Red Jewel Diaries
Chapter 13 - For Better or For Worse
Xx~~*~~xX
Nanoha:
"While there were a few rough spots along the way, my relationship with Yuuno and Fate has been going very well. It really helps that the three of us have known each other and been friends for almost 14 years years. I knew going in that I wouldn't be having the normal relationship that most Japanese girls dream of, consisting of a standard courtship and then marriage. I wasn't even sure how Yuuno or Fate felt about the subject, and I suppose it might never have come up, if it hadn't been for my mother...."
x~~*~~x
“Okay, then next you take each other's hands,” Hayate dictated, glancing up from her script. “And then I say... Yuuno?”
Yuuno's face flashed forward. “Hmm? Oh, sorry. I just had that odd feeling again, like I'm being watched.”
Hayate planted her hands on her hips and gestured to the various individuals putting decorations up in the auditorium. “Well, this is your rehearsal; there are a number of people getting the church ready. You need to pay attention so we can get this right. Now, you take each other's hands and... Fate?”
“Fate Takamachi Testarossa Scrya Harlaown reporting!” the nervous girl spat out suddenly, then blanched. “Wait, that's no good, either.”
Hayate shook her head, then eyed the nearby rope hanging down and slowly started reaching for it. “Nevermind. We'll just skip to the end part, when you turn to the audience and I pull-”
“Hayate, we have a problem!” Shamal said worriedly, suddenly appearing on the stage. “The caterer we hired says they can't get enough tomato paste and foot-long celery stalks for the Belkan Blessing in the middle of the ceremony!
Hayate glanced at the rope, then sighed and lowered her hand. “Alright, contact Amy; she's coming from Earth, and might be able to bring some with her.”
Nanoha glanced at Hayate, then at the nervous Fate and distracted Yuuno, her mind going back to the events that got her into this situation....
x~~*~~x
"You're what!?" Momoko nearly shrieked from her image in the holographic phone call.
Nanoha furrowed her brow in confusion. "I said we're living together; we have been for almost a year now. I didn't mention that in my letters?"
"You mentioned that Fate had a guestroom, and I know you three were seeing each other, but I didn't think you were all living together," Momoko replied, still wide-eyed. "Weren't you going to get married before you started living with a man? It's almost... indecent."
"Yuuno has been a perfect gentlemen," Nanoha defended the male of her threesome. "In fact, he resisted at first. But Fate tended to stay here when she was in town, so we felt Yuuno should as well in order to feel more a part of the family."
"Well, getting married certainly makes you a family!" Momoko prodded, then sighed. "And here I was so hoping to attend the weddings of all my children... Kyoya and Shinobu's was wonderful, and I'm still waiting for Miyuki to find someone, and when I found out about your... situation... it surprised me, but I figured that as long as you found someone and were happy... and would have a nice, lovely wedding ceremony... but it's okay, it's your life, and we love you, so I won't interfere. I'd just like to see all my children married before I die..."
Nanoha sighed, her defenses crumbling; there were still some attacks that she was vulnerable to. "I'll... talk to Yuuno and Fate about it, okay?"
"Alright, and thank you, honey!" Momoko acknowledged, face beaming. "I'll look forward to it! Your father will be so excited. Oh, I need to head to the market to pick up food for dinner before Shiro gets home. I'll talk to you later, and be looking forward to the good news!"
Nanoha said her goodbyes and signed off, then sat back on the couch and let out a long breath, staring up at the ceiling. [What did I just get myself into? And how am I going to tell Yuuno and Fate?]
x~~*~~x
As it turned out, Nanoha discovered
that was the easy part.
“Sure!” Fate replied with a smile.
“Sounds interesting,” Yuuno agreed thoughtfully, adjusting his glasses.
Nanoha blinked. “Are you two really okay with this?” Somehow, Nanoha thought this would be a bit harder; although it
had taken her quite a few days to work up the nerve bring the subject up for discussion.
“You know we love you, and don't plan to go anywhere,” Fate soothed, patting the woman's right shoulder.
