-1Music of the Night
The Fifth Measure
"Mr. Hanzo," Mr. Sakamoto began as he stared at the tall young man that stood before him, "Do you have any idea as to why I have called you in here?" The young thespian smirked before answering.
"I assume it has to do with Ikari's accident. Obviously, he cannot continue, so you plan on rectifying your previous mistake and assigning me the role of the Phantom." Omi replied with a rather self satisfied air. Sakamoto saw red as Masataka shook his head. He had warned Omi about his arrogance.
"You are correct in part, Mr. Hanzo," the Choir director snarled as he toyed with a sheet of paper in his hand. Masataka looked on nervously. He feared the worse for his favorite. "This indeed has to do with Mr. Ikari's 'accident'. Do you have any idea what this is?" He waved the paper before the long-haired young man. Omi shrugged as he reached out an snatched it from his teacher's hand. He blanched.
"Um, I'm not really sure," Omi lied as he handed it back to Sakamoto, who scowled.
"This, young man, is the construction plan for the gargoyle set piece that Mr. Ikari was standing on, the very same one that collapsed from under him several days back. You do remember that incident, correct?" Sakamoto asked, his voice like the edge of a sharpened katana. Omi gulped as he nodded his head.
"Mr. Sakamoto, is this really necessary? You are scaring the poor thing!" Masataka interrupted, until a look from his supervisor shut him down. He sat back up in his seat and placed his hands together in front of him.
"Mr. Hanzo, you are aware that I assigned you students the task of building the set pieces, correct?" the angry teacher asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Yes, sir," Omi replied, the beginnings of a tremble was evident as his ponytail began to sway somewhat.
"You are aware that these plans have been professionally drawn up with the utmost of safety in mind, correct? That they are simple enough for you students to follow, correct?" the teacher continued on, waiting for his answer.
"Um, yeah," the young man answered, casting his eyes quickly over to his mentor. Masataka offered no assistance, whatsoever. Sakamoto noticed this and reminded himself to speak to his subordinate later on that day.
"You, also, realize that the names of the students assigned to the task were recorded on the plans, and after the set pieces were built, you all signed off on the pieces that you created?" Sakamoto continued on as Omi nodded his head vigorously. "Do you have any idea who's name is listed on this sheet, right at the very top as team leader?"
"Um, mine?" Omi said, knowing full well that his name was blazoned across the top of the sheet. Being one of the oldest in the class, he made sure that he was proclaimed team leader for their project. He prayed that his little plan had not been discovered.
"Indeed! Your name is listed as team leader, Mr. Hanzo!" Sakamoto barked in mock congratulations, like Omi had just won a prize. "Now, would like to know what our little investigation into the incident has turned up? No? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway! It seems that key structural supports for the platform had not been constructed, even though it clearly stated how important they were on the plans. The same plans that you yourself signed off on! The same plans that were specifically created to make it easy for students to use! A fifth grader can follow these directions! So tell me, Mr. Hanzo, why would you build this without the supports?" Sakamoto was truly mad at this point. All evidence pointed to deliberate neglect. Hanzo began to sweat as Sakamoto and Masataka both glared at him, waiting for his answer.
"Well, you see," he started as a plan began to form in his mind, "I actually didn't build it, nor did I have any hand in the construction!" Omi smiled as he wove the fabric of his lie. "I was too busy working on my part so as to give a stellar performance! I couldn't waste time on actual hands-on work, that's the job for stagehands! So I delegated the assignment like a true manager should and worked on more important matters!" Omi was quite pleased with himself, until he saw the dark look of Sakamoto's face, as Masataka buried his face in his hands.
"So, you admit you had your classmates do your class assignment while you went off and did whatever you wished? Then you put your name on the finished product? Do you know what we call that in school, Mr. Hanzo?" Sakamoto asked through gritted teeth. "We call that cheating, and that is not tolerated in this class!" Omi puffed up.
"What? I've never had to cheat before in any class! It's not like this is a real class anyway! What's the big deal?" Omi shot off, before he could control his mouth. Sakamoto went purple with rage.
