Sorry for the delay, had to work today. Please let me know what you think.
Note: I do not own Skip Beat! or Ninja Warrior/Sasuke.
"Darkness has fallen here at Mt. Midoriyama and six athletes have earned a place in Stage Two." The announcer called to the assembled audience. There had been a short break while they moved to the next and smaller section of the obstacle course. "There is still a little time before the challengers are ready to take on the course, so why don't we see what they will be faced with." All eyes turned to the six events that the entertainers would have to take on.
"When the gate opens, each athlete will have to face the Slide Drop." The audience studied the loose pole and two parallel bars that slanted down across the open water to a floating pad. If the pole twisted as they came down, the challenger would drop into the waters below.
"Once safely on the mat, our challengers will have to face the Double Salmon Ladder." The audience ooed at the hellish event consisting of two sets of vertical parallel columns with a series of paired 2x2s set at a slight upwards angle attached to them. The challenger would have to take a pole placed into the lowest set of 2x2s and hang from it. They would then have to jump the pole up to the next set of 2x2s while the mat under them is removed to reveal the dark water beneath. Once they reached the top of the first set, they would have to turn around while hanging on the pole and jump it across to the matching series of 2x2s set facing the first. They would have to jump up a few more times till they could reach the next obstacle.
"Then it is on to the Unstable Bridge." Two boards about 20 inches wide hung over open water. The first swung from four cables connected to the corners of the plywood. The second hung level with the first, but only had a cable attached to the center of each end of the board. There were about 12 inches between the ends of the boards at the center and about 3 foot from the last board to the landing and path leading to the next obstacle.
"If they don't fall there, they are halfway through and on to the Balance Tank." The path led to a log that the contestant would stand on and roll down two declining bars that ended on a padded wall with a rope that led to the landing for the next contraption.
"Next, our athletes will be challenges with the Metal Spin." The announcer referred to the next device that looked like it could have come out of a horror movie. Four chains hung from a ring over an open expanse of water. There was a long jump from the platform to the chains that would spin around to deposit the challengers at the final obstacle.
"Last is the Wall Lift. Our challengers will have to raise each of the increasingly heavy walls to pass. The first is 66lbs, the second is 88lbs, and the final one is a whopping 110lbs!" The announcer explained. "And they only have 90 seconds to pass everything and hit the red button to win their place in Stage Three!" The audience looked over the challenge before the entertainers. The scaffolding of the second stage had been well lit in shades of blue and yellow and there were spouts of fire that would erupt at random around the course that gave it an ominous feel against the darkness of the night. "Now without further ado, please welcome out remaining six challengers to the Second Stage of Ninja Warrior!" The gathered people screamed as the group of people approached the course.
"First challenger to take on the Second Stage will be Ishibashi Shin-ichi!" The brown haired member of 'Bridge Rock' pulled off his light coat and handed it to his friends. They patted him on the back and Kyoko called her support as the young man climbed the steps leading to the steel grate that barred his entrance to the course. Ren stood next to Kyoko and watched her interaction with the band members. Kyoko froze when the tall actor asked the question that she dreaded to hear.
"How do you know the members of 'Bridge Rock'?" Ren asked with a smile. He did not like the way the shortest one acted so friendly with his love. Kyoko crumbled to little pieces as she begged help from the two remaining boys with her eyes. She had already asked them not to tell anyone that she was Bo. They had told her that she did a wonderful job and it was nothing to be ashamed of, but she still begged them until they promised that they would not say anything. The boys looked to the terrified girl and back to the tall actor waiting for an answer.
"She helps out on our show sometimes." Hikaru answered. Relief flooded her face as she barely escaped the brush with danger, but Ren did not leave it at that.
"That's the one with the chicken mascot, Bo." Ren said as he thought of his friend, he had taken to watching the boys' show when he spotted his friend while flipping channels one evening. Hikaru nodded and Ren looked around as if he expected the plump poultry to come walking out. "I am surprised that you did not bring your friend here to cheer you on." This time Kyoko started to turn to dust as her petrified form started to brake up. Hikaru once again came to her rescue.
"We invited Bo, but he had a previous engagement and could not make it." Hikaru gave Kyoko a knowing smile as he answered the actor's question. Kyoko thanked him silently as the actor accepted his answer. Yuusei elbowed his older friend, now that Hikaru had saved her twice from the tall actor, maybe Kyoko would go on that date with him. Ren was going to say something else, but was interrupted when the tones that started Shin-ichi's run sounded and they all turned their attention to watch the gate sing open to admit the young man. Shinichi grabbed onto the bar and slid till the pole crashed into the vertical supports before swinging his feet out and dropping to the floating mats.
"A beautiful start on the Slider Drop, now it's on to the Double Salmon Ladder!" The crowd screamed their support for the musician. Shin-ichi grabbed onto the bar and lifted his weight onto it. As soon as his feet were off the mat, the course workers pulled the floating pads out from under him and he had to go forwards. Shin-ichi swung back and forth to gain momentum and tried to jump the bar up to the next rung, but only one end of the bar caught in the next groove and the young man splashed down into the waters below.
