Creation began on 12-20-20
Creation ended on 08-10-21
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Talismans: Assault
Running seemed like the way of those that chose not to be in conflict. But Drago, after years of peace and staying in hiding, found running to be the only way to avoid having to speak with his uncle, Hsi Wu, who was a lot stronger than he used to be. He had to suspect that all of the Demon Sorcerers had gotten stronger over the years after their banishment and eventual escape from the netherworld.
"Oh, Drago!" He heard the Sky Demon call out to him. "Come on, Drago! We really should talk! It's been ages since we last spoke to one another!"
Yeah, except now, talking to any of you would just remind me of what I could never have…and don't want to go back to wanting, Drago thought, flying across the ocean surface.
"You know, your father's been reduced back to a statue! Not in possession of a single one of his talismans! How pathetic is that?!"
Drago could care less about his father's current status or even his whereabouts. There was no point in getting dragged back into the chaos and infighting between them because there was nothing for him to gain, anymore. Nothing…except a reminder of where he stood among them.
This path, he soon realized. It's similar to the spiritual essence of that boy's astral form. It's like a path leading me towards somewhere different.
With no other alternative, Drago followed the spiritual presence that had been leftover by the boy that had encountered him. As much as he wanted to avoid human interaction like before with the Chan Clan, he didn't see himself having any choice in this matter; he needed human assistance.
-x-
"Look at you, Auntie," went Juggernaut, seeing the woman that owned the antique shop performing a handstand on her left hand. "You look as though you've got an extra spring in your steps or something."
"Yeah, something like that," she responded, and then flipped quietly back onto her feet in front of him. "For the time being, I'm using the Dog Talisman."
"Better you than Shinji or anyone else right now. Do be careful, though. Since the Demon Sorcerers are out there, that means Shendu will be out there looking for a way to regain the talismans and return to power."
"For the duration of the situation, I'll be here making sure that we have everything necessary to send them back to their prison dimension if they make themselves known around here."
"And is Shinji going out in astral form to try and find them?"
"Yes. Currently, he's the only one that can get around without being seen by other people that don't possess the spiritual strength to support a Stand because of his Sheep Talisman, so he's the scout in case we're vulnerable."
"Even though he's likely vulnerable to demons himself?"
"Only if they can catch him first. Beyond that, it's only his body that's vulnerable if left defenseless. I've given Hideki the job of keeping watch over Shinji with Sheegwa and Cobra Moss in case something goes wrong."
"Hideki Katsuragi. I take it you're beginning to trust him a bit more?"
"Actually, he volunteered, wanting to be of more use."
"Well, we all do penance in our own way."
"True, but it's not just penance that he longs for. It's redemption that he seeks for what he did fifteen years ago. To want redemption is to want forgiveness, absolution from a higher authority in addition to getting it from those harmed by his actions or inactions."
Suddenly, both sensed the spiritual presence of Shinji as his astral form flew into the room with a look of panic on his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Auntie asked him.
Drago is on his way here, he informed them. I saw him being pursued by the Sky Demon as I was returning from what remained of Italy.
"Here as in the city or the shop?" Juggernaut asked.
If he's coming this way, it's likely that he's coming to the shop; we're practically a haven here.
Auntie sighed as she didn't expect a demon with a former affiliation to the Demon Sorcerers (even if it was only due to previous desires) to be on her way here, but because Drago wasn't involved with the Demon Sorcerers, she had to give the rogue demon the benefit of the fact that he was just trying to avoid involvement with them. If he came seeking sanctuary from the other demons due to wanting no involvement with them, one way or another, then they had to make sure that he was protected from them.
"Shinji," she told him, "guide him here."
Are you sure? He asked her.
"He's being chased by someone. That makes him a target of harassment by someone else. If he's here, then at least they can't get to him."
Shinji nodded and flew back out to find Drago.
"Do we have any defense measures for one of the Demon Sorcerers?" Juggernaut asked Auntie.
"Not yet, but we have methods of stalling," she claimed; they still needed time to prepare for dealing with the Demon Sorcerers that were looking for servants, and all they had available were the relics on hand that could cause some difficulty for anyone that knew next to nothing about how to counter them.
