A/N: Wow! Thank you very much for the very awesome welcome you've given :DDD I am extremely grateful for your understanding. As a token of appreciation, for those wondering about a certain couple of characters, finally figured out just where they are in this story ^^

Flashback order: 14, 2, 9, 13, 3, 15, 11, 8, 7, 6, 5, 12, 4, 10.

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.

Chapter 15: Hold

As Keigo's body was laid to the ground, she tightly held Tatsuki's hand.

Her friend stared straight ahead, unseeing, devoid of any emotion, while around them rang the sounds of lamentation.

"Stupid," mumbled the black-haired girl with a shake of her head. Orihime was the only one who knew her long enough to see that she wasn't as unaffected as she made herself to be. The auburn-haired had many a small glimpse that her friend might have regarded Keigo as something other than a nuisance, but she knew that it was something that Tatsuki would never admit to anyone, not even to herself.

Orihime squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the tears out, blinding herself to the sight of her friend slowly but surely being shoveled under the cemetery dirt. It wasn't long ago that the village was celebrating. The laughter and merriment seemed to have been suddenly whisked away, and all she could do was clutch Tatsuki's hand, afraid of what would happen if she let go.

Keigo had succumbed to a sudden sickness. One moment, he was out in the fields going about his daily duties, meeting them at their tree for lunch as usual. The next moment, he was affixed to his bed, body wracked with pain and unable to move, delirious and sweating profusely. The village doctor had not been able to be of much help, and it wasn't too long after that he was called away as another villager suffered from the same ailment.

A hush had come over the village then. The remaining decorations in the square lay forgotten. Like a heavy veil, dread descended over the thought that Keigo's death was only the beginning to something far worse coming their way.

The two of them stayed as the small crowd dispersed. For a long time they stood alone, and Tatsuki's hand clenched around hers in a painful grip, the black-haired girl's lips uncustomarily trembling, her eyes glassy and bright.

"I hate you, Keigo," grounded Tatsuki out through gritted teeth, voice breaking as a lone tear fell. She angrily swiped at her cheek with her other hand. "And that's all the tears you're ever going to get. Stupid." Her shoulders shook and she let go of Orihime's hand to cover her face as despite herself the tears persisted in pouring out of her.

The auburn-haired girl wrapped her in her arms; this was the first and only time she had ever seen her longtime friend break down. Only now did it begin to sink in what it felt like to lose someone.

And she mourned: for the loss of a much too short life, and for Tatsuki's regret for something that could have been that now could never be.

Lunch saw them still in the same room, although Orihime found that she didn't have much of an appetite. Face to face now, she watched the Scribe eat with much gusto, every now and then pausing to jot something down on the scroll beside him.

"I hear that more congratulations are in order," offered Shuuhei as he finished swallowing and gave her a warm, genuine smile.

Orihime started. "Eh?"

"You're expectant, I heard. And that you're due to ascend into godhood."

She chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head with one hand and tightly gripping her cup with the other, worriedly gnawing at her lower lip. "So they say."

"Pretty soon, I'm sure you'll be receiving an invitation from the Sun God."

That gave her pause, and puzzled, tilted her head to the side, her brows raised. Sun God? Had there ever been one? She was pretty sure there hadn't, but she also knew there were a great number of various deities, even more than what had been listed in her brother's book. It was only now that it occurred to her that it would only make sense to have one if there was a Moon God.

"The Sun God?" repeated she.

Shuuhei nodded. "The Spirit King, the only deity that the gods bow down to. Only newly made gods and the children of gods get invited by him. He hardly ever leaves the heavens. The Death God's sisters, Karin and Yuzu, are with him now."

Orihime lowered her cup. It seemed the more she heard about the Death God, the more it emphasized just how little she knew about him and his world. "I-I didn't know he had any sisters," stammered she. "Neither he nor the Goddess of Snow ever mentioned them."

"Don't worry about it," dismissed the Scribe with a wave of a hand. "They've been up there for a very long time that it's no wonder the other gods have forgotten about them. Even their father."

Her frown deepened, raising the cup once more to take a sip. He made it sound as though it was so easy and seemed to be a common occurrence for the gods to forget even the members of their own family. She'd known of their penchant for cruelty to mortals, as the stinging feeling of betrayal in her heart over what she'd learned of the God of Death and the Goddess of Autumn could attest...but toward their own family? Would that be what was eventually in store for her? Or something far worse?

"Orihime, I love you."

She closed her eyes tightly and willed herself to push it from her mind. Now was not the time for such a thought. She hurriedly sifted through the surface of her mind for anything that would take her away from it. "How long?" burst she out, hoping that her own curiosity would overtake her breaking heart.

Shuuhei thought for a moment. "I believe they've gone beyond soon after the Death God became the Moon God."

