Neon Genesis Evangelion
Pilot's Table
By D.A.
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Title: And The Walls Came Down
Prompt: Set 1 / Prompt 16 (Mind)
Word Count: 2100+
Rating: T
Summary: Despite all the lives lived inside Instrumentality, Asuka and Shinji know what they'd always known. They can count on each other through anything.

Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion

Notes: Second half of the previous chapter "Better Together".
Part five of the "I knew you then" Arc of my Pilot's Table drabble series. Sequel to the "Awakening" arc.

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"I felt Misato and Kaji worrying, couldn't sleep. So, what will we be doing if their are no Evas?" she asked, yawning and ignoring Misato's confused look, glancing at each of them before settling on Gendo, "Well, commander? I know you must have planned something out."

"Very good, Asuka," he complements smoothly, covering for his slight startlement a moment before. Perhaps he had not regained as much of his control as he had thought, "I had planned to negotiate scholarships for each of you, allow you to find your own paths."

"That's all well in good, but I want in on figuring out what else is different." Asuka nodded once, glancing upstairs for a moment before continuing, "But wait for Shinji."

The young woman's tone commands no argument, and the four adults decided to let it be. A moment later Shinji steps around the corner and joins Asuka standing just inside the room.

"I think we should focus on AT-Fields." he voices, a soft gesture cutting off Misato and Ritsuko's attempted interruption, "I realized something the other day, when Asuka and the others had their talk."

"Something is fundamentally wrong with human's right now." he continues, and Asuka nods once from beside him, "Asuka and I have been slowly figuring it out, and I think I know what it might be."

"What's that, Shinji?" Gendo calmly asks, tone implying he already knows.

"At least since Second Impact, humans have put up a kind of mental AT-Field. Asuka and I realized it a couple days ago when we were at the market." Shinji glanced to the young woman by his side, and Asuka accepted the change in speaker.

"Their was a little kid crying in a shopping cart, and his mother was just ignoring him as she picked out vegetables." the redhead's tone was heated, a quality that had been expected when she spoke of Piloting, but not when she spoke about children. At least not until earlier today, when she told them about two special children, "I didn't realize it until a moment later, but I had mentally reached out and told him to be quiet and asked what he wanted."

"I caught the edge of it, enough that I looked to Asuka and caught her elbow before she could step over to the candy aisle and get him the sweet he wanted." Shinji chuckled, earning him an elbow to the ribs and a matching grin on Asuka's face, "It ate at me for the rest of the day, and when we talked it over the other day I realized what it was: Humans shouldn't have such solid walls around their minds."

"What do you mean?" Ritsuko asked, curiosity in her eyes as the young man's theory had her attention, "Humans need those barriers and don't have the control over their AT-Fields the way you and Asuka seem to have."

"Not like that," the german answered, shaking her head, "We mean more like telepathy. Shinji and I are technically cheating by using our AT-Fields the way we do. The young boy didn't need to when he answered me, I doubt he even realized he was broadcasting."

"You believe Humans are meant to be telepathic?" the doctor asked.

"You know what Arael did to my mind, Akagi," Asuka pointed out, tone flat as she stared at the older woman, "And despite that, I instinctively reached out with my mind to answer a crying child. Humans are telepathic, but something about Second Impact made us lock down."

"And Third Impact may have unlocked it, but not removed it." Gendo added, nodding as he watched his son, "I am inclined to agree, as your theory somewhat answers the question of why we can find each other so easily."

"We noticed." Asuka deadpanned, smirking at Misato and Kaji, "Those two never ask where the other is, they just walk off and find'em."

"Instinctive," Kaji shrugged, grinning back as Misato pouted, "I'm no scientist, but it makes sense."

"Are you the only two who've worked out the telepathy?" Ritsuko asked, "What about Rei and Kaworu?"

"I'm pretty sure Kaworu can, but I think that's because he's an Angel." Shinji answered, shrugging, "I haven't actually asked him."

There were a few minutes of silence, each of them thinking over what had been said, before Asuka spoke again.

"Misato..." the redhead hesitated, then squared her shoulders, "I want to try something, since we're all up and talking about it."

Misato and the other adults looked to the young woman, and after a moment the raven haired woman smiled softly at her one-time charge and nodded her assent. Closing her eyes for a second she took a relaxed breath, then looked to Misato with a soft expression. Misato blinked in surprise when she sensed what almost felt like tapping on the edge of her awareness. Relaxing a little she focused on the sensation and, in a manner of speaking, opened the door.

Hello Misato, the warm touch brushed the edge of her mind, and she imagined it was a red streamer gently holding her cheek, try to reply with thoughts only, try to focus on me.

Is this what you meant, when you said you felt me worrying? Asuka could feel the awe in the gentle touch of purple that was Misato's Self at the edge of her thoughts when she replied. The young woman couldn't explain it, not yet, but being able to feel that Misato was ok and happy filled something. It was different than when Shinji and she connected at the beach, that had been a feeling of completing each other, of finally being whole. This was different. This was family. And it almost pulled tears from her eyes, because she could remember what it was like when she was little and her mother was still there.

"It's like a warm red brushing my thoughts." Misato said aloud, a hint of excitement on her face while she let her eyes close and seemed to lean into something.

