Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! Shocklance here with chapter 28! I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season!

I have a rather short chapter for you all, but I hope you enjoy it! I would of had this done sooner, but we suddenly moved back in late August/ early September.

A thank you goes out to shydae, Yellow14, and Penguin Lord0029 for your reviews, as always I am greatfull for them! With that on with the story!

Chapter 28: Wedding Bells

Becky was giddy with excitement as she pulled on her bridesmaid dress. Today was the big day. Her adoptive mother and Irma were tying the knot. She was really happy for the two women who had become such a big part of her life. It was nice to have something positive going on for a change. The Oracle was making steady progress in translating the pages from the book, but so far he hadn't found anything that would point to the location of the Heart of Exellis, though he was getting close. But she put that to the side for the time being. This day was for Will and Irma, nothing else mattered.

She smiled at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She absolutely loved her dress, Hay Lin had done an amazing job. As one of Will's bridesmaids her dress was pink, while Irma's would be wearing light blue. The skirt part was longer in the back and shorter in the front, its lowest point started in the center at her ankles and rose higher on either side till it came around to the sides where the front half ended just above her knees. The top half was strapless and hugged her chest, showing off just a hint of cleavage. She stumbled a bit as she turned to look at herself in the mirror at another angle. She had been practicing walking in the silver high heels that went with her dress, but she was still a little unsteady in them.

"Hope I don't fall on my face." She said to herself.

"You'll be fine babe." Becky hadn't heard Lisa come into the dressing room and when she turned to look she felt her breath catch in her throat. Lisa looked absolutely stunning in her dress which was just like Becky's except being blue as she was one of Irma's bridesmaids. She seemed to just glide across the floor, as she walked over. Unlike Becky she was perfectly comfortable wearing heels. "You okay? Your mouth is hanging open."

"I don't think you've ever looked more beautiful." Becky said without even thinking. Lisa blushed furiously and turned her head away while biting her lip.

"Thank you…" Lisa said feeling rather embarrassed. "You don't look half bad yourself."

"Thanks." Becky said. There was a bit of an awkward moment as they were at a loss as to what to say to one another. Finally, it was Lisa who broke the silence.

"Hay Lin did an amazing job on the dresses." She blurted out. That was enough to get Becky talking.

"I know, right? I was surprised how fast she got them done. She took our measurements and did a fitting only a week ago."

"Well I think she still had our sizes from our costumes for Ultracon." Lisa said. "She was just checking for any adjustments she needed to make. Plus, I think Amy was helping her. She's been saying she wants to learn how to make her own cosplays. And I'm pretty sure she already had Will and Irma's dresses done, so that probably took some of the pressure off. She's been hauling ass to get it done in time."

"Well it was such short notice. But we got it done in the end." Over the last several weeks everyone had been pitching in whenever possible to get everything ready. It had been a lot of work, but everyone had been determined to give Will and Irma the wedding day they deserved. "So, have you managed to get a glimpse of the wedding dresses?"

"No. Hay Lin has made it clear that no one is going to see the dresses except the respective brides before the ceremony. Will and Irma have only seen their own dress. Hay Lin wouldn't let be any other way, you know her."

"Figures." Becky said with a shrug. "Think they're all recovered from last night?" She was referring to Will and Irma's bachelorette party. It had been just W.I.T.C.H. and Elyon and while they didn't know the exact details Elyon had let slip that copious amounts of alcohol had been consumed and things had gotten a 'little crazy' as she put it. Becky and her friends had decided to not ask any more questions.

"I think so. At least no one seems hungover."

"Hey, are you two ready?" Taranee said sticking her head into the room. "It's almost time to start." Becky and Lisa grabbed their bouquets of flowers, again pink and blue respectively, and hustled into the hallway where the rest of the wedding party was waiting.

"How can you walk in these so easily?" Becky asked Lisa in exasperation.

"It's not unlike being on the balance beam." Lisa responded.

