Rei/Lilith watched Shinji and Asuka embrace each other on the beach with an inscrutable expression on her face. 'Rei,' 'Lilith,' 'Yui….' The titles mattered little to the girl who contained the soul of mankind's mother within her. Rei remained silent as she watched the ending of an era for mankind, and the beginning of a new one. Slowly, she slid under the waves of LCL, and sank back into the primordial soup of human souls below her. As she descended, the LCL around her shifted from red to soft, shimmering yellow.

Coming into clear sight in front of Rei, a young woman with short, brown hair approached her. A calm expression on her face that did little to hide the anxiety in her eyes, and soul, Yui Ikari nodded in greeting to Rei.

"Has he made his decision?" Yui's voice carried an uncharacteristic note of strain, audible even in the ethereal world of human souls.

Rei regarded Yui for a long moment, noting the striking physical similarities between themselves. Her body, a clone of Yui's, and containing the soul of Lilith – the mother of all humanity – Rei was still an individual separate from either; and had finally come to terms with her identity during the Third Impact.

"He has," Rei nodded slowly.

"And?" Yui asked, the flesh around her eyes tightening.

"His decision was his own to make," Rei said with mild reproof, but she smiled softly. Catching her look, Yui's face dissolved into relief, and she returned the smile.

"She's good for him, you know," Yui offered.

"And he is good for her," Rei countered, a hint of wry humor in her eyes. Yui smiled reflectively at that, and turned away to watch the flitting flashes of human souls as they darted about in the LCL around her.

"So what now?" Yui asked calmly, her back still to Rei. Rei thought for a moment, letting the yellow LCL drift across her face and push her azure hair in all directions.

"The decision to return must be given to all," Rei stated decisively. At this, Yui turned to regard her, a sad smile on her face.

"It will take time…"

"We have time," Rei returned, "But for now, immediate matters need to be dealt with." Closing her crimson eyes, Rei seemed to concentrate for a moment. Drifting into existence before the two women like an apparition, the hunched form of Keel Lorenz appeared. Regarding first Rei, then Yui with a sneer, the Chairman of Seele said nothing. Yui regarded him stonily, no expression of emotion showing on her now blank face. Rei broke the silence first, her voice calm and without malice.

"You have much to answer for, Keel."

"I did what I thought best for humanity! I make no apologies," Keel growled at Rei, his brow furrowed and teeth clenched. "Certainly not to a half-breed abomination like you!" At this, Yui's eyes narrowed to slits.

"We did not ask for an apology," Rei replied calmly, "You have been called to make a decision."

Keel's expression darkened even further.

"What decision?"

"Stay down here, or return," Yui offered icily. Keel turned pale and his jaw gaped with horror.

"You can't take this away! This is the pinnacle of humanity's evolution; an existence without pain or loneliness." Keel's scowl returned when he saw his arguments were having little effect on both Rei and Yui.

"Just as you took the first decision away from others, the final decision is taken away from you," Yui stated coldly.

"You can't be serious Yui," Keel spat angrily, "You were our successor! You know better than anyone else, the exquisite perfection of Instrumentality."

Yui returned his angry glare with an eloquent silence.

"Ungrateful bitch!" Keel roared, a note of desperation in his voice, "Fine, let it all return! Seele will be reborn, and the quest for mankind's godhood will continue, with or without you."

"No," Rei replied stiffly.

"No," Yui affirmed, placing her left arm around Rei and looking down at her with a bitter-sweet smile on her face.

"Eva is my sin, and I will atone for it," Yui whispered, her voice nonetheless, containing an iron conviction in it, "I will remain here for eternity, to prevent it from ever happening again."

"You can't do this!" Keel sneered with disdain, "You would forsake everything we have worked for just to be alone again?"

Decisively, Rei placed her right hand over Yui's left and faced Keel.

"She will not be alone. And her decision has already been made. It is clear that you are beyond redemption. Your fate will be determined by your future actions Lorenz Keel, choose them wisely."

Before Keel could get in a reply, Rei savagely jerked her hand in a chopping motion, and he faded from view. Softly stroking Rei's shoulder, Yui smiled at her gently.

