I DO NOT own any of the songs in this chapter. NONE!
If you can't tell by the title, there will be lots of singing in this chapter. At the end of it, I will add who sang what, but if you would like to know ahead of time so you could sing along, the list is at the bottom.
Enjoy!
It was a monsoon outside. Rain lashed against the windows of the guild with brutal force, egged on by the howling wind.
Thunder would boom now and then, and lightning would streak across the sky, lighting up the darkened outside.
It was late in the evening, and the guild wasn't as full as it usually was. Most people were able to escape to their homes before the storm really hit. Among those stuck inside the guild to wait out the storm were Lucy, Jellal, Meredy, Wendy, Carla, Levy, Gray, Natsu, Happy, Juvia, Gajeel, Lily, Cana, and all of Strauss siblings.
Gray sighed as another flash of lightning streaked past one of the windows. He was so bored, and it was one of the few times that he didn't feel like starting a fight with Natsu or Gajeel.
Glancing around at the nearly vacant guild, he observed Jellal and Meredy talking at a nearby table; Wendy at another one talking with Carla and Happy in their human forms while Natsu rested his head on the table with a bored expression next to them. He saw Gajeel munching on a slab of iron at one of the other tables while Juvia sat next to him to converse with Lily; he saw Lucy and Levy at the bar talking with Mira, and he saw Cana - for once not drinking - chatting with Lisanna and Elfman with her cards laid out on the bar counter before them.
A loud boom of thunder sounded outside that rattled the windows of the guild, and Gray let out another sigh as he let his head hit the table in front of him.
He wanted to go home, but the typhoon-like weather outside was preventing him from leaving. He didn't fancy getting blown around and slammed into things, thank you.
"Wait, what?"
Gray lifted his head to stare at the bar where the startled outcry came from. Lucy was staring at Mira with a startled expression, with Levy gawking beside her.
Mira herself was beaming widely and was practically radiating sparkles. "We should do it!" she exclaimed happily. "It'll lift the mood in here!"
"What are you talking about, Mira?" Meredy called over since she and everyone else overheard their conversation.
Mira turned her smile on to her. "Why, karaoke, of course!"
Everyone in the hearing vicinity froze at her words. Many tried to excuse why they couldn't, but Mira didn't have it. "I will be upset at those of you who refuse to participate," she chirped, though the growing dark aura around her was the direct opposite of cheerful.
That was how Gray and all the others left in the guild found themselves crowded around the guild's stage. Mira was explaining how everything was going to go. "Alright, I've written all of our names on scraps of paper and put them in here," she said as she lifted a black derby hat. "Whoever's name that gets drawn will tap the music lacrima and sing the song that will startup."
"Wait, we don't get to choose what we will sing?" Lisanna frowned.
Mira smiled. "Nope! It'll be more fun that way!"
Cana, who was next to Gray, let out a snort. "Yeah, but for you or us?" she muttered.
"Alright!" Mira announced eagerly. "The first name is . . ." her voice trailed off as she riffled through the hat with her eyes closed.
Everyone tensed and held their breath.
She finally withdrew one of the scraps of paper and looked at it. Her eyes widened a bit before she grinned. "Well, it looks like I'm going first!"
Many let out sighs of relief, Gray included.
"This will be fun," Mira stated happily as she handed the hat off to Lucy and made her way on stage. She tapped the music lacrima, and a song immediately started up and filled the silent guild with beautiful noise. Mira's eyes dilated in amazement before she beamed. The Takeover Mage took a breath before she began to sing.
"Oh love me mister, oh mister
jirasa reru hodo setsunai
futari dake no
abunai game!
"Love is War!
Love is War!
Love is War!"
Gray grinned slightly as he listened to Mira sing. "Of course, the song she gets is about love," he muttered to himself.
Cana snickered.
"Odora sete
doramatikku wa
kore kara.
"Iji waruna
koi no yokan shibireru.
"Fureta, yubi no saki ga
unmei wo machiwabite iru
anata ni iwasetai
kokoro no kabe wo.
"Yaburu ai no kokuhaku!"
Meredy cheered. "Go, Mira!"
