InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Before Dawn ❯ Trials ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Inuyasha smiled in relief at her hesitant question. Now there was at least a remote possibility that this goddess of song could unfurl her wounded wings and cover the world with the healing salve of her voice. The guitarist barely resisted the urge to fold Kagome in a celebratory embrace. The small doubt that this whole plan would come crashing down upon his head was forcibly squashed before it had any real chance of fruition in his mind. Instead, he simply took the woman's clammy hand to lead her back to his fellow band mates.

"What would work best for you?" he inquired as they walked. "You want us to play, or would you prefer doing something a capella off the top of your head?"

Kagome weighed the options, finally deciding, "I think I'd rather hear your sound to get a better feel for it." The woman nervously bit her lip when she remembered something he had said earlier. "But you only play your own music, so that probably wouldn't work..."

"I never said we didn't knowany cover songs, just that we don't like to use them," he corrected. Inuyahsa halted before the other band members and stated, "You two finish setting things up while Kagome and I figure out what she's going to sing."

The couple nodded and returned to the stage area. Inuyasha shook his head in wry amusement when he heard Miroku scolding Sango over her blatant disregard of his treasured equipment. "What would you do if I threw your beloved Baby Girl to the ground?" he grumbled. "I'll tell you what would happen! You'd beat me within an inch of my life!" The beleaguered drummer cradled the cymbal like a small child while his hand caressed it's surface, thoroughly inspecting it for any damage.

Sango rolled her deep brown eyes at the pathetic display. "Oh, get over it, Miroku! It was an accident!"

Inuyasha guided Kagome around the platform to an area that had gone unnoticed in her earlier perusal. Directly behind the stage, standing in a spotlight of dappled morning sunlight, stood a badly abused baby grand piano. Papers, notebooks and folders were strewn across the battered and scarred surface. Kagome lamented the appearance of the once proud instrument. "Where did you get this? A battle zone?"

Inuyasha cast offended eye's upon her. "No! Actually I rescued her from a demolition site about a year ago. She was just lying there, badly wounded, beside this abandoned warehouse. One of her legs was broken, half the strings were busted, and a few of her keys were missing completely. I spent a small fortune fixing her up," he explained. The tone of his voice spoke more about his affection for the piano than mere words could ever express. He ran a hand over the dulled wood like a man caressing his lover. "It was worth every penny, though. Her notes sing clear and true."

Kagome moved to the bench and began running her fingers absently over the ivory keyes. She took in the stark contrast of the newer additions against the well worn ones. "Where did you learn to play?" she asked while he rifled through the stacks of folders.

"My mother insisted I learn, and that I be trained to play classical music. You know, Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc."

"Did she teach you?"

"Hell, no!" Inuaysha smiled ruefully at Kagome. "The woman couldn't even play 'Chopsticks'!" He bent his head and resumed his search for the elusive folder of music he sought. There was moment of comfortable silence before he asked, "How about you?"

Kagome gazed wistfully at the discolored keys before her. "My father taught me. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of sitting beside him at the piano..."

The softness of her tone struck a chord of longing within Inuyasha. He had to clear his throat before speaking again. "I'd kill to have memories like that with my old man. Father died when I was just a baby."

A shadow of saddness hovered in Kagome's eye's at the thought of this warm and generous man never knowing the love of his father. "I'm so sorry..."

Inuyasha shrugged slightly to dispel the sorrow that lingered around his heart. "Keh- no biggie. Can't really miss what you never had." Suddenly his arm shot into the air, a lavender folder clenched in his grasp. "Ha!" he shouted triumphantly, "Finally found it!" he moved to settle himself beside Kagome on the small piano bench. "We did a cancer benefit a few months back, and the organization gave us this list of 'appropriate' music. They later admitted that they wanted our name to attract young people to the event, but the board deemed our music too...disturbing, I think they said. We needed the cash to cover demo and advertising costs, so we did it." He handed over the folder to her. "Look through the music in here. I'm sure there's something you'll fell comfortable with."

