Chapter 2: Meeting the Warriors

"Kyoji! This sucks! First another show and now we have to deal with some losers following us around backstage?" Rain whined, as did the other girls.

"Don't whine at me! Whine to your publicist." Kyoji said holding his hands up in defense. He pointed to a woman, maybe 23, sitting next to him. They were sitting around a table in Rain's hotel room.

"Yes, you DO have to deal with some losers. Don't you want the public to think highly of you?" Natasha asked them harshly. They all mumbled a yes and a sorry as Natasha's cell phone went off.

"Natasha.... Yes.... Sold out? Perfect....! Bye." She hung up and smiled at the girls

"Well, your backstage passes, all 4 of them, are sold out. You only have to spend 1 hour with them and then you can leave, deal?" Natasha asked them testily.

"Sure I guess. But after that, Rain and I are going to the clubs" Shirley said to Kyoji. Rain nodded vigorously

"And I'm going to a poetry reading" Maria said haughtily

"I'm staying home, but I still don't want anyone following me up to my room." Cecil said to her manager. He nodded at them and walked over to the window.

"Another thing girls, and I hope you'll be happy about this." Kyoji picked his words carefully, still not facing his girls.

"Go on, we're listening." Shirley said to him.

"Well, since Cecil is finishing school here, and Rain's recording with Seitt, and Maria and Shirley are tired of the hotel rooms, I took the liberty of renting us a house for the next 3 months. We'll be sharing it with 5 other people, I don't know who yet, but Whadya say?" Kyoji said turning around, waiting for the girls to blow up in his face.

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. "Guess it's okay. How many rooms?" Maria said looking at Kyoji.

"Well you'll be staying in the right wing, which has a room for all of you, me, Natasha, and 4 other bedrooms. It's a fully functional house, with a studio," The girls squealed "and then you just walk across a little garden and there's the same thing on the other side. I know the other people won't bother you, they've promised. We all clear?" He looked at them tentatively.

The girls nodded, and then said, "Cool," their seal of approval. Natasha nodded as well. Kyoji smiled.

"Great! Now get dressed. We've got the show in 2 hours." He said fatherly.

"Okay. See ya later." Rain said, kicking Kyoji and the other girls out of her room.

**************************At the Concert****************************

"This better be good Domon, I almost got trampled by millions of screaming girls, their boyfriends, and by boys with their girlfriends." George said to Domon, his nose in the air.

"Just shut up, will ya? It's gunna start soon." Domon snarled back, over the noise.

They were standing about 5 feet from the stage, waiting for the girls to come out, no other bands either, just listening to the roar of the crowd waiting for their newest band to come out.

And then the lights went out and four shadowy figures appeared on stage. And the music started, it was slow and they kept their backs to the audience.

Rain began to sing

/When you walk away, you don't hear me say, 'please! Oh baby, don't go. Simple and clean is the way that your making me feel tonight, it's hard to let it go....'/

And then the music stopped. Then a dance beat started. The figures turned around slowly and Rain began

/Oh! Oh!

You're giving me too many things, lately; you're all I need! Oh, oh, you smiled at me, and said:

'Don't get me wrong I love you, but does that mean I have to meet your father?'

When we are older you'll understand what I meant when I said

'No, I don't think life is that simple'/

Rain was walking all over the stage while the other girls danced in the background. Girls joined in during the refrain.

/When you walk away you don't hear me say

'Please oh baby, don't go. Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight, it's hard to let it go.'

'Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on. Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all. Nothing's like before!'

'Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on. Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all. Nothing's like before!'

Oh! /

They were all dancing now, the girls softly 'ah-ing' in the background. When the music slowed they stood there and slowly rolled their hips to the music. This made the crowd yell all the louder, especially the men....

/ Oh!

Yeah! /

They finished in a pose, their faces illuminated by a light from the stage floor. The crowd roared, much to our Shuffles' distress....

"They didn't even do anything. They just danced to a song!" Sai yelled haughtily

"They did more than that Sai, they did way more then that...." Chibodee yelled back and they all had to laugh.

"Hey everyone! Wow you guys really are great!" Rain said to the audience as she sat down on a stool. "I want to get this show rolling, but my friends want to do a slower song. So here's a slower song, 'You're Not Alone.' It was originally in Japanese, but I think you'll like it. Alright, here we go...."

/ I've walked so long I can't remember - where was my home? Their distance faces fade away I'm always on my own. I can show a smile It's not hard to do. I can have the strength to go on But sometime I wanna let go of everything. When thoughtfulness is not their game I teach by giving love. High mountains seem higher endlessly When they're pebbles at your feet. And if you should still fall into despair, There is one thing left to believe I lie in your heart always. Nothing is braver than honesty My life is your faith in me. I'll be there when you need You don't have to hide from me. What you are feeling now I fill your soul. We will seek together destiny Troubles have an end. We'll carry on hand in hand You're not alone. People searching desperately outside themselves Caught up in thinking of whatever helped. And I'd forgotten too that love exists inside me as in those I wanted from I feel you now. I'll be there when you need We will live together. Nothing is in our way With trust in our soul. We will seek together destiny Troubles have an end. We will carry on hand in hand We won't forget we have each other. Never! Love is in the hearts of all men You're not alone. /

"That.... was.... amazing...." Domon said to the others

"I don't know anyone who can sing like THAT" Chibodee said startled a bit.

