Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter sixty-three- The wedding

Chapter sixty-three

I awoke with a start, my eyes flying open as sunshine streamed though a window that wasn't the window of my room. The soft comforting breath of Levi at my side wasn't there and my memory slowly returned to me. Right, drunken part. I looked around at the guests sprailed about sleeping. Many of them had left but Petra and Hanji where both still here. Petras little auburn head could be spotted behind the edge of the bar she was on the floor in a puddle of drool and Hanji was sprawled across the countertop. I smiled at the memory of those to having a dance compition. Hanji had won, that’s why she was on the counter top. I sat up and poked at them “We have places to go, lets get out of here.” I said. Hanji grumbled, her glasses where on the floor so she flowndered about trying to find them. I helped her out, then went to Petra. “Peta.” I'd nicknamed her “C'mon, time to go.” She sighed “Five more minutes.” I grabbed her arm and yanked her up. “Nope, we have to get back. I have a wedding remember?” that snapped her out of her funk the girls head snapped up and her drowsy gaze was replaced with a happy grin. “Ok! Lets go!” She shoved me out the door and grabbed Hanji on the way out who was still fixing her glasses.

She pushed us into a waiting carriage and told the driver to hurry. We tore off towards wall rose and Trost. We passed the headquarters and I looked into the row of trainees. I couldn't see the familiar face of my commander before the carriage blew past into a grove of pine trees. We quickly reached Trost, it was still really early in the morning. The reception was going to be held at a near-by church. We snuck into the house passing Erd, Gunter and Oluo who where all passed out on the couches. Petra smuggled me up into my room I clicked the door behind me as softly as I could I heard Levi shifting in the bed behind me. I must have looked absolutely disgusting my hair all knotted and tangled my dress must have been completely covered in stains from god knows what. I heard him moving again and soft snoring emanating from his body. I peeked a look over at him, he had dark circles under his eyes and I smiled softly. He must have been worrying about today, I knelt down and kissed his forehead softly then pulled on my pajamas and crawled into the bed next to him. We still had a few more resting hours before we'd have to get ready.

I drifted off into a dream, I was in the house. Running after a chubby little child. He was the same one with red hair and gray eyes, the little boy grinned and giggled as I raced after him. My fingers outstretched for his little belly, I missed and suddenly the house was gone and before me was the jaws of a titan. A massive one, armored with golden spiked hair. I screamed for the little boy but he raced right into the waiting fangs of the beast then the dream ended.

I opened my eyes suddenly and shot up my breathing had escalated and I felt my palms dripping with sweat. Levi had woken up at my tossing and turning he was looking at me with a worried expression. “Alya…?” He asked. I shook my head slowly “It was just a bad dream.” He nodded and moved closer to me “Care to tell me?” I shook my head “I'd rather not think about it.” He smiled understandingly and we both laid down I curled my arms around his mid-section. It seemed like when I was with him, the bad dreams just melted away into a puddle of evil on the floor. I manged to get a few more hours of sleep before Levi got me up. He headed to the reception ahead of me to great the guests. I was to wait an extra hour to get that special ‘bride’ entrance. He kissed me one final time before vanishing down the steps and out the door.

Petra and Hanji came up to help me get into my over-sized white dress. It was beautiful, but ridiculous. It was simple, which is the thing I liked about it. The dress didn't have a shelves and only a simple line of pearls around the middle and at the neck. It had a long white train behind it. Petra fixed my hair up to make it appear like it was shorter she pinned it back with a rose. It made me look like I was a scarlet haired version of her. She curled a few strands, then it was the white heels. I'd picked the smallest kind but the wedding dress saleswoman had insisted on me buying a pair of heels.  I struggled to put them on then walking was an entirely different task. After a while of walking around in circles I got it down, Petra and Hanji helped me down the winding steps towards the bottom floor. They helped me outside holding up the bottom of my dress so it didn't get dirty. A farmer who lived in wall Rose had let us borrow his white horse. I was riding side-saddle. Something I'd never done before, so hopefully I didn't screw it. The other two had matching black ones to go with their white and black dresses we had agreed on. The theme of the wedding was black and white, because Levi liked the color black and I enjoyed the purity of white.

