Subject: [FFML] [draft][fic][Rei's Child][ch. 3][1.1]
From: backup box
Date: 11/27/2000, 8:46 PM
To: ffml

hello all,



back again with another chapter, it's not as long as I

wanted it to be, but chapter 4 will make up for that,

please let me know what you think, and if it reads

funny then don't forget that it is because I don't

have a retooler right now.



here is the addy for the person that asked a while ago

- 

http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/tvinc01/index.htm



========



Warning: Lime content present!



Not intended for anyone under 15, read at your own

risk.



OOCness ahead, maybe.



----



Version I-A {1.1}



----



"speaking"



'thinking'



<phone>



=dream=



----



This Chapter follows the events of Chapter Two



----



-Rei's Child-



Written By: Jon L 



-Chapter III-



----



Some say that Tokyo-3 is the safest city in Japan,

others say that it is a magnet for Angel Attacks, but

none say that it is the starting point for Third

Impact cause only a handful of it's residents know the

true workings of NERV.  a few of those resident have

returned home to their beds to get some sleep after a

long night of learning, and are currently sleeping

peacefully, with the exception of one.  Asuka Langley

Soryu, the Second Child and pilot of Eva Unit-02, who

is currently down in the Medical Ward of NERV HQ,

laying in a bed that has been isolated from others. 

She lays there in silence, unaware of where she is,

and unable to care at the moment, for she is stuck in

her past, a past that still haunts her to this day,

and the one memory that she cannot escape, seeing her

mother hanging from the ceiling.



****************



Several meters above, in the apartment of Misato

Katsuragi, sleeps four roommates; although one has

begun to stir in his fridge.  Pen-pen has just woken

up this morning, though he was supposed to have been

sent away, he still remains here in his fridge located

in Tokyo-3.  He wakes up, walks out of his fridge and

head to Misato's room where he expects his sleeping

owner to feed him.



Once he arrives at the door, he slides it open and

walks in.  He sees that Misato is still asleep and

walks up to her to give her a nudge.



"Qwaa."



"Nnnnnnn, wha?.."



"Qwaa!"



"Oh...Pen-pen.  Go bug Shinji, let me sleep a little

longer..."



"Qwaa?"



"Zzzzzzzz..."



Misato has fallen to sleep again, so Pen-pen walks out

of the room and proceeds to Shinji's room.  When he

opens the door he sees something that is out of place,

a large mass on the floor, but chooses to ignore it

and walks up to the bed instead.  What he finds is

that there is a mass of blue hair on the bed instead

of the normal dark brown mass he is used to.  What he

does not expect is for two red orbs to suddenly appear

as well.



"QWAA!!"



Pen-pen's cry startles Shinji out of his sleep.  He

bolts upright and jumps away from the penguin, "AAH!"



Pen-pen turns and sees the person he was looking for

behind him, then turns back to the bed and sees the

same blue-haired girl from a few nights ago sitting

upright on the bed.  Pen-pen runs out of the room and

hurries back to his fridge where he thinks it is safe.



****************



Rei sees the penguin run out of the room.



Shinji finally recovers from the rude awakening and

rubs his eyes, "Huh?"



"I believe it is time to feed Pen-pen."



Misato runs into the room after hearing Shinji's yell,

"What's going on?"



"Oh, morning Misato."



"I heard someone yell."



"Pen-pen scared me."



"Must be time to feed him then, I'll go take care of

it."



"No, Maj...Misato, I will do it."



"Are you sure Rei?"



"Yes.  It is part of my training."



"Okay, his food is in the fridge, and don't forget his

morning beer."



"Hai."



Rei stands up and walks to the kitchen where Pen-pen's

fridge is located, she opens up the main fridge and

sets out some food for Pen-pen, then goes over to the

other fridge and knocks on the door.  Pen-pen opens

the door and sees Rei standing outside it, and hurries

back in.



"Rei.  Don't worry, he'll come out when he's ready, he

just needs to get used to you being around first."



"Hai."



"And he has nothing against you really, he has been

cautious around strangers ever since Asuka moved in."



Rei walks away from the fridge/home and goes back to

her room, when she arrives at the door, she sees

Shinji has fallen asleep again, so she decides to go

to the balcony instead and look at the once proud city

of Tokyo-3.  As she steps out, she feels a light

morning breeze lift the edges of her shirt up and sees

the sun about to rise in the east.  She walks up to

the railing and just stands there, taking in a view

she has never seen before, her mind begins to wonder

some as she stands there as well.



'What is it that makes this a special moment?  What is

it about the sun rising that makes it something to

see, it is something that happens everyday.'



//'But, there is more to it then you know.'



'I don't see what is so important about watching it

rise?'



//'This is something that you will have to share with

someone else to understand, mother.  But I will say

this, the sun itself is not what makes this a special

moment.'



As quick as the voice comes, it disappears, but not

before Rei sees something she has never seen before, a

sunrise.  What she sees is the rays slowly spread

there way across the desolate city, casting a golden

glow on everything they touch.



'I must talk to Shinji about this.'



Just then, Rei senses something that makes her shudder

as the sun continues its accent into the sky, another

presence that is like her, yet different as well.



'The time is near...'



****************



Miles away from the city of Tokyo-3, a figure can be

seen moving across the land.  This figure has the

shape of a male child, one that is in its teens.  On a

closer inspection though, the child appears to be

floating across the land, a child that has pale skin,

red eyes, and messy gray hair.  This child appears to

wear a slight smile on his face, and keeps his hands

in his pockets, if a person were to listen closely,

they may hear the sounds of humming coming from the

same direction, the song being, Ode to Joy.