"What's the big deal?! Shinji Ikari could have died due to your actions, Mr. Hanzo! Do you realize that? Do you realize EXACTLY who Shinji Ikari is, and what he does for a living? He pilots one of those robots that keeps those blasted monsters from killing idiots like you!" Sakamoto screamed as he stood behind his desk and slammed his hands on the table, startling the student before him and causing him to take several steps back. "And what do you mean that this isn't a real class?! I warned each and every one you when this started that this was a class and you would learn things in this class, and you would have assignments in this class just like any other! This class is an actual graded class! You are to be graded on each and EVERY thing you do here! Including prop building!" Omi's eyes bulged wide at the thought his teacher was actually serious at the grades he was to give.
"But…but…" Omi stammered as his teacher continued on.
"As of this moment, Mr. Hanzo, you have achieved a failing grade in this portion of the class. There will be no debate on this, my say is final. That was about one quarter of your final grade in this class, Mr. Hanzo, I suggest that you follow directions from now on if you wish to pass this class!" Omi and Masataka both sputtered and stammered at his pronouncement. Omi sent a pleading glance at Masataka, who shrugged his shoulders in helplessness before opening his mouth.
"Mr. Sakamoto, isn't that a bit harsh? After all, Mr. Ikari didn't suffer any serious injury, so why the harsh judgment? I'm sure Mr. Hanzo has learned his lesson, and he will never do it again! Isn't that true, Mr. Hanzo?" Omi vigorously nodded his head. Mr. Sakamoto wasn't impressed.
"My decision in final. Mr. Hanzo himself admitted to his cheating, and failure is the obvious punishment for it! However, Mr. Hanzo," the older man continued as he looked his student squarely in the eye, causing a cold shudder pass through the younger man, "I am not so sure I am completely convinced by your answers. I plan on looking into the incident further, and if I discover that you deliberately caused this accident, I shall not just fail you in this class, I shall have you expelled from this school! Is this understood?"
"Y-y-yes sir!" the now frightened young man stuttered. He had a perfect record as a student, and was planning on parlaying that into a ticket to the college of his choice. This partial failure in one class was going to hurt, but an utter expulsion would shatter his dreams entirely. He wasn't sure what he was going to do to stall this investigation or cover his tracks, but when he was waved away by his teacher, he turned tail and ran as fast as he could. Masataka began to turn to argue with his superior, but he was promptly shut down when Sakamoto stood and walked from the room.
--
Asuka was disgusted with herself. Well, actually, she was disgusted with her reaction and subsequent actions in the moments after Shinji's accident. The redhead violently shook her head and tried desperately to concentrate on the task she was performing, but it was of no use. The images kept flashing back to her. It made her nauseous.
When she saw Shinji disappear into the pile of rubble, she was beside herself. The effects of Shinji's song was still at full force, causing her feet to run to his side without any thought. Asuka didn't find out until later from Hikari that she had actually screamed his name. She knelt down and threw rubble left and right, trying to dig out her fellow pilot. A second set of hands appeared mere seconds latter, which turned out to belong to Rei. Within a minute or so, the two teenaged ladies had cleared the rubble from Shinji. Asuka's heart was in her throat as she saw blood. Thankfully, it was only covering one arm and some of the trash that had covered it. Asuka and Rei both quickly checked for any other wounds before turning their attention to trying to wake him up. He had obviously lost consciousness when everything collapsed, and this had Asuka worried.
"Come on, Shinji, wake your butt up," she muttered softly as she gently patted his face. She hadn't noticed it at the time, but her face was wet. That was what really shamed her later on. She was crying.
"Soryu, you are going to have to strike him harder if you wish for a response," Rei added, just a hint of emotion in her voice. She reached over and struck Shinji just a little harder, causing a moan to escape Shinji's lips. However, he still hadn't regain consciousness, so an ambulance was called, and Shinji was carted off to NERV's hospital. Rei and Asuka stood there side-by-side, motionless as the rest of the class milled about, trying to figure out what had happened. As soon as the final bell rang, the two pilots ran from the building as fast as they could.
