← Back to overview

The Wonderful Trials Of Family

The Grand Finale of the First Act

The gates of Phoenix Wonderland stood tall, adorned with the vibrant banners of a dozen different attractions, but to Emu, they looked like the pearly gates of heaven. The familiar scent of churros and mechanical oil wafted through the air, triggering a wave of nostalgia so potent it made her eyes prickle. After weeks of being confined to the "safety" of their home—which mostly involved Tsukasa hovering over her like a golden-haired helicopter—the sights and sounds of the park felt like a long-awaited homecoming.

As the car pulled to a stop at the designated drop-off point, a familiar figure detached itself from the shadow of the ticket booth. Nene Kusanagi was already there, waving both hands with an uncharacteristic lack of restraint. Her usual shy demeanor seemed to have been swallowed by genuine excitement at the prospect of seeing her friend.

"Emu-chan! Tsukasa!" Nene called out, hurrying toward the vehicle.

Tsukasa hopped out of the driver’s seat, rounding the car to open the door for Emu with the flourish of a seasoned valet. "Nene! Your punctuality is commendable! A true professional never keeps her audience waiting!"

Nene ignored him, her focus entirely on the woman emerging from the passenger side. She reached out, gently taking Emu’s hands to steady her as she stepped onto the pavement. Nene’s eyes dropped to Emu’s midsection, widening in genuine shock.

"Emu... you’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you at the house," Nene marveled, her voice soft with awe. "You’re like a human planet now. Is he... is he heavy?"

Emu let out a bright, melodic giggle, leaning into Nene for a brief, awkward hug around her belly. "He’s very heavy, Nene-chan! He feels like a big, warm bowling ball that likes to play drums on my ribs! But he's a 'Wonderhoy' baby, so he's just full of energy!"

"I’ve been monitoring her caloric intake and center of gravity with the utmost care," Tsukasa added, puffing out his chest as he hoisted a bag filled with water bottles and emergency snacks. "We are a well-oiled machine of prenatal excellence!"

Nene offered a small, amused smile. "I’m sure you are, Tsukasa. Come on, Rui is waiting by the fountain. He’s been tinkering with the stage mechanics all morning."

The walk through the park was a slow procession. Every few steps, Emu would gasp at a new decoration or wave frantically at a passing mascot. The staff members, many of whom had worked alongside the troupe for years, cheered as they passed. It felt like a royal parade, with Tsukasa acting as the self-appointed herald and Nene as the pragmatic guide.

They found Rui Kamishiro standing by the grand fountain, his purple hair windswept and his eyes gleaming behind a pair of welding goggles perched on his forehead. He turned as they approached, a slow, cat-like grin spreading across his face.

"The stars have arrived," Rui greeted them, his voice smooth and melodic. "Emu-kun, you look radiant. Motherhood seems to suit your aesthetic perfectly."

"Rui-kun!" Emu beamed, reaching out to pat his arm. "Is the stage ready? Is it 'sparkle-sparkle' time?"

"It is more than ready," Rui promised, gesturing toward the Wonder Stage in the distance. "Nene and I have prepared a little something spontaneous to celebrate your return. A 'Galactic Journey,' if you will. But first, let us get you settled. I’ve reinforced the front-row seating specifically for your... current requirements."

The troupe made their way to the stage, the air buzzing with the pre-show energy that Emu had craved for months. The audience was sparse—mostly park staff and a few lucky visitors who had wandered into the area—but the atmosphere was electric.

Tsukasa led Emu to the center of the front row, where a plush, oversized armchair had been placed. He draped a light blanket over her legs and sat beside her, his hand immediately finding hers.

"Comfortable?" he whispered.

"Perfect," she breathed, her eyes fixed on the velvet curtains.

The lights dimmed, and the familiar fanfare of Wonderlands × Showtime echoed through the speakers. Nene stepped onto the stage, dressed in a shimmering silver gown and a crown of starlight. She was Princess Nene, the guardian of the nebula.

Moments later, Rui made his entrance from above, descending on a wire with a dramatic, billowing cape. He was the Intergalactic Villain, a rogue inventor seeking to steal the stars.

The play was a masterpiece of spontaneity. The dialogue was sharp, the movements fluid, and the special effects—courtesy of Rui’s hidden drones—were breathtaking. Emu watched with rapt attention, her lips moving along with the familiar cadences of their acting.

The climax arrived when Rui unveiled his secret weapon: a giant, metallic Robonene that towered over the stage. The robot’s eyes glowed red as it let out a digitized roar.

"You see, Princess!" Rui shouted, his voice echoing with theatrical menace. "Even your starlight cannot withstand the cold logic of my greatest creation!"

"Then I shall not fight alone!" Nene countered, her voice ringing clear and strong. "For the power of friendship is the greatest fuel in the universe!"

As the battle commenced, the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of deep violet and burnt orange. The stage lights flared, creating a kaleidoscope of color that danced across Emu’s face.

Tsukasa was leaning forward, his eyes fixed on his teammates, his mind already critiquing the lighting cues and Nene’s vocal projection. He was so engrossed in the performance that he didn't notice the change in the woman beside him.

Emu had gone still. Her usual bouncy energy had vanished, replaced by a rigid, trembling tension. Her breath was coming in short, shallow hitches.

"Emu?" Tsukasa whispered, not taking his eyes off the stage. "Are you alright? The robot isn't too loud, is it?"

Emu didn't answer. She was staring at the stage, but her eyes were unfocused. A strange sensation was blooming in her lower abdomen—a tightening that felt like a giant hand squeezing her from the inside out. It was different from the kicks; it was heavy, rhythmic, and undeniably powerful.

