The Lucky Ones
Chapter Forty-Eight
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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
yogiftgift 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: Okay guys, this is
it. Only the epilogue is left. I haven’t written that yet, but I’ll work on it
soon. This seems kinda sad… I’ve been writing this
for so long that I almost can’t believe that it’s finished.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Once inside
the house and in the living room, he pulled off the heavy uchikake
and began working on the obi of the shiro-maku.
My mother wore this when she married my father,” Kagome admonished when he
pulled a little too roughly.
“I don’t
care. Get it off,” he ordered, trying not to rip the silk with his claws.
“It took me
almost an hour to get into this thing. You’re not going to get me out of it in
two minutes.”
“Watch me.”
He
brandished his claws and heard her gasp.
“
do that for?!”
“You’re
going to damage it! God, I want out of this thing just as much as you do but
this is a family treasure and I don’t want it ruined!”
daughter Izayoi said as she came breezing in. “I’ll help..”
“
demanded.
“I gave him
to Mariko when I saw you come in here. Mama-bachan is
busy with setting up a table in front of Goshinboku, and I knew you
sleeping right now, but he’s been an angel all day. I’m so proud of him,”
Izayoi replied as she began helping her mother out of the formal kimono. “Don’t
worry, Okaa-san. These are much easier to get out of than into.”
“Thank god
for that,” Kagome sighed.
Picking
himself up off the floor, he went to work on the gargantuan wig, helping her
pull out the hundreds of hairpins that held the damn thing in place.
“Where did
you get this? Please tell me this is another ‘family treasure’ and you didn’t
actually pay money for this.”
“It is.
Jian dan dragged it out of storage,” she told him.
complained.
full packages of hairpins. It weighs a ton. I have such a headache from keeping
my head bowed.”
worry. I’ll have it off you soon. And I thought I was drowning in my clothes!”
“You look
wonderful, by the way. So did Yukio. He was so nervous. I had to bite my cheek
to keep from laughing,” she complimented with a tender smile.
“I’m almost
done, Okaa-san, I promise,” Izayoi announced just as he managed to get the last
of the hairpins out of the wig.
The wig
came off at almost the same time as the shiro-maku
fell open and his daughter carefully removed it from his wife’s slender
shoulders as he lifted the wig from her head. Kagome relaxed with a visible
sigh as the heavy garment and headpiece were taken off.
“I feel
human again.”
There were
more layers to the formal kimono, but the largest pieces were gone and now she
was clad only in the thin underclothes and the tabi
socks.
“There. Now
you can wash your face and hands,” he blurted.
She looked
at him and seemed sad. “Was it so bad?” she asked.
He flushed
and looked away, refusing to answer.
“I’m sorry.
I was worried that you would be upset with the make-up. I let Jii-chan convince
me that it was tradition and I’d promised him a traditional Shinto wedding.”
without her getting mad at me?’ “It… it made you look too pale. And… and it
altered your scent.”
“So that’s
why Yukio was scrunching up his nose like that. I’m sorry,
I never should have let Jii-chan talk me into it.”
“No,
“But it’s
day, not his,” she insisted, holding his hand. He was relieved to feel that the
swelling had already started to go down. “Give me a few minutes. I’ll go
upstairs and change into my other dress. Izayoi, can you help me?”
“I’m going
to change too,” he told her.
She nodded.
“Miroku brought your suits over earlier. They’re hanging in Souta’s
bedroom. Yukio’s is up there too if he wants to change.”
“Okay.
Thanks.” ‘At least the tux will be more
comfortable than this get-up.’
He followed
his wife and daughter up the stairs and veered off to enter the boy’s room when
they went into the bathroom. He found the tuxedo hanging on the door of
clothes. Yukio came in a minute later just as he was fastening the black
cummerbund around his waist.
“Okaa-san
is changing?”
certain she was going to pass out,” he answered.
“I was worried
about that too. I can’t believe she wore the whole ensemble. Most women don’t
wear the uchikake anymore because it’s too heavy.”
He
shrugged. “Shrine family. The old man is stuck on
tradition. Kagome promised him a Shinto wedding and he went for the whole
thing.”
Yukio
sighed. “Yeah.”
“You
next to where his had been.
“I think
so.”
“Okay. You
still have the rings, right?”
Yukio
patted the chest of his kimono. “Right here. I
wouldn’t lose them.”
“Good.”
The rustle
of fabric moving past the door indicated that Kagome had exited the bathroom
and was going to change into her dress. He didn’t know what the second dress
looked like but he knew the third was an “Eri-original”
in blue silk. He hoped that she would skip the interim dress and move straight
to the blue one, but somehow he doubted that she would. He finished changing
then waited for his son to finish before they both
headed downstairs.
Walking
back out to the shrine, he took note that the caterers were getting ready to
serve the meal and that the cake had been set-up and was ready for the cutting
ceremony. He inspected the nuptial table that had been placed in front of
Goshinboku while Yukio went to get a drink. It was a small table, draped in red
and white and set with two tapers, a unity candle and a third longer taper made
for lighting multiple candles.
“
the luminary ceremony,” his mother-in-law told him as she came up to them.
He nodded
in understanding. “That was a good idea.”
“Is Kagome
all right?”
“I’m glad.
I was concerned towards the end. She was looking very unsteady on her feet.”
“Once we
got her out of that heavy thing, she was better. The swelling in her hands was
going down too.”
“So that’s
why you wanted to postpone the ring ceremony. Kagome’s fingers were swollen.”
think that. It’s just easier.’
“I’m glad
you insisted on her changing then. She was beautiful though,
her eyes misty.