Things were better than they had feared, for as soon as they had arrived at the hospital, Misato took them aside and told them that Shinji was okay, and all he had from the fall was a slight concussion and some nasty cuts on his arm. Both Asuka and Rei visibly relaxed as they made their way to his room to see for themselves. The girls were silent as they walked down the corridor and peered into his room. Shinji was sitting up in his bed as a nurse wrapped a new bandage around his arm.
"Ow!" Shinji cried out, jarring the red-head from her thoughts of the past as she focused on the tasks at hand. "Asuka!"
"What?!" the pilot of Unit Two barked back as she stared into the steel blue eyes of the young man before her. She saw him grimacing somewhat as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He looked down at his arm, apparently in some pain.
"Uh, the bandages…" he gasped, causing her to glance down. She blanched as she saw his hand turning white as new blood began to seep from his wounds. Asuka quickly loosened her grip on the bandages as she began to remove them once more to check for any new damage and to replace them.
"Geeze, sorry," she muttered to herself before turning on Shinji, "This wouldn't happen, you know, if you would just do this yourself!" She cursed herself for getting carried away with her own self-loathing while helping him out. She had inadvertently taken her rage out on his arm, strangling it with the gauze.
"What? I'd do it myself if I could!" Shinji shot back in one of his rare moments of standing up to the young German. "Besides, you offered to help!" Asuka rolled her eyes as she went about the task of re-bandaging his arm, this time somewhat more carefully.
"That's it, throw it back on me!" she snarled as she finished the job and then slapped him on the side of the head, causing him to yelp. "God, what a wimp!" Asuka threw all the materials back into the medical kit and slammed the lid closed before standing up and storming off to her room. She felt really bad about hurting him, but she refused to show it.
"Thanks, Asuka," Shinji called back gratefully as he watched the object of his affection walk away from him once more. She stopped in her tracks.
"You're welcome, Shinji," she called back softly as she stepped into her room and closed the door before throwing herself onto her bed. She continued to lay there for quite a while, doing her best to sort through her troubled thoughts when she heard familiar sounds coming from the kitchen. That seemed to comfort her somewhat until remembered instructions struck her like a sledgehammer. She leapt to her feet and ran out of her room. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!"
"Huh?" Shinji replied as he turned from the counter, "I'm making dinner. Why?" He watched his room mate turn redder than her hair.
"What did Dr. Akagi tell you? She said you were supposed to rest, and if I didn't make sure of it then she would put something in the LCL to bleach my hair just like she does hers! Now, would you want that?" Asuka barked, her eyes shooting daggers in Shinji's direction. Shinji knew how proud Asuka was of her looks, especially her hair. He cringed at the thought of what his friend would do to him if that happened.
"You mean Dr. Akagi bleaches her hair?" he asked innocently, but the joke fell flat as Asuka advanced on him with her fist ready for action. "Asuka, if I don't make dinner, then who will?"
"I don't give a rat's ass who makes dinner, you're not going to play the martyr on me!" the redhead seethed as she stormed over to the phone and began to dial. "We'll just have to order out, that's why it was invented!" With that, she began to speak into the phone rapidly as she pointed to Shinji, then out the door into the living room, leaving no room for doubt about what she wanted. Shinji sighed as he turned and left the kitchen, shaking his head. Asuka rolled her eyes as she watched him leave.
Shinji sat back down on the sofa and looked over the school materials that were sitting before him. He had missed a few days of school due to his accident, and the sheer boredom of having to lay either in his hospital bed or sitting alone at home had been driving him somewhat bonky. He leapt at the chance to do his make-up work, and had quickly polished it off right after Hikari and Asuka had brought it to him that afternoon. Now, once more, he nothing to do, and it was driving him crazy. He finished putting everything back into his school satchel as Asuka walked back into the room and plopped down in the floor on her belly. She snatched up the remote for the television and began to surf the channels at record speed to try to keep her mind off the events of the past several days. All this did was make Shinji rather dizzy, but he wasn't sure if it was from the speed of the pictures on the TV or the fact he had a great view of his redheaded room mate's rear-end and shapely legs. He quickly shook those thoughts from his head as he cleared his throat.
