On My Own: The Next Karaoke Cantina Story

"Oh my, my, this here Anakin guy," Nami hummed to herself and as she shut the door to her watery room. Starr, who had invited herself in, was perched on the bed.

Nami kept humming various snatches of song as she cleaned her room a little. Starr got bored watching the champion water skier and began pouncing on random things. The kitten had "killed" a pillow, a dust bunny, and a rug when she moved on the more difficult things. Like the radio.

With a wild yell, Starr pounced on Nami's radio, turning it on. The Sailor Jedi frowned at the sheepish kitten, but shrugged. It was fine with her, because the song was one of her favorites. Nami grabbed a candlestick off her dresser and used it like a microphone, singing along with the song.

"Wow."

The sudden intrusion made her turn and blush. Joukuu was standing in her doorway with a load of laundry. "Wow!" he exclaimed again. "You've got the prettiest voice ever!"

Nami blushed. "You've got to be kidding."

"No! I'm not!" the knight gushed. He dropped the clothes and pulled something out of his pocket. "Look! There's a karaoke contest at the cantina! You should enter!"

The wave princess took the paper and scrutinized it for a while. "I... I guess so. Just don't tell anyone else!"

Joukuu promised that he wouldn't as he gathered his laundry up again.

"Oooo, look, Yuki! A karaoke contest!" Chouko squealed. "I want to go enter it!"

Peetie leaned over her shoulder. "Oh wow! That looks fun. There's even a cash prize or stuff prize in each category!"

A huge grin appeared on Renako's face. "Where do I sign?"

"Count me out!" Yoshiko exclaimed. "I'm not going to get up there and embarrass myself in front of that many people!"

Peetie grinned at her. "Okay. I'll embarrass you for you!"

"I want to go!" Mika exclaimed. She looked more carefully at the flyer. "Ooooo, 'Love Song Duets'! That's the one I want to enter."

Looking over the categories made Yuki's eyes twinkle. "I claim 'Sassy Country Songs Sung By Spunky Women'!"

Everyone stared at the normally serene senshi. "That's... unusual," Myou commented.

Soon almost all the categories had been taken by one senshi or another. Happily, the band gathered together and proceeded to the cantina where the contest was about to start.

"Joukuu! We're late!" Nami complained.

"Sorry," the boy apologized. "It's not my fault..."

Nami fixed him with a look that informed him in no uncertain terms that stopping for one more sweet cake certainly was his fault. If she was going to do this, she didn't want to be late! When they arrived, the first category - Sad Country Songs - was already performing.

"If you really wanna know she comes in here a lot, she just loves to hear the music and dance. K13 is her favorite song, if you play it you might have a chance..."

"Hey, look! It's Priire!" Joukuu exclaimed.

Nami turned around and headed for the door. Joukuu grabbed her arm. "No! I don't want everybody to see me make a fool of myself!"

The guy beside her grinned. "It's not everybody! Xarae's not here."

"Hi Nami, Joukuu!" Xarae exclaimed as she walked in. "Sorry I'm late."

Nami glared at Joukuu, who blushed.

"But don't ask her on a straight tequila night, she'll start thinking about him, then she's ready to fight. Blames her broken heart on every man in sight, on a straight tequila night," Priire sang, putting all of her heart into the song.

Out in the audience, Ippin frowned as a dark premonition tickled the back of her neck. She shrugged and went back to building a fort out of salt and pepper shakers.

"Then she won't need the salt or the lime anymore, to shoot that old memory down," Priire kept singing as Miyuki fidgeted. Priire was the last one in 'Sad Country Songs,' which was the category before Miyuki's category - 'Sad Songs.' Miyuki knew she had a pretty voice, but she'd never sung in front of any of the senshi before.

Priire waved to the crowd who was giving her a standing ovation. On her way out, Priire grinned at the other girl. "You'll do great!"

