A sick boy sat on his bed, playing a visual novel on his holo. The door to his room opened, and his mother entered.
"Hi, honey," she said.
"Hi, mom," the boy said in a slightly raspy voice.
She checked his temperature.
"You feeling any better?" She asked him.
"A little bit."
She patted him on the back and said, "Guess what?"
"What?"
"Your grandfather is here."
"Mom, can't you tell him I'm sick?"
"You're sick? That's why he's here."
"He'll pinch my cheek. I hate that."
"Maybe he won't."
The door burst open once again, and said grandfather entered the room.
"Hey! How's the sick? Huh?" He said, pinching the boy's cheek as the boy rolled his eyes at his mother.
She sighed. "I think I'll leave you two pals alone," she said, before exiting the room.
"I brought you a present." The grandfather said, handing the boy a package.
"What is it?" he asked, tearing the outer wrappings off., revealing… "A book?"
"That's right. When I was your age, Visual Novels were called books. And this is a special book. It's the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today, I'm gonna read it to you."
"Is it any good?"
"Are you kidding? Mechas, fighting, torture, revenge, monsters, revenge, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!"
"...Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try and stay awake," the boy said, shutting off his holo.
"Oh, well, thank you very much. That's very nice of you," the grandfather said with just a touch of sarcasm. "Your vote of confidence is overwhelming."
The grandfather pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his pocket, put them on, opened the book, and started reading.
"The Sunrider Bride. By Samu-kun Morgenstern. Chapter 1.
Asaga was raised in a big city on the planet of Cera. Her favorite pastimes were piloting her Ryder and dragging the manager of the mechanics off on adventures. His name was Kayto, but she never called him that.
Isn't that a wonderful beginning?"
"Yeah, it's really good."
"Nothing gave Asaga more pleasure than taking Kayto on adventures."
"Mr. Manager, come oooon! There's adventures to be gone on!"
"B-but I need to-"
"No you don't, there's mechanics for that! Come on!"
She never allowed him to refuse an adventure.
"Mr. Manager, I found something really cool! Come with me so we can see it!"
"Just let me fi-"
"Nope! We're going now before it goes away!"
That day, Kayto was amazed to realize that when she dragged him off on adventures, what she meant was, "I love you."
And even more amazing was the day he realized that he truly loved her back.
"Mr. Manager? Come to see the moon with me?"
And for the first time, Kayto smiled at her desire for an adventure.
"Okay, Asaga."
Later that night, at sunset, they leaned in and-
"HOLD IT, HOLD IT." The boy interjected. "Are you trying to trick me? Where's the excitement? ...Is this a text-only eroge?"
"Wait. Just wait."
"When does it get GOOD?"
"Calm down, and let me read.
Asaga had no money for marriage, so she packed a few things and left Cera to seek her fortune in space. It was a very emotional time for Kayto."
"I fear I'll never see you again," Kayto whispered to Asaga.
"Of course you will!" Asaga said excitedly.
"But what if something happens to you?"
"I will always come back for you." Asaga said, very determined,
"But how can you be sure?" Kayto fretted.
"The Hero of Justice always comes back home. You think there's a hero leaving home every day?"
The pair shared a quick kiss, before Asaga got into her Ryder and headed into space.
"Asaga never reached her destination. Her carrier was attacked by the Dread Pirate Cosette, who never left captives alive. When Kayto got the news that Asaga was murdered-"
"Murdered by space pirates is good." The boy interjected.
"-He went into his cabin and shut the door. For days, he neither slept nor ate."
"I will never love again." Kayto vowed to himself.
"Five years later, the main square of Cera City was filled with people like never before, waiting to hear Princess Lynn's chosen husbando-to-be."
Trumpets blared, announcing the arrival of the royalty. King Jaylor, Veniczar Fontana, and Princess Lynn appeared on a high balcony, flanked by their bodyguards.
Lynn stepped forward, and began to speak.
"My people! A month from now, our country will celebrate the 500th anniversary of our Liberation Day! On that sundown, I shall marry a man who was once a commoner like yourselves! But perhaps… you shall not find him common now! Would you like to meet him?"
The crowd cheered in a resounding affirmative.
"My people… Prince Kayto!"
The trumpets played once again, and Kayto entered the town square on a lower balcony. People bowed at his entrance.
"Kayto's emptiness consumed him. Although the law of the planet gave Lynn the right to choose her groom, he did not love her. The only joy he found was in a daily cruise, reminiscing about Asaga."
A few days after the announcement ceremony, Kayto took his personal yacht, the Sunrider, on a short trip to Tydaria and back. However, about halfway to Tydaria, he met a small ship that hailed him over the comms, and he answered. A hologram of a man that had the look of an old war veteran about him appeared, with two younger women at his side. One with long black hair and a sword, and one with short, dark blue hair.
"A word, my good sir? We are but poor, lost independent miners. Is there a comm station nearby?"
"There is nothing nearby. Not for lightyears."
"Then there will be nobody to hear your distress call!" The man proclaimed, hitting a button Kayto couldn't see. Suddenly, every system on his ship shut down, and an electrical surge from a nearby control panel struck him, knocking him out.
Two Ryders, piloted by the women, disembarked from the small ship, one yellow and black, the other green and white. Over the comm, the man told them, "Now, remember, you need to plant the evidence implicating PACT in the kidnapping."
"Why PACT, again?" the short-haired woman asked.
"The nation across the Neutral Rim? The sworn enemies of Cera?" The other woman answered in a sarcastic tone. After the pair retrieved Kayto, putting him in the long-haired woman's Ryder, the man explained. "Once Cera realizes their prince is missing, they'll send out a search ship for him along his last known route. They'll find his ship, drifting in space, with only the body of a PACT officer aboard. The princess will then suspect PACT of abducting her love. When she finds his body dead on New Eden, her suspicions will be totally confirmed."
"You never said anything about killing the prince! N-not that I care or anything!" The longer-haired woman spoke up.
"We're starting a war. It's a prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition."
"I-I just don't think it's right, killing people and implying someone else did it."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Did I ask for your opinion, Icari Isidolde? You were NOT hired to provide your opinions, mercenary!"
"I… agree with Icari." The blue-haired woman spoke up, causing the man to turn his anger on her.
"Oh, Kryska the former spy has spoken! What happens to him is none of your concern. I will kill him if need be!" He turned back to Icari. "And remember this. NEVER forget this. When I found you, you were so drunk out of your mind, you couldn't even move on your own power!" He turned back to Kryska. "And YOU! Helpless, parentless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed, on Ongess?"
The pair landed and began walking back to the ship's bridge. Icari spoke to Kryska. "That Gray, he can… fuss." Kryska smirked. "I think he likes to scream at us." "Probably he means no…. harm." "He's really very short on… charm!"
Icari sighed. "You have a great gift for rhyme."
"Yes, yes... some of the time."
This last was uttered as the pair entered the bridge.
"Enough of that!" Gray snapped.
Kryska powered up the sensor terminal.
"Kryska, are there asteroids ahead?" Icari called from her position at the navigation terminal.
"If there are, we'll all be dead!"
"No more rhymes now, I mean it!" Gray barked.
"Anybody want a peanut?" Kryska snarked.
Gray's incoherent scream could be heard throughout the ship.
End Part 1.
For the record, I blame Pal for this.
I'll try to make it better as I write more.