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Blood of the Ancients
An Evangelion Fanfic

Evangelion is copyright Gainax / Project Eva. This is a work of fan fiction, Non Profit, and so on.

This is an elseworlds fanfic. Basically, it's an Evangelion / Fantasy mix... some events will be the same as the series, some will change, and so on.

Conceived and written by:
NegativeZero (Simon Christensen)
dchris1@bigpond.net.au

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Part 1:  Resonance / The Cowled One
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Shinji could never really remember his father. To Shinji, father was an enigma, a person who, for all intents and purposes, might as well have never existed, yet he must have, else Shinji would never have been alive to reflect upon his father's absences. That was fine by Shinji's standards... if he had never bothered to show himself to Shinji, then he must either be a real asshole or be dead. Either way, Shinji didn't expect he'd ever meet him again.

Of his mother, Shinji also remembered little. The odd word, phrase, emotion or sensation was all he could really recall of her. She'd been gone a long, long time. Shinji assumed that she was dead, though none of the people who had taken care of him had seemed to know... or maybe they just didn't want to tell him. Of course, they wouldn't even tell him if he had a name beyond 'Shinji' or 'Hey you'.

It was two days until the Festival of Lights. Having just turned fourteen, Shinji was now considered 'adult' enough to participate in the village dance. That was, of course, assuming that the mothers of the female participants didn't attempt to gut him for being within five meters of their daughters. For some strange reason, the bulk of the village detested the small, shy boy, or so Shinji believed.

And so, being so forcibly removed from the normal interaction with those of similar age to himself, Shinji had developed a reputation of being withdrawn and reclusive, which of course led to further ostracization, leading in turn to Shinji turning even more inward, and so on. It was a vicious cycle, but Shinji made do.

Naturally, his reclusive nature had made him the target of two things - teasing and bullying. The bullying mainly came from the other male teens in the village, almost all of which enjoyed starting fights with Shinji, knowing that the elder members of the community would invariably punish Shinji for having initiated the fight, despite this not really being the case.

The teasing, on the other hand, was a recent occurrence. Evidently many of the village's girls found Shinji's flat-footed performances when talked to wildly amusing. The girls could tease Shinji to whatever point they wished, safe in the knowledge that if he DID try something, he would be well and truly punished.

Of course, most of the village pitied Shinji. Those who made life miserable for him were really only a small bunch - several of the others had tried friendly overtures before, but Shinji never really showed any sign of caring either way. To Shinji's mind, the entire village hated his stinking guts, so these 'friends' were obviously teasing him.

Shinji's life was far from pleasant. Thankfully, the upcoming festivities had deflected attention from him, allowing Shinji to simply sit towards the edge of the road into the village and rest. This way, he could see the comings and goings of the village without being constantly abused or ordered to perform some menial task.

Lying back in the grass, Shinji looked up at the clear blue sky. A single while cloud was visible above. Shinji's idle mind began to attempt to make a shape out of the mass of vapour. That was when the distant sound of a horse's footfalls met Shinji's ears.

Sitting up, Shinji attempted to pinpoint the location of the approaching horse. Instead, his eyes fell upon a figure. It was nearly two hundred paces away, but Shinji could easily make out that the figure was female. His eyes locked with hers for a second, and a quiet voice cried out in pain in his mind, "Shinji... help me!" The sudden surprise of a voice speaking in his head was enough to make Shinji jump, tearing his eyes away from the spectral form.

Shinji turned his head back to look at the strange figure, only to find that she had disappeared. His mind began to wonder if she had indeed been real, or if she had been a heat-induced hallucination. He continued to stare at the spot where she had been standing for quite a while, not realising that the horse and its rider had caught up to him.

"Excuse me," asked a female voice, cutting through Shinji's daydream. "Is this Matsushiro?"

Shinji turned to look at the source of the voice. His eyes started with the horse, a large black stallion, upon which had been placed a blue bridle and saddle. Upon the saddle sat a woman. She wore soft black leather boots, which covered her legs to mid thigh. Above this, she wore a black silk dress and a red travelling cloak, which fanned out behind her. The hood of the cloak was up, concealing much of the woman's face.

Shinji then noticed the sword. It was belted at her waist, a black leather scabbard inlaid with a shiny red metal. The pommel was set with a large, purple stone.

At that moment, Shinji's brain registered that he had been asked a question. "Uhm... yes... ma'am. This is Matsushiro," he replied to her question.

The woman let out a small sigh of relief. "I thought I'd never get here... my butt is killing me!" she exclaimed. "So, kid... where's the inn in this village?" asked the woman.

"It's over this way," Shinji said. "I'll show you."

He led her into the centre of the village, passing several groups of people, all of whom stopped to stare at the traveller - visitors to the village were few and far between. Not only was the village remote, it was in an area surrounded by difficult terrain - to one side was the White Mountains, the highest peak of which, perpetually snow-capped Mt Matsushiro, could be seen from the village. To another side was the blue depth of the Sea of Danura. To the north, the river Torrent entered the sea, and to the south was an expanse of dry, arid desert, where only the hardiest could survive.

Shinji led the woman to the front of the largest building in the village. It was a two-story affair, composed of a red brick that stood out for miles, as the rest of the houses in the village were composed of rough grey stone.

As they approached the Inn, Shinji felt a familiar gaze fall upon him. The innkeeper, a fat, ugly old man by the name of Barturs, was standing outside, alternating between staring at the approaching traveller with greed showing in his eyes, and glaring at Shinji, the boy he had the misfortune of 'looking after'. Barturs hated Shinji, and Shinji didn't like Barturs much, either.

As the woman stepped down, the greasy man approached, grinning and rubbing his hands together, a single gold tooth showing in his mouth. "Good day, Traveller," he began.

The woman's head inclined just slightly in greeting. "I wish to hire a room for... oh, let's say three nights. I'll also need food, both for me and my horse," she said, her voice making it obvious to Shinji that this was someone used to giving orders and having them carried out.

"Of course, of course!" Barturs cried. "And might I say that I'm truly grateful. We get so few visitors here, let alone a visiting Templar." It was obvious that Barturs had recognised the woman's garb. The Innkeeper's gaze fell upon Shinji. "Unfortunate that you also happened across the dregs of our community, too. I trust he didn't steal anything?"

"The boy?" she asked, surprised. "Why no, not at all..."

Barturs continued to glare at Shinji. "Hey you, take her horse and put it in the stables. NOW!" he roared.

"I need to talk to whoever is in charge in this Village," the woman said.

"Of course, of course! I'll call the council to meet in the Inn. Let me show you your room!" the Innkeeper responded.

At that point, the woman's horse reared back, baring its teeth at a startled Shinji, who was barely holding onto the reigns in two hands.

"I'm sorry, he can be rather temperamental around people he doesn't know," the woman said. "I'd better give you a hand with him... he can be quite a handful."

As she took the reigns from Shinji, the horse instantly calmed down. She and Shinji walked around the side of the Inn to the stables entrance, where she handed the reigns to Shinji. The horse merely looked at him.

"I trust you can handle him from here?" the woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied in his quiet voice.

