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Few months had passed since another incident with Yamata no Orochi ended. With a barrier over Heian-Kyo the capital managed to be quite peaceful, without any bigger issues happening in the meantime. The threat of the snake god and 6 evil gods was still looming over the world of mortals but Seimei and his companions were preparing for that day.
Their newest comrade was no one else but former Takamagahara executioner - Susanoo. He took a huge part in sending Yamata no Orochi away, and thanks to a series of events that took place, he was now staying in Heian-Kyo and adjusting to this new world. While he wasn’t doing anything truly worth his title, he did enjoy small and ordinary jobs around Seimei’s property like cleaning, cooking for everyone or just sitting under Sakura tree and gazing at the sky. One would think it's a really boring thing to do after constant fighting, but it was something that Susanoo needed.
While the barrier was enough to prevent the outside problems that could threaten the capital, Susanoo still patrolled the streets when he could, getting familiar with the layout of the city. It was better to be safe than sorry, anyone would agree.
He often wondered where did Yamata no Orochi go (if he was still alive) or what was his next step. Susanoo’s fate was to die while fighting him, it was something he had been prepared for since that day when he spoke to Susabi in the Sea of Stars. For now, he could just enjoy himself and pretend that no evils would befall this peaceful city for a long time.
Then, a certain festival came and little did Susanoo know, he would meet that person again.
-
‘You want me to go there?’ Susanoo put down his cup of tea while looking at Seimei’s troubled face ‘If your job is something that I can help with, allow me-’
‘It’s not that, Susanoo-sama’ Seimei sighed ‘Actually, I noticed that you’ve been… working quite a lot recently. While my gratitude is immense, I think you should take a break and enjoy yourself for once. You definitely deserve that, and this festival will be a perfect chance for you. I’m sorry though, I won’t be able to attend with you because of that job. Unfortunately, Kagura is feeling a bit under the weather so she won’t go either. It would be a shame if all of us missed it.’
Susanoo tapped his finger on the table a few times, as if thinking of another excuse, but Seimei’s stare was enough to make him not say anything more.
‘I haven’t been to any festivals, I’m not sure how to behave.’
‘There is no etiquette or anything that you need to do. Just have some fun, enjoy the food and see the firework display. There will be a lot of people, but I don’t think I’m the person who should tell a god from Takamagahara to be careful, right?’ Seimei opened his fan and smiled at him ‘Treat it as a time off from protecting Heian-Kyo from all dangers that befell it when Yamata no Orochi was here. Even gods need some break.’
‘If this is what you say, then I will go.’
‘However-’ Seimei waved to his fan ‘You can’t walk around the festival in this armor. Before I go, I will help you choose something lighter to wear that will help you blend into the crowd perfectly.’
-
Susanoo had to admit, this change of outfit was quite pleasant. Dressed in a dim colored yukata with cloud patterns and a pair of wooden geta, he headed towards the place where the festival was taking place. Streets were filled with colorful lights, many different smells in the air, laughter of adults and children filling his ears and making him smile. So this is how a peaceful world looks like , something that he was trying to achieve. It wasn’t a thing that he ever experienced while staying with Izanagi or in Takamagahara, so he wanted to burn those images into his mind. He decided he wanted to experience as many festivals as possible.
Of course, once he entered the place he saw many couples and groups of friends or families, both youkai and humans - it made him a bit sad that in the end, he was here all alone. He began to wonder how it would feel to be here with his Sister - okay, maybe she wouldn’t agree to do something so mundane. When he tried imagining coming here with his father, he had a feeling it would make him regret his entire existence, so Susanoo quickly rejected that possibility.
To not let it get to him too much, he pretended that it was just another patrol mission of his, this time in a more casual way, without jumping over buildings and running on the rooftops, watching the world from above.
He had no idea that someone had been watching him for a while, their footsteps blending with the crowd of visitors. They were getting closer and closer and Susanoo soon noticed that something was wrong. Turning his head around, he didn’t see anything unusual. Some girls with horns on their head passed next to him, eyeing him and whispering among each other. As soon as he glanced back, they ran away, giggling.
That’s when something pressed against Susanoo’s back, a cold shiver running down his spine. The roar of the crowd died out instantly as a certain person spoke to him.
‘It’s been a while, Susanoo.’
No. It couldn’t be. Even without turning his gaze to the source, he already knew who that person was - there was no way he would ever forget who was the owner of that voice. His breathing became shallow, fists clenching and few sparks running through them. There was absolutely no way, no way that the snake god could sneak through the barrier he carefully set up and stand there behind him as if nothing happened.
Yet there he was, Susanoo knew with every fiber of his body that it was no one else but the Snake God that stood by him, his arm circling towards Susanoo’s, a gesture so gentle that he could almost believe it was a friendly touch.
‘I can see those sparks. Do you want to reveal yourself to the crowd and fight here?’ The voice asked again, making Susanoo inhale sharply. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Orochi was right. He didn’t want to disturb the festive night or cause too much trouble, preferably keeping any problems to the minimum.
