Problem Twenty-Four: Boomerang, Part 2

(Yui Ikari I am! The Cat in the Angel)

-

- Edited by Tibures


Stunned, bewildered, confused, puzzled, mystified, flabbergasted, shocked, shaken, befuddled, perplexed, thrown, confounded, astounded, dazed, overcome, taken back, astonished, dumbfounded, surprised. All of these words can describe what Gendo Ikari is feeling right now. He stands in front of Yukari Ayanami with his jaw on the ground; Yukari stands as if she has never done so in her life. Angered and livid she pierces Gendo with her yellow eyes. They all stand in the Cage in front of Unit One were Shinji stands just out side his plug, and the remaining Evangelions are being recovered.

Standing behind Gendo is Fuyutsuki who also has a perplexed look. "Say that again."

With a growl of frustration, Yukari slaps Gendo and Fuyutsuki in the face. "You heard me! Kouzou out of all the people in the world you should understand."

"I'm confused…" Fuyutsuki rubs his cheek in pain.

Gendo on the other hand forcefully grabs Yukari by the arm tossing her to the ground. "Who the hell do you think you are!"

"Your wife!"

The comment throws Gendo into a loss for words as he does his best to remain calm. "That's enough Pilot Ayanami I will have your head for such comments!"

"Ayanami!" Yukari is slow to get back up as she staggers to Gendo. "I'm Yui Ikari!"

"You are not Yui!" Gendo slaps Yukari across the face forcing her to the ground once more.

"I am Yui…" Unable to get back up Yukari looks up to Gendo with revulsion. Before she can speak Shinji rushes to her side cradling her in his arms, she looks up and tears begin to flow. "Shinji, oh Shinji my son!" The young boys heart skips a beat and Shinji drops Yukari. The girl is not deterred as she grasps Shinji holding him tightly. "My Shinji… Oh, Shinji how long I have wanted to hold you."

"Um… Yukari…"

Before Shinji can finish, Gendo rips the girl off of his son and holds her at arms length. "You have gone to far!"

"No Gendo you have!" Yukari grasps Gendo's arm and stares himdown with no fear. "Trying to end the world just so you can see me! You're a selfish bastard, I might have been trapped in that monster but I heard every word!"

"What…" Gendo is frozen once more the words she just spoke seem to haunt him.

Coming up next to, Gendo is Ritsuko and Misato they look to see for the first time fear in Gendo. "What the hell is going on!"

Yukari answers Ritsuko's question with a slap right in the face. "How dare you sleep with my husband? He may be a bastard but do you have any shame at all! Mother like daughter I guess!" With everyone to confused to speak and Gendo's arm tiring he lets Yukari go. The young girl once more is unsteady on her feet as she turns to Shinji. "Shinji, you have grown so much…" She walks over and hugs her son crying at his touch. "I wont let you get hurt, I was at your side the whole time."

The touch the worth it all comes back to Shinji, even if it is Yukari who stands before him, it is his mom who holds him. "Mother!"

"Shinji!" A sync clip headband flies and strikes the boy in the head knocking him out of his mother's arms. Rushing to him is Asuka ready to strike, however it is Yui that gets in the way, and slaps her in the face.

"How dare you hit my son!"

"What the who…"

Asuka has just entered the void of total confusion, as she looks to Yukari unsure on how to respond. However, the girl gives her no chance to respond. "Your mother would be ashamed of you if she saw you to day! Treating nice boys like Shinji the way you do, he likes you but…"

Covering Yukari's mouth is Shinji who stands next to her dragging her away. "Isn't that nice, Yukari… Well let's go."

"Hold on!" Gendo grabs Yukari's arm pulling her away from Shinji. "If you think your Yui then prove your self."

The girl looks at Gendo with hate but she slowly gives a smirk and looks to Shinji. "When your father was a little younger then you he had a dog named snuggles…"

-

-


-

-

This time it is Gendo who covers Yukari's mouth as he drags her away leaving everyone else to the madness. He marches her off into a secluded hallway then he grabs the girl and goes to kiss her but is given a second slap.

"I wasn't joking I want a divorce!" The young girl looks up to Gendo. "How dare you stand like nothing has happened? You little bastard treating our son like you have!"

"But Yui!"

"No buts." Yui begins to walk away from Gendo. "I feared you would turn into this…"

Unable to speak Gendo watches as the girl that is his wife walks off with not a care for his well being. "I never stopped loving you!"

