The Lucky Ones
Chapter Forty-Seven
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The Lucky Ones
By Terri Botta
Disclaimer: I don’t own
Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I’m poor so don’t
sue.
Rating: R for later chapters.
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome,
Miroku/Sango
Summary: Sometimes Fate hands
you a gift you never thought you’d ever get, and it’s up to you to accept it
for what it is.
Feedback to:
tci100@psu.edu
Website: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta
A/N: In this chapter I
describe a Shinto wedding ceremony. This cony ony is brief and full of solemn
tradition. I have done a lot of research about this ceremony, the clothes and
the ritual, and I hope I got it right. I ask forgiveness from anyone who knows
better if I got something wrong. Because Kagome’s family is a Shrine family I
have chosen to go with a conservative Shinto ceremony in which the
the purification and reading the marriage oath on behalf of the couple. This is
not done as often in contemporary Shinto weddings anymore.
Kagome and Inuyasha also wear
the traditional wedding kimonos for the ceremony.
Kagome’s wedding attire is the white Japanese
wedding kimono called shiro-maku. The wedding kimono
actually consists of two different kimono. The white
wedding kimono is worn for the wedding ceremony and an elaborate rich patterned
silk brocade kimono called uchikake is worn over the
white kimono at the wedding reception. Some brides choose a white
is usually 4 meters long and 60 centimeters in width. The width is folded in
half and the obi is wrapped twice around the waist and then tied in the back,
sometimes in a butterfly pattern.
The whole ensemble, even without the
outfit) is very heavy and constricting, and often the bride needs assistance
walking. When worn properly there are 14 parts to the ensemble plus the
1. Hadajuban--Undershirt,
2. Susoyoke--Half slip, 3.
shin--Half-collar lining, 6. Datejime
. 9.Obi ita--Obi
stay, 10. Obi makura--Obi-pad, 11.
Obiage--Bustle sash, 12. Obijime--Obi
cord, 13. Shiro-maku – White wedding kimono, 14.
In a traditional Japanese wedding, the
bride’s hair is also styled in the traditional hair style called
and accessories called kanzashi. This can also take
the form of an elaborate and very expensive wig. A white wedding hood called a
two front golden "tsuno" or horns during
the wedding ceremony to symbolize obedience. The bride carries a small purse
style sack called hakoseko tucked into her collar, a
ceremonial fan and a small encased sword called kaiken.
Inuyasha is dressed in a
formal Montsuki kimono which has been dyed black and
stamped with his family crest in white and grey pinstriped hakama
pants. He also wears a matching black haori that has
been stamped with his family crest. He carries a fan for luck tucked into his
obi and of course, Tessaiga is at his side.
As you can see
and constricting than Kagome’s so he really has no reason to complain. Not that
that stops him. :P
Other Japanese terms used in
this chapter:
Torii- The wooden gateway
that the top of the shrine stairs
Honden – Place of the god in the shrine, small building
that houses the main deity of the shrine
Tamagushi – Offerings to the Kami,
usually a sacred branch
San-San-Kudo – Ritual of three-three-nine wherein the
couple being married exchanges sake cups three times
Chihaya- white long-sleeve top worn by a Shinto miko
Hibakama – Red wide trousers worn by a Shinto miko
Chichi-ue – Polite, formal term for ‘father’
Oyaji – Rude term for ‘father’
*********
Chapter Forty-Seven
The
dawned sunny and clear. It was the perfect day for a wedding but it was lost on
Inuyasha as he sat, fiddling nervously with the lapel of his black
to read three. Three was when he could go over to the shrine and wait for the
ceremony to begin. Kagome was already there, changing into her wedding attire
in her mother’s house. He had been forbidden from seeing the clothes his mate
had chosen to wear, but Eri had told him it was the
traditional white shiro-maku kimono.
and will probably weigh more than she does,’ he thought.
He didn’t
like it. He hated ceremony. He hated wearing pompous clothes and having to
worry about his manners. He was a simple man. He had wanted a simple wedding,
but somewhere over the course of the past eight months his mate and her mother
had hijacked his plan for a quiet, no-nonsense wedding and run off with it.
simple ceremony on a Hawaiian beach at sunset, surrounded by our pups? I wo
hav
have gone with that,’
“
teased, making him stop staring at the errant clock that refused to move any
faster.
