[Warhammer comes out again.]
	WH: All's well that ends well... I think.

Teknos Warhammer presents

Seraphim's Judgment:
Epilogue


Time: 11:35 P.M. December 31, 2015. 
Place: Tokyo-2
	
		
	Amongst the crowd assembled at the park, Shinji sat alone and watched 
the proceedings at the platform. There was a celebration for the New 
Year going on and several choirs had gotten to sing. Most of them from 
around the world.	

	As the final choir was setting up, the crowd talked silently, allowing 
the groups to prepare. 

	Shinji felt a bit edgy, knowing that his parents were at their new 
temporary home. Ever since the train, they've done nothing but talk and 
his mother didn't look happy, nor did his father. He felt scared, he 
didn't know what was going on and felt like it might have been something 
he did. 

	He had tried talking with them both about it, but it was a lost cause. 
He hoped beyond hope that nothing bad was going to happen, his family 
was torn apart once and he didn't want to lose either one now. Never the 
less, he was scared. 

	He turned to his right to see Rei was sitting beside him. Like she 
appeared from nowhere. On her face was something other than the 
emotionless mask he usually saw her in. It was one of concern, for him.

	"I'm here Shinji-kun." She whispered as she sat beside him.

        His apprehension faded. Grateful to not be alone, he reached 
over to her and hugged her as she repsonded in kind. When it ended, she 
looked to him again and spoke with a bit of confusion. "I heard a while 
ago that those who often wished to spend their lives together, started 
out as friends."

        Blinking, he had no idea what she was referring to until he 
spoke up and figured, "So... you want me to be your friend?"

        She smiled a bit and nodded, "Yes. I would like that very much."  

        {Just as long as you're not naughty Oneesan.} spoke a voice in 
the back of Rei's head. She looked to the top of the hill to see both 
Kooriichi and Reina waving to her. Kooriichi appeared to be snickering 
and Reina was smirking a bit too obviously. 

        Shinji looked around to see the other two sisters of Rei and 
sighed. Kooriichi, although more mature than what she seemed, still was 
a bit childish now and then. Overall, she could be put up with. 

        Reina on the other hand, was just plain bad. With an attitude 
that put Asuka to shame when it came to being annoying, Reina was barely 
tolerable. What made it even worse was that she enjoyed tormenting 
people. Fortunately, she knew that Rei had an affinty towards Shinji and 
left him alone... most of the time.

The keyboards let loose a low, yet gentle note to support the rest of 
the song. A woman garbed in red and green, trimmed with mistletoe and 
began to sing.

~ If I cannot bring you comfort 
then at least I bring you hope 
for nothing is more precious 
than the time we have and so ~

At this point, the children's choir behind her sung along, only a bit 
quieter. 

~ we all must learn from small misfortune
count the blessings that are real
let the bells ring out for christmas 
at the closing of the year
let the bells ring out for christmas 
at the closing of the year ~

	A trine was tapped as the volume slowly increased to the point where it 
was suddenly joined by jingling bells and taiko, played by Nodoka's son 
and daughter in law. Not only that, a string section, led by a woman 
about her thirties with short purple hair*. Also, several guitars played 
along with the strings to create the air of joy that seemed to fill the 
air.  

       Just outside the park, Asuka was walking amid the genlty falling 
snow. What she didn't know was that Touji was walking behind her. What 
he didn't know was that she knew he was there. She turned to her right 
as she heard the music play. With that, her frown deepened. 

      "Man, I hate Christimas." She grumbled.

      "Why's that?" asked Touji from behind.

      Without turning, she continued, "Because everyone's so happy that 
it makes me want to puke."

      Taking a minute to think, he retorted gently, "Maybe because 
they're sick of being so negative most of the year, that maybe they need 
something to unwind with."

      Asuka blinked, paused, and then continued, "Something must be 
wrong with you Touji."        	

      Not at all understanding the Second Child, he asked why.

      She turned to him, still frowning, started to walk to him, and 
said with an air of disbelief, "The reason why, is that you actually 
made some sense." And before he could retort, she shushed him by putting 
her finger on his lips and continued smiling, "I didn't say that was a 
bad thing."  

     With that, she began to walk into her original direction, leaving 
him rather surprised. Then, he shook his head and smiled. Despite the 
words, there was no real animosity in his voice as he whispered, 
"Asuka... you jerk." When she finally left him alone, he heard a voice 
behind him.    

