InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Deep Woods ❯ Chapter 4
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By: Silly1 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.14.2011 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 273 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 01.14.2011 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 273 | Status: Work In Progress
In Deep Woods, 4:
When Kagome came to check up on Trace, about a month later, Fenn could barely raise his head. It was more, apparently, than Trace ever did. Kagome beamed at him.
“You’re looking better,” she commented, bustling over to check his—pulse?—and feel his forehead. She had something in a bag which, if Fenn had been feeling better, he might have been curious about. As it was, he grunted softly and let his eyes drift closed.
He had a new respect for Trace, who had endured this level of powerlessness for centuries. It was all Fenn could do to hold Trace’s shape. Luckily, Kagome did not have the sharp nose of her youkai husband. Fenn didn’t think he was capable of keeping up the scent illusion on top of the visual one.
Trace must have found Megumi. The fact that Kagome had waited this long to make her usual rounds indicated that Megumi had not, after all, gone to her grandmother and revealed that she had her memories restored. That would have resulted in some spectacular explosions, not necessarily from Kagome, but from the rest of that volatile clan.
So now the fun could begin. Fenn was actually a little impressed with Trace for going immediately to Megumi. If their roles had been reversed, Fenn would have used his freedom to gorge himself on life, to the detriment of every essence that crossed his path. Love was a concept Fenn wasn’t sure he truly understood. He felt affection for some of these creatures, which he blamed on Inuyasha’s—and Kagome’s—influence. But love?
“I brought you a fish.” Kagome knelt beside him and dug into her giant bag.
Fenn cracked an eye open and glimpsed an assortment of things: towel, soap, a potted plant, and, wrapped in layers of plastic, which is why he hadn’t smelled it, the fish, freshly caught and only recently dead.
Fenn stretched out a hand to touch it, only realizing his mistake when Kagome’s eyes widened. Trace never accepted her offerings until after she was gone, so she never saw him actually take in their essence.
“My, you are feeling better,” she murmured, as Fenn let his arm drop to his side. “Let’s get you cleaned up a little first, and then you can have your dinner.” She smiled brightly, placing the still-wrapped fish carefully in the bottom of her bag and taking out the towel and soap. “Just lie back,” she instructed him.
While she worked, she kept up a steady chatter of news from the outside world, and tidbits about her family. Fenn kept his eyes closed as he let the words wash over him. Kagome never changed. “Soon it will be Inuyasha’s and my turn to go back to the house in the States,” she told him, deftly turning him on to his side so she could wash his back. “Don’t worry, though. Megumi will take my place.”
Megumi? “No,” Fenn croaked, remembering to answer in Japanese. Trace would have spoken to Kagome in Japanese, if he spoke at all. Judging by Kagome’s sharp intake of breath, speech was not one of Trace’s strong suits. She recovered quickly, however.
“No?” she repeated, keeping her tone light and even. “Well, maybe I can talk Inuyasha into delaying our move for a little while.” She gazed thoughtfully at Fenn/Trace. “Are you finally ready to talk with me?”
It was time to begin the game. Fenn had no intention of continuing Trace’s stubborn silence. What fun would that be? By the same token, he did not want Kagome to catch on to his deception too quickly. Let Fenn have his time with Megumi. He owed the girl that much for stealing her memories. If he were honest with himself, he owed Trace, too. Trace was the same as he was; Trace was a part of him. Yet he had condemned Trace to this hell for five centuries.
It was better than killing him, he supposed.
“Yes-s,” he hissed slowly, letting his eyes focus on Kagome’s face.
With a surprised squeal, Kagome leaped up. “I knew it! I knew this day would come! I should call Megumi. She’ll want to know. She’s been asking about you, you know.”
“Don’t.” Fenn/Trace’s voice came out all scratchy.
“You’re right, of course. If you’re ready to talk, then Megumi should not be the one to hear it. She has no recollection of what you did to her, and I’m afraid talking about those times might trigger painful memories better left alone. No, I should be the one you talk to. I’ll just tell Inuyasha there has been a change in plans.” Kagome was babbling. Fenn almost smiled.
She scrabbled about in her bag, taking out the fish and the little plant. “I’ll leave these for you. Next time I’ll bring you some clean clothes. You’ll wear them, right?”
Fenn nodded wearily. He was tired, and he wanted her offerings in the worst way. Idly, he wondered why Trace had never stolen energy right from Kagome. She certainly wasn’t shy about laying her hands on him. His skin felt scrubbed raw.
He reached out and touched her cheek, gently, with no ill-effect, so he attempted a small draw, not much, just enough to siphon some much-needed energy to replace some of what he had given Trace. Nothing happened. He couldn’t pull any energy off of Kagome!
Was it because he was so weak—or because Kagome was a powerful miko? It must be because he was so weak right now. There was no creature on earth that could withstand Fenn if he so desired it.
Kagome hadn’t seemed to notice Fenn’s futile attempt. She patted his hand where it rested on her cheek. “I’ll be back soon. Then we’ll talk.” She rose to leave, paused, and turned back. “Trace?” Her voice was uncertain. “I’m glad.”
As soon as she passed the barrier to the cave, Fenn lunged for the fish, tearing at the plastic. He absorbed what small amount of essence was left in it until not even the outer shell remained. It disappeared in a sprinkling of dust motes. He did the same thing to the plant, leaving only the empty pot. Then he felt marginally better. If Kagome kept feeding him, he could be out of here in no time. Trace was a fool.
Only Fenn didn’t want to leave just yet. He tested Kagome’s barrier at the front of the cave. It threw up sparks and actually held him in. For now. Smiling in satisfaction, Fenn made his way back to Trace’s spot in the darkened cave and put his hands behind his head. He was clean, fed, and had set things in motion. Not a bad first day.