Yukio
looked magnificent in his formal ceremonial garb. He’d chosen a kimono and
and looked like a perfect Nakodo, albeit a bit young. Kagome’s grandfather was
their first choice to play the matchmaker role in the Shinto ceremony, but
Kagome decided that the old man was better served standing in for her absent
father. Yukio was chosen as the second choice, and in many ways he was the more
appropriate of the two because the pup’s presence in their lives was directly
responsible for him and Kagome furthering their relationship and becoming
mates. He would never forget the look on his son’s face when they asked him to
stand for them during the ceremony.
was so touched and happy.’
“Bah! I’m
not miserable. I’m just uncomfortable! This damn Montsuki
kimono itches!” he complained.
Yukio
chuckled and straightened his obi. “The trouble you suffer for love.”
I should have jumped at the chance to fly Kagome to
and get married in the Fern Grotto like she wanted when she was in her Elvis
stage.”
Yukio
laughed again and shook his head. “Oh, Otou-san. It’s
okay. I understand. I went through this with Miaka remember? And you’ve stood
in as the father for all of the other pups’ weddings. You should be an old hand
at this.”
“Yeah, but
I haven’t been the groom in over 450 years,” he groused, scratching another itch
on his chest.
“Relax.
You’ll never have to do this again. Focus on that and you’ll get through it.”
He nodded.
“What time is it?” he asked because he couldn’t see the clock through his son’s
body.
2 minutes after you looked the last time.”
before three.”
“I don’t
care. If I have to sit here in this monkey suit for another minute I’ll go
insane.”
Yukio
looked him up and down. He knew what his pup was seeing: a formal black
black, emblazoned haori, and a pair of dark gray,
pinstriped hakama pants with a formal white obi. The
whole thing had three layers: a thin white kimono underneath it all, the
and then the haori on top. He felt like he was
practically suffocating in clothes. He’d adamantly refused to wear
for his black Birkenstocks.
“All right,
we’ll go. Being outside by Goshinboku might actually calm you down some. You’re
wound up tighter than a coiled spring.”
He stood up
abruptly and headed for the doors. Yukio had to stop him to give him Tessaiga
and his ceremonial fan, then they walked to the shrine
together.
“You owe me
5000 yen, dog-breath. Pay up,” Eri said to his pup,
Miroku, as he and Yukio came through the Torii at the top of the shrine stairs.
Inuyasha
saw her slap the younger pup on the arm and put out her hand, palm up.
“Huh?” he
asked, confused.
“I bet him
that you wouldn’t be able to wait until three and here you are fifteen minutes
early,” she explained.
Never one
to go with tradition, his full neko-youkai pup had forgone the formal kimono
and dressed in another one of her famous self-designed outfits that made her
renowned in the youkai world. The dress was a swirling dye of orange and red,
just a shade or two lighter than her hair, and fell in multiple layers of fine
raw silk. The fabric had been hand-stamped with the outlines of leaves and
flowers in gold paint at odd intervals, the gold almost invisible against the
colored silk until she turned. While the skirt was almost obscenely short in
the front, the back reached down to her ankles, and the bodice clung nicely but
not too tightly to her lean form. The whole effect was stunning and his
daughter looked radiant in it.
like that?’ he wondered.
Miroku
glared at Yukio as he dug into his wallet. “You couldn’t keep him away for
another fifteen minutes could you? I almost had her.”
Yukio
shrugged. “You know there’s no reasoning with him.”
“Oh,
Inuyasha-kun, you look so handsome!” Ayumi gushed as she came towards them.
Ayumi
Miroku- so far. The two had really only been officially “seeing” each other for
three months. Before that, they had just been occasionally meeting for lunch or
coffee as their schedules permitted. But with the advent of the wedding, they’d
started to spend much more time together and their relationship had blossomed.
He and Kagome were trying to keep a hands-off policy when it came to them, but
Ayumi often looked to Kagome for advice and guidance in the care and handling
of an inu-hanyou.
clown,” he countered.
She reached
over and straightened his collar. “No you’re not. You look wonderful. Kagome
will cry tears of happiness when she sees you.”
