Another Journey Begins

by Dabish95

Zanza is defeated and everyone is now free to live as they choose. Shulk and his friends return home but they still have one last thing to decide, something they've all had on the back of their minds during their journey, "What happens now?" How will everyone go about their lives now that it's all over? (Mature content is kept minimal but still rated M due to it's nature.)

16. Unity

In the same way that Alcamoth and other places around the new world were progressing, so too were the changes in the seasons. The flowers spread throughout the courtyards in the imperial capital were now in bloom, and the trees that were previously barren began to blossom with new life as the sun's gentle rays seeped through the dome surrounding Alcamoth.

"Ah, it's so nice out today!" Denise said cheerfully. Her and Melia were spending the rest of the day together and walking around the city after Melia had finished meeting with her wedding planner.

"I agree. It's shaping to be a very promising Spring with how these first few weeks have been." Melia added.

The two girls found a bench on the second floor's outer ring, just above the entryway into Alcamoth, and they decided to sit down for a moment and just observe all the welcomed changes that Spring was bringing. Birds could also be heard chirping overhead as they looked up at the bright and clear sky, watching them flock on the other side of Alcamoth's dome.

"You have no idea how much I needed this moment of respite." Melia said and let out a relaxed sigh.

"I don't think I'd even want to imagine. I'm sure you had plenty of things to keep you busy already, and now throwing wedding arrangements on top of that?" Denise replied. She then glanced out of the corner of her eye, noticing that Melia didn't seem phased at all.

"You know, you're handling this a lot better than I expected." Denise commented, "I'm not saying it's bad or anything. It's just that I've heard about people getting so nervous before their wedding that it makes them ill—like, physically ill. But you? You're still as level-headed as ever."

"Well, I will admit that the arrangements could be a bit stressful at times, and it's taken up some days that I would've liked to myself or to spend with Shulk." Melia said, pausing for a moment as she reclined further back, "But I know it'll all be worth it when the day finally comes, and I've found some ways to cope with the stress in the meantime. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I just keep reminding myself that it's okay to take a step back for a bit and focus on what's actually important—that Shulk and I still have each other. That's all we really need to make our wedding day feel perfect, and everything else is secondary to that."

"Pretty well spoken, Melia." Denise said, "If only you could get your fiancé to start thinking like that too."

"Has Shulk still been feeling nervous about it?" Melia inquired.

"Every now and then. Its honestly a little surprising to see that the groom is the nervous one instead of the bride." Denise replied, "Lilith promoted me to a secretary position a few weeks ago and wanted me to work under Shulk until after the wedding to lighten his stress, and I think I'm starting to pick up on the signs that something might be bothering him. He won't talk much when he gets like that and he'll have this weird look on his face, like he's either agitated or thinking really deep about something. He usually tries to keep himself busy until it passes, but sometimes it only gets worse and he'll have to go on break until he can actually focus again."

"With the way you're describing it, that sounds like it could be his anxiety acting up again." Melia concluded, "I'll have a talk with Shulk when I get the chance and see if there's anything I can do for him."

"Alright, just keep me posted whenever you come to visit him at work again." Denise said and then spun to face Melia, crossing her legs and patting her hands on the bench space between them, "Okay, enough with the negative stuff for now. How's the rest of the prep work going? And did you make sure to get me and the others good seats for the ceremony?"

"Out of everything you could've asked me, that's what you want to know specifically?" Melia teased back, "To answer your first question, everything is close to being done. In fact, if things continue to move as smoothly as they've been, then Shulk and I might even have some time to relax before the event. And don't worry, I made sure to reserve seats for you all in the front."

"That's what I like to hear!" Denise cheered and put on a smirk, "Hey, while we're at it, are there any other perks an empress can pull for one of her friends?"

"You and the others are already getting priority treatment and roles in the wedding. What more could you possibly want?" Melia played along.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Denise started.

"This outrage! Do friends know who they're talking to?!" A voice from the floor below them shouted.

"Huh? Was that a Nopon?" Denise muttered as she and Melia both leaned over the railing to try and get a glimpse on what was going on.

"That's what it sounded like." Melia agreed, seeing two guards but no Nopon, "Perhaps a trading caravan isn't being allowed in?"

"No, we don't. Please, enlighten us." The first guard sarcastically answered as the argument continued.

"Friends be talking to the Heropon!" The Nopon said frustratedly.

"…The Heropon?" Melia gasped and quietly repeated to herself. She suddenly stood up and started running towards the entrance, needing to confirm it for herself.

"Melia, wait! I'm coming with you!" Denise said and hurried to catch up with her.

Melia was approaching fast with Denise trailing only a short distance behind her as she closed in on the guards, their backs turned to her as the argument appeared to still be going on… and getting more heated.

"Look, pal, we're not buying any of this Heropon nonsense, so just drop it already. I know what the Heropon looks like, and you're not him." The second guard said impatiently.

"Well… that because new Heropon was chosen." The Nopon quickly brushed the fact aside, "But used to be Heropon! And once Heropon, always Heropon!"

The second guard's glare kept getting worse, looking like he was on the verge of bursting as he stomped closer, "Alright, that's it! I'm done entertaining this—"

"Empress!" The first guard announced, both cutting off and warning his partner.

The second guard quickly fixed his demeanor and spun on his heel, realizing that Melia had been watching them, "Empress! I assure you, Ma'am, there's nothing here to be concerned about. It's merely a newcomer who was failing to comply."

"Hey, don't talk as if Heropon no longer here! Turn back around!" The Nopon said agitatedly.

Melia remained calm through the rising tensions, choosing to focus on the curiosity that led her here in the first place.

"Please, allow me to see him." She instructed.

With the sounds of a familiar voice and the title she'd heard from earlier, Melia was all but certain on who this visitor would be, and there were no longer any doubts as the guards nodded and stepped aside. Standing in the entryway was an energetic, albeit angry little Nopon with an unmistakable mix of blond and orange fur with red highlights, bouncing up and down as he tried to regain the guards' attention.

"M-… Melly?" The Nopon stopped bouncing and froze up, his brown eyes lighting up at the sight of the empress.

Melia warmly smiled over the nickname that she hadn't heard in years, "It's certainly been a while since we last seen each other, hasn't it Riki?"

Overwhelmed by all the excitement, Riki couldn't contain himself and leaped towards Melia, brushing his cheek against hers while she laughed and held him close in her arms.

"Riki so happy to see Melly again! Riki missed Melly!" Riki cried.

"I missed you too, Riki. We all did." Melia said and stroked his fur.

After embracing each other for a few more moments, Melia set Riki down and they turned back to the guards, seeing stunned looks on both of their faces.

"O-our apologies, Empress. We didn't know that you two were acquainted." The second guard said.

"That's understandable with how long he's been away." Melia answered, her tone growing sharper and sterner, "However, what isn't was the way you two handled this situation. The noise generated from this dispute was enough for me to overhear it from above you, and from what I've witnessed, I find it hard to believe your claims of having things under control."

Both guards kneeled and lowered their heads, "You have our most sincere apologies, your highness."

"I'm afraid that won't be enough. You were both too quick to instigate, and that rash display cannot be so easily dismissed." Melia replied. She then noticed a group of four royal guards across from her, most likely drawn to the dispute in the same way that she was. She signaled for them to come over and the head of their patrol group stood at attention.

"Yes, Ma'am. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Were you and your group present for the entirety of this altercation?" Melia inquired.

"Yes, we were. It started as we were walking by, and we remained here since." The patrol head answered.

"Then I want you to take these two before their superiors and give them a full report on what happened." Melia ordered, "Notify me on how they've chosen to handle this afterwards."

"Right away, Empress." The patrol head responded and walked up to the guards in question, "Both of you are to come with us immediately."

The two guards kept their gaze at the floor and followed behind them, and once the scene had cleared, Denise came over from the sidelines and met back up with Melia and Riki.

"Well, that was certainly something." Denise commented.

"I…" Melia paused, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't worry about it, Melia." Denise assured her.

"Yeah, Melly give mean guards what they had coming!" Riki added.

"I wouldn't have put it quite that way." Denise said lightly, "I would've just said it was fair and left it at that, but hey, what do I know about being in charge of so many people?"

Melia gave a small and quick smile in return, but Denise had been around her long enough to tell the difference between a real and a fake one.

"Thinking you let your stress get the better of you?" Denise softly asked.

Melia nodded, keeping her eyes aimed at the ground.

"It's all right, Melia. Come here." Denise soothingly cooed and gave her a hug, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm mostly concerned about the way I carried myself than anything else." Melia said, "I didn't sound like I was taking my frustrations out on them, did I?"

"Not at all." Denise replied, "You wouldn't have jumped in if you didn't feel the need for it, right?"

"Friend right, Melly." Riki said and walked up to her side, "Besides, guards should have known better anyways."

"I guess you're right…" Melia said and picked him up.

Riki put on a jokingly pouty face after he was lifted to Melia's level, pinching her cheeks and trying to force her to smile, "Riki didn't come all this way to see Melly sad! Riki doesn't care how long it takes or what Riki has to do, Riki refuses to leave until see Melly smile!"

"Okay, okay! You can unhand me now, Riki!" Melia playfully fought back, showing a genuine smile this time as she ruffled the fur on Riki's head, "It's hard to stay upset for too long when you're here anyways."

"If that's the case, then maybe he needs to stick around for a bit so you don't turn into bridezilla." Denise suggested.

"What is 'bridezilla', and why would Melly turn into it?" Riki asked obliviously.

"She's just joking, Riki." Melia answered, "She was talking about some things that happened while you were away. Come, we'll go to the Villa and talk about it there." She added, keeping Riki secure in her arms as they headed there.

After they finally arrived, Melia set Riki down and he went straight into the living room, making himself comfortable on the couch.

"Riki already exhausted." He sighed.

Melia laughed as she watched Riki sink deeper into his seat, "It's as if you never left with how quickly you could make yourself at home, Riki." She said while her and Denise walked around the coffee table, sitting across from him on the other couch.

"Did you just get back? I heard from Melia that you've been traveling for quite a while." Denise asked.

"New friend right. Riki returned not too long ago." Riki answered, "By the way, Riki never got new friend's name."

"Oh, you're right. My apologies. My name is Denise." She introduced herself.

"Name is Riki… but probably already knew that." Riki said back, "Any friend of Melly's is friend of Riki! How long Denise known Melly for anyways?"

"It's been a few years now. We met shortly after the restoration projects began around Alcamoth." Denise replied.

"Ah, right. That would explain why you and Riki never met each other, since he left shortly after the city was reclaimed." Melia added and slouched back in her seat, "As odd as it might sound, it's almost nostalgic. Putting aside the obvious strife we had to endure, it felt like a simpler time back then, and seeing so many people band together to help rebuild made Alcamoth feel much smaller and more congruent. It really brought everyone together, kind of like how it did with us."

"Yeah, I get what you mean. But still, it feels like we've known each other for much longer, you know?" Denise asked.

"I understand. I feel the same way with how quickly we've bonded, and the others seem to have taken a liking to you just as fast too." Melia assured her.

Melia then hastily stood up as she remembered that something had slipped her mind, "Forgive me. I should've asked this beforehand, but would either of you like something to eat or drink before we continue?"

Riki excitedly sat up at the offer, "Riki feels like has room to eat!"

"Ooh, that reminds me! Did you put away those leftovers from yesterday, Melia?" Denise added.

"Yes, they're still in the refrigerator." Melia answered.

"Alright, then I'll just have that." Denise said and looked over at Riki, "You don't mind if I go with her into the kitchen, do you?"

"Riki not mind." He assured her.

Melia turned her attention to Riki while Denise was getting up, "We'll be right back with something for you too, Riki."

"Friends take as long as they like." Riki said and reclined back in his seat.

The two girls then went into the kitchen and Denise began rummaging through the fridge, pulling out a black container with a lid encasing it.

"Yes! Food~!" Denise exclaimed, her green eyes lighting up as she held the container aloft.

"Settle down, you glutton." Melia commented.

"Oh, so that's what you think of me, huh? Well, this glutton might end up eating yours and your fiancé's leftovers too if you keep that up." Denise shot back.

"You wouldn't dare." Melia playfully glared.

Denise stared her friend back down as she held the container in front of her, leaving her other hand hanging dramatically over the lid.

"Try me." Denise sneered.

In the midst of their standoff, Melia managed to summon a wind elemental under the container and flung her arm upwards, making the elemental swipe the food out of Denise's hands and leave it hovering high in the air.

"Let's see you try to steal what's no longer in reach." Melia taunted.

After a pause to weigh out her choices, Denise sighed and raised her hands in defeat, "Alright, alright, you win this one, Melia. But only because you have a guest here, otherwise I'd be jumping off the countertops to get it."

"Excuses, excuses." Melia teased.

"Oh, hush it." Denise replied, an idea springing to mind as she stared at the elemental for a few moments, "Hang on, you made that thing move just a minute ago, right? Maybe you could hold that summon for a bit longer while we load some stuff on top of it, then you can send it into the other room to serve the food for you!"

"Well, yes, I can in fact move my elementals around freely, but my focus on them will wane if they're too far away." Melia explained, "I'm confident that I could have this one travel into the other room without severing my link to it, but I won't be doing that to begin with."

"Aww, come on! It'd be a fun way to entertain your guest!" Denise tried to reason with her.

"I was not taught how to use ether as a way of entertaining people, and besides, Riki has no problems keeping himself amused." Melia argued.

Although Denise could understand that she had her reasons for not wanting to do it, the strange sense of protectiveness in Melia's tone made it apparent that there was something else she left out. From the time that had passed since her birthday spent in Valak Mountain, she was still teaching Shulk what she knew about using ether, but always took caution to prevent another incident that could get either of them hurt. While moving elementals wasn't that challenging of a feat, it was also quite niche in its applications. Even Melia herself barely used it while she was under the captain's tutelage and it became more of a training exercise he would have her do, but nonetheless, she left it out of Shulk's lessons from fear that another elemental could possibly become unstable.

"Well, that's where I have to disagree." Denise said. She was already aware of Shulk's training but was never told about that incident, treading lightly on the subject regardless as she noticed the troubled look on Melia's face, "I'm sure you had other reasons for learning how to use ether, but I don't think you've realized that entertaining people and making them smile is something you do naturally along with it. I've only seen you and Shulk practicing a few times, but you guys always look so happy and like you're having fun. It's like you two found something that you can bond over, and whether you believe me on that or not, it shows in the ways that Shulk's rubbed off on you too. Because when you're not practicing something with him, you're tuning out the world while you're face-deep in books like he does and getting all excited about what you want to try next. Whenever I catch you like that, I always recall seeing this big smile on your face, and… well, it's enough to make me want to smile too."

"That's… that's very kind of you to say." Melia said, shocked with how close Denise was to the mark, "But still…"

"I'm not going to keep asking or make it sound like I'm trying to force you, Melia. All I'm saying is this: Even if it's just a byproduct, is getting some amusement out of using your elementals really that bad?" Denise asked, "Either way, it's up to you. I won't say any more on it."

Melia quietly contemplated on Denise's remark for a few moments before lowering the elemental back down.

"How about this? I'll do what you asked, but only if I can keep the elemental within arm's reach. Sound fair?" Melia offered.

"Fine by me." Denise replied and grabbed a large plate from a nearby cupboard, balancing it on top of the elemental, "Let's get to work and load this thing up, then!"

After stacking the plate with an assortment of snacks and sweets, the two headed back into the living room and saw Riki gleefully bouncing in his seat.

"Ooh, Melly learned new trick! Riki like it!" Riki said.

Denise peeked at Melia from over her shoulder and grinned as she whispered, "Told you so~"

Melia answered by simply rolling her eyes, choosing to focus on her elemental rather than Denise's comments.

"Here you are, Riki." Melia said and guided the elemental over the table, snapping her finger as she ordered it to slowly disperse and set the plate down gently, "Please, help yourself. There's no need to be modest."

"You can have a bit of the leftovers I was talking about too, if you find anything in it that you like." Denise offered, letting Riki decide first.

"Riki never been one to turn down food!" Riki said excitedly. He could barely keep himself in his seat as he leaned forward and planted his hands onto the table, trying to pick what he should sink his teeth into first. He licked his lips and his eyes widened as he peered over the plate topped with several delectable High Entian treats, but then he stopped and tilted his head once he saw the aforementioned leftovers. He could see the contents of it through the clear lid and inside were an arrangement of strange, circular-shaped pieces that were black and white around the outside while the inside was multi-colored, and they looked small enough to fit a few in one hand.

"Um… what are these?" Riki asked.

"It's called 'sushi', Riki." Melia answered and opened the lid, "The outside is made of rice and seaweed, then you can choose what to have condensed into the middle."

"…Seaweed?" Riki continued to tilt his head from side-to-side, carefully eyeing the food as he tried to make sense of it.

"It's not as bad as you might think, Riki." Denise said and pointed to the upper right corner of the tray, "The ones on this side are mine if you wanted to try them. They have crab meat, egg, cucumber, and avocado in them."

"And mine are salmon, crab meat, and egg." Melia added and pointed to her share on the opposite side.

"Ew, raw fish." Denise commented and ate a piece of her own sushi.

"Wait… raw?!" Riki blurted out, "Are friends sure this stuff safe to eat?"

"Don't let her scare you, Riki, it's perfectly safe." Melia assured him and ate a piece of the raw sushi to prove it.

"Well, if Melly is sure…" Riki said, hesitating for a moment before reaching into the tray and grabbing a piece of Denise's sushi first, "Riki will try one that isn't raw." He added and braced himself, closing his eyes and opening wide as he slung the sushi into his mouth.

"Well, what do you think?" Denise asked.

Riki opened his eyes in slight surprise as he began to chew, biting down a few more times before he finally swallowed it, "Hm, a little weird at first, but not bad!"

"Glad to hear that you like it, Riki." Melia said, "Would you like to try one of mine as well?"

"Well, Riki wasn't sure at first, but Melly and Denise have been right so far, so Riki will try it!" He answered.

"Alright." Melia said and picked up a piece, "Here you are, Riki."

Riki took the piece of sushi from her and went through the same steps as before, staring at it for a moment and then shooting it into his mouth.

"Alright, Riki. When you're done with that, how about you tell us which one you think is better?" Denise grinned.

"A peculiar thing to get competitive about, no?" Melia commented.

"I'm just curious, is all." Denise replied nonchalantly.

After smacking his lips a few more times, Riki finally swallowed it down and paused as he looked back-and-forth at the two girls, trying to build some suspense.

"Well, who's it gonna be, Riki?" Denise asked with her arms crossed, looking confident that he would say it's hers.

"Riki think…" Riki said and looked right at Melia, "Melly's is better. Raw sushi is a bit chewier, but Riki still think it's better. Both still good either way, though."

"Wait, seriously?!" Denise gawked and threw her arms to the side. She then glanced over at Melia, dismissing the smug look on her face, "Oh, knock it off."

"You're the one who insisted on making this a competition, remember?" Melia pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I still think that raw stuff is gross, and I don't see how either of you can stomach it." Denise said.

"Actually, the chef told us that the rice is more likely to make you sick than the raw fish, remember?" Melia corrected her.

"Friends say that a chef made this?" Riki jumped in.

"That's right. We got these from a restaurant that recently opened here in Alcamoth." Melia answered.

"Yeah. Melia didn't really feel like cooking last night, so we decided to go out to eat and just happened to find out about this place." Denise added, "Some people in the commercial district were really praising it and talking about how good their food was, so we thought why not try it out?"

"Hang on, did Riki hear Denise right? Denise say Melly cook?" Riki asked.

"Well, that's something that occurred after you left, Riki." Melia interjected, "Fiora has been teaching me how to cook for quite some time now. I try to remain at home and cook rather than going out so I can stay in practice, but I was just too tired for that yesterday."

"Wow, Riki must have been gone longer than Riki thought…" Riki said in disbelief.

"It's been a few years since you left, after all. Plenty of things have changed in that span of time." Melia said.

"Riki can see that." Riki agreed, still trying to get over his shock. He went to grab another piece of sushi and use it as comfort food, but he paused for a second and noticed another row that he wasn't sure if he'd sampled yet on the bottom left corner.

"What are these ones? Are they Melly's or Denise's?" Riki asked and pointed at the unknown sushi.

"Those only have crab meat and mayo in them, but it's neither of ours." Melia answered.

"Speaking of which, you might want to ask him before we just give away his food, Melia." Denise spoke up.

"Agreed. He should be home by now, I'll go check." Melia said and stood up, poking her head out of the corner that led into a nearby hallway.

"Boo, are you home?" She called.

"Yeah, I'm in here." A voice said back from the bedroom.

"Could you come out here, please? We have company." Melia requested.

"Yeah, quit being all antisocial and get out here!" Denise loudly added.

After a short while, the bedroom door opened and a man that resembled a High Entia exited from it, walking towards Melia, "It's just Denise, isn't it? She should know by now that I'm usually in the other room working on something."

"That's not the point, Boo. She's still our guest." Melia replied.

As the man came within reach, Melia stopped him before he could see into the living room and gave him a teasing smile.

"You know, Denise might have a point. You do seem to spend more time with your work than socializing." Melia commented.

"You're taking her side too? Next you're going to start calling me a hermit like she does." He said.

"Well, sometimes you can act like a hermit…" Melia replied and reached up to tug at his cheek, "But you're still my hermit~"

The man batted Melia's hand away and pulled her closer, making her giggle as they held each other in a tight hug.

"Hermit or not, I'd still love you all the same." Melia told him.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Melia." He said back.

Melia broke out of the embrace and took him by the hand, pulling him into the living room, "Come on, Boo. There's actually someone else here besides Denise, and he'd want to see you too."

"Someone else? And for me? Who could—" He paused and took a step back in surprise, seeing both Denise and a familiar looking Nopon in their living room.

"R-Riki?!" He exclaimed.

"Friend know who Riki is? It seems Riki's deeds as Heropon reach farther than Riki thought." Riki praised himself and walked over, excitedly bouncing as he stood in front of this new figure.

"Riki pleased to meet Boo!" Riki said and stopped bouncing to get a better look at him, "Hm… Boo look like Shulk if he were birdman!"

Everyone else in the room gawked at Riki's cluelessness, breaking out in laughter only moments later.

"Riki not get it. What's so funny?" Riki asked and confusedly looked around.

"You don't recognize me anymore, Riki?" The man replied as he wiped a tear from his eye, "It's me. I am Shulk. That 'Boo' thing is just a pet name Melia calls me by."

"Wait… Shulk?" Riki blankly stared at him for a few more moments before it suddenly hit him at once, making him go into a panic as he realized it was indeed Shulk with a pair of wings on his head.

"Gah! Shulk turned into birdman!" Riki screamed in horror. He started bouncing sporadically around the room and ricocheted off the furniture, eventually landing in Shulk's arms, "Shulk, what happened boy?! Who did this?! Speak to Riki!"

"Riki, settle down!" Shulk exclaimed as he struggled to keep Riki still, "Everything is fine! I'll tell you what happened, but you need to calm down first!"

Denise jumped out of her seat and had to help pry Riki off, tightly restraining him in her arms until he finally calmed down.

"There." Denise sighed and looked down at Riki, "Feeling better now, little guy?"

Riki tried to take a few deep breaths before answering, "Yes… Riki better now…"

"I did warn you that some things have changed since you've been gone, Riki." Melia stated again.

"Yeah, and apparently you gave him the most surprising one first." Shulk added before they all sat back down, himself and Melia on one couch while Denise and Riki sat across from them.

"Alright, now that the biggest reveal is out, where do we start…" Shulk said and slouched forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He noticed all their sushi was out on the table and reached for a piece, snacking on one before he continued.

"Oh, by the way, Riki wanted to know if he could try one of yours too." Denise spoke up.

"Take one if you want, but mine are as basic as it gets." Shulk said and handed Riki a piece.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone as picky as you." Denise commented, "You should've at least tried some of the other stuff they had."

"And this is coming from the girl who won't eat raw fish." Shulk jabbed back, "And besides, the doctor told me to watch what I eat, remember?"

"That was how long ago? You should've made a full recovery by now." Denise replied, crossing her arms and legs, "You can't just hide behind your excuses forever, you know."

"I can be stubborn sometimes, what more do you want me to say?" Shulk jokingly admitted.

"That's certainly a way to describe it." Denise said and turned to Melia, "I'm surprised you've been able to put up with him for so long."

"Give it time, you'll eventually grow used to it." Melia replied.

"Gee, thanks, Melia." Shulk commented and focused back on Denise, "Now, if you're done getting us all sidetracked, I was trying to explain things to Riki."

"Hey, it's not my fault that you get distracted so easily." Denise rebutted, "But fine, whatever you say, Boss."

"Ugh, quit calling me that while you're at it. It still sounds weird." Shulk added before shifting his attention elsewhere, "Anyways, I'll fill you in on most of the things that happened while you were away, Riki. You already know that I decided to stay in Alcamoth with Melia and help her rebuild, and a little after you and the others left, we had a meeting with Melia's advisors to plan out where we should begin. One of those advisors was named Lilith, and she told me about this organization she's the head of called M.S.I.T. They're a division that mainly deals with research and development, and I juggled between working for them and helping Melia with the restoration project by giving the citizens a hand when I had some spare time. Both Melia and I were doing everything we could to help make a difference around here, but when my coworkers and I started experimenting on the Telethia carcasses we kept from the battle, we came across something that gave our efforts a major overhaul. We learned that the Telethia's corpses would regenerate any part of their body that we removed as long as they were given a steady supply of ether, so we'd take some parts and use them as materials, then let the carcasses regenerate and repeat the process. We'd refine their parts into things like building materials, or weapons and armor, and pretty soon we built up a big enough stockpile that we didn't need to rely as heavily as we used to on the other cities for resources anymore. Once things around Alcamoth started growing more stable, my coworkers and I picked back up on other projects we had to put on hold at M.S.I.T., and the wings you see on my head right now are actually a result from one of them. We learned how to splice Hom's DNA with a Telethia's, making someone essentially half High Entia, and I asked them to let me have that operation so my lifespan could be as long as theirs."

"And nearly giving Melia a heart attack in the process of that." Denise said protectively.

Although he was oblivious at times, even Shulk could guess that having those memories brought up again might not sit well with Melia and he looked over to check up on her.

"It's okay, Shulk." Melia answered before he could even say anything, "I've made peace with that already, and I understand your reasons for wanting to have that surgery."

"Riki doesn't." Riki butted in, "Why Shulk worry so much about longer life?"

"Because of this." Shulk said and held out his hand, "Here, take a look, Riki."

"What's this…? A ring?" Riki muttered as he saw a platinum band with a row of blue crystals encircled around Shulk's finger. He then looked back up and seen Melia smiling as she held her own hand up at chest-level, showing that she had a similar looking ring.

"And Melly has one too…" Riki then gasped as he was hit with an instant surge of excitement and danced in his seat, "Shulk and Melly got married! Riki knew it was only matter of time!"

Melia giggled at his over the top reaction, "We're actually still engaged, Riki. The wedding hasn't happened yet."

"It's coming up real soon, though. They're getting married in a little over two weeks from now." Denise added.

"Ooh, really?" Riki asked, "Can Riki come?"

"Of course you can, Riki." Melia answered with a warm smile, "I'll inform my wedding planner next time I see her, and we'll tailor the arrangements to include both you and your family as well."

"Even Riki's family can come too?" Riki ecstatically replied, "Melly always so nice! Thank you, Melly!"

"It's no problem at all, Riki." Melia said, "It wouldn't have felt fair to the rest of your family if I didn't extend them an invitation too. Do you know if they'll all be free around that time?"

"Riki will be sure to ask next time Riki sees them!" Riki stated.

"You did see them before coming all this way, right?" Shulk asked.

"Of course, Riki did! It was first thing Riki did when he got back!" Riki answered.

"Well, how are they, and how did they take it when you finally came home?" Shulk pressed, "Come on, we've talked plenty about ourselves; let's hear some things about you now."

"Yes, I'm especially curious to hear about your adventures." Melia added.

"First, Riki's family been doing just fine. Oka nearly cried when Riki came back, and Littlepons nearly knocked Riki down when they wanted hugs." Riki replied, "It seems like Littlepons did lots of growing up while Riki was gone too! One of Riki's Daughterpons think she's ready to move out, and Sonnypon wants to leave home to become a trader! Riki is really proud of them, but Oka… not so much. Oka been feeling upset about Littlepons wanting to leave home."

"Oh, poor Oka…" Melia mused.

"Yes, but Riki been trying to convince Oka that this actually a good thing! It means that Littlepons are growing up and can take care of themselves." Riki stated.

"Well, I think we can all still sympathize with her, even though you're the only one out of us that's a parent." Denise said, "Even if all your kids do move out, she's still going to be their mother, so of course she's going to worry about them. But still, she probably knows that a child leaving home is pretty much inevitable, and she just wants to hold onto them for as long as she's still able to."

"Hm, Riki can understand that…" Riki said, looking somewhat taken aback, "That very wise thing for Denise to say even if not a parent. Maybe Denise was born with a motherly instinct?"

"I'm not really sure. But either way, I'm not planning on being a mother for quite some time." Denise said, thinking Riki was going to allude to that next.

"That's fine. Friends not need to rush into anything like that if not ready." Riki said, "Oh, wait. Riki didn't answer other question yet, right? Friends wanted to know where Riki has been this whole time?"

"No, you haven't." Melia confirmed, "Please, regale us, Riki."

"Okay!" Riki said excitedly, not wasting any time to get into the details, "So, after Riki say goodbye to family and friends, Riki used money he had saved up to hire another Nopon back in the village that could fly a Nopon ship! It felt like Riki had been traveling forever and not found anything except ocean and small islands with nothing on them, but when Riki went to sleep one night while other Nopon steered the ship, Riki wake up next morning and see we landed in place called 'Alrest'. Alrest is a place where the sea is made of clouds, and Riki was surprised to see that more Nopon were there too!"

"A sea of clouds, and even other Nopon?" Shulk asked in disbelief.

"Were there any other familiar races, Riki?" Melia curiously asked.

"Not that Riki seen. There were people that looked like Hom Homs, but friends said they not Hom Homs and didn't even know what that was. There weren't any Bird People either, but Riki did see Cat People." Riki answered.

"Hm, interesting…" Melia commented.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about this place, Riki?" Shulk asked.

"Well… this is probably not best thing to bring up, but friends in Alrest live on giant titans that swim through sea of clouds." Riki said, feeling the atmosphere grow tense as gloomy looks showed on the others' faces.

"Living on titans…" Shulk muttered.

"Just like we were once subjected to…" Melia added.

"Riki did say it was probably not the best thing to bring up." Riki stated again and leapt over the coffee table, perching himself in Melia's lap to comfort her, "But friends shouldn't be too worried; Alrest titans are nothing like Bionis and Mechonis. People in Alrest say their titans actually alive, but also harmless, and Riki started to see that too after being there for so long. But still… sometimes Riki would get worried about making titans mad on accident. They might be harmless, but they are still big, and who knows when they might get mad and want to smush Riki…"

Soft chuckling then came from the others' lips, their nerves calming a little.

"Well, they'd better not. We wouldn't want any harm to come to our Heropon. And besides, smushing you is my job." Melia joked and gave Riki a tight hug, squeezing the air out of him.

Even after Riki had regained his breath, he still had a confused look on his face as he glanced up at Melia, "Um… is Melly feeling okay? Riki not remember Melly being this lovey and playful."

"Yeah, she's fine, Riki." Shulk said, "She's just been acting more laid back lately now that we got her to break out of her shell."

"The others played a part in that too, but it's mostly thanks to you, Shulk" Melia added.

"And Riki thought Shulk turning into birdman was most surprising thing." Riki said, trying to make light of it even though he was clearly overwhelmed, "So much has happened that Riki can barely keep up."

"Well, you're back home now, so you'll have plenty of time to readjust." Melia assured him.

"Speaking of which, have you gone and visited the others yet, Riki?" Shulk asked.

"Not yet, Riki only been home and here. Riki thought to come here first because it was closest, and also because Riki heard that bird people city really changed in the years Riki been gone. Riki figured he could come and see for himself, and maybe even visit Melly while there too!" Riki explained.

"Oh, that's right. You didn't get to see much of the city yet because those guards held you up, huh Riki?" Denise asked.

"Yes. Only parts of the city Riki got to see was on the way to Melly's house." Riki replied.

"Well, how about we give you a proper tour to make up for it?" Denise offered and turned to Shulk and Melia, "Does that work for you guys?"

"You and I were out earlier, so I was already free." Melia said and looked to her side, "What about you, Shulk? Care to join us?"

"Well, I was working on something for Lilith before being called out here, but I can put that on hold for a bit." He answered.

"Alright, sounds like we've got ourselves a plan, then!" Denise smiled.

"Ooh, can friends show Riki where this sushi place is too?" Riki asked, "Riki would love to try other sushi that chef has there!"

"They won't be opening for a few more hours, Riki." Denise replied, "But we should still be out by then, so we can take you there. And since this is technically your homecoming party, the first round will be on me!"

"Riki gets to have food that's both good and free?!" Riki gawked, his mouth watering with anticipation.

"You might end up regretting that decision." Melia teasingly commented.

"Yeah, don't let Riki's size fool you. He might be small, but that stomach of his is bottomless." Shulk added and got out of his seat, "Can I get a few minutes before we leave? I just need to change my clothes and put away my work equipment."

"Sure thing. Do whatever you need." Denise replied, leaving herself, Melia, and Riki to talk amongst themselves while Shulk went back into the bedroom.

"Okay, much better." Shulk said as he finally came back out, "Everyone else ready?"

"Yes, just about." Melia replied, taking Shulk's hand as they all left the Villa.

---

After giving their returning friend a grand tour of their rebuilt city and going out to eat, the group had arrived back at Shulk and Melia's home as evening was beginning to set in.

"So stuffed…" Riki groaned, stumbling through the front door and into the living room.

Denise couldn't help but giggle, "Sure seems like you had a fun time, Riki."

"Mm-hm! Riki is also really impressed with how things have turned around for bird people and their city too!" Riki replied.

"We're glad you think so, Riki." Shulk said.

"We've been trying to restore Alcamoth for years now, and hearing you say that really makes it feel like our efforts have paid off. Thank you, Riki." Melia added, "By the way, if you didn't have anywhere else to be for the night, you're welcome to stay here."

"That's okay, Riki was going to be leaving for Frontier Village. Riki not mind walking when it's dark out, and Riki will have pretty view of Eryth Sea at night too." Riki answered.

"You seem to know all of the good spots for sightseeing, huh?" Denise commented.

"He actually kind of does." Shulk said.

"Nopon generally make for good topographers as well as merchants." Melia added, "Although, I'd wager that Riki has most other Nopon beat, given his extensive traveling as both the Heropon and freelance adventurer."

"Well, if these two have nothing but good things to say, then I'll be sure to keep you in mind if I need a place with a view, Riki." Denise said.

"Riki will do whatever Riki can for new friend!" Riki replied.

"Aw, thanks in advance then, little guy!" Denise humored him and leaned down to pat Riki's head, "Alright, but seriously now, I need to be leaving too. If you're ready to go, Riki, I can walk you back to the transporter."

"Riki about ready to go." Riki answered.

"Oh, wait one moment before you depart, Riki." Melia said and hurried down the hall. She came back shortly with a letter in her hand and knelt down to Riki's level, "You were going to be visiting the others soon, right?"

"Yes, Riki is actually going to Colony 6 tomorrow. Why Melly ask?" Riki replied.

"I have a letter that needed to be sent to Reyn and Sharla. Since you'll be heading that way, could you please deliver it for me?" Melia requested.

"Anything for Melly!" Riki answered.

"Thank you, Riki." Melia said and held the letter in front of him, "But I need you to pay close attention to this part. It's imperative that this letter be delivered to them as soon as possible. It contains something very important, so please don't forget, and make sure that it doesn't get lost or damaged."

"Roger! Yes, ma'am!" Riki said, looking almost like a soldier as he stood at attention.

"That's my Heropon~" Melia smiled and pulled him into one last hug, "I'm counting on you, Riki, and be safe on your venture tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Riki will be!" Riki assured her before they let each other go.

"Alright, little guy, you ready now?" Denise asked again.

"If no one else needs the Heropon's help, then Riki is ready!" Riki answered.

"Alright then. Come here, you little fluff ball~" Denise said and carried Riki to the front door, "Bye, Shulk and Melia!" She called before taking her leave with Riki.

After they were gone, Shulk let out a sigh and rested his arms on the back of the couch.

"I'm already feeling ready for bed." He yawned.

"So am I." Melia said, gently laying her hand over his, "Did you want to call it a night, Shulk?"

Shulk answered with a nod, following behind her to their bedroom.

As the two stepped into their walk-in closet to change and get ready for bed, Melia found herself getting distracted by a thought she couldn't shake from her mind. She turned around and looked down at the ottoman first, staring aimlessly at the tee shirt and shorts she planned to change into before her sights shifted over to Shulk getting dressed on the opposite side of the room.

"Shulk…" Melia started, taking a seat on the other side of the ottoman.

"Yeah? What is it, Angel?" Shulk asked, his back still turned to her as he opened another drawer.

"I… just wanted to check in with you." Melia said, "When Denise and I were out earlier, she mentioned that you've been acting peculiar at work—like you were showing signs similar to stress or anxiety."

Shulk paused for a moment and shut his eyes as he took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow sigh as he shut the drawer and stood up.

"Nothing ever gets past you two, does it?" Shulk asked, almost like he was trying to make light of it. He didn't hear anything back however and finally turned around, immediately noticing the worried look on her face.

"Hey, it's okay, Melia." He said and sat next to her, taking her hand, "Really, it's nothing to get worked up about. Yes, there have been a few times that I felt anxious while I was at work, but they were all minor, so I could keep them under control."

"But…" Melia hesitated for a moment and looked down at his hand as she rubbed her thumb over it, "Would I be prying too deeply if I asked why you were feeling that way?"

"Of course not." Shulk assured her, "It's… Well, it's just…"

At a loss for what would be the best way to go about it, Shulk decided to just be direct and started again with a sigh.

"It's just that I feel nervous about the wedding, and I'm not even really sure why. I've never felt this way about it in the past, but now that the wedding day is almost here… I don't know, it just suddenly feels overwhelming. I'm not saying I'm having second thoughts or anything like that, it's just that I keep finding myself worrying over the smallest things surrounding the wedding, or sometimes even nothing at all—and knowing that it's going to be on a big scale because it's a royal wedding doesn't make it easier to stay calm. I've been trying to keep myself busy whenever I get like that so I wouldn't start overthinking things and go into a panic attack, but I guess that hasn't been working too well since you and Denise could see right through it, huh?"

"It's okay to have thoughts like that, Shulk. In fact, I think I can sympathize with you on them." Melia said and gently squeezed his hand, "I know the others like to poke fun at us by saying that we already act like a married couple, but there's still a big difference between acting like one versus being actually married. It's a commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly, and I can see how a drastic life change such as that would cause you to feel anxious."

"So… I'm not just overthinking things?" Shulk asked.

Melia shook her head, "Not at all, Boo. Truth be told, I've had my share of fears surrounding the wedding as well."

"Wait, you have too?" Shulk questioned.

"Yes, I have, though I've been able to keep my anxieties in check for the most part." Melia replied.

"But… how? How do you make it look so easy?" Shulk pleaded to know.

Melia softly laughed, "You know you're actually not the first person to have asked me that today? Denise was wondering about that as well." She pointed out before getting back on topic, "Well, what I would do first is take a deep breath and close my eyes, then I would ask myself if the things I'm worrying about are truly rational or not. If they were something rational, like feeling stressed out because of the wedding preparations, then I'd take it as a sign that I need a break and would come back to it once my mind was cleared. For things that were irrational—say if I was worried about something going wrong at the wedding, then I would try to remind myself that's simply what it is—an irrational fear, and then I'd either carry on or find something less stressful to focus on until those negative thoughts would pass."

Melia then swung her leg over, giving Shulk a smile as she sat in his lap.

"And if all else fails, that's when I start thinking about you." She said and rested her arms on his shoulders, "Knowing that I still have you by my side is more than enough to help keep me grounded, and it helps me remember that everything else is secondary as long as we have each other."

A slight blush began to show on Shulk's face as he quietly took that all in, the soft and rhythmic fluttering of their wings saying enough for him.

"Thank you, Angel. I really needed to hear that." Shulk finally spoke and gave her a hug.

"Of course, Boo. Anything to help you relax." Melia replied and lifted her head from his shoulder, "And it makes me glad to know that you feel you can confide these things with me."

"With how many times you've been there for me in the past, of course I can." Shulk said, "I know I made that promise to come get you if I ever felt like I was going to panic again, but I thought I could stop it from getting to that point to begin with if I had something to keep me busy. I just didn't want you to constantly be worrying about me, is all… and I'm sorry if that's what I ended up doing anyways."

"Aw~, it's okay, Shulk, you didn't make me worry too badly." Melia assured him, "But still, you agreed to that promise for a reason, right? It was sweet of you to try and put my feelings before yourself, but you don't have to do that and face your anxieties alone. I want you to feel like you can always lean on me if you need it, Shulk, without seeing that promise as some sort of crutch."

"I know, Angel. I'm sorry." Shulk said again.

"I already told you it's okay, Shulk. You don't need to keep apologizing." Melia said and slowly brushed her hand over his cheek, "Come here…"

After they shared a small kiss, Melia finally got off his lap, "Feeling better now, Shulk?"

"Yeah, a little." Shulk answered with a nod.

"Good~" Melia replied and playfully ruffled his hair before walking back to her side of the room, "Before we conclude this, can I ask something of you, Shulk?" She mentioned while she was getting dressed.

"And what's that?" Shulk replied.

"Do you think you could talk to Lilith later and ask for some time off? I feel that it could do you some good with all the stress you've been experiencing lately." Melia requested.

"Well, you might have a point, and I guess Lilith would understand since the wedding isn't much further away…" Shulk pondered out loud, "Alright, Angel, I'll talk with her about it tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Boo." Melia smiled, "If you wanted, I could cancel the plans I had with Denise for tomorrow and spend the day with you instead."

"No, that's okay, Melia. You don't have to do all that just for me." Shulk replied while she finished getting ready, "You two already made plans, so go out and have fun. I'll just relax here at home while you're out, and if Lilith ends up giving me some time off, then we can find something to do another day, just the two of us."

"I'd like that." Melia mused, even blushing a little at the thought.

"Alright, let's wait and see what happens tomorrow." Shulk said, yawning as he got off the ottoman and grabbed a tank top to sleep in, "So tired… You ready over there, Angel?"

"Mm-hm." Melia hummed back and turned off the lights as they left the room and crawled into bed.

"Good night, Shulk." Melia whispered after she rolled to his side of the bed, brushing past his wings to make a spot to lay her head and wrapping an arm around his midriff.

"Good night, Melia." Shulk whispered back and brought Melia's hand up to his lips, kissing the back of her hand and placing it over his chest as they drifted into a peaceful sleep.

---

The sun was shining brightly over the lands of Colony 6 as it gave rise to the start of a new day. Birds were gleefully singing in their nests high above, children were running through the streets and playing with their friends in the park, and the adults were either rushing off to work or were out enjoying their peaceful Spring morning. Reyn and Sharla were lucky enough to be part of the latter, but instead of being able to sloth around on their day off from work or school, they had a few errands to run and were out buying groceries from the market stalls along the main street.

"Ugh, couldn't we have picked any other day to do all this running around?" Reyn groaned.

"We've been putting off the things we needed to do for too long, Reyn." Sharla said as she handpicked a few apples from the stand, "I know it's nice out and all, but we have practically no food around the house."

Sharla only heard another groan as she finished filling a bag with her apples and tied it, glancing over to see Reyn looking bored out of his mind.

"Oh, stop looking so pathetic~" She teased, "Tell you what, we'll go back home after we get the grocery shopping done and do the rest another day."

"Wait, for real?" Reyn gawked.

"Mm-hm. This is the nicest it's going to be all week, so we may as well relax and enjoy it." Sharla said before giving him a sudden change of tone, "But I mean it, Reyn, I still want everything else we need done by the end of this week."

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing." Reyn quickly brushed it aside and pulled her into a hug, "Have I ever told you that it's the little things like this that make me love you so much?"

"Like how I give in when you start acting like a big baby?" Sharla called him out.

"Y'know this 'big baby' is like three times your size, right? And you're kinda stuck here in my arms right now." Reyn said.

"And your point?" Sharla played along.

"I'm just sayin', it'd be such a shame if I accidentally started squeezing a bit too hard now, wouldn't it?" Reyn asked and tensed up the muscles in his arms.

"It would, but we both know that won't happen." Sharla called him out yet again.

"Yeah? Well, don't act too surprised when—"

"Choo, choo! Heropon Express, coming through!"

Reyn and Sharla froze, and before they could properly react, a Nopon sprinted through the stalls and jumped towards them, landing on Reyn's face and making him stagger back.

"Reyn, Sharla! Riki been looking all over for you!" The Nopon said as he smothered Reyn's face.

"R-… Riki?!" Sharla managed to blurt out, still finding it hard to believe that it was really him.

"Yep, that's Riki's name!" Riki said, showing a bright toothed smile before glaring down at Reyn's smothered face, "Why sidekicks make Riki go looking, huh?! Is this how sidekicks welcome back the Heropon?!"

"Get. The hell…" Reyn said with a muffled growl and sunk his hands deep into Riki's fur, prying the Nopon off and holding him high in the air.

"OFF OF ME!" Reyn yelled and slammed Riki down on the ground, making him bounce like a ball.

Sharla thankfully caught Riki as he came bouncing back up, holding him tightly as she glared at Reyn, "What is wrong with you, Reyn? Are you trying to hurt him?"

"Sharla not need to worry. Nopon are normally bouncy, so Reyn barely hurt Riki." Riki assured her.

"Well, that's a good sign, at least…" Sharla said softly. She used one hand to brush and fix Riki's fur, keeping him coddled in the other arm as she shot Reyn another glare.

"Apologize to him, Reyn." She demanded.

"Are you serious?! Did you not see the way that he just jumped out at-"

Reyn then stopped as he caught another glimpse of Sharla's glare, realizing he was only making it worse.

"Fine." He pouted as he condescendingly patted Riki's head, "I'll let it slide this time, fuzzball. But if you ever do something stupid like that again, then I'm gonna punt you instead."

"Reyn!" Sharla hissed.

"It's okay, Sharla. Riki knows deep down that's really how Reyn apologizes." Riki said and gave him a teasing wink, "Riki love Reyn too~"

"Yeah, I wouldn't count on that, furball." Reyn shot him down.

While it wasn't worded in a way she would've liked, Sharla paid closer attention to Reyn's body language and caught a smirk appearing on his face, thinking that there was a subtle but genuine apology behind their rough housing.

"I knew that you'd secretly miss him, Reyn." Sharla mused as she added onto the teasing, "He would actually talk about you every now and then, Riki."

"Riki wouldn't doubt it." Riki added, "Reyn might look big and mean on outside, but is a big softy on inside."

"Oh, come on! Why're we all gangin' up on me now?" Reyn whined.

"Because you make it too easy sometimes, and you deserve it for how you were treating Riki." Sharla said and looked down at the Nopon in her arms, giving him a warm smile as she pinched his cheek, "Still, it's good to see you again, little buddy~"

"Did ya just get back or something, fuzzball? I figured you'd wanna be spending your time back home with Oka 'n the kids, if that's the case." Reyn inquired.

"Riki already did that, and been up to a few other things too since Riki been back!" Riki answered, "If friends not too busy, then Riki be happy to fill friends in."

"Well, in case your eyes have been goin' bad since you left, we were kinda out buying food." Reyn said, his arms extended as he gestured to the number of stalls around them.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Reyn." Sharla insisted and looked down at Riki, "Of course we can make time for you, Riki. If you wanted to tag along with us for a few minutes, we can pay for the groceries that we have and then find a place to eat after we drop them off at the house."

"Riki not mind. Riki is already here, right?" Riki agreed.

"Alright." Sharla said and turned her attention to Reyn, "I'll pay for the groceries while you cover for lunch?"

"Works for me." Reyn replied.

The two boys followed a few steps behind Sharla as she went to pay for the groceries, staying back far enough that she wouldn't hear them as they talked amongst themselves.

"Yo, furball." Reyn whispered, "Just wanted to say thanks for gettin' me out of this early."

"Reyn not fooling anyone. Riki overheard that Reyn was already getting to finish early." Riki rebutted.

"Yeah, whatever. You know what I mean." Reyn shot back, "Still, I appreciate it."

"Reyn welcome, but Riki not sure if he should be feeling good about helping Reyn be lazy." Riki said and put on a smirk, "But if Reyn wants to show that he's thankful, then maybe Reyn could start acting nicer to Riki?"

"I'll think about it. That good enough for ya?" Reyn stubbornly replied.

