Woohoo, double update! You all might even get a third before the weekend is out as well as another Shinji Ikari One Shot.

Why the high output? Because I write as a stress reliever and life pulls no punches.

Chapter 23

Shinji hadn't seen Misato for three days. He had seen Asuka during their daily training, but she had said nothing of their guardian. Viral had commented when he and Rei arrived together, but nothing hurtful, just teasing. Shinji had expected it though, it was not without cause.

He and Rei had slept together, in the same bed. Slept, that was it he told himself. Well they kissed, and their hands wandered, but that was it. Well besides when Rei started nibbling on his neck last night. When he woke up after the first night, he felt like he had slept for days. He was in the shower when he realized his body had finally left the accelerated state.

Asuka had practiced alone with Remo for the past three days. He said it was to get her up to speed. Rei and Shinji had been left with Viral, but that was fun. Remo wanted an exercise done perfectly, without deviation. Practicing with Viral was more like play once they mastered the initial exercise. Together, Shinji and Rei could overcome him once in a while.

They had him on the ropes when Remo stopped them.

"Alright kids. Bring it in." Remo said, walking over with Asuka. When Shinji turned at his sensei's voice, Viral tagged him across the back of the head. Rei missed returning the favor within a few inches and Viral spun around and bopped her on the head too.

"Okay, Asuka is pretty much caught up. Now Shinji's had some time and seen that she fights in a pretty different way from what you two are used to. That's good, that will teach you all to adapt. Rei, you and Asuka will practice with Viral. Shinji, come with me, got something I want to teach you."

Shinji and Remo left. Rei was inwardly ecstatic. Shinji had told her of these bouts with the gaijin and her lightening speed. Outside, she was of course composed, even… blank. She reserved her energy to show feeling for her beloved, at night, between them only. For the food they made for each other, for the pain their hands took from each other, and the pleasure they returned. A little too for their small flock, Kensuke and Toji. And now this girl, she too would have that honor.

Rei took her place across from the girl in red on the mat, with Viral between them. Asuka still wore the red slim fitting synthetic uniform she had brought with her. Rei wore the same gi she had been given when Remo and Viral arrived. It was worn beige from its original white, the obi belt across it brown. Both had their hair loose, Asuka's just a tad longer.

"Okay you two, this is going to be half speed…"

Asuka rose up on the balls of her feet and shook out her hands before clenching them into fists. She was the tiger, ready to pounce.

Rei let her arms hang loose at her sides and let all the tension slip from her body, gently swaying back and forth. She was the cloud, loose in the air.

"Now I want you both to be…" Viral just stopped and looked at the girls. There might as well have been seats, lights and popcorn for all the energy in the air between them.

"Okay screw it, just don't kill each other. You both got things that need working out, might as well get it out now…" Viral said and raised one knife hand into the air. He always wanted to say this, just once, but Remo would have kicked his ass.

"Heaven or hell, lets rock!" He yelled and dropped his hand.

Asuka was on the attack, crossing the mat with bladed hands already slicing through the air. When Rei ducked the first one, she whipped her body around the kick, and second blade strike that followed. As the second kick came around Rei began her counter attack.

The tiger pounces and kills its prey through careful stalking and perfect effort. The cloud brings thunder, lightening and flood and kills thousands and destroys lives without effort. It simply is.

Rei struck out with an open palm and caught Asuka on the thigh, right where her legs met. Clenching her fingers she took control of her entire center and lifted up to take her from the ground then slammed her down on her ass. Rei rocked her entire body to power the throw and fell with Asuka, letting go of her leg to lock the other with her clenched arm and let her weight take the breath from Asuka as they struck the ground.

She didn't expect the hammer blow to her abdomen to leave her breathless or the arm around her throat as Asuka twisted around beneath her and threw her to the mat. Asuka ended up in a three point stance as Rei rolled to all fours.

Rei rose up on her toes and fingertips then snapped and snarled at Asuka. Asuka got to her feet with a twist and was back on her toes with her fists up. In the moment of stillness as they both tensioned their bodies again, Asuka raised one finger and beckoned.

Far above, in the geofront woods, Shinji sat across from Remo on the grass of a clearing.

