Work Text:
Nikki returned to Miraland in the year 680 of the New Era with a lot less fanfare than she left it. She almost didn't want to open her eyes; to see the wonderful land she had once known and loved destroyed by the Ocean of Memories. But there were the sounds of birds, and the ground beneath her didn't feel wet. And Momo was calling her name.
Nikki opened her eyes very slowly, and the world around her was not destroyed.
She was sitting in a very pretty public park. It was a beautiful morning. There was grass underneath her, a tree above her, and people laughing and chatting while they walked through the park.
Tears stung at her eyes, and she couldn't help but smile.
"Woah, Miraland really is saved!" Momo cried. Her cat was rolling around in the grass, batting at a butterfly, and Nikki laughed.
"Yeah," she said. She wiped at her eyes, and let her shoulders relax.
Then a flood of worrying thoughts assaulted her. What if this wasn't the year 680 after all, and she'd been sent to another time period yet again? Or what if this was her world, and Miraland was still underwater? Or had she been sent back to just before Miraland's destruction, unable to prevent it and save her friends?
Nikki gasped. She felt paws on her legs, and on the sides of her face.
"Nikki! Don't cry!" Momo whined. Nikki ran her fingers through his fur.
"Oh, Momo, I don't know what I'm doing," Nikki mumbled. She stood up, ignoring Momo's protests, and walked quickly to one of the passers-by. She stopped a woman in simple/elegant business casual, holding a brown paper lunch bag.
"Er- hello, ma'am," Nikki said. "Can I ask something?"
The businesswoman smiled. "Of course, dear. What is it?"
Nikki paused. "What's the date today?"
The woman was taken aback at the question. "Well, it's the sixteenth of April," she answered. Nikki held her breath for the rest of her answer. "681."
Nikki let out a relieved sigh, hugging Momo closer to her chest. "Thank you so much," she said, and walked away.
"Did we miss time here in Miraland?" Momo complained.
"Well, we might have," Nikki said. She felt - giddy. Frightened, but excited. She almost wanted to skip. "But- it means that the world isn't destroyed."
"Huh. Well, I want hot pot." Momo stretched in her arms.
Nikki couldn't help but laugh at her cat companion's priorities. "We'll find a hot pot restaurant and have lunch there," she promised.
At the gates of the park was a large map that revealed Nikki and Momo had found themselves in a small central-Apple city, an hour or so west of Welton. A Cloud-style restaurant was only a block away, but the emphasis there was on the style - it was one of those fusion takeaway places. They didn't do hot pot, but Nikki still managed to scrape together enough gold for a plate of fish dumplings. Momo certainly enjoyed the meal.
But what Nikki really wanted, what she was itching for, was to see her friends again. She'd have to organise several lunch dates if she wanted to catch up with everyone, but that could be arranged. With the end of the world averted, she had all the time in the world.
"It's all okay, Momo," Nikki mumbled. "Everything is okay."
The television mounted on the wall above the counter had, until recently, been playing an old Cloud soap opera on low volume. As it went to an ad break, the sound suddenly turned back on and it was loud. Very loud.
"Tonight on Entertainment: Apple!" Shouted the cheery newscaster, at the volume of a plane. The waitress lunged for the remote next to the cash register, hurrying to turn the volume down.
"It's the wedding of the year: acting chair of Apple Apparel Group, presidential candidate Kimi Crescent-Schiller-"
Onscreen was a clip from an interview with Nikki's friend, Kimi. The sound got quieter and quieter, until it was silent again.
"Wait, can you turn it up again, please?" Nikki asked.
The waitress shrugged. "It's just about the wedding," she said. "Every channel is talking about it."
Nikki stood up in shock. "Wedding?"
The waitress stood back. "Uh... yeah. Where have you been?"
"Momo, we're going," Nikki said. She picked up her cat and left the right amount of gold on the counter. "Thank you for lunch!" She cried on the way out.
And Nikki ran. She was getting on the next bus to Welton and taking a taxi directly to Kimi's office.
"I didn't even get to finish my dumpling!" Momo whined.
"There's no time for that, Momo," Nikki said.
The bus station was only two blocks away. Nikki raced past the buses, looking for one that was headed to Welton.
No. No. Not that one. OH-
Nikki ran to the bus that read Rosset via Welton, and raced up the steps.
