Rei-Shinji. cjb. net presents
A Studio 402 Production
A. Amishi, Akodo Tim, Dennisud, Fenrir, and ReiIkari
The Courage to Live On
Book One
Chapter 3: Altering Destiny
By A. Amishi
In a hazy field of tall grass, Rei Ayanami saw Shinji Ikari walking away from
her. For reasons she did not understand, she started running after him, but
despite her best efforts, she could not draw any closer to him.
Finally she called out, "Ikari-kun! Wait!"
"I'm right here, Rei-chan," a voice said behind her.
Startled, she quickly spun around to find Shinji standing before her.
"Ikari-kun, is that really you?" She reached out and gently ran her hand over the tip of his nose, over his lips and down to his chin, finally letting her fingers slide off his face entirely and bringing her hand to just under her own mouth. "How is this possible?"
"Does it matter, Rei-chan?" He smiled at her as he extended his arms towards her, inviting her into his embrace.
Not knowing or caring why she felt the need to be held by him, she reached out to embrace him, but as soon as she did, he vanished from sight.
Gasping in shock, she cried out, "Ikari-kun."
Again a voice from behind her spoke. "It is time, Rei."
Turning abruptly, she found herself staring at Gendo Ikari. "Commander Ikari."
"It is time to fulfill your destiny," he repeated.
"But I do not wish to, Commander. I wish to be with Ikari," Rei answered softly but firmly.
"That is irrelevant. You must fulfill your purpose," Gendo Ikari replied. "Now!"
And with that word, a wave of energy emanated from the commander in all directions. A wave that could be seen as well as felt, and the moment it hit Rei...
She opened her eyes with a start and found herself staring up at the ceiling over her bed. Sitting up slowly, she looked around. "I am in my apartment." She looked down at her hand, the hand that touched Shinji's face. "Is this what Pilot Soryu called a dream?" She raised her hand to her nose, and, closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. Slowly she opened her eyes again. "Ikari-kun?"
Tossing her blanket aside, she got out of bed and immediately got dressed. As she turned to leave, she spotted the object she had treasured for so long. She walked over to the cart where the beaker and the object sat. Lifting the eyeglasses, she held them in her hands as she looked at them with a sense of detached curiosity. Slowly, she allowed them to slip from her hands down to the floor. Lifting her right foot, she stepped down hard on the frames. The sound of glass breaking echoed in the nearly empty room. Moving her foot aside, she stared down at the remains, her expression unreadable.
She took one last look around the room she had called home for the past two years, or so the memories implanted in her told her. With steely resolve, she walked out of the tiny apartment for the last time, and headed for NERV headquarters for what she believed would be the last time as well.
---
Entering NERV Headquarters through the access way she had used ever since the angel battles started, Rei Ayanami walked down a long corridor. Passing through another set of doors that also required the use of her ID badge, she descended a long but swiftly moving escalator down to the 4th level. From there she continued down another corridor.
"Did you hear?""No, what?"
"They found the second child."
"It took them long enough. Was she alright?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I heard she was taken to the infirmary and that she hasn't regained consciousness."
"Is she in a coma?"
"Either that or catatonic."
"My, how the high and mighty have fallen."
"That's harsh."
"I suppose, but to tell you the truth I don't know what was more irritating, that redhead's constant boasting and tantrums whenever Shinji out did her, or that blue-haired girl's deafening silence all the time, like she's too good to talk to anyone but the commander."
"Shhh. Quiet, someone might hear you."
Rei stood just around the adjacent corridor on her way to the elevators that would take her to Terminal Dogma. She had stopped when she heard the second child mentioned and listened intently to the conversation, though she remained silent, not wanting to bring attention to herself.
'Why does this news concerning the Second Child trouble me? Why do I even care?'
Without further thought on this issue, she continued down the corridor, passing the intersection and in plain view of the two Project E technicians whom she had overheard.
"Do you suppose she heard us?" the female tech said to the male tech, her voice trembling ever so slightly.
"I don't know... but it doesn't really matter, does it? It's not like Rei Ayanami gives a shit about anything or anyone," the male tech replied.
"Yeah, I guess." The short, brown-haired woman stepped into the adjoining corridor and watched the First Child disappear into the distance.
"Come on. We need to get back over to Section C," her companion informed her.
She checked her watch and nodded in agreement, then turned and accompanied her friend down the corridor.
They never made it to Section C
---
Continuing down the corridor, the First Child stopped in front of the elevator that would take her down to Terminal Dogma. After a few seconds, the door opened and the petite girl stepped into the crowded lift. As it began its decent, two familiar voices began whispering.
"So how is Shinji doing since he was forced to kill K--"
"It was an angel. Try to remember that. It came to destroy us."
"Of course, I'm sorry."
"Anyway, I hear he's still taking it pretty hard. Though Nagisa was here only a short time, I guess he managed to make friends with Ikari rather quickly."
"I can't even imagine having to kill a friend, especially not like that."
"I know what you mean. I think I'd have a hard time recovering from something like that..."
The elevator stopped as three of the passengers exited, then the doors closed and it continued on its way down."I can't imagine how Ikari will react.""I know what you mean. He's such a sensitive boy. I can't help but feel sorry for him."
The two systems technicians fell silent.
As the elevator came to its next stop, everyone else in the lift began to make their way off around the young teenage girl. The two last people to exit hesitated in mild surprise and embarrassment when they saw the First Child."Oh, Rei." Maya Ibuki blushed.
A moment later, Shigeru Aoba asked, "Aren't you getting off here as well?"
"No," was the First Child's only response.