"Thanks. So, what's your name, kid?"

"Shinji," he replied.

"Just Shinji?"

"I don't have any other name than that," Shinji replied quietly.

The woman finally raised one hand and pushed back the hood of her cloak. Her long hair was black, so glossy that it caught the light and took on a purple hue. Her dark brown eyes smiled at him from a face that was split by a warm grin.

"It must be hard living with an old fart like that," she said. Somehow she knew his relation to Barturs. "My name's Katsuragi. Misato Katsuragi."

"I'll take good care of your horse, Miss Katsuragi."

"Misato is fine. I'm sure you'll take more than adequate care of him," she smiled at him again, then flicked a small object towards him. It glinted gold in the light spilling in from outside.

Shinji caught it in one hand. He stared at it, not sure whether to believe his eyes. A gold coin! With just one, Shinji could buy several horses.

"Spend it wisely, Shinji. I'd like to talk with you again a bit later," Misato said as she turned and entered the Inn proper, his shaky words of gratitude following after.

The smell of freshly baked bread and cider assaulted Misato's nostrils as she entered the Inn. A small landing led out into the stables behind her. Judging from the smells, the Inn's cellars were to her left, and the kitchens to the right. Before her lay the entrance to a decent sized common room.

Misato quickly made herself at home in the room, selecting a good chair and table which afforded her a view of both the back and the front entrance. It was unlikely that anything or anyone would attack her in a remote place such as this, but she could never be too careful. Carelessness was a sure fire way of ending up in an early grave.

The purple haired woman's eyes lit up as she noticed a large keg situated behind the counter of the bar. The other two patrons of the inn, both appearing to be farmers or something similar, watched in curiosity as Misato approached the bar, to where a small, wrinkly old man waited.

"What can I do for you, my Lady?" he asked. "Some mulled wine, perhaps? Cider?" the man's oily grin and supercilious manner stirred up an instant dislike in Misato.

"Beer," she replied gruffly. "A pint," she added as he reached for a small glass. Looking up at her quizzically, he produced a large glass that he filled to the brim from the keg behind him.

Misato returned to her table and sat down. Then, to the utter amazement of the other three men in the room, she promptly upended the beer into her mouth, drinking furiously.

"YEEHAAAAAAWWWW!" she cried with a loud belch. Slamming the now half empty tankard down on the table, she threw her feet up, slouching back.

It was at that moment that a group of aging men entered the Inn through the front door. Barturs greeted them as they entered the common room, motioning for them to take a seat. They pulled chairs out and arranged them in a rough circle before sitting down, all the while casting surreptitious glances towards Misato.

"M'lady, the Village Council has come as you requested," Barturs said as he approached Misato's table. She nodded to him as she stood and approached the circle of elders.

They looked on with interest and a small amount of suspicion as she approached. Pausing for a second, Misato dug into her small bag and withdrew a rolled sheet of parchment. Unrolling the paper, she began to speak.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," she began. "I am Misato Katsuragi, Captain, first class. I am here on official business for Duke Ikari."

"The High Templar? What does he want from us this time?" asked one of the men, a wizened old man with huge shoulders, evidently a retired blacksmith.

"The Dark Queen stirs. The seals that bind the Shito in their prison weaken. The High Templar is gathering anyone with magical talent that we might fight the Shito in the event of another awakening."

The village elders looked shaken by this news. It had been nearly seven hundred years since one of the Shito had awakened. His power had shaken the world... it had taken the combined might of the free peoples to destroy him, and at great cost, especially to the magical energy of the planet.

"How... How can we help?" asked one of the elders quietly.

"I am here to test all the youth in the village. Any with Magical talent must accompany me to Tokyo, where they will be trained. I'd like to perform the testing as soon as possible... the return trip will be long, and the testing procedure takes around half an hour per person, sometimes longer. How many between the ages of fourteen and sixteen are there in the village?"

"About twelve," one elder replied. The others nodded.

"Could you please ask each of them to come here? I'll get started with this right away."

-- // --

It was dark. What light there was only managed to lengthen the shadows and make the swirling mist surrounding the throne seem even more threatening. The throne itself stood upon a wide dais, five smooth black marble steps separating the highest level from the ground. A long, purple carpet flowed down the steps and off into the dark fog. The throne was obsidian, and the figure that lounged upon it was so concealed in shadow that it could not be seen, with the exception of two eyes, which burned with a faint, cold blue light. Had the figure not been in deep shadow, the glow from its eyes would have been imperceptible.

The eyes still struck fear into the only other figure present. His was a tall figure, clad in a dark blue-green cloak. The cloak was pulled close about his shoulders, concealing much of his body. Beneath the cloak, armour was visible, a supple, light suit made of a strange, leather-like substance. His hood was pulled forward, concealing his face. The only adornment he wore was a red jewel, set in the centre of his chest as a brooch, holding his cloak about his shoulders.

He was the weakest of his kind. An irony, he thought, that he should be the first to be fully released. He could remember the time when his fellows would all kneel before the throne. Surely, his arriving first would gain favour in his Queen's eyes, causing her to elevate his position? He had always coveted a higher position... yet had always been denied it, not for lack of ambition or skill, but lack of opportunity. Despite the amount of fear he felt approaching the throne, the feel of the eyes upon him following his every move, the cloaked figure approached  with an air of confidence, sinking to one knee before the dark figure, his head bowed.

"So, you are the first..." the dark figure upon the throne mused. "Unexpected... but I shall make do." The voice, was cold as ice, quiet, yet sharper than a knife. The menacing voice was also female. "Rise, Cowled One," she said to the figure before her.

'Cowled One'. That was the name that he had been given when he entered the conclave. In the tongue of the Ancients, his name was Sachiel. However, if his Queen wished to call him by another name, he would not argue. She could call him 'toad' and snuff him from existence if he were to complain.

"My Queen," Sachiel said as he slowly rose to his feet.

"I have instructions for you. You are to -- Who?!!" the dark figure was cut off mid sentence as a figure suddenly appeared in the throne room. It was a young boy, who looked around with no small sense of surprise, his eyes scanning the darkness before coming to rest upon the throne, and the figure before it. Then, as suddenly as the apparition had appeared, it was gone.

"Who was that?!" Sachiel asked, surprised.

The figure had regained her composure instantly. "I don't know. Only those with the blood of the Ancients can enter the dream world at will. But he seemed to be a human. For a human to come here, even by accident... he has power."

"He was just a boy… what threat could a child possibly be?"

"Track him down!" she ordered with a snarl. "Find him, and when you do, bring him before me. His power may be enough to break my bonds. And he may have overheard us... I would not have anyone know that I can communicate despite this prison they have put me in."

"What if I cannot bring him to you alive?"

"If he resists, kill him."   

Sachiel bowed once. His form then shimmered, distorted and disappeared.