She almost choked on her drink, the pursuit of the subject matter effectively distracting her from her issues. "But that's―"

"Yes, isn't it?" He chuckled. "They've been up there for almost as long as the moon had been up in the sky." His eyes took on a faraway look. "Before I ever became a Scribe, I've read in a tale that they wanted to be close to the Death God's heart; they wanted to protect it up there. You may have noticed a pair of stars that are always orbiting close to the moon? That's them."

She shook her head, almost smiling with the wonderment that filled her despite herself, the nostalgic feeling of novelty at being brought into the fascinating world of the gods overtaking her. "I've never heard of this tale," admitted she.

"Somehow, it's not something that is often told. And I'm not quite sure why it's so."

"But I thought the stars were the Night God's cherry blossoms?"

He shook his head. "Not all of them. There are special cases. The sun, for example. And of course, the sisters Yuzu and Karin."

She took a sip, digesting this new information. Her eyes lit up as she remembered something. "I heard that the sun here isn't the sun of the mortal world."

"Where did you hear that?"

"The Goddess of Love and Fertility told me."

She watched as he fought down a blush at the mention of Rangiku, averting his gaze to the food before him and quickly stuffed something into his mouth. After swallowing, he cleared his throat. "That's true and false."

"Eh?"

"It is true that in the world below, the sun is nothing more than a giant ball of gas that happens to be the greatest indicator of the progression of time during the day. Here, the gods have more control over the passage of time, hence the reason why the Night God can make the night last longer than it usually would have occurred in the world of mortals. The reason for this is because the Spirit King is indifferent to the affairs of gods and mortals alike and doesn't mind the lack of worship at all. Even though he is the ruler of the gods, as long as order is kept, he leaves the gods to their own machinations. He prefers for them to sort out their own problems and will only intervene to restore order if it becomes a big enough conflict. So far, the gods' squabbles and meddling haven't been enough to warrant his attention."

"I see." A short silence ensued as they both continued their meal. As she nibbled on a piece of potato, she wondered out loud, "But what about the God of Winter?"

Shuuhei looked up. "What about him?"

"You said that the children of gods are all invited to be with the Spirit King. How come the God of Winter isn't with him now?"

He choked and sputtered, tapping his chest as he reached for his cup. After gulping down his drink, he stammered, "Please, don't ever let the God of Winter hear you say that. He takes great issues over being called a child."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"You didn't know, it's alright," he mollified with a nervous smile, looking around and behind to make sure the god in question hadn't suddenly appeared to deal punishment upon them. "The God of Winter...he felt that he was ready to take on his godly powers and responsibilities. And he's a lot older than he looks; he has always been the Winter God."

She couldn't help the surprise she felt, opting to plop another potato in her mouth as she tried to keep her thoughts in order. "It seems strange."

"What does?"

"Everything." She gestured with a wave of her arms. Orihime opened her mouth to explain, but found herself overwhelmed by all that she had learned.

"Yeah." The Scribe gave a small laugh and went back to eating.

She thought of the Death God's sisters, wondered how they were faring being so far away from their family. "The God of Life...why didn't he...?"

He looked up, picking up on what she was trying to question. "Ask for them back?"

She nodded.

"I think it's partly because no one dares to deny or refuse the Spirit King―it's just not done. And there are protocols that even gods have to follow. And also, I think it's because the sisters prefer being up there."

"So they're not being held against their will?"

"Not at all. Once in a while they come down to visit. Water is what connects all the worlds. It's what brought you to the Lunar Palace, yes?"

Seeing her questioning gaze, he clarified, "Weren't you brought in in a boat?"

She gave a single nod in reply.

"Rivers, lakes, and oceans are the pathways between the mortal world and the dimension of the gods, but only when such a passage is permitted. A human going into the water does not automatically take them here. Between the heavens―the dimension of the Spirit King―and the realm of gods, however, rain acts as the bridge. The only thing is is that it actually seldom rains here. So you can say that it has been a very long time indeed since the God of Life and the God of Death have seen either Karin and Yuzu, and it's understandable that they could have been forgotten."

"Have you ever been there?"

"To the domain of the Spirit King? No. That's one god who never grants any interviews. But maybe Renji can give you some information. He was invited to sojourn there soon after his marriage to the Goddess of Snow and his ascension to godhood."

Orihime lowered her head and peered at her reflection on the surface of her drink. "Maybe," she mumbled, mood shifting again at the sudden pang of envy striking low inside her at their mention. She knew she was a fool for having had any aspirations that her own marriage could become one out of love, like with Rukia and Renji. She knew that marriages seldom had anything to do with love, at that. And for one who was a sacrifice, it was too grand a dream to have.

All she could do was to resign herself once more to her fate, and wait for the end to come.

If there was anything that Orihime was grateful for at that very moment, it was the fact that whatever drink the God of Knowledge and Invention had given her the night before, she was still under its effects.

