Chapter 23: All Good Things…

Miaka took a step towards Nakago, knowing that he was badly injured. The prolonged fight had only made things worse. She could hear his shallow, laboured breaths…his broken ribs making the simple action of breathing excruciatingly painful.

"Nakago…"

"Get the amulet and start summoning Suzaku," he interrupted her brusquely, ruthlessly suppressing any indication that he was in pain. They had wasted enough time fighting Tenkou's creation and the sooner they sealed away the evil deity, the better.

"Hai," she acknowledged, turning and reaching out to take the amulet from the pedestal. As soon as her fingers touched the artefact, laughter rang out as a strong wind began to blow inside the cavern, whipping up the sand on the floor, almost blinding them.

Above them, Tenkou materialised, his long silver hair floating about him like an ethereal cloak.

"You mortals are so amusing. I have to admit, watching the both of you has been entertaining," his pale lips lifted in a malevolent smile. "But…like all good things, this little game must come to an end." Tenkou's black robes fluttered slightly as the wind howled around him. "I could have given you everything you desired, Nakago, had you chosen to serve me. You are a fool to get yourself involved with Suzaku's people."

"I take a personal interest when someone tries to kill me," Nakago stated in his cold, calm manner, silver-blue eyes narrowing dangerously. His hand tightened around the enchanted sword. "Why didn't you just kill us right at the beginning? It could have saved you, and us, a lot of trouble." His face was completely devoid of emotion; an expressionless, impenetrable mask firmly in place.

"Ah…but you two have been so helpful, bringing all the Shinzahos here to me. Now I can summon the gods myself," Tenkou chuckled, the evil smile never wavering. "And now you have outlived your usefulness, I must bid you farewell."

The evil entity laughed again, and faded away as the wind picked up in intensity, swirling clouds of dust and sand around them. Small pieces of rock from the roof were raining down on them, dislodged by the strong winds. Everything was shaking, as if they were caught in an earthquake.

And in the centre of it all, she stood...

Not long ago, nothing could have swayed him from his belief that the Suzaku no Miko was a weak-willed slip of a girl who lacked intelligence. Now, after all that had happened, he admitted that those perceptions had been blown away like cobwebs in a storm once he had gotten to know her…gotten to really know what lay beneath the seemingly ditzy exterior.

The Suzaku no Miko possessed a strength of spirit that could have easily rivalled his Seiryuu given powers, had she known how to channel it properly. She was the sort who put others before herself; who would fight for her friends until the very end…

Nakago realised now, that all the clumsiness, the incessant cheerfulness, was just a façade to cover what she really was…A true Priestess of Suzaku. Suzaku had made no mistake in choosing a girl who completely personified its ideals.

He saw her now, standing amidst the tempest, her head held high, hazel eyes glittering in defiance… every inch the priestess. He remembered the Seiryuu no Miko mentioning once, that her best friend's—and worst enemy's—last name meant Courage.

It suited her. She was the bravest girl he had ever seen. Baka, but brave…

He watched as her russet hair whipped about her face, against the determined set of her jaw, and wondered inanely whether she had ever been afraid of anything.

He recalled the clear unblinking gaze of wonder in her eyes as she had stood atop that cliff watching the sunset next to him. Her large hazel eyes had held the fierce joy of being alive…and the strong conviction of good always triumphing over evil.

He had wanted to grab hold of that. Grab hold and never let go.

Nakago had never given his loyalty to anyone; not to the Seiryuu no Miko, and certainly not to the low-life scum who had been Kutou's emperor. Yet without really meaning to, he'd sworn to protect this girl. At first, it had been nothing more than an obligation, a matter of honour…but now…

For years he had been treated as a plaything by the emperor of Kutou. In the military as a teenager, he had been treated like dirt. He could still remember all the jeers, the taunts…all the name-calling… just because he'd looked different with his pale hair and skin. As he had risen up through the ranks to the top, people had alternately feared him and looked up to him.

Not a single person had ever treated him as an equal, he reflected bitterly, except the one who stood before him now.

With a start, he realised that he genuinely cared about her well-being.

She made him feel…almost human.


A loud ominous rumble echoed through the cavern, even as the floor beneath them gave a sickening lurch.

Dropping the sword, he lunged in her direction, the distance between seeming to span light-years, but in actual fact, only a few metres. Even as he reached her, the ceiling gave a final, enormous groan as it inexorably collapsed in on itself.

It was as though everything was happening in slow motion. He watched the huge chunks of rock falling towards them with the cool detachment of an observer seeing it all happen to someone else. Nakago drew her close to him, shielding her body with his own in a parody of a lovers' embrace. It was only now, that Tamahome's dying words made sense to him.

If you have to ask, you'll never understand…

After all this time, he finally understood what the dark-haired Suzaku seishi had meant. There were some things that could never be explained with mere words. There were some questions which could only be answered by looking deep into one's own self.

Even now, when neither of us stands a chance of surviving…even now, I'm trying to protect her, he thought with fatalistic amusement. How ironic. There had been a time, not so long ago, when he would have killed her without a second thought.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt.

Sorry? He wondered what she was sorry for. Why was she apologising? She had tried her best, hadn't she? Had done everything within her power…

A spark of anger ignited within him.

It wasn't fair! They had come so close to success, only to fail now after trying so hard…after all he had gained.

It had taken this one girl to teach him that there was more to life than the quest for power or revenge…he had simply existed for so long that he had forgotten how to live. It dawned on him that in the time he had spent with her, he'd felt more alive than he had in years. He had taken so much away from her, and still, despite all the trespasses he had committed against her, she had given so much back to him…

No. It wasn't supposed to end this way.

He would not let it.

He would not allow another person he cared about die. Not this time. Never again.

The final link in the unbreakable chain around his heart shattered, even as the impenetrable wall of ice he had built around his soul dissolved into a million glittering shards…

Everything exploded in a blinding flash of light…

And then, all was silent, and wonderfully, hideously at rest.


Notes:

1) Angst fest and introspection. Nakago realises some important things. He strikes me as someone who is always brutally honest with himself...And no, he's not in love with Miaka or anything , not by a long shot. He just cares for her in the same way her own seishi care about her, in a strictly platonic sense, of course. However, there is still a large degree of selfishness when it comes to how Nakago really feels. He protects her, because of his debt to Tamahome, yet also partly because the Suzaku no Miko makes him feel slightly better about himself...

2) Alcestis answers the pressing question of "Why isn't Nakago in love with Miaka?"

I have thought about it, but it's too far a stretch (for now)! Nakago is very controlled, and it is impossible for him to just fall in love so easily. He is just learning how to feel again, and he's emoting a bit more, but there are still too many barriers (some of them self-imposed) and too many differences between him and Miaka. Remember, even though he's not the evil, cold-blooded villain anymore, he is still ruled by his mind rather than his heart. He is not looking for love, nor does he expect anyone to love him back, so I think that puts a damper on any chance of Nakago+Miaka for the time being. Besides, Miaka still loves Tamahome!

I feel that it would be way out of character for Nakago to even want to have that kind of relationship with the Suzaku no Miko, and as an author, I strive to stay as true to the original character as possible. I'll just say that he respects her now, which is a huge difference from the undisguised contempt he used to regard her with at the beginning of this story...