Chapter 18: Sunsets
Nakago was not a person to be trifled with on any given day…and especially not today. In addition to being plagued with a persistent headache that showed no signs of letting up in the near future, he had been stuck in an audience with the emperor and the ministers for the past several hours…which had only served to intensify the aforementioned ailment and—in direct relation to such a development— exponentially worsen his mood.
Fools. He had listened to them prattling on and on about conquering Konan for as long as he could tolerate, and then had promptly excused himself from their presence at the first opportunity he'd gotten. Ignorance was bliss, which was fortunate for them, because they'd had no idea that he had been about five seconds from "accidentally" vaporising the whole lot of them with his chi. Though it would have been no great loss if I had, he thought acidly. He had little interest in their talk of politics and military matters, not at the moment, when he had more immediate concerns…
Like the Suzaku no Miko.
He kept seeing her in his mind; her image popping up at the most unexpected times…and always accompanied by a searing pain in his skull. What was wrong with him? Had that girl and her seishi cast a spell on him in an attempt to make him suffer? Personally, he doubted they had enough power or had the deviousness to use such an underhanded tactic, but he chose not to discount the possibility.
Savagely pressing his fingertips to the pressure points at the sides of his face, he forcefully willed the headache to subside and resolved to find a way to put an end to the problem. It wasn't that he was unable to function, it was just that the pain was…inconvenient.
Abruptly, he looked up towards the palace gardens as his enhanced senses registered a familiar presence. Just the person I wanted to see…A thin smile slowly made its way across his face when he recognised the unique power signature. Speak of the miko, and she shall appear…And what better way to solve a problem than by eradicating its source? Perhaps this annoying headache would go away once he had dealt with her, and maybe then, the visions of hazel eyes, so large in such a delicate pixie-like face, would stop haunting him…
The Emperor of Kutou's petty ambitions could wait. Right now, Nakago had more important things to do, like going to greet this most unexpected guest.
Chichiri met Tasuki in front of Miaka's room. They had been first alerted to the fact that something was very wrong when they had both felt a jolt of power strong enough to wake the dead. The feel of it had been unmistakable. It had been the force of Miaka's chi…amplified about ten times over.
The bandit kicked at the door in frustration, "Shit!" he exploded, "She's gone! That little BAKA! Always running off on her own like that!"
"I was afraid this would happen," the blue-haired Suzaku monk said softly, his hand tightening around his staff with his increasing worry, "And I think I know where she went no da."
He listened to the sound of Tasuki's fluent swearing which was vehement enough to have wilted a flower and turned a cow barren. His fellow seishi had an impressive vocabulary of profanities, but to use them all in one breath…now that took real talent. Nevertheless, for once, Chichiri completely agreed with his fellow seishi's sentiments.
Miaka stood under the flowering tree in the middle of the palace gardens. The mirror had brought her back here. Somehow, it failed to surprise her that she always returned to this place to be hurt over and over again. She shook her head, pushing the bitter thoughts away and lifted her face to watch the flower petals drifting down around her. In the west, the sun was beginning to set, and she wondered if Nakago was watching it as well from somewhere nearby.
She knew that all she had to do was to remain here until he deigned to show up. It would not be a long wait…she was sure he would have sensed her presence by now. If I could just talk to him… maybe he would remember. He's strong enough to fight the kodoku by himself, I don't care what Seiryuu said! I just need to get through to the real Nakago. I know he's still inside there, somewhere… he has to be…
"Hello, Suzaku no Miko."
She jumped violently when his voice sounded directly behind her. Nakago's sudden appearance had startled her, even though she had been expecting it. Miaka spun around and discovered that he was no more than a few feet away, regarding her with an intense silver-blue stare which seemed to burn into her soul. It did not escape her notice that he was wearing the same armour which he used to wear so long ago, when they had still been fighting each other. The polished silver of the dragon-claw epaulet gleamed, partially hidden under a blue cloak draped over his shoulders.
He looked as dangerous now as he did back then…
"You are either very brave or very stupid, returning here alone," he remarked conversationally, his lips lifting slightly in a deceptively welcoming smile. "I'm touched that you came back…Did you miss me?" he asked smoothly, as he approached her with precise, measured steps; moving with the grace of a large jungle cat and making no sound despite the heavy armour.
