Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, objects, or references in this story. They are owned by Gainax, and whatever other owners of the different Eva-related anime/games.
A/N: I guess I wrote the first chapter to my fantasy fic just to take a break from the development of Rokubungi Legacies. I am having a bit of trouble trying to fit in Kaji sometime BEFORE the ending, and the whole Rokubungi history has to be sorted out. I planned it to be 25-30 chapters long, but my lack of planning might not match my desired results. Thus I bring you this fic!
--
"Takumi Yamashita, EXILED! Takumi Matsuo, EXILED! Ikari Shinji, EXILED, family name, STRIPPED!" Gendo fumingly shouted, uncharacteristic of him. It had been a horrible day.
"Gendo! What do you think you're doing? You're exiling Yui-sama's child, and the Takumi brothers who had served us for generations!" Fuyutsuki pleaded for them in his own way.
"The Ikari house has no use for those who would not change!" Gendo slammed his palm into the wall nearby. "I will NOT accept them as members of our house!"
"Gendo, Yui-sama's death was unfortunate, but it gives no reason for you to do this!" Fuyutsuki was beginning to fume as well. The Takumi brothers had served Yui's father, then Yui herself. They were to serve Shinji, too, once he grew up. But Gendo had ruined the family, by not only exiling the most loyal of the members, but the heir as well.
"You dare go against me, Fuyutsuki-sensei?" The man said in a threatening tone.
"I do not acknowledge you as my superior, Gendo. You are exiling our heir! Yui-sama would never have allowed for this, Rokubungi-kun!" Fuyutsuki kept his voice low for somebody as mad as he was. He would have left the house with them, had he not had an obligation to fill with Yui's father.
"Son or not son, I won't accept those who would not change for the future! My decision will not be changed. Do not show me more disrespect, Fuyutsuki." The stone faced man looked down at the old man, as if deeming him inferior.
"Gendo, I knew it was a mistake to allow Yui-sama leave the fate of our house to you."
--
Shinji awoke with a drop of dew flying into his face. The memories of being exiled by his father, while being too scared to say a thing had done a number on his fragile mind.
He had lost his mother, Ikari Yui, at the age of 6. A year afterwards, he had berated his father for trusting the blasted pirate ship from China, filled with suspicious westerners who had held thunder sticks. Because of their foreign charms that were supposed to be more powerful than Buddhist charms, his mother had lost her soul to the suit of armor the last westerners had brought. This landed him, and the Takumi brothers their exile.
He had lived with the Takumi brothers for a couple of years, learning the usage of his last remnant of his mother-A peculiarly shaped straight back katana. Obviously, the blade was a masterpiece despite it being straight edged, but the katar-like handle aroused the curiosity of all those who didn't know its origins, and the lust of those who did. For years, he had to fend for himself when attacked, because none dared to challenge the awesome Twin Takumi Tsunami, a strategic string of secret Ikari family techniques the two brothers did in perfect unison, killing many at once or one many times. The most logical thing was to get the kid when he was alone.
But he wanted to see the world, so now, he ended up in the mainland. The source of all of his problems, and where he had seen his first panda. Away from the protection of his guardians, and wandering by himself, performing with the last of which he was to remember his mother by for money.
It was a sad age. Everybody adopted the usage of the thunder sticks the weird colored people had brought, and the usage of martial arts had declined. But it was a good thing for the boy, because he did not like to kill people. Had he came to the mainland two hundred years ago, he would be haunted by bandits and thieves who thought they could match up to the Shaolin Temple.
A few did, but they would not want a petty family heirloom. They would go after the sought after legendary martial arts, and remnants of the legendary all-curing elixirs, the masterpiece of famous Chinese pharmacists.
None realized the elixirs were simply mythological, though. But then, the Buddhist charms and the westerners' charms seemed mythological too. Perhaps they might not be so fruitless in their search after all.