"Thank you for that Rei. Don't let it get to you. Some will never understand."

"I do not wish for another Third Impact Dr. Ikari," Rei said quietly, "I will help you in any way that I can." Yui responded by putting both her arms around Rei in a tender embrace. A few moments passed in silence, and Rei stirred in Yui's arms, moving away as the business at hand had to be dealt with.

"And you three," Rei said after they had separated, "What have you decided?"

Abruptly, Toji Suzuhara, Aida Kensuke, and Hikari Horaki popped into existence in front of Yui and Rei. Bemused expressions on all three of their faces, they looked at one another before turning back to face the two women.

"Let me get this straight," Aida said in a serious voice as he pushed his glasses up, "Shinji and Asuka think they're the only ones left on the planet?"

Rei nodded slowly, "The decision was given first to them, so no one else has returned yet."

"Typical," Aida said with a good-natured grin on his face, "Shinji always gets to try something first. Well, I say it's time we get back there and crash his private party!"

"Hell yeah!" Toji agreed, "Plus we gotta make sure the red-haired banshee doesn't suck his brains out or something,' "

Clearing her throat loudly, and aiming a well placed elbow at his stomach, Hikari asserted her authority.

"Shut it Suzuhara," she growled as he doubled over in agony, "I think it'll be great to see Asuka again," she said with a smile on her face, "And it looks like I'll be keeping an eye on the 'Three Stooges' again too."

Yui watched the exchange quietly and smiled at them after they made clear their decision.

"Good luck kids, and take care of Shinji for me!"

"Don't worry Dr. Ikari," Hikari replied respectfully, but with a big grin on her face.

"Yeah, no sweat Shinji's mom, see ya!" Toji crowed.

"Thank you Dr. Ikari," Aida offered brightly. Almost self-consciously, he turned to look at Rei with a shy smile on his face. "And Rei… maybe you could come visit us sometime… you're always welcome here with us."

"Ah, yes," Rei replied a slight blush on her surprised face, "Thank you. Perhaps I will some time."

Yui hid her smile with a well timed cough, and waved at the departing children.

"Take care kids!" The trio waved back and faded from view.

"And what do the adults think?" Rei asked into the silence, and immediately, Misato Katsuragi and Kaji Ryoji materialized before them. Kaji had a smug grin on his face but before he could speak, Misato – wearing a bitter smile – broke in first.

"Did you just call me an 'adult?' " She asked quietly, "How can a flawed, dirty creature like me be considered an 'adult?' " There was no mistaking the self-loathing and regret that permeated her voice and emotions. In response, Yui merely raised her right eyebrow slightly.

"Everyone makes mistakes Major Katsuragi. Adults simply learn from them and move on. For all your supposed flaws, you have always had the courage to do what is right. More to the point, you have become the mother to Shinji I could never be."

Misato blushed slightly, but refused to look up at Yui.

"If you're flawed, your flaws complete the overall perfection of your character," Yui offered earnestly, "If you're dirty, it is the grime of this imperfect world that stains you."

A heavy burden seemed to lift itself from Misato, and she unconsciously straightened up and looked at Yui. Tears threatened to flow from her eyes, but Misato resolutely held them at bay.

"I…. I…. thank you…," She managed to whisper, the catharsis of relief audible in her voice. Kaji, who had remained silent during the conversation, grinned as he put his arm around her possessively.

"C'mon Misato," he prodded, "It's a new beginning. Let go of the past and learn from your mistakes, right? Those kids are gonna need some guidance, and who better to learn from than the two people who have made the most mistakes in their lives: you and me!"

Misato smiled slightly, but turned to look back at Rei and Yui with a serious look on her face.

"It's a big responsibility."

"Which is why we're asking you," Rei replied sincerely.

"You guys seem to know the answer you want to hear from me," Misato said with a grimace.

"The choice of course, is yours," Yui explained innocently, "It's just hard for us to sit by and let the best person for the job get away." Kaji started to laugh, and even Rei had a slight smile on her face.

"All right, all right," Misato said in between giggling, "I'll go back. Guess it would be hypocritical of me to stay here after that big speech I gave to Shinji about taking responsibility."

