Author's notes: Whenever I say something about the last chapter, remember one thing: don't always believe me. While this is more of an epilogue, I decided to put out at just one more episode for everyone to enjoy, especially for the lovely KatyChan and Ravens, the best friend I could ever have. So what are you waiting for? Read what happens to our favorite couple in this final episode.
Disclaimer: No, no, and no. I don't own Tottoko Hamutaro/Hamtaro. I would've kicked CN's ass if I did. KatyChan owns the character at the end (I won't tell you cuz it would spoil everything)
Note: You'll all notice that Penelope now ends her sentences with her favorite word. Basically, it's to show that she's somewhat growing up to the point where she can now speak. Of course, to show that she's still younger compared to the other ham hams, I've decided to end all her sentence with 'Ookwee'.
Warning: Alcohol is involved in this episode. That's right, there is drinking in this episode!
Epilogue: Sandy and Maxwell Sitting in a Tree…
A lot has happened over the past two years for our favorite couple, Sandy and Maxwell. Two years ago was the first time they set eyes on each other. The minute Maxwell saved Sandy from that cat, the minute they knew that they were destined for each other. As time went on, their love grew and grew, with each event building up their love until they finally realized their feelings for each other during the autumn festival. Sandy's dance ribbon had caught Maxwell's heart and would never let go.
Then time passed once again, with their love increasing with each day, until they finally let it out on their first date. A tingling desire swept throughout their bodies as the warm passion grew. It was on this very day that Sandy and Maxwell landed their first real kiss. It was a sight to behold. Even if Sandy's twin brother Stan was out to ruin it, their love was never hindered, and so another year passed.
It was February 14, Valentine's day. Throughout this day, all the ham hams had showed their affection for one another. Though there were still some that were clueless about their mates, there was love in everyone, especially Sandy and Maxwell. Everyone was in awe as they watched Maxwell play around with Sandy, showing them that after two years, their relationship was strong and would continue to get stronger. However, a couple of hams knew that there was one thing left for these two to do. It would take a lot of effort, but in the end, these hams knew that our favorite couple will live happily ever after once again.
That night, the ham hams gathered at the clubhouse for an 'emergency' meeting. All ham hams, including Sparkle, were present. Well, all except for Sandy and Maxwell. Apparently they had forgotten to invite them…or maybe they didn't want to invite them. Presiding over the meeting were Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope.
After getting the attention of all the sleepy ham hams, Bijou cleared her throat and initiated the meeting. "Good evening everyone. I'm sure you are all wondering why we have all called you here today."
"This better be good…" Sparkle groaned as she rubbed her eyes, indicating her current insomnia. "If I don't get my beauty sleep I'm gonna be cranky in the morning…"
"Isn't there a limit to how cranky you can be?" Boss' remark only got him into yet another argument with Sparkle. It was bound to happen, since these two were the most hotheaded ham hams in the room. In response, the other ham hams pulled them apart and tried to calm the two. Once everyone had settled down, Bijou began to speak again.
"Now we're all glad that you've all made it for today's meeting, because this meeting concerns our favorite couple." The room had suddenly grown silent, which soon began to worry the ham hams. Perhaps the girl hams were holding a meeting to discuss something that may have happened to our favorite couple.
However, there were ham hams that were so clueless that they didn't even know. "Who's our favorite couple?" Of course, that very ham ham was the helpful yet dense Hamtaro. Everyone in the room fell face first to the ground, seeing that Hamtaro was just too stupid when it came to relationships.
"SANDY AND MAXWELL!"
"Oh!"
Now that they had finally established the focus of the meeting, it was now time to find out what the meeting was about. Pashmina decided to continue where Bijou left off. "Yes, Sandy and Maxwell, our favorite couple, has been together for two years and it's time to take it to the next level. That is the focus of today's meeting: something joyful is about to happen to Sandy and Maxwell."
"Joyful? What could be so joyful? Does it have something to do with sunflower seeds?" Oxnard, the sunflower seed eating demon, asked with sunflowers in his eyes.
"Uh…no …" Penelope replied. "It actually has something to do with a certain song. If you all sing along, you might actually get it, ookwee!" Everyone nodded and agreed to sing along with the girl hams, hoping to finally find out what was going on. Penelope counted to three and soon they all sang an oddly familiar song.
Sandy and Maxwell sitting in a tree!
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
First comes love!
Then comes—
That's when it finally hit them. The true focus of this meeting. The reason why the girl hams quietly assembled all the ham hams. There was only one thing that comes after a boy and a girl are together for a long time. "THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED!"
"Congratulations, ookwee! You got the right answer!"
"Wow, those two must be really goin all out if ther getting hitched so early…" Howdy said with a glint his eye. He got smacked for that comment, but it was the person he least expected to smack him. "What're doin that fer, Stan?"
Stan, being the protective brother he was, did not like the way Howdy was thinking of his sister. "Hey, I can't let you have thoughts of those two, especially since this is my sister we're talking about!" However, he quickly moved closer to Howdy and slyly whispered in his ear, "Besides, I'm the one who's suppose to have those naughty thoughts…hehehe…"
Of course, this made the girl hams furious. Even though they didn't exactly hear it, they knew exactly when Stan was being perverted or flirty. "STAN, YOU PERVERT!" And so, they eventually whacked him for that comment.
As they finished beating Stan to a pulp, Dexter raised an interesting question. "Wait a minute. Last time I checked, only humans engage in holy matrimony. Hamsters don't get married, so why are they deciding to get married?"
"I'm glad you asked." Pashmina said with a beaming smile. "Since Maxwell and Sandy are like so totally in love with each other, it was about time they got married. Besides, it would make ham ham history if those two become the first married ham ham couple, don't you think?"
"Yeah, that's so awesome!" exclaimed an excited Cappy. "We should ask them where they're holding the wedding!"
Suddenly, several beads of sweat trickled down the girl ham's fur out of hesitation. There was something really awkward about this wedding. "Um…maybe we shouldn't do that…"
"Why not?" asked Hamtaro. "It would be great to know their plans for the future!"
