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The Portal of Zeta: iDOLM@STER Neo Vision

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ZetaFlare:
Tsukishiro Reika's Route, cont.

Kagura informs Yamato of her opponent. Yamato is rather interested in her. According to him, she is a fool to fall for ZetaPro’s lies. He asks Kagura to sway her over to RyuuseiPro where he can easily help her realize her full potential.

Reika’s unit manages to get its composure back and gain enough popularity to reach Rank C. After performing at a festival against 961Pro/Ryuuguu Komachi, Reika has some bad news for everyone. Unfortunately, her father has caught on to her activities and has been asked to return home. Her partners try to talk her out of it, but once her father makes his decisions, he stands by them. Almost nothing will make him turn the other cheek. If she does not come home, her father’s butlers will seek her out. As Reika sadly exits the office, the President seems to know what’s going on and comes up with an idea. He asks Kenji to pay her a visit tomorrow. Perhaps he can help work things out with her father. Kenji promises to get Reika back. She seemed so content with her new friends at ZetaPro. Besides, no bird, no matter how rare or beautiful, wants to stay cooped up in a gilded cage forever. The President gives Kenji directions to the Tsukishiro estate before the group heads home for the evening.

The next day, Kaito drives Kenji over to Reika’s mansion. The butlers ask him to leave, but Reika immediately recognizes him and asks the butlers to let him in. Reika and Kenji approach Yutaka. Yutaka is angry at Reika, figuring the President might have tempted her into working as a cash cow for him. Now he figures the President is too much of a coward to show his face to him in person so he sent his lapdog (Kenji) to do his dirty work for him. Yutaka will still not be swayed. He will not allow Reika to continue her idol career. Throughout Reika’s past, Yutaka’s interest in European music and culture got Reika into the works of famous composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and Verdi. He has even taught her to sing and play the piano. Sometimes she would even give private concerts to display what she learned. One day, about three months before Reika made her debut, the President of ZetaPro overheard her singing and arrived at the Tsukishiro estate hoping to scout her as an idol. Yutaka immediately disallowed Reika from auditioning, claiming she should not be associated with the evils of the common world (such as its music). In order to protect her talents, regal beauty and happiness, Yutaka keeps Reika inside the mansion at all times. She was taught to always dress elegantly and act properly/lady-like towards visitors, which explains her rather formal conversations with Kenji and her partners. Yutaka soon asks Kenji to exit the mansion and leave Reika in peace, but Kenji stands up for himself and Reika. Yutaka claims to keep his precious bird in a gilded cage for the sake of her happiness. However, can Reika truly be happy if she is cooped up forever, even in a peaceful life of luxury? If Yutaka really does care for Reika’s happiness, he should set her free—allow her to live her life the way she wants and do what really makes her happy—allow her to get out and see the world that has been blind to her for nearly all her life. Yutaka cannot take Kenji’s shenanigans anymore and asks his butlers to escort Kenji out of the mansion. He then sends Reika to her bedroom and locks the door, asking her to use the time to get those silly idol ideas out of her head. Reika tries her best to hide her tears, but after what happened, she cannot help but cry. She then recalls what Kenji told her back in the alley…if she could only break free from the cage that holds her. Still, it seems as though her father might be hiding something…

Next week, Reika manages to escape her confines in the mansion and return to the ZetaPro building for another week of work. Kenji is glad she broke free from her cage, but the President shows a bit of concern, fearing Yutaka is still not willing to listen to Reika’s feelings.

On the day of the IU preliminary matches, Reika enters the venue looking calm and confident. She feels as though she has learned enough during her idol career to stand a chance against some of these other highly-talented competitors. Once she notices that her unit has been placed in the same competition block as NAZO, a sudden chill runs down her spine. Kagura and her partners approach Reika, believing she has not learned her lesson yet since her humiliating defeat at the Sunny Beach Festival. Perhaps this time Kagura will prove what the upper class is truly capable of, especially seeing how a nationally-renowned diva is backed up by a competitive dancing champion and a child star beauty queen. Much to Kagura’s surprise, ZetaPro is able to pass the audition, though placing a distant second to NAZO. Kagura is starting to get a little frustrated. Apparently the legacy of the Tsukishiro family is finally starting to awaken. However, according to Kagura, the fact that she still uses her skills to aid such low-life commoners still proves Reika’s weakness. It’s not too late for Reika to end her little charade and offer her talents to RyuuseiPro because if she continues along the path she is currently on, her career will go nowhere and eventually come crashing down. Reika suddenly speaks up. She is not interested in a big-name, high-paying company like RyuuseiPro. She belongs with ZetaPro. The staff and idols are very kind and caring to her. While they still work hard and take their training seriously, she feels like she can actually get satisfaction out of her work with them. She feels more like a human being than just an idol. Kagura scoffs at Reika, claiming she is a simpleminded fool who was tricked by her peers’ kindness. “Don’t you see they are only using you? They see your legacy alone as a cash cow. They are willing to milk you until you’re dry. Don’t be fooled by their lies!” She laughs as she heads out of the venue with the rest of NAZO.

