Other Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome's Trial ❯ Chapter 3

Another chapter. What do you think so far? Good? Bad? Let me know! If it's good, I like hearing what is good about it. If it's completely bad, tell me what makes it bad and I'll try to fix it.

 

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Felix was reading a book on a chair when his younger sister Jenna bounded into the room. So much for peace and quiet, he thought mournfully as he put his book down and watched Jenna bounce over to him.

 

“Guess what, Felix,” she said, jumping from one foot to the other one.

 

“What, Jenna?” he asked, not really caring but wanting to make her happy.

 

“A stranger came into town today,” she announced.

 

“Of course that's not the reason we were told to stay inside ever since they saw him on coming towards Vale,” he said sarcastically.

 

“He's a she,” Jenna corrected. “She came by our house and Mom answered the door. I saw her before she left. She looks like she's our age.”

 

This was new to Felix. He'd never heard of young travelers coming to Vale, much less a female one. Yes, females had come through, but always with a caravan or an escort.

 

“What did she look like?” he asked curiously.

 

Jenna started jumping up and down energetically. “She had the most outlandish clothes on. It was almost indecent, what she was wearing. Anyway, she had some sort of bag on her back; it wasn't anything like I've seen before. And she had black hair. That's all I could tell from one look. Mom saw her see me and closed the door before I could say anything.”

 

The sound of the door opening and closing signaled that their father came home. They heard their mother go to the front door and greet him.

 

“That was one of the strangest people I've ever seen,” their dad said. “I couldn't understand a word of what she said. She looked pretty battered, so I just pointed her toward the Sanctum. Maybe the Great Healer will be able to understand what she's trying to say.”

 

“She came by here,” their mom informed him. “She did indeed look beaten. I'm surprised she was able to stand at all; those wounds looked pretty serious. I pointed in the direction of Sol Sanctum as well, and she left. Unfortunately, she saw Jenna.”

 

“She saw Jenna?” His voice was sharp. “Did Jenna do anything to get her attention?”

 

“No, Eric, there wasn't time. I closed the door before anything could happen.”

 

Their father sighed. “We can only be thankful that nothing happened. The children don't know why it's so important that outsiders aren't told about Psynergy.”

 

Felix and Jenna looked at each other. “Is that why all the children are told to stay indoors when strangers are in Vale?” Jenna whispered to her older brother.

 

He nodded, turning his attention back to his parents. Both he and Jenna silently crept closer to better hear their parents talk.

 

“Do you know why she's here?” their mother asked.

 

“No, but the Great Healer received a vision from the Wise One, and it appears that she's going to be staying here for some time. She needs a place to stay because apparently she'll be staying here for too long to just stay at the inn. The Great Healer asked if she could be housed here since we already have two children her age.”

 

“Is that what took you so long? I thought something unusual happened when you didn't return on time.” Their mother's voice sounded worried. “I don't know if we can take her. She doesn't know our language and we're already pressed for space as it is. And what about practicing Psynergy? We can't practice while strangers are around.”

 

“The Healer said that the Wise One has decreed that she is to be considered a Valean when it comes to Psynergy. We can freely use it in front of her. As for the language, we can teach her. Even Felix and Jenna can help with that.”

 

“But that doesn't solve the problem of where we'll put her.”

 

“She can stay with Jenna.” Now Eric's voice had pleading overtones to it. “Everything will be fine, Arianna, just give it a chance. If you still think it won't work by the end of two weeks, I'll tell the mayor and he'll find another home for her.”

 

“Two weeks?”

 

“Two weeks.”

 

Sigh. “Alright, we'll try it for two weeks, but if things don't work out she'll be sent to a different home.”

 

“If that's what you want, dear.”

 

“If this is all settled, dinner's ready.”

 

The sound of footsteps caused Felix and Jenna to launch themselves into chairs and pretend that they weren't just eavesdropping on something they weren't supposed to know about. Felix quickly picked up his book and opened it to a random page and Jenna acted like she was watching him read. Their parents came into the room just as Felix flipped his book around since he'd picked it up upside-down.

 

“Dinner's ready,” Arianna told them.

 

They obediently got up and followed their parents into the kitchen. The talk at the table was carefully away from the stranger that came to Vale that evening and stayed toward more mundane things, like how Felix and Jenna's schooling was going. They chattered away at that subject, or rather, Jenna chattered away at that subject and Felix occasionally nodded and let her go on about that.

 

Then their dad dropped the “bomb”. He stood up and cleared his throat. “Jenna, Felix, I know that you two are aware that an outsider has come to Vale.” When the two of them nodded, he continued. “The Wise One appeared before the Great Healer and said she's going to be staying in Vale for a while. The mayor and the Great Healer both asked me to keep her with us, and you mother has agreed to allow it. She'll be coming tomorrow and she'll be staying with you, Jenna.” That last bit was directed at his auburn-haired daughter. “She doesn't understand our language, so I'll need you two to help us teach it to her. Do you think you can do that?” He looked at them expectantly.

 

Jenna immediately started talking over a mile a minute, and Felix nodded his assent. I don't know how much I can help since it seems like Jenna will be monopolizing her. It doesn't matter; as long as she's with Jenna, I won't be bothered by either of them.

 

When dinner was finished, Felix retreated to his room and lay on his bed and stared at his ceiling. Even from there he could still hear Jenna talking excitedly to their mother as they cleaned up the dishes. He just shook his head and sighed. This is going to be interesting.

 

~*~