“She’d
better not after all the work we did putting on her make-up,”
Inuyasha
sighed and shook his head, taking in the scene before him. The shrine had been
decked in festive red and white, the colors of happiness. Red and white
streamers decorated the buildings and Torii, and red and white paper lanterns
had been hung for later use in the evening. The tables for the reception were
draped in red cloth with white napkins and china, and each table had a large
jar candle and a flower arrangement of orchids and star lilies. The raised
platform where he and Kagome would be seated after their nuptials had been set
with the wedding table and toasting glasses.
All in all,
he had to admit that it looked beautiful, but perhaps the most beautiful
decoration of all was the sacred tree in full bloom. He stared at it,
dumbstruck, as the magnificent flowered boughs waved softly in the breeze.
“Goshinboku…”
he breathed.
Miroku
smiled. “Yeah. Souta-ojichan
said it started yesterday, but it’s in full glory today.”
He walked
over to the sacred tree and laid his hands on the rough trunk. Looking up into
the branches, several petals fell and drifted down to land on his face and
hair, and it was as if the tree itself was blessing his union.
asked him softly.
“Is he
behaving?” His 8-month old son was just beginning to talk, and the most
interesting words were coming out of his mouth. Kagome blamed him, of course,
even though he protested his innocence.
“He didn’t
say he wasn’t so my guess is he is.”
He nodded
again and looked up higher into the branches where one flower-laden bough high
above him beckoned enticingly. Kicking off his sandals, he heard Yukio chuckle
beside him just before he leapt up.
Settling
onto the branch, he looked out at the sprawling city of
with its multitudes of skyscrapers and millions of inhabitants. Some youkai and
hanyous loved the hectic, crowded human world, but he had always preferred the
open places, the forests and the endless seas of green. To be here had always
made him feel trapped, and he missed his Alberta home more and more each day,
but he knew he had agreed to stay in Tokyo until the wedding, and also until it
was safe for Ian to fly. Some parents flew with their newborns anyway because
doctors said it was okay to do so, but he was never one to take chances with
his pups and he wasn’t about to start now. There wasn’t any reason for them not
to wait until after the wedding to put Ian on a plane, and there were enough
protection spells on Tokyo House to keep the pup safe from pollution and noise.
“Not much
longer before we can go home,” a voice beside him promised.
He turned
his head to see Yukio sitting one branch over, his back to the broad trunk.
wouldn’t leave me alone. He’s
not one to let me brood.’
He snorted.
“Place stinks.”
“I know. I
miss home too.”
Inuyasha
blinked. They’d never really talked about what would happen when he and Kagome
moved back to
wedding. It had always been assumed that Yukio would move with them because
he’d been living with them for the past forty years, but now he realized that
he hadn’t asked his son what his plans were.
“You’re
coming with us then?”
“I’m not
sure. Many parents don’t want their grown pups living with them.”
He
shrugged. “It’s never been a problem for us. House is big enough.”
“That’s for
sure.”
“Besides,
you have more patience with the clients. If it’s someone I think I’ll want to
kill by the end of the design meeting, I just send you.”
Yukio
laughed softly. “I’m your pinch architect.”
just don’t want to admit it.”
Yukio
shrugged. “Surpassing you has never been a priority with me. I’m not even sure
I could. Taking over as Alpha for the brief time you were comatose with
Okaa-san after Ian was born taught me a lot about what it’s like to lead.”
“
Everyone’s told me so. You took over when you had to and made the hard
decisions. That’s what it takes to be a good leader.”
“Still,
they’re awfully big shoes to fill.”
He wiggled
his toes. “I try very, very hard
Yukio
laughed. “I know. Me too.”
“What time
is it?”
“
“Okay.”
They grew quiet
and he looked down at the shrine. Soon he would be able to go down and wait for
Kagome, then they would both enter the
were standing for Kagome, and Sesshoumaru and Rin were standing for him. Aside
from e foe four, Kagome and himself, only Yukio and
would have been excluded if not for his role as Nakodo.
Since the inner sanctum of the shrine was too small to fit all of their pups,
they had decided not to play favorites and limited the witnesses to parental
stand-ins and Souta. The officiant was a close friend
of the old man’s who, surprisingly enough, turned out to be an Earth youkai,
and two of his hanyou daughters were serving as the mikos
for the ceremony.