"Yeah," Kaji added in his most innocent tone of voice, "Plus you did promise to 'finish the rest' after he got back." Something dangerous flashed across Misato's eyes as she jerked up to look at Kaji suspiciously.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, after you got shot," Kaji explained, a mischievous grin breaking through his innocent façade, "And you gave Shinji an 'adult kiss' you promised to 'do the rest' after he got back...I'm sure he's still waiting."

Misato seemed to spit with outrage as her entire face burned a deep crimson. "Why you! You bastard! Of all the embarrassing things to bring up! When we get back I'm gonna beat you till you stay dead!"

Kaji laughed heartily and continued to egg her on. "I do hope you'll be more gentle than our first time together… you were so strong!"

Misato seemed to erupt like a volcano, inarticulate sounds of anger bursting out of her as she attempted to strangle Kaji. Kaji continued to laugh as he held her at bay while Rei looked on in mystified disbelief and Yui cleared her throat in a dignified way.

"Good luck you two, and please continue to look after Shinji for me," Yui said with an amused look on her face. Kaji and Misato abruptly stopped arguing and turned to say their farewells to her.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Dr. Ikari," Kaji offered a bow, and then turned to nod at Rei, "Take care of yourself Rei."

Rei bowed in return, "Yes sir."

Abruptly, Misato hugged Rei in an embrace that caught her completely by surprise. "Take care of your self Rei," she said as tears streamed down her face, "Don't ever hesitate to come see us. I'm sure the others would love to see you again sometime."

Rei nodded awkwardly as she moved out of Misato's arms, "Ah, yes ma'am… thank you ma'am."

Misato smiled at her and then turned to face Yui, a determined expression on her face. "I promise you, I will take care of your son as best I can," she said gravely, "I will take care of them all."

Yui took Misato's hand and looked at her. "Just keep being the person you have always been and I have no doubt in my mind that you will keep your promise." Misato blushed in a pleased sort of way.

"Thank you," she said as Kaji came and placed his arm around her again.

"Well then," Kaji said smugly, "These two 'adults' are off to take some responsibility! See you guys!" And with that, the two faded away from sight. Yui shook her head even as she smiled to herself.

"I can see why you thought those two would be perfect guardians," she told Rei. Rei nodded slightly then closed her eyes.

"And now, let the ring leaders make their choice," Rei said calmly as Gendou Ikari and Ritsuko Akagi appeared before them. Ritsuko glanced at Gendou, then back at Yui, visibly gritting her teeth. Gendou fixed his eyes on Yui, a look of terrible yearning in his expression.

"Yui…," he began uncertainly.

"Stay here or go back, what is your decision husband?" Yui cut him off coldly.

"I – I want to be with you again Yui. I've yearned for this moment since the day you vanished," Gendou said, his voice cracking, "That's all I want… please."

"That is no longer an option," Yui replied evenly. Gendou's eyes flashed with both frustration and guilt.

"Everything," he gritted out, "Everything I've done up until now has been for you!"

"And everything I did was for our son," Yui replied sharply, her eyes flashing with genuine anger, "You would have sacrificed the only thing that matters to me… I'm sorry Gendou… It's time we take responsibility for our actions, both you and me."

Gendou considered this for a little while even as Ritsuko watched him out of the corner of her eye. Abruptly straightening up, Gendou looked Yui square in the eye.

"I will wait here as long as it takes to see you again," he breathed out, "Forever if necessary." Yui smiled sadly at him while Ritsuko visibly sighed with disappointment.

"Stay then, and wait for me," Yui replied softly. Rei closed her eyes and Gendou faded from sight. Sullenly, Ritsuko watched him leave and then turned to face Rei and Yui, bracing herself for the worst.

"And you, Dr. Akagi," Rei said into the silence, "What have you decided?" Ritsuko snorted softly and jammed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat.

"Yui Ikari and Rei Ayanami," she began bitterly, "The two people I've sinned against the most now pass judgment on me…" Yui frowned slightly and shook her head.

"You misunderstand Ritsuko," she said gently.

"We do not decide," Rei put in quietly.

"Nor do we judge," Yui added with a calm smile on her face.

