The day of the wedding dawned overcast and cloudy.
"It better clear up by later. I don't want to have to move inside," griped Genkai, standing on the porch and glaring up at the sky.
"And did somebody request a fair wind?" came a familiar Irish brogue from above.
They both looked up to see Jin sitting crosslegged in midair, grinning down at them. "An' here I was thinkin' I'd have nothing to give ye! Clear skies, comin' right up!" And with that he dove up into the clouds, blowing them around with great gusts of wind.
They both stood staring up after him for a moment.
"Well, that was unexpected," said Genkai finally. "I suppose you do have useful friends."
"Apparently," said Shishi, not quite sure how to react.
True to his word, by the time the guests started arriving, Jin had completely cleared the sky of clouds. He landed in front of them with a bit of a flourish. "There ye are! Happy…marryin' day, or whatever ye're supposed to say!"
There were a few presents piled on one of the tables, but some of the guests, like Jin, brought something that couldn't be wrapped. Kurama and Suzuka, of course, had already brought the tree, and Genkai had already used the fruit to make herself an anti-aging potion, though she hadn't used it yet.
Both Chu and Atsuko (who had shown up again, for some reason) brought gifts of alcohol. Touya had wrapped up the winnings from the betting pool and offered that, saying that they should have it.
Yukina (already dressed in her pink bridesmaid's gown) gave them matching Hiruseki necklaces, saying that they were tears shed for Genkai's death. Hiei had seemed more grouchy than usual about that—though he, of course, had not brought a gift. Shishi couldn't figure out why he was there at all.
For the most part, though, the unwrapped presents were the best—and sometimes the most surprising.
Yusuke, for his part, had managed to split the spirit orb in half, and offered one of the halves back to Genkai. "It's not like I really need it so much anymore, not with the whole Mazoku thing." He tried to pretend like it was no big deal, but Genkai's face told Shishi everything he needed to know about the magnitude of the gift.
When she took the energy back—she had no trouble absorbing what had been hers already—she seemed to stand a little straighter, her eyes a little brighter.
And then there was Koenma's gift.
Apparently it paid to have friends in high places.
Koenma (in his teenage form for the occasion) had come up to them and offered his congratulations.
"Although I admit it was a little…unexpected, I wish you both well." He turned, and then paused. "Oh, and I had a gift, one that wouldn't exactly fit on the table. I offer the gift of time." He smiled, and turned to Genkai. "I can guarantee you an extra decade of life, and with Yusuke's gift, not to mention your enviable health, I shouldn't have to see you in an official capacity for quite some time."
Those two gifts served to make the day even brighter for Shishi. The prospect of Genkai's imminent human mortality had been a dark cloud on their horizon, and having it pushed back, nearly out of sight, was the best possible gift he could have received, even if they were ostensibly meant for her.
"Hrmph, everyone's trying to cut off my best escape route…"
But the corner of her mouth was twitching, and she looked almost smug.
"Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?"
Of course he had to be arrogant, just as she had to be cantankerous. That was the way it went.
"Try me, prettyboy."
It was almost time for the ceremony.
Genkai had gone off all too long ago to get ready, complaining all the while about how long it would take.
Shishi had wisely kept silent about simply dispensing with most of the preparations…he'd tried that during the planning phase, and things hadn't gone well. He shuddered at the memory.
"Nervous?"
Kurama, his best man, was standing there watching him, lips twitching in amusement. He, like the other groomsmen, was wearing a suit with a blue bow tie. Unlike the other groomsmen, he hadn't had to be coerced into wearing it.
"Of course not," said Shishi automatically. Not that it was completely true.
"Of course not," Kurama echoed, nodding. "Are you ready?"
Shishi glanced down. He was wearing a black version of his normal samurai robes—a compromise between the tuxedo he absolutely refused to wear, and the white robes that Genkai had refused to let him wear—and his hair was down for the occasion.