-- // --

Shinji's eyes popped open, and he sat forward with a gasp. Groaning, he rubbed his face and looked around, trying to get his bearings. Odd - he'd fallen asleep in the stable hayloft. He'd only sat down for a minute to rest, and the next thing he knew he was asleep and dreaming. The dream seemed to have called to him... it was a strange dream, too. He could still remember one instant of it - it did not fade away like a regular dream. He'd been dreaming of the usual things, and then suddenly he had been thrust into a dark, shadowy chamber. The two figures in the chamber had seemed as surprised to see him as he had them. Then the one on the throne had looked at him. Her eyes seemed to pierce his very soul. That had been when he'd woken up.

He just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. He felt odd, cold as if someone had shoved him into an icy pond... yet the evening was still warm. He also had a slight headache... and a bellyache, although the latter was because he was long overdue for a meal.

Plucking stray bits of hay from his hair, Shinji promptly descended into the stable, and then entered the Inn, turning left into the kitchen. The cook was still there, along with several of her helpers. When he entered, she looked up at him. She was a fat old lady with an even temper and a ready smile. She was also one of the few people who didn't seem to mind Shinji.

"You'll be wanting some food, I suppose?" she asked him with a grin.

Shinji nodded with a small smile. One of the cook's helpers giggled slightly, though whether it was over Shinji or over some shared joke between her and another helper, Shinji had no idea. It could well have been both. Looking away, he missed the quick glance she passed in his direction.

"Right! Megumi, give the boy something. Maybe some of the leftover beef roast, we've got more than enough," the cook ordered to the giggling girl, who stopped giggling at that point and flashed Shinji a venomous glare. Shinji missed this, though; he was in the process of seating himself at the kitchen table. He didn't dare eat in the Inn's common room.

At that point, Misato entered the kitchen. She rubbed at tired eyes, yawning, as she sat down beside Shinji, not seeming to notice him. She'd just spent six and a half hours testing every boy or girl that the Village Council could lay their hands on... even some that were a bit too young or too old. She'd found three who had the ability, meaning that they could learn to use magic. But none of the youth in the village had a latent talent, who could use magic to some extent without prior training. The High Templar would kill her if she didn't find him...           

With a sigh, Misato lifted her head to look at the cook. "Do you have any curry?" she asked hopefully. "I need something to wake me up..."

"Oh, I didn't see you come in, m'lady!" the cook responded. "I'm afraid there's not much call for that sort of thing in these parts..."

"No matter," Misato responded. "I just need a beer, and a place to sit away from that bunch of old vultures," she said, eliciting a laugh from the cook.

At that point, Megumi arrived with a plate of food, which she slammed down in front of Shinji with a glare. Despite the glare, he smiled and thanked her. To his surprise, her glare softened slightly, and she flashed him a quick smile before she caught herself. Megumi was Barturs' niece, and had come to live with her uncle after her father had died, which was only a few months back. Shinji got the impression that Megumi got on with her uncle almost as badly as he himself did.

Misato realised then who she was sitting beside. "Hey, Kid... Shinji, wasn't it?" she asked. He nodded in response. "How old are you? Fifteen?"

"Fourteen," Shinji affirmed as he took a bite of the food set before him - for all her glares, Shinji suspected Megumi liked him, and even if she didn't, she could still put together a great plate of food.

"I thought so... how come I didn't see you for testing?" Misato asked.

"Testing?" Shinji replied, confused.

"I suppose I should do it now... one less thing to do in the morning. Ritsu will kill me if she found out that I missed him..." Misato mused quietly. Reaching into a bag at her belt, Misato withdrew two small stones. One was a small, red jewel that Shinji suspected was a ruby. The other was a clear crystal in teardrop shape. A small star was present in the teardrop, seeming to glow. Misato placed the ruby on the table before them, and placed the teardrop in his hand, directing him to hold it.

"Shinji, I want you to clear your mind. Focus on this gem. The Gem is the only thing that exists... you are the gem... what I'm going to ask you to do is try to make the gem glow. Don't think about it... just do it. Keep your mind clear of any stray thoughts, and concentrate on the gem."

Shinji stared at the gem. It seemed to pull at something inside him. He felt himself slowly being pulled into the gem itself. Suddenly, a burst of awareness flooded into him - the gem sang to him. It seemed to resonate inside, like a crystal glass when struck.

Sweat poured down his face, but he barely noticed it. He was too engrossed in the crystal. Somehow he had to make it glow. On a whim, he tried to increase the resonance in the crystal. Nothing happened, but he felt a sudden surge within himself. Realising what he needed to do, he grabbed at that strange surge, forcing it into the crystal. In turn, the crystal began to glow a bright red colour.

Suddenly, the strange sense of oneness he had shared with the crystal disappeared. He returned to his body, panting and wiping sweat from his face. He looked over at Misato, who returned the look with a level, speculative gaze.

"Good... very good. Most people take ten to fifteen minutes to do that... if they can do it at all. That was very quick. You have a high degree of magical aptitude, that's certain." Misato reached out her hand, taking from him the other gem, the teardrop shaped one. "This time, I'm not going to connect you to the Gem. You have to become one with the gem on your own. Make it glow, Shinji. You might find it easier to hold it."

Nodding, Shinji set about his task. He fixed the gem in his mind, and then closed his eyes. Immediately, he felt it, the resonance from within the gem. He could see, in his mind's eye, a myriad of lines and interconnected wisps radiating from the gem. The threads constantly swirled, coming and going like eddying mists.

Shinji tried to grasp one of the threads, and it slipped through his clumsy grasp. Again, he tried, this time succeeding. Immediately, he felt the thread begin to pull him in, just as the previous gem had. Surrendering himself to the pull, he once again found his consciousness within the gem, and he could feel the resonance. This time, though, something within him seemed to resonate in time with the gem. Cautiously, he reached out with his mind to the strange resonance, once again feeling a surge within himself. As he did with the previous gem, he attempted to redirect the surge into the gem. This time, however, the surge resisted him. He was forced to do more than guide it... he reached out and forced the surge into the gem.

Opening his eyes, Shinji stared down at the gem in his hand. It was glowing with a pale light, and within the gem Shinji could see something. The image gradually formed, that of pale, worn looking young man. His eyes were red, and his hair an odd shade of grey. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties, but his eyes belied that. They seemed old, worn by the inexorable tide of time. The man was clad in white armour, wielding a long, slightly curved sword, the hilt of which was constructed from some strange purple metal. Slowly, the image faded from view, and as it went, so did the glow.

Shinji looked up, realising that the image had appeared and disappeared in the space of a few seconds. Misato was directing a strange look at him, almost as if she was weighing and measuring him with her gaze. Quickly, the look dissolved into a smile. "I thought you could do it. Shinji... you have a great gift." Her face became more sombre and serious. "Shinji... I'd like you to accompany me to the Templar Academy in Tokyo. Think about it, and let me know in the morning, okay?"

            -- // --

Rei Ayanami had no memory of her parents. Her earliest memory was that of the man she had come to look upon as father, Duke Gendou Ikari, the High Templar. It did seem mildly curious to her that someone of the Duke's status would bother with her. The only explanation she could come up with was that he needed her for something. And whatever her task was, it was not related to the purpose for which she had been trained throughout her last five years.