The boy pauses for a few moments and speaks up, "The

time is drawing near.  Soon, I will become one with

Adam..."  He says no more and continues humming the

same tune again that he was before.



****************



A few hours later, at the apartment of Dr. Ritsuko

Akagi, we can see Ritsuko sitting at her terminal

working after a long night of research in to what the

stuff from Rei's stomach is.



"Hmm...this can't be possible, whatever this fourth

ingredient is, it should not be inside of Rei without

killing her..."



Ritsuko grabs the current notes she has in front of

her and puts then off to the side, then grabs a new

set of notes from the floor and begins to review them.



"Okay, so after isolating the acid and alcohol, I am

left with the Knoxidren and this fourth chemical, it

appears to be a base liquid, but that can't be, it

should have killed Rei if it was a base..."  She looks

at the drawing of the chemical structure at the bottom

of the page for the sixth time that morning, "I just

don't get it, what is this stuff?"



Soon, the doctor hears the phone ring and puts down

her notes, "Why now?"  She goes over to her desk and

picks up the phone.



"Hello?"



<Dr. Akagi, this is Security Division Two.  We have

located the Second Child and need you to come to NERV

right away.>



"Is something wrong?"



<The Second Child is not responding to any type of

interaction at the moment, we fear the she may be

sick.>



"Okay, I will be there soon."



<Hai.>



<-CLICK->



"Well, at least some good news has come finally."



Ritsuko heads out of her apartment and to her car.



On the table sit the notes she was just looking at,

arranged in a way as to help her identify what the

fourth chemical is.  They appear to have been put in a

certain way on accident so that all she would have to

do is look at them at that moment and have the answer,

a shame that the window was left open and it was a

little windy that day.



The only sounds that can be heard in the apartment now

are the sounds of Ritsuko driving away, and the sound

of papers falling to the floor.



****************



After about fifteen minutes have passed by, Ritsuko

has arrived at the NERV Medical Ward where she finds

Asuka in a bed staring at the ceiling.  "Doctor, we

have been unable to get any response from the child

since we found her last night at 01:00 hours."



"Did she have any injuries?"



"Not that we know of, we did a close inspection before

bringing her here but found no cuts or bruises on

her."



Ritsuko grabs Asuka's chart and starts paging through

the reports, "Could you describe to me how she looked

when you saw her?"



"She looked very pale, dirty, malnutrition, sickly. 

She didn't respond when we called out her name, just

kept looking upward the same way she is now."



"Thank you, you may go now."



"Hai, Doctor."



The two security agents that were in the room walk out

and stand guard right outside the door.



Ritsuko digs out her cell phone and places a call to

Misato.



<Hello?>



"Misato, its Ritsuko, security has found Asuka, she is

currently under quarantine until further notice

according to her charts."



<When?!>



"At 1:00 this morning, she appears to be in a coma at

the moment, I don't suggest you let Shinji know yet

until I have had a chance to examine her further."



<So this means that she is no longer fit to be an Eva

pilot?>



"As of this time, that is correct."



<Good thing we have a spare arriving soon.>



"When will the spare pilot get here?"



<He is due to arrive in two days.>



"Understood, I will let you and Maya handle the

preparations for getting everything ready for the

first synch test, but let Maya know that Rei will not

be taking part in the tests per my orders."



<Hai.  Anything else?>



"Yes, I will need you to check on a program that is

running in the MAGI."



<How?>



"The password is still listed on your computer, use

Balthazar."



<Understood.>



<-CLICK->



Ritsuko puts the phone back into her lab-coat and

begins her examination of Asuka.



'Asuka, what is going through your mind right now?'



****************



Misato hangs up the phone.



'I'd better check on that program first.'



Misato goes to her room and starts typing in commands

into her computer.



[MAGI - Balthazar - 2]

[System 6.3.9]

[Enter Password - ]



Misato opens another window and starts searching for

the password left by Ritsuko.  Once she has found it,

she enters it into the main window.



[R. Akagi]

[Clearance Level - N/A]

[1 Programs Running]

[Press F8 To Continue]



Misato does as she is told.



[Current Program - Naoko45]

[View Program? Y/N]



She hits Y.



[Naoko45]

[Please Select Option]

[1 - Run]

[2 - Check]

[3 - Stop]



She hits 2.



[Program Has Cleared Logs For Terminal Dogma]

[Program Has Cleared Logs For R. Akagi]

[Time Index - 19:55 To 01:05]

[Program Has Cleared Log For Current Session]

[End Check]



Misato logs out of the current session and shuts down

her computer, "Time to contact Maya."



****************



Away from NERV and Misato, two figures are walking

along a street in the eastern sector of the city.



"Shinji, have you ever seen the sun rise?"



"What do you mean Rei?"



"I...have never seen a sunrise before."



"Oh...well, I have seen a sunrise before, I didn't get

a good look at it though.  Why?"



"I wish to see one, and learn what is so special about

them."



"Well, if we both get up early enough tomorrow, we can

see one together."



"Hai."



"Rei, why the sudden interest?"



"I am unsure..."



They both continue walking, enjoying the sunny day as

they go, until they reach the newest lake formed by

the latest explosion.  Both the children walk up to

the water's edge and stare out across the lake.



"Rei, do you think Asuka is okay?"



"I do not know, Shinji, but Soryu is a strong pilot,

she will be fine."



