"I'm gonna start on fire
'Cause I can feel your eyes on me.
You're burnin' with desire,
And love is in the air.
Ohh-ohhh. The sun's goin' down.
Ohh-ohhh. So turn up the sound.
Ohh-ohhh. Your heart's gonna pound
'Cause love is in the air.
Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa. Da-da-da-daa, da-da-daa, da-da-daa-daa-daa-daa.
Ohh-ohhh. Your heart's gonna pound
'Cause love is in the air."
Katie swayed her hips to the beat of the song that Adam sang from the snow hill that was the stage. It's been four days since Graduation Day. Night had fallen on the crowd of penguins that gathered on the large iceberg, and they were all moving to the lovely song that Adam had created. For the past four nights, the penguins have gathered on the iceberg to sing their graduation songs, and at the end of each night, when dawn shone on the ice, and snow, and water, they would go swimming once more. Katie, and her friends have been waiting for their turns to sing, and at last, tonight, they would be able to do so. On the Graduation Day, the crowd had chosen Katie, and her group, excluding Joshua of course, to sing as a kind of finale to their graduation, voting for Katie to sing last since she had the best voice of them all. To make the night even better, beautiful flags of flying, colorful lights lit up the sky, turning the ice, and water green, pink, and blue. And thankfully, although Joshua couldn't sing, he still attended each night to enjoy the partying.
Now, Katie, Taylor, Joshua, and everybody else stood in the crowd, dancing to Adam's singing as was everybody else... except, they were trying to resist from tap dancing. Katie could see that even Adam was holding back the urge to dance, but his swinging body told everyone that he was picking up the beat before his voice exploded into the air once more.
"We light up the nighttime!
And we live in a dream life!
Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa. Da-da-da-daa, da-da-daa, da-da-daa-daa-daa-daa!
We soak up the sunlight!
And we live in a dream life!
Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa. Da-da-da-daa, da-da-daa, da-da-daa!
I'm leavin' through the window
So I can hold you in my arms.
We're crazy, and we both know
That love is in the air!
Ohh-ohhh. The sun's goin' down.
Ohh-ohhh. So turn up the sound.
Ohh-ohhh. Your heart's gonna pound
'Cause love is in the air.
Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa. Da-da-da-daa, da-da-daa, da-da-daa-daa-daa-daa.
Ohh-ohhh. The sun's goin' down.
Ohh-ohhh. So turn up the sound.
Ohh-ohhh. Your heart's gonna pound
'Cause love is in the air."
Another moment of non-singing allowed the crowd to dance to the beat, creating noise all on their own. As Katie watched Adam, she enjoyed the way he moved his body to his words. When he said, "So I can hold you in my arms," he took a couple of steps forward with his flippers stretched out. And when he sang, "Your heart's gonna pound 'cause love is in the air," he put his flippers to his chest before raising them into the air, and flinging his head back to sing to the night sky. What she enjoyed most was how he moved to his "Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa." He would raise one flipper, and depending on how low, or how high the note of each "da" was, he would move his flipper to the beat. Now, as Adam stood on the snowy hill, swinging his body to, and fro, faster, and faster, Katie couldn't help but tap her feat to the beat. T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-tap-tap-tap-tap. When Adam's voice burst into the air again, she found herself jumping up, and down to the music, as was Taylor and Matthew while Mike, Andrew, Eugene, and Greg swayed their hips to the beat, and Joshua bobbed his head. The rest of the crowd was doing the same as them, but not as enthusiastically as Katie, and her friends.
"We light up the nighttime!
And we live in a dream life!
Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa. Da-da-da-daa, da-da-daa, da-da-daa-daa-daa-daa!
We soak up the sunlight!
And we live in a dream life!
Daa-da-da-da, da-da-da-daa. Da-da-da-daa, da-da-daa, da-da-daa-daa-daa-daa!
Love is in the air!"
Suddenly, Adam stopped swinging his body, and stood motionless for a moment, his flippers slowly moving down to his sides. The beat was slowing down, and everybody stopped dancing as Adam brought his song to a close.
"I'm gonna start on fire
'Cause I can feel your eyes on me.
You're burnin' with desire,
And love is in the air."
Cheers, and woots filled the air along with the sound of clapping flippers. Adam straightened up, and looked around at the crowd with a smile on his beak, looking breathless. He gave the crowd a shy nod before making his way back to his friends, who greeted him with praise.
"Adam, that was just amazing!" Taylor exclaimed.
