I Was a Teenage Dummy Plug
Part 4: The Corsican Sisters
A Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfic by Logan J. Goodhue
*** Disclaimer***
Neon Genesis Evangelion is � and � GAINAX, et al.
This story is for nonprofit entertainment only.
First Version, 15NOV2002, Current Version 06JAN2003
******

The Corsican Sisters

	"Mein Gott," Asuka whispered. "Wonder Girl's . . . crying?"

	'No,' I thought bitterly through my tears. 'Wonder Girl's not crying. She 
doesn't know how, yet. I'm crying. I'm not her. I am . . . I.' My sobbing 
began to intensify as I realized that I was quoting Rei's internal monologue 
from episode twenty-three. My eyes were clenched tightly, and I heard the 
slapping of bare feet on bathroom tile. First, it faded into the distance, 
and then it came closer. I heard frantic dialing on a cell phone.

	"Come on! Pick up!" Asuka said impatiently. "Misato! Come to the locker 
room quick! There's something wrong with Rei! . . . I don't know, but she's 
crying really hard . . . You do that." I heard a click as she closed her 
phone. I suddenly felt a presence next to me. Acting on instinct, I latched 
on and wailed like a lost soul. "Easy, Wonder Girl." She patted my back. 
"Everything's going to be all right." I was beginning to relax. I raised my 
head and looked at her through tear-rimmed eyes.

	"Th-thank you, Asuka," I said.  I raised a hand to wipe away some tears. I 
was still crying, but I wasn't having soul-wrenching sobs anymore. It's 
amazing what a little human contact can do for someone. I was wondering why 
she would try to comfort me, if she thought I was Rei. Just then, Misato 
arrived.

	She rumbled in like a freight train and looked frantically about. Her red 
jacket flapped in the breeze of her passing. She spotted us, rushed right 
over, and put both Asuka and myself into a fierce hug. She held us like that 
for a while, murmuring soothing nonsense. I began to feel safe, and I weakly 
smiled.

	"So, Rei," Misato said gently, "Do you want to talk about it?" I pondered 
for a moment and gently broke the embrace and got to my feet with their 
help.

	"Not all of it, Major," I said softly. She nodded, and I could tell she 
wanted me to continue. "The first part of it is my name. I am not Rei." I 
could see Asuka's mouth and eyes wide open, and Misato frowned a little. "I 
. . ." I sniffled a little. "I am Emi." I felt my confidence building. It 
may not have been the name I had answered to for twenty-seven years, but it 
was mine and no one else's. "Emi Arizona Ayanami, Rei's sister, and the 
Fourth Child." I tacked on the most polite introductory phrase I could think 
of and bowed. "Please do with me as you will." Misato had a relieved look on 
her face, and Asuka seemed confused.

	"Well, then!" Misato said. "Looks like I won't have to wait for you any 
longer. I am Misato Katsuragi, and this is Asuka Langley Sohryu. Pleased to 
meet you."

	"What the hell is going on?" Asuka asked. "If you're Rei's twin sister, 
then why aren't you the Second child?" I could see that the question was 
bothering her. I began to move towards the lockers.

	"Do you mind if I get dressed first?" I asked. "I find it difficult to talk 
about my past in the buff." Misato waved me on, and I grabbed a towel and 
started drying myself on the way to the lockers. "And to answer your 
question, Asuka . . . " I was glad I'd read my dossier. It meant I knew what 
the official story was. " . . . I was stolen at birth by an unscrupulous 
adoption agency. I just found out that I had a twin sister yesterday. If I 
hadn't been stolen, I would have been tested by Marduk when Rei was." I 
reached the lockers and pulled out my satchel. I rummaged in it for a second 
and pulled out a set of undergarments and a school uniform.

	"As soon as I get my first paycheck," I muttered in English, "I have got to 
get a better wardrobe." I noticed Asuka smirking at that. I had almost 
forgotten that she was trilingual. I quickly dressed and ran my fingers 
through my hair. Sure that I was properly attired, I grabbed my satchel and 
began fiddling with a nametag on the handle. I took a deep, calming breath 
and smiled sadly at the two of them.

	"My adopted family had just moved to Japan from Phoenix. The man I 
considered my father had just been hired by a big corporation, and I was 
going to be starting school here soon. I had gone out to get groceries for a 
big housewarming party. When I came home . . ." I paused, and a sob came 
out. 'Halle Berry and Demi Moore, eat your hearts out!' I thought. "When I 
came home, our house was a smoking pile of ash." I was glad I was still 
emotional from my crying jag. It lent verisimilitude to my tale of woe. I 
whispered hoarsely, "I'm the only one left." I slumped my shoulders and 
looked at the floor. "And that's when Section Two found me."

