Did you know it's WolLyse week over the next seven days? Because I fuckin' didn't! Time to dust off the old word typing thing and get smashing them keys!
Lyse awoke to the sound of combat.
This wasn’t particularly unusual, given she was sleeping in her wife’s private quarters in the school. Training would-be adventurers in the ways of self-defence was the aim of those hallowed halls, after all. But two things about the clamour were. Firstly, the voice she could hear crying out in rage and frustration was unfamiliar to her. Lyse wasn’t familiar enough to put names to the faces of all of Arashi’s students, but she had learned to differentiate their voices. Arashi wasn’t looking to enrol anyone else, if her constant complaints about full hands were anything to go by.
Secondly, there was only one voice, but from the ring of steel against steel there were clearly two combatants. Meaning Arashi herself was locked in battle with an interloper.
Adrenaline spiked, panic gave speed. Lyse was moving before she could think. It took mere moments for the red-tinged blur to reach the source of the noise. Sure enough, Arashi was present. As was a large, lanky Raen boy, armed with a katana and screaming in fury. Trying desperately to find a way through Arashi’s guard. Failing.
knock knock knock
…
Knock Knock Knock
…
BANG BANG BANG
…
“Sanda, I know you’re there! Stop ignoring me, this is important!”
Sanda cursed silently. She had been so certain she’d been able to hide her presence. How had Arashi kno-
Sanda looked to see Arashi staring at her from the window. The window with completely undrawn curtains. That would do it. With a particular look cast in her sister’s direction, she stalked over to the door and opened it. Arashi practically scampered over to it from her porthole position. She was grinning, which was worrying enough in and of itself, but she was also bouncing from foot to foot. Something was definitely wrong.
“What brings you to Doma?” was Sanda’s wary greeting. The Warriors of Light had gone their separate ways until passage to Old Sharlayan could be booked, and as far as Sanda knew it had not yet been arranged. And yet here Arashi was, either about to tell her to pack her bags, or… Sanda wasn’t quite sure. Which was what worried her.
“I’m getting married! Come on!” Arashi snatched Sanda’s arm, practically dragging her out of her front door.
“Wait, what? Now? Explain!” That at least explained Arashi’s grin, but it raised a chocobo cart’s worth of questions with it.
“Yes, now! Lyse is getting someone who can make it official, but I’m not having you miss it! Now come on, you’re going to make me late!”
Arashi was not exactly dressed for a wedding, but she was considerably better-dressed than Sanda, who was garbed in her nightgown and not an ilm more. Sanda snatched her arm back and slammed the door on Arashi, calling out with “Five minutes!” before her elder sister could complain. Honestly. Getting married out of the blue like this? When did Arashi get to be so spontaneous? It was probably Lyse’s fault. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law, now. By the kami…
Ten minutes later and Sanda was appropriately garbed and made up. She barely had time to open up the door again before she was once again snatched by the arm, and this time Sanda felt her aether shift decidedly westward as Arashi teleported them both to Ala Mhigo. Sanda barely had time to feel the sweltering heat on her skin before Arashi was racing off again, taking the massive steps up to the palace two at a time and whooping with glee. Sanda, bemusedly, followed.
The reality of the situation hadn’t quite set in. Sanda had expected to spend the day quietly, perhaps sparring with Yugiri, perhaps surveying Doma for interlopers or dangerous beasts. She had not anticipated her sister engaging in a life-changing decision and dragging her into being, presumably, her sole witness to the event. She vaguely wondered what the other Scions would think. Then she thought about Fareena’s predictable fury at being left out. That brought a smile to her face.
Arashi sped through the bustling palace, exchanging the odd greeting here and there but not allowing herself to slow down. Sanda trailed behind, a silent ghost in her wake. Dimly Sanda found herself wondering what it felt like to feel such overwhelming love. To be transformed so by it. Her sister smiled and laughed without reservation as she sped to the gardens. When was the last time she had seen Arashi so joyous? Before father’s passing? Before mother’s? She hoped Lyse understood the blessing she had given.
It took no time at all for Arashi to skirt through to the rooftop garden, practically slamming through the doors in her haste to reach her destination. Sanda was more careful, closing the massive doors behind them. Two figures were already there in the distance, though the taller one (much taller, in fact) appeared to be arguing with the other. It was too far away to make out much, but maybe... Sanda slowed, focused, shut out all the noise around her.
“...never done this before, let alone at such short notice!”
“You’ll be fine! We’re not expecting much, we just need you to make it official, that’s all. You can do that, right?”
“In theory, yes, but you don’t understand! If I say the wrong thing or mix up the order, it might completely foul the bonding! It’s terrible luck for an eternally bonded pair! This is just too much pressure!”
