Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Love of a Priestess ❯ Decisions ( Chapter 29 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Originally posted February 18, 2005; reposted May 10, 2005 with formatting edited.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took me so long to update! I've been working for almost a month on the ending of Chapter 33 and it's been distracting me from actually uploading the chapters I have.

Also, I'm rather review-starved, so if you have ANYTHING to say about this fic please do! It's encouraging that I have people reading the fic, but I'd like to know who you are and what you think about my writing.

And again, I'm sorry for any formatting problems… I don't understand what happens between Word and posting but somehow it always gets screwed up.

Chapter 29: Decisions

Wednesday night Mai held a big dinner at her apartment. Everyone was invited. I had asked her to do it. I wanted to ask them all to help me, to go with me the next night.

The table wasn't big enough for all eight of us, so instead we settled ourselves in her miniature living room. I smiled to myself when I saw Joey and Mai sit down together on the loveseat. Everyone thought Mai too proud to let Joey into her life. Maybe things would work out for the two of them after all.

As we were wrapping up dessert, I stood uncertainly and cleared my throat. Everyone fell silent and watched me.

“I… I wanted to thank you all, for being so wonderful and so patient the last three weeks… I just wanted to ask you… ask you all… if you would go with me to the church tomorrow night.”

There was a moment of silence. “Of course,” Yugi said quietly. “Of course we'll go with you.”

Everyone nodded their assent. “Thank you. I just… I can't do it by myself. I can't face…” I fell silent. I didn't know how to continue.

“Don't worry. We'll be there for you,” Tristan reassured me.

I nodded silently. I sat down beside Yugi, and he saw that I was crying.

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The next night Mai and I left her apartment, picked up Joey and Serenity, and went to the church. We met Duke, Tristan, Tea, and Yugi in the parking lot. With a deep breath, I turned and pushed the heavy wood door open.

Kaiba and Mokuba were sitting silently in the first row of pews. Mokuba turned when the door opened, but Kaiba did not. Anger flared briefly in my breast. He knew. He was waiting for me to come running back to him. I almost stopped and went back out to the car, but restrained myself.

Coolly, I walked down the aisle, my friends following in my wake. When I reached the front of the church I saw the rector who would be performing the service come out of a side room. My friends sat down in the pew behind the Kaiba brothers. I stood before the rector, waiting for Kaiba to join me.

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After the rehearsal there was a dinner for the wedding party, which no one seemed to enjoy. Unlike the last dinner we'd had together, this one was stiff and silent. We ate minimally and spoke even less.

When the end of the dinner arrived I knew I had to go back with Kaiba. He stood, waiting for me, as I hurried back to my friends.

“Eight o'clock Saturday morning,” I whispered to my bridesmaids. “Come help me get ready.”

They nodded. “Good luck,” Mai murmured, hugging me.

Serenity and Tea both hugged me in turn. “I can't believe you've been so strong…” Serenity said to me as she pulled away.

Each of the guys gave me a friendly hug, reaffirming their promises to support me. Yugi was last. As he hugged me he whispered in my ear, “Yami wants to talk to you tonight.” I nodded, and he let go. I watched them file silently out of the church, then turned back toward Kaiba.

I said nothing to him as I strode past him out the door. I stood anxiously beside the front door of the car as he unlocked it. The ride back to the mansion was silent and cold.