Creation began on 03-11-19
Creation ended on 04-26-19
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Hope from the Sky: Paradis Babysitters
A/N: I couldn't think of a better title.
"Okay, Shinji!" Erwin yelled as the Eva stood where it was supposed to in front of the chapel. "Begin excavation!"
Shinji, in Unit-01, made the Eva raise its left arm up…and brought it down on the ground with enough force to unsteady the Survey Corps and Garrison members present, along with several civilians assigned to aid in the excavation of the hardened Titan flesh that served to illuminate the cavern under them.
"Whoa!" Sasha gasped as she, Connie and Jean stumbled to their bottoms.
BASH, BASH, BASH! The Eva punched the ground three more times and caused a cave-in in front of everyone.
"What power!" Hange yelled; this woman clearly had a thing for Titans or anything power-related. "Such beauty is present in the Eva's actions!"
"Uh, Ms. Zoe, all I did was made a hole in the ground," Shinji told the woman. "There's nothing really…beautiful about making a hole in the ground."
Standing by the edge of the cave-in, people looked down at the shattered forms of hardened Titan flesh that glistened like a giant pool of diamonds.
"Woo…" Connie whistled as he looked down. "Now, that's something to excavate."
"Now comes the hard part," said Eren.
The Eva then reached down into the cave-in and scooped up a large handful of the debris.
"The hard part would be you going down there and bringing these piles back up," they heard Shinji say to them. "The easy part would be shifting through them for the fragments of hardened flesh, which is your job."
Setting the handful onto a clear space, the Eva backed away and let the people begin their job of shifting through the debris for the treasure within.
-x-
"…So, Kaede," went a woman well into her mid-forties with knowledge of psychology in her possession, able to talk to people and get them to open up in ways that only a therapist would, "how have you been since the day before yesterday?"
"I've been clear-headed, ma'am," she responded, lying on a chaise longue-styled sofa. "Actually, I've been calmer than I think I've ever been before."
"And your…random visions of random people you either know or don't know?"
"I think I still get them, but now they're only when I'm asleep, so they're like dreams now."
"How is that?"
"There's less obscurity when I'm asleep, and the visions…are more detailed, more coherent."
"Do you remember them?"
"Yeah, I do."
It had been almost eight days since the offering of a day pass for the Marleyans that were imprisoned in the third attempt to attack Paradis, and during that time, Kaede was seeing a therapist for her visions of the alternate scenario in which she and Shinji were nonexistent factors in the Eladian people's future. It felt different for her to actually talk about herself and her current lifestyle, including her status as a Titan Shifter and one of the queen's advisors. There wasn't much to it except for just talking about what was going on.
"Can you tell me about the last one you had?" The woman asked her.
Kaede sighs and responds, "I see the Survey Corps in Liberio, a Marleyan town on the mainland…and something has happened that didn't have to happen. Something that is completely reckless and unethical. The Attack Titan is there…and is causing destruction like a maniac with no self-control. The longer it goes, the more people that live there suffer, including the Eldians that were still in the internment zone. Eren Yeager, the young man that had the power of the Attack and Founding Titans before I took them from him, is unrecognizable by me because he's not the same person, anymore. Whether he's in league with his half-brother, has his own agenda, or even sees things differently from how other people see them, it didn't excuse or exonerate him of his brand of violence against the Marleyans. Then I see Armin Arlett, the young man that would've become the new Colossal Titan if he got severely injured and was turned into a mindless Titan, sitting in front of Annie Leonhart, the former Female Titan, in a crystal tomb of some sort, worried because the original plan was to seek out peace between the two nations, something Eren put to pasture by doing what he did. He's worried about Eren and what's going to happen. After that, I wake up…and I have to remind myself that, despite how real it felt and how it could've happened in another life, none of that has happened…and can't happen."
"But you still wonder if it could?"
"No… I wonder why I would be seeing things like this if they can't happen. It's as though I'm seeing it all happen, but none of it is relevant to what's actually happening here. Why do you think I see these things when they shouldn't matter?"
"If I had to guess, I would say that you're subconsciously concerned about these things because they can't happen," the woman expressed her assumption. "It'd be no different from people arguing over things that haven't happened yet…or fussing over things that are meaningless to fuss over. But you seem to be focusing less on them, so that's a sign you're making progress in your therapy."
