89WARNING! This fiction contains male/male relationships. Please do not flame me. If you do so I shall refer you back to this warning and suggest that you take reading lessons. For the rest of you. Please feel free to enjoy.
Mitsukai Uta
Epilogue - Miracle
"I can't do this." Rein whispered, tension coursing through his body, shallow breath, sweaty palms, and dull noise in the background giving a steady hum to his rising panic. "I can't." Rein's right hand clutched tightly at Mozart's lead, Rein clenching his eyes closed tightly in terror. He felt abandoned, lonely, afraid and completely lost in the dark. This wasn't fair. Why now when everything had been going so well? He had thought Shiu had loved him. Why did Shiu have to go and do this now, when everything had been perfect, when Rein had finally been content?
He heard a soft miserable whine. Mozart had picked up on his misery and was desperately trying to comfort his master, trying to ease the panic he could feel radiating in the air, so thick, it was palatable. Giving in to the weakness in his knees, Rein collapsed, wrapping his arms around Mozart and burying his face in the dog's fur. It was cowardly he knew, but the soft gentle warmth did wonders to calm him... to comfort him.
Suddenly, far too soon for his liking, the world he had withdrawn into was shattered. A firm steady grasp pulled him up, up and away from the warmth and comfort he had found in Mozart's fur. Feeling the firm grip grasp his hand, Rein gasped when he was suddenly moving. He desperately didn't want to go, he had been safe and now he was stepping into danger... Stepping into the unknown. His now keen hearing picked up the faint sound of Mozart following, claws clicking softly on the ground, a sound he heard despite the overwhelming noise from around, demanding his attention. Attention he refused to give.
Keikai cursed softly under his breath as he attempted to make his way through hot sweaty bodies, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He was horribly late. Haru, Ami, Ayame and Nikui were going to be far from impressed. Why did his rehearsal have to run so late, why today of all days... on the one day he had a promise to keep? Keikai winced when a particularly disgruntled person shoved an elbow into his side and cursed right back at him, shoving Keikai back. Pushing him back several steps... several hard won steps. Tempted to give the guy the finger Keikai resisted the urge; he really didn't have the time to get into an argument... not right now.
Turning away from the source of his further aggravation, Keikai deviated from his original route his mind already calculating alternative routes to take. Growling in frustration Keikai finally decided to damn alternative routes, damn polite behavior and propriety. Keikai began to forcefully shove his way through the crowd, ignoring all the curses and dirty looks people sent his way. If this was survival of the fittest then Keikai would be damned if he didn't survive. Ducking a few arms, dodging more elbows and evading a few strategically placed obstacles, namely feet, Keikai finally gritted his teeth and parted the last few rows of people who stood between him and his ultimate goal.
Once free of the crowd, the sudden lack of bodies to forage through caused Keikai to trip a few steps, his body fighting against the change in momentum. Regaining his balance swiftly and effortlessly, Keikai spun on his foot and headed towards the right, eyes searching all the faces for familiar ones, muttering about having been dragged here in the first place. Streaks of pink mixed with brown caught his attention. Keikai grinned. Bless Ami and her strange hair color. Practically skipping in glee, the sound of tiny bells lost in the roar of several excited voices emitted by the horrible crowd, Keikai hasted his steps in her direction.
He sighed in relief as he finally sunk into the only seat that was still empty turning to face his friends. "Remind me again. Why exactly am I here?" Nikui moved to respond. A response that was bound to be rather pointed and not too pleasant Keikai bet but he was interrupted by the lights suddenly turning off. Suddenly there was silence. He swore, one could hear a pin drop. It was amazing how such a simple action could get such a large crowd to fall silent so quickly. He knew this was only momentarily. Everyone was holding their breaths in anticipation, excitement thick in the air.
A single light was all it took. Suddenly the crowd went wild, cheers, whistles and a roar of sound filled the previously silent air. Ingo stood on stage, grinning like a maniac and waving to everyone. Keikai took this chance to make another enquiry. He leant towards Nikui. "Where is Rein? I mean. Rein is Ingo's boyfriend. Why are we all here for Ingo's special concert and Rein isn't?"
Nikui shook his head, leaning closer towards Keikai, lips almost brushing the drama student's ear. "I have no idea. Rein seemed dead set about coming. In actual fact he seemed rather angry when I called to enquire about it. He rather abruptly hung up to me. Maybe they had an ARGUMENT!" The last word echoed in the silence left by when the crowd finally calmed down. Nikui jerked in surprise a little embarrassed but glaring at anyone who even dared to give him a glance. Nikui's embarrassing moment was quickly forgotten by both him and the crowd when Ingo began to speak.
