Red Red Sky

I do not own Evangelion, this is only a fan fiction.

Notes: I wrote this because I have a feeling that it might turn into a good story, this is more like a prologue, than a chapter one, lots of thought, maybe a bit crazy. But I wrote it, and felt like sharing it. Anyways, enjoy.

Chapter 1 Irrelevance

The sky was colored red when the sun came up at 7:30am in Tokyo-3. People were preparing for another days work, school for the children, and synch test for one Shinji Ikari. It was five days after Shinji and Rei defeated Ramiel the fifth angel. The cleanup crew was dismantling the bloody mess that lay in the streets. Everyone seemed to be happy they were alive.

            Shinji did have synch tests, but that didn't bother him. What really were pinching his nerves was Rei, after that battle he couldn't stop thinking about her. Wondering what that smile she gave him meant. He thought about if she had feelings or not, from what he could tell she does. If Rei promised to protect him, that meant something, or did it.

His hands still burnt from the entry plug he looked at them, remembering how it hurt. The pain in his body almost made him faint when he grabbed the lava hot entry plug. But to save her, and to see Rei again, that smile that he received after asking made his heart stop eating away at his soul. It was worth the pain he thought.

When word got around about how Shinji opened the plug when it was hot, made people stop thinking of him as an ordinary ignorant little child that was afraid to save it all. Though in the back his mind, he knew why he did it, it was a matter of time before he would realize why.

Shinji lay in his bed looking at the alarm clock. He needed to get ready to go to school. He didn't much care to go to school. He had no one, except a handful of people that he talked too. Touji and Kensuke knew that there was something wrong with him after the last battle. It seemed to them that he was lost in his thoughts anytime they talked to him. Lost in his mind, pain was all he could think about, and Rei of course. p

Moving his body that ached from laying in his bed all day and night not even sleeping, made him realize that he didn't have enough strength to make food, take out the garbage and take a shower in the limited time he had left. He moved his feet off the bed and put them on the floor.

Looking at his arm checking if it was broken or not, after him fighting Sachael. He had this paranoia that his arm was broken. It was still bothering him, the images from the battles he had faced, and they were burnt into his head. He didn't want to talk about them to anyone, because of fear that he could place in people's hearts.

Pushing his body up, realizing even more, how tired he was. Breathing like a man that has been smoking all his life, he stood there for a moment, and pushed the door open, to see the riddled mess that lay on the floor. Misato never gave up on her ways. For one without Shinji to clean up for entire day, there was enough garbage to fill Tokyo-3's garbage dump.

After the battle Shinji kept to himself, locking away everyone including Misato, not leaving his room. The thoughts of Rei, the angel battle, his father, never seemed to end. Walking barefooted on the cold linoleum floor, towards the kitchen his eyes caught a note sitting on the kitchen table with a vase holding it down. Realizing it was from Misato he picked it up and read it.

Shinji please don't wake me, unless it's very important. I was working the evening shift yesterday. There is money under the note, get something to eat please, you are beginning to scare me when you just sit in you room and listen to your music. I'm sorry if this seems pressuring. I'm sorry but, please get something to eat.

-Misato.

Looking down at the money, he thought, food, and heard his stomach ache. It wasn't good he thought. He hadn't eaten in the past two days. Food didn't seem appealing, only music and his thoughts of Rei. Even thought they drove him even below the void between sanity and humanity. He saw flashbacks during the night, of the first battle. He did not want to tell anyone what happened, to pretend to know nothing is something hard to accomplish, but his body language did not show this.

Turning around and walking back to his room, in a slow demeanor, so that he could get his clothes ready for school. The sun hurt his eyes when he walked into his room, moving over to his closet to get things ready. After that he took a quick shower, while thinking about what and how school is going to be.

He got dressed and walked over to the table, picking up the money, and writing 'Thanks Misato' on her note. Picking up his things, he walked over to the door and pressed open. The door slid open and he hesitated but stepped outside. The sun shined through all the public windows in the apartment. Shinji made his way to the elevator, and pressed down button. The elevator reached his floor quickly, and he stepped in, not bothering to see if anyone was inside. Pressing the Lobby button, he took a deep breath and exhaled when the elevator started moving down. Shinji was worried to see what was going to happen at school, was everyone going to act like they usually did, or would they bother him. He did not want to be talked to. Shinji wanted his time to think, to figure out what he wanted, and to find out what everything really meant.

He came so far to find out there was nothing but pain here, but as everything has been turning out, it did not seem so bad.