"I hope so.  She is one of the few people I can still

trust, All of our school mates are gone, and Asuka

hasn't come back.  Misato tries to be friendly, but I

don't know if I can trust her; Ritsuko is not herself

anymore; Kaji is dead; My father has no remorse;

mother is dead...that leaves only you I can trust."



"Shinji, do not worry about others, we have each other

right now, and a third one on the way.  We must both

learn from each other first before we worry about what

is around us."



"I guess you are right, Rei.  But, I just can't help

but worry about Asuka at the same time."



They both find some rocks and sit down on the new

beach, and just stare off into the distance.



"Rei, why is it you live alone?"



"Shinji?"



"Why do you not live with Misato like Asuka and I do?"



"When I was sent to live outside of NERV, Misato was

not here."



"Oh, but why is it when she came you still lived

alone?"



"I am unsure, I only lived where I was told to.  I

only followed orders."



"Surely you felt alone at times?"



Rei does not answer right away, instead she looks down

at the ground for the few moment as she thinks about

what to say.  After what seemed like minutes she

finally gives Shinji an answer,  "Yes...I did."



"So why do you live alone then?"



"I have nothing else..."



After about two hours have passed, they stand up again

and head back to the apartment.



As they walk, Rei feels the same feeling she did that

morning, 'I must prepare for the end.'



After a few seconds pass by, the feeling fades away

again and they both continue on there way.



****************



Ritsuko has finished her examination of Asuka finally

and begins to log her findings.



[R. Akagi]

[Medical Log]

[Soryu, Asuka Langley]

[]

[After careful examination, no physical trauma has

been found on the Second Child, her weight has dropped

by 20 pounds, her blood pressure is very low, skin is

a pale color, and she is unresponsive to all external

interactions.  As far as her mental health is

concerned, it is my belief that she will not be able

to pilot Unit-02 again until she overcomes what has

sent her comatose.]

[]

[The cause for this may be stress and memories of her

past.  The Second Child has a history of mental stress

from her mother's death, and her father leaving her. 

This could be the main cause for her coma at the

moment, Asuka has pushed herself over the edge and

sees herself as a failure in her eyes.  My

professional diagnosis matches what her past files

have predicted would happen, though this has happened

ahead of the predicted timeline possibly due to the

attack of the 15th Angel on her mind, the outcome is

still predicated to be the same; insanity, then

death.]

[]

[End Log]



"Please pull through, Asuka."



****************



That night, after all have gone to sleep at the

Katsuragi residence, Rei has started to dream about

events to come.



=(Rei sees herself floating down the main shaft to

Terminal Dogma.  Below she can hear the sounds of a

fight happening, but is unable to see what is

happening.)=



=(Soon, Rei reaches the bottom of the shaft and sees

Unit-01 has defeated Unit-02 in a battle, she also

sees a gray haired boy floating in the air outside

Heavens Door.  Rei immediately raises her AT-FIELD to

block out all outside interference.)=



='No, this isn't right, I must not allow this to

happen.'=



=(Rei drops her ATF and moves to where the boy is

floating, but she does not make it in time as he

merges with Lilith and brings on Third Impact.)=



****************



The next morning, Shinji wakes up first and walks over

to the bed where Rei is currently sleeping, "Rei?"



Rei does not move as Shinji tries to wake her, as he

goes to move her head, he notices her face feels damp.



"What?"



Next, Shinji turns Rei on to her backside and gets a

better look at her, "Rei??"



Shinji sees that Rei's shirt is completely soaked with

sweat, he even sees two thing that would normally make

him shy away, but due to the seriousness of the

situation he calls out for Misato.



"MISATO!!  COME QUICK!"



Misato comes running into the room and sees Shinji

next to Rei, "Shinji, what's wrong?!"



"I think Rei is sick."



"WHAT?"



Misato joins Shinji next to the bed and feels Rei's

head, "Shinji!  Put something on her and help me get

her to the car NOW!"



"Hai."



Misato runs out of the room and makes a call to

Ritsuko while Shinji puts another shirt onto Rei,

"Rei, please wake up!"



Misato comes back into the room and picks Rei up off

the bed, "Shinji, grab my car keys and lets go."



Shinji does as he is told and follows Misato out the

door and to the car.  Misato sets Rei down in the back

seat as Shinji gets in on the other side, "Shinji, I

want you to watch over her until we get to NERV, GOT

IT?"



"Yes."



"Good."  Misato jumps into the driver's seat and guns

the engine as they take off at speeds no sane driver

would ever attempt.  Taking turns at speeds that

should have flipped the car over and causing the car

to go flying on hills, until they reach the entrance

to the NERV Medical Ward.



Ritsuko and two nurses meet them as the car comes to a

stop.



After it is deemed safe, Ritsuko approaches the car

and opens the door, "Misato, I will say one thing for

your driving, you sure know how to get somewhere fast

when it counts."



"Funny Ritsu!"



"Okay, I need her inside the building NOW!  Bring her

to room 407 in the Cranial Ward."



"Yes doctor."



The two nurses hurry in loading Rei onto a stretcher

and rush her inside.



"Ritsu, we will be there soon."



"Understood, Misato."



Ritsuko runs after the nurses into the Medical Ward.



Misato starts the car again and finds her parking spot

on the second level.



"Shinji, I think it is time you told me what is going

on."



"I don't know what you are talking about Misato?"



"SHINJI, enough bullshit, you said you would tell me

everything when the time is right, THIS is the right

time!"



