World Walker Park [Magical Amusement Park Base-Building]

Luka stood nervously in the closed lobby of the World Tree Inn. Ressen swayed above him, her incredibly long trunk moving gently with the world, wind, and the soft song in the air. She was dancing, as much as a tree could, happy to be part of the party.

Outside, a congregation waited, all alien to Earth culture yet local to this world. Some waited patiently, others gossiped, seated in their row, about the strange social event and "why they couldn't have just done this the normal 'human' way." Some of the village elders were grouchy, especially during their usual nap time.

A door quickly opened, and a dressed-up Eve and Princess Alexandra slipped in. Alex gave Luka a mock salute, and a royal guardsman who had been tapping his armored foot for the last hour sighed in relief. Together the princess and guard escaped into the outside crowd, taking their places.

Luka watched Alex walk by, momentarily stunned by her dress. Alex—the princess who often jumped off Ressen's top floor to meet with Franky and ditch her escort—was wearing a dress. A dress!

And a beautiful one at that! It was floral green, with pastel petals that wafted illusionary patches of color in her wake. It ran down the length of her calf and every step she took was like an autumn fall. Her hair was tied up and back, her skin was glowing with only the best oils, perfumes, and cosmic nonleaded makeup this world's royals could get their hands on.

She paired up with Franky for a moment before kissing him on the cheek and taking her place slightly off center of the altar—near the panic-looking Vladdy.

"I know right? Who knew a princess could clean up so well?" Eve whispered to Luka, stalking up beside him and wrapping an arm around his waist. She pulled him close, giving a micro hug before stepping back. "What about me?" she then asked.

Luka, stunned, stared at her. Whether someone made the conscious decision or it was just a happy little accident, Eve's dress—and the color theme—meshed with her skin perfectly. The same floral green held tight against her muscled arms and down past her knees. She, like Alex, summoned a vortex of gently dancing flowers, subtle in color but no less striking. The dress wasn't the exact same as Alex's but was no doubt sewn by the same artisan.

Raven black hair, as straight as a rod of iron, cascaded down Eve's back, curling across her forehead and dipping along her shoulders. She stood with an air of confidence, the mocking—yet one step away from sheer embarrassment—type of confidence only available to fresh lovers trying to impress their significant other.

And color Luka impressed. He shook away his stupor and nerves for the moment, reaching out and taking her hand. "You're beautiful."

"More than Alex?"

"Infinitely more."

Eve gave a small pout. "It's events like this that make me jealous of other races." She nodded in the general direction Alex went. "Slender arms fit dresses much better."

Luka opened his mouth, finding the perfect words. "Nah. You look better."

She snorted. "You have such a poetic mind."

Luka kissed her on the forehead. "Poetry was my minor in college."

They had talked about his college days dozens of times over his time in this world. "Majors" and "minors" were brought up multiple times and how they differed to higher education here. The mage colleges specifically often were segregated in magical discipline, not degree plans. And as much as they liked to compare the intricacies of the academic pantheon of two worlds, this was neither the time or place.

"I don't believe you," Eve said flatly, daring him to attempt a lie.

Luka cracked a smile. "Got me." The smile quickly vanished as he remembered what was supposed to be happening in the next few minutes. "She ready?"

"Oh yeah," she replied. "I bet she's clawing at the door trim wondering why the music hasn't changed."

The air was lit with gentle waltzing notes, a song not born of this world but copied from the very pages it was originally written on by a god as a present. A symphony, one of the numbered ones, Luka knew, played locally by a hired minstrel of great renown.

Luka made a face. "Why hasn't the music changed?"

Eve gave him one last side hug and said, "Because I got distracted by a handsome man."

He blinked. "Are you sure you're not the poet?"

She snorted and said, "Gods, no."

"Blasphemer."

"Learned from the best." With that, Eve walked out of the repurposed lobby and down the rows of friends, family, and loved ones. She skipped right over to the minstrel and whispered in the lead musician's ear.

The symphony went dead, and the bridal chorus started quietly.

Luka turned expectantly toward the door his daughter was hiding behind, finding himself staring back at him. There was a mirror, a small one used to look for shoplifters or hooligans by the World Tree Inn's staff. Today, right now, Luka used it to adjust his tie and deep brown suit.

Green for the ladies, brown for the men. Colors that invoked nature, colors that complimented Emberwood Forest and Ressen's overbearing personality. His suit was an Earth style, with the jacket collar that stretched down into a "V" and buttoned at the belly with twin pairs of shimmering buttons. The undershirt was nothing special, the tie too—but where he moved, mystique followed. The air glimmered around him, subtle not to blind or draw attention, but enough to announce his importance in the day's event.

