Unwillingly, Natsu and I woke up with the rising sun. A cacophony surrounded the guest house; unlike the previous morning of waking up to birdsong and insects, it was a steady buzz of voices.

"Make it go away," I murmured against Natsu's neck, molding my body closer to his warmth.

Much to my dismay, my jerk of a fiance did not do as I suggested. Instead, he slid out of my embrace and yanked the covers off of both of us. I shivered slightly and finally cracked my eyes open to send a glare his way.

"Natsu, why?" That came out as a full-on whine, but I did not care. With few exceptions, Natsu has never opted to remove himself from the comfort of our bed until absolutely necessary, and even then, he is usually the one whining.

"Because," he drew out the word before leaning down to leave a soft kiss on my lips. "I'm excited for today. How many chances will I get to marry the woman I love?"

"At least one more after this," I answered, grudgingly sliding out of bed to get dressed. "But you do have a point."

We were led in separate directions as soon as we stepped outside - Natsu with the men of the village, and me with the women. I nearly complained about not getting a kiss, but soon became too swept up in the preparations to say a word against our treatment.

The remainder of my morning was spent getting pampered, though I did at least attempt to protest. It was all for naught, as the elders let me know that this was part of their traditions. I had not truly realized how far Jose's evil had reached until I recognized various traditions from all over Earthland had blended together into a beautiful pre-ceremony ritual. My hair was washed with richly-scented clay while my hands and arms were dyed with intricate patterns of swirls, loops, and dots.

Older women talked about how to keep a marriage strong, emphasizing the fact that it was never about winning or losing an argument, instead finding a solution that would be agreeable to both parties. Stories were told and many questions asked, and by mid-afternoon, my hair was braided and pinned into a beautiful knot. As soon as my makeup was finished, two women helped me into my outfit - a simple dress covered by several yards of red fabric, draped and tied to fit me perfectly.

A knock at the door interrupted the chatter in the room and all of us turned towards the door as the closest woman moved to answer. She did not open it all the way, instead holding a whispered conversation while the rest of us waited to see who was there.

"Lucy, are you willing to entertain a visitor?"

Looking around for guidance, I noticed some women giggling softly, one of them stopping long enough to give a nod that it was alright to admit whomever was at the door. "Um… Sure? I mean, yes, I am willing to see a visitor."

Ghost was not the person I was expecting, though I seemed to be alone in that. This must be another of their traditions?

"You look beautiful, Lucy," Ghost said, taking my hands in his and leaning to place a kiss on my forehead. "Natsu is a lucky man to have such a rare woman give him the time of day, let alone be willing to marry his sorry a-"

His words were cut off by Lulu smacking him on the back of his head.

"Be nice!" she chastised. "That's your godson you're speaking of, and Miss Lucy's fiance. Not to mention that's not what you're here for." Lulu's hands curled into fists that she rested on her hips, daring him to step out of line again as he rubbed the back of his head.

Straightening up, Ghost removed a small, carved wooden box from the satchel hanging off his shoulder. His eyes took on a watery sheen as he looked down at it, his fingers tracing the delicate script before meeting my curious gaze once more.

"My sister was newly engaged when our home was attacked. It was years later, when I was purchasing this island sanctuary from your father, that the jewels her fiance had commissioned for their wedding were found and returned to me." Though the words were practiced, the breath he took was heavy with emotion. "In memory of my sister, it has become tradition for each bride married on this island to wear her jewelry to the ceremony. As it has been the choice of each woman before you, you have the option to decline, but it would be an honor for you to wear her jewelry today."

Unshed tears burned in my eyes and my bottom lip quivered as I desperately tried to hold them back. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder as a tissue was pressed into my shaking hands.

"The makeup is waterproof, dear," a soft voice whispered to me. "We all cry at this point, you're just keeping with traditions."

I gave a soft laugh as I thanked her, dabbing gently with the tissue before accepting the delicate box from Ghost's hands.

"I'll be waiting for you when you're ready," Ghost said, looking back at me from the door. "Unless you are opposed, I will be leading your escort to the pavilion for the ceremony."

Lulu gently took the box from my hands once the door closed behind Ghost. She opened it with a familiar reverence and pulled out the first piece to show me before handing it off. The gold choker was carefully clasped around my neck, delicate chains falling into place by the shimmering fire opals suspended from each length. Next was a pair of earrings, followed by bracelets, then a forehead chain.

By the time I had been fully decorated, I barely recognized myself in the mirror.

"Are you ready?"

Am I? The 'yes' that rang through my mind reminded me that I had been ready to marry Natsu since the second he proposed. And though this would not be the grand ceremony that would be held in a few months time, I knew it would be a special day that we would celebrate for years to come.

At my affirmative, I was led outside to Ghost, who held out his arm for me to take as he guided me to the pavilion. As we walked, I was informed of a few minor specifics of the ceremony, my escort ensuring I knew what to expect before squeezing my hand and stepping away. I finished my walk towards the altar alone, keeping my steps measured so that I arrived just as Natsu did. We reached out together, his right hand nearly engulfing mine.

I do not remember the entirety of the ceremony. I know I felt a silk cord wrapped around my wrist. At some point, I repeated words that I am sure had a deep meaning. In truth, the only thing I knew was that the man I had fallen in love with was standing before me, giving his life to me as I was giving mine to him. The ceremony ended with a kiss that I wish could have gone on for much longer… if it had not been interrupted by the cheers of the islanders that I had forgotten were there.

Well, it has been a while. And this chapter is really short. BUT, at least it's here. During a bout of writer's block a month ago, I re-read this story and realized that I probably should have ended it several chapters ago. But since I didn't, and I made a promise to complete the story, I waited until I could figure out what to do with this half-written chapter (apparantly, the answer was to add 300 words and publish it). One more to go, and you won't have to wait another five months for that one.

Thank you all for the love and support. Love you bunches!