"Loved the way you danced, bro!" Matthew praised.
"Unfathomable!" Eugene said breathlessly.
"I could see you were trying to resist dancing," Katie teased him.
Adam gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Well," he said, "once you start singing, it's kinda hard to resist dancing."
"You should've seen Katie near the end," Mike said. "She couldn't resist, and starting dancing."
Katie turned around, and saw Mike mimicking her by flailing his feet in the snow, kicking it up into the air. "Oh, ha ha, very funny, Mike," she said sarcastically.
They had been so busy praising Adam, and teasing one another that the group of dancing penguins didn't hear the announcer tell everyone who was up next until Katie saw them walking to the stage. She recognized them from her class. The slim one, Alan, and the bigger one, Thomas.
"Alan and Thomas?" Katie whispered to Taylor, and chuckled. "I remember when they would beat each other up over sharing the same song."
Taylor shrugged. "Maybe they decided that sharing a song isn't that bad," she said. "After all, look at Mike, and all them. They're five penguins, for Guin's sake!"
Katie laughed. Sure enough, Alan and Thomas had become close friends over the months, still sharing the same Heartsong, but they seemed to have decided that they could create greater music together. Now, as they walked up onto the stage, Alan released a stream of "Da-da-da-da-da-da-daa-da", which seemed to create the beat to the song. Once they got on stage, Alan quit singing, but swayed to the beat as Thomas took over.
"Yeah!
Just wakin' up in the mornin', and to be well.
Quite honest with ya, I ain't really sleep well.
You ever feel like your train'a thoughts been derailed?
That's when you press on, Lee nails.
Half the population's just waitin' to see me fail.
Yeah, right. You're better off tryin'a freeze Hell.
Some of us do it for the females,
And others do it for the retail.
But I do it for the kids life threw the towel in on.
Every time you fall,
It's only makin' your chin strong.
And I'll be in your corner like Mick, baby,
'til the end or when you hear that song from that big lady.
Until the referee rings the bell,
Until both your eyes start to swell,
Until the crowd goes home, what we gonna do ya'll?"
Then, as if a silent signal passed through them, Thomas quit singing, and bobbed his head to the beat as Alan raised his beautiful voice into the air, lifting his flippers into the air.
"Give em hell. Turn their heads.
Gonna live life till we're dead.
Gimme scars. Gimme pain.
Then, they'll say to me, say to me, say to me
'There goes a fighter!
Oo-ooo-oooo!
There goes a figher!
Oo-oo-ooo-oooo!
Here comes a fighter!
Oo-ooo-oooo!
That's what they'll say to me, say to me, say to me.
'This one's a fighter!'"
By now, the entire crowd was bobbing their heads, and swaying their hips to the beat, exclaiming "Oh!" after Alan sang the word "fighter", adding to the music. Then, Alan ceased his singing, and Thomas took over once more.
"And if I can last thirty rounds,
There's no reason you should ever have your head down.
Six foot five, two hundred, and twenty pounds.
Hailing from rock bottom, loserville, nothin' town.
Text book version of a kid goin' nowhere fast,
And now I'm yellin' 'Kiss my ice!'
It's gonna take a couple right hooks, a few left jabs
For you to recognize you ain't really got it bad.
Until the referee rings the bell,
Until both your eyes start to swell,
Until the crowd goes home, what we gonna do ya'll?"
Once more, Alan's voice rose into the bright night sky, but this time, Thomas echoed what he sang while the crowd still continued to exclaim "Oh!" after every "fighter".
"Give em hell. Turn their heads.
Gonna live life till we're dead.
Gimme scars. Gimme pain.
Then, they'll say to me, say to me, say to me
'There goes a fighter!
Oo-ooo-oooo!
There goes a figher!
Oo-oo-ooo-oooo!
Here comes a fighter!
Oo-ooo-oooo!
That's what they'll say to me, say to me, say to me.
'This one's a fighter!'"
Suddenly, the singing ceased, and Thomas yelled, "Everybody, put yo flippers up!" and the crowd raised their flippers, clapping to the beat while Alan sang "What we gonna do? What we gonna do? What we gonna do?" After each sentence that Alan sang, the crowd would shout out "Hey!" to the sky.
"Tell me what we gonna do, ya'll!" Thomas exclaimed, looking ready to burst with happiness.
