InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Wedded Love (Part Two) ( Chapter 89 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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"Kit, go inform the others that we are ready, and gather what is needed."

Kagome sent a sidelong glance at her new husband as she wondered what he was up to, then looked back to see Shippo grin and run off towards the group still waiting on the outside of Bokuseno's glade for the ceremony to end.

What could they be planning now? I mean, the weddings over, so...

Sesshoumaru smirked inwardly, he could practically feel Kagome's confusion. "Is something wrong, wife?" he asked.

She started, then shivered, the 'wife' sounding very nice, then looked up at him, eyes narrowing as she noted the almost mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Not wrong... but... I am curious about what you and Shippo are up to."

He inclined his head forward, and Kagome looked, blushing when her friends caught sight of them and started cheering.

He came to a stop, and after a moment, the clearing fell silent. "The youkai portion of the ceremony is complete. However," here, he looked down at his bride, "my onna is human, and so, I have decided that there will also be a human ceremony as well - one that will be shared with everyone."

Kagome's eyes widened, then filled with happy tears, and she smiled up at him. "When did you decide to do this?" she asked, as everyone began speaking excitedly.

"Some time ago." He looked up, and caught sight of Shippo bringing the pillow that carried the ring... and the elder miko and the monk carrying the cups and sake for the san san kudo. Tightening his grip on her arm, he escorted her towards the small arbor that he had personally selected for its pleasing properties.

He watched her face carefully as she looked at it, and was pleased with her expression.

It was a natural cavity between two trees that had grown together, branches twining together high over their heads... and climbing ivy covered nearly every surface of both trunks - both symbols of marriage and togetherness.

It was perfect in his eyes, and apparently, it spoke the same way to his new wife, if her shining expression was any indication - and that, more than anything else, made this whole thing worth all the planning in his eyes.

Kagome felt as though she were in a dream as they got settled and Kaede began the wedding, her and her daiyoukai kneeling on new tatami mats, and sipping the sake from a beautiful ceramic cup. She was so lost in the ceremony itself, that she didn't notice Shippo standing to the side holding a small pillow...

Until the wedding as performed by Kaede was finished, and Sesshoumaru motioned the kit to come to him.

Then she noticed - and her eyes widened again, as she noted the object laying on the pillow, and its sparkling beauty.

A ring, surrounded in diamonds and shimmering with light.

Her heart in her eyes, she looked from it to Sesshoumaru, and he took the ring from its pillow as Shippo reached him and held it out. Holding it up, he considered the bejewelled object for a moment, then looked at her.

"This one found that in your time, a ring is given to indicate the married status of those involved. Since all youkai will know who you are married to by scent, and by my mark, I chose to also give you something that would show other ningens that you are taken - I would not like to have to kill those who overstepped their bounds, and all because they had no knowledge of what they had done."

Kagome chuckled as everyone in the clearing laughed, some a bit uneasily, and he continued.

"So... I chose this ring to give to you," he held out a hand for her left, and she placed it in his much larger one, watching, emotionally, as he slid it onto the ring finger, and then reached back to the pillow again, to retrieve a larger ring - this one a plain gold, and hand it to her, "and this one, for you to place upon my hand - so that other females will also know that this one is taken, as well."

She bit her lip, trying to keep any tears from falling as she took the ring, and slowly slid it on his finger, then looked up at him as he folded her hand into his own.

"Now... now, we are truly wed, Kagome, in your culture, and my own." He stood, gracefully, and pulled her up with him, then turned to face the people surrounding them, a pleased light in his eye that he couldn't contain.

"It is done."

And as the clearing filled with happy shouts, and excited yells, Ryozen, standing at the very edge of the clearing, smiled, and, looking into the heavens, said, "I hope you are happy, my old friend. Despite all the odds against him, your son has finally grown up and become the daiyoukai you always said he would be."

He looked back down at the gathering, and chuckled. "Although, I will admit, I doubted it would happen, but... you were right."

A gust of wind, and a faint voice echoed in his ear.

"I am always right, my old friend... Sesshoumaru was stubborn - but it was only a matter of time."

Sesshoumaru's brow rose as a single flower blew into his chest as a sudden gust of wind struck him, and a scent he hadn't caught in centuries crossed his sensitive inu nose. With an inward sigh, he picked up the flower and studied it.

An almond blossom, for watchfulness, father? I should have known...

You always were an old meddler - but this time, he looked down at his softly glowing bride, I cannot bring myself to be angry at you for it.

I have someone not only to protect - but to... love, as hard as it still is to think it, let alone say it.

With that, he took the flower and tucked it into his haori, with the final thought that he would have to have Kagome put it in one of her books so it could be preserved...

And he turned his attention back to his new bride and the celebration going on around them.

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A/N: They had to have two weddings, youkai and human just because I felt like it, lol. Seriously, though, the wedding is now DONE! YAY! 89 chapters later... wow. Didn't know I had it in me. Anyway... hope everyone enjoyed the pure, unadulterated fluff of the last two chapters!

Amber