InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mononoke of Forest Keep ❯ over the river and through the woods ( Chapter 1 )

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The Mononoke of Forest Keep

Chapter 1: Over the river and through the woods

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"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"I said `no'."

Kagome tried to drift back to sleep, but she had a headache…

"How bout now?"

... and she named it `the twins'.

She shifted in her seat trying to find a position that would allow her to drift away from the noise and aggravation, but found that even after five hours of driving the elusive position was still not to be found. So she settled for turning her gaze out the window to watch the passing countryside.

At the beginning of their journey from Tokyo, she had only seen tall buildings and people, droves of people. Eventually the buildings tapered off to modest homes with gardens, people were still everywhere but the traffic had moved smoothly, no longer the snails pace of the city. Finally they had left the suburbs behind and the road had cleared as if by magic. The modest homes had disappeared replaced only with tall dark trees and darker shadows. Kagome shivered, she did not like the looks of that forest or the solitude it promised. No she enjoyed the hustle of the city the frenetic pace and the proximity of her friends.

In the country there was nothing. Well not `nothing', just nothing good. She had her family sure, but the source of amusement they promised would be exhausted in two days. A person could only take so much of mother's good natured suggestions, her jii-chan's ridiculous history lessons, and the twins' antics; before going completely batty. Oh and she had the acres and acres of forest that was part of there new homes property, she glanced at a particularly gnarled tree before shuddering, yeah great a sinister forest, let the good times roll. Then of course there was the house itself, no doubt with its own warren of monster dust bunnies, will the fun never stop. She sighed quietly then forced a small smile upon her pink lips at least she had her cousin Miroku to take the edge off her boredom. His easy smile and mischievous nature were sure to provide some respite from the solitude, that is if he was not too busy chasing girls or with his shrine duties.

"Mamma I have to go to pee." Shippou whined from his place between Kagome and Souta.

Kagome eyed the boy before sighing and resting her cheek against the cool glass of the window. Outside dark clouds were gathering to a point in distance, blotting out the sun and promising an early end to the day. Shippou was fidgeting in his seat and knocked a half open can of soda onto Kagome's lap.

She turned to the younger boy with a groan and sent a glare cool enough to freeze him in place.

"All right, all right, we'll stop at the village before we get home." Mai called from the driver's seat.

Kagome rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze back out the window. There was that word again, `home', no matter how big or beautiful this new place was, she had a feeling it would never be home to her. Home was the shrine in Tokyo not some mansion in the middle of nowhere. She knew there was no going back there though, not after the fire, a fire that was started by a storm not unlike the one that seemed to be gathering on a distant hill to the north. And with a place her mother referred to as a `village' she was sure that mall, arcade, and probably school were not in the local's vocabulary.

Distant thunder rolled across the countryside and disturbed Kagome's thoughts just as her family's car pulled up to an old petrol station. The vehicle had hardly settled before Shippou had bound across the seat and out the door in search of the WC.

Kagome took the opportunity to stretch her legs and look around. The village was comprised of several dreary houses, a couple of businesses, a tall building that looked like a combination inn and pub with a single street running down the middle. The raven haired teen bent over to rub the kinks out of her legs when she noticed a boy about her age staring at her from the edge of the forest. Her stomach did a little flip before she averted her gaze; standing straight again she smoothed out the creases in her skirt and prepared to greet the young man. However when she looked back he was gone. Kagome frowned and looked around, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

Eh, creepy! Probably just my imagination, who has white hair and gold eyes anyway?

She turned her back to the forest and felt a momentary squeeze of her heart and a tingle that ran the length of her spine; when she looked up she saw that her family was ready to go.

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Ten minutes later and five minutes of `are we there yet' the car swung off the main road and up a single lane tiled driveway. Though perhaps driveway was a bit of an understatement as the path was in good repair and nearly as wide as the road they had been on; it seemed to stretch perhaps two miles into the distance, at least. The only qualifying feature was the large entrance gate marking it as a private drive. The forest seemed to push a little closer here as if trying to reclaim that which was once theirs, growing right to the tiled drive.

Five more minutes and they had breached the forest's edge to be confronted by their new home, and much to Kagome's chagrin the roiling clouds she had spotted earlier. Mansion had been an understatement, as the building situated on the hill could be considered nothing short of a small castle, like a page right out of feudal Japan. On the bottom slopes of the hill sat a shrine similar in size to the one that had been destroyed by fire in Tokyo, here it was obvious that the forest was indeed trying to take back the land. Miroku certainly had his work cut out for him.

"Ah were finally here." Shippou and Souta chorused as they pulled to a stop in front of the large structure.

Kagome could see Miroku, who must have arrived slightly ahead of them, speaking to a short ugly, slightly green (?)fellow at the front entry way to the castle. He looked up when the car stopped and gave a friendly wave in greeting. The twins were already racing towards him before Kagome had even disentangled herself from her safety belt.

