Chapter 2 – Move-In Day – Part 1

Sorry, this took way longer than I expected. I had some health issues come up and then work got pretty insane. Then some animals chewed up my fiber line, so I had limited internet. By the time all that died down, I realized I hadn't written anything for about a month. I'm back and alive. Enjoy!

"What are you doing here, Shellhead?" Nia asked.

"To help Rex move into his new pad," Zeke replied.

"That explains why Poppi, Tora, and everyone else is here. You'll just break shit with your luck."

"Wha-what?! That's not fair. I have better luck than…than Kasandra."

Nia burst into laughter. "You can't be serious, Zeke! There's no competition there."

"Now, now, my lady. Let's be nicer to Zeke," Dromarch suggested.

"Yeah! Listen to your Blade!" Zeke nodded vigorously.

Over to the side, Pyra was busy packing her large collection of kitchen supplies. Rex was attempting to help, but he wasn't particularly adept at figuring out Pyra's sorting system.

"Rex, the spatulas don't go with the eating utensils," Pyra said.

"Oh…uhh…sorry," Rex said.

"Oh, and the knives used for meat shouldn't be with the vegetable knives. Rex, honey, maybe you should start on your clothes instead?"

"I'm sorry."

Pyra hugged Rex. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart."

Mythra and Poppi were moving boxes out of the house. Nia went over to help.

"Poppi wonders why Rex want to move," said the artificial blade.

"Well, humans like to move when they get older," Nia said.

"Why?"

"Well, because it's like a sign you've grown up."

"Should Poppi move out and leave Tora because she is grown up Blade?"

Nia and Mythra looked at each other, and both hesitated to speak.

"Well, no. Blades are different," Nia replied.

"Oh, I see."

As Poppi carried another box out of the house, Nia tapped Mythra on the shoulder.

"Hey, Mythra. Can we talk?" she asked.

Mythra set her box down and nodded. "Sure, is something wrong?"

"Not here, let's go further away. Like to the Village Guardian."

"Uh, okay. If that's what you want."

The two girls told Rex that they were going to take a rest and then headed off to the Village Guardian. Nia looked around to make sure nobody had followed them. The coast was clear, so she sat down on the steps.

"I don't know about this, moving out thing," Nia said. "Everyone appears to talk about a family, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

"Chill out. Nobody is forcing you to have a family. Rex isn't ready for that either. Do you see Rex as a father? I seriously doubt that he's going to jump into this either."

"That's easier for you to say. You and Pyra are both Blades."

"You know, there's no evidence that a Blade can't get pregnant. There hasn't been a Blade and Driver marriage for a long time. I wouldn't be surprised if that were just a myth."

"Really?"

"I don't know. I might just be talking out of my ass."

"Then I hope it's Pyra then. She's more 'motherly' than we are."

"You got that right."

Nia hugged Mythra. "Thank you."

"Uhh…no worries. Is that all you were worried about?"

"I guess…"

"Mythraaaa! Niaaaaa!" Pyra shouted.

"The Fire Blade walked over to the guardian."

"Oh, that's where you are."

"What are you here for?"

"Zeke, Poppi, and Rex can finish moving. Tora is still in awe of Poppi's power, so I took the opportunity to sneak away for a break."

"Oh, Mythra and I were just uh…talking," Nia said.

"About?"

"About how we would fare raising kids," Mythra said.

"W-what? Now, why would you be talking about that?" Pyra said, blushing and looking exasperated.

"I figured you'd make the best mother," Mythra teased.

"No-no! Who said that? I can't be a parent! I'm a blade!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think it's written that Blades can't get pregnant," Mythra quipped.

"Mythra..I…"

"I'm sure Rex used protection."

"Uhhh…Yeah…sure he did."

"Oh Mythra, I think you're giving Pyra a panic attack."

"Fiiine, I'm just messing with you, sis."

"You don't think Blades can have babies?"

"I never said that, Pyra."

"Argghhh! So they can?"

"How would I know? Blade-Driver marriages aren't documented that well."

"It's okay, Pyra. We're all in this together…oh Architect, I'm starting to sound like Rex…" Nia said. She gave Pyra a kiss on the cheek.

"I think everything is all packed. Saet's Lumber Co delivered our furniture to the new house yesterday according to Mòrag, so I guess all that's left is to get going," Pyra said.

"Ladies first! Come on; we don't have all day!" Zeke shouted.

"Jeez, he's so rude!" Mythra complained loudly. "No wonder he hasn't found a woman yet."

"Hey! I heard that!"

They had loaded all their belongings onto a large carriage. Azurda had decided to give them a hand, loading most of it onto his back.

Meanwhile, Rex was talking to Aunt Corinne.

"I-I'll miss you," he said.

