Chapter 3: The Secret Vows

"I checked the records at Town Hall," Nami told Alex over breakfast, "Luna lives at the Mayor's house. She married his son. It's really close by. We can probably speak to her there."

Fifteen minutes later, the two were walking down the road, another steaming cup of cocoa clasped in Nami's hands. She was fast-walking, but Alex lingered behind, his eyes hungrily taking in every sight they could. He'd missed living here. Even back then, he'd always thought Harmonica Town was very uniquely built, thanks to its multiple layers and easy access to rooftops. In childhood, he'd always spent his spare time seeking out the best vantage points.

"Alex!" Nami called, "Come here! It's by the school!"

She was waving him down. He caught up with her and they both approached the door. She looked at him pleadingly.

"Oh no, you do it this time," he grunted knowingly.

She scowled and knocked loudly on the door. They stood together waiting, Nami bouncing back and forth on her heels, the cocoa trembling in her hands. After what seemed like forever, the door opened, and a tall girl with pale blonde hair and blue eyes stood before them. She studied them silently for a few moments, trying to piece together who they were.

"Good morning," she said with a slight bow, "How may I help you today?"

Nami was silent, her expression confused. Alex gently pushed her back and extended his hand to his old classmate.

"It's been ages, Vivvy," he said, smiling.

Vivian's stoic expression suddenly turned sour, and her fist flew into his gut at breakneck speed, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to his knees. He doubled over, struggling to catch his breath and holding his stomach. Nami simply stared, not knowing whether to laugh, run, or help.

"You have a lot of nerve, Alex!" Vivian shouted, "How dare you come slinking back here after standing me up!"

A look of the most satanic pleasure sprouted onto Nami's face. Alex pushed himself to his feet with a groan.

"And when exactly did I do that?" he asked calmly, keeping his voice level.
"Oh, wow, I'm not even important enough to remember now?" she asked angrily, her cheeks burning red, "Such an insufferable man!"
"Such anger and violence is unbecoming of a fine young lady," Alex replied mockingly, smirking, "Childish, really."

Vivian's face flashed pure scarlet, but she begrudgingly beckoned them inside and pointed to the dining room table. Nami took a seat, but Alex pulled his old friend aside.

"Listen, I'm really sorry, but we really need to talk to your mom and clear some stuff up," he whispered hurriedly, "Life went really haywire back then, and whatever I did to you, I'm sure that'll be an acceptable explanation. Just give us a chance to figure things out…"

She looked at him skeptically, cocking a brow, still angry.

"I promise…I'll make up whatever I did to you. I'm really sorry, Vivvy…"

Her face finally softened.

"Fine. I'll get mom."

Alex smiled gratefully and sat beside Nami at the table. She was sipping cocoa awkwardly, not moving her eyes from her cup. Alex stared around, taking in how pink the home's accents were, until he heard footsteps entering the room.

"Ah, now those are two faces I've missed."

Luna looked absolutely nothing like the girl in the photo or Alex's memories. Her hair, once tied up at the sides, now hung down past her waist in large and wavy pink curls. Pale yellow pressed flowers clung to a red hairband. Her red jacket was the only recognizable survivor from the days of old.

Alex had to admit he found her quite beautiful.

Her large almond eyes looked to Alex and Nami as if they were her own children, and she pulled them both into a tight hug.

"I haven't seen you two for so long," she cooed, "Alex towers over me now, and my oh my, Nami, you were so tiny…"

She pulled Vivian into the chair across from Nami, then seated herself before Alex. Both women folded their hands onto the table and smiled politely.

"So, tell me why you're here," she said eagerly, "and where's Rei?"

Nami cringed. Luna missed it, her eyes still intently on Alex, but Vivian eyed her with concern.

"Um, well, she couldn't come," he explained, nudging his sister gently, "Things are complicated. We're here to see our dad."

Vivian was looking at everyone with confused interest.

