12 October 2015: Society officially restarts. There are changes in the world and few have memory of why everything is different.

15 October 2015: JSSDF troops explore the mountains near Kyoto. Reports of humanoid monsters with multiple limbs came in shortly before the entire team was wiped out to the last man. Their bodies were never found. The last known words of the team were, "Kami help us, they are unstoppable."

9 December 2015: JSSDF forces attempt to capture the first known Nephilim for study. They resist arrest. Shots were fired, several JSSDF members were injured, 7 Nephilim were killed. The event becomes referred to by the Nephilim as the Kyoto Massacre.

III: Of Love and Conflict

Hikari was able to make it back to see Rei without being followed thanks to her knowledge of just how the underworks of Tokyo-3 were laid out. Several of the Nephilim nodded to her as she passed them in the corridors. This was once part of the maintenance network for the armor plates and their internal workings, part of a series of workstations that was meant to house about a hundred or so workers placed in charge of a single armor plate. The workstation since then has been expanded to part of the surrounding tunnels in order to house the over 300 Nephilim in hiding down here.

The main reason these tunnels and workstations were never checked by the JSSDF was because they never knew the tunnels even existed. Most of NERV's files were destroyed during the JSSDF's attack on NERV during Third Impact and the rest were destroyed after the reset when Shinji put the moon back where it belonged. The armor was rebuilt by him based on the memories of those who built it; a gift in reality for the Nephilim he knew would struggle in the time after.

But no one, not even the Nephilim could reach the Geofront itself. No one has seen it since Third Impact, and those few that speak of entering it seem to get cold feet at the idea before the idea even fully forms. Some say that the unspeakable evil that was NERV had become like hell, while others more firmly believe that this is where He resides. The world had abandoned God, but now they refer to Shinji in the same manner, for it was He who gave the world another chance, and it was He that saved them from a fate worse than death.

Hikari knocked lightly on Rei's door, earning a soft reply of, "Enter."

She opened the door and found Rei sitting on the bed wrapped in blankets and still looking very shell-shocked.

"Feeling any better at all?" Hikari asked as she sat down on the edge. To her surprise Rei inched closer to her and leaned on her. The brown-haired girl put an arm around her comfortingly.

"This feels right," Rei whispered, snuggling into the girl.

Hikari blushed, knowing the tone she was taking almost immediately and understanding the gesture. While she wasn't the kind of girl that thought about relationships with her own gender, she would admit to herself that Rei was always a fascinating person. And at least once she had a dream about her and Rei in bed, but she dismissed it as being a product of an overactive imagination, and perhaps her own personal repression of emotional desires she believed were out of place for her.

"Heh… that didn't answer my question," Hikari stammered, though she didn't break her hold on Rei.

"I am better," she replied. "The voices and emotions have been reduced to a din, and they have become comforting to me. Only once was I so connected to mankind, and I forgot what that was like. This… ability of mine reminded me."

"You remember what Third Impact was like?" Hikari asked. It was a legitimate question since virtually no one can fully remember what they experienced during Instrumentality. What little people can remember was left in impressions, fragmented dreams, and distant, rather ghostly emotions.

"I was the focal point of the Impact," Rei replied softly. "I merged with the angel Lilith, one of my mothers, and brought about the end of the world. But He didn't want the world to end."

Despite the revelation of Rei's involvement or the fact that she's truly half angel, Hikari kept holding her.

"He wanted the world to have a second chance, " Rei continued. "And through me, He was given that power. But there were costs. Man rejected God, and so He became our new messiah."

"Shinji," Hikari whispered. "Where is he?"

"You know where He is," Rei replied. "He is where He cannot be reached… where He can watch the world with Lilith."

Hikari's eyes widened a little. If what Rei was saying was true, Lilith was still alive within the Black Moon, and that was where Shinji was. It would explain why the Geofront could not be reached. No man could enter Heaven on their own after all… and Instrumentality could be viewed as mankind's attempt to ascend to it without the permission of God. But was Rei right, or was this just what she believed?

Hikari figured now was a good time to talk to Tabris but as she let go of Rei and started to get up, Rei immediately dropped her blanket and clung to Hikari. Spare clothing among the Nephilim was a little limited, and Hikari noted with some level of discomfort that Rei had stripped down to sleep. Apparently, Rei had no real sense of shame. Hikari sat back down again, having no real choice.

"Please do not leave me," Rei pleaded. "Shinji could not stay and I am alone… I… I no longer wish to be alone!"

Hikari swallowed as she felt Rei's body pressed against hers awkwardly.

"Rei… you realize we're… we're both…"

"I do not care," she said with finality. "I feel something for you. I do not know what it is, but I can guess as to its nature. And if it is, I will not let that go… It is something I have never had." A tear fell from one of her eyes. "Something that has always been denied to me… something I need now more than I ever had before."

Hikari sighed softly. She realized that Rei was really getting to her, and she couldn't even begin to fathom what the girl's life must have been like. But if she was the focal point of Third Impact then it was obvious to her now from what Tabris said that her life was nowhere near normal.