He grunted
in a way that he hoped was noncommittal enough to be taken as agreement.
and be wrapped up so tight they can’t walk or breathe. If I’d wanted a dead mate,
I’d have chosen Kikyou.’
She wiped a
tear from her eye. “I’ve waited so long to see my daughter married. I’m so
happy.” She smiled at him. “And I am happy she has married someone who will
take care of her and worship her for as long as she lives.”
‘
Kagome can take care of herself. She is brave and strong and an excellent
doctor.”
“Oh yes,
yes, of course, but now she has you to keep her happy and safe.”
“She’s had
me to keep her happy and safe for 450 years.” ‘You now expect her to become the ‘silent’ Japanese wife, don’t you? How
can any man crush his mate’s spirit like that? For us a wedding ring is a
symbol of love, faith and trust, but for many women it’s a chain.’
“Otou-san,”
Mariko called, coming over to them.
She was
holding Ian who beamed at him the moment he saw him. The pup was dressed in a
little purple hakama and kimono ensemble.
“
He smiled
at his son and rubbed his head. “How’s my pup?”
“Bad. He
told Tuskareta-san to, and I quote, ‘piss off,’” his
daughter replied.
He
chuckled. “I’d forgive him. Tuskareta is a pompous
ass.”
Mariko sighed.
“I know, but Okaa-san will be very unhappy when she hears about it.”
“Then why
don’t we decide that she won’t hear about it until after the honeymoon, okay?”
She
laughed. “I’ll try but I can’t promise anything. How is Okaa-san? She was
looking very…”
“Pale?
Stressed?” ‘Dead?’
“Yes.”
“She’s
fine. She’s changing into her second dress. She’ll be out soon.”
Mariko
smiled and nodded. “I’m glad.”
“How are
the guests doing?”
“They are
enjoying the harpist and the taiko drummers very
much.”
“Good. Good.”
“Yes, they
are very good. Eri has excellent taste,” his
mother-in-law agreed.
Mariko
nodded. “She does. Anytime there is an event to be planned we let her handle
everything.”
“How are
the humans doing?” he questioned, eyeing two of Kagome’s school friends as they
tittered by with Miroku’s girl on their way towards
the house.
“They are
doing fine. I modified the Spell of Normalcy to cover speeches too, so they
only hear what we want them to hear,” she assured him.
“Good.”
Yukio
joined them humming the opening bars of the “Wedding March.”
“I hate
that song,” he complained.
“Okaa-san
is ready.”
He
swallowed. “Okay. What am I supposed to do?”
“She wants
you to meet her at the edge of the shrine and the two of you will walk together
to the table.”
“Okay.”
He followed
Yukio to the edge of the shrine grounds and waited. They were joined by the
priest and the two mikos. The priest handed Yukio a
huge folded paper umbrella.
“What’s
that for?” he asked.
“The
procession,” Yukio replied innocently, implying that he was to hold the opened
umbrella over their heads as they walked, signifying that they were lovers.
“Ah.”
we just hold hands and walk up to the tree like normal people?’
and two of Kagome’s human friends came out, dressed in festive kimonos. Then
the old man and Souta came out as well.
The girls
lined up on either side of the open doorway as Kagome stepped out of the
that was simple but elegant. It was white satin with short sleeves and a pretty
neckline. The gown went down to the ground but it didn’t have anything that
dragged behind it, and there was a little bit of beading on the skirt and
bodice, but not too much. The best part was the neckline low was enough to show
the blue necklace made from beads strung on his hair that she still had and
wore almost constantly since the day he had given it to her.
Her hair had
been piled into a bun with a band of flowers that lined the edge where it met
her head and a simple veil trailed behind it to her waist. Plain white satin
gloves came up to her elbows and she held a very simple bouquet of roses and
white orchids.
with a smile as she came towards him.
“Wow,”
Yukio breathed beside him.
He nodded
in agreement.
She gave
him a shy smile and flushed with happiness when she saw that he approved.
“Kagome,”
he whispered. ‘My mate is so beautiful.’
“Inuyasha,”
she answered, offering her hand to him.
He took it
and stood beside her. Then the priest and the two mikos
took the front position, one holding a flute and the other a
position, followed by Ayumi and the other two school friends of Kagome’s. He
and Kagome came next with Yukio directly behind them, holding the opened paper
umbrella over their heads. The mikos played music as
the procession set off across the shrine grounds to the sacred tree. They
stopped at the nuptial table where the mikos took
positions on either side, and the priest stood behind
it with his back towards Goshinboku. The rest of the procession split to the
sides as well, leaving the area in front of the table open for him and Kagome.
They stood and faced the priest, who performed a quick purification of them and
the table.
“These two
wish to exchange the gift of nuptial rings before their gathered guests,” he
announced as the crowd came to witness the ceremony. “Who has the rings?”
Yukio made
a brief show of patting his pockets before producing the two black velvet
boxes. Inuyasha snatched them from him with a scowl and handed them to the
priest, ignoring the chuckles from some of his pups. The priest blessed the
rings and placed them on the table with the lids open so he could see which was
which. Kagome handed her bouquet and gloves to Ayumi and they turned to face
each other. Carefully, he took Kagome’s platinum ring out of its box and held
it in-between his fingers.
and recalled the vows he had memorized just for this moment.
that I have never been worthy of you, yet you have stayed with me through all
of our hardships and successes. You have remained true, raised our pups and
stood beside me no matter what I chose to do. That you would still choose me to
be your mate after all these years is the greatest gift you could ever give to
me. I promise you what I have always promised you: To love you and honor you.
