The Place Where Light Reaches

Author's Note: Well, we've reached the end of this fic, nearly two decades in the making. I'd personally like to thank everyone for reading. Side stories in my TPWLR-verse will continue, and a follow-up is not off the table. Enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Rockman EXE series.

Pairings: Developing Netto x Tohru (past), established Netto x Tohru (future). Referenced one-sided Meiru x Netto, one-sided Jasmine x Netto, one-sided Pride x Netto.

Summary:

After an accident, Hikari Raito and his NetNavi partner Trill find themselves reliving the cherished tale of his parents' love.

Chapter 11

Netto reclined on his balcony. Another four days had come and gone. Tonight, he would end it. He'd called Tohru to sleep over, and would close the book on whatever was going on between them once and for all. Regardless of how much he hated Tohru leaving again, he couldn't bear dragging him down any longer.

Tohru walked to Netto's house from the ice rink, skates and skate guards hanging off his violin case. He was worse for wear, having dove into his music and ice skating routine to shirk the situation. He hadn't flubbed the "Tohru Special" during practice in years, yet lately, Iceman had to check on him frequently to ensure he didn't injure himself in a fall.

Likewise, Tohru was here to end it. He braced as Haruka invited him in.

But the instant Netto and Tohru's gazes intersected on the balcony beneath the stars, their lips found each other's, tearful relief carried through the intimacy.

"I've decided," Tohru whispered into the kiss. "I'm staying."

Netto knotted his tongue.

"You were right about him. About Teruo-kun. I can't go back there. It's where he and I first clicked."

"I'm not letting you do that."

Tohru slackened, disappointed.

"Live your life. Don't upend it because I noticed my love for you too late."

"Teruo-kun was crooked to begin with. You merely brought it out of him."

"It's more than that. I don't want you throwing away all your hard work in Amerope and losing opportunities because of me."

"Netto-kun, I have to tell you something. The truth is…I loved you first, even before I met Teruo-kun. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything."

That was certainly unexpected.

"Because you were afraid I'd reject you?"

"Maybe. Or maybe because I was afraid you might feel sorry for me and say yes. Either way, I'd just be a nuisance in the way of your happiness. I'd be taking away your chance at a normal life. To get married. To have kids. You said you'd never be able to give me the things Teruo-kun could, when it's me, Netto-kun. It's me who could never be able to give you anything!"

His heart sped up.

"I never dreamed we could actually be together. You were always so popular."

"With Meiru-chan." Netto finally got the full picture.

"And Jasmine-chan and Princess Pride!"

Netto swallowed and Rockman drooped ignominiously.

"Yeah, I'm clueless! You've made your point! Man, you and Torakichi both!"

"Torakichi?"

Obviously, Tohru wasn't particularly ecstatic to learn Netto briefly dated, in his words, "Aragoma Torakichi, the son of renowned shogi pro Aragoma Saikichi."

"Tohru-kun, you're jealous?"

"Darn straight."

"More like darn gay!" Giggling at Tohru's self-censorship, he attacked. "Tickle fight!"

"S-stop, Netto-kun! I give! I give!"

The levity helped.

"Compromise? You complete your studies abroad, and I promise you I'll phone every day and wait for you, as long as necessary."

"That, and no more tickling!"

This could work. They would make it work.

"Do me a favour?" He tousled his boyfriend's hair.

"Mm."

"Play me a song."

Taken aback by the request, Tohru saw Netto's authentic engrossment and unpacked his violin. Reposing his chin on the chinrest, he drew the bow over the strings, performing the musical portion of the Tohru Special.

A precipitous, sterling meteor shower served poetic accompaniment.

This'd be their song.

Reviving Andou Romeda's advice, Netto made a new wish on a shooting star, captivated by the melody. "Namunamunamu," he muttered the orison under breath.

"What did you wish for?"

"Che, if I told you, it wouldn't come true!"

"Please?"

