Chapter 11

The Concert

It was Friday evening, the night before the big debut of Zakuro and the Mews. They were originally going to call themselves just The Mews, but Lettuce had thought that if Zakuro's name were in the title, they would sell more tickets. And that was true, they all realized. So Zakuro's name went in the title. Now the long months of practice were finally over. Tomorrow evening, they would fly, or they would crash and burn.

They didn't have a hard practice that evening; Zakuro wanted to just touch on a few things, and check one last time how the girls looked in their outfits. Hino Rei's skirt was still too short, but Zakuro had decided not to fight over that one. She didn't want to lose the uppity, temperamental Senshi at the last minute. For this first concert, all of the girls were dressed alike: glittering gold tops and short skirts, trimmed with black, and gold shoes. Zakuro had reached deep into what little was left of her bank account and had another set of outfits made, with each girl's outfit matching her magical color, with silver trim. She hadn't shown these to the girls yet; she didn't want them to squabble over which outfits to wear. Furthermore, Hino Rei's outfit was in her Sailor Mars red, and that would make her look even sluttier than the gold outfit when she shortened the skirt. So those other outfits remained hidden for the time being.

One by one Zakuro spoke to the girls before they left. She still had no doubts about Pudding, but Lettuce still needed a little encouragement. And as Lettuce had left, Zakuro mused that maybe it was better that Lettuce still had some insecurity: a girl that smart, that beautiful, and that multi-talented would be quite the monster if she lost her fears and all of that talent went to her head.

Minto had passed through next, and had taken a second to hit on Zakuro one more time, inviting her over to her mansion for a late meeting. Zakuro had of course refused as always, and Minto had left with her nose in the air. But Zakuro still had no worries about Minto. She knew Minto would not abandon them out of spite for Zakuro, because she certainly knew that if she did, she would totally burn any bridge that connected her to Zakuro, the object of her desire. That the bridge had never existed at all was the one thing Minto could not grasp.

Then Rei came out of the dressing room. She came strutting a bit, as if there were a chip on her shoulder. She always seemed to act that way, at least around the Mew Mews, and Zakuro was not sure if that was an act to impress her former enemies, or whether she really was that cocky. But she was good, and she was motivated. Zakuro had considered whether she might not show, in order to embarrass the Mew Mews and earn some points with Sailor Moon and her Senshi; but after the confrontation she had with Minako a few nights before, Zakuro was sure she would not deliberately let them down.

Zakuro nodded, and Rei stopped. "Do you want something?" she asked.

"Hino Rei-san," Zakuro began, being very formal. "Did you think much of your friend's acting in the movie the other night? I'm talking about the Venus girl, of course."

Rei made a face. "I thought… she pretty much sucked," she muttered. "She ruined every scene she was in."

"Very perceptive of you, although you're far from a neutral observer," Zakuro responded. "She wasn't really as bad as you make it, but think: how did she ruin those scenes?"

"She's ugly and has no talent," Rei snapped back, sneering.

Zakuro shook her head. "She's gorgeous, for sure. As for talent, she has some. But what she did wrong was over-acting her part something fierce - she was trying to steal every scene. Because instead of playing a role in The Samurai's Kiss III, she was trying to make it into The Venus Show. And yes, she did poorly – for that reason."

"And why bring this up now?" Rei demanded, somewhat harshly.

"Because…" Zakuro answered, "because you want to beat her so badly, and tomorrow night, you will, unless you make the same mistake she made, and try to make this the Sailor Mars Show instead of the premiere concert of Zakuro and the Mews."

"Zakuro and the Mews," Rei grumbled. "You just have to be the star, don't you?"

Zakuro shook her head, and said quietly, "No. You and I both know I'm not the star, although I get star billing in order to bring in the audience. But I know I'm not the star, and you have to know that about yourself, too."

"What are you saying? That we all have to give it up for the team, or some such nonsense?" Rei all but hissed.

But Zakuro shook her head again. "No, no. It's just that I know who the star is, and you should, too."

"You mean that ditzy redhead?" Rei said, her voice heavy with scorn.

Zakuro kept shaking her head. "She has a name, Sailor girl. Ichigo. Use it. You're one of us, even if you always want to look down on us. And yes, she's the star, whether she wants to be or not. In the end this group will rise or fall on that girl's voice."

Rei snorted and said nothing, so Zakuro continued, "Hino Rei, just don't mess this up. If you do your song the way I know you can, you'll knock 'em dead. And even if this group fails, you'll make enough of an impression to set yourself up in a solo career, if you play it right. And if you play that right, it could get you into… the movies. And – remember this above all: if you don't make hash of this concert, you'll certainly beat the Venus girl, and you'll prove that director Ohara and the rest of them wrong. And that's what you want above all else right now, isn't it?"

