By the time everything is set for the backup ceremony, the sun is about to set on Mouseburg. It's just long enough for everyone involved in the Wasteland bog debacle to shower and change (luckily Disney Castle dress uniforms are plentiful), for Pete and his cohorts to get settled in a holding cell for later arraignment, and for Kairi to make sure all decorations are to the exact standards she had specified. Several buses are required to shuttle guests out to the location, but thankfully transportation goes smoothly.

The bride stands in her makeshift dressing room, actually just a secondhand clothing store specially outfitted for the occasion. The blinds of the shop's huge front windows and glass doors are lowered and closed to prevent anyone from seeing in.

Azlyn looks in the mirror, hardly believing how quickly she's gone from bedraggled, swamp-traversing, bad guy butt kicking knight to blushing bride. It's almost like none of the day's previous events even happened.

The small bell above the shop's door jingles, startling Azlyn. She looks over her shoulder to see the door open only slightly, Mickey's nose poking into the room. "Uh, you ready in there Azlyn? Everything's all set!"

She gives herself one last glance in the mirror, her new dress uniform a pristine white. Satisfied, she turns to the door. "Yeah, I am."

Mickey slips in, careful not to open the door anymore than necessary. Some light chatter and a few notes from the piano drift into the shop for a moment until he closes it. Dressed in a brand new suit, he beams up at the young woman he's about to escort down the aisle.

"Ya look real beautiful, Azlyn," he says, nodding respectfully. "It's gonna be my pleasure to walk you to your husband."

"I wouldn't want anybody else to do it," she says, kneeling down so she can better hug him. They stay that way for a few long moments, content to share one another's embrace. Azlyn finally ends it, returning to her full height. She bites her lip, looking up as though she can see through the blinds to what's outside.

Feeling Mickey's hand on hers, she looks down at the smiling king. "You're ready," he assures her, tears beginning to pool in his large, expressive eyes. "For anything. I believe in you Azlyn. Who you are, who you were, and who you'll become. I'll never stop being there for you. And neither will your friends. Neither will Telary."

"Well," Azlyn says, reaching out to grab the purple and blue flowers of her bouquet, "if you think so, then I do to." She holds out on hand, Mickey tenderly wrapping his own hand around it. "Now c'mon, let's do this before, I dunno, Negaduck shows up or something."

They walk together to the door, Mickey reaching out to open the blinds and signal for the ceremony to begin. Azlyn can just make out Daisy turning to Riku, sitting at a piano behind the square's large gazebo. He nods, changing the song to a slow, beautiful melody. Kairi and Sora, standing together just outside the shop's doors, march side by side to the altar. The guests look on, standing in front of their seats, arranged semicircular around the gazebo with a wide aisle in the middle.

And in the gazebo itself, Telary suddenly tenses, as if realizing that this is actually happening this very minute. Luckily, by the time Sora and Kairi have made it to the gazebo, he has relaxed. Kairi moves to stand behind Donald, while Sora takes his place just to the left of where Azlyn will stand. The bride unconsciously touches his loaned necklace with her free hand. It feels warm, like the spirit of the Keybearer is within.

Finally, with one last nod from the bride, Mickey opens the shop door and the pair begin to walk.

Azlyn knows that all eyes are on her, all her friends and loved ones happy to witness this moment in her life. She knows how the square looks, white ribbon hung from the gazebo's top to buildings all around it. The flowering bushes flanking the gazebo are white, blue, and light purple, not quite their chosen color scheme but close enough. She knows a white carpet leads up to the alter, can feel it underneath her feet.

But all that is just stuff, minor trivial facts that aren't important at this moment. Right now, all that matters is the way Telary is looking at her. She can tell, just by looking back at his tear-tinted eyes, that he feels just the same way.

She's standing beside him almost before she knows it, too caught up in the look of her love to have given a thought to distance walked. Mickey pats her hand, she leans down to allow him a kiss on the cheek, and then he's walking back to sit by Queen Minnie. She watches him, just for a second, noticing the way he and his wife immediately hold hands. Then she turns back to Telary, their eyes meeting and locking together.

Riku stops playing. The guests sit. It's time.

