Epilogue

The sun shone brightly through a cloudless sky that day, at first touching the 
beaches of the Neonthian shore furtively, and deciding that the landscape would 
do no harm, bathed them in it's full splendor.  It then chose to pour over the 
mountains that guarded the pure white sands of the beaches and over the small 
community of Shadow River, where the people were just beginning to regain a hold 
on life, and there was more smoke gushing merrily in the early morning light 
than ever before.  It continued over the forests dividing the area between 
Vertigo and the smaller town, rousing diurnal Pokemon from their slumber and 
lulling nocturnal varieties to sleep.  It gained speed at it picked up on the 
sounds of merriment coming from the palace and day broke fully upon the land to 
the pleasant sight of a gathering of people in the gorgeous gardens in the back 
of the ancient castle.

They awaited the return of their messengers, long since departed for a secretive 
ceremony on the beach, consisting of the mere seven of them, the dragon Riley, 
and Princess Cerise.  They had crossed the town which rested on the docks and 
ventured past the guarding of tall stone spires of natural rock formations and 
to a secluded and beautiful area of the beach where few took the time to wander.

Jessie and James stood in elaborate ceremonial garb at the top of the highest 
cliff on the shore, the friendly and exuberant winds tossing their hair and 
decorative capes about their statures adoringly.  Their mood mirrored the same 
joy their messenger felt as he took his soul mate's hands into his, gazing with 
pure love into her glimmering azure eyes.  They barely heard the ceremony's 
words from princess Cerise, listening only when it came time for the actual holy 
bond to be complete.  "For the final completion of the rite, you must each give 
each other your prepared signs of eternal love, only then may you be pronounced 
husband and wife," Cerise proclaimed aristocratically.

Jessie kissed James' hand gingerly, letting it go as she raised both of her 
index fingers to rest on his temples.  He accepted her silent request to proceed 
before he did, closing his eyes at her tender touch.  He felt tears of joy sting 
his eyes as the night they had spent together played back in his mind, as 
vividly and as full of passion as it had been during the actual event.  
Everything else about him faded into oblivion as he knew what Jessie had 
prepared for him, and that she had consigned it in her memory as resplendently 
as he saw it and it would remain intact forever, opening his eyes when it was 
over to throw his arms around her.  "Oh Jess...." Was all he could manage to say 
as she returned the embrace.  "They say you never forget the first time, but now 
neither of us will, literally," she assured him with a gentle smile.

They kissed lightly, much to the delight of the rest of the messengers, and 
Cerise waited, a small smile playing on even her cynical lips at the couple even 
she had to admit was perfect.  Misty stifled a sob, leaning on Ash's shoulder 
with it, and wiping her tearful eyes on his tunic.  "What's your problem?" he 
asked quietly.  "I....I always cry at weddings!" she wailed in response.  Ash 
sighed deeply and patted her reassuringly on the back, wiping the tears from her 
cheeks tenderly as the ceremony continued.

Cerise cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the two lovers before her, 
and with an amiable smile, motioned to James.  "And now James, with your show of 
pure love, your union will be complete in the heavens, and on earth, let it be 
known to the world of your harmony," she said softly.  James nodded, and turned 
to the beach, closing his eyes to speak to the winds.

The young man spread his shimmering blue wings slightly to welcome the wind into 
them, lowering his head in respect for the element he received his power from.  
They answered his call, tossing his hair and feathers lightly as they performed 
his bidding, calling forth a distant rainstorm.  It gathered quickly, a single 
hole in the pleasantly gray mass casting an ethereal beam of golden light upon 
the two messengers as a light mist of rain began to fall.  James smiled broadly 
as he raised his head, silently thanking the winds and turning back to Jessie.  
"Look up Jess," he encouraged, cupping her chin in his hand gently.

She smiled adoringly at him before he turned her head to the skies, blinking 
back her own tears of happiness as a wide arc of a rainbow appeared in the sky 
above them, engulfing them in its full spectrum of color.  "James, it's 
beautiful," she breathed.  "But you put it all to shame," he said quietly.  
Jessie laughed lightly, cocking her head to one side thoughtfully as she 
caressed James' cheek tenderly.  "I'm so glad I found you," she said.  "It was 
meant to be, just like everything in our life," James replied.  "Think my mom 
knows how happy you've made me?" Jessie asked, wrapping her arms about his neck.  
"I'm positive she knows, think she likes me?" James replied with a smirk.  "I'm 
positive.  I love you James," she replied, resting her cheek against his.  "I 
love you too," he whispered.

All present ignored the rain that soaked their garments as Jessie and James' 
lips met in their first kiss as husband and wife, Cerise closing the book she 
read the ceremony out of decisively.  "I now pronounce you, joined in the holy 
union ordained long ago by our ancestors, as one soul shared, husband, and 
wife," she said reverently, curtseying delicately to conclude the ritual.  A 
cheer of approval rose from the soaking wet messengers as the kiss slowly broke 
away, and Jessie and James remained standing, gazing into each other's eyes with 
nothing but love behind them, and burning deep within their souls.

They were their own family that they had never had as children, and that they 
had always known on a subconscious level.  It took a near tragedy, and a lengthy 
adventure and contentions with corrupted and omnipotent forces for them to 
finally gather the courage to admit to each other exactly how much they loved 
and needed each other.  They were finally joined completely, and as the group 
turned to attend the festival they had planned for the occasion in the town of 
Vertigo, they knew that though their saga in the great, never-ending story of 
the world of Aradain was over, but the journeys, trials and tribulations of the 
seven legendary messengers, were far from completion.

