Vol. 08

Chapter 32

"A grand wedding reception for free?! I didn't know that." Ellie was amazed by the news.

"See? Ellie, that's why Marcy is entering the contest! Don't you think she's being a little selfish, especially when she's not even getting married?" Selina asked. The two were walking along the streets of the afternoon.

"I get it now. She bought all those 'Sewing for Dummies' books, but she even visited Hermione at her home to ask her about sewing. I knew something fishy was going on."

"Because she doesn't know what to do."

"But making a dress isn't that easy, you know. Not to mention her short attention span."

"I hope she's okay with this. After all, they say, 'A woman's conviction can crack a rock.'." Selina is speaking in nonsense. Luna was sitting on top of a high wall trying to listen to what the ladies have to say.

"What the Hell does that suppose to mean?" Ellie gave Selina a confuse look.

"Oh? Did I get that saying wrong?"

"What the heck is she up to?" Luna had no luck of hearing the conversation, but it ended shortly when they got their attention grabbed by a short stubby man holding a bouquet of flowers going up the stairs to an apartment.

"Hey, who is the guy?" Selina pointed out the man.

"He and the bouquet don't go well together." Commented Ellie.

"He looks like a loser."

"You shouldn't say things like that. Oh my God!" Ellie was surprised where the man went.

"He's visiting Ms. Aki's apartment!" Selina added.

"Don't tell me that's..." Ellie couldn't finish her sentence until the two said it together.

"...Ms. Aki's fiance?!" The fiance knocked on the door.

"Harvest?" No answer, he knocked again. "What's wrong? You won't even answer my calls. Are you feeling okay? Harvest?" The door open fast and pushed the man away from the door. "What? Harvest?" He saw her wearing not her usually clothes but instead wearing a black sports bra with a green giant T-shirt and a pair purple short-shorts. Her hair was everywhere and not wearing her glasses. Her fiance offered her the flowers. "Well, I..."

"What is this?" She slapped the flowers off his hands smashed it on the floor. "Listen carefully! Don't come near my place until the dress contest at the City Hall is over! If you do, I'll break off our engagement! Got that?" Ms. Aki started to shiver in pain. "The dress...The dress...I have to hurry up and make my wedding dress!" She went back inside and locked the door living her fiance out with the flowers.

"Harvest..." The man picked up the bouquet and walked slowly down the stairs in a slump.

"No way! That was our Ms. Aki?!" Ellie couldn't believe her eyes.

"By the contest, did she mean...She can't be! It'll be a really tough competition if she participates, too! Sucks for Marcy! She's in trouble now!" Selina was giggling.

Hmmm...I sense something's wrong with that teacher. Luna had a hunch. Inside the apartment, Ms. Aki continue to the work on the fabric that she got in the shop. Without a blink, she works with the sewing matching in such speed. She looks intense and not a speck of tiredness.

"What?! Our designs program professor, Ms. Aki?" Hermione just heard the news.

"Yes, I definitely feel the aura of a monster, but it's not clear." Luna updated, the two walked to the St. Mark church.

"Come to think of it, Ms. Aki has been gone for a while." Hermione reasoned.

"See? So, we need to get the help of Marcella's paranoia, and everyone..." Luna explained.

"Hey, stop!" Shouted Atilio, chasing after Marcella. "What are you going to do with the only rental wedding dress we have?!" Marcella running, not watching where she's going due to the veil covering her face, she crashed into Hermione and Luna. The two were on the ground suffering back pain, Marcella got rid of the veil and who she knocked out.

"God that hurt so much!" Luna complained. Atilio grabbed the dress from Marcella's hands and folded it nicely.

"Honestly! I thought you were going to elope with some guy! I hope you're not..."

"Oh, you still don't trust me! There is no way that I will participate in that City Hall contest!" Marcella yelled back.

"Of course, not! It's unforgivable to use a sacred wedding dress for their promotion. Shame on them!" Hermione and Luna straighten themselves out from the crash and watch them argue over nothing.

"Why is he so mad?" Luna asked Hermione not knowing what they were talking about. The priest walked over to the two victims and gave them a welcoming smile.

"Excuse me ladies, how about having your wedding ceremony at our church? It's much cheaper than having it at the City Hall."

"No, thank you. We don't have anybody right now anyway." Hermione responded in behalf of her and Luna.