“Fate is right,” Yuuno concurred, taking her left hand. “You know, I've studied numerous marriage rituals in many different cultures. Earth has a quite a few fascinating ones. Have you decided on what kind of ceremony you'd like? The Scrya clan doesn't really do anything special, I must admit.”
Nanoha was flabbergasted, especially as Fate took her right hand and she looked back and forth between her partners. “I... I hadn't really thought about it; I was more anxious about what you two would say. A Japanese wedding is traditional in my home country, although most girls dream of being asked in a more western-type wedding, but then again those ceremonies are mainly for couples, and we are on Mid-childa.... What do we do for three people?"
“Well, due to lots of interstellar travel, there are many cultures represented on Mid-Childa,” Fate answered, thinking.
“I could do some research and present some options we can discuss,” Yuuno added, then leaned over a bit to meet Fate's gaze. “But there's something that needs to be done first, wouldn't you agree, Fate?”
She nodded, slowly smiling as she caught his meaning, then moved with him to kneel in front of Nanoha, each of them still holding one of her hands. As one, they asked: “Nanoha, will you marry us?”
Nanoha inhaled sharply, suddenly finding herself speechless as she looked down at Fate and Yuuno. Giving up on her voice, she pulled both of them up for a hug.
“Y-es,” she finally choked out.
When she released them, Yuuno noted aloud, “Well, from what I understand of Earth culture, it's customary for the female to take the male's family name. However, that's not so important to the Scrya clan unless you plan to become a traveling archaeologist.” He paused to chuckle. “You'll be considered part of the clan without the name, and it doesn't matter much to me what you decide, as long as you're happy with it. Or maybe I should change my last name!”
Nanoha blinked. “I actually hadn't thought about that, either. Fate, what do you think?”
The golden-haired girl stared off the in the distance, thoughtful. “I don't know. If I took both your names, would that make me Fate Testarossa Harlaown Scrya Takamachi? Or perhaps Fate Testarossa Harlaown Takamachi Scrya? Fate Scrya Takamachi? Fate Takamachi Scrya? Hmm, I need to think about this...”
The other two blinked as a trance-like Fate stood up and left the room.
x~~*~~x
And while Momoko was thrilled to hear about the impending nuptials, Nanoha felt the distress rise once again when her mother went on and on about what kind of wedding it would be, how much she was looking forward to seeing how grand it was, and how Mid-Childa performed it's ceremonies. And if Nanoha would wear her wedding kimono that Momoko's mother wore and had been passed down in the family....
"Alright, shall we try this again?" Hayate suggested reaching up towards the hanging rope again. "The wedding is in a couple of days, and I've already gone over all my parts!"
And thus, Nanoha was glad Hayate had found out and insisted on handling all the details, and secretly amused she wanted to be the one to marry them; while not a priest, as a Commander in the Naval forces she apparently had authority in the TSAB to perform weddings as a master of ceremonies.
"Hayate!" Lucino called, popping up out of nowhere, one ear fitted with a communicator. "I need you to come with me right away; customs is being difficult, and we might not be able to get the dozen dancing penguins here for the after-wedding celebration party!"
Hayate grumbled in frustration and lowered her hand from the rope again, as she was pulled away. "We'll pick this up again tomorrow; study up on your parts!"
Nanoha rubbed her temples.
x~~*~~x
The half-dozen cloaked and hooded individuals gazed at each other in the torch-lit chamber.
“We all know why we are here,” one said, gesturing towards two life-sized posters. “As the top echelon from the respective Nanoha Worshipper and Fate Fantatic fan clubs, we are both faced with a crisis: our idols are getting... married.”
“To a male, even!” #2 added in a female voice, raising a clenched fist.
The first nodded. “Right. And that is something we must prevent; the purity of our Aces must be maintained! We cannot allow them to be married!”
“Unless it's to one of us!” a third declared, which was met murmuring assent.
“Agreed,” the first concurred. “So, we have decided to team up our fan clubs to put a stop to this. By initial assent, we have decided to rename this temporary team-up to the Nanoha And Fate Togetherness Alliance. And now I open the floor: does anyone have any ideas? The write-in campaign and online petition has sadly failed due to lower-than-expected turnout.”
