Chapter 11 - Rei IV / I remember dying
Shinji´s EntryPlug´s main screen brightened.
"What´s that?" he mumbled surprised.
EVA-01 was sitting on some kind of stand, together with countless other EVANGELION units, looking
at some kind of oval arena.
Inside of the arena EVA-00 and EVA-02 were facing each other.
Shinji just knew that the units were piloted by Rei and Asuka.
"What´s going on?"
He tryed to reach them via radio but got no answer.
The faces of Touji, Kensuke and Hikari appeared instead on his display.
"Stay calm." Toui suggested.
"What´s going on here?"
"Asuka challenged Rei to a duel to make some things clear."
"What? But that´s..."
Shinji stared into the arena, tryed to get up and storm down the stands and intercept, but EVA-01
did not react at his commands.
"That´s the duel-mode", Kensuke explained. "We are only watchers."
"That´s nonsense! Why should they be fighting?"
"Well, because of you..." Hikari whispered.
Shinji looked at her, one hand reaching for the ´Off´-button on the console.
"Because of me?"
Hikari nodded.
"Why?"
She sighed and asked to change to a private channel.
Shinji agreed.
"What are you trying to tell me, Hikari?"
"Asuka´s afraid of losing you."
"What? I..."
"She thinks that Rei´s going to take you away from her, that you won´t have time for her anymore."
"But... Hikari, you must be wrong, Asuka would never..."
"How long do you know her by now?
"Since..."
He thought about it.
Since we move from Kyoto to Tokio... since we are living in the same house... since...
He realized that he was unable to give a set time, that he nearly had answered ´since she
arrived with EVA-02 from Germany´.
"For a very long time." he finally replied.
Those memories... those strange visions partly seem to be more real than my right ones...
or are they the truth and everything else´s a lie? Why? Why do I see this? How is this possible?
Hikari seemed to interprete his silence in another way.
"She thinks, that since you are seeing Rei now, you wouldn´t be her friend anymore."
"Why? Why shouldn´t I be her friend anymore? We´ve grown up together. But... She never told me
that she´d like me..."
"You are her Baka-Shinji... you´re her best friend. And now Rei comes and she thinks her to be
an enemy."
"She doesn´t have to... I like Asuka... but not the way I like Rei..."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Hey, I´m class-representiv, I have to know, it´s part of the job. Rei and you, it´s like you are
made for each other... like you were two halves of the same soul..."
Like someone being a part of me... a longtime missing part...
"That..."
"But Asuka doesn´t like to lose, she doesn´t like opposition... I think she probably doesn´t
even realize it but you are like a brother for her. Just think about it."
Hikari changed to the common channel again.
Inside of the arena an american wearing a dark suit meanwhile had appeared.
"Wow, that´s Michael Buffer!" Touji shouted.
"Who?" Kensuke asked.
The gaijin said some words and fight begun.
Both EVAs had armed themself with swords, with Rei´s unit additionally using a large shield.
Asuka charged, pushing Rei back.
Shinji screamed when EVA-02 smashed the other EVA´s shield arm.
"Asuka, stop it! Why do you want to hurt Rei?"
But the luck of combat had already changed when Rei dodged Asuka´s attack and the tip of her
blade suddenly poked out of EVA-02´s back. The red EVA went down to the ground.
Rei prepared for the deathstroke, but hesitated, the blade´s edge at the other EVA´s throat.
"What are they doing?" Touji asked.
"Talking." Hikari suggested.
EVA-00 lowered its blade, threw the sword away. - And offered EVA-02 the hand.
For a moment neither EVA moved. Than EVA-02 reached for the offered hand and let itself helped
to the feet.
Shinji closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a Zeruel stood inside of the arena...
***
Within a blur of energy another figure appeared inside the arena, a dark giant with long thin
arms that at once walked towards the two damaged EVAs.
"Rei! Asuka!" Shinji screamed and moved the controlls.
Not again...
Before his mind´s eye he saw the angel cutting off first EVA-02´s arms and than the head, before
throwing EVA-00 through the Geofront.
Not again...
Rei, hurt... Asuka, slowly descending into madness...
Not again...!
"Hey, what´s going on? That´s not part of the scenario!" Kensuke shouted.
The Zeruel grabbed EVA-02, threw it away like a broken toy. A white whip-like arm cut off EVA-00´s
legs at the knees.
"No!" Shinji screamed.
And EVA-01 reacted, jumped up from the bench, climed across the stands, pushing away the other
simulated spectators to reach the arena.
