Written By: Jon L
This Chapter follows the events of Chapter One
"speaking"--'thinking'--<phone>--=dream=
Tokyo-3, a city that has suffered from numerous Angel attacks now sits in ruins. At the edge of the city, only a few structures of the city remain standing. It is in one of these structures that Misato Katsuragi resides. Currently, she is asleep on her futon, dreaming about what could have been if Second Impact had never happened, but that is all about to come to an end as an unexpected visitor is about to drop by.
Misato is soon awoken by the sound of her phone ringing.
"Nnnnn...damn phone!"
She blindly reaches out for her phone next to her futon, once she has it she picks it up.
Misato lets her mood show for the person at the other end of the line, "This had better be good!"
<Misato, I have to talk to you right away!>
"Ritsuko?"
<Misato, wake up. I have something to tell you about the synch test!>
"Where are you?"
<Outside your apartment.>
"Hold on, I'll be right there."
<-CLICK->
'What has her so wound up?'
Misato crawls out of her bed and heads toward the front door. Once she has arrived, she enters in her pass-code and opens the door.
"Ritsuko, what's going on?"
"I have some info about the synch test and the brainwave charts for the pilots."
"Come in then."
Ritsuko hurries into the apartment. Misato locks the door again and walks into the living room where Ritsuko is standing.
"Have a seat."
"Thanks."
"So what is so important that you had to come tell me now?"
"I went over the results and found out that Rei and Shinji were both affected by the same thing, that unknown pattern. It may also be the cause of Unit-02 going berserk. But that isn't the problem I have discovered, when I took a look at the brainwave charts for the First and Third Children, I found out that their brainwaves match the unknown pattern's."
"In English please."
"The pilots were thinking the same thing at the same time, as well as the unknown pattern."
"So they have some kind of telepathic connection?"
"Not exactly, they shared the same thoughts for a short period, but they were not conscious when it happened."
"So, that means?.."
"I don't know, I need to run some tests right away on them, can you go wake them up and bring them to NERV ASAP?"
"Um...that could be a problem, I kind of lied about them staying here."
"WHAT?!"
"They are at Rei's apartment right now, more then likely asleep."
"Misato, I told you they were to stay with you at all times!"
"I didn't have a say on the matter!"
"What do you mean?!"
Misato's voice becomes a whisper as she prepares to tell Ritsuko about her snooping around NERV, "I have been trying to figure out what NERV is up to, one of the places I have looked is in Terminal Dogma. Rei has seen me down there, they were going to tell Commander Ikari about what I have been doing, unless I let both of them leave the hospital."
"Misato, you had better hope we don't find them in the same bed together!"
"That might be what we will find, but I have complete confidence in Shinji not to do anything stupid."
"I sure hope you are right, otherwise I won't even hesitate to shoot you myself, I know that is what Commander Ikari would do!"
"I have faith in Shinji."
"Well talk about that later. Lets go pick up those two so I can start the tests."
Misato doesn't say a word as she heads to her room to get dressed before heading out the door with Ritsuko. 'I sure hope I am right.'
****************
Misato and Ritsuko head over to Rei's apartment in Ritsuko's car.
"Can you tell me anything else about what you have found?"
"I can't be sure yet, but Rei seems to have put on some weight since the last synch test."
"What?"
"I don't know why, I think it is related to that fluid she gave me."
"Do you know what it is?"
"I haven't had time to look at it closely, but I do know what it is composed of."
"Which is?"
"Knoxidren, alcohol, stomach acid, and one other thing."
"Isn't Knoxidren the chemical that counteracts pain?"
"Sort of, it is used primarily for when someone has an internal injury, but Rei hasn't had any injuries that required it recently."
"What about when Unit-00 exploded, she must have had some injuries then?"
"If we had used Knoxidren on Rei then, she would have gone into shock."
"Ohh, so how did it get into her system?"
"I don't know."
"What about that fourth item?"
"I need to run another test before I can identify it."
They end their conversation as Ritsuko pulls up in front of Rei's apartment building
****************
Rei and Shinji are sleeping peacefully next to each other, neither caring about what is happening outside the apartment, or whether they are sleeping in the same bed, for the only thing on their minds right now is sleep. They are totally unaware that they are about to be woken up and told they are needed at NERV.
Shinji is awoken by the sound of knocking coming from the entryway; He climbs out of the bed in a manner as to not wake up the person next to him and proceeds to the front door.
"Who is it?"
"Shinji, it's me, Misato, open the door."
Shinji does as he is told, and lets the two ladies outside the apartment in.
"Shinji, where is Rei?"
"Still sleeping."
"Go wake her up."
"Okay."
Shinji walks back to the bed and gently shakes Rei until she opens her eyes, "Shinji?"
"Ayanami, we have company."
Rei turns her head to the doorway and sees Misato and Ritsuko standing there.
"What is going on?"
Ritsuko beats Misato to the answer, "I need you both to come to Headquarters right away for some tests."
"Understood. May Ikari and I get dressed first?"
"Yes, but please hurry up."
Shinji sees that Misato and Ritsuko are standing in the doorway waiting for them to finish, and decides to speak up, "Do you two mind maybe waiting outside?"
"Um...okay."
The two ladies turn and exit the apartment, giving Shinji and Rei a chance to get dressed without prying eyes.
"Shinji, why did you ask Major Katsuragi and Doctor Akagi to leave?"
"I didn't think they needed to watch us get dressed, at least not me."
"But they have seen us naked before."
"Yeah, but that was when I didn't have a choice. I have one this time."
"Hai."
Nothing more is said as the roommates finish getting dressed.
****************
Outside the apartment, Ritsuko and Misato wait patiently for the two pilots to get dressed.
"Ritsuko, what kind of tests do you need to run that couldn't wait until morning?"
"I need to do a blood analysis on them to be sure that the connection they shared wasn't chemical induced."
"You think someone caused this to happen?"
"Maybe, I don't know."
"I hope it's nothing serious."
"Same here."
They soon hear the door open and see Shinji and Rei exit the apartment.
"Ready, Misato."
"Hai. Lets get this over with."
The four co-workers head down the hall to Ritsuko's car and start their trip to NERV in silence.
****************
Once the group arrives at NERV, they make their way to Ritsuko's office where she stops to pick up some stuff, then head to the Medical Ward where the tests are to begin. Once they arrive, Shinji becomes curious as to what kind of test will be done.
"Doctor Akagi, why are we here?"
"I need to run a blood analysis on both you and Rei to see if either of you have any drugs in your systems."
"Will this take long?"
"I hope not, but I can't make any promises."
Ritsuko draws a blood sample from the two children and heads off to another room to perform the necessary tests.
"Misato, while Ritsuko does the testing, do..."
"Yes, Shinji?"
"Do you think we could go back to sleep?"
"I...I guess it can't hurt."
"Okay, goodnight."
Shinji lies down on the bed he is sitting on and falls asleep; Rei follows suit a few moments later.
'They look so peaceful, it's to bad they can't enjoy their childhood in this way. I wish I could have had a peaceful life.'
Minutes pass as Misato waits for Ritsuko to finish the tests, during this time Misato decides to do what the children have already done, fall asleep. About a half-hour later she is violently awoken by the doctor and pulled into the hallway.
"Misato, the tests came out negative for chemicals in Shinji's bloodstream..."
"But what about Rei?"
"She is positive, but I found out something even more surprising, come take a look."
The two ladies walk to the room where Ritsuko has run the tests on the blood samples taken from the two children.