"Hmm." Shigeru looked over at Maya, who only shrugged in response. "Okay."
Walking off the elevator, they both glanced back at the young teen one last time before turning to walk away.
As the elevator doors began to close, Rei added, "Goodbye."
They both turned just in time to catch a glimpse of the child's face.
"What was that?" Shigeru asked with concern. "I've never seen Rei look like that." Turning towards his co-worker, he added, "Did you see that?"
Nodding, Maya commented, "I'm not entirely sure, but if I didn't know better, I'd say she looked... a little sad."
"I don't think I've ever seen anything as frightening as that." Shigeru looked at his watch and added, "We better get going or we'll be late."
"Right," Maya replied, and the two technicians started toward Central Dogma.
---
The elevator descended into the lowest depths of NERV known as Terminal Dogma. The only sound that could be heard was the clicking of the level indicator. The First Child stared blankly at the doors, seemingly in a trance. As the lift reached its destination and the doors opened, the young pilot hesitated for just a moment, then said as she stepped off, "I will help you, Ikari-kun. I will protect you."
Entering a large chamber with an LCL tank built for one, Rei walked up to the control panel and entered the commands she had seen Doctor Akagi enter dozens of times before. The lights above and below the tank illuminated the orange fluid. After entering another sequence of commands, she began walking towards the back of the large room and ascended the narrow staircase that led to the entry hatch above the tank. As she made her way up the stairs, she removed her garments, casually discarding them on the floor. Undoing her bra and slipping out of her panties, she dropped them on the floor and pressed the button to open the hatch. Crouching down, Rei grabbed the sides of the opening and lowered herself into the LCL. Once she was suspended in the midst of the orange fluid, the hatch automatically closed.
'The time is coming. It will be very soon now.' She weighed her options carefully as she prepared herself to join with Adam and Lilith.
After precisely 42 minutes and 11 seconds of silence, the blue-haired girl heard a distant rumbling, and could actually detect a slight quiver even from within the LCL tank.
"It has begun," she whispered.
Looking up towards the tank exit, she said softly, "Open." The hatch did as the young teen commanded.
Rei gracefully exited the tank and made her way down the stairs. Ignoring her clothes and leaving the tank active, she exited the chambers and made her way to the room that housed Lilith.
---
Entering the room with the giant white figure nailed to an even larger cross, the young pilot approached it and said, "We shall be one with Ikari-kun very soon now."
Just then Gendo Ikari entered the chamber and walked up to the girl he saw only as his tool, his instrument for achieving his goals and desires. "Rei, it is time, time to fulfill your destiny."
The First Child gasped ever so slightly, remembering those exact same words being spoken by the commander in her dream.
"Yes, Sir," she replied obediently.
Gendo drew near. "You feel the pull of Lilith, don't you? She's calling to you."
At that moment, Rei felt the ligaments in her left elbow lose their cohesion along with the surrounding muscles, nerves, blood vessels and tissues. In a matter of seconds, her hand and forearm fell to the floor with a soft thud.
"Your AT Field is failing. The time is now," the commander affirmed.
"I'm afraid not, Commander." Stepping out from the shadows was Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, pointing a gun at Commander Ikari.
"Doctor, what do you think you are doing?" the bearded man demanded.
"Stopping your selfish actions." She took a step closer. "All of this, everything, it was all just to bring her back, wasn't it?" the blonde haired woman in the lab coat asked bitterly.
"You know the answer to your own question already. Why bother asking?"
"You selfish bastard! I loved you! I could have loved you like no other, not even her. But you closed off your heart to everyone when she died, even to your own son. And for what? So you can have a moment of happiness while everyone else suffers. Hundreds, if not thousands of people are dying out there because of you. Asuka's probably dead by now because of you. Even your own son will probably die, all because of you."
"Irrelevant," he replied firmly.
"No, you're irrelevant." She pulled out a device from her pocket and held it up for him to see. "I was going to destroy the Magi and all of NERV, but I decided that was too melodramatic." She tossed the device into the LCL. "Goodbye, Gendo. It was fun while it lasted."
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A look of utter shock filled the commander's face as he dropped to his knees. Turning to look at the young naked pilot, his eyes pleaded with her as he reached out with his right hand. "Rei, please," he whispered, blood dripping from his mouth and chest.
The First Child took a half step away from the dying man, replying emotionlessly, "Farewell, Commander."His eyes grew even wider in shock at the girl's response before they glazed over and he fell face first onto the hard floor.
'I am free.' Rei realized. 'My purpose, my destiny is my own.'
But her musings were short lived once Ritsuko spoke. "As for you, my dear little Rei. We can't have you wiping out all of humanity, can we?"
The blonde haired woman took aim, and was about to shoot when the doors to the chamber swung wide open and Misato came rushing in, panting and pointing her gun at her.
"Don't do it, Ritsuko!" the purple haired woman screamed, her head bandaged and bloodstained, the right sleeve of her red leather jacket missing and her upper arm also bandaged.
"Misato!" The doctor's eyes grew wide in shock. "What are you doing here?"
"Your guard was found dead, a bullet to the head. Was that you?" her old friend asked.
"No, that was the JSSDF. I've only ever had two targets. I've taken care of one of them. Now I need to take care of the other." Doctor Akagi shifted her gaze from her friend to the small blue-haired girl.
"You can't, Ritsuko," the major insisted.
"Why not? If Rei dies, we all live. Don't you see that?" the doctor shot back.
