Chapter 21
Secrets
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi stands up from the log she was resting on. She looks around her, evidence of Unit 00's destruction scatter the landscape. Parts from the Eva litter the area around the blast crater, which had begun to fill with water shortly after it was made. Ritsuko lifts her left arm to wipe the sweat from her forehead, but encounters the glass helmet of her environmental suit instead. She silently curses the bulky suit.
"Dr. Akagi!!"
The head of Project E turns towards the voice and sees one of the recovery crew running towards her, arms waving in the air.
"What is it?"
"We found it!"
She wastes no time and runs towards the crewman.
"Where is it?"
The crewman nods and leads the doctor back the way he came from. After a few minutes of maneuvering through debris, the pair comes upon the entry plug of Unit 00.
The entry plug rests among several fallen trees, slightly bent in the center. Dents riddle its once smooth surface. A long crack along the front of the entry plug seeps LCL onto the ground below, forming a shallow pool.
"Have you managed to get the access hatch open yet?"
"We're working on it now."
Ritsuko turns her attention to the pair of crewman struggling to open the entry plug's side hatch. With one final grunt, the two men manage to get the hatch open, LCL flowing out of the new opening.
Ritsuko rushes past the crewman towards the open hatch. She places one foot inside the entry plug and leans in, looking up the plug. The crewmen stand and watch, nervous about the findings. After what seems like an eternity, she emerges from the hatch and turns towards the nervous men.
"Get a stretcher over here ASAP!! All findings here are to remain confidential! You cannot tell anyone about the events here today!"
"Yes, ma'am!" the men shout in unison.
As one of the men run off to retrieve the stretcher, Ritsuko turns her gaze back towards the hatch, a worried look on her face.
"WHAT?!"
The sound of Misato's voice echoes throughout the apartment as she clutches the phone.
"Where is...yeah...ok...I'm bringing him along...ok, bye."
She tosses the phone back onto its base and charges into Shinji's room.
"Shinji! Get up!"
The young pilot groans at the rude awakening. He turns on his bed to face his guardian, removing the bud of his SDAT from his right ear.
"What is it, Misato?" he asks groggily.
"Get up, now! They found her!"
His eyes widen in at the news as he bolts upright in his bed.
"You mean...?"
"Yes! Rei's alive!"
Shinji is ecstatic and instantly hops out of bed, straightening up his dress shirt as he quickly follows after his guardian. The pair quickly departs, totally unaware that they were being watched by a pair of emerald- blue eyes from a crack in a certain doorway. As the door to the apartment slams shut, the onlooker slowly closes the door she is behind. The sound of sobbing fills the air, only to be heard by the resident penguin, who was sleeping at the moment.
A young girl stirs in her bed, her body covered by a white sheet. An IV tube runs under the edge of the sheet into her arm. Several machines monitor her various functions, their beeping the only sounds in the room, besides her breathing. Another sound joins the mix, the sound of moaning. Rei shifts in her bed and slowly opens her eyes. She blinks as her eyes adjust and stares up at the ceiling.
"I'm alive..."
The blue-haired girl looks around the room, noting that she is in the infirmary. She shifts slightly, trying to assess her injuries. Her concentration is broken by the sound of the door opening. Curious, she averts her gaze towards the door, and finds herself looking at a rather shocked Shinji Ikari.
"Shinji-k..."
She is cut off as Shinji runs towards her, embracing her in a tight hug, tears freely falling from his eyes as he cries into her shoulder.
"Rei! You're alive! You're alive..."
At first, Rei is surprised by his actions. Then, she does that only thing she can do; she wraps her arms around the crying pilot. They remain comforted by each other for a few minutes, before Shinji slowly pulls away, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"I-I'm glad you're ok, Rei."
She smiles up at him. The two are caught off-guard as someone clears their throat, instantly catching their attention. Shinji turns around, eyeing Misato leaning in the doorway, whom he had totally forgotten about. Shinji and Rei blush madly, realizing that she had seen the entire scene. Shinji is the first to speak up.
"M-Misato! It-it's not..."
Misato chuckles at the two blushing teens and straightens up.
"It's ok, Shinji-kun. I understand. And you don't have to worry, I won't tell anyone of your 'visit'."
Both children look down, trying to hide their reddening faces from Misato.
"So how are you feeling, Rei?" asks Misato.
"Except for a headache, I feel fine Misato."
"That's good to hear. Let's get going, Shinji-kun. She needs her rest."
Shinji nods, walking towards the door. As he reaches the doorway, he turns around.
"See you later, Rei."
Rei nods, watching as Shinji leaves, both having a smile on their face. After the pair had left, Rei turns over on her side, slowly falling asleep. Her thoughts drift to the moment before her Eva self-destructed.
Rei sits in the seat of the entry plug, tears falling from her eyes as she waits for her end.
"Ayanami."
She closes her eyes, ignoring the voice, believing it is the Angel again.
"Ayanami, Rei."
"The voice...is not the same as the Angel's," she thinks.
Slowly, she opens her reddened eyes, looking around the entry plug. She almost jumps out of her seat as she spies a translucent, white figure in front of her.
"Who, who are you?"
The ghostly figure looks up, smiling at the frightened girl.
"I forgot, you probably won't remember me from the first. I am Akagi, Akagi, Naoko."
Rei thinks for a moment before responding.
"You are Dr. Akagi's mother, are you not?"
