The female reporter was very enthusiastic and excited. But then reporters usually were in order to get their audience excited. "To remind our viewers, we are outside the Tokyo Convention Center where inside, Log Horizon Systems of Theldesian fame is seeing two of their major players married in an invitation-only wedding ceremony.
"The two from the United States, Miss Purrcy who was recently retrieved from Theldesia and Michael Burnham, her guard during the time they were all there, will be married in a special ceremony. A second special event is also supposed to be held during that ceremony. We're looking forward to hearing from the guests as to how it all went."
"Yes," her co-reporter broke in, "and many of those guests are people of high note, including Commander Michael Burnham's commanding officer and others from the Iwakuni Base. It was certainly something to see the military limousines arrive."
"But they were only a few of the many that came," the first reporter took back over again. She proceeded to once again list off all the company presidents that had arrived, and again list off the names of their sons who were also part of Log Horizon or were Theldesian Adventurers returned home.
They bounced around the parts they played a little longer again, mentioned speculation and rumor, then suddenly turned slightly. "It looks like they might finally be done and a few guests leaving. Let's see if we can get in touch with one."
The camera panned over the crowd to focus on the door into the convention center. It took a while, but finally they did manage to corner a wedding guest who was willing to be interviewed. "Oh, it was a wonderful event," she gushed. "It was just like in the movie when Purrcy-sama had to have a full European royal court. They even crowned Crusty-sama First Prince in this one!"
"Wow! That was a surprising addition, wasn't it?" the reporter asked.
"It sure was, although he did do a lot to help them and Akiba," the wedding guest said. "But even more surprising was that Shiroe-sama and Akatsuki-san got married, too. They went first and we almost thought the other one wasn't going to happen. But last minute Michael-san did ask if he might marry Purrcy-sama and they agreed he could."
"So, it was a double wedding?" the reporter blinked, surprised.
"Yes! It was so exciting!" The wedding guest wanted to continue talking, but the cameras went back to the main reporters since that's what they wanted. They chattered on about the exciting news for some time. Nyanta sighed, wondering how he'd managed to get his appointment scheduled just right so that the office television was set to the one thing he'd rather not be watching, although he was pleased to hear the report that Shiroe had finally had his reluctant feet dragged over the threshold.
Finally a more high-profile person was shown on the screen. Crusty was approaching the stand of microphones set up outside the convention center. He held up his hand and the crowd settled down just a little bit. Nyanta caught the glint of new gold on Crusty's hand on his middle finger, and noted the circlet and chain of office.
His own hand clenched a little and he turned his wedding band a little, reminding himself of his happiness here. His heart still wished just a little for his own knight ring even so.
"I'm sorry you all couldn't have been in there," Crusty said with a bit of a teasing smile. "It really was fun to get to participate in one of Log Horizon's high courts. Of course the best part was my own crowning."
He laughed. "Well, not really. It was the double wedding and seeing everyone's shocked faces from up on the stand when Shiroe-ō up and asked Akatsuki-dono to finally really marry him so unexpectedly. She was so bright I needed sunglasses, but we're all so very happy for them.
"Master Michael formally asked King Shiroe and I if he could ask Queen Purrcy to be his wife according to his and Nyanta-dono's wishes. We were glad to allow it, since we know he'll be good for her. Of course, that was the expected wedding and was just as beautiful and we're all relieved to finally have Hahaue taken care of properly. We've had difficulty prying them off the dance floor." Nyanta cringed. That one stung.
"They'll all be leaving shortly, but we're going to let them escape without saying anything. You'll get the pictures and the waves." Crusty obviously didn't care what the press wanted.
The press called out questions to him, but he stepped away from the podium and refused to talk to anyone, moving into the area that was now being cordoned off from the door to a waiting limousine. The cameras focused on the doorway.
Nyanta took a deep breath, and then made himself watch it. He wanted to know Purrcy was really going to be okay; that Michael was really going to take care of her. Honestly, he also wanted to see the very happy Akatsuki.
He got to see her first. His heart warmed to see the true and full smile on Akatsuki's face as she stepped through the door on Shiroe's arm, looking very lovely as a new young bride should. They waved, then walked with proper grace down to the car, wearing their crowns. Nyanta smiled slightly to himself, also understanding the history of crowns for the guild. He wouldn't have been at all surprised to learn that Akatsuki had been the one to request them.
The cameras panned back to the door and Michael and Purrcy were exiting from them now, also properly dressed for their parts. Nyanta forced himself to carefully look at their expressions. He knew how to tell when Purrcy was faking it.