Rei was a trained warrior. Five years of training within the Templar Academy had honed her physical and magical skills to a level that would make her, at fourteen, the equal of any hire-sword or mercenary out there. She was still a few years off gaining the level of Templar, but already she had surpassed most of her peers, completing in five years what had taken them seven - and in some cases eight. However, she felt that she was barely touching the tip of the iceberg as far as her potential went. Within her was power - power to be the most powerful Templar ever, but she had no idea how to tap it.

In truth, Rei was receiving extra training as well. The High Templar had been training her in secret even before she was enrolled at the Academy, readying her for the battle that inexorably approached. She had felt it, as had others. The resonance of the land felt somehow disturbed, as if some long-healed wound was aching as a storm approached. The Shito stirred in their tomb. That, apparently, was her purpose, to defeat the Shito and their minions.

As Rei strode through the great marble halls of the Templar Keep, she couldn't help noticing that something felt wrong. Something was out of place, as if it did not belong within the harmony of the land. And the feeling was gradually increasing. It had been increasing all day. Something was coming - and Rei had a suspicion that she knew exactly what it was.

So it was that she found herself approaching the large office from which the High Templar guided and directed his organisation. She opened one of the tall wooden double doors, and stepped into the dimly lit stone-walled room. Pausing for a moment to allow her blood-red eyes to adjust to the light, she took in her surroundings, from the odd carving on the floor and ceiling to the large wooden desk, behind which sat the man she had come to talk to. She barely even registered the other occupant of the room - the High Templar's trusted adviser, Kozou Fuyutsuki.

Gendou Ikari rarely wore the red-lined black armour his rank allowed - it sat on a rack behind the desk, polished and ready for use if needs be. Instead, he garbed himself in a black coat and trousers. Beneath the coat, Rei could see he wore a red shirt, as she would have expected. One did not simply mix and match the parts of the uniform of the Templar. The only addition that he made to the usual uniform was a set of white leather gloves. In all the time that he had looked after her, Rei had never seen his hands - he wore the gloves perpetually.

His dark eyes flashed in a glare from his bearded face as the door opened, but the gaze softened as he recognised his visitor. "Rei. What is it?" he asked quietly.

Quietly, Rei told the High Templar of her unease. "Something is wrong. There is a disturbance..."

"I know. I have been feeling it for days," Gendou replied, irked.

"It grows stronger. They return." Rei's tone left no doubt that she was certain of what she spoke.

"Are you sure?"

"I have felt it."

"Strange that I haven't," Gendou now sounded intrigued. "Was that all?" he asked her. Rei simply nodded slightly. Turning, she quietly glided from the room.

"There can be no mistake?" Fuyutsuki asked as the door shut.

"No. She was certain."

"Then..."

"Yes. The Shito awaken."

-- // --

Shinji did not sleep well that night. He lay in his bed in the Inn's attic, tossing and turning in the grips of fevered dreams. The dreams consisted of strange images rolled together - and throughout them all, he was being pursued by an unknown, cloaked figure.

He was being pursued through a maze this time. Whenever he looked back, he saw the cloaked figure slowly gaining upon him. The maze itself consisted of black granite walls, the floor composed of hard packed earth. There was a strange illumination in the maze, lighting his path, although he could not see any source for the light. All he knew was that he needed to run. His pursuer must not catch him, or he would be worse than dead. And so, Shinji ran, taking random turns and hoping he would not run into a dead end.

Finally, Shinji had exhausted himself. He could run no further without taking a rest. Looking around, he could see no sign of his strange pursuer, so he assumed it was safe to stop and catch is breath for a second.

At that moment, a hand reached out and grabbed Shinji's arm. "A simple chase..." muttered the voice of his pursuer. "We were afraid of one such as you?"

Shinji could not see his captor. Nor could he shake his grip. The hand, gloved in blue-green leather, was too strong.

"Wh... Who are you?" Shinji asked with no small level of fear.

"Among my people, I was called Sachiel. 'The Cowled One'"

"What do you want from me?"

"My Queen directed me to bring you to her. You may come alive or dead, it is up to you."

"This... This is a dream! You can't take me anywhere!" Shinji exclaimed.

"You might be surprised, boy," Sachiel growled.

Shinji's eyes widened... he suddenly recognised Sachiel's voice. What he did next, Shinji could never recall. He must have done something, though, because Sachiel roared in pain, releasing Shinji. Shinji then woke from his fitful sleep with a start, his eyes bursting open.

Misato chose that moment to burst through the door. "Shinji! Get dressed, quickly. We have to get out of here, NOW!"

"What?! What's happening?"

"There was a massive surge of power just before, from this room. And it wasn't from you."

"How do you know?"

"No time to explain! We need to be gone from here, and we need to have left yesterday!"

Shinji realised that Misato was scared. And that scared him. He quickly dressed, and they made their way down to the Stables, where Misato rapidly saddled her own horse, then pulled out another, a fiery red horse that Barturs had conned someone out of a while back.

Despite what the villagers would say, Shinji hadn't stolen a thing in his life. So, as Misato began to saddle the second horse, Shinji couldn't help himself. "Um... isn't that... theft?"

Misato looked over at him with a sheepish grin. "Well... yeah. You need a horse, right? Anyway, It's an emergency!"

"I doubt anyone will buy that excuse..." Shinji responded quietly.

"Quiet..." Misato whispered. "We don't want whatever it is to know we're here."

"What's going on, anyway?" Shinji responded in a whisper.

"I don't know... all I know is that there is something out there with… power... the only things it could be here for are me... or maybe for you."

"Me?!" Shinji exclaimed.

"I'm taking you to Tokyo. Don't argue, okay?"

Shinji nodded.

It was then that the door between the inn and the stables opened. Misato was moving in an instant, red-hilted Katana in one hand. She quickly reached through the doorway, grabbing the newcomer by the arm and hurling them to the ground. The terrified girl let out a pitiful squeak as she found herself suddenly on the stable floor with two and a half feet of sharpened steel hovering above her throat.

"Megumi?" Shinji said, recognising the innkeeper's niece.

"Dammit, Girl! You nearly got yourself killed!" Misato sheathed her sword and helped the girl to her feet. "What are you doing down here at this time of night?"

"I might ask you the same thing." Arms crossed beneath her breasts, she fixed Misato and Shinji with a frown.

"There's... something after me," Shinji said quietly.

"That's right. I'm taking him to Tokyo, right now," Misato added.

"You mean... you aren't going to take me too? I thought you said I had the gift?!" Megumi now looked quite disappointed.

"I'll send someone back to pick you and the other two up," Misato replied. "We need to move! It's getting closer... I think it's in the Inn."

"You promise you'll send someone?"

"I promise."

Before Shinji could move, Megumi ran up to him, grabbed his hand and gave him a peck on the cheek. Stunned, he simply stared at her. "For luck," she explained with a small smile. "Get moving, idiot! I'll see you in Tokyo!"

Misato had a small smirk on her face. "Okay, Shinji... we're going to make a run for it. Lead your horse out... we'll mount outside."

Shinji quickly complied while Misato doused the lantern she had been holding, and then slowly opened the door to the stables. Checking left and right, she motioned Shinji forward.

