01x24 - Never Let Me Go

[bunniefuu]

Our honeymoon was to

the far reaches of space.

The distance before us was staggering.

Yet even so

70 DAYS SINCE PASSING THROUGH GATE

How strange.

It must have been days by now,

but I'm not hungry or sleepy.

Will this keep going

till I become a Klaxosaur?

Are you scared?

Not at all.

I feel like I've become a part of you.

Like I'm expanding within you.

I can feel what you're feeling.

Me too, darling.

Here they come again.

Zero Two, here I go!

I'm ready, darling.

If we join our wings,

there's nowhere we can't fly.

Right now, we're unstoppable.

EARTH

72 DAYS SINCE PASSING THROUGH GATE

Your belly is starting to grow.

We'll arrange for

some maternity clothes for you.

Thank you.

Oh, but I don't want

any special treatment.

On the contrary, as the first mother, you

will set the precedent for future ones.

With that in mind,

we should do things right this time.

All right.

Here we go.

Oh, this is the place.

I'm amazed this is all still here.

Don't go anywhere too dangerous!

-Okay!

-Okay!

No kidding.

I thought the plants were all dying.

It's practically a miracle.

Man, we sure went through a lot here.

Did Mistilteinn leave this all for us?

Yes. We can make a fresh start now.

All right!

There.

What do you need all these documents for?

I've found something I want to do.

You're so good at this!

Then you take this thread and--

Excuse me!

Is there anything I can do to help?

Don't worry. The others are here with me.

I'll be fine.

But I have to do--

-Kokoro!

-Kokoro!

-Out of the way, chubby!

-Don't call me chubby!

Kokoro, eat this.

No fair! Have this too.

Thank you.

We asked Miss Nana

and she said it was okay to bring you.

You eat up and get lots of nutrition!

Right. Thank you.

-All right.

-Back to the fields!

Hang on a moment!

Don't worry, the baby won't be born

while you're away!

Wait!

I'll see you later.

Yes. See you later.

Are Hiro and Zero Two

still fighting up there?

Sometimes, I can hardly bear

living here on Earth without them.

I only wish we could do

something for them.

We all feel the same.

But we can only do what we can right now.

Just like they did.

Do you recognize the stars?

Not at all. We're so far from Earth

that the view is completely different.

Then let's come up with

our own constellations.

Constellations?

Take that star, and that one

Too bad. They were enemies.

Let's go, darling.

All right.

Don't worry. We have no shortage of time.

EARTH

245 DAYS AFTER PASSING THROUGH GATE

-Mitsuru, hurry!

-There he is!

Kokoro!

Here, it's your Papa.

It was the first of the futures we chose.

Way to go, Mitsuru!

You're the first Papa!

And we will never forget it.

So it’s been decided.

Soon thereafter,

we were told about the facility

where the disappeared Children were kept.

Naomi!

Everyone

One step at a time,

as if testing the waters,

we began to devote ourselves

to our new lives,

all of us looking to discover our place.

And another of us made his choice.

All right.

Well, I'm off to see the world.

We're sure to need more parts

and materials for the future.

Not to mention, if there are

any Children still out there,

they'll be all alone and scared.

It will be a long journey,

but hopefully a fruitful one.

Take care.

Are you sure, Ichigo? Won't you be lonely?

Yes.

But this is the right life for Goro.

I'm all ready.

Right. Do us proud!

I won't be outdone by Hiro.

Of course.

Keep in touch

Hey!

Take care, everyone.

Ikuno, I'll keep an eye out

for what you asked for.

Yes, thanks.

See you!

Goodness. He certainly has changed.

People come and go on,

and we keep growing up.

Hiro. Zero Two. How are things for you?

It's a bit lonely here without you.

But we're doing our best down here

to live up to your legacy.

Soon enough,

two years had passed since that day.

Darling.

Darling.

Are you okay?

Sorry. I must have fallen asleep.

That's unusual.

Your body is weakening.

Don't push yourself too hard.

Thanks. But I'm all right.

Zero Two, I had a dream.

A dream?

A dream of the others.

They were living happily.

Right.

Darling, we're closing in

on their home planet.

O living creature,

trapped in your frail body.

VIRM!

Hear our voice.

You're wasting your time!

Your words won't work on my

What?

Is that Hringhorni?

This is our realm.

O frail one, let us release you

from your suffering.

Darling, let's go!

Darling?

Darling!

Darling! Answer me!

Why?

He's so close,

but I can't hear my darling's voice!

Zero Two!

You're so close,

yet your voice is growing distant.

What did you do to my darling?

Merely stroked the surface

of his consciousness.

Flesh has its limits.

He is, in the end, a frail human.

A Klaxosaur entity like yourself

could never connect to him,

however you may seem to do so

on the surface.

No!

Stop!

It's quiet.

Where am I going?

We vowed to be together.

Yet I can't be with you to the end,

all because I'm human?

My darling's consciousness is fading!

Please, I beg you.

Everyone, save my darling.

Darling!

What is it, Ai?

You shouldn't do that.

Papa!

Darling!

What is it, Papa?

Well, you see, Kokoro

Didn't I tell you, just call me "Mama"?

Well, Ai was

Darling!

But how? Ai shouldn't know that word yet.

Wait, could it be?

We have to tell the others!

I heard it once belonged to you.

I wasn't sure if I should show you.

In a way, I'm only here right now

thanks to this mirror.

I should be grateful to it.

Everyone, come quick!

This Zero Two is connected

to the one in space?

It's only a hunch.

But even so,

how do we communicate from our end?

We'll connect, too! All of us, together.

And so we began praying to the heavens.

Night and day,

the number of worshipers grew.

All of us crying out

to that faint, distant hope.