-x-
Because he was not large enough to be seen by many people, Drago looked like some sort of bird or fly high in the air, whereas his uncle, Hsi Wu, looked like a large, winged beast that stood out a mile away. The spiritual path he followed left by the boy using one of his father's powers wasn't very…straightforward, but when Drago realized that it was most likely due to experimenting and not having a specific goal or reason in mind, following the path became less cumbersome. In addition, there were different strands of spiritual potency when taking into account that this child's spirit had wandered in various directions, but they all led back to a specific location; he learned over time that wielders of astral projection often left behind a series of markings that stood out to those with the ability to track them down, and every time they let their spirits wander around, they would strengthen the markings so that they could be found later at wherever they either hid or resided. And in this case, the path was leading Drago towards a small city on the Japanese archipelago.
Oh? He went as he saw the astral form of the boy from before, flying in the air.
Follow me! He was told by him, and he flew back down towards the city below.
Drago had no time to question the kid and followed him. If it meant getting away from His Wu, it was a risk he had to take. The boy led him towards a small shop that seemed like it held more than it appeared to have, and he just flew inside and the doors behind him closed.
"Welcome, Mr. Drago," greeted a woman that smelled more like she had something to say than mere words could describe.
BASH! They looked at the doors that had been closed and saw…a young man with a hairstyle that was reminiscent of the shape of Hsi Wu, only spikier, and the guy seemed taller (basically an older version of the human disguise Hsi Wu used in the cartoon series), hitting his face against the glass as it reverberated like how the surface of water reacted whenever something was thrown in to create a ripple effect.
"What the Hell?!" He grunted.
"Sorry, he was invited in," the woman told him, pointing to Drago. "You, on the other hand, are not invited, Mr. Hsi Wu, the Sky Demon."
The man frowned at her and then at Drago as he stood to his disguised height of seven feet, dressed in casual trousers and a green shirt.
"You know who I am? You know who he is? And yet, you helped him? What is your agenda?" He asked her.
The woman and another human, a man, walked over to the closed door and stood before Hsi Wu.
"He clearly wants nothing to do with you," she expressed. "You chased him, and he ran from you. You may be a relative of his, but he clearly has no interest in having a conversation with you. Why bother him if he wants nothing to do with you?"
"You can't blame a relative from wanting to have a chat with his nephew, can you?"
"No," went the man, "but we can blame the relative if he persists in something that will not happen the way he wants it to. Now, as the boss lady stated, this man, this…peaceful demon…was invited into the shop because he was trying to get away from you. You were not invited, so you can't get in. You can stay outside all you want, but unless invited in, you're just wasting your time for something that won't happen. Just know that sooner or later, you will have problems that you can't expect a beneficial solution to come out of."
"Is that a threat, human?"
"No. It's a warning. When it becomes a threat, you will know."
Hsi Wu frowned and looked at Drago.
"I will not forget this," he told them.
"Be sure that you don't," the woman told him, and then he backed off and walked away.
Then, she turned to face Drago and walked over to him.
"I've been told a little about you, sir," she greeted him. "How are you doing today?"
"I am…at ease," Drago responded, looking at the humans present and seeing that there were at least four other around, each with a degree of abilities that could rival a handful of humans that were dangerous. "Am I a prisoner here?"
"No. You're not a threat to anyone. Though, it's probably not best for you to leave right now with your…uncle out there. I'm Historia Rekishi. Most people just call me Auntie."
"You're the…boss lady?"
"More or less."
"Drago. No last name. Just Drago."
-x-
This was a new predicament. Not only were there eight Demon Sorcerers out in the world trying to control it, but now the shop had a demon guest due to a chase attempt that didn't end well for one the other demons that tried to get him.
Hideki, Desdemona, Sheegwa, Bouncer, Dragon and Serpentina were surprised that Drago was here, something that Shinji had to state and accept was his fault for finding him during a search in astral form.
"Okay," went Auntie to them in the back room, "some of us are a bit bothered by the fact that…Drago is here, but…he is clearly not so much affiliated with his relatives as he used to be."
Sheegwa raised her left hand.
"Yes, Sheegwa?"
"I have nothing against Mr. Drago for being a demon," she stated, "but can he tell us why he's not trying to control the world like his family is? Just an understanding of why he doesn't want anything to do with them."
"If that is okay with him."
