DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Evangelion or any of the characters, they're still property of…well, whoever owns them these days. This fic's got nothing to do with Rebuild, just the original series/movies. This one takes place after the events of THE IKARI IDENTITY/THE IKARI SUPREMACY/THE IKARI ULTIMATUM/THE AYANAMI SANCTIONS (specifically, six months after the last chapter of SANCTIONS), so read them first if you haven't. And lastly, 'this' is thoughts and "this" is speech.

-THE IKARI LEGACY-

Chapter 1: Butterflies and Hurricanes

Darkness…it stretched out in every direction to Shinji Ikari. No light, no sound, not even a sense of him either standing on the ground or floating. It held an almost-seductive pull, the urge to just sink into it and forget everything. He could feel other presences there, but couldn't see anything. "Hello? Is there anyone here?"

"There are none here but the forgotten," a soft female voice answered him.

"We are who you have let slip away," an older male voice also spoke up.

Shinji turned in every direction, but could only see more darkness. "W-what do you mean? Who are you? What do you want from me?"

To Shinji's left, a familiar image materialized out of the shadows. "You cannot escape who you are," someone who looked like his father said. "No matter how you choose to live your life, you are what circumstances have made you into."

"I would have nothing to say to you," Shinji replied, "even if you were real. But you're not…Father is dead."

"How wrong you are about that," the image of Gendo Ikari said, his tone just as Shinji remembered it. "I live on through your memories. You can never escape those."

"Just leave me alone!" Shinji yelled, placing his hands over his ears. "I've moved on with a normal life, free of you or NERV or Angels or EVAs."

"But those factors all helped to create the person you are," the image countered. "You cannot simply ignore that, no matter how much you wish to."

Shinji sank to his knees, uncovering his ears. "I know that…I understand and accept it. But why can't you just leave me alone?!" he shouted, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Because there are still sins on your hands," he heard his father's voice say.

"Your sins are not mine," Shinji retorted, still not looking at him.

"Then what of me?" the female voice said, causing Shinji to open his eyes. He was back on the railway car he'd seen in his dreams many times before. Across from him, slightly obscured by sunlight, was someone who looked a lot like Rei Ayanami. "Did you not fail me as well? That is something you both have in common."

"Rei…" Shinji said quietly. He hung his head, a great sadness coming over him. "I…I…"

"I came to you in a time of need, afraid of both someone searching for me and my own power," Rei began. "And you simply let me walk right out of your life."

"I-I did no such thing!" Shinji insisted. "Asuka and I listened and gave you assurance. We even offered you a chance to return to Tokyo-3 and have someone protect you!" He looked down again, whispering the rest of his argument. "It was you who left us…"

"Placing blame on another?" Rei asked. "It seems you have been taking up Sohryu's bad habits." He could feel an almost-sinister smile on the image. "You had every chance to stop me, you both could have run into the night after me. But you chose to let me return to my self-exile and decide for myself." She stood from the bench and walked over, looming over Shinji's seated form. "You could have prevented my disappearance. That is your sin."

Shinji could feel himself begin crying, the tears streaming down his face. He couldn't take it anymore. He screamed through clenched teeth, "You're not Rei Ayanami. Just. Leave. Me. Alone!"

Shinji sat up suddenly, a hushed gasp escaping his throat. His vision focused after a few moments of silence, broken only by the sound of his ragged breathing. He was no longer in the darkness or the railway car, but back in the room he shared with Asuka. He reached up and wiped away the sweat from his forehead, covering his eyes with his hand. 'Damn…another one of those dreams,' he thought.

"Shinji…" the voice of Asuka Langley Sohryu came from beside him. "As much fun as it is to be woken from a sound sleep by you panicking," she mocked while sitting up, dressed only in her underwear, "I'm a young woman who needs her beauty sleep."

"Sorry…" Shinji said before he could stop himself.

Asuka sighed. "Still falling back on that, are you?" she asked, her tone playful but sleepy. She gave him a light push on the arm. "I'm just kidding, baka."

