Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax. I make no profit by writing this fiction. All ideas in this story are my own; similarities with other fictions are purely coincidental.
Author's note: I made a slight change to the Anime storyline, and this happened shortly before the 12th Angel arrived. English is not my first language. Warning for mild violence and sexual content.
The Mighty Reiko-chan
Terminal Dogma, the place deep within the NERV complex, was a secret kept hidden from all but four sets of eyes. It housed the production factory for Dummy System, supposedly the deadliest weapon being developed by the higher powers of the organisation.
Dummy System, an autopilot program that promised might beyond comprehension, had a core comprised of hundreds of soulless human clones. Presumably, all of them were lifeless containers, but unknown to everyone, including the scientist whose fingers were now busy keying in the destructive sequence, one of these shells had accidentally acquired a soul and with it, her own AT-Field.
The soul was floating along the weaves of time, threading the fine line between consciousness and complete detachment. It was a calm environment. The surrounding warm liquid gently massaged her muscles with its tidal waves as she waited for something to happen. It gave a numb and passive sensation, but she could feel it approaching. A flicker of light slowly formed inside her. It made her restless, and soon she was becoming impatient. There was no clear boundary in this empty space; nothing was within it, and nothing was beyond.
Her trance was disturbed by a sudden shot of pain soaring through her veins. The fine line was broken, and the dream like state was replaced by an absolute awareness. A huge force swept down her body as the surrounding warm liquid was being drained away. Seconds later, the same comfortable liquid that used to wash her skin was no longer present.
Tired and weary, the girl collapsed to the floor. It was the first time she felt the cold touch of the hard concrete. She drew a series of sharp breath, struggling and gasping for oxygen as her lungs slowly adjusted to breathing air rather than LCL fluid. It took a brief moment for her to settle down, but once she did, the girl gradually forced her eyes open.
It was a new perception as she became visually aware of her surroundings. Initially, it felt alien, but she was able to adapt rapidly. She then carefully observed the dark room, helped only by a depressing orange light that radiated from the central pillar. A soft and wistful weeping was heard. Amidst the faded illumination, she saw a woman kneeling beside the pillar.
With her shoulders heaving, she seemed like the only moving object in the room beside the young girl herself. The woman's back was faced towards the girl, and she did not seem to know of her young companion's presence. The glass wall separating them slowly slid downwards, exposing the naked young girl to the external environment.
Still feeling slightly confused, she glanced downwards and stared at her own reflection in the puddle of LCL located just in front of her. The girlish image inside the orange liquid looked young, with her childlike face framed by a mop of wolf-like hair. She blinked, and the image immediately blinked back. The girl then slowly turned her head from side to side, and she found herself curiously satisfied when she saw the image mimicking her actions.
The new knowledge was pleasant for the girl, but it was swiftly replaced by revulsion when she turned her attention to the masses lying around her. They were fleshy, and although not entirely recognisable, she could tell that they were broken limbs and degenerating bodies of young girls like her. Fresh blood were still seeping from their wounds, and for those whose faces were still fairly distinguishable, there was a look of pure horror in their dead expression. The gruesome picture quickly overwhelmed all other senses, and she suddenly felt a boring lump building inside her throat.
Fear became the dominant emotion.
The girl looked at the corpses from one to another. Her heart began to beat uncomfortably. Her hands subconsciously wandered over her own body, trying to feel for her own flesh to make sure she had not suffered similar fate the other girls did. However, even learning that she was fine and alive did little to sooth her trepidation, as she turned to stare at the sobbing woman near the pillar.
The woman was the one who murdered the other girls. In the child's very young mind, there was no doubt about that. Gathering whatever strength she had, the girl stood up carefully, trying her best not to alert the woman. She then stepped out of what looked like a drained aquarium onto the floor outside. It did not take her long to notice the exit, so being as quiet as she could, the girl tip toed to the door, and once she was outside the dark room, she ran down the corridors with all her might, not willing to see the brutal woman ever again.
It took a while for the girl to get accustomed to the blinding white light that lit the winding corridor. She noticed many branching pathways as she moved along, but the girl chose to follow the main hallway. As she jogged, the dried LCL fluid on her skin began to feel irritating. The cold air sent chills down her spine and gave her goose bumps.
Soon afterwards, the girl was no longer aware of how much distance she had covered. The identical and labyrinthine layout of the corridors made her weary and dejected. She felt exhausted from the running, confused by her surrounding and scared of what she might witness next. She wanted to leave the place, but she did not know which direction she should follow.
It was a while later that the girl stopped when she noticed a slightly ajar door on the left wall of the passage. Behind the metal plate was another dark room. Her curiosity peaked, and she silently hoped that the small outlet would lead her away from the maze and take her somewhere else.
Carefully, she leaned closer to the door and glanced inside. She could see nothing but an absorbing black. It could be another large endless hall, or worse, it could be the very same gloomy room that she had just come from, without the orange lights on. Nevertheless, the girl wasn't given much time to think. Her ears perked when she heard footsteps approaching from down the corridor.
