And now for something a bit different. Thanks again to Strypgia for editing and expanding on this thing
/
3 years after Third Impact
The Interim Council had gathered in Osaka. They were to decide the future government of Japan. The Communist and Nationalist factions made their proposals first, hoping that general fear and uncertainty that had gripped Japan since Third Impact might enable them to push through their agenda. They were voted down, some members leaving in disgrace, leaving only three major factions: The Military, The Restorationists, The Constitutionalists.
The Military was there as a last resort, vowing to step in if no agreement was reached. The Restorationists favored a restoration of the Imperial Family, perhaps even with a bit of power, to provide stability as they rebuilt Japan's government. Naturally the Restorationists were made up largely of older, more conservative members of the previous government, those not disgraced by their cooperation with SEELE anyways. The Constitutionalists were far more radical than their name suggested, advocating a abolition of the Monarchy and establishment of a new, progressive Republic of Japan, with new MAGI handling things on the local level. Thanks to the Military's unofficial support, the Restorationist faction was currently leading. There was just one problem...
"The Imperial family is gone!" one of the Constitutionalists shouted, her voice echoing throughout the council room. "None of them have emerged from Instrumentality. What you would be proposing is having our head of state be an empty throne!"
Outrage and shouting filled the room.
"The Emperor or one of his brothers will be found," a Restorationist insisted, his level voice betraying no emotion. "There are still people coming from the sea every day."
"The numbers of those returning have gone down to a trickle!" a different Constitutionalist countered, "We could be waiting years, decades even for them to return. The Imperial House of Japan had lasted for thousands of years, but tragically it is over, snuffed out by the chaos of Third Impact. It is time to look forward. We are entering a new dawn for humanity."
"The old Imperial House is gone, but events have shown there is place for a new dynasty."
The room went silent as everyone turned to look at the speaker, a minor member of the Restorationist faction, barely more than jumped-up salaryman.
"Would you care to clarify that?" one of his own faction asked.
"Look at the world we live in," the man said passionately. "We can scientifically quantify the soul. We have all been taken to a pseudo-heaven and returned. God exists, and she is known as Lilith. It seems quite clear to me if we're looking for a divine ruler, we know where to find him."
"Ikari?" One of the military figures exclaimed, dumbfounded. "You're suggesting putting that boy on the Imperial Throne?!"
Mockery and outrage filled the room. The man ignored all of it.
"Why not?" he replied. "The Church of Lilith already sees him as divine, and even those that don't can't deny his importance. We would all be dead were it not for the Pilots. Every man and woman alive owes Ikari and Soryu a debt that can never be repaid. Japan would rally around them, Followers of Lilith, the Old Faiths, and atheists alike."
The debate raged for hours more. All sides made passionate speeches for and against the idea. Eventually though, to the surprise of many, the measure passed: Shinji Ikari would be the New Emperor of Japan
Of course, no one actually bothered to inform Ikari himself until after the measure had been put to Law.
Fortunately, his promise to never run away again proved stronger than his fear.
/
Ten Years after Third Impact.
As it stood, Asuka was Empress of Japan, wife and advisor to the ruler of the entire nation. On paper at least. In reality...
She was a puppet, a doll forced upon an altar-throne. A barely democratic Diet ruled in his name while various government agencies managed their life. Forcing Ikari to do numerous things while pretending it was nothing more than a simple suggestion. Even their marriage had been forced to some degree. The Emperor having a child out of wedlock would have been quite awkward, after all. So they had been pushed into something they wanted, but were far from really ready for just yet. They'd barely begun to sort out their own feelings for each other. Neither of them were entirely pleased to be forced into it, even with the pregnancy. Another sacrifice for others, in what seemed to be the beginning of a life all about such.
The first few years of their marriage were tense, angry things behind closed doors. Eventually things calmed down, private therapy sessions helping in the extreme. They found themselves finally communicating honestly with each other, growing closer and closer, and now Asuka couldn't imagine her life without Shinji. Their relationship and their daughters were the only two bright spots in their miserable gilded cage.
They had no actual power, they could barely interact with their friends, and they were cut off to some degree from almost any real normal activity. Today though, that would change. One way or another, it would change.
Shinji paced up and down the bedroom. His left hand clenching tightly over and over. Asuka sat at the foot of the bed.
"You realize we're dead if this fails," Shinji said quietly, verging on despair.
"No we're not," Asuka insisted. "We're too important to too many segments of the population. At worst we're deposed, maybe exiled. And in that case we're free anyways."
There were plenty of reasons why they were doing this. The government that allegedly ruled in her husband's name was becoming increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic, voting rights were increasingly restricted, and entire parties had been refused a seat in the Diet merely for being out of favor with the parties in control.
But when it came down to it, Asuka's main reasons were entirely selfish. She was no one's doll. They forced them onto this throne. They made her and Shinji's lives Hell in the name of 'stability'. They robbed them of privacy and the chance at normal lives after they'd already sacrificed so much, and in return made them little more than figureheads and prisoners. They were stuck here, for better or worse. So why shouldn't they have power?