"Uh, Asuka…" he began, which brought the channel changing to a screeching halt. He saw Asuka's shoulders slump a bit and heard a sigh escape her lips as she turned her head to face him.
"Yeah, what is it, idiot?" she tried to snarl, but it just couldn't come out that way when she saw his face and then the bandages on his arm.
"I was kinda wondering…uh…what scene are we supposed to rehearse tomorrow in class? It's been a few days since I've had a chance to practice for the musical, and I feel kind of behind. I need to brush up for class," he said as he noticed a flicker of something in the young German's eyes. He thought it was irritation, and immediately felt sorry for asking her.
Asuka, on the other hand, felt something leap for joy deep down in her soul. She had not heard him sing since the accident, and she craved for more. Her self-loathing and disgust vanished as the thought of hearing him sing once more lifted her spirits more than she had ever thought possible. She quickly suppressed any reaction and threw her usual mask of disinterest over her face.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I think it's the Don Juan scene later on in the play…" she began, but quickly got quiet as the very scene began to play in her mind. She felt very warm and flushed and quickly turned her head so Shinji could not see her face. "God damn it! I have got to stop this! It's just freaking Shinji!"
"Oh, you mean where we sing that duet? The Point of No Return?" he asked, as he quickly dug through his satchel and pulled the music from it and began to turn to the proper pages. He began to hum as he found the correct spot and began to dig for his MP3 player. Asuka felt the hair on the back of her neck begin to stand on end as continued to hum.
"Yeah, I think so," she replied as carelessly over her shoulder as she could, trying to keep her voice steady. She felt a fire begin to build deep down within as the thought of hearing him sing kept slamming into the barrier around her heart. She quickly began to change the channels on the TV so fast she was afraid she was going to break the remote.
"Okay, cool! Thanks!" Shinji tossed back as he began to study the notes written on the sheets before him, as he searched his player for the proper track. He glanced up and saw Asuka trembling a bit. "I must be bugging her right now, I guess I need to go to my room," he thought to himself as he quietly packed his things and stood up to leave.
"Oh god, no! Please don't let him sing in here! Not right now! I don't think I could handle it! I don't want him to see me being that weak! Not in front of that idiot!" Asuka mentally screamed as she tried to prepare for the assault on her heart, knowing that when the first note was sounded her defenses would shatter, just like they always do. She did not want a repeat of her actions in the school on that horrible day. She knew she would never be able to live it down. She gritted her teeth and braced herself until the soft closing of a door drew her from her preparations. Glancing around, she noticed that the young man had left the room.
"Thank you, Shinji," she whispered as she turned toward the TV once more, doing her best to find something to watch. That proved worthless as the first notes began to waft from Shinji's room and playfully dance around her heart. Asuka sighed and laid her head on her arms as she melted slowly into the floor. She felt her heart and soul begin to rise as the music grabbed them and lifted them higher than the clouds. Without conscious thought, she began to hum and then sing with the music as her part of the duet came up, her voice joining and complementing the golden tones that were the center of her world.
Just as Asuka saw the bright light once more, just as the power and energy began to build to it's ultimate crescendo, it all came crashing down with a harsh knocking at the door. Her eyes snapped open instantly as she leapt to her feet. Growling, she stomped toward the door, ready to behead whomever had the audacity to disturb her bliss.
"What the hell do you want?!" she screamed as she opened the door, her fist cocked and primed for battle. A startled delivery boy stood there, eyes wide and mouth open. He trembled fiercely as the rage that came from the redhead washed over him like a tsunami.
"Uh…uh…uh…I have a delivery for Soryu?" he stammered as the held the large container toward her, fearing for his life. The anger quickly left Asuka's eyes as she finally snapped back to reality.
"Oh…yeah, sorry!" she answered as her attitude did an immediate one-eighty, thinking only of the food and how hungry she was. Asuka paid the young man, who quickly turned tail and ran, glad to get away with his life and muttering something about bi-polar teenage girls. Asuka placed the food on the table and tiptoed over to Shinji's door.
