Kimiko awoke and her heart thudded with a mixture of dread and anticipation. This was it. No day was bigger than this one.
"Kimiko, are you awake?" Asked Amber, sticking her head round the door, "We're waiting to get started."
"I'm up," Said Kimiko, stretching and yawning widely.
"When you're ready we'll start on your makeup." Said Amber, "But first breakfast, you need a decent meal for the big day."
"I'll be out in a second." Said Kimiko, sliding her feet into her slippers.
Amber disappeared again and Kimiko groaned and slumped her head in her hands. This was not what she wanted. This totally sucked.
Somewhere else in the hotel at the exact same moment:
Jack awoke and his heart thudded with a mixture of dread and anticipation. This was it. No day was bigger than this one.
"Jack, are you awake?" Asked James, looking around the door, "We're waiting to get started."
"I'm up," Moaned Jack, stretching and yawning widely.
"When you're ready we'll start on that ridiculous hair." Said James, "But first breakfast, you need a decent meal for the big day."
"I'll be out in a second," Said Jack, standing and stretching again.
James disappeared again and Jack groaned, sat down and slumped his head in his hands. This what not what he wanted. This totally sucked.
Katnappe had been up for hours. She was already posted in the hotel, hidden in the upper levels and preparing to sneak into the room where the wedding was going to be held. She couldn't wait for the perfect moment. This was going to be so much fun! Jack was going to regret this every second for the rest of his life.
Kimiko walked out into the living room to see everyone waiting for her, looking excited. A lot of these women she had only met the previous night at the rehearsal dinner. Most of them were smiley and annoying, much like most of the women on her side of the family.
"Breakfast!" One said, grinning widely as they others crowded around her, preparing to start meddling anyway they saw fit.
"I … um … need some air!" Said Kimiko, pulling away, walking quickly out of the door and closing the door before closing her eyes and leaning back against the wall.
She never thought it was going to be this difficult.
Jack walked into the living room to see them all sat around, drinking cups of coffee or playing video games. Strange way to act on the biggest day of his life. He looked around; he could see Clay, his dad, Kimiko's dad, some of Kimiko's relations, some of his relations, Omi, Dojo, but no Raimundo. The one guy he wouldn't mind seeing for a change and he wasn't around. At least Raimundo would understand his dread.
"Where's Raimundo?" He asked Clay, who handed him a cup of coffee.
"He went out a little while ago," Said Clay, "I think it's best just to leave him alone for now."
"Probably," Said Jack, running a hand through his wild and red hair, "I don't blame him for running out."
"He'll be back in time for the wedding, he promised Kimiko he'd be there for her." Said Clay.
Jack raised his eyebrows and looked up at the cowboy.
"It wasn't that sort of promise," said Clay, "he might have feelings for her and she might have feelings for him, and you for that matter, but she only wants to be friends."
"Or enemies in our case," said Jack.
"Well we all want that," Said Omi.
"You're the best enemies a guy could ask for," Said Jack, hugging them both tightly around the neck.
"Three second rule!" Snapped Omi.
Kimiko groaned and turned the face the door again.
"Kimiko," Said Raimundo, a little way along the corridor.
"Rai?" Said Kimiko, smiling slightly.
"How's you?" Asked Raimundo.
"Tired and dreading every second of this day." She said, "I really want to thank you for being here."
"Like I would miss this," said Raimundo, "and we'll be back at the temple before you know it."
"Here's hoping," said Kimiko, crossing her fingers, "I'd better go back inside."
"Don't I get a hug?" asked Raimundo.
Kimiko smiled and hugged him.
"Thank you," she whispered, "for everything."
"Thank you," he whispered, "for being everything."
She pulled away, smiled and went back inside.
Raimundo frowned and looked up at the ceiling.
"God give me strength," He sighed and turned away and began waling back towards Jack's room.
Several hours later, everyone was beginning to gather in the wedding room. Kimiko was waiting in a little room, dressed in her wedding dress and fully made up. All she wanted now was to get this over and done with. She was sick of people crying at the sight of her and telling her how beautiful she was. She wished none of this had happened and that she was back at the temple, with her friends and even Jack but in an 'enemies' relationship. The idea of marrying him was making her worried about what was going to happen to their life at the temple.
