Hello readers, this happens to be my first fic, I've had this story brewing in my head for over a year, and I'm still refining it. Over time when my writing style has improved, I will come back and revise a few things here and there, but until then, I hope you enjoy the ride.

Chapter 1. Hello and Goodbye Shinji 0

"What happens next?"

Shinji was still reeling back from the conversation he just had with Rei

"You will wake up, live your life as you had before, and die at an old age. And after you die, the universe will continue living until it dies."

The first thing Shinji did after leaving the sea of LCL, was put Misato's necklace on, the cross pendant covering the "01" on his plug suit.

"So, no more piloting?"

"For your current life. I do not know. But for your soul, the very essence that makes up Shinji Ikari. No, you will always be an EVA pilot."

Shinji picked up whatever supplies he found and started erecting cross-shaped gravestones, should his friends never come back.

"Does that mean I will be reincarnated and forced to pilot again?"

"Our souls do not die, they can lose their way, grow infinitely weaker, or infinitely stronger but they can never die. When you die on this earth in 60 or 70 years from now, your soul will wander, watching your future offspring, and be with the one you love. It will do that until Shinji Ikari is born again."

After inscribing the names of his friends onto the makeshift grave markers, Shinji started walking.

"You're not making any sense."

"Even in your current state of near godhood, you cannot comprehend this topic for it is too vast, I have simplified it as much as I can."

"So when I die, I will be reborn into another me... and forced to pilot?" Shinji said glumly.

"Correct."

Shinji lost track of time wandering down the beach, still thinking of his last conversation with Rei.

"What about my current life? Will I be forced to pilot?"

"A war might or might not break out, and you might or might not need to fight. Your future is uncertain to me right now. Unit-01 might come back down, or might not. NERV might make a new Unit or might not. I cannot tell you."

"So even if I don't pilot in my current life, I will in my next?"

"When you do pilot in your next life, things will change, the universe you live in will change over its countless deaths and rebirths. Sometimes Sachiel will be the Third Angel, sometimes it won't."

"That's not really reassuring."

It's not meant to be, it's the truth. Other than a few constants relating to you, nothing is certain anymore. Instrumentality has changed the path of everything."

Shinji walked along the beach waiting for a person to come back, hoping that it would be a certain redhead.

"Constants? Relating to me?"

"Like the fact you will always pilot, like the fact you will always end up living with Misato and having a crush on Asuka."

"Y-you knew?!"

"In instrumentality, you cannot hide anything."

Shinji, after walking endlessly, collapsed on the sand, succumbing to his exhaustion.

"I see… Why am I forced to pilot... Was it because I was made to pilot Unit-01? Am I going to suffer forever?!"

"Me, Asuka, and you cannot be born into a universe without EVA, both Asuka's and your parents met under certain conditions that would not have existed if it weren't for EVA."

"So if Adam and Lilith were never found…"

"Then your parents would have never met at their university's cafeteria discussing Metaphysical Biology. Then Asuka's parents would never have met at a laboratory researching Adam. And Gendo Ikari would have never constructed Rei Ayanami to reunite with his dead wife."

Waking up, Shinji looked to his left to see Rei, faraway, and hovering over the sea of LCL. Getting up, he noticed Asuka was sleeping beside him, clad in her plug suit and bandages.

"It is time you get going, you wanted to live right?"

"When will I see you again?"

"The future is unknown Shinji, it's up to you whether to make it a happy one or a sad one, with or without me."

Shinji felt a bandaged hand on his cheek, and he noticed he was strangling Asuka.

"At the very least, if I don't see you again in your current life…"

"…I'll see you in my next."

Getting off of Asuka, Shinji decided to walk towards the sea of LCL and sit down. A few seconds later, Asuka was sitting beside him.

"Sorry." They both said.

Asuka had seen into Shinji's mind and Shinji into hers. They finally understood each other, what they went through, why they did certain actions, and they sometimes didn't do anything. They sat in silence for a little while until Asuka decided to speak up.

"What happens next?"

Shinji looked at Asuka and decided to get up. Shinji gave a hand to Asuka, which she took, as she got up Shinji spoke.

"We live, find shelter, wait for people to come back, and eventually, the world goes back to normal, wither we pilot again or not I can't tell, wither I want to pilot or not… I don't know. But hey, after being alone on this planet for God knows how long, I'm glad I can finally spend my time with someone, and I'm glad it's you."

Still holding hands, Asuka blushed a little bit, she nodded in agreement, and they both started walking, towards their future.

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