The Dedication Ceremony Pt I: Incandescent

Pastel, gentle fabric pulled softly across her chest. Deep blue wraps were spun around her stomach and waist before being bound by a shimmering ribbon of gold and gemstones. Tentacles adjusted her collar to sit along her neck. Sleeves were pulled to the top of her arms, then cinched with pink and cyan. Crystal shards awoke along the edges of her gown and shoulders, letting her know her dress was complete.

A tiny paw dabbed a few stray tears from her lashes before dipping into a nearby container filled with fuchsia powder. Her eyes closed, and trembling lips pursed to release a fluttering exhale. She giggled as she felt the paw and tentacle pad the pinkish red across her eyes and brow, adorning part of her face in flowery vibrance.

She wondered if his color would be the same.

Lastly, her hair was set and pinned atop the back of her head, with a small crystal tied within that sent trails of carefree light billowing down her back.

She’d asked for an outfit that honored her old life in Japan as well as her new life in Illarios. Detailed descriptions of kimono had given Can-Mo what he needed, and that morning she had sobbed in joy upon seeing his creation.

In Tokyo, she’d never even thought of marriage. Life had been so consumed with surviving and chasing success as an idol that she’d barely had time to consider a relationship, much less a true and meaningful connection with another soul. Yet now, barely half a year into this new life, all of that had changed. Ever since she’d met him, she had changed and grown every day.

So much of it was her own strength, and she was proud of that. But it was also because of him. There was no her without him, and the bursting pain of happiness that was erupting in her ribs was a reminder of that.

“Sayane, you are ready,” Can-Mo whispered.

“Ooooohhhhh, dear child. You are divinity incarnate,” Attis said between sniffles.

Her eyes opened, and she shivered with wondrous joy upon seeing her own reflection.

A beautiful woman looked back at her. It had been some time since she’d seen her reflection, and she sometimes forgot just how different she looked now. Gone was the brown dye in her hair, replaced with ever-shifting purple, cyan, and magenta. Hints of purple flickered in her eyes. Scars lined her face and body. Exhaustion and trauma had stitched themselves to her in the form of darkened circles beneath her eyes.

Can-Mo’s design had managed to capture her request perfectly. Hints of kimono mixed with Illarios’s fantastical elements. Billowing sleeves left her shoulders exposed but flowed into elegant crystal stitching. White, cerulean, azure, magenta, and navy all blended into a pastel canvas of softness.

She felt at once foreign and herself. That was the most important part: she felt truly herself. Sayane was a complex, ever-growing melody of wonder, hope, fear, and joy. This world, this second life, these people- all of them had allowed her to find that.

He had been there most of all.

He and-

“Attis?” Sayane sniffled as she fought to keep her eyes from gushing out and immediately smearing her pink adornment.

“Yes, child?” Attis replied.

“In my first world, we would be escorted in these moments. Usually it was families. Sometimes just fathers. I… I didn’t have a good relationship with my family-“

Tears formed against her will, and his tiny paw dabbed them away. In truth, Sayane had never considered if she’d have had any family present to escort her to a wedding shrine or walk her down the aisle. Brief flashes of her parents’ faces sparkled in her mind then faded, and she realized the details were already becoming blurry. It had been a decade since they’d spoken. Now the chance was gone.

Emotions clashed and collided in her throat and she wanted to sob as much as she wanted to smile.

Clear tears mixed with pink and sent rosy lines down her cheeks.

“Oh no,” she sighed as she tried to cover her color to keep it from staining.

“It’s okay, Sayane. The fabric can be cleaned. I planned for both of us to cry greatly today,” Can-Mo smiled as a tentacle intercepted the falling tear.

Sayane nodded and closed her eyes.

All of this was so very different from anything she could have imagined or wanted, but at that moment, she knew it was what she wanted above all else. If this was to be the rest of her life until she found a way to fade on her own terms, then she would greet every sunrise beside Azag.

She turned back to Attis.

“W-would you walk me down the aisle? And Can-Mo, would you join us?”

“Ohhh,” Can-Mo sniffed as he patted his large waistcoat for a handkerchief.

Attis’s four eyes all closed, and he muttered something to himself as he grinned in reflection.

“I would be honored, dear Sayane.”

…

Thousands had gathered in the Ethereum’s grand chamber, filling every available seat. Word had quickly spread that the Songstress Supreme and the Great Guardian were formally invoking the old pact to bind themselves. Curiosity, celebration, and hopeful intrigue had led hordes to the darkened hall, and now they waited for her to arrive.

Attis entered first. As soon as his small body appeared at the beginning of the long walkway that led to the Ethereum’s center, scores of cheers echoed across the space.

“Behold, dear friends! A new world is upon us!” Attis boomed.

Cheers and chants responded, sending deep thuds into his bones.

Back at the doorway, Azag was nervously fidgeting with his new tunic as Lorna, the engineer, and Ellox, the doctor, adjusted his new braces. Crystal implants glowed with life as they sent charged pulses to machina gears that softly whirred with purpose as his weight shifted between legs.

Sayane had not seen his new attire yet, and he was fearful it looked too different. In place of his handmade, rudimentary machined contraptions, he was now outfitted in polished white and silver made of smoothed curves and articulated purpose. The entirety of his lower legs and knees were contained in fitted metal sleeves, and a new stabilizer tightly wrapped along his waist and hips to help keep him more upright. These new supports meant he only needed one staff to aid his walking, instead of the two he had used for decades.