Shinji just sits there, shocked by what Misato has

just said, "I-I-I can't, I can't tell you anything

yet."



"Shinji, do you care for Rei?"



"Yes."



"Then you need to at least tell ME what is going on,

she is my responsibility right now, this does NOT look

good, I need you to tell me everything now."



"Misato, I can't...I can't tell you everything yet."



"Then tell me what you do know, please."



Shinji hesitates before responding, "Unit-02 going

berserk may be related to Rei's pregnancy, the child

has been communicating with us over the past few days,

warning us of a danger, but I can't tell you anymore."



"Why did you try to wake Rei this morning?"



"She wanted to see the sun rise."



"Shinji, why did you keep this from me?"



"We were asked not to tell anyone, by the child."



"Why?"



"I don't know why Misato, I don't know anymore then

what I have told you."



Shinji begins to sob at this point.



Misato's voice becomes softer at this point, "Shinji,

it's okay, if you don't know anymore yet then I trust

you."



"Thank you, Misato."



"Come on, lets go see how Rei is doing."



"Hai.  And Misato, please don't tell anyone what I

have told you yet."



"I promise I won't, Shinji."



"Thank you."



"By the way, you called Rei 'Rei', that is not like

you Shinji."



"Well, we thought that it would be nicer to call each

other by our first names."



"Well, just be careful around NERV, that could qualify

as unusual at this point."



Hai."



The two say no more as they exit the car and head to

the Cranial Ward where Rei currently is.



****************



Many miles away, a boy still moves across the land as

he proceeds in the direction of NERV, as he comes to

the water, he stops and begins to walk along the beach

in what is known as China now.



"I am the final one, I must do what I have been sent

to do, destroy humanity.  But is it really necessary

to destroy them, does humanity deserve to die?"



The boy just sits down on the beach as he thinks about

what must be done, and whether it is the right thing

to do.  After a little while, the boy continues on his

way to NERV, and to the one thing that he must do.



****************



Hours later, back at NERV, Misato, Shinji, and Ritsuko

have gathered in another room to discuss the situation

involving Rei.



"Ritsu, what have you found out?"



"Well, the diagnosis is not good.  Rei is suffering

from poisoning in her body, we don't know what is

going to happen, and we can't treat her.  The chances

of her surviving are not good right now.  Shinji, I

can't let you see her right now due to the quarantine

we have set up, but you can see her on the security

feed if you want."



Ritsuko goes over to the monitor in the corner and

sets it to room 407.



"Ayanami..."



On the monitor, Rei is sleeping on the bed, her head

looks real shiny from all the sweat she has put out

and her chest is barely moving as she breathes.



Misato looks at Shinji and starts to get worried,

"Shinji?"



"Misato, why?  Why does she have to die?"



"I don't know, Shinji."



Misato turns to Ritsuko, "Ritsuko, show him the other

patient."



"Misato, no."



"Ritsuko, do it!"



"Misa..."



Misato pulls out her sidearm and aims it at the

doctor, "DO IT!"



 "Okay, Misato..."



Ritsuko walks over to the monitor again and enters the

command for Asuka's room.  When the image changes,

Shinji freezes in mid-breath.



"I didn't won't you to see this yet Shinji, but I

think now is the best time for you to see it."



"Asuka..."



"We found her yesterday morning after we took that

tour, she is in quarantine as well right now."



"No..."  Shinji starts to back up towards the door.



"Shinji, what are you doing?  Shinji?"



Shinji arrives at the door and runs out of the room

with a terrified look on his face.



"SHINJI!"



Misato gets ready to run after him when Ritsuko stops

her, "Let him go, Misato.  He needs some time to

himself right now."



"RITSU!"



"No, Misato!  If I have to I will have you arrested! 

Let him be for now."



Misato think about the situation a bit before she

gives in, "Okay..."



****************



Shinji keeps running from the Medical Ward, through

NERV, out into the city, then finally stops at the

lake he and Rei visited the previous day, when he has

found the rocks they sat on he sees that several hours

have passed by.



"Why?"



"Why does she have to die?"



"Why do they both have to die, the only two I can

really trust right now, WHY?"



"I care for both of them..."



"I don't want them to die, ever."



"Everyone I cared for is either dying or gone now,

Toji, Kensuke, Hikari.  All left when their homes

where destroyed.  Asuka, Rei, dying because of what

they have done, what they have been forced to do. 

Misato just wants to find the truth.  I am alone

again..."



Soon, Shinji begins to here humming coming from behind

him, he turns around and sees a gray haired boy about

his age sitting on a rock.



"A song is good."



"Huh?"



"A song brings us joy, don't you think so, Shinji

Ikari?"



"Do I know you?"



"Not yet, but everyone knows who you are."



"Really?  Then who are you?"



"Kaoru Nagisa, the Fifth Child."



"The Fifth Child?  Nagisa?"



"I like Kaoru better, Ikari."



"Then you may call me Shinji."



The Fifth Child lets out a slight laugh.



****************



"The Fifth Child has arrived."



"I know he has Makoto, but I don't know if we should

proceed with the test, we have two pilots in the

Medical Ward right now."



The next day, Misato has volunteered to give Makoto a

ride to NERV HQ.  On the way, they decide to discuss

the situation involving the Fifth Child.



"Major, we have no idea about the Fifth Child, the

Malduk report has only one piece of info in it, he was

born the same day Second Impact occurred."



"So we have no idea if he can even pilot an Eva?"



"None, Major."



