A/N : Alright. This is the next song. And this is one helluva song! At least in Guitar Hero it is.
Disclaimer : I don't own anything except this story and my characters
Chapter 13 : Through the Fire and the Flames, We Carry On!
Tails' Lab was once again crowded, as if there was something big going on. Well, if you call playing Guitar Hero big thing. But that wasn't actually the main reason why people gathered in the lab.
It was actually the song.
Tails had set up the screens and the controllers. He wasn't going to be the one playing it though. He was actually glad that he wasn't his brother.
The players were getting prepared for the song. Eclipse was testing his guitar controller. Molly was practicing her drumming skills. Starlight was memorizing the lyrics and pitches of the song. Levinski was tapping his strum buttons as fast as he could to practice the snakes.
Tails then leaned from the nearest wall, "Guys, the crowd is waiting"
"About time!" said Eclipse, "Let's rock the stage"
Levinski [Guitar] - Eclipse [Bass] - Molly[Drum] - Starlight [Vocal] – Through the Fire and Flames by DragonForce.
The stage was covered with cheers as the semi-fictional band came to stage. "You know, it now feels like the real thing." Said Molly
"Well, for me it's the real thing." Replied Starlight.
"Alright we gotta start now. And don't let the crowd down" said Eclipse, "This is one of the hardest songs"
The one-way holographic game screen was shown. The fretboards were shown, as well as the vocal highway.
The first section was full work for Levinski. A horde of notes came to sight, and they were all separated by green notes. The trick was simple, yet must be done flawlessly. By holding green notes, he tapped the other notes. He was glad this was Smash Hits, not Legend of Rock. In Legend of Rock, he must actually tapped it without any mistake, but since Smash Hits support the neck-slider system, he didn't have to strum on the section.
But damn it was really hard!
The others were resting. They only had one note every several seconds. Molly had freeform in-between her notes. She filled it with small cymbals.
Starlight soon had freeform as the second part of the section. She followed Levinski's guitar as the freeform with hums.
Soon the hammering was ended with fast zig-zags, followed by small snakes of notes that changed pitch over time. The common thing was that they were always separated by green note snakes. Levinski just held the green notes and press-release the other notes repeatedly, also strumming it as fast as he could.
Starlight hadn't started yet, but she had a hype section on the beginning of the part, helping the Rock 'o Meter. She just filled the Hype section by whooping.
Molly almost missed the notes, as the rhythms of the section were so hard to follow. She was able to follow up with the pedals though. Strangely enough she hadn't made the song drum-less at all.
Eclipse were the easiest after Starlight, as his notes were constant, at the beginning that is. After the pedals, the notes became small snakes and followed by 8 note of non-hammering diagonal pattern which ended with pedal.
The part repeated again, but this time ended the different way. Simpler but faster for Molly, similar for Eclipse, two note zig-zag on the end for Levinski, not much of a difference for Starlight, but her verse came next as the drums went to freeform.
# On a cold winter morning
in the time before the light
In flames of death's eternal reign
we ride towards the fight #
The instruments became more intense and vicious as the second part of the verse came, with the exception of Eclipse's bass part, which was constant. Levinski's guitar part wasn't that hard as it was mostly yellow snakes separated by several chords and higher notes, so he didn't have to pull off the yellow fret. The hardest part was played by Molly, who was trying to get the rhythm right, almost overbanging the drums.
# When the darkness has fallen down
and the times were tough all ri-ight
The sound of e-vil laughter falls
around the world tonight #
The finishing touch from drum and guitar was kinda hard, but Eclipse was having fun strumming the blue notes repeatedly in a quite long period, for the song that is. While Molly had to use two sticks to bang the drums and two feet to stomp on the pedal, Levinski had a chord zig-zag, and was only motivated by the existence of Star power Notes.
Speaking of Star Power, Starlight activated the star power of her mic soon enough.
# Fighting hard! Fighting on for the steel!
Through the wastelands ever-mo-re!
