InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Before Dawn ❯ Acceptance ( Chapter 5 )

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

Inuyasha took a long drink of his water, trying to arrange the words in his head before speaking. "Well," he intoned solemnly, "your voice was never really in question as far as any of us were concerned. Miroku and I both heard you this morning, and once Sango found out who you are, she didn't have any doubt about your vocal abilities either." The guitarist lifted the bottle to his lips again before continuing. "The big issue was your stage presence, and how well you would be able to perform with us." He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw her nervously spinning the bottle between her hands. "I gotta tell you, Kagome, once I heard you were a pop singer, I had some serious reservations. To be totally honest, I wasn't so sure you could pull this off."

Kagome felt her heart stutter, then sink like a stone. They were judging her by the life she had left behind. Granted, that life hadn't produced the most emotionally moving music, but it was nothing close to what the singer was now capable of. Obviously she had failed to show them that. Kagome set the bottle to the side and drew her knees up to her chest in a defensive gesture. The shame of rejection burned around her already abused heart. "Well, I guess that's that, then," she said with a slight catch to her voice.

Confusion laced Inuyasha's tone when he asked, "That's what?"

The singer wrapped her arms around her legs in a futile attempt to still the now trembling appendages. Kagome's eyes glistened with unshed tears as yet another fledgling hope was crushed by the cruel and unjust fates that ruled her existance. Haven't I suffered enough?! her mind cried out to the unseen forces. Why show me this path, only to deny me from walking upon it?"I'm not stupid, Inuyasha. I've played this game before, remember? What you're trying to tell me is my 'pop star' image isn't going to work for 'Hell's Redemption'." Kagome pushed herself to stand on feet that felt laden with despair. The need to flee was overwhelming. She had to get away from him before the humiliation of her inadequacies took over and the tears that were being held in check overflowed. Without looking at him, the girl held out her hand and said, "My keys, please?"

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's wrist before she could move away from him. He wasn't quite sure how, but his inability to express himself with words had somehow screwed things up again. "Hold on, dammit! Just sit down and hear me out!" The woman sighed, and he waited patiently while she decided what her next action would be. The fact that the guitarist was still in possession of her car keys gave him a distinct advantage. Inuyasha released a relieved breath when Kagome settled back on the floor beside him. The guarded shadow that remained in her dark brown eyes made him slide his hand from her wrist to lace his fingers with hers. He looked out across the room as he said, "Listen, I've never seen you perform, or heard any of your pop stuff. When you stood before that mike, shaking like a leaf in a storm, I'll admit I was a bit nervous.

"But then you started to sing, and when you finally let the music sweep you away..." A look of wonderment filled his eye's as his voice trailed away. Inuyasha recalled the way Kagome's soulful vocals had called out to him and bade him to respond to her plea for escape. The man turned to face the woman and silently demanded her eye's to meet his. He decided in that moment to forget trying to carefully arrange his thoughts into words; instead Inuyasha let his heart speak. Intense molten amber clashed with velvet brown as he tried to convince her of the truth to his words. "You became that ethereal voice that hypnotized me when I woke up on your couch. All your pain, anger and frustration poured from each word that fell from those sweet lips. You're vocals lifted my soul to new heights of awareness! Finally that song makes sense to me! Do you know why? Because of the intensity with which you sang and the passion of all that pain and longing carried the true message of the music and the lyrics. You successfully blew any lingering doubts I had out of the water."

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to penetrate the fog of despair that clouded Kagome's mind. When realization dawned her eye's widened slightly.The girl was still half afraid the fates would intervene once again to crush the meager hope blossoming in her heart. "Really?" she whispered in astonishment.

Inuyasha laughed and squeezed her hand gently. "You bet your ass, 'really'!" He waved a hand in the direction of his band mates. "They both thought so, too. Even though Sango's a huge fan of your other crap--" A slight blush crept up his cheeks at Kagome's sharp look. He had to clear the embarresment from his throat before he continued,"--I mean, your pop stuff. Anyway, Sango wasn't sure you would have the sound we needed. She's a tough sell when it comes to changing things with our sound, but in the end Sango always knows what's best for the band. And Miroku, well, he was blown away from the sheer power of your performance. He always hated that song because it didn't show off any of our real talents, but said he'd be willing to do it again just to hear you sing it! He also wants to know if your single." Inuyasha sent Kagome a rueful smile that told her she didn't really have to answer that question. "Fucking pervert..." he chuckled softly.

