StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
In conclusion, they're all idiots
A single answer for many questions and problems
Destiny: Gospel of a New Genesis [Evangelion/Destiny]
- Thread starter Ultra Sonic 007
- Start date
- Crossover
A single answer for many questions and problems
Post-Story Q&A #2
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Cross-posting from SpaceBattles:
2. That's an interesting point regarding Asuka. What parts do you think were missing?
Now, for your actual questions.
1) Given the rather ad-hoc/ad-lib nature of how I wrote the story, there wasn't a 'cutting room floor' so to speak. I can't recall anything specific that I wanted to write which didn't end up happening...if I had to pick, it would probably end up being more scenes involving the Hex and Rei Ayanami. And the Prison of Elders; after Skolas did his thing, I think it went rather underused, between the Eliksni Confederation War and the Second Cataclysm, where Zeruel used it as a Trojan Asteroid against the Almighty.
2) Because it was funny.
But seriously, their character arcs felt oddly compatible, as far as their canon selves go. Shinji wanted to connect with others to battle his loneliness, but feared getting hurt, and so tried not to connect as well...eventually culminating in such isolation and self-hatred that he wanted to end everything. There were moments where he seemed to make progress, seemed to connect with others...and yet, as surrounding events took their toll, those feeble connections (and the issues that others around him had) couldn't last.
Eris, once a Guardian with comrades and teams, lost her entire fireteam, her Ghost, and her eyes, traversing the Dark Below the Moon for decades following her fireteam's grim fate; the person who emerged from that pit was a bitter woman who sought nothing but vengeance upon the Hive. We see from her interactions with the Player Character and certain Grimoire that she does have some connections, of sorts...but not enough to override her obsession with the Hive, for she departed the City before the Red War, seeking knowledge of Nokris, and the Hive's other gods.
Given some of the changes to the backstory here (Shinji had a longer and more brutal tenure as an Evangelion pilot due to the greater numbers of Ahakmara, which forced him to mature in ways that canon!Shinji did not; the Ghosts are not merely drones, but are also souls of those who usually bear a connection with their Guardian; Rose being the shippiest shipper who ever shipped), they just...fit.
It's weird.
">:O "
Okay, not that weird.
3) First ones that come to mind are a tie between Zeruel's debut, the two-chapter confrontation between Shinji and his parents (via the VoG memories and the mano-a-mano duel afterwards), the chapter setting up the Second Cataclysm (as the Hive Triad and Ghaul and the Nine make their plays at the exact same time), the conversation between Shinji/Variks and the Traveler, and the conversation between Shinji and Rei/the Darkness at the end.
Least favorite to write...hmm. There's nothing that I can say that I actively disliked. But the sheer flurry of chaos and combat that was the Battle of Saturn - along with the coinciding Raid against Xivu Arath and the Raid into Nessus - was mentally exhausting at the time.
4) I sort of answered this in my first Q&A responses to Delta Prime; I would have to think about it. Given the organic nature of how this story developed, it might have been something very different. I can certainly say that Chief wouldn't have taken over a Minotaur and become a Vex Guardian...come to think of it, because of how that developed, I might not have had the idea for Failsafe. Or Levi. And their 'kids'.
5) If you mean from Cayde-6 to Cayde-7? That was revealed in the very last chapter:
6) Let's just say, during the War of Unification - between the Fourfold Allies (plus Calus and the friendly Vex), against the forces of Umun'Arath - that she and Zavala would define the term of 'Battle Couple'. She would be quite surprised at how light on his feet Zavala turns out to be.
"All the better to leap vast distances as a Striker," the Governor would say, before Superman dive-bombing (or, per Forsaken lingo, Thundercrashing) into a distant group of Cabal rebels like a guided missile.
scorpio723 said:
2. That's an interesting point regarding Asuka. What parts do you think were missing?
Now, for your actual questions.
1) Given the rather ad-hoc/ad-lib nature of how I wrote the story, there wasn't a 'cutting room floor' so to speak. I can't recall anything specific that I wanted to write which didn't end up happening...if I had to pick, it would probably end up being more scenes involving the Hex and Rei Ayanami. And the Prison of Elders; after Skolas did his thing, I think it went rather underused, between the Eliksni Confederation War and the Second Cataclysm, where Zeruel used it as a Trojan Asteroid against the Almighty.
2) Because it was funny.
But seriously, their character arcs felt oddly compatible, as far as their canon selves go. Shinji wanted to connect with others to battle his loneliness, but feared getting hurt, and so tried not to connect as well...eventually culminating in such isolation and self-hatred that he wanted to end everything. There were moments where he seemed to make progress, seemed to connect with others...and yet, as surrounding events took their toll, those feeble connections (and the issues that others around him had) couldn't last.
Eris, once a Guardian with comrades and teams, lost her entire fireteam, her Ghost, and her eyes, traversing the Dark Below the Moon for decades following her fireteam's grim fate; the person who emerged from that pit was a bitter woman who sought nothing but vengeance upon the Hive. We see from her interactions with the Player Character and certain Grimoire that she does have some connections, of sorts...but not enough to override her obsession with the Hive, for she departed the City before the Red War, seeking knowledge of Nokris, and the Hive's other gods.
Given some of the changes to the backstory here (Shinji had a longer and more brutal tenure as an Evangelion pilot due to the greater numbers of Ahakmara, which forced him to mature in ways that canon!Shinji did not; the Ghosts are not merely drones, but are also souls of those who usually bear a connection with their Guardian; Rose being the shippiest shipper who ever shipped), they just...fit.
It's weird.
">:O "
Okay, not that weird.
3) First ones that come to mind are a tie between Zeruel's debut, the two-chapter confrontation between Shinji and his parents (via the VoG memories and the mano-a-mano duel afterwards), the chapter setting up the Second Cataclysm (as the Hive Triad and Ghaul and the Nine make their plays at the exact same time), the conversation between Shinji/Variks and the Traveler, and the conversation between Shinji and Rei/the Darkness at the end.
Least favorite to write...hmm. There's nothing that I can say that I actively disliked. But the sheer flurry of chaos and combat that was the Battle of Saturn - along with the coinciding Raid against Xivu Arath and the Raid into Nessus - was mentally exhausting at the time.
4) I sort of answered this in my first Q&A responses to Delta Prime; I would have to think about it. Given the organic nature of how this story developed, it might have been something very different. I can certainly say that Chief wouldn't have taken over a Minotaur and become a Vex Guardian...come to think of it, because of how that developed, I might not have had the idea for Failsafe. Or Levi. And their 'kids'.
5) If you mean from Cayde-6 to Cayde-7? That was revealed in the very last chapter:
Ultra Sonic 007 said:
6) Let's just say, during the War of Unification - between the Fourfold Allies (plus Calus and the friendly Vex), against the forces of Umun'Arath - that she and Zavala would define the term of 'Battle Couple'. She would be quite surprised at how light on his feet Zavala turns out to be.
"All the better to leap vast distances as a Striker," the Governor would say, before Superman dive-bombing (or, per Forsaken lingo, Thundercrashing) into a distant group of Cabal rebels like a guided missile.
- Location
- USA
Dont forget that your audience was very much in favor of the crackiest of crack ships.2) Because it was funny.
But seriously, their character arcs felt oddly compatible, as far as their canon selves go. Shinji wanted to connect with others to battle his loneliness, but feared getting hurt, and so tried not to connect as well...eventually culminating in such isolation and self-hatred that he wanted to end everything. There were moments where he seemed to make progress, seemed to connect with others...and yet, as surrounding events took their toll, those feeble connections (and the issues that others around him had) couldn't last.
Eris, once a Guardian with comrades and teams, lost her entire fireteam, her Ghost, and her eyes, traversing the Dark Below the Moon for decades following her fireteam's grim fate; the person who emerged from that pit was a bitter woman who sought nothing but vengeance upon the Hive. We see from her interactions with the Player Character and certain Grimoire that she does have some connections, of sorts...but not enough to override her obsession with the Hive, for she departed the City before the Red War, seeking knowledge of Nokris, and the Hive's other gods.
