Hello, hello. I'm finishing this story soon. This is a parody off of a movie I like and I started having trouble not just copying. I don't like publishing copies of someone else's work; I at least like putting my own flare on it and I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. Here you go, enjoy what's here:
Chapter 6 The Melody Within
"I'm sorry Kyoko." Taisho said. "We cannot allow you to do something like represent the whole town while knowing you're under the influence of that horrible man who is taking away so many people's homes from underfoot."
Kyoko glanced up and slid open her door. She sniffed slowly. "Are you sure it's him ruining everyone?"
Taisho looked grave. "Who else could it be?"
Kyoko walked up the long driveway to the mansion with a heavy heart. She opened the door and was startled to hear Tsuruga yelling. She hadn't heard him raise his voice like that in a long time. She ran to the door hoping everything was okay.
"I don't know why I allowed myself to be talked into listening to your frogging!" Yashiro jumped out the door. Tsuruga continued. "A frog has a better voice! I'd rather listen to a wild horse belching harmony than listen to that bellowing!"
"I take offence at the insinuation." Yashiro said and shut the door behind him, shutting out most, but not all, of Tsuruga's voice.
"Insinuating?! Who's insinuating?" Tsuruga continued and Yashiro noticed Kyoko, who was trying not to smile at their antics. "I might have charges brought against your for polluting the air!"
"He thinks I'm getting better." Yashiro quickly explained.
Kyoko couldn't hold back her laughter. Yashiro smiled and jumped away as the door opened and Tsuruga emerged. Tsuruga was about to chase after the man, but paused seeing the girl.
"Kyoko." he smiled. "A ray of sunshine on this... irksome day." he beckoned with his hand. "Come. Come soothe my soul." he put his hand around her gently and guided her into the room. He left her by the piano and sat in front of the keys. As usual he played and seemed to lose himself in the music. Kyoko loved to hear him play. There was something about it, something about him that made the music so... so alive.
Kyoko didn't really notice when he stopped playing or she stopped singing. It was just normal, comfortable silence. Kyoko didn't even notice it until Tsuruga spoke. "I think you're ready so I want you to have this." he stood and went to a book shelf and grabbed some papers which he handed to her.
She glanced over it and looked up. "A new song?"
Tsuruga nodded and turned his face away, but Kyoko barely caught the blush that was creeping up his neck. She bit her lip and smiled softly. "It is a song. A song I wrote it a long time ago when times were better."
"Better?" Kyoko asked looking to see his face.
There was a gentle pause. "Happier." he corrected slowly. "At least for myself."
She looked over the music and he sat at the piano. She recognized the notes as a song he played often. She never knew there were words. She loved this song. As she read over the words, she liked it more. "It's not easy, you must listen with your heart for what lies hidden." At those words Kyoko's thoughts turned to her ultimatum: stay with Tsuruga Ren or audition at LME.
He looked at her face and smiled sadly. "You've been awakened." he said starting to play piano.
"What?" Kyoko looked up.
"Awakened." Tsuruga repeated. "Awakened to the truth. You see," he continued, "you bear the blush of a young girl who has come face to face with reality. Reality in all it's... ugliness." he said the last word with anger, dismay and a small hint of pain.
Kyoko couldn't help looking downcast. She opened her mouth, but it was a little while before she spoke. "They won't let me audition at LME unless I stop working for you." Tsuruga's playing faltered, but not very noticeably. "Taisho says they think you're taking their homes. You're not are you?"
He stopped playing. "Does it matter?" he asked softly.
"It does to me." Kyoko looked intently at him and waited.
Tsuruga returned the look. "No." he said finally. "I haven't taken anything from these people."
"Why don't you tell them?" she asked.
He turned back to the piano and ran his fingers over the keys, but didn't play. "Because people hear and see only what they want to hear and see. I can't get past their eyes, let alone into their ears." he removed his hand from the piano and put it in a fist. He closed his eyes. "Now go." he said and turned his face away from her. "I understand."
Kyoko looked at the piece in her hand and walked over to the piano and ran her hand across it lovingly. She made her way to him and put a hand on his shoulder, then stepped away from him slowly.
"Where were we?" she asked, taking her place beside the piano.
Tsuruga's head snapped up and his eyes were wide. "What?"
"My lesson." Kyoko said expectantly.
"Lesson?" Tsuruga repeated as if he wasn't understanding or comprehending the small word.
Kyoko closed the music and looked directly at her teacher. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever known." she admitted.
Tsuruga stared at her as if in shock. "You don't mean that..." he stood. "You can't..." he stood in front of her, still in shock. "You can't."
Kyoko's eyes misted with tears. "You don't think I'd let those people tell me what to do?" she reached out and hugged him tightly. "I won't leave you."
