Title: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 8
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 3,580
Summary: Sun and Judgment are getting married. The "why" and "how" really aren't that important right now. For this is not a story about their romance; this is the story of us observers. Yes, we, the underappreciated observers of this whole spectacle who did 99% of the work, and only received a slice of wedding cake in return. Grisia/Lesus, Ceo/Roland
Notes: Co-written with

kiyutsuna! Odd chapters are hers. Even chapters are mine. Enjoy~.

Slice 7: Explosive Fun! ...Not

Slice 8: What Could Have Been

Aldrizzt

Traveling into town was always a difficult matter, but this time even more so. I had my hood secured to prevent people from fainting or gasping upon seeing me, but Neo sauntered in as if he owned the place. Someone gave a shout of, "Is that the Sun Knight?" and then immediately after that, the public swamped him, and I lost him among the sea of people.

Although he was the former Sun Knight, a well known figure in Leaf Bud City, it was never usually this bad when we dropped by. I had really underestimated the magnitude of Grisia's wedding.

"Oh my gosh, it is the Sun Knight!"

"Sun Knight! Congratulations!"

"Sun Knight! Can you bless my wedding?"

"Please name my baby!"

"We are very much looking forward to the wedding!"

"My family has already sent our blessings to the Church!"

"Sun Knight, you are such an inspiration!"

"Sun Knight, you have helped me see the light! Why be enemies when you can stand on the same side? Although he and I have been enemies for our entire lives, we have decided to get married!"

At that last one, which had been spoken in a single breath, I finally squeezed my way closer to the head of blond I had barely managed to catch a glimpse of. Neo had a smile plastered on his face, his entire demeanor completely different from that of my traveling companion.

"I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart," Neo said with a bright smile. "It is the God of Light's will for enemies to forgive each other and join hands, and you have carried out His will brilliantly."

After speaking, Neo looked away from the man who had spoken, caught sight of me, and grinned, his perfect and polite Sun Knight smile from earlier turning much more feral.

"Aldrizzt, what are you hiding there for! Come! Dally any longer and my hair will turn white like yours!"

I rolled my eyes. Whose fault is it for getting caught in the crowd right away? And are you sure you want to be drawing attention to me right now?

It seemed that Neo's patience toward maintaining the Sun Knight's demeanor had greatly diminished over the years. He had only said a single line in a graceful manner before he defaulted back to his usual.

"Oh right." Neo turned to the young mother who had asked him to name her baby. "Ahem. A name, you say?" He peered down at the baby in her arms. "From now on, I declare you to be Nagga! May she grow as strong as the serpents of legend!"

"Uh... thank you, Sun Knight! What a unique name!" The mother had her brows furrowed. She probably didn't know what to make of the name.

I dearly hoped the mother and the daughter never learned the real origin of her name. Just last night before Neo and I had reached the city, Neo had been complaining of how Chasel always nagged, how Grisia always nagged, and how I always nagged as well.

"You are all such a bunch of naggers! You really should have been named Nagga! I get it, already, Aldrizzt! I'm not going to give Grisia a hard time, okay?"

Back in the present, one of the townspeople looked suspiciously at me. "Sun Knight, may I ask who your companion here is?"

Neo didn't even bat an eye as he said, "He's yet another I've saved from the darkness. That's all! May the God of Light shine on us all!"

A chorus of "oooos~~~" sounded, and Neo finally extricated himself from the crowd. I tugged on his hood, intent on helping him pull his hood up before more disaster struck.

"Let's not have a repeat performance of that," I said.

He snorted and knocked my hand away, single-handedly fixing the hood in place himself. "Those people seriously have no eyes, always mistaking me for Grisia! I'm fit. He's not. Am I dainty like a girl? No! We don't look alike at all! Blind, the whole lot of them! And I thought my student was blind!"

They were truly not very observant. Neo's empty right sleeve dangled from his shirt. Surely that should have been enough to clue most in that Neo and Grisia were different people? Then again, maybe they hadn't mixed them up. Not once had they said that Neo was the one getting married. They had just called him the Sun Knight, which he technically was in the past.

"You've said before that blond hair and blue eyes is really all it takes, right?" I said. And presence. "Besides, being mistaken for Grisia is not a bad thing. He's young." And I thought you liked looking young.

Neo eyed me strangely. "Do you have a thing for my student? You better not! That's cradle-robbing!"

"I never said anything like that!"

"He's already getting married, you know!"

"I know!"

