CHAPTER 16

Five seconds. That's how long the entire room was quite. I glanced around and saw that everyone was looking from me to Shine and back. And finally, when those five seconds were over-

"Yes. YES OF COURSE I'LL MARRY YOU SHADE!"

Smiling, she put her arms around me and pulled me into a long kiss. The audience around us erupted into applause while Slice wolf whistled. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

But I knew an even happier moment was soon to come.

After the celebration ended and before it was time for us to go to bed, we had a little after party in the dinning room. Everyone was still celebrating our engagement.

"Alright, congrats you two!" Slice said walking over and giving us a friendly rub on the head. "I dunno whether I wanna continue rubbing you head or beat you up for not telling us." he added.

"Yeah thanks Slice. Thanks everyone." I said to them all.

"What I wanna know is: how you got that ring." Scuttle said.

"Yeah Shade. This ring's beautiful." Shine said admiring it on her paw. "Where'd you buy it?"

"Well...I'd like to thank Slash for the ring." I nodded at Slash at the end of the table. "He was the one who bought the ring and he gave it to me just this morning."

"Aha! So that's why you left this morning." Shine said.

"Yup. I didn't want to buy it because word would get out and tonight's surprise would be ruined. Thanks again Slash."

"It was no problem really." Slash replied.

Soon it was time for bed. I said good night to my friends and Shine and I went to our room to sleep.

"Hey Shine, can we go somewhere tomorrow?" I asked as we lay down.

"Huh? Where?"

"Let's just say...somewhere that means a lot to me. We'll go alone and I promise I'll treat you for lunch."

"Sure, I'd love to." she kissed me before both of us were asleep.

The next day...

Shine and I were back in the part of the nation that used to be the Crimson Fang. We walked through several streets passing by the old academy until we came at our destination: my house. It looked very lonely because no one's been living there.

The house was very dusty because I haven't visited for a year. The two of us went over to the garden and stood before me parents graves.

"Hey mom. Hey dad. Sorry I haven't visited for a long time."

I took a deep breath. "Mom, dad, I want you to meet Shine." I waved my head towards her. "I've...asked her to marry me because she means the world to me. I remember that you guys said that you fought to make a future where I can live happily. Now, I'm continuing what you guys said and building a future where not only me but everyone could be happy."

Shine took a few steps forward. "Mr. Obscurum, Mrs. Caliga, I love your son so much. He's a brave, kind, sweet Umbreon and I promise that I'll take care of him for as long as I live. I'm also going to work with him to build the future that he was taking about."

She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and she placed them at the graves. We stood there feeling the wind on our faces staring at the remains of my parents before we left.

Several months later...

"Wow Shade, you look nervous."

"Well of course I'm nervous Slice."

After several months of preparing, it was finally the day of our wedding. It was late into the afternoon and Slice and I were standing at the entrance of the large room we had the celebration in. It was elaborately decorated for a wedding and everyone in the nation also went. In just a few moments, Shine would be walking through those doors.

"Relax Shade, you'll be fine." Slice told me.

"I know I'm just so nervous." I said to him.

"Hey, for all we know Shine could be just as nervous as you."

"Yeah you're probably right. Hey, y'think-"

But at that moment, an Exploud horn sounded and Slice bade me good luck before going to his seat. Every guest seated turned to the door way at the sound. This was it-she's here though I'm still a bit nervous.

But when the doors opened and a beautiful Shine stepped through wearing a slightly transparent white veil adorned with flowers, all nervousness vanished from my mind. Now, it was just the two of us.

Shine walked over to me with a smile on her face that I could see even through her veil.

"Wow Shine...you look...you look..." I was lost for words.

"Thanks." she said with a giggle.

The horn sounded again and all of the guests stood up. Shine and I then walked down the aisle side by side as everyone clapped. A few guests were already crying and, to my surprise, I saw Chi lips pressed with a tear in her eye holding hands with Slice.

We reached the end of the aisle where a Xatu stood. We stopped before him and sat down and the guests were silent. The Xatu surveyed the room before speaking.

"Friends, guests, we have gathered here to day to celebrate the bonding of these two souls, Shade and Shine."

"I have heard of how these two started. Back during the time of the war, Shade came across a wounded Shine and brought her to a cave where they spent the night unknowing that that single act of kindness would lead to where they are right now."

"To love someone who is regarded by many to be an enemy is truly admirable. To Shade, where she came from did not matter to him and together with those they call their friends, they ended the war. Their love was a stone able to whether a great war. Now that the time of peace has come upon us, the time has come for these two to be together."

The Xatu surveyed the room before speaking to me.

"Do you, Shade, take Shine to be your wife?"

"I do." I said proudly.

"And do you, Shine, take Shade to be your husband?"

"I do." she said beaming.

We turned to each other and placed our wedding rings on each others paws. After that, we turned again to the Xatu.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

It was the moment I've been waiting for. I faced Shine again and gently lifted the veil from her face. We gazed lovingly at each other before putting our arms around each other and kissed.

The whole room erupted into applause and cheering. As I stood there eyes closed savoring the moment, I felt numerous flower petals fall on us.

We broke away from the kiss and I waved my head towards the doors. Then Shine and I began to walk towards the doors while guest stood up and followed us.

The doors swung open and there was a large open air carriage pulled by two Rapidash. I help Shine up and soon we were on top of the carriage waving to everyone who followed us.

Then, Shine took the bouquet she was carrying and tossed it into the air. She then used Psychic to launch it into the crowd. Several female Pokemon scrambled to get it and in the end, it was Chi who had it. she looked at it for a while before turning to Slice who looked at her lovingly.

Finally it was time to go. The Rapidash began to pull the carriage and we slowly distanced from everyone. We gave some last few waves before we departed.

"So d'you think he's going to pop the question?" Shine asked me.

"I think we can count on that." I said with a smile. We were silent for a while.

"Shade, the sunset's beautiful." Shine said admiring at the orange sun on the horizon.

"Yeah but it's noting compared to you." I said with a smile.

"Oh stop." she said happily with a blush.

"Make me." I replied playfully and she did by kissing me.

"I love you Shade." she whispered.

"I love you Shine." I whispered back.

We pressed our lips together again and kissed for a long time. Then, we parted and I put one paw around her as we looked ahead.

And together, me and my wife Shine, we rode off into the sunset.