Chapter Text
When Taako woke up, he was most certainly not in the hall. He was in a cave of some kind, and without his darkvision he wouldn't have been able to see because there was no exit in sight. He pushed himself off the floor and surveyed his surroundings. The walls and ceiling were covered in sheer faces of crystal. The cave extended down to his left, but he couldn't see that far down.
“Oh, you're awake?” Lucretia. “Finally. I thought I'd be at the wedding when you woke up, then I wouldn't be able to talk to you.” Taako turned around to face her, but she wasn't there, instead, there was a magical projection of her on one of the crystals. Taako raised his wand, and aimed it at her.
“Where am I?” He asked, readying a magic missile.
“Oh, this place? Turns out, there's an old forgotten mining system under the city that has been untouched for centuries. I don't think the oldest elf in town remembers it. You can call for help, scream, run, cry, but you won't find an exit to this place. At least, by the time you do, I'll be your sister in law, and you won't be able to do anything about it.”
“Oh, fuck you!” Taako shouted, and loosed a bolt of magic at the crystal. It shattered, and Lucretia appeared on the one next to it.
“Looks like you missed!” She said, jumping from rock face to rock face, making Taako shoot wildly around the room. He knew he was wasting spell slots and he knew this was what she wanted, and she knew it wouldn't even hurt her, but it's all he could do to try. Eventually. There was only one left, and when he smashed that, it crashed down to the floor, revealing another room behind it. Taako carefully stepped over the jagged rock and peered around the new room. Lucretia hadn't followed him here, but a spot of movement and colour caught his eye.
He turned a corner and there was Lucretia, huddled on the floor, clothes torn, hair a mess, covered in dirt and cuts and bruises. Taako grinned wickedly and raised his wand again, before Lucretia yelled for him to stop.
“It's not me!” She said, standing up and raising her arms, “that wasn't me!” Taako didn't fire, but he didn't lower his wand either. “She trapped me down here to get to Lup, she wants the Light, she thinks Lup has it, but I do. Please help me find her.”
“How should I believe you?” Taako said.
Lucretia held her hand out for a high five, and Taako automatically hit it, going along as Lucretia continued their handshake, with all the fist bumps and turns and clicks and nonsense words they had added to it.
“Alright, it is you.” Taako put his wand back and hugged Lucretia. “I would like a better explanation of what's happening, though.” Lucretia started to talk, but Taako stopped her, “walk and talk, pal, we've gotta get out of here in a few hours or less or else Lup’s gonna be married to some rando.
“The wedding’s today?” Lucretia cried, “we have to go!” She fired a spell at a rock, which cracked, and a brilliant light spilled out of it. So that's where the Light of Creation was. She picked it up and set off at a jog along the cave, Taako following alongside her. They ran few a few rooms before Taako asked again.
“Story, please, I need details.”
“Okay,” Lucretia started, “this whole thing started when we found the Light. It had landed in a forest; the plants were growing like crazy. We found it and Lup was so happy that we had found it so early and that we had saved this world that she proposed to me on the spot.” She paused, trying to remember, “we got attacked. Whoever is imitating me right now charmed Lup and banished me, I think she thinks Lup has the Light. God I'm so scared. What if we don't see her again, what if I lose her, Taako I can't lose her, I love her.”
“Hey, hey, calm down,” Taako said, “we’ll find Lup, we’ll get out of here, natch.”
By this time, they had come across an underground railway cart system of sorts. Taako looked at Lucretia.
“This doesn't look safe in the slightest,” He said.
“I mean, no it doesn't but it has to go somewhere.” Lucretia said. They both nodded and jumped into the cart anyway. Taako shot a bolt of energy at the power system in some attempt to get it going again, and it spluttered into life, propelling the two of them down the tracks.
“Presuming this takes us up to the entrance, we’ll need to find some way to get to the hall, and fast!” Taako yelled over the noise of clattering tracks and rushing air, “there's a good chance that we're minutes away from the wedding actually taking place.”
Lucretia was mumbling something to herself, and Taako didn't know if she was just talking too quietly, or if it was a language he didn't know, but he couldn't hear her. Either way, a blue aura appeared around them, surrounding the cart and washing over Taako in a way that was familiar in the best way.
