Okay, happy holidays again. Man, third time, last time. I don't like Triple Posting Days, but hey, I do what I gotta do…
First off, I am still on vacation. Just making that abundantly clear, okay? This is a quick little thing, I don't do it often. Second, I chose this version because this is the pairing I like the most. Something in my heart says that this girl is the best choice of the three. Third, I will probably end up doing postings for the other girls, though that's just what I hope to do. Whether or not I can manage, remains to be seen. Lastly, this is where my artistic license really takes hold for a bit. Something I personally believe could be done with this spell, and a few ideas just to have some fun and add some filler to move it along.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Dragon Quest series. That honor belongs to Square Enix, the greatest RPG makers ever.
…
Nera blushed deeply as I held my right hand out to her. She slowly raised her hand and gently placed it in my palm.
"You, you're sure, that you love, me?" She asked quietly. I smiled and nodded. She blushed even deeper as Debora scoffed.
"I should have known you weren't man enough for me." She said. "Oh well, at least now Nera won't be so dang lonely." She walked away as Nera blushed. Bianca smiled as Mr. Briscoletti walked over to me. "I'm out of here." She walked up the steps as Mr. Briscoletti looked at me.
"You're completely sure Milliardo?" Bianca asked. I nodded and looked at her.
"You're my best friend Bianca." I said. "But, my feelings for you just don't go any farther than that." She waved with her left hand.
"It's okay." She said. "I've still got my best friend, and that's enough for me." She put her right hand on my left shoulder as Nera blushed. "You'll always be like a brother to me." I smiled wider.
"Thanks Bianca." I said. I looked at Nera.
"So, you are going to marry my little Nera then." Mr. Briscoletti said. "I had a feeling about you two." He patted my back and I was moved forward slightly, pressing up against Nera, making her blush deeper. "Now all that remains are the plans for the wedding, and I have big news." We all looked at him. "I knew you'd be back soon, so I went ahead and got everything ready, sending my fastest men to take care of everything. All that remains is getting ready." Nera and I nodded while Bianca smiled. "We have the dress, and Nera, you should hurry and get into it." She moved her hand from mine as a maid walked over. I stepped to the side and turned as she took Nera's hand.
"Right this way Miss Nera." She said. "Or should I say Mrs.?" Nera blushed deeper as the maid led her toward the door. Bianca started following as I looked at Mr. Briscoletti.
"Wait up, I'll help." Bianca said. They walked out the door and Mr. Briscoletti smiled wider.
"Ah, I've dreamed of this day for so long, it brings a tear to my eye." He said. He wiped his left eye. "We're the same, you and I. We're a couple of old fashioned romantics eh?" I smiled and nodded. "However, I have one last important task for you, and without this part, everything is on hold. You must go to the town north of here, for I have contracted a maestro of a craftsman to make a beautiful veil to complete the dress. I sent for it weeks ago, long before you arrived here." I nodded. "He runs the general store, so you must hurry there and back as fast as you can." He looked at the window. "Nera will be ready within the next three hours, so you must hurry back before sunset." He looked at me. "My ship can make the trip, but you must hurry nonetheless. Can you do it Milliardo?" I nodded with a smug smile.
"I'll be back quicker than you can say Purple Prophet Picking Perfect Pickoffs." I said. He laughed and patted my right shoulder.
"That's the way." He said. "Hurry now; this will be a day to remember." I nodded and started walking. "Oh, and I heard from your friend that you had a friend in Coburg. I received word that he would be here in a few days. That word came here two days ago." I looked at him. "Your old friend Prince Harry is coming to your wedding. Somehow he heard all about it, and now he's on his way." I smiled wide and looked at the door.
"Well then, he'll want this wedding to go off without a single mishap." I said.
"You mean without a hitch?" He asked. I looked at him and walked backwards toward the door.
"What's a wedding if the persons involved don't get hitched?" I asked. He laughed for a moment and I waved. "I should be back before lunch. I've got a little trick up my sleeve that'll make sure of that."
…
I ran to the item shop. I had Zoomed there and it had taken only a few minutes, but I had to fight for almost an hour and a half. There were monsters at the gates of the town, dozens of them. It took me another twenty minutes to get past the villagers that were overly thankful. I would have taken the ship, but that took a lot of time, and I wanted to be back as soon as possible. All the monsters would have taken me all the way into the afternoon and way too much longer to get back. I jogged in and saw a wedding veil in a glass case and a Dwarf polishing it with a cloth. I walked up to him and he turned around.
"Hello, how can I help you sir?" He asked.
"Well, I'm actually here for the wedding veil." I said. He looked at it and then at me.