He was pleased to see that Michael was properly attentive to her, if stiff from hating publicity. She seemed to be okay at the moment, although she was holding on to Michael tightly. Still unsure, then, but doing her best. Nyanta gave a slight nod to himself.
Suddenly, Purrcy's eyes lifted to the camera that was the one filming for the station he was watching and his eyes were caught by hers that looked directly at him. For one moment, he couldn't breathe.
[I love you, Nyanta. Thank you.] Under his hand that was still holding his wedding ring, there was suddenly a second ring, on his middle finger. His opposing fingers clamped down on it and he shivered. Purrcy had moved past the camera and was entering the limousine now.
Nyanta looked down at the new ring on his hand. When the symbol on it crossed from his eyes to his understanding, he clenched the other hand down on it, then pulled it off, holding it tightly in his fist. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe around the knot in his chest.
The ring of the king in his hand with its emerald above the crown dissolved into mist and was gone. When Nyanta could breathe again, he rose to his feet and walked silently out of the office. He would believe it was illusion, but until he could get that far he needed to walk in silence for a long time.
-:-:-:-:-
Michael slipped his baldric off over his head and set it and his sword down on the bed of the fancy hotel they'd come to with Shiroe and Akatsuki outside Tokyo for the one night. Behind him Purrcy sighed as the bodice she was wearing was finally pulled off over her head. He'd already unlaced it for her.
"It really is sad to wear such things only once," she said a bit mournfully. "We do live such drab lives here sometimes."
"That's why we play," Michael commented, his fingers still on his chain, not really wanting to take it off. He was secretly agreeing with her. He decided to take off his jacket first instead, glad to be free of that weight at least. When it was nicely on the bed he turned enough to glance at Purrcy.
She was out of the bodice but the blouse was still on, the last of the over-sleeves coming off to join its mate on the bed. Her shoes had come off before they were even in the room. Her crown was next, leaving her head with a relieved sigh from her lips. "Is it a real one?"
"Yes," she said, looking at it, years in her face and eyes although it only made her look regal, not old. "It's the one Inari gave me." It slowly disappeared and she looked up at him and his coronet.
He put his hand up to touch it, "And this one?"
Purrcy looked at it thoughtfully, then walked over and took his fingers in hers. She moved his jacket and sat them down on the bed. "Yes, Michael. It is really yours." She looked away. "Izanagi gave it to me as I left Theldesia to come here."
Michael reached up and took it off, looking at it more closely. He felt Purrcy do some magic and looked up at her, suspicious. She caught the look, then waved her hand slightly. "Putting Shiroe's away for him. He took it out before he lost the magic and it needs to be back where it belongs." She sighed and looked down.
Michael frowned a bit. "What about Crusty's, then?"
Purrcy gave a small smile. "Everything was magic. Inari let the blacksmiths finish before taking the magic from them, although it took the memory of making them as magic items from them."
"We're going to let magic items walk around?" he asked, concerned.
"No," she said softly. "The rings were for protection from magic. I've put them all away inside their lists. They will still protect them from there and be available when they get back to Theldesia.
"We four will keep ours since they are the wedding rings, but they'll go with Shiroe and Akatsuki. If by some chance you get called back, too, yours will go with you also. Crusty's crown and chain will go with him." She blinked, looking into the distance, or perhaps her memories.
"And yours?" Michael asked, not liking this part, since if he had to go, he didn't want to go without her - without the Purrcy who'd known him this way.
She wouldn't look at him, and shook her head. "If I can't go back, then it won't go with me, will it?"
"Then let it be keyed to me also, so that I'll have at least that much," he demanded quietly.
She looked at him soberly, then gave a nod. "Okay. When you take it off my hand on my death, it will revert to your list."
"What are you going to do about people who want to see them again?" he asked, not sure this was going to work.
"They'll see them, and wear them. They can't be lost or stolen and desire and intent will show them. Once they're taken off and put away, that's when they revert to the list. When they go back to get them out again, it will be taking it out of the list, although they'll see it come out of a drawer or a box or whatever they put it in for safekeeping."
Michael looked back at his coronet again. "What's the flavor text for this one?"
Purrcy looked away and shook her head. "I don't know. I got it on the way here and we can't read them here. I suspect it's something to do with rulership and is related to some high noble of the past on Theldesia, as would be expected. I do know that it's the only one of whatever it is and it's been keyed to only you since we put it on your head this afternoon."
