The Space Pirate Tales II

Chapter 1: New Life

Rio held the baby-blue balloons on their strings as she phased throughout the Masaki porch, placing a couple at every stop she made. She looked back and saw Mihoshi trying to accomplish the same task, but sighed as she saw her letting go of the balloons in one hand while she tried to tie the others to a post. Rio phased up to the clouds before they could be crushed by the atmospheric pressure and brought them back down.

"Now how did those get up there?" Mihoshi was confounded at the notion of helium-filled balloons. "Thanks Rio!"

"No problem Mihoshi." She smiled and knew it'd be pointless to try and teach her anything; she had tried once before and all she got out of it was a load of frustration. "I'll do the balloons, why don't you set the tables."

"Are you sure?" Mihoshi put on a worried expression, unsure if Rio could really handle the balloons on her own.

"I'm positive, but Ayeka looks like she needs help." Rio pointed out Ayeka and Mihoshi was sent happily away.

Rio let out a sigh of relief as she continued with her balloon task with no further interruption. Meanwhile Ayeka noticed Mihoshi coming her way.

"I'll help you set the tables Ayeka!" Mihoshi exclaimed.

"Actually I'm just about done." Ayeka commented even as she held most of the decorations in a cardboard box resting on her hips.

"Are you sure? I mean it looks like you have—" Mihoshi pointed a finger to the box of decorations.

"Oh these…" A sweat drop formed on her brow. "These are just extras! I think Sasami needs help though." She lied through her teeth.

"Really? Ok…" Mihoshi was beginning to feel like she didn't have anything to contribute.

As soon as Mihoshi was out of sight Ayeka began to set the tables and rejoiced at the efficiency of her hands. She smiled warmly as she placed the centerpieces on the table—a simple cherry blossom sprig elaborately intertwined with a sprig of wheat: a perfect union. Ryoko had chosen the cherry blossom while Tenchi chose to represent himself with an essence of the fields he so often tended to. Inside she was at peace with how everything had turned out; she realized that Tenchi had only been a replacement for Yosho in her eyes. She chuckled as two arms wrapped around her from behind.

"You're doing a lovely job." A husky voice nestled in her ear.

"Yosho!" Ayeka jumped back into his chest as she blushed profusely.

Yosho laughed as he saw his former princess turn several shades of red. It had been some time since he had revealed his true nature to his family with some pressure from his granddaughter. Ayeka had broken down at the truth, but with his help she was able to recover, and Yosho felt certain lightness take over his soul; something that he thought he'd never feel again. His granddaughter was right in pressuring him to drop his façade—he hadn't realized it, but it was weighing him down a lot more than he had initially thought it would. Since then he had begun to court Ayeka, but this time it was of his own free will and free of politics.

"Sorry I did not mean to startle you." He smiled down at her.

"I was just lost in thought…" She looked at his youthful face and couldn't help but remember the old man guise he had chosen to hide behind for so many years. Her gaze found its way to his attire and the fact that he wore the same clothes, as he once had, did not help with her remembrance of his former self. "These are beautiful centerpieces." She smiled slightly as she showed them to him.

"They are, aren't they? It represents them so well." Yosho lay one down on a table. "I heard it was your idea to combine both the baby shower and wedding ceremony into one event."

"So it was." Ayeka smiled with pride. "Ryoko's just about big enough to pop any second now. I promised her I'd throw her a baby shower before the baby came and so I will."

"And why also the wedding?" Yosho raised his eyebrow.

"Because… she made me her maid of honor and I simply can't wait for the wedding to ensue." Ayeka beamed with pride once more. Though Ryoko had teased her before, saying she would allow Ayeka to be her 'maid of horror' instead, but she had eventually confessed that there was no one else she'd ask to be her maid of honor but her.

"Is that so? I wonder who Tenchi's best man is… he surely didn't ask me." Yosho mock frowned.

"I wondered that too… Lord Tenchi has never really had many male friends."

"In any case we better prepare for the evening." He left a small kiss on her forehead and turned to leave.

Ayeka let a feint blush tint her cheeks and gently waved her goodbye to the man who was in pursuit of her heart. She felt a bit strange knowing Yosho had already had a love of his life, but knew that he wouldn't be chasing her out of guilt. Plus the hole that Tenchi had left in her heart wasn't really left by Tenchi, but by the younger Yosho of her childhood, so to have him fill it now felt natural. It felt nice knowing that she didn't have to compete for his love or fight with anyone for it—though she sometimes missed the battles with Ryoko.

"Thanks Ayeka." She looked up to see Rio floating above her. "It looks beautiful."

"I'm sure your mother will love it." Ayeka smiled back.

"Speaking of which, I'm going to go check on her." Rio phased away with a peace sign and reappeared in her mother's room.

Ryoko was standing in front of a body-length mirror and rubbing her stomach ever so often. As soon as she heard the familiar sound of phasing, she turned to find her daughter.

"It sucks not being able to do that." Ryoko whined as she rested herself on a chair.

"I can't imagine what it's like to have to walk everywhere." Rio poked fun at her mother's laziness.

"You're not one to be talking—you phase into places you shouldn't even be phasing into!" Ryoko threw back with a smug grin.

Rio blushed out of embarrassment as she recalled the last lesson she had learned in living with others. Since she could remember, Rio had never had to check to see if anyone was in the bathroom. It had been just her grandmother and her, so there was no need for any such customs. It by chance happened that she had never run into any problems here until very recently. She had taken to phasing into the restroom rather than walk to the door and go through it. One day, someone decided to rise early and use the restroom at the time Rio usually occupied it; without really thinking Rio had phased into the restroom and caused princess Ayeka to shriek horribly. Rio had quickly phased away and profusely apologized afterwards, but the ear tugging the princess conducted on her afterwards was a painful reminder that she should never phase into the restroom again.

"That was only once…" Rio muttered as she looked away from her mother's bright and mischievous eyes.

"So how's everything coming along?" Ryoko smiled warmly as she cupped her daughter's pouting face.

"Great! Our plans are going smoothly; are you excited?"

"Of course I am… I've never had a party just for me. Not one that I can remember."

"I'll make sure you remember this one, it's what you deserve." Rio gave her mother a small kiss on the cheek and looked at the white dress hanged near the mirror. "Grams was able to make the alterations to your dress after all." She examined her mother's belly. "That's one huge baby…"

"What makes you so sure there's only one?" Ryoko grinned as her daughter's jaw all but dropped.

"There's more!"

"Bingo, kiddo… you'll be older sister to twins." Ryoko had waited until the very end to inform her daughter of the news.

"Do you know their gender?" Rio was filled with excitement.

"You're going to have a brother and a sister."

"Wow…" Rio was amazed at the thought of suddenly having two siblings. "Do you have names for them?"

"We do, but I'm going to keep those a secret for a bit longer." Ryoko chuckled at Rio's dismayed look. "Don't look at me like that; you'll know soon."

"Fine, fine…" Rio looked at her watch and saw that it was time she get to her grandmother's lab—they had been working on a special project. "Alright, I have to go! See you in a bit." She hugged her mother and then with a stuck out tongue phased away.

Ryoko chuckled and knew her daughter's spunk came primarily from her; she looked down to her belly and began to speak:

"I'm not as prepared as I should be… and I don't know if I'll be the best mother, but I'll definitely try to give you the life that I've always wanted." She frowned momentarily as she thought of Rio's lost childhood. "I'll keep you as safe as possible."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was not how I intended this chapter to end, but I wanted to just get something out there. I promise next chapter won't be so short and the plot will actually progress. I haven't been online in sooo long…