Alone
by Sailor Alpha
A very brief Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfic.
You know the usual disclaimers; NGE belongs to GAINAX.
C&Cs would be greatly appreciated.


	Asuka squinted her eyes against the setting sun and the dust stirred 
up by a helicopter as it landed near her. Once it was firmly on ground, she 
approached it as someone stepped out of the copter. He seemed to gaze 
upon her in amazement, then smiled and asked her a question, "Are you all 
right, miss?"
	She nodded, and the man followed with another question, "Is there 
anybody else here, I mean have you seen anyone else here? We can help 
them too."
	"There's--" Asuka cut herself off mid-sentence before she could say 
his name.  She glanced back to the destruction of NERV base, where she 
had once worked for as pilot of Unit 02. And where Shinji sat, beside the 
beach. Ever since the fifteenth Angel's attack, her life had been through a 
turmoil, and the fact that Shinji had rejected the so-called Human 
Complement Project, dooming him and her in desolation.
	Although it had been only two days since the HCP had ended, she 
was already disgusted with him, but mostly of herself. She had shown him 
affection, to that simpleton! "This feeling sucks," she had said at that time.
She couldn't understand why Shinji had chosen for her to survive the HCP, 
and to live. With Shinji? No, she would rather die!
	Fine, let him wallow in his self-pity and misery.
	She turned back to her would-be rescuer and replied, "No, there's 
nobody here. Let's go."
	"You sure?"
	"Yes, I want to get out of here. Quickly as possible."
	He seemed about to protest, but he apparently had reconsidered. He 
pulled her aboard the helicopter, giving her some safety tips for a safe trip.
She did not listen to him, instead, she continued to gaze at her old home, 
NERV. She had lost everything there. Misato and Hikari and others. Her 
only home, her life as pilot of Unit 02, and her mother. Let it end there, 
Asuka decided.
	She craddled to herself, feeling utterly helpless as the her ride took 
off. She did not turn away from the general direction of Shinji until the 
demolished NERV base had vanished form sight as the helicopter sped 
away.


	Shinji knew that Asuka had left. Watched the helicopter land, pick 
up his only friend left; Asuka. He watched the helicopter depart for 
unknown destination.
	No matter.
	Shinji Ikari did not mind.
	He cradled his legs, returned his attention to the orangeish ocean of 
LCL that were once millions upon millions of living beings. They did not 
exist anymore.
"In a way, they're extremely lucky." Shinji muttered to the wind.
	He had been abandoned by his own father at young age, shortly 
after he witnessed his mother disappearing within Unit 01. The very same 
monstrous freak that his father had ordered him to pilot against the Angels. 
He had been alone and isolated for as long as he could remember.
	Then he met new friends, Toji and Kensuke. Hikari and Misato. 
Even the fiery Asuka whom he had 'persuaded' to reject the HCP as he had 
done. He knew that Asuka would be angry with him, but he did not mind. 
"As long as she is still alive," words surfaced inside his mind. He pushed 
them away, time for regrets was long over.
	And in the end, he was all alone, again.
	He did not mind.
	Shinji Ikari continued to gaze at the ocean and setting sun. Sun 
vanished moments later.


Sailor Alpha
<AlphSailor@aol.com>