Neon Genesis Evangelion: Bohemian Rhapsody

Chapter Two

One Week Later

The weather in Tokyo-3 in November of 2015 only grew colder and drier with each passing day, as heaters in each apartment slowly started burning out. For most, it was a common occurrence, and even normal, but for a few people, it was chilling right down to the bone.

It was after school, and Asuka and Rei had been undergoing their synchronization tests, despite the circumstances. Asuka's scores had been dropping, as she hadn't been able to focus or keep a clear head, no matter how hard she tried. Observing the two were Ritsuko and Gendo, with Misato absent and bed-ridden, due to stress-related sickness. "Asuka, Rei, the tests are done, you're free to go," said Ritsuko, logging the data collected. "02's pilot has been falling behind recently..." said Gendo in a somewhat surprised tone, locking his fingers together. The other woman looked over at him, in near disbelief. "I know you're usually detached from reality...but if you're really shocked by this, you're an absolute asshole," Ritsuko said, leaving the room without saying another word. "Hmm..." the man mumbled, looking down at a few files on his desk, notably the hospital records. He took a deep breath, and hung his head low, in slight shame. "Yui....I've...really failed you...."

Rei had already finished getting dressed, heading out sooner than later, leaving Asuka all alone in the changing room. Ever since the day she found Shinji, since the day he was taken to NERV's hospital, since the day they announced him to be comatose, she had been holding onto something very important of his. Something he received from the father he despised so much. His cassette player. Not only that, she had been listening to it, in order to find some way to understand him, and what went through his mind. Out of all the songs on it, there was one that stuck out to her, one that reminded her so much of what he is. 'Bohemian Rhapsody...by...Queen?' She thought, looking on the tape for reassurance. 'Track 26...the one you listened to all the time...I'm starting to get it, I think...' As the song ended, she took out the earbuds, collecting her things and heading out to NERV's medical wing. 'Shinji...I want to read this, but...' She thought, looking at her bag, where his final letter was being kept. 'I don't...this isn't the end...it can't be...you're coming back...' Every day she had to keep this thought in her head, as it was the only way she could keep herself from being frozen to the bone.

Upon arriving at Shinji's hospital room, Asuka discovered Rei sitting by his bedside, alone, and in muted darkness. The redhead stared at her for a while, unable to grasp a single emotion from the situation, and before she could say anything, Rei had already gotten out of her seat, and started to walk out the door. Before leaving, however, she stopped to say something to Asuka. "Any day now...his father will replace him with a dummy plug...it's rather sad." Without saying more, she left, leaving Asuka to simmer in a frying pan of different emotions, ranging from anger, to sadness, to confusion, and so on. 'Not now...not now...I'm here for him...' She thought, slapping herself a bit, before going over to sit next to Shinji's bedside. In this state, Shinji required numerous devices to keep him alive. He had a breathing apparatus, feeding tubes, and the rest of the bunch. Every time Asuka saw him like this, her heart and stomach sank, and the thing she avoided looking at, at all times, was the rope mark surrounding his neck. 'No...no...i-it's not like then...he's still alive...' She thought, feeling the memories of her mother's suicide flooding back into her. Again, she hit herself, this time with much more force, so she could feel it hurt. She had been doing this often for the past week, as a way of punishing herself. Finally, she took a deep breath, and looked over at the boy laying in front of her.

"Sh-Shinji...? It's me...I came to see you again..." Asuka said, reaching out her hand to lay it on his, something she felt she didn't have the right to do. "Sorry Misato's not here...she would be, but she's been sick because of....a-anyway, what was that girl doing here earlier? Even like this, you can't help but be a pervert and flirt with her, h-hahah..." She went on, talking to him as if he were listening, because it's the only thing that she felt would keep her sane. "I know they tell me I shouldn't but...I brought your favorite again today..." She mumbled, quickly pulling out the cassette player. She quickly put one earbud in his ear, and the other in her own, skipping all the songs to get to Track 26, Bohemian Rhapsody. "This kinda reminds me of when we were training together...man, we were really pains in each other's asses, hahah..." Each time she said something of this ilk, she expected him to reply, in his usual passive self. And each time, she felt her heart break when he didn't answer. "Shinji....I need you...we need you...we need you to come back...please...just listen..." Asuka said, closing her eyes before pressing the play button, starting the song.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies
And see.

'Why am I still here...what am I meant to do...everyone just hates me...all everyone does is hurt me...so I should just die....'

I'm just a poor boy,
I need no sympathy.
'Cus I'm easy come,
Easy go,
Little high,
Little low.

'Asuka...what are you doing...? Just let me go...let me be with my mother...just let me be free from here.....mother...why am I still here...?'

Any way the wind blows
Doesn't really matter to me,
To me.

To be continued...

(Well hello there! It's been almost a year since I published part one, wow. I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting, I wanted nothing more than to continue this as soon as possible, but I've been super busy since then. I'll do my best to finish this story soon, and I promise I won't take another year to upload the next part! Stay tuned!)