Author's Notes: God I've been having a hell of a time writing this. It's been a major pain in my ass. I know where I want to take this, but getting there is the problem.
Doesn't help that I have a lot on my plate at the moment. I just got back from a wedding out of town, I'm now in charge of running an Urban Arcana game session which I have to be ready for a game session at least once a week, and I just picked up SimCity 4.
Overall, between all that nd work, I haven't has as much time to write as I would like.
Oh well. I am getting this written and that's what's important. This one chapter has undergone more revisions than any other and this is just before I ever put it down in text. Isn't that a kick in the throat?
Chances are, the sight is still doing the obnoxious thing with double-spacing everything even when I tell it not to, so I'm going to have to take a new approach to putting down the songs so they're easier to read.
Let's see if it works.
On one last note, I would like to say for the final time that it's not an issue of spelling Koga's name right or not. It's just what I'm used. In Japanese, he does have a 'u' in his name. The first time I saw his name, it was spelled phonetically, hence the lack of 'u' and it just kind of got stuck that way for me.
Let the Music Be Your Master
Chapter 18- The Devil Comes to Let It Bleed
Days went by. Days turned into weeks, and graduation came and went. Everyone was pleased to be accepted into the college of their choice, and Damage Control was beginning to make noise all around town.
It was mid-June when the boys were practicing in Inuyasha's garage when Sesshoumaru walked in with a white envelope in his hand. "This came in the mail for you," he said, handing the letter to his younger brother.
Inuyasha took the envelope and looked at it curiously for a moment before glancing to his bandmates as if looking for an answer. Getting none, he tore the envelope open and read through the contents.
His eyes grew wider with each passing second, until everyone in the room was staring at him strangely. "Son of a bitch," he said with a grin. "Hey guys, do you remember Casey Valentine?"
"Wasn't he in your graduation class?" Shippo asked.
"Yes, he was. Bit of a class clown," Miroku answered thoughtfully.
"Yeah, well you remember how he said he was going into public relations, right?" Inuyasha continued. "He sent us this asking if we want to perform for a peace rally on the Fourth of July. A bunch of people are gathering at Franklin Park to protest. They wanted us to provide their music."
"Well I certainly will be there, either way," Miroku said seriously. "My father is still overseas and to be honest my mother and I are a little worried."
"If it's that important to you Miroku, you can count on me being there too." Shippo folded his arms as if daring someone to challenge his decision.
"I guess it's settled then," Inuyasha said. "Thanks, Sessh. Could you get me the phone book? I want to give Casey the news."
************************
Koga walked along the streets at the boardwalk. Actually, it was more like swaggering as he usually did. Sunglasses covering his eyes, cigarette hanging from his lip, and hands shoved in his pockets, he strutted around as if he owned the place. In a way, he did.
But he wasn't here to admire his territory. He hated places like this. Too many people, and not enough paying attention to him. None of these fools had any idea what the real situation was, and that bothered him in a way he couldn't quite figure out.
No, it wasn't the scenery at all. Koga was here on business. He turned the corner and saw just the men he was looking for sitting out on the patio of TGI Friday's. Hiten and Manten. They were perfect pawns. Stupid, violent, mentally unstable, vain, power-hungry. Koga had suckered them into doing his dirty work in the past and the fools always went through the risks for a fistful of cash and the chance to start trouble.
Koga strolled over onto the patio and the table shaded under a parasol where his thugs were browsing through the menu. "Order whatever you want, guys. I'll pay."
"Damn right you will," Hiten said from behind his menu. "What the hell do you want this time?"
Koga narrowed one eye. It wasn't like Hiten to be so surly about new work. He'd have to adjust that attitude later. "On the Fourth there's going to be a bunch of hippies protesting at Franklin Park. Guess who's going to be there?"
"The Pope?" Hiten shot sarcastically.
"Very funny," Koga responded flatly. "Inuyasha and his band of losers. They're going to be singing and playing for all those pusses out there to make it look like they actually have an argument."
That got their attention. Hiten and Manten looked up from their menus and stared Koga in the face. Thick as they were, they obviously knew where this was going.
