Nice Day for a White Wedding

Note: The final chapter in the "Worlds Colliding" trilogy combining Code Lyoko and Arthur et Les Minimoys. After the Warriors receive an invitation to the Blessed City to Princess Selenia and Malthazaard's wedding, they decide to use Jeramie and Emily's new telescopic transport to arrive in the Blessed City and enjoy this marvelous occasion. However, XANA, having learned that Malthazaard no longer wishes to participate in any more evil schemes, enacts his revenge with necromancy and that nearly ruins the wedding. But, not if the Warriors have anything to do or say about it…

Chapter 1—Invited to Selenia's Wedding

Jeramie was on the brink of euphoria when he had heard the recording from the king of the Blessed City. It was as if someone had waved a magic wand and granting a wish he and his friends had made quite a long time ago. He knew he would have to have Emily's help if he were to gather all of his friends together and make the trip to the MInimoy's world, since after all; the night of transportation to the Seven Lands was near.

They would prepare the pathway for the telescope tonight and hope to the powers that be that the telescope would transport them there by the mystical light of the full moon.

When nightfall came, the pathway had been complete. Everything was perfect, as that night was the full moon.
"Now guys, remember,", Jeramie said, "we only have one shot at this." The others nodded in compliance, remembering what Jeramie had told them. Emily adjusted the telescope while the others helped hold down the map. Jeramie began the incantation and the full moon hit the telescope, which in turn, enveloped them all in a near-blinding light.

By the time the teens had opened their eyes, they were in the Blessed City.

"No…way.", Odd said, looking at his slender, gloved hands. He looked at the others, than at Sissi. All of them had been transformed, and were admiring each other, particularly their adorable pointy ears. The ears were fantastic, however, because with their size, they could hear sounds from miles away, much like hunting dogs.

The Warriors were soon met by Selenia's father, who welcomed them all with open arms.

"It's a real pleasure to have you here. You came just in time for the wedding. I will escort you to the church. It's a bit of a walk, but not at all hard on the feet.", the King said beginning to lead them to the parish that was not far away from the Blessed City.

As soon as they came into the church, the Warriors were impressed. They had no idea such a structure could've been built out of nature, and yet it looked as though humans had created it. The sun shone through the stained glass windows, making the mood all the more ethereal. A congenial Malthazaard stood at the altar in wait of his princess, accompanied by his best men and Selenia's bridesmaids.

Selenia strode down the aisle, and there were few dry eyes in the congregation. She was a vision of the divine come to Earth. The white bridal gown brought out the red-highlights in her fiery hair, and her cheeks had a tint of blush to them. Her makeup accentuated all of the natural beauty she possessed. Malthazaard was awe-struck at seeing her as a bride for the first time. Words eluded him as to how he felt at this exact moment, but his heart was palpitating rapidly. He wrung his hands nervously and sweat slightly as he tried to keep himself calm. The princess soon took his hand and rested her head upon his heart. A transformed Malthazaard closed his eyes momentarily and thought,

"So this is love ?", until the minister snapped him out of his tiny reverie. The younger Minimoy girls tittered in a coquettish manner, hiding their smiles behind frilly, lacy fans. They were slightly jealous the Princess had such a handsome Prince as her suitor, but they supported her nonetheless.

Chapter 2—Wedding Crasher

Before the newlywed couple could share their first kiss together, XANA stormed in quite unexpectedly. Apparently, he had been watching the wedding from his haven in Lyoko, seething all the while. He was embittered, livid.

"Stop this ceremony !", XANA commanded.

"What audacity ! Who gives you the right to interrupt such a sacred event ?", the minister yelled, hammering his fist on the podium.

"No one other than myself, old man ! Now you traitor, prepare to die a slow, painful death !", XANA said, beginning to be surrounded by an ominous dark purple aura. He had begun chanting in an ancient tongue none of them recognized and was about to fire what seemed to be a fireball at the soon-to-be happy couple.

