There's an awful lot of awful things we could be thinking of!
But for just one day let's only think about love
"Alright, let's see those flower crowns!"
A beautiful scene was occurring in the garden as Sorashi was leaned up against the singular tree. In her lap was Rui, who was concentrating on his crown with full intensity. Next to her, Daki struggled to lace the stems together while Gyutaro helped her out. Two new demons had joined her little kid group and were working on their own crowns. Susamaru was giggling as she sloppily made her crown. Yahaba was giving her the side eye from his hands as he made his.
"Is this one good okaa-san?" Rui asked, showcasing his flower crown with baby's breath and spiderwebs. "You should wear this one for your wedding."
"No way! Only I and my brother can call her okaa-san!" A jealous Daki exclaimed, trying to push Rui out of her lap. "Besides she is going to wear my crown!" Her flower crown was made with red lotus and snapdragons.
"She could wear mine." Gyutaro handed his over which was made up of water lilies and various grasses.
Susamaru laughed at his little crown. "That crown is supposed to be a flower crown, not one with grass! How can you make something so pathetic?"
Yahaba glanced at her messily made crown. "At least his is more put together than yours. I can barely tell what flowers you used and where you tied the stems together." He proudly finished his crown created with daisies. "You should make them nice and simple."
Sorashi gently placed a despondent Rui on the ground next to her. "All your crowns are uniquely made and I would be honored to wear them with my wedding veil." She placed a kiss on all of their foreheads. "So glad that you all decided to make these for me. Maybe I'll just make a bouquet out of them."
Frowns appeared on all of their faces as the poor demon woman patted their heads. The wedding was in a few days and she was distracting the kids as everyone else got the preparations ready. Nakime had helped her pick a nice dress and veil. Doma helped her send out invitations, even though most of them were for her friends. He insisted that he wanted a handmade invitation from her, but she turned him down. Kokushibo toned down the training and helped her write her vows, flinching at certain parts due to how sincere she sounded. Akaza even stopped bothering her and took to spying on her from various angles.
New demons started sprouting up around the castle. She had a conversation with a rather large demon who had drums in his body. They exchanged pleasantries and she even read his writings. Now they have tea at his house regularly and write stories together. Another new face came from a pot, his form of art being very morbid, but cool to her. This demon allowed her to create a new pot for him, enjoying the fish designs on the outside.
And then there was...
"Am I too late for the flower crown making session?" A very teasing voice called out from the door of the garden. "I do believe I will have the crown for the queen."
Ah yes...Enmu. The one demon she knew who was loyal to Muzan a bit more than Akaza. His eyes were always twinkling at the sight of her, claiming her to be the only other one he would ever serve. As much as she appreciated the loyalty, he was downright creepy about it and had a tendency to stalk her on the pretenses of guarding her.
Nonetheless, she gave him a small smile. "Go ahead Enmu and show me what you've made."
The demon's eyes brightened at her approval. "Oh you won't be disappointed! I saw these flowers circling the door and the scent they gave off were so intoxicating! I saw you here with the…." His eye twitched as he felt murderous glares from the various children. "So here you go then!"
He came up to her and delicately placed the crown on her head. It was a beautiful crown made of soft cosmos, but they had red on their white petals. Sorashi reached up and caressed the petals with a happy expression on her face.
"Their scent is quite wonderful, almost nostalgic. I think I'll choose this one for my veil." She stood up, giving Enmu a hug. "Thank you En-Chan!"
Said demon was on cloud nine as he hugged her back and didn't feel like letting go. Suddenly, his hands were separated from her body due to Rui slicing them off with his threads. His blood stained her clothes, making her back away in shock. Susamaru laughed at this, Daki joining in as well.
"Hands off my mother, you ingrate." Rui spat, his red eyes glowing with fury. "She doesn't want to be with you."
"Ha! You got him good Rui! If you hadn't done anything, I would've thrown a ball at him!" Susamaru said, bouncing her temari ball.
Sorashi wiped her now bloodied kimono and shook her head. "Rui, you can't slice off the hands of every person who gets close to me. Last time you did that Akaza almost killed you." She held Enmu's arms with a worried look on her face. "So sorry En-Chan, I hope your hands come back soon."
Enmu made noises of happiness. "Oh my, you truly are the best milady! I will make sure I heal fast so that I can help you more!"