"Guess Riki will take what Riki can get." Riki reluctantly agreed, "By the way, why Reyn and Sharla splitting bills? Riki figured that Reyn would want to be macho man and pay for everything himself."

"It's not that I don't, it's just… well, money's been kinda tight, so we don't have much choice." Reyn admitted.

"Why that the case?" Riki questioned.

"Who's house do you think we're going to, and who do you think put that rock on her hand?" Reyn replied and subtly pointed to Sharla's ring hand, "Shulk might've hooked me up on getting the ring a little cheaper, but I still took a big hit on both that and the house we bought here. Sharla's been trying to help me out by splitting some of the bills, but I don't feel right about taking it because she's doing both work and school part-time."

"Hm, Riki heard about Reyn's new house and ring from Shulk and Melly yesterday too." Riki muttered, "Still, Riki not one to judge. In fact, Riki's actually a little jealous."

"Jealous? How could you be jealous about having to rely on your other half for the things you should be doing?" Reyn asked bitterly.

"Because it shows that Loveypons are equal." Riki stated, "Love works both ways, and Loveypons supposed to feel like they can rely on each other. It actually kind of refreshing to see when this happens, and not always the man buying things because man feels like he has to."

"Equals, huh…?" Reyn muttered to himself and crossed his arms, smirking after he had a short while to think about it, "Y'know what? Maybe you are more than just a ball of hot air."

Riki didn't seem as amused with the comment and began to glare, "And this the thanks that Heropon get for advice?!"

Just as they were about to start arguing again, Sharla had finished paying for everything and finally turned around, noticing right away that something was up between them.

"Alright, you two, what's going on here?" She asked.

"O-oh, um…" Reyn jumped, scrambling to think of an excuse.

"Reyn was just telling Riki about things that happened while Riki was away." Riki stepped in, "Reyn was in the middle of telling Riki about a ring."

"A ring?" Sharla questioned and lifted her arm that she had all the bags suspended on, trying to show her ring hand, "You mean this one?"

"Yes! It look exactly like the one Reyn was talking about!" Riki played along.

Reyn stayed silent throughout the ordeal, feeling like he lost the ability to talk as all eyes were now on him. In hindsight, though, keeping quiet was probably for the best as Sharla came up to him with a warm smile.

"I don't get to see it all that often, but you look so cute when you get flustered, babe~" Sharla cooed and pecked his cheek, "What else did you tell him?"

"Reyn not say much else that Riki didn't know already from Shulk and Melly." Riki spoke for him, seeing that he was still too confused to keep the story going.

"Oh, you've already seen the lovebirds?" Sharla asked.

"That taking things literally." Riki shuddered, "Friends know that Shulk is birdman now?"

"Yeah, we knew." Sharla answered, "For such a smart kid, it was really stupid of him wanting to be the very first person they tested that surgery on. He could've at least waited until they tested it on a few other people first, but still, I'm happy for him and Melia that it worked."

"Yeah, seriously." Reyn agreed, pausing as Sharla looked deep in thought and stared down at her bags, "…You alright there, Sharla?"

Sharla quickly snapped out of it and lifted her head back up, "Oh, it's nothing, Reyn."

"Sure doesn't look that way." Reyn said as he crossed his arms, "Come on, what is it?"

"It's…" Sharla paused and let out a sigh, "It's just something about Shulk's surgery that got me thinking. We can talk about it later."

"Shulk's surgery? Why's she so hung up on that?" Reyn wondered. Even though his curiosity was piqued, he could see that she wasn't ready to talk about it and left it alone for now, choosing to focus on the bags she had hanging over her arm instead, "Alright, if that's what you wanna do. But here, lemme lighten that load for you."

"Oh, right. Thanks." Sharla replied, still seeming a bit spaced out while Reyn took a portion of the bags.

"Sidekicks ready now?" Riki asked and jumped onto Reyn's shoulder, pointing forward, "Then let's move out!"

"Well, you've certainly got some energy today, Riki." Sharla laughed, "I hope you brought an appetite to go with it."

"Riki not go anywhere without it!" Riki answered and patted his belly.

After a short walk through the busy streets, the three arrived back home and Sharla began digging through her pocket for her key.

"Now, where is it…? Ah, here we go!" She said and unlocked the front door, "Go ahead and make yourself at home while we put these groceries away, Riki."

"Riki already up, so Riki can help if Sharla wanted." Riki offered.

"Such a gentleman." Sharla commented, "Well, it's not like we have that much, but you can still help."

Riki then followed the two into the kitchen, and after a bit of time to put everything away and give him a tour around their new house, they all retired into the living room.

"So, what do you think of our new place, Riki?" Sharla asked and sat next to Reyn on the couch.

"Riki like it! The inside looks nice, has plenty of space for Reyn and Sharla, and not too far away from everything too!" Riki answered, sitting across from them.

"Yeah, I'd say it's a nice lil' place to hang up our hat." Reyn jokingly added, "Speakin' of which, you still haven't gotten around to telling us why you came all this way, fuzzball. You said you'd fill us in, and the little bit you've told us so far only had to do with Shulk n' Melia."

"Wait… Shulk and Melly…" Riki suddenly felt a jolt and shot himself into the air, bouncing hysterically in his seat, "That's right! Riki almost forgot, and he promised he wouldn't!"

"Forgot what? What's the matter?" Sharla asked.

"Riki was supposed to make delivery!" Riki exclaimed and rummaged through his bag, pulling out a letter, "Ta da! Riki was told to bring this letter to Reyn and Sharla. It's from Shulk and Melly, and Melly said it was very important."

"From them? And something important?" Sharla repeated and took the letter from him, "Thank you, Riki." She said and tore it open, feeling Reyn lean on her shoulder as she read it out loud.

"Reyn, you said a while ago that I never write or check in with you guys, so here you go. -Shulk."

"Tch, that little smart ass thinks he's slick now, huh?" Reyn interrupted.

"There's still more to it, Reyn." Sharla said and looked back at the letter.

"I apologize for Shulk's snarky comment, and also for not contacting you all for a while. We weren't trying to be secretive, it's just that things have been rather hectic as we're planning for an event that will span across not only Alcamoth, but other territories as well. The details will be made clearer with an upcoming announcement in the next few days, but we wanted to disclose the news to you both early because it involves a question we had for you…"

"You can certainly tell this part was written by Melia." Sharla stopped to comment.

"Yeah, no kidding." Reyn added, "But what did they wanna ask us?"

"Let me see…" Sharla said and skimmed to find where she left off.

"Aside from the usual day-to-day things and reconstruction, we've also been getting everything ready for…"

Sharla then paused for a second and gasped, covering her mouth as she blurted out, "Our wedding?!"

"Well, took 'em long enough!" Reyn cheered, "What else does this thing say?"

Sharla took a second to compose herself and peered back over the letter, "We're almost done with the preparations, but there's still a few things left, and one of those matters ties into what we wanted to ask you two. Reyn, Sharla, we still need a best man and maid of honor for our wedding, and we would like to offer those roles to you. Would you please accept them and not only join us in our special day, but play a pivotal part in it as well?

-Soon to be, Melia and Shulk Antiqua."

Sharla's hands began to shake as she kept her face hidden behind the letter, "M-me…? A maid of honor…?"

"And me being the best man, huh? I had a hunch he'd pick me, but even then, I'm still kinda shocked to hear it's finally happening." Reyn smirked. He wrapped up his monologuing and looked over at Sharla, guessing from her trembling that she was still trying to process everything.

"Are you gonna do it, Sharla?" He asked.

Sharla finally lifted her head from the letter, clearly still in shock as nothing sensible would come out of her lips, until…

"Yes!" She cried, shaking so ecstatically that she could barely keep her hold on the letter.

"Alright, ya little spazz, lemme see that." Reyn chuckled and took the letter from her, reading it once more in his head while Sharla needed a minute to calm herself down.

"So… what about you, Reyn?" Sharla asked, "Are you going to be Shulk's best man?"

"Is that even a question?" Reyn replied with a massive grin, "Of course I'm gonna do it!"

Sharla nodded and looked over at Riki, "Did Shulk and Melia want you to relay back our answer, Riki?"

"Actually… Riki not sure." He hesitantly admitted, "Neither Shulk nor Melly say anything about delivering a message back."

"Hm, that's a little odd…" Sharla said, taking a minute to think before she turned to her boyfriend, "Any ideas, Reyn?"

"To be honest, I think we should just wait for a bit." Reyn answered, "They said somethin' about an announcement coming up, right? Maybe we'll get a chance to see 'em around then."

Sharla then took the letter back from him, staring blankly at its contents, "So much for trying not to be secretive, huh Melia?"

"Maybe friends missed something when reading it?" Riki suggested.

"I don't think we did, but it's not like it'll hurt to try again." Sharla said, starting to get a bit frustrated as she skimmed the letter again.

"Wait a minute…" Riki mumbled as he squinted his eyes, finding traces of ink behind Sharla's fingers on the back of the letter, "Sharla not check the back yet!"

"The back?" Sharla questioned and flipped the letter over, revealing a few more lines of writing, "Hey, you're right, Riki!"

"Well? Don't leave us hangin' here—out with it!" Reyn said.

Sharla was too obsessed with the letter to pay much attention to Reyn's pushiness, but still readied herself to once again read aloud.

"Do not feel as though you're being pressured into accepting these roles. We unfortunately will not be able to see each other for a few more weeks, so please use that time to consider our offer, but we will need your answers when we can finally meet in person. And Sharla, I know we're already asking to put a big responsibility onto you and Reyn, but I have another favor I'd like to ask of you. Could you please talk to Fiora on my behalf and see if she wants to attend the wedding? I'm aware of the… well, 'complicated' feelings she's had for Shulk, and I don't want her to think she's being forced to come if she's uncomfortable with this. I'm really sorry to burden you and risk putting you in the middle of this dilemma, but the reason I ask is because I want to make sure that everything is harmonious for everyone else involved, not just me and Shulk, and I'm worried that she'll hide how she truly feels if I were to ask her directly. I'll understand if you choose not to do this, just as I will if Fiora were to decide not to come. If she's set on attending, though, then she's more than welcome to, and she can even be appointed as a bridesmaid if she was interested in having a role in the wedding. -Melia"

"Ooh, yikes…" Reyn said, trying to sound nonchalant as he patted her shoulder, "Good luck with that, Sharla."

"You can't seriously expect me to do this on my own, Reyn." Sharla called him out, "I don't exactly want to get wrapped up in this either, but it's for Melia's special day, so I'll do it for her."

Reyn reluctantly sighed, "Alright, fine, but I'm not gonna sit here and pretend to like it. So, when're we doin' this?"

"How about… after this supposed announcement coming up?" Sharla suggested, "It'll give us some time to plan for the trip and how we want to go about this."

"Riki was actually planning to visit Colony 9 next to see Dundun and Fiora. If friends don't mind letting Riki stay until then, we can all go together!" Riki offered.

"At this rate, the more the merrier." Sharla said and stretched her arms before getting up, "But still, I've heard enough about this for one day, and we don't have to be worrying over it right now anyways. We have a few days before this announcement comes, so let's just relax and enjoy ourselves until then."

"Now there's an idea I can get behind!" Reyn said as he got onto his feet, "Two of our good friends are about to be gettin' married, so we should be out celebrating, not stressing."

"Reyn right for once!" Riki agreed and jumped off the couch, landing on Reyn's shoulder, "Riki and sidekicks find a good place to eat and celebrate in their honor!"

"We already said that we were gonna be going out to eat earlier, so don't be tryin' to take credit for the idea, fuzzball." Reyn butted in.

"Still, a celebratory drink and taking some time to just kick back doesn't sound too bad, regardless of who's idea it was." Sharla said, "I'm ready to go if you two are, but you better not argue while we're out."

"We be on best behavior, like always!" Riki stated and patted Reyn on the head, "Right, Reyn?"

"Oh yeah, sure thing." Reyn emphatically replied as he returned the gesture and patted Riki's back, "We'll get along just fine, won't we buddy?" He sarcastically sneered and started doing it harder.

"Ack! Too hard!" Riki complained as he was nearly knocked off Reyn's shoulder.

Reyn figured that Sharla would try and make a fuss over it and stopped roughhousing with Riki, but it did little to help as he looked over and was met with a glare from her.

"I mean it, you two. Don't do anything to embarrass us." Sharla warned them again.

"Yes, mom—I mean, ma'am!" Riki quickly corrected himself.

Reyn almost let a laugh slip out, barely managing to keep it together as he showed a small grin, "Alright, Sharla, we'll be serious about it now."

"And you're sure on that?" Sharla doubtfully crossed her arms, "Do I need to give you two a moment to finish getting it out of your systems?"

"Nah, nah, we're good now. Come on, let's get going!" Reyn said and walked over, holding Sharla under his arm as they headed out to celebrate.

---

Three more days had gone by, but there still hasn't been any word or announcement from Shulk or Melia, and Sharla was only growing more anxious with each passing day of silence. She was spending her morning at home with Reyn and Riki, gathered around the kitchen table and sipping from a cup of freshly brewed tea while she looked out the window at the cloudy sky.

"What's taking them so long?" Sharla groaned, "You'd think we'd have heard at least something by now."

"Shulk and Melly wouldn't keep friends waiting if there wasn't a reason for it." Riki said, trying to help her calm down.

"Yeah, and I don't see why you'd be in such a hurry anyways with what Melia was askin' ya to do." Reyn added.

"I'm not exactly thrilled about that either, Reyn, but my main problem is that… I just feel like the anticipation for all of this is really starting to get to me." Sharla admitted.

"Weddings take lots of time to plan, after all. Sharla just needs to be a bit more patient and find something to take her mind off things until then." Riki stated.

"You're right, Riki. I know you are." Sharla said softly, taking another sip of her tea, "Were you like this too when you and Oka were about to be married?"

"Yes, Riki actually was. Riki was so worked up that Riki had to go and talk with chief, and he told Riki the same thing Riki telling Sharla: friend just need to be patient and it will turn out fine. Now, Riki won't lie, it took Riki a while to see that, but when Riki's wedding finally came, Riki realized that chief was right! Riki and Oka's wedding was perfect, and it made all the waiting feel worth it!" Riki explained, "Then again, Nopon weddings are a bit different from Hom Homs and bird people. Riki didn't have 'best man' or 'maid of honor' at Riki's wedding, whatever that means."

"Wait, you don't even know what those are?" Sharla asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Nope. Riki not have the slightest clue." Riki shook his head.

"Huh, that's kinda weird…" Reyn commented, "So, how exactly does it work for Nopon then?"

Before Riki could get into any specifics, the wind began to pick up outside and a faint rumbling sound could be heard in the distance.

"Is it about to storm or something?" Reyn asked as he got out of his seat to check by the window.

"It's supposed to be cloudy and a bit of rain today, but I didn't hear anything about a storm." Sharla answered.

"It doesn't look all that bad outside though." Reyn said and waved his hand, inviting the other two to come over and look, "See for yourselves."

Although there were a few clouds, there wasn't much else to indicate that a storm was approaching. On top of that, the noise they heard earlier was getting louder and appeared to be coming closer.

"What's going on out there?" Sharla muttered.

"I guess there's only one way to find out." Reyn answered. He led the group outside and they all took a quick look around, seeing that the other residents had the same idea as they poured out of their homes to investigate as well.

"Seems like we ain't the only ones who wanna know." Reyn said, "You guys see anything?"

"Riki got nothing." Riki replied, following it with a brief pause as he saw two large airships on the horizon, parting the clouds as they approached over the colony, "Friends, above us!"

"What the hell…" Reyn mumbled to himself as the ships hovered directly above them, "Hey, are those… High Entia ships?!"

"Sure seems like it!" Sharla answered, having to raise her voice so Reyn could hear over the humming of their turbines, "I think that one of them is a transport ship, but what's the other supposed to be, its escort?"

An antenna began to sprout from the roof of the transport ship, and a man's voice could be heard through a speaker shortly after the antenna reached its peak.

"Everyone, I kindly ask for your attention. This is the captain of Alcamoth's Imperial Guard, and we've come with great news that we'd like to share with you all!"

"Cap is in that thing?!" Reyn blurted out, "What kinda antics did they put him up to now?"

"This is a prerecorded message and it is being relayed across all major landmarks via other ships, as well as the more remote areas in the attempt to reach as many of you as possible. In exactly two weeks from today, we will be joining our empress, Melia Antiqua, and her consort, Shulk, in matrimony at our capital. We will be holding a celebration event for two days in Alcamoth, on the day before the wedding as well as the day of, and we are here to extend an open invitation for anyone who wishes to come. Transport ships will be arriving just outside of all the major settlements the day before the wedding and will take you to-and-from Alcamoth. We hope that you will grace us with your presence, and that the ceremony is just as joyous for you as it will be for us!"

As the broadcast came to an end, the two ships gained more altitude and prepared to head back home, leaving just as quickly as they had appeared as they soared off into the distance.

"That was certainly one way to make an announcement…" Sharla commented.

"Yeah, you're tellin' me!" Reyn energetically shouted and looked back up at the sky, "That's how we do it, Shulk! Go big or go home, baby!"

Sharla rolled her eyes and looked down at Riki, talking amongst themselves while they gave Reyn a minute to cheer his heart out.

"Sharla feeling a bit better now that the news finally came?" Riki asked.

"Relieved, yes, but better? That's another story…" Sharla said with a heavy sigh, "Now I have that business with Fiora to worry about."

"Sharla not need to worry, because Heropon is here to help!" Riki declared and bounced into her arms.

"Spoken like a real superhero." Sharla humored him and stroked his fur, "I don't doubt at all that you'll be able to help, Riki, but Reyn on the other hand…"

The two looked back over at Reyn, seeing that he was still cheering to the sky and not paying attention to a single thing they were saying.

"Yeah, Riki not so sure about Reyn, either…" Riki commented.

Reyn's hype finally started to simmer down as he felt a set of eyes fixated on him, turning around to see Riki and Sharla giving him funny looks.

"What, I can't be happy for my lifelong friend getting hitched?" He asked defensively.

"Nobody said that, Reyn." Sharla said as he joined back up with them.

"Welp, now it's our turn to make a move, huh?" Reyn asked and crossed his arms, "I mean, we know we've got two weeks now, but when did ya want to head out?"

"Honestly, I'd rather just get it out of the way as fast as possible, but since today won't be the best to travel, how about we go tomorrow?" Sharla suggested, "I feel like I already know how I want to go about it when we see Fiora, but I wouldn't mind getting an extra day to think on it."

"Well, you know me, I like to just get straight to the point." Reyn said, "I'm sure Fiora'd appreciate ya just bein' blunt with her too."

"I don't think that'd be a good idea, babe." Sharla replied, "Melia said she was worried about Fiora hiding how she really felt, remember? What if she does the same thing to us when she finds out that Melia put us up to this…?"

"We can just leave that part out and still be straight up with her, yeah?" Reyn asked.

"Riki starting to see why Melly asked Sharla to do it…" Riki commented and hopped out of Sharla's arms.

"Hey, that ain't fair!" Reyn argued back, "Just cuz I get straight to the point doesn't mean I'm oblivious! I've been around Fiora almost my whole life, so I think I'd know a thing or two about her!"

"Quit it, you two. I don't have the energy to break up a fight right now." Sharla groaned.

"You won't be doing anything like that. In fact, the only thing you're gonna be doing for now is taking it easy." Reyn insisted, his demeanor much softer as he gave her a hug, "The rest of the day is gonna be all about you, and we'll do whatever ya want."

"Well… alright, babe." Sharla gave in and returned the hug, smiling from the torrent of attention, "Keep this up, and we might even have to take back what we said about you."

"That's kinda what I'm hopin' for." Reyn jokingly replied and looked down at Riki, "What about you, fuzzball, you in?"

"Count Riki in!" He answered with a quick bounce, "Operation 'Cheer Up Sharla' is go, boss!"

Sharla laughed and leaned down to pat Riki's head, "You two don't have to act that enthusiastic about it. A calm night out would be more than enough for me."

"Whatever you want, Sharla." Reyn insisted, "It's still a bit early, though, so you got anythin' in mind for right now to kill some time?"

"Well, it's not going to rain or anything until later on, and I did want to go visit Juju and Otharon…" Sharla said, pausing for a moment as she clasped her hands behind her back, "How about this? Let's just take a little walk around the colony for right now, then once the rain passes, we could go visit them and turn this into a family night kind of thing."

"Riki on board! That actually sounds like it could be a relaxing time!" Riki agreed.

"It wouldn't have mattered what you thought either way, furball. Today's all about her, remember?" Reyn pointed out. He stopped after he realized he could be starting another fight, but then he heard Sharla softly giggling at their exchange.

"You two really know how to bring out the best and worst in each other, you know that?" Sharla jokingly commented and pointed behind her, "I'm going back inside to get ready. Can I trust you two not to kill each other in the meantime?"

"Yeah, I think we can manage that." Reyn assured her and waved his hand, "You go ahead 'n do what you need, Sharla. Me 'n the furball will be waiting for ya in the living room."

"Alright, if you say so." Sharla said, giving the boys a small smile before she went back in the house. She hurried upstairs and changed into a new set of clothes before going to get Reyn and Riki, looking pleasantly surprised and stopping halfway down the steps as she found them waiting quietly on the couch.

"Well, look at you two." Sharla said and walked up to them.

"I did say ya didn't have to worry about us, right?" Reyn replied and stood up, "You look as beautiful as always, Sharla."

"Aw, thanks, babe~" Sharla cooed and pecked his cheek.

"All set now?" Reyn asked.

"Mm-hm." Sharla hummed back.

"Alright." Reyn said and threw his arm over Sharla's shoulders, using his other arm to beckon Riki over, "C'mon, furball!"

"Riki coming!" Riki answered and bounced up to them, his so-called sidekicks in tow as they left to stroll around the colony.

---

In what felt like a flash, the next day was already upon them, the skies much clearer and even a bit warmer outside compared to yesterday. Sharla had finished making breakfast and was done with her portion before Reyn and Riki, leaving them be and heading up to her bedroom to get ready.

"It's time…" Sharla reluctantly sighed as she finished getting dressed. Though their previous night out did help to allay her worries, she still found herself taking noticeably longer to do all of her prepping, occasionally staring out her window and letting her thoughts wander for a bit while she was trying to get a travel bag thrown together.

"Be ready in the next ten minutes when you're done eatin' there, fuzzball." Reyn said from across the table, "We got a long hike ahead of us, so I wanna get out the door asap."

"Riki doesn't have a problem with that, but… is Reyn sure that best idea?" Riki replied and turned his head towards the staircase, "Sharla has already been up there for long time, is rushing her really going to make things better?"

"That's actually another reason why I'm tryin' to get us moving." Reyn said, "I figured that the longer she stays here, the longer she's gonna be gettin' stuck in her own head, y'know?"

"Has Reyn never heard that haste makes waste?" Riki rebutted, "Riki understands Reyn's point, but Riki thinks Reyn not being fair to Sharla. We already know why Sharla taking so long, but that doesn't mean Reyn should ignore her."

"Then whaddya want me to do, huh?" Reyn frustratedly replied.

"It really not that hard, Reyn; just listen to her." Riki answered, "Even if Sharla say things that Reyn already know, it would still make her feel better knowing she have someone to talk to."

"Ya think so?" Reyn muttered, playing with his fork for a moment while he contemplated, "Alright, I'll go check on her. Clean up the table for me while I'm up there, will ya?"

"Riki got it, now go see loveypon already." Riki replied, "Ooh, by the way, can Riki have Reyn's leftovers?"

"Help yourself, furball." Reyn said and left the room. He headed upstairs and trudged down the hall, slowly creaking the bedroom door open.

"Sharla? Everything all right?" He asked through the small gap in the door.

"Yeah… everything's fine…" Sharla softly answered, "You can come in if you want."

Reyn fully opened the door and sighed under his breath, finding Sharla sitting hunched forward at the foot of their bed and with her travel bag still unfinished next to her.

"Ya never really were a good liar, Sharla." Reyn said and sat beside her, "Did you wanna talk about it?"

Sharla nodded and took a breath in, letting it out in a heavy exhale, "I'm just a bit worried about what might happen, is all. What if Fiora doesn't want to come or gets upset with us over this?"

"Well, there's your first problem; you keep saying 'what if'." Reyn replied, "You could be sitting here and asking yourself that all day, but you'll never know what the real answer is until you try. An' for the part about Fiora gettin' upset, I can guarantee you that won't happen. I've known Fiora all my life, so ya can trust me when I say there's no way she could stay mad at you. If you even want my two cents on it, I think you're as close to Fiora as me 'n Shulk are."

"You… really think so?" Sharla asked.

"I know so." Reyn boldly replied, "Everythin' you just told me is in your head, Sharla, and you really don't have anythin' to worry about. If you ever feel like this again while we're headin' over there, then just remember that you have me 'n the furball to back you up, and you can always talk to one of us if you need it."

"…Alright. I'll try to keep that in mind." Sharla said softly and leaned into his shoulder, "Thank you, Reyn. I actually feel a bit better now."

"That's what I'm here for." Reyn said back, "Anythin' else I can do to help speed this up?"

"You've done plenty already, babe." Sharla answered and stood up, grabbing a few more items out of her nightstand drawer and stuffing them into her bag, "This was the last thing holding me up anyways. Okay… that should do it."

"What about your rifle?" Reyn asked, noticing that one of the items she crammed into the bag was a case of ammunition.

"It's downstairs." Sharla answered as she swung the bag over her back, "I grabbed it ahead of time and left it by the front door. Either way, there's nothing else I need in here."

"So, you're sayin' you're ready to go?" Reyn double checked and walked up to her.

"As long as you and Riki are too." Sharla confirmed, freezing up as she caught Reyn grinning before he suddenly threw his arms around her.

"Alright, let's get goin', then!" Reyn said and lifted her off the ground.

"H-hey! Reyn!" Sharla whined, given practically no time to react. She quickly hoisted herself up and fixed her grip on him, settling down a little once she was more secure.

"You're absolutely sure there's nothin' we're forgetting now, right?" Reyn asked as he carried her over to the bedroom door.

"Yep, that was it~" Sharla answered. She giggled and kissed Reyn's neck as he carried her down the hall but stopped him as they were coming up to the staircase.

"Alright, Prince Charming, I think I can handle the rest of the way out on my own." She said and unhooked herself from Reyn, slowly getting her feet back on the ground, "I'd rather not risk us breaking our necks right before the wedding."

"I'm loving all the confidence you have in me, Sharla." Reyn said sarcastically, "Here, I'll still hold onto your bag and you can just carry your rifle over your back."

"Thanks, babe." Sharla said as they walked downstairs, "Was Riki still eating?"

"Yeah, but he's prolly finished by now." Reyn replied. They went into the kitchen to check, finding Riki still sitting there even though the table was cleaned off, "What're ya doin', fuzzball?"

"Riki just helping himself to a snack while waiting on Reyn and Sharla." Riki answered and showed them the small bag that he had in his right hand, "Friends ready to go?"

"Yep. We're all set, Riki." Sharla smiled.

"Alrighty!" Riki said eagerly and hopped out of his seat, following behind them and out the front door as they set off for Colony 9.

---

The group's arduous trip had finally reached its end a few hours later with the colony just up ahead, the three of them already feeling the cool ocean breeze as they walked down the hillside path.

"Ah, the old stomping grounds." Reyn said as they took in the view of the colony while it was still fully in sight, "So many good memories here."

"Yeah, I kind of miss when we used to live here." Sharla added, smiling as she reminisced, "Maybe we can stop by our old house later if we have the time?"

"I don't see why not." Reyn replied.

"Ooh, Riki wants to go to that curry place while we're here!" Riki said and started bouncing.

"I'd be down for that. I'm sure ol' Giorgio's still in business." Reyn agreed and licked his lips, "Mm, that's sounding real good now. Wonder if he's still not chargin' people for extra helpings…"

"That can wait until later, you two. We have business to take care of first." Sharla said.

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Reyn groaned disappointedly.

"Maybe Dundun and Fiora will be hungry too…" Riki said, trying to stay optimistic. His focus began to shift elsewhere as they came up to the entryway bridge, briefly forgetting about his appetite as he looked out at the water, "Such nice view… Friends, come look!"

"Sheesh, how easily do you get distracted?" Reyn asked, walking at a snail's pace once he saw the sun reflecting off the surface of the clear water, "But man, ya weren't kiddin' about the view…"

"I wonder if Dunban and Fiora ever get tired of seeing this every day…" Sharla added, "Say, you guys want to take a short break here before we go see them?"

"Riki likes that idea!" Riki said and went ahead, perching himself on the railing.

"Yeah, it'd be nice to rest our legs for a minute." Reyn agreed, hanging back for a moment with Sharla, "Still feelin' alright, babe?"

"I'm fine. I just wanted a minute to relax, that's all." Sharla assured him.

"Well, alright, if ya say so." Reyn replied and walked with her to the railing, leaning over it and silently admiring the view for a short while, "We'll go whenever you're ready, Sharla. There's no rush."

"It's for the bride-to-be…" Sharla quietly repeated to herself. She let any remaining doubts escape in a deep exhale, then pushed herself away from the rail, "Alright. I'm ready."

"Already acting like a real maid of honor." Reyn jokingly praised and took Sharla's hand, "You got this, babe."

Sharla nodded and led them the remainder of the way to Dunban and Fiora's house, moments feeling like hours as she knocked and waited for the door to open.

"Reyn, Sharla?" Came from beyond the door as it crept open, seeing Dunban pleasantly smiling on the other side, "What are you two doing here?"

"Dundun forgetting someooone~"

Just as Dunban began to look around, Riki jumped out from the back of the group and broke out into dancing.

"Hero of the Hom Homs and Hero of the Nopon meet once again!" Riki announced.

"Well, you've certainly got the heroic entrance down pat." Dunban chuckled, "It's good to see you again too, Riki."

Riki stopped dancing and suspiciously eyed Dunban, "Hm? Dundun doesn't look as surprised as other friends were to see Riki."

"Well, I could see you guys leaning on the rails right outside my house a minute ago. And, well… I might have also gotten tipped off before you got here." Dunban admitted.

"Someone gave away Riki's surprise?!" Riki shouted and began to glare, "Riki demand to know who spoiled it!"

Dunban smirked and stepped aside, revealing a High Entian girl that was close to his height standing behind him, along with blonde hair that trailed down to her shoulders while a set of wings reached from the back of her head to about halfway down her back, and arguably as peppy as Riki.

"Surprise~" She said with a grin—and a surprise it definitely was to the three of them as their eyes flew open.

"D-… Denise?!" Riki gawked.

"That would be me~" She answered.

"W-wait, what?! What're you doing here? When did you get here?" Sharla asked.

"About two, maybe three days ago. Shulk took off from work until after the wedding and Melia's been spending most of that free time with him, so I thought of taking a trip to see Dunban and Fiora for a bit instead." Denise explained.

"Well geez, don't make them sound like backups or anything." Reyn teased.

"They know it's nothing like that." Denise replied, "I can see why Shulk and Melia would want some time to themselves before their big day. And besides, I work in the same building and live not too far away from them, so I could see those two pretty much whenever. You guys, on the other hand, not so much; so I figured this could be the perfect time to see what everyone else has been up to and do a bit of catching up while the lovebirds are out on their little pre-honeymoon."

"Well, that's nice of Denise to—" Riki suddenly stopped and turned pouty, "Hey, wait a minute, Riki not going to let Denise distract him! Riki still isn't happy that Denise ruined Riki's surprise!"

"Aw, I'm sorry, little guy." Denise cooed and picked Riki up, "I didn't mean to. It just came up while we were talking the other day."

"Well… if it was accident, then Riki can forgive that. But only going to do this once." Riki said.

"How generous of the mighty Heropon." Denise giggled and began gently bouncing him in her arms.

"Oh, we've left you guys sitting out here for a while now, haven't we?" Dunban realized, "Come on in."

"You guys want anything to eat or drink?" Denise offered as they all reconvened in the dining room.

"Well, these two were set on getting curry…" Sharla started.

"Hey, nothin' wrong with a little snack beforehand, yeah?" Reyn spoke up.

"Just don't go blaming us for ruining your own appetite." Dunban said and poked his head into the fridge, grabbing a few beer cans and water bottles for everyone while Denise handled the food.

"Well, your guys' turn now. What brought you all the way out here?" Denise asked as she and Dunban joined the others around the table.

"Well, there's two reasons for that, and they revolve around this letter that Riki brought us." Sharla started and pulled the letter out of her bag.

"Oh? I knew about him delivering that to you guys, but nothing about what was in it." Denise mentioned, "So, what did it say?"

"Well, it has both good news and bad news. But before we get into that…" Sharla said and leaned over the table, lowering her voice a tad, "Is Fiora around?"

Dunban curiously raised an eyebrow, "She is, but I'm guessing there's something you don't want her to hear?"

"Kind of… It'll make more sense after I explain everything." Sharla replied.

"I see. Well, she's up in her room right now, so she won't be able to hear unless you raise your voice high enough, so try to relax." Dunban assured her.

Sharla sighed and sat back down in her chair, "Alright. This might sound kind of odd, but have any High Entian ships been flying around here recently?"

"You're talking about the ones that announced Shulk and Melia's wedding, right?" Dunban replied and scoffed, "The better question would be who hasn't seen them? They said it was being broadcasted all over, so I assume the same thing happened in your colony too?"

"It did, but we got the news a bit earlier than everyone else." Sharla said and redirected everyone's attention to the letter, "There's more to it, though. You see… Shulk and Melia also want Reyn and I to be their best man and maid of honor."

"Really?! That's amazing!" Denise suddenly squeaked and covered her mouth, realizing she was talking a bit too loudly, "S-sorry…" She whispered.

A much-needed laugh escaped from Sharla's lips, starting to relax a little as she paused to sip her beer, "It's okay. That wasn't the part to be all hush about."

"And the part that is?" Dunban asked.

"Well…" Sharla said and flipped the letter over, passing it over the table to them, "It might be easier if you just saw it for yourselves."

Denise and Dunban scooted closer so they could both read it, and the looks that soon covered their faces were eerily similar to the ones Reyn and Sharla made too when they initially seen it.

"Well, that explains a lot…" Dunban concluded.

"Especially if you think about the way Fiora's been acting lately." Denise softly added.

"What do you mean?" Sharla asked.

"Well, for the past couple days, all Fiora has done was either work or lock herself in her bedroom." Denise explained.

"We just assumed she was exhausted from work or something, but this letter is making me think that wasn't actually the case…" Dunban said.

"I see…" Sharla said, falling quiet and taking a heavy swig of her drink.

"Hey, there's no need to be all gloomy about it yet." Denise said to everyone, "Maybe she'll perk up a little once she sees that you guys are here, and we could even try getting her to go out with us for a bit."

"The least we could do is try." Sharla replied. She took another swig before getting up, the others following behind her as she went upstairs and stood in front of Fiora's bedroom door.

"Fiora?" Sharla asked and gently knocked.

"…Sharla? Is that you?" A voice called back.

"Yeah, it's me, and Reyn and Riki are here too." Sharla answered, "Can we come in?"

"…Okay. Give me one second." Fiora said back.

Everyone could hear Fiora's footsteps from the other side of the door, sounding like she was scrambling around her room and opening drawers. The next thing they heard was the door unlocking as Fiora finally came out, her hair looking like it was quickly brushed down at the last minute and wearing a white tank top and black spandex shorts.

"Hey, guys!" Fiora said and put on a smile, "What's going on?"

"Long story short, it kind of revolves around Riki." Sharla began, "He just got back from his travelling and was going around to let us all know. He said he was coming here next, and since we haven't really gotten to see you guys in a while either, we thought we could tag along to keep him protected and have an excuse to come visit."

"Oh, is that right?" Fiora replied and looked down at Riki, "You certainly know how to show up in style, don't you? You came here with your own little entourage and everything."

"It's what Riki knows how to do best!" Riki answered.

"Oi, I ain't nobody's roadie, if that's what you're tryin' to say—especially not the furball's." Reyn jumped in.

"I see you two are still getting along as well as ever." Fiora jokingly commented while everyone else chuckled.

"We weren't interrupting anything, were we Fiora? You look like you were trying to sleep." Sharla assumed from her loungewear.

"No, you're fine. I did feel a bit tired after I got back from work, but that was a while ago, so I already got a good nap in." Fiora answered.

"Oh, alright. Well, did you want to come hang out with us for a bit, then?" Sharla offered.

"Sure!" Fiora replied and gestured to her messy hair and pajamas, "Could I get a bit more time to throw myself together, though? I wouldn't exactly call this presentable."

"It's all right. Take as much time as you need." Sharla said, "We'll be back downstairs while we're waiting."

"Alright, thanks." Fiora replied, her head still poking out from behind the door as she started closing it, "I'll try not to keep you guys for too long." She told them before the door shut.

"Well, you guys heard her." Reyn spoke up, "C'mon, let's go."

Not much time at all seemed to have passed before Fiora met back with the others downstairs, that bubbly attitude of hers seemingly back in full swing as she pranced into the living room.

"Ready~!" Fiora announced.

"Well, someone's excited." Sharla commented, although it did make her happy to see Fiora acting like her normal self.

"So, where were we going?" Fiora asked.

"Well, we didn't actually have anything planned yet. We were kind of just expecting to find something while we were out and maybe get some food later." Sharla explained.

"Oh, alright, I'm fine with that." Fiora said, "If you want a suggestion, how about Outlook Park first?"

"Works for me." Reyn said and stood up after everyone else voiced their approval, "Let's get a move on, then!"

Along their way through the colony, Sharla couldn't help but notice how crowded the streets were with people making their rounds, "It's a lot busier around here than usual. Something been going on, Fiora?"

"You have the royals to thank for that. Shulk and Melia's wedding has been the talk of the town ever since the announcement, and people are scrambling to get ready before those ships come back to take them to Alcamoth. Most businesses around here are even planning to close on those days too." Fiora explained, "Has it been like that around your guys' colony too?"

"We didn't stay there long enough to hear about anything closing, but the wedding has been pretty much the only thing they've been talking about before we left too." Sharla answered.

"I see…" Fiora said.

Things began to grow rather quiet from there as they reached the outskirts, in the case of both the clamoring of people inside the colony, but also any talking between the two. Even Sharla could feel the awkward silence setting in as she sat by Fiora on the park bench while the others looked over the rails a short distance away, but she knew this could be her best chance to strike the question and tried to psych herself up.

It's for Melia… Come on, Sharla, she trusted you with this. Do it for her, as her maid of honor.

"Hey… Fiora?" Sharla began, the words slipping out before she knew if she was ready.

"Yeah? What is it?" Fiora asked and looked over.

"There's something I meant to ask you." Sharla replied, "About the wedding… Have you decided if you're going yet?"

While relieved that she finally managed to get that off her chest, it didn't do much to help Sharla feel better just yet. A tension began to fill the air that felt so heavy it was borderline suffocating for her, and all she could do was sit and weather it out while she waited for Fiora to answer.

"…Why would you think I'd say no?" Fiora finally replied.

"You know why, Fiora. We both do." Sharla stated, trying to find the right balance of being sincere but still firm with her, "I'm not trying to bring up old wounds, but… I'm just worried about you because of the feelings you used to have for Shulk. I just… I just feel like I need to hear it from you personally before I can put it to rest. Are you absolutely sure you're okay to go?"

Sharla's mind began racing as another unbearable silence followed, bracing herself for the worst in the few moments that she had.

"That's really sweet of you, Sharla, and I appreciate you being honest with me, but none of this is really necessary. I've already made up my mind on going." Fiora answered, easing Sharla's doubts with a gentle smile.

"And… you're sure about this?" Sharla asked again, still finding it hard to believe.

"Positive." Fiora stated, "It was a little hard when I first heard the announcement, I'll admit that, but I've had some time to think it over and ask myself that same question. Even after all of that, my answer is still yes."

The tension in the air finally began to lift and Sharla felt like she could breathe easily again, taking it quite literally as she sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad to hear that." Sharla said, "But still, if you ever feel like something's wrong when we get there, then let me know, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill." Fiora teased, her smile turning to a smirk, "You really are like the mom of the group sometimes, you know that?"

"Now wait just one minute!" Sharla playfully jabbed back.

The others were intentionally staying away to give the girls their space, but Reyn overheard Sharla shouting and quickly turned around. At first he was worried that an argument might have broken out between them, but he started to calm down once he realized they were just playing around, watching them laugh and smile as they bickered back and forth.

"Atta girl, Sharla. Like I tried telling you, it was all in your head." Reyn thought to himself, cupping his right hand around his mouth as he called out to them, "Yo, you two! You gonna join the rest of us over here anytime soon?"

"We're coming! Quit rushing us!" Fiora shouted back and stood up first, grabbing Sharla's hand and tugging her up to her feet. They gathered around the railing with the others and took a minute to simply admire the view, feeling the wind gently breeze through their hair as they overlooked the colony.

"Those two sure picked a beautiful time to have their wedding." Fiora commented and glanced in Sharla's direction, "Speaking of which, were you guys going to be staying here for a bit longer? I could use some help finding a dress for the ceremony."

"We could stay if you wanted." Sharla answered and shot Fiora a grin, "But do you really want someone who acts like a mom to help you pick out a dress?"

"Oh, stop. You know I was kidding around." Fiora lightheartedly whined.

"Alright, fine. I'll help you find one, but there's something I need to know before we do that." Sharla said, "I was actually given a role in the wedding, and you were offered one too, Fiora. If you wanted to take it, I was thinking of having our outfits match."

"Wait, what?" Fiora asked confusedly.

"Actually, it's not just you two." Denise piped up, "Melia appointed me as one of her bridesmaids."

"Really?" Fiora pressed, her curiosity piqued, "Why didn't you say anything about that earlier?"

"Friends not count out the Heropon!" Riki butted in before Denise could answer, "Melly gave Riki a job too when Riki went to visit! Riki and his family get to be ushers for the wedding!"

"Denise told me that I was apparently offered one too." Dunban went next, "I was asked to walk Melia down the aisle."

"Well geez, it sounds like everybody was given a role." Fiora commented, her sights drifting over to Sharla, "So, what was mine supposed to be?"

"You'd be a bridesmaid, like Denise." Sharla answered.

"A bridesmaid, hm?" Fiora thought out loud.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Denise insisted.

"Well… if everyone else is going to have a part, then I'll play mine too." Fiora said and showed Sharla a determined smile, "Besides, it's not every day that you get an opportunity like this. I'll do it, Sharla."

Sharla could only beam with how much better this was going than she expected, but she managed to keep it under control for the most part and went up to Fiora, locking her in a big hug.

"Thank you, Fiora!" Sharla said.

"You don't have to thank me for anything." Fiora replied with a soft laugh but still reciprocated the hug. As they broke apart, though, she suddenly realized something and looked to Sharla and Reyn, "Hang on a second. I know I heard everyone else say they had a role, but I don't remember hearing anything from you two yet."

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Sharla coyly replied.

"Well? Come on, don't be shy. What were they?" Fiora eagerly pressed.

"Yeah, about that…" Reyn spoke up, intentionally pausing as he went up to Sharla and threw his arm over her shoulder, "You, Fiora, are lookin' at Shulk's best man…"

"And Melia's maid of honor." Sharla played along.

"B-best… and maid of…" Fiora stammered as she tried to repeat what she just heard, "W-wow, that's…"

"Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise for us too." Reyn said teasingly while Fiora took a second to regain her composure.

"I mean, I probably should've guessed since those were the last roles left, but still, I'm happy for you guys! Congrats!" Fiora cheered and turned to Sharla, "So does this mean that you're mine and Denise's boss for the wedding? You're going from mom to manager, it seems, huh?"

"I wouldn't look at it that way…" Sharla said, playing along with it as she tried to put on a serious face, "But if that's what it's gonna take to get you to stop calling me that, then yes, and I'm ordering you to quit it!"

"Alright, fine~" Fiora gave in, "But seriously now, how long can you afford to spend here in the colony, Sharla?"

"We can stay overnight if we need to, but we have to be heading back no later than tomorrow afternoon." Sharla explained, "Reyn and I took today and tomorrow off to come here and have a little time to recuperate when we got back."

"That's fine, I just wanted to get a gauge for what we could get done while you were still here." Fiora said, "In that case, if you didn't mind all the crowds you saw earlier in the colony, we could get a bit of shopping done today and the rest tomorrow if we need to. It might not be as busy around here come next morning."

"Speaking of which, did you guys have anywhere planned to stay for the night?" Dunban asked, "If not, you're more than welcome to spend the night at our place. I can't guarantee it'll be cozy with six people under one roof, but hey, can't beat free lodging, right?"

"As long as you guys don't mind." Sharla replied.

"Oh, there's no need to be modest." Fiora insisted, "You guys could always stay with us whenever you're in the colony. Speaking of which, we'll have to make an extra stop in the commercial district and get some more ingredients for dinner."

"That's fine." Sharla finally agreed, "Our to-do list is already getting long though, so did you want to head back into the colony?"

"Sure!" Fiora replied, staying beside Sharla as they set off to get as much as they could done in that first day.

---

A few more days had passed for everyone to get themselves prepared, and now all that was left to do was go back home and wait for the event to begin. As of now, there were only two days left until the ceremony, marking today as when the High Entian ships broadcasted that they would be coming back to pick everyone up.

Everyone from all the known parts of the world knew that it was only a matter of time until the ships would arrive at their settlements, and Sharla was no exception to that. She was up in her bedroom and sitting in front of a mirror, her luggage already packed and changed into the long, lavender-colored dress that she and the other girls would be wearing for the ceremony. All that she had left to keep herself occupied was put on her last few touches, reaching into her cosmetic drawers to find her makeup and any jewelry that would complement her outfit.

"Alright, finally done packin'." Reyn said as he came into the room, wheeling his luggage in with him. The outfit he decided on consisted of a black tuxedo and bowtie with a white undershirt, black dress pants and shoes, and a gold handkerchief folded into the coat pocket, "What about you, Sharla, you re—"

Reyn then paused as he found Sharla in front of the mirror, seemingly unaware of his presence.

"Hm? Oh, hey, babe." Sharla said as she saw him in the mirror, though she was too occupied with what she was doing to turn around, "Did you need something?"

"Nah, just lettin' you know I was all set and that I'm leavin' my bag up here." Reyn said and dropped his luggage by hers, finding it hard not to smile as he caught a glimpse of Sharla's reflection, "Looking good too, by the way."

"Aw, how sweet~" Sharla said and turned around to get a better look at him, "And so do you."

"Yeah? Well wait until ya see what I got planned for our wedding." Reyn boasted.

"Gonna try and upstage the royal couple?" Sharla humored him.

"You think I'd let Shulk get a one-up on me?" Reyn cockily replied.

"It's like everything has to be a competition between you boys, I swear." Sharla commented, "Well, if you're being serious about it, then you'd better believe I'm going to hold you to your word when that time comes, Reyn."

"Have I ever been someone that goes back on what I say?" Reyn replied, "Just you wait, Sharla. When that time finally comes, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure our wedding is as perfect as you are."

"Oh, stop~" Sharla playfully shot him down and looked back in the mirror.

"Anythin' I can do to help speed this up?" Reyn offered.

"No, that's okay." Sharla replied, "I shouldn't be much longer, so go ahead and find something to keep you busy in the meantime."

"Alright, if you say so." Reyn said. He left the room and went back downstairs, their house becoming so quiet that he could practically feel it ever since Riki went back to Makna Forest to make his own preparations.

"Kinda miss having that little furball around…" Reyn muttered to himself and scoffed, "I guess Sharla was right after all."

Reyn then went into the kitchen and grabbed a soda can from the fridge, his eye wandering as he pulled the tab and saw their morning paper atop a stack of magazines on the nearby counter.

"A few minutes, she says…" He mumbled as he rummaged through the stack, grabbing a magazine and bringing it with him to the table, "Bet I could finish at least one of these by the time she's done up there."

Finding himself right as he was coming down to the last few pages, Reyn could hear footsteps and lifted his head from the magazine, seeing Sharla coming up to him.

"All good now?" Reyn asked.

"Yeah, just one more thing." Sharla said and held out her hand, showing a spray of flowers in her palm, "Could you help me get this corsage on?"

"Yeah, sure." Reyn answered. He took the corsage from her and carefully put it on, keeping his hold on Sharla's hand once he had it secured to her wrist, "Alright, all set."

"Thanks, babe." Sharla said and invited herself to sit on his lap, "And now we wait."

"Yep. Not still worried about anything, are ya?" Reyn asked.

"Not anymore." Sharla replied. She noticed his empty soda can on the table and offered to take it, getting off his lap and tossing it into the recycling bin, "Now that all the stressful stuff is out of the way, all I'm looking forward to is visiting Shulk and Melia again and seeing how beautiful their wedding is going to be."

Just as Reyn was about to speak, he was cut off by an alarm blaring outside.

"Attention everyone!" A voice echoed through speakers around the colony, "High Entian transport ships have arrived and are currently preparing for departure to Alcamoth! In the meantime, we ask that you gather your belongings and report to the guards stationed at the entrance of the colony at your earliest convenience!"