The boy rubbed his eyes from thinking over the events of his dream, like he did every time he had it. He had gotten quite good with the strange sword he had held, and had made a small name for himself.
"Another day... The mainland is worse off than home..." He murmured to himself, as he stepped out into another rowdy day of people fighting over the acceptance of the foreigners. He had been sleeping out in a bamboo forest whenever he could, and that was another day of that. He loved seeing the peaceful lives of the elusive beasts that mainland had held. He was an artist in nature, his sword danced with each slash, like the poetry that was credited to him.
Out of all the gifts the westerners had brought, the only thing that had appealed to him was their instruments. He loved the melodies they played that could reflect weathers and emotions, and it fascinated him to no end.
Setting his foot into the village he had been staying in for the past few days, he had grown to know a few people. Namely, the bartender. The bartender had counted on him to bring in customers, while he counted on the bartender to feed him. The strange sword he used, and the stranger swordsmanship he displayed caused kids and adults like to gaze with interest, drawing attention to the bar which provided them refreshments.
This was a regular day, as Shinji stepped into the bar yet again, to the counter to pick up the usual.
"Hey, Ikari!" The bartender shouted, in Chinese, a language Shinji had learned in the year he spent in the mainland.
"Hello, Yun Guan." The boy replied in the same language. It had been hard trying to drop his Japanese speaking habits, namely the suffixes after names, but he did it.
Suddenly, two men barged in, arguing over the drugs and weapons the westerners brought in.
"Just another regular day?"
"Yea, pretty much." Yun Guan replied. "So, noble boy, how do you like the mainland so far?"
"Please stop calling me that." Shinji's face turned into a scowl at the mention of it. "I am an exile."
"Hahaha, I didn't mean to agitate you. How about some wine?" The bartender laughed, amused by the boy's reactions once again.
Shinji hanged his head in shame, embarrassed by his own outburst, as he simply placed a note on the table, indicating just when he will begin performing. Seeing the bartender nod with a smile and shout to the waitresses, he left for his table and waited for the adult liquid.
A young waitress came, bearing a bottle. Her face flushing. This was the bartender's daughter, 6 years old. She's the exclusive waitress for friends and long-time customers, and she had a crush that was never meant to be on the boy 5 years older than she was.
"Here you go Shinji!" She said cheerily with a blush, as she placed the small clay jar with great effort on Shinji's table. Seeing Shinji's smile, she beamed with joy and skipped away happily.
He drank the burning drink, and sighed. His life had been peaceful in this village, as with the many villages he had already visited. He would leave in another week, and surely the girl will be sad.
"I know you're a traveler, but pay no mind to my daughter." Yun Guan appeared out of nowhere, apparently seeing the little exchange.
"Sorry, I just don't want to hurt anybody." The boy said in a weak tone.
"Sure, sure, you got drunk on your first day here and told me all about your past." The bartender smiled. "My daughter is like that, but don't worry. Once she gets a day of crying, she usually perks right back up, and finds something else just as good."
"Thanks for the encouragement, Yun Guan." The boy smiled at the man who had fed him and given him drinks.
"You're growing up awfully fast, aren't you?"
"What do you mean?" Asked the confused boy.
"Drinking is a sign of adulthood, Shinji." The bartender replied with a pat on the shoulder. "By showing the world you are ready to take this burning liquid, you show you have the burning passion of a man!"
"I... I guess I don't know anything." The boy sighed.
"Now now, don't be all gloomy. You're a great kid, pretty talented too. Now, your show is about to start. Heres something to eat." Yun Guan produced a plate of meat buns for the boy, seemingly from nowhere. It had always seemed like magic to Shinji how the man can somehow hide the biggest objects without fail.
"Thank you, Yun Guan." Shinji stood, bowed, and downed the rest of his of his drink in one breath. Bringing his plate of food outside the bar's entrance, he began eating while waiting for the people to gather. It had become a tradition in this small village for the first person to see the note taped outside the bar to inform everybody he or she should come across, and let the news spread on when the performance will be starting so everybody can make time.
