A/N: Thank you once again for your continued support! I really do appreciate the questions/speculations/comments/encouragements you've written ^_^
The previous chapter being called "black" and this one "parade" are merely coincidental ;)
Flashback order: 2, 3, 6, 5, 4.
The emboldened number is the current chapter. They're not written chronologically because I make this fic up as I go ^^;
Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.
Revision notes: The full unedited and uncensored version of this chapter can be found at the-tower-room dot livejournal dot com (no spaces and replace "dot" with period; there's also a link to it in my profile since I can't put a link here :/ ).
Chapter 6: Parade
"What's wrong with you?" bellowed she, pacing, autumn leaves swirling at her agitated feet.
"I decided not to play this game after all," replied he.
She shook her head, eyes the colour of bitter orange disbelieving as she stared at him. "You cannot retract in the middle of it. The die has been cast, and if you pull back now you lose by default." Her feet halted, the leaves a whirlwind that began to rise up to her knees. "Or is that what you want?"
"I never wanted to play in the first place."
Her eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring as realization blazed through her mind. "Is it that human?"
He answered with silence, his chocolate brown eyes indecipherable.
Hands tremblingly curling into fists, she fought to control the rising wind that brought her leaves twirling up to her waist, made difficult by his indifference. "Don't tell me you...for a mere human?" She snorted with disgust, feeling tremendously insulted. "I cannot believe this."
He repeated his response.
She raised her head, eyes bright and hard, and declared, "It's over between us."
"We've never really begun," spoke he finally.
She flinched, feeling hurt despite herself. She was supposed to have the upper hand; he was the one who was supposed to be unable to let go. And yet, how easily he said those words as though their time together had never mattered at all.
Keeping her lips from trembling or the tears from surfacing, she proclaimed, "You're mistaken if you think this game is finished. I will win, and am more determined now that you've chosen that over me." She couldn't help the way her voice rose in a whine when she continued, "You were supposed to play with me, not against me."
"You've already won," he countered impassively. "That village is set to die from the plague you had me sent. Isn't that enough? What is it to you? Why is this so important?"
Her head lowered, purple hair falling to cover her eyes, and her voice was quiet but harsh as she responded, "You should know better. Mortals who injure a god's pride never go unpunished."
And with brown, red, and yellow leaves rising to encompass her, she disappeared.
Orihime, with trepidation, walked down the centre of the great hall alone.
The mosaic floor indicated where she should tread as on either side of her, interspersed by columns, stood rows upon rows of gods. The Goddess of Snow and her husband sent her smiles of encouragement while the God of Archery gave a nod as she passed by them. The sea of faces showed various expressions: mostly curious, some interested, some solemn.
As she proceeded, she found it hard to hold her head high nor to keep bewilderment from showing on her face―for how could a mere mortal like her ever imagine being in the presence of such eminence?
Ahead of her stood the God of Death on the right hand-side of his father in what Rukia jokingly called his bull form―a form that Orihime had seen once and that he only retained for special occasions, such as meetings of state and ceremonial gatherings with other gods, or even his nuptial rite. He wore the black coat tattered at the edges and trimmed in white; red fur sprouted at his collar and wrists in stark contrast against his bone-white skin. His long orange hair flowed behind him like a veil and his face was unreadable beneath the horned white mask with its parallel black stripes.
Heart beating painfully within her chest, she reached the bottom of the steps that mounted the throne of the one that fathered the God of Death. She genuflected, eyes lowered, unseeing of the grand and colourful arrangement of the tiles. She felt outside of herself as she was directed to stand by hands holding both her shoulders, and couldn't fully meet the eyes dancing with mirth as they perused her.
"Welcome," greeted he in a loud, booming voice, pride evident in his tone. "Welcome, my new daughter-in-law."
He leaned over to whisper, "I was beginning to think my son is a eunuch, or even, you know..." he wiggled his dark eyebrows, lightly jabbing her with an elbow in an effort to ease her obvious nervousness. And then he took her hand and turned her so that they both faced the gathering.