An EVA-03 and an EVA-04 unit also started to move, followed by an EVA-09 unit.
"Hang on! We are coming!" Shinji shouted, drawing the progressive knife while jumping into the
arena.
EVA-02 was back on its feet.
With loud curses Asuka charged the enemy, directly running into the whirling arms. Her curses
were replaced by a long scream.
"Asuka!"
***
"We should stop, Miss Sekigahama!"
"No, Mister Aida, not yet..."
Midori watched the screens, her gave finally fixed to the transmission from Rei Akagi´s EntryPlug.
Those eyes...
She opened the files with the data collected about the First Child.
Born nine months after the gateway opened for the first time... nine months after Thomas nearly
died at the southpole...
She bit her lips.
Bloodtype... strange... that...
She raised a hand, touched one the screens, opening further files.
Nearly onehundred percent similarity... this can´t be...
Anger rose within her.
"Mister Aida, raise the synch-ratio of port four."
"But that´s not part of the program!"
"I have to find out if those children are able to pilot a real unit, so it´s part of the testing
program NOW!"
Keichi didn´t notice that his superior´s eyes were glowing in a deep red for a second.
"Yes..."
And inside of her EntryPlug suddenly felt terrible pain after the Zeruel had cut off her EVA´s
legs...
Midori smiled, but just for a moment.
"Turn it off... remove port four from the net!"
"Yes, yes, at once."
Keichi Aida´s hand seemed to have a life of their own when he entered the commands.
Rei had nearly lost consciousness.
"Miss Sekigahama? Major?"
Midori didn´t answer, just starred at her shaking hands.
I wanted to kill her... just because of a suspicion...
"Major, look! The reports from port seven!"
"What?"
"Shinji Ikari..."
***
EVA-01 appeared in front of the Zeruel like an angry angel of vengence, dodged one of the
whip-arms, smashed with the shoulder into the angel.
A moment later their shields touched and the Zeruel´s gave way. EVA-01 slashed its opponent open
from head to groin, ripped the arms out of the sockets, reached into the angel´s open wound,
dragging its innards out.
With an ´urk´ Touji turned of his plug...
***
"The readings are incredible... beyond the instrument´s capability... even the AT-field´s
simulation has been activated!"
"The boy can form an AT-field? That´s unbelieveable..."
Midori Sekigahama stared at the screens.
"He beat the Zerual... alone, without help... without problems... That... Call Lady Selene! We´ve
found the pilot of unit one!"
"Yes. And the other children?"
She swallowed.
"They are also to be recruited. We won´t get such a chance a second time!"
***
"Shinji, that´s... ill..." Hikari commentated when EVA-01 finally stopped, a leg of the Zeruel
in its hand with the rest of the carcass distributed across the arena.
"Yes..." Kensuke said, smiling nervously. "Just remind me of never argueing with you..."
That´s not real... it´s not real... it´s not real...
Shinji´s hands were shaking even being pressed against his chest. He had drawn his knees up to
his chest. The main screen had gone dark.
It´s not real...
Again and again he saw the angel breaking into the Geofront, beating down the two defending
EVAs, entering NERV-headquarters before he had intercepted with EVA-01... the battle raging
across the Geofront... EVA-01 bersering... devouring the angel...
It´s not real...
He sobbed, didn´t notize that Touji had opened the hatch.
"Ah, man, you look like shit", Suzuhara mumbled. "Kensuke, give me a hand here..."
Touji entered the EntryPlug and grabbed Shinji by the shoulders.
"Come, buddy, I´ll help you... you completly lost it..."
"Touji, I... I... it hurt Asuka... I heard her screaming..."
Touji nodded with serious face.
"Yes, it did."
He pulled Shinji out of the plug.
"Are you okay?"
Shinji shook his head.
"I don´t want to ever do this again... I will never climb into an EntryPlug again!"
"I can understand you, I thought it to be the truth for a moment, too."
"Touji, it is..."
He interrupted himself, his friend wouldn´t have believed him.
His legs were shaking, he had to support himself at the EntryPlug to prevent falling.
The memories... they´re getting to me...
He saw Asuka leaning against her plug.
"Are you...?"
She nodded weakly.
"Yes. But there suddenly was pain... everything was way too real."
He turned his head.
"Rei!"
Stumblingly he ran to the next plug, its hatch had already been opened by Hikari.
"Let me..."
He pushed her aside, climbed into the plug.
"Say, where are all the people who are working here?" Touji asked and looked around. They were
alone, as it seemed noone else was at the second level of the center.