The words stop Yui in her tracks she looks behind to see Gendo with an insecure look. "I'm sorry, but I have."

Yui turns and continues to walk only to run into Rei and Asuka who look at their fellow pilot with odd looks. With a slap of her, own Asuka strikes Yui and stands over her. "Who the hell do you think you are hitting me like that?"

"Asuka…" Yui rubs her face as she continues to walk. "Grow up." Unable to respond Asuka watches as the girl she thought she knew walks away, but Rei is not finished as she blocks Yui with her cane, she just looks at the blind girl with a smile. "Hello Rei, Shinji always thinks about you when he pilots. Out of all the pilots, he looks up to you the most."

-

-


-

-

Once in the locker room Asuka and Rei await out side fearful of the girl that changes inside. Also waiting out side is Fuyutsuki who is just as curious as anyone on who just came out of Unit's One's entry plug. After a moment, Yui exits wearing a school Uniform and gives a smile to Rei and Asuka.

She continues down the hallway and into Fuyutsuki, the to stare at each other for a moment before he speaks. "Long time no see."

"Professor." The girl that was once Yukari seems to be walking a little better. "It hasn't been long, I was in Eva."

The comment seems so logical, just as Fuyutsuki remembers Yui as. "Still its good to see you back."

"I can't believe I am here, it's a blessing that my avatar got this far." Yui looks to the hands of the body she is in with a smile. "It didn't turn out the way I expected but I'm here."

Fuyutsuki smiles as he escorts her to an elevator there are Ritsuko and Misato. Both want to speak to the girl but are unable to think of what to say. Lucky for both Yui holds out her hand to shake theirs. "I would like to apologize to you Miss Akagi, my out burst was out of line."

"That's an understatement."

Seeing that she is not going to shake her hand Yui turns to Misato. "Miss Katsuragi, I had the pleasure of knowing your father and mother, both were good people."

With reluctance, Misato accepts her handshake. "Its an honor to meet you Mrs. Ikari… If you don't mind me asking what happened to Yukari?"

"She's in Unit One…" Yui looks to see that Misato is upset by the fact. "I'm sorry if this up sets you."

"But why…"

"Look…" Yui bows her head knowing she doesn't have all the answers. "I don't know how to explain what has happened or explain the Rei clone."

"Clone?"

With a simple sigh, Yui looks up to Misato. "I think we all need to have a meeting on this." Fuyutsuki cringes at the thought but Yui does not seem deterred. "Now Kouzou, I think its time to simplify things."

"Yukari beat you to that." The elevator door opens and just in time for Kaji to hear Yui's last line. "Mrs. Ikari, its an honor, my name is…"

"Kaji…" Yui holds out her hand and allows Kaji to shake it. "Shinji respects you, he feels that you're the experts with the ladies."

Chocking on the information is Misato who looks to Kaji with a sly look. "Kaji is full of a lot of stuff, wooing the ladies is one of his least."

"So…" Kaji tries to get back on track and away from what he can and cannot do. "Mrs. Ikari, what brings you here?"

Everyone looks at Kaji with shock at how rude he sounds but Yui seems to like the question. "Good Question, Mr. Kaji."

"Did she bring you out?" From behind stands Gendo who stares at his wife with content.

"No…" Yui looks at her husband with disgust. "I forced my self into her, but why is because of you."

"Why…" Gendo stands with his head down hiding his sadness. "Why did that child awake in the first place, why did you create her?"

"Excuse us…" Yui walks over to Gendo and places her hand on his arm. "Its because of this." Yui lifts Gendo's head up to show him the body she has taken. "These clones, they aren't here to just pilot Evangelions, they are hear to end the world. I chose my fate because I wanted to stop it from happening."

"No, I just wanted you! My world isn't complete with out you."

"Gendo." Yui pulls on him to keep him from looking away. "You knew my fate, you knew what I wanted."

"To make the world a better place, for…" Gendo looks down once more. "For Shinji."

"Why…" Misato steps forward as the truth revealed, a painful and unwonted truth. "Why, does NERV exist."

With a bow and a slow turn, Fuyutsuki answers the question. "To end the world."

"Using Adam as bait…" Yui looks to the group of adults with a sadden look. "NERV was created to destroy the Angels then once all Seventeen Angels are defeated, we would end the world."