"The bride of the Death God!" announced the God of Life, raising her hand in the air, and applause thundered through the great hall, echoing through its high, vaulted ceiling as flowers showered them.
"The bride of the Death God!" chorused the gods.
Soon after, with the God of Death beside her, she was presented and introduced to each god in attendance. There were some that she recognized from her brother's book, and more that were unfamiliar.
There was the God of Night, who also presided over Spring and was Rukia's brother, Byakuya. The very well-endowed, blue-eyed Goddess of Love and Fertility, Rangiku. The prim and stern Goddess of Order, Nanao. The easy-going God of Summer, Shunsui. The very amiable, though somewhat sickly, God of Children, Juushiro. The motherly yet fearsome Goddess of Healing, Unohana. The very serious and young-looking God of Winter, Toshiro. The elderly, yet far from senile, God of Fire, Yamamoto. The two that always seemed to be together: the Goddess of Cats, Yoruichi, and the God of Knowledge and Invention, Kisuke. And many more that, to Orihime's regret, became a blur of names and faces as they went farther down the pantheonic line.
Each offered their congratulations and well-wishes, some going so far as to grant matrimonial advice and anecdotes that, were it not for the heavy glower directed at them by the Death God in his masked form intimidating them to hurry through their felicitations, would have continued on until the day had become the next day.
The festivities continued with a staged presentation of one version of the well-known tale of the full moon giving way to the new moon. The performers reenacted the story of the God of Night raising his cherry blossoms up to the sky to take their places as the stars and how proud he was of the magnificent light they bestowed upon the world. But then, clouds appeared, covering the stars so that they were not seen, and the God of the Moon, seeing the now-darkened world, carved out his heart and placed it in the sky so that light might once again shine upon the night. Upon seeing how people rejoiced over this replacement, the God of Night was offended, and demanded that for one night, the God of the Moon must not share his light alongside his stars. And thus, the nights of the full moon and the new moon came to be.
As they sat, Orihime gripped the God of Death's hand tightly as she watched the play with rapt wonder. The voice of her brother sounded in her mind as the live depiction made her recall this very story he'd once told to her. "It's alright, Orihime. The Death God is...kind. He gives too much of himself. He doesn't play the games that other gods play because he knows how much we suffer for it. At the end of our lives, he comes for us to grant us our final peace. So there really is no reason to fear him, only to revere him."
A tear streamed down her cheek at the memory. The Death God turned to her with a question in his eyes, and she gestured to the stage before them to indicate that she was just thoroughly moved by the show as she quickly wiped at her cheek. He squeezed her hand in comfort before turning back to watch.
She gazed at the Death God out of the corner of her eye, her heart aching yet feeling full. And she wondered what her brother would say if he would've had a chance to meet the god that was now her husband.
The goddesses held a separate banquet to honour the bride of the God of Death.
They convened in a hall smaller than the God of Life's throne room, but no less grand. The colourful mosaic floor matched the tall walls, and the room was decorated with fresh flowers and diaphanous curtains. Food and drink appeared as the house provided to the needs of its guests without the use of attendants to serve them. Laughter and several different conversations filled the room as some of the goddesses greeted one another after having not seen each other for a long while.
Orihime sat in one of the myriad cushions scattered about the spacious room, shyly accepting bridal gift after bridal gift, feeling undeserving of the honour being bestowed on her yet grateful all the same.
Rangiku, the Goddess of Love and Fertility, had taken it upon herself to take the young bride under her wing to teach her the ways in which she could better please her husband. Blue eyes sparkled as she laughed gaily at the scarlet hue that pervaded her reluctant charge. The dark-haired, bespectacled Goddess of Order was quite outraged at Rangiku's display of decadence, showing disapproval by the harsh way in which she kept pushing her glasses closer to her eyes.
"Come now, Orihime," invited Rangiku, "you needn't be shy. All these weeks you've been married have surely been quite the adventure for you. Why, I heard from Rukia that―"
A surprised squeak came from Orihime―effectively interrupting the goddess―as she directed a mortified look toward Rukia. The latter, meanwhile, averted her gaze and took a huge gulp of her drink.