"Oh Shinji," she called out in her sing-song way, "Dinner's here!" she said softly, hoping he wouldn't hear her and continue his singing. Much to her dismay, the door immediately slid open to reveal the young man beyond.
"Great! Thanks, Asuka!" Shinji smiled as he watched her turn and walk back to the kitchen, his eyes riveted to her frame. He couldn't swear to it, but he thought he saw a little extra wiggle in her walk. Once more, Shinji quickly shook his head and chastised himself for thinking of her in that way. He followed her to the kitchen for dinner.
--
Shinji carefully slid the tight fitting jacket on, hoping that the sleeves were loose enough so as not to bind his injured arm. After the little incident the day before, his arm was a little more sore than usual. He couldn't blame Asuka, though. Things just happen, sometimes. He pulled the lace cuffs of his shirt through end of the sleeves as he felt a small weight placed on his shoulders.
"Are you well enough to perform today, Ikari?" Rei asked as she carefully attached the cloak to his jacket. Her eyes betrayed just a slight hint of concern as she busied herself with brushing lint from his garments. Rei was taking her assignments for the class very seriously, unlike most of her classes.
She grew bored with most of her schooling, mainly due to the fact most of the information had already been downloaded directly into her mind at NERV HQ. This class was different, for she had chosen to take this class, it wasn't chosen for her by the Commander. That one little bit of rebellion surprised just about everyone she knew, but most supported her in her endeavor. Shinji encouraged her the most, and she found his singing most…enjoyable. She was truly worried when that set piece had collapsed under Shinji, and was most surprised when she heard Asuka scream his name and rush to his side. Rei automatically joined the German in digging Shinji from the rubble, and wondered at the redheaded pilots attitude. Something that moment clicked inside of Rei, and she began to keep a wary eye on the pilot of Unit 2.
"Yeah, I'm okay, Rei. Thanks for asking!" Shinji replied as he glanced down at his costume. It was black with just a hint of red, a red so dark it looked like dried blood. The white lace sleeve cuff stood out quite well from the jacket, as did the white ruffles that circled the collar and extended down the front of his shirt, which was slightly opened. The jet black cloak set the outfit off perfectly. The jacket itself was of a bolero cut, and the pants slightly flair at the cuffs, and was high-waisted. It looked like something that would come straight out of a Zorro movie.
"Good. I am concerned about the end of the scene, however. You and Soryu must drop from the trapdoor and into the cushions down below. Are you not concerned that this will re-open your wounds?" Rei queried, looking a little apprehensive. She looked down at the mask that she held in her hands. It was black to match the costume, with a little extra latex added down one side to cover the scar makeup on Shinji's face.
"I thought about that," Shinji said, a little retrospectively. "I talked to Mr. Sakamoto today, and he said that we could hold off on that part until closer to the performance date." Rei looked visibly relieved as she nodded and placed the mask on his face and secured the latex edges with a little spirit gum. A few more minutes passed as she covered the edges with make-up, then she stood back and nodded, then turned Shinji toward the mirror. Shinji's jaw hit the floor as he looked upon the face of Don Juan.
"Wow, Rei! You did a fantastic job! The costume looks great!" he gushed, a huge smile on his face. His excitement and praise caused the pale girl to blush, but just barely.
"Thank you, Ikari. Now, you must take your mark," she responded as she ushered him from the green room and followed him toward the stage, where she took her place off to stage right.
"Okay, folks, " Mr. Sakamoto called out, drawing everyone's attention. " First off, I'd like to welcome Mr. Ikari back! I'm glad his injuries were relatively minor, and that he was able to resume his role!" With that, Mr. Sakamoto and most of the rest of the class applauded Shinji, causing the young man to blush under his thick make-up. "Now, as you know, this is the scene where Raoul and the theater managers have set a trap to capture Erik, using Christine as bait." He shot a withering glance over at Omi, causing the young actor to cringe somewhat.