From his
vantage point high in Goshinboku, Inuyasha could see the guests gathering and
the preparations being made. It looked very hectic and he was glad to be out of
it. If he wasn’t there, he couldn’t mess anything up and no one would get mad
at him.
“I will
miss this tree though,” Yukio commented, breaking the silence.
“Hmm?” he
asked.
“I have
such fond memories of this tree while I was growing up. It’s an old friend.”
He nodded.
“I remember
one night when I was human, you brought me up here and
held me all night. I think I was about six years old then.”
“Seven,” he
corrected. He remembered that night too. There had been a lunar eclipse and
Yukio had wanted to see it.
Yukio
chuckled. “I thought you’d remember.”
“Why
wouldn’t I?”
His son
shrugged. “No reason.”
“Some of my
most vivid memories are of you on my human night; how you used to sit at the
entrance of the house with Tessaiga across your lap, guarding me. Do you remember
what I did the first New Moon after you gave me Kenshuga?” Yukio continued.
He snorted
to hide his smile. “You sat in the doorway of the house with the damn sword
across your lap like a stupid pup.”
“Like my
who guarded me when I was without my youki. And I
was the good son who protected my Otou-san when he was without
Yukio amended with a smile tugging at his lips.
needed anyone to protect me.”
into trouble on your human night, ever.”
“If I knew
Okaa-san wouldn’t whack me upside my head, I’d kick you out of this tree.”
“Go ahead,
make my day,” he shot back.
Yukio
laughed out loud and shook his head.
“What time
is it?”
“
He growled.
“I just
want to get out of this damn kimono.”
“It itches.
Yes, I know. Don’t worry. It’ll be over before you know it.”
He saw
Yukio touch the naked place on the ring finger of his left hand and stared at
it. After forty years, there was no evidence that his son had ever worn a
wedding band, but he’d seen Yukio touch the spot often enough to know that his
pup still missed its presence there.
As for
himself, he’d secretly envied Yukio his little gold ring. For years he had
wanted one of his own; a physical symbol of his union with his mate that the
majority of the human population understood. It surprised him how many women
thought they could take liberties with him because he lacked a wedding ring. Or
thought he was being dishonorable when they saw him with Kagome when she was
pregnant and they knew he was the father.
Humans
lacked the senses that youkai and hanyous used to claim their mates. To any
youkai or hanyou, it was plainly obvious that he was mated and therefore
unavailable because inu-youkai were
strictly monogamous. No rings or other outward signs of mating were needed when
scent alone broadcast his marital status. But humans, with their dull noses and
dim eyes, couldn’t smell or see his claim on Kagome or hers on him. They needed
their little rings to tell each other who was mated and who was not, and even
then a ring was no guarantee that one would be protected from unwanted
advances. Humans were not, by any sch och of the imagination, monogamous. Some
claimed to be, and were true to one mate for their entire lives, but the vast
majority of them had roving eyes and hands.
Inuyasha
couldn’t understand it. There was no one more beautiful, perfect or sexy than
his mate. Even after 450 years, she could still light the fire in his loins the
way no one else ever had, and he could not imagine being with anyone else. The
very idea unsettled him, and some of his female clients’ more blatant advances
had made him almost physically ill. He’d never been the touchy-feely type, and
he still had difficulties expressing physical affection with his own pups. For
a stranger, or near stranger, to be fam familiar with his body was something he
wasn’t at all comfortable with, and if a wedding ring would keep them at bay,
then he wanted it.
There were
other reasons for his wanting a ring as well. Men and women were proud of their
rings. Kagome had gushed over the diamond engagement ring he had given her on
their wedding anniversary two years ago. He’d known that the reunion with her
family was coming up and that meant their wedding was soon to follow. Typical
engagements lasted about a year, so he had given her the ¾ carat pear-shaped
diamond at about the right time, give or take a month or two. If they had kept
with the original date instead of pushing the wedding back almost a year, it
would have been perfect.