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When Kagome came to check up on Trace, about a month later, Fenn could barely raise his head. It was more, apparently, than Trace ever did. Kagome beamed at him.
“You’re looking better,” she commented, bustling over to check his—pulse?—and feel his forehead. She had something in a bag which, if Fenn had been feeling better, he might have been curious about. As it was, he grunted softly and let his eyes drift closed.
He had a new respect for Trace, who had endured this level of powerlessness for centuries. It was all Fenn could do to hold Trace’s shape. Luckily, Kagome did not have the sharp nose of her youkai husband. Fenn didn’t think he was capable of keeping up the scent illusion on top of the visual one.
Trace must have found Megumi. The fact that Kagome had waited this long to make her usual rounds indicated that Megumi had not, after all, gone to her grandmother and revealed that she had her memories restored. That would have resulted in some spectacular explosions, not necessarily from Kagome, but from the rest of that volatile clan.
So now the fun could begin. Fenn was actually a little impressed with Trace for going immediately to Megumi. If their roles had been reversed, Fenn would have used his freedom to gorge himself on life, to the detriment of every essence that crossed his path. Love was a concept Fenn wasn’t sure he truly understood. He felt affection for some of these creatures, which he blamed on Inuyasha’s—and Kagome’s—influence. But love?
“I brought you a fish.” Kagome knelt beside him and dug into her giant bag.
Fenn cracked an eye open and glimpsed an assortment of things: towel, soap, a potted plant, and, wrapped in layers of plastic, which is why he hadn’t smelled it, the fish, freshly caught and only recently dead.
Fenn stretched out a hand to touch it, only realizing his mistake when Kagome’s eyes widened. Trace never accepted her offerings until after she was gone, so she never saw him actually take in their essence.
“My, you are feeling better,” she murmured, as Fenn let his arm drop to his side. “Let’s get you cleaned up a little first, and then you can have your dinner.” She smiled brightly, placing the still-wrapped fish carefully in the bottom of her bag and taking out the towel and soap. “Just lie back,” she instructed him.
While she worked, she kept up a steady chatter of news from the outside world, and tidbits about her family. Fenn kept his eyes closed as he let the words wash over him. Kagome never changed. “Soon it will be Inuyasha’s and my turn to go back to the house in the States,” she told him, deftly turning him on to his side so she could wash his back. “Don’t worry, though. Megumi will take my place.”
Megumi? “No,” Fenn croaked, remembering to answer in Japanese. Trace would have spoken to Kagome in Japanese, if he spoke at all. Judging by Kagome’s sharp intake of breath, speech was not one of Trace’s strong suits. She recovered quickly, however.
“No?” she repeated, keeping her tone light and even. “Well, maybe I can talk Inuyasha into delaying our move for a little while.” She gazed thoughtfully at Fenn/Trace. “Are you finally ready to talk with me?”
It was time to begin the game. Fenn had no intention of continuing Trace’s stubborn silence. What fun would that be? By the same token, he did not want Kagome to catch on to his deception too quickly. Let Fenn have his time with Megumi. He owed the girl that much for stealing her memories. If he were honest with himself, he owed Trace, too. Trace was the same as he was; Trace was a part of him. Yet he had condemned Trace to this hell for five centuries.
It was better than killing him, he supposed.
“Yes-s,” he hissed slowly, letting his eyes focus on Kagome’s face.
With a surprised squeal, Kagome leaped up. “I knew it! I knew this day would come! I should call Megumi. She’ll want to know. She’s been asking about you, you know.”
“Don’t.” Fenn/Trace’s voice came out all scratchy.
“You’re right, of course. If you’re ready to talk, then Megumi should not be the one to hear it. She has no recollection of what you did to her, and I’m afraid talking about those times might trigger painful memories better left alone. No, I should be the one you talk to. I’ll just tell Inuyasha there has been a change in plans.” Kagome was babbling. Fenn almost smiled.
She scrabbled about in her bag, taking out the fish and the little plant. “I’ll leave these for you. Next time I’ll bring you some clean clothes. You’ll wear them, right?”
Fenn nodded wearily. He was tired, and he wanted her offerings in the worst way. Idly, he wondered why Trace had never stolen energy right from Kagome. She certainly wasn’t shy about laying her hands on him. His skin felt scrubbed raw.
He reached out and touched her cheek, gently, with no ill-effect, so he attempted a small draw, not much, just enough to siphon some much-needed energy to replace some of what he had given Trace. Nothing happened. He couldn’t pull any energy off of Kagome!
Was it because he was so weak—or because Kagome was a powerful miko? It must be because he was so weak right now. There was no creature on earth that could withstand Fenn if he so desired it.
Kagome hadn’t seemed to notice Fenn’s futile attempt. She patted his hand where it rested on her cheek. “I’ll be back soon. Then we’ll talk.” She rose to leave, paused, and turned back. “Trace?” Her voice was uncertain. “I’m glad.”
As soon as she passed the barrier to the cave, Fenn lunged for the fish, tearing at the plastic. He absorbed what small amount of essence was left in it until not even the outer shell remained. It disappeared in a sprinkling of dust motes. He did the same thing to the plant, leaving only the empty pot. Then he felt marginally better. If Kagome kept feeding him, he could be out of here in no time. Trace was a fool.
Only Fenn didn’t want to leave just yet. He tested Kagome’s barrier at the front of the cave. It threw up sparks and actually held him in. For now. Smiling in satisfaction, Fenn made his way back to Trace’s spot in the darkened cave and put his hands behind his head. He was clean, fed, and had set things in motion. Not a bad first day.
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