"Take a look at the screen that has Rei's results from a month ago, then look at the one from today."
Misato does as Ritsuko has instructed and sees they are different.
"They're different, what does that mean?"
"Now take a look at Shinji's result from the same time frames." Ritsuko types a few commands in, causing the screen to change. Misato takes a look and sees they are the same.
"So, they are the same?"
"That proves there are no drugs in his system, but Rei has something that I can't identify in hers." Ritsuko types in a few more commands into the terminal, "But that is only half of it, Rei also appears to be...pregnant...according to the recent data that I have gathered tonight."
Misato hurries over and shuts the door to the room.
"What?!"
"Exactly what I said."
"But how did this happen?"
"I don't know yet, but I don't think it was done naturally."
"How do you know?"
"Because I didn't find evidence of possible sexual intercourse during the last physical."
"Then..."
"I can't tell yet, but I think Rei should move in with you for a while until I can find out what is going on."
"Do you want to tell them, or should I?"
"It may be best if you tell them. Here..." Ritsuko hands Misato her car keys, "After you break the news to them, take my car and head back to your place with them, do not let them out of your sight this time."
"You have my word on that."
"And, how about you take the next few days off as well."
"Sure."
Misato opens the door again and heads back to the room where the children are sleeping. When she has arrived, she closes the door and wakes up the two pilots, then prepares to break the news to them.
"Shinji, Rei, we need to talk."
"About what, Misato?"
"This may sound shocking to both of you, it did to me, but..."
"What is it?"
"Shinji, Ritsuko found nothing wrong with you."
"That's good, but what about Ayanami?"
"That's...that's a bit more complex, Ritsuko found an unknown substance in Rei's bloodstream..."
"And?"
"Err...Rei is...she is...pregnant."
Shinji and Rei are shocked about what they have just heard, so shocked that Shinji passes out from the overload of info being fed into his brain.
"I...am pregnant?"
"Yes, Rei. We are unsure as to how, but Ritsuko is working on it as we speak."
Rei wears a shocked look on her face as she just sits there on the bed next to an unconscious Shinji.
"I have been told to look after you at my place until we can figure out what is happening, but Ritsuko is positive that you are pregnant."
"But...when?..."
"I don't have the answers right now, but I hope to soon."
Rei just stays silent as the news sinks in.
"If you want, we can head back to my place and get some rest, I won't have to come in to NERV for the next couple of days so we can talk about this during that time."
"Understood..."
Rei gets up and proceeds to wake Shinji, but Misato stops her, "Lets just let him sleep, here..." she hands the car keys to Rei, "...If you unlock the door, I'll carry Shinji to the car."
"Hai."
Misato picks up Shinji and carries him out of the room in her arms.
****************
By the time Rei, Misato, and Shinji arrive at Misato's place, it is 2:30 in the morning; Rei assists Misato with bringing Shinji up to the apartment and to his room.
"May I sleep in here tonight, Major Katsuragi?"
"I guess so, just take care of Shinji, and if you need anything, you know where to find me."
"Hai."
"Goodnight Rei, see you in the morning."
"Hai."
Misato shuts the door after she leaves Shinji's room, leaving Rei with having to position Shinji on the bed so he won't fall off. As Rei finishes, Shinji wakes up.
"Rei?"
"Shinji?"
"What just happened?"
"It is best if we talk about it in the morning, get some rest now."
"Okay, goodnight Rei."
"Goodnight."
Next, Rei crawls into bed next to Shinji to catch a few more hours of carefree slumber.
****************
The next morning Shinji is awoken to the sound of a loud noise coming from the kitchen.
"YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
Shinji wakes with a start, "ACK!"
As soon as he gets his bearings, Shinji gets up and heads to the kitchen, 'Why can't she just drink beer in peace?'
Once he has entered the kitchen, Shinji sees that Misato has decided to do the cooking this morning. 'There goes breakfast.'
"Morning, Shinji."
"Morning."
"Is Rei awake yet?"
"No, she is still asleep."
"Have a seat Shinji, I think you and I should talk about earlier this morning."
"Hai, Misato."
Shinji walks over to the nearest chair and takes a seat; Misato sits down on the opposite end of the table.
"Shinji, do you remember anything about earlier?"
"Sort of, I recall hearing something about Ayanami, but I can't remember what it is."
"I am pregnant, Shinji."
The two housemates at the table turn towards the doorway where Rei is standing, "I don't think I will ever get used to that."
"Good morning, Ayanami."
"Good morning, Ikari."
"Rei, maybe you should be included in this conversation, have a seat."
"Hai."
Rei walks over to the table and sits down next to Shinji.
"Anyone want something to eat first?"
"Ahh...I'll pass."
"Yes."
"Okay, Rei, I'll just be a moment."
Misato gets up and prepares a dish of rice for Rei.
Shinji leans over and whispers something in Rei's ear, "Rei, are you sure you want this?'
Once it is ready, she comes back to the table and hands the dish to Rei.
Since Rei has not had Misato's cooking before, she is not prepared for the taste of rice and curry powder. After her second bite, Rei gets up, walks out of the kitchen, then runs to the bathroom, the sound of her throwing up can be heard in the kitchen. After the sound has stopped, she comes back in with a test tube in her hand, inside it is an orange liquid.
"What's that Rei?"
"I do not know, I will give it to Doctor Akagi for analysis."
"Um...okay."
Rei sits back down at the table and pushes the plate away from her.
"Anyway, I think we should talk about is going on right now."
"What do you mean, Misato?"
"Well...Shinji...Rei is...is..."
"...I am pregnant."
"What?"
"It's true, Shinji."
"But how did it happen?"
"Ritsuko is still unsure, she is working on finding out the how, and who the father is, right now."
"Is that why Rei has been throwing up?"
"I don't know that either, but we did find out one thing, Rei has some kind of pain killer in her system, along with something else that we can't identify yet."
"What is going to happen to Rei for now?"
"That is what we need to talk about. Rei, Ritsuko would like you to move in with us for a while, you can sleep in Asuka's room since she has gone missing."
"Misato, what is wrong with her being in my room?"
"You two shouldn't be sleeping in the same bed, and that seems to be a common occurrence right now."
"What if I gave her the bed and set up a futon for me?"
"Hmm...that would be okay, but I don't want to see you both in the same bed every morning, this is non-negotiable you two."
"Hai."
"Okay, we have the sleeping arrangements sorted out, now to take care of the chores. I think I know the best way to do it too, 'Rock, Paper, Scissors.'"
"MISATO!!"
"Okay okay, I'll come up with a better way. You don't have to yell."
"What about the cooking?"
"Do you know how to cook, Rei?"
"No."
"Well, maybe I can help you wi..."
"NO, no, I can help her with that, Misato."
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure."
Well, if you want you teach her, be my guest, means less work for me."
"Anything else, Misato?"
"Not right now. As a matter of fact I need to go talk to Ritsuko right now about some things. If you want Rei, I'll be glad to drop that tube off for you."
Rei hands the test tube to Misato, "Okay."
"Well, I'm off to NERV, be good."
"Hai."
Misato gets up and heads out the front door, leaving the two children alone in the apartment.
Rei grips her stomach in pain.
"Rei, how do you feel?"
"Like I have been punched."
"Sorry about that, I should have warned you about Misato's cooking."
"Is that why you insisted on teaching me how to cook?"
Though Shinji gives no answer to Rei's question, she still understands, "I see..."
"How about you go wash up while I prepare some real food."