“That was… my last… spell slot” Lucretia said, apparently that spell had taken it out of her.
“How have you used all your spell slots!” Taako asked. This might be more difficult than he thought.
“You try… living in a cave… with no food… and no light… for a week.”
That was a terrifying thought. Taako thought for a second, then synthesized a fruit out of magic. Lucretia looked at it curiously for a second, before taking a bite.
“It should give you a slot back, and some hit points. Picked that one up from Merle.”
The rest of the cart journey was in silence, and Taako spent more time counting in his head, trying to know how much time they had left. Eventually, the cart slowed to a halt on solid ground, and Taako realised that everything around him was in colour. There was light somewhere, but he didn't know where. The cave sloped upwards from here on, so they kept going, until faintly, and very muffled, there was music.
“No way,” Taako said, adjusting his head to hear better. Yes, that was music coming from above the rock. “Okay, Lucretia, you're going to have to trust me on this one.” Without waiting for a reaction, he closed his eyes, grabbed Lucretia’s hands, and cast teleport. He didn't know how familiar he was with the area, but he had been in the hall less than three hours ago, so hopefully they'd end up in the right place.
When he opened his eyes, there was daylight, and the music was coming loud and clear from the hall. When Taako looked to Lucretia, she was already headed towards the door. Taako sprinted ahead of her, and burst open the doors, he could hear Merle’s voice and oh god they were gonna be too late. He kept running down the halls until.
“Stop the wedding!” Taako yelled, and everyone in the hall turned to face him. This really was a big occasion, the hall was packed, there was at least a hundred people here. He couldn't see Davenport in the crowd, but Magnus, Barry, and Merle were glaring at him. The person everyone thought was Lucretia looked shocked, but Lup was stuck gazing at her soon to be wife, her eyes completely glassed over.
“That's not Lucretia!” Taako continued, and stepped aside to let Lucretia into the room. “This is!” There was a gasp from the crowd, and Taako could see Barry already reaching for his wand.
“You don't even want her,” Lucretia said, her voice calm and steady, but still filling the room. “You want this.” And she brought out the light of creation. The audience’s gaze snapped instantly to the light, and “Lucretia” stumbled forward, almost pulled towards the light by some magnetic force. Taako drew his wand and pointed it at “Lucretia”.
“Nuh uh,” Taako said, “first we want to see who you really are.”
“Lucretia” snapped her fingers, and her appearance didn't as much melt away as it did fall off her like ashes from a burnt log. Lucretia's normally warm dark skin fell away to reveal pitch black chitin. Her hair straightened, darkened, and fell around her shoulders. Thin, torn, scaled wings emerged from her back. Her ears were pointed, her teeth sharp, and her green eyes seemed to be glowing around their slit-like pupils. She looked as though someone had tried to construct a drow elf with only a vague knowledge of what a drow elf should look like, and then left it to fester and evolve in the astral plane for a millennium.
“Alright, that's creepy as shit. Who are you, and why do you want the Light?”
When she spoke, her voice layered over itself in a cacophony of sound that grated Taako’s ears. “I am Chrysalis, queen of the changelings” she announced, “and I will bring that Light back to my people, and we shall prosper!” She turned towards the crowd, obviously this was something that Taako caught up on, history wise. “You banished us before but soon you will be begging for mercy under my command!”
“Try to stop me, go on, do it!” She challenged, “All the heavy lifting on my part is done. Now that I have Lup under my control, all I have to do to drop this shield spell is-” and she clicked her fingers again, and from where Taako was standing, he could see cracks running down the shield around the city, and the whole room waited in a tense silence as it shattered, magic dissipating and falling down around them like the most sinister confetti. There was a low buzz that made goosebumps run up Taako's arms, as several hundred, if not thousand, changelings swarmed the city.
They looked like their queen, black carapace, pointed fangs, ragged wings, and all. They were smaller than their queen though, by a long shot, but the two dozen or so that surrounded her made for an intimidating enough sight that the guests at the wedding started pushing and shoving to get out of the doors. Chrysalis sent a spell firing across to Lucretia, who fell to her knees. Before she could get anywhere near her, though, Lucretia threw the light of creation at Taako, who caught it deftly.
