The Gift of Song Part 3
By The Storyteller
"You three…"
"Eh… hello Magus… how have you been?" said Ozzie, weakly.
"Fine."
The word seemed to boom loudly and reverberate throughout the halls of the Poyozo Palace, making Ozzie shudder. Magus stood tall and angry, his face as cold as ice.
"So… I suppose we all should be practicing now…"
"What makes you think I like this reunion idea?"
"Well… I mean mister Spekkio…"
"Since when was Spekkio here?" asked Marle, who stood behind Magus, along
with Lucca, Glenn, and Crono.
"Umm… well… Spekkio said we should get back together…"
"Since when does Spekkio know what he's talking about?" said Magus, like
a wise-ass.
"Since I'm the God of War!"
"You're not the God of War. You're the Master of War." said Magus once again.
"I've been promoted to God of War."
Slash sighed angrily.
"Back to the point here? Please? Magus, we got the equipment, we've spread
the word, all we need is good old Janus Lightning back on stage…"
"JANUS LIGHTNING?" said Marle, roaring with laughter. "His name was Janus
Lightning? How cheap is that?"
Magus snarled at her.
"EEE… fine then. Janus Lightning… he he he…"
"Okay, Slash, Flea, Ozzie… I'll do it. But only the original songs!
None of this new stuff I've been watching on the Media Crystal. None of this
Marilyn Manson, Hanson, or any of that crap! Just the good stuff. The old
stuff."
"Fine with us, Magus. We can't play any of this new stuff anyway, and that
stuff scares me…"
"What, Marilyn Manson?"
"No, Hanson… I swear, those kids are demons!"
* * *
It took a few weeks of work and a lot of trips with the Epoch. Lucca was in charge of designing the equipment and the stage, a daunting task. Crono and Glenn were in charge of building it. The Epoch became the transportation for all materials needed for all tasks, not to mention the rides home Crono, Marle, and Lucca needed to keep their parents worry free. They set it up near the palace, covered by hundreds of Omnicrones acting as bodyguards. Spekkio became the band manager, and oversaw the practices that occurred between the four of them, Ozzie, Flea, Slash, and now, J.L., as Magus preferred to be called. He also did most of the advertising, making sure word was out but only to the younger crowd, staying careful in case anyone from Guardia Castle heard about it. During breaks, Lucca and Marle (who made sure the Media Crystal stayed safe at all times) would go to see them play.
"They're weak, Marle. Really weak. There's no fire in them."
"I know. Magus just stands there. He's supposed to be the lead! Put on a
performance, Magus!"
He flipped her the finger and went back to playing Nirvana.
"How rude!"
"What do you expect, Marle? He may be named J.L. now, but he's still Magus…
gay or no…"
Magus stopped playing immediately.
"I'm not gay! I am not gay!"
"Oh come on… just come out of the closet, Magus, be a man!"
"I am not gay! Flea is gay! I'm not gay!"
"Gay? You calling me gay? You fag!" Flea yelled.
Lucca started laughing.
"Fag fight!"
"Shut up Lucca!" yelled Magus, in rage.
"Oh, shove it, you big sissy!"
"What, you're calling me a sissy now? Eh? You little tramp."
"You're calling me a tramp now? Hello, I designed your equipment! You should
worship the ground I walk on!"
"Worship this, bitch!"
"No. You did not just call me that. You did not just call me that!"
"Well I did. Now get your little ass out of my castle!"
"Fine!"
Lucca took Marle's hand and left.
"Wow, Lucca, you really got him pissed off. He even used vulgarities..."
"See? Now that's fire for ya. If he can just do that behind a microphone,
he's set for life."
* * *
Concert night came. Word had been spread throughout the Mystic community, as well as in Choras. The word was spread quietly among the teenagers…
"Yo! J.L.! Get your little prepped ass out here!"
"Shove it, Lucca!"
"Oh shove this! Get your guitar and get your butt out there! What are you
wearing? Nice, baggy jeans and a white shirt. You look like crap! You play
like crap, too!"
"Play like crap? You say I play like crap? I'll show you crap, bitch!"
Magus stormed on stage. Hundreds of mystics had gathered, among drunken teenagers who were anxious to see what the hype was all about, and whether or not it was worth sneaking out of their homes in the middle of the night.
"Wake up you little assholes! You! Get that pipe out of your mouth… you're here to listen to me, not to get stoned on the funny stuff!"
Hundreds of boos came from the crowd.
"Oh man, Marle, he's screwed…"
"Come on! Let's go around front. We can't see anything from backstage!"
Lucca and Marle ran around front, pushing their way through crowds of mystics and kids. They stood just below Magus, who yelled into the microphone.
"Shut up! Shut your mouths and listen to this!"
He positioned his guitar pick between his fingers and ran it roughly down the strings, creating a very loud amplified guitar sound.
"You like that?"
He started to play a simple theme, a small warm up for the crowd. The cheers started to return with each note.
"Okay asses, we're starting with one of my favorites, and I don't care what you think about it because I happen to like it!"
He signaled the other three band members, who started to play one of the songs practiced, One by Metallica. His fingers plucked the strings carefully, playing each note carefully and loudly, so he could be heard above Flea's second guitar part, and Slash's bass. The slow, somewhat mellow notes rung out through the crowd. The vocals started off somewhat soft, but where said strongly when needed…
"I can't remember anything…
Can't tell if this is true or dream…
Deep down inside I feel to scream
This terrible silence stops me…"
"He's got a terrific voice! Lucca, listen to his voice!"
"I know! Wow!"
"Now that the war is through with me…
I'm waking up, I cannot see…
That there's not much left of me…
Nothing is real but pain now…
Hold my breath as I wish for death…
Oh please God, Wake me!"
