Disclaimer: Same as before. Why do I even write these if you know this?

Chap. 8

Asuka awoke from her bed and growled to herself. This was the third time that this had happened. Every night, it was the same thing. She would feel...something and it would cause her to wake up. And it was always in the morning. She sat up. She started feeling this ever since Shinji returned and was positive that he was responsible. 'Well, I'm going to put an end to it right now.' She slid off the bed and exited her room. Fists clenched slightly, she headed straight for Shinji's room and opened the door. But the young Ikari was nowhere to be found. Asuka closed her eyes in frustration, but then swiftly moved toward the window. She was just in time to see Shinji walking down the street, wearing those strange robes and holding his sword. Asuka gave a slight grin and disappeared into her room.

Moments later, Asuka, now fully dressed, was outside and quietly stalking Shinji a distance away. Shinji continued walking as Asuka followed and he ultimately made it to his destination. It was up on a quiet, grassy hill. Overlooking the hill was a steady fog that covered the bottom. There were no trees aside from the one Shinji was under, so Asuka was forced to hide behind some shrubbery. She watched as Shinji moved to the edge and looked over. 'Don't tell me that baka's going to commit suicide.' However, that thought was far from Shinji's and he did something Asuka had rarely ever seen.

He smiled.

Asuka's eyes widened at this. No, not smiled. But he did look content. That in itself was a major breakthrough. Shinji was such a depressed kid and it would be more likely for Third Impact to arrive than for him to smile. The moment was brief though and Shinji moved away from the edge. Taking hold of his sword, he slowly pulled it out of its sheath and held it forward. His eyes closed as a brief rush of wind came over him, causing the leaves to shake and eventually fall. Shinji was still for a moment as the first leaf fluttered down in front of him.

Shhhhhhhhh…

Asuka was now shocked at the leaf was now cut in half. She didn't even see him move. Another leaf came and was cut in the same manner. Asuka watched at Shinji continued to cut every leaf in half before they could even touch the ground. And the weird part was, his eyes were still closed. The leaves stopped falling and Shinji put his blade away. His eyes finally opened, but he remained still.

"You can come out, Asuka."

Asuka was surprised again, but she didn't let it show as she came out of the bush.

"What are you doing here?"

Shinji asked out of curiosity, but Asuka didn't see it that way. "Baka! You woke me up. How can I get my beauty sleep if you keep waking me up every morning?"

Shinji bowed slightly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

But Asuka cut him off, "So we're back to this again. Go on. Say your usually pathetic apologizes."

Shinji remained quiet for a moment before speaking again, "I am sorry, Asuka. I keep forgetting that you're like me and can be disturbed that way."

Asuka half glared. She was ready to burst and say that she was nothing like him. But this time, curiosity won over her prided anger.

"What do you mean 'like you'?"

Shinji went on to explain, "You're Force-sensitive, like me. That's why you keep waking up. When I tap into it, you feel it slightly. I just didn't think that it would be that much too where you would wake up in the morning."

"Force...sensitive?"

"It's what I learned with Qui-Gon. He said that some people can feel the Force and its effects. Those people are thus sensitive to it."

Asuka frowned, "Now you're talking crazy. What is this Force-thingee?"

Shinji didn't really know why he was telling her all of this. More than likely, she would dismiss it as some sort of stupid Japanese teaching that didn't apply to her. But it did. And he found some comfort in telling her this. Rei was the only other person that knew and they didn't get to talk about it much. Asuka was probably the last person he would tell this, but since it applied to her greatly, it would be best if she knew about it now, whether she believed or not.

"It the living energy that all living being have everywhere. Life creates it and causes it to grow. It is the true power of a Jedi."

Asuka shook her head in slight frustration, "I'm getting a headache. So let me see if I got this straight. You're saying that we're sensitive to some sort of mystical power and that's what's been waking me up?"

"Well...yes."

Asuka suddenly burst with laughed and then scolded, "That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard! What a pathetic excuse, baka. I'm out of here."

