The Legend Retold
Chapter 2 – Signing Up & Auditions
Summary – When Kagome decided to try out for a part in the school play, she realizes it's all about the feudal fairy tail that she is so tied up in! Will the end of their mission be revealed to her?
Author's note – Thank you to everyone who reviewed! The encouragement and ideas are very much appreciated. This chapter is dedicated to Anaia because she is my best friend and gave this story its title.
Last chapter – Kagome went home and found out about the school play.
This chapter – Kagome signs up for the play, but so have all her friends. Will she even get a part?
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Kagome lay in her room, her books spread out on her bed with her, though none were currently being read. Ebony locks fell all around her, chocolate eyes staring up at the ceiling.
'Auditions are tomorrow... I'll get a part for sure. Yeah, it'll be a snap!' Her mind's attempt to reassure itself could not soothe her worried heart. Kagome sighed and nestled into her pillows.
'I have to sleep... or else I won't be able to... do a good job...' as if obeying her command, her lids began to grow heavy. Her last thoughts were of Inuyasha, wondering what he'd say about this play. "Feh!"
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"Kagome, dear, don't you want some breakfast?"
"No thanks, Mama! I'm gonna be late!" called Kagome, jogging out the door. As soon as she was free of the house, though, Kagome stopped and made her way slowly to school, her mind buzzing. It wasn't long before the absent-minded Kagome found herself outside of the buildings; with a sigh, she hitched up her skirt and walked inside. She felt almost normal, dreading the school day.
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Time seemed to go by so fast; she was just sitting down for first period when all of a sudden, it was time for auditions. Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, and Kagome walked in together. Upon entering, they met up with Houjou, grinning cheerily. Kagome, already nervous, felt the need to brace herself.
"Hey, girls! Who are you going to try out as, Kagome? The characters are in this pamphlet!" Kagome found a cheap, thin booklet shoved under her nose. Taking it carefully, she opened it and skimmed over the characters.
"The Legend Retold – Character List
Inuyasha (male lead)
Strange Girl (female lead)"
'I guess I don't even get a name,' she said to herself.
"Kikyou (female supporting)"
Her heart skipped a beat, but she decided to move on and not give it thought.
"Sango (female supporting)
Miroko (male supporting)"
'"Miroko?" Er, close...'
"Shippou (child male supporting)
Kaede (elderly female supporting)
Kagura (female supporting)
Kanna (child female supporting)
Kohaku (male supporting)
Sesshomaru (male supporting)
Kouga (male supporting)
Naraku (male lead villain)"
Kagome smirked. So she was the strange girl. Wondering what exactly history had to say about her, she flipped a few pages ahead into the pamphlet. It gave a brief summary ("A play detailing adventures across Feudal Japan, following humans, demons, and half-demons. More information available at auditions starting January 23rd."), and very vague descriptions of each character ("Strange Girl: A teenage human female youth who aids protagonist Inuyasha. The reincarnation of Kikyou, with strong spiritual powers and skill in archery. Sometimes disappears for periods of time and is said to have control over time.").
'"Control over time?!" Well better they think that than be suspicious of me, I guess. Heh, I wonder if maybe I should play Sango or something. I should try out for Kikyou! That'd be a laugh.' However, despite her thoughts, Kagome confirmed that she would try out for the Strange Girl.
Receiving a piece of the script, she skimmed over it, and fought her laugh. The girl trying out for Kaede, Risa, smiled at Kagome as they began.
"Quickly, child!" she cried, a decent imitation of Kaede for a teenager. "Utter a subduing spell!" Kagome closed her eyes, remembering that day: her hesitation, fear as this dog-eared boy came flying towards her. Looking up at an invisible boy, Kagome inhaled and screeched:
"SIT BOY!" With a smirk, Kagome looked at the undisturbed ground. The stage had a nice echo.
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Kagome sat in bed, her books tucked safely away in her bag. Her lids drooped with fatigue; she didn't dare work any more. Who knows the gibberish she might imprint upon her assignments? Tomorrow they'd be posting parts and understudies, and until then there was no use worrying about it. With a sigh, Kagome buried her face in her pillow, and wondered what Inuyasha might be up to right now.
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"So, what's he doing, now?"
"The same thing he's been doing since Kagome left."
"Pouting, still?" Shippou, Miroku, and Sango turned to look outside. Inuyasha sat crouched on the fence, scowling in the direction of the well. 'Kagome isn't usually gone for this long. She should be coming back soon.' But even he didn't believe his own thoughts. Kagome herself had told him that it would most likely take quite a bit longer than usual. Inuyasha began to growl as he had on that occasion, refusing to admit that he did miss the girl. Instead he settled into his old standby: that their hunt was being delayed and Kagome was the selfish one.
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Kagome practically ran to school, fighting off the crowds, to see her part. She pushed through the milling crowd and squinted in search for her name. Her heart raced as though she were in the midst of battle. 'Wow, my perspective is weird,' she thought, before finally locating her name.