	Misato's face was tracked with tears, and I could see a shimmer in Asuka's 
eyes. I felt bad about lying to them like this, but it would be easier for 
them to understand the Commander's fabrication than the truth. I put on a 
brave face, and continued.

	"Anyhow, I've got a new family now," I said. "I've got a sister!" I beamed, 
my tears beginning to dry. I reached out and put my arm around Asuka's 
shoulder. "I've also got a wonderful coworker and Commanding Officer." I 
stood up. "Asuka, would you like to be friends?"

	"I'd like that," she said, nodding and smiling. A touch of her usual 
arrogance colored her voice. "After all, it would be so convenient!"

	Misato wiped her eyes and looked at her watch. A slight frown creased her 
brow.

	"Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this short," she said. "Asuka 
has a synch test in ten minutes and she needs to get ready." She stood and 
stretched. "Asuka, I'm going to bring Emi to her new apartment and help her 
get settled in. Why don't you walk home with Shinji?"

	"Why would I want to walk home with that Baka?" the fiery redhead asked. 
She didn't put much heat into her words, however. I smiled to myself. She 
really let down her defenses when only girls were around. Maybe Shinji's 
knight-errant rescue was still fresh in her mind. Misato looked at her 
sternly. Asuka made a big show of caving in, rolling her eyes. "Oh, all 
right, Misato. We don't want to overwork Section Two, do we? Besides, now 
they don't have to fight over who gets to guard me!" She walked over to a 
locker and pulled out a red plug suit. "Auf wiedersehen, Emi."

	"Die Macht sei mit dir, mein Freund!" I called back cheerfully, earning a 
smile, and followed Misato out of the locker room. We began the inevitable 
course of hallways, elevators and escalators.

	"So," she said. "What was that you said to Asuka? My German's really rusty. 
I recognized 'mein Freund,' but what was the rest of it?"

	"It was, 'May the Force be with you.'" I smirked a little. I figured 
Misato's working German consisted of phrases like, "Another beer, please."

	"Oh! So, you're a science fiction fan, then?"

	"A little. I'm more fond of sequential art and animation." I noticed her 
blank look. I sighed. "I like manga and anime, okay?"

	We walked on like that for a few minutes, talking about almost nothing, or 
walking in silence. I had always liked Misato in the anime, and I found I 
liked her even more as a real person. Even though she was the same age as I 
was (well, subjectively), she just gave off a "big sister" vibe. We soon 
reached the parking facility.

	I nervously looked around. In my mind's eye, I could see the blood 
splatters and corpses piled like firewood. I practically jumped out of my 
skin as we passed the stairwell Shinji would hide under when the JSDF 
attacked. My tension did not go unnoticed.

	"What's the matter, Emi?" Misato asked. She set her hand on my shoulder, 
and I relaxed a little.

	"I'm not sure," I said. I really didn't want to tell her why I was nervous. 
"There's just something about parking garages that creeps me out." I 
shuddered in memory. "It's irrational, I know, but they just do. They're 
like some sort of . . . tomb." She squeezed my shoulder gently, and then led 
me to her Renault Alpine. Out of habit, I walked over to the right side of 
the car.

	"Nuh-uh!" Misato said with a wink. "I'll do the driving." Of course, I had 
forgotten that we were in Japan and the driver's side was on the right. I 
chuckled and walked over to the other side. She unlocked the doors and we 
got in. I quickly buckled my seat belt. With tires squealing, we departed.

	An eternity of terror and missed pedestrians later, or five minutes by the 
clock on the dash, we arrived at a familiar apartment complex. I shakily got 
out of the car and thanked God for delivering us safely to our destination. 
I looked critically at the building. It was well kept, so it had to be the 
same building Misato's apartment was in. Her next words clinched it.

	"Ah! Home, sweet Home!" she said cheerfully and began leading me towards 
the building. "Now, lets get you settled in!" Scant minutes later, we were 
walking out of the elevator and towards the bend in the L-shaped hallway. We 
walked past a door marked "11-A-2 Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohryu" to the next 
apartment. I looked at the door and the precisely handwritten "Ayanami" on 
the nameplate.  I memorized the address, "11-A-1." Misato pulled a set of 
keys out of her jacket and unlocked the door. She opened it, handed me my 
keys, and whispered in my ear. "Welcome home."

