By: A Twist of fate
moonlightbaby
e-mail: moonlightbaby59@hotmal.com
Disclaimer: I do not own the charters of CCS!!!

Tears streamed down Melin's face. She was in her wedding dress and this was the day that once upon a time she dreamed of so much! Now it was a curse! Once she thought she loved Li Shoran but now she knew that was only a schoolgirl crush.

Now her beloved and her could not be together. She could stop the wedding but Melin was a Raye, she could not dishonor the Raye Family, despite how much she hated them right this moment for arranging this marriage of two people who did not love one another. "I've lost all chance of happiness!" Melin sobbed.

"Ready to go Melin?" Madison asked as her and Sakura entered the doorway. Melin quickly dries her tears and faced them. She saw Sakura and smiled softly.

"You should be the one in this dress today to be married. Not me." Melin said with grief.

"Oh, Melin I never meant for Lee to fall in love with me and me with him. I'm so sorry." Sakura cried.

"Don't be! I'm not! Plus I can understand not being able to fall in love with another." Melin pleaded.

"What?" Sakura and Madison asked in unison with surprise.

"Is it so hard to believe that I could fall in love with another boy other then Lee Shoran!" Melin sobbed with a new wave of grief. Sakura walked up to Melin and hugged her tightly each young woman crying there hearts out not only for the others loss but for their own as well.

Melin and Sakura backed away slowly from their embrace and Melin looked down at her veil. It's a good thing this thing is so thick no one will see me cry, as I say "I do" to the wrong man! Melin thought. Suddenly an idea struck Melin and she was filled with a new renewal of hope!
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Lee having only one true friend in the world that was the same sex had asked Eriol to be his best man. Eriol who had left the day after that Sakura had beaten him willing came to see everyone again. He had meant to come sooner but had been busy in England. He was certain when he had left Tomeda Japan that Sakura and Lee would find a way to be together. He walked up to Lee with hopes of talking him out of this phony matrimony between Lee and Melin.

"You know you shouldn't do this!"

"I have no choice! The elders have spoken there's no way out of this!" Lee cried.

"What about Sakura?"

"What ABOUT her? Yes I love her with all my heart, but we can't be together!" Lee sighed.

"Run away, walk out of this Church and NEVER look back, take Sakura with you, marry her, and spend the rest of your lives together!" Eriol begged Lee.

"I can't leave Melin like this at the day of our wedding standing at the altar!" Lee shot back. "I won't destroy her honor like that!"

"So your going to go through with this, denying what is not only in your heart but what is in Sakura's as well!" Eriol asked gently.

"I have no choice." Lee whispered as a tear wiggled free of his eyes. Both men had been through a lot together and though they would not come out and openly admit it, they were close friends. Eriol's heart ached for his "cute decedent" and for a certain cherry blossom who could not be together. The two lovers deserved to be with each other and yet they could not. But he could see why Lee would not leave Melin to bear the shame of him running away.

He had missed much why he was away at England. He bore much guilt in his soul. Had I only stayed here Japan, today would not be happing and much sadness would not have to be bared.

When Lee had regained his composure the two men took their places at the altar and awaited the start of the ceremony.

Soon the music began and Melin and her father came forward to the altar. Lee took Melin's hand at the appropriate time and they kneeled at the altar and the ceremony began.

Eriol sighed as he took a look at the couple. It was then he realized something. Melin had a very faint blue magic aura. Nothing major because in every human there was the potential for magic and the color of it came from their personality. But the aura of the bride was bright pink! The bride wasn't Melin it was SAKURA! Eriol gasped with realization. Lee faced him with an annoyed glance. Eriol only pointed to the bride.

In his attempt to get through this Lee had not really looked at Melin but he did. At first he noticed nothing major till he used magic and looked at her aura. His eyes got wide with disbelief. He turned back to Eriol it was then he noticed two dark haired girls out of the view of the audience hiding behind a pew. It was Melin and Madison. Melin smiled and gave him and Sakura thumb's up.

He turned back to Sakura and smiled. Melin had risked a lot to put Sakura in her place so that they could be together. He was not going to waste her efforts. He sent a silent prayer that no body else would notice the switch of the brides till it was to late.

