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Doppelganger pt.I
Night – black as ink and hiding the once cheerful world in a thick mass of fear of the unknown creatures that lurk within it. Darkness sweeping up to caress my fitting boots, it toiled painstakingly at unnerving my very being and reminded me of the dreadful things I dreamt of as a child. My only comforting companions would be the looming stars above, glistening proudly in their glory before the moon could dawn over the mountaintops and deem them nothing compared to its bewildering beauty.
It’s been two weeks since we’ve left Kaede-sama’s village, and I could say I was far from homesick. At that moment we were lodging at the house of a familiar headman in the town of Kasasagi. Beautiful village – not so beautiful woods surrounding it. The six of us had all gone to patrol different areas around the village to ward off any unwanted visitors from the foreboding forest. Sure there was little that Shippo-chan and Kirara could do, but two extra pairs of eyes never hurt anyone. As for myself, my post lie at the back borders of the village, rundown with broken carts and clawed trees that stay poised downheartedly to the side of the woods. I had to remain vigilant while guarding the area, posting up the special ofudas houshi-sama had instructed me to place on the trees in order to erect a barrier around the village.
The moon was just beginning to show itself, illuminating the sky only somewhat against its dark and ominous attitude. Still dark, I could make out the silent taps of approaching footsteps, human apparently, and only a few yards away from the tell. Straining against the darkness, I was relieved to hear a familiar chime – the sound associated with houshi-sama’s shakujo. Carelessly I walked towards it in the thought of reuniting with another companion, when I realized as I pushed forwards the careless chiming past me yet the footsteps remained ahead of me. I turned back to squint into the rhythmic sound’s direction to see the outline of what seemed to be a beaten up wind chime.
Before I knew it the footsteps had drawn dangerously closer, much closer, and than stopped. I paled, knowing full well that if it were any of my companions they would have said something by now. Grieving whatever fate I would face after this point, I reluctantly turned to come face to face with … - her hazel eyes bore straight into mine as we stood the same height, an assortment of black and red material clinging tightly to her strong, tone form, while lifted dark brown hair cascaded from its rosy hair band to the small of her back.
I was face to face with myself.
Bewildered I took a step back, blinking in confusion when this mirage or whatever hallucination I was having didn’t go away – in fact, it kicked me - hard - in the gut, causing me to double over in pain. Not missing a beat she went for another kick to my lowered head, but quickly I flung myself backwards in a crouch-looking summersault, landing on all four limbs, “Are you another one of Naraku’s illusions?”
“You could say that,” came the reply in my own voice. “Naraku was the one who merely took me out of hiding, you are the actual one who created me.” I got to my feet as she started walking towards me. “You see Sango, I’m your doppelganger.” She swung out at me with a right jab, leaving me little time to swerve to the side and dodge.
“My doppelganger?” I nearly hissed back, frustrated at seeing so many of my attacks exemplified in her fighting. If I kicked to the right she’d block it with the left, and so on in that continuous pattern that results in nothing but a loss of energy. She snickered maliciously at my efforts, “Hai – I’m your inner self, the part of you that is bottled up and nearly disowned, the one who longs for selfish desire and violent lust. I am your opposite; I am the stars when you are the moon – overpowered but still waiting for the time to shine when you are gone.”
She knew I would pause, if just for less than a second, to absorb her words. Using this to her advantage she grabbed my wrists with one hand and struck a blow to my side with the other, bringing out a painful wail from my lips. “I know everything about you, Sango,” she purred as my legs buckled from the sting. “Like how you still haven’t completely healed from this bear wound on your side. I know your attacks, methods, style, weaknesses …” I gritted my teeth and leered up at her, unable to move and feeling completely vulnerable at the hands of non other than my own person. She beamed in confidence, lowering her face to be closer to mine, “Yes, I know a great deal about your weaknesses … your emotions. Hmhm, oh what lovely things I could do to that houshi of yours,” she giggled coldheartedly and nipped my ear.
“Don’t touch me! Or him!!” the venom in my voice was clear, utter rage and hatred consuming my entire being that shook from the force. She laughed, caressing the side of my face to only withdraw and bring it back in a stinging slap, “You’ll do right to keep quiet when I’m speaking. Are you aware that when a creature meets its doppelganger one of them must die? Who do you think is going to kill who here, hm?”
