Chapter 267: Holy Matrimony

Jacob tried his absolute best not to pass out right where he was standing, however, the information was just too much to bear. He fell to his knees and grasped for air.

’There’s no way I didn’t see that line before. Maria would have seen it too. How recent is this?! When did this happen?!’

Slimo ran over to Jacob and put a hand around him for comfort.

"Is everything alrigh-"

"AHH! DON’T TOUCH ME!!"

Slimo recoiled and looked at his arm in fear.

"Why?! What happened?! Am I going to lose an arm now?!"

Jacob’s legs started to shake as he stood back up and slowly pointed a finger weakly at Lidia.

"Lidia... she’s... she’s-"

Maria gasped looking at Lidia.

"Mom! You’re pregnant?!"

Slimo’s face went deathly pale, Squabee’s jaw dropped to the floor, Sarah dropped her cooking utensils and stared in awe at Lidia. Lidia looked at Maria and raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? How the hell do you know that?"

"Jacob and I can see it written on with our eye! It says you are carrying humanities only hope? How the hell is a baby going to be humanities only hope?!"

Lidia blushed and crossed her arms while looking away.

"You all suck at keeping secrets, you know that? I was waiting to tell Slimo."

All of them, especially Slimo stared dubiously at Lidia.

"You knew this whole time?! How long have you known?! When were you going to tell us?!"

"I’ll have you know I wasn’t planning on telling you all until I had to! Except for Slimo of course. He was going to be the only one I told."

"I’m so lost. How can you even tell? How do you know?"

"Well, quite a lot of things started changing in my body. There is also a weird intuition I had that told me I wasn’t crazy and that I really was pregnant. I mean, it’s not like I knew there was a possibility of me getting pregnant when me and Slimo-"

"PLEASE don’t finish that."

Lidia laughed and puffed her chest out.

"You kids are too innocent!"

"We’re grown adults!"

"Then you shouldn’t have a problem with me saying it!"

"You’re our mom and Slimo is our friend! That would be so weird!"

"Booooring."

Maria slapped her forehead. Slimo shakily walked over to Lidia on his knees.

"Lida... is it really true? Are you really pregnant?"

"As true as it can be. Sorry I couldn’t tell you in a more private setting, my love."

Slimo started mumbling to himself as he placed his head against Lidia’s stomach of her breastplate.

"I’m going to be a father... I’m going to be a father... I’m going to be a father?"

Lidia looked down at him and pushed him away slightly.

"What? Do you have a problem with that or something?"

Slimo shook his head.

"On the contrary."

Slimo grabbed Lidias hand and lifted himself up on one knee.

"Lidia, ever since I first laid eyes on you, I always found you to be the most infatuating woman I’ve ever seen. Your face, your body, your voice, your personality, the way you carry yourself, the way you treat others, I’ve always been obsessed with it all. I love every single part of you down to every minor detail. You complete me, you inspire me, and best of all, you make me happy."

He reached towards the back of his belt where a small box was laying on his waist. Lidia’s face turned hot red, she was starting to get teary eyes knowing what was coming next.

"Slimo, is this really-?"

"Lidia Rose, will you make me the happiest man in the world and take my hand in marriage?"

He propped open the box and revealed its insides to Lidia. However, out of all the reactions Slimo expected from her, he got the one he least expected: laughter. Lidia started roaring with laughter and holding her stomach while tears fell down her face. Trying to understand what was so funny, Slimo looked inside of the box. Where a beautiful amethyst ring was supposed be, there was instead nothing. The box was completely empty. Slimo’s heart dropped into his stomach, and he started skimming the ground for it.

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no. What happened to it?! This can’t be happening right now!"

However, as his hands were quickly skimming the dirt, Lidia grabbed hold of one of them as she bent down to meet his face. She held his cheeks in her hands and stared wistfully into his golden eyes.

"Don’t worry about the ring. This is perfect. I do, Slimo Kin."