"I want you two to take care of them. Don't kill them, but give them all something to think about. Inuyasha in particular. You know as well as I do how fast that mutant can heal. Rough him up enough that we won't be seeing him for a few days."
"And what do we get out of it?" Manten asked.
"Five hundred dollars to each of you for each one of the musical fucks you take down. An extra hundred if you can do it without leaving evidence behind."
The two brothers looked at each other a moment, obviously a little wary. Koga didn't like this. It meant they were thinking. Thugs weren't meant to think. "How about a fifty dollar down payment?"
Another pause, this one shorter, before Hiten nodded. "Deal."
Koga scowled as he dug out his wallet. These two were getting to be more of a hassle than they were worth. Once he had Kagome back, he would have to make sure to put these two in their place. Specifically, underneath his heel.
*************************
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo had been practicing a new line-up of three songs for the rally. Too many songs these days about peace were just pretentious pop singles that lacked a subtle touch and were really just meant to draw attention to the so-called artist.
The Fourth of July came around, and Damage Control set up on a make-shift stage, ready to play. Inuyasha saw Kagome out in the audience with Sango, Kirara, Yura, and Naraku and smiled. Even Sesshoumaru and Kikyo were in the crowd holding hands. Casey took the stage, a wiry young man with blonde hair and two piercings in each ear. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he sohuted, borrowing Inuyasha's microphone. "Happy Independence Day! We're here to try and convince everyone out there fighting to give peace a chance. Lofty, I know, and a lot of people in the places we're trying to reach here at home are going to ignore us, but we can't just sit around!
"We have three special guests today! Damage Control, a new local band that I'm sure you've all heard of lately, has accepted the offer to come here and play us a few songs!" The crowd broke into applause and cheering until Casey raised his hand for silence.
"I'd like to introduce lead singer and guitarist, Inuyasha Morimoto! Bassist and back-up vocalist, Miroku Watanabe! And, of course, drummer and back-up vocalist, Shippo Matsumoto! The stage is yours guys!"
Casey flamboyantly jumped away, and Inuyasha and the group immediately struck up War Pigs by Black Sabbath.
~*~
Generals gathered in their masses,
Just like witches at black masses.
Evil minds that plot destruction.
Sorcerer of death's construction.
In the fields are bodies burning,
As the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
Poisoning their brainwashed minds.
Oh Lord now!
~*~
This was the least subtle of their songs for today. Inuyasha had always sided with Black Sabbath on this one. The reality of war was so perfectly captured in the verses of this song, though he felt the last lines were simply added for shock value.
The audience certainly seemed to agree. They were already getting into it.
~*~
Politicians hide themselves away.
They only started the war!
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave it all to the poor.
Yeah!
Time will tell on their powered minds.
Making war just for fun!
Treating people just like pawns in chess.
Wait till there judgement day comes.
Yeah!
~*~
Truer words have seldom been spoken. Inuyasha felt his anger rise slightly as he got into the music. He could only imagine how Miroku feflt, with his father stuck in a foreign country with people that were getting pissed off at the troops not leaving.
That was one of the reasons for this rally. They wanted to make sure people understood what war meant. The politicians, regardles of nationality or intention, would send out their followers to butcher one another while they themselves sat behind comfortable desks getting fat.
These thoughts kept brooding and tumbling through the young man's mind as they continued with the song through the solo, and eventually returning to the next verse.
~*~
Now in darkness, world stops turning,
Ashes where the bodies burning.
No more war pigs of the power!
Hand of God has struck the hour.
Day of Judgement God is calling.
On their knees the war pigs crawling,
Begging mercies for their sins.
Satan laughing spreads his wings.
Oh Lord now!
~*~
The last few minutes of the song rang throughout the song with a grim air. The audience applauded enthusiastically at the end and Inuyasha took up the microphone again.
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone. That was War Pigs by Black Sabbath. I don't think we could be less subtle if we tried.