"Thank you."
The woman then came over and showed Kaede out; they were set for their next session the next day for as long as these visions and dreams were running around in the girl's head.
"Stay positive, Ms. Sogen," she told her.
"Yes, ma'am," Kaede responded as she walked down the street from her building in Trost.
-x-
"…Okay, Shinji, you can bring up the next handful," said Levi to Shinji, and the Eva brought up another large handful of debris for them to shift through.
It had been three hours, and they had gathered around twelve dumpsters full of shattered crystals that had been taken to the former districts of Wall Sina and Paradius City to be distributed among the civilians there.
"Say, Shinji," went Eren to the boy in the Eva, "what's Historia going to do with the leftovers after we gathered as much of the glowing Titan flesh as possible?"
"Add a little more daylight to the night," Shinji explained cryptically to him. "Illuminate the village so there's no need for torches or lights."
"Not a bad idea," said Sasha to him. "A little more light never hurt anyone."
Connie, picking up another large piece of Titan flesh, then noticed a small device Sasha had on her person and asked, "Did you go and get one of those smartphones that we found while salvaging Paradius City?"
"What, they work and they're handy," Sasha defended, only checking a reminder on her calendar. "Also, I needed to keep in touch with my father, so I got him one, too."
"Yeah, everyone with basic knowledge of these smartphones are getting into them," added Jean; he wouldn't deny that these phones were impressive and becoming a must-have by the people after the power to generate electricity through the use of alternate, renewable sources became theirs to harness and distribute across the whole of Paradis, but he found himself gravitating towards possessing a tablet over a phone.
As the sun started to set, the people marked where they stopped and setup safety signs to keep people away from the edge of the giant cave-in and how it was unsafe before calling it a day and returning their homes or bases.
Shinji, on the other hand, as he returned the Eva and the Survey Corps to the aircraft carrier, had promised Kaede he'd spend the night at her place. They had a few things to talk about.
-x-
"…So, Kaede, how was your therapy session today?" Christine asked her daughter during dinnertime, wanting to get that out of the way.
"It was…relieving," Kaede answered her.
"Relieving?" Sig asked then.
"I don't think about the visions as much as I used to when I started getting them," she explained, "and they're reduced to just being dreams I have."
"I hope they're not as terrible as what could've been," her mother stated.
"What could've been?" Shinji asked her, confused.
"Mother, my nightmares and visions of things that can't happen are one and the same," Kaede clarified. "The people that once had individual members of the Nine Titans in their possession are just regular people…and there's only one Titan left on the island that's the strongest ally we could ask for. Yeah, we still have Marley to deal with, but things are looking brighter."
"Just making sure that you're not going…" Christine never finished that sentence.
It wasn't because she didn't need to say it, but because Kaede gave her a look that meant what she was going to say was unnecessary.
"You don't need to worry, Mrs. Sogen," Shinji spoke. "Kaede's incapable of crossing that line. I mean, how can she cross any line between clarity and insanity? Kaede's…a gentle soul."
"That's right," Kaede backed him up, and then resumed eating her salad.
"Kaede's one of the gentlest souls that anyone would ever meet in life," her mother agreed with Shinji, and part of her daughter's gentle nature clearly included her inability to get rid of Grausam herself.
"Oh, surely, there are people that are a lot gentler than I am," Kaede suggested.
"If I had to compare the gentleness of each individual I've met since I got here, it wouldn't be that hard to do so," Shinji claimed. "You, Historia, Armin, your mother, even Ms. Blouse, and she's just a passionate carnivore."
"Heh-heh-heh," Sig chuckled. "Yeah, Kaede, you mentioned a girl that loved meat just as much as she loves potatoes."
-x-
"…Aaahh…" Armin yawned again as he got up from his post and went to refill his cup with coffee. After this shift, I'll be glad to catch some well-deserved rest.
He and several other members of the Survey Corps and Garrison with the understanding of this surveillance network that allowed them to oversee the planet through the use of satellites had left them deprived of sleep for at least thirty-six hours, the experimental shift until it was decided how long the shift would really be in the future. Unfortunately, coffee could only keep people awake for so long before the buildup of fatigue took over and forced them to sleep it off.
