.hack/EVA: Catharsis: The Dawn Becomes Dim

Disclaimer: In this universe in the quantum foam, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the .hack series or Neon Genesis Evangelion.

" " denotes speech

'italics' denotes thought

'bold' denotes location names

'bold italics' denotes skill use

Misato's Apartment & En Route to Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School

With an inevitability bordering on malevolent, morning came once again to the city of Tokyo-3, its harsh light inspiring groans and mutters as a certain hungover Operations Director pulled her bed sheets over her head, trying to ward away the evil of an impending headache. It seemed that mountains of paperwork followed by a night of drinking did not mix, and to deal with the shock to her system, she had gone into hibernation, not to emerge from her den until the dusk.

But Shinji lacked Misato's "skill" in tuning out the world, so when the rays of the morning sun struck full onto his face, he roused himself from his unconscious state, the mingled horror and content warring on his face as he recalled the events of the day before. His Arena team, "Team Dark Evangel", had won their match against…

"He of fair eyes" shuddered when he thought of the eccentricity of his opponents, frowning as he remembered how the golden Lord Partizan had tried to finish him with a "full body press of sorts," a horrifying attack that he didn't think a Lord Partizan was even capable of executing.

'Ayanami told me that they had been dothackers, heroes of The World. But what exactly is a dothacker? I wonder if Aranami-sensei would know, since she used to work for CyberConnect Corporation.'

Then the brown-haired boy flushed, his thoughts flying back to Rei Ayanami and the way the blue haired girl had saved him from drowning (at the cost of causing him considerable embarrassment and unplanned…excitement), even taking the time to teach him how to swim, cutting through his self-deception. And at the hot springs resort after the magma diver incident, the two had sat together, holding hands in the moonlight.

Understandably, the Third Child flushed rather violently on remembering the warmth and feel of the First in his arms, his cheeks tinged crimson (by blood, and not the ruddy morning light).

'I wonder if that's why I had that strange dream of walking on the beach last night?' he mused, every detail of that conversation still sharp within his mind. 'That's right…I said I wasn't going to run away anymore, that I'd see things through. Because there are people who count on me, and people I can count on. Ayanami…Reimei—'

As if touching a live wire, he jerked upright, his eyes shooting open as the alarm clock sounded with piecing shrieks.

'That's right…everyone came back from the Okinawa trip, so today's a school day as usual. I get to see Reimeiki-chan again today, in just…30 minutes? I'm going to be late again!'

Apparently, his berserker tendencies when in EVA could be ported to more mundane tasks, as he set a personal speed record with his morning routine. Merely 5 minutes after he'd begun, he'd already brushed his teeth, showered, and changed, before dashing out the door with the temporary mantra 'Feet don't fail me now!'

Perhaps if he had actually watched where he was going, instead of being lost in his thoughts, he would not have blundered into a familiar situation.

CRASH! Tangle. Thud. One again, Shinji Ikari, almighty Third Child and great Arena Fighter…had accidentally knocked someone over, though as his eyes had squeezed shut again for but a moment, he couldn't quite make out who it was. All he knew was that he was on his back, that hard concrete did not do his fragile skull any favors, and—upon reaching up, that a soft but familiar moan escaped from the other's lips.

'I'm not being instantly pounded into the ground, so it isn't Asuka…'

He opened his eyes gingerly to find himself paralyzed, gazing into a pair of entrancing golden orbs that bound him with how brightly they sparkled in the dawn.

"I know you're happy to see me, Ecchi-kun," the golden-eyed girl murmured playfully into Shinji's ear, her warm breath sending shivers down his spine. "But we really have to stop meeting like this."

A breathy "Reimeiki-chan" escaped his lips, along with: "N-no, I—I didn't…"

"You're cute, Ecchi-kun", she said, with a finger to his lips. Then she leaned in close and kissed him gently on the lips, intoxicating the Third Child with the softness of her skin, the sweetness of her lips, the scent of her hair… the mingled sensations drowning out his numerous fears and insecurities. Then she pulled back and smiled mischievously at him. "I'm happy to see you too."

