Work Text:
"Asura..."
Red eyes turn, softening at the sight of the other in the doorway. "Taishakuten, you're back." He smiled beckoning the other over to his side.
Taishakuten's smile strains. He dips his head, a far to formal greeting for between them. "I am. Asura I-"
"Taisha." Asura cuts off rough hands cupping his cheeks to bring his head up. He hates it when Taishakuten hides his glorious emerald eyes. The only eyes that never feel uncomfortable to look at. The only eyes that don't pick him apart.
"What's the matter? You are stressed?" He questions searching the others face for answers. Then he sees it, his brows furrow in confusion. "Taisha...you think I'll be mad with you." It's not a question.
It doesn't need to be when it's so clear to see.
"What's wrong? Explain to me why I should be mad." Then softer. "Don't assume I will be. With you I can't be mad." It's supposed to be comforting.
Taishakuten doesn't take it that way. He doesn't want to block asura's emotions. But he does want to take the pain away.
The blond pulls back, face slipping out from the comfort of Asuras hands. "I-" Taishakuten curses himself, he's usually so confident. He is the one with the firm heart and yet here he is.
Fumbling.
Just like when he was young. This is why he wasn't favoured. His power was weak and as a result so was he. He was sent in his brothers place to the war. He wasn't important enough to protect. He wasn't strong enough to fight.
In the face of danger he simply...
"Asura." He says firmly straitening his stance. He takes a breath smiling. "I received this." He holds out a crisp white envelope. The purple seal broken, Taishakuten had clearly already read it.
Asura takes it pulling the letter out from inside. "What is this Taisha?" He asks eyes scanning over the words. When he finishes reading the letter is crumpled in his hand. "What is this?!" He roars.
The blond winces. "These no good-" Asura slams a hand down on the desk. "I'll kill them. Every last one." His malicious intent seeps out of him eyes fading into red. Taishakuten's chest tightens in pain. Asura's pain. The pain he so desperately tries to absorb. "They dare to-"
"Asura- Calm down!" Taishakuten calls reaching out to grab the man's arm. Golden lotuses spill out from his palm stretching to curl around the taller.
"They're only trying to provoke you, that's why they sent it to me, that's why they asked-" Taishakuten sighs seeing Asura's eyes come back. The air lifts and his chest returns to its dull ache.
Asura smiles placing a hand over the paler one. His smile is far to forced. His eyes burn a deep red turning fiery. What's worse is he's totally sane. This is worse that when he looses himself... Taishakuten can't use his powers to soothe him.
It.. it's scares Taishakuten slightly. He thanks the world everyday that asura is on their side, how now more than ever he is grateful for him. And hopes if that look is ever directed at him, Asura kills him for whatever he's done to cause it.
"You miss understood Taisha, I'm not mad." His bloodlust begs to differ. "This is simply a jab at my heritage. It's not like I've never heard such things. They'll never see me as one of them. Even now they call out to you. I am nothing to them. Perhaps they see me a tool that you've controlled somehow. I'm sure they'd love to paint me as a villain."
"I'D NEVER ALLOW THAT!" Taishakuten cries clinging onto asura tighter. "You're my hero! You're celestias hero..." he blinks rapidly his emotions fluctuating. They merge with all the pain that he's taken from others. All the negativity all the anger.
His head throbs as the celestial core in his body pulses. The emotions he's been trying to consume from it swirl dangerously. The past the present, none of it is his yet he feels it.
He feels it.
Taishakuten shakes his head stumbling slightly. "Don't joke about that to me, I can take it. It hurts." He whispers.
The taller reaches out to steady him his smile wiped clean replaced with guilt. "I'm sorry Taisha, I know I'm your hero, others just don't see it. But I only want to be your hero. Everyone else can wait." He grins down and the other can't help but see his younger self shining through. Asura used to be so happy.
Then demons took his mother, his power awoke... and well asura has no family. "Taisha..." Asura calls still sensing the sadness. This time however it's not because of the letter.
"It's alright." The blond calls soothing the guilt away. "I'm alright. Please if it hurts you Asura feel it, don't lie to me. I can feel your pain." He says softly pressing his hand to his chest.
"Your power is so strong, yet you call yourself weak." The taller laughs pressing their foreheads together. "You're so much stronger than you think."
Taishakuten who can feel everything, just can't believe it.
It's the burden his "weak" entity brings him. And with Asuras entity resting in his chest instead of his own. There are no secrets between them. Even if it's one sided, Asura can't hide from Taishakuten. But Taishakuten doesn't want to hide from Asura either.
Not emotionally.
