Draconai: Yes, that is the actual name of this chapter. That's not me joking around with you. I seriously hope this is the longest chapter title I end up writing.
{thinks a moment} There is no way I'm going to clear this thing in 40 chapters. MULCH.
Oh, yeah, don't be fooled by the length (or lack thereof) of the scrollbar, alright? The opera itself barely makes 4000 words.
Characters, weapons, origins © Square Enix and Disney. Monsters, setting, and encyclopedia © Akihisa Ikeda.
Chapter 36: Maria and Draco - Yokai Abridged Script
"Sonova sonova sonova sonova sonova sonova sonova..."
Roxas got one glance at the crowd and froze. Being a yoko, he didn't stay frozen for long, and he was now pacing nervously behind the curtains. His armour kept clanking. His dark Keyblade was in his hand, clattering against the ground.
"Asura damn it, Roxas, stand still!" Naminé scolded.
Kaigara came to a stop. His Keyblade maintained the momentum and started spinning in his hand.
Naminé literally palmed her face.
"Places!" the impressario called. Roxas rushed to his place at stage left. Riku was at stage right, trying to calm the chocobo that was to be his steed for the next few hours. How the hell they had got live chocobos for an opera, no one was sure, but they could definitely smell wolf on Riku as he tried to calm his steed down long enough to get Soul Eater in his right hand without a dead chocobo in his left.
"Curtains in five, four, three, two-!"
The music kicked in, all dramatic beats as the curtains rose; then it broke into a beautiful flowing tune as the soldiers took their position. Riku made sure he was armed, and Roxas picked up a prop blade, before stepping to the front of their armies as a light, quick tune preceded the impressario coming to the front of the stage.
Then the harp broke out.
"The War between the East and the West
Was growing more violent by the day.
Draco, a soldier from the West,
Thinks of his love, Maria
Back at home..."
That was Riku's cue. "Charge!" he called as the orchestra came back fast.
"Do not let them near the castle!" Roxas shouted in his opera voice. The warriors shot forward. Every blade in their hands was real, but Naminé had drilled each and every swordsman in the cast with a real battle - the blades wouldn't so much as touch any skin.
Riku shot by on his chocobo, rearing it into a U-turn around Roxas. He swept Soul Eater at the yoko, but Kaigara caught it on his sword - and with but a mere thought, a thousand shining white fire sparks shot from their blades as Riku pulled away. "Blaze archers, fire!"
Roxas lit the arrowheads as four flaming arrows launched at him, one by one. He lashed one to the ground, sent one flying to his left, and knocked the other to the front of the stage; then the fourth caught in his armour, and he fell still.
His sword clattered to the ground, though he dared not fade it.
A look of pain rose on Roxas' face as he turned to the crowd - and the flames engulfed his body as his knees buckled, tearing a gasp from the crowd.
"O~h Maria~!
O~h Maria~!"
He clutched the arrow in his chest, and flames raced up it, burning the arrow to ashed in a moment.
"My belo~ve~d, do you he~ar?
My words whi~spe~r'd in your e~ar?"
The yoko extended his hand skyward - and the flames blazed high above him, crafting the image of a woman above him, reaching for his hand.
"As though I we~re..."
His hand closed around that of the woman.
"B~y yo~ur si~de..."
His eyes closed, and he fell to one knee as the image above him dispersed; the flames around him remained as he fell to the ground, his hand falling limp from his chest.
Riku brought his chocobo high above Roxas, watching as he continued to burn. Then he swept Soul Eater over his steed's head.
"Onward! Princess Maria awaits us!"
+x+x+x+
Drums were heavy as Riku brought his chocobo to a stop at the side of the stage, leaping down and kicking open the false door. Floe was standing at the other end of the stage, in the throne room scene, and as the brass and strings came in, Riku began to dance towards her. Wordless seduction - everyone had agreed it would be best befitting the music as he continued to dance to the music, moving in ways no prince should - and certainly not in those clothes.
He was against the pillar to the left.
He was atop the balcony to the right.
Then he was before Floe menacingly, bowing with his hand over his chest.
All in the span of three seconds.
The crowd gasped as he closed his fingers around Floe's, a grin on his face as he reached to kiss her hand. She pulled away, horrified, shocked at the motion.
