Chapter 21: The Big Day

"You look absolutely beautiful, darling." Emerald beamed happily. "Black will be stunned when he sees you."

Fluggie couldn't stop smiling the whole time as she let her hair be done by the hair stylists. She had been waiting for this day for so, so long. It had literally been more than a year since the day they started preparing for the wedding, and she knew Black Hat was as eager as she was. Right after the moment when she accepted his marriage proposal, he insisted on getting married right away because of all the excitement building up inside him. And of course, she had to try her hardest to convince him to take their time. She couldn't blame him, but she didn't want to rush either. Getting ready for the wedding was one of the most exciting things ever, so why should they rush and ruin all the fun?

Black Hat sure wanted to make everything perfect for their big day. He had everything done by the most well-known professionals, and he spent a whole month just looking for the right people and discussing things with them. Even with the wedding dress, he had it customized to his bride's liking by a designer who had had more than ten years of experience.

At first, she said that a customized dress was… kind of unnecessary, and she could just choose one at a bridal shop, but he insisted on getting it designed just for her, because he wanted to make her feel extra special. And after a while, she eventually chose to agree with him. She talked and discussed with the designer, Cadence, for a very long time, and Cadence took her job very seriously (well, she was working for Black Hat himself after all). She made sure she got Fluggie's measurements accurate to every inch, and that the final design fitted Fluggie's taste.

Honestly, at first Fluggie was very confused about all of this. When Cadence asked what type of dress she wanted, she realized that… she knew nothing about the fashion industry. She did know a few things about wedding dresses, like "trains" or "veil". But when it comes to those words like "Fit and Flare", "A-Line", "Sheath"… stuff like those. So, Cadence helped her out by recommending her types of dress, sleeves… that would suit her body and style. And man, looking at a designer's book was really something, because it had so many things in it that it would take her a whole day if she wanted to closely look at every page.

Customizing a wedding dress was pretty difficult, but it was worth it, and Fluggie was definitely pleased with the result: a pure white, dress in the Drop-waist silhouette with flowery laces at the top part and two straps made of see-through straps falling off her shoulders. The bottom part was made of a very soft, light and puffy fabric, and it extended to form a very long trains. Despite its simplicity, it complimented her curves and gave out a very elegant vibe, especially with the pretty laces and the long trains.

Fluggie lifted her head a little to take a good look at herself in the mirror in front of her as the hair stylist tied her hair, her small crystals earrings swaying back and forth slightly and her necklace sparkling as she did. Looking at herself without the paper bag felt pretty strange sometimes. Black Hat had said that she didn't have to take off her bag if she felt uncomfortable about showing her face to so many people she wasn't close to. But in the end, she had decided that she shouldn't hide her face anymore on such an important day like her own wedding. Thinking back about that decision of hers, she didn't regret it because if she had had that bag over her head, then she wouldn't have had the chance to see how beautiful she looked. Her hair was tied into a low bun, and two braids on both sides of her head were joined at the bun. The makeup was simple and wasn't heavy, but its pastel color really gave her a very dreamy look that could melt and capture any stone-cold heart. Black mascara and rose gold eyeshadow complimented her big blue eyes, and light pink color touched up her soft lips and rosy cheeks.

As the stylist was done doing her hair after a little fixing, she picked up the veil with red, pink and white roses attached to it and white flowery laces at the end of its long train. She wrapped the roses around Fluggie's hair bun to put the veil on her hair. She smiled as she bent her body down, putting her hands on Fluggie's shoulders.

"Miss, you look beautiful! You should really have a look at yourself in the mirror over there!"

She held the bride's hand, helping her get up from the stool slowly. She led Fluggie to the large mirror leaning to the wall, placed next to the dressing table. As she fixed and straightened the trains, Fluggie gasped quietly as she rested her hand on her chest. Looking at her face in the mirror was amazing enough, and now when she had a full look at herself from head to toe, it felt even more incredible, magical even. The pure white color of her outfit seemed to glow so brightly as the sunshine from outside shone inside the room through the window, and the long veil and trains made her feel like she was a princess in a fairytail, just like what she had dreamt of becoming when she was just a little girl.