"Oh, Rex. I couldn't be happier. Yes, it's bittersweet to see you go, but you've grown so much. Your journey as matured you so much. Don't be a stranger. Stop by when you can. I'm sure the ladies will take good care of you," Corinne said.

"Yeah, they will," Rex said, nodding in agreement.

Corinne burst into laughter.

"I presume they already are given that look on your face."

"Wha-what? What look?"

"Oh, nothing. Hope your bedroom situation works out though."

"Wha?"

"Rex! Let's get a move on!" Mythra shouted.

"Hold on a sec; let me say goodbye to Corinne again too," Pyra said.

"Take good care of him," Corinne said.

"I will, you know I've always done that."

"Good, I'm not sure if he knows how lucky he is to have you as his Blade and wife."

"Oh, well, I'm lucky to have him as a Driver and husband."

"Ha, he's still a bit scrawny, but hey, if you say so."

"I'd better go now."

"Have a safe trip. Keep Rex out of trouble," Corinne said as she pulled Pyra into an embrace.

Azurda helped move all their stuff to the dock where a ship waited. Zeke decided to find out more about Rex's life with the girls.

"How does the bedroom situation work?" Zeke asked.

Rex was taken aback by the question.

"Uhhhh…that's a little private don't you think?" he replied.

"Oh, I see. Uhh…well…I meant, do you all fit in one bed?"

"We will now with the bed in the new house."

"That'll make for interesting nights."

"Can we talk about something else?" Rex asked.

"I've been listening to the whole time waiting for you to say that, Rex," Pandoria retorted. "Seriously, Zeke. You need to get married fast. Why haven't you confessed to Mòrag yet?"

"Wha-what-? You heard the whole thing?!"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Well, because…she's uhh…out of my league."

"You are a crown prince! That's not a valid excuse!"

Rex took the opportunity to sneak away and sit next to Pyra, who looked deep in thought.

"Oh, hi honey," she said.

"Hello."

"It's a nice day for a move, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Rex, what kind of parent do you think I would be?"

"Huh? Why would you ask that? Blades can't have children."

"I'm not sure if they can't," Pyra said, staring at the ground.

"Huh? Pyra? You're not…are you?"

Pyra saw the concerned look on Rex's face. She reached over and took his hand.

"No, no Rex. I'm not pregnant or anything. I just wondered."

"Well, I mean you're nice and caring. I don't see why you would be any different as a parent. You know, you act like a mother to me sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pyra asked, seemingly a bit defensive.

"Huh?"

"I just meant you are good at taking care of us."

"Oh…uh…I guess so…"

Mythra took a seat next to the two of them, then proceeded to interrupt.

"You two still don't know how to talk to the opposite sex. It's cute," Mythra retorted.

"And you do?" Rex asked.

"Shut up!" Mythra said, blushing.

"What kind of mom do you think Mythra would be?" Rex asked Pyra.

Mythra blushed even harder.

"The last thing I want to be is a parent! Shut up about it!" Mythra shouted.

"What about you, Nia?" Pyra asked as she noticed Nia and Zeke coming over.

"I'm a bit young to be thinking about that. I don't know, honestly," Nia said, after a few seconds of hesitation.

"You're the only one that for sure can have a child, though," Zeke commented.

"Thank you, Shellhead. Surely I didn't know that already!"

"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Rex suggested.

Azurda finally turned around after listening to all of the conversations. "Remember Rex, having a child also means you would be a father. Now how does that make you feel?" he said.

"Whaaat? I'm not ready for that! I have no idea about any of that stuff."

"Just don't be like my father," Zeke said.

"Corinne and I will always be here if you need advice. I look forward to being a great-grandparent though! Anyways, we are here, the ship awaits, and you should be off on your own."

The family talk stopped while they loaded their belongings onto the ship. Rex carried a few boxes, but then seemed to struggle with some of the kitchen supplies. Pyra came over to help.

"Honey, isn't salvaging supposed to make you stronger?"

"Huh?"

Pyra and Nia giggled.

"Looks like you're weaker than your Blades," Nia teased.

"Umm, isn't that supposed to be true? I'm just a human."

"He has a point," Pyra noted.

Pyra then reached over and picked Rex up.

"Ahhhh! What are you doing? You're embarrassing me, Pyra."

Pyra giggled as she carried Rex onto the ship. Mythra, Nia, and Zeke almost dropped their boxes as they laughed at the spectacle.

"Could you put me down, please?" Rex asked.

"Awww, you don't like me carrying you?"

"I mean you can do it, but maybe in private?"

Pyra nodded and carried Rex onto the ship. The damage was already done though as the rest of the group would forever remember the moment.

Inside the ship, the group appeared exhausted and most of them decided to take a nap. Although, Mythra decided she needed a shower, despite Nia telling her it was pointless since they would have to unload everything.

"Why didn't Rex just hire movers? He's so cheap!" Mythra complained.

