Wow, I didn't expect that many reviews for this story, but I'm glad you guys liked it. You guys have really given me this feeling that makes me only want to write more. So I'll be developing more story lines that work and I want to say thanks for all the support and the criticism along the way. You've helped me to improve as a writer, even if my grammar is atrocious. Still, to explain what I meant by he was alive, he was alive inside of them, not physically. It was a way I only could think of for Misato to comfort Asuka and to help her get over it, but whatever, just glad that you reviewed! Nothing personal, sorry if it sounded harsh.

Anyways, here's the Alt. Ending to the series that I'm sure many of you wanted, and well hopefully you enjoy it! It's also dedicated to you the reader's! So on with the chapter!

Movement 5: Regret and Hope: Love's inseparable bond pt. 2 (Alt. Ending)

The cold wind and the majestic afternoon couldn't convey the emotions she felt inside, even if letting everything she had come to know in these last few days be told to Misato, it still plagued her constantly during the whole conversation, and to the point to now where she stands alone. What had she done to deserve everything thrown at her now in her prime? Life alone was great but had many downsides, and now this adding to the tab, what the hell more could happen?

After talking to Misato, she felt that she had to go to another place to calm down, and the only thing that seemed to be able to bring ease yet to help her let it all go; the shrine of the unknown EVA battling what seemed another EVA, and Asuka could remember well it was just one of the many EVAS that SEELE had sent to create Third Impact. However, this shrine seemed special, as if a memorial and also a symbol.

The shrine had the two EVAS battling it out for what seemed dominance and victory. The SEELE EVA was in the air and extending it's arms out as if to grab the other EVAS arms and push it to the ground. However, the EVA on the ground had held the SEELE EVA by its arms and was holding it there, both struggling to cause the other to fail. Many believed that not only was it a shrine to remember the past, but to also symbolize the eternal struggle between the good and evil in a person's heart, along with humanity's struggle between its good and evil choices. There, under it read a caption saying, "This is to the dedicated pilots of those that saved humanity. May they forever be remembered. This is dedicated to Asuka and Rei, the pilots of the beasts known as EVA." Read the caption on the statue, Asuka sighing while she looked at it.

"Why did it have to here always?" snapped Asuka while walking towards it, looking at it with hurt eyes. It was reminding her too much of the past…not only that but…but…him, he plagued her mind, her being at this moment, causing her to be stricken with nothing but the pain of loss and the memories that she so desperately wished were gone and there at the same time. She had to figure who the boy was in the picture, she felt that if she didn't she wouldn't feel normal or alive.

"Why did it have to be you?" she asked herself in her mind, still grasping a mental image of the fourteen year old boy that took her heart without her knowing, as if flying under the radar and striking her blindly. She wished he was here, holding him in her arms, whispering to her that it was only a bad dream and cooing sweet nothings into her ear, just watching the sunset together and enjoying each other's presence. Instead, he was gone and it was tearing her inside into two, because he simply vanished without a trace, with no history, no background, no friends, nothing. He became just a hole in history to where he wouldn't be remembered by anyone but herself, and also Misato. All these thoughts pounding her ferociously while one saying she hated the most popped up in her head, and this time she felt it had some truth.

"Some questions were never meant to be answered…"

When she heard that the first time, she didn't believe it and casted it aside saying it was full of crap. Still, looking at what has happened and how she was feeling, it was just becoming blatantly true to her. However, at least there was a positive to it all right? At least she now knows who it was even if no one else does.

"I don't get it Shinji…I really just don't get it…" began Asuka while her head drooped down and her hands slowly became fists.

"Why did you have to die? Why did you have to be that way? Trying to become a hero!" snapped Asuka with her body starting to tremble and her fists tightening, the anger coming out more and more with each outburst.

"And then, it seems all of a sudden NO ONE REMEMBERS YOU! YOU DIE AND NO ONE REMEMBERS THAT YOU SAVED US ALL!" said Asuka, her body now trembling furiously.

"YOU LEFT US HERE WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF EXISTENCE, I KNOW THAT YOU RAN AWAY! SOMEHOW YOU CAUSED US TO FORGET YOU! YOU RAN AWAY LIKE THE COWARD YOU'D BEEN!" rampaged Asuka while tears began to form and it seemed the barrier she created was slowly snapping, the emotion that she held in for so long was releasing. She had to let it out, it couldn't just sit inside of her any longer.

"MAYBE YOU DIDN'T CAUSE IT, WHO KNOWS WHO DID, BUT STILL HOW YOU DO THIS TO EVERYONE? HOW COULD YOU LEAVE US HERE HANGING AND FEELING LIKE THIS? But most importantly…" continued Asuka, the tone changing in her voice and her tears began to fall down her face.