"Konbanwa Minna-san." Ingo's greeting was received with another round of wild cheering. Grinning and waiting it out patiently Ingo continued once the crowd had again settled. "As you all know, this is a special concert. A little different from my usual style one might say. I hope you all receive it well..." more waiting, "I am going to sing a new song that has never been heard before. A song, someone very dear to me helped me write. In fact, my one man act is going to become a two man act." The final statement was greeted with a rather unusual dead silence.
"Do any of you know what's going on?" Keikai whispered to his friends, receiving confused looks and denial in response.
"Actually, I have invited the person who helped me write the song to join me on stage. Trust me it took some doing but who can resist my charm, right?" Ingo retorted rather cheekily, grinning more at the chuckles that ran through the audience. Keikai's breath caught in his throat at his sudden suspicions.
"Anyway, some of you know him, others may not. Regardless of that fact I would like you all to welcome..." Ingo stopped speaking to run towards the side of the stage, reaching in behind the props to drag someone out. "... Ame." Keikai chocked back his shock, reminding himself to breath when Rein walked onto stage followed by Mozart. Fortunately for him, the rest of Rein's friends were in just as much shock. "I'm assuming none of you knew anything about this." Keikai whispered, still staring at the stage. Rein looked so awkward and shy up there. Ingo led the awkward boy towards the piano, the piano no one had seemed to have noticed the presence of the very moment their attention had been forcibly drawn to it.
"Please treat us kindly." Ingo finished before walking over to the stand on stage and placing the microphone in place. Not giving the audience a chance to recover from the first shock they had received, Ingo picked up a guitar, seating himself on the chair. Murmurs of surprise and wonder followed his movement. No one had even been aware that Ingo could play an instrument. Ingo paused a few moments, waiting for the lingering moments to die out before the soft chords of the guitar floated into the air. Soft caresses in the air, embracing all who listened in awe. Not long after the guitar, whispers of piano followed, the rhythm slowly and carefully building up in beauty, energy and sheer emotion, drawing in the audience in without even trying. Building up to a crescendo, weaving everyone into the spell. When Ingo started to sing, the crowd was lost.
Keikai continued to gape, even after the song had ended at the loud roar of applause had filled the auditorium. Who would have thought that Ingo could have drawn Rein out so much and gotten a blind pianist to walk onto stage? Who would have thought that the scared little boy he had seen hiding behind Rein's masks would find the courage to break free? Who would have known that in so little time, things would have changed so much? The sheer magnitude of what he had just witnessed was unbelievable and living proof of miracles.
Ingo grinned. He had known they would be well received. He had known that Rein's worries had been in vain but he really had not expected them to be this well received. Once the roar of applause died down, Ingo launched into his older work, work that had been revised to include his little angel. He continued to smile, closing his eyes and losing himself in song. Losing himself in the music and the sheer joy of doing what he loved. Joy intensified by the chords of a piano he could continually hear above all the other instruments. Nothing could dim the magic of Rein's music, just as nothing could dim the love he felt for the creator of that enchanting magic. Finally done Ingo bowed to the best applause of his entire career. Practically jumping in joy, Ingo ran up to the piano, once more pulling Rein up and drawing him forward to receive his share of the applause as well. Midway through the applause Ingo hugged Rein tightly, spinning him around, Mozart running around the two of them happily and releasing a joy filled bark. Stopping the spin Ingo leant down and captured Rein's lips in a heated kiss. Right there, right on stage, in front of his audience and for all the world to see.
OWARI
Final Translations:
Konbanwa Minna-san: Good evening everyone.
Ame: Rain in Japanese. Please not Ingo deliberately kept the meaning of Rein's name. only choosing an alternative way of saying it as his new identity.
Owari: Finished
A/N: I would like to thank everyone who got this far with me and is still reading this. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
About the sequel. I kind of have two asking for one on Nikui, two for Keikai (not officially online…) and two who want a sequel and have not specified who. I was thinking of writing a sequel where Nikui and Keikai were roommates and concentrating on both (I have no idea if I can even pull that off.) Is that an acceptable compromise?
Tekia: I loved your review. It doesn't matter if you are good at them or not but it really brightens my day to read a review and realize that there are people out there reading my story and actually enjoying it. It was more than enough just letting me know what you think. I am also glad you like the way I write… I was kind of worried that I may be a little too obtuse.
Lunisa Moon: You are still with me! ( GLOMPS and HUGGLES) Thank you so very much. Just a note about the 'Crimson Rain' update. I wanted to do it this week but when I started to type what was written in the book I have I realized there is a rather important entire chapter missing. (We worked in a book and occasionally online when we were unable to be together to write). I am really hoping it is somewhere on my computer at home but will only be able to check this weekend. I apologize. Please be patient.
lilmissempty: I am really glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like the epilogue just as much (GRIN)
smile101: Please refer to my note about the sequel above. I'm glad you liked this and will see what I can do.