"At least pull your blanket back up… I promise I won't leave."

Rei let go and pulled the blanket back up over her breasts. Hikari repositioned herself so that Rei could lie next to her, holding her. Hikari put her arms around Rei and allowed the girl to relax on her.

"I don't know if I can be what she wants," Hikari thought. "But I am willing to try. I don't know if I love her for certain, but I care enough about her that I do not want to see her cry."

It never crossed her mind that Rei still had no control over her powers yet.

"I do not know if I can be what you need," Rei replied to her thoughts. "But just as you are, I am willing to try. I hope you will feel the same for me in time."

Hikari blushed. "Heh… forgot you were psychic for a second."

"I know," Rei replied and leaned up kissing Hikari on the cheek softly before snuggling up to her, earning a blush from the girl. For someone who was so introverted in Junior High, self-expression didn't seem to be a weakpoint for her now. Perhaps being connected to every mind and soul in the world at one point gave her greater insight into humanity than she had before, or perhaps she was simply done being lonely and was now willing to do whatever it takes to end that loneliness.

Rei soon fell asleep, and Hikari stayed with her until 9pm. She managed to get out of the bed without waking up the angel, and stepped out, closing the door silently as she did. When she turned from the door, Kaworu was standing there. Hikari blushed slightly at the look he was giving her.

"So, is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.

Hikari sighed and tried to get her nerves under control. "I think she's in love with me."

"A natural reaction to extreme stress," Kaworu noted. "I've seen it happen in humans before, and we are if nothing else, half human."

"You don't object?" she questioned.

"Why would I?" Kaworu asked. "She's an important figure, but that doesn't mean she can't love who she chooses to love. Are you in love with her as well?"

Hikari blushed. "I… I really don't know," she replied. "I'm not sure if I can be what she wants me to be."

"Do you feel obligated to love her the same way she loves you?"

"No," Hikari replied. "It's not that…"

"Then you feel something for her without obligation to do so," Kaworu concluded.

"I guess…"

"You care about her… that is how it begins. The fact that you saw her first before coming to see me proves you are not being honest to yourself now."

Hikari looked frustrated. "I've never thought of myself as a lesbian. I promised myself I wouldn't have a phase like most girls… and I figured as studious and, well, nerdy as I am, that wouldn't be an issue! But now…"

"There is nothing wrong with it, you know."

Hikari froze when he said those words. She wondered how he could say that with humanity always being so prejudiced against people who loved differently.

"It's true," he explained. "Angels were able to feel universal love, but not individual love. Individual love has and always will be reserved for human kind. We are the best of both worlds, so who is to say we should restrict ourselves? Society? Society is the very thing trying to destroy us now! Why shouldn't we defy their conventions and love who we want to love?"

"Hmm… you have a point."

"I know," he said unabashedly, earning a chuckle from Hikari. "Now, how are things at home?"

"The interview went well. Oddly they were asking more questions about Shinji than Rei."

"Somewhat unexpected. "

Hikari nodded. "Precisely what I thought... so why all of a sudden, with Rei's awakening are they focusing on Shinji?"

"Did they ask you anything about Rei?"

"Just some psyche questions, nothing to do with the incident at all."

"Very odd. I'll see if I can learn anything from my sources. In the meantime, we're closing on 9:30… you need to get home before they start taking a greater interest in you."

Hikari nodded. "Consider me gone. When can I come back?"

"Wait a day."

Hikari looked very disappointed. "Rei is going to think she scared me off."

"Are you worried about what she will think, or are you disappointed you have to wait so long before seeing her again. You disappear for long periods of time every single day and people will get suspicious of what it is you're doing with your time. Don't worry about Rei, I will take care of her. She might be very surprised to see me."

"You've met her in person before?" Hikari asked.

"You… can say that," Kaworu replied. "Long story, I'll have to tell you sometime."

"Along with the reason why Rei was created?"

Kaworu frowned. "She tell you that?"

"I put it together based on what she told me. She's not holding much back from me you know. Eventually, you'll have to stop being so evasive."

"Perhaps sooner than you think. See you in two days."

"Day and a half… tops." She paused after a few steps. "Something bugs me about our conversation just now…"

"Oh?" Kaworu questioned.

"How do you know what angels felt?"

Tabris smiled sadly. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

Hikari left it at that with only a slight nod in return. Tabris watched her leave and wondered about the girl she once called friend. He rubbed his eyes and walked into the small office he called his work area and sat down on the chair there. His eyes fell upon his corkboard where a picture hung cut from a Chinese magazine.

It was a picture of Asuka. She was dressed in a beautiful sequined red dress and looked happy. It was taken the night she awakened and killed Chinese soldiers.