Naoko smiles at Rei, nodding in compliance.
"You...killed the first and then took your own life."
"Yes, I did. And I regret it all."
"Then how are you here? You are supposed to be deceased."
The elder Akagi chuckles and shakes her head.
"True, but somehow my soul got trapped in the Eva after I had 'died'."
Rei is about to respond, when she suddenly realizes something.
"The self-destruct! It..."
"It has been activated. We are in a place where time moves slower. That is why you are still alive, along with the Eva."
The pilot sighs in relief.
"So why are you communicating with me now?"
Naoko's expression turns downcast as she looks at the wall of the entry plug.
"I wish to make amends for what I did to yo...the first all those years ago."
"Why?"
"I had hated you because the Commander favored you over me. It was in anger that I took the life of the first."
"You say you killed the 'first.' Why don't you say you killed 'me'?"
Naoko smiles at her question.
"That is because you are not the first. The first was only a puppet, a tool. You, you are different. You have emotions and make your own decisions. You are human, unique. What I killed before was not human. You are, and deserve, to live."
"But I can be replaced."
"True, but is that replacement 'you'? It will only become another puppet for the Commander. It won't be human, just a doll. That is why I am going to do this. Remember, you are unique. You cannot be replaced."
Rei looks up at Naoko, nodding.
"What about you?"
"Once this Eva is destroyed, my soul will be freed."
Naoko pauses for a moment.
"It is time. Farewell, Rei. May you have a good life."
She smiles before vanishing from the entry plug, returning Rei back to normal time. A familiar orange field surrounds Rei a split second before the Eva explodes. Right before Rei loses consciousness, she has one last thought.
"Goodbye, Naoko, and thank you."
A few days later, it is late afternoon at the Katsuragi residence. Misato resides in her room, finishing up some paperwork she had 'left aside for later.' Shinji and PenPen are relax on the couch, watching the television. Asuka is in her room chatting away with Hikari. Then, the doorbell rings.
"Shinji-kun, can you get that?"
Shinji sits up on the couch.
"Sure, Misato."
The young boy heads towards the door. He yawns, stretching out his back before opening the door.
"Hel..."
"Shinji-kun, who is it?"
Misato waits a few moments. Receiving no reply, she stands up and heads out to investigate. She reaches the door, finding Shinji standing in front of it, his eyes staring straight in front of him and mouth hanging open.
"Shinji?"
Curious, she steps besides him and follows his gaze, only to also stare in utter shock at the person before them. Rei Ayanami stands in front of the door, looking curiously at the pair, a slightly blush on her face from being stared at. The young girl stands in the doorway not dressed in her usual school uniform, but casual clothes. She is dressed in sleeveless, light-blue blouse, a matching knee-length skirt, and a pair of sandals. PenPen decides to investigate and stands next to his owner. He pokes her leg with his flipper. Getting no response, he looks towards the door only to have his beak drop open as he gawks at Rei.
Shinji is the first to recover.
"Uh, hi Rei. You...look wonderful!"
"Thank you," she meekly replies, the warmth in her cheeks increasing.
"Um, would you like to come in?"
"No, thank you. But, I would like to speak to you...in private."
Misato blinks at the girl before getting the hint. She picks up the still- shocked PenPen and carries him inside, leaving the two children alone.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Rei?"
Rei hesitates before answering, trying to gather the right words.
"There...is something I need to show you."
"What is it?"
"It is not here."
"Oh. Hold on a second."
Shinji dashes inside and grabs his cell phone and wallet from his room before zipping past Misato.
"I'm going out, Misato!"
"Ok."
He meets back with Rei at the door, putting on his shoes before stepping outside.
"Let's go."
Rei nods and the pair head off. Inside, Misato waits until she is sure they would have had enough time to be a few blocks from the building. She quickly dresses in her usual work attire, but this time she checks her handgun, making sure that it was fully loaded before placing it in the holster under her jacket.
"I'm going to work Asuka!"
With that, she leaves the girl and penguin alone. The warm-water penguin makes its way through the hallway, planning on relaxing in a bathtub full of warm water. He pauses in front of Asuka's room, a soft noise catching his attention, but he just shrugs it off and heads into the bathroom. Inside of Asuka's room, the young girl lies on her bed, burying her face in her pillow as she cries.
Rei leads Shinji through the maze of corridors in NERV, passing through several sealed doors with the help of Rei's ID card.
"So what exactly are you going to show me, Rei?"
"You shall see, soon."
He watches the girl in front of him, slightly worried because she hadn't turned to face him since they had left. Eventually, the pair ends up in front of a large, locked door. Shinji glances at the security pad.
"This requires top-level clearance! I don't think we can get in, Rei."
Rei says nothing and sweeps her card through the reader and inputs a series of keys. The light above the pad changes from red to green and the doors begin to open.
"What are you two doing here?!"
The two turn around to face a visibly angry Ritsuko Akagi.
"Rei, why is he here?" she says as she points at the frightened boy.
"He has to know."
"Out of the question! There is no way I will allow it!"
"Allow what, Akagi?"
Ritsuko tenses up as the cold barrel of a handgun is pressed into the back of her head.
"Misato!" blurts out Shinji.
"What are you doing here, Katsuragi?" spits out Ritsuko.
"Let's just say I also want to see what's beyond that door."
The doctor looks from Misato to the two pilots. She jams her hands into her lab coat pockets.
"Well, let's get the tour started, shall we?" she responds coldly.
