InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Street Musician ❯ To New Heights ( Chapter 16 )

I do not own Inuyasha & Co.

 

 

Oi, minna! I'm back with another chapter of Street Musician! This chapter has taken a little bit longer to post, but here it is, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the poetry explosion of the last chapter

 

 

Chapter 16: To New Heights

 

 

A distinguished man rocked in his leather chair as he listened to his associate read an article printed from a web site. He looked off in the distance as his associate read on about a profession not spoken about very often. He picked up the elegant pen that sat on his writing pad. He clicked every now and then as the cogs silently spun in his mind.

 

“…then the audience in the subway clapped in admiration as he bowed in thanks for praising remarkable talent,” the assistant read and then set the page down on the desk between them. “Tell me sir, did you expect to read something like this about him?”

 

“No. Well, I have never met him, so he has no clue I exist.”

 

“What are you planning to do then? Will you listen to his music?” the assistant asked as he stood from the chair.

 

“I shall. I will let you know as soon as possible what my decision will be. We have been looking for new blood for a long time. This very well may be what we've been looking for,” the iconic man stated as he reached for the page across from him and eyed the picture of the talented young man the unusual article premiered. “You're dismissed. I will see you when I arrive back home.”

 

“Yes, sir. Have a good flight,” the assistant bowed and headed out the door of the executive office as he shut the door quietly.

 

“Inuyasha, huh. Let's see what ya got. I certainly hope this article is worth the trip.”

 

 

@*@

 

 

 

The college students slept deeply, the music from that night calming their spirits. Inuyasha was on cloud nine. Not only had he and Kagome written great music together, but they had also held their first private concert with little effort. The smile he saw on Kagome's face, how into the performance she was. He couldn't help but think that she had been denying herself for a long time of something great. Her enthusiasm that night had caused his soul to soar higher than even the most intimate of embraces he'd experienced with her.

 

That bond had acted like a drug that night for him. He felt as if he was meant to do nothing more than what they had done. Entertained wonderful people. The only thing left now, was to continue to compose more, and to continue using the creative cogs running in their heads as they put them together.

 

As he thought over some new ideas for chords, he sighed with a relaxed smile. He had accomplished so much with her over the past few months. The tears that fell from his mother's eyes in happiness caused him to want nothing more than to see her happy and proud of his accomplishments. To know that he can make it on his own. “Thank you, Kagome. You are the best thing that's ever happened in my life.”

 

Meanwhile, Kagome's article had already caught the eyes of many news venues on her unusual subject. What awaited them was sure to surprise them.

 

 

@*@

 

 

“Inuyasha!” Izayoi called from her bedroom with as much volume as she could muster.

 

“Yeah, mom?” he asked as he stepped into her doorway, pulling a shirt over his muscular physique.

 

“Will you be out today?”

 

“Yes. I have an audience to entertain, friends to eat lunch with, and then more people to astonish. Why?” he asked as he settled the shirt over his shoulders.

 

“Well, I was just wondering. I wanted to let you know that we will be having a visitor later.”

 

“Who?” Inuyasha asked as he then stepped down the hall to the bathroom to grab his toothbrush.

 

“No one you know, but he is a rather important financier. I certainly hope you'll like him,” she stated as a smile crept unknowingly onto her face.

 

“Who is he?” Inuyasha asked before sticking the brush into his mouth.

 

“You'll see. Someone very important to both of us. Mainly you, actually.”

 

“Mom, why won't you tell me flat out who's coming over?”

 

“It's a surprise, honey. Don't worry about it. Just go and have fun today, but I will need you back early, okay?”

 

“All right. I'll see you later,” Inuyasha stated after spitting the lather into the sink and wiping his lips.

 

“Do well, my love! I'm so proud of you!” his mother exclaimed as he then slipped on his shoes and bent to lift his equipment, his guitar case resting against his back like a large weapon.

 

“Bye mom!” Inuyasha exclaimed as he then closed the door to the apartment. Izayoi sighed in excitement, hoping Inuyasha would accept the visitor later.

 

As Inuyasha walked down the street towards his entertainment corner of the city, he noticed more people eyeing him, making eye contact more than usual. He looked around, and paid more attention. The looks he received were not looks of oddity, but looks of acceptance and curiosity. It was as if they all somehow knew him or wanted to know him better. Once he reached the subway stairway, he stopped and turned around.

