Haibane Renmei Fan Fiction / Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Rei-Bane ❯ Chapter 11: Mustn't Run Away ( Chapter 11 )

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-------------------- Rei-Bane: Chapter 11: Mustn’t Run Away

"I… I did not… mean t-to intrude," Rei stuttered as she slowly backed away from Ikari and Seika.

"Excuse me!" she said as she turned and ran out the door.

"Rei!  Wait!" Ikari cried out as he followed after her.

"Let her go!" Seika called to him as he reached the stairs.

Ikari looked back at her.  "But…"

Seika came out and took him by the hand again.  "It’s alright.  You’re here with me now."

She started to draw him back towards the guestroom when Rakka came hurrying down the stairs.

"What’s all the shout…" she started to ask, but trailed off when she saw Seika’s state of undress.  "Oh… Um…"

"Rakka!" exclaimed Ikari.  "It’s…"

"What happened?" an embarrassed Rakka asked as Seika clutched her shirt closed and looked away.

"Rei… saw us," Ikari managed.  "Then she ran away."

Rakka could not hide her shock.  "This… this is not good."

"We weren’t doing anything wrong!" Seika said pointedly.

Rakka shook her head.  "I didn’t say you were."  She sighed heavily.  "Come on Ikari.  Let’s go talk to her."

"Okay," he answered meekly.

Seika quickly wrapped her arms tightly around one of his.  "No!  You said you’d stay here with me!"

"B-But," Ikari stammered.

Rakka looked at Seika sternly.  "Don’t you care about Rei’s feelings?"

"She was just surprised, that’s all!" Seika insisted.  "It’s not like Ikari and her are lovers or anything!"

"No…  No, they’re not," Rakka had to agree.  "But they’re…"

"They’re what?" Seika asked sharply.

"Rei thinks we’re ‘connected’," Ikari admitted sheepishly as he hung his head down.  "And… and I have to agree.  There’s just something about her and me."

Shocked, Seika backed away.  "But you didn’t say anything!" she exclaimed as she covered her mouth with one of her hands.  She looked pleadingly at Rakka.  "I didn’t know!"

"I know you didn’t," Rakka replied evenly.  "That’s why you were right when you said you’d done nothing wrong.  This is all just a misunderstanding."

Now it was Seika’s turn to hang her head in shame.  "I… I’m so, so sorry."

"It’s alright.  Ikari and I will go straighten things out with Rei."

"I should come too."

"No, I don’t think that would be a good idea just now.  You can talk to Rei tomorrow."

"Alright.  If you think that’s best."

Rakka turned to Ikari.  "Come on.  Let’s go."

"I think that maybe I should go by myself."

"Okay.  If that’s how you want to handle it." 

As Ikari rushed down the stairs, Rakka turned her attention back to Seika, who was now crying.  She held the Newborn close as she wept.

"There, there," she said soothingly.

"I-I just w-wanted him to l-l-like me!"

--------------------

Ikari ran over to the East Tower as the first drops of rain from the approaching storm began to fall.  He hurried in and knocked on Rei’s door.

"Rei!  It’s me!  We need to talk."

Silence.

He banged on the door harder. 

"Rei!  I’m sorry!  It’s all a misunderstanding."

Silence.

He jiggled the doorknob and found it was locked.  Since none of the rooms of Old Home had keys, this confirmed for him that Rei was indeed inside.

"Rei!  Please!  Nothing happened.  Please listen to me!"

Silence.

Ikari turned and began to head dejectedly back to his own room when he once again heard someone coming down the stairs.  This time it was Hikari who had been roused by the noise.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Her jaw fell open as he told her.

"Oh, God…  What was Seika thinking?" she then said.

"She didn’t mean any harm."

"Come here," Hikari said, taking Ikari by the arm and leading him back to Rei’s door.

She knocked lightly.  "Rei, it’s Hikari.  Please talk to Ikari."

Again there was only silence.

Crestfallen, Hikari turned to her male housemate.  "Looks like she’s taking this pretty hard."

"But I don’t understand why she won’t talk to me.  Why is she being this way?"

Hikari scowled a little at him.  "Do you really not get it?" she asked in disbelief.

Ikari shook his head. 

"It’s like I said the other night.  I think she really likes you."

"But she’s never said anything like that to me."

"Have you ever told her how you feel about her?"

