SPR has met its match…in a curse that makes everyone burst into song!

A/N: This is my first Ghost Hunt fic! And my very first multi-chaptered fic as well. And now that I think about it, my first songfic too. I'm so excited! It's an amalgamation of a whole bunch of songs and references that actually has a plotline to speak of. Sort of. But it's flexible right now. All reviews/comments/advice appreciated!

Don't expect me to update often. BUT if you review lots and help me along, chappies might come faster than planned. Might.

The Nightmare Begins

"Do you know what this is about, exactly?"

"No, Naru said he'd fill us in when he arrived. Meanwhile he told us to go on and set up as usual in the rooms marked on this blueprint." Mai pointed at the rooms neatly outlined in red marker.

Ayako rolled her eyes. "Typical." She sighed, and picked up a camera. "Well, what are you waiting for, old man? Let's get started already!"

"Hai, hai, keep your hair on, you hag." Takigawa smiled apologetically at Mai as he walked off with an armful of wires. "Sorry, Mai-chan! We'll come back and help you as soon as we've finished!"

"Don't worry about it, I'm a strong girl! Hya!" Mai grabbed another camera and marched down the opposite hallway, humming a tune.

The night before, Naru had knocked on her door and asked—no, demanded was more like it—her to pack her bags and meet the monk and miko at the train station in Shibuya the next morning. He had some business to take care of with Lin, he said, and wouldn't be able to be there immediately. The equipment had already been dropped off at the site. Handing a still-startled and stuttering Mai a brown folder he ordered her to follow the instructions inside, and left before she could even ask how he knew where she lived.

And that was how they got here. At a monstrous, baroque-styled opera house in the middle of the Japanese countryside. "Come to think of it, why is there a monstrous, baroque-styled opera house in the middle of the Japanese countryside?" muttered Mai. "Maybe the same reason why there was a huge mansion in the middle of a forest for the Urado case. For spirits to haunt and people to freak out."

Looking around she shuddered. The corridor, though quite clean, was dark even in daylight. Gloom festooned the intricately carved corners. Shadows clung wispily like cobwebs to the deeper hollows of various twisted sculptures, their fleshy forms melding into the walls and pillars. The entrance hall had had more of these figures carved in mahogany and marble, clinging to the numerous giant, globular crystal lamps and to the enormous staircase that dominated the far end.

According to what Naru had written in the folder, this opera house had been abandoned for years. Recently some filthy rich tycoon had bought the place, and sent in an army of construction workers, electricians, plumbers, and cleaners to freshen it up. Things had gone well and the opera house was nearly restored back to its former glory when his crew suddenly called it quits. SPR was now called on to take the case.

Unfortunately, that was all Mai knew. Naru had scrawled down this brief history in a hurry (so much so that it even mussed his usually beautiful handwriting—though not by much, stupid narcissist) and had not provided any further details. She had thought that she would be able to dig something up at the site, but the gatekeeper who let Ayako, Takigawa, and herself in had only stayed to greet them and wish them good luck. They hadn't been able to ask what he knew about the premises before he hastened away down the gravel road towards the village that was half an hour by foot away.

Mai sighed. She wished she knew what they were up against, but that would have to wait until Naru and Lin came back from whatever business they were attending to. Grip tightening on the camera and suppressing a shiver that ran suddenly down her back, she walked just a little faster.

In the shadows behind her something fluttered softly, like rippling smoke.

"It goes here."

"No it doesn't. The instruction manual clearly says to plug this wire in, then this one, and then this one. See, the diagram—"

"Ugh, stupid new probes! At least the screens have gotten thinner and lighter to carry, but those probes…"

"Stop whining, will you?" Takigawa rolled his eyes and decided to tune out Ayako's indignant rant. With a tolerant sigh he continued puzzling out the next set of instructions for the new equipment. Inwardly he smiled. Ayako had no idea how close she resembled a cat when she went on tirades.

"—and the way you just ignore me like that! I can't believe Mai and the rest of SPR think we're in love or something. That's just impossible with you."

Something inside Takigawa broke. Without thinking he dropped the length of wire he held in his hand and spun towards her. Seeing the look on his face, Ayako faltered. "Bou-san?"

And suddenly Takigawa's face split into a disturbingly mushy expression as he belted out the classic lines, "Love! Love is a many splendored thing; love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love!"

Poor Ayako had only time to blink and stutter a brief "Wha—" before her face melted into the same trance-like state. She dropped the equipment in her hands and spun to face Bou-san, a faux frown on her face.

Bou-san grinned goofily at her. "All you need is love."

"A girl has got to eat."

"All you need is love."

"She'll end up in the street!"

"All you need is loooo—oooo—oooo—ooove…"

"Love is just a game."

Eerily identical grins bloomed on both faces.

Mai sighed. Bou-san and Ayako were sure taking a while. And Naru's new fancy-smancy probes of some sort were digging into her side. Frustrated, she plunked her pile of equipment down in a corner before running down the long corridor in search of her friends. "They promised that as soon as they finished they would come and help me!" she grumbled. "And I've already done two rooms on my own. What on earth is taking them so long?"

Storming down the hall in righteous indignation, it wasn't until she was a few meters from the door Ayako and Bou-san had started with that she heard it. They were singing, of all things. Furious at the thought of her co-workers slacking while she had to do all of the grunt work Mai burst into the room. "Stop fooling around! You're supposed to be setting—"

"Love lifts us up where we belong! Where eagles fly, on a mountain high!"

Mai could only stare. This, she had not expected. Bou-san and Ayako stood in the middle of the room, gazing out at something only they could see, a rapturous look on their grinning faces. Music was playing from some invisible stereo, and it was as if a weird glow surrounded the pair. A starry-eyed Takigawa gestured enthusiastically at the ceiling, while Ayako was gesturing empathetically at the floor ("throw our lives away, for one happy day").

It could be worse, she thought absent-mindedly. At least they were singing in sync and in tune…

No. Pause. Rewind. Bou-san and Ayako shouldn't even be ­singing right now, let alone together. Let alone this song. Though maybe…they had figured out that the tension perpetually getting them into fights wasn't exactly a bad thing. Still, singing? Bou-san was in a band and all but he was a guitarist, not a singer. Ayako didn't even like singing, as proved during that one night at the karaoke place when all of SPR minus Lin-san and Naru decided to celebrate the New Year. Besides, there wasn't even a karaoke machine present, despite the invisible music. Where did that invisible music come from? There weren't any radios or computers, mp3 or iPod music players, jukeboxes or even gramophones. There were no speakers in sight, either. The music was just…there.

And since when did those two learn the full lyrics to the "Elephant Love Medley?" And act? And…whoa…

Mai's mind went into overdrive as Takigawa swooped down to kiss Ayako full on the lips, just as the last notes of the song left their throats. Dimly she registered the final crescendo of the mysterious orchestra. Now this was unbelievable, utterly incomprehensible, completely unimaginable. Something was definitely going on here.

And it was too good to pass up.

Sorry you two, but this is priceless, thought Mai, taking out her camera and snapping a picture of the monk and miko.

Ahh I'm making them kiss so soon! I'm pretty new to this type of writing…is this OK? And btw, the Monk and Miko…doesn't that sound like a bar? LOL!

If any of you have any ideas, please heap them on. I have no concrete idea for the next chapter. I just felt the need to post this...