Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Author's Notes: Italics are the lyrics of the song. Yoshidas lyrics are Bold

The Swedish Royal House proudly presents:

The Talent Hunt

Chapter 4: Hikari's Performance/ Revealing the Truth.

D-day

19:45 PM

Tokyo.3 Municipal High School, Gymnasium.

"Now where the hell did she go!?" Asuka thought as she scanned the room.

She had been in search of Hikari for the last five minutes and was about ready to blow a gasket. This was not fair! First Shinji had actually frightened her with that KoRn act and then Rei comes along, crushing all opposition with that…THING!. She desperately tried to find something bad about the girls' performance, but she could only think about how absolutely beautiful it had been. Asuka was NOT a happy camper, and she was going to find Hikari and tell her so.

Suddenly she heard Hikari's voice from a small utility closet, and by the sound of it she was having an animated discussion with someone Asuka couldn't quite hear. She sneaked closer to the door and peeked inside, and almost had a heart attack. The other person was Rei, and she was obviously pissed.

"How the hell can you say that 'Velvet Darkness they Fear' is better than 'Aegis!?'"  Hikari exclaimed while flailing her hands in the air for emphasis. "That's the best album Theatre have ever made!"

"Because it is. 'Cassandra' was a passable song but the rest of the album was clearly substandard." Rei replied calmly but with an edge to her voice that Asuka had never heard before.

Suddenly Hikari noticed Asuka at the door and called out to her. As she entered the closet she noticed that Rei started to blush and adverted her eyes to the floorboards, almost as if she had been caught doing something forbidden.

"What's up?" Hikari asked.

"Well…eh, you see…there's ummh, oh yeah, you're up in fifteen minutes, you should go and get ready. " that was as good an excuse as any.

"CRAP, You're right." She exclaimed and bolted for the door. " We'll continue this discussion later Ayanami." She added with a hard gaze in Rei's direction as she left the closet.

"Bring it on." She answered softly and rose from her seat.

As she walked out of the closet she noticed Asuka staring at her. "What?" she asked.

"Trying to steal my friends now are you!?" Asuka screeched and poked Rei in the chest.

"No, at least not deliberately." She answered and turned to leave but was stopped by Asuka's hand on her arm.

"What were you talking about then?" Asuka was having trouble keeping herself angry, the entire situation was just so alien she had no idea what to make of it all.

"Danish Goth Rock." Rei answered the shell-shocked Asuka and was, in the next moment, absorbed by the milling crowd.

***

Touji was getting nervous. He wouldn't have to get on the stage for at least an hour, but this wasn't what was bothering him. Hikari would be up next.

All the girls in the class was convinced that she was going to do some pop princess or suchlike, but when he had asked her sisters they had just laughed and walked away. Something was happening, and it was making him very worried.

He spotted Kensuke moving toward the group, he still looked a bit pale but his little excursion had evidently calmed him down a bit.

"Well, the parking lot looks like the Fifth Circle of Hell but I didn't see any horsemen so I guess we're safe for now." He said as he grabbed the soda that Shinji handed him.

"They'll probably not come around until later, but I'll give your regards to War when I see him." Touji answered sourly.

"Ohh, look who forget to take his chill-pill. Besides, War is a woman."  Kensuke answered laughingly.

"HEY, I resent that!" Misato hollered over the music. The Tanaka sisters, who were doing a fairly decent imitation of a Russian group called T.A.T.U, had entered the stage and were driving the boys mad with their little school uniforms.

"Anyway, what's up with you?" Kensuke asked the sulking Touji.

"Nothing, I'm just a bit on edge. Hikari is up to something and I waaa…SHHIIITTT!" he trailed off into an almost pained moan and stared over Kensuke's shoulder.

Kensuke turned around with a puzzled frown, and immediately commenced drooling. Rei was walking toward the group; she was still in her costume.

Shinji patted the hyperventilating Kensuke on the shoulder.

"You might want to go for another walk." He suggested.

Kensuke merely nodded and started walking toward the door with jerky motions.

***

"I just want you to now that I am NOT happy about this Miss Horaki." Mr. Yoshida remarked.

They were in the dressing room putting their costumes on, and for some reason he seemed to dislike her choice of clothing.

"What do you mean? This is no worse then Rei's outfit." Hikari asked a bit puzzled.

"You're missing the point, you look fine. I, on the other hand, look like an idiot." He retorted.

"You agreed to sing backup for me, that means that you wear the costume." She answered in a very matter-of-fact voice.

"I know, I know, I just wanted to point out that I'm doing this under extreme protest."

He cast one more disapproving look into the mirror, "I'm going to be the laughingstock of the entire faculty." He muttered under his breath.

Outside the music stopped and the Tanaka sisters entered the room, and stopped dead in their tracks.

"What's the matter? Never seen a guy with a beard before?" Mr. Yoshida asked grumpily.

They just stood there staring unbelievingly.

"Ok, move along people, nothing to see here." He shooed the girls out of the room.

As he turned towards the stage he let out a heavy sigh and wondered how in the world he was going to live this down.

***

Kensuke had returned from his walk but still refused to even look at Rei, Shinji and Touji also kept their eyes glued on the stage, as it seemed that Miss. Ayanami's wardrobe threatened to steal their attention from the upcoming performance. And besides, Asuka was standing behind Rei in full Deathglare mode. It was then, as their resolve started to fail and their gazes wander back to Rei, which they were given something else to stare at. Mr Yoshida.

