Question 1: How Did it Start?

I meet Nico-Nii and Nishikino-san in a private booth of a cafe near our paper's offices. They both appeared out of a dark car with blacked-out windows, and I think one of the nearby tables is taken up by a pair of bodyguards.

I consider myself very lucky to have scheduled this interview, originally to discuss the end of Nico-Nii's recent tour, which finished yesterday, but especially after the shock announcement that came along with it.

Nico-Nii is wearing very plain clothes, jeans and a black t-shirt and has now removed her shades to reveal those mirthful red eyes. Her hair is down, out of her normal tails. "You have to change the way you look in public if you don't want to be spotted," she says when I mention the change in her looks. "I love meeting fans, even in public, but sometimes I need to slip through unnoticed. Maki-chan has a big meeting later, so we can't let her be late."

Nishikino-san is indeed wearing formal wear, with a black blazer over white blouse and smart black trousers. "Papa likes for me to be at the hospital management meetings when I'm not busy with university," she explains, before I get to ask the obvious question. "It will help with the handover when it's time."

We order drinks and I ask about the tour, to which Nico-Nii grins "I think it was great! So many fans coming to see me, it was amazing!"

"I think it went well, the segment I was in that is," Nishikino-san says with a smile at Nico.

When I ask how they came to start performing together again on stage, with Nico-Nii singing to Nishikino-san's piano, Nico chuckles, "Well, you remember when..."

"A stand-alone live?" Maki asked, raising an eyebrow. She and Nico were sitting in Maki's living room, Nico having suddenlt asked to speak with her.

"Yup!" Nico grinned at her, "Nico-Nii is finally done opening acts for others and only performing anime OP's. Nico will now ascend to the great heights of the world's number one idol!" As an awkward silence opened, Maki slowly clapped, earning a scowl from Nico. "Can't you be a little more enthusiastic?"

Maki smiled slyly, "Oh I am so very excited for you, so much so I can't let my emotions out, otherwise I would never be able to sit still again." Before Nico could retort, Maki continued, "So was there some reason you came to tell me in person?"

"Well… I have a favour to ask."

Maki was immediately suspicious. Nico did not ask favours, she normally put one into a position where one was obliged to complete the 'favour'. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I asked for tickets for all of you guys, but getting eight tickets was a bit much..." Nico scratched her head, "They said if I could get at least one of you up on stage with me..."

"What?" Maki's mouth gaped, "B-but..."

"Not to dance!" Nico cut in quickly, "You don't have to do all of that… just play the piano for me to sing to. The manager said that we could leverage some more Muse fan-power if we had another member and I thought… you know..."

Nico was looking at the floor, nervous. Maki sighed, "I guess I can do it, if it means all the others can come along."

"Really?" Nico instantly perked up, "I knew Maki-chan would do it for her dear idol Nico-Nii."

"Careful now, I still have time to turn you down," Maki said, smirking at the sudden vanishment of Nico's excitement.

"Y-you wouldn't!"

Maki giggled, "Maybe, maybe not."

Nico pouted, then took a deep breath before taking a strangely business-like look upon her face, "I'll have the music sent to you as soon as possible."

"Okay… when is it again?"

"Four weeks."

Maki nodded, "Okay."

"And… just one more thing…" Nico looked at her feet again, "I was hoping you could… write another song."

"Eh?"

"I have the lyrics already… just I wanted it to be something we made together for the final act." Nico looked up, eyes begging, "Would that be okay?"

Maki smiled, "I'll give it a go." Nico was asking, not demanding for once, Maki could indulge her this time.

"Thanks! You're the best Maki-chan!" Nico leaped at her friend, hugging her tightly.

"So you decided to do that concert just to get your friends free tickets?" I ask.

Nishikino-san is clearly amused by my surprise. "That and my dear friend asked me for help to kick-start her career."

"I do owe her a lot for it," Nico-Nii says. "It really did set everything off on the right foot."

I ask if that new closeness was what started everything for them. The pair smile, giving each other a knowing look.

"You could say that," Nishikino-san replies.

"Nishikino-san, you're on in five!"

Maki breathed deeply. It had been years since she had been on stage, and she had been only one of nine back then. This time, she was doing something completely different, and could not hide among the others if she slipped up.

She was certainly nervous, but also excited. She certainly missed her time as an idol, if only a little.

Nico had been on-stage for nearly an hour by this point, with a brief interval which finished about ten minutes earlier. The concert was reaching it climax – the last twenty minutes, five songs with Maki on the piano.

