"And so Second Impact occurred. Half the world's population was destroyed, while the skeletons of former nations fought for dominance in the new world."

The teacher droned on about the results of Second Impact; how the landscape was remade, how civil war almost annihilated all of humanity, how a new coalition of superpowers was created to stop the senseless killing.

Rei already knew about the Second Impact, however. She knew the huge government cover-up that took place, disguising the awakening of Adam as an impact from a meteor. She had been told this much by Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi. The knowledge did little for her, and she had no desire to further investigate the happenings in Antarctica.

The past is gone, the now is bleak, and the future is uncertain. But that same uncertainty is what fuels man to survive. It carries him into the darkness on silent wings, bringing him to a fate yet unknown.

Rei glanced to the front of the room, only to see the teacher still reading from his little book. She saw Shinji stretch and try to suppress a yawn.

Ikari seems to be tired. The sync test must have drained him.

The truth was that the test had drained all three children. Dr. Akagi had pushed them so hard that they all had been on the brink of mental contamination. Rei had barely gotten home when she fell asleep, still in her uniform. The Magi had secured valuable data, however. These experiments were necessary to keep the Evangelion updated; they were necessary to keep man safe from his aggressors.

Rei tapped a key on her laptop. The screen blinked for a moment, then displayed her desktop. She opened up her daily planner that she kept, and clicked the current day. A physics test awaited her tomorrow, as well as quiz on the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne. That man had no talent for writing, Rei believed. His stories were all so pointless. His writing style put her to sleep, truth be told; why did the man feel the need to do things like describe a plain sitting chair for well over two pages?

Rei's eye's widened for a moment. She was surprised.

I'll surely fail the physics test I have tomorrow if I do not seek help. But not from the teacher; he's the reason I know not of the material.

She thought of who to seek out for assistance.

Not Asuka. She'll be of no help at all.

Not Commander Ikari or Fuyutski. They are both too busy.

Dr. Akagi is also too busy.

Misato surely wouldn't be able to help me.

Shinji covered his mouth with his hand, yawning into it. As Rei remembered, he had some experience with physics, and was at the top of the class, save Asuka. Shinji would work nicely as an aid.

The bell rang, telling the students it was time to leave and go home. They slowly filed out, talking with each other, laughing, smiling, joking. They were like cattle, like dolls. The bell rings, and they obey. They know nothing else. They would be helpless without it.

Asuka saw Rei gazing at the door. The second child stood, looking at her with a frown. She sniffed rather loudly, and stalked out of the room.

Aida was bidding Ikari a good night when Rei approached him. Kensuke waved to them both and began his walk home.

"Ikari, may I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure, Ayanami. What it is?"

Rei checked to see if the teacher was still in the room; thankfully, he had left already. "Our teacher has no skill in explaining physics. You are quite skilled in those studies; would you help me study for the test tomorrow?"

"Of course, I'd be happy to. Um, where do you want to go?"

"My apartment would be best. The school is closing soon, and Asuka would not enjoy me being at your apartment."

"O-ok. Well, is that…alright with you?" Shinji averted his eyes as red spots flared up on his cheeks.

Rei didn't have the slightest clue as to why it wouldn't be. She nodded her affirmation and led the way out of the classroom.

The two left the school and worked their way across town. They took a train for most of the way, but the sun had almost set at the beginning of the ride.

Rei sat next to Ikari. They hadn't talked since they left the school, and the silence formed a cocoon around them. It isolated them from the rest of the hectic world; it sheltered them from all the horrid things that were happening out beyond their joint solitude.

Rei studied Ikari from the corner of her eye. He did not look as much a child as he did when Sachiel attacked NERV. His jaw seemed more angular; his eyes seemed to shine with a certain maturity, maturity only gained after one had fought for his life and the lives of others.

"Is something wrong, Ayanami?"

Her eyes went wide; she had turned to face Ikari full on while she was thinking of him. She hadn't realized she moved at all. She felt her face heating up, for reasons unknown to her. And so she said nothing, but turned back to stare out the opposite window.

The train arrived at its station, and the two pilots made their journey to Rei's apartment. The decrepit buildings surrounding her home were the remnants of a younger Tokyo-3. These were the tenements that were abandoned once people migrated to the city, where it was safer. The familiar clang of the deconstruction equipment sounded in its regular, monotonic pattern. Rei was used to the sound, but she could see that Ikari still found it scratched at his nerves.

Rei had not planned to have Ikari come home with her, so she had not set out a table or chairs for them to study at. Come to think of it, she owned neither chairs nor a table. Her bed would have to do.

Ikari took his physics book from his backpack and turned to the current chapter. Rei got her homework from her own backpack. She had no clue as to how any of the equations worked, or why some such laws were relevant, and had many questions for Ikari. Time went by, and soon it was almost 8:00 PM.

"Do you understand now, Rei?"

"Yes. You have helped me very much." Rei blushed, and a small smile crept upon her face. "Thank you, Shinji."

He laughed. "It's no problem at all." He stood, gathering his books and papers. "Misato is probably worried about me. I didn't have time to tell her where I was."

"If you are admonished, I will take blame for it. Explain to Ms. Katsuragi the circumstances and she will most likely not be mad."

"You're right. Well, I'd better get home. I'll see you tomorrow Rei."

"Good night…Shinji," Rei muttered as he walked out the door. She stood there for a minute or two, just thinking. She shambled over to her bed and took off her clothes. The cold air left gooseflesh on her naked skin, so she scrambled into the sheets. She curled into a ball and fell fast asleep.

She dreamed that night. She was reliving the horror of the failed reactivation test with Unit-00. She flailed about in her sleep, trying to get out of the Eva. She was ejected, her entry plug slamming against the ceiling, then falling to the ground more than 100 feet below. The shock of the landing blasted through Rei's body. She lay there in the plug, half covered in LCL, bleeding and broken, when someone began opening the emergency hatch. She heard a yell of pain from the outside. The person was trying to open the hatch without protective equipment; the superheated entry plug was burning the flesh from his hands.

A swish of air escaped through the hatch as it opened. Blindingly bright light shot in through the gap, and Rei could not see. A shadow stood in the middle of the light, calling out to her.

"Rei! Rei!!"

The figure climbed into the capsule with her.

"Rei, are you all right?!"

The figure dimmed the light from outside. The shadow took form. A familiar face looked worriedly at Rei, crying out her name.

"Oh, thank God you're alive, Rei. I was so worried…"

Rei smiled up at him, and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Don't cry, my love. Everything is fine."