"Dearly Beloved," Horace Horsecoller declares, smiling at the assembled crowd. "We have gathered here today, to celebrate the marriage…"

"Finally," Sora whispers behind the bride, so quiet that only she hears. It takes some effort to not giggle.

"…Of Azlyn and Telary," Horace finishes. "They are so very glad that you all could be here, even through the unfortunate circumstances earlier. To skip any possible further trouble, they've asked me not to do the 'does anyone object' bit. Apparently that's a little too much like tempting fate for them."

Everyone laughs at that, though most also cast a quick look around just in case. Thankfully, nothing and no one is lurking around anymore.

"I'm sure the bride and groom are real eager to get on with this, so I won't waste a lotta time on all them fancy words," Horace says. "But the bride and groom would like to say some things to each other, and then we'll get on with the rings."

Sora's eyes light up, lifting his palm to show both of the couple's golden bands cupped inside.

"Um, I'm going first," Telary says, a little sheepishly. But when he cuts out everyone else and just focuses on Azlyn, an instant calm comes over him. "Azlyn, I feel like there's never been a time in my life that you haven't been with me. And thank goodness for that. Because I need you beside me, Azlyn, in just the same way I need to breathe air. That sounds kind of dumb, but I really don't care."

The crowd chuckles, except Sora, who's trying his hardest not to cry.

"That's what you do to me, Azlyn. Around you, mu inhibitions can just fall away. You push me further than I ever could go, and help me up when I fall in that pursuit. Even when I think I need to pull you back, it's still farther than I'd ever want to go without you. You're my best friend, and you always have been. And you always will be. I promise you that, with all that I am. With… with all of my heart."

Horace motions to Sora, who takes a second to notice through all his held back tears. The Keybearer barely refrains from literally hopping to the task, instead gingerly handling Telary the ring.

Telary slips the ring onto Azlyn's finger, their eyes locked the entire time. They remain silent for a few moments, until Kairi gently clears her throat.

Azlyn smiles, shocked back into action. But she's still silent for a long moment. She'd contemplated what she was going to say, but it isn't like she has a big long speech ready word for word. She'd just figured that when the time came, she'd know what to say. And wouldn't you know it, she does.

"I love you Telary," she says, fighting off the hitch that threatens to arise in her voice. "You're the best person I know. I love you, Telary. And I don't care that I already said that, because I honestly just want to keep saying it forever. And I will, no matter what. I love you, Telary. There's nothing else left to say."

Sora hands her the other ring, which she tenderly places on Telary's finger. Neither of them are even bothering to try and hold back the tears. It's a sentiment shared by all present.

"Well, wasn't that something?" Horace declares, shaking his head. "Uh, there's some other stuff I guess I should say, but I think we all know what we came here for, am I right? So what the hay, you may now kiss the…"

They don't wait for him to finish.

Applause erupts from the audience, all of them rising to their feet again. Azlyn and Telary don't notice, too wrapped up in each other to care. Just as it should be.

They're returned to reality rather rudely a few seconds later when Sora, unable to contain himself any longer, flings himself forward to wrap both of them in a tight embrace. The crowd laughs, roaring especially loud as Azlyn and Telary give their friend a fond but undeniably exasperated look.

Cute as all that is, Kairi senses it's going on far too long after a few seconds. Rolling her eyes, she reaches out and grabs her boyfriend by his collar. He lets go of the bride and groom, latching on to her instead. They're both crying, and as soon as they sense Riku's presence the pair turn to cling to him, crying into his jacket. The older boy rolls his eyes, secretly grateful that neither of them can see from their current positions that he's got tears in his eyes as well.

Mickey steps up the gazebo steps, shooting his kids a quick grin before turning to the audience. "It is my great pleasure to present to you all, for the very first time, Azlyn and Telary." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "The future king and queen of Disney Castle."

The applause only gets louder.

KH-KH-KH

The relocated reception takes place not far from the square, the recreational ball court retooled into a nearly elegant space. Large outdoor lamps, along with several strings of smaller lights, provide illumination as the sun finishes setting. The tables are larger, each one accommodating more chairs to make better use of the lesser room. The dancing area isn't quite as large as planned for, but there's still more than enough room for anyone who wants to dance. Somehow, Kairi and Daisy had been able to pull together enough people and instruments to form a decently-sized band. With dinner and some speeches out of the way, it's nearly time to take the floor.

