Author: Mika Babe (shushufangirl@yahoo.com)


Characters are not mine appreciate comments though

An Encompassing of Souls

Shinji Ikari stared at the poster before him. The big
ostentatious red letters proclaiming the up coming
prom. An invitation, a warning, an omen.

"What is that?" Asuka asked as she peered over his
shoulder. "Oh wow! A prom! Great I'll be able to wear
my new..." she was cut off by the multiple pleas of
adolescent boys crowding around her, pushing each
other, wanting to be the first to ask her. But her
eyes wandered to the lone figure standing transfixed
in front of the said poster. Secretly she had wanted
him to ask her.

His thoughts, however were not on the said event,
somehow the thought of spending the night alone in his
room listening to his music seemed more appealing to
him. He sighed as he thanked all of the gods that he
had ever heard of, that it wasn't required. His eyes
caught a movement beside him.

"Hey Ayanami!" he called. She stopped in mid-stride
and looked at him, her dead face illuminated by the
setting sun. "Are you going?"

She looked at the poster for a moment before turning
to leave. "If I am told to."

He watched her back as she made her way down the
corridor. She paused and looked back at him. Shinji's
face suddenly flushed at being caught staring and
called to Asuka.

They walked in silence, the deserted street seemed
like it was made only for them.

"So Shinji, are you taking wonder girl to the prom?"
Asuka sneered. Both blushed at the same time and
looked in opposite directions simultaneously,
something that irritated the redhead even more.

"I'm not going." Shinji whimpered.
"And you?" she asked turning to Rei.
"There is no need for me to be there."
"You two are hopeless!" she huffed. She hastened her
pace leaving them behind.


"WHAT?!" Shinji's jaw dropped in disbelief as Asuka
roared in laughter.

"You heard me, I think this will be a good chance for
you three to get to know the other kids." Misato
crossed her arms in font of her and gave Shinji a
that's-an-order look.

"Looks like the idiot and wonder girl are going to the
prom!" Asuka taunted in her singsong voice.

"Who knows may be you can be wonder girl's date! I
know you would like that you pervert!" she stuck her
tongue at him.

"That reminds me, it might be a good idea if you did
become Rei's date." Misato said pointing a finger at
him and ignoring Asuka's choking noises. "She's not
all that social." She added in a whisper.

He looked at Rei looking for a nod of approval of some
sort and all he got was her unreadable look. He sighed
there was no getting out of this now.


School was over for the day and Asuka was still
surrounded by her hopeful dates so he decided to take
a breather and went outside.

He was walking around the basketball courts kicking
the small rocks. He looked up at the sky and a faint
glimmer of blue caught his eye.

"What are you doing here alone?" he asked as he leaned
on the railing she was sitting on. She didn't answer
him and continued with her silent observation of the
world below. "So I guess we're dates for the prom."

"I have read up on this 'prom' and it seems that there
is supposed to be dancing." She said quietly.

"I haven't really thought of that."

"There may be a slight problem." He looked at her.

"I have never danced before." She said a faint blush
rising to her cheeks.

"I'm not really an expert dancer but I know a couple
of things. I guess we can manage on that."

"Would you teach me?" she asked her voice shy. He
looked at her in disbelief.

"O...ok."

She got down from the railing and stood in front of
him. He reached for her hand, unsure. And she let her
hand be taken, he took that as a sign of
encouragement. He placed his hand on her hip and
looked at her stunned face sheepishly.
She just stood there rigid as a rock.

Oi this is gonna be a problem.

He smiled and took her hand and placed it on his
shoulder. He began with a slow waltz, himself unsure.

At first their stiffness made their movements comical
and Shinji thanked all of his lucky stars Asuka wasn't
there.

"Ok Rei, its like this..." she stiffened at his words.
He looked at her and bit his lower lip, realization of
her reaction finally struck; it was the first time he
had ever called her that.

The first time he...
                        ...I had ever called her that.

"Uhm er, Ayanami, sorry about that. You move your feet
like this..." he began to teach her the basics.
Shinji looked at Rei's face, her brow furrowed in
concentration. The dying sun casting orange shadows
across her mask. And as he contemplated the play of
light, one thing came to mind. Beautiful.

She looked up at him and he blushed once more.
"Aa, Ayanami. Dancing is not combat training. Don't
think just let go." Shinji muttered trying hard not to
sound stupid. At her confused look he stepped away
from her for a moment.

