Cherish- Chapter 6: T(w)o Become One
Traditional Spiran custom is that a wedding takes place mere weeks after an engagement is announced. This gave everyone not much time to plan the extravagant ceremony taking place inside the hallowed halls of Besaid Temple. Everything came down to the wire, but impeccably everything was ready down to the last detail, lest anyone dare impede the wedding of a living High Summoner, especially one who probably wouldn't have minded the fact.
The custom that the bride and groom didn't lay eyes upon each other for the last twenty-four hours was followed; in fact, Tidus had yet to see the wedding dress that Yuna had picked out upon her trip to Luca with Lulu, Rikku and Paine. Tidus was sure she would look absolutely stunning in it, no matter what she had picked.
Meanwhile, Tidus prepared to open the double doors in to the temple chamber. He wore an elaborately decorated blue robe somewhat resembling that of a Yevonite parishioner, although it was more ceremonial and ornate.
There she is. Right over there…in that room. Tell me this isn't a dream.
There he is. He should be entering any moment now. Please tell me this isn't a dream.
Tidus drew in a deep breath and twisted the handle. He stepped inside to a red carpet that lined a path directly in between the makeshift but sturdy white pews. As he entered, a band started playing a sweet melody, one of Yuna's favorites that was played through piano and violin. It was called Eternity –Memories of Waves and Light-, a fitting title, he thought. Tidus briskly walked down, scanning the eyes of everyone in the crowd, most of all, those of Wakka, and Kimahri, who had decided that this day was important enough to abandon his duties as Ronso elder for a few hours. He arrived at the base of the stairs of the Chamber of the Fayth, then turned and shook the hand of Baralai, who would serve as chaplain.
As Tidus took his place, the door opened for a second time, and Yuna stepped inside. Once more, her presence snatched the breath away from Tidus's lungs. She was dressed in a long flowing white wedding gown, imprinted and woven with elaborate rose, moonlily, and angelic wing design. Her veil did nothing to hide her face, and her hair was bunched atop her head, except for two long flowing bangs which adorned both sides of her face and centered it beautifully. Yuna wore a radiant smile that shined through the whole temple. As she made her way down the band picked up its beautiful intensity, as if highlighting Yuna's arrival over Tidus's.
Yuna glided down the aisle, stepping lightly, slowly, as if an angel, Tidus thought. Finally she arrived and the two stared into each other's faces, their expressions communicating everything.
"Welcome everyone, to this truly joyous of occasions." Baralai began. "Many, if not all of you, know the story of Lady Yuna of Besaid, summoner, unifier of Spira, the savior of all Spira, bringing to us the Eternal Calm. But let me tell you the story of Sir Tidus, the blitzball ace from Zanarkand." Most of the crowd gasped upon that revelation. Tidus looked at Yuna with a bewildered face, and Yuna returned a similar look. If she didn't tell him, then who?
"Yes, Tidus hails from Zanarkand. Not the Zanarkand you or I know today, but a bustling megalopolis destroyed one thousand years ago. Sir Tidus is also the son of Sir Jecht, whom served faithfully under Lord Braska. Like Sir Jecht to Lord Braska, Sir Tidus served faithfully under Yuna as guardian. He served dutifully, in fact with such devotion and love that he helped Yuna discover the true way to vanquish Sin for good. As Yuna and her guardians journeyed, these two standing before you today forged a bond of trust, loyalty, devotion, and love. It was Sir Tidus's love for Lady Yuna that helped her survive." Baralai paused, and the crowd erupted in applause.
"Tidus's reward, you might ask? Sir Tidus was a dream of the Fayth, and when the fayth vanished after Sin's demise, so did Tidus. Tidus suffered a fate worse than death, he was erased into nonexistence. It was…as if he never existed at all."
"So why is he here now? The guardian asking for his summoner's hand in marriage?"
"Forgive me for talking so openly about a subject we endured several months ago, but if there is any time it should ever come out, now is the best time."
"You know Yuna saved us all two years ago after killing Sin, but none of you know that Lady Yuna, with the help of Rikku and Paine," -Baralai pointed to the two- "saved Spira once more. Recently, a terrible machina of a thousand years was activated by a rogue unsent. This unsent ripped into the Farplane, which was the cause of the fiend epidemic of several months ago. This terrible machina had the capability to destroy not only Spira, but even the Farplane itself, and the souls of the departed that you hold dear. It literally had the power to destroy the entire dimension. Thanks again to Yuna, you won't have to worry." Once again, the crowd gasped, even louder this time.