"Mom and dad separated when we were young," Alex explained to her, "Like I said, life went haywire back then. We don't really know how or why, but that's why we left and…well, I guess why I stood you up…"

He added a muttered sorry, but Vivian shook her head, an understanding smile on her face. Luna, however, wore a look of concern.

"Hold on," she said, "You don't know why your mother left?"

Both siblings shook their heads.

"It just happened one night," Nami said, "Things were fine, and then one night…everything just changed. We haven't even seen dad during all this time…"

Vivian looked horrified. Luna fell into deep thought, her eyes unfocused, her head in her hands.

"Is…he okay?" Nami added softly, "The mayor said he's been reclusive…"
"I deliver my great grandmother's blankets to the clinic sometimes," Vivian said, "Jin's always been really pleasant, but…he never seems to be quite 'there' you know? Like he's always thinking of something else."

Nami nodded slowly and stared at the floor, earning an apologetic look from Vivian.

"Don't worry," Alex said in a hushed voice, "Nami just worries a lot for dad. They were really close."
"I get it," Vivian replied, "I'm like that with my dad. I don't know what I'd do without him. He's always guided me so…well, yeah, you know."

Alex turned back to Luna.

"I know it's probably troublesome, Mrs. Luna, but we want to know anything you can tell us about our parents. We want a little knowledge under our belts before we face him. We want to try to understand in case he leaves some things out…"
"Unfortunately, we've gone ages being told nothing," Nami added coldly, "Papa's stuck at Toucan Island. We need to learn all we can before he gets back…"

Luna studied them for a moment.

"I can't say much," she said sincerely, "Rei didn't confide much into anyone, especially things concerning her problems and past. All I know about your parents is that they had a very happy marriage."

She glanced down at Nami's hand, and her eyes widened in a sudden understanding.

"…I am willing to bet that, in some ways, they still do."
"What?" Alex asked, bewildered, "But they split. How can you even guess that?"

Luna smiled and took Nami's left hand. The blue ring she wore glistened softly in the light.

"Nami, tell me what you know about this ring."

Nami shrugged.

"Mama gave it to me the night we left," she explained, "She told me that I was not to take it off, no matter what. She said it was really important, and that she could only entrust it to me."

She fidgeted with it a little, disgruntled.

"Sometimes I wanna take it off," she continued, "I don't care too much if mama says it's important…"

Luna's eyes softened, and she clasped her hands over Nami's.

"Honey, you should care," she said, her voice soothing and clear, "This ring contains a blue feather, a symbol of happiness on this island. It is used to propose the most important and special vow between a couple."

Nami sat still, her mouth slightly opened in surprise, her eyes staring straight into Luna's.

"Sweetheart, this is your mother's wedding ring."

=^x^=

Luna's Memory

"Come on, Candace! Grandma wants to get good seats!"
"Luna, dear, don't rush your sister."

Grandma Shelly zipped the back of my pale yellow dress, and her wrinkled fingers fiddled with the pressed flowers in my hair. I posed in front of the mirror, modeling my simple ensemble, and puckered my lips. Grandma giggled.

"My little fashionista," she cooed, "Any excuse to dress up, hmm?"
"Hey, I've gotta look hot for a friend's wedding," I lectured, twirling so the soft fabric fanned out around me, "Man, she's so lucky. Even Candace is getting married soon! Candace! Before me!"

I pouted into the mirror and crossed my arms.

"Men in this town are so gutless," I grunted, "They only talk to the shy girls."
"Now now, dear," Grandma said, patting my head, "It just means that whoever comes around will really mean it, no?"
"But grandma…Candace!"
"Is a beautiful young lady and deserves to be happy, just like you."
"That's not what I-"
"Enough, dear."

She nudged my arm as Candace entered the room, dressed in flowing periwinkle and blushing severely.

"Do you think he'll like it?" she asked nervously, "Is it too modest…?"
"Sis, everything about you is too modest," I sighed, "You look fine, alright? Jules is gonna go nuts."
"Yeah…yeah you're right, Luna. I'm pretty."