Then the moment was over, as Lycoris took advantage of Shinji's dazed state to push up off of him and haul him upright, and before he knew it, she was not in his arms, nor were either of them on the floor. When Shinji's mind returned to him, he noticed that Lycoris had not let go of his hand, and this time, was unable to keep a smile from his face.

"So why were you walking over this way?" asked the Third Child, genuinely curious to know why she had been waiting right outside the apartment complex he lived in.

"I wanted to walk to school with you today," Lycoris replied wryly, her voice dropping to a near whisper as her tone grew fraught with mischief. "I just didn't expect you to have such ecchi plans for me so early in the morning."

"Eh-I—uh—you—uh—" 'Didn't I just promise myself I mustn't run away?'

"Yes, I 'uh' you too, Shinji-kun," chuckled the silver-haired girl, twining her fingers with his and moving closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Having been trained in the tactics of war (and isn't love a battlefield?), Shinji responded in kind, putting an arm around her waist and holding her gently against him. "Come on, let's go to school. And maybe on the way you can tell me how your week went."

They walked together, interspersing words and comfortable silences, focusing only on the fragile solidity of their enchanted moment.

Tokyo-3 1st Municipal Junior High School, Entrance

"WAHHHHH! WHY DOES HE GET ALL THE BABES?" howled the tracksuit-clad Touji in lamentation, his jaw slack with shock as he beseeched the heavens for an answer. Apparently, he had just caught sight of the couple in the distance, a couple still walking hand in hand, setting his nerves on edge. "Why, oh Kami-sama? Why does he have your favor even when he kills your Angels? What about me, oh Kami-sama? Where's the justice in the worl-eeee!"

"Give it a break, will you?" Kensuke replied in sotto voce, looking rather nervously towards the rather angry visage of Class Representative Hikari Horaki, who had stealthily infiltrated the space behind the jock so as to twist his ear in a merciless tug. 'He never learns, but then again…why is the Class Rep here? Speak of the devil...' "Oh, Class Rep, what are you doing here?"

"I had something to discuss with Ikari-kun," the pigtailed girl answered with a sigh, herself raising a brow as she regarded Shinji and Reimeiki walking together. 'They look good together, those two…though I wonder if Rei did anything during the week we were in Okinawa.'

"Heh," sneered a passing redhead, regarding the motley crew at the gates with a critical eye, before glaring at the Class Rep. "I wonder what you could want to talk to him about? I mean, look at the baka hentai, hanging all over poor Hakubo-san like that, as if he thinks she would enjoy such a thing. As if he has a right to, when just a few days ago, he was all over Wondergirl at the pool and the hot springs resort we went to, that disgusting pig. I mean, I know you're a little behind the times, but come on, don't tell me you're going to confess to that baka too."

Hikari flushed, but met Asuka's gaze with just as much animosity as the other displayed, neither willing to give an inch in the battle for dominance as the others looked on, backing away slightly.

"Why?" she asked at last, breaking the silence, her every word dripping with slyness. "Don't tell me that…somebody's jealous."

Asuka recoiled from the Class Rep's words as if a cat from water.

"J-jealous?" she frantically denied with a wave of her hands, thrown off her train of thought by a hint of blush. "Why the hell would I be jealous of that baka?"

"Jealous…of that baka?" Hikari repeated, eyes widening in a good semblance of shock and astonishment. "So that means…that means…you like girls, and you wanted to confess to me?"

"Gah! It's not like that!" the flustered redhead insisted, "You've-you've got it all wrong!"

Whether the Class Rep was wrong or not, it was the Second Child who stormed away from that encounter, her face red and steaming still, as she muttered under her breath something about revenge and how someone was projecting perverted urges onto her.

