Author's Note: Happy New Year! I'm publishing this exactly as Japan Standard Time hits 2015. That should give most of you some time to finish crying your eyes out before welcoming in the new year.

I have nothing but sincere apologies for the long wait. I was hit by a quick succession of events in life ranging from my finals to AFASG'14 to an unexpected trip to Japan to having to plan some events... it was quite hard to squeeze out the time to write.

Not to mention I kept encountering author's block because this was supposed to be the conclusion and I kept having trouble trying to find ways to make it fitting. That's part of the reason why this chapter is ludicrously long (it's 1/4 of the entire story whaaat-). And actually come to think of it, the length makes the two months long wait entirely justified. Sorta.

Well. See you at the end of the show.


Chapter 10: And On The Last Page Is...

The setting sun loomed on the horizon, drenching the school courtyard in an orange light. The scene felt impossibly familiar to Honoka, coupled with a sensation of heartbreak and sadness... A memory of sprinting across this courtyard, haunted by fear came to mind. That had taken place sometime in autumn, hadn't it? Even if this world had cycled the same year endlessly, things had always happened in quick succession within one season or another.

Now that she had finally faced her memories head on, she was starting to remember bits and pieces of the many loops she had spent here in this world. At least that particular memory had been followed closely by a sweet conclusion with her girlfriends. It certainly wasn't the easiest cycle she had (her summery memories had been rather fluffy in comparison), but it definitely wasn't the hardest either. Nothing could've compared to that cycle that had been locked within winter- Honoka shook her head desperately to try and clear the memories from her head. Even if that one had also ended happily, the amount of pain experienced along the way was comparable to (or rather, greatly exceeded) the events that had brought them all here in the first place.

Taking a seat between her girlfriends on the ledge that surrounded the tree, Honoka wasn't quite sure what to do next. Sure, she had chosen to come back to this world. But now that she thought about it closely, there were still many, many things she didn't quite understand.

"Umi-chan, could you... explain things to me?"

"Relying on me until the very end, aren't you?" The archer's tone was snarky but light-hearted, carrying a mild tone of exasperation with it. "Well, I suppose it's only normal for you to be confused. But first off, do you remember everything this time? After the third year's graduation."

"We went back to the clubroom, there was a special Love Live! concert in Osaka which we decided to attend, and then at the concert there... there was an earthquake."

"And?"

"..." Honoka wasn't quite sure how to continue. In the first place, this was not an easy subject to speak of.

The costume designer beside her paused in her doodling for a moment, a hand reaching out to squeeze her girlfriend's reassuringly. "It's alright, Honoka. We've all already come to terms with it. It's you who needs to face it, and talking it out will help."

"I saw- I saw everyone die." Honoka couldn't keep her voice from wavering, but the warmth in her right hand kept her going. "Everyone got hit by the falling stage equipment and there... there was blood everywhere and then a stage light finally fell on me..."

"That is essentially what happened, yes." It was almost amazing how calmly Umi was taking the whole matter, treating it with even less care than she would a stranger's demise.

"But but you all could still be alive, right? I mean I only saw the things fall onto you all but it doesn't mean you all are dead, you could still be alive just like me-"

"Honoka." Just like it always had, it was Umi's voice that cut across her feeble grasping at straws. "If we were, do you think we could possibly be here?"

The leader of Muse fell silent, trying to find any possible loopholes but failing in her attempts to do so. This knowledge was harder to accept than the concept of her own death by a whole magnitude, and there was no way she would've believed it if she hadn't seen it herself.

Setting it aside for a moment, Honoka switched to a different line of questioning while watching Kotori's doodle of the school alpacas slowly take shape. "So where are we?"

"Where do you think you are, Honoka?" A slight smile tugged at Umi's lips despite the gravity of the situation. "In a manner of speaking, this world is wherever you think it is."

For a few minutes silence prevailed, broken only by the rustling leaves. Pulling on all her mental strength, the ginger-haired girl dredged through an eternity of memories for all the clues she could find. "... In one of the cycles you mentioned that it was like someone's dream, except that only one of us is dreaming. So this is... my dream?"

"That is mostly correct, if you choose to view it that way. To be honest, none of us have any idea where we really are either. Is it your dream and the eight of us only visitors? Or is it a shared one? When the rest of us discussed this, we couldn't quite come up with the answer. But you're the only one who's able to enact real changes within this world. The rest of us can only do so through influencing your subconscious wishes."

"So if I'm dreaming... where's my body?"

"I think you would know that better than I do, Honoka."

A steady beeping and sensation of the cold came to mind, and Honoka felt her consciousness drifting away from the present world and back towards reality. Hurriedly clenching her hands and focusing on the sensations of this world, she managed to anchor her presence once more as she replied. "I'm... in the hospital."

"You're in a coma, Honoka. And those aren't usually from physical injuries, but mental ones."

On her other side, Kotori nodded in agreement. "I saw what happened in the last few moments. The stage light actually only grazed you slightly, Honoka-chan. But you were already broken before that from what you saw."

"I..." What could Honoka even say in a situation like this? She wasn't even the one who had it worst since she was still alive at the very least. "... So how is it possible all of you are here?"

The answer was cold, succinct and to the point. "We don't know."

"But you remembered what happened, right? From the very start. The rest somehow seemed to lose it along the way..."

A shadow fell over Umi's face, as she drew upon memories of the earliest cycles. "We all did at first. But..." For some reason unknown to Honoka, the glare Umi shot across her towards Kotori was filled with unforgiving rage and helplessness at the same time.

The brunette only continued doodling placidly, ignoring the glare directed at her. "You can't blame it all on me, Umi-chan. Things happened the way they were supposed to. If the rest had been stronger, then you would've won out. And we might still be stuck in the same unchanging cycle."

Her anger ebbing slightly, Umi slumped back against the concrete at her back, the tension leaving her shoulders. "I still don't agree with what you did. But you're right, we're here now, so it worked out in the end."

Lost in the conversation, Honoka could only shrink from all the negative emotions in the air. "What happened?.."

Neither of them answered her, though Kotori's pencil stopped in its tracing.

Irked by the silence and unwilling to let the atmosphere cow her, Honoka reached out and gripped her girlfriends' hands firmly. "I have the right to know."

Umi opened her mouth hesitantly to answer, but it was Kotori who started speaking first. "When we all first woke up in this world, Honoka-chan, you were the only one who didn't remember.