"DUCK !", William said, flying forward, tackling the bride and groom and turning to face XANA, whose eyes were flaming with hatred. William was soon joined by Jeramie and the others who would defend the Prince and Princess' lives with everything they had.

"XANA why must you be so low to crash a wedding ?", Naomi asked. It was unlike her to say anything, since she was usually the quiet one in the group, but she was noticeably upset with what had just occurred.

"If you wish to know…it's because of that turncoat you're trying to protect. As you are aware, he and I were partners. But now he decides to become a goodie-goodie ! Please, this isn't like you, Malthazaard. Reconsider my friendship and the Seven Lands and everything in it can be at your beck and call…", XANA said, with some sultriness in his tone. Malthazaard stood up confidently, with Selenia by his side, her arm looping into his, lovingly. He simply shook his head from left to right.

"XANA, even if you promised me the Solar System, I wouldn't take your offer.

I'll have all I'll ever need in Selenia.", Malthazaard confessed, to which Selenia blushed. If that wasn't true love, nothing was.

"SHUT UP ! You make me sick !", XANA said, powering up for another attack. The reverend had since fled the church, as well as the congregation, who had escaped, screaming, some pushing each other out of the way to avoid the possibility of being harmed by the raving lunatic who hungered for revenge in the worst way.

Chapter 3—Wedding Day Blitz

"AHHHHH !", XANA screamed as the Warriors began to fight back against him. The Prince and the Princess quietly slipped away as the battle became more and more violent. Out of all the Warriors, Naomi had seemingly transitioned from a demure, bubbly, kittenish woman into a fighter to be feared. She was fighting the fiercest of them all, and they all battled until XANA realized that the Prince had eluded him.

"How can this be ? How can the Warriors be fighting me in their tinier forms ?", XANA thought to himself. He was kicked in the face by Lyoko's own princess, Aelita, and he slid across the ground. He struggled somewhat to lift himself back up to his feet. Apparently the new necromancy he had learned had been draining him more than he would've liked.

"No, not yet. I can't be beaten.", XANA thought, fleetingly as he formed his DarkSword with what energy left he could muster. He hadn't been thwarted by the Warriors yet, and there was no way he would allow them to block his progress to "dealing with" Malthazaard, but the Warriors wouldn't let him pass without knocking him back.

"If you want revenge so badly, take it out on me !", Sissi cried, stepping forward in front of her friends.

"Have you flipped out, girl ?", Sam questioned.

"What are you thinking…Don't do this, Sissi !", Odd said, holding her back gently by her arm. XANA was shocked to her what she had just said. It seemed she was still confused somewhat about her feelings towards him. XANA retracted the sword and raised his hands momentarily.

"I can't fight you any longer. I've wasted my energy on necromancy.", XANA confessed as he tried to keep his head held high but couldn't even do that. It was true, Sissi was confused when it came to her feelings, but Odd reminded her who truly loved her. Eventually, she would know what true love was, but being wishy-washy was in her nature. That couldn't be changed overnight. Despite how frustrating that was for Odd, he stuck by her, whatever the cause.

It ended as quickly as it had begun. XANA simply left without saying anything and vanished from sight as he let his head droop in defeat. Sissi cried slightly upon seeing him leave, and no one really understood why but Odd. He turned to her, wiping her tears, stroking her hair gently, and soothing her from whatever war was going on inside of her compassionate and pure heart.

Chapter 4—A Proper Ceremony

With the citizens called back into the church, the celebration could get off to a good start, right from where the Reverend left off.

"I never got the chance to ask you this before we were interrupted, but why are we all here instead of back at home…", Nicholas piped up, and Herve thought the question was idiotic.

"She's the Princess of this realm. It would be illogical for her to hold a ceremony on Earth, though it would have been easier for us to attend. Besides, people would see her, and a lot of them would start asking questions. Not everyone is like us, Nick. You can't trust all humans, you know…", Jeramie said, patting the drummer on the back.