(to be continued)

Stay tuned. Reika is about to realize a shocking truth in the next update.

ZetaFlare:
Tsukishiro Reika's Route, cont.

On her way back to the office, Reika spots a bed of purple petunias in full bloom. As she admires them, she suddenly freezes in shock. Flashbacks of her past soon appear in her head. In one, a little girl in a raggedy one-piece dress carries around a basket full of petunias. In another, a group of pesky boys stomps on a small petunia garden, making the little girl cry. In another, the girl looks up to a strange yet familiar-looking silhouette as he appears out of the back door of a limo. Kenji catches her just as she’s about to faint. Everyone is given quite a scare. Back at the office, Reika wakes up to everyone’s relief. Kenji asks Reika what happened to give her a shock like that. Reika believes that the sight of the petunia patch she passed not too long ago sparked some horrible memories. She begins to feel a little distressed. Wishing to rest off her sadness and get the painful thoughts out of her head, she goes home for the evening. Kenji is really starting to worry about Reika. She does not normally get so stressed out like this. The President believes she might have experienced trauma in her life that she’s not willing to talk about with anybody else. It would be best just to leave her be for now. Kenji still wonders how he will be able to help Reika if he does not know what is wrong.

The next day, Reika returns to the Tsukishiro estate undetected in order to talk to Yutaka about the flashbacks she witnessed. After Reika mentions purple petunias, Yutaka gets angry as he specifically told his butlers never to plant petunias in his garden. Reika claims they did not come from their garden, but from one of the books she has read (she couldn’t bear telling him the truth…if she did, she feared she would get locked away in her room for good). Yutaka never figured he would have to do this, but seeing that Reika may begin to have suspicions after witnessing those flashbacks, he decides to come clean with her…Yutaka is not her real father. He found Reika abandoned when she was very young—around 4 or 5 years old. While Reika lived on the streets, she seemed to develop a passion for gardening and growing flowers. Petunias were her favorites because to her they always appear to be smiling at her. She would always find the best seeds she could get her hands on and the best soil they could grow in. Once they were fully grown, she would always pick them, put them in a basket, and try to sell them. Sadly, this was the only way she could make enough money to survive on the streets. Still, flowers always made her happy, so she wanted to spread the happiness she felt as she cared for them. However, not all of her flowers made it. As Yutaka was noticing Reika care for her flowers one day, he saw two bullies purposefully stomping on her little garden. Seeing such fragile lives and joys crushed, all she could do was cry. As they continued to pick on her, Reika became too scared to speak up. Then one day, no longer bearing to see the poor little girl suffer, Yutaka came along to the alley Reika resided in. As she offered him her basket to try to sell him some petunias, Yutaka instead offers her a ride in his limo, taking her underneath his wing. He then raised her like a daughter in a life of luxury in the Tsukishiro estate, erasing the memories of her painful past and sealing her away from the cold, cruel world that treated her so harshly. This is why Yutaka never allowed Reika to leave the mansion—so she would no longer have to put up with the evils of the outside world. Even so, he knew Reika loved flowers so much, so he had his butlers make a little flower garden (minus the petunias) out in his yard just for her. The only thing he cared about was her happiness. He never figured one day something would spark the memories of her past. He never wanted to tell the truth, fearing it would break her poor heart. Reika is actually happy to have the truth revealed to her. The little girl Yutaka raised from rags to riches has turned 18 and he did not even know it. Plus, now that she is aware that her flashbacks were indeed the truth, they will not bother her anymore. As Reika goes to sleep that night, Yutaka recalls what Kenji told him earlier. “If you truly care for her happiness, set your bird free from her gilded cage.” He wonders. He really does not want Reika to have to suffer again, but was Kenji correct about his statement?

