Quick A/N: Break out the coffee. This chapter's the longest chapter I've ever written. O.o
Hope
Chapter 8: A Dream Wedding
Once again I found myself in front of a dressing table, brushing my hair. The morning had come far too fast. Evidently it was customary for another female to help a bride pick out wedding gear. This made me grateful, for I knew virtually nothing about wedding ceremonies for the Slates.
The Slate who was helping me was kind to a fault. She was constantly talking, but in this way I learned much more of what I was to expect. Her name was Mia, and ironically, she was also the owner of the local bakery.
"Oh I just work at the palace part-time," she explained to me. "I'm usually here in case the guards get in a scuffle and need some healing. Otherwise I'm at my bakery just making goods." She smiled and laughed. She had the softest laugh I had ever heard; indeed, at first it was hard to discern when she was laughing. "You know I'll also be providing some of the pastries and bread for your reception."
It had only taken me a few seconds to warm up to Mia. Even though she was a Slate, she seemed more human than the others. Next to Piers, of course.
"Oh, really?" I replied in response to her statements. "I'm sure your food will taste wonderful…"
Mia giggled, before disappearing into my closet. "You've never even had my cooking before, I don't know how you could even believe it would taste good," her voice came out slightly muffled from behind the door. A second later she reappeared, and in her hand she held a beautiful, snow-white gown. It occurred to me that at least some part of the wedding would remain the same as Weyard.
"Oh, oh my goodness," Mia suddenly froze, her eyes widened. It looked as though she might drop the dress, but thankfully she didn't. "I am so sorry!" She apologized. I stopped brushing to turn my full attention on her. "I completely forgot," she continued. "I was supposed to tell you that you can invite any of your friends to the wedding. All you have to do is tell me which people…" Her eyes returned to their normal size and lowered to the ground. "Although…" She began, her voice suddenly low. "I am so sorry. That stupid war has probably decreased the amount of people you can invite."
"Mia…" I blinked back tears. My heart began to beat a little bit faster, in fear and hope of what she might say. "You mean to tell me that not all Slates wanted war against Weyard?"
"Absolutely not!" She cried out, her hand snapping to my direction. She nearly dropped the dress again, but remembered just in time. Calming herself, she shook her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "We were very much divided. About half of the population wanted war, while the other half wanted peace. Ultimately, it was the king's decision, but…" she began to shake her head again. "Oh… we all believed he wouldn't choose war. But his vizier…" She trailed off.
"His vizier?" I pressed.
"He is nothing but a no-good traitor!" She exploded. Tears suddenly began to flow from her eyes. She dropped the wedding dress onto the bed. Her turquoise eyes became blurry. Mildly ashamed, Mia bowed her head, and allowed her blue hair to cover her eyes.
Mia was crying! I had never seen a Slate cry before. So they truly could feel exactly the same as what I felt…
"Mia…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"I'm so sorry," she forced herself to laugh. Her hands wiped the tears from her eyes. "It is just that he was not always so… strange. I used to know him personally. But as soon as King Hammet made him vizier…" She shook her head again. "In any case, the vizier seems to have even more power than King Hammet… Oh my!" Her eyes suddenly light up. "Please do not tell anyone I said that. I believe that may be considered treason. But it does seem like the vizier manipulates the king. I am worried about our country…" Mia took a deep breath and sighed. "Well, anyway…" she tried to return to lighter subjects. "Enough about politics. Please, by all means, tell me who you wish to invite."
"Hmm…" I thought. I broke into a slight smile. What would Felix say if he saw me getting married to a Slate? He'd probably break into the palace and whisk me away. What about my friends? We had been separated, but perhaps they could be found again. "Mia, I only have a few people I would like to invite. One of them is a Slate named Piers. The other two are human. One is a girl named Sheba, the other is an elderly man named Kraden. Although," I added as an afterthought. "I guess they could all be dead for all I know…" I paused, wondering if I should continue. Would Isaac come to my wedding? How strange. I could not imagine him sitting quietly as I got married to another man… er, Slate. It would seem strange to invite my captors, anyway. What if, during the ceremony, I saw Isaac, and my eyes betrayed my feelings? Could I take the risk?
"Anyone else?" Mia asked, a pen and notepad in her hands.
"Um…" I hesitated. Well, might as well take a chance. Perhaps I should invite Saturos and Isaac just to be safe. "Well, two more. One is a Slate named Saturos; he originally brought me here. The other is human; he is a friend of Saturos. His name is Isaac." Well, I guess Saturos and Isaac weren't technically friends, but whatever. It was close enough.
