Disclaimer: All Bust-A-Groove elements belong to Squaresoft. I own nothing. Oh yeah, and James Sunoeka's joke belongs to Awesome Good Clean Jokes For Kids by Bob Phillips.

Pander Forever

Chapter 3: Groovin' to My Fears

by ArchFaith (formerly known as the ArchPrincess of Saturn)

Bust-A-Groove...

I was kinda nervous about it.

I was sitting up in the hotel room. The clock read 11:30 p.m. I sat on a chair by the window, looking down at the passing cars. The competition was tomorrow. My stomach was twisted up into knots. I would be dancing in front of all those people. Would they laugh at me? Think that I'm a freak?

The two days that followed our dinner at the restaurant were full of preparation. I put the finishing touches on my stage; Robo-Z gave me some tapes with weird images on them to freak out my opponents.

Of course, my companions were busy too. Capoeira had gone back to their spaceship and cleaned it up. Robo-Z checked out the Kanagawa Bridge, to make sure nothing was happening over the next few nights.

Probably all the competitors' stages were ready now. I leaned back and sighed. I was afraid. Afraid of the people. Suppose this whole thing was a big mistake? Maybe I was destined to stay in the zoo all my life? Maybe I go back there now...? I pushed the thoughts out of my head. No. I'd come this far, and I wouldn't quit now.

A knock came on the door. Robo-Z walked in. "Hey Pander," he greeted. "Tomorrow is the big day. Nervous?"

"Very," I answered. "Z, what if something goes wrong? What will I do? What if I lose?"

"You are worrying too much," Robo-Z answered, putting his arms around me. "Relax. When you start dancing, everything else becomes a blur. All you care about at that moment is letting your body go. Let the music take control of you, and you will do fine."

I smiled. "Thanks, Z." I felt immensely calmed by his presence. Z always knew what was bothering me.

To my surprise, he kissed me on the forehead. "Better get to sleep, Pander. Tomorrow is the beginning."

-

It was a warm, sunny afternoon in Tokyo when we started out for the Stadium. We had eaten breakfast and lunch at the hotel and rested up a bit before starting the walk. The competition was scheduled to begin at 8:00 in the evening, but the competitors were supposed to be there by 5:00 p.m. "Why?" I had asked Z earlier. "It's kinda early, isn't it?"

"The producers want to make sure everybody is there by the time the competition starts. They want to make sure that all the info about us is correct and that we look good when we get on stage," Z answered. "Last year we had to be there early too."

I looked over at my companions, who were walking next to me. Capoeira was whispering to themselves. Robo-Z was walking along silently, staring at the floor. He was in deep thought. They were probably thinking about their dance strategies. I, not having a dance strategy, decided it was too late to formulate one. I would just dance the best I could and see what happened.

We neared the Stadium. I was surprised to see that a couple of fans were already lined up at the ticket booth. News vans and cameras were parked by the sidewalks. Reporters and camera people bustled around, filming or talking. As we walked by a reporter, I managed to pick up a few words of what she was saying:

"...tonight, the Bust-A-Groove 2 competition will take place here...event in the world...broadcast to over one hundred countries around...be here to bring you all the action."

I felt my stomach twist into knots, but I pushed them down again.

The competitors were to enter the Stadium through a special door in the back that led to the various rooms and departments. We passed the ticket line and news vehicles and went around to the side.

"Yo!" a voice yelled. We all turned. It was Heat.

He and Comet were coming towards us, dressed in their characteristic outfits. Heat's arm was around Comet and they looked confident.

"Ready for the big night?" Comet asked as she skated to where we stood.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered.

"That's the spirit!" Heat said, smiling. "How 'bout you guys?"

"We will do better this time," Capoeira replied.

"Yes," Robo-Z said simply. I found it strange that he said it without any emotion. Even as a robot, I could still when he really meant something or when he didn't. He must still be in deep thought.

"Hey," Comet said softly. "Come out here and meet our friends." She looked behind her and pulled out a small boy. He was wearing a blue navy school uniform with knee socks and loafers. His hair was short and black, and his cheeks were bright red. He was wearing a large backpack that seemed to balance out his look.

"This is my little cousin, Tsutomu," Comet said, pushing the kid forward. "He's in the competition too."

"Uh, hi," Tsutomu said in a medium-pitched voice. "I'm really pleased to meet you."

"Hi," Robo-Z said neutrally.