Kagome had
worn the platinum banded ring constantly until pregnancy made her finger swell
too much to keep it on, and she’d shown it to anyone who would look at it. Even
though they’d been mated more than 400 years, somehow the ring brought a new
sparkle to her eyes and it had nothing to do with the brilliance of the rock on
her finger. Shortly thereafter they had gone shopping for the wedding bands and
chosen two platinum rings. Hers was inset with twelve small round diamonds in a
thin band and engraved on the inside with the date of their nuptials and the
kanji symbol for aisai, beloved wife. His ring was a
simple unadorned platinum band with two thin black ridges etched along the
edges as its only decoration. It was flat and not too wide so it wouldn’t snag
on anything or get in his way, and was engraved with the kanji for devotion,
protection and fidelity on the inside of the band: all symbols of his love and
commitment to her.
Both rings
had been waiting patiently in their little black velvet boxes for over eighteen
months, and every now and then he’d take them out and try his on when no one
was looking- just to make sure it still fit of course. The fact that his ring
size hadn’t changed in 450 years was irrelevant, and he longed for the day when
Kagome would put it on him and it could stay there for good.
“Soon,
Otou-san,” Yukio promised, and he looked up to see that his eldest had caught
him staring at his ring finger.
He snorted
and looked away to hide his blush.
“I know how
you feel. I think Miaka gave me my wedding ring as a joke after I said I wanted
one. She never really understood the Western custom, and she took hers off
years before she died. I didn’t take mine off until I buried it with her.”
He nodded.
“I remember. You put it in the casket before it was burned.”
Yukio
nodded as well and looked down at the gathering crowd. Sesshoumaru and Rin had
clothes. Sesshoumaru had even dragged his armor out of storage and dusted it
off.
‘Pompous bastard,’ he thought dourly as he watched Miroku introduce
Ayumi to them.
“They don’t
understand what it’s like. Okaa-san does and Rin does. They know what it is
like. But her, that little human Miroku has taken a
shine to, she has no idea what it’s like to be the mate of an
to be the object of someone’s complete devotion. Humans are always looking for
the next best thing. For me Miaka was it. I never gave another female so much
as a second glance once I was mated. I know she compared me to other males
sometimes but she tried to hide it. I never thought anyone was better than
her,” Yukio admitted sadly.
“Do you
think you’ll matain?ain?” he asked. His pup still had many years of life in
him, and it made him sad to think that he might spend them alone with no mate
by his side.
“I don’t
know. Uncle told me there’s an inu-youkai clan from
who are interested in an alliance through marriage. They’ve got a daughter
who’s about my age, give or take a few decades. He wants to arrange a meeting
and see if we’re compatible,” his son answered.
“
youngest is unmated.”
Yukio shrugged.
“My guess is Uncle already asked him but he either said no or someone in the
Scottish clan disapproved. Uncle’s pups are a little…”
“Ruthless?”
he offered.
“I was
going to say distant but ruthless works.”
He nodded.
“It’s
three. Are you ready?” Yukio questioned.
this circus over with.”
He didn’t
wait for his son to answer before he leapt out of the tree and landed at the
base of the massive trunk. Putting his Birkenstocks back on, he tromped up to Sesshoumaru
and presented himself.
His brother
turned towards him and raised an eyebrow. “Ah.”
It was all
the greeting that passed between them. Rin, however, was more demonstrative.
She reached over to give him a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“You look
wonderful,” she assured him.
tradition,” Sesshoumaru commented.
tradition of ‘claiming’ my mate while thst ost of the pack howled around us,”
he snorted.
“Oh, that
can be fun. In the right setting of course,” Rin replied with a twinkle in her
eye that made him shiver.
‘Everyone thinks she’s sweet and innocent, but she’s been mated to
Sesshoumaru for over 400 years. She can be as scary as he is.’
“Rin,” his
brother admonished softly.
“Well,
never mind that, dear. Are you ready?”
“Let’s go
then, shall we?”
“Where is
your Nakodo?” Sesshoumaru asked.
“I’m right
here,” Yukio replied, joining them.
“Ah! Yukio,
you look so handsome,” Rin exclaimed with a huge smile.
Inuyasha
saw his son bow too and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snorting.
“Uncle,
Aunt Rin. I am happy you agreed to stand for my father.”
“It’s an
honor,” Rin answered.
“Let us
go,” Sesshoumaru ordered, not waiting for them.
