Chapter Text
Vee couldn’t believe that this day had finally arrived. Here she was, standing in front of the mirror with her sisters and mom, wearing the white dress Hunter made to withstand her shapeshifting. It seemed like only yesterday she was newly created and crammed in a cage, being forced to feed on magic at the whim of a dictator. Now, she has a family, friends, and the most handsome fiancé in both realms. It’s been ten years since she first made a decision to run away to the human realm on a whim and now she’s getting married!
Masha couldn’t believe this day had finally arrived. They were getting married, for real, and not as a prank! The enby always feared they were never going to find anyone who loved them for who they were, to the point that they thought no one on earth would ever find them. Turns out, the one for them wasn’t on earth after all, not until ten years ago, anyway. A beautiful basilisk fell into their life and now here they are, inspecting their tuxedo in the mirror as they get ready to watch her walk down the aisle.
“I still don’t like this idea,” Camila sighed as she fixed up a wrinkle in her daughter’s dress. “You’re going to cause a stir during your big moment!”
“I’m going to cause a stir now matter how I tell them, mami,” the basilisk reasoned. “I’m tired of having the one on one talk, I need to just rip this off like a bandaid.”
“And we’ll all be there to help calm everyone down!” Luz flexed her arm for emphasis.
“Mija, you’re the maid of honor, you’re going to be standing up with Masha during that time.” The older woman glared at her other daughter, who just shrugged.
“We’ll have plenty of other witches in the audience ready to defend her, don’t worry.” Amity beamed in pride as Camila rubbed her temples.
“Now you’re just making it sound like they’ll start a fight!” Camila replied. “I understand your intentions, mija, but we need to be civil about this.”
“Come on, mama, you saw how they handled the truth of Amity being a witch at our wedding,” Luz reasoned. “They’re already halfway there to knowing the truth!”
“Luz, the part of the family I’m concerned about are still convinced Amity and the other witches were all wearing elaborate elf cosplay ears from the renaissance faire!” Camila argued. “Even if they first assume Vee is wearing an even more elaborate costume, they’re going to see her shift and there’s no coming back from that!”
“Good!” Vee cut in. “I’m tired of hiding who I really am. I’m a basilisk first and foremost, I just have a human disguise to keep the knowledge of the existence of the Boiling Isles from getting into the wrong hands. I love my human form, I do, but nothing beats being able to be true to myself!”
Camila looked at her daughter with warmth in her eyes. “I know, mija, I know. I tried too long to protect Luz by keeping her from being how she really is and I don’t want to make that mistake again. I’m just worried, is all.”
“I understand, mama, I do.” Vee looked over at her mother with warmth in her eyes. “But you saw how much happier Luz was when you let her be true to herself and that’s why you know I have to do this!”
Camila sighed as she resigned herself to the fact that her daughter was right. “Of course mija, and I’ll be here for you too. You’re my daughter and I love you for who you are, we just need the rest of the family to see that too.”
“Well, it’s almost time, are you ready?” Amity asked as she gave Vee a smile.
“Absolutely not!” Vee shouted. “But you can’t let me back out of this now, so let’s do this before I shift into a griffin and fly away.”
“How you feeling?” Abby asked Masha as she helped the celebrant get ready to walk to their position on the altar.
“Like I’m about to make the best and worst decision of my life at the same time,” they joked.
Abby smacked their friend on the back. “And just what is that supposed to mean?!”
“Best decision: I’m about to go out there and marry the love of my life. Worst decision: She’s going to shift into her basilisk form as she walks down the aisle and scare the shit out of both our families.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait!” Marcus laughed as Abby glared at him.
“What the dingbat means is, I’m sure it will be fine,” Abby tried reassuring her friend.
“I hope you’re right.” Masha sighed as they looked themself over one last time. “Well, time to head out to the altar!”