"One adult and one cat to the Welton city centre," Nikki said quickly. The bus driver looked at her in confusion. Nikki pulled out a handful of star coins and passed them over. The driver took the correct amount of coins, and passed the rest back. She tapped something into the register and out shot a small paper ticket.
"Animals ride free on Wednesdays," the driver said.
"Thank you!" Nikki exclaimed, and ran to sit down.
The bus wasn't full of many people. A few passengers here and there, mostly teens and elderly people who didn't have cars of their own. An old lady gave Momo a sweet that he couldn't eat.
Nikki wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings. She was busy looking things up on her phone, which was tough, since the Wi-Fi between cities was patchy. When the results for kimi crescent schiller wedding finally loaded, Nikki scrolled through the news results.
Wedding of the Century! What Will AAG Chairwoman Wear?
Who's on the guest list for historic Apple wedding?
SHOCKING: Joe Brownie SPEAKS OUT About CONTROVERSIAL Wedding
And some older;
What the AAG/Mercury Wedding Means For The Future of Apple's Largest Corporations.
My Mother sold me to the iron rose to pay for her Wonder Museum addiction?! (xreader)
End of Ancient Feud? Heads of Mercury Bank and Apple Apparel Announce Engagement
And, in so many of the stories' thumbnails, was the smug, grinning face of Reid Mercury.
It didn't do much to ease Nikki's panic. Why Reid Mercury of all people? Kimi's relationship with her business rival was tense, to say the very least. He'd colluded with League Tyr to steal the White Blossom, Kimi's dead mother's dress - and kissed her without her consent at the auction banquet. Then his "friends" had sent an assassin after them. Nikki frowned remembering. A man had died. It was a horrible night for everyone.
"Why would she marry Reid?" Nikki wondered aloud.
"Maybe she's being forced into it?" Momo suggested, far more casually than the situation required.
"You really think?" Nikki gasped. Momo blinked. "Oh, that would explain it! I have to make sure she's okay."
Nikki opened her messages and looked for her last conversation with Kimi.
Kimi are you okay?
I'm so sorry I've been gone, I promise I didn't abandon you. Please call back.
If you can.
I love you-
No. Maybe now wasn't the best time to send the last one. Nikki backspaced. She stared at her phone screen for minutes, desperately wanting a call, a text, anything that would tell her Kimi was safe and alright and not being held captive.
Nikki closed her phone and let it fall into her lap. Momo protested and jumped to the empty seat next to her. Nikki gazed out the bus window, trying her hardest not to fuss with her dress. She didn't want to ruin it.
"Oh!" She exclaimed. They'd just passed a direction sign. "Welton is only ten minutes away!"
Momo yawned. "Oh, I don't want to get up."
"I'll carry you," Nikki promised. "You can nap in my arms."
The bus soon entered Welton city, and Nikki waited anxiously to get off. As soon as she saw the city square, she hit the stop button under the window, and stood up even before the bus stopped. Momo wasn't pleased about her decision. He was still complaining when Nikki was off the bus and in the square itself.
"You could have squashed me! Then I would have become a Momo pancake and you wouldn't have a friend!"
"Sorry," Nikki said, and dumped Momo onto a nearby bench. She looked around, and wrung her hands.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Nikki pulled it out hastily, unlocking it to see what was happening.
A response. From Kimi.
Omg! Nikki! I'm totes fine, but we HAVE to catch up. Meet me in my office at AAG HQ asap!! ily xoxo
"It's Kimi," Nikki said. She was in such a rush of relief that she didn't stop to notice how weird and unlike Kimi the typing style was. "She's at her office. We have to go right now."
"Ugh, again?" Momo complained, but he let Nikki scoop him up and carry him. She ran yet again, through the Welton streets. Apple Apparel Group's head office building wasn't far from the city centre, and it didn't take Nikki long to find it. She stumbled into the building's lobby out of breath, but she didn't stop. She marched up to the front desk.
The receptionist tapped away at her keyboard. She didn't notice Nikki, or otherwise chose not to.
"Hello?" Nikki asked.
The receptionist looked up, over her wire-rimmed glasses. "Do you have an appointment?" She asked flatly.
When finally given the chance to speak, Nikki blanked.
