Author Notes: This story is based on the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, even though all information and characters are based on the anime most if not all events and situations are made up. As you probably know they ended the saga with the movie "End of Evangelion". I just didn't like how they ended the saga so this is the continuation of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Throughout the story you will see words, phrases and expressions in Japanese; all definitions are at the bottom of each chapter. Also the style I used in the story is in such a way on how it would look like if it was seen as an anime.

Disclaimer: All characters are owned and property of Studio GAINAX, I do not own any of the characters, this story is fictional. No copyright infringement was intended.

Chapter 1: Road to Recovery

I HATE MYSELF…FAILURE…WORTHLESS…COWARD…WEAK…these words were imprinted in big bold red letterings in a pitch black room. These words were echoing in Shinji's head repeatedly over and over as he hugged his knees defenselessly.

"I mustn't run away…I mustn't run away…I mustn't run away…" He repeated those words to try to ease and convince himself. But the dark room continued to grow and as it grew the feeling of loneliness grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

"No…I don't want to be alone…don't leave me…please…" All of a sudden the scene changes to him in his pilot suit and inside the cockpit of Eva Unit 01. He then sees on the monitors, bits and bits of pieces of Eva Unit 02 who was mauled and torn to shreds as his heart just sunk and his mind went blank as the thought of the pilot of Eva 02 was also torn into pieces.

"Asuka…no…no…" At that he just snapped.

"AHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHH! WAHHHHHHHH!" Shinji's screams surrounded the area as he and Eva 01 went into Berserker mode and as he screamed Eva 01 let out a roar.

"UGH-UHHH…" At that moment Shinji woke up and immediately sat up in his bed sweating as he tried to catch his breath.

" pant…pant… Che…It's that same nightmare …" Shinji placed a hand on the sides of his head massaging his face trying to regain his composure. Shinji got up out of bed and opened the curtains. He stared deeply into the once famous Tokyo 3 district as the light from the morning rays of the sun beamed down into his room.

At school…

"Not much is known about the Third Impact on how and why it happened. But officials found out it were the plot driven up by the former organization known as Seele. Their intentions are still being investigated by officials but some believe…" The teacher continued to ramble on as Shinji stared out the window looking at the construction of Tokyo 3 being rebuilt.

"Four years…it's been four years since that incident. The so called Third Impact. It turned out that in the end I was just being used again, all of this happened when I got into that cockpit." Shinji thought to himself again blaming himself for the event of the Third Impact.

"Ikari-san…Ikari-san!" Staring out the window while the teacher lecturing isn't the best of ideas as the teacher asked a question and was calling out to Shinji.

"Shinji-kun…Shinji-kun… baka!" Asuka who sits right next to Shinji was calling out to Shinji in a low voice which eventually got his attention.

"Huh…? Oh! Hai?" Shinji finally returning back to the classroom stood up as the teacher eyed him.

"The answer Ikari-san. To the question."

"Oh hai! Ummm…Ano…" He didn't know the answer; he didn't even know what the question was. The teacher just fixed his glasses.

"Next time it would be wise to pay attention Ikari-san. Keep your eyes, mind and focus in the classroom where it is needed. Understand?"

"Hai…" Shinji lowered his head as he sat back down.

The final bell had rung ending the class…

"Stand! Bow!" Said Yuki Himara the class representative.

"Make sure you go over your notes, everything we'd cover in class today will be on the exam." All the students started to gather their things getting ready to leave the class.

"Arigato Asuka-chan." Said Shinji as he sat back down.

"Hai hai…you might want to pay attention next time because I'm not going to cover for you again. Alright?"

"Hai…" Shinji nodded his head. Asuka shook her head.

"Tsk…I've known you for five years now and you still haven't changed!"

"Soka…" Replied Shinji plainly.

"You see that's what I mean!" Yelled Asuka but Shinji didn't mind.

"But you know what?" Asuka now a bit curious.

"Huh?"

"I think you'd changed Asuka-chan."

"Me?" Asuka pointing to herself.

"Yeah, you've matured and grown up to a beautiful girl." Said Shinji all the while smiling at her. Asuka then started to blush.

"Baka! Don't say such idiotic things!" Said Asuka trying to cover her face by looking the other way and putting her stuff away.

