Author's Note: Hello! I'm pleased to update you with another chapter... And this one is where there's no going back after it. I've had more time during the holidays to write more, so hopefully new chapters be regular for a while. This one's entirely dedicated to our protagonists, Naraku and Sango. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this as I was scared stiff about writing the ending, wanting to make it as perfect as possible for the situation. Reviews would be most welcomed! :)


He hasn't looked at me in the same way since what happened in this room.

There was once a barrier between us that nothing on earth could possibly diminish, but it's gone now. And he knows it.

And I hate it.

The moment I recount Naraku holding my hand at my bedside, all I can see is Kohaku's face.

Kohaku's body, withering in pain.

Miroku's face as I watch him fall from the balcony after our final moments together.

And me… he'd humiliated me countless times. He'd made me scream. He'd made me cry.

But he'd also made me feel… pity, almost. His secrets that nobody else knew apart from me. Things I'm not supposed to know. The orders from Suhji… hadn't he refused to harm me before?

My head aches with guilt and hatred. He's part of me now. He takes up every waking thought and the harder I try to push him away, the clearer I can see his dark eyes piercing through my body, piercing through my soul.

"Human?"

I flinch at the sharp voice, and turn to my little doorway.

His features are ice cold and his hair rougher than ever, a dark mass surrounding his pointed face. He looked as if he hasn't slept for days.

I want to reply, but I don't quite know what to say.

All I know is that I need to leave this place.

I'm changing, and I don't like what I'm changing into.

"Why are you here, Naraku?" I said, fearlessness taking over me.

His eyes narrowed into a calculating glare, but it wasn't enough to prevent me from trying.

"You either need to help me, or kill me. What's it going to be?"

I had never seen somebody move so quickly in all my life.

I found myself pinned up against the wall, his iron hand gripped around my throat, and I'm gasping for air, I can't breathe, I can't think

"How… how dare give me orders, you filthy little human," His voice is full of venom, and his mouth next to my ear, so I don't miss a word.

Please… I need to breathe… I need…

The desperation in my eyes must have caused him to relax slightly, and his hand slowly releases its grip. He shakes me away from him and takes a step back with a look of utter disgust on his face.

"I… I-"

"SHUT UP!"

I actually feel fear now. I've never seen him so angry before…

"That's the thing I hate most about your kind. You think you're equal to us. You think you have authority. But you don't – not a trace, human. You're pathetic, and I cannot wait to personally kill you myself once the time comes. I just hope I don't have long to wait."

I can't help it.

A tear begins to escape down my cheek, but I don't want him to see me cry.

Why are you crying, Sango?

I don't know.

I don't want to know.

You know he's lying. He refused orders on your behalf. He gave up Kagura. He's a half-blood, even though he pretends he's not…

And how does that mean he doesn't hate you?

It doesn't.

I plucked up whatever bit of courage I had left.

"Why did you save me, then?" I asked quietly. "Why save me, if you wanted me dead?"

Naraku turned his back to me.

"You don't get it, do you?" He said, frozen. "You can't die. Not yet. Kagura was wrong to do what she did because she went against Suhji's orders, and as a result has taken appropriate punishment. That's the only reason why I saved you. You are insolent to think otherwise."

"You're lying," I said, once again, instantly regretting my words.

"How dare you?" He spat. "How dare you think I would ever go out of my way to save scum such as yourself? What on earth has led you to think that I would be interested in any kind of alliance with a naïve little girl such as yourself?"

"Because you're not all bad, are you, Naraku?"

"Excuse me?"

"You try to be. That's your security isn't it? Cruelty. You know full well we're not so different as you claim we are." I have no idea where this persistence is coming from, but I know I have to try. Try and attack his weak spot. It's my hope.

A moment after those last two words escaped my lips, I'm on the floor.

Intense pain shatters my body, I'm burning, I'm burning

Oh please stop, make it stop, I'm sorry, oh God, stop

Blank.

I'm lying on my floor and I flick my eyelids open to see him towering above me, his arm outstretched. Whatever curse he flew at me, he needed nothing more than his mind.

He crouches next to me, and outstretches a hand. A stray piece of hair that lingered near my eye is tucked behind my ear.

Every muscle in my body freezes at his touch.

What is he doing?

I couldn't move even if I tried.

He moves his face towards mine.

"No, Sango. We are very much not alike."

My name.

He said my name.

It didn't matter what he said anymore. I wasn't 'human' and I wasn't 'scum'. I was Sango. And without realizing it, he'd just eliminated his own prejudice, and identified me as one of them.

Slap.

"Don't you dare look so satisfied," Naraku intercepted my temporary victory with a full-blown hit across the face. My head rolled to the right. "Let's see how satisfied you are when you recall the look on your father's face as he died. How does he look, human? Does he look like one of us? Does he look brave?"

Anger swept over me.

Shut up, Naraku.

"And Kohaku," he continues, "It was so much fun, making him try to kill you. He'll never forget the look on your face, the fear in your eyes, all because of him. I felt all of Kohaku's pain, but he couldn't stop me. He was unable to. Do you know what that is, human?"