"If you don't have an appointment, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"No, no!" Nikki said. "I'm here to meet-"
The receptionist held up her hand. "Hold on." She picked up a phone and put it to her ear. Several times she looked back up at Nikki. "Pink hair? With a fat cat?"
"HEY-"
The receptionist listened to her caller speak more. "Yes, she's here right now. Okay." She placed the phone back on the receiver, then looked back up to Nikki. "You're wanted in Lady Kimi's office, level 19. Go right up."
"Thank you!" Nikki cried, and raced to the elevator. She jumped in, next to a well-dressed male designer who offered her and Momo a puzzled look.
"Did you hear what she said about me? I'm not fat!" Momo complained. The designer only looked more quizzical.
"Well, you are a little fat," Nikki said quietly. Momo huffed. The designer got off on the next floor.
Neither Nikki nor Momo spoke for the next few minutes. It was just their anxious breathing and the peaceful elevator music.
The elevator stopped at floor nineteen with a soft ding! Nikki stepped out. Her whole body buzzed with nervousness. Or excitement. Or a strange mix of the two. She was going to see Kimi again after all this time - Kimi was going to be married off to a man she hated, possibly against her will - or what if Kimi really did love Reid Mercury (where did that leave Nikki, then?) - but most importantly, she was going to see Kimi again.
Kimi's office was behind a large door. A plate on it read Chairwoman, Kimi Crescent-Schiller. A bodyguard - an armed bodyguard, not that it mattered here in Miraland - stood sentry outside. He looked Nikki up and down, then opened the door for her.
The office was large and spacious, with windows that overlooked the city. At the far end was a long desk, and a tall-backed swivel chair, facing the window. Nikki couldn't contain her nervousness (excitement?) any longer. She sped to the desk. "Oh, Kimi-"
"Not quite."
The swivel chair spun around. Momo hissed. Nikki froze in place.
"You-"
Reid Mercury laughed. He leaned on the arm of the chair, a leg crossed over the other casually. "Yes, it's me."
Something else bubbled inside Nikki - something closer to anger. "Where is she?" She demanded.
Reid smirked. "Getting ready for her big night," he said. "Far away from here. She didn't even get your message." In his right hand was a thin phone with a lavender case. He dropped it on the desk.
Nikki hugged Momo tighter to her chest, preventing him from jumping off and doing something rash. "You rich bastard!" Momo cried. "Forcing-"
"I'm not forcing anything," Reid said, amused by this whole ordeal. "She came to me, you know. She was so desperate to end the civil war, she would do anything for peace, anything to have her father safe. And, well, I just... made a few suggestions. It was entirely her own choice. Of course, her choices were marry me or never see her father again, but..." He shrugged.
"So we'll be wed. I'll back out of the Night Order and disavow League Tyr, and - well, everything will be perfectly in place."
He looked across at Nikki as he said it, and it sent chills down her spine.
"This isn't just about love for you, is it?" Nikki said. "You'll be in control over the two most powerful corporations in Apple Federation. You're using Kimi."
He laughed again, and stood up. "You're quicker than you look. Yes, I guess it can't hurt to tell you the truth. Kimi's in the running for president next term. You think I'd pass on the power that comes with being Apple's First Gentleman?"
He walked around the desk and leaned on it. Nikki had to crane her neck to look up to him.
"It's the perfect plan," Reid continued. "I just wasn't counting on you turning back up after all these months."
As he spoke, his smug grin dropped. Behind was something cruel. Nikki took a step back.
"But... things can be arranged. Little... accidents. It's so tragic that poor Nikki fell from a 20-storey building, she was so young. And when security all get nice fat bonus checks, who's going to ask questions?"
Nikki gasped. Reid grinned again.
"Don't act so surprised. That's just how things turn out. Now-" he checked his wristwatch. "You stay here. I have a wedding to attend."
He walked past Nikki. Momo growled at him.
"You can't get away with this," Nikki swore. Reid stopped in place. He turned on his heel and faced Nikki, a cruel smirk on his face.
"And what are you going to do about it?" He said teasingly. He waited for the look of hopelessness to dawn on Nikki's face, before laughing. He turned again and left.
It took Nikki a second to react after he left. She unfroze and ran towards the door - but a metal sheet slammed down. She stepped back and spun around.
Similar metal blinds fell to cover the windows. The light overhead dimmed.