Michael nodded. It stood to reason. He carefully intended it into his box of special gear in his list. He likely wouldn't get it out again, like most things from events like this, as she'd said. There would be no reason to. He'd be glad to keep the ring, though. "...What about the extra rings?" he asked.
"I've dealt with them also. I've got a few that were mine to keep or give, but mostly they've gone into Shiroe's list so he'll have them. If he wants to give them away here, he'll find them, otherwise, they'll be available for there." Michael gave a brief nod.
Feeling slightly restless, he rose to his feet and started putting away the things on the bed at least. "It was funny to watch you dance with Akatsuki. Why did you do that?" he asked her, for something to talk about.
Purrcy smiled and walked over to put her bodice and sleeves away in the clothing bag hanging on the rack waiting for it. Luna had arrived at the hotel first and gotten their rooms set up for them, but they'd refused to let her in to help them undress. They knew how to do that much.
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time, since the last wedding dance. She's so graceful, you know, and I love to dance generally." Purrcy paused, her hand on the hanger she'd just hung up again. "I've always wanted to dance with the wind, the way she could. To dance with her was to do that." Her stance called to Michael and he was on his feet headed her way without realizing it.
Her hand released from the hanger and she turned to look back at him. "It was nice to finally be able to really dance with you as well. I've been waiting for that for a long time." He slipped his arm around her waist and touched her cheek gently with the backs of his fingers. He murmured agreement as his lips sought hers.
Michael was lost in Purrcy until her arms wrapped around his neck. The odd feeling of entrapment he'd had when the ring had been fully placed on his finger came back forcefully and suddenly. He tried to not break off abruptly, but he still had to flee her arms. At her confused look, he smiled at her. "Bathroom," he whispered and carefully didn't run away, although he wanted to.
It had been a long time, so he did use it, but as he stood before the sink, he had to clench the edge of it tightly to not fall down. He could feel a cold sweat beading up on his forehead. His heart rate was elevated and it was a little difficult to breathe.
He tried to understand why he should be feeling this now. Why should being really married to Purrcy suddenly be so frightening an idea when it what he'd been looking forward to for so long?
Michael carefully breathed until he felt somewhat better, then walked back out again. He was half-way to the bed when he heard a faint chime and his legs gave out.
Purrcy ran to him and barely caught him, sinking to the floor to her knees, her skirt billowing around her as if she were back on the stage again. Michael's breathing was erratic again and he couldn't keep his eyes open, nor do anything to shut off the incessant chiming in the distance.
"Gareth!" Purrcy called out, panic in her voice. Her hand brushed over Michael's forehead, then stopped. Something cool touched his forehead and her breath was soft on his cheek. "Michael, did you use magic?" she asked him anxiously.
A second person was next to him on the other side. He tried hard and managed to get a shake of the head out. "An HP up first. Try intending for a physical infection first," Purrcy ordered Gareth over Michael's head. "Then try a Spirit Healing. I'm going inside to look. I'll let you know which one's needed further from there."
Gareth's hands were pulling Michael out of Purrcy's lap to lay him out more comfortably on the floor. Purrcy kept one hand on his shoulder, though. Michael didn't know what it was any more than they did, but they were handling it, so he relaxed and let them.
-:-:-:-:-
Purrcy had looked everywhere. Her first instinct had been to wonder if the coronet had lifted Michael up in the realms and when he'd taken it off and put it away he'd been dropped. The weakness was like that. The fever was more like an infection - physical or spiritual.
His center of magic had been fine, however, and a purification spell directly centered on it hadn't chased out any possessing spirits. She'd not found any sign of infection in the blood or body either, but his whole body said there was one somewhere.
Finally she blew out a breath of irritation and worry. "Gareth, I'm going to check one more thing. Keep watching him." She got an affirmation and turned inward, going to her own fortress. Maybe something in the histories would give her a clue.
Purrcy stopped short when she arrived. There was a blue glow over everything in her hiding hole. Her eyes scanned and then she was running to her simulation of Michael.
This time, it wasn't his psyche. She'd learned her lesson from the last time. With the fear and anger at bay, she'd been rather horrified at just how far over the line of rational she'd gotten. It had been no wonder they'd wanted to pull her back from that.
Still, she'd wanted to monitor how Michael was doing and know that he was safe. To have this simulation react was highly irregular. Purrcy swung around and searched quickly until she found the recordings of what happened in this room. Quickly she called them back up and replayed them.