Through a hidden door Midori Sekigahama, the center´s manager, stepped.
"There are been an accident with the computer system, we had to turn it down. But your controls
didn´t accept the commands before the mission was finished."
"Mission? We did not run a mission-scenario!"
"No, you didn´t. But the computer had changed the parameters. I´m sorry."
She looked at Asuka.
"Has anybode been hurt?"
Asuka just glared at her. If looks could kill...
Shinji knelt inside of the plug next to Rei.
She looked at him with tired eyes.
"Shinji..."
"Yes, Rei-chan, I´m here. Come, I´ll help you..."
"Shinji... I remember... I remember everything..."
***
They left the center, promising each other not to return that fast to this place again.
Onky Kensuke seemed to be disappointed, but he had been the one cheered at EVA-01 when it ripped
apart the angel.
Shinji felt stunned, he nearly didn´t notice Rei taking his hand.
"We´ll talk at my place." she decided.
"Yes..."
Asuka turned around to them.
"Shinji, I just wanted to tell you... I behaved quite stupid... But I think Rei and I have come
to terms."
"That´s... good."
She smiled.
"Just promise me to stay my Baka-Shinji, yes?"
He nodded.
***
Shinji sat sunkenly on Rei´s bed in her room with Rei sitting on a chair and looking at him.
"I said, that I´d remember everything..."
"Yes."
Again silence fell, again they just stared at each other.
"Shall I tell you?"
"Rei, I... I don´t know, what I want... I think, I am losing my mind... And at the same time I
know those memories to be real and my own memories to be wrong and..."
"It´s a result of the Third Impact..."
´Death or rebirth...´
"Death or rebirth..." he whispered, repeating the words of the voice that only existed in his
head.
Shinji pressed his hands against his head.
"It shall stop...!"
Rei got up, walked over to him, looked at him, reached out with her hands, touching his cheeks,
lifting his head while bending down to him.
"Maybe... probably there are other ways... but this one is the most... pleasurable..."
And so she kissed him...
And Shinji´s world vanished in a hail of countless coloured lightnings when the memories of
another life returned to his mind...
***
Panting he pushed himself away from her, interrupting the kiss, fall from the bed and stayed
down of the floor knees drawn up to his chest.
Rei went into the knees next to him, caressed his hair.
"It´s difficult..."
"Y-yes... So it is true?"
"Yes."
"So this world does just exist for a few days?"
"This world was created during the Third Impact. You had the choice... humanity might have
ascenced and become a godlike being, a collective of souls..."
"I decided against..."
"You didn´t want to, wished to keep your individuality... to keep the barriers of your soul
erected... and by doing this you prevented the completion of humanity."
"So it´s my fault..."
"No." she whispered and caressed his cheek.
"You were the only one who had a choice, the others didn´t have."
"Why are we here?"
"You created this world when humanity´s complete ability of creation was at your disposal."
"I did?"
"You wanted to create a better world..."
"Yes... a world without sorrow and pain... without war... without angels... without EVAs...
so why does all of this still exist?"
"Since they also were in your heart... like I was..."
"Rei...?"
He blinked, looked at her with reddened eyes.
"Because of you I am alive. It was my purpose to initiate the Third Impact and unite the souls,
but you denied me dying by not allowed me to fulfill my purpose..."
"Since... since I didn´t want to give up my body..."
"Yes. Because of me being unable to unite your soul with the others. And because of your resistance
making the other souls return. You wanted a better world... a world for me to life in..."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"And for that I am thankful."
He sat up, reached out with one hand, wipped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Please, don´t cry."
"These are tears of happyness."
"Rei... I remember now, too... mostly it´s still blurred, but some things are clear... I remember
who you are... or were..."
"Yes", she answered with closed eyes. "Even being Rei Akagi here and now, there I was Rei Ayanami,
a clone of your mother, someone you might have accepted as a sister... and I would understand if
nothing changed about this... could understand, if your heart would turn towards Asuka now..."
"No..." he whispered softly. "If that´s correct, and I was able to... change the world... why didn´t
I made you my sister in this reality? Why did we meet again? And why did... I... fall... in..."
He hesitated.
"Rei, at the... old world... before you sacrificed yourself fighting the sixteenth angel... why
did you do it?"
"To protect you."
"Like before... but why?"
"You know it."
"Yes, Rei. I l..."
She put a finger to his lip.
"No, don´t say it... not now... just hold me."
*************************************************************************************************
Next: The MAGI are infiltrated by the enemy * The PROMETHEUS reaches Tokio * And: Kaworu...
