Chapter 7
Dread filled Rei's heart at Michael's words. This couldn't happen. It just couldn't. She was being used again. Was that all she was good for? To be used to fulfil other purposes? Was she ever meant to just have a normal life? No. It was never that simple. Not since her creation. Tears filled Rei's eyes at these thoughts.
"I cannot do that," Rei said, still struggling against his grip, which seemed to be getting tighter.
"You must," Michael replied. "You are the key to cleansing this wretched world of sin."
"No!" she said, finally gaining a hold on Michael's arm and slowly tearing it away. Getting use of her feet, she planted it firmly against the angel's chest, and pushed him away from her.
Michael stumbled backwards at the force that was applied onto him, bringing down his AT field.
"Now's my chance!" Shinji said as he commanded Unit 01 to resume attacking. In a flying leap, Unit 01 put the angel back on the ground before it could stand upright again. The force was so much that it caused the two to skid across the ground, digging a deep trench through the trees.
"Rei!" he cried, taking hold of Asuka's gatling gun and tossing it to Rei. She caught it and immediately began the hail of bullets once more as soon as Shinji was out of the way. Red blood from Michael painted the green forest a deep red as metal rained down upon him. Shinji grabbed the sonic glaive from Rei's last position and charged the angel.
The sound of the metal against the armor plating resounded loudly as Shinji began his onslaught. Anything to chip it away. When it was obvious it wouldn't work against the bone armor, he tossed the blade away and began using his hands to tear it off piece by piece. The skin under the armor caused it to struggle to remain in place. It was certainly strong, but the strength of Unit 01 in a berserk mode would make easy work of this task.
Loud cracking sounds emanated from the armor as it began to fail. With a massive tug, Shinji pulled it away to reveal the core.
"Yes!"
His progressive knife armed from out of the shoulder pauldron, and he drew it as it activated. The knife raised over Unit 01's head, ready to deliver the final blow that would end this confrontation. Unfortunately, he was a second too late.
Michael raised his head up, and immediately hit Unit 01 with an energy blast, so hard, it sent him rocketing towards the top of the geofront, and then back down into the artificial lake on the other side.
"Shinji!" Rei cried. "No!"
Rei attempted to fire more rounds at Michael to slow him down, but it was too late. He swiped the gatling gun away and fired an energy blast at Unit 00 as well. Rei hit the ground hard once she landed. Needless to say, it was painful.
"Rei!" Misato called. "You have to eject! Abort the mission!"
Misato was right. There was no time left and her Eva couldn't take much more. It was hopeless. It was time to go. Rei reached over to grab the emergency eject lever, but was immediately stopped by Michael grabbing her once more, holding her above the ground by her neck.
"Why do you resist?" Michael asked. "Surely you must know that this is the end for mankind."
"I can't...do it…" Rei choked out. "I won't...let you...do this."
"All will be as it should, soon."
Michael reached his hand out to place it on Unit 00's head, and Rei could feel him working deeper into her mind.
On the bridge, the crew watched as Rei's vitals and brainwaves were all over the place.
"The angel is making contact with the pilot!" Ibuki said.
"What's his game?" Misato whispered to herself. "Is he trying to pull the soul of Lillith out of her?"
"I'm trying to force eject the plug, but it's being rejected!"
"Keep trying!" Misato ordered. "Get her out of there!"
"Come on Rei, you can fight this," she thought.
On the battlefield, Michael was trying to get inside Rei's head. She watched as the inside of her entry plug went dark as he probed into her mind. She struggled hard, but it was useless.
"The humans are primitive. Savages. A blight on all creation." Michaels words resounded coldly in her head.
"You're wrong," Rei replied. "Humans are constantly advancing. We are learning to become more compassionate towards one another. To love."
"And yet, you are alone. The soul of an angel, the most holy, housed within a weak and dirty human form. I shall free you from this prison, and we shall cleanse this world."
Alone.