    "Onii-chan." cried the voice of his younger sister, Kimi. He turned 
to see her walk at a jagged pace, but still with a smile as she was 
walking towards her brother. Her wounds were almost gone and she was 
making even greater progress in walking again. She just needed to walk 
around a bit more before she could get used to it again.

    As Touji picked her up, she threw her arms around the neck of her 
brother and hugged him fiercly. Sitting on his arm, she looked at the 
direction Asuka went and asked, "Onii-chan, where's your girlfriend?"    
    Touji's eyes went wide, "G, girlfriend? What... what makes you say 
that?"

    She smiled simply and retorted, "Because you say her name in your 
sleep alot. And I can tell you like her." With that last sentence, her 
eyes got a bit shifty and her grin got mischevious. 

    Knowing he couldn't win, Touji just sighed and started back in the 
opposite direction where their dad would be waiting for them. 

~ All the trees of the Sargent Major
Covered with the snow right here
sleigh bells in snow were ringing
happiness is in the air again
If I cannot bring you comfort
then at least I bring you hope ~

	The children sung the notes while swaying and brought the audience to 
clapping in time with the music. A girl with red hair and about ten 
years old, played the bell chimes with another girl with aqua blue in 
pigtails. Beside them, a boy with a trumpet played with all his might so 
as not to be drowned by all the other instruments. 
Several children had joined to dance and play at the foot of the stage 
and band. 

	From the corner of Rei's eye, she could barely make out the shape of 
Kaworu's body, leaning against the light pole in the distance. Only 
difference was that he was visible only to her. He smiled at her and 
nodded in approval. She smiled back as he faded into the darkness and 
sighed slightly. 

	With no more Impacts, Evangelions, or angels to worry about, she 
wrapped an arm around Shinji's waist and leaned against him gently. A 
bit surprised at first, Shinji didn't know what to do. But when he 
wrapped his arm around her and onto her shoulder, that apprehension 
vanished for good. 

        Whether they both knew it or not; something that could not been 
seen, but could be felt with the heart, was developing.

	The woman who sung the first passage stepped up as the wind blew gently 
about her. 

~ Now all the winter bells are ringing
hear them echo through the snow
and the children's voices singing
on the streets so far below
this is a time to be together
and the truth is somewhere here
with all our love forever 
at the closing of the year ~

	A drum set was heard as another singer began as the shifting of the 
music belonged to the string and keyboards.

~ We'll walk in the sun with none of the pain and 
all of the patience and all way
with all in the sky and all of us say
don't worry 'bout falling, we'll fly in the hours of time
walk and the way is never far
don't fall (at the closing of the year)
at the closing of the year (at the closing of the year) ~

	Before the man finished his lyrics, someone above thought about doing 
something He hadn't done for quite some time. Then he thought, "Oh, what 
the hey, why not?" He touched the music in His own way and it spread 
throughout the park, the town, and it slowly spread throughout the 
world, even without the music. 

       The feelings of warmth spread through everyone, despite whatthey 
were doing, be it good or ill. He figured that with all they had gone 
through, His children deserved a bit of a break. 

~ If I cannot bring you comfort
then at least I bring you hope ~ 

~ Then at least I bring you hope.....~

For that short time, all hate, all malice, all matter of evil was 
forgotten. Even though it wouldn't last, it would never be forgotten in 
the hearts of that whole generation. The best way to describe something 
like this was to use something so much more simple. 

And there was joy. 

Amen.


The End
[WH comes out again.]
WH: I'm only sticking to the revision notes for this chapter.

First of all, the feelings that Shinji feels are common for those of 
children of divoreced parents or marriges that are in danger. This is 
not always the case. More often than not, it's the faults within the 
parents that drive them apart. But don't worry, I won't elaborate about 
that nor will I commit such an act and drive more depression onto 
Shinji's shoulders. 

The next thing is that I feel that this is a real basis on what a 
Shinji/Rei couple could start from. Starting out as friends. I don't 
dare try and go into details because I might pass out. 

Once more, I would like to think that Touji and Asuka make a cute 
couple. Both are thick headed, both are impulsive, and both can be 
REALLY irritating to the other. Which makes them all the more cuter to 
me. ^_^

Like with all the other times before, God works in subtle, inconspicous 
ways. Forget the flash and flare and just go for the feeling that you 
get when good is abound. Man, that was cheesy.

Until the epilogue folks. 

[WH dashes back.] 

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