She smiled and led us out the door. The sun beat down on us as we walked up the church path, the fleeting chirps of birds emanating through the cloudless sky. A group of three walked ahead of us, and Grandma smiled excitedly before calling out, "Ruth! Craig! Anissa! Good to see you!"

The three turned around. Old Craig, wearing a brown suit, nodded at us as his long-faced wife Ruth smiled and embraced my Grandmother. Anissa, her long brown hair tied into a bun, spared a glance before returning her gaze to the ground. Grandma rushed ahead with them, while Candace and I trudged along behind with the sullen Anissa. Candace looked at her with concern.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, "You look very glum…"
"Oh, I'm fine," Anissa answered unconvincingly, her eyes a little red, "The pollen count is pretty absurd today. My allergies are going nuts."
"Odd," I said innocently, "Mine haven't acted up at all."
"Ah, well, I'm pretty sensitive to it…"
"'Nissa, seriously, spit it out."

She stopped walking for a moment, downcast. Candace stood beside her, a gentle hand on her shoulder, and I stood in front of them both, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Come on, 'Nissa, we're gonna find out anyway," I prodded, "The most you can do for yourself is tell us what's up."
"I'm just not thrilled about this wedding, ok!" Anissa spat, and Candace jumped nervously, "Look, we're gonna be late, and I promised Jin I'd go, so let's go!"

She stormed off ahead of us. I looked to Candace, dumbfounded.

"The heck's up with her?" I asked.

Candace sighed hopelessly.

"Sometimes you're so oblivious, sis. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
"What's obvious?"

Candace shook her head, muttering something with the word "single" in it. I followed behind her, pushing Anissa from my mind as Harmonica Town's church came into view. As we stepped onto the church grounds, a vibrantly purple-haired man rushed to us and embraced Candace. She blushed furiously and wrapped her arms around him.

"My dear, you look ravishing!" Julius shouted excitedly, "Just what I'd expect from my lady."
"Careful, Jules, or her face is gonna clash with that dress," I warned jokingly.

Julius smiled and brushed some of Candace's hair away from her cheek.

"If anything, it blends perfectly," he said soothingly, and I was sure Candace's face was going to explode.
"Girls, hurry now!" Grandma called.

We followed the old folks into the church. Jin was standing at the altar with Perry and Gill, who seemed to be giving the poor doctor a pre-wedding pep talk. It didn't seem to be helping, since Jin was visibly shaking and Gill was flailing his arms. We filed into a row, and Ruth leaned over to Grandma as we sat down.

"Poor boy's got some major butterflies," she whispered audibly enough for me to hear, though I doubt she meant for me to, "Been apprehensive ever since she proposed. I didn't believe he could get any thinner, but, well, I guess I've been proven wrong."
"Ah, well, I wasn't really much better during mine," Grandma laughed warmly, "Weddings are the start to a huge change, you know. It makes us all nervous."
"Oh I know, I know, but the poor boy's a wreck. Even Craig wasn't that bad."

Craig grunted indignantly. I looked to my other side. I was stuck next to Candace, who was incessantly cuddling Julius. Anissa was on their right, staring at Jin.

"I wonder how Rei's doing," Grandma said.
"Nervous," I murmured, "Me, Jules, Candace, and Irene were all helping her get ready."
"She looks really pretty though," Candace remarked, keeping her voice low, "Irene and Julius made some gorgeous alterations on the dress-"

She eyed Julius with some disdain.

"-and some not so gorgeous…"
"Aww, babe, don't be like that," Julius sighed, and he turned to us, "I made some 'adjustments' around the chest. She was a bit too small to fill it out."
"Julius," Grandma seethed, but my laughter made it all but threatening to Julius, who beamed and replied, "Trust me, it's very needed."

