Many thanks to: kagomefan595, Blahsblah2001 (nah, I just didn't have anything else to put), littlefiction, winniepoo13 and everyone else. Damn all yez who read it and didn't review….yes, I know who you are.
The journey there
It was five AM and Kouga was already up and about…but he was the only one. The rest of the gang remained in bed and refused to get up on such a wet and bleak morning.
Sesshoumaru went about his business and avoided Kouga as best as he could, which proved to be extremely difficult as the wolf demon had decided to prepare breakfast for everyone with the hope that the smell would lure them out of bed. Oh how wrong he was.
"WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT DIED!!???" Inuyasha yelled from under the covers.
"SHADDUP!" Kouga bellowed back. "It's the delicious smell of my homemade pancakes" He added pleasantly while flipping them over with a half melted spatula. The gang began to get up and move about. Miroku shuffled into the bathroom to shave, Sango came into the kitchen in her pyjamas carrying Kirara (or Kilala for those who don't watch it in Japanese), Kagome stumbled into the kitchen and flopped down into a chair with her head in her hands and Inuyasha decided to wake up the whole neighbourhood by stomping into the kitchen complaining about the smell and waving the air in front of him as if it were poison gas.
"OMFG whatever that is STINKS!! It smells worse than Miroku's socks and that's saying something"
"In my defence, Kirara chose to chew up all my socks and those were the last pair." Miroku said glaring at Kirara who was purring contently in Sango´s arms.
Kagome got to her feet to prepare some breakfast but Kouga pushed her back down into her seat.
"Nah ah aah! I have already made breakfast, and its enough for three helpings each!" Everyone groaned loudly as Kouga plonked the plateful of malodorous pancakes in the middle of the table. Sesshoumaru hmphed and peered over the top of his newspaper to take pleasure at the sight of them all forcing the foul food down.
Inuyasha sniffed his pancake and made a face of profound repulsion.
"Bleurgh! I swear this stuff will kill us"
Kouga who was wolfing down his own share shook his head and said with his mouth full "Nonsense! This recipe has been in my clan for 300 years"
"Are they all dead?" Inuyasha asked
Kouga seemed to be thinking about it while he chewed and answered slowly "Well, yeah but-"
"I rest my case" Inuyasha said pushing his plate away.
"So, Kouga…how did you make them?" Kagome asked with polite interest.
Kouga gulped down his mouthful of mush and said enthusiastically "Well, first I mashed up all the ingredients in a bowl – oh yeah that reminds me, when I was mixin' my plaster got lost so if you find it then –" At that precise moment there was a gagging sound and Miroku spat something on the table. Kouga's face lit up as he reached over and picked up the soggy plaster and wrapped it around his injured finger. Sesshoumaru watched all this with a revolted expression.
"I think I'm gonna be sick" Inuyasha whispered to Kagome loud enough for everyone to hear.
Sesshoumaru got to his feet slowly muttering something like "Must organize papers" and strode out of the room calmly. Inuyasha snorted, "Yeah right, he's gonna barf"
Suddenly the phone rang making everybody jump (and giving Inuyasha a chance to stuff his pancake into a napkin under the table). Kouga leapt to pick it up.
"Yes this is Kouga" He said rapidly.
A man with the voice of a presenter answered him on the other side,
"CONGRATULATIONS!! Today is the day when you and ten lucky friends get to stay in a spoooooky mansion for two awesome weeks! It will be a trip you and your friends will never forget!"
"Wow! Really? So how do we get there?"
The voice seemed to be stuck for a moment. "Er…..well, you take yourselves and we'll….meet you there! How's that sound?"
"Great! I know exactly who'll drive us. Thanks! See ya!" He hung up and spun around to beam at his friends.
"Okay guys, here's the thing. If we can get through the two weeks there then there's a reward of 50.000 yen so – "
"WHAT!?? 50.000 YEN?? Why didn't you say so!? LETS GO" Inuyasha exclaimed jumping to his feet and making for the door. Kagome also leapt to her feet, but for a different reason.
"OSUWARI!"
Inuyasha slammed into the floor and twitched. Kagome put her hands on her hips and faced them all. She had a few doubts to clear up first.