With a sigh, the pigtailed girl turned her attention back to the Idiot Duo, only to find them on their knees, bowing at her feet as they chanted:

"We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're not—"

Hikari smiled despite herself, finding herself vaguely amused by their over-the-top antics. There was a reason she liked spending time with them, even if there were times when they could be very frustrating to deal with.

Times such as now.

"—oh great Inchou-sama. Please, teach us the secret to defeating the red devil, oh dark mistress Tomo—"

"Aida, Suzuhara…how many times have I told you not to call me by that name while we're at school," she intoned in a very low and dangerous tone of voice, her smile and sweet gaze radiating murderous intent strong enough to chill even the hearts of berserk warriors lost to their rage. "Get up, please. People might get the wrong idea about what's happening."

She reached down and was hauling them to their feet by their ears, when as luck would have it, it was precisely at that moment when Shinji and Lycoris came through the school gate at last, their measured gait slamming to a halt as they took in the tableau before them: Touji and Kensuke alternately bowing and cringing at Hikari's feet.

"…While I respect your lifestyle choices, Horaki-inchou, I do not believe acting out the particulars of such a violent sadomasochistic relationship is quite appropriate on school grounds," Lyrcoris teased wickedly, a twinkle in her eyes. "Even if Aida and Suzuhara both seem to enjoy their abuse at your hands, oh dark mistress."

Even if said only in jest, such a statement in the current company was the verbal equivalent of dropping 992 N2 Mines, wiping out their ability to defend or reply. Cue inability to speak, and mass gibbering of mouths like fish out of water. The Class Rep looked at the silver-haired girl with wide eyes in disbelief. 'Does she really know that much about my life and how I enjoy being Tomoyami?'

"…kidding."

Both the Three Stooges and the Class Rep facefaulted in shock, Shinji accidentally pulling Lycoris down with him, so that all ended up in a tangled pile of limbs, the Child of Twilight laughing gently the entire time. Faces red from embarrassment, each of the five tried to avoid looking at the others, or having their hands brush places they shouldn't as they writhed and tried to free themselves. Suffice it to say, it took a few minutes to recover from the shock of the impromptu game of Twister, though surprisingly it was the Third Child who recovered first, his shock and awe quota already having been met for the day.

When they were all back on their feet, Hikari suddenly remembered why she had come to the gate and turned to Shinji with a mild blush, offering him her hand almost shyly.

"Eh?" came the collective gasp.

'No way…don't tell me she's actually going to confess?' was the thought in Touji's mind.

'We're not worthy…Ikari-sama! What is your secret?' was the thought in Kensuke's.

'Somehow, I will trust that this is not what it looks like,' was Lycoris' reaction, as Shinji very hesitantly reached out and took the Class Rep's hand.

Hikari's warm and delicate hand tightened around his for a moment—as she gave him a firm handshake and smiled.

"Congratulations on your victory, Dark Evangel. I saw a video of your match, and it was quite impressive," were the words that issued from her lips. Behind her came a loud Thud! as the Idiot Duo facefaulted once again. She sighed and turned her head to look upon their faces, asking "What? Did you two think I was going to confess or something?"

But Kensuke and Touji had only blank expressions on their faces, like no one was home.

"…I think you broke them," Lycoris chuckled, now very much amused by the current situation and the misunderstandings behind it. 'It's nice to have friends, to finally not be so alone…'

"Arrigatou, Horaki-san," the Third Child replied formally, inclining his head in acknowledgment. "I look forward to facing you in the Arena, Tomoyami."

Hearing the name of their dark mistress caused a full system reboot in the Idiot Duo's minds, but to their surprise, the Class Rep didn't start ranting and raving about how that name was not to be said on school grounds.

"Likewise…Skari," was Hikari's response, with a smile and a moment of eye contact that Touji thought lasted entirely too long. 'Not that I like the Class Rep or anything…'

"Ahem," Lycoris coughed quietly, causing the four preoccupied ones to turn their heads as one. "If we don't go now, we're going to be late to class…or do you all want to be called up to the front for one of Aranami-sensei's demonstrations?"

