Chapter 8: The Wedding Ceremony (Wednesday Afternoon: January 1st, 2003)
Lord Jakaro stood in the workshop watching Lord Cronus review various logs. Both Kitsunes had all nine-tails on display to convince the other Kitsunes to give them space. "Well?" Jakaro prompted.
"My friend, if I survive the coming Chaos, I'm going to retire here. This place is absolutely wonderful," Cronus replied while studying the print out in front of him.
"I'm sure Tofu will be happy to have more Kitsunes in the city," Jakaro answered dryly. "Did you manage to match the outcome of this morning's battle or not?"
"Yes, yes I did. I managed to achieve a correlation coefficient of -1," Cronus told him.
"Which means you guessed the exact opposite of what happened," Jakaro stated.
"Correct. This is fantastic!"
Jakaro rubbed his eyes with his paws. He and Cronus were dear friends for the last several hundred years, but even Jakaro sometimes got a headache talking to Cronus. "All right. Let me guess - a value near zero would have been useless."
"Absolutely!" Cronus agreed. "0 would indicate complete randomness. 1 would mean that I got everything right. But with a -1, all I have to do is invert all of my predictions. So, the good news is that I can now predict that there is a 96% chance that your disciple and his wife will board the plane to Hawaii this evening."
"And the bad news?" Jakaro prompted.
"Open warfare in the ballroom!" Cronus said enthusiastically.
"Yep, there's the headache," Jakaro thought. Out loud, he asked plaintively: "Why?"
"Hmmm…." Cronus said as he studied the print outs. "I think one of the assassins escaped this morning's debacle. He seems to be awfully dedicated, but I don't know why. Anyone with common sense would have low-tailed it out of here. He's going to try for Lady Akari again."
"Any sign of Henna in your equations?" Jakaro asked in a resigned tone.
"Not even a random trace…" Cronus started. "Oh… wait a minute - it there's no trace of her and the coefficient is -1, then…"
"Then the assassin is the lead assassin and he's signed a contract with his soul in the balance. She's going to possess him when he fails," Jakaro finished. "I need to stop that so we can keep our secrets a little longer." He turned and started to walk away.
"You know what happens if you act on any of this information," Cronus warned.
"Yes, I know - all your predictions go out the window and there will not be time to factor my actions into a new set of calculations," Jakaro acknowledged. "But you gave us new information and I'm a big believer in Free Will anyway."
"Maomolin would laugh for the next week solid if he ever found out you were a supporter of Schrödinger's cat," Cronus teased.
Jakaro shrugged and said: "Laughter is good for the soul. Meanwhile, after the wedding keep working with the new information Maomolin gave us and what our spies are reporting. I'm going to delay open fighting until after Tofu and Kasumi have left. I'll see you upstairs in a bit." Cronus nodded.
Jakaro pulled out a phone and dialed Othan. "Yo," the mercenary acknowledged. Admittedly, Jakaro liked that the blunt spoken mercenary didn't worry about formality. Jakaro was an employer; that was all the mercenary felt was important.
"An assassin escaped this morning," Jakaro told him. "I can't seal off the building without hurting my mortal guests. The assassin is probably the leader of this morning attacks and is Bound, so he's going to come here. Lady Akari is probably his primary target."
"Are you sure there's only one?" Othan asked.
"No. There may be more. My sources say there's at least one."
"Do you think the other groups know?"
"I have no idea," Jakaro admitted. He thought back to what Cronus said. "Assume they do. Whatever happens, try and keep things out of the ballroom until after Tofu and Kasumi have left for their honeymoon. Contact me immediately if things get away from you - I don't care if I am in the middle of officiating."
"Done."
Jakaro walked out to stand by the altar dressed in his formal Shinto priest robes. He had Shiran and Yul in attendance with him. His third disciple was already waiting for them, standing with his groomsman. The four men all cut very dashing figures dressed in their tuxedos. In a normal Shinto wedding, the bride and groom would enter together (along with everyone else), but Jakaro encouraged the couple to make the wedding their own, and suggested various Western elements including having the bride walk down the aisle (something the Nine-tailed wanted to see for his own reasons). The "chapel" was laid out like a Christian church with open-backed pews to accommodate the 300 some-odd guests already in their places - normally a Shinto wedding was a very private affair.