Ritsuko steps through the open doors and into a waiting elevator.
"You coming?"
Misato, Rei, and Shinji step into the elevator. The doors close and they begin their descent into Central Dogma.
The elevator stops after a dew minutes. Upon exiting the elevator, they encountered a large sea of LCL in a massive corridor.
"Alright, everyone into the raft." orders the doctor.
They all hop into the waiting rubber raft. Ritsuko starts up the motor and they are soon on their way. After a while, Shinji notices something in the distance. He squints his eyes in an attempt to get a better look. As the raft gets closer to the objects, their outlines become clearer, and soon are clearly visible to the small group. Shinji gasps and falls back, landing on his rear as he stares in shock at the objects.
"What are those?" questions Misato with both curiosity and fear.
Ritsuko glances up at the objects.
"It's an Eva graveyard."
Lining the path of the boat are dozens of Evangelion skeletons. Each is identical, having it head covered by orange armor, like that of Unit 00. A large spine extends downward from each of the heads, the ends submerged in the LCL. The darkness makes it seem like the skeletons are floating in the air, their single eyes gazing down at the small raft below.
Misato stares at the skeletons for a moment before turning her attention to the raft's occupants. Shinji was still sitting near the edge of the raft, gazing at the skeletons as the raft passed them. Ritsuko was staring straight ahead with a neutral look on her face. As she turns her attention to Rei, she tries to prevent her eyes from falling out of her head. She was leaning against the opposite edge of the raft with her head propped up by her right hand. Rei, the girl that showed no emotions, was sitting with a very downcast and worried look on her face.
"Why would she be worried about all of this?" Misato wondered.
"We're here"
Misato's train of thought is broken as Ritsuko brings the raft to a halt next to a landing. The four quickly disembark and follow the doctor. They stop in front of a metal door. Misato glances at Rei, to find her with a worried and fearful expression on her face.
"What could be behind that door that would frighten her?" wonders Misato.
Ritsuko swipes her card through the reader next to the door and enters a password into the same pad. The light above it changes from red to green and a slight click is heard from the door.
The group enters the chamber beyond the metallic door. Ritsuko is the last in and shuts it behind her. As their eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, a few objects come into focus. Misato and Shinji look around the room while Rei leans against the wall next to the door, staring at the ground. Noticing the few items in the room, Shinji can't help but feel as if he's been here before. Ritsuko turns to face Shinji.
"Look familiar, Shinji?"
Then, it hits Shinji.
"This looks like Rei's room."
"That's because it is."
Shinji glances at Rei, then to Ritsuko.
"What do you mean?"
"This is where she was born and raised."
Puzzled, Shinji turns to Rei in hopes she can help him, but Ritsuko interrupts him.
"Come, we still have more to see."
Ritsuko leaves through a door opposite of the one they entered. The others follow her, first Misato, then Rei, and finally Shinji. As they continue down a corridor, Shinji can't help but watch Rei.
"What does she mean by she was 'born and raised' there?" he wonders.
The group stops in what appears to be an old test area. Several computer terminals line the room, all covered in a thick layer of dust. Just beyond the terminals is a large, glass window that oversees an empty cage.
"Remember this place, Shinji? You were right over there when it happened ten years ago."
Ritsuko points towards the large glass window.
"What do you mean?"
"This was where it was tested, an Eva; where your mother disappeared."
Shinji stares at the doctor in shock. He slowly approaches the glass and runs his hands along its surface. Images rush back to him, from that time long ago...
"Mother!"
Yui Ikari, dressed in a plug suit, looks up from the entry plug hatch and waves at her son. A four-year old Shinji smiles and waves back cheerfully, returning his hands to their places on the glass. Behind him, the technicians stand by at their consoles for the activation test. Gendo, Kouzo, and Naoko watch from behind the rows of computers.
The tests start, and young Shinji looks on at the Eva before him. Suddenly, the room is filled with shouts of panic and sirens. All is just a mumble of words to the young Ikari. He can only make out certain things, like '400% sync ratio,' 'losing her,' and 'vanished.' Shinji just turns his attention back to the place where is mother had disappeared to, not knowing that she would never return.
Shinji falls to his knees, his hands still pressed against the glass as he silently cries.
"Mother..."
Misato looks sadly upon the crying boy. She kneels down next to him and places a hand comfortingly on his shaking shoulders.
"Shinji-kun..."
"It's time to move on."
Misato jerks her head towards the speaker.
"But, Ritsuko..."
"It's ok."
Misato turns to face Shinji, who was looking up at her, his eyes red.
"I'm ok now."
Misato is about to protest, but nods in compliance. The pair stands up and follows the blonde woman. Rei straightens up and follows the trio through the other door and deeper into NERV. They eventually end up in a large, circular room. In the center is a large, clear tube filled with an orange liquid, apparently LCL, with a large network of wires and tubes connected to it directly above.
"Where are we Ritsuko?" questions Misato.
"We are at the heart of the Dummy Plug System. This is where it was all created." She pauses for a moment, glancing over at Rei before continuing. "And where she was created."
The pair turns to face the albino girl in question.
"Rei? What does she mean by that?" asks a confused Shinji.
Rei averts her gaze, not answering him. Shinji walks up to her and places a hand on her shoulder.
"Rei, you know you can tell me anything."
She looks at Shinji, gazing into his worried eyes.
"Shinji-kun...I..."