"Oh love me mister, oh mister
yume janai nara kikasete
nee mister, mou mister.
"Anata no itoshii koe de
omoi wa mou
tomaranai.
"Ii sou subete
ubai satte
futari dake no
abunai game.
"Love is War!
Love is War!
Love is War!"
Mira winked at everyone. "Love is war, love is war, love is war!" she finished, to the audience's applause.
Gray's grin grew as he clapped along with the others.
I guess this won't be too bad.
~wWw~
Meredy's smile refused to leave as she continued to clap while Mira got down from the stage. The Maguilty Mage was among the few who didn't mind doing karaoke and thought that Mira's song was the perfect start.
"But of course, the love-obsessed woman would get a song about love," Lucy muttered, a small smile on her face.
Jellal chuckled. "It was fitting."
Mira approached them and took the black hat from Lucy. "Alright, Minna!" she announced over the conversations that had broken out. "Now it's time for the next person."
Meredy saw Jellal tense slightly next to her and had to hide her grin. She knew that Jellal preferred to sing to only Lucy, her, Wendy, and Carla, and that was when he deigned to sing at all. He had an excellent voice, though, and Meredy was looking forward to everyone else finding out too.
Judging by the smile on Lucy's face as she glanced slyly at her boyfriend, Meredy knew Lucy felt the same way.
Mirajane was pulling out a slip of paper from the hat. "Okay! The next person to go is . . . " she read the name. "Gray!"
Natsu and Gajeel burst out laughing as the aforementioned young man groaned and banged his head on the table in front of him, much to everyone's amusement. "Do I have to?" his voice was muffled.
The smile never left Mira's face. "No," she admitted. Gray lifted his head to stare at her suspiciously. "But if you don't, I'll be distraught with you."
Meredy winced. She hasn't known the eldest Strauss sibling as long as the others have, but even she knew that she wouldn't want Mirajane 'distraught' with her. And by the grimace on Gray's face, he was thinking along the same lines.
"Fine," he grumbled as he stood up. He marched up to the stage and tapped the music lacrima none too gently.
Just like with Mira, music began playing and filled the near-empty guild with a soft tune. Gray kept his eyes looking firmly above everyone's head as he began singing.
"Tsumaranai nichijou ni
anata wa waratte
michi wo, egaita.
"Konna chigau bokura
deau hazu mo nai
hazu mo, nakatta sa."
Meredy felt her eyes widen as she listened to him sing. It was still obvious that he didn't want to be up there, but she was surprised to hear how well Gray could sing.
Unknown to her, a slight blush spread across her cheeks. Jellal and Lucy noticed and exchanged subtle grins.
"Nakanaide ite
himitsu no yakusoku
kienai kizuato.
"Mamoritai to itte
shimaetara kitto
raku ni, naru keredo.
"Doushiyou
mo nai hodo ni
mou, hikisagarenai.
"Hontou no kotoba
kikitaku mo nai."
During the very brief pause, Meredy could have sworn that Gray's eyes flashed in her direction.
I just imagined things.
"Kuchizuke Diamond wo
anata no yubi
ni watasou!
"Katachi no nai
yakusoku, itsu datte
omoidashite!
"Shashin no mou
kowaranai, omoide
yakitsukete.
"Futari no
yakusoku ga
kuchiguse de
owaranai yo ni."
"You're amazing, Gray!" Wendy cheered as he continued, with the exceeds and some of the others joining in.
"Kuchizuke Diamond wo
anata no yubi
ni watasou!
"Katachi no nai
yakusoku, iitsu datte
omoidashite."
Gray had a massive blush on his face as he sang the last word of the song. "Aishiteru."
Applause erupted from everyone as soon as he finished. Even Natsu and Gajeel refrained from making any jeers, but they did send Gray mocking grins as he made his way back to his seat as quickly as he could.
"Wow, Gray, I should make you sing more often," Mira announced as the noise died down. "You're great at it."
Gray gave her a horrified look as those around them began laughing.
Meredy managed to catch his eye, gave him an encouraging smile. The raven-haired teen looked startled for a second before he smiled back.
