Chapter One: Reunion
The young, red-haired scientist peered into a microscope and focused the lens on a blue thread from her robe. It had been two years since her abrupt and unexpected departure from her tower in eastern Wyndia, and even though she had found herself in a Wyndia, she knew that it wasn't her Wyndia. "Nothing…" she murmured as she lifted her head from the eyepiece. It wasn't as though she expected to discover anything new; a microscope could only do so much, after all, and it certainly wouldn't be able to tell her if she was in her world's past or future. All she had been able to determine from her studies was that her fashion sense didn't match that of the locals.
She also knew that she missed her beloved; painfully so, in fact. Her eyes lost focus and her hands absently rested on the edge of the box she used for storing her microscope as she remembered how her relationship with Ryu – the one from her time, at least – had evolved, starting with the request from Princess Nina; again, the one from her time. "How are she and Shamus doing?" she wondered aloud, remembering the young mayor of McNeil. "Or did? Or are going to do?" She sighed heavily.
Her eyes continued to stare at nothing as she recalled how her relationship with the 'Dragon Prince' had evolved, from an incredibly awkward first 'date' to awkward confessions and culminating in them holding each other while sleeping off the effects of a clumsy yet genuine courtship.
She shook her head as the Ryu of the present time came to mind, so different from the one she had fallen in love with… Or was he? They were both very similar in appearance, from their blue hair and overall build, and the current Ryu seemed to have what she learned was a 'heart for others', just like her Ryu… She sighed in mild frustration as she started adjusting her microscope in preparation for storage.
As she carefully placed the box containing her microscope on a shelf, the sound of the door opening and closing echoed throughout the tower. "Be down in a minute," she called in as polite a tone as she could muster, considering her current mood. Once she had safely stored the device she made her way down the stairs to greet her guest, but when she saw the identity of her visitor her breath caught in her throat.
Standing just inside the entrance to her home and shifting his weight from one foot to the other was Ryu. Well, the Ryu of the world to which she had come. Like always, he wore a white, sleeveless shirt with a red collar and purple pants tied with a red sash.
Despite the differences in appearance, it was hard for her to not recall all the memories of her time with her Ryu, going on dinner dates and dancing, which culminated in him moving into the tower to live with her, married in spirit if not in ceremony.
"Hello, Momo," he greeted, and something about the tone of his voice gave her pause; he sounded awkward, almost embarrassed, though she couldn't think of any reason why he would be that way. "I'm sorry it's been so long."
"That's okay," she replied while trying to ignore the ache in her heart; his face looked so much like…well, his. "I've heard about your adventures, saving the world and finding your other half. Good for you." She forced a smile to her face. "So, wh-what can I do for you?"
He said nothing but moved toward her with his hand outstretched and an earnest expression, causing her to take several steps back. "Are you ready to go?"
"G-Go…?" she stammered as her bottom bumped against a table, halting her retreat. "Wh-Where are we-er, you-er…"
He stopped with a confused expression. "What's the matter, Momo?" He then noticed his bare arm and nodded thoughtfully. "Of course; that makes sense." He withdrew his hand and clenched his fists and began to glow, causing her to cover her eyes. When the glow faded she uncovered her eyes, only for them to widen as she gasped in delight at the sight of Ryu in a long, white jacket over gray chest armor and red undershirt along with olive-green pants and brown boots, familiar traveling clothes from what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Better?"
"Much," she breathed, unable to stop the smile that began to spread. "But…is it…really you…?"
He angled his head ever so slightly. "I'd never lie to you, Momo; I love you."
It wasn't exactly the same, but his words took her back to a happier (and slightly more embarrassing) time, and she gasped again as the barely-held-back tears began to flow. "Ryu, you…you remember me?"
He nodded, and she noticed a tear slowly trickling down his face. "I'm really sorry for forgetting you, Momo." He blinked, and quickly dabbed his face with the back of a hand. "Well, I didn't forget you…" His eyes lost focus and he scratched the back of his head. "I guess I kinda forgot us. But maybe I didn't forget? Maybe the memory was with Fou-Lu?" He shrugged with his adorably awkward grin. "Anyway, I'm really sorry if I-MMPH!"
His words were cut off abruptly by the teary engineer latching onto him to press her mouth against his. "Ryu! RYU!" she sobbed when she managed to break away. "I've missed you so much!"
"Momo," he breathed before returning the kiss, and it wasn't long before they made their way over to her bed…
Momo grunted awake, blinking sleep and stray red hairs from her lashes as her eyes fluttered open, taking in the dim light of the early evening. She smiled sleepily as she stretched her arms and legs to work out some stiffness that had formed after a rather frantic lovemaking session.