"Our next song is a little bit different. Freedom of speech is what gives us the right to come out here and call out for peace. We disagree with decisions the government is making, and we have a right to say so. But I've seen some people lately who disagree with us. That's fine, they have a right to their opinion. But some of those individuals are telling us to stop. They're so convinced we're wrong that they have been trying to stop protesting and rallies for peace. That's something akin to fascism, telling us what we can and cannot do, say, or think."
Inuyasha positioned his hands at his guitar and looked to Miroku and Shippo with a nod. He turned back to the audince as his two bandmates got ready as well. "To those individuals who think they can tell us we're not allowed to be here, we're going to play We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister. Let's go!"
The drumline started up, and Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as he began singing.
~*~
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
Miroku and Inuyasha launched their parts into the song and immediately had the audience in thrall.
~*~
We've got the right to choose it.
There ain't no way we'll lose it.
This is our life,
This is our song!
We'll fight the powers that be, just,
Don't pick our destiny, 'cause,
You don't know us,
You don't belong!
~*~
The song might not have been perfect for this rally, but the boys really needed to get this thought off their shoulders.
This time, Miroku and Shippo leant their voices to the chorus as well.
~*~
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
This rally was a display of individualism, in a way. They showed they disagreed with higher powers and were going to make ure everyone knew what they though and why they thought it. They wouldn't give up until people had seen their argument and agreed.
~*~
Oh, you're so condescending,
Your gall is never ending.
We don't want nothing,
Not a thing from you!
You're life is trite and jaded,
Boring and confiscated!
If that's your best,
Your best won't do!
~*~
Whoa-oa-oa.
Whoa-oa-oa.
We're right!
(Yeah!)
We're free!
(Yeah!)
We'll fight!
(Yeah!)
You'll see!
(Yeah!)
Whoa-whoa!
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
No way!
~*~
Inuyasha launched into the guitar solo with a passion. Up on stage, he felt invincible. The audience was loving it as well. He looked down at Kagome who was waving her hands in the air enthusiastically with everyone else and he gave her a wink, causing a huge smile.
When the solo finished, the audience actually lent their voices to the back-up vocals with Miroku and Shippo.
~*~
Whoa-oa-oa.
Whoa-oa-oa.
We're right!
(Yeah!)
We're free!
(Yeah!)
We'll fight!
(Yeah!)
You'll see!
(Yeah!)
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
As the song came to the last repetitions of the chorus, Miroku took over the back-up vocals, shouting into his microphone enough to almost challenge Inuyasha's voice for dominance.
~*~
We're not gonna take it.
(No!)
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
(Just you try and make us!)
We're not gonna take it.
(Come on!)
No, we ain't gonna take it!
(You're all worthless and weak!)
We're not gonna take it anymore!
(Now drop and give me twenty!)
We're not gonna take it.
(Oh clinch pin!)
No, we ain't gonna take it!
(Oh, you and your uniform!)
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
The three musicians took a bow to thunderous applause. "Thank you, everybody! Now, I know that song was a little off the topic of why we're here. We're supposed to be crying out for peace, and this might be a bit of a tangent."
Inuyasha raked his hand back through his hair and gestured to Miroku and Shippo. "The three of us have been thinking about a good song for the occassion. We realized that the choice was pretty obvious."
Miroku spoke up this time from his own microphone. "In 1990, the Scorpions were one of the first western bands invited to play in Russia, which at the time was still the Soviet Union. Growing up, they were always being told about communists being the bad guys, but their experience couldn't have been more contrary. The lead singer, Klaus Meine, wrote the song Wind of Change as a cry for peace when he saw just how much all human beings have in common."
At last, Shippo spoke into the microphone on his headset. "Months after he finished writing Wind of Change, the Berlin Wall was torn down. In the next several years, there would be a lot of political changes and strife in Russia nad eastern Europe. Wind of Change was almost like an anthem to these chaotic times. It remains one of the greatest socio-political ballads in rock and roll to date."
At last, Inuyasha took the microphone again as he prepared his guitar. "With that in mind, I don't think there's a more appropriate song for these troubled times. We give you Wind of Change by the Scorpions."
The music started and Inuyasha whistled the famous opening. This was much different than the other songs they had played today. It was a gentle ballad, a soft yet bold call to drop arms and come together as the human race.