"Annie?" Luka asked, raising his voice above the song's growing volume. "It's time to—"

There was a thud and a grinding noise behind the door, then it swung open. Annie, focused as an Olympian about to compete, stepped out, holding the hem of her white dress. Luka held the door open and as soon as she was out, she let go, allowing the fabric to flow.

And flow it did.

Back into the room, through the wall, and beyond, her dress flowed. Infinite, magical, and timeless. Perfectly white and flooded with accent designs, the dress—the top half at least—was another gift from a god. It was hers from her first wedding, perfectly preserved over time and space. The bottom half was something new, something of this world and the mystique that came with it.

Annie had talked about doing something low-key for her second wedding. Apparently that idea died, withered away, and was stepped on by the grandiose plans she and Vlad decided to go with.

"Are you ready?" Luka asked, sticking his arm out.

Annie hooked hers through his, striking a confident pose while trying to silence her pounding heart. "I so am."

Three words. Three words and that was all it took. Luka felt the tears fall before noticing his vision cloud. He had missed Annie's first wedding back on Earth—yet here he was, with a second chance. He'd been given a lot of those, and he was so thankful for them.

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Groaning, Annie adjusted the wreath that pinned her hair up. It was a subtle thing, fitted with pine needles and those webbed leaves that smelled of cinnamon and kept the mosquitoes away. The wreath wove down the back of her neck and into the color of her dress, weaving into a mantle of sorts, the kind often found in marble statues and renaissance paintings.

"You promised you weren't going to cry," she whispered, raring to go. The song swelled and crashed, one more loop until it was time.

"I know—" Luka rubbed his eyes. "I just wasn't— I'm just so happy."

Annie looked up at her father and he looked down. They were close in height—especially with the shoes Annie wore—but here, now, he was taller than the heavens themselves. They were family, a little girl and an old man. Father and daughter. Family, rekindled on another world.

Tears welled in her eyes. The moment she noticed she grunted and rubbed them stringently. "I told you not to cry!" she whisper-yelled, "because I knew it would make me cry!"

Luka, smiling despite it all, reached over and tried to help. "Does your makeup run?"

"How am I supposed to know? It's weird alien royal princess makeup with magical super crystals and ethereal temporal pixie dust. Do you know how long I had to argue with Alex about leaded makeup? Because apparently 'that's safe here.'"

Luka felt he was missing a few context clues to understand Annie's rambling. So, he did as he knew was right. He grabbed her by both shoulders, smiling as brightly as he could. "Relax. You look amazing."

Annie's stress melted. The song swelled again, the chattering crowd went silent. "Thanks Dad."

He held his hooked arm back out, she took it, and together they strolled out of Ressen and into the ceremony.

Sitting on a nearby chair too large for her, Nicole stopped swinging her feet and hopped up. Momentarily, she looked panicked before remembering her task—the flower girl. She strutted forward, red petals growing from her wooden skin and falling like leaves. She was a dozen paces before Luka and Annie, leading them to the altar perfectly.

"Is that Kevin?" Annie practically hissed into her father's ear despite whispering. She was subtle as well—to the onlookers, craning their necks to watch their approach, she was simply leaning closer to a loved one.

Luka looked over, spotting Vale… and a dude.

Vale had specifically asked for a plus-one invite to the wedding for a date. Apparently Kevin said yes—not that anyone doubted he could say no. Vale had that unholy-elditch-I'm-going-to-glare-at-you-until-you-say-yes energy. She was hard to displease.

"Guess so," Luka whispered back, eyeing the man.

Kevin was, well, a guy. Average height, weight, hair-baldness, even the clothes he wore were nothing special. Yet Vale clung to his side like a duckling following a moose—or something like that. Luka wasn't sure.

"Good for her."

"You can say that again."

Vale suddenly realized something was off and panic set in. She wasn't supposed to be sitting in the crowd! She was a bridesmaid! She stood from her seat and— Suddenly, Vale found herself standing behind Alex who stood behind Eve.

She had been teleported—likely by a god who didn't want this day to be ruined. She nodded her head at the sky in thanks.

Only Luka noticed this—and he could only shake his head.

Together Annie and Luka followed the trail of petals, finding the altar. Vlad stood at the center, one hand in his pocket and the other lazily laid across his heart. He watched Annie approach with something prideful in his eye, something picked up by his elongated elven ears. They twitched and reddened, bashful from his soon-to-be wife's beauty.

Vladdy wore similar colors to everyone else but adopted more of this world into his wardrobe. Where his suit ended, fabric that twisted reality began. He merged into the background of the world, standing out against the forest yet a part of something more. He had long chosen to change his human body into that of an elf, bypassing cultural norms from Earth and fully catapulting himself into the culture of this world.

