First of all, I apologize for the mistakes I made. The first one I noticed was in part 2. Hitomi asked for a kiss from Amano if she ran the 100 metres in under 13 swings, not 100 swings, yeesh. I reread my story to get ideas for the epilogue, wrapping up any loose ends... except for a few I want to continue. ^_^ Then, I made Hitomi pay for ice cream twice.. Oh well.

Hitomi paced nervously in her room. Her long white gown swished from side to side in waves like it had been designed to. She wrung her hands and saw out of the corner of her eyes that Merle was watching her intently. Hitomi flung her hands up into the air. "What is it Merle? Why are you watching me like that? Is there something wrong? Doesn't the dress fit right? Can you tell I haven't slept? What?"

"Nothing like that at all Hitomi." Merle smiled up at her, fluffed tail breezing back and forth. "Just thinking. You know, about what you must be going through and all. I mean, in an hour you'll be getting married."

She flopped down into her love seat, letting out a long sigh as she fell. "I know... don't even remind me. I'm so nervous right now I feel like I'm gong to be sick!" It was true, too. The butterflies in her stomach weren't butterflies, anymore, they were more like eagles: dicing and soaring all over the place. She felt like her heart was going to give out at any moment, it was beating so fast. The beats seemed almost to overlap!

Millerna put a calm hand on the younger girl's. "Hitomi, that's perfectly natural. Don't worry, you won't be sick." She pulled on Hitomi's hand, pulling the girl back up. "Let's put some of that energy to good use, okay? Do you remember your entrance? Do you remember what you're supposed to say?"

As Hitomi repeated her parts, Merle relaxed in her seat. The past few days preparing for Van and Hitomi's wedding had been like dragging herself in a fiery pit. There had been so much to do! First, the guests that Lord Wernym had invited started to show so there had special dinners planned, as well guests rooms to get cleaned and organize. Second, all the actual wedding arrangements to plan. Hitomi's dress, the bridesmaids' dresses, Van's suit of amour had to be cleaned, the Church had to be booked and decorated, the party for afterwards had to be organized, legal documents... the list went on for ages, but somehow they had got it all done.

But worst of all had been Lady Hyrule. She'd been at her husband, trying to get him to take some kind of stand against Van and Hitomi's upcoming wedding. When that hadn't worked, she tried sabotage. There had the rumour she'd started that the King and future Queen had called off their marriage. Or when she had snuck into the kitchen and burned hours of chef Jerome's work. There had been more, but it had always been legal, so unfortunately van couldn't put her in jail for the duration of the wedding.

"So, Hitomi." Millerna started. "Where have you and Van decided to go on your honeymoon?"

"With all that's been happening, that's been at the very bottom of our 'To Do' list. Van and I just figured that we'd stay here in Fanelia." Hitomi sighed, leaning her head against Millerna's shoulder. "And some how, I feel that Lady Hyrule is done trying to stop Van and I from getting married."

"Don't worry." Millerna hugged the nervous girl. "I'm sure that your wedding will work out okay."

Merle decided to switch topics. She too, had very feeling that Lady Hyrule was up to something. "Hitomi, that poem you had? Exactly what was it about?"

"Oh, that!" Hitomi laughed, and started explaining. "'Something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new.' It's... well, I don't really know what it is exactly, but I think it's just for luck in a person's new marriage. "I managed to get it all too. Something borrowed is the headpiece because it's the same way Millerna wore for her wedding. My something old is the dress, since it used to be Van's mother's. I have the necklace Van gave me for something new."

"What about something blue?" Merle asked.

She laughed, and blushed, as Millerna did the same. The two elder girls looked at each other and winked. "Oh, that's just for me and Van to know." Hitomi told the cat girl.

A light knock on the made the girls rise and brush small wrinkles out of their dresses. Merle opened the door to see Lord Wernym bowing low. Telling them that the wedding was about to start, he blushed when he saw the girls. Hitomi wore an all white, except for gold trimmings here and there. She wore a green precious stone checker, hidden under a laced white veil. The dress had a low neckline, revealing how much she'd grown since she Van had seen her last as a gangly teenager. There was no train, but instead a long gold cape attached to the shoulders that Merle and Millerna clasped on before leaving the room. Millerna and Merle were both being Hitomi's bridesmaids. They wore all gold dresses with puffed shoulders but otherwise very simple. The idea was that the bridesmaids stood out with their vibrant colour, but the bride would stand out for the elegant dress and detail. Merle's also had the distinction of having a pink stripped tail with white puff on the end waving behind it. All three girls had their hair done up, and Hitomi had simple gold headpiece which attached her veil. "Ladies," Lord Wernym bowed again. "I have never seen gorgeous creatures mythical or mortal as you three."