"Well, he was chosen by Malduk, so he must be of some

use.  Let's just see how he does today."



"Hai."



****************



About four hours later, well into the synch test,

Misato finds herself standing in the control center.



Fuyutsuki bends down to look at the screen in front of

Maya, "Lower it 0.3 more please."



"Yes sir."  Maya enters the commands into the

terminal.



"Could these readings be wrong?"



"No sir."



"How are these readings possible?"



"It isn't possible with this system."



"What about the Third Child's readings?"



Misato walks up to the Sub-Commander to answer that

question, "Sir, his readings may be due to the

problems with both the Second and First Children, he

has found out about their conditions as of yesterday."



"You are has guardian, Major.  Please take care of the

problem as you see fit, but do it quickly."



"Hai sir."



****************



The next day, after a long and boring ride down to

NERV HQ, Kaoru swipes his card through the reader in

front of the entrance to Central Dogma and steps

through the gate once it has finished opening.



<-RING->



"Hello?"



<Kaoru, this is Maya Ibuki, where are you right now?">



"I am at the entrance to Gate 7."



<We have canceled today's synch test, but we would

like you to come to the Medical Ward for some tests

instead.>



"Hai, I am coming right now."



<Understood.  Doctor Akagi will be waiting for you at

the front desk.>



"Hai."



<-CLICK->



'So, it is time to meet the First Child.'



****************



After a few hours of tests, Kaoru is heading towards

the entrance to the Medical Ward, when he suddenly

turns down the hall that leads to the room where Rei

Ayanami is currently in.  No one sees him disappear

through the door once he gets there.



After he is in he walks over to the bed Rei is in and

puts his hand on her forehead.



****************



=(Inside Rei's dream, Rei sees darkness all around

her, no life what-so-ever can be seen in the post

Third Impact world she is in.)=



="Why am I seeing this?"=



="You are the First Child, Rei Ayanami."=



=(Rei hears a voice that she does not know come from

behind her and turns around, but this time, instead of

seeing the penguin like she usually does, she sees a

gray haired boy standing in front of her.)=



="Who are you?"=



="We are both the same, you and I."=



="I do not understand?"=



="I am Kaoru Nagisa, the Fifth Child."=



=(Kaoru gives Rei a slight smile as she stares at

him.)=



="I do not see the point to us meeting?"=



="You must be the Third Rei, I am Tabris."=



="You are the Seventeenth Angel."=



="Yes, I wanted to meet you just in case we never got

the chance later, and to tell you that you are my

sister as well.  We are both alike in some way, only

you have not realized those ways yet, but you may

soon..."=



="Why are you telling me this?"=



="Why not, you have the right to know of your origins,

Ayanami.  And, I wanted to meet you for possibly the

last time.  I most go now, so long, sister."=



=(With that having been said, Kaoru fades, leaving Rei

along again in the darkness.)=



="Shinji..."=



****************



Back in the room Rei is in, Kaoru pulls his hand away

from her head and puts on her stomach.



"Too bad you won't live through Third Impact, you

would have enjoyed your humanity..."



Having said that, he turns and leaves the room and

heads for the exit to NERV, once he reaches it he

waits for the gate to open and sees Shinji sitting

against the wall waiting for something, or someone.



"You waited for me?"



Shinji opens his eyes and sees him standing there, 

"Sort of, I was wondering if I could talk to you?"



"I was hoping to talk to you as well, Shinji."



"Really?"



Kaoru offers his hand to Shinji as Shinji gets up,

"So, where should we go?"



"I think I know of a place."



"Then, we shall go there."



The two of them start walking in the direction of the

shuttle station.



Over an hour later, they arrive at the same mountain

park that Shinji and Rei had visited days before, but

this time they find a spot near a lake in the area and

find some benches to sit on.  Kaoru is the first to

speak what is on his mind.



"Shinji, what is it you fear?"



"Huh?"



"What is it you fear from your own kind?"



"I don't understand?"



"You fear that first contact, do you not?"



"I guess that is true."



"If you don't know others, you can never be betrayed

or hurt, but, the cost of that is sadness, a person

can't escape sadness forever."



"Oh?"



"But they can forget it, so they are able to go on a

little while longer."



"I see."



"People must understand this before they can continue

the way they want to."



"I understand..."



"So, Shinji Ikari, what is it you wish to ask me?"



"You know about the First and Second Children, don't

you?"



"I do..."



"Well, I can't help but think that I am the one that

caused their illnesses.  They are my friends, and

fellow Eva pilots, but lately I have wondered if they

would be like this if they were not Eva pilots after

all."



"Shinji, have you ever thought that you are the reason

they are still alive, they may be dying now, but you

may have been the one that kept them alive for this

long."



"I guess that could be so..."



"Do you miss them?"



"Yes, they were my friends as well.  I feel as if I

have let them down somehow."



"They put their trust in you, you have nothing to feel

bad about.  Humanity is unique in this way..."



"I suppose..."



After another half-hour, Shinji sees the sun is

beginning to set, "We should start back now, it's

beginning to get late."



"We have to go already?"



"Yes, we shouldn't be up here in the first place."



"I wish to talk some more with you, Shinji, if I may?"



"But we must return to our homes."



"People always feel pain in their hearts, that part is

easy to wound, it is for this reason that living can

be painful, your heart is easily breakable, like

glass."



"What?"



"You are worthy of love...meaning that I love you."



Shinji is surprised to hear Kaoru use such kind words,

"Tha-thank you..."