"Alright, line up girls." Cornelia shouted out. "Will on the right, Irma on the left. Just like we practiced." Everyone got into their prearranged positions. Taranee as Will's maid of honor and Hay Lin as Irma's stood at the front of the two lines. Will's bridesmaids consisted of Cornelia, Becky, Sarah, Jenny and Nella. While Irma's was Elyon, Lisa, Amy, Samantha and Trista.

"You doing alright?" Becky asked Nella who was standing behind her. "Your dress not too pink for you?"

"I'll live, I'm sure." The young princess said with no lack of sarcasm while rolling her eyes. Becky snickered at her reaction. She knew the princess was slightly annoyed by her dress, but Becky thought she looked rather pretty in it. In the last couple of weeks Nella had been slowly shedding her angry persona and becoming much more personable. She, Lisa and Becky had begun to become quite close and the leader of the Guardians was glad to see that while the pain of what happened to Marna still weighed heavily on Nella, she was determined to not let it destroy her and was more open to talking about her feelings. Chase and Kaz were just glad to see the sister they knew and loved returning to them.

"Alright, it's show time!" Hay Lin was barely able to contain her excitement as the music started and everyone began to slowly walk down the center aisle. In keeping with the color schemes the pews on the right had been decorated with pink bows and streamers while the ones on the left were blue. It also served to show which guests were there for which bride. It was a pretty good-sized crowd. Irma's mom and Susan were seated up front of course. Friends and coworkers for both ladies were in attendance as well. Professor Knickerbocker was there. The council members had made the trip over from Kandrakar to attend the event. Luba of course was disguised with an illusion spell to make her look human in order to keep people from freaking out. She wasn't the only one either. Aldarn, Vathek, Raynor and Blunk were all there from Meridian as well. In Blunk's case he had a second spell cast over him to mask his rather pungent smell. Becky giggled to see him tugging on the collar of the child sized tuxedo Hay Lin had stuffed him into. All told at least a hundred people had shown up to witness Will and Irma's nuptials.

As they passed through the doorway Trista shot Kaz a loving smile which he returned. He, Chase and Caleb were ushers and Trista thought her fiancé looked quite fetching in his tux. They weren't the only ones to be throwing googly eyes at one another. Becky couldn't keep her eyes off of Lisa, which caused her to stumble in her heels. She would have fallen too if it hadn't been for the Oracle holding her up with some quick spell work. She blushed and concentrated on keeping her balance instead of staring at her girlfriend. At least she wasn't the only one having trouble. Trista, Amy and Nella also seemed to be struggling to stay upright. Step by step they made their way up to the front. The two lines split off and took up their assigned positions flanking the alter and the minister, an older lady named Martha that had agreed to perform the ceremony. Becky breathed a small sigh of relief, now that she was standing still it was easier to keep her balance.

Once everyone was in place the music changed to 'Here comes the Bride' and everyone stood up as Irma was the first to walk down the aisle. Flashes from the photographer's camera lit up the room. Tom walked besides his daughter, their arms linked. Irma looked breathtaking in her gown. For her Hay Lin had gone with a simple sheath type dress made out of shimmering satin that hugged her curves. A pair of spaghetti straps that went over the shoulders and looped back under her arms held up the gown. She carried a bouquet of blue flowers. A pair of pearl stud earrings and a flower wreath on her head held the simple veil that framed her face completed the ensemble. When they reached the front Tom kissed his daughter on the cheek and took a seat next to his wife.

The song started over from the beginning and it was Will's turn. For her dress Hay Lin had gone with an elegant and rather frilly mermaid style gown. The strapless garment clung to her upper body. The lower half part of the dress flared out just below her waist with a short train trailing behind her. Like Irma she had a veil held up by a flower wreath and the same pearl earrings. Her bouquet was pink. Dean gave Will a big hug before he sat down and Will stood across from her soon to be wife, the two women smiling at each other.

"They look amazing! Hay Lin you outdid yourself!" Lisa said in an awe filled whisper.

"Thanks, I just wanted to do my part to make this day as perfect as possible."