"I… I love this." She couldn't help but said out loud her feelings.

"Every girl in that dress would say that, to be honest."

Fluggie turned over her right to see Demencia had walked to stand next to her. Honestly, Fluggie had been so used to seeing Demencia in crazy outfits that it was pretty strange to see her in such a formal one. The strong colors that the lizard girl was always seen with were now replaced by the soft, pure white one. Instead of the usual steampunk style, she was dressed in a knee-length dress with a red ribbon wrapped around her waist, which was tied into a small bow at her left side. Her hair was still tied into a high ponytail like usual and not styled in any way, but the lizard hood was replaced by a white elastic hair band with a small red rose attached to it. Covering her arm were long, white fingerless gloves and at her feet were flat, white doll shoes. Fluggie knew Demencia wouldn't do well in long dresses and high heels, so she figured that this style fitted her the most.

"You know, it's pretty weird seeing you in such a formal dress like this." Fluggie said as she looked at Demencia from head to toes.

"It's the same for me, actually." Demencia chuckled. "I mean, since the very first day that we met, you've always had on that lab coat and simple clothing, and that paper bag, and that serious look that screams 'stressed and tired'."

Fluggie let out a small laugh. "Do I really look like that?"

"Hmm… maybe yes." Demencia rubbed her chin and put her hand on her waist. "But not today, apparently. Because damn, you're looking like a queen."

Fluggie chuckled.

"Come on girl, ya know it's true." Demencia smirked. "I mean, anyone marrying Black Hat can automatically be seen as a queen."

Fluggie didn't know why, but both of them immediately fell into silence at the mention of the eldritch. Sometimes, Fluggie forgot that Demencia had used to love him very much as well, and Fluggie was sure that her love for him had once been as strong as Fluggie's. She suddenly remembered the time when she was in complete denial of her feelings, unable to accept the truth that she had given her heart to her own boss. To think about it, Demencia must have felt so hurt inside. It pained when you thought or realized that your feelings weren't returned, or even ignored by the one you loved. Yet, she didn't even talk or mention it to Fluggie at all, and kept it to herself until last year. She couldn't imagine that such a crazy lizard girl could be that… sentimental.

It suddenly felt very awkward, and Fluggie averted her gaze.

"Y- Yeah…"

This didn't go unnoticed by the lizard girl. "Hey, what's wrong? Why do you suddenly look so down?"

"I… It's nothing, Demencia…"

It took Demencia a short while to catch on. "O- Oh, is it because I mentioned him?"

Fluggie stayed silent.

"Come on, you already knew that I'm over him long ago, didn't you?" Demencia showed a wide grin as she lightly tapped Fluggie's shoulders. "No need to feel so bad."

Fluggie still didn't say anything.

"F- Fluggie…?" A worried expression was soon seen on Demencia's face. "Y- You okay-"

Demencia was immediately cut off when the bride wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Being caught off guard, all she could do was to stand there, speechless and motionless. She didn't know why Fluggie suddenly do it, but she could feel the hug getting tighter and tighter, as if she would disappear if Fluggie let go of her.

"Demencia…" Fluggie finally spoke up, with her words just came out as small mumbles. "I… I feel like… I don't deserve this kindness from you…"

"W- What are ya talking about?" Demencia stuttered out. "Wh- What's gotten into you so suddenly?"

"Demencia, I've never realized how much you mean to me until lately." Fluggie tried to talk more clearly, but her words only came out as small mumbles. "Honestly, a lot of times you're really annoying, but you've also been there for me a lot of times, and we've shared lots of memories together. I still remember the times when I got so overwhelmed that I snapped, yelled at you and scared you. But instead of walking away, you actually tried to say sorry and comfort me, even if you did nothing wrong in the first place."

Fluggie let out a sigh. "I never got to show my gratitude until now."