Shinji´s EntryPlug´s main screen brightened.
"What´s that?" he mumbled surprised.
EVA-01 was sitting on some kind of stand, together with countless other EVANGELION units, looking
at some kind of oval arena.
Inside of the arena EVA-00 and EVA-02 were facing each other.
Shinji just knew that the units were piloted by Rei and Asuka.
"What´s going on?"
He tryed to reach them via radio but got no answer.
The faces of Touji, Kensuke and Hikari appeared instead on his display.
"Stay calm." Toui suggested.
"What´s going on here?"
"Asuka challenged Rei to a duel to make some things clear."
"What? But that´s..."
Shinji stared into the arena, tryed to get up and storm down the stands and intercept, but EVA-01
did not react at his commands.
"That´s the duel-mode", Kensuke explained. "We are only watchers."
"That´s nonsense! Why should they be fighting?"
"Well, because of you..." Hikari whispered.
Shinji looked at her, one hand reaching for the ´Off´-button on the console.
"Because of me?"
Hikari nodded.
"Why?"
She sighed and asked to change to a private channel.
Shinji agreed.
"What are you trying to tell me, Hikari?"
"Asuka´s afraid of losing you."
"What? I..."
"She thinks that Rei´s going to take you away from her, that you won´t have time for her anymore."
"But... Hikari, you must be wrong, Asuka would never..."
"How long do you know her by now?
"Since..."
He thought about it.
Since we move from Kyoto to Tokio... since we are living in the same house... since...
He realized that he was unable to give a set time, that he nearly had answered ´since she
arrived with EVA-02 from Germany´.
"For a very long time." he finally replied.
Those memories... those strange visions partly seem to be more real than my right ones...
or are they the truth and everything else´s a lie? Why? Why do I see this? How is this possible?
Hikari seemed to interprete his silence in another way.
"She thinks, that since you are seeing Rei now, you wouldn´t be her friend anymore."
"Why? Why shouldn´t I be her friend anymore? We´ve grown up together. But... She never told me
that she´d like me..."
"You are her Baka-Shinji... you´re her best friend. And now Rei comes and she thinks her to be
an enemy."
"She doesn´t have to... I like Asuka... but not the way I like Rei..."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Hey, I´m class-representiv, I have to know, it´s part of the job. Rei and you, it´s like you are
made for each other... like you were two halves of the same soul..."
Like someone being a part of me... a longtime missing part...
"That..."
"But Asuka doesn´t like to lose, she doesn´t like opposition... I think she probably doesn´t
even realize it but you are like a brother for her. Just think about it."
Hikari changed to the common channel again.
Inside of the arena an american wearing a dark suit meanwhile had appeared.
"Wow, that´s Michael Buffer!" Touji shouted.
"Who?" Kensuke asked.
The gaijin said some words and fight begun.
Both EVAs had armed themself with swords, with Rei´s unit additionally using a large shield.
Asuka charged, pushing Rei back.
Shinji screamed when EVA-02 smashed the other EVA´s shield arm.
"Asuka, stop it! Why do you want to hurt Rei?"
But the luck of combat had already changed when Rei dodged Asuka´s attack and the tip of her
blade suddenly poked out of EVA-02´s back. The red EVA went down to the ground.
Rei prepared for the deathstroke, but hesitated, the blade´s edge at the other EVA´s throat.
"What are they doing?" Touji asked.
"Talking." Hikari suggested.
EVA-00 lowered its blade, threw the sword away. - And offered EVA-02 the hand.
For a moment neither EVA moved. Than EVA-02 reached for the offered hand and let itself helped
to the feet.
Shinji closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a Zeruel stood inside of the arena...
***
Within a blur of energy another figure appeared inside the arena, a dark giant with long thin
arms that at once walked towards the two damaged EVAs.
"Rei! Asuka!" Shinji screamed and moved the controlls.
Not again...
Before his mind´s eye he saw the angel cutting off first EVA-02´s arms and than the head, before
throwing EVA-00 through the Geofront.
Not again...
Rei, hurt... Asuka, slowly descending into madness...
Not again...!
"Hey, what´s going on? That´s not part of the scenario!" Kensuke shouted.
The Zeruel grabbed EVA-02, threw it away like a broken toy. A white whip-like arm cut off EVA-00´s
legs at the knees.
"No!" Shinji screamed.
And EVA-01 reacted, jumped up from the bench, climed across the stands, pushing away the other
simulated spectators to reach the arena.