Riku rose tall and raised a hand, snapping his fingers. One of the soldiers threw him a tattered shirt, charred at the edges and stained with blood, and with fast movements Riku snatched it from him and raised it before Maria.
Upon it was the Western insignia.
Floe set a hand on her chest in shock as the lights faded red, contrasting brilliantly with Riku's silver hair as the wind instruments began to play. He stood tall, raising a hand for Floe to take; and with his right hand against his leg, Soul Eater went unnoticed to the crowd until he raised it next to his eyes.
The choice was clear - I shall have your hand, or your head.
Floe lowered her head. She was definitely professional at this - tears flowed down her face as she reached out with one hand for Riku to take.
He caught it quickly and pulled her forward, setting his lips upon her hand as the crowd cried out.
+x+x+x+
"His army is fallen
His kingdom, lost
But what has happened to Draco
As his castle was taken?"
Roxas stumbled onto the stage. His armour was in pieces upon him as he stumbled into what appeared to be woods. The garments were torn from his chest, and his body was covered in blood as he fell to the stage. Naminé, waiting in the wings, was blushing red under her facial paint at the sight of the yoko's muscled torso - the faerie dancers leapt into view, the claws upon their feet clattering as they danced. The music was fast as they approached the fallen knight.
"What is this?
What is this?
For the wounds, they are bliss
They have brought him
To the forest
In which men cannot resist"
The dancers began to touch him, setting their hands upon the scars across his arms and legs. One turned him upright as the remaining dancers continued to circle him.
"We are free!
We are safe!
And now he shall be the same
He shall bathe in
Sacred waters
Until war is not his name"
Naminé was glad for the pink that covered her face - the more she watched, the hotter her face became. The faeries began to pick up Roxas, pulling him off the ground.
"For the woods
For the trees
They are home to us and we
We are faeries
From the forest
For the land of heaven be"
It had taken a lot of careful preparations to design the forest props - all the pieces were interconnected by a wooden surface, and as the faeries carried Roxas, still dancing, Naminé, lying against a massive, beautiful tree, was dragged into view.
"Our home!
Our life!
Our love is as we say!
When the warriors
They come here
Well they always always sta~y"
The music had slowed down with the last line. The next verse had been a bit tricky - deciding on 'priestess' rather than 'queen' had required a lyrical change - but the faeries pulled it off beautifully, not even missing a beat as the continued to sing;
"Priestess please!
Priestess please!
See this soldier in his blood
He is weakened
On the battlefield
He's little more than mud
You decree?
You decree?
What is it you have us do?
Should we take him
To the waters
Or do we leave that to you?
Is he good?
Is he nice?
Does his pretty pretty face
Hide his heart
A-black with darkness
Or is it as white as lace?
Is he worth
Saving now?
Should we put him in the earth?
He might be nice
On the surface
But what is he really wo~rth?"
Naminé rose, the chain under her fur filled with magic as she lifted from the tree, sparks flying from her as the crowd gasped. Those gasps turned to cheers as she raised her hands above her and pulled a beautiful arcing flip before landing with a bow, legs crossed, at Roxas' helm. She arced into a full spin before facing Roxas, and with her careful hands she pulled the helmet from his head, revealing his face.
Her fingers drifted for a moment too long on his face before she began to sing, a smile on her face.
"His face is alight with the shado~ws..."
Naminé began to descend, the faeries bringing Roxas down as she did.
"Only those on the fi~eld of wa~r..."
She arrived at the floor of the stage, and her dancers set Roxas down so his head was nestled in his lap.
"His inten~tion~s are noble
And his he~a~rt is pure..."
She pulled his hair to the side, and she could have sworn she saw his lips twitch.
"In the forest springs he will be
One to~ a~do~re..."
Her gaze rose to the faeries.
"Let him soak in the springs!" she called. "Wash the blood from his body, and his true purity shall be revealed!"
Then the fast music picked up again.
"She has chose!
She has chose!
She will let him live a day
It won't take him
Any longer
Until he will choose to stay
To the springs!
To the springs!
Get it off the dirt and grime
Then he's pretty
And he's fancy
So that she might have it rrri~ght!"
The music faded as the lights went dark.