Tsuruga reached a hand over to hug her back, but he pulled back. "No." he stepped away, his mind racing fast.
"No?" Kyoko looked hurt.
Tsuruga nodded curtly and looked determined. "You must go. Now. Quickly." his words came slow at first, but as he continued they came quick and strong. "Cause neither you or I wish to waste all our efforts from our time together." he put his hands on her shoulders and looked directly in her eye. "When you go to LME you and I will have triumphed. If you don't we will have failed."
"But I don't..."
"You will go to that audition." he insisted. "And you will win. You will be everything that you ever dreamed of being. And more. Not for yourself but for what you can give to others."
"But I..."
"No buts! Our time together is fulfilled. Now you must go and never come back or all that we have accomplished will be wasted." he let her go. "Go now." he said. She took a step back. "Go now and sing." she took another step slowly. He shouted after her. "Sing!"
And with that she ran away.
"I'll be with you." he whispered softly after her retreating form.
Kyoko didn't know why she ran. Something in his voice made her leave. And she didn't stop until she got home.
Yashiro watched her run and walked into the room. "She is gone." he said slowly. "She- she chose...not to stay?" he asked.
Tsuruga looked at his friend with glassy eyes and he smiled. "She chose to stay." he whispered with a slight tremor in his voice.
Yashiro looked shocked and a smile started to light his face. "She-..."
"She chose to stay!" Tsuruga laughed. "I practically had to chase her away."
They laughed together and Yashiro sat down at the piano and started singing an upbeat tune. Tsuruga glared at him and he ceased singing and playing.
"Do you wish to wound this moment of happiness?" Tsuruga asked. He dismissed Yashiro with a wave of his hand. When he was gone he sat at the piano and pulled out the mirror and looked in wondering this time what he would see.
The day for LME auditions came faster the Kyoko thought. She looked outside and none other than Yashiro stood outside with a motor car. She ran outside
"Yashiro? What are you...?" she looked behind him, but no one was inside the car.
"I was sent to take you over to the audition. You may not be able to see the master, but there is nothing against seeing me."
"Yashiro has offered to take you to the city." Taisho said.
Kyoko's smile lit her face. "I'll go pack." Now everything would go right. She would win, become famous and prove to people that Tsuruga Ren was a good man. Kyoko paused as she threw some clothes in a bag. Tsuruga Ren? What about Shou?
She looked at the neglected poster of Shoutaru on her wall. When had he faded from her life? She shook her head. He didn't matter. She would clear Tsuruga's name and then they would be together again.
Kyoko ran downstairs, threw her bag in the back and hugged Taisho. "Thank you." she whispered. "Wish me luck!" Yashiro shut the door.
Taisho smiled and shook Yashiro's hand. "Take care of her." He threatened...er, instructed.
While Kyoko was on her way to the LME audition, Maria went to Tsurga Ren's mansion. Maria walked in silently.
"Hello, Maria." Tsuruga Ren said from his chair in the dark corner.
"Hello." Maria said shyly.
"What can I do for you?" he asked leaning forward into the light.
Maria walked in and looked at her feet. "Can you teach me to sing and dance? Like you taught Kyoko Oni-chan?"
Tsuruga stood and made his way to Maria. He kneeled on the ground and caught her eye. "Does your father know you're here?"
Maria looked at her feet again. Tsuruga smirked and sighed. "Someday I may teach you to sing, but today is not that day. Come on. I'll walk you part of the way home."
They walked out and Maria stopped him. "No, come this way. It's a shortcut."
Maria took him to the dam that Kanae had shown Kyoko. Tsuruga looked at the water rushing under them then looked at Maria climbing over the top of the dam.
"Is there no other way?" he asked.
"This is a shortcut." Maria said. "Come on." she beckoned.
"Perhaps the long way would be preferable this time." Tsuruga muttered.
"Oh come on. We play here all the time." Maria laughed.
"Maria this looks dangerous." Tsuruga shouted over the rushing water. "I think we should go another way."
"It's fine." she insisted. "Ahh!"
"Maria." Tsuruga tried to reach her, but it was too late.
Maria had fallen off the edge.
"Maria!"
Kyoko stepped out on the stage before the audition started. It was so big. It was very intimidating. She couldn't help thinking, "I wish Re-I mean Tsuruga-san was here."
Shou Fuwa sipped his coffee slowly. He had been very busy in his business matters as of late and he wasn't getting nearly enough sleep as he should. As he rubbed his eyes he overheard an interesting conversation.
"Two more lost their homes today alone!"
"It's that Tsuruga Ren causing all this. All this started as soon as he showed up."
Interesting. Shou thought. I've heard of Tsuruga Ren. He's quite a big shot, but never shows himself. Shou finished his coffee. He didn't really care about the mysterious man. As long as he didn't get in the way of Shou's plans then he didn't matter.