Mia jotted the names down and nodded her head. "I think Saturos was already invited, but I can double-check that. I, uh, don't suppose you happen to know your friends' last names, would you…?"
Silly me. I had forgotten to tell Mia their last names. When we had finished, another thought entered my mind. "Oh, Mia," I realized. "You're going to be there too, right?"
"Oh yes!" She smiled. "I will certainly be there."
The wedding ceremony was much smaller than what I had expected. I stood near the alter of the church, with Ivan in front of me. While the priest was uniting us, I couldn't restrain myself from casting a side glance into the crowd. My eyes swept over the small gathering, but the faces were unfamiliar to me.
At last my eyes fell upon someone I knew well. He looked the same as always… He was even still wearing the same clothes from the day I had first met him. A smile crept into my face, as our eyes locked. It was Piers. He hadn't aged a day.
My eyes shifted to a short blond beside him, who was nearly hidden within the crowd of Slates. I nearly screamed. It was Sheba! She was still alive! I wanted to run right out to my friends, but I knew I could not. Unlike Piers, Sheba seemed much older from the time we had been separated. Her posture, attire, and mannerism were that of a woman; she was no longer the girl I had known.
Delighted that my friends had made it, I hoped to find that everyone else was there as well. Through the crowds, I managed to find one who claimed he would probably die. Kraden, my old teacher, was also present. The Slates had not killed him after all.
Encouraged by the fact that I had found three of my friends, I began to search for Isaac. My eyes did happen to find Saturos, along with his wife Menardi, but Isaac was nowhere near them. My heart fell slightly. Perhaps Isaac had decided not to come after all. It would be a little awkward. The least he could do was support me, though…
But Isaac wouldn't just… abandon me, right? He could be a little stupid sometimes, yea, but he was smart enough to know I needed him. Especially at a time like this…
What was I thinking? Of course Isaac would be there.
My eyes fell closer to the aisle, still searching for the blond. The small smile that had appeared on my face quickly vanished. I nearly screamed again, but this time not from joy. There was a pair of golden orbs that I recognized.
Alex.
He was staring right at me, a smug smile placed upon his face that I did not enjoy. How the heck was a pervert like him invited to my wedding?
Although I knew he had seen me, I pretended not to have noticed. I quickly switched my full attention back to Ivan. Our ceremony was almost done, and he was finishing the last touches, so to speak. In his hands, he held a large sword. The sword was almost bigger than Ivan, and he was having trouble wielding it. After he had a somewhat firm grasp on it, Ivan brought it down to the floor, on top of a clay pot filled with wine. The fragile clay shattered, and the wine spilled onto the floor. This was the Slates' symbol of marriage; the fact that the man had chosen his wife over earthly materials, such as wine.
Personally, I didn't think killing a pot containing wine was all that bad. Heck, I didn't even drink wine; it would have been harder to smash a bowl full of potato chips. This marriage wasn't exactly for love –at least not for me- so I just might end up choosing the potato chips over Ivan. Well, except there was no part for me to voice my opinion in the matter. Whether this was a good or bad thing I still haven't decided.
The people in the audience erupted into cheers. Ivan and I took each other's hands and began to walk down the aisle. It just seemed so weird and unreal; like a dream. I had heard of dream weddings, but this was ridiculous.
The two of us went straight past Alex, who was on my side of the aisle. Involuntarily I stiffened, but thankfully he had enough sense not to try and put his hands on me. Too bad he couldn't have controlled himself the other day.
At least the wedding was over. That only left the reception, and this dream… nightmare… whatever the heck you want to call it, would be over. Besides, at least I could see my friends at the reception. Maybe I'd just missed Isaac and hadn't found him. He would certainly be there.
It runs out that wedding receptions are not all that different between ours and the Slates. The only difference was that the food was not to be touched until the King himself had started eating. The party contained everyone from the wedding ceremony; even the priest. As soon as guests entered, I literally ran to my friends. "Sheba! Piers!" I squealed. I catapulted myself between the two, and hugged them both.
They both began to laugh, and I joined in with them. "It has been far too long, Jenna," Piers grinned, and extracted himself from my grasp.
"Yea," Sheba agreed. I allowed her to pull away. "I can't believe this..."
"What happened to you both?" I demanded. "And Piers, why did you leave so suddenly? We could at least have said goodbye…" I recalled his sudden departure.
