(deep sigh) Once again, my dear readers, we've come to the end of another epic story! I hate it when stories end, but at the same time, I'm relieved; it gives me room to think of more great stories! (At least, I hope they're great.) Anyone who's familiar with my work will not be surprised to hear that I'm going to give you this final official chapter with much ado, 'cause I like to talk…a lot.
This is the long-awaited WEDDING CHAPTER, taking place about a week after our gang gets back home to the Destiny Islands. Xerena (now Chrissy) does move in with Susan and Kip, but it's not mentioned. The main focus is now on our star couple, Riku and Ame! The wedding they have takes place in the Megami family shrine instead of where Riku's parents were married because of a technicality I can't think of. It's a little long for a wedding, and somewhat unusual; I have done a wedding story before (Jimmy Neutron), and that one was conventional and all, but as you all know, Riku and Ame are NOT a conventional couple! Boo-yah!
By the way, I don't know if we talked about this yet, but Sora will be giving away the bride as a romantic metaphor that will be expressed in the chapter title; don't worry, he got permission from her family!
We'll get to it now, and if I think of anything else to say, you'll see it at the end!
"Only the deepest love will persuade me to matrimony, which is why I will end up an old maid."—Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice (how appropriate; begin the story with P & P, and end it with P & P!)
Chapter 34: The Sky Gives Rain to the Earth
"Man, I'm nervous," Sora muttered, bobbing on one foot at a time, "I've never given a bride away before."
"How do you think I feel?" hissed Ame, "I've never even been a bride before!"
It was the day of the wedding, finally; Sora and Ame were standing together in the Megami family temple outside the door to the public room where the wedding was to take place. Sora was in a very nice tux with a white rose and a bow tie; Ame was in a simple yet beautiful white dress with long sleeves, a wreath of white roses on her fancily done-up head (she'd grown her hair back), and pearl studs in her ears. Her bouquet was roses and lilies, all white.
A piano intro started up as the doors were opened; their close friends and families all looked back at her and stood to see the beautiful blushing bride, who was indeed blushing!
"This is your moment, Ame," Sora whispered with a smile as he put her hand in his arm, "Let's go get you married."
Married. The word cast a magic spell over Ame's heart as she took the march with Sora to the beautiful sound of Yuna singing "Truly, Madly, Deeply." At the end of the aisle (along which were the bridesmaids in their light blue dresses) stood Granda in a white ceremonial kimono with gold trim with her hair done up and Riku in a shining white suit.
Married to Riku. The bride and groom had spent some time together in a small room and in simple white clothes and each had expressed anxieties about marriage and had reassured each other, but when Ame saw him standing there waiting to marry her with that soft expression of happiness, she knew everything was going to be okay.
Sora held up her hand and placed it in Riku's with a smile.
"In behalf of the Megami family," he said, "I give this woman to be married." Pleased with himself for not botching his important line, he took the bouquet, handed it to Moe, the Maid of Honor, and stood by Riku as Best Man. Sharing a quick wink, Riku and Ame knelt before the altar, hand-in-hand.
"Friends from near and from afar," Granda began, "Family by name and by heart, all who've gathered with us for this joyous occasion, we are here today in the holy shrine of the Megami Family to seal another of its faithful daughters together with one of its valiant friends." She looked solemnly at the bride and groom; they looked solemnly back at her, but their happiness was obvious in their eyes.
"Riku, Ame," she asked, "Is it your intention to join your hearts and your souls in the eternal sacred bond of marriage, the holiest of all institutions? To change from living your lives as two to living your life as one? To put the other before all others, especially yourselves? Is this your intention, my children?"
"Yes," they both nodded steadily.
"Very well," said Granda. She reached into her kimono and withdrew a white paopu fruit, something only the married couples had ever seen before! It was as bright as sunshine on the snow yet as soft as the snow itself.
"The paopu fruit joins the destinies of those who eat of it," she continued, "but the rare white paopu joins the lives of those who intend to bind themselves to each other for all their days." She placed it in their hands. "If you intend to bind your lives and make them one, then partake of the sacred white paopu."