"Emergency mode activated," a robotic masculine voice said from the speakers.
And in all of her despair, Nikki fell to her knees.
"No," she said, so faintly. "It can't end like this."
Not just that she was going to die here, alone, after everything. Kimi was going to be married off to a scoundrel of a man - the man who had done nothing to manipulate her her whole life, the man who had worked with her father's kidnappers, the man who had organised Nikki's assassination.
And Kimi would be none the wiser.
Nikki let out a scratchy sob. It surprised her. It shouldn't have. She wiped at her face. Momo weaselled out of her arms and jumped away.
"We're going to die here, Momo," she said quietly. Helplessly. For what could she do to stop it?
Momo gasped. Nikki looked up from her misery. Her cat was standing on the desk, in front of the computer.
"Wow, look! There's no password on the computer!" He exclaimed.
"What?" Nikki asked. Her voice wobbled with tears.
Momo tapped at the keyboard. "Come look! Maybe there's a button to open the doors."
Nikki stood up on shaking legs. Slowly, she walked to the desk and sat in the swivel chair. She picked up Momo and moved him aside, to his protests.
The computer's homescreen contained many shortcuts to files, some with names such as 681 summer collection and war reports and audiobooks, and quite a few more only titled with keysmashes. Nikki ignored them and opened the browser, before realising she had no idea what to look for. She wasn't exactly a computer expert - Zoey had made her hack a few computers back in year zero, but Nikki had been given strict instructions then - anything more than sending an email was illegible to her.
An email. Nikki frowned and minimised the browser, opening Kimi's email.
"I'm going to send an email to the service desk," Nikki explained.
"That's bor-ing," Momo complained. Nikki ignored him.
from: [email protected]
hello please help! The chair's office went into emergency mode and I'm trapped inside. Can you please let me out?
Regards,
Nikki Su (Kimi's friend)
Nikki bit her thumb as she sent the email. "Oh, I hope they don't think it's a prank," she said. She looked around the office, and her eyes landed on Kimi's phone. Reid had left it on the desk. Should she..?
No. It would be an invasion of privacy to go through her phone. Reid had already done enough of that.
Time passed so slowly in the office. Nikki watched the clock on the computer tick past ten minutes, fifteen minutes, half an hour - before a new email appeared in the inbox. Nikki opened it quickly.
She sent it and awaited another answer. Momo huffed and started playing with his reflection in the desk. Even more time passed. Half an hour. An hour. Another email.
Nikki almost screamed. Another half an hour passed. Nikki played a game of minesweeper on Kimi's computer. She didn't know how to play minesweeper. An hour. She opened a new window and searched for Kimi's wedding again, properly reading a few articles. None of them made her feel better. An hour and a half. Another email.
When the doors finally did open, Nikki nearly cried. She scooped up Momo and ran out of the office. Already she had formed a plan to find Kimi and warn her of her fiancé's schemes. She knew where the venue was, she had enough diamonds for a taxi, and if she got there fast enough she could do something before it was too late-
A hand clamped down on Nikki's shoulder. She gasped and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to need you to come with me," they said. Slowly, Nikki turned and looked at them. A security guard. She remembered what Reid had said - about bribing security guards - and ran.
"Hey!" Cried the security guard. Momo shouted as Nikki ran to the stairwell and started running down.
"We have to - hurry, Momo," Nikki said, between pants. "There's not - much time. The wedding begins -" she stopped mid-sentence, stumbling down the staircase to floor number she-lost-count.
"How are you going to get there in time?" Momo asked. "Do you even have enough for a taxi?"
"Yes-" Nikki said. "Sorry!" She called as she raced past a woman holding a briefcase. The woman dropped it, and papers flew everywhere. Nikki felt like a monster not staying behind to help clean up, but she didn't have the time to spare.
The staircase seemed never-ending. She didn't think to get into the elevator before, but she didn't waste time wishing she had. She couldn't make that choice now.
Finally she did reach the ground floor. Nikki sighed in relief, but she didn't stop for one second. She ran out through the foyer, past the receptionist and a pair of security guards. They took after her, but she had a head start and got out of the building before they could catch her.
"Look! You can take your pick of taxi!" Momo exclaimed. The street was practically filled with yellow taxi cabs. Nikki ran to the closest one and, after shifting Momo to under her left arm, tapped on the window.