"GO!" she said in a loud whisper, and took off. Shinji was only a few seconds behind her. They both walked their horses to the shadow of a nearby building. Shinji turned to look back at the inn, just as a massive surge of energy exploded from the windows. The inn was suddenly a bonfire, burning hotter than a furnace.

With the fiery background, it was easy to spot the silhouettes. From the blaze ran three figures. Shinji only recognised one of them - it was Megumi. Stumbling from the blaze, she fell to her knees, coughing. From within the blaze strode another figure, a tall, cloaked shape with large, powerful shoulders. He strode right up to Megumi, reached down and picked her up by the neck, holding her easily two feet in the air. Glaring up at the girl held in his grasp, the cloaked figure sneered. "Where is the boy?" he hissed.

"Wh... What... boy?" the terrified kitchen hand croaked, struggling for breath against the vice-like grip at her throat.

"Megumi!" Shinji shouted before he could stop himself. The figure slowly turned to look at him, and Shinji could feel his grin. The silhouette's arm flexed, crushing the throat of his victim and throwing the corpse to the ground. Her eyes stared into Shinji's accusingly as the spark of life left her young body.

"There you are, boy!" the figure said, his voice dripping with malice.

"Shinji! RUN!" Misato cried from the shadows. "I'll catch up to you."

Shinji didn't think at all. He just turned his horse and galloped away as fast as he could, leaving Misato and the monstrous man behind him. Clamping one hand to his cheek, Shinji rode blindly away from the village.

"You shall not have him," Misato announced as she moved her horse out to block the man's path. He stopped ten feet clear of her, watching Shinji's retreating form. Finally, he turned his attention toward her.

"A Templar?" he asked. Misato inclined her head slightly. "Truly, we have nothing to fear if the Templar are now as weak as you!" he exclaimed, laughing quietly.

"You... a Shito?" Misato asked, finally putting it all together.

"Indeed," he replied.

"Which of them are you?"

"You are about to die, so my name is useless to you."

Misato's eyes widened. She barely had a chance to move before the Shito raised his hand, a ball of energy lancing out to strike her in the shoulder, sending her spinning to the ground, unhorsed. Had she not started moving when she had, it would have struck her full in the chest.

The Templar's vision swam as pain hit her. Sachiel's form stood above her, gloating. In his hand, he held a long dagger. Desperation overwhelmed Misato, and with it a plan emerged. Closing her eyes, she waited for him to get closer. Once he was close enough, she quickly cast one of the few spells she had the power to use safely. A brilliant ball of white light slammed into Sachiel's cowled head, blinding him momentarily. A moment was all she needed. Quickly, she mounted her horse, her teeth clenched at the pain radiating from her shoulder. Luckily, it was not broken, although her dress was ruined and the flesh beneath was burnt and bruised. Whirling her horse, she quickly galloped away from the Shito, trying to put as much ground between them as possible.

Once she had cleared enough space between herself and the still blinded Shito, she whirled about. Pulling out the teardrop gem with which she had tested Shinji, Misato closed her eyes, lifting one hand outstretched before her while the other clutched the gem. The glow in the gem began to intensify, quickly reaching a point where it would have blinded anyone who looked directly at it. A glowing red ball of energy formed in Misato's outstretched hand, slowly gaining size until it was the size of a ripe coconut.

Misato's eyes snapped open as she cast the ball of energy high above herself. Turning her horse, she threw it back into a gallop away from the village, the shattered remains of the gem falling from her grip.

Shinji had hopped down from his horse, and was standing, staring into space, his hand still clamped to his cheek, where the now dead innkeeper's niece had so unexpectedly kissed him. A single tear rolled down Shinji's cheek, and he hung his head, barely aware of his surroundings, or the danger he was in. He certainly wasn't expecting Misato to come barrelling up to him at high speed. Nor did was he expecting her to expend the last of her energy in leaping from her horse to tackle him, bringing him to the ground with a yelled "get down!"

The world went white as Misato's spell detonated.

-- // --

Misato's eyes finally cracked open, her vision slowly focusing on the slightly frightened young man hovering above her.

"Are you alright, Miss Misato?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah," she replied as she forced herself up into a sitting position, one hand going to her head as a headache began to develop.  "I'm alright, all things considered." She chose that moment to move her other arm, and winced in pain as the wound in her shoulder cried out in protest.

"You're hurt!" Shinji cried as he noticed the patch of blackened fabric where Sachiel's energy ball had struck her.

"Don't worry! It's not bad. I'll put something on it later... we need to get out of here!"

"But... didn't you kill him?"

"Kill one of the Shito? No. Not with a spell as weak as that."

Shinji looked shocked. "That was a *weak* spell? You annihilated half the village!"

Misato's eyes fell to the ground for a second as she realised what she had actually done. "I know, I know. It was a stupid thing to do... I didn't have time to think of anything else... that was my last resort," she said quietly, her voice filled with remorse.

"What did you do, anyway?"

"It was just a fireball, but much bigger than normal. Usually, I can only handle enough magic to make a fireball the size of a grape, and the effort of that is usually enough to leave me exhausted.

"I used an amplification stone. It allows me to handle much larger amounts of magical energy without danger... but I drew more than I could safely handle even with the stone." Misato explained as she shakily pulled herself to her feet.

"Anyway, that blast should have hurt him. He'll have run off somewhere to hide and recover. I figure it gave us about a half-day's head start."

"That's it? Twelve hours to recover from a blast that destroyed most of a village?" Shinji asked, astounded. "What chance do we have then?"

"Do you still have the coin I gave you?" Misato asked intently.

"Uh... yeah." Shinji responded, digging the gold coin out of his pocket and showing it to her.

"Here," Misato said as she handed him another coin. "This coin is specially warded. He seemed surprised to find me here, so I'm pretty sure it was you that he was after. That means that he probably has some method of tracking you. Keep those coins on you at all times, and he won't be able to find us. Although, if he's close enough, even that ward won't keep you concealed from him." Misato elaborated as she mounted her horse.

Shinji nodded. Slowly, he mounted his horse, his eyes distant. "Miss Misato... I want to come with you. There's nothing for me here any more."

Misato nodded. "I'm glad to have you come along of your own free will... I wish it could be under happier circumstances," she replied as they set their horses in motion toward Tokyo.

-- // --

They rode all day, stopping twice along the way to eat and give the horses a rest. At the first stop, Misato took the liberty of changing out of her ruined riding dress into her Templar armour. The armour itself was simple - a black breastplate, black knee length mail kirtle, and a red cloak. On the left breast of the breastplate was a white shield, indicating Misato's rank as a captain. On her hands, she wore red-brown reinforced leather gauntlets, and on her feet red knee length reinforced boots. She opted against wearing the helmet, though - it always ruined her hair. As always, Misato's red-hilted sword rode at her waist.

Finally, they set up camp for the night in a small forest, which Misato explained afforded better cover in case the Shito was following them. Misato forbade Shinji to set up a fire of any kind, so they ate their evening meal cold.With Misato handling the food, it tasted even worse than it usually would have, but Shinji didn't notice. He ate mechanically, not uttering a single complaint. After exchanging a few words, Shinji settled down to sleep while Misato sat watch.