"Ah good Higurashi-dono, you have finally arrived." The squat man greeted the eldest Higurashi with a slight bow. Jii-chan returned the bow and waited for the man to continue.

"I was just telling your grandson here," the man inclined his head towards Miroku, "a little of the Keeps history, quite fascinating really."

Kagome grunted her doubt that anything the man could say would be even remotely interesting; apparently the grunt was just a little too loud because her mother was shooting her the hairy eye while Miroku was walking towards her with a merry twinkle and a wink.

The short man cleared his throat and continued.

"Well perhaps another time then. To the matter at hand, I was bid by my employer to inform you that you may at this point change your mind about this house without consequence."

Kagome's heart swelled with the mere possibility that they could return to the city and leave this Kami forsaken place to the bugs and the squirrels and whatever other dreadful thing was lurking about. Squirrels <shudder>. Her hopes were dashed however when her mother spoke up next.

"Why ever would we want to change our minds, this place is beautiful?"

The little man shuffled his feat and looked around nervously.

"Yes well, as I was telling your nephew, the place is haunted. You see my master's family has not cared to live here since a visiting relative, some eighty years ago, was paralyzed with fear when two skeletal hands attempted to strangle her while she dressed for dinner one night. She never fully recovered." The old man quaked somewhat as he spoke.

"I, myself, during the course of my duties here as caretaker have witnessed no fewer then five instances myself. We've been through ten maids in the last year alone, only one has stayed."

"Takahashi-sama, my master, left explicit instructions that I was to make it very clear to you all that such a condition exists."

"Jaken, wasn't it?" Jirou enquired.

"Yes."

"Jaken-san, as I'm sure you've noticed we," the old man indicated to Miroku and to his own person, "are quite capable of handling any old spook that might haunt these halls. However, as I'm quite sure you are aware, the fact remains that ghosts, spirits, and the like simply do not exist."

Kagome, who had been watching a particularly sinister looking grasshopper in the tall grass, looked up from her vigil when she caught her grandfather's last words. She heard an incredulous snort come from not fewer then three of her family members, herself included. Not that she believed in that rubbish herself, but to hear such words coming from the man that believed every other school friend she had ever brought home was a youkai in disguise, was surprising to say the least.

Mai moved to stand beside her father and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Jaken-san," the woman interjected, " we appreciate your master's concern, but our minds are quite firmly set, we will take the property and the ghost at value." She smiled to herself with a nod of her head.

Jaken looked first at the old man and then at his daughter before looking each of the assembled family in the face; pausing just a little longer when he reached Kagome. A twinge of what seemed like recognition flickered across his reptilian visage before he turned away. Kagome shuddered unconsciously under the small man's scrutiny. The man shook his head slowly to himself as if saddened.

"The mononoke of forest deep is real, and has been documented for almost five hundred years, since 1503 in fact. It has always made an appearance before the death of any member of the family."

Kagome was paying close attention to the little man now, and thought she heard him whisper something like ` and has been the cause of more then a few' just under his breath, however before she could question him herself, Miroku fired back a witty retort.

"So does the family doctor, Jaken-san, but you realize that proves nothing?"

Jaken snorted at the comment then nodded to himself.

"Well I can see you won't be swayed, if you don't mind living with a vengeful spirit then so be it, but don't say you weren't warned."

The short toad like man turned and gestured for the Higurashis to follow him through the door.

Miroku nudged Kagome and rolled his eyes gesturing at the retreating figure of Jaken. Kagome giggled at her cousin and moved in for a welcoming hug.

"So little Kagome, it seems you get more beautiful with each passing year." Miroku held his arms wide waiting to embrace the smiling girl.

Kagome had blushed a pale rose before returning an affectionate hug.

"Thank goodness you're here, I'm sure I'd go in…" Kagome momentarily lost the ability to speak when she felt an odd gripping sensation on her bottom, she went rigid for a second before pulling back to stare at her cousin with shocked horror.

Miroku stepped back too with an embarrassed smile while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ooops, did I do that?"

"Miroku!? How could you, your own family…for Kami sake?"

"Well I am adopted, so you see…" He trailed off in a nervous chuckle.

"I know, but still." Kagome gently cuffed him upside his head before pulling him in through the door way.

"Sorry Kagome; sometimes they have a mind of their own."

"See that they mind their own `business' or I can't be held responsible for what happens." Kagome pantomimed chopping off said appendages with an ax. Miroku gulped melodramatically before laughing and ruffling the girl's hair.

"That's my girl." He smiled at the young woman

Kagome beamed at him "Come on you pervert lets see what all the fuss is about."

­­­­­­­­­­ 3;­­­­­­­­­­­­& #173;­­A/N So what do you think?

As always my other fics can either be viewed here or on fanfiction.net under kohmaru