The Portal of Zeta: iDOLM@STER Neo Vision

[ZetaFlare]

She's sweet, she's outgoing, but she fails at everything and has the worst luck ever. Let's start Mirai's story!

Asou Mirai’s Route

As Kenji selects the girl he wishes to produce, the President is a little concerned. He has hardly any idea how Mirai was selected as an idol candidate. She has hardly any talent at all and cannot seem to do anything right. Kenji, believing Mirai could be an “ugly duckling,” sees quite a bit of potential in her. The President is still very doubtful about Mirai as he sends Kenji out to meet her. “Good luck with that girl. You’re going to need it.”

Kenji first meets Mirai in the office’s lobby doing chores. She puts some cloth down, thinks she is finished with the dusting. However, despite going through every nook and cranny in the room, upon double-checking she realizes she somehow only made matters worse. Mirai just shrugs, laughs it off, and proceeds to pick up another cloth and dust again. While she’s dusting, she’s singing horribly off-key. Kenji cringes slightly from hearing her voice. Does Mirai really have what it takes to be an idol? Then again, Kenji does see quite a few redeeming factors about her: she’s cute, she’s optimistic, and she has a strong sense of determination. While Mirai is dusting, she accidentally gets her skirt caught on the tip of a lamp (briefly exposing her panties). Kenji warns her about the lamp, but as she turns around, it tips over and falls. Luckily Kenji is right there to catch the lamp before it could hit the floor. Mirai thanks him for the help. After introducing herself, Kenji informs her that he is to be the producer in charge of her. Mirai is surprised. She cannot believe she has been selected to debut so soon. Could it be pure luck? She usually has the worst luck in the world despite her positive outlook on life. Mirai is excited to make her debut. She knows she’s a little lacking in talent but is ready and willing to learn the tricks of the trade. Maybe this could be the start of something more!

The following week, Mirai meets her partners. Some of the idols are very skeptical of her despite her kind attitude towards them. It does not help much after Mirai tries to help the President with the chores only to accidentally mess things up (again). Matters get worse after their first lessons as a unit. Even after two weeks, Mirai shows zero signs of improvement in her singing, dancing, etc. With how things are turning out, it would take a miracle for the unit’s debut performance next week to go over successfully. Mirai, however, is not worried in the slightest. According to her, as long as everyone does their best, they should be just fine.

On the day of the debut, everyone but Mirai appears worried. Kenji and Mirai remind the other two to stay positive despite all that has happened. It’s all in the past now. Against all odds, they manage to pass their audition! The judges, however, tell Mirai to thank her lucky stars for the brilliant performance of her partners. She has a ways to go before she can even be considered an idol. Despite their criticism, Mirai is bursting with happiness. She feels lucky not only to be accepted as an idol candidate, not only to have a producer choose her to manage, but to be able to pass her debut audition too. It finally looks as though things are swinging her way. Kenji is proud of her merely for doing her best (he knows himself that sometimes it’s all it takes), but does keep what the judges told her in mind. He tells Mirai she is going to have to take some extra lessons so she can catch up with the rest of the unit. Mirai thanks Kenji for the support he’s given her the past few weeks and she will be relying on him to help her down the path of success.

As Mirai sees NAZO on TV for the first time, she has found her inspiration—with the help of her producer and even more determination than before, maybe she can be as good as them one day.

(to be continued)

[Maka]

I basically just skimmed the entire thread in one go, and I'm impressed! I think my faves so far are Chiyo and Hotaru.

It sort of inspires me to make my own fanstory.

[ZetaFlare]

I basically just skimmed the entire thread in one go, and I'm impressed! I think my faves so far are Chiyo and Hotaru.

It sort of inspires me to make my own fanstory.

Thanks for the compliment! Glad to see this project getting more fans and further support.
Wow, another Hotaru fan. She's pretty popular around here.

[ZetaFlare]

Sorry about the slight delay. Santa Ana winds have put me to work more at my house's pool than at the computer. The intense heat didn't help either.

Asou Mirai's Route, cont.

Mirai gradually gets more comfortable with her idol work. Unfortunately, her talents still have yet to improve. Even though the unit managed to win their first festival against 876Pro, it’s clear that only the other two idols’ popularity seems to increase. According to an online message board, some fans don’t even think of Mirai as an idol…she has no good points and only takes up space in the unit. Despite everyone’s distrust towards Mirai, she does not seem to mind at all. She knows she is not very good, but she’s doing her best and having fun, which is all that really matters to her. Kenji, however, is a little concerned. Mirai is just as important to the unit as the other two idols. Besides, what her haters don’t know is that she does have good points—cuteness, a strong sense of dedication, and boundless optimism. Kenji, not willing to give up on Mirai since she doesn’t give up on herself, decides to give her some private lessons in order to improve her talents. Mirai sincerely thanks him for the extra help. She really owes it to him for all the luck and success she has been having recently.

