Chapter Four
Talks of Religious Fervor
Two Days Later
Shinji laid in bed and smiled up at the ceiling. He still could not get over the fact that Horus, his mentor, and guardian, had called him his son. It was like a dream come true. He still hated some of their training sessions, but that was something he could, and did, live with gladly. The lessons gave him so much to do as well, it was more fun doing those exercises than more than three-fourths of all his 'teacher's' work put together!
Supposedly I will be going through some more training today… Something about a Darian sea or something like that? Dad said it would be his gift to me. How some kind of training tool can be a gift I will never know.
Shinji's thoughts lept from one avenue of procession to another, almost at light speed. It was obvious to those that could talk with him that he was smart, almost overwhelmingly so, but under Horus' guidance, he was curbing his innate need to display that hubristic side of his intelligence.
Shinji espoused the idea that humanity would be the Pinnacle that all civilizations, alien and domestic, would strive for. He wanted a great empire, and Imperial might, so great and so vast that no single person could see the breadth and width of it within their lifetime. His goal was the immeasurable conquest of the galaxy and beyond, by any means necessary that brought the least amount of blood.
"Shinji, it is time I showed you something that I have been working on."
Shinji turned onto his side and cocked his brow in question up at his accepted father-figure. Horus smirked at his son's curiosity and waved for him to follow.
"Where are we going?"
"To the backyard. It's the only place actually large enough for me to erect it." Shinji's head tilted slightly to the left and his eyes picked up a slight twinkle to them. Horus chuckled deeply at this and walked on.
"IS it that big?" Shinji asked.
"No, it is simply that dangerous to have in the house," Horus laughed at his son's confusion.
"Oh…."
Horus smirked and waved Shinji through the back door. Once the boy skipped on past him, Horus slipped out the door and let it close behind them. Since the two had been in the house so long, Horus was now able to interact with most anything within it, and most things around it as well. His idea that Shinji was the center of his powers concern, he had figured out that most things that Shinji stayed around, even for just an hour or so, left him the ability to interact with said object for days at a time. This had been something they had tested, quite thoroughly, and found that the time increased exponentially so the longer Shinji was around something.
"Go stand off to the side, Shinji, I do not want you getting caught in the creation of the Dirak Sea before it is complete… there is no telling what would happen otherwise."
Horus waved his son, that was something he would never tire of calling the boy, away and prepared his mind for the exercise to come.
Horus spreads his feet shoulder width apart and steeled his body. Hands risen in a projecting manner, palms towards the earth with elbows slightly bent, he began a chant.
"Force of recognition, Master of stability, Demon of ingenuity, Father of relativity, Host of my will, Harbor of calm shores, reveal thyself and quake at my will for I hold your purpose and your strength."
Shinji watched, astonished with wide eyes and loose jaw, as a large black hole took form and shaped itself into being at his dad's words. Those same words, as they were spoken, struck a chord within Shinji's mind. Like a door unlatched, a secret power was let loose.
A day of unknowable consequences has been unleashed upon the world and the hells will shake for whence they witness the righteous, they will know fear and terror in abundance.
"Shinji… This, that I have forced into the material realm, is a Dirac Sea. Within it lies a universe of infinite possibilities. My willpower alone shapes the very fabric of its reality, gives it form. With this, I will shape your mind and hone your skills without ever marking a day to pass on this side of the horizon. Within you shall live lifetimes and discover things that which I cannot teach you in this lifetime. Battles will be fought and won by your hand within and lost just as so.
For now, you will face the tutelage of myself and my brothers as I have forged their memory. Scions of the Emperor of Mankind will teach you the best of the universe… and mold you into the best that you can be without hardening your heart and soul against the world.
You will be Strong, but Kind, Cruel, but Merciful, Devious, but Trustworthy, Noble in all things but against your enemy. Your allies will love you, enemies Revile you, and opposers sneer at you. The pinnacle of humanity shall be your pedestal." Horus motioned for Shinji to stand with him at the side of the Dirac Sea.