Merle sighed and punched Wernym in the arm. "Shut up. You're such a suck up, Wernym. Jeeze man, get a life!"

"Yes m'lady Merle." (Merle sighed and considered punching him again, but decided against.)

A carriage took the four to the church, where a crowd had already gathered. Usually other royalty and rich people would be inside the chapel observing the marriage, while the lesser off had to stay outside, but when van had his men rebuild the church, he'd made even more larger so that the entire town could fit inside. Once outside the church, Wernym went ahead of them, hurrying inside as Millerna, Hitomi and Merle arranged themselves in proper order. They would walk straight into the Church, up the very front, no waiting allowed. The music had already started playing Gaea's version of "Here Come the Bride" and by now Van would already by at the front.

Hitomi slowly started walking down the red aisle, the large wooden doors opening to let the trio through. At first Hitomi couldn't see van, only the hundreds of faces staring at her as she continued walking towards the front of the church. She blushed beneath her veil, feeling suddenly self-conscious. The moment she saw Van, though, all those feelings melted away as she concentrated on him.

Van stood from his kneeling position and turned to se Hitomi walk down the aisle, giving her a clear view of him. He was wearing armour similar to that when he'd been crowned King of Fanelia, except larger. Hitomi knew it must have belonged to his father. She felt his eyes on her, and blushed even harder. As she continued walking, Hitomi thought hard. 'Oh Van, I'm finally getting to marry you! After all this time! I'm finally going to get to be with you! I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, and I'll never have to let you go again! Oh Van... I love you so much! I wish you could know how much I love you...'

She winked at Allen, standing beside Van, his best man, as Van took her hand. They stood side by side as the priest began the ceremony. Van tried to keep his attention on the priest and the ceremony, but he kept glancing over at Hitomi. She looked so beautiful. 'Hitomi... I never thought that I would love anyone as I love you, let alone someone who slapped me the first time I me them. But I do. I promise that I will do everything I can to make sure that you're happy here on Gaea, I really will!'

The ceremony proceeded as normal. As the priest neared the end of the ceremony, Millerna leaned over to Allen. "Do you have everything ready?" he nodded, and Merle joined in their conversation.

"It's a really good thing that you were here, Millerna, in enough time to get all of this organized! I never would have though Lady Hyrule would pull something like this off, mainly because I didn't even remember the ceremony itself! The only wedding I saw was yours and Dryden's." Hearing his name, Dryden smiled, and reached out to hold Millerna's hand. He pushed his glasses back up to their usual resting place so that he could see again.

Clearing his throat, the old priest looked out at the vast number of people. 'If there is anyone who does not believe that these two should be wed in holy matrimony, let them speak now or forever-..."

He was suddenly interrupted by Lady Hyrule standing up. "Yes! I do! I completely disapprove of their marriage!" she yelled, stomping her foot. Her remarks was immediately met with boos, hisses, as well as several death threats from some of the people there.

Van and Hitomi glanced at each other, their smiles and blush turning into red faced anger and looks that could kill. Van whispered over to Hitomi: "We should have expected something like this. I never thought that she'd be so gutsy as to stand up like this is the middle of a ceremony though." Hitomi nodded, and they were so close, that Van could feel the smooth fabric of her veil touch his skin. He light touch made him shudder, once again making him realize how much he wanted to simply grab Hitomi and carry her off, forgetting all about the marriage.

The priest pulled down his glasses, staring at Lady Hyrule. "And, young Lady, do you have any reason why they shouldn't be married?"

"Yes!" Lady Hyrule shoved her way through the crowd, approaching the front. The guards watched her go, waiting for a signal from Van to stop her, but the signal never came. "Van is a King! Hitomi's a fortune reader from the Mystic Moon!" she protested.

"But the Lady Hitomi did pass the test for Queenship." The kindly priest pointed out.

"That doesn't mean a thing! She still isn't royalty!"

King Van finally spoke up. "Neither was my mother, but she became the Queen of Fanelia."

"What was in the past does not matter know! I do not approve of this marriage, and the law states that should anybody not approve of marriage, the couple in question may not get married."

Allen stared coldly at Lady Hyrule, his voice low and challenging. "Lady Hyrule... is Hitomi is royalty, then will please you?"