"I guess you're all wondering about the outfit." He stated with a bit of sarcasm.

He was wearing black, baggy clothes, which made him look a bit shabby. The thing that really caught your eye though, was the long black wig that reached at least halfway down his back. That and the beard, it was of course black and had been twisted into two separate, chest-long ponytails (seriously, I'm not kidding). He knew he had to work fast; soon people would recover from the shock and would most likely start to laugh.

"In this next performance I have agreed to sing backup, hence the ridiculous costume, so without further delay: Hikari Horaki as…Tarja Turunen."

"Oh my." Rei whispered as the stage darkened and the smoke machines did their thing.

"What? You know who that is?" Asuka asked without getting an answer from the pale girl who was watching the stage intently.

From the darkened stage you could suddenly hear the sound a piano, immediately followed by Hikari's voice singing softly.

"Ever felt away with me.

Just once that all I need.

Entwined in finding you one day.

Ever felt away without me.

My love, it lies so deep.

Ever dream of me."

The stage exploded with sound and light. It was a classic rock sound with a synthesizer on top that sounded like a whole symphony orchestra. All the lights on the stage was flashing in time with the music, making it impossible to see anything but a dark, humanoid shape on the stage. Then noise and light died down, leaving only the drums, keyboard and a soft light over the stage making Hikari visible for the first time. She was wearing a pair of tight, black leather pants and a black top of thick vinyl. On top of that she wore a robe like garment made of transparent, black nylon. Her hair hung freely had had been slightly extended and given black highlights. She also had a look in her eyes that none of her friends had seen before, she looked fulfilled, content and absolutely wicked, all at the same time. They were seeing the real Hikari for the first time, and she loved it.

"Would you do it with me.

Heal the scars and change the stars.

Would you do it for me.

Turn loose the heaven within."

"I'd take you away.

Castaway on a lonely day.

Bosom for a teary cheek.

My song can but borrow your grace."

The entire audience was stunned, and Touji was no exception.

"Hikari is a rock chick!!" he thought over and over as he watched the girl on stage. Then suddenly her voice rose, it almost sounded like she was singing opera. The only description that seemed to fit was…epic.

"Ever felt away with me.

Just once that all I need.

Entwined in finding you one day.

Ever felt away without me.

My love, it lies so deep.

Ever dream of me."

"Dream of me."

Mr. Yoshida had walked up beside Hikari and delivered the last line just as the synthesizer returned with the orchestra. But after only a couple of seconds it faded away and once again.

"Come out, come out wherever you are.

So lost in your sea.

Give in, give in for my touch.

For my taste, for my lust."

"Ever felt away with me.

Just once that all I need.

Entwined in finding you one day.

Ever felt away without me.

My love, it lies so deep.

Ever dream of me."

"Your beauty cascaded on me.

In this white night fantasy."

 "Dream of me."

As the song slipped into the solo Asuka glanced over at Rei. She was standing with her eyes closed, her head nodding in time with Hikari's song. Not the music, only the song.

Then everything except the keyboard silenced, and Hikari continued in her regular voice.

"Ever felt away with me.

Just once that all I need.

Entwined in finding you one day.

Ever felt away without me.

My love, it lies so deep.

Ever dream of me."

At this point the music returned, and Mr. Yoshida's voice joined Hikari's in perfect harmony as they sung the last part together. The music started to play at least twice as fast as before as Hikari suddenly got down to one knee, closed her eyes and held her left hand out towards the audience in a sort of begging motion. Touji suddenly had the distinct feeling that she was reaching towards him.

"Ever felt away with me.

Just once that all I need.

Entwined in finding you one day.

Ever felt away without me.

My love, it lies so deep.

Ever dream of me."

"Dream about me"

"Ever felt away with me.

Just once that all I need.

Entwined in finding you one day.

Ever felt away without me.

My love, it lies so deep.

Ever dream of me."

Abruptly the music silenced and Hikari got to her feet, bowed and left the stage with the shouts and applause of the audience ringing in her ears.

"Do you think they sell beer here Shinji?" Misato asked a bit tiredly.

Shinji gave her a curious glance, "Not likely. Why do you ask?"

"I need to calm my nerves, I can't handle this many surprises in one night." She answered and started walking toward the exit. She was certain she had a six-pack in the trunk.

***

Hikari resisted the urge to giggle. She had totally killed them out there; just their faces had been worth the trouble.

"I'm getting to old for this." Mr. Yoshida sighed and sat down heavily.

"What are you talking about? You were great!" Hikari exclaimed, "And don't worry I'm not going to do the same song for the encore when I've won."

She bounded out into the audience before giving him a chance to answerer, now she only had one more thing to take care of. She had to see if Touji had noticed the hint she gave him. 

Next: Asuka's Performance/ Opening up.

*********************

I am so sorry for the delay but I had some things that needed taking care of. By the way this chapter was an absolute bitch to write, so you better well appreciate it or serious men with baseball bats will be knocking on your door.

Anyway, Tarja Turunen is the lead singer in the Finnish band "Nightwish" (they also happen to be one of my absolute favourite bands). This song is titled "Ever Dream" from the album "Century Child". Check it out or the aforementioned men with bats will come looking for you.

On a different note, I still am having trouble with Asuka so don't be surprised if this will take a while. I appreciate all the suggestions I have received, especially the one about Britney Spears, but I still need help so keep them coming.

Shade_or_bust@hotmail.com