All of this was very new, and the prospect of slipping in front of thousands almost overwhelmed him. But he had wanted to be in this new attire for today. It would be the start of a new world for him as much as anyone else. And he wanted to make her smile. Most of all, he wanted that.

“How do I look?” Azag nervously asked Erosc, who was standing nearby.

“You are very handsome.”

Azag steadied himself and tried to pick up the pillow that held the dedication shards. Trembling fingers almost dropped the cushion, and he sighed.

“I’m still adjusting to the movement… and the nerves,” he admitted.

Erosc lifted the pillow carefully.

“I will carry them for you, if you would allow me the honor.”

Azag chuckled at the turn of events. Once, they had all but hated one another.

“I’d appreciate that,” he replied.

Attis words rose once more, and Azag knew it was time.

“On this day, we bear witness to a new covenant of kindness and support. Two of your leaders have decided to dedicate themselves to one another as proof that this new world will not be made for power and personal gain, but for compassion, gentleness, and steady healing. May we all follow their example!”

More cheers erupted and Azag took one last glance at the tiny pillowed shards.

“Here we go,” he said.

“First, I ask all of you to stand and greet the one who guarded us in our darkest journey and has long fought to protect those who many forgot! I give you Azag, The Great Guardian!” Attis shouted.

The Ethereum doors opened and Azag stepped into the light.

Just as he vanished into the embrace of rapturous cheers, Sayane’s caravan arrived. A voice carrier was glowing in her hands.

“You’re going to do so great!” Anahita’s tiny voice purred.

“I am sorry I am not there with you, but I cannot wait to hear all of your stories,” Saxum added.

“We’ll have plenty to talk about!” Sayane agreed.

“Goodbye and good luck dear Sayane,” Anahita said.

“Goodbye, I hope to see you both soon,” Sayane said as they reached the entrance.

All three former Silence guards were there waiting. When they saw Sayane, they stood in rigid formation and jutted their arms out in a rehearsed, synchronized manner. Sayane realized they were attempting an offer of hugging her.

“Songstress Supreme. We offer an embrace on this important day,” Miux stated.

Sayane contained her giggle and bowed in gratitude at their honest, albeit surreal effort.

“Thank you. I’d love a hug,” Sayane replied.

With that, she opened her arms and the three guards stood in waiting. One by one, she embraced them and pressed her head to theirs. The awkwardness was endearing in its own way. Japanese culture kept many people from engaging in physical touch, so she’d encountered plenty of clumsy hugs over the years. After the three guards had attempted their hugs, it was time.

Attis appeared from the doorway and waved to them.

“Do you want me to do the hype speech first then come for you, or do you want to walk out as I say it?” Attis asked.

“Maybe say it first, so we can just enjoy walking down together?” Sayane proposed.

Attis bowed and returned through the door. Can-Mo did one more adjustment of her dress, then handed her the pillow that held her dedication shards.

They were tiny and symmetrical. She’d been surprised to learn that the stone was easy to come by. In the olden days, most had participated in at least one dedication ceremony in their lifetime, so the crystals that were chosen were abundant in most regions. A few drops of blood and a clear soul connection were all that were needed to awaken the bond. As they rested there on the pillow, they caught the light around them with jeweled refractions as they awaited their waking.

She wondered what color they would turn when the bond completed.

Attis’s voice rose from the door, and Can-Mo’s tentacle squeezed her arm with subtle support.

“I’m so very honored. And so, so proud of you. This life truly is beautiful,” Can-Mo smiled.

“This life is beautiful,” Sayane agreed.

“This life is beautiful,” Miux, Kurexha and Ixhari repeated.

Feet and paws stomped. Three syllables chanted out in repetition.

“SA-YA-NE. SA-YA-NE. SA-YA-NE. SA-YA-NE.”

She found herself blushing at the reverence. Back in the doorway, Attis’s paws rose to calm the crowd. Seconds passed and the voices tapered. When all the room had quieted, he spoke.

“What does it mean to love?” he asked.

Ever the orator, he waited long enough for the crowd to reflect.

“Not just another. But to love everyone and everything. To allow that love to fill every aspect of one’s soul until it guides their entire existence. I… I do not know!” Attis chimed to roaring laughs.

“But there is one being I have met that does!”

More cheers shook the walls.

“Long did we live under the oppressive weight of hate. But those days are gone! For an Ethereal came to us, full of life, hope, strength, and most of all, love! Today, she shares that love with Azag the Great Guardian, but I tell you this: Sayane the Songstress Supreme shall always have space in her soul to love you all, should you ever need it! I give you Sayane!!”

“AZ-AG AND SA-YA-NE!! AZ-AG AND SA-YA-NE!! AZ-AG AND SA-YA-NE!!”

Waves of sound soared through the stone walls and breached against her ears. Voices from beings she had never met and likely never would all cheered her name. Every vein of etherlight radiated magenta exuberance. The dedication shards clinked against one another with a pleasant chime. Incandescent joy gathered in every nerve; existence felt never-ending, worries about the present and future dissipated like sunlight in the blue hour, and Sayane stepped through the door.