Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Ivy, Shaman Runaway ❯ Cold Feet; Cold Hearts ( Chapter 57 )

 

Cold Feet; Cold Hearts

“I don't think I can do this.” I looked at myself in the mirror, and noticed that my face was almost as white as the outfit I was wearing.

 

“You have to.” Jun smiled warmly at me; I could see her reflection in the mirror. She lightly set her hand on my shoulder to give a small gesture of support. Little did she know that she was the only thing supporting me, and keeping me from falling over in a dead faint.

 

“I know that I have to, but I don't think I can do it!” I whined again, going into a state of pure shock.

 

Anna glared menacingly from behind me. She stood at my other side, her hand too on my shoulder. I met her gaze in the mirror and shuddered. “You are going through with this Ivy.” At that moment I knew there was no getting out of it. I was going to march down that isle, and I was going to stand there, get married, and I was not going to faint.

 

“I'm not so sure about this.” I tried again to talk them out of pushing me down the isle.

 

“Miss Anna said you were going to do it.” Tamao reminded me.

 

“And that means that you're gonna do it.” Pilika seconded. “Besides, Yoh's a great guy, and who else would you want to marry?”

 

`Hao…' my mind whined. I shook the thought off as just me panicking and smiled at my bridesmaids. “No one. Thanks guys! I'm going through with this!”

 

“You'll be fine.” A ghostly voice from behind me sighed at my cold feet.

 

I turned to look at Aikido. “You just want me to go through with this because you want to be able to see Amidamaru every day and night!” I scolded.

 

“Guilty as charged.” My guardian smiled at me. “But even I must admit that it's a smart match. You love Yoh, he loves you, and unlike if you married Hao, Yoh won't hurt you or force you to do anything you don't want to do. You'll be happy.” My mother figure gave me a ghostly hug as she started adjusting my clothing so it covered me a bit more. “You really must learn to dress better…you're going to be married you know.”

 

“Tweet!! Tweet, tweet!! Chirp!!” Chip circled around my head a few times before gracefully landing on my shoulder. “Chirp. Chirp.”

 

“Chip agrees.” Aikido narrated for the little sparrow.

 

“HAHAHA!!! I agree too!” An usually accented voice commented through laughter.

 

“Hello Isa.” I greeted the rowdy bandita.

 

“What do you mean `you agree'?! You never agree with me!” Aikido turned up her nose suspiciously at Isabelle.

 

“I mean wha I said. I agree tha she `as t' learn t' dress like she's married.” Isabelle came over to me, and fixed my clothing to show more skin. I couldn't help but smile broadly. It took everything I had not to burst out laughing.

 

“What are you up to, Miss Ignacio?” Aikido asked Isa.

 

“Nuthin'. Absolutely nuthin', but adjustin' `er outfit so it shows a bit more of what a feller wants t' see.” She smiled innocently at Aikido, and I couldn't hold in my laughter any more.

 

“Idiot! You know Yoh's not like that!” Aikido snapped.

 

“And neither is Amidamaru, or he wouldn't be drooling over you.” Isa smirked evilly.

 

“How dare you!?” Aikido looked like she was about to draw her sword and chop Isabelle to pieces.

 

“I'm telling you, I know what Asakuras like. I was married to one, remember?” Isa refused to back down.

 

“You two didn't even get out of the Church before his father shot you!” Aikido teased. “You didn't even consecrate the marriage!”

 

“We did that th' night befer…before we was actually married.” Isabelle continued. “And that's more than you can say.”

 

“I've had it with you.” Aikido glared at Isabelle, slapped her softly, and drug her out of the room. “Goodbye Master Ivy. We're going to get seats.”

 

“Thanks you three!” I called after them.

 

“Fell better, Miss Ivy?” Tamao looked me over worriedly.

 

“Other than the fact I'm going to throw up, and then I'm going to faint, I feel fine.” I tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace.

 

“Ivy, your morning sickness will have to wait until after you're married to the baby's father.” Anna rolled her eyes at me.

