Me: Hey guys, I'm back!

Kazu: Oh no…

Me: Hey, don't be so mean!

Kenta: Yeah, Kazu its been about what almost a year?

Takato: It isn't that bad.

Kazu: Says the guy playing a cowardly fish.

Takato: Yeah, a cowar…hey!

Me: Okay, okay, everyone that's enough, take it away with the disclaimer Henry!

Henry: Princess Luka Vocalzal does no own Digimon or either versions of the Little Mermaid or any of the characters in relation to any of these three.

Me: No matter how much I wish I do…

Karu singing, Kenta singing, one of the seagulls singing, and group singing.

Chapter 3: Act 1; Scene 2: World Above and Human Stuff

After switching the scene so the set was back to the 'surface', Karu glided out gracefully with a blissful smile on her face as everyone in the crowd applauded her entrance. Then, Karu began to sing as she moved gracefully between the plastic waves on her hidden skates.

"This is where I belong, up in the clear wide blue here," She sang beautifully, enchanting her audience, "I feel completely new here in the world above."

Its like my life was wrong

And now at last I'm in…

My own skin…

Up here in the world above…

From back-stage, the tamers watched with smiles as they swayed to the music of the song as they watched Karu motion around as she continued her ballad. Despite her tough appearance, Karu love slow, passionate songs that held depth and meaning, this happened to be one of her favourites in the play.

"There's so much light here! Light and space," Karu sang before gently running her hands along her upper neck and cheeks, which rose a blush from Henry, much to Ryo's amusement, "The sun so bright here, upon my face."

It feels so right here

Warm as love

Life seems to be

Almost calling to me

From this strange…new world a~bove~…

As Karu breathed a contented sigh, her enchanting spell broke and the crowd cheered as Takato prepared his entrance. Once the applause was finished, Takato took his cue and ran out.

Takato's costume of Flounder consisted of a yellow shirt with blue patterns on the back with matching pants and yellow shoes with hidden wheels so he could alternate between sliding and running whenever the scene deemed it fit. His hair was coated in blue hair chalk with a little fin head piece to make it more realistic.

"Hikaru!" He called out to her from behind all of the moving fake waves, having come out from the opposite way she entered, "There you are!" He began to jump over the waves.

"Just look Takato!" Hikaru said with excitement as she motioned around again, "The sun! The sand! Isn't it the most amazing place you've ever seen?" Even Rika had to give her credit, for someone who didn't do it much, Karu was a pretty good actress and the child-like wonder on her face as she spoke seemed so genuine.

At her question and reaching the final wave, Takato paused and looked around fearfully as he said nervously, "I don't know Hikaru, I don't think we should be up here…on the surface…" With that, he jumped the final wave as Hikaru rolled her eyes good-naturedly and said in a teasing response, "Oh, don't be such a guppy Takato!"

"I am not a guppy!" Takato almost shouted before calming down and smiled smugly, "I'm just as brave as you are; I'm not afraid of anything!"

From back-stage, Rika coughed something that sounded vaguely like lair, earning a dirty look from her cousin.

"Oh really," Karu said with a raised eyebrow, not at all convinced, "Not even of fishermen?"

"No," Takato answered immediately. "Or hooks?" Karu asked with a creepy tone in her voice as if telling a ghost story. "Nope," Takato said shaking his head.

"Oh look!" Karu said pretending to be panicked as she pointed behind him, "A shark!"

Takato screamed with a jump, before frantically looking around in fright, "WHERE?"

He calmed down once realizing he was tricked as Karu laughed, "See Takato?" Karu grinned as she glided past him, "Deep down you know you're just a guppy!" She emphasized her teasing by playfully wagging her tail at him.

Takato twisted his face with annoyance as he slapped her fins away half-heartedly as he nearly shouted, "I am not!"

Turning around Karu gave him a light hug as she said, "I'm just teasing," She seemed to think on a way to cheer him up and had a light-bulb moment, "Oh!" Takato looked over at her, "You're never going to guess what I found today!" As she spoke, her hands were hidden behind her back and she secretly removed something hidden in the thick clothes of her fake-tail, "It was floating in the hull of this giant shipwreck!"

"What?" Takato asked instantly perking up, looking rather excited as he leaned in a little, "What is it? Treasure?"

"I'll say; look!" She said revealing what she was hiding to be a plastic, rustic-looking prop-fork. They both looked at it with something akin to child-like curiosity, though Takato looked a bit confused, while Karu had a look of wonder on her as she asked him, "Isn't it the most amazing thing you've ever seen?"