Asuka began to walk down the hill, away from Shinji. Shinji shook his head slightly and looked at the ground where Asuka walked. Focusing on a small twig on the ground, he summoned the Force and reached out to it. The twig shook briefly and rose up from the ground before Asuka. Asuka stopped in shock at seeing the twig mysteriously hover in front of her. She turned to Shinji, who was looking at the branch and he raised his hand. Instantly, the branch zipped away from Asuka and into Shinji's hand. But this time, Asuka couldn't conceal her surprise.

"How did you do that?"

---------

Meanwhile, a distance away, Rei Ayanami lay awake in her bed. Like Asuka, she was feeling the presence of Shinji. Even though he lived a good distance away from her, she could still feel him. It's was faint, but recognizable. She sat up from the bed. She still wanted to learn more about what was happening between them. 'These powers that Shinji talked about. Could this have something to do with that I'm part angel? Possibly.'  But that didn't seem likely seeing as how Shinji wasn't and yet could utilize it. She found herself wanting to know more. Above all things, Rei was curious...about everything. Especially life itself. And whatever it was that was happening, it had life. 'Ikari-kun...can help me.' But even by thinking that, it didn't seem right to her. She wanted to differ between Shinji and The Commander.

"Ikari-kun...S..S-Shinji-kun."

It was a start...

----------

Asuka was now sitting in the grass with Shinji as he tried to explain the Force. Asuka was skeptical still, but for some odd reason, she wanted to listen. It felt...intriguing to say the least.

"And you're saying that I have this Force too?"

"Yes." Shinji nodded. "You, me, Ayanami and even Touji."

Asuka scoffed, "Oh, please. I can possibly understand Wondergirl, but don't mention the jock. You can't be serious."

"It's not that difficult to believe. The Force has different outward effect with people." Shinji went on to explain. "In Touji's case, he's an exceptional physical type. That's why he's so good at sports. But inside, we're all the same. We just have to look for it."

"Hmph." She wouldn't admit it, but Touji's athletic skills were really good. So much that they even matched hers. 'Not by much though.' she thought to herself. But then another thought occur to her.

"Does that mean I can do all the things you did?"

Shinji looked down for a moment. "With training, yes. But only from a master."

Asuka was ready to protest about that when Shinji's head suddenly perked up. She gave him a strange look, but then turned her head as well. Coming from the lower part of the hill were four men, each dressed in black uniforms, masks with goggles and hoisting handguns.

"Target acquired."

Asuka looked questioningly at them, but heard the warning sign of danger in the back of her head. "Who are you guys?"

Shinji on the other hand, had a full blown alarm ringing in his head. He noticed one of then beginning to raise his weapon and he shoved Asuka to the ground.

"Asuka, get down!"

With a mere whisper, Shinji's blade came forth and smacked across the soldier's chest. One of the others raised his gun to shoot, but Shinji swiftly whirled around and brought the blade smashing down on the guy's arm and resulting in a painful crunch. The remaining two pointed their guns to open fire, but Shinji suddenly leaped up the tree, flipped over their heads and spun around with the blade. The blow managed to floor one of them, but the other managed to roll backward on the floor. With a good distance between him and Shinji, the soldier grinned as he opened fire. However, that grin quickly turned to shock when Shinji somehow managed to deflect the bullets away with the sword. One of them hit the soldiers hand and he yelped in pain. With all four down, Shinji looked over at Asuka.

"Asuka, are you alright?"

Asuka was in shock after seeing Shinji in action. The way he moved...couldn't have been human.

Shinji reached his hand out, "Asuka?"

Asuka managed to snap out of her shock and anger overcame her as she realized that Shinji had saved her again. She smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

Shinji blinked in surprise and backed away. Asuka stood up from the ground and dusted herself.

"Don't you ever shove me like that again, Third Child."

Shinji was a little baffled by her behavior, but he let it alone. He turned his attention to the four men who were on the ground, either unconscious or injured.

"We better call Misato."

-------

NERV HQ, Gendo's office.

"That was quite a risk, Ikari."

"Yes. But a necessary one."

"And if he was killed?"

"The First and Second Children would have sufficed until the Dummy Plug system was ready. Have you located the Fourth?"

"Yes. The folder is on your desk."