"Why…" Everyone turns to see Shinji standing in the hallway still in his plug suit shaking at the words just spoken.

"Shinji!" Misato shouts but it is not enough as Shinji runs off in tears. Misato goes to go after him but Yui goes and stops her.

"I think I should go… You have been a great Guardian for my son, but I think I should talk to him."

-

-


-

-

Sitting in the only secure place Shinji knows of he stares off at the Angel that has engulfed parts of the Shinji, from the school roof. All this time he thought he was going doing the world good deed, but what good are you doing if you are helping one to end the world. His mother has come from Unit One a puzzling question that he cannot answer alone, to much has happened for Shinji in the past couple of hours and he is unable to compose him self as he cries alone.

"Shinji…"

The voice is that of a caring mother, as standing behind him is Yui he does not need to look at her, he can't look at her for even if it is his mother, his best friend is gone because of it. "I don't understand anything…"

Listening to her son cry is painful she cannot bare such grief as she goes to his side and comforts him. "Shinji, I'm sorry…"

"I thought you were dead."

"No…" Yui lets Shinji rest his head on her shoulder. "I have been in Unit One the whole time, I have been with you."

"No you haven't!" Shinji grasps his mother with all of his heart. "Even if you were in Eva, you weren't there when my heart was broken, when I was lost, when I was in love, when I was alone!"

The words strike Yui like a knife, a painful realization that she has abandoned her son the same way Gendo did. "I'm sorry, I tried, and I wanted to be with you…"

"Yukari was…" For the first time Shinji is able to speak to his mother but the first thing he can think of is her neglect. "Mom, I missed you… why did you leave me…"

The word are unable to come to Yui as she begins to cry along side her son holding him not wanting to let go.

-

-


-

-

Far from the earth deep with in a universe with in the Angel a ghostly figure walks around it shape is human but it glows white and navigates the dense fog with care. Slowly the figure begins to hear the sounds of a girl whimpering, in desperation the being flies to the sound only to come to the sight of Rei Ayanami no older then ten, she wears a pink dress and has whiskers drawn on her face with what looks like a marker.

'Are you the being God, are you a man?'

"I don't know what I am…" The young girl looks up to the haunting apparition with confusion. "I think I'm a cat, or a human I don't know any more! What are you!"

Dumbfounded by her reaction the spirit backs away from the girl. "I am a being known as a Angel."

The girl runs up and grabs the Angel by the neck. "Get me out of here! She's crazy, she's not even real!"

It takes some time for the Angel to free it self but once the girl lets go she twitches a bit before running of screaming.

"Oookay…"

The spirit looks around a bit unable to see were the child ran off to. So it continues its search only to run in to a clearing in the fog wear there is a woman with brown hair and green eyes sitting at a long table, she to has whiskers drawn on her face. Before the Angel can speak, the woman looks to him.

"Are you here for Yukari…"

'Who…'

The woman sighs as she studies the creature. "You're an Angel right, you are searching for the soul."

"Yes…"

"There is none." The woman pulls up a chair and offers a seat to the messenger.

'I know.' The Angel sits down and looks at the woman who seems to be about in her forties. 'None of you are real… There is no soul in this vessel'

"Trust me I know, I created this thing."

'Playing God?'

The woman leans back in her seat looking around the fog. "Trust me if I knew I would of done this I would of never of done it."

'Were is this creation?'

"Follow the cat my friend…" The woman stands looking at the Angel with some fear. "Good luck, for she is a creation that cant be controlled."

Everything fades into the fog and the Angel is left alone once more. He stands and looks around as a Meow of a cat is heard quickly the Angel flies to the sound it reaches a clearing to see a cat walking through it. In silence the Angel flies above the cat for what seems like an eternity, unexpected to the Angel he his suddenly taken out of the air and knocked to the ground. Pinning him to the ground is a Yukari her yellow eyes full of life, however she has cat like ears and a tail.

'Yukari Ayanami?'

"Yup!" Yukari rolls off the Angel and begins to run in circles. "What your name?"

'Leliel…'

The angel watches as the young Yukari comes to a stop and sit down in front of the Angel with a smile. "I wasn't expecting a girl, pleased to meet you."

'Angel's are nor male or female.'