"You are welcome, Shinji Ikari."



"I must go now, I am sorry Kaoru, I need to do some

more thinking about what you have said about me not

being responsible for the pain of my friends."



"Then, we will talk more tomorrow..."



"I hope so, I like talking to you as well."



"Good evening then, Shinji."



Shinji gets up and leaves Kaoru sitting on the bench

as he heads to the shuttle station.  Kaoru continues

to sit there for a while longer.



'Tomorrow, Shinji, all your pain will be over in life,

you will not have to worry anymore...'



****************



After a night of restless slumber, Shinji finds

himself back in the same room he was in before when he

was given the news on both Rei and Asuka, he sits down

in a chair facing the monitor that has both Rei's and

Asuka's rooms displayed on it.



"Rei, Asuka, you have both been my friends during

these past months, it hurts me to see you like this

now.  I have felt like it was me that causeed you both

to be here recently, but last night I was shown that

is not true.  I was the one that helped you get to

this point, even though you may be dying now, you are

both still alive because of me, and I have your

friendship in return.  I am happy to have known you

both as long as I have, and though I wish you both

would not die, I have come to accept this as my gift

to you both..."



Before Shinji is able to finish what he is trying to

say, he hears the alarms go off in the Medical Ward

symbolizing an angel attack.  "Asuka, Rei, this battle

is dedicated to you both."



Shinji runs out of the room and to the locker rooms. 

After he has finished putting on his plug suit, he

runs to his Entry Plug and awaits synchronization from

the Eva.



Once the Entry Plug is powered up, he sees Misato's

face appear on the wall.



<Shinji, can you hear me?>



"Yes, Misato."



<The Fifth Child has taken Eva Unit-02 and is heading

towards Terminal Dogma, he is the last angel, Shinji,

the 17th.  You must stop him before he reaches

Terminal Dogma.>



Shinji hears everything Misato says, but doesn't

believe a word of it, "He can't be, he is my friend,

Misato!  I don't believe you!"



<SHINJI!!  I don't believe it myself, but I see all

the data in front of me, you have to stop him!>



"It must be a lie..."



<It isn't Shinji.  Eva launch!>



Shinji feels the Eva start to descend as he begins to

go over the previous day in his head, "He said that he

loved me, how can he do this to me, HOW?!"



When Unit-01 has finally caught up with Unit-02, he

gets ready to fight.



"Kaoru!  How could you do this to me?!"



"It is what I have been sent to do Shinji.  I didn't

lie to you last night, you are worthy of love, but I

must do what I have been sent to do."



Shinji reaches for his Progressive Knife, but finds

that he is unable to withdraw it, "I can't do this,

Kaoru, please stop, I don't want to fight you, you are

my friend, and the first that has really said they

love me."



"Shinji, this is what you must do.  The reason you

pilot is for survival, the fate of everyone is in your

hands at the moment, what you choose to do is up to

you..."



"But, how can I fight when I am already losing two

other friends, I can't do this!"



"Then I must defeat you, Ikari."



Suddenly, Unit-02 grabs the Progressive knife and

shoves it into Unit-01's armor and flesh.



"I am sorry, Shinji."



Shinji is unable to tolerate the pain and passes out

in his entry plug, his last words being "Forgive me,

Rei, Asuka, I have let you down..."



****************



As Kaoru and the Evas reach Terminal Dogma, Kaoru

begins to think about what Shinji said the night

before as he comes to realize why Shinji is unable to

fight, "Shinji, I betrayed you, yet you did not fight

me?  Why is that?"  Once he and the Evas are at the

bottom, he approaches Heaven's Door and stops, and

thinks about a few things he missed during his visit

with Rei, "Is it that you see something more in your

fellow pilots Shinji?  Does their dying hurt you that

much?"  Instantly, Kaoru sees the flaw in humanity

that he missed, he sees that Shinji has felt their

pain mixed with the pain of betrayal, but with the

pain a sense of purpose has come, one that provided

the weakness.



Kaoru enters through the doorway and approaches

Lilith, "Adam, our mother being.  Those born from Adam

must return to Adam, even annihilating humanity?  No,

this isn't Adam, this is Lilith.  I see.  I

understand, Lilim."



Kaoru makes his most important decision yet in that

spot, "No, I mustn't do this, I must let humanity

live, they must live, that leaves me with one option

left.  Yes, I must do it."  Kaoru turns and heads back

the same way he has come, "Shinji, this is my gift to

you...thank you."



****************



Hours later, in the NERV Medical Ward, Shinji awakens

from the most recent battle he almost lost.



"I am still alive?"



"Shinji?"



Shinji turns his head in the direction of the voice,

"Misato, what happened?"



"We are not sure, we found you in the wreckage of room

407, laying next to Rei.  I was hoping you could tell

us how you got there."



"I don't remember how I did, the last thing I remember

is being stabbed by Unit-02."



"You are very lucky, Shinji.  From what I saw, you

should have died in the blast that occurred in that

room, we have no idea how you survived without any

injuries, Rei was not so lucky, I don't know her

condition yet."



"Rei...no..."



"Shinji, if you want, you may leave, I have brought

your cell phone just in case I have any more news for

you."



"Hai, Misato..."



Misato turns and leaves the room, Shinji decides to

just lay there in the bed a little longer to think

about what he has heard, "So, Rei has been injured,

all because of me, all because I could not stop

Kaoru..."



