Voices Afire by Lovely Raven

Something to sing for

Voices Afire

Chapter 1: Something to sing for

'come ooooo'...ooooooover.'

A snarl ripped through his throat as the singer's voice cracked for the third time. Everything grew quiet after that, as the producer buried his claws in the immaculate silver that was his hair. He felt liking squeezing the life out of something, particularly the throat of Kagura Kaze. The girl was a decent singer, but the bitch couldn't hold a high note if her life depended on it. Being a demon of the highest caliber, blessed with the defined senses one could ever ask for, including hearing, he knew she wasn't the singer for his company. His record label, Venom, only signed the best and the wind demoness was nowhere near the best. After several minutes of tense silence, which the staff of the recording booth had taken to remove themselves from their angered boss, Kagura spoke.

A little pissed of that her music had been shut off when she was just getting into the song, she cleared her throat to get the attention of her yummy soon to be producer, and maybe boyfriend (if she played her cards right). "Mr. Taisho? What's happening, why did the music turned off. I was doing really good-"

His head snapped up fast, reminding Kagura of a scene from a horror movie. He spoke in a tone that was clear but deadly all at once, "Let me straighten up some things for you, girl. One, at least have some proper grammar. It is, I did well, not good. Two, you certainly did not do well, or good, for that matter. Have you ever taken a single singing lesson?"

Ripping off the headset, the demoness exited the recording booth to confront the man being so rude to her. "How dare you insult my talent," she snapped, "I'm going to be one of the best entertainers in Japan with this voice. Do you even know what talent is you, you-"

Her anger reaching a boiling point, and her arm extended to slap the dog demon. He easily grabbed her small arm, much weaker than his, despite her also being a full demon. "And you dare to try to raise your hand against the Lord of the West, you pathetic woman?" With his free hand, he snapped his fingers, and in moments, the door to the room opened, revealing the security for his building, Ah and Un.

With an uncaring grace, he flung the wind demon at them. They easily understood the silent order, having been serving their lord for many years, and began to pull the woman way. As they did, she screeched her outrage, "You will regret this you flea-bitten mutt! I'm the closest you will ever get to perfection."

Sesshomaru scoffed at her words and made his way back to his office, the opposite way of which his security were taking Kagura. He shifted the files under his arm and mentally made a date for them and his shredder.

A few doors down from his office, he felt his brother's presence. The Gods loved tempting him to kill these days, it seemed. Inside, Inuyasha sat with Kikyo Matsuda, a signed veteran singer of Venom and also his girlfriend. And while the usually quiet woman was not as annoying as her companion, in a bad mood, the sound of a heartbeat could ignite Sesshomaru's temper.

"Aye, bastard, so what's the word on the wind chick? She in or out?"

The leather chair of his office was suddenly air born, and Inuyasha was unfortunately his target, which it hit precisely. Kikyo, who sat a ways away, didn't move but readjusted her sitting position so it was more comfortable to text.

Sesshomaru leaned against his desk with an inhale, feeling better that he had let out some aggression. "No, half breed, her voice did not pass this one's approval."

"I would kill you for that, but we've got more important things to worry about." Inuyasha growled shedding the chair off his back. "Kikyo's record sales are down again, Ayame's tour has been eating up funds, and The Thunder Brothers are in need of a new drummer."

"What happened to their old one?"

Inuyasha made a dry face. "Let's just make sure the next one you get them is bald."

The elder dog demon sighed. Venom music was his attempt to branch out his family's long history of corporate business and while it was successful, having ten signed acts, each being very high in the charts, things were becoming difficult. Being such a high rated music company, they needed to be on top of the top and having that required a lot of effort and long nights of paper work with bitter coffee for Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, we need another act. Now."

The oldest Taisho gave his brother a chilly look. "Hn. I am aware of what my company needs, you mutt. Why do you think I made my ears suffer through all those horrible demos that were sent in or sat in the recording booth with that no-note carrying demoness for an hour?"

Venom needed a new star, someone fresh and new, a singer with the voice of an angel and the soul of a lover. They needed an attractive face and body to spam all over the world as well, someone with enough will to take on the punches of an ever changing, yet demanding music business. However, where he would find someone like that, Sesshomaru did not know.

How many days had it been now? Kagome counted the red X's on her calendar. "148," she whispered to herself. It had been 148 days since the life support on Hojo had been pulled,making him die almost instantly in front of her. Her hand brushed against her cheeks, surprised to feel no tears. "I guessed I used them all up," Kagome figured. After all, when you cry hysterically for 148 days straight because of your fiancés' death and your best friend is barely able to shove any nourishment down your throat, it does seem like it would leave you a little dried out.

Several pictures were set on the nightstand by the bed, and she gazed at them catatonically for a while. Hojo was present in each frame, with his cheery smile and scruffy brown hair and wide eyes. Oh God, his eyes; she had never met someone with eyes as beautiful as his, and she doubted she ever would again. Stiffly her eyes moved to her ring finger on her left hand, where the diamond engagement ring Hojo had given to her on Christmas Eve last year rested. It wasn't very big or fancy, just a nice, but small, cut diamond on a gold band. They were just college students after all; he was the son of a small town doctor and she was no better off herself.

Moving to Tokyo after they graduated, they worked odd jobs to save up for their happy day, which seemed to never get closer to her, no matter how many times Hojo kept her spirits up. But now, she was sure that that big happy day, her wedding day, was never coming. Because when her fiancé took his final breath of this world, he sucked up and took the last remaining slivers of her happiness with him.

Knock, Knock!

"Hey Kagome, I have a big warm bowl of Oden waiting for you downstairs. Why don't you come out of there and eat." Kagome broke her stillness and sat up to stare at the door. Sango's voice was so strained; she was causing her best friend so much stress. The brown haired girl eagerly let her stay at her house with her and her boyfriend Miroku, a cousin of Hojo's. She didn't move back home to her family's shrine under the cause of not wanting her mother to hurt seeing her daughter deep in depression, but she did it so easily to Sango.

'I haven't been able to do anything right since you died Hojo,' She thought grimly. Another knock was heard, but Kagome ignored it and settled her head between her knees, beginning to hum a song. Hojo had found out she was in a choir back in high school and playfully pushed her into singing for him now and then.

As the last few notes lingered on his fiancés tongue, Hojo began to clap heartily. He then gathered her up into his arms as they lay in bed. "Why don't you do something with that wonderful talent of yours, Kagome? You could be a star." The blue eyed girl blushed at the complement and shook her head. "Oh please, Hojo, I can't do something like that. I'm not even that good."

Crossing his arms with a nod, Hojo said, "You're right, you aren't good." Making his fiancé frown, he quickly followed up with, "You're great!"

She smiled at his antics. "I still disagree." Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat as her sides began to be attacked by fast moving fingers. "H-hoj-o, hahahah,c-c-come o-on sto-p!"

"Not until you admit how wonderful your singing is!"

The memory faded, leaving Kagome back in the darkened guest bedroom of Sango's apartment. She immediately stopped humming; singing brought back so many times of her and Hojo together, and she couldn't handle that yet in her depressed state.

There was no more knocking, which meant Miroku had made Sango give up and come back downstairs. But she would try again later, as always.

Kagome turned to the many pictures of her deceased lover. "I wish I had a reason to sing again, Hojo. I really do."

A/N If you want to know the song Kagura was attempting to sing, its Aaliyah's "Can I come over" its a great song. A little R&B never hurt nobody. The song will also come up later in the story and can be found on youtube if you wish.

MY SWEET SIXTEEN PARTY IS THIS FRIDAY GUYYYSSSS! (My real birthday was Septemebr 1st)