This announcement was met with gasps of dismay, while one said, "I can't believe there is actually so few of us who feel this way."
“We need to get rid of that librarian somehow,” #3 offered. “Can we take out a contract on his life?”
“Hmm, a professional assassin?” #1 questioned thoughtfully. “Do we have enough money to hire one? I'm sure if we pool our resources...”
“I don't have any money,” #2 said sadly. “And I don't get my allowance again until Friday of next week!”
“I'm broke, too, after buying several pieces of high-class merchandise,” #4 added.
“You mean those figurines and that life-sized pillow,” #5 accused.
“You're just jealous!” #4 shot back.
#5 dug through his pockets and hoisted an object. “Why would I be jealous when I have this!”
#2 scratched his head. “Isn't that the plastic fork you dug out of a trashcan at that cafe you claimed Fate ate at?”
“People, people, enough!” #1 told them, trying to regain order as #4 cuddled his plastic fork. “We're losing focus. We need ideas, and apparently we don't have enough money to hire an assassin.”
As the group lapsed into silence, #6 looked timidly around and slowly raised her hand, speaking in a very quiet voice. “Um, I-I m-might... have an idea...”
“Molly, right?” #1 inquired. “What is your-”
His speech was cut off by the flood of light from the door above, and a heavy-set male voice announced, “Jeremy, your mother says dinner is almost ready. And why do you have all the lights off? Is this another one of your games?”
“Dad, please!” Jeremy groaned. “This is our N.A.F.T.A. meeting, I told you!”
“Yes, but why in the dark by torches?” his dad continued, his voice turning disapproving. “You hear that big sucking sound? That's your childhood being destroyed. You should be outside playing in the sun like other kids your age.”
Jeremy hid his face in his hands and sighed.
x~~*~~x
“Alright, there he is Hayate's house over there, getting measured for a tuxedo,” Jeremy said, looking through his telescope from his vantage point in a tree. “Can you get him from here?”
“Y-yes, I think s-so,” Molly replied, lifting her thick glass up onto her head while leafing through her book storage device.
Jeremy jumped down to hide in the bushes next to her. “So all your curses are in there? Are you ready with the first one we discussed?
Startled by his sudden presence by her side, a reddening Molly nearly dropped her book, but caught it again. “Y-yes, I-I think I can make him into a p-per-per... um, bad person. He'll be forced to, um, g-grab... um, women.” She flushed red.
“Perfect!” Jeremy declared with a smile. “Nanoha and Fate will see him as the lecherous pervert that he is, and call off the wedding!”
Molly nodded, squinting as she gazed through the window at the slightly smudgy figure within and wound up her magic and fired.
“Did you get him?” Jeremy asked eagerly.
Molly suddenly remembered something very important, and slid her glasses back down. “Oops...”
x~~*~~x
“Something wrong, Yuuno?” Vice asked.
“I thought I felt some magic being performed,” Yuuno replied from atop the short stool after a moment, then shrugged. “Might have been nothing.”
“You're just trying to get out of this,” Chrono accused, amused from where he sat. “Now you know what I had to go through when I got married. Although I admit, I didn't have Hayate designing my outfit.”
“She insisted,” Yuuno replied a bit darkly, then sighed. “And not just the clothes, but she insisted on marrying us, getting Carim to rent us the Saint Church to hold it in, as well as hiring all the associated personnel. Every day it seems to groe more and more. This whole thing as almost spiraled out of control.”
“Like Chrono said, you're just nervous,” Vice told him, then laughed. “Although why you'd be so eager to chain yourself down in the first place...”
“Perhaps I should tell Signum you said that,” Yuuno shot back, to which Vice chuckled nervously as he re-adjusted how he was sitting on the couch.
“Okay, I think I found a better tape measure,” Hayate said, coming back into the living room. “I'll just need to take a few more measure-eep!”
Chrono stared as Hayate froze, in what someone might call karmic justice.
“Um, what are you doing, Vice?” Yuuno inquired, not having seen the man move that fast before.
