Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update but here it is. I hope that this chapter is way better than the last…
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Never have, never will.
Chapter ThirteenThey finally made it to the mansion just as the sky began to lighten from the dark midnight blue. Huffing and puffing, Kagome collapsed onto the floor in the greeting hall.
"I hate hills," she said, trying to get her breathing under control.
"Kags, do me a favor?" Eri asked.
"What?" Kagome asked back.
"Shoot me if I ever decide to trek up anything that's not flat," Eri said.
"You got it," Kagome said.
"You can't seriously be that tired," Inuyasha said, almost laughing at the duo that lay on the floor.
Kagome turned her gaze to Inuyasha and shot him the coldest glare she could muster. "Don't mess with me," she said darkly. "I just trekked up a freaking hill in the middle of the night. I'm tired, grumpy and overall, not in a good mood. Want to push it some more?"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "You threatening me?" he asked.
"Oh, of course not," Kagome sarcastically retorted.
"You…" Inuyasha began.
"Enough," Sesshoumaru ordered. "We will rest here."
"No way in hell am I sleeping here," Inuyasha said, his attention diverted to his brother.
"Then you may sleep outside where you belong," Sesshoumaru said.
"Bastard," Inuyasha snarled. "You ain't gonna get me to go outside. I'm staying here."
"You were the one who articulated that you preferred some place else," Sesshoumaru said, his voice could have frozen a volcano.
"Feh," was all Inuyasha said but he quickly went off to claim a room.
Kagome and Eri both laughed as Inuyasha pounded up the stairs and tore down on of the hallways. As much as Inuyasha hated the mansion, he preferred to be warm and comfortable much more than being cold and miserable.
"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru roared.
A small green blur sped to them and bumped harshly against the wall. The servant quickly picked himself off the floor and rushed to bow at Sesshoumaru's feet.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, this unworthy one was going to send out a search party to look for you," Jaken squeaked.
"I am perfectly able to look after myself," Sesshoumaru said coldly. "I need not your concerns."
"Of course," Jaken said. "Forgive this lowly one!"
"Prepare rooms," Sesshoumaru ordered. "Afterwards, see to it that my guests are taken care of."
Jaken turned his head to look at his master's 'guests,' and almost squawked in surprise.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, t-these are humans!" Jaken screeched.
Kagome and Eri both frowned in confusion. Seeing their reactions, Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened.
"Jaken," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "I will deal with you after you have taken care of our guests."
With that, Sesshoumaru turned to the two females that were still on the floor. Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself, he said, "Jaken will show you to your rooms, he will comply with anything you request." As if to reinforce his point, Sesshoumaru glared at Jaken, who was quivering on the ground.
"Rest early," Sesshoumaru added before heading off to his own room.
Kagome looked at Jaken, who still hadn't gotten up from the floor. She almost felt sorry for the way he was treated. Almost. Deciding that her legs were strong enough to support her, Kagome stood up and walked a couple of steps.
"Jaken," she called.
Jaken looked up, a scowl on his ugly green face greeted her. "Foul human," he whispered. "This way." He said, leading her up the stairs. Eri quickly got up and went with Kagome, who followed Jaken. As they walked down the opulent hallway, they whispered to each other.
"Hey Kags," Eri said.
"Yes?" Kagome asked.
"What did he mean 'these are humans'?" Eri asked.
Kagome shook her head. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Last time I was here, the same thing happened."
"You don't think that they're…not humans, do you?" Eri asked.
"Don't be silly," Kagome said. "How they not be?"
Eri shrugged her shoulders.
"Here," Jaken said simply, breaking into their conversation. "Stay here, don't touch anything!"
He was standing in front of a wooden door and was gesturing towards it. To his other side, there was a matching door that obviously led to another room. Kagome and Eri both looked at the little green servant and smiled.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Kagome assured. Eri nodded beside her.
Jaken just stared for a moment, as if he was hesitant to believe them, before he sauntered off to do whatever it was that Jaken was supposed to do. Giggling at Jaken, Kagome opened the door to her room and peered inside.
It was the same room she had stayed in when she was here the last time. Nothing had been changed. The sheets, the drapes, everything was as she left it that night. And the view from the window was just as breath taking as it was when she threw open the drapes.
"Hey Kags, you okay?" Eri asked.
Kagome nodded. "Fine," she answered.
Eri gave a tired yawn. "I'm sleepy," she announced.
"It's really late," Kagome said. "We should get some sleep."
Eri nodded. "It's actually really early," she countered.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever Eri," she said, too tired to argue.
"Night Kags," Eri said.
"You mean 'morning,'" Kagome said, this time she caught her friend's mistake.