Takato took it from her to examine it better. "It's kinda cool, but…" He admitted before looking at her confusedly as he asked, "What is it?"

She shrugged in response, "I dunno," But she then got an idea and grinned, "But I bet Kenta will!" Snatching it back, she motioned him to follow, "C'mon, I'll race you!"

With that, she glided off stage left, Takato quickly followed while shouting, "Hey, wait for me!"

Then, from the tech-hive, Mako pressed several buttons, before nodding to the other only girl in the group that wasn't his sister. The girl flipped a switch, which lit up a little light, signalling a few members of the tech crew, who were under the stage to start pulling a large, upside down corkscrew. As they did this, a large prop sea-rock slid out onto the stage.

Sitting on the rock was a single, familiar figure. It was another boy Takato and Karu's age with chin-length, layered, dark, forest green hair with lighter, emerald-green eyes. He wore a white costume with feather-like cloth that with similar cloth hanging from his arms to resemble wings, which were tipped with black to make him look like a seagull. He wore a white cap with an orange appendage attached to it to resemble a bill with orange boots to make the webbed bird feet.

He was currently fiddling around with a pair of binoculars as Karu and Takato re-entered the way the exited, only closer to the back of the stage was gliding in a diagonal direction towards him. "Kenta!" Karu called startling him so badly, he nearly threw the binoculars, "Hey, Kenta!"

"Whoah!" Kenta yelled as he looked through the wrong end of the binoculars at her and Takato as they reached the rock, "Mermaid off the port bow!" As Karu waved at him, he waved back, still yelling, "Hikaru! How ya doin' kid?"

He then lowered the binoculars and blinked at seeing them so close, "Whoah…" Takato rolled his eyes, while Karu just smiled and said, "Kenta, you're never gonna believe what we found!" She held up the fork.

"Huh, some more human stuff, huh?" Kenta asked taking, "Here lemme see."

"Can you tell us what it's for?" Takato asked. "Hmm, now this is special," Kenta said, "This is very, very…unusually…" He stroked his chin in though as he looked at it and Karu asked excitedly, "What? What is it?"

New funny-type music began to play as Kenta held it out and answered, "It's a dingle hopper!"

"A dingle hopper?" The two repeated sounding curious like two little kids discovering something new.

"Boy, these babies are fantabulous," Kenta said as he stood on the hidden stairs behind the bumpy rock prop and started to walk down them as he continued, "Absolutely indespensery!" He gave a smug grin as he walked around to sit on one of ledges of the prop, "When it comes to dingle hoppers, I'm your regular encyclapoodia!"

With that, he started to sing while gesturing with the spoon, "Say that you wanna have a hairdo, like the folks that live up there do; that'll make 'em flap their wigs!"

But then three more boys their age dressed similarly to Kenta walked over from the stage-left. "Flop their wigs!" The one with blonde hair added only to be tapped the one behind him, who had dark blue hair. "Flap!" He corrected only for the last one, who had spiky black hair that jutted out from beneath his hat to squawk loudly at them, making them continue their funny walk up the hidden stairs.

"Well, you'll look absolutely dandy," Kenta continued as the two turned back to him, "If you use one of these handy little thingamajigs!"

"Thingamabobs!" The first gull shouted as he popped up from behind the rock. "Thingamajigs!" The second one corrected as he popped up as well.

"Bobs!" The first gull argued. "Jigs!" The second countered only for the third to pop up and squawk again.

Pick up a dingle hopper just like so

Twirl it the way I'm twirling now

Give it a little yank! And there ya go!

He handed the fork to Karu who smiled at Takato as they moved back a bit from the prop as Kenta leaned back with a grin, "You're what they call the dog's meeeeoooow!"

The three gulls climbed up to sit in the spaces at the top and began kicking their legs to the music as they joined in:

Wonderful stuff!

That human stuff!

Can't get enough!

From backstage, Rika was nearly on the floor with laughter as she and the others watched Kenta get up and do a very funny walk over to the other two on the stage.

Of human stuff!

Kenta then lead Karu and Takato back over to the rock with Takato going behind it a little while Kenta went all the way to the other end in front of it.

And when we are the authority

No need for us to bluff

Because we're great at explanatin'

Human stuff!

"Okay, gulls!" Kenta said to the three, "Show us whatcha got!" One took out a prop pipe.