It had taken him less than three minutes to get ready, so why on earth did it take her so long?
"Yes," he said, finally remembering to answer Kurama's question.
"Good, because it's almost time."
Shishi's stomach tied itself in an impressive display of at least three different types of knots.
"Good thing I'm not nervous," he muttered.
"What was that?"
"I said, 'lead the way'," Shishi lied, straightening up and trying to look haughty.
A small set of chairs was set up outside the temple—in fact, in the same training area where Shishi had proposed.
Kurama guided Shishi to his place under the Previous Life Tree, facing the chairs, and then left to join the other groomsmen. Shishi stood there next to Koenma, feeling increasingly awkward.
Koenma had agreed to officiate the ceremony, saying that they couldn't possibly get anyone better, which Shishi had reluctantly had to admit was true. Still, that didn't make it any less awkward to stand next to the toddler-turned-teenager as the few guests who weren't actually in the wedding party took their seats.
Still, it didn't take long before the music started.
Genkai had put Yusuke and Kuwabara in charge of the tape player, promising dire consequences should either of them get any funny ideas.
Shishi straightened up as the wedding party started down the aisle, beginning with Touya escorting Yukina. (Genkai had insisted on organizing everyone by height.) They came up, and parted, and were followed in even succession by Suzuka and Hinageshi (Genkai had complained that she really didn't have enough female friends who hadn't already died of old age, before finally remembering the young ferry girl whom she'd met all of once), Jin and Keiko (Jin grinned annoyingly at Yusuke, which might have ended badly if Keiko hadn't leveled a glare that rivaled the Spirit Gun—the demonic version—at the both of them), and Chu and Botan (by this time, any pretense at keeping heights even had to be dropped). Then Kurama escorted Shizuru (whom Genkai had finally picked as her maid of honor, since Yukina was barely even familiar with the concept of weddings) up the aisle, and then Rinku followed, grinning lopsidedly, with the rings, and the bridal party stood complete…except for the bride.
Shishi looked up, and his breath caught on his throat.
There she stood, bright pink hair cascading down her shoulders, a thin veil quivering in the breeze.
He suddenly found that he didn't mind all the time she'd spent getting ready…she was absolutely radiant.
There was a brief scuffle for the tape player, and then Kuwabara turned it to a rousing rendition of "Here Comes the Bride", and Genkai started forward.
No one escorted her.
As much of a traditionalist as she had been on other matters, she had refused to have anyone play that role.
"No one's giving me away," she had griped. "I'm jumping into this idiotic idea with both feet."
The memory made Shishi smile. She might pretend not to like the idea…but there was no doubt in his mind that she was doing exactly what she wanted to do.
As she came closer, Shishi could see the intricate braids that wrapped around the crown of her head, interwoven with a garland of cherry blossoms—which had to be another gift from Kurama, since they were months out of season.
Finally, she arrived under the tree and stood on the other side of Koenma.
Yusuke and Kuwabara somehow managed to get the music stopped without breaking anything, and Koenma started speaking.
"Friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of..."
Shishi mostly tuned out his words. They seemed a tad on the sappy side for a relationship that had started with a battle to the death.
But Koenma hadn't forgotten that either, he realized, as part of his opening words trickled down into Shishi's consciousness.
"…a love that has grown unexpectedly out of violence and fierceness."
Shishi smiled, showing a few teeth.
Koenma kept on talking, saying things about eternal love and devotion and fulfillment in life and it was all Shishi could do not to roll his eyes.
Then his gaze caught Genkai's, and she did roll her eyes.
After that, it was all he could do not to laugh until the Koenma's address was finally over.
That wasn't the end of the sickening sweetness, though. Both Keiko and Botan had felt the need to select passages on the meaning of love to read to the assembly. Keiko had reminded Genkai that such readings were, in fact, traditional. Genkai had finally agreed, with much eye-rolling on her part, and much squealing on the part of her bridesmaids.