"Hello," Capoeira greeted.

"I'm pleased to meet you too," I said politely.

"He's gonna be the youngest dancer in the competition," Comet told us. "He's really nervous."

"Am not!" Tsutomu yelled at Comet. "I'm not nervous at all!"

"Yeah right." Comet rolled her eyes.

"Aw c'mon," Heat said. "You're cousins. You shouldn't be arguing."

"She's mean!"

"He's a crybaby."

"Crybaby? That's Shorty," Heat answered. "Man, if she heard me say that, she would be angry..." he chuckled and continued. "So instead of fighting, we don't we actually go inside the Stadium?"

Comet and Tsutomu brushed off their fight and all six of us (seven if you count Capoeira as two) started to the back door entrance.

-

Heat

Real name: Jonathan Devereaux

Age: 20

Height: 171 cm

Weight: 60 kg

Origin: Montreal, Canada

Dance type: Breakdance

Likes: race cars, sushi, dragons, bubble gum, frogs

Dislikes: nosy people, wrapping paper, warm milk, ceramics

-

Comet

Real name: Alexis Winterdon

Age: 16

Height: 162 cm

Weight: 45 kg

Origin: San Francisco, California, USA

Dance type: Rollarblade

Likes: sushi, bubble gum, frogs, warm milk, reading comics

Dislikes: nosy people, ceramics, dragons, seaweed

-

Tsutomu

Real name: Tsutomu Takimachi

Age: 11

Height: 141 cm

Weight: 36 kg

Origin: Kyoto, Japan

Dance type: House

Likes: dragons, cherry blossoms, schoolwork, turtleneck sweaters, plastic pocket protectors

Dislikes: people who tease him, fairy tales, frogs, Comet

-

"Alright people!" a voice shouted. "We've only got three hours to set everything up! Chop chop!"

Backstage was chaotic. We found ourselves in a large crowded room full that slightly resembled a small warehouse. Everywhere people bustled around. Most of them were dancers, some were their agents, others were handling props or pushing racks of costumes.

"Um....where are we supposed to go?" I asked.

"Lemme ask," Robo-Z answered. He stopped one of the people who was going by. "Excuse me, sir, where are the dancers supposed to be at this moment?"

The man he stopped appeared to be wearing a white bodysuit with an aqua blue polka-dotted jacket that sported rainbow-colored frills. He had shoulder-length brown hair slicked back, and he wore a pink sash around his waist. And I am not exaggerating when I say that he had a very VERY hairy chest. Yuck. He looked a little...how should I say...eccentric?

"The dancers? Why, they're supposed to go to the check-in counter, then to make-up, then to prop distribution. The check-in counter's down the hall, to the left," the man pointed out in a high-pitched voice. He eyed all of us. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be Comet? And you're Heat?"

"Uh, yeah, that's right," Comet answered, looking nervously at Heat.

The man smiled a toothy grin. "Why, Kitty's told me so much about you! I'm Kitty-N's dance teacher! So pleased to meet you!" He stretched out his hand and Comet shook it.

"Oh, so you're Michael Doi."

"Yeppers! I'm the man! Kitty convinced the head honchos to let me in on the action this year! I'm gonna be scheduling who's going against who! Well, I've gotta run, but I'll see you all later! Goodbye, darlings!" he called as he skipped away.

"Okaaaaay," Tsutomu said, stretching out his words.

"That's Kitty's dance teacher? Wow, now we don't think she's so weird anymore," Capoeira said.

"Well, let's get going," Heat said.

We all went down the hallway and to the check-in counter. All of us handed in our papers that we had received at the registration day. The woman at the desk did a double take when she saw me. "Well, that is an interesting costume you have there, sir," she commented. I felt myself blush. Costume? What costume? This was my real body. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. I turned around and was about to bolt for the door when Robo-Z put a hand on my shoulder.

"Do not worry," was all he said. I sighed and turned to him.

"I'm trying not to," was my reply.

Next, we were directed to the second floor to get to the make-up room. "Aw, I don't wanna wear make-up. It's for girls," Tsutomu complained as we walked along.

"Guys wear it too," Heat explained. "It makes you look better when you're on stage dancing, below all those lights."

"Don't worry, Tsu. With those red cheeks, you won't have so much blush put on," Comet laughed. Tsutomu gave her a look and mumbled under his breath.

