InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ Purpose ( Chapter 34 )

Broken Dreams

 

Chapter 34

 

Purpose

 

“I assure you, we will not be here long. I will be departing tomorrow morning, and they will go on their way shortly after.” Toga assured Naomi. The miko was the head of the village along the river leading through the valley. After the battle with Naraku, they had hurried here with Raijin, seeking aid for the injured hanyou. Currently, Toga was negotiating their stay for the night. Naomi smiled and nodded.

“But of course Toga, I would be honored to house your guests for as long as they wish. I wish you a safe journey back to your village.” She replied. She stood and shook hands with Toga. Toga cleared his throat.

“I also offer my sincere apologies on the…diversity, of my companions.” He said, bowing. Naomi sighed. Toga's complete disrespect for youkai was astounding, even after so many years. Naomi's mother Hitomi had raised her in the ways of Buddha. All life was sacred to Naomi and her shrine maidens, even the lives of the youkai and the hanyous. True, many youkai were evil, but not all. Naomi had often consulted and met with traveling youkai in her village, and often found them quite courteous. But Toga was blind to his discrimination, and try as she might have to open his eyes, he remained completely unfair to youkai. At this point, Naomi had accepted that, for whatever reason, Toga would always hate youkai.

“Your apology is accepted Toga. Please, join your companions and rest.” Naomi urged. Toga shook his head.

“I wish to visit your shrine first, Naomi. I wish to offer pilgrimage as forgiveness from the Kami for bringing the hanyous here.” Naomi bit back a sigh.

“As you will, Toga. This way.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“I'm sorry about this.” Kagome muttered. Raijin grunted and hissed as her fingertips brushed against the black scar she was bandaging. The hanyou had his kimono off and was clad only in his blue hakama, letting Kagome dress his wound. The hanyou had regained consciousness upon arriving at the river village, and Kagome had requested healing herbs and medicines from the mikos. The two of them and Inuyasha were now at the house of the village mistress Naomi, which doubled as both a home and a temple. Naomi had greeted Inuyasha and Raijin with surprisingly good will.

It's alright, I'll live.” Raijin assured her. Inuyasha looked over what bit of the burn had yet to be bandaged.

“Yeah, but I'll bet it really hurts.” He said to himself. “Why did you risk death to save me?” He asked. Raijin sighed.

“I was created to kill. And yet I could not simply allow myself to let you die when I could have prevented it.” He looked over his shoulder at the hanyou and miko. “Is that odd? To defy what, for all intents and purposes, I ought to enjoy?” He asked. Kagome scowled at the question.

“Don't listen to Naraku, he'll say anything to get what he wants. Who knows what he really created you for? And it doesn't really matter anyway, what does matter is what you want to do.” She replied. Raijin nodded.

“Naraku wants you dead, both of you.” He told them. Inuyasha snorted.

“Yeah, he's wanted that for what, it's been five years now Kagome?” Kagome nodded. “He won't give up, he can't. Onigumo's lust and hatred is all that fuels him, even if he no longer has a human heart. He was created by anger, hatred and evil, and it's all he knows. He doesn't stop trying to kill us because that's all he can do. It's what he was created for; doing with his life what Onigumo couldn't with his. He'll keep killing and killing until he dies.”

“So we are truly one and the same, even beyond my being his incarnation.” Raijin mused. “We are bound by our creation, and cannot escape it.”

“No, I'm saying that you two are entirely different.” Inuyasha explained. “Naraku may have been different when he was born, but he allowed Onigumo's desires to overwhelm him. You didn't let yours overwhelm you, instead you fought your desire to kill and saved me. Naraku let himself be controlled by his creation, but you don't have to do the same.”

“So if I do what I am meant to do, I will become as evil and hollow as Naraku.” Raijin spat. “And if not, then I have no purpose for living and might as well die right now.”

“That's not true!” Kagome said sharply. “Haven't you been listening to anything we've said? Just because you don't want to fulfil your original purpose doesn't mean you have nothing to live for! You create a new purpose, one you do want to fulfil. Do you think I was created for a purpose? It doesn't matter, because I make my own purposes.” She said. Raijin grunted as she finished wrapping his wound. He got up and picked up his kimono.

“So if my life is truly my own, then Naraku has no control over me.” He muttered. “And yet…” He leaned his head back to catch a glimpse of the spider mark on his back. “I thank you both for your words, Kagome. Inuyasha.” Raijin pulled on his kimono and slipped out the door. He turned to slide the shoji shut, then turned around again, bumping abruptly into Naomi. Raijin gulped and bowed.

“Forgive, lady miko.” He said. Naomi nodded.

“Are you the incarnation of Naraku Toga spoke of?” She asked. Raijin's eyes clouded as he stood up.

“I am, but I ask that you please not associate me with him any longer. I am not an ally of Naraku anymore, and do not wish to be grouped with him.” Naomi nodded, but wasn't really paying attention. She frowned and reached out to Raijin's shoulder, running her hand up in, just above the skin.

“Your aura…” She murmured. “Both of your have such strange auras…”

“Both of us who?” Raijin asked.

“You and the other hanyou, Inuyasha. You have such odd auras. Your youki and his, they are like nothing I've ever seen before…”

“What do you mean?” Raijin asked, puzzled. Naomi smiled slightly and shook her head.

“I know it is impossible for youkai and hanyous to achieve such a thing, but both of you are so close it's scary. Your youki are the most…” Naomi's hand stopped it's trek at Raijin's cheek. “They are almost…pure.” She murmured. Raijin's eyes glanced down at her hand.

“That is impossible, and youkai or hanyou with a pure aura would die.” He said. Naomi shook herself from her trance and pulled her hand away.

“Yes, this I know. But only youkai die when they have pure auras. When hanyous manage to purify their auras…” She stopped herself and walked away.

“What happens?” Raijin demanded. Naomi turned around and smiled.

“I don't know. Some say that they will die, some say they will lose their youkai powers and become ningen. But no one can be sure, for there has never been a hanyou with a pure enough heart to purify their aura completely. You are Inuyasha are the closet I have seen, but there still lies darkness within both of you. I personally believe that if a hanyou were to purify their heart and thus their aura, they would tap into their true powers. But there has never been a hanyou pure enough…” Naomi stared at Raijin for a moment before leaving again. Raijin watched her go, her words echoing in his ears. He stared down at his claws.

“Inuyasha's darkness stems form his youkai side. But I have no youkai side.” Raijin whispered. “So…where does my darkness come from?”