A BEAUTIFUL HARMONY

Rei breathed in deeply opening her eyes how strange it was like floating on air in a warm surround which had encompassed her she looked down as her plug suited feet touched the snow yet it wasn't cold it was warm she looked around her seeing the vast stretches of snow and blue water. Yet the air was warm it wasn't cold and above was a warm red sky with rays of golden light she turned looking around her where was this?

She raised her hand seeing that she was in her plug suit but it had lost its sleeves. This really wasn't like being in a VR simulation it was so much more real in that she could smell the ocean and even though it a cold place the air was so fresh. She leaned down looking at herself in the blue clear waters she looked the same she moved her hand down running her fingers through the water which wasn't cold it was warm like the water of a hot tub yet the ice was not melting.

She looked up sharply seeing the water some distance away turn blood red there was a massive splash as a huge figure broke the surface coming down hard on the ice the huge clawed feet digging in. She blinked eyeing the lycanthrope tiger form which she'd seen in Asuka's drawing the embodiment of Nekomata wait she'd spoken about this before she'd taken on this form to fight Bardiel the first time after Ritsuko’s machine Obrax had put her in a temporary coma she'd only the lost the battle and been forced out of her coma because he'd tried to drown her. She could see the huge clawed hands and feet and two tails swinging back forth and the huge mane of red fur and hear the heavy breathing which sounded human. "Asuka?"

She watched as the face turned revealing the tiger ears and glowing blue and white left eye which was scared as well as the tiger like face with its huge teeth and snout though the right eye was perfectly human and bright blue.

Yes it was definitely Asuka she'd seen this image countless times in her drawings the visitor centre even had these drawings but to see her up close this way was just mind blowing. Because it just wasn't what you saw in your everyday life you saw things like this in movies and pictures but you could never touch them.

She was also massive in this form at least six feet tall and on every muscle section were black stripes so much like a real tigers, the gender was impossible to distinguish due to the fur as it was so thick in the chest area and below the waist but she could see her pendent lying inside the neck fur which said it all.

Asuka eased up a huge clawed hand looking at it before looking at her it felt like a long time since she'd been in this form. "Okay that was completely not what I was expecting." She took in a deep breath. "When I plugged in I thought I was going to have human form." Rei moved closer seeing that Asuka was remaining on her knees. "No please don't change it I've never seen anything like this before."

She moved closer easing up her hand seeing the uncertainty in Asuka's good eye. "Just like your drawings." She moved her fingers through the thick fur which was soft to the touch. "You look magnificent in this form." Asuka slowly sat herself down suddenly feeling more relaxed. "Thank you." She eased out a clawed hand laying it palm flat watching as Rei ran her fingers down it in a gentle motion. "I really didn't think I'd see it again anytime soon."

Rei turned looking around her. "What is this place I mean where are we is this the core of 02?" Asuka felt her jaws form a smile. "No it's not the core, it looks sort of like my subconscious but maybe it's not maybe it's a bridge of both of our thoughts." Rei felt her eyes dart. "You mean like our thoughts and imaginations overlapping?" Asuka looked at her for a long moment. "That would be more accurate yes we are here mentality and our bodies are still stationary."

She looked out over the ice. "I apologise for the ice and water that is my mind and I don't know why it's taking president over your thoughts." Rei took hold of one of her clawed fingers tapping the clawed tip. "Maybe it's because you have more control over your mind in this state than I do hence you can do this with your form."

She moved her hand up through the huge thick mane. "Because of what happened with Bardiel." Asuka breathed in deeply. "Probably but I can tell you I only took this form because I opened my mind because here there are no limitations and I believe anyone can do this."

She eased out a clawed hand moving her fingers watching as a sunflower grew out of the snow in full bloom before picking it handing it to the other woman who took it smelling it. "I'm sure your imagination is up to the challenge." She leaned over her voice turning playful. "I'm guessing they can't hear or see what we are thinking when we do this but I'd advise against sexual thoughts you know just in case Misato's in the mood to complain."

