The small yoshi sighed, laying his nose against the texbook in disinterest. His tutor turned around and shook her head.
“You are every bit like your father, young man,” she said pointedly. “Please try to focus on your daily lessons. And then you can go play.”
Rex Leo Marteniz, the son of Reuben and Emma and second-cousin to ruling Prince and Princess Lighty and Alex, may have been a member of the royal family. But most days...he just wanted to be a normal kid. The most excitement in his life was that one summer when he was only several months old.
After getting stuck in the back of an oblivious traveling merchant, he got caught in the middle of a heist, only to be saved by a famous figure named Mario. Rex ended up joining Mario and company en route to a floating town called Glitzville, where he joined the team in pro-fighting and wound up being the key to defeating the nigh-invincible Armored Harriers to enter the major league. After that, he helped Mario save the world from an ancient demon before eventually making it back to his home kingdom of Macrone.
“Ugh...fine...” he sighed in defeat, pouring over his book again. His life wasn’t quite as exciting at home as that adventure was, but it was nice enough. Except when it came to daily lessons. ...Perhaps he could get Mario could pay a visit sometime soon...
“Since the Macrone Kingdom’s been seeing an increase in immigration this season, I’ve been off at the office helping with the process. Exams and paperwork and whatnot... The new citizens have to learn all about Macrone’s history and laws and pledge their loyalty to the royal family before they can be legally recognized as citizens.
“The by far biggest percent of this immigrant wave seem to be from the Beanbean Kingdom--so much that the newly established Beanish Town’s been growing pretty fast. Apparently the soil in rural Macrone is perfect for growing Beanbean’s native crops. There’s even been talk among them of the Beanbean Kingdom opening an embassy here in Macrone--but until we actually hear anything from Queen Bean and her cabinet themselves, that’s just a baseless rumor.”
((Sorry for how long this has been taking. However, this third part contains some very important key points in Rube and Emma’s story. And no illustration this time; as long as it took for me to get this done, I kind of felt drawing for it might take up even more time I’d already wasted enough of.))
Part 3/?: Baby maybe?
“Well...” The concerned couple’s neighbor struggled with a response, but all she could think to say was, “I guess...all you can do is keep trying...”
It had been about ten years, give or take, since Rube and Emma first entertained the notion of bearing a child. It had come to the point where both felt absolutely sure they were ready, except there was one little problem...
“We’ve been trying for weeks!” moaned Rube. By this point, no eggs Emma laid in that time bore any sort of life inside, barring would-be predators she gulped in self-defense.
“Well...I’m not sure what to tell you...” The stubby purple yoshi folded her arms with a frown. “I’ve heard of yoshis that had to try multiple times before they could hatch a baby...and some who were never able to make one at all. ...I guess...all I can do for you youngsters is hope for the best...maybe send a wish to the Star Spirits for you...”
Emma nodded in understanding. “Thank you, Ms. Yotaka.”
Bidding farewell, the two mates left for home. As the pair entered the hut, Rube flopped over onto the soft leaf covering of their bed. “What are we doing wrong?” he groaned.
He felt a supportive touch on his back as Emma sat down next to him. “I’m sure neither of us are doing anything wrong exactly...” she mused. “We’re just having some bad luck is all. We just have to keep persevering until that luck changes.”
Rube softly chuckled. ‘Persevering.’ It kind of amused him when she used fancy words like that; Emma’s vocabulary did occasionally show itself to be larger than your typical yoshi around here. Still...her overall musings were food for thought. And the tone of them was something he was more than familiar with.
“Sounds like something my mother would’ve said...well, before she...” he trailed off; that wasn’t exactly a memory he enjoyed revisiting. And yet, it did bring back some fond childhood memories.
Macrone may not have been the fanciest or most advanced places around, but it was home. Yoshi’s Island seemed to be about the only place in this general corner of the world--if he even was on the same world--that seemed more around the small kingdom’s level. Maybe that’s why he felt so comfortable here.
“Mother would probably know what to do... She always knew lots of things,” he mused. Rube rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, thinking back to the days of a certain scrappy teenager dying for some excitement.
“She knew me going out on my own was for the best when I said I wanted to...also said I’d wanna come back sooner or later. Didn’t really take her seriously at the time...”
Emma smiled fondly at her fuzzy lover. He sure has come a very long way from that reckless kid that sprained his wrist climbing a tree. Everyone had been so welcoming to him since he started sticking around, and the island had become just as much a home to him as that kingdom he often told his tales of. It’d probably be sad to see him leave--even temporarily--for everyone, herself included, and yet...
“I think you should go back and see her; maybe she can help out somehow,” she said softly. “And besides, she obviously must miss you...just as much as you miss her...”
Rube gazed wistfully at her as she lied down next to him. “I wouldn’t wanna just get up and leave you here, even if it’s just for a visit. Maybe you could come with; see Macrone for yourself!” he suggested brightly. “I’m sure Mom would love you...”
Emma was a bit taken by surprise when he made his offer. She glanced away a bit flushed, as she sheepishly responded, “O-Oh, I dunno... I mean, I wouldn’t want to leave my home so quickly, and I might be needed around during the time you’re g--” A quick coughing spell cut her off; she quickly raised the back of her hand to catch it until it subsided.