The ex-mercenary hung around backstage as Miyuki began to sing. "You were once my one companion, you were all that mattered, you were once a friend, a father, then my world was shattered," Miyuki sang. Several of the senshi shouted out encouragement.

A girl with black hair up in odango with the ponytails looped watched Miyuki sings. She's got such a beautiful voice... The girl shook her head. No! She betrayed me... Turning away from the stage, the girl disappeared into the shadows.

Priire accidentally bumped into another young girl who seemed to be following the black-haired child. The mercenary had seen the purple-haired girl blow a kiss to Miyuki, and was curious. "Are you lost?"

The girl's deep purple eyes widened, and she ran away from Priire. Priire took a moment to look herself over. "Funny. I didn't think I was that terrifying."

"You don't know the half of it," Ippin laughed walking up behind her.

"HEY!"

After a few more songs, the announcer told the crowd that the next category would be a more lighthearted one. Yoshiko groaned whenever she saw Peetie take the stage. "No, no, no," she moaned, looking for an escape.

Peetie offered none as he began singing a parody of "How Do You Like Me Now?" entitled "How Do You Milk A Bantha?" Yoshiko laughed at him as he sang slightly off tune.

Leaning over, Tashita sighed. "I feel your pain," she told Yoshiko as Kalil took the stage. Kalil promptly dedicated "Mrs. Reven Sudy" to Tashita, making her blush.

Priire propped a foot up on the chair beside her daughter. "At least he sings pretty good," the blonde joked. The girl stiffened. "Whoa. Look who decided to grace us with her presence."

Several senshi turned to look in the direction Priire indicated. Any of them who had significant others near instinctively moved closer to them.

"Kirei." Yuki didn't look happy. "Great."

Rather deliberately, Priire moved her feet into the only available chair at their table. Kousotsu put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't kill anyone."

Lys was in the middle of singing "Until" by Joydrop, so Annika hadn't noticed the intruder. Annika was busy cheering her head off. Lys might not have been the best singer in the galaxy, but Annika loved her.

"Kiss me, down by the broken treehouse," Ippin sang. Priire took time out from tormenting Kendren to holler her support for her twin sister.

"Nami... it'll be your turn soon," Joukuu said, excited. "Isn't this fun?"

Nami didn't look so sure. She was incredibly nervous. The water skier smoothed her white button-up shirt and glanced around. Mara had taken Ippin's place on the stage and was singing some song by Etta James. The jade-eyed woman won loud applause for her performance. As she got back to her seat, she noticed a familiar figure. "Luke! What happened? Did you get lost?" she asked, referring to the fact that he'd never come back to the table the last time they were in the cantina.

"Well..." the Jedi master grinned. "There was a crisis back at the Temple, and I got taken back to the future."

Mara didn't look happy, but hugged him anyway.

"Hey... Chikako!" Peetie shouted. "Why don't you go sing something?"

Chikako blushed. "No way! I'm not getting up there all by myself!"

Priire looped her arm around Chikako. "Who said you have to go alone?" Priire grabbed her twin and a few other senshi. "Let's go!"

While the group was busy singing "Wishin' and Hopin'," Myou was warming up for her solo. She wasn't sure how well she'd be received. Chikako gave the green-skinned girl a thumbs up as the group who'd been backing Chikako up got off stage. "Now... in the category of 'Bad Billy Ray Cyprus Songs', we have Myou!" the announcer exclaimed.

"Don't tell my heart, my achy-breaky heart," Myou sang. Kirei turned her nose up at the song, prompting Priire, Annika, and Yuki to cheer a little louder than they might have otherwise. Myou blushed in a deeper shade of green.

After Riku sang a song by Scruffy called "Angel" in the category 'Songs Ripped Of From Other People,' and Renako blew her competition away, Chouko got up. Everyone had heard the pretty brunette sing before, so they shouted out their encouragement. "Boku wa motto PAIONIA 'MAJIME ni yare!' to no," she sang. "Kotoba kiite orimasu, afureru shitsuren no namida mo, umi ni de rya SEKOI shiomizu, omoi nayami mo shinpai mo, uchuu dewa karuisa..."