The scattered souls- will feel the Hell bodies
wasted on the shore! #
As the guitar part was a bit relaxed, Bass and Drums were filled with pedal rampage. Levinski was then faced with neck-slider zig-zags, while Eclipse was faced with blue snake.
# On the blackest plains- in Hell's domain
We watch them as they go-o-o
In fire and pain- and once again
we know~! #
It was then a full work of guitar, with neck slider similar to the trademarked intro pattern. The drum and bass fret board was empty for a while, until Levinski went to 2 hold chords then small chord zig zag and another hold chords. Eclipse's part was constant as always, and Molly's was still filled with red orange pedal bar pattern.
# So now we fly ever free-
We're free before- the thunderstorm
On towards the wilderness
our quest- car-ries on… #
After nailing the snakes for drum and guitar, and the non-hammer zig-zag for bass, the pattern was half-repeated.
# Far beyond- the sun-down
Far beyond- the moon-light
Deep inside our hearts
and all our so~uls! #
A brief moment of silence went for drums and bass, but the challenge was met by guitar, not really, just some diagonal neck-slider. Molly activated her Star Power to increase the scores.
# So far awa~y
We wait- fo-r the da-ee-ay~!
For the lives- a-ll so wasted- and go-ne! #
Another rampage of pedal for drum, and red snake for Guitar. It was then followed by another neck-slider time for guitar and snakes for drum and bass. Eclipse almost literally destroyed his guitar on the strumming rampage, as well as Molly almost crushing the drums.
Of course if either of that happened, the show will be over before even half of the song was finished.
# We feel the pai-n of a life-time
lost in a thou-sand days
Through the fire- and the flames
We carry o-n! #
Levinski took over the melody as Starlight finished her first chorus, although she then joined with freeform section. Eclipse was, like the most of the time, strumming repeatedly on the constant notes. And Molly was still banging her drums like crazy.
The song was silenced as Levinski hit the highest note. Molly was filling the freeform with small cymbals again, quiet that it could only be heard when you really paid attention.
The verse came again, and the period of drum and guitar was longer than usual.
# As the red day is dawning
And the lightning cracks the sky-y #
The funny thing was, as Starlight spoke 'lightning', Molly got a Star Power. If the song wasn't intense and vicious, she would've been laughing at the pattern now.
# They'll raise their hands to the heavens abo-ve
with resentment in their eye-s #
After Levinski finished taking over with his neck slider, the verse pattern came back.
# Running back- through the mid-morning light!
There's a burning in my heart
We're banished from a time, in a fallen land
to a life beyond the stars. #
After the verse was coming to an end, the pedal rampage came to torture the feet of the bassist's and the drummer's.
# In your darkest dre-ams, see to believe-
Our des-tiny, this ti-me #
The separation between the sections were a bit different, almost caught everyone off guard.
# And endlessly-, we'll all be free to-ni~ght! #
Levinski's neck slider was now falling down instead of rising up like before, but it was all the same for him.
# And on the wings- of- a dream
So far- beyo-nd re-ality
All alone in desperation
Now the time has gone
Lost inside, you'll- never find
Lost withi-n my own mind
Day after day this misery must go o~n! #
The rest was practically the same, so everyone wasn't having much of a trouble, other than trying to keep their multiplier in the ludicrously charted song.
# So far awa~y
We wait- fo-r the da-ee-ay~!
For the lives- a-ll so wasted- and go-ne!
We feel the pai-n of a life-time
lost in a thou-sand days
Through the fire- and the flames
We carry o-n! #
Although the next snake had some differences, as the hold note was a bit cut on the guitar, everyone was still keeping their multiplier to its topmost point.
The post-chorus solo was kinda different, but the basics were the same. It was a bit longer, and kinda hurt the hands, and legs for drums.
As the song was silenced again, Molly decided not to fill up the freeform, until the notes came to Eclipse and Levinski. She then quietly banged the drum, as the song was still silence.
# Whoa-oo-oo…
Whoa-oo-oo!
Whoa-oo-aa-oo-oo… #
Although the sudden tight note in the second part almost caught Eclipse and Levinski off guard, they were still able to keep the multiplier and the already-so-high band note streak.
