Image Information: "Stormy night background" by irisb477 license CC BY 2.0
A storm is brewing. The sky is strangely illuminated by a source hidden deep within voluminous dark clouds. Lightning flickers and thunder rumbles. Ravana's senses flare. "Kumbhakarna!" He shouted for his brother.
"Yes, Ravana?" Kumbhakarna appeared, food in hand.
"I think it's time you head out. They are nearby."
Kumbhakarna nodded in consent. "Yes, my lord." He eyed his older brother for a second, sensing there is more.
Ravana sighs. "Kumbhakarna? If you see Vibhishana...just keep an eye out, okay?"
"Of course, brother. He may be a menace but he is our youngest sibling. I'll watch for him. But we both know he is on his way to aid Rama," Kumbhakarna said.
Ravana had something in his hand, which he was twisting, unconsciously. "I know. He and his dubious ideas about dharma. One would think family loyalty would be important for maintaining dharma, but I guess not. You and I were never quite as interested in that stuff, huh?"
Kumbhakarna chuckled. "No, we were not. Meditative and spiritual studies were the worst. Can you believe we spent a century meditating and praying? And all for this." He motioned to his giant form, food in hand. "A gift of sleep."
Ravana smirked. "Look on the bright side, Kumbha, you've found the key to a life full of rest. That doesn't seem too bad."
Kumbhakarna shrugged. "It is what it is." He turned to head out, pausing one more time to say, "Be safe, Ravana."
"You as well." Ravana replied.
And with that Kumbhakarna left to await the incoming army at the city's border. He just barely missed Vibhishana.
Vibhishana had come up with a plan. His instincts were telling him he needed to support Rama, even though that meant betraying his family. He headed to the edge of Lanka's border, chanting Rama's name on the way. He was lucky, because as he approached the edge of the city, the monkey king Hanuman flew by, after a second failed attempt to visit Sita. Hanuman heard Vibhishana saying Rama's name, and came down to him. When Vibhishana explained his motives, Hanuman took him to Rama. They left moments before Kumbhakarna arrived.
Shurpanakha was still with Sita. Sita had suddenly become more nervous than ever, sensing the battle nearing. She refused to look at Shurpanakha, curling her body in the opposite direction. This annoyed Shurpanakha. Why was Sita acting like such a wimp? "You're pathetic," she spat. "You boring woman, you'd prefer to curl in a ball and cry instead of fight? While you're waiting for your husband to save you? Well, guess what, you husband is a terrible man, and he values you about as much as any random toy or jewel. You'll see." She leaned over Sita, taunting her. She still had a gory glamour up, which reflected the damage done to her face by Sita's brother-in-law, Lakshmana. Blood was continuously running down her mutilated face. Every now and then, a scarlet drop would land on Sita, causing her to flinch.
"Back away from me, you evil Rakshasi thing!" Sita cried in a trembling tone.
Shurpanakha bared her teeth. "Or what? You'll snivel some more? You disgust me."
They were interrupted by a great clamor of noise. The army had arrived.
The two sides fought, but with Kumbhakarna, the Rakshasas had a strong upper hand. That is, until Rama appeared. Rama attacked Kumbhakarna in a brutal show of strength. Rama knew he would not be able to defeat Kumbhakarna without some assistance, so he prayed to the gods for help. Luckily for him, they decided to act in his favor. Harnessing that divine power, Rama was able to finally slow Kumbhakarna down. Strike after strike, blow by blow, Rama managed to wound the great giant. Eventually, Kumbhakarna, exhausted and beaten down, was forced back into slumber.
That's when Ravana showed up. "Hello, Rama." He grinned wickedly. "It looks like you've been having a strenuous time out here."
"WHERE IS MY WIFE?" Rama roared. His voiced carried all the way to the gardens, where Sita swooned with relief. Shurpanakha eyed her with distaste.
"Drop the pretense. We know you don't care about Sita in the slightest. You came here to battle me, so that you could steal your wife like you would steal back a favorite toy. So do it. Take her." Ravana shrugged, weapon in hand.
Outraged, Rama screamed and attacked him. The two powerful beings met in the sky, their mighty weapons swinging, every move flickering with magic. Rama's rage was visible in his actions. He advanced aggressively and without fear. Luckily, Ravana was fast, and quite strong himself. Despite his strength and speed, Ravana felt the force of Rama's fury. They fought for hours, but, finally, Rama struck his mark. He stabbed his blade into Ravana's chest, stopping him in motion. The demon king fell to the ground. Rama rejoiced and immediately left to celebrate, abandoning the body of his enemy, and forgetting about his imprisoned wife.
Soon Vibhishana appeared, as did Shurpanakha, who knew that Rama had won and no longer cared about Sita. They knelt down by their two fallen brothers, one who was in a deep, mystical slumber, and the other who lay unmoving in a pool of blood. They remained there all night, keeping vigil over their family.
Rama eventually remembered to send someone to fetch Sita. "Make sure she cleans up before she enters my presence. I want to see her beautiful." After having been forcibly bathed and dressed, to her hurt and indignation, Sita finally appeared before Rama. She moved warily now, but was still willing to embrace her beloved husband. Unfortunately, Rama did not seem to feel the same way.
"Hello, Sita."
She looked up at the husband she loved. "Rama, my love."
He had a condescending look on his face. "Is that really appropriate, Sita?"
Sita looked resigned. "My lord, what do you mean?"
"I know you've been in the bed of my enemy. NO! I don't want to hear your protests. I cannot have a whore as a wife. Go!" Rama snarled.
It was impossible to argue. Sita left, and wandered, dazed, to the edge of the city. There she lingered, listening to the sounds of Rama's celebrations. Alone, Sita contemplated the scenes around her. Rama was behaving like an ignorant fool, raucous and drank. While he partied, the rest of the city suffered. The Rakshasa siblings held each other, mourning, and waited to see what dawn would bring. The city of Lanka, covered in grime and smoke, grieved for their lost ones.
Author's Note: Ravana and Shurpanakha tried to warn her! This is the final chapter, showing the story of the battle between Rama and Ravana. I think we are all familiar with how that story goes, but I wanted to end it on an ambiguous note, where there is a teensy chance that Ravana is still alive. I couldn't kill Kumbhakarna either. I think it makes sense that after fighting for a long time and using up his strength, he finds his consciousness fading and slips back into deep sleep. He is cursed to be awake for only a day after all. I also aimed to show how awful Rama is, because I really dislike that dude. He is terrible to Sita! Finally, I wanted to show that despite Vibhishana's betrayal, he is still a part of the family and loves his siblings. It's just who he is to be pretentious and committed to being virtuous, even if his ideas about virtues are different from Ravana's. Perhaps there will be a sequel, in which Rama gets what he deserves. Thank you for reading.
Bibliography: The Ramayana: Uttara Kanda by Valmiki trans. by Manmatha Nath Dutt
Ramanya online edition, Valmiki
The Ravana Leela by Radha Viswanath
The Divine Archer, Gould