InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ A Rival Returns ( Chapter 32 )

Broken Dreams

 

A chapter dedication to Dreammistress Jade, my 500th reviewer! I'm actually surprised this story is so popular. I figured that killing off Inuyasha and making Kouga an ass would earn me flames from Inuyasha and Kouga fans alike. Guess not huh? I'm certainly not complaining, to date, this is on over 70 fav lists, making it my most popular story ever! Anyhow, you didn't come here to listen to me ramble, did ya? On with the chappie…

 

Chapter 32

 

A Rival Returns

 

He was the greatest creature that had ever lived, save for the great miko Midoriko. He had legions of admirers and followers all across Japan. Women flocked to him, begged him to bed them or marry them. And he refused them all. He was, without a doubt, the most powerful, respected and feared man in Japan. And he was in the company of a pair of…hanyous.

Toga mentally spat the word. Ever since his father had taken him to witness the stoning of one of the abominations, the word had left a bad taste in his mouth. Hanyous. A disease, a plague upon the earth, that's all they are. They are meaningless, trite pests that are created only through the unholy of unions; a human and a youkai.

The very idea that a member of his own race would lower themselves to the level of a youkai disgusted Toga. Humans were made in the image of the Kami themselves. They were the pure, the mighty. It was the humans who kept this world great. It was humans who invented, cultivated, created. All the youkai of the world did was destroy all that the humans created. And the hanyous of the world? They were symbols of the humans too weak to resists the temptations of the damned. Toga had once been approached by a lovely tanooki-youkai with red hair. She had exercised her charms and asked him to give her a son. She had the audacity to ask Toga to assist in the birth of a hanyou.

She had been cast from the village with the threat of purification should she ever look upon Toga again. The youkai were a test of wills to the humans. They were meant to seduce, subdue, to do all in their power to bring forth a world of disorder. A world of youkai was a world of death, lust and primitiveness. Hanyous meant that some humans were allowing such a world to be created. Hanyous meant the world was losing its way.

Toga cast another dark glance over his shoulder, and was surprised to find himself locking his own brown eyes on a pair of sun-yellow ones. Toga's upper lip curled as he snapped his head to face forward. Behind him, Raijin smirked. He had found Toga rather amusing. Raijin was a hanyou, a creature meant to kill. Toga was meant to be pure and peaceful. And yet, it was Toga who had created many of the conflicts between them, and it was Raijin who stepped back and refused to take the monk's bait.

Raijin, to Toga, should have been killed the moment the hanyou Inuyasha woke from his slumber last night. Not only was Raijin a hanyou, but he served Naraku. Never had a being more foul than Naraku existed. And here the hanyou was, walking behind them as if he…

“Stop.” Raijin snapped. Inuyasha came to a halt beside him Kagome quickly reaching for an arrow from her quiver. Toga rolled his eyes and turned to the concerned hanyou. Raijin sniffed the air and growled.

“What is it Raijin?” Kagome asked. Raijin looked up and scanned the skies.

“He's coming…” He whispered. A breeze kicked up around the trees. Inuyasha's hand reached down to grasp the Tetsusaiga. Kagome cocked her bow. Toga reached into his robe for an ofuda.

“Inuyasha, it's been a long time.” A dark voice murmured. The ground behind Toga cracked and split to reveal a white pelt that Kagome remembered all too well. Naraku stared out from the holes in his cloak as Kagome aimed her arrow at his head.

“Surely you don't think that will do any good, do you miko?” Naraku hissed. Kagome didn't fire, but kept her arrow trained on the dark hanyou in front of them.

“What do you want Naraku?” Inuyasha snapped. Naraku fixed Inuyasha with a cold stare.

“I've spent over two years looking for you. Two years of searching, hoping to find the one pathetic hanyou I could never truly defeat. And here you are.”

“Pathetic hanyou? You're one to talk. Without all your Shikon-no-Kakera, you were always weak as I remember.” Inuyasha snorted. Naraku narrowed his eyes.