Alan sang louder, and the crowd's shouts grew. Katie felt the energy of the song in her chest, and she was ready to start singing along with Alan and Thomas, but she managed to contain herself. This was their song, and she wasn't going to ruin it by joining in with them. As Katie closed her eyes, drinking in this wonderful moment, Thomas began singing with Alan exclaiming "Get up!" and "Come on!"
"If you fall get yourself up off the floor! (Get up!)
And when your bones can't take no more, (Come on!)
Just remember what you're hear for
Cuz I know imma damn sure!"
Alan's voice exploded into the air again, and this time, the crowd joined in on his "Oo-ooo-oooo!" while dancing to the beat.
"Give em hell. Turn their heads.
Gonna live life till we're dead.
Gimme scars. Gimme pain.
Then, they'll say to me, say to me, say to me
'There goes a fighter!
Oo-ooo-oooo!
There goes a figher!
Oo-oo-ooo-oooo!
Here comes a fighter!
Oo-ooo-oooo!
That's what they'll say to me, say to me, say to me.
'This one's a fighter!'"
Suddenly, as quick as the song grew louder, almost complete silence fell on the glacier. Alan ceased in his singing, the crowd quit dancing as Thomas wrapped up the song, singing quietly.
"Till the referee rings the bell,
Till both your eyes start to swell,
Till the crowd goes home, what we gonna do, kid?"
And with that, the song came to an end. A cheer rose into the air for Alan and Thomas while the two penguins nodded, and waved the their fans. After their moment of glory, and fame, they leaped down from the snowy hill, and walked back to their original place in the crowd.
Then, just as the energy was starting to slip away from the crowd, the announcer, who stood on a chunk of ice situated on the right side of the hill, raised his voice. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the night is coming to an end, but not until a group of talented young penguins raise their voices as one. Everyone, please welcome the talented Mike, Eugene, Andrew, Matthew, and Greg!"
A cheer rose into the air once more as Katie's friends made their way to the snowy hill. "Good luck up there!" Katie exclaimed after them while Adam waved a flipper at them. They gathered on the hill in their usual triangular formation with Mike in the middle, Eugene on his left side, Matthew on his right, Andrew next to Eugene, and Greg next to Matthew. Mike waved at the crowd before he, and the rest of his friends turned so that their back was to the crowd, and they stood still. For a long moment, they were silent, and the only sound around the penguins was the sound of the water splashing gently against the glacier. Then, all of a sudden, they raised their flippers into the air, clapping to create a beat, and at the same time, their voices erupted over the crowd as they sang a little ditty to get started.
"Laa-do-da-daa! La-da-da-da-da! La-da-da-daa-do-da-daa!"
Then, all at once, they spun around to face the crowd, Mike swaying to the beat, and singing while everyone else kept clapping to the beat.
"When Rome's in ruins, we are the lions, free of the coliseums.
In poison places, we are anti-venom. We're the beginning of the end.
Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds.
And it's all over now.
Before it has begun,
We've already won!"
Suddenly, Mike raised his flippers into the air, as did everybody else. As Mike continued to sing, everyone else in his group sang just half a beat behind, creating an amazing echoing effect while Andrew and Greg continued to clap their flippers.
"We are wild! We are like young volcanoes!
We are, we are, we are, we are wild! Antarctica, exotica!
Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby? Yeah!
Laa-do-da-daa! La-da-da-da-da! La-da-da-daa-do-da-daa!"
After that explosion of voices, they quieted down again, with just Mike singing, and everyone else clapping. By now, the crowd was dancing along.
"Come on. Make it easy. Say I never mattered. Ru-un it up the flagpole.
We will teach you how to make boys next door out of iceholes!
Heh heh heh.Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds.
And it's all over now.
Before it has begun,
We've already won!"
Once more, noise exploded into the air, but this time, the crowd raised their flippers just as the performing penguins were doing. As Katie raised her flippers, she could almost feel herself flying through the air, wild, and free.
"We are wild! We are like young volcanoes!
We are, we are, we are, we are wild! Antarctica, exotica!
Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby? Yeah!
Laa-do-da-daa! La-da-da-da-da! La-da-da-daa-do-da-daa!
We are, we are, we are! Baby, yeah! We are!
Laa-do-da-daa! La-da-da-da-da! La-da-da-daa-do-da-daa!"
Then, they froze. Besides Mike, everyone had their flippers to their sides, and their heads were bowed. For a moment, disappointment filled Katie at the fact that it was ending already. But then, noise blew into the air once more, and everyone else continued dancing.
