InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Relaxation? ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

"Kaede-bachan said that you guys can stay here during your visit in the village," Kagome explained cheerfully to the gang of spirit-detectives that followed closely behind her. Keiko, who seemed to be lagging behind a bit, was stopping to talk with every villager that passed.

"Kagome-san," Kurama spoke up from his position beside Hiei in the back of the group. "Where did Inuyasha get off to?"

A scowl suddenly crept over Kagome's young features. "That baka went off to sulk somewhere. Probably in the Goshinboku tree or something."

"I don't like the way he calls you wench and bitch like that, Kagome-chan," Kuwabara told her from his spot beside her. He and Botan were walking on either side of Kagome, Hiei and Kurama were behind them, Yusuke was next in the line, and Keiko was bringing up the rear of the group. When the girl stopped to talk to a rather handsome teenager on his way to the rice fields on the eastern border of the village, Yusuke quickly grabbed her wrist with a growl at the boy and pulled her up to walk beside him.

"It's alright, Kuwa-chan," Kagome answered with a reassuring smile, "you get used to it after a while."

Kuwabara was about to retort that she shouldn't hang out with someone so violent when Kagome announced that they were there. Everyone looked up to see a moderately sized manor with a certain atmosphere of malevolence that seemed to cling to the walls. It had two stories and had been occupied by the village headmaster and his wife up until a few months ago. "The village elder lived used to live here."

"What happened to him?" Botan asked in her thick English accent.

"Well, back in February he and his wife suddenly disappeared without a trace. It was really weird. So now since the mansion is vacant, Kaede said that you guys can stay here," Kagome piped cheerfully.

They all entered through the front sliding door to come into a very large, but very dark room. Even Hiei shivered when the intense aura of the house swept over them. After searching the wall for a many frightening moments, Kagome found the switch she was looking for and lit the oil lamp. The whole room was cast into flickering bright light as she lit the rest of the lamps around the walls.

They stared in awe of the beautiful mansion. The walls were a pale tan and were decorated in pastel paintings of bamboo and sakura trees. There was a large ornate table in the middle of the room, around which were situated several colorful silk cushions to kneel on. On the walls hung life-like paintings of ancient Japan scenery: majestic snow-capped mountains, rolling hills of swaying green grass and succulent flowers, vast fields of rice crop. Kagome swore she could smell the sweet nectar of the forest of fresh spring sakura trees in one painting. Off to the right was a sliding shoji screen which, on further inspection, led to the kitchen and the pantry. Another door led to the dining area and yet another led to the bathhouse. Climbing the stairs, they discovered that the whole upstairs was a series of large bedrooms, each embellished differently than the last. The daunting aura had seemed to dissipate as the whole manor was filled with the glimmering light of candles and oil lamps.

"Oh, my," Kagome whispered in awe. "I think I might have to stake claim to a bedroom and stay in here with you guys myself!" she exclaimed.

Hiei suddenly stalked off into one of the bedroom that branched off the hallway and slammed the shoji screen shut with a guttural sound something akin to a 'hn'. "Wonder what's up with him…?" came Keiko's soft voice.

"Well, since there are ten bedrooms, we can each have one to ourselves. Everyone pick one and I'll take one that's left when I get back," Kagome ordered in her girlish voice. But before she could make it out the front door, Kuwabara called down to her.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked in his deep gruff voice.

"Oh, I've got to go tell Kaede-bachan that I'll be staying here with you guys," she explained before walking out the door and sliding it back in place.

"Well," Kurama turned to face the others, "who wants which bedroom?"

"I call the last one on the left!" Kuwabara shouted with a goofy grin and ran down the hallway to the bedroom he had claimed. As soon as he had slid open the screen, though, a growl was heard from the murky confines of the room and the red-headed boy was promptly thumped in the head with a heavy book.

As he came teetering back to the rest of the group, Yusuke decided to state the obvious. "That's Hiei's room, you idiot," he grumbled to his swirly-eyed companion.

"Well, I suppose I'll take this one," Keiko complied softly as she walked into a room to her right. Yusuke immediately took the one right across from her and seven rooms were left.

Kuwabara just stumbled off to the first room he came to that wasn't already taken, which turned out to be the one right beside Yusuke. Kurama turned with a bid of "Goodnight" to Botan and took the last room down the hall to the right, directly across from Hiei. Botan stood there a moment. All but one light in the house had by now been turned out and that chill from earlier was starting to creep up her spine. When she turned her head to the left, she could have sworn she saw a pair of glowing green eyes staring back at her hungrily in the dark. With a frightened squeak the grim reaper scurried down the hall and took the closest vacant room, sliding the screen shut with a 'slam!'.

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This is just a little map type thing of the hallway.

"End of Hallway"

"H

Hiei A Kurama

Vacant L Vacant

Vacant L Vacant

Kuwabara W Botan

Yusuke A Keiko

Y"

"Beginning of Hallway"