Disclaimers: I don't own Baten Kaitos, any television talent shows, the band Queen, (the goregeous) Constantine Maroulis, or Led Zepplin, but I do deserve the right to make Lyude look and sound drop-dead sexy!

Round 3: Lyude and Gibari

(Public service announcement for Azha Protector's Foundation ends)

Ana: Welcome back to the show! Four of our contestants have already performed, and only four remain. Get ready girls, because our next contestant from Mintaka is ready to sweep you off your feet with his crooner's voice. Singing selections from "Bohemian Rhapsody", give it up for Lyude! (Crowd cheers wildly as LYUDE comes on stage in his red shirt, black leather jacket, jeans, and black boots. He sits down at a piano and a band behind him gets ready, including GIBARI at electric guitar. Once set, the lights dim and LYUDE is bathed in a soft blue light. He plays the piano introduction with passion and then begins to sing in a beautiful Constantine Maroulis-like voice.)

Lyude: Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.
Mama, ooh, didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.
(People in the audience can be seen waving their arms from side to side or waving light Magnus.)
Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time.
Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.

(Grabs microphone and walks from piano to the middle of the stage. Sings with feeling)
Mama, ooh, I don't want to die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.

(GIBARI plays guitar interlude as LYUDE holds his note. Song transitions to part after the famous "Galileo" part and onto the other rock section.)

Chorus: Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me.

(LYUDE starts head banging to GIBARI's guitar solo and most of the crowd is on their feet bouncing to the beat and cheering. LYUDE sings in a strong voice)

Lyude: So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.
So you think you can love me and leave me to die.
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.
(LYUDE soon returns to the piano and the music becomes calm again as he plays the piano part. He gradually sings softer.)
Nothing really matters, Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me.

(LYUDE plays final notes while sustaining his own and allows the final chords to ring. Entire crowd stands up and give a standing ovation, along with girls' screams and various calls of "We love you Lyude!" LYUDE humbly rises from the piano bench and bows. Each of the judges try to calm the crowd down as ANA walks up to LYUDE.)

Ana: Now that was unbelievable! I've never heard anyone sing like that! Anyhow, Lyude, you are known all over the Sky as a very talented musician when it comes to instruments. What made you decide to sing instead tonight?

Lyude: Actually, it was my nurse Almarde who encouraged me to present an act that didn't involve just instruments. From the time I was a child, she taught me to sing as well as play music, and she would always compliment me on my voice. But throughout my childhood, I was afraid to share that talent because I was afraid I would get picked on. If it weren't for Almarde, I wouldn't be up here giving my first public singing performance. In fact…(Looks over crowd until he points to one of the first rows on the right) Almarde, will you please come up on stage? (A surprised and teary-eyed ALMARDE is urged onto the stage by friendly audience members. LYUDE walks over and helps her up onto the stage. Once there, the two embrace, and the audience cheers. ALMARDE stands back to look at her foster son)

Almarde: (wiping away tears from her eyes) Lyude, my darling boy! I'm so proud of you!

Lyude: (with a tear running down his cheek) You helped make it happen. Thank you. (ALMARDE returns to her seat and during a final applause, SKEED and VALLYE walk into the theater and head back to their seats.)

Skeed: (with sincere disappointment) Aw, we missed our brother's performance! I wanted to hear him sing!

Vallye: How dare you show any emotions at all! First you go laughing your head off like an inferior commoner, and now you feel sorry that we didn't see Lyude embarrass himself by singing like some non-Imperi-

Azdar: (Interrupting) Here, Skeed, I caught a Magna Essence of the performance if you want to hear it. (SKEED holds the magnus up to his ear. Within a minute he stars to cry.)

Skeed: (Sniffing) That's so beautiful! (VALLYE slaps SKEED hard behind the head and motions him to give the Magnus back and sit down. Just then, LADEKHAN starts to comment LYUDE)

Ladekhan: That was a very powerful performance! I can tell that you truly put your heart into it. You are by far the best performer we have had all evening! (Applause)

Corellia: Indeed, you have the ability to express your emotions and put on a beautiful performance. I would like to see you win this competition!

Giacomo: I would be lying if I said I was- (Crowd boos) Let me finish! I would be lying if I said that I wasn't impressed by that performance. (Crowd cheers) You are like a professional, though you'll have to hope this allows you to win back the hearts of those in Alfard. Keep it up. (Crowd claps and LYUDE walks backstage)

Ana: Well, the bar has indeed been set higher by Lyude. We'll have to see if our next performer, a Diadem native, can rise to the occasion. You've seen him rock with a guitar, and now, he'll be showing off his amazing drumming skills. I feel it's an honor to present one from my own country and one of my best friends, the one and only Gibari! (Crowd cheers wildly. GIBARI walks on stage in a tight muscle shirt that shows off his abs and black leather pants. He sits down at a drum set in the middle of the stage and whips out his drumsticks. After tapping a few beats with his feet, GIBARI begins a complex drum solo from Led Zepplin's song "Moby Dick". The crowd is amazed. AZDAR and REBLYS have to practically yell to hold a conversation.)

Azdar: That man is phenomenal, Reblys! How long has he been playing for?

Reblys: Ever since I can remember! We had to get him a drum set by the time he was ten, because he would bang on pots and cause a ruckus in all of Nashira! But that wasn't the main reason!

Azdar: Really? I would think a drum set would cause even more complaint!

Reblys: Yeah, but it was becoming hell on our blacksmith bills! (Focuses on stage again. GIBARI wraps up his solo with a bang, and the crowd cheers wildly. GIBARI gets up, bows, and walks over to ANA)

Ana: My goodness, Gibari! You really blew the audience away! As a friend, I already know a lot about you, but would you like to tell the crowd a little bit about yourself?

Gibari: (scratching head) Well, I'm not too good with telling life stories, but I'll give it a shot. I first discovered my love for rock music when I was about eight. Ana here had invited me to her mom's bar to watch a group called Cloud Magnus perform. From there on, I was hooked, and I would always scrape up money to buy the latest rock, alternative, or heavy metal Magna Essence, and sometimes I would play along to them. As time went on, I got my own drum set and electric guitar, and in my free time, I would perform around Diadem. And…that's about it! (Crowd cheers again)

Ana: Excellent! Judges, your comments, please?

Ladekhan: Let me just say for the record that I attended Gibari's first performance, and that he's come a long way since then! I often don't use this word as a king, but you did an "awesome" job! (Crowd cheers)

Corellia: That was quite fascinating! I was entertained the entire time, and I'm sure the audience was too. Nice work!

Giacomo: I fail to see the talent behind someone who just comes up here and bangs on cylinders and disks, that's just my opinion. (Audience boos)

Ladekhan: (playfully)Giacomo, I think the only reason you say that is because the concept of drumming is just to complicated for you! (Audience laughs)

Ana: Thank you, judges! One last time for Gibari, everyone! (Applause as GIBARI walks backstage) Coming up next, our final to performers Xelha and Kalas will show you what they've got before the voting lines open. We'll be right back after a word from our local sponsor, Komo Mai Cookies!