"They really are quite amazing." George said

"Where's Cecil? Why isn't she up there? Where did she go?" Sai Sici said frantically

"They probably didn't need a drummer, little dude. {A/N: ^_^} Looks like little Sai's got a crush." Chibodee said teasing. Sai turned beet red.

"Well maybe I do! You got to admit, they are all very pretty...." The other men nodded in agreement.

"Now, what I came here to do!" Rain ran to the side of the stage and picked up her guitar. Cecil reappeared and Sai Sici breathed a sigh of relief making Domon chuckle softly.

"Our next song will be, Whadya say Cecil?" Shirley asked the youngest member.

"Umm, How about 'Mobile'? I like that one!" Cecil said cheerfully

"Well of course you like it! You wrote it and you get to sing it!" Rain said grinning. Cecil blushed.

"I'm just kidding, you sing your heart out." Rain turned back to the audience

"And now, for our very talented vocalist slash drummer, 'Mobile!'"

/ Went back home again

this sucks gotta pack up and leave again

say goodbye to all my friends

can't say when I'll be there again

It's time now to turn around

Turn my back on

EVERYTHING (turn my back on) everything.... Everything's changing when I turn around all out of my control I'm a mobile.

Everything's changing when I turn around all out of my control I'm a mobile. Start back at this life

Stretch myself back into the vibe

I'm waking up to say I've tried

Instead of waking up to another TV GUIDE

It's time now to turn around

Turn and walk on this crazy ground oh oh oh.... Everything's changing when I turn around all out of my control I'm a mobile

Everything's changing out of what I know everywhere I go I'm a mobile

I'm a mobile Hanging from the ceiling life's a mobile spinning round

with mixed feelings crazy & wild ...

sometimes I wanna SCREAM OUT LOUD.... Everything's changing

everywhere I go

All out of my control

everything's changing

everywhere I go out of what I know La la la.... /

The audience roared.

"They can rock too? Not good...." Chibodee said

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Chibodee...." Domon mumbled staring at the very talented guitarist who was smiling at the crowd.

***************************2 hours later**********************************

"We're outta here everyone! Thank you all" Shirley shouted over the final applause.

"I guess we can go see them now?" Sai said anxiously

"Shit Sai, you REALLY wanna meet that drummer, huh?" Domon said to him, making him blush

" 'That drummer' has a name, and it's Cecil. So shut up and let's go." Sai said angrily

They laughed and went to the backstage.

****************************Backstage**********************************

"Make yourself at home, please the girls will return in a while." The girl sat them in a room where they would meet these warriors.

"Wouldya look at all this? They got more stuff then we do!" Chibodee said softly, in case anyone heard him.

"Way to boost our morale, Chib," Domon whispered back.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Domon Kasshu and his band, what a wonderful surprise." A voice said sarcastically.

They all turned around to see Shirley who was the one speaking, and the other girls, minus Rain.

" Shirley! How have you been? I see you aren't a chef like you planned to." Domon said smirking.

"Oh ha, ha. You're just a laugh riot Mr. Kasshu, I see you have no morals or ethics, but you didn't plan that did you? You were always like that." Shirley said, lips curling at him evilly.

"I'm here to shake up the competition a little bit, that's all." Domon said, his tone making everyone else in the room a tad sick.

Shirley took about three steps forward and got right in Domon's face whispering menacingly.

"If you think that you can just walk back in here and ruin Rain's life again, break her heart again, you are seriously mistaken because I won't let you do that to her. You hear me? I. Won't. Let. You."

Before Domon had a time to answer Chibodee stepped in, "Hey now, no one threatens my friend here. Back off."

Shirley stepped away from Domon and folded her arms across her chest. She looked him up and down, "And who do you think you are exactly, big shot?"

Chibodee stared down at her, "I'm a real cool guy, sweetheart." Shirley looked at him in disgust.

"Jerk."

"Show-off"

"Loser!"

"Honey."

Shirley looked at him; he was really busting her chops now. She decided she liked him already. She stuck out her hand.

"Shirley Liana."

He accepted her hand and grinned at her,

"Chibodee Crocket."

They shook hands until Domon sat down in a chair, as did everyone else.

Just then they heard a big commotion outside and everyone stood up, the girls facing the boys, and they stared at the door.

The door opened, Kyoji and Rain were blocking the door, pushing people out of the backstage room. Kyoji squeezed in while she was hurriedly signing autographs.

He looked around and smirked at his brother, looked at the rest of his band, then walked over to his own band and waited for Rain to come in.

Rain finally walked into the room and was babbling something about "Too many fans.... lots of people.... so much work...." when she turned around.

She looked first at her band and Kyoji then over at where they were looking. She looked at the band members and at Domon and raised an eyebrow.

"Well. So we finally meet again. Figures that you'd buy the backstage passes, you need to see how a true band functions," Rain said sarcastically.

Domon was shocked to hear her talk that way and to tell the truth, so was her own band.

Kyoji grinned at her though and walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder and motioned to the other girls with his other,

" Domon, members of the Shuffle Alliance, meet my band, meet The Beautiful Warriors."

TBC....

A/N- yea yea, I know. Backstage passes aren't like that. But I mean.... it IS my fic....

Next time on Of Lights and Stages!

The girls move into their new house, who are their housemates exactly? Read and review to find out!

Until next time we meet!

Ready....? Go!

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