Well, the moment is here now. Everything you've done over the last few months has finally come to fruition. All the pain, all the hiding, all that you've endured (including Yoki's pestering) has all led to this moment.
At long last, you and Scar have a chance to marry.
You almost can't believe this is happening. Even as Scar leads you and Marcoh to meet with his master, it doesn't seem real. Every step is a blur, like it's happening in a dream. You'd pinch yourself to check, but the warmth of Scar's hand holding your own is enough of an anchor that you know this is real.
As you walk on, the words Marcoh spoke to you only a few moments ago echo through your mind.
When he'd asked to speak with you, you'd assumed he'd only come to apologise, not to join you after all. Yet his words were clear, and definite.
'You've shown me more kindness than anyone I've ever known. It was cruel of me to refuse you the only thing you've ever asked of me. I'd like to come, if you'll still have me.' You'd been so relieved, like a weight had been lifted in an instant. You'd told him that your mind hadn't changed, and that he's still more than welcome to attend the wedding.
Yet even now, Marcoh's face is full of apprehension. Is he concerned what Scar's former master will think? The man knows nothing of Marcoh's crimes, so why concern himself over it? It must be the lingering guilt causing Marcoh to behave as such…
A light comes into view, and you realise that you're getting close. Have you made it in time? Will he still do it if you are a little late? It doesn't feel like an hour has passed, but you can't be certain. Surely he'll still do it if he's still here, right?
The trees open up into a clearing, and you catch sight of Scar's former master carefully tending the ceremonial fire. You can already feel the heat coming off of it; if the fire is this strong, you must be on time.
The old man smiles as your group approaches. 'You came. And you brought a guest, I see. Your travelling companion, yes?'
Scar's about to answer, when Marcoh himself steps forward. 'That's right. The bride has asked me to attend in lieu of her family. Though I must confess, I… I played a part in the extermination of your people. If my presence here will cause an issue I'll-'
The senior monk raises a hand to silence him. 'This day is not about you or your crimes. If you were invited here today, you should consider it an honour, and graciously accept it. You are welcome here tonight.' He smiles again, but it seems strained. You can't exactly blame him; you'd felt much the same way only a few short months ago. Still, you get the feeling he respects Marcoh's honesty at the very least.
With the exchange now concluded, Scar's former master addresses you and your soon-to-be-husband. 'Are the two of you ready to begin?' You've never been so ready in your life. All you want is to make this happen, but there's one small thing that you probably should have seen to before you left…
You chuckle nervously. 'I can't help but think I should have changed my clothes first. This doesn't exactly scream 'bridal wear'.' Strangely enough, it's the exact same thing you were wearing the day you left the camp with Scar and Yoki, complete with a bloodstain from one of the men Scar killed. While you only have a few different things to wear, this would be amongst the last thing on your mind to wear. If you'd had a little more time, you might have gone so far as to ask to borrow a dress or something from one of the women in camp.
This time, Scar manages to speak before anyone else; he puts his hands on your cheeks, making you look in his eyes. 'There is nothing you could wear that could make you more or less beautiful than you already are. Trust me. I have never seen a more beautiful bride than you.' You're going to cry again. You can feel it. Your whole face is already heating up.
A few tears spill over as you answer. 'You have to say that. I'm your bride, after all.' Then again, you can't deny how amazing Scar looks, even if he's wearing one of his few things too.
The look in Scar's eyes intensifies. 'You are, and I intend to thank God for that every day until my last. You could have chosen any man, better men than me, yet here you stand by my side, ready to commit yourself to be until we are forced apart. Do you think the clothes that you wear mean anything at all to me? Even if we wore nothing but rags, I would still commit myself to you entirely. Please, my love, will you stand beside me now, or shall I have to wait even longer for the true beginning of our life together?' If this is the true beginning, what does that make the last few months? A prequel? Practice?
Either way, he's right; what you're wearing is the least important thing right now.
Smiling, you remove his hands from your face, holding them in your own. 'You're right. It doesn't matter. All that matters is us, just you and me.' You turn to face Scar's former master. 'I'm ready to begin.'
The older Ishvalan seems to have a tear or two of his own in his eyes. 'Good. We'll begin then. If the two of you would like to stand either side of the fire, we'll begin.' Here it goes then; time to get married.
As you take your position at the fire's side, you try to think back over other Ishvalan weddings you've attended in the past. All you remember is it involves both parties exchanging vows over the fire, but what those vows are… you really hope you don't mess this up.
Once you're in position, Scar's former master instructs Marcoh to stand opposite him, before addressing him again. 'Traditionally, I'd ask the bride's father to answer my question. As you are the closest thing here, I ask you to speak on behalf of her family; do you consent to this union?'
