01x22 - Stargazers

[bunniefuu]

No man ever steps in the same river twice.

It's an old saying Hiro once taught me.

All things change.

All things will pass,

and nothing stays forever,

but rather flows on, like a river.

That's a fundamental truth.

No one can change it.

I find myself

recalling those words often lately.

In this world with no Papa anymore.

This world where

we don't have to ride FRANXX anymore.

Okay, open wide.

Come on, Zero Two. Open your mouth, okay?

Excuse me.

Don't you think

we could increase the rations a bit?

No. We only have a year's worth of food.

But the vegetables we planted

are doing well.

Yes. Give it another two, three months,

and we can harvest them.

Right, Kokoro?

Thank goodness

for our plant expert, Kokoro.

I'm no expert. And we won't know for sure

until the harvest.

She's right. Until we can be sure

of a good harvest,

we should maintain the status quo.

Mitsuru, how are the power systems?

With one machine broken and no way

to repair it, we're still losing power.

Futoshi, how about the water purifiers?

They are also starting to fail.

What is it?

Is it okay for us to keep

using magma fuel?

It was originally the Klaxosaurs',

wasn't it?

Well, what else can we do?

How else will we survive?

We can't even preserve food

or treat injuries without it.

Well

I'm sorry. I need to rest for a bit.

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

What do you think, Hiro?

About using magma fuel.

At any rate, we have to survive.

Let's focus on making that happen.

Cheer up!

Ichigo.

I know, you can't right now.

I wasn't being serious.

I'm really sorry about Zero Two.

I've said it before, but if

there's anything we can do, just say so.

We're all worried.

I'm sorry, Ichigo.

Don't apologize, dummy.

Code 015! We have a problem

I heard.

You've been refusing food since yesterday.

Eating it will only prolong this state.

What we need is maintenance.

I'll leave your food here.

Damn it.

I understand the situation.

However, I cannot make decisions

without Papa's authority.

Please! If things go on like this,

eventually, we won't be able to survive!

So it would seem.

Thanks.

We just need the crops to do well

so we can stop worrying about food.

Then we'll actually be able

to think about the future.

I talked with the new Miss Nana.

But when I mentioned the generators

and water purifiers

She said nothing could be done.

Yes.

The outside world is an unforgiving place.

We run into stumbling blocks

with everything we do.

At this rate

"No man ever steps

in the same river twice."

That saying Hiro once taught us.

I find myself recalling it a lot

these days.

Hopefully, both Hiro and Zero Two

can recover.

Yes.

More of them?

But why?

Are you okay? Don't overwork yourself.

Thanks, but I'm fine.

Besides, my fever has gone down.

Okay.

Sorry, I'm late.

Hey, you're looking pale there.

Hiro, you should rest.

I'm fine.

Hiro--

What's happening? An earthquake?

Look!

Is that a Klaxosaur?

No, there's two of them!

They k*lled each other!

Kokoro?

Are you all right?

Yes

Are they attacking Earth again?

Oh, no!

More Klaxosaurs?

Kokoro!

Kokoro, what's wrong?

Kokoro!

-Kokoro

-Go get Miss Nana!

-Kokoro.

-Hurry up!

-I know!

-Kokoro.

The urine test showed evidence

of human chorionic gonadotropin.

According to the database,

it's a hormone released during pregnancy.

Pregnancy?

What's that?

Furthermore, Children in this state

are unable to ride FRANXX.

Standard procedure has been an ab*rtion,

forced removal of the fetus.

We will contact you

when we have decided how to handle this.

Wait.

Please, wait!

What should I do?

-Please, tell me!

-Kokoro, calm down!

-Please, tell me!

-Boys, you should leave.

What should I do?

Hiro, what should I do?

Mitsuru, you

Enough.

How would I know?

How does anyone know what to do?

What is the right thing to do?

Zero Two?

Zero Two!

Where are you, Zero Two?

Wait!

Zero Two!

Zero Two, could it be? Are you awake?

Hey, guys!

Come, quick!

No Man, you've got to be kidding.

We worked so hard to raise them.

We watered and fertilized them

just like the books said.

That's

Mr. Hachi!

Nana?

Where are we?

I don't know either. I'm just following

the Doctor's directions.

These are

Records of the Adults.

All the memories saved in their minds

have been copied and archived here.

Become a thought entity

and live in an eternal paradise?

Say, why didn't you just leave me there?

I have no purpose to fulfill anymore.

I may as well have been disposed of.

What is this place?

These are

Naomi?

What's the meaning of this?

Why are all the Children with low aptitude

who were taken from the Garden here?

After the battle in defense

of the Gran Crevasse,

I received a message from the Doctor.

It was set to automatically send

upon his death.

The message contained coordinates

and instructions.

It said to take you here.

And it told us to become adults

for the Children.

And how are we supposed to do that?

Oh, Nana!

I'm so glad you're back!

