A/N: I got a little tired including all the extra characters in this chapter. I did what I could, but it was exhausting… If there is a couple other than the main couple, Jelsa, which you would like to see or know more of then let me know! Please Review, I love getting feedback on my work.
Disclaimer: Oi-vey. I don't own Disney or Pixar. Or DreamWorks. There are too many things to disclaim. But I will note that the song mashup is done by Sam Tsui.
Chapter 7: Elimination Day
…3…2…1…!
"Cue opening credits." One backstage worked spoke through his microphone. Instantly the stadium was flooded with the show's opening music, the main screen on the stage flashing with the Singing with the Stars silver icon and scarlet red title screen. Spotlights swooped up and down through the crowd, winding them up and bringing the audients to their feet.
Above the noise, fans' screams dominated in a competition to see who could scream their favorite teams names the loudest. In result, almost none of the names could be recognized in the cacophony of cheers. However, the cardboard signs held up in frantic succession weren't as hard to pick out. 'Team Erik' was held up in golden glitter glue against a bright blue sign, and 'Go Westley!' was in a dispute currently with Team Erik. However, both were classily out performed when a discreet group of girls two row in front of them reached behind their backs to pick up giant one-letter boards with snowflakes glued to them that read across, 'WE LOVE YOU JACK!'.
"Please welcome your host, Anastasia Anderson!" The overhead announcement voiced in a male narrative.
Anastasia walked on stage, her smile anything but for-the-cameras as she waved to the audience with an informality to it that only professional hosts like her could master. The spotlights rested on the ceiling, and the room lit up with basic golden lighting, refracting on the pin in her red hued, brown hair.
"Hi everybody! Hello! Welcome. Welcome back to Singing with the Stars!" She announced, her pale-olive green eyes shining with delight. "Tonight we say goodbye to one of our couples as they will be leaving us. That's right, it's elimination night!"
Anastasia smiled wide and genuine at the cameras. "Our contestants perform as one in our opening act tonight. Singing 'Counting Stars' by OneRepublic, let's give it up for this year's stars!"
The audience's roars receded to the background as the overhead lights faded to black, the stage lighting a faint gold and night-blue. The back screen showed animations of a night sky, the spots of stars burning a brilliant white.
The white spotlight showed down on a silhouetted shape standing on the left stage stairs, tall with a silk dress falling low to her ankles.
"Lately I been, I been losing sleep. Dreaming about the things that we could be."Aurora sang, her hair long with styled curls. Shadows played over the shape of her face, the light in her eyes dancing.
"But baby, I've been, I've been prayin' hard. Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars." Phillip followed up, his black vest and light grey suite catching the light. Aurora turned to him as he walked down the stairs to take her hands in his. The two singers joined voices, both taking a high, sliding pitch that blended in harmony.
"Yeah, we'll be counting ...sta~rs."
The other contestants moved in choreographic tandem, all running to the stage and standing in their groups. The stage lighting spun in dizzying motions, centering on singers during their solos and panning over the stage when not focused on one person. The backdrop screen image shifted from a starry night sky to shooting stars. Choreographed Jack jogged along the rim of the stage closest to the audience, getting them to clap with him to the beat. It worked.
"I see this life, like a swinging vine-" Rapunzel sang in her mike to the clapping of the audience as she stood center stage, her purple dress soft and complimenting her long golden hair than ran down below her waistline.
"-Swing my heart across the line. In my face is flashing signs-" Eugene countered, sweeping her off her feet in a ball-room dip, her hair fanning out behind her in a rippling wave of gold. He pulled her back up and they both sang, "-Seek it out and ye shall find."
"Old, but I'm not that old..." Jack sang, his voice low with his signature smirk as he crouched low at the rim of the stage with his hand out to the fans. "Young, but I'm not that bold, and I don't think the world is sold. I'm just doing what we're told."
"I feel something so right, by doing the wrong thing." Elsa sang high, her voice clear and expertly wavy on the vibrato. "And I feel something so wrong, by doing the right thing."
"I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie." Mulan and Li Sheng sang with a sharp, eccentric harmony that threw people off, at the same time drawing them in. Li Sheng continued, "Everything that kills me makes me feel alive."
Everyone joined in at the chorus. Their voices a mesh of pitch and glamour, that only through rehearsal managed to be brought together.
Lately I been,
I been losing sleep.
(hey!)
Dreaming about the things
that we could be.
But baby, I been,
I been prayin' hard.
(hey!)
Said no more counting dollars,
We'll be counting stars!
Lately I been,
I been losing sleep.
(hey!)
Dreaming about the things
that we could be.
But baby, I been,
I been prayin' hard.
(hey!)
Said no more counting dollars,
We'll be, we'll be counting stars!
"I feel the love, and I feel it burn. Down this river every turn." John sang in his rough baritone.
Esmeralda following shortly after in her jazzy and sensual singing voice. "Hope is our four letter word. Make that money, watch it burn."