"What's that?" Karu asked pointing to it. In response, Kenta paced while stroking his chin again in thought, dramatically humming as he 'tried to think' of an answer.

"Well…" Kenta began only for the third gull to literally squawk in his ear and he had a 'light bulb' moment, "That's it!" He motioned it over, "A banded…marvellous…" Once he had it in his hands, he pointed at it and said, "Snarfblatt."

"Snarfblatt?" Karu repeated as she glided over. "Yep!" Kenta grinned as he handed it to her. "Wow…" She smiled as she glided back a bit to give Kenta space for the next part of the routine.

When the world was prehistorical

People sat as still as coral

Sat upon their rumps!

Kenta illustrated what he meant by sitting on a different ledge and looked bored out of his mind.

"On their bumps!" The first gull said. "Rumps!" The second corrected and as the first went to retort, the third squawked at them again as Kenta walked over to stand closer to his friends.

They were beat

Bored to death and barely blinking

Way down at the dumps!

Kenta leaned back and as cymbals began to crash, Kenta kicked his leg out to the crashed, while the gulls bounced in their seats, Takato moved up and down to the crashes as well and Karu kicked her tail out to them as well.

"On the dumps!" The first gull said. "At!" The second corrected exasperatedly. "On!" The first argued before the third squawked again, they then began to flap their arms to the beat as Kenta got up and pulled Karu and Takato over to center stage.

Then they invented Snarfblatts just by chance!

Suddenly life was la-dee-da!

Everyone offstage laughed when Kenta did a silly dance at the last part. Stopping, Kenta held up a finger as he looked at the two as the gulls walked off the rock and over to stand by Takato:

Snarfblatts are what you use to make folks dance!

Kenta, Takato, Karu and the gulls swung their hips to the drum beats on 'dance' before Kenta handed the pipe to Karu.

Give it a blow and then…viola!

Karu blew into it as the cue for Kenta and Takato to rush back in front of the rock prop, while the gulls started to run around in a circle. As everyone danced, the song continued:

Wonderful stuff!

That human stuff!

If you're a luff!

With human stuff!

Karu and the gulls formed something like a conga line with the lead gull holding her tailfins as Kenta and Takato danced over.

And since we are where you are, my dear

We'll bring you up to snuff!

The gulls then danced back up the rock's hidden stair and disappeared out of view.

Because, you see

Our specialty

Is human stuff!

"Oh, this is called a potamin!" Kenta said as the gulls took out a pirate hat, "It's used for serving soup!"

"Potato!" The first gull said. "Tomato!" The second added. "Even chicken!" The third said, "It always pretty good!"

"And this is called a pendant!" Kenta said as the second gull took an accordion. "It goes right around your chin!" The third gull said motioning as the first gull took out what looked like a bongo drum and put it on like a hat.

"Just fit on all this here headgear," Kenta said. "And you'll fit right in!" Kenta and the gulls all shouted.

Wonderful stuff!

That human stuff!

None of it bluff!

Not human stuff!

After using the fork like a brush, Karu was lead over to the first gull, who helped her place the drum on her head like a hat. Karu had a big grin on her face as she made a sort of model's pose, laughter in her eyes.

And heaven knows

Since we're the pros

From us you'll get no guff!

Karu and Takato joined the shoulder jimmying.

"And once you use your potamin!" The third gull sang. "And have this tied beneath your chin!" The second gull added while motioning with the accordion.

"And have your perrchy proudly on your duff!" Kenta added as the first gull moved the drum over his fake tail.

Karu turned to Kenta with a peculiar expression as she asked, "Duff?"

Kenta just said, "Don't ask."

And with the proper dingle hopper groomin'

Rest assured, you'll look real human

Karu brushed her hair again with the fork before Takato slid over and she took his hand and spun him around as they all sang together, "We know cause we know…"

Huuuumaaan….stuuuuuuff!

Kenta hopped back onto a ledge as Karu and Takato danced to the final note as they all sang, "Aaaaaaaaaaa~aah!"

They all struck finishing poses with grins as the audience shot to their feet, cheering, along with those back stage clapping as well.

Once the applause was done, everyone onstage unfroze from their poses as Karu and Takato slid over closer to Kenta who was still up on the ledge as Takato asked, while pointing to the pipe, "So can that thing really make music?"

"Can it really ask music?" Kenta asked in disbelief as if it were the most moronic question he ever heard, "Trust me, this used to make the finest music you've ever heard!"