"After this, I hope they decide on at least eight-hour-long shifts," he heard someone say to him. "Men and women need their sleep."
"Yeah, they do," he agreed with the woman. "That…and I want to know who gets to become a part of the colonization plan for the other island we found that was desolate."
It was some of the people's minds. The fact that they had found a second island that was neighboring Paradis; it was anyone's guess as to when any plans would be made to turn it into a new settlement for expansion. That way, the Eldians weren't limited to just one island.
-x-
So far, Historia had authorized the plans to send people and equipment to the other island so they could rebuild the original settlement that once resided there, but the method for transporting them was going to be either by boat, plane or the use of the Eva. She would make her decision tomorrow so everyone this affected in some way had to be present, including herself and her advisors.
"Oh, boy," she sighed as she sat down at her desk in her room.
"Are you thinking that now is a bad time to suggest working on the other island?" She heard Ymir ask her, standing by her door.
"Only the part involving the transportation of people and resources to rebuild," Historia explained to her as she turned to face her. "And it's just to rebuild the town that was once there. I'm not risking transporting even a handful of civilians to that island until later on."
"Any guess on how soon that Calvi and several of the other Marleyan people will consider the one-day pass to see how life on Paradis has changed?"
"No, Ymir, but I hope they're taking the time to think about it. If they can be convinced to let go of their hatred of us through peaceful means, then maybe they can be help convince the rest of Marley to let go. They can't persist forever in a senseless war they're clearly losing because they no longer have any means to cause harm or threaten the lives of the people here…and we can't persist in response to their persistence forever. I mean, we could, but I don't want to. It'd be unfair to those of us that want to see the world beyond the island."
"Too true on that, Historia, but one can go and hope that this senseless feud between Marley and Eldia ends in due time."
"Thank you, Ymir."
-x-
"…You couldn't tell if it was made out of hardened Titan flesh unless you actually paid close attention to it, Kaede," said Shinji to his girlfriend as he laid on the floor beside her bed in her room, referring to the crib she had made for her parents three days ago.
"Not bad for my first attempt at creating something beneficial, though, huh?" She asked him.
"Not bad at all, Kaede. You have an artistic flair and understanding aesthetics; you don't add too much or too little."
"I believe that it's a science-related thing when it comes to creating something, however large or small. There is a balance required between size, mass, length and support, but with hardened Titan flesh, it's trickier because it's stronger than metal…and so much like metal."
"Still, you did an impressive job."
"Thank you."
Both teens looked out the window, taking notice of the starlight and the moon that gave the night its beautiful aura.
"Shinji?" Kaede spoke.
"Yes?" Shinji responded.
"Are you sure you want to sleep on the floor?"
"Yes. I'm your guest here…and the floor is fine."
"You're such a gentleman, Shinji."
-x-
"…So far, all he seemed to do was cause a cave-in near an old chapel and assisted in mining these glowing pieces of crystal," said Misato to Kaji as they were on the bridge in Central Dogma, reviewing the recorded footage of the last time Shinji was in the Eva.
"They found glowing crystals?" He questioned.
"Which turn out to be a variation of this hardened Titan flesh," explained Ritsuko to him.
"That is…both impressive…and a little disgusting."
"It's only disgusting if you look at it from a perspective that is too morally questionable. They live in a world where nearly everything on that island is made with the power of the Titans. That's how they're so advanced and why they're able to live close to the modern times that they're so far ahead of now. No need to harvest metallic resources when you have access to a faux-metal that is stronger and lightweight and can be used to support structures that would be impossible to support without metal. Shinji's girlfriend even made a crib for her mother that was made out of Titan flesh; it looked like a regular crib made of regular metal that had been painted. My guess is that Ms. Sogen has a passion for arts and crafts." Misato explained to them.
"If we weren't so distanced from each other, Ms. Sogen would be an invaluable ally to reconstruction companies across the planet," went Maya, expressing her belief that Kaede would be capable of producing this hardened, flesh-like substance in large quantities that could be molded into whatever shape she desired.
"Yeah, she would," Ritsuko agreed with her, but she'd also attract a bunch of shady characters that see her only as a means to make more money.
"The last thing Shinji did before getting out of the Eva was express that he was going to his girlfriend's place to spend the night," Misato stated as the footage ended and reverted to static.