Given some of the changes to the backstory here (Shinji had a longer and more brutal tenure as an Evangelion pilot due to the greater numbers of Ahakmara, which forced him to mature in ways that canon!Shinji did not; the Ghosts are not merely drones, but are also souls of those who usually bear a connection with their Guardian; Rose being the shippiest shipper who ever shipped), they just...fit.
It's weird.
">:O "
Okay, not that weird.
The Shinji x Mari Omake Part 1, in which we go down a different dialogue tree.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
SpaceBattles was much the same:
Nano Soldier 2016 said:
Tyrant's Bane said:
Circle of Nyx said:
Nano Soldier 2016 said:
...you know, I was going back through this story over the past week (it's weird how many typos there are that slip one's notice that in retrospect seem glaringly obvious, it's crazy). And of all the things that get the creative juices going, this is the thing that does it?
Dadgummit.
xxxx
When it comes to the Art of Conversation, words are often thrown out in the heat of the moment. Trust me, I know.
Shinji Ikari...well, that kid wasn't one for speaking thoughtlessly or needlessly, in the Time Before or in his new life as a Guardian; you'd have to talk to the Iron Lady for more details about his former life. Whether it was because he didn't want to cause offense, or because he felt that his own words couldn't compare to those of others, or any number of other reasons that a child soldier would have given...well, those reasons were his own.
Mari Makinami? She's on the opposite end, as far as speaking goes. Boisterous and outspoken, 'a verdammt troll' as her Guardian would say. One could even say that she's very illustrious with her words...and yes, I know her middle name is 'Illustrious'. If that's not a sign of someone whose parents weren't right in the head, well...
So. I get what you're wondering: how in the world do those two have a romance? Especially when one's a Ghost?
Well, for the second question, I'd direct you to the Vanguard Commander, for starters. Kind of hard not to make it work when your wife from the Time Before is your Ghost....what, you didn't know? Have you HEARD Osiris and Sagira talk to each other? They're the EPITOME of the 'arguing like a married couple' joke.
As for the first one...well, that's why you came to Cayde for the story...wait, it's not? You came to collect on a bet?
...huh. So you did...if I gave you the details on how it all started, would you consider the bet settled?
You will? Sweet. Might as well take a seat, we'll be here a while.
So, as far as I'm aware...I guess the first place you'd have to go to find out where it started would be the Lunar Siege. You know, where we found NERV-Luna while it was under assault from the Fallen and the Hive...
xxxx
/Central Complex, NERV-Luna/
The little newbie had asked for stories, from the Time Before. Asuka-2 had obliged, much to Mari's delight.
To think, it had only been a little over three months since they had rescued the little scamp from the Cosmodrome, so it was only natural that he would have wanted some more details about the old world. After all, not every Guardian had the best memory...and even fewer held a desire to remember. Not necessarily because they were weak (as her Teutonic Titan would allege)...but because knowing just how much humanity had lost could be pretty depressing. And why focus on depressing stuff, when there was a Last City to fight for?
Mari wondered if Shinji Ikari knew just how much of Asuka's favor he had won, by simply asking about the past...even if he didn't much like it.
"So. You remember everything?"
"...I remember more. The puzzle...is more visible. But there's still a lot of...fog."
"I see. You at least feel better about your past life?"
"...no. I feel worse." Ooh, that was going to get under Princess's goat something fierce.
"Say what?!" Her Guardian got to her feet, looking incredulously at the stoic Hunter. "Even through all the battles I went through, the sheer sensation of piloting Eva was fantastic!" Which was one hundred percent true, because duh. "Do you have no sense of adventure or excitement?!"
'Ah, it's just like old times.' Nostalgia could be a hell of a drug, especially when it involved a fiery redhead with the most entertaining temper in all of space and time.
Shinji's jaw tightened, and he spoke with barely-constrained anger. "...in every battle, people died. Everything that Eva felt, I felt...every claw, every tooth, every injury...it was a war that seemed to have no end. I was a Pilot because there was no other choice. I remember a pervasive sense of hopelessness. And remembering that is supposed to make me feel better?"
Asuka-2's response was completely predictable. And completely undiplomatic. "Oh please. Like you weren't aware of what you were getting into when you agreed to be a Pilot! The time to say 'no' would have been long before that, you baka!"
BAM.
The pink Ghost actually blinked as the kid slammed his fist into the locker behind him. His entire frame was shuddering with anxiety, and that anger was beginning to leak out. "...the day I found out about Eva...was the same day I battled the Ahamkara for the very first time."
'Oh wow...that...that really sucks.'
"I had no training. No warning. I had nothing." Shinji's blue eyes burned with indignation. "So don't compare yourself to me!"
"...hmph." Asuka-2 sighed - because really, how could you argue against that? - and slowly sat back down on an aged bench. That brief bout of her youthful impetuousness departed, and with it went Mari's nostalgia. Now, there was only the aged weariness that was part and parcel of the Crimson Exo's modern reputation amongst the Guardians. "...sounds like it sucked."
"Yeah. It did." The kid exhaled, and all of that the tension left his body like steam from a tea kettle. "...but I do remember one thing very clearly. I remember how powerful Eva could be." He stiffly bowed. "Arigato." Standing back up, he began to walk away, with his Ghost trailing behind him. The entire air between the two Evangelion Pilots was uneasy, restless, and agitated.
'...well. This is awkward.'
xxxx
You ever wonder how certain things could change history? I think some of those literary buffs in the Cryptarchy call it 'for want of a nail'. Not sure why. And I'm not talking about big things, like if Evangelion Unit-02 didn't actually show up to stop Crota during the Clash of Giants, or if we lost Twilight Gap. I'm talking about the little things.
Quite frankly, it would have been easy for them to leave it at that, to let things simmer for a while. If Ikari's distaste for the Crucible wasn't so well-known, I imagine they could have settled things there. But they didn't.
But that's Mari for you. She likes butting in.
xxxx
Well, it was time to make it un-awkward. "So...where ya goin'?"
Shinji Ikari stopped, slowly looking over his shoulder at her.
Mari ignored Asuka-2's curious glare, floating over towards the young Hunter. "I mean, I get that this story wasn't exactly what you wanted. And again, I get that Princess isn't much of a story-teller-"
"Screw you too, Mari."
"-but I don't think it's a good idea to just leave it there. I mean, we Eva Pilots have to stick together, right?"
Mari. What the HELL are you doing? Her Guardian's thoughts were accusatory.
Mari's mental reply was seamless, even as she continued talking out loud to Shinji. 'Come on, I know you're still curious about the kid's Ghost.' Because honestly, the idea that Yui had simply forgotten to tell her Guardian that Ghosts had souls was impossible to swallow, even if Mari wasn't quite as paranoid about the possible reasons as Asuka was. 'This way, you can get your answer now instead of stewing about it.'
"...you know Shinji, we COULD use her help."
Shinji sighed, turning towards his Ghost. "Yui-"
"Well, there's no harm in asking, right?" she chirped. "And I'm sure Eris wouldn't say no."
"Ooh, you're going on a mission with creepy-chan?" Mari's petals spun, because this was juicy stuff. "She's kind of a loner, ain't she? What possessed her to ask you for help?" Because really, there was no way that the kid sought out Eris as a teammate for a mission.
Shinji looked back and forth between the two Ghosts, before finally acquiescing. "...it involves Unit-01."
And just like that, he had piqued Asuka's attention. "...oh?" The Exo's blue eyes narrowed. "Your Evangelion still exists?"
"...according to Eris Morn, yes. Her mission involves reclaiming it."
Asuka-2's eyes gleamed. "Is that a fact?"
Mari's eye winked with glee.
xxxx
"HEY! ERIS!"
The leader of the fireteam - comprised of Omar Agah, Sai Mota, Jaren Ward, and Shin Malphur - turned around, looking at her erstwhile sixth teammate: Shinji Ikari. But he was not the one that had shouted. Rather, it had been a very familiar Exo. "Asuka-2. This is a pleasant surprise."
