AN: I don't own any songs mentioned in this chapter. But I do love them to death.

September 7, Fall, Year 36

It's about time there was a decent festival around here. Ah, music festivals are always a blast.

Skye pulled a few strings, so that we can be in an official 'competition.' I find it odd that they're competing over music… it's supposed to be shared with everyone! Ah… I guess this means that we're not going to have brig group songs.

How disappointing. I bet these people could be really neat if they dropped some of their weird ideas.

To say that Claire was excited was a little like saying that rain was wet. Even in an unfamiliar land she couldn't help but be exuberant over the though of hearing and enjoying music. The kids were pretty much the same, and in fact the only person—well, people—not excited were Skye—who had seen it all before and was absently wondering how he would stay awake while waiting for their turn—and Meredith, who hated doing anything in front of large crowds. Family was one thing, strangers were another.

"So how does this work exactly Dad?" Lauren asked, propping her chin in her hands. "I mean, a competition? We don't have those back home you know…"

Skye chuckled.

"That's true. It's also why we're waiting until near the last minute to join the crowd of contenders. Some of them get vicious when trying to take or defend their title."

"Vi… no, I don't want to know," Claire corrected herself. "I think I can guess though. Miharu was talking about it yesterday and instead of lessons I got to help her make up as many beds as we could in the healer's ward."

Jamie and Lauren both winced, mentally making the connection. Alan and Mirei just shared blank looks.

Everyone was dressed moderately fancy, though not in Moon People clothing. They wanted to make a blanket statement, that they knew what they were doing.

Claire was wearing her Flower Festival dress, a dark pink sundress with a white ribbon sash. Lauren was in a purple version, and had actually let her hair down for once, and Mirei's simple t-shirt dress was a vibrant shade of orange, highlighting both the blonde hair and blue eyes. Meredith was in a little overall-styled dress that appeared to have been tie-dyed. (It had.)

Skye, Jamie and Alan were dressed in simpler fare, just better fabrics than the usual jeans and cotton. In blue, yellow and green respectively.

"As for how it's supposed to work, it's actually quite simple. Everyone gets thirty minutes to perform as many songs as they can. Mother, Daisuke and Yukiko will judge, and at the end they announce the winner."

"That's… surprisingly simple," Claire said after a minute. "Thirty minutes hmm…"

Skye chuckled, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"We've been practicing enough," he teased. "I think ours will be the most impressive in the show, yes? They'll be singing traditional mostly, but us..?"

"We're singing good music!" Mirei piped up, causing laughter to sweep through her family. "Not weird music."

"All music is weird to someone," Lauren noted, tossing her panpipes from one hand to the other idly. "Especially if they're not used to it."

"Yeah, but most music tries to make a story out of something else," Claire's comment was said around a mouthful of gold-colored ribbon. She was attempting to tie her hair back, a process made easier when Skye moved around behind her. "It's hard to pick out sometimes but even the flow of the music gives people the impression of a story."

"To be honest," Skye's smile was audible, "most of the performed music is supposed to be done along with plays and different types of theater, not alone."

"That explains more than it should."

Waiting was the easy part. Everyone wanted a last chance to go over their music, each in their own way and lost in their own thoughts. They would alternate singing with playing instruments, like they did back home, and the variety of music would probably be more than the Moon People were used to.

Soon enough, Skye stood and beckoned to his family. It was time to head out and join the rest of the noble People in the festivities.

It was a quick trip to one of the outdoor pavilions, a bowl-shaped arena that even Claire had to admit had some decent acoustics. The stone was gold-veined marble, with silver-white cloud-cushions, most of which were occupied. Down at the center of the bowl was an arena of sand, that sparkled in the ever-present light.

"Let me guess," Claire's mouth was right next to Skye's ear. "Diamond dust?"

"Got it in one," his grin was rueful. "Ostentatious, I know…"

Taking seats with the other competitors, they ignored the looks and whispers. Everyone had gotten very good at that after almost three months, even the baby of the family.

