Posted: 10-26-04
Chapter 6: Humbugs and Unoriginal Ideas
AN: Yay! I'm happy with this story! You know, of all of the chapters I've written, this one has been one of the hardest cause I had problems thinking of good parodies. I hope it worked out, though. And guess what? I don't own The Wizard of Oz or Inuyasha! I'm thinking there will be either three or four chapters more chapters before the end, I'm not sure which. Probably three... Oh well, let's focus on this one!!
I know I haven't updated in... like, forever, but I've been busy! College is really really time consuming, and I've been having my usual writer's block anyway. I'd also like to apologize to anyone who likes rap, but the idea hit me and I couldn't pass it up.
The group was still walking through the fields that the Cowardly Kitsune lived in. They were still being as careful as possible, although their fear of the creatures had lessen ever since they met him. Sango, Kilala, the Hanyou, the Houshi, and their new companion still traveled silently down the Green Stone Path, as after the last singing incident they figured it would be best to not speak at all in case the Hanyou lost it again.
The plants were starting to become taller and more dense, and the silence was beginning to feel very eerie. Finally, Sango spoke. "Why are things getting so dark," she asked, looking up at the bright blue sky.
"We're in the forbidden part of the meadow," the Cowardly Kitsune answered, looking afraid. "I've never been here before."
"Why didn't you tell us there was a dangerous area ahead?!" the Hanyou exclaimed, looking like he was going to kill him.
"Well, I always think places are dangerous. I've heard some scary stories about this part of the fields, though. People go in and they don't come back out."
"Well, how are we supposed to get to Sapphire Town?!" the Hanyou replied.
"I believe this is the only way," the Houshi answered, his guard seeming to be up.
"Then it has to be possible to get out of," Sango commented. "People obviously have made it before."
Just then, Kilala stopped walking and began growling, looking from side to side as though she knew that something was out there but wasn't sure of what. The others froze and scanned the area as well. However, nothing could be seen.
Suddenly, a faint song arose from within the fields. Sango, the Houshi, and the Cowardly Kitsune turned to look at the Hanyou in fear. He growled slightly and kept looking. "Where's that stupid music coming from?!"
The others sighed and started looking around, trying to figure out what the source of the song was. Gradually, they noticed that the music was getting louder, even though they hadn't moved at all. It began growing darker, and as the sounds seemed to suddenly wrap around all sides of them, a strange feeling came over all of them, although they were not sure of what it was.
"What do you think is going on?" Sango stated, and suddenly slapped her hand over her mouth. She hadn't said it, she had sung it.
The others looked at her in surprise, and the Hanyou also looked incredibly upset. "Now's not the time for jokes, you..."
He stopped in mid sentence. For some reason, he was singing too. The music seemed to be getting louder and louder as though it were somehow closing in on them.
"I think I know what's going on," the Cowardly Kitsune sang, sitting on the Houshi's shoulder and trying to hide behind his head.
"Well tell me so I can stop this song!!!" the Hanyou retorted in rhyme.
"I remember once I heard about this thing. They're called Humbugs and they force you to sing!" the Cowardly Kitsune answered.
"I think we all noticed the singing part," the Houshi said. "Now let's get away so I can get my heart!"
"See, that's the problem with their spell," he replied. "We not only must sing, we can't move as well."
"Then how will I ever leave this place?!" Sango exclaimed, looking very upset.
"Come out, you stupid bugs, and show your face!" the Hanyou screamed, looking around the dark plants.
"I can help you keep your nerve," the Houshi said to Sango, putting his arm around her.
"Get your hands off me, you perv!!!"
Just then, some very high pitched humming start, following the enchanting melody. "They're closing in, we have to go!" the Cowardly Kitsune exclaimed.
"You did say we can't leave, you know!" the Hanyou replied.
"But the longer you have to stay, you get turned to Humbugs yourself, they say."
Everyone looked at him really nervously, trying to keep their mouths shut as the incessant singing was starting to bother all of them. Suddenly, Sango's eyes brightened.
"I think I know how we can break this trap! Have you boys ever heard of 'rap?'"
They gave her a strange look, but dared not answer.
Sango sighed and finally, concentrating as hard as she could, said, "It's not very hard if you know what to do. You talk with the rhythm and you can do it, too!"
Everyone was amazed; she actually managed to say something! True, it was following the beat, but she wasn't singing it. The music suddenly decreased in volume, and they all looked at each other and grinned.
"Our getting away is in a matter of time!" the Houshi said, grinning at the violent decreases the sounds took.
"And then we can stop talking in rhyme!" the Hanyou added, still seeming upset about the entire song thing, but happy that Sango's plan was working.
"NOOOO!" they suddenly heard several high pitched voices screaming. "It isn't real music!!!!!"
The Houshi started making noises that sounded strangely like rock drumming, which threw Sango off since they had all said they didn't know what rap was, but decided not to question it. Stranger things had been happening, after all.
"Let us go, you horrible bugs!" she exclaimed, trying to see what the exact source of all of the painful screaming was.
"And... um..." the Cowardly Kitsune began, trying his hand at this new musical medium, "uh... then we'll go to see the Youkai!!!"
"That didn't even rhyme!!!" the Hanyou exclaimed, and yet they all noticed something about this out burst. It wasn't sung. It wasn't even in rhythm. Suddenly, everything became brighter again and the music had all but vanished.