Stan, being the brother of one of the spouses, was also very interested in this. "Yeah, and I wanna ask those two: WHY THE HELL THEY DIDN'T TELL ME?"
Bijou looked to the other girl hams. Pashmina and Penelope sighed and nodded towards her. Bijou sighed as well. It was time to tell them the whole truth about the wedding. "Well it's just that…they don't know about the wedding."
"Well that's impossible." Boss said. "It's their wedding, so they should know about it…unless…" It was then that it had finally hit them. There was only one reason why Sandy and Maxwell wouldn't know about the wedding, yet the girl hams knew about it. All the boy hams, for several minutes, stared at the girl hams in silence. Finally, altogether in one loud shout… "…WE'RE THROWING IT FOR THEM!"
"Well, yeah. Don't you think it would be a great surprise?"
"Great surprise, ookwee!"
"You girls are probably the most obsessive matchmakers ever!" Sparkle violently yelled at them. "Why are you three always rushing their relationship?"
"We can't help it!" Pashmina snapped back. "They're just too cute together!"
"That's not a reason!"
"Well, we have it all planned out and we even have a place booked so we're doing it and that's final!" Most of the hams, with the exception of Hamtaro and Stan, groaned, but since the girl hams had everything planned, they had no choice. Operation 'I Do' was about to begin…
It was now the morning of February 15, the day before Maxwell saved Sandy. Speaking of which, Sandy was snuggled up in Maxwell's arms as they watched the sun rising from the tree. Though many don't pay attention to it, to this romantic couple, the rising sun was a beautiful sight.
Finally, Sandy broke the silence. "So Maxy, tomorrow is that day again, right?"
"Yeah…" Maxwell breathed out as he smiled at his cute girl ham. "To think, it's been two years, and we've made it this far…"
"It's all because of you, Maxy…"
"It's because of the two of us. We did it together."
Sandy giggled playfully. Even small conversations like this only strengthen their relationship. "Yeah, you're right. So what do we have planned for tomorrow?" She playfully nuzzled her partner's neck with her nose.
"Um...actually I thinking we should just go to Ham Ham Land and wing it. I know it doesn't sound like a very good plan, but I was thinking 'why not let fate point us in the right direction?' After all, it was fate that brought us together."
Sandy let out a soft giggle. "You're right. No matter what happens, I'm sure we'll have totally awesome anniversary tomorrow."
"Yeah." Maxwell smiled, feeling satisfied with his girl ham's response. Then...
"Oh Maxy..." Maxwell's attention was once again directed towards Sandy, only this time his eyes seemed a lot more playful, which matched his cute smile. He could easily see the desire in Sandy's eyes, inviting him to caress Sandy's cheek again. Sandy felt that tingling sensation surge all over her body with every stroke as she began to moan. They both set their eyes on each other, both containing a driving passion within their body. Soon, Maxwell's face started closing in on Sandy's, their lips chasing away the distance. They felt time rewind as they were about to experience their most romantic moment once again. Then...
"SANDY!" The two suddenly pulled away as the voices of three young girl hams echoed through the air. The couple didn't say anything, but they knew already that they should probably continue their 'flashback' another time…when there's no one is around to bother them.
After pouting for a few seconds, Sandy finally turned to her friends. "Hey girls, what's—" Before she could say a word, a paw snatched Sandy's paw and soon dragged her away in a rush, confusing the poor little tiger.
"We need to borrow you for a second!" Bijou frantically told her friend without even glancing at her.
"Where are we going?"
"Don't worry about that, ookwee! Right now, let's get you over there so we can get you fit."
"Fit?"
Meanwhile, Maxwell watched the dust from the rampage simmer with his eyes reduced to dots. Apparently, his girl ham was dragged away for unknown reasons. 'Perhaps it's a girl thing…' was the first thing that went through his mind. Before he could contemplate it any further, a circular shadow appeared on the ground. Maxwell, who was puzzled as to what object that shadow belonged to, watched it get smaller and smaller until…
"BULL'S EYE!" …the object tightened around his sides, halting Maxwell's ability to move. It turns out that object was actually a rope, wielded the only rowdy ham ham.
"Howdy, what are you doing!"
Ignoring the bewildered bookworm, Howdy turned to his partner in crime in the driver's seat and gave a thumbs up. "We've got 'im hogtied! Now let's skedaddle over to ham ham land!"
Dexter, currently the driver of one of Panda's vehicles, gave Howdy a cynical glare, but decided to turn the key. "Honestly, your rambunctious manner has to be second to your jokes in my list of the reasons I hate you so much." With his foot on the pedal, the car zoomed toward ham ham land…with Maxwell in tow.
"YEEHAW!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Behind a nearby tree…
"It was obviously a bad idea to let Howdy and Dexter handle this…" Boss groaned as his shoulders slumped.
Hamtaro let out a small laugh. "Well, at least they're willing to help. Hey Boss, what are you in charge of?"
Hearing Hamtaro's question, Boss began to grin deviously. He was up to something… "Oh you'll see later tonight…" He was going to enjoy his job, whatever it was…
"Heke…?"
After about an hour of driving and wailing from Maxwell at the back, Howdy and Dexter parked the vehicle right in front of their destination: Pistachios' Tailoring, the only place for a ham ham to get the best suits and tuxedos. As discussed last night, a groom must be dressed appropriately, and so the girls asked Howdy and Dexter to get Maxwell fitted for a tuxedo right away.
After finally getting Maxwell on his feet, the three entered the tailor's store. Maxwell, unbeknownst to the reason behind all this, decided to go along with them. A tanned hamster with a moustache greeted them at the door as they entered.
"Ah welcome to Pistachios' Tailoring. How may I help you?"
"We'd like a nice black tuxedo for our friend over here." Dexter politely replied, pointing to his taller friend. "He has something special coming up, so we need him fit as soon as possible."
"Ah understand. Please follow me as I take your measurements."