~wWw~
Lisanna observed the exchange between Gray and Meredy and hid a grin. While not as love crazy as her sister, she did enjoy seeing the beginnings of a couple coming together, and those two seemed to have feelings for each other.
"Okay, okay, Minna, settle down," Mira called over the cheering, clapping, and, coming only from Natsu and Gajeel, teasing wolf whistles. "It's time for the next person!"
That quieted everyone pretty quickly.
Mira dug around the black hat in her hand. "Here we go," she pulled out another scrap of paper. "This time the singer will be . . . Wendy!"
The blue-haired girl's eyes widened. "M-Me?"
"Yes!" Mira cheered. "Come on, Wendy!"
The female dragon slayer stood up and slowly made her way towards the stage.
"You can do this, Wendy!" Lucy exclaimed.
Meredy gave a whoop. "Get it, girl!"
Wendy blushed at the praises. She got on stage and tapped the music lacrima, and a melody began to play.
Wendy's eyes widened a bit before her posture became less tense and a true smile grew on her face.
"When the cold winds are calling
and the sky is clear and bright,
misty mountains sing and beckon
lead me out into the light.
"I will ride
I will fly
chase the wind
and touch the sky.
"I will fly
chase the wind
and touch the sky!"
Lisanna eyes widened.
Wow, it's like this song was written just for her.
Cheers, mainly from Lucy, Jellal, Meredy, Levy, Carla, and Happy, echoed throughout the guild.
"Wow," Lisanna said. She turned to her sister. "She's doing really . . . why are you holding a recording lacrima?"
Mira smiled. "Since he was able to get out before the storm hit, I want to show Romeo what he missed."
Lisanna deadpanned. "Really, Mira-nee?"
The elder Strauss just giggled.
"Where dark routes hide secrets
and mountains are fierce and bold
deep waters hold reflections
of times lost long ago.
"I would heed every story
take hold of my own dream
be as strong as the seas are stormy
and proud as an eagle's keen.
"I will ride
I will fly
chase the wind
and touch the sky.
"I will fly
chase the wind
and touch the sky!"
Lucy and Meredy had gotten up and were cheering Wendy on.
"And touch the sky!"
Wendy smiled at her audience. "Chase the wind, chase the wind!" she sang. "Touch the sky!"
The guild cheered as the song ended, and Wendy finished singing.
Wendy's smile only widened as the positive reception from everyone continued and gave a polite bow.
She got down from the stage and walked towards Lucy and Jellal. She smiled at them. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be," she admitted. "I - "
BOOM!
The sound of thunder slammed loudly into everyone's eardrums, and the lights inside the guild flickered off.
Startled shrieks and exclamations were heard. Lisanna herself couldn't help the small yelp that escaped her as everything began to descend into chaos.
The lights flickered on again after a moment, and everyone's panic began to die down. Lisanna glanced around and saw her friends beginning to relax once more, although Wendy seemed to need more time since she had jumped into Jellal's arms and seemed not to want to leave them just yet.
I forgot that there was a big storm outside.
"So," Mira said into the quiet, her voice unnecessarily chipper. "Are you guys ready to see who will go next?"
~wWw~
Gajeel wanted to groan as he heard Mira's question. But he knew the She-Devil would hone in on his irritation, and he really did not want to deal with her heckling.
Why she thought karaoke was a good idea was beyond him. Gajeel knew he was the best singer in the guild, but that didn't mean he wanted to listen to everyone else sing as well.
So far, the only good one has been Little Dragon. Although, Ice Princess's performance was hilarious. There's no way in hell I'm letting him forget it either.
Mira began digging inside the ugly black hat and pulled out a slip of paper. "Okay, the person going next is . . . Levy!"
Gajeel frowned amidst the cheers - the loudest being from Bunny-Girl, Little Dragon, Tattoo-Face, Pink-Hair, the drunk, and the exceeds.
The shrimp is going next?
Levy herself had groaned when Mira called her name but had bookmarked her page and set her book down before making her way towards the stage.
She tapped the music lacrima, and, like all the other times, music began blaring out, with Levy's voice adding to the mix.
"Tsuyoku nareru
riyuu wo shitta
boku wo, tsurete
susume!"
