Reign of the Tabri
Disclaimer: Me no own Gainax.
"If the Final Messenger is defeated by the neglected son it shall come to pass that the children rule all."- Dead Sea Scrolls, Chapter 17
Writer douses himself in gasoline. "Flame me!"
Chapter Three: reAwakening
It had been a long night of walking.
Through the whole night and into the morning he had walked. It was almost as if he feared to be late. Now he finally crested the final mountain peak. He had managed to make it to Tokyo-3. It was raining lightly. The city showed signs of a great battle. He could see one bridge with a huge gaping hole in it.
He made his way down the mountain and as he went he thought of all that had led up to this. It had all started with second impact, then the long organization to prepare the remainder of the attacks, the attacks of the messengers, and finally his father's attack.
He reached the bottom of the mountain quickly and entered the suburbs. His clothes were heavily tattered and damaged. He walked into an apparently vacant house. No alarms went off. He began searching through the house for clothes.
All around this house were more vacant houses. Should the house he was in now not have his size, color, or even the right feel he could search through any of them. As it was he was in a hurry. He managed to squeeze into a pair of jeans and found a sweatshirt. He found the hood was too small to fit his shoulder long hair. He'd have to walk with his head visible.
The houses had been evacuated the day earlier. The battle had pushed all innocents into the shelters left over from when the messengers had come. They had yet to be allowed to go home. The new masters of the city had not yet decided what to do with them. Kill them, enslave them, or let them go?
The boy emerged from the house now. He made his way into the heart of the city. As he came closer he began to see signs of recent habitation. Eventually he saw people. They were crouched over fires, huddled around fires like hobos. Their newmasters had allowed them to leave the shelters but not go home. They needed to eat and trapped in the shelters they couldn't. The masters new this and had graciously allowed them to enter the city. Still, their "graciousness" had a limit. Stray from the site for a moment and you'd never be seen again. You'd be heard though.
Cameras were not needed. Anyone trying to leave wouldn't make it. However the masters weren't prepared for one thing, people to enter Tokyo-3. After all, who would want to go into their "care" willingly? The battle had been broadcast all over the world. In all the clips not one of the invaders was killed.
The boy walked alone. Here and there he saw shapes he recognized. He would duck into a shadow or building with surprising speed. None of the normal habitants could do this. Those he saw would not have time to notice either. They'd move along blissfully unaware of his intrusion. After they passed he would go out and continue on.
He made his way deeper and deeper into the city. As he went he heard conversations. Children asked parents when they could go home, what was for dinner, why they were where they where. He heard students talking about what they had seen, heard, and smelled. Adults complained about having to live like this, though none complained to their guardians as far as he could tell. He tuned them all out after awhile. He only watched for two things. A sign saying geofront access and those forms he recognized. He could recognize the second mostly by their hair, a pale white, and eyes, a deep red. A few would not have this appearance but he knew most of them. He could avoid them. As for the entrance to the geofront he would find it eventually. It would just take time. He could be patient, if he really had to be.
Touji Suzuhara had been cold. Now he was warm. Why the change in temperature? Hikari Horaki was snuggled up against his arm.
Touji was now warm and the feeling of Hikari against him was good. The feeling of Hikari's dad staring at him was bad. Yadda yadda daggers stared yadda yadda.
Hikari was snuggled up against him because he had saved her. That was the only reason. Wasn't it? She couldn't actually like him could she? Nah that was a load of bull.
Saving her had been easy. All he had to do was run up and hold her. When the big white haired guy looked at him all he did was look back. Touji was good at staring; he'd had plenty of practice from looking at Misato. The big guy went away and Hikari was saved. All was good.
After the big guy left he had been clung to for about five minutes and then he had managed to get his tongue back from the cat. He told Hikari they had to get out of their. She agreed whole-heartedly. Fortunately for Touji she knew were the closest shelter was.
When they had made it to the shelter Hikari had been delighted to find both her sisters and parents waiting for them. They told Touji that his parents had gone to secure his sister. He had wanted to leave immediately for the hospital but had been stopped by Hikari. One look was all it took to get him to stay. He couldn't say no to those pleading eyes.
'Hikari's dad probable wishes I'd left then' thought Touji. The daggers would have gone through him and out the other side.
Before they had been released they'd been given some ground rules. Don't leave, don't attack their new masters, and don't kill each other. It was all pretty simple. Almost everyone was too scared to disobey them. Those who weren't could be heard screaming for the first few hours. After that it got really quiet.