"We shall start where Erik enters the scene, disguised as Passarino, after having strangled Piangi," the teacher instructed as he took a seat and sipped the glass of water before him, grimacing. "Mr. Aida, you may start." With a nod, Kensuke began to work a control panel before him, changing the stage lights to a deep red, and starting the fans that blew the red and orange ribbons placed around the trap door in the stage. This simulated the pit of flames over which stood the bridge where Erik and Christine would meet. Two spotlights, both a little brighter than the stage lights, shone on Shinji and one other person at stage left and Asuka , who was kneeling and holding a basket of roses on the stage near the center.
"I'm telling you dude, I should be Rutabaga, not Passastone," Touji grumbled to Shinji, as both men stood side-by-side, dressed identical costumes. Shinji rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Raoul and Passarino," Shinji muttered sotto voci, just loud enough for Touji to hear.
"Whatever, man! It still sucks!" Touji growled as Shinji shushed him. The music was beginning to spool out of the sound system. His set his A-T field on high and brought up the image of Asuka in his mind. Soon, he would not need the image, as the energy of the music began to fill his soul.
"Passarino- Go away!"
"For the trap has been set, and awaits for it's prey!"
Touji nodded his head and walked off behind the curtain, as Shinji pulled the hood of his cloak up and covered his face in shadows, before stepping out onto the stage and setting his eyes upon Asuka, His heartbeat quickened as he saw her in her costume for the first time. The black peasants dress with red ruffles on the hem and the shoulders hugged her curves very nicely. The shoulder straps were small and showed off a good portion of her skin. Her hair had been styled into long, lazy curls and had been allowed to hang unfettered, framing her face in a soft crimson curtain. It took Shinji's breath away, but failed to keep him from singing.
"You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge!"
"In pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent,"
"Silent…"
Asuka acted startled as Shinji appeared from the shadows and silently began to stroll toward her, stopping after just a few feet. Asuka turned her head and looked down at the stage demurely, as if she was ashamed of her feelings. It didn't take much acting on her part, because she was ashamed of the feelings that were beginning to course through her as his voice shook her to the core. Shinji threw back the hood and cast the cloak from one shoulder as he continued his solo.
"I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge!"
"In your mind, you've already succumbed to me!"
"Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me!"
"Now you are here with me! No second thoughts!"
"You've decided! Decided…"
Shinji's words burrowed into Asuka's mind as she felt the power build once more. His sweet, seductive words wormed their way in as her breathing increased and her heart rate picked. It was like Shinji knew her deepest thoughts, as if she lay exposed to him with no secrets that could be kept. She felt flush as she felt her barriers come crashing down like a house of cards in a hurricane. Asuka's eyes rolled back as her head fell backward, exposing more flesh to him, inviting him in. She felt so ashamed. Her eyelids fluttered as his song continued.
"Past the point of no return, no backward glances!"
"The games we've played till now are at an end!"
"Past all thought of 'if' or 'when'-no use resisting!"
"Abandon thought and let the dream descend!"
"What raging fire shall flood the soul?"
"What rich desire unlocks its door?"
"What sweet seduction lies before us?"
Asuka waged an internal battle to end all internal battles. She warred with herself as her heart longed to reach out to Shinji and wrap herself around him, while her mind kept reminding herself it was just a song, just a play. "It's just stupid Shinji, Damn it! I have to calm down! It's just a song!" she reminded herself over and over. Her heart, so long isolated and scared, now did the unthinkable. It created a shield, a wall, a fortress not to protect herself from Shinji, but to protect itself from her mind. It was a very effective shield, for each and every logical argument, every single insult hurled toward Shinji, every reason for not loving and trusting the young singer hit the barriers and slid to the ground, crushed beyond recognition. Asuka gasped as she opened her eyes and turned to look at Shinji, who continued to stand and project enough energy to light up Tokyo-3 for a year.
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold,"
"What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?"
"Beyond the point of no return…"
Asuka wanted to tell Shinji all her secrets, all her fears, her hopes, her desires. She so wanted to tell him of her desires, just as he had been asking. His eyes were compelling, his voice mesmerizing, his arms inviting. She wanted to give in, but something deep down refused to allow her to do so. She railed, she screamed, she pleaded, but to no avail. Taking a deep breath, never taking her eyes from his, Asuka slowly stood and allowed the basket to fall to the floor as she took up her song.