"Welcome friends and family." Martha said once the music stopped. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of two souls. Will and Irma have vowed to pledge their hearts and minds to one another in the bonds of holy matrimony." As the minister continued her speech Becky felt something come over her. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, maybe it was the romantic nature of the day, but when she looked at her mom and Irma standing there about to tie the knot she couldn't help but imagine herself and Lisa in their place dressed in white professing their eternal love for one another. "We now come to the exchanging of the vows. We'll start with Irma." Taking Will's hands into her own Irma looked into her eyes.

"Will. For the longest time I loved you in secret. Afraid to tell you how I felt, scared of you rejecting me and losing the one thing I've wanted more than anything in my life, your love. I'm so glad I found the courage, with a little help from someone special to the both of us, to tell you how I feel. Wherever life takes us I want us doing it together. I promise to do my upmost best to make you as happy as you make me every day."

"Thank you Irma, and now Will."

"Irma, you make me laugh, you make me cry, you make me strong, you make me weak. You have been there for me at both my highest points and my lowest moments. But most importantly you make me feel loved. Like I said when I proposed I had locked away my heart, afraid to let myself love again. But you set it free. That is a debt I will spend the rest of our lives trying to repay. I know that together there is nothing we can't overcome. You are my sun and my moon Irma, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Wonderful. May we have the rings please." Hay Lin and Taranee took out a matching gold ring each and handed them to Will and Irma. "Irma Lair, do you take Will Vandom, as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer and poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Irma said, her voice cracking with happiness as Will slipped a ring onto her finger.

"Will Vandom, do you take Irma Lair as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer and poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Will said gently as Irma placed the ring she held on her hand.

"Then by the power vested to me I pronounce you wife and wife. Let no one tear asunder what has been bonded together for all time. You both may now kiss your bride." With that Will and Irma embraced and shared a loving and warm kiss. The gathered guests stood once more and started to cheer and applaud as the music started back up as the two newlyweds walked back down the aisle hand in hand. As they did people sitting on the ends of the pews threw rice as they went by.

"Way to go!" Becky cheered as loudly as possible. After Will and Irma were gone everyone headed for the reception hall where they lined up to congratulate the newlyweds. When it was Becky's turn she gave the two of them a huge hug. When that was done it was time for photographs of the wedding party. It seemed to take an eternity for all the group and individual shots to get done to Becky, but maybe that was due to the fact her feet were really starting to hurt in those blasted high heels she was wearing. Finally, the pictures were done and Becky was able to take off her dress shoes and put on some more comfortable flats, much to her relief.

Dinner was next. They had gone all out on the food provided to the guests, steak and lobster. As part of the wedding party Becky and the girls were seated at the main table which was up on a slightly raised platform. Becky felt a little exposed and uncomfortable being in such a position, but a gentle squeeze of Lisa's hand under the table was all it took to make her feel more relaxed.

Finding a place to hold the wedding had probably been the hardest part of the preparations. Things had begun to look rather grim at first as everyplace seemed to be booked up for months. Thanks to a lucky break, they came across a place that had a sudden cancellation. While it wasn't one of the biggest places in town, it did have a chapel and the reception hall was more then adequate to accommodate the guest list. And as they were filling in for that cancellation they had gotten a great discount on the fees which helped cover the cost of the extravagant meal they were enjoying. When nearly everyone had finished eating Will and Irma stood up and clinked a knife against a glass to get everyone's attention.

"We just want to take a moment and thank everyone for being here today." Will said as she held Irma's hand. "It means the world to us to be surrounded by friends and family and to be able to share this day with you all. Irma?"

"I just want to give a shout out to everyone who busted their butts to put this together on such short notice, this day wouldn't have happened without you all. And a special thanks to my best friend and maid of honor Hay Lin for the amazing job she did on our dresses."

"Just doing what I could." Hay Lin said as she got up and gave both Irma and Will a hug. The rest of the guests broke out in applause.

"So now can we get all the single ladies out into the middle of the dance floor please?" Will said with a knowing smile. There was a lot of excited murmuring as all the unmarried females crowed together.

"What's this all about?" Nella asked Becky.

