Balance of Light

The Day of the Wedding

   The day of the wedding was stormy and ominous, as if the weather itself was aware that the fate of the universe was at hand.

   Richard was outfitted in a tuxedo, fiddling nervously with her white gloves. She had last seen Fleur and Lithium last night, where they had split up with a brief 'good luck'.

   "You look nice," Jonathan smiled, although his grin didn't reach his dull eyes.

   'Whispering does something to the eyes,' Richard remembered Lithium explaining when she asked. 'It's easier to tell the longer they've been under control'.

   "You too, dad," She smiled. They were sitting in a limousine on the way to the building the wedding 2.0. would take place. Karine would meet them there, as would Lithium and Fleur. 

   'It looks like it's going to storm,' she noticed at she gazed out of the window, involuntarily shivering. She would've preferred a nice, sunny day to keep her spirits high. 

   'The plan will work,'  Fleur had told her with a confident smile. 'Nyxium and your father will be fine, I promise'.

   "Don't make a promise you can't keep," Richard muttered to herself, glancing at her father. "You promised me you wouldn't forget mom."

   "What did you say, Richie?" Jonathan asked, turning to face his daughter. 

   "Nothing," She sighed, turning back to the window.

   For a moment her father frowned, worry written on his face. 'Who does she remind me of?' He thought to himself. But, sadly, the power of Karine's whispering was too strong. In moments, Jonathan was smiling and thinking of his new wife.

   Karine was just as happy as Jonathan was, and both of their happiness came from whispering. 

   Nyxium still under her control, and he didn't put up much resistance, to Karine's surprise. He was dressed in a suit, and Karine was outfitted in an elegant wedding dress. He would be attending the wedding as a friend of the brides.

   They were also sitting in a limousine, although this one was much more lavish. Kaine, after all, had made sure she was in the lap of luxury no matter what century she was currently inhabiting. 

   "You look nice," Lithium smiled, nodding at Fleurs golden dress. "Gold is your favorite color, isn't it?"

   "What tipped you off?" Fleur joked. "The shoes? The hair?"

   Lithium smiled nervously. They were already at the location of the wedding, and Lithium had to award Karine some style points. 

   It seems no one was going to take chances with the weather, so a large building had been rented instead. Richards friends and family were all milling about, waiting for the arrival of the groom and (unfortunately) the bride. 

   Long white streamers were strung about, the chairs were all comfortable and expensive-looking, and Fleur had to drag Lithium away from a towering white cake.

   "White seems to be the theme," Lithium commented, smiling. "At least I match."

   He was wearing a white tuxedo that he had 'borrowed' from a store (don't worry, he would return it after the wedding), and it perfectly matched both the decor and his ruffled hair.

   "You could've at least ran a brush through that mess on your head," Fleur returned affectionately. "And you do know that tuxedo's are usually black, right?"

   "Nah, black is Nyxium's thing," Lithium shook his head. "I, on the other hand, am always up for a little light."

   They both laughed nervously, and continued standing around awkwardly. Lithium kept fidgeting, although Fleur glared at him multiple times. 

   "Who are you?" A small girl asked, running up to the pair. Lithium's heart melted as he observed the small blonde's tiny dress and attempt at a fancy hairstyle.

   "Sorry!" Someone apologized quickly, grabbing the girl's hand. "I didn't realize Luna had ran off. What did I tell you about running up to strangers?"

   "It's okay!" Lithium smiled, grateful to have something to do besides wait for the world to end. "I'm Lithium, and this is Fleur. We're friends of Richard."

   "I'm Triste," They introduced, smiling a little. "Nice to meet you. I'm Richard's cousin on her mother's side. Even though they got divorced, our families are still pretty close."

   "That's nice," Fleur smiled. 

   Triste looked to be about sixteen, and neither Fleur nor Lithium could tell if they were a boy or a girl. They were unusually pale, and their hair was as black as Nyxium's (which was saying something). It was cut in  short-ish style, and the edges of it were colored a bright blue. They were dressed in a semi-formal style, a white dress shirt and black dress pants. 

   "Oh, I need to go," Triste said as someone called her name. "It was nice to meet you!" Lithium and Fleur both waved goodbye to Triste as they raced away, Luna trailing behing them. 

   "They were nice," Lithium commented. Fleur nodded. 

   "It's ironic, though," Fleur smiled a little, to Lithium's confusion. "They seemed fairly happy, but Triste is French for sad."

   "Why is everybody obsessed with French?" Lithium asked, exasperated, as he threw his hands in the air. "It is spoken in about one place, France! I'd rather learn Latin."

   "You already know Latin," Fleur reminded. 

   "Exactly! I wouldn't have to do anything," 

   Their laughter was cut off when they noticed that their freind had arrived. 

   "Hey Richard!" Lithium waved. Richard noticed and smiled, giving her dad a hug and then walking over to them.

   "You two look nice," She smiled, although she looked just as nervous as the rest of them. 

   "You too," Fleur nodded. "So repeat the plan again?"

   "You get the papers, screw everything up, and make the marriage unofficial," Lithium recounted. 

   "You know, that plan seems terrible now that we're actually about to put it in action," Richard sighed. 

   "Nyxium wouldn't let us down," Lithium assured her. "He believed in this plan, and I believe in him."

   "Speaking of," Fleur growled, motioning toward the entrance. Karine entered, dressed in an elegant white gown that looked like an arm and a leg would only buy a scrap of the fabric. Next to her was Nyxium, who looked stunningly handsome in a tuxedo. 

   "He'd look better in a dress," Lithium muttered to himself. No one noticed, as they were too busy glaring daggers at Karine. 

   "Hello Riley," Karine greeted as she noticed her stepdaughter and her friends. She grimaced as she scanned Richard from head to toe. "You look... different."

   "You too," Richard replied, forcing a smile. Luckily they didn't have to exchange any more chatter, as one of Jonathan's relatives quickly started a conversation.

   Richard awkwardly listened in on the conversation, as did her two friends. The sight of Nyxium happily standing next to Karine, even laughing when the conversation required, was such a shocking sight that it made Lithium flinch.

   "Yes, planning weddings can be very tiring, let alone having two," Karine said offhandedly. 

"I actually didn't even the bother with any official papers or anything, since we are already married. I didn't see the point anyways."

   All three of the young listeners froze. The same thought was running through all of their heads: Crap.