To share my life and all I own with you. I give you my fidelity, my protection
and my undying devotion for as long as we both shall live.” She offered him her
hand, her eyes brimmed with tears, and he took it gently. “Kagome, do you
consent to be my wife? To love me and honor me, in sickness
and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as we both shall live?”
With a
small sob, she nodded. “I do.”
He slid the
ring onto her finger slowly. “With this ring, I take you as my wife.”
Still
wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, she held up her hand to look at
the band on her finger, then she took the diamond
engagement ring from her right hand where she must have put it earlier, and
placed it on her ring finger next to her wedding band.
Reaching
down to the table, she picked up his ring and held it in her fingers.
wife. I will hold you, and keep you, and accept no other but you. I will love
you with all of my heart and half of my soul. I will honor you and raise your
pups, and stand beside you for as long as we both shall live.” She took his
hand, ignoring the fact that it shook slightly. “Inuyasha, do you consent to be
my husband? To love me and honor me, in sickness and in
health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as we both shall live?”
He
swallowed the lump in his throat. “I do.”
She slid
the ring slowly onto his finger and it was a perfect fit. “With this ring, I
take you for my husband.”
He looked
at his ring, finally on his finger, then back at her, his heart filled to
bursting with love and joy. This was what a wedding was all about.
wasn’t about the clothes or the gifts or the number of times you clapped at the
altar. It was about two people pledging to love, honor and protect each other
for their entire lives.
For all the
solemn ceremony and ritual of the Shinto wedding, it hadn’t even come close to
making him feel how he did right now after their simple vows and heartfelt
promises. From the look on Kagome’s face and the scent of joy on her skin, it
was obvious that she felt the same way.
“I love
you, Kagome,” he whispered.
“I love you
too, Inuyasha. Forever and always.”
“You may
kiss the bride!” Yukio announced.
Laughing
softly, he reached up to cup Kagome’s cheek, drawing her close to kiss her. She
deepened the kiss as the crowd cheered and didn’t let him go until they both
had to breathe.
the love he felt for her, had always felt for her, into the kiss.
When the
kiss ended, they helnds nds and faced their guests, bowing deeply. Then they
turned back to the table, and the mikos lit the two
standing tapers.
candle thing.’
The unity
candle had been Kagome’s idea after having seen it done at so many of the
weddings they had been invited to. She was always one for sentimental gestures
and the ritual of the candle was right up her alley. He’d agreed to it, of
course, just as he agreed to just about anything she requested, and in reality,
part of hin sen sentimental heart thought the custom was a little sweet, albeit
somewhat pointless. Still, anything was worth it for the smile she was giving
him now.
“The couple
will now perform the luminary ceremony of lighting the unity candle to
symbolize the joining of two into one,” the priest announced.
Following
Kagome’s lead, he picked up the taper closest to him as she picked up hers and
together they lit the central candle. Then they picked up the third, larger
taper and lit it from the flame of the unity candle.
“The couple
wilw shw share their joy and unity with their family and friends by lighting
the candles on the tables,” the priest said.
Hand in
hand, they visited the tables and lit the central candle placed on each one.
When they were finished, they returned to the nuptial table where the unity
candle still burned and snuffed out the taper, placing it on the table next to
the other two. Then Inuyasha turned to the guests.
“I know
that Eri has a lot more entertainment planned and
there’ll be more speeches. Kagome and I will make a speech later, but for now,
let’s eat! All this ceremony is making me
“Remember
ladies that the way to any good man’s heart is through his stomach,” Kagome teased.
“And don’t
you forget it!”
The guests
cheered and followed them to the wedding table, going to their seats and
settling in as the waitstaff prepared to serve the
formal meal.
With Kagome
at his side, he sat and waited for the servers to bring him a plate of food.
Under the table, he still held his wife’s hand, even as he couldn’t stop
looking at the platinum ring on his finger. She seemed enamored with it too, as
well as her own ring which she kept glancing down at where their hands were
joined. A moment or two later, a large plate of food was placed in front of him
along with a side bowl full of ramen.
enthused.
“You didn’t
think I would make you suffer through getting dressed up and wearing shoes and
not reward your good behavior with ramen,” she replied, taking a bite of her
thin-sliced beef.
“Is ramen
all I’ll get as a reward?” he asked innocently.
“That
depends on how good your behavior is.”
“Define
good behavior.”
She opened
her mouth to answer when the photographer flashed a picture right in their
faces.
“OW!” he yelled.
“Good
behavior would be not killing that idiot.”
He growled
but tamped down his instinct to gut the stupid fool. ‘Damn weasel-hanyous. Too sly and sneaky for their
own good.’
The tapping
of glasses called the guests to attention as the old man stood up to give the
first toast.
“My
granddaughter is married! She is an honest wife and my grandson-in-law is
honorable again! Banzai!”
“Banzai!”
the guests cheered.
You’d better appreciate all of this, old man. Look what Kagome went through for
you, putting on that heavy kimono and painting her face white so you’d be
happy,’ he thought angrily, even as he drank. Beside him Kagome sipped her
sake, but he saw her hand tremble and her eyes become stricken.
Sesshoumaru
stood.
“This
Sesshoumaru will make a toast to my brother and his wife.”
so I can’t curse at him and blast him with Tessaiga.’
The
Worthy of his family name.
Worthy of Chichi-ue’s blood.
Kagome. Worthy of him.”
Inuyasha
was so stunned by the simple, yet direct toast that he almost forgot to drink.
“Wow,”
Kagome murmured next to him.
part is, he doesn’t even realize it. My father was
honorable and just. Sesshoumaru basically just told the old man off.’