"Guess you won't have to wait too long for that." Reyn commented, "Come on, let's grab our bags and get Juju and Otharon."

Sharla nodded and they hurried upstairs to grab their stuff, trying to get themselves out the door as fast as possible. As soon as they were outside, though, they could see that the other residents were already pouring out of their homes and beginning to congest the streets.

"We'd better hurry." Sharla stated.

"Yeah, it's gonna get real packed here in a minute." Reyn said, "Stay behind me, Sharla."

Reyn used his massive body to start paving a way through the crowds and they made a beeline straight for Sharla's old house, where Juju and Otharon were living ever since her and Reyn originally moved away.

"God damnit, c'mon!" Reyn muttered, continually pounding harder on the front door with every moment that passed.

"Alright, alright! Keep your damn shirt on!" An elderly voice shouted back before the door finally opened, revealing Otharon.

"Old timer! In case ya haven't noticed, it's time to move! You and the kid ready to haul it outta here yet?" Reyn urgently asked.

"Don't start thinking this 'old timer' can't kick your ass if you want to talk to me like that, boy." Otharon warned him, "I'm well aware, and yes, we're both ready. Give me a second and I'll go get Juju."

"No need for that. I could hear Reyn shouting even from in here."

In nearly an instant, Juju appeared from behind Otharon and was carrying both of their bags.

"I've got our stuff right here, Otharon. Let's get a move on!" Juju said, sharing the same urgency as Reyn did.

The group of now four then left the house and were once again clearing a path through the crowds of other residents, trying to beat the rush to the colony's entrance gates.

Otharon stayed in the rear of the group with Sharla, and he chuckled as he watched Reyn and Juju take to the front and plow their way through everyone, "That boy sure has taken a liking to Reyn, don't you think, Sharla? He's even got Juju acting like him now."

"Now that you bring it up, I can kind of see it." Sharla jokingly agreed, "It's kind of a scary thought if you dig a bit deeper though. Having two Reyn's…"

"Yeah, that'd be the last thing this world needs." Otharon laughed, "But still, it's bound to happen eventually. I know I give him a hard time every now and then, but Reyn's not that bad, and I'm sure he'd make a great father when that time comes."

"Wait, wait, wait. What?!" Sharla gawked and turned bright red, "Why is that coming up all of a sudden?"

"Oh, come now, Sharla. I know it's not going to be for a while, but I'm sure you've at least thought about that prospect before, right?" Otharon pressed.

"It's not that I haven't, it's just…" Sharla paused as she sighed, "It's just that there isn't much of a point thinking too deeply on that if we're not ready. We don't have the money right now to provide for a child; heck, we can barely cover our own needs right now. And I don't have the time to care for a child either—it's already stretched thin as it is between both work and going to school."

"Slow down there, Sharla. I already said I wasn't expecting a child to show up anytime soon." Otharon interrupted, "I understand that things are too hectic for that right now. In fact, it's actually pretty smart of you two to wait until your lives are more stable."

"Well, about that…" Sharla said hesitantly, "Reyn and I have never gotten around to actually talking about a child yet."

"Ah, I see. Well, it does make sense; why bother bringing it up if you both know that's not ideal yet, right?" Otharon tried to sympathize with her, "Either way, I'm not trying to push that idea into your guys' heads. All I was trying to say is that, if-and-when it were to happen, I believe that Reyn would make a good father. Well, so long as you don't let the kid take after him too much, that is."

"I… I don't know what to say…" Sharla replied. A warm smile began to show on her lips as she looked back at the two boys, noticing more of the similarities between them.

"…I think so too." She admitted.

"Glad to hear that you agree." Otharon said, "Hopefully it'll happen within my lifetime, though. I'd love to be able to meet the little tyke."

"Oh, don't start talking like that. You've still got plenty of years left, Otharon." Sharla assured him, "It might not be happening until later down the road, but of course you'd get to see our child when that time comes!"

"…Thank you, Sharla." Otharon replied, trying his hardest to not let a smile show, "I think that's enough for now, though. Come on, we don't want to fall too far behind."

Sharla agreed and they stuck closer to the boys as they soon pushed past the colony gates, finding squads from their own Defense Force waiting for them on the other side.

"Keep it orderly! No pushing through!" A squad leader barked, "Just follow the pathway on your right-hand side, it'll take you to the High Entia's landing site."

Everyone looked in the direction the soldier was signaling to and were met with more guards, standing attentively across from each other to make a walkway in the space between them.

After a confused paused, all the citizens began heading down the path and came to a checkpoint, this one with several makeshift buildings surrounded by wired fences and guards from both Alcamoth and their own colony.

"The ships will be ready to depart soon! Please be patient!" A High Entia guard announced through a megaphone, "While you're all waiting, we ask that you comply with the officers and head over to the structure you see to the side of us. That building is a screening checkpoint, and you will be having both your luggage and anything on your person inspected there. If you fail the inspection or refuse to comply with the officers, you will not be permitted to board the ships, and you will be denied entry into Alcamoth even if you arrive there through your own means. Also, we expect to have enough seats to accommodate you all, but in the rare event that we do not, we will be sending more ships here as quickly as possible. Rest assured, even if that were to happen, we will ensure that you all arrive on time. Thank you all for your understanding, and we hope you enjoy your visit to our capital!"

"Ugh, are you kidding me?!" Reyn whined to his group, "All that work we did to get here fast, and we gotta wait in lines anyways?!"

"I'm sure even you can understand the need for it, Reyn." Sharla said.

"Right. All these people they don't know are going to be flooding their city for two days, and they're even going to be up close to the royal family, no less." Otharon added, "It's for their own security, Reyn."

"I know, I know…" Reyn groaned, "Let's just line up and get it over with, yeah?"

While they were waiting, Reyn looked for anything to cure his boredom and watched as the guards patrolled up and down the lines. He saw one of them coming up on their flank and eyed him as he was about to walk by, but the guard strangely stopped in his tracks and stared back at Reyn and the others.

"I found them. They're in line, right beside me." The guard said into the radio he had clipped to his shoulder.

"Huh?" Reyn spoke up but didn't get an answer.

"Roger that." A voice in the radio replied, "He's already on his way."

"Aye, what's the big idea here? Whaddya want with us?" Reyn demanded.

"That's for me to answer, not him."

Everyone's ears perked up and they turned their heads in the direction of what sounded like boots stomping against the ground, seeing that it was the captain marching towards them.

"Cap?! What're you doing here?" Reyn asked.

"Shulk and Melia stationed me here to find you guys, as a matter of fact." The captain answered and glanced back at the guard, "Good work. You can go back to your normal duties; I'll take it from here."

"Yes, sir." He said and saluted.

As the guard left to resume his patrol, Sharla raised her eyebrow at the captain, "So… what was it you needed with us?"

"To give you guys priority." The captain answered, "Since you're acquainted with the royal family, they wanted me to keep an eye out for you guys and pull you off to the side once I found you. We're taking you right past the security checkpoint, as well as giving you a private flight into Alcamoth."

"For real?!" Reyn gawked and pumped his fists into the air, "Awesome! Remind me to thank those two when we get there!"

"Duly noted." The captain sarcastically replied and turned his back, making a signal with two fingers from over his shoulder, "Come on, we'll walk and talk."

The group picked up their bags and began to follow behind him, but the captain noticed Juju and Otharon trailing behind and turned to block their path.

"Whoa, hold it there." The captain told them and looked to Reyn and Sharla, "Do you know these two?"

"Yes, they're with us." Sharla spoke up for them.

"Hm. Well, the orders only stated giving priority to you and Reyn, but they are your plus-ones…" The captain openly pondered, facing Juju and Otharon again once he came to a decision, "Tell you what, we'll make an exception and let you two board with them, but you'll still need to be inspected since you weren't explicitly named in our orders. We'll rush you both up to the front and have you screened immediately, then I'll show you all to your ship from there. Sound fair?"

"Plenty fair. Thank you." Otharon agreed.

"Don't mention it." The captain replied, "Now, if there weren't any other last second surprises, then follow me."

The captain then took their group out of the line and escorted them to the front, guiding them past the rows of inspection tables and up to a guard stationed by a thick glass wall with a door that led into a waiting room. He explained the situation to the guard and they allowed Reyn and Sharla through the door, then he took Juju and Otharon with him to find an open inspection table.

Though they were separated for the time being, Reyn and Sharla still had the others in their sights through the glass wall. They didn't have much else to do and decided to watch the screening process play out, but then Reyn saw a disgruntled-looking man step out of line and storm his way up to the front.

"Ooh, this should be good!" Reyn said excitedly, his eyes glued to the glass.

"It's not exactly something to get riled up about, Reyn." Sharla replied, even though she was watching intently as well.

The man in question darted right for the inspection table that the rest of the group was at, slamming his hands down on it and shooting them all a glare, "What kind of bullshit favoritism are you guys trying to pull here?!"

"Sir, if you're not with this group, then you need to step back and wait your turn!" The officer shouted back.

"Like hell I will!" The man barked in protest, "I want to know which one of you rent-a-cops are in charge here, now!"

"Sir, you will not be given another—"

The captain then stepped in, raising his hand to silence the other officer.

"That rent-a-cop would be me." The captain answered, glaring in turn as he inched closer, "Please, give me your full complaint. I'm all ears."

"Oh, you'll be getting one alright!" The man yelled and poked the captain in his chest, "Me and all these other people have been waiting for far longer than these guys; what makes themso damn special that they can just cut to the front? And for that matter, what the hell makes you think that you can just come into our colony and act like you run things around here?! It's already annoying as it is to go through all these bullshit hoops, but now you're letting whoever you want skip them while the rest of us have to just deal with it? I'm not buying it, nor do I think you clowns have any idea what you're doing! At the very least, step aside and let our own guards take care of this—they're clearly much more competent than you!"

"Mm-hm. I see." The captain replied, his voice eerily calm and not matching at all with the malicious look in his eyes, "Well, sir, let me tell you something…"

Without warning, the captain quickly yanked the man closer by his shirt and grabbed his head, slamming it into the inspection table before shoving him to the ground.

"It's fine if you disagree, but I'm not going to sit here and let you disrespect me and the guards under my jurisdiction like that." The captain growled and looked to a nearby guard, "Stand him up."

The guard came over without saying a word and grabbed the man by his arm, getting him back up but not letting him leave just yet.

"Now with that out of the way, let's go down the list of your complaints." The captain said and crossed his arms, "First off, you must not have heard that these people are important guests and were given priority; that's why they were taken to the front. Second and third, this is a joint operation between Alcamoth's Imperial Guards and this colony's Defense Force that you think so highly of, so not only does that make these checkpoints considered government property and give them the same protections, but I just so happen to have been the one put in charge of said operation in this colony. The reason I act like I run things around here? It's because I do. As long as its within reason, I can do whatever I want to you while you're in my checkpoint, and that includes things like cavity searches, by the way. So, unless you want your own kind of 'special privileges', I'd suggest you watch that temper, both while you're here and when you're in our capital. Understood?"

With the end of his warning, the captain had the man sent away and then turned to Juju and Otharon, "I'm terribly sorry you both had to witness that."

"Oh, no need to fret. That little punk was asking for it." Otharon assured him, "Things like that don't bother me in the least. In fact, it reminded me of when I was still the colonel of this colony's Defense Force."

"Is that so?" The captain asked, sounding a bit surprised, "I'm sure you'd have plenty of similar stories to tell, then."

"Oh, tons." Otharon chuckled, "Remind me to tell a few of them if you ever have the time."

"I'll be sure to." The captain laughed with him.

The officer that was tasked with checking Juju's and Otharon's bags was still working while they talked, getting the captain's attention once he was done, "All clear, sir. The only thing left is their personal inspection."

"Alright." The captain said and looked to Juju and Otharon, "I'll be waiting on the other side with Reyn and Sharla. You two are almost done, just a quick pat down and then they'll send you through."

"Saved the worst for last, huh?" Otharon joked, "Alright, let's get it out of the way, then."

"It'll be quick at the very least, right?" The captain played along. He tapped his hand on the inspection table and then left to meet with Reyn and Sharla, catching them gawking at him as he passed through the security gate.

"…What?" The captain asked nonchalantly.

"Um, that little incident, maybe?" Sharla replied.

"Yeah, it was awesome! You straight up beat that guy's ass!" Reyn added, "Hey, did'ja ever teach Melia how to do anything like that?"

"Well, I did teach her both melee and ether when she was growing up, but everyone has their preference, and the empress' just happened to be staves and ether." The captain modestly stated.

"Oh, really? I didn't know you could use ether too, given that we've only seen you carrying that sword." Sharla said, noticing the sword was attached to his hip and pointed at it.

"Well, during training for the Imperial Guard, you have to show a level of proficiency with all weapon types, and that includes ether and hand-to-hand." The captain replied and tapped the scabbard encasing his sword, "Though you do get the option to choose what you prefer after you pass, and swords just happened to be mine."

"What about that lil' drop kick that Melia likes to do? You the one that taught her that?" Reyn asked.

"No, that's actually a move she thought of on her own when we were sparring one day." The captain said, chuckling as he reminisced, "You'd think a small-framed girl like her wouldn't be able to hit that hard with her legs, but damn did it catch me by surprise. If only you guys were around back then, you would've gotten to see how proud she looked when she managed to knock me down for the first time."

"Now that would be a sight I'd love to have seen." Sharla joked, "Still, it's a bit strange to imagine Melia winning in a fight against you."

"It was bound to happen eventually. Sorean put me in charge of her training regimen, and I made it a requirement that she'd have to win against me before she could officially pass. That time came a lot faster than I expected it to, I'll admit, but I was still impressed with her, nonetheless. I mean, what better feeling is there than seeing a student best their mentor?" The captain replied. He began to show a smile, but quickly tried to cover it behind a serious look, "By the way, you better not go telling the empress or anyone else about this."

"Oh, don't worry, you big softy. Your secret is safe with us." Sharla teasingly agreed.

Just then, Juju and Otharon were seen passing through the security gate and came up to rejoin the group.

"I hope we didn't keep you all waiting too long." Otharon apologized.

"No worries. We had plenty of entertainment while you guys were off getting the rubber glove treatment." Reyn joked and looked to the captain, "Oi, Cap, how's about teaching me a few moves, huh?"

"If you don't mind getting knocked to the floor a few times, then sure." The captain replied.

"Oh, you think that'll happen, eh?" Reyn smirked, punching into his other hand and cracking his knuckles.

"I don't think, I know." The captain shot back with a smirk of his own, "We can kill each other later, though. We've got more pressing matters to tend to right now."

"Yeah. We wanted to see a wedding, not a bloodbath." Sharla said.

"Right as always." The captain replied, "Alright, come this way. The other ships are close to ready, but yours should be done by now."

The captain then guided everyone through another door that led to a large, paved area outside with wired fences surrounding the perimeter, both armed guards and maintenance workers passing by or crowding around the rows of docked ships.

"This is the landing zone. Once the passengers finished their security screening, they would be escorted out here as well to their assigned ships." The captain said, giving them a brief tour. They walked a bit further until they came across a jet-black ship docked away from the others, a gold High Entian crest painted on its left side and two royal guards stationed by it that saluted as they saw the captain approaching.

"Maintenance is done and the pilot is ready to depart when you are, sir." The left-side guard said.

"I have our special guests right here. We're ready to go." The captain confirmed.

"Understood. We'll inform the next in command once you've taken off." The guard replied as his partner went up to the door of the ship and opened it for them.

Reyn was the last to enter the ship and whistled as he got a look inside the cabin, finding a sleek black-and-white interior with club seats close to the door while single rows of leather reclining chairs stretched further down the cabin, a conference table fitted into the right side, and an open door that led into a private bedroom.

"Sheesh, I dunno how you ever get used to traveling like this, Cap." Reyn commented.

"It has its perks." The captain said and let himself drop into one of the open club seats, sighing as he made himself comfortable, "But the best part is having all the leg room you could ask for."

After getting a minute to explore the cabin, the ship began to start up and the group looked towards the cockpit door as a short beep echoed through the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be taking off momentarily. Please take your seats." A voice said through the intercom.

Reyn and Sharla took the club seats across from the captain while Otharon sat next to him, unfortunately leaving Juju in one of the leather seats behind them.

"Don't worry, kid, you can join us over here after we've taken off." The captain assured Juju, "Just grab one of those chairs over by the conference table and bring it over here once we're airborne."

"Alright. No worries." Juju replied and looked out the window as their ship lifted off the ground, the landing zone gradually shrinking from his view and being replaced by the luscious green lands outside their colony.

"We've officially reached a safe altitude for you all to freely traverse the cabin." The voice over the intercom said after a few minutes, "You may now leave your seats. Should you need any assistance, food, or beverages during our flight, there is a stewardess on board with us as well; you will find service buttons by the armrests if you're in the club seats, or above you if you're located in the single-row seats."

"You're good to go, kid." The captain called to Juju, "Come on over whenever you're ready."

"Yep, I'm on it." Juju said back as he went to grab a chair.

"Ooh, we gettin' meals on this flight too, Cap?" Reyn asked.

"Unfortunately not, but it's not like we'll be in the air for that long anyways." The captain said.

"Aw, come on, of all the times to start being stingy?" Reyn whined.

"There's still some foods on here that can be heated up, if that helps." The captain said, waiting for Juju to pull up a seat before continuing, "Besides, we've got other things to worry about right now other than your stomach. Concerning that letter the empress sent you, have you two made a decision on if you're going to accept the roles in her wedding yet?"

"We have." Sharla answered, "Both Reyn and I want to do it."

"Perfect." The captain said. He reached into his jacket's inside pocket and pulled out a manilla envelope, sliding it to Reyn and Sharla over the small table separating them, "This is for the both of you, then."

"What is it?" Sharla asked as she picked up the envelope.

"Basically, your tags." The captain replied, crossing his arms and legs, "You'll find two white bracelets in that envelope, and they have an insignia on them that shows the wearer is part of the wedding staff."

"So, the rest of our friends would be getting a bracelet too, right?" Sharla asked.

"Assuming that they also accepted their roles, then yes." The captain answered, "Those bracelets also come with a few added perks: The first is that they give you access to routes that the guards use to quickly get around the city and are off-limits to civilians, so if you're in a hurry or just want to pass through an area that's too crowded, show your bracelet to a guard and they'll take you wherever it is you're trying to go. The second is that you'll have free rooms inside the palace and you won't have to pay for any expenses while you're here, so things like food and entertainment are absolutely free for you. Lastly, the guards know you're considered part of the wedding staff with those bracelets, so as long as you don't mind it, they'll be keeping an eye out for you all from afar, so you have both added protection and a way to easily regroup should you want to branch off and find each other later."

"These things do pretty much everything, don't they?" Reyn jokingly said and reached into the envelope, pulling out one of the bracelets and placing it on his right wrist.

Sharla went next and took out her share of the bracelets, putting it on before looking back at the captain, "Fiora should also be getting one, right? It's just that Melia mentioned her specifically in that letter, so I wanted to make sure."

"Your friends in the other major cities are getting the same treatment as you guys: Priority through checkpoints, private flights to Alcamoth and back home, and even the bracelets if they told the officer flying with them to Alcamoth that they'll accept their roles in the wedding. All of that includes Fiora as well." The captain stated again, "Even that little Nopon friend of yours was offered all of that, but he chose to do things a bit differently."

"What do you mean?" Sharla asked.

The captain glanced out the window and began to grin as he pointed outside, "Take a look for yourselves. You should be able to see him from here."

Confused at first, they all looked out the window and seen they were above Frontier Village, with a massive convergence of Nopon outside that had two in particular at the helm.

"Is that… Riki and the Chief?!" Sharla gawked.

---

Overhead of the lush tropical forests they call home, the Nopon watched in awe as the High Entia's ships sailed through their skies. Both Chief Dunga and Riki eyed the ships carefully and noticed that one of them was different colored and carried a crest painted on its side.

"That must be ship that Captain Birdman told us about." Chief Dunga stated.

"Right. That means friends are already on their way to bird people city, and Nopon falling behind!" Riki hastily added, "Nopon need to hurry or going to be late!"

"Settle down, Riki. Chief is trusting Past-Heropon to get our people there safely, not fast." Chief Dunga said.

"Riki understand…" Riki apologized, "But what Riki not understand is why Chief say no to letting bird people fly Nopon there. Why would Chief do that?"

"Because it wasn't needed. Nopon already live close to bird people's city, and Frontier Village has less people than other cities, so Chief thought that bird people should save their ships for those that need it more." Chief Dunga explained, "However, Chief knows that some Nopon are too old or unable to reach bird people city without help; so Chief told Captain Birdman that we only need a few ships for them, and that Heropon will be guiding all other Nopon there by foot."

"Riki guess that makes sense…" Riki said disappointedly.

"Worry not, Riki. Nopon won't be late if they leave soon." Chief Dunga assured him, "Chief only wanted to see everyone off and give Past-Heropon his blessing."

"Chief isn't coming?" Riki asked.

"Chief is also one of those Nopon that are getting too old to walk there, so Chief will be taking a ship there with a few others." Chief Dunga answered. He looked Riki right in his eyes and made him hold out his hand, dropping a manilla envelope into it, "Riki not forget this, and also not forget that our peoples' lives are in his hands."

"Riki know that." Riki answered, putting the envelope in his bag for safekeeping.

"With the deeds that Riki has done when he used to be Heropon, Chief knows that Riki is best to trust with this job." Chief Dunga said and pointed in Alcamoth's direction, "Now, go! Go see friends again, and watch over our people until Chief sees you again in bird people city!"

"Chief can count on Riki!" Riki exclaimed, feeling a rush of vigor course through him as he turned to the start of the path and raised his weapon, "Heropon will lead the charge!"

With the raucous cheering and shouting of his people behind him, Riki ventured out with the other Nopon in tow as they began their march to Alcamoth.

---

Back in the air, Sharla chuckled as she watched the hordes of Nopon stampeding to their destination, "So much energy for such a little guy."

"That he does." The captain agreed, "Even though they refused a significant amount of our help, we still made sure to give Riki his bracelet, so you should be seeing him there as well."

"Hopefully he doesn't take his sweet time and miss anything." Reyn said.

"I don't think he will; Frontier Village is fairly close to Alcamoth, so he shouldn't miss much, if anything at all." The captain assured him and looked back out the window, seeing that they crossed into Eryth Sea, "And from the looks of it, neither will we."

After just a few more minutes, their ship had finally entered Alcamoth's airspace and touched down at the hangars on the outskirts of the city.

"Don't worry about your guys' luggage. A porter will be here soon to take them to your rooms." The captain said as they got up to exit the ship, "But for now, this is where we go our separate ways."

"You're not coming with us?" Sharla asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I have to be getting back to work and oversee things here now." The captain explained.

"Well, alright. Just try and keep the head trauma to a minimum." Sharla said.

"Trust me, if you've had this job for as long as I have, you'd be wishing you could do that to some people." The captain sarcastically replied.

Once they disembarked, the group were met with yet another mass of people inside the hangar, presumably from the other cities' ships that arrived before them. There was barely any room to maneuver around them either as they were all bottlenecking towards the same place: to the last checkpoint before they could freely roam around Alcamoth.

The captain went ahead of them and started walking backwards, holding his wrist in front of him and lowering his sleeve to show he had a similar bracelet, "Hopefully we'll see each other again soon! Don't forget to use these things either!" He shouted before vanishing into the crowds.

"Well, you heard the man!" Reyn said after the captain left their sight, "Let's see if we can get a guard to show us a shortcut outta this stuffy place!"

Taking it upon himself to lead everyone once more, Reyn began making a path for them through the swarms of other people and eventually ended up on the other side of the hangar, finding a heavy door with two guards standing by it.

"Yo! 'Scuse me, boss!" Reyn called out, trying to get their attention as he came over and held out his wrist, "The big man in charge told us to find a guard 'n show 'em these?"

The guard on the left side didn't seem phased by Reyn's introduction and inspected the bracelet before looking at his coworker, "Checks out. This is them."

"Understood." The other guard said and addressed the group after he unlocked the door, "Follow me, and be sure to watch your step."

Everyone nodded and thanked him before passing through the door with him, immediately coming to a staircase that took them underground and into a labyrinth of hallways that seemed to endlessly branch off each other.

"Underground tunnels?" Sharla astonishingly asked, "I never knew these things existed here."

"You're actually not the first to have said that today." The guard said, "My partner and I had to escort another group with bracelets like yours not too long ago and they said the same thing."

"Another group? Was it Dunban and Fiora, by chance?" Sharla asked.

"Yep. The ships from Colony 9 arrived here a little ahead of yours." The guard replied, "If you were looking for them, I could radio in and see where they're at."

"Yes. Please do." Sharla insisted.

"You got it." The guard said and held down a button on the small radio attached to his chest strap, "Eagle Team, patching in. Anyone read me?"

"Sparrow Team here. What did you need?" A static voice responded.

"Just found more wedding personnel and guiding them through the Crow's Nest. They were asking if anyone knew the whereabouts of two other White Bangles: Dunban and Fiora, to be more specific." The guard requested.

"They're here with us in the courtyard, as a matter of fact, and so is Denise." He answered, "Did you want to rendezvous somewhere?"

"Where you're at is perfect." The guard said, "We're down under right now and we'll resurface at the point closest to you."

"Loud and clear. We'll wait for you at the entrance to ground-level." He replied.

With that, the guard took his hand off the radio and continued to lead the group deeper through the tunnels.

"Code phrases and everything, huh?" Sharla commented.

"Security has to be top-notch for a royal wedding, right?" The guard replied with a quick laugh, "But no, seriously now, everything besides 'White Bangles' is just a running gag. We've been hearing from first-time visitors almost nonstop that us High Entia look like birds, so we decided to have some fun with it and made up a few phrases to keep it going."

"And here I thought you guys were too uptight to have a sense of humor." Reyn said teasingly.

"Eh, not all of us." The guard said carefreely, "This is supposed to be a time of merriment, right? Who's to say that the people working during it can't have a little fun too?"

After turning a few more corners, another staircase came into view and they all climbed up to find an exit door. The guard guiding them was the first to open it, welcoming the group back above ground with a blinding light that shined into the tunnel and made them cover their eyes.

"Rise and shine, everyone!" A man on the other side had said, presumably the one from the radio that called himself 'Sparrow'.

Just after she had enough time for her eyes to readjust to the light, Sharla's vision was once again blocked by blonde hair and white feathers, and she also felt like she couldn't move as something wrapped around her.

"Glad to see that you're finally here, guys!"

"…Denise? Is that you?" Sharla asked, only being able to tell it was her by the sounds of that voice.

"The one and only~" She answered.

"Alright, Denise, that's enough. Give them a bit of breathing room." Another person said, a deep male voice that sounded like Dunban's.

Denise finally let Sharla go and stepped back so she could look around for herself, gazing in awe at how much else was going on around them. She could see that the city was already flooded with people walking around and enjoying both the entertainment and chances to shop throughout the districts, including stages for live performances and music, an arrangement of bleachers nearby that faced towards the Hovering Reefs and had a sign advertising that an airshow would be hosted soon, banners and other decorations sprawled overhead and along the paths leading to the nearby districts, and the main road was also barricaded to make way for a celebratory parade and marching band.

"Whoa…" Reyn gasped and pivoted around, "It's like a massive party around here!"

"Those two certainly spared no expense, that's for sure." Sharla added, still taking in the sights.

"Yeah, they really wanted to leave a good impression for the people who've never been here before." Denise said, "And speaking of looking good, that dress is pretty cute on you, Sharla!"

"Aw, thanks! I mean, our dresses are practically the same, but yours looks good too!" Sharla smiled. She peeked over Denise's shoulder and noticed Fiora idly standing around in the back of the group, keeping that smile as she walked over, "Hey, Fiora! You trying to hide from us?"

Fiora softly laughed, "No, nothing like that. I was just waiting for you two to finish, that's all." She said and opened her arms as Sharla moved in for a hug.

"I'm glad that you're here with us, Fiora." Sharla said, keeping her hands on Fiora's shoulders as they broke out of the hug, "Your outfit came out pretty good too!"

"Thanks to you and Denise, that is." Fiora modestly replied to her comment, "And of course I'd be here. I had my mind made up even before you guys came to visit, remember?"

While Sharla could see the optimistic smile Fiora was giving her, she still felt compelled to ask, "And… you've been holding up okay since you got here, right?"

Fiora's smile quickly turned to a teasing one as she groaned and rolled her eyes, "Yes, mom. I'm sorry I haven't checked in with you yet."

"Oh, come on! I'm not that much of a mom, am I?" Sharla pouted.

"Well, since we're talking about it…" Fiora tried to keep a straight face but couldn't hold it any longer and started to laugh, "Come on, Sharla, you know I'm just kidding. I'm perfectly fine, and no, you're not that much of a mom either."

Sharla laughed along to help brush off the comment and then turned her attention elsewhere, going up to Dunban this time, "Hey, Dunban! Good to see you too!"

"Same to you and the others, Sharla." Dunban said, smiling in turn.

Reyn let out a whistle as they all gathered around, seeing that Dunban decided to wear his mess dress uniform, "Lookin' sharp there, old man!"

"I just went with what I thought would be the most appropriate." Dunban modestly replied.

"And the fact that you look really cute in uniform is just an added bonus." Denise said and held onto Dunban's arm, making him blush.

Reyn couldn't help himself and started to smirk, "Alright, you two, save it for your ownwedding."

"O-our own?" Denise stammered, blushing along with him now. She was too flustered to say anything more and tried to follow Dunban's lead, playing it off stoically as she looked away.

"Anyways…" Fiora jumped in to cover for them, "We have a bit of time before any big events get started. Did you guys want to explore around the city while we wait?"

"We'd love to! But…" Sharla paused, remembering that the guards were still around as she turned to their respective escort, "Did you guys need us to stay here with you?"

"We're not exactly detaining you here." The guard from Sharla's group said, "You're all free to do whatever you want."

"Oh, really? Well, alright then!" Sharla cheered and pivoted back to Fiora, "So, where to first? Shop around? Grab a bite? See if there's anything good on one of those stages?"

"Sounds like you want to do a bit of everything, huh?" Fiora teased, "I didn't exactly have anything in mind, so how about we just walk around and see what we can find?"

"Fine by me!" Sharla agreed. They all set out from there and ventured deeper into the city, leisurely strolling through the crowds and checking out the first thing that caught their eye while they tried to pass the time.

After a few hours had passed for everyone to get a small taste of what Alcamoth had to offer, all of the entertainment briefly halted as a chorus of trumpets began to resound from the second-floor balcony. Those that were near the vicinity turned their heads and glanced up, while others had to rely on screens showing them live footage of the captain walking up to the railing.

"Everyone, may I please have your attention for a moment?" The captain said into a standing microphone, "On behalf of the royal family of Alcamoth and its denizens, I would like to welcome you all to our city and thank you for coming to share in the celebrations! We are honored to have all of you here, and we hope that you've been enjoying yourselves so far."

Cheering and applauding erupted in the crowds, voicing their approval.

"Glad to hear!" The captain said, cracking a smile as all the noise reached his ears, "But please, hold your praise for the two that actually deserve it. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you all, our empress Melia Antiqua and her fiancé, Shulk!"

The roaring of the crowds grew to a deafening level as the royal couple stepped forward, holding hands as they showed themselves to everyone below. Melia stood on the left side and was wearing a white sundress and a tiara, along with silver earrings and a necklace that had the royal family's crest on the pendant. Shulk took the right side in turn, wearing a tuxedo that was similar to Reyn's as it was black with a white undershirt and had touches of gold, but where it differed was in the High Entian motifs and crest etched into his handkerchief and cufflinks.

"Even after all the times I've had to stand in front of crowds since I've been here, I'm still not used to the feeling." Shulk quietly muttered to Melia as they waved to everyone.

"Especially one of this magnitude. Not even my inauguration had this high of a turnout." Melia added and gave his hand a comforting squeeze, "But don't worry, Boo, you're doing just fine."

"I wasn't trying to make that sound like I was nervous. I'm just saying that, as weird as it might sound, this all feels kind of… humbling." Shulk replied and glanced at her with a soft smile, "Besides, I wouldn't have any reason to be nervous anyways with you by my side."

"And I always will be." Melia said, blushing as she gazed into his eyes, "I love you, Shulk."

"I love you too, Melia." Shulk said back and leaned in, hearing whistles in the crowd as he gave her a kiss.

"Yeah, atta boy, Shulk! It's Shulk Time now, baby!"

Hearing a familiar voice inside the crowd, Shulk pulled out of the kiss and hurried to the edge of the balcony, seeing the boys in his group of friends shouting and waving frantically to help stand out and get his attention.

"Guys! You all made it!" Shulk ecstatically shouted, leaning over the rails as he waved to them.

"Of course we did!" Dunban shouted back, one hand cupped around his mouth, "What, did you honestly think we'd miss out on this?!"

Reyn was about to jump in with some more cheering as well, but Sharla stopped him before he could and tugged him back by his ear.

"Don't you dare, Reyn!" Sharla quietly hissed, "You're embarrassing us enough as it is!"

"Ow! Watch where you're pulling there!" Reyn grunted and reflexively pushed her away, covering his ear in pain.

"Let that be a lesson for you too, Dunban—though I'm not going to yank your ear unless I really have to." Fiora warned him as well.

"Oh, come on now. You know I'm not as hyperactive as Reyn." Dunban protested.

"Yeah, but you were shouting with him." Fiora said and crossed her arms.

"What, we can't be happy for—" Dunban quickly dropped his rebuttal as he scanned over Fiora's and the other girls' glares, sighing as he realized this wasn't an argument he was going to win, "Alright, fine."

Shulk was still watching the scene play out and began to laugh, knowing that the other guys were in trouble even if he couldn't hear what they were saying. However, he suddenly realized that Melia might react the same way and turned his attention back to her.

"Sorry, Angel, got a bit distracted." Shulk said.

Melia answered with a small laugh as well, "It's okay, Shulk. And don't worry, I'm not going to be as rash about it as they were."

"Oh, you saw all that too?" Shulk asked.

"I might have." She coyly answered, "Still, that doesn't matter. I'm just happy to see them again."

Melia then took a second look in their friends' direction, needing to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her as she noticed a certain someone in the back of their group.

"That goes for you as well, Fiora." Melia said inside her own head.

After taking a minute to contemplate, Melia snapped out of her daydreaming and let go of Shulk's hand, stepping forward alone to address the visitors below her, "As the captain of our guard had said, Shulk and I would also like to personally thank you all for coming and welcome you to our city. We're here today for a celebration of unity, not just in the sense of our upcoming wedding, but also in the fact that all of us from different lands and walks of life could come together—united under one roof and sharing in a time of merriment with others from all the known parts of the world. This is just as much a celebration for you all as it is for us, so please, savor your time in our city and enjoy the festivities to your heart's content. Whether you've been to Alcamoth before or if this is your first time, our hope is that the memories you make here will be ones that live on in your hearts after everything is said and done."

As the crowd applauded, Shulk rejoined at Melia's side and they gave their last pleasantries to everyone below, bringing their introductory speech to an end as the two left for the palace.

"Beautiful job, Angel." Shulk praised her as they walked through the main hall, "But I still can't understand how you manage to make it look so easy."

"My answer hasn't changed since the last time you asked me that, Shulk. It just comes naturally to me since I was taught how to do these things from a young age." Melia told him, "Public speaking isn't necessarily a requirement for you as a consort, but if you'd like, I could teach you a few things."

"Well, you're already teaching me how to use ether, but if you're willing to do that too, then sure." Shulk agreed and started to smirk, "Think I could pass as the emperor after all of this training?"

Melia laughed over his enthusiasm, "One thing at a time, Shulk; we've got plenty of work to do before it could get to that point. Speaking of which, we should be turning our attention to the rest of our friends now that we know they're here."

"Yeah, good point." Shulk said.

The two went deeper into the main hall and found that the captain had made it back inside the palace before them, seeing him in a small circle of other officers.

"Captain, is this a bad time?" Melia asked as she and Shulk walked over.

"Of course not." The captain answered, "You're not interrupting anything urgent, we're just doing a routine check-in. What can I do for you?"

"We saw that our friends were in the crowds earlier. Could you please have them meet us at the Villa?" Melia requested.

"I'll get right on it once we wrap this up." The captain replied, "We'll radio in for all the guards to be on lookout and have them sent to you as soon as we find them. We've also received word that your Nopon companion recently arrived with the villagers he was escorting, so we'll search for him as well."

"Thank you." Melia said, "That was all we needed, so we'll let you get back to what you were doing."

"No need to act like you're being a bother to us, empress. We're here whenever you need it." The captain assured her, "Go on ahead to the Villa if you'd like. If I were you two, I'd be trying to squeeze in every second that I could to relax during all this mayhem."

Shulk and Melia adhered to the captain's advice and set off on their way to the Villa. Once they made it back home, they went into the living room and Melia smirked as she seen that Shulk had his back to her, readying herself before tackling him onto the couch and holding him tightly.

"Again with this, Melia?" Shulk laughed. He managed to roll onto his back and got his arms free, wrapping them around Melia as he pulled her down to his chest and kept her locked in the embrace, "Who's got who now, huh?"

Melia giggled and began to squirm, only trying half-heartedly to break free.

"Okay, okay. You win this time, Shulk." Melia submitted, staying on top of him even after he loosened his grip, "Besides, it's not like I wanted to leave this spot anyways."

"You can lay there for as long as you want then, Angel." Shulk said as he rubbed her back, "I don't really want to get up just yet either, to be honest. I'd rather be lazing around with you all day like this, if we could help it."

"I'd like that too, but you know as well as I do that it can't happen." Melia replied, even though she wasn't making any attempt at getting up, "We still have guests to entertain, as well as getting the last of our prep work done for the ceremony."

"I know, I know." Shulk whined, groaning at the thought.

Melia lifted her head, looking down at Shulk with a smile, "Maybe it'll help reinvigorate you if you focus on the end result. Just think of how beautiful our ceremony will be after that last little bit of work is done."

"I can think of something else that's even more beautiful~" Shulk grinned.

"And what's that?" Melia played along.

"You, dummy." Shulk answered, brushing the hair out of her face and caressing her cheek, "You already look beautiful in what you have on right now, but getting to see you in a wedding dress real soon? It's taking my breath away just imagining how you'd look."

"Oh, stop~" Melia playfully whined, keeping Shulk in her view as she rolled off him and laid on her side next to him.

"Hey, I'm only saying what I think is the tru—"

Shulk was suddenly cut off as Melia pounced up and stole a kiss, laying back down just as fast as she had sprung up and grinned at him.

Shulk shot the grin back at her, "Do you mind? I'm trying to ta—"

Just like before, Melia would interrupt him and steal a kiss before laying back down.

"Are you going to keep doing that?" Shulk asked.

"And if I am~?" Melia replied.

"At least let me finish what I was—"

Melia lunged in yet again, but Shulk was expecting it this time and locked his arms around her so she couldn't move away, stealing a kiss of his own.

"Nice try, Melia." Shulk grinned and let her out of the embrace.

"Fine, you caught me." Melia pouted and rolled to face away from him.

Shulk chuckled a little and turned to her, holding his arms out, "Oh, come here, you little drama qu—"

Shulk then froze as he realized he was walking into a trap, but it was already too late as Melia quickly turned over and placed her hands on the sides of his head, keeping him still as she surprised him with a big kiss.

"Mmmmmwah~" Melia finally broke the kiss and smirked, "Sorry, were you saying something, Shulk~?"

Shulk blushed slightly and was at a loss for words, letting his head fall back down onto the cushions.

"Nothing…" He grumbled.

"Oh? Nothing at all?" Melia teasingly asked and pinched his cheek, "And you say I'm the one being a drama queen."

Shulk didn't answer and swatted Melia's hand away, stubbornly refusing to look at her.

"Oh, don't be like that." Melia mused and opened her arms, "Come here, you big baby~"

Shulk finally dropped the pouty façade as he inched closer, even smiling as Melia held him in a warm embrace.

"There. All better?" Melia softly cooed.

"Mm-hm." Shulk hummed, making himself more comfortable and returning the hug.

"Good~" Melia said and gently brushed her hand through his hair and wings.

A peaceful silence then began to fill the room while the two cuddled on the couch, and just as they felt like they were drifting to sleep, they could hear their front door opening.

"Yo! Where are you two?!" A voice called out.

"What the hell, Reyn? As if barging in wasn't bad enough, that's what you choose to say?" A stern female voice said next.

"It's okay, Sharla! We were expecting you all anyways!" Melia called back to them, "We're here in the living room!"

Shulk and Melia were still lying down as the footsteps drew closer, only lifting their heads as the others came into the room.

"Okay, let me get this straight. You guys have a city-wide party going on outside, in your honor, and you decide to avoid it so you can snuggle up on the couch all day instead?" Sharla asked jokingly, "This level of laziness wouldn't surprise me from Shulk, but I never would've thought that he could pull you into it too, Melia."

"Oh, hey Sharla! We've been doing just fine too, thanks for asking." Shulk sassed back.

"Besides, what's wrong with spending the day like that?" Melia added in Shulk's defense and gave him a big hug, "It's been very stressful dealing with all the preparations that led to this moment, and simply lying here with Shulk has been the most therapeutic time I've had lately."

"Thank you, Angel." Shulk said, not hesitating to take another snide jab at Sharla as he looked back up at her, "Glad to know that I could be a help."

"Well, it seems like he did more than just make Melia lazy, huh? He's even turned her against us." Denise commented.

Everyone had a laugh over it as Shulk and Melia finally sat up, addressing their friends more properly this time.

"It really is wonderful to see you all again. We're so glad you could come." Melia said.

"You kiddin'? There's no way we'd sit this one out!" Reyn said, trying to build a little suspense as he paused to smirk at them and cross his arms, "Besides, we didn't come all this way just to show our pretty faces, y'know."

"Yeah, we got your guys' letter and heard that you had a certain job for us." Sharla joined in, trying to be coy about it.

"Yeah, we might have." Shulk played along and slouched forward, resting his arms over his knees, "So… what was your answer to it?"

Reyn and Sharla looked to each other and nodded, breaking the news to them at the same time as they showed the bracelets on their wrists.

"How's this for an answer?" Reyn replied.

"You both agreed to it?" Melia gawked, too excited to stay in her seat.

"Not just them." Dunban spoke up and rolled his sleeve to reveal another bracelet.

Melia's eyes began to light up as she saw everyone revealing their bracelets one by one, but what really caught her off guard was the owner of a bracelet she found at the end of the row, having to go right up to that person and check for herself that it was real.

"Fiora, you… you accepted a bracelet too?" Melia asked, gently holding her hand and staring at the bracelet in disbelief.

"I did…" Fiora softly answered, swallowing down what she thought was a lump forming in her throat before she continued, "I was actually planning to come and see the wedding regardless, but once I heard from Reyn and Sharla that you wanted me to have a part in it, there was no way that I could've said no. You're one of my closest friends, Melia, and I'd do anything for you—just like the rest of us would do the same for each other. If me being one of your bridesmaids is what you want, then I'd be honored to do it."

"F-Fiora… I… I…" Melia paused and hugged Fiora tightly, so joyful and relieved that it nearly brought her to tears, "I don't know what to say! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome." Fiora jokingly replied and rubbed her friend's back.

Melia finally let go after a few more moments, smiling radiantly. The euphoria began to make her feel like she was seeing patterns as she faced the others, but then she realized that there was in fact a theme going on as she took a second look at everyone's outfits.

"Wait… did you all come here in what you would be wearing for the ceremony?" Melia asked.

"Actually, we did." Sharla answered, "We weren't really sure if you had something already planned for the bridesmaids to wear, so me, Denise, and Fiora made a day to go out and pick something we thought you'd like. Lavender seems to be your favorite color and we thought it would be a good fit for a Spring wedding, so we decided on these dresses and wanted to get your opinion."

"I see." Melia said, her focus jumping from one bridesmaid to the next, "Could I have you three stand next to each other so I can get a better look?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Sharla replied as she, Denise, and Fiora made themselves some room away from the boys and then lined up.

"Hm…" Melia mumbled to herself during the inspection, circling around the girls and putting her hand to her chin as she took a few steps back to have them all in her view, "Actually… I quite like them. What do you think, Shulk?"

"I'm okay with it as long as you are; they're your bridesmaids, after all." Shulk replied. He took the opportunity to do the same and inspected his half of the wedding party, noticing quite a few similarities with his and Reyn's suits.

"Hey, check it out!" Shulk exclaimed and stood next to Reyn, "We already match!"

"You know what they say about great minds thinking alike." Reyn said jokingly.

"I love how Melia was all thorough and checking us from top to bottom, but when it comes to Shulk, he's much quicker and easier to impress." Fiora sarcastically mentioned.

"As long as he's happy with it, I suppose. He's free to handle his groomsmen however he likes." Melia said before addressing everyone, "We can arrange for your attire to be laundered later on; you're going to need them for the closed rehearsal tonight as well as the actual event tomorrow morning. But until then, let's all take this time to simply unwind and enjoy ourselves."

"Now you're speaking our language, Melia!" Denise cheered, "We're ready to get back out there whenever you two are!"

Melia nodded and the gang followed behind Denise as she paraded to the front door, but as Fiora was about to exit the room with them, she felt Shulk gently grip her arm and pull her off to the side.

"Hey, Fiora, could you hang back for a second? There was something I wanted to tell you." Shulk requested.

"Of course, Shulk. What is it?" Fiora asked.

"I just wanted to say thank you for agreeing to this." Shulk replied, "Seriously, you have no idea how much this means—not just to me, but especially Melia. She's been worrying for the past few days if you would accept that position or even attend the wedding at all. I know she looked all excited about it a minute ago, but trust me, it's more than she made it out to be. The only other time I've seen her that happy was when I proposed to her."

Fiora smiled seeing how much they appreciated what she thought was just a cordial gesture, but something about her aura didn't seem to match…

"You're welcome, Shulk, but it's really not that big a deal. I mean, who am I to say no to the bride?" She said.

Shulk's eyebrow slowly started to raise, "You almost make it sound like you feel forced…"

Fiora shook her head, "That's not what I'm trying to say, Shulk. What I mean is that it's Melia's special day – arguably the biggest time in someone's life – so she deserves for it to be all about her and to have whatever it takes to make that day perfect. If having me here and being a part of her wedding is what that takes, then I'll do it for her."

"So you didn't feel forced… but obligated?" Shulk pondered, trying to steer the conversation away from where he thought it was going, "Well, whatever the reason is, we're both still thankful for it, Fiora. I honestly don't know if I can say that enough."

"You've said it plenty enough already, but you're welcome." Fiora replied with a half-smile.

Shulk gave her a smile in return, "Alright. Well, that was all I wanted to say. Come on, let's catch up with the others before they start wondering where we're at."

Fiora nodded and the two stepped out of the house, finding their friends waiting for them in front of the Villa. They joined back up with the others and they all ventured back into the city, making the most out of the time they had to relax and enjoy themselves.

---

With the second and final day upon them, Alcamoth was as bustling and lively as it had ever been. The skies were clear and the sun was hanging high above the cathedral that Shulk and Melia's wedding was to be held in, with people changed into their finest suits and dresses as they flooded inside to witness the ceremony.

With the exceptions being Sharla, Melia, and Dunban, all of the other wedding staff were already present and scattered around the cathedral. Fiora was helping the ushers keep things orderly in the meantime and escorting people to their seats, but she kept losing her focus and would occasionally find herself staring at one of the side doors in the nave. The priest's chambers were just beyond that door, and she knew that Shulk and Reyn should be in there by now and waiting for the event to start.

"Riki said to make two lines!" Riki barked at the hordes of guests, "Heropon and staff will see to all of you when we can!"

Riki then picked a couple out of the crowd and hurried to escort them to an open pew, letting an exhausted groan slip out under his breath as he walked away. He planned on taking a short break and sat down to gloss over all of the havoc, but he spotted Fiora staring off into space and bounced over to check on her.

"Is Fiora feeling okay?"

Fiora jumped and quickly turned in each direction, finding the Nopon standing at her feet as she looked a little lower.

"Oh. Sorry, Riki, I didn't see you there." She said quietly.

"Riki been watching Fiora, and Fiora not seem to notice anything around lately." Riki stated, "Riki can tell when something wrong, and this look like one of those times! Talk to Riki, Fiora, what's wrong?"

Fiora didn't answer, only giving him a frown before looking away.

Riki followed her gaze, finding that she was staring at the side door, "Oh, Riki see… Did Fiora want to go and say something to Shulk?"

Fiora gently shook her head, "No, that's okay, Riki. I'll just go back to helping the guests and see if that takes my mind off it."

"Riki not going to let Fiora do that." Riki said firmly, "Riki can see it as clear as the sky, Fiora has something she need to say."

"But…"

"No buts!" Riki cut her off, "If friends ask, Riki will tell them that Fiora went to take a break."