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know. Well it's a wedding tradition. The bride, or in this case brides throw their bouquet at the unmarried women at the wedding. Whoever catches it is supposed to be the next one to get married. It's just a superstition, but some women take it a little too seriously, and take it a little far trying to get the bouquet. I'll have to show you some videos."

"What, do you mean I should be worried about getting tackled or something? Better warm up." Nella cracked her knuckles like she was gearing up for a fight.

"Whoa! I don't think anyone…" Becky began to say quickly, but stopped when she saw the grin on Nella's face and realized the princess was only messing with her.

Will and Irma walked in front of the waiting girls. It wasn't a very big group, consisting mostly of Becky and her friends. Elyon and few other guests made up the rest of the group. Becky got ready even though she wasn't going to make a serious attempt to get one of the bouquets. She saw it as kind of a silly tradition, but was going to participate for Will and Irma's sake. Besides she already figured that they were going to aim for Trista since they knew about her engagement to Kaz.

"So, on the count of three?" Irma asked to which Will nodded.

"Get ready ladies!" Will called out followed by the pair of them counting together. "One!... Two!... THREE!" There were some mad squeals as the two newlyweds flung their bouquets into the air and everyone made a grab for them. But like Becky had though they would do they had already decided to aim where they were throwing, she had just been wrong about at who. Their tosses were right on point and the flowers ended up in their intended targets hands. To their surprise Lisa got ahold of Irma's bouquet and Becky got Will's. They stood there blinking in surprise for a moment before looking at each other and blushing furiously. A round of good natured applause filled the air as the two rather embarrassed girlfriends waved to the crowd.

"You did that on purpose." Becky said to her mom.

"It was Irma's idea." Will said holding up her hands.

"It was not!" Irma said as she gave Will a playful smack on the shoulder. "Don't listen to her Becky, she wanted to make you blush. I just went along for the ride. That's all." Becky wasn't buying either of their acts, but let it go. It had all been in good fun, she knew. Just as she knew it wasn't quite over with.

"So Becks, you and Lisa are going to be the next to tie the knot hunh?" Trista said right on que as she elbowed Becky in the ribs. "Got a date set yet?"

"Oh, I can see it now!" Amy exclaimed using a high-pitched voice. "A summer wedding in the middle of the woods. Becky will be standing at the alter attended by elves and Lisa will come riding in on the back of a pure white unicorn. The ceremony will be performed by a wood nymph. It'll be so magical! AHHH!" Amy pretended to faint and everyone started laughing.

"Okay, guys, we get it." Lisa said while shaking her head. She and Becky went to put the bouquets down on a table and as they did their hands brushed and they looked at each other. Becky couldn't but help to think about how much she loved Lisa. That gentle smile she always seemed to have on face never failed to melt her heart. Becky had never thought much about her future, for the longest time she never believed she had one. But looking into Lisa's lovely blue eyes the leader of the Guardians was never more sure that Lisa was meant to be part of it.

The tables were moved back to create more room on the dance floor and the band started to play a slow, soulful tune. Will led Irma out and a spotlight snapped on to highlight them as the lights in the hall were dimmed. They took each other into their arms and shared their first dance as a married couple. As they swayed by themselves everyone could feel the love they shared for one another radiating off them. After a few minutes Becky took Lisa by the hand and led her out onto the dance floor. They were soon followed by Amy and Samantha, then Sarah and Jenny as well as Kaz and Trista. Pretty soon the dancefloor was filled by several happy couples enjoying each other's company. As they danced Lisa rested her head on Becky's shoulder. She turned her face so she could whisper in her girlfriend's ear.

"I love you with all my heart Becky, and I always will."

"I love you too Lisa. You mean the world to me."

After awhile things began to settle down and the guests began to gather in small groups to talk and mingle. Lisa had gone off to get something to drink and Becky had found herself wandering around. She mostly nodded in greeting to people instead of joining in their conversations. At one point she came across Chase standing by himself staring off into space.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Becky asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Earth expression. It's a way of asking what's on your mind. You seemed kind of out of it."

"Oh, I suppose I was. I was just thinking of Celia, that's all. I suppose I always imagined something like this for the two of us."