During her first private lesson, Mirai continues to struggle through her performance. As she takes a break, Kenji asks her why she decided to become an idol in the first place. The fact that she said she had no particular hobbies on her profile makes him curious. To be honest, Mirai does not really know. No matter how hard she tries, she’s not particularly good at anything. She’s horrible with chores around the house. Her grades at school are average at best and would be failing without the help of her parents. She’s sloppy when it comes to games of any kind—she might know the rules but just epically fail when it comes to playing them. Her money-handling skills are poor—whenever she sees something on the shelves she wants, she would instinctively buy it. She tried taking up several hobbies in the past, but could not find anything she was particularly good in no matter how much fun it was for her. Due to her constant failures, Mirai was heavily mocked by her peers. However, all her shortcomings did not stop Mirai. She kept on happily persevering, hoping that she would one day find her true calling in life. When she decided she wanted to try to become an idol, she auditioned for four different companies (including 876Pro) only to be rejected every time. She decided to try a fifth time, this time with ZetaPro, who were quick to reject her. Luckily for her, Sakura was a special judge at the audition. Seeing something special in her performance and sensing incredible potential just waiting to be awakened, she decided to allow Mirai into ZetaPro as an idol candidate. Kenji is surprised that Mirai knows Sakura—she’s been his best friend since they were kids! Mirai is equally surprised. During their chat, Sakura told her quite a bit about Kenji, his caring nature, and his unbridled musical abilities. Mirai never knew she would get to meet him so soon! Kenji feels sorry for Mirai’s misfortune but is glad that she managed to keep a positive attitude. Despite all the people who consider her to be lazy or pathetically weak, there are several others (himself especially) like Sakura who believe in her and who will continue to support her no matter what path she decides to take. Sometimes doing your best is all you can do, but as long as you continue to persevere, there is nothing you cannot accomplish. Mirai thanks him for the chat and gets back to practicing, asking Kenji to be her judge. Much to his surprise, she goes through her song without any major flaws! According to him, her flaws were so minor that the audience will likely not notice. Mirai is overjoyed at her successful performance and hugs Kenji, thanking her for all the help he has given her.

As Mirai continues her training with Kenji, her skills are beginning to show quite a bit of improvement, allowing her to contribute to the unit’s growing success. Unfortunately, they are not enough to stand up to NAZO’s Himeko at the Sunny Beach Festival. Himeko proceeds to mock Mirai, claiming that she is, was, and will always be a failure. Nothing can change that. Besides, even if the unit wasn’t being held back by Mirai, Himeko is just too pretty and perfect to lose to the likes of commoners. She then threatens the unit to disband. If ZetaPro continues to promote Mirai, she will cause the entire company to ultimately come crashing down.

As ZetaPro returns to the office, Kenji commends Mirai despite the loss, claiming it was her best performance yet. Some of her partners, however, blame her for the loss. Perhaps what Himeko told them was right. Even though NAZO’s princess idol was clearly out of their league, Mirai is still nowhere near the level of her partners. Some idols even want Mirai kicked out of the unit, claiming she will only be a burden. Kenji defends Mirai, claiming he has seen a significant improvement during her most recent lessons and performances. As long as she keeps up her training, she might gradually get better and better. Depending on who Mirai’s partners are, they will berate Kenji for trying to baby her or give her too much attention. Mirai tries her best to cheer them up, but it’s just no use.

The following week, Mirai gets a special golden letter in the mail that evening. It appears to be a regular fan letter. It looks innocent enough. However, there is another piece of paper attached to it…a photoshopped image of Mirai being stabbed to death with a katana. Mirai is nearly scared out of her wits. This is enough to deeply worry the other two idols, the President, and especially Kenji. It could have been merely a prank, but a death threat like that is very serious business. Mirai, crying in fear, hugs Kenji and begs for his help. Kenji tells her not to worry. Besides, it is his job as a producer to look after and protect all his idols. Worried about Mirai’s safety, her partners decide to pitch in too (even the ones who were not too keen on Mirai being their leader). Mirai thanks and hugs everyone profusely as they part ways for the week.

(to be continued)

[ZetaFlare]

Asou Mirai's Route, cont.

After Himeko informs Yamato about her recent opponent, he is quick to give the gossip panels he knows a hot scoop. A talentless failure that ZetaPro just plucked off the streets and made into an idol…were they desperate to make money? Or was it just out of sheer sympathy? Mirai is nowhere close to idol material! Why is she suddenly so popular? Did she gain fans via dishonest methods? Mirai is a disgrace to the idol world! This hack is going to sink ZetaPro! Mirai, however, takes the slander like it’s nothing. She’s gotten so much verbal abuse from her peers in the past that she’s gotten used to it. Still, she wants to continue taking private lessons under Kenji so she can continue to get better and hopefully prove those gossipers wrong. Still, Kenji feels a little worried about Mirai. Sometimes, she would feel a sense of relief upon entering the office. It’s almost like she has been feeling stressed about something.

