-Colours of the Night-
by: ellyse the silent
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Chapter 1:
-Rising from the Sleep that Holds Me-
Kagome ran down the streets of Japan Courts in the city of Merripen, Mestipen, stuffing her cell phone into her dark green, beaded shoulder bag. She was late for work and her boss was going to ring her neck.
Turning two corners she ended in front of a small theatre, the red and black sign read: Hushi Theatre Of The Classics. She charged through the double glass doors and right in to Gumakura Kaede, the assistant director and prop manager.
"Kagome! Where have you been?" Kaede grabbed Kagome's and dragged her into a dim corner.
"I was up late working on a project and I lost track of the time." Kagome panted, pushing her damp black hair out of her eyes.
"Sesshoumaru has been waiting for you! You are half an hour late." Kaede hissed. Her short blond hair was a mess and she wasn't wearing any makeup, but then she didn't usually.
"I'll apologize, he will lecture me and-"
"Nakakura Kouga is here early, they are waiting for you." Kaede whispered.
"Oh crap!" Kagome slapped her forehead with her hand. She had completely forgotten that today Sesshoumaru was going to be introducing Kouga, the new actor who was going to join the theatre group.
"Yeah, you better go in," Kaede said quietly, tapping one finger on Kagome's slender arm.
Now warned Kagome crept into the small theatre's auditorium, pulling off her black jacket to reveal a long sleeved 'Erik Lives!' shirt. Her baggy jeans made a gentle swishing sound as she walked.
"Hizumi? Is that you?" Sesshoumaru barked from the centre of stage.
"Yes Hushi-san," Kagome answered, walking up the centre isle.
"You're late again." Sesshoumaru snapped. His pale blond, almost white, hair was braided down his back. He had pushed his glasses up onto of his head so they wouldn't bother his nose.
"I know and I am sorry," Kagome said, pulling her shoulder blade length hair back into a bun.
"You missed out introduction to Nakakura." Sesshoumaru continued, looking disapprovingly down at her.
Kagome didn't say anything, she had learned that it was best to let him guilt trip her and get it over with. The man Kagome assumed Nakakura had to be stepped forward.
"Hello, I am Kouga," He said smiling. He had short light brown hair, and was wearing a white t-shirt that said in black letters, 'Don't like it? Change it!' and tight black pants.
He had a nice smile but Kagome didn't like the predatory gleam in his grey-blue eye eyes.
Sango sent her a confused and questioning look but Kagome pretended not to see. Sugisaki Keiko was standing behind Samuru talking to Shippo, her normal co actor. Keiko played all the beautiful princesses and queens and Kaneko Shippo-Yuichi played her dashing lover. Moroku, Sesshoumaru's brother was nowhere in sight.
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In the brothers' office behind the stage Moroku sat staring at the phone; suddenly snatching up the phone as it started to ring. "Yes? Hello?" He asked breathlessly into it.
"Can I speak with Hushi-san?" the male voice asked.
"Speaking. Who is this?" Moroku asked.
"My name is Mazawa the current owner of the old theatre you were looking at purchasing." The man, Mazawa, answered.
"Oh?" Moroku tried to sound calm and collected.
"Yes, I finished the appraisal and the cleaning. What time would you like to come down to finalize the transaction?"
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Inu-Yasha yawned and stretched. It was late morning and his back hurt. He had been out all night searching and stealing food for the next few days. His back hurt because he had been startled and miscalculated a jump causing him to fall. He rolled his shoulders and stood up. It was nothing, a passing inconvenience; he shouldn't be so weak.
A noise at the front of the Theatre made his ears twitch back. Who was here now?
For the past few days people had been coming and going. A painter, a metal polisher, a re-upholsterer, and all manner of cleaners; there had even been an appraiser which meant the owner was selling. Inu-Yasha didn't want anyone coming to his home. He had had free reign of the theatre for two years. Two years nice quiet years. Two years of safety and security. Two years of silence and loneliness.
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Kagome sat on the roof of Hushi Theatre and watched the sun set. Crimson tinged the gold and warred with the orange yet all created a beautiful picture. In her mind she was already mixing colours to find the ones that would express this sunset.
