Hello! Welcome to a story I've been trying to write for quite a while XD. I use a lot of Bleach characters in this story, however some have different names, so I made a list at the end matching the Bleach character to the name they have in the story. I really hope it won't be confusing, and that you'll enjoy it!
At the beginning there were 13 siblings, by bond not blood. Powerful beings with unlimited potential and strength. For a millennia, they played like the children they were, and for the next they grew bored like most children do. They look to the eldest of them, and begged for him to give them something to do. The eldest wracked his mind and after days passed he created an enormous place they called Earth.
His siblings praised him for the new playground, and set out to explore and play in the new realm. However, the new realm was not enough. As pretty as it was with its high mountains and glistening lakes, it was empty; the siblings were still the only beings in existence. They went to the eldest once more.
He buried himself in thought and came to yet another conclusion: They would create and maintain life. For that, they would each need a purpose in the lives of the beings they would potentially create.
The eldest became known as Creation, as he was the only one who could bring their ideas into reality. The male "God", a word they'd made up earlier in their youth, wore brown tresses and equally brown eyes. His flesh shined with a inner light that was his creative power. He was able to even crystallize small pieces of his power and give it to his siblings for them to create their own things. With this ability he figured out his siblings' purposes in their realm. He gave them each a piece and a few weeks to think of something to make.
Two days passed and things changed drastically. The perpetual twilight that existed in the world he created, as well as the clear sky and warm temperature, began changing randomly. It would darken and lighten following which mysterious orb was in the sky. He would suddenly feel unbearably hot and then hug himself as the temperature went horribly cold. The sky would go from blue to gray and water would fall. Creation found four of his siblings to be the culprits.
As he approached he saw the 6th- a tall male with brown hair and gray eyes and a cheerful, carefree disposition- and the 7th- a male with long white hair and brown eyes, who was cheerful as well, yet calm and the only one who could put a leash on the 6th when he went too far- talking to each other, while the 8th and 9th- both carried the same face though 8th had bright orange hair and brown eyes and 9th had black eyes and white hair- bickered loudly with each other like they always did. Creation decided to see to the twins first, the siblings who were so by blood.
It seemed that they were the creators of the two orbs in the sky, and the reason why it was switching between dark and light. They argued for two reasons: Both believed that the other had copied their idea, and believed that their creation was better than the other's. After trying futility to calm them, Creation turned to the 6th and 7th.
They admitted to causing the temperature to change as well as the strange states the sky took. 6th wanted the world to change states every so often to spice everything up, and naturally 7th wanted to be nearby to make sure he didn't get out of control. 6th became Weather and 7th, Seasons.
He turned back to twins who had ended their argument to roughhouse over which sky orb was better. The 3rd, a male with blond hair, fair skin, and and wise gray eyes that seemed to hold many secrets. He separated the quarreling boys, and told them that he liked their ideas and creations, and that great minds think alike. The words calmed them quickly and they decided they'd work together as Night and Day. With his creation orb, the 3rd fashioned a large container of two connected glass bulbs, and the bottom bulb was filled with beautiful white sand no doubt from the beach he wandered all the time. He flipped it over and cradled it upright in his arms as sand trickled slowly to the next bulb. As the sand fell, he announced, Day should move his creation across the sky and as it set Night would begin to raise his creation. The 3rd became Time.
As the days went on he witnessed most of his other brothers and sister make things and earn their name, and roles in the world he created. 2nd and 4th, both males with long black hair, grey eyes and porcelain skin, became Logic and Order respectively with Logic saving his orb for later when it'd be needed and Order creating an infinity scroll to log all the changes happening to their world.
5th and 10th, sister goddesses with fair skin, turquoise eyes and purple hair though the older, 5th, was playful and the younger was quiet and more reserved, became Luck and Fate after Fate created a crystal ball in which to piece together futures and Luck a board game of cards, wooden pieces and dice in which she always won when playing verses her siblings.
