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Estella stood before the mirror as Llia placed the veil over her head.

"You poor, helpless child," Llia whispered sorrowfully, "To be forced to wed Ike. Ike, who destroys everything in his path without a second thought... He's already started on you..." She said, meaning the scars on Estella, two on her back where her wings once were, and one on her face. "I have but enough magic to hide the scars for a little while." She whispered, touching each of the scars gently, the scars appearing to heal instantly.

Estella turned. "But I must accept my fate, Llia. You have been so kind to me... Thank you." She bowed her head for a moment then turned to pick up her bouquet. The flowers were bright red and orange, the petals as sharp as knives, the leafs and stems the color of scorched wood. "Poisonous." Estella sighed, realizing yet another of Shadd Ike's toutures.

"Definitely, it seems were in some sort of cell or something" he said to the group. "or a room inside a castle, but the only castle I've seen in Zion is Luna's...and she's long gone, why would we be there?"

Llia led Estella down through the labrynth of tunnels to the room that the wedding was to be held in. As she walked, she formulated a plan in her mind, a plan to save Estella from the dreadful fate that awaited her through the doors. Stopping before the doors of the grand hallway, Llia turned to face the young bride-to-be. "You dont have to go through this, Ella dear. I can save you."

"But what would you be able to do? Ike has taken all of your magic." Estella said doubtfully.

Llia smiled. "Not all of it. Just remember, before you seal your fate, say the name of the one you truely love. I can tell you no more." Glancing at the doors sollemly, Llia spoke one last time, "We mustn't keep Shadd Ike Fire waiting." And she opened the doors for Estella...

"I hear voices..." said Lang, finding what seemed to be a door, he pressed his ear to it...

-Vixous was having extreme difficulties on transporting with the others. He sighed and sneezed and then noticed something out of the ordinary. A dark, large, looming shadow stood behind him. Vixous turned in time to see a large club come and knock him out. Then all went black.-

"Nice to see you talking better, Ryu. You hear voices?"She paused trying to listen. She walked over to Lang and put her ear to it also. She could hear faint voices but then began to feel worried."What'll we do if Vix doesn't return?"She whispered.

-When he came to, he found himself on a balcony, overlooking a precarious scene. He blinked a few times to make sure what he was seeing was what he was really seeing. He could see Estella just appearing in wedding garments entering the crowded room. He looked around him and found a guard on the balcony with him, not noticing the spirit being.'The idiot. Supposed to watch out for creeps like me. Too bad Ike might be firing him soon.'He stood up silently and knocked the guy over the edge right into the pews where many people were watching the Estella.'Score one for the fox! Now to get outta here before someone realises that i'm here.'He dashed away down a staircase and quickly through many back corridors. He came to a very uncleaned area but was in earshot of what was happening in the large room where the ceremony was happening.-

Estella walked slowly through the long hallway, her face stubbornly indifferent. The poisonous flowers shimmered in the faint light, little scrapes were all along her arm, the poison slowly seeping through them. What could Llia mean by that? She thought as she reached the front and stopped besides Shadd Ike Fire, who was dressed in a flaming red tux, the color matching his hair, and grinning broadly.

Llia slipped in the back, not sitting but standing just behind the last pew. "Come on child, say it before it is too late..."

Posta snorted in his sleep and woke up, rubbing his eyes drowsily. "This ain' muh ship. An' wheres muh crew gone to?" He scratched the scales behind his little horns as he sat there, staring at the dark infront of him.

Ryu pushed on the door to see if it would open, then he tried pulling it, it was heavy, but it worked. Light began to come into the room, lang extinguished his. "now to find where we are..."

Lang stepped out after Ryu. "Seems like some sort of ceremony is happening" said Lang...

Posta then shook his head and moaned a certain magical word, dissappearing instantly from where he was--
"This ain' muh ship either!" Posta said as he walked unsteadily around where he was. Looking up, he grinned, "These ain' muh crew, but they'll do!" He was very much obviously intoxicated.