Fiora's lip began to quiver and she took a shaky breath, her fear still holding her back even though a small part of her wanted to go and see Shulk.

Riki sighed and softened his tone, "Riki not going to force Fiora into doing something she doesn't want to, but Riki pushing Fiora because Riki believe it's the right thing to do. If Riki know one thing, it's that regret takes very long time to heal, so it better to get what Fiora wants to say off her chest now so it won't hurt later."

"You're… you're right, Riki." Fiora admitted, taking a deep breath as she tried to steel herself, "Alright, I'm going to see him. Can you still cover for me?"

"Heropon is on it!" Riki answered and leapt heroically back into the fray.

Once Riki was gone, Fiora set her sights on the door to the priest's chambers and started walking.

"You can do this…" She kept telling herself to try and block out her fears, feeling them resurface with every step closer. She managed to make it to the door, but as she stood only inches away, her resolve began to fade and she paused to ask herself if this was really what she wanted to do.

"You heard what Riki said… It's only going to hurt you in the long run if you don't do this… It's better to just get it off your chest right now." She repeated to herself, trying to work back up the nerve.

Acting on a courageous impulse and before she could question it, Fiora finally placed her hand on the knob and opened the door, finding Shulk inside the chambers and with his back turned to her while Reyn was giving him a quick final inspection.

"Alright, lookin' good." Reyn said and laid his hands on Shulk's shoulders, "You feelin' good, though? Ain't nervous or—"

Reyn then paused as he looked over the groom's shoulder and spotted Fiora, "Oh, hey! What's up, Fiora?"

Shulk jumped once he heard the name and quickly spun around, accidentally smacking Reyn with his wings and blocking his vision.

"Yo! Watch where you're aiming those things!" Reyn complained and pushed Shulk's wings out of his face.

"Oh, my bad, Reyn." Shulk said before walking up to Fiora, "Hey, Fiora! Um… the whole thing about bad luck if you see each other before the wedding doesn't apply to the bridesmaids, does it?"

Fiora couldn't help but laugh, "No, that's only for the bride and groom. You should be okay, Shulk."

"Alright, good." Shulk said with a calming sigh, "So, what's up?"

"I… erm…" Fiora started, hesitating at the last moment, "I guess for the same reason that Reyn was about to say. I just felt like I should make sure that you were all right, given that your wedding is taking place in a big church and your… 'history' with them."

Shulk's eyebrow lifted up, "Huh, that's a first… I've had people asking me if I was nervous so many times today, but they always meant in the sense of the wedding. I don't think anyone's asked me about it in that way before."

Fiora remained quiet and rested her back against the wall, reluctantly accepting that she missed her chance while she waited for Shulk to say something more.

"Well, how about I answer both of those at the same time?" Shulk asked and gave her a reassuring smile, "I don't feel nervous about either of those. My fears of that chapel had to do with the bad memories I had surrounding it—but this isn't that same chapel, and if I ever had to go back there for some reason, then soon I'll have my wedding day to look back on and have a good memory surrounding those kind of places. As for the wedding itself: Sure, it can be a little nerve-wracking, but all that really matters is that Melia and I have each other, and we even have all of you here celebrating with us and being a part of our special day. With all of that, I don't really have anything to be nervous about, and all that other stuff just feels secondary in comparison."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it." Fiora commented and pushed herself off the wall, "You almost make it sound like something I'd have heard from Melia."

"Well, she's the one who helped me realize that, so I can see how you'd get that impression." Shulk explained, "Melia would probably tell you the same thing if you asked her, but with so many fancier words that I'm not even going to try and impersonate it."

"I dunno, man, have you heard the way you're talkin' lately?" Reyn joked and rested his arm on Shulk's shoulder, "You sure Melia ain't rubbing off on you?"

"I mean, maybe a little bit. But…" Shulk stammered.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Shulk." Fiora stepped in to defend him, "In fact, I'd say that's been the case for Melia too. Ever since you two became a couple, she's really been letting her guard down and showing who she is as a person, and not just as the empress. Both of you have been making an imprint on each other whether you realized it or not, and the ways you two show it reflects on how… how perfect you are for each other."

Although it was a touching sentiment, it came off as rather bittersweet, and even Shulk could sense it after that strange pause.

"Hey, Fiora… are you okay?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine. It just took me a second to find the right words, is all." Fiora replied.

"Well… Alright, if you're sure…" Shulk said hesitantly.

"I am, Shulk." Fiora repeated.

As tensions began to rise, the priest who'd be acting as the officiant for Shulk's wedding came into the chambers and approached the group, clad in his ceremonial garb and with the captain beside him.

"Pardon us, Consort, but we just received word that the bride is on her way." The priest said, "She should be here shortly, so we need to be ready for the start of the ceremony."

"Okay. We'll wrap up here and get into our places. Thank you." Shulk replied, and as the priest and captain left to inform the others, he turned his attention back to Reyn and Fiora, "Well, it's almost time, guys…"

"Yep. You're gonna be getting hitched the second you step outta this room." Reyn said, crossing his arms and even smirking as he saw that Shulk wasn't phased by the comment, "Lookin' as confident as ever about it too. Guess we were worried over nothin' after all."

"I tried to tell you." Shulk remarked, "Come on, Reyn, we need to hurry up and get ready."

"I should be leaving too." Fiora said, taking the opportunity to get out of this situation. As she was taking her leave though and slowly shutting the door behind her, she poked her head back inside the chambers and looked over at Shulk, "Hey… congratulations by the way, Shulk."

"Thanks, but isn't it a bit early to be saying that?" Shulk asked.

"It is, but… I just wanted to say it ahead of time." Fiora quietly replied.

Even Reyn could sense the awkwardness settling in, and while he didn't feel good having to push the two away, he still knew it was necessary and went to intervene, "Oi, we don't have much time until we kick things off. You might wanna finish up whatever you need to do so you can meet the girls up front when they get here."

"Oh, right." Fiora said, jumping at the chance Reyn was making for her, "I'll see you two after the ceremony. Congrats again, Shulk!"

"A-alright… Thanks, Fiora!" Shulk replied, not even sure if she heard him as the door closed before he could finish.

Back inside the nave, Fiora was still standing by the chamber doors and kept her head down as she leaned against the adjacent wall, taking a shaky breath while her thoughts were running rampant.

"Shulk…" She quietly mused, reflecting on what had happened.

Riki finally found the time to take a break and was strolling around the outer walkway of the nave when he spotted Fiora, hurriedly bouncing over to meet her.

"So how did it go? Does Fiora feel better now?" Riki asked.

Fiora stayed quiet and kept her gaze down at the floor, answering Riki by gently shaking her head.

"Oh…" Riki said, feeling reluctant to ask, "Fiora didn't tell Shulk, did she?"

"No…" Fiora replied, "I had my mind set on doing it, but when the time came I just… froze up."

"Riki see, and Riki sorry too." Riki said softly.

"There's no reason to be." Fiora bitterly scoffed, not realizing that her voice was growing louder with the angrier she got, "It was a pretty crazy idea to begin with. I mean, telling him that I still have feelings for him even though that time is long gone now, and at his wedding, of all places?!"

"Riki can understand why Fiora would be upset, but there's no reason to beat herself up over it." Riki said to try and quell her anger, "And maybe Fiora should be quieter about it too…"

Fiora suddenly caught on to what Riki was trying to tell her and she gasped as she covered her mouth, feeling ashamed but also relieved as she looked to her sides and realized that she didn't cause a scene yet.

"You're right, Riki…" Fiora said, her voice breaking as she spoke much more quietly this time, "I have to step outside for a minute."

Before Riki could argue or plead for her to stay, Fiora had already set off and exited the cathedral, staying close to the exterior walls and walking to the side of the building where she'd be away from the main road and out of sight from the guests. She glanced around to make sure that nobody was following her, then sat against the wall as she struggled to keep her breathing under control.

You said it yourself, your time was up long ago. You don't have anyone to blame but yourself for this.

Although she tried her hardest to stop thinking like this, it only seemed to make the problem worse if she tried to fight it, even putting her on the verge of tears. She curled herself into a ball and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing first and foremost while the negative thoughts persisted.

It's not like the wedding will grind to a halt just because one of the bridesmaids isn't there, so why even bother staying?

"No…" Fiora said to herself, mentally putting her foot down as she rebounded off the wall and stood up, "I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to be a bridesmaid, but I still did it because I wanted to be supportive to Shulk and Melia. How am I supposed to do that if I can't so much as stay for their wedding?"

Fiora then quickly dusted herself off and started on her march back to the cathedral's entrance, repeatedly giving herself pep talks inside her head along the way.

You've toughed out everything else up to this point, and you can do it here too. Just remember that you're doing this for them.

The wedding might not stop if I'm not there, but that doesn't mean people wouldn't notice, especially Melia. She'd be so crushed if I went back on my word; I don't know if I'd even be able to face her again if I did that to her… but that's not going to happen. I'm going through with this, and it'll be for her and Shulk. End of story.

Just as Fiora was about to turn the corner and be back on the main road, a convoy of several black cars and a limousine drove past her and parked right by the staircase leading to the entrance of the cathedral. She tried to make herself look inconspicuous and hid against the wall, peeking around the corner to see what was going on before she headed back inside.

"Must be Melia and her escort…" Fiora mumbled to herself, her suspicions confirmed as she saw the captain come outside and talking into his earpiece while a small army poured out from the cars and surrounded the limousine. The driver of the limousine was the next person she spotted stepping out and she watched him hurry to the back of his own vehicle, opening the door that faced the street as both Sharla and Dunban exited from it.

"And there's the rest of the party…" Fiora muttered while she watched the two along with the driver circle around the limo. Her jaw then flung open and she stared in awe as the limo's curb-side door opened next, revealing Melia in a white ball gown wedding dress and showing that it had a long train as she stepped out, along with a tiara sitting atop her veil.

"It's hard to believe that's actually Melia…" Fiora thought, unable to look away as they escorted the bride up the steps, "She looks so beautiful…"

As Melia reached the top of the stairs, Fiora could see the captain stopping the bride at the door for a quick word. She couldn't make out what the two were saying given how far away she was, but she could still see Melia nod at him before going into the cathedral ahead of him.

The captain waited a few seconds before looking over his shoulder to see if Melia was gone, then he frustratedly groaned and momentarily dropped his calm composure. He appeared so angry that it was making him light-headed as he stumbled over to the rails at the end of the staircase, but as he rested his arms on them and looked ahead, his gaze would happen to meet with Fiora's while she was peeking out from the corner.

"Well, look who it is!" The captain shouted loud enough for Fiora to have heard it from her hiding spot. He then turned his head towards the guards that were standing by the parked convoy, barking at them next while he pointed in Fiora's direction, "Over there, along the left side of the building! Grab her!"

Fiora felt practically paralyzed as a handful of guards sprinted up to her, having a good idea as to why they'd want to apprehend her but still confused by their strong reaction.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're coming with us." A guard stated while the others surrounded Fiora.

Fiora kept quiet as the other guards circled around her, sighing as she faced the one that was talking to her, "Fine. I was coming back anyways, but if it'll make you guys calm down, then go ahead."

The guard nodded to Fiora and they all escorted her up to the cathedral's entrance, with the captain waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

"Here she is, sir." The guard said.

"I can see that." The captain impatiently replied, "Give her and I some space to talk in private."

As the guards got back into their cars, the captain stepped closer to Fiora.

"Look, I'm sorry if I seem a little pissed off right now, but I hope you can at least understand the reason why." The captain started, "With how close the wedding is to starting, I was actually about to resort to other methods to try and find you."

While he didn't go about it in the gentlest way, Fiora still found some form of comfort in his concern, "Sorry, I was just feeling jittery over the ceremony starting soon. I thought that going for a quick walk and getting some fresh air would help."

"Uh huh…" The captain said and crossed his arms, "Understandable, but I think there's a little more to it than you're telling me."

Fiora didn't say anything back to him, only giving a hostile glare as she raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I know it doesn't concern me -nor do I even want to get myself involved- but I've heard about your… 'complicated' relationship with the consor—"

"Nothing about it is complicated. And you're right, it doesn't concern you." Fiora hissed.

The captain raised his hands in front of him, trying to show her that he wasn't looking for a confrontation, "Hey, I'm not trying to argue with you or pry into your personal business, so forgive me if I stepped out of line; I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to lie to me. I'm not even going to try and say that I understand what you're going through, I know full-well that I don't, but I can still see that all of this must be hard for you."

"You're… you're right." Fiora said and shamefully lowered her head, "I'm sorry. It has been hard, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"No offense taken." The captain assured her, "I hope this doesn't offend you in turn, but you have my sympathies—hell, even my respect as well. You being here despite all the hardship it's causing you says a lot about your character. It shows that you have heart, and apparently a bit of guts too if you can stand up to me like you did."

"Reyn and I used to keep bullies off Shulk when he first came to Colony 9, so this wouldn't be the first time I've had to argue with someone." Fiora said, starting to relax a little, "Speaking of which, I heard about your little tiff with one of the guests coming in from Colony 6 too."

"Oh, did you now?" The captain asked, "If you're going to chew me out for that, I still believe it was justified."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I think so too. I was just trying to give a compliment back, is all." Fiora said, "We don't need any more people thinking they can bully to get their way, so anyone that stands up to people like that is okay in my books."

"Did you really think I was going to let him get away with talking to me or my staff like that just because he was a civilian?" The captain asked with a joking scoff, "I'm willing to bet none of that stopped him from coming to see the wedding anyways, and if it did, then so what? It's his loss, not ours."

"No argument here." Fiora agreed and softly chuckled.

The captain laughed along with her, finally letting his grin show, "Alright, I think we've messed around out here for long enough. The ceremony is about to get started, so were you ready to head back inside?"

"Yeah, I think so." Fiora answered.

"Well, alright then." The captain said, "Come on, I'll walk you inside and take you to where you're supposed to be."

Fiora nodded, walking alongside him through the cathedral.

"The empress and her half of the wedding party should be waiting at the other end of this hall." The captain noted, "If knowing that is giving you any more last-minute jitters, Fiora, then now would be the time to say so."

"Very funny. But it's okay, I'm feeling fine now." Fiora assured him, "I'm ready to see her and get this started."

"That's what I like to hear." The captain said, "March on then, trooper."

The two only had to walk a bit further down before spotting Melia talking with Sharla, Denise, and Dunban, but there was also a younger Homs girl in their group that was holding onto the bride's bouquet as well as a basket of flower petals over her arm.

"Wait… is that Holly?" Fiora asked while she and the captain were still far back enough to not be noticed.

"That it is. The empress appointed her to be the flower girl." The captain explained, "You probably weren't aware of that since she wasn't at the rehearsal yesterday, but given that her role isn't as big as everyone else's, they didn't feel like it was mandatory for her to be there."

Melia began to feel like there were eyes on her and turned to meet them, looking past the other members in her group and staring back once she realized who it was.

"Fiora…" Melia said softly, making the others turn around as well.

"Hey, there she is!" Sharla said, beaming as she waved.

"Looks like they finally noticed us." The captain said and gently laid his hand on Fiora's shoulder, "Well, you going to keep them waiting?"

"You're not coming too?" Fiora asked.

"No, I can't. I need to be getting to my own station." The captain replied, "We'll be seeing each other again soon enough, though. And don't worry, you're going to do fine."

The captain then nudged Fiora towards the group, leaving her with them as he quickly strode past with only a simple wave back.

"Fiora!" Denise cried, jumping out from the back of the group and running up to hug her, "We were starting to worry if you'd be back in time!"

Fiora's eyes softened as she returned the hug, "Of course I would. I just needed to step out for a minute, that's all."

After they let each other go, Fiora turned her attention to Melia and went straight over to her, "Hey, Melia. I'm sorry if I had you worried too."

Melia shook her head, "It's quite alright, Fiora. You're still on time, so you don't have any reason to apologize."

Fiora relievedly sighed under her breath and gave Melia a hug, smiling as she let go and eyed Melia's dress, "You look so beautiful, Melia. I'm sure that Shulk will be thinking the same thing too when you finally get to see him."

"Thank you. I really hope so too." Melia replied, seeming to be deep in thought as she looked over at the closed doors that would lead them into the nave.

"Not nervous or anything, are you?" Fiora asked, noticing Melia's stares.

"Actually… no, not at all." Melia answered, a bit surprised about that herself, "I thought that would've been the case when this moment finally arrived, but… I still feel fine. If anything, I can't wait for this to begin."

"Thought so." Fiora grinned, "You know, I asked Shulk that same question earlier and he said something like that too."

"He did?" Melia asked.

"Yep. He also said that the only important thing was that you two have each other, and everything else is secondary to that." Fiora added.

"So, he's finally taking what I told him to heart…" Melia said with a warm smile.

The group could hear footsteps coming from their flank and turned, finding a female royal guard approaching them.

"Pardon me, Empress." The guard said, saluting as she stood at attention, "The ceremony will be starting momentarily, so we need you and your group to be ready by the nave's doors."

"Alright, thank you." Melia replied, facing the others after the guard had left, "Shall we?"

"Oh, wait, you're going to need this, Melia!" Holly said and gave Melia her bouquet.

"Thank you, dear." Melia said back, "Now, go and line up with the others by the door, okay? I'll be there in a second."

Holly nodded and went ahead with Sharla, Denise, and Dunban, but as Fiora was about to follow them, she felt Melia gently grab her by the wrist.

"I just wanted to extend my gratitude to you as well while we have this short moment in private." Melia said, "Thank you, Fiora… for everything."

"You're welcome." Fiora replied, looking determined as she smiled at Melia, "Ready to see Shulk and make this official?"

Melia nodded, feeling the same determination welling inside of her, "I'm ready."

---

Back by the venue's side entrance, the priest and the groom's half of the party were ready as well and waiting in the chambers… but with the exception of one member.

"Come on, what's keeping him…?" Reyn muttered to himself as he paced back and forth across the room, "If he doesn't show up soon, I swear to—"

Right as he was about to finish, the chamber doors swung open and the captain stepped in.

"Well, finally!" Reyn complained.

"Oh, quit your whining." The captain shot back and pointed behind him, "I was out front helping the empress inside."

"Melia's here?" Shulk asked, his heart starting to beat faster.

"Yep, we're just about ready to start." The captain stated.

"Not yet, we ain't." Reyn jumped in and went up to the captain, "You got the rings?"

The captain reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black box, holding it in his palm as he showed it to Reyn.

"Present and accounted for." The captain answered, looking almost insulted as he glared at Reyn, "Trying to insinuate that I'd lose them right before the wedding?"

"Hard to say with you, old timer." Reyn replied, accepting the challenge as he gave back the same glare, "You might start to forget things in your growing age."

"Don't forget, there's a reason why this 'old timer' was entrusted with the rings instead of the best man." The captain snidely pointed out.

The two tried to hold their glares for just a bit longer, but neither of them could keep the act going as they started to grin and even laugh.

"Ah, you're alright, Cap, even for an old timer." Reyn teased, making a loud clap as he turned around and aimlessly walked to the center of the room, "Okay, enough screwing around. Let's rock and roll!"

"We'll all walk out once we hear the processional music playing, just like we rehearsed." The priest said and looked towards Shulk, "If you have any questions or need reminders on the cues, then you should voice them now."

"That's okay. I still have everything from the rehearsal down pat." Shulk answered.

"Quite astute, just as I've heard about you." The priest said, "Very well. While we're waiting, Consort, could you please lower your head?"

Though he was somewhat confused, Shulk still did so and lowered his head, listening to the priest recite something in a foreign language.

"…What is that? That language, I mean." Shulk asked, keeping his head down since he could feel the priest's hand just a few inches above it.

"Oh, it's a prayer done in an Old High Entian dialect." The priest answered, his hand slowly moving in the air and tracing the sign of a blessing, "Our language has also evolved as our race went through genetic changes throughout the years, but we still hold on to it as a reminder of our history. While our youth can't speak it well enough to claim to be fluent, they're still taught the basics in Alcamoth's schools, and the opportunity is always available for those who want to learn how to speak it more proficiently. We also use it in our more traditional events, speaking exclusively in old tongues—but since our visitors nor you would be able to understand what we'd be saying, we will be sticking to a more modern dialect for your wedding."

"Interesting…" Shulk mumbled and glanced up as best he could without lifting his head, "Are there any books or other ways a beginner like me could look into this?"

The priest laughed over Shulk's enthusiasm, "I think we should focus on one thing at a time for right now. You have more pressing matters to tend to, no?"

Shulk nodded and set his gaze back at the ground, letting himself fall into a sense of ease as he listened to the priest go on with his prayer.

"Okay. You may lift your head now, Consort." The priest concluded.

Right after Shulk raised his head back up, everyone began to take their places in a line and wait for the procession to start. The priest took to the front with Shulk standing behind him, followed by Reyn, and lastly the captain in the back.

"Ready there, man of the hour?" Reyn jokingly asked Shulk.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Shulk answered. And merely moments after he spoke, a melody began to play from the cathedral's pipe organ and seeped into their chambers, filling the room with its faint but soothing song.

"I would hope so, because that's our cue." The priest announced to everyone behind him.

"Alright! It's finally showtime!" Reyn eagerly declared and patted down hard on Shulk's shoulder, "Come on, Shulk, let's get out there and get you married already!"

Shulk nodded at Reyn from over his shoulder, then determinedly faced ahead of him towards the priest, "Okay. Let's go."

"Agreed." The priest replied, "Just follow behind me, and remember that this will not be any different from the rehearsal, regardless of how many people you might see out there."

The priest then led the group out of his chambers and into the nave, the difference being like night and day compared from the small room they were waiting in, to now a space that was as big as it was populated with every row of pews filled to the brim. Neither Shulk nor Reyn could believe their eyes at first and tried to let the scope of it all sink in during their walk, having to eventually separate and take their respective places. Reyn and the captain broke off from the group first and stood next to each other at the steps leading up to the altar, while Shulk continued up them with the priest and took their places.

The song's next verse began to play and both the groom's party as well as the rest of the congregation turned and watched the nave's doors briefly open, welcoming in the bridesmaids as Denise and Fiora made their way down the aisle.

Thankfully, Fiora had the gorgeous view of the cathedral and the procession's serene music to help soothe her as she trailed behind Denise, and as the two girls were nearing the end of their walk, she even caught a glimpse of Shulk smiling at her from the altar. She managed to give one back at the last moment and then followed Denise to the left side of the sanctuary, taking their positions opposite from the boys.

Sharla was going to be next and waited for her cue on the other side of the nave's doors, kneeling down to Holly's level in the small time that she had.

"Remember, sweetie, you're going to be next after me." Sharla instructed.

"Got it!" Holly said, coming off as cute and hyperactive even though that wasn't the intention.

Sharla answered with a small laugh and stood back up, her cue finally appearing as a high-pitched note came from the organ. She then gave Melia a quick nod and turned around, taking a deep breath and reaching for the door handle.

"Alright. It's showtime…" Sharla exhaled and cracked a smile, "Heh, almost sounds like something Reyn would've said…"

The doors then opened for the second time, and while she did her walk down the aisle alone, it certainly didn't feel that way as Sharla looked ahead and caught Reyn watching her. He gave her a smile that would only grow brighter with the closer she got, and Sharla quickly shot him one back before changing her course, heading to the left after she reached the last pew and taking her place with the other bridesmaids at the front of their line.

Holly was next and could barely contain her excitement once she heard her cue, squealing as she turned on her heel and gave Melia a big hug.

"See you on the other side, Melia! And congrats ahead of time!" Holly cheered.

Melia softly giggled as she returned the hug, "Thank you, Holly. I'll see you soon."

The very second they let each other go, Holly bolted for the entryway and gazed in awe as she opened the doors, watching as everyone turned to her and smiled while they waited for the flower girl to begin her walk.

"Oh, isn't she just adorable!" A woman in the crowd had said, leaning into her significant other and waving at Holly.

More compliments and murmurs could be heard as Holly passed through the rows, making the joyful glint in her eyes shine even brighter with each one that reached her ears. She added a few twirls and small skips as she scattered the basket of flower petals lavishly behind her, and once she was nearing the end of her walk, she handed the emptied basket to one of Riki's sons waiting for her in the final row and took her place with the bridesmaids. She stood in the gap between Sharla and Denise, and although she tried to fight the urge, Holly couldn't help herself and leaned to see the opposite side of the room, finding her boyfriend, Michael, in the reserved row at the front. She saw him waving and tried to give one back, but she'd come to regret her decision as she felt a set of hands drop onto her shoulders, making her jump as it happened so suddenly.

"Wait until later for that, Holly." One voice quietly hissed.

"Remember where you are right now." Another voice whispered.

Holly could already tell she was in trouble and hesitated to look, but she slowly turned her head and was met with both Sharla and Denise looking down at her with stern glares. Not wanting to make them any angrier or risk getting scolded for it later, Holly stood back upright and remained perfectly still, trying to remain patient for the next arrival to make their entrance.

Thankfully, neither Holly or the others would be kept waiting for long as there were only two people left: The bride and her escort. Everyone in the nave was anxiously yearning for this event and waiting with bated breath for the doors to open while Melia and Dunban stood on the other side, taking advantage of the brief interlude to quietly prepare themselves for the bride's song to play and signal them in.

Amidst the silence, Melia caught an uneasy look on Dunban's face and tried to make light of it, "Is the hero of the Homs actually getting nervous?"

"Even heroes can be nervous from time to time." Dunban answered, staring off into space as his tone turned somber, "It's not just that, though. It's that most people envision a close family member to be the one that gives away the bride, so I'm also a little worried on how everyone will react to seeing a friend do it instead. And then there's my own doubts on if I'm meeting Sorean and Kallian's expectations by taking this role in their place…"

Dunban quickly realized this might not be the best time to bring up such a heavy subject and looked over at Melia, "Sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you or bring down the mood before your big event."

Melia shook her head, "Don't burden yourself with things like that. You haven't done anything of the sort. In fact, I've occasionally dwelled on thoughts like that as well."

"So… you're okay with this?" Dunban asked, needing to make sure.

"I wouldn't have extended the role to you if I wasn't comfortable with it, would I?" Melia replied, "If you can find solace in my opinion, though, I believe that you're a perfect fit to take their place."

Melia then paused for a moment and looked upward, "And I think they would agree too if they were here. I know they're watching over us all right now, both Shulk's family as well as my own, and I'd like to think they're happy with this, wherever they might be witnessing it from."

Silence once again started to fill the room, giving the two a chance to reflect on the past and contemplate on everything that led up to this moment. However, in the middle of the peaceful lull, Melia had found herself slipping into a surreal trance. Both time and everything around her began to feel like it was slowing down while an inexplicable breeze wisped through the room, one that felt similar to her experience with this before in the Verdant Sanctuary.

"You're all here right now, aren't you?" Melia wondered. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, tuning her ether senses to what was around her as she felt several readings in the breeze… some that were familiar while others were not, but all of them were gathered around and only a few steps behind her and Dunban.

"I'm so glad you could all be here to witness this." Melia said to herself as she smiled, "You've done so much for me already by just being here, and I know this might sound selfish of me, but I have one last thing I'd like to ask from you all. I may not be fortunate enough to have you here physically, but please, guide me as I enter this church, as well as when I leave here with Shulk truly by my side. I ask for you all to please do this for me, not just in spirit… but as family."

While Dunban was unaware of the presence behind them or even to what Melia was doing, he still patiently waited until she finally opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Well, if you believe that strongly that I'm a good fit for this role, then I'd be willing to try and do the same." Dunban said. And just after he spoke, their intermission was ended as the organ began to play once more, signaling that it was finally time for them to make their entrance.

"And I guess we're about to find out." Dunban concluded, offering Melia his arm, "I'm ready when you are."

Melia nodded and held onto his arm, taking one last glance at the spectators she could still sense behind them.

"I'm ready now." Melia answered and looked back ahead.

Even though that's what she claimed, nothing could have truly prepared Melia for what she was about to behold as Dunban brought her up to the entryway. He slowly began to open the doors for her and Melia's sight of the nave grew gradually with every inch, watching as everyone inside turned to her and met her gaze with either bright smiles, gasps or excited whispers.

"She's even more beautiful than I'd heard she would be!" Another woman exclaimed and covered her mouth, the sight of the bride moving her to tears.

The look Melia gave in return to not only the crying woman, but also everyone else was just as surreal as she began her walk down the aisle. The serenading music ringing throughout the church, seeing starry eyes and beaming smiles from people that came here from every known corner of the world… and all of it was to see her in this moment. Melia could barely believe it herself and could only describe it as a feeling of pure bliss, and the smile she had on was a perfect reflection of that as she looked around the nave, wanting to remember every last detail as she took her time down the aisle to see both everyone and everything.

As she was nearing the end of her walk, Melia had intentionally saved the most important sight for last and faced towards the altar, wanting to see how the man who would soon be her husband would react once he finally saw her. Her gaze met with Shulk's, and it was everything she could have hoped for and more as she saw that glint in his eyes, nearly losing herself in it as she went mute to everything around her until all she could focus on… was him.

"It almost feels unreal…" Melia wondered, nearly brought to tears as the thought still echoed in her head, "It's nearly impossible to tell what's real and what isn't anymore, but the one thing I'm certain of is that this moment… is perfect."

Before she could wake from the daze on her own, Melia was suddenly snapped out of it as she felt Dunban letting go of her arm, leaving her to take his place with the other boys while Sharla came over to take the bouquet.

"It's hard to take in all at once, isn't it?" Sharla whispered, trying to keep it brief since they only had a short time to talk, "You going to be all right, Melia?"

"It's certainly different compared to the rehearsal, but I still feel fine. You don't need to worry." Melia assured her.

"Atta girl." Sharla quietly cheered, "Now go get him, Juliet."

Melia nodded and walked the rest of the way to the altar alone, her heart fluttering with every step and feeling like it could burst as she was finally back at Shulk's side.

"After all this time, it's finally happening…" Melia whispered to Shulk, taking his hands into hers, "If I'm being honest, I'm still finding it hard to believe."

"That makes two of us then. It hasn't really set in yet for me either." Shulk quietly agreed, giving her a smile, "But it was definitely worth the wait. You look as every bit like the angel I pictured you'd be, Melia."

Melia answered with a smile in turn, gazing once more into that glint in her fiancé's eyes.

"I love you, Shulk." She mused.

"I love you too, Melia." Shulk said back. The two then turned to the priest, nodding to let him know they were ready.

"Let us begin." The priest nodded back, and as the bride's processional song reached its end, he looked past Shulk and Melia and turned his attention to the guests, "Everyone, please be seated."

Row after row, the guests all sat back down in their pews, waiting anxiously for the ceremony to start.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests and residents alike, we are gathered here today to bear witness and celebrate the coming together of Shulk and Melia in matrimony. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love and commitment; and so, from this day forward, they will begin their lives together as husband and wife." The priest announced and faced the royal couple, "Empress, Consort, today you choose each other before both strangers and lifelong friends to begin your new life together. Your yesterdays were the path to this moment, and for all the tomorrows that follow, may you choose each other again and again in the privacy of your hearts. Let your love and friendship guide you as you learn and grow together, and through your new partnership, may you triumph over any challenges in your path. And through the comfort of loving arms, may you two always find a safe place to call home."

As the priest was starting the second reading, Denise looked over at Fiora and subtly tapped her side to get her attention.

"Hey, you feeling all right?" Denise whispered.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Fiora replied, keeping her voice down as well so they wouldn't disrupt the ceremony.

"Just checking, that's all." Denise answered, "If that ever changes, then let me know, okay?"

"I will, but it's not like you have anything to worry about in the first place." Fiora said.

Denise didn't say anything back, choosing to leave it at that as she turned her head and looked towards the altar.

"If you say so, Fiora…" Denise thought, too distracted by her doubts to even hear the rest of the priest's reading.

After the reading was finished, the priest glanced to the bride and groom and nodded to them, letting them know they could now recite their vows.

Shulk decided to go first and took a deep breath before he started, "Melia, when we first met, we may not have… gotten off with our best foot forward."

The rest of their friends either covered their mouths or looked away as they began to snicker, remembering how Melia had slapped him during their first meeting. Even Melia herself had learned to laugh it off after all this time and didn't let it get to her as, knowing Shulk's track record, his sweetest moments would usually follow after something like this, so she simply smiled while she waited to see where he was taking this.

"It got better later on though-… well, that much should be obvious already." Shulk jokingly assured his snickering friends, even joining them in their laughter and looking back at Melia with a bright smile, "But still, what I'm trying to say is that it's just mind-boggling to look back on how much has changed since then. Even with the Monado or being able to see into the future, I never could have predicted that things would have turned out this way; and at the center of it all was one thing… you, Melia. I know I call you this so much that it may as well be your second name, but ever since we met, you really have been like an angel to me. I was at my lowest point when you came into my life, but you helped me see the good in things again and lifted me back up, and some of the happiest times in my life since then have been with you at my side. I'll always be thankful for that, as well as everything else you've done for me, Melia. I love you with all my heart, and I promise I'll be the best husband that I can be. Through good and bad times, laughter and tears, and whatever else the future might have planned for us, I vow to be there with you and support you through all of it."

Melia could feel a tear forming in her eye while the guests were murmuring amongst themselves, wiping it away before placing her hand back over his.

"You've actually done something similar for me as well…" Melia said as she began to recite her vows, "Shulk, my feelings for you started to blossom when I seen how sincere you are and how strongly you try to protect those you care about, and in the years that you've spent here in Alcamoth to help me rebuild, you've given me plenty of reminders and new reasons as to why I love you so much. Whether it was during our initial journey across both the Bionis and Mechonis, or if our efforts to restore this city would be so strenuous at times that I'd come home late and with barely the energy to stand, you would always be there to comfort me and make sure I didn't lose my way. We may have started out as just friends when we first met all those years ago, but as time went on and we grew to understand each other, that bond we shared had blossomed into something so much more. You mean more to me than just being my best friend or someone I could always confide in, Shulk. You're also the rock that's helped keep me grounded, the other half of me that I didn't realize I was missing, and the one that truly makes Alcamoth feel like home. I love you more than anything in this world, and I couldn't imagine even a single day without you at my side, Shulk. No matter what this life still has planned for us, and even in the next, I promise to be at your side through it all, just as you've always done for me… as both your closest friend and as your wife."

Shulk could feel his heart fluttering inside his chest and even started to worry that his wings would join in as well, but amidst the chorus of "Aww"s and musings from the crowd, he looked from the corner of his eye and let those worries fade into the background when he noticed the captain coming up to the altar.

As the captain climbed the steps, he circled past the royal couple and stood beside the priest, reaching into his coat pocket for the same small box from earlier and opening it to present them their rings.

The priest then leaned over the box and began tracing his hand over the rings, drawing a symbol in the air as he chanted a blessing over them in the Old High Entian dialect. At the end of his chant, the symbol he was drawing had appeared on the surface of the rings with a faint blue flash, then it disappeared as he stood upright and faced the royal couple.

"While it is true that the metals used to make wedding rings can be valuable, what actually makes them precious is our wearing of them and what they symbolize when we do." He said, "May these rings always remind you of what those values are as you place them upon each other's fingers, and may they always serve as a sign of the vows you two have made on this day as you venture forth, in both this life and the next, as husband and wife."

"Husband and wife…" Rang through Shulk's ears, nearly making him quake as he heard those words. He reached into the box first and took Melia's hand, holding the ring only inches away from her finger.

"Melia, I give you this ring as a constant reminder of the promise I made to you so long ago. For as long as I live, I will always be at your side." He said and slid the ring onto her finger.

Once it had reached as far as it could down her finger, Melia brought her hand closer to admire the ring, taking a brief moment to watch it softly glimmer as she did before with her engagement ring. It made her think back to the times where she was still engaged and how she would talk with Shulk and the others about how excited she was and couldn't wait for this day to come, but now that it was finally here… it felt as if none of those early days could truly compare.

"It's… finally here…" Melia whispered to herself, the reality of it beginning to set in. She then took Shulk's hand, holding his ring at his fingertip, "Shulk, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and commitment. With this ring, I vow to always support you, care for you, and stand alongside you." She said and encircled the ring over his finger.

Shulk and Melia then held their palms together and gently pressed their foreheads against each other's, their wings flapping in unison while they quietly reflected on their vows.

"I love you, Shulk." Melia whispered to him.

"I love you too, Melia, and I always will." Shulk quietly said back.

After the small pause, the two then lifted their heads and looked towards the priest, watching as he piously held out his arms and declared…

"And now, by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Everyone's excitement for this moment finally began to boil over after hearing those words, especially for Melia as she practically squealed and quickly pivoted to meet her husband's gaze. She could feel Shulk's arms wrapping around her and she couldn't help but smile brighter and blush heavier as she was pulled closer, reciprocating the embrace as they closed their eyes and finally had their kiss.

A deafening eruption of clapping and cheering followed throughout the cathedral as Fiora watched over it all. Her gaze would turn from the royal couple to the masses of spectators, but then she could hear what sounded like sobbing and looked to her side, finding Denise teary-eyed and covering her mouth to mask her crying.

"Seems like you're the one who needed checking up on, huh?" Fiora jokingly asked.

"O-oh, I'm…" Denise tried to excuse it before suddenly throwing her arms around Fiora and clinging tightly onto her, "I'm sorry, these things always have a way of making me cry."

"It's okay, I was just messing with you." Fiora said as she softly laughed and patted Denise's back, "Go ahead, let it all out." She added and looked back over to Shulk and Melia, watching them finish their kiss and hold each other close.

Leaving the newlyweds to have their moment, the priest turned his attention to the crowds behind them and loudly declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you all for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua!"

Whether it was ceremonial or just to spur on the crowd, neither Shulk or Melia seemed to care and even smiled as they broke out of the embrace.

"Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua… It sounds even better than I imagined it would." Melia said, just loud enough for her husband to hear.

"It really does." Shulk added, holding his hand out for her, "And I couldn't be happier to finally hear it. So, Mrs. Antiqua, are you ready?"

"As long as I have you, I feel ready for anything." Melia said. She took his hand and walked with him down the aisle while the organ above them began to play once again, waving to their audience as they passed their pews and thanking them for coming as they made their way outside. Their friends then followed behind the newlyweds and walked down the aisle in pairs until they could all meet outside the cathedral, gathering around Shulk and Melia for a round of congratulations and cheering of their own before the attendees came outside.

"Melia! Melia, wait up!" A little girl shouted.

"Hm?" Melia hummed and turned in the direction of the voice, seeing Holly running over and weaving through everyone to get closer to her, "Holly? What is it?"

"I… Um, I…" Holly paused for a moment and sighed, difficult to say at first if she was just out of breath or trying to find the right words, "I just… I had something I wanted to ask you." She finally admitted.

"And what's that?" Melia asked and knelt down to her level.

"Well… it was something Michael told me a while ago, and I suddenly remembered it while you and Shulk were giving your vows." Holly explained, "Michael told me about you two before we met, and I remembered him asking about how your guys' relationship would work since Shulk wasn't a High Entia, but… I'm sure he had those wings when we got to meet at the festival. I thought Michael might've been remembering it wrong since it was so long ago, or that maybe Shulk was just hiding his wings back then, but Michael swears up and down that Shulk didn't have wings back then."

"Well, he's actually right. I haven't always had these wings." Shulk answered.

"But… but then…" Holly stuttered, looking even more confused now, "Then how…?"

Melia then stepped in to clarify, choosing her words in a way that would be easy for Holly to understand, "I know it sounds a little confusing, sweetie, but Michael isn't wrong. Shulk was in fact a Homs back then. I had actually wondered how that would affect our relationship in the long-term as well, but Shulk found a way to make it work. He had an experimental surgery that was designed to make him a High Entia, and because of it, we don't have to worry about the differences in our lifespans anymore."

"W-wait, what?! That's even a thing?!" Holly gawked, too shocked to notice she had raised her voice.

"It's still in the early phases, but yes, it is possible." Shulk calmly answered her, "Why are you so interested in it, though?"

"Well…" Holly nervously hesitated, too scared to look Shulk or Melia in the eye, "Does that mean other people can't have that surgery yet?"

Neither Shulk or Melia said anything at first and glanced at each other, giving the same eerie look before they faced Holly again.

"And by other people, you mean yourself, right?" Melia asked.

Holly only answered with a nod.

"Holly, why would you be considering something like that?" Melia pressed for answers, gently placing her hands on Holly's shoulders and trying to get her to look up.

Holly eventually did look back up, but her sights were fixed on Shulk, peeking at him from over Melia's shoulder, "Why did you have it?"

Shulk was reluctant to answer since he knew where she was trying to go with this, but stayed honest with her as he said, "Because I wanted to stay with Melia for as long as possible."

"And I have the same problem that you did—with me and Michael, I mean." Holly said and turned to Melia this time, "I'm a Homs too, and I know that Michael is going to live longer than me since he's a High Entia. So… since Shulk found a way to make it work between you two, I um… thought it could help me and Michael too."

Melia's look began to soften. She could fully understand Holly's situation given that her and Shulk had to face that same reality, but she knew what needed to be said and braced herself as she looked Holly in the eye, "Holly, I know you mean well with your intentions, but you need to understand something. You're too young to have that operation, and like Shulk had said, it's still in its early stages, so it could carry potential risks. Even if you were to have the operation and pull through it unscathed, you need to understand that having it is a very serious commitment, and you need to make sure you understand everything that it entails before going through with it."

"I…" Holly quietly said, lowering her head and swallowing hard, "…Okay. I get it."

"Holly… hey…" Melia mused in a soft tone, trying to get Holly to look back up. She paused after catching a glimpse of something behind Holly and looked away for a moment, seeing that it was Denise and Sharla coming up to their group.

"Weren't they here with us? When did those two wander off…?" Melia thought to herself. Her focus quickly shifted back to Holly, hoping to finish what she had to say and calm her down before they came back over.

"Melia, I… I…" Holly sniffled, her shoulders visibly trembling as she tried to take a few breaths.

"Holly, look at me." Melia said again and placed her hand under Holly's chin, making her look up this time and giving her a small smile, "Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. I never said my answer was no, I just needed to make sure that you were aware of those things."

"S-so… does that mean…" Holly asked, wiping her eyes.

"What did I say about jumping to conclusions?" Melia replied, holding a finger in front of her, "How about this? If you're still set on having the operation by the time you're of age, then me, Shulk, and the doctor will sit with you and talk about it in more detail. Does that sound fair?"

"Y-… you mean it?" Holly asked, a hopeful glint appearing in her eyes.

"I do." Melia said and patted her head, "So, what do you say?"

"What do I say?" Holly repeated, shocked that she'd even have to ask, "Yes!" She shouted, practically squealing as she threw her arms around Melia.

It was around then that Sharla and Denise finally came back over, but once they were close enough to see what was going on, all they were met with was an overjoyed flower girl giving the bride a suffocatingly big hug.

"Looks like someone had fun at the wedding." Denise said to Sharla, thinking that's what it was about.

"Seems like it." Sharla agreed. They waited until Holly finally let go to join back in the circle, handing Melia's bouquet back to her, "Congrats again, Melia! But you've got just ooone last thing to do, and your guests are going to be expecting it any minute now."

Melia started to catch on as the guests were finally allowed to leave the church, pouring outside in droves and piling up as they waited for her to toss the bouquet. However, she had something else in mind and looked to her side, right over at Holly.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Melia asked, holding out the bouquet.

"Wait, what? You want me to throw it?" Holly questioned.

"Yes, I do." Melia said, giving her another smile.

"But… I don't know. That's supposed to be for the bride to do, and—"

Melia cut her off by inching the bouquet a bit closer to her chest, "It's not like this is much different from your role as flower girl, right? And besides, I'm making this a royal order."

"A royal order…?" Holly asked. She puzzledly stared for a moment before she caught on to what Melia was doing, thinking back to when they first met and the way she tried pushing for Melia to take that stuffed animal.

"Ooh, okay, I get you now~" Holly giggled, trying to act poshly as she took the bouquet, "It would be my pleasure, Empress Melia~"

Everyone else besides Melia and Holly walked off to the sidelines while they waited for the toss, and Shulk couldn't help but put on a big, dumb smile as he watched the two of them. He was already aware of the fact that Melia was good with kids, but there was something about seeing those two together…

"I wonder…" Shulk mumbled to himself, a sense of warmth in his chest as he crossed his arms, "If we'll have any other moments that feel like this when the time comes…"

"Ready, Holly?" Melia asked, both of them turning their backs to the crowd, "One… two…"

"Three!" Holly exclaimed, throwing the bouquet high over her head and into the crowd of people piled underneath.

As the bouquet was coming closer, a woman in the crowd followed what everyone else was doing and reached up, her hand practically just one among the many others waiting for their chance to catch it.

"Wait… hang on…" The woman said, seeing the bouquet slow down and hover for a split-second in the air above her. Her eyes widened as the bouquet went into a freefall, realizing that it was going to land right by her and lunging for it when it came within reach.

"I… I…" The woman quietly said to herself in a hollowed breath, barely able to believe it herself as she looked at her hands and suddenly started laughing.

"I caught it! I caught it!" She exclaimed, proudly holding up the bouquet.

"Psst, Sharla." Reyn whispered and tapped her shoulder, watching from a distance while everyone else crowded around that girl to cheer and congratulate her, "Ain't that the same girl that teared up when Melia was walkin' down the aisle?"

"Huh… you know what, I think she is." Sharla replied, "Either way, good for her."

After giving the attendees a few minutes to get it out of their systems, a small group of royal guards came over with one stepped in front to address them all.

"Okay everyone, we're going to need the wedding staff to remain here for the time being." The guard said and extended his arm outward, pointing to the side, "As for everyone else, we will be hosting the reception at a banquet hall nearby. You are all welcome to attend or are free to leave and spend the remainder of your time here as you see fit. Whichever you choose, however, we're going to have to ask you to disperse."

Reyn watched as seemingly everyone went with the guards to the banquet hall, then raised an eyebrow when he realized the one who made the announcement was still there and walking up to them.

"Alright, alright, what's this all about? What'cha guys want with us now?" Reyn asked him.

"Well, its not exactly us in particular…" The guard started and looked over his left shoulder, "It's them."

"Huh? Whaddya talkin' about—" Reyn paused, seeing a group of people coming from that direction with loads of what appeared to be cameras and lighting equipment.

"Ooh, picture time, eh?" Reyn grinned, rubbing his hands together.

"Well, you changed your tone pretty quickly." Sharla commented, "Manners though, Reyn. This is still the lovebirds' big day."

"Yes, yes, I agree! Your time in the spotlight isn't over just yet—Far from it, in fact!" A High Entian man flamboyantly declared, presumably the crew's director as he stepped out from the group and let them get their equipment ready, "And it's my job to ensure this little snippet in time lives on for you. But in order to do that… I need to see that my stars are ready as well! Both of you, to the stage! Frrront and center!"

"I, um… think he means us, Melia." Shulk whispered, looking just as confused as everyone else.

"Yes, yes, of course I mean you two!" He answered, practically striking a pose as he curled two fingers to call them over, "You heard your friend over there. This is your big day, is it not? Come, let me get a good look at you two before we start."

While the director was busy with Shulk and Melia, Reyn leaned closer to Denise and whispered, "You guys sure know how to pick em 'round here, don't cha?"

"He was recommended by the wedding planner." Denise quietly answered.

"And I can assure you she made the right call, my dear." The director spoke up and glared over at Reyn, "As you'll soon find out, my work is as marvelous as my hearing."

"Ulp. Looks like we're busted…" Reyn said, swallowing hard.

"What do you mean we? I didn't say anything!" Denise argued, nudging Reyn away.

"Hehe, Riki like this guy! He stands up to certain brute Riki knows!" Riki butted in.

"Better watch it there, fuzzball, before you go n' make that brute really angry." Reyn growled.

"Oho! I simply love the dynamic between you two! So much energy and sparks!" The director cheered, holding his hands out in front of him like he was putting Reyn and Riki in a frame, "Yes… yes! You two would make a most fantastic portrait!"

"Wait, hold up there. You sayin' you want me 'n the furball in a picture together?" Reyn asked, "Yeah, nah, I'm good. Thanks."

"Aw, come on, Reyn, it'll be fun!" Sharla teased him, "What happened to being all excited about this a minute ago?"

"Well, first off, you got some twisted ideas on what fun is." Reyn shot back, quickly going on the defensive, "An' that was before ya'll started gangin' up on me!"

"Alright, alright, my burly friend, we'll back off so you can mull it over." The director replied and turned around, giving his full attention back to the newlyweds and his camera crew, "Meanwhile… I have work to do! It seems like our prepping is done, and our bride and groom are looking as ready as ever!"

"Aye, wait a minute! That isn't what I meant, damnit!" Reyn shouted, groaning as the director kept walking away, "Gah! …He ain't listening, is he?"

"Nope, doesn't look like it." Sharla answered.