"So you are living with Rei now?"

"I thought you wanted to teach me something, Remo-sensei."

"I do, I just have questions. Explain to me why you chose to move."

"Misato told me Asuka was getting my room and I had to move into a closet. I'd just rather sleep in a bed, with Rei especially."

"Well just be careful, last thing I want to deal with is a pregnant Rei."

"Sensei… we aren't doing that. And you know Rei can't have children."

"Yeah, sorry, shouldn't have tried to double blind you like that. So you moved for better living conditions?"

"Well and I was still taking care of Misato, it was getting old."

"Does Rei do all the chores then?"

"Well, no, we share but it's different."

"You are mutually grateful."

"Yes."

"Living with someone you love can break a relationship. Its all fresh and new at first, but you find things about each other that will drive you to rage. A wise man once said if you have never been ready to murder your partner, you have never been in love. Are you ready to deal with that?"

"Yes Sensei, I think so. I know how to handle anger."

"Is that why Major Katsuragi still can't bear to see you?"

"What?"

"I do not know what you said or did Shinji, but your actions have consequences. She hides it well, she is a warrior, but you hurt her."

"She shouldn't have hurt me."

"You feel she broke your trust. What would you have done in her place then?"

"Put Asuka in the little room I guess, I was there first."

"Misato has rules she has to obey, and those rules mean putting Asuka in a bigger room."

"Why can't she stay somewhere else then? She is always saying she would rather live with her master."

"Let us assume the Major has reasons for not doing so."

"Sensei… is this going to end in you telling me to move back in the Misato?"

"What? Oh fuck no. You and Rei both are doing better since you moved. Do something though, apologize, take her to dinner, something to get her out of this funk you put her in. Otherwise she is hurting the entire effort as much as you getting shoved in that closet would have. Promise me you will do something, okay?"

"I promise Sensei."

"Good. Ready for me to stop giving you advice on dealing with women and teach you something useful?" Remo said, cracking a smile.

Shinji chuckled. "Yes Sensei."

"Alright, this technique is known as the floating punch…"

Down below, there was proof that good foundational combat skills are a necessary piece of advice to give a young man on dealing with a certain class of woman.

Rei was doing something that her mentor would chide her for soundly tonight, but she had no other choice. She was blocking. Rei knew when she threw a punch it could shatter concrete, but this fireball, this gaijin, she fought by deception. One could never tell which of the whirlwind of attacks was the one with the real power behind it. Rei had dodged what she thought had been a kick that could take her head off, then taken a jab to the thigh that nearly sent her to the ground.

Her endurance was amazing, Rei had to admit outlasting her was unlikely if she had trained to fight like this. Sinanju fought to destroy a target with a single strike. This was something totally different. She could not win in a single strike without killing her. Rei considered it, but killing her was not an option. Viral had specifically said not to.

Rei threw up her hand to intercept a blow and felt the recoil down to her shoulders as Asuka struck like a thundercrack.

This had to end now.

I am created, Kali, time the end of all things…

As the world around her became truly real, she finally saw the pattern in the chaos. It was vast, preplanned strings of movement that could each be perfected separately. She was so fast because she was not making a single move, each movement was part of a set. Each set could fit with a dozen other sets. It was… industrial.

Rei dropped her hands and weaved once, and four blows sailed past her.

Sinanju was the true assassin's art. To take a target, one had to not only perfect the strike, but to know the target perfectly in a single moment. The kill was not a singular action, it was between the assassin and the target. A perfect analysis of a deadly foe was crucial. Rei had underestimated the gaijin. She did so no longer.

As Asuka leaped into a double roundhouse, Rei shot under her leg and let herself be carried behind and a distance from her enemy whom she could not kill. Asuka recovered and spun around, back on the balls of her feet, bobbing and weaving place.

"This is over."

"Giving up? I knew it. Master Kaji said Sinanju is all half forgotten hype."

"You misunderstand. We have passed the final intersect. The path is locked. Your only way to victory is not to continue."

"Cut the mystic bullshit!" Asuka screamed and rushed low, planning to put Rei on the mat with a sledgehammer strike to the abdomen.