I can hear them!

The voices of our friends!

Can you hear them too, darling?

Listen! We're all working hard down here!

We've never forgotten you two!

Not for a single day!

The 13th Unit feels

a little lonely without you,

but we've got loads of new friends, too!

I'm not letting you two show me up!

I'll carve my own path, just you watch!

You heard him! We're going to

find happiness, no matter what!

We've resolved to live

the rest of our lives to the fullest!

Hiro! We've named our child!

Just like you once named us!

"Ai." A word we were never taught.

The old books said it means love,

like the bond we have.

Just like you, we want to pass this love

down to our child.

That's what we've decided!

I can hear everyone's voices.

Love

That's right. Humans are strong.

Zero Two?

This is something you started, my darling.

They're crying out that

they want to live together, to stay there.

I'm no hero.

I did what I did out of selfishness.

Charging forward without a thought,

and making trouble for everyone.

But that was how badly you wanted to live.

That's why you cried out to me

that you wanted to stay here.

To me, you were larger than life.

Even your pained face, and your tears.

You were everything human

that I wanted to be.

Then we were joined by our kiss.

A kiss means you're mine. You're special.

It was chance that we met,

fate that we fell for each other.

Now, say my name, darling!

Zero Two!

Come, let's become one!

For we are Jian birds!

I can feel your blood flowing within me!

Filling me to the tips of my fingers

with you!

I'm so happy to have met you all!

I'm so glad I was born!

Darling, I love you!

Me too, Zero Two!

I love you!

Implant, start!

What?

Not yet!

Together, we're going to rewrite

the end of the picture book!

Zero Two. I'm becoming one with you.

You are me.

And I am you.

I have a feeling we'll soon disappear.

But the path we took will remain.

For the others will carry on.

It matters not how long.

As long as we have souls, someday,

I will meet you once more on our planet.

I love you, Zero Two.

And I love you, darling.

You beings called souls.

Will you return to the ancient prisons

of your bodies?

Will you once more be bound by

the emotions of grief and suffering?

We are VIRM, and we are eternal.

Surely we shall meet again

in the course of your evolution.

As long as the aberration known as life

remains in the universe.

It's over, then.

Did our prayers reach them?

They did, I just know it!

Thanks to them,

our planet was given a second chance!

Mama?

It doesn't matter how long it takes.

Just make sure you come home, you two.

We'll carry on, so that this planet

will always be ready for your return.

Hey

That light shone down on us

for three days and three nights.

Some days later, their battle done,

the Klaxosaur fleet came back to Earth

and burrowed down,

returning to the ground.

Perhaps, Mr. Hachi said, they were leaving

this planet in humanity's charge.

3705 DAYS SINCE PASSING THROUGH GATE

Another eight years went by.

In restarting our lives on this planet,

we made one vow.

To stop using

the scarce remaining magma fuel.

It's what unites the Klaxosaurs,

and something dear to this planet.

That decision brought us

no end of hardship.

We had to become self-sufficient

despite starting with nothing.

With the scant remaining food

as a starting point

We had to make what we needed to live,

one thing at a time.

We also wrote a new ending

for the picture book.

That way,

the two lovers could be together forever.

And we could pass your story on

to the children of the future.

You're a terrible artist.

MY BELOVED DARLING

What is there that we can do for them?

We're neither Adults nor Children,

but something in between, and ageless.

Surely our duty is to stay by them,

by humanity,

and continue ensuring their futures.

Always so stiff.

I have no emotions, after all.

Instead, I have you.

If you stay by my side,

might I perhaps be able to change?

Hey! Hachi!

Come here!

All right. I'll see you later, then.

You are changing. You and I both.

We'll all keep on changing.

ENTRANCE CEREMONY

Sure makes you realize

just how many little squirts we got now.

Mr. Zorome!

Miss Nana was mad at you

for skipping the meeting!

She was!

Teachers don't have to go to meetings!

And for being cheeky, you get this!

Take that! And that!

Excuse me!

Miku.

Quit slacking off

and help with the preparations!

Shut up! I was just getting to it.

Oh, really? It didn't look like it.

Shut up already!

I've got a lot on my plate!

Like what?

Lots of things

Those two were at it again.

It's the one day we can all get together,

and they're still the same as ever.

Okay. All seems fine.

It's growing healthily.

Thank you, Ikuno.

So you're going to be a mom, Ichigo.

I wonder what the baby will be like.

Ikuno! We're here!

Futoshi

I brought samples of my latest recipe.

I thought

you were going to lose some weight?

Oh, shove off.

Besides, it's Ikuno's fault

I got my appetite back.

Ikuno's research is what slowed

us former Parasites from aging.

Don't sell your baking short.

All the children here

were raised on your bread.

I hear Kokoro is expecting her fourth.

Me too.

You're not far behind.

Go on. Don't mind us.

All right.

Where's Goro?

He'll be here soon.

Still off traveling?

He did say, though.

That he would stay with you for a while,

for the sake of your child.

Yes.

Man, we've really grown into adults.

Says the guy who is a child inside.

We ended up pretty different

from the Adults we knew, though.

What does it matter, as long as

we're good adults for our children?

Hiro. Zero Two.

We're living our lives our own way now.

It was the two of you who taught us that.

To enjoy everything.

To sometimes fight back.

To persevere.

To approach everything not

half-heartedly, but with all our might.

To try to understand each other.

To decide our fates for ourselves.

To be true to our feelings.

To be someone else's wings.

All the things that make us human, I'm

sure you two knew more than anyone else.

Someday, I know

Yes. Someday, I know

Slow down, or you'll trip!

I'll be fine!

That hurt.

Are you okay?

Who are you?

Me?

My name is

AND A NEW STORY BEGINS