After the horrific scene she had witnessed earlier, the girl was not keen on being seen by another living creature. Her instinct took over. She leapt through the door into the dark room.
Only to be hit squarely in the face by a concrete wall.
The girl barely stifled a cry of pain, as she tenderly rubbed her sore nose. The small room was actually a cleaning closet, and it was very crowded. The rough and prickly brushes of the brooms stung her naked skin. She felt very uncomfortable, but managed to keep quiet as she peeked through the narrow slit between the door and the wall.
Two men were seen advancing.
The taller one had greyish white hair and narrow eyes; he was dressed in a reddish brown suit.
The shorter one, on the other hand, looked to be strongly built, with a mass of black hair and beard framing a fine looking face; his eyes were obscured by an orange tinted glasses and he wore a black coat with a red shirt underneath.
At first, they seemed to be walking in silence, but she heard the white haired man spoke after a while, "I must admit I find this sudden change of event quite bothering, for it could seriously affect our scenario."
"Yes, yes it could," The other man replied with a flat tone.
"Are you not concerned, my friend?" His companion asked, "Because you do not appear to be troubled at all."
"I assure you, vice-commander, that I am as concerned as I should be."
"You are certainly hiding it very well. I am not convinced by your decision for not taking any section-two agents with us."
"There are spies within us. You know that, and we cannot afford to take the risk. This new development must be kept between only us and those concerned, the old men council not included," The younger looking man replied with the same cold voice, "We do not want to aggravate the situation more than it already is."
"What about the doctor?"
As the two men walked pass the closet, the girl held her breath for a few brief seconds. The room was becoming increasingly humid and she was sweating profusely. The moment was tense, and the anxiety added perspiration to her already damp skin.
"The doctor is a broken woman. She poses no threat."
"You are a cruel man, Ikari," The vice-commander said with a slightly harsh tone, "You know very well why she is, as you put it, broken."
By then, they had already gone a fair distance away from the girl's hiding place. Nevertheless, she kept still and listened eagerly. Although she had little understanding of the content of their dialogue, she was able to appreciate the language spoken and she found it very interesting. However, for a long moment, there was no word exchanged between the two men.
Eventually, it was the white haired man who resumed the temporarily halted conversation, "So what plans do you have in mind?"
"The solution comes after we gain full knowledge of the situation."
"Hmph," The vice-commander spat in annoyance, "Delaying the inevitable is hardly a wise move."
"Neither is making decisions without fully understanding the extent of damage," The man called Ikari responded as they both turned at a corner and disappeared from sight, "Let me assure you once again, Fuyutsuki, that this minor setback will not deter us from our goals."
As they progressed further and further away from the girl, their conversation gradually became muffled, and it wasn't long before silence took over the hallways once again. Nevertheless, she stayed quiet in the cramped closet for a little while longer. Nothing was audible except her own palpitating heart beats and strained respiration. As soon as she felt sure that no one else was in the area, she lightly pushed the door open and stepped out.
From there, she continued her journey down the corridor. It followed more or less the same pattern as before, for the girl was still clueless on where she was going. She made several turns and walked some stairs, but all these paths were swiftly forgotten as she continuously encountered new rooms and corridors.
She was beginning to feel that the entire world was made up of puzzling maze when she suddenly heard a melodious sound.
It was completely different from what she had experienced so far. Although she could not understand the language, it somehow lessened her apprehension. Feeling curious, the girl started tracing for the origin of this peculiar noise. It didn't take her much effort, as she found the source after entering a strange looking room.
The ceiling was a brownish yellow, and both the walls and floor were made up of clean, white tiles. A tidy row of lockers were seen on the left wall, whereas the right wall was lined up with shower stalls. Two rows of benches were placed at the centre. An outlet was located at the far left corner, and inside there were mirrors, sinks and toilets.
One of the shower stalls was engaged, and the person inside seemed to be singing. The curious girl then proceeded to the stall beside the occupied one. She then stepped inside. At first, she was unsure of what she should do next, but eventually, she decided to follow her companion's example. She slid the curtain shut and stared questioningly at the shower head.
She waited, but nothing happened.
Something seemed to be wrong, for unlike the stall next to hers, this one didn't appear to be producing the running water. Her gaze soon landed on the two buttons protruding from the wall under the shower head. Her heart lit up as she believed she might have found the solution to her problem. Without further delay, she pressed the two buttons eagerly, but again, nothing happened. The buttons didn't even budge.
However, the girl was quick to adapt. She wrapped her fingers around the two buttons and turned. Immediately, a rush of water rained down from the shower onto her skin. The girl jumped and squealed in delight at her new discovery.
It was then the singing stopped suddenly.
"Wonder Girl?" A female voice asked. A long silence ensued as neither of them spoke. It was another nervous moment for the pale girl, but she was relieved when her companion seemed to have shrugged it off and continued her singing.