Gajeel felt his eyebrows lift in surprise as he heard just how powerful Shrimp's voice was. He barely registered how everyone else in the guild had let out cheers and whoops of encouragement.
"Dorodarake no
soumatou ni you
kowabaru kokoro
furueru te wa.
"Tsukamitai mono ga aru
sore dake sa.
"Yoru no nioi ni
(I'll spend all thirty nights)
sora nirandemo
(staring into the sky)
"Kawatte ikeru no wa
jibun jishin dake
sore dake sa.
"Tsuyoku nareru
riyuu wo shitta
boku wo, tsurete
susume!"
"Yes, Levy!" The drunk shouted. "Go, girl!"
"You got this, Levy!" Bunny-Girl chimed in.
"Dou shitatte!
"Kesenai yume mo
tomarenai ima mo
dareka no tame ni
tsuyoku nareru nara.
"Arigatou kanashimi yo!"
Pink-Hair cheered. "Go, Levy!"
"You're awesome, Levy!" Happy gleefully shouted.
"Sekai ni uchinomesarete
makeru imi wo shitta
guren no hana yo
sakihokore.
"Unmei wo, terashite!"
As soon as she finished, the guild erupted into applause and enthusiastic cheers.
When Shrimp stepped off the stage, she was ambushed by Little Dragon, Bunny-Girl, and Pink Hair in a group hug.
"That was pretty good," Lily said from next to him.
Gajeel arched a brow at him, and Lily returned his look with a flat stare. "I know you think so too, Gajeel. Don't deny it."
Gajeel looked back up. Shrimp was chatting with those who had hugged her. While she was talking, she looked over and gave him a bright smile. Gajeel found himself smiling back.
"Yeah," The Iron Dragon Slayer answered Lily's previous question. "Yeah, it was pretty good."
~wWw~
Natsu was annoyed.
Singing? Really? Why couldn't we just have a brawl until the storm lets up?
The Fire Dragon Slayer wasn't brave enough to say his thought out loud. Mira scared him as much as Erza did, and he really didn't want to catch her attention.
Sure, he thought the people who sang had nice voices (although Gray's made him want to laugh until he cried), but this wasn't something he would do if he could help it.
He was clapping along with everyone else when Mira began to speak. "Thanks, Levy! That was awesome! And now on to the next person!"
Those words made Natsu begin to sweat. He didn't want to go up there in front of everyone and sing a song. That just wasn't the type of fun he indulged in.
Mira was rifling through the hat with her eyes closed as the hall held their breath. She pulled out a piece of paper. "Gajeel! Your turn!"
Natsu couldn't help it.
He burst out laughing.
"Shut up, Salamander!" The Iron Dragon Slayer roared at him as he made his way to the stage. "Just cause you ain't got no talent doesn't mean I don't!"
Natsu immediately became defensive. "Shut up, metalhead! I can sing pretty good if I want to!"
"Yeah, right. I bet even Ice Princess can sing better than you, and he barely sounded nice."
"Hey!" Gray spoke up, annoyed. "Don't drag me into this!"
But Natsu barely heard him. Gajeel thinking he wasn't better than Gray at something simple like singing a song?!
"Argh! That's IT!" Natsu yelled. He turned to Mira. "I'm gonna go after the metal-studded bastard! You don't need to draw a name!"
The oldest Strauss sibling smiled brightly at him in a way that made a small curl of unease unfurl in his gut. "Okay, Natsu!"
Gajeel scowled and hit the music lacrima to start up a song.
Natsu leaned back with an unholy grin on his lips.
This should be good.
"Uragiri no yuuyake
yakkai ni karamitsuku ase o
kirisaku you ni shite
mashin wa sakebu utau you ni."
As Gajeel sang, Natsu noticed a few people gave the Iron Dragon Slayer impressed looks and couldn't help his scowl.
"Blow up louder
mukuchi na
yousei wa soko ni iru.
"Blow up louder
tsugunai wa
kudaketa ai no kakera.
"Aa, asahi wa noboru (yeah)
biru no tanima
ima shinjireba, kawaru no sa
muimi ja nai ano ashita.
"Holy shit," Natsu heard Levy whispered under the cheers that had started up.