Vice suddenly noticed how he was glomping Hayate, hands grabbing her ample chest, and he quickly let go. “I... don't know. One moment I'm sitting there, and the next-”
“Hayate, I found-Oooh!” Shamal nearly cooed as she came into the room, blushing lightly. “While I don't mind, I think Signum might, if she found out.”
Vice quickly let go of her and backed away. “I don't know what happened, I didn't mean to, I swear!”
Chrono's eyes were half-lidded. “Uh huh. Something you want to tell us?”
Before he could reply, Vita appeared in the entryway. “Hayate, I just got off the comm with Carim and-”
x~~*~~x
“Still can't believe Nanoha is finally getting married,” Suzuka said, sighing as she at the cafe table.
“I know,” Arisa replied a bit glumly, using her straw to push the ice around in her drink; then she grinned. “So what about you? When are you going to find a man?”
“Not interested,” Suzuka replied matter-of-factly. “As a matter of fact, I'll be glad when our new assignment starts back on Earth; as much as I like it here, it can get a bit too weird sometimes.”
“Oh come on, it's not THAT weird... here...” Arisa started to say, then trailed off as both girls stared.
“I SAID I WAS SORRY!” Vice hollered as he passed the dumbstruck pair sitting at the outdoor cafe table, his form nearly a blur.
“THEN STOP RUNNING SO I CAN POUND YOUR ASS INTO THE PAVEMENT, YOU PEDOPHILIAC PERVERT!” Vita angrily shouted back, hot on his trail, taking swipes that the targeted male barely kept out of range of.
Suzuka shook her head as the commotion disappeared into the distance, and returned to stirring her drink. “You were saying?”
Arisa just continued to stare.
x~~*~~x
“I'm s-sorry,” Molly apologized for the hundredth time. “I-I'm farsighted and c-can't see without my g-glasses.”
“It's okay,” Jeremy told her, patting her shoulder awkwardly, then gestured toward the Takamachi household from their new hiding spot. “Let's just get it right this time. But we'll need a different curse to avoid suspicion. What else have you got?”
“Hmm, h-how about a sneezing curse?” she suggested. “Whenever someone asks a question, the victim will sn-sneeze instead.”
Jeremy brightened. “Perfect! The ceremony is loaded with questions, so it'll have to be called off if he's sneezing!”
She nodded and began to wind up her magic.
“Um, Molly?”
She paused as she turned to him, then looked up at his gestures. “Oh, right.”
Her face reddened as she dropped her glasses back down and resumed her curse preparations.
x~~*~~x
"Um, why not set it in the living room for now, while I find a place for it," Nanoha directed to the two men at her doorway with the large object in.
Yuuno looked up from position on the couch. "What's that?"
Nanoha sighed. "It's Shamal's wedding gift, a vanity with a fancy mirror. I told them we didn't need anything this big, but... how are you doing?" She came over to sit next to him.
It was Yuuno's turn to sigh. "I think I've got everything down - although I'm still a bit unsure about the interpretive dance - but I have to admit, I never thought things would get this... big.
"...Harlaown Scyra Takamachi?" Fate mumbled to herself, coming into the living room.
"Fate?" Nanoha asked, as the golden-haired woman continuing into the kitchen, mumbling to herself while looking at a piece of paper.
She apparently didn't hear her name being called, as she grabbed a stick of string cheese out of the fridge and headed back out. "Fate Takamachi Scrya Harlown Testarossa?"
Yuuno and Nanoha watched her go, then looked at each other and sighed.
"I'll go talk to her," Nanoha stated, standing up.
Yuuno nodded, then noticed the men having difficulty with the vanity, and he quickly sprinted over to catch the mirror as it began to tip over, feeling that odd chill again. "Careful!"
"Sorry about that," one of the men apologized as the item returned upright.
"Yuuno, are you okay?" Nanoha asked, seeing the look on his face.
"Yeah, just had the strangest feeling for the second time in as many days," he replied, then shrugged. "Probably nothing."
x~~*~~x
“Did you get him?” Jeremy asked eagerly again.