"The beginning cycles were impossibly fast and unstable. Each time we tried to tell you the truth, the world simply plunged back into darkness. We were all lost in the void without form, though we were all still able to communicate with each other on some level of thought. How long the darkness lasted each time, we had no clue, no method of measuring it. But we knew it wasn't progress, even as we resolved to do better the next time the world formed once more.

"We had many arguments about what was for the best. Umi-chan wanted to keep trying until we succeeded. Eli-chan wanted to experiment with longer cycles to see whether you would stabilize. Nozomi-chan never said anything, but always looked at us all so sadly. We were breaking apart."

"What about you, Kotori-chan? What did you want?"

"I wanted us to forget."

The answer was so outrageous that Honoka forgot to breathe for a moment, staring blankly at Kotori who had a forlorn smile that didn't belong on her face at all. And that was when Umi took over the burden of explaining.

"We agreed to lengthen the cycles as a compromise between everyone's choices. It was only supposed to be a couple of weeks each time at first. But that very first new cycle was when Kotori cheated."

"Cheated?.."

"When we came together to meet at the agreed upon time, she didn't remember anything at all. She told us to stop joking around. And that was when you somehow walked in after having eavesdropped on us, plunging us back into the darkness." Umi's fists were clenched, nails digging deeply into her palms. "And when the next cycle began, Hanayo had forgotten about all this as well. Then Rin. Maki. Nico. Nozomi, and then Eli. Everyone just subconsciously gave up on trying to remember, seeing how blissful it was to simply forget instead. Cycle by cycle, it spread like a poison until I was the only one left who remembered. Or so I thought."

"So you thought? You mean-"

"Kotori lied."

At this point the brunette in question finally reacted by standing up, mirrored on Honoka's other side by Umi who rose up a second later. Despite how much Honoka wanted to intervene, she was locked in her seat by the pressure emanating from the pair before her. It was no simple argument, but one backed by an endless spiral of anger and pain. For the first time, she was starting to understand just how much suffering the others had undergone as well in this world.

"You can hit me if you want to, Umi-chan. I won't stop you."

"At the end of it all I just wanted to know one thing that I really should have asked a long time ago, Kotori. Why?"

Her head lowered in hesitation, Kotori seem to be searching desperately for the right words before answering. "... We weren't going anywhere with your relentless approach, Umi-chan. Even Eli-chan's idea wouldn't have worked, because I knew Honoka-chan needed longer, much much longer to heal. But most importantly, it was tearing us apart. It wasn't just Honoka who was suffering. All of us were. They were trying so hard to be brave, all of them, but they all just kept crying on the inside every single day they had to face the truth of their own deaths... Each time in the clubroom when things went quiet I could just see it in their eyes, especially the first-years... At that rate we all would've lost ourselves even before we made any progress with Honoka-chan."

"You wanted everyone to forget, which was why you pretended to be the first in order to tempt the rest to give in and let go as well. That much I know, Kotori. But that wasn't what I wanted to ask. I wanted to know why you yourself didn't just let go and really forget instead of only pretending to do so. During that party after the release of our sixth single, you slipped up in your words. And that was when I finally realised I wasn't the only one who still remembered."

A look of regret flashed across Kotori's face, as the two of them looked back upon that particular memory.


"Hehe Honoka-chan, no matter how many times it's been you never manage to escape Umi-chan~" Kotori chirped cheerfully.

The conversations drifted apart once more, back into their individual pairings while certain members (in other words Honoka and Hanayo) continued stuffing themselves silly with food. Meanwhile, Umi turned back towards Kotori with the same serene smile she always had, as if all was normal.

"Kotori, it's been a really long time coming, hasn't it?"

"Hmm? What do you mean, Umi-chan?"

"Well, all our albums and lives up till date... it's been a long journey. Like you said, it's been many times."

"I... don't get what you mean, Umi-chan," Kotori replied with the same sheepish smile she always put on, only this time she was visibly sweating from nervousness. A fact that wasn't lost on Umi's eagle eyes which keenly spotted every detail.

"I don't want this cycle to end just yet so I won't be making a scene here, Kotori. But we will speak about this later."

"... Umi-chan..."


"Umi-chan cheated too... forcing us to sing lyrics like that for the sixth single, there was no way it wouldn't affect me..."

"I don't want to hear about cheating from you, Kotori. But you're right. Those songs were my last hope at getting us out of here, the only idea I ever came up with after all that time. Now answer the question please. Why didn't you let go?"

Silence was her only reply, until a tear drop fell upon the grass below. Umi instinctively raised a hand towards Kotori to comfort her, but froze halfway awkwardly. And then realization finally dawned upon her face.

"You... idiot. You wanted to be the only one who remembered, didn't you?"

A slight nod. But that was all Umi needed to step forward and pull the brunette into her embrace. "Why on earth would you ever do that?! To carry this sort of burden alone, there was no way you could've done it! Why would you ever want that sort of pain for yourself?!"

"Umi-chan you... you say that but you were the same! You alone held on stubbornly no matter how much I tried to get you to forget as well! You fought so hard to continue remembering every single time, it was even more painful than watching the rest!" Kotori was actively sobbing now, tears streaming down her face to soak into Umi's blazer. "I was afraid! I saw how the rest were falling apart, and I couldn't possibly bear to lose them all again! This was the only way I could think of!"

The blue-haired archer's own tear ducts wasn't faring any better either, and found herself unable to speak. Or rather, there were no more words needed. In the end, it had just been the two of them too stubborn to agree on the best course of action, each struggling alone on what they had thought was for the best.

Umi had tried to constantly awaken Honoka at all costs, so as to deliver them all from this world as soon as possible. Kotori had tried to take it all upon herself to be the sole bearer of the truth, so as to stop the rest from losing themselves in the face of their own deaths until the time was right.

A gentle breeze blew across the courtyard, rustling the autumn leaves that fluttered down softly upon the pair.

Still stuck in her seat, Honoka had absolutely no clue as to the events they were speaking of since they had taken place mostly without her. But as she sat there quietly watching her girlfriends sob into each others' arms, she came to the realization that perhaps in this world, she had been the one having the easiest time after all.

...

A few minutes later, all three of them were simply lying on the grass thanks to Honoka's energetic tackle that broke up the sobbing, which had quickly degenerated into half-crying, half-joyful laughter once more.

Being around Honoka, there was just no way to remain miserable for long.

And that was when the ginger-haired girl decided to ask the one taboo question, sitting up to get a better look at her girlfriends' faces. "Last question... How long has it been? I can remember scenes from many different loops and... has it really been that long?"

Umi frowned in consternation, her eyebrows meeting in the centre of her forehead with how hard she struggled to remember. "I... don't really know. To be honest, there were a few loops where even I forgot why we were here, and I somehow have this feeling there were loops I chose to forget all memories of... What about you, Kotori?"

