~Here's another chapter! This one will be pretty long. . . I hope. I got the inspiration for most of it from my 'Lilo & Stitch' soundtrack. ^^ ~
~In response to a couple comments on 5-3-9. . . I type it like that because that's how they write out in the captions at the bottom of the screen on the DVD version. . . plus, it looks better to me. And I do have a name for 5-3-9. . . I just have to find a way to introduce it into the story. . . perhaps later this chapter. . . *looks thoughtful* ~
~By the way, yes, sometime, I will get around to typing up 5-3-9's story. . . unless anyone would like to do it for me? *Bambi eyes* No? Oh, well. . . . the offer still stands. . . That was very pathetic of me. . . *irons hands Dobby-style*~
5-3-9 was immersed. Music was a new thing to her; apart from Jumba occasionally humming while he was working, she had never heard a song before.
And a tone-deaf alien like Jumba humming was definitely no comparison to the music of the harp.
The female experiment had no sense of time passing while she was playing that instrument. She was a natural. . . comfortable with the instrument, almost as much as Stitch was with his Ukulele.
She only snapped out of her reverie when she heard the front door of the place close with a click. Too late, she remembered Stitch's order, "Just try not to touch anything, ok?"
The experiment whirled around, to see Stitch leaning innocently against the wall by the door, watching her.
"S-sorry," she stammered, and began to explain herself. "I was bored, and I just saw it in the corner, and -"
The blue experiment just shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Was that your first time playing the harp?"
"The what?" She glanced about. "Oh, you mean. . .? Yes, it was."
He smiled. "You played better your first time than I've heard many experienced people play." At the sight of her confused expression, he continued. "I've been listening to you play for the last half hour."
5-3-9 blinked.
Stitch shook his head and changed the subject. "So. . . can you sing?"
"What's singing?" Now it was his turn to blink.
"You've never sung before?"
"I don't know. . . what's singing?" She repeated.
Stitch sang his favourite song. . .
"-Aloha Oe. . . Aloha Oe, E ke onaona noho, I ka lipo. . . One fond embrace, A ho'i a'e au. . . Until we meet again. . .-"
The blue experiment continued completely in English, just for the sake of the song,
"Farewell to thee, farewell to thee. . . Thou charming one who dwells among the bowers. . . One fond embrace, before I now depart. . . Until we meet again. . ." *
The female experiment could understand nothing of what was sung; it was in Hawaiian and English, and she knew neither of the languages. But, she did understand the . . .feeling behind the song, the general meaning. It was beautiful.
Her eyes were shining when he finished singing.
So was his. He remembered the first time he had heard the song. . . in Hawaii, when he'd nearly ruined the life of the one dearest to him, Lilo.
5-3-9 noticed the look of grief that crossed Stitch's face; it was the same expression she had worn when she had thought of Jumba before she had discovered the harp.
She tentatively reached out and put a paw on Stitch's shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Stitch had almost forgotten that she was there. He snapped out of his reverie and said, a little too quickly, "Nothing."
He sighed, and glanced over to his computer's calendar, and did a double take.
"What is it?" Asked 5-3-9.
"Today's Saturday. I. . . perform, at a bar every week. I don't have to go, though, if you don't want me to. . ."
"What exactly do you do in these performances?"
"Well," he said slowly, "It's different nearly every week. Sometimes I sing, sometimes I play an instrument, sometimes I dance, sometimes a mix of all three. . .
The blue experiment paused, then snapped his claws decisively.
"I know. . . Would you like to perform with me? I've been looking for an accompanist. . . I haven't found anyone nearly as natural with an instrument as you have been. . ."
"But I've never learned! That, that was just . . . I don't know. . ."
"Musical talent?" Stitch supplied. "Look, I can teach you, if you want to learn."
With little hesitation, she nodded.
"Good." The male experiment smiled. "We have a lot to learn for tonight."
*** Later That Day ***
"Wow."
That was 5-3-9's first comment upon their entrance to the bar. **
The place was made completely out of plastic, made to look like worn wood, including the walls and ceiling. There was the bar itself, with a friendly-looking middle-aged man drying glasses, as in the traditional picture of bartenders. The whole building was made to look like it had been stuck in the past for an extended period of time. . . if it weren't for the large plasma screen showing a modern robotized hockey-game.
Stitch himself had provided some of the descriptions for the traditional layout for the bar's previous owners.
The tables were packed with regulars, waiting for the arrival of their entertainer.
As soon as the two aliens entered the establishment, laden down as they were with instruments, all the faces turned to them, and grinned, the plasma screen turned off in seconds. . . no-one protested.
Stitch called out greetings and enquiries to many of the people, as the two made their way to the stage at the back of the room.
5-3-9 didn't know what exactly her friend was saying, but at a few looks in her direction from the men and women, she realized that a few were asking about her.
When they got to the stage, she helped Stitch (who needed no real help, anyway), to arrange some of the instruments, and adjust the microphone. Stitch smiled a little at her, and an odd, but pleasant feeling rose in her chest.