After what seems like minutes, Shinji gets up and gets

dressed, then heads out of the room. Once he has

exited, he sees what used to be a hallway, but now is

just blackened walls and holes, Shinji then notices

what is left of the sign that used to give directions.



<EXI

  C    NI   L> 

  L    ND     Y

<FRON   DE



He has a hard time sorting out the letters at first,

until he sees the room number on the door.  He

immediately knows what is in the direction of the

explosion and starts running until he reaches the room

he was searching for, somehow the numbers have

survived on the door to room 704.  When Shinji sees

the interior he almost falls over, "How did I survive

this?  How bad is Rei's condition?"  Shinji turns

white at the thought that Rei could be in serious

condition.



"Shinji?"



"Misato, please tell me Rei survived..."



"She did, but I don't know how bad her injuries

were..."



"MISATO!!"



Misato is taken aback by Shinji's sudden outburst,

"Shinji?"



Shinji doesn't bother to stand around while Misato

tries to respond further, he starts running in the

direction of the exit.  He doesn't even hear Ritsuko

call for Misato.



Hours later, Shinji is at the same place he and Rei

visited days before after the night Rei got drunk.



"Why did Kaoru try to kill us all, why did he betray

me?"



Shinji just lies there on the ground going over the

battle from hours earlier that he doesn't even hear

someone approaching him.



"Shinji?"



Shinji is startled out of his thoughts as the person

standing over him speaks again, "Shinji?"



"Rei?"



"Yes."



Shinji is so excited to see Rei that he forgets she is

standing over him and ends up knocking her over.



"REI!!  No, I'm sorry, sorry."



"Shinji, it is okay."



Shinji helps Rei up off the ground and hugs her, "Rei,

you are okay, I was worried about you when I saw your

room, and heard that you have been injured."



"I am okay, Shinji.  But, I must talk to you,

alone..."



"Shinji turns and sees Ritsuko and Misato standing a

ways away from them.  Rei waves her hand to signal to

them that they can go.



Misato calls back to Rei, "Rei, I will leave this up

to you, contact us if you need any help."



"Hai, Misato."



Misato and Ritsuko turn and head off to a waiting

black car, get in, and let NERV security drive them

away, leaving Rei and Shinji to talk.



"Rei, what's wrong?"



"Shinji, do you remember what happened when you went

to fight the 17th Angel?"



"I remember getting stabbed by Unit-02."



"You passed out in your Eva afterwards."



"I guess that is true..."



"You decided not to fight Kaoru, but Kaoru decided at

the last moment before Third Impact that he wished for

humanity to live.  He brought you back up the way you

both came down, and to my room..."



"He...decided to let me live?"



"Yes...he closed off everything within a certain

distance from my room and spoke to me, He decided to

become one with me to save everyone, and to allow me

to survive.  He is a part of me now.  Tabris told me

you were the reason he stopped everything.  He wanted

me to thank you for helping him make the right

decision, for all three of us."



"I don't understand?"



"Nor do I, but you were the reason we did not die..."



"So, what next?"



"Now, we must continue what has been set in motion by

your father."



"Hai."



"Come, it is time to head back."



"Yes, Rei.  I am glad you are not injured."



"As I am you..."



The two of them start walking to the shuttle that will

bring them back to the city and Misato's apartment. 

As they are walking, Shinji sees the sun beginning to

set and gets an idea.



"Rei, have you ever seen a sunset before?"



"No."



"Then, let us make up for the sunrise we missed

yesterday."



"Hai."



The children continue to walk until they come to a

nice spot in the park where they can see the sun set.



"Rei, why is it you asked me about sunrises?"



"I do not understand what others see in them."



"Well, I have not seem many sunrises, but I did see a

sunset with Misato after the first battle.  I feel

that a sunset symbolizes the end of the day when

everything changes."



"But change is constant..."



"That is true, but the sun isn't what brings in the

change, it's how it looks when it sets and rises that

people see change."



Rei takes a moment to looks at the reds, purples and

gold that have come with the setting of the sun and

finally sees why it is so special.



"The site is...nice."



"That is probably why it is enjoyable to see this

change."



"With change, people change..."



"But don't think about it, just take in the site in

front of you..."



"I see...thank you, Shinji." 



Shinji smiles at Rei as the two of them continue to

watch the sunset until the golden color has

disappeared, then rise and continue to the shuttle

station.



"Rei, What was that question you wanted to ask me

before?"



"Shinji, how do you feel about me being pregnant?"



"It is a shock, but I am happy for you, and wish to

help you out as much as I can...as much as you would

like me to."



"I am...happy to hear those words come from you,

Shinji."



"Why do you ask?"



"Because it has led me to decide on whether to ask

this next question..."



"I see."



"Shinji, I have decided to have this child, but I need

assistance in learning how to care for it first. 

Shinji, would you like to assist me?"



"Rei?"



"I will let you think about it first."



"Rei...I would be happy to."



****************



Hours later, down in the office of Doctor Ritsuko

Akagi, someone is going over the notes they were going

over days earlier.



"Why can't I figure this out?"



The person is obviously Ritsuko Akagi, she is getting

ready to call it quits for the night when she comes

across something she missed before, somehow some of

the papers have fallen into place again the way they

did before, only this time someone is present to see

it.



"What the?.."



She begins to go over the pattern formed by the said

papers and sees that the answer has been in plain

sight the whole time, she grabs a notebook and writes

down a few things before heading over to her terminal.



"I hope this is the answer I need..."



"She enters the notes in to the terminal and hits

enter, the MAGI begin to go over the new findings and

gives the doctor an answer.