	I stepped inside and kicked off my shoes. I quickly turned around and faced 
Misato.

	"Why, Major Katsuragi!" I bubbled. "What a pleasant surprise! Won't you 
come in?" She laughed and stepped across the threshold.

	"Don't mind if I do, Neighbor!" She smiled gently and took her own shoes 
off. �By the way, it�s �Captain,� or just �Misato.��  I was going through 
the apartment and examining the fixtures. It was a two-bedroom apartment, 
similar to Misato's. There were simple, inexpensive furnishings throughout, 
even a nice television. A thought came to me.

	"Misato, how do I rate an apartment this nice?" I asked. "I would have 
expected a tiny, studio apartment, not anything like this."

	"It's quite simple, actually," she said with her arms folded. "You're going 
to have a roommate." I quirked my head like a puppy, asking silently for her 
to clarify. She smiled even wider. "Your sister is going to be living with 
you. Shinji's been trying to get her to move out of the hole she lives in 
for quite some time. Section Two's going to be a lot happier with all of you 
in one place, as well."

	I stood silently for a moment. I hoped she was right, because having all of 
us in one place meant that if anyone wanted to kill us, then all it would 
take were some well-placed explosives. After I had placed my satchel in the 
room I was going to claim as my own, Misato took me out and showed me around 
town. I gladly noted the locations of an arcade, a bookstore, and the 
supermarket. We stopped in, and she showed me how to use my NERV ID as a 
combination credit/debit card. I checked my balance and boggled at my 
"signing bonus." I guessed Commander Ikari wanted to keep me happy. I picked 
up several vegetarian microwave meals, a good selection of fresh veggies, 
and a five-kilogram sack of rice.

	As we trekked back towards our respective apartments, I thought about my 
bank account. Apparently my annual salary was in seven digits, plus room and 
board. If I allowed for the exchange rate I was used to, it was in the high 
five-digits in dollars. If that was so, I'd be able to afford the things 
that I needed, and quite a few that I didn't. I smiled at that. I had a few 
things in mind to make my new apartment a home. I sobered quickly when I 
realized that I'd have to tone down my spending spree a little so that I 
didn't disturb Rei. The skull-shattering surround-sound stereo would have to 
remain a dream, as would the enormous projection television. I was still 
going to get a DVD player. I have my standards of civilization, after all.

	We arrived back just as Asuka and Shinji did. I made some polite noises and 
dashed into my apartment to put away the groceries. Somehow, Misato 
convinced me to come over and have a welcoming party. The less said about 
the marathon drinking, Shinji teasing, and penguin dodging evening, the 
better. I left at nine o'clock, saying I needed to get some sleep for school 
the next day. I took care of my evening ablutions and fell asleep the moment 
my head hit the pillow on my futon.

	My dreams that night were more normal. By "more normal," I meant that I 
didn't remember them, except for two. One was merely a vision of a flock of 
doves in an apple orchard, where I watched a little boy riding a white horse 
bareback. The other was a concert hall filled with people. I was waiting in 
the wings, wearing a tuxedo and carrying a clarinet. On stage, a string 
quartet was playing something by Mozart. As I watched and listened, the 
clarinet in my hand changed several times into different wind instruments. 
When they finished, I began to walk on stage. The cellist and the two 
violinists walked by and gave me polite nods. The boy who played the viola 
stopped on his way by and looked at me gently.

	"By your actions, you have chosen," he said, and I realized he was Kaworu. 
He tapped the instrument in my hand and I saw that it was a trumpet. He 
smiled. "It will be good to hear you play, Gabriel."
He hugged me, and then stepped back. "Remember, my brother/sister, your 
domains are love and hope. Don't forget."

	I woke with a start. I really hoped that the dreams I was having with 
Kaworu in them were just dreams, and not prophetic visions. Noting the time 
on the cheap alarm clock, I got out of bed and began to prepare for the day. 
I took a quick shower, ate an even quicker breakfast, made a lunch, and 
dressed for school. I was on my second of three uniforms.