But the interruption was short-lived for Rangiku ploughed on, putting her arms around Orihime to prevent her from escaping. "―Your first time had been a very, very pleasurable one, and that he took care to make it so."
Orihime covered her face with her hands.
"Oh, you're an absolute delight!" exclaimed Rangiku as she tried to pry the hands from her face. "So tell me, what positions have you tried? Has he dug into your garden and suckled your flower? Have you kissed him all over?
"Hmm, from the way you've been changing colour, I would surmise that you have tried quite the number of positions, and that the answers are yes to the garden, yes to the flower, but no to the last one..." She frowned, tapping her chin with a finger in deep thought. "Shall I teach you how it's done? I see that you have quite the lovely ladies here―" At this, she cupped Orihime's chest, earning a frightened squeal from the younger woman. "You can also use them, you know, to―"
"Rangiku!" cried Nanao, fanning herself with the feathered quill and unrolled scroll that she always kept with her, as flustered as the bride but more incensed. "I think that's enough teasing. Can't you see that the lady is already scandalized by the subject matter? I suggest you refrain from pursuing this further. And I am most definitely talking about Orihime. And no one else. Definitely not myself."
Rangiku gasped, affronted. "I am merely fulfilling my duty as the Goddess of Fertility in making sure that the seeds sown will bear fruit. And from what I've heard from Rukia, the God of Death had been planting every night and every morning."
At the mention of her name, the Goddess of Snow sprayed out her drink. "Rangiku, I would appreciate it if you would keep from mentioning me or my involvement in any matter pertaining to the Death God and his wife." As she wiped her mouth with her sleeve she directed to Orihime, sotto voce, "I'm really sorry, Orihime."
"Oh phooey," pouted Rangiku. "I cannot believe you are all against me. I just feel that these things are useful to know and practice."
She leaned over to Orihime, whispering, "Later, away from the others, I will teach you." And then she moved to lounge in a cushion further down to mingle with the other goddesses in the room, leaving Orihime to figure out how she could back out of the appointment with the Goddess of Love and Fertility.
"Absolutely not!" exclaimed the God of Death.
"Why not?" countered the God of Life. "You'll still be able to fulfill your duties while in my house. I merely want time to get to know my daughter-in-law, so during the day while you're away, I and the other gods and goddesses can keep her company."
"For a whole month?"
"Yes."
"We haven't even been married that long."
"If you're worried about it, you can still do your matrimonial activities...just within my house." Isshin punctuated this with a smile. "You know that life cannot be created inside the palace of death. So what better place for a small life, a nice bundle of joy, to start anew than the house of the God of Life?"
"Old man, you'll soon become the God of Unlife if you keep pursuing this."
Isshin's smile melted, and with a sober expression, said, "I have done as you requested and not invited the Goddess of Autumn and the God of Destruction to our celebration. Is it not possible for you to acquiesce to mine?"
"I accepted your invitation to come here, didn't I?"
Isshin sighed. "I am merely asking for you to extend your visit a little longer. At least, more than these three days you're willing to allow. As you know, no one may enter a domain in which no invitation is granted. Since I have not invited the two, they cannot enter this place, and your human bride is quite safe from them here."
Ichigo glared, displeased at the reasonable argument presented to him by his father. His fist clenched, lips pulled in a thin line. "I will think about it."
Isshin nodded. "I would appreciate that. Now come, there's a hall prepared for a banquet in your honour."
Ichigo raised his cup, accepting the toast made for him by the already inebriated God of Summer. There was a chorus of cheers that followed before everyone drank their fill, and a myriad of scattered conversations spread through the hall soon after.
He leaned back on an elbow among the cushions, his mask resting atop his head, his cup perched on a raised knee while he traced the rim with a claw as he listened to the God of Archery regaling Sado, the God of Silence, about his latest smiting.
