InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ His True Nature ( Chapter 18 )

Broken Dreams

 

Chapter 18

 

His True Nature

 

Youkai grimaced as the scent of Toga's herbs reached his nose. The incense Toga burnt was one of the most foul-smelling things he had ever known. The monk claimed that the herbs were meant to ward off evil spirits and cleanse his soul during meditation. But Youkai secretly suspected that Toga burned the herbs because he knew how much Youkai hated them.

 

“So?” Toga muttered, pouring himself a cup of tea at his shrine. “Why are you here?” he sipped his tea and glared at Youkai from over his shoulder. Youkai sighed. Toga always felt the need to make things difficult. The arrogant monk never made even the slightest attempt to welcome Youkai. He never had, and never would.

 

-Flashback-

 

Youkai sipped his stew and tried futilely to tune out the conversation going on in the front room of Yoshi's hut. The disfigured creature was sitting in the shadows of Yoshi's hut, his mask lying on his lap, head bowed just to make sure. It was that very face that had sparked the argument in the next room. Arguments like this one had raged in Yoshi's hut in the couple weeks since Youkai had been found. Youkai was used to it, sadly.

 

“Toga, don't go…” Yoshi protested. Youkai's head snapped up as the monk slammed open the door to his room and fixed a gaze that would scare the Kami themselves upon Youkai. Toga's lips curled in disgust and pointed a finger at Youkai as he tried to secure his mask around his face. Toga marched forward and snatched the mask from Youkai's hands and flung at over his shoulder, landing in the hands of a nervous headmaster Yoshi. Toga glared at Youkai as Youkai turned his head up to look back.

 

“This…thing has no business among civilized humans,” Toga seethed. “The village is growing restless, the children speak of a monster hiding in your hut Yoshi. It is your duty to ensure the safety of your people, and you are striking fear into them by sheltering this abomination!” Yoshi gulped, but stood his ground.

 

“He is a creature of this earth, Toga. He is a man like you and I, he has the right to live! Surely a so-called monk like you would show respect for the sanctity of all life, youkai or ningen!”

 

“That thing is no man!” Toga snarled. “Kami only knows how much blood he has spilt! Would you welcome a murderer into your own home?!?”

 

“He has done nothing wrong, you judge him on actions he has not even committed!”

 

“I'll go,” Youkai said quietly. Toga opened his mouth to say more, but whipped his head around at Youkai's words. Yoshi gasped.

 

“I beg your pardon?” Yoshi asked. Youkai placed his bowl of stew on the floor and stood.

 

“I do not wish to cause discomfort here. You have shown me kindness, Yoshi, and I thank you for that. But if your people do not wish for me to remain here, then I shall not force them to tolerate me.” Youkai gently took his mask from Yoshi's hands and tied it in the back of his head. That done, he bowed to Yoshi, who bowed back. “Again, thank you for letting me rest here, Yoshi,” he said. He turned to Toga and bowed again. Toga didn't return the gesture.

 

“Leave.” Toga growled. Youkai nodded and slipped out the door to Yoshi's hut.

 

-End Flashback-

 

“The wards you have given me have lost their power,” Youkai said carefully. “I assume you can supply me with more?” Toga sipped his tea again and scowled.

 

“I assume you are not done hiding your filthy hide?” he replied sourly. Youkai sighed.

 

“I do not see what great sin there is in avoiding violence, Toga.” He said. Toga sipped his tea again, then grabbed a few strips of paper from a clay jar in front of him and laid them out on the shrine. Reached for a quill and a jar of dark ink by the side of the shrine, he started to inscribe kanji on the papers.

 

“I trust you have traded enough compensation for these,” Toga muttered, finishing his work. Youkai nodded, and Toga collected the 4 new ofudas together, and handed them to Youkai. Youkai felt his skin tingle as he felt the purity of the ofuda strike his youki.

 

“Thank you.” Youkai murmured, turning to leave. Toga watched him leave, then turned back to his work.

 

“Master Toga?” A small voice asked. Toga didn't even look up from his scrolls as his young apprentice stepped from further within the hut. “Was that Youkai?” the apprentice asked.

 

“Do not fear him Genken,” Toga coaxed. “He will dare not strike a human in my presence.” Genken nodded.

“Is…what you told me about him true?” he asked. Toga smirked as he remembered what he had told the youth about Youkai. He was fairly sure that he was the only one who knew.

 

“Indeed it is Genken. My powers do not lie,” Toga said, sipping the last of his tea.

 

“So…he truly doesn't know?” Genken asked in surprised. Toga chuckled.

 

“If Youkai himself is too dense to discover his true nature, it is not my business to tell him.”