Went outside, Got hit by covid. (｢•-•)｢ ʷʱʸ?
SEELE
"This is insane, the EVA series aren't capable of generating S2 Organs themselves."
"We never imagined that it would be able to take one into itself this way."
"This incident is at extreme odds with the scenario we created."
"Gendo Ikari?" one of the other members asked
"No." Lorenz Keel answered, "Gendo Ikari, no longer wishes to be the head of NERV. But Yui Ikari does."
"Are you suggesting this is her doing?"
"I cannot say." Keel replied, "But she has been known to us for quite some time."
"Perhaps we should bring her in for questioning."
"I agree...we can still see the scenario through, even with the Collision of realities."
"Then it is agreed." Keel said ending the meeting. "Yui Ikari will face us once more."
NERV HQ
"All of the probes have been inserted." An engineer's voice said, through the intercom "Electromagnetic radiation is fixed at zero minus 3"
"Ego border pulse connection is complete." Maya said
"Roger." Ritsuko responded "Start the salvage operation."
"Initiating program, launching the first signal." Aoba said
"Signal received; The Eva shows no sign of rejection" Hyuga responded
"Proceed to send the second and third signals." Maya instructed
"Subject cathexis is normal, destrudo cannot be confirmed" Hyuga said
"Affirmative." Ritsuko said "shift the subject to stage two."
Come on, Shinji... Misato said in thought
"You're not gonna get anywhere doing things like that." Yui said, entering the room. "He has to choose to leave the EVA himself."
"What are you saying?" Misato asked "And shouldn't you be resting?"
"I won't rest, until I save Shinji." Yui answered "And trying to reconstruct his ego border isn't going to work. Like I said before, returning is a choice he needs to make for himself."
"Okay." Ritsuko said "So how do suggest we go about doing that? making him choose to return...when we can barely even communicate with him."
"We actually can." Yui said, "It's subtle, but from the plug depths he can somewhat hear us. but I'd recommend using an audio transmission system."
"But How would that help in making him return?" Ritsuko asked again
"Well." Yui expressed a hint of remorse "We get something, or someone to call to him, draw him out here, back to us." Yui paused letting out a sigh "He spent the most time with Major Katsuragi and Kyoko's daughter, so..."
"So what?" Misato asked
"So you should try." Yui said, "Try calling out to him during the salvage sequence."
"You're his mother, aren't you? Why me?"
Yui was unamused by her question
"You know why." she said "you're practically-"
"I get it." Misato interrupted. "Fine, I'll do it"
"Thank you." Yui said "I'm sure he's already getting enough of me as we speak."
"You can say that again." Ritsuko said in an undertone.
"By the way, where's Kyoko?" Yui asked ignoring Ritsuko's statement.
"She's with Asuka." Misato answered, "I think maybe after this you should-"
"Major Katsuragi." One of the soldiers interrupted, running in through the door.
"What is it?" she asked
"We've taken into restraint 4 persons who seem to resemble the EVA Pilots."
"What?" Misato said
"It's okay." Yui said, "Where are they now?"
"As of now we've placed them in the confinement area." The soldier said. "Although I should mention the one who resembles the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 requests to see his father."
"I see." Yui said, "I'll leave the salvage operation to you two. I'm going to see to these other pilots." She said, walking to the exit alongside the soldier.
Once she left Misato wasn't sure as to how she should feel about her.
"I don't get her." She said
"Why?" Ritsuko asked
"One minute she's Mother Mary and then the next... I don't know."
"I don't need to understand her." Ritsuko said, "she's helping us fix our reality so..."
"Yeah, I get it but..." Misato sighed "I got this odd feeling around her."
"Well, whatever it is, I suggest you put it aside for now."
"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who's taking her son away from her." Misato retorted
"So you do want to take Shinji away from her?" Ritsuko shot back.
"No, dammit! I... I just think things are moving way too fast."
"Fair enough." Ritsuko said handing Misato a tablet.
"What am I looking at?" Misato said taking the tablet.
"Things moving faster." Ritsuko said, initiating the salvage sequence again.
"Is that... Me?" Misato asked looking at the images on the tablet. "and a spaceship?"
Ritsuko shrugged.
"I need a drink." Misato said sitting down.
NERV HQ - Confinement Area
Yui entered the room, and found each of the 4 children placed in separate interrogation rooms. Naoko stood watch, examining them through a technology implanted within a layer of the glass, which had input/output capabilities.
"So, this is where you were." Yui said
"Not much for me to do with my darling daughter running the job." Naoko said "and I can't very well quit either."