"Maybe it would be better if we showed him."
Ritsuko reaches into her lab coat pocket and pulls out a small, handheld device and presses a button. The sounds of mechanical motors start to echo throughout the room.
"What did you do Ritsuko?" demands Misato as she aims her gun at the doctor.
"You'll see," she replies with a smirk.
The metal walls around them slowly rise up into the ceiling above, exposing a layer of glass. The walls stop moving and lights activate within the new glass walls. The area behind the glass glows a deep orange, like the tube in the center of the room. Within the LCL float countless naked Reis.
Shinji stares in shock, almost falling to the floor. Misato gasps and reinforces the grip on her gun.
"What the HELL is this, Ritsuko?!"
"This is what you wanted to see, wasn't it, Misato? The facility for making the Dummy Plugs is right here. As well as some spare parts."
"What do you mean 'spare parts'?"
"These are all spare parts for Rei. You see, she's not like us. She wasn't 'born.' Rather, she was 'created.' In a nutshell, she's a clone."
"A clone? A clone of what? Does that mean these are all Rei?"
"These are just empty shells, vessels for containing a soul. All of them are empty, waiting for a soul to be infused into them. When the one containing the soul dies, the soul is transferred to another vessel. In this sense, Rei can't die. As for what she is, she's a clone of your mother, Shinji, and Lilith."
Shinji turns towards the girl, his mouth agape.
"That explains why she reminds me so much of mother and why she used to say that she could 'just be replaced,'" he thinks.
"Lilith?" questions the Major.
"The giant being that you saw before, hanging on the red cross."
"I thought that that was Adam!"
"No, Adam is somewhere else."
Ritsuko turns her attention back to the clones before her.
"These things have caused me nothing but trouble. Now I shall put an end to all of this..."
She enters a series of commands into her remote. Just before she hits the final key, a white hand stops her.
"I cannot allow you to do this."
"You can't stop me, Rei. I will destroy them all."
"I know, but I wish to be the one to end it."
Ritsuko looks at Rei with a shocked expression.
"As long as they exist, I will never be an individual. I am I. They are not me and never will be."
"Why do want to do this?" she questions suspiciously.
Rei pauses for a second, recalling her encounter in the Unit 00's entry plug.
"A friend helped me to realize all of this."
Ritsuko looks intently on the young girl, wondering if it is a trick to stop her, but all her doubts are put aside as she looks into her eyes. The two onlookers watch the pair, having heard the entire conversation. The two watch as Ritsuko lowers her hand with the remote, allowing Rei to place her hand next to hers on the button. Both turn their gaze to the clones.
"I am not a doll."
With those words, Ritsuko and Rei press the button, causing a red light to flood the LCL tank. All around them, the giggling clones start to dissolve, pieces of them falling off and slowly sinking to the bottom of the tank. Rei turns towards Shinji, who is still staring at the dissolving clones. She slowly approaches him.
"Shinji-kun..."
Shinji breaks his gaze and turns to face Rei. She stops a few feet in front of him and lowers her head.
"I...I can understand if you never want to see or speak to me again, now that you know what I really am..."
Rei closes her eyes, tears slowly falling to the cold, metal floor below. She opens her eyes as a warm hand gently lifts her head up. Shinji stands before her, a smile on his face.
"Yes, I know what you are. You are human, Rei. You are unique."
"And his sister."
The pair turn their attention to Ritsuko, who was standing next to Misato with a smile on her face.
"Being that Rei's made up of your mother's DNA, it is likely to say that she is your half-sister."
The pair stare at the doctor and the smiling Major before looking at each other.
"I...guess she's right, Rei."
"It would seem so...oniichan."
Shinji smiles at his sister.
"How 'bout we get out of here?"
Rei nods in reply and the siblings start towards the door, with the two women trailing behind them.
Misato and Shinji kick off their shoes as they enter their apartment.
"Asuka-chan, we're back!" announces Shinji.
PenPen makes his way towards his roommates and waves his flippers at them. Misato squats down and picks up the warm water penguin.
"Happy to see us, I see."
"Wark!"
Shinji walks into the living room and looks around.
"Wonder if she's sleeping?" he wonders.
He makes his way towards her door and lightly knocks on it.
"Asuka-chan? Are you in there?"
Getting no response, he knocks again.
"Asuka-chan?"
Worried, he slowly opens the door and peeks inside.
"Shinji-kun?"
"She's not in her room...?" he absentmindedly whispers.
Misato smiles at the young pilot.
"Maybe she went out or met her friends."
"Yeah, but I just have this bad feeling."
"I know! I'll check with Section 2."
"Would you, Misato?"
Misato places PenPen down and picks up the phone and calls up Section 2.
"Yes, this is Katsuragi. I would like to know the location of the Second Child....What?! Are you sure?...When?...OK...yeah....bye."
She hangs up and phone, and turns towards Shinji.
"Misato? What is it? Where is she?" he questions nervously.
"They said she left about an hour after us. They lost track of her shortly after that. They don't know where she is."
Before Misato could say another word, Shinji darts to the door, puts on his shoes, and runs out of the door. Misato heads to the door and watches as he disappears around the corner.
"Shinji-kun..."
The sound of thunder echoes through the darkening sky. A flash of lightening soon follows it. The ominous clouds start to dump their contents upon the city. In the heavy rain and darkness, a lone figure runs through the streets, shouting a single name.
"Asuka-chan!!"
