Lloyd's eyes widened almost as soon as he made out what the announcer said they were going to do. 'Sing? I can't sing! What's even worse is that I don't know WHAT to sing! And why didn't anyone tell us this was going to happen?' He then looked at the Vocaloids behind him, but only Rin and Len were looking at him. Their facial expression told him to remember, and after a second or two he remembered what they told him and his friends before they went on stage.
'They said we were going to have the time of our life after asking us if we had throat issues.' Lloyd began to realize. 'They were basically asking us if we could sing!'
Lloyd felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see who it was. Behind him he found both Rin and Len looking at him and pointing to a sheet of paper. The title was 'Remote Control', and it was sung by the twins that stood in front of him.
"Sing that." Rin commanded.
"You're up first, so once the others understand what they have to do the music will play and we'll leave." Len told him.
"We know that you know the lyrics, we have records of who buys what." Rin taunted. "So get out there and show everyone that you're having the time of your life!"
Lloyd was given Len's shirt microphone before they ran off the stage. He looked around and saw that the other Vocaloids were handing his friends paper as well, Miku in front of Kai, Kaito and Meiko with Jay, Luka standing by Zane, Gakupo giving paper to Nya, and GUMI handing her paper over to Cole. All of his friends then left with the Vocaloids, leaving him alone on the stage.
'I'm really glad that I took those singing lessons I found on the internet.' Lloyd thought as the audience quieted and the spotlight shone on him. He heard the first beat of the music play before singing the words to Remote Control the best he could.
" STOP and Dash and UP and TAL S(tart)! STOP and Dash and UP and TAL S(tart)! STOP and Dash and UP and TAL S(tart)! STOP and Dash and UP and TAL S(tart)! STOP and Dash and UP and TAL S(tart)! STOP and Dash and UP and TAL S(tart)!"
Right after Lloyd sung that part, he noticed that the lyrics weren't in Japanese. 'Thank everything for that, because I never finished my Japanese lessons.'
"This is the machine that remotely controls me. It's a bit awkward shape but it works."
The audience was cheering out as the lights changed to a yellow-green color that symbolized Rin's part of the song.
"UP SIDE DOW A! Left! Right! STOP and Dash and UP and TALK! No problem!"
The lights around Lloyd danced and flickered, resulting in louder cheers as he went into the next part of the song.
"It's almost got outside, but there's no way I can do that. Still still it's not enough. Foooooooo! Sittin' down sittin' down, oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH! Lettin' the body lie on feedback. Goin' around goin' around! Oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH! Buzzin' like a motor. Dancin' dancin'! Oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH! Goin' up with mashup without expectation! Beltin' Foooooooo! Out oh SINGIN' NOW YEAH! I wanna sing better than him!"
Because this song was originally meant for two people to sing, it was hard for Lloyd to say the last word. It was supposed to be Len singing her and Rin singing him, but this part repeated so he just went with Rin's part.
"This is the machine that can remotely control me, the instructions are missing but it works. UP SIDE DOW A! Left! Right! STOP and Dash and UP and TALK! No problem!"
The lights changed into a darker green tinged with yellow, which signaled that normally Len sang that part.
"A teasing look is on the face as always, I'm gonna bring it today okay? Now I'm gonna clinch at once. Sittin' down sittin' down, oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH! Puttin' a talk back on the head. Goin' around goin' around, oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH! Wait a sec it went standby. Dancin' dancin', oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH! Puttin' out the rhythm that just fits! Buzzin' aohhhhhhhh! Oh SINGIN' NOW YEAH! I wanna sing higher than her!"
Like how he sang him earlier, this time he sang her. The audience was in an absolute uproar at this point, and Lloyd was just caught up in the magic of the music that played, despite the fact that the song was about halfway over.
"Love and romance of seven-colored samurai, the existence of claimin' everythin' and anythin'. Misconception can be seen through in that manner, it's awe-inspiringly excitin'!"
