Chapter 47: Rebuilding Conton City and Going to a Wedding
(Opening Theme: Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace)
The hours following Pearl's defeat of Shadlyn were a fast blur for her. She remembered being found by Barit and healed with his Namekian Magic. After that she, Kenshiro, Barit, Amaya, Bage, Hirohito and Rachel ended up trying to help Ryo, only for him to suggest they stay in Conton City for the time being. The Supreme Kai of Time and Elder Kai fixed the physical damage to Conton City with their powers, and the Dragon Balls were quickly gathered. Everyone who was killed by Yuu Lupei and Shadlyn and their army of vampires and ghouls were brought back to life. That was the third time Pearl could remember seeing Rachel cry, only this time they were tears of joy as she pulled Beate into a powerful hug and a deep kiss that under other circumstances would have been indecent. Pearl hugged her Papa just as tightly when she saw him, restored, her own eyes flowing like twin waterfalls.
As soon as everything was set right, the entire Time Patrol celebrated with a massive feast the likes of which Pearl would never have thought possible, but miraculously there was just enough food for everyone. During the feast, Bage and Amaya announced that the next day they were going to Amaya's home dimension of Mist Vega, where they would be married along with June and Taoretta. Pearl, all her friends, and their families were invited as Guests of Honor. Glutto agreed to this if he could help make the wedding feast, Amaya and Bage agreed. And so, the next day found her where she was now, in a light purple kimono with white camellia blossoms decorating it, waiting for the bride and groom. As she waited, she looked at everyone present.
Kenshiro and his Grandparents all stood together, Kenshiro and Jinbei wearing matching dark blue kimonos while Kamiki wore a bright green kimono with a design of a mountain range decorating it. Rachel and Beate wore matching pink kimonos that had no decorations on them, while Barit was dressed in dark green, as was Glutto. Hirohito wore a dark red kimono and his hair was styled to look like a traditional samurai top knot. Kenshin and Kaoru wore a simple blue kimono with white pants while Kaoru wore a faded yellow kimono and Kenji wore red. They had been offered money to buy new clothes, but the Himuras stuck with what they had, their clothes were some of what little was left of their old world. In contrast, Megumi had bought a navy-blue kimono and had her long hair in an intricate braid, catching the eyes of many people present.
Buudikka wore a red kimono with a design of a crane on it, while Jade wore a sky-blue kimono with red camellia blossoms decorating it and Amber chose dark orange with no decorations. Jasper and Silver both wore dark grey kimonos, Jasper looking very self-conscious with everyone present. Pearl couldn't blame him, after he had regained consciousness and realized how Shadlyn had used him, he broke down crying and begging for forgiveness from their whole family, only a day was not enough time for him to completely get over his guilt. Along with this there were members of Amaya's family that Pearl didn't recognize along with Bage's, and June's; all decorated in kimonos of many colors and with decorations of fantastic creatures like dragons, phoenixes, oni, and tengu.
She did manage to spot a man who resembled Bage in his jaw and hair color and realized that it must have been Bage's Father. He stood uncomfortably with other members of Taoretta and Bage's family, looking extraordinarily uncomfortable. This was a special wedding after all, a double wedding of Taoretta and June as well as Bage and Amaya. The Shinto Temple was the largest Pearl had ever been in, built on the precipice of a mountain, the walls covered in paintings of great battles between gods and demons, and the ceiling was nearly fifty feet high! Standing at the right of the altar, was the High Priest, he was quite young for such a prestigious station, barely in his forties from what Pearl could tell, yet he stood with the dignity his job demanded, while at the left was a young miko who was barely Pearl's own age.