Secrets
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi stands up from the log she was resting on. She looks around her, evidence of Unit 00's destruction scatter the landscape. Parts from the Eva litter the area around the blast crater, which had begun to fill with water shortly after it was made. Ritsuko lifts her left arm to wipe the sweat from her forehead, but encounters the glass helmet of her environmental suit instead. She silently curses the bulky suit.
"Dr. Akagi!!"
The head of Project E turns towards the voice and sees one of the recovery crew running towards her, arms waving in the air.
"What is it?"
"We found it!"
She wastes no time and runs towards the crewman.
"Where is it?"
The crewman nods and leads the doctor back the way he came from. After a few minutes of maneuvering through debris, the pair comes upon the entry plug of Unit 00.
The entry plug rests among several fallen trees, slightly bent in the center. Dents riddle its once smooth surface. A long crack along the front of the entry plug seeps LCL onto the ground below, forming a shallow pool.
"Have you managed to get the access hatch open yet?"
"We're working on it now."
Ritsuko turns her attention to the pair of crewman struggling to open the entry plug's side hatch. With one final grunt, the two men manage to get the hatch open, LCL flowing out of the new opening.
Ritsuko rushes past the crewman towards the open hatch. She places one foot inside the entry plug and leans in, looking up the plug. The crewmen stand and watch, nervous about the findings. After what seems like an eternity, she emerges from the hatch and turns towards the nervous men.
"Get a stretcher over here ASAP!! All findings here are to remain confidential! You cannot tell anyone about the events here today!"
"Yes, ma'am!" the men shout in unison.
As one of the men run off to retrieve the stretcher, Ritsuko turns her gaze back towards the hatch, a worried look on her face.
"WHAT?!"
The sound of Misato's voice echoes throughout the apartment as she clutches the phone.
"Where is...yeah...ok...I'm bringing him along...ok, bye."
She tosses the phone back onto its base and charges into Shinji's room.
"Shinji! Get up!"
The young pilot groans at the rude awakening. He turns on his bed to face his guardian, removing the bud of his SDAT from his right ear.
"What is it, Misato?" he asks groggily.
"Get up, now! They found her!"
His eyes widen in at the news as he bolts upright in his bed.
"You mean...?"
"Yes! Rei's alive!"
Shinji is ecstatic and instantly hops out of bed, straightening up his dress shirt as he quickly follows after his guardian. The pair quickly departs, totally unaware that they were being watched by a pair of emerald- blue eyes from a crack in a certain doorway. As the door to the apartment slams shut, the onlooker slowly closes the door she is behind. The sound of sobbing fills the air, only to be heard by the resident penguin, who was sleeping at the moment.
A young girl stirs in her bed, her body covered by a white sheet. An IV tube runs under the edge of the sheet into her arm. Several machines monitor her various functions, their beeping the only sounds in the room, besides her breathing. Another sound joins the mix, the sound of moaning. Rei shifts in her bed and slowly opens her eyes. She blinks as her eyes adjust and stares up at the ceiling.
"I'm alive..."
The blue-haired girl looks around the room, noting that she is in the infirmary. She shifts slightly, trying to assess her injuries. Her concentration is broken by the sound of the door opening. Curious, she averts her gaze towards the door, and finds herself looking at a rather shocked Shinji Ikari.
"Shinji-k..."
She is cut off as Shinji runs towards her, embracing her in a tight hug, tears freely falling from his eyes as he cries into her shoulder.
"Rei! You're alive! You're alive..."
At first, Rei is surprised by his actions. Then, she does that only thing she can do; she wraps her arms around the crying pilot. They remain comforted by each other for a few minutes, before Shinji slowly pulls away, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"I-I'm glad you're ok, Rei."
She smiles up at him. The two are caught off-guard as someone clears their throat, instantly catching their attention. Shinji turns around, eyeing Misato leaning in the doorway, whom he had totally forgotten about. Shinji and Rei blush madly, realizing that she had seen the entire scene. Shinji is the first to speak up.
"M-Misato! It-it's not..."
Misato chuckles at the two blushing teens and straightens up.
"It's ok, Shinji-kun. I understand. And you don't have to worry, I won't tell anyone of your 'visit'."
Both children look down, trying to hide their reddening faces from Misato.
"So how are you feeling, Rei?" asks Misato.
"Except for a headache, I feel fine Misato."
"That's good to hear. Let's get going, Shinji-kun. She needs her rest."
Shinji nods, walking towards the door. As he reaches the doorway, he turns around.
"See you later, Rei."
Rei nods, watching as Shinji leaves, both having a smile on their face. After the pair had left, Rei turns over on her side, slowly falling asleep. Her thoughts drift to the moment before her Eva self-destructed.
Rei sits in the seat of the entry plug, tears falling from her eyes as she waits for her end.
"Ayanami."
She closes her eyes, ignoring the voice, believing it is the Angel again.
"Ayanami, Rei."
"The voice...is not the same as the Angel's," she thinks.
Slowly, she opens her reddened eyes, looking around the entry plug. She almost jumps out of her seat as she spies a translucent, white figure in front of her.
"Who, who are you?"
The ghostly figure looks up, smiling at the frightened girl.
"I forgot, you probably won't remember me from the first. I am Akagi, Akagi, Naoko."
Rei thinks for a moment before responding.
"You are Dr. Akagi's mother, are you not?"
Naoko smiles at Rei, nodding in compliance.