"Look at him, Lucca… he's playing pretty harsh… and sweating like
crazy!"
"He has the most beautiful voice…"
"Back in the womb it's much too real…
In pumps life that I must feel…
But can't look forward to reveal…
Look to the time when I'll live…
Fed through the tube that sticks in me…
Just like a wartime novelty…
Tied to machines that make me be…
Cut this life off from me…
Hold my breath as I wish for death…
Oh please God, Wake me!"
Magus started bobbing his head softly to the tune of the music, his sweaty hair flying all over, some sticking to his head, others giving off sprays that landed in the audience… he stopped and held the microphone tightly with both of his hands…
"Now the world is gone I'm just one…
Oh God, Help me… Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, Help me!!!"
Magus stopped playing. The song changed. He let his guitar hang at his side while he took his shirt by the collar and ripped it off, revealing his muscular chest and abs.
"Lucca! He's shirtless! I've never seen this before!"
Lucca was in a trance, staring at Magus as he began to sing again… harder, angrier…
"DARKNESS!
IMPRISONING ME
ALL THAT I SEE
ABSOLUTE HORROR
I CANNOT LIVE
I CANNOT DIE
TRAPPED IN MYSELF
BODY MY HOLDING CELL…"
He watched Lucca's gaze as he took the microphone in his hand and walked to her, kneeling before her… He grinned at her, as she slowly lifted her arms… he played with her, moving closer to her face… she could feel his breath on her face as her arms reached to grab him… and he yelled at her.
"LANDMINE!
HAS TAKEN MY SIGHT
TAKEN MY SPEECH
TAKEN MY HEARING
TAKEN MY ARMS
TAKEN MY LEGS
TAKEN MY SOUL
LEFT ME WITH LIFE IN HEEEEEEEELLL!!!!!!"
Lucca gasped in surprise as Magus screamed these words at her, grinning angrily… she stared into his dark eyes as he sung. He took the microphone away from his lips…
"You like that? Hmm?"
He then stood and grabbed his guitar again, and turned and walked back toward the drums…
"He's got broad shoulders and a nice back… and ooh! Lower…"
Lucca couldn't hear Marle's ravings about Magus's body, as she was still entranced, her arms still hanging in the air.
All eyes went to Flea when a sudden burst of high pitched guitar notes screamed from his location, at speeds unfathomable… and then it was Ozzie's drumming banging harshly… and then Slash's base rung forth with a deep angry sound. And half a minute after that, the song was over.
"Lucca! Lucca! Wake up!"
"Uhh… ohh… where… him…"
"Man, you were out of it! You were trying to grab him!"
Magus turned and faced the crowd again, putting his guitar at his side.
"DAMN! Look at his abs! Look at his abs!!!"
"I see it… I see it…"
"Ouch baby… ooh!"
Marle laughed loudly along with the cheering crowd, aching for more.
Magus played several songs that night, each one sung with more and more soul. He went on into songs like Sweet Child O' Mine from Guns N' Roses, Crazy Train from Ozzie Osborn (that Ozzie was hesitant to do ever since he met the song's creator...), Soundgarden's Spoon Man, and more, like songs from Queen and Kiss. He ended off the concert with the darkest version of Iron Butterfly's Ina Godda Da Vida that ever existed.
When the crowd left (and the female fans stopped trying to get at shreds of Magus's clothing) Magus left, worn out and very tired. Glenn, Crono, Marle, and Lucca spent their time dismembering the equipment, while Spekkio ushered Ozzie, Flea, and Slash back to their fort.
"Lucca, you were out of it for the entire show!"
Lucca snarled somewhat, realizing that Magus was aiming to embarrass her the entire time.
"Man, your arms were in the air the whole concert, trying to grab him... but I don't blame you..."
She was silent, and kept on stacking various items.
"Did you see him? I didn't know he was that ripped! And his voice... so deep..."
"JUST SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
"Relax! Relax!"
"He was taunting me! He was shoving it in my face!"
"Shoving what?"
"That he was good! He was damn good! And he was trying to say I was wrong!"
"Well, you were wrong. You just contradicted yourself by saying he was good."
"But he is, Marle..."
"So you were wrong."
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Could you both pipe down? The concert is over, you don't have to scream."
said Glenn, annoyed.
"Glenn, what ever happened to you? You were so polite as a frog!" yelled
Marle.
"It went with the figure, for the hundredth time!"
"That's it, Marle. I can't stand it. I'm going to get him."
Lucca left in a flash.
"Glenn... I have a bad feeling about her..." Marle said, with worry.
"I know... I have the feeling only one person is going to make it out of
there alive..."
"And this band can't afford losing their lead singer."
"I was talking about Magus... he may have not used much of it lately, but
he still has that dark magic..." Glenn replied, confused.
"Glenn, have you ever seen a woman in anger?"
"Well, Lucca was just angry..."
"No. You will see Lucca's anger when Magus's head winds up five feet from
his body."
* * *
Magus relaxed in his bed, showered and dressed to sleep. It was a hard night, but it was worth it... he had proved that he was good, real good. And not even Lucca could take that from him. He rocked the crowd. Now he just prayed that the word wouldn't get back to the king that the equipment was still operational, and that he had used it. He settled back and closed his eyes, thinking about the day's events...
Man, he really showed it to Lucca when he got in her face...
Suddenly, a door slammed shut.
"You PIG!"
"Who... Lucca!"
"You just had to shove it in my face didn't you... wait!"
"Huh?"
"That didn't sound right... I mean, why'd ya have to be so hot? No!"
"You're confusing."
"ACK! SCREW IT!"
She ran and jumped him in the bed. At first, Magus tried to defend himself from her raging claws and bites... until he realized she was kissing him.
Needless to say, both of them had a wild night...
.