"Why not?" Yui asked
"Why don't you?" Naoko asked back.
"Well...I have some unfinished business I'd like to see through." Yui answered. "What about you?"
"I'm not ready to say my farewells just yet." Naoko answered, "so maybe you'll at the end."
"Alright." Yui said a bit muddled.
"In any case, they all seem to be normal. Nothing strange, nothing out of the ordinary...except of course their existence."
"That's what I'm going to figure out." Yui said walking into the room Shinji was placed in. Once inside Shinji looked to her not with surprise or shock, but rather subtle confusion
"Rei...No wait, mother?" Shinji said
"Hello dear." Yui said with a smile.
"Mom you're...are you...you?" he asked
"What do you mean by that?" Yui asked grabbing herself a chair.
"Well...there's this collision and well..."
"Oh, you mean that." Yui said "I guess by that definition then, technically I'm not supposed to be here." She said with a chuckle. "How do you even know about that?"
"Kaworu explained it all, or at least explained as much as he understood."
"Who's Kaworu?" she asked
"He's...a friend." Shinji answered.
"This friend of yours seems to know a lot." Yui said
"Yeah..." Shinji agreed. From his perspective Yui sitting quietly there, seemingly thinking, reminded him of Rei.
"Forgive me." Yui said, breaking the silence "It's strange, meeting someone for the first time, twice."
"I know what you mean." Shinji chuckled, "I actually saw you before...before you saved my life."
"Oh..." Yui said a little surprised, after-which a smile found its way across her face. "I guess it was my pleasure then." She said
There was a small awkward silence. Shinji didn't really have much to say to her, much less expect to meet her here at all. the only place he was certain she would be was inside Unit-01, and Yui had already said everything she felt she'd needed to say to the other Shinji.
"Well..." Yui said trying to lighten up the mood, "I suppose i should inform you that-"
"Mother..." Shinji said sitting up straight, "I want to talk with father."
And with those words Yui's smile faded.
"Okay." She said "Why is that?"
"I'm not so sure if I should be telling you this, but..." He paused ""I know you'll agree with me...so...Father he...he's at the forefront of instrumentality. He wants to see you so much that-"
"I know." Yui said stopping him, "I know..."
"Mom are you-"
"It's okay, Shinji, I stopped him." She said "Your father is, no longer the head of Nerv. He can't manipulate SEELE's scenario to his own benefit."
Shinji was taken aback. "So...where is he now?" he asked
"I don't know...one of the living quarters if I heard right, I just... can't deal with him right now. " Yui said.
Now there was a mix of emotions Shinji couldn't read on her face, but he felt he'd seen that expression somewhere else before.
"You can still speak to your father if you wish, although-"
"Have you spoken to him?" Shinji asked
"No, not really." She answered, "Like I said, I just can't right now."
Shinji sensed a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Right now, I need to focus on saving Shinji... and fixing this world... that's all that matters."
"I see." Shinji said, "So you've already met with the other me?"
"Yes, I have." She said, her smile slowly returning, "Although the you pertaining to this world is much...younger."
"Of course." Shinji said, smiling at her.
"I guess I have more time with him...whatever little time..."
"And the EVA's?" Shinji asked
"I'll tell you all about it when we're less...monitored." She pointed to the cameras in the room.
"Whatever it is that you're going to do...I think you should talk to father." he said, "I think we both should." and Yui's slow returning smile faded from her face yet again.
"I understand dear but-"
She stood up from his chair and went towards Yui, giving her a hug.
"Okay..." Yui said awkwardly, raising her hands to hug him back.
"Mother. Thank you...for all the times you protected me, in the Eva." he said, "Thank you for helping me, and even saving me."
"You're my son...I love you too much to let anything bad happen to you." she said.
"As so as your son... let me help you, the same you helped me." He said.
"What do you mean?" Yui asked as shinji pulled back to face her. "Let's talk to father...together."
"Shinji I-"
"I know." he said, "I know... but we can't keep running away from one another. This mess...all started because our family."
"because of Seele." Yui said,
"but father pushed for it."
"because he was manipulated."
"And you created the Eva."
"I..." Yui paused looking away from him
"Mother... we're the only ones who can fix this." he said, "So please...help me, help you... and father."
Yui breathed in and out.
"Okay..." she said, "I'll try."
Shinji hugged her again. "Thank you...mother."
I'm sorry Shinji. She said in thought.
Kyoko entered the room and saw the sight through the glass.
"I guess I'll have to do the same with Asuka." Kyoko said smiling "Hopefully I didn't try to kill her in another reality as well."
Naoko shrugged.