That's what the angels told her the last time. The cold and depressing feeling creeped into her heart. That stinging, icy pain of knowing that she was expendable and replaceable. There was no one who could help her. Not now. Not while the angel's AT field was deployed. Shinji wouldn't be able to get through. Rei, for a split second, wanted to allow the angel to slip her life away, so that the ice would no longer harm her heart.
"Shinji…" she thought.
The chill in her heart was soon replaced by warmth as the thought of her fiance crept into her mind. Every precious memory she had created with him replayed over and over again. From being nothing to her creator, to becoming everything to her savior. She had watched herself grow over the years. Rei was never alone. Not when he was there. Even still, he was trying to reach her. He always had been. She was not, and never would be alone.
"Today is my wedding day," Rei said. "I am surrounded by the ones that love me. I am to become one with the man who loves me. It is not me who is wrong about mankind. It is the angels. Mankind is flawed, but I see the good in what it does every day that I live. I house the soul of Lilith, but it was Lilith who created man."
A fire roared in her heart, breaking away the frost that had formed at Michael's words. She could sense that Michael was becoming angrier. Even with him seeing her memories, it would not phase him. It only fueled his rage.
"Foolish one," Michael snarled, "If you will not join me willingly, you will be taken by force. I will shed you of this miserable vessel, and you will become one with-"
The angel's words were cut off by the sound of air rushing, and then a stabbing noise. Unit 00 dropped hard onto the ground with an audible crash into the trees. Rei groaned from the impact and looked up. She could finally see now that Michael was no longer holding her captive. Before her stood the angel, with a pained look on its face. From his abdomen were two razor-sharp prongs. His Lance of Longinus. Beyond him, Unit 01 was recovering from a throwing position.
Shinji had gotten back up from Michael's onslaught and watched as he held Unit 00 in his grasp.
"Rei!" he cried. This was it, he thought. Rei wouldn't be able to escape. He had tried multiple times to break the AT field, but not even Unit 01 at its full physical potential could break it. It was simply too strong.
Shinji had looked around, looking for something, anything, that would give him a chance. That one force multiplier that he could at least distract Michael enough to release his beloved Rei. As he scanned the area, his eyes caught the downed Unit 02, still pinned down by the Lance. He remembered the battle with Arael, when the Lance of Longinus was the only thing that could pierce the angel's AT field. That gave him an idea.
"Misato," Shinji called over the coms, "I'm going to use the angel's lance."
"Is that your only option?" Misato asked, concerned that there was no telling what would happen.
"Yes," he responded. "Only the Lance of Longinus is sharp enough to pierce an AT field."
"Then do it," she replied. "Save Rei."
Shinji nodded and returned to Unit 02.
"Asuka," Shinji called over coms, "I know this is gonna suck, but I need to pull that out of you."
"Ugh," she groaned. "Then just do it! It hurts!"
Unit 01 reached over, grasping the lance with both of its massive hands, and pulled hard. Slowly but surely, the prongs of the giant weapon made its way out, with Asuka grunting in pain over coms in response.
"Like I said, I know it sucks," he repeated.
"Just kill the Arschloch!" Asuka spat.
Once the lance was free, Unit 01 took position behind Michael. The Eva growled at the sight as it got into a good stance.
"On my mark!" Misato ordered. "3, 2, 1...go!"
Unit 01 crouched down, advanced a few steps, and flung the lance hard towards the angel. The weapon struggled and groaned against Michael's AT field as it tried to work its way through. Little by little, the sharpened points began to wiggle their way past it, determined to hit their target. The AT field weakened enough to send the lance flying through, straight into the angel's back.
An ungodly howl emanated from deep within Michael's chest as he began to bleed profusely from the mortal wound. He fell back onto the lance, pushing it further in until it reached the bottoms of the prongs. It stood him up at a diagonal angle as the back of the lance buried itself deep into the ground, leaving his red core exposed.