The next verse was sung by both Rin and Len, so Lloyd took a quick breath before singing loud enough for it to sound like two people.
"Is "not-worrying" your policy? Even if I worry I'll get hungry! Anyhow anyway the world is healthy! Get a hold of yourself dull boy! Iii Iii! Uhh... WOW!"
The lights changed to a pure shade of yellow, and the audience cheered even louder at this point.
"The gap was almost filled, but there's no way I can do that."
That brief line was normally sung by Rin, so the lights twirled with yellow-green color around Lloyd before the last fraction of the song.
"Ah there isn't much time left now, sittin' down sittin' down, oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH! Lettin' the body lie on feedback! Goin' around goin' around, oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH! Buzzin' oh! Like a motor! Dancin' dancin', oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH! Goin' up with mashup without expectation! Beltin' aohhhhhhhh! out. Oh SINGIN' NOW YEAH! I wanna be the one like him! UP SIDE DOW B! STOP and Dash an STOP and Dash and UP SIDE DOW B! STOP and Dash an A! Sittin' down sittin' down, sit down please. Goin' around goin' around, turn it around. Dancin' dancin' dancin' night, beltin' out singin' now, I wanna be the one like her!"
Lloyd finished the song on the exact note, and the audience cheered louder than ever before. He broke out into a huge smile and ran off the stage so that the others could sing as well. Once he got away from the view of the audience Len handed him a water bottle.
"You'll need this, singing can take a lot out of you. We have more if you finish."
"Thanks!" Lloyd happily said before popping open the cap and guzzling down the cold water. He finished about half of it in one swig before finally taking a breath. He found a chair and sat down before he could hear the music from the stage. 'It sounds like Kai's singing 'Heat-Haze Days'.' He thought.
"On August 15th, 12:30 in the afternoon, the weather was incredibly nice. And amidst the sickening rays of the dazzling sun, I spoke with you, for I had nothing else to do. "Well, y'know, I kind of hate summer," You boldly murmured while petting a cat. Ah, you pursued that cat as it ran away from you, and what jumped out was the traffic light that changed to a glaring red!
"Suddenly, a truck came out of nowhere and struck you as you screamed! Your scent, now mingled with sprayed blood, choked me. In the haze of lies, the haze of heat laughed, "This is all real!" With that, like a cricket's sound being disturbed, the light blue of summer darkened away!
"I woke up upon my bed to the sound of a ticking clock. What time is it now? On August 14th, sometime past twelve in the morning I recalled the sound of an awfully annoying cricket. But, y'know, it's a little strange. Yesterday, in a dream, I saw us walking in this same exact park. "Why don't we go home now?" The second you stepped off the pathway, everyone surrounding us turned their heads up to the sky and opened their mouths!
"From the sky, down dropped an iron pole that pierced your body straight through. The sound of wind chimes and your ripping screams filled the spaces between the park trees. In this unnatural scene, the shimmering heat laughed, "This is the real thing!" As my vision blurred away, I glanced at your profile, and thought I saw you smiling! Countless times have had me black out in the laughing heat like this, this cycle has repeated for decades, I'd realized that a long time ago. In this kind of clichéd story, there must only be one ending. Beyond this repeating summer day, it has to exist.
"Suddenly, I pushed you aside and jumped into the street; at that moment, the truck slammed into me! Your eyes and my twisted body were like hazy reflections of the blood that sprayed everywhere If that praiseful heat haze laughed, "Serves you right!" again. Then this would be what you'd call a normal summer day. But all of that ended today. On August 14th, a girl awoke upon her bed and she said, "I failed this time, too…" as she cradled a single cat."
Lloyd could hear the loud cheers from the audience before watching Kai take a water bottle and begin to gulp the delicious liquid.
"Jay's next." Kai told Lloyd. "He's singing something called 'Eternal Paean' that was made by Kaito and Meiko. Let's hope he doesn't mess this up."