"Hehe, Reyn not weaseling out of this one~" Riki joined in on the teasing, "Better get himself ready~"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, fuzzball." Reyn said dismissively, ignoring Riki for now and instead watching Shulk and Melia get ready for their pictures.

"Um… like this?" Shulk awkwardly asked the director, starting with a simple pose next to Melia.

"Whatever you're comfortable with is fine, Consort." The director said from behind the camera, lowering his voice, "We can always start slow and work our way up to the better shots."

"Huh…?" Shulk asked again, not hearing the director's last comment.

"Oh, nothing~" The director spoke up, the perkiness in his tone quickly returning as well, "Okay, you two, look this way!"

Shulk and Melia did as he asked and smiled as they looked down the lens, holding their pose for a couple seconds before finally hearing a click.

"Alright, off to a good start so far!" The director said, hoping to help them relax a little, "Okay, lovebirds, move in a bit closer."

Melia didn't seem to have any issues, but she could see that Shulk was still a bit tense once they moved closer to each other.

"There's no need to be so stiff and formal about this, Boo." She quietly told him, not realizing their cameraman was taking pictures of it as she smiled at him and gently pinched his cheek, "It's not that big of a deal how the pictures turn out. And besides, its only the people we know that are still around, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Shulk agreed, another click from the camera as he smiled back and wrapped his arms around her, "It's not like any of them will care. And we can always retake the picture or keep it for something to laugh about later, right?"

"Exactly." Melia replied, blushing as she reciprocated the embrace, "Now, you heard what he said. Come a little closer~"

"There it is…" The director quietly said to himself, his voice rising as he snapshotted their kiss, "Wonderful! Another one captured at just the right moment!"

"Wait, were you taking other pictures?" Shulk jumped.

"But of course, I was!" The director replied, lost in his flash of inspiration, "What makes a moment truly beautiful is when it's at its most pure. It would've been shameful to let an opportunity like that go to waste!"

"But still! I mean…" Shulk said, too confused and embarrassed to make an argument.

"Oh, quit your whining." Sharla spoke up and came over to check the pictures, "They actually turned out pretty good! Come here and see for yourselves."

Both the newlyweds and the others gathered around to see the pictures as well, all of them looking pleasantly surprised with how they turned out.

"Aww! Look at you two!" Denise mused, looking at the picture of them holding each other closely in their arms, "This one has to be my favorite so far. It's just so cute!"

Melia gently nudged her way past Denise and the others to get a better view, staying quiet while she briefly eyed one picture after another.

"Actually, I quite like them too." She said and turned to her husband, "What do you think, Shulk?"

"Well…" Shulk started, finally giving in as he let out a sigh, "Alright, they actually did turn out pretty nice." He said and pointed to the picture of their kiss, "This one has to be my favorite too."

"See? They ended up being worth that little bit of embarrassment now, no?" The director teasingly boasted, "So, Consort, ready for a few more?"

"Hm? Oh, sure, I just need a minute first." Shulk replied, "If anyone else wants to go in the meantime, then that's fine."

"Say no more!" The director jumped at the chance, turning to a point where he had everyone in his view, "So, do we have any volunteers, or should I pick someone?"

"Right here, boss man." Reyn spoke up, already hurrying to get in front of the camera.

"And just like that, he's all excited about getting his picture taken again." Melia commented.

"Remember, this is Reyn we're talking about." Fiora said, "He likes being the center of attention almost as much as Riki does."

"I can still hear ya, y'know?!" Reyn shouted from on set.

"Yeah, and Riki is standing right here!" Riki joined in, angrily bouncing right next to her.

"You were supposed to hear it." Fiora said to Riki then looked over at Reyn, "And don't think we forgot about your guys' picture together!"

"For a second there, I was kinda hoping you did." Reyn said and groaned, "Fine, fine. Lemme at least get a few other shots in first, then we can finish off with that."

"Wanting to save the best for last, eh?" The director joked and got ready behind the camera, "But we can worry about that later. Okay, big guy, whenever you're ready."

"Heh, don't need to tell me twice." Reyn said eagerly, switching between a smile and a cocky grin as he struck several poses and even flexed in a few of his pictures.

"Mm-hm… So much flair…" The director commented, falling back into his trance as he repeatedly clicked the camera, "Looking good so far, big guy."

"For the ones with just me, yeah." Reyn added, pausing for a moment to glance over at his group, "Yo, Shulk, ya feelin' good to get behind the camera again yet?"

"Yeah, I think so." Shulk called out.

"Aight, come on over here then." Reyn said and pointed to another person in the group, "You too, Fiora! We're gettin' a few shots of the original crew now!"

"Original crew?" Dunban snickered.

"So, what does that make the rest of us then, chopped liver?" Denise added.

"Oh, don't gimmie none of that. You know what I'm tryin' to say." Reyn replied.

"It's alright, we get it, Reyn." Fiora said as her and Shulk walked over.

"Yeah, see?" Reyn jokingly taunted, his sight still fixed on the naysayers in the group, "Ya'll can get in on the next few shots, if you want, but it's just gonna be me n' these two for a minute."

"It's not like you're going to give us the chance to say no anyways." Dunban said and crossed his arms, "Go on then, Reyn, get your pictures with your 'crew' and move on to the next already."

"Yeah, yeah." Reyn ignored him, laying his bulky arms on Shulk and Fiora on either side of him, "Alright, ya guys, get them pearly whites out n' ready."

After getting a few grouped up and individual shots with him and his childhood friends, Reyn let them walk off the set and threw his hand up to call Dunban over, "Okay, old man, your turn now!"

"Yeah, I'm coming." Dunban replied, looking back at Denise before he went over there, "Just letting you know, he might call you or Melia over next."

"We'll be sure to brace ourselves." Denise joked and gave Dunban a small wink, "Us two are next though, got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Dunban said slyly, turning his back and walking on set before she could notice him smiling.

One after another, Reyn would call more people over for pictures, making several combinations until it was finally time for the inevitable one…

"Alright, big guy, there's only one left!" The director announced, looking up from his camera and turning his head from side to side, "Now, where did our fluffy little friend go…?"

"Right hereeee!"

Before anyone could figure out where the voice was coming from, Riki suddenly appeared behind Reyn and leapt into the air, landing on his shoulder.

"Make sure to get Riki's good side!" Riki commented, using his longer arms to grab Reyn's cheeks and make him turn his head, "And Reyn's too… whichever that is."

"Oh, think ya got jokes now, eh?" Reyn growled, fighting to get a hold on Riki, "C'mere, I'll give ya something to laugh at!"

"God damnit, Reyn!" Sharla scolded him, "We've already taken up enough of the camera crew's time, we don't need you two screwing around and—"

"Oh, no no no; leave them be, dear." The director insisted, not lifting his head from the camera. He sneaked in a few pictures of their little scuffle, then briefly looked up and waved to get their attention, "Okay, you two, big smiles for the finisher!"

"Huh?" Both Reyn and Riki asked, frozen in their tracks as they heard the camera click. They nervously laughed and did their best to crack a smile, ending their photoshoot on a somewhat happy note with the last picture.

"Oh yeah, we're definitely keeping these." Sharla said, getting a quick preview of the pictures before shifting her attention back over to Reyn and Riki, "Alright, you two, it's time to get off the set. I think the other lovebirds are still waiting for their turn."

"And just who do you mean by other?" Dunban spoke up, already having a good guess. And apparently so did Denise with the way she rushed over and latched onto his arm.

"You heard her, Dunban." Denise said, practically dragging him in front of the camera.

"H-hey, slow down. I already agreed to this earlier, didn't I?" Dunban argued. He finally got a chance to regain his balance once Denise stopped pulling him, locked arm-in-arm with her for the first picture.

"Aw, no smoochie?" Riki teased.

"Excuse me?!" Denise quickly recoiled.

"You know what? You might be onto something, Riki." Sharla butted in, her hand cupped around her lips as she shouted to them, "Come on, it would make for a cute picture!"

"Doesn't that seem a little… inappropriate to do at someone else's wedding?" Dunban argued.

"I appreciate the concern, Dunban, but I really don't mind." Melia assured him, a smirk on her face.

That smirk didn't go unnoticed by Dunban either, sighing under his breath as he realized Melia was getting in on this little scheme as well.

"Damn you guys…" He quietly mumbled and glanced over at Denise, both of them turning bright red.

Denise got so flustered about it that she had to look away, falling silent for a few moments before Dunban heard her groan.

"You know what…? Fine." She said, turning back to Dunban, "If they want to see it so badly…"

Even though they were the ones pressuring her to begin with, they all froze and some of them even dropped their jaws as they saw Denise go for it, her hands splayed behind Dunban's head and pulling him in for a kiss.

"She actually did it…" Melia was the first to say something, joyfully laughing once the shock started to wear off, "She actually did it!"

"Atta girl, Denise!" Sharla joined in on the cheering, then rushed over to check with the director, "Please tell me you got that on camera."

"You still doubt me?" The director jokingly scoffed, his demeanor already giving it away, "Of course I did."

As they broke the kiss, Dunban kept his arms around Denise and looked to her with a slight smirk, disguising it as if he were posing for their next picture.

"They don't know that wasn't our first kiss, do they?" He whispered.

"Doesn't seem like it." Denise quietly replied, "We can always tell them later."

After a few more clicks of the camera, Reyn hatched an idea and knelt down to Riki's level, whispering as he nudged him to get his attention, "Psst, furball. I think I got another way to mess with Dunban, but I'm gonna need some help. You in?"

"Riki might be. What Reyn have in mind?" Riki asked. He leaned closer so Reyn could whisper the idea in his ear, then gave him a nod, "Okay, Riki in!"

"Nice. Now get movin', who knows how much longer he's gonna be in front a' the camera." Reyn encouraged him.

Riki gave a salute before running off, scurrying for a place to hide while he waited for the right moment.

"Okay, you two, we're unfortunately going to have to move on to the next person after this." The director told Dunban and Denise.

"Oh, that's fine. I think we were about done with our pictures." Denise replied and looked over at Dunban, "You okay with just one more?"

"I'd say so. It is our last one anyways, so may as well, right?" Dunban answered. He moved closer and they wrapped an arm around each other, and right as the camera was about to click, Riki made his move and sprung out, jumping into the air again and landing with one foot on each of their shoulders.

"Friends mind if the heropon joins in?" Riki asked, with just enough time to strike an over-the-top pose.

While everyone looked confused at first, Sharla could overhear Reyn snickering, and she glared as she turned her head.

"Did you tell Riki to do that, Reyn?" She demanded.

"Well, uh…" Reyn stammered, blindsided by the glare she was giving him.

"Reyn…" Sharla asked again, snarling this time.

"Oh, they're fine, Sharla. We honestly didn't know what to do for that last picture anyways." Denise said, taking Riki off her shoulder and into her arms, "I actually wouldn't mind a few pictures where we look more laid back, but we might not have the time for that."

"Unfortunately, no." The director stated, "While I wouldn't mind that either, it has more to do with time constraints. My crew and I are eventually going to have to relocate for the reception, and I'd like to give the bride and groom as much time as they need before then. So, if there was anyone else that still wanted their picture taken, now would be the time."

Everyone went quiet for a moment to see if there were any takers, then watched as Shulk stepped out from the group.

"Actually… there's one more thing I had in mind." He said and turned around, eyeing a certain person in the crowd, "Would you mind, Fiora?"

"Huh?" Fiora asked, placing a hand over her chest, "Me?"

"Unless there's someone else here with that name, then yes, I mean you." Shulk jokingly replied and held out his hand, "Just humor me, would you?"

"Well… alright, Shulk." Fiora agreed and went up to him, taking his hand as they walked onto the set.

"So, Fiora…" Shulk started, lowering his voice as he placed an arm around her and posed for the picture, "I know I've already told you this before, but I feel like I need to say it again: Thank you so much for being here."

"And I'll say this again: It's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be, Shulk." Fiora modestly replied, smiling for the camera as she heard it click.

"That's where I beg to differ. Look over where Melia is and tell me that again." Shulk said.

Figuring she had a moment before the next shot, Fiora inconspicuously looked to her side and spotted Melia, noticing the warm smile on her face as she bantered and laughed with the rest of their friends.

"Still don't think it's that big of a deal?" Shulk asked again as they faced each other for the next picture, "You're the reason Melia's like that, you know. It wouldn't have mattered to her how the wedding turned out if she didn't have everyone here to celebrate with, and that includes you, Fiora."

"I…" Fiora paused and looked down, too embarrassed at first to look him in the eyes, "I guess I see your point." She said and gently took his hands, letting him see the blush on her cheeks as she looked up and smiled at him, "You know they're probably getting this on camera, right?"

"Yeah? So what." Shulk replied and moved in for a hug, "Let them get this while they're at it too."

Fiora couldn't help but laugh as she returned the hug, "Well, look at you. Getting a bit more bold from all that time you've been spending around Melia?"

"Well, you said it yourself, she has a way of bringing out these sides of me." Shulk played along, letting her go and posing beside her for their last picture, "But you have your own way of doing that too."

"Aw, how sweet of you to say~" Fiora playfully cooed, pinching his cheek and making him drop his pose as the camera clicked.

"Another beautiful photo!" The director said to himself and started to sift through the recent pictures, but jumped slightly as he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Pardon me, but I actually had a request as well." A voice told him, realizing that it was Melia before he even turned around.

"Ah, empress. Of course we can do that, but I still feel that I should remind you of our remaining time." The director advised her.

"I'm aware, but I think we should be fine. This will only take a minute." Melia assured him.

"Well, alright then. It is your choice." The director replied.

Melia nodded and started walking onto the set, stopping Shulk and Fiora as they were about to move for her.

"Actually, Fiora, could you stay where you are? I was hoping to get some pictures with you as well." Melia requested.

"O-oh, okay then." Fiora replied, tensing up to a point where she felt like she was rooted in place. Her limbs started moving without any conscious thought as Melia came closer, like she was awkwardly trying to guess which side of her Melia was going to stand by.

"Fiora, just relax." Melia said, noticing the odd, stiff motions she was making, "It's just a few quick pictures. They don't have to look so uptight either if you're not comfortable with that."

"Oh, um… right." Fiora replied and took a deep breath to help herself unwind before Melia went up to her, simply placing an arm around each other for their first picture.

"So, had a productive talk with Shulk, I assume?" Melia quietly asked.

"W-wait, you heard all of that?" Fiora replied, trying not to break her pose even though her arm was tensing up again.

"Well, I couldn't understand what you two were saying, but you were up here talking for a while… and your stares might not have been as subtle as you were hoping." Melia explained.

"O-oh, sorry, we didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…" Fiora started, shaking off her nervousness, "Shulk was just talking about how happy he is to see that you got the wedding you wanted, and we just happened to see you smiling at that time. We just thought it was cute and didn't realize we were staring for so long… and then he had to go thanking me for the umpteenth time."

"Ah, I see." Melia said, both of them pivoting to the side for the next picture, "Well, I feel like I should thank you one last time as well, even though you've probably heard it enough times already."

"Alright, alright. Anything for the bride." Fiora reluctantly accepted, making it apparent in her tone that she was just playing around, "But seriously, you guys better mean it when you say that's the last time. I feel like I'm going to go insane if I hear that any more today."

"It will be, I promise." Melia said and hugged her as the camera clicked, "Now, what do you say we leave it at that and just focus on celebrating?"

"Couldn't agree more." Fiora replied. The two then started to laugh and held each other's hands as they raised them into the air, making a giant heart and smiling brightly for the camera as it clicked one last time.

"Okay, I believe we're done now." Melia told the director from on the set, "That was the last of my requests; we can move on now."

"Alright then." The director said, addressing the entire group, "Empress, Consort, I'd like for you to stay here with us. As for everyone else, we appreciate your time, but we are unfortunately going to have to ask you to leave. Please, head over to the reception if you feel so inclined and enjoy yourselves. The newlyweds will meet you there once this session concludes."

"Alright, sure thing. Ya'll ready to get outta here?" Reyn asked the others.

"Just about." Sharla replied and looked over at the director, "One more thing before we go. We'll all be getting copies of our pictures, right?"

"Yes, we've already been instructed on that." The director confirmed, "You'll all be given a photo album before returning home, and if you decide to have any more pictures taken, we can add them in at the reception; though that will be during a public session for the guests, so you might have to wait."

"Alright, that's all I wanted to know." Sharla concluded, her attention turned to Shulk and Melia as she waved, "Have fun, you two!"

"We'll see ya in a bit, yeah?" Reyn added. Both he and the others turned their backs and readied to leave, but Fiora lagged slightly behind them and looked back at the set, giving Shulk a small wave as their eyes met.

"See you later, Shulk." Fiora said in a soft tone. She then walked away to catch up with the others, heading to a nearby banquet hall in one big group to attend the reception.

Reyn went first to lead them into the hall and opened the doors to the main room, finding guests scattered either at the bar on the left-side wall, or seated at the plethora of decorated tables and mingling over drinks.

"Looks like cocktail hour is still going on." Denise commented.

"Cocktails, huh?" Dunban grinned, "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Um, Dunban, are you sure that's a good idea…?" Fiora asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Denise asked back.

Before Fiora could say anything more, Dunban stepped in to answer for her.

"Well, you see, I used to… over-indulge when I was younger. It's nothing to worry about now, though; I don't drink anywhere near as much as I did back then." He said and turned to his sister, "You don't have anything to worry about either, Fiora. I learned my lesson, and I know my limits now."

"Well… Okay, if you're sure." Fiora hesitantly gave in.

"It'll be alright, Fiora." Denise said, seeing that she was still uncertain about this, "I'll be with Dunban the whole time and make sure that nothing bad happens."

"Well, they say drinks are better when you have good company, right?" Dunban said sarcastically.

"Watch it there, soldier boy. I'm mainly doing this for both yours and Fiora's sake." Denise warned him, showing a hint of a smile as she took his hand, "Being around you is just a nice little incentive. Come on, let's go—but just remember that I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Not like I mind that." Dunban said, a flirty look in his eye as she guided him towards the bar.

While everyone else stood and watched the two go, Reyn put on a smirk and crossed his arms, "Heh, look at them."

"I know. Him and Denise have been practically joined at the hip lately." Sharla added and glanced over at Fiora, "I hope you like her enough to think of her as a future sister-in-law."

"Actually… I can kind of see it happening." Fiora replied, "Denise has been like a godsend for Dunban, and even when all three of us are together, her and I still get along great. If they were to ever get married later down the line, they would definitely have my approval."

Leaving it at that, everyone else glanced back at the bar to get another look at Denise and Dunban—everyone except for Fiora. Once she saw that the attention was off of her, she looked down at her side to try and conceal her frowning.

"I just hope that I'll be able to find someone like that too someday…" Fiora pondered.

As Fiora spiraled deeper down that thought, a brunette, High Entian waitress passed by the group and noticed their white bracelets, approaching them with a tray of drinks in her right hand, "Welcome! Can I offer any of you a drink while you're waiting for the rest of your party?"

"Yes, you can!" Reyn said and eagerly rubbed his hands together, "Perfect timin' too! Whaddya have here?"

The waitress lowered the tray for them and pointed to the glasses she had arranged on it, "I have both red and white wines on this half, while the other is all champagne. If you prefer something else or just a different brand than what I have here, I can also take a custom order up to the bar and bring it to you."

"No, that's okay." Sharla said, trying to be considerate and give Denise and Dunban their space at the bar, "I'm not picky on brands or anything, all I really care about is if it's sweet. If you have any wine here like that, I'll take it."

"Of course!" The waitress replied, handing her a glass of white wine.

"Hm… lemme get one a' the reds; I don't care if it's dry or sweet." Reyn said, helping himself to a random glass of red wine he picked from the tray.

"Riki in the mood for something bubbly!" Riki requested.

The waitress handed Riki a glass of champagne, then caught a glimpse of Fiora quietly standing in the back of their group.

"Can I get you something too, Ma'am?" She asked.

"O-oh, um…" Fiora stammered, jumping as she was snapped out of her daydreaming. She glanced at everything on the tray and thought about it for a moment, quietly sighing as she defaulted to something more familiar, "I'll just have a Rum and Cola, please."

"Okay. Would you like a garnish with it?" The waitress asked.

"Two lime wedges, please." Fiora requested, slipping back into her aloof demeanor.

"Understood. I'll be right back with your drink." The waitress politely replied, hurrying off to place the order.

After she left, Reyn glanced over at Fiora, "Well, look at you getting into the spirit of things."

Riki simply stared at him, looking unimpressed, "Reyn trying to make pun?"

"A pun? What're ya talkin' ab—" Reyn stopped, his face lighting up as he snickered, "Oh, I get it, 'spirit'. But no, that's not what I meant. It's just that Fiora almost never drinks, so it's kinda weird to see when it happens."

Fiora stayed quiet and merely shrugged it off while she waited for the waitress to come back, which thankfully didn't take much longer.

"Here you are, Ma'am." The waitress said, a new glass on her tray with a light-brown color inside and two limes hanging on the rim.

Fiora took the drink and squeezed the two limes into the glass, dropping the used garnishes inside and swirling them around with a mixing straw before taking a small sip to test it.

"How is it?" Sharla asked.

"It's… actually pretty good!" Fiora said, curiously inspecting her glass, "As bad as this might sound, it tastes just like how Dunban made them when I was younger and he'd let me have a sip."

"Well, about that…" The waitress spoke up, "It actually is from Dunban. He saw the bartender making it and asked who it was for. When he heard it was for you, he wanted us to customize it a little and add a few extra ingredients, and also to pass on a message to you."

"What was the message?" Fiora asked.

"In his words, 'You're welcome, just make sure you don't overdo it'." The waitress said.

Everyone then looked over at the bar and found Dunban and Denise staring back at them and raising their glasses, seeing that Dunban ordered the same drink as well while Denise had a Long Island.

"Tch. Smart asses…" Reyn scoffed, waving back at them.

"Can't say he doesn't look out for his little sister though—albeit in a not-so-positive way." Sharla added.

"That's what siblings are for, right?" Fiora sarcastically said and took a bigger swig of her drink.

After a bit of time had passed for the guests to chat and unwind over their drinks, they could all hear the entrance doors creaking open and looked over, bursting into cheering and applauding as they saw that Shulk and Melia had finally arrived.

Before the newlyweds could do so much as greet everyone, the lighting inside the hall began to dim with the exception of a single spotlight shining on them, the ramblings from their audience drowning out as a slow, tranquil song filled the room.

"And now the part that I was looking forward to the least is here…" Shulk muttered.

"It'll be okay, Boo, slow dancing is actually quite simple." Melia said and pivoted, standing in front of him and holding out her hand, "And I'd be glad to show you, if you're willing to treat me to a dance, that is."

"The quicker I embarrass myself, the quicker it'll be over, right?" Shulk said under his breath, but the sight of his wife's smile always had a way of lifting him out of his pessimism, "You're lucky I have a hard time saying no to you." He added and reached for her hand.

"I know you do." Melia teasingly replied, that smile only growing brighter, "And don't worry, Shulk, I wouldn't let you embarrass yourself."

"Um, you weren't supposed to hear that last—H-hey!" Shulk said as Melia started pulling him to the center of the dance floor, not really caring that he was cut off since she seemed happy.

"It's just like we rehearsed, Shulk. Focus on me if you need to." Melia said and held him close, guiding him through the steps, "One… two… three… See? That's all there is to it."

Shulk glanced down at his feet, trying to stay in rhythm with her, "One… two… three…"

"Exactly." Melia said, shooting him a small smirk, "Although, where you keep your eyes could use a little improvement."

"O-oh, sorry." Shulk said, his nervousness quickly quelled as he looked back up and was met with a warm smile. He showed a smile back and let everything else fade into the background as the song went on, moving more gracefully through the steps.

"I see you've found a noteworthy distraction." Melia said, seeing right through him, "Care to share what it is?"

"Well, with how much has happened today, that could be almost anything. But mainly I'm just wondering how the girl who's now my wife could also be an amazing teacher too." Shulk said, "It just got me thinking about all the other things you've done for me, and where I'd even be if it wasn't for you."

"It's hard to say, but if you ask me, that's something I wouldn't ever want to think about." Melia replied and nuzzled against him, "I've already had to go eighty-eight years before meeting you, Shulk, and now I wouldn't want to imagine even a single day without you by my side."

"You won't ever have to worry about that, Angel." Shulk told her, their eyes meeting as he held his palm against hers, "From that being a promise we made all those years ago, to now being one of our vows…"

"And from close friends so long ago, to now husband and wife…" Melia added and locked their fingers together, "To think this whole chain of events started from that little talk we had at the park in Colony 9… Whether someone wants to claim that fate is what dictated it, or us taking the future into our own hands, I still couldn't be happier with the outcome. I love you with all my heart, Shulk, and I can't wait to see what awaits us with the start of our new lives together."

"Neither can I. I love you too, Melia." Shulk said back, "But we have plenty of time for that now, so why don't we just relax for a while and enjoy the moment we're in?"

Melia nodded, resting her head against his chest as they gently rocked back and forth.

"I'd like that." She mused.

As the dance went on, Fiora stayed on the sidelines and continued to watch from afar, hidden deep within the crowds and nursing her drink in between glances at the two of them.

"How much longer could this possibly go on for?" Fiora thought to herself, sipping the last, diluted drops of alcohol through the ice in her glass.

"Empty…" She pondered, staring down at her drink, "Another one down, I guess. This would be… my second, right? Or was it my third…?"

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Fiora quickly snapped out of it and turned her head as she felt something tap her shoulder, a familiar sight as she found the waitress standing beside her with another tray of drinks.

"Your refill is here." The waitress quietly said, trying not to disturb the other guests nearby.

"Oh. Thank you." Fiora replied, keeping her voice down as well. She took the drink and immediately went to work mixing in the garnishes, briefly lifting her head and seeing that the waitress had already left.

"What does it even matter, at this rate?" Fiora mumbled, scoffing bitterly.

Fiora then took a sip from her new drink and tried to go back to watching her friends dance, but she began to feel an inexplicable tightness in her chest and an overwhelming aura weighing her down, and the alcohol in her system only seemed to make it worse as the negative thoughts continued to pile on.

"What am I still even doing here…? The wedding itself is already over, so it's not like I'm needed for anything else…"

"Stop…" Fiora groaned to herself under her breath, throwing her head back and slamming her drink in a desperate attempt to quell her racing thoughts. Too frustrated and fueled by alcohol to notice, she tactlessly wiped her mouth with her arm and found herself staring elsewhere as she looked to her side, her blurry sights set on the doors that led in and out of the banquet hall.

"The exit's not even that far away… The others aren't around to see either…"

Fiora winced and looked away from the doors, her gaze falling back onto the newlyweds. But one more glance at them was all it took for her to finally break under the stress, still fixated on the two even as a flood of tears welled up in her eyes.

"Maybe coming here really was a mistake…" Fiora whimpered through her quivering lips. She covered her mouth and took a shaky breath as she bolted for the doors, trying as hard as she could not to cry before she made it there.

"Shulk, Melia, I'm so sorry…" She sobbed and opened the door, hurrying out before the hallway lights could seep in and draw any attention to her.

As Fiora had predicted, nobody seemed to notice that she had left, least of all Shulk or Melia as their song came to an end shortly after. They kept a hold on each other's hands and stepped back as the lights in the banquet hall turned back on, oblivious to what happened and smiling as the room filled with the sounds of their spectators' applause.

"See? It wasn't so bad, right?" Melia asked him.

"Yeah, I guess." Shulk reluctantly agreed. They then walked off the dance floor as the other guests were invited on, finding their friends gathered around their reserved table.

"Aren't you guys going to join in?" Shulk asked them.

"It's not that we don't want to, it's just that… Um, well…" Sharla started, hesitating to break the news to them. Thankfully though, she didn't have to be the one to say it as Melia was quick to catch on, noticing an empty spot at their table.

"…Where's Fiora?" Melia asked, getting straight to the point.

Sharla sighed, seeing no reason to tiptoe around it anymore, "We… don't know. She wandered off somewhere on her own after the lights kicked off and we haven't seen her since. We already split up and did a quick check around the place too… but none of us found her."

"I… I see…" Melia said quietly. She already had an idea as to why Fiora would suddenly leave, and seeing Sharla's frown only strengthened her theory, a sentiment that seemed to be shared by everyone else at the table as well from the somber looks on their faces.

Shulk only took one glance at everyone and already couldn't stand to see them moping around like this, his mind already made up as he put it bluntly for them.

"I'm going to look for her." He said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Shulk?" Sharla asked, "I get that you're worried—we all are, but wouldn't it look a little odd if the groom just up and left his own reception?"

"I shouldn't be gone long enough for anyone to start getting suspicious. Everyone's either dancing or at their tables right now, and there's nothing else going on for a bit that requires both me and Melia to be here." Shulk argued.

"Even with that being the case, it would probably be best for you to go by yourself, Shulk." Melia suggested, "Out of all of us, you're the one Fiora feels closest to, so it might make her more comfortable if you went alone. I'll stay here and tend to the guests, should the need arise."

"Alright. Thanks, Angel." Shulk hastily nodded, looking back at everyone while he started making his way out, "You guys stay here with Melia. I'll be right back."

"Melly's Secret Service, standing by!" Riki declared, leaping out of his chair and landing beside her.

"I think he meant to keep her company, Riki, not to be her bodyguards." Sharla said.

"Oh… Riki knew that!" Riki tried to cover it up.

Melia giggled and picked Riki up, "Well, why not make it both?" She asked and gently stroked his fur, "I couldn't think of anyone better for the job than our Heropon."

"If that's what Melly wants, then Riki will do it!" Riki said heroically, losing his fervor as he looked down at the ground, "But first, Riki need to be able to stand on own feet."

"Oh, forgive me. I forgot that you were on duty." Melia joked and set Riki back down.

"What an honor to be under the protection of the mighty Heropon." Denise said sarcastically.

"I know. What would we ever do without him?" Dunban joined in.

"Friends no longer have to worry about that now, because Riki is here!" Riki assured them, not seeming to get that they were messing with him.

While the others continued humoring Riki, Shulk had made his way outside and started his search, so far only finding guards tightly patrolling the area both inside and out.

"We don't have a much accurate time on when Fiora left, so there's no telling how far she's gone by now…" Shulk pondered, trying to keep a cool head, "That's no reason to start freaking out, though. Maybe one of these guards might know something…"

With that being his only clue so far, Shulk went to chase after the first guard he could find, with one just happening to be walking by only a short distance ahead.

"Excuse me!" Shulk called out, waving a hand to hail the guard as he rushed over.

"Hm?" The guard grunted and turned around, "Ah, Consort! What can I do for you, sir?"

"I'm looking for someone." Shulk urgently replied, talking a bit fast, "Did you happen to see Fiora recently?"

"As in the bridesmaid, right?" The guard asked, making sure he had the right description, "Blonde hair, lavender dress, and a white bracelet?"

"Yes, that's her." Shulk quickly clarified.

"Then yes, I have." The guard stated.

"You did?!" Shulk asked, finally realizing he needed to relax and slow down after accidentally raising his voice, "Ahem, sorry… Do you know which way she went?"

"It's alright, Consort." The guard said, extending his arm and pointing westward, "From the look of it, she was heading towards the main courtyard. She seemed quite upset about something as well."

"And how long ago was this?" Shulk inquired further.

"I'd say… between five to ten minutes, sir." He replied.

"Alright, that's pretty helpful…" Shulk tried to work it through in his head, springing another idea as he saw a small radio clipped to the guard's shoulder.

"Okay, thank you. But before I go, do you mind if I borrow your radio for a minute?" Shulk requested.

"Of course." The guard replied, unclipping it from his shoulder and handing it over.

Shulk started switching through the channels the second he had the radio in his hands, changing to a frequency that the higher-ranking officers would be on.

"Captain, can you hear me? This is Shulk." He asked.

"Loud and clear." A voice said back, "Something wrong? It just seems like an odd time to call since the reception should still be going on."

"Actually, there is." Shulk said, "Fiora's missing. I have a general idea of where she might be, but I was wondering if there's a way you could help me cover some ground a bit faster."

A sigh came through the captain's end of the radio, "Can't say I'm surprised. People can only keep the tough act going for so long…"

"What? What are you talking about?" Shulk asked.

"It's nothing to worry about." The captain replied, "I'll check in with the other officers and see if any of our surveillance picked her up. Just stay on this channel; I'll report back in the next few minutes."

"Alright. Thank you." Shulk said.

A clicking sound then came through the other end of the radio, giving the indication that the captain had signed off.

"Just have to wait now… but there's still some things I can do in the meantime." Shulk thought and looked back up at the guard, "Do you mind if I hold onto your radio for a bit longer?"

"Not at all. I was going to suggest that you keep it anyways." He replied, "We have spares; I just need to notify my superior before I can leave to get one. You don't have to stay here for that, Consort, and you seem to have urgent business to tend to anyways, so please go on ahead."

"Alright. I'm sure they'll understand if you have to explain this to them." Shulk said and thanked the guard before dismissing him.

As the guard saluted and went off in one direction, Shulk walked in the other and headed towards the courtyard, hoping to get a small start to their search while he waited for the captain.

"Alright, so Fiora was last seen around here…" Shulk pondered, keeping an eye on the time while he was checking every nook and cranny he came across, "Not many people around either, and asking over and over is only going to get me so far…"

"Consort, you still there?"

Shulk jumped as the sudden noise broke him out of his train of thought, immediately bringing the radio up to his lips, "Yeah, I'm here. Did you find her?"

"Yes, we did." The captain replied, "We intentionally had to keep this from you guys, but those bracelets we gave you are equipped with trackers. Hope you don't mind now that you know it, but it was for an additional layer of security, and don't go telling the others that either."

"That doesn't matter right now. I'm more concerned on where Fiora is." Shulk said, "I get the reason why, and I wasn't planning on telling them anyways."

"Alright. And don't worry, I'm getting to the point, I just needed to make sure you understood that first." The captain assured him, "So, we also saw her on our cameras. She was alone and seemingly went from the main courtyard to the entryway transporter."

"So, she's no longer in Alcamoth then, right?" Shulk surmised.

"Correct, and that would be where the topic of trackers comes into play. You see, the signal on those trackers covers all of Alcamoth and extends to the nearby hovering reefs, but not all of them." The captain explained, "Fiora's bracelet is currently out of our tracking range, but from what we could tell before we lost the signal was that she was using more transporters and going from one reef to another. It was thrown together as quickly as possible, but I requested to have a small team take an airship and search Eryth Sea to make sure she was still there. They found your friend on Hovering Reef 2 as they flew by."

"Perfect, then that's where I'm heading too." Shulk said and quickly changed course for Alcamoth's entry transporter.

"Good luck, Consort." The captain said, "And whatever you plan on saying to her, I'd suggest doing it gently."

"It's not like I was going to yell at her or anything." Shulk replied, "But I'll still keep what you said in mind."

"That's all I could ask for." The captain concluded, "Alright, I'll leave you to it. If you don't see her by the time you get there, then let me know and I'll have the ship sent out for another sweep. Your radio should still work that far out."

"Will do." Shulk told him and signed off.

Shulk finally made it to the transporter after a few minutes of walking and headed outside the city, but he began to worry as he looked down at his watch.

"It's all right, we know where she is now. Not much longer…" Shulk quietly said to pep himself back up, venturing onward and using the transporters to jump between the reefs. He soon made it to Hovering Reef 2, but instead of recklessly running around the second he set foot on its soil, he found a hill nearby and climbed to the top to use it as a vantage point.

"The reefs aren't that big, but this could still save some time." Shulk thought, slowly turning his head to scan over the area, "No sign of her yet… Could she have moved to a different reef?"

Shulk then looked down and pulled the radio out from his pocket, staring at it for a moment as he wondered if he should contact the captain again.

"It might be a little too early for that…" Shulk concluded, starting to feel frustrated as he saw the other reefs in the distance, "There has to be a better way to go about this… Come on, think…"

And amidst the mental haze that Shulk stubbornly tried to push through, an idea suddenly flashed and his head began to clear.

"Ether Sense…" Rang through Shulk's ears, thinking back to a time after his surgery where Melia tried explaining it to him.

"All High Entia have an increased sensitivity to ether, and with the proper training, it can be used to give us a better understanding of our surroundings." The image of Melia in his head told him, "For instance, Homs and High Entia have different ether patterns, and given enough practice, you'll be able to differentiate between not only race, but individual people as well."

"Well, given that I've never used Ether Sense before, I think it's safe to say I can't do anything that advanced yet." Shulk muttered to himself, "But still, it should at least give me something, right? Let's see… Melia also said it's like putting yourself in a trance, almost like meditating. So…"

Shulk took one more panoramic view of the area, thinking it might help him relax. He then sat down with his legs crossed and tried to focus on his breathing, all noises around him beginning to deafen until a strange, almost whimsical chime filled his ears. Even more strange that he wasn't startled by it, Shulk slowly opened his eyes and could see a thin, transparent red mist in the air, noticing it made a faint trail in the same direction that the chiming appeared to be coming from.

"Incredible…" Was the only thing he could think of to describe it, still taking deep and controlled breaths as he stood up and followed the trail, "A trait like this must have been carried over from their Telethia genes. I could only imagine how much more detailed this could be in the hands of someone more proficient. They could probably track someone for miles if they were familiar with their ether pattern already…"

As Shulk slowly walked back down to ground level and neared the center of the reef, an array of green-colored trails began to appear as well and seemed to be headed towards Alcamoth, his nose also twitching as a peculiar scent permeated the air.

"…Nopon?" Shulk pondered as the smell wafted into his nostrils, "That's right, Riki led a large group of Nopon to Alcamoth on foot. This must be the way they took to get there. Either way, they're not who I'm looking for, so I should just ignore their trails for now."

Continuing on for just a bit longer, the trail soon ended after bringing Shulk to the other side of the reef, showing him a lone tree with a thick cloud of red mist behind it.

"This must be it…" Shulk thought, bracing himself for what he was about to find. His Ether Senses then faded as he broke his concentration, discovering a strong smell of alcohol that he somehow missed prior. Though it did make him wince at first, he wouldn't let himself stand around hesitating any longer and finally looked behind the tree, finding Fiora sitting in the grass and aimlessly staring up at the floating city of Alcamoth.

"…Fiora?" Shulk quietly called out to her.

Fiora gasped and nearly stumbled over as she sprung up, calming down a little once she recognized who it was.

"O-oh, it's… just you, Shulk…" Fiora stammered, quickly backtracking, "S-sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound like a bad thing. What I meant was…"

Shulk cut her off by gently shaking his head, looking past the fact that she was drunk and tripping over her own words, "Don't worry about it, Fiora, I know what you were trying to say."

Fiora took a short breath in the silence that followed, trying to relax and regain her composure, "So, um… what are you doing all the way out here, Shulk? Isn't your reception still going on?"

"It is, but we noticed that someone was missing." Shulk said, playing it sly as he leaned against the tree, "Kind of a shame too. I was hoping to save a dance for her."

Fiora's drunken state made it take slightly longer than it should've for her to catch on, but once she finally did, she smirked at him and flicked her hand through her hair, "Is that right? And who exactly is this girl?"

"Oh, come on, you know who I'm talking about." Shulk answered, dropping the act and holding out his hand, "So, what do you say?"

"Well…" Fiora started, unsure whether it was through a conscious decision or a drunken impulse as she took his hand, "I guess I can humor you one more time today."

The two smiled at each other and moved closer, but then Fiora suddenly tripped over her own feet, throwing her arms around him as she faceplanted right into his chest.

"I… I-I…" Fiora began to stammer again, turning bright red as she stood back up, "I'm so sorry, I just lost my balance, and—"

Once again, Shulk simply ignored it and pulled her back in, though he couldn't resist the urge to laugh this time, "Quit apologizing so much, Fiora. You can lean on me as much as you need to." He assured her, "And besides, it is a slow dance, right? So it's not like you're doing anything wrong."

"I guess…" Fiora nervously replied.

As they gently swayed in each other's arms, Shulk's gaze started to drift towards the sea, awestruck at the view of Alcamoth looming in the distance while the sun beamed over the waters stretching as far as the eye could see.

"You sure know how to pick the scenic spots, huh?" He commented.

"I just needed a quiet place to think, and this happened to be the one I found." Fiora modestly replied, "Somewhere I could be alone and clear my head, but not too far away so I could easily come back when I was ready to."

"I guess I can understand that. I could let my thoughts run wild pretty easily too if I had a place like this to come and kick back for a bit." Shulk agreed, "If you don't mind me asking, what would you be thinking about?"

"It was mostly about how much everything has changed, and…" Fiora paused, shamefully looking down, "And what it would be like if things were… different."

"Different, huh…?" Shulk quietly muttered, his eyes softening.

Fiora gave a small nod, still feeling like she couldn't build the courage to look up at him, "And… what about you, Shulk? Has anything like that ever crossed your mind?"

Shulk felt as if everything around him had slowed down to a crawl after hearing that, staying quiet for what seemed to be an eternity even though it had only been a few seconds.

"Now it's starting to make sense why the captain gave me that advice earlier… I was wondering why he'd say something like that out of the blue…" Shulk thought, "It doesn't matter how much he might've known right now. I just need to worry about choosing my words carefully…"

Shulk really did try to take the captain's advice to heart, but no matter what he thought to say, he would keep being reminded of something Melia once said to him a long time ago.

"It's simply not the world we were born into, Fiora." Shulk finally answered.

"I… I see…" Fiora said quietly. Though it was vague enough to avoid being a yes or no, she could still tell it was something Melia would've likely said, and it certainly didn't make her feel any better to know that as she clung tighter to Shulk, her breathing becoming shaky as she tried not to cry in front of him.

However, before any tears could fall, Fiora was suddenly caught off guard as Shulk quite literally swept her off her feet. He locked her in his arms and did a quick spin before leaning her back, holding her up as her gaze met with his.

"Sh-… Shulk…" Fiora mused, so captivated by the display that she didn't realize she was blushing.

"You didn't let me finish, Fiora." Shulk said and lifted her back up, "And I don't want to see you cry either. So please, before I say anything more, I want you to take a deep breath and just listen. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Fiora nodded as she broke out of her stupor, doing what he asked and taking a slow, deep breath, "Okay. I'll try."

Shulk gave her one more moment before pulling her back in, letting go of all the things he was overthinking in his head and speaking straight from his heart, "Fiora, I'm so sorry for how things have turned out for you, I really am. It may not have been the world we were born into, and the time for us to have been together may be long gone now, but that doesn't mean I suddenly don't care about you anymore or want you to disappear. You'll always be someone close to me, and I'm sure that Melia and everyone else feels that same way. We've all been worried sick about you since the moment we realized you were gone, and to be honest, I can't help but feel like we're the ones to blame. We'd never do something to intentionally hurt you, and if me or Melia knew just how much of a burden we were really placing on you when we asked you to come and be part of the wedding, then we wouldn't have put you in this position and made you feel like you were obligated to do it."

"Don't start thinking like that, Shulk." Fiora said back, "None of you did anything wrong, and this was never about an obligation. Coming here and being Melia's bridesmaid was my own choice. Of course, I would've wanted to be here with everyone too, and I'm honored that I got to have a part in your special day, but there's a bigger reason why I made that choice. It's because I wanted to show you and Melia that I'd never let anything get between us and that I'd support you guys no matter what… even if it was hard to do."

"I could only imagine how hard it must have been for you, Fiora. I know the kind of person you are, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually harder than you make it out to be." Shulk said, "But still, you should never feel like you have to prove that to us, and I hope you realize that we would do the same for you."

"I know… I guess I just needed a reminder, is all." Fiora said apologetically.

"And that's okay, Fiora." Shulk softly answered, "If it makes you feel any better, what you've done today has definitely reminded us of that too."

"You think so…?" Fiora asked, gently laughing as the weight on her shoulders finally began to lift, "Actually… that does help me feel a bit better."

"I'm glad to hear that." Shulk said with a relieved smile, "We'll all be there for you if you ever need to talk again, Fiora, even after all of this is over and you guys head back home. I'd rather make the trip to Colony 9 than see you trying to drink the problem away or running off again."

"Oh, you won't have to worry about this happening again, Shulk." Fiora assured him, "I should've known better after seeing how badly drinking had effected Dunban, but you have my word on that."

"Alright, good." Shulk concluded, looking back at the trail he took to get here, "Speaking of Dunban and the others, they're probably anxious to see you too. If you wanted, we could start heading back to Alcamoth whenever you feel ready."

"Actually, I think I'm good to go right now." Fiora answered, "I feel fine now, and we're only going to make them more worried the longer we stay here."

"Good point." Shulk agreed and offered his arm, "Shall we, then?"

"Well, look at that. All those years you've spent here with Melia has finally got you acting like a gentleman, huh~?" Fiora kept teasing him even after she latched onto his arm, "Not going to use those fancy new wings of yours to fly there ahead of me?"

"I would just because of that little comment, but my wings actually can't lift me off the ground." Shulk replied.

"And how would you know that?" Fiora pressed.

"Trust me, I've tried… more times than I'm willing to admit." Shulk explained, looking over at Fiora as she busted out laughing from the image of it in her head, "What, you're telling me that you wouldn't have tried to fly if you had these wings too?"

"Hey, I never said I wouldn't." Fiora replied, finally getting it out of her system, "Either way, I appreciate that you're here with me, Shulk. And thank you for the dance too."

"You don't have to thank me for that." Shulk said modestly, "Come on, let's get back to the party and see what everyone else is up to."

Fiora nodded, walking arm-in-arm with her escort through the hovering reefs and making their way back into Alcamoth.

---

As the festivities went on, things were only getting more tense for the rest of the group back in the banquet hall. In between the occasional chats with the guests and making excuses for Shulk's absence when they needed to, they would find a bit of time to slink back to their table for a breather and talk amongst themselves.

"I ain't likin' this, guys. Sooner or later these people are gonna realize somethin's up." Reyn said and started tapping his foot as he looked down and checked his watch.

"He's been gone for a while now…" Sharla commented, leaning into Reyn to see the time as well, "Shulk has to make an appearance some time or another, right?"

"I'd assume so." Denise added, looking across the table, "Any ideas, Melia?"

"Hm…" Melia paused and thought it over, "We could ask for a guard to get us in contact with their superior. It won't necessarily speed up the process, but the higher-ranking officers were put in charge of surveillance for the wedding, so they could at least give us an update on Shulk's whereabouts."

"It's better than nothin'." Reyn said and quickly stood up, "Cap counts as one 'a the higher-ups, yeah? I'll see if someone here can get a hold of 'im."

"Alright, just remember to keep your cool there, Reyn." Sharla told him.

"I know, I know." Reyn replied and hurried off to find a guard.

"C'mon, there has to be at least one close by…" Reyn frustratedly groaned under his breath, "I swear, these guys are a dime a dozen when you don't need em, but the one time ya actually do? Nowhere to be found."

After a bit of searching, Reyn finally spotted a guard standing near the bar only a short distance away, rushing over and flashing his bracelet as he began weaving through the crowds.

"Yo, boss man!" Reyn called as he approached the guard, "I need your help with some—"

"Consort and bridesmaid are returning. Standby." A staticky voice on the guard's radio interrupted him.

"Huh…?" Reyn confusedly muttered, unable to recognize the voice though he was sure it wasn't the captain's. He then heard the entrance doors open and turned his head, seeing Shulk and Fiora coming in with a small handful of guards surrounding them.

"Guess that answers my question…" Reyn mumbled to himself, though he was relieved to see them, "And also explains why it was so damn hard to find one of these goons."

Reyn then remembered what he was originally doing and looked in the opposite direction, realizing that the guard was still in earshot and staring back at him.

"Anything else this goon can do for you, sir?" The guard asked with a straight face.

"Hm? Oh, nah, um… my bad." Reyn awkwardly apologized, "That was all I needed, so uh… I'm just gonna bounce now." He said and excused himself.

Neither Shulk or Fiora seemed to have spotted Reyn or the rest of their friends yet as they took their first steps into the banquet hall, giving Shulk one more chance to check up on Fiora in the last few moments they'd have alone.

"Still feeling alright, Fiora?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Fiora hesitantly answered, "I'm just a bit worried that they'll be upset."

"I don't think they will." Shulk tried to pep her up.

"Well, we won't exactly know until we see them, Shulk." Fiora said apprehensively, though that answer would come much faster than she thought as Reyn suddenly jumped in front of them.

"Well, would ya look who it is!" Reyn said, stopping the two and pulling them into a group hug, "Glad to see you two finally decided on comin' back!"

"S-… See, Fiora?" Shulk asked, wincing through the suffocatingly big hug.

"Y-yeah… I guess you were right…" Fiora groaned.

Before anyone could say anything more, Reyn's attention shifted solely onto Shulk, grinning as he put him in a headlock and started dragging his knuckles over Shulk's head.

"I know it's kinda your thing 'n all, Shulk, but ya really gotta stop with this whole showing up at the last minute shtick. Ya gave us a bit of a scare this time, ya know?"

"Ngh! It's not like I was doing it intentionally!" Shulk argued as he struggled against Reyn's grip.