"You're the ones that don't understand," Ritsuko managed to get out, "I've done and seen things that take me beyond redemption…"

"Redemption is not the issue here," Yui said softly, "How you live now is up to you. Forgive yourself or not, the decision must be made by you and you alone."

"I did it all for him," Ritsuko moaned, ignoring Yui's words, "I gave my life and soul for him, and he chose a doll over me." She glared at Rei with bitter venom.

"A doll!" Ritsuko spat, "How much more pathetic can I be as a woman?" Yui smiled as she placed her hand gently on Ritsuko's shoulder.

"Ritsuko, you are just like your mother. You follow your heart more than you'd like to admit. I have always admired that trait in her, and I admire it in you." Ritsuko refused to look at Yui, as tears began to stream down her face. Sighing gently, Yui removed her hand.

"Don't be ashamed of who you are… ever."

"There's nothing left for me," Ritsuko wailed, "There hasn't been anything left for a long time." She quietly sobbed as the grief of her loneliness finally broke to the surface. "I can't go back. I won't go back."

"Then stay Dr. Akagi," Rei offered softly, "The choice to return will always be available to you if you choose it." Finally, Ritsuko looked up at Rei and Yui, a distinct note of pleading in her voice.

"I'm sorry Rei… I'm sorry Yui. I've made such a mess of things. I" her broken words were cut off as Yui shook her head decisively.

"We've already forgiven you Ritsuko. The only person left to forgive you is yourself…. Perhaps in the time you spend here you can do that."

"Thank you," Ritsuko replied softly as she faded from view. Rei inclined her head and then turned to look at Yui.

"That takes care of the main players," Yui said in a satisfied tone of voice.

"There remain others that need to be offered the same choice," Rei reminded her quietly. Yui nodded in agreement, a wry smile on her face.

"Millions of others."

"It will be a lot of work," Rei offered as she looked uncertainly at Yui, "Are you sure you wish to stay Dr. Ikari? You can still return to the others if you wish." Yui shook her head and regarded the shimmering, yellow LCL that surrounded them.

"In truth, the Third Impact is my fault," Yui stated, "I designed and built the Evas. I helped instigate the return of the Angels. In my prideful arrogance, I believed mankind capable of godhood simply because we had the tools and technology for it."

Yui smiled ruefully as she continued, "But I was wrong. Humanity is inherently flawed; we lack the spiritual perfection necessary for the next step." Rei watched Yui carefully, choosing her words slowly.

"Does this disappoint you Dr. Ikari?" Yui grinned at Rei's question, laughter dancing in her eyes.

"No! It exhilarates me. We are finally freed from the constraints of guided evolution to a so-called 'state of perfection.' Our race can continue to develop and exist the way it was meant to. That is the next step Rei, letting go of the quest for godhood."

"I believe that is what your son wanted," Rei commented quietly.

"And I believe it is thanks to you that he was given that choice," Yui replied, regarding Rei respectfully. Rei blushed slightly at her comment.

"I only did what I thought should be done, nothing more." Yui smiled as she took Rei's hand in her own.

"I know." Yui looked up at the surface of the LCL that divided the sea of humanity from the living world, and then regarded Rei thoughtfully.

"Go visit them Rei," Yui urged, "Just for a little while. You deserve it and so do they."

"But there is so much that still needs to be done here," Rei replied, a note of restrained discouragement in her voice. Yui nodded firmly in response.

"Much work indeed. But it won't be going anywhere for a long time. I'll still be here when you're done. Don't worry," Yui said with a wink. Rei looked at her uncertainly, clearly torn.

"I do not wish for you to be alone Dr. Ikari."

"I'm never alone Rei," Yui replied with a grin, "And neither are you… remember that." Rei nodded slowly.

"Yes Dr. Ikari… I …. Thank you." Yui nodded and Rei faded from view.

Yui hovered a few inches above the red surface of the LCL, her form supported by an invisible force. She smiled to herself as Rei tentatively made her way to the beach, which was already relatively crowded by a small but boisterous group of people. In the center of it all, Shinji and Asuka sat together, their hands clasped together. A jubilant expression mingled with disbelief seemed plastered on Shinji's face as he regarded his newly returned friends. Next to him, Asuka was busy telling Hikari, Toji, and Aida about her last battle with the Eva series. Judging by the horrified expression on Hikari's face, and the fascination on Aida's, Asuka was sparing them no details.