Molly sneezed.
Jeremy sighed.
x~~*~~x
The day of the wedding finally arrived.
“Yuuno, are you almost ready?” Chrono called from the Takamachi living room. Getting no answer, he walked down the hall to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Yuuno?”
“...I can't do it,” came the muted response, full of despair.
[Oh boy,] Chrono thought, sighing.
x~~*~~x
Lutecia looked through the bulletin she had been handed when she came in, from her seat in the pew. Caro had shown her and her mother, Megane, to the seat, then taken her mother to find the restroom, so she was all by herself at the moment; well, other than the small groups of people milling about the large auditorium. The leaflet detailed the schedule of what would happen during the ceremony, of which the young summoner was quite interested.
"Hello there, young lady, have you given any thought to what you will do with the rest of your life?" came a soft female voice.
Lutecia looked up, surprised by the question. "I'm not really sure...." She had decided to join the bureau, but wasn't sure what role she would play yet.
The woman in priestly robes promptly handed her a tract. "The Saint has a role for us all to play in life, and we need only open our souls to her, and we will find happiness!"
The young girl blinked; wasn't the Saint supposed to be Vivio? "Really? I don't know..."
The older woman placed a hand on Lutecia's shoulder and nodded sagely. "I can understand your hesitancy; we have all done things we regret in our past. But the good news is that the Saint will love you regardless of what you've done!"
The summoner did recall her fights against Caro and Erio, over two years ago, and working for the doctor. She did still feel some shame from that, despite the pair's insistence that everything was okay now.
The female priest lifted her other hand, gesturing towards the stained glass window, which had an artistic representation of their holy deity. "Give yourself over to the Saint, and enjoy the warmth in her bosom! Admit your past to her, and she will take care of you!"
"Reverend Beam!" came a new female voice whom Lutecia recognized as Knight Carim Gracia from pictures she had been sent by her friends. "I thought you had understood the request that there was to be no evangelizing to people during this event."
"But I just want to save this young woman's soul by introducing her to the love the Saint offers!" Reverend Beam complained.
Carima sighed and grabbed the back of the other woman's robes and began to haul her off. "Maybe another time. Sorry about this, young lady!"
"It's alright," Lutecia replied, more confused than anything.
"No, wait!" the preacher commanded, but it fell on deaf ears. "Young lady, it's never too late, you can find everlasting love today! Her grace guides us all! The power of the Saint compels yooouuu!"
Lutecia blinked as the woman's voice faded, shortly after being dragged out the door; this was certainly turning out to be an interesting event.
"Hello dear, anything happen while I was away?" Megane asked, sitting down next to her daughter in the pew.
"I'm not sure, but I think someone was trying to set me up with Vivio," Lutecia answered, scratching her head.
Megane raised an eyebrow in confusion.
x~~*~~x
Alto sighed as she went to hang up her coat in the church's large closet, letting the hand take it from her; why did weddings always make her feel so lonely and sad?
She paused, then turned back around. [Hand?] She began to carefully peel back the various other coats hung on the rack. “Who's in there?”
“Please go away!” pleaded a familiar male voice.
Alto blinked. “Vice? What are you doing in there?”
There was a short pause. “I can't tell you. You don't know the hell I've been through, the past few days!”
“Look, whatever it is, you can't stay in there,” she told him, reaching in and finding an arm to grab. “It's creepy. Come on out.”
“No, I can't!” he insisted, trying to resist, but Alto was in no mood and with a surge of strength, she yanked him out.
Then stared in confusion as he quickly cringed, looking away with his arms up in a defensive position. “What is your problem!?”
“I can't look at you!” he nearly shouted. “It's triggered by sight!”
Alto shook her head, then walked up to him and slapped his face. “Get a hold of yourself. We don't have time for your games today!”
“Aaah!” Vice exclaimed as he saw her, then blinked and looked at his hands. “Hey, what do you know?” He suddenly reached out and grabbed her shoulders. “Yes, yes, I have full control again! I have no desire to feel you up! Maybe it's because I've always thought of you as one of the guys instead of a woman... or maybe it wore off?”
