Skystar watched Windstar drag their wavy-haired friend into the orchestra pit before turning to the rest of the group.

"Alright," The tall man started, "Yellowfang already had everyone fill out forms upstairs and sent them down via dumbwaiter," he gestured over to the right wall where a grey door sat in the wall. "We're going to call out a name, they're going to come on stage, sing, then leave. After everything's over with, we're going to call back the best people and have them do this all over again the next day until we have the perfect performers."

Shadowstar raised an eyebrow, "Perfect performers?"

Skystar looked over the chattering crowd in the seats with a wary eye, "Well, good enough performers."

Thunderstar reached over to an old music stand in the orchestra pit and pulled paper from the stack that was clipped in it. "Brambleclaw!"

A messy brown-haired head popped up from the crowd of people and charged through the crowd. The boy stopped in front of the orchestra pit.

"I'm supposed to go on stage right?"

Skystar looked ver Brambleclaw with a critical eye before nodding. The boy dashed up the steps. Skystar leaned over Thunderstar's shoulder, "How old is this kid?"

"He's about fourteen."

"What?" Skystar hissed grabbing the paper out of Thunderstar's hands, "How old are the rest of them?"

Thunderstar grabbed three more papers from the music stand, "They're all around fourteen, oh, wait, no, this one's eleven."

Skystar groaned, "How is this production supposed to work with pre-teens?"

Windstar rolled her eyes, "Skystar, you were a pre-teen thirteen years ago, don't get all high and mighty. These kids will do just fine."

Skystar glared at the wiry girl for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh, "I suppose you're right." He looked up at the boy onstage, "Who are you trying out for and what song will you be singing?"

Brambleclaw shuffled nervously, his cheeks were as red as Firestar's hair, "I heard you were doing A Cappella style, so I picked an easy one, 'Something Just Like This, by Chainsmokers and Coldplay."

"Start whenever you like."

Start he did, Brambleclaw's voice was louder than a yowling cat. But, Skystar noted, It isn't… bad."

When Brambleclaw finished, the judges nodded to each other and smiled.

"Well, you certainly sound like Timon," Shadowstar said. "You have a very good chance of getting a call back young man."

Brambleclaw smiled brightly and bounded back to where his friends were sitting, getting a few high fives along the way.

Windstar started to laugh, "'Young Man', really Shadowstar?"

"Shut up," She dark-skinned girl replied, burying herself in her sweatshirt.

"Ambermoon!"

A young girl with bright orange pigtails leaped out of her seat and ran to the stage. She stopped confidently by the microphone and words immediately started pouring out of her mouth, "Hello, ma' name is Ambermoon. I'm trying ou' for Sarabi or Nala. My song is 'Touch the Sky' from the Disney movie 'Brave'.

That's quite the accent, noted Shadowstar, Irish maybe? She certainly has the hair for it.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Ambermoon. You can start singing whenever you're ready."

The moment Shadowstar finished speaking Ambermoon began belting out lyrics.

Shadowstar sat in awe, the young girl's sounded as if her voice was an orchestra of flutes and violins.

When she finished Ambermoon stood patiently at the microphone, waiting for a response from the judges.

"So," Windstar finally said, "You're Scottish."

Oh, Scottish! No wonder she likes brave.

"Yup," the petite girl said confidently, "Me and ma' parents used to live in Edinburgh, but then we 'ad to move." She scowled at the floor.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Riverstar said serenely, "But at least now you get to be in a big play!"

A big grin overtook the girl's face, "Oh, ya'!" She bounced down the steps and past the pit, then backtracked, "Oh yeah, uh, thank you for this opportunity." She waved the four friends good-bye before dashing back into the audience.