Once More, With Feeling (2/6)

Author: Spark of Life

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Seto/Katsuya, Mokuba/Shizuka, Honda/Otogi, Yuugi/Anzu

Beta: Armageddon Angel (I still don't know why the guy puts up with betaing this. It may have something to do with his scary girlfriend. But seriously, he's a good friend.)

Spoilers: You will be spoiled with Seto/Katsuya goodness.

Disclaimer: Don't own. It would be better for the sake of humanity that I don't own this. But if I did, there would be a lot more romance, both het and yaoi.

Summary: Jou makes a very strange wish that has all of Domino Town singing. But not every song is fun and games. Some songs reveal one's innermost thoughts.

Chapter 2: Act I

The bright rays of sunshine started to peek through the window. It is Saturday morning. Apparently, the gang slept through one of the movies. But that's okay since there was still today and tomorrow for movies.

The gang was sleeping in the living room, dressed in pajamas. Mokuba and Shizuka were cuddled up in the loveseat. Honda and Otogi slept on the floor, with the dice-master's hand resting casually on the biker's chest, as if it had been placed there during the tossing and turning of sleep. Yuugi and Anzu were resting against the couch, the young duelist's head against the dancer's neck and her arms wrapped around him. Jounouchi was sprawled up on the couch, curled like a dog.

Since the couch is closest to the window, the sunlight hit the blond's eyes first. He winced at the bright light and then started to blink. Rubbing his eyes and pushing his golden tresses back, Jounouchi sat up and surveyed the living room. All of his friends were still asleep. That's alright.

He could make some eggs for his friends so they could get back to their movie weekend. Before that, he sniffed his underarm and grimaced. First things first, he needed a shower.

With the shower finished and himself in a white shirt and jeans, he went into the fridge and got the 24-egg carton. As quietly as he could, Jounouchi collected two pans and put them on the backburner of the stove. After applying cooking spray, he started to crack the eggs and turn on the stove. The sizzling of the stove started a musical interlude.

Good Morning to the World (sung as in an orchestra opening number)

/Katsuya/
As the sun begins soaring high
I begin to see the blue sky
Let the day shine so bright with its warm, glowing light
As I say to it, "Good morning to the world."

(He cracked another egg and started to beat them while twirling)

/Katsuya/
As my friends are still in their sleep
I will try to not make a peep
They're important to me as good friends ought to be
And I hope that will wake so I can say "Good morning, World"

(He moves to towards the gang, still sleeping in the living room.)

/Katsuya/
Yuugi, he's so brave but short
Anzu, always there for support
Honda, been friends since the womb
Otogi, I'll get him back for that costume

(Katsuya growled and narrowed his eyes at the dice-master)

Shizuka, she is my heart
Mokuba, well, to start
He's alright but his brother makes me sick
Kaiba's a … wait, this is just a teen fic.

(At the sound of Katsuya's singing, the gang starts to wake up, stretching out their limbs to get the sleep kinks out of them.)

/Katsuya/
So let my song burst forth
And let be from henceforth
May the day go so swell and may it not be like hell
As my friends and I sing

/All/
Good morning to the world

With breakfast made, the gang began to eat in the dining room, each talking about which movie they fell asleep watching.

Jounouchi, however, was confused. Did he just break out into song? That was very weird indeed. He looked at the gang; they were eating contently, as if nothing happened. Perhaps it was just in his imagination. Yeah, that's the ticket. I mean, how could he just break into song and none of the others realize what had happen?

"So, who gets the shower first?" Yuugi asked. This started a whole debacle of who should get the shower and why? During this, Jou slipped out of the house to clear his head.

He first started to walk quickly and then worked into a full jog. The blond started to think aloud. "I must have been imagining it." He reasoned with himself. "That's right. I must have watched The Sound of Music one too many times and I just started …" Jou really could not justify where that outburst came from. It was weird to say the least.

Jounouchi turned a corner and found himself near a dry cleaner. There was a man holding a black suit in a plastic wrapper on a hanger. Next to him was a multitude of similar people holding similar dry cleaning items.

They Got the Mustard Out (as sung in a final crescendo of an opera)

/Man/

They got…. The Mustarddd… Outtttt…

/All/

They got the mustard … Outtt

(The other people were twirling their dry cleaning in a flurry of colors and movement)

Jou's jaw dropped and he ran as far away from the scene as possible. "No, I did not see that. This is all a dream." He started hitting his head as if to awake but to no avail. He was awake and those people were singing. "There has to be a logical explanation to this." To his chagrin, his forte was not thinking but action, so trying to explain it made no sense.

As he was walking back to the Game Shop, something hit him, figuratively not literally. What will happen as people break into song? What will they sing about? This could be interesting, to say the least.

The bell atop of the door tinkled as the blond opened the door. Surveying the scene, he saw that Mokuba and Otogi were already in some new clothes, Anzu, Yuugi and Honda were still in the clothes that they slept in, which meant that Shizuka was in the shower.

Jounouchi was curious. Did anyone else notice that people were singing?

"Did you guys happen to notice anything unusual today?" he asked tentatively. The last thing he wanted was to be ripped on for thinking that people were singing. The blond wasn't even sure that this was real. So his question was something to test the waters.

