Hey! It's my one-year-aversary today! Basically, it means I've been on Fanfiction for one year today! :) I just had to update, so enjoy!
Disclaimer: I hope that you've realized that I don't own Maximum Ride by now…
Previously…
Fang would fight, as long as there was Max to fight for.
Fang stood up off the log and took off into the sky. By now, Iggy and Nudge would have reached the castle. He just hoped that he wasn't too late to save Max from her own wedding.
Chapter 14
This wedding was nothing like Max had always wanted. Sure, the decorating was elegant, classic, and all white, but there were no bridesmaids, or even a best man. Her parents weren't there, giving her reassuring glances and looking extremely happy. There wasn't Nudge there grinning at her in her maid of honor dress.
Max felt so alone. Weddings were supposed to be cheerful and full of people you care about. There was none of that here.
Max stood outside the large oak doors of the church, waiting for the wedding march to begin. She gripped her bouquet until her fingers were white as her dress.
Worst of all, she knew that amongst the thousands of people she didn't know in that church, was the monster who killed her parents and took over her kingdom. Not only that, but her parent's murder is the one who she would see waiting for her at the alter; the person who she had to marry.
Bitter tears fell down her cheeks as she silently wished that it would not be Dylan at the alter, but Fang. Max's heart involuntarily fluttered at the thought of Fang at the alter, looking breathtaking and mysterious all at the same time. Max would happily walk up the aisle, and take Fang's hand. They would both say 'I do', exchange rings, and have the first of the many kisses in their married lives.
But no, Dylan would be waiting at the alter. And she would never see Fang again.
Her musical cue began playing on the mournful organ. To Max, it sounded that the organ was playing a death march rather that the wedding music. As she walked up the heavily decorated aisle, Max hoped that her white, seemingly transparent veil hid her tears.
The crowd marveled at her beautiful dress, but Max knew that they would not be so impressed if they saw her wings that were hidden from view.
Max finally passed the last bland white bouquet and reluctantly took Dylan's hand. The preacher began with the speech and Max glanced around the room. Near the back, she saw Iggy and Nudge. She stopped crying and managed a smile. Nudge would see her get married after all.
Max then looked around the room, but the little flame of hope in her heart extinguished when she didn't see Fang.
Max's shattered heart was frozen over, despite the appearance of her friends. She should have known better than to hope. There would be no prince saving her from this monster. Real life really didn't have happy endings.
After what seemed like a lifetime, The old preacher finally said,
"Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
Past the enormous, sparkling white bouquets and hundreds of yards of white fabric, no one stood up, said a word, or even cleared their throat. There was absolute silence in the huge cathedral.
Little tears dripped down her cheeks once again. No one was going to save her. Saving herself would only result in misery. If Max showed her wings now, she would be thrown out of the castle and hunted like Fang was. Even with the slim chance of finding him, Fang would never forgive her for what she said.
If it had to be this way, why did it hurt so much?
There was still silence in the cathedral. Why wasn't the pastor ranting about vows and eternal promises?
Dylan looked at the pastor impatiently.
"Well, get on with it! No one objects!" Dylan snapped.
The pastor didn't even react to Dylan's short temper. In fact, it seemed that he hadn't even registered that Dylan had even spoken. The pastor looked dumbfounded at the window above where Max had entered before she had walked down the aisle. There was a banging noise coming from the window. She didn't hear it before…
Max looked over curiously, then there was an earsplitting crash. The large stained glass window above the front doors was shattered, and the whole audience let out a collective gasp.
All, except for Iggy and Nudge who grinned knowingly. For in the empty frame where the glass window once stood was a dark silhouette of a tall, young man. The surprising aspect of this person was not his size, or even his all black attire, but his vast black wings.
Women in the crowd shrieked in terror as the winged person glided over the crowd and landed at the alter, right behind Max and Dylan.
There was much chatter in the audience as Max took a good look at the winged man. His black hair was windswept from rapid flight and his ebony colored irises sparkled with a fiery determination.
