43 Marriage 1. Two Snakes

The usual tranquil beauty of Gaia's Grove had transformed into a breathtaking celestial paradise.

The sky shimmered with waves of radiant gold, deep crimson, and soft lilac as if the heavens themselves had gathered to paint a masterpiece.

Two celestial bodies, one sun, and another moon, looked as if they were about to merge together, creating a breathtaking view.

Stardust rained down gently, twinkling like tiny diamonds before dissolving into the air, leaving a lingering glow.

Ancient celestial trees, their leaves now shimmering silver, lined the pathways, each branch draped with soft luminescent vines that emitted a gentle, dreamlike glow. Golden lotuses floated gracefully upon the crystal-clear waters of the rivers, their petals pulsating with divine energy.

Towering marble pillars engraved with runes of creation and unity stood proudly, wrapped in enchanted ivy that bloomed with celestial flowers, each blossom shifting colors as if mirroring the emotions of the world itself.

In the heart of the Grove, an enormous floating garden had been created just for this occasion. Suspended in the air by Gaia's will, it was a marvel of divine craftsmanship, a wondrous floral sanctuary filled with rare and mystical blooms. The scent of ambrosia and nectar filled the air, blending with the melodies of ethereal fairies who sang in harmony.

Golden bridges of woven light connected various sections of the Grove, forming intricate patterns that resembled constellations. At night, they would illuminate, casting cosmic patterns on the ground below, making it seem as if one were walking among the stars.

At the very center, the wedding altar stood, a magnificent creation of intertwined divine elements. The throne-like seats for Atum and Amaunet were not just crafted—they were forged from the very essence of the Sun and Wind.

Despite the grandeur surrounding him, Atum was anything but calm.

(Atum and Ender)

Atum paced back and forth erratically. Ender, leaned against a nearby pillar, watching his son with barely concealed amusement.

"Atum, calm down. You don't need to panic. Just take a deep breath," Ender said with a smile, one that didn't even try to hide the pride he felt seeing his son in his groom's outfit, a masterpiece woven by the Fate Sisters themselves.

Don't ask how.

Let's just say he politely requested their assistance. It had nothing to do with him being in his true, highly terrifying, and VERY Herobrine form when he asked them.

Atum groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Easy for you to say, Dad! You had time to prepare for my wedding for five whole years. Meanwhile, I have to walk into a hall filled with God-Kings and cosmic beings!" He turned to glare at his father. "You told me it would just be uncles and aunts, but it feels like every major divine entity from across the solar is here!"

Ender coughed, looking mildly embarrassed. "Well… technically, every Elder God is your uncle or aunt." He straightened up defensively. "Besides, I was selective! I only invited those who have good relations with us or are… well, special. The rest? They are watching like normal citizens from outside the divine halls."

Atum crossed his arms. "And Yahweh being the priest? You totally did that just so you could invite the Archangels."

Ender coughed again. "That was only 50% of the reason."

Atum rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because the other 50% was so you could see Aunt Lucifer."

Ender had the decency to look away. "Look, can't a father enjoy some family reunions while making sure his son has a perfect wedding?"

Atum snorted. "You mean gossiping with godly beings while pretending to be busy?"

Clapping his hands to change the subject, Ender spoke quickly, "Anyways! The Orisha—that's Bast's little group of Wakandan gods, actually used to be Originators, a group of powerful animals that Bast elevated to godhood."

Atum blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yep," Ender confirmed, nodding. "And then, of course, we have the Asgardian brats."

Atum scowled. "You mean the ones Agni turned bald after they mocked her for having red hair?"

Ender grinned. "Exactly."

(Somewhere in the Palace)

A very annoyed Agni sat on an intricately carved throne, her crimson hair glowing like embers. On her lap, her little pet Tinyphos with a constant scowl, stared with equal annoyance at the blonde brat kneeling before them.

The boy in question? Odin Burison.

Grinning confidently, Odin dropped to one knee like a gallant knight, dramatically placing a hand over his chest.

"Lady Agni, the Phoenix who illuminates the Ten Realms with her cuteness and fiery beauty—"

Agni's eyebrow twitched. Tinyphos hissed.

"—please accept this humble invitation from Odin Burison!"

A loud hmph escaped Agni as she crossed her arms, looking down at him. "So you still haven't forgotten the lesson I gave you, Goldy?"

At her words, a few harmless sparks flickered at her fingertips, but they were more than enough to make Odin break into a cold sweat.

"A-Absolutely not, Lady Agni!" he blurted out, sitting up straight as if she were a strict teacher about to assign extra homework.

"I—I mean," he quickly corrected himself, clearing his throat, "I have deeply reflected on my past mistakes."

Agni narrowed her eyes. "Oh?"

"Yes! And!" Odin swallowed hard, quickly pulling something from his enchanted storage, "I have even brought compensation for my past wrongdoings!"

That made Agni pause.

This was… new.

Usually, Odin would never admit fault. If anything, he would triple down on his antics with some ridiculous excuse like, 'Mocking your hair color was actually a test of your divine confidence!'

But now? He was actually offering compensation. Willingly.

Something was off.

Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward slightly, eyeing the small wrapped package in his hands.

"…Alright, Goldy. I'll bite." She flicked her fingers, and the flames in her palm disappeared. "What did you bring?"

Tinyphos, still unimpressed, snorted a little puff of smoke.

Odin grinned a little too widely and presented the package dramatically. "Behold!"