Sorashi grinned warily. "Okaaay…" Turning to the children, she held out her hand. "Let's get going, you have studies to get to."
There was a scuffle as the children swatted each other to get her hand. Daki stuck out her tongue as she managed to take her hand, gloating at the fact she got it so fast. Rui growled at this, going for the other hand only to see Yahaba smirking as he got it. Gyutaro positioned himself on her back, grinning down at him. Susamaru wrapped her body around her waist, ball under her arm.
Sorashi gave Rui a strained smile due to all the weight on her. "Sorry Rui, you can have my hand next-OOF!"
Rui had jumped on her chest, clinging tightly as he continued to glare at Enmu. The others were still glaring at him as well.
If the sunlight won't kill me, then these kids will.
Tamayo hummed to herself as she created some more healing elixirs. Ever since she defected from Muzan, she had become somewhat of a wandering doctor helping the sick. Enjoying this new life she had, her quest to figure out how to turn demons back into humans were getting harder each day. Thankfully, with the help of Yoriichi, she managed herself quite nicely and helped out the Demon Slayer Corps in the background.
However, as she stirred her latest remedy, she was reminded of the only one who cared for her well-being enough to rebel against Muzan himself. Times she wondered why Sorashi would stay with a killer like him and believed that there was some good left in her soul somewhere. Hope blossomed inside of her at the prospect of saving Sorashi and changing her back into a human. They had a bond like no other after all.
The door to her hidden laboratory opened suddenly, startling her from her thoughts. Yoriichi smiled as he came in and sat down at the table. He came to check on her from time-to-time and kept her updated on how the Demon Slayers were doing.
"Tamayo." He started, pouring himself a cup of tea. "I'm sure you've heard the news of the wedding happening."
"A wedding? Oh is someone in the Corps getting married?" Tamayo asked, inquiring the importance of such a wedding.
Yoriichi shook his head, taking a long sip. "No I'm afraid not. This is the wedding that we slayers have been waiting for. We've gathered intel that Muzan Kibutsuji is getting married to the Queen of the Night."
Tamayo's breath hitched, nearly dropping her stirring spoon in shock. "No…please tell me you are joking! How could she-? Why would she-?" She was now mumbling and fumbling with her fingers.
Yoriichi raised an eyebrow at her strange behavior. "What's wrong Tamayo? Do you know the woman whom is marrying that demon?"
Tamayo hesitated, not wanting to betray the trust she was given. "I do and I can't say that I am not surprised. This woman was someone I consider a sister and she made me feel human when I was under Muzan. She never stayed in the same place and was on the move constantly."
Before any of them could speak, a strange flower popped up through the cracks of the wall. Yoriichi got up and grabbed the hilt of his blade, ready to take it out if it was a threat. Tamayo narrowed her eyes as the petals of the flower were slowly opening. To both of their surprise, a small body with big blue eyes, wavy white hair with pink highlights, and pale skin popped out of the flower.
"Is this the residence of Lady Tamayo?" A small feminine voice piqued out, scanning the room until she hit Tamayo. "Ahh~! There you are! I'm so happy that you are here!"
"Are you a demon?" Yoriichi asked, still cautious at the flower creature.
The flower person shook her head. "I'm not a demon, merely a creation used for communication and travel. I've been dubbed Dahlia. Now I have a message for Lady Tamayo from Lady Sorashi, princess of the stars."
They both perked up from hearing that name, Tamayo out of joy and Yoriichi out of shock.
"What is this message?" Tamayo asked sweetly, now interested in the little flower.
Dahlia cleared her throat. "Lady Tamayo, you have been invited to the wedding of King Muzan of the Demons and Lady Sorashi of the Stars. The wedding is in a few days at the Arakawa Shrine at midnight sharp. Please wear your finest kimono and provide a offering for the newlyweds. You can deny going at this moment or accept the invitation right now."
There was silence as the denizens of the room were processing what they heard.
Sorashi….do you have something to do with my brother turning into a demon? I have traveled far and wide to find where you have vanished. I assumed my brother had taken you and hid you away. Yoriichi thought, placing a hand on his forehead. I regret not confessing earlier and figuring out why you and I could never touch. Now I know why because that demon spawn has turned you into a creature of the night! I will save you from his clutches and make sure he can never harm you again!