Fang looked right past the dumbstruck Dylan, and stared at the shaking pastor. The pastor quaked in fear.
"I object." Fang said quietly. However, the whole audience could hear Fang's deep voice. The many people in the pews of the church let out another noise of suprise, and a wave of whispers swept though them.
"Wha…what?" The minister said timidly.
"I object." Fang said louder.
"I…err…" stuttered the minister, as if he didn't know what to do if a person flies in, and objects to a royal marriage.
"You what?" bellowed Dylan. "How dare you show your ugly face here! Our little transaction is done, and you are not wanted here! In case you were wondering, YOU WEREN'T INVITED FOR A REASON! No. One. Wants. You."
Fang ignored Dylan and turned to face Max. He approached her and brushed her veil away. He saw her tears and gently wiped those away with his thumb.
"Max." Fang murmured.
"You came back." Max whispered. She looked deep into his obsidian eyes, in search of any emotion. Fang nodded tacitly.
"I'll always come back. I couldn't let you go." Fang said. Max was quiet for a moment.
"Fang, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!" Max said as she wrapped her arms around Fang's neck. Fang wrapped his arms around Max's lower back and squeezed her in a sweet embrace.
"Please forgive me." Max whispered, still clutching on to Fang.
"I already have." Fang said gently.
Dylan, who's face was beet red in anger, started shouting dirty insults at Fang.
Fang ignored him and whispered,
"Max, are you going to show him your wings and shut him up?"
Max grinned for the first time all day and nodded. She took a step back from Fang and stood to where everyone in the church, including the bellowing Dylan, could see her. Then, she rolled her shoulders back and let her wings free from their bounds.
The audience gasped as Max's brown and white wings spread out to their full, twelve and a half foot wingspan. One woman in the front row fainted.
Max beamed at Fang, and Fang stepped closer to her and kissed her, right there in front of the entire church.
They then glanced over at Dylan, who was slack jawed. Dylan then clamped his mouth shut in a nasty snarl.
"It's hideous! I can't believe that I almost married such a disgusting, monstrous little…" Dylan sneered. Fang glared at Dylan with a look that could have seared through solid iron.
"You can insult me, but do not insult her! She's more has more beauty than you deserve to lay eyes on!" hissed Fang. "If you know what's good for you, get out of here, because Max is the rightful queen of this kingdom and you know it, so beat it!"
Dylan cowered under Fang's ferocious glare and shot behind the protection of the preacher's podium.
There was unhappy murmuring among the crowd. Thanks to their uncanny hearing abilities, Max and Fang could pick up some of the hushed conversation of the audience.
'Max is the only heir!' 'A monster cannot rule the kingdom!' and 'who will take over the kingdom now?' were among the mumblings.
"They're right, Fang. That was the whole reason that we can't be together. Someone has to rule, and now that everyone knows about my wings, I definitely can't !" Max said.
"I think that I have an idea." said Fang. He whispered into Max's ear. Her expression was doubtful at first, but she gradually smiled at the end.
"That'll work!" Max said happily.
"Just in case that the curse isn't lifted." Fang said.
Max's chocolate brown eyes widened.
"I completely forgot about the curse! Tell me that you love me, then kiss me." said Max.
"If you insist." said Fang, smirking. "I love you, Max." Then Fang kissed her on the mouth, just like that. All of those pleasurable tingles and fireworks went off in both Max's and Fang's brains as they kissed each other.
Then, a fiery blue light coiled around Max and Fang reluctantly let Max go. The blue light became so bright that everyone had to look away.
Fang immediately looked anxiously back at Max as soon as the blue light disappeared.
Max was out, unconscious on the heavily carpeted floor. Fang hurried over to her side and knelt next to her.
The preacher had fainted at this point and the audience was as quiet as mice. What Fang didn't see, was Dylan creeping quietly behind his back, clutching a bejeweled dagger.
A woman in the audience screamed in alarm, and that was all it took. Fang abruptly looked behind him, but it was too late.