Grandma shook her head. Candace leaned towards me and murmured, "He won't be touching my dress…"

I stifled a laugh and shot a glance at Anissa, who remained staring at Jin.

"Jeez, is she in love with him or something?" I muttered irritably, "She hasn't stopped staring since we got here."
"Luna, you really are oblivious," Candace sighed, her face in her hands, "Anissa's had her eye on Jin for years. She just never did anything. Too shy."
"Oh…"

I played with my hair a bit, sparing another glance at Jin. Irene was with him now, her hands on his shoulders and a smile on her wrinkled face.

"If Irene is here, it should start soon," Julius announced softly as the old woman departed from Jin and walked to the door.

I looked around the church. It was pretty full now, with Kathy, Renee, and their families filing into the last seats. I spotted Gill again, sitting next to his father, a stern look on his face.

I had to admit he looked pretty sharp in a suit.

"Oh, look," Candace whispered, and a hush washed over the church as if everyone had heard her.

The organ began to play, and Irene was holding her hand out. A veiled figure entered the church, took her hand, and began to walk up the aisle at her side.

"Oh my…" Grandma whispered, "She looks gorgeous."

I had to agree. Rei looked radiant. Her fiery orange hair, normally tied back for work, hung down like fine silk past her waist. Her dress was strapless, pure white, and adorned with lace. Silk ribbons, added by Irene, lined the bottom and mid-section of the skirt, and the top was, as Julius boasted, accentuated to show more than what was there.

"So noticeable," Candace scoffed under her breath, "The man knows no modesty…"
"It's not overdone," Julius whispered seriously, and I had to agree. Her curves were complimented, not overly shown off, and I gently nudged my sister and whispered, "He's kind of right."

Anissa, meanwhile, stole a glance before looking to the floor and whispering, "She looks so happy…"

Rei made it to the altar. She stood before a rapidly breathing Jin, who seemed to only stare for what felt like an eternity. His face was red, lined with a smile, and he took a deep composing breath before slowly lifting her veil to reveal two tear-lined emerald eyes. The two nodded, took each other's hands, and turned to face Pastor Perry, who smiled at them before opening his book and proceeding with the wedding talk.

"Do you, Jin, take Rei to be your wife?"

Jin smiled broadly and cupped his hands over Rei's.

"I do," he said, barely audible.

A soft gasp escaped Anissa. She brushed away tears, and Julius looked from her to me, as if to ask, "The heck do I do?" Grandma and Ruth were weeping next to me, while a bored Craig glanced at the women and rolled his eyes.

"And do you, Rei, take Jin to be your husband?"

Rei opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly paused. She looked Jin in the eye for a moment before slowly bowing her head to the ground, her hands still clasped in his. His expression went from love, to concern, to pure fear within a matter of seconds, and a soft buzz rose from the crowd. I looked to Candace, who looked to Julius, who dumbfoundedly whispered, "Uh, was this part of the plan?" Anissa was staring at the couple, eyes wide, and I wondered if she secretly hoped Rei would turn and run out of the church.

But Rei slowly rose her head, faced Jin, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He looked shocked, but relieved. The buzzing died down.

"Jin," Rei said, her voice carrying delicately through the church, "You, of all people in my life, have been the one person who has accepted everything about me."

Candace and I exchanged perplexed glances.

"You've shown me on many occasions how much I can trust you," she continued, pulling away a little to stare into his eyes, and her hand stroked his cheek, "I'm glad I met you. So glad…you're the only one who has taken on the challenge of showing me what a truly happy family can be."
"Rei…" Jin whispered.
"I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, dear…" she sniffled and took a quick breath to compose herself, "But you're going to stick by me through all of them, right?"
"Of course…"
"And you know that, no matter what, I will always try to fix them and be my best for you, right?"
"Yes, I do."

He was smiling, though most of the audience looked confused. Gill was studying them intently. Anissa's expression was simply unreadable.

"I am going to find the best of myself for you," Rei said, her hands drifting into his and clutching them, "For the rest of my life, Jin…I do."