"Ah." Was all Becky said. She knew this was a delicate subject for the prince. But she had a certain curiosity about the seer as well. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet her in first place?"

"Oh, that." Chase said with a hint of a smile. "It was about ten years ago. Nella was only a year old at the time, Kaz five. Our mother had died only a few months beforehand. Our father was doing an inspection of the villages in a nearby province and he took me along. He knew I needed the distraction and I welcomed it. We were riding into what was the third or fourth village on the tour I believe. A larger town called Delsic. He told me about a rumor he wanted to check out about a girl who could see the future that lived there. I was curious, but wasn't sure I gave it much stock at the time. I was getting kind of bored, but was doing my best to pay attention. We were met by the mayor and the captain of the local garrison. The usual pleasantries were exchanged and my father began asking about a group of bandits that had been active in the area. The soldiers had apparently caught up with them and had been forced to dispatch them when they wouldn't surrender. The only survivor was an eleven-year-old girl that was to be shipped off to the prison. I began to let my mind wander after that. That's when I heard it, a girl crying out for help. Before anyone could stop me, I went charging off on my horse. I wasn't even thinking really. I always figured that I was so wound up that even a hint of action is what set me off."

"I rode up on three boys who were maybe a year or two older than me surrounding someone on the ground. They stopped when I got there and that's when I saw Celia for the first time. She was covered in dirt, her eyes puffy from crying, bleeding from a couple of cuts on her face. Even so, she took my breath away. Never before had I seen a girl as beautiful as her. She looked at me with fearful, pleading eyes and I knew I had to help her. I ordered her attackers to leave her alone as I got off my horse. They laughed, told me that it was none of my business, that she was getting what she deserved, and started to come at me. I drew my sword and that gave them pause. By then the royal guard caught up with me and that was enough to send them running. The guards went after them while I helped Celia up. Our eyes locked and it was as if the entire world disappeared. There was just something about her that I couldn't turn away from. It took my father touching my shoulder to snap me out of it. We learned that Celia was the girl my father had heard about."

"We went to the inn so the healer with us could tend to her and we could learn about her. The mayor who was sympathetic to her plight told us that the townsfolk mostly shunned her though there were those like her attackers that took things farther. All because of her visions, which she couldn't control. Her parents while not cruel to her weren't very caring either. The mayor surmised that like everyone else they were afraid of her. I asked my father if there was anything we could do for her. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving her in that situation. Father sent for Celia's parents. I remember them quite well. They were very haggard looking, worn out. The pressure of having a child that the entire village despised was obviously taking a toll on them. My father couldn't just take Celia away from them, even though I think he wanted to, they weren't actually harming her. What he did do was ask if Celia could go with us when we left the town. He was curious about her abilities and wanted to learn more about them and to let our scholars talk with her. They quickly agreed. They obviously saw it as a chance to be rid of her, even if it was only temporary."

"So, the next day when we left Celia went with us. She was so nervous, she had never even ridden a horse before. But the more distance between us and Delsic and once she realized no was going to harm her she started to relax, even have a little fun. To see her smile was an amazing thing. We stayed by each other's side almost the entire time. The only time we separated was when I had some duty to attend to or when we went to bed for the night. I knew right away I was falling for her, everyone else could tell as well I'm sure. She looked at everything with a sense of wonder, we came to learn she had never left Delsic before. When we arrived back at the capital I thought she was going to break her neck the way she kept whipping her head around. I took her to the spring festival a few days later and she had the time of her life. It was there that we kissed for the first time."

