~Chapter Twenty-Two~
~*~
It is more than two years later. April has turned twenty-one a few months ago, and is about to marry Danny. A little while after Mystic's funeral, she gave the Pokemon egg to Cielo, and has forgotten about it.
~*~
"So let's see. . ." I said, relaxing on my bed in my room. "Mom HAS to come. And so does Mo. But I'm not sure about my other friends. I haven't talked to them in. . .years."
"So it'll be a small little ceremony," Danny concluded. He was sitting next to me. "Maybe we should just have it in the den, since not many people are coming."
I looked up and grinned. "Perfect. We can have it in the crystal room." Danny smiled in agreement.
I couldn't believe it. We were finally going to get married! It seemed like the world would fall apart after Mystic died, but Danny got me right back on my feet taking care of the rest of the dragons, and planning the wedding. At first I wanted a big ceremony with a big party, but that wasn't going to work out. Now we had our new plan, the perfect plan.
Mom and Mo were going to come, providing that they found the den. Cielo was going to marry us. At first I thought that sounded a bit odd, but then I read more of Dad's journal and found out that a Dragonite had married mom and dad, so this was perfect. Tradition.
"I think I'm going to take your last name, instead of you taking mine," Danny suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well. . .Tamer just fits you. I think it's partly because of your name why everyone in your family has been a dragon TAMER. . ."
I smiled again and kissed Danny. "I think that's perfect. Thank you."
I sighed and stood up from my sitting position I had been in. "I think I'm going to say hi to Mystic," I said slowly.
Danny nodded. "I'll go out with Dragonite. He hasn't been out of his Pokeball in ages."
We walked out of my room and into separate directions. Rio let me into the crystal room, and I walked to Mystic's grave. The crystal Dragonair statue was still as beautiful as ever. Her headstone looked a little worn, but not nearly as bad as Dad's was.
I touched the headstone that was Mystic's.
"Mystic, I really wish you could be there in person when Danny and I get married. You would've made a great bridesmaid. . .I can just picture you, carrying some flowers in your mouth and slithering down the aisle.
"I just wanted to thank you for everything. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be alive. Heck, I probably would have never gone out of the house, and would have just been a teacher or something." I laughed a little. "I love you, Mystic. And I always will."
I took a deep breath and then touched Dad's headstone.
"Dad," I whispered. "More than anything I want you to be there when I get married. I've wanted you around for the last twelve years of my life, but I want you to see me get married. I remember I was always stealing yours and Mom's silk white bedsheets and turning them into a wedding dress. Then you would carry me around the house, announcing I had been married, and mom would make a special dinner like I really had been.
"I love you, Dad. I want you to be here with me, but I know now that's impossible. Don't worry about me. . .Danny and the dragons will all take care of me, as good as you did. Just like Mystic did."
I would've started bawling right then, but Danny walked into the room. I heard the eerie sound of his footsteps echoing.
I stood up and spun around. "Yeah?" I asked, still a little sad.
Danny just wrapped his arms around me, and rocked me back and forth until I did cry, not because I had to, but because I needed to. I had been through so much in the past couple of years, and I needed some way to let it out.
"I miss them so much," I said.
"I know you do. I miss Mystic, too. And sometimes I miss your dad."
I looked up. "Really?" This was surprising.
Danny hugged me tighter, and kissed my forehead. "Yes, I do. After all, he helped bring his beautiful daughter into the world. And he helped make you who you are."
I smiled. "I love you, Danny."
He responded with a kiss.
~*~*~
A few minutes later, I was back in my room. Danny was in the training pool, taking a swim with his Dragonite. I was using that watch that I somehow still had from my eleventh birthday to call mom and Mo.
I decided to call Mom first. I pushed the cell phone card in, and dialed my home number.
After two rings, she answered.
"Mom!" I cried.
"April!" she said back.
We laughed, and eventually I managed to invite her to the den for the wedding.
"I can't wait to meet this Danny fellow," she said. "When is the wedding?"
I paused, and went out to the pool.
"Hey Danny!" I called.
"Yeah?" he called back. He was trying to beat his Dragonite in a race, but there was no avail.
"When should we have the ceremony?" I asked.
He thought for a minute, and said, "Is three days from now okay with you?"
I smiled. "Sure. In a hurry, huh?"
Danny smiled back and went underwater. I walked back to my room and told mom the news.
"I'd like to come a day early," she said. "There's something I'd like to give you," she answered.
"What?" I asked.
Mom paused before answering me. "My wedding dress. I still have it, and it's like new. I've always dreamed of seeing you wear it."
"Oh mom! That's wonderful!" I cried.
"I even have the veil and everything," she continued. "So, make room for me!"
"We will," I smiled, as we both hung up. Then I called Mo.
Mo didn't answer until three rings later. "Hello?" she asked.
"Guess who," I said.
"APRIL!!!" she shrieked. "Omigod!!!! I don't believe this! I haven't heard from you in ages!"
"I know," I laughed. The last time I had talked to Mo was on my twenty- first birthday. She wanted to come for the party, but wasn't able to make it. She had started Poke University, and was swamped with tons of work.
"Well guess what?" I said.
"What?"
"I'm getting married in-"
"You're getting MARRIED?!"
"Yes, I am. To Danny. Remember him?" I teased.
"Yes of course I do. When's the wedding? I want to come."
"That's why I'm calling you. I'm inviting you. The wedding's in three days."
"I'll be there!"
"Yahoo!" I cried happily. I gave Mo instructions on how to get to the den, then hung up. I ran to the pool to give Danny the happy news.
"Are the three days over yet?" was his answer.
I laughed and jumped into the pool. Maybe I could beat him and Dragonite in a race.