Angered beyond belief, I could do nothing but glare at her. What more could I do? She knew everything, knew what move I would make next, knew how to hurt me both mentally and physically. She was looking casually but cruelly into my eyes as well, most likely trying to devise some kind of torture. Soon enough her expression lit up as she gave a wickedly broad smile, “I know exactly what to do! You’re in luck - you don’t have to die just yet.”
Still with her hand at my wrists, she threw me over so my back hit soundly against the base of a tree. Next she uncoiled the cloth that was bound at one end of the hiraikotsu, using it to tie my wrists painfully above my head from the stub of a branch. She laughed as I made another futile attempt to kick out at her, “Now now Sango, the more you struggle the more tempting it is for me to kill you on the spot. So stay here and shut up before you ruin my plans.”
“Go to hell you – mph!” she forced the fabric around my mouth, securing it behind my head. Once more she struck at my side, testing out her work as I yelped into the cloth but nothing was heard. “For your crude language you’ll be tortured before death. And than again, why should one go out alone when I can take two birds out with one stone?”
Confused and pissed, I struggled against my bindings while she walked a fair distance away but was still in my line of vision. Turning, my sinister look-alike grinned at me before letting out an echoing scream. I winced, wishing I could hold my ears, ‘What on earth is she doing?’ My questions were soon answered however, when the sound of rapid footfalls and violently clinking chimes reached my ears. The blood drained from my face while my breath hitched. ‘Kami-sama, please say she’s not going to … ’
“Sango!” as she reached out a figure clothed in loose fitting robes came to hold her in a protective embrace. “Are you alright? Why did you scream?” She looped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his keso, “A youkai just snuck up on me, it’s dead now. Thank you for coming to my aid, houshi-sama.” He smiled in relief and hugged her tighter, “I’m just glad you’re safe.”
My heart let out a sickening pulse of pain at the sight, my struggle to free myself rubbing my wrists raw. What was she going to do?! What could I do?! She said she was going to take two birds out with one stone – than what were her intentions!?
“So did you put up all the ofudas I asked you to?” He asked her quietly, glancing around the trees and nearing the one I was tied to. She quickly reached up her hand to blind him from the area, cupping his cheek and turning his eyes back to hers, “Hai. Ano … Miroku …?” he gave her a shocked expression to hear his name, but his eyes softened as she continued, “We haven’t had time alone in a while now. Would you mind staying here … like this … with me?”
‘No!’
He smiled coyly back at her, lifting his cursed hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, “Of course Sango, how could I decline such an offer?” Before he could withdraw his hand she clasped it in her own, turning her face to gently kiss his palm, watching as the houshi’s brilliant eyes widened, if not slightly.
‘She’s not who you think!Houshi-sama!’ Desperately I tried to remove the gag with the edge of my shoulder guard.
“You seem surprised, Miroku,” she purred at him, bringing up her arms to circle his neck again. Appearing confused houshi-sama brought his hands to her waist, “Well, I am – two shockers in one night. You called me by my actual name opposed to my title, and you’re also not blushing at all.”
‘Exactly!! That’s because she’s not me!!’
She smirked suggestively up at him, “Perhaps that’s not the only surprise you’ll get tonight.” Without a moments hesitation she brought her hand to his chin and tilted his head down until their noses were practically touching. My wrists were beginning to bleed. Houshi-sama was distracted, dazed in the moment, while something glinted in the moonlight behind him, near his neck. Through her methods of seduction my doppelganger had managed to reveal her hidden arm blade without notice and had it poised to slash at him.
The gap between them drew shorter, my eyes began to water in panic, the blade rose for a strengthened cut -
“HOUSHI-SAMA!!”
His eyes snapped open in realization, the cloth around my lips floated limply to the ground, the blade swung and missed by a hair as he ducked out of the way.
Houshi-sama frantically looked among the trees until spotting me, hurrying over while completely forgetting about the other Sango. While reaching me his expression turned from fright to a mix of concern and distress at seeing my sticky red wrists and tear worn face. Reaching up to unfasten the cloth, he caught me as I fell and finally broke down in a fit of tears, clutching to him madly. His embrace tightened, “Sango … I’m so sorry I didn’t – I couldn’t sense any demonic aura from her. I thought – how long were you - …”
I managed to collect myself somewhat, to ashamed to face him, “S-she was my doppelganger – my opposite. Naraku did something to manifest her into a living form.” Houshi-sama looked around suspiciously, unable to see the other Sango. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. It looks like she’s gone, but one can never be too careful.”
Hurriedly houshi-sama led me out from the broken remains of the back of the village, the doppelganger still a mystery to be kept for another day
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