Startled, Dylan had tripped over his own dress shoes and landed on his own dagger.
The white carpet was stained crimson with Dylan's blood. Two men from the audience dragged Dylan's body away.
Fang immediately returned his attention back to Max, who was awakening. Max's dark caramel colored eyes fluttered open and focused on Fang's intense, raven shaded irises. They were so close, that Max could pick out little gold flecks amongst Fang's captivating dark eyes.
Max had to look away before she got lost in Fangs endless eyes. Fang helped her to her feet. Max anxiously looked at her back, to find that her wings were still firmly fastened to her back.
"I don't understand… I shouldn't have wings anymore…" Max said quietly.
"The curse said that I had to be good looking, apparently, the witch didn't think that I was that charming." Fang said.
"I don't care what 'she' thought, you are… hey, wait, how did you know about my curse? I never told you!" Max said, with a questioning expression on her face.
Fang shrugged.
"That's another story for another day. Besides, you are beautiful." Fang said, once again, catching Max's eyes.
"No, I'm not. You can hear them, those people in the pews. I'm ugly." Max said quietly as she studied the floor. Fang cupped Max's chin in his hands and turned her gaze beck up to him.
"If you're ugly, then you're a beautiful kind of ugly, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Fang said as he softly kissed her.
Since the audience was watching the two bird-humans like the two main characters in a play, Max broke apart from the kiss and cleared her throat to address the crowd.
"As you might have noticed, I have wings. Therefore, I cannot properly rule this kingdom. Many people would disagree with the idea of a non-human ruling the land, and that would cause division and instability amongst the kingdom. Since there are no other blood relatives suitable to be heirs to the throne, I will appoint my best friend and most trusted servant to the throne along with her noble suitor. Nudge is more like a sister than anything else, and she deserved to rule. If anyone objects… deal with it, because she's my sister in all but blood." Max said boldly.
There were several gasps from the crowd. For once, Nudge was at a loss for words. Iggy told her to get up there where the alter was. Nudge timidly stood up and grabbed Iggy's hand. Iggy looked at Nudge quizzically.
"Iggy, if I'm going to be queen, then you have to be the king! Come on!" Nudge whispered. Both Iggy, and Nudge walked up the aisle and to the podium where Max grinned at them. Fang even smiled a sort of half smile at them.
"Max I… I…" Nudge stuttered.
"You're supposed to say that you accept." whispered Max.
"I accept." Iggy and Nudge said in unison. Max gestured for the royal crown bearer to come up and place the crowns on the new king and queen's heads. Baffled, the crown bearer did just that.
"You'll make a much better queen than me. Besides, you will enjoy it a whole lot more than I would." Max whispered. Nudge grinned and Iggy stood stock still.
"Congratulations, Iggy. Someday, maybe me and Max will visit you and your many little heirs." Fang said nonchalantly. Iggy stiffened, if that's possible, since he was too shocked to speak.
"They are the new King and Queen, so treat them with respect and honor." Max said lastly as she spread her wings out.
Max smiled over at Fang, who gave her one of his rare grins that made her world a little bit brighter. Fang spread his glossy black wings and the two took off and soared through the broken window, waving to the new king and queen.
"Visit soon!" shouted Nudge.
"We will! I promise!" Max shouted back.
Fang was only a little above Max, so that their wings didn't clip one another during flight. Max grabbed Fang's hand and they treasured the feel of the other's touch.
Flying used to be a solitary, lonely pastime for both of them. Now, they could fly together, and never be alone.
Fang looked down, and grinned at Max, and her heart thumped wildly inside of her chest. Wow, he was smiling a lot recently. Not that she was complaining.
Then they flew off into the sunset, prepared to face the many unexpected obstacles of life together, because together, they could face anything.
The End!
So that was the end, I still have one more chapter that I'd like to post, sort of like an epilogue. I promise, this is a GOOD epilogue, unlike the one in FANG, which I loathed. Anyways, if this story was any good at all, please, please tell me in a review! I accept ALL reviews, so don't be shy.