Neon Genesis Silmarillion
Book IV: The Battle of Unnumbered Tears
A Tolkein/Evangelion story
By John Biles
********************
There had to be other options than simply relying on NERV, President Anderson had concluded. The number of Rangers were limited and the recent battle had pushed them to the limit. They'd somehow quieted the volcanos, but what if they fail next time?
He needed other options, but how to get them? The military was trying to create anti-Wraith weaponry but NERV had a monopoly. And efforts to acquire France's secrets had not gone well.
But he had to do something.
********************
"We're still trying to figure out where the third Silmaril is," VANDA-06 said to Gendo. "Unfortunately, it's underwater. We also haven't figured out how to get Maedhros out of the one we got in Hawaii, but work continues."
"Water does form most of the earth's surface," Gendo said.
"I know, I know," VANDA-06 said.
"I think it is in the North Atlantic, but things changed so much over the millenia that I don't know," VANDA-02 said and sighed. "Time grows short, I fear, for us to find it."
"We will do our best," Gendo said.
"You have done well," VANDA-02 said.
"If we can't make stronger Rangers, then we're going to get SLAUGHTERED when Morgoth comes in his full strength. Look how hard it was to stop just one Balrog," VANDA-04 said grimly. "We need adult pilots."
"Work on the Mask project continues," Gendo said. "I cannot simply snap my fingers and make it so."
VANDA-04 clearly thought otherwise.
****************
"Kaji!" Mari said cheerfully. "It's so good to see you!"
"Hello, Mari," he said, ruffling her hair; they were in a hallway at the Special Vehicles Unit base. "I've been loaned to help your archer practice her archery, since we owe you all some favors. I'll be here a while, helping out."
"Good. Dione's a good athlete, but her archery isn't too good yet. I don't know why they chose her. I mean, she's not bad, but there's a lot better archers," Mari said.
"Probably because she can resist malice well," Kaji said.
"Good point," Mari said. "So why are you roaming the hallways?"
"I'm kind of lost," he confessed.
"I'll take you around," she said, taking his arm. "Oh, and I'm legal now." Wink.
"And under half my age. Can't do that," he said. He didn't worry about it with Mari so much, though. She didn't really mean anything by it.
"Let me show you the forge. Mana's probably pitch black again."
He looked curious at that. Mana turned out to be covered with soot, except for clean hands, which she was using for some gem cutting. The gem was a beautiful blue, but darker than a sapphire. "What's that?" Mari asked.
"A blue diamond. But watch this." Mana put it under a widget and turned the widget on. "Actually, watch this while that soaks up UV."
She brought him over to the forge, where a sword sat waiting to have a gem put in it. The blade seemed to be made of gold with black inlay. "Orichalcum!" she said proudly.
"Which means?" Kaji asked.
"An alloy of gold and iron to make potent anti-wraith weaponry! And there's a ton more gold to work with than there is truesilver. This is truegold, and this sword is going to be awesome," Mana said proudly. She pointed to an empty socket. "The gem goes in it once I finish."
She brought them back. "Now look at this," she said, turning off the lights. The blue diamond glowed red in the dark. "Once I figure out how to make it keep the charge, it'll be ready," she said. "This blade is going to be for Henri, then I'll make a stronger one for Commander O."
"Can you make me a sword?" Kaji asked.
"I would love to. I have to do the boss first, though," she said, turning the lights back on. "Does it have a specific purpose?"
"Eventually, we're going to have to rescue Misato's father, and I need it for then."
"I'll help if I can," Mari said. "How are you going to get there? Where is he?"
"I don't know," Kaji said, frowning. "The place he is in was, in theory, annhilated thousands of years ago."
"Maybe it's a copy," Mari speculated.
"We're pretty stuck; we don't know how to find it or how to get there," Kaji said, then began telling them what he knew, hoping their nimble minds might find some trick.
**************
Everywhere Kurt went, Shinji was laughing at him and his girlfriend was reading his mind and using it against him. There was no escape, nowhere to run.
He could hear the voice whispering to him. Unless you destroy them, they will destroy you. No matter what it takes, you must deal with them or you will fall.
He was working on it; he'd learned a lot from Engelmann, but there was always more to learn. Would he ever be strong enough to finally deal with Shinji?
You will, the voice told him as he ran. Remember, he hates you and he will destroy you if you don't get him first.
The urge to confront him was strong, but Kurt resisted it. He had to be ready; he knew there would only be one chance. The time wasn't ripe.
But the voice whispered to him of revenge until he woke.
**************
"It would be a lot better if we could magically summon these things," Helma said, brandishing her sword.
"Magic cannot just make things appear and vanish from nothing. Hide them from being noticed, yes. Conjure, teleport, no," Mr. Pickles said.
Helma, Gertrude, Ermalinda, and Ingrid were all in their secret training place. Given right now it was bitterly cold and snowy, none of them were happy with it, as said place was basically a cul-de-sac and open to the cold. But no one ever seemed to come back here.