"Hey, Miroku," Sango called softly as she cradled her Baby Girl--a B.C. Rich five string Warlock bass guitar-- into the guitar stand. When the drummer drew alongside her, he cast the bassist a questioning glance. The girl simply nodded in the direction of the couple who sat at the piano. "What do you make of that?"

Miroku was silent a moment as he studied the pair, and a sense of rightness settled in his heart at the picture they presented. "I'm not entirely sure," he responded quietly. "He just met her, but to look at them, one would think they were life-long friends." He turned to complete the arduous task of moving the amps into position. "I just hope she treats him better than Kikyo did."

"Babe," Sango said affectionately as she helped him move the massive piece of equipment, "anybodyhas to be an improvement over Kikyo!" The couple shared a concordant smile over the top of the amp as they finished setting everything up for Kagome's audition.

"You two ready yet?" Inuyasha shouted from the piano.

Sango waved a hand to beckon them over to the stage. "I just plugged in the last amp!" she called back. Miroku slid behind the mammoth drum set to make minor adjustments to the positions of the cymbals and microphone.

Inuyasha led a nervous Kagome to the stage, then lifted her onto the platform. He strode with purpose to pick up the guitar at the far right of the stage. Like any true musician, he lovingly lifted the beloved red Gibson Flying V guitar from it's cradle, slipped the strap over his head, and gave the strings a gentle caress of his fingers to make sure they didn't need adjusting.

Kagome stood hesitantly before the mic stand at front-center stage. She looked at Inuyasha, who shot her an encouraging grin. The singer gave him a slight nod to let him know she was ready to begin when they were. The butterflies that suddenly sprang to life in her belly were making Kagome slightly nauseous and fear clawed at her heart.

Inuyasha turned to the other two members of his group, twirled the silver and black guitar pick through his fingers, and stated, "Gothic Angel," in a flat tone. He didn't particularly care for this song, but it was the only one Kagome felt she could "do any justice to," or so she said. When the guitarist saw the other's acknowledging nods, he reached back to flip the main power switch on the control panel behind him.

Kagome inhaled a steadying breath as the low hum of the amplifiers thrummed through her. She stepped up to the microphone and silently prayed the others didn't notice the way the sheet music shook as she held it before her. Miroku tapped out the beats on his sticks and then the chordant melody of Inuyahsa's guitar rang through the massive speakers on each side of her. Sango's mellow plucking of her bass and the soft beat of Miroku's bass drum joined in unison. Kagome counted off the measures with the tapping of her fingers against her thigh, then added a slightly trembling voice to the music that swirled around her.

I cannot find a way to describe it
It's there inside, all I do is hide...

The singers voice cracked beneath the weight of her building anxiety, so she stepped back from the microphone. Inuyasha waved a hand to signal the others to cease playing. When Sango arched a skeptical eyebrow at him, the guitarist raised his index finger as an indication to wait and give him a chance to find out what the deal was. Kagome gave the man an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I've done this." She took another deep breath, pushing all of her nervousness out with the long exhalation. "One more time?"

Inuyasha gave a quick nod in reply. "You heard the lady," he called out to the others. "From the top!"

Kagome moved to stand before the microphone once again. Determination warred with the butterflies dancing along her nerves, until finally a new resolve cemented itself in her mind. She had to prove to them - and herself - that she could do this. Why it was so important she wasn't entirely certain, but the need to be a part of this group of friends had suddenly taken root inside of her.

She heard the wooden clack of the drum sticks, and the music rose once again. The singer centered herself, reaching deep within her soul to search for the power she would need to convey the message of the lyrics. No, it wasn't just power that was necessary, Kagome had to find the depth of emotion that infused the words and the music. The steady drum beat entered a single heartbeat before Kagome lifted her voice to tell the story of a trapped soul begging for release.

I cannot find a way to describe it
It's there inside, all I do is hide
I wish that it would just go away
What would you do?
You do if you knew
What would you do?

Kagome let the increased tempo sweep over and around her like a rejuvenating rainstorm. She lifted her arms out beside her as the winds of the music swirled around her and the rhythm set her spirit free. The sheet music was no longer nessecary, as the lyrics flooded the singer's mind and allowed Kagome to concentrate on the passionate way the words were meant to be delivered.