This version of Nakago was not exactly a petting zoo—well, maybe an evil petting zoo…he had seemed intent on killing her (or at the very least, maiming her) on their last meeting—and it was not a good idea to get too close to him. Every warning bell in her head was going off, but she clamped down on the urge to back away, bravely standing her ground and steadfastly refusing to let herself be intimidated by him. At least he didn't try to kill me on sight this time. That's a start! There's still hope! she consoled herself, sending a quick prayer of thanks to whatever god which watched over fools and children (thus she considered herself doubly blessed). "You're not yourself…You've been poisoned with Kodoku! Nakago, this isn't who you are!" she quickly blurted out, mentally willing him to understand, trying to reach him with her words…
"Really? I feel perfectly fine. You must be mistaken, my dear Miko," he stated calmly, his hand reaching out to close loosely around her throat; fingertips idly stroking over the soft, quivering flesh. The touch was gentle, but at the same time letting her know that he could choke the life out of her before she even realised what was happening.
She bit back a sob of frustration at his casual dismissal. He was hearing her, but he wasn't truly listening! She could tell that he was not taking her seriously. Dammit Nakago! Listen to me!
Nakago nudged her head up with his free hand, so that she was forced to look straight into his silver-blue eyes. They were so utterly beautiful, so mesmerising…and so entirely devoid of any emotion or humanity. "I could kill you with a thought if I wanted to." Pitched low and intimate, his deep voice caressed her senses, causing a tingling feeling to sweep across her body. The hand around her throat tightened ever so slightly; not enough to hurt her, but just enough to emphasise his words…Despite the dire circumstances; despite knowing the kind of person he had become, the sensations he invoked in her were…enticing…And it terrified her, that she should feel this way.
Miaka did her best to ignore the weird jangles his touch was sending through her system and stood absolutely still in his grasp, completely at his mercy. [Please Nakago…you have to try to fight this…Don't you remember what we've been through together? she thought at him, sending her plea through the psychic link which they had once shared, desperately clinging to the small chance that he might still be able to hear her.
Unfortunately, only an echoing silence answered her. As before, there was no one on the other end. If indeed, he had even an inkling of what she had said through their bond, he was choosing to ignore it. Her eyes filled with tears as she fought the disappointment which was threatening to overwhelm her. The optimism which she had always held on to buckled under the crushing weight of defeat…
"We were friends…" she whispered brokenly, not caring that her words sounded nothing short of pitiful.
He arched one perfect blonde eyebrow at her and chuckled softly in amusement, "What are you talking about, Suzaku no Miko? I'm your enemy." His ice-blue eyes stared unblinkingly into her hazel ones, "And as for friends…" He leaned over until his face was level with hers, unhurriedly closing the few inches between them as if they had all the time in the world. There was nowhere for her to escape to; impossible for her to turn away…she did not even dare to breathe as he leisurely brushed a light, lingering kiss across her mouth, "…I don't have any."
His actions were sensual and almost affectionate, but Miaka knew that Nakago was playing his twisted mind games with her…frightening her with seductively whispered threats one moment and taunting her with dark, unspoken promises of wicked pleasure beyond her wildest dreams the next; toying with her like a cat does with a mouse.
Suddenly, he straightened and stepped away from her, "Your caretakers are here at last. I was wondering when they were going to come for you," he said evenly, handsome features going from tolerantly amused to impassive in the blink of an eye. He had barely finished speaking when the ground a short distance away began to glow; the light increasing in intensity until it formed a portal from which Chichiri and Tasuki emerged.
Tasuki glared venomously at Nakago for a split-second before swinging his tessen and letting out a battle cry, "DIE! REKKA SHINEN!"
Nothing happened.
No flame came out of his tessen, not even a puff of smoke. The bandit spat out a curse, realising immediately what had happened. Nakago had sealed their powers with a chi-binding spell the moment they had arrived. His weapon was useless, but the fight was not over just yet. It worked once. No reason why it shouldn't work again…especially since that lightning witch ain't around no more to block it for him! Almost faster than humanly possible, Tasuki whipped a dagger out from its hidden sheath and hurled it at Nakago using every ounce of strength and skill he had; watching in satisfaction as a faint look of surprise flickered across the blonde Seiryuu seishi's face as the weapon flew unerringly towards its target…
Miaka screamed.