Golden eyes lost all traces of mirth when Inuyasha stated seriously, "The final decision is yours, of course. If you want to think about it for a few days, Kagome, I'll understand. Just keep in mind that we do have a big performance scheduled in three weeks that could make or break us."

No pressure...Kagome thought as she stared at her hand neatly folded in his. The woman carefully weighed and measured the implications of his words. Do I really want to immerse myself in the game of breaking into the music business again? The long hours of rehearsals, late night performances followed by early morning meetings, photo ops and promo spots that never seemed to end made her shudder with remembered exhaustion. Do I want to return to a world where my smile has to stay firmly in place, never faltering?

But then, this was not the same world she had dedicated every waking moment to before. The one Inuyasha now offered to her was a totally different plane of existence from the pop scene. Here, darkness reigned supreme, feasting on the pain and suffering of the universe like a ravenous beast. In this place where anguish was acceptable --even desired-- maybe, just maybe! she could find some peace within her tortured soul.

Uncertainty still residing within the chestnut depths of her eyes, Kagome whispered, "I'll...try."

Each second the woman had pondered the offer in silence seemed to stretch into an eternity for Inuyasha. The two words that fell hesitantly from her lush lips exploded in his brain. "So, that's a yes?" he asked just to make sure it hadn't been his imagination. At her shy nod, the rush of relief that flooded through him burst forth in a laugh of unadulterated joy. Inuyasha jumped from the stage and lifted Kagome from her perch. The woman's shriek of surprise did nothing to deter him as he swung her in a slow circle, hugging her waist to his chest. "You have made me the happiest man alive, Kagome!"

The guitarist's laughter was infectious, and for the first time in two years, Kagome could feel genuine laughter bubbling up inside her. The soft tinkling of her mirth fell upon Inuyasha like gentle rain, and the man stopped in mid spin to let it wash over him. He allowed Kagome's body to slide slowly down his, but didn't release his hold around the woman's waist when her feet touched the floor. The couple stared at each other, lost in a strange, yet wonderfully comfortable moment.

It was the single heartbeat in time when two kindred spirits connected and formed a bond that would change them forever.

"So she's accepted the position, I take it?" Miroku asked as he and Sango approached.

The trance like state of the guitarist and the singer was broken. Inuyasha quelled his moan at the sudden loss of her proximity when Kagome stepped out of his embrace. "Of course she did, you idiot!" he scoffed. "Was there any doubt in your mind I would fail?"

"Well," Sango teased, "you're not exactly known for your social skills, Inuyasha."

"Keh!" Inuyasha wrapped an arm around the bassist's throat and playfully choked her. Sango retaliated by jabbing him in the abdomin with her elbow. Inuyasha released her with a laugh, and explained to Kagome, "Watch out for this one, Kagome! She's a black belt in Taekwondo and Aikido!"

"I only use it when jerks think they can over power me!" Sango joked back.

Inuyasha affectionately ruffled her hair before saying, "Bet Kagome here could show you a thing or two about how to land a powerful bitch slap!" He absently rubbed the tender area of his cheek that had received her fury. "This girl packs a lot of power in that petite frame."

Sango cast astonished eyes upon a blushing Kagome. "You slapped him? Wow..." She then turned to Inuyasha. "You've been taking pointers from Miroku, haven't you?!" she accused.

"Hey! I resent that!" the drummer cried in indignation.

The turn in conversation left Kagome drowning in a sea of confusion. "Did I miss something?"

Sango linked arms with the bewildered girl and began leading her away from the lecherous males. "Miroku's hands have a tendency to wander where they don't belong."

"My hand is cursed! Sango, my sweet, you know I only have eye's for you!" The pathetic whine that laced his tone was nearly comical.

"You may have eyes only for me, but hands enough for every other woman who comes near you!" Sango shot back.

Inuyahsa laughed at the morose expression of his drummer. "She has a point, my friend! Weren't you just asking if Kagome was single?"

"I thought friends were supposed to back each other up," Miroku grumped. The two men followed the lovely women to the lounge area. "But you have to admit, Inuyasha, it's worth it to watch them walk away in a huff!" The drummer sighed as he watched the gentle rocking motion of Sango's posterior as it stretched the well worn fabric of her tight denim shorts.