Shinji couldn't sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw her face, her eyes gazing into his, somehow accusing him. "Why? Why didn't you save me? Why am I dead, while you live?" Clamping his hand to his cheek once more, Shinji found himself unable to cry. It disturbed him that he could cause the death of another human, yet he could not grieve when she was gone. To Shinji's mind, it was his fault that Megumi had died. Had Shinji never been there, she would still be alive, as carefree and happy as ever. He was no better than the Shito... he might as well have held the girl's arms while the Shito delivered the deathblow.

"I'm sorry..." was all he could say in response.

That morning, Shinji was still preoccupied. As they cleared the campsite and mounted, Misato noticed Shinji's absent gaze and mechanical manner. He'd been the same the previous night... Misato knew what it was that was eating at him, and couldn't help remembering the blood that was now on her hands - she'd surely killed several villagers with that fireball. Finally, as they set up camp that night, Shinji's absent silence got to her.

"Shinji... it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself... he would have killed her regardless. And if you'd stayed, you'd be dead too... or worse."

"I know that, Misato... but I can't help feeling that I should have done more."

Misato then realised that he needed something to take his mind off of recent events. "If you'd had a sword, what would you have done?"

"I don't know how to use a sword..." Shinji replied.

"I can help you with that!" Misato announced. From her saddlebags, she withdrew her spare sword. It was a Katana, much like the one she wore at her waist. It was far less ornate, though, yet just as well crafted. The handle was wood, wrapped in sharkskin then bound with strips of woven brown silk for extra grip. The sheath was lacquered black, and emblazoned with a stylised pine tree in gold paint. "I've had this one for years, Shinji. Its name is 'Matsutaka'... I'd like you to have it."

Shinji considered it, carefully. "I'm not sure if I want to have a sword..."

"You never know when you might need to defend yourself, Shinji... or someone else."

"I don't know how to use it..."

"I'll teach you."

Shinji hesitated for a few seconds before sighing. "Alright..."

That night, Misato led Shinji through a series of drills, teaching him the use of the sword. At first, he appeared to be preoccupied and disinterested, but eventually he seemed to focus on the task, and Misato was amazed at how quickly he began to learn the techniques. Shinji found himself becoming lost in the repetitive series of forms and stances, his mind focused on that one thing, to the exclusion of all other thought. It was a release, and Shinji found himself enjoying the training.

Misato had led Shinji on a winding trail away from Tokyo, zigzagging this way and that. She explained that they would come around and approach Tokyo from the west, through the mountains, making it much harder to track them and also affording them much better cover - the direct route to Tokyo was open grasslands, whereas her looping approach was primarily untravelled roads through forests.

There were, naturally, a number of downsides. One being that the approach would mean a longer, more difficult trek - it would be at least a week until they arrived. The other downside was that the extra cover could be used against Shinji and Misato, making it much easier to spring an ambush upon them. Misato was not worried, for bandits were quite unlikely to jump on a fully armoured Templar, especially one wearing the black that was reserved for the senior warriors and strategists within the organisation. The High Templar himself had worn the same jet-black armour in his younger days.

Each night, Misato spent an hour before they slept instructing Shinji in the use of the blade, including teaching him several sword forms. Shinji, though reluctant at first, proved to be quite a quick learner. He could almost feel his mind and body sharpening under the discipline, which he had never before experienced. He also quickly took over the preparation of food - Misato was adept at making even the simplest of meals taste awful.

Finally, after a week's travel, they arrived at their destination. They stood at an outcropping, staring at the city in the distance below. The sun was just setting, bathing the entire area in an orange glow. The largest part of the walled-in city sported its own protective walls. Within was enclosed a huge area of open ground, including parkland, a small lake and many tracks and fields. This area also sported several buildings, the largest of which was a tall, forbidding black keep. This was undoubtedly the Templar academy and headquarters.

At that point, a group of riders in similar armour to Misato's rode up. The leader's armour was mainly white, and he had also opted not to wear his helmet, revealing his short, slicked back hair and open, moderately handsome face.

"Welcome back, Captain," He nodded to Misato.

"Good evening, Lieutenant," Misato responded.

The Lieutenant glanced at Shinji. "I take it this is the boy?"

Misato nodded. "Sure is, Hyuga. His name is Shinji."

Hyuga turned his attention towards Shinji, who was getting the feeling that something odd was going on. "Shinji, Duke Ikari wishes to speak with you right away," Hyuga said. "He also expects you to report to him and give an explanation for the massive surge of power which flattened half of Matsushiro, Captain"

 Misato did not want to be reminded of that.  "Let's just say that you need to make sure that the walls are all manned. Tell the guards that if a tall man in a dark blue-green cloak tries to enter the city, they need to prevent it. He was wearing strange hide armour, similar shade to his cloak... his hood was up, so I never saw his face. Oh, and his cloak is probably singed or burned in parts. Tell the men to be careful, though. I saw him crush a young woman's neck with one hand."

Shinji found his hand coming up to his cheek again as he heard that.

Hyuga nodded, sending one of his men straight to the gatehouse. Misato thought of one other thing. "Oh, and can you ask Rei to report to me, please? I think we're gonna need her."

-- // --

Shinji couldn't help feeling at least a small deal of trepidation as he slowly walked through the strangely empty stone corridors of the Templar Headquarters. It seemed odd to him that the Templar Academy should be so... lifeless. It seemed foreboding, somehow, increasing Shinji's level of tension.

Finally Misato elaborated on the reason for the desolation. "You know, up till about five hundred years ago, all the rooms in this building would have been filled. The Templar order has diminished so much that we now only use about half the building. On the bright side, I can get a decent apartment all to myself!"

"Trust you to think like that, Captain," came a cool, logical voice from ahead, prompting Shinji to look up. The newcomer was dressed in a long white robe, beneath which a bright blue shirt peeked through. In her hand, she held a long wooden staff, atop which was set a jewel with a star somehow inscribed within, not unlike Misato's now destroyed amplification stone. The woman had blonde hair, an odd shade that seemed as if it were concealing something. Her face was pleasant, spoiled slightly by the mole on one cheek, and by the cold, calculating blue eyes.

"Ritsuko!" Misato exclaimed.

Stepping closer, Ritsuko kept her eyes locked upon Misato's. "You're late," she announced. Misato withered visibly.

"I... uh... we took the long way. More cover." Misato looked moderately uncomfortable.

"I see." Ritsuko's gaze shifted to Shinji. "Is this the boy?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he is."

"Well, we'll soon know for sure." Shinji wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "Shinji, wasn't it?" The blonde mage asked.

"Um... yes," Shinji replied timidly.

"Good, good. Let's hurry along then. The Duke is waiting for you."

Ritsuko led them down the corridor to a set of large wooden doors. Opening them, she stepped inside, motioning Shinji to enter.