When Reika returns to work, she decides to keep her truth a secret from Kenji and the others, fearing it would only burden them. Still, she spends some time with the other two idols in order to bond with them and learn even more about the outside world.

ZetaPro is challenged to a face-off against NAZO at the Harvest Moon Festival. However, the performance is cancelled due to a pyrotechnic malfunction. As Yamato approaches ZetaPro in order to mock them, he reveals that he knows Reika’s secrets. His spies heard everything during her conversation back at the mansion a few weeks back. Apparently, Reika was lying not only to her coworkers, but to the public about her life of luxury. In reality, ZetaPro just plucked a dirty little urchin off the streets and used the Tsukishiro legacy to turn her into an easy cash cow. This just proves the stupidity and gullibility of middle class companies. They would do or say anything to promote their idols. If Reika was lying about her past, what makes her unit think she was being true to them? She cannot be trusted! Imagine the scandal if word reached the public’s ear! Kenji interrupts him, claiming it was Reika’s hard work, calm attitude, and talents that helped her and her unit make it this far. The Tsukishiro name had nothing to do with it. Yamato scoffs at Kenji’s defense. He will prove the true strength of the upper class once NAZO mops the floor with ZetaPro at the IU finals—if they ever get that far. Reika has no chance because she only uses her elite aura to mask her true weakness. She is really just like her partners—common trash.

(to be continued)

MetalPredat0r:
Holy Plot Twists, this is good! I really feel sorry for Reika having to know the sad truth about her life. Hopefully things get better for her eventually.

liza94:
I didn't expect anything like that! I thought that Reika's father had some business with RyuuseiPro, so he "kept" Reika for them!

ZetaFlare:
I never expected Reika's little flashback/"the past is revealed" moment to generate such response! Now time to finish Reika's roller coaster ride of a story mode route.

Tsukishiro Reika's Route, conclusion

Back at the office, Reika tells her unit the truth about her past. Everyone is shocked and feels sorry for her. Now Kenji understands why Reika had those flashbacks and fainted when she noticed the petunias after the IU prelims. Still, Reika claims what Yamato said about her was wrong. She has always been taught by Yutaka to be truthful to everyone. Besides, the memories of her past were essentially wiped clean from her memory until that particular incident. Kenji agrees. Reika never even looked like the type who would lie her way out of anything. She has done spectacularly as an idol ever since her national debut. In fact, the time she spent learning music from Yutaka’s travels has been a huge contributor to her talents and success. Reika thanks everyone for all the care and support they have given her all this time. As the group adjourns for the evening, Kenji recalls what Yutaka told him during their meeting. He only meant to keep his precious little bird in his gilded cage and keep her past a secret from her so she would continue to be happy. He could not stand seeing her sad again after all she had been through fending for herself at such a tender age. While Reika seems happy now, Kenji can still feel an intense sorrow inside her. Perhaps Yutaka has not decided to free her from her cage just yet…

Meanwhile, back at the Tsukishiro estate, two of Yutaka’s butlers come into Reika’s room to check up on her only to discover she is not there. Worried, they search the entire mansion with no luck. Taking drastic measures, they call the other butlers in for a meeting. “Reika-sama is missing!” Believing she escaped again, they all decide to spread out, search every corner of the city, find Reika, and return her safely to the mansion. However, Yutaka himself has not been informed of any of this.

On the day of the IU finals opening ceremonies, Reika overhears a conversation between Kagura and Yamato. Kagura is relying on her producer to guide her to victory in the finals. Yamato knows she must win at all costs for the sake of her family honor. From what Reika heard, the Ichimonji family apparently has quite the reputation for its esteemed musical abilities, almost similar to Yutaka Tsukishiro’s reputation as a multibillionaire. Reika decides to chat with Kagura when she suddenly hears a familiar voice. It’s one of the head butlers of the Tsukishiro estate! Reika is a little worried. It sounds as though Yutaka has declared her missing and sent his butlers searching far and wide to find her and return her to the mansion. This time they are bound to make sure she stays home! Reika tells Kenji they need to escape from the venue undetected. Fortunately, the butlers do not yet know about her idol career. Reika normally does not dress up or wear her hair like this. As ZetaPro cautiously heads back to the van, they manage to slip by the search party unnoticed. As they head back to the office, Kenji appears frustrated. He cannot seem to believe Yutaka would go that far. His intentions may be good, but Reika will not be happy if he will not allow her to follow her dreams.