Creation discovered one of their smallest 11th, a small fair skinned female with short light green hair and pink eyes, out during the hours when Night's creation, the Moon, watched over the darkened landscape instead of in the home the Logic eventually built with his orb since Weather wanted water to fall from the sky these days that Season called Spring. She stared at her orb for a long time still having no clue what to make. She was jealous of her siblings who had made such wonderful, useful and beautiful things while she could think of nothing. Creation saw a smirk spread across her features after moments passed and she looked to her orb again. Her hand closed over it and two wide, flat rings of a dark glowing stone formed in her hands. She hefted them, both a little larger than her head, before rearing back and hurling one at the Moon. It soared gracefully, but menacingly, disappearing as it flew farther away. Eventually, it seemed to strike home as cracks formed on the Moon and darkness spread across its surface as it withered before finally crumbling, returning the world to the perpetual twilight of Creation's design.
Creation gasped.
Cackling gleefully as the thrown ring returned to her, 11th raised the other one above her head and prepared to strike the ground with it. She gasped when the arm hefting the disastrous ring was grabbed in Creation's large hand and she was lifted from the ground, flailing, by it. Creation took her rings and dropped her and she whipped around in time to see the rings crumble with a mere squeeze from his fist. She screamed and wailed angrily at Creation as the others came out of the home to see what all the commotion was about.
Night screamed in outrage and sorrow upon seeing that his Moon was gone. Day and Time held him back before he could lash out at the younger Goddess and was only placated when Creation gave him another orb for which to remake his creation. It looked a little different this time with divots and shadowy areas instead of a smooth surface with a white glow, but he was happy with the change.
Still angry that her own creation was gone and her fun ruined she was henceforth called Calamity and taken under the wing of Fate. Eventually, Creation remade her rings for her, but they were kept in a glass case, that she could not open nor break, in her room.
12th, a female of creamy skin, flowing sea green hair and brown eyes, and 13th, the youngest with white flesh, long black hair and inverted eyes -his sclera was black and his pupil and iris white- were the last to still have their orbs.
13th visited Creation one day telling the eldest that he knew not what to do with his orb. Feeling a chill as he remembered those words coming from Calamity, he took his creation orb back not wanting a repeat of previous events. It saddened 13th to have his orb taken away, but he accepted it, and didn't lash out like Calamity would have. Creation found himself second-guessing his actions as 13th walked off with his head hanging.
Eventually, 12th made something out of her orb. It was a limp form with four limbs and covered with dark fur on its body and white on its head. The eyes it had were glassy and dull and it had a fifth long appendage that didn't have a hand on it like the other four did. She wasn't sure what it was only saying that she'd dreamt it up, and now needed something to make it move like they did. Thinking hard, Creation made something akin to his creation orbs, only this one was smaller and glowed brightly with an inner light as it floated over his palm. He gave it to 12th who pressed it into the odd thing's form. It shuddered as large eyes gained a twinkle and it reached up to hug 12th around her neck as it looked around with wonder making "Ooo, eee," sounds.
13th wandered over as Creation marveled at the creature and 12th announced her wishes to make more of the creatures. They saw 13th and 12th showed it off to him. He smiled and pet its head.
Suddenly, its eyes went glassy and the orb that Creation had made to give it life fled its body. It fell limp in 12th's arms and she screamed in fright.
13th backed away as he apologized profusely.
Creation calmed her as he took the orb and had her put it back into the creature once more. It came back to life and clung to her once more, it's fifth appendage curling about her arm. She hugged it close and ran away from 13th to keep it safe. She became known as birth and him... Death, much to his chagrin.
For the next millenia, they learned to fulfill their roles. Seasons and Weather and Birth, with Creation's gift, created things to inhabit their world. Birth created countless types of lifeforms that were given life by more souls. Seasons and Weather made many plants that had no souls, sure, but were still alive and would flourish depending on how it was outside. Some budded in the warm time called Spring, some greened in the hot times called Summer, some grew edible parts during the cool time called Autumn and most withered during the cold time called Winter. They worked together with Time to make the times changed fluidly and with Logic's help they had a rhythm to follow; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and repeat. Birth and Logic moved Birth's creations around to live in places where the times suited them. With Order's help they set about how things would run, how they interacted, ate, slept, died and gave birth to more of their kind, though Birth was the only one who could direct souls to fill the newlings her creatures made. Most of the others had very little roles during this time, with Calamity having the least, much to her annoyance, and the others' reliefs.