Demencia was speechless for a while before wrapping her arms around the bride, hugging her back. "Hey, don't get too emotional there, you're gonna ruin your makeup. Cheer up, girl. Remember that you're marrying the most powerful man in this world, and you must look your best today."

On both of their faces was a smile, even when they broke the hug.

"Demencia, I appreciate the time we've spent together. I see you as a very close friend…"

Fluggie held the other's hands tightly.

"And that's why I asked you to be my bridesmaid from the very beginning."

Black Hat had a good look at his surroundings as he adjusted his hat. He took every little thing into observation, moving his hand down to straighten his sleeves.

It was a fine day indeed, with clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds floating above. He could see and feel the warmth of the sun rays shining through the rectangular holes on the roof, where the beautiful purple wisteria wrapped around and hung down from. On each side of the rows of seats were blooming roses in red, pink and white, and petals were scattered all over the aisle. Beside the seats were two rows of pillars, one on each side, to let the wisteria twist around them. Fluggie was absolutely in love with the idea of having a vineyard wedding with flowers hanging from above, as she was fascinated by how magical it was to walk down the aisle under the beautifully blooming flowers. And of course, he wanted his fiancé to have the best wedding of her life ever, so he went ahead to make her dream come true.

All the guests were here. And even though there seemed to be hundreds of people, all of them were Black Hat's family and relatives, because sadly, Fluggie no longer had anyone in her family or relative around, as she'd lost touch with them forever since the tragic plane crash. Black Hat just realized that harsh truth when they started giving out invitations, and Fluggie didn't even try to deny it. She said she was okay with it and told him not to worry. Even though she did look fine, there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. To her, it must have felt so sad to have no family or relative attending her one and only special day of her life, or even a father to walk her down the aisle.

Looking at the people sitting at their seats, the groom unconsciously tugged at his cravat again, and this didn't go unnoticed by his twin who was standing next to him, with the groom's son, in a white shirt, black overall pants and a black bow tie, standing near and holding onto his leg.

"Nervous, aren't you?"

The statement startled Black Hat more than it was supposed to. "W- What?"

White Hat smirked a little. "Why looked so surprised, brother? I'm just asking if you're feeling nervous, that's all."

Black Hat averted his eyes, trying his best not to stumble with his words. "I- I'm not!"

"Come on, Black. I'm your twin brother, and I understand you more than most people do." White let out a small chuckle. "You constantly fix your clothes only when you're nervous."

Black Hat glared over him for a second before looking at where the guests were, not saying anything more about it. But he couldn't resist looking over his outfit once more, checking if everything looked fine and dandy. Right from the bat, he had chosen to dress in black instead of white, because he simply didn't want to look like his twin's clone. His trench coat was similar to his usual one, but with golden trim, and his top hat's red band was also replaced by a golden one. He wore his usual white-and-black shoes, grey vest, and underneath the vest was a pure white dress shirt.

His overall outfit was fairly similar to his usual way of dressing, but there was certainly one thing that stood out the most: his cravat and the suit chains. On the left side of his trench coat was a double chain gold brooch, with the brooch shaped like a top hat and had small real diamonds attached to it. His white cravat had three layers, and on the top layer's trim was small, elegant white laces. Although he always his shirt collar buttoned up, it still felt kind of weird to have a cravat wrapped around his neck.

White was still in his usual outfit, but he had a blue bow tie instead of a tie, and his coat's sleeves had golden patterns around the trims. He fixed his bow tie before turning over his brother again.

"You don't need to deny it, Black." White smiled, patting his hand onto Black's shoulder. "It's normal for a groom to be nervous on his wedding day, especially if it's his first time getting married."

"I said I'm not, White."

"Alright, whatever you said, brother." White let out another chuckle as he lightly elbowed his brother. "Still, I can't believe you're the first one to get married. Mom and Dad always thought that my wedding would be before yours. They didn't even know if your wedding existed at all!"

