Shinji awoke on a train platform. He squinted, the bright sunlight filling his vision. A gentle chime played, heralding the arrival of a train.
He looked forward, across the platform, and saw some familiar faces. Mari and Asuka spoke on a bench, the latter showing off a new game she got on her handheld console.
The birds chirped loudly, and Shinji tried to get some bearings as to where he was. It was in Tokyo-3, but it looked very different. It was rebuilt, for starters, and it lacked the imposing artillery batteries and utilitarian skyscrapers the city was home to before. It appeared to be a normal city, bustling with people going about their daily lives.
He looked across the platform again, and saw a silver-haired man there, with red eyes and a confident grin. Shinji was glad to see Kaworu chatting happily with a certain bespectacled otaku. Toji and Hikari were nearby, giggling and laughing with each other.
He looked to the other end of the opposing platform and saw the unmistakable purple hair of his guardian, along with the cocky smile of her lover, who still refused to shave his stubble. A muffled squawk came from her overstuffed purse.
He saw more of his colleagues sitting beside them. Maya and Ritsuko spoke quietly while Aoba demonstrated his air guitar skills to Makoto.
He noticed someone was missing, though. Everyone was there, except...
"Ikari-kun," came a soft voice from behind him.
Shinji knew that voice anywhere. It wasn't the cold, confusing voice that had been haunting him the past few weeks. It was soft, and warm, and caring.
Shinji slowly turned around to face the love of his life, tears of joy streaming from his eyes.