Death's sole role was to maintain Order's doctrines by making the creatures lose their souls so that they could be put into the newling bodies. He soon became a master of his unwanted gift, able to take back souls by merely calling them rather than having to touch the creature housing it.
With their work done, they set about filling the emptiness around the world with beautiful things, and after that Creation made a new realm for them to watch their creations from while still fulfilling their roles.
They watched for countless eras, adding new things to their world and taking away things that no longer had a place. They once even let Calamity use her rings to destroy the world so that they could start over. Night and Day weren't too happy, however, as they'd liked the great, terrible lizards that had lived their for a time, but they eventually got over it.
However, their creators grew bored again, though this time with their creature's simplicity, and wanted more out of their beautiful creations.
Creation presented the problem in hopes that they perhaps had ideas. His gift was creation, not imagination, after all. "Our world has become stagnant, and our creations remain the same no matter how many eons pass; what shall we do?"
"Let's make some in our image, but with less power lest they overthrow us..."
They made it so, but another problem arose; though their new creations were made in their image with beautiful bipedal bodies, varieties of looks, and minds to think, they all returned the same after death much like their previous creations. The good returned good, the bad returned bad, and the neutral returned neutral. There was no variety to the souls, and the gods returned to their previous dilemma of stagnancy. Birth, Creation, and Logic visited the collector and inspector of all souls: Death.
The male god had become jaded over the many many years, though still did his job diligently. He sat upon his white throne as he carefully studied and labeled the souls that he grabbed; bird souls for bird eggs, animal souls for the wombs of pregnant animals, human souls for pregnant humans. The throne sat sideways to the entrance giving the other gods only a view of his profile.
"Is it possible to make the human souls different each time they return to your arms?" Logic asked.
"You cannot ask me such a favor when you see how overworked I am," Death snapped at them without taking his attention from his souls. "To make the limited amount of souls different each time they came to me would take time away from directing souls that do not need such attention. Stillbirths would increase tenfold. It's bad enough with Birth constantly leaving the domain, and allowing souls to pile up in her room!"
Birth flushed with shame at the truthful accusation.
"Perhaps you could keep a few souls to aid you?" Creation offered.
"Never!" both Death and Birth boomed.
"Souls do not belong in our realm, they are to come through only to return to a new body," Death said.
"Keeping a soul from its destined body is wrong anyway," Birth uttered.
Logic and Creation both sighed. "Then we remain at a standstill," Logic uttered.
"Unless..." Death began, earning the other gods' attention. He took his hands away from the souls he'd been directing and actually looked to them. "Allow me the power to create minions, demigods of a sort, to aid me in the collection and distribution of souls."
Creation shook his head. "You wish to diverge from your set role? You are a lesser destroyer and keeper of souls, you do not create."
"Then you will not get refurbished human souls." Death returned his attention to the boring souls floating about his raised throne. "If you are done, exodus through the door to your backs."
Stricken, the others left.
A century passed before Calamity, Luck, and Time began to once again bemoan the lack of appeal of their latest gifts to the mortal realm.
"Perhaps I should destroy the world again," Calamity suggested with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"After the last time, we will probably never let you do such a thing again," Time uttered while Birth and Creation shuddered in remembrance.
"I can hardly fathom how they can be the same after centuries have passed," Creation murmured. "You would believe that the ability to think would make them interesting. Perhaps even innovative."
They were all silent in thought. After a few moments passed, Birth hesitantly looked to Death, "A century ago, Death, you suggested something that would help you. What exactly was it?"
"Hm? Merely a being that would collect and reshape souls."
"Perhaps you could tell Creation of the design, and he may-."
"No, I have a specific, complicated design that would be nigh impossible to explain and get the desired results."
Birth looked to Creation. "Would it be so terrible to allow Death to create a few of these beings on his own?"
Order slammed his hand on the table they'd gathered around and stood out of his seat. "Such a thing cannot be allowed! There is a system that must always be followed, and-"
"Nothing is inflexible, Order," Luck giggled.