~*~
I follow the Moskva,
Down to Gorky Park,
Listening to the wind of change.
An August summer night.
Soldiers passing by,
Listening to the wind of change.
~*~
Inuyasha and Miroku whistled the tune softly as the music wove its spell over the park.
~*~
The world is closing in,
And did you ever think,
The we could be so close like brothers?
The future's in the air,
I can feel it everywhere,
Blowing in the wind of change.
~*~
Take me to the magic of the moment,
On a glory night,
Where the children of tomorrow dream away,
In the wind of change
~*~
Walking down the street,
Distant memories,
Are buried in the past forever.
I follow the Moskva,
Down to Gorky Park,
Listening to the wind of change.
~*~
It was indeed a powerful song. The audience was captivated as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo cast the music throughout the air, their presence utterly captivating.
~*~
Take me to the magic of the moment,
On a glory night,
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams,
With you and me.
Take me to the magic of the moment,
On a glory night,
Where the children of tomorrow dream away,
In the wind of change.
~*~
Now came the part that the band had agonized over. They wanted to deliver the bridge and solo perfectly since that was what brought the song the energy leading to the climactic chorus at the end.
Inuyasha looked out intensely over the audience while Miroku and Shippo backed up his voice at important moments to give the song as much power as possible.
~*~
The wind of change,
Blows straight into the face of time,
Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell,
For peace of mind!
Let your balalaika sing,
What my guitar wants to say! (Sing!)
~*~
Take me to the magic of the moment, (Take me!)
On a glory night, (Glory night!)
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams, (Share their dreams)
With you and me. (With you and me!)
Take me to the magic of the moment, (Take me!)
On a glory night, (Glory night!)
Where the children of tomorrow dream a way, (Dream away)
In the wind of change.
~*~
Inuyasha softly whistled through the closing until the music stopped. The silence lasted only a moment before the audience broke out into applause and cheering.
*************************
Hiten and Manten grinned to themselves. Those freaks were going to really get it. They used their parents' SUV to get out to the park, removing the license plates so no one would know. They were common with all the yuppies in town with Napolean complexes, so the brothers doubted anyone would ever find them. Just change the paint job tomorrow and it would be totally safe.
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo walked off the stage and Hiten seized his chance. He shifted the car out of neutral and charged toward the three of them.
It seemed Inuyasha's sensitive hearing caught on quicker than they thought, because he abruptly wheeled around to face the incoming SUV. He might have recognized Hiten and Manten at that instant, as well, had the two of them not thought ahead and dressed in black turtlenecks and ski masks.
Hiten laughed inwrdly as he watched Inuyasha shove his friends aside and try to dive out of the way.
'Too slow,' Hiten tohught mockingly. Inuyasha was just a second too late, and he only cleared the SUV's path up to his rib cage. A loud bump went throughout the car as it impacted with the guitarist's body and sent him crashing back against the stage.
By now the crowd was beginning to panic, and Hiten figured it best to get out now. He drove off, laughing and whooping with Manten the whole way. Mission accomplished!
**************************
Koga watched all this transpire from the edge of the park, trying to remain unseen from behind a tree. He took a long drag off his cigarette and growled. He didn't think those two would be that stupid.
Oh well. If they got busted, he just wouldn't bother bailing them out again. They had lived out their usefulness and the mistakes were theirs to clean up from now on.
At least their stupid plan had worked. He watched with a smirk as Sesshoumaru carried his younger brother's unconscious form in his arms to the Viper and drove off in the direction of the hospital. No doubt the whole gang would be there, so Koga best get there as well and wait for Kagome.
Only a few more moves and it would be checkmate for Inuyasha.
***************************
Author's Notes: Another long wait, I know, and I'm not really too satisfied with the ending to this chapter, but everything I thought of was much worse.
Oh well. Anyway, it is written and that's what's important now.
On a side note, I just signed up for eBay and its taking all of my self-control not to go on a bidding spree. You would not believe how pissed off I got when some jack-ass won a T-shirt I really wanted. I felt better though when I sniped a different one right out from under his nose.
Wish me luck getting a book I want. Auction ends tonight.