"Hai."
As Rei heads towards the bathroom to wash up, Shinji digs out some fresh bread and prepares to heat it up. Before he starts the toaster, however, he prepares to make a new batch of rice by tossing the rest of Misato's rice into the wastebasket, then puts more rice into a pot.
****************
Rei enters the bathroom and closes the door.
'I must remember that Misato is a bad cook.'
Rei turns on the water and undresses; once the tub has been filled she shuts the water off and sits down in the bathtub and begins another dream sequence.
=(Rei is sitting at the same table she was before, only this time she is alone.)=
="What is happening to me? Who are you? ANSWER ME!"=
=//"Mother, you now are aware of what is happening, what you are going to do about it is now up to you. My life is in your hands; it is you that must decide what will happen to me, as it will be for now on. I have provided the connections for you, but that is all I can do, the only two people who have control are you and father. The lessons you must learn I cannot help you with, that is beyond my control, only one person can help you. I trust you and father will make the decisions you feel are right, don't let _HIM_ make them for you. I must go now, please take care, I would love to see the outside world soon. Before I go though, I do have one more thing to ask of you, please don't eat any more of auntie Misato's cooking. That is the best way to kill me quickly."=
="I...won't.=
=//"Take care mother, say hello to father for me."=
="Hai."=
Rei wakes up in the bathtub, 'I must let Shinji know what I have been told.' Rei finishes washing up and heads out of the bathroom to the kitchen where Shinji is finishing up on breakfast, "Shinji?"
"Yes, Rei?"
Rei walks up to behind Shinji and continues, "We need to talk."
Shinji turns around and sees Rei standing very close to him. Unfortunately, as he turns around, his hand brushes against one of her breasts, causing him to blush and quickly pull his hand away, "AAH! I'm sorry, OUCH!!" Shinji's hand bumps into the heated pot, slightly burning the back of his hand.
"Shinji! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a slight burn. Why don't you have anything on?"
"I do not have any clean clothes here right now."
"Ohh...well, if you watch the rice, I'll go find you something to wear until we go to your place to pick up your stuff."
"Hai."
****************
Shinji hurries out of the kitchen to his room to find some clean clothes for Rei, 'I should have let Rei know it isn't a good idea to walk around here with nothing on before she went to wash up.' Shinji finds some cloths for Rei and sets them out on the bed for her, then goes back to the kitchen.
"Rei, I have set some clothes out for you on my bed, you should probably get dressed just in case Misato comes back."
"Hai." Rei walks out of the kitchen and into Shinji's room.
Shinji walks back over to the stove and dishes out the rice, then starts toasting the bread for when Rei has finished.
'I wonder where Asuka has disappeared to lately. She hasn't been back since the 15th angel attacked, ever since Rei rescued her...'
(FLASHBACK)
Shinji sees Asuka sitting inside a quarantine zone set up by NERV technicians.
Shinji "I'm glad you're okay, Asuka."
Asuka "Shut up! Who the hell is 'okay'?! How could it get any worse? That little bitch rescued me. That little bitch rescued ME. I'd rather have died!"
Shinji just stands there and looks at Asuka.
Asuka "I hate you! I hate you! I hate everyone! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
(END)
'I wish she would just come back again...'
Rei comes back in to the kitchen again; this time fully clothed, and sits down at the table. Shinji puts aside his current thoughts and brings the rice and toast over, he gives one bowl of rice to Rei and sets to other one down for himself.
"Thank you, Shinji."
"You are welcome, Rei."
As they both begin to eat a healthy breakfast, Shinji continues to think about Asuka.
'Maybe Hikari knows where Asuka is, she shouldn't be alone right now, not after what happened...I miss hearing her voice. Even though she always insulted me, I still liked hearing her speak.'
Rei finishes eating and looks toward Shinji, who is still holding some rice in his chopsticks, "Shinji, is something wrong?"
"Huh? Ah...no, it's nothing."
Rei does not believe it is nothing and presses on, "Shinji, what is it?"
"It's nothing, really." Shinji makes the mistake of taking a glance at Asuka's room with Rei watching him.
"You are worried about Soryu?"
"What? No."
"I am worried about her as well."
"You are?"
"She is a fellow pilot, and..." Rei pauses for a moment to find the right words. When she has found them, she quietly continues, "...a friend."
"Rei, I..."
"It is okay. She is like you, Shinji."
"How?"
"You are both confusing to understand."
****************
Misato has arrived at NERV and is heading towards Ritsuko's office. Once she has arrived, she knocks on the door.
<-KNOCKING->
"Yes?"
"Ritsuko, it's me, can we talk?"
"Come in, Misato."
Misato opens the door and walks in, closing it behind her.
"What can I help you with, Misato?"
"First, Rei wanted me to give this to you." Misato walks over and hands the tube with the orange liquid inside it to Ritsuko.
"Thanks."
"Second, do you know anything about the whereabouts of Asuka?"
"No, no one has been able to find her since the explosion, Security Division 2 is currently looking for her right now."
"That's what has me worried, and the fact that if she comes home and sees Rei living with me, she may run away again or retaliate against Rei somehow."
"Well, what do you think should be done? You are her guardian, Misato, and Rei must stay with you for now. By the way, why are you here and not watching over her like you should be doing?"
"I had to talk to you in private, that's why."
"And you couldn't do that over the phone?"
"I haven't ask my main question yet."
"Well, ask away, Misato?"
Misato's voice takes on a more quiet and demanding tone, "What is the REAL reason that Rei survived the explosion?"
"You have the report, your answer is in there."
"Don't bullshit me, Ritsuko! I know the plug was destroyed, and that Ayanami would have been destroyed with it. Tell me the REAL reason, or I'll go find it myself."
"Are you sure you really want to do that, Misato?"
"It's time I find out what is going on here, Ritsuko. I only asked you because I was hoping you were my friend. It looks like that isn't really the case though, you just want to keep me in the dark."
"It's better not to know the answer, Misato. You may not like it when you find it."
Misato leans over Ritsuko's desk and grabs the Doctor's collar then pulls her close, "I could care less right now, Akagi! Kaji died trying to find out what NERV is up to, I could care less what the answer is, as long as it is the truth! So I will ask you once again, how did Rei survive?!"
Ritsuko doesn't bother to answer the question. Misato finally gives up after a few moments and thrusts Ritsuko back into her chair.
"Thanks a lot, _FRIEND_!"
Misato turns to leave when Ritsuko finally answers the question.
"She didn't."
"What?"
"That Rei didn't survive."
"Then who is at my apartment right now?"
"Rei is."
"Ritsuko!"
"Misato, I can't tell you anymore right now, I would rather show you when Shinji is here with us."
"Then I will go get Shinji and Rei right now."
"I can't do it right now anyway, you will have to wait 'till tonight."
"Fine, I want to see you at my apartment no later then 20:00h."
"Understood."
Misato turns and leaves Ritsuko's office, then heads back to her car to go home.
'What is it she must show Shinji as well, how does this involve him? Can I really trust her not to turn me in? Kaji, I wish you were here to help me, I could really use it right about now.'
Misato decides to worry about what will happen tonight, later.
'Why is NERV security having trouble finding Asuka? They are supposed to be better than this. It's as if they are not even looking for her.'