Nicholas finally understood. It made more sense for the ceremony to be held here, rather than out in the open where everyone could see it and start questioning the very essence of such things in fantasy, that were thought of as pure imagination. It would lead to a ripple effect that couldn't be stopped. The Princess, using her intellect and tact, knew a wedding in the Blessed City was the best choice.

The Reverend gave out the vows for the couple to repeat, and finally they kissed passionately. The kiss itself had caused mass applause from the congregation as well as whistling and cheering. Everyone stood as the bedazzling Selenia left first, in her dew-dabbled gown, and her Prince escorted her out of the church.

After the wedding had taken place, there was a reception and a coronation. Prince Malthazaard would be receiving the crown, which was a surreal moment for him. Since he could remember, this event had been playing in his mind, but differently since he had repented of his evil ways. As the king recited the words used in coronations past, Malthazaard couldn't help but feel humbled. He had quite a responsibility to uphold, but Selenia would help him in this new journey.

The coronation was relatively short and the reception continued at a break-neck pace. The celebration was similar to parties that were held on Earth, and even the music sounded familiar. The funny thing is, Minimoys were resourceful. They would find old LPs and CDs in junkyards and use what they found for different things, but mostly for accenting their events with music that would make every moment memorable.

While most of the Warriors were busy stuffing themselves with sweet treats, others had been out on the dance floor having a fantastic time. Selenia then came up to a tiny microphone and tapped it to get the party-goers attention.

"Single jitterbugs, let it be known…I'm about to throw the bouquet !", she announced with a dazzling smile. Malthazaard waited in anticipation to have his turn in tossing the garter, but he waited patiently as he watched Selenia throw the fragrant bouquet over her head and into the sea of Minimoy women, young and old.

Naomi, Taelia, Aelita, Sam, Sissi, Yumi and Emily had been tickled out of having the bouquet if only momentarily. There was a rather miniscule little Minimoy girl who had received the bouquet last. Her name was Maybelle, and she was only a few hundred years old, a mere child in the age-expectancy of the Minimoy world. The other girls were impressed by her agility, but she acted as if what she had done had been of no real importance. She simply stood there, with a shy smile on her tender face, blushing softly.

Malthazaard kissed his newlywed wife's cheek as she sat with her legs crossed on a big puffy dandelion clock.

"Now's your turn, fellows. Single men, step forward if you dare.", Malthazaard said, with a tinge of humor. The single guys stepped up, chuckling at Malthazaard's joke.

Jeramie had been first to retrieve the garter and he immediately blushed, but it was soon taken from him by a crafty Ulrich. It went from Warrior to Warrior until it fell precisely on the wrist. The young Minimoy was named Sigmund, and he had eyes for the young Maybelle. Somehow, perhaps through magic, the two had been brought together, and they shared their first dance in the reception hall accompanied by the big band sound of Sentimental Mood.

Chapter 5—Dance Until the Morning Light

The party continued until the wee hours of the morning and all in attendance had become rather sleepy. Malthazaard and Selenia had already left to take their ferry out of the Blessed City into the hustling bustling vacation locale of Roosevelt, which was, as its name suggested, a long field of rose bushes scattered here and there. The revelers hadn't noticed the newlywed couple had left so quietly.

Selenia's father had sent in a cleaning crew to start mopping the floors, sweeping up confetti and such as the revelers departed for their homes. He had come to fetch the Warriors and give them a place to sleep back in the Blessed City. Granted, it would be a bit of a walk, and it was late. Everyone was quite weary, but their tiredness hadn't caused them to be ungrateful to the King's hospitality.

The King thanked the Warriors for the good they had done, and told them if they ever needed anything to let him know.

"Sire, we wouldn't want to impose.", Susanne mentioned, with a slight bow.

"Ah, but you aren't my dear human friends. I'm glad to return your kindness any day.", the King said, after showing them to their rooms in the hotel that was fairly close to the kingdom.