"Kagome?" Sango's voice pierced the calm around her.
Turning Kagome smiled at her friend.
"I called you three times this morning. Where were you?" Sango asked. Her voice was worried not accusatory.
"Sleeping." Kagome evaded the question.
"You are a really light sleeper Kagome, are you sure you are alright?" Sango pressed.
"Yes, I was really tired." Kagome rubbed her hands together.
Sango smiled teasingly, "Sure it's not a guy?"
Kagome smiled back, "No it's not a guy."
Sango had been her best friend since Kagome had come to the Hushi's Theatre two years before. Sango's mother Gumakura Kaede was an American who had married into the Japanese Court of Merripen. Sango looked more like her late father than her young mother and they were often not connected in people's minds.
Kagome smiled again and pulled out her trademark energy drink. "You know I don't like guys very much," She said, unscrewing the lid.
Sango nodded and pushed a tendril of black hair over her shoulder. "Sugisaki was bad mouthing you to Hushi-san again," Sango remarked sitting down next to Kagome. Despite her rebel appearance, Sango was always polite to those above her and even mostly to those below her. She took the bottle from Kagome's hand and drank from it.
"What's new?" Kagome asked taking the bottle back.
"Tonight is going late again; I can already tell... that's not new." Sango paused and leaned her head back, "Moroku hasn't grabbed me yet today... that is new. But the biggest thing that is going to be new is..." Sango paused for dramatic effect.
"What?" Kagome smiled at her friends forced calm.
"We are going to move to a new Theatre!" Sango grinned.
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"No you must be the emperor, BE the emperor! Try it again" Sesshoumaru said from the front row.
Kagome watched Shippo get more and more frustrated. First Sesshoumaru had mentioned that Kouga might be taking over some of Shippo's main roles and now he was picking at Shippo's every move.
"Silence in my hallowed court," Shippo tried again.
"But oh emperor of the five states, hear my plea and..." Sango went on with her speech.
Kagome tuned it out. Sesshoumaru had told them about the move hours ago. It was now 11:00 and night and that were still practicing. Kagome felt like she was going to die.
During a lull in the acting Sango walked over. "You look dead on your feet Kagome!"
"I feel dead." Kagome moaned, wishing she had brought another energy drink.
"Hushi-sama?" Sango walked back out onto the stage.
Sesshoumaru turned to look at her, "What?"
"I don't feel so well and I think Kagome needs to take me home." That was Sango trying to make life a little easier for her friends.
"Gumakura-" Sesshoumaru started but Moroku interrupted.
"Sesshoumaru we have to come early to pack for the move, the least you can do is let us sleep," His voice was laced with sarcasm but Sesshoumaru didn't notice.
"Alright but everyone has to be here by 6:30 in the morning, sharp." He turned to glare at Kagome who had come around the lush, scarlet curtain and onto the stage.
Kagome bobbed her head in submission and Sesshoumaru stalked out of the left stage door. Kikyo and Shippo exchanged glances at each other. Shippo's was amused but Kikyo's was annoyed. Moroku smiled at his ability to make Sesshoumaru the laughing stock of the theatre.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the doors. Sango smiled at Kagome, and Kagome smiled back and mouthed 'Thanks!'
Sango smiled again as she walked out the theatre door, she knew Kagome and she knew herself. She was the wild rebel and Kagome was the quiet artist with a flare for surprises. Pausing she looked into the store but her reflection in the glass caught her attention. Her hair was back and pulled up into a wild ponytail. Her ears were pierced in three spots with tiny silver glittering balls earrings that twinkled every time she moved her head. Her face was pale, and her eyes looked big, outlined with black eyeliner. Her lips were pale without any lipstick or lip-gloss. Her long legs were covered with baggy black pants with purple suspender X's hanging off it. She wore a black tank top with a screened on design Kagome had made of a purple tower in the middle of a desert of blood red sand. Over the tower was one star glowing white. Kagome had given it to her for her birthday last month and Sango loved it. Over that she had pulled a dark green button up sweater and her high black leather boots. She was a rebel, she was Sango.
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((A/N: and my Phantom of the Opera/Inu-yasha crossover. I love this story... I used a bit different style here. Life is good!))