****************
Somewhere on the surface, hiding in the shadows of the ruins of Tokyo-3, a lone figure moves about in one of the buildings that remain standing. This figure has the appearance of someone that hasn't eaten anything in days and its long hair has a very messy look to it. A slight breeze blows through the building, causing this person's clothing to sway on their body, every once in a while we can see a faded blue skirt and some red hair sway into the late morning light streaming in from a hole in the ceiling. The figure appears to be wearing a school uniform from the local school. On the ground, two red hair clips sit, smashed by an angry foot. The figure quietly speaks before moving on to another location, "Synch ratio 0..."
****************
Misato comes to a stop in front of her apartment building and gets out of her car, 'Good thing I don't have to worry about my car being towed.' Misato enters the building and proceeds to the stairs since the elevators are out of order, and heads up to her floor.
'Why can't someone fix the damn elevators, they have been stuck ever since the explosion.'
When she reaches her floor, she walks down the hall to her place and opens the door, "Shinji, Rei, I'm back."
"Hai, Misato."
"Shinji, where are you?"
"In the kitchen with Rei."
Misato walks down the hall to the kitchen and sees Rei washing dishes while Shinji dries them.
"What up, Misato?"
"Ritsuko will be taking us to NERV tonight on a little field trip, I don't know how long it is going to take though, so I wanted to let you know I will be getting some sleep before tonight, and you might want to do the same as well."
"Okay, but first I think I will stop by Ayanami's place and pick up some clothes for her, since Ritsuko said for Rei to stay here. Is that okay?"
"Sure, just be back before 16:00."
"Hai, I'll take off right after I finish here."
Misato turns and heads to her room and closes the door, 'Sorry Ritsu, I can't wait until tonight.' She goes over to her desk and turns on her computer, 'I hope this chip works.' After the computer has warmed up, Misato keys in a few commands and waits for the next step.
[MAGI - Casper - 3]
[System 6.3.9]
[Enter Password - ]
Misato enters in her password, then waits for the next step.
[M. Katsuragi]
[Clearance Level - Delta]
[Enter File Name Or Press F4]
Misato hits F4 and waits.
[Enter Keyword - ]
She types in Rei's name and waits for the screen to change.
[Found 0 Files With Keyword - Ayanami, Rei]
She types in a few more commands into her computer and waits for the next screen.
[Found 2 Files With Keyword - Ayanami, Rei]
She opens the first file and finds it is not the file she wants, next she opens the second file and comes up empty. "Damn, where are those records." After closing both files, Misato returns to search mode.
[Enter Keyword - ]
She types in another word and hits return.
[Classified Info]
[Your Clearance Does Not Allow Access]
She types in another string of commands and waits.
[Clearance Level - Alpha]
[Found 18 Files With Keyword - Ayanami]
[Narrow Search? Y/N]
She hits Y.
[Enter Next Keyword - ]
She types in -Medical- on her terminal and waits some more.
[Found 2 Files With Keywords Ayanami/Medical]
She opens the first file and sees it is the results from last night. "That's not it." She closes that file and open the second file up.
[Access Denied On Casper]
"Damnit, Ritsuko must have moved the file to somewhere else." Misato logs out of the system and shuts off her computer.
'I need a beer'
Misato gets up and walks out of the room, and heads towards the kitchen. When she arrives she sees Rei sitting at the table by herself, "Rei, where is Shinji?"
"He has left to get my stuff for me."
"Okay. Have any plans for the day?"
"No."
"Well, don't forget about tonight, it may be best to just get some rest."
"Hai."
Misato grabs a can from the fridge and begins to walk back to her room when Rei asks her a question.
"Major Katsuragi.., what is it like to be pregnant?"
Misato freezes in mid-step, "What did you say?"
"I asked, what is it like to be pregnant?"
Misato walks over to the table and sits down, "Err...I am not sure, Rei. I have never had a child before."
"I see..."
"Why do you ask?"
"I...want to know whether I should give birth or not to the child when it comes time."
"Well.., if it were up to me, I would say you are too young to have a child, but this is not something I can decide for you. You are the one this child will call mother, this is your decision, but I will give you some advice if you want."
"Okay."
"Decide whether or not you are ready to become a mother yet. Once you have the answer to that, you can then make the decision you think is right, but don't answer it right away, think long and hard about it."
"Hai."
"I hope that helped answer your question."
"It did not."
"What part do you still need help on?"
"Motherhood."
"That is a totally different story, though I have never taken care of a small child before. When Shinji first moved in with me, he was here so I could watch over him. As time passed and I got to know him better, I started to take on a motherly roll with him, and I still feel like that to this day. The same thing applies to Asuka, though she does not get along with Shinji, she still became a daughter to me, I don't know what I would ever do if they got killed in battle. Rei, I see both Shinji and Asuka as my family, I never had a family before I knew them, and now that I do, I think it is the best thing to have. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Hai."
"I wish I could have been prepared for it though, it always helps to learn how to be a mother before you become one." Misato looks over at Pen-Pens fridge and gets an idea, "Rei, how would you like to help me take care of Pen-Pen? I was going to send him off with the Horaki family, but I think this might help you out with learning how to be a mother, sort of."
"Hai."
"Great. I'll go call Hikari and tell her he will be staying here for awhile."
"Hai."
Misato grabs the phone and calls up Hikari's relatives in Tokyo-2, "Yes, is Hikari there?.."
****************
Shinji is walking along the street in the northwestern section of the city.
'I wonder what Ritsuko wants to show us at NERV, maybe it will be about Rei's pregnancy?'
Shinji continues walking, until he sees something moving out of the corner of his eye. He stops walking and turns around, what he sees is someone walking through the ruins of a building unlucky enough to be caught in the blast zone from about two weeks prior. Though he can't make out the person's features, he has a feeling he knows this person from somewhere. When the person disappears into the shadows again, Shinji continues on his way to Rei's Apartment a few blocks up.
****************
Hidden among the shadows, A girl watches a now moving figure walk away from the place where she hides, 'Shinji. This is his fault, he and that doll of his did this to me, I was an elite pilot, now I can't even pilot anymore. I hate him, I hate that doll, I hate everyone, most of all, I hate myself.' The girl steps out of the ruins and heads in the direction of her friend Hikari's house. 'Everyone has left me, left when their homes were destroyed, now I have no one left to talk to. I can't go back, I can't even pilot my Unit-02 anymore. I am useless to them now. I have no reason left to live, father left me, mother left me, everyone left me, I am alone.' The girl continues on her long walk across the city, weaving in and out of the shadows, avoiding all whom are left in the city, on her way to her final destination.
****************
By the time the Third Child has finished his trek across the city, it is beginning to get late. Once Shinji has arrived at the door to Rei's apartment, he opens it and steps inside.
"What was it Rei wanted me to pickup?" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded sheet of paper and unfolds it.
Pick up:
Clothes
Medicine
Bag
Glasses on dresser
Beaker full of water
(Do not empty beaker)
Tubes
"This could take a while, I wonder if I can get all the clothes in her bag?"
"Hey you!"
"Huh?" Shinji quickly turns around and sees a NERV Security agent standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing in here?"
"I-I-I...I came to pick up some stuff for Ayanami, sh-she is staying at Misato's apartment for a little while."
"Stay right there while we verify your story."
The agent turns around and head out the door to talk to his superiors on the phone.
'Maybe I should have let Misato come instead.' While Shinji waits for the man to return, he thinks back to a few minutes ago when he saw the person in the shadows outside, 'Who was that person I saw in the building? Could it have been Asuka? What would she be doing there?' Three NERV Security agents enter the room, interrupting Shinji's thoughts.
