Chapter 3

Corrupted Senses

Misato hadn't been sleeping for well, her dreams were plagued with horrid sights. The death of Shinji by her hand disturbed her more then anything. She had come to love him in more ways then one in the month she was her. She had trained him well he was probably her most dedicated student as well as her strongest. But her thought dwelled on Kaji…his training was the most enjoyable. In a lot of ways Shinji remind her of him, his determination, his kindness, his will, the way she had to keep the dwarf from killing him with mead. She cried to herself silently, "Where did I go wrong with that one?"

She sat up in her bed unable to sleep, she just had to check on him she knew she couldn't go to sleep without knowing he was okay. She walked into his room and found him asleep at his desk. He had been researching air stone in his books and jotting down notes. She moved the glass away from him and covered his ink up so it didn't dry up. She took a sheet and covered him then kissed his forehead.

"Thank you mommy." she heard him whisper before going completely silent again. Misato looked at him, she saw this bright and warm golden glow over take him. She smiled the thought her fears washed away. Though she failed with all her other pupils and betrayed by the only student of her to succeed; she felt confidence that this student would meet all her expectations. Misato looked over his notes.

The Fire Stone is created at place of greatest fire magic usually a fire node or in the dropping of red dragons. Similarly all stones can be found with their aligned nodes or in the droppings of their aligned dragon. There are rare occasion that aligned wizard will produce on from sheer will however a stone produced that way will result increase of power as well as increase in self-destructive tendencies.
I must go to the frozen north to get the stones.

She rubbed his head smiling, returning to her room; she sat there crying out of happiness. True was that her heart longed for something that she lost long ago and found in Shinji, a son.

Misato awoke from bed to find Shinji carrying in a snack for himself and a meal for Misato.

"Hey Misato here you go eat up." he said sweetly. Though not truly the son she lost, her maternal instincts had kicked in. She instantly knew he wanted something.

"What do you want Shinji?" she said mimicking her mother's tone to her brothers.

"Um…I want you to come with me to the Frozen North." he said nervously.

"Um…let me think…no." she said with out giving a second or a first thought for that manner, "You can't go…you will catch the death of cold." She turned over in her bed try to escape that hidden glow Shinji emitted by he could never seem to see.

"Come on. There is no other way to get the stones." he moaned.

"Find another way."

"Misato…I need to go…the spirit of nature said that it was only way to get what I want and I would free two soul from hands of war."

"And where did you here at?" she asked.

"Well the very oracle had made pilgrimage to deliver the message." he said pointing to the doorway, the gentle green haired woman should with her attendants. Misato shot straight up in her bed then out instantly kneeling before her. Her nude body exposed as she remained kneeling; normally seeing Misato like this would he given him a severe nose-bleeding session but instead of wrapping his mind around such thing. All he could think about were her scars and lacerations. He traced them with his eyes, bisecting, overlapping, lateral, and parallel.

"So many scars." he mumbled meekly.

"Oracle I was unaware of your visit. Sure if Shinji and I knew you were coming we would have prepared a warmer reception." she pleaded looking down at from her face.

"No need to apologize. I am happy for the warm reception I had already received. Any warmer I would have wilted." she calmly smirked at them, "Please rise Misato." She gave the nude woman her hand and helped her up. Misato quickly covered up her private parts when she was fully erect as did Shinji. Shinji pinched his nose before he could bleed all the blood from his body. The Oracle smiled at the pair, "I see what nature see in you two." she whispered to herself.

Shinji escorted the Oracle around the city before noon lunch. He himself had taken up the preparations of her meal while Misato sat discussed many things both of spiritual and personal nature as well as the affairs of the state. Shinji came in with some more servants carrying trays of food…the Oracle was a strict vegetarian, not because nature forbid it actually she encouraged it, but because she was elf and elven diets consist most of vegetables and fruits combined with a strong dislike for the taste of meat. Shinji though he had elven blood he wasn't restricted to their taste. The Oracle, Misato, and he sat down devouring the meal. This was the first time Shinji had sat down to eat with Misato and how fast she cleaned her plate and bones leaving no meat whatsoever. Even the tiny fish bone were picked clean and glistened white. The amount of mead she consumed with before, with, after her meal alarmed them both. Before they all had officially finished she had already consumed nineteen glass, but was still coherent enough to talk with reasoning and rationality.

"I will cut straight to the chase…please forgive my boldness my liege but, nature has ordered me to tell you must take a journey to the Frozen North."

"Forgive me for questioning the will of nature but I don't see how she can order him to go." Misato said looking at Shinji, "Asuka still threatens Terra. If we go then will leave Shinji's throne and people open for attack."

"I understand your concern Misato but…I don't think Nature will send him there without reason and the city is protected by the Mountains of Dere as well as the elemental shield." Misato looked at the Oracle.

"But Shinji's presence powers the shield if he were to leave…the shield would fail."

"Not necessarily. The Oracle was kind to bring as a fragment of Lodestone which was held up in the temple garden. With I was able to power the Lodestone would expending my own energy." Misato sighed there was another reason she didn't want to go the Frozen North, a reason she never wanted to show Shinji. Shinji smiled his brightest smile to get her to go.

'There is no way around it. If he goes he will find it. I would rather be at his side to tell him the true then the alternative.' "Very well Shinji…I make ready a ship." she replied giving a brave forced smile. Shinji smiled back at her "I already took the liberty of getting on ready."