Rei looked at the sun flower as she sat in Asuka's furry lap. "I don't know what her problem was earlier, I mean so what if I turned you on under the table." Asuka laughed as she looked at her. "I think she and the some of the others are still under the delusion that you're so sweet and innocent and that butter wouldn't melt in your mouth." She felt a sly smile form. "Myself on the other hand I know way better and I enjoy that side of you very much."

Rei looked up. "I think it's more than they don't envision me having sexual desire, because I never talk about sexual things, the truth is more than the relationships I have had just weren't worth talking about because they were so one sided and I hated them."

She eased up her hand running her fingers under Asuka's jaw it was just like running her fingers through a real cat's fur all of the sensations were so real. "They also assume that your sexual one because of your past sexual behaviour but with me you've always been the reverse in that you wanted to be led and for me to make up the rules."

Asuka good eye looked down at her for a long moment. "Yes because I love you and want you to be happy, you should be happy you should know that you're completely in control." Rei looked up. "I know this is going to sound strange but can I open yours jaws?" Asuka blinked in confusion. "Why?" Rei looked up. "Because I've never seen inside a tiger's mouth before, the only ones remaining are part of breeding programs and people are no longer allowed to get close to them not even in zoos."

Asuka slowly opened her mouth so she could look inside she watched as the small woman eased up her hand running her fingers over the canine teeth completely without fear but maybe that shouldn't have surprised her she had once put her hand inside her mouth of razor teeth just to feel them she had no fear. She watched as she lowered her hand as she closed her mouth speaking calmly. "You're very trusting off me."

Rei looked at her. "Yeah well I know you and I know you would never hurt me, so I never worry." Asuka looked up suddenly remembering why she had, had the urge to do this. "I remembered the dream I had last night, I remembered it so perfectly on the train up here." She leaned closer to Rei. "I dreamt that I saw my mother inside the core she was speaking to me telling me she loved me…it felt so real yet I know it wasn't a dream it felt more like memory."

Rei sat up fully taking in a deep breath she knew this moment would come in the end because something deep down in her gut had told her that Asuka would remember because she'd had started to remember everything else. "I'm really sorry I haven't been completely honest with you Asuka." Asuka eased up a clawed hand. "What do you mean?"

Rei took in a deep breath. "What freed you from the core was when I called your unit out by its true name…" She looked up slightly. "It answers to Kyoko." She looked at her hands. "That's your mother's name." She looked down feeling unsure of her next words. "I understand that you might be mad with me for not telling you but I think it's something we are not meant to know it's the secret Nerv keeps from all of us."

She looked up at her. "I once had a vision of my aunt when I was in my unit. Shinji has seen our mother and Mari said recently when her unit changed said she saw her mother as well and that she apologised to her for ignoring her and not doing better and that she had accepted her sexuality."

She took in a deep breath. "Maya told all of us it was our minds and not real but I know from your unit that they're not visions, all off our mothers are in there as well as my aunt but I just couldn't say anything I think people probably die for talking about this kind of thing."

Asuka moved her clawed hand putting it on her shoulder. "Please do not ever think that I'd be mad at you because I perfectly understand why you would have to be silent, ever to me that why I asked you to connect with me, because I remember my mother telling what the tails are really for, this only confirms all the more that our conversation was real."

She laughed as she looked around her. "I mean my mother is alive she's in this unit and so is your aunt and your mother and Mari's they're all not dead, they live on here in their own human instrumentality's because they destroyed the AI core personality and took over." She looked around her. "Hence we can now both chat and talk this way it's wonderful."

She paused before speaking. "I remember my mother saying that in here time passes slower in that we can spend hours chatting but if we return only minutes might pass outside." Rei watched as the light burst out Asuka left eye surrounding her whole body for a moment before fading away as she took back her normal form though she was wearing casual clothing and she was still seated in her lap. "You have to teach me how to do this." Asuka felt a sly smile form. "Oh believe me I will."