"What do you mean?" Yuugi asked, looking inquisitively in the blond's direction. It was a strange question coming from Jou. What could possibly have him thinking like this?

"Ahh, don't worry about it!" That was the reassurance that came from Jounouchi. Yuugi was quick to notice that he was scratching his head in embarrassment. Whatever the blond was going to say didn't come out. Why, he wondered.

Through Yuugi's eyes, Yami looked at Jounouchi. He picked up something unusual in the air. It was really just a bad feeling more than anything but if Jounouchi noticed something about it, then it might be worth investigating. However, the first thing that he would need to know would be "Are they on the same page?" For now, he would just wait.

After everyone was showered and dressed, the gang started to go to the video store with all of the movies they had rented the night before. Jounouchi looked around, almost expecting someone to do a song and dance number. But so far, there was nothing.

Kaiba Seto was busy typing up a new program for a game that he was working on when his office phone rang. Looking at the number, he noticed it to be Izuro, Mokuba's personal bodyguard.

He answered the phone, putting it on speaker. "Speak, Izuro."

"It seems as though master Mokuba is heading out of the Game Shop with the others." The voice on the other end reported. "By the looks of it, it would appear as if he heading to the video store."

"Good work." Kaiba told him. "Keep your distance and continue following him. Make sure, above all else, that he does not see you."

There was a pregnant pause. And then, the bodyguard responded to his boss. "Sir, I know this isn't my place, but wasn't the whole point of this weekend a chance so that he could assert his independence. If I may be so bold, shouldn't you be allowing him to move towards his own path in life?"

Kaiba returned the pregnant pause. And then… "You're right!" he deadpanned. "It isn't your place." Then his voice took on a steely edge. "Now do the job that you are assigned to do or else I will find someone who will." The CEO disconnected the call and pinched his brow.

My Shining Star (A soft ballad, kind of like an inspiration song.)

/Seto/
It had to have started when I held him in my arms
I looked at that smiling face, and I fell in love
He's the one remainder of the life before it all
My shining star, when others seem to fall

(Kaiba got up and pulled out the card necklace that he always carried and opened the locket, revealing a picture of Mokuba. He smiled as fond memories started to drift by.)

/Seto/
When our parents passed away, I had to be a man
But as much as I could help it, I shielded you from that pain
And through all this, your smile, I can recall
Was my shining star, when others seem to fall

You were strong enough to laugh throughout the trouble
Yet never … hid yourself from me
Our happy days at that old orphanage
Came crashing down instantly

(The music picks up tempo as a bass guitar is strummed somewhere beyond the fourth wall. His face become scrunched in anger at the memories of that horrible man, Gozaburo)

The man, the Devil, I sold my soul to him
So you would be spared the shame
Enduring two lifetimes of shame and abuse
But for you, I would play his game

However, when his hand came down
On your innocent soul
I pushed that bastard out of our lives
And left him out in the cold

(The tempo returns to normal.)

I was worried then, that his taint would scar your soul
But you showed me that smile that banishes clouds away
You are the one that calms my squall
My shining star, when others seem to fall

(He sits down and closes the locket. Seto closes his eyes as if in resignation.)

And I know, I can't keep you to myself
I want to show you off to the world
To give you to the one you love
That very… special girl

And though I know that day is soon
It is so bittersweet
But please go live your life
It makes me more complete

So please for me, smile on that smile
Smile that smile for me and her
For me, continue standing tallllll
My shining star, I know you'll never fall

Kaiba typed a key on his keyboard to bring the computer out of standby mode. When that task was complete, he continued working on the program, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Atop the Domino Museum, a shadowy figure looked at one of the victims of his magic, a woman no older than 30 with red hair. She was in her last crescendo. When she was finished, she collapsed on the floor. Her body was lifeless, as if the essence of her very being was sucked out of her.

The demon smiled. It was all going according to plan.

Once More, With Feeling \Part 1\ (Read Author's Note at the bottom.)

/Demon/
So it begins, I know that he will be called
But I have him trapped, he's already been enthralled
Pharaoh, after all of these long years,
You will lose all the ones that you hold dear
The game's begun, and you, Pharoah, will fall

In a red light, the demon vanished, a fading laughter echoing in the distance.

Author's Note: First thing's first. The song, Once More, With Feeling, will be based on Sweet's Song in the Buffy Musical. It is the same tempo, and because I did like his character, it will be the same demon. But trust me, it will not follow the Buffy episode to the T. It will have its own flavor.

Second thing next, this fic was suppose to be in a contest for a puppyshipper's site, but, for some reason, perhaps because of the crossover idea or they just hate a straight male writing Yaoi, they refuse to post on their site. So you guys get in on this story.

Third thing last, I am not a song writer. Nor am I a musican. But I do have an ear for music, having roomed with different musicians in college and having a beta who he and his girlfriend are awesome singers. They helped me write the songs and gave it a beat. Perhaps, after this fic is down, there will be a soundtrack. But I'm not promising anything.

So show some love and leave me a review. That would make me happy. And remember, they got the mustard out.

P.S. For all of you Buffy musical fans, I put in my favorite song in this chapter. The mustard song, so random, just like my thoughts.