"I know that," Shinji replied. "It was only a bad dream, that's all."

"Anything you'd like to share?" Asuka questioned, some concern in her voice.

Shinji didn't want to worry her with his negative thoughts, so he shook his head. "It was nothing…nothing at all…" He laid back down, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to wake you. Let's just go back to sleep."

Asuka paused for a moment before shrugging. "Suit yourself," she said, also laying back down. "Now don't wake me again, or I promise you'll regret it."

Shinji laughed a little. "Yes, ma'am." He pulled her closer and slowly shut his eyes, hoping his night wouldn't be interrupted by any more haunting visions. At least tomorrow had the potential to be much better.

"So…what're you doing tonight, Shinji?" Toji Suzuhara asked. It was the following day, and all was going along as usual…although, given the real truth about Second Impact was now out in the open, that usually meant more actual schoolwork now. It was their final year at Tokyo-3 Junior High, next year it would be off to high school. But, for the moment, it was lunch…which mostly consisted of small talk.

"Yeah," Kensuke Aida chimed in. "We were thinking of heading down to the arcade and-"

"You know I can't," Shinji answered, then realized something. "Oh wait…I guess you don't know."

"Know what?" Toji questioned.

"Tonight is our…anniversary," Shinji replied, blushing slightly. "Mine and Asuka's, I mean." It had been one year ago today that they had both shared those three words with each other…and some other things. That thought was what brought on his blush.

"Oh…okay," Kensuke replied, turning to Toji. "Yours and Hikari's was a while back, wasn't it?"

"Heh…yeah it was. And we had a pretty good time," Toji said, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, don't go asking about me, what about our friend here?" They both turned their attention back to the former Third Child. "So, Shinji…is tonight finally gonna be 'the night'?" the taller boy queried, grinning. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, are you and Red finally going to make that leap?" Kensuke asked, his grin just as wide.

Shinji blushed and shook his head. "Look, you both know that isn't any of your business," he flatly said. "And no, I already told you…" he paused, looking over at Asuka, who was in the middle of her own conversation with Hikari, "we'll get to that when it feels right." In truth, it had been right more than a few times since…but he wasn't going to tell them that.

"Well…how about at least tell us your plans," Toji asked, looking disappointed at his friend's explanation.

"I…guess I could do that," Shinji admitted. "But don't tell her," he looked at Toji, "or Hikari." He leaned in and began telling them about the surprise he was going to spring on Asuka.

The girl in question, meanwhile, was deep into her own conversation across the room. "I don't know what he has planned for the evening," she told her friend. "But I'm sure it'll be great. I've got this one dress I've been dying to wear for such an occasion." Her face broke out in a smirk. "Oh, I think he's going to just love it."

Hikari Horaki nodded. "I'm just glad to see you both still doing well," she mused. She had stopped wearing her hair in pigtails during the last six months, now letting her long brown hair hang freely. Asuka was glad she did, she thought it made her friend look much more mature. "You think he's going to get you anything as nice as that?"

Asuka followed to where she was pointing, the silver chain and blue topaz pendant she had been wearing since her most recent birthday. "I don't think he'll have to go that far again so soon," she replied, toying with the pendant between her index finger and thumb. Her sight trailed over to the window, where the early-morning rain had lessened but was still falling. Her gaze traveled to an area across the street, to a figure wearing a grey rain slicker. She couldn't make out anything about their appearance, other than being just slightly shorter than herself. Something about this person caused the small hairs on the back of her neck to prick up.

"Asuka?" Hikari asked, noticing her friend had stopped listening. She touched her shoulder. "Asuka, what is it?"

Asuka turned back to the other girl, her face blank. "There's someone out there that-" She cut herself off as she turned back to where she had been looking…and found no one there any longer. She searched the street a few more times before returning her attention to Hikari. "Never mind, must have been imagining things. Now, you were saying?" As her friend repeated what she had been saying, the redhead could not get that image out of her mind. She couldn't be sure…but something in her said that they had been observing her.