Looking at Kagome, then at
Yukio who was seated at the table closest to them, he noted that at least they
had realized what Sesshoumaru had done. He smiled widely, puffed with pride,
and drank.
go to your head, hanyou,” Sesshoumaru added, then sat
down.
You said it and I am never going to let you forget it, you pompous ass.’
speeches, most of which he ignored and only pretended to drink the sake because
his ramen was getting cold. He stood when Kagome prompted, smiled when
prompted, pretended to drink when prompted, then went back to the important
task of eating. The toasts didn’t mean that much to him. Kagome was the one who
loved fancy words. He didn’t need them and never had. No one needed to tell him
he was a lucky bastard. No one needed to tell him to be good to his wife. No
one needed to wish them well or say how beautiful they looked or how perfect
they were for each other. He already knew all of that. What was the point of
needless blathering? Especially when there was ramen to be
had. Seemed pretty silly to him.
Somewhere
between his third bowl of ramen and the roving musicians, someone came to tell
them it was time to cut the cake. He stood up with Kagome and they both went
over to the huge cake with four tiers and beautiful cascades of roses and
orchids made from spun sugar. The thing was a true work of art and it seemed
almost a shame to mar the perfectly smooth, hard case icing. The topper was made
of blown glass and depicted two roses entwined around each other with wedding
rings on their stems. The cake itself was a simple white cake but small saucers
of chocolate and raspberry sauces had been placed on each table for the guests
to drizzle on their cake if they wished.
The head
waiter handed him a decorative knife and he turned to Kagome.
“Are you
sure you want to mess this thing up? It’s so pretty,”
“Two words:
220,000 yen.”
“That’s
five words,” he teased, but he knew what she meant. She was telling him that
they weren’t about to spend that much money on a cake and then not eat it.
He
snickered and handed her the knife. The photographer took his position and he
placed his hand over hers as they cut a small piece of cake from the lowest
tier. Placing it on a white plate, he cut the piece in half then picked one up
and held it between his fingers as she picked up the other.
“Smash it
in her face!” someone cat-called.
“Do it and
there will be a crater the size of your body permanently smashed into this
ground,” she warned him.
He gulped,
but in reality he hadn’t been planning on doing it anyway. Smiling at her, he
fed her his piece as she fed him the one she had and the photographer took more
pictures. Ritual complete, the caterer set about slicing the cake into pieces
for the guests. One of the servers took the top layed cad carried it off.
“Where is
she taking that?” he asked.
we’ll eat it on our first wedding anniversary.”
He raised
an eyebrow at her. “We are?”
“Yes.”
“We’re
“Yes.”
“Whose
bright idea was this?”
“It’s
tradition.”
“Don’t you
think we’ve had enough of tradition today?”
“Yes, but
this is a fun tradition. It’s considered good luck and an omen for long life to
eat the top tier of our cake on our anniversary. We’ll freeze it and thaw it
out a couple of days beforehand,” she explained.
“Bah, we
already have good luck and long life. Don’t need to eat year-old cake for
that.” She gave him a look and he submitted immediately. “Okay, we’ll eat
year-old cake.”
She
brightened. “Thank you.”
Back at
their table, two pieces of cake had been set out for them along with the sauces.
Kagome drizzled some chocolate sauce on hers while he
chose a bit of raspberry and they both ate their pieces.
“
yen,” she commented.
“Somehow I
don’t think we were paying for taste,” he replied.
“True.”
She sighed
and put down her plate. “I know we should visit each table and greet all the
guests now, but I’d rather change into the blue dress Eri
made for me first. This dress is much lighter than the Shiro-maku
was but it’s still heavy and the satin is hot.”
“Well, now
that the old man has had his Shinto ceremony, it’s our wedding now so you can
do what you want,” he told her. “I wouldn’t mind getting out of this tux and
into my casual suit.”
“Please,
Inuyasha, I know you’re not happy with Jii-chan right now and to be honest
neither am I, but he honestly was doing what he thought was right. He might be
a bit senile and confusing at times, but he’s always taken the shrine and its
traditions very seriously. I know it was a hardship and a hassle, but it made
him happy and that’s what’s important to me,” she chided softly, then looked
sad. “Who knows how much longer he’ll be with us. In a few years we’ll probably
bury him too.”
He lowered
his ears and gave her a tender nuzzle. “I know. You’re right. Still, it was our
wedding and for all the solemn ceremony of the Shinto wedding, it didn’t come
close to making me feel as happy and complete as exchanging our rings with you.
If I’d had a choice, I would have skipped the san-san-kudo
and gone straight to the “I do” part.”
“No,
san-san-kudo was important. The ritual is something
all couples should think about because its meaning is very poignant,” she
corrected.
“Okay. We
could have kept the san-san-kudo but skipped
everything else.”
She nodded.
“Yeah, but then Jii-chan would have been disappointed. Mama
too. It made them very proud and happy to see me in Oba-chan’s
wedding kimono. I’m sorry that you hated it so much.”
“I didn’t
hate it. I just… you looked like a doll and not a real woman. I like you
natural, Kagome. You’re beautiful just as you are and you always have been. I
love you in fancy clothes and I love you in jeans and a t-shirt, and I
especially love you in noth…”
“Don’t say
it,” she warned, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.
He grinned.
“So, you wanted to change?”
“Let’s go
then.”
“Okay.”
She led the
way towards the house and he followed. They were hal the there when a voice
called out to them.
“Ayumi-
“Oh yes. I
just saw you and Inuyasha-kun going towards the house. Are you going to change
again?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll help
you with your dress then,” the girl offered.
