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CHAPTER ELEVEN

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Artemis's head appeared outside the window of the wedding chamber. Then it disappeared. Then reappeared, and then disappeared again. As he did this, the priest stuttered through his lines.

"And so, by the power vested in me, I know pronounce you husband and wife, King and Queen," He said slowly.

Goku threw Artemis up to the high window so he could look in again, and then caught him as he came down.

"What do ya see?" He asked.

Artemis managed to say a sentence each time Goku threw him. "The whole town's in there. They're at the altar," He gasped as he looked in again. "Mother Fletcher, he all ready said it!" He cried.

Goku threw his hands into the air. "Oh, for the love of Pete!" He ran inside the hall and let Artemis crash to the ground with a loud "Oof!"

Darien was leaning in to kiss his new wife when the doors to the room banged open and a hairy saiya-jin came running down the aisle.

"I object!" Goku yelled.

Rei stared at him in shock as he ran up to the altar. "Goku?" She whispered in disbelief.

The priest had wisely stepped away before he could faint. Darien ran his hand through his black hair. "Oh, now what does he want?!" He hissed in irritation.

Goku laughed nervously at the frightened crowd. "Hi, everyone... having a good time are ya? I love A-kon, first of all, very clean," He rambled.

Rei crossed her arms over her chest and glared. "What are you doing here?!" She demanded.

Darien added his two cents worth. "Really, it's rude enough being alive when no one wants you, but showing up uninvited to a wedding!" He snapped.

Goku cut in before Darien could really get going. "Rei, I need to talk to you," He said imploringly.

Rei sneered at him. "Oh, now you wanna talk? Well, it's a little late for that, so if you'll excuse me--" She snapped.

She then leaned over to kiss Darien, who was smirking evilly at Goku. The saiya-jin yanked the small princess away by her arm.

"But you can't marry him!" He cried.

Rei glared coldly at him. "And why not?" She inquired.

Goku stumbled around for an answer. "Because-- because he's just marrying you so he can be king!" He said triumphantly.

Darien acted as if he had been wounded. "Outrageous! Rei, don't listen to him," he purred.

Goku glared at him. "He's not your true love!" He growled. The princess eyed him coolly.

"And what do you know about true love?" She demanded in a steeled tone.

Goku was at a loss for words. "Well, uh, I uh, I mean--" He trailed off, feeling his face flush as Darien began to laugh mockingly.

"Oh, this is precious! The saiya-jin has fallen in love with the princess! Oh lord, a saiya-jin and a princess!" he gasped out between cackles.

The crowd was cued to laugh along with their king. Rei was looking into Goku's embarassed eyes with a steady gaze. "Is this true?" She whispered.

Darien cut in angrily. "Who cares! It's preposterous! Rei, my love, we are but a kiss away from our happily ever after. Now, kiss me!" He puckered his lips and made a smooching noise at the princess. Rei visibly cringed at the sight.

The princess glanced out the window at the setting sun, and then looked back at Goku.

"By night one way, by day another..." She pulled herself out of Darien's grasp and stepped away from both of them. "I wanted to show you before," She said with a small smile as she backed up to the glass, letting the sunset wash over her.

As the last light of the sun faded a glowing light surrounded the princess. It was too bright to look at as it encased her, but when it faded Rei had been transformed. She stood a few inches taller, her hair longer around the base of her tail bone...she had soft red fur all over her body, and a tail. She smiled weakly at the other saiya-jin.

Goku returned the smile. "Well, that explains a lot," He said, a bit breathlessly.

Darien was having a hard time not fainting like the other ladies of the court had. "Ugh, it's disgusting! Guards! Guards! I order you to get them out of my sight! Get them! Get them both! This hocus pocus changes nothing!" He screamed, and Darien placed the crown on his head and sneered at Goku and Rei as several guards set upon them. "This marriage is binding! And that makes me King! See! See!" He ranted in an insanely maniacal manner.