Misato slowly, cautiously walked closer towards the two women, the whole time keeping her gun trained on Ritsuko's head. "You've got that backwards. If she dies, we all die. I've just received word from Central Command. Shinji hasn't been able to destroy the MP Evas. He's putting up a good fight, just like Asuka did, but it doesn't look like it's going to be enough, not even with the real Lance of Longinus. We need Rei to stop the Evas. She's our only hope now."
"What hope? Unit 00 is gone, there are no more Evas to fight with," the enraged doctor responded.
"I know you, Ritsuko. I know you never were one to let herself be painted into a corner, even in a situation like this. There is a way, isn't there? There is a way to stop them still," replied the major.
"But you run the risk of bringing about Third Impact!" Ritsuko countered frantically, keeping the barrel of her gun aimed at the blue-haired girl's chest.
"It's a risk we have to take. Help me, Ritsuko, help me stop the madness and save us all," the major pleaded.
The doctor's hand began to tremble as she stared into the young girl's face. "But she looks so much like Yui. I hate her." A tear escaped her right eye and ran down her cheek as she whispered, "I hate her."
"But Rei is not Yui. Rei is Rei. Don't punish her for the commander's sins." Misato slowly lowered her weapon. "Come on, Ritsuko, give me the gun and help me save the world," she said earnestly as she stepped between the doctor and the naked teen.
Staring into her long-time friend's eyes, Dr. Akagi let out a soft sigh, lowered her weapon, and handed it to the other woman. Taking her lab coat off, she walked around Misato and up to Rei, draping it over her shoulders. She bent down and picked up the girl's fallen arm, then turned and addressed her friend. "Come, we need to get Rei ready for this." She placed a gentle hand on the azure-haired girl's shoulder and started guiding her towards the exit. Stopping, she turned and asked, "Misato, do you have your utility knife?"
"Of course. Why?" The purple-haired woman replied as she holstered her gun and tossed the doctor's gun into the LCL. Getting a good look at the naked girl for the first time, she gasped in horror. "My lord, what happened to her arm?"
"There's no time to explain. Cut off Gendo's right hand. But don't bring it too close to Rei," the blonde woman instructed.
"His right hand?" the major turned and looked at the fallen commander. With some hesitation she crouched down and looked at the commander's hand, then withdrew slightly, her eyes wrinkling in disgust as she stumbled backwards. "My God! What is that?"
"That is Adam. The first angel and the first man," Doctor Akagi replied.
Grimacing at the repulsive sight of the first angel grafted into the man's hand, Misato still managed to muster the resolve to pull out her knife and hack it off. "Oh, I'm going to be sick," she moaned. The task complete, she tossed the bloody knife aside, pulled off her jacket and wrapped the hand up in it, then wiped the blood from her hands as best she could. Standing back up, she hurried to catch up to Ritsuko and Rei, who had gone on ahead to a hidden lab not far away.
---
Rei looked about the small lab. Unlike most of the other facilities in Terminal Dogma, she had never been in this room before, and it lacked the sense of familiarity she was accustomed to.
Walking over to the diagnosis table, Ritsuko placed the arm down on it, then turned to the girl. "Rei, come sit on the table."
The teen did as she was instructed. Sitting on the table, she looked over at her arm, then at where the arm used to be. 'I feel no pain. Why don't I feel pain?' she wondered. She looked up and saw the doctor opening the door to a small refrigerator at the far end of the small room. 'I must go to Ikari-kun. He calls to me. He needs me. I should not be here.' Rei shifted her gaze over to the object in Misato's hands, and she was filled with an overwhelming sense of longing. Calmly, the young teenage girl addressed her superior officer. "Major Katsuragi, will you come here please?"
Without thinking, the Operations Director began walking towards the girl in the lab coat.
"Misato! Stop!" the blonde woman yelled out, having caught a glimpse of the purple haired woman approaching the young pilot.
The major turned swiftly towards her old friend. "What?" she responded with a startled expression.
"Step away from Rei," the doctor instructed.
Turning back towards the young blue haired girl, the major saw nothing in the child's casual manner that suggested she was a threat in any way. Sitting on the observation table in nothing but Ritsuko's lab coat, she looked so small and vulnerable. Then she looked into the fiery red eyes that seemed to burn with an intensity she had never before seen from this child.
Misato flinched and stepped away slowly, backpedaling over to the doctor. "What's wrong with Rei?" she asked.
"She feels the call of Adam," Ritsuko replied before going back to her search of the refrigerator.
The major looked down at the hand she had wrapped up in her jacket, blood still dripping from it. Her expression suddenly matched her feeling of nausea. Slowly, she turned her attention back to her friend. Seeing the blonde woman searching with a sense of urgency in the small refrigerator, Misato asked, "What are you looking for?"
"Something I developed nearly a year ago," her friend answered. "The plan for bringing about Third Impact was to fuse Adam and Lillith with a human soul. The fusion of the three elements would result in the creation of a new being. The next great leap in human evolution," Ritsuko explained.
"Rei?" a puzzled Misato asked, still not understanding.
"No, Rei is simply the catalyst, the magnet that beckons all souls to her, the union of all human souls. That is Human Instrumentality. The next step in our evolution, at least that's how Seele saw it," the doctor concluded.
"Sounds more like a giant nightmare," the major countered.
"A nightmare no one will ever be able to wake up from, unless we stop it. Ah, there it is." The doctor pulled out a vial from the back of the middle shelf, then slammed the refrigerator door shut.
"So how do we stop it?" Misato inquired, following her friend over to the row of cabinets that held an assortment of medical supplies.