"Hello, I need a ride to the Midsummer Chapel?" Nikki asked.
"Oh, you heading to the wedding?" The taxi driver asked teasingly.
"Yes. I need to get there quickly please," Nikki said quickly. She jumped into the taxi's back seat and let Momo out. He stretched out and sat down on the seat.
Nikki dug around in her purse for diamonds. Oh, she hoped she had enough. She pulled out a handful and passed them over to the driver, who was already calculating the price. He passed her back the change.
The taxi sped away as Nikki buckled her seatbelt.
"You must be pretty important to get an invitation to the ceremony," the cabbie said, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Oh, um, yes," Nikki lied.
The cabbie continued. "Everyone's desperate for all the details. Schiller and Crescent's wedding was all over the press, and everyone expects their daughter's wedding to top it. So there's all this security around the place because they know some of the die-hard reporters and Crescent-ites are going to try and break in."
Nikki seized up. "Oh," she said, trying to keep her cool. She looked next to her to see Momo's disapproving glare. That makes things infinitely harder.
The taxi slowed, stopping at an intersection. "Damn this peak hour traffic," the cabbie swore under their breath. Nikki put her hands in her lap and tried not to bite her lip. The sun was setting and it was getting dark, even though the billboards and office buildings were lit up bright. Nikki's heart raced every time it so much as seemed as if the taxi would slow down.
"Damn it," the taxi driver cursed. Nikki leaned over.
"What's wrong?" She asked quickly.
"There's no way I can get a park anywhere near the Chapel," the cabbie said.
Nikki looked out the window, at all of the traffic clogging up the street, then at the clock on her phone. She didn't have time.
"How far away is the chapel?" Nikki asked.
"About three blocks away," the taxi driver said.
"Thank you," Nikki responded. She picked up Momo, opened the car door, and jumped out.
Getting off the busy road was a blur. A hundred cars blared their horns at her, several people shouted, and Momo yowled like hell.
"Sorry," Nikki apologised as she dodged and weaved through the - thankfully - stationary traffic. Momo bit her arm, but she ignored it.
After nearly being hit by a sleek silver sedan, Nikki made it to the footpath. She loosened her grip on Momo, who jumped out of her arms and hissed.
"Oh my!" Cried a passer-by woman. "What on earth were you thinking, running into traffic like that?"
Nikki brushed off her skirt. "Which way is the Midsummer Chapel?" She asked. The woman was taken aback, but she pointed to the left. "Oh, thank you so much!" Nikki swept Momo up again and took off down the street.
"What is wrong with you!" Momo shouted as Nikki ran. "We could have been roadkill!"
Nikki didn't answer him. She was too busy thinking about how she could get to the chapel before Kimi was married off. Her legs ached and her chest stung, but she pushed on. A crosswalk. A large crowd outside an office building. A volunteer signing people up to be organ donors. Nikki passed all of them by. Nothing was going to stop her.
Nikki nearly cried when she caught sight of the chapel. She halted, nearly falling face-first onto the pavement. There. It was right in front of her.
Nikki paused for a moment. There were a lot of people outside the chapel - journalists, camerapeople, and a few uninvited guests there for the gossip. They all waited outside the closed door. One journalist argued with a security guard. Their mismatched shirt, skirt, and decorative pine tree told Nikki they had tried - and lost - a styling battle with the guard.
"How are we supposed to get in?" Momo asked.
Off to the side of the building, above a dumpster, was a small window. If she climbed on top of the dumpster, she could possibly squeeze through it. If she could sneak past the guards.
Or.
Nikki ducked into an alleyway. She cobbled together an outfit and walked out. Confident. Act confident. You're a waiter who's late. You belong here.
"Hi," she said as she approached the security guard. "I'm part of the catering team, and-"
The guard pulled out a tablet. "Your name please?" They asked.
Nikki shivered. Caught out. "Um-"
"Ma'am, I'm going to need your name or I'll have to make you leave," the guard said harshly.
"Don't talk to her like that!" Momo yelled, pushing past Nikki's feet.
The guard blinked in confusion. "A cat?"
This was enough to give Nikki time to think. She offered an awkward smile - all she could give as an apology - and ran past the guard.