However, Taishakuten wont ever admit he has Asuras entity. Having it saved Asura's life. The damage it has can be soothed by him. He can draw all pain from it, he can fix it and pour his own power into it, then Asura can take it back and become a more powerful celestial than ever before.
Taishakuten's plan is to bring peace to everyone, but more specifically he wants Asura to become the greatest hero, the one who brings the peace. And he'll accomplish that however he has to.
Besides Taishakuten having asuras entity puts him at less risk. Who would look for his entity in the weak celestial that follows him around? Who would even assume that they have switched?
This protects him. And Taishakuten will do anything to protect his only hope.
A rough hand cups his cheek bringing him back. "Taisha, I wouldn't lie to you, the deca call for the leader and commander of the wings to appear. It simply happens that our leader and commander are not one in the same."
The taller grins and Taishakuten's body settles at the sight. He's right of course. Together they are unstoppable.
The celestial sighs. They've been fighting for so long. Asura harder than anyone. They demanded to be recognised, to have supplies delivered. Taishakuten more than anyone knows how desperate they are for supplies.
But something still feels wrong.
"Is this a set up?" He asks. "It feels wrong, should I go alone? Surely they wouldn't kill me." He hopes they wouldn't. He's still a noble at the end of the day. His necklace signifies that. Would they listen if it's him that spoke?
"Taisha," The boy looks up.
"Don't allow your heart to waver. You have a firm heart, and I a strong body. Together we can overcome it all. I will give you the peace you want."
The blond smiles, emerald eyes still holding uncertainty but he stays firm. "And I will give you what you want." That much holds no uncertainty.
Asura laughs softly pulling the other to his side. "I will overcome my obsession on my own. I shall destroy it via my own hand."
Taishakuten has no doubt about that.
"Alright..." he whispers. "Let us go meet them head on."
—<•>—
"Do we have a plan?" Asura asks as the blond paces the room. "Taisha?" He asks.
"Taisha." He calls louder.
The blond mutters deep in thought clearly conflicted. As he runs circles into the ground.
The letter threw him off however it did get him thinking. They need to be strategic. This is not a physical battle. It's much worse.
A mental one.
He must stay firm. He can't show his intentions. Perhaps he should do most of the negotiation? If Asura lost his cool the palace would turn into a blood bath.
They must not- Taishakuten shakes his head- Asura must not become the enemy of the celestials.
They can not afford any mistakes. Leaving empty handed is not an option.
"You do have a plan." Asura observes.
Taishakuten looks over conflicted.
"It won't work." He grits out.
Asura sees this and smiles. "There is bound to be uncertainty, your plan may still succeed. Tell me what is it you suggest?"
The blond looks out towards the window. The sun is setting casting the room in golden hues. "They- the deca won't ever accept you as a celestial." He can't bare to look back at asura as he speaks. "They will try to drive us apart. Separating us means we are weak. You shall go berserk and I, I am already weak."
"Taisha-" the god shakes his head, and asura falls quiet. "Yes I'm sure of it. This is a set up." He chews his nail In frustration. A nervous tick asura has caught him doing before.
Asura comes up behind the other gently pulling the hand away. "But you know how to counter it?"
Taishakuten can only turn to cup the others cheek. "My Asura, I must ask something terrible of you." He whispers.
"If you ask it will not be terrible. Speak up I will follow your command."
Taishakuten grimaced. "Will you play along when the time comes? Do not hate me." He says sadly. "No matter how realistic it is. My heart will never change."
The brunette stares him down for a second. "You are who I've waited for. You best compliment my heart. It is not so easy to get rid of me."
Taishakuten hugs the other tightly. "Do not go back on that after you see me act. It's time the celestial realm ended this war. Peace will come I shall make sure of it."
"As long as you're by my side you will not fail. I will not allow you to." The other mutters down hugging back. "However I ask you do not put your life in danger."
Taishakuten clings tighter face hidden in Asura's chest. "I will do anything for you, anything to bring peace."
And that sentence alone unnerved Asura deeply.
—<•>—
If Taishakuten's plan was to stand off with the deca it was going incredibly well. The two stand tall bellow the ten men. Asura with his anger and Taishakuten with his warm calm demeanour. It's clear his unfazed behaviour is putting the others off. They expect a weak celestial and yet here stands an strong willed, underestimated boy.
Finally the silence is broken as the main deca steps forward. His staff clinks together with each movement and the noise itself seems to have asura twitching.
Their eyes move to focused on the shorter. "You seem to have completed something many couldn't," then flicking his eyes to asura. "Perhaps because you had the inside story?"
Taishakuten's body freezes. Flashbacks to the time in the demons nest flood his brain and suddenly it's much harder to stay impassive.