The water was neither too cold nor too hot, and as it gently washed off the dried orange liquid on her body, the girl began to feel relaxed. The interesting songs coming from her companion helped calm her fear as well. She liked them very much, and soon, she was nodding and dancing to the musical beats.
As the girl rubbed her skin clean, she paid close attention to the cyclic nature of the songs. There were certain parts where identical melodies seem to apply. Some of them were fast and energetic, whereas others were slow and emotional. She struggled to recognise the lyrics, but it didn't take her long to memorise the tune, and once she did, she started humming together with her companion.
"Heh," The other girl snickered scornfully, "I never knew you could sing."
The pale girl didn't let her companion's spiteful tone stop her from singing, however. She felt happy and pleased with herself. Totally ignorant of the fact that she was now the only one singing, the girl chimed and danced inside her own stall.
A few minutes later, she heard the curtains of the adjacent stall being pulled open and the other girl stepping out. Eager to meet this new stranger, the girl turned off the shower and exited her own stall. She was still naked when she stepped outside.
It was then she saw how her companion looked like. Her body was wrapped in a white towel. Her distinct facial features were enhanced by two sparkling blue eyes and fine, silky red hair that ran down her back. She was slightly taller than the pale girl herself, but both of them shared the similar slim built.
The red haired girl didn't seem to care much about the pale girl's nudity, however, as she took a glance at her and sneered, "So what's wrong with you today? Did you get praised by your commander or something?"
Feeling a little confused, the girl was about to answer, but she struggled to find the right words. Nevertheless, the red haired girl didn't wait for her reply. She simply ignored her and walked to the washroom to use the hairdryer.
Not knowing what else to do, the girl picked up a towel lying on the bench and draped it over her body, trying to imitate her companion's action. However, she soon realised the cloth's real purpose, so she began to rub it on her skin to dry herself. Once she was done, she carefully lay the towel back down on the bench.
It was then a set of uniform hanging on the nearby wall caught her attention. Her curiosity peaked again, as she remembered that all the people she had seen so far were properly dressed, or at least partially covered. Feeling the need to follow their examples, the girl proceeded to take the uniform down and slid it over her own body.
It felt loose at a few places, but overall it was comfortable.
She playfully fidgeted with her skirt, feeling the smooth texture of the light material. A small piece of metal was pinned to the blouse near the chest. It had some letters written on it, but the girl paid no heed. Her lips subconsciously curved upwards into a smile. Soon, she found herself skipping around the restroom, seemingly not bothered by the wet floor.
A few minutes later, the red haired girl was seen walking out of the washroom. She paused when she saw the girl bouncing all over the place.
"What on earth-" Still wrapped only in a towel, she glanced at the wall where her uniform used to hang. It was now empty. She then stared back at the hyperactive girl. "What the hell are you doing in my shirt!"
The girl in question stopped her playful act when she noticed the angry glare on her companion's face. She began to slowly back away as the red haired girl advanced on her menacingly.
"Give it back you sick little bitch!"
And with that, she pounced on the retreating girl like a fierce predator. The soft looking girl suddenly felt a huge force colliding with her body, and a heartbeat later, both were landed painfully on the floor. The red haired girl continued her assault, and their limbs were soon intertwined. While one struggled to free herself from the tangle, the other was clouded by sheer fury as she threw punches after punches at her victim.
It was a short moment later that the pale girl fought back with a fury of her own. She grabbed a handful of her attacker's hair and pulled violently. The red haired girl screamed in agony, before raising her hand and swiping it across the pale girl's cheek, sending off a resounding slap. As the receiver became temporarily dazed, her adversary seized her blouse and shook her aggressively, knocking her head repetitively on the cold hard floor.
However, it didn't take long for the pale girl to regain composure, and once she did, she responded by landing two ferocious kicks onto her opponent's stomach. A splitting sound was heard before the red haired girl stumbled a few metres backwards onto the floor. The two of them then kept still and stared at each other for a few tense seconds.
The pale girl was annoyed. The front of her blouse was ripped and her breasts were exposed to the cool air again. She frowned.
The red haired girl was fuming. She opened her palms and looked at the shreds of cloths. Among them was a small piece of metal, now bent in an odd angle. She then fired a deafening scream, "Look what you did to MY uniform and MY nametag!"
It stung the pale girl's ears, but she was quick to react this time. She stood up quickly and darted out of the restroom.
Seconds later, she was sprinting down the familiar, and yet foreign corridors again. Her skirt flickered as she ran. The rapid air blowing against her bare groin gave it a cool sensation. At first, it felt awkward with her breasts bouncing up and down as she jogged, but the girl was able to learn fast. She cupped the two globes of flesh with her hands and secured them in place. The girl was pleased to know that this simple action made running a lot easier.
She glanced backwards after a while. The red haired girl was still pursuing her, shouting all forms of profanities as she clutched uneasily to her slipping towel.
The two of them then ran past several NERV employees and guards. All of them appeared to be stunned when they saw a blue haired girl and her red haired rival chasing around the hallways like two little children. The pale girl and the red haired girl never stopped or slowed down, however, and when the two of them ran through the NERV canteen, the crowd exploded and cheered delightfully at the two half naked teenagers.
