On a windy mountaintop...

Shinji coughed. A few sparks came flying out of his mouth. He sighed as he tried peering at the flaming crown that was placed upon his head.

"I dunno, but I don't like this Fire Ability very much..." he complained. "It makes my throat burn like hell, and I also have the feeling as if my head would catch fire from that thing, every minute."

"You should stop complaining!" Meta Knight grumbled. "Kirby was known for using everything he found to get some powers which helped him in his fights. He never was scared of using the fire for his own needs... or for protecting those he sees as his friend."

"Still, if there are so many different abilities, can't I use another one?"

"Very well..." the masked knight sighed and looked around. He gestured over to a small shrub behind which a dark shape was roaming about.

"Try inhaling Sir Kibble over there, his Cutter is a formidable weapon."

"Okay then," Shinji nodded and threw away the flaming crown, which turned into a star that bounced away. By now, Shinji was used to that phenomenon and ignored it. Instead, he slowly tried sneaking up on the unsuspecting Nightmare creature in front of him...

"What are you, a coward?" Meta Knight shouted. "Face him directly, hand to hand! Be more bold! You can just suck him up!"

Shinji cringed when he noticed that the little, helmeted creature in front of him got alarmed by Meta Knight's loud shouts. In fact, its whole body wasn't much more than just a helmet with hands and feet. With a menacing glint of his metallic hide, the Sir Kibble came running at Shinji. In his hands, he was holding something sharp...

Shinji jumped over the spinning projectile and pumped air into his body, floating over the Sir Kibble. Flying was still something he was getting used to, though, and when he landed, he needed a moment to regain his balance.

Sir Kibble turned around, ready to throw another one of his cutting blades, but before he could do anything, Shinji opened his mouth and started inhaling... and the by now familiar feeling of having swallowed a vacuum cleaner spread through his body. Not being able to withstand the vacuum, Sir Kibble was being sucked inside Shinji's mouth, where he was being swallowed and converted into a new ability Shinji could use.

Shinji peered up and tapped against the metal cap he was now wearing. "Well, it certainly looks snazzy..."

"Those caps are no fashion goods," Meta Knight reminded him. "Try using the Cutter now, Shinji!"

Shinji tried, and out of nowhere, a sharp blade appeared in his hands. Along with the Sir Kibble's ability to create these weapons out of nothing, he also gained the knowledge how to use them. Shinji hefted his new weapon experimentically and then made a few cutting strokes through the air. He then hurled the Cutter like a boomerang, and it flew a wide circle, before coming back to him.

He grinned. "This is actually pretty sweet. I wish I could show this to Asuka, then she'd be jealous..."

He lowered his blade and sighed. Talking of Asuka had reminded him of Tokyo-3 and his friends. He wondered what the red-head and Misato were doing right now. And his friends from school, too. And Rei...

Meta Knight approached him. "You are missing your friends?" he asked in a sympathetic voice.

"Yeah..." the pink puffball nodded. "I'd really like to know how to go back... or how I got here in the first place."

"I can't help you with that, kid," Meta Knight shrugged. "But maybe you'll find your answer some day. What about your family?"

"Well, my father is..." Shinji started. Then he gasped, and threw his Cutter at something that had appeared behind Meta Knight.

It was a Birdon that had tried sneaking up on them. The hostile bird-creature was sliced in half by Shinji's twisting blade and vanished in a puff of sparks.

"Good job there, Shinji!" Meta Knight said approvingly. "I just noticed him right when you threw your weapon. I could have handled him, of course, but it's good to see how your skills are improving. You are a natural fighter... your father must be proud of you."

Shinji sat down. "My father... I doubt he'd be ever proud of me. All he does is using me as a pilot... he never gave me any praise for what I did. All I seem to be to him is just another tool for his own agenda..."

Meta Knight frowned behind his mask. "That's not how a father should treat his son. A pity you don't know how you got here in the first place, I'd love to have a talk with that parent of yours... and what about your mother?"

"Mom's dead..." Shinji murmured. "For several years now..."

"I... see," the knight murmured. "My condolences."