As she searched for a syringe, Ritsuko explained. "In anticipation of this day, Gendo had me develop a formula to allow him to control the catalyst, to direct her as he saw fit. The problem was that the formula I came up with was too powerful. In tests, not only did it block total bonding to the angelic material, it produced... unexpected results in the subject. It is my hope that by using this," she held up the vial, "we can keep Rei from completely fusing with Adam and Lilith. If we can keep them separate even while they are joined, then we have a chance." Then she paused as she found a syringe. Removing it from its protective seal, she turned the vial upside down and pierced the cover with the needle, filling it to precisely 160 cc.
"A chance?" Misato asked, not fully understanding her old friend's explanation.
"If Rei can maintain her own identity, she will be able to separate herself from this new creation, and without her human soul, it will cease to live."
"And if she can't maintain her identity?" Misato asked nervously.
Taking Rei's arm, Ritsuko wiped a swab over a vein and said, "Then the new creation will summon all souls from around the world and our bodies will be reduced to LCL."
Misato returned her sober stare for several tense moments, then turned towards Rei and said, "It's all up to you, Rei. Don't let us turn into soup."
The First Child's only response was a solitary blink
"Rei," the doctor said in an effort to grab the girl's attention. When she saw she had it, she continued, "During your whole life your destiny has been dictated for you, but now I have to ask you this. Is this what you want?" she asked, holding up the syringe.
The First Child considered the doctor's words for a moment, then gave her response. "This is not what I desire for myself, but if to do nothing would mean Ikari-kun's death..."
"It would, I'm certain of it," Misato interjected.
"And what would be Ikari-kun's response to the unification of all souls?" She looked to the major for an answer.
To which the purple-haired woman replied, "Knowing Shinji, I'm sure it wouldn't be what he would want."
"But it would take away all of his suffering and pain," the azure-haired girl reasoned.
"But it is his pain that defines Shinji and gives him the will to go on. Without it he'd most likely cease to exist as a person," the major explained.
After a long agonizing silence, the azure-haired girl responded, "I understand. I shall do my best to destroy the Evas and prevent Third Impact."
A faint smile played across the doctor's face. "Okay then." She inserted the needle into the girl's vein and slowly injected the fluid into her. The response was almost immediate, as her eyes changed from crimson red to a fiery gold and her hair fell out in a cascade of blue, only to be immediately replaced by shimmering gold locks. Even her skin took on a golden hue.
"Oh my God," Misato gasped, taking a step back in fear.
"Don't worry, she's alright," the doctor reassured her, then turned back to the young girl and asked, "How do you feel, Rei?"
In a seemingly detached voice the girl replied, "I feel, Doctor. For the first time in my life, I feel... everything." She broke into a smile and added, "Now I understand. I understand so much of what had been hidden from me." She reached out and touched Ritsuko's cheek. "Thank you, Doctor."
"Don't thank me yet, Rei. I don't know if you will be able to retain these feelings and this understanding afterward," the blonde woman explained.
"I thank you still, for at least I have them now," Rei replied, then she lowered her arm and turned towards Misato, saying, "It is time, Major Katsuragi." She extended her hand towards the purple-haired woman. "I will take Adam now."
"Adam?" the major asked.
"The hand," the doctor replied.
"You mean this is Adam?" She unfolded her jacket, exposing the creature that was concealed by it. "I thought that giant white thing hanging on the cross was Adam."
"That is Lilith, the mother of us all." Rei's voice echoed softly.
"Gendo had the embryo of Adam grafted to his hand," Ritsuko explained.
Uncertain of what to do, the major hesitated, but her friend reassured her. "It's all right, Misato. Go ahead and give it to her now."
Following her friend's instructions, she gradually extended the hand to the young pilot.
Reaching out, the doctor took the hand, to the surprise of both women. "Rei, allow me to assist you."
A placid expression crossed the young teenager's face. "Very well, Doctor."
"Thank you, Rei," Ritsuko replied, then picked up the girl's arm from the table. "Now, please lie down."
Doing as the doctor instructed, she watched as the blonde woman set her detached limb next to her where it should be, had it still been a part of her. Then she watched as Doctor Akagi gently placed the hand upon her lower abdomen. Rei's eyes fluttered ever so slightly as the embryo made contact with her skin. Ritsuko applied a small amount of pressure, but nothing happened.
"Rei, you must lower your AT field for a moment so that Adam may enter," the doctor explained.
Tilting her head towards the doctor, the young pilot's voice echoed. "I am frightened, Doctor. I do not wish to lose myself."
Offering her an expression of concern that the golden-haired girl had never seen from the doctor, she took comfort in the woman's words. "Just remember, Rei, you are in control. No matter how much Adam and Lilith will try to convince you otherwise, you are the one in control. They cannot take away your humanity unless you permit them to. Do you understand, Rei?"
A tear slipped from her left eye as a faint smile crossed her lips. "Yes, Doctor Akagi." With that, she lowered her AT Field and allowed Adam to slip into her body and enter her womb. The girl's eyes instantly went wide as she gasped. Not a moment later, the tissues and nerves of her upper left arm extended down and re-attached themselves to her lower arm. She lifted her hand, bringing it into view and lightly flexing it. While her lips did not betray any expression, Rei's golden eyes smiled knowingly, then she sat up and slid off the table.
Turning towards Ritsuko, the First Child said, "I see what you mean, Doctor." Then she headed for the door, adding, "It is time now for me to fulfill my new destiny, one I was asked to fulfill, one I have decided to fulfill of my own free will."
"Where is she going?" Misato asked.