Creation sighed. "Do you... have the design in your mind at this moment?" he asked, his tone betraying how against his next action he was.
"Indeed."
Creation brought his hands together and breathed into them. His hands glowed and when he opened them a small orb rested in his palms. The orb floated over to Death who grasped it and cradled it in his own palms. It was just like the orb that had been taken from him when they were still young. "That will allow you enough power to create one being of your design. We will use it to help in deciding whether we'll use your method or not."
Death nodded his thanks and brought the orb close to his heart before freezing and lifting his eyes to Creation. "One request?"
"Speak."
"Even if you do not wish for me to utilize them, will you allow me to keep the one I create today?"
"Whatever for?"
Death grinned wryly. "Even I get lonely sometimes."
The other gods laughed, and Creation allowed his request, so he pressed the orb to his heart and infused it with his power. It began to morph as he placed it on the table. Very soon a figure much like a human, therefore three times smaller than the gods surrounding it, was slowly lifting itself off of the table and onto its feet.
Birth gasped and covered her mouth. "What a ghastly thing!"
The new creation was very pale and so thin it was nearly skeletal though its face was round and not gaunt. It appeared to be completely wrapped in a cloak of flesh with dark chains akin to the ones adorning Death's clothes binding it as well, trapping its arms to its chest. It looked around curiously with large pale eyes that were slightly curtained by shoulder-length white hair.
Order diverted his eyes in disgust. "What. Is. That?"
"A soul collector," Death introduced and ran a gigantic hand over the being's head. "If used, it would collect souls for me and bring them here for me to alter. I would expend less energy and time pulling souls into this realm this way."
"You wish to send this... thing to the mortal realm? To roam among the creations already there?" Order asked as he glared at the humanoid creature from the corner of his eye.
"Yes, though they'd only roam the areas with humans. I do not need help with the nonhuman souls after all."
Creation shook his head. "I... we must think this over. Please return to your domain, and as promised you may keep your creation."
Death rose to his full height and bowed before gathering his tiny creature in his arms and transporting back to the Domain of Rebirth which he shared with Birth.
"If Calamity's rings weren't proof enough, then that was proof as to why destroyers should never create!" Order declared once Death was gone.
Calamity, still stuck in a young body humphed and crossed her arms petulantly.
"That was an abomination!" Order continued, uncaring as to Calamity's hurt feelings. "A perversion of order!"
"As appalling as his creation was, his promise of efficiency and variety is appealing," Logic said.
"I am against him making anymore of those," Birth protested. She leaned forward and whispered harshly as if afraid of Death hearing her, "That thing had no soul!"
"It was his first time creating anything," Calamity muttered. "Creation could help him make something better to help him."
"I..."
All turned to Luck.
"I thought it was rather cute..."
"As did I!" Weather piped up happily.
"I'm very glad that I wasn't the only one!" Seasons sighed.
"You three have nothing to do with creation, so you have no say," Order snipped.
"I do," Weather objected.
"Plants perhaps, but that has nothing to do with what Death created."
Logic sighed. "You are all acting like you're still 1000..." He stood. "I suggest that we adjourn this meeting for a later date; we are much to frazzled by that strange looking creation and cannot make mature, reasonable decisions right now."
"As always, you have a point," Creation agreed and rose to his feet as well. "Meeting adjourned."
x~x
Souls floated through the air about Death's throne as he plucked them from the air, and checked them for faults that would cause them to shatter or become corrupted before sending them on their way to Birth. The souls of the animals barely got a glance, while the human ones were scrutinized a bit more. As years passed he noticed that the souls were becoming darker and more fragile, though there was little he could do. He eyed his creation which sat primly on his lap wishing that he could let it fulfill its purpose of fixing the souls, but alas, it was not allowed.
His creature stiffened slowly and turned his head to look at whomever had entered. It appeared that his creation could be used as an early warning system.
"Unless you bring news that I may use my creation, leave; I am quite busy."
"Perhaps if I were to learn about your creation, I could grant you that privilege," Creation countered. He mounted the stairs of the dais the throne was on and drew closer.