She picked up a pair of drums and gulped a little nervously, as Stitch addressed the crowded bar.
"Good evening everyone! I think a few of you have noticed my friend here. . ." he gestured with two of his arms to 5-3-9.
"Her number is 5-3-9, and she arrived here only recently. After only one afternoon's lessons, she's already a better musician than all of you wannabe's here!" He smiled a toothy grin. It was an on-going joke with him and his performances that he never could find a proper accompanist.
"All right, then. . . our first song is called 'He Mele No Lilo'. It's a traditional Hawaiian song, usually sung along with dancers and drums. *** And without further ado . . . 'He Mele No Lilo'. . ."
He drew away from the microphone a little and began singing. . .
"Mahalo nui ia
Ke Ali`i wahine
`O Lili`ulani `O ka Wo hi ku
Ka pipio mai o ke anuenue Na waiho'o-
lu'u a halikeole'e
E nana na maka i ke ao malama mai
Hawai`i akea i Kaua`I."
While 5-3-9 began singing the harmony alongside him,
"Ke Kuini o
Hawai`i
ku i ka moku i ke Kalaunu
Na hana a ke aloha Ma`alo
ana i ka ua lana malie
I ka lani malama Ho`ike
mai ana la I ka nani."
5-3-9 began a beat on the drums in the pause between verses as Stitch sang on his own,
"`O Kalakaua he
inoa `O Ka pua mae`ole i ka la
Ka pua maila i ka mauna
I ke kuahiwi o Mauna Keä
Ke 'amaila i Kilauea
Malamalama i Wahine kapu
A ka luna o Uweka huna
I ka pali kapu o Ka`auea"
All the while, 5-3-9 had been making a steady rhythm with the drum. She then came in with Stitch,
"Ea mai ke ali`i kia manu
Ua wehi ka hulu o kamamo
Ka pua nani a`o Hawai`i `O- Kalakaua he inoa."
5-3-9 then came in, singing on her own,
"`O Kalakaua he
inoa `O Ka pua mae`ole i ka la
Ka pua maila i ka mauna I ke kuahiwi o Mauna Kea
Ke`a mai la i Kilauea
Malamalama i Wahinekapu
A ka luna o Uwekahuna
I ka pali kapu o Ka`auea."
They then sung together,
"Mahalo nui ia Ke Ali`i wahine
(ke Kuini o Hawai`i)
`O Lili`ulani Wo ka `O hi ku
(ku i ka moku i ke Kalaunu)
Ea mai ke ali`i kia manu
Ua wehi i ka
hulu o ka mamo
Ka pua nani a`o Hawai`i
`O Kalakaua he inoa."
Then, the finale, the experiments chanted together,
"He Inoa No Kalani Kalakaua Kulele."
The last beats of the drum resonated in the room. Then the applause began.
5-3-9's smile could have split her face in half. They had sounded amazing! . . . She hadn't understood a word of what the song was about, but that didn't matter. . . Singing felt wonderful. . . especially with an appreciative audience.
After a minute of the applause, with a few 'Encore!'s from members of the audience, Stitch spoke into the microphone,
"And that was 'He Mele No Lilo'. We will now be performing the musical score, 'Dragon Boy', from the Miyazaki classical film, 'Spirited Away'." ****
5-3-9 picked up her harp, as Stitch set up his keyboard for some rapid instrument changes. *****
They began the song. . . it began with some short notes, almost repeated arpeggios on 5-3-9's harp, as Stitch came in with his keyboard first as a xylophone, then as a trumpet-like instrument. . . advancing to a bit of violin.
Again, the applause was thunderous.
*If you're wondering where I got the English lyrics from, they're in a book entitled 'Kaiulani, The People's Princess', in the 'Royal Diaries' series. . . (Kaiulani, pronounced, Kah-ee-oo-LAH-nee) It's a song from over a century ago. The book takes place in Hawaii in 1889. . . I highly recommend everyone to read it, I learnt much about the Hawaiian language, such as the fact that every syllable must end in a vowel. . . just think about it, Ho-no-lu-lu, Hu-la, U-ke-le-le, Ma-ha-lo, etc.
**I am a minor, so I've no idea what bars look like from the inside, so please be kind when you scrutinize this description. . . also remember that this is in the future, right?
*** Actually, I believe it was made for the movie. . . I have no idea it's true history. . . This is the song sung for the intro. . . where Lilo does her little dance after being late? It's track 7 on the soundtrack.
****A very nice movie. . . A very nice song. :3 To hear it, go to my lookup. . . There should be a link to a midis of it.
*****I don't know about yours, but my keyboard can make the sound of any instrument, including anything from a Grand Piano to a Cello to even Gunshots. O_o
~And that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Again, I apologize for taking. . .*checks calendar* . . .two months to get this out! I was preoccupied by *mumble mumble* and of course *mumble mumble mumble* ~
~The next chapter will be out in a couple weeks. . . If I remember. O_o *wanders off, muttering something about 'needing reviews' and 'Frebreeze the dirty, great *mumble** ~