"Wait! Dexter, what do you mean by special day?" It was too late. By the time he finished, Maxwell was already past the curtains and into the fitting room.
Meanwhile, the girls have brought their friend Sandy to Chestnut's Bridalwear, where they have had Sandy fit and ready for the dress. All they needed to do was have Sandy wear the dress and add some adjustments here and there to have her ready for her wedding…which she still does not have a clue about.
"If we could just fix this over here, I think we'll be done for today." Pashmina said as she continued to examine Sandy's wedding gown.
"Oui! Perhaps some jewelry will be magnifique, no?" Bijou happily chimed as she searched for the perfect accessories to match Sandy's dress.
"Yeah and then if I could arrange the veil…" Before Penelope could finish…
"Hold it!" Finally taking their attention off their work, the girl hams finally faced their confused friend. "Like, what's going on here? What's the dress for?"
Not wanting to give away the surprise, Bijou formulated the only reply they could give. "Well…we will be celebrating something unique tomorrow, and you're the only one without a dress so…"
"Well, what are we celebrating?" Once again, the three were being held in a tight spot.
The last thing they needed was to blow the surprise in front of Sandy right here. There was only one thing that they could say…
"We're celebrating White Day, ookwee!"
The other three girl hams quickly jerked their heads to the ecstatic Penelope. "White Day?"
"Yeah, you know. The day that comes after Valentine's Day!"
However, Sandy was still not buying it. Unfortunately, Penelope left out a couple of facts about White Day. "Penelope, first of all, White Day is celebrated a month later. Second, White Day is when the guys give the girls candy."
Seeing that Penelope was in trouble, Pashmina stepped in to help her little friend. "No, this is a different White Day. The humans made it up just this year!"
"Really?"
"Oui!" Bijou replied hesitantly. "The humans thought that we should respect the color white, so they created this White Day, where the girls wear white and the boys wear black."
"Um…but doesn't that mean it should be called 'White and Black Day'?"
"Yeah, but that's because humans don't need to worry about the little details here and there…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, we're sure!" The girls nodded frantically, hoping that Sandy would buy it this time.
Sandy stood there in thought for several minutes, but luckily for the girl hams, she gave in. "Well…alright. Let's get this over with so we can do something fun."
"Okay!" And so, the girls continued their work on Sandy's gown. What they didn't know, though, was that in her mind, Sandy still didn't believe them. In fact, she felt that all they had said was made up. They're planning something. I know they are. I mean, there isn't a holiday where girls dress up in white and guys dress up in black…is there? Or maybe there is…I should ask Maxy later…
Speaking of which, Maxwell was having a tougher time understanding his own predicament. However, it wasn't because it seemed odd that he was suddenly trying on a tuxedo.
"You're doing it all wrong! The belt shouldn't be that loose!"
"Well, stop trying to hogtie his neck with that thing! You're gonna make the guy croak!"
…it was the fact that Howdy and Dexter were unknowingly cutting off Maxwell's air supply. The two, much to Maxwell's dismay, weren't getting along. Though it had become a normal habit of them over the past few years, the more they argued, the less attention they paid to Maxwell, and the more Maxwell needed to get out of this sticky situation. However, their loud exchanges plus Maxwell inability to breathe at this time drowned out the helpless bookworm's pleas.
Luckily, another ham ham was around to see the now blueberry colored face of the taller hamster. After taking a few minutes to sigh…
"DROP THE TIE AND THE BELT AND PUT YOUR PAWS IN THE AIR!"
Startled by the sudden booming voice, Howdy and Dexter quickly dropped their 'weapons' and did as they were told, allowing Maxwell to finally catch his breath. However, when the two finally saw who it really was, they began to cringe.
"Honestly, we have to get you away from those violent video games, Stan…" Dexter groaned, feeling silly to have believed that the other half of the tiger twins was a cop.
Stan, however, struck back at the troublesome duo. "Hey, I think Sandy wants her boyham to be alive tomorrow, so why not give him some air?"
"Well maybe ya'll should blame four eyes over here…" Howdy rolled his eyes as his thumb directed Stan to Dexter.
"Me! You were the one who ripped the first pair of pants!"
"Well that wouldn't 've been my fault if you hadn't tried to choke me with one of the ties!"
"Oh yeah!"
Ignoring the two, Stan made his way toward Maxwell and pulled him into the other room to fix his tuxedo. After a few minutes and a couple of alterations, Maxwell looked tidy in his brand new tuxedo. In fact, Maxwell looked like a rich and handsome billionaire ready to bring his girl around the world.
"Wow, I didn't think you would do such a great job on this, Stan."
"Hey, you're talking to the guy who can pick up ten chicks in seconds…" The flirtatious ham grinned with his thumbs up.
Maxwell wasn't as impressed, though. "Yeah…and then within a few nanoseconds, those same girls begin tearing you apart…"
"Well, whatever. You're ready to go, Maxwell. I've already paid for the tux, so just head out and enjoy the rest of the day."
"Thanks, Stan." Before Maxwell left, he turned back to Stan and asked him, "Hey, what is really happening today and tomorrow? What's everyone in a rush for?"
Stan hesitated for a few seconds. He couldn't exactly answer Maxwell's question for it would blow everyone's cover. Then, Stan just grinned at Maxwell and shoved him out of the room. "I'll tell you later tonight. Just get out of here before those two screws you again."
Later that day, Maxwell, while holding the tuxedo, traveled down the sidewalks of ham ham land. Throughout the day, he had been pondering what the ham hams were keeping from him. First, the girl hams suddenly abducted his girl, then he was abducted by Howdy and Dexter, and then Stan helped him with the tuxedo. What's going on? Why is everyone suddenly in a rush? Then, his thoughts soon came to a halt when he stumbled upon a nearby store called 'Emerald's Emeralds and Other Fine Jewelry'. It was then that Maxwell finally remembered. I almost forgot! I was supposed to come here to buy a present for Sandy! Looks like it came to me at the nick of time. Let's go in and see what's inside…
Meanwhile, the girl hams have already left ham ham land and were right in front of Elder Ham's cozy rock. Of course, the rock was simply the door for his underground hideaway. Before entering, the girl hams told Sandy to stay put in front of the rock. She, of course, asked why she had to wait, but they didn't give an answer. Sandy didn't want to accept that, but she decided to be a good friend and wait outside.