	'Maybe,' I thought, 'I can get my new wardrobe after school today. Ugh, 
school.' I picked up my satchel and sat at the kitchen table. I heard my 
doorbell ring. "That must be Shinji and Asuka," I said to myself. "Coming!" 
I called, and went to answer the door. It was Rei. She had her satchel on 
her back and was holding a cardboard box. I stepped back and smiled. 
"Welcome home, Sis!" She walked in, kicked off her shoes and set the box on 
the kitchen table. She turned to face me.

	"Good morning," she said softly. "I have been ordered to take up residence 
here."

	"Sure thing, Sis," I said. "I'll help you unpack when we get home from 
school."

	"That will not be necessary." She returned to the door and put her shoes 
back on. I followed suit, and, after I locked the door, we walked next door. 
I felt strangely calm, as if I'd done this numerous times before. Just as I 
was about to knock, Shinji and Asuka came barreling out. I fell hard into 
the railing. Oddly, Rei seemed to wince in pain and clutched her left arm. I 
held my right arm, feeling the bruise.

	"Ayanami!" Shinji said with concern. "Are you all right?" He was looking at 
Rei, while Asuka was looking at me. She narrowed her eyes and looked back 
and forth between us.

	"I am fine, Ikari-kun," Rei said. There was a strange echo. That was odd, 
because I hadn't heard one when Shinji spoke. Asuka's eyes widened for a 
moment, and then a scowl developed.

	"You two play the twin game very well for just having met," she said 
testily. "Now, which one of you is Emi?"

	"I am," I said, waving my left hand. There was that echo again. I looked 
over to Rei, and saw her looking at me, with her right hand raised. "Rei, 
what are you doing?" Her lips moved in perfect synch with my words, and I 
realized something strange was going on.

	"I am not certain, Emi," we said softly. "It appears we are in synch."

	"Oh!" Shinji said. "Kind of like when Asuka and I were in training for the 
battle with the seventh Angel."

	"Yes," we said. "One moment, please." I was confused. Suddenly, I felt a 
sensation like when they ejected my plug from Unit Zero.

	"It is done," Rei said, and began walking for the elevator.

	"That was weird," Asuka and Shinji said at the same time. I laughed, and 
began to walk towards the elevator myself. I was followed by two pilots, one 
quiet and the other muttering in German.

	The trip to school was uneventful, but I appreciated the almost idyllic 
sense of peace I got from seeing students going about their normal routines. 
I even enjoyed Asuka's Shinji abuse.

	'The poor girl's got it bad,' I thought as she cuffed him for ignoring her. 
'I'll have to get her to admit she loves him, somehow. If only to herself.' 
I knew these happy scenes would be few and far between before too much 
longer. Somehow, I had been separated from the others, and wandered the 
school grounds before classes started. I familiarized myself with the layout 
as best I could and sought out classroom 2-A.

	I walked into the room, and the normal before-class chatter stopped 
abruptly. The silence stretched for an infinite moment, then snapped. I was 
rather amused by the inevitable comments.

	"No WAY!"

	"I think I'm in love!"

	"Ayanami's got a twin?"

	"I think I'm in love!"

	"Oh, man! Look at that smile!"

	"I think . . ."

	"Oh, shut up, Shiro! We heard you, already! Baka."

	"Where have you been, Emi-chan?" Asuka asked, walking briskly over to me 
followed by the class representative, Hikari Horaki.

	"I got separated from you guys in the milling throng outside," I said, 
chuckling. I quickly, but politely introduced myself to Hikari, gossiped for 
a bit, and then stood by the teacher's desk, waiting for his arrival. I saw 
several gazes flicker from myself, to Rei, and back again in disbelief. 
Then, the teacher arrived.

	After Hikari belted out her obligatory "Rise! Bow! Sit," the teacher 
introduced me to the class and assigned me a seat next to Asuka. He 
immediately began his interminable lecture on Second Impact, and I felt my 
eyes glaze over.

	'My God! Is this guy boring!" I thought. Just then, I noticed twenty 
messages on my desk terminal. Glad to have something, anything, to take my 
mind off this useless drivel, I checked them. I almost wished I hadn't. 
Almost all of them asked the same inane questions. I dashed off a mass reply 
to the majority, and gave personal attention to the most annoying.

	Yes, I really was Rei's twin sister. No, I didn't want to date anyone. Yes, 
school was a lot different in Japan than it was in America. No, Kensuke, I 
will not "put in a good word with Misato." I sighed. I never knew that 
pretty girls had it so rough. Of course, my experiences in high school had 
been of the "band nerd" variety. I had had friends, and girls had liked me, 
but only as a friend or acquaintance. I had been almost as painfully shy as 
Shinji when it came to romance. Now I was one of the most attractive girls 
in school, with the attendant difficulties.