"She stayed with us for about a month before it was time for her to return home. It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest when we parted in front of her house. I told her I loved her and she responded in kind. I promised her I would see her again, and soon. My father told her she was welcome in our home anytime. A couple of months later she was back and we were both overjoyed at our reunion. Over the years her visits became more frequent and for longer. Though we offered it she never wanted to stay permanently. I couldn't understand why then, but now I do. I never knew the fear she carried with her. A failing on my part. From what Nella told me about her encounter with Celia in the castle the other day she doesn't think she would make a good queen, that she isn't worthy. If only I had known I could have helped her to see how wrong she is. She's a caring, compassionate woman, and though she won't admit it to herself she's a lot stronger then she thinks. There's a steel to her spirit just below the surface, even if she can't see it. Just the kind of queen our people need and deserve…" All through his recounting Becky could detect a longing sadness to his voice. It was plain to see that Chase was still very much in love with Celia and wanted her back more than anything. Even though by the laws of Eldrin she was a traitor, a crime punishable by death, she didn't think Chase had it in him to carry it out. Hopefully once Logrim was defeated the two could be reunited and they could find a way to rebuild their relationship.

After talking to Chase Becky went to find Lisa, but couldn't seem to find her. If fact she was hard pressed to find any of her friends. Most everyone seemed to have disappeared. She spied Cornelia and Caleb walking back into the ball room hand in hand. Their disheveled looks and the satisfied grins on their face suggested they had found a privet spot for a little hanky panky. Becky hid a chuckle behind her hand, guessing the mood of the wedding had put the married couple in an amours mood. She was beginning to think some of the others had done the same. She was about to go back to looking for Lisa when she literally bumped into Nella at the punch bowl.

"Oh geez, sorry Nella. Didn't see you there." She said as she handed Nella a napkin to wipe the punch off her face.

"Don't see how, what with me in this getup." Becky was about to respond when she realized Nella was joking with her again. She still wasn't quite used to the princess being more lighthearted then she used to be.

"So, you enjoying yourself?"

"Well, it's not as tedious as I thought it was going to be, not by much mind you."

"Oh, of course." Becky said in mock seriousness.

"But I managed to find a way to entertain myself, so it's all good, I think that's the phrase, right?"

"Yep." Nella seemed to be trying to pick up more earth slang and phrases. Th princess grew silent all of a sudden and her face fell a bit. Becky was pretty sure she knew what was wrong. "Wishing Marna was here?" She asked. She had learned it was best to be direct with Nella.

"Yeah." Nella said. "She would have enjoyed this." Becky found her curiosity peaked again. A burning question she had been afraid to ask for awhile now came to mind. But if she was to continue to be there for the troubled princess she had to know everything.

"Nella, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"You and Marna, were you two, I mean was there something more…" Becky found herself tripping over her words, not sure how to phrase the question. It was a delicate subject after all.

"Are you trying to ask if I was in love with Marna?"

"Ah yeah, I was trying to be delicate. I don't want to upset you, it's just when you were taking about her after we got back from Eldrin the way you spoke about her made me wonder. If it's too delicate a subject we don't have to talk about it."

"No, it's okay. I was wondering when you were going to ask me about that actually." Nella leaned back against the wall and tilted her head up. "To answer your question. Yes, I was in love with her."

"How did she feel?"

"I, I don't know. I never told her, at least not directly." Before Becky could ask what she meant by that Nella pressed on. "I didn't know how to approach it. Every time I thought about bringing it up, I put it off. Always telling myself that the time wasn't right. And I guess I was afraid that if she didn't feel the same way it would ruin our friendship. I didn't want to lose what I had. Stupid hunh?"

"No, not at all. I felt the same way when I realized I was in love with Lisa."

"Yeah, but you managed to tell her. I'll never be able to. That'll be one of my biggest regrets that I'll carry with me." A single tear rolled down her cheek. Becky wrapped an arm around Nella in a side hug. The princess smiled and wiped the tear away. "Well, enough of that. This isn't the time for tears after all. We're here to celebrate. Thanks Becky."

"Anytime Nella." Becky finally spied Lisa at the snack table nibbling on some cheese and crackers. She went over to her and gently touched her shoulder. "Hey babe."

"Oh Becky." Lisa put her arm around Becky's shoulder.

"Been looking for you." Becky gave Lisa a peck on the cheek.

"Sorry. I needed to use the bathroom and then I got caught up talking to people."

"I know the feeling. I've been talking with Chase then Nella."

"Anything interesting?" Becky related Chase's tale of how he met Celia and how she confirmed Nella's true feelings for Marna. "Oh, poor Nella."

