Shinji's POV:

It was midnight. As I lay on my bed, my mind wandered off to the events that took place earlier this afternoon...

Today had started out very brightly, me waking up beside Rei. We had gone to the meadow plains that she had shown me just two weeks ago. Thankfully, I managed to cheer Rei up. Everything was going as well as it could have been, until that strange boy had suddenly appeared.

Although he had seemed friendly enough, part of me couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Rei, on the other hand, appeared to be fascinated by him. We didn't talk about him after he left, but his presence lingered in the meadow plains. The thing that I could not forget were his eyes. They were blood red; like Rei's. It filled the peaceful mood with uncertainties, and so we went back home soon after.

It was strange, and Rei seemed to be avoiding my question when I asked her about her eye colour. I felt jealous.

I had managed to convince Rei to stay for a few more days in Misato's apartment. Once we walked into the living room, Asuka's door flew open. She ran out and started shouting at me for her missing sundress. Thankfully, Asuka's ranting stopped suddenly as she took note of Rei standing slightly behind me wearing the mentioned sundress. Her expression changed slowly from outrage to being startled. To my amazement her lips twitched up into a small smile. She then walked to Rei standing several feet before her just looking her up and down. Then with a little hesitance she took Rei into a light hug which made my inside turn. I wanted Rei all to myself.

Her hug made Rei cringe slightly. Asuka then noticed the bruises on Rei's body and her expression immediately turned into one of disgust and anger. I didn't even have to explain to her, but Asuka shook it off as she commented on how lovely Rei looked in her favorite yellow sundress. I didn't miss the angry glare she shot at me though. I hadn't asked her permission to borrow her favorite piece of clothing.

I cooked dinner and this time Misato came back from her work at Nerv to eat with us. Since Rei was still refusing to let anyone else know about her situation, Asuka gave her a long sleeved pyjama to cover up her injuries. We made up an excuse for her swollen cheeks. We told Misato that Rei had been bullied in school earlier that morning, but the boy had been rightfully punished.

It was a poor excuse, and Misato seemed to know something was wrong. She shot Rei a glance before she decided to say something. The words didn't come out, however, for she stopped halfway and went back to her dinner. I didn't miss the concerned look on her face.

Misato seemed surprised at Rei's abrupt friendship with Asuka, but, luckily, she did not decide to question us any further. She had been feeling distressed these past few days. I had heard that Kaji had disappeared, and just two days ago I saw Misato crying in the dining room. I was ashamed that I couldn't help her, but at that time I had problems of my own. I had been really worried about Rei.

I even had a huge quarrel with Asuka because she had refused to tell me why she had knocked me out. In the end, she got so mad that she left our apartment and went to stay at the class rep's place. After dinner, Asuka even reminded me that she had not forgiven me yet, and that she only returned because she had heard that Rei had been discharged from the hospital. The girl knocked me out and now she was blaming me for borrowing her sundress, but I was already used to getting this sort of treatment from Asuka.

Throughout the conversation, Rei's face stayed neutral. I knew she had been hiding something from me, and I hoped that she would trust me enough to tell me soon.

I had intended for Rei to sleep with me, but when Asuka heard, she gave me a few kicks to my shinand forcefully pulled Rei into her own bedroom. She told me that she wanted to have a girls' talk. First it was the strange boy, and now it was Asuka. I felt that Rei had hardly spent any time with me since she had left the hospital. Her attention had been taken away from me quite a few times. I just wanted to spend my time alone with Rei...

It was frustrating lying on the bed. I had tried looking for my walkman but I realised that I had smashed it not too long ago. The spinning of the fan on the ceiling seemed so slow, and the occasional sound of vehicles cruising pass our building seemed so distant. The air was heavy and stuffy in my room. My backside plastered to the damp bed sheet with sweat. I forced my eyes to shut, only to realise they had opened again moments later.

Rei's image lingered in my mind. The feeling I had inside me simply couldn't be put into words. It was strange to know that a girl like her could have such affection towards me. The cold, hard, calculating girl I had known seemed to be so far away. It was even more fascinating how I had fallen for her. Of all the girls in our school, it was amazing how she had caught my attention the most. I raised my arm above me and flexed my fingers. How much power do I have in my hands? How much could I do? How much would I do? How much responsibility would I bear for Rei?

The unexpected ringing of my cell phone broke me from my thoughts. I picked up the phone and answered it. To my surprise, it was Dr Akagi on the other end.

"Shinji, did I wake you up?"

"No, Dr Akagi. Is there a problem?"

"Shinji, I understand that you're in a rather intimate relationship with the First Child." Ritsuko said, her voice sounding cold and monotonic.

"What? N-no we aren't..." I stammered.