Susanoo didn’t look the Snake God in the eye, he noticed an alley nearby and decided to move their conversation there, in case of any trouble arising. He tightened his hold on Orochi’s arm and pulled him towards that place, a displeased noise coming out from the other’s lips. Susanoo planned to corner him there, ask a few questions and most likely throw out of the city before that cunning man could act up.
When they finally went into the alley, the God of Thunder turned around, opening his mouth to ask the most important question of ‘Why are you here’ but words immediately died in his lips when his eyes finally registered the Snake God in front of him. Instead, his mouth kept hanging open like a fish, his eyes growing wider.
It wasn’t the Yamata no Orochi that he knew from their fight or even from times of Takamagahara.
The man that he was looking at right now had his hair gracefully pinned in a side ponytail, a big red flower with silver and gold pearls adorning his face. The clothes that he wore weren’t his usual robes, but light and delicate yukata in faint colors of yellow and pink. The snakes that were a part of him were gently entwined around his waist, some of them slipping in and out of his sleeves, looking curiously at Susanoo.
‘If you keep staring this lasciviously at me, I may even think that you’ve missed me, Susanoo.’
The man shook his head, blinking a few times and wondering if he was truly seeing the Snake God in front of him, or was it just his eyes playing tricks on him. No, it was definitely him - it was real Yamata no Orochi!
‘You still haven’t let go of my hand. How cute of you.’ Orochi smiled at him mischievously, Susanoo lowering his gaze and seeing that he was right - he was still holding his wrist in a strong grip that would probably leave marks on the man’s pale skin.
‘Why… are you here?’ Susanoo finally asked, feeling that his mouth got suddenly dry. Must be the fault of that hot weather or something, it was still summer after all!
‘The same reason as you. I am here to enjoy the summer festival.’
‘I do not believe lies like those.’
‘Then why are you asking in the first place if you aren’t going to believe me anyway? Did Seimei make you work in his backyard while your sister dearest burned your brain out?’
Susanoo squeezed Orochi’s wrist even more, making the Snake God wince and pressed his body towards the wooden plank behind them.
‘How did you get through my barrier? It was set up specifically to not let you in.’
‘Then you haven’t set it up properly if I managed to get in. Next question.’
‘You-’
The two of them kept staring at each other intensively until one of Orochi’s snakes decided that enough was enough and bit Susanoo’s palm, a pained expression appearing on the man's face. He let Orochi’s wrist go and shook his hand.
‘Can’t you tell them to behave?’
‘You were hurting me, it is an expected reaction from them’ Orochi replied, brushing off some dirt from his yukata ‘I didn’t come here to sit in a dark alley and get questioned like this, so if this is your kind of thing, I’m afraid I will be leaving.’
‘You aren’t going anywhere’ Susanoo blocked his path with his hand ‘I just can’t believe you would appear here so suddenly and act as if nothing happened. That’s not like you.’
‘I’m surprised that you haven’t noticed already, but I will let that brain of yours do some additional work.’
What was he supposed to notice? His attire? His strange behavior? Or…
Now that Susanoo had a better look, he noticed that there was something wrong with Orochi’s aura. During their previous fights, he had an exceptionally strong god aura and presence that could overwhelm many - now it wasn’t the case, his aura was still visible, but it wasn’t anything special. Susanoo could even argue that he did resemble an ordinary person instead of the former God of Evils.
‘What… Who are you?’
‘You know the answer to this question, Susanoo. I am Yamata no Orochi, your fellow god from Takamagahara, the one you sealed a millennia ago. However, today, I did not come here to fight with you.’
Susanoo wasn’t even sure what to ask about now. What does he mean he’s not here to fight? He’s not here to perform another of his rituals, let evil gods into the Heian-Kyo, not even try to do some trouble around just for sake of little fun? Not even to steal Ame-No-Habakiri or any artifact? What is he here for then?!
‘You think so loud I can hear you, Susanoo. I guess I need to be frank with you, so for once you need to believe me’ He sighed ‘I am NOT here to fight you or Seimei or any of his allies. I came here tonight to enjoy myself.’
‘Enjoy….yourself? You? Here?’
‘Do the Evil Gods not deserve rest from doing evil deeds?’
‘You are being ridiculous!’ Susanoo exploded, shaking his head ‘Stop saying strange things and tell me what is wrong with you? With that attire too!’
‘You are wearing a yukata, am I not allowed to wear one? My robes get dusty sometimes, it’s not nice to wear the same outfit for a thousand years.’
Dear higher gods above in the skies, may you have mercy over this humble Susanoo, who is currently having a mental breakdown over the fact that Yamata no Orochi did not come here tonight to Heian-Kyo to destroy something.
‘Once you are finished overthinking things, you want to go and eat something together?’
‘A- What?’
Orochi motioned his head towards the other side of the alley, the delicious smell of fried food reaching their noses.
‘Food stalls are in that direction. We can grab something to eat while we are here.’
‘Yamata no Orochi, what the hell is your problem?’
‘Problem? I’m just hungry.’
‘That’s not what I mean!’