"My god the pilots have gone crazy!"
"Remove your hands and show us the tits!"
"Quick! Someone take the pictures!"
"Five thousand yen on the Second Child owning the First! Who's game!"
The pale girl felt overwhelmed by the sudden presence of so many living people. To say she was happy would be an understatement, for she was simply overjoyed that they were all so thrilled to see her. Besides, she was beginning to enjoy the attention she was getting.
She then ran to the middle of the cafeteria, jumped onto one of the occupied tables and kicked several plates towards the red haired girl still hounding her, all done in a slick motion. Unfortunately for her adversary, two of the plates were half full of ramen, and one of them struck her on the face.
The red haired girl collapsed to the floor, screaming at the top of her lungs as the greasy noodles dripped down her chin and fell into her cleavage.
The pale girl, on the other hand, giggled triumphantly. Her skirt flew as she hopped down from the table, and several lucky spectators in the crowd were given the privilege to savour a clear view of her pubic region. She then recovered her balance and dashed through the crowd amidst the chanting of "Ayanami! Ayanami! Ayanami!"
As the pale girl ran, she glanced back over her shoulder and was surprised to see that her red haired enemy had already got back to her feet. The humiliated girl had resumed to chasing her with an added motivation, and this time she had a murderous glare in her eyes.
The two girls picked up from where they last left and returned to sprinting down hallways and corridors.
Several turns at a few corners later, the pale girl was starting to tire out. She was obviously not as athletic as her pursuer. To make things worse for her, she had arrived at a dead end. The doors were all locked, except for a small, brightly lit cell. Acting on survival instinct, she rushed into the cube-like space, turned around and prepared to face her opponent, who was still running at a fair distance away.
It was then the pale girl noticed the buttons lined up on the right side of what seemed to be a door. Feeling curious, she lifted her finger and pressed one of them. The little button lit up immediately. She then pressed another button, and another, and another until nearly all the buttons turned orange light and the two metal doors in front of her slid shut.
"COME BACK HERE YOU DIRTY WHORE!" She heard her red haired adversary scream just before the entrance was completely closed. The pale girl sighed in relief as she finally escaped the hostile woman. She then felt a gentle force pulling downwards as the elevator began to ascend.
A few seconds later, it stopped. A bell was heard, and then the door opened. The girl waited, but nothing happened. The door closed soon afterwards and the elevator resumed ascending.
Another few seconds later, the elevator stopped again. The same bell was heard, and then the door opened. This time, the girl poked her head outside the entrance to see what was happening. She stood still and observed the empty waiting area. And then suddenly without warning, the two metal doors slid shut and sandwiched her head.
She yelped in surprise and leapt backwards. She was still rubbing her temples when the doors closed and the elevator continued the ascension.
Although a little confusing, the pale girl found it quite interesting initially. The orange light on the buttons seemed to disappear one by one as the same procedures were repeated over and over again at every level. However, after a while, she began to find it boring, and she was glad when something different happened a few floors later.
At the ninth floor, the two metal plates opened to reveal a brown haired woman. The girl stared curiously, as her new companion's eyes widened in shock.
"Ayanami! What happened!" The woman exclaimed as she quickly took off her jacket and wrapped it over the thin girl's body, "Were you attacked!"
The girl stood there passively and watched the woman buttoned up her new shirt. She felt comfortable and warm, as her breasts were finally covered once more.
"Are you alright?" The woman asked and tenderly caressed the girl's swollen cheeks, "Who did this to you?"
The girl was about to answer when she realised that, for the second time, she was struggling to find the right words. It seemed that while she experienced no difficulties understanding speeches, she had troubles giving them herself. She contemplated for a brief moment before finally replying, "Sick little bitch."
The woman looked surprised, "E-excuse me?"
"Crazy little woman attacked Ayanami," The girl added. She felt nervous mentioning the word Ayanami, but it seemed that the woman was referring to her by that name.
"Who is that?" The woman raised her eyebrow.
"Sick little bitch…Crazy little woman…" The girl replied. She then put her palm on top of her head, and moved it horizontally across, seemingly telling her new friend that the crazy little woman was of similar height to the girl herself.
"Would you happen to be talking about Asuka?"
The girl tilted her head, "Asuka?"
"Yeah, Asuka…you know, the Second Child as you normally call her."
The girl still looked confused, "Second Child?"
The woman sighed, "Your fellow female pilot with red hair."
"Red hair, yes, red hair," The girl responded in delight, "Red hair Asuka, yes. Asuka attacked Ayanami. Asuka is dirty whore."
"That's not a very nice thing to say, Ayanami," The woman frowned, before gazing at the girl understandingly, "But then, what she did to you wasn't that nice either…"
The girl smirked inwardly. If only the woman knew what she had done to Asuka, she would most likely be sympathising with someone else. It was then the girl noticed a small, familiar looking metal piece pinned to the woman's blouse.