That got the desired reaction, as that was a fate much worse than carrying buckets of water in the hallway. Physical labor was one thing, extreme embarrassment quite another—apparently Aranami-sensei really did know the middle school student mentality.

Without further ado, they broke into a run, dashing towards captivity, each with different thoughts in mind.

'Why does he get to say her character name without penalty? What is his secret? Wait—he's Skari? Heh heh…guess he does have the hots for Ayanami.'

'Huh…good thing that wasn't a confession. Ikari already has enough girls without needing to take the inchou—not that I'm jealous or anything, right?'

'Ah, so this is what Mother meant when she said watching people amused her. It is…pleasant. I guess I'm really not alone after all.'

'…Ikari-kun will be a strong opponent, especially with Ayanami on his side. Speaking of which, I wonder…where is Ayanami?'

'I don't fight for the approval of others, but…it still makes me happy, even if I have to face my friends in a virtual world.'

Tokyo-3 1st Municipal Junior High School, Outside Classroom 2-A

Upon arriving at the classroom, the group of five was confronted by a still steaming redhead glaring daggers at the Class Rep. While Shinji was wondering how he could defuse the situation and the Idiot Duo were trying to see if there was a way they could get past her without grievous personal harm, Lycoris intervened.

"Hello, Soryu-san! Guten Morgen!" she greeted her friend cheerfully, distracting the redhead from her raging anger. "I heard about your Angel battle from Ikari-kun on the way to school—was it hard to fight inside a volcano?"

'Go now!' she cued with her eyes, an order the others were more than willing to follow.

"Ach, nein, of course not!" boasted the (self-proclaimed) great Asuka Langley Soryu, taking the opportunity to stroke her ego. "Against me, the Angel never stood a chance…and I took it out alone, without the Invincible Shinji's upstaging me."

"The Invincible Shinji? Upstaging you? Ikari-kun's not like that…" the silver-haired girl murmured with a wistful sigh. "I'm sure he only wants to help you how he can, even if you are the best pilot, right?"

"…you really do like that baka, don't you?" Asuka asked, shaking her head as she snorted in amusement. "What do you see in him anyway?"

Tinges of pink touched the cheeks of the child of twilight, the shining girl who smiled as her eyes followed the Third Child in the distance."

"He's stronger than he looks, you know," Lycoris whispered just loudly enough for her friend to hear. "He's been hurt a lot in the past, or so I think, since he was so shy when I met him. He's gentle too—and he's a good kisser."

The last bit was thrown out there just to test the Second Child's reaction. And as expected, Asuka Langley Soryu took the bait.

"Eh? Wh-why would I care about something like that?" she said with a violent flush. "I don't care about how well that baka can kiss!" 'I mean, he's not as dull as I thought he was, but—gah! What am I thinking?' Then she caught the smirk on her friend's face. "You're just playing with me, aren't you?"

She was saved from answering by the chime of the bell.

Tokyo-3 1st Municipal Junior High School, Classroom 2-A

For once, the students in class 2-A were uncharacteristically noisy without the teacher around. Having only just returned from Okinawa the day before, many were still a tad tired, while others were lost in memories, or hurrying to catch up with homework left undone. Since they had not had internet access in Okinawa (save if they stopped by an internet café), Aranami-sensei had not required them to complete a set of journal entries for the week. Thus, they had had time to watch television or enjoy other forms of media, in which they had come across an interesting bit of news.

"…Doll Syndrome," one whispered in hushed tones.

"Yeah, I heard about it too…they say it's linked to The World," added another.

"Well, C.C. Corp denies that it is, and besides, how could a video game cause an illness like that?" countered a more skeptical individual.

"Of course they'd deny it—The World is how they make money, after all. And come on, don't strange illnesses strike gamers—I mean, there were all those comas five years ago—."