 

“Yo!” one guy said as he passed while flashing a `peace sign'. Inuyasha stood there watching the guy as he walked passed with his friends, not acknowledging that someone was watching him. After a moment, he then turned and descended the stairs into the dark tunnel of the subway.

 

 

@*@

 

 

“Now, class, I have something I want to tell you all. The articles you all did for the internet project have all been looked over thoroughly, and we have chosen a select few to be sent to area publicists for the local newspapers. Now, theses choices are not made lightly. Only 5 out of the 25 articles handed in made it out there, and have been printed with a release of this morning.” Kagome listened intently as the teacher explained the process of deciding which ones to choose.

 

“The writers premiered today are Shiro Takai, Kumi Yagasaki, Tomi Yamai, Tsuki Mamoto, and Kagome Higurashi.” At the sound of the last name called out, the class clapped for each of them and Kagome's cheeks went red. Not only did the calling of her name wake her up, but it created a barrage of butterflies to awaken inside her as well. “Congratulations, my students. The publications your articles have been printed in are…”

 

The teacher's voice faded out as Kagome thought about the words she typed of Inuyasha. The picture she chose for the article, and the fact that the whole city now knows her love exists and what he does. That night, she is to perform with him in the subway. They both planned to perform the new songs they had just performed the night before for their small group. “Oh my. I wonder how many people will show up tonight,” she said aloud as she stared off into space in shock.

 

 

@*@

 

 

Sango's class let out a bit early, due to a short test on a couple recent units in her Forensic class. She knew Kagome and Miroku were still in class, and Inuyasha wasn't due to arrive for lunch until almost an hour later. She decided to go to the bookstore, buy a newspaper and a snack, and then head down to the cafeteria to read something different from textbook material.

 

When she sat at the long table, she opened her bag of chips, her bottle of Ramune, opened the newspaper and thumbed through, looking for something interesting. After a few moments of perusing, she saw something that caught her attention. A picture of Inuyasha. His gorgeous face caught her breath astounding her that he was right there, in her hands. She read the title aloud and read the author's name, not believing her eyes.

 

“Kagome's article is in the newspaper,” she whispered in shock and then read on as she tore through her bag of chips, lost in interest. She learned valuable things about how Kagome sees her friend, and what his personal goals are in life. She felt a smile slowly form as she read on. Once she reached the end of the article, she stuck her hand in the bag and touched nothing. That was the first distraction in 20 minutes. She shook her head as she pulled her hand from the empty bag. “I wonder if he knows that he's now known by everyone around him,” Sango said aloud as she took a long swig of her bottled drink.

 

“Well now, this is a first,” Sango heard a familiar voice say from her right.

 

“What is?” she asked as she made eye contact with Miroku as he set down his books and eyed her with a smile.

 

“You reading something other than your text books,” he said nonchalantly as he pulled the paper to lie before him as he took his seat. “Wow. How did Inuyasha make it into the news?”

 

“Kagome is how. Somehow, someone printed her article today. I hope it was meant to be printed, it's a very personal article of Inuyasha, and it expresses what Kagome sees in him. Just by reading this, you can tell these two are a couple.”

 

“Well, one thing I do know, you can't print something like this without authorization from the writer. I wonder how this happened,” Miroku asked as he read the article.

 

“I wonder how involved this journalism class is. I mean, Kagome didn't say anything about her stuff being actually published for the public. Being posted on the internet on the college web site is one thing, but publishing it? That's big time!” Sango exclaimed as they both marveled the piece of work.

 

“Yes. It seems, with how great this article intrigues, that we have a couple of celebrities on our hands,” Miroku commented as he relaxed a bit, aiming his back towards Sango so she could read over his shoulder as he narrated the first paragraph, marveling how descriptive her work was. Not only that, but the fact that something was done to bring their friends into the limelight, if even for a short moment.

 

 

@*@

 

 

Once Inuyasha descended the last step, he looked around at everyone who had arrived that morning. First, their backs greeted him, until a moment later, “There he is! He's here!” someone shouted from the crowd as they all turned and clapped. Inuyasha looked on in shock as they all shouted, asking him to set up and play. He looked on for a few moments until the situation sank in. He took a deep breath, and got into the mood with a wide smile.

 

“Thank you all for coming!” Inuyasha exclaimed as he then walked over to the wall where the outlets were and began setting up. The crowd patiently awaited the chords to vibrate their souls. Inuyasha felt as if he was living in a dream. The way people had been eyeing him, talking to him, acknowledging him…Something was definitely up.