Black sighed. He seemed to have calmed down a little and now had a more relaxed posture with his hands behind his back, but he still couldn't deny the tension deep inside him. He wondered why himself. Why did he feel uneasy in front of a small crowd that was nothing compared to the amount of enemies he had had to fight in one single battle? Why did the calm setting of a normal wedding made he feel nervous more than the aftermath of an intense fight, with his enemies lying unconsciously and blood staining the harsh ground beneath him?

Every question in his mind vanished when the music started playing. He straightened up his back, as well as his twin who just finished fixing Ryan's posture. Everyone also stopped their chatting and silenced down, standing up straight respectfully. Black Hat could feel his heart beating even faster, because the music could only mean one thing…

Hearing the cue, two white birds flew to the entrance. Behind the white curtain was the silhouette of a woman, and everyone's attention turned to the birds as they pulled up the curtains. Demencia appeared behind them, slowly leading the bride down the aisle.

When Fluggie was further in and everyone could have a close look at her, Black Hat thought he had lost his breath for a split second.

He was stunned at how gorgeous she was.

After such a long time, he finally got to see his bride in a wedding dress, and he had to admit that it was worth the wait. The dress sparkled as the sunshine shone from behind her, giving her a beautifully gentle glow. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing their deep blue color that he always adored. Under the gentle sunlight, her eyes glowed ever so brightly, just like the rarest gem in this world, like a garden full of blue flowers, like how the sea sparkled under the early morning sun. Her lips formed the most precious smile in the world as she started walking with a bouquet of roses in hand.

Black Hat's angel gracefully walked down the aisle, and each of her steps was the lightest, most elegant and gentle ones Black Hat had ever seen in his entire life. He closely looked at the way her dress wrapped around her curves so perfectly, and how her dress swayed so softly with each step she took. Everyone's eyes all stuck on her, and some guests even gasped. They must have been stunned by her youthful beauty, just like the groom.

When she reached Black Hat and stood side by side with him, she looked over him and smiled. Black Hat was in awe, because that was the brightest, most beautiful and angelic smile he had ever captured with his very eyes. After Fluggie gave her bouquet to Demencia, he ever so gently caressed her hands in his own as the officiant started his opening statement once everyone had settled down.

"Dearly beloved, today is a celebration, a celebration of love, of commitment between two people who are in it for eternities. Today, promises become permanent and friends become family." He spoke with a loud, strong but also gentle voice. "Today, at this very moment, we're gathered to celebrate the special and long-lasting love between the groom, the mighty, powerful Black Hat himself, and the bride, his talented scientist and loyal partner, Fluggie Slys."

Everyone was silent, listening to the whole thing attentively.

"This day, the most important day in Black and Fluggie's lives, is about love. Love is something everyone, at least once in their lifetime, has experienced. As Dr. Seuss had once said, 'I know I am in love with you because my reality is finally better than my dreams'. Indeed, love is a powerful thing, so powerful that it can melt the coldest heart, change one's way of perceiving the world and better their life. But love, it isn't simply just a word, but an action. Love isn't simply what you say, but what you do. Love is kind, genuine, honest and compassionate. Love is something that never dies."

As each word was spoken and each second passed by, Black Hat's hold on Fluggie's hands seemed to get tighter and warmer as they locked their eyes together. It seemed like that gorgeous smile on her lips never faded away, and he never got tired of looking at it.

"Black and Fluggie, they together hold that same love between them. They, with their trust for each other, have overcome great obstacles on their paths to reach for each other, to unite their hearts. They, alongside one another, have been for the other whenever needed, no matter the circumstances. They have been on countless journeys, and there are more to come in the future. But no matter what happens, they're sure to make it work."

The officiant looked up from his book and looked at the couple standing in front of him.

"Black and Fluggie, must I remind, and must you both remember, that your relationship is built on mutual understanding, sympathy, kindness, consideration and affection, and that love and loyalty will serve as guidance to your long-lasting happiness in your future life together. Hand in hand you enter marriage, and hand in hand you step out in faith. Don't let you grip become weak. Be strong and hold each other's hand until the end. Be confident and don't be afraid to share your thoughts and troubles to the other. It is both of your duty to better each other's life and make every moment worth it until the end. Pledge your vows with the deepest and most honest feelings from the bottom reach of your hearts. When you say 'I love you', mean it, as you're committing yourself to the next stage of your relationship, your bond and your trust between each other."