"Careful! You'll disrupt the souls, and I'll have to relabel them!" he hissed. Death made the souls lift higher over their heads and looked to the god that was their leader. "What do you want to know?"
"Merely... explain some of your choices for its design."
Death grunted. "I admit there are some flaws, but only due to my focus on function. Had I considered aesthetics I would have given him color. Such large eyes would be beautiful if green, and perhaps a head of black hair to accent them. Other than that he is exactly what I want in a soul collector."
"But why the chains and the cloak of flesh?"
"The chains are what link him to me and this domain, without them I could lose him to the vastness of the mortal realm, and he may look human but he is nothing like them." The subject of discussion scooted off of Death's lap and gracefully descended the dais. Creation watched the knee high being warily as it passed him, heading towards the portal Death used to pull souls in. "The inner workings of humans have been foregone in him to leave room for the souls and his healing energy. Since the workings that aid in keeping the body warm are gone, the flesh cloak keeps his body warm for him."
"Whatever for?"
"So that the souls stay warm." He lifted a dark eyebrow. "You are one of the creators of the souls I work with and you did not know that souls need to be warm during transport? Apparently, Birth must not know either, because she sends them without protection and if they get cold before reaching its intended vessel, it ends up right back here and the newling is born a stillborn husk."
Creation touched his chin in thought. "I suppose so. Also... 'him'?"
"He looks like a male human so I've taken to calling it a him. I've named him as well."
"Yes I know, 'Soul Collector', correct?"
"That is what he is, not who he is."
"Is it really accurate to call something without a soul a who? Ah, what is it doing?"
Death followed his gaze to where the soul collector was kneeling in front of the portal. He seemed to be studying something on the floor just outside the portal. "I'm not sure." Death left his seat and strolled over to his creation. "Oh," he sighed sadly.
"What is it?"
Death stooped to scoop up the flickering soul resting at the swirling portal of light's edge. "This soul is close to shattering. I would've never noticed it if Yuelki hadn't drawn my attention to it." He gently reprimanded Yuelki when he attempted to take the soul from Death's hand. "No." The soul collector gazed at him steadily but eventually backed away under the scolding gaze of his creator. Death returned to his seat and put the broken soul into a bottle. "I'll have to devote some time to fixing it later."
"How could you have let this soul fall into such disrepair?" Creation accused.
"It is not my fault, this one has met too many horrible fates."
"What do you mean?"
Death sat heavily and brought the souls closer to begin organizing them once more while speaking. "Any human with this soul lives the same way and then dies horribly. Trampled in a stampede, plummeting off a cliff, eating something poisonous, getting sick, drowning... one time they were eaten alive if I remember correctly."
"How awful, but there is little that we can do about what Fate and Luck decide."
"Oh but there is. Each soul was infused with a different amount of luck and a fate which is good or bad depending on their luck, I designed my creation to be able to take attributes of different souls to make different ones."
At that moment, a blood curdling scream ripped through the air. Both gods turned to the entrance as the Goddess of Birth stormed in, dragging the soul collector in by his hair. "This thing is a monster!" she cried and tossed him forward. The soul collector, confusion plaguing his countenance, stumbled forward and tripped and fell before Creation. He laid still, face down on the white floor.
"What happened," Creation demanded while Death gathered the fallen collector.
Tears streamed down Birth's cheeks, as she fought off sobs. "That thing ate some of the human souls in my room! I knew nothing good could come of something Death created!"
Creation scowled and looked to Death who'd already retreated back to his throne. "Explain this, Death."
Death looked over Yuelki to find nothing wrong with him, but then again, he'd designed the Soul Collector to be hard to damage. "He was fulfilling his purpose, and while yes he took the souls into him, they were not consumed."
"Then make it release the souls," Creation ordered.
Death looked to his sister goddess. "How many souls did he take?"
"Three," Birth snuffled.
"Then there is nothing I can do," Death shrugged.
"What do you mean? Do you truly have no control over your creation?" The god began to glow. "If you cannot retrieve those souls, then I will destroy it to get them back."
Death was unfazed by the threat. "I can do nothing until he has taken at least ten souls into his body."
"But why?" Birth demanded.