His prayers were answered. "You may kiss the bride." The priest finished.
Well her goes nothing. He thought to himself as he quickly unveiled the bride and kissed her deeply. Gasps could be heard through out the church as the ceremony ended.

"What is this? Who is she? Where is Melin?" One elder screamed in anger.

"I'm right here! And don't be yelling at Lee he had nothing to do with this and knew nothing of it till Sakura was already at the altar. I did it! And I would so it again if I had the chance!"
The church went deadly silent no one ever yelled at an elder of the Li and Raye clan! It was un heard of. "Don't you dare defy me young lady I am older and wiser then you!" He stuttered with amazement.

"You may be older then me and seen more years then I, But I doubt wiser! You had the chance to find your true love, marry her, have children, and grow old and be happy together! But YOU denied Lee and I of that chance. Well we decided we would not let you! We do not love each other the way a married couple do! Lee loves the Clow mistress and she returns his love and they are destined to be together and I love another and we are destined to be together.

You may be a Li and a decedent of Clow Reeve himself, a powerful magician an a elder of our clan but not even you or your fellow elders could stop fate from bringing Lee and Sakura together and you won't be able to stop my beloved and I either. It serves you right trying to decide the fate and destiny of two people! You are not God and you would be doing are clan a favor by stop pretending you are.

Yes you have been defied! And there is nothing you can do to stop it! They have been married in a holy church, on holy ground, both knew who the other was as they said their vows, they love each other and the only way a divorce can be made is by themselves if only both should choose it. And I highly doubt THAT will happen." Melin said defiantly with her head held high.

The elders went in an up- roar. "You missy, and your little friends will pay!" The head elder spat. "Your highness! As your duty as the leader of the clan you have to judge and punish these insubordinate children!" He growled to Lee's mother.

"I am no longer the leader of the Clan. Lee is married now! He is the leader and his bride. His word is now law." She said with a glare. All heads turned to Lee.

"My word is this. The elders of the Clan have been a powerful source and are wise with age. But from now on their power is no more then an advisor to the people. Arranged marriages are here now forbidden. So have I said, so shall it be done!" Lee commanded with his bride by his side. The people cheered in delight at their new leaders strength.
"You… you can't do that!" The elder stuttered.

"I can and I just did!" Lee grinned as she took his bride and walked out the church. Eriol, Madison, and Melin followed and soon the rest of the church to leave the elders with their new position.

A man with blonde hair and gold eyes came running to the church. When he saw a bride and the groom walk out of the church, his heart fell. He had arrived to late, his beloved was already married. He had come to end this wedding but he came to late he wished her the greatest of happiness. He turned to leave. "Be happy Melin." He whispered.

Melin saw an all to familiar figure turn to leave across the street. "Waite!" She screamed as she ran across the street. The man turned around and saw his love not in a wedding dress running towards him.

She ran into his arms. "Melin. But the bride, the dress, the wedding?" he stuttered confused.

"The bride was not I! The rightful bride of Lee Shoran was married today. Sakura was the masked bride so to speak. Remember how your always telling me I should read and you made me read Little Women well I got the idea from there when i saw how heavily thick my veil was, and they were married. Now I'm free to marry who ever I please." She squealed in delight.

"Oh Melin, I love you!" He sang as he brought her down and kissed her breathless.

It was then that everyone could see who Melin's mystery lover was. Only Madison, Sakura, and Lee knew who it was though. "KERO!" They all gasped in unison.

Eriols ears perked up. "KERO? KERO, AS IN STUFFED ANIMAL, GARDIAN OF THE SEAL!!!!!! KERO? Eriol asked in amazement. HOW?

"When you left after I defeated you Kero gained all of his power. He could then transfer to three forms. Stuffed animal, beast, and human." Sakura said in amazement not looking at him but still looking disbelieving at the couple across the street.

"Well this day HAS been filled with surprises!" Lee muttered as he held his wife's waist. Despite a few elders everyone was happy for the two couples who had found their way to be together. Evetone smiled at the two couples as they sealed their fate with a kiss.