The pair turned to look at the costume designer lying serenely in the grass, her face showing only her usual smile with no other answer forthcoming.

"Eheh... Kotori-chan, that means you know, right?" Honoka could only grin back sheepishly, trying to get her girlfriend to spill the secret.

There was still no reply, though Kotori's smile seemed to get more edged in this impromptu smiling contest of theirs. Recognizing how different it was from her usual smiles, Honoka was intimidated enough to back off and looked away. Perhaps it didn't really matter after all- the only thing she knew for sure was that the infinity they had lived here had changed them all in many, many ways.

She took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the grass and her girlfriends' respective scents. Time was infinite in this world, but it wasn't for the real one and she didn't want to keep Yukiho waiting much longer. There were just a last few things to do.

"I should go see the rest before I leave. They're still here?"

Umi sat up in the grass, brushing herself off demurely. "They're scattered around in the school building. You should be able to find them easily."

"Eheh... this might seem like a silly question, but they know the truth now right? Because they forgot before so..."

"Kotori and I already told them the truth during the final cycle when it became clear you had realised something serious was going on. Since it was something they had already known and accepted before, albeit a very long time ago, it was a lot easier for them than it was for you. Though most of them still... still cried."

Seeing the look of regret on Umi's face, Honoka gave her girlfriend's hand a tight squeeze. "It's obviously none of your fault, Umi-chan. I'll be gone for just a bit then. Wait for me, okay?"

"We'll be here until you leave. Don't worry."

And so Honoka got up, and took off running at full tilt towards the school building the way she always did. As she took one last look back at her girlfriends, she noticed that Kotori had shifted such that she was lying on Umi's lap now, the pair sitting/lying tranquilly under the falling autumn leaves. There was a look of closeness on the two that she hadn't even noticed was missing up till now, a broken bond that had been repaired at last.

In spite of the situation, Honoka could only smile.


No matter how easy Umi had made it sound, Honoka had no definite confirmation as to where the rest were. That said, the Otonokizaka campus wasn't exactly known for being large, and there were only so many places that could be considered their favourite haunts. Since she had no idea in what order she should visit them, she could only trust her feet to lead her the right way and soon found herself approaching the alpaca pen.

Which was of course, where a certain rice-loving brunette stood in her pink tracksuit, cuddling the white alpaca while the brown one munched nonchalantly on its feed.

"Hanayo-chan!"

"Ah, Honoka-chan! You came back! I mean, I always knew you would, but..." the brunette turned to twiddling her own fingers, staring at her feet. "Okay maybe I was a bit worried..."

"... Sorry for putting you through all this. Rather than me coming back now, I'm really glad you all came back for me in the first place." Leaning over the fence, Honoka patted the brown alpaca experimentally, and continued when it merely continued chewing placidly. At least the school alpacas liked her way better than the ones at the zoo.

"Honoka-chan..." Hanayo had a look of consternation on her face, which only grew when faced with Honoka's puzzled expression. It took another minute of twiddling before she seemed to finally come to a decision, her left hand gripping onto the fence tightly for support.

"You know, Honoka-chan, I'm really glad to have met you all."

Unsure how to answer, the leader of Muse straightened herself and faced her junior properly, even as Hanayo continued speaking.

"And I don't regret coming here at all. More than just all the things I got to experience beyond my short life, I've changed. All of us have.

"It's true sometimes it was painful, but we all grew in different ways. For me, this world was the first time I truly felt like I was the centre of Muse. And with that strength, I started to see what sort of shell I was restraining myself in, and began to break out of it. Maybe it would've been better if I had the chance to do all this while I was alive. But doing it here in this world, still with all nine of us, that is in no way worth any less to me. So don't blame yourself, Honoka-chan."

Honoka found herself quite unable to speak, gazing blankly at the blissful smile Hanayo had on her face.

"We all stayed behind for you. But the ones who had fun, were all of us together."

Faced with that, Honoka couldn't deny it. The old Hanayo she knew would have had trouble voicing out something as intangible as this. But the girl standing before her now voiced it out with a certainty she used to lack in her voice.

Letting go of the fence, Hanayo drew closer to Honoka with firm and sure footsteps, closing her arms around the stunned girl.

"So thank you, Honoka-chan..."

Their lips met gently, in a chaste kiss that conveyed the very depth of all the emotions Hanayo was trying to express.

"And goodbye."

...

Honoka wasn't even sure when the figure in her arms disappeared. When the white alpaca's high-pitched hum finally brought her back to her senses, all she had left with her was a deep-seated sense of loss. Yet it was accompanied by a warmth that refused to relinquish its clench on her heart despite the cold wind that stirred the autumn leaves upon the ground.

Holding onto that sensation tightly, Honoka steeled herself and began running off into the school again.

I'm feeling happy, so I'll go see you
I'm feeling lonely, so I'll go see you (Going to see you)
That's the feeling I have whether I'm moving forward or in distress
We'll always be connected


The rooftop door burst open with a satisfying click as it always did, as Honoka finally stopped her headlong mad rush and struggled to catch her breath. There were plenty of other places in the school she could've checked, but she had sprinted past all of them to this spot on a whim. Well, it would be easier to start from the top, even if such practicalities felt foolish for something as important as these partings.

And up on the rooftop alone in her practice clothes and stockings, was the club's practice leader. Sitting on the ground with her legs stretched apart, Rin seemed to be in the midst of warming up.

"Honoka-chan! Help Rin out for a while, won't you?"

With a faint smile, Honoka could only acquiesce. It was just like her junior after all, unable to sit still till the very end. "What are you warming up for?" she asked while she began pressing on Rin's back gently towards the ground.

"Rin doesn't know what's coming next... So Rin's gotta prepare any way she can nya!"

"Ehehe... that's kind of positive, Rin-chan. Just like how you always are."

The silence lingered between the two for a while, with Rin content to just focus on her warm-ups. The cat-like girl moved on to stretching her legs one by one, slowly progressing along the entire warm-up set they usually did. All that time, Honoka only watched Rin with a faint smile on her face, committing every detail to memory. Here on the rooftop, she could almost hear the echoes of their last few practices again, with Rin calling out the timing to their dance.

"You were... a great leader near the end, Rin-chan. I really wish we had more chances to practise under you."

"It's all because of Honoka-chan!" Springing to her feet, Rin spun around on the spot before clasping Honoka's hands, bringing them up between the two of them. "Rin could only do it because Rin learned lots from Honoka-chan nya!"