“Run!” She yelled, and Taako cast blink, before fleeing from the hall. He could see Barry, Davenport, Merle, and Magnus running in the same direction as him, and as soon as he got out of the hall, he blinked back to the material plane, stumbling, but keeping his momentum as he ran.
“So, where do we go?” Magnus shouted, and Taako could see him from the corner of his eye, undoing his tie and throwing it away somewhere.
“Back to the flat,” Barry said, “I have protection spells, Taako, you can still make pocket dimensions, right?” Taako shouted back his confirmation, it was good to have some kind of plan. “Alright, no one is getting the Light.”
They were about a block away from their flat when turned a corner to be met with a veritable army of changelings. They came stumbling to a stop, and Taako took a step backwards before untying the cord he was using as a belt from around his tunic, sending a silent prayer to whoever would listen that this would work, and cast Rope Trick. Thankfully, it stood upright, and the usual window opened at the top of it. Taako stashed the Light in there for safety, before turning back towards the group.
The Changelings did seem to be deliberately blocking their way, and Taako readied his wand, all but ready to Fireball a dozen of these freaks of nature at once, when they flashed, and one by one, turned into exact duplicates of the five of them. Taako wasn't unused to seeing someone who looked almost exactly like him, but the mirror he saw in front of him was a whole new level of disturbing. Lup had different eyes, different hair, the pattern of freckles on her face were distinct and individual; this creature copied him down to the dark roots of his hair where he dyed it, and the cut he had gotten from hitting his face on a crystal down on the cave. Taako had no further hesitation as he blasted it and the ones around it into the crowd, but he soon realised the issue.
“How do we know who's who?” Magnus shouted, as the changelings surrounded them, threatening to mix up with their group.
“Go for ones that look like you!” Merle shouted back, “you know you're real, at least.”
And so they did. Taako unfortunately didn't have spell shaping so he had to be more careful as he target the faux-Taakos around him. They didn't seem too strong, thankfully enough, and after a well-aimed Magic Missile, they reverted to their default, bug-like state, and slumped over dead? Unconscious? Better to not let that play on his mind for too long and focus on keeping the Light safe.
The fight seemed to never end, with more and more changelings joining the fray. At one point, a Barry had snuck up on him and could have taken him by surprise if not for Magnus coming and punching him in the face. Taako flashed a grin at Magnus and almost turned away before his appearance flickered and suddenly there was another Taako staring at him. He shot a spell at him, grimly determined to not trust anyone in this mess of a fight.
After a good few minutes, Taako could feel himself growing weak, and he could tell he was running low on spell slots. He knew he was screwed when he tried to cast a spell at a changeling, and all that came out of his wand was sparks. He tried again, nothing. He tried casting a Mage Hand just to see if he could and even that was shaking and flickering. He threw his wand to the ground in frustration and just punched the nearest changeling. As expected, it didn't really do much, and the changeling just grinned before shoving him back. He was caught in the arms of something pretending to be Barry, and his hands were held behind his back, a few others came to hold his shoulders, making sure he wasn't going anywhere.
“Let me go!” Taako yelled, struggling weakly against the by now five changelings surrounding him.
“Light,” one of them rasped, obviously these guys weren't quite as intelligent as their queen, or as good at imitating voices.
“No thank you!” Taako said, with much more bravado than he should have had in the situation, because looking around, the fight had stopped. It seemed that everyone had tired at the same time, and the rest of the boys were in as similar a predicament as he was.
“Fine, sure, I'll get the Light.”
They were carried quite unceremoniously back to the hall, Taako refusing to let go of the Light, and dumped in front of the feet of the queen, who chuckled in the worst possible way when she saw them. There was no way he was giving the Light away, but he didn't see any conceivable way of getting out of here. There was only one thing left to do, stall, and hope Lup and Lucretia were up for fighting.
Merle, bless his heart, was the one to speak up first.
“What's going so wrong with you guys that you need the Light to fix it?” He asked, with what Taako knew was genuine curiosity.