~*~
It is more than two years later. April has turned twenty-one a few months ago, and is about to marry Danny. A little while after Mystic's funeral, she gave the Pokemon egg to Cielo, and has forgotten about it.
~*~
"So let's see. . ." I said, relaxing on my bed in my room. "Mom HAS to come. And so does Mo. But I'm not sure about my other friends. I haven't talked to them in. . .years."
"So it'll be a small little ceremony," Danny concluded. He was sitting next to me. "Maybe we should just have it in the den, since not many people are coming."
I looked up and grinned. "Perfect. We can have it in the crystal room." Danny smiled in agreement.
I couldn't believe it. We were finally going to get married! It seemed like the world would fall apart after Mystic died, but Danny got me right back on my feet taking care of the rest of the dragons, and planning the wedding. At first I wanted a big ceremony with a big party, but that wasn't going to work out. Now we had our new plan, the perfect plan.
Mom and Mo were going to come, providing that they found the den. Cielo was going to marry us. At first I thought that sounded a bit odd, but then I read more of Dad's journal and found out that a Dragonite had married mom and dad, so this was perfect. Tradition.
"I think I'm going to take your last name, instead of you taking mine," Danny suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well. . .Tamer just fits you. I think it's partly because of your name why everyone in your family has been a dragon TAMER. . ."
I smiled again and kissed Danny. "I think that's perfect. Thank you."
I sighed and stood up from my sitting position I had been in. "I think I'm going to say hi to Mystic," I said slowly.
Danny nodded. "I'll go out with Dragonite. He hasn't been out of his Pokeball in ages."
We walked out of my room and into separate directions. Rio let me into the crystal room, and I walked to Mystic's grave. The crystal Dragonair statue was still as beautiful as ever. Her headstone looked a little worn, but not nearly as bad as Dad's was.
I touched the headstone that was Mystic's.
"Mystic, I really wish you could be there in person when Danny and I get married. You would've made a great bridesmaid. . .I can just picture you, carrying some flowers in your mouth and slithering down the aisle.
"I just wanted to thank you for everything. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be alive. Heck, I probably would have never gone out of the house, and would have just been a teacher or something." I laughed a little. "I love you, Mystic. And I always will."
I took a deep breath and then touched Dad's headstone.
"Dad," I whispered. "More than anything I want you to be there when I get married. I've wanted you around for the last twelve years of my life, but I want you to see me get married. I remember I was always stealing yours and Mom's silk white bedsheets and turning them into a wedding dress. Then you would carry me around the house, announcing I had been married, and mom would make a special dinner like I really had been.
"I love you, Dad. I want you to be here with me, but I know now that's impossible. Don't worry about me. . .Danny and the dragons will all take care of me, as good as you did. Just like Mystic did."
I would've started bawling right then, but Danny walked into the room. I heard the eerie sound of his footsteps echoing.
I stood up and spun around. "Yeah?" I asked, still a little sad.
Danny just wrapped his arms around me, and rocked me back and forth until I did cry, not because I had to, but because I needed to. I had been through so much in the past couple of years, and I needed some way to let it out.
"I miss them so much," I said.
"I know you do. I miss Mystic, too. And sometimes I miss your dad."
I looked up. "Really?" This was surprising.
Danny hugged me tighter, and kissed my forehead. "Yes, I do. After all, he helped bring his beautiful daughter into the world. And he helped make you who you are."
I smiled. "I love you, Danny."
He responded with a kiss.
~*~*~
A few minutes later, I was back in my room. Danny was in the training pool, taking a swim with his Dragonite. I was using that watch that I somehow still had from my eleventh birthday to call mom and Mo.
I decided to call Mom first. I pushed the cell phone card in, and dialed my home number.
After two rings, she answered.
"Mom!" I cried.
"April!" she said back.
We laughed, and eventually I managed to invite her to the den for the wedding.
"I can't wait to meet this Danny fellow," she said. "When is the wedding?"
I paused, and went out to the pool.
"Hey Danny!" I called.
"Yeah?" he called back. He was trying to beat his Dragonite in a race, but there was no avail.
"When should we have the ceremony?" I asked.
He thought for a minute, and said, "Is three days from now okay with you?"
I smiled. "Sure. In a hurry, huh?"
Danny smiled back and went underwater. I walked back to my room and told mom the news.
"I'd like to come a day early," she said. "There's something I'd like to give you," she answered.
"What?" I asked.
Mom paused before answering me. "My wedding dress. I still have it, and it's like new. I've always dreamed of seeing you wear it."
"Oh mom! That's wonderful!" I cried.
"I even have the veil and everything," she continued. "So, make room for me!"
"We will," I smiled, as we both hung up. Then I called Mo.
Mo didn't answer until three rings later. "Hello?" she asked.
"Guess who," I said.
"APRIL!!!" she shrieked. "Omigod!!!! I don't believe this! I haven't heard from you in ages!"
"I know," I laughed. The last time I had talked to Mo was on my twenty- first birthday. She wanted to come for the party, but wasn't able to make it. She had started Poke University, and was swamped with tons of work.
"Well guess what?" I said.
"What?"
"I'm getting married in-"
"You're getting MARRIED?!"
"Yes, I am. To Danny. Remember him?" I teased.
"Yes of course I do. When's the wedding? I want to come."
"That's why I'm calling you. I'm inviting you. The wedding's in three days."
"I'll be there!"
"Yahoo!" I cried happily. I gave Mo instructions on how to get to the den, then hung up. I ran to the pool to give Danny the happy news.
"Are the three days over yet?" was his answer.
I laughed and jumped into the pool. Maybe I could beat him and Dragonite in a race.