A few minutes passed and Sandy was already getting really bored. Sitting around and doing nothing was almost torture to the normally energetic hamster. In addition, her stomach began to rumble, begging Sandy to get something to eat. However, she still had her promise to keep to the girls. After taking a few minutes to contemplate the two choices, she kicked the rock, causing it to fall back, revealing the pathway to the hideaway. With that, she stepped into the hidden tunnel. I hope the girls don't mind me getting a snack.
At Elder Ham's place…
"Ah, Sandy and Maxwell are getting married? That is indeed interesting…" The bushy eyebrowed old ham tiredly said. The girl hams had explained everything to him about the wedding.
"Panda will be done with the setup this afternoon. Hamtaro and Oxnard have gotten Chef Ham to cater the wedding and Stan and Sparkle have asked Jingle to be the wedding singer. Cappy will be arriving soon with a pillow. So will you please act as the priest?" Pashmina pleaded him, hoping he would say yes. "I'm sure they would be honored if you could the sermon."
However, Elder Ham cocked an eyebrow for a few seconds, realizing one of the possible reasons why they were asking him to become the priest. "I hope you're not basing this off my age…"
"Oh, of course not. Sorry, if you were thinking that way." Bijou apologized to the older ham, reassuring the old ham.
"Well alright then. It's a good thing I've been reading some books on weddings lately. I just hope you invited Auntie Viv as well."
"Of course. We invited all our friends, ookwee! Let's see…we've got Jingle, the Mini Hamuzu, Stucky, Pepper…"
"It would be sad if they all missed the best wedding ever!"
"Oh…so that's what this is all about...?" Suddenly, the girl hams' fur began to stand on its ends as their eyes widened. They were hoping it wasn't who they thought it was, but they slowly turned their heads to the door way. Standing there was the tiger ham, eyeing her friends suspiciously with her arms crossed.
"Sandy…?"
Soon, night fell upon the clubhouse. Inside, all the boy hams were seated around the table. Maxwell, who was in ham ham land, was suddenly dragged again from where he was and back into the clubhouse, where everyone was waiting for him. It was a very peculiar day for him, but he was relieved to at least have in his possession his present to Sandy. It took awhile, but I think I've found it. Now I just need to wait till tomorrow…
After clearing his throat, Boss was ready to give an announcement. "Now that we're all here, we can finally get down to business. With Maxwell's special day tomorrow, it's time that we cheer for him!" The other boys began to root and cheer for the still clueless bookworm. Even now, he did not understand what this special day was. "Now it's time we really celebrated!" Not waiting to spend another minute standing around, Boss ran over to a giant bundle wrapped in a sheet and finally unveiled his 'secret stash': a series of bottles stacked and corked.
However, some of the ham hams, namely Hamtaro, did not understand why Boss would be hording these things. Then, Hamtaro finally asked him, "What are they?"
"You mean you don't know? This is sake, the best thing to gulp down right before the big day!" Wanting to take the first gulp, Boss hastily grabbed one bottled, uncorked it, and chugged the liquid down his throat. A tinge of pink flashed on his face, but Boss was oddly happy.
"What's sake?" Cappy asked.
"You won't know what it is until you try it!" Boss, who was acting a little strange, gave Cappy his own bottle. Not knowing what it was, Cappy uncorked the bottle and was about to sip it…until Panda snatched the bottle out of Cappy's paws and narrowed his eyes at Boss. Out of all the ham hams, he was one of the few who knew what it really was.
"Boss, this is alcohol!"
"Oh c'mon, Panda. It's not like it's gonna hurt anyone. Besides, with the big day coming, it's only right that we chug down all this. I'm sure everyone won't mind, right?"
"Boss!"
Ignoring Panda's whining, Stan headed for the stash of sake. "Mind if I take one?"
"You dun need to ask…just take it…"
"Don't mind if I do." And so, Stan grabbed one of the bottles and took a shot of the alcoholic beverage. "Aaaaaah…now that's real sake!"
"Stan!"
"What? Like Boss said, this is the perfect time to start drinking. It's not like we're gonna become alcoholics."
Suddenly, Howdy began to shake his paw wildly in the air. "Hey, toss one over here, partner!" Seeing that the party was about to begin, Stan grabbed another bottle and hurled towards Howdy. Howdy, in one swift motion, uncorked the bottle and took a shot of the rice wine. "Hell yeah! This is real brewin' here, Boss."
"Howdy, I can't believe you would start drinking!"
"Oh hush up, Dex! Why not join th' party?" Before Dexter could protest, Howdy had already stuck the bottle in Dexter's mouth.
"Hey Maxwell, you want one too?" Stan asked his soon to be brother-in-law. "It's your day you know!"
However, Maxwell shook his head. "No, it's alright. I don't need it."
"C'mon! Just a sip!"
"Well…alright…"
"C'mon everyone! Join in!"
After a few minutes of hesitation, all the boy hams decided to join Boss and took a sip of the sake. However, the minute they took a sip…they were coming back for more…
About an hour later in the tunnels heading toward the clubhouse, the girl hams were dealing with their own problems…
"Sandy, please understand that we only wanted you to be happy!"
"Oui! We only wanted to help you and Maxwell!"
"It's your anniversary tomorrow, ookwee! Don't you think it'd be nice if you two got married?"
Before the three could rant, Sandy put her paw in front of them to prevent them from turning it into an uproar. Finally, she let out a small sigh and began to speak. "I'm glad you guys are looking for me. I appreciate it…but I think it would've been better if Maxwell and I discussed it first before going through with it."
"But Sandy, we've got it all booked and everything."