She pointed her finger to the peculiar object and asked, "Nametag?"
"Yeah, I'm only going out to buy some takeaways for supper," The woman explained, smiling, "I'll be back later tonight for work, so I figure there's no point changing uniform."
The pale girl, however, paid little attention to what the woman was saying. Her eyes were still fixed on the nametag. She was more eager in understanding why Asuka had been so keen on tearing it off her uniform earlier in the changing room.
The woman, on the other hand, shifted her balance from side to side. Apparently, she was growing uneasy at the girl's intensive stare on her chest. She broke the awkward silence after a while, "Well…it says…it says Lieutenant Ibuki Maya…but you can call me Maya…"
The girl looked up at her companion, noticing the red shade on Maya's cheeks. She actually found it quite lovely.
"Maya," The girl said, smiling. She then patted herself on the chest, "Ayanami."
The woman gave a warm smile in return, "I know your name. You're quite famous, you know? Anyway, it's my pleasure to meet you."
Maya then extended her hand. The girl simply stood there with her head tilted, staring curiously at Maya and unsure of what she should do.
"You really aren't very familiar with social custom, are you?" The woman laughed softly before adding, "You're meant to shake it."
Slowly, the girl raised her hand and gently grabbed Maya's. The woman then shook her hand lightly. It brought a small smile to the girl's face.
"We're friends now, Ayanami," Maya said as she brushed the girl's hair affectionately. She then added with a concerned tone, "Look, Ayanami, you probably don't think it's my business to step in, but does anyone else know about your fight with Asuka?"
The girl nodded and chirped happily, "Maya knows!"
"Just as I thought…I better inform Dr Akagi," The woman shook her head as she retrieved a cell phone from her handbag. She then pressed several buttons and held it to her ear.
Both of them waited in silence, with Maya concentrating on her task and the girl tugging playfully at the woman's uniform. A few minutes later, Maya sighed and put her phone back into her bag, "She seems busy at the moment. Maybe I'll drop in and tell her later after I come back."
They then stood still for a brief moment. Maya was looking at the level indicator at the top of the lift; the girl was still staring at her new friend. The elevator continued to stop at every single level through their ascension.
"Say…Ayanami…" Maya spoke after a while, "Did you press all those buttons?"
The girl nodded enthusiastically, as she recalled how the buttons saved her from Asuka, "Buttons are Ayanami friends!"
Maya seemed surprised at first, but she then gave another warm smile, "And a few days ago, I was getting worried that you might be too withdrawn. It seems that you're a normal child after all. That's how a youngster your age should be like, playful and uninhibited."
The girl smiled in return. She was feeling proud of herself.
A few minutes later, the elevator stopped and Maya stepped out. The girl quickly followed her new friend. As they walked down the enormous hall, Maya retrieved a small packet from her handbag. She then nicked a tiny cube from inside the small packet and removed the cover paper, revealing a pink capsule. The woman then put it into her mouth and started chewing.
She noticed the girl watching questioningly, so she held the packet to her and asked, "Would you like some bubblegum?"
Smiling, the girl copied her friend's actions and took one piece out from the packet. She then undid the wrap paper and placed it in her mouth. It tasted sweet upon her tongue. She enjoyed munching and moving it around her oral cavity, exercising her jaw muscles and feeling the elasticity of the fascinating object.
She then spotted Maya performing a very enthralling act. It seemed that the woman had made a balloon by blowing the bubblegum.
Immediately, the girl tried to mimic her friend. She glued the sticky material to each side of her gum and breathed hard into it. At first, it was hard and frustrating, with Maya chuckling from the side when she saw the girl's comedic efforts. However, after a few attempts, the pale girl managed to inflate a small balloon. She then smiled victoriously at her friend.
Maya laughed and clapped her hands, before offering the packet, "Here, would you like to have more?"
The girl's eyes widened gleefully as she received it from her friend. She then digged her hand into the packet and retrieved several more cubes, unwrapping them and stuffing them inside her mouth.
"You can have all of them if you want," Maya said as she stroked the girl's hair soothingly.
The girl responded with a big grin.
"You should say thank you," Her brown haired friend frowned and scolded teasingly.
It took the girl a brief moment to comprehend, but she managed eventually, "Thank you, Maya."
"That's more like it," Maya replied, smiling, "and you're welcome."
By then, they had walked through the NERV main entrance. It was late evening on the outside, and the girl was intrigued as she stepped out of the building. For the first time in her young life, she was able to appreciate the feel of exterior environment.
The air felt light and fresh, and the cool wind was a pleasant touch to her skin. A number of white lamps lined up along the streets, lighting and giving life to the surrounding area. Various colours of neon lights were seen sparkling in the far distance. Several tall buildings stood scattered over the wide region, giving the otherwise lonely place a civilised look.
"Alright, Ayanami, I better go," Maya said, "It's getting late, so you be a good girl and go home early, ok? I'll talk to Dr Akagi later, and I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye!"