"You're drooling, Miroku," Inuyasha chuckled, giving the drummer a hard shove to his shoulder. "Pick your tounge up off the floor so we can get down to business." He strode over to where the two woman sat on one of the couches.

Sango waved him and Miroku to the other couch, then picked up her notebook to begin the "daily meeting". Across the top of the page she scrawled the date, then began listing the topics to discuss.

1. Kikyo out (yay!); Hugurashi Kagome in (YAY!)

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the girl, who giggled. "Sorry, just really excited about those two changes!" There was absolutely no remorse in her tone, but Kagome smiled anyway as Sango finished her list.

2. New promotional material.

3. Play lists for upcoming gigs.

4. Rehersal schedule.

5. Lunch.

6. Jam session.

Sango lifted her head and said, "Ok, since we all know about the first topic, there's really no need to hash that one out." She beamed a radiant smile on Kagome. "Welcome to 'Redemption', Kagome-chan." Inuyasha and Miroku both smiled their welcome at the woman before Sango moved on. "Alright then, since there is a change in the band's line up, we are going to have to redo all the promo material, cancel the demo Cd's we ordered, and draw up a whole new set of flyers. Of course, this means getting a new group photo, making new flyer layouts, getting back into the studio to cut a new demo..."

Inuyasha groaned. This was starting to sound very expensive to his ears. "What kind of financial status do we have?"

Sango flipped back through her notebook a few pages, then shot an apprehensive look at the guitarist. "Officially?" Inuyahsa nodded slightly, and she sighed. "We have just enough cash to pay the bills that are outstanding at the moment. Maybe a hundred left over once Tiko pays us for last night's gig."

"Shit," Inuyasha lamented as he ran a hand over his features. "Is there anyway we can get our money back from the demo's we're gonna cancel?"

"Afraid not," Miroku answered. "I was able to pull a few strings with a friend who works there. He gave us a cut rate, which basically covered the production costs. I was supposed to go pick them up tomorrow."

"This just keeps getting better and better. We're stuck with a hundred Cd's we can't do a damn thing with!" Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Well, maybe we can still sell them," Sango offered. "We can call Yuka-san and see if she can sell them to the fan-club members. Kind of like a last chance to own a piece of the original Hell's Redemption. She said the fans have been dying to get our music and were looking forward to buying the CD's at the club opening."

Inuyasha heaved a relieved sigh and told her, "I'll leave that to you then. Just tell her we need them gone, and fast. Now, how soon, and how cheap can we get a photo shot set up? We gotta get those flyers printed and up within a week. I want Kagome's face plastered everywhere we played with Kikyo, give everyone a clear message that we have a new singer, and a new sound!"

"NO!" Kagome cried out as she jumped from the couch in a sudden panic. "I don't want anyone to know who I am...was..." The fear that lanced the singers heart was intense, and-- for some reason she couldn't put a finger on-- she didn't want the world to know that Higurashi Kagome was the new lead for "Redemption". When the others looked at her in shocked askance, she struggled to find a reasonable explanation for her outburst. "It's been two years since I left the music world behind, yet people everywhere still recognize my face!"

"Forgive me for being stupid, but that's kinda my point, Kagome," Inuyasha said slowly.

Kagome grasped upon an idea that she thought might sway them to reconsider using her name to promote the band. "Weren't you all worried my former 'pop status' would hinder my ability to sing your music, or that it wouldn't be able to bring the presence to your performances you were looking for?" The trio gave each other meaningful looks of agreement, so the girl rushed on. "What do you think the rest of the world, or more importantly your fans, would think if you suddenly have a washed out pop singer as your new lead?"

Inuyasha was quick to defend his position, however. "But I already told you that we weren't worried about that anymore! We know what you can do!"

"Your fans won't know that until our first performance!" she replied hotly, desperate to convince him that promoting her was a bad idea. "How many of them will first make a judgement on what I did before joining you? Are you really willing to take that kind of risk?"

Silence filled the room as the singer and the guitarist stared each other down. Sango nodded mutely at the question in Miroku's eyes. Miroku gently clapped his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder before he spoke quietly to the rest of the group. "Kagome makes a valid point. Just because we know she will bring new life to our music, the rest of the world will judge her first on who she was, not on her current abilities."