Stalwart Mountain. That made sense. Her Conjuring training did qualify her to marry others, and she could be expected to keep things quiet until the pair felt ready to announce it properly. And it would make Fareena all the more furious when she realised she was the only Warrior of Light uninvited to the proceedings. She wondered if either Arashi or Lyse had considered the hidden insult in it, or if they were simply too giddy to think of such things.
“...da! Sanda! Come on, you’re holding us up!” Arashi was pulling on her arm again, half-yanking her forward. Sanda slipped back to reality, letting the world wash over her again. A moment later and she was striding forth with her sister towards the waiting pair. Lyse turned to see the au ra approaching and greeted them with her typical exuberance. The smile she flashed Arashi was brighter than the sun above them. Sanda could only assume that Arashi’s returning smile was as bright, given that Arashi herself was still dragging Sanda behind her.
It took barely a moment longer for Arashi to take her place opposite Lyse. The pair were grinning like a couple of lovestruck idiots, which Sanda supposed was fine given they were getting married. Stalwart shot Sanda a nervous glance before standing between them. Sanda, unsure quite where to stand, chose to stand a short distance away. Close enough to witness, not close enough to get in the way.
Despite Stalwart’s initial protests, the ceremony itself was smooth enough. Sanda had seen a few bonding ceremonies during her time in Doma, particularly after its liberation. The differences between the two were minor enough, perhaps due to some root practice that both cultures had shared at one point. Given hyurs’ tendencies to spread anywhere and everywhere they could, it made a certain kind of sense. Her parents had never spoken much of such things when they were alive. Too busy with practical concerns. Reading. Writing. Fighting. Hunting.
“...And so now we give our assembled parties,” (Sanda had to stop herself looking around at that), “One final chance to voice their objections against the eternal bonding of the ones gathered before me.” Sanda had to admit, Stalwart showed none of her professed nervousness when she got going. The roegadyn woman made a show of looking around at the otherwise empty menagerie, then continued. “Then by the power invested in me by my authority as a Conjurer, I hereby-”
“Oh no you don’t!”
Everyone present whirled to see a newcomer barrelling headlong towards them. A viera woman, fury written plain on her face as she dashed through the newly-opened doors towards the assembled group. Fareena, somehow, had been made aware of what was going on. For a moment Sanda wondered exactly how, but then she noticed the linkpearl quietly nestled against Arashi’s ear. In her haste to be wed she had entirely forgotten to remove it.
“Honestly, I expected this of you, lizard, but you’re supposed to be better than this, Hext!” Fareena barely looked winded from her whirlwind sprint. “Really? Going and getting yourselves wed without even thinking of inviting us?”
“Well, this was a spur of the moment… Wait, what do you mean, us?” Arashi looked confused, but then she noticed the steadily growing voices emerging from the open doors. Voices that Sanda had unconsciously picked up on but had filtered away as irrelevant background noise. Foolish of me. I’ll need to be more careful in the future.
The first of the voices soon came into view. Y’shtola’s sharp tone was matched by a sharper look in her eyes. There lay a promise of words which would be shared after everything was said and done. Urianger’s dulcet tones were followed shortly after, the imposing Elezen man trying his best to impose some calm on Y’shtola’s temper. Thancred was not far behind, his usual confident smirk fixed firmly on his place. The twins trailed behind them, with Alphinaud doing his level best to keep Alisaie from charging forward and demanding to know just what in the seven hells Arashi and Lyse thought they were doing. And finally, trying their hardest to keep up, Tataru and Krile. Tataru’s eyes were rather red, though whether it was from joy at the occasion or sorrow at having been left out was hard to tell.
“Thankfully for you,” said Fareena with an undeniable hint of smugness in her voice, “I thought ahead and passed along the invitations you so clearly forgot to pass along.” She took her place next to Sanda with a self-satisfied noise. Arashi looked about ready to strangle the viera. Lyse simply looked chagrined at having been discovered so easily.
It didn’t take long (following Alisaie sharing some extremely heated words with the brides) for the assorted crowd to gather. It certainly felt a good deal less awkward now, crowded around friends and allies rather than standing alone. Stalwart, however, had lost her place entirely through the interruption. After several false starts she decided to simply start again, much to Arashi’s displeasure. Lyse didn’t seem to mind, however.
Eventually the harried roegadyn returned to her place of interruption. She shot Fareena a very pointed look as she asked once again if there were any objections. This time Fareena remained silent. None missed the smug aura she radiated, however. “Well then,” said Stalwart with a huff. “Given all present consent to this eternal bonding, I now pronounce you wedded! You may now do as you please, safe in the knowledge that you are now married under the eyes of the gods.”
Stalwart barely finished before Lyse flung herself into Arashi’s waiting arms with a whoop of joy. The two shared a kiss as the assorted Scions cheered. Tataru looked about ready to cry again. So did Alisaie, though she furiously denied it when questioned later. Sanda could only smile. After all Arashi had been through, and with the monumental task awaiting them all, she deserved this happiness. Sanda only hoped it would last.