The look that he received from the Snake God probably could speak more than a thousand words. Susanoo was already feeling furious, his electric power displaying itself on his body. He was usually a very calm person, but now he couldn’t deal with that man’s bullshit anymore.
‘You are not making any sense with anything you say.’
‘It is you who is getting angry for no reason. I haven’t done anything yet.’
‘How can I be sure that-’
‘Enough. Susanoo, I have a proposition for you, a really good one. Will you stop wasting your precious energy and listen to me for a second?’
Inhaling deeply, Susanoo stopped generating more electric power, he released it and stared at Orochi’s face. As much as he didn’t want to admit, this flower really did contrast well with his light hair and pale skin.
‘Okay.’
‘Thank you. Since you are so eager to prove that I did something or I’m about to do something, how about we strike a deal?’ Orochi raised a hand before Susanoo managed to open his mouth to protest ‘Ah, it’s nothing big, really. You see, being in… that place is a bit boring, you know. I don’t like boredom, so I really came here today just to enjoy myself. If you are this afraid that I will do something, you can stay at my side and accompany me. How about that?’
Of course, Susanoo would--
-
Agree to those conditions, like an idiot that he is.
Hell, that snake even made some conditions while on it!
‘You like to abide by the rules, so I will create some. Rule number 1 - We don’t talk about what happened during our last fight.’ Orochi raised the first of his fingers.
‘You want me to forget about how we fought in heavens and-’
‘Exactly. You are already breaking a rule, a bad God you are! There, I thought I was known for breaking the rules and being the troublemaker of Takamagahara. What a shame-’
Susanoo went quiet and Orochi was visibly pleased with it. Raising second finger, he said.
‘Rule number 2 - We will forget that we are gods. Tonight, we will act like we are simple mortals among others and youkai… Tonight, we are no God of Evils, Yamata no Orochi and Takamagahara’s former executioner, Susanoo.’
‘Al…Alright.’
‘Perfect. Last rule, the most important, so listen carefully.’ Orochi raised third finger ‘We are supposed to enjoy tonight. If you don’t like it here or find my company boring, then you can go back home to Seimei’s backyard and sweep leaves until our next meeting, dear gods know when.’
Observing how Susanoo seemed to fight with himself internally, Orochi chuckled and grabbed his sleeve, pulling the other man along and leaving the alley. Blinded by the lights for a brief moment, Susanoo blinked a few times.
‘Empty that head of yours for a moment, dear Susanoo. Try to not think too much or there will be more fried stuff around than just noodles.’
‘My head can never empty when you are by my side.’
Orochi stopped so rapidly that Susanoo almost bumped into him, the realization soon hitting him. His words did sound a bit too blunt, one would think he was trying to hit on the Snake God like this.
‘I… didn’t mean it like-’ Words were lost in his mouth, his train of thought disturbed by a laugh.
‘I had no idea Susanoo could be this flirty. I have such an interesting partner tonight. ' Orochi turned his head to him and smiled.''If I have to be honest, I feel quite lucky. I need to be careful or someone else may steal you away, I won’t allow that.’
Once again Susanoo was being pulled through the festival, the two of them avoiding bumping into some youkai covered by clouds or one with furs covering her shoulders. It took them only a moment to reach food stalls and the God of Thunder felt his mouth water a bit. There was so much to choose from, smells of sweets and fried dishes mixing together.
‘What would you like to try? I am not really fond of anything smoked or with strong taste, so I think I will settle with-’
‘I haven’t asked before but is this your first time at a festival like this?’
‘It is not the first time visiting a festival here, but it is the first time I have someone accompanying me. So I could treat it as my first time.’
The stall owners next to them were yelling quite loudly, informing visitors about freshly prepared fried squids and chicken. Others tried to encourage customers to try small balls with pieces of octopus inside them. There was so much to choose from that Susanoo had no idea what to try first. Kagura told him about various foods being available around the capital but he never truly had a chance to try them. Looking around, he found another type of stall, this time with waffles that had the shape of a fish.
‘Those little fish have red bean paste inside them, it is quite a nice treat. I will actually get one.’ With that being said, Susanoo almost jumped, feeling cold fingers brushing against his chest. He quickly grabbed Orochi’s hand that dived into his robes as if nothing happened.
‘What are you doing?!’
‘As you know, the trade in this city depends on exchange of money for goods, and due to a series of unfortunate events that I shall not name, I will need you to help me out.’
‘So in short… you are broke?’
‘I didn’t want to put it into such a blunt statement, but yes. Give me your purse, Susanoo.’
The God of Thunder swore that tonight may be the weirdest day in his entire life and the night had just begun. Orochi managed to fish out a small, silk purse that he hid inside his robes and opened it, his brows raising suspiciously.
‘I thought you’d have more jade.’
‘I got my funds restricted.’
The snake god did not question further, probably for the best. He didn’t take Seimei as a greedy person, but perhaps he also wanted to use Susanoo as his personal bank. Or maybe save the local economy from collapsing.
‘It still should be enough. While you will be the sponsor, let me choose food for you.’