Rei simply stood, watching. As the girl made her final approach, and her arm shot out, Rei reached out and gingerly pressed into the hollow between the bicep and the tricep with two fingers. It was a gentle step past the girl's shoulder to lightly tap the right buttock and the intersection of the two segments of the right fifth rib.

As Asuka struck only air and fell to the ground, unable to catch herself, Rei released a deep breath and returned the world to the fuzzy, desaturated state in which all but most conditioned live their lives. She turned and pressed her fist into her open palm to bowed.

"Thank you Soryu-san, you have taught me a valuable lesson today. Your technique is, as all techniques are, but a shadow of the sun that is Sinanju, but it is certainly an impressive one."

Asuka lay face down on the mat, gurgling. She could breath, but she couldn't move. When she tried to lift her left arm, her right side big toe twitched. When she tried to bring her leg under herself, her right pinky finger twitched. Attempting to speak made only bubbles of saliva. What the fuck had that witch done to her?

"Nerve impulse rerouting, impressive little sister." Viral said as he crossed the mat. He crouched down beside Asuka to look at her face.

"Hey red, do something if you can hear me."

Asuka's left leg flopped on the mat like a fish. She had been trying to blink.

"Okay, now this is going to wear off, don't freak out. Just chill out, take a nap or something."

Asuka was inwardly fuming as he walked away. As if she could do anything else.

"You want to tell me where you learned to do that sis? I know I didn't teach you and I kind of doubt Ssem went that far while we were gone."

"No, Viral-sensei, I do not. Was it done correctly?"

"Yeah, looks like it."

"Then that is what matters."

Half an hour later, Asuka's body was beginning to sort itself out. Viral had left and assigned Rei to watch over her.

"Hey Ayanami?" Asuka said. She had tried to speak for the last ten minutes, but her tongue had only now decided to cooperate. Rei was seated next to her in the lotus position and opened her eyes when she spoke.

"You are recovering Soryu."

"Yeah, hey that was pretty good, I feel like I know you better now."

Rei could understand that, much was revealed in such ways.

"So, uh I still can't move, but can we talk? Its been, like, super boring down here."

"Of course we may speak."

"So, whats the deal with you and Shinji?"

Rei became worried. She was not concerned about their identities being revealed, but what would this girl do with the information.

"What do you mean, Soryu?"

"Well like, are you courting or is this something that got arranged for you, or what?"

"What is courting?"

"Well its like you know, he is your boyfriend and you visit and feel each other out, decide if you are marriage material, that sort of thing, with responsible adults there to make sure nothing, you know, untoward happens."

Rei was relieved, of course that's what she meant, the girl was far too narrow minded to realize the truth.

"That is not an inaccurate description, though we require no supervision."

"Oh… Do people get married early here?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well you two seem really close and adults let you be alone, I just figured maybe its normal here for people to get married at fifteen or sixteen. I mean I had a friend back home that is already wed, but her family has always been like that and all the parents involved gave permission."

"I… had not considered it. We are happy as we are."

Asuka managed to roll herself over so her face was not pressed to the mat and prop up her body on one arm. Half of her face was still red where it had been on the rough tatami mat for so long.

"Well, I mean I get Shinji being unhappy about losing his room and staying with you, but you aren't, like… you know, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know… coupling?"

"Well we are a couple."

"No I mean, um…" Asuka said, both sides of her face red now.

"Soryu, what are you talking about?"

"I mean you aren't like, um… riding his bologna pony… right?" She said quite quickly and quite flustered before bringing her other hand up to cover her blushing face, peeking at Rei through her fingers.

"Riding his wha-…" Rei said and looked down at Asuka, really kind of aghast. Who even says stuff like that?

"Soryu, are you asking if Shinji and I have sexual intercourse?"

"Yes yes, sssssssh, someone will hear." Asuka said, putting a finger to her lips.

"Soryu, there is nobody here, and why would I care?"

"Well I just don't want you getting into trouble, that's all."

Rei shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. "No Soryu, we are not… doing that. Now please, there are myriad ways to refer to the act that are beautiful and full of reverence for the emotional commitment between two people like Shinji and I have. 'Riding his bologna pony' is not one of them. Please never EVER use it again."