Perry wiped away a tear and presented the couple with a blue ring. Jin took Rei's hand in his left and the ring in his right, and slowly placed it onto her finger.

"I now pronounce you…man and wife!" Perry announced, beaming, "Jin…you may kiss your bride."

Jin paused for a moment, gazing into his new wife's eyes, before drawing her into a tight embrace and, finally, the passionate first kiss of marriage. We all broke into applause, all except for one.

Anissa, who remained staring at the floor, didn't even move her hands.

After a few moments, we all made our way outside into the sun. Jin and Rei were standing under a tree, an excited Simon taking wedding photos. Candace, Julius, Grandma, and I all rushed over and crashed Simon's last photo. Rei was laughing.

"Guys!" she cried, drawing me and Candace into a tight hug, "I saw you right in front!"
"Rei, you were great," Candace said.

Rei drew Julius into a hug next.

"Thanks for all your help with the dress," she said happily, and she added in a whisper, "I've never seen Jin look down so obviously before…"

Julius and I laughed with her, while Grandma and Candace simply shook their heads and Jin watched with mild confusion. Grandma scoffed and drew him into a hug.

"You were wonderful up there, sweety," she said, "Now that you're married, I expect you to come down for more tea times!"
"Yes, of course, Shelly," Jin sighed, grinning.
"And you," she embraced Rei, "You were beautiful, dear. Absolutely stunning."
"Thanks, Granny," Rei said, her eyes watering a little.

As a few others crowded around, Rei led me away a bit.

"Was I too dramatic?" she asked softly, "I think I spooked Jin a bit, but I was going to burst out crying if I didn't wait a moment."
"No, no, you were fine," I said, patting her shoulder, "What you said was really sweet. I'm sure a bit of a scare was worth the aftermath."
"You think? That's good…I feel like I embarrassed him though!"
"You're gonna embarrass him for the rest of your life, so you might as well start now."
"Luna! You're terrible!"

She laughed and drew me into a hug.

"It was sweet," I said, "That's all that matters."

A few moments later, Jin also pulled me away, though his concerns were much different.

"I know it's probably not too good to ask this now," he murmured so Rei wouldn't hear, "But…was Anissa alright? I caught sight of her and…well…"
"Do you want the honest answer?" I asked grimly.

He nodded.

"She was pretty distraught," I said, "but I wouldn't worry. She usually bounces back pretty fast."
"Not this time," Jin sighed, "She's been weird ever since Rei proposed. I tried to avoid telling her, but she kept asking me why I wasn't eating much, and I ended up just telling her."
"She would've found out eventually. It's probably best that she found out before the wedding."
"Well, yeah, I guess…but still, I knew how she felt. I probably could've prepared her…"

I shook my head at him.

"Jin, there's no real way to make it easy. She'll get over it. Women are built to get over it."

He didn't look convinced, but he nodded and managed a half-hearted thank you before Candace rushed up and threw her arms around him.

"Congratulations!" she cried, and I blinked a few times in surprise, "I hope you guys have a lot of happy years!"

Jin smiled with a slight blush, and Julius began to shake his hand.

"Jin, man, you like the dress?" he asked, "Irene and I adjusted it to make it just right for your lovely bride!"
"I'm grateful," Jin said, blushing even deeper, "She was lovely…"

Julius glanced around before dropping his voice and whispering, "If you want, I can teach you how to accent the goods. Very simple, really. You'd be surprised how much a few well-placed stitches can-ow!"

Candace grabbed his ear, her eyes closed in mild annoyance.

"I'm going to marry this pervert…" she said, as if she herself disbelieved it.
"P-p-p-PERVERT?" Julius cried, drawing everyone's attention. Jin was colored red, and Rei was laughing.
"You…are not touching my wedding dress," Candace announced firmly, leading him away.

I shook my head at the couple and walked over to Rei. The blue ring was resting on her finger, glistening softly in the sun.