The walk to the school didn't take much time. Shinji saw the school a few blocks away and pushed himself there. He didn't know what time it was, so he did not know if he was late or not, but as soon as he could get himself there, the better. Looking up while walking, the sky was turning blue, the clouds were being pushed away, it was going to be sunny. Then the painful memories came back, he tried to push them back, but again the visages of the angels scared him into the depths of his soul. He was pushing himself to continue to the school in his indulged thought.

Slowly walking up to the school, realizing he wasn't late, made him feel better. The sounds of students coming from the school made him realize that he made it just in time.

The hallways were filled with students getting ready to go to class. He saw the class representative standing outside of class, giving orders. That was not something he wanted to deal with. He was tired, involved in his thoughts, and wasn't about to put up with this shit.

He crept his way to the door, to see Hikari staring at him. She seemed to be in an 'ok' mood. Tilting his head up, he looked into her eyes, they seemed at glee. Hikari seeing Shinji Ikari doing so, smiled. But then something hit her, her face changed, it filled with worry, or pity.

Pity, was on her mind, she saw Shinji's eyes were red, he had bags under his eyes, and looked like a mess in general.

"Shinji, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing Hikari, I'm just tired that's all," Shinji spoke quietly enough for her to hear him.

"Shinji, well if you want to talk about anything you can always trust me," Hikari insisted.

"Thank you, but there is nothing I want to talk about, I just need to go sit down now, thanks again for your offer," Shinji replied.

Walking over to his desk, he saw her. She was sitting in the same spot as usual, looking into the city, the world that we live in. Shinji stopped in his tracks, looking and thinking about everything. 'Does she care for him?' he thought, or was it just comrades fighting to save the world, maybe it was more?

Moving towards his desk, he noticed that Kensuke and Touji were just sitting around babbling about the mess in the city, and how their fathers have to help out with the cleanup of the splattered guts of the enormous angel.

Sitting down, still listening to their conversation, his mind started to ponder "what ifs". What if Rei, died he thought. That hit him hard. She almost did sacrifice her life for him. She would die for him. A worthless kid that didn't know what's good for him, he thought. His head and mind slowly tuned out Touji and Kensuke, and pointed towards Rei.

His feelings were unconstitutional. He did not know what to thing to do or anything in the grey. It was all a blur for him, what was he suppose to do?

Lunch Time began after two and a half hour speech from an old guy that couldn't stop talking about the second impact. After the bell, people went to eat their lunch. Shinji had his bento box with him. He made some quick food for him to eat at school right before he left.

Walking out of the school he looked around to find a place to sit, a bench outside perhaps or under a tree. Looking around he saw Rei sitting on a bench, not eating anything but just reading a small book, must have been some homework.

He sat on the bench on the other end of Rei. Opening his bento box to start to eat, but he wasn't very hungry. Looking at Rei, afraid that she might look back, and then he looked back to his food. Maybe she was hungry he thought.

"Ayanami?" Shinji asked.

"Ikari-kun?" Rei answered.

"I… well wanted to know why you told me you would protect me?" Asking Rei while tilting his head back and looking at the sky.

"It's as simple as that, I will protect you Ikari-kun," she answered.

"But why?" he asked with pessimism.

This hit Rei. She didn't know why. It was simple, he needed her protection. But wait, why Shinji would need her protection she thought. That battle was over, he was fine. Something in her heart made he feel something that she hasn't ever felt. It hurt her from inside, but this wasn't pain, maybe it was just loneliness. It was heartache, she didn't understand her feelings. She wanted to know but didn't know anyone except Shinji that she could talk to. To understand what was going on.

"Ikari-kun, would you come over after the synch tests at Nerv?" Rei asked "I need to ask you some questions. And maybe I'll be able to answer yours."

"Yes, of course, I will be there right after synch tests, we can walk together over to your apartment and talk if you would like." He answered, but his words were said with some reluctance.

"Agreed Ikari-kun," Rei answered.

The bell rang, and all the students rushed to get back to the classrooms. Shinji sat there for a couple of minutes with Rei, and then stood up and left. He had a couple of minutes to spare. Rei left a couple of seconds after he did.

-To be continued.

It's a bit "twisted" as I said its just a prologue type of deal. Don't think the entire story is going to be so damn boring. Its just when I write, I don't like to leave out a bunch of details, I like to build on a good stable foundation. Thankyou. Next chapter will come soon. - Aramazd