Chappie 9

Quite obviously, the match was over. Let's face it; people were arguing everywhere, a violent match of 'I'm-Right-You're-Wrong-Want-Me-To-Prove-It-To-You' and Duran Duran music playing in the back round.

"Okay! OKAY!" Shorty screamed, trying to break up the violence.

"Wow…" Ducky stopped beating up Riku to stare at her in astonishment, "You're almost as loud as me…."

"Is that even possible?" Misao and Aoshi suddenly reappeared.

"Hey, where were you guys?" Kaoru asked, a frown appearing on her face.

"Us? We were requesting a song!" Misao smiled, bouncing up and down at her Aoshi-Samoa's side.

"Really? What song de gozaru yo?" Kenshin asked.

"Cold As Ice!" the young girl answered. (that song be Foreigner…. That it is…. They're coming to Artpark! Can't wait!)

"Oh, but of course!" Haru agreed, coming up behind them all with Sano and Kitsune following.

"Hey! Are you calling Aoshi-Sama cold?" Ducky demanded.

"No! Not all," Kaoru put her hands up in defense.

"Yes, because it's so untrue," Kitty said sarcastically, "Even though he's definitely hotter than Sano."

"No," Haru shook her head, "He's not."

"Yeah, I have to agree with Haru, Sano's hotter than Aoshi," Kitsune said.

"I know we've had this argument before, and I do believe that the results were that Aoshi was much, much, much hotter than Sano, ne Kitty?" Ducky asked, turning to her.

"I think you're right," Misao put in.

"Your vote doesn't count. You're as obsessed as Ducky is!" Haru pointed out.

"Riiiiight," Shorty said, shaking her head.

"Okay! Aoshi has no real importance in that series!" Riku said unwisely.

"I've already been through this with you! He was in about half of the books!" Ducky defended.

"Not really…. He doesn't have any real role," Riku said, looking bored.

"Another reason for pain?" Ducky glared at him, "You know I will."

"Whatever… I'm just stating facts."

"THOSE ARE NOT FACTS!"

"I agree," Aoshi spoke up, "I have a very important role within the story line of Rurouni Kenshin."

"Oh my god…" Ducky breathed, "Aoshi-Sama… did you just… agree… with me?"

"Hai."

Ducky fainted, "Oh… bliss!" was all she uttered as she fell.

"Okay, so… Ice Boy, tell me, how are you important to the story?" Riku asked.

"Easy. Who else would girls drool over without me?"

"Oh! That is such a sensible answer!" Misao exclaimed.

"Here we go…" Shorty sighed, walking over to Kitsune where she and Haru were still arguing with Kitty about who was hotter.

"Okay, that logic makes perfect sense to me," Ducky said, recovering, "I think that this bowling thing is all done. Hey!"

"What? You didn't finish your thought," Riku pointed out.

"I was about to, but you interrupted, stupid! I was gonna say that we should all go do karaoke at Tin Pan Alley!" she suggested.

"That's a great idea, Ducky!" Kitsune yelled, jumping in the air in glee.

"Then it's settled! Karaoke time!" Ducky said happily.

And Then…..

"What song should we do?" Kitty asked, going through the songs.

"I KNOW!" Ducky screamed, "FRECKLES!"

"What else?" Shorty asked, as she took one of the mics.

"She's right… and now I'm gonna learn the words!" Kitty said happily.

"What's 'Freckles'?" Kenshin wondered.

"Your theme song!" the girls all exclaimed exasperated.

"Really… how dumb do you have to be not to know that?" Aku asked.

"Honto ni," Wolfie added.

"I knew that," Sano said, looking at Kenshin.

"Mou, me too, Kenshin. What's your problem?" Kaoru said, turning towards him.

"I knew that!" Misao yelled.

"I did as well, Battousai," Aoshi put in.

"Wow…." Ducky said, "It's a landslide."

"Oh, I knew that!" Soujiro looked up from Kitty and their Play-Doh.

"Mou, Kenshin! You're the only one!" Kaoru scolded him.

"Wow! Kenshin's really stupid!" Kitsune deduced.

"You're soooo smart, Kitsune!" Haru said sarcastically, "You want a girl with brains, ne Sano?"