Before the guard could react, Nikki pushed into the chapel. She entered a high-roofed corridor. Several doors displayed themselves to her.
Which door? Which way? Was she too late already? Too early? Nikki ran across the hall and flung a small door open - a broom closet. No, obviously, not that door. Another one. Further down the hallway. There was a large set of double doors. Those looked like they had a wedding venue on the other side.
Nikki turned to run again, but a white blur near her feet stopped her - Momo. She scooped him up and held him close as she ran. Momo said something but Nikki didn't hear. As she got closer to the large doors, she registered talking.
"And we gather today to join these two in loving matrimony. We witness as they promise their hearts to one another, forever and always."
The ceremony had started. Nikki's heart beat like it was going to burst from her chest. The double doors were only a few steps away.
"If anyone here wishes to make a challenge, or can show cause to why they may not be wedded, speak now or forever-"
Nikki pushed open the doors.
The crowd let out a gasp.
Nikki looked straight ahead. She didn't have any energy to spare on the guests or the chapel's interior. She had planned to announce her objection to the wedding, but she found herself staring at Kimi.
She stared back at Nikki, shocked. They met each other's eyes.
In any other context, she would have complimented her outfit. Kimi's wedding dress was white and strapless with a trumpet skirt, simple and elegant in the modern high fashion style that characterised Apple Federation. A veil was clipped into her silver hair, folded back from her face. She gripped a bouquet of purple and white hyacinths. In any other context, Nikki would have gushed over her, pretending not to notice how poorly Kimi would hide her blush. But this was not any other occasion, and Nikki couldn't afford to be distracted.
The officiant broke the silence. "Ahem. Do you... have a reason why this happy couple should not marry?"
Nikki tore her eyes away from Kimi, and finally found her voice.
"Y- yes," she said slowly. She took a deep breath, steadied herself. Lowered her arms and let Momo jump to the ground. She stood back up straight, and, with a shaking voice, told the officiant, "your honour, the groom is blackmailing the bride."
Another gasp from the crowd. Loud murmuring. Reid turned to the officiant and tried to laugh it off. An older man by Kimi's side asked her something. She looked dejected.
"None - none of this is provable," he laughed, albeit nervously. "I never did any such thing."
"But you did!" Nikki cried. "You threatened to arrange my death so I wouldn't tell anyone how you blackmailed Kimi into marrying you!"
The crowd's murmuring got louder, angrier. Kimi looked over at her fiancé, rage painting her face. She mouthed something, and an older man behind her put a hand on her elbow.
"These are very serious accusations," the officiant said. "If true-"
"They're not," Reid snapped. He stepped over and took Kimi's hand in his. She snapped it back to her side. "Just get on with the vows," he mumbled, an octave quieter. Not quiet enough that Nikki couldn't hear.
The officiant straightened, cleared his throat. "Well. Do you-"
"Wait!" Nikki cried. The officiant stopped again. He glared at her. She saw Reid's shoulders stiffen.
With a lump in her throat, Nikki took a step forward. "I - I'm challenging you," she said shakily.
The crowd gasped again.
The officiant raised an eyebrow. "You wish to challenge the wedding?"
Nikki looked back to Kimi. They met each other's eyes. Kimi's eyes seemed to say so much - from the tears at the corners, and the surprise, and an expression that might have been longing. She gripped the bouquet like she was strangling it. And she nodded.
"Yes," Nikki said firmly.
The mumbling from the crowd started again. The officiant frowned and thumbed through his book at the altar. "Well," he said. "Mr Mercury, do you accept the challenge?"
"I accept," he said, teeth clenched.
"And, Lady Kimi, do you accept this challenge for your hand in marriage?"
"Her hand?" Nikki choked out. It went unheard.
"Yes." Kimi answered a little too quickly. She took a deep breath and composed herself. She looked over to Nikki, gave her a teary smile, and Nikki understood.
"Very well." The officiant set his hands on the altar. "The theme is Ethereal Wedding."
And every eye in the hall was trained on Nikki before the stylist battle began and she was ushered away into a side room.
Nikki was tense. Her hands shook, and she could barely concentrate. Gorgeous/elegant, special tag: wedding style. Right. Nikki picked out a dress from her physics-defying wardrobe, Pure White Eternity, and the accessories from Realized Dream. She pinned up her hair. She stressed for a moment over whether it was ethical to wear the gloves from the White Blossom replica at Kimi's wedding, but decided that it was more important to save Kimi from an unhappy marriage.
