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Disclaimer: All Adventure Iczer-3 characters are owned by AIC.  All
original characters, and story, copyright author.
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Normality Squared
(c)1999 R. Alexander Spoerer

     "Next stop, Shibuya.  Repeat, next stop Shibuya."
     The doors slowly opened, and let out the throng of people that
were packed into the train.  Like ants, they scurried off toward
their connecting trains, eager to get home from a weary day of
relentless activity.
     She was no different.
     Well, that was not exactly true.  She was in fact very
different, but not in the manner that most people thought.
     After all, not many people have seen this world destroyed,
and then reconstructed in the blink of an eye.
     These thoughts idled through her mind as she approached
the ticket reader leading to the next line.  She took out her rail
pass, fed it into the machine, and retrieved it when it appeared
on the other side, continuing on toward her next train.
     As she approached the steps, she reflexively looked up at the
sign that stated "Tokyu Line", checking which platforms had trains
leaving where she wanted to go.  Satisfied with the results of her
glance, she climbed up the steps, surrounded by the masses as they
also clamored to reach the platform. Silently she cursed as her train
left the station, picking up a slight breeze as it sped by her.  She
would have to be patient and wait for the next train with the others.
     There was a time when she would have just would have appeared
at her intended destination.  However, early on she learned that
would only attract unwanted attention.  Not to mention the fact that
by teleporting where she wanted to go would not help her achieve
her goal of understanding Humanity.
     She felt it was the least she could do considering she would
have wiped out this entire species not too long ago.
     With a free hand, she adjusted her jeans.  That was definitely
one thing that she had trouble with initially.  The clothes Humans
wore were multi-layered, and a bit restrictive, especially for
females.
     Mentally, she corrected herself.  Women not females.  Sometimes
the language also left a lot to be desired.
     Her thoughts were interrupted when the train arrived, its doors
sliding open like the gaping maw of some twisted creature, hungry
for its next set of victims.
     All on the platform pushed into the train, until no more could
fit.  The doors slid shut the beast more than satisfied with its
catch.
     People were pressed up on all sides against her.  She hoped
today that no one tried to grope her.  Unfortunately, as much as she
would love to dispatch whoever did such a thing that would not be the
Human thing to do.  The Human way was to report such an incident
to their "authorities", which would then fine the perpetrator.
     Too bad that most of the authorities were male, and they could
care less about one woman being fondled in a public place.
     She rolled her eyes as she mentally corrected herself, again.
Men not males.  Why in the multiverse did these beings persist in
using three to four different ways to refer to the same thing?
     Various grumblings paraded through her mind as the train
continued toward its destination, relieving itself of passengers
at every stop.
     "Next stop, Hiyoshi.  Repeat, next stop Hiyoshi."
     The train came to a stop, and she exited at Hiyoshi station
with a throng of other people.
     She stepped onto the escalator, and slowly rose to the top level
of the station, which served as the exit.  Through the ticket reader
she walked, this time she did not have to concern herself with her
rail pass, since she was leaving.
     Outside the lit station, it rained slightly.  It was difficult
to see things, but the lights from the signs and intermittent
streetlights helped to illuminate the traffic-clogged streets.
She took out her umbrella and opened it.  As she ventured out into
the soft rain, she took note of a cordoned area where renovation
was occurring around the entrance of the station.
     She snorted in contempt as she walked past the blemish.  It has
already been a year since they begun renovating this station.  Sure
it was better than before, but that was way too long for a project
such as this.  Of course, this was not her concern, since she had far
more important issues to deal with in her life than to worry about
the laziness of construction workers.
     Onto the street she stepped, and continued to her destination.
It was not far now, only about a block away from the train station.
She smirked as she crossed a narrow street.  After a forty-minute
commute from Tokyo to Yokohama, walking a block was not much of a
trip.
     She desperately looked forward to a bath when she arrived home.
     Upon saying that word, she almost stepped into a deep puddle,
but managed to avoid it, trudging onward.
     Home... There was another word that she did not understand
the meaning of until about three years ago.  That was when she
decided to stop wandering the universe, and find out what did her
sisters' see in this world.  What was it they would stop at nothing
to protect.  Especially to the point of killing her...
     A shudder traveled down her body as that particularly
unpleasant memory reared its head.  Desperately, she wished she could
forget that, but it happened and that she could not deny.  Hopefully
by trying to live as a Human she could find out why her older sister
did what she did.
     She smiled again as she realized she approached her home.  She
could see the apartment building through the haze of the rain.
     It has been hard, but so far she felt she was beginning to
understand what it was that her sisters admire about this world and
its people.
     Especially with Yoriko's help...
     Her lithe frame shivered as she thought of Yoriko.  The one
person she had come to care deeply about during her short time on
Earth.
     Yoriko was not the most impressive that Humanity had to offer,
but she did not care.  She loved Yoriko with all the heart she could.
Just thinking about her lifted her mood.
     Yoriko loved her regardless of who she was, or had been.  That
love had helped heal the deep wounds that had been inflicted from
everything that had happened to her.
     And shortly she would see her black haired beloved.
     It was, after all, only several steps away to their door.