“Oh there
is no need. Inuyasha will…”
“Please,
Kagome-chan, I’d really like to help you with your
dress,” she insisted with a pleading look in her eyes.
“
what was bothering her.
Ayumi
blinked at him, confused. “Oh! With Miroku? Oh no, there
aren’t any problems with him. In fact he’s wonderful. No, I just…” She lowered
her voice to a whisper. “I just need to get away from Yuka and
“Ah,”
Kagome replied in understanding. “Well, in that case, I suppose I could use
some help with my zipper.”
“What did
my daughter do?” he questioned as they continued towards the house.
“Not our
is who she is talking about,” Kagome corrected.
“Oh.”
“I feel so
badly, Kagome-chan, but I’m losing patience with
them. I know they can’t see what everyone really looks like because of the
illusion spells, but all they can talk about is how you’re marrying into such a
rich family and ale the things you will be able to do and buy,” Ayumi admitted.
“Well,
Fushikenwa is a powerful name in
They probably think I’m marrying Inuyasha for his money,” Kagome replied as
they entered the genkan and kicked off their shoes.
“No. They
know you married Inuyasha for love. That much is too obvious. Besides they know
you would never put up with him after everything he put you through if you
didn’t love him. Thank you for altering the concealment spell
to leave your hair and eyes their natural color, by the way.”
He
shrugged. “I knew they’d seen me before. It made things easier.”
“So they
are talking a lot about Inuyasha’s fortune,” Kagome
commented.
make and how you won’t have to work if you don’t want to.”
He snorted.
“I owe my fortune to Kagome. I wouldn’t have anywhere near the amount that I do
if it hadn’t been for her.”
“And you
have to remember, Ayumi, it’s normal for them to think
that way. As far as they are concerned, I’m marrying Prince Charming,” Kagome
offered reasonably.
“I know,
but that’s not the point. They don’t know anything. They don’t see anything.
And I can. It’s like I have nothing in common with them anymore.” The girl
stopped short, her eyes wide. “That’s how it was for you, wasn’t it.”
“
“When we
were in school and you were traveling back and forth to the other world to
fight demons and look for jewel shards. We were talking about boys and make-up
and the latest gossip, but you were worrying about keeping everyone safe and
trying to take care of Yukio. How did you do it?”
He frowned
as he listened to the girl blather on. He hated being reminded of all Kagome
had sacrificed to be with him, especially after the well had closed.
Kagome
shrugged. “Coming back was always like a vacation. I could put aside all my
worries about the other world and just be a normal girl. Listening to you
‘
wondered.
“Oh. But
still… knowing what I know now. It all seems so… petty, doesn’t it?”
They
reached the door to Kagome’s old room. “Not petty, just different,” Kagome
answered. “Meet you downstairs in a few minutes, Inuyasha?”
He nodded.
“I love
you.”
“Love you
too.”
Ayumi smiled.
“You two are so sweet. I hope someday I’ll have a husband as sweet as yours,
Kagome.”
He heard
Kagome giggle as she and Ayumi disappeared into her room. “Oh he can be a
handful when he wants to be.”
“Oh I know,
but still, he loves you so much.”
“Yes, he
does. But enough about me. Tell me about Miroku. Is he
behaving?”
“Oh yes.
He’s a perfect gentleman…”
He didn’t
hear the rest of it as the door closed and he went into Souta’s
room to change into more comfortable attire. Slipping out of the tux, he hung
it back on its hanger and put on his favorite “dress-up” outfit of a simple
white rough silk shirt and loose, black trousers. Then he returned to the
downstairs floor of the house to wait for Kagome. She came out with Ayumi a few
minutes later and he watched her come down the stairs.
When
Inuyasha saw his wife in her blue Eri-Original, he
had to pause to catch his breath. Kagome had always looked stunning in blue but
his eldest daughter had outdone herself with the light, delicate and
undoubtedly feminine design. The dress had spaghetti straps and clung to her
body until it got to her waist, then it flared out and went down into an uneven
hemline that looked like multiple scarves had been overlaid onto each other.
The dress had a loose, hand dyed blue shawl with fern patterns impressed in
gold paint on the fabric.
“
She came up
to him and he saw her touch the rings on her finger right before she stood on
her tiptoes to kiss him.
“You are so
beautiful,” he told her.
“I love
you.”
“I love you
too, Kagome. So very much.”
She slipped
her arm in his and gave him a sweet, tender smile.
“Shall we
return to our reception?”
He put his
hand over hers and smiled. “Can we skip the rest of the reception and go
straight to the honeymoon?”
She smacked
him. “Hentai.”
He
snickered and kissed her again. Then they headed, arm in arm, back out to the
shrine and their party.
If there
was anything that proved that the reception was unconventional by Japanese
standards it was the presence of the dance floor. Eri
had hired a band to play music for the guests, and Inuyasha stood back to watch
as the high and mighty Japanese youkai were stupefied by the number of guests
taking advantage of the portable wooden platform. Of course, the ones dancing
were all his pups. His son Isato was spinning his
lovely Spanish beauty around while Yukio and Eri
danced a simple cha-cha. He saw a number of his other pups enjoying the lively
band, as well as Shippou and his mate
her how to do a little two-step. The girl was flame red with embarrassment and
kept looking their way, but Kagome just smiled and shook her head.
Japanese
typically did not dance at wedding receptions, preferring individual
performances and the enjoyment of non-participatory entertainment. His family,
however, was no longer Japanese. Having long before spread out all over the
globe, they had adopted the customs and traditions of their adopted countries.
