Kon'nichiwa, minna! KilllaKirika here, making a return to FanFiction! Who knows how long I'll be here, though? After all, there's college and a book I want to write…. Well, at the very least, I wrote this a few years ago and decided to revise it for posting purposes. To be honest, I feel like this might be the best installment in the "Ai Love Yu" series! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Animal Crossing.
Ai Love Yu 3: Miracles in the Ground
After Ai and Yu's first anniversary came many more after that, and through it all, they remained in love. Sure, they had the occasional squabble, but they were always quick to make up.
Many changes had occurred throughout the years in Animal Village. Yu had decided to move out of his original village and was now living with Ai; he had also taken up the job of finding new fossils, bugs, and fish for the museum. Ai had become the mayor of Animal Village after Tortimer's retirement yet, busy as she may be, always made time for her friends and boyfriend. Tom Nook's store had gone through many renovations, eventually stopping at the department store known as Nookington's. Many villagers came and went, including Alfonso and Rosie, who had become a couple a few years after their best friends had and were now living together in a nearby village.
Even through it all, however, Ai and Yu remained deeply in love, and eventually, the night before their 10th anniversary arrived.
Ai was asleep in her bed at home, oblivious to the fact that her boyfriend wasn't home at the moment. Instead, Yu sat underneath the couple's beloved cherry tree, staring down at the small, blue box in his hands. Eventually, he let out a sigh.
"Our anniversary is tomorrow, and I still haven't figured out how to propose to Ai," he muttered to himself. "It needs to be absolutely special, yet...is the traditional approach the best way to go after all?"
Yu then stood up before getting back down again, on just one knee this time. He then closed his eyes, pictured the woman he loved in his mind, and spoke.
"Ai, will you marry me?"
"Oh, of course, Yu! I love you!"
That mock-toned answer was enough to make Yu open his eyes and jump back in fright. His fright, however, turned into anger when he realized who it was who had done this and was now doubled up in laughter.
"Alfonso, dude! What the actual heck?!" he exclaimed.
Instead, the culprit was Alfonso, the alligator who had been Yu's best friend since he was a child. It took him a while to calm down enough to speak.
"Sorry, Yu!" he apologized. "It's just that you just seemed so nervous in your pretend proposal that I had to make fun of you!"
Yu got back up and playfully punched Alfonso, the two of them laughing. Even after almost two decades, the two still managed to be great friends.
"What are you even doing here, dude?" Yu asked once the laughter died down.
"I thought I'd surprise you and Ai by coming here on your tenth anniversary. Guess the surprise is ruined now, huh?" Alfonso responded. "Anyway, what are YOU doing out here? It's the middle of the night, and there are animals and one human trying to sleep."
"Planning my proposal," Yu explained, looking back down at the box. "Since Ai and I have been together for this long, I think it's about time for us to take the next step, but...how do I make it special?"
"If I help you come up with it, can I steal it for when it's time for me to propose to Rosie?" Alfonso asked.
"It wouldn't be special if it's done more than once," Yu responded.
"Touché," Alfonso said.
Regardless of their banter, Yu and Alfonso began to think seriously about the matter. It wasn't long, however, before a certain sight out of the corner of their eyes caught their attentions.
An X-shaped mark in the ground.
It didn't matter what it was; if that mark was in the ground, it meant that something was buried underneath it.
Yu and Alfonso exchanged a look before looking back at the mark again.
"...You got the shovel?" Yu asked at last.
"I've got the shovel," Alfonso affirmed, pulling a shovel out of nowhere.
Not another second was wasted; Alfonso dug a hole where whatever was the buried object was, with Yu watching and silently cheering him on. Finally, he finished digging, and the object was revealed to be a fossil.
"Heck yeah! A fossil!" Yu exclaimed loudly, his childish side on full display.
"Ssh. Remember, sleeping animals and human," Alfonso shushed him.
"Oh, right. Sorry," Yu whispered. "You can have it, by the way."
"Are you sure, bro?" Alfonso asked. "It was found in YOUR village, after all."
"Well, the fossil exhibit in my museum is already full, and I know that the one in yours has a long way to go. Besides, you dug it up," Yu explained.
"Really? Thanks a lot, Yu!" Alfonso thanked him, taking the fossil out of the hole. "My village's museum will FINALLY have something in it! It's a miracle!"
