Keiko raked her fingers through her long hair. "I'm surely going to go mad," she said. "I think I have all the details, but I'm just not sure."
"There's plenty of time," Kino said placidly.
"The wedding's tomorrow!" Keiko wailed. "And the rehearsal is tonight! This is chaos, I tell you, chaos!"
"What's chaos?" Yoh questioned as he popped into the kitchen.
"Yoh!" Keiko screeched. She slapped his hand as he tried to reach for a cookie. "The rehearsal is in three hours!"
"I know," he said. "But we won't be eating for four more hours. I'm hungry now."
Keiko opened her mouth to lecture him, but Kino tossed her grandson several cookies. "Give some to the bride while you're at it," she said.
"Thanks, Grammy," Yoh beamed. He popped back out of the kitchen.
"He should be more concerned about this wedding," Keiko groused.
Kino smiled. "He's still a boy," she said. "I'm sure he's thinking about the wedding, but it's better for him to be a little naïve and relaxed about it than a bundle of nerves like you are. The wedding will go smoothly, in any case. I'll make sure of it."
-----
Anna twirled her engagement ring around her finger. "Do I look all right?" she asked.
"You look precious," Pilika said. "Put a little more mascara on, though." She crossed her arms and laughed. "I nevere thought I'd see the day that Anna Kyoyama would say the words 'Do I look all right?'. I guess the world is coming to an end..."
The usually stoic ice queen was outright panicking. She didn't even hear Pilika. "But what about my hair?" Anna persisted. "And my dress?"
"They're perfect," Tamao reassured her as she twirled the mascara brush over Anna's long lashes. "Blue is a good color on you. Now stop worrying so much."
Pilika handed Anna the small knot of ribbons that would substitute for the bridal bouquet. "We're supposed to start the rehearsal in a few minutes. Everything'll be fine," she said.
Anna clutched the ribbon bouquet. "I wish someone would walk me down the aisle," she whispered.
"What did you say?" Tamao asked as she tied a ribbon in Anna's hair.
"Nothing," Anna sighed.
Keiko had already worked through most of the processional. Jeanne and Lyserg would walk to the front first while a pianist finished the last of the opening pieces. Then Jeanne would begin singing. Ren and Pilika would walk down first, and then HoroHoro and Tamao. Anna would come last, all on her own.
Jeanne sang quietly, her voice quaking slightly from nervousness. Ren and Pilika came too early, while HoroHoro and Tamao came too late. Keiko was ready to yank out her hair from hysteria. But Anna came at just the right moment.
Lyserg, as the best man standing closest to Yoh, was the only one who heard him sigh when Anna entered. Yoh kept his eyes glued to Anna the entire time she walked down the aisle, wavering in her new high heels.
"When she's this close, Yoh, take her hand," Mikihisa said. Yoh complied and squeezed Anna's thin hand. Her fingers were trembling. "Then I go through the whole ceremony, we do the vows, you kiss, then we have a party. You two have memorized your vows, right?" They both nodded. "Very good. Now let's go eat!"
-----
The rehearsal dinner was held at a local restaurant- the same place, incidentally, where Keiko and Mikihisa had had their dinner for their wedding. The rather large group filled up the whole restaurant.
Yoh watched Anna carefully. She seemed jumpy. Her small hand was cold in his grasp, and she kept twisting her engagement ring on her finger. He squeezed her hand. "You okay?" he whispered softly.
"I...I..." Anna stammered. She dropped his hand. "I have to go." She bolted and ran out into the night.
"Anna!" Yoh called. He started to go after her, but someone caught his arm.
"Let me."
Anna ran out of the restaurant, off the porch, and into the little garden. She collapsed onto a bench, breathless and shivering. "I can't do it," she whimpered. "I just can't do it." It was too much. She was too scared. Not of Yoh...Yoh was so kind, and so loving, and so gentle...but she was scared of herself. She was too cold and cruel. A girl so harsh didn't belong with a sweet boy. Anna wrapped her arms around her knees. "I can't do it..."
She felt a gentle hand touch her arm. "Do what, Anna?" Hao asked gently.
Anna straightened abruptly. "Nothing!" she said. "I'm fine. Leave me alone!" She didn't even realize who it was. She didn't care. She just wanted him gone.
"Really?" Hao said, slightly amused. "You're fine. Could have fooled me." He sat down next to her. "You know, I do have to look out for my little brother. I can't let him get into a marriage where his wife lies all the time."
Anna sniffled hard. Why was she letting Hao get to her? She wouldn't give in. She wouldn't tell someone like him. But then she snapped. "I can't marry Yoh!" she burst out. "I'm not good enough for him!" Tears began to smart behind her eyes. "I'm just some little orphan kid. I don't have anything to give him!" She buried her face in her hands. Hao smoothed her hair back, his touch gentle and soothing. He waited until her back relaxed.
"You do have something to give him," Hao whispered quietly in her ear. "And it's more than just your shaman gifts. You make Yoh happy."
Anna rubbed her eyes. "I...I make him happy?" she repeated. "How can someone like me do that?"