Alto, however, didn't hear that last part; just a roaring noise in her ears, partially wondering where the anger had suddenly come from, as her fists clenched and unclenched.
“Oh, Vice, here you are,” Agito said, floating in. “Signum has been looking everywhere for you and... why are you looking at me that way?”
x~~*~~x
“Isn't this wonderful?” Arf declared in full woman form, twirling in her dress in the church lobby. “Weddings seem to be a lot of fun; don't you agree, Zaffy?”
“I told you not to call me that,” Zafira replied in a hushed voice, tugging at the neck of his tuxedo. “At least not out in public. And I'll be glad when this is over; these outfits are very uncomfortable. If Hayate hadn't insisted....”
She playfully punched his arm. “Aw, come on, you look fine! Besides, you should get used to it, because I might want my own wedding someday.” She paused to wink at him, making him feel oddly delighted and uncomfortable at the same time.
“Um, we'll... talk about it,” Zafira replied diplomatically. “I am not sure I see the point of this human ceremony.”
“They're just an excuse to have a lot of fun!” Arf explained with a grin. “So lighten up and try to enjoy yourself!”
Zafira raised an eyebrow. “I fail to see what is so amusing about...”
He trailed off as both guardian beasts witnessed Vice streaking across the lobby and ducking out the double doors, an angry fireball-tossing Agito and Alto hot on his trail.
“I”LL TEACH YOU TO FONDLE ME, YOU PEDOPHILIAC PERVERT!” the little demon growled, preparing another shot.
Arf shook her head and grabbed Zafira's arm, tugging him toward the auditorium. “Um, yeah, let's go find our seats....”
x~~*~~x
“Fate, are you okay?” Nanoha asked softly; the other woman she had been quiet for quiet awhile, ever since they had been both brought to this room to wait.
“Harlaown Scrya Fate Takamachi Testarossa!” Fate blurted. “Oh, sorry, I think I'm fine; I still can't decide on a name, and we'll be married in a few hours!”
Nanoha sighed, then smiled and carefully closed the few steps in her white, flowery kimono to gently hug the other woman. “It's alright, really. Whatever you decide, even if you don't change your name at all, is fine with me. Fate has always been Fate to me. I'm just a bit sorry for dragging you into all this. I was fine with how we were, but my mom wanted a wedding, and it snowballed into this....”
Fate giggled as she hugged back. “To be honest, my mother had been bugging me about it, too. I suppose we'll be the same when Vivio grows up. But maybe I have been thinking too much on this; it's just that. I shortened Testarossa to a T just to make it easy for people, but five names is a bit daunting.
A wry smile appeared on Nanoha's face. “You'll work it out; if not, Yuuno and I will for you!”
The two women shared an understanding moment of giggling, before the door opened and Hayate came in, Rein floating after her.
“Alright, showtime in a little over an hour, girls!” the Wolkenritter mistress-turned-priest announced, then looked around. “Wait, Yuuno's not here yet?”
“Um, I think he had to pick up something from home first, although due to the rules, the brides can't see the groom on the wedding day,” Nanoha answered.
Fate reached down and gave Nanoha's hand a squeeze. “I'm sure he'll make it in time; Chrono will make sure of it.”
Nanoha nodded, but inwardly couldn't suppress the bit of rising worry.
x~~*~~x
“Come on, Yuuno, you know you want to do this,” Chrono told the other man. “You wouldn't have gotten this far if you didn't. This happens to a lot of guys on their wedding day. Remember mine?”
“That was different,” Yuuno countered. “You already knocked up Amy.”
Chrono grit his teeth, and pulled out S2U. [That's it, no more Mr. Understanding.]
Yuuno's eyes were wide as Chrono teleported in and fired off a point blank stinger shot that slammed the other man into the bathroom wall, leaving his target dazed, but intact; he knew Nanoha would never forgive him if he brought Yuuno to the wedding in multiple pieces. After returning his device to card form and slipping it back into his coat, he grabbed the lapels of the unresisting ferret-boy and hoisted him up against the wall.