Ikari looked down at his feet.  "No.  No, not really."

The blonde Haibane shook her head.  "You two are so alike sometimes.  It’s no wonder you were born the same day."

"What should I do now?"

Hikari sighed.  "Look, maybe you should let me try to talk to her by myself for now."

Ikari nodded sadly.  "Okay.  Thanks.  I’ll be in my room."

Hikari watched him go down the hall with some sadness and then turned back to Rei’s door. 

She knocked again.  "Rei, if you want to talk, I’m by myself now."

Again there was no response.

"Please, Rei, open up," Hikari pleaded.  "Don’t be this way.  It’ll only make things worse."

Moments later she was rewarded by the soft click of the door being unlocked.

Hikari opened the door slowly to find the room almost completely dark, the only light coming from the hallway, the lightning flashes outside and from the soft glow of Rei’s halo.  Rei was sitting on her bed, her knees pulled up in front of her and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

Hikari sat down on a corner of Reki’s old bed.  "Rei…  I’m so sorry this happened to you…  But Ikari didn’t do anything.  It was all Seika’s doing.  She came on to him like that out of the blue.  You just happened upon them at the worst possible moment."

"Why would she do that?" Rei said barely above a whisper, her voice cracking.

"I don’t know…  She’s a Newborn…  She may not show it, but she probably feels very frightened and very alone right now.  Her trying to have Ikari as close as possible to her was probably just her way of trying to get some sense of security."

Rei said nothing in response.  Hikari didn’t want to press her so they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Rei," Hikari finally said.  "Come with me to talk to Ikari.  He’s really sorry about all this.  He wants to apologize."

"There is no need for him to apologize.  As you said, he did not do anything untoward."

Hikari smiled.  "I’m so glad you understand that.  So, let’s go!"

Rei did not move.  "Do you think he would have allowed himself to be seduced if I had not interrupted them?" she asked.

"Oh, no, I honestly don’t think so…  From what he told me it all happened so fast he didn’t really have time to react.  Besides, you’re clearly the one he cares about the most here."

Rei again was silent.

"If the answer matters to you then you have to talk to him about how you feel…  You both need to tell each other how you feel."

"That is… unnecessary."

"My God, how can you say that?"

"I… appreciate… your concern, Sister, but please leave.  I wish to be alone now."

Hikari was utterly taken aback.  "Why won’t you go talk to Ikari?"

"There is nothing that needs to be said."

Hikari was struck by the quiet monotony of Rei’s voice.  It had no spark of life or animation.  A chill went down her spine when she realized that Rei was suddenly speaking the same way she had when she had first arrived at Old Home.

"Oh, Rei…  Don’t be like this.  Don’t let a simple misunderstanding come between you two."

The blue-haired Haibane got up from her bed and walked towards to the door.  Hikari immediately followed after her, happily thinking that Rei had finally decided to see Ikari.

But Rei stopped just inside the door.  "As I said, I wish to be alone, Sister.  Please…  Please go."

Again saddened, Hikari could only do as she was asked.

"Goodnight, Sister," Rei said as she closed the door.

"’Night," Hikari said disappointedly.

She walked over to Ikari’s room and knocked, but there was no answer.  She opened the door a crack to find that the room was empty.  She then checked the bathroom but found it was the same.

‘Where could he have gone?’

"Oh, well," she said to herself regretfully and decided to give up on trying to help her two housemates for the night.  As she made her way back up the stairs the thunder and pelting rain outside kept her from hearing the sounds coming from Rei’s room. 

In her room, Rei had gone back to her bed and curled herself tightly into a fetal position.  For the first time in her life, instead of having tears silently run down her face as she wept, Rei broke into loud wracking sobs and cried herself to sleep.

--------------------

The next morning found only four Haibane around the table for breakfast.

"Where are Ikari and Rei?" Seika asked gloomily, her puffy red eyes betraying the amount of crying she had done overnight.

"I have no idea where Ikari is," said Rakka.  "But Rei’s probably decided to stay with the Little Feathers this morning."

"Last night Rei told me just wanted to be by herself right now," Hikari added.

Seika groaned.  "This is all my fault…  I feel so awful.  Everyone’s been so wonderful to me and this is how I repay you."

"The only thing you can be blamed for is being hasty," Hikari said, trying to be comforting.  "No one holds what happened against you."

"Not even Rei?"

