𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯 犬夜叉 ♡ ; 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚔𝚞 𝚡 𝚘𝚌

i've fallen from heaven to walk on hell

Mei followed closely behind Kagura, her towel clutched tightly to her chest. She didn't know which direction the two were going, but she continued to walk. Curious, cautious, and calculating each step, she didn't realize how further behind she was growing from Kagura being so transcribed in her own thoughts.

She almost tripped over her own two feet. Kagura on the other hand, kept her focus forward. She could smell the stranger growing closer and closer in proximity. It didn't worry Kagura as it did Mei for Kagura already knew what to expect. The poor creature, still willingly searching for Naraku's forgiveness. It almost made her pity the poor thing.

It begged and begged for Kagura to end its suffering, for it to walk the underworld in mourning of a love it once thought to be true. She could feel its sorrow in its words, but a part of her was relieved that she was not the only one suffering to Naraku's selfish devices. She knew deep down that once the "goal" was finished, so would she be. And knowing that it wasn't just her that would end a fate of drifting into the void made her... Reluctantly, just as bad as he.

But she would never admit it. Never at all.

Kagura paused her steps, causing Mei to practically stumble over her footing. Curiously, she blinked her eyes, looking over Kagura's shoulder while she remained forward.

"Kagu-"

"Shh." Kagura silenced Mei. She held up her fan in protest, motioning her hand to signal Mei forward silently.

"Look in that clearing." she pointed. The creature, with its head down, sobbed its indefinite sorrowful tune. It moaned in pain as the acidic foam seeped out of its eye and darkened the ground in front of it.

Its limbs grew weaker at the attachment site. Barely dangling onto the flesh, one could see what was once pinkened flesh brown and blacken in a spotted fashion. Its fingertips white, the base of its hand a grey-tinted green. Its torture was one of a thousand demons never wished to endure, but here it was. Suffering endlessly until its body naturally gave out.

And considering it was a demon itself, nobody but it knew when that time would come.

"Naraku..." it groaned, "Please free me from this.... It hurts. It hurts so much..."

Mei barely could watch. She knew the name the demon called all too well. Hearing how pained this- this creature was calling out his name made her stomach churn. She gritted her teeth hearing it call him over and over again. She couldn't take it.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! You liar. Naraku didn't do this. Shut up!

Her foot began to move before she realized what she was doing. Kagura only noticed the brisk gust of wind going past her before realizing it was Mei.

"Ah- Mei! What are you doing?" Kagura's eyes grew in agitated worry. This damn girl!

Standing at the edge of the bushes, she watched carefully before interjecting. What was going through your mind, stupid girl?

'"You! Creature. Why do you keep calling his name?"

Mei stood with her arm outstretched. In the offensive position, she gritted her teeth and watched the demon's overall disposition.  Seeing it head-on made her nauseous at the smell alone. It was rotting flesh being burned to the bone. It almost made her vomit but she swallowed whatever reflex came about.

The demon waved its head Mei's direction, revealing its blind eyes. It couldn't even see her, but the clench of its disfigured jaw made it clear it still had its senses.

"You know nothing of Naraku! Speak your reason for calling his name and i'll leave you to suffer quietly!" who, or what, was coming out of Mei to defend Naraku in a way. She felt her cheeks burn but it made her spiral into a possessive rage hearing it continue to call the man who has been good to her. It brought up the conversation with Inuyasha all over again which only infuriated her more.

Without answering her, the demon laughed. It was a pained laughter, but the fondness continued to remain.

"You... Smell of him. You are not him... Yet you clearly are one of him... Tell me, girl. Do you really know of Naraku?" it wheezed in agony. The acid ran down its arm and pooled at what she figured to be its feet.

"I was you, many moons ago. Hopelessly in love with a demon of the underworld who only loves himself. I knew nothing more than to do what he asked, but I didn't ask him was it permitted to fall in love."

Mei backed away, covering her nose as the smell persisted around her. But it was something besides this demon's words that stunk.

"I've killed for him. Pillaged entire villages with my own army from the underworld. I've given him my body countless times before it was resorted to this pile of rotted flesh before you. If I am not mistaken, I was beautiful like you. And I was gullible, like you."

"Naraku was and always will be my first love. And nothing of this world will take that away from me. I can smell that you are of a demon blood. And of an elite one at that. Heed my words, girl. If ye have any sense about you, run far and fast before Naraku uses what you value most, and that's-!"

Before the demon could continue, multiple gusts of crescent-shaped blades flew between the strange demon and Mei. Sheilding herself, Mei jumped behind a thicket of bushes to avoid the blades. Dust surrounded the two, to the point it was nothing but rusted-brown smog blocking her vision.

When the dust cleared, Mei emerged from her covering. She saw the creature, its head tilted back and mouth agape. The acidic foam ceased its production as it laid there finally in death's embrace. She walked up to the creature and only slightly, it could make out a stray tear leaving its misshapen eye and a smile of relief decorating its lips.

As it continued to smile from its release, its body disintegrated into blackened dust, cascading into the winds and back up into the heavens from where she presumed it once came.