They laughed together.

"Sorry… I'm just used to things being done a certain way and I shouldn't impose that on you. Where I come from, two people our age that aren't family and are, you know, interested, are not even left alone together without one of their family, usually parents, to keep an eye on them."

"Do your people not trust their children?"

"No, just there is a way things are done and temptation to do something wrong can be very strong. The adult is also there to make sure things are healthy and nobody is pretending or maybe taking emotionally taking advantage of the other person. With different people watching, both the guy and the girl have more opinions to draw on and can make a good decision as to whether they would make a good marriage."

Rei thought about it, but quickly realized the irrelevance to her situation. It wasn't a question of if she and Shinji were good material for each other. They simply were. They had been together since the beginning of time, two sides of the same grand power. They had married when cities were still a hot new idea.

"I am not concerned with Shinji and I's suitability for each other. It is very clear to both of us that we are compatible. I suppose we may marry someday though."

"Well what does the commander think?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Well he is Shinji's dad and your guardian, so his say matters, right?"

"No, I have no regard for what Commander Ikari thinks of our relationship."

"Well doesn't anybodies opinion matter to you?"

"Mine and Shinji's."

Asuka concluded that they must love each other very much, but this sounded dangerous. They were fifteen, they should not be doing this alone. Maybe she could help, or talk to the commander.

"Well I mean if you are living in his house, you should at least think about what the commander might say."

Rei cocked her head. "I do not live with the commander."

"But I thought he was your guardian, who do you live with?"

"Shinji. Before that I lived alone."

Sirens were going off in Asuka's head like there was a five-alarm fire.

"Whoa, okay… so he sleeps on the couch?"

"No, of course not. My space is small, we share the bed."

It wasn't even fires anymore, the alarms were screaming at DEFCON ONE now.

"Y-y-you what?! You are fifteen, you don't have a wedding planned and you are LIVING IN SIN with… NO no no no no no."

Rei chided herself, she should have seen this coming and said nothing to the gaijin, or just let her think everything was as her culture. She was surprised to see Asuka sit up and extend out her hand.

"I, the great Asuka Langely Soryu, will not see my friends go into this with no plan and no faith. No, I would be totally neglectful not to help you."

Friends? Rei thought. She accorded the title of friend to Kensuke and Toji, not this girl. Rei stared down at her hand.

"Besides, we are out there saving the world, if you are getting married you deserve an awesome wedding. Perfect dress, perfect flowers, perfect location, everything. And that means doing everything leading up to it right."

Rei remembered what she could of weddings, the western kind Asuka seemed to be talking about. It was, essentially, a pageant or theatrical performance centered on the couple, reenacting an idealized ceremony in which they are declared a single entity by their chosen authority. For the bride this included a special dress, attendants known as bridesmaids, and a great deal of attention on her and praise of her beauty.

Yes, yes that would do fine. Perhaps foreign traditions were not totally worthless.

Rei took Asuka's hand and shook. "I accept your aid Soryu. Thank you."

High above, Shinji Ikari felt a disturbance in the force. He paused and took in the feeling of a million voices all squealing out at once, and then suddenly disappearing.

"Hey, Earth to Shinji!"

Shinji looked up at his Sensei in the tree above him.

"Sorry sensei, just felt something weird."

"Yeah that happens at your age, whenever you are done searching your feelings, just say so, we can get back to work."

"Yes Sensei, whenever you are ready."

The strange positions, with Shinji on the ground and Remo lounging in the branches of a tree above him, were necessitated by the lesson. Remo plucked a fresh leaf from the branch above him.

"In 3…2…1" He said and dropped the leaf.

Shinji looked straight ahead, waiting for the wide maple leaf to drift into his view, when it did he pushed the air from his lungs and lashed out with his right hand closed together into a knife. He struck, and this was terribly important, through the leaf. He did not hit its surface, nor its stem, nor its edge. In the sliver of a second in which his fingertips touched the paper thin leaf, all of the energy produced by his trained and conditioned body was released into it.

What was left were flecks of green floating to the ground, moved about the clearing by the breeze. Remo rolled from the branch and landed on his feet beside Shinji then slapped the boy on the back.