“We were kicked out of here because they disagreed with how we lived,” Chrysalis said, “I will use that light to build a city, grander than even this capital, and when we have that, we can focus on giving these guys a taste of their own medicine!”
Chrysalis kept ranting and raving about her plans and schemes, and Merle kept asking her questions, with Barry and Davenport chiming in occasionally. Taako was more focused on Lucretia, who had made her way over to Lup. Davenport was in the middle of asking the queen how exactly she thought the Light worked, when Taako took his chance and slowly passed the Light over to Barry. He thanked his lucky stars that the she evidently lived for dramatics and had started to stare out of a window as she answered, as he crept across the room to sit beside the two girls.
“I don't know how she's like this,” Lucretia admitted, “charm spells shouldn't last like this, they shouldn't be reapplied so quickly. I don't know if we'll have to wait it out or if there's a counterspell or-”
“Hey, Luc, she's gonna be fine, we can fix this.” Taako said, “now, what usually breaks through a charm spell?”
“Damage usually, but I don't want to hurt her.” Lucretia said. Lup was sitting on the floor, completely vacant and seemingly finding the events surrounding her quite pleasant. Taako could see Lucretia trying to catch Lup’s gaze, but her eyes, which were now almost completely white, were wandering all around the room, at anything but them.
“We could always try to out charm her…” Taako muttered to himself, “but I have no spells left and neither do you.”
Lucretia pulled Lup into a hug and Taako tried his best to not react too much to the sobs coming from his very almost sister-in-law.
“I miss you so much, Lup, please come back to us.” She leaned back from the hug before cupping Lup’s jaw in her hands and pressing a kiss to her nose. Lucretia rested her forehead against Lup’s and tried to school her breathing into something calmer. She laughed weakly when that proved to not work.
“We could have been married by now,” she said, “we could have been married so many years ago, why did we wait? We could have done everything so many years ago, but trust us to have the dramatics to keep pining for forty years.” She paused for a moment, thinking it over, “or was it longer than forty years? I knew you for five years before this all went down, that's wild to think about. I loved you then and I love you a hundredfold now.” Her voice dropped back to a whisper. “They'll take you away, Lup, or kill you, I don't know. They might kill all of us, and they'll be no one to fly the Starblaster out of here. That would be an unceremonious end to our journey, wouldn't it?”
There was silence for a few seconds, before Taako could hear Lup’s voice mumble Lucretia’s name. Taako could see Lucretia’s hopeful smile that turned into a delighted grin as Lup said, albeit very weakly and like she had just woken up, “you had a crush on me? Babe that's gay.”
“We were about to get married!” Lucretia said, her grin still not faltering. Their celebrations were cut short, however, by Chrysalis glaring at them.
“So, you've broken through the charm spell?” She mused, “it doesn't matter, you don't have the energy to fight me, I've been taking it from you all week!”
“She doesn't,” Lucretia said, slowly picking herself up from the floor, and helping Lup up with her, “but we might.”
“What, are you going to share spell slots?” Chrysalis scoffed, “I’m sorry to break it to you but that's not how magic works. Now, enough talking and give me the light!”
“I don't know,” Barry said, “I don't really think you've earned it. I'm not convinced you really want it. Don't you agree, guys?”
There was a general murmur of approval from around the group, and Barry looked pointedly at Lup and Lucretia, silently signalling that if they were going to do something, now would be the time.
From where Lucretia had her hand in Lup’s, flames started to flicker. They were small at first, but then slowly began to travel up, and around Lup’s arm. Taako had the sense to pass her his wand, because heaven knows what would happen if she couldn't focus the spell through something. At the same time, Chrysalis had turned her back fully on them, advancing on Barry and screaming like a particularly angry banshee. Barry made eye contact with Lup and nodded when he saw the tip of her wand glow with magic. Lup nodded back, and Barry threw the Light of Creation towards the other end of the hall. As expected, Chrysalis leapt after it, away from their party, and Lup dug her heels in, clutched Lucretia’s hand tighter, and sent a Fireball crashing towards her.