All the Warriors yawned and stretched before they went to bed. Strangely enough, sleeping in beds crafted from nature was just like camping, except they were closer to nature, quite literally. The Warriors had fallen asleep quite naturally, knowing they would have to say their farewells the next day.

Chapter 6—Returning Home

The Warriors had given their farewells and thanks to the King for being so altruistic towards them.

"We're sorry we can't say goodbye to the Princess.", Jeramie said, his tone slightly morose.

"I'll let her know…I'm sure she is already aware how grateful all of you are for having been able to come to her nuptial ceremony.

"Thank you, Sire.", they said in unison, as they bowed before they left. The King had a trace of a tear trickling down his cheek. It was a bittersweet tear, signifying he was sad they were leaving and hoping that one day they could return. Even if they couldn't, they always had contact with Jeramie's feedback device.

When the Warriors returned to normal size, it took a while to adjust to being normally sized and back in their own clothing instead of the natural garbs the Minimoy's wore. They were slightly exhausted from the trip, but as soon as they saw Kadic in the background, their energy was restored, and they all began running toward the school they knew and loved. It was grand to be home, even if it meant back to homework, tests, and everyday stressors.

Back in the Seven Lands at Roosevelt, the newlywed Prince and Prince watched the sunset from a sackcloth hammock nestled close together. The two took their second kiss as a couple and sighed in unison as they saw the stars speckle the nighttime sky. Selenia, resting her head upon Malthazaard's chest, suddenly fell into a deep sleep.

She looked even more beautiful that before. Malthazaard kissed her forehead and stroked her hair idly.

"I couldn't wish for anything more. I have everything my heart ever desired, and I am completely satisfied.", Malthazaard thought to himself as he too, drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Being young as they were, they wouldn't be raising a family right away, but he would soon be learning all the responsibilities of the court thanks to his lovely, spritely wife. Malthazaard was a quick study, and would catch on rapidly to the tasks that needed to be done. Fatherhood would come later, which he looked forward to, but for the present, he was glad embarking on his new sojourn into royalty.

Epilogue

From time to time, Jeramie and his friends would dream of being in the Blessed City, thrilling to everything they saw and heard. The Minimoys way of life was fascinating. They might return someday, but with all the work they had to do, it would make returning unlikely. Despite that, they kept in contact by Jeramie's invention.

In the Minimoy's world, Selenia and Malthazaard had begun their reign and were doing quite well even though they had much to learn. They discussed that in a few more years time, they planned on starting a family. Malthazaard planned on having a baby girl named Gardenia and a baby boy named Sirius. Gardenia had been the middle name of Selenia's deceased mother, Arista. Sirius had been the name of Malthazaard's close friend who had been his best man recently in the wedding. It was superb news to be heard from the other end of the receiver, and the friends were pleased to be updated every so often.

Though matters kept the friends occupied, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, save for the occasional motivational speaker that would come to speak about their profession or the dangers of illegal drugs, or how to stand up against peer pressure.

Meanwhile, XANA was recuperating in Lyoko, pondering why Sissi had said what she did. It confused him, but he had a strange thought. He would never understand humans, no matter how hard he tried, but someday, he would be delivered. It was a peculiar thought, to be considering something like that after he had seen Malthazaard's transformation. He held his temples. They had been throbbing from all of these random thoughts and ideas, but massaging his weary head made the thoughts disappear.

As soon as he lay down and closed his eyes, the stillness of the water dripping from the cave's stalactites.

The future was full of unknowns for Jeramie and the others, but that prospect didn't seem to bother them hardly at all. They were immersed in their work, prepared for the upcoming small break they would be having in their schedule. That meant having some time to rest from all that hard work. They would perhaps have a time to return to the Minimoy's world. But even if they didn't, they knew the Minimoys were getting along well with their new rulers, and their King, Rosencrantz, could enjoy his retirement and be proud of his daughter and son-in-law for their flawless work and their compassion for the Minimoy tribe.

The End