"Which one looks better?" She asked, holding two coats, Happy Marriage and Falling Feathers. Momo looked over them both.
"The red will give you a higher score," he said. Nikki donned it. "Oh, and you should add a veil!"
"On it," Nikki said, taking Rippled Chord and pinning it to her hair.
She looked at herself in the mirror as she applied makeup. She looked... messy. Her outfit was a mis-matched collection of high-scoring items. She certainly wouldn't turn up to her own wedding like this. But Nikki wasn't going for style, she was going for whatever gave her the highest score in battle. She wasn't taking any chances.
"Are you dressed?" Came a voice from the other side of the door.
"Almost!" Nikki called back. She clipped on a pair of earrings. Yes. Ready. She spun around. "Okay! I'm done!"
The door opened. A woman entered. She gestured over her shoulder. "You're on," she said.
Nikki took one look back at Momo. Wish me luck, she wanted to say, but her voice wouldn't work. He smiled at her anyway.
The dais had been cleared for the battle, the altar pushed back. A group of Gifties chatted amongst themselves. Most of the wedding party had retreated to the pews, sitting with the guests. Kimi, and the man who had spoken with her earlier - was that her father? He wasn't much taller than her. Nikki didn't expect this to be the first time she met Chairman Schiller - were standing back, next to the officiant. Nikki met her eyes briefly. Kimi mouthed something, but Nikki was never any good at reading lips. She offered a strained smile in return.
Reid Mercury stood on the other side of the dais. He'd ditched the smug, self-assured smirk; his mouth was set in a firm line, and Nikki could see him holding onto the sleeve of his suit jacket like his life depended on it.
"Is he even dressed up?" Momo whispered. "That's just what he was wearing for the wedding already, which doesn't even look that different from what he normally wears anyway!"
Nikki hushed him, even if it was true.
"It's showtime!"
The styling battle began. Gifties held up scorecards. Nikki couldn't see them, which didn't ease her fear. The crowd "ooh"d and "aah"d at the results, but that could have meant everything.
Reid looked over Nikki's outfit. "You think that's going to win?" He asked smugly. Critical eye.
"Well," Nikki said as she picky immune-d his insult. "I do have a secret weapon."
He raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
"My fiancée's respect."
The duel ended.
"You won!" Momo cried. He scampered over to Nikki and jumped into her arms. She stood frozen in place as people started talking all over each other at once. There wasn't even a moment to think about what she'd just said or done.
The officiant cleared his throat and tapped on the microphone, causing a harsh ring to sound from the speakers. "Quiet down, quiet down, er, it seems that-" The crowd fell silent.
Nikki felt a hand brush against her elbow. She looked over her shoulder, and there was Kimi. Her face was taut. She still looked sad - but there was a glimmer of something else, too.
Nikki slipped her hand into hers. Their fingers interlaced.
Kimi glanced around the room - over the guests, her father, Reid (to whom she directed a particularly poisonous gaze, though he didn't see as he was giving Nikki his own angered look). Then she looked back at Nikki, squeezed her hand, and marched away from the altar. Nikki didn't let go of her hand, following along with less grace than Kimi.
There began a murmuring again. Kimi handed her bouquet off to a guest sitting in the front pew, not caring who. The walk down the aisle was long and agonising. Every guest's eyes bored into the bride, the girl who had disrupted the wedding, and her cat. They reached the doors after forever, and Kimi pushed them open. As soon as Nikki shut the door behind them, the wedding party erupted into an muffled uproar.
"Lady Kimi!" A recorder came to their side, brandishing a recording device. It was Cali, Nikki noticed. "Do you-"
"No comment."
Nikki mouthed sorry, and offered Cali a sheepish smile. The reporter trailed behind them.
A much larger swarm of mediapeople, less familiar than Cali, waited outside the chapel. Cameras flashed blindingly. Nikki covered her eyes. She heard a soft sigh beside her, and was pulled down the stairs. Kimi pulled her away from the crowd. They ducked into an alleyway.
"They're gone," Nikki said. She turned back. Kimi was leaning against the wall. She looked weary. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call someone to pick you up, or-"
"Nikki."