Misato Katsuragi sat at her desk, looking at the paperwork before her. She slumped in her seat, but was silently glad that it wasn't anywhere near the amount she used to have to do for NERV. Taking a major's position in the JSSDF had ended up being a more quiet affair than she had thought it would be. 'That's just because it's peacetime,' she mentally noted. 'And I only deal with things within our borders…it's a different world out there.'

Misato looked at her watch, it was a quarter after eight in the evening. By now, Shinji and Asuka should have been well into their celebration. 'One year already…I'm so happy for them both, probably having the time of their lives,' she thought, smiling. She had prodded the boy for details, but he wanted it to be a secret…for everybody but him, apparently. 'I've seen some of his other surprises, so this should be good. What a romantic, that one…'

At that moment, the office door opened and Maya Ibuki poked her head inside. "Major, you have a call on line six."

"Huh?" Misato looked over at her phone. "I don't see a light."

"It's a secure line, ma'am," Maya told her. "I think it might be urgent."

"Alright…" Misato replied, a little puzzled. "Thanks, Maya." As the lieutenant stepped back out of the office, the older woman picked up the receiver and pressed the '6' key. "This is Major Katsuragi, who am I speaking to?"

"Major, this is Ezra Kramer," a deep male voice said. "You know who I am, right?"

Misato instantly sat upright in her chair. Of course she knew who the director of the CIA was. "Yes sir, I am aware of who I am speaking with. If you'll pardon my asking, just what did you need with me? There are plenty of people here above my pay grade-"

"I have a…situation that may be a personal matter to you," Director Kramer began. "If you're not sitting down, I advise you to do so."

As Misato listened to Kramer's explanation, her demeanor became more and more worried with every moment. "I…I understand, sir. I'll get someone on it right away. I have just the person in mind. And thank you for the warning." As she placed the phone back in its cradle, she quickly reached into her jacket and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled quickly through the speed-dial numbers, trying two of them and getting messages before choosing a third and finally managing to get another person to pick up.

"I wasn't expecting this call for a while," Kaji Ryoji's voice came over the line. "Did you miss me that much?"

"Look, Kaji," Misato said, her voice as sharp and serious as she could manage, "I don't have time right now. You're still in the country, right?"

"Yeah, the flight isn't for a few more hours," Kaji replied. "And based on your tone, I don't think this is a social call. Is there something wrong?"

"I need you to come in," Misato stated. "We have a…well, describing it includes the word 'cluster', let's just say that much. I need to you to coordinate with a field team." She paused, sighing heavily. "Shinji and Asuka…they might be in some serious danger."

Meanwhile, the two teens were enjoying a nice slow dance after their meal. The place Shinji had chosen had an extensive European menu and an open ballroom floor in the center of the restaurant. He had looked for over two weeks for something that Asuka would greatly enjoy, finding the location just a few days ago and immediately placing reservations. It was quite some distance from the apartment, almost on the other side of the city…but based on the contented smile on her face now, he knew he had made the right call. "I guess those dance lessons a few months back were a good idea after all," he thought aloud.

"Told you so," Asuka commented, smiling and laying her head on his shoulder. She was dressed in a tight red dress with a deep neckline, hugging every curve just right. Shinji had to admit, it somehow made her even more beautiful than normal. Her necklace and pendant hung down her front, the dress accenting them nicely. "It was an excellent meal…Gott, I haven't had German food in forever. And then you follow that with a dance? I've got to say…if you're trying to earn points with me, you're near the high score."

"I just wanted to show you what you mean to me," Shinji whispered, his lips just a few inches from her ear. He had chosen a dark blue suit with a black tie for his attire, and Asuka had given him a thumbs-up and a wink in appreciation. He wasn't used to wearing such an outfit, but this night was worth it. "I love you so much."