"So what is that ring?" I asked.
"It contains a piece of blue feather," she answered brightly, "You should know what that is."
"Wow. You managed to find one?"

I studied the ring intently. Sure enough, a piece of the rare blue plumage lay inside of it.

"Natives of Castanet have a hard enough time finding these," I said, "for a non-native to find one is almost impossible. You're lucky…"
"Yeah, truly lucky," she agreed, smiling gently, "I've been lucky with many things since I've come here. If only I'd been born here…"
"Rei…?"

She spoke no more. She simply smiled down at the ring, tears flowing out of her eyes, then ran to find Jin and deliver another kiss.

=^x^=

Nami stared silently at the ring, her hands shaking as the weight of Luna's story slowly dropped. She looked from her brother to Luna, shaking her head.

"That ring carries a lot of love," Luna explained, "Jin and Rei always seemed to have a much deeper level to their relationship than any of us really saw. The things she said that day…well, they only made sense to him. I didn't understand the context of any of it."
"Doesn't make sense to us, either," Alex admitted sadly.
"Even in her past, mom can't tell us anything useful," Nami sighed.

Luna patted her head gently.

"Now now…don't speak that way about your mom. Your parents love you two more than anything, even amidst all this confusion."
"You don't get it," Nami said shakily, her composure threatening to break, "For six years we've lived in that horrid city, not even allowed to so much as mention his name. We can't ask about him, talk about him, anything. It's like she expects us to just forget him."

She brushed away a tear.

"And we can't," she choked, "How can I forget dad…?"

Luna pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair, whispering small comforts.

"I'm sure she doesn't expect that. Why else would she send you here?"
"She didn't," Alex said, "She just told us to go anywhere, to get away for a while. We came on our own accord."
"Sounds just as good as telling you two to come here…"

Luna gently pried Nami off of her and jumped to her feet.

"I'm going to make a phone call. None of you move."

She disappeared into the other room. Vivian, Nami, and Alex all let out deep breaths, as if they hadn't known oxygen in years.

"Your mom's calmed down a lot," Alex said, kicking his feet against his chair, "From how I remembered her, she used to be kinda loud and crazy."
"Yeah. Mom started quelling her temper a few years back," Vivian replied, "She got tired of dad calling her a child all the time. She still has explosions now and then, but for the most part, the volcano's dormant."
"Sounds like her daughter," Alex teased, earning a punch in the arm.
"Insufferable man," Vivian growled.

Nami was still staring at the ring, her expression a mixture of sadness and anger. Vivian looked at her understandingly.

"You know, I think mom might be right," Vivian said reassuringly, "I know your mom's made a lot of mistakes, but that ring is made from the most symbolic object we know. If an outsider like your mother found it…it must have been destined. In the end, a blue feather will always appear to someone truly in love, but cases of that are so unfortunately rare…"

She looked to the ceiling.

"The last time a blue feather appeared was to my grandfather," she sighed, "and he kept it. Passed it down to dad, who used it to propose to mom. Most feathers nowadays are just that: handed down through families. That's why outsiders rarely find them."

Nami gently twisted the ring around her finger.

"Grandpa had a really strong marriage," she continued, despite Nami's stare into oblivion, "really strong. I think they were meant to be, and I think yours were, as well. I know there's got to be a reasonable explanation, because promises made with that feather can't be broken, Nami. They simply can't."

Nami was silent, then looked back to Vivian.

"Is your grandfather still married?" she asked.
"Grandma died a few years ago, sadly," Vivian answered solemnly, "but he never forgets her. Always talks about her. Won't remarry. He put his heart where it belonged, and there it stays."

Nami was silent for a few moments.

"That promise…really can't be broken?"
"The feather wouldn't appear to someone capable."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."

Nami clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"You're so full of it…"

Before Vivian could retaliate, Luna marched back into the room, her expression serious.

"Everyone, come with me," she ordered, "We're going to see my sister."