@->->-

The celebration in town lasted all that day, and well into the night, as the 
people had much to rejoice over.  They were two steps closer to complete 
freedom, and there had been a holy union of two of their beloved messengers that 
day, what wasn't there cause to be joyous about?  The town center was the main 
pulse of the festivities, with food, drink, music and color everywhere one 
turned.  The messengers sat at a long wooden table, absolutely covered in an 
assortment of foods and elaborate centerpieces crafted from native materials, 
most of them pertaining to the elegant wind and wing symbols, as well as the eye 
and dizzying spirals associated with the powers of the mind and wind.  Chat was 
peaceful and lighthearted, as everyone was in the highest spirits they had been 
in far too long.  Even James, who had just lost Jasper, was his usual self, 
smiling crookedly at his beloved as a particularly upbeat rhythm resounded from 
the band.  Struck with inspiration, he stood suddenly, demanding the attention 
from the rest of the messengers and the townspeople seated with them. 

Jessie gasped as James suddenly grabbed her hand, leading her into the 
congregation of people in front of the small orchestra and as he twirled her 
elegantly into his arms, she made a shocking discovery.  James could dance, and 
he could dance amazingly well.  They spent the entire evening in each other's 
arms, ending it when they decided to take a walk along the beach by the Vertigan 
docks where their adventures in the town had begun when Raine had dropped them 
off in the Virtue.  They wondered what fate had befallen to their old friend, 
and hoped that she had run the valiant ship well, and had also taken care of the 
amorous Captain Roker.

The lovers talked happily as they strayed far from the festivity of Vertigo, the 
music and shouts of enjoyment growing ever fainter in their ears.  They stopped 
regretfully only when the sounds of the town were no longer audible, the only 
evidence of life far along the shore the warm glow emanating from the general 
vicinity of their beloved town.  "I suppose we should go back, it is our party 
after all," Jessie said, looking back.  James merely sighed in response, 
gingerly taking Jessie's hand into his, and cast her a furtive look out of the 
corner of his eyes.  "I don't really feel like going back, how about we chase 
the stars?" he asked softly.  "Now that is an idea," Jessie replied as she 
allowed James to tenderly lift her into his arms.

He spread his wings, taking flight into the clear night sky and smiled, both 
with the same joy he always felt while flying, and that now he had finally taken 
the one person he'd always wanted to with him.  He remembered when he had 
thought to himself what it would be like to fly with Jessie resting comfortably 
and lovingly in his arms, arms wrapped securely about his neck as he soared 
victoriously above the landscape, and now that he knew, it was indefinitely 
better in real life than in his imagination.

He felt Jessie's lips touch his cheek gently, and he closed his eyes happily for 
only a brief moment before rocketing downward from the sky, brushing over the 
surface of the water.  It sprayed about them with a sudden rush of air, 
enveloping the duo in a curtain of water that gorgeously reflected the pallid 
silver and light red moonlight.  They laughed in unison with the spray, James' 
flight carrying them to the top of a serene dune which was covered in low, 
sparse grass and a gentle coating of pure white sand.

The winged young man lighted there with a kind-hearted smile, gently placing 
Jessie on the ground to sit by her side.  She sighed as he wrapped his arm about 
her waist, closing her eyes happily as she rested her head against his 
affectionately.  "Well James, we finally got what we wanted," she breathed.  "I 
know, and I'm happier than I've ever been in my life," he replied.  Jessie 
smiled at this, turning her gaze to the stars wistfully.  "Think we would have 
admitted it if we hadn't come to Aradain?" she asked absent-mindedly. 

James shrugged, lying backwards and taking Jessie with him to simply gaze into 
the beautiful and pure heavens of the fantasy world.  She pressed herself 
further into his body as he did so, wrapping her arms about his shoulders as she 
kissed him lightly.  "Probably not, I felt so insecure about myself, it took 
this little misadventure to make me realize who I am, and that contrary to 
popular belief I'm not as cowardly and stupid as I thought I was," he answered 
with an affable smirk.  "You never were, I blame those idiots who dared call 
themselves loving parents, I'll never forgive them for what they did to you," 
Jessie hissed, the image of James' sadistic family coming to mind.  "That's all 
behind us Jess, all the family I want is here," he said lovingly.

Jessie nodded in understanding, feeling the same love for her friends James did, 
as she too had be without a biological family for most of her life.  James and 
Meowth had filled the void that her mother had left in her heart, and now, she 
and James legally were family.  "Me too, and I promise right now, together 
forever James, I love you more than life itself," she replied.  "Forever Jessie, 
forever and an eternity."

Nothing more was said as the couple held each other close, gazing into the 
stars, and praising whatever omnipotent force had allowed them to find their 
soul mates.  It had been a hard journey, full of heartbreak and self discovery, 
but Jessie and James had grown impeccably stronger and closer to one another in 
effect.  Jessie finally found someone she knew she could trust her heart to, and 
James found himself, as well as his one true love.  They had finally been able 
to put their painful pasts behind and forget about them, knowing only their 
blissful present, and eagerly awaiting what was impending for the future.  They 
knew many hardships were eminent, and Jessie could already sense the power 
dwelling within their next adventure, but for the time being they were content 
to be with each other.  The darkness had finally been defeated, in the lover's 
souls, the world, and in the hearts of those who would always believe in the 
legends and myths of Aradain.

Fini