Shinji found himself within the large stone room, which had once been a gigantic practice hall, but seemed to have seen a lot less wear over the last few years than one would have expected. The room had six large pillars, three on either side of the room, suspending a vaulted ceiling like one would expect in a cathedral. Down the centre of the room was a wide expanse of red stone tiles, which stood out sharply from the shiny black granite of the area beneath the pillars.

On either side of the red expanse was a steel rack. On one rack, an orange and black suit of armour was visible. On the other was another suit of armour, this one purple. The eye slits on the purple suit of armour seemed to be glaring at Shinji as he entered, but somehow he didn't feel the least bit put off. It seemed somehow... familiar.

Beside the purple suit stood a man. He ran one white-gloved hand across the shiny surface of the helmet, and then looked up at Shinji. Locking eyes with the boy, Duke Gendou Ikari, the High Templar, gave Shinji a cold, calculating stare.

Recognition sparked in Shinji's mind. That gaze sparked a cascade of memories, of a younger, beardless Gendou Ikari. Of him laughing, smiling... turning his back and walking away on Shinji, leaving him in the care of an innkeeper, unwanted and cast away like a broken toy. "Father..." Shinji said in a quiet, timid voice.

A cold smile lit across Gendou's face as Shinji tore his gaze away. "It's been a while."

Shinji turned to look at Misato, who he realised would not meet his gaze. "You were never sent to test the village," he accused quietly. "You were sent to get me specifically, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry Shinji," Misato began.

"So am I," Shinji replied, his voice carrying a hint of betrayal. "So, were you lying with what you said to Megumi, too?"

"No. She really did have the gift, and I was going to bring her back here too."

Shinji frowned, and returned his gaze to his father. "Why? Why did you send for me, after all these years?"

"Because I have a use for you," the Duke replied coldly.

"Why? What do you want from me?" Shinji asked, his voice louder and considerably more strained. "What possible use could I be?"

"This suit," Gendou began as he again stroked the surface of the purple helmet, "belonged to your mother. It is an Evangelion... and with it, you will fight the Shito."

"What? You dragged me all this way because you want me to kill for you? No! I won't do it! I won't kill." Shinji's voice was now quite a bit louder and much more shrill.

"You would be compensated-"

 "I don't want your money..." Shinji interrupted.

It was at that moment that the ground shook as something nearby exploded with momentous force. Shinji found it extremely difficult to keep his balance.

"That was close... it's here. It's coming..." Gendou said quietly. "It must sense us." His voice suddenly became louder. "Someone find Rei! This one is useless to me."

As if on cue, the doors behind them flew open as a young, blue haired girl ran inside. She was bleeding from a cut right above her left eye, the blood seeping out almost exactly the same colour as her eyes. "I have slowed it down..." she announced quietly.

"Excellent. Get suited up... you can't have slowed it for long," Gendou replied as Rei came to a painful stop beside Shinji.

Upon hearing Gendou's words, Rei's eyes flicked quickly towards Shinji, then returned to Gendou's in an unspoken question.

"He refuses to fight."

Rei simply nodded, and proceeded to disrobe down to her underwear, showing neither modesty nor shame in doing so in public. Shinji felt his cheeks burning as he quickly averted his eyes... although he couldn't help taking the odd peek. He was, after all, fourteen.

Rei quickly donned the armour. It was comprised of a large torso armouring, which included a breastplate, large shoulder cops and a metal kirtle, which stretched down to mid-thigh. The armour also included elbow-length gauntlets, the wrist and upper arm of which were plated with the same strange metal of the breastplate. On her legs, Rei pulled on a pair of what appeared to be leather knee-high pants, then over the top went reinforced knee-high boots, complete with a metal knee guard. Finally, Rei donned the helmet. It was all composed of metal, and was an elaborate affair, more of a crown or circlet than a true helmet. On either side, above and slightly in front of the ear, a white wing stretched out, angling backwards to a feathered point. The circlet's band was visible stretching across her forehead through her hair. In the centre of the band, suspended directly across Rei's forehead, was a large, round blue jewel. Shinji then noticed that the breastplate and metallic wrist guards also sported a gem.

As Rei donned the helmet, the four red jewels pulsed with a strange luminescence. The armour, which had hung loosely on the girl's slight frame, began to flow and move, becoming skin-tight and hugging her form like a second skin. Rei quickly stretched, ensuring that none of her movements was encumbered, which they weren't. She moved as if she wore nothing at all, as if the Evangelion Armour was a part of her.

Blue eyes met red as Rei turned to face Shinji. 'Ikari,' she seemed to say in greeting, but her lips didn't move. It was as if she were speaking directly into his mind. This was sufficient to scare Shinji into breaking eye contact. 'Why do you run from it? Evangelion and you are linked.'

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked quietly.

Again she spoke directly into his mind. 'It belonged to your mother. It is yours.'

"I don't know how to use it."

'You do.'

"I don't want it."

'It would sadden your mother to hear that.'

This made Shinji pause. "You knew my mother?"

"Yes," Rei responded quietly, speaking aloud to him for the first time.

"What are you going to do?" Shinji asked.

'I will fight the Shito.' She returned to speaking telepathically.

"But... it's too powerful. It'll kill you!"

'That may be true.'

"What will happen if you fail?"

'The Dark Queen will be reborn. The world will be broken, and its peoples enslaved by the Shito.'

"What difference would I make, then?" Shinji asked, his confidence waning again.

'I do not know.'

"I... I don't know what to do"

"So here you are, boy!" a triumphant voice boomed. "And what's this? You pathetic fools managed to dig up an Evangelion – no, two?!" the voice broke into a peal of malicious laughter. "Wait... these are mere copies."

"Reveal yourself." Rei commanded emotionlessly.

"You think to command the Shito, girl?" the voice snarled. "You forget your place. On your knees, wench!" Rei's eyes bulged as an invisible blow landed on the back of her head causing her to fall forward, landing on her knees. She continued to slump forward, dazed and barely conscious.

"Rei!" cried out both Gendou and Shinji at once.

"Rei is her name? Well, boy, I suggest you listen well," the Shito announced as he materialised before the armour-clad girl. "My Queen commands that I bring you before her. But I'm sure she'd be equally interested in this... 'Rei'. The ability to use an Evangelion, even a copy, is very rare."

Suddenly, the Shito whirled, his burnt cloak swirling behind him as he shot one hand out towards Misato, who had been steadily approaching. An invisible fist seemed to collide with her, sending her flying backwards to hit one of the walls with a loud thump, then slowly slide back to the ground, barely maintaining consiousness. "Ah, the fireball girl is here too! I still owe you for that, Templar... when my work here is done, I'll be coming back to settle that debt." Turning back to Shinji, he laughed again. "I fail to see why the mistress would need you, boy. I think I shall just kill you, and this girl as well," the Shito announced as he reached forth his hand towards Rei.

To his surprise, she shot up towards him, long knife in hand. But she was still shaky from the blow to her head, and her attack lacked any real speed or power. Sachiel quickly recovered, grabbing the blue-haired girl's wrist with one hand and twisting her arm around, causing the blade to drop from her hand. The Shito then slammed his other fist into the girl's upturned elbow, causing her arm to break with a loud, wet snap. Her scream echoed throughout the room as she fell forward to her knees again, holding her crookedly bent arm tenderly and whimpering in pain. Sachiel then bent down slightly, drawing his own long-bladed knife and tilting the red-eyed girl's head back slightly.