"So, he goes to her place," Kaji expresses. "I'm surprised that Shinji doesn't…get any closer with Kaede."
"Shinji wouldn't cross a line like that. He'd be taking advantage of his girlfriend's generosity. Plus, he's… He doesn't need to solidify his relationship with her that way. People know they're a couple well enough to get that nobody comes between them."
"And they're still involved with a war between two nations. They don't have time to fool around while there are some people out there that hate them."
Maya rewind the recorded footage back to an earlier time to before Shinji got in the Eva, stopping just short of a dream-like memory that he was having before he woke up.
"At least we know how far he sees himself with her in the future," she stated, watching an older Shinji with an older Kaede, Historia and Ymir.
-x-
It was the same place she would see Shinji when she dreamed, but the landscaping was once again different. Instead of a grassy field, Kaede was within a small wood decorated by a series of small lanterns on the lowest branches, lighting a pathway.
Tweak! She heard a twig on the ground snap as something made a move, and she turned to her left, seeing…the previous Female Titan, about the size of an average adult, stepping out of the obscured parts of the wood, onto the path.
"Aah," she gasped, seeing on the other side of the path a human-sized version of the previous Armored and Colossal Titans, the three former enemies of Paradis. "What's going on here?"
The three Titans approached her…but then knelt down to her.
"He awaits your presence," the Colossal Titan uttered, pointing towards the path, "on the other side of the wood."
"Go to him," the Female Titan urged her, and Kaede walked around the three.
"Queen of the Titans," went the Armored Titan. "Goddess of the Titans, divinity made flesh, a maiden of untold power…that chooses the life of a regular person over that of a ruler."
It was the way it said what it said to her that sounded like it was upset with her personal decision to be somewhat subservient to Historia Reiss instead of assuming control. But that was her decision to make. Even if she had the power to do so, she didn't see herself as the monarch type, ruling a nation of people, even from behind the scenes, like some power-hungry fiend.
Walking down the path, she strolled past the previous Beast Titan, the Cart Titan and the War Hammer Titan, all of whom seemed to be glaring at her in anger for various reasons. Whether it was all in her mind or something else entirely different, she disregarded the Titans' would-be rage towards her. She couldn't be concerned about the silent rage those around her had just because of other factors.
"Is a quiet life after a lifetime of conflict truly that of which you seek for yourself?" She heard the last original Founding Titan ask her as she saw it sitting against a tree on the path.
"Any life with the people I love after the conflict ends will be a life that is deserved and earned," she answered it.
Grip! She looked up at the tree branches and saw a smaller Titan with long arms and short legs, like some sort of monkey.
"We're just the doubt that you have deep down in your heart, that the conflict won't end simply because you're trying to convince a few people that hate you just because you live and breathe," the smaller version of the Jaw Titan that resembled the form Ymir took when she had it last spoke. "Your doubt…serves to create a barrier against you and your heart's desire to see peace and freedom for everyone. Doubt…isn't that different from foolishness. You understand that deep inside."
"Yes," Kaede responded, "I do."
"At the end," went the Founding Titan pointing towards the remainder of the path, "awaits the love of your life…and the Titans representing your nexus as the balance between one and all…and the freedom that is constantly being sought after. Freedom…is the bridge…"
"And fear and doubt are the barrier," Kaede realized as she nodded her head in accepted to the two Titans. "Thank you."
She walked away further down the path. It ended out onto a vast field illuminated by the stars and moonlight. In front of her were two Titans and a young man.
"Shinji," she uttered, seeing the man turn to face her.
"Kaede," he responded, coming over to her. "It seems like this place changes every time we come here. Wasn't it…a beach before?"
"Yeah, it was…and it's fluidic, ever shifting, never still."
"Also, I think the Rogue Titan was talking to me earlier, but it didn't make any sense. Not that it could because of the way its mouth is designed, you know."
"Any chance its body language gave any indication to what it was saying?"
"Besides having the attitude of an angry, ill-mannered child," they both turned to face the Dark Titan, who spoke up, "the Attack Titan is just upset that you're demonstrating the restraint and patience to wait until things get to the point where you need to take action. But like any other child, you, Kaede, demonstrate such restraint when things turn sour. You review other options and decide on which one to take that causes the least degree of suffering, just like how you took a gamble with the ultimatum, willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others."