However, that didn't matter to Sandy at all as she put her paw on the door. "It doesn't matter. If Maxwell feels we're not ready, then I don't either. I know you three went through so much work, but…oh no…"
"What's wrong, S—what happened here…?" Much to their dismay, all the boy hams were scattered all over the clubhouse with giant bottles in their hands. Each one of their faces was tinged with a shade of pink. The clubhouse itself was in a total mess. The furniture was either overturned or broken and bottles were scattered everywhere.
"And I thought we could trust them…" Pashmina smacked her forehead in dismay as she picked up a couple of bottles and placed them in the garbage. The other three girl hams agreed and began to pick up the bottles, agreeing to later give the boy hams a stern talk about alcohol.
As Sandy picked up a couple of bottles, she noticed her boyham lying face down with his green book covering his face. Though a little disappointed that he was drinking, Sandy thought Maxwell looked cute and even funny in that position. She pulled off the book and began to gently run her paw through his fur. He can be so funny sometimes and yet he's so intelligent. Not only is he book smart, but he's able to think quickly in even the most urgent of situations. He cares for me so much, willing to protect me from whatever harm comes our way. I love him so much…and he loves me too. We've been together for two years now…are we really ready for this…? Is it really time to take it to the next stage? Before she could contemplate it even further, she felt a firm paw touch her shoulder. She turned her head, seeing her twin grinning at her.
"Back so soon?"
Sandy wanted to smile, but then she remembered that all the boy hams were apparently involved in this party. Soon realizing that, she began to grit her teeth and then suddenly pounced on her brother. "Stan, why were you and the rest of the ham hams drinking?"
"Hey hey hey. Blame Bijou and Pashmina for that."
Soon realizing that Stan was awake, Bijou and Pashmina ran towards Stan and grabbed him too.
"What do you mean this is our fault!" Pashmina yelled as she gave Stan a death glare.
"This was the fault of all the boys!"
"Well, first of all, this was all Boss' sake." Stan told the girls as he got himself out of Pashmina and Sandy's grip. "And second, you told us to throw a bachelor party for Maxwell; since that was a traditional party the boys celebrated the groom."
"Yeah, but we didn't tell you to get drunk!"
"But that's what happens during a bachelor party! The groom and the guys whip out the alcohol and start chugging it."
Bijou didn't want to believe it, but she checked her 'Weddings for Dummies' guide and looked up Bachelor Party. Turns out that Stan was right. During most parties, especially the bachelor party, the guys would go wild and start drinking. It made the girls cringe in disgust, but it was in the book, so they really couldn't complain. Still, there was one thing that bothered them…
"By the way, why aren't you knocked out like everyone else?"
"Well, let's just say I can hold my liquor." Stan grinned as he scratched the back of his head. The girls shook their heads, but they were glad that at least one guy was sober enough to explain. Stan then stared down at Maxwell, who was still out. Sandy was silently patting his fur. Looking at them, Stan felt that perhaps it was time to tell the truth. "Hey Sandy, wanna bring Maxwell outside to sober up? I need to talk to you for a few minutes anyway."
Sandy nodded in agreement and began to drag Maxwell towards the door. She too needed to talk to Stan.
Later, Stan and Sandy were sitting next to each other under the stars with Maxwell lying on Sandy's lap. The night sky was totally devoid of clouds, allowing the full moon to illuminate the star filled sky. A gentle breeze swept across the blades of grass and through Sandy and Stan's fur. It was a calming scene for this moment.
Finally breaking the silence, Stan lowered his head and began to speak. "Hey Sandy, I'm sorry that we didn't tell you. I think you know already what's going on, right?"
Sandy nodded as she petted her boy ham, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. "I heard the girl hams asking Elder Ham to be the priest for the wedding, and that's when I finally realized it."
"Well…what are you planning on doing?"
Sandy then began to bow her head. "I don't really know. I really love Maxwell…but I never even thought of actually marrying him. We never even discussed it. All I know is that I love him and he loves me, and we've been doing it for over two years…"
"So do you think that you might not be ready for it?"
Sandy shook her head, still not taking her eyes off her sleepy boyham. "Well…I feel like I'm ready for it actually. We've been together for so long; I think it's about time we take this to the next level." Sandy then paused for a few minutes to look up at the sky to clear her head for a few minutes. Letting her thoughts gather in her head, she finally began to speak again. "However…I'm just worried about Maxwell. I mean, I feel that I'm ready…but what about Maxwell? Just early this morning, we were talking about going on another date, and here we are…about to get married in a few hours. Will he accept this? Maxwell didn't even propose to me…"
"So why not do it now?" Sandy suddenly gasped. That warm voice belonged to only one ham ham. She looked down again. Lying on her lap was her sweet boyham, smiling warmly at her as his eyes began to shine like the full moon above.
"Maxwell…"
Now that he was sober, Maxwell slipped out of his position on Sandy's lap and looked her in the eyes. His paw gently caressed her cheek, causing her to silently moan. Finally, with true determination in his eyes, Maxwell let out those four words… "Sandy…will you marry me?"
"Maxwell…" Sandy was left totally speechless. She didn't know what to do or say for it was at this very moment under the luminous moon that Maxwell said the four words that would bind them together for eternity. Soon, tears began stream down her fur; tears of true joy. When the gentle breeze whisked through Sandy's fur, Sandy suddenly wrapped her arms around Maxwell's torso. "Maxwell…of course. You're the only boyham I want to be with. I want to be with you forever…"
"Sandy…" Maxwell looked down at his beautiful young girlham and brought her head to his chest, allowing Sandy to rest her head. His paw caressed her soft fur as a warm smile graced his lips. Using those same lips, he landed a brief yet loving kiss on her forehead. Sandy didn't want to forget this moment…ever. However, she began to grow tired. She tried to stay awake, but sleep was taking over. Maxwell, however, continued to caress her fur, nuzzling her head with his nose. "Don't worry, Sandy. Just sleep. We need to be ready for tomorrow." Sandy slowly nodded and soon her eyes slowly shut. Maxwell smiled as his girlham finally drifted to sleep, now reversing the roles of earlier.