"Probably because he thought we would help?" Nia replied.

"Who's side are you on anyways?"

"Neither, I'm just stating a fact. Anyways, I'm going for a catnap now."

Rex and Pyra also didn't feel like sleeping. Instead, Pyra again became fixated on having a family. Deep down, she thought it would be an interesting experience to raise a family. After all, Pyra seemed a natural when it came to managing their current household. She did all of the cooking and grocery shopping. She managed the budget so Mythra wouldn't splurge too much on unnecessary things. She planned most of their traveling, making sure that the group had a place to stay at night. Adding another member didn't seem to bother her. Still, it was going to be a new experience for everyone, even Rex who barely knew his parents. Corinne and Azurda could give some advice, but moving away from them meant that she couldn't constantly ask them for their input.

Rex could see that Pyra was deep in thought and asked her what was up.

"You seem to be thinking a lot lately. Do you have second thoughts about moving?" Rex asked.

"If we always acted on our second thoughts, we wouldn't make any decisions," Pyra replied.

"So you do have second thoughts?"

"Yes Rex, we are starting a life together with the loves of my life. I would never have thought that we would end up in this situation. You know, in my mind, I had planned so Mythra, and I wouldn't exist anymore. I thought that the amount of pain I put you through would make any relationship with me…impossible in the end. That's why I had thought that sacrificing myself would have been the right thing to do. Mythra and I both thought that. Clearly, we were wrong."

"Aw, Pyra. Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"Rex, do you really think that you would have stuck around if I told you everything that was about to happen?"

Rex thought for a moment and then replied. "Yes, I would have."

"Oh, Rex, that's quite charming, but that's much easier for you to say after the fact."

"You wanted me to stay though…you wanted to stay with me…why?"

"Well, for a selfish reason actually. I saw something in you. I felt that you would be the one that would make Elysium real. So yeah, I saved you because you were worth saving."

"So if anybody else would have found you in that shipwreck?"

"Well, any Driver could have activated me, yes. No Driver would likely be chosen by Jin and Malos. They didn't want anyone that could fight back. I'm sorry, I'm getting all caught up in the details."

"Yeah, I guess there's no need to dwell too long in the past."

Pyra reached out and grabbed Rex's hand.

"I know we are tired from moving, buutt…there is nobody here, and we still have a few hours until arrival," Pyra said, tugging at Rex, trying to pull him into an empty room with a bed.

"Ummm…I don't have any umm…aren't you uh scared that you might become a mom?"

"Oh, I don't know if Blades can have a baby, but I'm sure they can't. Come on!"

Pyra picked Rex up again and carried him into the room. She closed the door behind them and then turned the lock. The two of the jumped into bed. What they didn't realize was that on the other side of the wall, Mythra had just finished her shower. She heard a loud thump on the other side of the wall and pressed her ear against it. She heard Pyra moaning slightly.

"Titan's foot! Nia!"

"Yes, Mythra?"

"It seems Rex is in bed with Pyra and he didn't invite us! Let's go!"

"Not now, I'm tired," Nia yawned and seemed unable to move.

"Fine! I'll go alone," Mythra said.

Mythra tried to open the door and realized it was locked. Poppi, who stayed silent for a while poked her head into the living room.

"What is Mythra doing?" she whispered.

"Poppi, can we borrow your lockpicking skills?"

"Poppi happy to unlock door!" she used her tools, and the door popped open.

"Ahhhh!" Pyra shouted as she turned her head. She was lying on top of Rex.

"Shhh! It's just me," Mythra whispered.

"And Poppi!" said the artificial blade.

"You can leave now!" Mythra snapped.

"Poppi is artificial blade so not able to engage in se-"

"That's nice! Now please leave!" Mythra said, shutting the door.

"You don't have to treat her like that," Pyra commented.

"P-Pyra! Y-you're…"

"Oh sorry!" Pyra said, realizing that she was literally smothering Rex.

"Anyways, it's my turn!" Mythra snapped.

"Is it now? I don't see why we have to take turns."

Rex grinned slightly.

The two girls squeezed into one bed along with Rex. Outside the room, Poppi pressed her ear against the door before Tora came by.

"Poppi, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Listening to Rex having sex with Pyra and Mythra."

"You — what?"

"Why can't artificial blades—"

"Uhhh…because you uhh…just need a few more upgrades."

"I see…Poppi want Masterpon to work on sex upgrade as soon as possible."

Zeke walked into the room.

"What is this about a sex upgrade?" he asked.

"Oh, uhhh, nothing."

Zeke looked at the closed room door.

"Are they?"

"Yes!" Nia said, suddenly wide awake.

"Unlock this door," she said to Poppi.

She jumped into the room and closed the door quickly, leaving the others without a doubt that Rex was going to do just fine on his own.