As the weeks go by, Mirai’s talents begin to show drastic improvement. She feels as though she can keep up with her partners, especially after she shone brilliantly in her festival match against 961Pro/Ryuuguu Komachi. Both of her partners are highly impressed with the progress she has made, causing Mirai to finally win their respect. Mirai is really starting to look like a true idol. However, Mirai had not heard the last of the person who sent her the threatening letter a while back. It turns out this guy has been following her blog every day and continues to harass her, posting threatening comments, pictures, and fake stories he wrote fantasizing about killing her. According to his post, it’s almost like he knows about her past…that she cannot do anything right and that she epically fails in her classes, her household chores, and any hobby she tries to take up. Since he started threatening her, Mirai has become very nervous when people approach her from behind. Everyone is worried sick. Kenji’s is very pent up and asks Mirai why she didn’t tell him about something as serious as this earlier. Mirai just didn’t want everyone to worry about her. Kaito decides to take further precautions to keep Mirai safe due to the tense atmosphere this man created. During her concerts, he will beef up undercover security and call off post-concert fan meets and photoshoots. Mirai also asks Kenji to take her home after work. Kenji agrees to accompany her while Kaito drives her home (Kenji is still too young to drive). Mirai apologizes to Kenji for making him worry then asks him to help keep her safe. She feels very secure around him and will continue to rely on his tender loving care to help get through these tough times. Wishing to help out as well, Mirai’s partners decide to help pitch in during her lessons. They care deeply for their leader and can tell she has come a long way since the beginning of her idol career. Of course, the fans are a little disappointed that Mirai cannot stick around after her concerts, but after hearing about all the harassment she has been putting up with recently, they know it’s for the best.

On the day of the IU preliminary audition, Mirai feels much more confident seeing that the event is closed off to the general public. Security is normally so tight that nobody without a license can even hope to get inside. With the coast clear, Mirai is able to fully display her bright, outgoing nature to the staff, judges, and other competing idols. Unfortunately for ZetaPro, they are placed in the same tournament block as NAZO. Himeko arrives and laughs at Mirai. Apparently peons have no idea when to quit. Perhaps she will really prove how worthless Mirai is after all three members of NAZO grind them into the dirt. Mirai’s unit puts on an excellent performance despite Himeko’s pompous insults, but they place a distant second to NAZO. Himeko looks at the scores and can hardly believe Mirai, among all their other opponents, managed to pass. She has always been a worthless good-for-nothing piece of trash. ZetaPro must have made Mirai popular by dirty methods just like any other middle class entertainment company would. Kenji scoffs at Himeko, claiming she’s just too proud and self-centered to realize the true extent of Mirai’s abilities. Himeko, however, laughs at Kenji, claiming the only reason Mirai became an idol was because the producer was a big softie. To her, he’s just jealous of how perfect she is. She doesn’t know how many times she will have to crush ZetaPro, but she will make “those lowly peons” bow to her. Back at the office, Mirai is really excited about passing the IU preliminary match. Her luck just keeps getting better and better. Kaito arrives to give Mirai even greater news. The police were able to trace back the posts from the man who was threatening Mirai, blocked his name on the blog page to prevent further attacks, and sent him a warning via email. Everyone is relieved that this nutcase is finally put under control, especially Mirai. Now the idols can prepare for the IU without any further trouble. However, as it turns out, their conversation does not go unheard. Spies working for Yamato overheard the news. Yamato decides to use the stalker’s desires to his advantage, hoping to ruin ZetaPro and to put an end to Mirai’s “undeserved” popularity.

(to be continued)

[ZetaFlare]

Asou Mirai's Route, conclusion

One week later, Mirai sticks around with Kenji after work is over and asks him to give her another lesson. However, Kenji is too busy with exams to help her out now. Getting a little upset, Mirai wonders how she will be able to learn more without his assistance. Kenji suggests that maybe she could try practicing on her own. As a musician, practicing has become a daily mantra for Kenji in order to keep up in his music and techniques. Mirai is not too sure if she can properly train herself. She feels as though she needs Kenji to make sure she is doing things right. Kenji comforts her and tells her to believe in her own abilities. She has come so far since her idol debut. She does not need to rely on others like Kenji for help. As long as she keeps practicing a regular habit, the results will definitely show, especially during promotions and live performances. Mirai understands and decides to stick around in order to run through her song a couple of times. She then tells Kenji her practicing will not be nearly as special without him around as she begins to blush a little.

Over the weeks, she starts asking her partners for advice on training, studying, working around the house, etc. in order to help improve her skills. They are happy to help her out, allowing the unit to bond. Later, on the day NAZO issues a challenge against ZetaPro at the Harvest Moon Festival, Mirai suddenly gets a surprise blog post. “Foolish cops! Pathetic! Pathetic!! You will not stop me from fulfilling my dream!” Mirai thinks it’s strange and simply deletes it. Little does she know, the menace who sent her threatening messages has returned, creating a fake email address in order to continue his mischief.