"You're here for this?" He asked. I nodded. "Well then, I take it that you're Mister Gotha." I nodded and he grabbed the case and held it out carefully to me. I took it lightly and he let go of it. "I worked a long time on that veil, and on that case that goes with it. Take good care of it." I nodded as I looked at it. It was white and lacy, and very beautiful.
"Wow, Mr. Briscoletti said you were great." I said. "But, you've really outdone yourself with this." He smiled and ran his right thumb under his nose smugly.
"Well, I learned from a few Elves." He said. "They treat silk and lace and things like that like Dwarves treat metal. Like fine art I should say. Don't think I went pounding at that thing with a hammer or that Elves do that." I laughed quietly as he smirked. "Now you should hurry up. Word is you're getting married today. You wouldn't want to keep that lovely bride of yours waiting." I blushed and nodded. I put the veil in a bag of holding carefully and nodded again.
"Thanks." I said. He nodded.
"Go." He said. "Get going, or you'll be late." I nodded and turned and jogged out. One thing I knew was likely to happen if I were to zoom in there; I'd hit the ceiling really fast and hurt my head. I ran out and focused my mind on Monstroferrato. I jumped into the air and never came down. I flew up into the sky and smiled as I turned and spun. I loved flying, and I wished the journeys through the air lasted longer. Suddenly I stopped. I looked around and saw that I had completely stopped.
"No way, I can control my direction in mid flight?" I laughed. "Well, I did say lunch, but that's about an hour or so away." I laughed again and looked over at Monstroferrato. "I guess it couldn't hurt to test this out for a little while." I leaned forward toward the volcano where I got the Circle of Fire and I took off. I felt my magical energy lowering slowly, but I had a lot to work with since I was alone. I flew around the mouth of the volcano a few times and flew toward Monstroferrato, figuring I'd do a few laps before anything else. I saw a group of monsters bothering a caravan and I drew my sword. "I wonder if I can do this." I flew low and saw that it was a single Chimera and a trio of Slimes. I smiled and flew at them. The Chimera would be the worst. I then saw that Harry was fighting them off in his princely attire. I smiled wider and figured I'd do a joke. I'd cut the Chimera in half, stop and say hello, and fly off again. I flew in low and sliced the Chimera cleanly in half and all eyes were on me. Harry, the Slimes, and even Maria watched as I hovered a few feet above the ground. "Hey Harry." I turned to Maria and bowed. "Hello Maria. You're both looking well." I stood up and the Slimes began jumping away as fast as they could. "Well, I'll see you in town. For now, I've got something I'm working on."
"Ace?" Harry asked. "Are you flying?"
"Zoom." I said. "I can fly around as long as I want, at least until I land or run out of magical energy." I put the sword back and smiled. "Well, I should be getting along. Ta." I flew straight up with a quick whoop and flew toward the ocean. I figured it would be fun to skim the waves for a few minutes.
…
I landed a few feet outside of the gate and couldn't see the cart anywhere. I walked toward the gate and saw that there was a small amount of commotion. I walked further and saw Harry talking with Mr. Briscoletti. I saw the cart, Sir Rusty at the reins, and Nera in the back with a deep blush. Bianca, Harry, and my new family, were all at the cart talking happily. Harry turned his head and spotted me as I walked closer.
"Ace, I was hoping you'd have gotten here before us." He said. "I was just talking to your new dad." I walked up to him and he held out his right hand, which I took. He pulled me in and patted my back with his left hand, and I did the same. "It's good to see you again pal."
"It's good to see you too Harry." I said. I heard Mr. Briscoletti clear his throat and he smiled when we looked at him.
"This is great day, and we should hurry to make it fantastic." He said. "Now, I intended to ride the wagons to Lodestar Harbor so we could take a ship to get to the Blackjack on a small island. But, I hear that you have another way Milliardo. Is this true?" I looked at Harry as he laughed nervously.
"We got to talking, and I let slip that you know how to use Zoom." He said. "Sorry about that." I shrugged. There were dozens of people, more than the crew of the ship I had flown, but I didn't think it would be difficult. The ship was much bigger, so it should've been easier to transport just a group.
"What do you say Milliardo?" Mr. Briscoletti asked. "Can you take us to the Blackjack? Once we get going, I can guide you to it." I nodded and walked over to the middle of the group.
"Okay, I just need to focus on getting us up." I said. I put my staff on my back and put my hands in front of me, and then out. I let my magical energy flow out all around me, making a field of blue twinkling lights that stuck to everyone. I groaned quietly as I focused on the sky. I inhaled as everyone watched me. 'Okay, to the sky, with everyone around me, including the carts.' I exhaled and gave a short grunt and we suddenly flew straight into the sky.