Miracle.
The word stuck in Yu's head.
Finding a fossil was a miracle.
Being able to date the girl you loved for ten years was a miracle.
Getting married to that girl...
That was the biggest miracle of all.
Suddenly, it hit Yu.
"That's it!" he exclaimed as he ran off, his face as bright as the moon.
"Yu?! Where are you going?!" Alfonso exclaimed.
The next morning, Ai woke up to an empty bed. Well, almost empty. The place on the bed where Yu would normally sleep instead contained a Sticky-Note. Confused, she picked up the Sticky-Note and read the message.
"Ai, meet me by the cherry tree at noon. It's really important! ~Yu"
Ai ended up letting out a disappointed sigh. It was the tenth anniversary of the day they got together, yet she couldn't see him until noon?
Maybe he's got something planned for us, she thought. I'll just have to trust him on this.
With that, she got out of bed and got ready for the day. She soon left her house and stopped by The Roost, buying two cups of coffee from Brewster. All the while, she swore she could hear the sound of construction in the distance.
"Brewster? Do you know what that is?" Ai asked after she took the coffee. "I mean, I don't think I've started any Public Works Projects recently..."
"...Don't worry about it," Brewster simply said, focused on cleaning one of the coffee cups.
Still confused, Ai left The Roost with both cups in hand. Once she was gone, Brewster looked up and wondered aloud to himself.
"I wonder if his plan will work. After all, it's be a shame if this invitation was for nothing..."
As Ai walked from The Roost to her office, she could still hear the construction noises. Looking in the direction of the noises, she noticed that it was in the direction of the cherry tree she and Yu loved so much. Suddenly, she was overcome by fear.
It's not going to be cut down, is it?! she thought.
After thinking about it for a second, however, she shook off the thought.
Everyone in Animal Village knows how much that tree means to us, she thought. They'd never let that happen.
Finally, she arrived at her office. Upon opening the door, she was met with the sight of her shih tzu of a secretary, Isabelle, fast asleep at her desk with a blanket covering her body. Ai couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight.
She hasn't been here for that long, yet she works so hard and cares so much about Animal Village, she thought.
Ai slowly approached the desk and placed the cup of coffee on it. Isabelle's nose twitched as it picked up on the smell, and slowly but surely, her eyes fluttered open. Once she got up, she saw Ai, and her face lit up with joy.
"Good morning, Mayor!" she greeted.
"I told you, Isabelle. Call me Ai," Ai told her with a giggle.
"What brings you here today, Mayor?" Isabelle asked, ignoring the other girl's protests. "Isn't it you and Yu's anniversary? Are you sure you should be here instead of with him?"
"Well, Yu said to meet up at noon, so I thought I'd do some paperwork until then," Ai explained, sitting down at her own desk.
"Oh, I get it! It's probably because he's setting up the-" Isabelle began before realizing what she was saying and covering her mouth with her paws.
"Setting up the what?" Ai asked.
"N-nothing!" Isabelle responded, flustered. "A-anyway, take all the time you need!"
Despite the confusion forming in her head and the loud construction continuing outside, Ai just ignored it all and focused on her paperwork, determined to finish it all before noon. After that, Isabelle managed to let out a quiet sigh of relief.
That was close, she thought. It would have been bad if that surprise Yu called me about last night was spoiled. I've just got to keep her distracted until it's almost time...
"Yu, I've got it!"
Those were the first words Yu heard Margie say when she got off the train. The white elephant ran over to him, carrying a small yet wide, brown box. Yu took the box with a smile on his face.
"Thanks a lot, Margie. I owe you one," he thanked her.
"Oh, Yu, with how much you've taken care of Ai? It's really the least I can do," Margie responded with a smile.
Just then, Yu felt a vibrating sound from inside of his pocket. He took his phone out of his pocket, checked the caller ID, and answered it.
All the while, the sound of construction in the distance stopped.
"Hello?" Yu said.
"Everything is ready, Yu!" Tom Nook responded on the other end, causing the man to beam even more.
"Thanks a lot, Nook!" Yu said. "I'll make sure to get my pay to you as soon as possible!"
