Today is the day.
Today, October 10th, 2018 is the wedding day of Zatanna Zatara and Richard Grayson.
The two had dated for a good portion of their teenage years but had broken up after a fight when Zatanna joined the league. But after Wally's near death experience in the North Pole they decided to give it another shot, and now they were getting married.
Zatanna was currently standing alone in the bridal room of the event facility, fully dressed in everything but her shoes and veil. Her dress was a strapless mermaid style with fabric gathered in something similar to a crisscross pattern just above her knees before the material flowed out. Around her neck she wore a necklace of fake diamonds, which matched the headband of her veil. Looking for the veil she began to wonder where her bridesmaids had gone off to because she really needed some help getting it on. It was a short veil, just long enough to cover her face, but the clips were tricky and out of pure stubbornness she didn't want to use her magic to fasten them. She began going through a list in her head, five minutes ago her maid of honor, Raquel, said she was running off to the bathroom. Other than her there were only two bridesmaids, Artemis and M'gann. Their disappearances concerned the bride more than Raquel's because just after Raquel left Artemis decided she was going to use the bathroom before they left for the church as well, then asked M'gann to go with her. Ever since meeting Artemis Zatanna had only ever known the girl to ask someone to accompany her to the bathroom for two reasons, one if something was DESPERATELY wrong, or two if she was up to something. Come to think of it Raquel got a text just before she left, which only convinced Zatanna more that her three friends were plotting some sort of surprise.
Then, as if on cue, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Zatanna called
"Doctor Fate" came a deep and slightly intimidating voice.
Zatanna arched an eyebrow in confusion, she and Dick had invited the whole league to the wedding but she didn't expect Fate to come, much less for him to show up at the door of the bridal room before the ceremony.
"Come in" she called and turned around to see him entering.
She was always a little uneasy around Doctor Fate, not that anyone could blame her. He may be a hero but it was because of him that she had 'lost' her father at the age of fourteen. Still, once Zatanna joined the Justice League the two were around each other more and more and eventually were more or less forced to be on civil terms. It helped that Fate had been in favor of her joining the league, though Zatanna to this day is blissfully unaware that it took a lot of effort on Wonder Woman's part to convince him that having her in the league was a good idea. He later approached her after The Reach invasion, before the league and Young Justice team, as the younger heroes were beginning to be called, knew Wally was actually alive. He asked her if she remembered what it was like being inside of the helmet, at first she had been confused by the question but then proceeded to explain that she remembered walking around in circle inside of the seemingly endless space, when the helmet's power flickered due to the split dimension she remembered a pounding headache, then catching a brief glimpse of the battle her body was fighting. Fate then focused on her memory of seeing what was happening outside and revealed that her father was often watching her and is very proud of who she has become. Ever since then the two were more civil, Zatanna had learned quickly and by the age of fifteen that Fate wouldn't speak of her father if she asked, but after that moment she knew that if she were patient he would say something when she needed it the most so long as she didn't say much more than a "thank you".
"I don't intend to stay, I just need to discuss an urgent piece of business with you" Fate explained and Zatanna only frowned, she hadn't been expecting him to show up at all never mind stick around and she was fine with that. But to Fate even a cat stuck in a tree is urgent business, so did this really need to be discussed on her wedding day?
"Can it wait?" She half whined, she and Dick weren't leaving on their honeymoon for three more days, so whatever this was about couldn't it wait until tomorrow?
"I'm afraid it can't" Fate said so Zatanna crossed her arms, indicating that she was listening but didn't believe that what he had to say truly was urgent.
"Icon has pulled out of the wedding" Fate began and Zatanna at first looked upset before pinching the bridge of her nose.
Without her father she had spent almost two weeks in a near depressive state over not having him to give her away until Artemis finally pointed out that if she and Wally ever get married, which everyone knows they will, her father won't be giving her away either. The next logical option would be her mother but for Zatanna that wasn't an option either, after that she would've considered her mentor but that was also a problem, her father had been her mentor. She tried to think about who, if anyone, had taken her in after Fate took over her father's body. She had lived at the cave and grew close to Red Tornado and Black Canary, Red Tornado didn't even grasp the concept and Black Canary had been away on vacation during the whole dilemma. At first Zatanna was going to wait until Black Canary returned and ask her but then she realized that in recent years Icon had been like a second father to her, much like he acted as an adoptive father to Raquel. So she ended up asking him and rejoicing when he said yes, now he had apparently changed his mind.
"Did he tell you why?" The young magician finally asked; her voice coated in frustration and just the slightest bit of anger. Still, she wouldn't get too mad until she knew the reason, they are superheroes after all, anything could've happened.
"You mortals are very sentimental," he stated, completely ignoring her question.
"Huh? Oh yeah, we can be" she responded, her mind no longer in the present conversation as she wondered why she didn't just ask Black Canary in the first place.
"Your knowledge of the mystic arts has grown very much in recent years, you did very well during the invasion of The Reach" Fate said, seemingly jumping from one topic to a completely unrelated other.
"Um… thanks" Zatanna said awkwardly, not that she didn't like the compliment but she couldn't help but wonder why Fate needed say that right now, or at all considering Fate was almost always the last to congratulate anyone on anything.
"I will still be joining you in battle at times, however things have been very calm since the invasion and I believe that until the next war, Doctor Fate does not need to be here."
The next thing Zatanna knew she was staring in absolute shock as Fate raised his hands to his helmet.
"What are you…" She practically whispered but she couldn't finish because she was too busy watching Doctor Fate, the Lord of Order she had so many times referred to as selfish, among other things, remove his helmet and leave her father standing in his place.
"Zatanna?" He asked as if he believed this as much as she did, which she didn't.
Zatanna couldn't help it when she began to tear up at sound of her father's voice. For so long it had been obscured by Nabu's deep, cold, and booming one that she had almost for gotten how soft and gentle Zatara's voice could sound.
"Dad" she said, in the blink of an eye the two magicians were locked in one another's embrace.
It was quiet between them; both of them just enjoying this very long awaited moment. Finally, as the guilt of what she had done that awful night eight years ago set in once again, Zatanna broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, if it wasn't for me Fate never would've taken control of you," she confessed but Zatara pulled away and wiped a tear away from her eyes.
"You did what needed to be done. If you hadn't the worlds may have remained permanently separated. I am proud of you Zatanna, for what you did that night and everything that you have done since." He said to her "I suppose you were right, you were ready to be a hero" he said but Zatanna frowned.
"Maybe but I wasn't ready to lose you" she said and Zatara beamed at her.
"I know, but I am here now and I would consider it an honor to give you away to your husband" he said.
Based on the facial expressions of more than half the guests it was clear that only a few of them knew that Fate would release Zatara for the occasion. Raquel, M'gann, and Artemis admitted that they knew, as did Icon. Almost everyone who wasn't in complete and total shock had to stop themselves from laughing when Uncle Dudley had to stop Billy from standing up in the middle of the church and making a scene. As usual it was impossible to read Batman's face, even without the cowl, so in the end no one was really sure if he had been in on it or not.
Dick pulled the older magician aside during the reception, intending on, well he didn't know. It was too late to ask for permission to marry Zatanna, but he still felt that he should talk to her father now that he is here.
"Thank you Richard" Zatara said before the younger man could begin the conversation.
"For what?" He asked in confusion.
"For taking care of Zatanna all these years. She informed me that had it not been for her friends she might not have made it through many hard times. I know you will be good to her, Fate informed me of your engagement many weeks ago and had it been anyone but you I would not have given Zatanna away today. You have my blessing son." He said and Dick couldn't help but smile
"Thanks Zatara"