Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
Author's notes: Whoa! 27 reviews! I can't believe how much people are interested in this fic! Thank you all for your support :) !!! Finally , I present chapter 3! Enjoy!
Paths & Choices: Ascension
" Ikari , the autopsy has been completed." Fuyutsuki sighed. " It said that your son died during sleep. It seemed that all body functions stopped at 2200 hours.(1)"
" I see, it was regrettable that we lost the third child , but the plans will be readjusted." Gendo had read the reports. His son's death came rather surprisingly , so he was beginning to suspect that foul play was involved.
" Give the Major a day off , she wouldn't be any use to us in her present state."
" Yes , sir." Fuyutsuki sighed. This wasn't his day.
~~~~~~
A breath taking view of a grassy plain came into view. Shinji could feel the breeze flowing across his skin. He had never felt so attuned to nature before.
He was dressed in brown robes , his long sleeves had ancient runes upon them. Sargaus was dressed in his usual black robes. Both of them had a slight contrast against the green back drop.
Sargaus decided to give him a tour of all existing planes. He didn't know that so many realms existed.
" This is the Plane of Dreams," He said. " This is where you will spend most of your time. This plane of existence has the same basic principals. Food and sleep is needed but you can manipulate it like in our realm. It is limited, of course. You can say that the Plane of Dreams is like the Plane of Mortals. "
Rising his hand out in front of him , a sword materialized into existence as if to state a point.
" And on a social note , do not wear your robes in this plane especially near big cities and kingdoms." Sargaus pointed at Shinji's robes. " Somehow, the mage guilds developed a magical sensor net to detect unnatural energies given out by beings such as ourselves."
He continued. " There are 5 planes , other than this one. Heaven is a plane but it has only one city. It is the greatest bastion of power and the only deterrent if Hell decides to invade. Paradise , as the name suggest ,is where souls of men of goodwill go."
Shinji knew that getting a permanent job such as Death , wasn't easy. But he didn't know how tedious it was in reality.
" And finally, Hell. The third place you can enter without permission , but the demons there will kill you if they see you. Even I can barely hold my ground against them. And finally, the Plane of Mortals which I am sure you are familiar with. "
By then , Sargaus was already grinning. Shinji had found out first hand that his mentor had a twisted sense of humor.
" Yes , is there something wrong?"
He quickly returned to the topic. " Its getting late , we had better get back to the realm. I will teach you magic when we get back."
Since Death's realm was small , in comparison to the planes , it had eluded detection until now. As Sargaus was Death for the time being , teaching Shinji the ropes , he and Shinji felt awkward by calling it Death's realm. So, they simply called it 'the realm'.
With a flick of his wrist , they were gone.
~~~~~~
Gendo was feared. Both in the real world and in the plane of dreams.
While other mages were respected for their discoveries and dedication, he was known for ruthlessness and his mastery over the shadow arts.
He was a very powerful mage; he can sense where and when anyone uses unnatural magic. Even with a barrier to nullify the senses , he could sense it.
He felt an incredible amount of energy somewhere nearby. He frowned at the air in front of him.
Impossible! No one has that much power! He thought.
He will look into it.
But for now, he has other pressing matters to take care of.
With that, he resumed his journey through the busy streets of Lorthain.
~~~~~~
" Take your pick , Shadow , Time , Earth or Fire.
They were in a spacious library , filled with priceless books of wisdom and knowledge. A table made of fine wood stood in the middle, allowing comfortable reading and research.
Shinji recalled what Sargaus said to him. Magic depended on the user's soul. He said that Shadow , Time and Earth were suited for him but Fire can't be used unless he was determined or enraged about something.
Shinji soon made up his mind.
" Shadow magic." Sargaus then placed his hand on Shinji's head.
A sudden rush of spells, usage , techniques and anything related to Shadow magic was imbedded into his mind. Experience and memories that were not his flashed across his mind , soon they were integrated into his subconscious.