Doesn't help that I have a lot on my plate at the moment. I just got back from a wedding out of town, I'm now in charge of running an Urban Arcana game session which I have to be ready for a game session at least once a week, and I just picked up SimCity 4.
Overall, between all that nd work, I haven't has as much time to write as I would like.
Oh well. I am getting this written and that's what's important. This one chapter has undergone more revisions than any other and this is just before I ever put it down in text. Isn't that a kick in the throat?
Chances are, the sight is still doing the obnoxious thing with double-spacing everything even when I tell it not to, so I'm going to have to take a new approach to putting down the songs so they're easier to read.
Let's see if it works.
On one last note, I would like to say for the final time that it's not an issue of spelling Koga's name right or not. It's just what I'm used. In Japanese, he does have a 'u' in his name. The first time I saw his name, it was spelled phonetically, hence the lack of 'u' and it just kind of got stuck that way for me.
Let the Music Be Your Master
Chapter 18- The Devil Comes to Let It Bleed
Days went by. Days turned into weeks, and graduation came and went. Everyone was pleased to be accepted into the college of their choice, and Damage Control was beginning to make noise all around town.
It was mid-June when the boys were practicing in Inuyasha's garage when Sesshoumaru walked in with a white envelope in his hand. "This came in the mail for you," he said, handing the letter to his younger brother.
Inuyasha took the envelope and looked at it curiously for a moment before glancing to his bandmates as if looking for an answer. Getting none, he tore the envelope open and read through the contents.
His eyes grew wider with each passing second, until everyone in the room was staring at him strangely. "Son of a bitch," he said with a grin. "Hey guys, do you remember Casey Valentine?"
"Wasn't he in your graduation class?" Shippo asked.
"Yes, he was. Bit of a class clown," Miroku answered thoughtfully.
"Yeah, well you remember how he said he was going into public relations, right?" Inuyasha continued. "He sent us this asking if we want to perform for a peace rally on the Fourth of July. A bunch of people are gathering at Franklin Park to protest. They wanted us to provide their music."
"Well I certainly will be there, either way," Miroku said seriously. "My father is still overseas and to be honest my mother and I are a little worried."
"If it's that important to you Miroku, you can count on me being there too." Shippo folded his arms as if daring someone to challenge his decision.
"I guess it's settled then," Inuyasha said. "Thanks, Sessh. Could you get me the phone book? I want to give Casey the news."
************************
Koga walked along the streets at the boardwalk. Actually, it was more like swaggering as he usually did. Sunglasses covering his eyes, cigarette hanging from his lip, and hands shoved in his pockets, he strutted around as if he owned the place. In a way, he did.
But he wasn't here to admire his territory. He hated places like this. Too many people, and not enough paying attention to him. None of these fools had any idea what the real situation was, and that bothered him in a way he couldn't quite figure out.
No, it wasn't the scenery at all. Koga was here on business. He turned the corner and saw just the men he was looking for sitting out on the patio of TGI Friday's. Hiten and Manten. They were perfect pawns. Stupid, violent, mentally unstable, vain, power-hungry. Koga had suckered them into doing his dirty work in the past and the fools always went through the risks for a fistful of cash and the chance to start trouble.
Koga strolled over onto the patio and the table shaded under a parasol where his thugs were browsing through the menu. "Order whatever you want, guys. I'll pay."
"Damn right you will," Hiten said from behind his menu. "What the hell do you want this time?"
Koga narrowed one eye. It wasn't like Hiten to be so surly about new work. He'd have to adjust that attitude later. "On the Fourth there's going to be a bunch of hippies protesting at Franklin Park. Guess who's going to be there?"
"The Pope?" Hiten shot sarcastically.
"Very funny," Koga responded flatly. "Inuyasha and his band of losers. They're going to be singing and playing for all those pusses out there to make it look like they actually have an argument."
That got their attention. Hiten and Manten looked up from their menus and stared Koga in the face. Thick as they were, they obviously knew where this was going.
"I want you two to take care of them. Don't kill them, but give them all something to think about. Inuyasha in particular. You know as well as I do how fast that mutant can heal. Rough him up enough that we won't be seeing him for a few days."