"Ummm," he uttered nervously.

"You don't have to answer that," Ducky saved him.

"Yes he does!" Haru argued.

"NO," Kitsune interjected, "He doesn't."

"Oh, boy…." Ducky decided it was time to break it up before they could get into a… cat, er cow and fox fight, "That's enough! He doesn't have to answer because I say so."

"B-but!"

"Whose ass?" Riku asked, coming over.

"No ones, stupid," Ducky sneered, "Okay, 'Freckles' time!"

"You bet! Oh, me, Digiko (Shorty) and Ducky first!" Kitsune screamed.

"Right-o," Ducky answered, stepping onto the little stage and grabbing a mic. Shorty and Kitsune followed suit.

"Ready?" Shorty asked, looking at them.

"You know it!" Kitsune answered while Ducky nodded her head.

"Then let's go!" Shorty encouraged.

"I brush against the freckles that I hate it so and I heave a little sigh for you! It's heavy, the love that I would share with you, then it dissolves like it was just a sugar cube! Now the little pain sittin' in my heart has shrunk in a bit, but it really doesn't hurt me now! Those silly horoscope signs, guess I can't trust them after all! If we could get further away, ooooo, I wonder what it would be like, yeah! I'd be so happy inside my heart! All the memories I have are beautiful in my mind, but they don't feed the hunger deep inside my soul! And tonight, I thought that I'd be just sitting in my sorrow! And I must wonder now: What did it really mean to you? I just can't see it anymore! I just can't see it anymore! Whoa-o-o-o-o!" they sang in unison, a few giggles injected within the song.

Silence met their ears when they had finished.

"Um," Ducky said, looking around.

"What a weird song," someone on the side commented.

"WHAT?" Ducky screamed, "IT'S AN EXCELLENT SONG!"

"I-I didn't mean to offend you or anything… it was just interesting!" she stammered.

"Oh," Ducky calmed down.

"Nice performance ladies," Soujiro congratulated.

"No! Sou-chan! You have to say you love MY performance!" Kitty whined even though she hadn't even performed.

"Umm, you were good," he amended, his smile still in place.

"Goody!" she cried in excitement.

"Now what?" Kitsune asked, looking through the book.

"Hmmm," Ducky looked thoughtful.

"Why don't we do…." she paused, "Tactics!"

"NO! That song is weird!" Shorty protested at once.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Ducky eased up.

"Any requests?"

"Don't do me like that!" Kitty cried, looking at both Ducky and Haru.

They all stared.

"What! It's a song! By Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers!" she defended. (good song)

"I knew that," said Ducky and Kitsune simultaneously.

"Of course you knew that! You both like Eighties music!" Kitty smiled.

"Okay, so should we do it?"

"Let's do a Duran Duran song!" Ducky proposed.

"Which one?" Shorty asked.

"Why the one I've had stuck in my head all day! Only, Aoshi-Sama has to sing with me!"

"No."

"What was that?" Aku challenged.

"Um, yes?"

"That's what I thought," she said glaring at him.

"Oro…. What power she has over him…"

"Actually, Kaoru has it over you too, if you think about it," Sano said thoughtfully.

"That was sooo smart of you to say, Sano!" Haru gushed.

"And true!" Kitsune added.

"They're both right," Ducky nodded. "It's the power of intimidation."

"Oh," Kaoru said in understanding, "I get it."

"Now, are we gonna do this or not?"

"Sure! Aoshi, you get up here," Shorty said, pointing to the empty stage space next to her.

"Oh…" he looked uneasy.

"Do it!" Aku hissed. Wolfie giggled behind her hand watching the usually stoic man be ordered around by a girl.

"Wow, you're so bossy," Riku said.

"Wanna make something of it?" she asked, giving him a death glare.

"Now, now children," Ducky interrupted, pinching Riku's arm.

"Ouch! Dammit, Ducky!" he yelled.

"That's what you get. Now! Time for The Reflex! Ah, what a game," she said in bliss.

"The Reflex? What the hell?" Riku said, looking skeptical.

"You'll find out, you'll find out….."

A/N:

And so will you! Until next time! Don't forget to drop a review!