KAGOME HIGURASHI………………………..KIKYOU
Her mouth fell, and her eyes once again traced the line connecting her name with Kikyou's. If not her, then who was playing her role? She combed the other side of the list.
AIYA LEE………...………………………………STRANGE GIRL
The Chinese exchange student! 'I'm not that strange,' she thought bitterly. 'I'm Japanese, at least. Agh!' A dark scowl settled on the normally cheerful girl's face. She had only been kidding about that Kikyou thing. It seemed Karma was biting her for something.
After a distracted day of school, Kagome stomped to the theater room for practice. There she saw the dark-haired exchange student asking if she could switch parts.
"I'm sorry dear," came the performing arts teacher's answer. "But unless Miss Higurashi wishes to switch, then you stuck in this role. You'll have to ask her." Before Aiya could turn, though, Kagome came running up eagerly.
"I'd love to play the strange girl!" she exclaimed, causing Aiya to glow with relief and the teacher to be very bewildered. Kagome grinned as she met Aiya's eyes and felt that she was much more fitting. Though her blunt-cut hair was short, she was, like Kikyou, pale and beautiful, with a calm sadness lingering about her. Feeling that the roles, at the very least, were falling into place properly, Kagome relaxed and prepared for their first ever practice.
"Alright, let's try this dramatic scene between Inuyasha and the strange girl, who we'll just call Kagome." Kagome laughed; they would've named her after whoever played the part. "Okay, turn to this page in your scripts, and start at the top..."
Kagome wondered who was playing Inuyasha. She'd been so stressed about her own part, that she hadn't even bothered looking for anyone else's. Lo and behold, who should play Inuyasha but...Houjou.
'At least he's not Miroku,' thought Kagome. 'I mean...Miroko.' Kagome had suggested the name be changed, but the teacher told her that was the name of the man in history. Kagome rolled her eyes, but recognized defeat; she was unable to press the matter further without spilling anything.
Coming back to the present, Kagome looked down at her script.
Scene: InuYasha is lying badly injured on the ground. He is on his back, eyes closed, as the strange girl approaches.
Kagome frowned. This wasn't looked promising. 'Oh well.'
"Oh, Inuyasha!" she cried dramatically, flinging herself down on him. She heard Houjou's breath leave him for a moment. 'Oops.'
"Ka- Kagome..." he whispered. 'Inuyasha might not like this...' she thought. Houjou was a pretty good actor; she could see emotion in his eyes as he weakly reached out to brush her cheek as the script instructed. It was difficult to keep from laughing when Houjou would suddenly regain his energy to read the script.
"Are you going to be all right?" she asked, raising her head to look at him. She envisioned Houjou as Inuyasha, lying beaten and battered. She suddenly felt like crying.
"Naraku... he's dead, yeah?" 'Yeah' was not in the script.
"Yes, Inuyasha. He's gone. And the jewel is nearly complete. We only need the one from Kohaku…" She frowned; would it really be this way? She hadn't had time to read ahead in the script yet.
"Good. Kagome... I promise you... I will become human..." Kagome's breath caught. Would he? Tears stung the girl's eyes.
"Inuyasha... I..." she blinked and remembered to look at the script. 'Idiot. No improvising. He's still in the feudal era, safe and out of trouble. And unpromising.'
"I..." she faltered. Even in a play, even though it was Houjou, this was difficult. "But I'm happy the way you are, Inuyasha... I... I love you." Her cheeks burned. Houjou took it differently and blushed as well. 'I didn't mean you!' He reached up to push stray locks of her hair behind her ear. He seemed to be attempting to deflate himself; he was inhaling less and very limp. Kagome suppressed a smile at the thought of a deflated Houjou.
"I love you too, Kagome... I..." he paused to glance sideways at his script. Kagome adopted a bored look before he continued with a theatrical cough. With a glance at her own script, she mentally sighed and brought her hand under his back in attempt to help him sit up. 'We could fake this, ya know!' she thought. 'Geeze, sit up by yourself.'
He smiled up at her, his eyes somewhat dim. With one last glance at the script as the page ended, he gave her a weak, "heh," and closed his eyes, pretending to go limp in her arms. Kagome was horrified as she looked at her own script. She almost didn't say her next lines, but conjured up an actress' spirit.
"NO! Inuyasha!" she shook him a bit rougher than she meant to. Houjou began to look a little pale so she stopped. Gently lowering him to the floor, she finished reading her own script. 'Oh no...' she thought. 'I don't want to do that...' With a resigned sigh and real tears that everyone else took for fake rolling down her cheeks, she lowered herself to kiss Houjou. Before their lips met (she could feel his anticipation, his body tensing beneath her), the teacher cried out:
"BRAVO!" and signaled for them to stop. 'Thank you!' "All right then, we're done with your parts for today!" Kagome almost ran out, trying to hide her tears. She was deaf to the calls of her friends, and upon arriving home, leapt into bed and burst into tears.
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Author's note – Please review, because you might just get the next chapter dedicated to you! Think of the prestige!
Next chapter – Kagome finds out who else got a role, and questions the true history behind the play.