Author Notes: Okay guys, back for chapter 2? Well I'm glad you are! This chapter is where the plot actually starts, so this time there will be more stuff actually happening and less rambling from Shinji. In real-time, I only published the Prologue less than half-an-hour ago so I'm quite eager to write a good chunk of the story. Still just a novice writer so I wouldn't expect a work of art if I were you. I realise that this kind of plot isn't very original but I just wanted to try my own hand at it and also to use this fic as a starter as it is my first. Anyway, should be more action in this chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, nor anything relating to it. But I so wish I did!


We have been walking for just over an hour now.

We've just entered the city limits of what once was Tokyo-3. It wasn't a pretty sight.

By this time, we were considerably hungry and were pretty desperate for any food we could find.

We navigated ourselves through the large amounts of rubble and collapsed buildings, most likely caused by the Third Impact, until we reached a familiar food store I usually went to do the weekly shop for ingredients to cook with back before Instrumentality and the Third Impact.

We both grabbed shopping trolleys and proceeded to grab all the canned and preserved items that we could, the fresh foods were already spoiled and so were the meats and the frozen foods due to no electricity keeping any of the refrigerators running.

Once I was done with the canned soup aisles, I thought to check the in-store pharmacy for any medical supplies in-case we needed them or if Asuka's wounds needed tending to. She was still wearing the bandages, but as of yet, she hasn't complained about them, nor was she moving with difficulty. Still, better safe than sorry.

I was able to recover a large supply of band-aids and antiseptics as well as painkillers and fresh bandages. I was about to make my way back to the entrance where I said I'd meet Asuka until I stumbled past a small shelf in my clumsiness, knocking it over and sending it's contents across the floor. I was going to pay no more attention to it until I realised that the shelf contained a large supply of Condoms.

I couldn't help but become slightly amused as a barrage of imagery very worthy of being deemed 'perverted' assaulted my mind at that moment. After spending no more than a few seconds of beating my perverted side into cowering in the corner of my mind, I returned to business. We had more important matters at hand than just sitting there dreaming of what I could do to Asuka if she took her plugsuit off... damn! Think unperverted thoughts! Think of... Toji and Kensuke in bikinis!...

"Eww!"

I couldn't help but voice my obvious disgust that was caused by that particular imagery. I also had to prevent myself from hurling whatever was still in my stomach out right there and then.

Once I had sufficiently recovered, I made my way back to the entrance of the store to find Asuka standing there and tapping her foot just a tad impatiently.

"It's about time baka! What took you so long? Did you find a dirty magazine and spend a few seconds releasing your load?"

Same old Asuka.

"No, I stopped by the Pharmacy to get supplies in-case you or I needed them."

My thoughtful consideration seemed to catch her off guard a little and she couldn't help but just stand there with a faint blush as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish, trying to come up with a worthy retort. After all, this was Asuka, she couldn't have been changed by Instrumentality as much as I have.

"Good thinking Third." was the response she settled on after a few seconds of gaping at me.

I shrugged nonchalantly and walked out of the store with my cart. Asuka followed with her own cart not soon after and we both headed towards the nearby Mall where we agreed to go searching for clothes for Asuka.

Of course, having access to any of the clothes on display that she liked without having to pay – as there was no-one to pay – caused Asuka to end up squealing in delight and start shoving all sorts of clothing into her trolley. I was just glad she didn't decide to try them on or give them to me to hold.

Asuka also couldn't help but shove some clothes for men into my trolley, complaining that I had no sense of style at all. I only retorted with a half-assed response of "I don't really mind what I wear, nor did I have the time to go shopping for clothes myself."

In truth, I did like wearing nice clothes, but years of conditioning from living with my Sensei had forced me to be content with wearing simple plain clothing such as my school uniform for most of the time. I also didn't have much of my own money to spend and didn't like borrowing off of others.

"Jeez, whatever, you can just wear what I gave you; I'm sure with my fashion-sense, even you would look good." she half mumbled.

By the time we were done, I was sure that Asuka had almost cleared out all the clothing stores we had come across, leaving not very much behind. Was she expecting to be able to wear all these clothes at once or something? She had enough clothes in her collection that if she went and wore a new one from her collection everyday, she'd be able to last a whole year or longer before wearing one she's wore before, she just had that many clothes. And I had to admit, the smaller collection of clothes that she picked for me were also quite flattering.

What stopped us from continuing on to more clothing stores was the fact that both trolleys were overflowing and we were rapidly losing light. Luckily our old apartment complex wasn't far from where we currently were right now, so we both came to the resolution that we would sleep there tonight.

While navigating streets filled with rubble was difficult on foot, it was even more difficult when dragging two trolleys full of items with you. Thankfully, the walk was short and soon we were outside of Misato's apartment. Surprisingly, the entire building was one of the few that were still standing. I swear that this apartment was invincible or something, it not only survived all of the angel attacks but also the Third Impact.

It took quite the effort to cram a trolley into a lift and send it up to the right floor while Asuka and I took the stairs as the lifts weren't large enough for a trolley and a person.