"I know, we just need to make sure we're there for her if she needs it." Becky tried to stifle a sudden yawn at the end of her sentence. "Sorry." She shook her head a bit. "Guess I'm a little worn out. It has been a long day."

"I know what you mean. I'm bushed myself. Any idea how long this is supposed to go on?"

"Not much longer I would think. Mom and Irma need to leave soon if they're going to catch their flight."

"Right. Their honeymoon in Hawaii." Lisa said nodding her head. "They better get a move on then." Right on cue Will and Irma made their way to the three-tiered wedding cake adorned with pink and blue frosting flowers that everyone had been admiring.

"Everyone, we're running a little low on time so we're going to do the cutting of the cake." Will said. Everyone gathered around as Will and Irma both held the same knife and sliced into the bottom tier of the cake and came away with two pieces. They held them up to feed each other. Everyone saw the mischievous grins on their faces and thought they were going to squish the cake into each other. Instead they quickly spun around and smashed the cake into whoever was closest. For Irma it was Hay Lin and Will ended up getting Cornelia. Both women laughed at the good-natured prank their friends had pulled on them. Hay Lin licked some of the cake off her face.

"Yummy." She said inciting a round of laughter from everyone. Will and Irma high fived at the success of their little stunt.

"We want to thank everyone once again for being here." Irma said.

"We also want to say thank you for your thoughtful gifts. Even though we haven't had a chance to open them yet. We'll be sending thank you notes in the mail. With that we have a flight to catch."

"Before you go." The Oracle said as held out a box wrapped in gold cloth and a silver bow.

"Is this what I think it is?!" Irma asked excitedly to which the Oracle nodded. "Thank you!" Irma threw her arms around her followed by Will.

"What was that all about?" Becky asked in confusion. Will and Irma looked at each other and blushed.

"We'll explain later sweetie." Will said, obviously embarrassed by something. "We need to catch our flight." Before Becky could protest or ask any further questions Will and Irma, gripping their present from the Oracle, headed for the waiting limo that was taking them to the airport. The guests followed them out the doors, cheering and clapping. As they climbed in Will called out to Becky. "We'll see you in a week! Have fun at Hay Lin's!" Becky had almost forgotten she was staying over at 'The Silver Dragon' while Will and Irma were out of town. She had been hoping to stay with Lisa, but her parents wouldn't allow it because of school. With that the limo driver closed the door and moments later he began to drive off. The guests began to wander off now that the party was basically over. Becky and Lisa were among the last to walk off. They spent a couple of the minutes hand in hand, watching the limo disappear into the distance, the words 'just married' painted on the back window.

"Do you think that will be us someday? You know, the ones getting married?" Lisa asked hesitantly. Becky turned to her head towards her and smiled. Something clicked in her mind and once again she saw the two of them in wedding gowns of their own, exchanging rings and vows. There was no question on how she was going to answer.

"I know we will." She said with as much sincerity and love as she could put into her voice. The two shared a brief kiss and touched their foreheads together, reveling in their love for one another as the sun sank below the horizon.

One Week Later

Pelth sat in his study going over the book of stories from Eldrin's past. He was nearing the end of one tale about a falling green star and the more he translated, the more excited he grew. What he was reading was pointing more and more to what his master was seeking. When he finally finished he started to chuckle, finally understanding what Celia's vision had meant and why no one on Eldrin had known about the object they were seeking. He opened the door and spoke to the Shoran guard on duty, his mad excitement overflowing.

"Inform Lord Logrim that I know where the Demon's Heart is."

Everyone was assembled on Kandrakar. Will and Irma had returned from their honeymoon the pervious day. Becky could tell there was something going on with them, there was a subtle difference to their behavior, but she wasn't sure what it exactly was. There hadn't been much time to talk about their trip and find out what as a meeting had been called by both the Oracle and Chase. While no one knew exactly what was going on, the subject could only be one thing. Logrim. Chase and the Oracle entered the council chamber together, both looking grim.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice. I am sorry it was so soon after your return from your honeymoon." The Oracle said.

