Battle of The Bands Arc

[Anonymous]

"Y-yes..." Sasami's voice shook as she backed away from Axe.

[Dracos]

"I look forward to seeing your song.  And seeing you follow in Gildward's footsteps."  A sense of peace could be sensed from his eyes.  His lips quirked.  "Good luck kid."  And with that he was gone...  stepping past her and walking off into the backstage.  His band having disappeared as well into the backstage....

it was her moment...  The Runaway Six were next.

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

...and Sasami was panicking.

"What do I do!? What do I do!?" She ran around in a blind panic, startling the rest of the Runaway Five into silence. Amused silence, but silence none-the-less.

She had good reason to panic, too.

How were they going to compete with THAT!?

The soft rustling of cloth and the heavy foot falls of boots stepping on the wooden floor echoed within the still air.

"Hey! Stop right there, kiddo." An authoritive voice from behind her barked out, causing her to squeak in panic.

Rapidly spinning around, and dreading it was that Axe fellow, she briefed a sigh of relief as she spotted Olguin's curious face instead.

"What was that...light?" He asked, quirking his head ever so slightly.

Slightly disturbed by the way he was peering at her, she quickly mumbled. "The harp. But it ended just before you got back."

"Hmm...but I can still feel it. It's floating around you." Olguin persisted, causing Sasami to grit her teeth in annoyance.

"Please tell me you're here for more than a simple feeling." She archly ground out, hands clenched around the golden harp.

"Well...not really." Her eyebrow rose on its own accord, causing him to hurriedly add on. "I think you'll have an extremely hard time of beating Laughing Boy."

Only the fact that his expression was near murderous as he glared where Axe had departed through kept her from doing anything.

"Olguin..."

"He's good, I'll give him that much." He forged ahead. "But I heard what he said, you're his better's successor, right?"

Sasami slowly nodded, eyes slightly pleading to help.

"Then that means you may wind up better than him too, and your master's spirit is in that harp now..." Olguin ignored her look, words trailing off...

Sasami looked down at the harp...Her harp.

"If you give up without a fight..." His face was a mask of ice as he finished. "He'll win, in more ways than one. Do you want him to do that? Do you want him to spit in the memory of your family by beating you in the end?"

Her hands clenched around the golden harp in her delicate arms. Looking through eyes clouded by energy at a decidedly confident looking Olguin. "No, I don't want that to happen."

"I won't use the music in that way." Olguin's smile faded as she turned away from him, and marched off stage. "But I'll try my best. That's all I can do."

Moments later, the other members of the Runaway Six walked past the utterly confused Olguin. Scratching the back of his head, he slowly opened his mouth.

"What did she mean by that?"

[Anonymous]

OOC: Hikari...modified...sweet. @_@

The quiet murmurs of the crowd startled Sasami out of her brooding a few moments later. Turning to face the others, she received quiet nods of readiness.

Taking a deep breath, Sasami turned and began walking up to center stage. The weight of the crowd's gazes on her felt heavy, causing her footsteps to feel sluggish.

Upon reaching her position, she began to nervously fidget. It was just too much!

Going to give up?

The heat from the stage lights, the expectant stares of the audience, and the fact the she KNEW she couldn't follow up The Axe's performance.

That doesn't sound like what a Juraian Princess would say. They don't make excuses.

Her eyes squinted in the slight light, trying to make out her brother in the crowd. He couldn't of left her, could he? Not at this time.

You're now grasping at straws, Child. What about the other one, the boy that came back to see your performance? What about the fact that Gildward KNEW you were good enough to make an excellent successor?

Indeed, even now she could feel the familiar weight of the golden harp in her hands. Hefting it up experimentally, she smiled at the fact that it hadn't disappeared in her arms.

You have his legacy, Child.

"Okay, Sasami girl. It's time." Turning to face the crowd with a energetic grin, she lifted her hand to the harp and stood ready, eyes focused on the signpost erected to the left of the crowd.

5...4...3...2...1.

GO!

Bowing her head, her harp joined the other instruments of the band in a low, sweet melody.

