Legal crap: I don't own any of the characters except for Kiyoshi, Sakura and Hayao. All other characters are property of Gainax I believe. Also I liberally used the story from Evangelion. So don't email me saying "but this never happened in the show!" or "that can't happen!" The only thing I'm using from the show is the characters and a few plot elements. So without further ado here is the first chapter.

Shadows

Chapter 1: Friends and Memories

by Jeromie Jackson

"Oh no! I'm late on my first day!"

Kiyoshi ran down the street her long blue hair trailing behind her. "Why do they have to make school so early in the morning?!"

"Ichijo. Hayao Ichijo."

"Here"

"Iijima. Sakura Iijima."

"Here"

"Ikari. Kiyoshi Ikari." At that moment Kiyoshi came running into the classroom out of breath. "Late on your first day Miss Ikari."

"I'm sorry sir it won't happen again" she answered while taking her seat.

"Why don't you get an alarm clock?" asked the girl in the seat in front of Kiyoshi as she turned around.

"I have one but I kind of slept through it"

"You must be one heck of a sleeper. By the way my name's Sakura Iijima." she said extending her hand. Kiyoshi shook it.

"Kiyoshi Ikari."

"Welcome to Tokyo-3 Yosh. As a sign of our new friendship you have to tell me what you use to get your hair that blue color it looks so real!" Kiyoshi blushed.

"That's because it is real."

"Wow! I've never seen anyone with blue hair before."

"Me either" Kiyoshi replied sadly.

"What about anyone in your family?"

"I don't know. I never met them I was adopted. The only things I have from them are my last name and a picture of my parents. So I know I got my blue hair from my mom." Kiyoshi took a faded picture out of her pocket and showed it to Sakura. "They were about my age in this picture." The pictures showed a smiling young man with brown hair and a pale, sad looking girl with blue hair and bright red eyes. Sakura pointed at the edge of the picture.

"It's torn here."

"I know it's always been like that." Sakura handed the picture back.

"Your mom looks sad in that picture."

"My foster parents said she had a hard life."

"If they knew her then why don't you ask them what she was like?"

"They don't like to talk about it. They said that I should leave the past in the past." As the rest of the day went by Kiyoshi and Sakura became good friends.

"Hey Yosh." Sakura said as they were walking home. "How about you come over my house tomorrow night so we can study for that test we have at the end of the week. Also I have a friend I think you should meet. He reminds me a lot of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah he's also an orphan. He's an exchange student from the US. Well anyway I'll see you later." She said as she headed home. Kiyoshi got home, put her stuff away and went in her room and flopped onto her bed.

"Maybe this place won't be so bad." she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Loved it? Hated it? Let me know what you think.

Android18sblast@yahoo.com