Irikumu Tsukisan

Through the Looking Glass

Makenzie was smiling from ear to ear as she stood there in front of Kosuke in his room. It had been a few days since he saw her, but they tried to not let that affect them more than a normal couple. It had been years since the start of their own story, Makenzie worked hard in both places to make her life what she wanted. It was hard, balancing her training and work with spending time here. The world programed into the game also had to change enough for the world here to actually change. It was simple, and she had help but once done she was able to come back feeling accomplished. The game world was changed by them, together. Her training here helped in real life too, so she couldn't knock it. Moving into the Meiji restoration- a historical event so long ago it wasn't even a footnote in the history she learned. It felt nice and she learned a lot of it from this place. It was a curious program that seemed to be born of a deep passion. Hibiki changed, albeit kicking and screaming. He had his own house and Makenzie even commissioned a wife for the man, he seemed happy enough when he visited. It was nice to fix Kosuke's problems with hard work. Her improvements on the coding of the game changed the characters as well with the years, most notably Momo.

The woman was older now, a teenager with her body almost developed and Hibiki no longer able to pluck her off the ground like he used to. Kosuke was head of the estate still, an officer within the new government and training others on using guns.  She had gotten used to watching him train others and sometimes helping. The man was on pins and needles for the last year, trying to figure out the best time to propose. Not surprisingly to her mother, that time hadn't come, as Makenzie was making herself into the woman she could be proud to be, always changing and learning. Seeing her smile so big before him now warmed his heart, still. He was proud of the woman. "Well?" He spoke, looking up from the document on his desk.

"I'm on a team, finally. I'm a pilot. I... I can't believe it! I have power now. Power to start changing things. Dad and I fought but, I just don't care right now. I mean you know how he can be, but none of that matters. I can make my world a better place, like we did here! And I'm here with you right now." She watched as his face fell, looking at the document but not focusing on it. Kosuke was grateful that his world was changed closer to his dreams, though all he could think about was how they did it together and how she wouldn't get that help from him. He pushed down his own feelings and looked up to her, smiling fondly.

"I had no doubt. Makenzie you are more than amazing. I'm always in awe when I see you." He stood up, pushing his white hair off to the side. "But this is not an ending, right? This is a beginning. You will have so much more work to do."

"Well, yeah." She narrowed her eyes, brows knitted together. "Why are you making that sour face?" He didn't say a word, simply tugged on his sleeve and sighed softly. His eyes locked with hers and he forced a smile on his lips. She felt uneasy looking into the eyes that so often gave her comfort and warmth. "K... Kosuke, talk to me, please."

He walked to her, pulling her hands into his own and sighing once more. "I... I can't help. I'm powerless. You've told me so much of what's on the other side. It all sounds amazingly impossible. Machines and computers, society far bigger than I can wrap my head around. You've helped every aspect of my life. You've given me my dream. I'm living it. But I'm stuck in here and you are out there." He chuckled lightly, almost hopelessly. "You need... a man that can help you with your dream." Her brows rose in surprise. "I'm just... well I'm a little conflicted. Because I love you. I'll always love you. I just know what I should to do. You deserve to be with someone who can actually help you as you did us."

"Wait... what?" She put a hand on his shoulder. "Kosuke...?" He hummed and she closed her eyes for just a moment to right herself. "First of all, I don't 'need' a man at all. I can take care of myself." She looked deep into his eyes. "Listen and hear this. Really hear this. Kosuke, I'm in love with you. I've been for years now. You're what I want. You're all I want. I hate pet names with a passion and when you called me princess, I should have cringed, but it is the most natural thing in the world. It sounded right. Because it's you. It makes my heart melt. A pet name, of all things. Because it's you." Her shoulders rolled back and her lips pulled into a deeply satisfied smile. "My dream never included sole companionship until I met you. Now, I can't do this without you. It can only be you. After all, you're what made me believe I could be more than a lab rat. I'm a pilot because of you."