Maki stood and pulled on her long-tailed suit jacket. Nico had picked the outfit: a suit with a white ruffle shirt. She carefully adjusted the flowing material of the cuffs. She had practised playing while wearing the shirt, always worried that the large cuffs would catch in the piano. They never did, but she was still paranoid about it. She sighed. It was these stupid little things that she was worried about, not the fact that she was about to perform in front of that huge crowd. She was more worried of doing something just plain stupid than making a mistake.

Taking another deep breath, she headed through the backstage area, glancing at the screens displaying the stage as she passed them. Nico had just started her last song before Maki was due on. Maki knew the set well by this point, so knew exactly how much time she had to get to the wings of the stage.

Her steps timed to the music without her thinking about it. She stepped into the wings, looking out at Nico's back. The idol was still dancing on the stage, nearing the end of her song.

Nico was wearing a pink one-piece dress with black trim and frills. Black fingerless gloves with a red heart on the back adorned her hands, and her hair was tied in its usual two tails with pink scrunchies. Black shoes and a silver necklace completed the outfit.

Maki watched as Nico danced, the music itself disappearing along with the crowd's cheers. She just saw Nico, and heard Nico. A light red tinged her cheeks.

Nico's song ended, with her completing her dance, peace sign thrown to the audience. Maki blinked herself back into awareness. It was nearly time, she just needed her cue from Nico.

"Hey everyone!" Nico called out to the crowd, "Thank you all so much for cheering Nico-Nii on tonight! It makes me feel even more Nico-Nico-Nii!"

Maki restrained a laugh at the ridiculousness of what the idol had said, but the crowd seemed to love it.

"So, you know, there's someone else here to see you all tonight. She's Nico-Nii's number one trainee doctor friend, oh wait, she's my only trainee doctor friend."

Laughter echoed, even at such a terrible joke. Maki smirked. It was a very Nico joke.

"But seriously, she's a really important friend to Nico. If it weren't for her and the others, I wouldn't be here now. So please, make her feel welcome."

Maki was slightly taken aback by Nico's tone. Neither her chirpy idol persona, nor her irritable normal self, Nico sounded more serious than Maki had heard her be for a long time.

"Say hello to Maki-chan!"

Her cue given, Maki walked onto the stage. Her eyes flitted over the roaring crowd, stopping momentarily every now and then. She thought she spotted Honoka at one point, and Nozomi nearby, but it was difficult to make out faces. She stepped up to where Nico held out a microphone.

"Hey, hey, Maki-chan, say hello to everyone.

"Good evening everyone," Maki spoke into the microphone, then placed her right hand over her heart and bowed to the audience. Elegant and formal, that was what she needed to look like. Whether she was succeeding or not, the crowd seemed to love it. Standing up straight once more, she flashed a smile to the audience, "I hope you enjoy our performance."

A section of the stage floor to the girls' left opened up, a platform rising from below, with a grand piano atop it. Maki stepped over as the platform came level to her, stepping around the stool and taking a moment to throw her suit-tails over the back of it with a flourish as she sat down. The crowd, who had been roaring again mere moments earlier, were suddenly quiet.

A single note, long and low, began the song, then flowed slowly into others as Maki began playing. The first song was a slow one, a love ballad written some hundred years ago – not the sort of thing one would expect at an idol concert.

Soft words joined the music as Nico began her slow song and dance. Light taps, inaudible to the audience and just barely sounding to Maki, told her that Nico was moving perfectly in time to the music. Though after a little while, Maki was unsure if it was her playing in time to Nico instead.

The first song ended, followed immediately by a much faster one, this time accompanied by guitars and drums, with a burst of energy from Nico as the beat picked up. Maki barely stopped to think as the next two songs went by in a flash of colourful sounds, excitement and the crowd cheering. Finally, a brief pause fell before the very final song came, and Nico stepped over to the piano, landing just next to Maki on the piano stool, facing away from her friend and towards the audience.

"Everyone, thank you so much! I'm afraid that's all we have time for."

Of course it was not. Everyone there knew that they were expecting an encore. It was all planned, always, but they would all play along.

"So thank you for being so kind to me tonight! And to Maki-chan too!" More cheering. "Hey, Maki-chan, don't you think they've been amazing?"

Maki leaned over as Nico held the microphone out to her. "Thank you everyone! I've had a great time with you all!" As the crowd roared, Maki stood and offered the idol her arm, "May I, Nico-chan?"