She leaned closer meeting her lips as she kissed her intensely not thinking as she eased her down gently into the snow as she got on top of her. "All in good time..." Rei felt her eyes dart. "You know if we are interlinked your mother and my aunt can probably see us." Asuka carried on kissing her. "Yes I know and believe me I wouldn't take thing further as it would be very rude to make love to you here as this is part of my mother and your aunt's home we are just visors but my mother knows I love you and I think she won't mind me kissing you here." Rei laughed trying to push her off. "If you do mind we are really sorry!"

She knew she was speaking outwardly more to the units than anything else as she had no idea how this all worked. "Thank you also for this we both really appreciate it." Asuka turned watching as a large canvas appeared close by it was sitting on the ice and snow upright and was a painting of a green landscape her mother had been painting it when they'd last seen each other she sat up. "I believe my mother can hear you as that is one of her paintings I remember she was painting it when I got sucked inside the core."

Rei eased herself out from under her moving over to the canvas looking at it. "Your mother paints more like my brother with thick paints also your styles are very different." She leaned closer. "Except for the way she draws trees she draws them like how you do with the soft edging." Asuka felt her smile widen. "We also have a few other interesting things in common believe me."

Asuka turned watching as opposite a small toy appeared which was a monkey with a long tail and a happy face it wasn't her one it was completely the wrong colour, hers had been brown this one was blue. Rei turned catching sight of it she walked over picking it up looking at it knowing that her aunt had sent this as she brought one for her as a child. "I used to have one just like this he was called Totoro and he was my favourite toy."

She looked at Asuka who had a strange look on her face. "Are you okay?" Asuka moved towards her eyeing the toy. "I had one to but I destroyed mine…it's kind of stupid really." Rei looked up at her. "How was it stupid?"

Asuka took in a deep breath. "It was after my mother had died my step mom brought me one just like it and I tore it to bits because I was angry and confused and I didn't know how to deal with the emotions." She felt a sad smile form. "Mari saw me do it and she called me a weirdo but after that she was no longer mean to me and we started to get along so I guess some good came out of it." Rei eased up the toy. "You want to hold him?"

Asuka raised her hand. "No he's your toy." Rei looked at her for a long moment. "No he's ours, just like all this is ours." She felt a wide smile form. "So please hold him." Asuka breathed in slowly taking the toy from her hands looking at it realizing that she had missed something as she hadn't been looking closely. "He's missing an eye."

Rei felt her smile widen. "Don't you always say that just because something isn't perfect doesn't mean it shouldn't be viewed as less?" Asuka looked at her for a long moment feeling a toothy grin form on her lips. "Yeah I do say that."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

8

Maya breathed in staring at the two Evangelion's who were in a sitting position on the training ground both of them back to back tails locked into one another's entry plugs. They'd been like this for five minutes now and she could see that Rei and Asuka both had their eyes closed in the entry plug. "I don't know what this is…it's like there brain waves have totality overlapped."

Kaji brought up the similar scan on his holographic screen with the Hikari incident were Asuka had put her tail into her entry plug to try and hurt her and it had done so. "It's totality different from Hikari, she's not harming Rei's mind at all and Rei's not hurting hers but we just can't tell what they're doing in there."

Misato leaned over eyeing the read out. "Great so for all we know they could be having sex and we wouldn't know." She eyed Asuka's second tail which wasn't doing anything. "So would I be right to assume that if Rei has a lock in tail like Asuka that Mari has one to?"

Sumire brought up a bunch of photos on her hologram screen eyeing them. "The recent photos imply so yes all three tails have the same lay out but Asuka's secondary is different the specialists said after Bardiel was kicked out of her body it changed and doesn't have the same layout." She looked up at the training screen. "Is this a normal day for you people here I'm just curious?"

