"Don't keep us in suspense, Vestal."

Vestal smiled up from her charts as she transcribed a few things from Yorktown's diagnostics. "Patience, Commander. Just finishing up my notes."

Beside me, Yorktown giggled as she patted my hand. "Patience, Max," she playfully admonished.

"Sorry," I sheepishly apologized.

The repair ship chuckled as she made her last entry, then set the charts to the side. "You got your miracle, Commander," she beamed. "From what I see here, it looks like her damaged rigging was completely repaired and integrated into her Essex-class hull."

Both Yorktown and I let out a huge sigh of relief before we embraced one another for what felt like the thirtieth time in as many minutes. Not that I minded, of course. After spending so long without her, every little touch was something to be treasured.

Vestal was quick to temper our enthusiasm, however. "Now, these readings were all done in a low-stress environment," she quickly added. "I'd recommend thorough testing before she's ready for front-line combat duty."

"I agree," I concurred, looking over at Yorktown who likewise nodded. "I think all the Type-II riggings should be tested before they're certified for combat. Given the source, I want to make sure there are no hidden faults."

"What do you mean, 'given the source'?" Yorktown interjected, a note of worry in her voice. "Where did the rigging designs come from?"

Vestal and I shared a look of concern before I let out a long sigh. "It's a…long story," I finally answered. "The short answer is we got it from the Reality Lens. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"That's the long answer. One I'd prefer to give in private." While I know Vestal and the others would be reviewing my time in the Reality Lens, my time with the other Yorktown I felt was something best discussed between Yorktown and myself alone.

While it wasn't my intention to drive Vestal from the room, she smiled at both of us and said, "I've got to make some checks on the other Type-II riggings before the others get here. I'll be back in a few minutes if you want to talk."

"Uh…o-okay," I stammered, caught off guard by her sudden departure.

"You'll be fine, don't worry," she reassured me, and with that, she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Now alone once more, Yorktown peered at me, her eyes searching for answers I hadn't quite prepared to give. I ran my hand through my hair as I tried to collect my thoughts, my heart racing. How was I going to even begin?

Then I felt Yorktown's warm hand take mine, and I looked into her sky-blue eyes and immediately knew whatever I was about to tell her, we would get through it. I took a deep breath and started at the beginning. "While you were comatose, we began to use a device called the Reality Lens that allowed us to go inside the Wisdom Cubes of kansen in order to try and correct errant data. The hope was to find a way to repair your rigging and keep you alive. But before we could begin with you, we needed to try something safer. Or so we thought.

"I went into Anchorage's Wisdom Cube, and in it, I found an AI that was based on the creator of the kansen, a Doctor Anzeel. But in doing so, I attracted something else, some sort of Arbiter that existed within the Reality Lens. It deleted itself, and in doing so, it almost left me caught in limbo. But I wound up in a virtual world that was created from the memories of multiple people…including mine. And in that world, I wasn't the Commander of Azur Lane, I was a researcher, someone who helped create the kansen…and the Type-II rigging. TB pulled the schematics from my memories, along with those that were already in the Reality Lens. That's why I'm a little unsure of this rigging. I don't know if this really existed, or if this is some memory, or…or what. So far everything I was told in there has proven to be true, but…I don't want to take any chances. But there's one more thing you should know.

"I met you. Or a version of you. She wasn't real, but she looked exactly like you do now. Helena META told me she was a compilation of someone else's memories, but there was something else. I think…there was something between her and the…other me, the me who I was 'inhabiting' for lack of a better world. Or at least, that's what the memories seemed to imply. But…in the end, I…I had to leave her behind. She stayed, sacrificing herself to give me time…"

Yorktown was silent for a long time as she processed everything I'd just told her. Finally, she spoke, her voice very soft. "Did…did you and her…?"

"No!" I emphatically denied. "I didn't know if that was the real you, so I didn't do anything to give her the idea we were together. But from what she'd said to me right before the final battle, she seemed to allude to the fact that other me and her were quite close."

"I see," she said quietly before she graced me with her smile. "In that case, I find that quite comforting."

Her words caught me off-guard. "I-wait, what?"

"You and I find each other in every universe," she explained with a happy smile. "We find our happiness in one another."

A smile slowly spread across my face as she explained herself. "When you put it that way, it's very comforting."

Yorktown nodded as she got to her feet. "Indeed. Now, let's go get final clearance from Vestal, I want to say hello to our friends."

Hornet, Northampton, Hammann, and Langley had arrived only a few hours ago and were milling about the briefing room wondering why they'd been summoned to the Eagle Union's top-secret research lab.

"Think they're gonna ask us to be part of some super-secret research team to help Yorktown?" Hammann's voice echoed down the hallway. Yorktown and I shared a grin as Hornet replied.

"I dunno. I'm not much of a sciency-type. I tend to act first, consequences later. Makes sense for Langley, but me? Nah."

"You are Yorktown's sister, hon," Northampton noted. "Maybe they need someone from her class to get a baseline."

"Well, that explains me and Langley, but what about you and Hammann?"

Even from outside the room, I could practically hear the shrug. "Moral support?"

"It's a nice idea, but I'm afraid that's not the case," I announced as I entered the room, with Yorktown right behind me. "As you can see, Yorktown is officially cured."

Hornet, Northampton, and Hammann, all let out excited gasps as broad, delighted smiles crossed their faces. Even the normally stoic Langley cracked a grin and gave an approving nod.

"Welcome back, sis!" Hornet cried out as she barrelled past me to embrace Yorktown in a fierce bear hug. "We've missed you so much!"

Yorktown let out a soft laugh as she wrapped her arms around her sibling. "And I've missed you, too. It's been far too long."

"I gotta say," Northampton said as she moved in for a hug of her own, "You got one hell of a glow-up to boot. You look fantastic! Did the Commander pick that out for you?"

