Part Four: Naraku/Sango


With disbelieving eyes, Sango glared down at the form of the a human man, newly revealed from beneath a baboon's pelt and propped up on the weapon she had armed him with. Her gut coiled in anguish – the handsome Lord Kagewaki, her benevolent saving grace, had really been Naraku all along. She'd been dreaming of her greatest enemy, longing to return and thank him, and in her most intimate thoughts, asking to stay by his side.

"Did you kill him?" she snarled through gritted teeth, fists clenched and poised to fight.

Burning scarlet eyes bored into her, a smirk winding onto his face. "Kagewaki Hitomi… Now, that's who I am. The lord of this castle."

The truth struck her, a crushing blow that deflated her lungs: Naraku had been Kagewaki all along, since before she'd ever met him. He orchestrated it all, manipulating a demon puppet into creating his own alibi. Her body and mind swirled in confusion, turning affection into hatred and hatred into affection.

She hadn't noticed she dived off the roof, blade at the ready, until she was halfway to the ground. He locked eyes with her and grinned, the handsome face of her savior warming her from her toes, and for a moment, it appeared as though he were opening his arms to embrace her. No! A voice in the back of her head screamed in protest and it tore through her larynx: "Die!"

His eyes widened, seeming to share her surprise at her change of heart. He ducked evasively from the hidden blade she thrust his way, and used the untransformed Tetsusaiga to block her maneuver, effectively shattering her blade in the process. With another swing of the sword, he sliced across her abdomen and sent her rolling back to the steps of the castle.

After a still moment, she propped herself shakily on her wrists, looking up into his face. He moved to approach her with a curious look on his face. She could not tell if it was pity or fondness, which surprised her less than the lack of triumph she read on his features. A feeble hope in her chest wondered, even though posing as Kagewaki, if part of him had cared about her too.

Seeing that in his face, she resigned to die right there in the courtyard. The irony of her resolve the last time she'd been there sparked a small smile. He furrowed his eyebrows in response, stepping forward to save her or to kill her – which it would be, she had no clue.

.

We're going down,

And you can see it too.

We're going down

And you know that we're doomed.

.