"Your story checks out, we have been told to assist you in bringing anything needed to Major Katsuragi's apartment by transport." The agents waste no time in putting clothes and other stuff into a box. When one is about to grab the beaker, Shinji stops them by grabbing it himself. "I will hang on to this myself."
"Understood."
After everything is packed, Shinji and the NERV agents leave the apartment and head to a black car waiting outside.
"Leaving First Child's apartment now, en-route to northern sector."
Once the box is put in the car, Shinji climbs in himself with a firm grasp on the beaker of water, along with the first agent getting in on the other side. Once the other two agents are in, they start off towards Misato's apartment building.
****************
About twenty minutes later, Misato and Rei are sitting in the living room together watching TV, when they hear a knock at the front door, "Rei, could you see who is at the door?"
"Yes."
Rei gets up, walks over to the front door and unlocks it, causing the door to open a moment later. She sees Shinji is standing outside the apartment with a security agent standing behind him, "Major Katsuragi, please?"
"Rei, who is it?"
"NERV Security Division 2, Major."
Misato immediately gets up and runs to the door, "Is there something wrong?"
"No, Major, just escorting the Third Child back here safely with some stuff for the First Child."
"Did he do something wrong?"
"No, just making sure nothing goes wrong. This is the stuff retrieved from the First Child's apartment." The agent hands Misato the medium sized box he is holding.
"Thank you, sir, I can take it from here."
"Yes, Major."
After the agent is dismissed, he walks back to the stairwell he came up. Shinji steps into the apartment as the door begins to close, "Sorry it took so long, Rei. I made sure not to spill any water on the way here." Shinji hands Rei the beaker and walks to his room.
"Thank you."
"What's the water for, Rei?"
"I like to keep it around."
"Where do you want me to put your stuff?"
"Ikari's room will be adequate."
"Okay." Misato walks to Shinji's room and sets the box down inside the doorway. Rei soon follows at a slower pace, admiring the water inside the beaker as she moves. "I think I will go..."
Both Rei and Shinji pick up on what Misato is planning on doing and reply in unison with "NO!!"
"...into the living room and watch some more TV."
Shinji and Rei let out a sigh of relief after hearing Misato change her mind.
"Oh...okay, Misato."
Misato moves back to the couch the living room and sits down again.
Rei walks into Shinji's room, which has become her room as well at this point, and slides the door closed. "Shinji?"
"Um...yes, Rei?"
"I had another dream again this morning, while washing up."
"What was it about?"
"The same thing you and I shared."
"With Pen-Pen in it?"
"...Yes."
"What did it say this time?"
"It said we have to make our own choices now, it provided the connections for me, and not to let The Commander make our choices for us."
"So we have to decide what to do alone?"
"Yes, but, we must proceed together. It also said one other thing."
"What?"
"Don't eat the Major's cooking anymore."
"That is one thing I agree with."
"As do I." Rei lets out a slight giggle after saying that.
"Rei, did you just...laugh?"
"...Yes." 'Why did I laugh?'
"Well, I think it sounded...nice...coming of you."
"Thank you."
"No, thank _you_. That was the first time I ever heard you laugh. I wish you would do it more often."
"I...I will try."
"No, Rei...don't force yourself to laugh, just let it happen naturally."
"I will."
"So where do you want to set the beaker down?"
Rei looks around the room and sees an empty spot on the dresser, "Right there."
"Okay, that is where it will go then."
Rei walks over and sets the beaker down on the wooden dresser.
"Next, getting you moved in. Lets see, I can put some of my shirts in the closet, making room for some of your stuff in this drawer, and I don't use this one, so what ever is left of your clothes can go in there."
"What about my school uniforms?"
"If you want, you can hang them up in the closet opposite of my shirts."
"Hai."
Rei and Shinji begin to unpack the box next to the door, first taking care of the cloths and bag. Next, they find a spot for the tubes and medicine, then the glasses she got from his father. After every thing is taken care of, he sees she is satisfied with the arrangements.
"Now for the hard part, moving the futon out of Asuka's room and into here."
Rei and Shinji walk out of their room and into Asuka's to retrieve the futon mattress from her closet, and carry it back to their room. Once they have it in the room, they decide to drop it on the floor, with the result being a large amount of dust being released from the futon being blown at Shinji, turning him into something resembling a person that has been cleaning all day. Rei catches a glimpse of the dust covered Shinji and lets out another small laugh.
"Hey, what are you laughing at?"
"I am laughing at your appearance."
Shinji takes a good look at himself and begins to laugh as well, "Yeah, I do look kinda funny."
The two of them laugh for a few moments longer before they return to their normal selves.
"Did you want to change before we eat, Rei?"
"Yes."
"Well, I am going to go wash up before I start dinner, feel free to lay down if you want, or keep Misato company, or anything else you want to do. This is your home too now, at least for a while."
"Hai."
After he leaves for the bathroom, She chooses to make the bed and put some sheets on the futon for Shinji, after she is done with that she heads to the living room and joins Misato on the couch.
"So, have you and Shinji finished unpacking everything yet?"
"Yes."
"Rei, can I ask you a question?"
"Yes, Major Katsuragi."
"You don't have to call me Major Katsuragi, you are now a part of this family, Rei, Misato is good enough. Besides, Major is just too formal for my taste."
"Hai...Misato."
"Much better. Now then, Rei, why is it you want to be with Shinji so much?"
"I...don't understand?"
"What is it about Shinji you like so much that you want him to be close to you?"
"I do not know...I feel more secure when he is near me."
"Rei, have you thought about having a child any more since this morning?"
"Yes."
"Would you ever consider having someone help you?"
"In what way?"
"Well, I never got to know my father when I was young, my mother left him when I was young because he cared more about his work then his family, at least that is what I thought back then. When Second Impact occurred, he sacrificed himself to save me. I think that Shinji would make a nice father, Rei, he is the kind of person that would rather die then let something happen to someone he cares deeply for. When Shinji saw your Eva explode, he was devastated to the point where he shut out all outside contact, including me. When he found out you were still alive, I saw him come back to life. He cares for you, Rei. He cares more then he knows, and that is something that would make him a great father. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"...Yes."
"Good, but remember, the choice is yours to make."
"Understood."
****************
Shinji enters the bathroom and closes the door, once it is locked he undresses as the tub begins to fill. Once everything is ready Shinji sits in the bathtub, thinking about events passed.
(FLASHBACKS)
- Shinji meeting Rei for the first time -
- Shinji in Rei's apartment for the first time -
- Shinji meeting Asuka for the first time -
- Shinji saving Asuka in the volcano -
- Shinji sitting in his entry plug, listening to Asuka's screams over to comm. -
- Shinji watching Rei's Eva explode before his eyes -
(END)
'What is it I see in my fellow pilots?'
//'You see people you can depend on.'
'Who said that?'
=(Shinji is swept away into a dream that is alien to him.)
=//"I did."=
="You, what are you?"=
=//"I am what you make of me."=
="What is it you want?"=
=//"I must tell you something that mother can't know about yet."=
="What?"
=//"You are the key to helping someone else as well, father."=
="What do you mean?"=
=//"Auntie Asuka will need your help soon as well. You must not give up hope for her, she will in turn help you out in the end if you allow her to."=
=(An image of Asuka lying in a bathtub appears in front of Shinji.)=
=//"She will soon need your help, you must help her gain back her confidence in herself, only then will she be able to help you with what lies ahead."=
="But I don't know how to help her."=
=//"You should listen to your own advice."=
=(FLASHBACK)=
=Shinji "No, Rei...don't force yourself to laugh, just let it happen naturally."=
=(END)=
="But that was about laughing."=
=//"It also applies to this situation, don't force your help, just let it happen."=
="I think I understand."=
=//"I wish you luck, father, you will need it."=
Shinji finds himself back in the bathtub again.