“
The guests
gathered to watch them pass. Everyone was dressed in their finest, with quite a
few multi-colored traditional kimonos mixed in with Western dresses and suits.
They were mostly made up of his pups and their mates, plus Shippou
and his brood, numerous high-ranking individuals from the youkai world, some
business associates and benefactors of the shrine (all under the Spell of
Normalcy), friends of the family and some school friends of Kagome’s (also
under the Spell.) Miroku’s little human wench was the
only non-family human who wasn’t under it, and he blamed that on Mariko.
They
stepped up to the small building which housed the honden
and waited at the open door. Peering into the inner sanctum, Inuyasha saw that
the floor had been covered with rice paper and tables were set up on each side
of the room for the family members. There were three seats and place settings
for Kagome’s mother, the old man and Souta at the
table on the far side of the room, and two seats and place settings for
Sesshoumaru and Rin at the table closest to him. At the front of the room was
the marriage table with two seats for him and Kagome and set with the
three cups for the san-san-kudo. There was a separate
seat closer to his family table that had been set out for the
The Earth
youkai and his two hanyou daughters were already there dressed in full
ceremonial garb. His heart twinged at the sight of
the two miko’s dressed in their white
he tamped it down immediately. Today was for the future, not the past. A few
moments later, the priest and his daughters exited out the far door and he knew
that the procession was about to begin. Yukio led the way into the
arrivesshesshoumaru and Rin stood by their places at the table nearest to him.
Outside he heard the drum and flute of the marriage procession making their way
from the house.
The first
person he saw was the old man, dressed in a formal kimono, hakama
and haori
was Kagome’s mother dressed in a formal kimono that had flowers on a black
background and a huge floral patterned obi. Her hair was up in a traditional
bun and she carried a ceremonial fan. The fan reminded him of his own and he
looked around for it frantically until Yukio tapped him on the arm with it and
gave him an amused smirk. He sneered and snatched the fan from his son,
ignoring his snicker. Behind the ‘parents of the bride’ came
formal clothes.
Once the
families were in, they took their places at the tables set for them but did not
sit. Standing in the doorway were the two
blocking his view of Kagome whom he knew was directly behind them. Then they
parted and his bride was revealed as she entered the honden
to the sound of gentle flute music.
Many grooms
are awestruck the moment they see their wives-to-be all decked out in their
bridal splendor. Some have been known to fall to their knees or even weep.
Others gasp or are stunned speechless. However, Inuyasha had no doubts in his
mind that very, very few bridegrooms felt the way he did upon seeing his bride
for the first time.
He was
absolutely shocked.
The woman
coming towards him was not his mate. She was a poor imitation of Kagome and
bore only a token resemblance to the woman he loved. She was swathed in a huge
white shiro-maku kimono that reached the floor and a
wide white formal obi with the traditional fan and ceremonial knife tucked into
it. It was so big and heavy, she could barely walk and one of the
balance. On her head was a monstrous black-haired wig piled high with beads,
tortoise shells, ribbons and pearls wrapped with a wide band of white silk
around her brow that served as the tsuno
and her lips a garish red so she looked like a doll and not a living, breathing
human female, and the paint tainted her scent so much that he almost sneezed
from the stink of it. She was wrapped so tightly that her fingers had begun to
swell, and he could see her struggling to remain upright under the weight of
her clothes.
This was
not his Kagome. His Kagome was unfettered and free, and she smelled of
wildflowers and her own unique, gentle scent. Her hair was a wild cascade of
silken black, her skin rosy and flushed with life, not pale as death. She moved
with an easy grace, light on her feet as if walking on air, not stiff and
staggering. This Kagome was a mockery of the headstrong, vibrant, beautiful
woman he loved, and he cursed the Japanese tradition of insisting their women
fit an ideal that had no bearing on reality.
“
at his son to see if the younger inu-hanyou was
similarly affected. The pup looked traumatized, as if he didn’t recognize
Kagome either.
get that thing? Please tell me I won’t be getting a bill for that sometime
soon.’
He
desperately wanted to run over and strip her out of the suffocating clothes,
scrub her face to reveal her natural beauty, and throw the wig to
and look happy for Kagome’s sake because he knew this day was extremely
important for both of them. The miko walked Kagome up to him as the priest
entered and stood at the altar. She looked at him, her
eyes brimmed with tears and smiled softly.
