Chapter 21
Wendy could not believe that they did this. She scolded the boys with her eyes. Carla took it a step further.
"You two should be ashamed of yourselves. You should have known better then to fight today. Look at you! Natsu your eye is nearly swollen shut. Gajeel your lip is split and there are several scratches on your face. If I cared less then I do I would tell Wendy to leave you like you are. Let the girls have their anger out on you. But this is their day. They deserve to have the best day and you both will not ruin it. Wendy, heal them but don't forget the rest of your outfit." She indicated something hanging from the back door of the infirmary. Carla left the room.
Wendy folded her arms over her chest and glared at the two dragon slayers. Carla came back in and said, "Oh, and you two will admit you did this in a week. After the girls have had the day of their lives. That way they can punish you accordingly."
Wendy healed the boys then heard the music outside. "You two need to go outside now. The girls will be here any minute and they will not want you seeing them before the wedding. So scoot!'
The boys looked at each other as they walked away. "Good thing you suggested waiting on changing clothes until after the fight, huh?" Natsu asked Gajeel.
"Tch that was Lily's suggestion, but I'll make sure to thank him later. Because that was definitely a good suggestion."
The boys walked outside to where the wedding would take place. There were white folding chairs lined up on two sides of an aisle strewn with flower petals. A open gazebo was set up where Master Makarov stood preparing to proceed over the ceremony.
OoO
A carriage stopped at the guild hall and let the girls out. They went inside to wait out while their friends got seated. Mira fussed about making last minute makeup and hair touches.
Wendy got the rest of her outfit from the infirmary. She questioned Carla with her eyes. Carla merely nodded. Wendy was so humiliated but it was Lucy and Levy's day so she had to comply so she strapped the gossamer wings to her back and pasted on a smile. But she couldn't help but think 'this is so humiliating.'
The girls heard the first chords of the song that Erza, Lisanna, and Wendy would be entering on and lined up.
How long will I love you? How long will I be with you? How long will I want you? How long will I give to you? How long will I love you?
As long as stars are above you
And longer, if I can.
How long will I need you?
As long as the seasons need to
Follow their plan.
As long as the sea is bound to
Wash upon the sand.
As long as you want me to
And longer by far.
How long will I hold you?
As long as your father told you,
As long as you can.
As long as I live through you
However long you say.
As long as stars are above you
And longer, if I may.
Several feet away if they were looking for it the guild members would have seen the light dancing. The dragon slayers heard an odd tinkling of chiming bells but shrugged and figured it was part of the song.
The wedding march began and Lucy made her progress down the aisle. Natsu was unsure if she had ever been more beautiful.
The dress' bodice was cinched with a band of fabric the same shade of purple Erza's dress was. The shoulders were sheer lace with beads embroidered along the bodice and the top parted in a wide v. The skirt was a long made of tulle and long enough to brush the aisle when she walked.
Natsu of course knew none of the words for any of the fabric or the decorations. All he thought was that her skin seemed to glow. Her cheeks flushed with happiness, and for some reason the skirt of the dress reminded him of a dancer that spent a predominant time on her tip toes for some reason.
Levy made her way down the aisle now. Gajeel stopped breathing because she was simply that breath taking.
Levy's dress was similar to Lucy's in design. But where Lucy's had beads Levy's had been simple and a light patterned lace. Where Lucy's sash had been purple, Levy had a mere white band of ribbon with a flower to the side. Levy's skirt was not made of tulle like Lucy's but just a silky straight fabric that was hemmed so she wouldn't step on it but it would also trail along the aisle like Lucy's.
The couples stared in each other's eyes while Makarov began the ceremony. Words were spoken, promises were made, but all that would fade away to just the simple memories of how beautiful the girls look. How happy the guys were. Then Makarov said, "The couples did not write their own vows but they did find some quotes they wanted to share to make the occasion more memorable. Lucy and Natsu would you step forward?"
Lucy smiled and she handed her bouquet to Levy. She sighed as she felt the tears of happiness try to fall as she reached for her slip of paper she had hidden in her sleeve.
" 'A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise.' That was written by an author from a distant land who wrote about flying, fantasy, and philosophy. His name was Richard Bach. "
Natsu thought her quote was perfect and surprised she had not written it herself. He smiled at her and cleared his throat. " 'Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.' That was a quote made by a great fighter from a distant land named Bruce Lee. I would love to take him on sometime."
The guild members who had all thought his quote extremely sweet and fitting now laughed outrageously because Natsu would always and forever be Natsu.
Lucy didn't have the heart to tell him that Bruce Lee had passed away quite some time ago.
Lucy took back her bouquet and took Levy's. Levy and Gajeel stood where Lucy and Natsu did previously. "I tried to search through all my books for the perfect quote from a favorite author. But I couldn't find the right words. I found the beginning of something from a man famous for his intelligence. 'Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.' This was something a physicist and philosopher of science named Albert Einstein said. Only I disagree a bit," she smiled up at Gajeel. "Because meeting you and falling for you was a sort of gravity all on it's own. My life will forever from this moment on revolve around you."
Gajeel was more touched then he could ever tell her in that moment. A girl who worshiped books only mildly found the words to say in them. He wanted to kiss her right in that moment but knew it was his turn. " 'You have made a place in my heart where I thought there was no room for anything else. You have made flowers grow where I cultivated dust and stones.' A writer named Robert Jordan said that."
They went back to their previous positions, and Makarov took his place back. "I felt for the end of the ceremony I should also say a quote to my children. So I want both couples to stand with each other." The couples moved accordingly. "It's a pretty simple quote written by a man who was mostly famous for his romantic notions, William Shakespeare. 'Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts.'" The couples joined hands. "Natsu, Gajeel place the ring on the girls fingers, and say 'with this ring I thee wed.'" The boys did so. Lucy and Levy repeated the action with rings for the boys. "I now pronounce you husbands and wives. You may kiss your brides."
I really really really hope I did this chapter justice.
The song is "How Long Will I Love You" by Ellie Goulding
My own wedding wasn't planned extravagantly. My mother didn't want us to get married because my husband is younger then me. But both knew we were meant to be. We were married on a weekday at a courthouse. I remember it was raining that day and some employee there had forgotten to reserve a court room for the proceedings. We were given the option of the hallway or outside. We both voted for outside. It had stopped raining long enough for us to get married and celebrate a bit with what few friends and family we had there.
My husband is constantly asking me to marry him, and I constantly tell him I already did. But if we were to renew our vows, and we were to say a quote to each other mine would be:
"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love." ~Robert Fulghum