"We are wild. We are like young volcanoes!
We are, we are, we are, we are wild! Antarctica, exotica!
Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby? Yeah!
Laa-do-da-daa! La-da-da-da-da! La-da-da-daa-do-da-daa!
Baby, yeah!
Laa-do-da-daa! La-da-da-da-da! La-da-da-daa-do-da-daa!
Baby, yeah!"
Silence fell on the crowd as Mike, and his friends ceased singing, but they continued to keep the beat for a few moments longer before coming to a halt. Cheers filled the air once more as Mike, and his group smiled, and waved as they made their way back to Katie, Joshua, Taylor, and Adam.
"I swear, no one can make music as good as you!" Katie exclaimed.
Matthew sighed. "It would've been better if we had danced," he said sullenly. Katie knew what he meant, and glanced at Joshua.
Once again, the announcer's voice stole over the crowd. "Alright, this night is coming to an end, but we've got two more beautiful penguins to sing for us, and wrap up the night. Ladies, and gentlemen, please give a big round of applause for Taylor!"
A cheer rose into the air, and everyone's eyes fell on Taylor, who looked around uncertainly. Katie felt concern for her friend. Ever since she first sang in class months ago, Taylor's been afraid of singing in public. She told Katie that she felt as if she was showing off her voice, trying to be better than Katie was.
Katie approached her friend, and rested a flipper on her back. "Come on, Taylor. You'll do fine," she said, hoping she sounded reassuring.
Taylor looked at her, and nodded before slowly making her way to the stage. Once she got up there, she stood rigid as if she wasn't sure what she was going to sing.
Oh, no, Katie thought. The stage fright is setting in! Taylor stood there, glancing from penguin to penguin as they encouraged her to sing. Come on, Taylor, sing! She didn't want her friend to embarrass herself. It would ruin everyone's night!
Then, an idea came into Katie's mind. She spun around, and pushed her way through the crowd until she was standing behind it where no one would be paying attention to her. Making sure she was in Taylor's view, Katie lifted her foot, and tapped it, creating a beat for Taylor. T-t-t-tap tap tap tap tap tap tap. As she continued the beat, she saw Taylor stretch her neck up slightly. She had spotted Katie. Yes! Come on, Taylor! Sure enough, Taylor smiled, and slightly bobbed her head. Then, just as Katie began to pick up the beat, Taylor took a deep breath, and began to sing, her voice quiet at first, but quickly growing louder.
"Do you ever feel
Like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind,
Wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel,
Feel so paper thin,
Like a house of cards, one blow from cavin' in?
Do you every feel
Already buried deep?
Six feet under screams,
But no one seems to hear a thing!
Do you now that there's still a chance for you,
'Cause there's a spark in you?
You just gotta ignite the light,
And let it shine!
Just own the night
Like the fourth of July!
'Cause, baby, you're a firework!
Come on! Show em what you're worth!
Make em go "Oh-oh-oh!
As you shoot across the sky-y-y!"
As Katie began to pick up the pace, happiness, and relief filled her as a smile spread across Taylor's beak, and she threw her head back, raised her flippers to the dancing lights above, and puffed out her chest as her powerful voice came out, encouraging the crowd to dance.
"Baby, you're a firework!
Come on! Let your colors burst!
Make em go 'Oh-oh-oh!'
You're gonna leave em all in awe, awe, awe!"
Katie slowed the beat down, and Taylor, matching up with the beat her friend was creating, slowed her singing, and grew slighly quieter.
"You don't have to feel like a waste of space.
You're original, cannot be replaced.
If you only knew what the future holds.
After a hurricane comes a rainbow.
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed,
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road!
Like a lightning bolt, you're heart will glow,
And when it's time, you'll know.
You just gotta ignite the light,
And let it shine!
Just own the night
Like the fourth of July!"
Once more, Taylor's voice exploded into the air, and Katie picked up the beat, tapping her feat furiously on the ground.
"Cause, baby, you're a firework!
Come on! Show em what you're worth!
Make em go 'Oh-oh-oh!'
As you shoot across the sky-y-y!
Baby, you're a firework!
Come on! Let your colors burst!
Make em go 'Oh-oh-oh!'
You're gonna leave em all in awe, awe, awe!"