"As you know," stated Uryu as he pushed his glasses further up his nose, "we gods are limited by what we preside over. Punishment through an archery contest in which I exhibit that I truly am the God of Archery is enough, leaving the mortal to reflect on his sin of deigning to insult me or the Quincy. For myself, I need not resort to death as other gods are wont to do when their pride had been injured. There are worse things than the end of mortals' lives: and that is for them to always have a remembrance of their foolishness."
"Mm," contributed Sado.
"Indeed," agreed Uryu. "Take the God of Winter for example. Mortals who even go so far as to mention anything about his lack of height would find themselves frozen. It could be enough to bring them to the brink of death, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they would die from it. Death is, after all, Ichigo's domain, so unless you got him to agree to cooperate with you, you cannot kill a mortal when you punish them."
"Mm," admonished the God of Silence.
"Ah, you're right. I've gotten away from myself." He turned to Ichigo. "Your pardon, I didn't mean for the subject to come to this especially during the celebration of your marriage."
"Not at all," waved Ichigo. "You're merely speaking of the truth." He clinked his cup against Uryu's and Sado's before taking a long sip, feeling a touch on his shoulder as the God of Summer and the God of Children sat beside him.
"Please accept our congratulations, Ichigo," greeted Juushiro.
"I heard you've been immensely enjoying your wife these past few weeks," began Shunsui, face a hearty shade of red and a big smile upon his lips. "It's best done now and have your fill before she finds herself with child."
Ichigo fought the urge the pull his mask over his face, thankful that his thick white skin didn't allow any changes in body temperature―such as one caused by embarrassment―to colour it. That Rukia and her big mouth, he thought.
"It's such a shame that life cannot spring forth in your house, you can only bring them in from outside," said the God of Children. "You have my best wishes that someday you'll be blessed with children, especially now that you are in the God of Life's domain."
Ichigo could only nod, tightening and loosening his hold on his cup.
"I think it's better for them to enjoy each other first before thinking of an addition so soon," countered the God of Summer, voice slurring as he tipsily swayed from side to side upon his cushion. "Although from what I've heard from the Goddess of Snow, their exercises have been quite abundant."
Ichigo cleared his throat, rising and resisting an uncontrollable compulsion to use Cero on the intoxicated god. "If you'll excuse me, I will now retire."
"Ah!" exclaimed Shunsui, his wine spilling as he raised his cup to point at the bridegroom. "Off to seek your wife already, huh? We won't keep you. Go ahead." He snickered.
Juushiro raised his goblet. "Good night, and congratulations once again."
Ichigo nodded and left the hall, pace brisk as he headed off in the direction of the quarters granted to him by his father, willing himself to calm down.
He closed his eyes and sighed with relief as he reached his chambers. This was the very reason why he hadn't wanted the other gods in his house: they induced a frustration in him, and he hardly ever knew what other kind of response they would elicit from him. When they flocked together in such a number, it was hard to predict their actions or their words, and a small part of him was glad that this was not happening in his own domain. Besides, the house of the God of Death was hardly an altogether welcoming place to hold a celebration.
After shedding his mask and coat and dropping them on a nearby chair, he flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes, feeling resignation settle over him. With the banquets set to continue on well until the morning, he knew that he wouldn't be seeing his bride at all tonight.
APPENDIX
Mystery Woman - Goddess of Autumn
Mystery Man (1) - God of Destruction
Ichigo - God of Death and the Moon
Rukia - Goddess of Snow and the Arts
Renji - formerly a Scribe (servant to gods), now a god by association for marrying a goddess
Uryu - God of Archery
Isshin - God of Life
Byakuya - God of the Night and Spring
Rangiku - Goddess of Love and Fertility
Nanao - Goddess of Order
Shunsui - God of Summer
Juushiro - God of Children
Unohana - Goddess of Healing
Toshiro - God of Winter
Yamamoto - God of Fire
Yoruichi - Goddess of Cats
Urahara - God of Knowledge and Invention
Sado - God of Silence
Thanks for reading :)
Jan/2011; revised 2012