Ingrid was quite glad to have her own team. The monsters in the sewers seemed more prolific than ever and they spent a lot of time training. But they were getting stronger and that was important.
"I keep feeling like we ought to have five people," Gertrude said. She was a short blonde and carried an axe.
"This is because you've seen too many imported cartoons," Helma said. She was brunette, middling in height.
"The sooner we finish practicing, the sooner we are out of this HIDEOUS cold," Mr. Pickles said. He shivered.
They got back to practicing.
*************
Shinji was still in the tank, so Evelyn had more time to spend with her friends, especially with Katherine, who was pretty down after having had to dump her last boyfriend for cheating on her. So they were having a sleepover.
"I wish I had a body like yours," Katherine said. "Then maybe my boyfriends would be as devoted to me as they are to you." She sighed. Katherine was middling in height with long brown hair and an average build, whereas Evelyn was well on her way to matching her mother's body, which was rather ample in the chest.
Her mother opened the door and Evelyn said, "Please tell me you have clothing on," to her mother; her parents had been even more flighty about such things than usual, lately.
"I'm wearing a robe," her mother said. "But really, we're all girls here, so it wouldn't matter if you two wore less."
"Father is not a girl," Evelyn said. She had on nice warm blue pajamas; Katherine had green ones.
"True, true," her mother said. "Anyway, I brought cookies." She laid them down. "Your father is trying to get a project done, so we should be quiet. Enjoy your party! I'm going to do laundry." She left.
They snagged cookies. "My folks have been kinda odd too," Katherine said. "Mom has to nag Dad to get him to do anything useful and he spends a lot of time tinkering obsessively with his car. More than usual."
"I think everyone's kind of stressed," Evelyn said. "Have I been doing anything odd?"
"You started taking your shirt off for no reason at Hedda's," Katherine said. "Am I being weird?"
Evelyn rubbed her forehead. "I did?"
"Yeah," Katherine said, munching on a cookie.
"I haven't seen you do anything weird," Evelyn said. "Beyond reading those vampire novels."
"They're GREAT," Katherine said. "I wouldn't mind being a vampire. Then guys wouldn't cheat on me."
"You'd have to hide from the sun and run away from your own cross," Evelyn said, pointing to Katherine's silver cross necklace.
"I just wish I was as sexy as you," Katherine said, studying Evelyn and feeling a little weird. She ate another cookie and Evelyn munched on one.
Evelyn said, "I'd make your chest bigger if I could," she said. "It can be a pain, though."
"But Shinji loves it, right?"
"Shinji loved me when I was smaller than you," Evelyn said, and Katherine sighed. "You just have to find the right guy," she said.
Katherine wished it was that easy.
***********
Jiro stared at his son, floating in the tank, and sighed. "I can't tell if he's changed more or not. I think he looks older and stronger, though."
Touji easily looked sixteen and a half, despite being just barely fifteen. He looked quite strong and...
"Shouldn't he have facial hair by now?" Jiro asked.
"It doesn't seem to grow in Halo," Ritsuko said.
Gretta embraced Jiro supportively and Ingrid put her hand on the tank. "If they're all asleep, who is going to fight if there's a battle?" Ingrid asked, frowning.
"Commander Gendo is looking into that."
***************
Kevin was rather nervous about being summoned by Gendo, though having Lars and Biyu show up looking as confused as him was a help.
"Ladyfingers?" Gendo asked, holding out a plate.
"Yes, they are," Kevin said nervously.
Gendo blinked and Biyu and Lars both laughed and then took one.
"Oh, right," he mumbled and took it.
Gendo then gave each of them a bottle of orange juice. This seemed an odd combo to them, but it seemed wisest to drink it.
"I have an offer. I have decided that in case we have yet another case of sleeping pilots for long periods that we need some backup pilots. All three of you have the necessary genetic aptitudes."
Our class IS RESERVES, Kevin thought. I KNEW IT. "I don't know what to say," Kevin said. He didn't WANT to pilot. But on the other hand, he didn't like being on the outside looking in. And it would mean more time with Olga...once she woke up.
"Biyu, you want to do it?"
"YES," she said, then hesitated. "Do you want to, Lars?"
"If you're in, I'm in," Lars said. "I'd go insane if I had to watch you go into danger without me."
"You'd train with the others, but you'd only pilot if one of them is out of action," Gendo said. "I'll need to talk to your parents also, but I want your consent first. We need you, though."
"Okay, we're good," Biyu said, smiling. "I don't know how much use I can be but I will do my best."
"I'll have to think about it," Kevin said.
"That's fine," Gendo said. "Take a couple of days."
"You sure you want this, Lars? It means no more sports."
"I hate missing out on that," Lars said. "But I can't let Biyu do this alone and I hate sitting home and wondering if my friends will die today and them not being able to tell us stuff." He paused. "Is there some way to make sure I won't get super-pregnancy causing powers or anything?"
Gendo stared in confusion.
Kevin started laughing.