Suddenly, Katie found herself spinning in circles, mouthing the lyrics to Taylor's wonderful song, her feet still clicking away on the ice. Her eyes closed tight as she tried to contain her energy, she didn't realize that Joshua, Mike, Adam, and the rest of the group had joined her at the back of the crowd until she opened her eyes, and saw them surrounding her. As they danced behind the crowd oblivious to their dancing since they had started to sing along, Katie saw Taylor focus her eyes on them, and her smile grew even wider.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon!
It's always been inside of you, you, you!
And now, it's time to let it through-ough-ough!
Cause, baby, you're a firework!
Come on! Show em what you're worth!
Make em go 'Oh-oh-oh!'
As you shoot across the sky-y-y!
Baby, you're a firework!
Come on! Let your colors burst!
Make em go 'Oh-oh-oh!'
You're gonna leave em all in awe, awe, awe!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon!"
As Taylor brought her song to a quick end, so did the group of tap dancing penguins bring their dancing to a halt. They slammed their feet on the ice once last time, and stood there, panting. Taylor stood on the stage with one flipper in the air, and her beak raised to the sky. She too was panting as if she had sung her lungs out, her blue-green eyes dazzling with the dancing lights above. As the crowd cheered for her, she lowered her flipper, and looked at the penguins gathered around her. Smiling, she bowed her head a couple of times before jumping off the snowy hill, and making her way toward her friends.
She was greeted with praise, just as everyone else was. "That was amazing!" Katie exclaimed happily.
"I felt as if my heart was going to burst out of my chest!" Taylor replied. "I had so much energy coursing through me! I couldn't have done it without you guys," she added shyly.
"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" Adam asked.
Taylor chuckled, and gave him a shy little smile. Katie could almost feel the spark of affection she felt for him.
Once more, the announcer's booming voice echoed around the glacier. "Alright, ladies, and gentlemen, we are coming to a close for our wonderful Graduation Ceremony, and of course, we picked the best for last. She's gorgeous! She's talented! Everyone, please, give a big warm welcome to Katie!"
Katie's heart suddenly dropped. She had never sang publicly before. Great Guin, why did I have to be gifted with the voice of the century? she asked. Taking a deep breath, she made her way through the loud, noisy crowd, politely smiling, and nodding to her admiring fans, and admirers. She ignored each, and every guy that she passed by, especially Jack, Alan, Thomas, and Sable. She knew that they admired her more than any other penguin, but they did not seem the least bit appealing to her. Doing her best to look confident, she slowly waddled up onto the snowy hill that was the stage, and looked out among the crowd. Fear made her heart pump as she realized how radiating her white fluff must look, the lights in the sky dancing across her. And on top of that, she hadn't thought about her song. What am I going to sing? she thought furiously. Everyone had fallen silent, waiting on her to start singing. Great Guin-
Her thought was cut off when a beat suddenly played through the air. Tap tap t-tap tap tap. T-tap tap tap tap. T-tap tap tap. Stretching her neck up a bit, Katie smiled. Sure enough, Joshua was tapping his feet on the ice, keeping his eyes on Katie the entire time. He returned the smile, despite a few penguins close to him turning around, and shaking their heads, or groaning at him. Katie dismissed them. All that mattered here, and now was Joshua. Taking a deep breath, and almost without thinking, she began to sing.
"Give me a second. I, I need to get my story straight.
My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State.
My lover, he's waiting for me just across the bar.
My seat's been taken by some sunglasses askin' bout a scar,
And...
I know I gave it to you months ago. I know you're tryin' to forget.
But between the drinks, and subtle things,
The holes in my apologies,
You know, I'm tryin' hard to take it back.
So if by the time the bar closes, and you feel like fallin' down,
I'll carry you home."
Katie kept her eyes on Joshua the entire time she sang, and he met her gaze while keeping the beat to her singing. Her heart was racing, and it felt like it had burst, but it was still pumping energy, music, and love through her. Taking another deep breath, her voice suddenly came out loud, and strong, louder than any other voice any penguin had ever heard.
"Tonight, we are young!
So let's set the world on fire!
We can burn brighter
Than the su-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-un!
Tonight, we are young!
So let's set the world on fire!
We can burn brighter
Than the su-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-un!"
Katie fell silent, feeling her heartbeat beginning to slow, and the swaying crowd stood still. When she lifted her head, and sang once more, an eruption of tapping feet filled the air along with her voice as Katie's friends began dancing with Joshua. However, they were ignored as the crowd began to dance in their own way once more, swaying their hips, and bobbing their heads to the beat.
"Now, I know that I'm not
All that you got.
I guess that I... I just thought...
Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart?
But our friends are back!
So let's raise a cup
'Cause I found someone to carry me home!
Tonight, we are young!
So let's set the world on fire!
We can burn brighter
Than the su-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-un!
Tonight, we are young!
So let's set the world on fire!
We can burn brighter
Than the su-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-un!"
Just as Katie was starting the fall quiet again, the air was split by a horrendous "Waaaaaiiiiiiiaaaaaaaahhh!" Katie looked up, and saw Joshua stretching his neck up into the air with his beak wide open, and his flippers trembling at his sides. Despair filled Katie; Joshua had gotten overexcited, and had tried to sing with Katie. But of course, as expected, it ended up sounding as if the glacier was cracking.
Penguins turned around, glared at him, and began to throw complaints at him. "Really?"
"You just had to try, and sing, didn't ya?"
Joshua, realizing what he had done, settled down, and looked shyly around the crowd, giving an awkward laugh as if trying to lighten the mood. "Sorry," he said quietly. He looked up, and gave Katie an quick glance, and an awkward smile. "Sorry," he repeated.
Katie sighed, and smiled back. "It's okay," she said honestly.
Joshua laughed a bit before turning his back to the crowd, and taking a few steps away before turning back around to watch Katie. He couldn't help himself. The song was just so... overpowering! Overwhelming! Freeing! Especially coming from Katie's voice, who looked like a dazzling rainbow come down to Earth in the form of a penguin... Joshua couldn't help but sing with her. Great Guin, why did I have to be cursed with this broken voice? he thought angrily, and desperately.
Katie gave Joshua a final look of pity before absorbing herself back into the song. A hum was slowly rising from the crowd, and as Katie rose her voice to sing once more, the penguins rose their flippers into the air, and swayed from side to side, singing "Na na, na na na na, na na! Na na na na, na na! Na na na na, na na!" which harmonized with the song. Also, as the penguins lifted their voices, Katie could hear the faint tapping of Joshua's feet as he began dancing once more.
"Carry me home tonight.
Just carry me home tonight.
Carry me home tonight.
Just carry me home tonight.
The world is on my side!
I have no reason to run.
So will someone come,
And carry me home tonight!
The angels never arrived,
But I can hear the choir!
So will someone come, and carry me home?
Tonight, we are young!
So let's set the world on fire!
We can burn brighter
Than the su-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-un!
Tonight, we are young!
So let's set the world on fire!
We can burn brighter
Than the su-oh-oh-ohh-oh-oh-un!"
Katie ceased her singing for a split second, and the crowd fell silent. The only sound among the crowd was a quiet shuffling created by Joshua's feet. Smiling, Katie brought her song to a close.
"So if by the time the bar closes, and you feel like fallin' down,
I'll carry you home tonight."
Silence. Peaceful, wonderful silence fell on the crowd of penguins as Katie's echoing voice slowly faded away. She stood there on the snowy hill, drinking in the the satisfaction of singing that song. And then...
"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Just like that, Joshua, overexcited from singing once more, leaped into the air, and screeched his heart out.
"Joshua!" The entire crowd spun around, and within seconds, insults, and threats were thrown at him.
"You just ruined the best moment ever!"
"No one wants you here!"
"Yeah, get out of here!"
"I dare you to go sing to a leopard seal, and see if you live!"
Joshua's moment, his own beautiful moment, was ruined. He had been dancing, his feet shuffling through the snow. With his eyes closed, and his head thrown back, he could just see himself singing, properly singing, and dancing with Katie. Caught up in the moment, he almost forgot about his broken vocal cords until he let it out, and cracked the very air, ruining Katie's beautiful song.
Now, he stood there, facing the crowd, his friends lost the sea of penguins. He glanced down at his feet in embarrassment, depression slowly turning his happy feet into depressed blocks of ice. When he finally had the courage to look up at Katie, he saw pity in her sky blue eyes. He sighed. Joshua didn't need pity. This is what he deserves for ruining Katie's moment. He just wasn't the right penguin for her... How could she fall for him when he had the worst voice on the planet, and Katie's was like a shooting star exploding into a thousand colors into the sky? Lowering his head, Joshua slowly made his way down the glacier, heading for the trail that the penguins had climbed to get onto the large block of ice. Behind him, he could hear more yells thrown at him, full of scorn, and hate.
"Yeah, that's right! Get out of here!"
"Go somewhere where you belong, fluffbutt!"