While the Fushikenwa name lived on in
many of them hadn’t been residents of the country in decades. In fact, more
Japanese youkai recognized his sons Yukio and Miroku than him. Before they had
returned to
for the reunion, he hadn’t set foot in his birth country for more than a couple
of days in eighty years.
To be
honest, he was rather fond of his anonymity. It afforded him a freedom he
hadn’t enjoyed when he and Sesshoumaru were unmistakable figures in youkai
society. Sesshoumaru, of course, had returned to build his empire as soon as he
was able, and his face and name were legendary, but his younger, hanyou brother
had somewhat faded into the woodwork. Those who were ‘in the know’ knew who he
was, and his name was still as well-known as Sesshoumaru’s,
but most younger youkai or youkai who had moved to Japan after he and Kagome
had left wouldn’t know him if they tripped over him. They might know
the famous Fushikenwa Inuyasha, but most of them hadn’t a clue that
was the Inuyasha of old even if they happened to hear his name. Not one for the
spotlight anyway, Inuyasha was perfectly content to remain a faceless name
recorded in the youkai history books.
mal> Kagome, of
course, was to be protected at all costs, and they had done their best to keep
her name out of the historical record. More often than not she was referred to
as ‘the great miko’ or ‘Inuyasha’s companion,’ her
true name mentioned only rarely. They kept her time traveling and knowledge of
the future a strict secret with only a very select few privy
to that information, and once his and her lives had become bound to one
another, they had endeavored to hide her identity even more. Today’s Fushikenwa
Kagome was famous in her own right for her knowledge and skill in treating
hanyou children, and more recently as the first human woman to bear a
been the great miko who had fought Naraku and purified the Shikon
no Tama. The fact that the famous jewel had been gone for over four centuries
helped as well. He was eager to get her back to
and away from the persistent Japanese youkai paparazzi. Out of sight was out of
mind as far as the
concerned, furthering Kagome’s descent into obscurity which was exactly where
he wanted her.
If he had
any true weakness, it was Kagome. She was his Achilles’ heel. His reputation
alone kept the majority of threats away, but it would be very dangerous for his
enemies to discover that he and Kagome were linked. Those who could not get to
easier target. They’d get a rude awakening very quickly when they discovered
that Kagome was viciously protected by their pups. One of the reasons he was
secretly relieved that Yukio refused to move too far away from them, and was
also overjoyed to have him living with them, was because he trusted his
trained him himself and they had fought many battles together. He knew very
well his son’s skill in a fight, and he had no doubts that Yukio would die
before he let anything happen to Kagome.
Kagome
tugged on his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts and guided him over to the
first table to begin their obligatory visits to speak to each of their guests.
He followed her lead and hoped that he said all the right things at the right
time in order not to piss anyone off. Kagome was so much better at dealing with
people than he was and he was more than happy to let her do the talking for the
both of them. He didn’t much care when the ‘guests’ were his pups because they
knew him and he did not have to worry about etiquette or proper manners.
Almost all
of them had made it back to
for the wedding, and he was glad so many had been able to attend. Even though
having all of them in one place was quite the feat, he loved it when his pups
were all in one place. As pack leader, getting used to the
reality that pups grew up and left home instead of staying with the pack had
always been a challenge for him, especially with his girls. If he’d had
any say in the matter, he would have built a village just for his family and
kept them all close-by.
At tables
where the guests were high-ranking youkai or business colleagues, he was a
little less at ease and Kagome took the lead effortlessly as they made their
rounds. Most of the guests had brought the traditional gift of cash in the
elaborately decorated Shugi-bukuro envelopes. It
wasn’t that they needed the money to pay for their reception, but cash was
considered the proper gift for the occasion. Most of it would probably go into
a trust fund set aside for Ian’s education.
It took
them almost an hour, but they completed their rounds and returned to the
wedding table for a much needed break. The respite did not last long however,
and he had barely finished another bowl of ramen when Tetsukazu
came over to them.
said.
“Thank you,
sweetheart,” Kagome replied, standing as he reached for her hand.
“Dance with
me? Papa, can I take her?”
“
is your Sight?” he asked shrewdly. He did not need an instant replay of the
reunion.
His
dragon-hanyou son smiled. “It’s fine. I’ve been practicing the new blocking
exercises my aunt taught me. I’m much better.”
“Okay then,
but not for too long,” he agreed.
Kagome gave
him a kiss and smile as Tetsu dragged her off to the
dance floor.
“He has
been much better since he got back from
Izayoi confirmed, joining him as he stood leaning with his back against the
wedding table.
He nodded
and looked over at his daughter who was holding his youngest son. She must have
taken him from Mariko sometime after he’d last seen her. Ian was awake, but
looking sleepy.
“Here, give
him to me,” he said, holding out his hands. He hadn’t held Ian since that
morning.
“
“Hey pup,”
he cooed, patting his son’s back.
The pup
curled his hands into his shirt and rested his little head on his shoulder. He felt
his son relaxing against him and he rocked him gently.
“He’s
tired,” Izayoi commented.
“Yeah, been
a long day for him,” he admitted, looking at the reddening sky.
It was
getting on sunset. Soon the paper lanterns would be lit and the shrine would be
flooded with their soft light. On the dance floor, Kagome was dancing with
dance, but he loved to watch his mate as she glided over the temporary parquet,
turning lightly in son’s hands. Smiling, he moved over to sit beneath
Goshinboku where he could watch the festivities while holding his sleeping s
The sun set
and the lanterns came on, along with strings of twinkling white lights that
were hung with the paper lanterns. The rest of the shrine fell into darkness as
night descended and he was shrouded in the soft colors of twilight. There
seemed to be an unspoken decision to leave him alone while he sat under the
sacred tree. Maybe it was because he was holding Ian, maybe it was because they
knew he wanted to be undisturbed. Whatever the reason, he was grateful for the
quasi-solitude. So much so that he didn’t even bother to get
up when Kouga took Kagome away from
ring on Kagome’s finger and not the stinking wolf’s. Besides, his eldest was on
it almost immediately, cutting in and stealing his mother away from the
wolf-lord after the first song.