There was a flash of light that illuminated the entire hall, and Taako had to shield his eyes with his arm. When his vision returned, he could see Lup and Lucretia standing triumphantly in front of him, the other boys in the hall in the same predicament he was in, the Light of Creation at the other end of the hall, but the queen of the Changelings was nowhere to be seen.
“Did we…” Lucretia started.
“I think we just straight up disintegrated a person with the power of love,” Lup said, her glee tinged with disbelief.
“Holy shit,” Lucretia whispered, the grin on her face mirroring the one on her fiancée’s.
“Lucretia, babe, I'm so fucking glad to see you.” Lup said, “The real you.” And she pulled Lucretia into a hug, before peppering her face with kisses, making both of them laugh.
It was Davenport that had to ruin the moment.
“Guys, I know this cheerful reunion is all well and good, but there's still hundreds of those things out there.”
Lup thought it over, running over to get the Light, before racing out of the hall. Taako followed, though what protection he’d be against the swarm, he didn't know.
“Listen!” She yelled when she got outside, the Light projecting her voice like a loudspeaker. “Your queen is dead!” The ones nearest to her started to buzz and hiss at each other, who in turn went and presumably said the same to the ones around it, and slowly, a swarm of changelings gathered around them. They didn't look like they were going to attack, and none of them even made a grab at the Light.
“We need this Light more than you do.” She said, explaining slowly and turning her head around as if to address every changeling present. “If we don't have this by the end of the year, this entire world is doomed. The apocalypse will come, and we couldn't fight it and neither can you. You need to trust us with this one.” She stopped talking as Lucretia came and put her hand on the Light.
“We can make a compromise,” She said, “We can help you rebuild your city and grow as a people. You don't need to take over to do that. We have a year, and then we have to leave, but a year’s head start is better than nothing, right?”
Plans were made to help the changelings, but plans were also made, or rather re-made, for Lup and Lucretia’s actual wedding. Everything went smoothly this time. Lup and Lucretia turned out to be much more agreeable when they weren't fake or charmed. Lup had insisted on the flame print tablecloths and Taako had no doubt that if she had been in more control, the entire wedding’s theme would be fire. Barry looked far less stressed now that the imminent threat of the city being destroyed was off their shoulders, and, the evening before the actual big event, Lup met up with Taako on the same bridge as they'd had their first confrontation, that felt like it could have been weeks ago when really it was just a few days.
“Hey, Taako?” Lup said, leaning on the wall of the bridge, her eyes fixed on the distant sunset, but her attention very much on her brother. “I said some dumb shit back then.”
“Yeah, of course you did,” Taako said, leaning beside her, “but you were charmed, so it doesn't count.”
“Does that mean I'm forgiven?” Lup asked, and when Taako insisted that yes, she was forgiven, Lup went on to ask, “so will you be my best man again?”
“Lup, my darling sister, I would be honoured.”
After that, everything flowed and slotted exactly into place until Lup and Lucretia were finally standing in the centre of the hallway, unable to keep the mutual grins off their faces as Merle read for far too long for their tastes about how blessed their union was going to be, and honestly it sounded more like a shout out to Pan than a testimony to their bond. Finally, it was time for their vows.
“Lucretia. My dear, sweet, lovely Lucretia.” Lup began, “If someone said to me, on that first day of IPRE orientation, sixty-five whole years ago, that eventually, I was going to end up marrying the adorable nerd with glasses an inch thick, and a stack of books half as tall as she was, I would have said they were bullshitting me. No way was I going to get someone as way out of my league as you were. There was something about you, dear, there still is, that I couldn't, can't, figure out. You were a mystery hiding behind journals and writing and pseudonyms, and I was determined to figure you out. I made it my life's mission, over the next few years, to know who you are. And I think now, at least, I have a good grasp of it. I know I don't say this much, it's a Tv family tradition, but I love you Lucretia, and I want to keep loving you for however long we have left on this world, and all the worlds after.” Lucretia had her hand over her mouth, but she was smiling with her eyes as she tried to speak.
“It's- I can't believe you did a speech.” She said, half laughing, half happy crying. “I was- I was going to do this bit where I take out a bunch of notecards and then everyone would groan because they had to sit through a speech from me, and then I'd throw them away and just say that I love you, and that means more than anything I could ever write, but you kind of beat me to the punch.”