"The more I think about that day, the more I have to live with the repercussions of what might've been had I failed to gain control of the Founder."
"I try not to think about it," Shinji stated. "We're still here, and my father's unable to do anything to cause any more stress."
Kaede sighed and hugged Shinji.
"How do you always know what to say…exactly when you need to say it?" She asked him.
"I never know what to say all the time," he expressed. "I just say what I mean."
"That's a good thing."
The Attack Titan then walked away while the Dark Titan sat in front of the young couple.
-x-
Several of the Marleyan prisoners found their incarceration while in Eldian custody in their dungeons to be somewhat worse than the mere thought of getting executed. It wasn't the food or bathroom privileges they were granted (the latter of which was only permitted so long as they wore full harness restraints each time they needed to answer the call of nature). No, the food was actually quite tasty, possibly the best they could expect from a race of people they didn't expect to be so capable of defeating two naval fleets and an attempted airborne fleet attack, and the bathrooms were…cleaner than the ones they had in their own prisons. What made some consider it worse than the thought of being executed…was the series of strange sounds that would fill the halls every now and then…like now…for a few minutes.
"Hey, lady," one man spoke to a young woman that was in charge of delivering the breakfast meals today, "what's with those sounds that fill the halls down here every few minutes? They don't make any sense."
"Oh, you mean the music?" She asked him.
"Mu… This is music?"
"Yes, this is music."
"That's not music. It makes no sense."
"Possibly because there are no lyrics, people singing, so it's just noise jumbled together. But this is considered music. You mean to say that you don't have music like this in Marley?"
"No, nobody ever listens to music like this. It's either coherently tolerated…or it's prohibited and disposed of. Nothing must upset the order that Marley enforces."
"That's…quite sour," the woman said, and then slid his breakfast through the food slot. "Don't tell me you people don't believe in self-expression, too?"
"Marley stresses order and control. Those that cannot follow the order must be either forced to…or erased," another man expressed.
"No wonder my new boyfriend loves it here more than the internment zones; he's allowed to dance and express himself in his arts and crafts without being put down by anyone."
Suddenly, the music in the halls changed to one with voices.
"…Tell me it gets easier…easier…easier…that I'll figure it out…" The Marleyans heard.
"Did you Eldians make this music?" A Marleyan woman asked the Eldian woman as she brought her breakfast over.
"No," she answered her, sliding her tray through the slot. "This music was among the relics we found within the coastal city. Ancient songs, unheard of for generations…but like everything else that was discovered in that place, they were perfectly preserved like a lost treasure that was waiting to be found again."
Then she left them to serve the breakfast of the other inmates present.
-x-
These kids weren't anything like the ones Historia and Ymir looked after, but this was a favor Kaede was doing for her mother's friends. And, quite naturally, Shinji offered his assistance to help his girlfriend keep watch over the seven toddlers that ran around the apartment of a neighbor's building. It was only after Shinji had told them it was time to eat lunch did these kids actually slow down for a while, allowing the two teens to relax after being on their feet for three hours chasing them.
"I know I'm not supposed to be judgmental," Kaede uttered to Shinji as they sat against a wall, "but where do these kids hide all that potentially-destructive energy just to run around?"
"I know," he responded, watching the seven toddlers eat the sliced apples and carrot sticks. "They're hyper when there's time to play. Three-four-year-olds that don't have to worry about anything right now; they're just a bunch of happy kids."
"They have too much sugar in their diet."
"Maybe that's what they're on."
Burp! They heard one of the three girls burp after drinking their apple juice.
"You need to say 'excuse me' when you burp," Shinji informed them.
"Excuse me," the girl responded.
"Thank you very much."
"I thought we'd be babysitting at least two kids, not seven of them," Kaede complained a little. "Where did my mother and her friends run off to that they needed someone with some free time to watch these kiddies?"
"Um… Probably the spa for a spa day," Shinji suggested.
"You really think so?"
"Well, it's possible. I can't say for certain, but sometimes people will treat themselves and others to a spa day."
"You mean, getting massages, nails filed down, feet oiled and the like?"
"Yeah, like that."
"Sounds like a small vacation retreat to me."
"It's not enough sometimes to want to look good; people want to feel good, too."
"And I'm guessing that it's not always bad to be pampered every once in a while, is it?"