	Now that I had taken care of the messages, and the teacher was still 
droning on, I pulled out a mechanical pencil and a notebook. Making sure the 
teacher wasn't paying attention, I began to doodle. I had filled five pages 
with sketches of EVAs, Angels, and super deformed caricatures of people in 
class. I started as I realized that I had drawn a manga sequence of part of 
the battle with Bardiel. Why had I drawn it? I didn't want to think about 
it. There's just something wrong with obsessing about one's own demise. I 
ripped out the page that had it and tore it into little bits. I noticed 
someone standing beside me. It was Shinji.

	"Why did you tear that up, Emi?" he asked. "It was really good, if a little 
disturbing."

	"I was dealing with nightmares," I said. "Were you the only one to see 
them?" I looked at him intently, and he seemed to shrink a little.

	"I think so. Anyway, um, the class rep asked me to tell you it was time for 
lunch."

	"Thanks, Shinji." I smiled, put away my notebook and walked over to where 
Asuka and Hikari were sitting. On my way, I noticed that Touji had walked up 
and put Shinji in a headlock while teasing him mercilessly. I saw Asuka 
watching the scene, and her face was marred by a scowl.

	"What's wrong, Asuka?" I asked, grinning slyly. "Are you jealous?" Hikari 
giggled, but Asuka's scowl deepened.

	"What?!?" she screamed. "Why would I be jealous, you Doppelg�nger?" She 
huffed and put her nose in the air.

	"Because Shinji was talking to me," I said lazily. "You don't need to be, 
you know." I stretched, causing the blood pressure of half the students to 
rise. "He's not my type." I saw her starting to redden. "Geez, Asuka! It was 
a joke! Look, to make it up to you, why don't you, me and Hikari go on a 
shopping trip after school? I'll even treat you guys to ice cream, okay?" 
Asuka visibly relaxed, and it was agreed. A thought struck me. I quickly 
pulled out my cell phone and dialed Misato's number. Two minutes later, I 
had confirmed that neither Asuka nor myself had any synch tests today. I was 
also a little disappointed to find that Rei and Shinji had tests. I had kind 
of wanted to bring Rei along for some sisterly bonding. I remembered how my 
sister, Kim, back in "reality" had explained it to me.

	"Look, bro," she had said. "It's not really about the clothes, or the 
Orange Julius, or even the cute guys." She had flashed her Cheshire Cat 
grin. "It's about having fun with your friends. Everything else is just a 
bonus. Now, get your jacket. I need a pack mule."

	The rest of the school day was uneventful, except for gym class. As the 
girls changed, my face got redder and redder, and I was having trouble 
keeping my eyes to myself. I noticed that Rei had changed the most quickly 
and was sitting passively by the door to the locker room. I almost jumped 
out of my skin when Hikari put her hand on my shoulder.

	"Is something wrong, Emi?" she asked, her eyes full of concern. I grinned 
sheepishly.

	"I'm not used to the locker room scene," I said. "In my old school, I was 
in a marching band, and didn't have to take a Phys Ed class."

	"Really? What do you play?" she asked enthusiastically. I began to relax as 
I finished pulling my shirt down.

	"I play clarinet, but give me enough time with an instrument, and I can 
figure it out." I began to get into the conversation and my embarrassment 
began to fade. Hikari really was a nice girl, and Touji Suzuhara was lucky 
to have won her affection. We talked of many inconsequential things, mainly 
about the differences between American and Japanese education. She was 
amused by some of the more blatant differences, and I, in turn, told her 
what was amusing or shocking to my sensibilities. We made it to the sports 
complex just in time, and discovered that the day's activity was dodge ball.

	I was damn glad that I was on Asuka's team. She was a crimson whirlwind, 
dodging, catching balls and throwing the other girls out. I, on the other 
hand, kept busy merely dodging. The other girls' vindictiveness surprised 
me. Most of the balls were thrown at Asuka. My teammates were tagged out by 
not dodging when she did. Near the end, only Rei remained on the other team. 
One neat, mathematically precise throw later, I was out. The rest of the 
class was spent watching my sister and the fiery German in a tied game. The 
coach finally blew her whistle and sent us off to the showers.

