Author's Notes: And now for the new material. Also mail me if you'd like to be a beta reader for me.
Italics are for thoughts. Quotes are for speech.
Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion and am writing this fanfic for pure enjoyment.
CHAPTER 2: THE STORM
Shinji and Asuka embraced for what seemed like an eternity. Neither were willing to let the other go. What if they were separated? They didn't want to live in this world without the other. Even if they were archrivals just weeks ago, the end of the world has that effect on people.
A growl emanated from between them. Startled, Shinji leapt back while still holding Asuka's hand. Consequently, Asuka was pulled forward and fell onto the sand.
"Sorry! That wasn't me!" apologized Shinji. Shinji became immediately worried when Asuka didn't say anything.
"Asuka? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry. That was me. I'm really hungry and I didn't realize how weak I've become," chuckled Asuka, unused to admitting weakness to others.
"It's okay. After what you went through, that's more than understandable. What do you want to do?" said Shinji as he surveyed his surroundings for the umpteenth time, hoping this time, he'd spot something that he missed before. What I would do to find a vending machine right now…
When Asuka didn't respond to his question, Shinji continued, "You know what, you stay here and rest and I'll scour the ruins for anything to eat, okay?" Asuka's hand shot up and she pulled herself up. Shinji shot her a concerned look.
"No! I don't want to be alone right now. Please…" she pleaded.
"Fine, we'll take it slow," said Shinji reluctantly as he led Asuka slowly up the beach and through the fields of burnt grass.
"Do you remember what happened in there?" asked Shinji suddenly. Asuka stopped walking and looked at him puzzled, unsure of what he meant by "there."
The walk through the ruins had been mostly quiet between them minus the occasional bouts of gratitude from Asuka whenever Shinji helped her through some of the more difficult terrain. This wasn't something Shinji was used to from the once hot-headed redhead. Asuka has been nothing but nice to him since Third Impact and he wanted to know why.
Shinji was about to explain himself when Asuka said, "I don't know. It's all kind of fuzzy like when you remember the gist of a dream but can't remember the exact details."
"Well, what do you remember?"
"Right before I woke up—"
"You mean when I was sitting on top of you?" interrupted Shinji.
Asuka nodded and continued, "Right before I woke up, I remember the intense urge to just live—to survive and not repeat the many avoidable mistakes I've made in the past." Shinji again was taken aback by Asuka easily admitting any wrongdoing on her part.
"What about you? What do you remember?" asked Asuka in reciprocation.
"Uh… just like you—bits and pieces," lied Shinji. He didn't want to share his private dream of being with Asuka if she didn't remember either. It was too embarrassing for him to admit.
"My memory isn't in bits and pieces. I just remember what I felt before I woke up," explained Asuka. Sensing that Shinji didn't want to continue talking about it, Asuka trotted forward with a somewhat angry gait.
Suddenly, she gave a loud yelp as she stepped on some loose rocks, causing her to slip down a giant crater, but the yelp abruptly stopped as Shinji caught hold of her arm and pulled her to safety.
"Thanks."
Shinji didn't say anything, but instead prodded Asuka, indicating to her to look up. They'd been walking so nonchalantly that they didn't notice that they were now standing in one of the shadows of a ruined Production Series Eva. They didn't look as menacing in an Eva, but when you're the size of a human, suddenly, they're disturbingly massive. The face of the Eva was contorted in a half grin that caused Shinji to suddenly remember them eating Unit 02. With such a disturbing image conjured up in his mind, Shinji keeled over to vomit, but nothing came out. Their stomachs were running on fumes.
Asuka knelt down to help Shinji back up and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Seeing these… things. I remember so vividly them eating you. I'm sorry, Asuka. I couldn't save you."
Asuka's expression softened as she appreciated the concern that Shinji showed for her.
"It's okay. Thankfully, I blacked out so I don't remember any of it. I'd probably be as haunted as you if I did remember," laughed Asuka while poking Shinji in the chest. Shinji chuckled at Asuka's newfound optimism.
"At least we know we're near the city if we see one of these things." Asuka nodded in agreement and continued onwards.
It was starting to get dark already. Shinji could tell that Asuka was shivering, but he couldn't do anything. As much as he wished, he was no knight in shining armor.
"Maybe we should rest somewhere," said Asuka.
"What about food? Aren't you hungry?"
"It's okay, I'm on my second wind now. Either that or I've digested my stomach," said Asuka morbidly.
There! That's the Asuka I know.
