Chapter Four - Wedding Bells
The day of their wedding made Chiyo nauseous. Sesshomaru was getting dressed in a traditional white robe, Chiyo was already dressed in a white Kimono trimmed with gold and golden patterned stars. Yasu offered to help Chiyo put it on but Chiyo refused she wanted to be alone. She could no longer wait she slid the door open and crept down the hallway to Sesshomaru's dressing room. She knocked on the door and heard him say come in. She sighed she hoped he would reassure her of his feelings for her. She slid the door open and entered. She was shocked he looked gorgeous, she blushed. Sesshomaru smiled he seemed different today this time he didn't try to fight a smile. Sesshomaru broke the silence
"Don't you know its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?"
Chiyo gave him a concerned look as she gazed into his amber golden eyes.
"Sesshomaru...do you really want to get married?"
Sesshomaru felt a lump in his throat
'Is she about to call off the wedding?'
"Huh?"
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows. He was worried about what she was about to say. Chiyo groaned and turned her face away from his.
"I guess what I'm trying to ask is if you want to marry me because you have to...or...If it's because..."
She paused then forced the next words out.
"Or if it's because you love me..."
He had a pained expression.
'Is she so naive of my feelings for her?'
He never told her he loved her but deep down inside he couldn't stand to be without her. She made him feel happy she was by his side for the past nine years. How could she not know how he felt? He grabbed her hands and pulled her close to his chest, they shared a passionate embrace.
"Chiyo there is nothing I want more in this world then to be with you"
Chiyo's face was beet red. He cupped her chin and pulled her up to place a kiss on her lips, she was shocked her eyes closed as she returned a kiss.
"Chiyo I love you"
A tear ran down her cheek, Sesshomaru noticed it and wiped it away. She smiled and spoke.
"I'm glad Sesshomaru...I love you too." Sesshomaru grinned.
It was almost time to start the wedding, Chiyo left the room. Yasu caught Chiyo leaving Sesshomaru's room she marched up to her.
"AHEM! What are you doing! You're not supposed to see him yet! GEES! Haven't you ever been to a wedding?"
Chiyo shook her head no.
"I just had to ask him something."
Yasu's eyes narrowed
"Well you ruined the entrance...SESSHOMARU! COME OUT! It's time for the wedding you love birds!"
Yasu shouted. Sesshomaru went ahead of them to greet the elder demon who was to marry them off. Yasu took Chiyo to a Choi pond
"What are we doing here? I thought we were going to the wedding?"
Chiyo looked curious at the multi-colored fish swimming around. Yasu grinned and pointed at the pond.
"The day of my wedding my mother told me if I make a wish in front of the choi pond it will come true"
Chiyo's face went sluggish, this just sounded silly but she decided to humor her foster mother.
"What should I wish for?"
"You can't ask! You're supposed to keep it a secret or it won't come true!...think of something you really want and just wish, after all my wish came true, now I live happily with Kaito."
Chiyo sighed
'Hmm I want my parents back...but even with a wish it's impossible...'
She pondered at what she really wanted she thought of it and closed her eyes
'What I want more than anything is for Sesshomaru to be happy'
Chiyo's star glowed bright. Yasu's eyes nearly popped out her head.
"WHATS THAT!"
It stopped. Yasu pointed at Chiyo's forehead.
"Huh?"
Chiyo was confused. Kaito came rushing in
"Come on you two! The wedding can't start without a bride!"
They went to a field area there were two rows of cherry blossom trees at the end of the row Sesshomaru and the elder demon stood. Yasu took Manami and stood on the opposite side of Sesshomaru next to the elder. Kaito waited with Chiyo at the beginning of the row, Chiyo was amazed at the wedding spot they had chosen. The trees were in full bloom. Kaito walked Chiyo down towards where Sesshomaru stood halfway there Chiyo stopped.
"What's wrong Chiyo?" Kaito asked.
Chiyo looked up in the sky
'Something's not right..'
She couldn't sense anything but something inside her was telling her something was wrong. Chills ran up her spine. Sesshomaru could sense her fear.
"I don't sense anything; come on Chiyo your just getting wedding jitters."
Chiyo tried to ignore it and took a few steps when chains shot out from behind the trees, one hooked onto Kaito pulling him down to the ground.
"It's an ambush!" Kaito yelled.
Chiyo glared noticing two of the demons they resembled two of the refugees.
'Err! It was a trap! How couldn't we sense them?'
Chiyo tried to cut the chains binding Kaito, but any attempt sent bolts of electricity through her body. More demons appeared.
"Where are they coming from?"