Stan, who witnessed the entire proposal, could not help but smile as well. Sandy had truly gotten what she had wished for. As the only part of her family left, it was a touching moment. After staying silent for a few minutes, he took a seat on the ground next to Sandy and Maxwell. "Wow…I thought you were gonna faint when you finally realized that you were gonna have a wedding tomorrow."
"Well, I was a little surprised at first." Maxwell finally replied. "It made sense why everyone was so busy and I was going to stay silent throughout the conversation…but then I began to think about our relationship. I, myself, felt like taking our relationship further, but I was scared that maybe Sandy wouldn't want to go through with it. Then, when I heard Sandy getting worried that I might not agree…I had no choice but to finally ask her for her paw in marriage."
"Heh…well I'm glad you went through with it." Stan grinned, happy for both Maxwell and Sandy. "Actually, I thought you were gonna screw something up. After all, you did get pretty drunk."
"You and Boss are at fault for that…"
Stan chuckled. "Hey, be glad that you got sober a lot faster than everyone else. I'm sure everyone is still lying all over the clubhouse, but hey, that's what a Bachelor Party is."
Maxwell let out a small chuckle. Though weird, it was a bit funny how everyone got drunk tonight. Then, Maxwell looked into the sky, watching the stars twinkle in the sky. The constellations above helped him bring his thoughts together. When he finally gathered all his thoughts, he turned to Stan. "Hey Stan, what are your thoughts on this? I remember how you reacted last year…so I was wondering…"
Stan's eyes peered into the sky as the memories began to flood again. Last year was almost a disaster for him. He remembered how shocked and angered that Maxwell would take Sandy out, thinking that he may lose his sister to a bookworm. He remembered all the plans he set forth just to ruin the date, whether it be disguising as a waiter or cosplaying as Spat. And then, he remembered those dreams. His memories of his mother protecting him and his sister continued flood his mind…as well as his promise. Finally, with all his thoughts gathered, he turned to Maxwell. "Sandy was always a loud, noisy brat back then. She was so immature, but now she has grown up. The freedom she has had allowed her to finally grow into a matured girlham. I will always be around to protect her as her brother, but it's about time to stop keeping her back. This is her own decision and if she chooses this, then I will stand by her decision."
Maxwell was a little surprised with Stan. This was perhaps the first time Maxwell has heard Stan talk like a mature brother. Maxwell knew that the bond between Stan and Sandy was strong, but he never realized how much Stan loved his sister. It almost made sense why he did what he did last year. Maxwell couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Stan." Stan, acting cool, let out a 'heh' and fell backwards, allowing himself to lie down on the soft grass. With Sandy still in his arms, Maxwell landed another small kiss on her forehead and soon drifted to sleep. Tomorrow is the day…the day the two of us will enter the greatest stage in our relationship…
February 16. It had finally come. The ham ham's greatest moment was about to take place: Sandy and Maxwell coming together in holy matrimony. The wedding, which was setup on Acorn Mountain, was already coming together. Panda had already built the altar for Elder Ham's sermon. Chef Ham was already setting up tables of delicious food for the reception. Oxnard stared longingly at the food as the scent beckoned him to eat. Luckily, Pepper was around to prevent Oxnard from eating a little too early. He apologized and walked her to their seats. Jingle, who brought Djungian Chrous, practiced numerous tunes for the wedding. Everything was set…except for one thing…
"WHERE IS THE BRIDE AND GROOM!"
Back at the Clubhouse, Maxwell had finally awoken from his slumber. Sandy, who was still resting on his chest, was fast asleep. He looked to his side and noticed that Stan was still asleep. Maxwell took his free paw and gently shook the other tiger ham. "Hey Stan, what time is it…?"
After being shaken a bit, Stan had finally woken up. Since he had no watch, he decided to look up to the sky for the answer. The sky was clear and the sun shined overhead. After analyzing the sun's position, Stan came to one conclusion. "Its noon." He groggily uttered as he fell back on his side. Just as he was about to close his eyes, his eye lids immediately snapped open. Apparently, he just realized one thing. "It's noon! Oh crap…Maxwell, get Sandy up and let's go!"
"Eh? Why now?"
"Because your wedding is being held at noon! Now get up!"
At that instant, Maxwell bolted up from his position. If what Stan said was true, then they had to get up right away. He shook Sandy and told her the whole thing. In seconds, the three headed toward Acorn Mountain.
After a few minutes of high speed running, the three hams had finally reached Acorn Mountain, Stan's 'former' secret spot. Acorn Mountain was a quaint tranquil land. Even after Stan told the ham hams about the place, it had remained untouched by anyone besides the ham hams. With no distractions in sight (such as humans, cats, and chickies), this was the perfect place to hold the wedding.
After catching their breath, the three finally met up with their fellow ham hams. They were all wondering why Sandy and Maxwell were so late for their special day, but all that mattered was that they were here. The couple then temporarily split to get their wedding garments on; the ham hams following in tow.
Once again, Stan, who was already dressed up, helped Maxwell with his tuxedo since he did such a great job last time. After fixing Maxwell's jacket and tie, Stan gave Maxwell a thumbs up. "Yup, you're all ready, pal." Maxwell looked more than ready. As a matter of fact, he looked even better than he had ever expected. His fur chestnut fur was quite tidy and with the suit on, he looked like the richest ham ham in the world.
"Thanks again, Stan." Maxwell breathed out a sigh, a little nervous about the coming events. "So this is it. We're getting married here and now."
"Something wrong?"
Maxwell shook his head as he put his paw behind his head to scratch it. "No, just a little nervous."
"Heh. I'm not surprised."
"Hey Stan, can you do me a favor?" Maxwell asked his spouse's brother.
"Hm? What is it?"
The wedding was about to begin. Sandy, who stood behind the floral arc leading to the podium, allowed the girls to make several minor adjustments, even though she felt that she didn't need them. Her pearl white dress was already a sight to behold. On her head was the dainty white veil. After finally fixing everything, the girl hams got to their positions and awaited their parts.