An EVA-03 and an EVA-04 unit also started to move, followed by an EVA-09 unit.
"Hang on! We are coming!" Shinji shouted, drawing the progressive knife while jumping into the
arena.
EVA-02 was back on its feet.
With loud curses Asuka charged the enemy, directly running into the whirling arms. Her curses
were replaced by a long scream.
"Asuka!"
***
"We should stop, Miss Sekigahama!"
"No, Mister Aida, not yet..."
Midori watched the screens, her gave finally fixed to the transmission from Rei Akagi´s EntryPlug.
Those eyes...
She opened the files with the data collected about the First Child.
Born nine months after the gateway opened for the first time... nine months after Thomas nearly
died at the southpole...
She bit her lips.
Bloodtype... strange... that...
She raised a hand, touched one the screens, opening further files.
Nearly onehundred percent similarity... this can´t be...
Anger rose within her.
"Mister Aida, raise the synch-ratio of port four."
"But that´s not part of the program!"
"I have to find out if those children are able to pilot a real unit, so it´s part of the testing
program NOW!"
Keichi didn´t notice that his superior´s eyes were glowing in a deep red for a second.
"Yes..."
And inside of her EntryPlug suddenly felt terrible pain after the Zeruel had cut off her EVA´s
legs...
Midori smiled, but just for a moment.
"Turn it off... remove port four from the net!"
"Yes, yes, at once."
Keichi Aida´s hand seemed to have a life of their own when he entered the commands.
Rei had nearly lost consciousness.
"Miss Sekigahama? Major?"
Midori didn´t answer, just starred at her shaking hands.
I wanted to kill her... just because of a suspicion...
"Major, look! The reports from port seven!"
"What?"
"Shinji Ikari..."
***
EVA-01 appeared in front of the Zeruel like an angry angel of vengence, dodged one of the
whip-arms, smashed with the shoulder into the angel.
A moment later their shields touched and the Zeruel´s gave way. EVA-01 slashed its opponent open
from head to groin, ripped the arms out of the sockets, reached into the angel´s open wound,
dragging its innards out.
With an ´urk´ Touji turned of his plug...
***
"The readings are incredible... beyond the instrument´s capability... even the AT-field´s
simulation has been activated!"
"The boy can form an AT-field? That´s unbelieveable..."
Midori Sekigahama stared at the screens.
"He beat the Zerual... alone, without help... without problems... That... Call Lady Selene! We´ve
found the pilot of unit one!"
"Yes. And the other children?"
She swallowed.
"They are also to be recruited. We won´t get such a chance a second time!"
***
"Shinji, that´s... ill..." Hikari commentated when EVA-01 finally stopped, a leg of the Zeruel
in its hand with the rest of the carcass distributed across the arena.
"Yes..." Kensuke said, smiling nervously. "Just remind me of never argueing with you..."
That´s not real... it´s not real... it´s not real...
Shinji´s hands were shaking even being pressed against his chest. He had drawn his knees up to
his chest. The main screen had gone dark.
It´s not real...
Again and again he saw the angel breaking into the Geofront, beating down the two defending
EVAs, entering NERV-headquarters before he had intercepted with EVA-01... the battle raging
across the Geofront... EVA-01 bersering... devouring the angel...
It´s not real...
He sobbed, didn´t notize that Touji had opened the hatch.
"Ah, man, you look like shit", Suzuhara mumbled. "Kensuke, give me a hand here..."
Touji entered the EntryPlug and grabbed Shinji by the shoulders.
"Come, buddy, I´ll help you... you completly lost it..."
"Touji, I... I... it hurt Asuka... I heard her screaming..."
Touji nodded with serious face.
"Yes, it did."
He pulled Shinji out of the plug.
"Are you okay?"
Shinji shook his head.
"I don´t want to ever do this again... I will never climb into an EntryPlug again!"
"I can understand you, I thought it to be the truth for a moment, too."
"Touji, it is..."
He interrupted himself, his friend wouldn´t have believed him.
His legs were shaking, he had to support himself at the EntryPlug to prevent falling.
The memories... they´re getting to me...
He saw Asuka leaning against her plug.
"Are you...?"
She nodded weakly.
"Yes. But there suddenly was pain... everything was way too real."
He turned his head.
"Rei!"
Stumblingly he ran to the next plug, its hatch had already been opened by Hikari.
"Let me..."
He pushed her aside, climbed into the plug.
"Say, where are all the people who are working here?" Touji asked and looked around. They were
alone, as it seemed noone else was at the second level of the center.