"So… I'll be going in there at some point?"
"You could go in there right now if you want, and you would make it through several years of teaching without even missing dinner. But, I will be having you use this tool in much shorter intervals than that for now. We will work you up to that sort of endurance." Shinji looked up at his dad and blinked in astonishment. Horus looked down and winked at his son. He placed a large hand on Shinji's shoulder and patted it gently.
That was still a concept he lost himself in sometimes. He never thought to have a son, not one like Shinji at least. The boy was smart. Almost smarter than he was some days. It was a breath of fresh air, one that allowed the one-time Warmaster to relax and simply enjoy the life he had been gifted. Shinji sought his approval with almost everything he did, but the boy was not reluctant to go against him if he believed something strongly enough. It was those moments, the ones where Shinji challenged Horus' understanding of the world, that he lived for most. More often than not he would come out having learned something new about the universe and its workings. Or, as the universe usually cornered him with, a better understanding of who exactly his son was.
Genius was not something that Horus would label Shinji with since for him it was not exactly a wide enough term to depict what he thought of the boy. Beautiful was one, astounding another, dedicated, profound, arrogant, humble, understanding, ignorant, innocent, guilty, honed, and blunt. Each of these could describe the Anchor of Truth or Truth's Anchor. Either or, he was all of them and none of them. His favored son among hundreds of thousands, not even Abbadon -in his prime-, Aximund, Torrgadon, Sejanus, or even Garviel, could muster the same feeling of pride, love, protection, and adoration he felt for the boy. Combined, it was possible, but alone they could not even hold a candle to the boy's brilliance within his heart.
"Then what will I be doing first?" Shinji asked. Horus looked at him and smiled kindly to the lad.
"I will be setting up a classroom within. Who you are with, and what they will be teaching you will be at my discretion. I hope you enjoy it though."
Shinji widened his eyes and grinned up at the giant. Shinji hopped from foot to foot in anticipation and waited for Horus to let him jump in.
"You will spend three days inside the Dirac Sea after that time has passed within, a stairway will appear near you. Your tutor for the time you are there will show you the way out," Horus smiled. He knew who he would have tutor his son first, and he was looking forward to his son's reaction.
Shinji smiled and walked over to Horus. At his side, the little boy looked up at the giant of a man and tilted his head questioningly. At Horus' nod, he walked forward.
"I will see you soon father!" and with that, he disappeared into the Dirac Sea.
"Hello little one," A deep rustic voice called out from within the darkness. Shinji jumped and looked around sharply. "All is well, lamb of the Eye. You are among friends. Be still and look with your heart, not your 'eyes'." The voice gently instructed.
"Who are you?" Shinji asked as he closed his eyes. He tried to do as the voice instructed, but found it difficult. He had never done something like what it had asked him to do before. His mind raced and his heart thundered in his chest.
"I am the Aurelian, Eighteenth son of the father, and most devout of his sons. I am Lorgar, once a son, now a daemon. I am to show you the folly of absolute faith, and how best to understand the universe. Faith is best when placed in the unshakable, but wasted on the petty and the unworthy." The voice of Lorgar Aurelian echoed out in the dark.
"Blind faith in something is not always damnable!" Shinji challenged.
"That is no-"
"If all you do is look for the unshakable, then you will miss the inevitable! Blind faith through ignorance is the worst, as you will do everything to maintain that bliss of ignorance!"
"Then the ignorance of millions would be incorrect!" The voice challenged.
"Ignorance and ignorant faith are different!" Shinji growled. "You use my words against me, and poorly, forge your own ideals you misbegotten lech!" Shinji growled. He then reached out and tore at the darkness with his hands. There, like a veil torn back from the light, the place he was in became illuminated. Cobbled stone lined the floors, walls, and ceiling of the room. There were no exits, only a single set of desks that faced each other in the middle of the room.