"Ten minutes, Sora," Azlyn repeats for the dozenth time, glaring at the Keybearer with her arms crossed over her chest. "Which felt, I should add, like fifty."

"Now c'mon, Az," Telary mildly admonishes his wife. "Sora expressed several lovely sentiments in that speech."

"I really only need one sentiment, Tel," she shoots back, taking a sip of champagne and rolling her eyes. "Heck, take two if you're feeling wordy. Any more than that, and I start to get decidedly less sentimental."

"I still think it was the best one," Riku consoles his younger friend, who smiles back graciously.

"That might just be because you are literally incapable of understanding a word Master Donald says," Kairi points out, sipping on her own flute of bubbly liquid.

"I just have a lot of feelings I needed to express," Sora defends himself, pouting at the bride.

"I think you communicated those feelings better when you attacked us during the big kiss," Azlyn teases.

"Now that was sweet," Riku admits. "Speaking of, would you two hurry up and dance, so we can get into that cake?" The young man rubs his stomach with a fond expression. "I've been dreaming about that thing ever since Sora first described it to me."

"I guess it's about time, huh?" Telary agrees, looking expectantly at Azlyn.

She nods and kisses him on the cheek, but can't resist turning back to Riku with a raised eyebrow. "Okay, we're moving. But just think of that cake as a parting gift, Rik, because the second I become queen, your ass is banished!"

Telary practically drags her away after that remark, muttering something about respecting a ruling mandate. Azlyn follows after him with a smile one her face, hardly hearing a word of the lecture in favor of simply focusing on the way her husband's mouth moves when he speaks.

"That's a whole other thing," Riku tells Sora and Kairi, smiling despite his attempts at sounding harsh.

"I already told 'em," Sora chimes in with mocking seriousness, "they start stepping out of line, I'm the first guy leading the resistance movement."

"Here, here!" The boys tap their glasses together, grinning as they gulp the rest of the liquid down. Kairi just rolls her eyes.

"Alright, everybody!" Azlyn calls from the center of the dance floor, her boisterous voice easily claiming the attention of every guest. "Tel and I are gonna have our first dance now."

"I'd just like to remind everyone that only one of us has any formal training in that particular art," Telary chimes in, smiling sheepishly. "So please, feel free to give in to your natural inclinations to focus solely on my wife. It'll take a lot of the pressure off."

The guests laugh at the quip, and there's even some scattered clapping. Then the band starts to play, a song new to the Mouseburg residents but quite familiar to the guests from Radiant Garden. As Eyes On Me's piano intro ends, the couple begin their dance.

As Telary had predicted, everyone present is completely enthralled by the couple. Despite what the wizard had claimed, he manages to match his wife step for step. As the first verse goes into the mid-song instrumental interlude, Telary invites any couples who wish to join the newlyweds.

Kairi and Sora are the first on the floor, Donald and Daisy not far behind. Even the king and queen join in after a moment of deliberation. A few other couples take the floor too, each one becoming wrapped up in their own private world.

"This was really amazing, Kairi," Sora whispers to his girlfriend as they move together. "Only you could've pulled something like this off, you know."

She shrugs, blushing at the compliments. "Well, a planner's gotta do what a planner's gotta do. And hey, you're not so bad with last minute rescues yourself. Not on this scale, of course."

He grins, leaning in to kiss her gently on the lips. "Of course." A moment of silence, and then, "So, um, are you ready? For, y'know, tonight I mean. Do you still…?"

She responds with her own kiss, deeper and more intimate, their bodies pressing against each other. When she finally pulls back, the redhead just smirks at Sora. "Oh, I definitely still."

The song ends, the couples stopping their dances for a moment to clap politely for the band. Azlyn, at the dance floor's center with Telary at her side, raises her hands again.

"Okay," she announces, smiling. "That's enough of that mushy stuff for now, huh? C'mon boys, lets really hit it!"

