Thanks so much Vchanny for being my first to review! It really meant a lot to me! I didn't think I'd care much if I got a review or not, but I really like them anyway! Don't be afraid to give me any suggestions either!
All characters are from Final Fantasy X and don't belong to me! Vance is my own character!
Chapter 3: The Wedding
"This is the happiest day of my entire life!" Elma cried, as we found ourselves heading
toward the gardens, on our chocobos, ready for action that I supposed would never come.
We had just set up the troops, and wedding guests were already arriving, all dressed up in
their fancy outfits. Sphere camera crews were set up everywhere, interviewing people and
getting shots of the gardens.
Elma was beaming, and Lucil had been earlier, when we had left her. In fact, all of the
troops seemed to be beaming, and all over them excited.
"Well Rikku," I thought as we made our way toward the gardens, "Good luck canceling
the wedding now."
"HALT!" someone ordered us from behind, which made my thoughts immediately stop.
Elma and me turned our chocobos around sharply, and saw a priest of some sort standing there.
He was old and bald, and came up to us quickly.
"Lady Yuna's orders," he said, "are for you to forget this whole thing. I was ordered to
tell you. You are to release your troops at once."
"Yeah right," Elma said, looking at him with suspicion in her eyes, "We're going to need
more proof than just your word, I'm afraid. And, besides that, we haven't time for you."
The old man smiled, and Elma turned around, obviously thinking about what good an old
man could do.
I didn't turn around so quickly, however, and noticed out of the corner of my eye that the
man had pulled out a machina weapon, and was readying an aim for Elma.
Quickly, with no time to spare, I grabbed some gil out of my pocket with one hand, my
sling with the other, and aimed quickly. One piece of gil hit the man in the eye, another on his
nose, and the last three on his head. Elma had by now turned around, and I ordered Sheea to
bend down, as I scooped up a large rock, and aimed it at the man's weapon, knocking it out of his
hands.
Elma smiled, and jumped off of her chocobo, and then picked the weapon up. She then
grabbed the man's arm and dragged him to her chocobo, tying his arms to its reigns.
"Nice job Vance!" she praised me, and I smiled, glad that I'd had a least a little bit of
action so far. Still, I knew that this old man's threats weren't going to be enough to postpone the
wedding. I didn't care if Lady Yuna married or not, but I knew Rikku did. And I owed Rikku
my life. After all, she had been my only friend.
"I'm going to take him to Lucil, and see what I should do from there," Elma then said, as
she jumped back onto her chocobo, "You take care of everything else, okay? Keep your eyes
open!"
She ran off then, dragging the old man behind.
I smiled, glad that I'd at least done something, and then jumped off Sheea. I decided that
maybe I should stock up on some ammo, being that I wasn't made of gil.
I grabbed some different sized rocks, and stuffed them in a pouch on my ammo. I
grabbed some larger ones, and put them in the sheath with my sword, guessing to myself that the
sword would only be used if my sling didn't seem to work.
I ran on ahead then, deciding that I'd stalled enough. The gardens were filling up fast,
and the many people involved in the wedding were readying themselves. The talk was all on the
bride, or so it seemed.
I went over to my post, which was an area somewhat higher than the gardens, and rather
out of the way, so that if someone were to pull something, I could see them, and jump down to
help, but they couldn't see me.
I had just jumped off Sheea, when I felt someone poke me from behind. I jumped a bit,
grabbed my sling, and turned around swiftly.
"Rikku!" I said, when I realized who it was, and lowered my sling, "What are you
doing?"
It was Rikku standing there, and she giggled. "Scared you, huh?" she said, and smiled,
but then had her smile disappear.
"What now?" I asked, trying to conceal a smile as I looked at her dress. It was pink and
had little ruffles on it.
"Hey!" she said, "Stop staring! Lulu and Yunie thought it looked cute, and I'm in the
wedding, so, you know..."
I smiled then, and said, "You're going to be in a wedding that you don't even like?"
Rikku smiled back and said, "Hey, if the groom trips, you'll know who did it."
"Shouldn't you be down there?" I asked then, and looked at all of the people who had
flooded into the area just while Rikku and I were talking.
"Yeah," Rikku said drearily, "But I have to tell you something first. Wakka told me to
find Lucil, but she was busy. And I saw you come up here, so I decided to tell you instead.