Kirei watched Chouko with cold eyes, making the girl falter. In response, Priire casually flicked a piece of fruit at Princess Pretty.

"Ikiteru uchi ga yuuki no tsukai doki, boku wa motto PAIONIA, 'Ase wo naga se!' to no gekireio kaeshi shimasu, boku no hou ga MAJI desu..."

Priire looked innocent when Kirei glared at her.

On the other hand, Akki was getting himself in deep, deep trouble. "Nom... I bet you wouldn't go up there and sing 'See Ya Later, See Ya Later, See Ya Later'."

Nom very slowly raised one dark eyebrow over her black eyes. "Is that a dare?"

No one heard the pair's conversation because all eyes were glued on Yuki. Something about karaoke brought out Yuki's usually-hidden wild side. "Any man of mine, better walk that line..." The ice senshi was moving through the crowd, flirting and teasing any man in her reach. Ben blushed.

"I do not refuse dares," Nom informed Akki. That was when the younger boy began to realize he was in over his head. "However, if I take this dare, then there is something you will do." Nom leaned closer. "You will drink Mad Melf with myself and Priire."

Taking her eyes off Yuki's antics, Priire snickered. "You're in for it, kid," she informed Akki. "Mad Mrelf's this really potent lum... most spacers can't handle a fourth of a mug..." Priire kept laughing. Akki began to turn funny colors.

"Any man of mine!" Yuki finished in Ben's lap. They kissed, making everyone applaud.

"They shouldn't let you up on stage alone," Ben laughed.

"Let's see you try it next time," Yuki grinned. Ben just blushed.

More surprising than Yuki showing off her wild side was the fact that Xarae leapt on to the stage and grabbed the microphone. "Hanaga yukikai kazega fuki iroga maichiri higa tomoru kisetsuga nandomo meguttemo kono shunkanwa nidotonai!" she sang, making several males let out wolf whistles.

Nami grinned slightly. "You know, this place is turning everybody crazy."

Joukuu patted her shoulder. "Don't be nervous! You're up after Mika and Link."

"Mika's singing again?"

The blonde odango atama had been up on stage almost as much as Peetie, but unlike Peetie, she had some sense of singing on-key.

Joukuu nodded. "She's doing a duet with Link."

"Awww!" Nami frowned. "Isn't Rene singing something? I heard her talking about it."

The boy beside her shook his head. "She couldn't find a partner."

"That's depressing," Nami exclaimed.

Annika, hearing her leaned over. "What's depressing?"

Nami and Joukuu explained to the princess of love. Annika took it upon herself to find a duet partner for Rene. Priire suggested - with a smirk - a Jedi in black and green robes. Annika pounced on him and practically bullied him into singing with Rene. The man - Mic - glared at Priire, knowing she was behind it.

After Rene and Mic sang "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," Link and Mika got up to sing. Mika had caught the handsome knight singing and convinced him to sing with her.

"What if I told you?" Mika sang, not looking at Link, for fear she'd blush.

"What if I said?" he responded.

"That I love you?" they chorused, Mika finally turning to look at the knight. "How would you feel, what would you think, what would we do? Do we dare to cross that line, between your heart and mine...?"

Link reached over and touched Mika's cheek. "Would I lose a friend?"

She responded by looking up into his eyes. "Or find a love that would never end?"

"What if I said...?" they finished softly, still looking at each other.

"I'm not going," Nami hissed under her breath. "No, Joukuu...I'm not that good!"

Joukuu was not taking no for an answer. "After... all... I put up... with from you..." He pushed her out into the lights.

Realizing she was out on the stage, Nami took a nervous breath as the music started. She tucked a blue-green lock of hair behind her ear and held the microphone up to her lips. "On my own, pretending he's beside me," she sang, growing stronger when she saw Joukuu giving her a thumbs up. "All alone, I walk with him til morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me..."