"Are you okay?" he whispered to himself. His eyes closed as he remembered her condition when he found her…

Her body was already dead when he arrived, but her soul was still animate within the plug and still suffering from untold pain. He carefully lifted her from the seat earning a shriek of pain. When her eyes opened she saw she was no longer in EVA 02's Entry Plug but rather floating in an endless sea of light and color. She looked at herself… she was naked and bleeding from 9 huge impalement wounds. Then she noticed him… the white haired red eyed angel.

Tabris had come to her… the angel that befriended Shinji and then forced the fragile pilot to kill him. His hand covered a wound and she felt it burn as he touched it. They weren't physical injuries, but rather metaphysical; representations of her shattered psyche made manifest. She realized he was naked too, but somehow it felt natural here. She felt no shame at having him touch her bared body, just watched as he worked; comforting her cries each in turn and closing each wound as he touched them. She looked at her arm and saw it was split up the middle with a nasty scar, but this was slowly starting to close up as Tabris continued to work.

"Why?" It was the only word she could say.

"You have suffered more than any before you," he had said to her. "An angel of your intensity should not be made to suffer like this."

"I should hate you," she whispered to him.

"I know."

"I can't…" As the last wound closed she curled into him wanting to be held, comforted… she didn't know where she was, or if Shinji was out there somewhere… but this boy, this angel was there to soothe her in her darkest moment… a moment that was supposed to be her greatest triumph…

She cried… salty tears mixing with the LCL, breaking off in a glittering stream as her jaw trembled. He stroked her hair, whispered comforting words. Her face changed as she looked up at him; feeling the countless voices around her fall into a din and Tabris himself at that moment discovered something…

Individual love…

He touched her chest over her heart and she watched as his hand phased into her body. She gasped as the feeling reached her core. Their souls were beginning to entwine…

"I really didn't know why I did that," he whispered to no one. "But I know now. It's the same reason Hikari can't reject Rei, and the same reason I think of you as much as I do. Instrumentality taught me individual love… And I never had the chance to explore that with you."

He frowned as he ran his hand down the image in the cut out. "Wherever you are… I hope you're safe."

Langxi, China: That Moment

Asuka opened her eyes… her mind kept returning to the face of Tabris… the eternal smile that helped her feel human again… It was truly one of the few things that kept her sane. She caught movement on the horizon and hoped it wouldn't be what she thought it was… as it happened, it wasn't.

A lesser Behemoth was foraging too close to the city. The creature was about the size of a semi-truck and powerfully built. It resembled a cat in some ways, but was stockier with massive claws that could probably rend one of the smaller dwellings in the town in half with a single swipe… and this was one of the smaller ones. Unfortunately, it was far too close to the town. It would smell the Nephilim soon and that would attract it. Asuka stood up and walked to the edge of the platform and looked over the wall to the target which was about three-quarters of a mile away. She summoned her sword and ignited it. Her wings lit and she took to the air.

The fiery streak caught the monster's attention and it prepared for her. As she flew in for the killing blow it swiped with the back of its paw and managed to time its attack perfectly. 450 yards later she slammed into the ground and dug out a trench nearly 50 yards long. She was stunned but was quickly trying to recover enough to move since she felt the ground shaking at the monster's approach. Asuka barely managed to get out of the trench before the claw came down and made the hole she was in three times deeper. Holding her sword at the ready the monster continued its assault.

Asuka dodged quickly, left and right, appearing to slide quickly from side to side as the monster tried to smash her with its massive paws. Asuka tried to flank and was nailed with the creature's massive tail. Quickly recovering, she launched into a direct assault and managed to slash a chunk out of the monster's face. It roared in pain and backed away from Asuka.

"I don't want to kill you," Asuka whispered. "But I know how Behemoths are. If I let you go, you will be back when you're even bigger."

In response the monster charged her full speed. Asuka dodged under the chomping jaws in her forward flight and rolled enough to slash deep into the monster's chest. As she flew past it, the monster reared up on its hind legs and roared in pain. It stumbled back as its blood poured from the deep wound Asuka inflicted. With sadness, Asuka watched as the monster fell backwards and struggled to stay alive. She flew over to the monster and thrust her sword in between the monster's eyes, finally ending its suffering. Igniting her wings again she started to conjure flames; it would take time, but she had to make sure the body was completely incinerated, otherwise it would bring disease to the town and more monsters to the area looking for food.

Unbeknownst to her, miles away a monster was watching her work. Its body was humanoid but well over nine feet tall. It had four arms and another torso growing out of its back with a head and a pair of arms of its own. The second head faced away and simply waited as if its mind was only reactionary.

The main head was set to anger. There was a perfect settlement full of juicy morsels, but that Nephilim was powerful. Soon though, it would have a large enough host of its own kind to destroy the settlement and kill the Nephilim. Then he would feast upon her core and her power of fire would be his.

Once Asuka completed destroying the body, she flew back to town and retook her position on the platform. Daybreak was still many hours away…

We have made the present obsolete

What do you want?

What do you need?

We'll find a way,

When all hope is gone!

We've seen the fall of the elite,

Bury your life, take your disease

We'll end the world,

When all hope is gone!