"Ohoho! It's no problem at all!" the tanuki told him. "Just pay me in installments, like your lovely lady did with the house before it was completely paid off. All that really matters today is your happiness!"
"Seriously, thanks for this," Yu said, tears seeming to form in his eyes. As he wiped them away, he continued, "You seriously don't understand...how happy you going this far makes me."
"As I said, it's no problem!" Tom Nook said. "In any case, I'll be seeing you later, yes?"
"Yes. See you later," Yu responded.
With that, the phone call ended. Yu then turned to Margie and handed her a key.
"Here's the key to the house," he explained. "Rosie should already be there."
"Thanks, Yu!" Margie exclaimed, accepting the key. "I guarantee that we'll make her beautiful for the occasion."
With that, she left the train station. Yu left not long after, looking down at the box the elephant had left him.
Everything is going as planned, he thought to himself. Now to bury this...
Finally, it was time for Ai to meet up with Yu. After saying goodbye to Isabelle, she left the office and headed to the cherry tree. When it came into view, she noticed that something seemed off about it, but she chose to ignore it; she instead focused on Yu, who embraced her once she arrived.
"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her. "Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary, Yu!" Ai exclaimed. After the couple let go, she asked him, "So what do you have planned today?"
Yu let his eyes wander as he pretended to think about it, and his eyebrows raised in mock surprise as an X shape in the ground caught his eye.
"Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing at it.
Ai looked from where he was pointing to the X shape, genuinely confused.
"I don't know. I guess it can't hurt to dig it up and find out," she answered.
With that, Yu pulled a shovel out from nowhere and began to dig. All the while, his heart beat at a mile per minute, thinking about what was going to happen next and what he was going to say.
Finally, the object in the ground was uncovered.
A brown box.
It was the same brown box that Yu had accepted from Margie earlier, but since Ai wasn't there to witness this, she had no clue what it could be. She took the box out of the hole, brushed the dirt off, opened it...
...and let out a gasp upon seeing the contents.
Inside of the box was a neatly-folded, white wedding dress.
Ai slightly lifted her head up from inside of the box and looked down at Yu, who had gotten down on one knee. He was looking down at the ground, collecting his thoughts.
Okay, Yu. This is it. The moment of truth. Time to pop the question.
With that, Yu looked up at his teary-eyed girlfriend and began to speak.
"Ai... it's been about 16 years since we met and, as of today, 10 years since we started dating. I know that I can be a bit of an idiot sometimes, but you were here by my side to support me for all of these years. That's why... there is something important I need to ask you."
Yu dug into his pocket, took out the blue box he had been carrying around since the night before, and continued.
"Ai, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you with all of my heart, and I promise to do so for as long as I live. I want to be there and support you...as your husband."
Yu opened the box and revealed the diamond-encrusted ring inside before concluding his speech.
"Ai, will you marry me?"
At this point, Ai - who had put the box on the ground - was covering her mouth with her hands, and tears of joy were spilling out of her eyes. Her answer to the question was clear before the words could be said.
"Yes, Yu! Of course I'll marry you!" Ai exclaimed.
She ran over to Yu and glomped him in a hug, causing them both to fall to the ground. The two laughed and then shared a kiss, with Yu slipping the ring onto Ai's ring finger as they kissed.
"Oh my gosh!" Ai exclaimed as soon as they let go. She stood up and continued, "We need to start planning the wedding right away!"
"No need," Yu said as he got up, too. He then turned toward the tree and shouted, "She said yes, you guys!"
With that, the cherry tree and the setting around it split into two, as if they were curtains. No, actually, they were curtains, with ropes for them tied around nearby trees and two villagers controlling them. The parting of the curtains revealed the cherry tree, same as always, but behind it was an outdoor wedding venue, with an aisle and everything. Ai could only state in awe at the spectacle.
"Yu...you planned this?!" Ai cried out at last.
"You're okay with getting married today, right?" Yu asked with a sheepish grin on his face. "I mean, I spent all night getting the preparations ready, and it was crazy expensive, too. I'm lucky that Nook's being all lax about it because it's us."
Ai looked over at her beloved and noticed that there were slight dark circles under his eyes. Sure, it was a lovely venue, and she was ecstatic to marry this man as soon as possible. However...
"Yu, did you get any sleep last night?" Ai asked.
