Yo!
I have a lot of free time lately, so...
Another chapter!
This one will be a shorty, but I need to get this stuff out of the way so we can progress smoothly.
Please Review!
Enjoy!
Chapter 7- The Star: Yellow
Tenten stretched her legs with a deep sigh. The opera, formally titled Megami or The Goddesses, was set to open in three days. The other dancers practiced with excited passion and outside of rehearsals, everyone was curiously quiet.
The surrounding city bustled with excitement. People from around the world were filling the hotels and making the streets more stifling than usual. There was an anticipatory buzz outside of the near silence within the theater. Sometimes, children would gather outside to listen to the musicians practice. The staff bustled to clean the stage, seats, restrooms and lobby. A few people lined up to purchase their last minute tickets.
Takara became pensive though more demanding. They ran through the show, all four hours of it, everyday in full costume. Any missteps were immediately confronted until they could perform seamlessly.
A week before the opening, Kaito insisted on a last-minute change. The play ended with a scene of Kaminari admitting her defeat then Uzume celebrated her reign over the world. Kaito felt that it would seem cruel for Uzume to celebrate another's defeat,so he flipped the scenes.
Other than that, the process of finalizing the performance went smoothly.
Before Tenten knew it, she was preparing for the opening. She arrived on stage early in the afternoon and greeted the other dancers with slight jitters. Many of the girls stood with confidence, as they have performed often. Others, despite their experience, still giggled excitedly between each other.
Takara and Kaito eventually joined them all on stage, prideful smiled gracing both of them. "I won't go into some grand speech," Kaito said, "though I will say that I am quite pleased with how far we've all come. There have been setbacks and we have overcome them. I expect the best out of each of you and I know that every performance will be beautiful."
With that, each dancer went to their respective dressing rooms. Tenten sat in front of her mirror and took a deep, shaking breath. She spent a few minutes calming her nerves. It's just a performance, she thought. I've been in near-death experiences... I can handle this.
With a sudden burst of inspiration, Tenten quickly undressed and began to apply smooth white paint to her arms and legs, then her face. Once the paint dried, she wrapped bandages first around her breasts, then from her hips to her knees. Tenten then carefully painted around the tops of her breasts, chest and neck.
She called for an assistant to help her paint the back of her body while Tenten focused on the details of her face paint. She first darkened her eyebrows, then painted intricate blue war symbols on her cheeks, chin, neck and shoulders. She then used the blue paint on her lips and gold paint on her eyelids.
The assistant divided her hair and left the majority of it down. She then did a play on her usual twin buns and wrapped her hair around gold ornate chopsticks. Finally, Tenten pulled her kimono on one arm and let the other fall. She wore a tightly bowed obi around her waist along with a belt to hold her sword.
Alone, Tenten stared at herself in the mirror. Something about the persona she was to portray resonated deeply with a future she had imagined for herself as a little girl. I'm going to be a fearsome warrior, revered and remembered by history. It's only a play, and yet...
One of the dancers entered her dressing room and babbled her excitement a few minutes before they were called down to the wings of the stage. Tenten watched the lights flare up on stage and felt her breath catch in her throat. After a quick inhale, she darted out on stage, totally engrossed in her role.
In the dawn of time, Uzume lived in her garden with her maidens nearby to entertain her. The world was beautiful and the mortals were happy.
As Uzume planted flowers on the earth, she was confronted by Kaminari, the war goddess. Kaminari was angry because the mortals were at peace and she was not needed. Uzume tried to convince Kaminari that the peace was good, but her optimism only spurned Kaminari to further anger.
"The mortals will always have war!" Kaminari shouted. "And when they are fighting, all the beauty you create will be for nothing. The armies will trample your flowers underfoot and burn your trees to the ground."
Uzume shook her head sadly. "I know war will eventually come, but it does not mean that people cannot appreciate peace and loveliness."
They parted from each other, both in despair.
Later, the mortal king, Yama prayed to all the gods for guidance, as dangerous bandits had ransacked small villages with the intent to destroy his kingdom.
"Oh, gentle gods, I entreat you to guide me through this truly terrible time. Bring me strength, bring my people mercy, bring my kingdom peace," he cried.
Uzume heard him from her garden and wept for his kingdom. She appeared in front of him and embraced him gently.
"Be strong my sweet king. All will be well. Times will be hard, but you will overcome them," she said.
Far away, Kaminari also heard the king's woes, so she went to him.
"Be brave my king. You have a strong army and loyal fighters. Show these barbarians no mercy," she said.
"No," Uzume gasped, "practice patience and kindness."
"No," Kaminari snapped, "destroy them in battle."
Unfortunately, the king was forced to lead his troops into battle. Uzume respected his decision, but cautioned him all the same. Yama left for battle with a blessing from her and Uzume promised him a home in her garden if he fell during battle.
Kaminari oversaw many of the battles during the course of the war and gave courage to the men when they were afraid. Occasionally, King Yama called on her himself and she counselled him and took away his fear.
With the help of both the goddesses, King Yama emerged from the war victorious.
He thanked both of the goddesses and made several offerings to them both; to Kaminari he gave one thousand blades for her to melt down and make into a single, glorious sword. He gave Uzume rolls of the finest silks and giant sparkling gemstones.
Uzume was so moved that she invited him to join her in her garden, but he refused in favor of ruling his kingdom.
During the time of peace, Kaminari went to Uzume and boasted, "See, Uzume. The mortals went to war again. Our king Yama would not have prevailed if it wasn't for me."
"Both of us granted blessings to King Yama," Uzume reminded her. Kaminari laughed at her. "Just admit that your beauty and kindness did nothing to help Yama succeed."
"I disagree," Uzume said sadly.
Kaminari screamed in frustrated rage. "We'll see, Uzume. I know that there would be no peace without war. Little flowers are useless to everyone."
"I don't just help the world look pleasant, Kaminari. I inspire kindness, which is the most important facet of peace," Uzume explained.
"We'll see," Kaminari promised.
For many years after that, Kaminari tried to instigate wars to inspire peace, while Uzume favored kindness.
King Yama eventually died and, as promised, lived his afterlife in Uzume's garden. He thanked Uzume profusely for her help during his long reign.
"You brought such light to my life," he said kneeling at her feet. "For that, I will be eternally loyal to you."
Kaminari heard his words and grew angry. "I should have his loyalty as well," she thought. "I helped him just as much as Uzume."
In her anger, she released an aura of hatred over Yama's former kingdom. A war broke out quickly and in a only a few months, villages, the capital city and the royal palace were all destroyed.
Kaminari looked down on all of the destruction in sorrow. What had she caused?
Uzume heard the cries of the mortals and went to each of them at once, warming them in their sleep, blessing them with crops and soothing the anger in their hearts.
Peace returned to the kingdom with the coming of the new spring and all was well once more.
Kaminari watched Uzume spread her kindness in melancholy understanding. "Everyone is happier through sympathy and not brought together by something as terrible as war. And war is what I am..."
Distraught, Kaminari chose to take herself from the world and peace reigned in the kingdom forever.
Ok folks. End of this shorty chapter.
Next chapter: The Star: White Part 1
(Yeah, part 1)
(Take that however you wish)
(I'd be excited if I were you ;P)