"Katie doesn't want you here anyway! She never did!"
The shout, coming from a random penguin in the crowd, shot Katie in the heart like an icicle. And she could see that it hurt Joshua too, for he stopped just as he reached the trail, and stood there for a moment, his shoulders hunched.
Tears welling up in Katie's eyes, she jumped down from the stage. "Joshua, wait!" she yelled.
Joshua was silent. All he did was turn his head just enough to look at Katie. Katie met his gaze. Please, she begged. Don't listen to them. Come back to me.
But her prayers weren't answered. Joshua turned away from her, and slowly leaned forward, landing with a hard thud on the ground, and slipped down the icy trail that led into the water.
There was a scoff from a penguin near the back of the crowd, which was answered by Matthew's voice shouting, "Laugh again! I dare you! I dare you!" There was a commotion as if the others were trying to hold Matthew back from attacking the other penguin. Within the murmurs of the penguins, Katie heard a faint splash as Joshua hit the water, and she felt her heart break. Does he really think I don't care? she wondered helplessly. Does he really believe what these idiots tell him?
Anger slowly mixed with her despair, making Katie's heart pound, and she held herself back from smacking someone in the face. She looked around at the penguins around her; each, and every one of them had smug grins on their stupid faces. A few of them turned to look at Katie. She huffed in disbelief. "You guys are jerks," she finally managed to rasp before pushing her way through the crowd after Joshua.
Behind her, she heard penguins calling after her. "Aw, come on, Katie!" "Katie, wait!"
Midway through the crowd, a flipper flashed out in front of her, blocking her way. She turned her head to look at the penguin who was stopping her from reaching Joshua. It was Sable. "Come on, Katie," he said in a low voice. "Do you actually care about that good-for-nothing, low-life fluff-"
Sable's insult was cut off when Katie smacked his flipper out of the way, forcing it back to his side. Katie shoved her beak into his face, and gave him a cold glare. "Get your dirty fins off of me," she growled.
Sable's eyes widened, shocked by Katie's sudden flash of anger. Drawing his face away, he took a few steps back, as did several other penguins around her. Abruptly turning away from him, Katie made her way through the crowd, penguins stepping out of the way to let her though. Eerie silence hung over the crowd as they watched Katie go. She held her head eye as she left the crowd behind her, still holding on to the dignity she had left in her... if she had any left. Right now, her heart felt dead. Leaning forward, Katie fell to the ground, and slid down the bumpy snow covered trail before crashing into the dark, cold, black water below.
Katie blinked her eyes underwater to focus her sight. As she made her way through the dark water, a new fear pulsed through her. What if a leopard seal was lurking in the waters? What if Joshua wasn't careful, and got caught by one? Katie shook her head. No, she couldn't think that. Joshua was a fast swimmer, and he wasn't stupid. If a leopard seal came after him, he would swim for his life. But still, Katie kept her eyes, and ears open as she pushed her way through the almost pitch black water.
After a couple of minutes, the iceberg on which Katie had been on with the other graduates was just a white speck on the horizon. The beautiful dancing lights that had once lit up the sky were now gone, plunging Antarctica into darkness. Unable to see where she was going, Katie swam to the surface, and stuck her head out of the water. Looking behind her, she saw the iceberg, and hoped that no one was following her. She was in no mood for anybody's company except for Joshua's. Looking forward, she saw a wall of ice looming up in front of her, and she realized that she was too far from the place where the graduates had first leaped into the sea. Taking a deep breath, Katie made her way to it, wondering if perhaps Joshua was there, safe, and sound.
Eventually, the wall of ice became visible beneath the water. Just barely, Katie could make out a faint shade of something lighter than the dark water. Swimming to the surface once more, Katie looked around. Straight ahead of her was a hole in the wall, creating a miniature cave safe from predators. Curious, she paddled forward a bit. After a series of paddles, and awkward neck craning, Katie caught a glimpse of a figure in the cave. Paddling closer, she could see that it was hunched over, its back to her. Her heart fluttered with relief. She would recognize that fluff anywhere. Joshua!
Leaping into the air, Katie dived head first into the water, making her way over to the wall as quickly as she could. When she was close enough, she poked her head out of the water. Sure enough, Joshua was there at the back of the cave with his head hunched between his shoulders, staring down at his feet.
Katie tentatively paddled forward. "Joshua!" she called out, not too loudly.
He didn't move, or even give a sign that he had heard her.
