Work of fanfiction

To the R/S fans out there: 'though it is likely'! I'm a predominantly Rei/Shinji writer. The reason I put that warning there was because with the way I've set the plot, Asuka has a chance at Shinji. It's damn small, but it is there. Until further notice, consider this R/S.

And as for the Dougler? I'm hurt that you hate my food. The other things you hate I don't care a rat's ass about. Besides, flames can be a good thing in the cold Midwest. Heat is nice. On with the show!

Blades and Love

"Are you alright, Rei?" asked the rather damp Shinji as he walked into the trainee's room after his first day of instruction.

"Fine," said Rei, but the wince in her voice immediately told Shinji that she was not being truthful. To both him and herself. He crossed the room to where she was sitting against the wall.

"Rei…" he said as he kneeled down in front of her.

"I have some bruises. Nothing more." Still she held out! She started to get up. "I will leave so you can change."

Shinji put his hand on her shoulder. He didn't push down at all, hardly even touched her, but she stopped as if his hand was a steel plate. "Forget about that. Let me help."

Rei looked at his concerned face, then averted her eyes and shrugged off one of the arms of her gi. She lifted that arm, and hissed a little in pain. Shinji gasped. Angry red bruise marks mottled what of her side he could see like tiger stripes, and it was obvious some of her bindings were the worse for wear due to unedged sword strikes. He then noticed she was wearing wrappings on her forearms. He took the arm that was out of the gi and unwrapped it. More of the same. He lightly traced the marks with his fingers, focusing on the angry red smears on Rei's pale skin. Rei sucked in an involuntary breath.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, it was…soothing." Shinji returned to stroking the wounds.

"Sword practice?"

"Yes. I am not nearly as skilled as Sakura. But I believe I am improving." She looked away from Shinji. "Slowly."

"That's okay. We've got time. Besides, shishou won't even let me spar with him yet."

"What?"

"I have to get my body into shape first. My day was spent running, and jumping under a waterfall."

"Under a waterfall?"

"Yeah, I can jump up to the top of the roof now. Shishou wants one meter more. I also have to get my body to the point where I can move any part of it so fast it at least blurs. Not easy stuff."

"No. It wouldn't be. We had better get to sleep."

"Yes. Do you want me to leave?"

"Ile. There is nothing to be ashamed of." She placed her hand on Shinji's. "Besides, I might need your help."

Shinji blushed. Hard. "Sure, Rei."

Fifteen minutes, and a number of embarrassing moments later, both the trainees were dressed in their yukutas and lying in their futons. Neither could sleep. Both had too much on their mind. Or rather, one very large thought. It's not like before. What am I feeling about him/her?

A week later, Shinji's body looked almost the same in the kenjutsu uniform as it had before, but it was hardly the same one. His old scrawny muscles were replaced by corded steel, small and mostly unnoticeable, but just as powerful as those on a bodybuilder. And they were faster. Shinji could whip his arm so that Hiko could not see the sword swing. Hiko judged he could leap a half-meter higher than the three he had wanted, maybe more. Shinji's body was in the perfect shape for Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu.

Rei was becoming a much better swordswoman. She no longer sported as many marks at the end of the day, and her muscles had become like Shinji's. They had made almost a ritual out of Shinji tending to her wounds at the end of each day, but nothing more happened between the two, despite the tension, almost like the tension of one of the giant longbows of the samurai, just waiting to be released.

That was when things started to change.

"I don't think I am in as good shape as you, Shinji. It's time to start sparring. Get the swords and draw." Shinji walked over and grabbed the swords, still in their sheathes. He brought them over to Hiko, who drew Kenshin's old sakabatou. "Huh," he said as he swung the sword. "It feels like the balance is off." He examined the blade carefully. "It seems just the same." He re-sheathed the blade and took the other one out. "This one is spot-on. Strange. Shinji, try Kenshin's."

"Right, shishou." He slid the blade from the sheath slowly, reveling in the rich past of the sakabatou. He slashed with it and went through a brief kata. "It feels better than the other has in the past."

"Very queer. No matter. You use that blade, I'll use this one. Now, I want you to attack me. Do not hold back. Remember: ma-ai, speed, flexibility."

"Right." Shinji's eyes narrowed as he considered his options. Hiko's only weak spot in defense was his back. That meant…Shinji dashed forwards, just past Kenichi and spun, delivering a heavy blow to his teacher's back. Kenichi just barely got in a grazing blow to the cheek, barely enough to raise a red mark.

