Chapter Nine- Wedding Announcement
Sango awoke on her final day as a human to the sound of tapping near the balcony. As she got out of bed, another tap sounded and a small stone appeared on the bedroom floor. She stared at it. How did that get in here? She wondered.
Picking it up, she headed to the balcony to throw it into the sea. She forgot about the stone when she saw Kagome and Kohaku in the water below. Indeed, the stone fell from her hand at the sight of them.
"Sister, the dolphins told us that they heard the humans talk about a wedding. Miroku's getting married this afternoon! Isn't that great!?" Kohaku called.
Sango smiled brightly. Miroku was getting married and she was the only one he had been around with lately. It had to be her! She would get her kiss before sunset!
Missing Sango's beaming smile, her brother said, "Sango, why aren't you saying something?"
Kagome smacked the back of his head. "She doesn't have her voice, remember?"
"Oh, yeah," Kohaku rubbed the back of his head.
"Sango," Kagome said. "we'll be nearby to watch the ceremony. After your kiss, we'll try to get your voice from Naraku."
Sango nodded and gave a thumbs-up sign before smoothing down her hair and dashing out of the room to find Miroku.
She was halfway down the staircase when she stopped and ducked behind a pillar. She saw Mushin and Miroku, but there was a strange woman hanging onto the prince's arm.
"Well, Miroku," Mushin was saying. "It appears you were right. Your rescuer does exist."
"Koharu and I wish to be married as soon as possible," the prince answered.
"As soon as possible?" the guardian repeated.
"Yes, Mushin. Wedding ship will depart before sunset today."
Mushin was surprised by the prince's anxiousness but nevertheless replied, "As you wish, my boy."
Sango had heard all she needed and fled back to her room, feeling as if her heart was breaking.
Kagura saw Sango fleeing out of the corner of her eye. She continued to hang onto the prince's arm while enjoying the feel of the hairpin with the pearl in her hair. Naraku had explained that as long as the pearl didn't break, Miroku was in her control.
Sango watched sadly as the ship pulled away from the dock. The ship resembled, to her, her freedom sailing away. Once night fell, she would be a mermaid again and Naraku's slave. Overcome by despair and sadness, she slid onto the dock's floor and cried.
Kagome and Kohaku, unaware that Sango wasn't the bride, swam right alongside the ship's side. Kagome looked forward to seeing a human wedding while Kohaku plotted how to get his sister's voice back. Both of them came out of their thoughts when they spied a woman on deck, holding a hand mirror.
"Master Naraku, this is Kagura," the woman said to the mirror.
"I hear you. Report," came Naraku's voice from the mirror.
"Your plan is working," Kagura replied, her voice gradually changing to sound just like Sango. "The prince is under the spell and believes I rescued him."
"Excellent. Once night falls, you'll be a mermaid again as will Sango and we'll be one happy family," Naraku laughed and Kagura joined in.
Kagome and Kohaku exchanged horrified looks before swimming back to Miroku's palace as fast as they could. They found a forlorn Sango sitting on the palace dock and swam up to her.
"Sango," Kagome cried. "You have to get to the ship. That girl is Kagura and she and Naraku have put Miroku under a spell."
Sango's head jerked up and stared at the ship. Kagura and Naraku! They were trying to stop her from staying human! They wanted her as a slave!
"How is she going to get to the ship?" Kohaku asked Kagome. "She can't swim!"
"I'll help her. Perhaps our sea friends can help in stalling the wedding."
"Yeah. Both of us should do that."
"Both of us?"
"Yeah. I'm going to tell Father. He needs to know about this. On my way home, I'll talk to the animals."
"Okay. Let's go! We don't have much time left."
Sango got to her feet and leaped into the water. Kagome grabbed her waist and pulled her above the water and began to swim the two of them to the ship while Kohaku swam beneath the water toward the palace.
As they swam, they explained to their sea friends what was going on and they were eager to assist. Kagome had even asked the birds for help. Before long, an army of animals were heading for the boat to stop a wedding.
Like I said, the next double update will be the last one for the story.
