My Husband’s Wedding
Witch-Mistress-Animaru
A/N: Hello, there. It took me quite awhile to update. No reason at all except for the fact that I have been thinking on how best to deliver the end. I already have the ending; the problem was how to deliver it. And here it is; something that I hope won’t disappoint you. I’m sorry to those who found my decision unacceptable, but it stands still. This is the end; watch out for the epilogue, which I plan to come out at the same time as the first chapter of My Happy Ending, the sequel. Don’t you hate me just yet when you finish reading this chapter, wait for the epilogue, it should make everything clear.
So, this won’t be long. I’d like to thank everyone who has watched the progress of MHW. I don’t need to mention you at all because you know who you are. To those who have added this fic to their favorites or alert list, I thank you with all my heart. You kept me going, honestly. To the people who bothered to leave reviews every chapter, or almost every chapter, I give you my regards. To the rest who have followed the story but did not leave reviews, I still thank you for bothering to read my fic. After this, I hope, I might be able to continue the other fics I have posted. That’s it, and…here goes.
26: A Wedding and Two Funerals
Tomoeda, 8:00 am
The church was full of people. Reporters with cameras dangling from their necks loitered by the entrance. Journalists holding their pens like swords were scribbling furiously on scraps of paper.
In two hours’ time, the most sensationalized wedding of the century will take place inside the small, humble church of Tomoeda.
The altar was covered with gold silk lined with silver lace. Fresh red roses were placed on top of it. Red rose petals strew the center aisle.
All the seats are taken except for the first half a dozen rows in front, where the families and friends of the bride and groom were to be seated. Some people settled in the left and right aisles, even just outside the church.
Everyone chattered endlessly. Speculations on the bride’s dress, the entourage, even the event itself were exchanged among them all.
Li Mansion, Tokyo
“Kawaii desu, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo squealed, eyeing Sakura’s finally finished dress with admiration.
Sakura blushed slightly with a smile, looking quite pleased with the result.
Sakura’s gown was cream-white, embroidered with floral patterns and adorned with tiny pearl beads. Off-shoulder with ruffled sleeves, the gown bared Sakura’s shoulders a bit. Its long trail settled quite well behind Sakura. On her feet was a pair of white pumps styled with ribbons and lace. She was holding a bouquet of white roses on her gloved hands. Cherry blossoms decorated her wedding veil.
Tomoyo herself looked very pretty in her maid of honor’s gown, styled in the same way as Sakura’s. Her head was also adorned with cherry blossoms, and her hands were also gloved.
“Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan. This gown must be one of the best you have ever, or would ever, make.”
“No! It’s the best, no question about that. Only the best for my best friend!”
Sakura only smiled at these words.
“Can I come in?” Syaoran’s voice floated from the doorway as his head peeked inside.
“Iie!” Tomoyo screamed, panicking. “You can’t see the bride before the wedding! It’s bad luck!” (A/N: In Filipino custom…)
“O-Okay…” Syaoran said, sweat-dropping at such violent reaction. He quickly shut the door before Tomoyo went berserk.
“We need to hurry, Sakura,” as if nothing happened, Tomoyo started fussing about Sakura’s hair. “We only have less than an hour left to fix you up.”
“B-but I’m okay already, Tomoyo!”
“No, you’re not! There’s something amiss! And look at your hair! Try not to move too much, you’re ruining your dress!”
“Hoe…”
Tokyo Asylum, 8:35 am
“You really think she’s hopeless then, Shiunji-san?” A man dressed in white with the medic emblem on its chest pocket was talking to a man wearing a lab gown.
“No response at all. It’s a waste of time, what you’re planning, Takato-san.” Shiunji Kaito said, shaking his head.
“It does look bad, I admit,” Takato Mamoru replied, studying a file on the table. “This analysis has gone on for…how long was it again?”
“Almost two months and there’s not even a slight change in her. No improvement, and in my opinion, we’ll need to transfer her to somewhere with more sophisticated equipment.”
“That hopeless, then? But still…I want to check on her, see if I can do anything at all to improve her state.” Takato straightened up. “Well, if you’ll accompany me to her room, Dr. Shiunji.”
“Very well. You’re just wasting your time, though.”