At Tokyo Dome, Reika’s unit defeats Jupiter in the quarterfinals and Project Fairy in the semifinals. With the tension mounting, Yamato decides to hatch his last-ditch plan to stop ZetaPro in their tracks. He has grown aware that a search party has been sent from the Tsukishiro estate in order to locate their missing heiress. Figuring they could use some help, he decides to be a “nice guy” and point them in the right direction. He has his men send a note to the Tsukishiro estate claiming they have found Reika at the Tokyo Dome and is set to perform tomorrow night. The butlers read the letter and hatch a plan to corner her. Later on, Yutaka also reads the letter. It soon got him thinking, but not the same way the butlers are thinking…

The next morning just as ZetaPro arrives at Tokyo Dome for the IU final match, Reika appears to be lost in thought. As she gradually became more and more successful as an idol, she has been thinking about what to do with her career for a while now. Sure she has been using her talents to the fullest, earning the adoration of many fans, and learning nearly everything there is to know about the outside world, but she really wants to get a little more satisfaction out of her success. Kenji hopes she will soon find that satisfaction.

Later that evening as Reika and the others are set to take the stage, the butlers suddenly storm into the dome. They are determined to take Reika away and will not let anyone or anything stand in their way. Several of Reika’s fans try to bar their path but they are easily pushed aside. Kaito warns Kenji and the others about the security breach. Reika is scared stiff. She knows this mob consists of butlers from the Tsukishiro estate who have come to take her back to the mansion. It sounds like they would go as far as to prevent her from performing in the finals. Still, she wonders how they were able to locate her so easily. The butlers finally reach the stage and manage to catch Reika, much to her unit’s dismay. Kaito tries to stop them, but he is immediately restrained. The head butler angrily grabs Kenji by the collar, accusing him of kidnapping Reika and forcing her to work as an idol. The butlers shall escort Reika back home and will inform her “father” of her defiance. Suddenly, someone is heard laughing at the incident. It’s Yamato! He knew the Tsukishiro estate’s butlers were searching for Reika and thought he could help them out. Kenji cannot believe it. He believes it was all a ruse to destroy Reika’s career and give NAZO an unfair edge in the finals. All of a sudden, a familiar voice booms, “Let them go!” Yutaka appears before his butlers. The head butler protests they have found Reika and silenced her kidnapper. Yutaka demands them to release Reika and Kenji at once. Kenji is no kidnapper. He knew Reika left of her own free will. He was thinking about the conversation he had with Kenji for a while now. All this time he thought his adoptive daughter was content with her life, but he failed to notice that she was crying on the inside. Believing ignorance was bliss (considering her past), he then apologizes to her for misunderstanding her true feelings. For the sake of her happiness, if this is really what she wants, he will allow Reika to perform tonight and continue her career as an idol. “Now get out there and show them everything this young man and I have taught you!” The butlers reluctantly let Reika and Kenji go, much to Yamato’s dismay. Yutaka then thanks Kenji for helping him see the light with a handshake. Kenji is glad he was able to set Reika free from the cage he held her in for so long. Kenji and later Kagura demand Yamato to end his shenanigans play fairly. The rest of the conversation goes on normally from there.

ENDING

Reika feels much happier now that she can spread her wings and fly freely in the sky. She has finally decided what to do to give happiness back to the community that adored her so much. She uses some of her earnings to fund for the reconstruction of a nearby orphanage. Remember those kids she saw in the alley after the White Lotus Festival? Their old home recently got demolished to make way for a brand new supermarket. Lately, she has been especially enjoying her performances in orphanages and foster homes. She really has become a glimmer of hope for people whose lives have been much less fortunate than hers. Reika especially thanks Kenji for all she has given her. Not only has he helped her see the true beauty of a world that was closed off to her for so long, but he helped convince Yutaka to release his caged bird. He probably couldn't be any more proud of her accomplishments and her efforts to aid children who suffered the same way she did so long ago.

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