To Luka, he saw Vlad's decision as weird but understandable. To Eve or Franky, they understood and tipped their hats to the choice.

To Annie, however, she saw Vlad's decision for what it really was—he was just a big nerd and thought elves were cool.

She held back a snort when he held out a hand to her. She reached for it and took it, allowing Vlad to pull her from her father's hooked arm. Vlad then led her up the two steps before the altar and found their spots at the very center.

Luka seared the sight into his memory. He would never forget this. But his time in the spotlight was over and he quickly took his place with the other groomsman—Franky. Together they stood flanking Vlad, mimicking Eve, Alex, and Vale on the other side.

The officiant—Mayor Tram—cleared her throat and read from a memorized script Luka wrote, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness…"

Luka would've been surprised if Annie and Vlad could even hear the old woman—both lost in staring into one another's eyes. They held hands tightly, both smiling and radiant.

Tram then decided to go off script. "Marriage is more legal on this world than social, but I've been around the two of you enough to know what you've got going on is legit. You agree?"

Luka maintained his smile despite the awkward flare in the air… At least, until Annie chuckled and said, "That's true!"

The dam broke and the guests laughed as well. Luka peered down the line and spotted Eve practically fuming. As maid of honor, Eve had studied, meticulously, how the event was supposed to proceed. Tram of all people ruining the plan!? Preposterous! But here we were!

Luka caught her eye and gave a wink. Eve's bubbling anger slipped, and she nodded in understanding—everything was okay.

"Anywho," Tram continued, "what was next?" She smacked her lips trying to remember. "Ah, the rings. Leo?"

From down the aisle, little Leo jolted upright. He was sitting at the back beside Soul Singer Mira and Beast King Orris, leaning closer to the former than the latter. Olive and Sebby were nearby as well, but Sebby was too focused on stopping Olive from eating a necktie she had stolen from someone.

Leo suddenly remembered his job and trotted down the red petals, a small basket clamped in his maw—with the rings inside. He carried them straight over to Vlad, who accepted them with a pet and a head rub. Leo then trotted away, whispering to Mira in animal speak about the whole ordeal. Mira quietly giggled at what he said while Orris looked peeved.

Good for you, little buddy, Luka thought.

Originally, Vlad purchased a beautiful opal ring from the Sneerhome markets, using it to propose for the second time. Sometime after Annie said yes, it magically disappeared from her finger, was enchanted by a god as a wedding gift, and returned with an accenting twin.

The two rings were now artifacts, magical items that held immense power—or so the legends told. And while the enchantment on these were quite powerful, it was only useful for Annie and Vlad.

No matter where they were, a simple tap of the ring and one would be teleported to the other. In other words, an artifact that wove two lovers together no matter the distance.

Luka scanned the crowd, finding many familiar faces and plenty of newly reincarnated ones.

Elven Consort Jear sat in the third row with a smile on her face, a gentle isolated wind blowing her hair and silently talking to her—her husband or daughter no doubt. Judge Ben sat on the edge of the first row, watching his wife officiate more than he watched the two people saying their vows. Ren and his family sat with Nicole and hers, the pair subtly holding hands, hiding their fledgling relationship from their parents.

Todd was near the back, sipping on a flask. Sol sat beside him and silently demanded a taste herself. The flask was begrudgingly handed over—and a smirk curled across her face. Eve and Franky's parents were seated beside them, both enthralled with the ceremony. Stell Metus sat off to the side, taking notes for and crafting a story for the park's paper.

The Crew and the rest of the park security team took up a row of their own, along with plenty of other villagers and friends. Zora was there too—her row filled with pups and interested intelligent beasts and animals who had recently made the park their home. Leaker, that demon, sat beside her wearing a little polka dot bowtie.

Lastly there were the gods.

They allowed themselves to be visible to Luka and a few others, but not to most of those in attendance. They didn't want to take away from Annie and Vlad's special day.

Tippy, Rion, and Neb stood at the front of the pack, but Luka recognized Bylow, Griss, Olram, Nomad, Evergreen and many, many more. The first three smiled and waved when they saw him looking.

Hope the gift table is filled, Luka idly thought while looking at the gods, knowing they could read minds.

Ha ha, all of them simultaneously said directly into his mind. How they synchronized that, he didn't know—only that he had a headache forming.

Sorry, the familiar voice of Tippy then said, erasing the headache. Today was not the day to have a migraine!

Thanks, Luka replied, turning his attention back to his daughter and son-in-law. Vlad had slipped a ring on Annie's finger, and she had done the same for him.

"You may now kiss and officialize your matrimony on this world," Tram said before taking a step back.

And they did.

And all was right in the world.