Asuka tossed and turned in her bed sheet, her dreams were now being haunted by phantoms of Shinji. After that kiss, she lusted after him and became quite mad at the fact that she could have him for her master wanted him dead. Kaji had come and gone again bound for the Frozen North. The Archons have been negotiating peace with the Frostlings in an attempt to over power his hordes. Kaji himself come my times for both supplies and troops, she had become less thrilled with his presence and it was getting clearer now that she was losing favor with the spirit of war. She had been at her home continent for some time now. She abandoned everything thing her city her duties and returned home. All she wanted now was Shinji. All she could think about was Shinji.

'is this love? But how can I love my enemy? I am immune to powers of seduction. For I am the seducer, how did he seduce me? How is it I am in love with him?' She couldn't wrap her brain around such a concept she was seduced. She looked out into the boiling magna by her window from the volcano.

'Mother give me strength…to overcome this magic.' With that she closed her eyes and fell into slumber.

Shinji stepped foot onto the snowy banks….he smiled though he was a bit chilly. He had excepted it to be cold but not as cold. Misato walked up throwing a wild bear coat onto his shoulders similar to the one she was wearing. She took the lead of the expedition. Pushing forward in the dense snowfall. She hadn't smile once since they left for Frozen North…Shinji looked the same way for the three day trip.

"We should make camp now." Misato pointed out looking around the field.

"But Misato we aren't that far from the boat. We have at least four more hours of daylight left." Shinji smiled brushing pass her. Misato reluctantly pressed onward. They continued onward for another two hour before Misato's anxiety even overcame Shinji. The set up camp, Shinji never seen Misato so jumpy before. He brought her food, she didn't eat; he brought her mead, she didn't drink. He sat beside her but she didn't even acknowledge his presence. Too busy wrap up in thoughts of the conversation between her and the Oracle.

"Do you think that he it is none of his business?"

"Yes it isn't."

"You are wrong. What you did will not be hidden forever. He will have to find out. Misato you have to tell him. Or else?"

"Or else?

"You will never escape their grasp Misato. You have been given a unique opportunity here. You are at the forefront of a new age."

"But I tell him what has become of his father, his mother, the real reason why he is like this, he will hate me."

"And why doesn't that affect you Misato now? You who have given her heart to no man since Kaji. He betrayed your heart. Why have human feelings now?"

"What I lost, I found in Shinji. Shinji I love him like I love my son."

"But Shinji isn't…Shinji is Yui's child. Shinji is our…."

"Don't say it! Don't you dare call him by that name or refer to him in that context!" Misato stared blankly into the fires. Shinji looked at her with great worry however he remained at her side still calmly.

"When you first came you are about the performing your duties to the spirits…to the convent…to the oracles. Misato…you fall in love with the one being you can never love…even as a son."

"No…there miss be another way. There has to be another way. Shinji mustn't be given that fate."

"This was the way this scenario was written…You know where it is right?"

"Yes…"

"Taken show teach to wield it….tell him the tale of his master….tell him about your dark past…if he accepts you return to the place of your birth. If he denies you return to the place of your death."

Misato got up, sighed and pulled Shinji's arm. Dragging him off into the night.

"Misato what are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

"To the beginning…the city of Aerials."

"The city of Aerials? Misato…what's wrong?"

"Shinji … Hyoraji…there is something I must so you."

"Did you call me Hyoraji?" he questioned feeling something pulling him forward along with Misato's arm, it was more internal. He was being compelled to at first and resisted slightly he didn't want to go. But after hearing her call him, after hearing that name made him more compliant. He took each step with fear and pride. They left the light of the camp an hour back and head into the wilderness of ice alone.

Asuka laid her body on her cot and prayed for release. She bear it no more she wanted Shinji's body she wanted to be his. She wanted meld the fires of her heart with his and burn brightly with him. She stood up mustered all over the energy and became a fire ball. Moving with the speed of a fallen star. She went to his tower, landing on his balcony. She could smell his scent it was all she desired to smell. It had registered in her mind as nothing less then divine she wanted more. She entered his bed chambers…she begun to strip letting her full red hair slide down her breast and back. She slowly made her way over to his door…locking it then sealing it with magic.

"Baka…wake up…things are about to get hot in here." She said making her way to the bed…

"Lord Shinji isn't here." a voice called from the corner behind her.

"Oh…who are you?"

"That isn't the question you should be asking…you should be asking who are you?"

"I don't like games….especially mind games."

"Well Mahi we will have to change that."

"Oh really." Asuka wheeled around tossed a fireball in the general direction of the voice. Watching it explode and take out the wall of the tower. She smiled she seemed like during that it kinda turned her on.

"Is that all you got? Do you think you can tame Shinji with such weak magic." the voice called out again. Asuka tossed several fireballs in that direction, one after another until either that wall was completely demolished or completely burnt.

"Hah you want Shinji do you think you can kill me?" The figure stepped into the light revealing blue hair and red eyes and elvish ear.

"You want Shinji you will have to take him for me." the figure said.

"I will ripped the marrow from your bones then explore Shinji's body over top your ashes."

"Don't think so…come to the Frozen North. Then we will see gets Shinji." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"If that bitch wants war I will give the bitch war." With that Asuka took her leave the same way she came. When it was clear that she was gone, the figure returned.

"Forgive me Asuka but one of them must die…or you will have to take there place."