon, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that spread like a shockwave due to the minimal gravity; the Sea of Tranquility was no longer so, for it now lay witness to the battle that would decide humanity's fate.

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

…THAT ACTUALLY HURT.

I think they might be cross with you.

I DON'T NEED YOU TO POINT OUT THE OBVIOUS.

Redundancy is a sound principle.

ADAM slowly rose, his soul instinctively placing limiters on his body to compensate for the lower gravity. Eva Prime slowly descended, the Black Lance and the White Sword floating behind its back in a fixed manner. The First Angel peered into the Metaphysical Deep, trying to gauge the nature of the entity's spiritual corpus.

It was…enlightening.

Millions upon millions of human souls-

Three billion, two hundred and one million, seven hundred and eighty-one thousand, four hundred and twenty-seven to be precise.

I KNOW.

-anyway, millions upon millions of human souls were bound within the four Cores, with that other soul – the golden Star, chained to his own and LILITH's – serving as the metaphysical 'glue'. Three souls shined the brightest – bearing the image of three human females – while five others served as conduits for the intentions and wills of the human aggregate. Right now, the intentions of two particular souls were blazing through to the three primary controllers-

Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi.

THANK YOU.

-the intentions of Kirishima and Yamagishi were blazing through to the three primary controllers; already, the movements of Eva Prime were taken with greater care, already adapting to the lower gravity.

Their combat frame had a rather large sample of [INDECIPHERABLE], so they have experience in low-gravity movement.

AH. The material that the humans called 'Kleinium'; that made sense. But it wouldn't help them.

ADAM swung the Lance of Longinus and the Sword of Uriel, both weapons unfurling into twisting lines of red and blue metal that swarmed the golden colossus.

The Prime Evangelion withdrew the Black Lance and the White Sword.

Muted impacts, bereft of sound and thunder, occurred as the Replicas unfurled. Pikes of black and white soared, parrying the red and blue in a storm of flashing metal.

…oh.

…HMM. ADAM peered once more into the Metaphysical Deep; much to his displeasure, an aura in the shape of a twisted zweihander and a twisted bident overshadowed the physical forms of the Replicas. HOW INCONVENIENT. There was a reason why the Sword was so effective against the spiritual barriers of his counterpart (and likewise the Lance for him): due to the nature of the technology involved, the proper form was essential in negating the protections of their souls.

It was why ADAM could maintain the effects of the Sword and the Lance despite their physical form being unmade: the tools had a palpable impact on the metaphysical, and the effects could go both ways. So long as the spiritual form remained consistent, the effects would continue.

They've been able to truly replicate my Lance and your Sword.

IT'S QUITE ANNOYING.

I'd call it fascinating.

OF COURSE IT IS; IT'S NO LESS ANNOYING.

With a simultaneous flexing of the arms, their respective weapons regained their original forms. ADAM and the Prime Evangelion faced each other, warily gauging each other.

A distinct impression came from the golden Eva, clear as a bell. "IT SEEMS WE ARE AT AN IMPASSE." Slowly – deliberately – the Prime Eva returned its Replicas to the fixed positions behind its back. "…LET'S SETTLE THIS THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY."

Hmm. I think you're being called out.

I CAN SEE THAT. And to be honest, it was the most sensible path forward; their Lances and Swords would endlessly counter each other, preventing a decisive blow that would end the conflict. If they were to engage up close…then an opportunity could present itself. The human remnant had to be aware of this; although more primitive relative to himself, they clearly weren't stupid. IT WILL COME DOWN TO WHICHEVER OF US IS THE MORE ABLE COMBATANT.

I think the collective martial talent of humanity outstrips your own.

PERHAPS…BUT IT WILL BE THE SPIRIT THAT DECIDES THIS CONFLICT. ADAM placed the True Lance and the True Sword behind his back, the tools hovering in a fixed position much like the Replicas were for Eva Prime. The Metaphysical Deep quivered as the First Angel began to manifest his soul in a more deliberate manner, tapping more deeply into its abundance. AND IN THAT REGARD, THIS BATTLE WAS OVER BEFORE IT BEGIN.

The spiritual essence of the Prime Evangelion burned, and the great titan vanished from sight-

SLAM!!!

ADAM's right cross smashed into the golden Evangelion's face, the sheer force reverberating through the Angel's body into the lunar surface, creating massive fault lines in the Moon.

This single blow altered the Moon's rotation ever-so-slightly, ending the satellite's synchronous rotation with the Earth.

Eva Prime went sailing off into the vastness of space, shining like a shooting star.

ADAM, body shimmering white with power, followed with deadly intent.