Rei looked at the sight before her in disbelief. What was supposed to be the most powerful angel to ever descend upon the earth was impaled by his own weapon and laying helpless upon it. It was honestly a very satisfying feeling to her.
"Rei!" Shinji called to her. "Are you alright?!" Rei!"
"I am okay," she replied. "We must finish this now."
In response, Unit 01 moved towards Michael, who was now struggling against the weapon. In a last ditch effort, the angel tried to spring forward, but was immediately met with Unit 01's foot in his face. A loud crack sounded as the weakened bone had begun to break under the weight of the Eva.
"You're right," Shinji said. Unit 01 looked to the ground and picked up the Sonic Glaive as Michael struggled under his foot. He immediately passed it to Rei. With a smile, she took it. "We have a wedding to get to."
"Yes, we do," she said as she got into position.
The core was exposed, and Michael was incapacitated. It was almost over. Rei looked to Michael's pathetic being and scowled.
"If I am truly of Lillith, then I speak on her behalf. Mankind will endure. We are free to choose. And I choose to continue to live."
As the angel tried thrashing his way out, Rei jammed the weapon directly into the core in one swift motion. It passed through with little resistance, and the vibrations cut into the core material like a hot knife through butter.
Once the pair were satisfied that the job was finished, Unit 01 grabbed the hand of Unit 00 and moved quickly out of the potential blast zone as a bright glow began to radiate from Michael.
Once out of the way, the two Evas ducked for cover as the glow reached them. A massive explosion rocked the geofront with a mighty shockwave as Michael disintegrated. The Evas had trouble staying in position and grabbed hard into the earth to absorb the impact as best as possible. After a few seconds, all was quiet.
The two pilots opened their eyes and looked to find a red rain falling across their heads up displays of their Evas.
"It looks like we did get some rain on our wedding day," Shinji laughed as he watched it fall.
"Indeed," Rei said. She hated the color of the rain falling, but knowing what they had accomplished and what caused the rain made her put it out of her head. It was all too perfect. She got the rain she had hoped for. Suddenly, a dreadful thought passed through her head.
"Where is Asuka?" she asked. Shinji's eyes widened at the realization that Asuka was still down.
"Shit!" he exclaimed. "Asuka! Are you alright?!"
"What the hell?!" she spat. "You destroyed the angel without me! How dare you! All for some lovey dovey wedding day crap?!"
Shinji sighed in relief as he and Rei made their way over to the fallen Unit 02. The ground squished with red liquid as they ran to the Eva. Once they made it to Unit 02, they helped it to its feet and limped it back to the elevators, which took them back down to the cages. At the cages, everyone was there giving them a standing ovation. Every bit of NERV personnel was clapping and cheering as the damaged Evas slowly made their way back.
"Talk about a welcome home party," Shinji laughed.
"You did very well, you three," Misato said to them. "Hop on out and join us."
The pilots happily complied and joined the party that was waiting for them. Emotion filled the room as everyone continued to cheer and applaud at their victory. Shinji's hand made its way towards Rei's, and was granted access as her slender fingers tangled in with his. She smiled and tried hiding her blush, which didn't go unnoticed by Shinji. This was the first time she had been praised for piloting her Eva in combat. It was a strange feeling to her, but she liked it.
"You didn't leave anything for me!" Mari pouted.
"Yeah, and I di'n't even get a chance!" Toji stated. "Honestly tho', I di'n't really wanna take on dat big a' thing."
Shinji laughed.
"Yeah, probably not," he said. "It kinda sucked, honestly.
Misato stepped through the crowd and pulled the Units 00 through 02 pilots in for a hug. Asuka winced at the pain she was feeling, but tried her best keeping it to herself.
"Yeah, yeah," she scoffed. "Getting thanks for doing our jobs."
"Well when you do it THAT beautifully," Misato said, "you deserve it."
"I mean, we were a bit rusty," Shinji said.
"Oh, can it, and just let it happen."