"Thanks," Shinji sniffed. He always felt emotional when he was reminded of his mother Yui. "Sometimes, I think she would have been proud of me, if she had seen my battles against the Angels."

Meta Knight didn't ask what an Angel was. "So you were a warrior back in your world, too?"

Shinji smiled. "Something like that, I suppose. Asuka, Rei and I were the pilots of the Evangelion Units, the only things we could use to fight the Angels. And sometimes, when I was piloting my Unit 01, I had the feeling as if Mom was really watching me..."

Meta Knight was no sentimental fool. He just knew that emotions could do wonders to the heart of an intelligent creature. If this boy's love to his mother had helped him in his fights against his former enemies, it probably would not distract him against his fight against Dark Matter's minions either.

In Shinji's homeworld, the headquarters of NERV were in an uproar. Everyone was busy preparing for a possible attack. An Angel had been sighted and Gendo didn't want to be unprepared.

But what should they do if Shinji and his two fellow pilots did not return in time? And now even Major Katsuragi, Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki were missing...

In its huge hangar, Unit 01 was resting while the technicians were preparing it for battle. It didn't move an inch, but deep within it's core, a trapped soul was feeling very uneasy.

'Where is my Shin-chan?' Yui Ikari thought to herself from the inside of the metal behemoth that was Unit 01. 'He and the girls are the only ones that can stop Zeruel. Where did he go? I hope he's all right...'

Not being able to contact her son at any time, even when he was as close to her as he is when he's piloting the Eva, Yui still was feeling confident when she could see him saving humanity again and again. Yui really didn't know herself how her soul got trapped in Unit 01, and she couldn't control it herself... but when the Eva was hit by an Angel's attack, she always felt it as if she was the one that got attacked.

And when Shinji was sitting in his cockpit... she felt as close to her son as a loving mother could. If only she had been able to sometimes tell him how much she missed being with him as a mother...

And Yui continued to ponder, while all around her, the technicians were continuing to get the Envagelion Unit ready. They were so busy that they never noticed the small flash of light on top of the Eva's head.

A small, green creature floated down and landed on Unit 01's head. Crouching down, so the humans wouldn't spot him, Celebi tried not to make any unnecessary sound.

After making sure that nobody had noticed him, the time-travelling Pokémon activated his psychic powers and projected his thoughts into the core of the metal titan he was perched upon.

'Yui Ikari?" he asked.

A surprised gasp was the only answer. 'Who... who was that? Nobody knows that I'm in here... and nobody could recognize me either.'

'I am on the top of your Eva Unit's head, Mrs. Ikari,' Celebi explained. 'I am a visitor from another time and space. My name is Celebi.'

'What... what do you want from me?'

'Don't be afraid! I'm here to help you. I know where your son Shinji is.'

For a while, Yui stayed silent. 'You know my Shin-chan?' she finally asked.

'Well, I know what happened to him,' Celebi explained. 'He is on a very special mission to save a far away planet from a threatening danger.'

He used his psychic abilities to make sure Yui would believe him, hoping Arceus and Dialga would forgive him for controlling her mind like that, even if it was a tiny bit.

Yui smiled mentally. 'My Shinji... always ready to help others! That makes me so proud... but wait! What about his responsibilities here? An Angel is approaching! We need him. Please, whoever you are, if you know where he is, can you bring him back?'

Celebi winced. He thought she would ask something like that. 'I'm... afraid that's not possible right now. But... I can take you to him!'

'Really? But... but I'm trapped in here. Besides, Shinji would never recognize me like this... he never noticed me when we fought the Angels together...'

'That is no problem at all, I can free your spirit from this prison and take you to a... friend. He can provide you with a new host boy, since your old one died. You would gain all the powers and abilities of the body's previous owner. It will help you on your search for your son.'

'I don't know...' Yui had a real bad feeling about this. 'It wouldn't be right, taking over another person's body like an evil spirit...'

'No worries, the person in question has already vanished from its place in the world. You will be her new replacement. And as soon as I got you out of here, I will help you find Shinji!'