"... Eh?" Stunned by the orange-haired girl's sudden movements, Honoka could only tilt her head speechlessly.

"There were lots of things Rin didn't understand nya! From the start, Rin never even imagined she could be something like a school idol someday... But it was Honoka-chan who created, and showed us all that dream. Becoming the centre and the leader... these were all things Rin learned from watching Honoka-chan!"

"Rin-chan..."

Rin pressed closer, her beaming face right in front of Honoka's wavering awkward smile. "So you can't be sad, alright, Honoka-chan? You gotta be like the Honoka-chan Rin always knew! There's still so much left to do, and you gotta do it for all of us nya!"

The first year's topaz eyes were shining, Honoka noticed. But not with unshed tears, but rather the strength and passion of the dream they held. Those were eyes that still saw a future stretching far, far ahead, even if it didn't belong to their owner.

Such beautiful eyes, Honoka could only think dumbly as eyelids closed over them and Rin's face drew impossibly close before pressing their lips roughly together in a sudden unexpected kiss. But it didn't feel unnatural or disagreeable in the slightest.

When Rin pulled away, it was with her usual exuberance and without a single bit of girlish shyness. "You know, Honoka-chan, Rin actually knew the truth quite a few times."

"... Huh? But then... how... why?"

"Eheh. Rin actually stumbled onto Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan a few times whenever they discovered the truth, or when Umi-chan and Kotori-chan were discussing it secretly. Rin wonders why though. Maybe Rin just has a knack for finding out things?"

"No no no, I don't think that's quite the important part here, Rin-chan..."

"Anyway! Rin found out a lot of things over the many worlds nya! Rin only remembered them all recently, but it's been quite amazing! You should ask Maki-chan to explain to you about Scho- Schlod-... Scolding Cat? Rin doesn't know nya!"

"I what-" Caught off-guard by the sudden influx of information, Honoka was flabbergasted. Seeing Rin raise her right hand, Honoka only mirrored her action without comprehension. "Wait, Rin-chan-"

"Then, Rin's gotta head on first, okay? Rin's passing leadership of Muse back to you, Honoka-chan! Do your best nya!"

Their palms collided firmly in a high-five, the sound ringing across the rooftop. And just like that, the energetic girl was gone.

Raising her right hand to her lips, Honoka felt her mouth curve without conscious input. Was she... laughing?

That girl. Until the very end, she really is...

Shaking her head in exasperation, the ginger-haired girl took one last look at the school rooftop and bowed deeply. I'll be back, in the real world. That's for sure.

...

For the last time in this world, the rooftop door closed behind her with the same satisfying click it always made.

Leaving nothing behind but the sweat and tears of countless practices, and the faintly echoing laughter of a certain catlike girl.

With our earnest dream (Yes, let's go!)
We'll capture tomorrow (Yes, right here!)
If it's you, I know you can do it!


The music echoing along the corridors were a tell-tale sign as to her next destination (not that Honoka really needed any), but it was nice to hear the same voice and song that had been a fundamental part of their beginning.

"Now then!
I love you, hooray!
With unfailing courage, let's all cherish this moment
I love you, hooray!
We'll give it our all
Wave good-bye to yesterday, and face the future"

Exactly like how it had been at the very start, Honoka found herself drawn to the music room by Maki's beautiful singing voice, with lyrics that suddenly meant so much more this time round. If she didn't know better, she might have thought the scarlet-haired girl was psychic. But everyone knew the only psychic around here was Nozomi.

Pausing in front of the door, Honoka waited patiently for her junior to finish the song before making her grand entrance by bursting in clapping wildly. "Maki-chan, that was amazing!"

Just like always, it never failed to startle the redhead who almost fell off the piano bench. Dressed in her pink and black training outfit with striped leggings, the colour provided a nice match to her fiery red hair that was half-hidden beneath her beanie. "Wh-what, Honoka, all of a sudden..."

"Ehehe, it just felt like the first time we met~" With a twirl across the room, Honoka plopped herself on the piano bench right beside Maki, snuggling up to the composer who only blushed and averted her gaze. But no words of "get off me" or "what do you think you're doing" ensued; the usual tsundere actions were on hold just for this special moment. Right here and now, the two of them were simply content to bask in the orange sunlight streaming into the music room, with the melancholic rays reflecting off the gleaming musical instruments scattered about the room.

"Maki-chan, I need your help with something~"

"Don't you feel ashamed asking your junior to do your homework for you?" With an uncharacteristic smile tugging at the side of her lips, Maki made a jibe back for once.

"No, it's not that! Rin asked me to get you to explain something about some Cat to me..."

"Cat... Do you mean Schrödinger's Cat? That girl... She's really too stupidly positive to give up, isn't she."

"Eh? Don't just mumble to yourself, Maki-chan, explain it to me~" Honoka wheedled while tugging softly at Maki's sleeve.

"It's not much to talk about, Honoka. It's just a quantum physics thought experiment with just one important concept. The observation determines the result, even if the process that created that result took place before the observation."

"The observation determines the result... I still don't quite understand..."

Maki's left palm met her forehead in exasperation. "Why do I feel like I've heard this before... To put it simply, the action of observation that takes place in the future, determines what had already happened in the past."

"That's... is that really possible? But wait, doesn't that mean-"

"No, Honoka. And please, let's just leave it at that." The redhead's tone was final and absolute, crushing any hope even before it had the chance to sprout. But that was just fine. If Honoka had to go through another flip of fate, she didn't think her heart could stand it.

...

"Maki-chan, play something for me~"

"... What do you want to hear?"

"Anything's fine, I just want to hear Maki-chan playing the piano." Straightening herself, Honoka shifted slightly away from the first-year so that she would have space to play.

For a mere second, Maki's fingers lingered in hesitation after making contact with the keys. But they soon began dancing across the ivory and ebony pieces, with the notes flowing one after the other. Though without guitar accompaniment and slightly slower than usual, the tune was still distinctly recognizable, more so when the first-year began singing.

"Being able to be earnest is lovely
It's not logic but an earnest feeling
Do you possess rules of freedom and courage?

"Don't fear progress
Share the joy
Even if it's only those two I want to uphold them without fail"

Sitting there silently and carefully watching her junior's face as she sung, Honoka started to understand the feelings Maki was trying to convey. The redhead had never been good at expressing herself with her personality, and music had been the only outlet for her. With Umi's help in making the lyrics, these songs were possibly the only way she would ever understand Maki's heart.

Drawing in a deep breath, Honoka began to sing the chorus as well.