"It's okay."

"Last night I completed my translations of the story Samantha told us about. We now know where the Heart of Exellis is."

"Great, where?" Trista said.

"Beneath an active volcano."

"Come again?!" Amy blurted out.

"Mount Illgoth." Chase said. "It's in the far south. For as long as anyone can remember it has never stopped erupting. It's a desolate, dangerous place, where lava never stops flowing from the peak."

"The Heart of Exellis being there would explain such a phenomenon. Its overflowing power could cause such an effect. It would also explain why I was unable to sense it. The power and violence of an erupting volcano would easily mask its presence." The Oracle added.

"The news gets even worse." Chase said. "Logrim must have figured out where it is as well. I started to receive reports from our scouts a day or two ago. He's been gathering his forces and teleporting them somewhere. It's obvious to where now."

"So, what do we do?" Jenny asked. "How do we find something that's in a constantly erupting volcano?"

"Do we even need to? If we can't get at it neither can Logrim. It's not like he can swim through lava." Irma said.

"We must assume he will be able to find it." The Oracle said. "Remember that Celia said her vision showed Logrim would be able to track it down. While such abilities are not always accurate or understandable, they do carry some element of truth to them."

"An underground place that is dark yet glows." Becky slapped her forehead, remembering the vision Celia had told Chase about in the royal vault a few months back. "A cave would be dark, but would glow from any lava flow inside in it. There must be some tunnel that leads into the mountain where the Heart of Exellis is."

"That doesn't help. There are numerous caves that litter the area. None of them have ever been explored." Chase said.

"So what do we?" Sarah asked. "Logrim is obviously gathering his army to protect the area. He must have figured out what we have. He's going to search the caves till he finds the right one and he's gathering his army to make sure we can't do the same thing."

"We fight." Becky said. "We bring that bastard down once and for all. Whatever it takes."

"It's about time." Nella said hefting Eldengraft onto her shoulder, her face resolute.

"Time to lay the smackdown." Trista slammed her fist into her palm.

"Let's get the bastard." Kaz nodded his head.

"We can't take on an entire army on by ourselves though." Amy said.

"We won't have to. We've managed to turn the refugees into a pretty sizable fighting force." Chase said.

"And Meridian's army will be there as well." Elyon added. "And before you try to say otherwise this isn't just your fight. My people know what it's like to be under the thumb of a tyrant. There have been marriages between our peoples in the last few months. Our worlds are united now, and we won't stand by while friends need help."

"Thank you Elyon, thank you." Chase said.

"So when do we do this?" Will asked.

"We can't be too hasty." Becky said. "We need to plan. As long as Logrim remains in the castle we have time. He's not going to let anyone claim his prize but himself."

"Alright. I'll tell the scouts to keep a watch on the castle and we'll also start getting some eyes on Logrim's forces at Mount Illgoth. The more we know the better."

"We're decided then. Let's get ready." Becky looked around and everyone nodded yes in response. Chase went to get his commanding officers while the Oracle prepped the library for use as a meeting space. Once everything was ready and everyone was gathered they got down to planning what would become their final assault. The time to stop Logrim once and for all had come.

And with that we come to the end of chapter 28. I hope you enjoyed Will and Irma's wedding day! I was planning to have a full on flashback about how Chase met Celia, I even had it mostly written, but I felt it was becoming to ponderous and that it broke the flow of the chapter so instead I had Chase just recount the tale in his own words. What do guys think? Was that a good choice or should I have gone with the flashback? As always let me know what you think in a review!

So now we have only three chapters left to go! It's my hope that I will have them all up by sometime in the middle of next year with the sequel to be started not long after that. No promises, but that's my goal!

Next chapter: The final battle to save Eldrin is about to begin. As our hero's prepare themselves for their most difficult battle yet an event that causes a conflict between Becky and Lisa pops up! Will this spell doom for their relationship or will their love for one another endure?! This and more twists and turns await! So stayed tuned and be ready as the epic final battle begins!

Until next time this is Shocklance, signing off!