A plaintive
mew broke his thoughts and he turned his head to see Kirara
sitting next to him. He gave the firecat a soft smile
and she flicked her tails at him happily.
“Did you
get some fish?” he asked her.
She
beside him and purring.
‘
The music
changed and now Yukio was dancing a slow dance with Kagome, her hand lightly on
his shoulder and her face cracked into a brilliant grin as he said something
that amused her. He envied his son’s quiet self confidence. Yukio had always
grabbed life with both hands, probably because he knew his parents would catch
him by his ankles if they had to. He had never known the hate and prejudice
that his father had grown up with. He had never been run out of a village by an
angry mob or hunted down like an animal. He had never known the pain of being
rejected by everyone and everything, of never belonging somewhere and never
having friends.
he’s always done me proud. All of them have done me proud… usually.’
changed again. He could hear her laughter from where he sat and it was music to
his ears. He loved to hear her laugh, and he enjoyed watching her dance with
their sons.
then a slight change in the atmosphere made the hair on the back of his neck
stand on end. Reflexively he reached for the sword at his side, supporting his
sleeping pup with one hand, but he relaxed when he saw that the
certainly fixed on a point just out of his view. He shifted his position to see
what it was that she was looking at, but he couldn’t really tell. Then a soft
glow appeared and slowly took shape.
But it was
and his heart pounded in his chest as the figures of his long dead friends
appeared, coming to pay their respects on their special day. Sango and Miroku
looked as they had in their younger years, not as they had been in the autumn
of their lives. Sango was wearing the battle gear of the taijiya
anpan pan class=SpellE>Hiraikotsu was slung over her shoulder. She
looked ready for anything, proud and tall as he remembered her in life. Miroku
was dressed in his monk’s robes, his staff in his hand and his face quietly
amused. Both of them stood silently, looking at the festivities under the
lights.
He knew he
was staring like a fish out of water and for a moment he thought they couldn’t
see him. Then the translucent figure of Miroku cast a fond glance his way and
he knew that they were well aware of him. A moment later the shade of
their children, long dead, until he was surrounded by those he had known and
lost.
them are buried here. Kagome’s ancestors are the great-grandchildren of Sango
and Miroku.’
They did
not speak, but they didn’t need to. Their presence was telling enough and he
wondered if Kagome could see them as well. He watched his wife carefully and
saw her look his way. Then he saw her step falter as she saw their new
visitors. Disengaging herself from the dancing, he
watched her come over, her step uncertain.
“Inuyasha,”
she whispered.
“Yeah, I
know,” he answered as he rose to his feet and stood next to her.
The music
stopped and the guests grew still, lining up along the edge of the lighted
area. He had no idea what they were seeing, especially since many of them were
under the Spell of Normalcy and that was certain to filter out what was
happening, but he couldn’t really be concerned about that considering
wasn’t entirely certain exactly what was happening either.
Their two
friends smiled and bowed.
“
The image
of the tortured young man smiled softly and bowed as well. Miroku stepped
forward and put his hand up, making a gesture of blessing over the sleeping
pup. Tears sprang up in Kagome’s eyes, and she gave them a grateful smile.
“Thank you,
Miroku-sama.”
Another
small bow was her answer.
“Yeah, thanks,”
he said, giving his friend a nod.
Miroku
smiled at him.
“I’m… I’m
so happy that you could be here tonight. We miss you so much,” Kagome added.
Sango gave
them a sweet smile that spoke volumes for all of them. Then she made a gesture
with her arm that encompassed the shrine and all of those present. Kagome
nodded in understanding.
“I know
we’ll all be together some day. I take great comfort in that.”
Sango
nodded and placed a hand over her heart.
“We love
you too,” Kagome replied, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. “I hope, I
pray that you are at peace.”
Sango and
Miroku looked at each other and reached out to hold each others hand,
“I’m so
glad,” she said.
Miroku
looked behind him and his smile faded.
“Is it time
for you to go?” Kagome asked.
The former
monk nodded and looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry
too,” she admitted. “But I’m happy that you could visit for this short time at
least.”
The tender
smiles came back as their long dead friends looked fondly at them. Then one by
one, the shades turned and faded from sight until only Sango and Miroku
remained. They stayed for a moment longer, then they both bowed and stepped
back, their figures blurring with each step until they too were gone. Silence reigned
in their wake.
“Well, I
was planning to call in a few favors and get Yamaguchi Kappei
to come sing for us, but I don’t think I can upstage that,” Yukio commented,
breaking the somber, tense mood.
“
“Otou-san,
was that…?” Miroku asked, looking a little shell shocked.
He nodded.
“That was
your namesake,” Yukio confirmed.
“Oh.”
“Well, I
think that’s our cue to wrap this thing up, ne?” he
said.
Kagome
nodded and took his hand as he gave Ian to Izayoi.
“Here, hold
him while we make our speech,” he asked.
“Of
course,” his daughter agreed, taking the sleeping pup and cradling him against
her shoulder. Ian didn’t even snuffle.
Still
holding hands, he led Kagome up to the dance floor and held out his hand to
take the microphone from the band singer.
“I’d like
to thank all of you for coming tonight. Our day would not have been the same if
you had not been able to share it with us,” he began. “We are very grateful
that you could be here.”