"It always is. Heard you're going hunting for a certain Evangelion. You have room for one more?"
Eris briefly glared in Shinji Ikari's direction. She still had her misgivings about the boy's character and fortitude - despite Cayde-6's words to the contrary - but his presence was an honest necessity if they were going to rescue Unit-01 from the Hive. That he had somehow managed to catch the Crimson Exo's attention was...shocking, to be honest. But Eris was never one to turn down a trump card. "For someone of your caliber? Always."
"Sweet. You gonna brief us on the way?"
"Of course."
"Where are we headed anyway?"
"To Old Japan. To the region once known as Hakone."
xxxx
As six jumpships - plus one - flew back towards Earth, Mari took the opportunity to finally get back to a topic that she had been dying to get more answers on. So naturally, she opened up a comm-link to everyone on Eris's fireteam, because she knew that extra voices would help her get the juicier details! "So, billy-kun...mind explaining to me how you and Misato Katsuragi became a thing?"
The Hunter's response was predictable. "Ehh?!"
"Oh come on, did you seriously think I was going to let that go?"
"C-Come on, is this really the time-?"
Sai Mota's interruption was swift and brutal. "Wait. We talking about the Iron Lady? This kid got with the IRON LADY?"
"I know, that's what I said!"
"...pretty impressive," complimented Jaren.
"Right on, kid," acknowledged Omar. "Mind telling me how exactly you managed to pull THAT off? Maybe offer me some tips?"
"Like you would ever need them, Omar," remarked Sai before turning her merciless questioning onto Shinji. "Okay kid, I'm going to need details too. Starting with how far you've gotten! We talking first base, second base?"
If Mari still had a face, her grin would have been very cattish. "Oh, judging from how Misato talked about it, it was a full home run."
Sai Mota's exclamation of disbelief was loud. Very loud.
"...lucky bastard," said Omar, sounding both in awe and somewhat jealous.
Shinji's response was a mix of choking on his own spit and stuttering out a bunch of gibberish.
"I think you're making my Guardian short-circuit from embarrassment," remarked Yui. And with that, the channel to Shinji's jumpship cut off.
All Mari heard before Asuka cut the channel to everyone else was an explosive sigh of irritation from Eris. "At least I know I'm not the only one who's curious!" She glanced back towards her Guardian. "And now the ice is officially broken!"
"...Mari."
"Yes?"
"SHUT. UP."
xxxx
...well, it's not like Asuka's Ghost has ever been FAMOUS for being tactful.
xxxx
/I have no idea where this is going
//and I have no idea how long it'll go
///but hey, let's have some fun while it lasts!
Last edited:
Dranndor
Clueless Idiot
- Location
- Cloudcuckooland
Damn it Ultra you make me look like a madman in front of my class! Anyway, i'm glad i finally found this. I've followed your fics for a long while now, starting from binge reading MFE one night.
Well, i dont have much to say except for thank you @Ultra Sonic 007 . Your fics always made my day
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Damn it Ultra you make me look like a madman in front of my class! Anyway, i'm glad i finally found this. I've followed your fics for a long while now, starting from binge reading MFE one night.
Well, i dont have much to say except for thank you @Ultra Sonic 007 . Your fics always made my day
You are quite welcome!
- Location
- Australia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Oh goddammit Mari here we go again...
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Don't hide your shipping preferences! Be bold!
- Location
- USA
Rose, I know you are unaware of presiscely how the next few months will play out, BUT GET IN THERE AND GET THAT SKANK AWAY FROM YOUR GUARDIANS MAN!
But in all seriousness continue if only so I get more of this. Shinji getting mad man-points from his Hunter peers is pleasant to me.
But in all seriousness continue if only so I get more of this. Shinji getting mad man-points from his Hunter peers is pleasant to me.
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
PREACH IT BROTHER!
The Shinji x Mari Omake Part 2, in which the author is a tease.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Constants, and variables.
The snap decision by Mari Makinami to press forward resulted in Asuka-2 joining Eris Morn's fireteam.
How would such a thing spiral outward?
Well, consider where Eris's fireteam landed in one particular timeline: an island called Takashima, north of a town called Masuda in the Shimane Prefecture. From there, they would take many days to travel east, traversing well over four hundred miles to get to Hakone. This great distance was largely credited to Eris's paranoia, to her fear of discovery by the great numbers of Hive.
The choice of a landing zone is surprisingly powerful, in terms of its effects on causality.
Now...now, she had a Titan on her team. And not just any Titan, but the Crimson Exo herself.
This was enough to mitigate her fear, to some extent: enough to encourage her to land just a little bit closer, to put further weight on decreasing the time it took to get to Unit-01.
And so Eris's choice of a landing zone was a tiny island called Mizu, in Akita Prefecture, a little over half a mile away from the Japanese mainland. In terms of total distance between this place and Hakone, a rough approximation would be only three hundred and fifty miles.
Most importantly, however, is that this trek would be approaching Hakone from the north.
As a result, Eris's fireteam would not encounter the resurrected Sakura Suzuhara, who was foraging in Tottori Prefecture at the time.
Likewise, they would not thus encounter the penitent Shadow of Yor known as Dredgen Vale.
And, most importantly of all...because of this, they would not encounter the Warlock known as the Sage.
They would not encounter Naoko Akagi, who bore specialized knowledge of the A.T. Field, and all that came with it.
Constants, and variables.
The snap decision by Mari Makinami to press forward resulted in Asuka-2 joining Eris Morn's fireteam.
How would such a thing spiral outward?
Well, consider where Eris's fireteam landed in one particular timeline: an island called Takashima, north of a town called Masuda in the Shimane Prefecture. From there, they would take many days to travel east, traversing well over four hundred miles to get to Hakone. This great distance was largely credited to Eris's paranoia, to her fear of discovery by the great numbers of Hive.
The choice of a landing zone is surprisingly powerful, in terms of its effects on causality.
Now...now, she had a Titan on her team. And not just any Titan, but the Crimson Exo herself.
This was enough to mitigate her fear, to some extent: enough to encourage her to land just a little bit closer, to put further weight on decreasing the time it took to get to Unit-01.
And so Eris's choice of a landing zone was a tiny island called Mizu, in Akita Prefecture, a little over half a mile away from the Japanese mainland. In terms of total distance between this place and Hakone, a rough approximation would be only three hundred and fifty miles.
Most importantly, however, is that this trek would be approaching Hakone from the north.
As a result, Eris's fireteam would not encounter the resurrected Sakura Suzuhara, who was foraging in Tottori Prefecture at the time.
Likewise, they would not thus encounter the penitent Shadow of Yor known as Dredgen Vale.
And, most importantly of all...because of this, they would not encounter the Warlock known as the Sage.
They would not encounter Naoko Akagi, who bore specialized knowledge of the A.T. Field, and all that came with it.
Constants, and variables.
xxxx
/just a little teaser
//but the changes are already getting crazy
///buckle up~
- Location
- USA
Congratulations Ultra, you just locked yourself into writing us an entirely new timeline.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
You know you're the fanfiction equivalent of white trash when you're doing AUs of your own fanfic.
The Shinji x Mari Omake Part 3, in which Asuka and Eris figuratively butt heads.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
You ever been to Old Japan? You should.
Why, you ask? Because it's creepy.
Hey, don't look at me like that. Creepy places make for the best stories. Even the non-creepy stories are better if they're told in a creepy place.
You don't have to take my word for it. I'm sure any other Hunter would tell you the same thing. And most Warlocks, for that matter.
xxxx
After days of travel - alternating between daring use of Sparrows, full-tilt sprints through forests and mountains, and circuitous avoidance of any Hive shrines or Seeder Ships - Eris Morn and her fireteam found themselves on Mount Nasu, a range of complex volcanoes in Tochigi Prefecture. Fortunately, neither of the peaks were still active, so it served as a good place for them to set up watch for the evening.
Atop Asahi Peak, Jaren Ward and Eris Morn were taking the first watch, patrolling the perimeter around their camp (no fires or torches, of course, nothing that would help the Hive find them). Meanwhile, just like the last few nights, the stories continued on.
