Chapter 19

Bunza quickly gathered the groups of pups that were at the Bridgemont, some 96 in all. Explaining what had happened to their Okaa-san and what she had told them about the chefs, Bunza told the pups not to eat or drink anything in the hotel. Unfortunately, some of them had already consumed some food.

"I think all we ate, though, was food from the vending machines, am I right guys?", Kentaro asked and received affirmative replies.

"Yea, I doubt anyone from Naraku's time has had time to learn about vending machines.", Kiyoshi commented.

"Let's hope so.", replied Bunza, "Kentaro, Kiyoshi and Kieran, come with me. Yukio, get all the pups together and take them to the secret compound in the forest. You are now designated Beta, understand?", Bunza announced to all present and all the younger pups agreed.

Yukio gathered everybody and exited them through the rear of the hotel, quietly. Izayoi had been put in charge of keeping the toddlers and Tia soundless. Soon, they were gone.

"So, what did you want us for?", asked Kentaro.

"Something is going on here, obviously, and I want to find out what it is. If all the chefs are women, where are any of them? Or the rest of the kitchen workers.", said Bunza.

"I agree.", said Kiyoshi, "So, we are going looking for them."

"Or, I'm afraid, what's left of them. This Naraku is definately an unsavory character. I can't believe how our parents stood up against him and lived so many years ago.", said Bunza as the other three agreed.

"Ok, let's go."

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Kagome and Mashai searched the house for the entrance to the labyrinth. In the room with the pipe organ, they discovered a secret door behind a wall hanging.

"This must be it, but how do we open it?", Kagome asked Mashai.

"No handles, doorknobs. It's a sliding door. I dunno.", answered Mashai.

Kagome looked at the pipe organ and remembered something Shane had said,

"Mashai, Shane remembers hearing the pipe organ playing. Maybe a certain song or keys played in a certain order opens the door."

"Good deduction, but there's over 100 keys on there. How do we know which ones to play?"

Kagome thought back to Shane's conversation with her. He had commented that he thought he recognized the song played, but what was the song he said he thought it was. Suddenly, she went over to the keys. Now how did that song go again?

"What is it, Lady Leilani?"

"I'm trying to remember how to play a song."

"Which one?"

"Yesterday by the Beatles. Shane said he thought the song he heard playing was Yesterday. He knows that song because he likes it."

Mashai went over to the keyboard and began playing a few bars of the song. On the old pipe organ, the song sounded ancient, eerie, surreal. As Mashai continued playing, the door slid open.

"It worked!", Kagome said, cheerfully.

"Don't be so cheerful just yet, Lady Leilani. We have to navigate that labyrinth yet."

"Well, let's go before the door closes.", Kagome said, as the two entered the doorway. They hadn't realized they were being observed by two people.

"Stupid fools.", said Kagura, as she left the organ room.

"Perfect!", said a male voice from somewhere else as he gazed into a small round mirror held by a young, white child.

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Blood dripped down on Shaoran's cheek as he stared up into the trees. Following his pointed finger, Yasha and Shirrow looked up. There was their Otou-san, covered in blood, growling, and carrying a huge grizzly bear. Yasha quickly realized something,

"Shaoran. Shirrow. Don't look at him. He is still pack leader. To look at him when he's in this state means defiance. Look down. Look down.", he urged as he followed his own advice. The brothers followed suit and turned their gaze downward. This obviously pleased the pack leader and he jumped down in front of his pups,

:Pups, he barked.

Yukio kept his eyes away from his father's and went up to him. Inuyasha's head moved up as Yasha licked his father's chin. Obedience. Compliance.

:Good pup, he barked.

The other two followed Yasha's lead. They didn't have to question, they knew the protocol.

:Good hunt, pack leader, Yasha barked.

:Good hunt, Inuyasha barked back.

Shirrow, an expert marksman with bow or gun, had already cocked the barrel of the tranquilizer gun before they had entered the forest. He quietly held it at his side waiting for the right moment to use it. When his Otou-san was completely off guard.

:Where alpha female, Inuyasha barked.

:At den, Yasha responded, lying.

:Beta protect pups:

:Yes, alpha male, beta protect:

:Take prey home, Inuyasha said.

:Yes, alpha female proud of alpha male, Yasha replied as Inuyasha turned to go, his pups following. Shirrow took this time to aim at his father and fire the gun. The dart hit Inuyasha squarely in the buttocks and he dropped his prey and snarled and growled at his pups. Seeing the gun in Shirrow's hand, he snarled,

:Pup. Disobedient. Attack Alpha., he barked out as he went to attack Shirrow, but Yasha and Shaoran were ready.

They both leveled blows to their father, Yasha to the face and Shaoran to the midsection. With the wind knocked out of him by two powerful punches, and the tranquilizer beginning to take effect, Inuyasha tumbled backwards and fell. He struggled valiantly to get up, but the tranquilizer was too much for him and he finally fell down and was knocked out as the brothers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"DAMN, Shirrow, how much shit did you fill that thing with?", question Shaoran.

"Enough to knock him out for at least a day."

"Damn! Yasha can you carry him?"

"Yea, why?"

"Well, it would be a shame to waste that grizzly. He looks good."

"Someone needs to tell Otou-san he hunted outta season.", Yasha said sarcastically.

"Yea, well you can tell him that when he wakes up.", replied Shirrow.

"Maybe when he gets his soul back.", commented Yasha, as he hauled his father over his back and Shaoran hauled up the grizzly. The brothers headed back to the car.

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Back at the hotel, Bunza, Kieran, Kiyoshi, and Kentaro searched the hotel, eventually ending up in the kitchen. There in the kitchen was a lavish feast prepared for them. The four held their noses,

"Whoever this jerk is doesn't realize the power of a dogs nose. He used arsenic of all things.", Kiyoshi said.

"I also smell blood.", said Bunza. Following the stench of blood, Bunza walked to the huge freezer and opened it. Inside were the corpses of many humans.

"Eewww. I think we found the workers.", he said in disgust.

"Well, Well, it seems the dogs have found me out. And wolves too. How interesting that Inuyasha hated that wolf Kouga and yet here are two wolves with two dogs. My, my.", said a young man's voice.

The brothers turned to face their adversary, a young male, with long black, braided hair and an outdated white outfit toting a huge halberd over his shoulders.

"Who the hell are you?", Kieran asked.

"My name is Bankotsu and while you're at it, meet my Banryuu!"

As they stared at the young man, a sinister laugh was heard behind them and the room began filling with a grey smoke. As the brothers started getting dizzy, the voice behind the laughter said,

"And I am Mukotsu, poison-master. And we are of the great Shichinin-Tai."