"Maybe after breakfast you should go see her," Rakka suggested.

"Do you think that’s wise?" Kana asked.

"The sooner, the better I’d say," Rakka answered.

Seika nodded her head in resignation.  "Would you come with me?"

"Sure.  Looking after you is my top priority, so I can be a little late getting to the Temple."

--------------------

"Do you think Rei hates me now?" Seika asked as Rakka and she walked through the tunnel to the South Wing to avoid the rain still falling outside.

"No, of course not.  I don’t think Rei could ever hate anybody.  Besides, from what Hikari said she’s feeling hurt, not angry."

They went up the stairs to the South Wing and found Rei in the dining hall cleaning up after the Little Feathers’ breakfast.  Seika immediately raced over and threw her arms around her.

"I’m so sorry!" she said as she began to sob on Rei’s shoulder.

Rei just stood there looking straight ahead as if she didn’t even notice the younger girl.

"Rei, say something!" Rakka finally had to urge her.

Rei glanced down at the Newborn.  "There is no reason for you to be troubled," she said flatly.  "You have done nothing that would warrant an apology."

Seika looked up at her and wiped her eyes.  "But I hurt you!"

"Did you mean to?"

"No!  Of course not!"

"I already knew this, so there is no need to say anything further."  Rei turned and headed back into the kitchen.  "Please excuse me.  I have work to do."

Seika looked at Rakka with confusion. 

Rakka shrugged.  "Rei’s like this sometimes, but she always means what she says.  There’re no bad feelings between you two as far as she’s concerned."

Seika sighed.  "That is such a relief."

Rakka patted the New Feather’s shoulder reassuringly.  "You go back to the guest room.  I need to talk to Rei for a minute."

--------------------

"Rei, are you really alright?" Rakka asked as she came into the kitchen.

"Yes," she responded curtly without looking up from the dish she was washing.

Rakka was far from convinced.  "You don’t sound alright.  You’re not acting like you’re alright."

Rei looked up at her friend and for a moment her countenance softened.  "I am… in pain," she admitted.

Rakka nodded sympathetically.  "Of course you are.  It must’ve been quite a shock."

"I felt…  I felt as if someone had… had grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed it when I saw them together like that."

"Oh, Rei.  You poor thing."

"I did not like the feeling."

"Of course you didn’t."

"I do not want to ever feel anything like it again."

"I don’t blame you."

"My feelings for Ikari have led to pain…  I found happiness in my friendship with Nemu… and then she left…  Your friendship also makes me happy, but you too will leave, as will Hikari and Kana…  The arrival of the Newborn caused me to feel apprehension… and then I had to literally slice into her…  I find this all… untenable."

"Untenable?"

"Yes.  Therefore I have resolved to never again allow myself to be put into a situation where I can be hurt," Rei declared icily.

"What do you mean?"

"I have decided to concentrate solely on caring for the Little Feathers, as is my duty, for the rest of my time here in Glie.  To that end I am going to move into the South Wing with them and eat all my meals here…  Please tell Sister Seika that she is welcome to take my current room."

"You can’t solve anything by shutting yourself away from us!  It didn’t work for Ikari at the Factory.  What makes you think it will work for you?"

"It simply will be much like how things were when I first arrived."

"Were you happy then?"

"No…  But I was not unhappy either."

"Running away is not the answer!"

"The Communicator told me I had to find the true meaning of my name…  My name is ‘cold’ and ‘nothing’.  I see now that by embracing my name I perhaps can have peace within myself once again."

"It won’t work," Rakka said dejectedly.  "You’ll only make yourself more unhappy in the end."

"You may be right, but for now, at least, it is the path I have chosen to try.  I will devote myself to the children."

"And what will you do about Ikari?"

"As I told you before, he is not my responsibility.  I still have complete faith in you to help him free himself from being sin-bound."

"Rei…  That’s not what I meant.  What about the two of you?"

Rei began to head out of the kitchen.  "Goodbye, Sister.  I must go retrieve my belongings from my old room."

--------------------

"There’s no way I’m moving into Rei’s room!" Seika declared at dinner that night.

"I think that’s the right thing to do, or not do, in this case," agreed Rakka.  "Hopefully Rei will come to her senses when she sees she’s just hurting herself more."

Hikari sighed.  "I don’t think any of us realized just how much all that’s happened lately has affected her."