"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry,"
"To that moment where speech disappears, into silence!"
"Silence…"
Shinji's breath caught in his throat as he watched Asuka as she stood from the floor and sang back to him. The two of them were caught up in their own little world, one where everyone and everything disappeared. His steel blue eyes locked on to her bright blue ones, looking hard and finding acceptance, longing and confusion. He took a small step forward as she look a small one back, still not sure if she should act on her desires. Asuka shrugged ever so slightly, causing one of the straps to her dress to fall down past the curve of her shoulder and resting on her arm, exposing her flesh even more.
"I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why!"
"In my mind I've already imagined, our bodies entwining."
"Defenseless and silent! And now I am here with you,"
"No second thoughts, I've decided,"
"Decided…"
Asuka and Shinji both stepped back slightly and began to ascend the twin spiral stairs that lead up to the bridge that stood above the stage. The entire time the two of them could not keep their eyes from each other as they slowly grew higher and higher above the stage. Shinji's heart pounded as he continued to listen to Asuka's song.
"Past the point of no return, no going back now!"
"Our passion play has now, at least, begun!"
"Past all thought of right or wrong, one final question:"
"How long should we two wait, before we're one?"
Asuka and Shinji now stood at the top of their respective stairs, watching each other with passionate eyes, each one daring and hoping for an answer to that question. Shinji could hear his heart beating as he slowly took a step forward, his back ramrod straight. Asuka did the same as she continued her part.
"When will the blood begin to race?"
"The sleeping bud burst into bloom?"
"When will the flames at last consume us?"
Asuka fell deep into the song and Shinji's eyes as the two of them began to cross the bridge to take one another into their arms. All her longing and desire was channeled into the last line, causing hearts throughout the theater to pound. His song and voice had so entranced her that all arguments, as protests, all fears were silent as her body moved toward Shinji automatically. Shinji's A-T field weakened before him as the lovely young German who had captured his heart so long ago began to sing in time with him as she slowly approached him. This girl who could do so much damage to his heart without even thinking was the absolute center of his universe, his chest feeling so much pressure that he thought he would burst. He took that pressure and that love and channeled it into his song, sending wave upon wave of sheer and unrivaled power across the stage and washing over the audience and crew, yanking at the heartstrings of even the coldest in the room. Their voices and song blended perfectly.
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold!"
"The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn!"
"We've passed the point of no return…"
Rei looked up at the young couple that stood on the bridge, so far above their heads. She was…content… to see how happy Shinji appeared to be, and was somewhat surprised to see a look of such longing and admiration on Asuka's face. The two of them looked perfect for each other. Rei did feel a twinge of sadness, though. She knew that Asuka would deny whatever it was that she was feeling later on, in all probability breaking both her and Shinji's hearts. Despite what she felt for the two, her closeness to Shinji or the slight animosity between herself and Soryu, she did not wished to see either of them hurt. She continued to feel concerned as she watched the two of them hold one another as Shinji began to sing to the beautiful redhead who continued to enthrall him.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime!"
"Lead me, save me from my solitude!"
The sadness Shinji put into the words crushed Asuka's heart. She didn't want him to feel such sadness and pain, she so wanted to reach out and tell him that he truly wasn't alone! The young German wanted to tell him that she would share her entire lifetime with him, and never allow him to hurt again. She knew it was just a song, but her heart wouldn't listen. She knew Shinji's story, and she could fell the hurt in his voice as he continued to sing to her. Asuka knew of his mother's death, of his father's abandonment, his life with an unloving teacher, his being used by his bastard father and the organization they both worked for, of the pain he felt every time he piloted the EVA, and how she had treated him since they had met.
