Prologue
It was a Friday night in Club Rouge, and Rouge invited people around the club for some drinks, and a stand up singing performance on stage. She invited Shadow, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Tikal, Cream, Vanilla, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Big, and many others.
Nobody has performed a song yet, as Rouge's DJs and musicians were setting up the equipments on stage. Sonic was sitting with Tails and Knuckles having a few drinks.
"Knuckles, it's wonderful that you've been engaged to Tikal for over a month now." Tails complimented cheerfully.
"Well, Thank you. I guess that's what happens in five years after the events with Infinite. You grow wiser, and experience new things." Knuckles explained. Sonic chuckles.
"Of all the people to be engaged, you were the last person I expected. Guess that shows you're not such a Knuckle-Head after all!" Sonic teased. Knuckles chuckles.
"Hey guys." called Shadow, making his way towards them, and sat down next to them, drinking his beer.
"Shadow!" Tails exclaimed.
"Hey Shadow!" Knuckles welcomed.
"What's up, Shadow? Rouge really kept this place busy, hasn't she?" asked Sonic.
"Indeed she has. she has been excited to get this event done for a while." Shadow replied.
"I wonder why she decided to do a singing event?" Knuckles wondered.
"Beats me." Shadow answered.
"I mean, can anyone here actually sing? I don't think I have ever heard anyone in this room sing, ever." Sonic wondered.
"Guess it is just for fun. No reason really." Shadow guessed.
"Can you sing, Sonic?" Knuckles asked.
"I can hold notes OK-ish. Although it has been a very long time, I am not sure if I can do that anymore. I may have gotten rusty." Sonic replied.
"Can't say I can, although I know Tikal has the voice of an angel." Knuckles stated.
"Take it she sings around you all the time?" Tails asked.
Knuckles nodded, with a smile on his face, looking over towards Tikal. Meanwhile, Rouge was on stage in front of the mic.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! We know what we are here for. you may remember on the invitation, this is an open mic singing event. There is no prize, it is all just for fun. It can be any genre of music, and it can be any type of song. It could even be a song personal to you, that you may wanna share with the world." Rouge stated.
"Ooh, ooh! I know one! Espio, didn't you write a song a few years back?" Charmy exclaimed excited.
"Shut up, Charmy!" Espio exclaimed in embarrassed.
"Come on, Espio! I am sure it is a great song!" Vector encouraged.
"Yeah!" Big called.
"Well, I'm not sure. It is quite a personal song I never really shared before." Espio stated nervously.
"Well let us hear it, Espio. I am sure it is a wonderful song." Rouge smiled.
Everyone then began to cheer loudly, and chanted Espio's name over and over again. Espio blushed, but he then stood up.
"Alright! But be warned, I haven't even rehearsed this, so I am not sure how this will turn out." Espio warned.
He then went up on stage, and faced Rouge.
"Don't worry, Espio. Just tell my musicians what genre and key the song is in, and they will improvise." Rouge told him.
"Right. Guys, rock ballad, key of D minor!" Espio told them. The musicians all nodded.
"Should be interesting." Tails stated.
"Brave man." Knuckles added.
"Well." Shadow said.
"I like my rock and roll, but I never thought it'd be something Espio would like." Sonic stated.
"Play the guitar, Espio! Like you did when we did our Chaotix Recital!" Charmy yelled.
"First of all, Charmy, that was NOT a guitar, that was a shamisen, and second of all, I think it is against the rules to play an instrument while singing!" Espio snarled.
"Actually, you can, Espio. There are a selection of guitars you can use there." Rouge pointed out.
Espio then walked towards the guitars, and selected one. He looks at it for a while, and nods his head.
"Not sure where you got all this equipment, but I'll take it. This looks like a lead guitar." Espio stated.
After that, he walks over to the microphone, and strums a few chords on his guitar, beginning the song.
.
(Espio singing)
A caged lion, a chained soul
I am trapped inside a mirror
I wash my face to show a mask
Underneath the one I wore last
.
The light shines, on this prism, shatters into countless rays
Twist, entwine them, no one found the place from which I came
.
Chameleon, and I can be anybody
Where no one can see under my skin
My life belongs to someone else
Don't know who I am
Chameleon, feeding these lies to everybody
I'll never know what's really within me
Living the life of someone else
Don't know who I am
.
"He is actually pretty good!" Knuckles chucked in surprise.
"Pretty good range to his voice." Sonic stated.
"Very good control." Tails added.
.
(Espio singing)
This moth finds me alone and speaks to me
It says "Hey, don't look for what you cannot see"
And I raise my head and tried to reply
But the sound of my voice I can not recognize
.
When this river is flowing down it'll cut its path in countless ways
Twisting, entwining, no one found the place from which I came
I don't know who I am
.
Am I the Chameleon,
And I can be anybody
Where no one can see under my skin
My life belongs to someone else
Don't know who I am
Chameleon, feeding these lies to everybody
I'll never know what's really within me
Living the life of someone else
Don't know who I am
.
Good things was expected from me
Now all of my life, I ate them, they're all fed to me
With my mistake, I swallow the the whole world, oh
And I've become this soulless vessel for everyone
The chameleon
.
As the bridge of the song plays, the audience cheer loudly as Espio strums his power chords with feeling.
"Pretty sweet rifts there from Espio." Shadow smiles in surprise.
.
(Espio and the audience singing)
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
.
(Espio singing)
Chameleon,
And I can be anybody
Where no one can see under my skin
My life belongs to someone else
Don't know who I am
Chameleon, feeding these lies to everybody
I'll never know what's really within me
Living the life of someone else
I don't know who I am!
.
After the song finishes, Espio puts the guitar down and then walks back to the mic.
"Thank you!" Espio thanked.
The audience cheered and clapped for Espio's amazing performance.
"Thank you, Espio for that remarkable song. That is what this is all about, it doesn't matter if you're a great singer or not, it is all about having fun, and singing from the heart. So without further delay, anybody else have a song they'd like to perform?" Rouge asked.
"Wonder who's brave enough to try it this time?" Knuckles wondered.
"Not a clue, Knuckles." Tails replied.
"Well let us hope the song comes out as cool as the song Espio just did." Sonic stated.
"Or comes out embarrassing if Big goes on to do a song." Shadow laughs, half drunk.
"OK, that's not cool, Shadow." Knuckles chuckled as well.
"I HAVE A SONG!" a female called out.
"Who said that?" Sonic wondered.
He looked around in the audience to find the source of where the voice came from. And by further inspection, he saw a hand raised in the air. And he gasped when he saw that it was Amy Rose who volunteered to go on stage and sing.
"AMY?! Oh great!" Sonic stated with worry.