The class fell silent with a hush as the door opened and their teacher, Yumi Aranami, entered the room. She scanned the room with purple eyes, looking at each face intently, as if she wanted to burn them into her memory. And then—

"Stand, Bow, Sit!" Hikari called out, and the class instantly obeyed, fearful of her wrath.

"Thank you, Class Representative," Morganna acknowledged with an enigmatic smile, every eye in the classroom now focused on her. "Now, before we begin our lecture today, there's something I'd to address…several of you have approached me with concerns about the state of your projects, so I'll give you a rare opportunity to ask what questions you would like."

A forest of hands shot up, leading Morganna to raise one of her brows.

"Ah, I see. I did not realize so many of you had questions to ask me. Well then, I'll call on you one at a time. Yes, Mr. Aida."

"Aranami-sensei, my question concerns Doll Syndrome," the bespectacled boy replied, looking his teacher in the eye. "Rumors say that it is linked to The World R:2, since all known sufferers were players of the game. Do you know anything about it? And is it safe to continue with our project?"

The woman looked at him appraisingly, as if re-evaluating his potential, and then turned to the class.

"How many of you have heard of Doll Syndrome?"

About half the class raised their hands.

"Well, in that case, let me give you the basics, and then I'll get to your question, Mr. Aida," Morganna smoothly continued, looking to each of her students in turn. "Doll Syndrome is a mysterious medical condition. From what we know, it is an illness where a child becomes unresponsive or loses vitality—becoming like dolls, in a sense."

"Heh. Is it contagious? Since I think Wondergirl's had it for years," heckled the Second Child, only to fall silent at a sharp glare from the teacher.

"This is no laughing matter, Soryu," said teacher replied, using the dangerously low tone she was known for, the one that evoked primal fears and insecurities in those who heard it, causing them to subconsciously recall their distant genetic ancestors' days as prey animals. Then her tone regained a measure of calm normality. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't make such comments about your classmates. As for whether or not it is linked to The World, I can only say that I don't know. CyberConnect Corporation denies it, but I will say this: if you do encounter something anomalous, something that makes uncomfortable, then log out immediately."

"Euh, why? Isn't The World just a game?" interjected a certain jock.

"While it is a game, I'm sure you were taught about the events of Pluto's Kiss, right?" she asked, getting nods from most. "Good, I'm glad to see that old 'Boring-sensei', as you call him, was not completely inept. It is possible that if someone inserted a virus into The World to modify its visual data, it could cause hypnotic suggestions, or otherwise stimulate the brain into seizures."

"…and what about comas?" countered Kensuke Aida, convinced that he was onto something with his current line of questioning. "Five years ago, many players of The World went into comas during the Second Network Crisis. CyberConnect Corporation blamed it on hackers, but I find myself skeptical. Doll Syndrome looks like something similar in this new version of The World, so I ask again, is The World safe for us to play?"

Morganna could only sigh, giving the bespectacled lad one of her enigmatic smiles.

"That's a good question, Mr. Aida, but that World and the one you play now are two entirely different things," she noted, dismissing his concerns in that voice so used to being obeyed. "The code for this version of The World is based on a completely different architecture than the old one, so it would be nearly impossible for the same incident to occur, ne? And didn't those victims come out of their comas, after which, there have been no such incidents. Of course, if you find the hacker named Helba, perhaps she could tell you what happened, as it is rumored that she was embroiled in the events surrounding it…but as for myself, I believe this new version should be perfectly safe to play."

She took a moment to regain her composure, before calling called upon the next questioning student.

"Moving on—Mr. Ikari, you had a question?"

"Yes," he spoke hesitantly, not wanting to antagonize in the way Kensuke had. "Who or what were the dothackers? I have heard this term before, but don't quite know what it means."

Hearing his words, Morganna froze, a look of naked terror flashing across her face for a barest instant before she forced it down, reverting to her usual icy calm.

"The dothackers…I have not heard that name for a very long time," she mused, looking first to the Third Child, and then to Lycoris. "According to the legends that spread after the Twilight Incident, they were the party that solved the final mystery of The World and ushered in a Golden Age: the age of Aura."