Quietly,
Stand in the exit way,
And, in the pitch-black, take the light

The crowd and band collective gasped as a even dozen spheres of light erupted from the gloom on the left side of the stage, and began to swirl around the band.

Each of the spheres shone like a small star, and hummed a quiet melody of hope. Mere moments afterwards, each of the spheres stopped, two of the spheres flanking every band member.

Lifting her head in surprise, she turned her head ever slightly to the left. And had to stifle a giggle at the sight.

Wearing Hina-ohki like a cap, Olguin gave her a bright smile. Giving her a thumbs up with a glowing hand, he stepped backwards, fading into the darkness of the backstage area.

Her eyes misted slightly, but she continued her song. The spheres all dimmed down in time to her soft words.

And about the recent promises,
Is it just that I'm so anxious?
A wish that's wanting to be said, but shall be repressed
I'll introduce my family,
You'll surely get along well

The spheres of light that had flanked her breezily floated up next to her, and began to lazily follow her swaying movements.

The smooth sounds of the saxophone floated to the crowd's ears, as the twin spheres flankly him steadily rose above. One of the twins gained a distinctive blue hue and energetically pulsed in time to the musical notes, while the other gained a rosy hue. Unlike its twin, it gracefully twisted and writhed amongst the air currents, once in a while ever so slightly brushing along the blue sphere.

No matter what the time
We'll always be together
No matter what the time

Seemingly shoved away, the pink sphere of energy mournfully floated away from the blue sphere. As it floated away from the stage, it steadily began to lessen in both size and intensity, giving off a sense of utmost sadness to the crowd below.

Because you're by my side
The light known as "you" finds me,
In the middle of the night

The blue sphere of light seemed to hesistate for but a moment, before rocketting away from its position. Flying through the air, the blue sphere flew back to its mate's side, leaving a trail of energy in its wake. Energy which took on the form of small motes of light, which descended on the audience.

To a triumphant crescendo from the guitars, the twins joined. A flare of light erupted above the center of the crowd, filling them all with a sense of peace as motes of light filled the air.

Enter a noisy street
And put on the mask of destiny.

From backstage, a pair of brown eyes watched as the four spheres of light surrouding the twin guitarists began to rapidly spin around them. Eventually forming a solid ring of light which descended to the ground. As soon as the two rings touched down, they brightly flared bringing the crowd's attention to the duo.

Thinking too much about the future.
Stopping things that have no meaning.
The future is always before us,
Even I don't know it.

Sasami grinned as she stopped playing her harp, letting its sweet tune fade into the two guitarists' own energetic tune. Pulling the microphone off from its stand with her free right arm, she continued to softly sing as she began to stride towards the crowd, shortly followed by her own spheres of energy.

It's not necessary to go right to the end,
Just keep going.
It's okay if the scenes
Go on one by one.
The light known as "you"
reflects my scenario

Sparing a side glance at where Olguin had vanished for but a moment, she fought back a blush as her own spheres of light brushed up against her cheeks in an intimate gesture, leaving her feeling warm in the aftermath as they resumed dancing around her.

Let's talk more,
And about the tomorrow that's before your very eyes.
Turn off the television,
And look only at me.

The energies that had been lighting up the two guitarist's areas of the stage faded out of existance as they let their own portion of the song fade into the background. Taking his que, the drummer began to furiously pound out a high speed beat, now being highlighted by his own spheres of energy.

No matter how well we're doing,
I don't believe in us completely.
But at those sort of times,

Turning, she began to walk away from the crowd. She didn't even flinch as the other four spheres of light streaked past her, causing her hair and clothing to billow in the fierce wind they kicked up.

Because you're by my side,
The light known as "you" finds me,
In the middle of the night.

Sasami stood in the exact center of the stage as the lights all around her began to dim. Moments later, she stood in an oppressive gloom, with only her own spheres of light providing any sort of illumination.

Let's talk more,
And about the tomorrow that's before your very eyes.
And look only at me.

The two spheres of light guttered out of existance, and only Sasami's voice lingered in the aftermath.

[Dracos]

OOC:  Here becomes the cut scene...  Fear Fear...