 

“Hey!! I'm not pregnant!!” I bellowed at my merciless older twin.

 

“Of course you're not.” Anna smiled smugly at me. “You've got fifteen minutes. You can step out for a short walk if you'd like. I'm giving you ten minutes. You won't be able to run away in that short of a time, so stay close and make sure you're back in time.”

 

“Thank you.” I whispered as I past her on my way out. The Church had a spectacular garden around it, and I needed some fresh air, so I decided to spend my last ten minutes of free time there.

 

The garden was littered with roses, pansies, daffodils, tiger lilies, and all sorts of flowering trees and bushes. There were some benches scattered around the area, and a few fountains spouting in a predetermined pattern. It was so beautiful.

 

I was so entranced by this beauty that I didn't look where I was going, and ran right into someone, almost knocking the both of us over.

 

“Ouch!! Hey buddy, why don't you watch where you're…going…” I looked into the man's eyes and fell in love all over again. The man I had run into smiled warmly at me as only he could. My heart melted. He looked so handsome in a suit…so much like his older brother.

 

“Yoh…” I hummed.

 

“Hello Ivy…” He couldn't take his eyes off of me, and was just as entranced with me as I was with him. “What are you doing out here? Not running for it, I hope?”

 

“Never…” I couldn't leave him. I was too far lost in his eyes to ever leave him. “I just came out here to clear my head.”

 

“Just say it, I already know: you were having second thoughts. It's okay, I had some too.” I smiled up at him. He knew me so well.

 

“I was having second thoughts Yoh.” I stated. “I don't think I can be a good, faithful wife. I can't really cook, or clean, or take care of kids, or anything that's expected of a wife. I don't see why you would want to marry me…” I sighed.

 

Two strong, well-muscled arms surrounded me in a tight hug. “What is it with Kyôyama girls and not being able to cook and clean?” I could hear the smile in Yoh's voice without having to look at his face. “Anna always made me do all the cooking and cleaning and household chores on top of training, so I really don't mind that you don't know how to.”

 

“Anna made you do all the work plus all that training?!” I'm sure a look of pure shock came over my face at the thought of my sister being so lazy.

 

“Yep. I could teach you how to do chores if you really wanted, but you'd probably prefer letting me do all the work. Not that I would mind. I wouldn't have any problem what so ever doing work for you Ivy…” Yoh nuzzled my neck and softly kissed me.

 

“I'd like to help.” I leaned up against him. “I wouldn't make you do so much hard work. It wouldn't be fair.”

 

“Yes, I definitely like you more than Anna.” Yoh smiled, hugging me tighter.

 

“Yoh! Don't say that!” I paused for a second to giggle softly, my fears of being useless to him relieved. “What were your second thoughts about, Yoh?”

 

“Ivy…if you haven't noticed I'm not as powerful as Hao.” Yoh sighed. “I'm not as strong, handsome, or as cunning as he is. I can't give you an easy laid-back life like he could…I'm afraid that I'm not enough to make you happy…I can't make you happy like he could…He can give you servants, and expensive gifts. He can take you around the world in the blink of an eye. He can take you anywhere and give you anything. I can't satisfy you like he can. Why would you want to marry me when you could have Hao?” I looked up into his eyes, and I could see all the pain and sorrow he was going through. I saw how much trouble he was having telling me how inadequate he was.

 

“Who said anything about Hao?” I asked in a rather annoyed tone.

 

“Ivy, I'm not stupid or blind. I know he was with you that night. I saw him leave, and I saw the way you held on to his poncho. I saw, and I know you love him…” Yoh was almost crying by now.

 

“I don't love him. Not anymore. Yesterday, when I said that I was tying up some loose ends too, I meant letting go of Hao. I talked with Ren about it. I don't love him as much as I love you. You are every bit as great as Hao was and more. Yoh, I love you. I want to marry you. I could have had Hao if I wanted, but I didn't. I don't want to marry Hao; I want to marry Yoh.” I placed a light kiss on his cheek as I smiled up at him.