"Well done my son. You have a habit of overextending though and I need you to really practice to not do so. Tactically in any situation it gives the enemy an opening, but with this floater strike it can rip your shoulder in two. Trust me, I know." Remo said. He was keenly aware of the danger and it had taken years for his shoulder to fully recover after he was sloppy and expected his target to stop him from going any further. The man had feinted in fear and offered no resistance so he just kept going. Remo's shoulder had dislocated itself and all the muscles in his hand and arm were strained in the process.

"Alright, now the midday ops meeting should just be getting out, the Major will be heading back to her office. Go fulfill your promise."

"Yes, sensei."

Major Misato Katsuragi was walking back to her office from the second of the required daily meetings. She held a stack of binders and file folders to her chest. Her heart hadn't been in the meeting; it was just the same old stuff.

She had felt horrible when she woke up and Shinji wasn't there, and not just because of the pounding hangover. She hadn't realized her door was open, and Asuka was up making breakfast. She saw her like that. She could not have been more ashamed. But Asuka, oh always sweet little Asuka, had told her everyone makes mistakes, and she could never hold it against her to fall to temptation.

She had poured everything, even her stash, down the drain while Asuka was in the shower. She was done. Forever. Never hiding like that again. She had relied on Shinji too much and when she wanted more than she should have already asked from him, he left her.

It was Friday. Tomorrow off, that would be hard but Asuka was there and they could get her unpacked. She had so much stuff compared to the small bag Shinji had brought with him. She had already promised to go to church on Sunday with her. She hadn't been in years, this would be weird. But it would be a little less weird the next week, and a little less after that, and then it would be normal.

She had been a fool to think she could find forgiveness in herself just by helping these kids. She was filthy, she was wretched. It was probably a good thing she could never be a mother, she would be horrible at it and a terrible example.

"Misato!"

She stopped and turned when she heard his voice. It was him. The beautiful little boy she had broken and turned into a soldier. He was running towards her, his bare feet slapping on the metal floor.

"Hey Misato." He said as he came to a stop.

"Hello Shinji, I…"

"I'm sorry." They said together.

Misato dropped the stack of paperwork in her arms and grabbed Shinji, tightly holding him against her. Her legs were bent and her face was buried in the white fabric of the shoulder of his robe.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Shinji said into her ear.

"No, Shinji, I… It was my fault." She said, tears forming in her eyes. "I shouldn't have put you in that position. You do so much and I just got comfortable putting it all on you. I swear to god, I'll start cleaning up, I'll listen when you teach me and learn how to cook. I won't ever do that to you again. No more booze, I promise, I got rid of it all. Please give me another chance, please come back."

Shinji didn't say anything at first. He had had no intention of going back. He had felt like his anger was too strong, like he could never stand to live with Misato again after what she had done. He felt betrayed when she yelled at him. But not going back would hurt Misato even more and he didn't want to do that.

"Misato… I… can we talk about it? I don't want to hurt your feelings or Rei's, so can the three of us talk about it together?"

"O-okay." Misato said as she stood up straight and wiped the tears from her eyes with one hand while the other still held Shinji to her. "How about you two come over for dinner tonight? Don't worry I won't cook, Asuka wanted to make something Italian and she can make enough for all of us."

"Okay." Shinji said and hugged Misato again. It made her feel good, like she was good enough, like she could do better.

"I don't remember much of mom." He said with his face still pressed to her chest, smiling. "But even with everything, I think of you as like an aunt or something. You aren't mom, but you are like her to me, if that makes sense."

"Yeah…" Misato said and laid her hand on his head. "And I think, and I know if your mom was here she would agree, you are an amazing boy."

When Shinji finally got back to the warehouse would be dojo, he saw Rei sitting alone with Remo and Viral finishing lunch, but no Asuka.

"Hey Sensei, I talked to Misato."

"How'd it go."

"Good I think. Misato invited us to dinner tonight to talk things out, Rei."

"Is she cooking?" Rei asked.

"You mean trying to cook?" Viral called from the kitchen that occupied one corner of the room.