Kana nodded.  "She hid it pretty well, but I guess it finally all got a little too overwhelming."

"Um-hmm," said Rakka.  "I see now that she really doesn’t know how to handle strong emotions very well yet."

"So it’s all not just because of me and what happened last night?" asked Seika.

"No, no," said Hikari.  "But it does seem that last night was the straw that broke the camel’s back."

Seika’s entire countenance drooped unhappily.

"It’s not your fault," Rakka reminded her.  "Rei’s had to deal with a lot of stuff in the last few weeks.  You had no way of knowing about any of that."

"And what about Ikari?" the New Feather then asked.

"Yeah," said Kana.  "Where the heck is he?"

"Do you think he went back to the Factory?" Hikari asked.

"Someone should go check his room," Rakka suggested.

--------------------

After dinner all four Haibane headed over to the East Tower.

"That’s what this situation needs!" declared Kana.  "A show of solidarity and support!"

The others were surprised when, upon entering the Tower, Rakka turned right and headed towards Rei’s room instead of going left towards Ikari's.

"Just as I expected," Rakka said glumly.

The door to Rei’s room was open and a quick glance was all Rakka needed to see that Rei had moved out.

"How about Ikari’s room?" Kana asked.

Hikari knocked on the door, but there was no answer.  She cracked the door open to peer in and, finding the room unoccupied, then went inside.

"There’s nothing in his closet," she noted.

"The dresser is empty too," Seika observed.

"That idiot," said Kana.  "Looks like he’s taken off alright."

"What should we do?" Hikari asked.

"There's nothing we can do.  If he’s gone back to the Factory then that’s where he belongs.  Who are we to tell him otherwise?"

"But he was happier here."

"And so was Rei," Rakka observed.

"Yeah, I suppose I can’t argue with you there," Kana agreed.  "Still, it’s not our place to tell him he should come back."

"But we shouldn’t just let him go without saying anything," said Seika.  "He’ll think we don’t care."

"Can we really care where he lives?  After all, he doesn't really belong here."

"It’s not about caring where he lives," Hikari said.  "It’s about caring about him."

"And we all do care about him, don’t we?" asked Rakka.

Kana nodded.  "Okay, then, what should we do?"

"Why don’t you and I go over to the factory on your scooter and see him?" Rakka suggested.

"What, now?"

"You have any other pressing plans?" Hikari asked.

"Geez."

--------------------

"Must we?" Kana asked as Rakka and she approached the main door to the Factory.

"We’re here now."

"I just hope we don’t run into Midori."

"Me too."

Rakka opened the door quietly and stepped inside.  "Do you remember where Ikari’s room is?"

"Nope."

"Then I guess we have to announce ourselves," Rakka concluded.  "Hello!" she then called out.  "Anyone here?"

Moments later Dai appeared, much to the relief of the Old Home Haibane.

"Hey, Rakka, Kana!  What brings you here?"

"It’s nice to see you again, Dai," Rakka said to the former Little Feather.  "We’re here to see Ikari."

"Ikari?  But he’s staying with you at Old Home, isn’t he?"

"You haven’t seen him the last couple of days?" Kana asked.

Dai shook his head.  "Did he leave Old Home or something?"

Rakka nodded.  "Yes, he did."

"Well, unless he’s trying really hard to avoid everyone I don’t think he came back here…  You can check his room if you want, though."

Dai then led them upstairs to Ikari’s room.

"Nope, he hasn’t been here," Kana concluded when a quick inspection showed Ikari’s clothes were absent.

"He must’ve gone to stay with the couple who own the music shop," Dai told them.

"Yeah, I figured that too," said Rakka.

"So why did Ikari up and leave?" Dai asked as they headed back down to the door.

"He and Rei had a little misunderstanding," Kana confided.

"Oh, that’s too bad," Dai said.  "He really likes her, so I hope they can straighten things out."

"So do we," Rakka replied.

"Ikari is so moody."

"Tell us about it," said Kana.

"Say, how’s your New Feather doing?" Dai asked as they reached the door.

"Seika?  You should come visit and meet her," said Rakka.  "I think you two could be good friends."

"Okay, I’ll do that sometime," Dai said as he waved goodbye and then shut the door.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Kana remarked as they walked back to the scooter.  "Do you want to head over to the music shop?"