Mieko, Jakaro's Shrine Maiden from his own temple, waited for him at the left of the altar. She was a 600-year old five-tailed Kitsune wearing the appearance of an attractive thirty-five year old human dressed in red - the color usually associated with the god Inari. The Shrine Maiden gave a proper bow to Jakaro and he noted the smile she was unsuccessfully trying to hide. Mieko loved weddings of any sort, and often volunteered at human and non-human temples for the ceremonies. Should something happen to the priest who was suppose to officiate, she would sometimes convince Jakaro to fill in. He nodded back to her.
He completed the initial purification ritual and motioned for the musicians to start. The audience murmured with surprise as they struck up a version of "The Wedding March" using traditional instruments. Happily enough, the group was talented enough to make it sound very pleasant and not tacky. He saw Miss Hinako in her child form peek around the door. She was dressed in a red ceremonial kimono that matched Mieko's. Jakaro nodded at her and she immediately ran to get the bride. Then she returned with Tomo by her side. The young Kitsune was dressed identically to Hinako and had been warned in no uncertain terms that if he screwed this up, Jakaro would make him a Shrine Guardian for the next year. Since Tomo had no interest in being bound into a statue, he was on best behavior. Both "children" proceeded down the aisle scattering red and white rose petals.
Akane Tendo came in next, looking very beautiful in her bridesmaid's dress. The dress had a light sky blue color with a decently cut bodice. There weren't any frills on it, but the fine silk fabric didn't need any. The dress itself was off-the shoulder and reached down to her ankles. Jakaro's eyes flashed to Ranma. The young man's eyes widened appreciatedly as he watched his fiancée walk down the aisle. Jakaro reached into Ranma's thoughts and planted: "Maybe you should set a wedding date?" Ranma looked quickly at Jakaro and grinned ever so slightly. The shape-shifter was use to talking wordlessly with Ryoga and Tofu - Jakaro's abilities didn't surprise him. But he wasn't quite good enough to stop Jakaro from finding the image of an engagement ring that had risen unbidden in his young mind - a ring the lad had bought a week-and-a-half ago. Satisfied, the Kitsune lord didn't say anything further - or acknowledged what he had noted from the young man's memories.
Akane walked about a third of the way down the aisle and then Nabiki entered the temple, dressed similar to her sister. Many men admired her, but Jakaro was watching one man's reaction in particular. Jakaro noted to himself: "They've come so far, and yet they have so far to go. I may have to interfere - we'll see." Following Nabiki was Shizuka Jouda, the Matron of Honor. She wore the same dress as the other two women, also looking very fit and confident in it. Hideo Jouda's thoughts were closed to Jakaro, but Jakaro noted that the husband looked very pleased.
"You're a busybody, My Lord," Shiran's thoughts sounded in Jakaro's head. "Human's have been arranging their own affairs for thousands of years before you came along." Shiran had been Jakaro's disciple for a long time. The Seven-Tailed could tease his Master with an ease Yul and Tofu could not.
"Perhaps," Jakaro admitted. "Or maybe I just like happy endings. Once I become entangled with someone, I want them to be happy - even you." He heard Shiran's silent answering laugh.
Shizuka reached the front and stood with the other two women and the two children. Meiko had moved to join them when the musicians paused and glanced at Jakaro for their cue. Jakaro gave it with a nod and they started the Wedding March from the top, much stronger this time. Jakaro reached out and subtly adjusted the light in the entrance way as Kasumi Ono stepped into the doorway with her father.
Jakaro watched gleefully as Tofu's face paled and his eyes widened. The Kitsune Lord also tapped his disciple's blood pressure and forced it higher - he would not allow Tofu to pass out and miss Kasumi's entrance. After all his disciple's trials and tribulations, he wanted Tofu to see a very different kind of Magic. The bride looked absolutely gorgeous in her off-white silk and lace dress. There were gasps from both sexes in the audience as she started forward with her eyes held downcast. A delicate blush formed on her cheeks in response to her guests' reactions.
Tofu's mouth dropped open as she walked down the aisle. The Best Man and the elder groomsman also seemed to be stunned. Only Ranma and Soun Tendo were not bemused - Ranma had seen the Bride earlier and gotten the shocks out of his system then. He was more smitten by his own Bride-to-be (and she with him) right now. Soun was rock steady now; earlier, he had completely broken down and bawled for five minutes when the Bride greeted him at her dressing room as he went to pick her up. He only stopped crying when Akane kicked him in the rear rather solidly to get his attention and Shizuka shamed him very thoroughly into 'acting like a man and a father.'