All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable, come and take me away

The singer rocked from side to side with the heavy chords of the guitars. The anguished tone she put into the chorus washed over the other musicians. The passionate resonance of her voice empowered them, and in turn, the intense energy of the music they created fed her emotional display. The sheet music fluttered to the floor as the driving rhythm took hold and she gripped the microphone between her hands in a display of intense frustration. Desperation built within Kagome; a need to escape the prison of a tortured past. The last two lines were emphasized by her fist pounding her chest with each syllable. The woman leaned forward, sending her agonized plea out to an unseen audience.

As the music mellowed once again to lead into the next verse, Kagome lifted her mouth to the meshed screen of the microphone to explain the reasons that she kept her heart locked away from the rest of the world.

I feel like I am all alone
All by myself, I need to get around this
My words are cold, I don't want them to hurt you
If I show you, I don't think you'd understand
'Cause no one understands

Kagome turned her head slightly to catch the guitarist's eye. When Inuyasha met her gaze, the hoarse cry of the last two lines were imbued with all of the sadness and frustration within her heart, and directed solely to him. The husky quality of her voice shot pain through his heart, yet at the same time it stirred an arousal within his soul. The plea transcended simple words. It was as though Kagome was trying to make him understand the depth of her despair and the alone-ness that consumed her.

As the second chorus approached. the tempo accelerated slightly, pounding through her blood. The sharp, deliberate strokes of the guitars drove her to rip the microphone violently from it's stand. Kagome stepped back and bent low at the waist, delivering a wail pitched so perfectly it rang throughout the room. The weight of the building rhythm, along with the rising anger and frustration nearly buckled the woman's knees. She never broke eye contact with Inuyasha, the torment in her voice mirrored in the deep brown orbs. Sango's harmony was nearly drowned out completely as the true power of Higurashi Kagome's vocal ability was unleashed.

All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable, come and take me away

Kagome straightened again as the last note rang through the air and seemed to remain suspended there by a haze of unadulterated misery. Sango's lower tone gained strength as it struggled to break through the tortured girl's desperation. When Kagome added her mornful plea, the bewitching chestnut eyes seemed to beg Inuyasha to answer the cry from her soul.

(I'm going nowhere on and on and)
(I'm getting nowhere on and on)
Take me away
(I'm going nowhere on and on and off and on)
(And off and on)

Inuyasha felt his chest tighten at the hungry tone of Kagome's call for help, the desire to shelter her from the pain overwhelming him. The swaying motion of her hips in time with his gentle rhythm was hypnotic. He was powerless to look away from the raven-haired beauty. He had never before realized the true meaning of this song; a soul caught in a world of pain and heartache, shielding herself from love yet crying out for escape from the prison she had created. The unabashed misery of the heartrending lyrics that Kagome now brought to life moved Inuyasha in way that no other singer had. The guitarist was completely captivated by her presence upon his humble stage, and felt blessed that this angel of darkness deemed him worthy enough to grace it.

As the tempo once again rose to a fevered pace to lead into the final chorus, Kagome ripped her gaze away from Inuyasha to direct her vocal strength to her imaginary audience. He watched as the rhythm swept her away like a cresting wave. She tangled the fingers of her left hand into the hair at her scalp while the right hand slid the microphone into it's cradle.

The singer clenched her right fist against her heart as she belted out the last refrain. Kagome matched the short, intense chords of the guitars with a jerk of her head. It seemed to Inuyasha that she was banging her head against an invisible wall.

All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable, come and take me away

Kagome's body rocked with Miroku's driving beat. She stretched her arms out in front of her like a beggar seeking a charitable soul. The last lines of the song were merely a vocal extention of her body's posture as they were ripped from her tormented heart in a desperate cry.

Take me away
Break me away
Take me away

Kagome fell to her knees, panting from exertion as the final chords continued to echo through the building. The three musicians behind her stared in wonder. Inuyasha reached back to switch off the amps before he shot a look to the other two that clearly said Told you so! He set the guitar back into it's stand, then approached the heaving woman. "Need a drink?" he asked with a chuckle.