"Ooh! I'm single! If you'll take me..." Before he could finish his sentence, Marcella sneaked up behind him whacked him across the head with a broom. They went inside the church and the priest made some herbal tea and set out some banana chips for the guests. Hermione and Luna enjoyed the snacks but notice that Marcella wasn't there with them.

"Don't mind me asking, but where is your daughter, I swear she was here just a second ago." Luna mentioned. Atilio looked around the room and didn't see her either.

"She better not attempt to get that dress again! Excuse me, while I get her back in chains." Atilio to the back of the church where is more modern the front. Marcella was tip-toeing across the halls avoiding of being caught. She hide in the corner of the hall and check if the coast is clear.

Here I am. The beautiful thief, Red Marcy. Marcella sneaked into a room and slide open a drawer. She took out a neatly folded white silky table cloth that is usually use for service. "It's perfect!"

"MARCELLA!"

"Holy shit!" Marcella jump right around and faced her higher power.

"I hope you're not planning on using God's favourite tablecloths to make a dress!" Atilio stood by her with crossed arms, leering at her trying to make her feel intimidated. Marcella clasp her hands together and begged.

"Please have mercy, Father Atilio! I'd love to buy cloth for a dress, but my allowance...Daddy!" Marcella grabbed his arm tugged on it.

"Here is my proposition."

"Huh?"

"To pay for the price of new tablecloths, I will suspend your allowance for the next three months." Marcella went into shock when she heard what he offer.

"Father Atilio!"

"Besides, there aren't that many days left until the contest. Can you get a dress done by then?!"

"But the grand wedding reception...I just can't give it up!" She cried out.

In Ms. Aki's apartment, she was dancing around with her new creation filled with such pride in her work. She twirled around so much and her energy depleted, she fell on the floor. A bouquet of flowers were resting by her door.

The day of the competition is here and ready to start. Everyone participating were lined up ready to show off their new wedding dresses at the City Hall. "Ladies, thank you for participating in this contest! Thank you, thank you so much! It's a huge success! Huge!" The organizer was in full colours. Right by the entrance of the City Hall, the whole gang were there watching to see what the contestant made. Marcella's fingers were covered in bandages.

"I wish I could..." Marcella sobbed.

"Don't cry, Marcy. You did your best." Supported Hermione.

"Well, I'll acknowledge the effort you put into stabbing your fingers with a needle over and over again!" Selina added.

"Why you..." Marcella was ready to swing a few punches.

"Selina!" Hermione stopped the fight before it even started.

"Anyway, we need to watch and see if anything suspicious happens. Selina, you're going to infiltrate the hall as a contestant." Luna ordered.

"You're kidding?! Where the Hell am I going to get a dress?" Selina does not want to be apart of it.

"You have the transforming pocket mirror, don't you?" Marcella reminded her.

"Oh! I'd forgotten about that." Selina admitted. The ladies weren't surprise. "Moon Mirage! Turn me into a bride!" After the transformation, she was wearing a one shoulder, silver studded belt with a bell bottom skirt in layers, of course white. "I did it! How do I look? I could win for sure with this! Don't you wish you were me?" Selina teased.

"Selina!" Luna snapped.

"You wouldn't win fairly." Hermione reasoned.

"You're only participating, okay?!" Luna made sure of it.

"I knew it." Selina said under her breathe. Inside the hall, the stage lights were turned on shining on the stage where all the brides are lined up including Selina.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We will now start the handmade wedding dress contest!" The audience applauded. Marcella, Luna and Hermione met up at the back of the crowd to get the news.

"Where is that teacher?!" Marcella looked frantically.

"I can't find her!" Hermione added. From the stage, Selina looked at every bride and did not see her teacher either.

"Please be quiet! And now..." The lights went off making the hall pitch black. The lights went back on with the curtains open and a spotlight aiming at a bride getting centre attention. Because of the light her dressed sparkled like a disco ball.

"Ms. Aki! Wow!" Selina was shock to see her up there and let alone the almost like Alexander McQueen dress she was wearing. The organizer ran up to her.

"Excuse me, we cannot have you doing unplanned..."

"Shut up!" She shouted to the man, her eyes glow red. The man looked into her eyes fell into a spell.

"Oh, you're my ideal bride! Please marry me!" The man was on his knees.