Misato hugged the pilots harder, which made them need to gasp for air. But this was important to Misato, so they followed the Major's orders to let it happen. Upon releasing them, Misato looked at Shinji and Rei, who were now gasping for breath. Rei had had enough of not being able to breathe for one day.
"So, don't we have a wedding to put on?" she asked.
The couple beamed at her and nodded furiously.
"Yes, we do," Rei said, gripping Shinji's hand.
"Then let's go!" Misato said. "We're already behind schedule!"
"I swear if I bleed through my maid of honor dress, you're paying for it!" Asuka groaned.
Misato laughed nervously at Asuka's quip, knowing she probably couldn't afford it, even on her raised salary. Rei looked to Shinji, her red eyes softening as she looked into his blue pools.
"I'll see you at the altar," she said. Shinji smiled to her.
"I'll be waiting," he said. Rei tried to move in for a kiss, to which he placed a finger on her lips. "Last one until the ceremony, right?"
Rei sighed. She really wanted another, but remembered her promise.
"Of course," she said as she and the girls moved back towards the locker rooms.
"Come on, bud," Toji said, placing a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Gotta get you married."
"Yeah," Shinji said, watching the girls walk away. The two turned on their heels and moved towards the locker rooms.
Outside, Shinji stood in his suit with Misato, watching as the event staff diligently worked to clean off everything from the battle and set it all back upright. Luckily, no major damage had taken place to the altar area, as the battle had taken place further away. Shinji frowned as he noticed the white flowers adorning the arch at the altar had been stained red with angel blood from the rain.
"Well," he sighed. "So much for that."
"Call it a memento," Misato said. "Something good to remember about today."
"You're right," he said, accepting it.
Misato looked at her watch as people began filing in and taking their seats.
"Crap!" she exclaimed. "We have five minutes to start! Get your ass up there!"
Shinji was taken by surprise, and ran up to the altar next to the Commander, who was looking over his notes once more.
"Exciting day, huh, Shinji?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Yes, sir," he said. "More memories to put with today."
"Exactly. How do you feel?"
"Nervous. But I'm ready."
"Of course he's ready, Commander!" Toji said, hugging Shinji over the shoulder. "Let's get dis show on da road!"
Fuyutsuki regarded Toji, unsure what to think of his energetic personality, but gave a small smile.
"Right," Fuyutsuki said. "We may begin."
He gave a nod to Misato to confirm that it was time. She gave a thumbs up and turned to Kensuke to signal to begin the music. With a nod, Kensuke turned on the song. The slow piano melody of "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perry began to play as the audience stood, and faced towards the aisle. Shinji straightened himself, placing his hands in front of him, and awaited his bride. From behind the trees, she emerged as the singer began.
Heart beats fast
Colours and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
There stood Rei, clad in her flawless white dress. She looked to her fiance standing there, waiting for her. She almost wanted to run straight to him, but managed to keep her composure, and walked gracefully towards him. Rei clutched the bouquet in her hand in anticipation.
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
Asuka, Hikari, and Mari emerged from behind Rei and walked behind her single file, smiling all the way. Asuka had luckily not bled through her dress, having just been bandaged up. Misato sighed, knowing her bank account was safe.
Rei's heart quickened as she approached the altar. Was it nerves? Was it excitement? Was it happiness? She figured it was all of them at once. This was not time to try to sort everything out. This was about her and Shinji.
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
Shinji looked to the aisle, his mouth wanting to fall open at her angelic beauty. From her silhouette in the changing room, he had an idea of what she looked like in her full wedding garb, but he certainly was not prepared for the actual thing. Tears welled in his eyes as emotion bubbled up inside him. He almost couldn't believe this was happening. It was all almost too much. Everything in the last three years had led to this moment. He looked to Rei's face; her ruby-red eyes watching him the whole way. He had never seen her smile like this.
Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this
One step closer
Rei had chosen the song. The first time she heard it, she cried.