"Holy Rigatoni!" Mr. Briscoletti exclaimed. "Now this is how to travel!" I nodded as we reached a high point. Everyone was either gasping or laughing or otherwise being highly excited about flying. I felt a bit weak already but it wasn't half as bad as the ship. "Okay, everyone follow me!" He leaned forward and put his fists out in front of him and I willed us wherever he wanted us to go. After a few minutes though I felt an immense strain on my body, and I knew that flying was something I could only do alone or with a small group for long distances. On a set path, it wasn't so bad, but manually directing myself was tiring, and a whole group of people, especially one so big, was taxing my concentration. When we finally set down on the deck of the ship I sighed heavily and pulled out my staff, figuring I'd walk it off for a few minutes before the wedding took place. "I think I'll take up studying that spell so I can do that whenever I want." I looked at him and felt dizzy. His voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance. He looked at me with a smile but I began staggering slightly. "Milliardo, are you okay?" I dropped the staff and fell forward as everything went black.
"Milliardo?" Nera's worried voice asked. "Oh no, somebody help!"
…
I opened my eyes slowly and looked to my right. I immediately saw Nera smiling brightly. She looked into my eyes and I smiled as well.
"Are you okay Milliardo?" She asked. "You passed out after we landed. You've been out for two hours." I nodded and sat up slowly while she stood up. I noticed that she was wearing a beautiful white dress, and she had a small amount of makeup on that made her look a little bit cuter than usual. She turned and walked a few steps to a door as I got off of the bed. I tested my legs for a moment and stood up slowly. "Papa, Milliardo's awake, hurry." She stepped back as Mr. Briscoletti walked in with a man behind him dressed in a black and red suit.
"Oh, this is good news." He said. "I was worried that you might have hurt yourself when we landed." I shook my head.
"I'm okay." I said. "I guess I just used too much energy getting us all here. I've never Zoomed so many people before, and I guess it takes a bit more energy to manually control where we were going." He nodded slowly.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay." He said. I snapped the fingers on my right hand and pulled out the veil. "Oh, the veil, I had forgotten all about it when you passed out." He took it carefully and handed it to the man beside him. He removed the glass and carefully picked up the veil. He turned to Nera as she blushed deeply and put it carefully on her head, moving the veil itself over her face. "There we are. You look so wonderful now Nera."
"Not that she wasn't beautiful before." I said. Nera blushed as her father laughed for a moment.
"Ah, that is true, that is true." He said. "I guess I have to watch my words a little more carefully. Now, I have to get ready to lead my bambina down the aisle." She nodded and he turned. "We'll see you in a moment." They walked over to a stairwell while the other man walked up to me.
"Hello, I am here to help make sure that you understand what you will do today." He said. I nodded. "First, you will walk with me to the priest, and you look very nice today I must add, and then I will take my seat." I nodded slowly. "Normally it would be your own father leading you, but alas, he is not here, no matter how many wish he was." I nodded again. "But, we cannot be sad on this day, as you are here to marry a beautiful blushing bride." He clapped his hands together. "Now, once you are at the front of the crowd, standing and watching to the rear of the ship, your wife and her papa will walk out, and he will walk her down the aisle to you. Then you will put the rings on each other's fingers, and you will look deeply into each other's eyes, and you will kiss your bride with the passion that no other two people could ever possess." I smiled slightly and he sighed. "Ah, I do so love weddings. They are so bright and full of love and good feelings." He smiled wider, though I wasn't sure how much wider his smile could get. "So, whenever you are ready, we will walk to the aisle to wait for your bride. Oh, and before I forget, you must have the ring to place on her finger." He pulled out a box and opened it. It was the Circle of water. I took it carefully and he made a sobbing sound. "No, I promised that I would not cry at this wedding, and I shall not." He sniffed. "Oh, who am I kidding? When you kiss her, I will be as a baby." I smiled a bit wider as he put the box away and put his hands together in front of him. "I love weddings, and when it is one of such a love of what you and Miss Nera share, oh, I just cannot help but be happy."
…
I stood at the front of the crowd as Mr. Briscoletti walked down the aisle with Nera on his right arm. He looked proud, his chest stuck out and a bright smile on his face. Everyone stood up and watched with smiles as they walked in perfect sync. I couldn't help but wish to see Nera's face. As they got closer, I began thinking of how my father must have felt when he married my mother. I wondered if he saw my mother being walked down the aisle with her father, if he met her family, or if he felt the same nervousness that I felt when I stood in front of the crowd, ready to pledge my love to Nera for all of them to see. They walked closer when Mr. Briscoletti let go of her arm carefully and sat beside his own wife. Nera walked up beside me and I turned as she stood to my left. We looked at the priest as he smiled. He looked at us and then he smiled wider.
