Ruby Tears (Inotan)

He's always been free: Yoshiyuki's struggles raising a demon Part 2

Inosuke returned near the next dawn, the snow storm raged, casting everything gray. Not a single strand of sunlight could cut through the thick clouds as if in answer to the yokai's prayers.

Yoshiyuki searched for hours before returning to his home. His feet soaked through with a biting chill rendering them numb many hours prior. Finding no trace of the demon boy, his footprints wiped away by the storm as fast as they had appeared, the yokai returned to simply wait. Hoping that years living here Inosuke would return to the place he knew he was always welcome.

Yoshiyuki sat holding Inosuke's mask in hand, the large blue stone eyes not providing answers. Setting it to the side when he saw the young boy emerge from the tree line he felt lifted the heavy weight from his heart.

He came home

However something seemed….wrong. The closer Inosuke got the more clear his scent became. The normally summery scent, tainted by something sinister. He smelled of rotting demon.

Rushing forward Yoshiyuki stopped himself before grabbing his son's throat.

"What. Did. You. Do." his voice piercing the howling wind billowing around them.

Inosuke looked up at him, his once sage green eyes seemingly splashed with another color.

Gold, in Inosuke's once pure green eyes, were now shimmering with flecks of gold catching what light there was to be had.

"I found a worthy opponent." He said with a slight quiver, still a child scared to be scolded.

"Come inside, you can explain yourself." The yokai said, placing a firm hand on Inosuke's shoulder, leading him to the burrow.

Back inside their home Yoshiyuki moved to grab a fur blanket to cover the entrance. He would have to find another suitable rock later to replace the one Inosuke crushed.

Looking back to the young man he saw him staring at him, as if waiting for something.

Not breaking eye contact, Inosuke broke first.

"Are ya gonna yell at me?" he said dejectedly. The yokai let out a heavy sigh moving to sit by the young boy.

"No I'm not going to yell at ya, just tell me what ya did when you ran out of here."  He tried as patiently as he could, the smell of demons still filling the air. The more he smelled it the more he began to realize it smelled of another demon, not Inosuke. His bright summer woods smell still slumbering beneath his skin.

What happened out there?

"I-I know what ya did Da..I know how much that meant," the young demon started his face searching for the words to articulate his disparaging emotions.

"I know imma monster, and I coulda killed ya." Inosuke stopped again angrily wiping at the tears on his face. Yoshiyuki placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before leaning to hug him,

"Inosuke, I'm not gonna lie to ya and say yer not a monster to some people." He felt the boy shuddered gripping at the yokai's shirt,

"But to me you've never been one, you've been an excellent son who's always fought against his instincts. Last night proved how strong you are and do ya know what makes ya even more special?" Feeling the boy shake his head violently, the yokai pulled Inosuke's face away from him to look into his eyes.

"Knowing yer capable of great harm and choosing not to cause it. You've never hurt me in a way I couldn't heal, the boars love ya, your family to them, any human to cross your path you just watch em. Ya know that you could have killed them it has to of crossed your mind, you can't lie and say it don't"