Black Hat took in a deep breath as he began.

"Fluggie, I know I'm not good at expressing my feelings, but trust me that I mean everything I'm saying. When I say 'You're the light that bright up my darkness', I actually mean it. Long ago, I'd never imagine myself as a groom, standing in front of everyone as I vowed my love to a woman I'd be committing my life to. Before you came into my life, I never knew what love is, and never understood how it felt to love and be loved. I never bothered to look for love or any kind of affection at all. I was a stubborn, heartless man who always thought love was something surreal, unnecessary and not worth finding. But you proved it to me that I was wrong the whole time. You showed me that love could do many incredible things and that it could change how one see the world, like what it's done to me. I'm now a different and better version of myself, all thanks to you. I want to make you smile everyday, to be proud of myself that I'm able to light up my most beloved's days. I want protect you with everything, even if millions of obstacles are in my way. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, to create memories and cherish them, as well as every moment I can be with you."

Fluggie was staring at him in awe all the time, and she could tell that he was struggling his best to keep his composure. His hand was noticeably shaking while holding hers, and small drops of sweats started to run down his face. She knew that he meant everything he'd said, but expressing emotions was not something he was the best at, especially if it was in front of his family and relative. She must admit that she appreciated his effort a lot, since it had always been difficult to break out of your shell and show a different you to everyone who had known you for so long. Everyone had always seen him as a strong, fearless eldritch who never showed any mercy or kindness, so to see him say those romantic and loving words to a human must be a very big surprise.

She tightened her grip on his hands as she spoke up.

"Black Hat, it's the name of the most powerful and well-known man in the entire world. Black Hat, it's the name of the man who had saved the life of a normal human girl like me, a human girl who had no special power or anything worthy to be allowed to live by the mighty Black Hat himself. So from the very beginning, I've secretly pledged my ever-lasting loyalty to you, and I put a promise on myself to make you proud, to prove myself worthy. But there suddenly was something in me that I wasn't able to admit so easily, even to myself, and it was my love for you. Maybe I've loved you ever since the very first day, but I wasn't aware of it until a few years later. I was scared to accept it, to admit it to you, but I eventually had to, and I didn't regret it. If I'm the light that bright up your darkness, then you're the hope that keeps me shining. You're forever my savior, my partner, whom I want to be with for as long as I live. I want to bring happiness to you, to shower you with affection everyday, to continue showing you what love is all about."

Black Hat was once again stunned when hearing those words from her. He had never noticed how much she'd changed since they started dating until now. When he first met her, she was still an awkward mess who could never properly form a sentence without stuttering a little. But now, here she was, in a gorgeous white dress, standing right in front of her boss with her fingers intertwined with his as she maintained the eye-contact, letting out every thoughts that was in her mind, unafraid to tell him how much she loved him. She truly had become a more mature woman who had developed bravery, confidence and pride in herself and her partner.

Once both of them had finished, the officiant spoke up once again. It was when White helped Ryan, the little ring bearer, walked toward his parents with a small box in his hand.

"Black and Fluggie, these rings are the symbol of the vows you have just exchanged. They are the symbol that seals the promises which have been made, the reminder of your loyalty and trust, and the proof of your commitment. Please take these rings and honor each other in their giving."

It was indeed a very magical moment. They each picked up the rings as gently and gracefully as ever. They could each feel the deepest sense of joy as their partner held their hand in theirs, carefully slipping the ring onto their finger. Fluggie couldn't help but smiled brightly during the entire exchange, but Black Hat didn't mind at all. He loved her smile, or anything about her in general, so he wished that her smile would never fade away. Everyone looked so happy too, including White and his parents. Ryan might not know what was happening or the importance of this event, but on his face was a bright smile as well. Maybe his parents' happiness was enough to make him smile.