There. It was when the ring had been put on him. A flash of light had gone through the room, centered on his simulation. The blue glow started in the center of the space he was in and slowly began to increase. When she finally put her arms around him just a few moments ago, there was another flash, of the blue light this time.
Purrcy blinked, then went back to her simulation of Michael. She looked closely at his hand. There was the ring, newly on the hand of the simulation. The sapphire on it was the source of the blue glow.
"Gareth, can you take his ring off? The wedding ring? It's at the source of the problem for some reason," she wasn't happy about that at all. While she waited, she reached out a hand to touch the simulation's face.
Purrcy froze. It had moved. She panicked. This wasn't supposed to be a part of Michael. She'd not wanted to endanger him like that again. "Wh-what?"
"It won't come, Hahaue," Gareth was sounding worried. "What happened?"
"It - it reacted inside here," she was backing up from the simulation. "I think I'm in trouble." She swallowed.
Suddenly there was a sparkling person standing in front of her, facing the simulation. Purrcy reached out a hand and grabbed hold of the back of Stiletto's jacket. "It's not supposed to be moving on its own," she told him. "It's only supposed to let me know if there's something wrong - which there is - but this isn't right."
"Invader spell?" he asked. "Someone who wanted to get inside to get to you?"
"I'll work on the base spell from here," Gareth said. The ring that was the source of it might have to be dealt with first. Gareth could cast Purification on the ring if it had been cursed and that might do it at that level.
They'd still have to deal with the awakened construct here. Purrcy cast to dispel her simulation spell. It faded, but there was still a featureless golem of blue light approaching them. "Well, that's the part that's not mine," she said quietly. She started working on a purification spell.
Stiletto went next, casting an attack spell that was a standard of the Eagles - one to let them know what type would affect it. He gave an irritated tisk. "Bowie, come read it," he requested.
Bowie took longer to arrive, not having the easy in the other two would. Purrcy had to help him get in, turning off traps before him and then back on after him. She made sure he was clean by the time he got to them, too, just in case.
Bowie came in behind the magic construct, which was still slowly hunting for Purrcy (and thus Stiletto who stayed between the two). Purrcy's Purification was ready and she cast it, with an intention that it would also affect Michael himself, just in case Gareth's Purification wasn't enough.
Gareth got his off at the same time, though. "Okay, the ring's off." That was relieving. That meant it could probably go back on now, too.
"Nothing worked on it - purify, fire, ice, light, dark ...the rest - I used the standard on it," Stiletto said to Bowie.
Bowie chewed his lip for a bit. "You try anti-magic yet?"
"It came from an anti-magic ring," Purrcy said coolly.
Both Eagles stiffened. "Did it eat the rest?" They didn't need the Devourer repeat inside Purrcy's hiding hole.
"Can't tell. It's not bigger," Purrcy shook her head.
Bowie gave a nod and moved slowly closer to the construct, then suddenly jumped at it and touched it lightly. A white glow spread from his hand through the blue light until it had completely erased it. When it was gone, he slumped slightly. "That took more than I expected, but it worked."
"What did you do?" Stiletto asked.
"Made it forget it exists, in effect, although not actually since it didn't have memories."
"That still sounds very dangerous," Purrcy complained at him.
Bowie almost-glowered at her. "Not like I can use it on people, like you or anyone. On a magic artifact, though, it's useful. As I said, that's the effect since I can come from that side. You scribal mages would say you used white-out, or something."
"Ah. I get it," Purrcy nodded. "Thank you, Bowie."
She waved a hand and things were cleaned up fairly quickly, but she opted to not create another simulation of Michael. She'd just use the history link like before. That was sufficient and safer.
"Can you take Bowie back out, Stiletto? That was a lot of traps to have to let him through." She waited for them to step back to the base realm, then returned to it herself, and her own body. "Thank you all," she said when she was back. Gareth was still the only one in the room, so the other two had remained on the door, then.
Gently Purrcy placed her hand on Michael's forehead again. He wasn't clammy anymore, that was good. She put her ear to his chest. His breathing was more regular again and his heart rate seemed more normal. She sighed in relief. "Okay. Physically he's better now."
Sitting up, she held out her hand for the ring. She inspected that carefully, then considered how to see. "Stiletto ...can we combine your time walk comprehension with my history spells and come up with a way to read the history on the ring? I'm quite certain BigMusclesBill and his crew wouldn't have put the curse on it."
A sparkling Stiletto arrived next to her. (He sparkled again when ikiryō now that his level was high enough again. It was a pretty combination over his dark skin that showed even as an ikiryō.) She held out the ring on her palm to show it to him. He looked at it for a bit.