Together, the two doctors made their way to the Left Wing of the asylum.
They entered a room labeled “Special Case Room Number 13”. It was empty except for a small bed, a side table and a chair, whose occupant was seated primly in.
The woman had empty black eyes that stared unblinkingly ahead of her. Her blonde hair was unkempt and disheveled. She sat on the chair, motionless.
“Dear me, it does look bleak, Dr. Shiunji. Does she even talk?”
Shiunji shook his head. “But you said you’ll try something, didn’t you? Go on then; talk to her.”
Takato sighed weakly before approaching the girl.
“Keira.” He called her. No response. He repeated it. He thought he saw a flicker in his eyes. That was good enough for him. He went on.
“Do you hear me, Keira?” No response. Then, after a few seconds, her head jerked minutely up and down, almost mechanically.
“Good lord, she’s never done that before!” Shiunji Kaito exclaimed, eyeing the patient with excitement. “I have to tell the others!” He said before dashing out of the room.
Takato Mamoru looked pleased with himself. He smiled, turning to the supposed brain-dead patient, when Keira suddenly stood up.
“What is it, Keira-san?” He asked, albeit apprehensive.
She smiled at him, a scary, wild smile. Takato’s eyes widened in horror.
There was a resounding crash, a man’s scream and the sudden opening of a door.
Five minutes later, doctors rushed to SC Room 13 to find Takato Mamoru unconscious on the floor, stripped of his medic suit and crammed to a too-small patient’s dressing gown.
There were enough clues to know what has happened.
Keira has escaped.
Tokyo Police Department (TPD), 9:05 am
Yamamoto Ichiro, the police on duty at the headquarters, looked up abruptly from the files he was sorting out as a taxi stopped in front of TPD. A lady in a rather baggy medic’s suit alighted from the cab that departed from the scene as if chased by demons. Her hair was blonde and messy.
She entered the headquarters and Yamamoto eyed her warily.
“Ohayou Gozaimasu,” she whispered, smiling at him.
“Ohayou Gozaimasu, Miss…?”
There was a slight pause.
“I’m Miyagara Hikaru.” She said after a while. “I’m a resident doctor at the Asylum.”
“Oh. What brings you here, Dr. Miyagara?”
“There’s been an attack.” She said quickly. “One of the patients went wild. I was sent to you.”
“Why come here? Why not phone us instead? You really shouldn’t have…”
“Obviously, nobody thought of doing just that.” She sighed deeply. “I just went off-duty and I’m in such a hurry, I really have no time to answer your questions. Just…just go there, they need your help.”
“O-Okay, then. Where exactly in the building?”
“The left wing.”
“Won’t you come with us?”
“Iie!” She exclaimed rather violently. “I’m in a hurry to go to a friend’s…birthday.”
“Surely in an emergency as such your friend will—”
“I can’t forgo this one. Surely you know how to get to the asylum?”
“Of course we do. I’d alert the others at once. We’ll go right now. But can we at least offer you a lift? You look rather shaken by your journey up to here. Drivers these days…”
“Ano, there’s no need. I’m going in the other way. Um, can I use your restroom though?”
“Of course. Here, go through here. We’ll be going, ma’am. Should you need anything, Officer Uchiko is just upstairs.”
“Hai, I’ll do just that. Arigatou.” She went inside the room and waited.
Finally, she heard the mobile drive away and she went out, carefully schooling her expression to mild hesitation.
“Ohayou,” she said to the person upstairs.
Uchiko turned out to be a young, serious-looking woman. She was reading a book entitled “If You Really Loved Me,” authored by a foreign woman named Ann Rule. (A/N: I haven’t really read this book, though I admire Ann Rule.)
Putting the book down, Officer Uchiko turned to Keira.
“Ohayou,” she repeated. “You are Uchiko-san, I suppose? I was told to see you should I need anything by the man downstairs.”
“You mean Yamamoto-san has run off again? Such irresponsible brat. I wonder why and how he became a police officer.” She shook her head. “Anyway, who are you, and what can I do for you?”
Uchiko was definitely sharp.
“I’m Miyagara Hiteru, and you just happen to have something that I need badly.” Her hands closed on the broom handle beside her as she approached the desk.
“And just what is that, exactly?”