"Heh-heh, it's not always."
They noticed the kids were quieter now, sighing at how peaceful it felt.
"This makes me have to ask, though," said Shinji to Kaede.
"Ask what?" She responded.
"If you want kids like that in the future," he explained.
"Not like these kids. What about you?"
"I can't complain. I mean, the people are happy, right?"
"You are so simple, Shinji."
"Ooh," they turned and saw the four boys eavesdropping on them.
"Hey!" Kaede uttered, feeling like she and Shinji's privacy had been violated.
"Kiss her," one of them told Shinji. "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss the Queen of the Titans!"
"Really?" Shinji questioned. "I'm being told by a four-year-old to kiss my girlfriend…just so they can see?"
"Smoochy!" The second boy expressed. "Smoochy, smoochy, smoochy!"
Kaede sighed and activated her Titan power. A tentacle of Titan flesh slithered from behind her neck and dangled in the air in the hallway, forming into the Dark Titan as it stood in front of them, the size of a small child.
"Sorry, kids," the Titan expressed, "no smooch-smooch for you."
"It's the Dark Titan!" The third boy gasped. "You're really beautiful!"
"Why, thank you, little gentleman."
The Dark Titan then held out her hands and protruded something that was leading right into a room that had been empty due to the current residents trying to decide what it would be used for. The Titan flesh began to expand and assume shapes that were rather subtle. It was likely due to her more-recent memories and reading picture books that were found for young children, but the majority of the Titan flesh started to resemble building blocks and a…a small, indoor slide, some hoops and a…small castle.
"Whoa, Kaede," said Shinji, looking at everything made. "You pack a lot of arts and crafts without having to carry anything."
The Dark Titan looked at the seven toddlers and gestured into the room.
"I'm certain it's all soft enough for you kids to play with until your folks return. Have fun."
The children went into the room and started playing around while the Dark Titan melted away back into Kaede's neck.
"Come on, Kaede," went Shinji to her, leading the way back to the kitchen, "you haven't eaten since breakfast this morning."
"Thank you, Shinji."
-x-
"…How can you people stand to listen to this…this ugliness that they call music, Eldian?!" Calvi asked Rod as they were both escorted by the guards to the bathroom.
"It's one of the few meager pleasures they're permitting the prisoners to have while here," Rod explained to him, having been incarcerated longer than the Marleyan man. "The technology they found in that city, along with the power of knowledge I had no idea the Founding Titan possessed and could bestow upon the people, have made the past practices we employed a literal thing of the past."
"Knowledge bestowal? The Titans give knowledge now? What did they give you as knowledge, Reiss? Or Fritz or whoever you are."
"All they gave me was a mix of symphony history and the history of the hotdog."
"The hot what dog?"
The guards stopped them in the hall and took Calvi into the bathroom first.
-x-
"…Thank you again, Kaede," said the mother of one of the girls as she and Shinji left the apartment after being relieved of their babysitting duties. "Have a nice evening."
Walking down the street to the beach instead of going back to her place, the young couple needed some time alone in a tranquil setting…and nothing seemed more tranquil than a visit to the beach.
"I think anyone that has more than a few kids is pushing for a little craziness," Kaede expressed as she and Shinji sat on the sand to watch the last few rays of sunlight.
"Sometimes, having two or three kids is crazy enough," Shinji told her.
"I still want kids, you know, just…not that many."
"Same here, Kaede."
"Still, it was nice to see them happy."
"I think they like you enough to want you to sit for them again."
"The Queen of the Titans asked to babysit a dozen kids a second time? Oh, I am not going to suffer at the hands of a pack of kiddie critters alone, Shinji. If I have to do it again, you're going to suffer with me."
"Somehow, I don't think I can fight you over this. Somehow…I can't even imagine wanting to fight you over this."
"Are you even trying to stand up to me? You can refuse me, you know."
"There's no reason to stand up to you, Kaede; why would I let you deal with something as trivial as babysitting a bunch of kids by yourself? That would make me seem like a selfish guy that does nothing to help his girlfriend around. There's no way I will ever do that to you, Kaede. That would…just make me seem like a man unworthy of you."
Kaede sighed and laid her head on his left shoulder.
"We're still learning how to be good for each other," she uttered to him. "I couldn't love you any more than I do right now."