When they picked up again, the props had been moved once more. Clean water was drifting over Roxas' body as they pulled the armour from him, casting it into the bushes, and washed the blood from his body. Naminé was in the air again, floating with beautiful movements before turning in the air and descending nearby. Past actors had used wire and rigs, or simply walked onto the scene - not her. Her actions were completely unaided, completely unhindered, and pure with arcana. In small groups, the dancers turned towards her.
"Priestess!"
"Priestess!"
"Priestess!"
"Priestess!"
As one, they called out; "He is clean!"
Roxas began to shift in the water, his head drifting from side to side as Naminé knelt next to him.
"O~h... Maria~..."
Naminé set a hand on his face. "Ssshhhh... You are safe, brave knight. These woods are a haven. There is nothing to harm you here."
Roxas opened his eyes. In a shock, he pulled from the water, standing tall over her with his chest full of air as he spoke.
"Who~ you~ be~?
Witch of the forest and the se~a?"
Naminé now got to her feet, standing eye-to-eye with Roxas.
"You need fe~ar
No thing he~re
I am ruler of this forest
This here haven it is mi~ne
You arrived wounded for us
We have cleared the blood and gri~me..."
Roxas glanced around him, disbelieving of his surroundings.
"Why...
Why, I must have fallen
Further than I beli~eved..."
He turned to face Naminé again.,
"For I've now reached the heavens
And you must be their que~en..."
Given Draco was newly arrived to the faeries' forest, they had decided to let that go. Rewriting that rhyme would have been a pain.
"We are faeries, brave warrior," Naminé assured him, setting a hand on her shoulder. "I have chosen to heal your wounds, so that you may live with us, in peace, free from the pains of war."
+x+x+x+
When the scene resumed, it was a treehollow that was their surroundings. Roxas stood, in proper garments, searching the area for something as Naminé stepped inside.
"He~ro~, is there something you've lo~st?"
Roxas turned in a shock, bowing his head before her.
"My apologi~es, prieste~ss
But I'm afraid I must go~
My belo~ve~d
She awa~its in the ar~ms
Of my fo~e..."
Naminé pulled away in shock, lowering her gaze.
"So it i~s the~n, another holds your he~art..."
She turned away, raising a hand above her. Light gathered in the air, shocking the crowd, and slowly, the light turned dark as Roxas willed his black Keyblade to appear in her hands. She balanced it in hand before turning, setting the shaft across her palms. What followed was a custom piece - Naminé had spent half the night making sure it didn't sounds stupid in opera. A sad reprise of Draco's first song was no large favour to ask of the orchestra.
"This bla~de, it is yo~urs
On this jour~ney of wa~rs
When I cra~fte~d, it was bri~ght
But my sor~ro~w took its li~ght
Let its shado~w ke~ep yo~u sa~fe..."
Roxas accepted the Key, raising it over his helm as Naminé stepped back. Her chain arm was facing the audience; a stunning flare of arcana surged from it, suspending in the air for fifteen seconds - plenty of time for Naminé to retreat to the wings.
"I thank you, priestess, for this favour..."
And it was then that the lights dimmed once more.
+x+x+x+
"With the Western armies defeated
Maria's castle fell into the hands of the east
Forced to wed the Eastern Prince Ralse
Maria still thinks only of Draco
As she gazes at the stars each night..."
The song was a beautiful harp piece as Floe stepped out from under the arch. The two-layered castle structure had been a difficult place to create - the old one had fallen apart after years of misuse in Bartz and Galuf's custom performances. Slowly, Floe arrived at the edge, setting one hand against the pillar as she gazed skyward.
Her magic blotted out the sight of the crowd to recreate the scene she played out - she saw only a fallen kingdom, and a starry sky.
"O~h my~ he~ro~
My belo~ve~d
Must we sti~ll be ma~de to~ pa~rt?
Though pro~mises o~f
Peren~nial lo~ve
Yet si~ng he~re in my he~a~rt?"
She began to step along the balcony, her hand against the stone wall.
"I~'m the~ da~rkne~ss
You're the sta~r li~ght
Shining bri~ghtly fro~m a~fa~r
Through ho~urs of despa~ir
I o~ffer this pra~yer
To yo~u my~ evening sta~a~r"
She stepped into the spiral staircase, but her voice remained as proud as ever.
"Must my fi~na~l
Vows excha~nge~d
Be with hi~m and no~t wi~th yo~u?
Were yo~u only he~re
To qui~et my fe~ar
Oh spe~ak, gui~de me ane~w..."
