Stage 66: Hearts Unfulfilled (Feelings not Conveyed) (The Japanese kanji are "kokoro todokazu" which literally means "heart" and "does not/fails to/out of reach -or- unattained/unfulfilled/ungratified/unrealized".) Cover: A pair of semi-transparent arms (Rei's) reaches up towards sunbeams spilling out from behind clouds in the blue sky Scene: Random thoughts floating in the blue sky with scattered clouds Rei (thinking): My heart... so much... as to become distraught... desiring bonds with people... my heart... (View looking up surrounded by a veil of sunbeams pouring from the edges of clouds bracketing the sun.) Before I even knew it I was... trembling... struggling... bleeding... gasping... And to realize in this final moment... Ikari-kun... (Shinji crying out in shock/disbelief) (Kaworu staring in shock with the tears still in his eyes) (Fuyutsuki and Gendo shouting out) (Ritsuko and Misato aghast in shock) (A massive explosion envelopes New Tokyo-3.) (Intense light saturates and pours out of the Command Center display, and everyone stands speechless in shock.) (Eva-01 stands at the periphery of the blast, obscured up to the waist by blowing dust and debris. Shinji sits stunned in the entry plug.) Shinji (in disbelief): Aya... nami...? (Inside the Command Center, people slowly start moving again with darkened and downcast expressions.) Shigeru: Target... destroyed. Misato: ..... This operation is ended as of the current time. Switch to 1st Class Alert Status. Makoto: Affirmative... Switching to condition yellow at once. Misato: ..... What is the status of Eva-00? Maya (tears in eyes): Entry plug ejection not confirmed... Misato: Search for and rescue survivor, immediately! Ritsuko (sotto voce): If there is one... you mean. (Misato whirls around angrily toward Ritsuko with tears falling from her eyes, but stops when she sees Ritsuko with a subdued expression. The two turn away from each other.) Scene: Shinji sits alone still wearing his plug suit on the pilot dressing room bench, unmoving and staring at a fixed point on the floor in front of him. Kaworu emerges from the shower room wearing a T-shirt and loose slacks with a towel draped around his neck. Kaworu: Aren't you going to change into your clothes? (Bends over to look at Shinji's face from the side) Kaworu: Hey there. Someone's talking to you. Are you going to ignore them? (Shinji remains silent. Kaworu gets a slightly disagreeable expression.) Kaworu: If you're down about First, it can't be helped... She was stupid. (Shinji explodes in rage, grabs Kaworu's shirt with both hands near the collar, and slams Kaworu back against a wall.) Shinji (shouting): Say it again!... Say it again! I'll bust out all of your front teeth! Say it! (Kaworu is taken aback at the extremely agitated Shinji.) Shinji: Say!... (weaker) it... (Shinji's clenched fist rushes at Kaworu's face, but loses momentum and passes to the side as Shinji collapses against Kaworu with labored breathing. A surprised Kaworu supports Shinji in his arms. Kaworu (alarmed): H- Hey...! Shinji: *labored breathing and wheezing* Kaworu (flustered/thinking): What should I do now? Scene: VTOL aircraft hover over the giant crater created by the explosion which is slowly filling with water from Lake Ashino. Nerv personnel in bio suits approach the mangled and smoking remains of Eva-00's entry plug. Nerv staff: Dr Akagi. (Ritsuko and another Nerv staff in bio suits look in through a tear in the entry plug wall. (Nothing can be seen except the ragged and charred edges of the tear.) Ritsuko stands and turns away.) Ritsuko: This is to be classified "Top Secret". Recover the plug, and dispose of all related parts. Nerv staff: Yes, Sir. Nerv staff: Let's hurry it up. Ritsuko (thinking): Rei... Scene: A room inside the Nerv HQ pyramid. Doctor (off camera): Very well, then, I'll leave you now (on camera) Take care. (leaves with nurse rolling away IV stand) Kaworu: Thank you. (Kaworu closes the door to his personal quarters and turns to look at Shinji sitting up in the bed.) Kaworu: So how are you? Feeling better? (Shinji says nothing and just stares ahead.) Kaworu: *small sigh* ...You really startled me. I didn't know you could faint by hyperventilating. The doctor said that you should rest for a bit. (gets a bottle of Evian spring water from a small refrigerator) I let Major Katsuragi know that you are in my room, so you can rest here as long as you want. Shinji: ...Ayanami Kaworu: Huh...? (looks at Shinji and pauses) There hasn't been any word yet, but... Shinji (quietly): ...This was different from the previous self-blast..... I saw it with my own eyes... (grips bedcover) She blew up together with the Angel inside the A.T.Field. (Tears form and start to fall from Shinji's eyes.) Shinji: I wonder if she's dead. Ayanami... (Kaworu looks at Shinji with an expression that I can't quite put my finger on. I would say mostly neutral, but I am not sure if I see hints of sympathy or just objective interest as if observing Shinji. Either way I don't want to commit to any interpretation this important without more information.) Scene: Flashback to Shinji and Rei in the Nerv HQ gardens. (Stage 54) Shinji remembers Rei's words as she crouched by the side of a pond and played with her hand in the water. Rei: Ikari-kun... Your hand... The first time we touched, I did not feel anything. Rei: The second time...was a little sickening/disgusting. Rei: The third time felt warm. Rei: The fourth time... made me glad. (Rei looks back smiling over her shoulder at Shinji) Rei: May I touch your hand... once more? (The two reach out and hold hands) (Fade to scattered clouds floating in the blue sky) Shinji (thinking): That... That was the last time I touched you. The fifth time... How was it? How did you feel about the fifth time? Ayanami... Shinji (crying): Ayanami... (Flashback of Shinji supporting Rei with her arm over his shoulder and his arm around her waist as they walk from Eva-00's entry plug after the battle with the 4th Angel) Shinji (thinking): We promised to go on living together. (Back to Kaworu's room where Kaworu stands looking at Shinji with his face lowered into his hand) Shinji (crying): I don't want to lose you..... Ending caption: Shinji shows his honest feelings for the first time. But Rei... - End Stage 66