"Father, do you trust me?"

Gendo and Ritsuko turned their gazes to Shinji at his quiet question. The older man looked at his son, carefully studying his expression. Gendo could see how badly his son wanted to trust him, wanted the answer to be yes, wanted to be able to connect to the only parent he could still reach. Once again he felt regret at his decisions over the last fifteen years, but he also felt humbled that the one he had hurt the most still wanted to forgive him and try again.

"Yes, Shinji," he said, his voice low as he closed his eyes and relaxed, "Now more than ever."

Ritsuko saw the tears catch at the corners of the young man's eyes, and saw both Misato and Asuka turn to watch as if they had sensed the moment. And perhaps they had through whatever connection Asuka had to Shinji.

Father, the word was soft, a deep blue that washed lightly at the edge of his thoughts, and Gendo tentatively reached out to it.

Hello son, he answered, and Shinji seemed to mentally and physically lean into the warm orange the same shade as the tinted lenses Gendo once wore.

Ritsuko, Gendo sensed his son politely knock at Ritsuko's mental doors, and when she almost seemed to rush to answer Gendo and Shinji chuckled at her enthusiasm, this is how humans, and I think especially family, are meant to connect.

Shinji? Ritsuko's thoughts were a energetic yellow, inquisitive and buzzing with curiousity, Gendo? This is amazing!

Shinji! Filters! Asuka's red streamer snapped, annoyed, before curling out to include Kaji, maroon Self rippling his surprise, Not the Public channel, I bet Kaworu heard that all the way at his apartment.

"Oops." Shinji chuckled aloud, grinning when everyone opened their eyes and began to smirk or grin at each other, "I forgot that part."

"Baka," the german chuckled, "We figured we can have what I'm calling channels. Public is just broadcasting in the open, but others need to have their mental barriers down. What I call Family channel is talking to a select group or specific person."

"And Public is broad enough Kaworu might have heard me?" Ritsuko asked, embarrassed as she tentatively reached out and tickled the edge of Gendo's thoughts, which instantly gained his attention.

"That tickled." he dead-panned, reaching out one hand to poke her shoulder before settling it on one of her hands.

"If he was awake, maybe." Asuka shrugged, "Shinji and I can hear each other from across town."

"Kaworu wants to know if we're ok." Shinji interrupted, eyes wide and obviously not expecting the Angel to contact him, "I told him we're fine. He said he was awake because Rei had another nightmare."

"She's fine?" Ritsuko worried.

"Yeah," Shinji smiled, nodding before he chuckled and shrugging, "Kaworu said she's going back to sleep now, Ritsuko startled her right as Kaworu got her calmed down. They'll be over tomorrow for breakfast."

"Then we should all get some sleep as well," Gendo stood, suiting actions to words, "Everyone, I bid you good night."

Goodnights said, the four adults left for their rooms or homes leaving Shinji and Asuka to sit on the small sofa. Nothing was said for several minutes, and both began to doze before Asuka felt a warm grey brush the edge of her mind clumsily.

"Touji...?" she mumbled, then linked her mind to the now awake Shinji and tried again, Touji, what is it?

This is... new... it felt like Touji, the way Asuka remembered how he felt in the dream world when she would find him with her AT-Field, I'm guessing I wasn't hearing things earlier.

No, Asuka chuckled, drawing Shinji openly into the mental conversation, We just showed the others telepathy, and Akagi got excited. Welcome to being Human.

I'll take your word for it. grey Self lightly buzzed with amusment, Hikari is still sleeping in her room, so I guess only I heard. See you both tomorrow?

Kaworu and Rei are coming over too, Shinji's blue shifted, settling as he began to doze off again, we'll include Hikari then.

Alright man, later you two. and with that the jock and one-time Pilot pulled back, leaving Shinji to doze and Asuka to her thoughts.

Touji had seemed to accept the mental talking easily, which she realized shouldn't surprise her. Touji accepted things as they came, and didn't let it slow him down. She doubted she would ever forget the Life she spent with him, how despite the various trials they faced he never backed down and continued forward.

Gently reaching out, she didn't want to wake her, Asuka brushed over Misato again. The older woman slept soundly, Kaji nearby and sleeping as well, and the redhead marvelled at how content she felt being able to tell with a thought if these people she considered family were safe and sound. Walls that once blocked them from each other and made them so lonely now more like short fences.

Blinking, Asuka gently prodded against Misato's Self. Odd, earlier everyone seemed to only be a single Color of Self, but now she noticed a hint of a lighter purple just beneath the surface...

Oh. Unable to stop herself, and much to her surprise, Asuka let out a quiet and quickly covered up squeal. She wasn't really sure, still being new to this mind thing she and Shinji had discovered, but if it was what she felt in her core it was... Well, it was a good thing Misato already had experience dealing with kids.

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A/N: Where am I going with this, you might ask. Well, I'm not completely sure myself... I feel these last two chapters are really rough and below standard. But I'll let it slide for now, as I want to work on "I'm Needed Redux". Yep, I'm re-writing and continuing "I'm Needed", the story "Angel" takes place in. I may come back to IKYT and re-write the last two chapters, but that's for a later day.