-
‘I’ve got some of my personal favorites, as well as some that I think would suit your tastes!’
‘This is… a lot.’
There was definitely more food than Susanoo thought the Snake God was capable of buying, yet still a lot of jade was available in his purse when he went to calculate it again. Now, they were sitting at the table full of various snacks, Orochi handing him a pair of chopsticks.
‘You can start with fried chicken, it’s really delicious. I’m afraid if you don’t eat it too soon, my snakes may take care of it.’
‘I will eat… though, how can I be sure you didn’t poison it?’
‘You are going to suspect me at every possible opportunity? I guess old habits die hard, so allow me to be your tester.’
With that being said, Orochi snatched a piece of karaage from Susanoo’s plate, split it in two and took some for himself, sharing the rest with his snakes.
‘See? No one has died.’
‘That still is not enough to convince me but I will let it slip for once.’ Susanoo took another piece of karaage and put it into his mouth, the delicious flavor of chicken spreading inside. It tasted different than the usual chicken he had prepared for Seimei and rest before - maybe he should learn how to prepare that dish later. He quickly munched through the rest of it, moving onto the next dish that was Takoyaki. Not knowing that inside was still hot, he put the entire ball into his mouth and bit it, his tongue burning almost instantly. His face quickly turned red, his expression twisted in a funny way.
‘Ugh…’
‘I didn’t expect you to be such a glutton. It won’t hurt to be a bit more careful. Here, I got you some cold barley tea.’
It took them about half an hour to finish all the dishes, but the thing that Susanoo ended up liking the most was shaved ice with syrup. He even made Orochi laugh when he noticed that his tongue turned into a blue color, his expression dead serious when he asked if it’s going to stay like this.
‘No, it will disappear soon.’
‘Show me yours. You ate shaved ice too.’
‘Here?’
‘Yes.’
Orochi opened his mouth slightly, his tongue sliding out slowly. It was a split tongue, he should have expected it - he was a Serpent God after all. His fangs were also much longer and pointed than an ordinary person. Susanoo couldn’t see the color properly in this light so he moved his face a bit too close than necessary, which resulted in a grandma sitting nearby lashing out on them.
‘You two, stop being indecent in a public place! There are children around, can’t you see?! Youngsters these days have no shame at all!’
Susanoo instantly backed away, the two of them staring at each other in silence. With the grandma going on and on about them being rude teenagers that give bad examples to the society, they soon barely could hold back laughter. If only she knew that she was lecturing two ancient gods whose lifespan exceeds her own for millennia.
‘There there, grandma. Let’s get you back home, alright?’ A young girl appeared beside her, apologizing to the two men and prompting the old lady to go with her. Once they disappeared, Susanoo couldn’t hold any longer and snorted.
‘I had no idea someone would call me a teenager in this time and age.’
‘A shameful teenager, filled with nothing but indecent thoughts! Susanoo, how could you ruin the innocence of children around us?’
‘I will take the blame.’
‘I don’t see many children here though… I guess this old lady must still be a child inside her mind?’ Orochi chuckled ‘But you know, Susanoo? How about we wake up our inner children and continue enjoying the festival? There are a lot of games we can try.’
‘Fine with me. Lead the way, indecent teenager.’
‘Of course. Also, since you were curious. My tongue got a purple color.’
-
It took them a few minutes to reach the area filled with stands that featured various games. Some of them had long lines of people who wanted to try their luck, mostly filled with parents and their children who wanted to win a ‘reward’.
‘So rewards are just toys?’
‘That’s right. Parents are winning toys for their children, lovers are trying to show off in front of their other half, friends are competing with each other, you can meet many kinds of people here.’
‘Then… What does it make us? Which category?’
‘We are our own category. Ah, look there. It's a shooting range. Want to try out your skills?’
They approached a bright red and golden stall, a man with a big pipe standing behind the counter and encouraging ‘the bravest’ ones to try.
‘There there, young man! You look like you have a keen eye! Why won’t you try your luck and shoot the target? It costs 10 jades for 1 try! I have amazing prizes, definitely worth it! The lady beside you would look fantastic with a pair of flower earrings, don’t you think?’
‘10 jades? What a rip-off…’ Orochi murmured, side glancing at the couple beside them. A man of slender build kept telling a woman beside him that he was the best shooter in the town and he would win a grand prize for her. She was all over him, so it’s obvious he had to impress her. The game was all about shooting targets with an arrow and bow, as simple as that. After the show-off finished talking, he took a shooting stance, carefully aiming for the center of the circle. The arrow left his hand, flying incredibly fast but ended up missing the 100 points mark completely, landing onto the 10 points mark instead. The woman that accompanied him made a loud noise of disappointment.
‘How could you miss like that?! Even my grandpa shoots better than you when he’s hunting rabbits!’
‘I-I don’t know! I am confident in my ability, I can shoot well! I’m the best in my clan!’
‘Why not try again then? Young man, for another 10 jades you can test yourself!”
A nervous laughter left the young man’s mouth and he mumbled that he may not have that much with him. His partner gave him an angry look.