" Now , try an attack spell."
Shinji hesitated, but a various amount of choices flooded his mind. He chose one and performed the spell.
" Good, the transfer was successful then."
Shinji found himself staring at the spherical mass of grey energy. Dull flames licked over the surface of the ball as it gently floated above his palm. He was fascinated but Sargaus broke his thoughts.
" Now dissipate the spell." Seeing that Shinji let the ball disappear, he continued. " Now, what's your next choice?"
" Time magic." Shinji said. " The rest are too destructive for me."
Sargaus sighed. " All right then." He placed his hand on Shinji's head.
Once again , Shinji was assaulted by the overwhelming flow of knowledge when using this particularly dangerous form of magic. The only difference was that the process was much shorter.
He also felt uncomfortable but he shrugged it off.
" My knowledge about Time and its powers are limited but here's one piece of advice. Time magic is activated instinctively. So unless you have mastered a good portion of it , you can't use certain skill unless your mind somehow wills it. Think of it as a passive skill." He sighed. " On the plus side , you can learn more about it from the books in the library."
" Now, I will impart to you Grey magic. Magic spells which have no definite class all belong to it. The spells at hand are vast, ranging from spells which can greatly boost your survivability to your strength in combat. It is the basic of the basic for us."
Sargaus placed his hand on Shinji's head , a light glow surrounding both teacher and student.
Shinji was again bombarded by a flood of information. He tried his best to not get lost in the endless mass of data but his efforts were in vain as he eventually lost it. It wasn't long before it was completed.
He panted tiredly when the process was done, taking in deep breaths of air to his lungs.
" Don't worry , you will be fine within a couple of minutes." Sargaus assured. " You have learnt all that is required for you to do your job properly."
" Shinji," His tone suddenly serious. " While we are myths in your original plane , we are feared and hunted here. We are not killers. We are guardians of the dead, the Keepers of knowledge. Those who hunt us are those of greed and cunning , who will kill you without a thought for power."
Shinji didn't say anything. He already knew his fate was one of chaos.
" Truth be told , no one is immortal. We are what you call demi-gods. Though we have vast powers, even we can crumble under the might of many. So we act under the cloak of secrecy. We are neither good nor evil, for Death is still a pawn for unknown hands."
Shinji didn't speak as he dwelled silently on his words.
~~~~~~
" The scrolls have been transferred to Terminal Dogma."
" Good. What about Project Leviaton?"
" The first prototype will be completed next month."
" Excellent. What any news from the other side?"
" Demonic activity has increased. Negative energies have also increased two fold."
" It seems that Death has a new successor. This will prove most interesting."
" What about the guilds, Ikari? After that stunt you pulled, they are worried that you are another demon impersonation."
" They won't do a single thing , Fuyutsuki. My demonstration has persuaded them to back off."
" I pray that you are right. SEELE is getting more shrewd, Ikari."
~~~~~~
Shinji wandered the dark streets of Lorthain , turning to check his back every few minutes. The once active streets were now deserted ,now fully devoted to directing hostility at him at every turn. It made him a bit queasy but he figured that walking was better than standing in the dim lighted street. It seemed to him , that every alley or dead end , there were people participating in not so legal activities. But he sensed that everyone was minding their own business ,in fact, practically every presence he felt were avoiding him in someway or another.
Shinji wondered why Sargaus sent him into the city. When approached , he merely replied that it was a test. A test of what? He could only imagine.
There was a sudden change in atmosphere. It changed from dangerous to foreboding. By now, Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, sweat started to form on his brow as he unconsciously knew what was going to happen. He felt unnerving auras increase in density with each step he took. Time seemed to slow for him as he moved forward with heavy steps.
He knew it was time.
He knew what kind test he had given him.
A test of survival. Straight and simple.
It came suddenly.