“Inuyasha,”
she whispered.
“Kagome,”
he answered, taking her hand in his as they turned to face the priest.
hand was too warm and showed signs of discoloration. ‘There is no way I’m going to be able to get a ring on her finger with
her hand in this condition.’
Still
holding her hand and subtly supporting her, he guided her to stand before the
nuptial table for the priest to begin the ritual of purification for all
present. He beat the taiko drum to wake up the
spirits and begin the purification as the rest of the witnesses took their
seats. Yukio was handed the sacred tree made of paper streamers and he
performed the act of ‘sweeping’ away the evil spirits with the branch. Inuyasha
smiled to himself when he saw the fine tremors in his son’s movements as he
nervously fulfilled his duties as Nakodo.
Once
purified, they approached the altar, bowed twice, clapped twice and bowed again
to honor the god. Then they returned to their seats while the priest chanted
prayers to Kami to bless them and accept their
petition for marriage. The priest then offered food and drink to the
The next
step would be for Yukio to make the vow of obedience and fidelity on their
behalf, but before his son could speak, he stood and bowed to the priest.
“I wish to
request a change in ceremony,” he said, still bowing respectfully.
There was
silence for a moment then he spoke again. “I wish to postpone the exchange of
rings until after the ceremony so that we may speak our vows before all of our
guests.”
want to say my vows to a China doll that looks like my wife and sounds
perfectly reasonable,’ he thought to himself, even as he cringed and
expected Kagome’s wrath to descend upon him at any moment.
There was
another moment of silence then the priest replied, “Are there any among us who
object to this change in ceremony?”
The room
was quiet and he ventured a glance at Kagome. He was surprised to see that she
looked… relieved and offered him a reassuring smile. He smiled back and
straightened up.
“If none
object so be it. The exchange of rings will occur after this ceremony is
completed,” the priest announced, giving a nod to Yukio to continue.
One of the
marriage for them, his voice quaking only a very little bit as he pledged their
intent to be faithful and obedient to each other. Then he sat down in the chair
that had been provided for him, and the mikos began
the san-san-kudo.
drink. Take the cup back, drink three sips. Rinse and repeat,’ he reminded
himself.
He picked up
the first small lacquered cup and the miko filled it with sake. He handed it to
Kagome who accepted it with the tips of her fingers and drank from the cup in
three small sips. She gave it back to him and he drank from the same cup with
three small sips, the sake burning its way down his throat. He hated sake.
The first
cup was set aside and the second, slightly larger cup,
was filled with sake. Kagome picked it up and handed it to him. He drank in
three sips and gave it to her to finish with her three sips. Then the third,
and largest, cup was filled and handed to him, and they repeated the ritual of
three a third time to finish the rite of three-three-nine that symbolized luck
and happiness.
San-san-
altar. He helped her stand, supporting her under her arm as they walked around
the table and faced the altar. He placed the sacred branch before the God then
he and Kagome bowed twice, clapped twice and bowed again. The witnesses then
bowed and clapped as well. The mikos poured sake into
the cups of the witnesses and the two families drank in unison, making the
pledge that they were now all relatives as their two families joined.
The
them on their new marriage, played music, and the wedding was over.
thought. ‘We can now get out of these
clothes!’
Putting out
a hand to help Kagome, they turned and faced the witnesses, and were immediately
blinded by the flashing of cameras.
“
Kagome’s
mother and the mikos came forward and draped a
brilliantly dyed and patterned formal uchikake over
Kagome’s shiro-maku and removed the
flowers and nature patterns in gold, white and black. It pooled around her on
the floor for about half a meter and he could see her bending under the weight
of the heavily brocaded outer kimono. He watched as his mother-in-law fastened
the obi-less kimono with practiced ease and made sure the whole thing draped
properly.
you people trying to crush my wife?’
over to them.
“Err,
thanks. Thanks for doing this ceremony for us too,” he replied, casting a
concerned glance to his wife who was starting to sweat, small beads of
perspiration darkening the white make-up she wore.
“Yes, thank
you very much. It means a great deal to us,” Kagome added, with a small hint of
her normal self. Her voice was faint however, probably because she was finding
it hard to breathe.