IC:
Standing near the stage a silver haired man in black gold trimmed armor smiled at the performance.  His eyes slowly grew serious though as the lights turned out...

Yosho and the others applauded young Sasami, distant but supporting of the young bardess.  The crowd cheering the final performance.

Towards the back though...

His suitcase was on the floor.  His black shades covered his eyes as he lifted his silver pistol targetting the forehead of the young Jurian as she sang...  Just as the lights turned off his weapon spoke once...  

A burst of thunder roared as the bullet blasted from the chamber into the cold night air, spinning as it traveled unerringly towards Sasami's head....

Yosho turned eyes widening in shock and fear as he moved....his hand quickly lifting as he summoned the green-blue energy shields of Jurai to guard his last remaining sister.

Olguin flew across the stage at Sasami the very second the gun fired....  a glowing barrier of energy erecting between her and the bullet as he funneled ki into a desperate distance shield technique.

Sasami's eyes were wide in fear, a deer in the headlights of unstoppable train...  the barriers of light meeting the bullet...only to be torn through by it's spinning silver form...  the strong energy fields not enough to stop it upon it's fatal mission...

Finis moved...  Suddenly in front of Sasami, his black armored form between her and the bullet as it impacted... slamming into his face....

the black armored form flew back across the stage...slamming into the drumset behind Sasami to lay still...his face covered by long silver hair...

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

Sasami's shook her head to try and dull the overwhelming amount of fear. Her head darted towards the person that had managed to save her, and she quickly dove next to him, shaking his shoulders to try and coax him up.

"Get up!" She cried, desperation and a bit of hysteria lacing her words.

[Dracos]

"Are you safe...little one?" The man grunted...somehow still alive.  Finis slowly rose, his silver hair falling from his face...realing a large bruise on his head and a small metal chunk that fell down on the floor.  His blue eyes shone intently as he stood powerfully, his eyes fixed on the blue clad assassin.

The gunsman gaped in open shock, "No...way...That's impossible."  Tapping a communicator by his ear he shouted, "I need retrival.  Misson Failed.  Get me out of here."  Turning to flee he wrestled through the crowd running.

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

"I-I'm fine." Sasami sincerely said, blinking a bit as she tried to place the man's face. Something was off, but what was it...

"Sasami! Let's get you out of here now!" Olguin barked out, rushing up to the stage with Hina-ohki still perched on his head. Grasping her arm, he began to gently, but urgently pull her off stage. Turning, he spared a moment to stare at the man in rememberance.

"It's you..." He gritted his teeth as he looked at the man that nearly cost Yosho his life.

"Come on!" Hina-ohki and Olguin turned to look at Sasami, but she still kept gesturing at the silver haired man to follow.

***

Yosho's vision turned blood red as he spun towards the direction the shot had gone off from. Already having been assured that Sasami was alive by Funaho, he was about to chase down the assasin and slay him then and there.

*Hold! Yosho-sama!* Funaho commanded, causing the former prince to go stock still in shock. *You must assure that the First Princess is safe above all else.*

Nodding, Yosho decided to leave things as is, spinning around and shoving the crowd around him away from his body as he ran towards the stage.

[Bean Bandit]

Miyuki stared hard at the stage. Olguin's ki was there, and it was flaring brightly to her senses. And for some reason, in the back of her mind, she could feel a tense urgency tugging at her...

She tugged on Yui's hand. "Yui-chan...something's wrong...Olchan's over there. Let's follow Oshou-sama." she suggested urgently.

She had thought about following on her own, but with her leg still healing, and the crowd dense and panicked she didn't stand a chance of going two steps without getting lost...

[Asrana]

Yui nodded, squeezing Miyuki's hand and whispering to herself, "They'll be alright...they don't need your worrying..."

Shoving her way a little more gently into Yosho's wake, she followed him, her nerves wound tightly despite her self-assurances.

She really needed to learn some more if she was going to help...

[Dracos]

The blue clad assassin quickly was lost in the crowd as security attempted to hunt down this fiend.

Fearless Leader

[Dracos]

Finis considered swiftly his path.  And strode after Olguin and Sasami, curious to what had befallen his favorite 'niece'.

Fearless Leader