"No, it’s getting kind of late for that." Rakka replied.  "Maybe Hikari and you can stop by there tomorrow and see him."

"Oh, joy."

--------------------

"I am very concerned about the situation with Feather Ikari," Reki said to one of her Guardian superiors.

"Indeed," her elder compatriot responded.  "Given the gravity of the possible outcomes, we all are."

"I worry that he may again do something rash and foolish.  We may have to intercede if that happens."

"There is really only one course of action on his part that would be serious enough for us to have to intervene, and, if that does happen, we are not allowed to do so."

"But he could die."

"Yes, he could die."

"Shouldn’t an exception be made in that case?"

"Only Father can decide that.  Otherwise, the rule is sacrosanct.  It is our most scared Law."

"But humanity could be doomed to nothingness… and all because of a minor and selfish action by a young girl."

"The reasons for the behavior of the New Feather goes far beyond just herself, and those reasons are not flattering for humanity.  It was because of human selfishness, cold-heartedness and lust that a child like her had to prostitute herself to survive, such as she did, on Earth.  If her acting on her engrained habits in Gehinnom results in the damnation of humanity, it will simply be further proof that humanity deserved to be damned."

"Is that how Father sees it?"

"Has he intervened?"

"No, not yet."

"Then we must assume that it is how he sees it."

--------------------

The next day, during their lunch breaks, Hikari and Kana entered the music shop where Ikari worked.

"Wel…" he started to say and then trailed off.

"Surprised to see us?" Kana asked.

"I’m not coming back, if that’s what you want to know," Ikari said bluntly.

Hikari put her hands on her hips with a huff.  "Is that any way to be?" she asked.  "We came here because everyone at Old Home is worried about you."

"I’m fine."

"Don’t…"

"Just leave it alone, Hikari," Kana interrupted.  "We came here and told him we’re concerned and he clearly doesn’t give a shit…  Let’s go."

"Alright," Hikari relented, but then turned just before going out the door.

"Aren’t you at least going to ask about Rei?" she asked Ikari pointedly.

"I’m sure she’s just fine," Ikari said sadly.

"No, she’s not!" Hikari shot back angrily.  "If you cared about her you’d come back and patch things up with her!"

"I… I do care," Ikari admitted.  "I care a lot, but all I do is cause her grief.  It’s better this way."

Hikari shook her head.  "Just like her," she muttered.  "Come on, Kana.  Let’s get back to work."

After the door had closed Ikari went up to his room and cried.

Late that night, having decided on a course of action, he slipped out of the music shop, a hat hiding his halo.

--------------------

The following Sunday was another bright, beautiful day.

After lunch Rei brought the Little Feathers out into the courtyard to play.  It was the first time she had left the South Wing since moving there.

Seeing Rei, Rakka hurriedly finished hanging up her laundry and went over to her.

"Hi, Rei!  How are you feeling?"

Rei looked up at her, her face once again an emotionless mask.  "I am well," she said in a voice that was equally devoid of feeling.

"Oh, Rei…  Must you act this way?"

"I am not acting…  It is taking a great deal of effort for me to maintain a manageable emotional state."

"You’d be happier if you moved back with us."

"No, I do not believe so.  The Little Feathers bring me happiness and, though some may leave over time, there will be New Feathers, so they will always be with me."

"You make it sound like we’ve abandoned you.  But we haven’t.  You’ve abandoned us."

"Yes, I suppose that is a fair characterization."

"We miss you."

"And I miss you.  However, these feelings will fade with time."

Rakka was about to say something more when Rei stood and clapped her hands to get the Little Feathers’ attention.

"Let us all go for a walk over to the windmills," she suggested to her enthusiastic audience.

‘There she goes running away again,’ Rakka thought unhappily as she watched them leave.

--------------------

That night in her dreams Rei again found herself standing in the now-familiar pool of LCL.  She turned and saw that Lilith had once again impinged on her sleep.

"You will anger the Guardian," Rei told her.

"Is that actual concern for my wellbeing, daughter?"

"It is merely a statement of fact."

"I see," Lilith replied with a nod and a smile.  "Then here is a ‘statement of fact’ for you:  You are being foolish."

"How so?"

"In Glie you are free from your creators and yet you have chosen to shut yourself away just as they locked you away before."

"This time it is my choice."

"But I want you to live!  Truly live!"