His instincts took over as he dodged the blow. Quickly , he summoned his scythe to block any more attacks from his assailant. Without wasting any time , his attacker quickly closed in for another blow , letting out a war cry. The sound of crashing metal was heard as Shinji blocked in earnest with his scythe. It was the first time Shinji saw the man's eyes. They were dull grey; lifeless. And Shinji saw through them and saw nothing but greed and lust for power.
He tilted his head a bit to the side, noticing a glint of sharp lethal metal in the darkness behind him. It was then , when he felt something inside of his mind snap.
Time slowed as he sidestepped the back attack , bringing his blade backwards to rend flesh. With a sickening 'squish' , the man had been disemboweled. Blood spattered the street , most of it staining his brown robes. Blood lust was present his eyes , as he turned his attention to his other attacker.
He jumped back , preparing a magical spell. His attacker charged , not knowing his folly. Immediately ,Shinji let out a dark ball of energy from his palm. The ball traveled at high speeds , leaving dust trailing in its wake. It collided with the man , sending him crashing in a building. He observed his situation. He calmed down enough to think logically.
He was tired.
Very tired.
Shinji quickly fled the scene.
He did not notice a pair of crimson eyes looking at him.
~~~~~~
Sargaus sat in his favorite rocking chair.
Though his eyes were closed , he felt a familiar shift of aura in the air. Shinji was back.
" How was the test?"
" Tiring. You could have given a much simpler task."
He opened his eyes , and saw that Shinji was drenched in blood. He merely smiled. " I trust that you followed my advice?"
Shinji frowned. " Yes , but I still think that it was not necessary, but I can't turn back now , can't I?"
At this , Sargaus smile widened. " Then , congratulations , Shinji Ikari. You passed your first test."
To Be Continued.
Author's Blah Blah: Rei and Asuka may appear in the next chapter, in the dream lands ,of course. Shinji funeral is also in the next chapter. I did better work on it now. Thanks again to the wonderful people call reviewers! I luv u all!!
(1) It means 10 P.M
Author's notes: Whoa! 27 reviews! I can't believe how much people are interested in this fic! Thank you all for your support :) !!! Finally , I present chapter 3! Enjoy!
Paths & Choices: Ascension
" Ikari , the autopsy has been completed." Fuyutsuki sighed. " It said that your son died during sleep. It seemed that all body functions stopped at 2200 hours.(1)"
" I see, it was regrettable that we lost the third child , but the plans will be readjusted." Gendo had read the reports. His son's death came rather surprisingly , so he was beginning to suspect that foul play was involved.
" Give the Major a day off , she wouldn't be any use to us in her present state."
" Yes , sir." Fuyutsuki sighed. This wasn't his day.
~~~~~~
A breath taking view of a grassy plain came into view. Shinji could feel the breeze flowing across his skin. He had never felt so attuned to nature before.
He was dressed in brown robes , his long sleeves had ancient runes upon them. Sargaus was dressed in his usual black robes. Both of them had a slight contrast against the green back drop.
Sargaus decided to give him a tour of all existing planes. He didn't know that so many realms existed.
" This is the Plane of Dreams," He said. " This is where you will spend most of your time. This plane of existence has the same basic principals. Food and sleep is needed but you can manipulate it like in our realm. It is limited, of course. You can say that the Plane of Dreams is like the Plane of Mortals. "
Rising his hand out in front of him , a sword materialized into existence as if to state a point.
" And on a social note , do not wear your robes in this plane especially near big cities and kingdoms." Sargaus pointed at Shinji's robes. " Somehow, the mage guilds developed a magical sensor net to detect unnatural energies given out by beings such as ourselves."
He continued. " There are 5 planes , other than this one. Heaven is a plane but it has only one city. It is the greatest bastion of power and the only deterrent if Hell decides to invade. Paradise , as the name suggest ,is where souls of men of goodwill go."
Shinji knew that getting a permanent job such as Death , wasn't easy. But he didn't know how tedious it was in reality.