Floe arrived on the roof, her voice fading, and she turned to ascend further - but there he was. A tall, proud hero, armoured as a knight should be. Only his helmet was cast away, to reveal his face - a gentle, war-hardened face that knew only love and hate, not a thing in between.
His hair flowed upon his helm, shining beautifully, reflecting the moonlight like a silver mirror.
"Dance with me, Maria!"
He took her hands, and she took his, and the two began to dance atop the roof, turning and spinning to the music, and in her sorrow she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. His body was warm, hot even; his specter practically ablaze.
Ablaze...
At that thought, the spell was broken. She was atop a wooden structure, painted to resemble a castle, and she was dancing with Roxas. His body was far too hot to be human - Naminé had been lying not when she called him a yoko. And if the flames on the stage, leaving not a scar on the wood as they engulfed arrow and man, had not proven him to be the flaming fox she claimed him to be, now he gave a gentle laugh as his body cracked like ice, fading to a clear, fiery orange, and he fell apart each fragment blazing as it connected with the floor.
Leaving not but a bouquet of roses.
She knelt down and picked up the flowers. Her eyes closed, and she sniffed the flowers to regain her composure. When her visuals opened again, the spell had been restored - she was upon the castle roof, the starlight shining above her as she made her way to the highest balcony.
"I am tha~nkfu~l
My belo~ve~d
For your te~nderne~ss and gra~ce
I se~e in your e~yes
So ge~ntle and wi~se
All dou~bts and fe~ars era~se~d
Though the ho~u~rs
Take no no~ti~ce
Of what fate... might ha~ve i~n sto~re
Our love... come what may...
Will never age a day..."
Tears began to flow down her face as she held the flowers close.
"I'll wait... forevermore..."
The tears were real as she brought the flowers back and cast them off. The spell was truly broken now, and she heard the crowd cheer as the flowers flew over them, the memories flowing through her mind all too soon.
The roses landed in the lap of a little boy who seemed to have fallen asleep.
+x+x+x+
"Damn, that was scary."
Roxas had been in the stage wings the whole time, still armoured. These full-energy mimicries were really hard to maintain without a lot of adrenaline - he was scared the false was going to fall apart early, or catch the whole structure on fire.
Riku scratched the back of his head as the chancellor stepped up to Floe.
"Prince Ralse is looking for his dance partner," he prompted. "Please, leave the past behind! Our kingdom belongs to the east, now..."
"Let me get this straight," Riku muttered. "You can make another you, with a physical body and a real voice, out of pure flame and willpower?"
Roxas thought for a moment. "It sounds kind of... Fantasia when you say it like that," he admitted, glancing at Naminé, "but... yeah, pretty much."
"Holy shit."
+x+x+x+
The wordless 'Draco-to-the-dance' scene passed without a hitch - although Roxas felt like the girl playing one of the concubines-turned-ladies-of-war was flirting on him. Now the waltz was playing, and with Eastern noblemen hand in hand with their concubines, Riku and Floe danced upon the high floor, arcing in fluid movements to the music.
Waiting for the soldier to barge in with a warning cry, he knelt in next to Floe and whispered into her ear, "Those aren't actor tears on your face."
Floe glanced away, turning to the music. "How can you tell?" she whispered back.
"I can see true sorrow in your eyes," Riku mused. "Crocodile tears fall on the windows to the soul. They don't come from their depths."
A saddened gasp passed through Floe's lips. "I..."
Leave it to Riku to start a conversation in the middle of a performance. The soldier barged in, his tunic stained with blood, and called out, "The Eastern survivors attack!"
"Impossible!" Riku shouted, stepping forward. "Do they wish us to end their lives in war?"
"War is not for the women!" The cry preceded one of the faerie warriors stepping behind the solider, throwing him forward as she raised a hand full of claws.
A lady of war leapt into the fray, slashing one of the concubines' throats. "Sabatoge is for the women!" she cried.
The music began to pick up as Eastern soldiers charged in, and Draco's ragtag army of faeries, soldiers, and abused concubines clashed against them. Riku turned to Floe. "We'll talk later," he whispered. "We've got an opera to finish first."
"WAAAAAIT!"
A chocobo's cry sounded Roxas charging in, his steed skidding against the ballroom floor. It stopped at the edge, wavered forward for a moment, then reared back and gave a triumphant "Waaark!" as Roxas leapt down.