The topic of conversation quickly fell to the large pile of dragon bones embedded in the side Chausu Peak, to their south. "...I never thought the Ahamkara were that numerous," remarked Shin Malphur.
Asuka-2 snorted. "There's a reason the Cryptarchy prizes historical knowledge. The damn beasts were everywhere during the Cataclysm." Even so, the sheer number of serpentine corpses that they had passed on the way here had been damn near ridiculous.
'No wonder billy-kun seems so bitter.'
The Exo - busy polishing the knuckles on her gauntlets - glanced at Shinji Ikari, who was looking rather solemnly at the ancient corpse. "Ringing any bells?"
"...yes," murmured Shinji. "I can't remember what number that was...but it was during winter. We got an alert from Nasu about expected Vassal activity." He spoke, as if on auto-pilot, remembering times gone by. "Nasu was a resort town. Times became hard, because of the Ahamkara. The traffic to the hot springs and the ski resorts dwindled. It had been the livelihood of...a lot of people. For some people, it had been their family business for years. Decades. Desperation drove some people to make their wish."
Sai Mota huffed. "Damn idiots."
"The dragons were cunning, like that. They preyed upon those whose wills were weakest, whose desires were strongest. They would first intrude on your dreams, slowly breaking you down..." These were the words of a military briefing, played on repeat. Asuka-2 knew, because she he had heard much the same. "...for most people, by the time they met the dragons in person...they already belonged to the Ahamkara. They just didn't know it."
Mari's petals spun, evoking an irritated expression. "They were a bunch of dicks, really."
"...I wonder how we would have fared against them," wondered Shin Malphur.
"You'd need a metric ton of Sunbreakers to equal the firepower of one Evangelion," answered Asuka-2.
"Were they really that powerful, though?" asked Omar Agah. "I mean, legends are one thing. And I get that Shinji here is a bit of a badass..." His words caused the young Hunter to actually squirm with embarrassment.
'Aw, he's just like a shy little doggy! That's it, I'm officially calling him puppy-kun now.'
"...but were they really all that?"
Shinji tilted his head, almost confused by the question. "...yes? Wouldn't Asuka have told you by now? I mean...she's been around a lot longer than I have..."
And there it is. Asuka-2 had known that the jig was up from the moment she had alerted the Vanguard about the Lunar Siege. This impromptu mission would delay her inevitable conversation with Osiris about just how far her memory went back, but the Vanguard Commander wouldn't wait forever.
'Maybe talking with them about it will make it easier? And you've got Shinji here to corroborate your stories, even if it's only secondhand knowledge.'
Asuka mentally acknowledged that point, even as Sai turned a curious eye toward her. "Told us what? What does Shinji mean by that?"
Mari decided to break the ice in her own distinctive way, winking playfully at the other Hunters. "Well, you're looking face-to-face with two veterans of the Cataclysm, in all their kickass glory: yours truly, Mari Illustrious Makinami, former Pilot of Evangelion Unit-05!" She then looked towards her Guardian, cheerfully adding, "And her equally badass yet nowhere-near-as-sexy comrade-"
"Was that really necessary?" griped Asuka-2.
"Asuka Langley-Sohryu, the Pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, and the individual with the highest Ahamkara kill count in the Catacalysm!" Well, at least she gave credit where credit was due. "Please, hold your applause."
Shinji didn't react with surprise at all, given that he had already known. The other Hunters, however...they seemed rather floored. "You?" Omar pointed nervously at the Titan and her Ghost. "In the Time Before...you two were Evangelion Pilots?"
"Yep."
"...you said Unit-02." Everyone turned; Eris had spoken, returning from her portion of the perimeter check. Apparently, she had overheard their conversation. "After Crota's awakening, all those decades ago...after the Clash of Giants...I researched everything that was available about that Crimson Giant, who saved so many of us from final death at the Hive's hands." The pale woman's stare was hard, and incisive. "That Crimson Giant...was controlled by you. Am I hearing that right?"
Asuka-2 grinned, enjoying the gobsmacked expressions on Omar and Sai's faces. "You can thank yours truly for pulling your fat out of the fire." Quite literally, given the Hive's emerald flames.
"...although you have my gratitude for your actions, I must wonder why you've kept such knowledge hidden. Why you kept NERV-Luna and Unit-02's existence a secret." There was an odd bitterness in Eris's voice. "Do you know what you could have been able to do for the people of the City, with a working Evangelion?"
Asuka-2 rolled her eyes, having expected this argument. "Unit-02's been locked down since the Clash of Giants. She won't wake up."
"Arrogance is unbecoming of the Crimson Exo," retorted Eris. "Do you truly believe that no one else within the City would have been able to help? Out of the Crpytarchy or the Warlock Orders, or even the Consensus?"
"...she's got a point, there," remarked Omar. "I mean, Nerv would have fallen all over themselves to find a functional facility belonging to their Pre-Collapse namesake. If there had been an Evangelion? Well...suffice to say, you'd have people working night and day to get it back in working order."
Asuka-2 knew that as well. But she couldn't exactly explain why she had kept Unit-02 a secret either, given that Eris Morn was openly known as the Speaker's right-hand woman when it came to all things Hive. As for Osiris...well, come on. When it came to stuff like the Vex, the guy was downright weird.
'Sometimes, I wish you weren't so conspiratorial about the Speaker.'
We're not having this discussion again.
'No wonder Lysander always tried to get you to join the Concordat. He must have sensed the tinfoil in your brain!'
That joke nearly made Asuka snort. Oh please, don't compare me to that treasonous moron. It was one thing to be discomfited by the Speaker and Osiris, to consider them somewhat...off, in terms of personality. It was another thing entirely to plunge the City into an abrupt civil war to try and depose them.
"Well?"
Oh right, the others had been waiting for an answer. Asuka-2 huffed, staring straight into Eris's hazel eyes. "My reasons were my own. I don't have to tell you anything."
Eris frowned. "How...disappointingly petty of you."
"And I should care about your disappointment because...?"
There was a frustrated sigh. "Come on..." They glanced at Shinji, who was looking rather plaintively at them. "Is this really the time to fight each other?"
"Kid's got a point," remarked Sai. "Settle it in the Crucible once we get back home...but in the meantime, I demand stories! Tell us about an awesome kill."
Mari gleefully took the opportunity to dispel the tension. "Ooh, I have just the one! So there we were, deploying to North Africa..."
Asuka-2 quietly leaned back against a rugged boulder, letting the words of her Ghost filter through her mind and soul. Her eyes looked up at the Moon, and - not for the first time - wondered if her Mama was capable of watching her, even now. No rest for the wicked...
Why, you ask? Because it's creepy.
Hey, don't look at me like that. Creepy places make for the best stories. Even the non-creepy stories are better if they're told in a creepy place.
You don't have to take my word for it. I'm sure any other Hunter would tell you the same thing. And most Warlocks, for that matter.
xxxx
After days of travel - alternating between daring use of Sparrows, full-tilt sprints through forests and mountains, and circuitous avoidance of any Hive shrines or Seeder Ships - Eris Morn and her fireteam found themselves on Mount Nasu, a range of complex volcanoes in Tochigi Prefecture. Fortunately, neither of the peaks were still active, so it served as a good place for them to set up watch for the evening.
Atop Asahi Peak, Jaren Ward and Eris Morn were taking the first watch, patrolling the perimeter around their camp (no fires or torches, of course, nothing that would help the Hive find them). Meanwhile, just like the last few nights, the stories continued on.
The topic of conversation quickly fell to the large pile of dragon bones embedded in the side Chausu Peak, to their south. "...I never thought the Ahamkara were that numerous," remarked Shin Malphur.
Asuka-2 snorted. "There's a reason the Cryptarchy prizes historical knowledge. The damn beasts were everywhere during the Cataclysm." Even so, the sheer number of serpentine corpses that they had passed on the way here had been damn near ridiculous.
'No wonder billy-kun seems so bitter.'