Sorashi-nee, you truly have made me wonder about your safety. Did Muzan force you into this marriage? I hope that I can save you from him and change you back into a human! Tamayo clutched her hands into a fist. Perhaps we can crash this wedding, save you, and kill Muzan once and for all. I don't care what happens to everyone else as long as you are safe!
Dahlia stared at the two who were ruminating in their thoughts. "Um…hello? Are you going to give me a reply? I've got more people to invite."
Tamayo snapped out of her thoughts, giving Dahlia a nod. "Tell her that I will be there. And give her my deepest congratulations on her engagement."
Dahlia nodded. "I will do so. See you at the wedding." With a bow, the flower girl went back into the wall and disappeared.
"I shall inform the Corps the location of the wedding and for them to get their forces ready for a brawl." Yoriichi downed the rest of his tea and stood up. "What will you be doing for the time being?"
Tamayo went back to the remedy she was making. "I'll be getting ready for my revenge and rescuing Sorashi from that wicked man!"
Today was the day.
Sorashi's morning started with her being awoken by Nakime, who teleported her to the bathroom. She soaked in some nice smelling oils and flower petals, washing herself in the hot springs of the castle. She dried off and entered into another room where her pure white shiro-muku was laid out for her. With some help from her demon maids, she slipped on the dress, adjusted the bridal hat and veil on her head, wrapped the flower veil on the hat, and grabbed her bouquet. Her makeup and perfume was applied, along with her star marks glowing slightly.
Her caravan awaited outside the castle, the moon giving the bridal carriage an eerie glow. Several demons were placed around the carriage to ensure that the bride made it to the shrine safely. Sorashi smiled to herself as she was brought to sit down inside her carriage. She thought about how Mu-Chan was waiting for her along with the others at the shrine. She thought about her children and how they were probably impatient waiting for her. Fiddling her fingers, she hoped today would go off with a hitch.
Loud noises were heard outside as the caravan stopped. Several shadows were seen outside as the sounds of blades pierced the air. Screams were heard, making Sorashi fall forward as the carriage stopped. It was an ambush!
The doors of the carriage opened up revealing some people with blades pointing at her. Her heart thumped in her chest as they had a murderous feel to them. Her head started to throb, feeling fear and fatigue washing over her. A thick scent filled the air, making Sorashi pass out.
The Demon Slayers moved aside, allowing Yoriichi and Tamayo forward. The Sun Breather knelt down, taking in the beauty of the bride before wrapping his arms around body and lifting her up.
"She's safe." Tamayo breathed, allowing her wounds to heal from using her blood art. "We should bring her to the safe space now."
"Muzan will be tracking her down. I'd hate to use her as bait, but we have no choice." Yoriichi placed a kiss on Sorashi's forehead. "I won't let them take another one of my most precious people."
It had been twenty minutes and Muzan was getting mad.
Sorashi was supposed to be there on time for their own wedding. He and the rest of the party were getting impatient waiting for the queen. Muzan had taken his big three and went outside the shrine to see if they could catch a glimpse of her. Kokushibo stood by Muzan, getting worried as the night went on. Doma covered his troubled face with his fan. Akaza gritted his teeth and started pacing the ground.
"Did the caravan get lost or something? Where the heck is she?" The pink haired demon punched a nearby tree. "No way would she get cold feet now!"
"Calm yourself Akaza, something must've happened to her." Kokushibo stared out into the horizon. "I just hope nothing bad happened."
"If something did happen, I would kill whomever harmed her." Doma smiled, but his smile was full of anger and worry.
Muzan ran a hand through his hair. "Not if I torture them first. My beloved will be here when she gets here."
Rustling noises interrupted their thoughts as the tiny form of Dahlia popped her head from the ground. Surprised by the little flower being, they all leaned down to hear what she had to say.
"So I searched the woods and chatted with the trees…." Her eyes were misted as tears ran down her face. "The Queen has been captured by the Demon Slayers!"
Silence was heard for a split second before Muzan burst into a rage and started morphing into some amalgam of different forms. Kokushibo grabbed his sword and blast out his own power. Doma said nothing, but started laughing evilly. Akaza started growling as his fists bled hard from clenching too hard.
Someone took their queen.
They were going to PAY!
The Queen has been taken.
Will her stars be able to save her?
From the clutches of the sun?
Haha! You thought the wedding would be this chapter, but it was a kidnapping!
Also, these little flower creatures will be more relevant down the way.
Looks like Yoriichi was more in love with Sorashi than we thought.