Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I ran out of inspiration, so I went to my cousins' wedding to see what was up with that. The groom cried. I really can't see Kaiba crying. :) So this was a difficult chapter to write, as there isn't much meaning or action to it. It's a 'happy ending' part, and trust me – happiness is hard to write. Which would you find more fun to describe – a drunk's cardboard shack in the city, or the Plaza Hotel? So, you get it. Anyway – ON WITH THE FIC!

The clouds had finally dispersed and had vanished from the horizon, leaving the sands and seas of KaibaCorp Island to be flooded with brilliant orange light from the sunset. The white sands ran red, and Toria felt their cool shift beneath her bare feet, the train of her wedding gown trailing, leaving long paths like a sidewinder snake in the vast and empty desert. In her hands she clutched a bundle of dune weeds from the more feral side of the island – Serenity had found them, growing with wild abandon. They were not more for looks as they were to keep her hands from shaking. It was what she wanted – had wanted since she had met him, as Toria Hallowell, and since she was High Priestess Sanura. But she felt as nervous as a newborn colt.

Her eyes were trained on Kaiba's tall, dark figure, his brown hair obscuring his blue eyes, which seemed to glow in the late afternoon, matching the dark waves of the marine. A faint breeze, smelling of salt and sea, rippled the edges of his trenchcoat, lifting strands of her violet hair from her face. Her heart thudded like a runaway horse in her chest as she walked down the makeshift aisle, defined with stones.

Mai, Tea, and Serenity were grouped to the right-hand side of Bakura, who stood beside Kaiba, obviously acting as the officiate. To Kaiba's left were Yami, Mokuba, Tristan, Duke, and Joey. The girls looked the very vision of bridesmaids in their pink uniforms – the boys gave the air of stately groomsmen in their blue ones.

She slid to a shaky halt beside Kaiba, and his form steadied her. She stared boldly back into his eyes, trying to convince herself her heart did not hold the quivering darkness of fear. His eyes were chips of sapphire, cold and flaring with fire. She only half-heard Bakura's voice as he read off the computer printout of the ceremony Mokuba had found on the Internet. The calls of the gulls and the pound of the surf reached her ears stronger than the words.

"We are gathered here today, under the Lord our God and the Lady our Goddess, to witness the union of Seto Kaiba and Victoria Umako Hallowell, in the name of the Spirit and in the name of the law."

Toria tried to look down. She couldn't believe he was doing this for her. She knew that men hated to be married. He would never be able to stand a woman around the house – cooking, cleaning, getting in the way of work. She'd wanted to make sure she wouldn't lose anything in this marriage – but she hadn't thought of what he might be losing. She couldn't pull her eyes away. She just felt the burn of blue fire into her face...

"Do you, Seto Kaiba, swear to have this woman, Victoria Umako Hallowell to be your wife, to love and protect, to be joined to until the stars fall from the sky, to join as one as the night sky joins the sunrise?"

"I swear it."

His voice was a heavy, final, strong sound, like the song of a great cathedral bell, and Toria heard the love and fierce pride reverberate. She heard his unspoken words: I love you.

"Do you, Victoria Umako Hallowell, swear to have this man, Seto Kaiba, to be your husband, to love and protect, to be joined to until the stars fall from the sky, to joins as one as the night sky joins the sunrise?"

"I swear it."

Someone – one of the girls, Toria thought, sniffled and tried to restrain a sob, but she didn't look.

"Where are the rings?"

Yami and Tea came forward from opposite sides, each holding a platinum ring – one, a diamond laced with amethyst, and the other a diamond encircled with sapphire. They glinted jewel-toned in the dying sunlight, twinkling and glittering, spitting sparks.

Kaiba looked sideways at Yami as he felt the precious metal drop into the palm of his hand. He tried to glare at him, but only succeeded in a miniature grunt of thanks. Yami leaned over and patted his back reassuringly. Kaiba shrugged his shoulder, as though to remove himself of any comfort Yami might give him, but inwardly he felt a strain of confusion and satisfaction. Friends. On some level, deep down, he and Yami were friends.

He slipped the ring onto her finger, realizing how warm her hands were – hot and burning with nervousness. His own hands felt cool, smooth. He wished he could pass on some of Yami's empathy to his bride. Carefully, delicately – he kissed the ring he had placed upon her finger.

Toria felt a rush of warmth flood to her face, glad that the soft wind no longer bothered her, and gladly slid the heavy platinum ring onto Kaiba's hand.

Bakura nodded and held out an official document for them both to sign with a red fountain pen. Kaiba found this odd. He had signed so many signatures, dashed off in ink, pencil, computer pixels – and never once had he thought about it. Seto Kaiba, stately and legible, slanting sideways with impatience and his i's dotted quickly, annoyance and power in every short dash. He watched his hand, forcing his letters to flow smoothly, his i in Seto Kaiba to be neat and brilliant. This would be the most important signature of his life.

Toria took the pen from him and carefully signed the document with her full name, her left hand sliding smoothly and with attention so as not to smear the ink. The tall, proud letters that represented her – T, U, and H.

Bakura smiled, past a whispering white mane of hair.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Seto Kaiba."

One of the sniffling girls began to wail, long and loud sobs, but Toria's barely heard it as she leaned in for a kiss, feeling Kaiba's long arms reach around her, holding her, and his lips meeting hers...a taste like lightning and rose petals...

With a smile, they broke the kiss and looked out at the small audience. Yami was smiling his trademark smirk, and Mokuba was clapping. Duke and even Joey were clapping along with Mokuba, and Bakura was smilingly faintly. Serenity was in tears, and Mai was cheering. Tea was clapping. Toria felt a smile reach and touch her face, from the depths of inside her, and she was unable to stop it. In a fit of strange giddiness, she blew everyone kisses, and tossed her bouquet of dune grass behind her shoulder with sudden happiness, flying high into the air without wings, like the bright song in her heart.