"Okay. You anchor it here so it doesn't slip down the time stream. I'll see if I can get a replay on it to show using your history code as the base. I think I can follow the one line backwards in time fairly simply - its own that is - like we'd have a hound follow a scent," he said.
Purrcy nodded. "That sounds like a good mix." She carefully focused on the ring staying put in her hand, but the memories of its creation and past being teased out of it. Slowly a vision appeared over her hand, like the visuals the communications mages would get. It played in reverse, first, but it looked like Stiletto was capturing it for replay in forward.
When it was just getting to the point of being put into the box with the others, there was a faint effect on it. "That was it," she said. Stiletto stopped the unwinding history, then rested for a bit. Purrcy was already crafting the spell she wanted next.
When the ring's history started to replay forward, she called out, "stop" when it got to that point again. She tied her spell in to that point, set the hound part to sniff out the spell at that time, then sent it on with the invisible crawl set so that it would move slowly.
"For a mage here to be able to overcome the anti-magic properties of that, he or she would have to be high-level second tier or into third tier," she mused as she watched the hound and set the spell to gathering proper levels of HP and MP.
Purrcy boosted the protections on the ring specifically so it couldn't be affected again (setting it for the rest of theirs as well), even though it had been an end-of-creation spell so wouldn't likely be able to be recast now that they were complete.
Stiletto let the spell he was holding go. "Pull what's left back in," she instructed him. Slowly the threads of HP and MP siphoned back into him. "It's not a common thing we can do, but with that kind of spell you can," she said, reaching for Michael's hand. "Let's try this again properly, shall we?"
"Well, that depends," Michael's fingers curled a bit first.
"It was a curse on the ring, Mike," Gareth said. "I've purified it."
"I've strengthened the protections on it," Purrcy added, "but it can wait until you're ready if you want. You'll only make me depressed and worried about being rejected again."
Michael clicked his tongue at her. "That's not fair, you know. I've got my own past history, too."
Purrcy sat back a little. "Yeah, I can understand that, so let me say it this way. Be my husband first, then it will be easier to deal with them."
He growled at her this time. She put her finger on his nose as if it was a button to push to turn off the growl. "Really, I've said it before. It's a pet peeve of mine that if you can't take what you dish out, then keep your mouth shut." Michael shut his mouth.
Purrcy put the ring back on Michael's finger. "Thanks, boys," she said pointedly to Gareth and Stiletto. They bowed their heads and disappeared. "Do you want the report first, or do you want me to listen first?" she asked Michael.
He was quiet for a moment. Finally he said, "I guess the report first. I need to put my ducks in a row, still."
Purrcy rose to her feet as Michael sat up, then decided he was too old to stay on the floor and went to sitting on the bed instead. She watched him to make sure he was okay. He was still tired, it looked like, as he leaned back against the wall to listen.
She decided that was good enough and started pacing a bit, still worried and irritated by it all. She explained what had happened and what they'd done. She kept pacing after she was done with the telling.
Michael frowned. "That's not good, that whoever it was figured out how to get into your foxhole. Do you think they already knew what was in there?"
"I think they'd have had to," she answered. "Someone can see through - either through the protections, or perhaps through my own eyes, or it was one of our own. I'd rather not the latter."
"You won't rule it out, though."
"Only contact will do that," she agreed. She sighed and faced him. "I'm guessing it's the repeat of the high level Programmers and Hackers that were mostly the other Caretakers, but some weren't. We haven't really had our run-in with that level yet, at least not in that way. I'm thinking our contact to get the guild approved wasn't sufficient to meet that requirement."
Michael pondered it and nodded slowly. "That could be. We'll want to work out what to do when that finally shows up again, then." He looked at her sharply, "Or do you think it will resolve in the immediate future?"
Purrcy threw her hands up in the air and sat heavily on the bed. "I'm as frustrated with it all now as Shiroe was earlier. There just isn't any way to know any more. If it goes as it should then we have until I find out who it was and that can take days to weeks. Since that's all I can know, I have to have that kind of patience, but no one likes to be blindsided early."
She sighed and looked at him. "Let's get you put back together before we go any further down that road, though. What effect did it have on you, other than the physical symptoms we could see?" He was rather nervously rubbing his hand and twisting the ring, so it had obviously done something to him.