"Dear sons and daughters of the benevolent Goddess, we are here to bear witness." He said. "To the union of Nera Briscoletti." He gestured to her. "And Milliardo Gotha." He gestured to me. "If there are any that would oppose this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace." He waited while I looked over at Nera from the corner of my left eye. I saw that she was blushing under the veil, but she was smiling as well. I saw her look over at me and I smiled as well. We looked at the priest as he looked at the people. "Then if there are no objections." He looked at me with a smile. "Milliardo, do you take Nera Briscoletti as you wife, to care for and to love, so long as you both shall be resurrected by the Goddess?"
"I do." I said calmly. He nodded and looked at Nera.
"Nera." He said. "Do you take Milliardo as your husband, to care for and to love, so long as you both shall be resurrected by the Goddess?"
"I, I do." She said quietly. He nodded.
"Then you may place the rings on each other's hands." He said. We turned to each other and she held out her right hand. I carefully placed the Circle of Water on her finger. She blushed deeper and put the Circle of Fire on mine. "By the power vested in me by the almighty Goddess, I pronounce you husband and wife. Milliardo, you may now kiss your bride." I nodded as we stepped closer. I carefully lifted the veil from her face and she stared into my eyes for a moment. We leaned our faces together and our lips met. She half closed her eyes before we pulled our faces back. The organist began playing a march as I took her left hand in my right as we turned to walk back down the aisle.
…
I opened my eyes for what must have been the third time that day. I sat up slowly and heard movement. I recognized that I was in the house that Bianca had stayed in the night before.
"Are you okay Milliardo?" Nera asked. I turned my head to my right and saw her watching me with a worried look. I smiled and chuckled.
"I'm okay." I said. "But I'll have to wait until I have enough energy to spare before I open 'Milliardo Gotha's Zooming Travel Agency'." She smiled but I saw tears threatening to form in her eyes. "I'm fine Nera, I promise." She was sitting on the bed beside me and she looked very worried. I had to bring the whole wedding party back to Monstroferrato, and I had passed out again, though someone had caught me in mid fall. I put my right hand on her left and she looked into my eyes as she turned her hand over. "I just get tired when I Zoom that many people at once, even though it wasn't a manual flight this time." She smiled a bit more as I gently closed my hand around hers. She looked into my eyes and then she looked down slightly. "Are you okay?" She nodded.
"I, I'm just, so happy right now." She said. "I kept thinking about you, after you left for the volcano. I kept worrying that you would come back, hurt or, or worse." She looked into my eyes again. "And, when you left for the cave, I worried just as much, even though you told me you'd be okay. And, when you came back with Bianca, I was, I was worried that you were going to marry her." She looked at our hands and smiled wider. "When you, said that you loved me, I felt like my heart was going to break through my chest." She looked into my eyes again. "I love you Milliardo, and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to be worthy of your love." I smiled and she blushed. "So, I, I want to go with you, to help you find your mother." I stared as my smile left my face for a moment.
"Are you, are you sure about this?" I asked. She nodded. "It's not a safe place out there, and I, I go to some dangerous places almost every day." She whimpered. "I don't want you getting hurt because of what I'm trying to do." She shook her head.
"I've made up my mind about this." She said. "I want to go with you, because I, I want to be with you. I want to help you find your mother." She gripped my hand slightly tighter. "And, I don't want you to worry about my safety. I know how to use some small weapons, and I, I can protect myself when I have to, so you won't need to worry about me getting hurt." She lowered her gaze to our hands. "I just, I'll do whatever I have to do, to stay at your side. I'll stay away from any monsters or dangers, and I'll do whatever you tell me to do, I promise."
"Nera, I, I don't want you getting hurt." I said. She whimpered again. "But, if the choice is between breaking your heart and healing your wounds after a fight, I'd rather make the choice that makes you smile." She looked into my eyes again. "I promised that I'd never break your heart, and I am a man of my word." She smiled. "So, I guess we're going to be travelling together from now on." She smiled wider and suddenly hugged me. It took me a second to recover, but I put my arms around her and smiled. She was crying quietly and I rubbed her back gently. "I love you Nera."
"I love you too Milliardo." She said quietly. "I promise, I won't slow you down. I'll do whatever it takes to keep up with your quest." I gently stroked her hair and felt her tears on my shoulder.
"It's okay to start slow Nera." I said. "It takes time to get used to travelling. And besides that, we have a long way to travel, and I don't know where to go from here." She leaned back and looked at me and I smiled. "Well, I was busy trying to marry you for the past week." She blushed. "I was more concerned with you at the time." She smiled for a moment before looking at our hands again.
"When do we leave?" She asked.
"Well, I need to gather some information." I said. "But, I think I have a way to do that." She nodded. "So, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, but we'll leave only when you're ready." She nodded again and looked at me.
"We'll have to tell my father about this." She said. "He'll want to know that I'm going with you." I nodded. "Thank you."