Another voice chose that moment to break in: that of Hikari Horaki, the Class Representative, who had also heard the term in the past.

"I heard from a strange player character something a little bit different," the pigtailed girl related. "He told me that they were The World's heroes in the time of Twilight, who fought against the Cursed Wave, when the goddess was born. Could that goddess be Aura?"

"Aura," repeated the commanding woman in black, looking distant and vulnerable as she said the name. "Aura…yes, she would be the goddess. The dothackers, you could say, were the equivalent of the three shadowed ones who quested for the Twilight Dragon—who quested for Aura. She wished… she wished to be born, to live. And yet, at the very end, she gave up her individuality to be reborn as a goddess, watching over the world…."

She smiled weakly, shaking her head.

'Mother' thought Lycoris, concerned about how Morganna was taking this onslaught of questions, as well as how much of her own past would be revealed.

"I suppose you could say that the story of Aura is dear to me, and that I see her almost as a daughter. And of the dothackers, yes, they were heroes, but not because they fought the Wave without, but because they reached into themselves and overcame fear, though no one could have expected it of that motley crew. Tested by phase after phase of the Cursed Wave, they somehow triumphed where others had not…that is their true legacy, that each of you should ascribe to. They saw the demons inside each of them, and faced them without flinching, without running away. And because they had already defeated the demons inside themselves, the Wave had already lost before it could strike."

With that, Morganna concluded her slightly modified version of the truth, returning to her normal self.

"I do believe that will be all for today. For the rest of the time, please take this opportunity to catch up on any work you may have neglected before the trip to Okinawa."

Silence came once again, with some of the class thinking 'What the heck was that?'

Entrance, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School

Shinji Ikari was somewhat confused over the events of the day. Why had Aranami-sensei shown such fear upon being asked about the dothackers? Could she have been one of them long ago? And who again was Aura? He knew from what he'd heard that Aura was the goddess of The World, but how could she then be related to Reimeiki, who the mysterious Helba had referred to as the sister of the Goddess. The boy was tempted to pass it off as an example of roleplay, but he found that he couldn't, especially after his teacher had mentioned the hacker "Helba."

'There is too much here to merely be coincidence…but I feel as if I'm still missing a piece of the puzzle. And Aranami-sensei's words, that the dothackers were heroes because they did not run away…were those meant for me?'

He was stirred from his thoughts by a tug on his sleeve and a warm smile from Reimeiki, the mysterious girl he had fallen in love with. Looking at her, he couldn't help but to return the smile—

"Ikari-kun, you are on duty today," admonished the Class Rep from behind him, ruining the moment. "Since Ayanami is absent again, can you take her the notes from today? I have something to talk with her about too, so I'll go with you."

"Well, I guess I have no choice," Shinji replied, recalling a certain few words. "After all, I mustn't run away, right?"

"Ha! Right!" snorted Touji, who had overheard what was being asked of Shinji. "I bet you're just looking for an excuse to go over to Ayanami's so you can—eep!"

So great was the Class Rep's power that she could cow unruly jocks with a single glare.

"You two go home," she sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "And if you miss the Arena Match tonight, you are going to suffer. I did not go through the trouble of training you so you could back out on me."

"R-Right, understood," the two answered in unison, before tramping off to parts unknown.

Seeing this, the party of three walked on towards their destination, and when they were out of eye and earshot, Hikari Horaki turned to Shinji and raised a curious brow.

"So how do you know about the dothackers?" she asked him, "Could it be that you were summoned by the strange player called Rumor?"

Shinji's eyes widened with recognition, as he recalled the many instances in which he had encountered the diminutive Harvest Cleric, usually by the side of the one who announced herself alternatively as Helba or Tsukinoki.

"You mean, you've seen Rumor too?" he asked quizzically. "Was it...was it in the company of Helba?"