"Aa, asahi wa noboru (yeah)
yami o nukete
ima kanjireba, mieru no sa
muimi ja nai ano yume oh."
Everybody was clapping and cheering by this point, with Levy and Juvia being the loudest.
If anyone said Natsu was pouting, the Fire Dragon Slayer would deny it.
"Oretachi ni wa mieteru
mono ga aru, kitto
dare ni mo ubawaranai mono
muimi ja nai ano ito ga.
"Aa asahi wa noboru (yeah)
suiheisen
ima shinjireba, kawaru no sa
muimi ja nai ano hikari."
As the song played the last few chords of the song, everyone cheered. Even Gray was clapping with a small smile.
Levy and Juvia had rushed at Gajeel as soon as he stepped off the stage and enveloped him in a hug. "That was awesome, Gajeel!" Levy squealed.
"Juvia thinks that you were amazing!" Juvia said excitedly.
Gajeel smirked over at Natsu smugly. "Your turn, Salamander."
Natsu glared. "Prepared to be blown away, asshole."
~wWw~
Wendy watched as Natsu stomped his way onto the stage.
That fact that he only volunteered to prove he was better than Gajeel did NOT surprise her at all.
Wendy had heard from others that Gajeel had a terrible singing voice, and while he wasn't exactly . . . the best singer she's ever heard, he wasn't that bad. It helped that the song he had sung was pretty good.
Natsu tapped the lacrima as soon as he got on stage, and music blared out, as it did for the others. Natsu smirked in Gajeel's direction before he began.
"Terasu wa yami
bokura wa
arukinarte
kita hibi matotta.
"Yume wa antai
na kurashi da ga
shigeki busoku
yue ni daradara.
"Terasu wa yami
bokura no
arukinareteita
michi wa doko da?
"Toki wa tama
ni shaku da ga
nukumori ni
tsustumaretara."
Wendy felt her eyes go wide the longer Natsu sang.
Wow. He's actually not that bad.
Judging by the incredulous looks on everyone else's faces, they were having the same thoughts as her.
"Homura ga tatsu
shirube no hou e
omoidasu wa
yasashii merodii.
"Eien wa nain da
to nain da to iu
sore mo matta ii
na to waratte miru.
"Kagayakeba itsuka
wa hikari mo tae
bokura wa
inochi no hi ga."
"Kieru sono hi made
aruite yuku!"
Wendy was startled out of her shock by the sound of Happy cheering. "That's the way Natsu!"
The prompted more cheers to ring out and clapping to start up too.
Wendy grinned and added her own cheer. "Go, Natsu!" she clapped.
"Oto ga deru
ganga mo
itami wo
tobasu mahou mo.
"Zenbu boku
ni totte
no takaramono."
Happy gave a wordless cheer, too excited to string together a sentence.
"Sing it, Natsu!" Lisanna praised.
"Eien wa nain da
to nain da to iu
bokura wa
inochi no higa.
"Kieru sono hi made
aruite yuku!"
As soon as Natsu finished, everyone started clapping, some cheering. Wendy was one of them.
As the noise persisted around them, Wendy noticed Natsu make eye contact with a disgruntled-looking Gajeel.
He said something, but it was too noisy to hear the words.
That was fine. Wendy was able to read his lips.
It looks like I win, Bastard.
~wWw~
"Well, thank you, Natsu, for that very captivating performance," Mira commented with a grin.
Natsu grinned back at her as he stepped off the stage before sending a very smug grin towards the brooding Iron Dragon Slayer.
I have to say that Karaoke Night is going well! Too bad some of the others couldn't join. I bet Laxus would excel at it.
Mira giggled at the turn her thoughts took before her mind switched back to the present. "Okay! Now it's time for the next person!"
Everyone quieted down at that, and Mira couldn't stop a miniature pout from forming.
How come they're so scared to sing? It's not like they have a problem when it's someone else! Come on, guys, it's not as scary as you're making it out to be!
Mira closed her eyes before digging around inside the black hat for a scrap of paper. She grabbed one and pulled it out. "Alright," she said. "The next one to sing will be . . . " Mira read the name on the paper "Meredy!"