 "You see, I heard once somewhere, that dancing is
like speaking that what you cannot say to the other
person. It's like an intimate embrace that encompasses
souls. It is the movements created for the music
composed of heartbeats, of breaths and dreams. Do you
understand?" He asked blushing at his talkativeness.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry that must have sounded stupid right?"
She just looked at him.

"Would you like to try?" he asked.

She nodded.

He took her into his arms once more, relishing this
newfound feeling that was fluttering around his
stomach. He looked up at the orange sky and tried hard
not to be distracted by her closeness lest she should
catch him once more.

Rei Ayanami was a puzzle to him, an enigma whose
secret he could not guess. And yet there was a
familiarity in her mystery. And this drew him to her.

It took him a while before he noticed that they were
actually dancing to something. He drew his face to
hers as he discovered the source of the soft melody.
She had her eyes closed her face upturned to his. And
in a voice so low that not even Shinji could fully
hear, she was humming a song.

He could not make out what the song was but hearing
her silent voice was enough. And as they glided across
the roof deck, lost in their own little melody, Shinji
found himself entranced by her quiet melody. Her eyes
softly closed, her mouth partly opened and her hair
almost brushing his face.

What is your secret Rei Ayanami?

"Whoohoo! Wouldya look at that?!" Touji whistled.
They broke apart, their faces displaying their own
sunsets.

"I knew he had something for Ayanami!" Touji continued
slapping the back of Kensuke. (or whatever his name
was, that guy with the glasses, I forgot his name)

"Well Ikari, I must admit. It was about time!" Kensuke
smiled.

"SHHHINNNJJJJIII!" Asuka came storming toward him. Rei
had begun to walk toward the stairs and their paths
crossed. She stopped to look at the blue haired girl,
barring her way.

"Excuse me." she said softly, her face stoic as ever.
She sidestepped the angry girl and the two boys at the
entrance made way for her, smiling a peculiar smile.

"What?" Shinji asked lifting his hands in
self-defense. He stopped seeing a leather bag leaning
on the railing.

"Ayanami wait!" he called fetching the bag and running
after her ignoring Asuka's death glare.

"That is it! Aaargh! Kensuke you are taking me to the
prom!"

"Alright! Who the man? Who the man?" he proclaimed
smugly doing a little dance.

"Man, Kensuke you had better learn better moves than
dat!" Touji just his shook his head. Asuka looked on
in disgust.

He'd better!



Sync tests were over with and Shinji and Asuka had
already left hours ago.

Rei sat alone on the landing beside her Eva. Dangling
her feet over the ledge. Lost in her own oblivion.

A whirring sound and she found herself surrounded in
darkness. They had turned the lights off. They had
forgotten she was there.

How appropriate.

She pulled her knees beneath her and rested her chin
on them.

Ikari held me today. No one has ever done that to me
before. He taught me the... encompassing of souls. Was
that what he called it?
Do I have a soul?
Ikari he...he...made me feel like I really had one.

And slowly, faintly a smile crept onto her lips.
She stood up, placing her hands as Shinji did that
afternoon. And seeing in her mind's eye his face and
his sad smile.

His smile has always seemed sad.

She began her faint melody and began to move her body
in the way he made her move. And thankful for the
darkness that swallowed her, Rei Ayanami began to
dance.

A pair of eyes looked down upon her. He had been
watching her transfixed for the past ten minutes. And
inside a memory stirred. And in his hard eyes a
softness came and a sadness could not be mistaken.

She stopped, facing him.

"Commander." She said betraying no feelings what so
ever.

He held out his hand to her.


"I could've sworn I left it here." She whispered
walking from the changing room. She stepped beside
Shinji "I'm sorry Shinji I thought..." he was not
listening to her. She followed his eyes from the glass
window and fell upon two figures on the landing before
them. They were dancing.

"Who in their right mind would...oh my god is that
Ayanami and Commander Ikari?" she asked not trying to
suppress her laughter.

"Well, well, well looks like you were practice
Shinji-kun! You got dumped for daddy! Hahaha! That's
really gross! He's old enough to be her father!" she
looked at him. His sad look hurt her more.

"How pathetic! Shinji you idiot!" she giggled,masking
her pain, leaving him there.

Idiot.