'This is getting to be too strange.'
Shinji decides he has been in the water long enough and gets out, once he has finished drying off, he wraps a towel around his waist and heads to his room.
After he has closed the door, he goes over the dresser and pulls out some clean clothes to wear. When he has found some, he drops the towel to the floor and begins to get dressed.
"Misato is getting hungry."
Shinji instantly turns his head and sees Rei standing in the doorway. "AAH!!" Shinji quickly wraps the towel around himself while turning a very deep shade of red. "I think we need to have a talk about sneaking up on people later on."
"Hai."
"What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to inform you of the situation concerning dinner."
"Is Misato in the kitchen yet?"
"No, she is sitting on the couch, but she is thinking about making dinner herself."
"I will be right out, let me finish getting dressed first."
"Hai."
Rei leaves the room and closes the door, leaving Shinji alone again to get dressed. 'I wonder where Rei learned how to do that.'
After Shinji has finished dressing, he walks into the kitchen and prepares start dinner, 'Hmm...since it is Rei's first night as a housemate, I should make something she will enjoy." Shinji thinks back to when Misato took them out to eat, then goes and looks in the fridge for anything he can use to make a decent meal with. But luck is not on Shinji's side and he ends up heating up instant instead. "Dinner is ready."
"Hai."
Misato and Rei walk into the kitchen and have a seat at the table in the arrangement they did that morning.
"I couldn't make anything fancy for dinner since we are out of the _basic_foods_..." Shinji casts a cold glare in Misato's direction "...so I will stop by the store tomorrow and pick up food that isn't instant."
<-DING DONG->
Shinji, who was just about ready to sit down, decides to answer the door instead, "I'll get it." He walks out of the kitchen and down the hall to the front door and opens it, "Good evening, Ritsuko."
"Evening, Shinji. May I come in?"
"I guess so."
"Thank you."
Ritsuko walks into the apartment then turns to Shinji, "Did Misato cook, Shinji?"
Shinji closes the door and turns to Ritsuko, "No, it was my turn to cook."
"Good."
"Why?"
"I found out what that orange stuff in the tube was. Did Misato make breakfast this morning?"
"Umm...the first one, yeah."
"That explains why the liquid was comprised of curry powder and rice, did you have any?"
"No."
"A smart move on your part. Did you make enough food for me, by any chance?"
"Help yourself."
"I think I will, thank you."
Shinji and Ritsuko walk into the kitchen and join the others at the table.
"Evening, Ritsuko."
"Evening, Misato. How are you feeling, Rei."
"I feel fine."
"That's nice to hear. By the way, Misato, I found out that the stuff in the tube was just a random chemical, it shouldn't have any bad effects on Rei."
"Oh, that's good. Have a seat."
****************
After dinner has been finished and dishes have been washed, Shinji, Rei, Ritsuko, and Misato head into the living room and sit down.
"So, Ritsuko, what is it you want to show Shinji and I?"
"I wanted to show you two what has been kept from you since you came, about Rei and Eva."
"So this is about Ayanami."
"Yes, Shinji. You have a right to know who and what Rei is."
"Who and what?"
"It's best if I show you firsthand the secrets that NERV does not want others to know."
"When do we go?"
"What time is it?"
"Um..." Misato takes a look at her watch, "...It's five to 8:00."
"Then we can go now."
"Will Ayanami be coming along?"
"I would like to come, and help Shinji."
"Help me?"
Rei bows her head and quietly replies, "Yes."
"Umm...Ritsu, maybe we should go talk in my room for a few moments."
"Hai."
Misato and Ritsuko get up and head to Misato's room at the end of the hall. When they are both inside, Misato shuts the door so Shinji and Rei won't hear their conversation.
"Ritsu, is it really a good idea for Rei to come?"
"Rei is a part of this, Misato. Beside, it might be best if Rei comes along for Shinji's sake, some of the thing he will see will be a total shock to him, if he has someone to help him through this, maybe he will be able to handle the shock."
"I understand. Now, is there anything you want to tell me before we go?"
"No, but I would like to check on a program I have installed in the MAGI for our little expedition, if I may?"
"You can use my computer."
****************
"What is wrong, Rei? What do you mean by 'help me'?"
"Shinji...I have told you about my past, but I never wanted you to see my origins until the time was right."
"Origins?"
"Yes, Doctor Akagi will show you who I am tonight."
"Rei, I don't care what she shows me, I will still feel the same way I do now about you. I don't plan on having that change anytime soon. As long as you are safe, I will be happy."
"Hai."
"I wish we didn't have to pilot Eva sometimes, I just wish we could be kids without having to suffer like this, we are forced to fight stuff we don't understand, all for the sake of humanity. Sometimes I wish you, I, and Asuka could just live normal lives together..."
"Shinji?"
"...But we can't, not as long as we are needed for Eva. We pilot for the sake of others, but we don't pilot for the sake of each other..."
"Shinji?"
"...And now Asuka is gone, and you are pregnant. This isn't how we should be living, Rei, we should be allowed to have fun when we want, be allowed to make our own choices without others making them for us, I wish I could just get away from it all."
//'Father!'
"Shinji??"
"Huh?" Shinji snaps out of his trance and sees he has a very tight grip on Rei's hand, so much that she looks like she is in pain. Shinji releases his grip and turns away from Rei.
"I wish the same thing could be true, but we have to live with what we have to do, because only we can do it."
"I'm sorry, Rei, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It is alright, I share your feelings."
****************
About two hours later, the group of four are riding down a shaft on a small circular platform. "What you are about to see is what NERV has been hiding for years now. I show you this because you have a right to know."
The platform comes to a stop and the four of them step out onto the cold concrete floor.
"Welcome to Terminal Dogma, Misato. Are you ready to begin?"
"Hai."
"Then, let us begin."
Ritsuko signals for them to follow her to the first area of the tour, "We will start with Annex No. 3."
After walking for thirty seconds, they come to the first door on the tour; "This is the Artificial Evolution Laboratory."
Ritsuko opens the door and enters the room, followed by Misato, Shinji, and Rei. She pulls out a small controller from her lab coat and enters in a few keystrokes, causing the lights to activate in the room. What Shinji sees is a setup similar to Rei's apartment, "This looks like Ayanami's room."
"This IS Ayanami's room. It's..."
"It is where I lived the first few years of my life, where I was born."
Shinji looks around the room and sees it contains the exact same furniture that her apartment holds when he spots the beaker on the dresser, "What was the beaker for?"
"When Rei was first born we had to do testing on her, the beaker was used to hold the water used to mix her medicines in."
Shinji takes another look around the room and sees the writing on the floor and walls, "What about the writing?"
"They are a part of what makes up her mind. The light and water that define the depths of her mind come from impressions of this place."
"This place is what prepared me for living."
Misato is now becoming impatient "Ritsuko, this is not the only thing I wanted to see."
"I know, Misato. I am showing this to him as well."
After a few moments, Ritsuko turns and leaves the room with the others in tow, they all continue on about 500 meters until they came to another door. Ritsuko again opens the door and steps inside, turning on the lights as she enters, what can be seen is a large room full of bones laid out on the floor. Shinji walks over to the edge of the platform and looks down at the first skeleton below him.