The opening of the competition was very simple. Queen Tsukiko, Yukiko and Daisuke stood in the center of the arena and waited for the crowd's focus, and subsequent silence. Once they had it, Tsukiko lifted a slim white stick—a conductor's baton—and gave a tiny flick.

Claire jumped about a foot as several brilliant flashes went off in rapid succession. Almost like fireworks, except more blinding. Lauren made a hissing comment about being blind, Jamie swore—then apologized as Claire and Skye gave him disapproving looks—Alan and Mirei both yelped and rubbed at their eyes and Meri… was sleeping. The child could sleep through anything, it had been determined, and since she didn't want to participate in the actual music-making she was excused.

But that was the official signal to start and once the royal trio had stepped out of the arena, the music competition began.

And it was long. Despite Miharu's complaints and the number of people who had been unable to attend because of injury or other foul play—Claire later learned that half a dozen people, including Hikari, had been poisoned. Thankfully all of them would live—there were still many competitors looking to have the title of Best Musician in Tranquility.

It was their equivalent of dinner time before they actually got their turn. And they weren't last by any stretch of numbers.

"This usually takes three days?" Jamie's shock was palpable. "Wow…"

"You have no idea," Skye's voice was dry. "Thankfully we don't need to be here for all of it, just our turn and the end ceremony."

"Well then, let's show them what we earthlings can do," Claire's smile was challenging.

Grins rippled through everyone as they took their place at the center. Meredith sat in their vacated seat, awake and excited for her family. Just because she didn't like performing didn't mean that she didn't love watching.

Lauren was up first as far as vocals went, and she chose what Claire had long ago teamed 'the farm's theme song,' Walking on Sunshine. Jamie and Mirei teamed up to sing Ave Maria, followed by Claire soloing Think of Me, one of her favorites from The Phantom of the Opera. Alan was tone deaf and knew it, but he loved to play music, and was wonderful with rhythmic instruments, so they played an instrumental piece, called Equis Faire.

The effect was… stunning. People who had been only feigning interest in songs they'd heard hundred or thousands of times over again started to sit up and take notice as Lauren sang her song with as much cheer and energy as she could muster. The pure tones of Jamie and Mirei made heads start nodding, even though Ave Maria wasn't the fastest song in the world. Married pairs exchanged looks when Claire sang, some smiling, some wistful.

And Equis Faire, even missing some of the instruments—it was one of those moments where Claire wished for Griffin and his guitar skills—had people clapping along with it, and sharing smiles.

Despite themselves, many of the People found themselves waiting with baited breath for whatever song would come next. They weren't to be disappointed, Skye and Claire joined hands, stepping forward. The song would be missing a great deal, the kids were substituting what instrumentation they could, but it really was a song that needed a full orchestra.

Skye took a breath, waited as eyes focused on the pair of them, then began.

No more talk of darkness, forget these wide eyed fears

I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you.

Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears.

I'm here, with you beside you, to guard you and to guide you…

Claire's smile was sweet as she responded.

Say you love me every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me with you, now and always.
Promise me that all you say is true.

That's all I ask of you…

It was sweet, it was sappy and it was the last song they had time to sing. It suited them very well.

The applause was… well, thunderous was the best way to describe it. Claire gave a mental shake of her head and promised to find some way to get more modern music up from earth. If they thought these songs were impressive, they would go wild with the variety that could be gleaned by a simple trip to a music store in a city.

"Your people are deprived," she whispered as they exited to their seats again, so that she could collect Meri who was bouncing up and down in glee.

"Tell me something I don't know," he whispered back. "Let's get out of here before we have to sit through the old stuff all night."

The comment was accepted unanimously—hunger and tiredness were no small deciding factors—and they slid away without a second thought.

I admit, I expected a reaction, but nothing as… extreme as that. Methinks Skye and Daisuke are going to be having long negotiations once we go home, about getting new music up here.

Heck, we might even be able to introduce them to some more modern tech… like, CD players. Among other things.

Blast, now I want to watch that movie! Rats, rats, rats.