Anyway, last night, that stupid Pinelli got some kind of threat on his life. I said, "Oh, who
cares," but that just got me in trouble by Wakka. Anyway, the threat was not only for Pinelli, but
for Yunie too. Wakka told me to tell Lucil that even if it was a threat, he can tell Yunie's
worried about it, but she's not letting us know. So, keep your eyes open, okay?"
She was the second person that day who had told me to keep my eyes open.
"Thanks for the tip," I said, smiling, hoping that whoever had threatened would try to
make it real, and then closed my eyes, knowing it was wrong to hope for such a thing.
"Look," Rikku said with a smile, "The reason I'm telling you this is 'cause I'm worried
about Yunie. As for Pinelli, it'd be better if you let him die."
"Rikku!" I said, not understanding how she could hate someone that much, "Do you want
me to lose my job?"
Rikku smiled, "No...I'm just kidding, you know! Anyway, I guess it's about time I got
down there. By the way, if anything does happen, you can bet I'll be there to help, got it?"
"Got it," I said, "It'll be good to have some more experienced people. Let's just say our
troops aren't the best fighters in the world."
She smiled, said goodbye, and then ran off, trying to ignore her long flowing dress. I
smiled, thinking of her in that dress.
A terrible thought entered my mind, then, as I realized that Rikku had distracted me for
quite some time. If something had happened, even something little, I would have missed it.
"Well Vance-O" I thought, using the nickname Rikku had called me two days before,
"From now on, keep those eyes open!"
Time seemed to drag on then as I took in everything, watching everyone who entered
carefully. My thoughts wandered, but for the most part I tried to keep them under control. I had
climbed too high to risk losing everything because I hadn't paid attention.
I was so into watching, that I didn't hear someone coming toward me until I heard Sheea
give a nervous squawk. I turned around sharply, readying my sling as I did so.
It was just a fellow knight, however, but he appeared to be nervous.
I saluted him, and he saluted back.
"Uh, Vance," he said, sounding nervous, "Something's gone a little wrong, I'm afraid."
"What?" I asked, snapping to attention.
"I'm afraid Elma's been injured," he said, not looking me in the eyes.
"Elma?" I said, shocked, "Is she hurt badly?"
"No," he said, "but she was hurt. She says some old man did it, but he wasn't really an
old man. She said it was some type of disguise."
"So, he escaped?" I asked, knowing precisely who the old man was.
"Yes, he did, and we are sure there are others out there with him."
"Who's on this?" I asked then, trying to sound as if I knew what to do, and suddenly
wondering if I really wanted to see any action.
"The entire East Side of troops," he answered.
"Okay," I said, "How about Lucil, how's she?"
"She's fine, Sir. She's on the opposite side of you, helping to keep watch. Not only that,
but see that sphere," he was now pointing to the giant sphere in the front, "That's not just for the
wedding. It's connected to plenty of other little spheres, and there are people watching the
spheres at all times. If a red flag goes up over there," he now pointed to a post on the wedding
parapet, "That means to go to main floor, because something's wrong."
I smiled, wondering why I was only now finding all of this out. Had I not been paying
attention earlier?
"Okay, thanks for the news," I said, and saluted him off.
I returned to my watch, although now I knew a little more of what I was watching for. It
bugged me that Elma had been injured, but I wasn't worried about it. That old man, or whatever
he was, would definitely be avenged. That old man...
Something hadn't been right about him. He had been built like an old man, but
something told me he wasn't. I knew Elma. No old man could take her on. He had to have been
either an incredibly strong old man, or he wasn't an old man at all.
What kind of disguise had he been in? By now I was quite confused, and was wondering
to myself by now if I really did know what it was I was looking for. Once more, my thoughts
were interrupted, as suddenly the giant sphere flicked on, showing the entire garden area, instead
of the interviews and such that it had been showing earlier. I noticed that no one was coming in
anymore, and decided that it must be time to begin.
"Ladies and Gentleman!" a voice boomed over the sphere, "Now, the moment you've all
been waiting for!"
There was an excited silence that fell over the setting, and I knew that now was the time
to keep my eyes opened, before anything could happen to the bride, or the groom.
Curiosity overfilled me as I thought of the groom. I didn't think I cared, but now I was
feeling somewhat anxious to finally see him.
I knew in Bevelle weddings like these, the people in the wedding came out first, and then
the bride and the groom came out together. I decided to be on extra guard when the bride and
groom came out.
The hair on my arms had risen, for now I was positive something was going to happen. I
had my sling out and loaded, ready to go. Sheea's reigns were in my hand, and I was ready to
jump into action at any given moment.