Knowing
that he wasn’t one for long speeches or flowery words, Kagome gently took the
microphone from him.
“It means
so much to us to see so many of our family and friends here with us. This
wedding has been a long time in coming and all of you have helped to make our
day perfect,” she said. “I would like to personally thank my mother and
grandfather for standing in for me during our ceremony, and Nishitaishou
Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin-sama
for standing for Inuyasha. I also would like to thank Fushikenwa Yukio for
agreeing to be our Nakodo. I know it was
nerve-wracking for him but he did a wonderful job. I would like to thank
planning skills. As always, her taste and talent have provided us with the best
food and entertainment we could have ever asked for. Our priest, the honorable
daughters for being our officiants, I thank you for
presiding over our wedding ceremony. Thank you to all of the performers, cooks
and servers. All of you have contributed to making this day a wonderful day for
us. Thank you very much.
“You will
find catalogs at each of your place settings with your choice of gift. Please
choose whatever you would like as a token of our gratitude. Once again, thank
you very much all of you for being with us tonight and for sharing our special
day. You have made our joy complete.”
He took the
microphone back. “The band will keep playing for a while longer, but Kagome and
I are leaving for our honeymoon. That’s right isn’t it?” He turned to her. “Now
we get to go on a honeymoon with no pups, right?
The crowd
laughed and Kagome hid her mouth behind her hands.
an
class=GramE>“Oi! You didn’t answer my
question!”
Kagome’s
answer was to shrug and giggle, and then she took the mike from him. “He never
changes.”
pups or not!”
“Get him
out of here before he pops a vein!” Eri
“Don’t
worry. I’ll put him out of his misery,” Kagome promised. “Thank you again
everyone.”
She gave
the microphone back to the singer who lead a rousing
farewell cheer as he picked up his wife and carried her bridal style off the
dance floor.
“Sayonara!”
she called, waving good-bye when he didn’t stop, but instead kept going until
he had carried her clear out of the shrine.
He took her
all the way to Tokyo House where he set her down in the genkan.
“You stay
here. I’ll get the bags,” he told her.
the night.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Our
She gave
him a shrewd look. “That depends. Did you tell anyone else about your plan?”
“Bah! Of
course,” he replied.
“All right
then, as long as no one is expecting us to be here tonight.”
“Izayoi
promised to bring Ian to the airport tomorrow morning so we can say good-bye,”
he added, knowing that would be one of her concerns.
“You’ve
thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“I tried,
and Eri caught what I missed,” he admitted.
“I should
have known that she’d be in on this.”
“You
thought I’d be able to plan something without her?”
She just
giggled and shook her head. “Go get the bags. I’ll be here waiting.”
He kissed
her with all the promise of the night and honeymoon to come. “I’ve learned
never to keep a lady waiting. I’ll be right back.”
To his
surprise, he found the bags neatly lined up and waiting right inside the shoji.
A moment later a limousine pulled up to the door just as he was getting ready
to load the BMW.
miss a beat. Thank you,’ he thought as the chauffeur took their bags and
loaded them into the trunk.
“She
doesn’t miss a beat,” Kagome commented as they got into the back.
He shook
his head and smiled. “No, she doesn’t.” ‘Great
minds think alike.’
The ride to
the hotel was uneventful and their room was ready when they arrived.
appointed with champagne, flowers and two brightly wrapped gifts placed on the
bed. Tomorrow they would fly to
for a two week honeymoon, but for now they were truly alone for the first time
in months. Smiling in anticipation, he drew his wife close and kissed her.
“I love
you,” he whispered, nibbling at her neck.
She moaned
softly and rubbed his ears.
“
He moved to
slip the blue l ofl off of her shoulders but she stopped him.
“What is
it?” he asked, worried that something was wrong.
“I have a
gift for you,” she answered.
He smiled
and nuzzled her. “There’s nothing you could give me that would make me happier
than I am right now.”
“Maybe, but
I think you’ve earned this. Close your eyes.”
Giving her
only a token bit of resistance, he did as she asked and waited with his eyes
closed. He felt her doing something with his neck and his eyes opened wide just
in time to see her lift the rosary over his head.
“You don’t
need this anymore, Inuyasha. I’ve replaced your rosary with a wedding ring,”
she explained.
“But…” ‘
“You don’t
need it, and you’ve worn it long enough,” she insisted, placing the prayer
beads in his hand.
He looked
down at them, already missing their weight around his neck. They didn’t belong
in his palm; they belonged resting against his collarbone where they had been
for the past 453 years.
spell broken now?” he asked unsteadily.
“Yes.”
back.’ “Then I want to keep wearing them, even though they can’t subdue me
anymore.”
She gave him
an understanding smile, as if she wasn’t at all surprised to hear his request.
“All
right,” she agreed.
He lowered
his head down and she slipped the beads back on, making him feel much better
the moment they returned to their rightful place around his neck.
“Thank
you,” he said, kissing her.
She gave
him a little nuzzle. “I should have known that you’d
want them back.”
“They
belong there because they’re part of what binds us together. I’ve worn them so
long that I can’t imagine not having them with me.”
fluffy puppy.”
He growled.
“I’ll show you fluffy puppy. This puppy bites.”
She
laughed. “Oh I know. In fact, I’m betting on it.”
He groaned
and licked the pulse point of her neck.
sighed to himself, letting her scent fill his nostrils and make him whole.
“I love
you, Inuyasha,” she whispered.
“I love
you, Kagome. Wife.”
“Wife,” he
repeated, silencing her answer with another kiss as he carried her to the bed.