YAKUSOKU
He took her hand, slightly frowning, and the light flickered for a second before growing again, a little stronger than before. He couldn’t leave. Not like this, not when he had promised to give them a chance again. He had promised. Yes. He remembered now. When he had died… When he had been able to see Deannah a last time, the Deannah he had known and loved, he had made a promise. To stay with Jen, to keep Dee’s memory alive… To allow the three of them to live, even if not exactly as they would have wished too.
“Ya promised… Remember?” Jen whispered, looking at him, and with an hesitant smile, he patted her on the head before slowly putting a protective arm around her frail shoulders.
“Yes. I promised, Jen-chan. And I’ll keep my promise. I’ll stay with you, kid.”
The child all of a sudden gave a broad smile, and without any warning, hugged him close, so close that he gave a slight start. Odd was the touch of flesh again when he knew that he shouldn’t be able to feel it, and for a brief moment, he thought that it had all been a bad dream, that he was still alive, that all of this had never happened. Four years of nightmares, of hatred, of despair, erased in the embrace of a child. How good it would have been, to be with her again…
“I’ll be the one ya love. Jus’ like Dee. Wait until I grow up, Heiji. I’ll make ya happy. I promise, I’ll make ya happy!” Jen whispered to his hear, much like Deannah used to do. The dead Fixer simply smiled, silent, and hugged her back.
The light became stronger again. There was no need to worry about how to do it, now; the simple desire to stay with her was enough to carry his promise. The frost backed up, then disappeared. In a shimmering of blue, he briefly felt the presence of the Grid, all around them, watching them, taking care of them. Their best ally. Their friend. The place where they loved to be, the place where their minds were supposed to live, forever, once bodies had disappeared. One day, they’d go back to the Grid, in the flesh and not only in their minds. When she’d be strong enough again, they’d go back.
“I’ll bring ya back, Heiji. I promise too!”
They opened their eyes–looked at the bright sky above Newland, at the people and vehicles around them at the forest entrance –looked at Cyrus’ tired face, and at the growing surprise in his eyes when he noticed that they were–no, that she was looking at him.
They were together now, and nothing would ever be able to separate them again.