NOTES:

Rating: PG-13. Very mild. Shinji doesn''t realize that he loves Kaoru yet. Don''t worry; it''s coming! Promise!

This is a series I''m working on that takes place after Evangelion End. So if you haven''t seen the movie, you may be a little bit confused. Some spoilers here as well.

New Age: Rebuiling

""I feel sick,"" Asuka croaked.

Shinji sat up and looked around, reaching up with shaking fingers to brush his matted hair out of his eyes. He and the girl were alone on a surreal planet. Was it Earth, transformed? Inside, he felt like crying. He had just walked out of hell. But he gritted his teeth together and got to his feet.

""I feel sick,"" Asuka whined again.

Shinji glanced back at her. Why the hell should he care how she felt? All she ever did was toy with his emotions. How could he have convinced himself that he was really in love with her? *Because every Adam needs his Eve,* he thought bitterly. Wait a second here. No, no, he didn''t! he remembered now. He had been told he could shape the future. He could mold it any way he desired. Asuka moaned lightly. Shinji felt a twinge of sympathy. He kneeled down next to Asuka and helped her to sit up on her haunches, thinking that she probably needed to vomit. She did, and she started sobbing while she did it. Man, she must really be in horrible shape……Poor Asuka, he thought. Shinji stroked her long orange hair and told her that everything was going to be okay. As soon as Asuka was done, he moved her away from the place where she had thrown up, wrapping an arm cautiously around her waist and draping one of hers over his shoulders. In any other situation, he would have been afraid of her calling him a pervert and attacking him, and probably would have left her there.

But things were different now.

He laid her down in a small ditch that looked more comfortable than the rocks they''d been laying on before, then wandered a few feet away, gazing at the inky blackness of the sky around them. It seemed like they were on an asteroid in outer space. Just miles and miles of black sky and stars. No sun, yet it was warm here, and he could see everything plainly. Yet it was all so dead. A horrific realization hit him. He and Asuka would be dead too, if they didn''t find food and water soon.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his thin arms around his thin frame. How can I fix this?

He tried picturing Asuka healthy. Her mind was restored to her, and her health was optimum. *Maybe just thinking it will be enough……* He didn''t hear the light footsteps pad over to him. He DID hear the wind whistling as a fist made its way towards the small of his back.

""Owww!"" He screamed, falling forward, but quickly scrambled to his feet. He massaged his back and looked at the girl angrily. Her face was smug, but there was a smoldering rage in her eyes.

""Thanks for making me better, third child,"" she huffed, ""but that doesn''t excuse what you did to me at the hospital.""

His first impulse was to say: ""Holy crap, you remember that?!"" But he had a better idea in mind.

""It was inexcusable, Asuka."" He lowered his eyes. ""I thought…… I thought I loved you. I wanted to know……"" He cleared his throat, cutting himself off as her eyebrows turned into a V-shape. ""But I know now that I don''t love you. I am very sorry. I wish it had never happened. I really do.""

Asuka suddenly looked confused. ""What are you talking about, Shinji?""

Shinji realized he didn''t know either.

The conversation changed rapidly. First Asuka wanted to know what the place was, why she was trapped there with HIM, and just why he was so special. Shinji rolled his eyes at her snotty remarks, actually happy that she was back to normal. He told her he didn''t really know, but he could change it.

""What do you mean, you can change it?"" She snorted. ""You aren''t God, you know. You can''t just bring people back to life."" Shinji remained quiet and composed, his dark blue eyes calm. Something in his face made Asuka think that maybe, just maybe…… ""Gott in himmel,"" She whispered.

""I''m going to try to restore everything, but I want it to be different,"" he said lightly.

Asuka nodded, still in shock.

""Any suggestions?"" he asked, lighter still. He didn''t want to scare her.

When Asuka recovered, Shinji thanked his lucky stars that she was the one there with him. They talked about how they would like to see the world, bouncing ideas off each other, mapping out concepts in the sand with their fingers. Neither wanted to change anyone''s personality, but they agreed that a few improvements could be made. Namely, their parents. What about jobs? They both agreed that being regular school kids would be nice, but how about everyone at Nerv? What would they do?

""Big business?""

""Nah, too much like working at Nerv: conspiracy, angst, blackmailing……""

""How about the movie industry?""

""Who the hell would want to watch their movies? Could you IMAGINE what they would BE LIKE? What about…… Something exotic…… How about shipping? Yeah, they could travel the globe by sea……""

""Ha, ha, ha, ha! Misato…… ''Squid fishing net…… LAUNCH!''""

They both burst out into gales of laughter at this point.

Shinji blinked. ""Well, what about our memories?"" Asuka frowned, not comprehending. ""I mean, should I let everyone remember the third impact? What happened before?""

She shook her head after considering it for a moment. ""The children, I think. You, me, Toji, and Rei. Someone has to know what happened. I don''t want to lose my memories of what happened, as horrible as they are. But if everyone remembers, you''ll be a huge celebrity! Can you handle that kind of attention?""

""Uh, no way!"" he blushed heavily. A celebrity? Him? Shinji lowered his head, thinking about Rei. ""There were at least three Rei''s working with us, Asuka. Besides, she was part Angel. I''m not sure if I can bring Angels back.""