Everyone watched as Bage, Taoretta, June, and Amaya walked inside the shrine, Bage and Taoretta wearing black kimonos, Bage with his hair in a long samurai top knot while Taoretta's hair was down while Amaya and June wore matching white kimonos with a ceremonial head dress and veil on their heads. The High Priest began blessing the altar as soon as they entered the shrine. Bage, Taoretta, June and Amaya made their way in front of the altar and the High Priest announced, "The Ceremony may now begin." Bage looked at Amaya and took a deep breath. "Amaya Zou, I never believed we would be here. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's the decisions of our parents, but we were brought together in a way I never would have wished. But now, I couldn't be happier. I swear by all that I have, and all that I am, that until the day I die, I will do everything I can to make you happy," Bage promised. Taoretta swallowed as he looked at June and said, "June, you've paid a heavy price for my sins. I can never take back the pain I've caused. But today, I swear to you, that I will never go back to the man I was. I will never hurt you ever again, and I will strive to make your life as happy as you deserve, forever."
Everyone in the shrine bowed down to the altar and the gods it represented, and the High Priest presented Bage, Taoretta, June and Amaya with offerings of fruit. The couple then presented the offerings to the gods and placed them on the altar. The High Priest produced a scroll and began reading from it in a dialect that Pearl couldn't understand fully. From what she could tell, it was a promise from the bride and groom to the gods, promising their loyalty to them and each other, to always honor the gods and each other and to always strive for justice and fidelity.
The miko took out a bottle of sake and poured it into two small cups then handed one to Bage and one to Taoretta. Bage took a sip and then offered it to Amaya, who drank as well, and Taoretta did the same with June. The miko then poured sake into two mediam sized cups and handed one to Amaya and one to June. Amaya and June drank from the cups and handed them to their respective grooms, who also drank. One last pouring of sake was made into two large cups, and once again the grooms drank from them before offering to their brides. Once this was done, the families of the brides and grooms all raised their own cups of sake and drank together, binding them all together with a lound shout of, "KAMPAI!" The High Priest placed sakaki blooms on the altar, as Hirohito stepped up with four rings of gold. Bage placed a ring on Amaya's finger, and Taoretta did the same for June, and then Amaya and June placed rings on Bage and Taoretta's fingers. The four of them bowed once more to the altar and the High Priest announced, "You may now kiss your brides." Bage wrapped Amaya in a tight hug as he pulled her into a kiss, and Taoretta gently leaned down to kiss June, and everyone in the shrine cheered for them all.
The guests were quickly lead outside of the shrine, and climbed down the mountain, Kenshiro and Barit carried Bage and Taoretta on their shoulders to celebrate while Beate and Rachel did the same for Amaya and June. Everyone was happily talking, congratulating the brides and grooms, swapping stories of other weddings, including one cousin of Taoretta's who had a nudist wedding, and an uncle of Amaya's who had a Viking themed wedding of all things! It was a surprise when they reached the bottom of the mountain to see four massive tables where everyone could sit down, covered in foods, cakes, drinks of such abundance that Pearl wondered if there was enough to feed the whole Time Patrol! Onigiri, sashimi, congi, nimono, udon noodles, ochazuke, katusdon, soba noodles, curry, and dozens of other dishes, breads of all shapes and sizes, and high vintage wines, sakes, beer, and juices for the children present were arranged at the tables! "You guys don't mess around when it comes to a feast!" Rachel yelled while Jinbei and Kamiki agreed with her. "Oh yeah!" Taoretta happily agreed as he and Bage jumped off of Kenshiro and Barit while Beate and Rachel let Amaya and June down more gently. The brides and grooms all sat down at the center of the most lavish table, and Bage announced, "Thank you, Glutto-san, for preparing all of this amazing food!"
Everyone applauded while Glutto happily bowed down, "If not for all of you, my world would be destroyed. Although I can't speak for Taoretta, I know that you, Bage-san, June-san, and Amaya-san have been steadfast friends to my daughter, Pearl. It was an honor and pleasure to prepare all of this for you all. Now, everyone, grab a seat, and DIG IN!" Thankfully nobody wanted to ruin their kimonos, so the seating was very neat and orderly before they all started to devour the amazing feast! So many dishes, and so many mouths to feed, and yet Pearl managed to get some of everything there. All of it was prepared with the skill and love her Papa always put into his food for the sheer love of cooking and eating.