"It's all right. I just want to show you something. I think you have the right to know." She added, interrupting my broken sentence.

"W-what do you want to show me?"

"Come to my office at 0700 hours tomorrow. Don't be late." With that she hung up the phone. What does she want to show me? Is it something about Rei? How does she know about my relationship with her?

Section-2 agents followed us pilots wherever we went, but according to Misato, they never get themselves involved in private affairs. And even if they do, they report directly to my father. The doctor shouldn't have found out so soon...

Her phone call just made things appear more complicated. Before I realised, my problems stacked up in a massive pile and now I didn't know how to face them. After what had been going on lately, I just had a feeling that there wouldn't be good news tomorrow. Good news was rare these days, and it seemed that everyone was trying to take Rei away from me.

Did I really want to find out what Ritsuko wants to show me?

Needless to say, with all the concerns in my mind, I didn't sleep well. My body was trembling and my mattress was wet from the sweats. I did not know why I was feeling so scared. After all, Rei loved me, and I loved her, and that was all that mattered, right? However, I felt emptiness. For the first time, I understood the void inside me. It was something that I had felt throughout my entire life, but it was then that I finally recognised it.

I realised that I missed Rei. She was just sleeping in the room next to mine. But I was too afraid that I would lose her again. How I wished I could hold her tonight.

Suddenly, something soft and warm pressed up against my body. It surprised me initially, but when I opened my eyes and saw that it was Rei, I was thankful. She took me into her arms without saying a word. Tears started forming as she embraced me lovingly. Deep down, I felt ashamed that I needed to be comforted by Rei, someone who was abused by my own father. What kind of man was I?

It was amazing how Rei could calm me down just by a single touch. The way she understood my needs, it was as if she could reach into my heart. Maybe she knew me more than I knew myself. I was even tempted to believe that she had come to me at this moment because she had sensed the uncertainties that I had felt a little while ago. The soft little kisses she planted on my neck were so soothing. Within seconds, I no longer felt restless.

Slowly, I started kissing her back. At first, they were just little pecks. Soon, they grew wet and gradually became longer kisses. Her lips looked like rose petals and felt like morning dew. Our breaths had grown heavy and soon my eyes were becoming hazy. My hands moved to caress her back, as we part our lips, leaving a bridge of fluid trailing between us. Rei had her eyes closed. My body felt like it was burning, and judging from the expression on her face, I could tell Rei felt the same way.

Slowly, I moved forward again until my lips were planted on hers once more. We kissed for what seemed like eternity, with her hands resting on my shoulder. My palms were trembling slightly as I withdrew them from her back and slowly moved towards her chest. As I pressed my hands against her breasts, I waited for her response. She didn't seem to object, so I began to massage her soft flesh, eliciting a moan to escape from her precious lips. It aroused me even more.

Rei had her forehead pressing against mine; her breaths blew gently on my face. I inhaled her beautiful smell as she let my hands wander over her body. It felt so nice. Steadying myself, I bent forward and started nibbling her flawless neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses as my hands started to unbutton her clothes.

It was then her hands suddenly reached up and grabbed mine. When I looked up again, her eyes were opened and inside the two crimson orbs I noticed anger and disappointment. Her lips quivered in fear. She pushed my hands to the side and slowly moved away from me. My heart was hit with a dull blow as I realised what I had done. I tried to explain but the words got stuck in my throat. For a moment I thought I had lost everything I had gained with Rei.

"Rei, I...I didn't mean..." I stammered unable to hide my concern. My arms circled around her and pulled her into a hug, but she cringed. Her palms, which had been resting on my chest, began pushing me. I tried to keep a hold on her but she backed away hastily.

"No, please Rei, I'm sorry. I didn't know..." Before I could finish my sentence, she got to her feet and ran out of the room. Without any delay, I stood up as fast as I could and went after her. But before I could catch up, she had disappeared into Asuka's room.

It became silent once again. My head felt light. A numbing sensation crept across my shoulder. Feeling dejected, I returned to my bed and lay down. My eyes stared unto the ceiling. What had once been a pure white now looked like a dull grey. The sounds of passing vehicles caught my attention once more, giving me a dull feeling. I reached up and touched the spot where Rei had lay just minutes ago. It felt abandoned.

What have I done?

What have I done?

What have I done?

The same sentence played itself over and over again on my mind, as the lights blacked out eventually and I fell into a cold lonely sleep.

I woke up the following morning with a dull pain inside my chest. Dried mucous filled the corner of my eyes. When I turned on the shower, the water felt exceptionally cold. I dressed myself and prepared a simple breakfast for the girls. There was a vegetarian sandwich for Rei, bacon with eggs for Asuka and Misato. It was only seven when I finished and none of my other housemates were up yet. I checked the refrigerator to make sure there was enough food for dinner, before I dragged my tired body to the front door and left the apartment.

