InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ Stranger in a Strange Place ( Chapter 28 )

Broken Dreams

 

Urusei, or, an alternate spelling of Urusai, means `shut up'. So this chapter is hereby dedicated to InuKagPar4Life.

 

Chapter 28

 

Stranger in a Strange Place

 

“I remember being attacked by the spider heads, but I can't remember the name of that girl…” Inuyasha murmured. Kagome thought, then snapped her fingers.

“Nazuna.” She declared gleefully. Inuyasha nodded and returned to searching for anything else he couldn't remember. Toga walking in front of them kept shooting them glances over his shoulder. Finally reaching the breaking point, Toga stopped and turned, crossing his arms.

“Why?” he asked. Inuyasha and Kagome looked up.

“Why what?” Kagome asked.

“Why did you help all those people? You're a hanyou, you're supposed to kill. Why would you do those things and expect nothing?” Toga repeated, looking at Inuyasha.

“It was the right thing to do.” He murmured.

“Why do you care? Ningen and youkai alike shunned you, cast you out of society, and yet you have risked your life to save both. Why?” Inuyasha hung his head. He himself didn't really understand. At first he did it because Kagome told him to, and he wanted to shut her up. Then he did it just because it seemed natural. Looking back, Inuyasha couldn't think of a true reason. Luckily, Kagome had an answer ready.

“He did it because he's noble and pure. He saved those that others would have left for dead.” She informed Toga. Toga narrowed his eyes.

“You call that thing pure? There is nothing pure about him. He's a symbol of all that is tainted.”

“Tainted? And just what makes Inuyasha tainted? His blood?” Kagome asked. “His blood is what makes him pure. His parents cared about each other enough to discard what others thought and be together. They died because they loved each other enough to do what they felt was right. Inuyasha is proof enough that not everyone in this world is ruled by social patterns like you.” Inuyasha shuffled his feet and stared at the dirt at Kagome's praise. Kagome had forgotten he was even there, and now that she was done chewing up Toga's morals, she was wishing that she had waited until she was alone with Toga to tell him off.

“They discarded their honor to create something that never should have existed.” (1) Toga growled. “End of discussion.” Toga spun and started walking again, clearly a dismissal to the miko and hanyou behind him. Kagome sighed and started up when Inuyasha took a step forward.

“Thank you.” Inuyasha said. “For defending me.” Kagome shrugged. She didn't really think about it that much. To her, Inuyasha's life really was a symbol of purity. His father and mother had loved deeply enough to die for one another. How anyone could see that as impure, Kagome simply couldn't understand.

“I meant every word.” Kagome assured him. Up ahead, Toga looked up at the sun. It was starting to set behind the distant mountains. They had been traveling after a short break when they found Inuyasha.

“We will not reach the village by nightfall.” He announced. He turned to face the two behind him. “We'll have to find a place to rest for the night.”

“Perhaps I could assist you with that.” A silky voice said. Toga turned to face a man that had appeared out of nowhere into the middle of the path. A sun-yellow kimono was wrapped around his shoulders with a light-blue lining that was almost white. He wore a pair of light-blue sandals and a blue sash to hold his kimono together over broad shoulders.

He had a sea of yellow hair streaming down his back, running all the way to the waist. Two yellow eyes looked Toga over, two light-blue streaks coming from the bottom of his eyes to level with his mouth, like a pair of giant fangs. His ears rose to points, and a pair of small fangs gleamed in the corner of his mouth. His entire skin was tanned bronze, and heavily muscled. His face held a sense of serenity over it, a sense of peace.

Kagome looked over Toga's shoulder at the newcomer, and frowned. He was a youkai; and judging from the pulse of his youki, a powerful one. Except that there was something else about him…it took Kagome a moment to figure it out. His youki was similar to Inuyasha's; he wasn't a true youkai, he was a mere hanyou.

“Get back you vile fiend!” Toga roared, reaching into his robes for a sutra. “Take another step, and I'll purify you into the next world!” The hanyou held up his hands and sighed.

“Maintain your peace monk. I do not fear your power, and do not wish to experience it. Please desist, for you have no need to fear me.” Kagome rolled her eyes and stepped from behind Toga. Negotiating with youkai obviously wasn't Toga's strong suit.

“Do you know of a place where we can spend the night?” She asked. The hanyou shifted his gaze from Toga to Kagome, and bowed with his right hand crossed to his left hip.

“Salutations, miko. It is good to see that the monk's hostility is not shared by his companions. Indeed I can help; there is a cabin nearby within this forest. It is abandoned, but will prove enough to safeguard this night. In exchange for a price, I can lead you there right now.” Toga narrowed his eyes.

“And just what price did you have in mind you monster?” He snarled. The hanyou ignored Toga and looked past him and Kagome at Inuyasha.

“You are the hanyou known as Inuyasha, correct?” He asked. Inuyasha nodded.

“Yeah, what of it?” He replied. The hanyou bowed again, his hand crossing to his hip.

“I merely wished to offer you proper greetings. And in response to your question monk, the price I desire…is combat. Prepare yourself, Inuyasha.” Electricity crackled around his hidden hand as a ball of yellow light appeared in his palm. His eyes glowed as his pupils narrowed to thin slits. Kagome gasped as his youki pulsed.

“Inuyasha, watch out!” She cried, spinning around. But it was too late.

“Kobushi no Raidin!” Raijin flung up straight and held out his arm, flinging a ball of lightning straight at Inuyasha.

 

1; Having done a bit of research on Japan in my younger days (more like when I was 8 years old, geez, I sounded old there! `My younger days'?), and honor was of great important. For example, a samurai had 2 swords, and if he lost one, he was expected to kill himself with the other! They claimed he had dishonored his sword by losing it, and death was the price of dishonoring the blade! Honor was a big thing back then.

 

Translation

 

Kobushi no Raidin; Fist of Thunder.