Shigeru looked up. "Not really but let's just say that these two like to surprise us often." Misato folded her arms. "Send 01 and 04 up and have Mari try and lock into Asuka secondary tail with her unit."

Maya turned sharply. "You know I think that's a really bad idea." Misato turned sharply. "What…why?" Maya looked at her read outs. "Because if I was having fun with my lover I would not be happy if someone entered the room I'd kick them out." Kaji looked up. "She has a point, Asuka hates the third wheel."

Misato raised her hand watching as Shinji and Mari appeared in their units above ground. "She's her sister!" Shigeru turned slightly. "You really don't have any brothers or sisters do you? My older brother used to shove me out of the room when he was trying it on with girls and sisters are no different from what I hear."

Mari's face suddenly appeared on screen. "Can someone explain to me what 00 and 02 are doing? I'm confused." Shinji's face appeared opposite. "Same here what are Rei and Asuka doing?" Misato looked at them both. "We don't know, all we know is that they've gone into some kind of state where their brain waves are overlapping neither of them are hurting one another but we can't do anything we are locked out at this end though we can look at the reads outs."

She eyed 04's long whip lash tail which was almost twice its body length. "Mari we believe you have a similar device on the end of your tail we want you plug it in to 02's secondary tail." Mari laughed nervously. "You are fucking joking right?"

Shinji turned his unit eyeing the other two he could see the press helicopters still recording. "That's a terrible idea." Misato eyed them both. "Look all you're doing is plugging in, it's not like you're taking control." Mari pushed up her glasses easing up then eased up her unit's clawed hands. "Yeah you see this here there's something going on and it's a private party as in older brother and sister not invited." She looked up. "If I plug in she will kick my ass."

Shinji turned looking at 02. "We'll be happy to test us doing it up here I mean Mari can use her tail to plug into 01's entry plug and you can test the readings but her trying to get in between Asuka and Rei that's just a bad idea all around."

Misato rolled her eyes. "What is everyone's problem with Asuka and Rei I just don't get it?" Mari was about to speak only for Shinji to speak first. "Its easy Asuka is fierily protective of her and it extends outside of the Evangelion and she will hit the roof if we interrupt her and Rei during a private moment." Misato looked up. "Just plug in Mari that's an order, I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens."

Mari kneeled 04 down into a sitting position as she grabbed 02's secondary tail putting it up to her entry plug trying to put it in only for nothing to happen. "Okay I got nothing." Misato put a hand on her face. "Okay now 02's tail to your tail."

Mari pulled 04's tail over as she raised 02's. "For the record this feels really fucking wrong just so you know." She breathed in trying to place the two together only to get nothing. "Well what do you know clearly slot A doesn't work for slot B." She was about to say more only to suddenly feel intense pain as lightning shot through the red tail end right into her units tail end causing her to let go painfully. Shinji turned as Mari's unit leapt backwards on its hinds screeching and hissing. "Are you okay?"

Mari tensed painfully. "No that fucking hurt it felt like I was being shocked!" She turned eyeing Misato in annoyance. "Can we have a new rule, me not be the one to test Asuka's shit anymore, because every time you do that I get hurt?!" She raised her hand. "Also stop using me just because I'm her older sister, you're putting me a really awkward position."

Shinji took in a deep breath he knew where Mari was coming from as Misato did have a habit of doing to this to him growing up and she tended to switch when she needed him to do something for her, he didn't want to do she'd ask Rei to ask him for her and sometimes she'd reverse it and have him ask Rei now she was doing the same with Mari and Asuka.

He turned sharply as 00 and 02 suddenly sprang to life he watched as the tails slowly eased up as they separated themselves carefully from the entry plugs and 00's moved back slowly as the pointed end came back up locking over the end to protect it.

Misato watched as both Rei and Asuka eyes opened, they both looked extremely calm both their eyes and teeth had now gone back to normal. "Ah well hello there." Asuka eased 02 slowly up moving it forward on all fours. "Hi." Misato's face shot up on her screen. "Are you going tell me what you were both doing?" Rei looked up. "How long were we like that?"