"You...killed the first and then took your own life."
"Yes, I did. And I regret it all."
"Then how are you here? You are supposed to be deceased."
The elder Akagi chuckles and shakes her head.
"True, but somehow my soul got trapped in the Eva after I had 'died'."
Rei is about to respond, when she suddenly realizes something.
"The self-destruct! It..."
"It has been activated. We are in a place where time moves slower. That is why you are still alive, along with the Eva."
The pilot sighs in relief.
"So why are you communicating with me now?"
Naoko's expression turns downcast as she looks at the wall of the entry plug.
"I wish to make amends for what I did to yo...the first all those years ago."
"Why?"
"I had hated you because the Commander favored you over me. It was in anger that I took the life of the first."
"You say you killed the 'first.' Why don't you say you killed 'me'?"
Naoko smiles at her question.
"That is because you are not the first. The first was only a puppet, a tool. You, you are different. You have emotions and make your own decisions. You are human, unique. What I killed before was not human. You are, and deserve, to live."
"But I can be replaced."
"True, but is that replacement 'you'? It will only become another puppet for the Commander. It won't be human, just a doll. That is why I am going to do this. Remember, you are unique. You cannot be replaced."
Rei looks up at Naoko, nodding.
"What about you?"
"Once this Eva is destroyed, my soul will be freed."
Naoko pauses for a moment.
"It is time. Farewell, Rei. May you have a good life."
She smiles before vanishing from the entry plug, returning Rei back to normal time. A familiar orange field surrounds Rei a split second before the Eva explodes. Right before Rei loses consciousness, she has one last thought.
"Goodbye, Naoko, and thank you."
A few days later, it is late afternoon at the Katsuragi residence. Misato resides in her room, finishing up some paperwork she had 'left aside for later.' Shinji and PenPen are relax on the couch, watching the television. Asuka is in her room chatting away with Hikari. Then, the doorbell rings.
"Shinji-kun, can you get that?"
Shinji sits up on the couch.
"Sure, Misato."
The young boy heads towards the door. He yawns, stretching out his back before opening the door.
"Hel..."
"Shinji-kun, who is it?"
Misato waits a few moments. Receiving no reply, she stands up and heads out to investigate. She reaches the door, finding Shinji standing in front of it, his eyes staring straight in front of him and mouth hanging open.
"Shinji?"
Curious, she steps besides him and follows his gaze, only to also stare in utter shock at the person before them. Rei Ayanami stands in front of the door, looking curiously at the pair, a slightly blush on her face from being stared at. The young girl stands in the doorway not dressed in her usual school uniform, but casual clothes. She is dressed in sleeveless, light-blue blouse, a matching knee-length skirt, and a pair of sandals. PenPen decides to investigate and stands next to his owner. He pokes her leg with his flipper. Getting no response, he looks towards the door only to have his beak drop open as he gawks at Rei.
Shinji is the first to recover.
"Uh, hi Rei. You...look wonderful!"
"Thank you," she meekly replies, the warmth in her cheeks increasing.
"Um, would you like to come in?"
"No, thank you. But, I would like to speak to you...in private."
Misato blinks at the girl before getting the hint. She picks up the still- shocked PenPen and carries him inside, leaving the two children alone.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Rei?"
Rei hesitates before answering, trying to gather the right words.
"There...is something I need to show you."
"What is it?"
"It is not here."
"Oh. Hold on a second."
Shinji dashes inside and grabs his cell phone and wallet from his room before zipping past Misato.
"I'm going out, Misato!"
"Ok."
He meets back with Rei at the door, putting on his shoes before stepping outside.
"Let's go."
Rei nods and the pair head off. Inside, Misato waits until she is sure they would have had enough time to be a few blocks from the building. She quickly dresses in her usual work attire, but this time she checks her handgun, making sure that it was fully loaded before placing it in the holster under her jacket.
"I'm going to work Asuka!"
With that, she leaves the girl and penguin alone. The warm-water penguin makes its way through the hallway, planning on relaxing in a bathtub full of warm water. He pauses in front of Asuka's room, a soft noise catching his attention, but he just shrugs it off and heads into the bathroom. Inside of Asuka's room, the young girl lies on her bed, burying her face in her pillow as she cries.
Rei leads Shinji through the maze of corridors in NERV, passing through several sealed doors with the help of Rei's ID card.
"So what exactly are you going to show me, Rei?"
"You shall see, soon."
He watches the girl in front of him, slightly worried because she hadn't turned to face him since they had left. Eventually, the pair ends up in front of a large, locked door. Shinji glances at the security pad.
"This requires top-level clearance! I don't think we can get in, Rei."
Rei says nothing and sweeps her card through the reader and inputs a series of keys. The light above the pad changes from red to green and the doors begin to open.
"What are you two doing here?!"
The two turn around to face a visibly angry Ritsuko Akagi.
"Rei, why is he here?" she says as she points at the frightened boy.
"He has to know."
"Out of the question! There is no way I will allow it!"
"Allow what, Akagi?"
Ritsuko tenses up as the cold barrel of a handgun is pressed into the back of her head.
"Misato!" blurts out Shinji.
"What are you doing here, Katsuragi?" spits out Ritsuko.
"Let's just say I also want to see what's beyond that door."
The doctor looks from Misato to the two pilots. She jams her hands into her lab coat pockets.
"Well, let's get the tour started, shall we?" she responds coldly.