	I took a stall on the end, and showered as quickly as I could. I fought off 
my embarrassment and tried my hardest to keep my gaze on faces instead of 
more . . . embarrassing places. I grabbed a towel, dried off and dashed to 
my locker. I pulled my uniform on, and finished the school day with no 
problems. After Hikari formally dismissed the class, I caught up with Rei.

	She was walking steadily along with Shinji beside her. Her eyes were fixed 
firmly ahead. Shinji walked with his head down and the ear buds to his SDAT 
firmly in place. Walking in step with them, I broke the silence.

	"Hey, Sis!" I called cheerfully. She turned her head my way, nodded, and 
then faced forward and continued walking. Knowing that she had acknowledged 
my presence, I went on. "Do your best on those synch tests, okay? The pride 
of the Ayanami name is resting on your shoulders!" I ended with a smile.

	"I shall do my best, Emi." Rei replied softly. "To do otherwise would 
betray my duty."

	"That's the spirit, Sis!" I gave her a quick hug and turned to Shinji. 
"That goes for you, too, Shinji! Dazzle Doctor Akagi with how much you've 
improved."

	"B-but I don't know if I have improved," he said, pulling out the ear buds.

	"Of course you have!" I said. "You're part of the proud fraternity of EVA 
pilots. Hell, you're the ace!" I grinned at him and grinned even wider when 
he started blushing.

	"What?" he asked. "What do you mean, I'm the ace?" He looked up and blinked 
in confusion.

	"You've killed five Angels, haven't you? That makes you an ace." I 
explained. I patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Do your best, 
Shin-man. The rest will take care of itself. Later, Rei. Shinji." I waved 
goodbye and was pleased to note the tiny upturn to Rei's lips. 'Well, 
whaddaya know?' I thought. 'I got her to smile.' Just then, I spotted Asuka 
and Hikari walking out of the school.

	They were talking back and forth, and then Hikari looked up. We made eye 
contact and she waved me over. Smiling, I dashed towards them. Arriving, I 
marveled at how fit I was now. I was breathing easily, where before, I would 
have been gasping for breath after a sprint like that.

	"My, Emi," Hikari noted. "You certainly are energetic, aren't you?" She had 
her hand up to her face, ready to stifle a giggle.

	"She's just anxious to get something to wear other than her school 
uniform," Asuka said regally. She absently flicked her long auburn hair over 
her shoulder and grabbed my hand. "It's a good thing we know where you can 
replace your wardrobe, Fourth."

	"Asuka!" Hikari scolded. "Her name is Emi!"

	"It's all right, Hikari," I said. "She's just trying to find a nickname for 
me. After all, 'Wonder Girl' is already taken." Asuka grinned at that.

	"That's right!" she said. "Can't reuse a nickname, you know! It causes too 
much confusion." She began pulling on my arm. "Now, come on! Let's get 
shopping!" I followed along and let Asuka and Hikari lead me through the 
hustle and bustle of Tokyo-3. We dodged and weaved through the crowds with 
Hikari waving at people she knew, while Asuka strode purposefully towards 
our destination.

	In short order, we arrived at the Red Star Family Department Store. 
Although it was called a department store, it felt more like a bizarre 
combination of a five-star hotel and a typical American mall. I saw no fewer 
than six different shoe sections, and the food court had the expected 
fast-food chains. The massive atrium could have been used for pay-per-view 
EVA boxing matches, had it not been filled with fountains, benches, and 
various exotic plants. The whole place was eerily clean, and the employees 
wore livery that reminded me of a bellhop-themed magical girl show. If there 
hadn't been the usual gaggle of girl groups and gadabouts, I would have 
thought the place was a set piece for a John Woo gun battle. I slowed down 
as we approached the ladies' apparel department, a sense of dread overtaking 
me. I looked at the display mannequins.

	"Ohhh!" Hikari squealed happily. "Aren't those the cutest outfits you ever 
saw?" I couldn't respond to that. I never knew that there were so many 
shades of pink, so many types of ruffles, or so many people who wanted to 
look like a demented strawberry ice cream cone. With sprinkles. My jaw 
worked open and closed. I must have looked like a fish out of water because 
my other companion gently closed my mouth and set her arm across my 
shoulder.

	"The Fourth Child's speechless, Hikari," Asuka said with an evil grin and 
gestured towards the dressing rooms. "We'll just have to see if we can get 
her into one of them, won't we?"