“Your gun!” She exclaimed as she brought the broom down Uchiko’s head, drawing blood. The officer fell on the floor with a dull thud.
Not wasting time, Keira groped around her belt for her armament and pulled it off. Deciding quickly that she needed to change to something more appropriate, she hid the gun on her stolen medic’s suit as she dashed away.
Tokyo Asylum, 9:35 am
Yamamoto Ichiro and half a dozen others have arrived on the left wing of the hospital where they were reviving the unconscious Takato Mamoru.
“She attacked me!” He was shouting hysterically as Shiunji wrapped a blanket around his nearly naked form. “She stood up and attacked me!”
“Calm down, Takato-san. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have left you with her. It wasn’t safe.” Shiunji turned to the police. “We must find her at once.”
“Find who, Doctor?”
“The escaped patient, Keira Kinomoto.”
“If you tell us what she looks like, we’ll start searching at once.”
“Who alerted you?” Shiunji asked suddenly, frowning.
“Nani?” Yamamoto said, quite taken aback.
“Who called you? You’re very quick. I’m sure no one around here called you, although that should have been the most sensible move.”
“One of your doctors arrived in our headquarters half an hour ago; her name was Miyagara Hikaru.”
“Miyagara Hikaru? We do not have such a doctor working for us.”
“But…she said…”
“Matte. Does Miyagara happen to have blonde hair, Officer…what was your name?”
“It’s Ichiro Yamamoto, and yes, she has blonde hair. Why?” A look of horror flitted across his face. “Are you saying…that…that?”
“I’m afraid that we all have been played for fools, Officer Yamamoto.”
“Uchiko-san! She’s in danger!”
Tokyo Police Department, 9:56 am
Yamamoto Ichiro dashed upstairs, hoping against hope that his colleague is all right.
“Uchiko-san! Uchiko-san!”
Uchiko lay on the floor, unconscious. There was blood on her forehead. Horrified, Yamamoto groped for her wrist. He sighed in relief when he felt a pulse.
“Minna, we all need to get moving at once.” He said, standing up abruptly. “Somebody call for an ambulance. Call for backup, if anything. We have an extremely dangerous person on the run.”
“But where should we look for her?”
He dashed towards the files.
“She already has a record. Attempted homicide, but she got off because her lawyer pleaded for insanity. Oh no…” He sighed, weakening as he read her file.
“What is it, Yamamoto-sama?”
“We’re heading for Tomoeda, everyone. To Li Xiao Lang’s wedding to her stepsister Sakura. Right now.”
Don’t let us be too late.
Tomoeda, 11:15 am
The ceremony was almost over. It went on fairly quickly; both bride and groom hardly noticed as cords bound them to each other, or when their sponsors and godparents lighted candles for them.
Sakura looked lovely indeed in her gown, while Syaoran looked equally handsome in his black tux. Both just cannot believe that at long last, they belonged to each other. For a love that has waited too long and suffered too much, both knew that it was worth the wait.
Looking at the man beside her now, Sakura’s heart welled with so much emotion.
We’ll never part again, my little wolf… She grinned silently at the thought.
“Now, it is time to declare your matrimonial vows to each other.” The priest said, signaling to them both.
They stood up. Syaoran cleared his throat before saying sincerely,
“I, Li Xiao Lang, take you, Sakura Kinomoto, as my wife. For better and for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” He gazed at her with so much tenderness in his eyes that for a moment, Sakura wanted to cry. Then it was her turn.
“I, Kinomoto Sakura, take you, Li Xiao Lang, as my husband. For better and for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” She recited; her eyes boring on his.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this union is officially ended, you may now kiss the bride.”
Cheers and catcalls echoed inside the church as Syaoran’s lips touched Sakura’s for what seemed to be an eternity. Cameras flashed.
“May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Li Xiao Lang!”
Everyone clapped their hands.
“Kawaii!” Squealed Tomoyo who was videotaping it all.
“Sweet…”
“Wonderful…”
“Touching…”
But the newlyweds were oblivious of all these; they were busy declaring their love for each other.
“I love you…”
“And I love you back.”
After signing the marriage contract, Sakura and Syaoran allowed everyone to take pictures.