‘I guess Harumi-chan was right about you! You can only talk and do nothing!’
‘Hisako, wait!’ He put the bow down and ran after the angry woman, trying to sweeten her with his words. Both Orochi and Susanoo watched this scene and then exchanged a knowing look.
‘Oh, you! See, that youngster probably only talked big but couldn’t win anything for that girl! Maybe you will be luckier and win something for that wonderful partner of yours?’ The stall owner said to Susanoo, motioning his hand for him to come closer.
‘Susanoo.’
‘I know. It’s rigged.’ He whispered back to Orochi and approached the stall, his eyes carefully looking inside, making the owner sweat a bit.
‘D-Dear customer, something wrong?’
‘No. I want to try. Give me 3 tries.’
‘Haha- alright alright. 30 jades it is then-’
‘I have a condition though.’ Susanoo cut in between stall owner words ‘If any of my arrows shoot 100 points, you will give me those 30 jades back.’
‘Oh, so we have someone who likes challenges! Fine!’ The man smoked his pipe again, releasing a few puffs of white smoke and grinning mischievously. Susanoo’s expression did not change and Orochi stood beside him, observing quietly.
‘Ah, I think it’s pretty obvious for me to say but no spiritual power is allowed!’ The stall owner quickly dropped in ‘If I see you using any, then our deal is over, got it?’
‘I don’t need any magic power.’ Susanoo said calmly, taking the first arrow that was laid in front of him and pointing it at the shooting wheel. Just when he was about to release the arrow, he pointed it slightly to the right, shooting something that was hidden behind a piece of cloth with a colorful pattern on it. There was a loud noise as if something exploded, soon a certain ball rolling down onto the floor, deflating almost instantly to the owner's absolute shock.
‘W-what-’
‘What’s that-’
People that were nearby started to gather around and whisper. Before the stall owner could do anything, Susanoo took the second arrow, shooting onto his left, the same thing happening. Two deflated balls were lying on the floor, puffs of white smoke disappearing into thin air.
‘Wait… aren’t those the magic items-’
‘The stall owner was using them to cheat?!’
‘W-Wait, it’s- It’s not like that!’
‘It is.’ Susanoo said, taking the last arrow into his hand ‘This man was using magic items to change the trajectory of an arrow, so even the finest marksman wouldn’t be able to shoot the target. Imagine it as if you are trying to shoot against strong wind on a rainy day, you will not be able to hit the target 100%. It’s a useless effort.’
Orochi chuckled quietly, putting his hand on Susanoo’s shoulder. The stall owner’s face was already red from anger, knowing that his little game had come to an end. With so many people and youkai gathered around, it would probably be his last time here.
‘It is an unfortunate day that you have encountered this person tonight. You see, he is not only an outstanding marksman and a man who is proficient in many weapons but absolutely despises humans who go against his major principles. I know it myself, you have to believe me. It is better to drop your act while you can.’
Putting an arrow on the string, Susanoo pointed it at the shooting wheel.
‘It’s game over. I advise you to give the jade back, Mr. Owner.’
An arrow was released with a loud swish, perfectly hitting the 100 points on the target.
-
‘Not only we got the jades back, that old man was really sorry and even dropped onto his knees in front of you, Susanoo. Honestly, It was a pathetic sight.’
‘You wanted me to beat him up or something? I wouldn’t do that, even if he was wrong in what he was doing to people who couldn’t see through his tactics.’
‘I wouldn’t mind that. However, I am quite intrigued with your choice of gifts when he opened his small treasury, you have chosen something like this.’
Once Susanoo finished exposing the stall owner’s deal to the public, as a repayment for his wrongdoings, he was allowed to choose one thing from the ‘treasure’ collection that was hidden away. The man was sure that once he ripped customers out of jades, he could buy more expensive items. Now, the only thing he could do was to leave Heian-Kyo without any jade in his pocket, with everything confiscated from him.
‘You don’t like it?’
‘Oh, I do. I find it quite cute.’ Orochi said, waving a small, fluffy dog plushie in front of Susanoo ‘Hm. Now that I put it next to your face…’ He did as he said, shaking his head a bit ‘You two look similar~ Susanoo, did you take it because-’
‘I’m not a dog’ Susanoo pushed the toy away.
‘Bark?’
‘No.’
The serpent god laughed at him and they continued their journey through the game stalls. They weren’t in the mood for more action, so they settled for something more calm - goldfish scooping. Even if Orochi praised Susanoo as someone proficient in many weapons, it seemed that Takamagahara’s executioner couldn’t handle a paper fishing net, all of them breaking quite fast.
‘Ah, shit.’ A rare curse escaped his mouth, as another goldfish went through the net, breaking, Susanoo earning a pitiful stare from the owner ‘I guess fish don’t like me that much.’
‘You should try to do it more gently. As gently as you would touch your lover on the moonlit night.’ Orochi told him, catching another goldfish into his bowl. When Susanoo looked there, he noticed that he managed to catch more than 10 fish already!?