Gaston sang the next bit of verse, his bold and base-rooted range hard to tame. His smile was ear-splitting and masculine. "Old, but I'm not that old."
"Young, but I'm not that bold." Drizella didn't harmonize with Gaston, but clearly went her own way, her independent personality clearly clashing with her partner's. "And I don't think the world is sold. I'm just doing what we're told."
"And I feel something so wrong, by doing the right thing." Buttercup sang delicately, but with confidence...keeping her eyes on Westley, who joined her in the next line. Their voices grew in crescendo.
"I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie."
"Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly!" Jack let loose on his solo, which instead of being a declining scale in the song, it was a climb. Jack hit the high note on the last word in the set, bringing the crowd to a roaring high with his powerhouse range.
All the contestants stepped down from stage stairs, platforms, and columns to stand in a line facing the audience as they sang the final chorus.
Lately I been,
I been losing sleep.
(hey!)
Dreaming about the things
that we could be.
But baby, I been,
I been prayin' hard.
Said no more counting dollars,
We'll be counting stars.
Lately I been,
I been losing sleep.
(hey!)
Dreaming about the things
that we could be.
But baby, I been,
I been prayin' hard.
(hey!)
"Said no more counting dollars. We'll be, we'll be counting stars." Jasmine and Eric provided the last chord and it resonated long across the audience, the stage crackling with sparks from above, showering hot pinpoints of light down on the back of the stage, away from the performers. The stream of sparks bouncing once off the ground before fading.
The audience roared as the song ended, the volume escalating higher when their favorite contestants waved at them. The overhead lights turned on once more, the stage bare of theatrics and color other than the polished onyx-color flooring and the Singing with the Stars logo floating on the big screen behind the sixteen contestants.
"Tonight's the night!" Anastasia walked on stage, her presence commanding attention from the cameras as the show's host. "Your votes have been counted, America. The last two teams on the list will be in jeopardy, and will have to face each other in a sing-off battle, where the judges will decide their fate."
The camera transitioned to the three judges: Phil, Lumière, and Ariel.
"Before we break for commercials, it's time to find out whether one of our couples is safe, or in jeopardy of leaving us tonight."
This was met with a cacophony of sad drawls and encouraging calls from the audience.
Anastasia walked to the line of singers and stars, stopping in front of one couple, whom began to look nervous. "Rapunzel, Eugene. Last night you sang 'Stop and Stare' by OneRepublic. Ariel said that 'You capitalized a sense of emotion'. Lumière said you two were like 'candle light on water', gentle and sweet, but not enough power to wow the audience. Phil agreed and said it was a 'safe' decision, but not a rewarding one. He advised you to 'jump out of your comfort zone'. Was your performance enough for America though?"
Anastasia took out the envelope and opened it, reading the contents and pausing for dramatic effect. Rapunzel gulped and Eugene licked his dry lips, his throat dry from the anxiety.
"America has decided... and you are safe."
Rapunzel sagged in relief, Eugene relaxing once more, arm around Rapunzel to keep her steady as he swiped his forehead of sweat, smiling.
"After the commercial break, Sebastian Crabb takes the stage with a song from his new album 'Underwater', don't go away!" Anastasia smiled at the cameras.
Commercial:
Yoo-hoo~ Try Oaken Post's sun balm of my own invention! Get a flask of lüken fish for free if you call now!
Commercial:
*Aurora Queen poses with a rose over her chest, her lips red as the petals.* "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe she's Maybelline."
Commercial:
Peddler-"Welcome to Agrabah! Department store of mystery, of enchantment, and the finest merchandise this side of the river Jordan, on sale today, come on down! We've got coffee makers, Tupperware, and magic lava lamps 50% off! Come see us today!"
Trailer:
Soon to come in Theaters near you, Eugene Fitzherbert stars in 'Die Hard and in Love', Directed by Hollywood's most successful director since 'Honey, I Killed the Kids'; Hades Hill. ...Will Flynn Rider have what it takes to save the day and get the girl? Find out on June 18th.
Thank god that's over. Jack sighed as he fell face forward on the couch in his shared hotel room that late evening. It was tough to say goodbye to Li Sheng and Mulan though. I didn't really get to know them that well.
"You did great." Phillip nonchalantly commented as he made a bee-line to the kitchen fridge.
"We don't have ice-cream." Jack reminded him without having to look.
"What?!" Phillip exclaimed as he closed the freezer door shut. "Well I know what my evening consists of. Wanna go with me to get some food?"
"You should ask Aurora." Jack suggested, taking his shoes off so he could effectively chill on the furniture. He had plenty to think about. "I'm too tired to be much entertainment currently."
"Good idea." Phillip grabbed his red leather jacket and stormed out of the room.
Jack laid his bare feet on the couch arm, his back unwinding slowly from the day's long events. He stared up at the white ceiling spattered with texture.