 

A few minutes later, as a train made its way to stop at the platform, Inuyasha stood tall, his guitar strap draped over his shoulder and resting in his hands ready to lash out. After the train stopped, Inuyasha strummed his first chord, catching the attention of the passengers exiting the train. The crowd became silent as his guitar introduced him. He let the chord fade as the train sped away, taking none with it.

 

After the distraction of sound was gone, he broke out into one of his emotional instrumentals. The crowd leaned against one another to brace each other in awe of the sounds carrying through their souls. They all listened intently to his story, to his soul. He reached out in chords to the people around him, their hearts holding his close as he mesmerized them.

 

Inuyasha's face carried the story as well as his strumming became harsher by the round. The men looked on in awe as the women felt tears well up in their eyes. His emotion flowed through the crowd, causing their spirits to hold his, and see who he is. The song's deep emotion starting from the beginning of his endeavor, then softening while keeping the tone. The softening became excitement, pleasure, crazed love and finally to acceptance and strength. The song, “Journey” as he called it, telling of his life from beginning to present.

 

Once the song ended with one last stable chord, the crowd stood silent as he posed, his guitar held strong in his hands, as if it were a part of him. Suddenly, the clapping started from the back and just sailed on forward towards him. It felt as if a wave of love and acceptance had been unleashed towards him to drench him into a life he had hoped would find him. A life of serving others in a way they needed most; entertainment.

 

 

@*@

 

 

The iconic gentleman arrived in Tokyo on time impeccably. Once the private jet came to a complete stop near the terminal, he undid his seat belt and stood to collect his bags. As he stepped down the ladder and onto the tarmac, the limousine pulled up to deliver him to his destination. The driver climbed out from the front and rushed towards his passenger, bowing and apologizing for showing up late as he grabbed the bags from his important client.

 

The passenger tossed off any thoughts of the emotional driver and walked to the rear passenger door. The driver quickly set the luggage into the trunk, dropped the lid and ran to open the door for his client. Once the passenger was comfortable inside, the driver mumbled obscenities at himself as he then climbed into the driver's seat and prepared to drive his high paying client to his destination and get him there on schedule.

 

 

@*@

 

 

Once the time came for Inuyasha to leave in order to meet the group for lunch, he climbed up from the depths of the subway, squinting to protect his eyes from the bright light of mid-day. He couldn't help but smile at the strangeness of that morning's performance. That subway was almost filled to the hilt, and they all stayed to hear him play. He could never have imagined such a situation befalling him. The whole way so far to the apartment, he smiled, laughed happily, and felt lighter than air.

 

`I wonder who this visitor is that is supposed to be important to me,' Inuyasha thought suddenly, causing him to stop and set down his equipment. Something felt different about that day. Not only was that morning performance unusual by far, but his instincts seemed to be foreseeing something to happen that day. The only thing he could definitely hope was the visitor represented good reasons, and not sad reasons.

 

He finally grabbed his equipment and set off back home to drop off his equipment and then head out to the college. Not long after, he reached the apartment and let himself in. As he kicked the door shut, he called out, “Mom, I'm home!”

 

“Oh! Good, honey! Can you come here, please?” he heard his mother call from her bedroom.

 

“Sure, but I can't stay long I have to…” Inuyasha trailed off when he reached the bedroom door to see a man sitting beside his mother's bed. A man he had never seen before. He was tall, his hair was the same color as his, and his eyes were too familiar, as if looking in a mirror, save for a cool façade cloaking any emotion.

 

“Inuyasha, this is the visitor I was talking about earlier. His name is Sesshomaru.” The man nodded as Inuyasha looked him over, something catching his attention, but not clearly. “Inuyasha, Sesshomaru is your older half brother.”

 

“My what?!” Inuyasha exclaimed in shock.

 

“We have the same father, Inuyasha. I am sorry I have not been in your life up until now, but there are good reasons why. Inuyasha, your mother sought me out to help support you and your mother. I am here for both of you, so that you can move on with your life, and she can get the care she needs.” Sesshomaru stated as he stood from the chair he had been sitting in.

 

“Why didn't dad tell me?” Inuyasha asked aloud as it all hit him like a ton of bricks, his smile fading into confusion.

