Chapter 7- She-HEDGEHOG

Shout out to all readers, I'm glad there are some of you who try and keep up to date with my story, but I've begun to explore more in writing a bit, so since I haven't updated in a while, I've also published another story today! Please check it out...

April 15th, Monday:

"I keep the WOLF from the door! BUT HE- CALLS ME UP! Calls me on the phone, Tells me all the ways, That he's gonna mess me up! STEAL all my children If I don't pay the ransom! And I'll never see em again, if I squeal to the cops…"

"D-Danyul! M-MY! You have quite the voice for singing! Ahh perfect! We can add you as James's conscious! You'll sing that song once James finds his house in shambles!" The actress instructor (Or just teacher) praised Danyul. "So I get a cool part in the play. HA! I get to tell Shinji what's right and wrong then! Alright! Shi- I mean James! LOVE IS ETERNAL! Now go make a 'Baka' of yourself and go jump in the lake!" Daniel said with authority.

"But that's not in the script." Shinji didn't catch his humor, and Dan just scratched his head. Asuka and Parles were amused by the acts that were unfolding upon the stage. Asuka was proud of the character she set for herself in the universe they were creating for the school. The stories debut was to be due May 11th, and that'd be the last day of school. 'SILENT SOUL' would appear for showing the due date for the festival that was held back because of the quick attacks that came upon the city recently. The two boys came down from the stage to greet an Asuka and Parles.

"We should have it done in no time Asuka, as long as we keep all the actors we've had since the beginning we should have no changes in planning."

"Yeah, but we're busy until we defeat Jaeger remember? The 3rd one! He ran away like a frightened child once the tables were turned on him." Asuka corrected him.

"You mean that big burly one's name is- JAEGER? They have NAMES?!" Parles said in astonishment.

"Hey! Who's Jaeger?! Somebody I should know about?" Rika passed by with the shy Shion behind her without taking a second glance at Shinji.

"Oh uh nobody, just uhh, talking about er…" Shinji looked to Parles for a quick way out and saw her gesturing drinking a beverage.

"A-Alcohol! See Parles didn't know that 'They' had names he heh…" Parles had a vein burst out in frustration and face palmed. …

"YOU IDIOT! I meant for you to be all like 'Oh I dunno, I sure am thirsty though! Gotta go ladies!' Parles totally pictured in her head which brought a single giant sweat drop from Shinji in wonder.

"Like I'd ever say that." Shinji replied. "Say… Where's Ayanami. Did she not go to school today?"

"I've been looking for her since this morning, but no sign of her. See Daniel, I would already be with her right now if she was at school. I-" Asuka waited for him to finish with the suns rays shining upon her iris. She looked not upset, but interested. "Well I just worry about her is all." Shinji stopped walking with the group and looked upon the school roof where she would go at times to wonder. "Guys, I'm going to go. I'll see you in class. Asuka?" Shinji lended his hand.

"No no, It's cool, I think she'd rather not see me anyways Shin, but I understand." Asuka gave a friendly grin. She pushed the couple she was with ahead of her as they walked on quietly with no word of goodbye, just curiosity lingered in the back of their minds. … The boy walked up the stairs slowly and reached his hand for the dark steel knob on the door that led to the flat. He slowly twisted the knob and turned the door outward with the red fog becoming thick at this level off ground, where below was a chunk thinner. He walked slowly to the middle of the roof and saw Rei looking off at the mountains that led into the old destroyed country side. She looked out with no life of a glimmer in her eyes. I thought you would be here… Though I only recall Toji saying you were up here once"

"I swear! She was up here gawking at you, and she said she had a thing for you! So unlike her, but you gotta admit, since you shown up, things have changed alot around here..." Toji's voice echoed in the back of his mind once he told him the day after Rei's return and his own which surprised him quite a bit. "Where is the 2nd Child Ikari?"

"She has a name Rei. Come on now! You know it! Asuka! We've said it a thousand times remember! Besides you call me by my name don't you? Why?" Shinji asked with annoyance.

"There are times for formality… and there are the times when they slip away. I mustn't let that image I've made for myself, so I should be formal. It is the only bond I have left Ikari." She looked a bit depressed, and this only brought a tear to Shinji's eye.