The Exo - busy polishing the knuckles on her gauntlets - glanced at Shinji Ikari, who was looking rather solemnly at the ancient corpse. "Ringing any bells?"
"...yes," murmured Shinji. "I can't remember what number that was...but it was during winter. We got an alert from Nasu about expected Vassal activity." He spoke, as if on auto-pilot, remembering times gone by. "Nasu was a resort town. Times became hard, because of the Ahamkara. The traffic to the hot springs and the ski resorts dwindled. It had been the livelihood of...a lot of people. For some people, it had been their family business for years. Decades. Desperation drove some people to make their wish."
Sai Mota huffed. "Damn idiots."
"The dragons were cunning, like that. They preyed upon those whose wills were weakest, whose desires were strongest. They would first intrude on your dreams, slowly breaking you down..." These were the words of a military briefing, played on repeat. Asuka-2 knew, because she he had heard much the same. "...for most people, by the time they met the dragons in person...they already belonged to the Ahamkara. They just didn't know it."
Mari's petals spun, evoking an irritated expression. "They were a bunch of dicks, really."
"...I wonder how we would have fared against them," wondered Shin Malphur.
"You'd need a metric ton of Sunbreakers to equal the firepower of one Evangelion," answered Asuka-2.
"Were they really that powerful, though?" asked Omar Agah. "I mean, legends are one thing. And I get that Shinji here is a bit of a badass..." His words caused the young Hunter to actually squirm with embarrassment.
'Aw, he's just like a shy little doggy! That's it, I'm officially calling him puppy-kun now.'
"...but were they really all that?"
Shinji tilted his head, almost confused by the question. "...yes? Wouldn't Asuka have told you by now? I mean...she's been around a lot longer than I have..."
And there it is. Asuka-2 had known that the jig was up from the moment she had alerted the Vanguard about the Lunar Siege. This impromptu mission would delay her inevitable conversation with Osiris about just how far her memory went back, but the Vanguard Commander wouldn't wait forever.
'Maybe talking with them about it will make it easier? And you've got Shinji here to corroborate your stories, even if it's only secondhand knowledge.'
Asuka mentally acknowledged that point, even as Sai turned a curious eye toward her. "Told us what? What does Shinji mean by that?"
Mari decided to break the ice in her own distinctive way, winking playfully at the other Hunters. "Well, you're looking face-to-face with two veterans of the Cataclysm, in all their kickass glory: yours truly, Mari Illustrious Makinami, former Pilot of Evangelion Unit-05!" She then looked towards her Guardian, cheerfully adding, "And her equally badass yet nowhere-near-as-sexy comrade-"
"Was that really necessary?" griped Asuka-2.
"Asuka Langley-Sohryu, the Pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, and the individual with the highest Ahamkara kill count in the Catacalysm!" Well, at least she gave credit where credit was due. "Please, hold your applause."
Shinji didn't react with surprise at all, given that he had already known. The other Hunters, however...they seemed rather floored. "You?" Omar pointed nervously at the Titan and her Ghost. "In the Time Before...you two were Evangelion Pilots?"
"Yep."
"...you said Unit-02." Everyone turned; Eris had spoken, returning from her portion of the perimeter check. Apparently, she had overheard their conversation. "After Crota's awakening, all those decades ago...after the Clash of Giants...I researched everything that was available about that Crimson Giant, who saved so many of us from final death at the Hive's hands." The pale woman's stare was hard, and incisive. "That Crimson Giant...was controlled by you. Am I hearing that right?"
Asuka-2 grinned, enjoying the gobsmacked expressions on Omar and Sai's faces. "You can thank yours truly for pulling your fat out of the fire." Quite literally, given the Hive's emerald flames.
"...although you have my gratitude for your actions, I must wonder why you've kept such knowledge hidden. Why you kept NERV-Luna and Unit-02's existence a secret." There was an odd bitterness in Eris's voice. "Do you know what you could have been able to do for the people of the City, with a working Evangelion?"
Asuka-2 rolled her eyes, having expected this argument. "Unit-02's been locked down since the Clash of Giants. She won't wake up."
"Arrogance is unbecoming of the Crimson Exo," retorted Eris. "Do you truly believe that no one else within the City would have been able to help? Out of the Crpytarchy or the Warlock Orders, or even the Consensus?"
"...she's got a point, there," remarked Omar. "I mean, Nerv would have fallen all over themselves to find a functional facility belonging to their Pre-Collapse namesake. If there had been an Evangelion? Well...suffice to say, you'd have people working night and day to get it back in working order."
Asuka-2 knew that as well. But she couldn't exactly explain why she had kept Unit-02 a secret either, given that Eris Morn was openly known as the Speaker's right-hand woman when it came to all things Hive. As for Osiris...well, come on. When it came to stuff like the Vex, the guy was downright weird.
'Sometimes, I wish you weren't so conspiratorial about the Speaker.'
We're not having this discussion again.
'No wonder Lysander always tried to get you to join the Concordat. He must have sensed the tinfoil in your brain!'
That joke nearly made Asuka snort. Oh please, don't compare me to that treasonous moron. It was one thing to be discomfited by the Speaker and Osiris, to consider them somewhat...off, in terms of personality. It was another thing entirely to plunge the City into an abrupt civil war to try and depose them.
"Well?"
Oh right, the others had been waiting for an answer. Asuka-2 huffed, staring straight into Eris's hazel eyes. "My reasons were my own. I don't have to tell you anything."
Eris frowned. "How...disappointingly petty of you."
"And I should care about your disappointment because...?"
There was a frustrated sigh. "Come on..." They glanced at Shinji, who was looking rather plaintively at them. "Is this really the time to fight each other?"
"Kid's got a point," remarked Sai. "Settle it in the Crucible once we get back home...but in the meantime, I demand stories! Tell us about an awesome kill."
Mari gleefully took the opportunity to dispel the tension. "Ooh, I have just the one! So there we were, deploying to North Africa..."
Asuka-2 quietly leaned back against a rugged boulder, letting the words of her Ghost filter through her mind and soul. Her eyes looked up at the Moon, and - not for the first time - wondered if her Mama was capable of watching her, even now. No rest for the wicked...
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Given that it's been awhile since we were this far back...let's do a brief recollection.
Unit-02, as of this point in the timeline, is still within the Anomaly:
(You know, except Evangelion-sized.)
Recall that Unit-02 only awoke from its comatose stasis after the MAGI all activated ORIENT SUNSET in order to escape the clutches of Crota's Hive, which resulted in their Evangelion-inhibition field dissipating (keyed to the subroutine BLACKOUT ENIGMA) once they jettisoned themselves out of our physical reality. And even then, Unit-02 didn't wake up until it (read: mama Kyoko) sensed that Asuka was in danger of dying (which occurred when she fell into a giant crevice in the Moon that opened underneath NERV-Luna during Crota's rise).
But the biggest thing...well, note that the Baris Protective didn't give up the location to the Lance of Taox until certain prerequisites were met. One of those (based on the narrative context) was Asuka's physical proximity.
And right now, she's not on the Moon.
Unit-02, as of this point in the timeline, is still within the Anomaly:
(You know, except Evangelion-sized.)
Recall that Unit-02 only awoke from its comatose stasis after the MAGI all activated ORIENT SUNSET in order to escape the clutches of Crota's Hive, which resulted in their Evangelion-inhibition field dissipating (keyed to the subroutine BLACKOUT ENIGMA) once they jettisoned themselves out of our physical reality. And even then, Unit-02 didn't wake up until it (read: mama Kyoko) sensed that Asuka was in danger of dying (which occurred when she fell into a giant crevice in the Moon that opened underneath NERV-Luna during Crota's rise).
But the biggest thing...well, note that the Baris Protective didn't give up the location to the Lance of Taox until certain prerequisites were met. One of those (based on the narrative context) was Asuka's physical proximity.
And right now, she's not on the Moon.
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
BUTTERFLYING INTENSIFIES!
- Location
- USA
Further proof that Violet Morning is best ship.
And all good ships need a name.
And all good ships need a name.
