Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Clones ❯ Meeting the Clones ( Chapter 1 )

I don't own Evangelion. If I did, I'd be making serious changes…

^_^

This takes place after the 16th angel, but before the Rei clones are destroyed.

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The doorbell rang. That's odd, thought Shinji. He answered the door.

"Doctor Akagi?"

"Shinji, is Misato here?"

"Yeah, but we're about to eat…"

"Mind if I join you?"

"… No."

"Arigato."

After dinner has been finished and dishes have been washed, Shinji, Rei (she was there earlier), Ritsuko, and Misato head into the living room and sit down.

"So, Ritsuko, what is it you want to show Shinji and I?"

"I wanted to show you two what has been kept from you since you came, about Rei and Eva."

"So this is about Ayanami."

"Yes, Shinji. You have a right to know who and what Rei is."

"Who and what?"

"It's best if I show you firsthand the secrets that NERV does not want others to know."

"When do we go?"

"What time is it?"

"Um..." Misato takes a look at her watch, "...It's five to 8:00."

"Then we can go now."

"Will Ayanami be coming along?"

"I would like to come, and help Shinji."

"Help me?"

Rei bows her head and quietly replies, "Yes."

"Umm...Ritsu, maybe we should go talk in my room for a few moments."

"Hai."

Misato and Ritsuko get up and head to Misato's room at the end of the hall. When they are both inside, Misato shuts the door so Shinji and Rei won't hear their conversation.

"Ritsu, is it really a good idea for Rei to come?"

"Rei is a part of this, Misato. Beside, it might be best if Rei comes along for Shinji's sake, some of the thing he will see will be a total shock to him, if he has someone to help him through this, maybe he will be able to handle the shock."

"I understand. Now, is there anything you want to tell me before we go?"

"No, but I would like to check on a program I have installed in the MAGI for our little expedition, if I may?"

"You can use my computer."

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"What is wrong, Rei? What do you mean by 'help me'?"

"Shinji... I never wanted you to see my origins until the time was right."

"Origins?"

"Yes, Doctor Akagi will show you who I am tonight."

"Rei, I don't care what she shows me, I will still feel the same way I do now about you. I

don't plan on having that change anytime soon. As long as you are safe, I will be happy."

"Hai."

"I wish we didn't have to pilot Eva sometimes, I just wish we could be kids without having to suffer like this, we are forced to fight stuff we don't understand, all for the sake of humanity. Sometimes I wish you, I, and Asuka could just live normal lives together..."

"Shinji?"

"...But we can't, not as long as we are needed for Eva. We pilot for the sake of others, but we don't pilot for the sake of each other..."

"Shinji?"

"...And now Asuka is gone. This isn't how we should be living, Rei, we should be allowed to have fun when we want, be allowed to make our own choices without others making them for us, I wish I could just get away from it all."

"Shinji?!"

"Huh?" Shinji snaps out of his trance and sees he has a very tight grip on Rei's hand, so much that she looks like she is in pain. Shinji releases his grip and turns away from Rei.

"I wish the same thing could be true, but we have to live with what we have to do, because only we can do it."

"I'm sorry, Rei, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It is alright, I share your feelings."

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About two hours later, the group of four are riding down a shaft on a small circular platform. "What you are about to see is what NERV has been hiding for years now. I show you this because you have a right to know."

The platform comes to a stop and the four of them step out onto the cold concrete floor.

"Welcome to Terminal Dogma, Misato. Are you ready to begin?"

"Hai."

"Then, let us begin."

Ritsuko signals for them to follow her to the first area of the tour, "We will start with

Annex No. 3."

After walking for thirty seconds, they come to the first door on the tour; "This is the Artificial Evolution Laboratory."

Ritsuko opens the door and enters the room, followed by Misato, Shinji, and Rei. She pulls out a small controller from her lab coat and enters in a few keystrokes, causing the lights to activate in the room. What Shinji sees is a setup similar to Rei's apartment, "This looks like Ayanami's room."

"This IS Ayanami's room. It's..."

"It is where I lived the first few years of my life, where I was born."

Shinji looks around the room and sees it contains the exact same furniture that her apartment holds when he spots the beaker on the dresser, "What was the beaker for?"

"When Rei was first born we had to do testing on her, the beaker was used to hold the water used to mix her medicines in."

Shinji takes another look around the room and sees the writing on the floor and walls, "What about the writing?"

"They are a part of what makes up her mind. The light and water that define the depths of her mind come from impressions of this place."

"This place is what prepared me for living."

Misato is now becoming impatient "Ritsuko, this is not the only thing I wanted to see."

"I know, Misato. I am showing this to him as well."

After a few moments, Ritsuko turns and leaves the room with the others in tow, they all continue on about 500 meters until they came to another door. Ritsuko again opens the door and steps inside, turning on the lights as she enters, what can be seen is a large room full of bones laid out on the floor. Shinji walks over to the edge of the platform and looks down at the first skeleton below him.

"The very first one. But it was a failure. It was discarded ten years ago."

Rei walks up behind Shinji, "An Eva graveyard, Shinji."

"It is now just a dumping ground for failures. This is also the room where your mother disappeared, Shinji, but you may have been too young to remember it."

Shinji quickly turns around and faces Ritsuko, "What?"

"Your mother was the first pilot of Unit-01. During the first activation test, she got absorbed into Eva. The recovery process failed and all that was left was an empty shell."

Shinji begins to turn pale as Ritsuko finishes speaking and looks at Rei, who is wearing a shocked look on her face as well. Shinji tries to form a question but no words come out, but Rei knows exactly what he is trying to say and quietly replies to his unasked question,

"I'm sorry, Shinji, I didn't know."

"You may not remember it, Shinji, but you were watching when your mother disappeared."

Misato has heard more then enough, "Ritsuko!"

Ritsuko turns and walks out the door, others following, and walks to the next destination.

When she arrives she enters a few commands into the controller and opens the door.

"Before we go in, Shinji, are you sure you are ready for this?"

"...Hai."

"Okay, but I will warn you now, this may seem very unsettling to you."

"Understand."

Ritsuko walks through the doorway with Misato behind her. Shinji and Rei hold back for a few moments before entering, "Shinji, are you sure you want to see this?"

"Yes, Rei, I must see it and learn the truth for myself, no matter how disturbing it may be."

"Hai, I will be right beside you if you need me."

The two children enter the room and walk up to Misato and Ritsuko, who are standing 30 meters in front of a tube connected to a mass of piping leading up into the ceiling.

Misato breaks the silence by asking the first question, "Is this the source of the dummy plug?"

"No, this is only a piece of it, let me show you the truth."

Ritsuko taps the controller, causing the walls of the room to glow a golden color. When the light has become strong enough, they all can see bodies floating in a tank that wraps along the walls.

Shinji's eyes widen as he realizes who the bodies look like, "Rei?" As soon as Shinji finishes, dozens of eyes instantly focus on him, causing Shinji to gasp.