"Back to Lilith," the blonde woman replied, following after the girl, and was quickly followed by the Major. As they made their way back to the room and across the large open space towards the white giant, Ritsuko reached out her hand and grabbed Misato's arm, halting her progress. The major turned towards her friend, giving her a questioning stare.
To which Doctor Akagi replied, "It could be dangerous for us to get any closer to it."
Misato nodded and stayed by the doctor's side.
As Rei came within a few meters of the masked angel, she whispered, "It is time." She suddenly ascended until she was even with the angel's chest, then in an instant was pulled into the white being.
"Oh my God!" Misato gasped as the angel on the cross, regenerated its legs and slowly pulled its arms and body free from the cross. It fell into the pool of LCL, feet first, causing a wave that washed over the large oval platform and splashed at the two women's feet. Slowly, the behemoth leaned forward until it was on all fours, then the mask, which covered its face, slowly pulled loose and fell off. At first it seemed to be a faceless being, but in a few seconds distinguishable features came into focus.
"My God, it's Rei," the major marveled.
The doctor simply nodded.
Once the giant being's facial features all came into focus, her eyes turned a bright shimmering gold, and a moment later so did her hair. As it raised its head, it smiled at the two women, then gradually began to rise up into the air. It passed through the ceiling and continued its ascent, growing ever larger in size.
"Oh my God! It really is Rei," Misato gasped in utter shock and horror.
"Yes, Rei has merged with Adam and Lilith, forming a new creation," Ritsuko explained.
"Does this mean she failed to maintain her own identity?" the major questioned.
"No, this was necessary for her to assume the power she needs to defeat the Evas. It's after she's completed that task that the true test of her willpower will come into play. That is when she needs to separate herself from it and return to her human form. Otherwise..." The doctor paused in fearful contemplation.
"Otherwise, Third Impact?" Fear and worry was etched on the major's face.
"Precisely," the doctor answered as she watched the glowing white angel rise up past Terminal Dogma.
"Come." Ritsuko pulled her friend's arm as the new creation rose through the building to the screams of fear and horror by all who saw her. "We need to get out of here, and we need to get everyone else out of here as well."
"That shouldn't be too hard. Asuka wiped out most of the JSSDF forces above ground and the rest were pulling out as fast as they could, but where will we go?" the major asked as she ran to keep up with her friend.
"It doesn't matter as long as it's far away from here. Otherwise we won't survive the destruction of the Eva Units," the doctor warned.
"What about Shinji and Asuka?" Concern washed over the purple-haired woman for her two young wards.
"It depends on how badly the upper cavity of their Evas were damaged. They may survive; they may not. There's really no way to tell from here."
---
As the being that possessed Rei's likeness reached the surface, it saw the dismembered remains of Eva Unit 02, and deep within the being, its soul wept at the loss of a precious human life, though its outward appearance remained stoic. As it scanned its surroundings it saw the nine mass-produced Evas huddled around a giant purple and black humanoid form.
Deep within, it whispered to itself, "Eva Unit 01, Pilot Ikari's Eva... Ikari... Ikari-kun... Ikari-kun!"
Rage welled up inside the being as it watched Eva Unit 01 desperately holding onto the Lance of Longinus as three of the Evas tried to pull it from its grasp, while the other six tore at its shoulders, legs, and back. Purple blood sprayed in every direction, bathing the Evas in it.
But while the new creation formed from the bodies of Lilith and Adam, along with the body and soul of Rei, remained silent and tranquil, the young girl who strove to maintain her humanity within wept tears of anger and rage. Slowly the giant being, which was now five times the size of the Evas and still growing, raised its right hand, and while its lips did not move, spoke the words, "By the Will of ALMIGHTY GOD, Come to Me."
And the Lance flew out of Unit 01's hands, sending the three Evas that were trying to take it sprawling onto the ground.
In less than a second, the Lance flew through the air and was in the ever-growing being's right hand.
The nine white Evas all looked up and took notice of the being that resembled a naked Rei Ayanami, many times her normal size.
Then the creation spoke again, "Beings who possess the false souls of an Angel, Come to Me."
And all nine Evas spread their wings and took to the air, forming a circle around the new creation.
Now the creation stood with the Lance in its right hand, high over its head. Purposefully, the giant being lowered its arm in front of itself and clasped the Lance with both hands, causing the Holy device to grow in like proportion to it. Then it spoke again, "Come, Rise up high and receive thy righteous judgement."
And the Evas rose even higher, howling in praise of the new creation.
The likeness of Rei Ayanami raised the Lance of Longinus over its head, holding it parallel to the ground, then began quoting from the ancient text.
"Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditations. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the day, O Lord; in the daytime will I direct my voice unto thee, and will look up. For thou art a God that hath no pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful things. Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward parts are wholly wicked; their throat is an open sepulcher; they devour with their teeth. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee."
As the creation recited the words, the Evas stretched their limbs wide and threw their heads back.
"All creatures compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I shall destroy you."
As the words echoed from the giant being, the Lance suddenly grew in length, extending past the diameter of the circle the Evas made, its edges turning razor sharp. Tightening her grip on the Lance, Rei spun around so quickly she was a blur. In that instant, she sliced all nine Evas into shreds, rupturing their S2 engines as well. But as the plasma which fueled the S2 engines came in contact with each other in the whirlwind created by Rei, the reactive elements ignited, creating an explosion so devastating that it vaporized everything within 30 kilometers.
---
From atop Mt. Futago, Misato and Ritsuko, along with about 60 other NERV employees looked up into the sky in time to witness the event.
"I never thought it would be so big," Ritsuko muttered.
"We're not far enough away," Misato realized.