"Dear, you don't pilot a Ranger by having sex," Biyu said to him.
"None of the Children are pregnant," Gendo said. "If anything, you will likely become less fertile."
"I AM IN," Lars said.
"I'll talk to my folks and think about it," Kevin said.
Gendo said, "I'm sure Olga will be glad to have you with us."
I know, he thought. He didn't want to, but if even Lars and Biyu were in... dammit.
************
"Why can't I be a reserve pilot?" Kensuke demanded of Gendo. He had been pretty content with his work of late, but being passed over AGAIN galled him.
"Because in a real fight, you'd crumple up and die," Gendo said flatly. "Remember what happened with Horaki and you in the simulator?"
"What, and Biyu is better??" Kensuke demanded.
"Yes," Gendo said.
"..."
"Your talents lie elsewhere," Gendo said.
"Give me a chance!"
Gendo took Kensuke from his office down to one of the AV rooms and made him watch several fights, such as what happened to Percival Hamilton and Thomas Huang. "Note that these are trained combatants. Do you think you would have done better?"
Kensuke squirmed. "But Kevin, Biyu, and Lars don't have any combat training. And I have been doing some training!"
"Your greatest talents could not be used to full effect in battle," Gendo said. "I need you on the bridge."
Kensuke watched Huang go down again and squirmed. "Dammit."
"I cannot grant your request."
Kensuke left, feeling pissed off.
***********
Conrad was jogging with Lars and Kevin. They had to go slow (for them), but he was determined and did his best; they'd done weightlifting together earlier. "I think you should say yes," he said to Kevin. "I know you don't want to, but we will have other times we need substitutes and the world needs you. Commander Ikari wouldn't ask you if he didn't need you."
"How's the weightlifting coming?" Kevin asked. "Getting good progress?"
"Yes. I've been exercising a lot since... I can't be with Rei," Conrad said, then sighed. "I may be able to take my shirt off for you by the summer."
"Woo woo!," Kevin said, laughing. Lars punched him.
"Don't laugh at the man," Lars said. "Anyway, don't change the topic."
"Sorry," Kevin said, looking thoughtful. "I hope Olga is okay."
"Anyway, you should decide soon," Lars said. "Biyu and I are going for it."
"I'll talk to Olga when she wakes," Kevin said. "I can't decide."
*****************
Kevin didn't talk to his Dad a lot. They didn't get on badly, but his Dad was pretty private and their interests were different. But he had to talk to him.
"If you don't do it, people will rag on you for the rest of your life," his Dad said. "I won't, but you will spend the rest of your life dealing with people who hate you for not doing it."
They were on the couch with a beer for each of them. His dad carefully monitored any drinking in his house, but took the attitude it was better to let them drink a little and demystify it, even if it would have been illegal back home.
"But I'll always wonder if I could have made it big," Kevin said. "I've always dreamed of being a sports star."
"But they'll call you a coward. Someone your age shouldn't have to fight, but it will haunt you until you die. The press will find it and it will be used to hammer you," Kevin's father said wearily and leaned back, studying the ceiling. "And Olga will be disappointed." Swig. "But I won't tell you what to do. You're too young. You shouldn't have to do this. But I think if you choose not, it's going to haunt you and NOTHING will ever get rid of that smear ever."
He didn't want that, either.
**************
Kevin stared at Olga in the tank, trying to make up his mind and then she opened her eyes.
He jumped in surprise, and soon Ritsuko released her. "How do you feel?" Ritsuko asked.
"I feel marvelous," Olga said, then kissed Kevin, dripping on him. "What's wrong?" she said. 'Please tell me no one died.'
He jumped and she smiled a little. 'It worked! Yes!'
Hesitantly, he told her everything mind to mind as they embraced.
Ritsuko ran some tests on Olga, while they communicated mind to mind. She couldn't help but notice Olga's mind was stronger. Her body too. She got Olga to do a gymnastics routine; she did it quite easily. She got Kevin to try; he could do most of it but not everything. Olga did it all easily.
Her hair looked exactly like Himeko's now, but unlike the others, her body didn't seem to have changed any. She looked older than she was, but she'd always been that way. She was stronger, though, and quicker. And her mind was stronger.
Ritsuko forced herself to stop repeating herself. "Do you feel different?"
"I can feel this weird hum near the machines," Olga said. It soon became evident she could sense the electricity and even control the flows if she danced or sang. She made electricity crackle around her fists. "Oooh."
Ritsuko said, "I think you're good to go home. I'll call your father. I expect you'll want to shower and put some real clothing on."
"Yes," Olga said, taking Kevin's hand and heading out to go take a shower and put on her street clothes to get fresh street clothes at home.
************
"I think you should do it," Olga said, rifling through her closet to find something to put on.
"Everyone tells me that, but I really would rather not," he said, then sighed. "On the other hand, being with you more would be nice. I just wish..." He decided not to bring the subject up. He wanted sex; she wanted it, but had promised her Dad she wouldn't do it. And she'd held to that.