Death scoffed. "You all wanted variety, ten souls would allow for a significant amount of variety." He grinned. "Perhaps you would like a demonstration?"
Birth sneered. "You plotted this, didn't you?"
"I did no such thing, Yuelki wandered into your room on his own and did what he was designed to do. It's your fault for not being more watchful over who and what enters your room. Now, Brother Creation, will you allow Yuelki to take in seven more souls so that he may expel ten new ones?"
His glow diminished as he directed his own unamused look at the lesser destroyer. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms in thought. He expelled a breath after many moments passed. "Do as needed."
Death nodded in thanks, and flicked his fingers to make souls draw near to Yuelki. The creation scooted closer to them and at his creator's allowance he opened his mouth and snapped a soul up.
Birth flinched and stifled a sob each time Yuelki "ate" another soul, until she was crying once more as the soul collector looked for the tenth and final soul to use for reconstruction.
Death unstoppered the bottle of the nearly shattered soul and pressed the opening to Yuelki's lips. His white eyes closed as the soul passed from the bottle and into him. He sighed and flopped back as if sleep.
Birth let out a particularly loud sob. "It's belly filled, and hunger slaked, the beast falls into slumber."
"Cease your blubbering and dramatics, the souls are not lost. When he awakens you will have ten fresh souls to play with."
"And how long will that take, pray tell?" Creation asked.
"I do not know."
"What?"
"The souls are all very damaged, there's no way of knowing how long Yuelki will take to fix them, though I'd wager somewhere around... a full moon's turn."
"So long?" Birth asked. She covered her face with her hands. "Perhaps you decided wrong, Creation?"
"I hope I did not."
Death scoffed. "If all you're going to do is bemoan your choices, then I insist you leave. Especially you, Birth. Your simpering is annoying and you have many more souls to deal with, I'm sure."
"You're awful! How are we even related?"
"Trick question: we're not."
The goddess breathed a snuffling gasp, and stomped away.
Creation shook his head and calmly followed her. "I will be returning soon."
x~x
Many hours passed, and Yuelki began to stir. Death let his attention leave that of the souls in favor of giving it to his creation. He sent a silent chime to the mind of his brother god, and Creation along with Birth, Logic, Fate and Order entered his room.
"Quite the audience," Death observed.
"We all want to see if your abomination is actually as useful as you claim," Order growled.
"I don't care of it's use, I want to make sure those souls are okay," Birth snapped.
Yuelki whimpered and drew his creator's attention back to him. Death murmured a few words and his white eyes opened. The flesh about his bosom opened like the petals of a flower and a glowing orb slowly formed and floated out of his chest before the fleshy cloak and dark chains replaced themselves. Death took the behemoth soul into his hands and gently split it into ten.
"Brothers and sisters," Death started. "I bring you ten, fresh souls." He summoned an old soul for comparison.
The soul he summoned was one of the less damaged ones, though the differences were still evident. It was grayish and flickered from time to time, and in those moments of flickering one could see a small spiderweb of cracks. The new souls were pure white and gave strong and steady glow, and there was nary a crack in sight. He allowed them to float to the gods and goddess that stood before his dais for further inspection.
Birth ran her fingers over some of the souls. "They shine so bright."
"Like when we first created them," Creation agreed.
Yuelki woke from the stupor healing souls had left him in and scooted off of Death's lap. He descended the dais with a noticeable eagerness in his step. Before he could be stopped, he snapped up another soul.
"Yuelki, no," Death scolded, and left his throne to recover the soul collector.
Yuelki snapped up a fourth and turned to see Death approaching him. He danced away and snapped up a fifth and then a sixth as Death reached for him.
"He's lost control of him!" Order exclaimed.
The soul collector darted away as if he were playing a game, and his minute stature made it difficult for him to be caught. It wasn't until he'd taken in his tenth human soul, and collapsed that Death was able to scoop him up. "I haven't lost control, he merely doesn't understand the meaning of 'no'. He's still young after all."
Creation crossed his arms and sent an unamused look at Death. "I allowed those first ten souls to be absorbed into that creature, not these."
"But now you've seen his capabilities," Death protested. "He will form another soul mass for me to split into ten, same as those floating around you now. And since these souls were not as damaged then it will not take as long for him to repair them."