The band instantly livens things up, trumpets blaring and piano pounding as the drummer picks up the beat. Azlyn and Telary immediately dance over Sora and Kairi's way, the knight hip-checking her man of honor as Telary takes his sister's hand and prompts her to spin underneath it. After a few seconds of shaking it carefreely, they switch partners.

Nobody really notices that, considering how Goofy chooses that moment to slide backwards onto the floor with surprising coordination. Those not in the know about the captain's funky past watch dumbfounded as he breaks out a series of tried-and-true disco moves. Especially when he does the splits thing.

Things somehow get even stranger when Phineas and Ferb guide out a strange machine, a viewing monitor attached to a long pole and a pair of wheels. The screen lights up, revealing Tron standing against a blank background that starts alternatively pumping out blue, white, and purple light with every beat. In a move that's simultaneously surprising and perfectly expected, the program starts dancing the robot.

Riku watches from close to the head table as the floor fills up, nodding his head along to the beat and not willing to do much else. Absently, he notices that Leon is executing the same maneuver, though the Restoration Committee leader adds his own "flare" by tapping his fingers on the table he's sitting at. Aerith is dancing away from the table, though not without sparing one last frown at her party-averse friend. Cid and LeBlanc are tearing it up, she more than he. Even Merlin is doing some shaking of his torso and wagging his finger to the rhythm.

In fact, the only member of the Radiant Garden contingent he can't see is…

"Well, there you are."

With a considerable amount of dread, Riku turns his head in the unexpected voice's direction. Standing before him, looking him up and down and licking her lips as if he's a potential meal rather than dance partner, is Clarabelle Cow.

"Um, hey," he replies, voice shaking.

"I noticed you didn't have a dance partner," the head housekeeper says, blinking coquettishly. "It just so happens, dear, that I don't either." She leans in closer, voice dropping into a husky purr. "Interesting, is it not?"

Riku opens his mouth, only to realize that he literally has no response. He wracks his brain, desperately searching for something to say. Hopefully something that might get him out of this… But in the end, he's just another man in need of a rescue.

"Well, there you are!"

It's the second time he's heard that sentence in less than a minute, and it understandably gets his heart rate spiking even higher than it already was. Riku and Clarabelle turn to focus on the newcomer, finding Yuffie looking back at them with a cocksure grin.

"Been looking all around for you!" the ninja declares, reaching out and clamping her hand around Riku's wrist. "Thought you could get away, huh?"

"Um…" he replies, words failing him once again.

Yuffie doesn't seem to mind, pulling him closer. He stumbles towards her, prompting some feeling in his body once again. "You promised me the night's first dance. I respected your decision not to take on the slow one, but you won't wriggle your way out of this one!"

Clarabelle looks to the silver-haired young man, her lips pursed tight. "Is this true, Riku? You promised her first dance?"

Thankfully, his brain chooses that moment to start working again. "Uh, yeah. I sure did. Promised her to dance. When we were, y'know, spying."

"Sure!" Yuffie agrees. "I said 'Riku, if we get out of this, you're dancing with me. No ifs ands or buts, no siree!' Didn't I say that?"

Riku nods, giving Clarabelle his best apologetic look. "I did, uh, I mean you did. Sorry, Miss Clarabelle. But y'know, a deal's a deal. What have we got, if not our promises?"

"Yes," she agrees, holding her hands up in a nonverbal surrender. "Too bad. I'm sure we would have moved very well together."

Watching her walk away, Riku can't help but feel a little sad. Sure it wasn't a relationship he'd wished to pursue in any way, and it was probably best to let the housekeeper know it right off the bat. Still, he can't help but imagine how he would feel in the face of such rejection.

He's brought out of his reverie by a tug on his hand. Looking to his right, Riku finds himself staring right into Yuffie's wide grin. "Well, it took you a minute," she says with a hint of a chuckle, "but you pulled it together there at the end."

"Yeah," he agrees, dropping her hand and starting to back away. "Look, thanks for the assistance, but you don't have to…"

She doesn't let him get far, hand clamping firmly around his wrist. "Oh please, you aren't getting off that easily. I mean, do you really want to make a liar out of me?"

