Red Moon Rising
Disclaimer: I don't own squat except my muscle aches.
Epilogue.
Shinji Ikari nervously looked around. It had been a month since the Dead Earth Ceremony and since then, people had started gravitating towards where Tokyo-3 had once stood. But it had not been an easy month, on his or Rei's part. Slumping against the wooden wall and looking up, memories flooded back of the first assassination attempt.
Flashback
Shinji frowned as he and Rei walked down the rough-hewn path between the trees, the grass having grown at an astronomical rate since two weeks earlier. Getting sick of the constant glares and whispers that followed both of them, they had taken to walking through the rapidly regrowing forest. Tickling Rei as they walked, the sound of her giggling covered up a few of the forest sounds.
A nigh-fatal mistake.
Catching the sight of a black-wearing individual running through the trees, Shinji struggled to bring his AT Field back up to any semblance of protection. He hadn't used it once since that day and had lost quite a bit of his skill in manipulating it. Catching the glint of steel in the persons hand, Shinji pushed Rei away moments before the person tackled him with a mindless scream.
Sent tumbling onto the ground by the force of the strike, Shinji tried to hold off the downward strike of the dagger, but it was already a foregone conclusion. The man assaulting him was at least ten years older and clearly an athlete, albeit not a trained killer.
"This is for humanity, you bastard!" the man roared and brought the dagger plunging down into Shinji's left pectoral, cleaving flesh and bone before slicing into his heart. Jumping away and sprinting deeper into the trees, he let out a gasp of agony as a blast of writhing fire struck him in the back, incinerating his entire torso.
Rei growled and turned to Shinji who had carefully removed the knife, the wound quickly closing and healing. Hacking up a globule or two of blood from his nicked lung, Shinji spat the blood into the brush and shakily stood with Rei's help. "Remind me never to piss you off" he grunted, the sickly sweet stench of burning flesh think in the air.
Rei merely shook her head in amusement. "Don't worry. If you ever pissed me off, you wouldn't feel a thing" she stated confidently before turning and slowly walking back to the rough town that had been built around the edges of the Yggdrasil Array.
Shinji gulped warily, making a careful note not to scare her the next time they went out.
End Flashback
Walking to a window and looking out at the rapidly evolving town, Shinji chuckled. Close to ten thousand residents now dwelt in the environs and elections had been held just a week ago. Shinji had been nominated but he had immediately turned it down.
Flashback
Shinji stared flabbergasted at the town. He had been nominated by a tenth of the entire population to become Mayor. Palming his face, Shinji walked up to the podium and nodded as the current speaker flinched away. Turning to stare out over the gathered people, Shinji took a deep breath. "Look. I'm honestly flattered you want me to be your leader. But I'm going to have to decline. All I want to do is spend my life with the woman I love" he stated, smiling warmly to Rei Ayanami who blushed at the sudden attention.
Damn she's cute when she blushes Shinji mused idly. Waving his hands to quell the cheers and shouting, he shrugged before deciding to explain. "As the pilot of the Evangelion, and then Adam, I was burdened with responsibility. I had to protect the world. And frankly…I hated the responsibility. I enjoyed piloting it though. Now all I want to be responsible for is ducking when Rei tries to swat me."
At this, the crowd laughed and Shinji gulped as Rei's blush turned into a ferocious glare. Quickly raising an invisible AT Field in the event his love tried to punish him, Shinji quickly scooted off the stage and immediately vanished into the crowd, knowing he had to avoid Rei for the next hour. Or else the entire day would be…painful.
It seemed Rei was entering the full flower of puberty and the accompanying hormones and mood swings resulted in tantrums which lit the night sky.
End Flashback
Shinji had barely managed to avoid Rei, using every trick at his disposal to dodge the objects she threw at him. She was apparently fiercely proud and Shinji had slighted that pride. Rubbing a bruise on his head and wincing, he shuddered. That block of wood had HURT! Hearing the faint strains of music slowly starting up, Shinji's nervousness built.
From what he could tell, most people had taken well to the new moon after a period of acclimatising that lasted a week. Curiously enough, Firefly had survived the Dead Earth Ceremony. He put it down to the bond he shared with her.
Flashback
Shinji blinked as he heard crying coming from one of the nearby huts. With most of the people at the town meeting, he figured it would be safe to investigate. Easily slipping inside the unlocked hut, he sought about for the source of crying. Spotting a crib and walking over, he barely restrained a cheer. Firefly lay there, kicking her legs in the air and face red.
Bending over, Shinji cooed and picked up the child. Cradling her against his chest, he stroked her spine slowly as he imparted portions of his AT Field to comfort the child, to envelop her within an aura of utter peace and serenity.
And she vomited all over his shoulder.
Wrinkling his nose, Shinji wiped the muck off his shoulder with a frown and stripped the sick from his fingers with a flare of his field. Seeing Firefly now giggling and burbling happily, Ikari deposited Firefly back into the crib and stood over her.