"Not really," Yu answered, letting out a yawn.
"Yu, you should probably rest," Ai told him.
"Are you sure, Ai? I mean, wouldn't it be cool to get married on the same day that we got together?" Yu asked with a grin on his face.
"Yes, but I can see that you're tired. It's bad enough that Isabelle has bad sleeping habits, and I don't want you to have them, too," Ai explained. She then smiled and said, "Let's get married tomorrow. Okay?"
Yu couldn't help but smile. Seeing her worry about him made him want to marry her even more, yet he wanted to respect her wishes. Thus, he nodded in agreement.
"I'll call all of the guests and tell them that the wedding's been rescheduled," he told her.
"Just tell me who's coming and leave everything to me," Ai told him. "You just get some rest."
With that, the couple returned home, the diamond on Ai's engagement ring shining all the way there.
"OMG, Ai! You look beautiful!"
The next morning had arrived, and Rosie and Margie - who had spent the night at Ai and Yu's house - were helping the bride get ready for her wedding. The pink-haired human girl looked in the mirror, and a beautiful woman fitting in a white wedding gown greeted her. Upon hearing her cat friend speak, she turned around, a light blush on her face.
"Thanks, Rosie," she thanked her.
"Hey, it's no problem, girl!" Rosie responded. "I know that you'll be knocking Yu's socks off at the wedding later today!"
"You know, it really is a miracle," Margie said. "It's a miracle that you came to Animal Village 16 years ago, Ai, and met all of us. Now, you've got a job as the mayor, an abundance of friends that include me and Rosie, and a wonderful soon-to-be husband. You must be feeling really lucky, right, Ai?"
Ai thought about what Margie said and nodded, a huge smile forming on her face.
"Yes! It's because of all of these miracles that I feel so happy right now," she said. "Among everything in my life right now, I know that I wouldn't change a thing!"
"That's right, Ai, and it'll only get better from here!" Rosie exclaimed.
"Now, get out there and become the happiest bride on Earth!" Margie exclaimed.
"Yes! I will!" Ai exclaimed.
Finally, the moment arrived.
The wedding's orchestra began to play "Here Comes The Bride" as the bride in question walked down the aisle, the wedding guests watching her in awe. No one was more in awe than Yu, who wore a white tuxedo and stood at the end of the aisle, watching his bride approach.
Whoa, he thought. I mean, Ai is just so...beautiful...
By the time Ai had reached him, Yu's breath had almost been completely taken away. Ai could help but smile at how flustered Yu was. After a moment, the orchestra finished playing the song, and the wedding officiant - who was Tortimer, of all animals - began to speak.
"Beloved friends," he began, "we are gathered here today to join these youngsters' hearts in the bonds of love. Heh, if any of you told me that these two would get hitched when Ai first came to town, I wouldn't have been able to believe it, and yet, here we are! Next thing you know, those kids are adults and getting married! Enough chitchat, though. Let's get those rings onto each other's fingers, shall we?"
Thus, Yu and Ai exchanged rings, each one fitting perfectly onto the other's finger. After that came the vows.
Tortimer then turned to Yu and spoke.
"Yu, do you take Ai as your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health, to love and cherish for as long as you'll live?"
"I do," Yu answered, looking deep into Ai's eyes. "I take Ai as my lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health, to love and cherish for as long as I'll live."
"Same to you, Ai," Tortimer asked, turning to Ai this time. "Do you take Yu as your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health, to love and cherish for as long as you'll live?"
"I do," Ai answered, looking deep into Yu's eyes. "I take Yu as my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health, to love and cherish for as long as I'll live."
"Heh heh horf! Not like I expected anything less!" Tortimer laughed. He then cleared his throat and finished, "Now, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you two husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"
Thus, Ai and Yu kissed, to the cheers of the wedding guests.
Thus, the miracle that was their married life together began.
DONE! ….On second thought, this may not be the best in the series, considering how this is probably not an accurate depiction of a wedding ceremony and how the ending was kind of rushed. It was certainly the longest, though. Congratulations to me for gaining the ability to write one-shots that go longer than 3,000 words! Anyway, this is not the end of the "Ai Love Yu" series; I have one more story planned for it, which will be written….eventually. I hope. Hope this was satisfactory!