'Why are you doing all of this?" Yui asked.

'Let's just say that Shinji is feeling very lonely... and since you are the one he had missed the most over the past few years, I figured it would be the best for both of you to help you rejoin.'

Had Yui still her body, her eyes would have teared up. 'If you could do that... I would be forever grateful! I agree. Please, help me find my son.'

'Okay then, here we go...'

Celebi took a firm mental grasp on Yui's spirit and 'pulled' her out of the Eva's core. He could sense her confusion, so he hurried and shoved her into the right direction... where she would be in the right 'hands'.

"Well, that's all I can do... " Celebi mumbled. "I really hope Pit and Navi appreciate this... it isn't my style at all to enter a foreign realm in person. But it was the only way to free the poor woman from this... thing!" Disgusted, he stared down at the metal colossus beneath him. 'I really hope Master Hand will take her to her new body safely... since Kirby was the only missing Champion from Pop Star, he had to use a missing person from another world, close by...'

But then, a pleasant warmth spread through his body and he couldn't help but smile. 'Oh well...' he sighed. 'At least, we will help to reunite a loving mother with her son...'

And that was worth every risk, the little green Pokémon decided.

The regeneration pod inside the cramped scape ship opened with a hiss. The lid opened, tilting to the side, and a pair of arms fumbled around the opening groggily.

A good-looking woman sat up in the pod with a groan. She had long hair that was tied in a ponytail and wore a blue, tight-fitting bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination.

She was also Yui Ikari.

"Where... where am I?" she mumbled as she clumsily climbed out of the regeneration pod. Her mind in a haze, she looked around the ship, seeing the heavy armor that was hanging in a case at the wall, the screen with the words 'Autopilot' and the wide emptiness of space beyond the cockpit window.

That view pulled her out of her daze. "Outer space?" she murmured. She walked closer to the window and stared at the star-filled scenery in front of her.

"The little green guy really spoke the truth," she realized. "He brought me to a different place... in the place of... somebody else?"

She looked down at her body and was astonished. She had never looked trimmer and fitter as now. But as long as she could see in her reflection in the cockpit's smooth surface, she was still herself, with the same face, the same hair color...

She felt guilty that she was now occupying the space of the unknown woman who obviously had been the owner of this vessel. But if Celebi spoke the truth, the ship wouldn't be of any use for this woman anymore anyway.

After seeing so much unknown, advanced technology, the scientist in her awoke. "Compared with this, the equipment we had back at GEHIRN and NERV is nothing at all," she murmured, sitting down in the pilot's chair. "At least this ship seems to be on autopilot." Hesitantly, she raised a finger and pressed a button. 'Hopefully this is just the windshield wiper...' she thought.

To her surprise, a tiny, holographic image of a planet appeared over the console, hovering and spinning on the spot. She could see that this planet was labeled with NORION. Next to the image, a tiny blip was approaching the planet. She assumed that this was her current location.

"I think I just wait until I have arrived at that planet until I touch anything..." she said to herself. Standing up again, she took a closer look at her surroundings.

She walked up to the case with the futuristic space armor and looked at it, intrigued. When her hand brushed a glowing panel to her left, the case opened and lowered a small platform which looked like it could be stepped on.

At first Yui was hesitant, but then her curiosity won. She stepped onto the platform and got lifted upwards.

"Suit activation initiated," a pleasant female computer voice spoke out of nowhere. "Scanning now."

Yui gasped when a glowing, blue beam wandered across her whole face, making her blink.

"Identified as Samus Aran, owner of Chozo Power Suit, Zebes model. Have a nice day, Samus!"

Yui's body then got pulled back into the case, and all around her, the various parts of the Power Suit attached themselves to her body, effectively turning her into a formidable space warrior. In the end, the helmet was lowered onto her head and connected itself with the rest of the suit. For a while, everything was dark for Yui, but then the suit's visor activated itself.

"Suit activation complete," the same computer voice said. "Please step out of the activation chamber."