Katie ducked under the water again, and paddled closer until she was right next to the edge before emerging from the water again. "Joshua!" she repeated.
This time, Joshua glanced at her, his dark brown eyes sullen, and black. He took several long, deep breaths before finally speaking. "Are you coming to comfort me, or to criticize me?" he asked in a voice so quiet, Katie had to strain her ears just to hear him.
Katie's heart hurt, and a wave of pity for Joshua washed over her. She ducked under the water again before launching out, and dragging herself onto the ice, shaking herself dry. She took a slow step forward; Joshua didn't move. He had turned his attention back to the wall.
Choosing her words carefully, Katie spoke. "Joshua, you know waht they say isn't true."
Joshua just sighed.
Katie took another step forward. "I know that you hate your broken voice," she said sympathetically, "and I know that you wish with all your heart to sing with me, but when you do sing..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that she was saying the wrong thing.
Katie was silent for a moment before speaking again, her heart pounding. "But Joshua, I don't mind it," she whispered.
Joshua's head lifted a bit, and he turned his head toward her, but he didn't look directly at her. Instead, a distant, thoughtful look came into his eyes, brightening them a bit.
Katie took another step forward, her heartbeat racing. "Josh, you've been gifted with something much more wonderful than singing."
She was answered with a quiet tap from Joshua's foot. Yes, she thought. I'm getting to him. She took a couple more steps forward, and as she did so, Joshua straightened up, but still didn't look at her. "Think about it, Josh," she said persuasively. "You have a gift, not a curse. You've been given a new way to create music, a way that challenges everything we know... and that's a good thing."
Katie suddenly stood rigid when Joshua finally turned around, and met her gaze, his eyes lighting up. "Think about it, Josh. You have the greatest friends in the world. You have Taylor. You have Adam. You have Mike, and his crew. And you inspired them all with your happy feet," Katie murmured.
A slight smile came across Joshua's beak. Heart pounding, Katie almost shied away from him, but courage told her to get closer, and she did. "But most importantly," she whispered, "you have me."
Joshua's eyes widened.
Katie continued talking, getting closer, and closer to him. "You've inspired me ever since you hatched. You inspired me every time we met to dance together. Throughout the Graduation, you where there by my side, never leaving. You're the greatest penguin I could ever imagine."
Joshua's wide eyes blinked slowly, and a softness came into his eyes that made Katie's heart pound even more, especially now that she was standing right by his side, just an inch from his face. Feeling safe, Katie took one more step toward him before closing her eyes, and resting her head on Joshua's fluffy chest, relaxing when she heard his heartbeat. "I love you, Joshua," she whispered breathlessly.
A tingle spread throughout Katie's chest when she felt Joshua rest his beak on her head, and her pounding heart slowly calmed down. Then, in that quiet, gentle voice of his, Joshua replied, "I love you, too, Katie."
For a long while, the two penguins stood there in silence, the only sound coming from them was their gentle breathing. Joshua, with his eyes closed, nuzzled Katie's head with his beak. He had never imagined that a day like this would come. For a very long time, Joshua had been trying to find the perfect way to tell her how he felt, but he never imagined that it would be like this. He felt that, for the first time in his life, he was actually happy. No mixed emotions, or anything. Just... happy.
After a long moment of silence, Katie looked up at Joshua. "I'm going to be singing my Heartsong in a few days," she murmured. "I want you to be there."
Joshua blinked in confusion. "But you know very well that I can't sing," he said, but still smiled.
Katie nodded. "I know. I want you to dance. I want to show the kingdom the music we can create, that dancing isn't as bad as it seems," she explained.
Joshua huffed a bit. "You do realize you're breaking the promise you made to your mother?" he asked.
Katie nodded, ignoring the lump of guilt in her chest. "Yes, I do, but it's best for the kingdom. We need to show them what we can do, and how wonderful it is."
Joshua stared down at Katie for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Katie stared back, praying that he'll do as she asks. She knew that this was asking a lot from him since most of the kingdom hates him for his dancing, especially the Elders, which he, and Katie feared.
Finally, Joshua smiled, and blinked. "Okay," he said. "Let's do it."
Katie almost jumped with joy, but stayed in place when she felt the tip of Joshua's flipper touch hers. Everything's perfect, she thought. I'm with Josh, and if our "flash mob" doesn't work, then being with him is all that matters. The two fluffy penguins closed their eyes, and spent the night together in the icy cave, purely happy for the first time in their lives.