At the Harvest Moon Festival, Mirai shows off the results of her extra training. She puts on an outstanding display of raw abilities…until the performance is cancelled due to a pyrotechnic malfunction. Yamato appears and begins to mock Mirai and ZetaPro in general. The fact they plucked a “talentless hack” like Mirai off the streets and hired to become an idol just proves how low the depths of the middle class will sink. It’s like the President has become way too soft and easily moved by sob stories. Mirai is, was, and will always be an epic failure at life. This is how it was destined. Nothing she ever does will change destiny. Then, who should stand up for her…than Mirai herself! Mirai warns Yamato not to underestimate her because of her past shortcomings. She can change. In fact, she already has! With a little help from her partners and producer, she felt as though she has grown up a lot from her talents as an idol to her ability to be independent and responsible. Yamato laughs at her preaching, claiming all that popularity must have gotten to her head. According to him, the members of NAZO are the true perfection she claims to be.

Back at the office, Kenji, the President, and the other two idols can hardly believe how much Mirai has matured. She’s practicing efficiently on her own, her grades have shown a drastic improvement, and she’s standing up for herself and making her own decisions. Plus, her talents are beginning to show incredible growth. Her singing voice has become much clearer, her movements and rhythm have become much more fluid, she has gained lots of stamina, and she is shining more brilliantly than ever on stage. All of this while keeping her upbeat nature. It’s like she has become another person entirely! She has really become the x-factor of the unit. Mirai thanks everyone for the support. She never thought she would become this good. Becoming an idol must have been the best decision she ever made!

However, her happiness is soon spoiled once she checks her blog on her tablet and reads her newest post. “Did you like the little fireworks display I put on at today’s festival? I made it especially for you.” Below the post is a picture of Mirai burning in a sea of raging flames. Mirai screams in terror and nearly faints. Kenji rushes over to her to see what the matter is. Upon seeing the horrible picture, Kenji angrily believes the same guy who harassed Mirai before is still up to his old tricks. Kaito contacts the police about the incident and reminds them to take further precautions during Mirai’s public appearances. Kenji and Kaito, fearing her safety, offer Mirai a ride back home, which she accepts. She may be more independent now, but she doesn’t want to become an easy target for this guy or any other creepy strangers.

At the IU finals opening ceremony, Mirai arrives in a police car and undercover security is beefed up to the maximum. After all the competitors are introduced, Mirai overhears Himeko. While her rival still claims to be perfect, she feels a little insecure being fully British. She fears that if word gets out (especially about her real name), all the fame and fortune she has will be destroyed and she will have absolutely no chance of winning the IU. Yamato angrily makes her snap out of it. He made her a regal princess idol because she is the definition of pure perfection and proof that the upper class is superior in every way. Her competition will bow to her like the goddess she is. Mirai tells Kenji what she heard. She believes Himeko is a great idol and shouldn’t let anything doubt herself.

Later that night, believing Mirai has become too popular for her own good, Yamato decides to put his ultimate plan into motion. Thanks to the information he received from his spies, he knows where the menacing posts on Mirai’s blog have been coming from. In order to help fulfill his desires (and keep Mirai from performing), he decides to send the creeper tickets to attend the IU finals.

On the first day of the IU finals, the tighter security requires bag checks and body searches for all attendees. With the coast clear, Mirai gets the thumbs-up from Kaito to perform. ZetaPro defeats their first two opponents and will head for the final round the next day. That night as Mirai checks her blog, she receives her scariest post yet. The stalker promises to attend her performance tomorrow, meet her in person, and confess his true feelings. He plans to strike at the IU finals!

The next day, Mirai arrives at Tokyo Dome in a police car. The cops escort her to dressing room. Mirai is scared stiff. With tensions mounting, Kaito is having serious second thoughts about letting Mirai appear on stage. Just about thirty minutes before curtain, as all hope seems lost, Kaito gets big news from the staff. They got him! The creeper managed to get inside without much trouble, but luckily for security, his knife fell out of his pant leg as he was prowling the dome looking for Mirai. After his capture, he admitted to being the same guy who sent death threats to Mirai. Kenji and the other two idols hear the news and immediately tell Mirai, who is delighted and relieved to be able to perform safely. Yamato appears in order to laugh at ZetaPro’s misery, but he too overhears the news and is flabbergasted. After all the trouble he went through to help fulfill the dreams of a doting fan, he had to go and blow his cover. Kenji can’t believe what he is hearing. Did Yamato really send a dangerous man after Mirai? Yamato wanted to teach his father the error of his ways by keeping Mirai from performing and figured using a blog troll who continuously threatened her would do the trick. Kenji is beyond pissed off and threatens to squeal to the police on him, demanding a fair fight. As Mirai confronts NAZO for the final showdown, she promises to show not only her rivals, but all the audience just how far she has come…from zero to hero!

ENDING

Mirai’s family and peers are all so impressed and proud of the person she has become. Mirai is glad she is able to have her first one-on-one chat with Kenji in quite a while. After so many years of bad luck, she felt like it was a stroke of fortune when he made his decision to produce her. All that extra time she spent with him practicing and all that faith he had in her really helped bring out her full potential as an idol. All that advice he gave her really helped her mature and become much stronger. So many people who used to torment and make fun of her now respect and look up to her. She has finally found her true calling in life, all thanks to him. As Mirai tenderly hugs Kenji, she softly whispers to him…

“Aishiteru.”

