Ram never thought that Ravan wouldn't be able to see them. He was just counting down the hours they had before Ravan did see them. As far as he thought, it wouldn't be long. Ravan's palace was positioned relatively high, as if to show his superiority over all other beings. Even if it had been that size though, Mount Suvela was still relatively hidden away from the rest of the mountains and the palace and even the city. It took a keen eye and a knowledge of the topography to be able to spot it.

But Ravan had something else in his helm-a viewing balcony. Ravan had a viewing balcony, Vibhishan told Ram, one of the highest viewing towers in the world. He would be able to survey absolutely everything from that balcony. He could see the borders of his land, he could see all the mountains. He could see his gardens, keep an eye on them. He could keep an eye on his demon army, and he would be able to see if the entire monkey population of the world gathered on his land to wage war-especially if he was expecting it.

"What we need to do, Prabhu Shri Ram, is prepare." Vibhishan began, his voice sounding tired and slightly exhausted. Though he was a devotee, and he would never leave Ram's side, especially if it was asylum offered to him, Vibhishan had grown up and lived the large majority of his life in the palace, with comforts and luxuries, as well as his own side house, being treated and waited upon. Ram noticed this undertone, but did not mention it, much to Vibhishan's relief.

"I agree with Raja Vibhishan," Hanuman began eagerly. "I think we should prepare as much as possible! Ravan will certainly see us, but he won't gain anything from it. We aren't practicing secret tactics, are we? Besides, he must already know that we're somewhere on his land, he just isn't sure where. In addition, our army is currently ready to fight. No more leisure time for them, especially after yesterday. They saw one of their own die without even getting the chance to fight for you, and it's made them ashamed."

Ram nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "The only problem is, " he began thoughtfully. "We do not have much flat land here to practice. We are assembled on a mountain, aren't we? So how will we train? All we can do is march in place, Hanuman, not much else." He sighed, but shook his head. "Nonetheless, if that is what we have to do-let us march in place! I'll teach, and they shall remember the tactics!"

Hanuman nodded along as Angad crossed his arms determinedly. Sugriv picked up his mace, eyes narrowed. "Alright, currently we have many good vanars, but our main generals are visible. They are Sugriv, Raja of the vanar sena, Hanuman, mighty and powerful, Angad, Yuvraj and powerful, and Nal and Neel, both of whom have a great amount of power as well. You will lead our army into battle, you and no one else. We'll set up camp once the war starts around Lanka, and medicine tents and all. Once the more powerful enemies come up-such as Ravan's son Meghnath, perhaps some of his other sons as Atikaya and Narantak, then Lakshman or I will go out. Otherwise, we shall stay near to the army using arrows."

Among the mutterings and murmurings, surrounding the single lamp that they had lit, the sun disappeared into the edge of the sea once more, almost clumsily, slowly, as if regretting its own decision. But the speaking didn't stop, not when the army fell asleep after a day of practicing and being ordered around, not after Ram's eyes started to droop, but he quickly blinked them back open again, and not after the lamp finally went out with a gust of wind. Only one more sunrise, and one more sunset.

-----O-----

"They've got some nerve, those monkeys." Indrajit spat out through gritting his teeth together. "Those monkeys and those two hermits, sending you, Ravan of Lanka, offensive letters. How dare they-those-those imbeciles! Uncultured pieces of swine! They should rot in the Underworld! All of them!" Indrajit wrapped his hands around his throne so tightly that his hand started to slowly drip dark red blood.

Atikaya, Ravan's other son, his body as giant as a mammoth (but his brain was as tiny as a pea), rolled his shoulders threateningly. Atikaya didn't speak much, but not like Lakshman, who liked conserving his words. Atikaya just didn't speak much. Which was good, or else he would be betraying the saying "If you don't have something even somewhat smart to say, then don't say anything at all".

Devantak curled his lip. He hunched over, chewing a large wad of tobacco that made his teeth an ugly brown. He spoke in a deep baritone, a scratchy growl. "I'll tell you father, this entire city seems somewhat tense." He took a few seconds to chew. "As if it's under a spell, an obligation of some sort. The last time I saw something like it, the citizens all looking uneasy and heavy, was when an enemy declared war on us."

Silence greeted Devantak's proclamation, till Prahasta burst into laughter. The entire court, with enlarged eyes, turned towards the laughing general of Ravan's mightiest legion. "What could possibly be so funny," Indrajit muttered to Atikaya (whom he liked because he always listened but never spoke back), ", that even Prahasta is laughing at it?" Well, he found out the answer soon enough.

"Yes-if it's war then it's all for the better!" the war general laughed. "Not only are we much more well numbered than those wild packs of creatures and animals, but we are also so much more well trained than them! What will they have? Sticks and stones, that they think will break our bones! What do we have? Weapons from the Gods themselves! Weapons that they should shudder even thinking about! So if you fret, you are dumb, because whenever someone has declared war on us, they have lost!"