They all cheered, happy about finally being able to speak again, especially the Hanyou. "Well," the Houshi said, looking at his relieved companions, "shall we continue?
We're..."
"HEY!!!!!" the Hanyou yelled. "I think we've all had enough singing for this century, thank you!!"
"Sorry," he mumbled as they began making their way back down the Green Stone Path.
"Curses!!" the Wicked Miko of the West exclaimed. "Those stupid Humbugs are usually so good at catching morons like that! I'll have to figure out another way to stop that wretched girl and get the Sacred Jewel..."
She looked into the fire she had started with some special herbs to see where they would be going next. "Hm... these fields open up into a meadow... Yes, the poppies! Poppies..."
"Excuse, milady," hissed one of her Flying Snakes that could apparently talk, "but hasn't that all ready been...?"
"Silence!" she exclaimed. "We could only come up with so many original ideas before the author ran dry!!"
The five companions finally left the strange fields where the Cowardly Kitsune came from and came upon a wide expanse of flowers. "It's so pretty..." Sango cooed, looking at the acres and acres of poppies.
"Just when you thought the landscape couldn't get any worse..." the Hanyou muttered, sniffing with a lack of enthusiasm. Suddenly, Kilala mewed at the distance, and the others looked to see what she was staring at.
"There are some blue buildings out there..." the Kitsune commented, not sure about what he was looking at.
"Hey!" Sango exclaimed, her smile growing, "it must be Sapphire Town!!! We're almost there! Why don't we just get off the path and cut through the flowers?"
"No!" the Hanyou exclaimed. "I refuse to walk in a bunch of daisies!"
"Technically, they're poppies," the Houshi replied.
"I think we should go," said the Cowardly Kitsune. "The sooner we get there, the sooner I get my courage!"
"Fine," the Hanyou growled. "The less I have to be stuck with you whining morons, the better." They went forward off of the Green Stone Path, running slightly, as they genuinely wanted to reach Sapphire Town as soon as possible.
After a short amount of time, the Hanyou and the Cowardly Kitsune began to notice something strange. Their other companions looked very worn out, although they really hadn't been running for that long. In fact, Sango, the Houshi, and Kilala all looked like they were on the verge of collapsing.
"What's wrong with you?" the Hanyou said, giving them odd looks.
"I..." the Houshi stuttered, seeming to have problems standing, while Sango dropped to her knees and Kilala curled up into a ball near her. "I'm... not sure... I just feel... so... very... tired..."
He collapsed forward, unconscious. Sango looked around and opened her mouth as if to speak, but then she to fell over.
"What's their problem?" the Hanyou muttered.
The Cowardly Kitsune, however, was looking around at the flowers and living up to his name. "Oh no!" he screamed. "It must have been the Wicked Miko of the West!"
"How do you know about that?"
"I heard you guys talking about her," he replied. "She did something to the flowers! What'll we do?!"
"Well how the hell should I know!" the Hanyou retorted.
"RATING!"
"Who's saying that, anyway?"
"Why are we still okay?" the Cowardly Kitsune said, still trying to figure out what they could do.
"It must have something to do with the youkai in us," the Hanyou replied. "But that really doesn't make sense because mikos specialize in getting rid of guys like us, and Kilala..."
"Yeah, but a youkai from Sango's world wouldn't have made sense either..."
Just then, small white pieces of precipitation started falling onto them. Kagome had somehow realized their predicament and was now getting rid of what the main problem was, the poppies.
Her plan worked. However, not only were the flowers destroyed and the sleeping companions awoke, but the hailstorm kept coming down and pelting them.
Although Sango, Kilala, and the Houshi were still groggy, they all started running for it, trying to keep from getting hit by the hail.
"Kagome?!" Sango exclaimed, wondering if it was the Good Miko's doing.
Suddenly, her voice came booming down from the heavens. "Oops!"
AN: I now initiate a "Name the reference, get a cookie" semi-competition for those last two lines. I rarely get takers on these, and I do mean it! It's mostly only the way the dialogue is set up (and especially the last line), if that helps anyone.
You've all heard of the Jitterbug scene, right? It's this number that got cut out of the movie but it's still in the stage productions. Pretty much, they run into these bugs that make you keep dancing until you pass out. I can't remember how they got away, though... If you know it, I wasn't really basing this song on that one... Or anything really. Make up your own melody!
And now, it's time for everyone's favorite part, reviewer responses! Well, at least mine, cause it means I got reviews -!
Flame Youkai: Yay! Thanks for the review!
KittySamurai506: Ha, thanks! The Wizard of Oz isn't bad, and sometimes I'll randomly break into songs from it (If I Only Had a Brain is like my theme song cause I don't XD), but that is a little creepy...
Night Genie: Uh, I think a Kitsune is a type of fox demon. Just the normal one, though, not a nine tailed one. But that's what they say Shippo is, so that's why I used it.
coolpickle: w00t!!! Glad you like both the story and my pen name. It's actually just something I made up at a camp I was at, and when I set up this account I just decided to use it again cause I liked it ! It was either this or Bill the Mute Lemur, but that one was only used for when I got high scores on my computer games. I actually used Fred the Mutant Pickle before I started here.
Kato Shingetsu: What? Did I say something weird? Or did a very sleepy Kenshin get on your account?