Chapter Text
When Yuu arrived to the outskirts of the forest, the sun was slowly rising up above the horizon.
Shoyo must be awake, Yuu mused to himself.
The newfound light shined through the greenery, trees ever so steadily reaching up to bask in the beams. Yuu loved these mornings. They calmed him, and provided a good place to wake up to start his day.
His days were important, one must understand. He was one of the Jūnishin. The ‘Twelve Gods’, those who created and managed Earth. While each one held important roles to sustaining life, Yuu was life itself.
Every sun rise, Yuu was given light to come to the Forest of Tamashii. There, he would select the healthy, bright and promising souls to take back and ready for birthing. Every sun rise, new life graced the lands.
As he walked through the arches of Tamashii, his presence awakened the souls’ glow. He began his task.
Selecting those vibrant and youthful, Yuu picked the buds and placed them in his bubble, a radiant holder of energy that could carry all his finds without damage. He hummed softly as he did, healing or re-rousing souls that were waiting to be sent out. Those bloomed beautifully, each and every one how it should be. Just like the two fresh baby souls coiled in a human’s womb, and the litter of wolf pups he blessed with future breath the other week, and the five flowers he’d made for Daichi to plant later.
Yes, three blue, one mauve. Three…. blue… one.. mauve? …Where was the fifth?
The god looked around with furrowed brows. He’d placed these yestermorning, they should be here.
Things often disappeared without a trace, much to Yuu’s displeasure. Plants and humans alike, before their souls even got to break the threshold of this realm, vanished.
Now, there were rumours. Small whispers from realm to realm, talk of the most powerful god there has ever been. One that jumps from place to place, visiting every created domain, beyond Yuu’s moons and stars.
Death. An old god, one who no one had ever seen, yet who was still feared by all.
However, Death, whomever that was, he thought tersely, did not scare Yuu. Death coiled a unique rage within him. That Death had the nerve to take away his perfect creations. How could anything deny life itself? How could the fact of being be denied at all?
But that did not matter at the moment. Yuu could always make new buds, he supposed. Even though souls were each unique and perfect and special and, and, ugh! Who could strip a soul of its chance on Earth before it even knew the beauty of existence?
A cruel bastard, he decided.
As Yuu continued his task, he heard a soft padding, like bare feet against stone. He paid it no mind. It was likely water that has slipped from Shimizu up above. Or perhaps someone had simply come to get him. But then it came again, this time accompanied by the slow crush of leaves and gentle sink of moss. Yuu whipped his head around, trying to find the source of the sound. Maybe this was the culprit, the one stealing his precious buds!
He was about to call out, ask for a name, but all words ceased in his throat when he saw it.
A large figure came into view, two or three heads taller than Yuu himself. The thing was blurry, but soon became clear as it flowed into the now fully raised sun. Yuu stared at the creature.
Its face was gaunt, jawline sharp and cheeks slightly sunk in. Its body was strong, obvious muscle showed from under flowy cloth. Toned and defined, biceps curling and forearms flexed as hands held tightly to a large stone basin settled upon its shoulders.
It was eerily angelic, a powerful aura settled around the being. Majestic, Yuu suddenly though, and absolutely gorgeous.
Though, it wasn’t this creature’s body that caught Life’s eye, nor the long locks that pooled in front of its face and over its shoulders, but two almond shaped eyes that glowed with such beauty. Darkened blues and blacks marbled within white, a hue of jade glossing over them, reflecting the surrounding leaves and grass.
They were bright, but they were sad. These eyes held a shadowed pain, a deep loneliness that seeped into the swirling pools. They were beautiful. Yuu watched them in awe, watched as they trail around the forest floor and scan the trees, watched as its gaze met his, and still as the white of its eyes swallowed the black and blues, residing into the standard glow of most celestial creatures.
The being froze.
It looked… scared, almost.
But then, slowly, it raised its hand, a golden shine humming from a front facing palm.
Yuu quickly turned, his back knocking against the backside of a tree as he took a deep breath.
He had to tell the others.
As fast as he could, he sprinted away, feet heavy against the mossy ground. His wings conjured and pushed him into the air with a large gust.
Ryuu will never believe this, he thought.