He walked away from the glass window.

Why not it made sense? The way he looks at her. The
way she looks at him.

He took one last look at her.

Why does it have to hurt so bad?


He paused, she was humming her song. How long has it
been since he heard that song?

This girl? Could she be? Could she be you?

He looked at her for a moment, lost in her own little
song.

Have I found you at last?

Her movements seemed fluid. She did not see the
smoldering need in the older man's eyes, so caught up
was she in the rapture of being one soul. Then she
stopped.

Did the music stop? Gendo asked fearfully.

He could feel his world go to pieces. She was not her.


That old song, a last remnant of a world not her own.

Rei was Rei, Yui was gone.

She withdrew her hand from his and walked away.

He is not Ikari, he is not Shinji.

She said and another faint smile rose to her lips.

His soul did not smell of afternoons and setting suns.


"Hey what are you gonna wear?"

"Oooh I like that!"

"She's wearing the exact same dress!"

"No way!"

"Hey Ikari's taking Ayanami."

"Lucky dog!"

"Kensuke' s taking Asuka!"

"Damn! Wet dream heaven!"

"Eeew! Perverts!"

Everyone was bubbling about the prom that coming
Saturday. Shinji looked up from his desk to Rei at the
back of the class. She looked up at him and he looked
away. He remembered what happened three days ago.

"I guess you wouldn't want to go the prom with me
then." She looked at him puzzled.

"Do you not wish to go with me?"

Shinji just looked at her.

I am not a damn substitute!

"Ayanami, let's just face it. You aren't gonna come to
the prom with me." he said exasperatedly and just
walked away.

She looked at him walk away. She still did not know
why he did not want to take her to the prom. He was
told to go with her. She was told to go with him... She
wanted to go with him.

That night when she was left alone in her dorm she
stared at the ceiling above her bed.

Even you?She sighed sadly.

Even you who made me feel like I was real.

She closed her eyes and pretended to see nothing,
pretended not to feel the pain welling up inside her.
Pretended not to know what it felt like to feel tears
stain your cheeks.

Even you?


Since then they had been avoiding each other. Not that
anyone noticed. Ayanami was a ghost to them and Shinji
well he was just non-existent.

Tomorrow he would go to the prom alone.

Shit.


The music throbbed and Shinji sat at one of the tables
pretending to be one of the chairs.

That's what you get for choosing wonder girl over me!

Asuka snickered from across the room. Even Kensuke's
embarrassing little jig could not ruin her night of
triumph.

I'm gonna make you suffer before I accept your apology
idiot. And apologize you will!

A slow song began to play and couples began crowding
the dance floor. Kensuke looked at Asuka with a mad
gleam in his eyes.

Yeah right! I guess Shinji has suffered enough. she
said edging away from Kensuke and looking at Shinji's
direction.


	Shinji's head suddenly jerked up.

	It was her song, the one she was humming.

	Then he let it fall once more. What was the use?

	Idiot fight for her.

	I can't not against him I can't.

	So you would let her slip away?He buried his face in
his hands.

	She didn't even come. he continued his internal
dialogue.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Idiot.

He remembered that afternoon on the roof. When she
hummed this song and he held her. Their souls holding
each other until one could not distinguish one from
the other.

And he smiled.

When did he felt as complete as he did that afternoon
with the sun dying on her face?

His mind was made up. He got up and left the gym.

Asuka stared after him. Her hand still poised above
where his shoulder should have been.


He knocked on her door.

No answer.

He knocked once more.

Still no answer.

He opened the door slowly.

"Ayanami?" he peered inside. She was sitting on her
bed in the darkness facing the doorway.

"Ayanami!" she was in her prom dress. A blue
see-through dress, the lace linings accentuating her
slim neck and wrists. And making her appear paler than
she already was.

"You are ready!"She blushed. He walked towards her
forgetting to remove his shoes.

"Why did you not go to the prom?"

"You did not take me."

"I am sorry were you waiting for me?"

"I was. I've always had." She blushed.

He closed the distance between them. Unsure of whether
he should take her into his arms. She looked up at
him. He reached out his hand to her.

"Would you like to dance?"

She smiled.

end




don't give me that Rei is Shinji's mother crap! Have
you ever seen the pic where they were both in formal
attire. One word comes to mind. PERFECT!!!!
by the way it was that pic that inspired this fic