[Amazing_Grace]

Aww, Miku~!
She's growing to be a favorite of mine. She's just so...cute~! <3

But really. Miku's such a fun character. Once again, I just adore your characterization and the way you develop these characters. Following along with Miku and her steady gain of good luck was a blast!

And I'm starting to ship Miku/Kenji. Sakura/Kenji? I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE I SHIP MORE.

[ZetaFlare]

Aww, Miku~!
She's growing to be a favorite of mine. She's just so...cute~! <3

But really. Miku's such a fun character. Once again, I just adore your characterization and the way you develop these characters. Following along with Miku and her steady gain of good luck was a blast!

And I'm starting to ship Miku/Kenji. Sakura/Kenji? I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE I SHIP MORE.

Thanks again, Grace! I'll be honest, though, Miku's story was a bit tougher to think up, mainly because she is one of my most recent additions to ZetaPro. Luckily, recent events involving a real-life idol helped inspire me.

Sorry about the recent lack of updates. I've been preparing for/at San Jose for Fanime-con, so I've been away from the computer. I'm currently working on Mai's story.

Oh, there will be a couple more shipments soon to come.

[Amazing_Grace]

Thanks again, Grace! I'll be honest, though, Miku's story was a bit tougher to think up, mainly because she is one of my most recent additions to ZetaPro. Luckily, recent events involving a real-life idol helped inspire me.

Sorry about the recent lack of updates. I've been preparing for/at San Jose for Fanime-con, so I've been away from the computer. I'm currently working on Mai's story.

Oh, there will be a couple more shipments soon to come.

Recent events? Real life idol? ...death threats...?
Poor, poor Miku. And if my assumption is correct, poor, poor real life idol too.

You had better have fun at Fanime-con or I'll never forgive you. Looking forward to Mai's story!

That's just what I need.

[ZetaFlare]

Oh I had a lot of fun. I posted a few pics from the event in the "General Everyday Life Pictures" thread.

Anyway, on to business. A dancer extraordinaire turned idol: Mai Kazama's story mode route is about to take center stage!

Kazama Mai’s Route

Kenji first meets Mai practicing her dancing at a nearby gym. Kenji watches in amazement as she performs a dazzling jazz routine. He calls out to Mai, causing her to stop and turn the music off. She’s a little upset that her practice was interrupted, but is excited to discover she is going to make her debut.

There will be one scene involving Mai’s tendency to do high kicks and leaps on stage. In order to prevent unnecessary panty flashes, Mai decides to wear shorts underneath while wearing a skirt.

After Mai reaches Rank E, Kenji, impressed by her amazing dancing skills, asks her how long she has been dancing. “For about ten years,” Mai replies. She has also been involved in several competition rings over the years, winning quite the collection of awards. Kenji wonders. If Mai always focused on dancing, what drove her to become an idol? According to Mai, the President scouted her talents and offered her a chance to audition, which she quickly accepted. She might not have much singing or acting experience, but to her, the sky is the limit when it comes to her abilities. Her idol dancing routines are much easier than her competition routines, but the addition of singing, visual effects, and facial expressions make them almost as challenging. While Mai is an incredible performer, to her, there is no such thing as a perfect performance. She claims she can always get even better.

Weeks later at the Sunny Beach Festival, Mai catches a glimpse of her opponent and starts to feel a bit of doubt, but goes on stage and performs to her fullest. Unfortunately, her unit is easily defeated singlehandedly. Mai’s fears are soon confirmed—her opponent was in fact Maya Nikaidou, a fellow competitive dancer who has achieved far greater success than Mai. Mai finds it hard to believe that she, of all people, would decide to become an idol. Maya is a little disappointed from the lack of challenge her opponents provided, but is thrilled to find another girl riding in the same boat she is. Ever since Maya turned to the idol industry, she has been discovering talents she never knew she had while continuing to improve her dancing. Her producer has even written some special routines for her in order to bring out the fullest of her extraordinary techniques. Surprised, Mai tells her she also became an idol in order to awaken new talents and become an even better performer. An excited Maya can hardly believe how similar she is to her new rival. Still, she informs Mai she still has a ways to go. Maya is pretty sure they will meet again, so she urges Mai to put a little extra in her training, looking forward to see what she has learned during their next encounter.

Mai is looking a little down as ZetaPro returns to the office. She is even more worried when she discovers that Maya is a member of NAZO, the new super-popular idol trio that has been sweeping the nation over the past few months. Everyone wonders what is bothering her. Mai knows a lot about Maya. Every professional and competitive dancer knows her name. She has been performing at a national level for almost ten years, winning several championships and the envy of even adult competitors. Mai, somewhat blaming herself for the unit’s loss, claims she just is not nearly skilled enough to stand a chance against Maya and must push her practicing much harder than before. Kenji does not understand why Mai would berate herself when she herself has so much talent. Being involved in talent competitions himself, he knows a bit of a golden rule when it comes to performing—focus on your own performance rather than someone else’s, otherwise the stress will just become a burden. Plus he and the other idols are worried that Mai might wind up pushing herself too hard. Mai, getting a little frustrated, claims she must become stronger and heads straight into an empty room to get some extra practice time in.