When they were released Touji had met up with his parents and still moderately hurt sister. He had also found Kensuke. Now his family, Kensuke's and Hikari's lay around a fire they had made on the corner of Grasshopper Lane and Tea Street.
They didn't know how long they would be kept like this. They had only the essentials to survive. They had to scrounge up all the food and blankets they needed. Kensuke knowing how to camp was very helpful. It might have been the only reason they survived.
Touji was very comfortable were he was. Therefore it took something very important to get him to move. He lightly removed the sleeping Hikari from his shoulder and covered her with one of the blankets they had gotten.
"Where are you going?" asked Kensuke as Touji made his way out of the campsite.
"Gotta take a piss." replied Touji.
He made his way through the deserted back alleys. He only stopped after about two blocks walk. His business was his own. Also, he had to stay in the light. No telling what was out their. The big man or worse, Hikari's dad, could lurk around any corner.
Touji finished his business and began to walk back towards the campsite when he saw someone else approaching out of the center of the city. He looked strange.
Walking by was a boy who looked to be a few years older then Touji. He was alone. 'Must be lost and lonely' thought Touji. The boy was Caucasian with shoulder length blond hair. In the afternoon light Touji could see blue eyes and a slight sunburn mark on his nose. He was dressed in a Tokyo-2 University sweatshirt and pair of jeans with only a few small holes in them.
He looked a little like the big man. That was looked strange about him. Could he be one of the new masters of the city? For some reason Touji doubted it.
The strange boy seemed not to have noticed Touji. He made a purposeful walk towards a shoot leading straight into the ground. Above it hung a damaged sign that proclaimed: GEO FRONT ENTRANCE, and then in smaller letters: Authorized Personnel Only.
The boy looked down into the hole. It was about eight feet across and was almost certainly thousands of feet deep. Any elevator or stairs that had been there were surely gone. Touji got a little scared when the boy took a few steps back from the hole, took a deep breath, and paused.
Touji then realized what this guy was going to do. "Hey! S-Stop!"
The boy turned around and looked at Touji. Touji could swear he saw a brief look of recognition on the boys face. He then smiled and fell backwards into the hole.
"Noooo!" shouted Touji as the boy started to plummet.
In seconds they were on him. Three of the new masters of Tokyo-3. They looked at him with red eyes that seemed to have no pity. "You will not yell. You will go back to your camp. Obey our laws and you will not be slain." They disappeared as fast as they came.
Touji doubted they had even seen the suicide. They just chewed him out for yelling. 'Probable wouldn't have cared even if they saw it' thought Touji. He made his way back to the camp dejectedly. 'No matter what, I'll never go like that guy.'
Suicide was not the most likely way Touji Suzuhara would die.
He fell.
He let himself go in the freefall. Few things were as exhilarating as falling thousands of feet. He hadn't been able to do this in years.
He stopped enjoying it to think. First off he'd need to find out what happened here. He would've asked the boy but he hadn't had the chance.
It was good to know the fourth child was alive. Now he needed to find out about the other three, especially the third.
They'd closed in before he could ask the fourth child anything. They'd been alerted by the boy getting so close to the entrance. If only he hadn't edged forward.
Like all good things it had to end. He pulled up and landed lightly on the dust covered floor.
Taking stock of his position he saw he was at the bottom of what was once an elevator shaft. He saw slight burn marks and bullet holes. The elevator itself was no were insight although part of the cable lay at his feet. The whole place smelled slightly of blood.
'Were to now?' he thought. He began to walk, looking for a computer. If he could find and figure out how to use one he could find out what happened. He kept an eye out for other beings as well. He couldn't be too careful, especially here.
Finally he found one. It was in one of the observation rooms overlooking were Evangelion Unit 03 would've been stored had it not been destroyed.
As soon as he sat down the computer connected. It showed only seventeen figures. He read them in under a second and stood up even faster.
((took you long enough)) was displayed on his screen. Someone knew he was here. This could be very bad, especially if it was Michel.
((hahahaha! got you!)) a pause in the characters (dang this takes all the fun out of laughing)
'Who the hell?' he thought.
((sit down we have got a lot to discuss)) the characters told him.
Not one to follow mysterious instructions he remained standing. ((Who are you?)) he typed on the keyboard awkwardly.
