Chapter 19 "The day of the loving dead."

Part 3 "The world in flames '

Shinji was standing at the edge of cliff, watching the distance and being lost in his own thoughts.He still remembers the nightmare he had right before he awoke from his coma and how wouldn't he? He still sees this nightmare every time he sleeps, the white skeleton against the black knight. He doesn't know if his mind is broken to the point of creating scenario or just the fate telling him the things which will come.

"Fate huh?" Said Shinji to himself with a chuckle. "When I was in the instrumentality saw a glimpse of what the world would be like without the angels or Nerv but didn't take to long for those things to emerge one way or the other afterwards. I guess after I caused the third impact I bound everyone into this fate or maybe my time was bound as this one. People who tend to believe in this, usually tell that fate is inevitable but I think even fate can be cracked. But the more time goes on the more I forget what other things I saw there, even the things I said to Gendo don't describe half of the things I think I saw. Where they real? Or mere illusions. I don't fully remember any more and it might be for the better, some things are better not be known be us humans ." He decided to stop thinking this to much and decided to check on Asuka.

Asuka was looking down at the rumble that were around this place. From the looks of it it looked like abandon village that was probably as old or even older than the second impact.

She and Shinji escape from Nerv as the explosion from 00 went of. Rei's sacrifice gave sadness to her heart but also respect because just like last time she choose the way to die.

"Your sacrifice won't go in vain, we will respect it by saving this world." Said Asuka to herself and saw Shinji coming towards her, while carrying with him some stuff.

"Did you find any food?" Asked her Shinji.

"There's an abandon store some blocks away, most of the foods are ruined but I managed to find some which can help us survive until tomorrow. What about you?"

"Not much, but I did find some berries near the bushes.They look nourishing." Said Shinji as he showed some of the berries he had gathered.

Asuka eyes widened as she saw the berries. " Throw them away idiot they are not for eating unless you you want to shit nonstop for all night."

Shinji took a moment to inspect better the berries. "Are you sure about that? They do look kinda tasty."

" 100% sure I learned about this in high school when we had lecture regarding the plant life after the second impact. Some plants were extinct due to the backlash of the impact, others become rare, others stayed the same while others got altered (like this one). It was never stayed clear as to how this happened but it is theorised that the earth's core has completely changed hense why the weather is mostly hot."

Shinji then decided to throw them away and put away some of his other stuff he was carrying. "I did manage to find some clothes and a tend for the night."

Before Asuka could respond her stomach growled in hunger. "Before we put the tend can you start cooking I haven't eaten a thing until yesterday."

"Of course all might Soryu." He said with a playful smirk as he started cooking.

Asuka looked away in shame a little. "Don't call me that it makes uncomfortable."

Shinji's face darkened a little. "Oh, I didn't know that I am sorry."

"Don't need to apologize it's not your fault it is just every time I hear that it reminds of who I was before this and it makes me sick." Asuka tried to avert Shinji's view as she was ashamed of herself.

But Shinji didn't let Asuka escape his view as he hold her hand. "What's wrong Asuka ? Speak to me."

"It's nothing important." Said she tried to hide her feelings.

"You know it's fine to be honest to people, sometimes even the worst thoughts can go away with talking."

Asuka looked Shinji with sad look and processed to speak to him as unending tears forming in her vary eyes. "I... I am so disgusted with my self, every time I look in the mirror I can also see how poorly I used to tread people. Always saw them as things that would help boost my confidence and feel better for myself. Hikary only wanted to be a friend to me and for the longest time I saw that as away to increase my popularity. You were always nice and yet I never thanked you directly about the food, your company, your help in the battlefield, I only shouted at you and throwing my rage to everyone around me. I am a horrible..."

"NO." Said Shinji as he cut her off. "You do not get to say that after all this time. You are one of the greatest people have met in my life. You were always cheerful, you never back down to a challenge and you always someone who could look and admire. You help me realize my mistakes and how to overcome them, you show me that there is good side in life . Never in my dreams did I thought that I will find a person to spend my time with . Never thought that I deserved to be loved and neither do you but we find happiness both with each other and outside of us. So no I will not let you say that after what you have done to me , because if I who destroyed the world deserves happiness then so do you who has caused less damage than me."

Asuka couldn't hold back her tears which were in her eyes. "Baka I also push you to the state that you were."

"And yet I was the one who wasn't there when you needed me the most." Answered Shinji back.

Asuka was taken back by that comment and before she could say something back Shinji kissed her in the lips. Embracing each other in the process.The hunger for food was replaced by the hunger for one another.

After some hours of loving each other they gaze upon the stars as the sun had set some moments ago. From the place they where the sky was as clear as the night which their city was out of electricity. The night couldn't get any romantic than this.

"Hey Asuka ?"Asked Shinji as Asuka was laying besides him.

"Hmm?" She said as she was almost asleep.

"How snow feels like?"

Asuka was confused by that. "That's a weird question but I am curious to hear how this come."

"It's just, I never remembered having experienced the sense of cold and snow, everyday in Japan the weather is the same excluding some rains here and there. But even those aren't devoted from heat."

"Cold isn't any different from heat Shinji. Instead of having body melting you have your veins being frozen to death. Germany was one of the few countries that had managed to stay mostly the same after the second impact but it wasn't without other problems. When I was a little kid I always liked having snow because it meant I can play snowballs with others, but as mama went away the idea of snowballs vanished and leter down the line I snowballs were considered to childish for an Eva pilot who is graduating in collage. But if you really want to know how snow feels that is something you have to experience by yourself."

"Sounds like something amazing."

"It is but explain to you won't to it justice. You know what? Why don't we go to Germany some time?"

"I ...I don't haven't been anywhere outside of Japan, but always wander how the outside world looks like."

" Yeah it will be fun just you and me traveling all across the world seeing and experience new stuff."

"It does sound like fun time but are you sure you won't to return to Germany I don't remember you having good memories there."

Asuka's face darkened a little as she was reminded a bit of her past but her face quickly lightened up. "You are right I don't have the best moments there but over time I started to remembering some of good moments I had there and I want to make more with you." She said she pointed Shinji's chest.

Shinji and Asuka had laugh with each other but Shinji's face lose it's charm. "That's fine and all but now that we have decided what we want to do in the future we must decide what are going to do now."

Asuka looked at him i the eyes.

"We could do all this stuff now. We could just leave and live a better life somewhere else far from all this."

"We have talked about this again Shinji, the choice is there but are you willing to let those people die."

"But they aren't our people." He took a moment to breathe as Asuka stared at him with those strong eyes of her. "Listen, I know it will sound selfish (because it is ) but I don't die again knowing that I have lost my chance to live a normal life just for a moment. Back then I didn't know but know that we have each other we can do things that we aren't able to before and I don't want to be robbed by what is out there."

When Asuka heard him finishing his words she calmed and kissed him in the cheek.

" You baka it's not selfish to be afraid of the end. Everything that is born will die and wither some die that is the circle of life. I told before, there is no point in thinking how things should have gone or how wouldn't have gone, it's better to think and adapt with the things that we are given in life. So what are saying? Are we gonna stay still and ignore the angels, Nerv, SEELE and whatever things are out there steal not our friends future or die trying?" Said Asuka as she raised her pinky in order to make the oath.

Shinji hesitate first but he eventually raised his pinky as well. "Till death do us a part?"

"Ha, like it can." Said Asuka with a playful smirk. After that, they embraced again and enjoy what's left of the night.