Marcoh nods. 'On behalf of the bride's family, you have my full consent. May the two of them live a long and happy life together.' You have to fight the thing inside of you that screams such a thing isn't possible, because you don't want to ruin this moment with doubt.
Scar's master nods. 'Now that consent has been given, I ask that both parties join hands over the fire.' Apprehensively, you reach your arms out towards Scar, his own meeting you halfway. He encourages you to raise them a little higher, so they're not so affected by the fire's heat.
As you're look down at Scar's arms, you recall your observation from earlier; he's wearing bandages. You'll have to ask him about it later, once you're… when he's your husband.
When you're properly joined, the senior monk reaches over himself, and ties an ornate-looking ribbon around yours and Scar's arms.
He leans back when he's done. 'This ribbon represents the promises you're about to make. The fire beneath you represents Ishvala. You'll make your promises in full view of him, then cast the ribbon into the fire. The promises you offer to each other you also offer to him, and are unbreakable. The promises you make tonight are permanent. They can never be taken back once they are given to Ishvala. If either of you are unwilling to adhere to that, I'll ask you to say so now.' Scar's hands squeeze yours tight, and his face contorts into something you'd never expected to see; a nervous smile, as if he half expects you to back out.
You squeeze his hands right back; you're going nowhere.
Scar's former master waits a moment, then hums. 'Very well. Let us begin.
'There are a total of seven promises I'll ask you to make tonight. I shall name them one at a time, then ask that the two of you state what that promise means to you, starting with… my former student. If you are both ready, the first promise is one of nourishment.' Nourishment? Like you're going to have to cook for him?
You swear Scar can read your mind, as he chuckles a little before speaking. 'I promise to tend to all of your physical and spiritual needs, to help you grow, and you support you as you flourish.' Ohhh. Alright, you can do it.
You take a steadying breath. 'I promise to feed you, comfort you, and help you to grow along side me, providing you support both when you need it and when you don't.' Is that okay? Please let that be okay.
'The second promise is friendship.'
Scar speaks again. 'I promise to remain a constant and loyal friend. I shall take your side about all others, and never forget that you have been the one friend that has stood by me through the darkest times of my life.' You're crying again now, you can feel it.
You blink hard. 'I promise that I shall always be your friend no matter what, sharing every experience with you, and standing by you through anything.' You clear your throat, afraid you'll choke on your words when you have to speak next.
'The third promise is forever.'
Scar seems to hesitate for a moment this time. 'I… I promise that even if we should part for one reason or another, I shall stay with you in spirit for the rest of my days. Even when I'm not beside you, you shall always feel my love and protection, until the day you close your eyes for a final time.' He can't even bring himself to say die, can he?
Your turn. 'I promise to love you forever. There shall never be a day where you're not in my heart. Even if our bodies should part, our souls shall be forever entwined.' Your tears are coming on stronger now, so much so that you can't see anything other than Scar and the fire.
'The forth promise is family.'
For a moment, you swear you see a tear in Scar's eye. 'I promise to protect our family, no matter how big or small it may be. I shall protect you, and… and if my body is with you long enough, and if Ishvala so wills it, I shall protect our children as well.' He already is, he already is. Why can't you just tell him?
You're sobbing now, overwhelmed with emotion. 'I pro- I promise to… I promise to carry our children, as many as you desire. And I promise… I'll never forget the ones we've lost, or the ones we have left. M-my family is yours, and yours is mine. We can… we can help each other build a bigger family. Together.' You're about to tell him about the baby, but you know doing so will only spoil the moment now. Maybe later you'll finally find the words…
'The fifth promise is joy and sorrow.'
Scar clears his throat this time. 'I promise to stand by your side through the good at the bad. There is nothing life can throw at us that will break us, and no gift I can be given that I will not share with you.' He's holding your hands so tight, like he's worried you're about to disappear.
You have to let out a few more sobs before you can speak. 'I promise… I love you so much. This is the happiest moment of my life, and I'm sharing it with you. I promise that every happiness I experience shall be done with you by my side, and that I'll hold you through all of the pain and h-heartbreak that life gives us. I promise to bring you nothing but joy, and to share the weight of your sorrows.' Two more. There's only two more. You can do this.
'The sixth promise is wealth.'
Scar looks solemn now. 'I promise to provide for you. I will never allow you to want for anything. All that I have is yours. I shall make sure you are comfortable for the rest of our life together no matter what.' He's been doing that for months now, or as best he can in his situation.
You swallow hard; only one more after this, and you're his. 'I promise to share with you all that I have. I will take what you offer me, and share it between it, so that we are taken care of.' All three of you…
'The seventh and final vow is strength.'
Scar's earlier intensity is back. 'I promise to lend you my strength at all times. If ever you need me to give you strength, I will be there with you, in one sense or another.' That's it. His last vow. Only you left now.