"Will I ask her tomorrow?" He muttered aloud to himself. "She was so scared of being eliminated today, more than I was. Why?"
What is she hiding? What is she so afraid of?
Jack Frost walked into the music room the next morning expecting to find an annoyed and pretty coach Ice Queen waiting with a tap of her foot, but was surprised to see nothing of the sort.
In fact, he was the first one there. The piano and guitar sitting lonely on one side of the wooden floor, and the music notes and song choices in a table on the other.
Jack's eyes went to the clock. Elsa was late. That...was unusual.
The snowboarder looked over the room again, feeling slightly bored and useless. What was he to do by himself? His eyes landed on the blue guitar...Ibanez acoustic-electric with built-in tuner on the side and clean, polished, wood exterior.
"What am I thinking?" Jack muttered to himself as he allowed his hand to graze over the neck of the beautiful instrument, the strings almost beaconing for him to use them, to feel music rush through him like before during those three months of constant guitar lessons back in middle school.
His fingers slid up from the neck across the smooth surface to pluck on the low E string, the thick string vibrating at the touch and echoing across the room. The room had nearly perfect audio, the sound coming back rich and full.
Except it was off. The note was sharp, too high for what the note should be tuned to. It bothered him that such a pretty tool would stand here out of tune and unused. Jack moved the stool of the piano roughly across the floor, the wood legs of the seat squeaking over the hardwood tiling, and set himself down before picking up the lovely instrument by the neck.
"I must be insane." Jack resigned himself to the whimsical tug of the beautiful instrument. The weight in his lap was familiar, like greeting an old friend. Looking at the curved side facing him, Jack saw the tuning system...not that he needed it. Relaxing his right arm across the round end of the polished blue body, Jack place his left hand over the frets as he strummed the lower strings, turning the nobs at the head to loosen or tighten the strings to the right tune.
Before he knew it, he was flexing his hand and testing the strings with a G scale practice run.
Better. Jack nodded, before starting up his old songs, humming along and cursing at how rusty he'd gotten with his transition between bar chords. Noticing a capo in the corner of the room lying abandoned on the floor, Jack picked it up and fingered it a bit before applying it to the second fret. The effect was instant, and turned all low pitched notes to a more comfortable range.
Plucking a familiar set of notes, Jack settled into the intro to one of his favorite songs. C, D, E minor, Dsusp4, G...
Strumming the chords in a soft and slow rhythm, Jack closed his eyes and let the sounds roll over him as he spoke the words to the song to match up with the soft and rhythmic beat.
You only need the light when it's burning low.
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow.
Only know you love her when you let her go.
Jack sang breathy on the intake but ended the notes softly. The song was a sad one, but Jack had always found the music very beautiful in its simplicity and the way it could strike listeners deeply and emotionally...like it did for him.
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low.
Only hate the road when you're missin' home.
Only know you love her when you let her go,
And you let her go.
It had only been three months to Jack, but truthfully he had always had a talent for guitar as much as he did for winter sports. His father had always joked with him about being a 'Jack of all trades', but he figured that if he had chosen music instead of sports, he'd have gained just as much success as Snowboarding had got him. Back in middle school, he would practice in his room, his little sister always listening and idolizing her big brother.
You see her when you close your eyes.
Maybe one day you'll understand why,
Everything you touch surely dies.
Little did Jack know that he had an audience. Another melody seamlessly joined in, matching the beat of the song.
"Don't let them in, don't let them see.
Be the good girl you always have to be.
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know..."
Jack stood up and turned to meet crystal blue eyes, staring at him with that expression that he couldn't quite read. Elsa paused a moment, as she stood by the door, her hands held in front of herself delicately. Jack's hand continued strumming of its own accord, as his surprise melted into a smile.
"Well, now they know."
Those lyrics …that was her single, wasn't it? It matched so well with 'Let Her Go' from Passenger, the song Jack had loved to play more than any other. She smiled and he continued the rhythm of his flexing fingers, delighted in the mash-up and spontaneity of the moment.
"Let it go, let it go-"
You only need the light when it's burning low.
"Let it go, let it go..."
You only miss the sun when it starts to snow.
Elsa's voice was softer, sweeter than her original recording of her single. Jack's voice hummed a low harmony parallel with Elsa's tune...the two sets of notes complimentary as they danced like snow flurries through the room. As she sang Elsa walked in, the two of them getting closer and closer together.
"Cause here I stand, and here I'll stay."
You only know you love her when you let her go.
"The cold never bothered me anyway."
Let it go, let her go.
They ended it together, the magnetizing moment stretching in the silence filled with the fading resonation of the last plucked string.
Jack searched Elsa's eyes in the silence, as they both stared longer than necessary. Sky sapphire mixing with an icy, glacier cerulean. All the questions he was meaning to ask melted away to nothing. He let the guitar slide from his arm to the floor.
Then Jack stepped forward and kissed her.
