Epilogue

"Good morning, Rei." Misato donned the same shirt and shorts she had been wearing for the past four days, Rei noted. The woman rubbed her eyes and headed towards Asuka's room, knocking on the door a few times before heading back into her own room to get dressed for the morning. It was cold, and so she wrapped her arms around herself as she walked. After a moment had passed, Misato poked her head out the door, squinting. "Rei?"
   The girl looked up from her studies and set her cup down. "What?"
   Misato paused for a second. "You look very nice today."
   "Thank you," Ayanami nodded, and then went back to her studies without a further word. Misato considered asking further, but decided against it, and prepared for the day.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Misato asked from behind.
   The question broke Rei out of her reverie. She turned around quickly, and did her best to smile. It seemed, however, that even turning her gaze required to much strength, so instead the girl tipped her head forward ever so slightly, giving her assent. Then her eyes pulled her gaze back towards Shinji's room. Slowly, she stepped inside, and sat down in his chair. Laying a hand slowly, almost warily on the desk, she opened his drawers. One of them caught her eye. It was empty, save for a few photographs. The one on top was that of a young boy holding his cello, smiling easily.

Checking her watch briefly -- having places to be and go had prompted her to buy one -- Rei stood up and headed towards the kitchen to wash out her cup. As she left, one of the refrigerator door opened, and out peeked a penguin, watching her leave. It blinked once, and then shut the door. Rei headed back into her room, and turned off the radio which had been ecstatic the whole morning about the random showers of snow that had been finding their way to the city. The girl draped on her coat and was out the door within the moment.

"Fairy," called out a small boy. Ayanami stopped her walk and turned around. She gave the child a look of confusion, and tilted her head slightly. She was up in the hillside of Tokyo-3, and the children were out and about, overjoyed at even the thin layer of snow that had gathered over the past number of days.
   "A fairy," another boy answered. The two children's faces were clearly surprised, possibly even a little afraid, at Rei. An aging woman leaning out her window -- wasn't she cold? Rei wondered -- waved the two boys away.
   She chuckled at Rei. "They're right, though. You do look very..." The woman stepped outside of her small house without a coat and took a better look at the girl. The girl with a pale face that fell in with the white fog, jewel light crimson eyes filled with calm, and a strange blue hair that looked almost like a shade of grey rising from the light colors around, so light that the woman wondered if she was imagining the strange color. "Hm." The woman's eyes closed slightly. "Well, you're lucky there aren't any cars around here, young girl. They'd barely be able to see you." Confused, Ayanami glanced down at the light colors she wore. "I imagine you'd fade right into the air the way you are." The girl still did not fully comprehend what the woman was saying, but bowed slightly when lady chuckled once more. "But watch out for bicycles -- some of the older boys lose their minds around here, even with the snow."
   It was the holiday season, however, and there were less people around than usual, and this hillside was no exception. Rei made it to that one hill without further incident. She lay down in the frost, and breathed in the cool fresh air. She loved it. It would not be long before the specks and flakes that resembled what snow once was in Japan came, so she enjoyed it while she could.
   Fairy. Angel. Shinji. Rei opened her eyes for a moment, and the sky was so white here that it nearly blinded her. The thought caused her to cover he eyes slightly. She had experienced what it felt like not being able to see before, and while she had been able to tolerate it, she had to wish to experience it again. After a second, she opened her shading hand slightly, just so she could see the white, everywhere. Quickly, the girl stood up as straight as she could, and looked around. There was nothing but white this winter, be it the above, the ground beneath, or the city below. Shinji. It's come true.