Between Botan's reading and Keiko's, though, was one tradition that was slightly more interesting.
"With this Unity Candle, the couple will show their intent to join their lives together by joining the flames of their candles."
Shishi and Genkai each took the lit candle that Kurama and Shizuru, respectively, offered them, and as Koenma said yet more words about love and unity, they brought the flames together over the wick of the larger candle.
A single flame leapt up on the wick.
Shishi stared at the flame as Koenma droned on, and then he looked up at her.
With a slight smile, he raised his hand.
She copied his motion, and they touched hands, palms together.
This was his contribution the ceremony. Demon World didn't have weddings, as such, but some did join into long-term relationships that were roughly equivalent to marriages. There were few rituals associated with such relationships, but there was this one.
Then Shishi let a little spiral of energy, barely visible, escape from his hand, and she did the same. Their energies swirled together around their joined hands, her blue spirit energy twining with his own red demon energy, much like the flame on the candle.
In the Makai, merging energies with someone was an unambiguous statement of closeness.
Then Koenma finished whatever sappy thing he'd been saying, and they parted for Keiko's reading—a poem about the nature of undying love that didn't even properly fit its own meter.
Once that ordeal was over, it was time for the vows.
Good thing he wasn't nervous.
It was her turn first.
"Do you, Genkai, take this man to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph, in plenty and in want, for as long as you both shall live?"
She hesitated for a fraction of a second that felt like forever.
"I do."
Shishi couldn't stop smiling, in a mixture of triumph and wonder.
"Then take this ring and repeat after me: 'With this ring I thee wed and with all I am and all I have I honor thee.'"
She took his left hand, repeating the words as she slipped the ring on his finger.
Then it was his turn.
"Do you, Shishiwakamaru, take this woman to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph, in plenty and in want, for as long as you both shall live?"
He looked directly into her eyes, and somehow managed to say the words that joined them together.
"I do."
"Then take this ring…"
He took the ring that Kurama handed him, and took Genkai's warm hand in his own.
Left hand…ring finger…he reminded himself.
"With this ring I thee wed and with all I am and all I have I honor thee."
Had he managed to say all the words right?
"Then by the power vested in me by Spirit World, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Koenma looked at him and smiled.
"You may now kiss the bride."
To the cheers and applause of the audience, Shishi picked her up and spun her around as their lips met.
The reception was held in the courtyard between the main building and the visitors' quarters, where a number of tables had been set up, leaving room on one side for dancing.
The dancing, indeed, was one of the first of the reception traditions, and was definitely the one Shishi had been looking forward to the most.
The first dance was theirs alone, an expansive waltz that allowed for their difference in heights. As he lead the dance, Shishi reflected that it was probably the only time she'd followed him anywhere—and probably the only time she ever would.
The next one Genkai danced with Yusuke, as the closest thing to a relative she had, while Shishi, who had nothing even that close, danced with her maid of honor.
Shizuru smiled conversationally. "You know, I really don't have any idea what's come over her…but I trust her judgment. Just don't make me regret that, ok? Otherwise, I might have to hurt you."
He shouldn't be intimidated by the unpowered human in front of him. He really shouldn't.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
No need to make enemies, after all.
She searched his face, which made it a great deal more difficult to focus on not running into anything, and finally nodded, close enough to satisfied.
"All right then. Lovely weather, isn't it?"
Oh, good. A truce. Granted, a truce he hadn't even known he needed until a moment ago, but he'd take it.
"Indeed, thanks to Jin…"
The dancing was followed by more traditions, most of which had to be explained to half their guests.
There was the tossing of the bouquet, which Keiko caught (probably Genkai's intention, actually), and of the garter, which Shishi privately thought was an even stupider tradition. Yusuke had bowled Jin out of the way to get that one—not that Jin had any particular interest in the thing; he just liked the competition and had the best vantage point. But once he'd understood the point of the thing, he'd laughed uproariously and agreed that it was probably for the best that Urameshi got it.