" And finally, Hell. The third place you can enter without permission , but the demons there will kill you if they see you. Even I can barely hold my ground against them. And finally, the Plane of Mortals which I am sure you are familiar with. "
By then , Sargaus was already grinning. Shinji had found out first hand that his mentor had a twisted sense of humor.
" Yes , is there something wrong?"
He quickly returned to the topic. " Its getting late , we had better get back to the realm. I will teach you magic when we get back."
Since Death's realm was small , in comparison to the planes , it had eluded detection until now. As Sargaus was Death for the time being , teaching Shinji the ropes , he and Shinji felt awkward by calling it Death's realm. So, they simply called it 'the realm'.
With a flick of his wrist , they were gone.
~~~~~~
Gendo was feared. Both in the real world and in the plane of dreams.
While other mages were respected for their discoveries and dedication, he was known for ruthlessness and his mastery over the shadow arts.
He was a very powerful mage; he can sense where and when anyone uses unnatural magic. Even with a barrier to nullify the senses , he could sense it.
He felt an incredible amount of energy somewhere nearby. He frowned at the air in front of him.
Impossible! No one has that much power! He thought.
He will look into it.
But for now, he has other pressing matters to take care of.
With that, he resumed his journey through the busy streets of Lorthain.
~~~~~~
" Take your pick , Shadow , Time , Earth or Fire.
They were in a spacious library , filled with priceless books of wisdom and knowledge. A table made of fine wood stood in the middle, allowing comfortable reading and research.
Shinji recalled what Sargaus said to him. Magic depended on the user's soul. He said that Shadow , Time and Earth were suited for him but Fire can't be used unless he was determined or enraged about something.
Shinji soon made up his mind.
" Shadow magic." Sargaus then placed his hand on Shinji's head.
A sudden rush of spells, usage , techniques and anything related to Shadow magic was imbedded into his mind. Experience and memories that were not his flashed across his mind , soon they were integrated into his subconscious.
" Now , try an attack spell."
Shinji hesitated, but a various amount of choices flooded his mind. He chose one and performed the spell.
" Good, the transfer was successful then."
Shinji found himself staring at the spherical mass of grey energy. Dull flames licked over the surface of the ball as it gently floated above his palm. He was fascinated but Sargaus broke his thoughts.
" Now dissipate the spell." Seeing that Shinji let the ball disappear, he continued. " Now, what's your next choice?"
" Time magic." Shinji said. " The rest are too destructive for me."
Sargaus sighed. " All right then." He placed his hand on Shinji's head.
Once again , Shinji was assaulted by the overwhelming flow of knowledge when using this particularly dangerous form of magic. The only difference was that the process was much shorter.
He also felt uncomfortable but he shrugged it off.
" My knowledge about Time and its powers are limited but here's one piece of advice. Time magic is activated instinctively. So unless you have mastered a good portion of it , you can't use certain skill unless your mind somehow wills it. Think of it as a passive skill." He sighed. " On the plus side , you can learn more about it from the books in the library."
" Now, I will impart to you Grey magic. Magic spells which have no definite class all belong to it. The spells at hand are vast, ranging from spells which can greatly boost your survivability to your strength in combat. It is the basic of the basic for us."
Sargaus placed his hand on Shinji's head , a light glow surrounding both teacher and student.
Shinji was again bombarded by a flood of information. He tried his best to not get lost in the endless mass of data but his efforts were in vain as he eventually lost it. It wasn't long before it was completed.
He panted tiredly when the process was done, taking in deep breaths of air to his lungs.
" Don't worry , you will be fine within a couple of minutes." Sargaus assured. " You have learnt all that is required for you to do your job properly."
" Shinji," His tone suddenly serious. " While we are myths in your original plane , we are feared and hunted here. We are not killers. We are guardians of the dead, the Keepers of knowledge. Those who hunt us are those of greed and cunning , who will kill you without a thought for power."