	'Ain't no way they're getting me into one of those . . . things,' I 
thought. "Um, pink's not really my color." My voice sounded flat to my ears. 
What followed next was a blur of embarrassing moments. Between the three of 
us, we had selected enough outfits to clothe an entire girls' school. We 
then embarked on a winnowing out of the outfits that just didn't suit me. 
Unfortunately, that meant that I had to try on each and every outfit.

	For the first half hour, I was in pink and ruffle hell as I tried on 
Hikari's selections. The display outfits were the first relegated to the 
heap. After seeing me in the ultra-frilly and mega-flouncy frock, Hikari 
reluctantly agreed with me that pink wasn't my color. To mollify her 
somewhat, I did decide to buy some of her more sedate selections. Then, it 
was Asuka's turn.

	I had never blushed so much in my life. The outfits my fellow pilot chose 
were incredibly sexy. Short skirts, low necklines, and bare midriffs were 
the rule. She also forced me into some really skimpy lingerie. Looking at 
myself in the mirror was an experience I'd not soon forget. Asuka was 
actually able to browbeat me into buying more of her selections than I 
really wanted. Somehow, I had gotten the idea that she was going to borrow 
quite a few of my new outfits anyway. While she was a little taller than I 
was, we had the same "three sizes."

	Finally, after my companions had deemed I had enough skirts, blouses and 
frilly things, they let me descend upon tomboy central. Jeans! Tee shirts! 
Slacks! I even found a booth that did custom sports jerseys while we waited. 
I was a little disappointed that the only American team I could find was the 
Yankees. I shrugged it off and got a black Hanshin Tigers baseball jersey 
with "Ayanami" and "03" on the back. As we made our way to the register, I 
stopped in the home electronics section and told the sales clerk what I 
wanted, and what budget I was using. I was pleasantly surprised at the deal 
I got when I showed him my NERV ID. With our clothing purchases in hand and 
my modest home theater to be delivered that night, we made our way to an ice 
cream parlor.

	We seated ourselves at an elaborate wrought iron table. While we waited for 
a waiter to take our order, I let the daily gossip wash over me. I wasn't so 
much paying attention to idle chatter about people I didn't really know, as 
much as I was observing the interaction between my new friends. Hikari 
seemed completely normal. Asuka was a firebrand, yet, knowing what to look 
for, I could tell how vulnerable she really was.

	After about ten minutes of gabbing, the waiter arrived and took our orders. 
I groaned as Asuka ordered the most expensive dessert on the menu. 
Thankfully, Hikari was more circumspect and ordered a small hot fudge 
sundae. Figuring the cost in my head, I decided on a simple fruit sorbet. I 
wasn't exactly sure whether or not my system could handle any animal 
products at all. I knew meat was right out, but I was going to have to read 
my diet plan in my dossier more closely. If I couldn't have ice cream or any 
baked goods with eggs in them, I was going to go crazy.

	Despite my concerns, I felt that I had cemented my friendships with Asuka 
and Hikari. Maybe it wasn't all that bad, being changed like this. I was 
still a little uncomfortable being a girl, but I thought I was adjusting 
well. My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of our desserts.

	Asuka dug into her mammoth triple banana split with sparklers and 
pinwheels, and Hikari daintily yet efficiently ate her sundae. I took a 
spoonful of my sorbet and was transported into a realm of euphoria. 
Strawberry, cherry, and lemon whirled in an intricate culinary dance on my 
taste buds.

	I closed my eyes and savored the sensation. It was so good, that I felt 
like I was floating. I scowled a little as the scent of blood began to 
interfere with my gustatory enjoyment. My scowl turned into a full-blown 
wince as a headache formed right behind my eyes. The headache suddenly 
disappeared and I began to review the EVA operational procedures. It felt 
like I had two faces, one confused and the other serene. Suddenly I felt 
someone shaking my shoulder. A strange, disconnected feeling overcame me and 
I began to hear voices.

	" . . . -Mi? Emi? Are you alright?" I opened my eyes and gazed into the 
concerned face of Class Representative Horaki. She took her hand from my 
shoulder and repeated, "Are you alright, Emi?"

	I quickly reviewed my physical state. I was uninjured and sitting on the 
ground next to an overturned chair. Pilot Sohryu was looking at me with a 
strange expression. I had a cold, sticky mess on the front of my school 
uniform. I was slightly confused. Why was I not in Terminal Dogma, synching 
with the Dummy Plug System?