With a pained moan, Rei opened her eyes slightly to look up into Shinji's eyes. "Help me!" screamed her voice in his mind.

"Rei..." Shinji said quietly, unable to decide what he should do.

The Shito's head turned to look at Shinji again as he let out an evil chuckle. "Shall I kill her, boy? The ability to use an Evangelion is very rare... I'm sure my mistress would not be upset were I to bring this girl before her instead of you."

Whether or not Shinji heard his words was hard to tell. He was staring into Rei's eyes as she writhed in pain. Rei gave one last gasp before lapsing into unconsciousness.

"If you wish to abandon this girl to a fate worse than death, then so be it. I shall wait for half an hour. If you wish to take her place, you will come before me before then." The Shito hefted Rei's unconscious body up, tossed her over his shoulder, and strode out of the room.

"Damn it, what do I do?" he asked himself quietly.

"Shinji, only you can stand a chance against one of the Shito. It is your decision, but I advise you to make it quickly!" Ritsuko said, finally breaking the silence she had maintained throughout the encounter. "More lives hang in the balance than just Rei's."

"How can I fight him? I've never fought anyone in my life!" Shinji responded loudly.

"Any chance, no matter how remote, is better than no chance at all," Gendou responded quietly, as calm as ever.

"He'll just kill me, and then take Rei anyway!"

Misato painfully hauled herself to her feet. "Shinji, you have to choose. If you don't do anything, can you live with yourself, knowing that Rei is dead - or worse - and you could have prevented it?"

An image flashed through Shinji's mind, of a pair of eyes staring into his as the life left them - dark brown eyes... Megumi's eyes. As he stared into them, though, they seemed to shift, changing into blood red. Rei. Would he let a second girl die because of him? He knew he couldn't live with himself if he did. That he had one girl's blood on his hands was enough.

With a resigned sigh, Shinji accepted his fate. "Alright! I'll do it. I'll fight the Shito."

So it was that Shinji found himself clad in the armour of his late mother. It felt odd - strangely comfortable and natural. And it was light - it was like wearing a light cotton shirt and leather gloves.

The armour itself was purple metal and black hide, and was similar to Rei's in style. The shoulder armouring was much heavier, though, and the leg armour extended all the way up the thigh. It also had no kirtle. From the large shoulder armouring hung a black-lined purple cloak, which managed to make Shinji's skinny form seem more bulky. The other difference was in the helmet. Shinji's was a full helmet, which covered his entire face except his eyes. One curious feature of the helmet was that there was a single horn protruding from the centre of its forehead. It also lacked the Gem that Rei's headpiece boasted.

As Shinji placed the helmet on his head, he expected the armour to tighten about him, and was surprised when it did not. Then he noticed what he was missing. A long, purple and red hilted Katana was resting at the feet of the rack upon which the Evangelion Armour had rested. Picking it up, he belted it to his waist and drew the blade.

The armour constricted about him, flowing and moulding itself to his body as the gems on chest, wrists and sword pommel blazed with red fire. A feeling of power surged through Shinji... he felt that, with the right word or action, he could jump over a building. More disturbing than that was how... right... the suit felt. It seemed as if he and it had been parted at birth. And Shinji wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"I'm ready, I guess," Shinji announced as he walked out the battered door into the darkened corridor. He knew now that he had to fight - if not, others would die, and it would be his fault for not doing anything.

Misato couldn't do anything but watch as Shinji walked out the door. Deep down, she felt somehow ashamed for forcing him into the situation, but at the same time she was glad that he had made the right decision. "Good luck, Shinji... don't get killed out there," she whispered as his purple clad figure disappeared into the darkness.

---
To Be Continued...

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Author's Notes
----------------------

Whee! Finally finished episode one! It's quite long, I guess... the longest piece I've ever written, I believe. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

I must acknowledge some inspiration here. One of the major inspirations for writing this fic was John Biles and Rod M.'s Children of an Elder God, specifically the 'dreamworld' sequences, which was one of my favourite parts of that fanfic. If you haven't read CoaEG, read it now! Don't bother with my junk. ^_^

Anyway... I tried to keep everyone as in character as possible. I'm using a bit of the 'Manga Shinji'... he does have a bit more backbone than he should, I think. As for Rei... let me get this out straight off... this is NOT intended to be a Rei / Shinji fic (not to say it's a Shinji / Asuka fic either… I don't know for sure that I'll be favouring ANY pairing. It's the quality of writing that counts, not the pairing of characters). Her being able to communicate with him telepathically has a very simple explanation... which I'm not gonna tell ya! ^_^ Figure it out, and you're entitled to a cookie.

In case you're wondering... the magic system I'm using is a hybrid of that of the Wheel of Time novels by Robert Jordan, and the almost scientific (if that's possible) magical explanation that author Ian Irvine uses in the 'Well of Echoes' trilogy (of which only the first volume is available to my knowledge... if you can get any of Irvine's books, I highly recommend them).

In fact, there are a number of tie-ins with the Wheel of Time universe, not the least of which is the imprisonment of the Shito (I went for 'Shito' rather than 'Angel' since it sounds more fantasy-ish)

As for the Evangelions... at the time, it seemed more original to make them suits of armour rather than mecha a la Rayearth. It seems like everyone does it this way, though ^_^. Ah well, could be worse. Hopefully the background will be slightly original. The design for Shinji's suit was inspired mainly by that of Zagato from Magic Knight Rayearth, while Rei's was a merging of the three girls from said Manga (poor me, I haven't seen the MKR anime at all ;_;  ) and 'Pirogoeth', a piece of art by Piro and Merekat of Megatokyo (www.megatokyo.com) fame... I have the poster framed on my wall. ^_^ There is also, naturally, some incorporation of the basic Evangelion mecha designs.

As for Megumi... well originally she had a much smaller part (MUCH smaller... she just handed him some food ^_^ ). One of my prereaders (You know who you are!) recommended that I expand on her a bit, getting a bit more interaction happening before she shuffled off this mortal coil. I was hesitant at first... but now I quite like her. Shame I killed her. ^_^ I know that some people really dislike ACC. I hope she doesn't put anyone off. For the record, no, Megumi did NOT blame Shinji for her death. It's all in his mind.

Ah, I do prattle on. I promise that the next episode won't be quite this long... I sure hope it won't be! Besides that, thanks for reading, see you in part 2. Oh, and C&C will be welcomed with open arms. I'd almost be tempted to pay for good C&C... almost. ~_^ Direct it to dchris1@bigpond.net.au

Big thank you to my prereaders!

Weltall Elite
Alnilam
Mephisto
Coefficient

11th Jan 2002, 1:52 AM - First Draft
22nd Jan 2002, 1:45 AM - Second Draft
1st April 2002, 11:58 PM – EFML draft
27th April 2002, 11:59 PM - Not-So-Final Draft
7th May 2002m 10:59 PM - Final Draft (I hope)