"Oh, Love & Peace
Let my heart become a gentle breeze
Yes, I want to give you energy so you'll do your best
Oh, Love & Peace
When you're sad I vow
To always hold you tight, Don't forget that

"Even if it's painful don't cry anymore
Let's graduate from the solitude, Love & Peace"

The notes trailed off softly into the silence, leaving behind nothing but the emotionally-charged atmosphere. As sapphire eyes met amethyst ones, Honoka found herself puzzled by the expectant gaze, even while Maki's face grew steadily redder. And then it finally clicked, and Honoka grabbed her junior in the tightest hug she could muster.

"Thank you, Maki-chan. For everything."

"I- I... Well, just take care of yourself, alright?"

Feeling herself pushed back gently, the ginger-haired girl was startled when Maki took the initiative in the end, joining their lips together in a warm kiss that lasted only for a few seconds yet felt like an eternity.

"Goodbye, Honoka."

With the redhead gone the music room fell impossibly silent, its distant echoes finally fading away into oblivion. Never again would this room resonate with the same familiar sounds of piano and song from them, the melodies once played here were now lost in time.

Honoka got up and left the music room, jogging off without looking back. Three more to go.

I'm feeling fun, so I want to be by your side
I'm feeling sad, so I want to be by your side (I'll be with you)
Even if I can't say anything, I wonder if you'll embrace me
I want to tell you… because I love you!


On a whim Honoka went towards the first floor next, heading straight towards the clubroom where they had spent so much time together. The corridors were eerily silent, though that was all she had come to expect of the school in this world. Without the chatter of other students or the sounds of club activities, things just seemed... wrong. At least that was something to look forward to back in the real world.

Honoka reached her destination and turned the knob, the curtain behind the in-set window fluttering as the door opened for her. The clubroom remained as cramped as ever, posters littering the wall and DVDs lining the shelves from end to end. It was a method-in-madness state of the room that hadn't changed ever since they had taken it over from the Idol Research Club where Nico held sole reign, and Honoka didn't think she could possibly feel more at home anywhere else.

And seated at the other end of the room in front of the computer was the diminutive third-year in her red and pink training outfit, with her characteristic yellow badge of a smiley face pinned onto her hip.

"Honoka." It was a sombre greeting, without the false cheerfulness of Nico's fake persona. Yet, it wasn't exactly the grouchy voice of her rotten personality Honoka had gotten used to either. It held a kind of seriousness that Honoka rarely witnessed from her senior, which only increased the gravity of the situation that left her frozen at the door speechless.

"Are you prepared?" The third-year continued speaking without waiting for Honoka's reply or even turning around.

"Mm." Nico-chan sounds... sounds so sad...

"Things won't be easy alone. I've been there so I know just how it's like. You'll have to come up with everything by yourself. Even as part of Muse, all this will have cost us a lot of supporters. You-"

"Nico-chan!" Unable to take it anymore, Honoka took a step closer and yelled out, putting an end to her senior's monologue. Stop doing this. Stop forcing yourself.

...

With a deep sigh Nico turned her chair around, looking the leader of Muse straight in the eyes. "I really like idols, Honoka.

"They're wonderful existences that connect people on a level beyond words. They inspire others to chase dreams while chasing their own. Everyone needs people to look up to, and idols have that power to guide others, to help them up when they're down..." Nico paused for a moment, eyes closed. Relinquishing her own now-unattainable dreams.

"So don't give up. Promise me that you'll continue being a school idol no matter what. And after you graduate, that you'll still become an idol for other people in everything that you end up doing."

"Okay." It was no mere promise, but the passing down of a dream. Both of them knew that much.

"And visit my siblings for me from time to time, alright?"

"Mm!"

"Thanks."

Silence lingered at the end of their heavy conversation, until Honoka walked around the table to approach her senior. "Hey, Nico-chan... Do it for me, one last time."

"What?"

"That thing you always do... come on, you can't possibly say goodbye without it."

After a short laugh, the twin-tailed senior got to her feet, shaking her head even though the smile on her face betrayed her emotions. "I guess it can't be helped, huh." Taking a deep breath she calmed her face... and then went at it with full spirit complete with hand-motions.

"Nico-nico-nii~ A Nico-nico-nii straight to your heart~ Yazawa Nico-nico gave you a smile! Remember Nico-nii! Love, Nico!"

The two collapsed into giggles right afterwards, the clear sound of their laughter ringing in the clubroom. Finding herself suddenly embraced by the shorter girl, Honoka didn't resist when Nico pressed their lips together firmly.

"Always keep smiling okay?"

"Mm! It's my turn to become the Number One Idol in the universe!"

Another gentle peal of laughter, another brilliant smile that Honoka was sure would be imprinted in her memory forever. And then she was gone.

On her way out Honoka stopped by the doorway, looking back at the shelves and walls filled with idol memorabilia that mostly belonged to them. The undeniable proof of an eternity spent here, of memories layered upon memories. All the things that took place within this clubroom, she couldn't help but reflect upon them.

Lots of things happened, right? Getting mad, crying, and keeping busy... It was an unforgettable episode in my life.

Turning the lights off in the clubroom for the last time, she quietly closed the door behind her.

Serious dreams are (Hi! Let's go!)
Just a little bit bitter (Hi! Go go!)
When it gets painful, let's just laugh it off


Her next destination was another room she had spent plenty of time going back and forth from, the Student Council Room that was on the second floor. A room that she had spent countless hours within, slaving away at the work which demon-Umi just wouldn't let her escape from. But this wasn't just their room... before them, it had belonged to another pair of capable seniors.

Pushing the door open, Honoka entered to find Eli alone within the room, staring pensively out the small window in the far corner that overlooked the school's main entrance. Though there shouldn't have been anything of much interest outside, except maybe Umi and Kotori within the courtyard.

"Eeh? Just Eli-chan? I was expecting Nozomi-chan to be here as well..."

"Oh, Honoka. Nozomi's outside actually, by the flowers. We just thought it would be better for us to talk to you alone." Decked out in her winter training outfit, Eli's clothes were a clash of purple and dark-blue that emphasized her sleek, adult curves. With a step back from the window, Eli leaned against the table behind her, fingers tracing the worn wooden surface longingly.

Unsure how to break the silence, the second-year could only step closer hesitantly, eventually standing at the same distance she once did- the very same positions they had taken back on their graduation day. So much had changed since that day... or had it? Once again, it was another time of farewell.

Only this time it would be forever.

"How do you feel, Honoka?" Ever the reliable senior, Eli's was only concerned for her friend's well-being.