Hio walked up to Maria's father and guardian with a worried face. "Maria didn't go home after school." he said softly.
"Where is she?" Maria's father stood.
"I don't know. We've been looking all over." Hio bit his lip.
"Well let's go."
Everyone knew how dangerous it was near the rivers. It was starting to get dark, if they didn't find her before dark they would only find her body the next day, that was sure.
A man at the counter "Hey, you're little girl, Maria, she's missing?"
"Yeah." her father looked downcast and silently prayed for the life of his daughter.
"That's not good. Come on." the man got the attention of everyone in the store. "Let's help look."
Shou sat back and watched chaos ensue. With such entertainment as this, his evening at least would not be boring.
At the auditions, Kyoko sat silently and watched as talents paraded before her eyes.
"She's good." Kyoko whispered about the girl on stage.
Yashiro leaned over slightly to whisper in her ear. "So are you."
Back in town the people got a map together and were assigning search parties to certain areas.
The bell of the front door rang and a woman screamed. Everyone looked at the door and saw a hideous man holding a pale blond, very wet, and very unconscious girl.
No one had seen Tsuruga Ren so plainly before. He was also wet and he looked hurt and tired, but no one seemed to notice. All they saw was a beast holding a little girl.
"Maria!" her father reached out and took her form Tsuruga and laid her on a table. "Maria, wake up! My dear girl!" he lightly tapped her face and tried to wake her.
"She fell." Tsuruga panted.
Some people stood against the wall and narrowed their eyes at the wet man.
"He really is a monster." a man whispered to another.
A person who knew a little more first aid than the rest came over to look at the girl. Tsuruga looked around and noticed the glares directed at him.
"What was she doing with you?" a man growled.
Tsuruga tried to catch his breath. "Is she going to be alright?" he asked.
Maria's father and the women moved around Maria and the men gathered around Tsuruga in anger.
"Monster!" one said.
"He must of done something to her." said another.
Tsuruga stepped toward them threateningly. They all moved back. Ren glanced at all of them once more, before standing stock still.
"Get him!" someone shouted. And they all rushed him and pushed him out the door while some of the women tried to hold them back.
"Thank you, Katherine. Next we have Mogami Kyoko singing an original composition by Tsuruga Ren."
Kyoko stepped out on stage slowly and felt the warm light flood over her.
(A/N I encourage you to listen to the song as it's very moving. Also it describes Kyoko and Ren I think. It's kind of what inspired this story. Even if you're a person who doesn't read the lyrics in the middle of a story, this is important.
Italics are lyrics. Bold is Kyoko:
The Melody Within)
Kyoko stepped up as the piano played the song she had heard Ren play so many times. Yes. Ren.
Music boxes have within
melodies they carry with them
once they're opened music fills the air.
She loved the music he played. She could almost hear his music as it filled her.
Every person you have known,
has a song all their own
"His music is so special and unique."
once they open up
you'll hear what's there
"His melody is beautiful. Not everyone understands him. It hasn't been easy to be with him, but I'll keep trying."
it's not easy you must listen
with your heart for what lies hidden
"And because I've listened, I can hear the music in him. He's so alone, but now, I'll sing with him." she closed her eyes and sang:
There was a melody
locked deep inside of me
but now it's free
it found a place embraced by harmony
sweet harmony
"His harmony."
love more than anything
teaches our hearts to sing
only love could break the shell
now I know very well
the love within myself
BANG!
Everyone stopped beating up Tsuruga and looked over at Maria's father.
"Stop it!" he said, holding his gun pointed high in the air. "Stop it!" he said again. "You don't know what you're doing. So just leave this man alone."
Taisho ran over to the man. Kyoko had told him so much good about the man. Surely he didn't deserve this. He needed medical attention. "Somebody help me get him inside."
"I say we go up to that castle in the sky and see what the monster's done to us all!"
The men shouted in agreement and ran off to the mansion.
Only a few stayed behind to take care of Tsuruga's almost lifeless body.
There was a melody
locked deep inside of me
but now it's free
He's set me free.
it found a place embraced by harmony
His music
sweet harmony
His harmony
love more than anything
teaches our hearts to sing
only love could break the shell
now I know very well
the love within myself.
And the love he's capable of.
Kyoko finished and smiled as they applauded, completely unaware that at that moment, the one she loved was almost dead and angry men were inside his mansion, tearing things apart.
"I found a ledger!" one man shouted. "The proof of his actions is here!"
The house was torn apart. Instruments were destroyed. Books were torn apart. Tapestries were ripped. Vases were broken. Chairs were thrown off the balcony.
While this was happening, Kyoko was receiving first place in the talent section at LME.
Only a bit more to go. Poor Ren, trying so hard to save Maria only to get beaten up. Maybe Kyoko will come back and clear his name...can she get back in time?