"Why do you…"

Rei suddenly felt a protective arm embrace her around her shoulders from behind.

"You were warned to leave this Feather be!" she heard Reki say gravely.

Reki raised her hand above her head to summon her sword, which she then leveled at Lilith.  "Leave now!"

Lilith scoffed.  "You do not worry me."

"We shall see," Reki responded menacingly as she moved forward until the tip of her sword was almost under Lilith’s chin.  "Be gone!"

"And if I refuse?" Lilith asked with haughty indifference as she studied the nails on her right hand.

"In the name of our Father!" Reki cried as she drew back her flaming blade and then swung it at the Angel’s neck.  However, instead of decapitating her foe it merely passed harmlessly through her.

Lilith laughed heartily.  "You must be new at this…  As I once told my daughter, this is but a dream.  Like you, I do not exist here physically, so all your efforts are wasted."

As if to reinforce her point Lilith’s dress instantly morphed from mirroring Rei’s nightshirt to copying Reki’s robe, even to the point of including wings.

"Do you see now?"

"Yes, I see," Reki said and then vanished.

"My, that was easy," Lilith declared with a chuckle, thinking her foe vanquished.

However, on Earth, in the sky high above the ruins of what was once the fortress city of Tokyo-3, Reki appeared in a flash of light.  She saw, looming above her, the gigantic white form of Lilith rising towards space, surrounded by her retinue of mass-production Evangelions.

‘The Third Eye would make a fitting target,’ she thought as she hurtled towards her foe at a speed that would have ripped a mortal human apart.

‘By the time her protectors notice me, it will be far too late for them to react.’

She smiled.

Moments later, with her sword drawn in front of her, she plunged into the Angel’s forehead.

Rei gasped in surprise as Reki materialized beside her once again.

The Guardian looked down and saw Lilith on her hands and knees, one hand pressed to her head just above and between her eyes.

"You see now what I am capable of doing," Reki said triumphantly.  "While it is true that you may not have a corporeal body here, elsewhere that is not the case…  And, like you, I can move between worlds.  Remember too that I can also always call upon others to aid me if I feel the need."

"This will not deter me," Lilith spat as she sat up.  "I will have my way!" she thundered and then was gone.

"Now I must send you ho…" Reki began to say before a tearful Rei almost knocked the wind out of her with a hug.

"Thank you," Rei said to her, her red eyes shining.

Reki returned the embrace.  "I am a woman of my word.  I will do all I can to keep you safe."

"She is evil incarnate!  You must destroy her!"

"Father has not given me the knowledge to do so."

Rei looked up at Reki again, this time her eyes flaming with hatred.  "I know how," she said coldly.

"Oh?"

"Within her body, probably near where a human’s heart would be, is a spherical organ that generates her life force.  Pierce it and she dies."

"And you know this how?"

"That is what we Evangelion pilots did."

Reki was taken aback.  "You killed beings like her?"

Rei nodded.  "But I was nowhere near as adept as Shinji-kun was."

"I see," Reki said with a chuckle.  "Is that part of why you love him?"

The dream Rei blushed.  "No, that is not why.  Indeed, far from it…  How he was in his Eva… unnerved… me."  Her expression became somewhat wistful.  "And yet, having him beside me in battle was a great comfort.  Because of him I did not feel fear.  I knew that with him there everything would be alright."

"Then you should return to him."

"But…"

Rei sat up.  Momentarily disoriented, she looked around her to see the Little Feather girls all peacefully asleep in their beds.

‘Of course…  I have moved into their dormitory,’ she reminded herself.  She looked at the bed next to hers and saw Hana’s freckled face.

She smiled and lay back down.

‘Yes.  This is where I belong.’

--------------------

Several weeks passed without any significant changes in Rei’s behavior, finally prompting Rakka to speak to the Communicator.

"I'm at a loss as to what to do, Washi," she told him.  "Rei has shut herself off from all of us."

"It is indeed a sad situation."

"With Nemu’s leaving and everything, it was all too much for her I guess."

"Though I understand your feelings, I do not think you need to worry about her."

"How can you say that?"

"She thinks that by hiding herself away her emotions will again die away as well.  However, trying to tamp them down as she is attempting to do will only make them stronger."

"That’s what I’m worried about!"

The Communicator nodded.  "Something will have to give way inside her."

"And that doesn’t worry you?"

"No.  It is called growth."