The Shinji x Mari Omake Part 4, in which the Butterfly Effect goes crazy~
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
You don't even know the half of it.
xxxx
So many ripples, and so many changes.
Four days it had been, since Eris and her fireteam - plus Asuka-2 - had set foot on Old Japan. They would be at Hakone within three days, pushing a pace far past what Eris's team would have in a more...familiar timeline.
House Matarael's retaliatory incursion against the Hive - stealing Crota's Sword, smiting the Abomination Phogoth, blinding the Eye of Oryx Sardok, and reclaiming the Shard of the Traveler - had gone as expected.
However, without Asuka-2 to interview regarding her knowledge of the Time Before, Osiris did not confront the Speaker about the full depth of his knowledge of the past, and NERV's ancient experiments with the Tablets of Ruin.
As a result, Gendo Ikari had been in a more pensive mood, more uncertain and less settled in light of NERV-Luna's discovery and the lack of anything regarding a sufficient resolution, as Osiris's confrontation would have done in another timeline. Thus...he was more cautious. Less willing to make big movements...like pressing at the new connection of Light between the Traveler and its freed Shard on the Moon.
The House of Matarael would keep their gain, for now...and as a result, their fury against humanity would not be inflamed. At least, not now, and certainly not in a way that would have otherwise inspired them to strike at the heart of the City itself.
But what else? What else, indeed?
In another timeline, it was the MAGI that Dredgen Yor selected as the target for Crota's Might.
But here?
Four days it had been, since Eris and her fireteam - plus Asuka-2 - had set foot on Old Japan. They would be at Hakone within three days, pushing a pace far past what Eris's team would have in a more...familiar timeline.
House Matarael's retaliatory incursion against the Hive - stealing Crota's Sword, smiting the Abomination Phogoth, blinding the Eye of Oryx Sardok, and reclaiming the Shard of the Traveler - had gone as expected.
However, without Asuka-2 to interview regarding her knowledge of the Time Before, Osiris did not confront the Speaker about the full depth of his knowledge of the past, and NERV's ancient experiments with the Tablets of Ruin.
As a result, Gendo Ikari had been in a more pensive mood, more uncertain and less settled in light of NERV-Luna's discovery and the lack of anything regarding a sufficient resolution, as Osiris's confrontation would have done in another timeline. Thus...he was more cautious. Less willing to make big movements...like pressing at the new connection of Light between the Traveler and its freed Shard on the Moon.
The House of Matarael would keep their gain, for now...and as a result, their fury against humanity would not be inflamed. At least, not now, and certainly not in a way that would have otherwise inspired them to strike at the heart of the City itself.
But what else? What else, indeed?
In another timeline, it was the MAGI that Dredgen Yor selected as the target for Crota's Might.
But here?
xxxx
/The Abyss of the Hellmouth, the Moon/
The presence of Crota boomed, demanding all attention from Dredgen Yor and Omnigul.
My Eyes see far and wide, at mewling ants and persistent dullards! My Fist strikes at their holds, and my Hand grasps for ancient secrets!
The voice went quiet, and Dredgen Yor looked up. "In war, any action merits a suitable response-"
BOOM!
Dredgen Yor's face smashed into the stone, as the voice thundered.
You lecture me, as though I were a mere Thrall on its first scourging! I have sundered entire worlds, while you are naught but a mere traitor; bow before my knowledge of war and combat!
"...if you insist," murmured Dredgen Yor. "Yet the ultimate end is greater than you, is it not?"Omnigul howled: you speak of greatness beyond us all! Don't overstep your bounds, foolish mortal!
Crota, on the other hand, seemed...amused.
A creature after my own Heart! Seeking greater heights impetuously, with no regard for propriety or sense, for the goal is all that matters! Tell me, former slave of the Traveler: where would you strike?
Where would he strike? Well...there was a greater strategic goal in mind. The MAGI had to be dealt with, sooner or later.
But now? There was a certain fireteam in Old Japan, comprised of Guardians who were not nearly as subtle as they deigned themselves to be. Hidden Shriekers and cloying Wizards could sense the team of seven...one member in particular, whose Light burned so differently from that of the others. To think we would meet again so soon, Asuka-2. He imagined that she would be quite angry, for his work in exposing NERV-Luna and Unit-02 to the outside world. Honestly...he could think of nothing more fitting. "Seven slaves of the Sky are en route to where LILITH lies in wait. They are undoubtedly there to spoil our great work." The MAGI could wait. "I would meet them there myself...but I know that you would desire to have your spawn cut your teeth on one in particular."
Omnigul snorted: one measly Lightbearer quails in comparison to the strength of my master!
"What if I were to tell you that this Lightbearer was the one who controlled that Crimson Giant? The very same one who fought Crota all those years ago, when he was last present in the physical realm?"
And just like that, he had Crota's attention.
A wondrous battle that was, against a curious heresy! Let it be done as you have proclaimed!
The God-Knight's voice boomed, and the darkness quivered.
Do not disappoint me, you mewling wormchild!
Dredgen Yor smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it." I hope that you will survive long enough to face me, Asuka. Perhaps she would be able to answer his Question satisfactorily.
xxxx
The Might of Crota, and his Spawn, were not deployed against the MAGI. They had a different target, now.
Thus, the MAGI had no reason to enact ORIENT SUNSET to save themselves; they did not jettison themselves out of physical reality, in such a destructive manner.
One key result of this, was that NERV-Mars - located in the Eos Chasma region - did not vanish. And thus was Firebase Delphi, built from and over its remnants, left untouched. No new threat assessment needed to be made, no corrective action needed to be conducted against Earth.
And just like that, the Threefold Invasion ended before it was ever even dreamed of.
Thus, the MAGI had no reason to enact ORIENT SUNSET to save themselves; they did not jettison themselves out of physical reality, in such a destructive manner.
One key result of this, was that NERV-Mars - located in the Eos Chasma region - did not vanish. And thus was Firebase Delphi, built from and over its remnants, left untouched. No new threat assessment needed to be made, no corrective action needed to be conducted against Earth.
And just like that, the Threefold Invasion ended before it was ever even dreamed of.
xxxx
/in case you haven't noticed
//I'm having a lot of fun with the butterfly effect
StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
Bruh. At this rate you gonna make a whole damn new story.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
It's looking like it, isn't it?
/canon explanation
//this is a timeline that Rei ended up abandoning in favor of resetting herself
///for reasons we will eventually find out~
The Shinji x Mari Omake's First Grimoire, in which we gaze into the thoughts of the Ghost.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: Ghost Fragment - Memory and History
"In the end, you only remember as much as you want."
In all those years I waited for you - because honestly, who else was I gonna have as my Guardian? - I wondered just how much of your memory was intact. Sure, you had a bit of a built-in advantage being an Exo, but then again...who was to say you were still you? Everyone called you Asuka-1 back then, but who could tell beyond your say-so? It's not like we had any of the old equipment from GEHIRN back then.
It's easy to call myself an idiot, in hindsight. And selfish. And a scaredy-cat. But really, I can't even blame myself, because I wasn't even completely me yet.
Doesn't make sense, does it?
So many records, destroyed during the Cataclysm. So much knowledge, lost. Isolated pockets of humanity, reduced to an almost tribal state in a world ravaged by demons from beyond the stars and dragons from beneath the earth. Spooky stuff, neh? It was actually a bit of a hobby of mine, to compare the folklore and myths of the various peoples together with other Ghosts, to try and tease out the truth of the Time Before.
You'd think we would be a more reliable source of knowledge, being human souls locked inside floating robot eyeballs. But here's a fun fact for you: not having a human body can do crazy things to you. Not withstanding the strange dream of Instrumentality, and that odd feeling of having a piece of something far greater and yet far more broken at the foundation of your very being, of feeling this strange pressure all throughout you saying that there's One out there, One Person who is just for you, who is meant to carry the Light you now hold and make something wonderful, and they're the ONLY person it'll ever be, and yet there's SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE...
Well. I can ramble.