Inuyasha knew when he was outnumbered, but his frustration was apparent when he ground out, "Then what the hell do you suggest we do? Put a big X over Kikyo's face?"

Sango tapped her pen against her chin as she thought of a way to promote the new lineup without giving away Kagome's identity. "Hold on!" she said when a new idea struck. The woman leapt from her seat and raced over to a large back pack propped against the sound system. When she returned with a laptop computer in her hands, the others waited for the machine to boot up in silence. Kagome took to pacing the short distance between the couch and the entertainment center, chewing her bottom lip nervously. Inuyasha watched her, not sure what to make of the strange reaction she had to the idea of plastering her face around Tokyo.

After a few tense moments, the computer was up, and Sango had retreived the file that held all of their prior promotional flyers. "Here, look at this one from last year." Sango set the laptop on the coffee table so they could all see the images on the screen. "Do you remember this? We didn't have the funding for a photo shoot of the group, so we each went to get new passport photos done. These are the head shots we used. We simply take Kikyo's picture out, and replace it with..." The woman looked to Kagome for help.

Kagome stared at the screen, and at the beauty that stared back with cold eyes and an alluring smile. It was the exiled angel from last night. A shiver of fear ran down the girl's spine at the thought of what this woman could be capable of doing to get what she wanted.

A vision of Kagome as she stood before the massive windows in the predawn hours sprang to Inuyasha's mind. The reflection of her tortured expression in the glass against the darkened sky gave him the answer Sango was seeking. "Wings," Inuyasha interjected. "The black wings of an angel."

Kagome's eyes flew up to meet his. The haunting intensity in those golden pools burned a hole straight through her heart. "Why black wings?" she whispered, uncertain she really wanted to know the answer.

"This morning, my imagination conjured this vision of you as you looked out over the city like some lost angel shrouded in darkness. I could almost see dark wings enfolding you like a shield against the world" he said softly,

Sango and Miroku looked at the couple as they shared in some secret memory, then gave each other a knowing smile. "Ok, then," Sango broke the moment before it became embarrassing for everyone. "I'll see what I can find online later tonight, then get everyone's approval tomorrow."

Miroku took the idea one step further. "How does this sound? We give Kagome a completely new persona, play on the mystery of her anonymity. She could have a stage name like..."

"Dark Angel!" Sango chimed in, totally caught up in the prospect of creating a new image not just for Kagome, but for the entire band. "We could use it as a tie in to some of the darker duets, the Dark Angel and..." The woman fished through her brain for a kick-ass metaphor for Inuyasha.

"The Silver Savior," Kagome added, joining in the enthusiasm that the group was building with the creation of the band's new image. She gave a stunned Inuyasha a shy smile as she explained, "That's how I thought of you during your performance last night. You sang to her like you were offering divine salvation from her pain."

Inuyasha winked playfully at her, then said, "Savior, huh? That's a title I think I could get used to!"

"Sure beats "carpet boy"," Sango teased. "I think that's how Kikyo thought of you-- someone she could walk all over!"

Miroku sent the woman a sharp look that quickly silenced any talk of the band's former vocalist. "This is a new beginning for all of us, my sweet. Let's not ruin it with bad memories."

"Sorry," the contrite girl apologized sincerely. "I guess I'm still a little upset over the way she treated us."

Kagome shifted her eyes to her hands, unsure of how to react to the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Maybe I should wear a mask," she inserted into the silence. When the three band members blinked stupidly at her, the singer explained her comment. "When we perform, maybe I should wear something that covers part of my face, so nobody will recognize me."

Inuyasha smiled, secretly thankful she had broken the tense moment by changing the topic. "That's a really good idea, Kagome! It'll add to the mystery- which is sure to grab attention!- and give our audience a chance to accustom themselves to your voice."

"Well, since that covers all of the promotional stuff," Sango said in a business like tone, "we can move on to the playlists for our upcoming gigs."

Miroku looked at each of the occupants before suggesting, "I think we should cancel our performances for the next few weeks..."

Kagome was taken aback. "No, you need the money from them to gear up for the big performance in a few weeks!"