Piers shook his head. "I would have liked to, but unfortunately, events occurred rather fast…"
"Jenna, you wouldn't believe what happened," Sheba began, her voice full of excitement. "You remember that tournament in Weyard, right? Well, I was sitting right next to the human and Slate divider section. And… guess… who… I… found!"
"It was a real miracle," Piers shook his head.
"We looked for you, too," suddenly Sheba's face became downcast. Her eyes averted to the floor. "But there was so much chaos… To be honest, we sort of thought you died."
"I was next to Felix..." I murmered.
"Felix…" Now it was Piers who refused to meet my gaze. "So, he really is…?"
I forced myself to nod my head once. "Saturos found me," I explained.
"Saturos!" Piers's head shot up. "How ironic. He's sort of famous, you know."
"Famous?" My eyebrows furrowed slightly. Since when was he famous?
"His wife is the sister of… er…" Piers stumbled.
"Sister of who?" Isaac had also said something about Menardi being the sister of someone. He never did finish. Why did no one want to tell me?
Piers laughed nervously. "Never mind. You'll probably find out one day, anyway."
"Jenna! Sheba!" A voice interrupted us. All of us turned to see Kraden making his way towards us. "And…" As he came closer, he noticed Piers. "You!" He gasped.
"Yes, indeed; me," Piers smiled uncertainly. "If you do not remember, I am-"
"Piers!" Kraden interrupted. "I was merely surprised to see you; that's all!"
"Kraden! You're alive!" I grinned. "As you can see, no need to give me detention."
"Yes, too true. As it turns out, the Slates were very interested in alchemy, so I naturally decided to help," the spectacles on his nose rose slightly as he smiled. "I'm glad you're doing well, as it seems. Now then," his attention turned to Piers. "I have many things I would like to ask you, young man. One of which is the elemental stars…"
"Elemental stars?" Piers was still wearing his uncertain smile.
Sheba grinned and shook her head at the two. "Let's leave the boys to play," she said, and guided me into a less crowded section of the reception party.
I guess Sheba hadn't changed as much as I thought. Whenever she led me away from the mainstream of people, it always meant she wanted to talk about one thing: boys. "So," she whispered, her eyes darting to the crowd, making sure they weren't to close. "How is he?"
"Who?" I pretended not to know. It was always one of Sheba's pet peeves. "Piers? I am glad to see him again. He seems the same as always. Or did you mean Kraden? He-"
"No, silly!" She sputtered. "I meant the prince guy. What's-his-name. Ivan? I heard it was sort of marriage without your agreement."
I shrugged. I really didn't want to marry Ivan, but if it allowed me to help the people of Weyard more… Well, then I'd be willing to make a few sacrifices. Perhaps I would be able to convince the king that humans deserved to be as free as Slates. Maybe the Slates would come to realize our similarities while watching me. And the Slates would be watching me; from what I understood, there had never been a fully human princess before. I was still getting used to the idea that I was now a princess. From captivity to royalty. My life just kept getting stranger.
"I really don't know him. He seems like just a… kid. I'm still sort of getting used to the idea," I admitted.
"Hm…" Sheba mused. "I think I understand."
"Really?" It just didn't seem like something Sheba would say. I glared at her suspiciously.
"Yea. There's another man!" She declared.
I nearly fell over onto the floor. "Wh-wh-what?"
"How romantic!" Her eyes glazed over. She spread her arms out, and stared at the ceiling, as if speaking to an invisible crowd. "The humans of Weyard are enslaved by terrible monsters. When all hope is lost, Jenna finds a reason to live through a certain someone. But alas, they are separated when the evil Slate prince demands the beautiful human girl's hand in marriage!" She whispered. Her eyes returned to normal as she frantically looked left and right. They finally came to rest upon a vase full of flowers, on one of the empty tables. She easily plucked the flower –it was some sort of strange flower; I know not what it was- and returned to staring at the ceiling. Her hand clasped the rose to her chest. "Desperate to see his one true love, the human man climbed the palace's walls, when… bam!" Her voice suddenly got louder when she said the last word, and I involuntarily jumped. "He's whacked by the guards and taken captive! His sentence is execution!"
I felt myself going pale. "Do… do not be so ridiculous!" I gasped. "There is no other man! And the prince… He is a child; not evil!" And Isaac will not die! But what if he did die last night? He said he'd come! He would not die!
