Chapter 13

The nearer the wedding drew, the worse Yuna became- fretting about details that had been settled months in advance- and the more desperately Rikku tried to pull things together.

"What am I supposed to do with your floppy grey hair, Paine?" she asked cynically, standing over Paine and looking in the vanity mirror before them both.

Paine crossed her legs, seeming bored, "it's not grey," she muttered, "I'm only a year older than you… one year younger than Yuna."

"So?" said Rikku, "that doesn't change the colour!

Rolling her eyes, Paine kicked the nearest shin, which just happened to be Yuna's, "Yuna," she said, "silver or grey?"

"Lilac, now stop fussing mum!" Yuna mumbled absently, "dad will be fine… Heavens above! Where's the kitten?!"

"Lulu!" Rikku called loudly.

"I am standing right here you know," said Lulu irritably, coming over from the other side of the room where she had been helping Nhadala with her dress.

"Yunie's cracked!"

"Heeeeeeeeey, kitty! Heeeeeeey, kitty kitty!"

"Definitely cracked," Paine remarked dryly.

"I'll take her back with me and get her something to drink," said Lulu kindly.

Paine nodded silently.

"Wait!" said Rikku, looking up suddenly, "before you go- what colour is Paine's hair?"

"Grey?"

Paine glared huffily.

"HA! Bye then, Lulu. See ya, Crackpot."

"Rikku?" called Nhadala, "can you help me with this strap?"

"No problem!" said Rikku brightly, "so what do you think? Paine's hair, I mean- silver or grey."

"Uhm… grey?"

Rikku might have boasted her triumph but there was a short, crisp knock at the door.

"Come in!" Rikku called loudly and Baralai stepped in.

"Is everything goin all right? Tidus sent me since he's not allowed to see the bride before the wedding and all…"

"Yuna cracked," said Rikku easily, "but we sent her off with Lulu."

"Eh… what…?"

Paine rolled her eyes, "tell Tidus that everything's under control.

Baralai nodded, clearly relieved that he didn't have to tell the nervous blitzer that his fiancée had lost it.

"Wait," said Rikku, looking at Paine pointedly, "hang on a second- what colour do you think Paine's hair is?

Baralai gave her an odd look, "what? But she's standing right there."

"Just answer the question," said Rikku.

Baralai shrugged and turned towards the door, "well, silver, of course," he said, and he left.

-

"Okay," whispered Yuna, checking her hair two hours later as Rikku adjusted her dress a little, "everything set- Iamnotfreakingnotfreakingnotfreaking."

"Deep breaths," Paine advised, opening the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Rikku has requested a vast amount of hair products from her cabin," said Paine miserably.

"Good luck with that."

"You too."

-

"Famm delgma sa tufh yht lymm sa bubc... you look beyond incredible, Paine…"

Paine stepped back to examine –coughadmirecough- herself in the full-length mirror that Rikku had been hogging for the majority of the day. Straightened out, her silver hair fell around her shoulders, curling inwards slightly at the tips. Her cheeks possessed the slightest amount of rouge and her lips, the tiniest smudge of gloss. Paine had given Rikku clear instructions and limitations on make up and it seemed that most of them had been met- to her vast and overwhelming relief.

"You look hot," said Nhadala, nodding appreciatively before going back to whatever buckle or clasp was bothering her now.

"Two minutes guys, then we have to go," said Paine, shrugging it off.

"Excited, Yunie?" Rikku squealed.

"As hell!" said Yuna, her breathing quickening a little.

Paine ran over the wedding's plan in her mind: First Lulu and Wakka would walk down the aisle as the Best Man and Maid of Honour, then the bridesmaids and groomsmen- Rikku and Gippal, Nooj and Le Blanc, Dona and Barthello, her and Baralai, Nhadala and Brother- and then Kimahri, Buddy, Ormi and Cid, who had been unable to find themselves girls to walk down the aisle with… and Shinra and Vidina as dual ring bearers. They would go through the ceremony they had practised so many times with Baralai as the priest and then everyone would move from the temple to the beach for the party…

"Everybody ready?" asked Lulu, poking her head in the door.

"Yunie?"

"I'm ready!" Yuna exclaimed determinedly.

"Right on!"

-

Paine joined the procession and linked arms with Baralai dutifully. She didn't know why he had to walk down the aisle as a groomsman since he was also the priest but she suspected that Rikku had had something to do with it.

"Paine, oui muug payidevim," Baralai whispered. (Paine, you look beautiful.)

Paine blushed a little, but angled her face a little to hide it, "fro yna oui cbaygehk eh Al Bhed?" she asked. (Why are you speaking in Al Bhed?)

"Palyica Dona ec eh vnuhd uv ic," said Baralai. (Because Dona is in front of us.)

"Cdibet kucceb..." (Stupid gossip…)

"Ruf syho desac tet Neggi ryja du yddylg ouin ryen pavuna ed cdnyekrdahat mega dryd?" (How many times did Rikku have to attack your hair before it straightened like that?)

"Was that an insult?!"

"Hush! This is a wedding!"

"You started it."

"You started it."

"No, you-"

But Baralai had the last word because half a moment later they were forced to part as Baralai went to assume his place beside Tidus as the priest.

The wedding march grew louder and Paine looked towards the door, where Yuna should have been standing… but wasn't.

"Where is she?" Tidus whispered to Baralai but Baralai didn't have an answer for him.

"Ooh!" Rikku mumbled, "come on, Painey, let's find her!"

"Just a short interval," Baralai assured everyone, then he and Lulu left too.

"I'll check the beach," said Rikku, "Lulu, you check the forest. Baralai, you check the Celsius. Paine, you check Yunie's house and around the village. One of us is bound to find her."

"And if not?" said Baralai.

"Then we meet back here in ten minutes, gottit?"

"Ten minutes," they chorused.

-

Yuna wasn't that hard to find, she was huddled behind her hut with the local dog, chewing her lip and looking around nervously.

"Here sits the summoner who defeated Sin," said Paine, sweeping her dress beneath her as she sat down on a random crate of fruits from Bevelle. "Frightened of her one true love but not of the greatest evils on Spira."

"You don't believe in true love," said Yuna, shaking her head, her voice a little choked. "You said it yourself when we were looking for Him…"

"I didn't mean that," said Paine, rolling her eyes, "if you really like him, then I have no quarrels with him either."

"I've waited so long for this," Yuna mumbled, "and now… I'm not sure if I can do it."

"What are you talking about, Yu?"

"I'm scared."

"Of what? Settling down?"

"No… Losing you guys," said Yuna sadly.

"You're kidding, right?" said Paine, kicking her in the shins and forcing her to look at her.

"Uhm…"

"Why would you lose us?"

"Well you and Rikku 're always moving around and I'm talking about starting a permanent home here…"

"What," said Paine, "you've never heard of a holiday? Besides, we'll visit. You'll be happy with him. I know you will."

"So do I…" said Yuna, smiling a little, "I really do love him…"

"And you won't be losing me and Riks- we won't let you! So- any more problems?"

"Just one."

"What is it?" said Paine.

"You and Baralai."

"Excuse me."

"You and Baralai," Yuna repeated.

"We don't have a problem," said Paine, looking away.

"Rikku told me about what happened between you in the Crimson Squad."

"The bitch…"

"Well it's kinda the same, isn't it?" said Yuna. "You're scared too."

"I'm not."

"You are," Yuna insisted, "but it's not us- you're afraid of losing yourself."

Paine stood, turning her back on Yuna, "come on," she said, "lover boy's waiting."