Shinji didn't say anything. He already knew his fate was one of chaos.
" Truth be told , no one is immortal. We are what you call demi-gods. Though we have vast powers, even we can crumble under the might of many. So we act under the cloak of secrecy. We are neither good nor evil, for Death is still a pawn for unknown hands."
Shinji didn't speak as he dwelled silently on his words.
~~~~~~
" The scrolls have been transferred to Terminal Dogma."
" Good. What about Project Leviaton?"
" The first prototype will be completed next month."
" Excellent. What any news from the other side?"
" Demonic activity has increased. Negative energies have also increased two fold."
" It seems that Death has a new successor. This will prove most interesting."
" What about the guilds, Ikari? After that stunt you pulled, they are worried that you are another demon impersonation."
" They won't do a single thing , Fuyutsuki. My demonstration has persuaded them to back off."
" I pray that you are right. SEELE is getting more shrewd, Ikari."
~~~~~~
Shinji wandered the dark streets of Lorthain , turning to check his back every few minutes. The once active streets were now deserted ,now fully devoted to directing hostility at him at every turn. It made him a bit queasy but he figured that walking was better than standing in the dim lighted street. It seemed to him , that every alley or dead end , there were people participating in not so legal activities. But he sensed that everyone was minding their own business ,in fact, practically every presence he felt were avoiding him in someway or another.
Shinji wondered why Sargaus sent him into the city. When approached , he merely replied that it was a test. A test of what? He could only imagine.
There was a sudden change in atmosphere. It changed from dangerous to foreboding. By now, Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, sweat started to form on his brow as he unconsciously knew what was going to happen. He felt unnerving auras increase in density with each step he took. Time seemed to slow for him as he moved forward with heavy steps.
He knew it was time.
He knew what kind test he had given him.
A test of survival. Straight and simple.
It came suddenly.
His instincts took over as he dodged the blow. Quickly , he summoned his scythe to block any more attacks from his assailant. Without wasting any time , his attacker quickly closed in for another blow , letting out a war cry. The sound of crashing metal was heard as Shinji blocked in earnest with his scythe. It was the first time Shinji saw the man's eyes. They were dull grey; lifeless. And Shinji saw through them and saw nothing but greed and lust for power.
He tilted his head a bit to the side, noticing a glint of sharp lethal metal in the darkness behind him. It was then , when he felt something inside of his mind snap.
Time slowed as he sidestepped the back attack , bringing his blade backwards to rend flesh. With a sickening 'squish' , the man had been disemboweled. Blood spattered the street , most of it staining his brown robes. Blood lust was present his eyes , as he turned his attention to his other attacker.
He jumped back , preparing a magical spell. His attacker charged , not knowing his folly. Immediately ,Shinji let out a dark ball of energy from his palm. The ball traveled at high speeds , leaving dust trailing in its wake. It collided with the man , sending him crashing in a building. He observed his situation. He calmed down enough to think logically.
He was tired.
Very tired.
Shinji quickly fled the scene.
He did not notice a pair of crimson eyes looking at him.
~~~~~~
Sargaus sat in his favorite rocking chair.
Though his eyes were closed , he felt a familiar shift of aura in the air. Shinji was back.
" How was the test?"
" Tiring. You could have given a much simpler task."
He opened his eyes , and saw that Shinji was drenched in blood. He merely smiled. " I trust that you followed my advice?"
Shinji frowned. " Yes , but I still think that it was not necessary, but I can't turn back now , can't I?"
At this , Sargaus smile widened. " Then , congratulations , Shinji Ikari. You passed your first test."
To Be Continued.
Author's Blah Blah: Rei and Asuka may appear in the next chapter, in the dream lands ,of course. Shinji funeral is also in the next chapter. I did better work on it now. Thanks again to the wonderful people call reviewers! I luv u all!!
(1) It means 10 P.M