On stage, Princess Nene and Villain Rui were currently engaged in a choreographed dance-fight against the giant robot. The music swelled, a triumphant orchestral piece that signaled the turning of the tide.

"Now, Robonene!" Rui commanded. "Show them the true meaning of—"

A sudden, sharp pop echoed in the front row, though it was largely muffled by the booming soundtrack.

Emu’s eyes flew wide. She felt a sudden, warm rush of fluid, a sensation of weightlessness followed by an immediate, heavy pressure.

"Oh," she whispered.

Tsukasa finally looked at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Emu? What’s—"

He followed her gaze down to the seat. The plush fabric of the armchair was darkening rapidly. A puddle of clear water was beginning to well up around her, dripping onto the stage-front floor with a rhythmic splat.

Emu’s face crumpled. The pressure in her stomach intensified, a wave of white-hot pain rolling over her. She gripped the armrests of the chair, her knuckles turning white.

"TSUKASA-KUN!"

The wail that tore from Emu’s throat was not a "Wonderhoy." It was a raw, primal sound of absolute shock and agony. It cut through the music, through the clanking of the robot, and through the dialogue of the actors.

The audience gasped, heads turning toward the front row.

On stage, Nene froze mid-lunge, her sword dropping to her side. Rui, who was mid-cackle, nearly tripped over his own cape. They both stared down at the front row, their theatrical personas vanishing in a heartbeat.

"Emu?" Nene’s voice was small, stripped of its princess-like projection.

Tsukasa was out of his seat in a second, his face turning a ghostly shade of white. He looked at the puddle, then at Emu’s contorted face, and his brain—usually so quick to find a script—went completely blank.

"The... the water..." Tsukasa stammered, his hands hovering over her as if he were afraid she might shatter. "Emu, the water is... you’re leaking! You’re leaking, my star!"

"It’s the baby!" Emu cried, her voice rising in a frantic, high-pitched pitch. "Tsukasa-kun, the baby is coming! He’s coming right now! He wants to see the show!"

Another contraction hit, and Emu doubled over, her forehead pressing against her knees. She let out a series of short, panting breaths, just like they had practiced in the classes she had forced Tsukasa to attend.

"Now?" Tsukasa shrieked, his voice hitting a register that only dogs could hear. "But the third act! We haven't finished the third act! The doctor said we had two weeks! You’re supposed to be in a hospital, not a theme park!"

Rui was the first to regain his composure. He leapt off the stage, landing with a heavy thud beside them. He shoved his goggles back onto his forehead, his eyes sharp and calculating.

"Nene, call the park paramedics! Now!" Rui barked, his voice echoing with a command that brooked no argument. "Tell them we have a Level One emergency at the Wonder Stage! Tsukasa, stop screaming and hold her hand!"

"I am holding it! I’m holding it so hard!" Tsukasa wailed, though his hand was actually shaking so violently that Emu had to be the one to grip him.

Nene was already off the stage, her silver dress bunched up in her hands as she sprinted toward the backstage phone, her crown falling into the dust behind her.

Emu looked up, her face slick with sweat, a strange, watery smile breaking through her pain. She looked at Rui, then at the frantic, terrified Tsukasa, and then at the giant, motionless Robonene on the stage.

"It’s... it’s a very big... opening night..." Emu gasped, her breath catching as another wave of pain began to build.

"Don't you dare make jokes right now!" Tsukasa cried, though he was already moving, stripping off his jacket to bunch it up behind her head. He knelt in the puddle, heedless of his expensive trousers, and pulled her into his chest. "Take deep breaths, Emu! Like the book said! Think of... think of a calm meadow! Think of a quiet library!"

"I don't... want a library!" Emu shouted, her fingers digging into his shoulders. "I want... the stage! I want... WONDERHOY!"

The audience was in an uproar, but the troupe had formed a protective circle around her. Rui was directing the few remaining staff members to clear a path for the ambulance, while Nene returned, her face pale but determined.

"They're coming, Emu-chan," Nene said, kneeling on the other side of her. "Just hold on. You're doing so well."

Tsukasa looked down at his wife. Her eyes were bright with tears, but they were also full of that same, indomitable fire that had first drawn him to her. She was in pain, she was terrified, and she was currently soaking wet in the middle of a theme park, but she was still Emu.

"Listen to me, Emu Otori-Tenma," Tsukasa said, his voice suddenly steady, his 'Future Star' persona returning to provide the anchor she needed. He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "This is it. The greatest performance of our lives. You are the lead, and I am your support. We are going to bring this boy into the world, and he is going to be the most magnificent star anyone has ever seen."

Emu nodded, a sob catching in her throat. "The show... must go on?"

"The show must go on," Tsukasa promised, leaning down to press a fierce, desperate kiss to her sweaty forehead.

In the distance, the wail of a siren began to grow louder, cutting through the evening air of Phoenix Wonderland. The stage lights were still on, casting a brilliant, multicolored glow over the scene.

As the paramedics burst onto the plaza with a gurney, Emu let out one more loud, defiant cry—a sound that was half-pain and half-triumph.

The baby was coming. And true to his parents' legacy, he had chosen the most dramatic, spectacular, and "Wonderhoy" moment possible to make his grand entrance.

The curtain was falling on their life as a duo, but as Tsukasa helped the medics lift Emu onto the stretcher, his hand never leaving hers, he knew that the sequel was going to be the best one yet.