The white paopu was cradled between one of Ame's hands and one of Riku's; the other hands were covering them. Together, they bit into the juicy strange fruit; it tasted like a regular paopu, only on a more divine, natural level they couldn't quite explain. The minute they took that bite, it was as if their lives had been two wires that connected with a sound click that would never come apart. The paopu began to shine in their hands and envelop them in its light, wrapping around them as it bound their lives as one. It faded until it left their hands coated in white sparkles. Their eyes widened in wonder; Granda had explained the details to them beforehand, but seeing it was a whole other thing!
At a nod from Granda, they carefully opened their hands to see two shining white rings cradled in their palms, radiant with holy light. In unison, they picked them up with their right hands and slipped them on each other's left hands, which they then joined like a handshake.
"Wear this ring," they said together, all smiles, "to show the world my love, my devotion, and my loyalty to you…as a symbol to all that you are mine."
The wire of their life charged with energy; their bundle of hands was enveloped in white light.
"Will the parents of the bride and groom please come forward to pour your blessings upon the two?" Granda requested. Ansem, Kip, and Susan all stood up and approached the altar with small vials of water in their hands.
"Megami family," she asked, "Do you accept this man as your daughter's true love?"
"We do," Ansem nodded with a smile, speaking for their family. Granda nodded back.
"Hakari family," she turned to Riku's parents, "Do you accept this woman as your son's true love?"
"We do," they also nodded, smiling brightly. Ansem opened his vial and poured a sweetly fragrant liquid on the crown of Riku's head; he pressed his hands on it and leaned over closely.
"Welcome to my family," he murmured warmly. Riku smiled softly with his head still down and in his head saw Nik grinning and brimming over with sunshine, giving him the old thumbs-up and saying "That goes double for me, Ricky!"
Kip and Susan anointed their almost daughter-in-law accordingly, laid their kind hands on her head, and whispered, "Welcome to our family" with such love as to deepen her feelings for them. She'd always thought of them as a second set of parents; this just sealed the deal.
"Now," said Granda, "Join hands with your children in the unity of your families."
Ansem supported their hands with one of his and Kip and Susan each curled a hand around them; an extra pair of translucent hands joined in and they looked up to see Nik and Mizuko, Ame's own parents! Ame stared up at their joyful faces and her throat closed up.
"You came," she barely whispered, near tears. She'd always half-hoped, but…
"Children," said a smiling Granda as she held up her hands, "Place your hands together on the altar." As they obeyed, the parents all sat down; Nik and Mizuko disappeared in a blink of sunlight. Granda laid her hand over theirs in the middle of the altar top. Light streamed through the intricate carvings and a jolt seemed to magnetize their hands together and to the altar. Small streams of water flew around them and came together, coating their life wire with waterproof protection, safe from everything.
"You are now two halves of a glorious whole," Granda happily announced, "Your hearts, your lives, and your souls are now one. By authority given me by the powers of Heaven, and as Matriarch of the House of Megami, I now pronounce you man and wife." She smiled down at Riku—her friend, her champion, and now her grandson-in-law. "You may now kiss the bride."
And did he ever! After helping her up, they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed passionately; Riku pulled a fast one by dipping his bride to the further cheers of their guests. Moe and Kairi led the bridesmaids in showering them with flower petals; streams flew around in the air, courtesy of a couple of the waterbending bridesmaids. Many pictures were snapped, many whistles given.
Riku and Ame didn't notice any of it; they could only see each other.
They held the reception at the Promenade with Axel, Heaven help him, acting as Master of Ceremonies. He wore a black suit and necktie.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "Making their red carpet appearance as husband and wife—drum roll, please—the handsome and the lovely, Mr. and Mrs. Riku and Ame Hakari!"
Everyone cheered as the bride and groom made their way to their giant wedding cake at the buffet table—chocolate in its most divine form with perfect vanilla frosting. Despite Lily's pleadings, Riku and Ame dispensed with cake figurines of them. They performed the ritual of cutting the cake together and stuffing it in each other's faces.
