Shamshel laid still while considering what options to take. Well, the 90 + tons of Biomechanics standing on top was helping a great deal in creating time for contemplation. Self destruction had the highest probability of success at sixty eight point nine two percent chance of completely destroying the obstacle. With a mental sigh it made final preparations.
A limp arm dangled before it as the obstacle moved about. New calculations were made and a new plan of action was decided upon. Ever so slowly, a tentacle reached up and wrapped around Unit 01's arm. There would be pain as this wasn't the attack configuration chosen for its manifestation, but it would be worth the small sacrifice of its inner core energies to make the conversion. It knew that if this didn't work then there wouldn't be enough energy to do anything else. With a quick dart the tentacle tightened around the Eva's arm and the painful merger began. Thick veins ran up and bridged the gap of the nearly severed limb. The arm was pulled back together as the thick tendons breached armor and made its way up the shoulder. Then it found the source of the obstacle and the merger continued.
“Unable to eject the arm. Thirty precent of 01 has already been compromised by the angel's attack!” Shigeru yelled as Ranma's cries of pain filled the control room.
“It's right outside the plug,” Ritsuko reported. “The angel is attacking the pilot's mind. We got to get him out of there! His ego border will collapse at any moment now!”
“Eject the pilot!” Misato instantly commanded. Connections were explosively disconnected, but were reformed by pulsing veins. The plug was held in place and the solid rockets never kicked in as fail safes were taken over.
“Not good! We've lost all connections to 01!” Ritsuko called out as all of the on screen stats flat lined.
“Ranma!” Misato called out in futility.
Shamshel reached out to the obstacle and encountered resistance. Why does the obstacle fight back? Does it know loneliness? Why does the obstacle fight back? It must be made to understand the loneliness. The angel projected all of its pain of loneliness and of the never ending yearning to belong and be whole. It DOES know loneliness. The slight agreement and empathy allowed Shamshel to push farther into the obstacles mind. The angel reassured the obstacle that in only a few more moments that neither of them would ever be lonely . . ever again . . . then it hesitated when it saw something that surrounding the obstacle's mind. Something swirled around the obstacle like a stream. Not protecting, but definitely part of it. Shamshel looked closer and was amazed to see so many versions of the obstacle. There was one with it with fighting evil wizards and lords and sometimes fighting with ones that were not bad, but not quite good either. Pokemon, Lemon Flu, cat girls, dragon boys, and rogue PC victim and also PC master. How could they all be so different and yet the same?
Then Shamshel saw itself. It saw itself die again and again. The obstacles were sometimes different, but IT ALWAYS FAILED. That never changed. Shamshel realized that in the grand scheme of things that its existence was VERY insignificant. Somehow, this obstacle had touched and been part of the universe, no, multi universes and is\was\ has succeeded many more times then failure.
Wonder, curiosity and other emotions that Shamshel didn't have a name for as it had no context for them. Was there a way to be part of this greatness? Tentatively the angel pushed into toward the stream and touched it.
The angel screamed as its consciousness began to scatter across the multiverse. Shamshel felt its body start to dissolve as it was pulled and scattered across time and space. The angel despaired as it didn't want to die now. Oh please not yet another failure it mentally screamed. Shamshel wanted to experience a part of the universe. Any part, even this little part would do. But no, all that was left was the angel's core of self awareness and soon even that would be gone. It was another failure among failures.
Hang on. I'm coming to save you!
Who said that? The obstacle was helping! Some how it was gathering some of the pieces that hadn't been lost to the universal stream.
Hey I have a name. It's Ranma. Um, are you a guy or girl?
Which are you?
I'm a guy! I ain't no female.
Then I am what you are not. A female. Shamshel felt the obstacle, no, not obstacle but Ranma. RANMA was willing the pieces together in a hurry. He was using girl models he was familiar with, but he seemed to have trouble focusing on one and it became a blend. A cursed body, Ukyo's arms, Kodachi's legs, Yui's head, a tomboy's mouth and smile, Shampoo's hair, Rei's eyes and skin complexion.
The world came into focus and she... yes she was a she wasn't she? She was falling, then suddenly he was there. He caught her in mid air with red goo dripping in a trail behind him. With a flip they landed on the newly fixed outstretched hand of 01. The veins had all disappeared along with the rest of her old body leaving behind a pristine 01.
Shamshel looked up at the person who had basically brought her back into being. He had made her everything that she was today and would likely play a large part in what would happen to her in the future. She completely trusted him to protect and help her; as she would to do the same for him ten fold. She tried to think of a word that would express this to him.
She had some brief touches with Ranma's memories as he had rebuilt herself. She reviewed what she had seen and realized that there was someone that was to Ranma as she was to him. A trusted person who made him what he was today. She turned to him with a smile and said,
“Pop! Pop! Thank you. Thank you Poppa. You're my Pops!” Shamshel hugged him and enjoyed the novel experience of feeling bare skin against his plug suit. Ranma turned beet red and slumped into her embrace. Obviously helping her had tired him out. She leaned back against 01's hand and closed her eyes to rest as well. Content with the fact that no matter what happened that she was no longer alone in the universes and that her Pop would be there for her.
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(Posted Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:08)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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