Then there were the toasts, which confused those of their non-human guests who had gotten around to learning what "toast" was, and couldn't figure out what that had to do with wine glasses. Guesses ranged from a type of alcohol made out of bread, to a type of spread made out of alcohol to put on toast, to a type of alcohol made out of bread, and then turned into a spread to put on toast. That last one was Rinku's contribution, to no one's surprise.
Once that confusion was out of the way, the actual toasts didn't take long. Kurama gave a highly edited version of how he had come to offer his approval to this inane plan (a version, Shishi was glad to note, that made him seem far less of an idiot than he'd actually been). Shizuru's was even shorter, mostly consisting of congratulating Genkai on finally getting this ticked off her to-do list.
Then, of course, there was cake. No one needed that one explained.
The cake itself was another gift from Suzuka, whose creative tendencies apparently extended to the kitchen. He was a quick study, too, when he became obsessed with something new—he'd only learned the science of cakebaking since he'd learned of the upcoming wedding. Shishi had known of this tendency since their time as teammates, but he'd never expected the other demon's interest to be caught by something so…human. Still, he'd find a new obsession soon enough, leaving him with another random skill in his inventory.
The cake-cutting marked the beginning of the end of the thing, while the actual end was marked by yet another tradition that made little enough sense on its own, but was downright stupid in this particular setup.
Namely, everyone threw birdseed at them while the two of them made their grand exit—which was stupid because they weren't going anywhere. No, they were staying right here—though Genkai had hinted that she might be up for a grand tour of Demon World at some point.
Everyone else was getting ready to leave, so why couldn't they throw stuff at them?
Still, Shizuru (acting either as conscientious maid of honor or bossy older sister, Shishi couldn't figure out which) made sure that everyone helped with the cleanup. No one challenged her authority, in any case.
But finally, they waved goodbye to the last guest, and Yukina insisted that she could finish up what little was left of the cleanup, and they found themselves alone by the sharp drop-off that stood above the wide expanse of the temple's grounds.
This wonderful place she'd allowed him to share.
The Previous Life potion had long since worn off, but it didn't matter. She was still beautiful, cherry blossoms still twined in her now-greying hair.
Besides, as beautiful as she was in her younger form, this was more her. This was the woman he had, however reluctantly, fallen in love with.
Genkai turned away from the landscape and smiled at him with a smile that was only slightly sardonic.
"What do you say, one more dance before it gets dark?"
Shishi smiled and bowed graciously.
"Of course, my lady."
They joined hands and stepped easily into the dance, a faster one this time. All those months of sparring had given each an instant feel for the other's rhythm, without needing music to set it for them.
Indeed, their dances had gained a rather more martial feel to them than their creators had probably intended, with sharper edges and more aggressive motions than were strictly necessary.
Still, however aggressive it might have seemed, the dance was, more than anything, a tangible expression of the one thing he'd wanted so badly to be worthy of, what he'd finally, somehow, received from her.
Her trust.
Despite everything he'd done, everything that really should have convinced her that he was an irredeemable narcissist, she had, for some unfathomable reason, come to trust him. As dearly as he'd desired it, he was still surprised that his wish had come true.
But here they were, dancing on the edge of a cliff, and she trusted him not to lead her off the edge.
"Penny for your thoughts, prettyboy." Her hair whipped around her face as she spun around.
Shishi smiled. "Just wondering how we got here."
Genkai laughed. "Mostly by being a couple of irredeemable idiots who decided they might be able to stand each other after all."
Shishi's smile widened as he took her other hand for a complicated turn.
"I suppose we are."
Notes: Many thanks to my wonderful beta Graphospasm and early reviewers The Countess of Monte Cristo and Stardust Imaginings, for believing I could actually pull this off—you guys are the best!
And thanks to my brother, who (despite his misgivings) gave me the plot point about the Previous Life Tree. Thanks!