Drago sighed and expressed, "I have lost any and all interest in the pursuit of global domination and human enslavement after my defeat and banishment from a different human dimension and my falling out with my relatives, particularly my father, Shendu, the Fire Demon. Fifteen years ago, when I found myself here, either due to what you refer to as Second Impact or because of a tear in the fabric of space and time, I had nothing to do. I had no one to conquer or no place to destroy, as much of that had already occurred. I possess the collective powers of my aunts and uncle to bring me to their level, but I had to accept that no matter what I did, I would never be seen as their equal or gain my father's acceptance. I turned away from what they do, forgoing any chance of gaining their favor…and hid where I would least be sought after. In doing so, I obtained enlightenment and realization over my past evaluation of my misguided deeds. Turning away from the path of domination…is acceptance of the path to peace. Tolerance of others…is the pursuit of accepting defeat with grace. Living in isolation…afforded me peace and freedom that I never felt when I was trying to achieve previous goals. And now…now, I want nothing to do with the Demon Sorcerers. Even if they attempted to offer me a position as an equal among them, I doubt it would be worth what they're trying to do. I'd be content with just going back into hiding, never having an interest in what they're doing."
"That's…heavy," went Hideki.
"As much as I would enjoy seeing you return to your isolation, Mr. Drago," said Bouncer, "you may not have that luxury so long as your relatives are loose in the world. You should probably hide here where you can be protected from them until we can send them back to whatever it is they were banished to long ago."
"The netherworld. They've been banished there many times, and they've often found a way to get out."
"Mostly because of methods meant to release them," Auntie told him. "They can't get out the same way more than once, though. The methods used to send them back, however, can be used more than once. It's just a matter of gathering what's required. But you're not a threat to anyone, so you're not on anyone's hit list…except perhaps Hsi Wu…if he hasn't informed your father and other relatives. Stay here and we can make sure they can't get to you."
"Why would you protect me? You don't know what I tried to do in the past."
"Atonement is not something limited to just humans," said Shinji to him. "If anyone can choose not to pursue something after taking the time to reevaluate their lives, then they are capable of changing their lives. Anyone can change if they have the will to."
-x-
Shendu was enraged to find out from Hsi Wu that Drago had escaped from the netherworld as they had all done, but was disgusted to hear that he had found sanctuary in that city with the shop where their human allies had lost the locator to find the talismans. It was like everyone they either attempted to face or take something from them had a connection of sorts to that insignificant space in Ōta.
"You chased your nephew to this shop?" The guy whose office Shendu resided in questioned. "He never spoke to you? Not once?"
"Between me talking and him fleeing, there wasn't much to talk about," Hsi Wu stated.
"Was he mute?"
"No, he could talk. He just wouldn't."
"Maybe he had nothing to say to you, Mr. Hsi Wu. How old is he?"
"He's not even close to five centuries old and has the mentality of an adolescent trying to prove himself all grown up."
"So, then, he's basically a teenager in human terms…or young adult, old enough to make his own decisions…but still young enough to have no actual authority over anything or anyone."
"Your point being?" Shendu asked him.
"Drago may have changed in the time you've been estranged," the man explained. "He developed a shift in his old behavior. Maybe even had a change of heart…or the equivalent of one. You only know him based on past recollections, nothing to do with his current behavior. To deal with him as he currently is, you need to evaluate him."
"There wasn't much to do on that," Hsi Wu claimed. "He looked the way he did prior to his ascension to greater power after he absorbed the demon chi from the objects used to banish us the first time around by those pathetic humans that opposed us in the past."
"What do you mean?" Shendu questioned his brother.
"I mean, he looked like a smaller, human-sized, less-draconic version of you, Shendu, only he wore more clothing than your kilt."
"He must've reverted back to his previous state upon escaping the netherworld."
-x-
"…You're both using my father's talismans," Drago stated to Shinji as he showed him around the lower levels of the shop. "That was how you were able to travel in astral form and why the boss lady seems more active than one her advanced age shouldn't. The powers of the Sheep, Horse and Dog Talismans were never exploited by others that came to possess them much of the time. Immortality has its drawbacks that are remedied by healing and astral projection has no purpose as a weapon."
"You're familiar with the talismans?"
"I've had my share of encounters with them."
"I'm working to acquire the rest of them. After my exploitation of the Sheep Talisman and meeting with Auntie and learning about the other talismans, I was offered a position here at her shop to buy the talismans. They're my only goal to accomplish, but I have the patience of someone that doesn't let other problems get in the way of his intentions."
