CHAPTER 9:
ANOTHER TRANSFER/OF LIFE, DEATH, AND EDUCATION
"I don't like this apparel," Artemisia said, looking down at the uniform for the local school with a small scowl on her face. The blue and white dress she was now wearing didn't meet with her approval. Artemisia had spent the night at Misato's apartment, with Misato offering the use of her bed for the night. Misato slept on the couch. But from now on, Artemisia intended to stay in her castle. She'd have to start testing those teleportation spells she had found in the castle while Rinoa and Yui had been readying it for takeoff.
"Sorry, Artemisia," Misato said apologetically, "but sending you to school in other clothes is going to raise comment. You already look strange enough with your…appearance."
"Rei clearly is able to attend without much comment," Artemisia said. "I am doing this purely on sufferance."
"Artemisia, look at it this way. You're on a world where the Sorceresses don't exist, save for you," Misato pointed out. "We've already given a cover story to the teachers and headmaster of the school. You basically have a similar condition to Rei, only more advanced. Considering what Dr Ikari said, it's not that far from the truth anyway." Misato then smiled. "Besides, you didn't exactly have a normal childhood. Maybe this will be your chance. Shinji and Asuka have some friends already. In fact, Shinji's friends will be over before long to pick him up."
"Did you have a normal childhood?" Artemisia asked.
After a moment, Misato sighed. "Not after Second Impact."
Shinji, who had been in the kitchen preparing lunches, came out with them at the ready. Asuka, meanwhile, was scowling at a piece of paper she had. "Verdammt kanji," she scowled. "Bane of my bloody existence."
"Your Japanese is excellent," Artemisia observed. "Why do you have trouble with the kanji?"
"Because, Elphaba," Asuka retorted, "I grew up speaking German, English, and Japanese, but writing Japanese was another matter entirely."
"Elphaba?"
"There was this movie about…seventy-five years ago now, called The Wizard of Oz, based on a kid's book," Asuka said. "About twenty years ago, some guy called Gregory Maguire wrote a book from the point of view of the villain, the Wicked Witch of the West, called Elphaba in this book, called Wicked. In that book, Elphaba wasn't evil, just misunderstood and highly misanthropic(1)."
"Asuka," Misato said, "Artemisia isn't green-skinned. I never read the book, but I saw the old movie."
"And I would suggest being careful about nicknames, Asuka," Artemisia said.
"Or what, you'll set me on fire or something?" Asuka asked.
"No, I'll just tell your mother," Artemisia said with a smirk. That shut the redhead up quickly. Since her 'revival' so to speak, Kyoko had had a more salutary effect on Asuka, and both Misato and Artemisia found that telling Asuka that they would tell her mother about her less than decent behaviour would keep her in line.
There was a knock on the door soon afterwards. "I'll get that!" Misato said cheerfully. She opened the door. "Toji, Kensuke, what a pleasure!"
"Good morning, Major Katsuragi!" chorused a pair of boys, who entered. They did a double-take on seeing Artemisia.
"Ah, yes, I forgot. We've had someone arrive rather unexpectedly," Misato said. "Her name is Artemisia von Hyne." This was the agreed surname Artemisia wished for. Her family had no last name. It might be that she might have been related to one of the SeeDs who had killed Ultimecia. Misato indicated the jock kid in the tracksuit. "Artemisia, this is Toji Suzuhara." She indicated the boy with the glasses and freckles. "And this is Kensuke Aida."
"A pleasure," Artemisia said, perhaps a little insincerely, but better to be polite.
"Damn, Shinji, have you got another hottie living with you?" Toji asked.
"It was for the one night, as I've only just arrived in Tokyo-3," Artemisia answered for him.
"Is this anything to do with that flying castle flying above Tokyo-3?" Kensuke asked.
"It's an experimental technology developed by NERV's German branch," Misato said. Which was the official cover story. "Artemisia came from that branch. Of course, it's not something we want advertised."
"Oh, wow! An experimental technology? Please, Artemisia, I want to see it! Please!" Kensuke pleaded.
"He's a military otaku, remember?" Shinji said.
"I'll consider it," Artemisia said. "But we had best better go to school, hmm?"