Just as he said that Yuelki twitched and whimpered in his arm. Same as before, the flesh cloak opened and a soul mass came out. Death looked from the mass back to his "siblings". "Shall I split this soul?"
Creation's lips pursed but he nodded, and the deed was done adding ten more fresh souls to existence.
The Soul Collector woke and tried to escape his creator, no doubt to snap up souls once more, but Death held fast. "No, Yuelki," he told him when he struggled. "No."
Yuelki looked to him with a cocked head and confusion in his eyes. Death told him no again and he lowered his head as if ashamed.
"Good, he's learning," Death said, and pet his creation's head in praise. He watched as Creation gathered the fresh souls and one old soul close and turned to leave. "Where are you going? Why are you taking them?"
"I've called a meeting to discuss what should be done with this new knowledge."
Death was confused. "I didn't hear your chime."
"That's because I did not invite you to the meeting."
The words stung but Death only pursed his lips and turned to return to his throne. "I understand, Brother Creation."
"Actually..."
Death turned back towards him, thinking that the other had had a change of heart.
Creation put out a hand. "Give me the Soul Collector."
The youngest gasped and backed away, clutching Yuelki to his chest. He shook his head. "N-No! Brother, you promised you would let me keep him!"
Creation shook his head. "I'm not going to destroy it."
Death swallowed thickly.
"Give it here, little brother."
"Him."
"What?"
"Him. He may not have a soul, but he is still alive and lives and learns like the mortals of yours and Birth's creation. He is not a thing, he is a 'he'."
Sighing, his hand did not waver as he held it out to receive Yuelki. "Very well. I'm not going to destroy him. Now hand him over."
Death was still hesitant but eventually gently placed Yuelki in Creation's hands. Creation clutched the minute being firmly to his side and left. Death watched them all go before going to sit in his throne. He sighed, quickly missing his already beloved creation.
x~x
Yuelki kneeled silently on a vast table surrounded by the souls he'd recently fixed, and large beings much like his master. A few gave him looks of disdain while a couple had more inquisitive looks and a handful looked fondly at him. He liked the fond looks and the inquisitive ones were fine, but the disdain was worrisome. He wanted his master... why did his master give him away?
He flinched as he felt as if something was gently invading him with its comforting presence and relaxed when he realized that the presence was his master's. Feeling a command, rather than hearing it, he figured out what his master wanted of him and paid attention to what the other large being were saying.
"I say we allow him to make more," the one his master whispered to him was Logic. Logic was one with an inquisitive look. "I don't see any harm."
"Neither do I," the one called Faith, a fond looker, said as she caressed her crystal ball.
"But to have soulless things like that roaming freely amongst our creations like Death wants?" Birth, a disdain looker, said. "I don't like that at all."
"I doubt Death gave him the capabilities to harm." Yuelki had to turn to see that it was Seasons, another fond looker, who'd spoke. He lightly brushed souls aside and beckoned for Yuelki to come nearer to him as well as another fond looker, Weather. He moved over and sat down again to receive pets and caresses from them.
"How can you even stand to touch it?" Birth asked.
"He's very cute," Seasons said. "I think Death did well for his first time creating something."
Calamity looked to Creation. "Hey, why did you take your creation orb from him all those years ago anyway?"
"I didn't want him to turn into another destroyer like you," Creation murmured. "But it seemed it was inevitable."
Fate nodded.
Creation looked about the table. "Any other reasoning not to use Death's creation? As well as to allow him to make a few more?" He looked to Birth who'd opened her mouth. "Other than that it is soulless?" She promptly closed it. "No? Then we will cast a vote. All in favor of Death's wishes being fulfilled raise your hand."
All except Birth and Order's hand went up, and were stared at. Order sighed. "Death... does work really hard. He deserves some help..." He raised his hand. Birth was the only one left, they stared at her, but she refused to raise her hand.
"Very well, Birth," Creation murmured and lowered his hand, signalling to the others to do the same. "Then you may take your leave, take these souls with you as well and have them delivered to newling humans for birth."