How do I feel... Even Honoka wasn't quite sure how to answer that question, despite having always been the most straightforward member of the group. "I don't know... I guess I've come to terms with it. I mean, there was a lot I didn't understand at first, but now even though I understand, it's just..."

"It's okay, Honoka. There's no rush to accept it, you have all that time ahead of you to do that after all... Someday, you'll definitely be able to make peace with the fact."

"Even if you say that... What about you, Eli-chan? Aren't you worried about Arisa-chan?"

"Arisa? She's got Yukiho so I know she'll be fine," Eli replied with a wry smile. "They grow up so quickly..."

"... Eli-chan, don't you think you might be reading too much into things..."

"I wonder if they've kissed yet..."

"Uhh, Eli-chan?.."

The blonde giggled, her eyes straying back to the table. "I'm just joking. But I know she'll be alright with everyone else's support. It's you that I'm worried about."

"Mou, Eli-chan! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"That's not what I meant, Honoka... Both of us were Student Council Presidents, so I can see it. Just like me, your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. Do you remember what I once told you, in this room back that day?"

The ginger-haired girl tilted her head questioningly for a moment, before realising there was only one day Eli could be referring to. "You mean on the day of your graduation?"

"Mm. About how relentless and stubborn I was, and how you all saved me... You're the same, Honoka. Your feelings are so strong that they can inspire everyone around you. And unlike me, you don't have any problems expressing them. But I worry that these are the same emotions that will burn you out. And this time, the eight of us won't be there to save you from it."

"I... I understand, Eli-chan. I'll be careful."

"Take things easy from time to time, okay? When you leave here and return, I just know you'll feel an urge to live a fulfilling life for the sake of the rest of us. You're that kind of person and I doubt any of us could talk you out of it," Eli sighed with an exasperated smile on her face. "But remember to take a break occasionally so you don't lose sight of all the things you yourself really want to do."

Stepping in close, the third-year pulled Honoka into an embrace, putting an end to the conversation. "We'll be waiting to hear the stories of all the exciting things you managed to do, alright?"

"Mm! I'll definitely talk your ears off at that time Eli-chan, so you better be prepared!" Honoka returned the hug as tightly as she could, releasing only when Eli pulled back slightly to put their lips together in a gentle kiss. It was only expected by now, and Honoka could really feel something warm flowing into her very spirit with every kiss she received.

"See you later, Honoka."

The lights seemed to dim ever so slightly, now that the room had lost its star. Still, as Honoka had once said, it was a room overflowing with Eli's feelings... and her own. Their very love for the school and its students, it was something that had soaked into the atmosphere here itself.

After a short bow to the table where they had spent so much time labouring away at the paperwork for the sake of the school, Honoka turned off the lights and stepped back into the corridors.

Now and then, let's take things at an easier pace
And get a good look at the things you want to do
From there, try your hardest with all of your might (Let's work hard!)
And let our clear feelings soar into the sky


As Honoka descended the stairs once more the upper floors fell slightly into darkness behind her, with twilight taking over the flame-tinged sunset. The school's fluorescent lights remained shut off, and the corridors seemed unwelcoming in the darkness, denying her entry.

She couldn't turn back. The only way was forward, and forward alone...

Stepping back outside the school's main doors, Honoka wasn't surprised when the doors clicked shut behind her automatically. She could see Kotori and Umi still at the same place where they were, though they had now shifted back to the ledge surrounding the tree. With Umi leaning on Kotori's shoulders while she doodled away on her sketchpad, the archer seemed to be... asleep?

Catching Kotori's eye, Honoka waved energetically, and was replied with a pencil pointing around the corner of the school building.

Waving again to acknowledge her thanks, she set off to find the last member she had yet to meet, the commonly-acknowledged mother of the team who had made it all even possible in the first place.

The flower plots at the side of the school compound were normally the purview of the Gardening Club, which had the responsibilities of pruning, weeding, fertilizing and watering the flowers in exchange for being able to plant whatever they wanted. But here in this world, it would seem the gardener on duty today was Toujou Nozomi: High-school student, school idol, shrine maiden and fortune-teller. Wearing her training outfit with a light blue sweater tied around her pink tee and skirt, Nozomi wielded a green watering-can with a kappa's face painted on it.

"Nozomi-chan!"

"You finally made it, Honoka-chan~ I was starting to think you forgot all about me," the third-year teased as she set the watering-can down gently, walking along the flower plots to admire the nadeshiko flowers that were in full bloom. With unsure footsteps, the leader of Muse followed just a few steps behind.

Stopping at a particularly brightly-coloured flower, Nozomi paused and bent down to take a closer look, before breaking the silence. "You know, I always wanted to thank you for creating Muse."

"Eh? Those should be my words, Nozomi-chan... It was you who brought us all together, and whenever we had trouble, it was always you who helped us out and got us as far as we could..."

"Uh-uhn, it wasn't me. I never had that sort of power. Even though I could get through to Elicchi, I simply couldn't bring myself to reach out to the rest no matter how strong a connection I felt with them. That was a power only you had, Honoka-chan. It was the strength of your dream that brought all nine of us together. And that's why, I wanted to say thank you. For bringing this miracle into my life."

Speechless at the violet-haired girl's words, Honoka could only accept dazedly with a nod. "But Nozomi-chan... it was every bit as much your work as it was mine. So thank you, too."

With a giggle Nozomi straightened up, facing her junior properly. "We'll never get anywhere like this, so let's just leave it at that. Ne, did you know? Akiba is actually a spiritual 'power spot'."

Having heard this for the first time, Honoka could only shake her head.

"Akiba is just overflowing with spiritual power, with gods of all forms and sizes. Every step I take ever since returning here is simply brimming with a nice feeling. The school, the shrine... This whole area is a place where miracles can happen! After all, it was the place where I first met all of you."

"Nozomi-chan..."

"I really like spiritual things, and the idea that the gods could walk amongst us, Honoka-chan. It lets me know that beyond just what we can see and hear, we are all still connected in a certain way... And so no matter when, we will always be watching over you. Whether you're happy or sad, having fun or being lonely, all eight of us will always be with you."

While Honoka was still mentally trying to process the older girl's words, Nozomi closed the distance and pressed their lips together gently, enveloping the ginger-haired girl in her warmth.

A gentle, motherly, protective warmth...

That soon turned against her when their lips parted and Honoka suddenly found Nozomi's hands where they were unwanted.

"Nozomi-chan what are you- ahhh!"

"Did you think you were gonna get away without getting it from me one last time? To make sure you remember us, I'm definitely gonna give you a breast-rub you'll never forget for the rest of your life!"