There was absolutely no way the dagger would miss, unless…
Everything stopped. The dagger hung motionless in mid-air, the blade no more than a hand's-breadth from Nakago's face. The kokoro symbol glowed a brilliant blue on his forehead as his lips slowly curved into a thin, humourless smirk. He eyed the small weapon critically, appearing to inspect it before casually reaching up to pluck it out of the air.
She did not think before she acted, and she supposed it was one of the inherent failings which always got her into trouble…but it wasn't as if she really had a choice. If Nakago made any move to throw the knife back at her seishi…Tasuki would surely die. Miaka was certain of it. She could not allow it to happen. No more! Stop it! She lunged forward, recklessly throwing herself at the blonde shogun, intent only on one thing. Yamete…onegai…She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly from behind. Resting her cheek against his back, tears ran down her face to soak into the heavy fabric of his cloak, "Yamete…Please don't do this. This isn't who you are…" she begged hoarsely.
Nakago froze at the feel of the Suzaku no Miko plastering herself against his body and locking her frail arms around him as though she believed that she could hold him back with whatever little strength she possessed.
The next instant, he was gone from her embrace, and she stumbled forward as she found herself clutching at empty air. A heartbeat later, even before she had taken more than two steps, Miaka let out a strangled whimper as he reappeared behind her with his arm around her neck. The cold, unyielding metal of his wrist-guard pressed against her windpipe hard enough to bruise her throat and cut off her air.
She did not try to struggle. In that moment, Seiryuu's words came back to her, (The only way to break its influence would be for him to kill your precious little miko…) The solution to the problem had been right under her nose all along. The prophecy had to be fulfilled…there was no other way. She almost smiled. If that was all it took…then so be it.
She knew she had to move fast, before either Tasuki or Chichiri attacked Nakago again…and before anyone could stop her.
Miaka grabbed Nakago's hand—the one still holding Tasuki's dagger—with both of her own…and viciously yanked it towards her body; her action so unexpected that he did not even have a chance to counter her. I wish things could have been different…Vaguely, she heard the shocked gasp from Chichiri and the howl of anguish of Tasuki. A single thought formed in her mind through the searing, white-hot pain as the blade plunged into her abdomen, This time, I will be the one who will make the sacrifice…
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Yui screamed, as the damning words appeared relentlessly on the pages of the Shijintenchisho. She slid off the chair and collapsed onto the floor, tears pouring from her eyes as she screamed over and over again. I'm the Seiryuu no Miko and yet…and yet…I'm so useless, I can't even save my best friend! Why did this have to happen! Why?
Tetsuya mechanically sat down heavily beside her, his face pale from shock and disbelief. "This can't be happening…" he whispered his own eyes brimming with the tears he was trying to hold back. Slowly, he wrapped shaking arms around the trembling girl, pulling her unresisting body towards his own and holding her close.
Yui muffled her cries in his chest and wept into his jacket as they clung to each other like two storm-tossed sailors. Her best friend was going to die, and there wasn't anything either of them could do about it. Tetsuya closed his eyes in silent anguish, a part of him unrealistically hoping that Keisuke would never have to find out about his sister.
He had never thought that life could be so cruel…until now.
Nicholas was jolted back into awareness, the transition so abrupt that he was disoriented for a moment. He felt the weight of someone against him and a strange, slick wetness on his hand…
His blinked, suddenly finding himself staring down at Miaka's russet hair…
Vague surprise turned into horror when it dawned upon him that he was holding her up by the throat, his armoured forearm jammed mercilessly against her windpipe. His other hand was—…it was clasped tightly between both of hers, and he knew, with sick certainty, that his fingers were still wrapped around the dagger which was embedded almost to the hilt in her body. Blood ran down over the exposed metal of the blade and over her delicate hands as well as his own; staining them a bright red, before dripping off the end of the handle to splatter on the ground.
Gods…No…
He reflexively released his choke-hold on her and she coughed convulsively, sagging weakly against him as her legs failed to support her. He immediately caught her again and gently lowered her to the ground, handling her with the same care as if she was made of brittle glass. She was trembling with pain and massive blood loss, her breathing coming in uneven, laboured gasps.