And with that, she headed off. The girl paid little attention to her, however, as her eyes were glued to the billions of stars twinkling in the night sky. Their whitish blue light was a fine decoration to the black curtain, and the girl soon found herself absorbed by the natural beauty. She was especially captivated by the elegance of the silvery crescent moon. For once, everything around her was forgotten as she stood there admiring the scenery.
When she looked back down again, Maya was no longer around. The girl sighed dejectedly and sat down on a bench. She realised that she had lost trace of her good friend, and now the place suddenly felt as empty as her heart, but at least she still had Maya's jacket. A small smiled returned to her face as she gently rubbed the warm fabric.
It was then she spotted a boy coming out of the main entrance.
His hair was short and dark brown. She couldn't tell the colour of his eyes, but the gentle curves on the boy's face made him look slightly feminine. He carried a backpack on his thin shoulder. As the boy walked past the girl, he noticed her looking at him.
"See you tomorrow, Ayanami," He smiled and continued his way without stopping.
The girl kept silent; her eyes trailing the boy as he proceeded to the main road and away from the NERV complex. What she found interesting was the friendly manner the boy had spoken to her and the warm smile that he had given. He reminded her of Maya, someone who had been kind to her. The girl quickly remembered why she had lost sight of Maya. Not willing to be left alone again, she stood up and followed the boy.
Perhaps she would be able to make a new friend.
Nevertheless, the girl could not gather enough courage to confront the boy directly. She simply tailed him quietly from behind, watching his movements closely as they walked past several buildings and crossed a few roads. It was a while later that the boy glanced back and saw the girl following him. He smiled again and turned at a corner.
The girl followed him.
When the boy saw her still walking behind him, he stopped. A questioning look appeared on his face, "Is something wrong, Ayanami?"
She contemplated for a brief moment, before shaking her head.
"Ok…do you need anything from me then?" The boy asked, "I'll try my best to help you if I can."
Again, the girl hesitated. She was indeed having a little problem. There was no place she could go to for the night, because even though Maya had told her to go home, the girl did not know the way. Finally, she looked nervously at the boy and replied, "…Home…go…go home…"
The boy looked a little surprised at first, but he eventually responded with another warm smile, "You want me to walk you home?"
The girl quickly nodded.
"Alright," The boy replied softly; the smile never leaving his face. He then turned and started walking towards another direction, the one away from his own residence.
It was then the girl noticed the nametag on the boy's shirt. As they walked, she leaned her head over to the boy's chest and stared the words carved on the little piece of metal. When she stood back straight again, she mimicked the boy's warm smile and declared happily, "Shinji."
The boy stopped on his tracks. His eyes widened as he turned to glance at the girl.
Just as she had done in the elevator with Maya, the girl patted herself on the chest and smiled, "Ayanami."
This was followed by a lengthy silence, as the girl held out her hand while the boy stood there staring at her, seemingly unable to take his eyes off her still smiling face.
"You really aren't very familiar with social custom, are you?" The girl spoke and gestured to her hand after a while, "You're meant to shake it."
Shinji looked at her whitish hand, then at her face, and then back at her hand. With his own hand slightly trembling, he reached out and gently grabbed the girl's. She squeezed back and shook it lightly, before adding cheerfully, "We're friends now, Shinji."
"Uh huh…" The boy could only manage a vague reply, for he was blushing heavily.
Together, the two of them continued their way quietly and headed through the night streets. Soon, the more isolated part of the city was left behind, and they arrived at a very crowded area where shopping and recreational centres were abundant.
Some carefree couples were strolling along the pedestrians' path; a few little kids skipped around happily with their parents watching closely. The songs aired by the music stores added a soothing presence to the lively streets. The brilliant lights that hung on the buildings and across the malls were very attractive, and the girl found her lips curving upwards as she bathed herself in this joyful atmosphere.
The girl then took out the packet of sweets Maya had given her. She threw a small piece of bubblegum into her mouth and offered the packet to Shinji, "Want some?"
The brown haired boy took a piece for himself, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The girl smiled once again, feeling pleased with herself. She then turned her attention back to the city lights.
Her cheeks started to swell into two little balls as she concentrated her breath inside her oral cavity. Soon later, a small balloon appeared in front of her mouth, and it grew bigger and bigger as she continued to pump air into the elastic globe.
Suddenly, with a pop, the balloon exploded and the pinkish material was spread over and around her mouth. She then slipped her fleshy tongue out, before proceeding to lick her lips and chin clean of the sticky gum.
It took her a while to notice Shinji staring at her. The boy quickly looked away the instant she saw him. His cheeks were flushed red as he swallowed an audible gulp.
"Want more?" The girl asked, holding her bag of candies to Shinji.
"N-no…thanks…"
Both the children walked on silently afterwards. The girl was a little confused by the boy's change in attitude, and she was growing concerned that she might have done something wrong to upset him. It made her even more worried when she became aware that the boy was constantly lagging a few steps behind. It seemed that he felt uncomfortable being too close to her. This made the girl feel slightly saddened.