As Kasumi arrived at the altar, she got a good look at her husband and froze. All the worrying and fussing Tofu spent on the tuxedos paid off - he looked splendid enough to drive the thoughts right out of her head. Soun tried to escort her the last few meters, but she wouldn't move. Jakaro heard Soun whisper to his daughter: "Honey, it's all right. You're already married. Come on!" The Bride still wouldn't move.
Jakaro looked over at Tofu to try and prompt him, but the Groom wasn't moving either - he was completely lost in adoration. Jakaro tried to mind-speak with him, but he couldn't get a response. He sighed internally and reached out to the only person in the room who could probably fix this situation: Ranma Ono.
Ranma reacted with a start when Jakaro's thoughts entered his mind again, breaking his pleasant reverie. The young man's eyes flashed to Jakaro, who made a nodding gesture at Tofu. Ranma looked at his elder brother and then at his sister-in-law. In a move very few of the audience could follow (had they been paying attention that is), he stepped around the Best Man and dope-slapped the Groom with a sharp motion. The Groom stirred and seemed to wake.
Of course, there had been one person watching Ranma, and Akane reacted with surprise at his gesture. When she threw a confused look at Ranma, he motioned at Kasumi and now Akane realized that the wedding had ground to a halt. Obviously, she needed to snap Kasumi out-of-it, but she couldn't use Ranma's method: the Bride's headdress and veil would become very messed up if Akane doped-slapped Kasumi. Besides, Akane could never bring herself to raise a hand against her big sister - ever. On the other hand, Akane's father was another matter, so she doped-slapped Soun at supersonic speed. When he glanced at her in confusion, she kissed her fingertips and touched one of her cheeks. Soun looked at his youngest for a moment and seemed to get it. He gave the bride a fatherly kiss on the cheek which caused her to stir, and he finished leading her forward.
Jakaro hid a sigh of relief and beckoned everyone together. Soun placed Kasumi's hand in Tofu's and then left to take his seat. Next, the Shinto Kitsune priest motioned for Ranma and Akane to setup the three sake cups needed for the San-San-Kudo ceremony. Meanwhile Nabiki and Daran brought in the food offering and handed them to Shiran and Yul. Once these tasks were accomplished, Jakaro performed the Shinto purification ritual over the couple, the wedding party, and the guests. He needed to take a few shortcuts due to the large number of guests, but he felt that little 'click' inside that told him the job was done properly. At the very least, there were no Onis in attendance.
Honestly, the next part of the ceremony made Jakaro nervous - he needed to announce the marriage to the Kami and ask for their protection. Unfortunately, for some reason, there were a lot of Kami in Nerima right now. Things could get out of hand very quickly. "Please Inari - please be listening," he pleaded silently to his shrine deity. "I may need help here." Jakaro picked up the scroll and read it precisely - even though he could recite it perfectly from memory. As he finished the formula, he (and several others in attendance) heard a great rushing sound even though the air was still. At the edge of vision, Jakaro could see small steady lights flow in through the back door and through the air of the chapel. These were nature spirits and were probably beyond what most of the Sighted could see, but they were making their presence known anyway - all the audience felt a bit of awe. Many in the wedding party were trying to catch a glimpse of the Otherworld as it teased at their senses.
"Please - we need your protection," Jakaro pleaded with them through his thoughts. "Not your interference. Please!" He threw the next thought wide: "Inari! Please help!"
Two new spirits entered the room from the back. These spirits didn't appear to Jakaro as sparks of light - instead they appeared as normal humans. One of them looked very much like Akane Tendo and was probably Kasumi's mother. The other Jakaro had met in life - Tofu's father. Together, they made a commanding gesture at the freewheeling Kami. With that, a sigh seemed to pass through the room and the spirit lights rose to hang just below the ceiling. "Thank you!" Jakaro thought to them. Tofu's father nodded in acknowledgement, but Kasumi's mother winked instead. Both parents then split to stand off to the side at the head of the room. Jugding from the others' reactions, no one but Jakaro could see the parents, but Kasumi had unshed tears in her eyes and Tofu looked very solemn - they probably felt the presence of the Blessed Dead. As Jakaro finished reading the next set of prayers, the audience stood and bowed before taking their seats again.
