I hope you enjoy this Chapter. Just a heads up, but expect a little Shinji/Asuka action. Oh my.

Chapter 8: The Hierophant

The ceiling…the bed…the walls…the curtain…the sheets…

Asuka Langley did not know they existed. She never knew of being in the room. She did not know where she was. NERV, right? Was she in NERV? What was she doing in this room? Was she injured in the Angel attack? An Angel?

She curled herself into a feeble position and turned her back from the door. The hospital gown she wore clung to her body. She liked that feeling of something clinging to her now. But that feeling of artificial cloth was nothing like that of a human embrace. Asuka could only guess what that embrace was like. She had nothing left to her. She was…

Lonely.

Asuka never really minded being alone for so long. People were respectful of her. Until…she started to see that she was respected because people hated her. All those insults, those rude comments, and all of those actions were pushing those people away. She just acted like she never cared just as some excuse to get them back. What did that leave her with? Alone in some hospital room that could be NERV, but she did not know if she was in NERV and she never really cared about it right now.

First was her mother: the woman who chose an inanimate object over her. Her mother cared for that doll as though it was Asuka. Asuka wanted her mother to notice her. The day she was chosen for the Eva lead, she rushed home only to find her mother hanging from the ceiling with the doll the same way. That woman was going to kill her. Asuka hated her mother for trying to take her away. Yet at the same time felt as though her dream of getting her mother to love her failed. Then Asuka's father goes off and chooses another over her own mother. How could he? Even if she hatred her mother, that replacement could never fill the void in her heart.

NERV proved no different. Her life was faced with new people who she resented even more. All that stress started to show in her synch tests. The drop was too much. Next thing you knew she had screwed up in the fight with the 15th and 16th Angel. Dr. Ikari decided to replace her with another child, who proved to be an Angel much to their dismay. Serves them right, how dare they try to get rid of her.

The three main people in her life who were also involved with NERV were also against her. Misato was a woman who acted too uptight and just wanted to be strong even though she was just as much a rundown person on the inside as Asuka. Rei, aka "wonder girl", was just a lifeless doll who did what she told. Telling Asuka how to handle her Eva…that bitch. Eva's were just devices that were supposed to do what they were told. Shinji was the one she did not want to get started on. He was obnoxious, rude, stubborn, whinny, and such a coward. What was so special about him? He was such an idiot.

Morons…fools…cowards.

Asuka's mind kept calling people these things. She just kept insulting them. Reality finally hit her in the sense that she was finally alone. Was this all that was left of her? Was there no one else for her? Would anyone hold her?

She heard the slid of the hospital door opening and a voice call out to her, "Asuka?"

That was Shinji. He had come here. What did he want? Asuka felt like jumping out of bed and yelling at him. Just keep telling him off for how much of a loser he was. Just make him feel some pain. It would feel nice to make fun of someone else for a change instead of herself.

Asuka heard Shinji's footsteps creep closer to her bed. He heard him ask once again, "Asuka?" This was it. She was going to yell at him. This was going to be great.

The only problem was she knew did not want to make fun of him. Making fun of him would only make him leave her alone. She did want to be left alone. Everyone had left here. Shinji had come back though. Asuka still felt the fabric of her hospital gown hugging against her bare body. The feeling reminded her of how she still continued to want human contact. Shinji would be the one to give her that. He would hug her….and maybe even more.

Shinji was still trying to figure out if Asuka was still out of it. He reached down to touch her on the shoulder. Suddenly, she turned around on her bed and looked up at him. Catching Shinji off guard, Asuka grabbed him by the arm and pulled him violently down on top of her. Shinji sweated like crazy as he could feel her naked body through her loose hospital gown. He was about to say something when Asuka pulled him close to her and open mouthed kissed him.

Asuka pushed her tongue deeper into his mouth. Her hands ran all over his body. She loved every second of this. She was finally getting someone close to her. She wanted more though. She wanted to see how far she could get Shinji to care about her. All of a sudden, Shinji broke the passionate embrace they were having and jumped out of the bed.

"What the hell was that!" Shinji asked as he got his breathing rhythm back.

Asuka got out of the bed and walked over to Shinji. "I want you."

Shinji looked at her rather puzzled. "Either that's the meds or you're serious."

"Come on, Shinji." Asuka started to run a finger along his chest

"Stop it, Asuka!" Shinji yelled as he pushed her finger away. After a few seconds at looking at Shinji with confusion, Asuka dropped to her knees and bowed her head. Shinji noticed that she was beginning to cry.

Shinji got down next to her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Everyone is gone," she replied.

"No one is gone."

"Yes they are! I acted like an asshole. I thought I was better then everyone. You came but still are not really here. No one is here," Asuka replied.

"They are here, Asuka. Time is running out and we have to help them." Shinji noticed something red out of the corner of hi lefts eye. Lying draped against a chair on the far side of the room was Asuka's EVA flight suit. He walked over and picked it up. He then went back over to Asuka and put it in front of her.

"We have to go," he told her. She gave him no answer. All she did was sit with her head bent. She made no sound.

Forget it. Shinji thought. He walked towards the door and opened it. He did not want to give up on one of his friends. Yet that was Asuka for you: she was always so headstrong.

Shinji said, "Asuka…I know you do not want to be alone and neither do I. If we do not do anything, we will always be alone."

He walked out of the room, the door making a small thud as it closed. He stood in the hallway. The voice in his head said: Wait for her. Was this "voice" just his doubt? He had to:

Shinji heard the door to Asuka's room open up. There she stood wearing her EVA flight suit. She looked into his eyes and said, "I don't want to be alone anymore."

He smiled. "Then let's make sure of that." The Second and Third child ran off down the hallway to Central Dogma and whatever was in there.

I hate the slow moving chapters. But, we all have jobs and other things. Chapter 9 will be up soon.