Agni ripped it open without ceremony.

Inside was…

A hairbrush.

A very, very expensive, gold-encrusted, divine-grade hairbrush that shimmered with fire-resistant enchantments.

'...'

Agni blinked.

Tinyphos blinked.

Odin, sensing the danger, began sweating again.

"…You are trying to bribe me with a hairbrush?"

Odin nodded way too fast. "It's a very nice hairbrush!"

Agni stared at him. "Do I look like a girl who cares about fancy hairbrushes?"

Odin opened his mouth—

Then stopped.

Because the last time he made a comment about her hair, he and his fellow Asgardian brats had all ended up bald for a week.

"…It's a practical hairbrush?" he tried weakly.

Agni just sighed, rubbing her temples. Tinyphos facepalmed...tried to.

"Goldy, if you wanted a favor, you could have just asked."

Odin perked up. "So does that mean—?"

"No."

"Aw, c'mon!"

Agni suddenly snapped upright, eyes widening in realization. "Oh, crap! I'm late!"

Tinyphos hissed in panic.

Odin blinked. "Huh? Late for what?"

Agni ignored him and shot to her feet, nearly tripping over Tinyphos in her rush. "I was supposed to go meet my future sister-in-law!"

Odin tilted his head. "…Amaunet?"

"Yes, Amaunet!" Agni snapped, already summoning a portal of flames. "She literally just arrived from Celestial Heliopolis, and both my moms, Oshtur and Ignia, are escorting her!"

Odin's jaw dropped. "Wait—your moms? As in the Oshtur and the Ignia?!"

"Yes, Goldy, keep up!" Agni huffed, stepping through the fiery portal. "And if I don't show up fast, Oshtur will probably give me another lecture about divine etiquette or whatever, and Ignia will side with her just to mess with me!"

Odin shuddered. "Yikes. Yeah, you should definitely hurry."

"Obviously."

And with that, Agni vanished into the flames, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Odin behind.

After a beat, Tinyphos, still on the ground, gave Odin a judgmental stare.

Odin "..."

Then he slowly looked down at the hairbrush still clutched in his hands.

"…Does this mean she is not accepting my gift?"

Vili and Vé snickered mercilessly, nudging each other as they watched their golden-haired brother fumble his so-called "gift."

"Wow, smooth, Odin," Vé smirked. "Really impressive. You got ignored in record time."

Vili grinned. "Do you think she even noticed he was holding a gift?"

Odin grumbled something under his breath, sulking. "She was in a hurry! That doesn't count!"

Behind them, Cul, the usually stoic and brooding brother, let out a snort of disdain. "Pathetic," he muttered, shaking his head at Odin's failure. But then—his gaze shifted toward the tiny fire serpent, Tinyphos, who was still coiled up on the ground, staring at Odin like he was the dumbest creature alive.

The world seemed to come to a halt as their eyes met.

Cul hesitated.

For a second, it looked like he was about to walk away. But instead, he awkwardly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, shiny bottle of enchanted scale polish. It was one of the finest kinds, specially crafted for divine serpents.

Vili and Vé immediately froze, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Wait… is that a gift...from Cul?" Vé whispered.

Vili grinned devilishly. "Ohhhh, are you bribing Tinyphos now? Trying to get on Agni's good side through her pet?"

Cul, looking distinctly uncomfortable, ignored them and carefully extended the polish toward Tinyphos. His usually fierce expression twitched as if he were struggling with actual emotions.

Tinyphos, for her part, blinked its beady little eyes at the bottle… then at Cul… then back at the bottle.

A moment of silence passed.

Then—Tinyphos slowly slithered forward and gently booped the bottle with its tiny snout.

Vé gasped dramatically. "It worked."

Vili whispered like he was witnessing history. "He actually got acknowledged."

Odin, still bitter, folded his arms. "Pfft. Whatever. It's just a snake."

Tinyphos hissed aggressively.

Odin flinched. "Okay! Okay! I take it back!"

As Vili, Vé, and Odin departed, their laughter and teasing fading into the distance, only Tinyphos and Cul remained behind.

The little serpent curled around the gifted bottle of scale polish, seemingly satisfied with the tribute, while Cul, now in his serpent form, lay stretched out beside it. His massive, dark-scaled body shimmered faintly under the celestial glow, his piercing eyes locked onto the vast cosmic sky above.

The heavens above Gaia's Grove were unlike any other night. The marriage of Atum and Amaunet had stirred something primordial, and the sky responded in kind. Brilliant celestial bodies—some familiar, others never before seen—danced together in patterns both ancient and new. Suns and moons twirled in an intricate waltz, distant nebulae pulsed like beating hearts, and comets streaked across the void like the brushstrokes of a divine artist.

It was the kind of sky that poets and dreamers would never be able to capture in mere words.

Tinyphos, nestled beside Cul's coiled form, let out a small, contented hiss.

Cul, still watching the celestial display, spoke in a rare moment of quiet introspection.

"…They look like lovers."

Tinyphos tilted its tiny head, flicking its tongue as if considering his words.

The two serpents remained like that, silent, watching the cosmic ballet unfold above them.

~~~~~

Honestly I didn't expect a lot of people to be interested in marriage (I think maybe it was Ghost Rider though I have yet to write about him)

Considering I didn't even know how to write a date here we are starting at marriage.

I hope it is good the updates are gonna get upside down....again but Boards are going on...so anyways do you guys have Power Stones for me?