"I love you more, Kaede."
They managed to catch the last bits of sunlight before it set over the ocean.
-x-
"…I take it you were able to find all of the information you were seeking, Inspector Kaji," Fuyutsuki asked as the unshaven man sat in his office.
"Everything I was expecting to find and more, sir," Kaji answered him. "While this would stir up quite a few heads, much of it means little due to the fact that Adam and Lilith are no longer present to cause a problem."
"Still, if the world were to find out what was to almost happen had all the Angels been defeated…and had Shinji and Unit-01 been forcibly salvaged from the Titan universe before two of the Angels decided to go there, it would certainly change the minds of a lot in the United Nations and put NERV in a bind that would either reduce our authority or shut us down. Both possibilities, I can live with so long as a thing called Third Impact was never to happen."
"And…SEELE?"
"I'll let you decide what might happen regarding them."
Kaji suspected that Fuyutsuki was at the point of his position as the commander of NERV that he wasn't too concerned about what could happen to him. If this incredibly-sensitive information were to get out and change the world, it was likely to put a bunch of powerful people on the run. That and create a massive power vacuum regarding law and order and politics, and the lesser people would want to strive for who would have the first and last say in anything important.
"Professor Fuyutsuki, it would be terribly dangerous to break that seal onto the world," Fuyutsuki recalled Yui telling him years ago.
SEELE, NERV, GEHIRN, he thought bitterly over the three organizations that were supposed to be protecting the people. This is only possible because Shinji defected and made it so that the outcome could be changed. It's time to break that seal that should've been broken long ago.
Kaji didn't need much of an answer on whether or not Fuyutsuki was debating on doing this, but it never hurt to get an answer from him.
"Sir?" He asked him.
"The truth isn't going to reveal itself to the world, you know," Fuyutsuki told him.
"Right."
-x-
"…Ahh…" Kaede yawned as she got up to the new day.
"Good morning, Kaede," her mother greeted her as she walked into the kitchen.
"…Ahh…good morning," her daughter yawned again.
"You got in quite late last night," Sig told her, setting the table for breakfast.
"All Shinji and I did was go to the beach and talk," Kaede informed them, trying to refrain her stepfather from thinking she and Shinji were a bunch of moody teens.
And the crazy thing about them right now was that they were a couple of teens that should've been moody sometimes, but they weren't. The girl was a self-controlled fourteen-year-old while the boy was a fourteen-year-old that, more or less, kept his hands to himself and never tried to cross the line with his girlfriend. In short, neither had time to actually fool around, before a potential conflict or even after a conflict.
"What are you two up to today?" Christine asked Kaede.
"We might be helping to install something new across the island," her daughter suggested. "Something Commander Erwin Smith mentioned as hybrid technology."
"Ooh. Some of this technology we're getting today, I like it a lot. I'm especially enjoying that sleep aid to get to sleep at night sometimes."
"Don't like them too much, though," went Sig to her. "Too much of a good thing can be bad."
"I take it only when I need it."
Kaede had noticed that Shinji, who had spent the night over, wasn't around when she woke up, and asked her parents if they saw him.
"Yeah," Christine answered her, "I saw him get up an hour before you did. I asked if he could go down the street and get some bagels."
Knock-knock! A knock came at their front door.
"I'll get it," Kaede told them as she got back up.
She looked through the peephole and saw Shinji standing out in the hallway. Opening the door, she looked at him with what was her attempt at looking like he did something wrong.
"You didn't wake me," she spoke.
"I'm sorry," he responded. "You just looked like you needed more sleep. I was going to wake you up later, but your mother asked me if I could go get some bagels. I guess she has a craving for them."
Kaede looked at the bag in Shinji's right hand, and noticed that it was packed with at least four bags of bagels.
"Yeah, my mother definitely has a craving for bagels," she agreed with him. "I thought she would be craving sweet and sour things, though."
"Yeah, I asked her about that, and she pointed over to an empty pickle jar."
"Get back in here, please."
Shinji walked back inside the apartment and Kaede closed the door.
Why do I feel like we're babysitting my mother? She wondered.
To be continued…
A/N: Well, here is the new chapter. Unsure of when the next one will be made, but I hope it will have something to deal with both the Marleyans and the other island. Please, read and review.