"The very first one. But it was a failure. It was discarded ten years ago."
Rei walks up behind Shinji, "An Eva graveyard, Shinji."
"It is now just a dumping ground for failures. This is also the room where your mother disappeared, Shinji, but you may have been too young to remember it."
Shinji quickly turns around and faces Ritsuko, "What?"
"Your mother was the first pilot of Unit-01. During the first activation test, she got absorbed into Eva. The recovery process failed and all that was left was an empty shell."
Shinji begins to turn pale as Ritsuko finishes speaking and looks at Rei, who is wearing a shocked look on her face as well. Shinji tries to form a question but no words come out, but Rei knows exactly what he is trying to say and quietly replies to his unasked question, "I'm sorry, Shinji, I didn't know."
"You may not remember it, Shinji, but you were watching when your mother disappeared."
Misato has heard more then enough, "Ritsuko!"
Ritsuko turns and walks out the door, others following, and walks to the next destination. When she arrives she enters a few commands into the controller and opens the door, "Before we go in, Shinji, are you sure you are ready for this?"
"...Hai."
"Okay, but I will warn you now, this may seem very unsettling to you."
"Understand."
Ritsuko walks through the doorway with Misato behind her. Shinji and Rei hold back for a few moments before entering, "Shinji, are you sure you want to see this?"
"Yes, Rei, I must see it and learn the truth for myself, no matter how disturbing it may be."
"Hai, I will be right beside you if you need me."
The two children enter the room and walk up to Misato and Ritsuko, who are standing 30 meters in front of a tube connected to a mass of piping leading up into the ceiling.
Misato breaks the silence by asking the first question, "Is this the source of the dummy plug?"
"No, this is only a piece of it, let me show you the truth."
Ritsuko taps the controller, causing the walls of the room to glow a golden color. When the light has become strong enough, they all can see bodies floating in a tank that wraps along the walls.
Shinji's eyes widen as he realizes who the bodies look like, "Rei?" As soon as Shinji finishes, dozens of eyes instantly focus on him, causing Shinji to gasp.
"Impossible! Eva's dummy plug is..."
"Correct, this is the production factory for the core of the dummy plug."
"This is?"
"These are all dummies. They are also replacement parts for Rei. Man found God, and they tried to pick him up. For that Man was punished! That happened fifteen years ago, and the God they found disappeared. Then Man tried to resurrect God with his own hands and that's how Adam was created. From Adam, Man created what resembles God, himself. That is Eva!"
"So...they are human?"
"Yes, they are human. We put supposedly mindless souls in Eva. All the souls were salvaged souls. Rei is..."
"I am the only one that can hold them."
"Right. The souls are born only in Rei. The room of Guaf is empty. These are merely empty containers. They have no souls. So, I want to destroy them because I hate them."
"NO!!" Before Ritsuko is able to touch the screen, Rei uses her quick reflexes to knock the controller from her hand and lets it fall to the floor a couple meters away.
Misato grabs her firearm and points it at Ritsuko, "Ritsuko, stop this!"
Shinji, having been silent the whole time, finally decides to speak up, "So...this is what you meant by saying you were the third?"
"Yes, Shinji, as I told you last night, I am a clone."
"But...why, why were you required as an Eva pilot?"
"I do not know."
Ritsuko's knees begin to wobble as she starts to cry. Misato lowers her gun and walks up to her friend before she falls, "Shinji, could you help me bring Ritsuko into the hall, please?"
Shinji does not say a word as he stands there, stunned by all the stuff he as been told about Eva, his mother, and Rei.
"Shinji?"
The boy simply does not respond as Misato calls to him again.
"Rei?"
"Hai."
Misato and Rei carry the doctor into corridor and set her down with her back against the wall, "Thank you, Rei, now go watch over Shinji, please. I need to talk to Ritsu alone right now, and Shinji really needs your support."
"Yes, Misato."
Rei walks back into the room as the door shuts behind her, leaving Ritsuko and Misato to talk in private.
"Ritsu?"
More crying can be heard coming from the person sitting in front of Misato
"Ritsu! Snap out of it!" A loud crack soon follows, echoing down the long hallway, "What is your problem?!"
"He used me, Ikari used me, just like he did my mother."
"How did he use you?"
"He used me to fulfill his purposes, he cares for that doll more then me. I was a fool to trust him, the Akagi's were fools."
"What do you mean?"
"Misato, Rei is a clone of Shinji's mother."
"What?"
"It's true, she has Yui's DNA, but her soul is her own. A salvaged soul."
"Ritsuko, why did you want to destroy the clones, Rei's sisters?"
"It was my revenge towards him. I don't care how retched I become, as long as they are destroyed."
"Ritsu, right now is not the best time to seek revenge, get a hold on yourself and give me some answers that you haven't yet."
"I have told you everything."
"Not yet. You still haven't told me how Rei became pregnant?"
"I don't know how yet, I do know that it shouldn't be possible for her to have a child, that is one of the problems with Rei. She was never meant to become pregnant."
"And yet she is."
"I know."
"Ritsu, right now you are the only one that can find out why this has happened, but you have to keep your head on straight if you are going to find it."
"Misato, why did you let Rei stop me?"
"Because she is part of my family now, even if you choose not to accept it."
"But Rei would have survived?"
"Yes, but she would have seen her sisters be destroyed. Besides, I don't think it would have been a good idea with Shinji watching. You saw how he reacted when you told him he saw his mother die in Eva."
"I see your point..."
"And if Rei had suffered another death, Shinji may not have been able to go on." Misato's tone becomes softer as she continues "He cares about her, Ritsu, Shinji was in shock when he saw Unit-00 blow up with Rei inside it, only when he heard she was still alive did he come back to life. I don't ever want to see him like that again, it hurt too much."
"I understand, Misato."
"So please, if you can't do it for yourself anymore, do it for him at least, allow him to find some happiness."
"I will."
Misato finally takes a seat next to Ritsuko against the wall, "So is this all you wanted to show us?"
"No. We still have one more stop on the tour, as soon as Shinji and Rei are ready to go."
****************
Rei walks back into the room as the door shuts behind her, leaving Ritsuko and Misato to talk in private.
Rei walks back over to where Shinji is standing. "Shinji?"
Shinji just stands there, silent, staring at the clone tank in front of him, and at the eyes that stare back at him.
Rei walks over to where the controller now sits on the floor and picks it up, then enters in a few commands, causing the golden glow to fade out, then stuffs the controller into a pocket.
"Shinji?"
"Rei...these are all you?"
"Yes, but they are only empty shells."
"And...and you are...a copy of my...mother?"
"Yes, I am."
Shinji turns pale again and begins to fall backwards, but Rei quickly catches him in her arms and carries him over to the steps near the tube in the center of the room. "Shinji, I never meant for this to happen, and I have hurt you now." She sets him down on the bottom step then sits down a few meters away. "I only wanted you to be safe...and happy..." She rests her face in her hands and begins to cry, tears roll down her face and fall to her thighs as they reach her chin, making little dark circles on the clothes she has on. She quietly mouths three words between a sob, "I am sorry."
After a few moments, Shinji begins to move again, his blank expression slowly disappearing from his face as he gets his bearing. Soon after, Shinji hears the sound of someone crying and looks over in Rei's direction, "Rei?" When Rei does not respond to his voice, he gets up and moves closer to her, "Rei, why are you crying?"