The day dragged on, everyone happily congratulating the brides and grooms and sharing stories with each other as the drinks flowed freely. Pearl learned Bage's father was named Raphael and remembered seeing him and Bage talking. Bage told Raphael, "You were a shitty excuse for a Father. But, if it wasn't for you, I'd never have met Amaya. For that reason, I want you to be there, for your Grandchildren, when we have them." "I promise, I'll be the best Grandpa you'll ever know," Raphael nervously promised. As the night moved on, Pearl heard and shared many stories of great battles fought and adventures; many people were shocked when she told them how she fought Beerus to a stalemate especially.
Eventually Pearl had to use the bathroom and headed for a nearby public restroom. After doing her business she headed out; and heard the sound of Rachel moaning. Pearl opened her mind and sensed her and Beate; and followed her ki sense to an out of the way bushes. Rachel gave a suppressed scream that Pearl was thankful for nobody else hearing, and a minute later she and Beate emerged from the bushes, trying to put their kimonos back in proper order. "Seriously you two?" she asked them. "Well, at least no one saw us," Beate said before hugging Rachel from behind, helping her with her obi. That was when Pearl saw how drunk they actually were. "Okay girls, how about we see if someone can send you home? Then you can go ahead and screw as much as you want…" Pearl suggested. "Yeah," Rachel said wobbily, "I hope there's a sober warper here." Pearl helped her friends back to the party, where Raphael agreed to take them home. Before they left, Rachel and Beate turned to Bage and Amaya and Beate said, "Good luck you two. Make lots of babies so we can train them how to kick ass!" "Will do," Bage said, and Raphael opened a portal to take Beate and Rachel home.
So much happened, Pearl talking with numerous people about their own lives, hearing stories of shinobi, assassinations, fighting monsters of every shape and size across the multiverse, and battles in space with starships even! Her head was swimming with all this as she took a moment to wander away from the party again and saw Taoretta speaking with Kenshin. She overheard Kenshin tell him, "The path of redemption is long and filled with thorns. There may be times when you wish to give up. But I can promise you this, Taoretta-san, the rewards are worth it." Pearl followed Kenshin's head as he looked and smiled at Kenji playing with Hirohito, Silver, and other children that came to the wedding. Silver was using his moldable Majin body to do impressions of people there, making the children all laugh at how good or bad his impressions were. "Pearl!"
She looked and saw her parents and Kenshiro along with his grandparents walking towards her. "Sorry, I just needed some air," Pearl said as she walked over to them. "This is quite the reception," Kamiki said, "I doubt that we could do better at home. And all these people have so many stories to tell, it's amazing how large Existence is! We actually stepped away for some air ourselves, and then we got talking." "About?" Pearl asked. "We want to know when you and Kenshiro are planning to have your own wedding, of course," Buudikka said. "Oh…Um…we…hadn't decided yet," Pearl clumsily said as Kenshiro walked over to her. "Yeah," he said, "I mean, our lives have just been so…hectic and all that we were too worried about saving the world and all. Sorry, Grandpa, Grandma." "No no, it's alright, we heard Pearl talk about your adventures, and everyone else as well. But, things have quieted down slightly, now, so, you should try to figure that out," Jinbei said. "And don't wait too long, it's bad luck," Kamiki pointed out. "Um, can we have a minute?" Pearl asked. "Take your time," Buudikka said, "Jinbei-san was telling me about his wrestling career earlier, and I want to hear some more. We'll be…over by that sakura tree." Buudikka indicated a sakura tree with three large branches, and she, Glutto, Kamiki, and Jinbei headed over there.
"So…when should we get married?" Pearl asked, "I mean, I want to do it by your village's traditions…" "Well, if we do it that way, we need to wait at least a month, so things can get organized. Invitations sent, food and drink prepared, Hideaki-sama needs to prepare the altar and shrine, make the blessings, the week leading up to the wedding we need to go through some purification rituals, and I need to write my vows, that sort of thing," Kenshiro explained. "What about what your Grandma said about bad luck?" Pearl asked. "Old legend in Cashew Village says that if you wait longer than four months between your proposal and marriage then you and your wife will die young…That's actually what happened with Mom and Dad…" Kenshito reluctantly explained. "…oh," was all Pearl could say for a minute. "Well…how about two months from now? That's in the time limit, right?"
