Here is A CRIMBO !!!!!!!
Figgy: sigh
Mel: Calm now. May I have a quiet moment.
everyone shuts up
Mel: This is a fic which starts off with an unexpected wedding. But I must warn you - not all is as it seeeeeemsssss
Figgy: scaaaaaaryyyyyyy

Christmas Cheer…or maybe not

Chapter 1: Fratley

My existence?

Is it true?

Or false?

Am I real or…unreal…

So many questions…too little time…

To…answer my mind…

Yet it never works out for me…ever

Opening my eyes, I can see the sunlight shining. The dust is visible as it floats around the sunbeams, dancing. The sunbeams themselves shine on my face, making me squint my eyes.

Just another normal day in Lindblum.

I sit up in bed and rub my eyes, wiping the sleepers from them. I slowly get up and am disturbed by the resident moogle in the room next door.

“Kupo! Kupo!” he cries, through the wall.

“Kupo yourself.” I mutter darkly. I get out of the inn bed and pack my bag. Another day of travelling for me. Who knows where? It depends on what my mind is asking today. Sometimes it asks one thing, sometimes another. It really doesn’t matter.

Ever since I knocked my head, my head has been bursting with questions.

Who am I?

Who are my parents, where are they now?

Where did I come from?

Why does everybody look at me as if I don’t belong?

There are plenty of people like me there, but WHY is it always me that has the bad luck?

I can’t remember a dickybird. That was really good news after I fell down a mountain and went into a slight coma. But hey, the doctor said, these things happen to people all the time…

Or do they?

I’m lonely. Typically lonely. Can’t find myself a girl, or best friend.

The moogle enters, clutching a letter in his paw.

“For you, sir!” he says. I gingerly take it, and he leaves with a “kupo”.

I look at it curiously. Turning it over, I can see my name, written in neat blue ink script.

Sir Irontail Fratley

Wow, they actually put my nickname on. What an accomplishment.

Though it doesn’t really mean that much now. That nickname was used way before the accident, when I was all heroic and when all the girls loved me. Ha ha, not happening now, is it? Every girl I come across avoids me or tries not to get involved with me. What am I doing wrong? I am trying…

I realise that I have been staring at the envelope for five minutes. I open it neatly and take out a card, in the same type of pretty paper as the envelope. Inside the card is a message:

Freya Crescent and Amarant Coral

Invite you to their wedding

On the 24th December

At the Cleyran church

Shit! I forgot all about it. I remember a rumour that Freya and Amarant were getting married, I just didn’t think it was true. Obviously I stand corrected.

Another worry enters my mind. Should I go? I look up at the calendar on the inn wall. 22nd December. That moogle must have travelled for ages to get to me.

I’ll go. But I can’t promise I’ll get there on time.

I put the card in my bag and walk downstairs and pay 100 Gil to the innkeeper, writing my usual comment in the book, “Very nice. Moogle a bit annoying though.”

And I set off. Into the hustle and bustle of Lindblum.

There are people dotted here and there, selling all sorts of things. The stench of rotting Gysahl pickles enters my nostrils, and I twitch my nose in disgust. Never wake up to the smell of Gysahl pickles in the morning. It will be death, I tell you.

I wade in through the crowd, trying to reach the cab station. In my hurry I bump into someone carrying a large stack of leaflets about this years Festival of the Hunt. She drops them all and immediately I bend down to pick them up to help her.

“I’m sorry, please let me help you!” I say, trying very hard not to get trampled by the crowd. Some other people stop to pick the leaflets up to.

The girl looks up at me. “Who are you?” she asks, cocking her head to one side.

“Sir Fratley” I reply. My throat dries when I realise how pretty the girl is.

The girl’s eyebrows rise up, and I am predicting she will get up and walk away in disgust. Instead her eyes widen.

“The Sir Fratley?” she asks impressed.

I blush. “Yeah.” I mumble. I can feel myself going red.

“Shall we go somewhere private, like the aircab station?” the girl yells, trying to raise her voice over the noise around us. I nod and we carry the leaflets into the aircab station.

She pushes her long blonde hair out of her face and grins up at me. “That’s better.” She smiles.

I smile too. “So, what’s your name?”

The girl giggles slightly and stares at the floor. “June.”

“I like that.” I look down at her, as she remains staring at the floor, clutching the leaflets in her arms tightly.

Suddenly the stationmaster calls out, “All aboard for Lindblum Castle!”

“Damn, that’s my cab.” I curse. June smiles up at me.

“Me too.” She says. We both laugh at this strange coincidence.

We walk over to the aircab, and I let her in first. Then I get in myself. Surprisingly we are the only ones there.

“So,” I say, trying to make conversation. “What’s the reason for going to Lindblum Castle?”

June looks out of the window as the cab starts moving.

“These leaflets are about the Festival of the Hunt. Heard of it?” she replies, handing me one. I take it and read it quickly. On the back is a list of past winners. I spot a name that looks familiar.

“Amarant Coral? He’s won once?” I ask. June nods.

“Yes, only once though. After that he said never again. Know him?” she says curiously.

“Yes, we used to be best friends. Then he went off and became a…hit man…and we haven’t seen each other since. I’m going to his wedding the day after next.” I reply. June’s eyes widen.

“Amarant and Freya’s wedding? I’m going to that too!” she laughs. “I used to know Freya from school. What strange coincidences today!”

I smile. “Must be destined.” I mutter. We both chuckle and sit down, preparing for a long wait before the cab pulls up in the station.

“Ever met Freya?” June asks after a short pause. I shake my head.

“Nope. It’ll all be strange at the wedding. Haven’t seen him for ages. I wonder if he remembers what I look like? I can’t really remember him.”

