Kitsunehime: Apologies, but I have gotten sidetracked once again. ^^;; Good thing about that, I've been putting up more doodles on my deviantART account and anime foxes site (Go take a look if you're bored; there's a link in my profile. Those almost always turn out better than this anyways.). Bad news? I've been neglecting just about everything else. Gomen nasai!
*insert witty/whatever disclaimer here*
To Rule the Darkness
ch. 36: Last Minute Rush
Miroku was dressed in his very best, sitting in a corner and feeling miserable. Sure, it was his wedding day, but he had been thoroughly scrubbed, trimmed, and otherwise spiffied up by four overzealous inu-youkai. His only consolation (which wasn't all that small either) was watching Inutaishou trying to stuff the other three into their finery.
Sesshoumaru hadn't put up much of a fuss. Neither had Koryu, for that matter. Now Inuyasha, though, that was an entirely different story.
"Bug off, old fart! That much glitter ain't necessary!"
"It's not glitter, you insolent pup! It's known as formal wear!"
"Well you can take that 'formal wear' and shove it up your — "
"I'll shove it up your ugly — "
"Gentlemen, I believe you are providing the day's full dose of entertainment," Sesshoumaru commented dryly. Which gave them both pause for a minute or three. Which gave Inutaishou a chance to pull the haori down over his son's head. Which he then did.
"Bwahaha, I win!" he crowed.
"I hate you beyond all mortal reasoning," Inuyasha spat.
"Really? Then I suppose you don't want to help explain the intricacies of the ceremony to the befuddled groom?"
"Scratch that. Let's go."
Miroku began to whimper as they converged on him. "Can't I just go in clueless?!" he wailed, to no avail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sango felt like a stuffed goose, all trussed up and ready for consumption. An appropriate analogy, all things considered. Unfortunately, that led to some . . . rather dirty thoughts.
She reached up to smack her forehead to rid herself of such musings, but was stopped by Fahleing's irate rebuke.
"Hold still, unless you want this stuff in your eye," Fahleing growled. Who would have guessed that the surly inu-hanyou could do hair and makeup with equal ease?
As if sensing Sango's train of thought, Fahleing said wryly, "A near-whore serving in a Tainted court is constantly required to do herself up well for 'visitors'."
"I'm sorry . . . "
"Forget it. Today is your day, so be happy. Or should I say, yours and Miroku's?" Fahleing added with a smirk.
Without an answer, Sango blushed furiously.
"There, done. Sit tight and don't ruin my work," Fahleing said, bustling off to help the others.
Somehow ignoring the excited chatter from the others, Sango sat in thought.
'Today is really my wedding day . . . Do I really want to do this? Do I?! Do I still have time to back out? Do I even want to back out? Do I know — '
'Ah, shut up,' her conscience whined. 'Just go through with it. You'll like it very much later, I expect.'
Pondering that rather cryptic thought, Sango failed to notice that they were done, and Kagome, Fahleing, and Sakuya were approaching with grins. Rin was scrambling out the door to see if the guys were ready.
"So," Sakuya began. "Ever been with a man?"
"W-WHAT?!" Sango sputtered.
"No then? Kagome, I think we need to fill her in," Fahleing sighed in mock-annoyance.
"That we do."
"W-WHAT?!"
Kagome tsk-ed. "No need to yell. We hear you."
"What has this got to do with anything?!"
"Such a shame. You don't know?" It was easy to tell that Fahleing – Sakuya and Kagome too, for that matter – were enjoying this very much. Too much, maybe.
"Know what?!"
"What happens on the night of the wedding," Kagome stated. "Consummation of the marriage."
"Mating," Fahleing added bluntly.
Sango alternatively flushed, then paled.
"You see," Sakuya continued sweetly. "If this is indeed your first time, there are some things you should know."
Inside her mind, Sango's conscience seemed to be cackling evilly.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Inutaishou! Inuyasha! Where are you? Sesshoumaru? Miroku?" Rin yelled, scurrying through the halls. You see, a side effect of this confusion was that each gender forgot to tell the other which rooms they'd be using to prepare.