"The Fayth you knew several years ago now reside in the Farplane. Thanks to Yuna's effort to keep Spira and the Farplane safe, the Fayth gathered up the thoughts and memories of Tidus and released him back to this world five months ago. Sir Tidus is no longer a dream or memory, but he is indeed real as you or I."
"Wow." Tidus breathed. Yuna was shocked at the thorough explanation.
"Anyways, enough of my babbling." Baralai continued. "Do you, Sir Tidus, or you, Lady Yuna, have any vows you wish to make public?"
"Yes, I do." Yuna replied.
"Very well."
"Tidus, it is funny how things happen. Our paths could have split many times. But they didn't. And as you continued upon my, our journey rather, I drew close to your support, your liveliness, and your love. They were great strengths upon my pilgrimage, tangible things I could draw on. Although we had to spend two years apart, know this. I still love you just as much. These two years has helped make our bond unbreakable, and each morning, I wake up appreciating every day you are here by my side. I love you with all my heart and I always will."
"Tidus?" Baralai offered. Tidus was still perplexed by Baralai's knowledge of his situation, but that wasn't important now. Who was important was staring him head on with her beautiful face.
"Yuna, I'm here, and as long as I'm here, I promise to hold you, take care of you, love you, and cherish you for all time. I came to Spira, some might say kicking and screaming, and I definitely didn't know what to expect, but through it all, you were there for me, and as our journey intertwined, the lost blitz ace and the beautiful summoner girl fell in love. I know you'll always be there for me, and I will always be here for you. One more thing, Yuna, may we never hesitate to hold each other's hand and let our love grow."
"That day, Yuna, I remember waking up, as if I was in someone's womb. I was underwater, and instinctively I swam for the surface, and then I saw I was at the shore of Besaid. It took me a couple of seconds to believe what I was experiencing, but I wondered after a second if you were there. So I whistled, you know, our whistle, but I didn't hear a response. 'Fair enough,' I thought maybe you were out, so I thought if nothing else, I'd meet up with Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri and see if they knew where you were. So I made my way to shore, then I heard the airship and turned to see it swooping down. I had an idea it was you, although I couldn't say I was absolutely certain, but I should have known you would be right there. Then I got scared though as I thought Brother was going to faceplant on me, but luckily all I got out of that was wet again. Then I saw the cargo bay door open and you jumped out, and I knew everything was okay."
"Well, my memory…" Yuna began.
"Excuse me guys." Brother interrupted as he walked up to the altar. "Maybe this will serve as good testimony." Brother pulled out a green sphere from his pocket and hooked it up to a contraption behind the altar. He started it, and a screen appeared upon the airborne canvas which read "Gullwings Report 56". It switched to a view of the Celsius cockpit, and YRP could be seen walking into view.
"Woohoo, that was fun!" Yuna cheered.
"Yeah, we're going to have to do that again Yunie!" Rikku replied.
"That was a lot of fun." Paine said stoically.
"So, back to Besaid Yuna?" Brother asked from the cockpit.
"Yep."
Buddy switched the view from YRP to the control center of the Celsius, where Brother was dutifully piloting the ship back to Besaid Island.
"So Brother, what do you think?" Buddy asked in a reporter's tone. "Are the Gullwings done?"
"Never!" Brother shouted defiantly.
"There you have it folks." Buddy turned the camera back to Rikku and Yuna. Yuna looked passive and distant, as if thinking heavily.
Yuna remembered exactly what she was thinking at that point. She was asking herself if she really believed what she told herself on the deck of the Celsius. Was her story really going to be a good one? What if the Fayth couldn't bring him back? What if it was just a cruel illusion meant to get my hopes up? She really didn't know what else to do. Everything was done now, she had nowhere else to go, and her search for him had lead to a dead end. Yuna didn't know if she could make it. Her life, as she saw it, was over now.
Rikku was her usual cheery self, which served to highlight Yuna's sullen and thoughtful expression even more. Her face seemed like it was gradually transforming, being dragged down by the enormity of the events that had recently unfolded.
