Aku didn’t see his alternate shape-shift but he felt the weight on his chest lighten and the shape in his arms felt smaller and more delicate. Opening his eyes, he found a beautiful and wicked lady in his arms. It was a surprise — especially the
feminine voice that reached his ears — but it wasn’t too big of a surprise. After all, sometimes it was nice to sleep in different forms.
The demon closed his eyes again and relaxed under the shared warmth. A few times, his hand idly stroked his counterpart’s back before Aku drifted off to sleep himself.
It was strange to be sleeping beside his alternative; thinking he wouldn’t do something like this. Here he was, laying beside the shogun with no sense of hostility or any suspicions. It felt–nice, in some way of describing it, he didn’t know the best way to express it. But it feels like the other had felt the same way as he does.
Slowly, he brought a hand up to return the affectionate by caressing his beard with gentle touches. Brushing it against his fingertips as he hums and nuzzles against his chest, purring softly.
Even in his sleep, Aku felt the gentle caresses. The fiery red hair of his beard was exceptionally soft to the touch and loved to be stroked by the right individual. It wasn’t long before a very loud and deep purr rumbled up in his throat. Blissful and relaxed, Aku tightened his arms around his counterpart with a happy sigh and resumed purring.
Azura tries to give Aku a small smile, but it didn’t truly reach her eyes. “Just a little migraine, sir.” If migraines would include having whispers in one’s head along with a burning sensation. “It might be from the lack of sleep. There’s been too much for her to process, and not enough time to truly rest. Not after knowing that Gaster’s still out there…”
Something was at her advantage however. If she could truly accept a greyface’s words to be true, then Gaster would be wise to not confront her any time soon, not with the stone still in her possession. “I’ve heard that our last encounter made him cautious of me, so that’s a good sign. Maybe after this I can finally get some decent shut eye.”
“That is good to hear. And I see that you’ve used the charm.” He noted the missing gift he’d given her. Hopefully it had served her well. “I did say I would replace it.”
And he’d meant it. He raised his hand and squeezed it into a tight fist. When his claws unfurled, a new charm sat on his palm. At his unspoken command, it floated from his hand through the air and hovered before Azura.
Despite Aku completely shifting her world view, Ashi couldn’t help but offer a small smile at her father’s statement of pride. But quickly, her expression turned to one of confusion. “But…if you didn’t create everything, then why did our mother tell us you did?”
“I suppose she wanted you and your sisters to view the world as she believed it to be,” he answered after a moment of thought. He couldn’t be sure if the High Priestess knew she was lying to her daughters or if she actually believed in the lies herself, but he suspected she believed in at least some of it.
“I admit I know very little about your mother and why she chose to do things as she did.” There came a pause as he considered how Ashi must have felt about that. Betrayed? Mislead? Used, even? He found himself feeling somewhat angry and strangely guilty. Was this how empathy worked?
“I regret not knowing of you and your sisters sooner, Ashi, or I would have taken you long ago. Truthfully, I did not realize that I could have children or create life.” As stupid as that made him feel, it was something he had to confess. This whole thing was simultaneously his biggest mistake and his greatest achievement. “There are things even I am still learning.”
The sky above was gray and a light rain fell across the barren landscape. Aku was still there, locked away inside his prison just as he’d been the day before, his hatred quietly radiating toward the palace in the distance. Much of his time was spent this way, hating the Emperor, hating humans and the Gods.
He wondered if he would ever taste freedom again. He wondered if the power he felt building inside would be enough to break free. And if it wasn’t, how long could he continue to exist like this before madness set in? …He wondered if Casper really would return to visit him again.
Return she did, bolting through the rain as if running from something or someone. Casper’s distress was evident on her face when she finally arrived, panting heavily, indicating she hadn’t stopped to catch her breath until she got back to Aku. Her breathlessness stole her words, so she dropped to the muddy ground around the great tree and dug a hole.
Fingernails filled with dirt as she desperately dug the hole, reaching into her skirt pocket she removed a lovely amethyst adorned golden band and dropped it into the hole. Quickly as she dug it she buried it with the same air of desperation.
Aku observed in silence as Casper approached his tree in a panic. It was as if she was being pursued and yet he saw no one trailing after her. She was in luck, for the rain had softened the hard earth around his prison enough that it could be easily dug.
The trapped demon watched as she dug a hole, then as she slipped a hand into her pocket and buried something in the dirt. Whatever it was had been too small to properly see. Soon, he was directing his suspicious thoughts at her:
‘What was that? It better not have been garbage. I am no dumpsite!’
Aku rolled his eyes with a growl as he considered whether he should bother to answer…
“They are HORNS. And I am not a tree.”
“The horns grow and change on their own.. I really don’t have a say in the matter.. I guess the bloodline demon just does it- But I’ve never gotten taller-”
“Tell me this, what happened the last time you took this demonic form?”
Nerve: touched. Now he was just seething in silence.
She wasn’t done just yet, her hazelnut eyes became shards of ice while she approached the demon without any care for her safety. If he attacked, she’d just summon it..
“Yeah well you thought it.. You do realize the reaction of that thing could WIPE out EVERYTHING in a galaxy radius INCLUDING Azura and US”
Aku’s massive claws gripped the armrests of his throne as he leaned forward, fangs bared in a fierce snarl. For as openly evil and selfish as he was, he did not take kindly to accusations of any kind regardless of veracity.
“So long as Azura is the stone’s keeper, I shall not seek to possess it! She has told me herself that she intends to keep it and I agree with that decision. Have I made myself clear, human? Or are you going to tell me what else I should and should not do.”
He narrowed his eyes as if to dare her to continue.
After sitting with arms folded against his chest, the demon finally exploded.
“I ALREADY HAVE!!”
Was it really such a surprise? Aku did indeed fancy the thought of having that kind of power. But in a rather confusing conflict of thought, he felt both guilty and angry. Mostly angry.
“But that does not mean I have plans to take it,” he growled. After all, thoughts and actions were two separate things.
The Shogun of Sorrow 