"Ma~ri~a~!"
Floe's tears flowed once more - but these were tears of joy.
"O~h Dra~co~!
I knew you would
Come for me, my lo~ve!"
Riku stepped forward angrily, his footstep sounding thunder in the theatre, and his glare lit up brilliantly as crossed his arms before him.
"Insolent ro~uge!
Knave of the Western ho~rde!
You would addres~s my~ que~en to~ be~ Ma~ri~a~?"
Roxas glanced at Floe with a smile on his face before setting his glare on Riku, hand over heart, eye to eye.
"Never sha~ll
You have Maria's ha~nd!
I would die befo~re tha~t da~y co~mes!"
The lights went out as the orchestra went silent. The crowd started to murmur before the necrous voltage of Riku's Soul Eater arriving in hand sounded. The spotlight flared for a moment, revealing Riku standing there, holding before him a dragon wingblade that had decidedly not been on his person before; then it faded again.
A flare of shadows against darkness shone through the air; then the lights flared back on to see Riku, suspended in the air, with Soul Eater crossed against Roxas' dark Keyblade, a thousand sparks of white fire shearing through the air between their weapons.
"Then it's a du~el!"
He pulled away, and Roxas skidded back, rising lines of fire across the stage.
When Riku hit the ground, a surge of darkness pulsed from his feet as he whirled Soul Eater back, once, then forth, once, twice, then back again, one, two, three, four, five times. He lashed it down, and the blade arced around him twice before he arced into a spin, snatching it out of the air and bracing it next to his eyes.
Roxas whirled his blade at his right, then across to his left, then back to his right, then he whirled it over his head before bracing it in both hands at his side.
There was silence for a moment.
Then the two lashed forward, and just their weapons connecting sent sparks flying through the air as the orchestra broke out in fast-paced duel music. The two pulled away, striking out to the music - and it wasn't a false duel, as the other actors had done a thousand times.
This was a right-out duel to the death.
The lights went out when the orchestra fell silent; and there was a scream of blade on blade, and a flare of shadows against darkness. The lights rose again as Soul Eater whirled through the air, Roxas with his hand empty at his side.
Riku's dragon wingblade impaled the stage before him as he fell to the ground, a sad orchestration echoing through the theatre.
"I yield, this day is yours, Dra~co~!"
With one hand he supported himself off the ground; with the other he clenched his heart.
"Curse you should you let Maria go~!"
Roxas reached forward and pulled Soul Eater from the ground, running a finger along the edge.
"Peace, then, for you have my wo~rd..."
He raised the blade over his helm.
"With me she'll kno~w no~thing but peace~!"
The sword ignited, blazing like a thousand fallen blades.
The orchestra was absolutely loving this, putting their heart into every note as the orchestration flared up. Riku fell back, one hand one his heart, the other reaching for Floe upon the high stage.
"Ma~ri~a!
Ma~ri~a!
I~ lo~ve yo~u so~!"
Roxas parted his fingers; the blade was gone as the flames faded, and he lowered his hand for Floe to take as he and Riku sang at once; the yoko's voice rising with every note, the werewolf's falling, reaching a beautiful synchronicity.
"Ma~ri~a!
Ma~ri~a!
Re~tur~n to~ me~!"
There was a long moment of silence before Riku fell limp; flames wrapped across his body, arcing across him but harming him not; and only for ten seconds before Riku was gone, without a trace, leaving only his robes to blaze.
Floe rushed towards Roxas; her arms locking around him desperately, and his around hers to comfort her, as Maria's aria was reprised upon the orchestra.
"I am thankful...
My beloved...
For your tenderness... for your grace
I see... in your eyes...
So gentle... so wise...
All doubts... all fears... erased...
Though the hours...
Take no notice...
Of what fate... might have... in store..."
Roxas ran his fingers through her hair, gently, as he sang out to complete what she could not.
"Our love, come what ma~y...
Will never age a da~y...
I'll wai~t, fo~revermo~re..."
The crowd began to cheer as the music continued, and the two of them called out as one.
"I'll wa~it fo~re~ve~rmo~re~!"
The curtains fell; and no sooner had they brushed the stage than the orchestra went silent, and the crowd went absolutely wild.
+x+x+x+
"That is so not fair."