Meanwhile, Maya is talking to her producer, excited how she met someone who is very similar to her in the earlier festival. The producer then snaps at her, claiming her opponents are the enemy. If she expects to become the best and master her dancing, she must destroy all enemies. Seeing how this unit was so easily defeated by Maya alone, he figures they are no longer a threat to his plans.

(to be continued)

[ZetaFlare]

Kazama Mai's Route, cont.

The unit manages to recover from their recent blowout loss, but Mai continues to put in a lot of extra training after work in. While the unit continues to achieve success as a whole, she is really starting to push herself to the very limit, worrying about the gap between her and Maya. Eventually the unit reaches Rank C. One evening after ZetaPro’s festival performance against 961Pro/Ryuuguu Komachi, Kenji spots Mai in a cemetery, praying to one of the gravestones. Kenji is curious and decides to chat with her. Mai informs Kenji the gravestone she’s standing in front of is that of her mother’s—Maki Kazama. If it were not for her influence, Mai would not even be half the person she is now. Back in her day, Maki was a professional dancer and coach who achieved success at a national level, putting on several dazzling performances and receiving teaching offers all across the country. Unfortunately, a jarring leg injury put an abrupt halt to her career just about six months after Mai was born. A few years later, Maki decided to enroll Mai in a series of dance classes. Mai, however, showed no interest in taking the classes, considering them boring. Just a couple of days after she turned 6 years old, everything changed. Maki suffered from a stroke and eventually died. With her last breath she wished Mai to succeed her legacy and become a successful dancer herself. This is why Maki gave Mai her name—she could tell right away she was born to become an incredible dancer. It took Mai a while to get over the loss of her mother, but it eventually became the spark that ignited her passion for dance. She began putting her all into her training, learning several styles of dance including tap, ballet, modern, and jazz (her favorite). Later, to test her talents to the limit, she joined the competitive dancing circuit where she achieved modest success. She always enjoyed new challenges and continued to improve her abilities over the years. Still, Mai had no idea she would be scouted to become an idol. She had to shift her focus in talents a little, but she can still utilize her dancing talents to the fullest. Mai is very proud of her mother’s accomplishments and has been her biggest inspiration to this very day. This is why she always strives to become even better. According to Kenji, if Maki were still alive, she probably couldn’t be any more proud of her daughter…not just for continuing to put her heart and soul into her dancing but for broadening her horizons and learning new talents. The two part ways for the evening.

However, their conversation does not go unnoticed. Spies send the information to Yamato, who immediately gives a hot scoop to gossip magazines, specifically targeting the competitive dancing circuit. “Mai is heartless! Abandons her mother’s dying wish and ditches professional dancing to become an idol?!” Mai cannot believe what she is seeing, finding the article offensive to both her and her mother. As an idol, she still uses her talents in dance to the near-fullest. Besides, she really is following Maki’s wish and then some. She wants to prove those gossipers wrong by continuing to practice hard with her dancing. That night as she is practicing by herself, her frustration begins to blind her focus. She suddenly trips over her own foot and lands awkwardly, hurting her left ankle. Not willing to let a minor setback like that get in the way of her ambitions, she continues to train. However, the pain is proving to be too much, forcing her to end her practice session early. Mai is very angry at herself for letting something like this happen. She really does not want to be a burden to her unit, especially with Maya continuing to rise in popularity. Not wanting to make her ankle any worse, Mai decides to go home and soothe the pain with ice so that she will be in much better shape for work next week.

(to be continued)

Sorry I didn't get much done...I kind of had an off day. I admit, the gossip idea just recently came to my mind and I decided to give it a shot. I hope it was good enough (fingers crossed).

[ZetaFlare]

Kazama Mai's Route, cont.

As Mai continues to push herself harder, she is putting more and more pressure on her bad ankle. However, she feels like she must hide it from the others, not wanting to worry them. She will usually put an ice bag on her ankle after practicing in order to soothe the pain. Once the IU preliminary bouts roll around, the pain does not seem to bother Mai as much. After a quick stretch, she feels as though she has recovered enough to go all-out in the preliminary audition. Much to her surprise, ZetaPro has been placed in the same competition block as NAZO. Mai is very enthusiastic about this matchup. Wanting to show the results of her extra training, she feels as though she must perform flawlessly to the fullest extent of her abilities in order to stand any sort of chance against Maya. As NAZO confronts ZetaPro, Maya is also excited to face Mai again. She can see the fire burning in Mai’s eyes. Maya can tell Mai has gotten a lot better and looks forward to a good challenge, especially now that they have to face off against all three members of NAZO. Mai’s unit manages to pass the audition, but they still finish a distant second to NAZO. This frustrates Mai, believing she still cannot compete at Maya’s level. Maya, however, is glad to see that Mai has passed. Looking forward to the process she will make before the next leg of the IU, Maya asks for Mai’s name. When Maya hears “Kazama,” she wonders if Mai is somehow related to Maki Kazama. Maya can hardly believe she is talking to Maki Kazama’s daughter! She has heard quite a bit about her and her dancing legacy. It almost seems as though Maki has passed her expertise to her next of kin. Maya promises to remember Mai’s name. Kagura and Himeko arrive and interrupt their little conversation. Kagura is angry at Maya for trying to fraternize with the enemy. What if her producer heard her now? NAZO will win the IU and destroy all enemies—wannabe idols from cheap middle-class companies who are essentially the bane of the entertainment world. NAZO takes their leave with Kagura and Himeko claiming their next encounter with ZetaPro will be their last.