Rei's head slowly lifts and turns to face Shinji, a moment later she puts her head on his shoulder and continues to cry, "I have hurt you, Shinji."
"What are you talking about?"
"I have hurt you by letting you see all this, you know everything about me now."
"Rei, it was probably better I saw this now then later on, and you did not hurt me, nothing Doctor Akagi tells me about you will hurt me. I care for you Rei. When I didn't want to pilot the first time I came here, you were the one that was to take my place. When I saw how much pain you were in when I first saw you, I thought it was cruel of me to have forced you to pilot in your condition. though I wanted to run away, I chose not to...and ended up piloting instead. I didn't know why at that time, but I do now, I did it to keep you from suffering."
Rei's sobs slow down as she raises her head up from his shoulder, "You...you did that to save me from pain?"
"Yes, I don't want others to suffer because of me. Especially you and Asuka."
Rei stops crying tears of sadness and begins to cry tears of happiness, "Thank you, Shinji...for caring."
Shinji gives Rei a hug as they both shed tears out of happiness "You are welcome, Rei."
After what seemed like hours, they both release each other and wipe the tears from their eyes.
"Where are Misato and Ritsuko?"
"They are in the hallway talking."
"How about we go check up on them?"
"Hai."
The two of them walk in the direction of the door, where on the other side sit Misato and Ritsuko. Once they arrive at the door Rei pulls the controller out of a pocket and taps a few commands in, causing the door to open and the room lights to turn off as they exit.
What they see is Misato and Ritsuko are sitting next to each other against the wall.
"How are you two doing?"
"Better, Misato."
"Ready to head out of here now?"
"Hai."
Ritsuko stands up and turns towards the door, "We have one more stop on the tour before we are done, but first I need to grab my controller from inside." Ritsuko walks up to the door and waits for it to open.
"Doctor Akagi?"
"Hold on, Rei. The door seems to be stuck."
"It is locked."
"How did it..." She does not get to finish her sentence as Rei presents the controller she is holding to the doctor. "Oh, I see. Thank you, Rei."
Nothing more is said as Ritsuko takes the controller and leads the way back to the circular platform they rode down.
Over a half-hour later the group is standing outside the LCL production plant, "This is the last stop on the tour everyone." Ritsuko types her pass code into the keypad and swipes her card through the reader, causing the door locks to release and the door to open.
"Ritsuko, I already know what is in here."
"Not really, Misato."
As the doors finish opening, the group steps inside and walks up to the edge of the LCL pool in front of them. At the center of the pool sits a giant creature nailed to a red cross.
"Everyone, say hello to Lilith."
Misato's eyes go wide when she hers the name Lilith.
"I thought this was Adam?"
"No, Adam was the creature that caused Second Impact, he was found at the South Pole. Lilith was here when the Geofront was uncovered. Lilith's blood is what we use to fill the entry plugs with, it is what you breath Shinji every time you fight an angel.
Hearing this causes Shinji to become sick for the first time that night, causing him the run up to the LCL pool and throw up. When he has finished, Shinji looks at the golden pool where he threw up and sees his vomit has disappeared.
"What the?.."
"It is alright, Shinji, LCL is the primordial soup that makes up life, it breaks down the structure of any body fluids and turns it into LCL."
"How?"
"Lilith is known as the mother of all living things according to the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"What are those?"
"I am unsure myself, I have never been told what they really are."
"Ritsuko, what was the purpose to showing us this?"
"To answer the question of where LCL comes from, and who this creature really is down here."
"Are we done then?"
"Yes, the tour is over now. We must now hurry back up to the surface before my program has finished modifying the records of what has transpired here tonight."
They all start walking back the same way they entered, and after Heaven's Door has finished closing, head to the elevator that will bring them to the surface. As they walk, Shinji and Rei fall back a few steps and talk amongst themselves.
"Shinji?"
"Yes, Rei?"
"I have been thinking about what you said tonight."
"And?"
"I am wondering if you would like to do something for me."
"Anything Rei, just name it?"
"Not now, I will ask you soon."
"Hai."
The group finally arrives at the elevator that will bring them to the exit to NERV, where they will finally be free of the organization that has many secrets buried in its basement, and head for home.
****************
Nighttime has fallen upon the city of Tokyo-3, and at the now destroyed house of Hikari Horaki, a girl sits in a bathtub. Her clothes have been removed, neatly folded, and set on to a chair nearby. The girl in the bathtub is pale from the cool night air, but she makes no attempt to cover up, she just sits in the bathtub with her head tilted back, looking up at the night sky. The young girl quietly speaks, even though no one seems to be around to hear her.
"Synch ratio 0. I can't be the Second Child anymore. I have no reason left to live. Nobody cares about me anymore. My papa, my momma, nobody cares. I have no reason left to live."
Unknown to the girl, the sound of objects falling over can be heard coming from outside the bathroom as two men walk through what was once a hallway. When they arrive at the bathroom door, they stop as one of them speaks.
"Are you Asuka Langley Soryu?
To Be Continued...
Even more mystery here.
Why is Rei suddenly able to feel emotions?
How much emotion will Rei have?
What is Rei going to ask Shinji?
What will happen to the clones?
Will Ritsuko ever be the same again?
What will happen to Asuka?
Find out next time in "Rei's Child, Chapter III".
----
More Omake's for you, notes below
Omake 1
As Rei heads towards the bathroom to wash up, Shinji digs out some bread and prepares to heat it up. Before he starts the toaster, however, he prepares to make a new batch of rice by tossing the rest of Misato's rice out on the ledge for the bugs and birds to eat, "How the hell could Misato do so poorly on such a simple thing as rice?" After about ten minutes, anything that does not know about how bad Misato's cooking is, has flown or crawled away after tasting the rice. "Hey, what happened to all the birds?" Little does Shinji know, any birds that have tasted the rice have prepared for an assault on anyone that comes out of the apartment.
Omake 2
Ritsuko taps the controller, causing the walls of the room to glow a golden color. When the light has become strong enough, they all can see bodies floating in a tank that wraps along the walls.
Shinji's Eyes widen as he realizes who the bodies look like, "Rei?" As soon as Shinji finishes, dozens of eye instantly focus on him, causing Shinji to gasp.
"AHH!! They are all naked!"
Shinji quickly whips out his cell phone and calls up the nearest clothing store, "Hello, I would like to place an order for 100 bathing suits to be delivered immediately to NERV headquarters, the address is 1 Geofront Lane, Tokyo-3, Japan. Yes, charge it to NERV HQ Attn: Gendo Ikari. Okay, bye."
Shinji ends the call, then turns to Rei, "Rei, your sisters really should have something on, you never know who has access to this room."
Everyone, including the clones, grow huge sweat-drops on their foreheads.
Unknown to Shinji and company, the entire male staff at NERV have access to this room every Thursday evening.
Omake 3
Ritsuko taps the controller, causing the walls of the room to glow a golden color. When the light has become strong enough, they all can see bodies floating in a tank that wraps along the walls.
Shinji's Eyes widen as he realizes who the bodies look like, "Rei?" As soon as Shinji finishes, dozens of eye instantly focus on him, causing Shinji to gasp.
Minutes later, the entire room is full of blood from Shinji's nose, coming up to everyone knees.
"Shinji, have you been talking to Lilith by any chance?"
Omake 4
As Ritsuko shows the pool of LCL and Lilith, a crew of workers takes a piss into it. "As you can see Gendo has us hand out alot of beer to the crew members so they go here to help make more LCL." After seeing this Shinji pukes.
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