"Yeah, it is. I just hope nothing bad happens between now and then. So I guess the beginning of December it is?" Kenshiro said, "It'll be cold, but the snow will make everything look beautiful." Pearl nodded at this, and they went to their families to tell them their decision. "A winter wedding…haven't had one of those in a long time," Jinbei said when they heard the news. "It will be beautiful though," Kamiki told him. "True, and the cold will give them plenty of reason to keep each other warm on the wedding night," Jinbei said with a laugh, "Very well then! We'd better head home, get things ready." "Same here," Glutto and Buudikka said. "Alright, let's grab Barit, Megumi-san, and the Himuras and we'll be on our way," Pearl said. Kenshiro went to get Megumi, Kenshin, Kaoru, and Kenji while Pearl spotted Barit. He was chugging down a whole barrel along with Bage, before at last Bage stopped to breathe while Barit kept on drinking for a whole minute before smashing the now empty barrel on the ground to cheers of many people present.
"Man, how did you do it?" Bage asked the Namekian. "Years of experience," Barit happily said, then started to sway. "Say, how strong was that stuff?" "A Von Satsu family secret moonshine," Taoretta said, "150 proof!" "That explains it," Barit nodded, and then fell down right on his face. "Oh dear," Pearl siged as she picked up the unconscious Namekian. "Thanks for having us, Bage, Taoretta, June, Amaya, but it's about time for us to go home," Pearl said. "Sorry to see you leave so soon," Bage, Amaya, and June said, and gave Pearl a hug each. "Make sure he's close to the bathroom when he wakes up," Taoretta said, indicating Barit, "Trust me, Von Satsu moonshine goes through you like air through a flute." "We will," Pearl said as Kenshiro came over with the rest of their friends and families. Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, and Amaya opened up a portal for them all.
Pearl, Kenshiro, their families, Megumi, and the Himuras all stepped through the portal. Pearl used Instant Transmission to take Jinbei and Kamiki to Cashew Village, and then returned to Conton City. Megumi and the Himuras were already home, and Kenshiro was waiting for her at the fountain in the center of the Shopping District. "That was some party," Kenshiro said. "Yeah, our wedding won't be that big, but it'll be just as great," Pearl agreed. Suddenly, Rachel flew up to them, her hair in disarray, and her kimono barely on her. "Guys! This is bad! Really bad!" Rachel screamed. "What's wrong!?" Kenshiro asked. "Come with me!" Rachel said, and grabbed Kenshiro and Pearl, dragging them to hers and Beate's apartment. Beate was pacing nervously in their living room in front of their TV. "This is bullshit! They aren't dead!" Beate screamed when she saw them.
"Who?" Pearl asked. "Yuu, and Shadlyn, they survived!" Beate yelled, then pointed at the TV. Pearl and Kenshiro watched in horror as the Interdimensional Cable Box showed Helles returning to the Second Universe, only to then transform into Shadlyn! And Yuu emerged from some kind of pod, fully healed from obliteration! They listened as the villains talked about their 'backup plan' that allowed them to survive, Pearl's stomach turning in knots when she realized she had been tricked into killing Helles. "Shit, shit shit!" Kenshiro yelled, "What are we going to do?" "Tomorrow, I'm going to hunt for them both," Rachel told him, "I'm too drunk to fight now. As for you guys, spread the word, we all need to get stronger in case they try something again." There was a knock on the apartment door then, and Pearl opened to see a very pissed off looking Helles glaring at her. "We need to talk."
(Closing Theme: Bring Me to Life by Evanescence)
Author's Note: For details on Shadlyn and Yuu's survival, read 'Ryo vs. the Xenoverse' Chapter 41.
This is the end of 'Pearl's Adventures in the Xenoverse' Season 3. Season 4 starts next chapter. Thank you to yoshi3000 and everyone else who has read up to now. Please excuse my lateness and continue to read my story. Thank you.