"And what do we get out of it?" Manten asked.
"Five hundred dollars to each of you for each one of the musical fucks you take down. An extra hundred if you can do it without leaving evidence behind."
The two brothers looked at each other a moment, obviously a little wary. Koga didn't like this. It meant they were thinking. Thugs weren't meant to think. "How about a fifty dollar down payment?"
Another pause, this one shorter, before Hiten nodded. "Deal."
Koga scowled as he dug out his wallet. These two were getting to be more of a hassle than they were worth. Once he had Kagome back, he would have to make sure to put these two in their place. Specifically, underneath his heel.
*************************
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo had been practicing a new line-up of three songs for the rally. Too many songs these days about peace were just pretentious pop singles that lacked a subtle touch and were really just meant to draw attention to the so-called artist.
The Fourth of July came around, and Damage Control set up on a make-shift stage, ready to play. Inuyasha saw Kagome out in the audience with Sango, Kirara, Yura, and Naraku and smiled. Even Sesshoumaru and Kikyo were in the crowd holding hands. Casey took the stage, a wiry young man with blonde hair and two piercings in each ear. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he sohuted, borrowing Inuyasha's microphone. "Happy Independence Day! We're here to try and convince everyone out there fighting to give peace a chance. Lofty, I know, and a lot of people in the places we're trying to reach here at home are going to ignore us, but we can't just sit around!
"We have three special guests today! Damage Control, a new local band that I'm sure you've all heard of lately, has accepted the offer to come here and play us a few songs!" The crowd broke into applause and cheering until Casey raised his hand for silence.
"I'd like to introduce lead singer and guitarist, Inuyasha Morimoto! Bassist and back-up vocalist, Miroku Watanabe! And, of course, drummer and back-up vocalist, Shippo Matsumoto! The stage is yours guys!"
Casey flamboyantly jumped away, and Inuyasha and the group immediately struck up War Pigs by Black Sabbath.
~*~
Generals gathered in their masses,
Just like witches at black masses.
Evil minds that plot destruction.
Sorcerer of death's construction.
In the fields are bodies burning,
As the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
Poisoning their brainwashed minds.
Oh Lord now!
~*~
This was the least subtle of their songs for today. Inuyasha had always sided with Black Sabbath on this one. The reality of war was so perfectly captured in the verses of this song, though he felt the last lines were simply added for shock value.
The audience certainly seemed to agree. They were already getting into it.
~*~
Politicians hide themselves away.
They only started the war!
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave it all to the poor.
Yeah!
Time will tell on their powered minds.
Making war just for fun!
Treating people just like pawns in chess.
Wait till there judgement day comes.
Yeah!
~*~
Truer words have seldom been spoken. Inuyasha felt his anger rise slightly as he got into the music. He could only imagine how Miroku feflt, with his father stuck in a foreign country with people that were getting pissed off at the troops not leaving.
That was one of the reasons for this rally. They wanted to make sure people understood what war meant. The politicians, regardles of nationality or intention, would send out their followers to butcher one another while they themselves sat behind comfortable desks getting fat.
These thoughts kept brooding and tumbling through the young man's mind as they continued with the song through the solo, and eventually returning to the next verse.
~*~
Now in darkness, world stops turning,
Ashes where the bodies burning.
No more war pigs of the power!
Hand of God has struck the hour.
Day of Judgement God is calling.
On their knees the war pigs crawling,
Begging mercies for their sins.
Satan laughing spreads his wings.
Oh Lord now!
~*~
The last few minutes of the song rang throughout the song with a grim air. The audience applauded enthusiastically at the end and Inuyasha took up the microphone again.
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone. That was War Pigs by Black Sabbath. I don't think we could be less subtle if we tried.
"Our next song is a little bit different. Freedom of speech is what gives us the right to come out here and call out for peace. We disagree with decisions the government is making, and we have a right to say so. But I've seen some people lately who disagree with us. That's fine, they have a right to their opinion. But some of those individuals are telling us to stop. They're so convinced we're wrong that they have been trying to stop protesting and rallies for peace. That's something akin to fascism, telling us what we can and cannot do, say, or think."