"Fine! I wished to eat ripe mango!"

"I know you're kidding. Problem is, when it comes to you, that wouldn't be surprising."

Netto crawled inside and under a blanket. "Do you need your earplugs?"

"Why?"

"I haven't outgrown snoring!"

Tohru smiled, as did Raito from the closet. There wasn't a nook in this house the displaced moppet hadn't explored. His parents often narrated the saga of how their love began, and Raito was experiencing firsthand the culmination of those cherished tales.

Raito wished to tell them his own riveting tale in person.

…

After the younger iterations of his parents fell asleep, Raito exited the closet and slid down a gutter to rejoin Kosuke, who idled with a crucial update and his recently recovered bike.

Sensei had a plan to send him forward in time!

They hurried to Akihara University, Kosuke spelling out the procedure to the best of his comprehension en route and relaying the message Raito's fathers left him.

At the lab, Kosuke plopped his hat onto Raito's head. "Here! Take my lucky cap as a keepsake! Ring older me up when you get to the future!"

Nodding, Raito entered the cubicle Makoto had set up.

"Oneechan, will this really work?"

"No worries, Raito-kun," Makoto spoke into the mic. "I've reviewed your Synchro Rate. Your close friendship with Trill and his Synchronizer status should be enough to sustain a cohesive hybrid."

Humph! Whose offspring is he? They can totally do it! She grinned remembering her assistant's future self's positivity.

"Trill wanna Cross Fuse NOW!" the impudent Navi groused.

Makoto checked her monitor. Dr. Wily transmitted a preliminary email through the Past Tunnel, indicating he and Netto were prepped.

"Standby, Raito-kun. Activating Dimensional Area!"

Rainbow lights boxed Raito in the chamber. Concentrating on Papa's stories of Barrel-san's heroism calmed the banging in his chest.

Be brave.

"Synchro Chip, slot-in! Cross Fusion!"

Electricity crackled.

A bumblebee breastplate, black fingerless gauntlets, white gaiters, and black boots jigsawed over Raito's body. Trill's plain, round Navi mark fitted into Raito's waist, filling in the uncovered spaces with a white lapel and black, white, and gold accents. Kosuke's cap reformatted into a translucent belled beanie, a ruff of Raito's hair curving out the bottom.

Kosuke banzaied.

"Yippee!" Trill's tenor pierced his operator's ear. "We Cross Fused, Raito!"

Raito admired the results.

"Initiating space-time inversion sequence."

Wily networked his miniaturized Spectrum device under the firebombed Copyroid factory on Onibi Island with the designated beacon – the Fossa Ambience generator – at the Ministry of Science.

Four panes itemizing Raito's vitals magnified, one gauge or graph per quadrant of the Dimensional Area. Within this square, R-Trill's frame dimmed till it simulated the etchings on a circuit board.

Raito and Trill screamed. The dematerialization phenomenon migrated up and down their combined form, erasing and recreating the underlying code.

Like steering a rocket ship in a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up video game, Makoto and Wily furiously inputted revised directives, guiding R-Trill's data toward the correct locus in history.

Then, R-Trill's particles evaporated.

Makoto shakily lifted off the keys.

"Are they –?" Kosuke exclaimed.

"According to my analyses…"

Farther down the timestream, the Spectrum equipment and interdimensional portal shorted, sooty brume spewing from the latter's threshold.

The SciLab scientists ducked behind their computers. Meijin cranked a ventilation fan to maximum to expunge the smog.

In the center of the kaput machinery waved Raito, clinging to his PET and wearing Kosuke's esteemed lid.

Netto and Tohru choked up, unable to withhold their tears.

"RAITO!"

"RAICCHI!"

It was blatantly clear to Raito now: He was the realization of his parents' dream! He was Netto's wish! The son they'd prayed for. The crowning union of their love.

He leapt into their arms amid raucous applause.

Reunited at last.

Otosan. Papa. I'm home.

AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…