Naminé was in a decidedly foul mood as they waited backstage for the Impressario to return with the audience opinion. The faerie priestess costume made her already pissed-off glare even more threatening. Floe had managed to get the tear streaks off her face, and she was currently sitting opposite Naminé as she tried to calm the witch down. "Look, the fairy queen - faerie priestess isn't supposed to be a major love interest, alright?" she prompted. "She's just someone who heals Draco because she's impressed with him."
"Not that," Naminé snapped. "I'm talking about you, getting all hot and shiny with Roxas in front of about four thousand people with tears streaking down your face - and don't try and tell me those are actress tears, because your little white magic ain't fooling me - and I don't even get a proper hug."
Floe sighed. The impressario coming prompted her to sit straight, calling, "How's the reviews?"
The impressario set a large stack of papers with a box atop it down with an irritated sigh. "That was the most boring thing I've ever seen since my grade five history class..."
"What!?" Roxas shouted. "But during the practice you-"
It was then that the impressario pulled the box off, revealing a lot of stars in sets of five. "...as said by the sole ten-year-old boy in the seventeenth seat from stage right in the third row. Everyone else: Loved it."
Riku beamed. "Awesome! Let's do that again!"
Roxas facepalmed. "Oh, come on, Riku. Just yesterday you said-"
"Actually, we are scheduled for another one," the impressario stated.
"What?" Roxas turned to him. "Wait, you did say 'noon performance' yesterday. You mean there's another one later today?"
"Starts at seven," the impressario replied.
Naminé sighed irritably, getting to her feet. "I need to get out of this and stretch."
Floe stopped her. "Wait, Kioku!" she called, chasing after her.
Riku grinned. "I take it back," he mused, turning to Roxas. "I guess I am a stage-name suck-up."
"Well..."
Roxas sighed, glaring at the impressario. "Don't tell me you're going to make us improve this again."
"It's not that," the impressario stated. "It's just... the next performance... isn't... exactly... opera."
Riku blinked. "What do you mean... 'not exactly opera'?"
"We've always done two performance," he elaborated. "One 'adult' performance, and then one 'teenage and under' performance. Opera tends to test poorly with anyone under the age of twenty. I was thinking..." He weighed his options.
"Maybe... rock opera?"
Riku's jaw hit the floor - taking the rest of his head with it. "YOU'RE KIDDING ME!" he shouted. "You're gonna ROCK Maria and Draco? Aw, man!"
+x+x+x+
"A rock opera? This is going to be awesome!"
Roxas nodded. Naminé and Floe were still on the other side of the changing screen. "Yeah," the yoko confirmed, "I figured as much."
Naminé sighed. "I'm not getting any bigger roles, am I?" she sighed.
Riku and Roxas exchanged glances.
"Wait, Naminé," Floe prompted, before either of them could speak. "I was thinking... would you like to trade roles?"
Everyone blinked five times. "Seriously?" Naminé prompted. "You'd be willing to switch roles with me?"
Floe sighed. "Look, you and Roxas have got something going on and I'm being an obstacle for that. If letting you be Maria is going to stop you from chaining me up with fire, I haven't got a problem with the fur and latex."
Roxas' face ignited.
Unlike Riku, Floe didn't have to take a glass of water to Naminé's face, but her blush was still pretty deep.
"Um... sure," she murmured as she finished getting back into her everyday dress. "Here, pass me the script, will you?" Floe handed it to her as she stepped out from around the screen, looking for Maria's parts. "This shouldn't be too hard-"
A loud ringing caused everyone to look around, but Roxas just reached into his pocket and drew out his phone, checking the number. A smile rose on his face as he slid 'answer' and raised it to his ear. "Hello."
"So how's the real fire doing?"
Roxas sighed irritably. "Give Shi-oh the phone back, Kairi."
There was a moment of silence; then he realized what he just said.
"Wait, KAIRI?"
Draconai: Damn, two chapters, one day, both of 'em over 4000 words. I rock. Still feels like I'm writing some lame self-insert fic, though. I don't match half the description for Maria's boyfriend.
Um... All songs aside from Opening, Aria di Mezzo Carattere, The Wedding, and Grand Finale? are written by me and I acknowledge they're not nearly as good as the Nobou Uematsu/Yoshinori Kitase work that is those four songs.