No wonder that so many of the Risen - the Guardians - came back with scrambled heads. You'd think that being reborn into a new body with fresh neurons and cells would have made the concept of memory impossible for anyone without the benefit of a robotic brain. But that's the magic of the A.T. Field for you: spirit informs flesh, and flesh informs spirit, as someone much smarter from NERV-Germany once said. It's a two-way street...and for us Ghosts, so many of whom knew their Guardian in the Time Before...it's not really shocking, that bits and pieces would slowly come back, as the soul once again starts to define itself. Even then, it's not a guarantee, because not everyone wants to think about who they used to be, or how much was lost.
The same goes for us.
I've met a lot of Ghosts, both before and after the Bond was formed. You'll get a lot of different reactions and thoughts as to how the process works. I leave it to the eggheads with the Factions to figure it out, to consult with the Cryptarchy and the Speaker about how it all could work. Some likened it to becoming an entirely different person. Others said that they had regained a piece of themselves. For the few that it didn't go well for...they considered it a rather bad fever trip. As for me?
I liken it to waking up.
Because I saw you from afar, on occasion. It was impossible to not hear of the Crimson Exo. Heck, I saw you in some of those dark days before you actually had a rep, when you were this really fierce loner wielding a rifle with a bloody bayonet on the end. You were intense. Scary. And...I felt strangely anxious, at the sight of this undying Exo with red hair, with a voice that was so familiar, and yet you were still alive, so you couldn't be my One. But I couldn't distract myself by helping other people with little projects, like some of the unbonded Ghosts took to doing...because all I had was this strange impression of being a dragon-slaying Giant, and that I wasn't good for anything else.
So I waited.
And then you died on orbital re-entry after fighting Crota on the Moon. What an opportunity, right?
My soul touched yours. Light flowed through my soul into yours...and it was like seeing for the first time.
Calling you Princess felt so damn natural, even as you slapped me away on impulse. Because it was what you did in the Time Before.
If I hadn't laughed - honestly, it felt like my first time laughing in forever! - then I would have sobbed. Don't know how that would have worked, being a floating robot eyeball and all.
Man, am I glad that she doesn't know how to access a Ghost's internal diagnostics. This would be so embarrassing.
"In the end, you only remember as much as you want."
In all those years I waited for you - because honestly, who else was I gonna have as my Guardian? - I wondered just how much of your memory was intact. Sure, you had a bit of a built-in advantage being an Exo, but then again...who was to say you were still you? Everyone called you Asuka-1 back then, but who could tell beyond your say-so? It's not like we had any of the old equipment from GEHIRN back then.
It's easy to call myself an idiot, in hindsight. And selfish. And a scaredy-cat. But really, I can't even blame myself, because I wasn't even completely me yet.
Doesn't make sense, does it?
So many records, destroyed during the Cataclysm. So much knowledge, lost. Isolated pockets of humanity, reduced to an almost tribal state in a world ravaged by demons from beyond the stars and dragons from beneath the earth. Spooky stuff, neh? It was actually a bit of a hobby of mine, to compare the folklore and myths of the various peoples together with other Ghosts, to try and tease out the truth of the Time Before.
You'd think we would be a more reliable source of knowledge, being human souls locked inside floating robot eyeballs. But here's a fun fact for you: not having a human body can do crazy things to you. Not withstanding the strange dream of Instrumentality, and that odd feeling of having a piece of something far greater and yet far more broken at the foundation of your very being, of feeling this strange pressure all throughout you saying that there's One out there, One Person who is just for you, who is meant to carry the Light you now hold and make something wonderful, and they're the ONLY person it'll ever be, and yet there's SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE...
Well. I can ramble.
No wonder that so many of the Risen - the Guardians - came back with scrambled heads. You'd think that being reborn into a new body with fresh neurons and cells would have made the concept of memory impossible for anyone without the benefit of a robotic brain. But that's the magic of the A.T. Field for you: spirit informs flesh, and flesh informs spirit, as someone much smarter from NERV-Germany once said. It's a two-way street...and for us Ghosts, so many of whom knew their Guardian in the Time Before...it's not really shocking, that bits and pieces would slowly come back, as the soul once again starts to define itself. Even then, it's not a guarantee, because not everyone wants to think about who they used to be, or how much was lost.
The same goes for us.
I've met a lot of Ghosts, both before and after the Bond was formed. You'll get a lot of different reactions and thoughts as to how the process works. I leave it to the eggheads with the Factions to figure it out, to consult with the Cryptarchy and the Speaker about how it all could work. Some likened it to becoming an entirely different person. Others said that they had regained a piece of themselves. For the few that it didn't go well for...they considered it a rather bad fever trip. As for me?
I liken it to waking up.
Because I saw you from afar, on occasion. It was impossible to not hear of the Crimson Exo. Heck, I saw you in some of those dark days before you actually had a rep, when you were this really fierce loner wielding a rifle with a bloody bayonet on the end. You were intense. Scary. And...I felt strangely anxious, at the sight of this undying Exo with red hair, with a voice that was so familiar, and yet you were still alive, so you couldn't be my One. But I couldn't distract myself by helping other people with little projects, like some of the unbonded Ghosts took to doing...because all I had was this strange impression of being a dragon-slaying Giant, and that I wasn't good for anything else.
So I waited.
And then you died on orbital re-entry after fighting Crota on the Moon. What an opportunity, right?
My soul touched yours. Light flowed through my soul into yours...and it was like seeing for the first time.
Calling you Princess felt so damn natural, even as you slapped me away on impulse. Because it was what you did in the Time Before.
If I hadn't laughed - honestly, it felt like my first time laughing in forever! - then I would have sobbed. Don't know how that would have worked, being a floating robot eyeball and all.
Man, am I glad that she doesn't know how to access a Ghost's internal diagnostics. This would be so embarrassing.
xxxx
/in case you can't tell
//I'm having some fun
///with the new Ghost Stories lore in Forsaken
The Shinji x Mari Omake Part 5, in which we have an Attack by a Titan.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
I know, you'd THINK that Eris would have been more paranoid. They had been able to avoid the Hive very well. TOO well.
Seriously, that's what I said when they got back! She gave me the most awful look.
But, that's what happens when you've got a really good Titan in your fireteam: your 'feeling of impending doom' sensor goes on the fritz. It's why everyone who partners up with Wei Ning feels comfortable doing nothing but take potshots from afar, because she's busy waling away in the thick of it. Also, there's a high risk of getting accidentally backhanded by her. Spoiler: you might get only beheaded if you're lucky. Another story, remind me to tell you sometime.
It's the same with Azzir from way back in the old days, or with Zavala. The Crimson Exo's no different. If Saint-14 ever steps down, she'd probably be one of the ones that people pick to succeed him. I'd vote for her.
Why? Well, for one, I'd have a willing conspirator in my many many plans to break out of the Tower to do some field work...don't give me that look. Do you know what I'd give to do just one patrol? It's hard enough as is to sneak out and leave my mementos in random, unlikely, hard-to-reach places.
...don't tell Commander Osiris I said that.
Oh, it'll cost me?
Fine, I'll keep on with the stories.
xxxx
Eris's fireteam stood upon the peak of Mount Hakone, staring at the blasted wasteland below. Two dozen Seeder Ships, crusty outgrowths of foul lichen and devilish bone, and an open pit leading into the wretched ruin of NERV-Japan.
"...well, this place has seen better days," grumbled Asuka-2.
'Be nice, Princess. It's like a homecoming for puppy-kun!'
Pretty piss-poor homecoming, if you ask me.
Well, Mari couldn't blame her. No one had been blind to Shinji Ikari becoming more and more morose as they had gotten closer to Hakone. Then again, judging by just how many Ahamkara bones and Evangelion battle sites they had passed en route to this place, it was clear that the amount of combat that the kid had seen had been rather...intense. 'The dragons actually calmed down a little after Japan went dark. They got craftier, trickier.' Harder to find.
Asuka's mental snort was answer enough. Well, what do you expect? If the newbie actually took down the Source of those creatures, it makes sense that they'd wizened up and took to being trickier with their activities.