"You're a girl." The firm tone Yukari delivers seems to work as the white light that makes up the angel shuts up and floats in front of her. "Why don't you take the form of a girl, or something, talking to a floating white thing is boring."

'You are not a child of God, you are a creation of man, a false soul.'

"What do you mean?" Yukari leans back and plays with her tale. "I have my own thoughts and feelings I…"

'These are merely what was created, your existence, your soul, is that of only electrical impulses, you are a false soul.'

"But I'm real!"

'You are not, you existence is unique, your life is that of nothing.'

"I have my own Mind my own soul!" Yukari stands and shouts, angered at the messenger. "How can I not exist, I live breath, I have dreams and…"

'Love…'

The word strikes Yukari like a ton of bricks she is silenced by the word a word she cannot understand.

'The gift only God can give, the flame of life, an emotion that all of God's creation possess. You in desperation have tried to love, but all you see it as physical stimulations…'

The White spirit becomes a more permanent form and it Shape is know that of Asuka, slowly the light fades away, and standing before Yukari is Asuka in her school uniform.

'You have learned that love is lithe, it can be molded to a shape you desire, but it is not true love.'

"It's a state of being, an emotional state of total happiness!" Yukari backs away from Asuka but is unable to close the distance as the Angel in Asuka's form takes Yukari's hand and touches it softly.

'You cannot love, their for you only speak what you can see. Love is not an emotional state, it is a spiritual state where one mind and body fore fills the other. A unbreakable existence that cannot be explained by words, it is not only happiness, but hate, sadness, joy, sorrow, pain…'

"I want to love!" Yukari grasps the Angel tightly. "I want to Love someone!"

'Creation of man, the soulless vessel, you demand what cannot be given. You do not want love but the power it brings, a everlasting drive to protect and conquer, you think like a machine.'

"I'm Human!"

'Cats cradle…'

"What…" Yukari takes a step away as the Angel changes its form to Shinji.

'Cats cradle, a human creation, created to imitate life. Yui Ikari creator of cats cradle makes up your aptitude. Rei Ayanami the half soul, the body that you existed in, was a creation of man, a empty doll with only half a soul.'

"But, I'm different, I'm not like them."

'The final catalyst of your creation, the loss of creation, you like all of mans creation was made with a purpose, but when you awoke you lost that purpose.'

"My purpose…" The memories that have been missing for so long have been released. "I was, Yui I wanted protect my son Shinji!"

'You were created for a purpose but you lost your purpose in doing so you did what you are programmed to do.'

The horrifying realization that she is not real astonishes Yukari. "Cats Cradle, over come and adept to ones environment…"

The Angel changes its form once more this time of Rei.

'With the loss of creation you created, Yukari Ayanami. A being of total nothingness you created a false soul.'

"Like the dummy plugs…" The thought of what she is, is overwhelming. "I'm no different then that machine."

'This is true, the human creation known as the dummy plug is no different then you.'

"But I have my own thoughts!" Yukari tries in vain to prove she is not anything. "The dummy plug cant think!"

'If placed with in a vessel such as yourself it would.'

As things slowly comes together for the young girl Yukari givens into the idea. "If I'm so fake, why am I broken, why do I feel so tired, and out of control, if I'm a machine I should be in control?"

'You are stifled by your own existence, you are at the limit of your false soul, like all soul life for you is developed and changed by the action of other's however, you only understand control, so you manipulate others to your liking, taking a part of their soul. In doing so you are trying to…'

"Feel Love!" Passing in front of the Angel Yukari tries to put things together. "But you say I can't love."

'You are a false soul, you are a creation of man that has no holes to fill, and you like all creations of man are limited.'

"That's it!" Yukari snaps her fingers, takes the Angel's hand, and begins to dance with it. "Love, it makes one whole, I have no hole to fill so when I want to love, when I manipulate ones soul, like Asuka's or Shinji, I have no place to put it."

'You must let go of your control, you must free other an allow man to take its natural course.'

"Wow…" Yukari stops dancing and bows to the angel. "Thanks for the help."

The white spirit returns and floats once more, Yukari is unaffected as both watches as the fog begins to disappear around them. Once the fog is cleared, a table can be seen sitting at it is Yui Ikari, and on the floor next to her is the young Rei Ayanami who is running away from a cat that looks a lot like Servo. Next to the table is a huge wall with mountains of sheets of papers on it, ever so often one will fall off and blow by the table.