Meghnath smirked and stood up. "Well said, Prahast, well said." he looked around. "But we still have one issue to deal with. That lady, that Father, you say you wish to keep here-" Ravan nodded uneasily. "She still has not submitted to your will, father. But if we use illusions-perhaps she will! Illusions trick minds, and perhaps they will trick hers into being yours." Ravan's eyes sparkled.

"Perfect." he hissed.

-----O-----

Sita looked up as she heard approaching footsteps, and her eyes only narrowed as he saw Ravan's approaching silhouette. She turned away, crawling closer to the tree, her face facing away from him defiantly. Ravan swaggered closer (guys, I almost said shimmied). "Your resistance is futile now! Let me tell you-there is no way that Ram can defeat me now! I am invincible! Immortal! You are now mine!"

Sita growled, her eyes narrowing, drawing up her sleeves angrily, and she maintained the distance between her and the demon king even more than before, folding her hands together so tightly that her knuckles turned as white as fresh enamel. "And I'll tell you this once and again! My Lord shall always defeat you, no matter what happens! I shall always remain loyal to him! Raghav is ten times the man you are, both in might and greatness! I don't care how well you think of yourself, I don't think nearly as well of you!"

Ravan's face whitened angrily, and he gestured his hand almost spasmodically. A large golden plate was brought to him by a trembling servant. "Alright-lady!" he grumbled, pulling the platter closer. "But how will you "lord" defeat me if he's dead!" And with great flourish, Ravan pulled the white cloth off of the platter to reveal the gory head of Ram, eyes closed, blood dripping off of his severed neck.

Sita froze. In mere moments, her entire face paled, and she lunged forward, grasping the plate, the man's head, running her hands in his hair, before finally, in horror, looking up at a triumphant Ravan. Her teeth gritted together as she stood up, covering her hair, which flew around as if she was some fierce goddess. "You despicable demon! You thought that after killing my husband that I would just accept you? Never! Ram is my past, my present, and my future! No matter which Earth he is on!"

But when Ravan walked away, fuming and grumbling, Sita burst into helpless tears. "He's dead-Trijata!" she sobbed as the rakshasi sat beside her. "He's dead, my husband is dead! I'm a widow! I couldn't even do anything about it! Here I am, sitting, being useless while Ram was fighting for me-and now he's DEAD!" She descended into tears again, her entire body shaking with the effort it took to merely sob, to mourn.

But Trijata shook her head, sitting next to Sita. Trijata was the head rakshasi assigned to guard Sita from being taken, and Trijata, somehow, believed that Ram would indeed kill Ravan and restore dharm to the city. Sort of like the Good Dinosaur, except the Good Demoness. "He is not dead, child." Sita looked up and pointed almost exasperatedly and tremblingly to the fallen head, and Trijata simply shook her head again. "He is not dead, child, he is alive. Ravan uses magic, illusion, with the aid of Indrajit. It's all an illusion."

Sita glanced back at the head with wide eyes. How could something so realistic, so gory, be all just an illusion? She touched the hair slightly again, before quickly recoiling, drawing her hand back, looking absolutely disgusted, both with herself and the head. "Not dead." she murmured again. "Illusion?" Sita stared at the head for a few moments, her lip curling. "Yes, and why would he be dead? How could my Ram die so easily? It's impossible! How could I think of him so quickly defeated!" Sita shook her head and curled her arms around herself.

Trijata shook her head. "And if he was dead, the entire city would be celebrating, dear. There would be partying and loud cheers and Ravan would drag you down there to celebrate somehow. And something, child, in your heart would break, slowly, as if a string is cutting it, if your husband did die." Sita nodded, wiping away the last of her tear tracks as Trijata stood up and walked off.

And from somewhere above, from the windows and balcony, a queen watched. The queen of Lanka watched, her face impassive and emotionless. Scenes flashed through her head, black and white as if all the color had evaporated from the world. Her eyes half lidded in feigned disinterest as Ravan brought Sita to Lanka, but her heart burning with something she had felt ever so scarcely before. Pleading with Ravan, hands folded, but face unrelenting, words inaudible. Standing in the shadows, simply staring, as Hanuman burnt Lanka like it was a piece of firewood. Not caring to support Ravan when he asked for his true allies. Mandodari-The impassive queen.

A/N-Hey guys! So this is the new chapter! I had to finish it over two days, because I suck that way, but that's alright! Sometimes I just don't have it in me to write a chapter a day, and I just disperse it so eventually I catch up to whatever number I had in store. You know, now that i think about it, I'll have written the final chapter of this story three days before you all read it. Oh my goodness. You know, if I would have you all bet money on how many chapters there would be at the end of this story, then I would have won big time. You peeps would have said something like 40-and I'd be like-siiiikkkkeeeee. Because it wouldn't be.

Oh my goodness. So here's this infamous chapter. You know, someday, this story will be drowned out by all the folks from the Mahabharat fandom who decide that they want to join this fandom too because it's great. Till then, #Fromthebeginning #Ramayanfromthestart #OriginalRamayanfan