Powers

Chapter 24: Sealed Future

What looked like weeping willows hung with thousands of white flowers. Sure, some might say I have no masculinity if I enjoyed these flowers so much, but they were gorgeous. I then saw Gail in front of us. She had the basket of flower petals, throwing them in the air. She turned and smiled at me. I couldn't help but break my serious look to smile back at her. She had such a cute frilly dress on that had the same effect as my cape. It reflected teal, shimmering in the sun that had begun to find its way through the trees.
At the front of the many rows of people, I saw my mother at the end. Oh how difficult it was to not run into her arms, but after what felt like an eternity, and I finally reached her, I hugged her. I grabbed onto her, releasing the woman, and just sat in my mothers arms for a moment.
"Oh Sean" she sighed.
"I love you, momma" I whispered into her ear.
"I love you too, my beautiful boy" she patted my shoulder. She pushed a strand of hair from my eyes before encouraging me to go forward. When I released her hand it was like releasing my childhood. What memories I did have of being with her, even if I hadn't for the majority of my life. And now here I was, standing at an altar, marrying the man I had loved since we were sixteen, and had been best friends a long time before that.
I now finally faced Mark. He looked absolutely stunning in his set up, silver outlining his tanned skin. His large muscles.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, welcome" the officiant cleared his throat. "I'd like to welcome you to the bonding of Jack McLoughlin and Mark Fischbach." my heart immediately increased to a higher rate. I couldn't believe I was actually here. In this moment.
"Will you, Mark take Jack to be your wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, and forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?" The officiant looked Mark directly in the eyes. Mark took a huge breath in before words were formed on his tongue.
"I will" Mark nodded. A huge smile cracked his face. I could see how proud he was. And so was I. I was proud to have such a good spirited and strong partner. He was everything I could've ever asked for.
"And will you, Jack take Mark to be your wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, and forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?" The officiant turned to me. I almost yelled at myself to not screw this up.
"I will" I smiled shyly back. My heart pumping in my throat nearly stopped my words.
"Could we have the rings please" the officiant looked to the side. I turned to see Marie. She had come with Felix and Marzia. I hadn't seen her in so long that I nearly fell to tears when I saw how much she had grown. And the fact that she was here. She skipped forward with her beautiful slightly blue hair in waves on her shoulders. The curls bounced with ever movement as she passed the rings off. She then attached herself to my leg.
"I missed you, uncle Jack" she sighed. There was a bunch of 'awe's from the audience. My heart melted as I kneeled down to hug her.
"I missed you too, Marie" I hugged her tightly. I then gave her an orchid, which she took, and returned to her seat. I watched her frost it.
"Take these rings and place them on one another and say 'with this ring, I thee wed" the officiant passed us both a ring. The one in my hand was made of silver, as was the other one in Mark's hand.
"With this ring, I thee wed" Mark held my hand up, and slid the ring into place. I then took his hand.
"With this ring, I thee wed" I nodded as I slipped his ring into its spot.
"In as much as Groom and Groom have consented together in wedlock and have witnessed the same before this company, and pledged their vows to each other, by the authority vested in me by the State of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and husband!" The officiant cracked out in a smile of his own. I then had Mark's lips shoved against mine. I couldn't believe anything I was experiencing. It was a dream. A dream that I now had Mark's lips on mine and that I had a ring weighing down my hand that symbolized that I was his.
The crowd went into an uproar of applause. Mark and I turned. I had a smile brighter than the sun, that stretched across my face. I suddenly had to catch myself as Gail flew into my arms. She wasn't gentle about it, as I had fallen right onto my back. I felt the gold bands dig into my back, but I could easily ignore the feeling of it as I exploded into laughter. Vines gently grabbed me by my back and lifted me into a standing position, with Gail still in my arms.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could just have your attention please!" The officiant raised his voice. The celebratory shouts and hollers came to a quick stop as they all looked to him. "Thank you, anyway, we will have a hour break for food before the Chief's ceremony will commence. There is food and water provided if you go through the doors and to the left. Could we keep family members and close friends here for pictures please" with that, the small outdoor place was emptied. Except my parents, brother, Mark's mom and another man with her, Ethan, Phoenix, Felix, Marzia, and Marie. Beside me I saw Mark's jaw drop. He was looking at the guy beside his mom. I could only assume they were brothers.
"Tom!" Mark hurriedly left the stage. Before I could join him, I was whisked away, to have a picture taken with the other Chiefs. I wanted to refuse one without Mark in it, but Aeon looked to be losing his patience already. I was placed in the middle. I felt a bit out of place, seeing as my own headdress wasn't grown yet. Each of them had gorgeous pieces on their head. Aeon had water flowing from his head. Neva had ice spiked from hers, and so on.
"Mark! Please bring your family here! It's picture time" the photographer waved him over. The Chiefs left us to our own picture. Mark, Gail, and I had one of our own first, then added the parents, then separately with our own families, and with friends. By the time we had finished, it was time to commence the next ceremony. People had already begun piling in. Mark and I were placed side by side on the stage as Aeon now became the master of ceremonies.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you would all please find your seats," Aeon raised his voice. My heart nearly stopped in my chest. The time I had been waiting for so long had arrived and I didn't know how to handle it. I ended up grabbing onto Mark. I held his hand firmly in my own.
"Let's get this thing fired up. First, you make oath, both of you" Aeon instructed as he was handed a well aged book. I nodded so he was aware I was ready. I took a huge breath in.
"Raise your right hand to your heart, please," Mark and I both did, "Do you two vow to keep your people's safe? And put their lives ahead of your own?" Aeon read from the book.
"I will" Mark and I said in unison.
"Do you swear to hold your position, and pass on any traditions your faction holds?"
"I will"
"Do you promise to keep your oath, both this one and one previously made?"
"I will"
"With that, I bring forward Ms. Sylvania" Aeon moved to the side. Drums began beating. Loud enough I could feel them in my chest. Singing began. It was again in that language I could understand but not speak. They were going too fast for me to pick up on anything however. I heard things about the creator and bringing new life to the land.
Then I saw the little old lady. She now had a name to match her face. She continued the ancient chants as she held more of the black liquid in a bowl. As she stood herself in front of me, and bowed, she asked me to add a flower to the liquid in her language. I added a lotus, because it was a truly beautiful flower. She then put the bowl in front of Mark. She asked him to place something in it as well, but he didn't know the language. He seemed to understand it however. In the bowl went a palm full of water. She chanted again asking the creator to allow Mark and I wellness. She took the liquid, and instead of drawing on my already blackened face, she began drawing over my heart. She drew a lotus floating on the water. She copied the same thing onto Mark's chest.
"With these markings, our new Chief has now officially been brought back" she went onto her hands and knees, bowing. Everyone from the factions followed her movements. Half the crowd bowed down to me. This I knew was now the time I grew my headdress. I squeezed Mark's hand and nodded. Together, we grew them. I had magnificent orchids and various grasses frown from mine while Mark had waves. Once again, the crowd erupted into celebration.