-Vixous heard a door open and quickly went for cover. He heard some familar voice and couldn't believe it. He recognized them.'NO WAY!! Humans, and magical humans shouldn't be able to get here. well ella is an exception but...what's Avi'or planning?'He then spotted Posta.'oh man.'He came out of hiding and approached the group."Ok. Next time...we find a better way of departing...for i've still got that bump on my head that someone planted on me. Whoever he was..."-

Fay was happy to hear Vix with them. But was a bit surprised and happy to see Posta."Posta...are you feeling well?"She walked out of that previous room and into the corridor where everyone else was, followed by Torrance who felt he had nothing to say.

"Feelin' well? Wha' are yuh tryin' to say abou' meh?" Posta slurred, tried to walk then tripped as he saw Vixous, " 'Ey! Wha's he doin' 'ere? Es... Es'ell... Es'elluh sen' 'im away!"

"Estella's here?" asked Lang quickly, then seeing posta, he chuckled inwardly (To himself). "Well, looks like we're all here...Oh wait...Where's Kovu?"

Ryu looked confusedly around. "Is Estella another guardian...and whats this...dragon thing?" He had obviously no idea what was going on, and tried to look around.

Posta placed his paws on his hips and looked up at Ryu. "Thissss dragon thing is your cap'ain! Now where's muh ship!?"

Ryu looked at Posta, obviously not afraid. "Okay, if theres some ship, I don't know about it, and I don't take orders from ANYONE" he snapped back at posta.

"Ryu, take it easy, he obviously just woke up from some dream he thought very real, and is living it in his awake state...or something..." Lang looked at Posta. "Where is Estella?"

"You'll take orders ferm yer CAP'AIN, boy! An' Es'ell... Es'elluh ain' on muh ship..." Posta slurred, then suddenly realized something. "Estella! Fire! We have to stop her!"

Lang figured out how to talk to Posta for a second. "An' Captain, your ship is with Estella" he said, surprised from the outburst.

Posta looked at Lang strangely. "What's gone wronge with yer head, boy? There ain't no ship around here! We have to find Estella and stop her!"

Meanwhile, with Estella, the poison was growing stronger and it's choking grasp extended over the weak Estella while the priest rambled on...

"Five seconds ago you were talking about some ship, do you know where Estella is?"

"Of course I do! She's in the grand hall about to be married to that creep of a man FIRE!!!" Posta was getting irritated at the 'stupidity' and slowness of Lang.

-"Yeah. i just came from the balconies."-

"She's what??!! I thought she loved Nevek!"

-Vixous was looking at Posta."Well, i guess i could tell you guys. Estella is getting married. against her own will."-

"Then lets get to the grand hall...quickly" said Lang, waiting for Posta, or someone who knew the place to lead, he had no idea where they were going.

Ryu rolled his eyes, and readied to follow Lang, he shook his head, not really knowing or caring about what was happening...

"And we have to stop her!" Posta finished, "I know where an entrance is that wont be guarded, come on!" And he jumped up in the air and flew, a little bit tipsy still.

Lang and Ryu followed closely, waiting for a sight to see.

Posta led them through a bunch of halls and then through a tunnel that went upward at a sharp angle, there was a ladder on the lower side, but Posta didnt use it. He simply flew strait up. After a bit, the tunnel inclined sharply and opened out onto a large, ornate chandelier, atleast the same size as the balconies with three levels and crystals dangling from delicately curved metal. "Come on!" Posta hissed through the tunnel, "Hurry!"

The poison's influence was strong now, faintly, Estella heard Ike say something, then the priest ask her a question. She could hardly breath right about now, let alone speak. But Ike stared at her, with such a look that outwardly to the unknowing person looked simply happy and expectant, but to Estella, and Llia, spoke of much more...

"Come on child, it wont work unless you say his name..." Llia whispered to herself nervously, her hands ready and prepared for the spell she was to perform, if only Estella would say his name....

lang quickly followed Posta into the tunnel. "Are we close?" he asked.

"Uhm well uh.... I'd say we're only about 300 feet above her, give or take a couple feet." Posta said, moving to the edge of the highest disk, the third level of the chandelier, and peering over the edge.

Lang crept over to the edge next to Posta, and looked down. 'There's estella!'

Faylabelle looked over the edge also. but she was still a little concerned about how Vix knew all this. "What'll we do to help her?"She whispered.

Torrance followed behind grudgingly.

-Vixous had also followed though he thinking up a storm. 'How can i help Ella enough to pay her back for the amulet?'-

"I don't know, but for some reason...I can sense Vixous here too" said Rein. "either way, we have to help her! Why didn't she tell us what was going on?"