"Mt. Midoriyama's dread Double Salmon Ladder has claimed another ninja!" The announcer called as Shin-ichi made the same swim to shore that so many others before him had done. Hikaru and Yuusei helped him out and gave him something to dry off while.
"What happened?" The young woman with the microphone and camera came to talk with the challenger on the failed attempt.
"I just miss judged the jump and missed the groove." Shin-ichi explained as he wrapped his towel around his neck. The night air was a little cold, but he wanted to wait to see how his friend faired against the challenging before he went to get dry clothing.
"Next to face Stage Two will be Ishibashi Hikaru! Will he pass where his band mate could not?" The announcer called as Hikaru made his way to the starting gate. The four remaining challengers and their friends cheered loudly for the short man as the gate moved and he jumped up to the slider bar. The bar carried him across the water and he dropped unceremoniously to the bobbing mats and safety. Hukaru righted himself and bounced over the mats to the waiting Double Salmon Ladder.
"Can this Brother make it up the Double Salmon Ladder?" Hikaru could hear his band mates and Kyoko cheering him on. Hikaru grabbed on to the pole with the back of his hands towards him and hung from it. After a few swings, he was able to jump it up the first rung of the ladder. Once started, he continued up till he had to cross to the second side. Hikaru turned around on the bar and stretched his legs out so that he could get a good swing and forced the bar across to the other ladder. A gasp went through the onlookers when the two ends of the pole landed in two different rungs, but it did not fall. Hikaru quickly bounced the uneven pole into the upper rung and climbed his way to the top and the next obstacle.
"A magnificent save by the oldest member of 'Bridge Rock'! Now it's on to the Unstable Bridge." The announcer cheered as Hikaru worked his tired hands onto the first of the two wooden planks. Once his grip was firm, he shifted his weight to the board and grasped it firmly. He bounced as he slid his hands along the edges of the board till he reached the end. He swung the board back and for the till the two ends of the twin boards almost touched. As the boards swung together, he made his move and jumped from the first board to the second. Both hands landed at the same time and he grasped onto the rocking board without tipping it over. A cheer sounded as he quickly worked his way to the far end of this board and threw his feet out to reach the far wall. He came up short and had to rock this board back and forth till he was able to kick off of the landing. Once the board swung back, he was able to reach the safety of the platform and release the death grip he had on the Unstable Bridge.
"He had made it through! does he have the skills needed to pass the Balance Tank?" The announcer yelled into the microphone. Hikaru ran down the path and placed one foot onto the cylinder that would convey him to the rope hanging down the padded wall. His second foot quickly joined the first and he walked backwards as the tube rolled down the inclined slope. When he was close enough he jumped from the log to the wall and just caught the rope. He hauled himself up and ran on to the next part.
"Magnificently done! Next Ishibashi Hikaru faces the Metal Spin." The announcer informed everyone. Hikaru raced down the gangway and looked at the device waiting for him as a blast of fire erupted just off the course. He swallowed hard and threw himself off the end of the platform to one of the waiting chains. His hands grasped it and the circle started to spin and bounce. As his full weight hit the bottom of the bounce, his fingers slipped and he was swallowed by the waters that had consumed so many others
"No! Ishibashi Hikaru was defeated by the Metal Spin." The announcer called and the crowd groaned this disappointment before cheering for the young man pulling himself from the water. The young woman interviewing the contestants came to him and asked the question everyone wanted to know.
"You were doing so well. What happened?" Hikaru stood up and looked back at the evil contraption that had dropped him into the drink.
"I caught the chain, but I just could not hang on when it started to bounce back up." He explained.
"You did a wonderful job." He said to him as the two men that shared his name came to escort their leader to get dried off in the cool air. Yuusei didn't even tease the older man about his size, but he did grin when Kyoko came over to give him her condolences. Ren's heart tightened in his chest as he overheard the wet young man ask Kyoko if she would be willing to join her for dinner after the competition was over, but he let out a sigh of relief as she shook her head and politely refused his offer on grounds that she already had plans for that evening. He was glad that Yashiro had already asked her to make sure that the tall actor ate right when he was finished. He was happy to see that the young lady missed the crestfallen expression that crossed the oldest Ishibashi's face as he accepted his friend's apology and turned to get dried off.
Kyoko returned to Ren's side and he smiled warmly at the young woman. She shivered in response and turned to watch the next challenger mount the steps. Kyoko gasped as she felt something draped over her shoulders. Ren had mistaken the shiver as cold and pulled off his coat to share part of his body heat with his love. Kyoko tried to return the offered article saying that Ren needed to stay warm, but the bright smile he sent her made her grudges swim up with happiness and she wrapped that warm top around her to appease him. Truthfully, she had been cold in her slightly damp top and track pants so she thanked him for his sacrifice and they both turned to watch the next person run the Second Stage. Anyone watching could see the ecstasy written all over Yashiro's face as his fan girl kicked in and he forced himself to contain the loud squeal that was ready to pop out at the touching scene. Had he let that noise out, the two actors standing closer together then proper in public might have realized their position and move apart.
Author's Note: Had to toss a little fluffy in there...