Toji sidled over next to Shinji and muttered something in his ear. To Toji's surprise, Shinji started to snicker, and whispered something back. Whatever was exchanged was clearly not meant for Asuka to overhear, because she immediately whirled around and started yelling at Toji and Shinji. Shinji said something with a smug expression on his face which seemed to spur Asuka toward violence.

With a visible howl of rage, she tackled Shinji to the ground and started to choke him. Aida and Hikari were on their feet now, and had joined Toji as they started cheering on the two combatants. Off to the left, Misato's brow had furrowed, and she looked ready to intervene, but Kaji placed his hand gently on her shoulder and shook his head with a lopsided grin.

Clearly, Shinji was looking to be the underdog of this match, and his face was already turning purple. Long ago however, Shinji had learned not to contend with Asuka with brute force alone, and he would now apply this knowledge to devastating effect. Both his hands let go of Asuka's as she continued to throttle him, and instead, snaked up to her ribs. Wriggling his fingers for all they were worth, Shinji began to tickle Asuka vigorously.

Even from Yui's vantage point, Asuka's spasming and jerking were clear. Her grip on Shinji's throat broke, and she squirmed off of him, even as she continued to howl with laughter. Sensing victory, Shinji jumped on top of her and began to tickle mercilessly. Finally, tears of laughter glistening in her eyes, Asuka tapped out and Shinji rolled off of her. Aida, Toji, and Hikari looked stunned. No one had ever opposed Asuka and won. It was a first. The fact that it was Shinji who had achieved victory made it that much more surreal.

A sheepish smile on his face, Shinji offered his hand to Asuka, who was still panting on the ground, with her face down. When she looked up, Aida, Hikari, and Toji looked ready to faint. Rather than a characteristic angry scowl planted on her face, a genuine smile filled with good humor lit up her features. Laughingly, she took Shinji's hand and got up. The two of them turned and sauntered over to the other three, who were by now hooting with laughter at the unlikely pairing.

In the background, Misato looked dumb founded, a bemused expression stuck in place. Kaji was all grins as he placed his right arm around her and whispered something into her ear. Misato blushed slightly, but leaned her head into his chest and smiled, her expression carrying a serene contentment never before seen.

Shinji's smile froze for a second and then faded when he caught sight of Rei approaching them. The others stopped talking and watched as the First Child got nearer. Rei stopped a few yards from them and stood nervously as they scrutinized her. Asuka gazed hard at Rei for a long time, while Shinji seemed to regard her with puzzlement. Misato and Kaji stood in the background, saying nothing, as if holding their breaths. The red waves of LCL continued to lap against the shore as the awkward silence continued to drag on.

Abruptly, and almost simultaneously, Shinji and Asuka stepped forward and bridged the distance that separated them from Rei. With warm smiles on both their faces, they placed their hands on her shoulders and brought her back to the group. Aida and Toji were grinning impishly while Hikari smiled softly and extended her hand in greeting. Her face flushed with excitement and apprehension, Rei nonetheless managed a shy smile and bowed in greeting to the others. By then, Misato and Kaji had joined the group and were exchanging greetings with everyone. Toji and Aida were ogling Misato, or at least Aida was, because Hikari had pulled Toji away by his left ear after a pleasant exchange with Misato and Kaji.

Asuka was speaking enthusiastically to Kaji, an eager expression on her face. And yet, her left arm remained firmly entwined with Shinji's right. Misato smiled serenely and listened as Shinji shared his own experiences with her. Rei stood next to Shinji, not speaking, but clearly enjoying the discussions taking place around her. In all their souls, Yui could sense the flame of hope burning brightly. It was a good start.

Watching everyone for one last time, Yui sank back into the LCL and returned to the ethereal. There were many souls that required her assistance, and she intended to redeem herself no matter how long it took. A time to every purpose under Heaven, she mused to herself, And time is something we will never run out of.

END.