“Hey, hey. It's okay,” Lup said, “I know you, and you're great at improv. Make the best of it.”
Lucretia stood up a bit straighter, and grinned. “Lup From-Tv. We somehow, despite the laws of arcana and magic and thermodynamics, managed to stop an invasion with the power of love. This isn't the first time something wonderful like this has happened, and I know in my heart of hearts that it won't be the last. Lup, my Phoenix, forever and always, for however long this ouroboros of a journey takes us, and hopefully many, many years after that, I love you. And I know the point is moot now, but those words mean more to me than anything I've ever written in any book in my life.”
Taako and Magnus handed the rings to the couple, and when Taako looked over at Magnus, he was struggling to hold back tears of his own. He shot him a reassuring grin and stood back to watch as Lup and Lucretia gently placed the rings on each other's fingers.
“By the power invested in me by the god Pan,” Merle said, looking expectantly between the two, “I now pronounce you wife, and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
Taako had to step back as Lucretia practically leapt into Lup’s arms, kissing her like it was the last thing she could ever do. The crowd, somehow even more impressive than it was last time, as they were not only celebrities, but also heroes, stood up and cheered for them.
After everything died down, they headed to the reception. It was becoming increasingly obvious that some of Merle’s 1999 party points had rubbed off onto Davenport, or maybe Lup and Magnus’s influence helped, because the party was great. Taako was three glasses of punch down before he remembered he and Magnus had a speech to do. He mentioned this to Magnus, who lifted Taako up onto his shoulders and handed him a microphone.
Taako’s speech - which he made sure to mention was also from Magnus, and that's why they were giving it together - was practically a highlight reel from Lup’s early childhood to the last 60 years of their journey.
“.... And honestly, I should have been suspicious when Lucretia told me that I was the best one to help her with her research,” Taako said, “but I trusted her, went along with it, until genuinely months later, she told me she loved you, Lup. Obviously, that was great and all and I could think of no one better for Lup, but I know my sister, and she quite obviously felt the same, so what were you waiting for. She said ‘the right moment’.” He rolled his eyes, and the crowd laughed. “Eventually. twenty fucking years later the right moment came along, and they put all of us in the dust with announcing their love by a song fed to a jellyfish that was broadcast to the entire world. And now they've saved the world to get married. There could only be two people who could do that, I think, and that's my sisters.”
The crowd clapped, and Taako passed the microphone down to Magnus, who said “you're my sisters too, you know. I've sister-adopted both of you.” And climbed down from his shoulders to go hug Lup and Lucretia.
“I love you guys.” Lup said, “I can't believe I'm spending the rest of my life with you.”
“I mean, you kinda were already,” Taako said, “but it's nice that it's official now.”
“Don't ruin the moment,” Lup said, and pulled Taako and Lucretia in closer to whisper conspiratorially to them, “now, Barry’s piano playing is good and all, but it's definitely not the vibe we’re looking for.”
“Oh?” Lucretia said, “then what is?”
“Is it maybe related to the speakers and microphone I saw Davenport hide away yesterday?” Taako guessed.
“You are absolutely spot on, my dear brother.” Lup giggled, then ran over to the music player beside Barry, and Taako could see her apologise, and Barry shook his head to say it was fine, and Taako could hear, more than see, Lup putting the fantasy Carly Rae Jepsen song on, and the party went on from there. Eventually, though, evening turned into night, and turned into early morning, and most people had left, with only the crew of the Starblaster laughing amongst themselves and deciding that whoever’s wedding was next, they had better try to not make it a repeat of this one.
When everything was cleared away, they started to head back to the Starblaster, then, when seeing the enthusiasm at which Lup and Lucretia had about getting back to their rooms as fast as possible, decided that maybe it would be better to stay at the flat for tonight.
The last thing Taako saw as they parted ways was Lup holding Lucretia in her arms, softly lit by the moon and the streetlamps, and decided that, as much drama as the past week had been, he'd do it all again if it made his sister, and the rest of his family, happy.