Rei did not answer again, and so Zakuro said, "Tomorrow – your one chance. Do your part right, knock 'em dead. Do that, and you'll a star some day. Don't blow your one chance."

Rei did not answer, but she nodded a little, turned, and left.

And then, at the last, came Ichigo. She didn't say anything; she just looked at Zakuro and then walked by. But Zakuro said, "Ichigo?"

Ichigo stopped at looked for a second at Zakuro; then she stared at the floor. "Something… is going to go wrong," she muttered.

"What will go wrong?" Zakuro asked.

Ichigo shook her head. "How would I know?" she said. "But something… will go wrong. I'll blow it, somehow."

Zakuro stood I silence for several seconds. Then she said, "Ichigo, when you're live, something always goes wrong. Always! You… we… just cover for it and go on. Whatever happens, we'll handle it. OK?" Zakuro smiled.

But Ichigo did not smile back. "Ok," she said, very doubtfully. Then in silence she left.

And Zakuro sighed, and knew she would have to spend a good hour going over Ichigo's solo, to cover if the ditzy redhead choked.

It was Saturday night, a minute before the Mews would take the stage for the first time, and Zakuro was nervous. She was not used to such feelings. Performing excited her, to be sure. But before this she had always had to worry only about herself. She only had to be sure to do her role right, and others had to worry about everyone else. But now she was the one in charge, and she could not succeed if the others did not perform well. She was not in control, and that made her nervous.

The preliminary act was wrapping up. They were a trio of girls who called themselves the Mermaids, and they bounced around the stage in colorful but abbreviated outfits, singing cute little J-pop ditties. They were standard fare for an idol-wannabe group, maybe a little less polished but somewhat cuter than most. The crowd liked the act, though; Zakuro could tell that they were enjoying the show. That was good: a happy audience.

And the group was wrapping up. They had even done an encore, and were taking their bows as Zakuro watched. It would be just a few minutes, now, and the Mews would make their debut after a short intermission. Zakuro could feel the tingle of excitement she always felt when performing live; this was not fear any more, but that wonderful feeling that made her so love to perform. She checked the clock over and over; in just a minute the house lights would go down, the spotlights would come on, and she would lead he Mews out onto the stage.

And then she heard: "Ichigo?" If was Lettuce's voice, and Zakuro turned toward her.

"Ichigo?" Lettuce repeated.

"Huh?" Ichigo said, obviously very nervous.

"Ichigo…" Lettuce said, "your ears."

For Ichigo's cat ears had popped out. Ichigo reached up and touched them, and total panic washed over her face. "Ohhhhh…" she began to wail. "Oh no, I can't…"

Zakuro buried her face in her hands. Not this! This could not happen, not now, not here… Then she dropped her hands and bounded over to Ichigo. She took the frightened girl by the shoulders and said, in her calmest, most professional manner, "Ichigo… this is nothing. Take a deep breath, try to put them away. But if you can't, or if they pop again, don't worry. We'll say they're part of the costume – we are the Mews, after all. Maybe well get Lettuce to sew us some fake cat ears, and if yours keep getting away, one or the other of us will wear the fake ones, and it will look like part of the act. But now, another deep breath, put 'em away, that's a good girl. The house lights just went down – we're going out now. Just sing, ears or no." Ichigo nodded weakly, and Zakuro turned her back on the redhead and led the girls through the door.

They pranced out onto the stage and the band began playing. Zakuro began singing and the others joined in, and Minto and Pudding danced around and in front of them. They had rehearsed their start so many times, and they all came in together, just as they should have. And Zakuro was taken up into the song, and her voice sang out with joy and pain and every other feeling that filled her. And behind her, the others were singing – even Ichigo – and the backup vocals were in three parts, now dividing, now coming together, now dividing again, while Zakuro carried the lead above it all. Then the song was done.

And the crowd cheered. They clearly had not been expecting this! It had been a simple J-pop anthem, but the song had never been sung like that before. They were singing about nothing, but in perfect 4-part harmony, on-key, in perfect rhythm. They crowd cheered long; and when the noise subsided a little, Zakuro introduced the group one by one, using just their given names, of course. The audience cheered each name; and when the introductions were done, they went on with the next song, then the next, then the next. Some of the songs they sang together, and for some Zakuro sang the lead and the others did backup vocals. But all of them worked, and all of them drew loud applause.

And then, about halfway through their song list, Zakuro backed away into the group, and Hino Rei strutted to the fore. She was indeed a stunningly beautiful girl, and Zakuro appreciated that; but Rei knew more than a bit too well how attractive she was, and Zakuro did not like that at all. But she was clearly in her element, out on that stage. Then the band started her song, and she began to sing: "Gomen Ne sunao ja nakute…"

It was a sensual song sung by a sensual girl, and the sexy Rei made the most of that, prancing around in response to the rhythm, showing every bit of thigh, every bit of hip, every bit of cleavage that she could, with more than a little butt thrown in for good measure. Her voice was dark, a little thick, perfect for the song, and she became the song, or the song became her, while she sang it. The others just did some quiet backup vocals while Rei stole the show, and Zakuro loved the way she did it. When it ended the crowd stood, and cheered loud and long, while Rei took a few bows, or more than a few; and she was smiling a triumphant smile.