However, any remorse was quickly forgotten when they passed by a fashion shop and a full length mirror caught her eyes. She stopped walking immediately and looked enquiringly at her own reflection. It was the first time she was able to clearly and carefully observe her own appearance.
The girl had light blue hair. It wasn't neatly kept, but the feathery locks were of silk quality. Her red eyes stood out as a fine contrast to her pale skin and whitish lips. Overall, her face was very childlike, and the girl was a little surprised to learn that she looked so different from the people she had seen so far.
She then turned around to look for Shinji, only to find him standing there doing something peculiar.
The boy was sniffing his hand, the one which he had used to shake the girl's hand earlier.
Shinji immediately stopped when he realised that he had been caught in his act. The blue haired girl marched over and stood beside him. She stared at his hand, then at his sweating face, and then back at his hand. The girl then took his hand into hers and held it to her nose.
Like a curious little child, she took a series of small sniffs in between his fingers, his palm, his wrist and the back of his hand. They smelt pleasant, but she couldn't understand why the boy would be so interested in something like this. When she looked back up again, Shinji was frozen still and his cheeks were heavily blushed.
"Is everything alright, Shinji?"
"Y-yes…everything's fine…it's just that…" The boy eyed his companion uneasily, "It's just that you've been acting a little…unusual…today…"
His reply struck a cord within the girl. For a moment, she stood there stunned. It was the first time she realised that she had no memory beyond that day, and yet somehow she felt that she wasn't feeling as foreign to the environment as she should be.
Shinji broke her trance after a while, "Ayanami, is there something you want to tell me?"
"No…no…everything's fine, Shinji," The girl forced a smile. She then grabbed the boy's hand and pulled, "Come! Ayanami want to show Shinji something!"
She then dragged Shinji to the mirror she had seen earlier. Together, they stood in front of its full length and admired their own reflections that were staring back at them.
"Oh…" Shinji said, "It's a mirror."
"A mirror…" The girl repeated the word and swirled around gracefully, her skirt lifting slightly as she did so, "Ayanami and Shinji in a mirror…"
Shinji blushed again, but the boy smiled when he noticed how happy she was, "You should smile more often, Ayanami."
"Shinji likes Ayanami smile?"
"Yeah…It means you're happy…and…and I want my friends to be happy…"
"Then Ayanami smile more often for Shinji."
Shinji beamed at her reply, although he was still blushing slightly himself. He then watched in amusement as the girl blew another balloon with her bubblegum.
However, this time, she caught him off guard when she playfully pressed the balloon against his cheeks. The elastic ball stretched and exploded, scattering the gluey material all over his cheeks and mouth as the boy yelped in surprise.
Nevertheless, the girl was not fazed. The innocent smile was still plastered on her face as she began licking the bubblegum off Shinji's chin.
"Ayanami! W-what are you doing!" The boy pushed her and slowly backed away. His eyes were as wide as saucers. He tried to wipe the mess off his face with his hand, but ended up creating a bigger one as the gum was now stuck to his hand as well.
The girl frowned in return. That was her bubblegum on Shinji's face and she wanted it back.
"Give bubblegum back to Ayanami," She demanded.
Then, without warning, she suddenly pounced on the retreating boy and they fell to the floor together. Shinji struggled to free himself from the girl as she quickly climbed on top of him, pinned his hand with her knees and held his head still with her hands.
A grin appeared on her face. Shinji simply lie there sweating profusely and looking shocked.
"A-Ayanami! S-Stop playing around! This isn't funny!"
The girl ignored his plea, however. She bent forward and resumed licking her bubblegum off Shinji's face, all the while ignoring the small crowd that had gathered around to enjoy the spectacle. Her wet and fleshy tongue repetitively lashed out at the boy's chin, cheeks and nose, and sometimes even on his lips. By the time she was done, Shinji's face was damp with her saliva, but at least he was now clean.
The boy was still lying stunned on the floor when the girl stood back up.
It was then they noticed two boys of similar heights standing among the crowd. Shinji's eye twitched when he saw them.
"It looks like our dear friend here is hiding something from us, eh Kensuke?" The boy in black shirt grinned.
His bespectacled friend was still busy filming Shinji and the girl, "Sure is! This is going to be awesome!"
Shinji stood up quickly, his hand waving nervously, "N-no! It's not what you think! We're just…I…She…I'm just walking her home!"
"Say no more, Shinji. We are your good buddies and we will not interrupt your evening plans with Miss Ayanami here any further," The boy in black shirt said solemnly, before smirking mischievously, "We only ask that you tell us every detail of your romantic adventure tomorrow, yeah?"
"We're not dating!" Shinji nearly shouted. His face was an angry red.
The other two boys didn't bother giving any replies, however. They simply laughed hysterically and ran off into the streets.
Feeling slightly confused, the girl tilted her head, "Shinji's friends?"
"Not anymore," Shinji gritted his teeth. Frustration was evident in his tone, as he roughly wiped his damp face with his sleeves.
The girl sensed his anger, "Is everything alright, Shinji?"