Chiyo shouted Kaito yelled for Yasu to escape with Manami. Sesshomaru darted towards Chiyo to protect her. A chain wrapped around Chiyo's hands forcing them to her back she fell to her knees as another wrapped around her ankle. Sesshomaru was intercepted by a bolt of lightning. Chiyo struggled from the chains, but she continued to be electrocuted, any attempt at escape shocked Chiyo with massive amounts of electricity. A figure appeared in the sky, the sky became dark. Storm clouds flooded the area. It was a male demon he had long black hair that was kept in a braid, his armor looked like it was made from the fangs and bones of demons. His eyes were blood red. His eyes glared down upon Chiyo. He reverted his attention towards Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru removed his armor for the wedding he was more vulnerable now. Sesshomaru snarled and leaped up on a branch and bounced off to slash at the demon, the demon dodged the failed attack and spoke.
"Heh.. How's it going Chiyo?" he spoke in an evil maniacal tone.
Chiyo glared up at him.
'Who is this guy?' she didn't recognize him.
"Who the hell are you!What do you want!" she snarled.
A grin appeared on the demons face.
"You don't remember? Well how could you? We never officially met...eight years ago you murdered my father." Chiyo gasped
"Raijin!" she growled.
Sesshomaru went to attack Raijin. Raijin was dodging all his blows, Sesshomaru finally punched Raijin in the face. The blow struck him so hard he fell to the ground he growled at Sesshomaru. Suddenly a demon came from behind and struck Sesshomaru with a lightening staff it impenetrated his chest and shot out volts of electricity. Sesshomaru gasped at the pain and crashed to the earth.
"Sesshomaru!"
Chiyo fought to escape as she was struck over and over with immense amounts of electricity. Chiyo screamed at the pain till the chains finally broke, she ran towards Sesshomaru, tears ran down her face as she collapsed beside him pulling him onto her lap.
"Sesshomaru please be alright."
Kaito watched in horror
'Are we going to be killed?'
Kaito was still pinned to the ground. Yasu had followed Kaito's order and managed to escape with their daughter. Raijin got up and commended his follower. He walked over to the trapped Kaito.
"Chiyo you must get out of here, you're not safe.."
Sesshomaru mumbled.
Chiyo shook her head no; she suddenly smelled the scent of blood and looked towards Kaito. Raijin had pulled out his sword and ran the blade over Kaito's neck leaving a deep cut.
"What a pathetic excuse of a father.."
Raijin said with a large grin.
"Wait.. That's right. My father slaughtered your weak and useless parents. Doesn't all this seem formiliar?"
Chiyo stood up her eyes flickered brightly for a brief second. The flickering caught the demon lords eye. She glared at him, then gasped in shock, she noticed an amulet around his neck it was the same as the amulet that was giving to her by the prophet, she looked around at the other demons they all had the same amulets.
"Chiyo let me help you rid the weakness from your life.." he pressed the blade deeper into Kaito's neck.
Chiyo's claws became erect and she darted towards Raijin. Out of nowhere a sword flew in between the two demons dividing them, it plunged into the ground. Chiyo glanced at the sword in shock, she seen the sword before. Another sword came flying out it impailed Raijin in the back. His eyes flung open with surprise. Something zipped around the area slaughtering most of the demons that surrounded them. Raijin looked back into the trees where the last sword came from.
"Don't you dare harm my niece!" Megumi shouted as she slung a chain sickle at Raijin, he dodged it. He growled and pulled the sword out of his back and threw it to the ground.
"Kaito! Take Sesshomaru and get Chiyo out of here!"
She shouted as she sliced through his chains with her sickle. Megumi cleared a path for them to escape, Kaito ran towards Chiyo and Sesshomaru, he pulled Sesshomaru into his arms they darted off. Chiyo looked back as she watched her aunt hold off the demons, guilt struck her.
' It's happening again. It's all because of me...'
Chiyo stopped dead in her tracks. Kaito looked back
"Chiyo! What are you doing? We have to go!" she looked towards the castle 'HIDE...' Chiyo remembered the word on the amulet.
'That's it!' Chiyo darted off
"Chiyo where are you going!" Kaito Yelled
"Go on ahead I'll catch up!" Chiyo saw smoke the village had been set on fire.
She entered the castle grounds and crashed through the roof. There was fire everywhere she had to hurry. She saw the box she put the amulet in and quickly went to grab it, the rest of the roof collapsed in and she leapt out of the blazing fire. She placed the amulet in her pocket for now and raced off to where the scent of Sesshomaru's blood was emanating from.
She caught up to Kaito who was running at extreme speeds. Kaito looked back and saw Chiyo.
"Chiyo we need to find a place to rest Sesshomaru's wounds keep getting worse as we run."
Chiyo noticed a choi pond in the distance.
"Kaito follow me"
Kaito followed Chiyo he looked around this area was to open, they would never be able to hide here.