"Go easy on him, Reyn. It's my fault that this happened…" Fiora pleaded, standing still as Reyn let Shulk go and walked up to her. The mere sight of Reyn towering over her was enough to make her feel uneasy, and it didn't help that he was staying silent, but she found the courage to look back up at him and noticed that his lips were starting to curve.

"Oh, don't start with that. It's not like I'm pointin' fingers at either of you." Reyn said with a smile, "I couldn't care less about that anyways. I'm just glad to see you two are back."

"Don't lie to me, Reyn." Fiora said with a guilty look on her face, "I know you have to be at least a little upset after I walked out like that, and it's my responsibility so… go ahead, let me have it."

Reyn paused for a moment, looking confused as he glanced back and forth between Shulk and Fiora.

"Welp, doesn't look like you're givin' me much of a choice, an' doesn't sound like you're gonna stop yappin' about it until I do somethin'…" Reyn said, his mind made up, "Alright, Fiora, if that's what you wanna do. You sure you're ready for this?"

"…I am." Fiora nervously nodded and closed her eyes, "Go ahead, I deserve whatever it is you're going to—Eek!"

Fiora's eyes then flew open as she felt Reyn lift her off the ground, squirming hysterically as he carried her off to somewhere unknown.

"W-wait a minute! What are you doing, Reyn?!" Fiora cried.

"Bringing you in front of the jury." Reyn said sarcastically, "I'm takin' you over to the others, and you're gonna see for yourself that you have nothing to be feelin' guilty about."

"Okay, fine, but at least let me do it on my own two feet!" Fiora complained.

"Alright, alright, fair enough." Reyn conceded, letting her back on the ground, "The quicker we get'cha over there, the quicker you can get this outta your head and start actin' like yourself again. I'll show you where everyone else is at, so stick close."

As Reyn took to the front to lead them, Shulk stayed at Fiora's side so they could talk in private.

"See, Fiora? Reyn isn't mad, so chances are that the others won't be either." Shulk insisted.

"I guess I can understand that…" Fiora said and nervously looked down at her side, "Hey, um… is it alright if I hold your hand, Shulk? It's just that I'm still a bit worried, and…"

"I don't mind." Shulk answered, gently taking her hand, "Deep breaths, Fiora. No need to start overthinking what they're going to say when we're about to see them anyways, right?"

"Yeah, you're right." Fiora said, quietly chuckling as she came to a realization, "You know, that sounds like something I would've told you when you were feeling anxious."

"Heh. It does, now that you mention it." Shulk played along, "But still, you would've had a point. It just makes things worse when you overthink them, and it's not like you'll have a reason to do that very soon." He added, silently looking ahead.

Fiora followed his gaze and saw that they were about to arrive at their table, still far enough away to catch glimpses of her friends before they noticed her.

"R-right…" Fiora mumbled, tightening her grip on Shulk's hand.

"It's all right, Fiora. I'll be with you the entire time." Shulk assured her, staying by her side as the others began to turn their heads.

"Alright, guys, we can call off the search party now! We finally found em!" Reyn jokingly introduced the two, bringing them up to the table.

"Fiora!" Denise exclaimed, beating everyone to it as she ran over to hug her, "Are you alright? Where have you been?!"

"W-whoa, whoa, there's nothing to get so worked up about." Fiora replied as the impact made her stagger back, but still returned the hug, "Everything is fine now."

Dunban and Sharla would follow right after and crowded around to get a word in with Fiora next.

"Well, I'd say there is something to get worked up about, Fiora." Dunban argued, firm but not confrontational.

"But it comes from a good place." Sharla added, trying to keep the tension down.

"Friends are right, Fiora!" Riki said, jumping in next, "We not upset with Fiora, we upset because we were worried. We just wanted to know if Fiora was okay."

"I know, and I'm really sorry, you guys…" Fiora said and tried to lower her head, but Riki wouldn't let her.

"Nuh uh! No crying! Heropon will not stand for it!" Riki ordered and hopped onto her shoulder, "Now that Fiora back and we know she's safe, there no reason for anyone to be upset, yes?"

"You know what, he's right." Denise said, "We're all together again, and that's all that should matter. So cheer up, Fiora, and let's just put all of this behind us!"

"I'd love to, but… there's one more thing I have to do first." Fiora said and looked directly past the people crowded around her, the way ahead of her clearing to show Melia standing by herself at the end of the table.

"Melia…" Fiora began, but paused as she remembered Riki was still standing on her shoulder, "Um, ahem."

"O-oh, right. Heropon give space." Riki quietly apologized.

After Riki had hopped back onto the ground, Fiora took a deep breath and started making her way over to Melia.

"Out of everyone here, I'm sure you'd have the biggest reasons to be upset with me right now, Melia." Fiora said as she came closer.

"That I would." Melia simply stated and crossed her arms, "If I actually were to begin with."

"Y-… you're not?" Fiora asked.

"No, of course not." Melia repeated, gesturing to the set of chairs next to her, "Please, have a seat and we'll talk."

Fiora nodded and sat down next to her, noticing that Melia was staying silent to give her the chance to speak first.

"Well, even if that's the case, I still feel like I need to apologize, Melia." Fiora said, her head down while she gripped her dress just above the knee, "Today is supposed to be your special day, and I can't help but feel like I took away from that with what I did. I even said it myself that today was supposed to be all about you, but I became so lost in my own head that I lost sight of that. I'm really sorry, Melia, and I'm also sorry that I brought down your reception by walking out the way I did and dragging all of you into my own problems…"

"I see…" Melia started, not breaking eye contact as she crossed her legs, "Does it feel any better now that you could finally get that off your chest?"

Fiora didn't answer right away, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Yeah… it does…" She finally admitted and lifted her head slowly.

"I'm glad to hear that, Fiora." Melia said, uncrossing her legs and slouching forward to lay a hand on Fiora's lap, "I accept your apology, though I have to disagree with your thinking that you brought the reception down. You did nothing of the sort, Fiora; in fact, I'd say you've done quite the opposite. The fact that you're here with us is enough for me to feel like this already wonderous day could reach even greater heights, but the thing that truly made this day special for me… is that everyone closest to me was able to be a part of it."

"Oh, Melia…" Fiora mused, leaning into her for a hug.

"You don't have to keep that guilt hanging over you like this, Fiora." Melia whispered, "It's fine to make a mistake, but you also realized that and came back to make it right. You've done plenty to atone already."

"I know…" Fiora quietly said, holding her tighter, "I just wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I ended up hurting you."

"Rest assured, you didn't." Melia stated and gently broke out of Fiora's grip, "Do you feel as though you can finally put this behind you now?"

"I believe so." Fiora replied.

"Now there's what we like to hear!" Reyn spoke up and crossed his arms, "Everythin' good between ya two now?"

"Things were never bad between us to begin with." Melia answered, turning back to Fiora, "Isn't that right?"

"Mm-hm! Definitely!" Fiora agreed, already starting to act like her normal self again.

"Well, we're glad too. All's well that ends well, right?" Dunban added and walked over to where Fiora was sitting, offering her his hand, "You might've been gone for a bit, Fiora, but there's still some time left for everyone to dance. So, if you wanted, would you care to humor your big brother for a minute?"

Fiora couldn't help but snicker at the suggestion, but still took his hand, "I don't see why not."

Everyone else stood aside as Dunban helped Fiora out of her seat and guided her to the dance floor, watching the two dance from afar.

"Such a happy little family." Denise mused.

"Well, yeah, on the blood-related side. But they still got all of us too, y'know." Reyn added.

"Reyn right. But why are friends just standing around when they could join in on the fun too?" Riki excitedly claimed. He suddenly started bouncing away and went to find Oka, taking her to go and dance.

"Geez, not even all those years he spent travelling were enough to slow that little guy down." Sharla jokingly said.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. But still, he might've been onto somethin'…" Reyn echoed the thought, turning to Sharla and extending his hand, "Ya wanna get in on this too, Sharla?"

"If that's your way of asking me to dance, then yes." Sharla teasingly accepted, following the others' examples as she took Reyn's hand and walked with him to the dance floor.

As more people left to dance, Shulk and Melia began to feel like something was off and looked around to see who was still left, realizing it was only them and Denise. She could feel their eyes on her as well and turned to address their stares, smiling softly as she looked back at them.

"Don't worry about it, guys. Go ahead and dance if you wanted." Denise insisted, already having a hunch on what was bothering them.

"Are you sure?" Shulk asked hesitantly.

"We don't want to feel like we're alienating you." Melia added.

"No, really, it's okay." Denise assured them, "Dunban and I already got to dance while we were waiting for you to come back, Shulk. I'll be alright by myself for a little bit."

"If I may, I might have another option." A voice behind Denise had said.

"Eek!" Denise nearly jumped out of her own skin and spun around, relaxing a little once she realized it was just the captain.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you like that." The captain said, though he was snickering about it.

"O-oh, no, it's okay." Denise said, taking a moment to compose herself.

"What are you doing here, captain?" Melia questioned, "Aren't you supposed to be on duty right now?"

"Well, yes, but after I heard that Fiora and your husband had returned, I figured I should stop by and check on things here personally." The captain explained, "Seems like I didn't have anything to worry about though. I still have a bit of time left before I needed to return to my post, so I figured I'd pay a visit to you guys and some other people I know here before I left."

"Well, alright, as long as the other officers know you're here and not slacking off." Melia said, "Back on topic though, you mentioned you had another option in mind?"

"That I did." The captain answered and turned to Denise, swinging one foot behind the other and offering his hand as he did a slight bow, "Ms. Denise, even though you said you're okay with it, I would still hate to see you standing here alone. So, would you care to dance with me?"

Denise's wings stood on end and she started to blush, stammering as she failed to get anything coherent past her lips, "I-I-I mean, erm… I…"

"I'll just choose to take that as a compliment." The captain joked as he saw how flustered she got, keeping his long, silver hair out of his face as he stood upright, "Not to pry, but are you worried about what your significant other might think?"

"N-no no, that's not it. You just sprung the idea on me kinda suddenly, that's all." Denise replied, "Dunban's never really seemed like the jealous type, so I don't think that would be a problem."

"Must be nice not having to worry about stuff like that, huh captain?" Shulk commented.

"Well, not this time, at least." The captain answered.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Shulk asked.

The captain then nudged his head in the direction behind him, revealing a High Entian woman with brown eyes, short wings, and curly auburn hair waving to them from her table nearby.

"The Mrs. came up with this idea, so no need for me to worry." The captain explained, knowing she was watching them without having to turn around, "We saw your little group's numbers trickling down and realized that one person was gonna end up left out."

"Mrs.?" Shulk gawked, "Wait, you're married?!"

"Yes, I am. I've been married for several decades now." The captain answered.

"I can't believe I didn't know that until now…" Shulk said.

"I didn't either." Denise added, "She must be pretty laidback if she's okay with you doing this, let alone come up with that idea herself."

"Eh, I'd say it depends on the topic. She can be stern and put her foot down about one thing, then she's surprisingly lenient with the next." The captain joked and offered Denise his hand one more time, "Lucky for us that this is one of those things she doesn't care about. So, what do you say, Denise?"

"Hm. Well…" Denise pondered for a moment, "Okay! Let's go!"

"Well, alright then." The captain smiled and glanced over at the newlyweds, "If you two were going to be heading back onto the dance floor, then we'll see you there."

"Don't keep us waiting~!" Denise added, waving back to them as she walked away with the captain.

After the two had left, Melia leaned into Shulk and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't believe I had the chance to say this yet, Boo, but thank you for what you did earlier—with bringing Fiora back, I mean." Melia said and sighed, "Hopefully we won't have to worry about anymore drama today."

"What, because Denise went to go dance with the captain?" Shulk asked.

Melia nodded, "Mm-hm. We already know that his wife is fine with this, but with Dunban, all we have is an assumption."

"Well, if you ask me, I don't think we'll have to worry about that." Shulk replied, pointing ahead, "Take a look for yourself."

Melia followed where he was pointing, looking back at the dance floor and immediately spotting Denise and the captain. She watched as they walked over to Dunban, and although she couldn't make out what they were saying, their body language was enough to hint at it as she saw Dunban nonchalantly wave his hand.

"See, Angel? Everything looks fine." Shulk insisted.

"I guess you're right…" Melia quietly agreed, sighing again as she tiredly threw her arms around him, "As wonderful as today has been, it was equally as stressful…"

"I know, Angel. It's almost over, though, so just hang in there." Shulk mused, an idea coming to mind as he hugged her back, "Maybe you just need something to take your mind off everything that's happened. Something like… another dance, maybe?"

"Maybe~" Melia answered, looking up at him with an eager smile, "I guess there's only one way to find out, right?"

"A simple 'yes' or 'I'd love to' would've worked just as well, you know." Shulk said jokingly, "Come on, Angel, let's go."

"Mm-hm!" Melia happily hummed and walked with him to the dance floor.

Reyn happened to catch a glimpse of the two while he was dancing with Sharla, doing a double take from over his shoulder.

"About time you two decided to join in!" Reyn called out loud enough that it got the attention of the rest of their friends, all of them looking over as well and spotting Shulk and Melia.

"There you guys are!" Sharla chimed in and waved, "Come over here with us!"

"It seems everyone else was awaiting our arrival as well." Melia discretely said to Shulk.

"I guess so. But hey, you heard them." Shulk said and took Melia's hand, guiding her to the rest of their friends and crowding around as they all danced their stresses away.

"It seems you might have been right about this too, Shulk." Melia said and hugged him, rocking back and forth with him, "I do feel somewhat better now that we've gotten a bit of time away from our busy schedules."

"I'm glad to hear that, Angel." Shulk replied, holding her in his arms as they continued their dance.

"Speakin' of which, how much longer is your guys' lil break gonna last?" Reyn overheard them.

"Yeah, do you two have anything else planned while you're here, or even after?" Sharla asked.

"For here, it's just miscellaneous things, but we don't have anything else afterwards." Melia answered, "Our catering should be served shortly, and after everyone has their fill, we should be free to do as we please for the rest of the day."

"Now that's what I wanted to hear! I'm starvin'!" Reyn cheered, his mouth starting to water, "Mm, I can practically smell the food already!"

"Huh, now that you mention it, Reyn… so can I." Sharla added and turned her head, seeing the director coming into the banquet hall with several employees behind him wheeling decorated carts with covered trays on top.

"Seems we won't have to wait as long as we thought." Dunban concluded, his nose twitching as the scent of the hot food escaped from under the tray coverings and filled the air.

"I guess not. But I'm more concerned about whatever that is they're hauling in the back." Denise said, her eyes fixated on the cart at the far end of the convoy that carried a single white box on it, but towered in size compared to what was on the other carts and had guards escorting it, "I mean, just look at that thing…"

"Yeah, seriously. It's friggin' massive…" Reyn commented and looked over at Shulk, "Eh, either way, I guess we'll find out whenever you 'n Melia are done starin' at it and get a move on, yeah?"

"No need to rush them just because you're excited, Reyn." Sharla warned him.

"Oh, he's fine, Sharla. In fact, he has a point, and I'm rather curious myself." Melia spoke up and reached for Shulk's hand, "Let's go, Shulk."

Shulk nodded and held Melia's hand as they made their way through the crowds, meeting the director on the other side of the room.

"Ah, there you two are!" The director said as he saw them emerge from the crowd. He took them straight to the suspicious cart and then stepped a few paces back, keeping himself out of the camera crew's shots while he reached into his pocket and flashed a small, black cube with a red button on top.

"Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua…" The director dramatically announced, his finger over the red button, "I present to you… your wedding cake!"

The box then began to open on its own after the button was pressed, revealing a round, multi-layered white cake with frosted filigree on each layer and a trail of white and pink flowers that started at the base and climbed up the side, stopping right before they reached the top where small figures of a bride and groom stood under an archway, with plastic replicas of Shulk's Monado and Melia's staff making an X behind them.

"Sh-… Shulk…!" Melia covered her mouth and gasped, "It's gorgeous!"

"Wow…" Shulk mused, so shocked that it took his breath away and left him frozen in place.

"Well, it's good to see you two like your cake; and from the sound of it, so does your audience!" The director said amidst their cheering and murmurs. He paused to give his crew enough time for their shots, then picked up a knife and walked over to Shulk, "Here you are, Consort."

"O-oh, right." Shulk muttered, snapping out of his daze as he took the knife and inched closer to the cart.

"It's almost a shame to have to cut this…" He remarked and looked to his side, "Did you want to do the honors, Melia?"

"Actually…" Melia paused and placed her hand over his, "How about we both do it?"

More clicks from the cameras could be heard as the newlyweds made their first cut into the cake, but neither of them paid it any mind as their gazes met.

"Oh, Shulk~" Melia quietly cooed.

Shulk was quickly drawn in by the look she was giving him, that gentle glint in her eyes and warm aura she gave off already hinting that she wanted a kiss. He could see that much as well and closed his eyes as he leaned in, but he suddenly felt something flick across the tip of his nose and make him flinch, his eyes flying open and finding a small piece of frosting where he was hit.

"You got a little something there." Melia smirked.

"Oh yeah?" Shulk sneered, firing back with a devilish smirk of his own as he swiped a finger over their slice of cake and dabbed the frosting on her nose, "So do you."

They both started to laugh and wiped away the frosting on their noses, no more jokes this time as they leaned back in for a kiss.

"So adorable." The director commented to himself, waiting for his cameramen to give him the signal that it was okay to step in front and address the attendees, "Alright, for everyone else, we will be having a group of photographers come to your tables shortly after you've all been served. It's voluntary if you want your pictures taken, so please let us know if you'd like to or not when we arrive."

"Ugh, no thanks." Reyn exhaustedly groaned by his own group, "Hopefully they'll just leave us alone since we already had that whole photoshoot earlier."

"Aw, someone finally getting tired of being the center of attention?" Sharla teased, "It's alright, you big baby, you can always say no if they show up anyways. Let's just get back to our table for now so we can eat."

"Sharla right!" Riki butted in, jumping up to Reyn's shoulder and pointing to the way there, "Sidekicks, move out!"

"Who the hell said you get to be the one calling the shots, fuzz ball?" Reyn questioned.

"Riki did, because Riki the hungriest!" Riki answered, "Probably hungrier than all friends combined!"

"Okay, not only is that wrong, but it don't make any damn sense." Reyn argued.

"Do you two ever stop bickering?" Sharla sighed and started nudging them forward, "Maybe you'll finally shut up once you stuff yourselves. Alright, move it!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Both Reyn and Riki attentively shouted, marching across the banquet hall.

"Well, that whipped 'em into shape." Denise teasingly complimented and patted Sharla's shoulder, "You go, Drill Sergeant Sharla!"

"Ugh, please don't call me that." Sharla groaned.

They all soon arrived back at their table and saw a familiar face waiting for them, smiling and gesturing for them to take their seats.

"Hello again, everyone!" A girl excitedly greeted them.

"Again…?" Reyn repeated and sat down, his memory jogging from the sound of her high-pitched voice, "Hey, wait a minute… you're that same girl who was handin' us drinks earlier!"

"That I am!" She replied, happy to see that they remembered. She started by Reyn and gently laid his napkin over his lap, doing the same for the others as she worked her way clockwise across the table, "I must not have mentioned my name back then, haven't I? My apologies. I'm Natalie, and I'll be your server for the remainder of the reception. Can I get any of you started with some more drinks?"

"Oh, no, it's still a little too early for that." Sharla replied and picked up her menu, the length of it making her raise an eyebrow, "Geez, there's practically everything under the sun on here, huh? I don't think I've even heard of some of these…"

"That might be because some of the dishes are of Nopon or High Entia origin." Natalie explained, her arms folded behind her back, "Given the extensive number of people from various backgrounds that came to our city, the royal family tried to accommodate as many as they could, so we've included meals from other nationalities as well as options that are more tailored towards individual lifestyle choices: Vegetarian, low calorie, and the like."

"I see…" Sharla said and looked back down at her menu.

"It's a lot, I know." Natalie said, "I can give you a minute to look over everything if you want, or I could recommend a few Homs dishes if you wanted something more familiar."

"Oh, that's alright. I think I found something." Sharla answered, "I'll have a shrimp cocktail for my appetizer, and a beef tenderloin with bordelaise sauce."

"Of course." Natalie said and pulled out a notepad to write the order down, "The tenderloin also comes with duchess potatoes and roasted broccolini. Is that okay?"

"That's fine." Sharla replied and handed over her menu, "And I'll just have water too. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Natalie said and looked to her opposite side, seeing Reyn practically drooling over the selections.

"So much meat…" Reyn said to himself, lost in his own little world as he pictured the entrées in his head.

"Mm… Eks and Pterix meats too…" Riki seemed to share the sentiment.

"I take it you two have found something you'd like?" Natalie asked and went up to Reyn first.

"Yeah, uh, lemme get a cola and this right here…" Reyn mumbled as his finger traced over the menu, trying to find what he was looking at earlier, "There it is! I'll do a beef carpaccio for the starter, and a filet mignon, medium rare."

"Sure thing." Natalie replied as she wrote that down, "The filet also comes with butter on top, as well as mashed potatoes and fries for your sides. Is that all okay, or did you want to sub anything out?"

"Nah, I'm good with everythin' that comes with it." Reyn answered.

"Alright." Natalie said and took his menu, facing Riki next, "As for you, you've mentioned Eks and Pterix. We offer the Pterix as a surf and turf, so it will also come with lobster sourced from Makna Forest and a side order of shrimp scampi. For the Eks, we can simply add that onto your order, or it comes as another entrée called 'Eks au Poivre', which is a filet encrusted with black peppercorn and topped with cognac sauce, and steamed veggies on the side."

"Ooh, both sound yummy! Riki will have both!" Riki said, folding his menu and passing it to Natalie, "Oh, and Riki will have fizzy cola too. Please and thank you."

"My pleasure." Natalie replied, her attention turned to Fiora next, "For you, ma'am?"

"Hm…" Fiora mumbled and looked up at Natalie, "Sorry, I'm just trying to find something small and easy on my stomach."

"I understand." Natalie nodded, remembering that Fiora had a few cocktails earlier, "In that case, I can add on a bowl of lemon chicken soup and crackers for you, and we also carry clear sodas or ginger ale if you don't mind something carbonated."

"That sounds good. I'll have that and a ginger ale, please." Fiora said and quickly glossed over her menu, "Could I also order a Seafood Pappardelle, just in case I start feeling a bit peckish?"

"Of course." Natalie replied and walked over to Denise, giving her a second to finish looking over the menu.

"Ooh, they have grape leaves and gyros!" Denise said aloud, realizing Natalie was right next to her as she looked up, "Oh, sorry. I'll have that, please."

"Okay." Natalie said and started jotting down on her notepad, "First, would you prefer meat or veggies for your grape leaves? And we can bring those out to you either warm or cold."

"Veggie, and I'd like them warm, please." Denise answered.

"Alright, I'll have those out at the same time as the appetizers." Natalie said, "As for the gyro, we have a vegetarian option that substitutes the meat for chickpeas, but if you don't mind the meat, we can make that with any combination of chicken, beef, or lamb."

"Oh, I'm not actually a vegetarian, I just prefer my grape leaves that way." Denise said, "I'll take both beef and lamb for my gyro, and could I also have a garden salad on the side, and a sweetened iced tea, please?"

"Certainly." Natalie said and took her menu, looking to Dunban who was sitting beside her, "And for you, sir?"

"I'll just have a chicken shawarma, and everything that comes with it is fine." Dunban answered, "I'll be okay with just water too. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Natalie said, taking the last menu and facing everyone at the table, "Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks, and your food should be out shortly."

"Take your time." Reyn assured her, looking over at Dunban after she walked away, "And speakin' of which, since when do you even eat that kinda stuff, old man?"

"It's partially due to her." Dunban said, nudging his head towards Denise.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with trying to find something good and healthy whenever we eat out." Denise rebutted and turned to Reyn, "I was just surprised to see you guys had food options like that in your colonies, let alone here. Those kinds of restaurants can be hard to find in Alcamoth, so whenever I come to visit and we don't feel like cooking, shawarmas and stuff like that kind of became my go to thing."

"Well, it certainly seems to be working for you." Sharla said, eyeing what she could of Denise's lithe figure, "Hell, if it means that I could be looking as good as you, then I might start thinking more about those things too when Reyn and I go out."

"Well, there's more than just watching what I eat. I also have a workout program that I do from home." Denise explained.

"Which she'll stick to even when she's staying with me and Fiora." Dunban added.

"Oh, don't go saying that like it's a complaint. I've caught you staring a few times while I was stretching." Denise shot back, giving Dunban a sultry wink before turning back to Sharla, "I've actually gotten Fiora to try it a couple times too, and I can give you a copy of the program if you're interested, Sharla."

"Oh, really?" Sharla asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked over at Fiora, "What did you think of it?"

"Well, it was while Denise was at our house, so I had her to help me and keep me motivated." Fiora started, trying to keep Sharla's expectations tempered, "It was honestly pretty fun, even if it was difficult. And what's nice is that you don't need any equipment—at most, you can get a yoga mat if you want a bit more comfort, but you don't really need it."

"It might've been difficult because of where I was on the regimen." Denise added and turned to Sharla, "It's a two-month exercise course, and after that you can repeat whichever month you're more comfortable with."

"So, what you do in month one is different from month two, then?" Sharla asked.

"Mm-hm. Just to give you a sense of scale, the actual workout in month one is just the warmup in month two." Denise explained, "That's why I was a little concerned when Fiora just wanted to start from where I was at, because I just repeat month two's workouts."

"I wasn't going to make you change your whole routine around just for me, especially when I wasn't sure on it yet." Fiora replied, her attention shifting back to Sharla, "Don't let any of that discourage you though, Sharla. She showed me what the first month looked like and it was much more doable."

"Yeah, and if you want, we can wait until I find a day to come visit and I'll help you get started, just like I did with Fiora." Denise added.

"Hm…" Sharla pondered for a moment, "Alright, let's do that!"

"Maybe Sharla and Denise should get Reyn in on this too." Riki said and poked Reyn's abdomen, "Riki thinks it will help Reyn with his womanly figure."

"Tch, says you. You ain't poking nothin' but muscle there, fuzzball." Reyn argued as he watched Riki's finger bounce off his abs, taking the chance to gloat and flex his biceps next, "See these right here? Could probably crush you between em like a watermelon."

"Ha! Riki would love to see Reyn try! Riki would even bet on it!" Riki dared, though he backed down once they all saw Shulk and Melia finally coming back to their table.

"Hey, sorry about that, guys." Shulk exhaustedly sighed as he and Melia sat down, "We got held up by the camera crew."

"Did we miss anything?" Melia asked.

"Just a masculinity contest." Dunban sarcastically answered, his eyes on Reyn and Riki.

"Oh, hush it. That doesn't matter anymore." Reyn brushed off the staring, the attention being taken off him and Riki as their server returned as well.

"Welcome back, you two!" Natalie greeted Shulk and Melia while she went around the table, "Alright, I have all of your drinks and appetizers here."

"Well, that was quick." Reyn commented.

"Given the volume of people that were expected to attend, our chefs had actually prepped some things in advance to help keep waiting times down." Natalie explained, handing Reyn his food and drink, "Those carts you saw earlier? That's what they were carrying, as well as some finger foods for people that didn't want to stay and be seated."

"Welp, their loss." Reyn licked his lips and readied to dig in, but stopped himself as he looked over to Shulk and Melia, "Yo, did you two wanna put in an order while she's still here?"

"Oh, that's fine." Melia assured him, "We figured there was a chance we'd be preoccupied, so Shulk and I let the staff know what we'd want ahead of time."

"Speaking of which, I actually have some things here for you two as well, ma'am." Natalie added, handing Melia and Shulk a set of drinking glasses as well as their appetizers, "Sparkling water and an order of canapés for you, and salt and pepper spareribs with a cola for your husband."

"Thank you." Shulk said.

"My pleasure." Natalie replied, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, I believe we're fine for now." Melia answered.

"Okay, I'll be back soon to check on you all." Natalie said, leaving them be for now and giving her attention to the other nearby tables.

"Damn, she's on top of it today, huh?" Reyn commented and took a sip from his glass.

"Could be because we're at the bride and groom's table, or that we're technically part of their wedding staff." Dunban theorized and helped himself to one of Denise's grape leaves, "They might have us on priority for either reason."

"Hey, not like I'm gonna complain about that, especially with how crowded this place is." Reyn remarked, taking another quick drink and showing a slight grin as he turned to Shulk and Melia, "Speakin' of which, you two really know how to splurge when you want to, huh? Ya got quite the set up with this whole catering thing."

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised to see that all this food is being made on-site, and the amount of choice is just insane." Sharla added, eyeing everyone else's appetizers before she took a sample bite of her own.

"Well, we actually lucked out when we chose this place for our reception." Shulk said while everyone else started eating, "Not only was it close to the wedding venue, but it was spacious enough to seat a good portion of our guests and even had a kitchen built in. All that Melia and I really needed to do was supply the ingredients and extra staff members."

"With everything else you two must be paying for, I'd imagine that's just another thing to add to the list at this point." Dunban said and leaned his arms onto the table, "Just out of curiosity, how much is all of this costing you guys anyways?"

"Actually, we're expected to make our money back and then some." Shulk replied.

"Wait, hang on, you two are actually making a profit from all of this?" Denise asked in astonishment.

"Most likely, yeah." Shulk calmly answered, "With the amount of money people are spending here on things like lodging, general tourism, and well… alcohol and partying, our advisors are saying that both us and local businesses will have made money by the time this is all over."

"Well, I guess that does make sense…" Fiora speculated, "But what about all this food you guys bought for the reception? Aren't you worried about it going to waste?"

"We have something in mind for that too." Shulk replied, "We're going to be donating the ingredients that we can, and anything we're worried about perishing will be sent to places where guests are expected to be later on, like hotels and other party areas, so they can be used there before they expire."

"You two really thought ahead on this, huh?" Reyn asked.

"Yeah, seriously. I'm impressed, but more with the fact that all came out of your mouth, Shulk." Sharla said, "No offense, it's just that I would've expected to hear that from Melia."

"None taken; to be honest, I'd have thought the same thing until recently." Shulk replied.

"Why's that?" Fiora pressed.

"Well, I've actually started being tutored on these things only a short time ago—government, economics, and the like." Shulk explained, pausing as he saw Natalie coming up to them.

"Just here to check up on you guys and let you know that the rest of your food should be out shortly." Natalie said, "Does anyone need refills or anything in the meantime?"

"Oh, yeah, mind if I get another one 'a these carpaccio things, please?" Reyn asked, his plate close to empty.

"Sure thing." Natalie said, letting him keep the plate for now so he could finish the little he had left.

"Riki had question too." Riki spoke up, pointing towards a table in the distance, "Riki seen they had something that look like raw fish and rice. Riki wanted to know what it is."

"Oh, you mean a sashimi platter?" Natalie asked, recognizing it from a glance, "Along with the two things you mentioned, it also comes with soy sauce for dipping, as well as pickled ginger and wasabi on the side. Do keep in mind, however, that the fish is chosen by the chef and there are no substitutions."

"That won't matter. Riki will still take it!" Riki insisted.

"Alright." Natalie said, doing double takes between Reyn and Riki, "Are you two okay with your additions coming out at the same time as your entrées?"

After they both nodded to her, Natalie turned her attention over to Fiora, seeing that her glass was empty while her soup was only seldomly touched.

"And how are you feeling, Hun?" Natalie softly asked, "Doing any better?"

"Somewhat." Fiora answered, a faint hint of exhaustion starting to show in her tone, "The ginger ale is really helping, but I'm still making sure not to eat too fast, just to be safe."

"I understand." Natalie said and took Fiora's empty glass, "Don't worry if you end up having leftovers either; you can always take them with you. I'll be right back with another drink for you too."

"I appreciate it." Fiora said, "Could I get extra ice with that too, please?"

"Of course, Dear." Natalie said back.

After their waitress had left, Fiora began to slouch forward and rested her elbows on the table, trying to ignore her tiredness as she looked back over at Shulk, "Anyways, back to what we were saying… You mentioned something about tutoring, Shulk?"

"Hm? Oh, right." Shulk said, "I'm not sure if there was much else to say about it, though. It wasn't exactly required—I'm just Melia's consort, so I don't have as much of a say in government or the day-to-day things like she does, but her advisors still offered the tutoring as a suggestion. I figured it wouldn't hurt since at the very least I'd get a better understanding of everything that goes on, and it's not like I'd get another opportunity like this. I mean, who better to learn these things from than the people at the top and who are actively involved in those fields?"

"Claims there isn't much else to say, then he goes on a tangent." Denise teased.

"Oh, that's nothing new. He's always been like that." Fiora played along, "So, it's just for your own benefit, Shulk, or do you get anything else out of this? It just seems a little odd that her advisors would offer that to you if they didn't see anything coming out of it."

"For right now, I just get invited to sit in whenever there's a meeting, but it's mainly to see my lessons put into a practical setting. Anything more than that will have to wait till later on if the tutoring keeps going well." Shulk explained, "All that boring stuff aside though, are you feeling okay, Fiora? You seem a bit more awake and talkative now."

"Do I? Maybe it's because I finally got something in my stomach that, well… isn't alcohol." Fiora sheepishly replied, getting a brief respite as Natalie came back to their table.

"Here you are, ma'am." Natalie said, handing Fiora another glass of ginger ale before going around the table and collecting any empty plates, "Your food is about to come out too; I'm just clearing some space beforehand."

"Okay. Thank you." Fiora said and sipped her new drink as Natalie walked away, turning her attention back to Shulk, "Like I was saying, I'm feeling fine now. I'm still a bit tired, sure, but I'll be alright as long as I can stay occupied. Worst-case scenario, I'll just head back to my room and have a quick nap."

"Welp, whatever ya gotta do to make sure you're awake for later." Reyn let slip.

"Why? What's going on?" Shulk asked.

"We had somethin' planned for you two, like an after-party kinda thing." Reyn answered.

"Yeah, we were just waiting for the right time to tell you guys, and we wanted to make sure you didn't already have plans after this." Sharla added.

"Well, we already told you that we don't while we were all dancing earlier." Shulk pointed out and looked over at Melia, "What do you think, Angel?"

"I don't mind." Melia agreed, turning to Sharla, "Although, we're going to need a bit more information than that."

"Oh, there's not much else you have to worry about." Sharla answered with a sly smile, "Just be ready around midnight, and you don't have to be dressed too fancy, just something that looks sharp enough like you're going for a night on the town."

"A night on the town…?" Shulk skeptically raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, quit sweatin' the details, will ya?" Reyn jumped back in, "You heard the lady: Just be ready 'round then and Cap will be there to get ya."

"Wait, what does he have to do with any of this? And you still haven't even told us where this—" Shulk started to argue but stopped and sighed as he saw Reyn making a sly look as well, "Alright, fine, we will."

"Now you're gettin' it!" Reyn exclaimed, quickly turning to Fiora and Riki after he saw that all their food was coming, "That goes for the two 'a you guys as well. No sleepin' in, Fiora. An' you, fuzzball, no gettin' yourself sick with all this fish you're ordering."

"Like you're one to talk, Reyn." Sharla stepped in as plates of food started piling onto their table, eyeing his portion in particular, "I mean, you both ordered seconds when you knew we had more food coming."

"Sharla and Reyn not need to worry, Riki is sure to be fine." Riki said as his sashimi platter was laid in front of him, "And Riki was planning to share raw fish anyways, so if Reyn still worried, be Riki's guest and have some."

"Yeah, sure you were… but I'm still havin' summa that anyways." Reyn said and helped himself to a slice of fatty tuna, dipping it a few times in the soy sauce before bringing it up to his mouth, "Hm… Mm! Sh'o d'mn g'd…!"

"Melia and I really got you addicted to this stuff, huh little guy?" Denise commented to Riki, all of them watching the spectacle that was Reyn stuffing his face, "And from the looks of it, you might've gotten a certain someone hooked too."

"Eh, just leave him. This is the best that Reyn's gonna be eating for a while." Sharla teased.

"Oh, trust me, I know that too, and I'm plannin' on making the most out of it!" Reyn didn't even try to refute it and quickly started cutting into his filet, practically humming as he savored every bite.

"We've got plenty more to go around, don't worry, but I'm glad to see you're liking the food so far." Natalie said and placed a large plate in the center of their table, "Speaking of which, I also brought slices of the wedding cake for all of you. Help yourselves whenever you're ready for it."

"We appreciate it, Natalie." Melia said.

"Of course, Empress." Natalie replied with a slight bow, "I hope you all enjoy!" She added before taking her leave.

"Both nice and professional…" Dunban openly pondered and picked up his shawarma, taking a small bite, "I'd say she deserves something a little extra, what about you guys?"

"What, y'mean for a tip?" Reyn asked while he was wolfing down his food, "I don't see why not."

"I think so too, but…" Sharla paused and looked to Shulk and Melia, "Do they even accept tipping for this?"

"They do, but there's no need to feel obligated since the staff are already being paid for their services." Melia answered and pointed to a white envelope near the center of their table, "If you'd still like to give a tip, just place the amount in that envelope and hand it to her before we leave."

"Riki not understand why friends can't just give tip without envelope, but oh well, not Riki's rules." Riki said, licking his lips at all the food he had in front of him, "But friends can wait until after the meal for all that, yes? Riki say we eat already!"

"It's for the sake of discretion, Riki. And also… your sentiment might be a tad late." Melia said as she saw that the others had already started digging in, "But you're still right. Let's eat!"

Bite after bite, the copious amount of food was slowly whittled down until most of their plates were empty, with Reyn and Riki in particular slouching back in their seats as they let their food settle.

"So stuffed… but so damn good…" Reyn groaned, looking like he was ready to loosen his belt.

"For once… Riki agree with Reyn…" Riki added, his fluffy belly bulging.

"With how much food you two ordered, it's no surprise that you're so bloated." Sharla said and turned to her other side, relieved to see that Fiora made a noticeable dent in her portions as well, "Looks like you ate a decent amount of yours too, Fiora."

"To be honest, even I'm surprised by that. I didn't think I was all that hungry at first…" Fiora paused and covered her mouth as she yawned, "But now all I really want is a nap…"

"Just remember what I… said, Fiora…" Reyn said, yawning as well, "No… oversleepin'…"

"Sounds like someone needs to start following their own advice." Sharla said and snapped her fingers when she saw Reyn's head sleepily bob down, "Hey! At least wait until you get back to the room!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya." Reyn groaned and looked beside him, finding Riki close to falling asleep too and nudging him, "Up 'n at em, Fuzzball."

"Ugh, fine…" Riki said begrudgingly, slowly waking up in the time he had before Natalie came back over.

"Seeing you two nearly go into a food coma kind of gave it away, but I'm still going to ask: How was everything?" Natalie inquired.

"Oh, it was wonderful." Dunban said and held out the white envelope, "And so were you. Here, this is from all of us."

Natalie gasped and took the envelope, a hefty feel to it and smiling brightly as the room's lighting gave her a small glimpse at the amount inside, "Thank you so much! Really, I appreciate it!" She cheerfully exclaimed, composing herself as she slid the envelope into an inner pocket on her vest, "Ahem, sorry about that. Can I get you anything else before you leave? An extra dessert, or perhaps some coffee?"

"I think they might be good." Dunban jokingly answered for the others as he saw the tired looks on their faces, his eyes drifting lower and glossing over the food that still remained, "It'd be a shame to let what's left go to waste though."

"Oh, I can get all that packaged up for you." Natalie said, looking to Shulk and Melia while she grabbed everyone's leftovers, "As for you two, I'll let security know that you're readying to leave."

"Oh, thank you. I was actually about to get in touch with them." Shulk said and stopped himself from pulling the radio out of his pocket.

"It's no problem at all." Natalie replied, a big smile on her face as she walked away.

"Aw, look at her." Sharla mused, trying to get the others to notice Natalie practically beaming across the room, "We probably made her day with that tip."

"It's honestly kind of cute to see her drop the professionalism and get all excited like that. I just wish we could still be around by the time she can finally open that envelope though…" Denise said while they waited for Natalie to come back.

"Okay, I have all your food boxed up, and you should be set now." Natalie said and gave everyone a to-go box, handing Shulk and Melia theirs last, "Your escort is also waiting for you outside, Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua."

"Alright! Time to get outta—" Reyn stopped, witnessing several other groups getting up and preparing to leave as well, "Aw, come on! Even after our food was comin' out that fast, we still ended up leavin' just on time with everyone else?"

"Your whining isn't exactly helping us move faster, Reyn." Sharla scolded him and turned to Natalie, "Don't mind him. You were great, Natalie, and we appreciated having you take care of us."

"Oh, there's no need to worry. I wait tables for a restaurant in the commercial district, so I'm used to hearing things like that and had to deal with plenty worse." Natalie said lightly and bowed, "It was my pleasure to serve you all as well! Goodbye everyone!"

"Bye-bye!" Fiora waved as her group started walking away, "Maybe we'll see you again the next time we're in Alcamoth!"

"Still here and already planning your next visit?" Denise asked.

"Of course! There's actually been a few times in the past where I considered moving here." Fiora admitted.

"Oh, really?" Denise pressed, "Think you could still see yourself living here?"

"I mean, Alcamoth's a beautiful place and I'd be able to see you, Shulk, and Melia a bit more often… but I'd feel bad for those poor kids at the orphanage. I wouldn't be able to see them, and I'd have to quit my job there if I moved away." Fiora explained, coming to another realization as her gaze fell on both Denise and Dunban, "Speaking of which, what about you two? I mean, you've been seeing each other for a bit now and I'm sure you guys know it can be tedious to keep making those trips back and forth. Have either of you considered moving in?"

"Actually… I don't think we have—or at the very least, never gave it any serious thought." Denise answered, blushing as she looked over at Dunban, "Have you?"

"Well, every now and then, I have." Dunban said honestly, "We can save that talk for another time though, if that's alright."

"Okay, babe." Denise mused and held onto his arm.

Down the corridor that would lead the group outside, a guard saw them and tucked his head as he started talking into the radio mounted on his shoulder.

"They're here." The guard said and saluted after he opened the front door for them, the afternoon sun visibly looming on the horizon, "Congratulations, Empress and Consort. We hope you and your party enjoyed your time here."

"We did, thank you." Melia said as they all walked past him, a long and fully tinted black limousine waiting for them out front.

"Well, ain't she a beauty." Reyn whistled at the sight of the limo.

"We're only being escorted to the palace, so if you guys wanted to tag along and get back to your rooms a bit faster…" Shulk paused and glanced over at Melia, "You wouldn't mind that, would you Angel?"

"No, of course not. You're all welcome to come with us." Melia offered.

"Oh, no, that's fine, you guys. We don't want to intrude." Denise declined and leaned into Dunban, "And I think a certain someone has something he'd like to discuss."

"Gee, I wonder who that could be." Dunban said back, "Subtlety was never your strong suit, you know that?"

"Sounds like you and Reyn might have something in common then." Sharla added, playfully smiling at him, "We can make our own way back, right babe?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not. I'm just gonna fall into bed when I get there anyways, may as well walk off a bit 'a what I ate while I'm at it." Reyn yawned, "Fiora, Fuzzball, guess you're the only two left. Wanna just head back with us?"

"Oka and Littlepons will be out soon, so Riki going to wait here for them." Riki said.

"And I'll just make my own way back, so you guys can go on ahead without me." Fiora added.

"Are you sure, Fiora?" Denise asked, "You could come with me and Dunban, if you want. You're more than welcome to be a part of what we were going to discuss, since you're his sister and you two are living together."

"No, that's okay. I'd rather you guys have that talk between yourselves first. I don't want either of you thinking that my opinion should influence your decision." Fiora replied.

"It wouldn't, sweetheart, but if that's what you want to do, then we'll let you know later on." Denise said and looked to the others, "Alright, I guess we'll just call it here until we all see each other later tonight?"

"Sounds good to me." Shulk concluded and went up to the limo first, opening the door for his bride, "Well, see you guys soon then!"

"Yes. Until then, everyone." Melia waved and stepped inside the limo.

"Bye, Shulk! Bye, Melia! Congrats again, you two!" Denise waved back as Shulk got in next.

Shulk then shut the door behind him, and within moments, the newlyweds were sent on their way, their friends dispersing shortly after the limousine was out of their sight.

"It's finally over…" Melia sighed and slouched back in her seat, their limo turning the corner onto a less populated street. She glanced over at the window and saw that they were passing by a park with two High Entian children playing there, presumably brother and sister, and they both froze and gawked back in her direction once they noticed her vehicle. They quickly turned and asked each other something then started flailing their arms to draw attention, beaming as the window rolled down and they saw Melia inside.

"It's her! It's really her!" The young girl squealed, "Hi, Empress~!"

"Hi there!" Melia called back, with Shulk peeking over her shoulder as they both waved. They would soon be out of the park's view and Melia rolled the window back up as their limo made another turn, but those kids would still be on her mind while she rested back in her seat.

"Hopefully something like that will be in mine and Shulk's future…" She pondered, lifting Shulk's arm and nuzzling closer to him, "Maybe it could even be the next step in our new lives together…"

Shulk didn't seem to mind Melia's sudden clinginess and even reciprocated the embrace as he wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close as they turned down a few more streets and soon arrived in front of the palace.

"Home sweet home." Shulk announced, taking Melia by the hand as they stepped out of the limo, "Honestly, it feels different saying that now that we're actually married."

"Even after all of the jokes everyone would make on how we were practically already married?" Melia playfully asked as they walked inside the palace, "Though I have to agree. It's not necessarily a bad feeling either." She added as they went through the transporter.

With their Villa finally in sight, Shulk took the lead and guided Melia the rest of the way up the path, letting her walk in first and shutting the front door with his back.

"Home of Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua…" Melia mused, giggling as she turned around and saw Shulk looking half-asleep with his back still against the front door, "Too long of a day for you, Shulk?"

"That's putting it lightly." Shulk groaned and stood upright, "It just hit me all of a sudden, but I'm exhausted."

"I can understand that, Boo." Melia sympathized with him, walking over and giving him a hug, "Well, we still have some time before we have to attend this supposed after-party, so what do you say we spend it relaxing here at home?"

"That sounds perfect." Shulk said, yawning after Melia let him go, "I could use a little nap too."

"I must admit, that does sound nice, even if I didn't get struck with a sudden lethargy like you did." Melia said back, "Perhaps I just need to decompress first, so I want to take a shower before I lie down."

"That's fine, Angel, do whatever you need to." Shulk said, "I'll just lay in bed while I'm waiting for you, okay?"

"Okay, Boo." Melia replied.

The two then went into their walk-in closet, and while Shulk already had his suit jacket laying on the ottoman and was searching for something more comfortable to wear, he could hear Melia grunting and looked over to see her struggling to get her dress off.

"Ngh…!" Melia once again tried and failed to reach for the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Here, Melia." Shulk insisted, setting his stuff down to go and help her.

"Thank you, Shulk." Melia said and kept her back towards him, feeling his eyes on her after the dress fell and revealed her white lingerie.

"You're so beautiful, Melia." Shulk mused, his hands gliding over her curves before hugging her from behind.

"You're not just saying that because I'm suddenly underdressed, are you?" Melia teased and tilted her head back, brushing her cheek against him.

"No, I really mean it, Angel." Shulk stated again, "You looked beautiful in that dress, you look beautiful the way you are now, and you always will be beautiful in my eyes."

"Aw~ Thank you, Boo." Melia cooed before gently breaking out of his grip, "I can manage the rest on my own now, so you can resume what you were doing."

"Alright, if you say so." Shulk said and went back to his side of the walk-in closet. He finished getting dressed and decided to stay shirtless with a pair of lounge pants, then looked over to Melia's side and realized he was way ahead of her, seeing that she was completely nude now and sifting through drawers to find what she wanted to wear.

"Heh…" Shulk quietly chuckled and reached over the ottoman, messing with her a little as he pinched her flank.

"Eek!" Melia screamed and leapt back, an agitated glare while Shulk was laughing, "That wasn't funny, Shulk!"

"I don't know, the way you freaked out like that seemed pretty funny to me." Shulk kept teasing and tried to pinch her again, but Melia intercepted it by tightly gripping his wrist.

"You really know how to be annoying sometimes, you know that?" Melia frustratedly asked.

"Isn't it my job as a husband to make you feel both loved and annoyed by me?" Shulk joked.

"Well, you certainly have one of those things down pat." Melia played along, blushing as she let go of his wrist, "But still, I'd probably end up missing it if I told you to stop…"

"Is that supposed to be your way of saying 'I love you' or something?" Shulk sarcastically asked.

"Oh, don't be like that. You know full well that I love you, Shulk." Melia playfully argued. She caught him staring at her naked body and hatched an idea, capitalizing on it as she put on a fake, soft look and laid her arms on his shoulders, "But if you need a reminder, I'd be more than happy to give you one~"

"How so…?" Shulk murmured and started to blush.

"Like this." Melia purred and slowly leaned in.

