[Episode 228482] [Episode 228482]"So... you are the Spirit of Christmas yet to come," Gendo said. "I admit, I should have seen this coming, after my son and Miss Soryu as the other two spirits... but tell me, what is it exactly that you wish to accomplish?"
The spirit stayed silent. Except for his introduction, the figure in the cloak hadn't said a single word. She merely gestured at the door, which was now wide open. Gendo could see nothing but blackness behind it.
"Why won't you answer me?" Gendo asked. "If you are anything like the real Rei, you would give me an answer. She always listens to my commands."
The spirit did not reply. Instead, she repeated the gesture towards the door. Realizing that he couldn't make her tell him anything, Gendo just decided to get this over with and marched towards the door.
Rei followed him into the darkness. It took Gendo a while until he was able to see anything again.
It was a wasteland. Nothing more than a vast sea made of an orange goop, with a couple of islands made of dry land rising from it. In the far distance, he was able to see the silhouette of a towering, pale figure, which somehow resembled an Angel... and Rei.
"So... my dreams will be realized," Gendo sighed. "No matter what happens to Earth, Yui and I will be reunited..." He took a step closer to the orange mass in front of him. There was no sign that this chaotic mass had once been what all the bodies of humanity were made of.
The spirit raised her hand and gestured to the right. Now Gendo saw another island rising out of the LCL... and he saw two people crouching there. That was, only his son, Shinji, was crouching... in his arms, he was holding the comatose form of Asuka Langley Soryu.
"What is this?" he mumbled. "Why did they choose this? Why aren't they joining everyone else? Does Shinji think he can save her all by himself?"
A whispering voice was in the air, and somehow Gendo wasn't too sure if it was the spirit who replied or someone else...
'Shinji never had anyone. Even as an Evangelion pilot, all he had were his fellow pilots and friends from school. Who else would he turn to? Who else would he want to be with? With Rei and Misato gone, who was left?'
"He could have joined them..." Gendo said quietly. "They are all there..."
'This is not what this is about. We are the Spirits of Christmas. Humanity needs compassion. Compassion is the Spirit of Christmas. Without compassion, humanity is lost. Just like this boy. You know what Keel Lorenz wants? He desires true Instrumentality, with the spirits of the people truly being destroyed... unlike your vision, where everyone will be reunited. His vision means the true death of everyone. Can you say for sure that this is what will happen?'
"You tell me..." Gendo replied, looking at her. "You are the Spirit of the Future, aren't you?"
The spirit didn't reply. The eerie silence was unnerving to Gendo. Nervously, he turned around. "I mean... it has to be! Everything I did... would have been for nothing... right?"
Once again, the whispers were filling the air.
'If you don't realize that everyone needs compassion... love... someone they can rely on... you will end up alone."
"Never..." Gendo closed his eyes. "Some people are eternally loyal to me... I know that. Rei..."
Suddenly, they were surrounded by darkness once again. Then, a bright cone of light shone down on two figures standing in front of them. One of them was the true Rei Ayanami. The other one... was Gendo himself. Gendo saw that Rei was in bad shape, her right arm was slowly coming apart.
"I am not your puppet!"
This hit Gendo like a slap, and even his future self seemed to stumble backwards as Rei threw him these words in his face.
"I'm not you..." she said. She slowly stepped back and floated upwards, into the darkness.
"Rei!" Gendo's future self shouted. "Rei, please wait!"
"No..." Rei replied. "Another Ikari is calling for me..."
And then everything was black again.
Gendo had collapsed to his feet. His glasses were falling to the floor. He hid his face in his hands. He somehow knew that this was no illusion. This was the truth. This was the future... or at least a possible version.
"Why?" he asked. "Why did Rei do this? Why did she betray me? Did she choose Shinji over me? Why?"
'Because... Shinji felt compassion. While everyone else treated her as a tool... he saw her... as a human.'
'Compassion is everything, Gendo Ikari...'
'Without feelings for other people, humans cannot exist...'
"But... but I have feelings... Yui..."
'Yui Ikari... is dead.'
"But she... she would understand. It won't matter anymore... as soon as we are together... she knows... she..."
Suddenly, he froze. He could remember Yui's words, just before her spirit had vanished.
"We won't see each other again after this... not in this life."
And then he had the most horrifying vision yet... he saw himself, in the grasp of Evangelion Unit 01's hand... and then... his body was crushed.
Gendo's upper body collapsed to the floor. "But why? What did I do wrong? I had it all planned. What do I do? What if I am wrong? What if Lorenz is right?"
He turned to face the spirit. "Spirit, please tell me..."
But the cloaked figure was gone. Gendo was all alone in the darkness. For a moment, he felt truly helpless... then everything went black before his eyes.
However, in the corner of his mind, he believed to hear a final, silent whisper...
'Do as you wish. Instrumentality might still be humanity's final hope. Maybe not. However... focus on the present. Focus on those around you. Focus on your feelings... compassion... love... and you will know what to do...'
And then he woke up.
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(Posted Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:22)
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