She looked up at him with luminous hazel eyes which were bright with pain, appearing unnaturally large in her pale, thin face. "Nakago…I'm so glad…you're okay again. I could not bear it…if we…if we went back to…being enemies…" she whispered painfully, giving him a small, faltering smile and forcing the words out past her bruised throat with the last of her strength. There were black spots dancing in front of her eyes, and they were beginning to encompass her vision. The pain was slowly fading into a dull, distant throb and her eyelids felt very heavy. So tired…cold…
Nicholas was not prepared for the feeling of helplessness that gripped him. For the first time in his life, he was at a complete loss as to what to do. Her life was slipping away right before his eyes; the ground under her becoming discoloured with the rapidly spreading pool of dark red…
Surely there must be something that could be done. Surely…surely there was something he could do to save her, buy her time, anything…even as he searched for options, her eyes drooped shut and a thin trickle of blood seeped down from the corner of her mouth.
There was a time when he had tried to kill her, and would not have batted an eyelid if she did die. In fact, he would have been glad to be rid of her. That was followed by a time when they had embarked on the quest to stop an evil deity and he had been forced to protect her in order to honour a promise. Then, he had continued to protect her even after his debt had been repaid, because he had wanted to…had somehow felt compelled to, although he could not have said why. And now, it seemed that an immense cosmic joke was being played with both their lives. Things had finally come round full-circle, and the Suzaku no Miko was now dying by his hand. Fate always did have a twisted sense of irony.
He clenched his fists, struggling not to show any emotion, fighting not to show how truly afraid he was…No! He wasn't going to let her die on him until he gave the impulsive little idiot a good, stern lecture about following orders. He refused to accept that it was over, because…Because she did not deserve this fate, no matter how clumsy and naïve and exceedingly stupid she was. She had made the ultimate sacrifice to free him from the Kodoku's influence, coming back for him even after he had ordered her to leave and never return…
…Because she was irreplaceable. Cheerful, brave, forgiving, loyal…She was loved by so many people and there was no one else like her…
…Because even though she was annoying at times, he genuinely cared for her and would miss her if she was gone…
…Because they shared a soul bond and she held a part of his soul the same way he held a part of hers…
…Because he had lost the ability to stand idly by and watch her die the moment he had saved her life that very first time…
…Because of any one of a hundred thousand different reasons…
And because, after all they had been through together and all the time he had spent with her, he had finally come to realise that—…Nicholas pushed the thought aside before it could be completed; forcing his mind into a state of absolute focused calm and ruthlessly shutting out awareness of everything around him except Miaka; until the entire universe narrowed down to contain just him and her…
Tasuki and Chichiri watched in frozen horror as their Miko lay bleeding on the ground, dying in the arms of a man whom they had considered an enemy…Everything seemed so unreal, and they stood rooted to the spot as the nightmare unfolded; still unable to bring themselves to believe what she had chosen to do. They could feel her life-force draining away, diminishing until it was almost gone.
Tasuki began to shake violently, "DAMN HIM! I SWEAR I'LL KILL HIM IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!" he snarled savagely, his amber eyes burning with murderous rage. His hands tightened around his tessen, holding it in a death grip as he started forward towards Nakago, who seemed completely oblivious to his presence…Without warning, he found Chichiri's hand around his arm, restraining him with a vise-like grip, refusing to let him progress any further. The monk was holding the staff out and blocking his path with it. Tasuki glared at his fellow seishi, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he screamed, losing control over his rampaging emotions, "LET ME KILL THE BASTARD NOW! CAN'T YOU SEE—"
Chichiri did not turn to face him, and when he spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically hoarse and subdued, cracking under the same immense grief Tasuki himself was feeling, "Matte…Look."
Tasuki jerked and struggled against Chichiri's hold, trying to get free; but the monk was surprisingly strong and he was forced to stand helpless, watching through the hot, bitter tears blurring his eyes, as the blonde man pulled the dagger out of Miaka's limp body...
The blade was coated with her blood…her life. Without even sparing them a single glance and without the slightest hint of hesitation, Nakago brought the sharp edge of the weapon up and slit his own wrist.
Notes:
1) I think the urge to sacrifice herself for the people she cares about is encoded into Miaka's DNA or something...Take for example that evil Miaka incident with Taiitsukun's mirror right at the beginning of the anime series. She stabbed herself with a shard from a broken plate(!). Also, I thought I would include the quotation, "This time, I will be the one who will make the sacrifice..." It's from the anime and she says it after she's duped by the fake Taiitsukun and runs off to try and get the Genbu Shinzaho back from Nakago...
2) And no, this story is NOT going to take a Romeo & Juliet turn...