"Yuna, you look down for some reason. What's the matter?" Buddy commented from behind the camera.
"Oh, it's nothing Buddy." Yuna dodged.
"You sure? It looks like something's on your mind."
"Well Buddy, it's been pretty traumatic these past few weeks."
"I see, not sure what you're going to do, eh?" Buddy reminded her.
"You can say that."
It was seconds later a high pitched whistle reverberated through the ship.
Tidus and Yuna flashed smiles at each other.
"Yuna, you love that whistle, yes?" Brother shouted from the background.
"It…wasn't…me…" Yuna spoke weakly as her face turned pale, looking stunned like a deer in the headlights. Him? She remembered thinking.
"It wasn't Yuna." Rikku confirmed to Brother.
"Impossible! Only Yuna knows how to do that whistle!" Brother yelled.
"Yuna, and…" Holy shit. Rikku remembered thinking.
"Him…" Yuna's voice cracked.
"Could it be?" Rikku was excited, but still skeptical.
"It came directly from Besaid." Shinra observed.
"Double speed!" Yuna shouted at Brother.
"Ooooh!" Rikku cooed as she peered through the ship's mounted binoculars. "Someone's waking toward shore, can't say who though."
"Let me see!" Yuna squealed as she executed a textbook tackle on Rikku that would have made the most veteran blitzballer proud, knocking her out of the way. Yuna gazed into the binoculars, looking at the tiny, distant figure walking toward the beach. She slowly began to make out the details. Blond hair, yellow and black outfit, overalls with one pant-leg longer than the other!
"It's him!" Yuna cracked, starting to cry.
"What?" Rikku gasped.
"You sure?" Paine asked more reasonably as Rikku took back control of the binoculars.
"Oh my god Yuna, it is!" Rikku shouted excitedly.
Buddy followed Yuna as she danced around the deck, capturing her emotional, anxious reaction. "Brother! Take us down to the beach!" Yuna cried, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Double time!" Brother replied.
Buddy and his camera followed Yuna as she rushed below deck, and as the Celsius tilted sharply down, he fell flat to the floor. Buddy recovered and gathered the camera, rushed down below to the cargo bay only to fall again as Brother pulled the Celsius to an even keel just as quickly as he dove it down. Buddy managed to get one last shot of Yuna opening the cargo bay door and diving out to her long lost love before everything faded to black.
"Yeah, and I'm still hurting from those spills!" Brother chimed in from the crowd. Everyone shared a good laugh.
"Well, shall we commence?" Baralai asked.
"Yes." Yuna spoke sheepishly.
"Very well. Before we begin, if anyone objects to the union of Sir Tidus to Lady Yuna, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
There was no objection.
"May we have the rings?" Baralai asked next.
The bridesmaids, Lulu and Rikku, stepped forward holding out plush pillows with the wedding bands nestled in the center. They set them down upon a pedestal behind Yuna and Tidus.
"Very well then. Do you, Sir Tidus, take Lady Yuna to be your wife, to have and to hold, to love, honor, and cherish, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Tidus answered.
"Lady Yuna, do you take Sir Tidus to be your husband, to have and to hold, to love, honor, and cherish, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
Tidus took Yuna's wedding band adjacent to him, a silver ring encrusted with a diamond band. He took Yuna's hand and slipped it onto her ring finger, making Yuna smile as a tear trickled down her cheek. She took the identical wedding band adjacent to her and slipped it onto Tidus's finger.
"I shall pronounce you, Sir Tidus and Lady Yuna, husband and wife. Sir Tidus, you may now kiss the bride."
Tidus smiled and lifted the veil covering her face and grasped her shoulders and leaned in for the kiss. Yuna leaned in and the two kissed, and the crowd erupted into applause and cheers. As they finished locking lips, Baralai announced, "Spira, I present to you Sir Tidus and Lady Yuna, husband and wife."
That announcement arrived to more applause and cheers as Yuna and Tidus walked down the aisle, hand and hand, and to the reception area. There, with Tidus looking on, Yuna cut into the delicious vanilla and chocolate layer cake, officially starting the post-wedding party.
"Well now!" Wakka started as he walked up to the newlywed couple. "Welcome to the family!" He said, punching Tidus in the arm.