Kimi stood up straight. She stepped over, put a hand on Nikki's shoulder, and almost smiled. And then she frowned, and then she dropped her hand and looked away.
"You didn't even say goodbye," she said. And Nikki saw the heartbreak in her eyes.
"I am so sorry," Nikki said, trying not to let her voice break. It wasn't easy.
"Where did you go? What were you doing this whole time?" Kimi asked.
Nikki put her hand over Kimi's. "It's - a long story," she sighed. Kimi shifted, put her other hand on her hip.
"Tell me."
"Well... would you believe me if I told you I travelled through time?"
Kimi looked sceptical.
"Okay. So, here's the thing..."
She explained her misadventures as they walked down Welton's streets, hand in hand. It wasn't easy - not to put it into words, nor to get the emotional strength to - but she tried. Momo kept interrupting to contradict Nikki, and, after being snapped at one too many times, huffed and trotted on ahead.
They sat down on a bench in the city square and watched as a fountain spurted water. Their hands touched.
"Thanks," Kimi said softly. Nikki watched as she gazed out to the fountain. "For saving the world. I just wish-"
She looked back to Nikki.
"I wish it didn't mean I had to leave you," Nikki finished. They watched each other silently, illuminated by the lights in the fountain. Kimi moved closer.
"Thank you for coming back," Kimi said softly. Her eyes flicked down, then back up to meet Nikki's eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"I wasn't just going to let him use you like that," Nikki said, brushing the romantic tension aside. "You're - you're wonderful, you deserve so much better than being in a political marriage, than being lied to, than-"
"Than being married to Reid," Kimi finished. She smiled, but it faltered. She twisted the ring on her finger.
"I kept thinking, after the deal, that there was a catch, that I could outsmart Reid and get out of the wedding," Kimi said, ever so softly. "But there wasn't anything aside from calling off the wedding completely, and he wouldn't keep his side of the deal if I broke mine."
She paused and blinked. There were tears shining at her eyes. Nikki reached over, wanting so desperately to comfort Kimi.
"And I resigned myself to being Mrs Mercury. But-"
She pulled the ring from her finger. It sat in her hand, dark and shining. Mature/sexy, from what Nikki could tell. So unlike Kimi's typical style.
"But you came back," she finished. Nikki saw the ghost of a smile on her lips, and her heart swelled.
"Can I kiss you?" Nikki asked. It came out hoarse, lower than a whisper, but Kimi heard her. She nodded curtly and leaned in.
Very softly, Kimi pressed her lips to Nikki's. She felt so light. The metal sound of the hideous engagement ring hitting the pavement sung out, and Kimi put her arms around Nikki's shoulders.
Nikki pulled away after a moment, her heart aflutter and brain a sweet mush. Kimi smiled. She opened her mouth a few times, attempting to speak, but each time failing. She brushed a hand over her hair, before placing it over Nikki's.
"Since Reid was my fiancé, and you beat him in battle," Kimi began, slowly, "we're engaged now."
"Yeah," Nikki breathed out. She looked down at their intertwined fingers and swallowed over the lump in her throat.
"I'm going to give it to you straight, Nikki. I've been in love with you for a long time and if I was going to get married, I would want it to be with you." She looked straight at Nikki, right in the eyes. If she saw how Nikki blushed and gasped at her confession, her face didn't betray it. "I don't know how marriage ceremonies work in your world, but I never meant to trick or coerce you. That's... the last thing I want, for anyone."
"It's okay," Nikki said softly. "I get it."
She squeezed Kimi's hand. She didn't want to get married right now either, but she liked Kimi well enough - no, she loved her. Nikki loved Kimi.
"Can we just... start off slow?" Nikki asked slowly, her heart thumping like a drum. "Maybe we could be girlfriends first."
Kimi leaned back in closer, resting her head on Nikki's shoulder. A tiny smile played at the edge of her lips, and she "hmm"d softly.
"That means yes, by the way," she added.
Nikki rubbed her thumb over the side of Kimi's hand. She leaned in and breathed out. They won, right? The universe saved, the world set right, Kimi safe. Nikki looked out at the fountain, where Momo pawed at something in the water.
Whatever happened next - whatever adversary reared its head - they'd be ready. And they'd be together.
And for the first time in a while, Nikki felt pretty good.