Asura reaches out gently caressing the others arm in a comforting gesture. The blond can only smile gratefully. Asura always knew how to comfort him even when the taller was suffering far worse.
"Oh your eyes changed." The deca smiles suddenly fixated on Taishakuten again.
Asura steps in front, blocking the view. "Enough of your petty jabs." He says firmly. "We've come to negotiate terms."
The deca silence staring at Asura cooly. Taishakuten grabs asura's arms keeping him subtly grounded. They can't afford mistakes. They must leave with what they came here for.
"You are the commander?" He ask. The fellow deca laugh among themselves. The staff jingles again and asura twitches. He's about to speak when a voice cuts him off.
"The leader." Taishakuten corrects stepping out from the warrior. He will not hide. He will not be a coward.
"Then the commander is?" The deca asks.
Asura growls beside him. "Taishakuten's strategy and planning means we never loose a fight. He has battle tactics the likes of which I've never seen. His skills are unmatched. Not only can he command us safely when things go wrong he's backed up the plan and when we are injured he heals us."
Taishakuten smiles. "I do not lead the troops and I am not in charge of the camp. But when I give orders they are followed out. And with my command we never loose a battle." A shameless brag and one that will do nothing to help but he is proud of the wings. He is proud of the men he travels with and he is proud of asura.
The decals eyes never once leave asuras. "Sounds more like he's the leader and commander. So why did you follow when we clearly invited only him?"
The atmosphere grows tense at the words and even taishakuten is worried the words will tip asura over. The brunettes eyes twitch, it's clear he's angry but the blonde grabs his arm reassuringly and steps forward bowing slightly.
His act must begin here. He can only hope asura can tell. "Your majesty we simply request more aid. If we are to keep fighting in this war we need support and supplies. I'm sure the most generous deca can see we are invaluable and need the support?" He asks hopefully.
"Are you making demands? Commanding us?" The deca roars.
Guards soon surround them. Taishakuten looks up locking eyes with the deca. "I couldn't dare command your majesty. I simply wish to ask for your generous support."
"Perhaps if you'd come alone..." the deca says sighing. "This monster has soured the mood."
Taishakuten is about to disagree when a familia aura shrouds the room. Red glowing tendrils shoot out and suddenly the guards are no more. Taishakutens face falls as he pales.
The decals eyes widen at the sight.
"Asura don't!" Taishakuten hisses turning sharply. Do not kill the deca is what he wants to say but asura doesn't even glance at him.
"You come here demand our support yet kill our soldiers?!" The Deca yell. "If you truly were on our side would you do such a thing?! You don't deserve our aid!"
Taishakuten winces as they're surrounded again.
"You are an enemy of the people." They says eyes gazing over Taishakuten's head.
"And you-" they look to him. "You are nothing but a dreamer. Your skills are wasted there come join the battle as the leader and commander. We shall personally support you Taishakuten."
Taishakuten’s hand shakes as he glances to Asura. The man doesn’t look back only heaves in breaths trying to sedate his anger.
“Then what of Asura and his men? If I join you they won’t survive.” He says stepping forward.
“So be it.” The deca said frowning. “We are only interested in you. You are one of us. You secure the way. He-“ the deca jest to Asura. “Is not one of us. He has tainted you and your talent for long enough. Come Taishakuten. Join us.”
The god takes steps forward bare feet jingling with each step. “Yes I should join you. Only you can support my needs…” he smiles.
“Discard the demon child. He is not worth your time.” The deca smiles hand outstretched.
“The heavens are my time no demon should be left.” Taishakuten echos as if in a daze.
“You are going to turn your back on us?” Asura’s voice cuts through.
Taishakuten pauses. “Asura?” He questions going to turn.
“A demon is a demon no matter how much they argue. Taishakuten come here.” The deca interrupt.
The boy nods. “Yes. No matter how holy it takes only a drop of demon blood to be sullied.”
The deca smile at Asura. “You’ve been left once again leader. I’m afraid you won’t survive much longer.”
Asura frowns holding his tongue. “You’re lucky I choose to fight on celestia’s side. I could change my mind and wipe out all of the many realms.”
The deca narrow their eyes. “Still threatening us even when you’ve lost-“ their eyes widen as they gasp for breath.
Asura steps back as Taishakuten pivots to face him. “Asura…” he says smiling brightly. “Don’t hold this against me for if do anything for you!” He says throwing his hands up. Golden lotuses bloom from the ten deca. Threads of gold pierce them where they stand and soon enough each one is under the young gods control.
“Oh celestia your rulers have sinned.” Taishakuten laughs. “They must be punished.”
One after another the deca plunge their hands into their chest pulling out their core.
Taishakuten’s face falls. “Crush them.”