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Chapter 2

This was it. My big moment--my one time to truly shine and impress everyone who had ever doubted me up to this moment. I needed to be flawless. I stood behind the curtains up on stage, I could hear the crowd shouting and laughing but nothing stuck out to me. It was all jumbled together and I didn't have enough time to think and make sense of it. I placed my hand against my left cheek…it still stinged. I had been smacked hard from our main continuing fund giver for LOVELESS a few days ago.

President ShinRa..

Yes, it hurt to even think about it. I remember why and how it happened. I didn't deserve any of it.

You see, President ShinRa had always had a little thing for the previous lead before she retired. Her name was Charon, she even had the beautiful name of someone who was famous. I guess those feelings weren't exactly mutual to say the very least because I recall a very annoyed Charon always trying to hide behind the backup singers in rehearsals whenever he came about to see how she was doing--I was one of them. Hard to think of…someone like me, getting so lucky. I had totally lucked out in the auditions, but I had studied and practiced the part repeatedly til it was drilled into my head. I bet my mother and father in heaven were cheering for me.

"One minute! One minute! Positions everyone!"

I walked to my place and got in position. I'll try to finish this little story of mine in the short time I have left! Anyways, you know how people who have been doin' something for several years get…they don't think anyone can be even half as good as them. I believe I was a bit envied by Charon…even though she was retiring. I was young--and she was well, er..not so young. To put it as nice as possible. President ShinRa came for the final and last time at her Goodbye performance where she had been a mountain of roses at her feet. There she siad her final words, and I was introduced…I was brought on with less excitement then, then I had hoped for.

After the crowd had started to leave, the only person who remained in their seat was President ShinRa. Front row and center. …Just like where I had put Mr. Highwind tonight. I had turned towards him and noticed for once he wasn't keeping his eyes on Charon, he was keeping those eyes of his fixated on me. It was extremely nerve-wrecking and for a moment I didn't feel like I could move. Did he think it was my fault she was retiring? It was of her own free will to do so! Suddenly, he sprang up from his seat and headed up towards the stage stairs, stepping up on each one hard, stomping until he reached the top. He was heading towards me, his face looked extremely harsh…I didn't know what he was going to do. I froze. He didn't stop until he so close to me he was almost touching. Finally he spoke, giving one quick glance to Charon who was behind the curtains now before turning back towards me.

"You know, just because your young doesn't mean I'm going to treat you nicely. I'm not very impressed by what I see and I doubt you'll even be sub par to what Charon has provided the city of Midgar all these years."

G-great. It was more backlash. I was getting sick of it, I didn't know why everything had to do with my age these days. I couldn't help how old I was, it wasn't something I could control. It was frustrating! I felt like I was going to explode. One of my hands clenched into a fist, where did he get off talking so crudely to me? What an ass. I didn't care if he did provide for all of us, he could at least be a little more nice. Jeez. Mr. President.

"Where the hell do you get off telling me such things? You haven't seen me in action yet, I don't think you are one to be talking. LISTEN, just because your favorite decides to retire--which I'm sure half of it is due to the fact she can't stand YOU doesn't mean you be an asshole to me! It's just proof you can't buy someone with gil!"

There I had done it. SMACK! I felt his hand hit quickly against my face, for a moment I couldn't even think. I just brought both of my own hands up to my face as I felt the stingy pain against my cheek. He had hit me, hard. I heard him laugh as I tried not to cry.

"Watch your mouth, you little bitch. If you think that's all your getting for what you said to me, you got another thing coming to you."

With that he turned away, and headed out towards the auditorium doors. Everyone stared at me in dead silence until he had slipped away and was positively for sure gone. Then--I heard cheers…I felt a little better. But what had he meant by I had another thing coming to me?

………………………………...

Damn it all. My eyes were already slowly shutting and the play hadn't even started yet. As I waited, I could tell it was getting close. I saw the curtains slowly sway back and forth even though they were closed. The curtain men were on each side, no doubt about it.