[Test Delta 86]

[Results Point To Mutation]



Ritsuko grabs one of the notes cluttered on her desk

and puts in the findings, and then hits enter again. 

About a minute later she has her answer.



[Chemical Findings Point To A Positive Match To

Chemicals On File]

[Chem Ident Is - Hydro 157]

[Purpose Of Chem - Modification Of Eva Tissue During

Early Stages Of Growth]

[Reason For Use In Presented Case - To Modify The

Structure Of Living Tissue]

[Usage - Recommended For Eva Growth Only]

[Case Used For - Modified Growth Of Human Fetus]

[Side Effects - Accelerated Growth]



"Oh god.  How did this happen, how did it get in Rei?"



Ritsuko thinks back to when Rei was in the tube last. 

She remembers the blue liquid that entered the tube

and comes to a conclusion, "That bastard!  He is using

Rei again for his purposes."



She looks back at the screen again and sees one more

line appear.



[Danger Level - May Cause Death Of Host At End Of The

Cycle]



"He is going to kill Rei!"



As soon as Ritsuko learns this, she prints out her

findings and writes her summary.



[Summary For Subject - Ayanami, Rei]

[Personal Notes]

[]

[After discovering the identity of the fourth

chemical, I have come to the conclusion that Commander

Ikari plans on possibly making a more useful version

of Rei, while killing her at the same time.  My

assumption is he sees no more use for Rei and is using

her to create a more suitable Eva Pilot.  If this is

indeed the Commanders plan, then I must find out how

to undo what has been done without killing the host or

the fetus.  I will be making more notes on this matter

as I see needed.  Misato, if you are reading this,

then you have either hacked into this file or I am

dead, either way, you must not let the Commander

succeed with his plan.]

[]

[End Notes]



****************



Elsewhere in NERV, hidden among the shadows of the

basement, a man walks down a hallway.  Every time he

passes through the light, a person can see his orange

suit that all the technicians wear.



"Tail calling the head, Tail calling the head, please

reply..."



<This is the head, go ahead tail?>



"I have reached the computer control lines, awaiting

further instructions."



<Tail, you are to patch the device into the green

line, then await further orders.>



"Hai."



The tech opens up the box to his right and begins to

pull out a mass of cabling from it, 'Red, blue, white,

GREEN.'



As soon as he preps the cable, he attaches a small

black box to it.



"Device is attached."



<Push 2 and enter your ID code.>



The tech do as told and ends up putting the device on

standby



[AWAITING AUTHORIZATION CODE]



"It says ready."



<Authorization Code is 84483920.>



He enters in the code and reads the screen.



[CODE IS VALID]

[AWAITING REMOTE COMMANDS]

[SCRAMBLER ACTIVE]



"It's all ready."



<Good, now return to your NERV duties until we contact

you next.>



"Hai."



He closes up the box and walks back the same way he

come from down the dark hall.  Back at the box, the

device is receiving its commands from the base station

far away.



[TRANSMITTER ACTIVE]

[INSTRUCTIONS CONFIRMED]

[TAPPING GRID CONTROLS]

[DONE]

[TAPPING SECURITY CONTROLS]

[DONE]

[STANDBY MODE ACTIVE]



To Be Continued...



----



Time for the questions:



Will Asuka ever wake up?

Isn't Shinji helping Rei already?

Why is it Gendo has to kill Rei?

Who was that tech really?



Find out next time in Rei's Child, Chapter IV.



----



Omake's for November:



Omake 1



What Ritsuko really thinks about Rei:



[Summary For Subject - Ayanami, Rei]

[Personal Notes]

[]

[I'm the one making love to Commander Ikari and that

stupid little bitch has a child?! She better not have

fucked Gendo, he's my man. I'll inject so many

chemicals into her her eyeballs will pop out her

freaking head!  She even got more attention than my

mom! If that little hussy thinks she's taking Gendo

from me, she has another thing coming!]

[]

[End Notes]



----



Notes:



Hmm...I seem to be building a good story here, but I

can't be sure really.  I decided not to have Shinji

fight in this version because everything was different

this time around, so that could have changed how

Tabris made his decision, I thought that he was never

sure ending everything for humanity was the best thing

to do anyway.  Rei and Kaoru merging seemed like the

best way to set Kaoru aside for now, cause I plan on

using him again at the end of the series.  Shinji is

no coward, I know that, but he did have a lot on his

mind when it came to the critical time to fight, he

could have been hurt so much that he didn't have the

will to fight anymore.  Asuka was found, she will be

coming back again soon, Rei had to be incapacitated

for the battle with the 17th Angel, and I have finally

given you the true identity of the unknown chemical

that has caused all of these problems in the first

place, but, the questions is, what happens now?  And

the tech is a whole other story, but you will find out

soon about him.



Well, don't ask me, I write it, you read it, and I

hear about it sooner or later, but I will tell you

that I have decided the extend the original length by

two more chapters, so this will now take over a year

to finish.  Be happy about that please.  And one final

note, after I have finished the series I plan on going

back and fixing it up so that it is properly done, but

for now, I am giving you everything I can come up

with, including questions so that you get the true Eva

feel from my writing.



Well, it's best if I shut up now, so look for the next

chapter in about a month.  Bye.



Well, C&C is welcomed.



Flames will be tolerated.



quizered@evafan.com



ICQ: 77294434



http://members.nbci.com/tvinc01

or

http://tvinc.w3.to



Of course, any fuck-ups are my fault. :-)





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