"Kyaaaa!"

...

A minute later, with Nozomi's lecherous hands satisfied and Honoka finally standing a safe distance away, the second-year decided to make one final request.

"Ne, Nozomi-chan... before I go, can you tell my fortune?"

The question only prompted laughter from the shrine maiden, who retrieved her tarot deck from a pocket and shuffled it with deft fingers, the cards flashing in the golden light of the sunset. "I don't think you really need that from me since you should already know, Honoka-chan." With a flick of her fingers, Nozomi held up a single card without even looking at it, bearing the image of a woman surrounded by a green wreath and watched by various creatures. "There's a whole World waiting ahead for you. And until we meet again, we'll always be watching over your journey."

At that moment, seeing the spiritual girl bathed in the setting sun's rays with the single card and benevolent smile, Honoka felt she could truly understand the meaning behind the nickname, "The Goddess of Muse".

"Go. Don't look back."

And so she didn't, even after Honoka felt the presence vanish behind her back as she turned the corner back towards the school's entrance.

That warmth was already forever a part of her, after all.

Every moment, I'll always be gazing right at you
Because I'm happy, I'll meet you
Because I'm lonely, I'll meet you
Whether times of fun or sadness,
I will want to meet you no matter when


The sun was barely hovering over the buildings on the horizon when Honoka finally made it back to where her childhood friends were, seated beneath the tree. With its light waning, Honoka was also starting to feel the chill of the evening breeze stealing her body heat away from her.

Or perhaps that was a sensation from the other side. She couldn't be sure, not when she was this close. All she could do was seat herself between the other two again, huddling within their warmth that was also seemingly getting weaker. With the three of them dressed within the school's winter uniform alone instead of their training outfits like the rest, it didn't do much for heat retention.

"I already said goodbye to everyone else..."

"We know. We could feel them leave," Umi replied simply, her hand coming over to rest on Honoka's trembling hand. "You did good, Honoka. It's almost over."

"It's almost... over..." the leader of Muse repeated numbly to herself, the full implications hitting her head-on in a rush at long last.

She was going back alone.

In a few minutes she would wake up on her bed and the doctors and nurses would rush to her side, frantic calls going through to her family, and it would be only Yukiho and her parents who would visit her along with her schoolmates and teachers.

A year after that she would graduate high school and there would only be two empty seats next to where she would sit listening to the underclassmen representative's address, and only a tearful Yukiho and Arisa clapping for her in the faceless crowd that made up the audience.

A few more years and then she would be drinking alone at a bar after her university graduation ceremony, the stale smell of cigarette smoke and spilled alcohol in the air. While her meaningless diploma sat carelessly on the bar, with no one reprimanding her to take better care of it or making sure she got home okay.

A few more months and she would be at home alone in her room pondering over her job offers, phone open with no one to call.

And so many, so many more years and decades which stretched beyond that. A whole lifetime of ups and downs that she would have to get through without the best friends she had ever known.

Living the same moments
Sharing the same dreams
So long as my wish won't be granted, I'll have to return to isolation

"Honoka? Honoka, are you listening? Oi, Honoka!"

"Umi-chan..."

"Don't freeze up on us now. You've been really strong and we just need you to finish it," Umi urged with a tone of anxiety in her voice. "People are waiting for you back there, Honoka."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. In the end, you two just can't wait to send me back, right?" She could feel her own words stabbing her in the chest like an ice-pick, her heart clenching even though she found her face twisted uncontrollably in an emotion she couldn't even comprehend.

Unsurprisingly, the words of spite did nothing to soothe her own pain, only add to it. After all, there was no sense in being jealous of the dead.

I smile as I say those cold words
But even if I act distant, it hurts
The flame of love can't be extinguished

She could feel the pair beside her stiffen up, Umi's hand clutching hers tightly. "I should slap you again for that, Honoka. But I know that hurt you as much as it did us."

"I... I don't want to go back alone. How can I possibly live the rest of my life without all of you?!" Her voice rising in hysteria, Honoka couldn't keep the tears from overflowing this time while images of the bleak future awaiting her filled her mind. "If I had known it was going to be like this, then I never should have become a school idol!"

If only she had accepted the school's fate. If only she had been content to quietly graduate without making a ruckus.

If only she hadn't met the rest.

"Then forget, Honoka-chan."

So aghast by the idea that even her expression froze entirely, Honoka turned to face the costume designer on her left, tears still streaming down her face.

"You don't have to forget right away. But a year or two... Someday you'll be able to listen to our songs without crying. And then one day you'll wake up and go through an entire day without even thinking of us. You'll find new friends, and new photos will replace the ones in your phone and on your walls. The memories will fade and change, and be buried underneath new ones."

The ash-grey-haired girl's voice was like a lullaby, slowly consoling the distraught Honoka. The disturbing images disappeared from her mind and were replaced by a comforting haze. That... was a sensible option, right? Simply moving on, forgetting about everything that had happened... as if her colourful high-school days, those brilliantly sparkling memories of her second year had never taken place.

I'll forget you... I won't forget you...
I embrace you
I really do want to choose a future of destruction
I'll forget you... I won't forget you... both of those options are me
I head for the darkness as I pray for happiness
LOVELESS WORLD

"AS IF I COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT!"

This flame won't go out
It still burns within me
I want to embrace you here
I want to forget everything

Grabbing hold of Kotori as tightly as she could, Honoka's confused tears began afresh. "There's no possible way I could ever forget you all! And especially not you two, not when you're the ones who have always stood by me ever since our childhood! No matter how easy it would become, no matter how much a part of me may actually want to, that's just utterly impossible by this point of time! You all have left your marks inside my heart!"

She felt a hand stroking the back of her head soothingly, accompanied by the designer's voice once more. "I thought as much..."

Another presence enveloped her from behind, warm body pressing up against her back. "I wouldn't mind if you forgot about us, Honoka, if that's what it takes for you to lead a happy life. But I don't want to ever see you lie to yourself. That's not who you are."

And so Honoka continued sobbing into Kotori's shoulder, long after her tear ducts had already run out and all that emerged from her strained chest were dry racking sobs.

...

"Come on, Honoka. It's time." The warmth departing from her back, Umi released her hug enough for Honoka to straighten up. "You gotta say goodbye with a smile."

Wiping her tears dry with the back of her sleeve, Honoka faced Kotori first, gazing deeply into the amber eyes and trying to memorise every single detail. The ash-grey hair, the green ribbon with its characteristic side-ponytail, the soft puffy cheeks and those kissable lips...