Jakaro nodded to Mieko and she performed a dance to honor Inari, the Kami, the couple, and their guests. As an addition to the dance, she had Hinako and Tomo join her. The musicians played with a slow graceful tempo that Mieko matched perfectly. Above her, the nature Kami began to shine brighter in response to her dance. Jakaro winced as it became obvious that the Kami were now visible to many people with the Sight. Several members of the audience gave short gasps when the Kami crossed their personal Vision thresholds. Fortunately, those with the Sight were quick to avert their eyes and not attract the Kami's attention. The Kitsune lord winced again as more Kami began to appear though. The spirits of Mrs. Tendo and Mr. Ono had to keep repeating their gestures to make the Kami behave and stay up near the ceiling.
Once the dance was finished, Ranma and Akane walked to a small side table and picked up a set of three stacked sake cups (top smallest, middle medium, bottom largest) and a pitcher of sake resembling a teapot. The musicians started a quiet traditional background piece and Jakaro announced that the San-San-Kudo will begin. Akane presented the cups to Shizuka and Ranma gave the pitcher to Olaf. Shizuka and Olaf then turned to the Bride and Groom. Olaf pour sake into the top cup as Shizuka held the stack. He then handed the cup to Tofu who presented the cup twice to the audience by lifting it forward and drawing it back. After that, Tofu took three sips from the cup and handed it to Kasumi, who likewise presented the cup to the audience and also drank three sips. The cup was then passed to Nabiki to hold. The second cup was filled and passed to Kasumi who presented the new cup to the audience then took three sips. She passed the cup to Tofu who repeated the procedure and then handed the second cup to Nabiki. Olaf filled the last cup and passed that to Tofu. Tofu twice presented the cup and took three sips one last time, and then passed the cup to Kasumi who did the same. The final cup was handed to Daran.
Nabiki and Daran then left the altar stage and walked to the front row where Kin Ono waited. Daran added some sake to the smallest cup Nabiki held and Nabiki passed the cup to the mother of the groom. Kin raised the cup twice and took three sips. The mother handed Nabiki the cup back and the three of them repeated the procedure with the next size cup. Finally, the largest cup was used and Nabiki and Daran walked to the bride's side where they went through the "three-three-nine" ceremony with Soun Tendo. When the father-of-the-bride handed the last cup back, Nabiki and Daran returned the cups and the pitcher to the small side table. Jakaro motioned to the audience and everyone stood, clapped their hands twice, and bowed to the couple.
Following the completion of the sake cups ceremony, Lord Jakaro had Tofu and Kasumi come forward and handed them a scroll. The couple unrolled the scroll and then Kasumi held the bottom of the scroll while Tofu held the top allowing them both to see the writing. Together they read:
We make this marriage vow respectfully before the Kami.
We are delighted to be able to make our vows on this great day,
and to become husband and wife through the blessing of the Kami.
We swear before the Kami to love and respect each other forever,
and to strive to bring our family prosperity
Moreover, we swear never to veer from the true path of matrimony,
and to work to share the divine grace of the Kami by helping people and society. (1)
Next, the couple walked over to another side table and picked up two evergreen branches from a sakaki tree. The branches were decorated with silk, lace, and ribbon. They presented these to Jakaro who accepted them for the shrine and placed them on the altar. Soun and Kin also came forward and gave Jakaro branches of sakaki which he placed on the altar as well. Everyone in the temple room then bowed twice and clapped twice. The Kami floating above everyone shone a little brighter for a minute or so and settled down once more. Again, people tried to ignore them although Ranma and Akane looked up at them for the duration of the flare up. Both teenagers looked surprised for a moment and then set their faces with determination.
Jakaro beckoned Shizuka and Olaf forward. They came and each handed him a gold ring. The priest showed the rings briefly to the audience and handed the appropriate one to Kasumi and Tofu. Tofu silently took Kasumi's hand and placed her ring on her finger. She did likewise with his ring and they stood facing each other holding hands. At Jakaro's command, servants began distributing small trays containing small plastic glasses of sake. The trays were passed along until everyone had a small glass. Jakaro then took a tray and served glasses to everyone in the wedding party. Finally, he took a glass and said: "Let us celebrate the new bond between these two families." At his direction, everyone took three sips from their glass, draining their glasses on the last sip.
"Now my friends," Jakaro proclaimed. "I have the honor of presenting Tofu and Kasumi Ono!" He turned to Tofu and added: "My son, while it's not strictly part of a Shinto ceremony: 'You may kiss the bride!'" Everyone cheered as Tofu lifted back the veil from Kasumi's face and heartily kissed the bride.
Footnotes:
(1) Adapted from the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu temple website. The temple is located in Kamakura, Japan (not far from Tokyo).
A/N: Next up - Dance of the Beginning