Rei struggled against the men holding her back. "No! No, Goku! No, let go of me! Goku!" She yelled as she tried to fight off her assailants.

Goku wasn't doing much better as he tried vainly to get to his beloved, as the horde of knights were pulling them apart from each other. "No! Get out of my way!" He growled at some of the men.

Darien pointed his scepter at Goku as he bellowed to his men. "Don't just stand here, you morons, kill him! You have to! Go get him! Beast, you'll rue the day we met!" He hissed at the saiya-jin as he struggled.

Goku was unable to get through the amount of knights to Rei. He was finally overpowered, and Darien laughed evilly. "I'll see you torn in two! You'll beg for death to save you!" He cried with glee.

Rei ran forward at that. "No! Goku!" She cried. She was held back before she could get very far and then she froze as Darien turned to her and placed a dagger at her throat.

"And as for you, my wife! I'll have you locked back in that tower for the rest of your days!" He cried.

Goku had had enough. He put his fingers in his mouth and did the only thing he could think of doing. He whistled.

Darien didn't care about this as he kept on wailing insanely. "I am King! I will have order! I will have perfection! I will have--" Darien's screams were cut short by a thundering roar and the shattering of the stained glass window above the altar.

Filia took one look at the pale, shrieking king and opened her mouth. She let out a burst of flame and roasted him to a crisp. When the flames cleared, there weren't even ashes left. Artemis popped up from behind Filia and glared crazily at everyone.

"All right, nobody move! I got a Golden Dragon here and I ain't afraid to use it! I'm a feline on the edge!" He yelled.

After a moment of silence, he grinned. "Celebrity marriages, they never last do they?" Artemis chuckled and nodded to his friend. "Go ahead, Goku." He said.

Goku took Rei's hand in his. "Uh, Rei--" He started.

The princess squeezed his hand. "Yes, Goku?" She asked encouragingly.

"I... I love you," Goku said softly as a tiny smile appeared on his lips. Rei smiled at him.

"Really?" She whispered. Goku nodded.

"Really, really," He replied. Rei let out a short laugh and smiled at him.

"I love you, too," She said as Goku leaned down to her. Their lips met in a tender, loving kiss.

Mr. Satan rewrote one of the cue cards to say "Aww," and as he held it up the crowd certainly did "aww. "

As soon as the kiss ended, Rei was lifted into the air and the same light from before appeared around her again. She floated for a moment as a magical change occurred with her body... The spell was finally broken.

In a bright flash of power, the building shook and the windows, with Darien's image on them, were shattered. All but one, anyway, and Filia punched it out just to keep things orderly. After the light faded, Rei was lowered gently to the floor, and Goku helped her stand up as he smiled at her.

"Rei, are you all right?" He asked. The princess looked confused as she looked down at herself.. she was still a saiya-jin.

"Well, yes, but, I don't understand.... I'm supposed to be beautiful," She said in a sad voice.

Goku gave her a reassuring smile. "But you are beautiful," He said truthfully. To him, the princess was the most beautiful creature alive.

Artemis hugged Filia and wiped away a tear. "I was hopping this would be a happy ending!" He sniffed.

Goku and Rei leaned in for another kiss, but this one was a lot more passionate. It was truly love's first kiss.

After getting some things arranged, the two saiya-jins held their own wedding at the swamp, just so things would be legal and all. The happy couple walked down the aisle towards their carriage, surrounded by the crowd of villagers, royals, and Anime characters alike. After they got in, Rei threw out the bouquet of flowers she had been holding. Usagi and Ami started to fight over who would grab it, but before it even got close enough to them, Filia snatched it from the air. She moved back down and gave Artemis a sly grin. The smaller feline blushed brightly as he leaned over to kiss and nuzzle his love.

Little Chaotzu walked out from the crowd of cheering folks and waved happily at Goku and Rei.

"God bless us, everyone!" the small Z-warrior cried joyfully.

With that, the carriage carried the two saiya-jins off into the sunset, and to some place where they could make out like true lovers do!

----THE END ----