It wasn't until about an hour later, that we had finished stowing away our collections of clothes and had eaten a feast of microwaved canned soup and beans. We didn't have any access to gas but surprisingly the water and electricity to the apartment complex was still up and running, but consequently the boiler was off.

Still we were able to make ourselves a hot bath using a kettle. Asuka needed one more than I did as she hadn't had a chance to scrub the LCL off her body from being in Unit 02 during her last stand. Sadly I was stuck with using her left over bath water just to conveniently save time and water.

We also undid the Asuka's bandages, only to find she had no signs of injury at all, not even scars. Her eye was also fully functioning too, so it turned out the supplies I collected weren't needed right now.

After a long and unusual day, we both retired to our own rooms, were I collapsed on top of my own, old futon.

Within seconds I was sound asleep.

In my sleep, I found myself confronted with a figure clad in a white short-sleeved button-up shirt and black slacks, with grey hair and red eyes.

"Kaworu!?" I exclaimed in shock upon recognising my old friend.

"Hello Shinji, it's been awhile hasn't it?"

"You're alive?!"

"Yes and No, my body was destroyed, but my soul remains. I was given the chance to come visit you after you prevented Instrumentality."

"Given a chance by who?"

"I'm afraid that I'm unable to tell you, for even I am unsure as to who it was who gave me this chance. I'd hazard a guess and say that it was the being that you Lilim refer to as God." Kaworu stated calmly.

I was quite shocked at this revelation. The God who I was once firmly convinced didn't exist had given my old friend Kaworu a chance to come visit me after preventing Instrumentality. I felt flattered.

"I'm sorry... For what happened" I said after visibly slumping.

Kaworu chuckled as he calmly replied "Don't you forget that I told you to do it, and if you hadn't killed me, I would have killed all of you instead."

I was a little unnerved by Kaworu's response, so I decided to drop the subject.

"So you said you were given a chance to visit me?" I reminded Kaworu in hopes of moving the subject into calmer waters, with less chance of the situation getting out of hand.

"Ah, yes, I was given the chance to come visit you and present you with an opportunity, should you decide to accept it.

"I am offering you, Shinji Ikari, the chance to go back to when all of this started and prevent SEELE and your Father from initiating Instrumentality. I believe Instrumentality is not something that your God intended to happen. As such, you have been chosen to be the one to go back in time and prevent my brothers as well as SEELE and Commander Ikari from achieving Instrumentality. May I also remind you that you can also save your friends from their fate, such as your friend Toji Suzuhara or a certain Mister Ryoji Kaji."

I sat there taking all this in, after all, it's not everyday that you're given the chance to go back in time to correct any mistakes and regrets you may have made in the past.

"Are there any catches or conditions?" I asked.

"No, it is as simple as that. Once you go back, what you do is entirely up to you, as well as how you do it. However, you will be on your own to face the consequences."

"What about Asuka, here right now?"

"She will be fine, time will be re-winded like a tape, so the Asuka in this time-plane will not exist. You do not have to worry about her."

After being reassured that I wasn't abandoning Asuka again, I was very intrigued with the proposition laid before me.

I could stay in this time-plane, with nothing to look forward to aside from living alone with Asuka and the guilt of my actions in the past. Eventually having to try and restart the Human Race again if no-one else returns from Instrumentality with Asuka; that would mean that our children would have to have children with each other – and that did not sound like a great idea at all!

Or I could go back in time and try to start from scratch, attempt to derail my Father's plans for Instrumentality as well as SEELE's plans and save my friends from their fates.

To be honest, I had already made my decision before this monologue started.

"Are you okay with me going back in time to defeat all of your brothers again? As well as you?" I asked with a bit of concern.

"It is no longer a concern for me, as after this encounter, my soul will rejoin with my brothers, as well as my father. The angels you will defeat when you go back in time will be different from me and my brothers."

"Ok, I accept this opportunity." I spoke confidently, without regret, and with a small smile on my face.

"I knew you would." Kaworu says, returning my smile.

"Good Luck, Shinji Ikari. I hope you are able to achieve your goals" Kaworu says as my dream starts to fade from my mind.

I smile and give Kaworu a wave, which he returns, as everything around me fades to white.


When I opened my eyes, I was blinded by the bright light of the Sun in the Blue Sky above me.

I realised that in my hand I was holding a green payphone that was repeating an emergency automated message.

But I didn't care.

I was back, back to where it all began. Ready to restart my journey. Ready to turn over a new leaf.

"Well, Here we go again!" I exclaimed to my surroundings as I heard the distant hum of VTOL engines fighting a near invincible foe in the distance.


Author Notes: Didn't mean to be corny, but I just had to include the Title in here somewhere. I hope I paced this chapter alright, but in reality I'm an impatient guy and I like reading fanfics that get to the point quickly instead of ones that pace themselves well but spend too long building up to the main plot points. Now that I'm finally onto the real part of the fic, things should get real interesting soon!

Remember to leave Reviews! Until next time!

- Western-Otaku