"Okay, let's not go crazy over a few Yen-" Inuyasha pulled his head out of the floor and yelled "A few Yen??? Are you crazy woman!?"
"Osuwari" WHAM. Inuyasha returned to his previous state. Kagome sighed,
"As I was saying. We have to be careful about the company we're in. I mean, are you sure we should let Naraku come along? Don't you think he'll try to steal the shards, become an almighty powerful demon and take over the world like he tried to do before? I really don't feel safe staying in the same house as him."
Kouga rushed to her side and put one arm around her and another over his heart.
"Kagome, I swear I will protect you better than that useless fleabag ever could. You can count on me, my future woman."
Inuyasha growled into the floor but remained sprawled there.
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After everyone had chucked Kouga's pancakes in the garbage, they all took a few minutes to say farewell to their current home. A while later, they were outside the door carrying their luggage and shouting at Kagome to hurry the hell up.
"I'm coming! Hold on a sec!"
"Lady Kagome we have been waiting for 1800 seconds." Miroku said impatiently.
"Okay okay! I'm coming out." She hurried out the door clutching a blue sweater. They all stared at it suspiciously.
"What? It's just in case I get cold on the way" She explained hurriedly. Inuyasha shrugged and gestured for them to follow Kouga who was already halfway down the street. Sesshoumaru was left to lock up.
Soon enough, they were all standing at the corner of the wet street waiting.
"As much as I like to have you all in silence I must enquire, what are we waiting for wolf?" Sesshoumaru asked in a slightly annoyed tone.
Kouga simply smiled and remained silent. But Sesshoumaru was not to be ignored.
"WOLF"
"Fine, we're waiting for our car."
They all blinked at him.
"I called it last night, he should be here by now…." Kouga glimpsed at his watch. There was a loud bang coming from around the corner which seemed to be like a signal for Kouga because as soon as he heard it he shot around the corner. Everyone waited impatiently until they saw something coming round the corner at a sluggish pace. It was a green ancient battered looking car driven by a malicious looking old man and Kouga pushing it from behind. What hope.
The car squeaked to a stop in front of them and Kouga patted the trunk roughly. There was a yelp but no-one was paying much attention to that, they were all gaping at what was to be their transport.
"And how exactly did you plan to fit us all in there?" Sango asked pointing to the small car.
"I will go in front." Sesshoumaru said and without further hesitation he got into the front.
"Hey! No fair!" Inuyasha protested but everyone else thought it was.
They all stared at each other, shrugged and piled into the back as best as they could. Sango clutched Kirara and decided to wait and try to squeeze in afterwards. But she waited too long.
"Damn, now where do I sit?"
Miroku, who was the last person in patted his lap. "There's room here my beloved"
Sango glowered at him but couldn't dispute. It was Miroku's lap or Sesshoumaru's…..or the roof.
"Oh okay. But keep your hands where I can see them or Kirara will bite them off" Kirara hissed and Miroku quickly lifted up his hands into view. She managed to squeeze in and with great difficulty slammed the wonky door shut. The engine protested loudly and after another big bang they were off. Kouga had his head poking out of the window and was enjoying the feel of morning air on his face, while Inuyasha stared at him enviously from under everyone's feet.
"I still don't think bringing Naraku along was a good idea" Kagome said quietly, breaking the silence. Inuyasha groaned at having to relive the same conversation.
Miroku who was squashed up next to her flashed a trusting smile and said reassuringly "Don't worry lady Kagome. I will make sure he behaves himself." He nodded while stroking her leg. Sango glared and was about to punish him when suddenly the monk yelped and stuck his finger in his mouth.
Everyone stared at Kagome's jumper which was now moving. Then, the small head of someone familiar popped out.
"Shippo?? I thought you left him at your moms place?" Inuyasha asked Kagome from under everyone's feet.
"Um, yeah I did….but I thought I'd feel better if he came along." She said timidly.
The kitsune leapt up in Kagome's lap and stretched.
"Eh...hehe. Sorry Miroku but you were poking me in the eye" He said apologetically as he caught Miroku glaring at him while still sucking his injured finger. At least an hour of silence had gone by and Kouga was getting restless.