"A morning glow colors trailing white clouds, they calmly come flowing, signal and run through the heavens. Sounds of wind play awakening woods of a forest. (Then woods) shine, shake and sing the song of arrival! The singing voices of greens that breathe vibrate and the earth glows, making the permanent life root and spinning out endless time. The light which lights heavens goes round and enriches, the voices of many generations. (Then they) become clear (and now), lament, rejoice and shout, the dreams of past days, in a blink went by.
"Heading far beyond, it looks up the sky so deep! Heading far sky! A morning glow colors trailing white clouds, they calmly flow away, disappear and pass through the heavens. Sounds of wind plays blurring, woods of a forest. (Then woods) doze off, shake and sing, the song of peace! In the evening where darkness colors shining star lights, (Then star lights) fragilely twinkle, sway and light the night. The water sound plays dozing, woods of a forest. (Then woods) sing in the night that wafts and it now resonate, the song that spins out dreams... that song!"
Jay's song was shorter, but it was slower and lasted as long as the others. It was also more peaceful, yet the audience still cheered extremely loudly. Lloyd saw Jay rush down the steps leading to the room they were in before tossing him a bottle of water.
"Thanks Lloyd!" Jay told Lloyd with gratitude before taking a sip. I think Zane is up next, and he has Luka's 'Just be Friends'. Kinda weird of him for liking that song, don't you think?"
"Just be friends. All we gotta do, just be friends. It's time to say goodbye, just be friends. All we gotta do, just be friends. Just be friends... It came to mind in the early morning yesterday, As if I gathered broken pieces of glass! What the heck is this? Drips from my cut finger, is this what we really hoped for? I knew it at the bottom of my heart, the hardest choice would be the best! My self-love refuses it and repeats self-contradiction, when can I tell it to you?
"In the slowly decaying world, I'm struggling but it's the only way. Carving your faded smiles, I pulled out the plug! I screamed with my hoarse voice, rebound and resonance echo in vain. Nothing is left at the end of the unchained me. Coincidences that sticked us degenerates into the dark and are broken in pieces. "No matter what we do, life is just like that" I mumbled, somebody's tears flow down the dried cheeks!
"All we gotta do, just be friends. It's time to say goodbye, just be friends. All we gotta do, just be friends, just be friends, just be friends... Yesterday a tranquil night made me realize, it'd be useless to pick up fallen petals, because it'd never bloom again. It's tiny but already dead on my palms, our time stopped long ago!
"I remember the season we met first and your grace smile. Bringing up old issues, we hurt each other as badly as possible, our minds are full of thorns. With this continuous dull relationship, grievously I can't change my mind. I still love you, I don't wanna be apart from you, but I have to tell you!
"It's raining heavily in my mind, I'm stunned, I'm standing dead, my vision is blurry. Despite my determination, the pain is still penetrating. The bond between us has come apart and is dying away in every day. Goodbye, my sweetheart, it's over, we have to leave without turning back!
"Just once, just once, if I could have my wish to come true, I'd be born again and again and go see you on those days. I screamed with my hoarse voice, rebound and resonance echo in vain, nothing is left at the end of the unchained me. The bond between us has come apart and is dying away in everyday. Goodbye, my sweetheart, it's over, we have to leave without turning back, it's all over!"
Lloyd got the next bottle of water ready and tossed it to Zane as he entered the room. The audience seemed to be getting louder and louder as each of them performed, and it was starting to show. Security guards stationed themselves closer together and made it packed in the room because there were so many of them.
"I believe that Nya is next to perform." Zane told them. "She has the song that fits her the most, 'Dancing Samurai' I believe."
"Go kill yourself, scum! Dancing all the night on this dance floor, Excuse me for eliminating the men without rhythm! Dancing all the night in this rotten era, let's stir up a wave of battles, Viva Samurai! Hya! Above are those who rule, below are those who serve, Belonging to neither group, I keep on dancing! If you're born a man in this narrow Japan, Don't stop until you've overtaken the whole country. Overcoming all obstacles!