“I married Amy because I love her, idiot!” Chrono nearly growled into Yuuno's face, satisfied to see terror there. “Just like I'm going to drag you to that church, and you're gonna walk down that aisle because you love Nanoha and Fate. Capiche?”
“But.. but... everyone will see!” Yuuno told him, desperate. “Before, it was just us, and there was no pressure, and now there's a big audience and...”
“And what?” Chrono asked him. “It means it's permanent, and that scares you to death, doesn't it? That's the thing about weddings; it's a public declaration. Before, it was just between you three, and if things didn't work out, you could break up.”
“I'm just afraid I might not be good enough for them,” he admitted at last, sighing as Chrono finally let him go. “What if I can't handle it?”
“I asked myself the same question with Amy and the kids,” Chrono admitted. “Whether you can or not doesn't matter. You do it because it's the right thing to do. The same reason I'm an enforcer and you're a bookworm. The same reason we both support and help people.”
Yuuno's head came up to gaze at him. “You're right... Thanks, Chrono.”
“Don't mention it,” Chrono told him, suddenly flustered, then grabbed the other man and gave him the evil eye. “I mean it, seriously, don't tell anyone.” He released Yuuno and strode to the bathroom door, unlocking it. “Besides, I remember my best man doing something similar for me, and now the situation is reversed. Just repaying a favor; I hate owing people. Now come on, I have to get you to the church on time.”
Yuuno followed him out the room and down the hall to the front door as Chrono opened it. “Heh, sure. I-”
Chrono turned around, seeing Yuuno standing in the doorway, an odd look on his face. “What's wrong now?”
“I don't know, but we should just go,” Yuuno replied, then blinked strangely.
Chrono scratched his head.
x~~*~~x
“I got him!” Molly declared happily, then looked down into her book again. “He should be cursing and swearing whenever he... oh no...”
“What now?” Jeremy inquired. “I thought you said you got him?”
Molly sneezed twice, then rubbed her nose, tears appearing in her eyes.“I did the wrong curse! Instead of swearing, he'll just be forced to rhyme! I'm sorry!”
Jeremy sighed and pulled out his phone. “It's okay, we'll just have to go to plan B. Hello? Byron? Yeah, plan A is no go. We need to... I don't care about your fork; look for it later! Just get plan B in gear! Tell the others to start hacking into the traffic network!”
“I'm REALLY sorry,” Molly sobbed into her hands as Jeremy hung up. “I-I'm just a screw up. I-I c-can't do anything RIGHT. I always m-mess up! I only j-joined this club because I loved y-” She quickly shut up.
Jeremy patted her back. “It's alright, I think I know what you mean.”
She looked up, cheeks flushed. “You do?”
He nodded and sighed. “I've felt the same for awhile.”
Molly dried her eyes and sniffled. “Really?”
“Yeah, if this doesn't work out, there is still the Hayate fan club!” he told her, smiling.
Molly broke down into tears again.
x~~*~~x
“Something wrong, hun?” Shiro asked, looking down at his daughter.
Nanoha looked up at her father and squeezed his arm. “I just haven't heard if Yuuno has arrived or not. I'm a bit worried.”
“Take it from me, no man will miss the wedding with the one he loves,” he assured her, patting her hand on his arm, then chuckled.. “Or 'ones.' Yuuno's a good kid; he'll make it. Believe in him.”
“Shiro is right,” Lindy added from behind, holding onto Fate who was in the more traditional Earth wedding dress. “We still have 15 minutes until the wedding march starts. That's plenty of time.”
Fate nodded as well, and Nanoha smiled; Yuuno hadn't let her down before, and she had to believe he wouldn't now.
x~~*~~x
“I don't believe this all this traffic, the amount of which is rather sick,” Yuuno declared from the passenger seat, then sighed.
“Would you stop rhyming?” Chrono growled as he threaded between slow-moving cars. “It's getting annoying.”
“I said I don't know what is wrong, or why I've been rhyming this long!” Yuuno shot back, then slapped his cheeks.
“Analysis complete,” Alicia intoned from his wrist bracelet. “Magic particles have altered your neural pathways.. At the rate of current dissipation, the effect should end in approximately 72 hours.”
