Chapter 4: The Ceremony
The next morning Ulrich woke up he had noticed that everyone was running around grabbing items from all sorts of places. He got up and was tackled by the little kid, as she was running from the two albino foxes which Ami and Yumi decided to call Kurama and Botan. He picked the little girl up and took her in the kitchen to eat breakfast which was being made by Sakura. When he walked in Sakura looked at him and started laughing uncontrolably, Ulrich was really confused.
"What's so funny?" ULrich asked.
"You look like you got ran over by a herd of puppies," Sakura answered laughing. He looked in the mirror and saw that he had paw prints all over his face, Sakura threw hima wet towel and he wiped his face.
"What's everyone so worked up about?" Ulrich asked sitting the little girl down on the chair.
"The ceremony is today, remember?" Sakura asked looking back at the cook book.
"Yeah, oh man this is going to be one very hectic day," Ulrich said walking out the kitchen.
"Tell me about it, it's a good thing I don't have to do it since I already went through it," Sakura said laying the plates on the table.
"Lucky you, is this ceremony long because I want to be able to get back so I can take the next step with Yumi," Ulrich said sitting down.
"You want to propose to her right?" Sakura said smiling.
"Yeah how did you know?" Ulrich asked curiously.
"Just a hunch, I heard Odd talking to Jason about it too," she answered.
"Oh," he said simply.
"Hey Ulrich? How do you like this outfit?" Yumi asked coming in with a black strapless dress that stopped just above her knees and there was a little slit going up the side of her leg. She then pinned her hair up in a tight bun with chop sticks and a deep red Japanese flower in her head.
"Uh...um...um," Ulrich stuttered.
"Uncle Ulrich is a little shy Auntie Yumi," Amaya said giggling.
"Come on little 'ameko', why don't we see go see if mommy needs help," Sakura said grabbing Amaya's hand leaving and as she passed Ulrich she whispered something in his ear that made him smile.
"What I really mean is, you look gorgeous," Ulrich said standing up and putting on his pretty boy act that Yumi loved so much. She just blushed and smiled as he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"Flattery doesn't get you anywhere Mr. Stern," Yumi said wrapping her hands around his neck.
"We'll see after the ceremony but I want to warn you, you won't be able to resist me when we get back home," Ulrich said seductively.
"You might be right about that, it's really is hard to resist you now," Yumi said blushing.
"How about we go upstairs and I help you with that problem?" He asked rubbing his hands up her sides.
"Well when you do that how could I say no," she said getting out his grip and pulling him up the stairs and into the room. When she got up there she made sure the door was locked and while Ulrich went into the bathroom to do something, she started to take off her dress leaving her only in her underwear. When Ulrich came out with only his boxers on he noticed that his soon-to-be wife was laying on the bed.
"Are you sure you're ready for this? I mean shouldn't we wait?" Ulrich asked curiously.
"The more we wait the harder it is for me to resist you, and what Jason doesn't know won't hurt him right?" She asked walking up to him and grabbing his groin.
"Right," he said painfully, all of a sudden there was a knock at the door.
"Odd I swear to god if you and my sister are in there doing something very inappropriate, I'll bury you in the backyard," Jason said through the door.
"Sorry to burst your bubble Jason but this isn't Odd and Ami," Yumi said smiling, she always new how to tick her cousin off.
"The same goes for you too Ulrich," Jason said roughly.
"Don't worry Jason, I won't do anything yet," ULrich said smiling back.
"What was that? You better open this door Ulrich," Jason yelled banging on the door and yelling in Japanese.
"Uh what is he saying," ULrich asked Yumi.
"He says that if you do anything he will cut off your balls and mash them up in front of you while you bleed to death, then he'll bury you in the backyard," Yumi explained.
"Ouch, your cousin sure is a tough one isn't he?" Ulrich said throwing a special outfit on and checking himself out in the mirror, "by the way, why do I look like a Samurai?" He asked curiously.
"The Samurai plays a huge part in achient history, the story is said that Princess Yume fell in love with a young Samurai when she was about to get mugged by some robbers. They say that he swooped in on a rope and killed the robbers, and they instantly fell in love. Then when they were sleeping at his little house an evil invaded the residence and possesed the Princess and she killed the Samurai. The next day she found out that she was pregnant but it was to late to tell Ookami because he was already dead. When she arrived back at The kingdom she told he father what happened, but he didn't listen. He had her locked away in he room until the baby was born but what they didn't know was that the little baby had evil blood and it killed the King and Queen. That's why the Elders thought it would be good to explin the legend to the younger kids, it's like a history lesson about our religon." Yumi said taking a deep breath.
"That's pretty close to your name Yumi," he said putting on his outfit with help from Yumi.
"Yep, my parents wanted to name me after her but you can't do that," she explained.
"Oh, well you know you're always a princess to me," Ulrich said kissing her.
"Come on you two, we're leaving,"Jason said impatiently.
"We're coming," ULrich said opening the door and walking out with Yumi following.
(At the Ceremony)
"Alright listen up everyone, the coming of age ceremony will start immediatly," the guy said in Japanese. As everyone watched the two girls come down, Ulrich and Odd could hear nasty comments coming from all around them.
"What's going on Odd?" Ulrch asked curiously.
"They're all making nasty comments because Ami has a kid, here in Japan if you have a kid before you're counted as an adult people will say things about you," Odd answered.
"Michi isn't even her real daughter, so why are they treating her like worthless trash?" Ulrich asked getting quite upset.
"Whether Michi is her real daughter or not, she still counts as her mother," Odd answered angrily. When the whole ritual thing was over, the girls were able to join everyone on the floor.
"Alright everyone it's time for these two lovely ladies to pick the men they want to marry," said their grandfather.
"Wait sir!" Yelled someone from the crowd, then Tokeshi came out followed by three other guys.
"You are not allowed here Tokeshi, now leave at once," ordered their grandfather.
"I don't think I will, not until Ami gives me my money," Tokeshi said pulling out a gun, ULrich pulled out his and pointed it at Tokeshi.
"If you want the money then let's have a race," Ulrich replied.
"You? Ha see you on the track loser," he said leaving.
"What the heck Ulrich? Do you know what you just got yourself into?" Ami asked.
"I don't know but I will stop to his disrespectful ways," ULrich answered putting away the gun.
"Tokeshi is a cheater, I'm telling you now that you need to forfeit before you get hurt or worse," Yumi added in.
"Ha after fighting Xana? There is no way I'm backing out from a challange," ULrich answered.
"Ok don't say I didn't warn you, and when you're in the hospital don't ask me to come and see you," Yumi replied.
"You don't mean that, do you Yumi?" Aelita asked.
"Of course I do," she answered walking away, before she left she dropped a special looking knife that had a symbol on it.
"Oh my god, she was going to pick you to be papired off with Ulrich," Ami said picking up the knife.
"What?" Ulrich asked curiously.
"She was going to give you this knife signaling that she was willing to marry you if you proposed, but I think you messed that up," Ami answered.
"She'll get over it, now where does he want to race?" Ylrich asked strongly.
"Probably his home track if I had to guess," Jason answered.