She remembered the temple well. She could smell the incense and candles and she could see the gardens and she could hear the birds and squirrels and rabbits and fish and monkeys all around her. But they faded as she was drawn back to the present. Se was miles away from the temple and she couldn't hear anything except the chatter of people in the next room and the smells of fresh food being cooked.
Someone looked around the door. It was a pale skinned, black haired, pretty girl. She was dressed as a bridesmaid and was smiling happily at her. It was Keiko.
"We're ready Kimiko, it's time to go." She said.
"Alright," Said Kimiko quietly, turning to face her, "Lets do this."
Jack stood at the alter, shifting from foot to foot. The priest looked at him nervously. He wasn't expecting him to be this impatient waiting for the girl of his dreams to walk up the aisle.
"Jack!" Hissed his father, "Stand still!"
Jack stopped shuffling his feet and stood tall. He glanced around the full room nervously and took a deep breath.
The music began to play. Jack took another deep breath and held it this time. He watched the door. It opened and one bridesmaid entered, then another and then another. Then finally, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen stood in the doorway. Kimiko, dressed in a snowy white Kimono embroidered with silver dragons. Her hair was caught up on her head, held in place by what he recognised as the Tangle-Web-Comb and woven into the black strand of her hair were white flowers. She wasn't exactly smiling, but she didn't look unhappy. Her face looked content and her lips were slightly curved up like she was just satisfied to be there.
As she walked up the aisle, Jack grew very conscious of the lump in his throat, stopping him from saying what he was thinking. As she drew up next to him, he managed to wrench his lips apart and clear his throat.
"You look amazing," He said hoarsely.
"So do you," Said Kimiko. Her blue eyes glittering with the lights dotted around the walls.
"Are you ready to begin?" Asked the priest.
"Yes," Said Kimiko, though what she was tempted to say was 'as ready as I'll ever be'.
Jack nodded and the priest began.
"Dearly beloved …"
After that first line, Kimiko wasn't really listening. She was thinking about everything that had happened recently. Was she ready for this? She responded when the priest asked her to, but was it really her responding or was it sense of what was right?
"If anyone knows why these two people should no be joined in marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace." Said the priest.
There was silence, then:
"I OBJECT!" Shouted a voice.
Kimiko and Jack span around. Raimundo was standing up…
Kimiko stared at him as he glared at Jack. Then he smiled and laughed.
"Just kidding, please continue." He said and sat back down.
Everyone laughed a bit, except Jack and Kimiko who both looked as though they were about to pass out.
"I'm sooooo going to kill him. Is there anything he can't manage to mess up?" Said Kimiko bitterly under her breath.
"I dunno, but I was really thought he was serious for a moment there." Whispered Jack.
"Well," Said the priest, obviously annoyed at being interrupted so rudely, "We should continue."
He said something else, but Kimiko was too busy glaring at Raimundo out of the corner of her eye to listen.
" … I now pronounce you …" Began the priest, but he didn't finish.
Someone jumped through the glass window in the room. That someone was dressed in a black cat suit and Kimiko and Jack only knew one person who dressed like that. Suddenly everything fell into place. The cat names, the e-mails, the nail file …
"Katnappe!" they both shouted.
"What are you doing here?" Shouted Omi, standing up.
"I came for the wedding." Said Katnappe, smiling maliciously.
"You're not on the guest list," Said Clay.
"How did you even know about it?" Asked Raimundo.
Katnappe smiled and focused her attention on Kimiko, who she knew had realised.
"It was you," Hissed Kimiko, "You're the one who's been sending me those messages. You've been spying on us, trying to mess this thing up!"
"Correct, but I had a feeling the wedding was going to happen anyway," Sighed Katnappe.
"Do you seriously hate me that much?" Said Kimiko.
"No, well yes, but no, not you," Said Katnappe.
Kimiko's eyes widened and she glanced at Jack.
"It's me," Said Jack, "You've been trying to mess this up for me."