"No, he called Ayanami and I out to the Keel Mountains and spoke to us about a new threat to the…" Hikari's voice trailed off as the implications of Shinji's second question finally sank in. "You mean you've actually met Helba, the infamous queen of hackers?"

"—because of me," Lycoris quietly interjected, looking down at the ground. She took a deep breath as the others turned to her questioningly. "She was my guardian a long time ago, after my mother died and my father abandoned me. You see…I was an unwanted child."

'An unwanted child?' thought Hikari, 'What a terrible fate to suffer…'

"So Helba took care of you?" the pigtailed girl asked, her expression softer than it had been. "Is she still watching over you now, when you are here in Tokyo-3?"

"That was in the past, I'm afraid," she replied simply. "For several years, she watched over me and my sister both, until my sister… grew up, and I came to Tokyo-3."

"Reimeiki-chan…Helba said that you, at least the you in The World, were the sister to Aura," Shinji said distantly. "And back on the day I met you, Rumor said something about you becoming Aura. What did they mean by that?"

The silver-haired girl stiffened, jerking to a halt.

"Reimeiki-chan?"

Shinji turned around to find Lycoris shaking in place as silent tears streamed down her alabaster cheeks.

'Oh god…I completely forgot…when Rumor asked her if she could take Aura's place, she broke down in tears!'

"Reimeiki-chan?" "Reimeiki-san?" two voices spoke in unison, rushing to her side as the silver-haired girl collapsed to her knees.

"…hold me," she whispered in a hollow voice. "Just hold me."

Unable to refuse her, Shinji and Hikari both crouched down and put their arms around the shaken young girl, comforting her as best they could through touch, as the girl buried herself between them, letting out years of pain remembered once again.

"Reimeiki-san…we're here for you," the Class Rep said simply. "We're your friends, of course we'll hold you."

"Reimeiki-chan…I don't know what happened to you in your past," Shinji said after a small eternity, "but here and now…"

'I told myself I wouldn't run away anymore, so I have to keep that promise…'

Flushing like the concentrated essence of a thousand cherry tomatoes, the Third Child found the strength to continue.

"Here and now, you have people who care about you. People who look up to you. People who respect you. People who love you, for who you are—not who you are like and who you might become. You told me once that in this world, everyone is blessed, Reimeiki-chan…the same holds for you as well. So you're not Aura, so you can't become Aura…I don't care about that. I don't care about who you might have been or could not become…

"Wha? You don't care about…" she sniffled, her tears slowing as she looked at him in wonder.

"No, I don't care, because that's not why I love you! I love you because…because of your of your good heart, because unlike me, you don't run away from things, because of everything you are and everything you've changed in me, Reimeiki-chan. So don't be ashamed of who you are…don't run away from being the person I love."

"The person you…love," she repeated, blinking a couple of times and regaining some of her spirit. "And what do you mean you run away from things? You're right here…"

A tentative hand touched Shinji's face, as the silver haired girl leaned close to him and kissed him gently on the lips, eliciting a gasp from a tomato-faced Hikari Horaki.

"You two…you're really serious about each other," she pigtailed girl sighed, wearing a lopsided smile on her lips. "I'm kind of jealous…"

"Hm?" asked Lycoris as Shinji helped her to her feet. "Jealous of…?"

The silver-haired girl looked between the Third Child and her friend, raising an eyebrow.

"No no no, not of you Reimeiki-san," the Class Rep corrected nervously, hoping she hadn't gotten the wrong idea. "I just wish…I had someone like that."

"But don't you go on in-world dates with Suzuhara-kun all the time?" Lycoris asked pointedly.

"Its not like that!" Hikari cried, blushing furiously once again.

The three looked at each other and laughed, the tension from before evaporating. And around them, the sky was tending towards sunset once again, a truly beautiful time of day.

"Oh…wait, we needed to get printouts to Ayanami," Hikari suddenly remembered. "Let's hurry before it gets dark!"