Maya looked up. "Ten minutes." She looked up how fascinating it felt like at least two hours in side. "Well since we've finished here we should go back down below, I mean you wanted to run drills right?" Misato raised her hand. "No you are not going to just walk out of here, you're going to tell us what the hell you just did!"

Asuka breathed in seeing that Shinji and Mari were standing there units nearby she knew that Mari had tried to lock in somehow she had felt her presence but when she had tried she could read her thoughts and that she didn't want to do this and that Misato had put her up to it. "We had a chat I mean that's what it allows you to do chat."

Maya looked at Asuka's face she wasn't telling the full truth but she'd ask her when she had time what it really was. "I see, you mean like talk through your minds, that's interesting."

Asuka looked up not missing a beat. "Also Misato don't put my sister in that kind of position again where you try and make her plug in, it only works with one tail and that's the left one." Mari turned sharply as Asuka's image appeared in her screen. "You felt that?" Asuka nodded. "Yes and I'll be happy to try with you and Shinji another time but not today, it should work for all of the units and Rei should be able to do it as well as you."

Shinji looked up feeling a smile form. "You both did well really on the diablo inferno." Kaji looked up ignoring Misato's annoyed look it clearly just wasn't her day today. "Yes you both scored between you seventy percent granted you didn't complete the scenario but that is a massive improvement on both of yours scores." He looked up slightly. "You should both be really proud."

Rei eased up 00 on to its hind legs. "It's nice to hear that." Asuka looked at her hand. "It's just numbers but it was nice to give it a try together." Kaji breathed in deeply. "You two should go now we'll get the others doing there drills now."

Misato shook her head as she sat down she couldn't believe how this day was turning out it outright sucked. "You two can go now." Kaji turned looking at her. "So I'll take you up to my garden tomorrow night." Misato watched Asuka and Rei vanish from the grounds as the others started their drills, she couldn't believe she'd been roped in to this by them she forced a fake smile as she looked at him. "Sure."

She watched as he turned away she wasn't going to let Asuka or Rei get away with this she would get her own back the first chance she got and that wouldn't be far off. Since they were meant to coming around to her house tonight for a meal and a chat but she guessed that, that had probably slipped Asuka's mind as she got distracted at times everyone knew it because unlike in her youth she had been so disengaged from people that she tended to sometimes forget things because she wasn't used to doing them as she'd spent three years out of the spot light.

Oh revenge would be so sweet maybe she'd play them at their own game and rope them into something, they both would not like too much.

Oh yes Asuka had an expensive suit now maybe she could send them both to the Tokyo three antique auction yeah she'd do that since Asuka was starting to do live interviews again though she'd only currently done two so far she could use that to kick her fully back in to publicity work. She had wanted to send Shinji and Kaworu there but she could just send them to Tokyo three's hospital and then have Mari and Toji to open up the new store opening up in Nerv's Arcade.

Yeah that was what she'd do and she'd get a kick out of it since the last thing she was looking forward to was shovelling with a spade as she hated manual labour of that kind, yes she loved Kaji and truth be told she didn't want to hurt his feelings so she'd just have to make the best off it.

8

Asuka leaned back taking a long drink from her lager bottle as she lay back in the hot tubs bubbling water she slowly put the bottle to one side her gaze falling on Rei who was sitting under the hot tubs water reading a magazine. "What's in that magazine that's so interesting?" She leaned closer a smile forming. "You've had your head in it since we got here."

Rei looked up suddenly realizing that Asuka had no idea that this was a very old magazine which she'd picked up in one of the Arcade's collectable shops. "You don't recognise this?" Asuka moved closer. "No…should I?" Rei felt a sly smile form. "I'm surprised since Mari told me you have an identical copy in your locker which you have hidden and you've had it in there for many years."