The group headed out to escort Masha to their position, before heading out to meet up with the rest of the wedding party. They made it over to the building Vee was getting ready in just in time to find the bride, her sisters, and her mom were laughing as they began escorting Vee to her position around the corner from the walkway, where every member of the wedding party met up. Everyone partnered up with the person they’d be walking down the aisle with as they waited for the music to start. Soon enough, it was show time and the groups all began walking towards Masha. Vee took one last breath as she took her mom’s arm and started walking towards her lover, trying to keep her mind off of what was about to happen.
Everyone watched on in smiles as they saw the bride begin her stroll down the aisle with a smile on her face. The smiles on the faces of Vee and Masha’s extended family vanished as they watched the girl shift from her human form to her basilisk form. The bride heard gasps of shock, but so far, didn’t hear any uproar, so she kept slithering towards the only person here who currently mattered. There were faint whispers ringing out throughout the seats as people tried to figure out why Camila was happily holding the arm of the creature before them. Once Vee got to her position next to Masha and the music died down, Lilith began the speech she had prepared to ease everyone into the shock of what they just witnessed.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between!” The older witch began. “I know the form of the woman before you may come as a shock, but it was her wish to reveal the truth to the rest of the family all at once. Vee?”
“Thank you, Lilith,” Vee smiled at the older woman. “Hey everyone, sorry to spring this on you, but I’ve had to have this conversation so many times over the last 10 years that I just wanted to do this all at once to get it over with. As you already know, some of my friends and family are witches from a place called the Boiling Isles. I am also from there, but I am not a witch. I am a shapeshifting demon known as a basilisk. When I first came here, I was running away from the same evil dictator Luz and her friends helped take down. While she was there, I disguised myself as her and took her place at camp. When she came back, I came up with a new human form that was unique and not a copy of someone else, that’s when you first met the real me. Both my human form and my basilisk form are me, but I’m tired of having to hide both halves of myself. For the past ten years, I have only been able to assume my basilisk form in the demon realm, or when near people who knew my secret. Now all of you are part of that group who know the real me. As part of the ceremony today, I wish to shift between my forms as I see fit and I hope you all can come to accept that part of me as you have everything else about me. Now, Lilith, we can continue!”
Vee turned to her celebrant as they shared a smile while they heard whispering in the crowd beside them. There was a lot of confused chatter going on, but nothing that alarmed anyone to the point that they feared an uproar. It seemed even the most religious of their relatives were coming to terms with the girl they’ve known for ten years being a demon from the same place the witches they knew came from. So with at most a huff from the older and/or more stuck up members of the crowd, everyone quieted down as they waited for the ceremony to continue. Once Lilith saw that she was given everyone’s undivided attention once more, she prepared to start reading out her lines.
“Friends and family of the bride and celebrant, we thank you all for coming here on this fine day,” the red head started. “These two stand before us today, before the goddesses and the Titan, who is my nephew by the way!”
“Lilith!” Vee moaned.
“Sorry, sorry!” Lilith giggled. “As I was saying. These two stand before us today to profess their undying love for each other. I understand that you two have prepared vows for each other?”
“Yes,” Masha answered. “Vee. Before you came into my life, I never thought I’d be standing up here, like this, in front of my friends and family, getting married to someone I love. Growing up was hard, I struggled with gender dysphoria, I was constantly an outcast, and what few friends I had at fourteen I all met at a camp meant to help kids separate fantasy from reality. But that’s where I met you! At the time I thought you were your sister, but even then I knew you were someone special. You said you were Luz, but the way you acted, you were always Vee. Then camp ended, Luz came back from the demon realm, and we lost touch.
I now know you just didn’t know how to tell me the truth, but at the time I thought I messed up. I already knew I liked you and I was worried I scared you away. Then you, or her, showed up again with Amity and I thought I lost what small chance I had left. But then I finally got the courage to confront you about it and learned the truth. We worked things out, went on a date, kissed, and now the rest is history. I love you Vee, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Vee was tearing up now as everyone aww’d and wiped away their own tears, including Lilith. “That was beautiful, Masha. Now Vee, your turn.”