Asuka gasped as Shinji took a ring from his finger and slowly placed it on hers. Something began to crack within Asuka, one final resolute defense that was starting to crumble as the pain in his voice shattered her. He looked at her with such longing, his heart wide open for all to see. She felt a tear begin to slide down her cheek as Shinji continued to sing. She knew what was coming up, but she really didn't want to do it. The next action she was to perform would feel like the ultimate betrayal of him.
"Say you want me with you, here beside you!"
"Anywhere you go, let me go too!"
"Christine, that's all I ask of….."
Shinji couldn't finish the line as Asuka slowly reached up, with regret clearly evident in her eyes, and ripped the mask from Shinji's face. He stiffened as his face was exposed for all the world to see. Gasps were heard on the stage and throughout the theater as the extent of Shinji's make-up was known. One eye was taped open with faux scar tissue surrounding it. The scarring continued downward and convoluted the skin almost all the way down to the jaw line. It was painted to look as horrific as possible: dark burned looking patches mixed in with sickly yellow and deathly white. The lips were slightly swollen looking on that side as the prosthetics made it's way down and surrounded that side of the mouth. The swelling was merely an illusion, as the latex was designed to keep from impeding the actor's singing.
What wasn't an illusion, however, were the looks on Asuka's and Shinji's faces. Betrayal was clearly plastered on Shinji's face, despite the prosthetics. The pain and hurt in his heart shone through his eyes. Asuka stood there, trembling in his arms as tears poured down her face. Regret and sorrow dulled her eyes as she continued to look deep into his eyes. The power of his pain hurt her so much. The emotion the two young people exuded was so palpable that many on stage and in the seats felt like their hearts were being torn from their chests. Asuka and Shinji felt the same way.
"Asuka, why?" Shinji whispered, completely forgetting his character as the sadness crushed his heart and soul. Any and all logical thought had long since vanished.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Shinji," she quietly replied as she tore her eyes from his and looked down at her feet. "I didn't want to…..". Shinji noticed moisture on her face and reached up and placed his fingertips under her chin and lifted her face so that he could look her in the eye.
"Shhh, it's okay," Shinji whispered back as the two young pilots looked deep within the other's eyes. Steel met sky as they began to move closer toward each other, only to be interrupted by a rather loud coughing fit from the audience.
That was it, as the spell was broken. Shinji and Asuka both remembered that they were in a play and quickly released each other and took several steps back, their cheeks blazing red. As one, they turned to the audience to see who had shattered the moment.
"Good job..cough cough… you two! That was most…cough…excellent, indeed!" Mr. Sakamoto complemented as he reached over and took another drink of water to stop his coughing. He sat back in his chair, looking very pale. "As much as I'd…cough cough cough…like to continue on today, it is getting…cough…late, and you all need to get out of make-up and… cough… costume before you head on home. We will pick up tomorrow where we have left off. I want all of you to…cough… practice your parts tonight, especially Mr. Ikari, Ms. Soryu, Mr. Hanzo, Ms. Hikari, and Ms. Ayanami. cough Class dismissed."
"Thank god," Asuka muttered as she ran down the stairs as quickly as she could, leaving Shinji standing where they had almost kissed. Shinji watched his fellow pilot cross the stage and dive behind the curtains, obviously heading for the dressing room. A small smile graced his face at the memory of how close he and Asuka had been to each other up on the platform. He was shocked, however, at just how close the two of them had come to sharing their second kiss, this one before the whole of the class.
Shaking himself from his reverie, Shinji crossed the bridge and walked down the stairs so that he could get out of his costume and back into his normal clothing. As he crossed the stage, he failed to notice that Asuka had not retuned the ring to him. It was still firmly wrapped around the finger of her left hand.
End of the Fifth Measure.
A/N: Well folks, I've finally shook the cobwebs out and have gotten started on my writing again. I apologize for it taking so long to update this story, and for those who like 'Father' I am working very hard on updating it as soon as possible. Between my oldest son's medical problems ( of which he has recovered, Thank Goodness!) and a mild bout of depression ( I really hate feeling like that! Grrrr!), my writing really suffered. Things have gotten better, so hopefully it will be a looooooong time before I take any sort of hiatus before finishing these stories! Review and let me know what you think! Later!- Lord Talon