"Do you want to Ria to have this burden?" she asked. "Do you want her to live her entire life as a powerless figurehead whose life is constantly managed by old men in black suits, told what to do every day? Do you want Kyoko to be forced into a marriage she doesn't want for the sake of politics? It was bad enough for us, and we at least liked each other to start with."
Shinji shook his head.
"No, of course not!" he exclaimed. "They... I don't want them to have any of this. They should be able to have a normal life! I want to give them the lives we should have had, loved and aware of it. Not... this."
Asuka grabbed him by both sides of his head, staring into his eyes as she held him.
"We can't give them a normal life," Asuka said softly. "That option was taken away from us the moment they put you on that throne. But we can give them a better life. A life where they have a chance to be happy. A life where Ria has a chance to be an actual ruler instead of some businessman's puppet, or where Kyoko isn't just a political bargaining chip. But the only way to do that is with this coup. It's already in motion. You can't stop that now. But this coup lives and dies on your support. When Misato gives the signal, I need you to go out there and declare your support. Your voice can make this succeed. We need you, Shinji. Can you do that?"
After a painful second, Shinji gave a shallow nod.
"I won't back down. Not now, not from this. I promised I'd never run away again, and I won't," he insisted.
He grabbed her in a tight hug.
"You know I'd do anything for you or the girls. I'd be crazy without you."
He hated it, she hated it. They had been forced to make deals with both the Church of Lilith and the Military to make this happen. But it was for the best, for both the country, and their family.
/
Misato let out a heavy sigh, her heart pounding in chest. What she was about to do was uncharted territory for her. The next few hours could determine how history would view her centuries to come.
She looked at at the men around her. Some of them were officers that genuinely supported her, though largely for reasons she didn't care for. The rest were opportunists or at least loyal to opportunists, people who supported her because they thought she would win. Most of them would turn on her the moment they thought that changed.
She pushed her doubts down for the moment and braced herself. She inhaled deeply, and then opened the door.
She rushed forward, the other conspirators following close behind her, quickly filling the hall of the Diet. The room grew shockingly quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps.
"By Order of the Emperor!" Misato shouted as she help her pistol tightly in hand "I declare the Imperial Diet dissolved and order the immediate arrest of The Prime Minister, his Deputy Minister, The Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Justice!"
Several soldiers moved to arrest the Ministers as Misato sent a coded message back to Asuka.
"You can't do this!" One of the ministers protested. Misato ignored him. A specially prepared squad for troublemakers moved to cuff him. A few others loudly voiced their disapproval, but quickly fell silent. Some tried and failed to escape, but most of the Diet was quiet, too confused to react properly.
Misato ignored them. This had been the easy part.The hard part was making this stick. If the rest of the Military and the rest of the government didn't accept their coup, they could be in for a long, violent day. Of course one of the key parts getting the Military to accept it was the Emperor's Public Approval.
Misato hated this. She hated the politics, she hated that she had to take an active role in the military instead of just running WILLE, she hated what they had forced Shinji into, but most of all, she hated that at this moment she had doubts about him. Shinji could be braver than any man she had ever known in the right situation. But this was a political matter, not the heat of combat. This was a situation that allowed Shinji to think and let his fears play havoc with him.
Luckily her doubts proved to be unfounded as Shinji's voice came over the hall's speakers
"To all Citizens of Japan," Shinji's voice was filled shocking confidence. "This is your Emperor speaking."
"I... He, he actually has the nerve to do this." One of the members of the Diet said in open shock.
"Seven years ago you made me Emperor, your leader and your protector. It is a role I had never sought out but I have tried to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability. Which is why I must take the drastic steps I do now. Two minutes ago, General Katsuragi and key members of the military have forcibly dissolved the Diet on my orders. Despite claiming to serve both myself and you, the people of Japan, the Diet has done neither of these things in the years following Third Impact. Instead, they have served only themselves. To my deep regret, the government can no longer function as it is. In the weeks to come, a new constitution, one with the liberties and rights you all had been promised years ago, will be drafted and a new Diet formed. In the meantime, carry on with your lives as normal. I will ensure your safety, liberty, and protection, as I always have fought to do. Have a good day."
It was Shinji's voice but Asuka's words. This had been her plan from the beginning. Misato smirked as she saw the dismayed look on many of the Councillors' faces. They had never thought of Ikari as anything more than a puppet, until now.
It would be twelve hours before the last elements of the military reported in and confirmed their loyalty to Shinji's new government. The coup had been successful. The man who never wanted to be Emperor was now probably the most powerful leader Japan had had in centuries. Now all that remained was to see what he did with that power.
Misato tried to remember that even if their lives were all in his hands again, at least this time, Shinji wasn't on the verge of a breakdown from despair. The last time had nearly destroyed the world, but this time Shinji and Asuka were relying on each other. Misato hoped it would be enough.
But it's not gonna be a fic -- it's gonna be a doujinshi itself. It's taken 8-9 years of writing, mostly eaten up by school. But I will get that story out onto the world.