‘It sounds so surreal to hear such a thing from you.’
‘I know. Ah, another one.’
Susanoo put his chin against his hand, watching the man catch fish one by one, his movements slow and graceful. It really reminded him of those times when they fought, his fighting style was less vigorous and forceful than Susanoo’s. Of course, there was also another aspect.
It was surreal to see Yamata no Orochi, a person who released the evil gods, destroyed Takamagahara and brought endless ruin to the world just kneeling in front of a small water basin, dressed in a light colored yukata, with snakes holding(?) onto a dog plushie which he cutely called ‘Susanoo Jr.’ and scooping goldfish. It almost felt as if the person that he met tonight was someone else, just bearing characteristics and appearance of the Serpent God that Susanoo knew. Yet, without a mistake, there was a faint aura of his godhood coming from that man, reminding him that it was truly him.
‘Sir, I’m truly impressed with your skill, but I’m afraid you may catch the entire batch of goldfish that I have and I will need to close early tonight!’
‘Isn’t it a good thing? You may go home earlier and call it a day.’
‘Of course, but what do you plan to do with so many fish?’ The woman’s voice bore a certain hint of nervousness as she looked at the snakes that were entwined around Orochi’s waist, all of them looking into the bowl that their owner was holding. She probably had an idea that the poor fish would become a late-night dinner for them.
‘I’m not sure… What should I do with them, Mr. “You’ve been staring at my face for quite some time now”?’ Orochi looked back at Susanoo, the man blinking in surprise.
‘...Sorry. I was just thinking we could release them to the river.’
‘Release them…? If this is what you say…’ Susanoo could feel the disappointment radiating from Orochi’s snakes, all of them staring at him angrily. Apologizing to them mentally, Susanoo soon received a bag with all the fish that his partner managed to catch and they headed in the direction of the river. It would look strange if they released them while standing on the main bridge, so they went to a bit more quiet place with stairs that merchants used to get to their boats.
‘You could give them to me, you know. I’m sure my snakes would appreciate the treat.’
‘I’m not letting them become dinner.’ The man kneeled in front of the river and tilted the bag, releasing all 20 fish back into their natural habitat.
‘Susanoo, you have such a good heart. If I didn’t know you, I would believe that you are actually a good person.’
‘What did you say?’ A hint of threat was visible in Susanoo’s response, his brows furrowing. His eyes sparked with the usual, golden glint. Just when he was about to stand up and approach Orochi, one of his geta slipped off his foot, causing him to fall down right into the river. Due to his state still being active, few sparks got transmitted over the water and electrocuted all the fish he had just released.
Fortunately, the water was quite shallow and there was no way he would drown, instead, he just sat down there, water flowing down his hair, face and skin. The yukata that he wore became incredibly sticky and one of his sandals actually got carried away thanks to the water current.
The former executioner of Takamagahara now looked like a wet dog, a completely dumbfounded expression present on his face, his brain trying to process what the hell just happened. Few people who were still around ended up laughing or whispering among each other, asking if the person was already so drunk they wanted to swim in the river.
‘Susanoo.’ Orochi carefully stepped down and kneeled in front of him, putting his chin onto his hand.
‘What!? Are you happy now?’
‘It wouldn’t happen if you listened to me for once. You insisted on being a good person and releasing the poor fish back to the water but now you are not only soaking wet, your shoe is gone and all fish are dead. You once again only hurt yourself in the process of being a hero.’
Susanoo stood up, combed his hair backwards and walked out of the river, passing next to Orochi without a word. The Snake God sighed heavily, about to stand up and follow him when a certain girl approached him.
‘Hey, hey. Here, I saw this shoe floating.’ She looked like a goldfish youkai, smiling towards Orochi. She probably had no idea who he was, which was alright. She handed him a missing geta that fell off Susanoo’s foot.
‘Thank you. I appreciate that you brought it back to me. I do apologize for the fish comrades though. I’m afraid they met their unexpected demise due to my partner being unreasonable again.’
‘Ah… He looked very angry. Can you make him less angry?’
‘I will try my best, little one. Now, I shall take my leave.’
Standing up, Orochi headed after Susanoo, who was trying to wring his yukata. Just as he took a few steps, he got hit with a sudden wave of dizziness, his vision blurring for a moment, his hand grabbing a tree branch nearby. Once the initial shock passed, he noticed that few of his snakes became transparent, returning to normal just in a split second. The Serpent God clearly knew what it meant, taking a few deeper breaths and waiting until everything returned to normal.
‘The night is still young… I guess I am not powerful enough yet. What a shame. I hoped I could last a bit longer…’ He told himself, heading back to the place where his partner sat. Susanoo took his lost shoe as Orochi handed it to him and put it back on his foot, thanking him quietly.
‘You asked if I’m happy about you falling into the water.’
‘No need to answer that. It was my mistake for not being careful enough. The stairs were slippery.’
‘So you completely ignored my words of advice.’
‘I don’t think it was good advice. I don’t mind getting wet in the process. The only concern of mine is that fish got killed by accident.’
