A Villainous Wedding

At Last

And that's exactly what they did; the assembled creatures and deities all gathered together to make the Moors look like a proper wedding venue. An altar was set up, flowers were arranged, banners and a carpet of ink black were made and put up, and torches of green and blue fire flickered to life. And soon enough, it was finally time for the ceremony.

Hades stood at the altar tall and proud with Chernabog beside him; he was more than happy to preside over the ceremony. Hades' friends and family were on the groom's side while Carabosse, Kazi, and the handful of dark fairies that had come with her were on the bride's side. Then, with the guidance of Kazi, Regina, Ramona, and Kristabelle started to play a slow song. The guests all turned to face the back to see Margalo and Dementia walking down the aisle first, scattering leaves and dark flower petals on the carpet as they went before stepping to the side. Then came Diablo, along with Pain and Panic; the raven was carrying the rings on a velvet pillow he was holding in his beak. He then perched on a nearby pedestal at the altar next to Pain and Panic. Pluto and Proserpina soon came down the aisle next, then Loki and Hel, then Set and Nephthys, and then Nyx and Thanatos. And finally, with her scepter and a bouquet of black roses, blue lilies, and bunches of lavender in one hand and with Erebus at her side, Maleficent strode down the aisle.

"Wow..." Hades whispered in astonishment; Thanatos gently nudged him.

"Easy, tiger. Save it for the honeymoon." The winged God quietly told him.

The bride in black entered with elegance and grace, causing everyone to gawk in awe; a few even started to tear up, Carabosse included. She walked down the aisle with her head held high, meeting the groom's gaze; neither Hades nor Maleficent had felt this happy in a very long time. The music faded to a stop, Erebus let her go, and she stopped at the altar next to Hades. After exchanging a loving look, they faced Chernabog.

The deity of Bald Mountain cleared his throat and began to speak. "Dearly beloved, family, friends, fairies, gods and goddesses, monsters, we are gathered here today to witness the union of the Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent, and the Lord of the Dead, Hades. These two beings standing before us may be bad to the bone and evil to the core, but the strength of their commitment is crystal clear. The power of their love is truly undeniable. Ever since their first meeting, Hades and Maleficent have always been there for one another, no matter how big the risk or how high the cost. And they've proven to everyone time and time again that a love as strong and dedicated as theirs can withstand anything that had and will come their way, even in the face of doubt or mortal danger. Yes they have faced quite a few challenges before and their bond may be tested in the future, but I know for a fact that such a bond will never, ever be broken."

Hades smiled at Maleficent. "Maleficent, for so many eons, I've felt alone. I always thought it was better to be alone, but I never knew what love truly was. I believed love was silly and impossible for someone like me, but after meeting you and after everything we went through to be where we are now, you proved me wrong. Ever since we met, you ignited some kind of new flame in this old black heart of mine and for us to be together for all eternity? I can imagine no greater win." Diablo offered him the pillow and he took one ring; as he spoke, he slid the ring onto her slender finger. "So with this ring, I pledge everything that I have to you. My life, my kingdom, my heart. I promise to always be there for you, to accept everything you are no matter what, and to always put you first."

Maleficent took in a deep breath and smiled at her beloved. "Hades, long before I met you, I believed that love was nothing but a lie and a weakness and I made a vow to never allow myself to be hurt by love again. But after all of the chaos we've been through together, I now realize that love isn't as insignificant as I believed. In an instant, you changed my life. Then I changed your life. And now, we change our lives. As of today, I will truly be honored and privileged to become your wife and Queen." She took the other ring from her familiar and placed it onto his finger as she spoke. "With this ring, I pledge to you all of the days of my life, all of my burdens, and all of my joys. I promise to be my best for you, to share my secrets and to keep yours, and to always choose you."