As soon as the crowd began to gather, he took out the peculiar looking out of its specially made sheath, like always, and gave the mainland locals a show of a Japanese noble family arts.
Shinji threw his plate of meat buns into the air, and cleanly slices all 5 of them with exact precision, and then with a single thrust, the fillings of all 5 were all skewered onto the sword, despite the fact that the pieces seemed to be in an extremely jagged line, and the bun was dropped back onto the plate..
Everybody clapped, watched him eat, and went to get something to eat and drink themselves. Shinji smiled to himself, and felt a presence.
"Why aren't you grabbing a bite?" The boy looked up, and saw a blue haired, red eyed girl in an Ikari family kimono.
There was no reply as he stared wide-eyed into the ever-so-familiar fashion of the girl, as a gunshot was fired and scared off the birds. He looked at the direction of the sound, and turned back to the girl. Strangely, she was gone.
"What's going on here?" The boy asked the customers in the bar.
"It-It's the bandits!" One of them shouted, and Yun Guan immediately began explaining.
"There's a band of bandits who come now and then to this humble village, Shinji. Don't involve yourself with them, they'll just collect the money and leave."
"But-But I can't just..." Shinji wanted to help the villagers who had shown him such hospitality, but he was scared to take lives. Though he was a skilled swordsman, he was only a 11 year old introvert. Nobody can possibly expect him to take lives yet.
"Yes, yes you can. Now stay in the cellar, and be a good boy." The bartender's gaze was serious, but showed fear and caring as well.
"I mustn't run away... I mustn't run away... I mustn't run away..." The boy chanted quietly, as if possessed. "I can't run anymore... I'm sorry Yun Guan!" He shouted the last sentence, and ran out the door.
"Damn it! The kid is gonna get himself killed!" Yun Guan fumed. Last time a traveler had tried to play hero, the bandits had shot a few holes in him with those new gun things the Europeans brought, which this hero insists on calling thunder sticks. Then, those bandits hanged his half-dying body out to dry in the sun, and the man died a slow, painful death, and this was a 28 year old martial artist. Everybody was scared for the boy, but none dared to help him.
--
"I mustn't run away... This isn't the first time I've fought... Not the first time I've killed..." Shinji chanted to himself, as he pulled out his sword into his battle stance. It looked as if he was possessed by a demon, half kneeling, half crouching, a leg ready to kick start a run. The gunshot was heard again, and the galloping of hooves could be heard coming closer and closer. Outside the village gate, a cloud of dust could be seen. "They're here... I mustn't run away..."
--
The bandit leader was delighted, it wasn't everyday that an European colony had given them a girl to satisfy their hunger for cash, and this was one beautiful girl they had recieved. She would be worth at least a few thousand grams of gold, which was quite a lot for a girl her age, if she was sold a virgin. Perhaps she could also be a good enough bribe to get the judge to pass them off as innocent if they ever got caught. Firing these new guns they had acquired, they made way to another village. Not going to be as good as the last loot, but surely they've got food and great wine for them waiting, from the experiences of the past.
What met them at the gates was a possessed looking boy, holding a strange, imported sword.
"Oh? A new kid in this neighborhood?" The head bandit asked, amused.
"Y-yes, and I suggest you l-leave, I do not like taking lives." The boy stuttered while talking, taking away all credibility from his speech.
"Oh, hey, the kid is threatening us! What, mommy is gonna spank us if we hurt you?" The leader laughed at the kid trying to be brave.
"Don't talk about my mother like that!" The boy shouted, all fear dispelled by the insult, and a gun was pointed at his sword arm. The boy was clearly amused rather than scared at this. "Do you really think that toy the strange men brought will hurt me?"
