Ficlet/Drabble
Player: poison_prison
Subject: Simon the Digger
Table: C
Prompt: Strenght
Warning: A lot of canon spoilage. And I mean a lot. Disclaimer: Everything in italics is taken from book 1 of the manga~ ♥
Simon didn't use his drill.
It would have made things easier, but he couldn't do it. His drill was for digging up, not down. Not anymore. Not according to Kamina.
...Kamina.
Simon felt the handle of the shovel cutting into his palms. They hadn't really ever used it, before. Drilling was easier, so the shovel they found in the back of the Dai-Ganzen-no, the Dai-Gurren-was the best they could do-and that was falling apart at best. He just drove the spade down deeper into the dirt, ignoring the pain. Kept going...
“Walk with your head held high, Simon!” Kamina had been the only one who ever believed in him. The only one who told him that he was worth more than the dirt he displaced. The only one who saw him as a person.
The ground wouldn't move as easily for him, now. It was as if it knew what Simon was doing. As if it knew that something was going in this hole that just didn't belong. Like it knew the person digging through it... was the one that belonged there.
“Go. Don't worry about me. Go on, it's okay.” Kamina's smile was gentle, but Simon still didn't want to listen to him. He wasn't looking for trouble... but Kamina had never let him down before. So why should he leave him here? He didn't have long to argue-he didn't even get a word out of his mouth before the ground shook.
No, he wasn't using his drill. The drill was his soul. That's what Kamina always said. And his soul wasn't in this. His arms could barely hold the shovel, anymore, but he kept digging. This was his duty. Even if every spadeful of dirt made him feel like he was going to be sick, like he couldn't breathe, like he was dying. But he had to keep going.
Even if he was afraid, he wasn't going to leave Kamina to die here alone. Even if the ceiling collapsed on them both, Simon wasn't going to leave him. Without Kamina... what was he? A digger again. Another tool. Not even a person. And, even though Simon shook with more ferocity than the walls themselves, he wasn't letting him go. And then the walls stopped.
He could feel the looks of the Dai-Gurren-dan on his back. They burned into him. Some with pity, some, like Kittan, with anger. Simon the Useless. That's what he was. Completely worthless. How come he was standing here, digging, while Kamina sat in the cockpit of Gurren, lifeless? Why hadn't he been the one standing there? Why hadn't Simon taken that blow?
The look of accomplishment on Kamina's face was priceless. They'd made it to the surface. The sun was staring down at them, the horizon different colors for each side of them. To the right, the blue of the moon, and the left the red of the sun. Losing his cape, Simon suddenly understood why Kamina wanted to be in this place-it was beautiful. He didn't want to close his eyes-if he blinked, he'd be back in his bed, underground, and none of this would be real... but one look at Kamina's face and he knew this was real.
There was no sun, now. No moon, no stars, no sky. Just the dark grey clouds that reflected Simon's heart. Just the rain that dripped into his eyes. No... those weren't tears. He wasn't crying. That wasn't why his hands were shaking, why his body would barely listen to him. It wasn't why he could barely see... He didn't deserve to cry... not after that.
And he looked up. Looked up to the Gurren... Looked up at what had been Kamina, still with a smile on his face. And, finally, Simon fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face, not bothering to hold back the screams. Finally, he realized it. Kamina was dead.
Subject: Simon the Digger
Table: C
Prompt: Strenght
Warning: A lot of canon spoilage. And I mean a lot. Disclaimer: Everything in italics is taken from book 1 of the manga~ ♥
Simon didn't use his drill.
It would have made things easier, but he couldn't do it. His drill was for digging up, not down. Not anymore. Not according to Kamina.
...Kamina.
Simon felt the handle of the shovel cutting into his palms. They hadn't really ever used it, before. Drilling was easier, so the shovel they found in the back of the Dai-Ganzen-no, the Dai-Gurren-was the best they could do-and that was falling apart at best. He just drove the spade down deeper into the dirt, ignoring the pain. Kept going...
“Walk with your head held high, Simon!” Kamina had been the only one who ever believed in him. The only one who told him that he was worth more than the dirt he displaced. The only one who saw him as a person.
The ground wouldn't move as easily for him, now. It was as if it knew what Simon was doing. As if it knew that something was going in this hole that just didn't belong. Like it knew the person digging through it... was the one that belonged there.
“Go. Don't worry about me. Go on, it's okay.” Kamina's smile was gentle, but Simon still didn't want to listen to him. He wasn't looking for trouble... but Kamina had never let him down before. So why should he leave him here? He didn't have long to argue-he didn't even get a word out of his mouth before the ground shook.
No, he wasn't using his drill. The drill was his soul. That's what Kamina always said. And his soul wasn't in this. His arms could barely hold the shovel, anymore, but he kept digging. This was his duty. Even if every spadeful of dirt made him feel like he was going to be sick, like he couldn't breathe, like he was dying. But he had to keep going.
Even if he was afraid, he wasn't going to leave Kamina to die here alone. Even if the ceiling collapsed on them both, Simon wasn't going to leave him. Without Kamina... what was he? A digger again. Another tool. Not even a person. And, even though Simon shook with more ferocity than the walls themselves, he wasn't letting him go. And then the walls stopped.
He could feel the looks of the Dai-Gurren-dan on his back. They burned into him. Some with pity, some, like Kittan, with anger. Simon the Useless. That's what he was. Completely worthless. How come he was standing here, digging, while Kamina sat in the cockpit of Gurren, lifeless? Why hadn't he been the one standing there? Why hadn't Simon taken that blow?
The look of accomplishment on Kamina's face was priceless. They'd made it to the surface. The sun was staring down at them, the horizon different colors for each side of them. To the right, the blue of the moon, and the left the red of the sun. Losing his cape, Simon suddenly understood why Kamina wanted to be in this place-it was beautiful. He didn't want to close his eyes-if he blinked, he'd be back in his bed, underground, and none of this would be real... but one look at Kamina's face and he knew this was real.
There was no sun, now. No moon, no stars, no sky. Just the dark grey clouds that reflected Simon's heart. Just the rain that dripped into his eyes. No... those weren't tears. He wasn't crying. That wasn't why his hands were shaking, why his body would barely listen to him. It wasn't why he could barely see... He didn't deserve to cry... not after that.
And he looked up. Looked up to the Gurren... Looked up at what had been Kamina, still with a smile on his face. And, finally, Simon fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face, not bothering to hold back the screams. Finally, he realized it. Kamina was dead.