“You…don’t remember him?” June asks.

“Only vaguely.” I reply, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. “I got amnesia some time ago and only have a few memories of the years in the past. I can’t remember the first years of my life, so don’t remember who my parents are.”

I realise that June hasn’t got out of her seat and wandered to the other side of the cab in anxiety, but puts an arm round my shoulders in pity.

“Poor you,” she whispers.

I turn my face to look at her. Staring into her blue eyes I don’t know how I feel. What is this shaking sensation in my head? Slowly our faces edge towards together and our lips meet, sealing a tender kiss.

And we stay in that position until the cab draws up to the station and we break apart.

“So…” June stammers, unsure about what just happened as much as I do.

“What do you say?” I ask her, running a hand through her hair.

“I say…let’s give it a shot.” She smiles, and we cling to each other in another kiss.

We go together to the airship dock, and catch the first airship to Cleyra. After a day, we arrive in Cleyra, and spend the night in the inn.

The day comes when I dress in my best suit and June dress in her best dress, and we head off, arm in arm to the church.

The sun slants through the tall windows. In the corner is the golden harp; where on the top is the Cleyran star, a rare jewel that was originally a part of the Crystal. The Priest is talking to a tall green skinned man with long afro-ish red hair. He looks nervous.

“Save me a seat.” I mutter to June and I walk up to the man.

“Long time no see, Ammy-boy.” I chuckle to Amarant. Amarant jumps and looks down at me.

“Fratley? You made it!” he smiles. I notice his eyes are bright and a stupid shaky grin is on his face.

“Nervous?” I joke. He nods his head, sighing.

“She’s beautiful Frats. Just you wait and see her.” He says proudly.

“Hang on,” I laugh. “You’re acting as if you want me to nick her off you! Nah, my girl wouldn’t like that much.”

“Girl?” Amarant raises an eyebrow in amusement. I cock my head in the direction of June. He looks and nods his head. “Pretty,” he says. Suddenly there is a hustle from the back of the church.

“See you later,” I say to Amarant and I sit down next to June.

The harp begins to play the Cleyran Wedding March. Everyone stands up as we all crane round to see the bride. The Priest walks slowly down the aisle and stands in front of Amarant, who has turned round, grinning at the young Burmecian woman who is also walking down the aisle, her face completely hidden by her veil. An older man links arms with her.

“That’s Odeon, her dad.” June whispers to me.

A young girl with a horn walks behind her. She is wearing a purple dress to match her purple hair. However, she seems slightly annoyed at this fact.

“That’s Eiko. She and Freya met on one of her travels.” June says.

Freya, Odeon and Eiko stand at the end of the aisle. The harp starts playing the first song and everyone starts to sing.

Eiko walks in front of Freya and lifts up the veil revealing her long shining silver hair and bright emerald green eyes.

Amarant was right. She is beautiful. She has the face of an angel and when she starts singing she has a voice like an angel too. In spite of my happiness that Amarant has found the perfect girl I feel slightly jealous. Still, I doubt Freya would have been interested in me anyway.

After he song has been sung, the wedding ceremony is under way. The vows are said, and the exchange of rings is done.

“People,” the Priest smiles at us all. “I announce these two…husband and wife!”

Everyone starts cheering as Freya and Amarant kiss, her arms flung around her.

They then sign the register while Eiko sings a little song; “Poison” I believe it was called. There was a lot of electric guitar in it…

Freya and Amarant finish and they walk out of the church, their families (well Freya’s anyway) following them.

June drags me outside where we marvel at the spectacular display.

“Oh Fratley,” June simpers, “it’s snowing!”

I smile at her and kiss her gently. “Maybe someone arranged it for you,” I waggle my eyebrows. She laughs and we walk down the tree trunk to a huge fast airship that takes us to the reception in Lindblum.

“Eiko’s adoptive father is Regent Cid. He’s kindly organised a party in the Grand Castle for us,” June explains. I nod my head in understanding and in only half an hour we arrive in the Grand Castle.

“Welcome, newly weds!” Regent Cid nods to Amarant and Freya. They thank him again for the revenue and we all enter a huge hall where there is music playing and a bar in one corner. The golden chandelier is perched up high, glittered with diamonds and rubies. It shines elegantly soft shades of red and spectrums on the pale cream walls. The statues are carved beautifully.

“Want a drink?” I ask June. She tugs at my arm.

“Let’s see the couple first.” She insists.

We walk over to Amarant and Freya, who are talking to Odeon and laughing.

“Freya!” June smiles. Freya looks at June and smiles. “June! Glad you could make it!” she beams. The two ladies hug and June takes my arm.

“Freya, this is Fratley, my new boyfriend.” June says proudly. I smile nervously as Freya’s emerald green eyes eye me up and down.

“Have we…met?” she asks.

“I…I…I don’t think so…”

Freya sighs and turns back to June, and they are indulged in conversation.

“So,” Amarant says in my ear, “You’ll be seeing a lot of us, as they are such good friends.”

I chuckle at his comment and we leave our two gossiping partners to chatter on to get a drink.

“So, where’s the honeymoon?” I ask slyly.

“Oh yeah, well, you know how Freya’s always wanted to go to Esto Gaza?” Amarant asks. I shake my head in utter confusion.

“Oh yeah, sorry, forgot. Well, I got us a couple of cruise tickets there.” He sighs fondly as he gazes at his new beloved.

I gaze at June. It has been a weird week. At the beginning of the 22nd I was lonely, depressed and suicidal. But then I met June, and watched my best friend get married to a beautiful young lady. Yup, my luck has changed…