"My dear Jenna!" A silky voice interrupted. Sheba and I froze. Sheba was quizzical; I was terrified. I turned around to see the Slate I did not want to see.
"Wow," Sheba blinked. "So is this the other man? I didn't think you'd choose a Slate," she whispered in my ear.
"Sheba!" I gagged. "This man… this Slate… this thing…"
"Excuse me," Alex turned his glance to Sheba, still smiling. "But I have a present I wish to give this young lady in commemoration of her wedding."
"Ooh," Sheba nodded her head, and winked at me so that only I could catch her drift. "I see… Well, why don't I just leave you two alone for a while?"
"It would be appreciated," Alex said in such a sincere voice that it made me sick.
"No!" I shook my head. "Sheba, don't…go…" But she was already across the room, where Piers and Kraden were present.
I frowned at the Slate in front of me, and backed away slightly. "Alex," I growled.
"You remembered my name," he pretended to be surprised. "I'm flattered."
"Go flatter yourself," I shook my head. "I'm not interested in any 'present' you want to give me." Alex took a step forward, to make up for the gap between us. "Don't," I shook my head again. "I don't care how many people are here. I'll shove a punch bowl down your pants if you get any closer."
"No need to be so crude," Alex's hand pulled a wisp of his hair back. "And I'm sure you're very interested in the present I have for you."
"Actually, I'm not."
"Well then, I'm sure you will be soon." He put his right hand forward, near his face, and suddenly a scroll appeared in his hand. I blinked, wondering where the paper had come from. The scroll unrolled, but it was too far away for me to read the message.
"Wha-?" I began, but Alex suddenly stepped very close to me.
He took hold of my left arm and placed the unrolled scroll in my hand. Then he stepped back before I had a chance to protest. "Read it," he commanded me.
I glared at Alex warily, while taking the message into both of my hands to read it.
By the Grand Vizier, with the King's consensus,
It has been brought to the King's attention
That a certain race has been plotting rebellion
Against the royal family, and all Slates.
These traitorous beings are to be exterminated
Upon the next night of the full moon.
All humans, whether they are slave or free,
Are to be eliminated under charge of
Plotting to take the throne.
Any who try to help the humans
Will suffer the same fate as them!
The royal insignia was placed at the bottom of the letter.
I lifted my eyes to meet Alex's. "Wh…wh…wh…wha…wh…" Words would not come. I couldn't believe what I had just read.
"Farewell, princess," he sneered. "Even if you manage to escape just because with you're with Ivan, your entire race will die." He laughed quietly. "Do you know when the next full moon is? That's three days. I tell you this because humans oftentimes overlook details."
I picked up a nearby punch bowl on the table, but that strange, glowing, water-light once again enveloped Alex. He disappeared before I had a chance to chuck the bowl at him. I put the punch back on the table, and tried to blink back tears. I'd worked so hard to stay alive! My knees buckled, and I fell on the floor. My hand gripped the scroll. I wanted to tear it to pieces, but I knew that would not solve the problem.
I felt a soft hand on my shoulder, but I didn't look up. "There you are. What happened between you and the vizier? Jenna, are you ok?" I finally looked up to see my new husband beside me.
"Have you saved me only so that I may die?" I forced myself not to sob.
"What do you mean?" Ivan asked, obviously confused.
I unclenched my hand and gave him the scroll. Ivan took it from me, and read the message.
Alex… was the vizier? Was he the one Mia had spoke of? What had driven him to corner me, of all people? He certainly didn't like humans! And even though Sheba had been joking about what she said earlier… everything, so far, had come true. Would her unrealistic prophecy come true? Although, she was wrong about Ivan being evil. He was… a little strange for wanting a human wife, but not evil.
Ivan lifted his eyes from the scroll. "I can't believe Master Hammet would agree to such a thing…"
I stood up and wiped my eyes, just in time to see Sheba, Piers, and Kraden making their way towards me.
"Jenna? What did that guy say? And who was he?" Sheba asked, noticing my pale complexion.
Ivan glanced away. "He is the vizier of Master Hammet. For the past year, I have sensed that he might be after the throne, along with the Golden Sun, although I don't have enough proof to bring him in. No doubt some humans got on his bad side, and he decided to get rid of them all. I've heard that he and a certain human guard at the palace don't get along very well…"
"Golden Sun?" Kraden gasped.
"Human guard?" I interrupted, remembering Isaac's friend. "Is his name Garet, by any chance?"