The walk along the Nerv corridors leading to Ritsuko's office was slow and nervous. Every step I took felt forced and heavy. My heart pounded painfully inside my chest, threatening to jump out any second. There was a strong urge to vomit. I felt something stirring inside my stomach, irritating every single inch on my skin. A visit to Dr. Akagi would not have normally given me this dreadful feeling, if she hadn't mentioned about me being close to Rei.

I knocked on her door when I finally reached her office.

The metal piece slid open to reveal the doctor, dressed in her white lab coat as usual. But it surprised me to see that there was someone else with her. Standing just behind the doctor, Misato was pointing her gun at the blonde's head.

"You didn't tell me it was going to be Shinji", Misato said with a low voice, but I heard it nonetheless.

"Then who did you expect? Kaji? He's dead," Ritsuko spat back.

"Shut up!" Misato yelled.

"Hehehe..." The blonde doctor let out a disturbing laugh, as though she was enjoying every moment of this.

"I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your skull, Ritsuko. I warn you."

Without answering back, the doctor motioned for us to follow her, and we began going through a lot of small pathways I never knew were there. All three of us walked in silence, but there was a thick tension around the air. Misato didn't even look at me, and the warmth and security I always felt in her presence were gone. Her eyebrows were drawn closely together with a determined look on her face.

Neither of us said a single word as we rode the elevator deep down into the earth. I kept shooting glances at Misato. What did she know about the doctor? Weren't they friends? Why was she acting so hostile towards the blonde scientist? It reminded me of how fragile human relationship was. One day she could be your friend, but the next she could be your enemy...

But I had confidence in Rei...she would never betray me...

Thinking about Rei calmed me slightly. It seemed to take hours for us to eventually reach the place the doctor wanted to show us. It was a small room which looked strikingly like Rei's apartment.

"This is where Rei was born...oops sorry...hahaha...I mean this is the place where she was created..." The word created was emphasized as Ritsuko finally broke the silence.

"This place...Rei...?" Misato said, with uncertainty clear in her voice.

"Yes...the light and water here are what created her...or should I say...the light and water here are what created it..." The doctor replied.

"Watch your words, Ritsuko. Don't go too far." Misato glared at her threateningly.

"What? I thought you wanted to know the truth?" Ritsuko answered back with fake innocence. She let out another sarcastic laugh as Misato gritted her teeth. I was still trying to figure out what Ritsuko meant while we were led through a door, which revealed the biggest room I had ever seen. Stored within the vast space were countless...something that looked like human spines.

"A-are these...Evangelions?" Misato stammered. Like me, she was having difficulties believing what we were seeing with our own eyes.

"Surprised Misato? This is just a place where we dump our rubbish, failed experiments of Evangelions. Do you remember, Shinji?" The doctor asked.

All the while I had remained silence and kept the questions and suspicions to myself, but Dr Akagi's question finally triggers a response from me.

"Do I remember what?"

"Your mother, Shinji. This is where she died. Do you remember that fateful day? You were here when she died..."

Upon hearing her words, Misato raised her gun and pointed it at the doctor's head.

"Ritsuko!"

My mother...died here...? I didn't answer back verbally, but something was creeping its way into my conscious. Being reminded of my mother suddenly seemed to have answered the question why I had always felt that Rei was something I had lost a very long time ago, although I couldn't understand why. The feeling felt familiar, as if there was some connection between the two.

Dr Akagi continued to lead us further into the complex. Part of me was already refusing to walk on. Did I really want to know what she wanted to show me? After seeing the doctor's unusual behaviour today, I had the feeling that her intentions of showing me all these things were malicious.

It was then we moved into what seemed like a small room. At the centre of it was an orange pillar. Everything beyond that was a pitch black. I couldn't even see the ground I was standing on. It felt as though we were inside a dark sphere, with the light pillar as the only indication of what was above and below.

"Do you know that Rei once came down here to destroy this place?" Ritsuko asked.

"What are you talking about? Why would she want to do that?" I asked back.

"This place keeps her darkest secrets. She wanted to destroy this evidence so she could deceive you, Shinji, so she could manipulate you..."

With that she flicked a switch on her remote control. The room lit up to reveal...

A tank full of bodies, all looking like Rei, all smiling eerily at us...

"Ayanami...Rei...?" I gasped.

"You're not saying that Eva's Dummy Plug is...?" Misato was as shocked as I was.

"Yes. This production factory produces the core of the Dummy System."

"Then these are...!"

"The ones in here are dummies. They are used as parts for Rei. Humans found God and rejoiced. And when we tried to take him into our hands, then divine retribution came. That was 15 years ago. Then the God we struggled to find was lost. That was Adam. But we struggled to revive this god, and from Adam, we made a human resembling God. That is Eva."