You manage to calm enough to smile to make this last promise. 'I promise to use all of my strength to keep you moving forward. If you stumble, I'll help restore balance. If you fall, I'll pick you up. If ever you need someone to be strong for you, I will be there without hesitation.' It's done. The promises are made.
There's only one final step.
Scar's former master claps once. 'You have made your promises before each other and Ishvala. You may now cast the ribbon into the fire.' That's going to take some effort, given your position.
Turns out it quite easy; the moment you separate your hands and pull away, the ribbon falls into the fire, catching alight in moments.
'From this day forth, the two of you are now officially recognised as husband and wife. May your life together be full of happiness.' As you look into Scar's eyes, for the first time in so long, you start to believe that might come true.
That somehow, you'll be together for a long time yet.
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Walking back to camp had felt different somehow. The world seemed different. Maybe it's because it's darker than it was when you left.
Most likely, it's because you entered as a fiancé and left as a wife. It was like something out of a dream.
Now you're back to your new reality.
After thanking Marcoh and Scar's master, you and Scar had retired to a tent of your own. You'd both decided to dress for bed, both of you aware of Marcoh's 'no intense exercise' suggestion.
The moment you and he laid down next to each other, that suggestion went out the tent flap.
Scar's hovering over you now, kissing you as if it's the first time all over again. He has one arm propping himself up, while the other seems to be everywhere all at once, already trying to remove your clothes. You eagerly lean up into his touch, any worries regarding him discovering your condition taking a backseat in your mind as desire begins to take hold.
When he releases your mouth, you practically whine, only for his mouth to latch onto your neck. You send one of your hands down to grab his crotch, something that earns you a growl, before your hand is grabbed by his roaming one and pinned on top of your head.
Scar releases your neck, his voice low and strained. 'We can't. You heard what Marcoh said. I won't risk it. It's not worth exhausting you for my sake. I shouldn't even be doing this, but I can't help myself. Your skin feels so perfect against my lips.' He goes back to kissing your neck, and you sigh. You've really shot yourself in the foot with this secret, haven't you? Maybe you should just come clean now…
Or not. After all, if he takes the news poorly, it'll ruin the moment completely. Why ruin a perfect day?
You whimper when he kisses a particularly sensitive bit of skin, before gently pushing him away. 'Those kisses are a bit… much right now. Why don't you hold me for a while? Tell me about these bandages?' You run a hand down his arm gently, making sure no to press down much. After all, if it's an injury…
Scar immediately rolls onto his side, bringing you in so that your head and arm are both resting on his chest.
His voice is soft. 'You already know about my other arm, the one my brother gave me?' You nod; it's the arm that lets him destroy the things he touches. 'The one you see in bandages now bares the design Cheng gave us. It represents creation.' Ah, of course. You've heard him mention that a few times before. Why has that only just occurred to you?
You smile, snuggling in close. 'I see. So the plan is still the same? You're still going to use your brother's alchemy to save us all.' You already know the answer to that, of course you do, but you still want to hear it.
One of Scar's arms strokes your back idly. 'Of course. In a ideal world, I'd never have to use alchemy. I've seen what a curse it can be, what it can take away. But now I see. While it still seems blasphemy to alter God's creations, alchemy has its place. In this case, it's all we have to stop everyone in Amestris dying in an instant. Surely the cost of using alchemy to create, to defy God, is worth the price of protecting millions of lives. Besides, I shall pay a price myself when this is all over. It seems foolish not to use every weapon available to me, considering I have something precious to protect.' You only wish he didn't have to protect you quite like this…
You nod. 'There's a lot of people that need protecting. That's why when this is over, I'll make sure they know what a hero my husband was. How he gave up everything to keep us all safe.' And how he changed his whole life, went from a murderer to a martyr…
Scar exhales deeply. 'If I get to meet God, I'll beg him to keep you safe in my stead. I will keep my promises to you.'
Suddenly aware of how tired you are, you being to drift off, answering Scar sleepily. 'I'll keep mine too, if only so I get to keep you.' That made more sense in your head., but right now, it's amazing you're speaking at all.
You drift off seconds later.
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Scar gazes down adoringly at the woman asleep on him. She's so beautiful, so pure, and she's all his now.
Everything went so smoothly, not a single hitch. Unless you count the sobbing, but those were tears of joy. At least, Scar hopes so…
Of course they were. People cry at weddings. Even he shed a tear or two when he was certain no one would notice.
Now here they are, finally as they should be. He feels like he could take on anything right now. The homunculi could attack the camp tonight, and he'd kill them all. Anything for her, and for their baby.
The baby he still isn't convinced is real.
That doesn't matter now though. All that matter is for tonight at least, they can both sleep easy, knowing that they're finally one.
As Scar begins to drift off into sleep himself, he swears he can feel faint movement against his side.
'Muscle spasm', he thinks to himself, before joining his wife in sleep.