"Just by being you," Hao smiled. He kissed the top of her head. "Now, little sister. You should return to my ototo-chan before her goes berserk."
Anna smiled at him tentatively. "Hao..." she said. "Will you- will you do me a favor?"
"What is it, nee-chan?" Hao asked. She rose up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. He smiled. "I would love to, Anna-chan."
They returned to find Yoh sitting on the top of a bench outside the restaurant, jiggling his leg nervously as he scanned the vicinity for signs of Anna returning. When he spotted her he leaped off the bench and ran to her.
"Anna!" he exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into his embrace. She hugged him back. "Don't scare me like that, little one! Please don't do that again!"
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Yoh..."
He kissed her softly on the cheek. "It's all right, Anna-chan," he murmured. "It's all right." Yoh set her gently on the ground. "I love you." She looked at the ground and quietly took his hand.
Hao cleared his throat. "Well, if the little lovebirds are back to normal...?"
"Yeah," Yoh said. "Thanks, Hao."
He shrugged and tossed his long dark hair over his shoulder. "Well, what are older brothers for?" he said. "Now, I believe you have a rehearsal dinner to attend. And no one can eat until you two are there, so hurry up!" He pushed both of them inside.
-----
The dinner was almost over. As usual, HoroHoro had eaten himself sick, and a very distraught Tamao had taken him home. The other guests were milling about, talking.
Anna nonchalantly reached over and took Yoh's hand. He jumped in surprise. "Let's go look at the gifts," she whispered in his ear, her breath soft.
"Mya-ah-wah...okay..." he stammered. First she acted all shy, and now this? I'll never understand girls...
The nine Yui-no gifts were displayed along one wall. Yoh wrapped his arms around Anna's small waist. "So...what do all of these mean again?" he asked.
She slapped at his hands, but not hard enough for him to let go of her. "Baka," she said. "Don't you know anything?"
"Not really," he grinned. "Come on. Tell me."
She pointed to the first gift, an object created from abalone shell. "That's naga-noshi. It means sincere wishes," she explained. "And mokuroko, the list of gifts. And money, of course. And yanagi-daru, the sake-casks."
"What about those?" Yoh asked, pointing to two clear glass jars.
"Katsuo-boshi and surume," Anna said. "They represent long-lasting quality."
"What, you mean like a high-quality marriage?" Yoh guessed.
"That's a rather inelegant way of expressing it, but hai, I suppose," Anna said.
"So what's that?" Yoh continued.
"Shiraga."
"White hair?" he repeated quizzically. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It's hemp," Anna explained. "It signifies long life together."
Yoh kissed the side of her head. "That sounds pretty good..."
"You messed up my hair," Anna complained.
He kissed her again in the same spot. "Too bad," he grinned. "What's with the fan?"
"The suehiro," Anna corrected, adjusting it slightly. "It means happy future."
"Well, that's all of them," Yoh said. "Except this one. What is it?"
Anna tapped her finger against her chin. "Hm...I don't think I know. I thought I memorized all of the Yui-no gifts..."
Hao materialized behind them. "That is konbu, my dear children," he smirked. "It means fertility."
Yoh and Anna looked at each other and blushed.
Hao laughed madly for a solid twenty minutes afterward.
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Author's Note:
--is too busy crying to say anything—
Okay, the new episode of Teen Titans just aired, and it was FREAKING SAD!! Beast Boy hurt Raven's feelings...there was more than that, but I'm sorry, I'm a RABID CyRae fan, and people are gonna be all like "Aw, BBRae is SO PWECIOUS" and I'm going to be all like "blar-HUCK" because Beast Boy is a lousy pair for Raven because he reminds me of MY little brother who is fourteen, and even though my lil brother is a sweetie, he can't date girls like Raven because she'd be all like "My feelings..." and he'd be all like "DUDE XGAMES!!!" and like, yeah, well. FOR THE LOVE!! I AM SO CYRAE!!
--is almost done venting on a topic that has NOTHING to do with the wedding—
If you are a YohxAnna, CyborgxRaven, YukixTohru person, you will be my favorite person in the world.
Anyway...now I'm done.
In happier, but still Teen Titans news, my friend Keeton and I have started a joint account so we can coauthor parodies. Our first one will be appearing on Wednesday, and it will be a crossover between Teen Titans and the Princess Bride!! Yay!! So be on the lookout for it!!
Sorry it's taken me awhile to update. I'm in my school play, and it's been EATING my time. But that's where I learned the phrase "for the love." It's AWE-some.
Reviews are like a box of chocolates. You need more of them to keep going.
(Isn't that cool?! I JUST NOW made it up!!)
So...because my QUOTABLE QUOTE was so rockin', review!!
(Guess what my senior quote is?! It's SO FUNNY!! It's "I don't know anything, I'm just the new kid." Okay, maybe it wasn't that funny...)
Next chapter will star the TRADITIONAL WEDDING CEREMONY!!!!
Oh, and I am now halfway through the story!!
Okay, now I'm done.
Review!!