"NO!" He shouted back and glared at her. The girl drew a sharp breath and took a few steps back. Shinji took several deep breaths himself, before sighing dejectedly, "Come on, Ayanami…Let's get you back to your apartment…"
The rest of the journey was made in complete silence. They walked several metres apart, and this time it was the girl who was constantly lagging behind. Shinji didn't even seem to acknowledge her presence anymore. He simply strode on looking ahead, not talking, not smiling, not stealing glances at the girl like he used to, and not even paying attention to where he was going, as shown when he carelessly walked into a lamp post.
The girl giggled, but stopped when Shinji simply ignored her.
It left the girl feeling distressed. She knew she had done something terrible. Otherwise, Shinji wouldn't have been so annoyed, but she didn't understand what she had done wrong. Not knowing what else to do, she simply followed Shinji quietly, hoping that the boy would eventually calm down and forgive her.
Soon, they arrived at a torn down building. The walls were dusty and some of the paints had fallen off. It was very dark around this area, and the malfunctioning street lamps that twinkled weakly in the distance only served to add to the gloom. The girl began to feel disheartened when Shinji started leading her up the stairs.
They arrived at a door a short while later. On top of the metal frame was written the word "Ayanami".
For the lengthy period that followed, both of them just stood there awkwardly. There was no word being exchanged, and the girl suddenly found the floor looking very interesting, as she stared blankly onto concrete surface.
"Well, here we are…" Shinji broke the tension after a while, "I'll see you tomorrow then." He then turned and walked away, apparently still feeling a little angry.
"Shinji!" The girl stopped him.
He glanced back, "What is it?"
The girl hesitated. She wanted to apologise, but not for the first time, she was struggling to find the right words. As the moment stretched, the two children found themselves tangled in another uncomfortable silence once more.
Eventually, the girl decided to do what she knew Shinji would like.
She gave a sincere smile, a smile that came right from her heart, "Ayanami…Ayanami likes Shinji…"
Since the corridor was so dimly lit, it was hard to see if Shinji was blushing as he had done so often that night. The girl waited for his reply, and waited, and waited, but none came. Her eyes began to sting a little bit, and she suddenly found herself blinking rapidly.
It was then his stuttering response finally came, "I…I like you too…Ayanami…I didn't mean to be rude just now…and…and I'm sorry if I upset you…"
It brought the cheerful smile back to the girl's lips. She rubbed her eyes dry, "Ayanami and Shinji are friends."
"Yeah…" The boy smiled back, "We are friends."
This was followed by a brief silence, as they simply looked at one another, feeling comfortable in each other's presence. It was a moment of understanding, and the girl could somehow sense that she had found a close friend in Shinji. It was something she wished to explore further in the future, and even right now she was a little unwilling to part with the boy.
Shinji finally spoke again after a while, "Well then, I better go now. I'll see you tomorrow, Ayanami."
"Goodbye, Shinji." It was all she could say.
And with that, she turned to open the door. Just before she stepped inside, however, Shinji stopped her.
"Ayanami!"
The girl glanced back at him with a questioning look on her face.
"It…it is a little dark here…and lonely too…so…" The boy muttered, "So next time you work late at NERV…let me know, and I'll… I'll walk you home like tonight… I don't mind…"
It took a while for the girl to understand, but when she did, she smiled and nodded happily.
"Ok then, see you tomorrow, and goodnight!" Shinji said. He then turned and jogged down the corridor, before turning at the corner and disappearing from sight.
The girl could almost feel the heat creeping up on her cheeks. Feeling much better, she stepped inside the apartment, closing the door behind her.
The first thing she noticed was the extremely filthy kitchen. There was also an odd smell coming from under the sink, but the girl ignored it as she tip-toed past the dirty area into the bedroom.
The sight that greeted her next froze her on the spot.
Another blue haired girl was lying there on the bed reading a book. She glanced upwards when she heard the girl. Her eyes widened slightly as she too was stunned silent.
They were identical.
Both of them remained still.
The moment extended and tension built as red eyes stared into red eyes.
Author's note: Okay…a few things I need to clear up…
First of all, the girl in there is called Reiko, as I will reveal later. I will also explain why she wasn't able to speak properly in the next chapters. Also, I will explain why Ritsuko killed the clones earlier than she did in the anime, and why Reiko was the only one that survived.
As the title of this fic suggests, Reiko will play a big part in this fic, but as usual so will Shinji, Rei and Asuka. Some of you may not like Reiko because she is an ACC. Whether or not ACC scares you, I promise I will develop her into the Rei in the alternate reality in episode 26. I named her Reiko simply because it's the name that bears the closest resemblance to Rei, and I like the name Reiko. Actually, Reiko is also the name of Rei's daughter in my other fic!
Anyway, I already mention that this is a drama/romance. Third genre is humour and fourth is WAFF. Good man brindani is back pre-reading for me. That-fan, everyone's favourite yuri master, has also agreed to help. My special thanks to these two for pre-reading.