Apartment 402

As the trio approached the apartment building, they found themselves somewhat unnerved by how broken down the place was, with the racket of construction equipment everywhere.

'Ayanami-san lives…in a place like this?' Hikari asked herself. If so, that would explain why the blue-haired girl had been so puzzled by her own room. 'How can anyone—much less a girl—deal with these living conditions?'

"Ikari-kun," she inquired of the one person who she thought might know. "Why is Ayanami-san living here instead of somewhere…nicer?"

"I…don't know," the Third Child replied, furrowing his brow in thought. "Maybe she was ordered to, and never questioned why."

"Hm…that does sound like Ayanami-san," Hikari admitted, feeling slightly out of sorts around this place. "You seem to know exactly where her place is…have you been here before?"

"Once," Shinji admitted, a light blush creeping onto his cheeks under cover of darkness. "I had to deliver her new ID card."

Of course, that short explanation omitted the details of what had happened during that particular incident, especially accidental groping, but he doubted that would go over well, so he kept silent. After just a little while longer, the trio finally arrived at the door. 'Not that it one could miss it…this is the only occupied unit in the entire complex.'

"You've visited her, but not me?" asked Lycoris, mock-pouting. "Should I be jealous at the thought of you two doing naughty things together?"

"I-uh-I," began Shinji, only for the silver-haired girl to stop his gibbering with a kiss.

"Just kidding."

As proper as ever, Hikari knocked on the door three times and waited for a reply. But just as when Shinji had come to visit, there was no response.

"Oh well," said Shinji, putting his hand on the doorknob and twisting. "Ayanami, I'm coming in."

"Eh? Its unlocked?" asked Hikari. "Should we be entering her apartment without permission?"

"It wasn't locked last time either," the Third shrugged. "Besides, she won't read them if we don't put them in her room."

He gestured at the overflowing mail slot, crammed full of junk mail and papers.

"…you might have a point there," the Class Rep conceded.

The door creaked open, as in need of repair as anything else, and the three entered the room, seeing nothing out of place except—

"AYANAMI? AYANAMI? Are you all right?" Shinji shouted frantically, racing over to her side.

The blue haired girl was lying on the floor, as if she'd fallen from her chair, her M2D headset for playing The World still on her head. Her form was still, leaden, unmoving save for very shallow breaths. With shaking hands, the Third Child tugged the headset from Rei's head, only for his heart to lurch at the sight of her crimson eyes frozen open in shock, wide and unseeing.

'Her hands...they're so cold...'

As the Class Rep knelt besides her friend, checking for pulse and any visible injuries, Lycoris instead quickly checked the scene for clues as to what could have happened. As Rei Ayanami was now seemingly unresponsive and had apparently been wearing her M2D headset when she collapsed, the Child of Twilight already suspected the worst. Still, she had to confirm it with her eyes, and so steeling herself, the silver-haired girl looked over away from her friend to the computer on the desk, her heart freezing in her chest as she saw an instance of The World: R2 open but blacked out, with the words

'SYSTEM ERROR'

in bold white across the screen.

"Stop," Lycoris whispered tonelessly, as all eyes turned to her. "I know what this is…she's fallen into a coma. Horaki-san…call the hospital…please."

'The Twilight is happening all over again…'

"R-right away, Reimeiki-san."

"But how—" asked Shinji, eyes wide and unbelieving.

"—because it happened to me five years ago, that's why."

Aside from the rattling of the construction equipment, everything else was silence.

"You mean…"

"I was a victim of that crisis Aranami-sensei mentioned, just as she herself was. I can only think the same is happening again, that Ayanami's consciousness is trapped within the network," the silver-haired girl said woodenly, eyes unfocused as she drifted far into the past. "This…is Doll Syndrome."

"No…it can't be…" Shinji breathed, reaching out to shake Ayanami's fallen form, even as his own was wracked with sobs. "No, Ayanami, please… wake up! Please, don't leave…Please…I'll…ah…ah…ah…Ayanami! AYANAMI!"