“Oh, geez...” Rube made a face as she coughed. “I thought you were over that already.” With a frown, he thought aloud, “...Maybe it would be best you stay here...”
She chuckled at his concern. “Hon, it’s just a cough; I’ll be fine,” she insisted calmly. “But yeah... I think I’d rather stay put either way.”
With a tender smile, Rube leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I guess I could stop back there for a visit... Catch the old family up on my life and stuff.” Emma just grinned, nodding, so he went on. “I can leave tomorrow; get a good night’s sleep first. I found a nice route not too long ago that leads straight into the trail that led me here; goes right by a village of these cute little masked guys in white cloaks. They’re real friendly,” he grinned.
Emma giggled. “The white Shy Guys? Yeah... They were part of the Koopa Troop years ago, but they came to love the island and abandoned Dark Land,” she explained. “I hear people say they have some of the best doctors in this part of the world...”
“Sound like real swell guys,” chuckled Rube. Nuzzling Emma lovingly, he cooed, “I’ll be sure to put in a lotta nice compliments about you when I meet with the folks again.”
Leaning over, she gave Rube a small kiss on the nose. “Just be careful over there, OK?”
Rube folded his arms leisurely behind his head. “Hey... Macrone might not exactly be a utopia, but it’s gotta be one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever seen. What bad could possibly happen to me there?”
It was with that sense of confidence--and a hearty breakfast in his belly--that Reuben Marteniz set off from the village for home. Earlier that morning, he’d taken the time to sketch out some simple but quite clear instructions on following the path, in case Emma decided to come after when she felt ready.
“Can’t say for sure how long I’ll be gone. Heck, the relatives might hold me hostage for awhile to make up for all the time I’d been gone,” he laughed. “Anyway, when I do head back, I’ll be sure to take the exact same route the other way. That way we won’t just pass each other up if we happen to set off around the same time.”
Emma nodded, handing him a bag of some basic supplies. “You take care now.”
“Don’t I always?” he grinned with a shrug, which only earned him a skeptical smirk. Rube laughed again. “All right, I promise I’ll be careful. More than usual even!”
“That’s not saying much,” his mate quipped. “...But I trust you.”
After a tender kiss was shared between the two, Rube collected his things and turned to set off. As he passed through the village gate, he looked over his shoulder with a wave, which Emma returned. For however long it would be, her Rube was going back to his home.
The next couple of weeks were difficult for Emma to get used to. It was strange not having Rube around, and the kids certainly missed having him to entertain them. Emma would occasionally try pleasing the young crowd with tales of the furry yoshi, but she just didn’t have the flair in her storytelling that he did.
Ms. Yotaka placed a cup of freshly squeezed mango juice next to Emma as she sat there. Once again, she had that far-off look in her eye that occasionally overcame her.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” the elder yoshi reassured. “He has been away from his homeland in...how many years? They must have so much to catch up on...”
The younger woman smiled a bit, nodding. “I know. I gotta wonder, though... When’s he gonna be set to come back?” she mused, picking up her up and staring at it. “...I wonder what sort of new stories he’ll bring back. He’s changed so much since then...Macrone obviously must’ve changed just as much.”
“But not the love his family has for him,” said Ms. Yotaka with a warm smile. “That would never change one bit.”
Emma felt that same smile creep across her snout as she thought on that sentiment. “That’s true,” she thought aloud. “They love that big fuzzy dork over there just as much as we do over here.”
Ms. Yotaka nodded as Emma brought the cup to her lips. “I guess I can wait a little while longer before I go dragging that man back,” she chuckled before drinking the juice down. With a satisfied smile, she set the cup back down and sat back.
After a moment of soft rumbling in her lower abdomen, Emma squeeked softly in surprise as a familiar pressure in her lower half and rose a few feet in the air. Looking down, she saw she was now sitting on a round object--a yoshi egg. Emma had been laying them ever so often, like any healthy yoshi her age would be. All of them had been unfertilized as usual.
“Oh my...” The elder yoshi gazed in wonder at the egg as Emma carefully slid off it. As the egg layer looked down at her own product, she immediately saw what caught Ms. Yotaka’s attention about it. All yoshi eggs were white while covered in polka dots of a certain color. This egg, however, was covered in spots of multiple colors of pastel pink, yellow, and blue.
“I’ve never seen an egg like this in my life,” mused the bewildered young woman. “What have I eaten these past few weeks?”
Ms. Yotaka trotted over to pick the egg up and examine it. Emma hardly noticed, shaking her head in bemusement as she chuckled in spite of it all. “Oh, wait until Rube hears about this! He’s gonna get a huge kick out of it... I wonder what could’ve possibly...”
“Emma...” Ms. Yotaka. Her hushed tone cut the younger woman’s musings short; she was holding the egg up to the light and staring through it in astonishment. “There’s...something growing in it!”
((See this guy right here? This guy is Chief Yoopley T. Shelby-Marteniz. He is the chief of a yoshi village in addition to being a prince by marriage of the kingdom of Macrone. That feather means he's a chief.
He is around two decades older than the Yoops you typically see here, making him from the same time frame as the Mayor Koops of this blog, and the proud father of an undetermined amount of kids who are not developed at the moment due to the fact that their other dad is the OC of another mun.))