"Dancing all the night no matter what mix and rhythm; sorry, go kill yourself. Dancing all the night in this broken era, let's stir up a tempest, Dancing Samurai, Hya! There were some girls on the street, but as a newcomer, they're out of my league. I forced myself to talk to them, but they only ignored me! Ah, I'm lamenting that, so I'll just climb to the top as a warrior! Men standing in my way shall be slashed by my blade in an instant! Dancing at the place no matter where. As long as there's music, I can live a happy life! Dancing with your pace no matter what time, if you don't give it your best, you're a worthless Samurai, Hya!
"Dancing in your life even on my dying day. As long as there's music, there is happiness! Dancing all your life before that day comes, everyone will call me the Dancing Samurai, Hya! Dancing in the night on this dance floor! Excuse me for eliminating the men without rhythm, dancing all the night in this rotten era! Let's stir up a wave of battles, Novice Samurai! Someday I'll be a true Samurai, Sa-mu-rai, Go kill yourself, scum!"
Lloyd heard the loud cheers of the audience before giving Nya her water bottle. 'We only have Cole to sing next. That means he is singing something from GUMI, I wonder what it could be?"
"Cole has 'Shooting Star'." Nya said to Lloyd. "He also has the last song, so he has to make a good impression on the audience before the Vocaloids can perform. Let's hope he does a good job!"
"In the darkness of space, a shooting ray of light. Closing my eyes, I want to keep on praying, for the wish that I kept imagined stealthily. It's a shining just for a split second, but I feel the strong how it can be the "real." Soar through the space, the flame of star's spirit! I will send you the song of only me, the shooting star! Even if the moment is all its life given, in order not to give up wishing, I'll keep on praying! Somebody would be looking at the same sky, (But, there's someone who still doesn't know it.) Somebody would pray for the same wish, (But, there's someone who its wish doesn't reach.) Even if we have been able to get the happiness, someone would crouch beside us, and be crying!
"Yeah, you know. As long as everyone is dreaming, you never can sing the poem of only us. Soar through the space, the flame of star's spirit. Let's reveal everything, in order not to go out. The shining star! Even if the eternity has wrapped us up, to never stop advancing! Soar through the space, the flame of star's spirit! I will send you the song of only the moment, the shooting star! The light changes into your hope, and to be able to live strong, I'll keep on singing! I'll keep on praying!"
Lloyd watched Cole run down the steps after the incredible loud noise from the audience. He saw him take a water bottle before taking a quick gulp.
"That was… Interesting." Cole told them before sitting down on the floor. "The audience seems to have enjoyed us singing, even though we don't normally do that. Everybody out there is weird."
"You said it." Kai said to Cole. "But I think we're supposed to go up there for a bow or something. We might as well go out there before the audience decides to find a way back here and steal our hair and clothes."
Lloyd nodded and followed his friends back to the stage to let the audience scream one last time for them. He ran up the steps and turned to the audience, forming a line that faced the crowd. There seemed to be more security guards than ever, which he thought was strange. But he bowed anyway with his friends, resulting in the audience to call out their last cheer. However, after a few seconds of screaming, out came a gasp from the audience. He stood up straight and looked around, finding nothing until he looked up.
Above Lloyd and his friends was a hole in the ceiling that let wires drop down. The wires were evenly spaced and formed a rectangle around them with barely any spaces between the wires. Then came a pulse of electricity down the cables, and that electricity turned into a plasma barrier that trapped them within it. They were caged.
None of them had any time to react before the floor beneath them broke off from the stage, connected to the wires. They were lifted up and out of sight, with nobody being able to come and try to do anything. The security guards that once flooded the place disappeared as quickly as they came, leaving everyone confused and frightened at what was next to come.