"What's this? A marriage quarrel. You guys really do look like you're married." Said a voice.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Screamed the both of them in unison. It was Toji Suzuhara a former Evangelion pilot.

"Yeah yeah I heard that one before. But if that's the case then why are the both of you blushing?" Asuka and Shinji both looked at each other angrily and turned the other way.

"Don't be ridiculous! Why are you even here Toji-san? This isn't your class." Asuka folded her arms.

"Well class is over and I just wanted to see how's my pal Shinji-kun is doing?" Toji went over and placed his arm over Shinji.

"Oh I'm ok I guess just some stuff I have on my mind I need to sort out."

"Well now you know so why don't you go ahead a leave!" Said Asuka annoyed.

"Tsk! Fine I will! I have to leave anyways." Toji got up and started to make for the door.

"Oh where you going?" Asked Shinji.

"Oh me and Hikari-chan are going to the mall later on, she said she wants to buy some clothes and needs a guys point a view I guess…? What about you?"

"Oh…nothing really, I have some things I have to sort out so I have that to keep me occupied." Shinji finished packing up his stuff as well.

"Oh ok then so I guess I'll see you tomorrow then I'll leave you two love birds alone. Ja!" Toji waved Shinji and Asuka off as he left the classroom. Asuka got up and made her way to the windows and stared outside to see Toji and Hikari walk off together.

"Bah…I still don't know what Hikari-san sees in him! But oh well that's love for you."

"Asuka…" Said Shinji softly.

"Hmmm…Ugh!" Asuka turned around and found herself face to face with Shinji. Shinji was staring straight into Asuka's eyes. Asuka was blushing immensely. They were only a few inches away from each other.

"Nani…?" Said Asuka shyly.

"Asuka…you…" Said Shinji softly as he placed his hand behind Asuka's head and moved in slowly towards Asuka.

"Shinji-kun…"Said Asuka quietly as she closed her eyes to kiss him. But then Shinji pulled away from her and she opened her eyes to see him smiling holding a leaf in his finger tips.

"You had a leaf in your hair, must have flew in through that opened window... Huh?" Now Shinji was confused because now he sees Asuka all angry and mad.

"Shinji-kun!" Shinji just tilted his head.

"Nani?" Asuka just turned around immediately turning her back towards him.

"Baka! You're like the most dense headed guy there is!" Shinji just shrugged his shoulders and picked up his bag and made his way to the door.

"Fine whatever. Well take care and I'll see you in class tomorrow. Ja." Shinji then walked out of the classroom. Asuka still had her turned; she has her right hand clenched up and up to her heart with a disappointed kind of expression on her face.

Somewhere in Northern Inland Japan in a dark poor lighted hallway, a dark figure walked towards a huge solid steel double door with a short pillar to the side that has a panel. The dark figure took out a card placed it inside the panel and pressed his hand up against the screen. Just then the huge steel doors opened and a grin crept on the dark figure's face.

"Hmph…It's almost time…"

In the ruins of the Tokyo 3 district Shinji was sitting on the floor with his back up against a collapsed stone pillar staring off into the distance and looking at the reflections in the lake (Note: The place where he's at is a lake but it's not just water, it's a mixture of water and the liquid they use to fill the cockpits of the Eva Units to help the pilots synchronize with the Eva's, it's the place where he met Kaoru the very last Angel). Shinji picked up a rock and threw it making it skid across the lake.

"So this is how you sort things out huh?" It was Asuka; she wasn't wearing her school uniform but jean shorts and a white spaghetti strap top. She bent down and picked up a rock and made it skid across the lake. Shinji just kept looking out and acted in such a manner as if not surprised by Asuka's appearance.

"I find this the best way to sort things out."

"A nice and quiet peaceful place…it's usually is the best way to think things out." Said Asuka as she sat down next to Shinji.

"This used to be the shopping mall wasn't it?" Asked Shinji.

"Yeah it used to be." A cold wind chill blew by as Asuka folded her arms and rubbed her arms with her hands to get warm.

"Asuka-chan…kore." Shinji took off his jacket and placed it around Asuka.

"Arigato." The two of them starred off into the sky and across the lake without making a sound.

