Creation began on 08-05-18

Creation ended on 08-05-18

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Hope from the Sky: Thoughts of the Mother and Stepfather

A/N: Christine and Sig's thoughts to Kaede's personal growth and development since her revelation as the Dark Titan, relationship status with Shinji and anointment by Historia as one of her co-ruling advisers.

Christine Sogen (Post Dark Titan Revelation)

My daughter, Kaede, was revealed to be the Dark Titan, that mysterious Titan that most say had defeated eighty Titans when Wall Maria was broken in by the Colossal Titan more than five years ago. At first, I worried that the people I grew up with, that I had brief interactions with day after day, year after year, were going to have my baby girl executed and then Sig and I executed, too. But I just wanted to know how and why Kaede was capable of what she could do; whatever fear I might've had of her being a Titan paled in comparison to her fears of being rejected by her mother. So long as I knew why, so long as I could take her home with me, I could overlook everything else. I could deal with losing friends, being pointed at and so on, so long as I could still be a mother to my child. Nothing else mattered.

-x-

Sig Zanki-Sogen (Post Dark Titan Revelation)

My father…may his soul burn in Hell, turned my stepdaughter, my best friend's only child, into a Titan…just so he could regain his lost leg. He didn't once take into consideration that he might kill her. How would he even explain that? And Kaede and Shinji suspect that he might be alive after their return from the Walls. I hope to God that he's very dead. There's no telling what I'd do to him if he were alive. I'd probably break his damn neck if I could get away with it.

-x-

Christine Sogen (Romantic Update)

I never once had a talk with Kaede about growing up and everything when it came to her own body, but I never expected her to have actually made a move on this Shinji Ikari, our hope from the sky, after finding out some things that she was worried about. She confided in me that he had explained to her that, even though she was able to turn into a Titan, she was still human and couldn't do anything to be considered a threat to anyone beyond her undesired ability.

"He did some translation research for the Survey Corps after they had found some information located in Shiganshina," she had explained where her new boyfriend had discovered his information. "This Titan power I have is…all in my spinal cord or fluid. When I asked him the question that haunted me for a long time after discovering my power and got the answer to it, I was relieved."

"What did you ask him?" I had asked her, wanting to know myself.

"If I could have children of my own and they wouldn't be Titans. He told me I could…and they wouldn't unless someone injected them with a serum that turns them into Titans and they ate someone with the power. I was happy to find out about this. I had to keep my distance from men out of the fear that any wrong man would try something and I ended up having kids and they turned out to be Titans. It was only because I wanted to see Shinji that night Shiganshina was celebrating its official completed reclamation that I was able to put up with being around so many people."

I'm actually glad that Shinji had disclosed this information to Kaede. I've never seen my daughter this happy about anything before in five years. I'm hoping he will continue to make her happy, even if he doesn't know what he's doing; if he's the one she chose for herself, then he must be a good man in her eyes.

-x-

Sig Zanki-Sogen (Romantic Update)

Kaede's personal life when it comes to her relationships? Well, even though I'm her stepfather, I mind my own business when it comes to her relationships. It has never really been my place to intervene…unless I had to and she needed my help understanding something. But ever since Christine and I got married sometime after Hagen died, fulfilling my promise take care of her and Kaede if anything ever happened to my best friend, we weren't as close as I thought we'd be after a while.

But even if we aren't close, I still care about her, and after finding out that she asked for Shinji to be her boyfriend, I feel the need to be strict towards the young man regarding her. I want her to be happy if their relationship becomes a long-term one, and if he hurts her, I want him to pay. Metaphorically, not literally; the guy seems like he's too nice and sensitive for his own good.

-x-

Christine Sogen (Post Historia Reiss Coronation)

I'm really proud of my daughter's achievements. First, she turns what she viewed as a curse into a blessing, helping Shinji and the Survey Corps to defeat the Titans that show up to attack us without killing them, and adding lost Eldians to our diminished population. Second, she meets someone that she connects with…and puts a smile on her face. And now, she's helping a young woman that gets to be Queen of Eldia as a co-ruling individual whose opinion will matter to her alongside her boyfriend, whom this Historia Reiss sees as people she wants to trust above all others.

If only you were alive to see her, Hagen. Our daughter is doing a lot of good for everyone. She's…giving everyone hope. She's a harbinger of hope. I'm hoping that I'll be able to tell that soon…along with her status as an only child changing. It's only been about two months since the young queen's coronation, but I know a missed period now when I feel the need to throw up every once in a while.

-x-

Sig Zanki-Sogen (Post Historia Reiss Coronation)

As far as I know, a person that gets to have their opinions heard by a young woman that gets to be queen of a nation of people is as close to royalty as the queen is herself. It's like they're hand-picked by a demigod child of a god…to be like demigods themselves. Kaede's a demigod now, Hagen. You'd be proud of all that she's done. I know I am…every day.

To be continued…

A/N: I actually thought to end this chapter with a post thought from Kaede as she lay in her prison cell following the failed ultimatum from NERV, but that might not be the best choice so far. I hope the next chapter will be where we finally get action in Marley. So much to do, so little time to get to them, and I gotta watch the new episode of Attack on Titan's season three.