[Slow Updates] Beasts (Tomoe x Reader)

Inside, We Are All Beasts

Tomoe looked at you, worry written in is eyes. "What's your plan?" He asked, as he worked to break the shackles wrapped around his wrists. "Are we just going to ride my foxfire out of this hole, then run for the exit?"

"No." You stated between labored breaths. "We are miles from the nearest city, and none of them would be capable of healing me."

"So then, what's the plan?"

"Munakata has a concoction. It speeds the recovery of minor injuries." You replied, glazing over its nasty side effects. "If we get that, I should be able to hold on long enough for us to get somewhere for help."

"Are you sure that is wise? I doubt Munakata will just stand by while we take his medicine and escape."

"You're right, it's a terrible plan, but if we don't get that potion I won't live long enough for us to reach a human city, let alone a place I can get help." You stated bluntly. Tomoe looked at you, his eyes filled with fear and worry. You smiled at him, it was a sad knowing smile. "I can feel it. Just like an animal, I feel myself dying." You explained, your breath wheezing through your lips.

Tomoe seemed to grapple with that little grenade you'd so kindly dropped in his lap. Finally, he nodded. "We have no choice then."

You grimaced, as your body was racked with a fit of coughs. Blood oozed from between your lips, but you just swept it away. Not wanting to waste any more time, Tomoe used his foxfire to break through the far weaker chains that were attached to the shackles. "I'll get them off later. We need to hurry."

"Agreed." You wheezed.

Tomoe picked you up, bridal style, and leapt into the air, his foxfire lifting the two of you up the long shaft. When you reached the top, Tomoe swiftly dealt with the two red Oni that stood guard. When he was finished, he turned to you, his expression urgent. "Where does he keep that concoction?"

You tried to catch your breath, before responding. "In the room you found me in."

"You wait here. Stay hidden. I'll be right back." Tomoe said, turning away from you.

"Don't be stupid, I'm going with you." You replied, struggling to take a step forward.

"You are in no shape to be moving around." Tomoe insisted, as he gently eased you onto the ground, and propped you against the wall. "Just tell me what I'm looking for."

You sighed in defeat, too weak to argue. "Its a golden liquid. He usually has it inside of a syringe on his work table."

Tomoe nodded and ran off. You stared after him, your heart beating weakly in your chest. Please, hurry. You silently urged the familiar. You quickly regretted allowing Tomoe to leave you behind. It wasn't long before those cold eyes once again glared down at you.

"Tisk, tisk, little bird. How dare you break out of your own cage!" Munakata glowered down at you, before stooping down, and grabbing a handful of your hair. He started to drag you, in the direction Tomoe had run, to the torture chamber. You wanted to fight him, but you couldn't muster the strength to transform, at least not into a transformation you wanted.

He dragged you several yards, before coming to a stop. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Tomoe, the syringe filled with golden liquid clutched in his left hand. "I see, so it was the dirty wild fox that I let into my little bird's cage, that has caused this commotion." Munakata hissed cruelly.

"Let her go." Tomoe growled.

"Why don't you make me, filth?" Tomoe tensed, but he didn't move forward. He couldn't risk dragging you into a fight. Munakata noticed his indecision, and smirked. He violently yanked you forward by your hair causing you to yelp, and knelt next to you. He roughly grabbed your chin, and held your face up to Tomoe. He leaned around your head, and chuckled. You could feel the vibration of the cold laugh in your shoulder, and it made you sick. "I won't let you take my little bird away from me so easily. I've only just started to have my fun with her again. I suppose it can't be helped, though. I should have known someone else would come for my prey." He hissed at Tomoe, before turning your face.

You were only an inch from those cold dead eyes, when he spoke to you. "I suppose this will keep happening, so here, let me make sure everyone knows who you belong to." He sneered. He held up his right hand, he clutched a metal plate, with a snake eating it own tail in the shape of an infinity symbol sticking up from the metal. Using his magic, he heated the metal plate. You felt as though someone was choking the air from your lungs.

Tomoe realized what Munakata was doing, and surged forward. "Don't touch her!" He screamed, but he was to far away. Munakata looked you dead in the eye, as he pressed the burning hot metal against the right side of your stomach. You screamed in agony, as the metal hissed against your flesh like a snake. The metal was only on your stomach for a few seconds, before Tomoe slammed his knee into Munakata's face, but the damage had already been done. The white hot metal stuck to your flesh, and continued to burn you. Tomoe grimaced, as he swatted the metal plate away, and sent it skidding across the stone ground.

He cradled your head, and wiped the tears from your face. Tomoe looked at the cruel red burn on your flesh, and his eyes burned with hatred. He placed the syringe into your hands, before placing you onto the ground, and rising to his feet. "Don't do it." You groaned the warning.

Tomoe once again ignored you. He's always been like this. As soon as he gets angry, all logic goes out he window. You thought to yourself, as you watched the fox lunge forward. He held his own, for a few seconds. It simply wasn't a fair fight. Munakata slammed him into the stone ground, and pressed his knee into Tomoe's throat. You struggled to sit up, desperate to save him. Munakata noticed your movement, and sneered at you. "What will you do? While you are a god far older than me, you could never beat me as you are now. You've grown soft!" Munakata spat. "You once struck fear into the hearts of all the gods, but now you are the laughingstock." He pressed his knee harder into Tomoe's throat. A weak gurgle escaped past Tomoe's lips. "What will you do to save this man?"

You felt rage build inside your own heart. The rage was always there, but this time, something inside you snapped. You felt your body begin to change, as you lost consciousness.

------------------------------------------------------

Tomoe struggled to remain awake, as Munakata's knee cut off his air. Is this really where I die? The thought entered Tomoe's mind. He was about to pass out, when a shadow passed over him. Suddenly, the pressure of Munakata's knee vanished. Tomoe lurched forward, and started coughing, and gasping in the sweet air. It was several seconds before he was capable of seeing the chaos that was transpiring.

Munakata was fighting against a monster. It was a white fox the size of a semi truck, with nine tails swaying and lashing around it. Blue flames flickered along the tips of each tail, paw, and ear. Blood splashed from several wounds on the massive fox, but it didn't seem to notice. Munakata was laughing maniacally, as he lashed out at the white beast, opening more gouges in its pure white hide. Munakata lunged forward to strike again, but he underestimated the fox's speed. In one swift motion, the fox clamped it's hot jaws around Munakata's arm. The god howled, as his arm was bit clean off. With a swing of one of the fox's mighty tails, the fallen god was thrown against the wall, which crumbled underneath him.

The fox seemed to lose interest in the half dead god, and instead set upon destroying everything it could see. Tomoe stared at it in fear and awe, as it smashed through one of the many cages, releasing several yokai. "Count yourself lucky, familiar." Munakata gasped through a mouthful of blood.

"What are you talking about?" Tomoe shot a glare at the bloody man.

"She hasn't used that power in over a thousand years." Munakata coughed up another glob of blood. "You are witnessing the power of the most feared goddess."

Tomoe's eyes widened. He turned around, but all that remained was a syringe filled with a gold liquid. He spun back around, his eyes fixed on the rampaging beast. "(Y/N)?" He whispered weakly.

Munakata chuckled, which seemed to cause him even more pain. "She strikes fear into the hearts of all around her, even that pathetic war god fears her wrath. Even when she isn't like this, she represents the thing that everyone tries to forget."

"And what is that?" Tomoe asked, unable to remove his eyes from the swaying tails.

"The fact that inside, regardless of how regal and calm we act, we are all beasts." Munakata laughed, blood pouring from his mouth. "Gaze upon the goddess that once guarded the gates of hell."