The platform lowered itself and Yui staggered out of the case. She looked down at her left hand which was now completely encased in a hard, but fitting armor glove that still allowed free movement of her fingers. She then looked at her right hand... and gasped upon seeing the huge cannon that was attached to her.

She shook her head. "I don't believe this..." she murmured. "I have never been a fighter or anything. I am a scientist... how can I ever get used to this?"

But it was to find her son, she knew that. And for her Shinji, she would gladly go through hell. In the corner of her view, she saw several strange icons. While she was still wondering what they were supposed to be, her whole view suddenly shifted as her visor mode got changed.

"Scan Visor activated," the computer said.

'I think I get it,' Yui thought. 'Several of this suit's functions are being activated just by thinking about them... well, let's give this 'Scan Visor' a try...'

She looked at the tiny holograph of the planet Norion, which was still floating over the console and started scanning.

It wasn't long until the text appeared in front of her eyes. She started reading: 'Though located on the fringe of the Federation, the planet Norion is of great importance. The military maintains a strong presence in the sector, and the base on Norion is often the first line of defense against enemies that operate outside of GF space. Originally a barren orb incapable of sustaining life, a sophisticated terraforming project designed by Aurora Unit 486 has turned Norion into a hardy forest world.'

"Well, good to know that I'm travelling to a base of this Space Federation... provided that they are the good guys. If not, I guess I'll find out soon enough..."

She wondered if she should try turning the ship around and not head for that planet until she knew more about this 'Federation'. But as she still didn't knew how to pilot the ship manually, it was uncertain if that was even an option right now. Besides, she had to begin with her search somewhere...

So she sat down in the pilot seat, leaned back and waited until 'her' gunship arrived at Norion.

Nervously, Asuka was sitting in the throne room. On what was now her own throne. A feeling of giddiness was spreading through her mind, but she also had to grin. To her left and right, armored soldiers were standing. Dina was waiting behind her, she had asked the maid to stay nearby in case she needed anything. The truth was actually that she felt very nervous and wanted to have somebody nearby she knew... and Dina was the person she had shared company with ever since she had woken up in this crazy castle. Link was a nice enough guy, but Asuka still felt better when a female friend was around.

Link had decided to show up after the formalities were over, as he never had been the type to appear on such formal meetings. But as the princess, Asuka didn't have that choice. For now, the green-clad youngster was strolling through the castle garden, until the meeting was over.

The majordomo, who was standing next to the great double door, cleared his throat.

"His Majesty, Prince Ralis of the Zoras!"

The two guards standing nearby opened the door, revealing a trio of fish-like people. Asuka was a bit shocked when she noticed that neither of them were wearing any clothes on their scale-covered bodies. But the two taller Zoras were wearing huge helmets and carried long spears, while the neck and fins of the young prince were adorned with various sorts of jewelry.

Asuka's hands clenched themselves around the throne's armrests while the Zora approached her. 'Does anyone notice I'm sweating?' she wondered.

Prince Ralis looked up at her... and smiled. He bowed and said: "Princess Zelda, it is an honor to finally meet you. My mother, Queen Rutela - may Nayru watch over her spirit - told me of the good things you did to your people. And my friend Link also only told me good things about you. On behalf of my people, I thank you for welcoming me in your castle, and that you agreed to help us defend our kingdom against the barbaric Bulblins."

"I did?" Asuka blurted out. She wanted to slap herself for that question. "O-of course I did! No problem at all!" She couldn't help but giggle in embarrassment.

"That is good to hear," Ralis smiled. "As a sign of our gratitude, we brought you a present from our home. We hope you accept it as a token of friendship between our two kingdoms."

By order of his prince, one of the two tall Zora warriors stepped forward and opened a chest which was decorated by seashells. The prince opened it and presented Asuka a beautiful necklace, made of bright, red corals.

"Oh..." Asuka muttered as she took the necklace from Ralis. "How... nice..."

'Damn, and here I am a girl that doesn't care much about jewelry...' she thought.

"Thanks, I... guess I'll took a closer look at it tomorrow." Ralis also gave her the box, and she put the necklace inside, handing it over to Dina.