Inuyasha positioned his hands at his guitar and looked to Miroku and Shippo with a nod. He turned back to the audince as his two bandmates got ready as well. "To those individuals who think they can tell us we're not allowed to be here, we're going to play We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister. Let's go!"
The drumline started up, and Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as he began singing.
~*~
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
Miroku and Inuyasha launched their parts into the song and immediately had the audience in thrall.
~*~
We've got the right to choose it.
There ain't no way we'll lose it.
This is our life,
This is our song!
We'll fight the powers that be, just,
Don't pick our destiny, 'cause,
You don't know us,
You don't belong!
~*~
The song might not have been perfect for this rally, but the boys really needed to get this thought off their shoulders.
This time, Miroku and Shippo leant their voices to the chorus as well.
~*~
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
This rally was a display of individualism, in a way. They showed they disagreed with higher powers and were going to make ure everyone knew what they though and why they thought it. They wouldn't give up until people had seen their argument and agreed.
~*~
Oh, you're so condescending,
Your gall is never ending.
We don't want nothing,
Not a thing from you!
You're life is trite and jaded,
Boring and confiscated!
If that's your best,
Your best won't do!
~*~
Whoa-oa-oa.
Whoa-oa-oa.
We're right!
(Yeah!)
We're free!
(Yeah!)
We'll fight!
(Yeah!)
You'll see!
(Yeah!)
Whoa-whoa!
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
No way!
~*~
Inuyasha launched into the guitar solo with a passion. Up on stage, he felt invincible. The audience was loving it as well. He looked down at Kagome who was waving her hands in the air enthusiastically with everyone else and he gave her a wink, causing a huge smile.
When the solo finished, the audience actually lent their voices to the back-up vocals with Miroku and Shippo.
~*~
Whoa-oa-oa.
Whoa-oa-oa.
We're right!
(Yeah!)
We're free!
(Yeah!)
We'll fight!
(Yeah!)
You'll see!
(Yeah!)
We're not gonna take it.
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
As the song came to the last repetitions of the chorus, Miroku took over the back-up vocals, shouting into his microphone enough to almost challenge Inuyasha's voice for dominance.
~*~
We're not gonna take it.
(No!)
No, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it anymore!
(Just you try and make us!)
We're not gonna take it.
(Come on!)
No, we ain't gonna take it!
(You're all worthless and weak!)
We're not gonna take it anymore!
(Now drop and give me twenty!)
We're not gonna take it.
(Oh clinch pin!)
No, we ain't gonna take it!
(Oh, you and your uniform!)
We're not gonna take it anymore!
~*~
The three musicians took a bow to thunderous applause. "Thank you, everybody! Now, I know that song was a little off the topic of why we're here. We're supposed to be crying out for peace, and this might be a bit of a tangent."
Inuyasha raked his hand back through his hair and gestured to Miroku and Shippo. "The three of us have been thinking about a good song for the occassion. We realized that the choice was pretty obvious."
Miroku spoke up this time from his own microphone. "In 1990, the Scorpions were one of the first western bands invited to play in Russia, which at the time was still the Soviet Union. Growing up, they were always being told about communists being the bad guys, but their experience couldn't have been more contrary. The lead singer, Klaus Meine, wrote the song Wind of Change as a cry for peace when he saw just how much all human beings have in common."
At last, Shippo spoke into the microphone on his headset. "Months after he finished writing Wind of Change, the Berlin Wall was torn down. In the next several years, there would be a lot of political changes and strife in Russia nad eastern Europe. Wind of Change was almost like an anthem to these chaotic times. It remains one of the greatest socio-political ballads in rock and roll to date."
At last, Inuyasha took the microphone again as he prepared his guitar. "With that in mind, I don't think there's a more appropriate song for these troubled times. We give you Wind of Change by the Scorpions."
The music started and Inuyasha whistled the famous opening. This was much different than the other songs they had played today. It was a gentle ballad, a soft yet bold call to drop arms and come together as the human race.