"I see you, Lorgar, Urizen. I see that you followed blindly and ignorantly, even as others warned you against the encroaching darkness, you ignored them. All of that in favor of a religion that favored the darkest sacrifices, and most deviant actions."
"How dare yo-!"
"I name you fallen, and to never be remembered! YOU, you who twisted the mind of my father and dragged him down to the depths of the Warp. You, who damned millions of brothers to eternal damnation. You, who once was called brother, I bemoan your presence and dare not even spit upon your corpse when you are gone!"
The eyes of a six and a half-year-old boy glowed golden blue as his words spilled forth. Lorgar Aurelian shrunk back from the very might of this boy's presence and quaked at his words. Like a mountain crumbling under the might of the world, Lorgar did quake under the very gaze of Shinji Ikari, adopted son of Horus Lupercal - Warmaster.
Once the verbal abuse ended, Lorgar stood and shocked the young man. His face changed. Lorgar's face melted, like an icy drift melting away in the heat of summer, into a patrician countenance of microscopic tattoos and handsomeness. He looked almost as regal as Horus but lacked the life and paternal love that usually shown on through in the man's eyes and actions.
"Conviction in one's own beliefs, even in the face of a superior intellect, is the best form of defense. But. Do not forget to keep an open mind, for even the best, most closely guarded, beliefs may be wrong. Always search out what it is YOU want to believe in. Never put your faith into something that you have not researched yourself. Never. No matter what myself, Horus, or anyone else might tell you, never forget that you are you and that YOU are the only one who's belief matters to yourself.
Now that that is out of the way, it is time for your true lessons on Faith, Religion, and the immaterial worlds to begin," Lorgar smiled, not unkindly, to his newest pupil. Far be it from him to deny someone so strongly rooted in their beliefs, even if he himself had no idea what they could possibly be.
Horus stood upon the earthen ground of their residences backyard for little more than ten minutes before he saw Shinji once more. The boy looked starry eyed and filled with questions and wonder.
"That was…," The boy obviously could not find the words to describe his encounter with Horus' younger brother Lorgar.
"Extraordinary?" Horus supplied as he smiled down at his son.
"It was surprising! He was amazing! The knowledge he imparted was grandiose and awesome. It was much like how our lessons are, but so focused and succinct that I couldn't deviate from them! It was magnificent. Thank you father!" Shinji embraced the gargantuan man-thing with his tiny arms and buried his face in Horus' side. Horus chuckled silently at the boy's antics and ruffled his hair with one of his large hands.
"I figured you would have liked listening to him, he was always one of my favorite brothers to talk to when it concerned matters of faith. Though he was the first of us to fall, he was never close-minded. Any question concerning faith, no matter the redundant-ness of it, he would gladly discuss it with you. If you ever need to talk about such again, or just need to vent to someone that will be able to offer more depth than I, say so and I shall connect you with him."
"Thank you, father. I will treasure this always. I can't wait for the next time! Who will you have me meet next?"
"It will always be a surprise young Shinji, but trust me, you will have a chance to meet someone new tomorrow. For now, you need to go and prepare for his dinner." Shinji nodded dejectedly into Horus' side before he let go. The young man sullenly traipsed on up to the house and sullenly opened the door and went inside.
'I wish to hurt that man, but… With his connection to Shinji's Gene-parent, I do not think it would be wise to terminate such an avenue. The Future's not set in stone, but the things I have seen… If Shinji does not participate, then the world will die. There is naught but hot air that I can do to stop this course of events. So must I prepare my child to participate in the coming conflict. Bring low these 'Angels' he will, with his voice alone will he destroy them if I can teach him so. His hands will be stained in the blood of these Xenos, for they do wish the death of Humanity.' Horus' musings were cut short when Shinji called out from within the household.
"Dinner is served Sensei! Come eat!" Horus scowled, promptly having forgotten his thoughts in lieu of watching over his son and ward.