--------------------

A few nights later, Reki stood invisible atop the Wall looking down as Ikari came up the small path through the rocks that led to its base.

‘It is treacherous up here,’ she noted.  ‘But at least he had the sense to wait until a clear night with a full moon.’

‘He has been very thorough about this,’ she concluded as she watched Ikari go about his task.  ‘Far, far more thorough than Hyouko and I were.’

The thought did not please Reki in the least.

As she looked on Ikari laid out the materials he had brought to the Wall and hidden away over the previous few weeks:  large metal spikes that disturbingly reminded Reki of those used on railroad ties, a long coil of rope, a sizeable hammer and a chisel.

‘He must have stolen most of these things from a construction site…  That's something else he will have to be disciplined for if he survives.’

Reki also noted that Ikari had dressed himself appropriately, with strong boots and heavy work gloves that he obviously hoped would help shield him from the Wall’s effects by preventing him from coming in direct contact with it.

His preparations complete, Ikari looked up at the Wall with a heavy sigh.  Then, putting the chisel to the surface of the Wall, he raised his hammer.

Reki winced as he struck the first blow.  ‘He has violated the inviolable.  May Father have mercy on him.’

A few whacks later, Ikari had produced what he thought was a satisfactory niche in the stone surface of the Wall.  Putting the tip of one of the spikes into the slot he then proceeded to drive it into the Wall.  When he was finished he stepped on the spike to see if it would support his weight.  He smiled when it did.

Repeating the process over and over Ikari began to fashion a makeshift ladder that angled up the side of the ten meter tall Wall.  With a speed that surprised Reki he was soon over half way up.

As she watched him, Reki grew ever more agitated.  ‘If only I could show myself…  That alone would be enough to scare him away…  But I am not allowed to interfere.  The Wall is absolute.  Those who challenge it must suffer the consequences.’

Then an idea came to her frantic mind.  ‘I may not interfere… but someone else…’

She shook her head.  ‘That would be following the letter of the Law, not its spirit… but it is all I have.’ She closed her eyes and began to concentrate.  ‘I will probably be punished for this…  I may even be banished to Gehinnom again to suffer forever…  But at least my conscience will be clear.  Humanity deserves to survive.’

--------------------

In her bed at Old Home Rei stirred as if she was having a very vivid dream.  Suddenly, she sat upright almost as if she had been given an electric shock.

‘What was that?  It was like a voice.  A voice I know… but cannot place.’

Again, even though she was now awake, the voice came to her.  "Hurry," it whispered.  "Ikari is trying to escape from Glie."

Rei’s eyes grew wide as the voice repeated itself a third time.  She bolted from her bed and rushed over to the West Wing, where she ran up the stairs to Rakka’s room.

She pounded on the door.  "Rakka!  Wake up!"

"What is it?" Rakka asked groggily as she opened the door still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Tell me!  Where is the Wall the shortest?"

"Wha…  It’s the middle of the night.  Why do you need to know that now?"

"Ikari is trying to scale the Wall to escape from Glie!"

Rakka’s head instantly cleared.  "How do you know that?"

Rei suddenly became pensive.  "Well?" Rakka asked.

"A-A voice came to me in my sleep."

"A voice?"

Rei nodded.

Rakka sighed.  "Well, crazier things have happened in Glie."

Rei threw her arms around her friend.  "Thank you for believing me!"

Rakka could not help but smile.  ‘Now this is the Rei I know.’

"So where is the Wall the shortest?" Rei again asked.

"Do you know that’s where he is?"

Rei shook her head.  "No, but it is the most logical place to look first."

Rakka thought for a moment.  "In the hills near the Temple and past the Graveyard, that’s where it’s shortest."

Rei turned to leave.  "How are you going to get there?" Rakka asked.

"I was going to take Hikari’s bicycle."

"What about Kana’s scooter?  It’d be lots faster."

"I… I do not know how to use it."

"I do…  And she always leaves the keys in it!  You go get some proper clothes and shoes on and I’ll meet you there."

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Reki shook her head in disbelief as she watched Ikari again fall to his knees and retch before he started back up the Wall with a new spike in his hand.

