Neon Genesis Evangelion: Forever Intertwined

Episode 30

Words from the Author:

Not going to waste time with pointless chatter. Neon Genesis Evangelion's owned by Gainax and all other respective owners. That's all there is to it. Enjoy, everyone.

Episode 30: Enlightenment in the Form of Uncontrollable Agony

The scene starts off all the way down at Terminal Dogma where Lilith once was held with Gendo standing in front of the pool of LCL that's between him and the giant cross that restrained the 2nd Angel in the past. The Commander simply stares at the cross from behind his glasses while having his arms folded together with a stern demeanor. Then, footsteps can be vaguely heard from a distance as they head towards Gendo. That fact doesn't really seem to concern Gendo for some unknown reason until the person who's walking towards the Commander is revealed to be Kaji. He's calmly gazing at Gendo's back with both hands in his pockets as this meeting between these two individuals takes place moments before Unit 01 was surrounded by the enemy Evas.

Kaji stops his advancement not too far away from Gendo with a firm expression. "I'm here, Ikari."

Gendo responds without taking his eyes off the giant cross. "Indeed. Though I had hoped for the 6th Child to had come in accordance with my plan." He drops his head down and focuses his attention onto the floor. "But that clearly won't happen since she's busy fighting for who she loves."

Kaji lightly chuckles with his eyes shut. "Did you really expect anything less?" He opens his eyes to focus on Gendo again with a content smirk. "You would do the same."

Gendo turns his head to the left and looks at Kaji out of the corner of his eyes. "Hmm." The commander then returns his attention towards the giant cross and asks with a cold tone, "You know what is happening up there, don't you?"

Kaji sharply nods with seriousness being displayed. "Yeah. It's the final battle. And the children are fighting with everything they have." Mild curiosity suddenly adds in as Kaji slants his head to the left a little. "Why aren't you taking command and supporting them?"

Gendo responds without even moving an inch. "Because I am unfit to support them. What they and everyone in NERV are fighting for is the opposite of what I desire."

Kaji walks up next to Gendo's left and narrows his eyes as he gives the commander a scrutinizing look while slightly leaning forward with his hands still in his pockets. "So you continue to wish for something as selfish as that." He closes his eyes while straightening his posture with his head tilted back. "I kind of figured that you hadn't let that go. Even after everything you said." Kaji then opens his eyes to calmly gaze at Gendo with no change to his posture. "You really are the worst, Ikari."

Gendo nods and then replies with an emotionless tone. "I can not deny or even choose to deny the obvious truth. I want to be with the only person who has ever loved me, and hoped that Shinji and Nero would have supported that desire so we could all be a family..." He turns his head to Kaji. "However, that will not be happening. They chose a world that's filled with so much pain instead of a world they could have made it into anything they wanted."

Kaji sighs while briefly rolling his eyes and then looks at Gendo with a light smile. "Of course. It may seem glamorous to live in a world where you control everything and never feel any hardships, but when you come to the realization that nothing is real, then what's the point? What meaning would there be to living?"

Gendo lifts up his left hand to fix his glasses into place while maintaining his eyes on Kaji. "That is a matter of opinion, Mr. Kaji." He then puts his hand down as he faces Kaji with a firm demeanor. "All I have ever cared about was achieving happiness. The only person who had given that to me was Yui. Without her, even if I were to try to be a family with Shinji, Nero and possibly Rei, there would be emptiness in us being together."