"Insolent boy, eat your words!" The leader shouted, as he pulled the trigger. The bullet's crooked path flew right past the boy's peasant clothes, dusting it with gunpowder but otherwise not hurting the boy at all. What followed was a graceful leap, and a lightning fast spin, before the life of the head bandit flashed in front of his eyes, as his neck was slashed just enough for him to die, but not enough to be beheaded.
"BOSS!"
"YOU LIL BASTARD!"
"WHAT THE HELL!" The various bandits shouted at the fall of their leader, and drew their swords. All charged at the boy, as he simply spun backwards, dodging most of the hits and blocking the rest with his sword. A group of 20 bandits, one dead and rest startled, were all affected by this boy.
Shinji knocked back the swords that had clashed with his family heirloom, jumped up, and slashed the necks of the three who had actually tried to hit him. Three more fell, and nineteen became sixteen.
"BASTARD!" The rest shouted, and began another unison attack. It was dodged just as easily, as another fell in the same fashion.
"Please, stop this." The boy pleaded, stabilizing himself from his landing.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" One of the bandits piped up. "Nobody tells US what to do, especially after killing 5 of our brothers!" He charged forward to the boy, brandishing his blade. He brought it down, only to have it parried and be killed with a sword in his throat. 14 left, 6 dead. Shinji's blade started to be tainted with blood, despite his best efforts at making the kill as fast as possible.
The fourteen enraged bandits left all charged at Shinji from different directions, taking turns. They were much more organized now, and had managed to cut open Shinji's sleeve. But Shinji had simply had to spin like a top, as each and every blow was deflected or dodged to a certain degree. The dizzy Ikari jumped and brought his blade down, slashing the last bandit who had engaged him in the neck, followed by a swift kick to knock him off his horse. Before the horse could run like the other 6, however, Shinji grabbed its neck and got on its back.
"Shit! This kid is good!" One of the bandits exclaimed.
"Stupid brat, die already!" Another shouted, and they began their assault again on the mounted boy. This time, the thirteen had split into two lines of 6, as the best swordsman of the group charged head-on into the boy. It was a stream of blades, followed by a single cleave from above. But what they had not counted on, was the target leaping off of his horse, and killing the first bandit he came across, and rode the dead man's horse instead. Thus, they simply slashed one of their own horses into ribbons, then in half, as their numbers dwindled down yet again. This time by a huge amount, due to the boy making his horse turn a sharp 180 degrees, slashing straight through the line of 5 behind him by extending the sword on his arm. Now they were down to 7, and the fight seemed one-sided.
"Cursed boy! Ok, grab the loot and retreat!" The makeshift leader shouted, but a blade was brought to his neck.
"No, leave the loots." The boy said quietly, riding his new horse.
"Y-Yes! Leave the loot!" The leader feared for his own life, and money was simply material things.
"Step off your horses, and leave quietly." The boy commanded, a trait he learned from his dad before the insanity induced by his mother's death.
"Y-yes, of course!" The man complied with his wishes, and all 7 men stepped off their horses and ran like the devil had possessed them.
Shinji simply fainted from exhaustion afterwards.
--
"DADDY! DADDY! SHINJI WOKE UP!" The bartender's little girl shouted.
"Really? That's great, Yun Yun!" The voice of the bartender could be heard.
Shinji found himself in a bed, rather than where he had last remembered. Beside him, was a flame haired girl.
"GAHH! WHAT IS THIS?" He shouted as he fell out of the bed with a crash, his body suddenly felt sore as he crashed straight into his sheathed sword, every inch of his muscles aching for rest.
Yun Guan's calm footsteps became rapid and impatient running, as he slammed the door open to see what had happened.
"Yun Guan! Explain!" Shinji shouted angrily, still hurting, as he pointed to the girl that was in the same bed as he was. The beet red face was a hilarious sight.
Yun Guan laughed a hearty laugh, as he placed two bowls of rice and some vegetable stir fry on the table in the room.
"Eat up, you'll need the energy after that fight." He calmed down and smiled, and began to walk out the door.