‘The effects of the Wall increase rapidly in strength as you go higher, and, yet, he is able to bear them…  Even a human should be incapacitated by now...  I would never have expected him to show such determination if I hadn’t known about him being an ‘Eva’ pilot.  When he wants to be he can be an almost entirely different person…  No wonder Ayanami found this ability disquieting.  There is an air of  ruthlessness in the way he is pushing himself…  I see now how he could have been an effective killer.  He can even show himself no mercy.’

Reki raised her head and looked off into the distance.  With her Guardian’s vision she had seen the faint headlight on her old scooter leave Old Home and head in her direction.  However, because of the intervening hills she could now only guess as to where it was.

‘Hurry, Rei, hurry.’

--------------------

Rakka felt Rei’s arms gripping her tightly as the scooter headed up towards the Cemetery and she smiled once more.  ‘At least Rei’s letting herself show some emotion again.’

"Do you think we will be in time to stop him?" Rei asked.

"There’s no way to know until we find him."

"The Wall… what will it do to him?"

Rakka felt a chill go through her just thinking about her own experience with merely innocently touching the Wall.

"He… he could die."

"Can we go any faster?"

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‘Almost superhuman,’ Reki thought as Ikari finished driving the last spike into the Wall.  ‘He cannot actually succeed, can he?  If he does get up here humanity’s fate is sealed no matter what else may happen, as I cannot imagine the Wall will allow him to survive a moment longer.’

She watched him go back down his ladder and collapse to the ground once more.  ‘Perhaps it has finally become too much for him,’ she earnestly hoped, only to see him get to his feet once again.

Ikari tied one end of the rope around his waist and started back up the ladder.

‘Clever…  This way he can bring the rope up without having to carry its full weight.  Then he can just pull it up and use it to climb down the far side.’

Reki could only guess what the reckoning would be for Ikari if he actually made it onto the top of the Wall.  ‘It will definitely be something truly horrible and long-lasting.’  She decided she could not let that happen and beckoned her sword into her hand.  ‘If his head clears the top of the Wall I will have to take it off.  Perhaps then his soul’s punishment will be less severe.’

At that moment she heard voices and saw a pair of flashlights coming up the path.

"There he is!" she heard Rakka call out to Rei.  "Ikari!  Come down!"

Rei felt utterly panicked when she saw Ikari in the beam of Rakka’s flashlight, far up on the Wall.  ‘He is doing this because of me.’

Reki saw the sweat running down Ikari’s face as he ignored Rakka’s calls and focused his entire being into climbing the last few feet.

Rei tried her best to hurry over the rocks towards Ikari as he reached for the edge of the top of the Wall.

Reki raised her fiery blade.  "In the name of our Father," she whispered.

When his gloved hand came down at Reki’s feet Ikari gasped and his eyes grew wide while his pupils contracted.  Slowly his body slumped.

Rei felt as if her heart would stop when she saw him start to fall away from the Wall.

"Sh-Sh-Shinji!"

--------------------

ZOMG!  An Omake!

‘If only I could show myself,’ Reki thought.  ‘This little twerp would shit his pants and run home to Momma.’

She contemplated the situation for a while longer and came to a decision.  ‘Oh, well…  Nothing to lose by trying.’

As Ikari neared the top of the Wall she materialized above him, wings spread, shining in all her glory. 

"Going somewhere, buster?"

Ikari looked up, gasped and promptly fell over backwards to his death.

"Oops.  Backfired."

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Author’s Notes:

Bam!  All of Rei’s defenses come back up.  Then they all come crashing down again… and then some.

Shinji switches from "fight" mode back to "flight" mode in a big way as well.  And, as usual, it doesn’t help things.

Just why did Lilith send Rei to Glie in the first place?  To, as she said, ‘keep Shinji company’?  Hardly.

The 'Third Eye' is a notion from Eastern religions.  Statues of the Buddha usually show it.  For most people it is a spot on their foreheads just above and between the eyebrows that is unusually sensitive to pressure.  In Hinduism and yogic traditions it is a chakra.

"The Wall is absolute" is something the Communicator says to Reki when she is surprised by Rakka’s feeling the Wall’s effects even when she only innocently touched it with her hand.  And what were the effects of touching the Wall?  That was mentioned in Chapter Seven.

The final scene here is pretty much how I envisioned it when I started this story way back when.  From here on, though, except for the end, everything is terra incognita, but I suppose I’ll find a way to get from A to B.

"Oops.  Backfired," is something Reki says to Kana in the anime when a point she was trying to make is missed.

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