“Masha. My life was a nightmare before I came to the human realm. I was a lab experiment, cloned from an extinct species. I was tortured for the scientific experiments of a dictator and I lived my life in fear. Then, one day after breaking out, I found a portal here shortly after a human girl came through. I assumed her life for months, meeting what would turn out to be three of my best friends in both realms. You three helped me learn what it meant to be human, and to have people who cared about me.
All good things couldn’t last forever, though, or so I thought. Luz returned home and I thought I was going to have to run again, before she showed me the same care and understanding you did. After she took her life back and I had to be me again, I was worried I would never see you again, until I busted the door open to the Historical Society and there you were. Unfortunately, from your point of view, I was a stranger, so I was going to have to start over from square one. But I knew you were someone special and that it would be worth every moment.
In the end, I was right. You eventually learned the truth about me and we picked up right where we left off. These past ten years have been better than anything I could ever dream about. You’ve made me the happiest basilisk in both realms and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you either. I love you Masha, and I’m so excited to get to call myself your wife.”
By now everyone attending the wedding had erupted into full blown tears, including Masha. Lilith waited for the crowd to die down before she continued with the ceremony. The red headed witch called up the ring bearer, King, to bring up the symbol of their marriage. The two had decided since they went with the Boiling Isles tradition of trading jewelry for the engagement, that they would go with the human realm tradition of rings for the actual wedding. Once King learned what a ring bearer did, he wouldn’t take no for an answer on taking that role.
“Thank you, King.” Lilith took the rings and waved off her nephew.
“My pleasure, Aunt Lilith!” King saluted the witch. “Anything for my favorite sister!”
“HEY!” Luz shouted from next to Vee. “What am I, chopped liver?”
“Fine, second favorite sister!” King corrected, before leaning in to whisper to Vee. “I love you equally!” He giggled before running off back to his seat.
Luz rolled her eyes at the antics of her brother, before hearing Lilith continue. “Vee, take Masha’s ring and put it on their finger.” She watched Vee do as she was told before continuing. “Do you Vee, take this person to be your lawfully wedded spouse, to live together in matrimony, to love them, comfort them, honor and keep them, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Vee smiled with tears in her eyes.
“Masha, take Vee’s ring and put it on her finger.” She watched Masha do as they were told before continuing. “Do you Masha, take this basilisk to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Masha smiled with tears in their eyes.
“Then I now pronounce you spouse and wife. You may kiss the bride!” Lilith finished as she watched the couple share their first kiss as newlyweds.
The two ran off through the aisle as they skipped off to have their wedding pictures taken before the reception. Once the wedding party had filed out with the bride and celebrant, everyone else gathered around to talk as they waited for the reception. The older members of the family took this time to finally question the truth that Vee had dropped on them all during the ceremony. Some of them even expressed bewilderment in Masha kissing her in her basilisk form, expecting her to switch back to her human form for the kiss at least. Camila and Masha’s parents explained that the enby loves their wife in either form and enjoys kissing both as well, which didn’t help their confusion at all.
“But isn’t that like…kissing a lizard?” One of Camila’s siblings asked, causing the woman to sigh.
“You don’t want to get into that, I promise.” Camila rubbed her temples. “Just think about it as Masha loving everything about our Vee, nothing more!”
“But…wouldn’t her lips be scaly?” One of Masha’s relatives asked. “I know our Masha is…strange like that, and we do love that about them, don’t get me wrong, but…scales?!”
“Would you prefer that they hated half of what makes Vee, Vee?” Camila asked, hoping to finally end this conversation.
“Well, no, but…”
“Then why don’t you just be happy for them?” The woman insisted. She looked around to see the group finally giving up and deciding to just accept what they witnessed. “Good! Now, we should be heading over to the reception hall, they should be done with the pictures any minute now.”