The wedding had started now, and people who I didn't recognize walked down the aisle,
and soon I saw Rikku, with a scowl on her face, and Kimarhi, as well as Wakka and Lulu. Pretty
soon everybody had come out, except for the bride and the groom, and so far things had occurred
without anything going wrong.
There was a hush in the audience then, and I noticed that many people had tears of joy
streaming down their faces. I stole the quickest glance at Rikku, who was standing there looking
very angry.
Everybody waited then, all holding their breath, anxious to see the bride and groom. I
waited too. However, they didn't come out.
There was a murmur through the audience, and I glanced up at the sphere, only to see a
red flag being risen.
"Great," I said out loud, and jumped on Sheea's back, saying, "Come on Girl, there's
something wrong.
Sheea and me jumped down off of our section, and so did many other knights, including
Lucil.
"Everybody split up," Lucil barked, "The summoner's missing!" She caught my eye and
nodded to me. She headed off toward the direction that Yuna should have come from, and I
headed the opposite way.
Most of the confused knights followed Lucil, leaving me very little back up. However, as
I raced toward the opposite exit, I saw Rikku.
"Hey Rikku!" I cried down to her, "Jump on! We've got to find Yuna!"
She grabbed a hold of Sheea's feathers and climbed on behind me.
"Where do you think she is?" Rikku asked nervously.
"We're going to check this way," I said, "Are Wakka and Lulu looking for her too?"
"Yeah!" Rikku said, and Sheea burst off, with me steering.
"Where should we check?" I asked Rikku, trying to ignore the commotion that had been
caused by all of this.
"Ooh! I know," Rikku said, "Check the cloister! I heard Yunie saying something about
that earlier."
I nodded, and, forgetting all formalities, raced into the temple still on Sheea's back. We
raced past unhappy priests, and toward the cloisters.
"Oh great!" I cried, noticing that there was machina machina guarding the doors.
"Leave those to me!" she cried, jumping off of Sheea and running up to them. She gave
them a little kick and just like that they fell apart. She then ran ahead, and accessed a little
machina access pad.
The doors flew open, and she quickly jumped back on behind me. We ran down a
number of stairs, and into the strange cloister, which was no longer in use.
"To the chamber of the Fayth!" she said, and we ran through the strange maze to the
chamber. As soon as we entered, three men attacked us, however.
"Oh no!" Rikku cried, but I was already prepared. I fired at them, hitting them in their
lower areas, for Elma.
Then, with the larger ones, I hit them all in the heads, knocking them cold.
"Know how to fight with a sword?" I asked Rikku, who was staring at me with a shocked
expression on her face.
"Kind of," she answered, and I unsheathed my sword, and handed it to her.
"Come on!" I cried, and we jumped off of Sheea and ran into the small little room where
the guardians waited, "Yuna's got to be here!"
We ran over to the large stone that blocked the entrance to the fayth, and I heard Rikku
give a nervous giggle.
"What's funny?" I asked, as we attempted to lift it.
"Oh, just that the last time Yuna attempted to get married, it was here that we found her.
That's why I said we should come here. I didn't really think Yunie could be here!"
Together Rikku and were able to lift it just a ways, and I had Sheea hold it open, as we
slid under the small opening that Rikku and I had managed.
"Yunie!" I heard Rikku say, being that she was the first one in.
I crawled in then, and saw Rikku hugging Yuna, who seemed just fine. There were two
other men in there, all knocked out cold.
"Uh..." I said, coming in slowly.
"Vance, look, it's Yunie!" Rikku said, "Yunie! What happened!"
Yuna looked up at me, and then back at Rikku, and then to the men that were knocked
unconscious.
"Well, Pinelli and I were waiting for our cue, you know, to come out, and then we were
taken from behind," Yuna explained quickly, "I was knocked unconscious, and when I awoke, I
was here. I don't know where Pinelli is."
"What about these guys?" I asked.
Yuna smiled. "Let's just say I gave them what they deserved.
"That's my Yunie!" Rikku said, and hugged her cousin again.
"Are you hurt?" I asked Yuna.
"My head throbs a bit," she admitted, "But nothing terrible."
Rikku looked at me, and said, "We better let everybody else know you're okay."
Yuna nodded, and stood up. She had been kneeling, and really didn't look as good,
although she smiled when she first saw us. Still, I saw some pain in her eyes.
"Are you sure you aren't hurt?" I asked again, "It...it just seems as if you're pained about
something."
Yuna blushed, and looked away from me.