Ritsuko steps through the open doors and into a waiting elevator.
"You coming?"
Misato, Rei, and Shinji step into the elevator. The doors close and they begin their descent into Central Dogma.
The elevator stops after a dew minutes. Upon exiting the elevator, they encountered a large sea of LCL in a massive corridor.
"Alright, everyone into the raft." orders the doctor.
They all hop into the waiting rubber raft. Ritsuko starts up the motor and they are soon on their way. After a while, Shinji notices something in the distance. He squints his eyes in an attempt to get a better look. As the raft gets closer to the objects, their outlines become clearer, and soon are clearly visible to the small group. Shinji gasps and falls back, landing on his rear as he stares in shock at the objects.
"What are those?" questions Misato with both curiosity and fear.
Ritsuko glances up at the objects.
"It's an Eva graveyard."
Lining the path of the boat are dozens of Evangelion skeletons. Each is identical, having it head covered by orange armor, like that of Unit 00. A large spine extends downward from each of the heads, the ends submerged in the LCL. The darkness makes it seem like the skeletons are floating in the air, their single eyes gazing down at the small raft below.
Misato stares at the skeletons for a moment before turning her attention to the raft's occupants. Shinji was still sitting near the edge of the raft, gazing at the skeletons as the raft passed them. Ritsuko was staring straight ahead with a neutral look on her face. As she turns her attention to Rei, she tries to prevent her eyes from falling out of her head. She was leaning against the opposite edge of the raft with her head propped up by her right hand. Rei, the girl that showed no emotions, was sitting with a very downcast and worried look on her face.
"Why would she be worried about all of this?" Misato wondered.
"We're here"
Misato's train of thought is broken as Ritsuko brings the raft to a halt next to a landing. The four quickly disembark and follow the doctor. They stop in front of a metal door. Misato glances at Rei, to find her with a worried and fearful expression on her face.
"What could be behind that door that would frighten her?" wonders Misato.
Ritsuko swipes her card through the reader next to the door and enters a password into the same pad. The light above it changes from red to green and a slight click is heard from the door.
The group enters the chamber beyond the metallic door. Ritsuko is the last in and shuts it behind her. As their eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, a few objects come into focus. Misato and Shinji look around the room while Rei leans against the wall next to the door, staring at the ground. Noticing the few items in the room, Shinji can't help but feel as if he's been here before. Ritsuko turns to face Shinji.
"Look familiar, Shinji?"
Then, it hits Shinji.
"This looks like Rei's room."
"That's because it is."
Shinji glances at Rei, then to Ritsuko.
"What do you mean?"
"This is where she was born and raised."
Puzzled, Shinji turns to Rei in hopes she can help him, but Ritsuko interrupts him.
"Come, we still have more to see."
Ritsuko leaves through a door opposite of the one they entered. The others follow her, first Misato, then Rei, and finally Shinji. As they continue down a corridor, Shinji can't help but watch Rei.
"What does she mean by she was 'born and raised' there?" he wonders.
The group stops in what appears to be an old test area. Several computer terminals line the room, all covered in a thick layer of dust. Just beyond the terminals is a large, glass window that oversees an empty cage.
"Remember this place, Shinji? You were right over there when it happened ten years ago."
Ritsuko points towards the large glass window.
"What do you mean?"
"This was where it was tested, an Eva; where your mother disappeared."
Shinji stares at the doctor in shock. He slowly approaches the glass and runs his hands along its surface. Images rush back to him, from that time long ago...
"Mother!"
Yui Ikari, dressed in a plug suit, looks up from the entry plug hatch and waves at her son. A four-year old Shinji smiles and waves back cheerfully, returning his hands to their places on the glass. Behind him, the technicians stand by at their consoles for the activation test. Gendo, Kouzo, and Naoko watch from behind the rows of computers.
The tests start, and young Shinji looks on at the Eva before him. Suddenly, the room is filled with shouts of panic and sirens. All is just a mumble of words to the young Ikari. He can only make out certain things, like '400% sync ratio,' 'losing her,' and 'vanished.' Shinji just turns his attention back to the place where is mother had disappeared to, not knowing that she would never return.
Shinji falls to his knees, his hands still pressed against the glass as he silently cries.
"Mother..."
Misato looks sadly upon the crying boy. She kneels down next to him and places a hand comfortingly on his shaking shoulders.
"Shinji-kun..."
"It's time to move on."
Misato jerks her head towards the speaker.
"But, Ritsuko..."
"It's ok."
Misato turns to face Shinji, who was looking up at her, his eyes red.
"I'm ok now."
Misato is about to protest, but nods in compliance. The pair stands up and follows the blonde woman. Rei straightens up and follows the trio through the other door and deeper into NERV. They eventually end up in a large, circular room. In the center is a large, clear tube filled with an orange liquid, apparently LCL, with a large network of wires and tubes connected to it directly above.
"Where are we Ritsuko?" questions Misato.
"We are at the heart of the Dummy Plug System. This is where it was all created." She pauses for a moment, glancing over at Rei before continuing. "And where she was created."
The pair turns to face the albino girl in question.
"Rei? What does she mean by that?" asks a confused Shinji.
Rei averts her gaze, not answering him. Shinji walks up to her and places a hand on her shoulder.
"Rei, you know you can tell me anything."
She looks at Shinji, gazing into his worried eyes.
"Shinji-kun...I..."