Ivan nodded his head. "Yes, his name is Garet." The young Slate turned to face Kraden. "And the Golden Sun is actually just a myth here. It's said to appear after the world's been unlocked, but I have no idea what that means."
"Everyone!" I interrupted. "This is all interesting and all, but we've got a real problem here!"
"Alex, the vizier, has declared that all humans are to be killed in three days," Ivan explained, holding out the scroll for whoever wanted to take it.
Piers, Sheba, and Kraden all looked stunned. "How did he ever manage to acquire such power? A vizier does not have the right to sentence an entire race!" Piers fumed.
"What should we do?" Sheba whispered. "I guess it wouldn't be bad if only I had to die, but all of us… all humans…"
"I know." All of us turned to look at Ivan. "Jenna and I must invite Master Hammet and Alex over for dinner. Then perhaps, when the time is right, we can ask him to reconsider his ruling."
"Will it really be that simple?" I wondered. It still seemed sort of risky.
"The hardest part would be approaching the King," Piers said slowly. "No one is to approach the King unless he summons them. If someone does, they will be killed immediately. The only exception to this rule, is if the King touches the visitors with the golden scepter."
My eyes widened. "So… we could be… killed?" There was a time when I had wanted to die. Now, there were too many people I cared about. But then again, if I didn't at least try to approach the king, all the people would be killed. I took a deep breath. "We have to at least try."
"We'll pray for you," Sheba promised. Piers and Kraden nodded their heads.
Ivan pointed the way to where the King sat. His wife was not with him, and most people seemed to avoid him. They probably made that rule so that the King wouldn't be swarmed with people. It seemed to be working.
As we came closer, the King smiled a greeting at us. "Ah, Ivan," he said happily. As we came before Hammet, Ivan kneeled, so I followed his lead and did the same. I felt the cold metal of his scepter on my shoulder, and saw Ivan rise out of the corner of my eye. Once again, I followed him, hoping that I would not make a mistake.
"And the lovely lady Jenna," he turned his gaze to me, still smiling. I could not believe that the King would issue such a condemning law against the humans. "What is it that you want? Even if it is half the kingdom, I shall give it to you."
Ivan gave me a side glance. I gulped nervously. Despite the King's words, I knew I couldn't just ask for anything. Alex was the Grand Vizier; the King's right-hand man. Telling Hammet that his appointed man was nothing but a weasel was easier said than done. If he chose not to believe me…
"My lord," I began, praying that I would say the necessary words. "I was wondering… if…" My eyes fell to the food. "If… you and your Grand Vizier would care to join my husband and me tomorrow night for dinner?" The words fell from my mouth before I even had time to think. I was a little shocked at what I had said myself. It was as if someone else were speaking for me.
The King raised his eyebrows. "That's very nice of you, but there's no need." He gestured to the food on the table. "As you can see, I already have loyal Slates who serve the best-"
A Slate nearby suddenly collapsed on the floor. His turquoise eyes had filmed over, and the female Slate next to him screamed. "He's dead!" She yelled. Immediately chaos ensued.
Ivan and I exchanged glances. What was going on?
"Everyone be quiet!" The King tried to yell above the crowd. "Shut up!" He screeched, and that made everyone stop talking. "Now then. Does anyone know for sure what happened?"
"My King, if I may..?" Piers took a step forward.
"Go ahead," the King nodded his head to Piers.
"I saw that Slate sneaking a cupcake and a few sips of the punch," Piers explained. An audible gasp arouse from the crowd. For you see, the King had not eaten yet, and for anyone else to start before him was strictly taboo. "The food –or drink- is obviously poisoned." Some of the Slates near the table full of food edged away from it.
The King's eyebrows furrowed. "Hm…" He turned his attention back to me and Ivan. "Perhaps I will take you up on your offer." Coughing slightly, the King went back to addressing the crowd. "Who was in charge of the pastries and drinks? I demand to see them at once!"
As if on cue, the doors burst open, and a red haired human dragged two Slates towards the King. This human was incredibly tall. He even appeared to be taller due to the fact that his hair stood against gravity. He must have been incredibly strong, for in each hand, he held a Slate. In his left hand, I recognized Mia. In his right hand was a different Slate I had never seen before. He had green skin, fuzzy white hair, and red eyes.