"Yeah, sure," Eri said, giving another yawn.
Eri opened the door across the hall and slid inside. "Sleep well," Eri mumbled.
Kagome turned and walked into her own room and quietly shut the door. Even though her body was screaming with exhaustion, Kagome couldn't bring herself to fall asleep. Something wasn't right and she could feel it. Groaning slightly, Kagome forced herself to sit up from the bed and go stare out the window at the brightening sky. Why can't I shake this feeling? She wondered. Lately, something's been feeling…out of place but what could it be? I've already been attacked, twice in the same night. I'm safe here…right? A slight shiver slid down her spine but she couldn't figure out why.
"I'm thinking too much," she said out loud, her voice sounding foreign to her.
Sighing, Kagome situated herself back on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to relax enough to go to sleep. Forcing her mind to become blank, Kagome soon fell asleep, unaware.
Unbeknownst to the sleeping woman, a shadowy figure floated right outside her window.
As the sun peeked from behind the hill, a shadowy figure's voice echoed through the still air. "Soon…" With a flip of its black cloak, the shadowy being left from Kagome's window, leaving no trace that it was ever there. Soon…everything will be revealed.
When Kagome woke again, the sun was just beginning its descent behind the mountains. Stretching, Kagome looked outside to the once again darkening sky.
"I must have been more tired than I thought," she said.
She hesitantly left the warmth of the bed and went to rouse Eri from sleep.
"Eri," she called, kneeling on her friend's bed and shaking her friend's shoulder.
"Five more minutes, mom," Eri mumbled.
Kagome grabbed a pillow beside Eri and playfully whacked her with it. Eri shrieked and sat up immediately. Kagome was laughing so hard her sides began to ache.
"You!" Eri said, her yes glittering dangerously.
Kagome stopped laughing and tried to catch her breath. "Eri…haha…you…ha..oh man, that was great," Kagome said, trying to keep her laughter contained.
"Oh yeah?" Eri asked.
She grabbed the other pillow and whacked Kagome back, causing Kagome to fall on the floor. Kagome landed painfully on her butt and gave a wince. "Ow, Eri," she complained. But then she found the situation even more hilarious and burst into another fit of giggle and laughter.
"Serves you right," Eri said, still clutching the pillow in a death grip.
Still laughing, Kagome made her way back to Eri and swung again at her friend. This time, Eri countered with the pillow she still had and a flurry of feathers streamed out of the pillows. Both Kagome and Eri were laughing and clutching their sides at their childish acts.
"Okay, we have to stop now," Kagome said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We'll have to clean up before…"
"What happened!" a screech was heard in the room.
Kagome grimaced. "…Jaken shows up," she finished, a tad too late.
"The pillows…what?" Jaken screamed. He turned to Kagome and Eri who were holding the pillows behind their back, guilty faces evident. "You caused this!"
"Uh…" Kagome looked to Eri, who looked back at her. They were lost for an explanation that would satisfy the steaming servant.
"Wretched humans!" Jaken said, his eyes blazing. "Get out!"
Kagome and Eri quickly dropped the now deflated pillows and rushed out of the room, but not before another round of laughter gripped them. This time it was the look on Jaken's face when he saw the flurry of feathers and surrounded both girls on bed.
Jaken looked at the mess the two had made and promptly went off to find his master. Surely he would deal with those wretched creatures, right?
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken squealed as he approached Sesshoumaru's room.
A creak indicated that Sesshoumaru was now awake. Jaken's eyes lit up as he barged into Sesshoumaru's room. Sesshoumaru angrily turned around, ready to incinerate whoever dared to trespass into his quarters. Finding only Jaken, Sesshoumaru merely brushed past the short servant.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken called again.
"Insolence," Sesshoumaru spat out, annoyed that his servant dared to intrude.
"But the two humans," Jaken croaked out.
Sesshoumaru turned around. "Speak," he commanded.
"They…they…" Jaken sputtered.
"Do not pester me with your idiocy," Sesshoumaru said.
"They ruined the pillows," Jaken howled. "The feathers…all gone. Punish them, Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "This is a trivial matter," Sesshoumaru said.
"But, the pillows," Jaken said.
"I tire of your insignificant babble," Sesshoumaru growled.
Prostrating himself on the ground in front of his master, Jaken began to shiver. "Sesshoumaru-sama, this lowly one was just looking out for the well-being of…"Jaken trailed off.
Sesshoumaru didn't say anything more to Jaken and only squished him beneath his foot on his way to the main hallway.
Author's Note: Well, this chapter is a bit better than the last, if I do say so myself. I thought a humorous chapter would help balance out the darker chapters. Well, was it good? Bad? Please tell me.
Read and Review! Arigatou!