"So….have you ever been to the house?" He asked the old man, who grinned maliciously and let out a dry laugh which turned into a coughing fit. After a few thumps on the back the old man began to talk in a low and raspy voice.
"Oh no…I have not. But I have heard stories, so many stories…."
Sesshoumaru stared moodily out the window while the rest looked at the aged man expectantly.
"Go on!!" Kouga said, his excitement rising.
"Well, for starters it's not a house. No, it's a mansion…Doom Mansion they call it."
Sesshoumaru couldn't restrain himself any longer "Don't tell me you actually believe in this nonsense-" Kouga instantly made flapping gestures at Sesshoumaru to quieten him.
"Why?"
"Because everyone who goes there…..mysteriously disappears, no-one has ever come out of that hellhole. Why, may I ask, are you going there?"
"It's for some competition; the last person to survive will win 50.000yen"
The old man let out another dry laugh. "Poor naïve souls. You will never survive"
"Will too! I ain't afraid of no ghosts. I'll take care of 'em."
"Oh?" The old man said slightly amused, "Who said there were ghosts?"
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The car jolting, the engine protesting and they were finally there. They all piled out of the car whereas Inuyasha dragged himself on the floor gasping,
"Aaaaaaaiirrr!!!"
While Inuyasha argued with Kagome about carrying everyone's bags, Miroku tutted and rolled his eyes at the thought of Naraku arriving in a sleek black limousine or Mercedes while they all had to travel in the worst vehicle possible. At that precise moment they heard panting and gasping coming from behind them. They all turned to look and Inuyasha had to suppress a snort with great difficulty when he saw Naraku with a stick for support straggling uphill with Kagura dragging her feet behind him.
"What happened?" Kagome asked in surprise
Naraku bent over gasping and lifted up a finger for them to wait. He straightened up suddenly and said casually "Oh my Mercedes ran out of gas so Kagura and I had no choice but to walk here. No big deal, we're extremely fit."
"Would you like some water?" Sango asked holding out a flask. Naraku snatched it from her hands and gulped down the contents occasionally dribbling down his chin. Miroku offered water to Kagura but she rejected it with a gesture of her hand. All of a sudden a muffled voice could be heard coming from the trunk of the car. Everyone's attention turned to it and they listened carefully. It seemed to be saying "Excuse me? Can some one get me out of here? Please? Helloooo? Anyone?" Sesshoumaru walked up to it and slammed his fist into the lock causing the trunk door to fling open. Inside was no other than…….
"HOJO???" They exclaimed simultaneously.
Hojo himself was cramped inside clutching a camera and a bag. Inuyasha strolled over and yanked Hojo out by the collar.
"Hojo! How did you know we were coming here?"
Kouga snorted "Hehe, maybe he was in a tree outside the house with binoculars spying on Kagome. Haha." he said teasingly.
Hojo seemed irritated "How did you know that? Have you been spying on me?"
Kouga's jaw dropped.
"So what do we do with him?" Sango asked.
"I don't know and I don't care." Inuyasha said dropping Hojo and brushing his hands.
"We can't just leave him here!" Kagome said alarmed.
"We can and we will." Inuyasha said lifting up his and Kagome's luggage and making his way to the foot of the stone stairs.
"INUYASHAAAAAAA!!!"
Out of nowhere an arrow shot pass Inuyasha's head narrowly missing him and plunging into the remaining tire of the car which made a wheezing sound and flattened completely. Everyone whipped around in the direction from where the arrow came and saw Kikyou floating towards them.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?? WHATS GOING ON HERE!???" Inuyasha yelled in fury.
"Inuyasha my darling, I have come to accompany you on this stay in this dreadful place where that bitch has dragged you to" she said pointing at Kagome.
"FYI he came on his own you –"
"So what the hell did you shoot an arrow at me for!?" Inuyasha interrupted angrily
Kikyou shrugged "Just a habit"
Soon after, when it had been decided that Hojo and Kikyou would have to go with them and when Naraku had regained his breath; they all began the long journey up the thousands of crooked stairs that lead uphill to the sinister looking mansion.
If you have any complaints about the way I write the characters then please tell me and remember to review!