"What's wrong?" he asked, putting her arms around her, and stroking her hair.
"It is beautiful," Rei said softly through her tears. "It will be perfect for the wedding."
Shinji remembered how he held her as she laughed and cried, somewhat embarrassed at herself. He laughed with her. Shinji loved the change he had seen in Rei, coming to learn her emotions. It was such a beautiful sight to him. The sight of his love growing as a person for the first time, free of devotion to someone else's idea and wants.
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed I would find you
Rei lifted the bottom of her dress, allowing her feet to move freely as she stepped onto the altar. Shinji stared at her, wide-eyed, taking in her beauty. A faint pink blush crossed her face as she got lost in Shinji's tearful blue eyes. She smiled warmly at him, and reached up to wipe the tear away, as he had done so many times before for her.
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
One step closer
One step closer
"No tears now, Shinji," she whispered to him.
Shinji chuckled a little and held her hand against his face. He had to be sure this was real, and not just a dream. With everything that had just happened that day, it was always good to check. Rei giggled at his gesture, and pulled his hand to hers, kissing it ever so gently. His heart raced against his chest. This really was real. This was his wedding day to Rei; the day they had dreamed of for so long. It was finally here.
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
As the song faded out, Shinji and Rei stood before each other, holding hands and never looking away from each other.. Fuyutsuki opened his notes, signaling the beginning of the ceremony. The audience took their seats and awaited the introduction.
"Welcome, all," Fuyutsuki began. "We welcome and thank you for being part of this important occasion. We are gathered together on this day to witness and celebrate the marriage of Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami. Every one of us has a deep desire to love and to be loved."
Rei smiled in affirmation. All her life, she truly desired to be loved and to be wanted. Gendo had never instilled in her how important that was. All he had ever taught her was how to be alone. Now she stood before the greatest thing that horrible man had bestowed upon her; his son.
"As 1 Corinthians 13 says," he went on "we learn that love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not irritable or resentful, nor arrogant or rude. Love does not seek self, nor does it rejoice in the wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears and believes in all things. Love hopes in all things endure all things and love has no end."
Now Rei wanted to cry. But she had just told Shinji not to cry just yet. She didn't want to be a hypocrite.
"In the three years I have known these two, I've watched as they've grown. Not just physically, but spiritually. Two years ago, Rei came to my office, asking for advice on her first date with Shinji. She was nervous, but hid it well. After giving her the advice she came for, she asked if she should say yes. Now, two years later, here we are. Their bond is one of love and adoration for one another, and one of the utmost mutual respect. I watched as they continued to strengthen that bond. Today, before friends, they cement that bond in marriage. I believe the bride and groom have their own vows they have prepared?"
Shinji and Rei nodded, and Shinji reached for his notes in his breast pocket. However, Rei stood still, looking directly into Shinji's eyes with a soft gaze. She was going to do this from memory.
"Shinji," she began. "Words cannot express my feelings for you. Until I met you, I had never known what love was, or if I could truly learn to love. Never did I envision that I would stand before you, in a white dress, and exchange vows before our marriage. That changed when I met you. The day we met, you held me as I was in pain. You protected me from going out in the Eva and being hurt worse. In turn, I protected you from the angel in our first battle together. Outside of NERV, you willingly reached out to me to befriend me. You were kind to me. Compassionate. Patient. All of these words I am describing of you then, are still true today. You have made me a more whole person as a result of you coming into my life. Today, my life now has meaning. You have shown me what it means to love and be loved in return. You have taught me what it means to be strong. Then, I had no idea of where life would place me, only going where I was ordered to. Today, we begin our lives together. We will decide our own fates from now on. From this day forward, as your wife, I promise to return that kindness, patience, and compassion. I promise to stand by your side, through good and bad, to care for you, protect you, and love you. When you proposed to me, you reminded me that nothing could break our bond; not the universe, the angels, or anyone. I promise to you, here and now, to protect our bond from all things natural and supernatural. You truly are my best friend, my savior, and my love. I love you, Shinji Ikari. I am forever yours, faithfully."
