Disclaimer: I'm not gonna pretend this is my idea. It's too good. Gainax and affiliated groups retain all rights to the characters & copyrights & etc. The Ghost is the only original character. (Too bad he's not in this chapter)

Asuka slept soundly under the improvised shelter. Covered with a tattered cloth that Shinji had come across, rest was a release. Her bandaged arm and head were signs of the injuries she had sustained, but without proper knowledge, Shinji could not run the risk of moving her around too much, or trying to treat her wounds, for fear of worsening the situation. He sat beside her, masking her from the winds that blew past their cover. It was just a pile of rubble, as every building in sight had become. But it had created a little cave, no more that three walls of steel and stone, that served to protect them from the harsh gusts that flew across the desolate land.

Shinji looked back to the young woman lying next to him. Her hair, the fiery red that reflected her personality, was whipped around by the wind. It blew into his face, and tickled his nose. It was comforting, though, to be caressed by the crimson threads. Shinji knew it was only a matter of time before she awoke. Then, they would have to decide what to do.

He sighed. What was there to do? He had absolutely no idea. Third Impact had taken place, and for all that he could tell, everything had been demolished. From his vantage point, all that could be seen was the destruction. And it was disheartening to no end. A sea of orange goo, the LCL, the substance that held all human souls, stretched for an eternity. Mount Fuji rose menacingly from the horizon, and the land, schorched from the explosion, bore a spooky resemblance toa graveyard.

But there was a small hope. Asuka had survived. He himself, Shinji Ikari, had lived. That was because of the choice. In his dreamlike state preceding Third Impact, he was given a choice. To allow everybody to live, or to initiate complete destruction of the world; that power was under his control. And his choice was to give eveybody a chance. If the desire existed, if the soul wished to live, then their body would emerge from the LCL. And he and Asuka had emerged, scathed but alive. In a terrifying fit of emotional breakdown, Shinji proceded to strangle Asuka's lifeless boddey, until she awoke, and with a brush of her hand, she calmed his nerves and relaxed him. Shinji had then moved them both to the nearby rubble, and now, here they were, Asuka asleep, and Shinji mulling over the possibilities.

For all he knew, the rest of the world had suffered the same fate. But there was also a chance that the carnage that was Third Impact had only affected a certain area. This thought was reinforced by the fact that Fuji still stood in the distance. And somewhere, deep in his heart, Shinji knew that others had lived. It was all that drove him, that gave him a will to live,a hope. That hope alone, and the person beside him, kept him sane.

Shinji glanced down at his companion, still in her plug suit, the bandages matted with blood. Until now, Shinji had thought that Asuka was an arrogant, selfish brat. He felt this so strongly, that he had begun to loathe her. But recent events, namely Third Impact, had changed that. He had saved her countless times. He was devastated when she suffered mental breakdown at the hands of the 15th Angel. He flew into a rage after her final fight with the EVA series. Something compelled him to help her. She was his friend, fellow pilot, and roommate. But..... There was something else. Something tickled whenever he looked at her. It was an elusive feeling. Almost like a fairy that evaded the stare of a human. But it was clearly there, this feeling.

Shinji felt a stirring beside him. He saw, from the corner of his eye, that Asuka had opened her eyes. She did not move, but only stared off into a world of her own. Shinji gave her a little shake. "Hey, Asuka." She came out of her daze, and looked up to Shinji. After a pause, she shifted her weight, looked out to the wasteland of Japan, and said, "The next time you decide to choke me, I will break off every last digit you have and feed them to the ocean."

Shinji simply stared off into a red sky, smiled,and said, "Welcome back, Asuka."

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It had been a few hours since their birth from the sea when Asuka awoke. She checked on her bandages first, making sure that none had fallen off or come loose during her slumber. After her inspection, she asked, "So, how's it like out there, Shinji?" He did not answer, but placed his arm under her good arm, and lifted her up slowly. They only had to walk a few meters, until a good look at the landscape was possible.