The aforementioned pinkette looked surprised at her name being called before she blushed as a few cheers sounded.
Meredy made her way excitedly towards the stage and climbed up eagerly. As soon as she was situated, she tapped the music lacrima.
Mira's eyes widened as she recognized the song and couldn't help her grin.
This one is perfect for Meredy!
Meredy's own eyes widened as the song's rhythm played out, and a confident smile formed on her face.
"Nanimo iwazu
shiro ni nare
hengenjizai de
ikinuite misemashou.
"Kuro mo yami mo
nugisuteta
mou akiakishiten'da
Please, one last chance!
"I wanna be white, white, now!"
Mira glanced subtlety at Gray during the lull in the song and couldn't stop her beaming smile. Gray's eyes were wide in awe, and his jaw was dropped.
Dammit! Where's a camera when I need it?!
"Arawa no shiro de
arawa na koe de
nurikaete yuke
aru beki sekai he.
"Shiro wo mezase
shiro wo mezase
shinka no toki yo
I wanna be the white
white light!"
Lucy, Wendy, and Carla were cheering Meredy on the loudest, while Jellal looked on with the biggest smile Mira had seen him wear.
Cana, Juvia, and Levy were waving their arms back and forth like they were at a concert. Gajeel was looking at Meredy with some respect, Natsu and Happy had their jaws dropped in shock at how powerful Meredy's voice was, and Lisanna was watching Meredy sing in wonder.
Mira smirked.
Now I really wish I had a camera to show Meredy all of their faces later.
"Seikai nante nai
machigai nante nai
nurikaete yuke
aru beki sekai he.
"Shiro wo yogose
shiro wo yogose
kesshite kegarenai
I wanna be the white
white light!"
As Meredy sang the last lyrics to the song, all the girls in the guild got up and applauded her loudly with beaming smiles on their faces. When she finally got off the stage, she was enveloped in a hug by Lucy and Wendy with all the other girls not far behind.
"That was amazing!"
"I had no idea you could sing like that!"
"If you weren't a mage, you'd have a great career as a singer!"
"You think you could give me some lessons?"
Meredy was blushing from all the praises that were being heaped on her. But it was what happened next that made Mira bite the inside of her cheek so hard that she tasted blood.
While the girls were hugging her and still cheering, the guys were applauding with smiles on their faces. And none of them had a bigger smile than Gray.
So when Meredy glanced around at everyone and caught Gray's eye and saw his smile, her face lit up in a brilliant red hue.
Must . . . not . . . squeal . . . keep . . . it . . . together, Mira.
~wWw~
Lucy couldn't keep the smile off her face as she, Meredy, and Wendy sat back down. "Seriously, Meredy, your voice really is good," she told the pinkette.
Jellal nodded in agreement. "It is," he said, the smile not disappearing from his face.
Meredy smiled at them. "Thank you."
"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone, settle down," Mira shouted over the lingering cheers and clapping. "The next person is up!"
That got everyone to quiet down. Lucy watched as Mira dug around the hat again and pulled out another scrap of paper with a name. "Next one up is . . . Jellal!"
Meredy and Wendy let out squeals of excitement as Jellal's face drained of color. "Oh no," he stated noiselessly.
Lucy giggled at her boyfriend's reaction as the rest of the guild let out sounds of encouragement. Or, in Gajeel and Natsu's cases, let out laughs at Jellal's facial expression.
"Hey man, if I had to do it, then you have to too," Gray said to him, a broad smirk on his face.
Mira didn't stop smiling. "C'mon Jellal, it'll be fun!" she declared.
"Says you," Jellal muttered under his breath but got up anyway and made his way towards the stage.
"You'll be fine, Jellal!" Levy called out to him.
Lucy watched Jellal tap the music lacrima and heard the beginning of a song startup. She unconsciously leaned forward as he began to sing.
"Falling too fast to prepare for this
tripping in the world could be dangerous
everybody circling, it's vulturous
negative, nepotist.
"Everybody waiting for the fall of man
everybody praying for the end of times
everybody hoping they could be the one
I was born to run, I was born for this."