The priest
bowed. “It was an honor.”
“We still
need to exchange our wedding rings, but we will do that after we’ve changed,”
he said, his hand discreetly under Kagome’s elbow to support her. She was
leaning on him rather heavily.
“How about
we set up a little nuptial table in front of Goshinboku?” she suggested.
“Excellent
idea Kagome,” her mother agreed. “I’ll see to it after I help you change.”
“We can’t
change right away, Inuyasha, we have to present ourselves to our guests,”
Kagome argued.
“Most of
them are our pups and they’ll understand.”
want pictures,” she repeated through gritted teeth.
He lowered
his ears and submitted. “Okay. But only for a minute!” ‘You spend any more time in that huge thing and you’ll collapse! Won’t
that be fun if you keel over right in front of all our pups and
She nodded.
Taking her
by the arm, they walked together out the door Kagome had entered through and
exited the honden. They moved slowly because the
over it.
otherwise she’ll fall flat on her face,’ he realized darkly.
A paper
umbrella had been set up for them to stand under so they took their positions
and waved as the guests cheered and more cameras flashed.
by the end of the day.’
They stood
for a few minutes, posing for formal pictures and Inuyasha tried to drag the
last dregs of his patience out of a very empty barrel.
refused to back off and his concern for Kagome grew.
“Pup help
speech quick. Then you cut off the guests of honor and announce the ring
ceremony. Okay?”
He nodded.
“What are
you two up to?” Kagome hissed.
“Don’t
‘nothing’ me. I heard you whispering and you asked him for help.”
“He’s
promised to keep his speech short so we can change.”
“I’m fine,
Inuyasha.”
“Sure you
are, that’s why you’re holding onto me for dear life.”
She didn’t
reply and he knew that she wasn’t about to argue with him.
“I just
don’t want to be disappointed. I went through the trouble of getting into this kimono
and I want to have my pictur she she admitted softly.
“And you
will have your pictures. They’ve already taken dozens.”
“You hate
it, don’t you. I can tell.”
He didn’t
reply, but merely mustered a small smile as the photographer took a picture of them
with their witnesses: Sesshoumaru and Rin at his side and Kagome’s family next
to her.
Finally,
after about fifteen minutes and hundreds of pictures later, Yukio cut off the
photographer and stood beside them to greet the gathered crowd, performing his
last duty as Nakodo.
“I know
that traditionally the Nakodo gives a long speech
about the couple’s educational and occupational backgrounds but in this case, I
think I will forgo that tradition,” Yukio began. “This family, despite what you
may think, has never been one to keep with tradition, and my father certainly
does not hold it in very high esteem.
“What can I
tell you about these two individuals who stand here before you? I can tell you
that my father had nothing to offer my mother except the clothes on his back, a
rusty sword and a life of hardship. I can tell you that she accepted those
offerings with love and devotion and helped him build the fortune he has today.
I can tell you that I have never seen two individuals more devoted to each other
and to their family than my parents, and I modeled my own marriage after
theirs. I am honored to stand as their matchmaker because apparently I brought
them closer together. Being as I was a little pup at the
time, I don’t really remember much about it, but I’m willing to take their word
for it.
“I really
have nothing more to say except that I am so happy for you both. I love you
both, and I hope that you will continue to be together in love and joy for as
long as you both shall live. Everyone, I give you Fushikenwa Inuyasha and
Kagome.”
Yukio
finished with a tender smile and a kiss to his mother’s cheek. “I love you,
Okaa-san.”
Kagome,
whose make-up had already begun to run, lost her fight with her tears and they
rolled down her cheeks.
“I love you
too, sweetheart.”
The crowd
cheered and he stepped up to speak, effectively cutting off any further
speeches.
“Kagome and
I are going to go change. After that, we will do the exchange of wedding rings
in front of Goshinboku. I know this breaks with tradition, but as my eldest
said, I’ve never been one to go with that. I’m sure my pup Eri
has entertainment planned for while we’re gone so, ummm,
you’ll be entertained. We’ll be back.”
With that,
he grabbed Kagome by the arm and practically dragged her to her mother’s house,
ignoring the cheers and laughter from his pups who knew him all too well.