U.P-hello, everyone1 I got one review so far and I'm very happy! The next chapter, as I said is more serious, so hopefully, you'll like it :D
Chapter Two-Lenne
"Once moe for me, Lenne," said the wizened, old priestess, whom, though mysterious, had earned Lenne's love and respect as a teacher after all these years of practicing the summoning arts.
"Priestess Zalina, I have a concert in twenty minutes at Zanarkand Central-I need to get changed and arrive there on time-" Lenne started, but was interrupted.
"One more for me, Lenne, and then you are free to go and sing your heart out," Zalina replied firmly, but with a twinkle in her eyes that betrayed her gentility.
"Alright, once more then," Lenne agreed and exhaled.
Once again, she twirled her staff and danced to send imaginary spirits to the farplane.
"Perfect, Lenne. Now you may go."
Lenne smiled and headed for the door. Before she exited, she stopped herself with one hand on the door frame, turned, and asked, "You'll be there, right?"
"Of course. I, nor anyone else in Zanarkand, would miss even a single concert for the world."
Lenne felt a burst of rapture through the meaningful compliment and gushed, "I can't wait!"
In a flash, Lenne left the temple to the hover car. In her dressing room at the concert, she would get changed. Her concert was in fifteen minutes.
What was she going to sign again? Ah yes, one of her favorites: Real Emotion. But that was only the opening song. Concluding was a special surprise for the audience; a heart-felt, new song she had just written. It came from deep within her soul and that, Lenne thought, was the best place from which a song was to come.
Now, it was two minutes until the concert and the crowd was restless, hardly able to wait for Lenne to appear and sing for them. Peeking out from behind the giant sphere screen that touched the stage floor, Lenne noted that the seats were packed with people as if it was a major blitzball game.
Except this, thought Lenne dreamily, requires heart, soul, and passion.
In her simple white dress, Lenne walked gracefully to her stage. Her appearance triggered wild applause and as her circular stage was surrounded by seats on all sides, Lenne heard it louder than ever. And loved it.
Her eyes were closed, her head bowed as if she was in a peaceful slumber in the darkness of the stage, not the part hit by the spotlight. The crowds chanted, "In FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!"
"What can I do for you?" a recording of Lenne's voice was her cue.
She walked to the spotlight in the center of the stage and twirled. She didn't know how it worked, but her plain white dress transformed into her purple and black songstress outfit. Everyone cheered as Lenne danced to the recording of "what can I do for yous," her every move magnified on the giant sphere screen. Then the recordings stopped as she started singing her upbeat song, a crowd favorite: "Real Emotion."
While she sang, "There are things I've seen, in those hazy dreams," Lenne spotted a young man in the crowd.
Blitzball star Shuyin in the front row, of course, but she had never seen him up close before. Their eyes met for a few long seconds as she sang, but finally she tore away. She had songs to perform. To the whole crowd and she wouldn't be distracted by any one guy. Soon, she forgot about him and continued singing and dancing.
A few hours later
This was it, the last song of the concert. One of Lenne's personal favorites: "1,000 Words."
"I know that you're hiding things, using gentle words to shelter me," she started as the lights dimmed. "But I was listening…" she and Shuyin met eyes once more and then she lowered her eyes.
Before she knew it, Lenne was singing through "1,000 Words" normally, but with a little more zest than she usually might have. She took in the growing excitement of the crowd, the feelings she sensed that heightened her own thrill. But once again, her eyes shifted to Shuyin's deep blue eyes.
"1,000 words, 1,000 embraces," she continued, knowing that she seemed to be singing directly to Shuyin by the way that she stared at him, but she just couldn't help it; their eyes were curious, deep magnets. Did he feel this thrilling interest as well? Her stage manager was going to kill her, it was probably obvious that her eyes were way too focused on one spot. Or was it just her?
"One thousand…words…" her favorite song ended. The crowd gave her a standing ovation, some moved to tears, fans erupting in applause. This was, by far, the best turn-out she had ever had! (The tickets had even sold out). It was so exhilarating! Lenne would do this forever if given the choice. She no longer thought about Shuyin, just her song.
"Thank you, everyone!" she said into the microphone. "I can't wait to see you all at my next concert!"
She left the stage, ironically more energized than hours before. To ease off the energy, Lenne walked (preferring this to hover car) over to the beach.