She tackled Slimo to the ground kissing him passionately. Jacob and Maria both enjoyed watching the slightly embarrassing, but wholesome scene unfold. Jacob found it strange that even during the end of the world, he managed to find a genuine moment shared between those he cared about. Slimo sat up after kissing Lidia three more times on her cheek.

"Oh my gosh. You’re pregnant! And I’m going to be a dad!"

She giggled and nodded her head.

"You are!"

"I..."

Slimo stood up and shouted out across the group.

"If anyone so much as lays a hand on Lidia, even jokingly is going to hear from ME! No more heavy lifting will be expected from her as well!! Do I make myself clear?!"

Jacob nodded his head and smiled.

"Loud and clear."

Squabee started jumping up and down.

"Yay! I get to be an aunt!"

Sarah lifted a utensil menacingly.

"I’ve been preparing for a moment like this my whole life. My cooking will be put to the true test at last! You will never be malnourished as long as I’m here!!"

After the excitement slowly dimmed, Slimo looked back inside of the empty ring box mournfully. Lidia saw his saddened expression and started rubbing his back to comfort him.

"What’s wrong? I don’t need a ring to show that I’m yours! I’ll make sure you know I am every waking second hehe."

Slimo smiled and kissed her gently.

"I know, it’s just that... I wonder where I could have lost it. I swear I had it with me even up to when Harold dropped us off on the ice."

Harold threw them off his shoulders. His heart was racing faster than he had ever felt it run before. He was slightly afraid he would get a heart attack at the rate he had ran. However, Abby was in trouble. He needed to see her. He looked into the palm of his hand where a massive amethyst ring was glittering in the dim sky.

"Abby. I need to go back for Abby."

Jacob grabbed hold of his arm before he could sprint away.

"Please, Harold. You’ll die."

Jacob’s words flowed through his body like an ethereal whisper. He didn’t want to die, but there was one undeniable truth he knew about himself.

"Without her, I’m as good as dead."

Before Jacob could get a better grip, he ripped himself free and planted his feet in the ground.

"Release!"

His body exploded back towards the area they had left before. He could see the gargantuan figure of Zalo still towering over the crumbling pieces of Iron Kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of black, infested creatures continued pouring out from Zalo, flooding the area with corrupted flesh. Harold crashed through dozens of lesser creatures before jumping on top of bigger ones to catapult himself closer to the area he had left Abby. Luckily, she was far enough away from all the chaos to buy himself some alone time with her, even if it only lasted a few short moments. Abby was awake, but she was incredibly dizzy and dazed from the attack. She held on to Harolds sharp face.

"Harold. Did we... do it? Did we win."

Harold could hear the ocean of monsters closing in on their position behind his back. He grabbed hold of her left hand and prepared to put the ring on one of her fingers.

"Abby. I don’t have a lot of time to talk to you and tell you about everything I adore about you. I want to reminisce about our favorite memories; I wanted to grow old with you. I only pray these three simple words will express the feelings I will always have for you."

He finished sliding the gem on her ring finger.

"I love you."

Abby nodded groggily before embracing Harold and grabbing hold of his ear.

"Then you should know that I don’t like going down without a fight."

The creatures were almost upon them. Their screams and roars started drowning out the words Abby was whispering to him. Harold grabbed hold of Abby. He began to feel all emotion and thought drain through his feet into the earth below him. Both of their bodies began to melt together. Only one word spoke between them before the first creature could swipe its claws.

"Transform."

A small explosion knocked back the first line of monsters going after them. Standing in the small crater was something that could no longer be considered Harold or Abby. It was a thin silver creature with no face, long torso and arms, and an ever-changing after image being left behind with each movement.

Harold and Abby had thrown away themselves to achieve something greater, similar to what Zoey had done. However, they both did this knowing that there was no going back, no matter what magic or charm they could receive. Abby and Harold were no longer present. All that was left as an avatar of resentment, and its targets were coming right for it.