Sandy let out a brief sigh. She too was a little nervous about the whole ordeal. "I can't believe this is happening…"
"Well you'd better believe it, because we worked so hard for it." Sandy quickly spun around. Standing in front of her was her loving brother, grinning all the while.
"Stan, what are you doing here?"
Before he answered, Stan grabbed Sandy's arm and wrapped his around hers. "Don't worry about that, my beloved daughter."
"Daughter! Stan, are you still drunk!" Sandy yelled her brother in frustration.
"No, actually I'm here to escort you, sis."
"Escort?"
"Yeah, it was Maxwell's idea. You see…
"Stan, you're Sandy's only family left. I've read that in weddings, the father would escort the daughter to their future husband. However, her father isn't here. If it isn't too much trouble, could you escort Sandy down the aisle as her father?"
"Maxwell…" Sandy almost felt spoiled now. She had two hams that truly cared for her; who would do anything for her. She had a brother, who continually watched her grow up…as if he were a parent. And then she had her true love and soon-to-be husband, the one who brought her joy every time she was down. She wanted to cry, but now wasn't the time. With her eyes shinning through her veil, she was ready for her eternal commitment. "Stan, let's go."
As soon as Stan nodded, the sky was filled with the graceful sounds of 'Here Comes the Bride'. Penelope, acting as the flower girl, skipped happily down the carpet, letting the delicate flowers float through the air. Right beside her was Cappy, carrying a royal purple pillow towards the front and giving it to Panda, Maxwell's best ham. Panda nodded happily as he took the pillow from Cappy. Then, both he and the groom finally set their eyes on bride, coming down the aisle with her 'father figure', who looked oddly like her, clutching her arm. As the slowly marched down the aisle, cheers were coming from all around the place. The friends they've met over the years had come all the way here, just to see the two get married. Moving closer to the front, she finally saw the greatest supporters of their wedding, the ham hams. From the beginning, the ham hams had showed their support and appreciation for the couple, helping them whenever they needed their help. Now they were here once again, putting forth all their energy to ensure that the wedding ends happily. Finally, she reached the front of the aisle, where her true love was standing. No matter what happened, he was there, willing to support Sandy. Now, he was here again, smiling at his bride as he gently took his lover's paw. The bride couldn't help but smile. This was finally it…the moment of truth…
After allowing the crowd to settle down, Elder Ham approached the altar as the acting priest. He smiled warmly as he stared at the couple. Just looking at them, he knew that they would be together for a very long time. Taking a few minutes to clear his throat, Elder Ham finally began the holy sacrament. "Boy hams and girl hams, we are here today in holy matrimony to witness the bond of these two young hams…"
…
After all the ham hams got up to speak for the couple, Elder ham stood in front of the bride and groom, who were still smiling. Ready to get into one of the most important parts of wedding, he turned to Maxwell. "Does your best ham have the ring?"
"Ring?" Panda spoke out of turn.
"Yes, ring. Didn't young Cappy give it to you?"
Panda, who was a little surprised when he heard he was supposed to have a ring, looked in his paws. Apparently, what he had was not exactly a ring. "All Cappy gave me was a pillow…"
"YOU IDIOTS, THE RING WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON THE PILLOW!" Panda began to sweat now that he was in this hot spot. However, it wasn't all his fault and the girl hams knew it. They checked the 'Weddings for Dummies' guide and something odd. The text read 'The ring bearer takes the pillow to the best man…The groom exchanges the vows'. It was then that they realized what was happening: they found out that several pages, for some odd reason, were missing. It was possible that those few pages detailed the ring ceremony, which was crucial to the wedding. The girls felt stupid, realizing that the wedding would be ruined and they were at fault for it.
Then, a sudden laughter filled the room. No one knew where it came from until they looked to front. Of all hamsters to laugh at this moment, the groom was the only one laughing. All of them just stared oddly at him, not seeing how funny this situation was. Even Sandy was staring at Maxwell oddly. She couldn't understand why Maxwell could be laughing during a crisis like this.
Finally, after he numbed his laughter, he turned to Sandy with his eyes shinning warmly for his bride as he reached into his pocket. "I'm sorry, Sandy. It's just so funny…how fate works sometimes." Sandy suddenly gasped. Pulling his paw out of his pocket, he revealed a small black case. When he finally opened the cased, inside was a beautiful twinkling sapphire ring. No one could speak at the moment, for fate has made one of the most ironic turns. For a second, everyone was worried that the absence of the ring would ruin everything, but then Maxwell had the ring after all. "Sandy, this ring was originally supposed to be my present to you for being with me for over two years. Now, this ring will be the one that will bind us together." Sandy, totally speechless, simply closed her eyes and smiled. Fate was totally on their side. With that over with, Sandy put out her paw, waiting for Maxwell to place the ring on her paw. Smiling happily, Maxwell took her paw and said his vow. "I, Maxwell, give you, Sandy, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you…"
…
"Do you, Maxwell, take Sandy to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part."
"I do."
"And Sandy, do you take Maxwell to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part."
"I do."
With the wedding coming to a close, Elder Ham allowed a small smile form on his lips as he raised his arms. "With all the power vested in my, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
After vowing to stay together for eternity, Maxwell slowly but daintily pulled the veil off Sandy's face. He allowed his eyes to stare at his now beautiful wife once again. Her eyes glittered like the stars of the night and her face was emblazoned with a blush. It was time to truly seal their commitment. And so, Maxwell's lips moved toward Sandy's until he finally made impact with her. The two kissed for the first time as husband and wife in front of all their friends. Soon, the ham hams cheered happily for the couple. Some clapped and rooted for the couple, while others like Boss simply cried out of happiness. The two have been together for two years and now they were destined to stay together for all eternity…
Soon, the newly weds were in front of the very same blue convertible that brought them through their first date. Being the chivalrous ham he was, Maxwell opened the door once again for Sandy. She gladly bowed and took her seat. Maxwell then jumped into the driver seat and turned the key to ignition. Noticing the girl hams cheering for them, Sandy stood on top of her seat with the bouquet in her paws.