Lucy chanced a glance around the guild and had to contain a laugh. Besides her, Meredy, Wendy, and Carla, everyone in the guild was staring at Jellal with expressions ranging from shock to awe to amazement.
Meredy had also seen their friends' expressions but had no qualms about hiding her laughter.
"Whip whip
run me like a racehorse
hold me like a ripcord
break me down and build me up.
"I wanna be the slip slip
word upon your lip lip
letter that you rip rip
break me down and build me up.
"Whatever it takes
cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
cause I love how it feels
when I break the chains!
"Whatever it takes
you take me to the top I'm ready for
whatever it takes
cause I love the adrenaline in my veins.
"I do what it takes."
Levy gave a low whistle. "Damn, he's excellent."
Wendy nodded as she listened. "While we trained on Tenrou, he would sometimes sing to us to help us sleep."
Cana, who overheard what Wendy said, groaned. "Too bad he's off the market."
"Yes," Lucy grinned. "Yes, he is."
"Always had a fear of being typical
looking at my body feeling miserable
always hanging on to the visual
I wanna be invisible.
"Looking at my years like a martyrdom
everybody needs to be a part of 'em
never be enough, I'm the prodigal son
I was born to run, I was born for this.
"Whip whip
run me like a racehorse
hold me like a ripcord
break me down and build me up.
"I wanna be the slip slip
word upon your lip lip
letter that you rip rip
break me down and build me up."
Mira sighed as she listened to the bluenette on the stage. "He's pretty good," she commented lowly to the others.
Meredy giggled. "Yep. When it was still me, him, and Ultear, he would sing to me whenever I had a nightmare."
"Aw, that's really sweet," Levy commented.
"Are you sure I can't steal him from you, girl?" Cana asked Lucy with a teasing smile on her lips.
Lucy laughed. "Pretty sure, Cana."
"Yeah, Lu-chan wants to keep his voice for herself," Levy joked.
"Levy-chan!" Lucy complained halfheartedly as the others laughed. (A/N: This whole conversation took place during the chorus)
"Hypocritical, egotistical
don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical
working onto something that I'm proud of
out of the box.
"An epoxy to the world
and the vision we've lost.
"I'm an apostrophe
I'm just a symbol to remind you
that there's more to see.
"I'm just a product of the system
a catastrophe, and yet a masterpiece
and yet I'm half diseased
and when I am deceased.
"At least I go down to the grave
and die happily.
"Leave the body of my soul
to be a part of me.
"I do what it takes."
Cheers erupted around the guild as Jellal sang that part, with Lucy, Meredy, Wendy, and Mira being the loudest.
"Whatever it takes
cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
cause I love how it feels
when I break the chains.
"Whatever it takes
you take me to the top I'm ready for
whatever it takes
cause I love the adrenaline in my veins.
"I do what it takes."
After Jellal finished singing, there were loud cheers and clapping, to his surprise. Lucy could tell that he was shocked because of his wide eyes and parted lips.
She caught his eye and winked at him and got a small yet true smile from him.
Jellal got down from the stage and tried to make it seem like he wasn't hurrying back to his seat, but Lucy knew better. "See? It wasn't that bad," she said to him as he reclaimed the seat next to her.
"It's something I wouldn't do all the time," Jellal replied, "but yes, you're right, it wasn't that bad."
Mira got everyone's attention again. "Okay, let's see who's next!"
But before she could pick out a name from the hat, Elfman spoke up. "Hey, wait a sec, sis," he said, a frown on his face. He turned towards everyone else. "Do you guys hear that?"
Everyone looked around but didn't get what he was saying. Lucy looked at Jellal, but he seemed just as clueless as she did.
"I don't hear anything, Elfman," Levy spoke up.
The male Strauss nodded. "Exactly. I think the storm is over now. Or lightened up a bit."
Juvia perked up and ran to the doors before throwing them open. It was still dark outside, but there were no howling winds or vicious rain. It was barely raining at all.
"Elfman was right; the storm has passed!" Juvia exclaimed. "Juvia still sees storm clouds, but she believes that for now, the storm has left!"
"Oh, awesome!" Natsu leaped up. "Now we can leave! I'm starving!"
Jellal groaned. "Why couldn't we have noticed this before I had to go up?" he muttered to Lucy as they got up.