During this, something seemed to click in Karu's head as her eyes snapped wide as she shouted, "Music! Oh no, the concert!" She moved about in panic, ensuing a startled Takato to move with her, "Oh! My dad's gonna kill me!"

"Wait," Takato said sounding very surprised, "That was today?"

"Oh-oh! Maybe we can make it back!" Karu shouted in alarm as she and Takato rushed off stage with her shouting, "Thank you Kenta!"

Not entirely sure why she was thanking him, Kenta rolled with it as he shouted back, "Any time, sweetie! Any time!" As the prop was rolled back offstage.

~~~~Back Stage~~~~

When Karu and Takato slid backstage, Takato bumped into the female brunette as they skidded to a stop earning a raised eyebrow from her as they ceased their panic. "Nice scene, guys," Ryo complimented as the gulls and Kenta joined them.

"Nice dancing, bird brain!" Rika chortled while grinning, "Did actual birds teach you guys that or was it MarineAngemon?"

"Very funny Miss Squid Monster," Kenta scowled which turned into a small smirk as Rika glared at him for the squid monster part. "Hardy-har-har," Rika scowled back.

"You were amazing out there," Henry smiled sincerely to Karu, who gained a pink hue on her face. "Thanks Henry…" Karu smiled shyly, rubbing her arm, unaware how the action made her breasts perk out a bit. Seeing this, Henry's face almost turned into a tomato with how red it was, before tearing his eyes back up at her face as she said to Kenta, "But it was really more Kenta's scene then mine."

"Not even close," Kenta said shaking his head, "It was your introduction scene."

"And yours and Takato," Karu pointed out not seeing the death glares a now nervous Henry was getting from Mao and Takato. "But your song took up most of the scene anyway," Karu said clearly not willing to think her solo was all that impressive.

Growing up, Karu had a lot of self-esteem and trust issues because of how other kids treated her for how she acted. She was a die hard tomboy, who unlike Rika, who had went to an all girls, private school till high school, could and did show it however she could, dressing in pants all the time, barely showed any interest in her appearance or dolls or anything girly and loved sports. Her father also owned a gym and was once a infamous boxer and wrestler, so of course she also knew how and loved to fight. Thus, she was often ridiculed and treated unfairly, even by a few old-fashioned teachers, mostly the men, until she meet Takato and Kenta.

Even if she didn't let it show in the past, their adventures in the Digital World caused her to own up about just how hurtful it all really was. It was one of the very few times the team had ever seen her cry and if anything, they respected her more for how it made her stronger and, in Henry's personal opinion, more beautiful as a person.

"I wish we had a tape recorder on stage, so you could hear your own singing," Takato sighed. "Let's worry about Fighter's confidence later," Suzie said as she suddenly appeared by them, making them nearly jump right out of their costumes, "The next scene is about to start! Places!"

At an instant, everyone was making a mad scramble for where they were suppose to be. Everyone, that is, except Henry and Karu.

"You really were great out there," Henry re-assured her with all honesty. She blushed faintly, but smiled a bit, "Thanks…" She quickly, out of impulse, hugged him, causing Henry to freeze up in surprise at her sudden boldness. His cheeks redden as he lightly returned it, not wanting to push his luck.

As soon as he did, however, Karu seemed to come to her senses as she let go. She then began to walk towards the water cooler, but paused and looked back at him slightly with a shy smile before continuing on.

Henry watched her go with a slightly dazed, yet goofily-happy look on his face. Maybe, just maybe…

As he walked over to the stairs so he could get a clearer view of the next scene, Henry's heart felt like it was going a mile a minute as he started to sing very quietly under his breathe, "I knew from the start it was totally crazy…to dream I'd get more then just a glance…"

He turned and leaned against the railing, watching as the girl of his dreams conversed with the extras with a smile on her face and he smiled a bit, "But for the first time in forever…"

He felt heat rush to his face as she looked up to meet his gaze, but she smiled at him and waved, both of which he returned as his voice fell beneath a hopeful whisper, "…I may just have a chance…"

Me: And…we're done!

Everyone: FINALLY!

Me*teary-eyed*: You're mean!

Kenta: Well, its been what? A year since you last update?

Suzie: Close to.

Me: I've been busy!

Rika: Excuses, excuses…

Me*pouts*: Well, I updated now didn't I?

Kazu: Un-huh, sure, why am I Henry's love-interest again?

Me: Cause I like the pairing and its my story, pick your favourite.

Anyways, feel free to review, till next time everyone!