"No one is," her friend replied.
A moment later the shock wave from the explosion obliterated the mountain.
---
Below the giant creation, Unit 01 dragged itself with one arm towards the shattered remains of Unit 02.
"Asuka." Shinji gasped for breath as his blood mingled with the LCL in the entry plug. "I'm coming, Asuka," he called out weakly. And just as the blinding white light of the explosion lit up the ground all around him, he tossed the mangled body of Unit 01 over Unit 02 in an effort to protect its entry plug.
---
Rei stood alone in the dark; not a sound could be heard, not a thing could be seen.
"Where am I?" she wondered aloud.
"You are in the world you created," a familiar voice told her.
"The world I created?" The First Child narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Yes, the world you desired," another voice spoke.
Turning from side to side, then all the way around, and still only seeing total darkness, Rei cautiously asked, "Who are you?"
A narrow beam of light appeared approximately 10 meters in front of her. "I am Adam."
Rei gasped. "Commander Ikari?"
"And I am Lilith," a second voice came from behind her.
Turning, Rei gasped a second time, her eyes going wide in shock. "Doctor Ikari." She looked back and forth between the two. "How is this possible? Both of you are dead. I do not understand."
"I am Adam."
"And I am Lilith."
"We appear before you in this form because..."
"This is the form which has been tied so closely to your destiny for so long."
"This is the form you have learned to trust, the only form you trust."
"That is not true," the golden-eyed girl protested as she backed away from the two of them, only to find the light following her.
"I am the only one you trust," Adam said confidently.
"I am your destiny," Lilith said assuredly.
"No." Rei continued to back away. "I do not trust you, not any longer," she said, looking over at the Commander. "You are not my destiny. My destiny is my own," she said, staring at Yuri.
The lights that illuminated Adam and Lilith went out, and Rei could not hear or sense the presence of anyone in front of her.
"What about me, Rei-chan? Do you trust me?"
Rei turned around to find Shinji standing next to her, smiling.
"Ikari-kun."
"What about me, Rei?"
Turning again, the golden-haired girl let out a small gasp. "Pilot Soryu."
"No reason to be so formal, Rei. Just call me Asuka." The red-haired girl smiled warmly.
"Yeah, Rei-chan, you're among friends now," the dark-haired boy said. "You can call me Shinji."
"But where are we?" the pale skinned girl asked.
"Don't you recognize this place?" the redhead replied.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it was the middle of the day. The sun hung high in the air and only a handful of clouds concealed the bright blue sky.
"See?" Shinji gestured to her left.
Turning, she found herself looking down on Tokyo-3. "I have been here before," she replied.
"We all have, during the blackout, remember?" Asuka reminded her.
"It's nice here," Shinji said, standing at the edge of the cliff. Turning, he gestured to her. "Come, Rei-chan, take my hand and stand here beside me." He offered the confused young teenager an innocent smile.
But she hesitated, her mind struggling with the contradictions. 'Should I believe what my eyes are showing me? Is this right?'
Before she could answer herself, she felt a warm pair of hands gently caress her shoulders and guide her towards the Third Child. "It's all right, Rei," Asuka whispered in her ear, "we're all in this together." Coming to a stop when Rei was next to Shinji, Asuka stepped to the other side of her, keeping one hand on the First Child's shoulder.
Rei stared at the Second in amazement until she felt something warm and inviting take her hand. Turning her head, she saw Shinji smiling at her. She looked down to see their hands intertwined. Looking back up at Shinji's smiling face, she could not help but smile back 'Is this what I wanted all along?' she wondered. 'Is this what joy is, is this love?' She tightened her hold on Shinji's hand and slid her other hand around Asuka's waist, drawing the Second Child closer.
"Now we can be together," the Third Child said as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Rei's temple.
The First Child closed her eyes and smiled. The Second Child rested the side of her head on Rei's shoulder and sighed happily. "Mmm hmm, together forever."
'Together... Forever... Together... Forever...' Suddenly, Rei's eyes flew open and she quickly stepped away from her two companions.
"What's wrong, Rei-chan?" Shinji asked, a mixture of pain and confusion expressed on his face.
"Yeah, what gives?" added Asuka with a pouty look.
"This is not right," the First Child insisted. "We are not so familiar." She shifted her gaze from Shinji to Asuka. "Not so friendly."
"But we can be, if you want us to be," Asuka smiled.
"You can make what ever world you want, Rei-chan." The young teenage boy stepped towards her, causing the golden haired girl to retreat. "You have the power - we have the power - to create the world we've always wanted. A world free of pain and sadness and loneliness."
"A world free of regret and agonizing memories." Asuka stepped forward.
"A world filled with love..." the boy stated.
"... and hope," the redhead added as she stood next to him.
"This is not real. You are not real," Rei declared forcefully, staring directly at Shinji. "You have never been comfortable enough around me to call me Rei-chan." Turning her gaze on Asuka, she continued, "And you hate me, you have always hated me." She turned and looked up at the clear blue sky. "None of this is real. This is all an illusion, all of it," she whispered sadly.
"If real is what you want," the Second and Third Child said in unison, "Then you shall have it."
In the blink of an eye the sky turned a dull red and the mountain Rei had been facing was no more. The First Child gasped, and her eyes went wide in horror as she spun around and let out a scream, stumbling backwards and falling to the ground.
Before her stood her fellow pilots, but not as they were before. Both were charred almost beyond recognition. Asuka was missing her left eye, and her right arm was shattered and lifeless. Her abdomen was torn open and the smoldering remains of her entrails lay before her. Shinji's arms had multiple lacerations and deep bite marks, the muscles and tissues completely torn from his shoulders, exposing the bones. The same was true for his legs, which had large chunks of flesh missing.