We rode down the cobble stone road toward the church. People looked out of their windows to see us, we had collected a trail of young children running after us. They laughed and smiled waving their hands. We trotted the horses up to the church and stopped at the door. To my utter surprise, Erwin was waiting on the steps for us. I almost fell of my horse just at the sight of him. I dismounted with the help of one of the young men waiting at the entrance. Erwin smiled at me walking down the white marble steps towards us. Petra and Hanji wiggled there eye-brows and elbowed each other playfully, they must have had some part in making him show up. “Erwin…?” I asked looking up at the tall blond man in confusion. “We'll talk after, I couldn't miss your big day. Anyway, you didn't have anyone to walk you down the aisle right?” I hadn't even thought about that. I smiled at him and gave him a quick hug then we all went inside the doors. I stood in the little center room between the reception room and the outside trying to catch my breath. I was freaking out.

Erwin took my arm in his and Petra and Hanji stood at my sides. He pushed open the doors and we walked in. Little village girls where at the sides of the hallway throwing white flower petals onto the red carpet. I bit my tongue to keep me from smiling, people began to stand as I walked down the aisle. A beautiful piano song rang threw the hallway echoing off the wood and creating a very beautiful melody. I kept my gaze locked on Levi who looked very dapper in his black suit. Behind him stood Erd, Gunter and Oluo. All holding their heads high and fighting back grins. We eventually reached the top and Erwin let me go to Levi. It was a strange moment, almost as though he was saying with his motions that he was giving Levi to me. That he couldn't change the fact that I loved Levi, and Levi loved me. The ebony haired boy took my gloved hands in his as the priest began his reception.  

I couldn't focus on the words the priest was saying while I was starting to get lost in the depths of Levis beautiful gray eyes. The light coming through the muliti-colored windows caused them to shine with different colors. Eventually the words “The rings?” Caught my attention as a young boy had walked up to us to give Levi the ring. This young boy had straw-berry blond hair atop his head and chestnut eyes. I wondered who he was. We each took a ring from the pillow and slipped them onto each other’s fingers. The priest when threw our vows and finished up with. “You may kiss the bride.” Levi dragged me into a very passionate kiss his hands in my hair as the flower petals from above where released from the waiting baskets causing a very magical moment. White petals fluttered down around us as Levi finished the kiss and pulled away from me. We turned towards the groups of people we knew and loved, most of them where people from training. People I had helped out our touched in some way or another.

We all headed to the back in the garden and the dancing began with me and Levi. We started out slow dancing but eventually things started to get crazy as more and more people showed up to dance with us. As I was spun between people my eyes collected something in the trees, a hooded figure. The shadow was tall his overcoat was a dark shade of brown and as the person lifted their head I could see his face. He was an old man that I knew and recognized very well. He had a cigar in his mouth and gave me a half smile. The man was none-other then captain Ackerman. He lifted a hand to me and waved then he was gone. I smiled to myself, he was such a mysterious person but he'd taught me so much. I had to respect him. My focus returned to dancing as men in white brought out the cake. It was beautiful and white with chocolate frosting around the edges of its three layers. We all stopped dancing and flocked to it. Myself and Levi both took up too knifes and cut into the surface. We fed each other slices of the decadent food.

Everyone got a slice after that and people began to split off into groups chatting merrily. Petra and Hanji where clearly enjoying themselves dancing with the attractive young bust boys. I stuck close to Levis side, the beautiful gold rings glittering on our fingers. I looked over at him with a smile, he grinned at me threw a bite of cake. Some frosting had gotten on his nose so I helped him out and wiped it off licking it off my finger he laughed softly. “I'm the luckiest man alive to have someone like you Alya.”  I smiled at him. “Well-“ I began when a voice interrupted me.

“Levi… Levi Ackerman?”