InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Deep Woods ❯ Chapter 12

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

In Deep Woods, 12:


“You shouldn’t love me.”  Trace rolled over in the grass, which withered at his touch.  “Why do you love me?  I’m not like you.”

Megumi looked at him in surprise.  “Yes, you are,” she said.  To prove it, she kissed him quickly.

To prove her wrong, Trace held the kiss a little longer, until she felt the drain on her energy.  “No.  I’m not,” he said quietly.

They lay in each other’s arms, watching clouds scud by.  It was a perfect day.  “You are.”  Megumi wouldn’t let the subject drop.  “All of us live by using energy in one form or another.  Yours is just more—direct.”

Only Megumi could see it in such a way.  “What if I no longer had this body?”  Trace asked, letting his physical self slowly fade away until only his essence remained, an insubstantial swirl which he wrapped around her, careful not to draw any energy away from her.

“You would still be you,” Megumi replied complacently.

Trace gave up.  His body took on its usual form and he relaxed against her.  Maybe this could work after all.


x   x   x   x   x   x


“I’m telling you they were here!”  Inuyasha’s voice bellowed just outside the cave, and Fenn winced.

“And I’m telling you you’re wrong!”  Kagome yelled right back.  “How could Kazuki have gotten past my barrier. . .”  Her voice trailed away.  Kazuki had never been stopped by her barriers, not even when he was little.   “Why would Kazuki be here of all places?” she amended, adding a little heat to her voice to make up for her lack of argument.

“I smelled Megumi too,” Inuyasha stubbornly maintained.

“Look,” Kagome sounded exasperated.  “I’ll prove it to you.  Come inside.”

With that, Kagome dropped the barrier and hurried inside the cave.  Inuyasha brusquely grabbed her arm and made her wait while he went in front, one hand on the hidden hilt of Tetsusaiga.  He inhaled deeply.

In the far corner, Fenn watched beneath lidded eyes.  Inuyasha came right up to him and sniffed noisily.  He turned in disgust, and stomped around the small enclosure until he had investigated every inch.  “They aren’t here,” he said at last.

“I told you so,” Kagome said, folding her arms.  “You can see for yourself that Trace is the only one here.”

Inuyasha gave Trace a hard stare.  “I see him,” he admitted grudgingly.  “I thought you said he was better.”

“He is better,” Kagome replied.  “He’s awake.  Why don’t you stay and help me get him cleaned up, maybe take a little food.  He might feel up to speaking out loud after that.”

“No thanks,” Inuyasha muttered, totally missing the small smile that crossed Kagome’s lips at his predictable reply.  He stomped back towards the entrance, knowing that once he passed through Kagome’s barrier he would no longer be able to see inside the cave.  “I’ll be waiting right outside.  Don’t be long.”  He kept muttering to himself as he stomped outside.

Kagome sighed as she set down her bag.  She threw a live rabbit to Fenn, who caught it without thinking, absorbing its life force so forcefully that there was little left of the physical creature when he was done.  “Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” Kagome said, coming to kneel down in front of him so she could look him in the eye.  “Now, why don’t you tell me just exactly who you are.”

Fenn smiled in resignation.  “How did you know?”

“Inuyasha is never wrong,” Kagome said.  “Not when it comes to scents.  If he says Kazuki and Megumi were here, then they were here.  The question is—why?  Then there’s you, how you suddenly got better, suddenly wanted to talk, after centuries of silence.  I might not have put it together if Inuyasha hadn’t caught the other scents.  Why were they here?”

“Why don’t you believe I’m Trace?” Fenn asked.  “Maybe I just decided I had enough time being a vegetable and wanted to wake up and rejoin the world again.  Isn’t that what you thought when you had those talks with me?”

“Do you want me to call Inuyasha back in here?”

Fenn let his features slide back to his preferred form.  “No, that would not be a good idea,” he agreed.  “Hello, Kagome, it’s me.”

“Fenn.  I probably should be more surprised.”  Kagome spoke calmly.  “What did you do with Trace, and what does all this have to do with my son and my granddaughter?  Oh, no, Megumi!  Has something happened to Megumi?  Was it Trace?  Did Kazuki come to help?  Tell me what happened!”  Kagome’s calm façade cracked as her imagination started to go wild.

“Megumi’s fine, Kagome.  She’s her mother’s daughter.  She is able to walk through time and space just like Mayumi.  So can Kazuki.  Yes, they both came here, with Trace, who traded places with me for a little while so he could try out living in the real world again.  I wasn’t kidding about that.  I thought if I could convince you “I” was ready, you would eventually decide to release the barrier on your own and set Trace free.”

Kagome shook her head in confusion.  “I’m not sure I follow,” she said.  “So you just decided to let Trace go in the hope that he would behave?  How do you know he’s not out there killing innocent people, killing my family whom he hates, right this moment?  What gives you the right?”

Fenn laughed.  “He’s my creation,” he said.  “I let you and Inuyasha deal with him so I wouldn’t have to, but ultimately Trace is my responsibility.  And he’s not alone.  He chose to go to Megumi, and she chose to stay with him.  Kazuki wasn’t too happy about it.  That’s why they came back here—Kazuki knows my secret now too, by the way.  They’re working it out.”

“We’ll see about that.”  Kagome shoved her supplies back into her big bag and rose to her feet.  “How long is this farce supposed to go on?  Now that your game is up, are you going to leave?”

“Well, about that.”  Fenn grinned up at Kagome.  “Unfortunately, I gave Trace most of my energy so that he could leave.  That means I can’t.  Not yet.”

“I’m going to call both Kazuki and Megumi as soon as I get home,” Kagome promised, slinging her bag over one shoulder.  “You’d better not be lying.”

“Does that mean you’re not telling Inuyasha yet?”

Kagome turned around to glower at him.  “I’m not telling Inuyasha anything.  You are.  You have one week.”

Fenn laughed out loud.  “That’s exactly what Kazuki said.”







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