Unlike what Neo had initially thought when we first laid eyes on the invitation that Chasel had sent, the city had not burned as a result of the Sun Knight and the Judgment Knight getting married, and neither had the Sun Knight's reputation crumbled to dust. In fact, I'd say that the Sun Knight's reputation was actually shining more brightly than ever. Neo was even laughing as we made our way to Chasel's house, buoyed by what he had seen in the city.

"I can't believe it! He actually did it... He actually made it into an example for people to follow! Hahaha! Only Grisia!"

As we walked through the city, we'd heard plenty of gossip, and there were even fictional stories detailing the "beautiful" love story between the Sun Knight and the Judgment Knight being sold right next to the newspapers. The names were changed, but the stories were obviously about them.

"Read all about it! Read all about how one man was saved from the shadows to walk under the light together with his savior!"

"What a heartwarming story." A group of housewives sighed dreamily.

One of them picked up the story, looked at the cover, and said, "They should have drawn him in a dress!"

"Who? The Sun Knight?"

"No! The Judgment Knight? Haven't you heard? The Judgment Knight is a huge fan of 'the latest fashion'!"

"No way!"

"I won't believe it until I see it!"

"We might get to see him in a dress if we go to the wedding reception!"

"But I heard you need to buy tickets to enter the reception..."

It was with such talk following us that we made our way to Chasel's house. Although the streets grew farther apart and the buildings sparser the closer we got to Chasel's place, talk about the wedding didn't die down much. Practically everyone was talking about the wedding with it only being a few days away.

"I-Imagine Chasel in a wedding dress," Neo finally managed to squeeze out in between his laughter.

What in the world are you imagining, Neo...

I'd asked Neo earlier if it were common for men to wear dresses when they get married. It turned out that there was no such tradition, so why was Chasel's student going to wear a dress?

Neo eyed me speculatively. "Or what about you, Aldrizzt? Fancy wearing a dress?"

"Not really," I said. "My robes are much more practical." Just like how it was much more practical for Neo to wear a knight's outfit than to wear a dress. I couldn't imagine him fighting in a dress, especially not one of the puffy dresses I'd seen being worn by several women around town. What would that look like...

"Che, you're no fun."

Neo, is this your way of...

I frowned, but Neo had already strolled off. I quickly caught up to redirect him.

When we finally got to Chasel's quaint little house, Neo made a gesture as if to shoo me along, and then he jerked his thumb at the street behind him. "See you later, Aldrizzt. I'm going that way."

"Aren't you going to at least say hello to Chasel?" I asked.

"No, no, I must pay my student a visit before his wedding to remind him of his dear teacher's presence. He has likely forgotten, seeing that he didn't even send the wedding invitation himself!"

"Okay," I said, even though I knew it was more of an excuse so that he could escape from Chasel. "But Neo, you should head that way."

I indicated the street opposite of the one he had pointed out. "The Holy Temple is that way."

"I knew that," Neo said when he obviously didn't. He even grumbled about Chasel's choice to live in such a desolate part of town, as if that made any difference. I watched him disappear down the street.

Will he even reach the Holy Temple before nightfall? Maybe I should go with him...

Then again, Grisia probably would not mind if his teacher did not make it in time. I shrugged to myself and knocked on Chasel's door, intent on catching up. With Neo out of the picture, I could even give Chasel a status update in person instead of how I always did it by letter.

"Chasel, you really think too highly of me," I said as he set out the tea. I pushed my hood down and shook out my hair, running a hand through it to get rid of the snags. "I nearly thought it to be a joke when I saw your letter."

"Oh? Did Neo give you a lot of trouble?" Chasel asked. "I'm hurt he didn't even come in."

Chasel blew gently on his tea, dark eyes regarding me curiously.

"To him, you're probably even scarier than a dragon," I said. Do you even have to ask about Neo and trouble? "And to the town we were in, Neo was definitely even scarier than a dragon."

"How did he respond?"

I counted on my fingers. "One smashed table, three broken wine bottles, two broken chairs, three unconscious men, and a collapsed roof. Not too bad. I can still count that on my fingers."

I held my fingers up to show Chasel.

Chasel chuckled. "That really isn't all that bad in consideration."

I sobered, letting my hands fall to rest around my tea cup. "Indeed, it wasn't. It was more... after he got tipsy that was more worrying."

We had drunk well into the night, under the starry sky instead of having a roof above us (since Neo had seen to the destruction of that). As the empty bottles grew more and more numerous around us, Neo in turn grew more and more somber. He'd gazed up at the night sky, moonlight shining down on his blond tresses, casting an ephemeral glow around his figure. To me, Neo had always been someone who lived in the moment, and I admired him for it, but at that particular instant, I knew very well that he was stuck in the past.