And Zakuro smiled also; that song had made the evening a success, no matter what followed. And also, Zakuro knew that she had been right, against all of the opposition, to bring Rei into their group. Zakuro felt better and better and smiled more and more.

Then the next song began, and then another after that. They weren't all perfect, of course. But they were all good, really good, and the audience loved them all. The girls were singing better and better, and even Lettuce, for the first time, was taken up into the music and the mood, and she was singing better than Zakuro had ever heard her sing before. And the dancers danced with abandon, with Pudding always a little out of control and Minto in perfect control but pretending to be as wild as Pudding, and that was working, too.

But then it was time for the second-last song. Things got quiet, and Ichigo shuffled to the fore. She was not prancing like Rei, not dancing like Minto. She was nervous, scared. And as she passed Zakuro, the tall girl touched her arm, and whispered, "Do it for him. Do it for us." Then Ichigo approached the front of the stage, and all the spotlights were dimmed, save one: one right on Ichigo.

The band began a soft drum roll, and Ichigo was supposed to sing; but she didn't. Her face was down, and she was openly chewing her lip. The drum kept rolling, but Ichigo still didn't sing. Zakuro began stepping forward, to cover for Ichigo as she choked.

But then Ichigo's face slowly rose, and she swallowed, and she sang. "Omoikkiri ryoute wo," she began. Not quietly, not with a choked voice, but right on key, with that magically sweet voice. And the tune soared, and the voice soared with it, and Ichigo became the song and the song became her, just as had happened with Rei. But this song was different, a song a soaring beauty, with a voice of soaring beauty singing it, now loudly, now tenderly, now soaring upward into glory. The others did their quiet backup vocals, and the band performed without flaw, but no one heard any of that. There was only that magical voice singing that magical song.

And far too soon, it ended: "Tonde ikeru sa shinjiteru." "Yes, we can fly." And then it was done.

And there was no applause. Ichigo had dropped her face when she finished, and just stood there. Stood there in silence, and one could have heard a pin drop in that auditorium. What was wrong? Ichigo with trepidation looked up slowly, not seeing much of the crowd because of the spotlight on her. But she tried to look out, to see why they were all silent.

And then a single set of hands began to clap, and others joined in, and the audience began to cheer, louder and louder until the very building shook, and Ichigo looked out through the glaring spotlight upon her, and smiled; and the cheers doubled and redoubled, and would not stop.

But Zakuro was not smiling, as she had done for Rei's song. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. It had been too beautiful, far too beautiful, and she was thinking that if she ever made it to heaven, she now knew what it would sound like up there. Beauty beyond human: beauty divine.

Long the cheers continued, giving Zakuro a chance to compose herself. But finally the noise subsided, and they began the last song, another of those J-pop ensemble pieces. By this time they were all singing to perfection, and it went as perfectly as anyone could have expected, and when it was done, the applause nearly brought the house down. And then it was done. Zakuro thanked the audience, and each of the other girls took the mike and thanked them as well, and that went well, too, with each of the singers and dancers getting loud applause, although Pudding did chatter too much. Then they sang one encore song together, and then the house lights came up, and it was over. They stood on the stage and the crowd pressed around them, and only praise was heard, not one complaint. The audience had loved it, and Zakuro loved that they loved it. It was hard for the Mews to get off the stage; but finally they did so. They headed for the dressing room, and from there to their little party.

And Zakuro was thinking: maybe teenage girls weren't so bad to work with, after all.

Author's note: As stated earlier, Rei's song was the original Sailor Moon theme, "Moonlight Densetsu" - not the English dub version, but the Japanese version, which is a love song that does not even mention Sailor Moon. Ichigo's song is "Glider," the song that plays when Ichigo uses the Mew Aqua Rod in the anime. If you listen to the whole song (just web search "Mew Mew Glider," you'll find it), listen to the original version, not the remix version - the latter is too loud and raucous.

What I imagine them sounding like - I have liked the Beach Boys from 'way back, and I have described them as "Singing about nothing in 5-part harmony." Although the Mews are girls with female voices, I think of them singing like that - lots of harmonies, background vocals, divided voices. Or you could listen to The Tokens sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - again, singing about nothing in perfect harmony. If you listen to that, don't go back to the original recording from the early 60's, but get a later one where they always had a hot soprano wailing in the background. That's the kind of sound I hear the Mews singing: simple pop songs done unbelievably well.