"How did it go with you and Ritsuko by the way?"
"It went as well as everything goes between us." Naoko responded "With no time wasted, we agreed to do what we do best and get back to work."
"I still think you should talk to her more." Kyoko said
"Ritsuko and I, aren't you and Asuka, or Yui and Shinji. We have our own way of dealing with things and it works just fine."
"You mean it works for you just fine." Kyoko countered
"I don't see her complaining." Naoko retorted
"Maybe because she's waiting for you to ask." Kyoko said.
"That's ridiculous." Naoko scoffed.
"It's psychology, look it up." Kyoko said going to the room Asuka was in, Naoko shook her head at her as she opened the door.
As she entered there was no surprise, no anger, no hatred or anything from Asuka, which kind of left Kyoko herself surprised. This time it felt different, it was as if the woman who sat before didn't know her.
"Guten Tag." Kyoko jokingly said
"Guten Tag?" Asuka greeted back suspicious.
"Hello, Asuka." Kyoko said with a smile, "Es ist ich...Mama."
"Nice try, lady. but I don't have a mom." and Kyoko was confused by this statement.
"What do you mean?" she asked
"I'm a clone designated to piloting Evangelion Unit-02, Shikinami type."
"Shiki-" Kyoko paused to think about it.
"Yes." Asuka said, "Don't I exist in this reality? you must have my files? Asuka Langley Shikinami."
Kyoko remained silent, thinking.
"Hello, earth to my so called 'mom' "
"You do exist." Kyoko said, "Well my daughter does so, therefore she must be your counterpart, and you hers."
"You trying to say you're my mother?" Asuka said
"I am your mother Asuka. Clones aren't made from nothing. there must've been a Kyoko Zeppelin in your world."
"And?"
"And, I'm willing to bet she's probably the one who created the Shikinami type, as you call it"
"Never heard of her." Asuka said skeptical "Pretty sure she doesn't even exist."
Is this how Yui feels. Kyoko thought, looking towards Shikinami.
"What? why are you looking at me like that?" Asuka said.
Yui had a little smirk appear up on her face as she looked at Kyoko and her estranged daughter, from behind the glass.
"What's with the grin?" Naoko asked
"It's nothing." Yui responded, "Nothing at all."
2ND HALF
MEDICAL WARD
Shinji Ikari woke up to the sight of a familiar ceiling, in an unfamiliar room. lying down on a gurney a buzz echoed itself throughout the room.
What happened? he wondered How long has it been?
It wasn't long before the door opened, and his mother walked in.
"You're awake." Yui said, with a gentle smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." Shinji said, sitting aright
"Mother, what happened? Did I beat the angel? How long have I been asleep?"
"It's Okay Shinji, everyone is okay." She said "and it's all thanks to you."
"Then I'm relieved." He said looking down unto the palm of his hand. Although he couldn't help but notice that his body had began to somewhat tremble.
"That's wonderful." Yui said taking hold of his hand, "You did well Shinji."
"Thank you...mother."
"Now then let's get you out of here." she said checking the machinery.
"Already?" he asked.
"Yes." she answered "I already checked with Ritsuko, and you're as healthy as a horse. You've been that way since they took you out of the Eva."
"I was stuck inside Eva?"
"Yes." Yui answered him again "For about a month."
"A month? what's happened since then? what about Misato and, the others?"
"It's okay Shinji, they're all okay. Misato and your friends are fine." Yui said, calming him. "You'll get to see them soon. But first, let's get you ready to go...also there's someone I want you to meet."
"Okay." he said.
Yui waited outside the room as he put on his uniform. After that he followed her to a sort of operations room, similar to the one where they planned the attack against the angel Sahaquiel. There he found both Asuka, Rei and an unfamiliar girl standing in line, presumably awaiting his arrival.
"So, puppy boy is finally awake." Mari said
"Shinji." Yui emphasised "Is finally awake, and with that you're imprisonment here ends."
"Aww, but I liked my cozy cell." Mari said
Yui - amused - rolled her eyes and continued onwards, "In any case, I've called all three of you here to inform you of everything we know about the state of the world as we know it. You are after-all fighting to rectify this so, I felt it's only right that you should know."
"Three? there's four of us." Asuka said "And why keep us in the dark until now?"
"Mari already knows." Yui said "but because she's your fellow pilot Misato suggested I treat her the same way I treat you."
"You still didn't answer my second question." Asuka said
"We didn't say anything to you, because we also didn't fully understand it until now. In fact we still don't know, but we're gaining a clearer understanding thanks to Shinji and his friend."