'...what do you think of LILITH being the Source of the Ahamkara?'
Asuka's silence was also answer enough.
Hey, Eris had actually been here before; it was only natural that her Guardian would have grilled the resident Hive expert on what they would expect to find. When the term LILITH had been thrown out, well...that was a distinctive enough name from the Time Before.
Good times. But still, it was a bit of a downer to reconcile the fact that your superweapons had - apparently - been sourced from the same thing that had created the dragons that they had been made to fight.
Doesn't matter. Unit-02 never did anything wrong. Mama did nothing wrong.
...yeah, Mari was going to go ahead and not poke at that.
As the Guardians began their trek down the mountainside, one of them spoke up. "...you know, for all the Hive structures we've seen, we haven't run into any actual Hive," remarked Omar.
"We've been reasonably circumspect, haven't we?" remarked Shin Malphur.
"...we have," murmured Eris Morn, her tone suddenly concerned. "At every spot, I've identified the most proper path with the least resistance-"
"But we're not that inconspicuous, are we?" interrupted Sai. "I mean, seven Guardians? Sure, we've kept our Light usage to almost nothing...but there's still seven of us."
"...you're right." Eris paused, now sounding paranoid. Well, more paranoid than usual. "Something's wrong. We made it her too quickly-" There was a hollow roar, and a rush of flame. Suddenly, arising in a perfect circle around the region of Hakone, was a massive barrier of emerald fire. As the ethereal flames grew thicker and taller, Eris hissed. "A ritual of deterrence and protection...designed to keep us out...no, we've been allowed to come here-!"
Erupting from within the great hole in the Earth was a distant but distinctive shriek: Omnigul, the Will of Crota.
And then the Seeder Ships began to dispel immense quantities of Hive, and Tomb Ships burned into reality from the Ascendant Realm, depositing the Spawn of Crota by the dozens. It was mass of hateful flesh and tooth and claw and blade, all streaming towards their position.
"...well, we've got ourselves in a bit of a pickle," murmured Jaren Ward, spinning the barrel of the Last Word.
"Then we've got nowhere to go but forward, right?" asked Asuka-2, cracking knuckles. "All of you: stay behind me, keep them off my back, and pick off any stragglers that get too close to you."
"...what are you going to do?" asked Shinji Ikari.
Mari always loved hearing that question. 'And cue the one-liner!'
"I'm a Titan." The air around Asuka-2 began to charge with electrical energy, built-up and unused after many long days of traversing Old Japan. "I'm gonna clear the way."
'...eh, not your best.'
Mari.
'Yes?'
Shut up.
And so the Titan let loose the Fists of Havoc, screaming bloody murder at the murderous Hive as she charged down the mountainside, thundering into the horde with all the force of a speeding train.
Seriously, that's what I said when they got back! She gave me the most awful look.
But, that's what happens when you've got a really good Titan in your fireteam: your 'feeling of impending doom' sensor goes on the fritz. It's why everyone who partners up with Wei Ning feels comfortable doing nothing but take potshots from afar, because she's busy waling away in the thick of it. Also, there's a high risk of getting accidentally backhanded by her. Spoiler: you might get only beheaded if you're lucky. Another story, remind me to tell you sometime.
It's the same with Azzir from way back in the old days, or with Zavala. The Crimson Exo's no different. If Saint-14 ever steps down, she'd probably be one of the ones that people pick to succeed him. I'd vote for her.
Why? Well, for one, I'd have a willing conspirator in my many many plans to break out of the Tower to do some field work...don't give me that look. Do you know what I'd give to do just one patrol? It's hard enough as is to sneak out and leave my mementos in random, unlikely, hard-to-reach places.
...don't tell Commander Osiris I said that.
Oh, it'll cost me?
Fine, I'll keep on with the stories.
xxxx
Eris's fireteam stood upon the peak of Mount Hakone, staring at the blasted wasteland below. Two dozen Seeder Ships, crusty outgrowths of foul lichen and devilish bone, and an open pit leading into the wretched ruin of NERV-Japan.
"...well, this place has seen better days," grumbled Asuka-2.
'Be nice, Princess. It's like a homecoming for puppy-kun!'
Pretty piss-poor homecoming, if you ask me.
Well, Mari couldn't blame her. No one had been blind to Shinji Ikari becoming more and more morose as they had gotten closer to Hakone. Then again, judging by just how many Ahamkara bones and Evangelion battle sites they had passed en route to this place, it was clear that the amount of combat that the kid had seen had been rather...intense. 'The dragons actually calmed down a little after Japan went dark. They got craftier, trickier.' Harder to find.
Asuka's mental snort was answer enough. Well, what do you expect? If the newbie actually took down the Source of those creatures, it makes sense that they'd wizened up and took to being trickier with their activities.
'...what do you think of LILITH being the Source of the Ahamkara?'
Asuka's silence was also answer enough.
Hey, Eris had actually been here before; it was only natural that her Guardian would have grilled the resident Hive expert on what they would expect to find. When the term LILITH had been thrown out, well...that was a distinctive enough name from the Time Before.
("Sometimes, I wish our superweapons weren't so verdammt classified," griped Asuka as she watched various technicians refit Unit-02 and Unit-05. "Some of the terms they throw around are just so...esoteric! I mean, who decided to name the cell culture source of Evangelion's biological components LILITH? " Then, just because she knew it would get the redhead going even more, she lightly joked about the MAGI. "See, that's what bugs me. I get that Dr. Akagi's a genius and all that...but she's not even a Christian! Or Jewish! Where'd she get the bright idea to call them MAGI???" And thus began another rant. She just sat back and watched the fireworks.)
Good times. But still, it was a bit of a downer to reconcile the fact that your superweapons had - apparently - been sourced from the same thing that had created the dragons that they had been made to fight.
Doesn't matter. Unit-02 never did anything wrong. Mama did nothing wrong.
...yeah, Mari was going to go ahead and not poke at that.
As the Guardians began their trek down the mountainside, one of them spoke up. "...you know, for all the Hive structures we've seen, we haven't run into any actual Hive," remarked Omar.
"We've been reasonably circumspect, haven't we?" remarked Shin Malphur.
"...we have," murmured Eris Morn, her tone suddenly concerned. "At every spot, I've identified the most proper path with the least resistance-"
"But we're not that inconspicuous, are we?" interrupted Sai. "I mean, seven Guardians? Sure, we've kept our Light usage to almost nothing...but there's still seven of us."
"...you're right." Eris paused, now sounding paranoid. Well, more paranoid than usual. "Something's wrong. We made it her too quickly-" There was a hollow roar, and a rush of flame. Suddenly, arising in a perfect circle around the region of Hakone, was a massive barrier of emerald fire. As the ethereal flames grew thicker and taller, Eris hissed. "A ritual of deterrence and protection...designed to keep us out...no, we've been allowed to come here-!"
Erupting from within the great hole in the Earth was a distant but distinctive shriek: Omnigul, the Will of Crota.
And then the Seeder Ships began to dispel immense quantities of Hive, and Tomb Ships burned into reality from the Ascendant Realm, depositing the Spawn of Crota by the dozens. It was mass of hateful flesh and tooth and claw and blade, all streaming towards their position.
"...well, we've got ourselves in a bit of a pickle," murmured Jaren Ward, spinning the barrel of the Last Word.
"Then we've got nowhere to go but forward, right?" asked Asuka-2, cracking knuckles. "All of you: stay behind me, keep them off my back, and pick off any stragglers that get too close to you."
"...what are you going to do?" asked Shinji Ikari.
Mari always loved hearing that question. 'And cue the one-liner!'
"I'm a Titan." The air around Asuka-2 began to charge with electrical energy, built-up and unused after many long days of traversing Old Japan. "I'm gonna clear the way."
'...eh, not your best.'
Mari.
'Yes?'
Shut up.
And so the Titan let loose the Fists of Havoc, screaming bloody murder at the murderous Hive as she charged down the mountainside, thundering into the horde with all the force of a speeding train.
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
She should have gone with "I'm a Titan. Your existence is now invalid."