The God

Tails grabbed his forehead, swaying on his feet. He collapsed to the floor, black and white sparks crackling across his skin. He twitched violently, struggling to breathe. Umbra wanted to worry about him, but he had bigger things on his hands: the now-awakened god that he was trapped with.

Umbra's blood pounded in his ears as watched the coffin with an ever-growing sense of horror. His feet seemed to he glued to the floor out of pure shock. His mind screamed for him to run, but body was frozen.

Nails scraped against stone, sending chills up Umbra's spine. If Coatl really was in that tomb, he was alive. The hand that clung to the edge of the tomb trembled, its claws unable to get a solid grip.

A wretched electric tension hung in the air, weighing Umbra's shoulders down. The sheer power that emanated from the tomb was incredible. Umbra's breath caught in his throat as he remembered where he had felt something similar: his encounter with Celeste on Silver Moon's first mission. The Spirit Mother had beaten him senseless. He grit his teeth. That wouldn't happen again.

He fought to regain mobility, taking a sharp breath. Adrenaline flooded through his veins as he channeled magic through his hands, runes shining at his feet. His war scythe greeted his palm, its smooth pole jerking him back to life. He cut his eyes to the side, confirming that Tails was still managing to keep up his barrier. He was trapped.

But Umbra wasn't going down without a fight.

He stalked across the room, head down and shoulders high. He bared his fangs, and violet, predatory eyes glimmered in the darkness. He was a fierce sight, his civilized guise lost to his animal instincts.

The lid of the tomb shook, the crack growing wider. Finally, the stone burst, a figure rising from the depths.

Umbra stopped dead in his tracks as Coatl hovered over him in his full glory.

The mural of Coatl hadn't prepared Umbra for the monstrosity before him. He was over seven feet tall and built with lean, but powerful, muscle. His skin was a dark chestnut brown and covered in glowing red tattoos that wrapped around his arms and bare chest. He had four vicious, glowing eyes and one vertical eye that ran down his forehead. With his arms outstretched, Umbra could see two additional eyes that sat on the tops of his hands. A mouthful of venom-soaked fangs contained a forked tongue.

Umbra's body moved before his mind could. He brought his blade over his head, cleaving Coatl's neck clean in half. His head rolled to the ground.

From the floor, Tails wailed, covering his mouth.

Coatl's headless body stood as if nothing had happened. The stump of his neck sparked with red magic. A skull shot from the wound, followed by muscle, blood vessels, and flesh. Coatl gasped as he sucked in a frantic breath, wheeling around to face Umbra. He clenched his fist, searing magic collecting around his fist.

Umbra uttered a low snarl, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"Please, stop!" Tails cried, reaching his hand.

Coatl halted, glancing behind him. His ruthless countenance seemed to dissipate when his eyes caught Tails. He smiled, his entire face lighting up. Umbra almost choked when he realized that was the same expression he looked at his own children with.

"Tails!" Coatl shouted, dropping to his knees, "You...you freed me!" He wrapped his arms around Tails, rubbing his back.

Coatl paused in his embrace, grabbing Tails's bleeding hand, "You freed me!" he repeated, rebuking Tails. "I told you not to do this! Your body can't handle this kind of spell!" He ripped a piece of cloth off his wrap skirt, tying it around Tails's hand. "Don't worry me like this, okay? I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Umbra stood awkwardly in the midst of the scene, still clutching his weapon. He met eyes with Coatl, who stood to face him.

"Tails," Coatl murmured slowly, "Has this man hurt you?"

"N-No!" Tails said, hugging Coatl's arm, "This is Umbra! My idol!"

Once again, Coatl's frown flipped to a gentle smile. "Ah, I see. Well, Mr. Mortis, it's nice to finally meet you. Tails really looks up to you." He held out his hand for Umbra to shake.

"Listen, you monster," Umbra hissed, "You may have Tails under your spell, but I'm not so easily fooled. If you lay another hand on that kid, I won't hesitate to cut off your head again. He is my charge, and you will not harm a hair on his head."

Coatl's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? I've never harmed a child in all my millennias."

"What about all those innocent people you murdered before you were sealed away?" Umbra countered, raising his lip in a snarl.

Coatl swallowed, cold realization flooding into his face. "So that's why they sealed me," he whispered, "They've tarnished my image." He touched Umbra's shoulder, desperation weighing his shoulders down. "Please, I can explain."

Author's Note- plot twist, my favorite thing to do. lead yall in one direction and then yank the floor out from under you