"And I love you too, baka-Shinji," Asuka replied, the insult now a familiar term of endearment to them both. They raised their heads from each other's shoulders and met in a brief but intense kiss, neither wishing the moment would end. As they parted, the redhead sighed and leaned toward his right ear. "I've got a little surprise for you, too," she said, her tone sensual. "I was thinking when this was over, we could go back home and…" She whispered the rest almost inaudibly to him, enjoying watching his calm expression falter and the blush form.

Shinji stopped mid-step and looked at her, the redness on his face speaking loud enough. "Asuka…" he began after regaining his composure and continuing their dance. "And who was it that always called me a hentai?" he teased, a grin appearing on his face.

"It's your fault," Asuka countered, her voice still a breathy whisper. "Besides, that's usually what couples do on their anniversary. Trust me, if there's a good night, it's tonight. But don't ask me to do anything weird, because I w-" She cut herself off, looking at something past him.

Shinji noticed her mid-sentence halt and stopped their movement. "Asuka, what is it?"

Asuka didn't say anything, she just nodded her head in the direction behind him. Shinji turned to the side, looking out of the large front window. "Right there, off to the left," the redhead said. He saw what she was looking at, the person wearing the grey rain clicker standing across the street. "I saw them out of the window at school today…I think they're watching us."

Shinji focused as much as he could on the person, but could not make out anything identifying about them, the hood of their raincoat obscuring any features. Something about them, though, made his instincts sharpen and come alive. He watched as they made some movement under their garment, then saw a quick flash of metal. As he spotted what they were carrying, he didn't waste a second. "Gun! Everybody get down!" he shouted, grabbing Asuka and pulling them both through the now-panicking crowd as the front window shattered in a burst of gunfire and screams erupted around the room.

Asuka quickly recovered and felt her training kick in, following Shinji through the crowd and toward the heavy metal door to the kitchen where several rounds hit the other side while they were there. As they paused, Shinji spoke up. "Who…what the hell…"

"Let's just get out of here for now, we'll get answers later," Asuka interrupted. Shinji nodded, following her through the kitchen and the frightened staff, out of the back door and onto the city streets. "Shit…should have brought my phone," she thought aloud. She spotted some alleys nearby. "Here, we'll take this way."

Shinji followed her close behind, running down several side-streets and access pathways until they hit an open road. They quickly crossed, darting around and between cars as they headed further back into town. They continued this mad dash back to more populated parts of the city for another fifteen minutes, both of them having to stop down a narrow street to catch their breath. "Are…are you sure we're…far enough away?" he asked, breathing heavily. Regular sparring or not, this was still intense.

"I don't know," Asuka replied, her hands on her knees. She looked around the area, but there was very little in the way of people. "Okay…I think the next thing we should do is get in touch with Misato. If nothing else, it'll give us some armed help…I hope." She raised her head to take in a deep breath, but caught sight of their pursuer on top of a low wall just behind him. "Shinji, incoming!"

Shinji heard Asuka's shout, turning around just in time to see their assailant land on the ground. They quickly closed the distance and attempted to strike the boy, which he barely dodged. Asuka came to his aid, throwing a solid punch at the attacker, catching them in the ribs but having no effect on them. They speedily grabbed hold of the arm that struck them and delivered a quick kick to the redhead's midsection, leaving her sprawled on the pavement and coughing several times.

Shinji's expression turned to pure rage as he looked from Asuka to their attacker. He threw several hooks and jabs in their direction, each one blocked or sidestepped skillfully. They managed to slip behind him and put the former Third Child in a chokehold, him trying to escape it through a series of elbows to his assailant's stomach. Noticing that none were having any effect, he grabbed onto the arm around his throat and attempted to loosen it. As he felt unconsciousness creep up, Asuka got back to her feet and struck the attacker hard in the face, causing them to lose their grip on Shinji's neck. He took the opportunity to brace himself and throw them over his shoulder and into the brick wall.