The only response the winded singer was capable of giving was a weak nod. A million thoughts and emotions whirled through Kagome's mind as she felt him move away. Never in her life had she imagined how exhilarating it would feel to perform with a live band. During her rising pop career, all that had accompanied her voice was a pre-recorded instrumental playback on a state-of-the-art sound system. The only human interaction she'd had on stage were the hired dancers that acted as background scenery to her performances. This whole experience was uncharted territory.

Inuyasha dropped deftly from the stage before her, then held out his arms in a silent offer of assistance. Kagome shook her head and murmered, "I think I'm just gonna sit here a minute and catch my breath."

"Suit yourself," Inuyasha replied with a nonchalant shrug. He saw Miroku and Sango leaving the back of the stage, and decided to take the opportunity to have a few private words with them. "Be back in a sec with that drink," he told her with a wink, then headed toward the kitchen.

Kagome watched him stride confidently toward his friends, making sure he was a safe distance away before she whispered, "Shiro?"

The gentle heat of her lover's embrace surrounded her instantly. I'm here, my love...

The woman closed her eyes, letting the comforting presence of Shiro's spectre envelope her uncertain heart. "I don't know if I can do this..." A ragged sigh escaped her lips.

'Gome, you are more than ready. You have lingered in the shadows of your grief for far too long. A soft breath tickled the downy hairs of her earlobe. What does your heart tell you?

Kagome opened watery eyes to look upon the three musicians talking quietly, yet heatedly, by the refrigerator. "My heart is broken, Shiro. I can't trust what it tells me anymore."

Do you trust me?

A lone tear slipped silently from the corner of her eye. "Your words are sacred to me, remember?" A droplet of sorrow fell from her other eye at the memory of the lyrics she had written for him on that long ago day.

Shiro's chuckle was tender and soothing as it washed over her troubled mind. Yes, love, I remember. The warmth of his embrace tightened around her, mending her fractured spirit. Believe in yourself, Kagome. You were born to sing! They may need you, but more importantly, you need them...

Kagome whimpered pitifully as the healing presence of her lost love faded at Inuyasha's steady approach. She hastily wiped away the twin tears that dangled precariously from her jaw.

Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow in askance when he noticed the return of the haunted look in her dark eyes. "You okay?" he inquired as he handed the songstress a bottle of water.

Kagome accepted the proffered beverage and drank deeply from it before she answered. "I'm fine. Just thinking..." With a small smile, she tipped the bottle slightly in his direction. "Thanks for the water, by the way."

A fleeting look of skepticism passed through his eyes at the incomplete answer to his question. "You're welcome," he finally replied. Inuyasha set his own bottle on the platform before executing a graceful lunge and twist to sit on the stage beside her.

"So? What's the verdict?" Kagome asked as she slid her legs from under her and let them dangle limply over the edge of the wooden structure. She tried to hide the shakiness of her voice as a small shiver of fear rippled through her flesh. "Do they like my voice?"

Many thanks to all my reviewers so far! though only 6 reviews out of over 300 hits for this story is a bit depressing...plz review-it not only gives me an ego boost, but the high from them (even the bad ones) inspires me to keep going....and actually improves my typing speed! *hint hint, wink wink*

To CatLover260: I'm so pleased you like the story...I'm curious where the plot bunnies will take me, too!! lol

To Fairy goddess: yes, I do have my reasons! The early chapters will be short to progress the story along quicker, but as the layers of back story are peeled away, the content will be more in depth, and probably longer chapters will result! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful review...I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. The next chapter will delve into the other members a bit more....

To theprophet: Your review had me smiling for days, and I kept bragging about it to my beta's! Thank you sooooo much, and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well as the rest!!!

To psyco chick: Thanx so much! This is my first attempt at a true AU, and darkfic, and songfic! But I'm loving the ride so far! As for Kagome's demons....there are tons of issues with our normally cheerful heroine!