"My God...." So this is what had become of Shinji's homeland, she thought. This is all that's left of the world. How sad. A needle-like feeling consumed her as she thought of all the people once here, now gone. All of the girls at school, Kensuke and Touji, Shinji's two friends, Misato, Kaji, Dr. Akagi, and even Ayanami. They were all gone. Sad indeed. Just then, another burst of wind nearly toppled the pair. Shinji asked, "Have you seen enough?" She only nodded. "Well, let's get back to the shelter, then. We need to decide what to do from there." She nodded again, and they marched solemnly back to their little hut.

"So what did you have in mind?" Shinji, looked up confused. "Huh?"

"Look, idiot, it was YOU that decided to stay in this dingy little excuse for a shelter. You wanted to take some time to decide on what to do. Now you just want to sit here and do nothing!?"

Shinji was taken aback. Hands in a defensive posture, he tried to respone. "No, I was just wondering..."

"Wondering about what? About your stomach? Are you hungry? Were you pouting? What is it, you whiny little kid?"

"It was nothing. I was just remembering. Sorry."

Asuka grew even more annoyed. "Apologizing again? God, why can't you just speak your mind!" She slammed down her fists in frustration. The pain in her right arm flared up again, tenfold from what it had been. She fell to her knees, and instinctivly clutched her own arm, causing even more injury to herself. "Arrggghhh!!!"

"Asuka! Are you okay!?" Shinji knelt down next to her. He griped her good fist, tightly clenched around her injured one. "Asuka, relax! You're just gonna hurt yourself more!" Eventually, after some effort, Asuka's fingers gave way, and she slumped down against the wall, panting. Between breaths, Asuka managed to speak. "Don't... make me... angry... again... you... little... worm..." Shinji smiled at this, and settled down next to Asuka, shielding her from the torrent around them, and keeping her arm warm. "Don't worry, Asuka. I'll think of something."

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"We're gonna need food."

"Huh?" Asuka had dozed off on Shinji's shoulder while going over possibilities and scenarios, when Shiji had spoken up, snapping her out of her nap.

"We're gonna need food. And water, and first aid supplies, and clothing, and better shelter, and fire. We can't go on without those essentials."

Asuka pondered over this for a bit. He was right, although she wouldn't admit it. The conditions they were in now were harsh, and unless they found a way to maintain nutrition and shelter and health, their new life would be wasted. "Well then, that would mean you don't want to snuggle any more, huh?" Asuka was referring to the position they were sitting in. Asuka had shifted to where her back was in the corner. Shinji had his back to the wall as well, and he had covered her injured arm with his body. The large cloak covered them both, and Asuka had fallen asleep like this.

"What!? No, that's not what I meant!"

"Ah, so you DO want to cuddle? Ha, you're so sneaky, you devil, you."

"Well...It...It's comfortable like this. Oh, I just meant that we can't stay forever. There's no hope if we do. I think we should find a break in the weather and head out."

"And in the meantime...?" Asuka's voice held sly tones.

"We can... We'll just wait. I'm okay with that." Shinji's poor verbal defense fell away, and we sighed with defeat.

"Oh, you're so lost Shinji. Get it together!"

"I... I just meant that..."

"I know, you're sorry, I know. Geez, why don't you just say what you feel?"

Shinji thought for a moment. How did he feel, at this moment? Warm. Comfortable. There was just so much that had happened, and he needed time to sort it all out. So he said, "With what's happened, I can't think straight. It's not that I don't like this, being here with you, but it's important that we move soon to stay alive. I do want to sit here with you Asuka, but..."

"That was good Shinji, that was good. But the next time you feel the need to confuse yourself, KEEP it to yourself. Now shut up, and take a break."

"Sure Asuka, sure." Shinji nestled back, and looked at the shards of his world, standing there, marking the burial place of an old Earth. Now, he thought, there will be a new one. And Man will just have to find a way to survive it. If there is any Man left on this ball of dust. Shinji left his thoughts at that, and rested beside his sleeping friend.