And so the celebration continued long into the night. Mark and I had shared the first dance, showing our practice had paid off. People then drank in our name, taking shots and goofing around. I would have stayed as well, but I began to get a headache, and poor Gail had fallen asleep. I excused myself and went back to our room alone with Gail. She snored gently, never stopping even as I placed her down into her bed. I took off all the pieces of my outfit, making sure the gold pieces lay gently on something. I continued on to the bathroom, where I washed the black off of my face. While I was washing, I heard the door open.
"It's just me, Jack" Mark announced his presence. Meanwhile, my headache was suddenly getting worse. It was turning into a pounding migraine. I had to sit.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Mark was in the bathroom with me now.
"I got a migraine I think" I rubbed my head.
"How come?" Mark sat beside me and pulled me into him.
"I don't know. The only thing that could possibly be is the weird drink that old woman gave me" I remembered drinking the nasty thing and being so confused. Now why was I confused? There was something before that drink that I had forgotten.
"Why don't we go ask her? Maybe she can help"
"Alright" I agreed. Mark had to guide me down the halls, as the headache only became progressively worse. Each little sound pounded in my head, from the tapping of our feet, to the knocking on the door.
"Sylvania? Please open, it's an emergency. Jack's not feeling well and he thinks it's from that drink you gave him," Mark spoke at the door. It opened quickly.
"He's got a migraine?" She asked. I had shut my eyes at that point, leaning against Mark.
"Yes he does, and it's gotten bad in the last maybe ten minutes" Mark caught my weight as I finally gave in.
"Bring him in," Mark began moving me. "Unfortunately for him, there's not much I can do beside put him to sleep. The migraine is being caused by the memories that were being repressed. They're trying to break the wall the magic created"
"You did what to Jack?" Mark was in shock. I lifted my arm, and placed my hand on his arm. It was a bit of a shock to me as well, but I didn't want to deal with it right now.
"Please don't, Mark. Just let her put me to sleep so it can go away" I begged. Mark backed off as Sylvania gave me another drink. I took it, and drank down every last drop, waiting for the sleepiness to wash over me. It didn't take long for it to kick in, and I was off, into a very deep sleep