 

“He couldn't tell you. Inuyasha, I am your mother, but he fathered both of you. It is not an easy story to tell, I assure you. However, Sesshomaru is here now. He's here to stay and be what family we both have left,” Izayoi explained softly, the oxygen machine drowning out her inhalations.

 

“I don't understand,” Inuyasha said as he recoiled into the hallway.

 

“Inuyasha, brother, I am here to take care of your mother during her final days. Don't be naive to the fact that she is dying in this apartment. You've done all you could, brother. Now, let me care for her and make her last days comfortable,” the elder man explained as Inuyasha's gaze dropped from the unknown sibling to his mother, showing her sadness and frustration.

 

“Why didn't you discuss what was planned with me? Were you afraid I couldn't handle the truth of your status?” Inuyasha asked; pain evident in his voice.

 

“No, honey. This was a split second decision I felt the need to make before it was too late. Inuyasha, when it gets rough for me, what would you do? We can't afford proper care right now, and I'm coming to the end of my rope soon. Please, don't be angry with me. Please understand why Sesshomaru's here. He's a good man, I promise you.”

 

“Tell me, you knew him before I was born, didn't you?” Inuyasha threw out as Sesshomaru eyed him incredulously.

 

“Yes. At the time your father and I were engaged, Sesshomaru lived with him in his condo not too far from here. We didn't spend much quality time together, but I knew he would take good care of us, seeing as he was there when his father fell ill,” Izayoi mentioned as Sesshomaru looked on at Inuyasha, his eyes challenging the youth as he glared at the man standing before him. The ghost who never existed, and yet had been there all that time.

 

“Well, thank you for coming to my mother's aid, but I don't need any help. I'm fine. I can get through on my own,” Inuyasha spat as a challenge.

 

“Well, I have read that you do have a bit of a following. A young woman perhaps? Izayoi has told me all about your relationship, and frankly, I must meet that woman who has fallen for you, brother. She must be some woman to be able to read your soul,” the tall light haired male mocked Inuyasha with words that made Inuyasha's disposition sour.

 

“We'll see about that. I gotta go. Take care, mom,” Inuyasha said as he walked down the hall and through the door, leaving his belongings where he'd left them when he arrived.

 

“Sesshomaru, please forgive him. He's a little shocked and confused right now. Give him some time, and I'm sure he'll come around,” Izayoi suggested as the man in question nodded in understanding and took his seat beside her once again to learn more about the life of the brother he had finally met.

 

 

@*@

 

 

Kagome had arrived at the table in the cafeteria in a daze. She felt as if she had been drugged to believe she was living in a fantasy. She held the article in her hands, as tangible as any other article she had ever held. She spoke with Miroku and Sango about how the article came to be published as they all waited for Inuyasha to arrive. When she finally read it all completely, she looked up, and saw how many peers sat at their tables, reading the article silently as they ate their meals.

 

As she stared on, her eyes sweeping every student's hands, she caught Inuyasha in her line of sight, doing the same as she. When he arrived at the table his first words were, “What's with everyone looking at me strangely all of a sudden?”

 

“You remember the article Kagome did about you and your profession?” Miroku asked.

 

“Yeah, what about it?” Inuyasha asked as he looked to his friend.

 

“Well, her article was chosen as one of five out of 25 sent out to be published in local newspapers,” Miroku said between sips of his water.

 

“What?!” Inuyasha exclaimed for the second time, only a bit more shocked.

 

“Yes, the teacher sent it out since it turned out to collect one of the highest page viewings among the class. Supposedly, it's looked upon as an honor to be had,” Kagome explained gaining his full attention.

 

“Really? Wow…” Inuyasha expressed as it hit him fully. “That explains the crowd this morning…”

 

“Crowd? Where?” Kagome enquired.

 

“At the subway. I was met with a huge crowd of people wanting to hear me play. I was shocked that that many people would be interested in my music. I wish you coulda been there, it was amazing,” Inuyasha replied as the smile began to come back.

 

“Well, welcome to the limelight you foresaw for us, my love,” Kagome replied as they hugged while heads turned to notice that the interesting man in the article had been there among them every day previous.

 

 

@*@

 

 

Well, there it is, Sesshomaru has finally made his appearance. Nice touch to the story, ne? I've been waiting for his arrival for quite some time now, and I assure you that things will get much more interesting from this point on. So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for another to come soon. Until then, ja ne!