"My lord!" The human called out, and roughly shoved the two on their faces before the king. "These two were acting suspicious when I asked them a few questions about their recipes! This one," he pointed his finger at the green male. "Is Agatio. He was placed in charge of the drinks; punch, wine, water, all that stuff. And this one," he changed to point at Mia. "Is Mia. She was in charge of baked goods. Both of them have tons of people under them to make the food. I overheard two Slates speaking of a plot to assassinate the King!"
An immediate buzz started around the Slates again, and the tall red-haired human had to shout to be heard. "When I interrogated them, one pledged allegiance to Mia, and the other to Agatio! Obviously, either Mia or Agatio was trying to kill you, sire. However, I don't know which one, or maybe both were plotting…"
"The one speaking is Garet," Ivan whispered to me. "You were asking about him before. He's got a reputation for being sort of stupid, but he's very strong and loyal. I guess Garet proved the Slates wrong. If he can catch an assassination plot, he obviously isn't that dumb."
"Silence!" The King roared, and immediately everyone stopped talking. The King, and everyone in the room, turned their attention to the two on the floor. "Both of you. What do you have to say in your defense?"
"King Hammet!" Agatio immediately jumped in before Mia could say a word. "I am Agatio, a warrior from the noble household of Prox! Prox has always served the King faithfully. I also happen to know the warrior Karst personally! She is my girlfriend! She would definitely say that I'm innocent. The only reason I couldn't answer his questions about my recipes," Agatio paused to jerk his thumb towards Garet. "Was because everything's relative in making drinks. Add sugar until it's sweet. Stir until the ingredients are dissolved. No answer's gonna be definite!"
"You should have said that," Garet snorted.
"My lord," Mia lifted her tear-stained face. She looked terrified. "I've owned the baker's shop across the street for nearly one-hundred years now. You have tasted my baking on numerous occasions. I belong to the Mercury Clan; I am the second of two members. I have also served to heal wounded soldiers. Surely I would never plot against you!" Her eyes lowered. "Forgive me for not answering the human's questions. I had assumed that he was part of a competing bakery and wanted my own recipes."
Garet clapped a hand on his forehead. "You should have said that, too!"
The King shook his head, obviously unsure of what to do. "Let me think about it for a while… This will obviously require some more investigation. Garet!" Immediately the red-haired human came to attention. "I'm assigning you to this job. Report everything you learn directly to me."
"Yessir!" Garet beamed.
"Unfortunately it appears that we must cut this party short," the King addressed the crowd. The surrounding Slates nodded their heads, agreeing with Hammet's logic. "Let's all return to our homes until this mess is sorted out."
"Come on," Ivan tugged at my shoulder. "I thought it might be good to leave soon, anyway."
I sighed and nodded my head. It had been quite a day. Most of it seemed unreal. At least the King had agreed to come to dinner. Perhaps Ivan and I could convince Hammet to save us humans…
A/N: Oy. It's been a long time. Sorry, people. I could give you a million excuses, but it'd bore you to death, so I won't. At least it was a long chapter…
No one flamed me. Immortal-being never did kill me yet. He broke his promise. Hm… I sort of had trouble writing what Alex would say. Maybe I'll get flamed for that.
This story will probably be finished by the end of summer. Unless something drastic happens, which… sort of has already, but it shouldn't kill the story, I'll be finished within the next 2-3 chapters.
These hit counters are awesome. I had no idea I had so many readers. Unless all of you that review go back to re-read the story a lot of times. O.o But anyway, I say 'hi' to all of my silent readers, too. That includes you, Seri!
Apparently the Slates are like ancient Egypt now. I have no idea where that came from.
Acknowledgments: Razorsoft and Sega own the Slates, Nintendo and Camelot own Golden Sun and all related characters. And I don't own Esther, Dreamers, or Danny Phantom. There were traces of the three in the story, you see. Inspiration!
Chapter 7 Reviewer Acknowledgments:
Kyarorain: Yup, found it thanks to you. Thanks!
Xanda: Lol I'm broke. And Alex came back really quickly. He bounces back fast. Oh… Felix really is dead in this story, though. Thanks, unique is good.
Aliso: Well it was a while but it's finally here. Sorry for the wait. I'm glad you like the story; thanks.
SpasticDjinn: lol sorry… took a while to update. Thanks; I'm glad you like it.
SolShinji: Better start laughing.
Corycian Muse: Volcanoshipping? Thanks for the help. And thanks for the compliments too.
Favri the Fisher: Well, Slates consider humans inferior. I don't think Ivan wanting an 'inferior' being as his wife would make the guy arrogant. If anything it would lower his status. Just a weird world, lol.