Nico took the offered arm a shouted to the audience "Nico-nico-nii! Nico-Nii will see you all again soon!"

Cheering sounded loud as Maki led Nico off into the wings. As the cheering died down and the girls made it into the darkness of the wings, a new cry replaced it.

"Encore! Encore! Encore!"

Maki glanced down at Nico, who was hurriedly grabbing a water bottle offered to her by a stagehand. Maki only now noticed how sweaty the girl was. It was not in the least surprising, and she quickly towelled off the worst of it. She grinned at Maki, as the growing cries of 'encore' got louder and louder.

"Shall we give 'em what they want?" Nico asked, her smile broadening.

"Let's go," Maki offered her arm to Nico again, and the two returned to the stage.

Cheers sounded as the pair stepped on again. Maki sat again at the piano, while Nico stepped into the middle of the stage. "My, my, you really want us to continue don't you?"

Cries of 'Yes!' sounded loudly in response.

"Well, we do have one more song. It's one that Maki-chan and Nico wrote together. It's called 'My Muse'. I hope you like it."

Maki allowed herself the smallest chuckle at the silly name. Analysts would pick apart the cheesy name for weeks, she was sure. As her fingers pressed the keys, she mused on the lyrics, as the slow song began, just her and Nico playing and singing together. The song was all about a 'Muse' for the singer – for Nico. Not that Maki could think of anyone who fit the bill.

"Beauty at your fingertips."

Nobody that Nico had ever treated like that at all.

"Crimson hair and crimson lips."

It was not like Nico to even admit to admiring someone, let alone being inspired by them.

"I wanna watch from by your side."

After all, Nico hardly got close to anyone.

"Such a shame for both our pride."

Yes, that was it, Nico's pride never allowed her to admire other people.

"I want to stay right here with you."

It was laughable, really, the idea that she would want to treat anyone like that.

"I promise you it's true."

Totally ridiculous.

"Here's an offer that you can't refuse."

Nico would never...

"Will you be my muse?"

Nico had slowly danced to her left, so that she was now in front of the piano, allowing Maki to look over at the girl as they ended the song. Nico was pointing one hand out over the audience, with the other behind her back. What nobody apart from Maki could see was the other hand, behind Nico's back, pointed back at the redhead.

Nico held the pose only briefly, before waving to her audience, and once again stepping over to Maki, taking the girl's arm. Maki managed to remember where she was long enough to bow and walk off in a dignified manner as the crowd gave their last cheers of the evening.

Nico led her friend to the dressing room they were sharing. Everything was ready for them, but nobody else was there.

"I asked them for some privacy," Nico explained, seeing Maki glance around the room. "I didn't explain why, just that I wanted to spend some girl time with you afterwards, like old times."

Maki stammered out "B-but it's not like old times, is it?"

"No, no it's not." Nico smiled, "Sorry Maki, I'm really bad at things like this, but..." Red eyes smiled up at Maki. "...I like you… a lot."

"N-nico?"

"So… would you go out with me?" Nico's eyes were focused on Maki's – honest, hopeful and all sorts of things Maki was not used to seeing in those crimson eyes. But then Maki realised that the girl was shaking. Maki had assumed it was she herself that was shaking after the revelation, but it was her friend. Her dearest friend. Her…

"Yes."

...girlfriend.

Nico was clearly surprised, her shaking stopped, her eyes widened and her mouth fell just a little open. Then a moment later she was wrapping her arms around Maki. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Maki hugged the girl back, then gently pulled back just enough so that she could lean down to the shorter girl and plant a kiss on her forehead.

Nico pouted, "Really? You're treating a super idol like me like some kid?"

"Maybe once you've taken me on some good dates, I'll kiss you like an adult," Maki smiled.

"Challenge accepted!" Nico beamed.

"So you started dating right after that concert?"

Nishikino-san nods, "Yes, though it was a bit slow at first."

Nico-Nii laughs at that. "We didn't know how hard it would be to keep secret, so we were super nervous. I mean, we were also both pretty busy, not that we aren't still. It took a while to get the relationship going..."

A/N: So this is a thing... a thing I have been sitting on for a while. NicoMaki are cutest pair. But yes, my first thing not for RWBY... I'm branching out, what is this madness? I actually wrote the start of this months ago, then found it again a few weeks ago and thought why not make something of it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the start of this... there should be more to come... sooner or later. Let's see how it goes, but for now...

'Til Eternity Ends

E.D.