“Remember? Inuyasha, do you really think you remember? You may remember that which happened three longs years ago, but you have yet to learn what has happened since your…death. There is much you need to know, especially about the young miko you still carry in your company.” Inuyasha instinctively stepped in front of Kagome as Naraku's violet eyes moved over to her.

“She's mated to Kouga, I know that. She told me so herself.” Inuyasha muttered.

“Do you? And just what else has she told you, or not told you? Tell me, Inuyasha, how much has she truly told you about her betrayal? She let the wolf replace you, she let him take your place as the alpha male of your pack. And she not only let him touch her, she even begged him touch her. She gave herself to him as her own free will. She…” Naraku was about to say more, but two things happened in that split second. Kagome's arrow tore through the cloak on his left shoulder, and Inuyasha jumped and slashed at his chest. Naraku leapt back and laughed.

“Does it hurt, hearing the truth? That you were barely gone before she received the wolf with open arms? And now, not only has she betrayed you, but she has even convinced you to leave your cave and go out into the world. Had you stayed in the valley, I may never have found you. But thanks to her, I can take you once again.” Naraku sent out a flurry of tentacles towards Inuyasha. The hanyou met the attack head one and slashed several to shreds, only to be entangled by more.

Kagome notched another arrow in her bow and took aim. But Naraku was a fool. Although Inuyasha was hacking his way through the sea of brown tentacles that had leapt from under Naraku's cloak, Naraku himself was managing to weave his attack through the air, keeping Inuyasha in a zigzag. Any shot towards him might hit Inuyasha. Kagome cursed and lowered her bow.

“Naraku!” Naraku turned his head slightly to glare at the hanyou below him.

“I shall deal with Inuyasha, Raijin. You shall kill the monk and the miko.” Naraku ordered. Raijin knelled on one knee and bowed his head.

“Naraku, I beg of you, please spare Inuyasha and Kagome.” He whispered. Naraku's eyes narrowed to slits.

“You what?” He snarled. Raijin raised his head.

“Neither of them wishes to fight anymore. Inuyasha bears no ill will towards you anymore, and Kagome only wishes to be with him. They do not wish to fight you anymore. Please, let them go.” Naraku growled and wrapped one of the tentacles not holding Inuyasha around Raijin, lifting him up.

“You dare tell me what to do?” Naraku sneered. Raijin winced as the tentacle around his waist tightened. “I created you, Raijin.”

“You did, and I am eternally grateful, Naraku. But I cannot allow them to be harmed when they have done nothing…” Raijin's words were lost to the wind as Naraku flung him away. Raijin hit the ground and rolled.

“You do what I tell you to do!” Naraku roared. “I did not create you to preach about peace, I created you to fight! I am your master, your creator, Raijin! Now obey me and kill Kagome!” Raijin slowly climbed to his feet, a look of shock on his face. He raised a claw to his face.

“I was created only to fight…” He whispered.

“Of course you were, who else could have engineered such a magnificent fusion of grace, beauty and power?” Naraku chuckled. “Raijin, you are the greatest creature I have created in years. I have had many incarnations, but few could hope to match you. Your purpose in life is to kill, and I crafted you to suit that task well. Now, claim your birthright and kill the miko!” Raijin lowered his claw and his eyes glowed a brighter yellow.

“I was created…only to destroy…” He whispered. He turned to stare at Kagome, a ball of lightning forming in his hand. “You are right, Naraku. I was created to kill. It is time to claim my birthright.” With a cry of anger, Raijin flung out his hand and fired the deadly ball of electricity. Kagome barely had time to gasp as the ball of thunder impacted and exploded in a flash of blinding light.

 

I guess I fooled some of ya with the chapter title huh? Well, I'm not going to put the battle with Kouga just yet. But I promise you all, Inuyasha and Kouga WILL have their showdown. There's no way I'm cruel enough to deprive you of that!

 

I spend this chapter focusing a little more on our new supporting cast, Toga and Raijin. My last incarnation, Kagemusha, was a 2-D `Hail Naraku' guy, so I wanted to make Raijin's character complex. I mean come on, finding out you were born for the sole purpose of killing? That'll send anyone on a head trip! As for Toga, he'll be leaving soon, but you'll have to bear his ego for a few more chapters.