******

     Yoriko finished placing the last of the vegetables for dinner
into the pot when she scanned the counter top to make sure she had
not forgotten anything.
     A smile appeared on her face.
     "That should be everything.  Just in time too, since she should
be back any second now."
     As if on queue, the door to the apartment opened and Yoriko
heard the deep voice of her love.
     "Tadaima!"
     "Okairinasai!" Replied Yoriko as she turned to face the entrance
of the apartment.
     There she stood, the one she held the keys to her heart.  She
was removing her shoes, being careful not to drip water outside
of the foyer.  Her red hair almost touched the floor as she bent to
place her sneakers near the collection of other shoes near the door.
After placing the umbrella down in a corner of the foyer, she looked
up at her with those crimson eyes.
     Yoriko felt as if she would melt right were she stood, but she
managed to walk up and embrace the redheaded valkrie before her.
     "Welcome home, Iczer-2."

******

     Iczer-2 heard Yoriko's warm greeting as she held her in her
arms.  She squeezed Yoriko against her, feeling her warm body against
hers.  Iczer-2 moved her face toward Yoriko's ear, and whispered.
     "Yoriko, you shouldn't call me that...  Remember?"
     Yoriko looked up at her, a bit embarrassed, "Sorry...  I keep
forgetting.  It's just so hard to think of you as Nagisa, when I know
who you really are."
     It was ironic that the name she chose to exist on this world
by would be the one of her sister's love.  In some ways, Iczer-2
thought it appropriate, since she had been responsible for Nagisa's
death the first time around...
     Pushing that other unpleasant memory to the back of her mind,
Iczer-2 smiled softly as she brushed Yoriko's cheek.
     Yoriko shuddered at her touch, and looked into Iczer-2's
eyes.
     "I'm so happy to see you.  A day is too long to be away from
you."
     Iczer-2's smile widened.
     "I do have to go to school, Yori-chan.  After all, how can I
live in this society without having some way of supporting myself?"
     "Well, I have a job."
     She shook her head, "That may be so, but you have already
experienced school.  I need to experience it as well if I am to truly
be Human, remember?"
     Yoriko moved her arms around Iczer-2's neck, and looked deeply
into her eyes.
     "As far as I am concerned, you are as human as I am."
     Iczer-2 felt a sensation well up within her that caused her to
embrace Yoriko tighter to her.  She rubbed the tip of her nose
against Yoriko's playfully.
     "Yoriko, you are more precious to me than anything..."
     Yoriko cut off Iczer-2 by brushing her lips against Iczer-2's
in a soft kiss, and once again looked deeply into Iczer-2'eyes.
     Iczer-2 could feel Yoriko's thought enter her, carried on a wave
of strong emotion.
     `I know, my love.'
     They once again kissed the emotions between the two freely
passing between both their bodies and minds.  Iczer-2 could feel the
love and passion from Yoriko and lost herself within it.
     Before living on Earth, Iczer-2 never really understood
why Iczer-1 selected Nagisa as a partner, but over the three years
she lived with Yoriko, she now understood.
     The greatest bond between two people was love.  That was why
Iczer-1 and Nagisa were so strong.  Ever since she shared herself
with Yoriko, both mind and body, she has been happy.  Yoriko helped
to balance the darkness with her light.  She was now a better person
because of love...
     Because she loved a Human...
     How ironic...
     `Ini-chan?'
     They broke the kiss, however, continued to hold each other,
and stared into each other's eyes.  Iczer-2 replied to Yoriko without
opening her mouth, and shared her thoughts with her lover.
     `Yes, Yoriko?'
     `Stop thinking about it.  Isn't it enough that we love each
other?'
     At that, Iczer-2 smiled and nodded.
     `You're right, Yoriko.  It is enough.'
     Yoriko released herself from Iczer-2's embrace, and walked back
to the kitchen, "Good, then go ahead and get comfortable, dinner
should be ready soon."
     Iczer-2 nodded, and walked into the apartment itself, "Ok."
     As she sat down at the only table within the apartment,
she continued to smile as she watched Yoriko finish preparing
dinner.
     She was now beginning to understand why Iczer-1 did what she
did.
     How ironic indeed...


[Author's Notes]

     Well, I'm not sure where this story came from, but it was fun to
write.  Iczer-2 is one of my favorite characters, and I've always
wanted to write a story with her, but never got around to it.  As you
can probably guess, this version of Iczer-2 came from after the
Adventure Iczer-3 series.  I know that many people will think that
she is OOC, but I believe that she will eventually come to the same
way of thinking that Iczer-1 and Iczer-3 have.  What better way to
understand those that she sought to destroy than the live among them.
Of course, Iczer-2 never expected to fall in love, but such is life,
ne?

Also, in case you are wondering, yes there is a Tokyu line, and yes
it does go from Shiuya station in Tokyo to Hiyoshi in Yokohama.
That was the route I used to go on commuting back and forth between
home and school.

Ini-chan = Iczer + 2(ni) + Chan.  Cute, huh? ^_^

Comments and critiques are welcome and appreciated.  Send it
privately,
since the list doesn't need any more traffic.  Flames will be sent to
the
circular file for further reference.  ^_^


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R. Alexander Spoerer                               |"Kancho also means
spyyy.."
EVARPG List Moderator/Staff Writer      |       -Maki Izumi, Nadesico
E-Mail: iczer2@generalagents.com           |"Watashi wa hinhi ja
nai.."
WWW: To be announced shortly...          |       -Rei Ayanami, EVA