	"I am not injured, Class Representative Horaki," I said softly. There was 
no need to use any more force in my words. She was close enough to hear me. 
Oddly, my words seemed to distress her, because a small frown formed on her 
face. She offered a hand to pull me to my feet. Uncertain why, I accepted 
it.

	"Geez, Fourth Child," Pilot Sohryu interjected. "What happened? One minute 
you're fine, eating ice cream, and then you space out!" Her voice had her 
usual bluster, but I seemed to detect an undercurrent of concern. That was 
odd. My confusion began to grow. Why had Sohryu called me "Fourth Child?" 
She knew very well that I was designated "First Child."

	"I . . . am not certain, Pilot Sohryu," I said. Why did it feel wrong to 
call her "Pilot Sohryu?" In fact, I felt something was amiss.

	"Emi," Class Rep-- no, Hikari said with a worried look on her face. She had 
moved her hand to just in front of her mouth, and her eyes had gotten wider. 
"Asuka, I think you should take her home."

	"I think you're right, Hikari," the redhead agreed. "If everything works 
out, we'll see you tomorrow." She picked up some bags that were on the 
ground beside the fallen chair. She came to me and gently placed her hand on 
my elbow. "Come on, Emi. We'll call Misato at the apartment and see if we 
can't figure out what just happened." I felt a sensation wash over me from 
where she had touched me. It felt warm and reminded me of the time Pilot 
Ikari had asked me to smile after the defeat of the Fifth Angel. I tried to 
categorize it as we walked towards the apartment block where I had been 
ordered to cohabit with the awakened Dummy Plug.

	That sparked a memory. The Commander had told me during the week that she 
was sedated in medical observation that she was going to be called "Emi." 
Both Pilot-- no, Asuka and Hikari had called me that name. Therefore, they 
must have believed that I was she. I absently rubbed my bruise from this 
morning. Strange. What could have caused us to spontaneously synch like 
that? I looked down at the bruise on my right arm.

	I gasped in surprise. The bruise had formed on my left arm. Emi's bruise 
had been on her right. I noticed Asuka looking strangely at me. I waved it 
off and smiled, indicating it was no big thing. A pressure formed behind my 
eyes, and I winced at a momentary lancing pain.

	I staggered a bit as my own identity came crashing through. I was not the 
girl who had been strangled by a jealous woman; I was the boy who had been 
raised by a loving family. I was not the young woman who had been used to 
get Shinji to pilot EVA; I was the young man who had decorated his little 
sister's wedding cake. I was not the woman whose cycle was due next week; I 
was . . . okay, maybe I was due for a cycle next week. Joy. Regardless, I 
was not Rei Ayanami. I was Emi Ayanami, born Logan Goodhue.

	We arrived at my apartment soon after I returned to myself.

	"Asuka," I said as I unlocked the door, "thank you for helping me out." I 
looked at her from the corner of my eye and noticed her relax. I stepped 
inside and she followed me into the kitchen. She set my bags on the table.

	"You're welcome," she said, smiling. She poked her finger at the sticky 
spot on the front of my uniform. "You'd better go change. While you're doing 
that, I'll call Misato."

	"Okay, Red!" I pointed next to the refrigerator. "There's the phone." I 
reached into my bag and pulled out one of my "Tomboy" outfits: the baseball 
jersey and a pair of shorts. I dashed into my room and changed. Afterwards, 
I set the stained jumper in the laundry room, and then walked into the 
kitchen.

	Asuka was scowling at the phone.

	"Figures!" she fumed. "When something important happens, Misato doesn't 
answer her phone!" I gently took the handset away from her and placed it in 
the cradle.

	"Thanks for trying, Asuka," I said, smiling gently. "I had fun today with 
you and Hikari, weird spell not withstanding." I put my hand on her shoulder 
in a friendly gesture, causing her to tense a little. She eventually relaxed 
and returned my smile. "Now, since you can't reach Misato, I guess I'll have 
to call Doctor Akagi."

	"I suppose that'll have to do." Asuka relaxed her scowl. She turned towards 
the door and called over her shoulder, "Well, I've got 'homework' to do, 
Blue." She smirked, and I knew she'd found my nickname. "Later!"

	"Later, Red!" I waved as she walked out the door. Then, I turned to the 
phone. Just as I was about to pick it up, it rang. "Hello? Ayanami 
residence. Emi speaking," I answered. The sepulchral voice on the other end 
made my blood run cold.

	"Fourth Child," Commander Ikari said, "Report to my office immediately. We 
need to talk."

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