"How could you leave me here to feel like this? How could you leave me alone here when you knew I didn't like being alone? Didn't you get that? Didn't I show you that?" her tone of voice had slowly changed, and in the end you could feel the pain resonating from her voice. The true and raw emotions that she held inside came fleeing away from her, wanting to be let out.

She started to remember everything about the past just then, the time when he was alive and was living with her; the times when she was an EVA pilot. All the bickering, fighting and all the mistakes made while being a snappy and angry fourteen year old girl. Looking back at it all, she felt like an idiot at those times and that maybe she should've been different. Instead, she had to focus on the past and fearing all human touch and contact, for fear of getting hurt like her mother hurt her because the world only seemed to bring suffering and torture, rejection and anger, and she had to create a barrier from it all. However, he slowly began breaking through the barriers and helping her to heal the broken heart. When he left, no one stood a chance, and not even Misato could break through it. Misato and her had only gotten closer in the last seven years when she finally let it go.

"I don't get it, didn't you realize anything about me? Didn't you realize that…that…" she said with more hurt and sadness in her tone than last, the pain feeling as if swords were being jabbed into the sides of her.

"I loved you?"

Asuka fell into a brief period of silence, as if waiting for an answer that was going to never come. No answer that would bring her warmth, comfort and closure, nothing as if an empty void just stood there with no purpose in life. She felt hollow on the inside, carved out from the inside in which one contained a little shattered heart.

"Why was I so stubborn to tell you this? Why did I let myself keep from telling you the truth of how I felt towards you, even though I acted like I hated you by berating you, making you feel as if you had to say sorry. Now, I realize I should be the one saying sorry to you…" The rain died down, the sky clearing up little by little.

"I didn't want to see you turn out this way, I didn't want you to remember a burden like me when you got up, that's why Asuka, that's why." said an unfamiliar voice to Asuka that made her jump immediately. Who the hell was this person was all that was in her mind. Slowly she turned around to stare straight into familiar blue eyes that she couldn't believe she saw.

"Asuka, I made everyone forget so no tear would be shed for me when I died. To live is to die and for me I only felt like a burden to both you and Misato, so erasing myself from others felt like the right thing to do…" said the brown haired, blue eyed man with a calmness in his voice and yet some sound of sadness.

"Shinji…" began Asuka while some happiness began to form inside of her. She was happy to see him and that he was back, but still, the feelings of being alone for so long was so overwhelming that it only hurt her when he said that "he was a burden to her, that it was best for him to be forgotten".

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!" snapped Asuka while slapping Shinji on the face, a loud noise could be heard resonating, and a startled Shinji could be seen. Once again, tears began to build up in her eyes.

"YOU THINK THAT YOU WERE A BURDEN TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE! YOU THOUGHT THAT BY ERASING YOUR EXISTENCE IT WOULD HELP US! DON'T YOU GET IT, I WENT THROUGH HELL BECAUSE OF THE SADNESS OF KNOWING YOU WERE GONE, THAT YOU DIED AND WAS FORGOTTEN!" snapped Asuka while Shinji stood there with a hurt look on his face. These words she was speaking, they were eating him up inside.

"Asuka you don't --," began Shinji immediately interrupted by Asuka.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US SHINJI? IT HURT EVERYTIME I LOOKED AT THE PICTURE WHEN I REMEMBERED YOU! I FELT EMPTY, SHINJI, EMPTY AND SAD THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN SOMEONE DEAR TO ME! YOU WERE NEVER A BURDEN TO ME! YOU WERE SOMEONE TO ME…" snapped Asuka while he stood there, tears welling up in his eyes.

"AND YET YOU RAN AWAY! WHY DID YOU RUN AWAY SHINJI! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!" snapped Asuka while she began to sob and cry out uncontrollably.

"ASUKA YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" snapped Shinji while Asuka stopped and saw him standing there with tears running down his face.

"YOU TREATED ME LIKE I WAS NOTHING BUT A BURDEN TO YOU, AND WHENEVER I WANTED TO GET CLOSE TO YOU, YOU PUSHED ME AWAY! HOW COULD I KNOW IF YOU DID JUST SIMPLY LIKE ME IF YOU DID THAT TO ME! I WANTED TO OPEN UP TO YOU AND YOU TREATED ME LIKE I WASN'T EVEN GOOD ENOUGH FOR ANYTHING DEALING WITH YOU!" snapped Shinji while he yelled it out, a shocked Asuka standing there.