‘That’s so like you, Susanoo. I guess you will never change.’
The two of them sat in silence as Susanoo used his powers to dry his soaked clothes. Few minutes later, he was ready to go.
‘One thing before we continue.’
‘What is it?’
‘You don’t know me well enough to know if I am a good person or not. So I don’t want to hear that from you.’
‘I could say the same. Do you truly understand me, Susanoo?’
There was a long pause between them. Orochi’s expression was unreadable for Susanoo. His fingers were digging into the plushie that he was holding in his hands.
‘I don’t think we should have this talk today. Let us continue the festival.’
‘Right.’
Let’s continue fooling each other for the sake of this festive night , both of them thought as they left the river area and headed towards the center of the city.
-
They stumbled onto other stalls with foods and souvenirs on their way, but both men felt that the mood was a bit down. The closer they got to the center, the more dense the crowd became, Susanoo getting hit by someone’s elbow and Orochi’s hair being pulled by accident. They ended up pressed against each other. It would be easy to lose each other so Susanoo grabbed Orochi’s hand, making him flinch from the sudden action.
‘What’s with that-’
‘I don’t want us to get separated… Wait-’
‘Haha… Susanoo, you really talk first and then think. I need to admit, I like that aspect of you.’
Orochi’s fingers entwined with Susanoo’s, feeling how scalding hot his touch was. His hands compared to Orochi’s were much more calloused, from holding countless weapons and fighting with various monsters, including himself.
Walking hand by hand, they didn’t say anything until they reached their destination - a huge platform with musicians inside and people dancing around it, with colorful wisps flying above them.
‘Is this the main attraction of this festival? I’m not sure if I can-’ Susanoo couldn’t even finish before he and Orochi were pushed into the dancing crowd, all snakes quickly hiding themselves in Orochi’s clothes to avoid getting squashed in the process. It became less crowded the deeper into the circle they went.
‘What are you doing? Dance!’ Someone called out to Susanoo, who was standing in the way, all the people who moved clockwise around the platform passing next to him. Exchanging looks with Orochi, he wasn’t truly sure if he could perform ANY dance. Izanagi never taught him anything like that! He could never imagine his father dancing in the first place!
‘Think of it as another fighting technique, Susanoo. I know this one, so follow me!’ Orochi had to yell over the music, the drums easily dulling any other sound. To not block the path any further, Susanoo started to observe movements of his partner. Each step was about foot-length, then hand clap twice, raise the head, raise right hand then raise left, make a circle twice and-
Susanoo got lost in the middle. Not only did he get the order wrong, his movements were incredibly stiff, hell, he even stepped on someone’s foot. It felt so embarrassing between so many people! He wasn’t the type of person to give up easily though, so he tried again. Orochi could barely hold back laughter while watching him, losing his own focus and making mistakes in the process. It was truly a hilarious view.
‘I… refuse to give up!’
‘Of course. It wouldn’t be you if you gave up this easily.’
After a few circles, just when Susanoo got a gist of it, the song had ended, making him sigh pathetically. The new one was just about to start but it meant that he would need to learn the steps all over again.
‘This is harder than any fight I was in…’
‘It is never too late to learn something new though. I’m glad to be able to witness you struggle like this.’
‘Why do you find enjoyment in such things?’
‘Because it is you whom I’m looking at.’
Susanoo’s mouth was left agape, but he had to recover as a new song started and people picked up a new dance pattern. No further words were necessary, Susanoo’s expression quickly shifting to a gentle smile.
The former Takamagahara executioner and the Serpent God of Evils spent the rest of their late evening dancing with the crowd, two light purple and golden colored wisps flying over them, engaged in their own, intimate dance.
-
They managed to finally leave the crowd, going into a more quiet place to take a break. They were still quite buzzed because of the previous activity (especially after music got much faster) but even gods get tired at some point.
‘I think we already saw everything’ Susanoo said quietly as they walked ‘If all human festivals are like this then I am willing to witness more of them.’
‘Oh, I would be glad to see you swim in the river again, dear Susanoo.’
‘If I happen to fall into the water next time, I will be sure to take you together with me.’
‘I am glad to hear what you think of me. I am-’
His words were cut in half, a soft pained moan escaping Orochi’s lips. Susanoo stopped in his tracks, catching the man who was about to fall. While he didn’t see anything suspicious earlier, now he noticed that the snakes which were around Orochi’s waist have disappeared, along with a part of his sleeve.
‘...You… what is going on?’
‘Just as every tale has to reach its conclusion, every night needs to come to an end, replaced by morning. As for me, my time here is almost over.’
Helping the man to walk, he and Susanoo sat down on a staircase nearby some abandoned shrine. His aura began to disappear so rapidly that Susanoo could barely feel Orochi’s presence at this point.
‘Susanoo… did you finally understand what I am?’
‘I… have a general idea.’
‘Then, I shall be good to you tonight and enlighten you.’ Laying his head on the Thunder God’s shoulder, Orochi began to speak.
