Fairy Wedding
Author's Note: Ne, mina! So, as you may have noticed, I have changed my penname to SanseiAme. Sansei ame is Japanese for "acid rain." Don't ask why I changed it to that, because it's a long story that I don't wanna get into. You can now call me Ame, if you would so be inclined. Also, sorry it took me so long to update. It's just… school has been a real pain in my neck lately. My English teacher is all up in my ass with this stupid persuasive essay I have to right… So… yeah. Again, I apologize for my absence. But don't worry! I always come back with a vengeance! So, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for!
Natsu and Lucy's wedding! I hope it turned out alright, because, as stated in previous chapters, I suck at writing weddings. So, hopefully me coming back hasn't resulted in your disappointment. Anyway, leaving a review would be awesome. And if you do leave a review, you'll get a cookie in the mail.
"Oi, flame brain. Chill."
"I can't."
"I've never seen you like this. What's got you so worked up, man?"
"I'm just… nervous, I guess."
"Yeah, I can see that. I mean, your clothes are practically peeling away due to heat emanating off of you. What do you gotta be nervous about?"
"I…" Natsu trailed off as he paced back and forth, coming to a stop as he thought about the answer to Gray's question. His heart was beating a million miles per hour and the furniture in the room was close to melting because of his magic. He had a valid reason to be nervous, for it wasn't every day that one got married to Lucy Heartfilia. He'd been fidgety all morning, and having Gray as the best man wasn't really doing anything to help calm him down. In fact, it made him worse. "I-It's just…" He paused again, turning to the fully clothed ice alchemist leaning against the wall. "Wh-what if she changes her mind?" he asked softly. Gray snorted, a grin tugging at his lips.
"C'mon, man," he said casually, lifting a hand to tug at the collar of his nice button-down shirt, as if wanting to remove it. "You and I both know that if she was gonna change her mind, she woulda done it by now." Natsu's shoulders drooped, obviously not at all comforted with that statement.
"Thanks, cuz that makes me feel better," he said sarcastically as he resumed his pacing. The exhibitionist's smile slowly fell from his face until it was a subtle frown as he realized his mistake.
"What I mean is… Lucy's a nice girl," he corrected himself, folding his arms across his chest. "If she were to change her mind about marrying you, she wouldn't wait until the ceremony. She wouldn't humiliate you in front of everyone." The Dragon Slayer stilled. He had a point. Lucy wouldn't do that to him. He turned to his comrade, confused as to why he was suddenly chuckling.
"What're you laughing about, snow cone?" he snapped, obviously not in the mood.
"Nothing," Gray dismissed with a grin, waving it off with his hand. "You just look like a wreck." Natsu spun around to face the closest mirror, and sure enough, he really did look like he'd just came off a train. His hair was disheveled – worse than usual – his suit appeared to be singed, and his face seemed rather… discolored.
"Shit…" he muttered. He turned to Gray for help, but he'd already left his position against the wall, approaching the door.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'll go get Mira." Natsu swallowed. He half thanked his rival for helping him in his time of need, but he also wanted him to stay. He really didn't want to be alone right now.
"Oi, Mira," Gray called as he lightly rapped on the door to the girls' "dressing room," according to Levy. He heard the sounds of rushed footsteps before the door opened, and a nicely dressed Mirajane stepped out, closing the door behind her.
"What is it, Gray?" she asked, her voice seeming a little frazzled. Although Gray couldn't blame her. She'd been running around all morning, helping the bridesmaids with Lucy and assisting the boys whenever she found time – which was close to never.
"Natsu needs a little help looking presentable," he answered quickly, vaguely pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.
"Ah… Alright. Let me tell the girls." She quickly slipped back passed the door, and popped her head back out a moment later. "Um, Gray?" she said softly. Gray nodded, gesturing her to continue. "Could you come in for a quick second? Lucy wants a man's opinion."
"Uh… sure." Mira opened the door to let him inside, and he was instantly blown away. The bridesmaids – Erza, Juvia, and Levy – were beautiful, dressed in identical strapless, powder blue gowns that ended just above their ankles, their hair pulled back into fancy up-dos. But Lucy… she was absolutely gorgeous. Gray had never seen her so breathtaking, so radiant. She still looked nervous, but she looked a lot better than Natsu at the moment. Her strapless, silk dress was the purest white, and the area around her chest was blanketed with intricate lace designs. Her hair was down, nothing special done to it. Natsu told her that he liked her hair when it was down, saying the simplicity of it amplified her beauty. That's not what he said exactly, but it's basically what he implied. The veil clipped to her hair framed her face in the most perfect of ways.
"P-please be honest," Lucy stuttered, subconsciously smoothening out the nonexistent wrinkles on her dress. Gray released an airy chuckle.
"Wow," he said softly, literally at a loss of words. "Lucy, you look… wow." Lucy laughed weakly. "I'm gonna tell you this as your brother. I've never seen you look so beautiful. I mean, dragon breath is in the other room looking like a train wreck, and here you are, looking like a princess straight out from a fairy tale. And I gotta say, Natsu is one lucky man." He smiled. "I don't know what you see in him, but whatever it is, I'm glad you see it." Lucy beamed, shifting excitedly on her heeled feet. There was a knock at the door and Wendy stepped inside, her hair in identical pigtails.
"Lucy, are you ready?" she asked, a soft smile gracing her features. Lucy's eyes immediately widened like a deer in headlights, her heart suddenly kicking into overdrive. She was about to cling to Gray and beg him to freeze her heart so it would stop, but he and Mira were already pushing out of the room. So instead, she turned to her bridesmaids.