"Sugoi…This is really a good way to relax…" Said Asuka as she continued to look out.

"Hai… Listen about earlier, I didn't mean to…"

"You were remembering weren't you?" Said Asuka cutting off Shinji.

"Remembering…?" Asked Shinji.

"The day of the Third Impact…how all of us weren't on this world, you can say we were dead and then somehow we all came back. How can we not forget that?"

"I don't want to remember that day…" Said Shinji bluntly.

"Why's that?"

"BECAUSE I ALMOST KILLED YOU!" Yelled out Shinji.

"But you didn't. I don't blame you for what you were doing; anyone would if they went through all that torment you went through." Said Asuka trying to sympathize with him.

"Just leave me alone ok? Why are you even here?" Said Shinji with irritation in his voice. Asuka then stood up in disappointment.

"I'm here because you're not the only one with a lot crap on their mind. Why can't you just let people in and accept their feelings?" Asuka was yelling down towards Shinji.

"You're such a coward! You don't let people in because you're afraid that you'll be hurt! You say you don't want to be alone and don't leave me but how can we if all you do is push us away!" Asuka took off Shinji's jacket and tossed it back to him.

"Kore! You know what Shinji-kun. Back in the classroom, I lied about you not changing. I really did thought that you'd actually change after all these years. And I was happy because of that. I then thought that we can have an actual conversation. But after talking to you now…After all these years I thought that finally you'd changed but in reality you haven't changed one bit." Shinji ignored making eye contact with Asuka as he continued to look at the lake.

"Sayonara…Shinji-kun." With that Asuka turned around and left.

Somewhere in Northern Inland Japan inside a dark room a fairly tall slender and handsome guy dressed in a formal suit is sitting behind his desk alongside with his assistant Shinto Himaru. Across from them are five rather large screens which had dark figures in each one of them. Obviously a meeting is being held.

"I presume everything is in order Katsurugi-sama?" Said one of the dark figures.

"Hai…Everything is going according to plan. All Eva units have been destroyed and the productions of the mobile suits are going according to schedule."

"What about the missing scientists? Have they been found?" Said another dark figure.

"Unfortunately no. However we have no use for them now, we have all of the mobile suit designs. There is nothing they can do to hinder in our plot. If any of our men are to spot any of them they are given authority to execute them on the spot. What a waste of a wonderful mind."

"And the politics in the U.S.? What are the results in that?" Asked yet another dark figure.

"The Americans have too much pride and righteousness they won't convert."

"This is going to be a problem, the Americans have too much power and allies, and we cannot afford to attack them head on. Even with the mobile suits, we can still over power them but it will weaken our forces immensely leaving us open." Even with that said a smile crept up Katsurugi's face.

"Do not worry. Measures are being taken even as we speak; there are ways to bring down such a powerful foe. Just like the story of Achilles and Troy."

"Very well, we leave the matter to you. This will conclude our meeting. Do not disappoint us Katsurugi-sama." At that all the screens turned off and the lights start to dim on.

"And so the wheel of fate is in motion and a new story begins. This will be entertaining." Katsurugi then starts to chuckle as the room fades out…

Author Notes: Phew that's that. Well that's chapter one for you, I know I know it's a lil bit of a slow start but every anime and story starts off slow. So I hope you guys like it, this is going to be a pretty long series so expect a lot of chapters for this story. Most importantly SUBMIT A REVIEWS! Submitting reviews for my stories really help out, it motivates me to continue in the story, some even made suggestions for my other story and I'd actually used them so please it takes less then 5 min. even shorter to do one so go ahead and help me out k? And I'll see ya in the next chapter. (Also read my Tekken story "A Well Kept Secret")

Definitions: Most Japanese words have more then one meaning but these are the most widely used…

Hai- Yes, Yes, Yes sir/ma'am, sure

Baka- Idiot; moron

Che- Shit

Ano- Well…Ummmm…

Arigato- Thanks, Thank you

Ja- Later (Can also be used for our slang version of good-bye "peace")

Ja ne- See you; see you later

Sayonara- Good bye

Kore- Here (Here as in you're giving something to someone)

Nani- What?

Nanda- What (Another way to say nani but there are situations where you can only say nani and you can't use nanda, same thing goes with nanda)

Soka- I see