Through a hidden door Midori Sekigahama, the center´s manager, stepped.
"There are been an accident with the computer system, we had to turn it down. But your controls
didn´t accept the commands before the mission was finished."
"Mission? We did not run a mission-scenario!"
"No, you didn´t. But the computer had changed the parameters. I´m sorry."
She looked at Asuka.
"Has anybode been hurt?"
Asuka just glared at her. If looks could kill...
Shinji knelt inside of the plug next to Rei.
She looked at him with tired eyes.
"Shinji..."
"Yes, Rei-chan, I´m here. Come, I´ll help you..."
"Shinji... I remember... I remember everything..."
***
They left the center, promising each other not to return that fast to this place again.
Onky Kensuke seemed to be disappointed, but he had been the one cheered at EVA-01 when it ripped
apart the angel.
Shinji felt stunned, he nearly didn´t notice Rei taking his hand.
"We´ll talk at my place." she decided.
"Yes..."
Asuka turned around to them.
"Shinji, I just wanted to tell you... I behaved quite stupid... But I think Rei and I have come
to terms."
"That´s... good."
She smiled.
"Just promise me to stay my Baka-Shinji, yes?"
He nodded.
***
Shinji sat sunkenly on Rei´s bed in her room with Rei sitting on a chair and looking at him.
"I said, that I´d remember everything..."
"Yes."
Again silence fell, again they just stared at each other.
"Shall I tell you?"
"Rei, I... I don´t know, what I want... I think, I am losing my mind... And at the same time I
know those memories to be real and my own memories to be wrong and..."
"It´s a result of the Third Impact..."
´Death or rebirth...´
"Death or rebirth..." he whispered, repeating the words of the voice that only existed in his
head.
Shinji pressed his hands against his head.
"It shall stop...!"
Rei got up, walked over to him, looked at him, reached out with her hands, touching his cheeks,
lifting his head while bending down to him.
"Maybe... probably there are other ways... but this one is the most... pleasurable..."
And so she kissed him...
And Shinji´s world vanished in a hail of countless coloured lightnings when the memories of
another life returned to his mind...
***
Panting he pushed himself away from her, interrupting the kiss, fall from the bed and stayed
down of the floor knees drawn up to his chest.
Rei went into the knees next to him, caressed his hair.
"It´s difficult..."
"Y-yes... So it is true?"
"Yes."
"So this world does just exist for a few days?"
"This world was created during the Third Impact. You had the choice... humanity might have
ascenced and become a godlike being, a collective of souls..."
"I decided against..."
"You didn´t want to, wished to keep your individuality... to keep the barriers of your soul
erected... and by doing this you prevented the completion of humanity."
"So it´s my fault..."
"No." she whispered and caressed his cheek.
"You were the only one who had a choice, the others didn´t have."
"Why are we here?"
"You created this world when humanity´s complete ability of creation was at your disposal."
"I did?"
"You wanted to create a better world..."
"Yes... a world without sorrow and pain... without war... without angels... without EVAs...
so why does all of this still exist?"
"Since they also were in your heart... like I was..."
"Rei...?"
He blinked, looked at her with reddened eyes.
"Because of you I am alive. It was my purpose to initiate the Third Impact and unite the souls,
but you denied me dying by not allowed me to fulfill my purpose..."
"Since... since I didn´t want to give up my body..."
"Yes. Because of me being unable to unite your soul with the others. And because of your resistance
making the other souls return. You wanted a better world... a world for me to life in..."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"And for that I am thankful."
He sat up, reached out with one hand, wipped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Please, don´t cry."
"These are tears of happyness."
"Rei... I remember now, too... mostly it´s still blurred, but some things are clear... I remember
who you are... or were..."
"Yes", she answered with closed eyes. "Even being Rei Akagi here and now, there I was Rei Ayanami,
a clone of your mother, someone you might have accepted as a sister... and I would understand if
nothing changed about this... could understand, if your heart would turn towards Asuka now..."
"No..." he whispered softly. "If that´s correct, and I was able to... change the world... why didn´t
I made you my sister in this reality? Why did we meet again? And why did... I... fall... in..."
He hesitated.
"Rei, at the... old world... before you sacrificed yourself fighting the sixteenth angel... why
did you do it?"
"To protect you."
"Like before... but why?"
"You know it."
"Yes, Rei. I l..."
She put a finger to his lip.
"No, don´t say it... not now... just hold me."
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Next: The MAGI are infiltrated by the enemy * The PROMETHEUS reaches Tokio * And: Kaworu...