"How could the pilot Ikari have informed you whilst he was in unconscious?" Rei asked
"That's because we have another Ikari Shinji." Yui answered, and all three of them looked at her confused.
"Let me explain." Yui said, using a graphic on her tablet which, upon a single tap would be holographically projected in front of the children. "Our world as we know it, exists within a timeline, in a universe comprised of multiple realities."
"Multiverse?" Asuka said
"Sure...I guess." Yui said, "Now in one of those realities, something drastic occurred, an event so powerful it shifted the course of all recurring timelines, maybe even pushing some into erasure."
"So what does that have to do with us?" Shinji asked
"This world, the one we're currently in, we've determined is an anomaly." Yui said, "We're experiencing gabs and fissures in time, multiple realties leaking in and we can't stop or control any of it. I'd been informed you fought the Angel Sachiel before, and yet on the day of the snow there two of him."
"So are you saying-"
"Yes." Yui immedialty responded "That was due to the collision of realities, disrupting space-time."
"So our world is colliding with another world similar to ours?" Rei asked
"Yes." Yui answered, "but not at fixed points in time. So anything from could slip in. Past, present or future."
"Okay." Shinji said, "So how do we go about fixing it?"
"An event that seismic can only be matched with something of equal or greater power." Yui said, "To that end..."
"Third Impact." Asuka said
"That's right." Yui confirmed "We instigate third impact and rectify this collision by sealing the fissures and cracks, setting our reality on its own separate course away from the prime-world."
"So it was the third impact of one of the other timelines that caused this collision of realities." Rei said
"Not exactly." Yui said, "Like I said, great power can either be equaled or surpassed. What caused this ripple in space-time was what we dubbed to be The Final Impact."
"What is that?" Shinji said looking at the graphic Yui was projecting.
"That is Eva Imaginary, found at the edge of the Anti-verse. The Final Impact was instigated using this seed, and this seed alone."
"By the angels?" Shinji asked, and Yui didn't answer. "I can't speak for the happenings of other universes, but I can try to fix what's happening in ours." she said. "Terminate program." and with that the projection was cut off.
"So what, we instigate third impact?" Asuka said annoyed. "even though we've spent all this time risking our lives to stop it."
"The mission's changed." Yui said, "You just saw all the data, this is the only way."
"So you're going to end the world... to save it." Asuka said
"Yes." Yui answered
"Do you not hear how insane that sounds, it's completely ridiculous, you can't expect us to follow through with such-"
"We have no other choice Asuka." Yui said cutting her off. "It's either that or reality continuously topples unto itself until we all die."
"Tsch." she scoffed, "What do you two make of this?"
Rei remained unfazed, and Shinji seemed to be somewhat unsettled.
"If I am ordered to-"
"I need your honest opinion Rei." Yui interrupted, "Tell me how you feel."
"I...do not know." she said.
"I won't force any of you." Yui said "but I need to know that you're in it with us till the end, so please... Shinji."
"I'm sorry but...I might have to agree with Asuka." he said, Asuka was a bit taken aback by that statement, she thought for sure she'd be on her own.
"The Impacts are bad, isn't it? that's what we know, that's what we've been taught...so to cause one would be-"
"It's not the same." Yui said "I can't explain everything to you now, but this time we'll be able to manipulate and control the direction of the event."
"How?" Asuka inquired.
Yui sighed, "By using unit-01 and the Lance of Longinus, making placing it at the forefront of instru-" Yui paused
"Instru-What?" Asuka said
"The point is the pilot of Unit-01, will be able to choose the outcome of the event. So should Shinji choose to save our reality, then it can be done so...we needn't instigate a final impact when we can use the conclusion at which this world ends to our advantage."
"I don't know if I can do that." Shinji said, his right hand trembling.
"It's okay." Yui said, "We-" Yui paused, as she notice Asuka's hand slightly bump into Shinji's stopping his tremble.
"I think that's enough for now." Misato said entering the room. "We might wanna give them time to process all this. After all it took us a month to wrap it around our heads. It would be unfair to expect them to fully understand in 5 minutes"
"I apologise for unloading all this information at you, all at once." Yui said, "but I sometimes fear we're running out of time. So please keep in mind that we're not done here, I will brief you once more at a later stage, for now you are dismissed."
And with that the three children left the room, only Mari remained with Yui and Misato.
"Felt that could've went better." Misato said
"What's done is done." Yui replied, but there seemed to something else on her mind.
"What's the relationship between Kyoko's daughter and my son like?" she asked misato, who simply shrugged in response "They're each like my children to me so...i can't say much."