Shinji looked into Rei's ruby red orbs, trying his best to hold back his tears again. He had never heard Rei say so much at once, and it all was meant for him. His hands shook as he held the paper his vows were written on.
"R-Rei," he stammered, trying his hardest to swallow the knot in his throat. "Three years ago, I came to Tokyo-3 with no knowledge of why I was there. I had nothing truly to look forward to. But now I know it was to meet you. I could never find the right words to say to you, seeing as I was honestly too scared to talk to you. If I'm being truthful, you intimidated me a bit."
The audience laughed, the joke causing the lump in his throat to vanish.
"But over time, I got to know you. The real you. You are strong, determined, and feel things more deeply than anyone can comprehend. I never thought that I would get to this day, but here we are. Rei Ayanami, you have taught me how to be strong, and not to run away in the face of adversity. The night of our first date, I wanted to run away in fear that I would be rejected. But you stayed. You didn't let me run away. You've been by my side ever since. Just as much as you say I've saved you, you are my savior. You saved me from a life I felt that I was doomed for. You showed me that while life is hard, that doesn't mean you have to run away from it."
Rei was beginning to tear up now. She cursed herself for it, but was so entranced by his words, she had forgotten to wipe her tears away, and let them fall softly across her cheeks.
"I've never been good at words, Rei, so I'll go ahead and say my vows. I promise to love you, and to cherish you, always. I will lift you up when you are down, and wipe every tear from your eye. Until we are so old we can't stand up, I'll sit beside you, always, and I will love you until the end. No amount of adversity will break our bond. Today, I say my promise to you that I will never run away again. You are my rock, my love, and my life. You have made me a better man, and I hope I can always be that for you. I love you, Rei. You always are and will be my best friend, my teacher, my protector, and my lover. I am forever yours, faithfully."
A chorus of sniffles came from the audience as they, themselves, fought back tears. Shinji reached his hand up to softly wipe Rei's away, whose face was now soaked in tears. Luckily, the waterproof mascara Mari applied to her face survived through both the LCL and her emotion.
"A promise is a promise," he whispered. Rei giggled at him.
"Yes," she said softly.
"Do you have the rings?" Fuyutsuki asked. Toji's time to shine.
"Got 'em right here, sir!" Toji announced. As he pulled the rings out of his pocket, he fumbled one for a moment before catching it. He smiled nervously, hoping no one saw. Fuyutsuki cleared his throat to ward off his embarrassment for Toji.
"You may now begin the exchanging of rings," Fuyutsuki said. The couple nodded to him, and took their respective rings. Shinji held Rei's hand delicately as he slipped the gold band onto Rei's slender finger. A rush of heat flowed through her body, as it always had whenever they held hands. She looked at the simple piece of gold and smiled. Almost there.
Rei slipped hers onto Shinjis, and the two joined hands.
" In the old Greek tradition, it was believed that the third finger on the left hand contained a vein that connected directly to the heart. Therefore, it is worn there. These rings are a symbol of your eternal bond to one another. A never-ending promise of love, honor, and respect. Let this ring be a reminder of your promises and devotion to each other."
The pair nodded to him.
"Shinji, do you take Rei Ayanami to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," he said proudly.
"And Rei, do you take Shinji Ikari to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Rei whispered. The inferno in their hearts burned white hot as they awaited the next line. The line that would seal the deal, and make them one.
"Then, by the power vested in me as supreme commander of NERV," Fuyutsuki announced, "and by the city of Tokyo-3, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss, and forever cement your bond."
The newlyweds didn't have to be asked twice. Shinji grabbed Rei by the waist, leaned her back, and kissed her passionately. Rei's hand caressed his face as she returned his kiss.