‘The body that you are seeing now is not the person you have fought in the past. I shall not tell you where I am right now, but that place is so quiet… and quite boring. I could compare it to that time when I was sealed in the rift by you, a thousand years ago.’
‘So I failed to truly seal you away.’
‘You did. That’s why I am able to be here today. Though, the one you see in front of you is nothing but an incomplete shell created with bits of power that I have regenerated. There are less restraints on my consciousness, which… made me act this way. I would not stand a chance against you or anyone else in a fight either. My true goal was to come back to this world and just see what has happened when I was gone, but instead I’ve met you. I appreciate that you didn’t kill me right away in that alley.’
‘... About the evil gods-’
‘You will meet them. You and Seimei won’t escape any of them. Each encounter will be something that you shall not forget. At least until we see each other again, this time for real.’
Right. Tonight was only an illusion that was agreed on by both of them. In the end, they were still enemies, bound by fate to fight each other. Yamata no Orochi was the God of Evils, the one who caused Takamagahara to fall and he, Susanoo, was supposed to slay him again and again and again. As many times as it may be required.
‘You won’t ask more questions about my motives? About me?’
‘No. Instead, I want to thank you for tonight. I had lots of fun.’
Orochi’s eyes widened, not expecting this sincere gesture from Susanoo. His fingers ghosted over another man’s hand, their fingers entwining once again.
‘Likewise, Susanoo. However, I am saddened by the fact that I won’t be able to keep your present with me.’ Orochi fished out the dog plushie, placing it on Susanoo’s lap ‘Once my time here is over, no part of mine shall stay here. I will completely go back to that place, hoping that the day of our reunion will come fast. Keep Susanoo Jr. for me, will you?’
‘Alright. I will.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate it.’
They knew it was just another convenient lie they could tell themselves before this night was over.
Far away, a faint swish noise could be heard as colorful fireworks lightened up the sky.
‘Oh, right. I forgot about those. It’s a human tradition.’
‘Does it symbolize anything?’
‘I am not sure. It’s still pretty though. I did enjoy watching fireworks alone in the past but… it feels much better with a company.’
Various colors filled the sky, starting from reds, going to blues, greens, yellows. It was a beautiful show with Orochi and Susanoo sitting side by side.
‘When will you be back?’ Susanoo asked him.
‘I am not able to tell you. I do not know how long it will take me to return here. For now, I need to leave you to the torture of waiting. In the meantime, you can enjoy this world before I turn it into something that I desire.’
‘You don’t have to do this. Don’t destroy this world.’
‘Susanoo, ah Susanoo. You are such a fool, I’m afraid I may have some very troublesome feelings towards you.’ Orochi’s voice turned into a whisper ‘Especially tonight, I feel as if my heart was truly beating faster, yet there is nothing inside my chest.’
More and more of Orochi’s silhouette was disappearing into thin air. He had maybe a few minutes in Heian-Kyo left.
‘Can I be selfish for one last time while we are still on our 3 conditions?’
‘Alright. Let me hear your request.’
‘Can I share a kiss with you?’
At first, Susanoo wasn’t sure if he heard correctly. Did Orochi really ask him about it or was it his own mind making pranks on him? Was it another of his-
Ah, screw it. Screw those thoughts that constantly made him question whether today was truly another one of Orochi’s plans. Maybe he was truly a fool, just as that man described him.
‘I’m okay with it. However, there is something I want to establish before you go.’
‘What is it…?’
‘Rule number 4. Do not…’ He stopped for a brief moment. ‘Do not forget about tonight.’
Susanoo could see his own reflection in the Serpent God’s gaze. With their faces getting closer, he heard Orochi whisper again.
‘I shall not forget, neither will you. We are bound by fate, Susanoo. We always will. You may want to fight it again, but I will always make sure to come back to you.’
Closing his eyes, Susanoo soon felt a faint touch on his lips. He felt no warmth, but he could tell that those lips were incredibly soft and he would love to feel them more. The touch on his hand had disappeared and he knew that once he opened his eyes, the tale of two festival visitors shall come to an end. So he decided to last in this dream for as long as he could.
With one, last firework, Heian-Kyo was once again freed of Yamata no Orochi’s presence, the former Takamagahara Executioner sitting alone on the shrine stairs and staring into the starry sky, a dog plushie still sitting on his knees.
‘...Until we see each other again, Yamata no Orochi. When the time comes, I shall die by your side.’
-
Place: ???
Opening his eyes, Orochi felt incredibly sluggish. It took him some time to stop feeling dizzy as he kept drifting in a space unknown to anyone. It felt as if he was drowning, but there was no water filling his lungs. No seas, no oceans, no rivers.
He brought hand to his lips, still feeling a certain warmth lingering there. In this space filled with darkness, it was the only thing that still kept him warm.
‘May we see each other again soon, Susanoo. I have waited a thousand years to see you, so I shall wait another if necessary. But for now…’
Orochi raised his hand and snapped his fingers, 6 red pairs of eyes illuminating the endless space.
‘I will make sure you aren’t bored while waiting for my return. May the festival of lament and suffering begin anew.’