Rei turned away in horror, but Shinji insisted, "Come look at what the Evas did to us, at what you did to us."
Rei's head snapped back towards the boy, her eyes wide in shock. "I did this to you?"
"When you destroyed the Evas, you caused an explosion so powerful it obliterated the surrounding mountains, vaporized the city, and caused the LCL in the entry plugs to boil and evaporate, boiling Shinji and I alive and melting down the shielding until the entry plugs were exposed and melted as well," Asuka informed her.
"And as if boiling alive wasn't enough, we burst into flames once the entry plugs melted down," the male pilot added.
"This cannot be. I came to save you, to save everyone," the golden haired girl insisted.
"How ironic, because instead you ended up killing everyone."
"Come, see with your own eyes." Shinji gestured towards the edge of the translucent plain they stood upon.
Slowly, Rei stood up and made her way to the plain's edge. Looking down at what was once Mt. Futago, the young girl gasped in horror at the sight below. Amongst the devastation, there were scattered about the barren wastes the skeletal remains of about fifty or so people. Hardly anything remained of them save their bones, but next to one of the bodies was what appear to be a silver necklace, partially melted, and at the end of it a silver cross.
"My God, it is true. I killed them all. I killed everyone." Tears began to roll down the girl's pale face.
"It's okay, Rei." Asuka placed a restored hand upon the golden haired girl's shoulder. "It doesn't have to be this way."
Looking over at the redhead, Rei saw that the girl was whole once again. Quickly turning her head towards the boy, she saw he too was whole and without any signs of injury. She smiled and reached up to touch his face, but as her fingers came in gentle contact with his cheek, her smile slowly faded.
For his part, Shinji seemed not to notice the change in Rei's expression, relishing in the feel of her soft warm hand upon his cheek, but all too quickly, for him, her hand was withdrawn, and once again the girl with the golden hair and golden eyes stepped away from her two comrades.
"What's wrong, Rei-chan?" Shinji asked sorrowfully.
"This is what Doctor Akagi warned me about," she answered. "I am allowing my emotions, these feelings I am experiencing, to cloud my judgment, to sway me, to keep me from doing what I know I must do."
"But if you do, then everyone you've ever known will be dead, and you'll be all alone," Asuka warned.
Rei looked down in deep concentration. 'She is correct. Though this would not have been a problem before, with these feelings I now possess...' She looked up at Asuka, then to Shinji, and her eyes welled up in unshed tears. 'I do not know if I could bear being alone.' But slowly her features steeled with a resolve that came from a deeper realization, and with an assurance that she did not possess just a moment earlier. Looking up at her comrades once again, she said, "But if I can create an alternate reality, then I can also alter this reality."
"What do you mean?" a startled Asuka questioned.
"I can roll back time to just before I destroyed the Evas," she answered.
"But we will still be seriously maimed." Shinji said as he and Asuka changed yet again, this time to the condition the real second and third child were in after their battles with the Evas.
"I wish there were something I could do about that. But to roll time any further back would not alter the results of your battles, and to alter the true reality any more would be conceding to your wishes... Adam," Rei stared pointedly at the being that had taken Shinji Ikari's form, "... Lilith," she shifted her stare over to the being who had assumed the form of Asuka Langley Soryu.
That said, Rei's eyes began to glow a brilliant shimmery gold and her hair radiated out from her, producing the appearance of a golden aura about the girl's head.
"NO, REI!!!!" Lilith cried out.
"PLEASE, REI-CHAN, I-I LOVE YOU!!!" Adam screamed in desperation.
But the girl who was the catalyst for Third Impact had already set things in motion and was not about to be swayed as a bright light began to emit from deep within her being. In a matter of seconds, the light engulfed her completely and continued to radiate out until the other two people on the plain were engulfed by it, then the surrounding region, and eventually, the whole world.
---
Shinji struggled to hold onto the Lance with the remaining strength in his tortured body, but before he knew it, the long red object was ripped from his grasp and sailed across the air, right into the hands of a giant white form with wings and golden hair and eyes. Looking up, he stared at it for a moment as familiarity with this being's features slowly filled his mind. "Rei? Rei Ayanami?"
Before he could process what had happened, the nine Evas that had been attacking him took flight and were now around the winged giant.
"NO! Leave her alone!" he screamed, trying to take a step towards her, but the leg of his Eva collapsed beneath him and he fell to the ground. "Leave her alone, leave her alone," he wept bitterly as he tried desperately to drag Unit 01 across the ground in their direction. He managed to cover about 200 meters before he noticed the ground around him shifting in and out of the shadows, causing Shinji to look up and see the winged giant and the nine Evas flying high into the sky. "What?" He strained to keep Rei in view, but after just a short time it became nearly impossible for him to follow them. Turning his attention back to the surface, he spotted in the distance the shattered remains of Unit 02. "Asuka!" As quickly as he could, he forced Unit 01 over to the carcass that was once Unit 02. "Asuka, please be alive, please." The boy began to cry once again as Unit 01 crawled up onto Unit 02 and shook it by the shoulders in hopes of stimulating some sign of life from within the disemboweled creature. Suddenly, a brilliant light flashed from high above the sky. Looking up quickly, the young male pilot saw an explosion emanating from what he believed to be Rei and the nine Evas. Instinctively, he covered Unit 02 with his Eva as best he could in hopes of saving Asuka. Clutching his instruments tightly and squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the impact of the explosion, but after several agonizing seconds, nothing happened. Cautiously, he looked up and marveled. "Oh My God!"
