[The scene shifts in such a jarring manner that she can't even process it before it all comes together. One second, she's standing in the entrance of a cottage and the next, in the pews of a big, brilliant church with hundreds of others. Some faces she recognizes as friends in Reverein, others from the dream that Eustace had shown her—his own friends from his own world, and the rest are faces she can't quite place.
At the front of the church stands the same woman. Her white gown is the most beautiful dress she's ever seen. Simple but elegant, its train flowing down the red velvet steps while her long veil flutters in the breeze. Across from her is Eustace in an equally brilliant white suit, looking down at her with the awe and love that Tifa recognizes in him and knows so well. The kind that was for her. Only her...
So why...?
"And do you, Eustace, take Flamek to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
What!? Tifa wants to scream as she leaps to her feet, causing a commotion of offended murmurs in the pews, but when she opens her mouth, nothing comes but a gasp, as if her voice had been stolen from her again. She sees Eustace smile.
"I do."
Her heart sinks. No, no, no... what's happening? He had said all of those things to her, and now here he was, promising himself to someone else? This woman, of all people? Tifa wastes no time in shuffling her way out of her seat, her shoving past the people without an apology so uncharacteristic of her that she's alarmed by her rudeness, but she needs to get to him before this goes any further. Before this all comes to an end, and she has to watch everything she ever wished for in her future crumble at the hands of another. She could never live with herself if she didn't stop it.
"Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony—"
She will burn this entire place down if it means that it will stop this. This is wrong. If he chose someone else, if there were anyone besides her that made him happy, she would let him go, but... not like this. Not before she heard his reasons why. Not before she could do something to fight for them...
Embers rise begin to rise around her. I object! She tries to shout it, but nothing comes out. Flames cross over her knuckles. I object! She tries again, but still, nothing.
"—speak now, or forever hold your peace."]
I said I OBJECT!
[Her voice bellows out loud through the chambers, echoing off of the high cathedral walls, and flames erupt around her hands as she reels a fist back and charges forward, fire shooting from her hand as she punches, but before it can reach the couple at the altar, it dissipates, and it's as if she isn't even there. Not a single soul turns to look at her, all of them too enamoured with the scene unfolding before them.
Tears run hot over Tifa's cheeks.
"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you..."]
I...
["Husband and wife. You may now—oh!"
The audience cheers and applauds as Eustace takes his bride and shares a tender kiss, and as he dips her, it deepens with passion... Their passion. His passion for her. For Tifa. But here he is, pouring it all into this other woman...
The bells chime again and all rise to praise the couple as they make their way down the aisle, showering them with flower petals that flutter around Tifa, too. She can't even be happy about this, no matter how happy Eustace appears to be. They're laughing merrily—uncharacteristically so (what is up with these absurd laughs?), and it leaves a weird feeling in Tifa's stomach—and he's smiling, his eyes tearing up with joy, but as they get closer and closer to her...]
Eustace, wait!
[It's like he doesn't see or hear her. The bride, or Flamek, however, does. She presses a finger to her lips again as her gaze connects with Tifa's before she and Eustace pass right through her as if she isn't even standing there. As if the fire that's billowing at her feet is just a pool of rose petals.
Tifa is swept outside, or maybe the scene itself flickers to change around her again because she doesn't remember ever moving, but she's now standing on the steps of the church with the rest of the guests to see the new couple off into their lives together, as they continue to laugh in that nonsensical, ridiculous way. There's a sled waiting for them, with all twelve of the flower dogs and corgis reined to it, but there's a thirteenth dog there, too. Eria, his brilliant white wolf, leads the pack at the front, standing tall and proud as her tail wags happily back and forth for Eustace.
It's then that Eustace finally turns his head, as his arm finds his bride's waist. His eyes meet Tifa's, but he only offers her the blankest of stares. No warmth, no light, no love. It's like he doesn't even know who she is, or that he sees right through her. It's fleeting, brief, but it's enough to tear her heart into a thousand little pieces as she watches the two of them be pulled off by the dogs into the sunset.