Once everyone gets back to the office, Mai starts to cringe in pain. Intense pressure on her foot during the earlier audition has irritated her sore ankle once again. After Kenji wonders what happened to her, Mai decides to tell the truth. Kenji and the other two idols are worried sick and wonder why she did not tell him about it earlier. The way she has been practicing and performing, her damaged ankle will get worse if not treated properly. Mai felt as though she must keep improving her abilities for her mother’s sake…no matter what it takes. In order to fulfill her dying wish, she felt as though she had to become the very best dancer in all Japan. This includes surpassing Maya. Plus, she was worried that her injury could potentially put an end to her career, thus preventing her from realizing her mother’s dreams. Kenji feared Mai would one day push herself too hard after her first encounter with Maya. According to him, Maki would not have wanted Mai to become the absolute best. Nor would she have wanted her to push her very limits to the point where she hurts herself. Much like Kenji’s reason to become a musician, Maki likely became a professional dancer because it was her passion. She didn’t care if she was the best or defeating all of her rivals. She loved every moment, whether it be performing or teaching. She would have wanted Mai to enjoy dancing just as much as she did. Mai, beginning to tear up a little, figures Kenji is probably right. She apologizes to the others for being so selfish about her minor injury and her ambitions. Kaito arranges a meeting with a doctor in order to heal her ankle so she will be in tip-top shape by the time the next leg of the IU rolls around.

It only takes about a week for Mai to recover. Her ankle injury was minor, but it was a good thing Kaito and the doctors got it checked before it got worse due to Mai’s intense training. Kenji and the others are glad to see Mai back to full strength. In order to make up all the time she spent practicing by herself and worrying about her mother, she decides it might be a good idea to practice and bond with her partners. This way she can learn to sing better, improve her visuals, and even teach a couple of kinks to the younger and less-experienced idols.

After NAZO challenges ZetaPro to a showdown at the Harvest Moon Festival, Mai feels more than prepared to face off against Maya again. The time she spent training and bonding with her partners has helped her become an even better performer than before. After the performance is interrupted, Mai trips on her way down the steps and bangs up her ankle again. Kaito immediately rushes to the stage crew to get help. Even Maya is worried about her. Yamato shows up and begins to rub salt in the wound (but not literally). He immediately blames Kenji, believing he was running Mai into the ground, pushing her beyond her limits in order to help bring success to ZetaPro. According to him, lower-class companies often will do anything dirty in the book to make the most of their cash cow. Plus, Mai is a backstabber for betraying her mother’s last wish and is a disgrace to dancers everywhere, giving up professional dancing to become an idol. Mai is beyond angry at Yamato for all the cracks he made about her, her mother, and her producer. Kenji and the other two idols really helped change her view on dancing and being an idol in general. She now follows her own heart and passion rather than her mother’s. There is nothing dishonorable about that at all. Yamato scoffs at her statement, claiming she has let her partners make her soft. As NAZO heads back to their van, Maya sticks around and asks Mai to get well soon. She can tell Mai has grown a lot since the IU prelims, both in her talents and as a person. Maya is proud to call the daughter of Maki Kazama her rival. Kagura and Himeko call out to Maya, claiming they will leave her behind if she doesn’t hurry up, so Maya waves goodbye as she runs back to the van.

(to be continued)

[ZetaFlare]

Whew! Just managed to accomplish my goal. Curse you Mario Kart 8 and your addictiveness!

Kazama Mai's Route, conclusion

It takes about two weeks for Mai’s ankle to recover, causing ZetaPro to cancel an earlier concert. The unit is complete only when it’s three. Without Mai, they might as well not exist. Kenji and the other two idols spend some time together one week after the Harvest Moon festival just to show how much she means to the unit.

After the opening ceremonies of the IU finals, Mai overhears a conversation between Maya and Yamato. Maya is eager to see what kind of competition her highly talented opponents will bring her, especially fellow competitive dancer Mai, who has come such a long way since becoming an idol. Yamato, however, is disgusted with her upbeat attitude, believing that her time with Mai has made her soft. According to him, if Maya ever expects to master her dancing and become even stronger, she must show no mercy to her enemies (especially low-lives like ZetaPro) and squash them like the insects they are. Let’s not forget that it was these low-class dogs that killed her parents in that brutal gang war she was caught in so many years ago. Yamato really does not want to fire Maya after she was able to use her earnings to settle in a nice quiet home away from that crime-infested dump full of painful memories. Mai cannot believe what she just heard. As Maya walks by her, Mai strikes up a conversation. She heard everything. She knows how it feels to lose family like that, but that did not stop them from becoming such amazing dancers-turned-idols. Maya starts to tear up a little, still finding it hard to believe how alike she and Mai are. She is proud to call Mai her rival. “May the best idol win,” Mai tells Maya as they shake hands and part ways for the evening.