Having exhausted all of his remaining strength, the Third Child's eyes wavered, then closed as he slumped in his seat and his Eva slumped motionless over the remains of Unit 02.
---
From atop Mt. Futago, Misato and Ritsuko, along with about 60 other NERV employees, looked up into the sky in time to witness the event.
"I never thought it would be so big," Ritsuko muttered.
"We're not far enough away," Misato realized.
"No one is," her friend replied.
Suddenly, a brilliant white light flashed in the sky and everyone dropped to the ground. After a few seconds, Ritsuko opened her eyes and rolled over to stare up at the sky. "My Lord."
This caused Misato to do the same. Gasping in shock, she asked, "What is that?"
"That's Rei's AT Field," the doctor answered.
"But how can she extend it so far?" the major wondered aloud.
"I don't know. I had no idea she was this powerful," Ritsuko marveled.
"She's protecting us," Maya said as she walked up to them.
"She's protecting the entire planet," Misato corrected as she looked out into the horizon in every direction, and in every direction Rei's AT Field extended beyond sight, keeping the devastating explosion high above the planet's atmosphere.
More than a minute later the explosion dissipated, and slowly the AT Field began to shrink until it came down to one point in the sky. Staring up at that point, Ritsuko, Misato, and Maya were able to make out a small white figure beginning to fall at high speed.
"Rei!" Misato was the first to react, rushing down the mountainside in a desperate attempt to reach the First Child before she hit the ground.
Ritsuko turned to her assistant, "Stay here and look after the others," then she ran after her old friend and colleague.
---
Having commandeered an abandoned JSSDF jeep, they came to a small crater in the heart of the city and could make out the petite form of the girl they sought in the middle of it.
Rushing down into the crater, they picked up her frail, dust-covered body and turned her over.
"Amazing. No contusions, cuts, or breaks whatsoever," the doctor said with complete astonishment as she performed a quick analysis of the young girl.
"She must have had just enough strength to keep her AT Field up until she made impact," Misato replied as she wiped the dust from the girl's face and hair. "Oh my."
"What?" The doctor turned her attention to her friend.
"Her hair, it's blue again." She smiled.
Just then the girl stirred as her eyes fluttered open. "Major Katsuragi?" She paused. "Did I complete my mission successfully?" she whispered.
Looking down, Misato spotted the familiar red orbs that she once found so unsettling, but now found quite reassuring. "Yes, Rei, you did an excellent job. You saved us all."
"Rei, what's the last thing you remember?" Ritsuko asked.
The young teen blinked several times before responding, "I recall your attempt to place Adam into my womb, but I maintained my AT Field. You told me I needed to lower it, which I did." She paused again. "That is all I can remember." Slowly, with Misato's help, she was able to sit up. "Doctor, was I able to join with Adam and Lilith?"
"Yes, Rei, you did everything we needed you to do. Just like Misato said, you did an excellent job," the doctor said with a smile as she slipped off her jacket and draped it over the naked girl's shoulders. "Can you stand, Rei?"
"I am not certain." The First Child tried to get up, but quickly fell back down. "It seems my body lacks the strength for such actions."
"That's alright, Rei, just relax." Misato slid her arms behind Rei's back and under her legs, and lifted the petite child up in her arms.
"Please, Major, do not hurt yourself," the First Child warned.
"Don't worry, Rei, you're not heavy at all," the major replied as she and the doctor made their way out of the crater and back into the jeep. Misato sat Rei in the back seat and Ritsuko took the seat next to her so she could continue to check on her condition.
As Misato got into the driver's seat, Rei asked, "What of Ikari and Soryu? What is their condition?"
"We don't know yet, but we'll find out soon enough." Misato drove off, even more concerned about her two wards then the First Child appeared to be. But she knew she needed to take care of who was in the vehicle now, if for no other reason than simply because she owed Rei her life, as did everyone else on the planet.
--- ---Author's Notes: (2004-6-25)
First I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies for taking so very long to complete this chapter. Unfortunately, real life has a way of throwing a monkey wrench in the best laid plans. I'm so very grateful to Ayanami-chan, Akodo Tim, and the others for their patience and understanding in the long wait. I'd also like to offer a great big thank you to my personal beta-reader, Janice, who isn't even an Eva fan yet took the time to edit this chapter for me and offered constructive comments as well.
This is the most unusual project and yet one of the most rewarding I've ever been a part of. Everyone is so very helpful and supportive and offered wonderful comments. I'm really glad to be working on this project, and I'm sure we will follow through with this till the end, so don't worry if any given chapter takes a while to get posted, it's most likely real life intruding on our ability to write in a timely manner, but nothing to get nervous about. It will be completed.
For those of you that are interested, the quotes were taken from the Book of Psalms chapters 5 and 118. I did alter them to better suit my needs for this story, so they are not an exact quote. Also, just in case you were wondering, I did say Lilith and Adam, even though they still looked like Asuka and Shinji at that moment when Rei is about to turn back time and destroy the mass produced Evas once again, so as to make sure everyone understood that this was not the real Asuka nor the real Shinji she had been speaking to the entire time, but rather Lilith and Adam appearing as Asuka and Shinji, attempting to prey upon her emotions in order to keep her from separating from them and essentially destroying them. I hope that was made clear in the chapter. The second half of this chapter took a great deal of time and concentration to get it right. At least I hope I got it right.
As for the next chapter, well, let's just say you'll be in for a treat.
A. Amishi