"Maybe it would be better if we showed him."
Ritsuko reaches into her lab coat pocket and pulls out a small, handheld device and presses a button. The sounds of mechanical motors start to echo throughout the room.
"What did you do Ritsuko?" demands Misato as she aims her gun at the doctor.
"You'll see," she replies with a smirk.
The metal walls around them slowly rise up into the ceiling above, exposing a layer of glass. The walls stop moving and lights activate within the new glass walls. The area behind the glass glows a deep orange, like the tube in the center of the room. Within the LCL float countless naked Reis.
Shinji stares in shock, almost falling to the floor. Misato gasps and reinforces the grip on her gun.
"What the HELL is this, Ritsuko?!"
"This is what you wanted to see, wasn't it, Misato? The facility for making the Dummy Plugs is right here. As well as some spare parts."
"What do you mean 'spare parts'?"
"These are all spare parts for Rei. You see, she's not like us. She wasn't 'born.' Rather, she was 'created.' In a nutshell, she's a clone."
"A clone? A clone of what? Does that mean these are all Rei?"
"These are just empty shells, vessels for containing a soul. All of them are empty, waiting for a soul to be infused into them. When the one containing the soul dies, the soul is transferred to another vessel. In this sense, Rei can't die. As for what she is, she's a clone of your mother, Shinji, and Lilith."
Shinji turns towards the girl, his mouth agape.
"That explains why she reminds me so much of mother and why she used to say that she could 'just be replaced,'" he thinks.
"Lilith?" questions the Major.
"The giant being that you saw before, hanging on the red cross."
"I thought that that was Adam!"
"No, Adam is somewhere else."
Ritsuko turns her attention back to the clones before her.
"These things have caused me nothing but trouble. Now I shall put an end to all of this..."
She enters a series of commands into her remote. Just before she hits the final key, a white hand stops her.
"I cannot allow you to do this."
"You can't stop me, Rei. I will destroy them all."
"I know, but I wish to be the one to end it."
Ritsuko looks at Rei with a shocked expression.
"As long as they exist, I will never be an individual. I am I. They are not me and never will be."
"Why do want to do this?" she questions suspiciously.
Rei pauses for a second, recalling her encounter in the Unit 00's entry plug.
"A friend helped me to realize all of this."
Ritsuko looks intently on the young girl, wondering if it is a trick to stop her, but all her doubts are put aside as she looks into her eyes. The two onlookers watch the pair, having heard the entire conversation. The two watch as Ritsuko lowers her hand with the remote, allowing Rei to place her hand next to hers on the button. Both turn their gaze to the clones.
"I am not a doll."
With those words, Ritsuko and Rei press the button, causing a red light to flood the LCL tank. All around them, the giggling clones start to dissolve, pieces of them falling off and slowly sinking to the bottom of the tank. Rei turns towards Shinji, who is still staring at the dissolving clones. She slowly approaches him.
"Shinji-kun..."
Shinji breaks his gaze and turns to face Rei. She stops a few feet in front of him and lowers her head.
"I...I can understand if you never want to see or speak to me again, now that you know what I really am..."
Rei closes her eyes, tears slowly falling to the cold, metal floor below. She opens her eyes as a warm hand gently lifts her head up. Shinji stands before her, a smile on his face.
"Yes, I know what you are. You are human, Rei. You are unique."
"And his sister."
The pair turn their attention to Ritsuko, who was standing next to Misato with a smile on her face.
"Being that Rei's made up of your mother's DNA, it is likely to say that she is your half-sister."
The pair stare at the doctor and the smiling Major before looking at each other.
"I...guess she's right, Rei."
"It would seem so...oniichan."
Shinji smiles at his sister.
"How 'bout we get out of here?"
Rei nods in reply and the siblings start towards the door, with the two women trailing behind them.
Misato and Shinji kick off their shoes as they enter their apartment.
"Asuka-chan, we're back!" announces Shinji.
PenPen makes his way towards his roommates and waves his flippers at them. Misato squats down and picks up the warm water penguin.
"Happy to see us, I see."
"Wark!"
Shinji walks into the living room and looks around.
"Wonder if she's sleeping?" he wonders.
He makes his way towards her door and lightly knocks on it.
"Asuka-chan? Are you in there?"
Getting no response, he knocks again.
"Asuka-chan?"
Worried, he slowly opens the door and peeks inside.
"Shinji-kun?"
"She's not in her room...?" he absentmindedly whispers.
Misato smiles at the young pilot.
"Maybe she went out or met her friends."
"Yeah, but I just have this bad feeling."
"I know! I'll check with Section 2."
"Would you, Misato?"
Misato places PenPen down and picks up the phone and calls up Section 2.
"Yes, this is Katsuragi. I would like to know the location of the Second Child....What?! Are you sure?...When?...OK...yeah....bye."
She hangs up and phone, and turns towards Shinji.
"Misato? What is it? Where is she?" he questions nervously.
"They said she left about an hour after us. They lost track of her shortly after that. They don't know where she is."
Before Misato could say another word, Shinji darts to the door, puts on his shoes, and runs out of the door. Misato heads to the door and watches as he disappears around the corner.
"Shinji-kun..."
The sound of thunder echoes through the darkening sky. A flash of lightening soon follows it. The ominous clouds start to dump their contents upon the city. In the heavy rain and darkness, a lone figure runs through the streets, shouting a single name.
"Asuka-chan!!"