“Great, it looks like a magical curse,” Yuuno noted with despair. “How could this possibly get any worse?”
“Keep talking, and you'll find out,” Chrono grumbled as he yanked the wheel hard, crossing several lanes, tipping the vehicle up on it's side to slip between a couple of cars, managing to reach the freeway on-ramp. “Alright, it should be smooth sailing from... here....”
Both men stared as all five lanes in front of them had slowed to a dead crawl.
x~~*~~x
Nanoha managed to see Teana and Subaru sitting near the aisle as she neared the end of the aisle, who smiled and while Subaru flashed a thumbs and lifted her other hand which held Teana's.
Vivio was already up front, having been the flower girl; she was standing next to Nanoha's Matron of Honor, Vita, looking somehow still a bit taciturn while smiling in her pink dress. But if there was someone who looked even more out of place, it was Fate's Matron of Honor, Signum, wearing a similar pink dress. Nanoha allowed herself a small smile; Signum had been very much against wearing that dress.
Nanoha's smile grew seeing the happy face of her mother in the front row, and somehow, that look made this all worthwhile.
She took her place at the altar, and as the music continued playing and Fate began her own trek, attached to Lindy's arm, Nanoha couldn't help but hope Yuuno had made it in time.
x~~*~~x
“We'll never make it at this rate,” Yuuno groused as the car inched along on the freeway. “I'm going to miss my wedding with Nanoha and Fate! I don't know why, they won't let me fly!”
“They said it's not an emergency, and thus wouldn't clear you,” Chrono replied, then pulled onto the shoulder. “Don't worry, I'll get you there on time. Get out of the car!”
“What are you, trying to do?” Yuuno asked, undoing his seat-belt.
“It's a good thing you know an admiral,” he replied, pulling up a communication screen. “Griffith, do you read me?”
The window opened to show Griffith, hair mussed, a frozen Lucino in his lap, who quickly got out of it when she regained presence of mind. "Um, yes sir, Ventek reporting, what can I do for you?
x~~*~~x
As Fate took her position at Nanoha's side at the altar, all eyes turned back toward the open door... but it was empty. Nanoha felt her heart drop as the murmurs started.
Then a bright light flashed beside them, and when it was over, Yuuno and Chrono were standing there. Nanoha felt the heaviness lift instantly.
“Told you,” Fate whispered, and Nanoha could hear the smirk in her voice
“Nice of you to join us,” Hayate teased the two with a grin. “Now, if you'll take your places, we'll continue.”
x~~*~~x
This was the moment Yuuno had been dreading; the exchange of vows. With the curse in place, he knew he'd never be able to follow the planned script; so that only left one option. Nanoha and Fate had already given theirs, so it was his turn.
He took a deep breath.
“Nanoha and Fate, you are both very precious to me,
there is no one else I'd rather be.
I promise to love you in sickness and in health,
through good times and bad, and through poverty and wealth.
I make this promise that we will never part,
because I love you both, with all my heart."
[Okay, that was a bit lame,] Yuuno thought glumly, but the wavering eyes of the two women in front of him as they moved to kiss him, told him it didn't seem all bad to them.
Hayate turned the three to the audience. "I now present Mr. and Mrs. and Mrs. Takamachi!"
The crowd erupted into applause, as Hayate continued while reaching for the rope. "And now the symbolic rebirth of your new lives, according to Ancient Belkan tradition!"
She pulled it, dumping water and glitter on the recently married three.
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
Just a note that Molly is available for your wedding, too! ^_^
2010-05-28, 21:02
Author
Oh wait, he already has Lily. XD
You could see it as Cia physically trying to hold Vivio back, or as Cia actually scolding her every time she walks through the door.
Lutecia was more or less supposed to be a little-kid version of her anyway ("loli-Rider") and the combination of her job as an assassin combined with the emotional stress she suffers over her career choice fits nicely with Rider's image. Your short "Glasses" combined with all the fanart of Rider wearing glasses in her "normal" outfits contributed to that as well.