Before they could make their graceful exit, someone from the spectators shouted, “Look out!”
There was a commotion as everyone craned their necks to see what was happening in the center aisle, followed by the sound of a gunshot.
Sakura stared, wide-eyed, as a bullet whistled its way towards her heart. She froze, unable to move at all.
Then someone jumped in front of her, taking the bullet intended for her heart.
Screams.
The person who took her bullet fell backwards.
“Iie!!!” Touya’s voice seem to come from far away as Kaho fell for what seemed to be an eternity.
Sakura can only stare, bewildered, benumbed, at her sister-in-law’s smiling face.
“Take care of your brother, Sakura…” She closed her eyes for the last time.
Then there was insane laughter that pierced through the sudden silence, and everyone turned to stare at the door.
Keira stood at the door, dressed in the medic’s suit still, a gun in her hand. Her head was thrown back in mirthless laughter.
“Finally, after years of waiting…I conquer you, Sakura!”
Another shot resounded in the church, the bullet hitting Keira in the back. The police have arrived. Yamamoto Ichiro was holding the gun that hit Keira.
The laughter did not quite die from her face as she fell face forward to the floor, dead.
There was hushed silence, occasionally pierced by surprised, anguish sounds.
Sakura stared at Kaho’s body on the floor.
It can’t have happened…Kaho nee-chan can’t be…
“Kaho! Get out of my way! My wife…my wife!” But Touya’s cries were more than enough proof that it did happen. “I have to take her to the hospital! Let me go!”
Somebody was gasping for air behind her. Sakura turned in time to see her father fall to the floor, clutching his chest.
Everything went black after that.
One Week Later
It was Kaho’s funeral. The huge crowd was a mass of black and white.
She was brought to the hospital quickly, but to no avail. Kinomoto Kaho was declared dead on arrival (DOA). Her child died alongside her, inside her body, according to Touya who was with her to the end.
Sakura’s brother was inconsolable. His face was devoid of emotion as his wife’s casket was lowered to the ground.
Fujitaka was seated in a wheelchair, looking pale and quite stricken. His heart attack was mild, but his grieving heart hurt much more. He felt at fault for everything…everything.
He was the one who ordered a proper funeral for Keira, five days ago. Only, nobody went to the funeral. The cemetery employees and sepulchers were the ones who buried her. He didn’t want to see Keira anymore, and he wasn’t really well at the time.
Sakura stood beside the grave, Syaoran hugging her to his chest. Her guilt was so much heavy to bear; she believed that she was the one who should have died, not Kaho.
“That should have been my grave…”
Syaoran pulled her closer to him.
“No. It was meant to be, Sakura…Don’t go blaming yourself.”
“I know…”
“Now, we must get going or we’ll be late for our flight.”
“Must we go, Xiao Lang?”
“If you’re to ask me, I want you to remain here. But…”
“I want to be with you.”
“Exactly. Say your goodbyes now to them.”
She nodded bleakly and she went to hug her father, then her brother.
“We’ll all see you soon, oniichan…otousan…”
Goodbye, Sakura…
Sakura started. She could have sworn she heard Kaho’s voice saying goodbye.
She shrugged as she walked towards her husband, his outstretched hand she took, and together they walked hand in hand towards what seemed to be a much brighter future.
“Move on, everyone…Don’t let my death hinder your lives.”
Kaho watched the scene from the sky with lonely eyes. She turned towards Touya who alone remained beside her grave.
“You must move on, my dearest. I know you can.”
“Come now, my child…” Nadeshiko’s voice called her from behind.
She turned, a sad smile on her lips.
“I understand how you’re feeling. For someone so young, this is indeed a tragedy.”
But Kaho shook her head.
“No, I’m not regretting anything, okaasan. What we had will always be with me.”
“But will my son see it your way, Kaho?”
“I don’t know; but he’s strong. He’ll be able to take it. Maybe not immediately, but gradually, eventually, he’ll be able to.”
“You believe so?” Nadeshiko asked as they ascended to the sky.
“I know so. Besides…” Kaho turned to look back below them, at the graveyard where her husband stood. Her eyes looked straight at a shadow standing behind the trees. “She will be with him.”
“I know that she will be good for him. Better than I ever was.”
-End-
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