Shut up, shut up, shut up.

"It's because he is weak. A pathetic little human. He still is. There's only been one occasion where he's managed to mumble the beginnings of your name under my curse. But he couldn't even do that, human. He couldn't even say your name. Your brother was too weak to keep hold of his own soul."

I snapped.

Jumping up, I dug quickly into the depths of my kimono and pulled out the locket. Screw Suhji and screw Kagura.

"What about this then, Naraku?" I pelt the locket at his chest at full force, tears beginning to make their way into my sockets out of rage. "I'm sorry to bring you back to reality, but you also have human inside of you. Just like me. Just like Kohaku."

He caught the locket and clutched it in his hand, inspecting it as if he'd never seen it before.

But he knew it was too late.

His mouth didn't turn into his usual snarl, and his eyes… they changed.

And they weren't the same, terrifying eyes I'd grown so used to over the last however many months.

"How… how did you attain this?" His voice was blank.

Don't tell him about eavesdropping on Suhji, Sango. It's too much. It's… cruel.

"I was cleaning the main corridor," I said, hoping his eyes wouldn't gaze into mine, as he'd know I was lying, "It was lying under the tapestry near the dining hall, so I thought I'd retrieve it."

But there was no need.

He wasn't analyzing me, making sure I was telling the truth. He was fixated on the gold treasure in front of him, the chain dangling helplessly by his wrist.

It's time.

It's time to try… to try and get through

"Your mother… Did you know her?"

A moment of silence.

"Yes." He still didn't look up at me.

I took a few steps closer to him.

He still didn't look at me.

"Naraku?"

Finally.

And oh God… Was that…?

He looks… helpless.

And broken.

My stomach lurches at his expression and a crease forms in my brow. I stretch out my arm, not knowing quite what I intend to do.

He ignores my hand, but walks towards me slowly, his eyes shining.

His eyes never shine.

"Nobody can know," he mutters, placing a hand on my waist, clenching me close towards him, looking me straight in the eyes, "They can't."

My insides turn to ice. Our bodies are inches away from each other.

Are we meant to be this close?

I can't stop it now. This longing in my chest to comfort him.

To comfort my own captor.

To reach through that barrier he's put between us because of what I am and not who I am.

I raise a shaky hand to his cheek and try to give him some reassurance when his gaze meets mine.

There's a look in his eye and I can't quite figure out what it is.

But I know he hates me.

I know he hates me for bringing him to this.

But his face is coming closer to mine, and he reciprocates my tracing of his cheek a moment ago by playing with a stray lock of my hair, and he's coming closer, and closer, and oh God…

Stop it Sango. Stop him! This isn't right, it can't be right…

His mouth meets mine and my stomach begins dancing, knotting itself up tightly. His lips are cold, but soft, and for a moment I don't respond, I can't respond, but he pushes harder and I want to move, I think, but it feels so wrong…

No, no…

I clench my hands into fists and push at his chest to get him off me, but he only responds firmer, holding my hands up against the wall, moving his lips down my neck, gently kissing my bare skin.

"Naraku, please-"

He ignores me, but places his lips to my ears whilst tracing one of his long fingers down the other side of my neck, and whispers gently, "Nobody can know what you know. Do you understand?"

Do I understand?

No.

I don't understand anything anymore.

All I know is that me and Naraku are in this prison, in the top of a tower in some far off place, and he's kissing me, he's holding me, and he hates me, and I hate him, but I'm burning, I'm burning everywhere.

My body's out of my control now, and I return his kiss, pressing gently against him, his mouth beginning to open mine, and oh God, I can taste him...

I place my hands on his lower back, bringing him closer, it's too late, it's gone too far already...

Pause.

His look sharpens.

He throws himself backwards, away from me, with a look that would have Medusa appear kind.

I stand shivering, shaking, and not knowing what's real and what's in my head anymore.

Why…?

"You bitch," he said, and then a blur.

Burning.

Burning cross my cheek. He's slapped me, he's slapped me so hard I fall onto the futon next to me, breathless.

He soon follows, and leans over me, holding my face in his grasp. "What have you done? What have you brought me to? I should kill you!"

His hand moves from my face to my throat, and oh God, he's tightening his grip, I'm going to suffocate…

Air.

Please, air.

I can feel my vision going blurry.

He's really going to kill for me this.

I know it… He'll never forgive me…

Forgive you? It wasn't you who did this.

I persisted, though…. I brought it down. The barrier.

That barrier that kept me so safe yet so hopeless.

Black spots in my eyes. I try pleading with my look. Trying to get him to see me.

He winces. He throws my face back down and kicks me in my side.

As I lie there unable to move, I hear the mighty slam of a door and the turn of a key.


Update (20/05/12): Thank you so much to everybody who has left reviews on this chapter! I know it's been a while since I've written anymore, but right now my time is occupied with studying for my A level finals :( I haven't given up on it though, and I know what'll happen next, so it'll be worth the wait. Thank you again! If you haven't already, please leave a review with any comments you have, I appreciate constructive criticism to learn how to improve my work :) Will be updating in a month at the latest.