"Yeah Yunie," Rikku said, and then looked mad, "You're not worried about Pinelli, are
you?"
"Well..." Yuna said, "I didn't ever want to go back to that place." She looked behind her
at the door to the fayth and shuddered, as if remembering something that she didn't want to
remember.
"You look nice Yunie," Rikku tried, obviously trying to make her feel better.
Yuna smiled a small smile, one of those that missed happiness, and said "thank you" to
her quirky cousin.
"So, let's say Pinelli isn't found..." Rikku said to her cousin as I took care of our
prisoners, "Does that mean the wedding will be postponed?"
I thought Yuna was going to cry at this.
"All of those people will be so upset," she said, looking at the ground. We were now
exiting the cloisters, with me watching the prisoners carefully, as I remembered what had
happened to Elma.
"Stop thinking of the people!" Rikku said then, "Yunie, can't you just do what you
want?"
Yuna looked at her cousin, and said, "Not now I can't, Rikku. You should understand."
"Will the wedding be postponed?" Rikku asked again, "And what if Pinelli can't be
found?"
Yuna looked away from Rikku. "Yes Rikku, the wedding will be postponed. But I'm
sure Pinelli is around. They'll find him."
We now exited the temple, and people were everywhere. As soon as they saw Yuna,
however, in her radiant wedding dress, they all cheered, and Rikku bowed, even though it wasn't
really her show.
Lucil came running up then and beamed at me brightly.
"Lady Yuna!" she said, running over to the High Summoner, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Yuna said, looking at Rikku and me.
"Troops!" Lucil yelled in a high, shrill voice, take care of these four men.
"Any news on Pinelli?" Rikku asked, and I saw her cross her fingers. I guessed that she
was hoping the answer was a "no."
Lucil looked sadly at the ground. "I'm afraid not," she said, and for a second I was sure
she was going to cry.
Yuna walked in front of all of us then, and cleared her throat.
"Everybody," she said, and the murmur that was running through the area immediately
died down, "I am tragically sorry, but, well...The wedding has been canceled."
People began to talk again, and I saw some people begin to cry. I looked over at Rikku,
and the happiness in her eyes seemed to disappear. She obviously was happy that Yuna wasn't
getting married, but she was still upset that everybody else was upset.
"However," Yuna continued, "The wedding will still continue. I'll make sure of that. In
the meantime, I promise that we'll be preparing for a nicer wedding...A much nicer wedding. So,
don't be sad. Next time will be even better." She looked behind her, and looked straight at me,
and said, "In fact, next time will be perfect."
Yuna nodded to Rikku then, and went back into the temple. Wakka and Lulu came
forward, as well as Kimarhi, and they followed Yuna into the temple.
Rikku looked at me, and stalled for a while, as the many disappointed people went the
opposite way of Yuna, all murmuring to themselves.
"Troops," Lucil said in her same shrill voice, "We are not resting until Sir Pinelli is
found! Got that!" She rode off, as well as the many other troops, all murmuring about how they
could find Pinelli if they didn't know what he looked like.
In no time at all, the entrance to the temple was bare, with few people left. Basically, it
was just Rikku and me.
Rikku came walking over to me, and said, "Oh...Uh, by the way, I told Wakka you
wanted to blitz. He said you could train with them if you wanted too, but..."
"But I'll have to quit the chocobo knights," I finished for her, "When can I give Wakka
my answer?"
"I'm guessing we'll leave tomorrow," Rikku said, "My dad's gonna take us home on his
airship. You'll have to come along, too."
"Where's "home"?" I asked then.
"For now, it's Besaid Island," Rikku said, and then said hurriedly, "I'll see you later. Tell
me your answer then, okay?"
I nodded, and said goodbye to Rikku. Right before entering the temple, she turned
around and said something to me in Al Bhed. I felt myself blush, but smiled anyway as if I
understood what it was she said. I felt terrible for not knowing.
As if to fit the mood, I then realized that the sunny weather that had been out before had
turned to clouds, and it was beginning to sprinkle.
I didn't care if it was raining, and I didn't care if we were supposed to be searching for
Pinelli. The only thing on my mind now was Blitzball.
I had always wanted to play, and now was my chance. Yet, I had gone so far in just two
months for the chocobo knights. Was I really ready to throw all of that away? I took a deep
breath and decided that I should talk to Lucil about it. Maybe she would understand, and
somehow let me do both. Something in my heart, however, told me there was no way for me to
do both. I knew I'd have to choose one, and I'd have to choose one soon.