Inuyasha nodded his head. "Yes, we need the cash, but we can't just throw ourselves to the wolves either. Listen, we've been in tighter spots than this before. I agree with Miroku on this one. We need to spend the next week or two fine tuning everything to include you, and you need time to learn the music." He looked to Sango, who nodded in agreement. "Okay, then. Miroku will get a hold of all the gigs we had lined up. I'm sure most of them will be okay, since they are all old friends. We'll talk to Tiko as well, maybe set something up before the big club opening. A small performance to test the Angel's wings, so to speak."

Sango scribbled the notes down in her book. "Next is the rehearsal schedule." She turned to the singer and asked, "When do you think you can free up some time?"

Kagome gave the girl a wry smile. "I have all the time you need, Sango. I live alone, am currently unemployed, and have no pressing plans for anytime in the near future."

Inuyasha took control of the conversation before the bassist could ask any more questions. "We rehearse every day, all day. It's time for us to make a serious commitment to 'Redemption's' success. The opening of this club is going to big for us, I can feel it!" he declared, pounding a fist to his chest to emphasize the point. "If we are lucky- and I mean reallylucky- we could become a regular booking there, but our first set has to knock them on their asses!"

"There's only one problem, Inuyasha," Sango stated heatedly. "Not all of us were born into money! You and Miroku don't have to work, you choose to. I can't speak for Kagome, but I know I have to have some kind of finances coming in to pay the bills!"

Inuyasha gave the woman a steady look. "I know what you're telling me, Sango, really I do. But, dammit, we're talking about taking this band to the top! There has to be a way for you to make the time! Don't you have vacation time or something?"

Miroku came up with a solution, but he had a really bad feeling the beauty would reject his offer. "You could move in with me, Sango. I have that spare bedroom..."

Sango's head swiveled to the drummer, her eyes blazing with sudden anger. "You can't be serious! Why the hell would you even ask me that? You think I wanna be around every time you bring another conquest home with you?" Fury and humiliation seeped from the woman's rigid body. Kagome watched in confusion as the little drama played out between the couple.

Miroku narrowed his eyes at the seething bassist. "Where the fuck did you dig up that asinine excuse? You really think I would do that? For the love of all that is sacred, Sango! Haven't I proven myself to you YET? What more do you want from me?"

"How about a little commitment, Miroku!" Sango raged at him. "Every time I think you may be serious about building something solid between us, you run as fast and as far from me as you can! And you always--always--run straight into the arms of the first tramp you lock eyes on!"

Inuyasha knew where this spat was heading, so he decided to get Kagome and himself far away from the war-zone. He rose from the couch, and held a hand out to the singer. "Let's leave these two alone for a bit. I don't know about you, but I'm starved!"

Kagome reluctantly took his hand and stood, looking over her shoulder as the verbal battle waged on. Inuyasha led the confused woman from the building out to her car, and opened the door. When he finally settled in the drivers seat, Kagome asked shyly, "Do I even want to know what that was all about?"




To psycho chick32: Funny little story about the songs...when I get to that part of the story, I listen to that song over and over and over....I'm sick of it by the time I'm done, but I keep listening, repeating each section till I'm satisfied with the result. Then I do the same thing when my betas go through it with me! An arduous task, but I'm glad the end result was successful!

To Fairy goddess: Thanks so much for the glowing review! I know how you feel about "band fics"....I've read some less-than-stellar ones myself. There is a deeper story to Inuyasha, but that will be revealed a bit later on. As to Shiro, I'm so happy you like him! He's my first attempt at an OC! He was actually only going to have a few small bits in this story, but he just won't leave me alone!!! Believe me, Shiro will play a big part in this fic now that he's had his way with me!!! And for a Kikyo/Kagome meeting...soon my pretty, very soon....mwa ha ha.....

To CatLover260: Thank you! You are the first person to point out that Kagome has a "ghost" instead of Inuyasha....and to be totally honest, I didn't plan it like that! I didn't even think of it until I read your review! It does kinda put a new spin on things! Unfortunately for Inuyasha, Shiro isn't the only thing he has to overcome with Kagome....but more about that in future chapters! The song in the last chapter was difficult...my grammar beta is also a music major so he really challenges me when it comes to the descriptions of the music and the performances.....they are so draining to write! He asked me about not having a song in each chapter once, and I told him I just write until the song appears, it was to hard to try to squeeze a song into every chapter, plus get out all the pertenint information in there as well.....Hopefully it works for the readers that way.....