"She believes her song," Annika whispered to no one in particular. "It's so... beautiful!"

"And when I lose my way I close my eyes." Nami closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, focusing out on the crowd. "And he has found me. In the rain, the pavement shines like silver; all the lights are misty in the river. In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight, and all I see is him and me forever and forever..."

Even Priire was moved by the song. The ex-mercenary crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, contemplating.

"And I know it's only in my mind, that I'm talking to myself and not to him, and although I know that he is blind, still I say, there's a way for us..." Nami let a small smile lift her lips as she sang. "I love him, but when the night is over, he is gone - the river's just a river. Without him, the world around me changes; the trees are bare and everywhere, the streets are full of strangers..."

Nami kept singing as the cantina rustled with quiet approval. She held the microphone tighter as she finished singing, "I love him, but only on my own..."

The wave princess took a bow as everyone roared their approval. Joukuu spun her around in a giant hug as she got off the stage. "You were incredible!" he gushed.

Nami laughed. "Thank you! And... Joukuu..."

He paused and looked at her, a little confused. "What?"

"Do you want to... go out sometime?" She blushed. "I mean, do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Looking happier than ever, Joukuu grabbed her in another hug. "Yes!" he shouted.

"Look what I have," Priire said, her eyes playful as she waved around a sheet of flimsy.

"Results!" Annika squealed. "The results from the contest!!" Chouko, Ippin, and Mika dove for the paper and began fighting over who got it first. With a falsely innocent look, Priire began to whistle as she produced another copy. "Myou! You won second!"

Myou looked surprised. "I... did? I didn't think I was that good."

Annika hugged her. "Yes, you are!"

Priire looked up from the paper. "Please tell me you're not going to hug everyone."

Producing a scrap of the destroyed paper that she and the others had been fighting over, Ippin shouted, "Priire! You won!"

"Lemme go!" Priire exclaimed, trying to pry Annika's hug lose. "Ugh. You are the...hugg-iest person..."

Annika giggled at her. "I know!"

Priire kept reading. " 'Songs That Make You Want To Go Out And Do Stuff': First Place - Xarae Sarin!" Priire grinned. "Yeah, that describes your song." Xarae took a bow.

"Renako... Chouko... you guys won!"

Chouko immediately proceeded to grab Pinku and twirl her around. "Yes! Next time anyone tells me I'm a klutz, I'll tell em..." Unfortunately, Chouko tripped at that point and landed on Pinku's head.

"I'll agree!" the kitten screamed. "My head!"

"At least it's hard," Chouko giggled. "I won!!"

Priire scanned down the page. "Yuki: First place in 'Sassy Country Songs Sung By Spunky Women'... anyone surprised?"

Yuki blushed.

"Hey, Miyuki won too!"

The twin cousins hugged. "I told you your voice was beautiful," Yuki grinned.

Miyuki laughed. "Thanks.

"Kirei came in second to Ippin," Priire grinned. "Shows her. And despite Mic, Rene and he won their category!" Priire ducked a pillow aimed in her direction. "Mika and Link, you too!"

Link grinned. "It was all Mika's doing, trust me."

Priire raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me for noticing, but Mika's voice isn't that deep."

Link blushed.

"It says here to pick up your prizes at the cantina," Priire noted. "Can someone get mine for me? I have to stay here and play house with Kleppa and Niji."

Everyone cleared out except for Joukuu and Nami. "Hey... Priire, what about Nami?" Joukuu asked.

Priire slapped her forehead. "I forgot! Here!" She thrust the paper into their hands and ran towards Kleppa. "Stop eating the crayons!"

Nami shook her head. "I can't look!"

Joukuu read the paper and looked up, beaming. "You won!" As an afterthought, he leaned over and kissed her. "Princess."