"Family?"
"Did you forget?" Lulu scolded. "We're like siblings!"
"Of course! I remember!" Tidus chuckled.
"Congratulations you two. I'm glad you kept your promise. But enough of that, I'll be going to Luca this afternoon thanks to you two." Lulu said smugly.
"What do you mean?" Tidus asked.
"I won a bet with Wakka on how long it would take for you two to get married." Lulu boasted.
"Lulu!" Yuna was shocked.
"It was my fault, Yuna." Wakka groaned. "I put Lulu up to it."
"And got burned, huh?" Tidus laughed.
"Ya. Put me out a thousand gil. Anyway, this is your moment. Enjoy it."
"You get some cake too!" Yuna reminded Lulu and Wakka as they dismissed themselves.
May I have this dance?" Tidus asked his new wife.
"Of course baby. Music please!" Yuna shouted. The music picked up again, which was Yuna's favorite song, the same one that was used as the two walked down the aisle. The two embraced and gazed into each other's eyes, swaying to the rhythm of the song. Of course many pictures were taken of this moment, and those before and after, stored into various collections of spheres, a few of which would actually be given to the newlywed couple.
"Wow." Tidus breathed.
"You don't need to say it, I know what you're thinking. I thought the same thing."
"That you'd never see this day, well, I mean, while I was still gone, you know." Tidus clarified.
"Something like that." Yuna replied with a reassuring kiss. She could sense that Tidus was still worried. Worried that all this could still be taken away, worried that he could still be forced to leave her again, something he feared yet he could never admit.
"Always." Yuna reminded him.
"Always." Tidus replied with a smile as the music stopped.
"Alright! Who wants my wedding bouquet!" Yuna shouted.
"Me!!!!" Rikku, Calli, and about fifty other single females shouted in unison.
"Alright, get ready!" Yuna warned as Tidus chuckled at the scene.
Yuna turned around and threw the rose and moonlily bouquet over her head. Rikku jumped above the rest of the crowd but the bouquet was too high even for her to reach, and the end result was that Rikku got a face full of floor.
"Rikku!" Yuna gasped as she ran over to her cousin.
"Ugh…I didn't catch it!"
"I shouldn't have thrown it with so much gusto. I'm so sorry!" Yuna apologized as she kneeled down at Rikku's side.
"You just don't want your cousin to be the next one to get married, do you?" Rikku whined.
"No, no! It's not that!" Yuna stammered.
"Yuna! You're always quick to cover your ass whether you're guilty of something or not!" Rikku teased.
"Rikku!" Yuna huffed.
"Gotcha! Hehe, I'm going to dive into some cake!" Rikku squealed as she danced off.
"Love, isn't it time we split?" Tidus asked.
"Of course! Attention everyone!" Yuna took control again. I thank all of you for coming out to our wedding, but now it's time for our honeymoon!" Yuna announced to a chorus of cheers and well wishes.
"After you!" Tidus said, and the two walked out of Besaid Temple toward the front steps, where they saw something they least expected. It was the Fayth Child, walking down the steps ahead of them, turning around and waving goodbye, then dispersing into a swarm of pyreflies that no one else could see.
"He didn't come back for me." Tidus muttered into Yuna's ear. That made it official for Tidus. Yuna responded by squeezing her hand tighter against his. The two walked down the steps where an empty hover lay waiting for its two occupants. Tidus took the driver's seat and Yuna sat behind him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. They were waved off by the many guests and the two rode down to the beach and boarded the Celsius. Unfortunately they had to wait for Buddy to drag a drunk Brother aboard, which meant Buddy would have to handle the ship's steering. Thankfully, Buddy was more than apt to get Tidus and Yuna to their honeymoon destination.
The newlywed couple was five miles from civilization. The pyreflies were dancing and the moonlilies were in full bloom. A full moon cast a pale, enchanting glow upon the banks of the Moonflow. They lay across a plush cloth they decided to cast mere feet from the water's edge. The night was young, and Yuna and Tidus arrived at a rather strange math problem, which didn't follow the traditional order of operations. They already did the adding, and the next order of business involved subtracting the wedding garb. Tidus thought Yuna beautiful in that dress, but he thought her even more stunning nude. Now that subtraction was accomplished, next came division.