"You're referring to the human referred to as Job."
"You've heard of him?"
"I read a bit about him. Anyone with the patience to wait for something they desire is able to demonstrate restraint when up against an obstacle. Those that lack patience or refuse to show restraint are those that expect too much when doing too little."
"Speaking from experience?"
"A little."
"So…your father is Shendu?"
"Unfortunately. Not so much a great thing, knowing that you're the son of a demon that once ruled over ancient China."
"You sound like you don't get along with your father, either?"
"When I wasn't trying to surpass him, he was trying to kill me to keep from losing his power. Wait, you mean to say that you don't get along with your father?"
"More or less. And not just him, but the majority of my relatives. Well, former relatives now. I changed my last name to escape my association with them. I used to be Shinji Ikari, but now it's Shinji Omamori. Same guy, just a new name to symbolize a new beginning where I can be free of the past."
"Hard to imagine you having difficulties with associating with an entire family."
"Yeah, well, uh…it's easy when they hate you just for being related to people you don't really know or accuse you of being just like them, even when you don't have one photograph of what your mother looked before she up and died when you were barely four years of age."
"So…no measure of love or acceptance from any of them?"
"No. The only good thing they ever did for me was giving me the Sheep Talisman for a birthday gift. They could've given me a gift card, a bike, a computer or a phone like they do their own kid, but instead, they give me what I initially believe to be nothing more than a piece of stone with a sheep painted on it. But when I discovered what it could do for me, I started to enjoy what I could do when I go to sleep at night. I leave my body to wander around, unseen and unheard, seeing anything and everything in the world, knowing what people do, knowing that I could never be caught because I was never physically there. It's because of the Sheep Talisman that I was able to start my escape from my relatives. Those that believe astral projection is a useless power, it's only because it has no combat capabilities…but that's not the only way to use such a power. You could learn things from people you can't really get near without getting harmed, and they'd never know you were there. Sure, you could do that with the Snake Talisman, but you'd probably mess up somewhere."
"If you manage to acquire all twelve talismans, you'd at least have multiple powers, but not at the level Shendu possessed when he had them."
"I'll worry about that at another time. I'm in no hurry to obtain them all right now. One thing at a time. One problem after another."
In many respects, Drago felt this…Shinji Omamori, formerly Shinji Ikari…was similar to himself; they both had fathers absent from their lives, several relatives that could really care less about either of them…and wanted to rise above them and be seen as different or better than they were. And in many respects, they kind of did rise above them, albeit by doing things different from what they were either expected to or just turning away and taking a different road.
"What is the road less traveled?" Drago uttered.
"One that promises only a different outcome for those that choose to take it," Shinji replied.
-x-
No Angels, no Human Instrumentality, no Third Impact, a restored planet by means of beings claiming to be the new masters of the human race, and as much as Gendo wanted to shift the blame to his son, he couldn't hold Shinji accountable for anything other than not being properly informed of what NERV was tasked with and then ditching Tokyo-3 in the aftermath of an attack by an unknown creature. With the UN breathing down his neck on one side and SEELE infuriated with him on the other, there was no telling how long before NERV was disbanded and he was used as another scapegoat in a long list of them. And then, there was the update he had gotten about his son changing his name to renounce his ties to the Ikari name; the brat had severed his ties and abandoned them all…and it was just wrong of him to do so. What gave him the right to walk away from it all, from everything they had sacrificed for…and all because of a bunch of petty and insignificant concerns?
This is no different from a restraining order, he thought as he looked at the copy of Shinji's employment record at the junkshop owned by Ms. Rekishi, stating how he, like her other employees, was a model employee due to never having problems with the customers or other members of her staff. He changes his name to Omamori and he thinks he can just be done with what's going on here? You stupid, worthless brat! You will pay for abandoning your obligations!
To be continued…
A/N: Took a while, but I was able to get back to this chapter and will post it immediately. I hope y'all enjoy how Drago has now become associated with the people at Auntie's shop and how the Demon Sorcerers will now be coming for him. And Gendo, I had to put down how he can't let even the most minor of things go when they revolve around Shinji and his need to be independent and disassociated from everything relating to his familial ties. For those of you not versed in Google Translate, Omamori means "Talisman", which befitted Shinji's new name as he wanted have a new goal. Read and review if you can, please.