He noticed and stopped. "When the ring first went on, there was a sudden feeling of being trapped. I wouldn't have expected it, but when I started to feel that even more, and worst just before I collapsed, it brought out my own torn past issues and used them against me, so to speak. The fear was pretty high and I couldn't figure that out, since I'd just gotten done getting what I'd been working so hard for this whole time." He was wry.
"Well, I don't know why the feeling of being trapped, unless it was a warning of the cursing on the ring," Purrcy mused. "However I can certainly see how finally having what you've been working hard to get was a time to collapse, as it were.
"When we're working that hard we have the tension and stress to keep us propped up. When they're suddenly gone, then we get the joys of feeling everything else running around underneath. Even if we knew they were there, now they get to be front and center." She held out her hand to him and he reached out and took her fingers in his. "I'll listen," she said.
Michael sighed. "I'd rather you let me make love to you so that I can really know that you are mine and I'm acceptable to you. We've already been over all the words. Action will do a lot more for making everything settle down than talk at this point." His fingers tightened their hold on hers. "I know that's the opposite of what you want and need for your own healing, though."
Purrcy sighed. "So many landmines, so little time," she complained. She squeezed his fingers, then rose and let go. She wandered around the room headed in a meander for the window. "Sometimes I wonder if just blowing them all up will get rid of them. And then I think, 'that's an awful lot of massive damage all at once'."
She smiled cynically to herself. "I hate to think of the fall-out of it, but that youthful part of me that wants the pain and confusion to just be over wants to be brash and brave and run straight through the mine-field and be on the other side already."
She looked out the window, then looked up at the blue sky. Closing her eyes, she said, "Grandmother me scolds the youthful me in warning and then pauses and turns away, as if to say it isn't always the case, or she doesn't really know, maybe.
"Middle-age me says turn around and run as fast and as far away as possible because it isn't worth it either way." She chuckled at herself. "And current me is so confused I don't know which way to look or to turn."
Taking a breath, Purrcy turned to Michael just enough to see him on the bed, watching her. "We're dressed for play. The mercenary pirate king has stolen away not the princess, but the queen, who is really a tavern wench in disguise, made to play a part she never wanted to begin with."
She looked back out the window, taking the curtain in her hand to have something to hold on to as her internal ship was tossed on stormy waters. "What does the pirate king do next? Perhaps he can get away with whatever he wants to on his own ship with his hard won prize."
Michael's spurs jangled slightly, then there was soft quiet. Purrcy could feel him hunting her. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard she could feel it in her neck and the back of her head.
She let him come without turning, although she shifted when he paused behind her two steps. As she turned her head to look from the corner of her eye, he took those last two steps quickly and had her waist in his hands. She ducked her head just a little in reaction to his speed.
"Me thinks you are very sly, Ayuzawa," he said quietly in her ear. She sputtered a laugh. "And don't think I'm going to let you back out of it, either," he scolded her, his hands sliding around her belly to hold her even closer to him. "I have been waiting ...way ...too ...long."
His kisses traveled up her neck from her shoulder to her jaw as she let him have more of it, her head falling to the side. She gave a sigh and just let him have his way with her. It was easier to do it that way, and besides ...the twenty-something inside of her had also been waiting too long.
That part of her still had to box up the protesting forty-something more than once, and her brash youthful self shut out anything else that leaked out, wanting not only the love, but also the end to the confusion and pain. If she was going to be Michael's for the rest of her life, then she may as well give in now than later and not waste a lot of time lost in that mess.
He was kind to let her catch up to him when her fear got more than she could deal with, though. Then she had to remind herself that this was her own choice and the choice of everyone involved, not being forced from outside. When she could settle that in her system, then she could let him advance again.
-:-:-:-:-
The door to their hotel room closed behind Shiroe and Akatsuki. Shiroe immediately took his circlet off, not letting go of Akatsuki's hand as he walked them over to the bed. He carefully put the circlet on the dresser in the room as he passed by it. He sat on the bed and held Akatsuki out from him so he could properly look at her.
He finally swallowed and said the best he could in what he hoped wasn't a croak, "Really. It's very hard to imagine that you aren't a vision or dream. And it's even harder to think you have to take it off next. I hope they took lots of pictures for me, although nothing will ever compare to this moment right now."
Akatsuki's happy smile was as stunning as her looks and really did make the whole thing the best thing he'd ever seen - and that was saying a lot since he'd seen a lot of stunning vistas. He pulled her to him, still loathe to take his eyes off of her, but he really wanted a kiss next.
Shiroe held her, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you for making me very happy today," he said. "I will be glad to have you with me every night from this time on."