"Wait," Mira protested as everyone else started to get up too. "Can one more person go? Please?"
Many people were gearing up to protest against that, but then they caught sight of Mira's puppy-dog eyes and relented with minimal grumbling. Everyone knew that if they had left like they wanted to, Mira would have spent who knows how long making them feel guilty for ditching.
"This will be the last one, I promise," Mirajane assured everyone as the last person sat back down in their seat. "Okay! The last person going is . . ." she dug around the black hat and took out the last paper of the night before reading the name. "Lucy!"
Lucy looked at her. "Huh?!"
"Your turn," Jellal said smugly.
She shot him a look as she got up. "You're getting back at me for laughing at you when it was your turn, aren't you?"
"Why yes, yes I am."
Lucy rolled her eyes in amusement before making her way towards the stage. "Thank you, Lucy," Mira said as the blonde passed her.
Lucy nodded at her and touched the music lacrima.
"Oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh oh.
"I messed up tonight
I lost another fight
I still mess up
but I'll just start again.
"I keep falling down
I keep on hitting the ground
I always get up now
to see what's next."
Lucy watched as people began to sway their bodies to the music as she sang.
"Birds don't just fly,
they fall down and get up
nobody learns without
getting it wrong.
"I won't give up
no I won't give in
'till I reach the end
and then I'll start again.
"No, I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though
I could fail.
"I won't give up
no I won't give in
'till I reach the end
and then I'll start again.
"No I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though
I could fail."
Some members were bobbing their heads or singing along at that point. Lucy noticed, as she sang, that Wendy especially was getting into the song, her eyes closed as her body swayed to the beat and sing the words along with the Celestial Mage.
"Oh oh oh oh oh
try everything.
"Oh oh oh oh oh
try everything.
"Oh oh oh oh oh
try everything.
"Oh oh oh oh oh.
"Look how far you've come
you filled your heart with love
baby you've done enough
take a deep breath.
"Don't beat yourself up
don't need to run so fast
sometimes we come last
but we did our best."
Jellal caught Lucy's eye as she sang that part and gave her a sweet smile that caused a blush to rise on her cheeks.
"I won't give up
no I won't give in
'till I reach the end
and then I'll start again.
"No I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though
I could fail.
"I won't give up
no I won't give in
'till I reach the end
and then I'll start again.
"No I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though
I could fail."
By this point, some guild members had gotten up to dance along with the song. Levy and Meredy were dancing together, Wendy and Carla in her human form were swaying in their feet, and Mira had dragged Elfman and Lisanna into a dance with her.
And while Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray stayed in their seats, their bodies were moving side to side to the music as well.
"I'll keep on making
these new mistakes
I'll keep on making
them every day.
"Those new mistakes!"
The guild erupted into shouts of glee. "Sing it, Lu-chan!" Levy called out.
Natsu cheered. "Awesome, Lucy!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh
try everything!
"Oh oh oh oh oh
try everything!
"Oh oh oh oh oh
try everything!
"Oh oh oh oh oh.
"Try everything."
As Lucy sang the last lyrics of the song, everyone left inside the guild broke out in applause and cheers. Those who weren't already standing leaped to their feet to convey their joy.
Lucy stared at her friends and family as they expressed their delight and enjoyment of the situation. She again caught Jellal's eye as he clapped along with everyone else, his eyes sparkling with contentment and his lips formed into a beaming smile.
Alright. I guess Mira's idea of karaoke wasn't so bad after all.
Wow, that took a while! I'm glad I was able to crank this chapter out, though! Thank you to all of you who voted and/or left comments on the other chapters; it meant a lot!
As I said earlier, here is the list of who sang what, in the order that happened:
Mirajane ~ Love Is War OP 1
Gray ~ Yamada and The Seven Witches OP 1
Wendy ~ Touch The Sky from 'Brave'
Levy ~ Demon Slayer OP 1
Gajeel ~ Durarara! OP 1
Natsu ~ Fire Force OP 1
Meredy ~ White Light from 'Tales of Zestiria' (Japanese OP)
Jellal ~ Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
Lucy ~ Try Everything by Shakira