Riku doesn't respond immediately, just stares at the points where Yuffie is touching him. This is a situation he had contemplated a few times, though without any specific girl in mind. There are a lot of ways this could go, many of them potentially embarrassing in the extreme. But then again, maybe for once in his life it's time for Riku to act like an optimist.

"You know," he says as he begins backing towards the floor, pulling the ninja along with him, "I really don't."

KH-KH-KH

Sora quickly makes his way to Azlyn and Telary, currently in the midst of a conversation with the wizard Merlin.

"Best of luck to the both of you!" Merlin boisterously proclaims, smiling so big his entire beard seems to expand. "And of course the children. Ha, all seven of them!"

For a long moment, the couple just stare at the old man in stunned silence. "Um, thank you," Telary finally manages to stutter out. "That means a lot."

"Think nothing of it dear boy!" the wizard says, waving brightly as he walks back into the throng.

"He was kidding, right?" Azlyn asks her husband, trying hard not to yell. "I mean, he had to be, right? Right!"

"Mickey has said he can see the future," Telary admits, grimacing just a bit. After a moment though, he shrugs the thought away. "But I mean, all that temporal magic stuff is so tricky. Probably has no idea what he's talking about!"

"Long as there's one named after me," Sora chimes in brightly. The bride and groom jump noticeably, the Keybearer's presence having gone unnoticed. "Anyway, Mama and Papa, Mickey wants to do the family photo now. Things are winding down anyway."

Indeed, most of the guests have vacated the party premises. It is nearly midnight, after all. The moon hangs high in the sky, full and bright.

Mickey has gathered all the extended family at the cake's display table, though only portions of the pastry's bottom tier remains. The other five layers had gone like hotcakes. Sora alone put away four pieces.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, a nervous-seeming Oswald, and Kairi wait for the trio with eager smiles. Pluto and Riku sit off to the side, the silver-haired young man absentmindedly stroking the royal pooch. Probably thinking about all his dances with Yuffie, which Sora reminds himself to mercilessly dig for details on later.

"Ah, the picture is at last complete!" Mickey declares with bravado. "Okay, Azlyn and Telary get in the middle, Oswald, Goofy and Donald stand to the right, Sora and Kairi on the left…"

"And Riku," Azlyn says almost offhandedly as she gets into position. After a moment of silence, she realizes everyone is looking at her with shocked expressions. When she notices, the bride just shrugs. "Hey, don't make it a big thing, alright? Just get over here and try not to come off too ugly, eh Rik?"

The group arranges themselves as ordered, Mickey and Minnie taking their places in front of their children. It's a nice sight, all these people who under ordinary circumstances might have all ended up as complete strangers, separated by the vast ocean between worlds. But despite, and in many ways because of, every strange and terrifying and wonderful that has happened in the course of their lives, here they are at this moment, standing together like the family they have become.

Because that's the thing about life, any life: whether you want it to or not, it keeps going on. Oftentimes it's best to just allow it to take you where it will.

"Oh, now this is just lovely!" the photographer, a short turtle with a ludicrously thick accent exclaims. He reaches for the activation button, slow and steady. "Okay, everybody smile, picture on three! One…"

"Wait a second. Pluto, what're you…?"

"Two…"

"Stupid mutt. I swear, if you ruin this picture…!"

"Bark, bark!"

"Oh, dear…"

"THREE!"

Well, that's that I suppose. My God, I can't believe I've actually finished writing Azlyn and Telary's wedding. I've had this thing mapped out entirely in my mind for years now, and finally I get to share it with all of you. So glad to have been able to.

Life Goes On is pretty much done then, minus the setup epilogue, and just in time for me to frantically scramble at a few chapters for Keys to the Kingdom III before the real KH III comes out in a week. I'm looking forward to the game of course, but I also can't help but feel like its release is acting as some sort of deadline... Oh well, what can I do but keep on trucking.

Shoutouts to goddragonking and Bezerker21 for reviewing the last (well, actually the before-last) chapter. I really do love hearing from the readers, and I definitely don't need anything more than a quick expression of appreciation. See you next time, for a bunch of weird and cryptic stuff that hopefully serves to intrigue!