After the interview with the Scribe, she'd wanted nothing more than to be by herself, safe and secluded somewhere where she wouldn't run into any of the other guests of the God of Life's house. Her bedchamber was the furthest place she'd wanted to be. The feeling of being able to sense other gods in the vicinity was a great help, enabling her to avoid any areas where they were convened. And the house complied to her wish, leading her to the quietest place within its walls: the library.

The whole room was filled with shelves and cases of scrolls and books. No doubt, she thought, the product of the Scribes detailing the lives of the gods. She wandered through the aisles, idly running her hand across the books' spines as she passed them, trying with all her might to prevent herself from thinking about her earlier realization.

But it was a losing battle, and she felt exhausted, overwrought. Just when she thought she'd finally left that place of uncertainty, of hanging between life and death, and found a place of belonging...it was all too good to last. She'd almost forgotten that she was the sacrifice, and being a sacrifice entailed that she was at the mercy of the deity she had been offered to.

And what now? Why wasn't she yet presented to the Goddess of Autumn? What was the Death God waiting for? What were they planning to do to her?

And most cruel of all, why the need to pretend to have feelings for her?

The tears she had been fighting finally freely flowed, unencumbered by any witnesses. She leaned against a shelf and slid to the floor, surrendering to the silent tears. Along with the stinging feeling of betrayal, she berated herself for being weak and crying. There she remained until she had no more tears to shed, and all she was left with was emptiness.

Foolish, she thought, leaning back against a bookcase and furiously wiping at her cheeks. She had been so foolish. She recalled the stories she'd heard and read of the gods' games; there were certain rules to it, she knew. The mortal victims were subjected to the powers that were particular to the god that was angered. The Goddess of Autumn would have done something to the village's fall crop, had anyone still been alive when that season came. But since she was the lover of the God of Death, all she needed to do was to ask him for his favour, hence the plague.

As for herself...Orihime reckoned she deserved to be the lamb brought to slaughter, despite the fact that every single villager would probably be dead by now. So, their attempt to make an offering to appease the gods had been in vain. Dread filled her, but surely, that was the only outcome to this? Unable to leave the gods' realm, she had no way of knowing for sure that any villagers had managed to survive that plague, and her own time was numbered. Without a doubt, the God of Death was now in Karakura, collecting for the Goddess of Autumn.

A sigh broke from her, eyes transfixed at the fall of shadows from the wide opened windows, wishing with all her might for the sun not to set, praying to the newly discovered Sun God though she knew he would never answer. It was strange to think that that morning she couldn't wait to see the Death God again, and now that sentiment had tremendously changed. And she knew she couldn't hide forever. Who would dare keep him from his prey?

If Tatsuki were alive, she would without a doubt be swinging her fists against the situation Orihime found herself in.

The image faded, and Senna put her mirror face-down as Grimmjow walked into the room. With a coy smile, she sidled up to him, emphasizing the sway of her hips with each step, hoping to sway him to her bidding.

"My love," whispered she, trailing her fingers up his chest and beckoning him to meet her welcoming lips. For his part, he readily devoured what she offered, pulling her flush against his body, feeling the heat of desire readying to consume him.

Pulling away for air, she smiled at his transfixed gaze awash with growing hunger. She slowly laved her lower lip with her tongue, which he'd swiftly reached out to capture back into his mouth. His hands wandered down her back, cupping her buttocks and lifting her so she could wrap her legs around his waist, but she stilled, blocking his access to her lips with a hand over his mouth.

"Will you take me―"

"Yes!" interrupted he with a growl and a grin, resuming to back her into a nearby surface to continue their passionate embrace.

But she would not be swayed. "―to see the other God of Knowledge?"

"Ye―what?" He dropped her so suddenly, his ardour instantly depleted. A loud growl reverberated at the back of his throat. "What the hell for?"

She winced, her back smarting from the fall, and she schooled her features into an expression of gentle imploration from her place on the floor. "I need him to make something for me."

"Tch." The God of Destruction shook his head, his nostrils flaring with distaste and slowly banked anger, pacing restlessly back and forth. But despite himself, asked, "What?"

"A cage."

He stopped, turning to face her, his displeasure immediately melting into a wide, feline smile as he grabbed her back up to him, capturing her lips in an intense and thrilling kiss.

He paused long enough to let her come up for air. "You mean...?"

"Yes, that," responded the Goddess of Autumn with a mirroring grin, and he began to transform into a sleek, white panther, beckoning her to climb to his back.

"Let's go."

APPENDIX

Orihime - formerly a human
Hisagi - a Scribe (servant to the gods among whose duties include the recording of the gods' lives to distribute as stories to humans)
Spirit King - God of the Sun, Ruler of All Gods and the Natural Order of the World
Yuzu and Karin - Ichigo's sisters; twin stars that orbit the moon in the sky
Senna - Goddess of Autumn
Grimmjow - God of Destruction
Mystery Man (3) - the other God of Knowledge

Thanks for reading :)
June/2011