((what you don't recognize your own brother? i am ashamed to have met you for this))
The boy still drew a blank although less of one. ((If you are my brother you know I wouldn't know you just from you saying that.))
((true true here's a hint it starts with an R))
Still nothing. ((I don't have time for games.))
((party pooper FINE THEN IT IS I ROBERTUS!)) the exclamation points went on for some time.
((Robertus couldn't use a computer to save his life.))
((….you got me…but neither could you…still i am Robertus or the soul called Robertus))
((Your soul? Your body wasn't destroyed was it?)) 'Perhaps Michel has gone farther then I thought.' he pondered.
((i am afraid so i am not the only one either Leslen Jermei and Kerin as well))
((You need to tell me everything that happened here Robertus. Everything since I left.))
Shinji slept poorly in the car. He couldn't stop thinking. What would happen next? What happened in the battle? Were would they go now? When could he talk to Asuka? What happened to Leslen? Who came up with the name of Leslen?
As he thought they put more and more distance between them and Tokyo-3. Over cell phones the adults had agreed to get as far away as they could. The man…Michel?... would still be after them with all those others.
They couldn't fight them with out Evangelions and since the other NERV branches had been attacked along with Tokyo-3 they couldn't get any. All they could do was run so that's what they did.
They didn't stop until they reached the coast. Then, with the adults too exhausted to drive, they pulled into a hotel. Had they been thinking clearly they would've let the Japanese government know were they were. As it was they barely remembered not to use their real names.
Shinji dropped into his bed dead tired. He was too exhausted to talk to Asuka tonight. In the morning he'd have time.
Of course, he really wouldn't.
((we were executed this morning in front of the whole conclave))
((I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I should have come sooner))
((shut up its fine now you need to stop michel though))
The blond boy shed a tear and then typed ((Fine, you're in the computers, can you tell me were Michel is?))
((michel is way to heavily guarded you need help to kill him))
The blond boy was very confused now. ((Help? Where am I supposed to get help?))
((Leslen's soul watches over the boy find them and they will help you))
((Perhaps.)) There was a long pause as the blond boy considered retreating ((Then I'll need to get out of here.))
((yeah take the corridor you came in from just follow it and youll be able to get out through one of the simulation chambers youll have to swim but you should be fine))
((What about you? I don't want to leave you alone, especially with such a powerful weapon. Knowing you I'll come back here and there will be nothing left of the city.))
((Unit 04? I'll be careful with it it isnt going anywhere Ill keep an eye on the fourth child as well.))
((You'd better. I'll come back to check, I swear it.))
((good I know youll do as youve said now get going I dont want us to get all sentimental and crap))
With a small smile the blond boy stood and made his way out of the room. Had he paused he would have seen a few more characters appear on the screen.
((Good luck Logani, my brother.))
He made his way down the hall at a furious speed walk. It had angered him to hear about what happened. Two members of the conclave being slain was bad enough, but two executed? That was unspeakable. It was eternal imprisonment for one member of the conclave to kill another. 'Michel must be dealt with' he thought.
He wanted to go kill Michel right now but he knew his brother spoke…typed sense. Michel just couldn't be reached right now. He'd need help first. Help only a couple of Evangelions could give. Then Michel would pay.
He turned left and headed into another control room. Through the windows he could see what remained of simulation chamber 1. All that stood between him and freedom now was this chamber. He'd have to swim though.
He closed all the doors first and then prepared to use his AT-field. He'd need it to separate the air from the water. The Magi would be unable to detect it through all the others in use above him. Finally, when he was prepared, he broke the reinforced viewing point like it was a piece of paper. Immediately the room began to flood as the water searched for way to get lower. He calmly waited for the pressure to equalize.
When it was finally done he began to swim up and out. He left the observation room and was half way across the simulation chamber when a thought struck him. What had damaged a simulation chamber?
He stopped and began to think. He neither sunk nor floated as his AT-field kept him were he wanted to be.
It couldn't have been any of the earlier messengers. The chamber would've been repaired by now. It hadn't happened in the conclave's attack, Robertus would've told him.
He began narrowing down the later messengers when one he had forgotten about surfaced. 'Ow shit!' he managed to think before the first wave hit him. He narrowly survived its probe. He started swimming for his life trying to get to the surface. It attacked again.
Repulsed.
Attacked.
Repulsed.
Attacked.
Broke through.
His AT-field collapsed inwards to protect his soul. Water now finally reached him and along with it something else.