She smiled proudly, believing that there was no way that Hitomi could be royalty, nor could become royalty without marrying Van. "Yes."

"Great." Allen handed several papers to Van for him to read. In a loud, clear voice he announced what they were. "These papers were brought by Cheid, King of Austuria, at his sister's request. Hitomi has no living family on Gaea, which means that by our standards she is homeless. At his sister's request, King Cheid signed these papers, fully legal in any form, for Hitomi's adoption into their family."

Hitomi smiled, taking a small step forward. "Allen, do you mean..."

"Yes. You'd become a sister to Millerna and Cheid, as well as a princess of Asturia."

Cheid stepped forward with a pen. He smiled up at his soon to be sister brightly, handing her the pen. "This is my wedding gift to you. Of course, the offer also comes with a dowry and inheritance for Hitomi. It's outlined in the papers. If you wish Hitomi, then you can take a moment now to read it."

"That's all right Cheid." Hitomi smiled, taking the offered pen, and papers from Van who was busy glancing through it. "It means I get to marry Van, and get a family here on Gaea. The only thing is, I don't know much about Asturia: your customs, your laws, and such. So I'll sign it providing that you promise me you'll teach me all about Asturia."

"Deal!" Cheid's smile broadened as he watched Hitomi sign the papers. He turned to Lady Hyrule who looked like a fish out of water. Her eyes were bulging and her mouth was very wide. "I believe that takes care of everything. Let's get on with is."

The priest smiled. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now, for the last part." Opening a large chest, a drew out a golden crown. Van turned to Hitomi to him and took of the small crown she wore. "With this crown, I pronounce you Queen of Fanelia. Your duty is to govern beside your King, wise and justful, and to protect and govern the people of Fanelia. Hitomi Kanzaki, Princess of Asturia and Child of the Mystic Moon, do you accept the crown and all that comes with it?"

Hitomi nodded, feeling her heart race. She wet her lips, suddenly very dry. "Yes."

The crown was placed on her head, and Hitomi felt herself relax and stand straighter with a renewed pride. The old priest smiled at her. "I know pronounce you King and Queen. Van, you may now kiss the bride." he winked at the young king. "I know that you've been wanting to ever since this thing got started."

Van and Hitomi blushed, as she turned to her husband. Van lifted up the veil, pushing it over the new crown that sat elegantly on Hitomi's head. He gasped when he saw how beautiful she looked, her face looking peaceful and trusting. As Van leaned in to kiss her, he felt himself become enveloped in the peace and serenity Hitomi always seemed to cast over him. Van's heart nearly thumped out of his chest, and his hands itched to grab her and run away. Even though he couldn't do that, Van couldn't hold himself all together. His hands slid around Hitomi's waist and he dipped her back. His tongue ran into her awaiting mouth, enjoying the sensations and taste that was pure Hitomi. His hands moved up to her back, holding her tightly, and she did the same back to him.

Lord Wernym's protested at such public display was lost among deafening cheers from the entire town.

Van and Hitomi ran out of the church hand in hand, towards the carriage that would take them back to the palace for the outdoor party they'd planned, underneath the white statues in the garden. Gasps made them stop, and they turned to face outside the city walls. High above them, on one of the cliffs that surrounded the city, there loomed two figures. The first was a large dragon, red in colour. Beside it was the smaller and more feminine figure of a unicorn.

Hitomi gasped, tears coming to her eyes at the beautiful sight. She could hear Van's voice in her ear. "Seeing a Unicorn and a Dragon on your wedding day is considered good luck. To see them both, we must be very lucky indeed." Van helped her inside the carriage. As they started moving, he pulled her closer for another long and passionate kiss, full of promises for all that lay in front of them, especially that approaching night. "I love you, Queen Hitomi."

She smiled up at Van. "I love you, King Van." she said, before pulling him in tight for another long kiss.

As the carriage drove the two newly weds towards their old home, the Unicorn and the Dragon bowed their heads, and disappeared together into the darkness of the Fanelian Forests.

That is the epilogue to Leading Up To This Point. I know it took my awhile to get up, but it was worth it, right? Anyway, I'm going to start working on my sequel tomorow night. It will, however, go extremely slow because I have no idea what the hell I'm going to be doing. However, it will be called Unicorns and Dragons, and will be in the Drama section.

Once again: I love you guys so much, I feel so special when I check my e-mails and find reviews for my story! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Love,

Violent_Quatre