I could only look on, forced to acknowledge that time wasn't something that ever stood still. We couldn't just live in the present, disconnected from the past and the future. Despite having only known Neo for a handful of years, merely a tiny fraction of my life, I couldn't imagine not having him in my life anymore.

Yet it would eventually come to pass.

I didn't want to have regrets like theirs.

Chasel waited for me to continue. Neo's wry smile surfaced to the forefront of my thoughts.

"At first, he talked about Grisia when he was younger and complained that Grisia was so much of a church hermit that he was even marrying someone from the Holy Temple, but later on, he started talking about you..." I said, voice trailing off.

"Ah," was all Chasel said. He took a sip of tea. Then, he stared down at it, dark eyelashes brushing against his cheeks. This time, it was my turn to wait for him to speak, just like I had listened to Neo. Finally, he glanced back up at me. "I suspect he just never thought it possible between us, and to see our students managing what we couldn't..."

The Judgment Knight and the Sun Knight getting married is unheard of! Neo had shouted. Chasel and I both know it clearly!

"Grisia is quite something, isn't he?" I asked.

"That he is." Chasel laughed. "Much more daring than either Neo or me."

"I never understood why either of you let your positions tie you down like that." Just how did they have it in them to honor a god they could not see, to don masks and pretend to be someone they were not? Why let the reputations of dead men dictate their lives? Humans were strange beings indeed.

Chasel shook his head sadly. "For us, our positions were both our bonds and our excuses. In any case, Neo was never meant to be tied down. I'm glad he has you now."

"Don't you miss him?" I asked. Neo was like a force of nature, never someone who could ever be forgotten. Although I didn't understand humans and their marriage customs, it was clear that marriage was an important step for many of them, and Chasel and Neo had both wanted something like it.

Chasel chuckled. "I do have a Neo-sized hole in my life, but what can I do? The man runs at the very sight of me. Am I really that scary, Aldrizzt?"

Perhaps if I had met Chasel when he was the Judgment Knight, I might have thought him to be intimidating. However, the moment I'd met him, he'd greeted me with a small smile, and we'd immediately bantered over the great burden that was Neo. His house was the coziest I'd ever been in, with a small fireplace and meticulously pruned plants, inviting conversation waiting to be shared over tea. Coming here was always very relaxing. Chasel's calmness always made me feel tranquil too.

I smiled behind my cup. "I was jesting earlier. Rather than scary, I think Neo just doesn't want to be nagged at."

"True, even though Neo is the one who inspires that kind of reaction from everyone. He even makes his student nag at him," Chasel lamented. "Still, I do miss him."

He took a sip of his tea. Then, he placed his cup down on his saucer and glanced over at me with a small smile. "But well, I'm glad I have you now too."

I felt my smile grow.

Although both Chasel and Neo had regrets over their past decisions, I was thankful Neo had decided to go off adventuring. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here sharing tea with Chasel, chatting about the very person who played such a huge part of our lives. Who knew I could have such bonds too?

I sipped my tea, and we continued chatting late into the night.

When two sharp knocks sounded on the door the next day, I thought Neo might have miraculously made it back from the Holy Temple without getting lost. That, or he had returned without having made it to the Holy Temple at all. However, Chasel's greeting indicated that the person outside was indeed the Sun Knight, though not the one I had in mind.

"Now, this is a rare visitor," Chasel said. "Congratulations on your marriage, Grisia."

"Thanks. Teacher told me that Aldrizzt is here?"

"He's inside."

Chasel opened the door wider, and in stepped Neo's student. Grisia had on a cloak with a hood. He pushed his hood down once he was inside.

"Neo's not with you?" I asked.

Grisia turned in my direction and shook his head. "He went looking for the rest of the Twelve Holy Knights to drink or spar with them, but he hasn't had any luck. I heard from Adair that they were all passed out in the interrogation room. Vidar had quite the fright this morning."

They were all passed out in the... interrogation room? Did a prisoner of theirs give them a hard time?

I furrowed my brows. Seeing my confusion, Grisia started explaining, but the more Grisia spoke, the more confused I became. "Vidar nearly tripped over Moon who was only in his boxers! Storm was cocooned inside Roland's wings, snuggled up against him, and Leaf was collapsed on the very table that Cloud later emerged from, scaring Vidar out of his wits. But most importantly, can you believe that Metal was all wrapped up around Lesus' leg, and Lesus himself had a riding crop in his hand? How dare Metal hold their party at an interrogation room, of all places! He's totally corrupting Lesus! And I wasn't even invited!"