As his hair dampened he felt something rummaging around in his mind. Suddenly Logani was overrun with memories.
He sat, barely a boy, in a house made of stone. The house was empty save for him and one other occupant.
Today he had had his first day of school. He had been laughed at and unincluded from all the other boys' games. They wouldn't let him play for some reason he couldn't understand. When he got home he had asked his mother why.
"Mommy, what's a bastard?" he had asked.
His mother's eyes had immediately begun to cloud over with tears. He now wished he hadn't asked the question. The answer he was given wouldn't be fully understood for years.
He ran in front of all the other. None of them could catch him. He was going to win. He crossed the line a good thirty second ahead of everyone else.
As the others began to finish they looked at him with pure hatred. They didn't understand how they, the best athletes in the land, could be beaten by thirty second. Had they not seen it themselves they wouldn't believe someone could run the four hundred meter dash that fast.
They spat at him and called him names again. He didn't care now. He was twelve and beating grown men in the Olympics.
He turned sixteen.
Outside of the stone house he looked at the stars. His wish this year was the same as it was every year. He wanted to meet his father. He wanted to meet him so badly. Hardly a week went by without him asking his mother about him.
She could describe him only so well. They'd only had one night together and he had been conceived right then.
Red eyes and white hair was what she remembered most. "White hair but he was still young." she always said.
"I wonder if he is as fast as I am." He spoke aloud.
He dreamed of running with his father that night. They had a race around the world, he lost and it was great.
The other boys got taller and bigger but he remained the same. He could still out run them and even out lift them though. No one in his town was able to explain why he could do such amazing physical acts with such small arms and legs. When weighed he was only about one hundred and twenty pounds.
He turned seventeen, then eighteen, then nineteen, then twenty. He remained the same one hundred and twenty pounds the whole time. Even his hair seemed to stop growing. Whenever he cut it it would just re-grow to the same length then stop growing again. For a while he became obsessed with trying to get heavier in any way. It just wouldn't happen.
Eventually his mother died. He set out the day after the funeral to search for his father. He searched for four years and then he found him.
He was the same as his mother had described him. He had the white hair, red eyes, and so youthful. Just like when she met him. His father didn't appear to age either.
At their meeting his father had been nearly as overjoyed as he was. The boy was glad to have a father and someone like him. His father could outrun and out lift him. It was amazing to be beaten.
Logani wasn't the first, but he was close. He was the thirteenth sibling to find their father. Others were stronger then him, some faster, and a few smarter. None were all three. Some looked like their mutual father; he took after his mother more then any of the others. He was first among Tabris' children. He was Tabri and life was good.
Time jumped years in advance. He met Leslen, Robertus, Michel and others. Almost every year a new Tabri would arrive. All were similar to him. They all had special talents depending on how their mother's raised them. Leslen was a supreme optimist, never giving up hope. Robertus couldn't live without glory, he loved being the spotlight. Michel was…cruel beyond comparison, they became rivals. Others were other things.
His father lived with them most of the time. Sometimes he would leave for days at a time. He never asked were he would go, somehow he knew not to. Father would tell them things sometimes. About the messengers, about the world, about the Lilim, about their mothers, and about themselves.
The Conclave of the Tabri was formed by his father so that the Tabri would have a stake in their world. The conclave was to elect leaders and send agents around the world so that the world might prosper. Father said it was so the messengers would never be needed. It worked for over a millennium.
It couldn't last forever.
In the year 2000 the first messenger was needed. He did his job well; the vast majority of the Lilim were destroyed. However, others would be needed. The conclave took…steps to ensure their father would never be needed. The Mass Production Evangelions were slowed down in creation, and messengers were given information on the locations of active units and pilots. It was all for naught. Father was needed to destroy the rest of them.
Logani spoke to him before he left. He begged him not to go. They had known each other for over twenty-one hundred years. Logani knew his father wouldn't be able to destroy the Lilim. He'd choose not to, he was to kind to be a mass-murderer. Even of the Lilim.
When father left, he left. He was stricken with grief. Up until only a week ago he had grieved in a forest by a pond. He had loved his father and hated the one who killed him. Half a dozen times he had nearly left for Tokyo-3 to kill him with his own hands.
In the end his father's teachings won over. Tabris had died so Shinji Ikari, and the rest of the Lilim, would live. He would not let that sacrifice be in vain. Logani, Tabri of Honor, left his mourning and went to save Tokyo-3.