 

He smiled back as he stood gaping at me. “You look gorgeous Ivy. I love you…”

 

I could feel my cheeks turning red. “Thank you…I love you, Yoh.” And we kissed. I was so happy that he thought I was gorgeous. I wasn't sure what he would think of the makeshift wedding gown that the girls had helped me put together yesterday.

 

I had my hair up in a waterfall ponytail, which looked remarkably like Lyserg's spirit's hairstyle. I was wearing a pair of Jun's earrings. They were made of jade, and felt really heavy on my ears, and for the short time that I wore them, I could imagine how Hao felt with those ridiculously huge star earrings on his ears all day. The earrings were a dangly Chinese-style dragon, and they almost reached to my shoulders. I had on my normal bright red lipstick, and my eyeliner tattoo was in place at the corner of my right eye. I also had on my heart pendant necklace that Yoh had given me, and on my left wrist was a red hair tie. The one Yoh had given me the previous night, and on my finger was the sun/moon/star engagement ring. I wasn't wearing a traditional gown. It was more of a skirt and shirt set, but it was white. My top was much like my red one that I always wore, and my white skirt was almost an exact replica of my normal black one. Instead of my trademark black boots (that lay in tatters somewhere back at the house), I wore a set of white leather boots that came up right below my knees.

 

In my opinion, I didn't look very different from what I normally did, but apparently, everyone else thought I looked heavenly, or angelic, or something like that.

 

I broke away from Yoh when I remember I was probably well over my ten minute time limit. “We're going to be late to our own wedding!” I couldn't help but laugh.

 

“You're right!” Yoh looked up at the Church's clock, and laughed along with me. He took my hand and escorted me back inside the Church, and to the door to the dressing room. We stood there for a moment looking at each other, not knowing what to say.

 

A realization struck me, “Yoh, we're getting married…” I barely managed to whisper, the thought sinking in.

 

“We're getting married…” Yoh repeated just as quietly. “We're getting married…” A smile crept onto his face, and he took me in his arms for another kiss. “And tonight you'll be my wife and I can do with you what I please!” Yoh flashed me an innocent Yoh grin that did not fit the connotation behind his words.

 

“And tonight you'll be my husband, and I can do with you what I please.” I echoed, giving him one final unwedded kiss before I snuck back inside the dressing room to be scolded by Anna for being late.

 

“Until then, my love.” He winked.

 

“Until then…” I winked back, and the door closed behind me.

 

“It's bad luck to let the groom see you before you two are married.” Tamao advised as I walked into the room.

 

“Don't be superstitious, Tamao.” Anna scolded, rolling her eyes. “Are you ready, Ivy?”

 

“I am.” I nodded at my sister, confidence filling my voice, and a smile accompanying it.

 

“I just wonder if Ren is ready to give you away…” Jun mused out loud. “He doesn't want you to go through with this, last time I checked in with him. It really is cruel to make him give you away, but there are no other male relatives or father figures in the area…so…well he'll have to get over himself.”

 

I nodded, my smile faltering some. `Cruel'…it wasn't really `cruel' to make Ren do the job. Deep down he wanted to, and would have been greatly upset if anyone else had been selected for the job besides him. What was really `cruel' was not telling Hao I was getting married to his brother, and he wouldn't find out about it until it was too late. But it also would have been cruel to invite him to the wedding…poor Hao…he couldn't possibly win any way you look at it…

 

We made it a fair way into the ceremony without me thinking about Hao. But I suppose when you're marrying your X-fiancée's twin brother, it's a bit hard not to think about said X-fiancée. Right at the part where the pastor says “If anyone has a reason that these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”, I thought of what Hao would do if he was there. I then decided, `He would probably yell—`

 

“—STOP!!!”

 

`—Yes, he would definitely yell “stop” just like that…Wait…Oh. My. GOD.'