Shulk's eyes started to narrow as Melia came closer, but right when they closed and he could feel his lips pressing on hers, he immediately pulled out and his eyes flew open, a sharp pain in his ribs as Melia exacted revenge and pinched him back.

"Gyah! Ah, not the ribs, Melia!" Shulk shrieked and swatted her hand away, covering the area she pinched him.

"Not so funny when it happens to you, is it?" Melia sneered.

"No, this is completely different!" Shulk whined, "It hurts a lot more when you go for the ribs, and I didn't pull any dirty tricks like you keep doing!"

"Like what~?" Melia asked, feigning innocence to the fact that her body was on full display, "And besides, can it really be considered a dirty trick if you've fallen for this more than once? Do you not remember this happening before when we swam in Eryth Sea?"

"You were technically still dressed back then, but that's not the point here!" Shulk pouted and sat down on the ottoman.

"Oh, my poor baby…" Melia mused and crawled onto the ottoman, sitting on her knees and opening her arms, "Come here, Boo—I'm serious this time."

"No, you're being mean to me." Shulk crossed his arms, keeping his back to Melia so she wouldn't see him smiling.

"Well, I was hoping this would be done with your cooperation…" Melia murmured before pouncing on Shulk, keeping him from moving while she gave him a barrage of kisses to the cheek, "But this was going to happen whether you did or not!"

"H-hey! Melia, wait! You're gonna make me fall over!" Shulk cried right before losing his balance and falling onto his back, the assault of kisses still coming as Melia climbed on top of him.

"Mwah, mwah… mwah!" Melia finally eased up, looking at the small bruise she made on his ribs, "And one more here…"

With one last big kiss, Melia called off her attack and lowered herself, laying right on top of him and making a spot to rest her head by his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Boo." Melia mused, "Did that help you feel better?"

"As a matter of fact, it did." Shulk admitted and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"Good!" Melia said, a yawn quickly following.

"Starting to feel tired now, huh?" Shulk commented.

"Mm-hm. And I was just getting comfortable too…" Melia said with a soft sigh, reluctantly getting up and grabbing her change of clothes, "I won't keep you waiting for too long, Shulk."

"Don't worry about that. Take as much time as you need." Shulk assured her before she left, making himself comfortable in the bedroom while he waited.

"Ah, much better." He sighed as he got into bed, resting against the backboard. He could feel that he would soon drift to sleep and tried to combat it by grabbing a book he kept on the nightstand, but it only delayed the inevitable as his eyes soon stayed shut, his head drooping down while the book fell into his lap.

"…H-huh? Wha—?" Shulk mumbled as he jumped himself awake. He could still hear the sounds of running water in the other room and glanced over at his alarm clock, finding that twenty-five minutes had passed.

"How much longer is she going to be in there?" Shulk wondered, too cold to get out of bed and throwing more of the blanket over himself "At this rate, I don't know if I'll… still be…"

Shulk's eyes once again started to grow heavy and he dozed back off, too deep in his slumber this time to hear the water shut off or even Melia opening the bathroom door shortly after.

"Ah…" Melia exhaled as she stepped out, stopping where she was and giggling as she saw Shulk was fast asleep, "Well, at least he tried…"

Figuring it would be best to just leave Shulk be, Melia carefully climbed into bed and cuddled close to him.

"Goodnight, Boo." Melia whispered, nearly jumping as Shulk turned over and placed an arm over her.

"Goodnight, Melia." Shulk said back, his eyes closed.

"Wait… Is he awake?" Melia thought. She waited for a moment to see if Shulk would open his eyes or say something else, but all she heard was him starting to snore.

"Perhaps he was just talking in his sleep again…" Melia surmised, getting comfortable again and slowly closing her eyes as well, "I suppose it doesn't matter since we can still cuddle."

---

With the hours seamlessly passing by as Shulk and Melia were deep in their slumber, the moon would begin to rise and hang high in the starry midnight sky above Alcamoth. Melia would start to stir and wake up first as she heard a knock at the front door, leaving Shulk to sleep in while she trudged through the house and went to answer it.

"Evening, Empress." A voice said, found to be the captain's.

"Oh, good evening." Melia replied, tiredly wiping her eyes.

"A bit earlier than you're used to being up at, huh?" The captain joked, noticing Melia was still in her pajamas, "I came to escort you two, but it seems that I'm a bit early. I can wait outside until you and the Consort are ready."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. It just wouldn't feel right to make you wait on us." Melia politely declined, "Shulk and I could make our own way to the party, we would just need you to disclose where it is."

"Given that it's late and we have a high number of visitors in our city, I would actually advise against that, but it's still your choice." The captain replied and reached into one of the pouches on his guard duty belt, "I have the address written down, but you'll still have patrolling guards keeping an eye on you two while you're heading there."

"Thank you." Melia told him, "I hope you don't take this as anything personal either, captain."

"Oh, don't worry about it. You and the Consort just got married, I can understand that you two would want some time to yourselves." The captain said, handing the note to her, "Here you are. It's in the downtown area of the commercial district—just head there and this note will guide you the rest of the way. Have fun, you two."

"Are you not going to be there as well?" Melia asked.

"Unfortunately not. I still have some work I need to do, and I already promised my wife that I'd be home tonight. We planned on going out and having our own little celebration to make up for the fact that I couldn't be with her during the reception." The captain explained.

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope you two enjoy yourselves." Melia said.

"Same to you and the Consort." The captain replied, lightly tapping the doorframe and taking his leave.

Melia then closed the door and read the note to herself while she walked back into the bedroom, finding that Shulk was still fast asleep.

"Him and his heavy sleeping habits…" Melia said to herself, sitting on her side of the bed and gently nudging Shulk, "Come on, Boo, it's time to get up."

"Ugh…" Shulk groaned.

"I mean it, Shulk. We have to start getting ready." Melia repeated.

"Gah… I heard you, Melia." Shulk whined, pointing towards his dresser before his arm tiredly fell back onto the mattress, "I've already got an outfit picked out and folded on top of my dresser. Just go ahead of me, I'll get ready in a minute."

"Alright, but I'm going to be upset if I come back and find you asleep." Melia warned him.

"Don't worry, don't worry…" Shulk sighed and sat up, wiping his eyes, "I'm up, see? Just give me a moment and I'll get out of bed."

"If you say so, Shulk, but I hope you're aware that I'm going to be holding you up to those words." Melia stated again, leaving him be as she stepped into their walk-in closet.

"And now, onto the next problem…" She pondered. While Shulk had thought ahead on what to wear, Melia on the other hand did not and started grabbing a handful of dresses off the rack, piling them onto the ottoman.

"At least this will give Shulk time to get up…" Melia mumbled to herself, holding each dress up to the mirror to help her decide, "This would go a bit faster if Sharla wasn't so vague on the details. 'A night on the town' only tells so much…"

Going through countless dresses of varying styles and colors, Melia finally found one that she liked and would be the best fit for the unclear criteria, changing into a black bodycon dress and posing in the mirror.

"The safest option would be best in this case…" Melia wrote it off, walking to a section of the closet that was dedicated for just her shoes, "Now, what to wear with this? I'd rather not wear heels if there's an implication we could be walking for an extended period of time, so let's go with something more comfortable…"

Melia's eyes would then wander, keeping that preference in mind as she came across a pair of black wedge sandals.

"These might work…" Melia thought, looking rather pleased as she put them on and went back to the mirror, "Perfect! Onto the next now…"

Hurrying to her nearby desk, Melia styled her hair in her usual fashion then went to check on Shulk, seeing that the bed was empty but he was nowhere to be found.

"Shulk?" Melia called out.

"In here!" A somewhat muffled voice shouted back, coming from the other side of their closed bathroom door, "It's alright to come in if you needed something!"

"I just wanted to know if you were going to be ready soon, Boo." Melia said back, her hand on the knob, "I'm coming in!"

Melia then slowly opened the door, finding Shulk by the counter and checking his outfit, seeming to have had the same idea as Melia as he wore all black, from his button-up shirt and jacket, all the way down to his tailored pants and sleek dress shoes.

"Almost done, Angel." Shulk said, looking at her through the reflection in the mirror, "I was actually about to come find you in a minute and get your opinion. So…?"

"So… I think you look great, Shulk." Melia smiled while she was eyeing him up and down, "I actually wouldn't mind if you dressed this sharp more often, you know."

"Eh, maybe. It might just be that I'm not used to seeing myself all dressed up like this too often, but if you like it that much, then I'll consider it." Shulk commented, putting his rambling on pause as he checked out Melia's outfit in turn, "Yours looks beautiful too, Angel."

"Aw, thank you, Shulk~" Melia teasingly mused, almost like she was waiting for him to say that.

"Just waiting on me now, right?" Shulk asked and grabbed his hairbrush.

"Mm-hm." Melia replied, taking a seat on the countertop.

"Alright. This is the last thing I needed to do anyways." Shulk said, trying to brush down the more stubborn parts of his bed hair, "If I can get it to behave, that is."

"Mind if I try?" Melia offered.

"What, you want to do it?" Shulk asked, "I don't see why not."

"Thank you, Shulk." Melia said and snatched his brush, "Alright, come a little closer."

"Okay… How's this?" Shulk asked, standing in the small gap between her legs.

"That's good, Boo." Melia said and pulled him lower, "Just need you to lean down a bit…"

"Not like you're giving me much choice." Shulk replied, simply going along with it while he heard Melia quietly humming to herself, "You seem to be enjoying this, huh?"

"Maybe~" Melia cooed, smiling as she ran the brush through his hair.

"Well, if you need me to move or anything, just let me know." Shulk said.

"Actually, I'll need you to do that in just a second…" Melia muttered, "Okay, look up, Boo."

Shulk did what she asked and lifted his head, getting to see Melia's smile while she continued brushing his hair.

"It's kind of cute seeing you get so into this." He commented.

"Head this way now, please." Melia stated, making him turn his head to the side.

"Yeah, yeah." Shulk jokingly groaned.

"Oh, don't be like that. You're almost done." Melia teased back, "Alright, face me again, Boo."

"Not going to yank me around this time?" Shulk sarcastically asked as he turned.

"Only if you force my hand." She quipped back as she applied the finishing touches to his bangs, "There! Now, considering payment for my services…"

"Payment? What do you think this is?" Shulk asked and was suddenly cut off as Melia's lips pressed against his, stealing a quick kiss.

"That should do." Melia said and cupped Shulk's chin, making him turn from side to side so she could get a better look, "I'm impressed with how this turned out as well, Shulk! I might actually have some other styles to try if you're willing to let me do this again."

"Well, if you like doing this so much, then I wouldn't mind, but let's save that for another time." Shulk answered, his hands on Melia's waist, "We have somewhere to be, remember? You ready to get going?"

"I am if you are." Melia answered and wrapped her arms around him, knowing what he was about to do.

"Well, alright then." Shulk said as he wedged his hands underneath Melia, lifting her off the countertop, "Let's go, Angel!"

"Do you plan on carrying me the entire way there?" Melia jokingly asked as Shulk took her out of the room.

"Depends on you." Shulk played along, heading for the front door.

"I'm quite sure I'm capable of walking, Shulk." Melia protested.

"Alright, fine." Shulk relented and set Melia down, his hand being squeezed by her immediately after.

"…I never said I wanted to do it alone, though." Melia quietly told him and started to blush.

"Nobody said you had to." Shulk replied, gently squeezing back as they left the Villa hand-in-hand.

---

As the two exited the palace and leisurely strolled through Alcamoth's second floor, Shulk glanced up at the sky and admired the soft gleaming of the moon just past the dome that encompassed them.

"Such a beautiful night." He said.

"And a much calmer one at that, compared to how it was here earlier." Melia added.

"Yeah, definitely. Looks like there's still a few people here and there having small outdoor gatherings, but I'd much rather have it this way, to be honest." Shulk replied, pointing to some of the groups that they could see on the floor below them.

"I certainly don't mind the change of pace either." Melia commented with a warm smile, "We can finally have some peace of mind now that the wedding stressors are over with."

"As peaceful as it can really get for a royal family, that is." Shulk said, "Though we actually won't get to relax until tomorrow when everyone leaves."

"I know, but my point still stands, Shulk." Melia replied, "And besides, our status doesn't exactly bar us from having a personal life. In fact, ever since you moved here, some of my most cherished moments have been when we could finally take a break from everything and just be ourselves. And regardless how long or short those hiatuses were, they would always be the highlight of my day and something I would look forward to doing again."

"That's honestly really sweet to hear you say, Melia." Shulk mused as a dumb smile showed on his face.

"And I meant every word of it, Shulk." Melia said, "Regardless of our roles here in Alcamoth, we should still be entitled to have a part of our lives that's outside of the public's eye."

"You sound pretty adamant on that too." Shulk commented, his eyebrow rising slightly, "You must really want that, huh?"

"I do, Shulk." Melia softly admitted, "Before I met you, I merely adhered to what I was told and saw the rare moments I could be alone as just pointless downtime between a rigorous and often repetitive schedule. But now that I have someone close to me that I can share that time with… my outlook has completely changed. It doesn't matter what we do in that time, I'm more than content to simply be with you, and now that we're spending it as husband and wife, I…"

"You… what?" Shulk pressed, "Come on, you can say it."

"I, um…" Melia hesitated again, turning bright red, "I might be getting ahead of myself, but at times when we're together I'll start dwelling on the future."

"And what about it, Angel?" Shulk asked, "Like, what do you think about? Give me some examples."

"Well, things like where we'll be or how much more we'll have grown from each other, and… what the next step in our lives might be." Melia answered.

"Next step…?" Shulk wondered, but just as the thought entered his mind, a bright flicker of light appeared and briefly obscured his sight, getting a surreal feeling that he was being pulled away from where he was.

"A… A vision?" He thought, the familiarity of something he hadn't experienced in years coming back to him. His sight gradually began to clear and he found himself sitting alone on a couch, recognizing the layout of the room as he looked around.

"…Why am I back at our Villa?" Shulk said to himself, realizing he was in the living room, "Am I the only one here…?"

Even Shulk's movements felt bizarre as he pressed his hands down on the couch cushions and propelled himself up, almost as if he were trying to walk in a dream. He slowly made his way into the kitchen and found Melia sitting at the dining table, her back turned as she didn't hear him coming in.

"Melia…?" Shulk called to her.

Melia looked over her shoulder, a warm expression on her face while she put a finger up to her lips.

"Shh." She whispered back, "Come here, Shulk, but keep your voice down."

"O-oh… alright." Shulk quietly said, paying close attention to the sound of his footsteps as he walked over. He stood over the back of her chair, nearly stomping his foot as he recoiled back from the sight of what appeared to be a baby in her arms and wrapped in a pink blanket.

"I-is that…" Shulk gawked as he started turning pale, unable to see into the open hole in the blanket and get a glimpse at the baby's face.

"Shulk!" Melia growled in a hushed tone, "I told you to keep it down!"

"A-… A-ah, right. I'm sorry, Angel." Shulk nearly choked on his own words, trying to keep himself composed and let the rest of the vision play out.

"…I suppose it's fine since she didn't wake up." Melia was strangely quick to let him off the hook, looking down and rocking the baby in her arms, "I know I should let her sleep in her crib, but I simply couldn't resist."

"So, it's definitely a girl…" Was all Shulk could focus on, his full attention on the baby as he tried leaning over Melia's chair again to get a look inside the opening of that blanket.

"And I guess that makes two of us, hm?" Melia asked as she caught him peeking over her shoulder, "Did you want a chance to hold her too before I lay her back in her crib, Shulk?"

"Um… Yeah, sure." Shulk hesitantly agreed and carefully took the baby from Melia, but before he could get a clear view of the baby's face, his sight was once again blinded as another flicker of light came from the opening in the blanket.

"Damnit, why now?!" Shulk thought as he felt himself being thrusted out of the vision. His sight would soon clear and he glanced around to refamiliarize himself with his surroundings, finding himself back in Alcamoth with Melia and walking down the same street.

"We didn't even walk that far from where it happened…" He thought, "Such a strange vision… I could actually interact with everything in it, and that image of Melia would even answer me when I talked to her…"

"Did anything I say make sense to you, Shulk?" Melia asked, "You've been quiet for a few moments… It's your turn to say something now."

"Moments? That's all that passed…?" Shulk pondered, and though he'd wanted to keep speculating on what he just saw, he knew it would be best to leave it for another time and looked over at Melia, "You know… I think it did, Melia."

"Really?" Melia happily cooed, "You're not just agreeing with me for the sake of it, are you?"

"No, I honestly meant that, Angel." Shulk said again, stopping their walk for a moment as he hugged her, "I… I think I get it."

"You think?" Melia repeated but still hugged him back, "Well, I suppose I'm to blame for that since I was rather vague. Perhaps… we can discuss that matter more thoroughly later? If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course, Melia." Shulk said warmly, "We can save it for after things calm down here a little."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Melia said and pulled out the captain's note, "The commercial district is just up ahead, and the captain said this would guide us the rest of the way."

"Alright, lead on then." Shulk said.

---

Turn after turn through the bustling, brightly lit streets, the two would finally reach their destination deeper in the district, both of them slightly puzzled as they stood out front of what looked to be a nightclub, with spotlights near the entrance and music blaring loud enough for them to hear from outside the walls.

"Uh… are you sure this is it, Melia?" Shulk questioned.

"I'm almost positive…" Melia replied and checked the note again, "If I'm reading this correctly, this should be the place."

"Well, if Reyn was the one that planned this, I guess it'd make sense." Shulk muttered, "It does sound like something he'd do."

"But would Reyn be capable of organizing a stunt like this in the short time he's been here?" Melia doubtfully asked.

"Well, you do have a point…" Shulk replied, spotting a burly Homs guarding the entrance, "Maybe we should try asking that guy over there?"

"I suppose we don't have many other options…" Melia reluctantly agreed, both of them staying cautious as they approached.

"Hey, um, excuse us?" Shulk called, showing him the note, "Can you tell us if we're in the right spot?"

"I can almost guarantee you are." The burly guard spoke, humoring them as he checked the note, "Yep, this is the place, and you two have actually been expected. You can head on in."

"Hm… Alright then." Shulk muttered to himself, somewhat easing his stance.

"If you don't mind me asking, who exactly was expecting us?" Melia inquired.

"Well, it was actually a mixed bag of people: mostly Homs, but there was a Nopon and two High Entians with them." The guard answered.

"Two of them?" Melia questioned and looked over at Shulk, "Perhaps one of them was the captain, then?"

"He did have a uniform and some flashy badges… silver haired too, if that helps anything." The guard spoke up, "Him and some other buff-looking Homs told me to keep an eye out for when you two arrived."

"That might also be Reyn…" Melia concluded, "Okay, we apologize for taking up your time. We'll be going inside now."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I had anything going on out here anyways." The guard chuckled, pointing to the fact that nobody else was around, "Enjoy yourselves in there."

"Thanks." Shulk said and followed Melia inside, "Well, that certainly cleared things up…"

"Indeed. It's still somewhat hard to believe though…" Melia added, the music getting louder as they walked further in, "Say, Shulk… Have you ever been to one of these places before?"

"No, I haven't." Shulk answered, seeing the slightly nervous look on Melia's face, "It'll be an experience for me too, don't worry."

"Experience is definitely a fitting word for it…" Melia said, "So… Shall we?"

"Well, I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be." Shulk replied and opened one last set of doors, immediately being bombarded by the music and vibrant lights swinging from the ceiling rails.

"My word…" Melia gasped. Even though the venue looked surprisingly big, it didn't seem to matter with how many people were there partying the night away either on the dance floor or mingling with others at the bar on the right-side wall, along with hostesses bringing rounds of drinks to the tables and private booths arranged nearby.

"Hey, everyone, they're here!" A man in the crowd shouted. Little by little, everyone else in the room would look over until all eyes were on Shulk and Melia, greeting the two with thunderous cheers and raised glasses.

"U-um…" Melia whispered to Shulk, both of them nervously waving back to everyone, "I'm feeling rather out of my element here, Shulk."

"And you think I'm not either?" Shulk quietly agreed.

"Yo, make way, will ya? Best friends of the royals comin' through!" A familiar voice declared and shoved a path through the crowds, quickly shown to be Reyn with the others in tow, "Hey, ya guys finally made it!"

"That we did…" Shulk said, still trying to get over the shock.

"What, you don't like the setup?" Reyn jokingly asked and crossed his arms, "Or are ya just not a fan of that rockstar mentality? I figured you'd be used to it by now with all the years ya spent here."

"Uh, that's something completely different, Reyn. And I don't know what you think it's like, but I don't get standing ovations or anything like you've seen today just because I'm Melia's consort." Shulk replied and took another quick look around, "Speaking of which, this is certainly not something we were expecting either."

"Yes, you all did keep the details rather vague—and I can see why." Melia added.

"We just wanted it to be a surprise for you two, that's all! I mean, we should all have a chance to blow off some steam and have a little fun now that everything's said and done!" Sharla said, eyeing Shulk and Melia's outfits, "And you're both dressed well enough for the little info we could give you. I'm really liking how you went from all white to now all black, Melia!"

"Oh, thank you." Melia said, noticing that Sharla, Denise, and Fiora were wearing short dresses that hugged their bodies and showed a flirtatious amount of skin, "Yours are all, erm, rather alluring as well."

"Oh, stop, you're going to make us blush~" Denise teased and went up to Melia, taking both hands, "Enough with the pleasantries though! Come on, we already have a booth reserved and we can keep talking there!"

"It's not like you're giving me much of an option." Melia said, a faint smile showing on her lips, "Very well. Lead the way."

"Mm-hm! Follow me!" Denise declared, pulling Melia along as she guided the group towards a secluded booth that was sectioned off by red ropes, "Aaand, ta-da~!"

"Yep, back to where we were literally a couple minutes ago." Reyn commented.

"No need for the snide remarks, Reyn." Fiora chided him.

"Relax, I was only jokin'." Reyn replied, looking to Shulk and Melia after he moved the rope, "We were all just sittin' and chatting for a bit while we were waitin' for you two. Go on—hop in and make yourselves comfortable."

"A hostess should be here soon too if you guys wanted a drink." Sharla offered as they all sat down.

"Well, about that…" Melia started, "Shulk and I both agreed that we wouldn't have anything alcoholic during the festivities."

"What?!" Reyn whined, "Aw, come on! You're not gonna have even one drink?"

"We don't exactly need it to have fun, Reyn." Shulk stood firm, "Melia and I had that same idea."

"Yeah, Reyn, so quit trying to peer pressure them!" Denise playfully jumped in.

"Oh, like you can talk. You and Sharla were gigglin' away and daring each other to take shots earlier, remember?" Reyn argued.

"That's different!" Denise rebutted.

"Yeah? How so?" Reyn pressed.

"Well, for one, I know Sharla actually drinks. And two, I was challenging her, not pressuring her." Denise said, showing a more competitive side as she turned to Sharla, "And I'm still waiting for an answer, you know."

"Our hostess is right there if you really want to do this." Sharla shot back and pointed to a brunette Homs in a black cocktail dress a short distance away, "May as well see if the lovebirds want anything while we're at it."

Seeing Sharla's hand raise into the air, the hostess quickly came over and smiled as she saw two new faces in their group.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua!" The hostess said and extended her hand, "I'm Courtney, and I'll be taking care of you."

"Thank you, and the pleasure is ours." Melia said, both her and Shulk taking the chance to introduce themselves and shake Courtney's hand.

"Were you two ready to order, or did you need a few minutes?" Courtney asked.

"Eh, they're bein' sticks in the mud and don't wanna drink." Reyn spoke up.

"That's perfectly fine. All of our non-alcoholic drinks are free for you guys since you have those white bands, and we can always make virgin drinks of what we have listed on our menu." Courtney said.

"Oh, really? Hm… I'll just have a Shirley Temple then." Shulk said.

"I've never heard of that before. What exactly is it, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Wait, seriously?" Shulk gawked.

"It's just grenadine mixed with lime soda or ginger ale, Melia." Fiora stepped in, "It comes out bright red and tastes like a cherry soda. Dunban used to make them for me, Shulk, and Reyn whenever his buddies would come over and drink."

"Ah, good times back then…" Reyn chuckled and crossed his arms, "Back when we thought we were all fancy cuz we got to drink with the grown-ups."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Sharla laughed, "If only I knew you guys back then. I could imagine Reyn being the one to pretend he was drunk."

"Funnily enough, he was. He'd get so excited for the holidays too because I'd buy sparkling juice for them and say it's champagne." Dunban commented, laughing along as he shook his head, "And sometimes I'd wonder where I went wrong with you three… Reyn was practically a drunk in the making."

"Oh, shut it. I ain't a drunk and you know it!" Reyn jokingly defended himself and waved his hand, "Just give em both a Shirley Temple."

"Are you alright with that, Mrs. Antiqua?" Courtney asked, "If you'd like another recommendation, I'd suggest an Orange-Lime Relaxer. As the name says, it's orange and lime juice with a bit of lemon soda."

"I'll try that, please." Melia said, "And could I also have the Shirley Temple as well? I'd like to sample them both."

"You sure can." Courtney replied, looking to the others around the table, "Did anyone else want to place an order before I leave?"

"Oh, yes, I did!" Denise spoke up, "Could we get a Roulette Wheel, please?"

"A what?" Shulk asked.

"It's a bunch of red and black shot glasses on this cute little Roulette Wheel!" Denise explained.

"You're gonna stare somethin' down with sixteen shots on it and say that's cute?" Reyn asked, "Even if it's got that lil' gimmick to it, that thing's a friggin' monster."

"We don't have to actually play it, but it would be a good way to keep count for mine and Sharla's little competition! Plus, it's cheaper than just buying the shots outright!" Denise said and looked to Sharla, "Were you still up for it?"

"I mean, I'm not opposed, but that's still eight shots a piece." Sharla replied.

"Riki will help!" Riki bounced in his seat.

"Ooh, that's a good idea, Riki! We can make it a team thing!" Denise cheered, "Two people on each team, and that should make it a much more manageable four shots each!"

"And now that pegs the question on whom will be your partner, Denise." Melia played along.

"I would say Dunban if it weren't for his past, so…" Denise said and stared at the person opposite to her, "How about this, Reyn: you and Sharla will be a team, then Riki and I will be the other?"

"Heh, bring it on!" Reyn grinned.

"Did any of you have a preference in what you wanted these shot glasses filled with?" Courtney interjected.

"Surprise us!" Denise said, mentally preparing herself.

"You got it." Courtney replied, "Okay, I'll be back shortly with all of your drinks."

"Well, this should be fun." Shulk said sarcastically.

"Maybe for you and Melia." Dunban pessimistically added, "I'm not drinking much either, but somebody will have to keep an eye on these people… and I feel like it's going to be me."

"How generous of you." Denise jokingly commented.

"Yeah, way to step up there, Mr. Hero of the Homs." Sharla joined in on the teasing.

After a few more minutes of playful banter, Courtney soon returned with a tray of drinks while a second hostess helped to carry the Roulette Wheel.

"Okay, so here are the non-alcoholic drinks first." Courtney said, placing down two Shirley Temples in regular glasses while Melia's Relaxer was served in a tall highball glass with a lime wedge on the rim.

"Ooh, that one's pretty!" Fiora commented, eyeing Melia's bright colored Relaxer, "It looks like the kind of things I'd picture you drinking if they were alcoholic, Melia."

"Yeah, that vibrant 'n flashy stuff jives pretty well with her." Reyn added, "But she makes damn-near anything look high class to begin with."

"There's no need to exaggerate that much." Melia modestly replied and took a sip, looking pleasantly surprised, "Hm…"

"How is it, Angel?" Shulk asked.

"It's quite good, actually." Melia replied and inched the glass closer to him, "Would you care to try?"

"Since when were you okay sharing food or drinks?" Shulk questioned, "I thought it grossed you out?"

"I'm only making an exception this one time." Melia said, "Do you want to try it or not?"

"Alright, alright." Shulk gave in and took the glass, sipping from the other side of it and smacking his lips, "Mm! You're right, that is pretty good!"

"I'm glad you two like it!" Courtney said and had her helper lower the Roulette Wheel onto the table, "And here is the remainder of your order. Fair warning for anyone who'll be participating, the drinks in each shot are random as was requested, but there are also two red and two black shot glasses with a clear stripe on them, and those are stronger than the others on this wheel."

"Making it a little interesting for them, eh?" Dunban commented.

"We were told to surprise them, after all." Courtney replied, "Can I get you guys anything else? And would anyone like to know what shots are on the wheel?"

"I think we're good." Denise answered, "And don't tell us; I like having the little mystery to it!"

"Sure thing." Courtney said, "Well, I'll be back in a bit to check up on you all. Enjoy!"

"Alright, so…" Denise said and looked to Sharla, "Which color did you want?"

"Hm… I'll go with red." Sharla answered.

"Okay! Since we're all sitting next to our teammates, let's set it up this way…" Denise muttered to herself and started rearranging the shots, "And… there! All the reds are on the half of the wheel closest to you and Reyn, while Riki and I have the black shots on this half. We all get a striped shot glass as well, so I put those at the quarter points of the wheel to mark off our own individual sections."

"A little too tidy for drinking game, yes?" Riki commented, "Do we go around the wheel same way too?"

"Hm? Oh, no, you don't have to do all that; you can start with whichever one you want." Denise said, smirking at her competitors on the other side of the table, "Speaking of which, pick your poison and let's get started!"

"I think I'll go with… this one." Sharla said and picked up one of the red shot glasses, noticing the liquor inside was dark colored and had a rather sweet aroma as she brought it closer.

"May as well start out strong, yeah?" Reyn asked as he went for the striped shot glass first, a clear liquor inside with a strong scent to it.

"Hmph. Reyn always have to act like macho man." Riki said as he reached for his own shot, "Riki has a good feeling about this brown looking one, so will start with that!"

"Least I don't sound like one a' those superstitious freaks when I pick my drinks." Reyn shot back.

"Now now, you two. Keep it civil, or at the very least settle it through our little competition." Denise jokingly said and grabbed a shot glass, raising it in the center of their group, "We all ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." Sharla sarcastically answered as the others raised their glasses too, clinking them together, "Cheers, guys!"

"Yep! Down the hatch!" Reyn said as they all took a drink, his face quickly puckering as he set his empty shot glass down, "Blech! They weren't kidding when they said it'd be strong! God, it's like drinking fuel…!"

"Hah! Not such a macho man now, eh? Let the Heropon show you how it's done!" Riki taunted and reached for his second shot, easily slamming it down and opening his mouth as he emphatically exhaled, "Ah… Ack! So bitter…!"

"You were sayin'?" Reyn sneered.

"Sheesh. You two and your stupid games…" Sharla sighed, grabbing another shot glass, "If you aren't killing each other, you're killing yourselves trying to one up each other…"

"Yeah, but it just wouldn't be the same if they weren't, right?" Denise commented before finishing her second drink.

"Honestly, I have to agree." Melia joined in, "As much as your petty feuds can annoy us, we would never want it to change."

"Whaddya think we are, your entertainers?" Reyn protested.

"Well, you do make it seem that way sometimes." Dunban spoke up, "It's never a dull day with you two… or a quiet one, for that matter."

"Oh, well excuse us, your majesty." Reyn sarcastically jabbed back and grabbed another shot glass, "Bah, I already feel like I need another one a' these because of you guys."

"Hey, don't go blaming us for your drinking habits." Sharla replied and slammed another shot.

"Damnit, how many times do I have to say this? I'm not a drunk!" Reyn frustratedly argued.

"Yeah, yeah, we know. We were only teasing." Sharla mused and leaned into him, "For as big of a guy as you are, Reyn, you can still be a bit of a baby sometimes."

"Oh, lay off, will ya? And don't give me that shit that you 'were' teasing if you're just gonna keep doing it!" Reyn complained, "Tch. Best believe I'll remember this when you're feelin' hammered and try askin' me for anything."

"Um, genius, did you forget that you're drinking too?" Sharla replied.

"Yeah, so who's to say it won't be you that needs to rely on Sharla?" Denise joined in, "You might want to start being nice to her just in case that happens, Reyn."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Reyn dismissively crossed his arms and glanced at the wheel, seeing only one more filled shot glass in everyone's section, "Speakin' of which, looks like we're down to our last ones."

"If you wanted to start strong, may as well end it that way too, right?" Denise suggested and grabbed her shot glass, holding it out for one final toast.

"A rather poetic way of saying 'If I'm going down, I'm taking you all with me'." Dunban commented.

"Oh, hush. You're ruining the moment I was trying to make." Denise said and looked to her accomplices, "We'll slam these last ones down at the same time, just like we did with the first round. You guys in?"

"I'm starting to think Dunban was right on what he said…" Sharla teased and held her shot glass aloft, "But fine. We're in this mess together, right?"

"And Riki wouldn't want it any other way!" Riki said rather excitedly and joined in the toast.

"Heh, already startin' to feel it, fuzzball?" Reyn asked, being the only one who's glass didn't have the stripe as he lifted it up, "Well, it's about to get even worse for ya since you three saved your strongest drinks for last."

"Reyn still doubting the Heropon?" Riki asked, his glass slightly swaying as he let out a loud belch, "Riki can handle it!"

"If you say so, man. At least I warned ya." Reyn said as they all clinked their glasses together, "Welp, bottoms up, fuzzball."

"Hehe, Riki will show you! Watch how a Heropon does it!" Riki declared, closing his eyes as he tilted forward. In one fell swoop, Riki flung his head back and quickly downed the shot, his eyes flying wide open as it left a strong, burning feeling in his throat.

"How ya feelin' there, big man?" Reyn snidely asked, grinning at the expression Riki was making.

"Ah… F-fine… Riki is fine…" Riki tried to play it off, desperately trying not to gag.

Denise couldn't help but laugh, "Ah, stuff like this is why I get so happy whenever you guys come to visit."

"Because it's basically like the circus coming to town?" Dunban asked.

"No, no, not just because of that." Denise gently shook her head then smiled at everyone, "I mean, this might sound weird coming from me since I'm the latest addition to the group, but still, I'm really happy to even say that I'm part of it. Even when you're ragging on each other or downright arguing like Reyn and Riki usually do, I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, well… I love being around you guys, and I'm really glad to have met all of you."

"Ah great, she's one a' those people who get all in their feelings when she drinks." Reyn teased, a dumb smile showing on his face in turn as he snickered.

"Riki pretty sure Denise is always like that, even when not drinking." Riki joined in on the hazing, failing to hide his smile as well.

"Oh, come on, guys. She goes and spills her guts like that, and this is how you treat her?" Sharla asked before turning to Denise, "That was really sweet of you to say, Denise. Don't let those two get to you."

"Oh, they're fine, Sharla. I know that's just their way." Denise modestly replied.

"Yeah, you should know what you signed up for by now with this lot." Dunban commented.

"That's harsh, old man. Now you're goin' and hurtin' my feelings." Reyn said sarcastically.

"Aw, does Reyn want a hug?" Riki played along, his arms stretched as he leaned closer.

"Yeah, no. Get the hell away from me." Reyn shot him down, being saved from Riki's affection as the music momentarily stopped and began playing a new song.

"Wait a minute… Oh my god, I haven't heard this song since I was a kid!" Sharla exclaimed and sprung out of her seat, tugging at Reyn's arm, "Come on, Reyn, stop messing around with your boyfriend and let's go dance!"

"What is that supposed to mean? You know damn well the furball ain't—" Reyn suddenly stopped, realizing this was his chance to get away from Riki, "On second thought… yeah, you're right! Let's get out there!"

"Hey, Riki had him first! Don't be stealing Reyn from Riki!" Riki jokingly pouted.

"Sorry, fuzzball, but you heard her." Reyn said and wrapped an arm around Sharla, lowering his voice so only she could hear as he hurried away with her to the dance floor, "Thank God. I owe ya one, Sharla."

"I wasn't exactly doing it to help you, but you're welcome." Sharla replied, letting go of Reyn and turning to face him, "Enough about that for now though; let's just have some fun!"

"Heh, sounds good to me." Reyn said, smirking back at his partner as they danced.

Meanwhile, back at the booth, Denise caught a glimpse of Riki staring towards the dance floor and couldn't resist teasing him.

"Aw, are you actually upset that your man's gone, Riki?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Eh, not really." Riki quickly brushed it off and started jumping in his seat, "Riki not need anyone else to have good time! Riki is going out there too!"

"What, you mean to go dance?" Denise asked and showed him a soft smile, "Then go get em, little guy."

"Riki will!" Riki said and enthusiastically bounced out of his seat, disappearing into the crowd within seconds after he made his way to the dance floor.

"Are you sure that was a good idea, Denise? You know how Riki or Reyn can be when you encourage their stupidity." Dunban advised.

"Oh, don't be such a grouch. Riki should be just fine." Denise replied.

"If you say so." Dunban said, the slightest hint of a grin starting to show on the corner of his lips, "Maybe we should get out there too—you know, just to keep an eye on him."

"That might be best." Denise agreed, her look not as subtle, "Though we should be sure to keep our distance."

"Of course, of course." Dunban concurred and stood up, looking to Shulk, Melia, and Fiora, "Well, we'll see you three in a bit."

"Or you could always get up and dance too, you know." Denise added.

"We might, but don't let us hold you up." Fiora answered.

"Alright, if you say so." Denise said before she and Dunban left to go dance.

"Very suave of them." Melia commented after they left.

"Hah, seriously. Dunban's never been much of a smooth talker, and subtlety doesn't really jive with Denise's bubbly personality." Fiora agreed, "Speaking of which, if you guys are still here because you're worried about me, then there's no need for that. If you wanna go dance with everyone else, then go right ahead."

"I guess that blunt attitude is just something that runs in the family, huh?" Shulk replied lightly, "Are you sure you're okay with that though, Fiora?"

"Mm-hm. I was actually planning to go dance anyways." Fiora said and stood up, "Just like what Riki said: I don't need anyone else to have a good time either! Whether you guys come or not, I'm gonna be out there dancing and having fun all on my own!" She added and shot them a grin before strutting off into the crowds.

"Her strength and tenacity really are admirable; don't you think, Shulk?" Melia asked, staring blankly in the direction Fiora went, "Even though it pained her, she still came here for the sake of everyone else's happiness, and even now she refuses to let her inner turmoil weigh her down… It's inspiring, beautiful even."

"I couldn't have said it any better, Angel." Shulk replied. He threw an arm over Melia's shoulder and lamented over everything that happened, his train of thought breaking after he noticed Melia's foot tapping in rhythm with the song and aimlessly looking at the number of people enjoying themselves on the dance floor.

"Did you… want to go and dance, Melia?" Shulk offered.

"Hm? O-oh, erm… I'm fine, Shulk." Melia declined.

"Huh, that's an interesting shift. You were pretty excited for it earlier at the banquet hall." Shulk said, noticing her strange hesitance.

"Well, how do I put this… Ballroom dancing is rather different and something I'm more accustomed to than this." Melia tried to explain.

"Ohh, okay, I get'cha now. Well, if it makes you feel any better, this song does have a choreographed dance to it." Shulk said and pointed to the crowds, showing that most of them were following the same steps while a small handful were doing their own thing.

"Actually, I didn't know that." Melia said sheepishly.

"It's up to you, Melia. Whether you want to go dance or stay here, I'll be right beside you." Shulk said.

"Erm…" Melia mulled it over, letting out a sigh, "Alright, Shulk, but I'll have to follow your lead."

"That's alright. I can show you how." Shulk said and stood up, taking Melia by the hand as they walked onto the dance floor, "Don't stress too much about getting the moves down right away, okay? Nobody is going to care about a slip up, let alone notice it to begin with."

"Very reassuring, Shulk." Melia commented.

"I'm just saying that even if it might feel like it, nobody is actually watching, Melia." Shulk stated again and showed a small, joking grin, "Besides, even if they were, they'd probably just be looking and laughing at me because I dance like I have two left feet."

"Again, very reassuring, Shulk." Melia repeated.

"Oh, cut me some slack. You know what I'm trying to say." Shulk bickered before guiding her through the steps, "At least it won't feel as bad if we're both making fools of ourselves, right?"

"Okay, now you're intentionally not being helpful." Melia replied but still tried to mimic his movements.

"There you go—now you're getting it!" Shulk said encouragingly and smiled at her, "Just relax and keep what I said in mind, alright?"

Melia simply nodded, but as her eye would occasionally wander, she could see that Shulk was indeed telling the truth, noticing that everyone else was either locking eyes with their partner or were more occupied with the group of friends they were with. It also helped to see that no matter how skilled everyone else was around her, whether it was people so sloppy drunk that they could barely stay coordinated or others that made it a treat to watch them perform, everyone was still just having fun and partying the night away.

"He was right…" Melia wondered, starting to relax and let herself be taken by the rhythm. She began to weave her own moves into the dance, even including her elementals to make it truly unique and add a little personal flair.

After a short while and feeling she needed to catch her breath, Melia snapped her fingers and let her elementals disperse, finally realizing that Shulk was gawking at her as their gaze met.

"W-wow…" Shulk exhaled, the shock beginning to wear off and holding her close as they swayed in each other's arms, "Not bad for someone who claims they only know how to ballroom dance."

"You just know how to bring out these other sides of me." Melia said, breaking away from him as she spotted the other girls coming over.

"We saw that whole thing, Melia!" Sharla said, looking just as stunned as Shulk did.

"Yeah, it was really impressive!" Fiora added, "How come you never told us you could dance like that?"

"Well, the thing is… I didn't exactly know that either." Melia answered.

"Just realized you naturally could, huh? Well, we were hoping to see a bit more of it!" Denise said and looked to Shulk, "Do you mind if we borrow her?"

"I keep telling you guys I'm not Melia's keeper, and that hasn't changed just because we're married now." Shulk replied, "You don't need my permission, just ask her yourselves."

"Alright, sassy." Denise said and turned to Melia, "Sooo… how about it, Melia?"

"Well, I suppose if Shulk won't be bothered by my absence." Melia said.

"That sounds close enough to a yes for me!" Denise said and reached for Melia's arm, "Come on, Happy Feet, you're coming with us!"

"What kind of nickname is that?!" Melia asked, though she didn't get an answer and quickly looked over her shoulder as she was dragged into the crowds, "I-I guess I'll see you soon, Shulk!"

"A-alright! I'll be waiting back at the booth, Angel!" Shulk called back just before she left his sight.

"Oh no, ya don't!" A familiar voice shouted as it came up behind Shulk.

Before Shulk could even check to see who it was, he felt something soft bounce onto his head while a pair of hands dropped onto either side of his shoulders, finding Riki perched above him while Dunban and Reyn appeared from his left and right flank respectively.

"If ladies getting together to go dance, then boys are too!" Riki declared.

"Yeah, what the furball said!" Reyn added, "Let's get a move on, Shulk! It's gonna be just us guys for a bit!"

"Alright, alright, just quit yanking me!" Shulk replied, willingly going with them and grouping around a spot on the dance floor.

"Atta boy!" Reyn cheered, essentially becoming the hype man for the group and getting them started, "Alright, let's get it!"

The other boys simply made light of Reyn's enthusiasm, humoring him as they danced into the late hours of the night.

Inevitably, the lively atmosphere began to wane as some partygoers had already left while the ones that stayed were losing steam and noticeably looked tired, the music still playing though it didn't carry the same amount of energy that it did prior. Reyn could sense it too and looked down at his watch, gawking at the time it showed.

"Wait… two in the morning?!" He asked himself in disbelief. He tried glancing around but suddenly remembered that there weren't any clocks or windows to peer outside, though the looks on the other guys' faces were more than enough to confirm that his watch wasn't wrong, "You guys look like you're about to keel over any minute now. Whaddya say we find the girls and get outta here?"

The others nodded and let Reyn take the lead as they searched across the room, eventually finding the girls back at the booth.

"Well, there you all are." Sharla said listlessly, slouching with her arms rested on the table.

"Um, I feel like we should be the ones sayin' that." Reyn replied, staying standing while the other boys sat down, "You lot are lookin' pretty tired too, huh?"

"Somewhat. I mean, we were all out there for a while." Sharla pointed out.

"Well, if ya guys wanted, we could just call it quits 'n turn in for the night. Or if you're feelin' up for it, we could head somewhere else and chill for a bit longer." Reyn suggested.

"And where exactly would that be?" Sharla asked.

"I got a spot in mind—somewhere quiet and with a nice view where we can just kick back an' unwind for a bit before we go back to our rooms." Reyn vaguely replied, "What do you guys say?"

"Hm…" Sharla paused and looked to the others, "Is everyone alright with that?"

"Sure. I mean, I'm tired, but not enough to say no." Denise said, followed by everyone else nodding.

"Okay, Reyn, we'll humor you." Melia agreed.

"Well, alright then!" Reyn said and pointed behind him, "Lemme just hit up the bar real quick before we leave first."

"You're still going to keep drinking?" Sharla questioned.

"I was just gonna grab a few beers for anyone that wanted to keep a little buzz going and a few other things." Reyn answered, "You'll see when I get back. I wanna head over there before they start doin' last calls and get ready to shut this place down for the night." He added before rushing off.

"Yeesh, still as one-track minded as ever." Dunban commented after Reyn was gone, "You'd think he would've grown out of that by now."

"Nope, he's still the same stubborn lug that we all know and love." Sharla sarcastically agreed, "I swear, there's some days where I feel like I'm engaged to a caveman."

"It's actually kind of wholesome how you two bicker and talk about each other." Denise chuckled, "You're not even officially married yet, and you're already acting like an old married couple."

"Yeah, I suppose…" Sharla played along, her sights shifting to Shulk and Melia, "I can't wait to see what it's like when you two start acting like that as well."

"You mean like having constant squabbles over petty things?" Melia asked and leaned into Shulk's shoulder, "I'm not sure I could picture that happening. We rarely argue as it is, right Shulk?"

"Yes, dear." Shulk jokingly groaned, "And I know how Melia can get when she's mad or upset, so I try to be careful on what I do or say."

"Damn, Melia, you've got Shulk trained pretty well." Sharla commented with a smirk, "Care to show me how you do it?"

"I can, though it might take you longer, given Reyn's temperament." Melia replied.

"What do you think we are, dogs?" Shulk interjected.

"Hush. Us girls are talking." Melia said, patronizingly patting Shulk's head.

"Oh, bite me." Shulk shot back, pushing Melia's hand away.

"You're not exactly helping with the dog analogy, you know." Dunban pointed out.

"Lay off, will you? You guys know what I'm trying to say!" Shulk protested.

"Down, boy. It's okay, we know what you mean." Sharla said, though hers and the others' laughter was cut short as they spotted a small group of guards coming in, with the one leading them carrying a megaphone.

"Ahem." The head guard said as he brought the megaphone to his mouth, "Attention everyone, this establishment will be closing in the next twenty minutes. We ask that you all gather your things and disperse by then, and for those of you at the bar, this is also your last call for drinks!"

"Well, look at that, Reyn was right to go to bar early." Riki commented.

"Speaking of which…" Denise added as she stared off into the distance.

Everyone else followed Denise's gaze and saw Reyn finally coming back to their booth, a metal bucket in his left hand filled to the brim with ice and both plastic and glass bottles.

"Phew, I got all our drinks right as everyone else started showin' up." Reyn said and lowered the bucket onto the table.

"What is all of this?" Sharla asked, trying to inspect the bottles that were poking out of the ice, "It's a little much for just a small buzz, don't you think?"

"Actually, not all of it is booze. There're some water bottles in there too for everyone, and he gave me these funny lookin' things too…" Reyn replied, reaching into the bucket and pulling out what looked like a medicine bottle with a pink liquid inside, "These right here. He said it's some kinda drink that keeps ya from getting hangovers."

"I don't know if I'd believe that…" Sharla said hesitantly.

"Eh, me neither, but it's hard to beat somethin' that was free." Reyn said, his hand over the cap of the medicine bottle as he glanced over at Denise, "Yo, Denise, these things ain't shady, are they?"

"No, they're an actual product here in Alcamoth. I've never had one of them before though, so I can't exactly say if they work or not." Denise answered.

"Eh, guess I'll be the guinea pig then." Reyn concluded as he cracked the seal on the bottle, "I mean, they wouldn't be sellin' these things in bars if they didn't work, yeah?"

"That's not much of a guarantee though, Reyn. I mean, some stores in Colony 9 sold things that were placebos at best." Shulk pointed out, curiously staring at the bottle, "Are you supposed to just chug the whole thing?"

"That's what it says. Welp, down the hatch." Reyn said and slammed the whole bottle, smacking his lips as he finished it, "Huh…"

"What? Taste funny or something?" Sharla asked.

"I mean, it's a little chalky, but it ain't half bad. Pretty sure it was strawberry-banana flavored too." Reyn said, "I ain't expectin' it to kick in right away though, so I guess we just wait 'n see, yeah?"

"Just try not to die on us, alright?" Dunban teased, "By the way, you heard the announcement while you were at the bar, right? They're going to be closing down soon."