"She didn't even tell me, until just yesterday," Posta grunted, "After she sent me away."

"After she sent you away...how will we stop this?" asked Lang.



Let's begin to finish this awesome tale!!

Posta, out of the corner of his beady little eyes, saw someone he knew that their hopes rested on. "It's Llia!" He said roughly, "She's got to have some kind of plan, she always does!"

The poison was too much for her, Estella was fading quickly. She held on just long enough to remember what Llia had said, and then, just as she was falling backwards, one fatal word slipped from her mouth, just barely audible, "Nevek!"

That was enough for Llia, instantly, she recited the words she had memorized, pumping all the rest of her magic through the spell, "Malleim scolliosise muui, furrem groshunk grinamio!" respectively, "The one spoken of, bring him here!"

Intantly, Nevek appeared behind Estella, catching her as she fell, a little bit confused at to his where-abouts, looking up at the fuming Fire, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at him, "You! What have you done to her?"

Posta cursed under his breath, "What follows, aint gonna be pretty." He said quietly as a warning to those behind him.

Shadd Ike Fire absolutely trembled with rage, and drew his own sword and pointed it back at Nevek. "And who are you, to accuse me of hurting my fiance, on MY WEDDING!?!" He was shouting now, but the people in the audience were strangely unaffected. This was because they were mere images, ment to make the wedding appear to be packed and joyous, because Estella was not well known in these parts, and Ike had no friends.

Nevek stayed faithfully with Estella, but his faith in her was severely shaken by what Fire had just said. He remained completely frozen to the spot, but somehow must've come to the conclusion that Estella was forced against her will, from the combination of evidenses of her latter letter to him, her being fainted, and him being here. "You beast!" He shouted back, "Estella would not marry someone like you!"

This make the allready angry Ike positively furious, and his orange eyes intensified with a murderous glow, fire consumed his wrath, "She is MY bride, she is MY lover, she loves no one but ME, and I intend to marry her and keep her with me, FOREVER! There is nothing you can do to stop me!" And, blind with rage, he began swinging his sword at Nevek, who skillfuly blocked every blow, so that the only sounds heard in the hall were the clashing of metal against metal, until Nevek finally thrust his sword at Fire, succeeding in slicing part of his upper thigh.

"FOOL!" Laughed Shadd Ike, "You cannot stop me, mere mortal!" And he laughed more, fire starting to burn around him, so that it created a circle of flames around the three...

[[I just love the drama and theatrics, dont you? 4laugh ]]

Nevek grew worried. He needed help, but from where? Estella was down, and he didn't know of anyone else that could help him. He held his gaurd, still pointing his sword up at the laughing Ike, awaiting what would come.

Ike stopped laughing abruptly and slashed at Nevek, succeeding in cutting his right arm pretty badly. "Foolish mortal, do you not see what is happening? Your precious Estella is dying in your arms, and if you continue to anger me, you will die, too!"

"If I must die to protect Estella from a beast like you, then so be it." Nevek said painfully. No longer able to fight with his right arm, his sword fell on the cold stone floor.

Ike grinned menacingly as the fire suddenly grew much taller, and then sank back to the height it was before. "What a fitting ending to this delightful tale." He said, laughing again.

-Vixous was calculating all the math within his head. He did a quick scan and found Lang down on the bottome floor.'Good a distraction. That'll give me time to jump upon Fire's head! I want to tear apart his face so bad that he won't even want to look in a mirror!'He was growling inside as he felt more of his soul become solid.-

Faylabelle watched Lang jump down into the crowd. She was relieved to find that he was right. Getting a grip upon the banister she leapt down to the main floor a few feet away from Lang."Made it."She grinned. She twirled the staff she had pulled from her pocket and searched for whatever weapons she had on her to help the cause.

Lang quickly covered his body with his hands, the bandages again burning off...revealing his metal beasts. He only smiled softly. "I haven't seen these without their bandages for a while" he muttered, looking at Fire. A weak burst of light was shot straight at fire, to see an effect.

Lang looked bored. "Can you please put up a fight? Its beginning to get boring..." That he had noticed Vixous, he knew that he needed to keep Fire's targets set on something else...