At that instant, all the girls went crazy for the bundle of flowers, the symbol of the next girl to be wedded.
I hope I get it! Once I do, I'm gonna ask Panda out!
Ooooh, I hope Hamtaro takes my paw too!
Cappy, I hope you take my paw once I catch this, ookwee!
Seeing the girls go nuts for the bouquet was almost funny to Sandy. Using her good arm, she tossed the bouquet into the air, hoping for nothing but happiness for the one who catches it. The girls tried their best to catch it as it flailed through the clear sky. Then, someone finally caught it…but it was the last person who wanted it.
"BOSS, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THERE WAS SAK—huh?"
Of all girl hams to catch it, the girls couldn't believe it would be…
"SPARKLE!"
Boss snickered as he got up from the ground. "You and me? Oh please, that's never gonna happen…"
Sparkle seemed to think different in her mind, but of course she would never let her mind or her heart speak. "That's right! I'm never getting married to likes of you!"
"WHAT!"
Ignoring Boss, Sparkle tossed the bouquet to the girls. "Here." Once again, the girls dove for it, but the one who came out victorious was our little flower girl.
"Tee hee…looks like we're next up after Boss and Sparkle, right Cappy?"
"Heke?"
"HEY, WHO SAID WE WERE GETTING MARRIED!"
…
Looking back at their friends, the newly wedded couple prepared for their next adventure, paw in paw. They lived their life to fullest; their relationship growing with each moment. And so, the two lived happily ever after.
The End
"That was the best story ever!"
"I knew you'd like it." An older but oddly familiar tiger striped girl ham giggled as she watched the younger similarly tiger striped girl ham cheer. Two years have passed and Sandy was now both a wife and a mother of a beautiful young daughter named Star. Star looked a lot like Sandy, but the stripes on her forehead were replaced a bright emerald star, hence the name. Sandy smiled as her young daughter's eyes began to flutter out of sleepiness. "Alright, now it's time for bed."
Before she got into her sleeping position, Star asked her mother, "Hey, what happened to daddy?"
Sandy almost didn't want to answer it, not wanting her to find out what happened to Maxwell. Instead, she did the same thing her mother did: tell her daughter a white lie. "He needed to leave for awhile. Don't worry, he'll come back. I promise."
"I hope so." And with that, Star finally drifted to sleep on the woodchips.
Sandy, after seeing that Star was finally asleep, patted her head and silently said, "I hope so too." Suddenly, a loud knock was coming from the nearby window. Knowing who it was, Sandy headed to the window sill. Before she opened the window, she took one sniff and her face contorted out of disappointment. When she opened the window, she saw another tiger ham carrying a familiar brown ham ham on his shoulder.
"Hey sis. Sorry we're late."
"DON'T SORRY ME, STAN! BOSS THREW ANOTHER DRINKING PARTY, DIDN'T HE!"
"Whoa…calm down there, sis. Boss thought it was appropriate since Maxwell's book was such a hit. Just be glad I was able to carry him all the way over here." Stan groaned as he laid Sandy's husband on the window sill. "He should be up in a few minutes. See ya at the clubhouse tomorrow!" With that, Stan quickly left Hillary's room, wanting to avoid her wrath.
"STANELY, YOU GET BACK HERE! Grrrrrr…" Sandy smacked her forehead in dismay. Maxwell had become a bit of an author lately, writing stories about the adventures all the ham hams had gone on. Now that his third book became such a success, it was obvious that another party was going to take place…one thrown by Boss.
Finally, Maxwell got up from the sill, blinking for a few seconds to adjust his eyes. When his vision was focused, he saw his angry wife looking down on him. "Oh, hi Sandy."
Sandy wanted to scold Maxwell, but she already knew that he was probably pressured into drinking again. She decided spare him mercy and reminded herself to punish Stan tomorrow. "I'll go easy this time, but please don't go drinking again…"
Maxwell chuckled. "I'm sorry. You know how Boss is." After laughing for a bit, he saw Sandy heading back to her cage. In her paws was a book entitled 'Aishiteru', which soon perked his interest. His lips formed a grin as he crept up to his wife. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around his lover. Sandy, out of shock, was about to struggle, but feeling Maxwell nuzzle her neck with his nose calmed her down. She was glad that her husband was home once again, safe and sound. Then, taking the book from her paw, he opened it and asked her, "Sandy, could you please read the final lines of chapter 7?"
Knowing exactly what those lines were, Sandy happily agreed. She took her free paw and traced the words until she found the exact lines she was looking for. The lines that soon brought a sudden rush of nostalgia and romance…
Aishiteru…Noppo-kun…
Aishiteru…Torahamu-chan…
After nearly two years working on this fic, it is finally complete! I almost thought I wouldn't complete it, but the after all the support everyone has given me, I have finally finished it.
Looking back at this chapter, I think this should've been the ending of chapter 7. This ending came out so much better than the final chapter, but at least I know this epilogue came together very well. So yes, the surprise is that Sandy and Maxwell finally get married. To tell the truth, there was actually more parts that involved the other ham hams, but it would've taken a lot longer to post this chapter had I spent more time thinking of the others. It is good as it is now. I know I cut out or messed up part of the wedding, but I did that for a couple of reasons: First, I haven't been to a wedding in a very long time. Second, there were religious issues. Whether the ham hams worship God or not is unknown, so I made sure to keep that out of the wedding. As for why Sparkle got the bouquet, I just wanted to make it funny. Also, Penelope getting the bouquet is supposed to foreshadow my Christmas fic. Oh and if you still don't know, Sandy and Maxwell's daughter, Star, was a character created by KatyChan herself. Of course, I asked permission if I could use her.
And so, the fic has finally come to an end. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout these years, especially KatyChan and Ravens. Please look forward to my next several fics, which are mentioned in my profile. Until next time, this is Kyuuseishu 'Burnfist' Setsuna signing off.