Yui eyed her suspiciously. "Honest." Misato said.
"Eros." Mari said, "vis-à-vis l-"
"Don't." Yui said interrupting Mari.
"You're no fun anymore." She said with a fake pout.
"And you're different." Yui said turning to face the exit.
"What can I say" Mari said, following behind shortly "Time heals all wounds."
BREAK AREA
"Well." Asuka said to the two of them. But Rei remained silent and so did Shinji too.
"Are you both deaf?" she asked, this time with an aggravated tone.
"I just don't know what to make of it." Shinji said, they should've just left me in the Eva.
"And you wonder-girl?"
"It is as I said before, I simply do not know." she answered.
"I mean it's crazy" Asuka said "They're asking to do the very thing that we've been risking our goddamn lives to stop, it's totally insane."
"But can we live without Eva?" Shinji said
"What are you talking about now, you idiot."
"I'm just saying, would you be fine with letting all those people die?"
"People die all the time when we pilot." she answered "and how do you know more people won't die if we go along with this plan of theirs."
"Well we never really gave her the chance to fully explain." Shinji responded, "It was just terrifying to imagine being at the centre of third impact."
"Why even you?" Asuka said, "if they wanted someone with skill then-"
"No." Rei interrupted, "As it stands Unit-01 is the only Eva with S2 Engine capabilities, thus granting an unlimited source of energy. energy which would be required for such a monumental task"
"What? What are you saying?" Asuka asked
"I-"
"Rei Ayanami." A woman's voice said through the intercom "Would Rei Ayanami please report to the commanders office."
"I guess thats you wonder-girl." Asuka said.
Now Rei had left, leaving Shinji and Asuka on their own. They sat in silence for a while, Asuka standing unto the wall not saying anything, and Shinji listening to his music. Although it was on a whim that Shinji decided to say:
"Hey Asuka...can I ask you about your mother?"
"No." she said. Shinji not surprised put his earphones back on. but then Asuka spoke up
"Why even ask about my mom?" she inquired
"Well I... just wanted to know something." he said
"Like what?"
"Is she still the same?" he asked "Is she still the way she was when you were younger? is she how you remember her to be?"
"I think." Asuka said pondering upon his words.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't remember much." She said "I try not to."
"I'm sorry." Shinji said, Asuka ignored that apology and continued. "If I had to say though. I think she's a lot more...caring now. She was rarely ever like that, I was barely ever a flicker in her eye unless I was the best. that's all she ever saw...number 01."
"I-"
"Don't." Asuka said stopping him, "And don't tell anybody what I just told you."
"I won't." Shinji said.
"Good." Asuka responded breathing a sigh of relief. "Now you owe me one, so tell me about your mom."
Shinji put his SDAT player down, and once again stared at the palm of his hand.
"I don't have many memories of my mother." He said "in fact I only see bits and pieces of her in my memory. I've spend most my life without her."
"That must've been rough." Asuka said
"Not really." Shinji said "I don't hate her or anything, nor do i feel much strong emotion towards her, but..." he paused.
"But what?" Asuka said
"Whenever I'm around her, I get this strange feeling and my body starts trembling...slightly. It's kind of like when I'm in the EVA. I'm not sure how I should put it."
"I get the same feeling around my mom too." Asuka said
"Really?" he asked surprised
"Yes." she answered, "but it's not as bad as trembling, it's more..." she paused not trying to recollect her past.
"More what?" he asked
"I don't want to talk about it right now." she said looking away from him.
"I understand" he said, "thanks for answering me."
"Yeah, sure whatever." she said.
Shinji grew a faint smile and went back to listening to his music and proceeded to get herself a drink from the vending machine. Now they individually sat in silence, until:
"Thanks for accompanying me Asuka." Shinji-R said walking down the halls with Asuka Langley Shikinami.
"I'm doing this because they asked me too, not because i want to." Shikinami said annoyed.
"Who asked?" Shinji said smirking
"None of your business." Shikinami responded, avoiding from his gaze.
"Still, I meant what I said. Thank you Asuka." He said.
"Yeah, sure whatever." she said.
And as they turned the corner, Asuka(Soryu) beheld the sight that made her drop her canned drink unto the floor, causing Shinji-A to take of his earphones and ask her:"What is it?"
but Asuka(Soryu) didn't respond, and Shinji-A upon looking back and taking notice of the sight, leapt up from the bench and unto the wall.
"W-w-what?" Shinji said
"Hi." Shinji-R said unsure of how to react
Shikinami sighed, "Idiot." she said.
END.
S2 Engine lore.