deep-black-dreaming

Casper turned to look at the palace in question, raising her arm to block the light from the sun. It was true what he said, the place was still being worked on, as well as a large part of the area surrounded by it.

“Flame and ash, death to hundreds.” Maybe thousands. But still her curiosity increased in it’s macabre sense of awe. What was this creature exactly? Why didn’t she just turn, leave it?

It was something she couldn’t place, but at his side she remained.

“What became of the emperor?”  

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‘After I forced him to watch the destruction of his empire, the foolish human returned the very next day wielding a magic sword. I would have easily obliterated him if it had not been for that sword. For you see, nothing of this world can harm me. But that sword… It was bestowed upon him by the Gods. Those accursed, meddlesome cosmic fiends!’

Aku snarled fiercely at the mention of the Gods. His most hated foes.

‘It is because of them that I fell to this world and because of them that I am trapped once again within the earth. How I despise them! Their sword is what allowed the Emperor to create this prison for me and to keep me sealed away inside.

But each day as the sun crosses the sky, I feel my power grows slowly stronger. A day of darkness approaches… I MUST escape.’

If Aku could not escape when that day came, he feared he would never taste freedom again. Then how much longer would he be imprisoned here? A hundred years? A thousand? Forever? His mind could not bear it.

defiantdaughter

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Ashi hadn’t been prepared for her father to scoop her up, but after a few moments she was laughing along with him. “Father, I did it!!” she exclaimed joyfully. After Aku had finished spinning, she reached forward to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. Never before had someone been proud of her like this – not even her mother when she completed a difficult round of training. It was…nice.

“What next Father? What else are you going to teach me?!”

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Aku held her close and proudly accepted the hug. He was a very proud father, indeed! Prouder yet that she wanted to learn more. Now that her magic was unlocked, perhaps she would be able to master all the powers of Aku. But there was one such power he was most eager to teach her.

“As the Shape-shifting Master of Darkness, I think it is time that you learn the art of shape-shifting,” he answered. But as he looked around the temple, Aku realized that may not be the best place for it. “This place, however, is much too small. I know of a better training site.”

The yokai teleported he and his daughter to a new location outside the confines of Aku City, where the air was fresh and the landscape was still untarnished. There were mountains, a forest and a flowing river. Plenty of things he suspected Ashi might want to explore. After setting her down onto the ground, he clasped his hands behind his back and stood back. 

“Now then, to understand shape-shifting, you must consider your surroundings and what it is you want to achieve. Then you must decide which form will help you to achieve it.” Having said his part, Aku watched his daughter to see if there was anything around her that would catch her eye. 

deep-black-dreaming

“Mockery? Not my intent.” she sat back down again, placing the drawing pad in her lap once more. “Honest if I could do something, I would, but I can’t. The most I can do is converse with you, Master Aku. It’s a little strange though, were you imprisoned here only six years ago? They must have been quick to bury all record of you after.” She noted.

“I had never even heard of your name until now.” she looked back down at her drawing. “What you’ve done must have been catastrophically malicious. I’d like to know more.” Anything to remain at the tree.

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‘The Emperor and his people would like nothing more than to bury me and all memory of my existence forever,’ came Aku’s seething reply. The very notion that they would dispose of him like this and go on with their worthless mortal lives as if he never existed enraged him extraordinarily. 

‘You see that palace over there?’ In the distance, among the mountains, there rose a grand white citadel. Even now, parts of it were still under reconstruction. ‘That is the Emperor’s kingdom. Six years and six months ago, I reduced his entire kingdom to flame and ash. He had come to destroy me and as punishment, I destroyed what was his.’

defiantdaughter

Little Ashi simply stared down at her feet as her father picked her up. Why couldn’t she do this? Her mother’s words echoed in her mind.

Worthless!

You’ll amount to nothing!

You are a disgrace to our Lord Father!

She squeezed her eyes shut to block the tears that threatened to fall. Her tiny fists shook as she balled them into fists. Did her father think of her as a disappointment too? Some daughter of Aku she was. Suddenly, the girl felt something like a spark light in her. It was small, and left as quickly as it came, but it was there. Concentrating on that feeling, she once more focused on the lanterns, trying to summon her eyebeams forth. The next thing she knew, her vision was blinded by red. Rubbing her eyes, she looked down to see a broken lantern on the floor. A sliver of black smoke rose from the charred glass.

“Did…did I do that?”

Aku gasped, his eyes round with surprise as he saw the beams of red flash suddenly from Ashi’s eyes and hit the lantern in a small explosion. 

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!” He could hardly believe it! Just like that, she’d really done it!  

“YES! YES YOU DID!” Aku proclaimed joyously as he picked up his daughter and held her high in the air. This was a very exciting moment and he was laughing so hard his shoulders shook. 

“BWAHAAA HAHAHAHA HAAA!” Still holding her triumphantly, he spun round and round with her in celebration. 

@defiantdaughter

With a huff, Ashi fell to her knees, beads of sweat dripping onto the floor. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t summon an ounce of her powers forth. “Father…I don’t think I can do it…”. Maybe she really was worthless, just like her mother said…

“Yes, you can,” Aku spoke at her side. I have seen it, he thought. But while he knew what Ashi was capable of doing, it was as if something blocked her from utilizing her powers. 

He had hung a lantern high up on the ceiling and instructed her to blow it out by any magical means that she could. She’d tried shapeshifting, blasting it with eyebeams, breathing fire at it, moving the earth beneath her, but each time she tried, nothing happened. It confused Aku, to whom these things had come so naturally and without effort. What was it that held her back?

Noting how tired she looked, he decided it might be best to give her a break. 

“You will learn with time,” he said as he crouched to place a hand on her tiny shoulders and help her up. 

crazy-blingy

“As you wish.” Black nodded, his stance eerily calm. His eyes looked up, seeing the various cloaked scimitar wielding robot assassins that soon descended upon the Kai-souled Saiyan.

“I doubt that this will be a sufficient demonstration, but I believe this is a good foundation to begin with.” Zamasu noted, seeing as the robots charged at Black at maximum speed. His aura fired up as the rose-haired figure effortlessly was evading every sword strike and jab, as he responded in kind with direct, brutal punches and kicks.

It would soon evolve into Black utilizing a powerful blade of energy from his hand as he was cutting several battle machines to pieces….!

This almost felt reminiscent of the Minions of Set…

Aku’s eyes widened as he watched the Saiyan easily decimate the pack of robot assassins. His movements seemed as quick and effortless as those of the Samurai, which Aku took into account. But Zamasu was right. A more sufficient demonstration was required.

“Hmmm, your skill is impressive,” he said. “But there is yet more that I must know — ” The demon raised a clawed hand as he spoke and the citadel began to rumble. Suddenly, massive tendrils of darkness surged upward along the walls of the abyss and over the stone platform overlooking the Pit of Hate. 

“ — Can you defeat the undefeatable? Can you kill the unkillable? Can you  d e s t r o y  the undestroyable?”

The razor edged tentacles descended upon Black with all the terrible force and speed of a broken dam.