Both of them suddenly turned to their right after hearing an oddly familiar sound echoing in the distance. Despite not knowing what the source of the noise was, Asuka took off in that direction at a pace extraordinary for someone who was so weak. Shinji could barely keep up and had to use all his senses to avoid tripping and running into the debris that was strewn all across the streets of Tokyo-3.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of running, Shinji could make out the sight of a redhead kneeling down and hunched over. Worry spread across Shinji's face as his mind imagined that Asuka was hurt in some way which was an odd thought to have he admitted to himself. He wasn't used to showing so much actual concern for this particular redhead. That thought turned into one of confusion as he got close enough to make out a whiny noise coming from behind Asuka. As Shinji slowly walked up to Asuka, still panting, he was able to see why Asuka was kneeling: she was petting a dog.
We're not the only ones on this Earth.
"For a guy, you have pretty shitty stamina," teased Asuka.
"Oh c'mon, Asuka. You've always scored better than me in the physicals."
"Yeah, but that was before I got beaten up."
Shinji knelt down to pet the dog during which he noticed what he couldn't tell from further away and in the dark: the dog was missing one of its rear legs.
"It's hurt," said Shinji, stating the obvious.
"I didn't notice, dummkopf," sneered Asuka sarcastically. Shinji shrugged off the thinly veiled insult. It was something he'd been used to for a while. It was the nice side of Asuka that confused him.
"I think it can move just fine though," Asuka continued. Asuka stopped petting the dog and got up to allow it to demonstrate. Almost as if on cue, the dog ran around in circles showing off its vitality.
"But how…" muttered Shinji, astonished that the dog was able to move around so effortlessly despite missing a limb.
"Life finds a way…"
Without warning, the dog took off into a seemingly random direction. The darkness beckoned not to follow but that never discouraged Asuka. She took off after the dog leaving Shinji trailing behind her, desperately trying to keep up.
It was so dark that Shinji didn't even know he had caught up with Asuka until he collided straight into her.
"Why'd you stop?" yelled Shinji over the incessant barking of the dog while rubbing the part of his chest that ran into Asuka's elbow.
"Look what she found for us, Shinji."
"Who?"
"Hope. That's what I named the dog. She found us a convenience store." Sure enough, the dog was barking and jumping in front of a convenience store. The windows were shattered and it was dark inside, but they had no reason to suspect that it wasn't stocked with food. After all, who would be around to loot it anyways?
They climbed into the store through the window, being careful not to graze themselves against the glass. If they got hurt now, there wouldn't be anyone to treat them. Hope jumped through the window effortlessly like some sort of canine acrobat and followed Asuka and Shinji around the store.
Asuka nearly slipped onto the ground as she walked up to the cashier's counter. She looked down at the cause: a puddle of LCL and a pile of clothes on the floor was all that was left of its previous owner. Somewhat shaken by the thought of treading on the deceased, Asuka rushed over to the baked goods section and lifted the cover off a plate and peered inside. Pastries. She touched them and found them to be cold. Of course.
"What are you waiting for?" asked Shinji as he hungrily grabbed a pastry and shoved it into his mouth. Asuka, giving into her hunger, started nibbling at different piece. They worked their way around the store, examining what other foods there were and eating along the way.
"Nothing but junk food!" exclaimed Asuka as she threw her hands up in defeat.
I don't know what she was expecting to find? A salad? "So?" asked Shinji, used to eating foods with poor nutrition before he moved in with Misato. At the thought of Misato, Shinji muttered her name.
"What? Where?" Asuka spun around looking for their guardian whom they haven't seen in so long.
"No, she's not here. I just miss her. That's all." Asuka looked dismayed and quickly sat down on the cold tile floor of the store.
Was that sudden burst of energy too much for her?
"Hey, are you going to finish that?" asked Asuka, pointing at the bag of chips in Shinji's hand that he stopped eating from.
"No, you can have it. I'm going to look for some drinks," said Shinji as he turned towards the wall of fridges that ran along one side of the store.
"Thanks," Asuka said as she snatched Shinji's bag of chips from his hand, "We should probably conserve the food. Who knows how long this will last."
"Found some orange juice," said Shinji as he handed Asuka a bottle. She was so parched she practically chugged the entire bottle.
In the distance, they could hear the clouds grumbling. The start of a rain storm. Like clockwork, the patter of raindrops started outside and soon it turned into a full downpour. The sound of a nearby lightning strike caused Asuka to suddenly grab onto Shinji for artificial protection. There was something unusual about this rain storm as Asuka and Shinji, sitting on the floor of an abandoned store in half-embrace, scrunched their nose against the smell of warm blood in the air.
End Notes: I'm considering on making the chapters shorter so that I have more time to update on a whim instead of having to sit down and write a particularly lengthy chapter. Let me know what you think in the reviews.