I needed to stay awake. I wasn't exactly interested in the play itself, I had seen a movie version of it before and read the play back in days of my school hood. To be honest, I didn't see what people raved about…it was a bore. No, I was more interested in the girl…there was something mysterious about her, something I couldn't put my finger on. Was it the overall non-brat like attitude she had? Possibly. But…there was just something that made me entranced by her, I needed to see her again and I wanted to know more about her.

Suddenly the curtains slid open, the dim lights that surrounded the auditorium turned off completely and the focus was completely up on the stage as lighting was directed on one single figure alone. I placed my hand on the arm rest tightly. It was her. But why was I so surprised? Shit. She was the main gal' in this afterall I needed to stop, damnit. What was wrong with me? The crowd had came to a complete silence, and with a quick glance around the room I could tell they were watching her every single move, some most likely, were even wishing for her to screw-up. Fucking asses.

She started to step forward, in that long and elegant dress she wore and began to sing. I hadn't exactly realized it until now, but her voice had been rather high-pitched. Not so much in a shut your goddamned mouth way, just she had seemed extremely perky with each word she spoke. Her voice was defiantly pleasing, and she had hit all the high-notes dead on. From what I could tell, she was defiantly competition in a few departments already. Beautiful porcelain white skin, petite but still curvy, and a pleasing cute fresh face. She had the looks down. --And she was still growing….damn. I wasn't exactly sure how old she was, but she didn't look any older then about 14 or 15 tops. She'd be a bombshell when she was older for sure. I shook my head a bit as the audience started applauding as the first song came to an end. I followed suit. She was trying her best not to look extremely happy during such a serious moment in the play, but looking closely, I saw her beam--just a bit. She was proud, she deserved the right to be.

"Way to go kid, you're doing your best."

I murmured to myself. I couldn't help but smile a bit out of the corner of my mouth. I was happy for her. All of the pressure to do so well must have been hard on the poor little thing. If things kept going as well as they were she'd be the talk of Midgar and then some.

I didn't think anything could go wrong for her…I guess, I thought that too soon. I noticed her turning her face towards the wall and curtain on the left side of the shade, she had started a new number but something was wrong…she looked like she was expecting someone…who wasn't coming. In-between her vocals…there was supposed to be a male vocal. I remember! --It was part of the play--and the movie that I hadn't fallen asleep in! Well…that was because it was at the start. Everything after that…is unclear. But !#$! Still!

The crowd started to whisper to each other, a lot of them knew that something had gone wrong too. But what exactly? Then I heard it…screams from the back of the stage. WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON? Then I saw it…what had caused it. A cat-like figure had entered on the right side corner…

But that wasn't the worse fucking part. The fucking beast had something in its mouth, a man. I got a small glimpse of the wardrobe and recalled it as being the same clothes the man in the movie had worn while singing the song that was supposed to be happening now. No shit he hadn't appeared! The fucking Dark nation had gotten to him first! His whole body was limp, it wasn't a good sign. He looked more like a ragged doll then something that could be alive. It was horrifying, although I had seen dumb-asses get their selves killed before because they lack the ability to protect themselves well enough. This wasn't the place that monsters usually would show up.

It began to shake the guy in its mouth, yeah. He was dead. The cat then threw it out the side of his mouth and the figure flew through the audience. That there, was more then enough to send the whole crowd into a fucking stampede as they began to rush out of their seats and ran their asses right of the doors screaming all the way.

I noticed someone NOT moving though. Of all people, it appeared Sakura was frozen up on stage. --And with the animal looking straight at her, I think I knew who he wanted to make his next prey.

I didn't have my trusty spear with me. Nor did I have any materia equipped to any armor. Shit. But I knew I had to do something…or at least die trying. I wasn't exactly a fan of using my fists or my feet, especially against a monster that had claws and sharp teeth. I got up from my chair and ran up to the front of the stage, grabbing hold of top and pushing myself up quickly onto it, darting past Sakura's frame and in-front of her. I didn't really know what she'd think of me.

"Sorry. Looks like your night isn't going to go as smoothly as you or I had wished for. But--at least I can help you get out of this hellhole. Any idea why a big black sonvabitch like this beast would be around these parts?"

Okay. I wasn't exactly the coolest of guys to save a cute innocent young girl from impending death. But I was trying. Something told me this was going to be a long night, even if we both survived.