'Um… and here in lies our new problem.'

With a odd look Yukari goes to ask what the Angel means. "I don't see anything…" With a smile a black magic marker appears in Yukari's hand and she draws whiskers onto the Angel. "There we go problem fixed."

'That wasn't the problem, the problem is that because you aren't a being from God I'm trapped inside of you.'

"Well why the hell did you come in?" With hr hands on her hips Yukari hisses at the Angel.

'How was I to know you were fake?'

Rolling her eyes at the ghostly white Angel, Yukari points to it. "You're an Angel for God sake!"

'Hey, don't bring him into this.'

Crossing her arms, Yukari gives a smirk. "Well then just surrender to me."

'What!'

"We can call it a draw and you can stop trying to destroy the human."

'My mission is from…'

Taking the Angels arm she does to the wall full of paper and pull a sheet out that says Bible. "Do what the Watchers did defect!"

'Your nuts!'

"Nope, I'm Yukari!"

-

-


-

-

Far from the world or Yukari, and in the universe of Earth, Yui Ikari lays in Yukari's bed unable to sleep. It has been almost a twelve hours since the last sighting of the Angel. All that can be seen is the black and white shadow, with its body, missing NERV is unable to strike. So they wait until it becomes active, keeping the pilots on rotating shifts each in the city waiting for its return. But it is not the angel that keeps the mother of Shinji awake, but the conversation she hears out side of her room.

"Shinji…" Misato's voice rings out. "Help Rei with her dishes…"

"I am fine Major, I can handle myself." Silence fills over the group but next to speak is Rei once more. "Major Katsuragi, permission to speak freely."

"Of course…"

Yui wasn't expecting such a long pause before Rei speaks and when she does it is upsetting. "I am having trouble with Mrs. Ikari."

"How so…"

Misato's voice seems inviting and kind, something a mother would give. Rei once more is hard pressed to answer. "Yukari, she died in her place."

"Rei we don't know were Unit one went."

"Regardless." Rei interrupts Misato as she tries to get her feelings out. "Why do I feel saddened by this fact, and I feel… mad, at myself."

The sound of a can being tossed into the garbage is heard before Misato's response. "Rei, theirs a good reason for that." There is a pause as if Misato expected Rei to ask what. "We talked about this before, and that is she is your family and you never treated her as such. She was just a clone to you a tool, an annoyance; you never treated her with love like a sister should."

Yui couldn't have said it better, and not in the words but how it was delivered. 'Misato, treats these pilots like they were her own kids.'

"I… don't know how to feel when I…"

"Don't bull shit me Rei…"

The last words Misato bellows puts a frown on Yui's face. 'Okay maybe not a great parent.'

"All you do is play dumb and you think you can just ignore the problem." Another sound of a can is heard hitting a crash can. "Stop trying to think your self through life and use your heart for once."

Silence returns and with it Yui continues to lie in bed. Rei is next to speak again with the same dry tone. "If Mrs. Ikari…"

"Stop it Rei…" Yui is alarmed at the forcefulness tone Shinji uses. "Stop calling her that." The words seem to echo into Yui's ear. "That may be my mothers soul but, but, I don't wont it this way, Yukari shouldn't of died just so I could have seen her…"

Shinji's voice fades into tears and with it brings a tear to Yui's eyes as well. She cannot stop even when Misato goes to defend her. "Shinji, you are so lucky to be able to speak with your mom, I know I would be."

"Not if someone dies in the process." Shinji's voice seems to wave as he holds back tears. "I love my mom, but taking someone's else's life just so I can have my wish is wrong."

No matter how Yui tries she cannot deny her son's logic, he is right, the price paid for their encounter was to high. 'Shinji is such a caring boy, putting others before him self.'

"I agree." The voice of Rei Ayanami never sounded so strong as she speaks. "I wish I could learn to like my sister."

"Look both of you…" Misato seems to also sound sympathetic for the loss of Yukari. "I have to go to back to work, please let, Mrs. Ikari sleep and don't discuss this in front of her. We will get Yukari back somehow I promises."

For Yui the conversation was painful yet enlightening, she has been able to see the world that is, a world where she was meant to stay with in Eva. She slowly gets out of bed and looks off to the Angel and Unit Two that stands watching the enemy.

"What have I done?"

-

-


Next Problem… Boomerang Part 3

(Inside out/ Falling in.)