He was too late, the attack had already happened. The fourth child still lived. Robertus was dead and resided in Evangelion Unit 04's core. Leslen was gone and Michel ruled with an iron-fist. Shinji Ikari still lived, he hadn't failed. He must find Shinji Ikari. He entered the chamber. He thought, realized, and panicked. His memories were viewed and he was helpless.
Logani awoke with a start. He had had no control. It had been a long time since he had had no control. He didn't like it.
You're an interesting one.
"Were are you?" he croaked. To his surprise he was no longer under water. He was above ground in an abandoned apartment builidng.
I'm inside you. You know who I am. Say it.
"Ireul, the eleventh messenger" he wheezed "you're inside me?"
Yes. After I was dispatched I went into minimum activity mode. Many of my selves were destroyed but a few have survived. We now reside in your blood.
"I already know how you were dispatched. You say you're in my blood?" he said uneasily.
Yes. I have reviewed your goals and they are, at the moment, similar to mine. I will work with you.
'Great' he thought.
To his surprise there was no response. 'Maybe he can't read my mind. Yet.'
"Fine. I need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Michel probable knows I'm here by now." He said.
I have hacked into the Magi and through them gained access to surveillance satellites. If it is important to move fast I have a route planned.
"Good. Let's get moving then, we can deal with you being in my blood at another time." He set out quickly. People saw a blur run past. Cameras could not get accurate pictures. The Conclave of the Tabri members set for security believed he must be friendly and ignored him. He made it out unhurt. Once he was about twenty miles out of the city he began to walk. He was safe, for now.
Zacherial walked through the big doors into what was once Gendo Ikari's office. Seated behind the office, in a pose Gendo would have been proud of, was Michel. His eyes would've pierced most others but Zacherial barely felt them. Seated and standing around Michel were three other Tabri.
Vernide, Tabri of Hatred, sat to Michel's right. She appeared subdued, probable from the thorough chewing out she had received from failing to kill the second child. Her long red hair was rapped around one arm tightly.
Leaning against the wall was Mendial, Tabri of Power. He appeared relaxed but was easily the fastest and second most deadly of all the Tabri. His white hair swayed slightly as if in a breeze. His red eyes couldn't be seen because his eyes were closed. He had been appointed Michel's personnel bodyguard shortly after the take over. Mendial was never far from Michel and even with his eyes closed he knew everything that went on around him.
Seated in the corner was the elderly appearing Yomial, Tabri of Servitude. He was one of the smartest of the Tabri. He was also one of the physically weakest.
"We seem to have a problem Zacherial." spoke Michel finally.
"And what would that be?" returned Zacherial unflinchingly.
Michel sighed "I ordered you to kill all present at your attack location. I have received proof from an acceptable source that says you left survivors."
"It is true that I let two children survive. Their can be no harm in letting them live."
Michel laughed slightly, "If only you knew how wrong you are. You left the fourth child alive."
Zacherial was unfazed "Did I? I didn't recognize him. I'll fix it right away."
"You'd best." Michel ended the conversation.
As Zacherial left he pondered what he'd have to do now. 'Probable knew I'd let the kid live. He sent me there to lose credibility in the conclave.'
Zacherial did everything systematically. He didn't miss things. Letting Touji Suzuhara and Hikari Hokkaido live wasn't a mistake.
Now he had to find them though. He'd probable be made to kill them. He wasn't happy about that.
Back in the office another conversation was taking place. Yomial was advising Michel on how best to deal with Zacherial. "He has to much influence with the conclave to kill outright. While he will lose credibility for this he will fix it almost immediately."
"Dammit I thought becoming High Speaker gave me power to deal with these things. How can we still have problems like this?" asked Michel.
"Being High Speaker doesn't give you full power. If the majority of the Conclave turns against you you'll be out of power in moments. Of all you opponents only Zacherial could possible do this. The Tabri of Order garners too much respect. You should keep an eye on him."
Michel considered this "Very well. Vernide, pick a suitable candidate."
Vernide smiled once more. It was sick. "I have one in mind already. Who better to deal with the Tabri of Order then the Tabri of Chaos?"
"Andinesial? I suppose he is a good choice. Set him up immediately."
Vernide bowed and left.
"Now, what should we do with all the Lilim we have on our hands?" continued Michel.
Here is chapter three. Is it usually like one review per chapter? I don't think so. It'd be faster if I knew how good the story is. Leave a flame even, anything is better then nothing. Review.