"Black and Fluggie, throughout this ceremony, you have pledged and promised your love for each other. You have vowed your eternal loyalty, trust and sympathy to one another with your friends and family's presence. Therefore, I solemnly pronounce you as husband and wife!"

Both of the bride and groom's hearts were beating even faster.

"You may now seal your vows and commitment with a kiss!"

Fluggie was never this nervous, but what her groom did was definitely not expected. Black Hat, wasting no time at all, held her waist and lifted her up in bridal style. Fluggie was still in pure surprise when he leaned in and sealed his lips with hers, and she let out a small gasp as everyone stood up, cheering and clapping loudly. This kiss… it somehow felt different. They had shared kisses before, and they were sweet and loving, sometimes with the hint of desire. But this kiss was more than that. It was full of affection, joy and the happiness of finally committing themselves into marriage, so maybe that was why it felt so much more important. She soon found herself wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

"Black! Fluggie! I'm so happy for you two!"

Emerald rushed to the newlywed couple with her husband following behind, after the couple had broken the kiss.

"M- Mom, you're… crying." Black Hat said as his mother pulled him and his bride into a tight hug.

"Don't worry about it, Black, because they're tears of joy!" Emerald wiped her eyes with her handkerchiefs. "I- I can't believe you're finally married! I'm proud of you."

"Yes, it's really a big surprise." White added. "You always thought that I'd get married first."

"Indeed, honey." Emerald beamed happily. "When White gets married as well, I'm going to be the happiest woman ever!"

"M- Miss Hat, I-"

"Now now, dearest." Emerald cut Fluggie off with a bright smile and a pat on her shoulder. "No need for formalities anymore, just call me Mom, got it? You're officially in the family now, though I've always seen you as my child from the very beginning."

Fluggie fell into complete silent. She felt like there was something stuck in her throat as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. For the longest time ever, she had never had someone to call 'Mom' ever since the plane crash. She missed that word dearly, and to finally call someone by that name again felt so endearing, not to mention how her mother-in-law so willingly and kindly accepted her into the family made tears forming in the corners of your eyes.

"M- M-"

She stuttered out as her hands slowly moved up.

"M- Mom!"

She wrapped her arms around the older woman, tears finally bursting out. She pulled her into a tight embrace and felt the other returning it.

"Dear, please don't cry." On Emerald's lips was a gentle smile. "It's your wedding day, you should be happy!"

"I'm sorry, I just-" Fluggie mumbled between sobs." I just can't help it."

"Hey girl, what did I tell you?" Demencia leaped in. " You're gonna ruin your makeup if you keep crying like that!"

"Well, congratulations to you then, brother." White said, patting his brother on his shoulder.

"Hey, now that the ceremony's over..." Demencia said as the bride and her mother-in-law broke the hug. "Does that mean it's.. party time?!"

"Well, it does..." Zairus spoke up. "...after they're done with the paperwork."

"Aww, laaaaaaame!"

Everyone let out a loud chuckle as Demencia groaned.

Before the officiant led them to somewhere more quiet to do the paperwork, the newlywed held each other's hand as they stared into each other's eyes, smiling as they did.

A new journey awaited them and they made sure to stay together to the end, no matter what happened.

They were sure of it.

Oh my god, I didn't expect this to be this long. It's more than 5000 words long holy crap!

And this was super hard to write, too. I'm Asian, so writing a Euroupean wedding as accurately as possible was super challenging, so I had to search on Google for every single little thing, like the wedding venues, preparations, procedure, etc... But at the same time, it was... fun?! I love how everything came together, to be honest.

Oh, and before I go, I want to ask you a small question. About a week ago, I started wondering about something. I wonder if my writing is... good, because if it sounds okay to me, it doesn't mean it sounds okay to the reader. I wonder if my writing is rushed or doesn't sound good at some points. So please, give me your honest response. I'd love to know what you think.

I'll see you soon, goodbye.