"I still want an explanation for this!" The boy shouted at the retreating man.
"Well, this was our only room, and we found her with the cash they stole. Probably planned on selling her or something." The man shrugged. "Sick bastards. She's only about your age." He walked off mumbling about the boy not grown up enough yet, chuckling.
Shinji sat dumbfounded, not knowing what Yun Guan had meant, but shrugged it off and prepared to enjoy his meal. He knew Yun Guan was the chef of this place, and he knew Yun Guan was a damn good chef.
--
The flame haired girl stirred in her sleep, and slowly opened her eyes. Instead of the darkness of being confined in a box, she found herself staring at bright daylight.
"I guess I'm sold, huh?" She mumbled to herself, in her native tongue, German.
"Did you say something?" A young boyish voice asked from a table on the other side of the room.
Switching to the tongue of this country, she spoke with a heavy accent. "I didn't say anything." She looked up, and saw a boy clad in clothes fit for a farmer, eating a traditional lunch. "W-Wait, I got sold to YOU?" She screamed. "I can't be worth THAT little, can I?"
"Haha, when you get sold by bandits, most people think about what's about to happen to them." A new, deep voice laughed.
"Yun Guan, I don't understand..." The boy was still nagging about what the bartender had meant when he called the bandits sick bastards.
"Look, this isn't for kids to hear." The man told the boy.
"But you said I grew up when I drank!" The curiosity had breached the layers of weak exterior the boy had put on, as he begged for an answer.
"Well..."
"They were going to sell me to please land lords." The girl said casually. But Shinji was dense enough to ask one question.
"How do you please them?"
"Baka..." She murmured, but Shinji had heard.
"I heard that!"
"Heard what?"
"'Baka', I head you say it!"
"Damn, I knew I should have used dummkopf." She thought, as she hurriedly changed the subject by answering his question. "Want a demonstration?" She teased, as she loosened her silk Chinese Dress.
"W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" The boy shouted, as his face turned beet red while the man identified as Yun Guan simply laughed as if the funniest thing in the world happened.
"What are you going to do to me if you aren't going to do THAT!" The girl asked, annoyed and angry by the strangeness of the situation.
"You're a funny girl. The first girl I knew to actually not mind being sold." Yun Guan smiled. "Shinji here killed 13 men for you, probably saw you before all of us." His smile turned to a grin as Shinji simply turned more red.
She pushed herself of the bed, forgetting the fact that her dress was loosened. She walked over to the boy to test him, who squirmed back in fear, as if he was about to be devoured.
"I'm Sohryu Asuka Langley, pleased to meet you." She smiled a warm smile, but looked down at him as if he was an inferior being.
" I-Ikari S-Shinji. P-please p-p-pull y-your d-dress-" Shinji stammered, still squirming back and trying not to notice the barely noticable, prematurely developing bumps in Asuka's chest.
"SHINJI NO BAKAAAAA!"
To be continued when I get stuck in my first story again.
A/N: And so concludes the first chapter. Though theres not much fantasy, mostly real stuff just taking place in another time, like with the prelude. But later on, the fantasy stuff will appear! I swear!
This takes place somewhere in the 1600s. The Europeans imported guns and drugs to China some time around that century, and they were vastly popular, ruining the economy and chain of command in the glorious, war torn country. Sometime along those years, there was a civil war in China because of the drugs the Europeans had brought. The people felt it was ruining their lives, but the corrupted government sold precious food for these addicting products. Then there was this pirate ship that shipped rifles to Japan, which caused Japan to mass produce these rifles and thus in both countries with a long history of martial arts, the way of the fist and the way of the sword were lost in time. Of course, this is a horribly rough outline. I haven't been taught Chinese history for like 5 years, so I'm not sure of the facts now, and the research I've done for the Japanese history was just searching the name of the era on Google and reading a page's worth of summary. So the history is sure to not match to actual records. If that's the case, just pretend, ok?