~*~
I follow the Moskva,
Down to Gorky Park,
Listening to the wind of change.
An August summer night.
Soldiers passing by,
Listening to the wind of change.
~*~
Inuyasha and Miroku whistled the tune softly as the music wove its spell over the park.
~*~
The world is closing in,
And did you ever think,
The we could be so close like brothers?
The future's in the air,
I can feel it everywhere,
Blowing in the wind of change.
~*~
Take me to the magic of the moment,
On a glory night,
Where the children of tomorrow dream away,
In the wind of change
~*~
Walking down the street,
Distant memories,
Are buried in the past forever.
I follow the Moskva,
Down to Gorky Park,
Listening to the wind of change.
~*~
It was indeed a powerful song. The audience was captivated as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo cast the music throughout the air, their presence utterly captivating.
~*~
Take me to the magic of the moment,
On a glory night,
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams,
With you and me.
Take me to the magic of the moment,
On a glory night,
Where the children of tomorrow dream away,
In the wind of change.
~*~
Now came the part that the band had agonized over. They wanted to deliver the bridge and solo perfectly since that was what brought the song the energy leading to the climactic chorus at the end.
Inuyasha looked out intensely over the audience while Miroku and Shippo backed up his voice at important moments to give the song as much power as possible.
~*~
The wind of change,
Blows straight into the face of time,
Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell,
For peace of mind!
Let your balalaika sing,
What my guitar wants to say! (Sing!)
~*~
Take me to the magic of the moment, (Take me!)
On a glory night, (Glory night!)
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams, (Share their dreams)
With you and me. (With you and me!)
Take me to the magic of the moment, (Take me!)
On a glory night, (Glory night!)
Where the children of tomorrow dream a way, (Dream away)
In the wind of change.
~*~
Inuyasha softly whistled through the closing until the music stopped. The silence lasted only a moment before the audience broke out into applause and cheering.
*************************
Hiten and Manten grinned to themselves. Those freaks were going to really get it. They used their parents' SUV to get out to the park, removing the license plates so no one would know. They were common with all the yuppies in town with Napolean complexes, so the brothers doubted anyone would ever find them. Just change the paint job tomorrow and it would be totally safe.
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo walked off the stage and Hiten seized his chance. He shifted the car out of neutral and charged toward the three of them.
It seemed Inuyasha's sensitive hearing caught on quicker than they thought, because he abruptly wheeled around to face the incoming SUV. He might have recognized Hiten and Manten at that instant, as well, had the two of them not thought ahead and dressed in black turtlenecks and ski masks.
Hiten laughed inwrdly as he watched Inuyasha shove his friends aside and try to dive out of the way.
'Too slow,' Hiten tohught mockingly. Inuyasha was just a second too late, and he only cleared the SUV's path up to his rib cage. A loud bump went throughout the car as it impacted with the guitarist's body and sent him crashing back against the stage.
By now the crowd was beginning to panic, and Hiten figured it best to get out now. He drove off, laughing and whooping with Manten the whole way. Mission accomplished!
**************************
Koga watched all this transpire from the edge of the park, trying to remain unseen from behind a tree. He took a long drag off his cigarette and growled. He didn't think those two would be that stupid.
Oh well. If they got busted, he just wouldn't bother bailing them out again. They had lived out their usefulness and the mistakes were theirs to clean up from now on.
At least their stupid plan had worked. He watched with a smirk as Sesshoumaru carried his younger brother's unconscious form in his arms to the Viper and drove off in the direction of the hospital. No doubt the whole gang would be there, so Koga best get there as well and wait for Kagome.
Only a few more moves and it would be checkmate for Inuyasha.
***************************
Author's Notes: Another long wait, I know, and I'm not really too satisfied with the ending to this chapter, but everything I thought of was much worse.
Oh well. Anyway, it is written and that's what's important now.
On a side note, I just signed up for eBay and its taking all of my self-control not to go on a bidding spree. You would not believe how pissed off I got when some jack-ass won a T-shirt I really wanted. I felt better though when I sniped a different one right out from under his nose.
Wish me luck getting a book I want. Auction ends tonight.