The majordomo coughed, but Asuka ignored him. She sat down, waiting for what would come next. She was feeling a bit proud that she managed to overcome this part of the meeting with no problem.

The majordomo coughed again, and Asuka looked at him inquiringly. "Um, is something the matter? Do you need a mint?"

"Your Highness... your present for the prince," the majordomo whispered.

Asuka's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, sure, I... um, I mean... yes, of course we have a present for you as well, Prince Ralis."

Ralis smiled. "How nice."

"You can give me the present now," Asuka whispered to the majordomo.

The fat man wiped his head. This really wasn't his day... "Uh, I gave it to you this morning, while you were enjoying your meal..."

"You mean that blue, sparkly rock from this morning?" Asuka wondered. "Oh, that must be still up in my room... the door always closed by itself, so I put it on the ground, so the door would stay open. Was that wrong?"

The majordomo tried very hard not to groan. "The royal sapphire from Hyrule... used as a doorstop."

Asuka gulped and gave the prince a nervous smile. Ralis, who had not heard the whispered conversation between the princess and her majordomo, patiently waited in front of her throne.

"Um, my present, well... Oh, I know! It is a very special present, you see? After considering it very carefully, I decided that no treasure would be enough to welcome you in our castle. And for that reason, I decided to give you a more personal present, so that you'll feel at home." She grinned. "It's an invitation to stay for lunch."

Dina nearly dropped the jewel box in surprise and the majordomo looked like he was going to faint.

The two Zora warriors seemed angry, and one of them even tightened his grip around his spear. Ralis, however, was just surprised. Then he chuckled. "That is a very unusual present, Princess... but very much appreciated. We had a long journey and I am indeed feeling a bit hungry... and thirsty. We accept your invitation with pleasure."

The majordomo let out a sigh of relief, and inwardly, Asuka gave herself a cheer of victory. She always was feeling much more confident with a full tummy.

A few hours later, Prince Ralis was sitting at the same table as Asuka, Link and Dina (Asuka had insisted that her two new friends would accompany them). Ralis had been very happy to see Link, and Asuka realized that they really must be old friends.

But not just Prince Ralis and Dina were surprised at the appetite the princess was showing while eating. Link couldn't believe his eyes either. While being an excellent ruler, Zelda had always been such a gentle and demure girl. And now she was shoveling the food into her mouth as if she had never eaten like that before...

Asuka swallowed the last piece of goat cheese and washed them down with some wine. Dina had to remind the princess several times not to drink too much alcohol, as she normally had trouble holding her liquor.

"This is life..." she sighed. "You know, we royal people really have it good. Yo, waiter, bring us some more of that stuff!"

Ralis chuckled. "You really have an exceptional personality, princess!"

"You bet I do," Asuka nodded as she bit into a piece of pumpkin, a delicacy from Ordon, Link's home village. "This stuff isn't so bad, but I wish we could have something more substantial... Hey, can I have some ketchup with this?"

The waiter paled. "I'm s-sorry, Your Highness... we never have any food like... THAT in our kitchen."

"What kind of kitchen is that?" Asuka complained. She was feeling much more confident, now that she was having her food and a nice drink. "And ask the chef if he's able to make a decent bratwurst... Say, what's your favorite food?" she asked the prince.

"Oh, it's a sort of fish... but I'm not surprised that we don't have it on your table, since I know that most Hylians don't quiet agree with the taste of the Red Reekfish..."

"Well, you could alwaysh bring one along from... from wherever you come from..." Asuka mumbled. Slowly, the alcohol was starting to show its effects. "Dammit, ish thish thing empty again? Why ish the wine alwaysh gone...?"

Dina swallowed nervously. "My princess, I really think you shouldn't drink much more..."

"Awww, shut it, Dina... you're worshe than wundergirl... (hic) s'cuse me..." Asuka's eyes rolled up in her skull while her upper body collapsed on her plate. "Check please..."

And shortly afterwards, the banquet hall was filled with the princess' loud snoring.

Ralis blinked. "Well, this meeting was certainly... interesting."