"It'd certainly explain the top," Hammann grumbled. "Pervert."

I coughed somewhat self-consciously as Yorktown came to my aid. "He didn't pick out the outfit, this was the result of what Max did to cure me."

At that point, I was pointedly not looking at Hammann, who I could feel staring daggers at me. I was grateful I had the foresight to use the clip-on tie that day. "So this is his doing…"

"Not intentionally," the carrier answered, forestalling Hammann's tantrum for a bit longer. "This change is more than just a new outfit, it's a new me altogether. Yorktown reborn as an Essex-class. Which is why you're all here. There were upgrades for more than just me, namely, the four of you. If you'd like, you can all be refitted with this Type-II rigging."

Hornet took a step back from Yorktown, eyeing her up and down. "And you said you're still the same person? How do we really know that?"

Yorktown smiled sweetly. "Galveston, shore leave, mechanical bull."

"Yep, that's her!" Hornet quickly announced, her face flushing beet red. "No need to elaborate any further, sis."

Laughter filled the room as any lingering tension was washed away. "In all seriousness," Northampton said as the room finally died down, "How do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful," Yorktown smiled. "I think I'm going to have to have my old clothes resized in a few places, but that's something I'll get used to in time." I thought maybe it had just been the new outfit, but that seemed to confirm what I'd already suspected.

"So we get a bump in power and a shopping trip?" Hornet laughed. "Sign me up!"

More laughter, but I noticed Hammann wasn't joining in this time. I crouched down next to her and whispered softly to her. "Something bothering you?"

She scowled at me, but it lacked her usual levels of derision. Her eyes flicked to Yorktown, then back to me. Finally, in a small voice, she asked, "...will it hurt?"

I glanced over my shoulder and caught Yorktown's eye. As she took notice of me, I mouthed "Did it hurt?" before gesturing to Hammann. She smiled warmly and shook her head. "Guess not," I answered the destroyer as I turned back to her.

Hammann wavered for a few seconds more before she finally gave in. "Alright, fine. Only to better protect Yorktown, though. And you better not put me in anything lewd!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," I chuckled as I held my hands up in mock surrender. "Langley, what about you?"

The carrier looked up from her tablet and nodded. "Of course. Anything to give us an edge against the Sirens."

"Well, then," I said as I got back to my feet, "Sounds like everyone's on board. If you'll all take a left out the door and head down the hall, Vestal will get you all ready to go."

"Let's go, girls," Hornet grinned as she headed out, stopping to give Yorktown one last hug. "See ya soon, sis. Got a lot to catch up on!"

The rest filed out behind her, each one wishing Yorktown well until it was just the two of us. "Think we've covered all the major topics we needed to get to…what do you want to do?"

Her lips pursed slightly as she thought for a moment. "There is one thing…"

The doors of the elevator hissed open and together we stepped into the golden light of the setting sun. Yorktown took a few paces and stopped, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath, savoring the sea air. "Oh, how I've missed this," she sighed happily. "To feel the sun on my skin, the wind in my hair…"

"I can imagine, being cooped up in that room for months on end," I said, torn between watching the sunset and watching her bask in it. There was a quiet hiss behind us as the elevator retracted back into its hidden alcove, giving the appearance that we were on the jetty of a quiet South Pacific island. "Didn't think to bring swimsuits, but you wanna at least get your feet wet?"

She turned to look at me and smiled. "I'd love to."

Together, we walked to the end of the jetty, kicked off our shoes and socks, and let our feet dangle in the cool, clear, calm blue water. I put my arm around her waist, holding her tightly as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I wonder…am I still dreaming?" she softly mused.

I chuckled quietly. I'd been wondering the same thing myself. It almost felt too good to be true. "If you are, I'm dreaming with you."

"A shared dream, blissfully entwined forever…" she smiled. "Not a bad way to spend eternity."

"Not at all."

We sat in silence for a long while, just content to listen to the waves lapping against the shore, watching the sun slowly slip beneath the horizon. Eventually, Yorktown sighed, "I'd love to take a dip, but I'll definitely need a new swimsuit."

"We'll get you one as soon as we're back home," I reassured her.

"And you're sure you didn't have anything to do with…this?"

I looked over at her to find her pointedly staring at her bust and laughed as I shook my head. "I swear. This is how the Reality Lens projected your Type-II rigging, I promise! As far as I know, it didn't draw anything from me. Although, I do like the wings. Very angelic. Are they, uh…part of you, now?"

She glanced behind her at the two pairs of pinions sprouting from her back and shook her head. "I don't think so. I don't feel them, and when I pull on the outfit, I don't feel anything tugging. Strange that they respond to my thoughts, though…"

I watched the wings extend and retract before they returned to their resting position. "Must be part of the Type-II interfacing with your outfit, I guess. It'll be interesting to see if other outfits work the same way when we get back home."

"And how long will that be?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before I answered. "Hopefully, soon. I know Vestal's going to want to keep you and the others here for at least a few days for observation, make sure there aren't any problems with the rigging. But for any sort of in-depth testing, I'd like to be able to do it back at HQ."

She nodded slowly, her head still on my shoulder. "Max…do you think it'll make me as strong as she said it would?"

"Without a doubt," I grinned. "I watched a simulation of you fight an Arbiter to a standstill in her own program, and I know the real you is even stronger than she was. It might take a while to get used to your new rigging, but I know, one day, nothing will be able to stop you."

"If that's true, it's because of you, Max. You've been by my side since we met and I cannot thank you enough. I love you…so much."

"I love you, too…" I breathed softly before our lips met in a tender, passionate kiss and we held one another in a loving embrace. One that would not end until the moon hung high in the night sky…

A/N-Ah, back to the fluff! Until next time, fair winds and following seas!