"I'm gonna pass out," she said quickly, feeling extremely light headed all of a sudden. Juvia placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're going to be fine, Lucy," she said with an excited smile. "Juvia knows you will."
"She's right, Lu-chan," said Levy, vehemently nodding her head. "It's going to be okay."
"The only thing you have to worry about is making sure Natsu stays on his feet during the ceremony," Erza joked, causing them all to laugh.
This was it.
It was finally happening.
If only she would just come out already! They've been standing there, waiting for the song to start playing, for what seemed to be hours; but in reality, it was only about seven minutes. Natsu really wanted to get this over with. The waiting was causing his anxiety meter to burst at the seams, and the only man to his left that was actually helping him calm down was Romeo. Gray and Gildarts weren't exactly the best men to have around at the moment. Gray with his big mouth, and Gildarts with his "just be aware, Natsu. Marriage is one of the last legal forms of slavery." Thank Mavis that Romeo was being supportive, otherwise Natsu would be having a nervous breakdown in the other room.
"Natsu-nii," Romeo said, reaching passed Gray to lay a hand on his older brother figure.
"What is it, Romeo?"
"You're gonna be fine. Lucy-nee loves you." The younger fire wizard offered a reassuring smile to the older one, which was returned with a shaky grin.
"I know, Romeo. It's still a little nerve-wracking, though." Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, that song began to play. Everyone – including the rest of Fairy Tail and members of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, even Jellal and the spirit of Mavis – stood and turned to look toward the back of the guild. Natsu's heart stopped. He couldn't count how many times he's said it, but damn. He was getting married to the most beautiful woman in all of Fiore. Why she had chosen him among other people, he had no idea. But he wasn't about to stop and ask.
She stood as a vision before him, dressed it the whitest gown he'd ever seen. She was… She was… Ugh, he wanted to use a better word than 'beautiful' but his brain wasn't letting him access a more efficient vocabulary. In fact, his mental dictionary didn't go very far beyond 'wow' and 'pretty' at the moment. He was completely at a loss of words. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say. Before he knew it, she was standing beside him.
He didn't know why, but Mavis was the priest. After he thought about it, he supposed it made sense.
"Good afternoon," said the spirit. "We gather here today to witness and celebrate an act of deep love. Lucy and Natsu, in their devotion, respect and love for each other, and wish to unite in the bond of marriage, and to dedicate themselves to each other's happiness and well-being as life mates and partners. On behalf of them," she paused, and gestured to the crowd, "I welcome all of you. Although this is their day, it is also a tribute to all of you. For knowing you and interacting with you has helped to make Lucy and Natsu who they needed to be in order to find each other. They would like to thank all of you for that. You all hold a place in their hearts reserved for those that they have chosen to call family and friends, and they are deeply grateful for each and every one of you here today.
"Marriage is a supreme sharing," Mavis continued, her voice calm and smooth. "Perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyful uniting of two people whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love. Those who take its sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, as the waters of two rivers are joined when they come together to form an even greater one.
"No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that through love, patience, dedication, perseverance through talking and listening and trying to understand through helping and supporting and believing in each other through learning to forgive, learning to respect and appreciate you differences, and learning to make the important things matter and to let go of the rest. What the ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you have made to being a new life today as husband and wife.
"Lucy and Natsu, if you are ready to step into the circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands." The two wizards turned to face each other and did as told. Mavis smiled. "Do you, Lucy Heartfilia, take this man, Natsu Dragneel, as your husband, to love him and to honor him, to nurture and support him in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by his side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love? Do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part?"
"I do," Lucy promised without hesitation. Natsu's heart thumped, and his smile broadened to show off his fangs.
"Do you, Natsu Dragneel, take this woman, Lucy Heartfilia, as your wife, to love her and to honor her, to nurture and support her in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by her side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love? Do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part?"
"I do." Mavis nodded curtly before she moved on to the next part.
"Very well. And so we come, Lucy and Natsu, to the presentation of the rings by which you symbolize and bind your love." As the best man and maid of honor handed the rings to the bride and groom, Mavis began another speech. "The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and power. The wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness, you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.
"Lucy, place the ring on Natsu's finger and repeat after me," Mavis instructed. As Lucy slipped the silver band onto Natsu's left hand, the spirit recited "As this ring…"
"As this ring…" Lucy repeated.
"…has no end…"
"…has no end…"
"…neither shall my love for you."
"…neither shall my love for you."
"Natsu, place the ring on Lucy's finger and repeat after me." After the process had been repeated, Mavis said "Wear these rings as the enclosing bond of reverence and trust. Fulfill the circle of love that now makes one." With a blissful Nashi in her lap, Wendy lifted a hand to her face and wiped away the tears brimming in her eyes, as did most of the girls (and Gildarts, but to him, that didn't happen.) "Lucy and Natsu, now that the two of you have joined hands and placed the rings on each other's fingers in the presence of your family and nakama, you have declared your eternal love for each other. By the power vested in me, and in the name of Fairy Tail, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Natsu, you may now kiss the bride."
Lucy practically threw herself into his arms, catching him off guard. He recovered immediately and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the floor and holding her against him. The guild cheered and applauded, but neither of them heard any of it. In the drawn out moment of time, it was just them, and nothing else mattered. Natsu's heart soared. Lucy was his, and she would always be his.