She looked to where Ryu lay next to her, and her face heated up at the sight of him watching her with a small smile of his own. "Hi," he greeted softly.
"Hi," she replied before turning her head just enough to accept a kiss on the cheek. "How long have you been awake?"
"Since yesterday morning."
She blinked; had she slept that long? "How… How long was I asleep?"
"Only a few hours," he replied with a slight shake of his head. At her furrowed brow his cheeks pinked and he looked away. "I… Once my memories started coming back I really wanted to see you."
Her yawn caught in her throat, causing her to cough lightly. "So you've been awake for-"
"About a day and a half," he finished for her; then, his blush deepened. "And…well… You're so beautiful when you're sleeping, so all I could do was watch you."
"Th-Thank you," she stammered, her blush deepening as well.
They lay together for the next several minutes, simply holding each other and feeling the joy of their reunion.
"So…what happened?" Momo asked once she had awakened further. "We were picnicking, and then you suddenly vanished."
"Yeah, sorry about that." He removed an arm from her midsection to briefly rub the back of his neck before wrapping it around her tummy again. "I'm still trying to sort out my memories, but… I was summoned here."
"Summoned?"
He nodded. "I guess one of the countries wanted a powerful…um, entity, to fight for them. But something was messed up about the summoning, so they got part of me about 600 years ago and the rest of me more recently."
"Which is why you're having to sort out your memories…" she realized. "Is that why you…forgot me?"
"I'm really sorry," he said while giving her a squeeze. "I don't get it myself, but I think my memories of you were with Fou-Lu; that is, the part of me that appeared six hundred years ago." His eyes narrowed. "But I think my love for you stayed with me."
Momo blushed furiously; how he could say such things about love without flinching was something she had realized a long time ago that she'd never understand.
"Looking back, I think Nina may have been interested, but I could only see her as a friend-no, sister, really."
Momo's ears twitched at the mention of the Wyndian princess; she had suspected that the Nina of her time had designs on Ryu during their adventures together. "I'm…glad that nothing happened between you two."
"Me, too." Ryu gave her another squeeze. "If I'd done anything with her, I'd never forgive myself. Or expect you to forgive me. Even if I couldn't remember at the time."
The young woman's body relaxed at his words. She also felt a little guilty for doubting her beloved, even if just for a moment. "It…would have been challenging," she admitted, "but I think I would have understood."
"But Momo-"
She pulled away just enough and cupped his face in her hands to look him straight in the eye. "But when all is said and done, you're mine, Ryu. And I'm yours."
He smiled at her unusual yet understandable display of possessiveness before pulling her close for more snuggling.
"So, do you know when we are?' Momo asked as she finished packing the last of her possessions.
"'When we are'?" Ryu echoed with a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
Momo straightened from packing a smaller box to face him. "Are we in the past? Or the future?"
"Um, neither," he replied, puzzled look still in place.
A blink. "Ryu, I've remembered a lot since coming here, but the last thing I remember before finding myself here was an explosion in my lab. Since I ended up in Wyndia, I'm assuming that I was blown through time, somehow." Another blink, this one to widened eyes as her ears pointed nearly straight up. "Wait, are you saying that I jumped to a different…timeline?"
"That's right," Ryu confirmed with a nod. "When I was summoned…" He trailed off, then smiled. "When I was yanked away from our picnic, I sensed that I was being pulled to another universe."
She moved to stand before him, placing her hands on his chest; of course, her scientific mind wanted to learn all of the details, but other things were more pressing. "Do you know how to get us back home, then?"
"I do, but..." He smiled awkwardly. "…there are a few things I'd like to take care of, first." He blinked in realization. "I mean, if you're okay with it; Bunyan – our Bunyan, I mean – taught me to leave a place better than when I found it, and a lot has happened here."
She briefly studied his expression before her own resolved into a smile. "Sure, Ryu; that sounds great. Could I come along?"
He smiled and picked up his wife, who squealed gleefully. "Of course!" he exclaimed as he gave her a twirl. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" He set her down, only to hold her at arm's length to briefly study her. "Momo? Before we go: Could I ask you to do something?"
She angled her head with an expression of curiosity. "Of course. What do you want me to do?"
His eyes lit up, and he smiled as he opened his mouth…
A/N: Shamus McNeil is the property of Mintbaby and appears in her work 'A Wyndian Princess'. Used without permission. ^_^;