And he started to sing. It was hardly graceful or even melodic. In fact, he knew he couldn't sing for beans. But Firefly seemed to enjoy it.
Every finger in the room
Is pointing at me
I wanna spit in their faces
Then I get afraid of what that could bring
I got a bowling ball in my stomach
I got a desert in my mouth
Figures that my courage would choose to sell out now.
I've been looking for a saviour in these dirty streets
Looking for a saviour beneath these dirty sheets.
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in.
Just what God needs.
One more victim…
Why do we…crucify ourselves
Every day, I crucify myself.
Nothing I do is good enough for you.
Crucify myself…every day.
And my heart is sick of being in chains.
Got a kick for a dog
Begging for love
I gotta have my suffering
So that I can have my cross
I know a cat named Easter
He says will you ever learn
You're just an empty cage girl
If you kill the bird.
I've been looking for a saviour in these dirty streets
Looking for a saviour beneath these dirt sheets.
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in.
Got enough guilt to start my own religion.
Please be…save me…I cry.
Why do we…crucify ourselves
Every day, I crucify myself.
Nothing I do is good enough for you.
Crucify myself…every day.
And my heart is sick of being in chains.
Trailing off, Shinji heard clapping coming from behind him. Turning, he smiled at Rei and turned back to Firefly. Ruffling her curling locks and tweaking her nose, he sighed before exiting with Rei.
"I didn't know you sung" Rei mused idly as both of them walked down the street and passed the people coming back from the meeting.
"I usually don't, Rei. I don't sound that good" he thought and shook his head as Rei opened her mouth. "Not singing for you either"
End Flashback
Hearing the murmur of peoples within the hall behind him, Shinji shifted uncomfortably in the outfit he wore. Nothing really flashy, it was the best clothes he possessed. Which meant the same clothes he wore when in Adam. Albeit repaired and looking far better. Smiling as another memory from just the last week came back to him, he blushed in embarrassment at the memory.
Flashback
Shinji nervously fingered the box in his pocket as he waited for Rei to come into the bedroom they shared. Sitting on the edge of their double bed, the young teen bit his lower lip. "Is this right?" he asked softly, eyes fixed on the door to the bathroom where Rei was occupied.
During the migration to the origin point of the Dead Earth Ceremony, many amongst the people had been skilled in trades. Plumbing, carpentry and all manner of things. It had only taken two weeks to get a rudimentary plumbing system in place with him excavating with his AT Field. "I'm a glorified backhoe" he muttered, yet somehow couldn't find it in himself to be bitter.
Hearing the door open, Shinji's gaze snapped upward and his breath hitched in his throat. The light was illuminating Rei in the doorway like a true Angel, not the farcical ones they had battled. Her alabaster skin was flawless and her hair, which by now cascaded down to between her shoulder-blades was truly the finishing touch. It made her look…ethereal.
Watching Rei slowly walk towards her side of the bed, Shinji fumbled out the box and fell to one knee, blushing furiously as he stammered. "U-um…R-Rei…w-would y-you d-do me th-the honour and joy of being my wife?" he asked, cursing himself for his bad delivery. Looking at Rei's eyes, he caught sight of the tears and cursed inside his head for the lack of the mental bond they once shared.
"I will" Rei whispered. She knew they were young but…they had been through more than most couples, had faced death and resurrection for each other and came out stronger than before. Plus if society didn't like it…they couldn't really do anything about it.
Shinji's face blossomed into a full smile and he slipped the ring from the box. It had been his mothers ring and he had kept it on his person at all times. Fairly unnoticeable, it had stayed with him all these years. He had found it in his backpack when he got to his teacher's house and had treasured it. And now he was giving the ring to his wife-to-be.
Sliding it up Rei's finger, Shinji slowly stood and wrapped Rei in his arms. Dipping his head down, he kissed her with all the love he was feeling. Albeit clumsily and messily.
Small diamonds, barely bigger than the head of a pin were arrayed a special pattern, one for the symbol of infinity. In each of the teardrop-shaped holes rested two precious gems. A ruby and a sapphire. The ruby itself had gold flecks through it, often called an Impact Ruby since they could only be found on the seabed of Antarctica. The sapphire though had shots of silver through it.
End Flashback
Shinji heard the music reach a crescendo and entered the hall. Many people here were gathered for this event and he smiled at them all. Standing up the front of the hall, he nervously fidgeted. He had thrown this together as fast as possible and there were bound to be some slip-ups. Twisting his hands together, he turned and smiled tremulously as Rei made her way up the hall, clad in a white dress.
Standing next to Rei, Shinji looked up at the Red Moon and nodded his thanks before the man before them spoke.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this day…"
The End
A/N: And RMR is complete! I do hope you enjoyed this tale. I tried my best to weave a story and I hoped you all enjoyed it. I will catch you all later on my next work. For now though…goodbye, and thanks for all the kind reviews! PS: The lyrics were to the song Crucify, by Tori Amos. Once again, I don't own that song either, or the band.