Authors Note: Wow, haven't been here in a while. Anywho, fellow Evangelion fans and other fan readers, I hope you enjoy this story. Just as a foot note, this is a re-do of my first story Soldaten, I' won;t be adding as many ACC as I did in soldaten the story lines are pretty close.Please Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Neon Genesis Evangelion" or the studio that created it, GAINAX.

The world to Shinji seemed hazy, like something from out of a dream. He rubbed his eyes to only see the rotting corpse of lilum before him, and the smell of blood around him. He dug into his pocket to find the silver cross that Misato gave to him while she was dying. He felt Misato's crusted blood on it, as he cried as he lay remembering Misato. One of the only people in the world who gave a damn about him, she was like the sister he never had. And now he was all alone, like he was before. He held the cross close to his chest as he walked to water's edge. He knelt down and found a rusty, bent-in nail at the being smothered by the water's tide. Then when Shinji turned around, he saw her lying unconscious a few paces from where he was. He ignored her at first, looking towards a plank of wood that stuck out of the ground like a sore thumb. Lying next to it was a small stone, stained from the water's sickly yellow color. He picked up the stone, tossing it in the air a few times before it lay still in his palm. He drew the cross and nail from his pocket, raised the stone and pounded the nail into the plank. Misato's cross hung from there and it reminded him of all the times Misato had been there for him, but also her faults that he saw. It reminded him that she was only human and a dead one at that.

He turned his back on the plank and lay in the dirt where he woke up. He watched the night sky overhead. He couldn't tell whether it was night or day, because of the red-orange glow that tinted the land, however he could see the stars and the moon from where he was. He shifted around in the dirt thinking about to do next, so he did the only thing that came to mind: rest. However nightmares seemed to always plague his slumber.

As Shinji tossed and turned in the dirt, all he could remember was that fateful day: the day of the Third Impact. He could hear the cry of the people being burned to a crisp by the JSSDF's flamethrowers. He remembered the cracks and roars of the machine guns of the soldiers as they closed in on him. What could he do? 14 year old Shinji was weaponless, lost his will to fight or live, and contemplating his death under that stairwell. He found his solace in a dark corner until they, the soldiers, found him. He remembered feeling that warm barrel of the pistol being pressed to his head and being grateful. Death was like a mother that he never had opening her arms to Shinji, welcoming him into nothingness. Then, it happened. Shinji didn't feel the barrel of the gun, and all he heard was screaming and Misato's voice. Sure enough it was her, coming again to his rescue. But he didn't want to rescued, death was what he deserved. She brought as far as she could before she was hit by a soldier's bullet. She had wanted him to live, but he only cried after she shoved him into the elevator. His mind raced as he finally saw the face of Kaworu again, the face of Instrumentality, the face of man's demise or it's saving grace. The sickening of the pale, rotting corpse called humanity's saving grace stared at him with a twisted smile, knowing that Shinji would not be coming with it. And then he was gone, falling forever and never seeing the ground. And he woke up on the Earth, unscathed.

Shinji woke violently, shaking and dripping in cold sweat. He tried to take deep breaths, but it didn't help. Immediately he jerked his head and saw her still lying there, still unconscious. Shinji lost control of himself; all he could think about was

"She was never there"

"I wouldn't be here if was her!"

"Why is she alive? After all she did to me!"

"…Why Asuka? ...why did you do it? … Why are you alive?"

He clamped his hands around her neck, ready to snap her neck, ready to end her life right now, right here. All he could focus on was bitch's attitude toward him. When he finally was ready to end her pathetic life, she did something she would've never done before.

She raised her hand to caress Shinji's face and whispered…

"Shinji…"

He loosened his grip on her neck, enough that it seemed that his fingers were barely touching her neck. He slid of her body, now aware that she was barely alive. All of his rage subsided until it was a bitter memory. Shinji knelt beside her and cried. He never cried this much before; he never could find the tears for his emotions. This time he let it all out, turning Asuka's red plug suit shimmer dimly under the night sky. Shinji cried until his eyes ran dry, and lay by her side. Asuka's breathing grew louder and more stable, until she was finally awake. She got up and scanned the world as it lay. She then glanced over at Shinji who lay in the dirt, staring into the night sky. She moved closer to him and lay down next to him, clasping her arms around him. She whispered into Shinji's ear, very faintly.

"Don't too excited dork. It's cold out here."

Shinji finally felt the night's chill; his earlier sweat hadn't helped either. However it was warm next to Asuka's body. Shinji finally relaxed, and stayed there for the rest of the night. Asuka fell asleep next him, keeping close to him. Shinji however stayed awake, wondering why Asuka had just done what she had done. He hated himself for almost trying to kill her and here she was lying next to him, her arms clasped around him. Why had she done this? Why did she come back? Shinji only asked more questions, until his eyes flickered and watered, wanting sleep.