"Here, pretty one," a whisper said out of the shadow, accompanied by an arm that snaked around her waist.
"Eeks! What — Oh, Sesshoumaru!"
"At your service."
"None of that nonsense," Rin said matter-of-fact-ly, but with a twinkle in her eye and a blush on her face. "You guys ready?"
"As can be, although Miroku gave us some trouble," Sesshoumaru growled. "The idiot refused to get a haircut."
Rin blinked. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. Have you four gotten the bride ready?"
"Mm-hmm. Fahleing, Kagome, and Sakuya are giving her what they dubbed 'the talk' right now."
Sesshoumaru suddenly looked dubious. "The talk?"
Rin shrugged. "I don't know what it is." But Sesshoumaru was beginning to have a sneaking feeling that he did.
"Anyhow," she continues, oblivious. "The priest's ready, the ballroom is ready, so let's get going!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Just take deep breaths and answer the questions," Inuyasha muttered to Miroku, who was beginning to hyperventilate."
"They're mostly yes or no questions," Inutaishou rumbled.
"And most of those you're supposed to say 'yes' to," Koryu added helpfully. "I think." Of course he only thought. He wasn't married.
They were in the ballroom, waiting for the bride and her women to enter. Miroku was fairly bursting out of his socks with a combination of excitement and trepidation.
Rin, being the youngest, entered first and took her place across from Sesshoumaru, who smiled imperceptibly.
Kagome was next, and stood across from Inuyasha.
Sakuya and Fahleing, being the two oldest (Fahleing being the elder of the two, believe it or not), walked on either side of Sango as she came in. Sakuya branched off to stand across from Inutaishou first, then Fahleing veered off to stand before Koryu. Shippou, Souta, Kohaku, and even Kirara stood in a semicircle at the end of the double line.
Miroku almost let his jaw drop when he saw Sango, looking breathtakingly lovely with the elegant white kimono, delicately done makeup, and elaborate hairdo.
Sango was hard-pressed not to gape, seeing Miroku dressed in his very best, with his hair trimmed to boot. Though she was willing to bet that it was all forced onto him by some certain overbearing dog demons.
"Today is the marriage of one Warlord, Miroku, and one witch, Sango . . . " the priest began. And so, the ceremony was underway.
To the two main participants' surprise and relief, they got through the questions with relative ease. All too soon, they came to the final question.
"To be married is not merely some lark; pure devotion is needed. And, knowing this, do both of you promise to be together, through whatever trials may come at you, to be good to each other, to live with each other's faults and weaknesses, to be husband and wife?" Think long and hard on this, the priest added silently.
Miroku thought back to when he first met Sango, and how he was instantly attracted to her inner (and outer, for that matter) strength and character. She was the one who inspired him to change for the better, to become more worthy. He knew what his answer would be.
"Yes."
Sango's soul-searching brought her back to that moonlight festival where Miroku confessed his feelings for her, and when she finally realized her own for him. He did indeed change, but she did also. He was the force that inspired it all.
"Yes."
"Then you are married, and I give my blessing on this."
Everyone stared at the couple expectantly.
"Well? Get on with it," Sakuya urged.
"Get on with what?" Miroku asked.
Everyone gave them funny looks. "Uhh, hello? You've just gotten married. You're supposed to kiss."
" . . . Huh?"
"Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"So," Koryu began conversationally. "When do you suppose they'll start?"
"Why are we listening?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
"Beats me."
"Because Inutaishou and Sakuya are drunk, and they dragged the rest of us?" Kagome ventured.
"Not that curiosity isn't already eating us alive," Inuyasha interjected.
Fahleing twitched her ears. "Speak for yourself."
"Hypocrite."
"Shut up."
Is it hard to guess where they are now? I should hope not. No? Fine. They are (drumroll please) . . . crouched out in the hallway outside Sango and Miroku's room. Care to guess why? No, I don't suppose you want to know. *ahem*
"Uhh, hello? You've just gotten married. You're supposed to kiss."
Lol. =D Torturing people is so much fun. ^_^
Ja!