"What about that time –," said Asuka while Shinji cut her off.

"THAT TIME WHAT? THAT WE WENT TO GO TO THE MOVIES AND TAKING THOSE PHOTOS? YOU SAID IT WAS NOTHING! YOU SAID IT WAS TO WASTE TIME! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF THAT?" snapped Shinji while Asuka now felt scared, scared because the person she wanted seemed to hate her now more than ever.

"Shinji, you don't understand! Back then I didn't know what I was doing, I was an idiot! I looked back at everything I had done to you, and I realize I was acting stupid! I payed for my mistakes when you left, I feel into this state to where I couldn't get near to anyone except Misato and you know why?" snapped Asuka while Shinji stood there in silence, "Because I loved you! I realized that when I figured out who you were…and when I realized that you died for us all and for me, I cried realizing you were gone!" she said while her head drooped in sadness. He could hear her start to cry and felt sad and angry. Not angry at her, but himself. He caused her so much pain and he didn't even know it, what he had desperately tried to stop from happening only became worse with the decision he made.

"I'm sorry Asuka…I'm sorry…" said Shinji while stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry isn't enough Shinji! How can you say that when being dead for ten years and running away from this world? How COULD YOU!" snapped Asuka as her body trembled once again, and sobs could be heard by Shinji. Slowly, as if it were a calculated move, Shinji walked up to her and held her in his arms. She felt it but couldn't help but continue to cry. Here he was, giving her the feeling of warmth, comfort and closure, whispering sweet nothings into her ears and telling her that everything was going to be alright.

"Asuka…you're not alone anymore…you're not going to be Asuka because I'll be here for you. Asuka, I didn't know how to let out my feelings back then because I feared comfort from others in case they would reject me later. But now, I realize that no matter what that I need to tell you how I feel, and that is that I love you…" said Shinji with warmth in his voice, causing her to cry more. He didn't know why but he knew it wasn't because of what she said earlier.

"S-S-Shinji, I-I, I LOVE YOU TOO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!" cried out Asuka while Shinji held her in his arms tighter, signaling he would never leave and let go. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, happy and sad at what was going on. Happy because he was back, sad because of all the things that had happened.

After she was done crying, they sat at a bench in the park in silence for awhile, not knowing what to say, until Asuka decided to break the silence.

"Shinji, how did you come back?" asked Asuka in a curious tone, resting her head on Shinji's shoulder while he had a loving arm wrapped around her.

"I was given a chance to come back alive…"

"What?"

"I was told right before I sacrificed myself that I would be able to come back alive anytime I wanted to, when I was ready."

"Why?"

"Because if everyone would forget me, I would be able to start a new life and become a normal person in society; it was a way for giving me a reward for sacrificing myself and stopping Third Impact."

"But why now?"

"I caught you crying here and saw how hurt you were by me, I couldn't stand it anymore. So, I came back wanting to be with you and to comfort you. YOU brought ME back."

"Thanks Shinji, I'm glad that you're back."

She kissed him on the cheek with a tint of red on her face, causing him to blush at the contact. He remembered them kissing but hell, this was better than that kiss. This one had love behind it, yearning and happiness. He kissed her back, smiling and telling her with his eyes that, "I'll never leave you,"

"So you also aged while you were dead huh?" said Asuka while Shinji looked at himself and gave a nervous smile.

"I guess so, somehow I got lucky enough to be the same age as you. Or rather, because of the second chance and timing, I guess I wasn't exactly "dead" but still was able to age. But who cares about that, let's go home and surprise Misato, what do you say?" asked Shinji while Asuka couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"Yeah, how about we do that?" said Asuka while they both got up, walking out of the park that would be forever remembered as their "anniversary of reuniting". When Misato saw him, she hugged him immediately and couldn't help but tell him everything that had happened during the last ten years, and he had to explain everything he had to Misato. It was a fun dinner, and for once the shy, timid Shinji they had known became this normal man that had changed inside.

Since Shinji didn't have a place to stay, Asuka let him stay at her apartment so they could begin a new life together. Since it was already night time, they went to bed in each other's arms. Before really falling asleep, Asuka took a look at the picture and was blushing at what she saw.

The young Shinji was still in there smiling except turned to the side, looking at someone Asuka could tell right away. It was her smiling and near Shinji, both holding hands and smiling at each other, causing Asuka to smile and feel happy that in the end he was back, and this time she was going to do things right. She slowly climbed back into the bed kissing Shinji on the lips.

"I love you Shinji..." all of a sudden she heard a small and simple reply...

"I love you too Asuka...and I always will..."