The IU quarterfinal and semifinal rounds go on as usual. Realizing that NAZO will have to face Mai and ZetaPro in the finals, Yamato decides to hatch his greatest plan yet.

The next day as ZetaPro arrives at Tokyo Dome for the final showdown, Mai decides to spend a little time running through her routine on stage. Knowing who her opponent is and what she is capable of, Mai really wants to be able perform to the fullest extent of her abilities. Little does she know a part of the stage floor is wet and slippery from a recent mopping. Plus, there is no warning sign up. While she is practicing, Mai slips on the wet floor and lands harshly on her left ankle—the one that has been bothering her the past few months. The fall really rekindled the injury. She is able to stand up, but limps off the stage and back to the dressing room. Yamato soon gets a call and receives the news. He smirks triumphantly. Knowing Mai’s tendency to practice well before her performances, he decided to take full advantage of the situation in order to make sure Mai does not perform, ensuring NAZO’s victory in the finals. Maya, however, catches wind of her producer’s phone conversation and is very disappointed. In order to face Mai at her full strength, Maya decides to set things right.

Kenji and the other two idols are very worried after they see Mai limping into the dressing room. She tells them what happened regarding the wet floor and shows them her damaged ankle. Kaito does not like the looks of this injury. If it will not heal by the evening, she might not be able to perform. As Mai soaks her foot in icy water to soothe the pain, the other two idols consider dropping out of the IU. Mai figures she will be fine by the time of the performance, but Kenji really does not want her to push herself and make matters worse. All of a sudden, Maya appears. She heard about what happened and has brought some elastic bandages, wrapping them around Mai’s bad ankle. The last thing Maya wants to do is let Mai and the others give up after all they have been through. Besides, she knows that Mai is such an amazing performer and is not willing to let a setback like a sore ankle get in the way of a big performance. Maya will not be holding anything back in tonight’s performance and wishes to face Mai at her full potential.

That evening, Mai is feeling a lot more comfortable thanks to the bandage. Kaito clears her to perform, but considers rewriting her routine so as not to put pressure on it. Mai reluctantly accepts his offer, as arguing with him in a situation like this is pretty much pointless. As Yamato comes around to see how things are going, he is surprised to see Mai back on her feet. He thought for sure she had been put out of commission after hurting her ankle practicing. Maya appears and tells ZetaPro all that happened, including paying the janitor to mop the stage floor earlier in the morning. Yamato claims the floor was dirty from yesterday’s performances and needed a good cleaning. Besides it was not his fault that Mai decided to run through her routine the same place she did the morning before. Kenji and Mai are not buying his excuses. Kenji cannot believe his childhood rival would sink so low. Maya also barks out at Yamato, claiming a victory via dishonest terms would be empty. She demands a fair fight so that neither side will hold anything back in their performances. The chat with Yamato and final confrontation with NAZO goes on the same from there.

All of a sudden Mai whispers to her partners, “I’m going to do it.” She plans to perform no holds barred despite her ankle.

ENDING

Mai takes Kenji to Maki’s grave to chat. She’s still a little sore from her performance, but feels fine. Becoming an idol might have been one of the best decisions she has made as it has really helped change her life, especially thanks to her time with Kenji. She now follows her own heart while still following her mother’s wish, continuing to utilize her dancing talents and teach other idols a few tricks of the trade. Dancing is a lot of fun to her now that she sees it as less of a chore. Kenji wonders what she will do after the doctors get her injury completely treated. Mai looks towards Maki’s grave for a second…and decides to remain an idol. She loves all those opportunities to perform. Maybe she could teach some of her dancing skills to up-and-coming idols. As Mai prays to her mother, she tells her to especially thank Kenji for all the help in shaping her into the performer she always wanted to be. As Mai embraces her producer she tells him, “I think she’s smiling on you right now.”

[Amazing_Grace]

Aw, Mai!

I really, really love Maya, actually. It's so nice and refreshing to have a sweet rivl like her involved. She's just wonderful.

And Mai's story with her mother is touching. I like her story, struggling between feeling like she's failing her mother and wanting to continue enjoying her time as an idol.

I'm glad you made the choice to stay an idol, Mai! Follow your dreams! *fist pump*

[ZetaFlare]

I'm thinking about writing up some silly skits involving my characters from time to time in order to show how I really write my fanfics.

As for Story Mode routes, I'm kind of stuck on who to do next. I am thinking of doing Asuka's to finish the Main Character Trio, but I'm also thinking another Vocal specialist like Reika, Nozomi, or Yoshino.