Akatsuki nodded, her hair brushing the side of his face. "I will be, too. It will be different to be in your room with you all the time, but I'm happy to finally be able to."
"Me, too," he agreed. He pulled back from her a little, then begged just a little. "Can I please add to your wardrobe? This really does look so good on you. I would like to see more of this."
Her eyes went a little wide, then she flushed a little and looked away. "The ladies said that - they wanted to see the adult me that was beautiful." Shiroe nodded his complete agreement. Akatsuki took a deep breath. "For Shiroe, I'd be willing to try ...sometimes."
Shiroe smiled. "That would be enough. Say ...when we go out on dates?"
Akatsuki looked back, her impish smile on her face and the teasing twinkle in her eyes. "I would like for it to be then. Then Shiroe wouldn't be able to look away - all night."
Shiroe laughed. "No, I wouldn't. I wonder if we'd make it, or if I'd have to steal you back half-way through the date." He mock frowned. "I'm sure I'd be jealous a lot more often."
"Why?" she asked.
He kissed her. "Because more men would look at you with eyes that saw the same thing I see." Akatsuki blushed and shook her head, not really wanting that. "It wouldn't be all bad," he encouraged her. "It would make them jealous, too, that you were with me instead of them."
Akatsuki suddenly went wide-eyed as if she'd received a revelation. "Oh," she said. It seemed she was just going to leave it there.
Shiroe squeezed her hand, "What?" he asked.
"Ah...," she looked away, embarrassed. "If I'm going to sit next to the Shiroe now, then I should dress appropriately, or I won't fit." She put her hand to her head. "Okay. We can have our next date be a shopping trip and you can buy for me." She gave a little shiver, though.
He smiled, then patted her head, mindful of the tiara. "I promise. I know what you like, too. I won't completely change your wardrobe or make you that uncomfortable." When she gave her nod of acceptance, he added, "But I will make you wear more colors than black. And I do like the white. It's a stunning contrast to your beautiful hair."
She took a breath. "I will take the complement. Don't go too far."
Shiroe shook his head apologetically. "How long do you want to stay the Princess," he asked her. Akatsuki waffled. He rose to his feet. "May I have this dance?" he bowed to her. They danced in the hotel room until his legs and feet were too tired to continue, then he helped her change out of her dress, as reluctant to have it go as she was.
Later, as he put away his wedding suit, he felt there was something he'd left undone, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. There wasn't anything sitting out in the room to be put away and all the pieces of his suit were accounted for.
Shiroe finally decided it had to be the one thing he'd been postponing all afternoon, so took Akatsuki to the bridal bed. That was nice enough to make him forget everything else and decide it had been really a very perfect day all around.
-:-:-:-:-
Michael had finally fallen asleep perfectly contented. Even with his desperation to have his wife finally be his, the effort to allow Purrcy to come to it at her speed (which honestly hadn't been all that slow all considered), had helped with his own tangle of emotions.
To be able to wait patiently and to talk through with her what she needed in the moment had been an external proof that he did know how to help his wife and encourage her as a husband should, countering his self-doubt that had been a major part of the aftermath of his divorce.
To have finally been able to release his deep need for her had helped him quite a bit as well, since a lot of that had been merely sexual frustration. The cuddling part of the need had already gotten its fill earlier since that had been her greatest need before. Just having that relief had helped him to fall asleep and sleep deeply. He really would have thought he'd have slept all night quite peacefully.
Instead Michael was wide awake at two-thirty-five, his heart pounding and sweat pouring off his brow. His hand reached for Purrcy, who should be in the bed next to him, sleeping. When his hand hit the bed instead of her, his heart cried and he panicked. Had the nightmare been because she'd called him and he couldn't get to her? "Purrcy?" he called.
He got back a muffled, "Michael? I'll be right there. - In the bathroom."
He sank back, relieved but still slightly shivering, his heart trying to calm down. He gave up in the next second and was headed for the bathroom himself. He did manage to knock at the door politely first, but he didn't wait for her to open it. Purrcy was just turning from wiping her hands on a towel.
"Michael?" Purrcy asked in surprise as he wrapped her in his arms. "Here, this isn't the place. I'm with you." She wrapped an arm around his torso and guided him back to the bed, leaving the bathroom door open just a little, with the light still on, so they could see where they were going and not be blinded - which he'd become as soon as he opened the door. "What is it?" she asked as she settled him on the bed and held him.
Really, he would have expected it to be her tonight. For it to be him seemed so backwards. He shivered. "I had a nightmare. I suppose not unlike your own, but you couldn't come into mine to help me."
