AN- M'kay. Not much to say this time. But thanks for the reviews so far guys! I really appreciate them. n_n (Oh, and this chapter is in Mari's point of view)

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 3

"Precisely," 'Bakupo' said, glad that I had understood. "You write our songs, draw out our lives, tell us what to sing. Yes, you must be Master." He then called something out. I didn't quite catch what he said, but it sounded like 'Gumi'. Gumi? Was it his pet or something? God, everyone has a strange name here.

But 'Gumi' was no dog. Apparently, she was a pretty girl with shoulder length green hair. She had a pair of goggles on her head, and a complex outfit consisting mostly of an orange top, a see through belly cloth, a ruffled skirt, and white boots. Sure, she had other accessories, but that was the main gist of it. "Yes, Gakupo?" she chirped, skipping over. Ooh, so Gakupo was his name. Whoops.

"Test this girl," Gakupo smiled. "Make sure she is Master. And if she isn't, uninstall her." A shiver went down my spine as he said that. Uninstall me? If I wasn't who he thought I was, I would be killed? Hm, maybe I'd better leave before things get out of hand. I didn't want my head chopped off or anything. Urgh.

The other people looked at him in shock and disgust (except for Gumi; she just nodded obediently). I felt Kaito wrap his arms around me shoulders protectively. K-Kaito, we've just met. Then again, he must think I'm Master. If I die, they'll either disappear, or be left without a leader. They'd erupt in chaos. I hope I'm Master. I don't want to die. "Gakupo, we don't want to kill her. Imprison her maybe, but not kill her." Did those words just come from Miku's mouth? I knew I didn't like her. She wore such an 'innocent' and 'pure' frown. Innocent my butt. "Right, Kai-Kai?" she smiled softly.

I looked up at Kaito. He looked like he was searching, searching for the right words. Finally, he spoke. "No, Miku," he said, as if it were painful. "I do not believe she should be imprisoned. She has done no wrong. If she is not Master, then it is our error, not hers." He wet his lips, waiting for her contradiction. Waiting for someone to hit him over the head. He prepared for the blow. Of course, it never came.

"God, another person under her spell," Miku growled, and stomped away. My spell? It's her spell that all the boys are under. Not mine. Not Rin's. Her's. She could run the world if she wanted, with that smile. The boys would all collapse at her feet. But I wasn't jealous. I didn't want a power like that. Len, Kaito, and Gakupo all stared in confusion as she stormed out, while us girls merely shook our heads. We couldn't see how they liked her. I can't see one likable trait of hers. Not one.

I suddenly felt a hand being slipped into mine. "Time for the test," Gumi smiled. Ah, right. To see if I'm Master or not. I nodded anxiously, and she led me away. Down a hallway, up some stairs. Down a hallway. Through a door. Down yet another hallway. And into a room. It was dim, with the only light being the little that leaked through the blinds. There was a desk in the corner, with a computer on it. And on the other side of the room, there was a stereo, and a microphone.

"If you are Master," Gumi said, "then you will be able to produce a song using that computer and my voice. You have a day." I shivered. Make a song? But what if it wasn't good enough? What if I messed up? But I could try. And hey, maybe that month of computer classes would pay off. Ha ha. I nodded, and headed over to the computer. It was sleek and shiny, with various audio programs installed. I loaded notepad.

The look of the blank page charged my mind. I typed. The words came to me, like a river steadily flowing into a lake. And then it was done. I looked at the words, carefully spelled on the program, and smiled. I then clicked open one of the audio programs. The music came to me eventually too. I hummed the tune under my breath. Yes, this would work. Finally, that was done too. All I needed was the vocals.

"Gumi?" I smiled kindly. "Time to sing." I lifted up a sheet of paper, and she nodded. She took the sheet, face determined. I pushed the record button on the computer, and she began to sing into the microphone. Her voice came out clear and smooth, with an airiness to it. And these guys were supposed to be robots? I shook my head in disbelief.

Twinkle twinkle
Went the music box
As she spun around, as she spun around
No purpose but to entertain
No life no joy
Just a ballerina on a music box

Hair like silk
Figure as perfect as any
The perfect girl
And an amazing dancer
But is that her point?
Only to please?
Is that smile a mask
To hide the emptiness?

She spins around
On her music box
Endlessly, without a point
The watcher soon grows bored and leaves
She is left alone, to rot away
Is that her fate, to rot away?

Her pretty dress yellows with the sun
Her hair has streaks of gray
Her eyes bloodshot
Her life without purpose
A simple doll, nothing more
Nothing inside that mind of hers
Right?

Then the box closed, and the music stopped.

She yells and she screams
As she pounds on the walls
Trapped inside
Alone and forgotten
From the very beginning
This was her fate

Twinkle twinkle
Went the music box
As she died inside, as she died inside
No purpose but to rot away
No life no joy
Just a ballerina on a music box

Soon she finished, and I hit the stop button. I then synched up the vocals and the music. It took about an hour and a half, but soon I was done. I played it once more, just to make sure everything was right. And it was. It sounded perfect. Smiling, I told Gumi I was finished.

"Eh? Already?" Gumi asked, surprised. "I'll get the others." She hurried off, leaving me alone in the room. Was my song really that good enough? Would it keep me alive? I doubted it. I didn't have much skill. I was a mere amateur. They'd probably 'uninstall' me. I really hope not though, I want to go home. If they uninstall me, I'll never see my home again. I'll just be stuck inside the trash bin forever, never seeing the light of day.

Soon, Gumi returned. Gakupo, Kaito, and Miku followed her. Uh oh. Miku hates me, Gakupo doesn't seem to like me, and Gumi is like Gakupo's parrot. The only one that's in my favor is Kaito. Which I'm kind of grateful for. Maybe he can turn the others around. Maybe I can get out of this thing without a scratch. As I thought this, I saw Kaito mouth, "They take Master impersonators very seriously here."

Very seriously, apparently.

AN- God, what a sucky chap. ;.; Oh well. I tried. And the lyrics were written by me, by the way. The song's called 'Music Box'. Though I don't think Gumi's gonna sing it. n_n;;