Chasel murmured, "Likely because you've corrupted him enough already..."

Wings? Riding crop? Did he say party? In an interrogation room? Bizarre images sprang to mind, but nothing added together. I asked, confused, "What are you talking about, Grisia? What party? What interrogation room? Why was everyone passed out?"

Grisia looked blank. "Huh? Haven't I explained it yet? We had our bachelor parties yesterday."

Chasel explained, "That's when friends hold a party as one last get-together before the marriage."

And it involves riding crops? What a strange human custom...

"They were all passed out from it. It wasn't like we drank that much! But from what Adair told me, it seems that everyone has a hangover today." Grisia huffed. "In the end, before Adair could finish reporting, Teacher abducted my vice-captain!"

Chasel raised an eyebrow. "So who's taking care of the Holy Temple right now?"

"...My vice-captain."

"While abducted by Neo?" I asked, not knowing how that worked.

Grisia shrugged. "They're still in the Holy Temple. He'll be...fine."

Are you sure... No matter how skilled Grisia's vice-captain was, this was Neo we were talking about here! Handling Neo was a full-time job in and of itself.

After Grisia got all of that off his chest, I congratulated him on his marriage, and then he finally revealed that he was here to seek my help. We sat around Chasel's table as Grisia explained what he had in mind.

"I've been looking for wedding rings, but there isn't anything suitable on the market. Nothing special enough. I thought I'd make the jewels myself out of magic so I could imbue them with protective spells and enchantments."

He rummaged around his pockets and pulled out a rose bead to show me. "Here's a bead I made out of magic, imbued with healing spells. Crush it, and the person is healed. I'd like to make something similar for the rings, but with no crushing involved."

I took the bead and studied it. It was well crafted, the petals intricate, but more importantly, I could feel the holy element that permeated it. Between this example and the Eternal Tranquility, I had a good basis for what Grisia had in mind. I gave him a nod. "I can help you figure it out."

Grisia beamed. "Knew I could count on you! Now, I just need to purchase the bases for the rings..."

Chasel placed his cup down. I glanced at him. He was deep in thought. Grisia and I began debating about how to go about creating his own gemstones for the rings. He wanted Lesus' ring to be blessed with healing spells and protective charms, while he wanted calming properties for his own. When Chasel heard that, he murmured that Grisia was giving this serious thought, to which Grisia answered, "Of course!"

His words hung in the air. Chasel waited for Grisia to explain. Grisia breathed in deeply, as if bracing himself, and said, "I won't let anything hurt Lesus... myself included."

Chasel's reply was a quiet, "I trust you."

For a moment, it didn't seem like Grisia was able to reply. He opened his mouth but closed it, and he blinked his eyes hard. In the end, he smiled a wobbly smile and murmured a small, "Thank you."

Although the conversation drifted back to the creation of the gemstones after that, I couldn't help sneaking glances at Chasel. He was once again deep in thought, fingers curled around the handle of his teacup yet making no move to bring the cup to his lips. From time-to-time, he would glance over at Grisia. When he caught me looking at him, he smiled wryly at me, his smile reminiscent of Neo's smile that night we drank under the stars. Then, he sat back, shoulders relaxing. His fingers uncurled from the handle of his teacup. I turned my attention back to the discussion on hand.

Some time after that, Chasel left his seat. I thought he had gone off to do something else, but he soon returned and set something down on the table before us.

Both Grisia and I stopped and looked at him. Grisia glanced down at the table. "Is that...?"

"Rings," Chasel said. He nodded at them.

Grisia picked up one of the rings and turned it around in his hand. He rubbed his finger along the metal. Immediately, he picked up the other ring and examined it too, running his finger against the inside of the band. He whispered, "Engravings of a moon and a sun...?"

He raised his head to regard Chasel silently. I too, had my eyes trained on Chasel. His smile had melted into one that was truly gentle.

"Think of it as my gift to you and Lesus."

to be continued

Kiyutsuna: The feeeeels... All the feeeels...! <3 <3 <3 *is a puddle of goo*

Lucathia: It seems that sentimentality is never far from what I write...! *flails over sad!Neo*

Slice 9: Lending an Ear

lucathia

[Legend of Sun Knight] fic: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 8

[Legend of Sun Knight] fic: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 8

Slice 8: What Could Have Been

Re: caEK

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