The audience stood to their feet, applauding and cheering. The sound reverberated off of the dome of the geofront, making the cheers multiply several times over. Rei and Shinji didn't notice as they kissed. It was if all noise had faded into oblivion in the moment. Their moment. This moment was all they needed. What they had hoped for, planned, and prayed for. Now, in one day, all was right with the world with them.
After a solid minute, the two pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes. Shinji beamed at the sight of his bride, his angel, who returned his smile. She stared hard into his blue pools and noticed the tears were finally fighting through.
"We did it," Rei said softly.
"Yeah," he laughed through his tears, which were now falling onto her face. Rei pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed him again. When she pulled back, they turned to face the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Fuyutsuki announced. "I present to you: Shinji and Rei Ikari."
The audience once again erupted into a chorus of cheers and applause. Rei and Shinji could barely contain themselves as they watched them. Their fingers slowly interlocked as they stood there, taking in the moment.
"Guess we better go out there," Shinji said.
"Agreed," Rei responded.
Hand in hand, they walked down the aisle together with the groomsmen and bridesmaids in tow. The summer wind blew all around them in a light breeze as they walked, cooling off the heat in their faces. It couldn't be a better moment.
At the reception, the party was definitely going. The shockwaves and explosions had only done mild damage as far as knocking over a few tables. After it was cleaned, all was ready to begin.
Misato, having finally gotten a chance to rest, was sleeping at her table. Everyone knew what she had been through as far as planning, so she remained undisturbed. The catering was elegant and tasteful, with many people getting seconds and thirds. The cake had thankfully remained intact. A vanilla cake, made vegetarian, at Rei's request. It was the biggest hit. They definitely knew how to pick.
Rei and Shinji sat at their table as they watched the dance floor open up. Drunk party goers tried their best to show off their skills, while the sober crowd tried their hardest not to look like the drunks flailing about.
"It's almost time for our dance," Shinji whispered to Rei. Her face turned as red as her eyes at the thought. She had never slow danced before a crowd before. But this was tradition. She had to see it through.
"Yes," she said.
As if on cue, the dance music faded out.
"Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer spoke over the microphone. "It's time for the bride and groom's first dance. Would Mr. and Mrs. Ikari please make their way to the dance floor?"
Rei stood hesitantly, but forced herself up to hide her nervousness.
"It's alright," Shinji said, holding his hand out for her. She smiled softly and took it, allowing him to lead her to the center of the room.
As promised, "Faithfully" by Journey began to play. Their song. The song that began their relationship. The song they had put in their vows to each other.
As they stood in the middle of the ballroom, Shinji offered his hand to her the same way he had done on their first date.
"Rei Ikari," he began, Rei surprised at hearing her new name from him for the first time, "May I have this dance?"
"You may," she said, taking his hand.
Shinji took her in by the waist and swayed with her. The whole room was silent as the newlyweds moved about the floor. It was as if everything around them had disappeared, and it was only them. Rei's heart fluttered as she was taken back to the night of their dance on the bridge. In order to get into the moment, she kicked off her shoes and slid them to the side.
Rei's head rested on Shinji's chest. Her eyes closed as she listened to Shinji's heart beat deep within his chest. This was all she needed; to be in the arms of the man who loved her, and he in return. The two felt as if they were floating on the clouds, and nothing could touch them. It was their moment. This moment was three years in the making, and worth every last moment of waiting. Plenty of blood, sweat, and tears were shed between them. Not a single bit of which was in vain.
"So, what now?" Rei asked, looking up at Shinji.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess we'll figure it out together."
"You're right," Shinji said with a smile. "I love you, Rei."
"And I love you, Shinji," Rei responded, pulling him in for another long and passionate kiss as the song faded out.
"I'm forever yours, faithfully."
A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! Thank you for making it to the end! This one was certainly not easy. But thanks to your kind reviews, I was able to keep it going. I love how this ended, and I kept my promise not to Anno you guys. Please, rate and review. I hope to see you all again in my next story.
Cheers,
Mystykk