Artemisia was regretting coming. The homeroom teacher was a boring antediluvian old fart who took any opportunity to discuss the official history of Second Impact and its aftermath. The other classes were more tolerable. As she donned a swimsuit for PE, acutely aware of the staring of the other girls as they saw the markings on her skin (she also heard one of them commenting on her breasts), Artemisia was struck by a sense of nostalgia. The last time she had worn a swimsuit of any kind…was when she turned ten. Not long before her parents were killed by SeeD. They had taken her to a beach. A nice break from their fugitive lifestyle. Artemisia realised that it was the last time she had felt so happy in the company of her parents.
The thought brought a tear to her golden eyes. Rei came over. "Artemisia?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"
"Just…just remembering my parents, Rei," Artemisia said quietly.
"Hey, Artemisia, are you okay?" asked one of the girls. Artemisia remembered the girl with her brown hair in pigtails: Hikari Horaki, the class representative.
"Sorry, just bad memories," Artemisia said. The girl at least seemed genuinely nice. She was a little wary of Artemisia's looks, but unlike some of the girls, at least, she tried to reach out.
Meanwhile, the boys were on the side of the track. "So, Shinji, how did you meet Artemisia?" Toji asked.
"It's a long story, and a lot of it's classified," Shinji said. "I don't think you'd believe me anyway, even if I could tell you: it's weirder than a lot of the shit we have to deal with involving the Angels."
"She's weird-looking, but I guess she's a looker. And she doesn't act that much like the Redhaired Devil," Kensuke said. Suddenly, in the pool enclosure, Asuka sneezed loudly twice, and whirled to glare down at the boys.
"She can sense your insults from halfway across the world, Kensuke," Toji hissed to his friend. "Her ears are like bloody radar dishes."
"She might calm down after a little while," Shinji said. "She's had something good happen to her."
"She got a boyfriend?"
"Better," Shinji said coyly. What could he tell them? About her mother coming back from the grave after being the control system for a giant robot? Leaving aside the fact that it sounded unbelievable, it was probably in contravention of some NERV regulation or other.
After a very extensive medical exam, both Yui and Kyoko were dressing, with Ritsuko pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "You know, the only word I can come up with to describe your bodies is…"
"Impossible?" Yui asked with a wry eyebrow raised.
"That was my initial thought, but actually, the word I was looking for is 'bioroid'. A sort of biological android, not unlike the Evangelions. It's like someone took basic human physiology, enhanced it, made it much better from the ground up, and made it run off what is basically an S2 battery," Ritsuko said. "I'm also annoyed that it was created, effectively, by magic. The only reason I'm believing this is real is because I know Artemisia is a Nephilim, and the Angels are noted for sneering at the laws of physics. And in any case, I should be able to monitor Artemisia's magic, see what the mechanism is. Other than her will saying 'fuck you' to the laws of physics, and the universe obliging."
"You'll have to treat her with care, Ritsuko," Yui said. "Artemisia has had a very hard life. Though to be honest, I'm more worried about what SEELE will think of her and the castle. That cover story we put out about it being from the German branch of NERV is a pretty transparent lie. Keel will have no problem seeing through it."
"The Sub-Commander said he would handle this. As far as SEELE is concerned, Gendo had a massive breakdown, and is currently incarcerated for threatening the lives of NERV personnel, and the castle is cross-dimensional detritus from within Leliel. The old men are only concerned that NERV ensure that the Human Instrumentality Project stays on schedule, as you well know," Ritsuko said. "But we can't keep a lid on you two forever. Or on Artemisia."
"They can't really do much to either of us," Kyoko said. "These are remote bodies, not our real ones."
"Kyoko, SEELE will use our children as leverage. I know how these fuckers work. My father used to be part of them," Yui said. "The thing is, SEELE still needs us for some time to fight the Angels. Of course, once that use is ended…well, there are a number of ways they can engage Third Impact in a way that can bring about the Instrumentality they hunger for. Lilith and the Lance of Longinus are key to these scenarios, for the most part. They don't care who they have to trample over in the process, and if they think threatening Asuka will get you to roll over, then they'll do it."
"SEELE aside, the information you gave us about the coming Angels is concerning," Ritsuko said. "I knew that there were five Angels left, but beyond the names, I knew little. And even with what you have given us, we're still fumbling in the dark."