"Evas... so they are human?"

"Yes, they are human. Originally we were going to place a person's soul inside the soulless Eva. All of them ending up having to be salvaged and the only container we could put a soul into was Rei. Only unto that child did a soul grow. The Room of Gauf become empty. These things that look like Rei have no souls...they are merely containers. That's why I shall destroy them, because they are detestable."

With that, she pressed another button and the bodies dissolved immediately, filling the LCL tank with a bloody shade of red. My hand reached up and covered my mouth, trying to stop myself from vomiting as disgust swept through my body.

"Ritsuko! Do you know what you're doing!" Misato exclaimed as she pointed her gun at the doctor.

"Yes...I know. I'm destroying them...these things that aren't human; the things that took the form of a human. Now that you know the truth, Shinji, do you still love her?" Not for the first time today, she let out another fit of sickening laughter.

"This...this is sick..." I struggled to come out with words.

Misato looked at me, slightly surprised at my choice of words. Her face then softened understandingly. The doctor, on the other hand, began laughing maniacally. Misato readied her gun to shoot her at any moment. Ritsuko's laughter rang across the room, deafening our ears. Her voice gradually became hoarse as tears ran down her cheeks. The red light illuminating from the bloody tank sank a traumatic feeling down our throats.

"Why... why is your father so addicted to her! Can't he see she is not human! What is so good about her! I am willing to tolerate humiliation just to be with him..." Ritsuko said with a croaked voice. Her outburst shocked me. With that, she fell to her knees and sobbed violently.

"These days, he only has time for her. He doesn't even want to hold me anymore...He would rather fuck that doll instead of me!"

"W-what are you talking about?" Misato asked.

"Yes...you were right, Misato...I was having a sexual relationship with the commander...He used to fuck me...hehehe...and he would yell Yui's name as he held me tight...but now...", Ritsuko said as her eyes became hollow, "But now he has begun to yell that doll's name whenever we fuck!"

"What?" Misato asked again.

"Yes...I hate her, you see...I had no complaints losing to Yui, I endured the humiliation...but Rei...I hate her...I despise the doll. It took away everything from me. Hehehehahaha the commander had been fucking her, see? He chose her over me! Isn't that funny, Misato? Huh? Isn't that funny!"

"What? The commander... and Rei?" Misato said. I already knew it, but her words still stung my heart.

"Yes...you see, Rei needs the pills...she's not pure Angel. She needs the pills to survive, or else her body would rot. And I make the pills, see? If I had not been the only one who knows the formula of her pills, the commander would have abandoned me long ago...he would have stopped fucking me...And the pills are why Rei was forced to let the commander fuck her again and again...hehehehahaha..."

"Y-you've gone mad...what do you mean Rei is not pure Angel?" Misato asked the question as I kept silent. I never knew my father's abuse of Rei had so many hidden details.

"Rei is half Angel. Half of her genetic make up was provided by Lilith...the Angel locked deep underground in this complex, as Kaji had already shown you before he died," Ritsuko answered Misato before directing her gaze towards me, "and the other half...was salvaged from the burnt remains of Ikari Yui, Shinji's mother. Rei is your half-sister Shinji, and that is what I wanted to tell you."

For a moment the world seemed to have stopped. I couldn't feel my legs as her words replayed themselves over and over again inside my head, sending painful electric shocks throughout my body. My knees cracked as I fell onto them. At first, I refused to believe it, but it all made sense. What Rei had been hiding from me; the disturbing dreams I had; why she had asked Asuka to knock me out before she died; why even Misato could not grant me access to visit Rei in the NERV hospital, because she had not even been there; why Rei's eyes were so red and why her hair was blue in color... It all became clear.

Rei was my sister...and half Angel. The revelation was too much. Before I knew what was happening, tears were flowing down my eyes as I knelt on the floor.

"I hate her so much that even seeing her suffering is no longer enough for me...I want to inflict more pain onto her..." Ritsuko added. "Treasure your time with her, Shinji...Go fuck your own SISTER if you have to...for I won't make any more pills for her. She's dead as soon as she finishes the last of what she has."

With that she burst into another fit of sadistic laughs.

My body had become so numb that I barely felt Misato coming over and embraced me supportively. She rested my head on her shoulder as I stared back up at her face. There were tears in her eyes as well.

"Ritsuko...what happened to you...what happened to my dear old friend," She said as droplets of her tears fell down on my neck. "I told you the commander was not worth it... I told you...Why did you let this happen to you...?"

Amidst Misato's shattered sobs and Ritsuko's crazed laughter, the world had suddenly become so cold...