'What is she thinking?'
"Chiyo it's not safe here we need to move" Chiyo rushed over to Sesshomaru and Kaito.
"Give me him." He handed him to her she carried him over to the choi pond till his body rested infront of the pond.
"Chiyo what are you doing?" she shushed him
"I need silence.. I was able to heal an injured baby bird when I was little, it fell out of a tree and broke its wing. I was able to heal its broken bones." she took a deep breath then exhaled. Chiyo's eyes and star began to glow brightly. Sesshomaru's wounds slowly closed up. When they were completely healed she became weak, her knees were heavy.
"Kaito do me a favor.." he was still shocked at what he just witnessed he was astonished at what she could do.
"Kaito. Get Sesshomaru out of here" he nodded and pulled Sesshomaru in his arms.
"Chiyo what about you? Aren't you coming?" she shook her head and placed the amulet around her neck.
"I can't.. I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me... " Chiyo looked away and darted off.
Kaito tried to follow after her but he couldn't sense her, she completely disappeared. Chiyo returned to the place Raijin and his demon followers attacked them. Everyone was gone except the corpses of the demons Megumi slayed.
'Wait! Megumi! Did she make it out to?'.
There was no scent of her blood.
'Perhaps she escaped...Megumi risked her life to save me...again..'
Chiyo noticed Megumi's twin swords, she pulled the one out of the ground and picked up the other.
'These swords are Megumi's prized possessions.. Why did she leave them?'
Tears ran down her face Chiyo was afraid of what might have happened to them had her aunt not shown up. Many thoughts flooded Chiyo's head.
'How did Megumi know Kaito and Sesshomaru?'
Chiyo looked at the star amulet around her neck. She held it up, it glistened in the sunlight. Chiyo heard footsteps behind her she leapt aside and flexed out her claws.
"My dear, I'm but an old woman, I'm not going to harm you" Chiyo relaxed a little.
"What do you want? Who are you?" Chiyo shouted.
"I'm the prophet Yogensha who left that amulet in that village. For you eight years ago. I knew of this day like I knew about the day of your parent's deaths." Chiyo growled, as the old woman continued.
"Somethings not right though I didn't foresee you saving lord Sesshomaru.."
Chiyo glared at the old woman.
"You knew we would be attacked!" Chiyo showed her claws.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you!" Chiyo was furious the old hag knew of this day, and she hadn't warned them. She knew of the day her parents died, and she hadn't tried to prevent it.
"I couldn't save them." the old woman spoke calmly.
"It was faith, they were destined to die that day."
Chiyo piped in. "DESTINED! I doubt that!, you said you didn't foresee me saving Sesshomaru, does that mean he died in your vision?"
The old hag nodded.
"Well he's alive! He didn't die so you were wrong it's not destiny!" Chiyo snarled.
"My visions have always been accurate until today. The vision I had showed the end of your friends, you were imprisoned by the North lord."
Chiyo's eyes widened, she remembered the ambush and how they nearly escaped. The old woman knew what the young demon wanted to ask.
"That amulet I brought here was Shuurai's. I stole it and disappeared when he was killed. I knew of his faith but refused to tell him. I knew if I stayed the young lord would find out about my betrayal...I'm very old my time is coming soon...when I saw that vision of him slaughtering your friend's eight years ago I left the amulet to Sesshomaru to give to you in hopes you would use it.. The Star of Tonto, It was carved out from the body of a powerful ancient adamant demon that recently went to the nether world. This stone enables the possessor to hide all their demonic energy."
Chiyo gasped
'That's why no one could sense Raijin's presence he must have made more amulets.'
"That's what he was looking for eight years ago!" The old woman nodded.
"Chiyo you must hide. Raijin is only after you. He will not waste time on others, if you stay away from your friends they won't get hurt. It will be easier for you to hide with the amulet, even though you can't detect each other's presence Raijin will be watching to see if you return to your friends. This is very important Chiyo.. You must NEVER return to them, especially lord Sesshomaru."
Chiyo was saddened she finally found out his true feelings for her and they had to be separated.
"Why? What will happen?"
The old woman was silent. Chiyo was getting angry.
"TELL ME!"
The old woman remained silent she wrinkled her nose and vanished in a cloud of smoke. Chiyo plopped to the ground and laid there looking up into the sky.
'Sesshomaru I'm so sorry… but I have to keep you safe..'
Chiyo vowed to wonder the world alone till she defeated Raijin. She knew once she defeated the north lord she could be free once and for all, free to be with Sesshomaru. Chiyo closed her eyes, the star on Chiyo's forehead glowed for a second then faded as she fell asleep. The next morning she left, she took along only Megumi's twin swords.
End of Chapter Four
