Hi everyone. DarkVyse 88 back. Been about three months since I wrote and I am sorry. I only wish you can forgive me. End of sad moment. Anyway, I decided to try my hand at Neon Genesis Evangelion as I think that the ending to the series was not so great. I hope you enjoy.

Arcane

Chapter 1: Shuffling the deck

Rei Ayanami sould not still be alive. She died. Actually, she has died. One death was at the hands of a jealous human. The other was at the hands of something that could be humam. Her body was wiped out beyond repair. Yet she survived.

She now lay on her bed in her messy apartement. Her head was burried in her pillow. The moonlight cast its sliver beam onto her body, which was dressed in her school uniform. All the while one question flooded in the back of her head…

(Who am I?)

Silly question. She was Rei Ayanami. Look in a mirror and you see the pale skined, red eyed, blued hair girl that everyoner at NERV saw. She was the pilot of Unit-00. That was all that mattered. However, was looking that part of a character really all that was needed?

(I am the same. I am the third)

The third indeed. The third of her…sisters, hypotheticaly. The word came out hard. Calling the others sisters was like calling poison an equisite wine. They were weapons. They were all weapons. The others were spawned from her body, her memories, and her soul. She was the third as the second had died killing the angel…the angel…doesn't matter anways. Rei can not remember that battle as she…

(My heart hurts)

Her heart? Could she even feel pain? Not possible at all. Sure, she could smile and get some ideas. But not like now. Right now, she actually felt something. Yet that feeling was only there for a second. She never felt something like this before. Or had she? Even if her memories of the battle against the 16th angel were just darkness, what if the other memories were? What if she never fought an angel? What if she never existed in the first place?

Of course the memories she had were the correct ones. She remembers seeing the other dummey plug units. She remebered looking into back at Dr. Ikari through the glass-

"Ikari."

That name was the only thing that gave her a reson to be "happy". Dr. Gendo Ikari, head of NERV and the only person who was really close to Rei. He was always there for her. He saved her during the incident with Unit-00. He loved her just like a daughter.

If that was so, then what of his son? The boy known as Shinji Ikari. There was something about that child. He was always running from his problems and Gendo hated the boy. Probably Dr. Ikari would think no less of Shinji died tonight. If something is your creation, if something that contains your heart and soul is in a person, then someone should care of that person. Dr. Ikari hates the boy and Rei. Yet Dr. Ikari hates Shinji and never really gives him a second thought. If that is true, then would he get sick of Rei? Would there come a time when Gendo would not want to see her again?

Rei sprang up suddenly off of her bed and stood up on the floor as though she had been electrocuted. She felt like sreaming and was shocked by her actions. She never acted like that. It was as though out of instinct. She felt sick to her stomach. She just wanted it all to stop. If only her mind could shut down. She knew she was Rei. She was Rei Ayanami.

The truth could never be hidden though. She was the third body, yet the mind just had to be the same. But all of these feelings were making themselves known. She could not help getting the feeling that Dr. Ikari could do away with her. Maybe not being the original was the problem. Was the first Rei that great? What if it was not the first Rei but someone else that Rei was derived from? Would Dr. Ikari really do away with her?

If he did then would she turn to? There was always Shinji. He was a good friend. After the incident he seemed to want to be wanting her more. Shinji seemed to be a little more caring towards her. He could be the one for her. Rei too felt like she had something to give back to Shinji. A feeling that she felt towards Dr. Ikari too. The problem was the void had taken that memory from her as well.

She then felt something roll down her face. Something moist and watery. She put her hand underneath her eyes and felt her check. The skin was most.

"Why am I crying?"

Rei suddenly jumped as a ring sound intruppted her thoughts. She calmed herself down and a the ring came again. She came to her senses to rember that it was the phone. She picked it uop after the third ring. As she put the receiver up to her mouth, her mind continued to try and make sense of the whole world.

"Hello?"

"Tommorow is the time." Rei's mind suddenly relaxed at heraing the familiar voice of Dr. Ikari over the other line. But what did he mean by-? Was it time all ready?

"Tommorow?"

"Yes. Be at Terminal Dogma by noon."

How stupid of her to forget. Tommorrow was the day that Dr. Ikari had been telling her about. The day that her "abilites" would be put to use. She could finally shine in Ikari's eyes. Yet one thing remained unchecked.

"Dr. Ikari."

"What is it Rei?"

She felt incrediably nervous as asked her question. She could just wait for tommorow, but with all that was going on she just had to know. "Do you…do you-?"

The other end clicked silent. Rei's hand let go of the phone. The dial tone became the only sound in the quiet apartement. Another tear rolled down Rei's check but she did not care. The only thing on her mind was:

"Will I ever know?"

There's Chapter 1. Please review as this is my first Eva fic. Please do not flame me without pity. Here's to Chapter 2!