"Ughh!" Hiko dropped to one knee. He thought back to what he had seen Shinji do. And found it disturbingly familiar. It was Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu's own Ryu Kan Sen. He got to his feet with a great deal of difficulty. "Why did you do that?"

"The Ryu Kan Sen?" asked Shinji, "It was the quickest way of breaking your defenses, shishou."

"Shinji, I have not taught you any techniques yet. You shouldn't know how to do that, or even it's name."

"You're right," said Shinji worriedly, "I shouldn't."

Kenichi snapped his fingers. "Shinji, hit that tree over there, without moving from where you are standing. Call out the name of your attack."

"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, Do Ryu Sen!" Shinji struck the ground blindingly fast, shooting a short stream of rocks and earth at the tree, which was now knocked down.

"Tree next to it, different attack."

Shinji sheathed the sword, popped it, then with a: "Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, Hi Ryu Sen!", blasted his thumb against the tsuba, sending the sakabatou flying butt-first into the tree.

"I've seen enough. Let's go back to the dojo. I need to talk to my sister."

"I know! She's just the same way! I'm ready to teach her something, but she already knows it! It's like she's polishing off some extremely rusty skills."

"Have you asked her about the ougi yet?"

"No. Wait. Do you think Shinji might know the true Hiten ougi?"

"He might. It was never taught to Kenji, remember?"

"I know. He might just know it."

"Weird. So why do you think they're like that?"

"Honestly? I'd say they have someone else's kenki."

"So do you think Shinji is the resurrected Mater Mitsurugi?"

"It's not resurrection. Just the passing of one's fighting self. And honestly, I'd say that Shinji has the kenki of Kenshin Himura."

"Heh. I wonder if Rei has Kaoru's."

"You shouldn't joke about it. This is what I think is the truth. Besides, she just might. In case you hadn't noticed, there haven't been many female practitioners of the school."

"Only three. Kaoru, me, and Rei. She does have Kaoru's kenki."

"Only if I'm right, sis, only if I'm right."

"Are you alright?" asked Rei as the sat near the koi pond.

"I'll be fine Rei. He just barely tapped me."

"I see a red mark," she said, dampening her finger in the koi pond and running it over the mark. Shinji let out a little breath in contentment. It felt good. He didn't stop her when she reached up to caress the mark with her full hand either.

It was surprising. Shinji's mental image of Rei's hands were of small, dainty, soft, and warm hands. The hands of a nadesico, or an angel. Not what was stroking his face. It was small, and warm, yes, but it was also strong and callused. The hand of a swordswoman.

Reality was so much better than imagination. He reached up to clasp her hand in his, blushing when their fingers interlaced. He looked at her, her beautiful face. Her alabaster skin had a light pink tinge. He saw her outer beauty, that which had been described as 'angelic', but he drank up her inner beauty, that of her soul. Her as his friend, her as his comrade, her as a swordswoman, and her as his love. She saw much the same things. And in the Kanto region of post-Second Impact Japan, two new loves embraced. Love grows from friendship.

That was how the Myojin siblings found them, snuggled together, happy as could be. "Let's give them the day off," said Hiko.

"Yeah, I'd hate to break this up."

Yeah! WAFF! And another chapter done! Now, Rei/Shinji fan out there are happy, right? No, no kiss yet, but not every relationship starts with a kiss. Love grows from friendship. Take it slow if you want it to last. And in case you are wondering, Hiko is spot-on in his guess. Now, I have added one more school to my list: Saiki Kanuma-Ryu, but I still need your help. I am looking for schools that the weapons are the dai-sho set, and appear in the series. Since mummy-man's Ryu seems to be exclusive to him, there would be no information on it and therefore can't be put into this fic, so that one's out too. Still, any help would be good.

Two more things. The first is my schedule for this fic. Story chapter should be updated on the weekdays. Weekends I will take off for my other stories (hint, hint), answering reviews, and building up a buffer.

Finally, a contest! If you can tell me which school I screwed up on the basic form, which school I stole a ultimate attack for, and which school I simply made up the ultimate attack for, you will get a short role in one of the next few chapters. (Probably some guy delivering the paper at the dojo or something.) One entry per reviewer, first to get it wins.

Hint: For the first answer read RK Manga volume two.

Ja na!