A Celtic Entrance

Everyone was sitting in chairs around the center of the main courtyard, where there was arranged a small stage. For an instant Saïx couldn't imagine there would be so many people studying music gathered in a single place.

"Did you noticed how nice Xigbar is being with us these days? Not saying a single of his annoying 'as if', or those long stares from his yellow... Hey, Saïx, are you even listening to me?"

"No Axel, sorry, but I never listen to you. I was just wondering... Where is Master Ansem?..."

And just as Saïx finished to say that, Ansem, Mickey and the girl in the pink dress came closer to the stage, accompanied by none than Master Yen Sid.

"Please everyone, listen. We are about the begin the Twilight Contest. A contest where three academies show the knowledge and skill of their apprentices" said Ansem.

"We are glad that everyone is doing all they can to present us with the best of what they learned through this year" completed Mickey.

The girl in pink dress just smiled softly and passed the word to Master Yen Sid.

"I'm here to announce that I'll be the only judge in this contest. At every round, I'll give a score to each academy, from 0 to 50, and the academy that gets the highest amount of points at the end of the final round, will be declared the winner. I hereby now declare the official beginning of the Twilight Contest!"

Everyone started to applaud when the remaining standing people found their seats. Master Yen Sid went to the top of the balcony, where he sat on a blue chair.

"Please, the first round now is open. I call to the stage the Fantasy Academy's students" said Master Yen Sid, from above the crowd.

This time, in the stage, climbed a small girl in a orange dress, carrying a small drumming instrument. A blond bulky guy, wearing a white shirt and glasses on his hair came with a keyboard, together with more two blonds, one with a slightly tanned skin and other one, wearing black clothes and with intense blue eyes. The first one was carrying a flute and drums and the second, a small type of harp.

They organized themselves pretty fast comparing to the first round and started playing sooner than everyone thought. It was a quick paced song, filled with a calming energy, painting the air with a green color, reminiscing of old woods.

"Remember what Master Ansem said? About the heart of the music and the energy of the song?" asked Saïx, stunned by his opponents' performance.

"I know what you are feeling... I think it is just too good to be just a feeling... It makes me want to dance..." replied Axel, incapable of doing any type of thought.

They just talked in the first thirty seconds of the song, after it, nobody reproduced any sound.

What they saw was a group of distinct friends, putting all their differences apart, and showing a song that could unite them and resonate into a beautiful melody.

"Made of wood and grass... That's what I feel... It touches something in me that I didn't knew it was there..." explained Saïx, after the song ended.

Everyone applauded fiercely for what seemed a very short moment, while the students just left the stage, without any expression or happiness; a fact that bothered Axel and made Zexion, waiting in line to climb the stage, to feel even less confident.


ps: there isn't any clue to the song played here, just the title. But, I'm planning to put a "playlist" of the songs I intended the characters to play on each chapter specifically, but just this time the song featured on this chapter is one made by Adrian von Ziegler, called "Celtic Lore". I don't know if with the instruments the students were using they could really reproduce this song, but I imagine they could '-'. Adrian composed and owns the song and I'm not using it to gain any sort of money or nothing (it is just a fic, so thanks for reading :)