As the attacker regained their footing, they saw both teens move toward them, attempting to restrain their opponent. Before they could get that far, however, the assailant caught the boy by his right arm and twisted it, redirecting him to the ground while simultaneously sweeping their left foot to take the girl's legs out from under her and leave her next to him. Shinji looked up from where he had landed to see the barrel of a TMP machine pistol pointed at him, ready to deliver a burst. That never happened, though, as a single gunshot sounded and a spray of red mist came from under the attacker's hood. There was just a moment where they stood still, then fell hard to the pavement and moved no longer.

Shinji lay very still for a moment, watching his attacker's body, before looking over at where the shot came from. He let out a deep breath when he saw the shooter. Kaji reached up to his ear and began speaking. "This is Ryoji, I have the children. Target is down, I repeat, target is down." He holstered his sidearm, walking over to the two teens. "Cut that one a bit close, eh? See why you should at least tell Misato where you're going?"

"Kaji," Asuka said, her tone relieved, "if I were the old me, I'd take you right now." She stood from where she'd been knocked down, brushing herself off. "I think I'll just settle for a simple 'thanks' now, though."

"I'm just glad you're both okay," Kaji replied. "No serious injuries, right?" They both felt around and examined themselves before shaking their heads. "Well, that's good news." He walked over to the assailant's body and pulled back the hood. "Damn…I was hoping Kramer was wrong about this," he thought aloud.

Shinji and Asuka stepped over to see what he was talking about. As the attacker's face came into view, the boy couldn't hold back a sharp gasp but stayed quiet. "T…that looks like…" the redhead said. Kaji nodded solemnly, the figure on the ground looked indeed like Rei Ayanami. The hair was brown, but it seemed to be her. As she inspected closer, the former Second Child realized something. "Wait…this…this isn't her, is it?" she asked, to which the older man nodded again. The features were the same, but the skin was almost a ghostly white and the eyes were a much paler red and the roots of her hair were a solid white color. "Kaji…what is this? What's going on?"

Kaji sighed heavily. "It's not good, Asuka," he replied, "that much I know." He stood and looked at them again. "I know you've both got a lot of questions…believe me, so do I…but, for now, let's get you two checked out. At least Misato knows you're alright, so that's one less worry." He led them along to the end of the street, where an SUV pulled up and several JSSDF soldiers exited, heading for the body for pick-up.

As the three of them piled into the van, Shinji took one last look at the scene on the street. 'Rei…I'm so sorry,' he thought sadly. 'The dream was right…I did fail you.'

Far away, a pair of eyes watched the readouts on a computer screen. "Hmm…looks like Eight is out of commission," a voice with a heavy accent mused, typing commands into a keyboard. "That is unfortunate, but hardly a permanent setback. I'll simply have to ready the next one." They continued scrolling through the data onscreen. "I will have to admit…for a failed project, those two both handled themselves well. Whatever the outcome, it will provide useful data." There was a pause as the person made a satisfied smile. "This should be.…interesting."

-To be continued…-

A/N: Well, this certainly began on an exciting note, didn't it? I delivered you both romance and action (although we all know which I'm better at). Don't worry if you're a bit confused, my little monsters…all will be revealed soon enough. And don't fret that this chapter's kinda short, the following ones will hopefully be longer (maybe more along the length of SANCTIONS' first three chapters).

Other than those points, I don't really have a lot to say this time. I did at least fit in a scene with Shinji and Asuka slow-dancing (a hallmark, practically a requirement, of older A/S stories…and by older, I mean pre-2003/2004).

And because it's a part of the storyline that started it, it's "song-to-scene" time again. During the aforementioned dance, find and listen to Echo by Incubus (a band Ash and I think you should be listening to if you don't already). This was kind of a tough call, to be honest. I know so many really fitting songs for a sweet and tender A/S moment.

Pre-read was, yet again, done by Ash. Thank you kindly, ma'am. Now roll up your sleeves, we've still got a few more before this is over.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

-AngelNo13Bardiel-