"Kotori-chan... Thank you for always being by my side. For always supporting me in everything. Even though you sometimes had trouble expressing what you really wanted because you always put Umi-chan and me before yourself, I was still really, really happy when we managed to work things out, and got to discover so much more about you... After all these memories together, you've given me so much that I will never ever forget. I love you."

Putting a hand on Kotori's warm cheek, Honoka drew in close and put their lips together in a tender kiss that tasted of applemint, their tongues dancing across each other's longingly for the last time.

Turning to Umi, Honoka found herself captivated by the hardened cinnamon eyes, unyielding even to the last moment. That luscious deep midnight-blue hair, fluttering ever so slightly in the wind. The sharp lines of her face, toned by her disciplined lifestyle and archery.

"Umi-chan, you were always there with me too. But you were never afraid to go against me, and let me know when I was wrong. You were the one who kept me on my toes and forced me to always keep working hard just to keep up. And you never let me slack off, not when it could've hurt the things we wanted to do. Thank you for all that, for showing your love in all those different ways and always doing what was necessary. I love you."

This time Umi moved at the same time Honoka did, crashing their lips together intensely in a fervid kiss with the scent of passionfruit and figs. Their hands roaming across each other's back, it too was a while before they parted.

And when they did, Honoka soon found herself sandwiched between the two again, hugging as tightly as they could.

"Thank you too for everything, Honoka," Umi uttered back softly to her. "For forcing me out of my shell, for bringing me this far."

On her other end, Kotori too had her own piece to say. "You showed us new sights we could never have seen by ourselves, Honoka-chan. Our lives were only that rich because you were in it. And that's why we love you too."

"Now and forever. And we will always be with you."

That sensation of two pairs of lips landing on her cheeks simultaneously, that was definitely something Honoka would never, ever be able to forget.

...

The three of them stood on the large pathway between the school's front entrance and its gate, in between the two long rows of cherry blossom trees stretching all along to the end. The falling autumn leaves drifted lazily down, reminiscent of how its flower petals too had fallen in a spring so long ago.

Honoka could seriously feel the cold now, tingling away at her skin. She took a deep breath, inhaling as long as her trained lungs could take it, and then expelled it slowly.

"Goodbye, Umi-chan, Kotori-chan."

No response came, prompting her to turn around to face her girlfriends who only had serene smiles on their faces. Both of them opened their mouths at the same time-

"I feel we have a chance
Yes, let's push forward
I don't want to regret it later..."

Despite the fact that only two of them were there singing, Honoka could distinctly hear 8 voices that she had come to love so well. And just like before, everyone paused at the final line for her to finish.

"Our future lies right ahead..."

The leader of Muse turned and started running, leaving behind all that she had ever loved.

"Are you really going?" Rin's voice echoed in her ears.
"I'll be waiting," Hanayo murmured next.

Along the long lines of trees.

"You- you definitely have to return someday," Maki's voice stuttered.
"Take care!" Nico shouted out.

Past the school gates.

"Someday, let's meet again," Eli's calm voice declared.
"I'll be praying for you," Nozomi whispered.

Across the crossing.

"I want us to meet again in your dreams," Kotori muttered.
"No matter until when, we'll always be waiting," Umi promised steadfastly.

She finally reached the stairs leading down. For the briefest of moments Honoka hesitated, before murmuring out into the cold air.

"We'll always be together."

And took the leap.


Somewhere in a certain ward within the Nishikino General Hospital, a girl's eyes finally snapped open-

overflowing with tears.


So the book finally reached its last page, with goodbyes said,

and the promise of a new journey ahead.

On the cover was a simple name emblazoned in large letters, "μ's".

Beneath it, a single line: "The story we all realise together".

And further below that,

almost hidden in one corner,

in small letters written lovingly,

"Thank You".

Fin.


Author's Note: I'm... done. A part of me is still in disbelief. Let me start by going over this final chapter...

1. First, well, some reference to some other potential stories again. The Summer arc was stalled for the sake of this story. I may restart it someday.

2. The song at the end of each farewell is of course, Donna Toki Mo Zutto, the ED for Season 2. I came up with it only after I started writing those sections, and it fit surprisingly well.

3. Kotori's lips taste of applemint. You either get this joke or you don't. xD

4. Ending the story with Susume Tomorrow. I had this ending scene in my head from the very start of this story. There is a certain charm to ending stories exactly how they began. And Love Live! has always began this way, with this song and Honoka taking the leap.

5. The words that they each mutter mentally right before the leap is from the instrumental section of Datte Datte Aa Mujou, another one of my favourites. It was another surprisingly fitting thing (minus Rin's words but I decided to retain them).

6. The last section is a reference to the S2 BD7 song, Soshite Saigo no Peiji ni wa, released on Christmas. I also slipped a line from that into Nico's section. When I heard the song and after translating it, I just thought to myself I have to pay homage to it somehow... That's why the the title of this song is also this chapter's title.

7. There are a lot of other plot points that happened in this chapter. I won't elaborate on them because that'll explode this author's note.

Would like to credit all the resources I used in this story: song lyrics from LLSIF Wiki/LL Wikia (special thanks to this Lucia Hunter person who translated most of the songs I used on the LL Wikia, she was a real big help in writing this story- oh wait...), all the works that gave me inspiration such as Little Busters!, Rewrite and Virtue's Last Reward (If you don't see how they haven't come into play yet, maybe they haven't). Other fanfics that I aspired to reach the same level of: Mostly AdrenaVeris's Spiral, ghikiJ's Farewell Days and Shenjay&Evilshroom's The Fools' Tournament.

So anyway... it's been an incredibly frustrating journey, writing this fic. It was supposed to be my greatest work and yet it didn't quite receive the support I hoped it would. I guess one really does need pairings in a story to drive it. Still, I really want to thank everyone who has left reviews, follows, favourites. They were what made this whole ordeal worthwhile in the first place. Knowing that I was able to reach out and touch your hearts, really means a lot to me. Please leave a review to let me know what you thought of this story!

Moving on from here, I doubt I'll ever write again. As of now, though I do have some plans to finish stories, I'll most probably not work on another full-length fic. Sorry to all the readers who have supported me, but the words just don't flow as well as they used to anymore.

But who knows. 2015 looks to be a promising year for the Love Live! fandom. I've already secured tickets for the live-streaming of the 5th live concert at the end of January, and we'll be seeing the movie later this year too. If I ever get the feels again, then I guess you might be seeing more of me.

One story ends, another one begins...

Here's to wishing an exciting year ahead for everyone. Once again, 叶え!みんなの夢!