Into the fields where the star flowers rustle in the wind, their petals glowing shades of bright blues and yellows.]
3/4 💒
At the front of the church stands the same woman. Her white gown is the most beautiful dress she's ever seen. Simple but elegant, its train flowing down the red velvet steps while her long veil flutters in the breeze. Across from her is Eustace in an equally brilliant white suit, looking down at her with the awe and love that Tifa recognizes in him and knows so well. The kind that was for her. Only her...
So why...?
"And do you, Eustace, take Flamek to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
What!? Tifa wants to scream as she leaps to her feet, causing a commotion of offended murmurs in the pews, but when she opens her mouth, nothing comes but a gasp, as if her voice had been stolen from her again. She sees Eustace smile.
"I do."
Her heart sinks. No, no, no... what's happening? He had said all of those things to her, and now here he was, promising himself to someone else? This woman, of all people? Tifa wastes no time in shuffling her way out of her seat, her shoving past the people without an apology so uncharacteristic of her that she's alarmed by her rudeness, but she needs to get to him before this goes any further. Before this all comes to an end, and she has to watch everything she ever wished for in her future crumble at the hands of another. She could never live with herself if she didn't stop it.
"Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony—"
She will burn this entire place down if it means that it will stop this. This is wrong. If he chose someone else, if there were anyone besides her that made him happy, she would let him go, but... not like this. Not before she heard his reasons why. Not before she could do something to fight for them...
Embers rise begin to rise around her. I object! She tries to shout it, but nothing comes out. Flames cross over her knuckles. I object! She tries again, but still, nothing.
"—speak now, or forever hold your peace."]
I said I OBJECT!
[Her voice bellows out loud through the chambers, echoing off of the high cathedral walls, and flames erupt around her hands as she reels a fist back and charges forward, fire shooting from her hand as she punches, but before it can reach the couple at the altar, it dissipates, and it's as if she isn't even there. Not a single soul turns to look at her, all of them too enamoured with the scene unfolding before them.
Tears run hot over Tifa's cheeks.
"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you..."]
I...
["Husband and wife. You may now—oh!"
The audience cheers and applauds as Eustace takes his bride and shares a tender kiss, and as he dips her, it deepens with passion... Their passion. His passion for her. For Tifa. But here he is, pouring it all into this other woman...
The bells chime again and all rise to praise the couple as they make their way down the aisle, showering them with flower petals that flutter around Tifa, too. She can't even be happy about this, no matter how happy Eustace appears to be. They're laughing merrily—uncharacteristically so (what is up with these absurd laughs?), and it leaves a weird feeling in Tifa's stomach—and he's smiling, his eyes tearing up with joy, but as they get closer and closer to her...]
Eustace, wait!
[It's like he doesn't see or hear her. The bride, or Flamek, however, does. She presses a finger to her lips again as her gaze connects with Tifa's before she and Eustace pass right through her as if she isn't even standing there. As if the fire that's billowing at her feet is just a pool of rose petals.
Tifa is swept outside, or maybe the scene itself flickers to change around her again because she doesn't remember ever moving, but she's now standing on the steps of the church with the rest of the guests to see the new couple off into their lives together, as they continue to laugh in that nonsensical, ridiculous way. There's a sled waiting for them, with all twelve of the flower dogs and corgis reined to it, but there's a thirteenth dog there, too. Eria, his brilliant white wolf, leads the pack at the front, standing tall and proud as her tail wags happily back and forth for Eustace.
It's then that Eustace finally turns his head, as his arm finds his bride's waist. His eyes meet Tifa's, but he only offers her the blankest of stares. No warmth, no light, no love. It's like he doesn't even know who she is, or that he sees right through her. It's fleeting, brief, but it's enough to tear her heart into a thousand little pieces as she watches the two of them be pulled off by the dogs into the sunset.
Into the fields where the star flowers rustle in the wind, their petals glowing shades of bright blues and yellows.]