"Yeah, I know." Reyn said and grabbed the bucket handle, "I'm ready to go now if ya'll are."

"Very well. Lead the way, Reyn." Melia said.

With a fresh supply of drinks and the others behind him, Reyn had them follow him outside and up to the higher areas of Alcamoth, guiding them into the palace and through a transporter in the south wing of the great hall.

"Alright, this should be it!" Reyn declared as they came across a set of large white doors. He used his free arm to push one of them open and led everyone inside, taking them into a glass-walled cradle suspended high above the city, "Eh? Eh? Whaddya think?"

"…You're aware this is the Whitewing Palace, right?" Sharla asked, recognizing the layout and the long table positioned in the center of the room.

"Yeah, nothing says 'make yourselves at home' quite like a prison." Dunban added.

"Um, how do you guys know about this place?" Denise questioned.

"What, you never told her, Dunban?" Reyn asked, trying hard not to snicker as he turned to Denise, "Believe it or not, your uptight boyfriend there is actually a convicted felon."

"Wait, what?!" Denise gawked.

"Don't listen to him. He's just being an idiot like always." Dunban calmly said, "Excluding Fiora, we were all up here once. When we first visited Alcamoth, they didn't exactly trust us to roam freely since they saw Shulk had the Monado with him, and they arrested us too by association."

"Oh, I see." Denise said and looked back at Reyn, "Wouldn't that technically make you a felon too, Reyn?"

"Y'know me, I'm bad to the bone." Reyn boasted.

"Oh, stop it. If anything, that would make Shulk the hardened criminal here. He's the one they were after." Sharla pointed out.

"Ha! Yeah, right." Denise laughed, "I could've believed that if it were Reyn or Dunban, but Shulk? He can get moody at times, sure, but other than that he's like a little marshmallow!"

"Though I disagree, that's still an adorable description." Melia chuckled, "It really just depends on how Shulk feels towards a given situation."

"Alright, alright, enough tootin' the groom's horn." Reyn butted in and walked up to the table, setting his bucket down and placing one of the chairs close to the glass wall, "Come on, grab yourselves a seat."

"Fine, fine." Sharla said, taking a beer from the bucket and setting a chair next to Reyn, "All jokes aside, Reyn, this actually is a pretty calming spot… once you can look past the fact it's still a glorified prison."

"Now you're gettin' it!" Reyn said and dropped his arm over Sharla's shoulders, smirking as he reached down and snatched her beer, "And thanks for gettin' me this too!"

"Hey! That was mine!" Sharla pouted.

"Key word there: was yours." Reyn said and took a swig.

"Grr…" Sharla snarled and glared at Reyn.

"Here, Sharla." Denise said, grabbing a chair and bringing a new beer with her.

"Thank you." Sharla said, still fixated on Reyn as she removed the cap, "At least someone was nice enough to do that."

"Like you can talk! You 'n Dunban were bein' pretty damn mean about the spot I picked!" Reyn bickered, dangling the beer he stole, "Consider this an apology gift."

"Apology gift, my ass!" Sharla argued, "You were just too lazy to go and get one yourself!"

"Alright, you two, keep it civil." Denise jumped in, "Can I trust you two not to kill each other while everyone gets their chairs and drinks?"

"No promises." Reyn and Sharla both said at the same time, their eyes widening for a second before suddenly turning to each other and pointing, "Jinx! You owe me a drink!"

"…You two already have one though." Denise pointed out.

"Riki thinks we should leave Loveypons be." Riki said.

"Yeah, that's probably best." Denise agreed, grabbing a chair in each hand, "Here, little guy, I'll get yours and Dunban's."

"Denise always so nice!" Riki replied, "Riki appreciates it, but not going to sit down right away. Riki wants to stay on the railing and look down at city!"

"If you say so." Denise said, looking over at Dunban while she carried the chairs over, "Babe, can you bring me a drink? I'll have one of those hangover things that Reyn tried earlier."

"Yeah, sure." Dunban answered, holding Denise's drink in his left hand and two water bottles in the other for himself and Riki, "I'll be right there."

"We should grab ours too." Fiora said to Shulk and Melia, going ahead of them and taking both a chair and one of the hangover drinks with her.

"Here, Angel. I'll grab the chairs while you get the drinks." Shulk said, lifting two chairs, "I'll just have water."

"Okay, Boo." Melia replied, taking two water bottles from the bucket and following behind him.

"Friends really are missing out on view from there. It much better from the rails!" Riki told them, gazing at the brightly lit streets underneath them.

"Oh yeah?" Reyn asked, setting his drink aside and standing up, "Huh, you're actually right, furball. Yo, Shulk, come check this out!"

"Alright, hang on." Shulk said and got out of his seat.

"You too, Dunban." Denise insisted.

"Why me?" Dunban questioned.

"So that us girls can sit and chat for a bit." Denise answered, making a shooing gesture with her hand, "Go on, off with you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Dunban brushed it off as he got up and made himself a spot at the rails next to Reyn.

"Ha, look at you gettin' ordered around like that, old man." Reyn laughed, swinging his wrist as he imitated the sound of a whip cracking.

"It wasn't an order to begin with." Dunban said defensively, grinning as he nudged Reyn away, "Besides, I bet you have it worse with Sharla."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reyn argued, knowing it was all in good fun as he grinned and shoved Dunban back.

"Hehe, Reyn not fooling anyone. Riki saw it when he stayed at Reyn and Sharla's before wedding." Riki butted in, making those whipping sounds even louder, "Reyn know as well that Sharla's the one in charge!"

"Oh, that's what'cha think, huh?" Reyn taunted, "You're lucky this place is covered in glass, furball, or you'd be havin' plenty of time to rethink that before ya hit the concrete."

"Eh, Riki would probably be okay." Riki brushed off the threat, "Nopon are light and bouncy, so Riki wouldn't have to worry, unlike a certain caveman that Riki knows…"

"What was that?!" Reyn growled.

"Oh, sorry, Riki should speak in a way that caveman is familiar with." Riki replied, puffing out his belly and deepening his voice, "Unga Bunga, me Reyn. Me am—"

"Alright, that's enough, boys!" Sharla shouted.

"Yes, ma'am." Reyn, Riki, and Dunban all said at the same time.

Shulk chuckled at how quickly the other boys changed their tunes, "You were all saying?"

"Do you want to be next, Shulk?" Melia shouted.

"No, dear. Sorry, dear." Shulk groaned, hanging his head with the rest of the boys.

"I swear, regardless of their age, they still act like children sometimes." Melia said rhetorically and looked to Sharla, "I see why you're always referring to them as such."

"They never really grow up, do they? But hey, you're gonna have to put up with your hubby for centuries longer than we do." Sharla replied, falling silent and staring aimlessly as a more serious look showed on her face.

"…Is something wrong?" Melia asked.

"Oh, no, I was just thinking about Shulk's operation." Sharla answered, "Don't worry, it's nothing big. I was just curious about it from a medical standpoint, that's all."

"Well, alright, if you're sure." Melia said, not wanting to pry any further, "You could always inquire about it with M.S.I.T.'s personnel the next time you're here."

"I might do that." Sharla concluded.

"If you do… would you mind if I came with you, Sharla?" Fiora asked.

"Wait, what?" Sharla paused, noticing that same look she had just a moment ago in Fiora's eyes, "I mean… sure, if you want."

"Thank you." Fiora said, "Just let me know whenever you're planning to make the trip, okay?"

"I will." Sharla nodded, leaving the topic there for now and looking ahead to see the boys were back to chatting amongst themselves.

"Say, Shulk…" Dunban started, pulling a small case out from his coat pocket, "I know you and Melia don't want to drink tonight, but would you be okay with a cigar?"

"Hm… Well…" Shulk pondered for a moment, "I guess that'd be fine."

Dunban then took a cigar out for himself along with a matchbox he kept inside the case, lighting his cigar and taking a puff before passing both the case and matches to his left, "Send it down the line, Reyn."

"You got it." Reyn said, getting his own cigar started and doing the same, "You're next, fuzzball. Want one?"

"Riki will take it." Riki agreed, puffing out a ring, "Ah… Shulk's turn now!"

Shulk nodded and took both of the boxes, but before he could light his cigar, his body began to tense up and he felt as if he could barely move as a set of eyes fixated on him from behind.

"You know how I feel about you smoking, Shulk…" He heard Melia say in a soft voice.

"Angel, we talked about this already." Shulk matched Melia's tone and turned to her, "We agreed that it would be fine to have one if it was for a special occasion, remember?"

"I know. I'm also aware that I don't have much room to say this since I agreed to those terms, but… I still don't like it." Melia frowned and lowered her head slightly.

"Oh, Angel…" Shulk mused, setting his cigar on the railing and walking over to give Melia a hug, "If it'll help you feel better, then I won't smoke, okay?"

Melia's frown quickly faded and she reached up, beaming as she held him tightly.

"Thank you, Boo!" Melia cooed and pressed Shulk's cheeks together, forcing him to pucker up, "I love you~!"

"I l'v 'u 'oo, 'n'gel." Shulk tried to say back before Melia planted a kiss on him.

Fiora chuckled at the sight, "You two are so adorable."

"I dunno if I'd be comfortable sayin' that about my best friend and his girl, but still, good for you, man! Way to set an example for when all the lil' Shulk 'n Melia's come into the picture!" Reyn added.

"Little versions of Shulk and I?" Melia puzzledly asked.

"He means when you two have kids, Melia." Sharla clarified.

"W-what?! Shulk and I… procreating…?!" Melia turned bright red.

"Wait, you're telling me that neither of you have at least thought about that yet?" Fiora questioned.

"Well…" Melia hesitated.

"Don't you try and hide it, Melia!" Denise jumped in, "I know for a fact that you have—you've even told me as much!"

"Th-that's… Um, well…" Melia nervously tripped over her own words. The attention she was getting started to become too much for her and caused her wings to start acting on their own, moving downward almost like a puppy's ears to try and block everyone's line of sight in her peripheral.

Fiora gasped and covered her mouth, moving her hands down just enough to show a bright smile once the shock started to wear off, "Aww~! That has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen you do, Melia!"

"Okay, guys, that's enough. You're embarrassing her." Shulk stepped in and held Melia in his arms, giving her the chance to hide and take a moment to relax.

"Alright, fine, we'll back off." Fiora said, showing her hands in a nonconfrontational way, "But still, it's just something for you two to think about. I mean, you're married now, so starting a family is naturally the next step, right?"

"Well, I get what you're sayin'; but hey, if they wanna just chill for a bit before that happens, that should be cool too, yeah?" Reyn suggested and glanced over at Denise and Dunban, "There's already two people I know that are takin' their sweet time."

"Wait, us?!" Denise asked.

"What are you getting at, Reyn?" Dunban questioned.

"I'm just sayin'. Shulk and Melia are married now, and eventually me 'n Sharla are gonna make it official too, but you guys are still goin' at a snail's pace." Reyn pointed out, "At this rate, Shulk prolly will be a dad by the time you catch up."

"What's wrong with wanting to take things slow?" Denise replied.

While they were busy bickering back and forth, Shulk was checking on Melia and lowered his voice as he rubbed her back, "Are you feeling a little better, Angel?"

"I believe so…" Melia whispered back, blushing slightly.

"Still thinking about what they said earlier?" Shulk asked, noticing the touch of red on her cheeks.

"Honestly, I am. And what with Reyn joking about you being a father… It's kind of endearing to imagine." Melia said softly, "We can save this discussion for another time when we're alone though."

"Alright, Melia." Shulk agreed and let her go.

"You don't have to stay standing either, Boo." Melia said and patted the open chair next to her, "Have a seat and enjoy the spectacle."

"The what?" Shulk asked, following her gaze and seeing that Reyn was still debating with Denise and Dunban, "Oh, they're still going at it, huh? Alright, sure." He added and sat down, watching the rest of it unfold.

"Just think about it! Mr. and Mrs.… Um…" Reyn suddenly paused, "Huh… Help me out here, Denise, I'm drawin' a blank right now. What was your last name again?"

"Attikson." Denise answered, not even sure why she was still humoring him.

"Dunban Attikson, eh?" Reyn said aloud and started to snicker, "Ha, kinda makes you sound older than you already are."

"Oh, come on. Even by Hom's standards, thirty-three isn't that old." Denise came to his defense.

"Yeah? Then what's it like for High Entia's standards?" Reyn teased, hesitating for a moment as he stared at Denise, "Wait a minute, now that I'm thinkin' about it… what even is the age gap between you two? How old are ya, Denise?"

"Um, excuse you? Don't you know it's rude to ask a girl that?!" Denise barked in her own defense this time.

"She turned one hundred twenty back in February, on the nineteenth." Melia spoke up.

"Melia!" Denise shouted in embarrassment.

"Huh, that just makes things weirder now. Forget I asked." Reyn joked.

"Is it really that hard to believe? Melia is going to be ninety-two this year, and your best friend over there, who just married her by the way, is only in his early twenties." Denise pointed out.

"Hang on, let me do some numbers here…" Fiora said, slouching forward in her seat, "High Entia age about four times slower than Homs, so if we take their ages and divide them by four… that would make Melia twenty-three this year by our standards, and Denise would be thirty. It isn't so weird when you look at it that way."

"Well damn, you two would be technically around our age then." Sharla said with a smirk, "And you're both looking pretty good for that age, regardless of who's standards you're using."

"Ya know what else? That would mean our boy Dunban bagged himself a girl three years younger than him!" Reyn added, chuckling as he crossed his arms, "I take back what I said. Not too bad there, old man."

"Alright, I think we heard enough out of you for one day, Reyn." Dunban said, starting to grow tired of the topic.

"Yeah, and speaking of having enough, I think the same thing could be said for how much you've drank tonight." Denise jumped in.

"Whaddya mean? I'm still on my first one since we got here!" Reyn rebutted, holding up his bottle and showing there was more than half left in it, "See? And my buzz from earlier is pretty much gone too."

"Hm…" Denise hummed and closely eyed Reyn's bottle, "Alright, guess it checks out." She said, looking over at Dunban and grinning as an idea sprung to her mind.

Dunban seemed to be thinking the same thing and grinned back, subtly nodding before grabbing himself a beer from the bucket.

"So, if you really are sober like you claim to be, Reyn…" Denise started.

"Then you'd have been able to see this coming!" Dunban exclaimed and raised his own bottle, clinking it on top of Reyn's and making his beer quickly foam up.

"God damnit, Dunban!" Reyn groaned.

"Quit being a baby and drink it already before it spills!" Sharla shouted.

With barely enough time to sigh about it, Reyn hurriedly tilted his head back and chugged his beer, wiping his mouth after he finished and looking to Dunban with a lighthearted glare.

"Think you got jokes now, eh old man? Don't'chu worry, I'll find a way to get you back." Reyn taunted.

"Don't think too hard though. You might set our drinks on fire if any sparks start flying off your head." Dunban shot back, a chorus of "Ooh"'s and laughter following from the rest of their group.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Reyn brushed it off, even chuckling about it as him and Dunban threw an arm over each other's shoulders.

"There you go, you two, hug it out!" Sharla teased.

"Mm-hm! All's well that ends well, right?" Denise added.

"I guess you're right." Dunban reluctantly agreed, "Two of our close friends are married now, and we somehow got through it without some of us killing each other. I'd say that deserves a toast." He added and raised his beer high into the air, "To the empress and her consort!"

Even those who weren't having anymore alcohol raised their drinks, giving Shulk and Melia one last hurrah.

"Wait a minute… Consort…?" Fiora mumbled and turned her head, "Shulk, are you even considered a consort anymore? I mean… wouldn't being married to Melia actually make you the emperor now?"

Silence quickly fell as the atmosphere changed, everyone else's eyes widening and waiting anxiously for Shulk or Melia to say something.

"Good catch, Fiora." Shulk said, "I thought the same thing a while back, but no, it actually doesn't."

"Wait, what? Why not?" Sharla asked.

"It goes back to the whole tutoring thing I brought up earlier. Apparently, there's a few things that work a bit differently here in Alcamoth." Shulk said, turning to Melia and letting her explain.

"Yes. I'm sure you've all heard before that marrying someone who belongs to royalty would mean their spouse ascends to that station as well, but in Alcamoth, hypergamy alone is not considered a strong enough claim when it comes to choosing a ruler." Melia said, "Since Shulk is now my husband, he is eligible to begin the process of claiming his right to rule, but he is not given that right by default because he is not an Antiqua by blood."

"So, if Shulk did want to become emperor, what exactly would he have to do?" Sharla asked.

"Other than being wed to someone belonging to the royal family, Shulk would also need to have the majority vote in two separate elections." Melia said, "The first election will be held with my advisors, and if a majority of them approve, he would then need to host a campaign and be elected by the general public."

"So, Alcamoth allows elected monarchs as well as hereditary ones…" Dunban openly pondered, "It's an interesting system."

"Well, yeah, but… I'm hoping this doesn't come off the wrong way, Melia, but I feel like the whole election thing is just to prevent someone from marrying into power." Fiora commented.

"Don't worry, Fiora, you're not exactly wrong. It does function as a safeguard for that, but it also helps to ensure that Alcamoth stays to what we feel is the right path." Melia replied and turned her attention to Shulk, "Like your instructors and I have told you before though, Shulk, it's completely voluntary if you wanted to do that. If you're happy with your current duties as my consort and working for M.S.I.T., then you're free to continue doing so."

"I… I'm honestly not sure." Shulk replied, a momentary loss for words, "It's a major commitment, and just thinking about how many people would be relying on me… I'd like to give it some more thought and make sure it's what I really want to do."

"That's perfectly fine, Shulk." Melia said, smiling as she gently rested her hand in his lap, "It's very comforting that you understand how important this is. Take as much time as you need to think it over, you're not in any rush."

"Yeah, no kidding. You've got literally centuries." Sharla joked, "So long as you two are married, Shulk could start his claim to the throne pretty much whenever he wants, right Melia?"

"I don't exactly like it being worded that way, but yes." Melia answered.

"Oh, come on, Melia, you should know better than that." Shulk said and pulled her in for a hug, "I didn't marry you just to try and move up in the world. I did it because I love you and wanted to always be by your side."

"I mean, I'd hope so. Your masterplan there would've been dead in the water once you heard that you don't get to just become the emperor." Reyn teased and burst into laughter, "Ah, man, could you imagine?"

"Hypothetical backstabbing aside, I know that, Shulk." Melia said, ignoring Reyn's rambling as she hugged Shulk back, "I love you too."

"Still, don't you think that should be something worth considering, Shulk?" Dunban suggested, his back against the railing, "I mean, you'd already have a decent start if you did decide to make your claim. You should have at least a basic grasp of government and other affairs from your tutoring and being Melia's consort."

"You even helped to both retake and restore this city, and you've been living here ever since then." Fiora added, "The citizens should know you pretty well and trust you by now."

"Yeah, those are both true…" Shulk replied.

"Hey, we're not tryna steer you in one way or the other, man." Reyn spoke up next, noticing Shulk's hesitance, "At the end of the day, it's still your call to make. But still, you should be used to bein' a leader by now, right? You kinda were the one in charge when we were goin' from Bionis to Mechonis."

"That's a bit of a jump going from the leader of a small group to a whole city, Reyn, and you know that I don't really have a say in how things are run here just because of my relation to Melia." Shulk pointed out, "I mean, sure it'd be nice to have that kind of authority, but I don't want it just for the sake of it. Don't get me wrong, you guys are making decent points and I'll be sure to keep them in mind, but I'd rather just sleep on the whole idea for now and come back to it once things are more settled down."

"Alright, Shulk, we'll stop talking about it and just leave it up to you then." Fiora backed off, her arms stretched over her head as she yawned, "Speaking of sleeping on it, I'd be surprised if you even could. This whole thing doesn't even concern me, but I still feel like it'll keep me up most of the night thinking about it."

"Yeah, no kiddin'." Reyn said, yawning as well, "God, I'm not lookin' forward to getting up so early tomorrow."

"Well, technically it would be today. You're going to be boarding another ship and heading back home in several hours." Denise corrected him.

"You're not helping, you know." Reyn groaned.

"Hey, at least you'll be getting the VIP treatment back home, even if you'll be leaving at the same time as everyone else." Denise stated.

"Yeah, the other guests won't have to deal with you acting all crabby once they get up too." Fiora joked, "You and Sharla at least took an extra day off in case you get jetlagged, right?"

"After I had to argue with him about it." Sharla said, "And just for future reference, you're welcome, Reyn."

"Yeah, whatever." Reyn said dismissively and stretched his arms, "I'm already planning to just sleep some more and laze around the house all day anyways when we get back."

"Must be nice." Dunban commented, "I'll be back at work starting tomorrow."

"It sounds like we should call it a night and return to our rooms then." Melia concluded.

"Sounds good to me." Reyn agreed as he yawned again, "Just leave your guys' drinks in that bucket; I'll hand it off to one of the staff around here."

"Hopefully those hangover drinks actually work." Fiora said and stuffed her empty bottle into the bucket, then went up to Shulk and Melia to give them each a hug, "Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight." Melia said and looked to everyone else, "That goes for all of you as well. I really appreciate that you could all be here, and I hope you have a safe flight home."

"You don't have to thank us for that, Melia." Denise said, also giving Melia a hug, "Let's hang out again after you get some quality time with your hubby, okay?"

"Okay. I'll let you know." Melia replied.

After letting go, Denise looked over her shoulder towards Dunban, "Ready, babe?"

"Yeah, just about." Dunban said and walked over, taking two water bottles from the bucket and holding them between his fingers, "We'll be going ahead of you guys."

"Bye, everyone~" Denise said and waved as she and Dunban left the room first.

One after another, everyone said their goodbyes and dispersed to where they would be spending their last night in Alcamoth. Shulk and Melia were the last to leave and held hands as they went through the transporter, but on the way back to their Villa, they stopped for a moment as they looked down the hall and spotted a small group of children playing right outside the open entrance to the palace.

"What are they doing out here? Their curfew should've started a while ago, right?" Shulk asked Melia.

"Yes, and I'm sure their parents will be worried if they haven't realized already." Melia said.

"Well, I still have that radio the guard gave me earlier." Shulk suggested and pulled it out of his pocket, "If you want, we could call someone over or go talk to them ourselves."

"Hm… May I see that for a moment, Shulk?" Melia requested.

"Go ahead." Shulk said and handed over the radio.

"Security, come in. This is Melia Antiqua." She said into the mouthpiece.

"Empress?" A male voice replied, "Yes, what can we do for you?"

"There are some Homs children out past curfew, just outside the palace doors." Melia informed him.

"One moment… Ah, I see them on our cameras now." The guard confirmed, "We'll be sending the nearest patrol to escort them back safely."

"Have there been any reports of a missing child?" Melia asked.

"No, ma'am." The guard answered.

"I see. Then, if I may suggest, could you have the guards watch from afar for the time being?" Melia asked, "Apprehend the children after a few minutes, but if they try to leave or if you receive a report from their parents, send them back right away."

"Understood. I'll pass along your instructions." He replied.

"Thank you. Signing off." Melia said and shut off the radio.

"Surprisingly lenient of you." Shulk commented.

"They're just curious about being somewhere new, Shulk." Melia said, "I understand they're breaking rules, but they're not doing anything malicious, and this is arguably the safest place in the city they could be."

"Well, you do have a point." Shulk replied as they watched the children playing, "God, is this going to be what we're like in the future?"

"What do you mean?" Melia asked.

"Both of us just sitting here and trying to decide what's best for… well, our own kids someday." Shulk explained.

"It could be, honestly." Melia said, "Speaking of which, you said kids—as in plural. Is it fair to say that you've been thinking about it as well?"

"I mean… I might have…" Shulk admitted, "You're suddenly a lot more talkative about this too. What happened to that nervous fit you had when the others asked you about this earlier, huh?"

"It just felt uncomfortable to talk about that sort of thing in front of everyone." Melia replied, "And thank you again for saving me back there too."

"Of course, Angel." Shulk said, "Back to what we were saying, though… I'm pretty sure you've been thinking about having kids even before the others called you out on it, but… were you also considering more than one?"

"Hm…" Melia paused, "How about this? I'll count to three on my hand, and we'll both confess the number of children we wanted at the same time."

"Making a little game out of it, huh? Alright, sure." Shulk replied.

Melia nodded and held up her hand, counting slowly and dramatically pausing before raising her third finger.

"Three." They both proclaimed and gawked at each other.

"Wait, seriously?" Shulk joyfully laughed.

"Sometimes I'd bounce between two or three; there was even a point where I considered a fourth…" Melia replied and shook her head, "That didn't last very long though, and I ultimately decided on three."

"Yeah, four sounds a bit too much." Shulk agreed, "Would you have wanted them to be close to the same age, or spread a bit further apart? I'm asking because the whole High Entia aging thing is different compared to Homs."

"You're technically half-Homs now, but I can see how that would cause confusion since you grew up as one…" Melia said.

"Well, that and the fact that we'd probably have no idea what we're doing." Shulk jokingly added, "Regardless that they'd stay as children longer, it'd probably get hectic learning how to take care of three kids at once."

"We would have retainers to help us care for our children, if that gives you any reassurance. Both Kallian and I had that growing up, and they would also be responsible for us keeping up with our studies and combat training." Melia explained, "Tell me what you think of this scenario: our eldest child could have a wider age gap, but the other two could be closer to the same age?"

"So, we'd have just one child for a bit, then the other two would come later?" Shulk clarified.

"Yes, if you're okay with that." Melia said, "It would allay both the stress of keeping up with multiple children at once, and we would be better prepared for when we plan to have more."

"Hm… Alright, I'd be okay with that if you are." Shulk said, "I don't think we got around to it yet, but would you want a boy or a girl?"

"For our first child? I'm hoping it's a girl, to be honest." Melia admitted, "And you?"

"I don't think it would matter either way to me." Shulk replied.

"Well, what of the other two?" Melia pressed, "Did you not have any preference at all?"

Shulk lightly chuckled and crossed his arms, "It might surprise you, but if I had the choice, I'd say one boy and two girls."

"Really? I honestly wouldn't have expected that from you, Shulk." Melia replied, "I assumed it would've been the other way around."

"Well, your turn now." Shulk flipped the question back to her, "Which would you want?"

"Actually… that is what I was hoping for." Melia answered, "One boy and two girls, just like you."

"Huh, interesting…" Shulk commented.

"Although, I might've put a bit more thought to it than that." Melia added, "As specific as it sounds, I'd prefer for the boy to be the youngest. I'm not really sure why, but I like it that way."

"You don't need a reason for it, Angel." Shulk assured her, "And you were right, that's definitely more detail than I put into it."

"Have you given this any other thoughts?" Melia inquired.

"Well, I wouldn't really call it a thought, but fantasy might be the better word for it…" Shulk nervously replied, "Don't laugh, okay?"

"I won't, Boo." Melia said, "Go ahead."

"Alright." Shulk paused for a moment and blushed slightly, "You see, sometimes I'd picture us being with our kids when they're about a toddler's age. Things like seeing them get all happy when one of us would come back home, or playing with them in our living room, that kind of thing…"

"Aw, that's so sweet~!" Melia mused and pecked his cheek.

"I guess…" Shulk went along with it even though he was blushing heavier, "What about you, Melia?"

"Well… your ideas of it are certainly more romanticized than mine." Melia admitted, "For whatever reason, I'd be more concerned on the less pleasant things: like trying to console them when they cry and throw tantrums, cleaning up after them, et cetera."

"Oh, god, don't go putting any images like that in my head." Shulk joked, "I'm definitely using those retainers as much as I can. Baths and diaper duty are going to be all on them."

"Well, you'd better be prepared for the times it falls on you if they're not around." Melia teased.

"Nope. It'll be your job." Shulk teased back.

"Heaven save us if our children inherit your stubbornness, Shulk." Melia jabbed, getting back on topic, "I wonder which one of us they'll resemble more…?"

"That's something we won't really know until then, right?" Shulk pointed out.

"I suppose so." Melia replied, "I guess that leaves us with the biggest question then… When would you want to try starting a family, Shulk?"

"Hm… I mean, we just got married; no need to race to the next milestone straight away, right?" Shulk started, "Here, I'm just going to pull a timeframe out of my head, and you tell me if it works or not. How about… no earlier than six months, but no later than two years?"

"So, any time between then?" Melia asked, silently thinking about it for a few moments, "Hm… Okay, Boo."

"Alright. Anything else you wanted to get off your chest while we're still talking about this, Melia?" Shulk asked.

"I think that was it." Melia said, "I'm just happy that we could finally get this out, and that we seem to agree on more things than I anticipated."

"Yeah, same here, Angel." Shulk concluded before they looked back down the hall, quickly realizing that the children were gone.

"It would seem the guards took care of them while we were preoccupied." Melia surmised, "Perhaps we should take our leave as well."

Shulk nodded and took Melia's hand as they continued walking through the palace, eventually passing through another transporter and arriving at the front door of their Villa.

"Man, it's hitting me all at once now…" Shulk yawned as they finally made it back inside, heading straight to their room, "So sleepy…"

"Well, on the bright side, we can finally turn in for—" Melia paused, taken aback as they saw a decorated cart by the foot of their bed, with a wrapped fruit basket in the center while wine glasses and bottles were ornately grouped around it.

"What's all this…?" Shulk asked as he glanced over the contents of the cart.

"It appears that someone left us a celebratory gift." Melia said, grabbing one of the bottles and inspecting the label, "This one is champagne, and it's still cold as well…"

"So, this had to have been delivered recently." Shulk said, noticing two formal envelopes by the drinking glasses, "Hey, check this out." He said and picked one of them up.

"Perhaps from our sender?" Melia guessed while Shulk ripped it open, "What does it say?"

"Dear Empress and Consort, I'm sure you've heard this plenty of times today, but we wished to extend our congratulations to you two on your wedding, as well as add in a more personal touch. Alongside this letter, you should also find a gift basket we've prepared for you and two bottles of red wine. My wife and I handpicked these from the finest quality of goods we could spare from our winery, and we hope that they will serve as a fitting way to bring your special night together to a close. Congratulations again on your marriage, and may your new lives together be filled with many more joyous days still to come. -Dominic and Alisa Colette, owners of the Eryth Estate Winery." Shulk read aloud.

"Colette…?" Melia asked.

"That's what it says." Shulk confirmed, "But what's odd is that this letter only mentions red wine, not champagne."

"Maybe this was a joint gift?" Melia surmised and grabbed the next letter, reading aloud, "Dear Melia and Shulk, I hope you two enjoyed the after-party your friends and I set up for you. I'm sure you'll be tired by the time you get around to seeing all this in your room, but I promise this will be the last surprise in store for you two tonight. The cart is actually not from me, but when I was asked to deliver it to your Villa, the Mrs. and I decided to throw in our own gifts for you as well. If Melia is reading this, that pinkish bottle of champagne is specifically for you, courtesy of my wife. The other gift is a bottle of vintage wine called 'Night Lily', and I picked it out for both of you to share while I was visiting my father's winery. Try not to go overboard with the amount of alcohol you'll be receiving, but we sincerely hope you'll enjoy them. Congratulations on your wedding, from Leon and Olivia Colette."

"There's that last name again." Shulk said.

"You should be familiar with at least one member of that family by now, Shulk." Melia pointed out.

"Um, who?" Shulk asked.

"Um, the captain, maybe?" Melia snidely replied, waving the letter she was holding, "His signature is on the one I just read."

"Wait, the captain's name is Leon Colette?" Shulk asked, "Huh… I think that's the first time I've ever heard his name."

"Well, maybe I shouldn't have sounded so judgmental about that. He does prefer to just be called by his title and not his name, after all." Melia apologized.

"Kind of weird now that there's some context behind that, but alright... I just assumed it was because he's so used to being called that due to his work." Shulk commented, "And I take it Olivia is his wife?"

"Yes, and the two you mentioned, Dominic and Alisa, are his parents, though I'm not as familiar with them as I am with the captain." Melia said, "Speaking of which, you might want to continue calling him by title, even if you know that now. Kallian and I had to do that growing up too, so you'll eventually become desensitized to it."

"It's probably going to sound awkward the first few times, but alright." Shulk replied, "Oh, those letters also mentioned a winery called Eryth Estate. How come I've never heard of this place with all the times we've been around Eryth Sea?"

"Well, it still is considered within the limits of Eryth Sea, but it's on the outskirts a fair distance away from the Hovering Reefs. I'd imagine that's the reason why." Melia answered, "Granted, I've never been there myself either, so all my knowledge of it has come from the captain himself. From what I've heard though, it's quiet and has a nice view of the sea, and they allow patrons to both drink there as well as tour their vineyard and orchard."

"Sounds pretty peaceful." Shulk said and glanced at the labels on the bottles, "So, they brought these straight from their source, huh?"

"From what they said in their letters, it would seem so." Melia said, "Although, they do have some brands that are carried in stores around Alcamoth."

"They probably made a killing then with all the people that came for our wedding." Shulk joked, "Maybe this is also their way of saying thank you for all the business you've brought us?"

"It's possible." Melia played along.

"Well, either way, good for them." Shulk said, curiously eyeing one of the wine bottles he picked up, "And they went to all this trouble for us, so… do you think we should humor them?"

"I'm not sure I follow." Melia replied.

"I know we said we weren't going to drink during our celebration, but now that it's technically over…" Shulk led into it, "Would you want to try some of this wine they sent us?"

"Have you ever consumed alcohol before, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Well… no, I haven't." Shulk admitted, "What about you?"

"Kallian and I would have to attend any parties that my father went to, and when we became of age, it was expected of us to have at least one drink while we were chatting with important associates." Melia said.

"Huh, I never would've guessed that you were a party girl." Shulk grinned, "I'm learning quite a few things today."

"You know what I mean, Shulk!" Melia argued, "It was for the sake of image, not chasing vices!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. It was only a joke." Shulk backed off, "Seriously though, would you want to try it, Melia?"

"I'm not exactly opposed to the idea, but I'm more concerned about you and your anxiety, Boo." Melia stated, "I'm just worried that you might not tolerate alcohol well since you don't drink to begin with."

"I think I'll be alright if I have you keeping an eye on me." Shulk replied, "Besides, I only planned to have a little anyways; nothing too crazy."

"I'd hope not. The others' drinking tonight should've been a good reminder of that." Melia said.

"Yeah. I mean, at least Denise will be fine if that hangover drink didn't work since she lives around here and doesn't have work in the morning, but everyone else is going to have to deal with it and wake up early tomorrow." Shulk said and chuckled, "God, I don't envy any of them right now."

"I don't either." Melia added, "Well, as long as you understand the risks and still want to try it, then I'll join you, Shulk."

"Alright, Angel." Shulk said, "So, what do you think would be best to start with?"

"Wine would be better than the champagne, so let's stick with those." Melia advised and picked up the champagne bottle, "This will need to stay cold though, so give me a moment to find a place for this in the fridge."

"Go right ahead." Shulk insisted, his attention turned to the gift basket after Melia walked away, "Hm…" He mumbled and tore the wrapping encasing it, aimlessly sifting through its contents.

"Okay, I'm back." Melia said, finding Shulk preoccupied with the basket, "Find anything of note in there, Shulk?"

"Well, besides the fruit we saw at the top, there's also some packages of meat and cheese in here… a couple boxes of candy… some chocolate…" Shulk listed off as he found them.

"It was a rhetorical question, Boo." Melia said, opting to leave Shulk alone while she picked out a wine bottle, "Hm… I'm kind of curious about this Night Lily that the captain mentioned."

"Is that what you wanted to try, Angel?" Shulk asked, ripping open one of the packages of diced cheese.

"Yes, it is." Melia replied, grabbing the bottle and two drinking glasses, "I'll take these with me out to the balcony. Come find me there when you're done acquiring your snacks, okay?"

"Alright, Melia. I won't be much longer." Shulk said, stopping for a moment to peck her cheek, "Love you."

"I love you too, Shulk." Melia said back. She then opened the door to their balcony and set her things down on the table, walking over to the railing and gazing at the city from above.

"I don't think I could imagine a more serene sight to end this night on." Melia said to herself, "It all looks so beautiful from here…"

"Kind of like a certain someone I know."

Melia didn't even need to turn around, simply smiling as Shulk came over and hugged her from behind.

"Hey you~" Shulk mused, "I'm back."

"I can see that." Melia joked and turned to face him, "Do you have everything you need now?"

"Yep, I believe so." Shulk said, one hand full of packaged snacks, "I grabbed a couple things for you too."

"Thank you." Melia said back, her arm gesturing towards the table, "Well, shall we?"

Shulk nodded and went ahead so he could set his food down and pull out a chair for Melia, "After you."

"Look at you being a gentleman." Melia teased as her and Shulk sat down, glossing over everything they had on the table, "Um, Shulk, did you grab the bottle opener they provided for us?"

Shulk stared blankly for a few seconds and slapped himself on the forehead, "Completely forgot… Hang on, I'll go and get it."

"It's fine. I might have another solution." Melia replied. She held out her right palm and summoned a wind elemental, pointing her fingers upward and turning her wrist in slow circles.

"Um… what are you doing?" Shulk asked.

"Just observe." Melia replied, her elemental taking the shape of a thin ring. She then guided the ring above the bottle and gently wedged it between the cork and the lip.

"Okay, now just be delicate with it…" Melia mumbled to herself as she started flicking her wrist, making the elemental loosen the cork, "Alright… now!" She said and threw her arm upwards, a loud pop following after as the elemental flew into the air and took the cork with it. She then had her elemental disperse, letting the cork fall right into her open palm.

"Okay, that was pretty impressive." Shulk applauded, "When are you going to teach me how to do something like that?"

"I haven't decided yet. I've been drilling the importance of safety into your lessons for a reason, and I don't want you using these techniques for simple parlor tricks or to fuel your laziness." Melia replied, "I could see you using a wind elemental to bring you an item you don't want to get up and grab yourself or using an ice elemental to chill your drinks."

"Well, that was harsh. Not wrong, but still harsh." Shulk joked around.

"And that would be why I haven't instructed you on anything past the basics yet." Melia repeated, "Maybe when that doubt is no longer in my mind, I'll consider teaching you something a bit more advanced."

"Alright, fair enough." Shulk said and grabbed the bottle, "Can you trust me enough to at least pour your drink?"

"I suppose." Melia humored him, holding out her glass.

"Man, I can already smell it without doing that weird swirling thing people do with their glass." Shulk commented as a slightly floral scent reached his nose, "Hm… can't say I hate it, though."

"They seem to have named this wine after the plant that grows in Eryth Sea. It wouldn't surprise me if they included Night Lilies into the making process." Melia said as she brought her glass closer, catching the same scent, "Perhaps that's also what gives this drink it's dark red hue as well?"

"Maybe. I'm just hoping it tastes as good as it smells." Shulk said and lifted his glass, "To the start of our new lives together."

"And to all that still awaits us." Melia added, clinking their glasses together and taking a sip at the same time.

"Ack!" Shulk suddenly gagged, setting his glass down and covering his mouth as he started coughing.

"Not a fan of the taste, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"N-… no, that's not it." Shulk said, taking another sip to help fix his raspy voice, "Ah, much better… Anyways, I think it's good, I just wasn't expecting it to taste so… dry, I guess would be the word for it?"

"Look at you using proper terms." Melia teased, "You would be right, though—this is a dry wine. It's kind of difficult to explain how that would taste, so maybe sampling it for yourself was best."

"If you say so. It certainly tastes different than what Dunban and Dickson would make when we were growing up, but then again, they normally mixed their booze with something." Shulk ranted.

"I thought you said you never drank before?" Melia asked.

"I wouldn't exactly count that if it was just the rare sip when we were kids." Shulk replied, "What about you? Did you ever get anything like that when you were growing up?"

"Ha! I wouldn't even want to think of the consequences that would've had." Melia said.

"What, so you didn't even get something like whiskey on the gums when you were little?" Shulk asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Melia raised an eyebrow.

"Like when your teeth started coming in when you were a baby. Nobody tried putting whiskey on their finger and rubbing it into your gums to help the teething?" Shulk clarified, pausing after he saw the rather alarmed look on Melia's face, "…I'll take that as a no?"

"Um, no, they did not." Melia replied, "I hope that's just something we can chalk up as being a difference in our environments. Don't dare try that either when you become a father."

"I mean, I would've at least asked before I did it, but I guess I know for future reference now." Shulk said, brushing it off and looking down at the view while he nursed his drink, "Honestly, even if we said it might not happen for a while, it still feels odd knowing that one day I'm going to be called 'dad'."

Shulk then took a larger sip and looked back over, catching Melia smiling warmly at him.

"Quit staring at me like that." He playfully called her out, "And get those ideas out of your head."

"You're the one that brought it up." Melia jabbed back, refusing to drop her smile, "Come now, Shulk. Questionable methods aside, I think you'd be a wonderful father."

"You sure that's not just the wine talking?" Shulk asked, trying to dodge the comment.

"One glass is hardly enough for that to happen, Shulk." Melia pointed out, her glass practically empty.

"How would I know that? I've never drank before, remember?" Shulk innocently replied, "Speaking of which, would you care for another?"

"Normally I'd limit myself to only one but seeing that it's just us and this is our wedding night, I'll help myself to a little more. Don't worry though, Boo, I'll do it myself." Melia replied and grabbed the bottle, pouring herself another glass, "Back to what we were saying, though, wouldn't you have an inkling on how much it would take for someone to feel intoxicated since Dunban and Dickson would drink in front of you?"

"Maybe, but I wasn't really thinking to pay attention to something like that around that age, and they'd usually have me, Reyn, and Fiora go play somewhere if they weren't just having a light drink." Shulk explained, "And maybe I should've asked this before we started, but how much exactly does it take for someone to feel it?"

"It's slightly more complicated than just the amount you've had to drink. Other factors are involved like the span of time between drinks, your age and weight, general tolerance, et cetera." Melia replied, "We can just take this slow and see how you're feeling, Shulk. There's no need to rush."

"Yeah, I know. It's not like we'd have to worry about a hangover or anything either since we'll have some time off starting tomorrow." Shulk said, finishing off the last bit of wine he had left in his glass, "For the most part, I think I'm okay though."

"Okay enough for some more, or did you want to wait?" Melia asked to make sure.

"Go ahead and fill it up, Angel." Shulk said and held out his glass while Melia poured more wine for him, "Which reminds me, we didn't exactly plan anything out for our honeymoon. Was there anywhere in particular you wanted to spend our week off?"

"Not necessarily. If you wanted to just take things easy around Alcamoth or visit one of the many landmarks elsewhere, I'll be perfectly fine with wherever we go as long as I'm with you." Melia said.

Shulk couldn't help but chuckle as a dumb smile appeared on his face, "Seriously, how did I end up with such an amazing girl like you, Melia?" He asked and took a small sip of his wine, "I'd still like to go somewhere, but I guess we can just keep our options open until we find something."

"That's fine with me." Melia agreed and set her drink down, "Shulk… would you mind if I sat next to you?"

"Why would you need to ask something like that, Angel?" Shulk replied and patted the armrest on the chair beside him, "Come here, make yourself comfortable."

Melia nodded and pushed her chair in, taking another seat next to Shulk and resting her head on his shoulder, "Hi, Boo."

"Hey there, Angel." Shulk played along, switching his wine glass to his left hand so he could hold Melia under his right arm, "Getting tired?"

"Somewhat, but I also wanted to cuddle." Melia said softly, making sure not to nudge Shulk and accidentally spill his wine as she moved in for a hug, "Did you want to go back inside soon?"

"Sure, but how much do we have left in this bottle?" Shulk replied, lifting it off the table to get a feel for how much wine was still in it, "Wait… less than half?" He added, somewhat surprised as he brought the bottle closer and looked inside.

"That sounds about right." Melia said calmly and inspected the bottle, "Just at a glance, I'd assume there's one and a half glasses left."

"So, enough for one more and a top off…" Shulk mumbled, looking back and forth at their glasses.

"We don't have to finish the whole bottle in one sitting, Shulk. In fact, I'd rather you not attempt it." Melia advised, "I'll store the rest away and we can have it later."

"Alright, fair enough." Shulk said and was about to stand up but was stopped by Melia.

"Hang on, Boo." Melia said, slowly getting up first and holding out her hand, "Grab on."

"I think you're being a little too cautious, Mel—" Shulk suddenly jolted and squeezed Melia's hand, catching himself before he fell forward.

"You were saying?" Melia jabbed as she helped Shulk stand up, letting him lean on her for support.

"Alright, alright." Shulk groaned, reluctantly accepting the help as they headed back inside, "But still, what gives? I mean, I feel fine—I'm not slurring my words or anything, but why am I stumbling?"

"It's okay, Shulk." Melia replied, trying to calm him down a little, "I don't think you had enough to be that impaired, but remember, it's still your first-time drinking. Let's just get you to bed so you can relax."

Shulk nodded and let Melia guide him to the side of the bed, slowly easing into it and laying on his back.

"You stay there while I put the wine away, Shulk." Melia instructed, "I'll be back with some water for you too."

"Okay, Angel." Shulk said and opened his arms, "Come here; give me a hug first."

"Oh, fine." Melia sighed and leaned down, suddenly losing her balance, "Eek!" She shrieked during the fall and piled on top of Shulk, blushing slightly and looking flustered while he smirked at her.

"Had a little too much to drink there, Mrs. Only-One-Glass?" Shulk commented, snickering as he showed his ring, "And don't get me wrong, I'm flattered and all, but…"

"Did you seriously set that up just so you could make a bad joke?" Melia accused and got back up.

"Hey, you're the one that fell. I really did just want a hug, so if anything, you set yourself up for that." Shulk argued with that smirk still on his face, "Sheesh, you get pretty mean when you drink."

"If I were so mean, would I have helped you inside or offered to take care of you?" Melia asked defensively.

"Hey, relax, I'm just joking around." Shulk said and sat up, opening his arms again, "Want another hug?"

"Keep your hands off me or you're going to get smacked even harder this time." Melia warned, her expression quickly softening as the redness on her cheeks returned, "On second thought… maybe I will take that offer."

"Alright, just don't hurt me." Shulk teased and let Melia into his arms.

"I won't." Melia reassured him and hugged him back, "I love you, Shulk, even when you're being annoying."

"Oh, thanks. I love you too, Melia." Shulk said back and let her go, "Alright, go do what you need to, Angel."

"Okay, Boo." Melia said and grabbed the wine bottle, a light stagger as she walked out of the room.

While Shulk was waiting, the glint of Melia's tiara in the moonlight caught his attention and he carefully stood up to inspect it a bit closer.

"Hic!" Suddenly came from the hallway, followed by a groan as Melia came back into the room, "Ugh, curse these hiccups…" She mumbled and paused as she found Shulk out of bed and with his back turned to her, "What are you doing, Shulk?"

"Just humor me on something, Melia." Shulk said and spun around, standing proud with Melia's tiara on his head and staff in hand as he declared, "Shulk Antiqua, hero and emperor of the High Entia! It has a pretty nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Melia quietly stared at him and started snickering, busting out laughing seconds later and leaning against the doorframe for support, "I'm sorry, Boo, I don't mean to laugh. It's just that my tiara looks so strange on you!"

"What, is it not my style?" Shulk jokingly asked.

"It's not that—it just looks comically small on you!" Melia replied, getting it out of her system before she staggered over, "Besides, you'd get your own crown and custom-made weapon when you become the emperor anyways."

"Oh, really?" Shulk asked, gently pinching the side of the tiara, "Well, until then, I guess you can share this."

"If you're brave enough to actually go outside with that on your head, then be my guest." Melia replied, blushing a little as she eyed him up and down, "All jokes aside though, I think you'd look pretty fetching in an emperor's garments."

"Well, I'm not really sure how that'd look to begin with. The closest thing I've seen to that is what I remember from Sorean and Kallian, so I'll take your word for it." Shulk said, cautiously eyeing Melia back as she bit her lip and grabbed onto his shirt, "…Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason~" Melia coyly replied, the alcohol fueling her suggestive thoughts as she pulled him closer.

"H-hey, Melia!" Shulk whined as Melia yanked him a bit too hard, dropping the staff but having just enough time to grab the tiara as he collided with her and sent them both falling onto the bed, "Again with this?"

"I'll be taking that back." Melia ignored his complaining and reclaimed her tiara, getting on top of him and smiling as she placed it on her head, "How do I look with it?"

Shulk began to look flushed and swallowed hard, his mind slightly hazy as well and at a loss for words.

"Oh, no matter. That expression on your face says enough already." Melia answered for him, her hands planted onto the bed just above his shoulders to keep him pinned down, "So… what do you say we leave these talks about you becoming the emperor for another time and just focus on us for right now?"

Shulk nodded softly and placed his hands on her hips, "I'd like that, Angel."

"I thought you would. Now, come a little closer, Shulk…" Melia purred, closing her eyes and leaning down to kiss him.

After consummating their marriage, both Shulk and Melia soon fell asleep snuggling close to each other, their bodies covered under the blanket while their rings shimmered in the moonlight that came in through their window.