The challenge was then met by Levinski, as he had a zig-zag neck slider
# Whoa-oo-oo…
Whoa-oo-oo!
Whoa-oo-aa-aa-oo… #
The trademarked slider came for Levinski again. Then it was an intense solo fight. Eclipse was already used to long period strum, and now he had to deal with the snakes. The guitar was more of a zig-zag snake, while the drum was slow for a while, then filled with pedal bars. Molly could've sworn she'd break the drums any moment now.
A melodious instrumental solo came, while the bass and drums still retained the pattern, Levinski had to deal with the randomized note pattern.
The previous pattern came back, but the next one is a whole different pattern, and was not as fast as the last one in the beginning. While drum still retained the pattern, the bass had several hold notes.
Levinski then had to tap his way through a random slider, almost failing to keep his FC condition.
The bass and drum went silence, hitting one note per break, but the guitar was still playing in a slower melody. Before it was played again, a small zig-zag came first. The bass and drum were still easy though.
Levinski was faced by another slider, while Starlight had a hype to increase the meter up. But then a similar, yet different-sounded pattern came, with hammer on instead. Drums and Bass played again, with a regular pattern.
After what seemed like an hour of painful hammer ons, a slower pattern came for the guitar, only for several seconds, then hammer ons came back for revenge, followed with neck slider. At the slider, Molly was forced to use two sticks to bang one drum.
Hammer ons came again, while Eclipse stomped on the pedal to acquire the bass pedal bar rampage. Slider came, with bass silenced for a second.
Well to wrap the situation up, everyone was doing their bestest to get the 'Goddamned Solo that totally raped our hands and feet' as Levinski called it, Full Combo'ed.
# [Freeform]
Whoaaah!
[End of Freeform (1249 x 2 : 2598)] #
Before the last pre-chorus came, Molly was forced to repeatedly bang the same drums, while Levinski had to get hammer ons and sliders.
Other players were relieved when Starlight sang again.
# Now here we sta-nd with their blood on our ha-nds
(blood on our hands…) #
Molly didn't fill her freeform to save her energy for the upcoming rampage. Everyone understood though. She had gone through a lot in the last six minutes or so
# We fought so hard, now can we understa-nd
(we understand…)
I'll break the seal of this curse, if I pos-si-bly can (Oo-aa-oo-aa-oo…)
For free-dom of e-ve-ry man! #
The sudden stop from Starlight was the cue for Levinski to play another intense pattern.
For a more feeling, everyone decided to get the star powers at the same time. The first part was same as the other chorus.
# So far awa~y
We wait- fo-r the da-ee-ay~!
For the lives- a-ll so wasted- and go-ne! #
The note became more vicious as Levinski followed the pitch of the vocal and Molly banged the drum faster than ever.
# We feel the pai-n of a life-time
lost in a thou-sand days
Through the fire- and the flames
We carry o-n! #
The ending was more like the second intro part. Levinski literally jumped on the stage before he started playing the vicious pattern on his knees. At the same time, once again the Star Power was activated simultaneously for the last time.
The ending of the second intro-like part was a zig-zag for Eclipse, full hammer on for Levinski, and double stick attack from Molly. Molly's part was becoming more relaxed as her note was just a long period same notes. As Eclipse's note was stable again, Levinski started the zig-zag chords, which was followed by almost-chord hammer on. His next challenge was sliders, while others rested with hold notes.
The song was finished with several zig-zag on all side, plus minor snake for drums.
/You Rock!\
The band literally fell on the stage, exhausted of the inhuman rampage, even Starlight, after singing with energetic voice, also fell panting on the floor. Molly was still able to raise her hand, with pinkie and index up to respond the crowd who went all wild after the band totally FC'ed the song.
"Encore! Encore!"
"No way, I'm not gonna play anymore until tomorrow…" muttered Eclipse. Everyone else just acknowledged it.
A/N : There we have it! Hope you enjoy the last inhuman rampage. LOLz