"Rei! Y-You have all of your friends. That makes something doesn't it. S-So don't think all you have is the Eva, you have all sorts of things Rei…"

"What about you? Do I have you? Do I deserve to understand the feeling that I have? Do I get to fully comprehend what it's meaning is? How it feels? To not endure this odd ache, this gross swelling in my chest…. Ikari? Do you know what it means?" She looked up at him, empty and with no passion, only on the last word...his name. He felt the whole world around him fade to black as he seemed to be nowhere. His depression suddenly came screaming in his face and his body fell to the ground. All the feelings he didn't want to understand about Rei came crawling back to him. Finally, all the bottled up emotions were ready to take it's toll on him…. "I-IKARI!?" Rei yelled questioningly as she saw Shinji in fetal position with his eyes as black as darkest side of the moon. Shinji was not conscious, so he let the spirit of his take over...The contractor… Asuka heard Rei's shriek and ran up to the roof to see the situation.

"H-HEY! What happened here Rei! Is he okay!? What did you do? You didn't do this right?!" Asuka cried as she pulled Shinji up. "N-No! You couldn't have done THIS." She walked away with him leaning against her. "Rei! The day is still early so maybe we'll see you at NERV huh? Or is it Neo Nerv? I don't remember…" She said casually. "You're so calm about the situation. Aren't you afraid?"

"Oh it's nothing, he'll forget all about it in an hour...I think." Asuka feared. Only petrified that this kind of thing happened whenever they had a scary contamination of the Red shores, or "Primordial contamination" from the thick red LCL. Too many names for it. Rei looked on her way and wondered what happened to Shinji. His eyes held no color, and went as black as the darkest void, and it felt like someone was there with them… She hadn't a clue but she felt sick once she dragged him away… Asuka.

"Why does this feeling always… make me feel hopeless…. No worth… I am. Perhaps if I did try to be something else, then maybe in Ikari's eyes… I'd be… Worthful." Rei Ayanami whispered to herself once the familiar watery substance came from her eyes again. She had this emotion hit her like a jolt of lightning and she grabbed her chest in anguish and looked toward the sky. "I HATE THIS…" Ayanami grudgingly said. …

"He's just looking sick Misato. Uh huh… Yup, I'm taking him home now. I know what day it is! Don't take me for some fool! Huh? N-No I'm not grumpy… He didn't do what…? Oh god, no that's not why… W-WAIT I MEAN-" Asuka blushed hazardously looking like hot molten steel once Misato made a sexual pun. "You're disgusting!" Asuka screeched on her cellphone and hung it up leaving Misato giggle from the teens reaction. Asuka was at the front of the school's gate where they were about to walk down a very steep hill. She looked back at his limp body and she was so upset with herself, she called out to her dark sprite. "GRIMES!"

"It's Miss Grimes Dear. Now what's gotten you so worked up? Boy troubles?"

"Sure is old hag, look at him! He's lifeless! Just like when Daniel was in his coma! I seen his state from up in Limbo!" Asuka yelled at her quietly so no one could hear.

"Linbo huh? Is that the home of the Templars? I wonder… So how much aren't you telling Shinji?" Said the leisurely lady with a pink umbrella and dime glasses.

"Enough to keep him safe… I'd rather not have to go through all that again just for a chance at a happy ending." Asuka pointed out to the red sea, referring to third impact. "So? I'd suspect he's only done this once right? If it's got something to do with his contractor, then I wouldn't know." The old lady shivered. "So do you feel so great not knowing this has happened before and you were never there to talk to him about it? He seemed to bring it up if I'm right? Maybe at one point when he asked you about the Templars. But you never told him did you?" She asked.

"N-No…" Asuka looked in shame at the ground and her dark sprite left her to think of the relationship she and Shinji were really in. She lied to him over 90% of the time if it was about the home of the Templars, and since he went there momentarily, he knew she had more to hide than he thought…

Well sorry guys, but I have serious mental block here… I think I'm going to give this a break and well… Reviews are always welcome here. So check out the other series I'm doing in the Eva universe. Though with a lot of different takes on it. It's something that's been on my mind for a LONG TIME. So sorry for this short and disappointing chapter