Help us. Please, help us!

This is only a guess, but all those years

of harvesting of magma fuel

may have depleted

the vitality of the soil itself.

Wait, what? But then

But that would mean

The planet itself is rejecting us.

Ichigo?

Ichigo!

How is Ichigo?

She was overworked, apparently.

That idiot.

Worrying about everyone but herself.

Such an idiot

Hiro!

Goro.

I'm sure you've heard.

We're trying to save the crops!

If we all put our heads together,

I'm sure we can salvage this!

Right?

There she is.

Zero Two! Not again

Hey!

You're going to catch a cold!

Let's go home, Zero Two. Please.

Come on, Zero Two!

Are you sure you'll be okay alone?

I want to watch over her.

All right.

What happened back there? Please, tell me.

What?

I thought you finished this.

"And with that, she transformed

into a bird and flew into the sky

leaving her prince behind."

You knew?

That we would someday be separated,

just like in the picture book?

That's why you kept the last page

Why would you do that?

How could you be so unfair?

No You mean, you

You've gone into the sky?

Mr. Hachi!

Enlarge that spot, please.

Mistilteinn!

That's right.

I heard the soil in Mistilteinn was from

before the world turned to a desert.

Meaning if we start

our agricultural efforts there

It just might work.

I'll go tell the others!

Code 016.

Seriously?

Yes, he said it might work!

All right!

Let's get our butts over to Mistilteinn!

Oh, Hiro.

Hey, you're late, Hiro!

I have something to tell you.

What?

You're going to space?

To find Zero Two?

What are you talking about?

Zero Two is in her room.

Zero Two's mind is still inside Strelizia.

Even now,

she's up there in space, fighting.

Hang on a second. My head is spinning.

And either way, how are you

going to even get to space?

We found something.

A route that the Klaxosaurs left us.

We stumbled across this

while looking for farming sites.

It's a Klaxosaur ship, but oddly enough,

we were able to enter it.

Fight back, or accept your destruction.

The choice is yours.

If I ride this, I can go to space.

So it would seem.

However, its plotted destination is

-Near Mars?

-Near Mars?

Isn't that super far?

Yes.

Can you make it home from there?

I don't know.

You'll be facing those monsters!

Yes, I will.

We're trying to tell you, you might die!

I know.

I know it's reckless.

But I don't think I'll ever forgive myself

if I stay here and do nothing.

So I'm going.

I just wanted to tell you all that.

Goodbye.

Hey!

Wait!

Why now?

Now, when we have just resolved

to work together and start again.

How could you do this now, of all times?

I can't leave Zero Two alone.

We promised.

That even if we were separated, we'd

cross any distance to find each other.

Zero Two kept her end of the promise.

Which means I can't just

resign myself to helplessness.

I do feel bad about doing this to you all.

But I hope you'll understand.

You feel bad, do you?

You hope we'll understand, is that it?

Have you ever once thought twice?

Have you ever truly thought about

the people around you?

You've always been like this.

You make up your mind and plow ahead,

without a thought for others.

Now Papa and the Adults are gone,

but far from being free,

it's just one frustration after another.

Have you considered how scared we all are?

Here we are,

fighting tooth and nail to live,

even though we're helpless

to save those who fall.

How are we supposed to understand?

You'll betray everyone who stood

by you and wanted you to live,

and just leave!

What is it that we're supposed

to understand about you?

Even so, I'm going.

A life without Zero Two's smile

is as good as not living, for me.

Lay off, Goro!

Do you think we could do the same?

What?

Be like him, and leave

everything else behind for something.

It's bound to be different for everyone.

Thank you, Goro.

For what?

All that thinking about others

was bullshit.

It's me.

I'm afraid of the world I thought I chose.

I know.

I'm the same.

Still, "no man ever steps in

the same river twice."

All we can do is look for the path in life

that's right for ourselves.

Just keep searching and searching.

Because our journey is just beginning.

Hey.

Hi.

Where are you all going?

We're going to escort you to Zero Two.

And don't think we're just

doing it for you.

We can't exactly farm in peace

with those guys still up there.

Nor are we just going to wait for them

to come wipe us out.

Exactly! Our new lives are just beginning!

Well, there you have it.

Take care of the place while we're gone.

-All right.

-We're coming along, too.

9's.

Don't get the wrong idea, though.

We were made to fight. So we're just

going to fulfill our purpose.

Outer space isn't a bad resting place.

Well, we don't plan on dying.

Once we come back, we'll plant again,

and survive no matter what.

No matter how unsightly we may be.

Hiro.

You chose this path.

I won't try and stop you anymore.

So I expect the same from you.

This is the path we chose,

so we could live.

So not a word from you.

All right!

All things change.

All things will pass,

and nothing stays forever,

but rather flows on, like a river.

But if that truth makes you shy

from taking a stand in the present,

then all your futures will slip

from your grasp.

Which is why we chose to reach out.