She pursed her lips angrily as she stood and quickly left with the souls clustering up and following behind her.
Creation sat as the door to the room shut with a reverberating slam. "Now, for the remainder of this meeting, we must make some... rules regarding Death's wishes."
Yuelki felt his master's presence leave him, but the feeling of worry did not come over him as he relaxed into gentle ministrations of the kind, fond-looking large beings.
x~x
Death was smiling as his siblings entered his room and Yuelki was set on his feet so that he could return to his master's side. Death helped the smaller being into his lap before finally looking to his brothers and sistren. Before Creation could make the announcement that Death would be allowed to make and use his Soul Collectors, the youngest admitted that he already knew. It seemed that he'd discovered that he could connect with Yuelki in a way that would allow him to see and hear what the Collector did.
While unhappy that they'd been spied on, Creation still shrugged it off and told Death the rules they'd made as he hadn't listened in on that as well.
Death would be permitted to create nine more Soul Collectors to have a total of ten, all of which had to remain in the Domain of Rebirth or in the mortal realm. To keep from having incidents like the ones Yuelki had caused, they had to have already matured minds. They also were to be limited to getting nine souls from the mortal realm before returning to Death for their tenth as it wouldn't be wise to have them passing out where Death could not go."
Death's brows knitted. "'Cannot go?"
Creation nodded. "While there are Soul Collectors in the mortal realm, you are forbidden from venturing there until you've called them all back."
"But why?"
Order was the one who explained. "To maintain the balance of course. Besides, who would take care of the souls here if you were all there?"
Death didn't like the thought of his freedom being limited, but nodded nonetheless. He agreed to all of the conditions and Creation bestowed upon him nine more creation orbs for which to make his Collectors. He kneeled on the floor and pressed them all to his heart after a few moments of thought. Same as before, they began morphing as he set them on the floor before him, and shortly there were more Soul Collectors kneeling in front of him.
"They're all different!" Calamity exclaimed excitedly as they lifted their heads and blinked their pure white or pure black eyes owlishly. They all had hair colors ranging from red to purple with the last one black like Death had wished Yuelki's had been. They all had varying heights as well, though none were as short as Yuelki, and some were even decidedly female in shape.
The white collector wandered over to see his new siblings and stared curiously at them. They stared back.
"Take care of Yuelki," Death told them. "His mind isn't as mature as yours."
They nodded and a few began to crowd their young-minded brother. Yuelki made sounds of protest and annoyance, but did not fight them.
"Aw," Season cooed. "They're hugging him. Do they have names as well?"
"Yes, it's what inspired their hair colors." He pointed as he told the names to the others. "Rosso, Sienna, Kiiro, Beryl, Sky, Nila, Violet, and Noir."
"Wonderful names," Time praised.
Death clapped and they all ceased their affection towards Yuelki to give him their undivided attention. They were told of the intricacies of their job and the few things they were not supposed to do (namely interfere with humans other than to collect their souls). Nodding purposefully, half of them were directed to the portal that would take them to the human realm while the others received souls right then and there, flopping to the floor upon receiving their tenth souls. Yuelki was eager to do the same, but was instead directed to go with the ones headed for the human realm as he had to learn how to collect souls. He was hesitant to leave, but wasn't able to resist as Beryl and Noir nudged him towards the portal and into the new realm.
Fate spoke as Death gathered the other five passed out Collectors and the other gods turned to leave. "There will be trials and challenges waiting for your creations, but I foresee only good things from this in the long run."
Death turned and grinned at her. "Thank you."
List of the Gods and Goddesses
1. Creation- Sosuke Aizen
2. Logic- Byakuya Kuchiki
3. Time- Urahara Kisuke
4. Order- Senbonzakura Kageyoshi
5. Luck- Katen Kyokotsu (Older Woman)
6. Weather - Shunsui Kyoraku
7. Season- Jushiro Ukitake
8. Day- Ichigo Kurosaki
9. Night- Zangetsu Shirosaki
10. Fate- Katen Kyokotsu (Younger woman)
11. Calamity- Lilynette Gingerbuck
12. Birth- Neliel Tu Odelschvank
13. Death - Murcielago