"Am I the only one getting turned on by that?" Axel said on the mic, for which he was smacked upside the head by his wife. "Sorry!" The bride was gracing him with another of her Death Glares; she'd been giving him those looks for so long now, it had become something of a private joke for them. When he really pissed her off, her eyes flamed blue—not the case tonight.
"I swear, one of these days," Ame shook her head. Riku laughed.
"He's right, though," he said devilishly, "That is a bit of a turn-on." Ame blushed red as he kissed her cheek, sucking off a spot of frosting!
"And now," Axel said later, after cake, "We'd like to turn your attention to the dance floor, where the bride and groom will have their first dance as a married couple!"
Riku took her by the hand and they tupped to the floor and got in position with mischievous smiles.
We should get jersies,
'cause we make a good team
They danced to that first line doing the two-fingers-across-the-eyes-move to the delighted laughter of all.
But yours would look better than mine,
'cause you're out of my league
They did the disco point.
On the next stanza, they did the normal hold, only they moved quickly around the room to the happy 2-meter upbeat of the song.
And I know that it's so cliché
to tell you that every day
I spend with you
is the new best day of my life
All the guests clapped along, waiting for permission to join them.
Everyone watching us
just turns away with disgust
The rest of their dance was random yet elaborate, both busting out a life's worth of dance lessons—Riku from his mother, Ame from Master Hana.
I cannot wait for a new improved way
to let you know you're more to me
than what I know how to say
You're okay with the way this is going to be
'cause this is going to be
the best thing we've ever seen
The chorus was done with much bouncing, kicking, turning, and handholding turns (use your imagination!).
If anyone can make me a better person, you could!
All I've got to say is
I must have done something good
The truth of the lyrics was evident in their eyes.
You came along one day
and you rearranged my life
All I've got to say is
I must have done something right
I must have done something right
"We invite the parents to join in!" said Axel. Kip and Susan did their own fancy dancing, but were careful not to out-dance the newlyweds; Ansem and Granda danced to half the rhythm, being a couple of old folks.
Well, maybe I'm just lucky
'Cause it's hard to believe
"Everybody dance!" Axel called cheerfully, "Don't mind if I do myself!" He grabbed Talni and dragged her out, being careful of the bun in her oven.
Believe that somebody like you'd
end up with someone like me
"Amen," said Riku as they danced, "How did a punk like me ever get an angel like you?" She smiled lovingly at him and caressed his face.
"The same way I got you," she answered, "By going for a walk in the rain." Riku grinned, wrapped his arm around her waist, and plucked her off her feet to twirl her around; he vowed then and there, in the depths of his heart, that whatever happened, good or bad, he'd make darn sure it ended with him holding her.
All I've got to say is
I must have done something right
For better or worse.
I must have done something right!
For now and forever.
THE END
Author's Review:
DON'T PANIC YET! Remember, I've still got an epilogue coming up for you!
Okay, the song is called "Must Have Done Something Right" by Relient K; I always imagined Riku and Ame dancing their wedding dance to this song, so that's why it appeared. Of course, two days after I handwrote it, Nickelback busted out their new sappy hit, "Never Gonna Be Alone." There was considerable conflict, but Relient K was first and won out. But they dance to that one, too, so it's gravy!
Axel's such a perv; there's really no hope for him. I realized while typing him that he's like Lee Jordan from Harry Potter whenever he did commentary for Quidditch games! LOL
And Yuna sings the Cascada version of "Truly Madly Deeply." I always imagined Ame taking the big march to that song, so it went through, too! And we all know Yuna rocks, right?
So, yeah; my first totally made-up wedding with almost NO originality whatsoever! I hope it went well; did you like it? Was it too short? Too long? Anything? Please offer me your comments as you await the SURPRISE ENDING TO HUNT FOR THE HEARTS!
I'll give y'all the big farewell speech for this story in the epilogue; until then, ta-ta!