"No. I'm sorry. But if you'll tell it to me, I'll try to help you overcome the fears."
He sighed into her shoulder. She was so good, just immediately knowing what to do and offering it. "Not like I want to relive it, but I'd rather you did." She patted him on the back. "The important part starts where I was in darkness and feeling the pain of Maryann's rejection of me. I didn't want to be there, feeling that.
"I was suddenly floating in the time-space watching you and the AIs and Li Shou, like I would so frequently after it happened. At the time that I would normally reach for you for protection because you'd come to save me, you weren't there and the wall of destruction was coming for me. I desperately called for you and instead of you coming, I remembered that I'd killed you before entering the time-space and you wouldn't be coming - ever.
"The dissolution from the AIs hit me just after the horror of what I'd done and I was dead - in the end by my own hand really - although I did wake up back here in the bed. To have you be gone from my side was a rather terrible follow-up to that."
"I'm sorry," Purrcy said kindly. "I'm still here." She pet his head to help him calm down. "And I'm still there in that time-space, too, still rescuing you every time you need it. We've already lived that moment and the AIs have protected it.
"They know there are too many things that can harm the path they want for Theldesia during the time we were doing those things and Time was still flexible. I don't know what they did - it's still too advanced for me - but I do know they've done that much."
Michael sighed in relief. That was good to know. Purrcy let him calm down a little more, then asked. "Is there anything else that's related to the dream that's worrying you?"
He thought about that, then nodded. "Yes. What's coming up next. I don't want to repeat that part at all. I don't want you dead or even near dead. I don't want to be the one that plays that part again. I don't want to be afraid of losing you when you're only just here in my arms."
Michael transformed and held Purrcy with all four arms, wrapping her in his wings. "I guess I was wrong when I said I wouldn't steal you away to my cave and hide you. I want to do that now, and not let the rest of the story play out. I want to protect you in all the ways I was never able to there, and I want to know you'll protect my heart and not go away."
"Except it's rather smothering," she said quietly, but very practically and he let up the pressure a little. That let her breathe better. Her hand went to lie flat on his chest over his heart.
"Honestly, ...I don't want it either. I really wanted that level of difficulty of living to be over back then. I'm getting too old for that kind of play, especially when in this body." She sighed and he caressed the back of her head.
"Tell me about it," he muttered. "It's definitely one thing there where you can be strong and resurrect. It's completely different here. There I worried, but it was life. Here, I'm terrified at the reality of death and the tenuous hold we have on life, when it comes to you in particular. I'm used to worrying about it with the boys - that I've learned to cope with."
"I'll do what I can to protect your heart, Michael," Purrcy said, "but I am still only one mortal woman." She snuggled into him and he loosened his hold a little more to let her be comfortable.
She continued, "One magic user too at the moment though, and I'm doing everything I can to be as prepared as possible for the unknown that's coming up. I don't think Earth's Inari wants me dead either - it just wants to get the corrections it needs while it has us available to do them."
Purrcy sighed. "Don't forget to ask for your miracles when you need them ...but don't over-panic and die from them either. I still need you here, too. You also need to be alive and safe, or it isn't worth it for me to stay."
"I'll protect me, too," Michael promised. "And I'm always praying for miracles. That's normal." He paused a moment, realizing he'd forgotten something important.
He took a breath, then prayed, "God, thank you for allowing today to happen. Thank you for helping Purrcy walk though her fears and worries so that she could walk through the wedding and stand at my side. Thank you for helping me resist long enough to help her get there, and for giving us both strength to walk each day.
"Please walk with us into the next storm and get us through it safely also." His heart cried for a lot of other things, but they'd already been said so he didn't say them again. "In the name of your Son, Amen."
"Amen," Purrcy whispered.
They sat holding each other for a while longer until Michael finally felt somewhat calm again and Purrcy was falling asleep. He got her properly tucked back into bed, visited the bathroom himself, then curled up around her and fell asleep again, holding his wife protectively.
Level 8.5: Administrator Again (Woman Restored) ends with the wedding and honeymoon repeats, long awaited yet again. This part of the level has also finally brought the answer to the two-way-door. Either way, it was a sad answer for Shiroe even if not surprising.
It also brings with it the early exit that Level 6 brought to Log Horizon but left the Eagles to carry into Level 7. With Level 7's repeat ahead, Shiroe can only wish them the best and see them off with promises to help where he can, hoping for a safe and best resolution.