"Did you do much fumbling in the dark with my husband, Ritsuko?" Yui asked archly, giggling at the mortified expression on Ritsuko's face. "Leaving the Angels and SEELE aside, what about our guest?"
"You mean the boy we found? The last I checked, the damage to his body and especially his lungs caused by the brief vacuum exposure is mostly healed. LCL and a few special drugs do wonders. We're about ready to decant him, take him to a secure ward."
"Okay, but keep in mind, he's a well-trained operative of a mercenary organisation, so it won't do to underestimate him because of his age," Yui said. "I wouldn't be surprised if escapology training was on the curriculum at Garden, given what I managed to get out of Rinoa and Artemisia."
Yui got her first good look at Arashi Leonhart as he hacked out the LCL in his lungs, his eyes flickering open in pain. The long brown hair, the icy blue eyes, the handsome face. She realised there was a pain in that face, a pain that had been there for a long time. After he had finished, the two security guards swiftly brought him onto a gurney, and strapped him down. It took him a while before the drugs leached out of his system enough for him to become remotely aware of his situation. At first, it was confusion rather than anger. "Where am I?" he asked in English. "Is this Esthar?"
"No, Tokyo-3," Ritsuko said.
"I've never heard of a place called Tokyo-3," Arashi retorted, before devolving into more coughing.
"That's because it doesn't exist on your world, Arashi Leonhart," Yui said.
Arashi looked over at her. "What do you mean, another world?" Then, after a moment, recollection hit, and his face twisted into a vicious snarl. "No…that bitch Rinoa…she said Ultimecia was going to another world! Damn her! DAMN HER!"
Yui slapped him, hard, her anger at him reaching boiling point, overriding what sympathy she had felt for him. "Shut up! Artemisia made a choice, between staying in your world and having to deal with SeeD, and coming here, where she has less chance of being viewed as a monster! Quite frankly, after what I saw of your world's history, and what Rinoa told me, I can't blame Artemisia for deciding to come here! Rinoa was worth a hundred of you. That you're still alive when she is dead…but then again, that may be the best punishment for you. You can't go home. We destroyed the only means for you to get home."
"You're lying!" Arashi yelled.
"No, you'll wish I was," Yui said coldly. "Artemisia will have a fresh start. A life where she doesn't have to be seen as a monster."
"SHE IS A MONSTER!" Arashi yelled.
"The only monster I see is the one strapped to the bed," Yui retorted quietly.
"Take him to the secure ward," Ritsuko said to the guards. Yui watched as he was wheeled away on the gurney, and felt a slight pang of remorse as she heard Arashi beginning to weep. He'd been torn away from everything he knew. God only knew whether he could make the most of a fresh start, or go mad…
CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:
Sorry about the wait. Here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Arashi's redemption will be coming soon. I originally intended for him to escape while being decanted from the LCL tank, but I couldn't think of a way to do it without making NERV look utterly incompetent.
In case you're wondering why Yui is so angry, she feels maternal in some ways towards Ultimecia, and also found herself liking Rinoa, despite their short time together. She understands what he's going through, but his badmouthing of Rinoa and Ultimecia basically pissed her off.
Review-answering time! Reishin Amara: Now there's an idea, that whole thing about quoting Sarah Kerrigan…
diagonalpumpkin: I think Misato being hands-off is only part of the problem. Shinji doesn't like sharing his problems with other people, and Asuka would rather pretend she doesn't have any.
NexusRider161: It is stated explicitly in the TV series that Yui had a closer connection to SEELE than Gendo, and Fuyutsuki thinks that's the only reason Gendo married Yui. Her being the daughter of a SEELE member was revealed in information discussed in information shown in one of the officially-licenced video games, with Hideaki Anno apparently being interviewed for these files.
1. Although the musical didn't come around until 2003 (and thus may not have been around, due to Second Impact), the book Wicked has been around since 1995, and so probably exists in the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's a much darker work than the musical. It may be a bit of a stretch for Asuka to have read it, but not much of one. And calling Ultimecia 'Elphaba', as a supposedly wicked witch who is merely misunderstood and misanthropic rather than evil, seems appropriate.