"Of course," Hissed Katnappe, "you thought that I was going to let you get away with it?"
"I was kind of hoping," Said Jack, scratching the back of his head.
Kimiko had had enough. She tore a rip up one side of her dress giving her space to move and then she jumped at Katnappe. She hit her in the stomach and gave a flying kick, sending Katnappe flying into the wall. Katnappe had not been expecting this and hit the wall hard. She slumped on the floor. Kimiko and Jack ran over and stood above her.
Kimiko pulled back her hood and James and Amber gasped. Her hair was blue, green and pink.
"Ashley?" Asked Amber, "Why would you do such a thing?"
"Because she's a total bitch!" spat Kimiko, kicking her in the leg.
"Because I wanted to get back as whiny boy there!" Said Katnappe, nodding at Jack.
"What did he do that was so bad it made you want to destroy my wedding day?" Asked Kimiko.
"I didn't do anything!" Said Jack too quickly to sound convincing, "You know her, always stealing and lying!"
"So are you," Said Raimundo.
"What did you do?" Asked Kimiko.
"I'll tell you what he did!" Said Katnappe, dragging herself to her feet.
She stretched and her neck cracked and she twisted her head from side to side.
"It all started a couple of weeks ago, he decided to pull a prank on me," Said Katnappe, "it started of simple, he put glue all over my floor so that when I stepped on it I'd get stuck to the floor, then he sneaked in and stole my Shen-Gong-Wu. That was more or less Jack's style. So I had to steal them back. I set up a cage in his room and when he opened the door it fell down on him and I got the Shen-Gong-Wu back." She glared at him, "But he started making his little pranks more and more nasty. So I had to do the same. Then he just took it too far …"
"Get a move on!" Said Kimiko.
"Yeah, yeah, just hold on." Said Katnappe, "First, he hacked into my on-line diary, which up until recently had been locked to the public, then he typed in a load of crap about me liking him and liking to do things that … well, no one should even know what that is never mind doing it! Then he made it public, but he didn't stop there, he sent to everyone with an e-mail account!"
"Dude, that was you?" Asked Raimundo.
"I got that too!" Said Kimiko, shivering, "but that was it?"
"Oh no, that wasn't it!" Said Katnappe, "He waited until I was asleep and drew all over my face in permanent marker! He then took a picture and e-mailed it to a blimp and had it fly over New York. He THEN he swapped my conditioner, shampoo and hair moose with slow reaction hair dye!"
"My own permanent formula," Said Jack.
"And it did THIS to my hair!" said Katnappe, pointing to her brightly coloured head, "He then sold my super-kittens to a dog training facility, which won't return them by the way, then he took a picture of my head. Planted on someone else's body and sent flyers around saying that I'm a famous porn-star and put my REAL address on it. I keep getting people knocking on my door expecting free … well that's not the point! Anyway, it was all his fault!"
Kimiko turned to Jack and stared at him.
"You did that to her?" She asked.
"Well … yeah, but it was just for laughs!" Said Jack defensively.
"Personally I'm not sure whose side I should be on!" Snapped Kimiko, "Katnappe seems to be in the right, but she just helped Raimundo destroy my wedding day!"
"I was just kidding!" Said Raimundo, "It was just something I've always wanted to do!"
Kimiko looked Jack straight in the face. Clay, Omi and Raimundo stood around them to give them privacy.
"How to you expect me to believe that you really care for me when you go and do things like this?" She asked quietly so no one could hear.
"You don't care for me, so why should I care?" He asked, before shaking his head and sighing deeply, "Let's just get this over with and I'll get the divorce sorted out in a few months. In the mean time we'll just go back to normal."
Kimiko nodded and Omi, Clay and Raimundo went back to their seats. Kimiko and Jack turned to the priest.
"You can finish up now," said Jack.
The priest, who looked very shaken, started flicking through his book, trying to find the right place and then he looked up, trying to smile.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife …"
(A/N) I'm sorry I didn't update last weekend. I've had the week from hell, but I've written a one-shot horror story to make up for it. Enjoy.
Lots of luv, Becky.