"Shut up! You actually think you're good enough for me?! All the men in the world should fall to their knees before me! And all the women should surrender to my beauty! I am the winner in this contest! I and no other!" Ms. Aki made her point and laughed in glory. Everybody in the audience were falling asleep as they peer into her eyes. Selina was looking into her eyes and almost fell asleep when Luna popped up from under Selina's skirt in her wolf form.

"Don't, Selina! Don't look at her eyes!" Luna warned her, Selina woken up in energy and surprised to see Luna under her dress.

"Whoa, I don't believe you, Luna! You saw, didn't you? You pervert!" Selina gain her pride.

"This isn't the time for that." Luna backed up. Within the shadows, Paris watches the event and cue in.

"The energy level has peaked. Come out, monster, Widow!" At his command, Ms. Aki's soul came out of her and transformed into a giant spider. Ms. Aki's body fell on the stage lifeless. Selina ran up to her to check on her condition.

"Ms. Aki!" She turned to face the monster. "So, you finally showed up, you monster!"

"BLAH!" The spider responded. Selina felt a little intimidated.

"It's just disgusting and creepy more than the others!" Alright, Selina is very scared of the monster.

"BLAH!" The monster grunted.

"Wait!" The two other girls were coming down on a double seat swing from the top of the stage saying 'The Happy Couple' making it very awkward.

"Wow, this is funny!" Selina commented.

"The wedding dress is the eternal dream of innocent girls!" Said Hermione.

"No one will get away with tainting that pure white dress!" Added Marcella.

"That's not fair! You two get all the cool parts! Okay, then! Since I'm the last one, I guess I'll get the last word...Upon the Rule of Diana, Lend Me Your Light!" Selina recovered her spot.

"Upon the Rule of Mercury, Lend Me Your Speed!"

"Upon the Rule of Mars, Lend Me Your Rage!"

"I'm the warrior of the Hunt and the Moon, I'm Guardian Moon!"

"I'm the warrior of Commerce and Speed, I'm Guardian Mercury!"

"I'm the warrior of War and Passion, I'm Guardian Mars!"

"In the name of Olympus, we will defeat you!" Said Selina in behalf of the team. The giant spider came charging at them with fast moving legs. From it's mouth, came out a wave of webbing aim at the Guardians. Marcella and Mercury dodge the attack but Selina stood there like a hydro pole. Selina was completely wrapped up in sticky yet soft and strong webbing. "Aahh!" She actually scream her lungs out.

"Oh, no!" Hermione worried.

"Idiot!" Marcella of course. The spider started to take in webbing and weaved it into a shroud, Selina would be weaved in it if they don't think of something fast.

"Leave me alone!" Selina pulled against the spider's pull, doing a tug of war. But the spider is too strong and dragged Selina closer to it.

"Quicksilver Haze, Surround!" The haze surround the arachnid making it stop doing what it was doing and corroding the webbing making it weaker.

"Iron Fist, Collide!" Marcella punched through the web cutting it into shreds. The spider reacted to the destruction of it's work. The Guardians went to check on Selina.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked but Selina responded by shaking around and tried to get the lose ends off of her.

"You're being such a child!" Marcella commented.

"But I hate spiders!" Selina admitted. The spider started to run in different directions but getting closer to the warriors. It then spat out another wave of webbing. Selina took out her discus set it to fly.

"Silver Moon, Watch My Aim!" Selina threw the discus at the webbing, going right through it and hitting the spider when reached on the other end. The spider screech in a high pitch tone and disintegrated to nothing. Ms. Aki started to wake up and got up slowly and saw her surroundings.

"Oh...Where am I? What was I doing?"

The next day or so, the day of Ms. Aki's wedding. "Congratulations! You did it! Be happy!" The newlyweds walked out of the church and greeted the guests with their smiles. "She is so beautiful!" Marcella commented.

"I can't believe he was still waiting for her after all the things she said to him." Selina mentioned.

"Well, I guess you can't judge a man by his looks." Said Marcella.

"But I still prefer a good looking guy." Selina added.

"Hey, Selina!" Luna kept on eye on her.

"Did you know that the person who catches the bride's bouquet will get to marry next?" Hermione mentioned.

"What?! Really?!" Marcella reacted. Ms. Aki threw the bouquet over her head, Marcella and a few other desperate women went after it. "It's mine!" "No, it's mine!" "No, I'll be the first!" After all the pushing and shoving. The bouquet diverted to the hands of Hermione. Selina laughed her head and Marcella looked in confusion. "How can that be?!"