She watched as Asuka suddenly froze the colour draining from her face. "There's some very interesting sensual art work of us together in the middle pages." Asuka felt her eyes dart. "Mari told you about that magazine!" She felt her hand form a fist as the anger suddenly took over. "I'm going to verfickte murder her!"

She raised her hands inching closer, as she adjusted her red and white two piece swim wear nervously. "Please it's not what you think." Rei looked up smoothing down her one piece black swim wear was it wrong that she enjoying this just a little? She looked up slightly. "What do you think that I'd think?" Asuka took in a deep breath. "That maybe I was using it to get off on or something."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Yes you see this is where I understand you better than Mari your older sister sometimes makes the mistake of thinking you're a bit like her." She eyed the magazine. "In that you'd like it just for the art and sexual content only but I've noticed that you always have a twofold reason for liking everything, I think once Mari's been around you longer she will catch on to this."

She flipped the magazines pages finding the other interesting page as she looked up. "This magazine was published three years ago and in it is a really nice interview where you talk about your life and they asked about how you felt about me and your being so charming."

She raised the magazine. "It's very sweet." She looked up. "You make this little slip though and it sort of gives you away." She let her eyes drift over the words. "They asked you do you like me? You said you'd do anything to save me in battle." She felt her smile widen. "You told me you were only honest about the issue of your feelings for me in the LGBT magazines but never in the normal interviews which I think is the real reason you hid this magazine away."

She felt her smile widen. "Because if I ever read it I'd know plus the art would have forced me to ask all sorts of questions." She looked up. "Also Kaji was the one who put the other issue in the wreck room but he says that it vanished the same day…clearly it found its way into your locker out of sight."

She picked up her cocktail taking a slow sip from it. "I'm just surprised you didn't show me this since we are together now." Asuka breathed in deeply. "Look it was the art work of us some of it…is far too much in the realms of fantasy." Rei flipped the pages back. "I don't think it's so bad but I have to ask because your more experienced than me is the upper left one even possible?"

Asuka looked down. "Not unless you want to break your back it isn't." She moved her fingers to her green pendent playing with it for a moment. "Also to be fair I don't think I'm more experienced yes I've had many sexual partners but I didn't love any of them and I only had sex and that included your brother."

She moved her hand over grabbing her lager bottle taking a long drink before she spoke again. "With you it's different we make love and it's very new to me it's an experience I've never had before." Rei put the magazine down moving towards her looking at the large sunken hot tub room which smelt of vanilla and jasmine around them with its water spring close by and wooden floors and walls it had a panel at the far side on the floor which controlled the water temperature bath salts and room temperature and the room had glass surround part and bamboo blinds which were electric this was one of their favourite places to go and relax together.

She looked at the blinds which had shut to keep people from looking in from the balconies. "It means a lot to me that you think of us that way." She shifted closer. "I mean I thought my inexperience might bother you." Asuka laughed as she put her bottle down. "Please Rei I don't care about that, all I care about is us being together." She turned suddenly realizing that the other woman was right up close to her green eyes looking directly into her own with a real deep intensity.

Rei looked down at Asuka who now seemed frozen in place. "You know the first time we were here you showered with me so much affection and love." She moved her hand up tracing the long jagged scar on Asuka's lower stomach seeing her left blue eyes patterns suddenly start to pulse as she spoke in a soft tone. "How's about I return the favour now."

Asuka eyes suddenly darted to the camera opposite despite that her left one was blind it still followed the other eyes direction when they both moved around. "Rei…you know this isn't like the last time the camera is on this time." Rei turned eyeing the camera as she spoke in a coy tone. "So it is."

She moved her hand up finding the zip on the front of her one piece top watching the blush creep over the other woman's face as she unzipped it very slowly stopping part way down as she leaned over whispering softy and seductively in to her ear. "If the idea of being bothered by the camera is getting to you, you can always just get rid of the camera."

End of part 9

Silvermoonlight