Shinji slapped his forehead. "Oy, no she is not cooking."

"Then we shall be happy to attend."

"So, where's Asuka?" Shinji asked as he sat down next to Rei and Viral brought over food.

"Eh, Rei whipped her pretty bad, so we let her off early for today."

Shinji turned to look at Rei and found her with a smile on her lips, a small thing just showing her canines on one side.

"Oh she must have been angry." He said

"Oh no, we came to understanding afterwards. She really is not so bad."

Huh, so that must have been that wave of terrible dread earlier. Things were going well. Shinji Ikari knew that when things were going this well, one should brace for impact.

Gendo Ikari was just finishing denying a requisition request for more vending machines in the halls. It wasn't the twenty-third had received since the facilities inaugeration and he was as opposed now as he ever was. Why have vending machines in the halls when they had a twenty-four hour cafeteria and a perfectly efficient elevator system, there was no need to further clutter the halls with potential hard cover.

He was surprised to hear a knock on his office doors. He double checked his desk calendar and confirmed he had no visitors scheduled during this time. Well, he had finished denying the various employee requisitions and leave requests early and he had time.

"Come."

The door opened and the second child walked in. Gendo had of course met the girl before and had seen all the surveillance reports, but he would hardly call himself familiar with her. She was wearing a red dress with bows at the ends of the short sleeves and at the neck, belted at the waist. She brought her heels together silently in the red footie Chuck Taylors she wore, and saluted.

"Commander Ikari."

"Captain. What can I do for you today?"

"Sir, this is a personal matter that concerns you and I had hoped I might speak freely."

"Certainly captain, though I don't imagine there is a personal matter with anybody on this base that concerns me."

"Well Sir, um its about Shinji and Rei."

"I am aware they have a relationship if that is the bombshell you are looking to drop Captain."

"Yes but Sir there are several factors I find… discomforting about that relationship, of which I am not sure you are aware. Now I understand the chaos that simply dropping me in Major Katsuragi's life can bring, especially when I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I also understand how, feeling pushed out of his living space, going to stay at a friend's home while one is frustrated is perfectly normal. However because Shinji and Rei are in a relationship and really a quite serious one, I don't think its appropriate for Shinji to be staying with her."

"What did you say, pilot?"

"That I thought it was inappropriate for…"

"No no, the last part. Am I to understand that the third child is cohabiting with Rei?"

"Um, yes, and I guess lack of space dictates sharing a bed and I was wondering if perhaps…"

The girl kept talking, Gendo was not listening. This was unacceptable; it could ruin the whole plan. If they became synchronized the output would be far outside any established parameters. Worse yet, Rei could have already potentially reimprinted. Dammit, how did he not see this sooner. Well of course he didn't see it he thought. Ever since those damn teachers arrived she had been distant. It was their fault, clearly.

"… And so I hoped as Shinji's father and Rei's guardian, you would help me and the major make sure they have proper courtship so that when they are of age they can wed with confidence that they are god's match for each other and this is not just a fleeting sensation of lust."

"Absolutely, yes of course. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will act on it right away. Should you need anything, pilot, just bring it to me and I will see that it is done. Please see yourself out I have much to attend to."

"Okay, thank you commander!" Asuka said and left. She was happy as she walked down the hall and waited for the elevator. She knew the commander would understand how important involvement in his child's life, or really his children's lives, was to help them be healthy, morally upright adults. As she got in the elevator her mind wandered and she considered if Rei would prefer a big church wedding or a little a chapel, or something else. Nothing civil of course, but she gave this very natural vibe, maybe just on a beach or in the woods on the geofront. They had time to plan of course, but never too early to get organized.

End

What? You didn't think they could just go on being happy at this point, do you? Happiness is only worth what you put in to get it.

I was all set to have Asuka and Rei's bout be this subtle thing with banter back and forth and little things showing their personalities. Then I remembered why we are all here… and that I like guilty gear.

Finally, for all your unmarried young men who think Rei is wrong about weddings, you are wrong. I am happily married, I enjoyed my wedding, but I was under no illusions before, during or since that this was anything but a pageant to show off the bride. I think most married men will agree with me, and the honest women too.