''Third child!"" She shouted in exasperation. ""You can do anything, right? So what''s the problem? Mush all three or however many Rei''s there were together into one, so she has ALL of her memories, and then strip away the Angel from her. She was human in there somewhere, right?""

Shinji nodded. ""Ok, I can try it. But then where does she fit in?""

""Well…… I…… I always wanted a sister. It can be lonely being an only child."" Shinji was touched. He smiled. Asuka looked away and kicked a rock lying at her feet. To both her and Shinji''s surprise, it floated away into space. ""How creepy!"" They were silent for a moment, then Asuka turned to him and asked: ""How quickly can you rebuild the world?""

~Later~

""All right, Kaji! Let''s do this!""

""Oh, Misato……Heh, heh.""

""I meant cook that party''s food! Get your mind out of the gutter.""

""You''re one to talk!"" Kaji bent his head and left his fiancéée to go work beside Mr. Gendou Ikari and Mrs. Ritsuko Ikari, the owners and head chefs of the restaurant. Misato watched her beau walk over to the pair, congratulated herself on engaging herself to such a FINE man, and the wandered off to go boss around the waiters, especially Makoto. He''d been slacking off lately. On her way out, she ran into a group of school-kids.

""Hey guys!"" She squealed. ""How are you all today?""

Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke smiled. Hikari spoke. ""Great! We just got our exams back today! I passed with flying colors. I helped tutor them, so they did well too!""

""Yeah, thanks again for that, Hikari! I couldn''t have done it without you!"" Kensuke said in his constantly cracking voice.

Toji just kissed her forehead. Hikari giggled.

Misato looked down at Asuka, Rei, and Shinji. ""You three don''t seem as happy.""

Rei frowned. Shinji rubbed one eye sleepily. ''We''ve been having a video game tournament. Winner goes against Wonder Girl here."" Asuka patted her ""sister"" on the back, then yawned. ""We haven''t gotten a wink of sleep in the past few days. We all failed the exam.""

Misato laughed and looked at Shinji. ""Your mom is okay with you hanging out with these two pretty girls all night?""

Shinji flushed. ""Of course. Why wouldn''t she be?""

Misato laughed again. She had a nice, throaty laugh, and Toji and Kensuke couldn''t pull their eyes from her. Asuka rolled her eyes and whispered to Rei: ""Good to see SOME things haven''t changed."" Hikari batted the two boys lightly and pushed them along to their favorite table.

The kids were well known celebrities at Evangelion Caféé. Ritsuko once said to a reporter interviewing her about the restaurant, ""Our restaurant strives towards all things divine. Our déécor is white, light, and feathery, and we cook our food using techniques that add subtle texture and taste to the dish. The school-kids that are constantly here are family friends, and we think their innocent faces and childlike laughter add to our atmosphere perfectly."" These same school-kids were now having a debate about what they were going to do that weekend. Asuka suggested hanging out at Nerv, the hip German industrial club her mom owned. Everyone agreed, thinking how cool it was they could get inside an 18+ club because of Asuka and Rei''s connections.

Shinji, however, sighed wistfully, running his hands through his brown locks. ""I can''t. Mom knows how badly I did and I''m grounded.""

Toji whacked him on the back. ""Ouch…… Sorry man. Hey, next weekend though, right?""

Shinji nodded and smiled.

He walked back home by himself, the others electing o stay at the caféé for desert. Shinji didn''t feel much like desert. He had just lied to them, and gotten away with it.

His mother didn''t know about the exam. Shinji wasn''t in trouble. He just wanted some time to think. He, Rei, Asuka, and Toji had been talking earlier, saying how much they all liked their new lives. Even Rei was appreciative. The world was opening up for her like never before. But for Shinji……

He walked along a boardwalk running down by the seaside. He slowly stopped and turn to look out at the sea. Kaoru Nagisa. Kaoru of the Seashore. How he missed him! His heart ached whenever Kaoru''s image rose up in his thoughts. He had elected to keep the memory of his death, and it haunted him now. Rei he could save because she was not exactly an Angel, but Kaoru…… He missed the other boy''s comforting words and quiet intelligence. Yes, Shinji''s life was much better now; he had his mother, and occasionally saw his father--whom his mother had divorced quite peaceably--and friends. He had love. He had security. But he had guilt. No one had known him like Kaoru had. No one had been so generous: he had laid his life in Shinji''s hands so that Shinji would not die.

Shinji started walking again. The sun was starting to set, drifting below the water. The sky blazed orange as he walked along…… His feet involuntarily led him to the place where he had first set eyes upon the boy from the seashore.

He found himself humming ""Ode to Joy."" But it was too painful. He stopped, and dropped to his knees on the beach.

""Kaoru, I miss you. You were my best friend. I wish……"" Tears slid down his cheeks, falling to the gray sand below. Shinji did not have the h eart to wipe them. ""It''s been so long since I''ve cried, but I''m not as strong as you were, Kaoru. I wish…… I wish you were still here. But it''s too late now. I''ve already built the world, and there can''t be any Angels. Not even angels like you.""

Seraph Author Pairing Rating Subject