After passing endless hallways, various doors, and so many people staring at me that I wanted to shrink into a ball, we arrived at a door that read "Make-Up Room." The cosmetician was waiting outside. He took a long at us. "Hmmm, "you three will need some make-up put on," he said, motioning to Heat, Comet, and the reluctant Tsutomu. "But I don't think you three need any." He gestured to Robo-Z, Capoeira, and I. "Head to Prop Distribution. It's the fifth door on the first floor."

We left our companions in make-up and headed down to Prop Distribution. "Wow! So much walking to do!" Lala commented as we walked down another flight of stairs.

"I hope we can still dance after getting this tired," Kiki added.

I was only paying half attention. What were they talking about? It wasn't that much walking. I had so many qualms about the competition that I hadn't noticed. My mind was so nervous that my head hurt. Thinking about it more made my knees start buckling and my stomach to wretch with razor-winged butterflies. I was breathing very hard. My heart wasn't getting enough oxygen. I was so frightened that sometimes I felt I couldn't breathe. I inhaled deeply.

"Be careful. You might start hyperventilating," Robo-Z warned.

"I won't," I assured him. It seemed like an eternity before we reached the Prop Room. More time to think. But we finally made it.

The Prop Room was full of people. There were hooks on the wall on which hung various banners with writing on them. A couple of people stood behind counters. They were giving out banners to the dancers. I gave them my name and received a banner. It read, "PANDER, JAPANESE FAN DANCE."

My companions received theirs--"ROBO-Z, TECHNO PUNK" and "CAPOEIRA, CAPOEIRA." Holding on to mine, we slipped out of the crowded room and into the hallway.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"All we have to do now is wait," Robo-Z answered. "The competition will start in 90 minutes."

"Wait?" I replied. I couldn't wait. I was nervous, but I wanted to be done with the dancing already. I would probably lose anyway.

"We're hungry," Capoeira announced. "We're going down to the snack room to get something to eat."

I watched them as they walked away. How could they eat at a time like this? If I ate anything, it would probably come up in a few seconds. But they had done this before. I hadn't.

"Let's sit down," I suggested. Robo-Z nodded. We walked around until we found a door that read "Dancers' Lounge." Opening the door, we discovered that no one was there. I gave a sigh of relief and plopped down on the couch. Robo-Z sat next to me.

"What can I say to you that will make you feel better?" Robo-Z asked.

"Nothing," I answered. Even at this time, Z's calming words weren't going to work with me. I was beyond assurance.

"Z, I'm going to rest. Wake me up when the competition starts..."

I stretched out on the sofa, my feet on the armrest and my head in Z's lap. He brushed my cheek gently. "Pander," he whispered.

-

Michael Doi

Age: 34

Height: 175 cm

Weight: Unknown (it's not polite to know a gentleman's weight!)

Origin: Sendai, Japan

Dance type: Jazz

Likes: cats, dancing, glitter, nail polish, high heels

Dislikes: pants, sports, being late, dogs

-

"It is time..."

I opened my eyes and sat up. "Are you ready?" Z asked me.

"I guess," was my answer. We proceeded out into the hallway and went back to where people were bustling about. It was jam-packed this time, with various people wearing costumes and outfits. Capoeira spotted us and rushed towards us.

"They have really good pudding in the snack room," Lala began.

"You guys should've come with us," Kiki added.

"No, I wasn't very hungry," I answered.

"Neither was I," Z said.

"Come on now, people! Put your banners on!" Michael Doi had located us. Z and I noticed that everyone was wearing their red banners from the Prop Room. We slipped ours on.

"Fabulous! Now come on, step up here. This is your line up for the intro. When you hear your name called, go up there and strut your stuff!" Michael advised as we went onstage.

A couple of the dancers were familiar to me. I saw "HIRO-KUN, DISCO" and "SHORTY, JUNGLE HIP-HOP" standing near the front of the line. Shorty was talking to her mouse and Hiro was making some last minute hair checks. "KITTY-N, JAZZ" and "STRIKE, GANGSTA RAP" were filed in next to them, Kitty-N straightening her costume and Strike strapping on his sunglasses. At the head of the line were "HEAT, BREAKDANCE," "COMET, ROLLARBLADE," and "TSUTOMU, HOUSE." Heat was standing calmly, and Comet was patiently addressing Tsutomu about some matter.

The stage consisted of four raised platforms, three for the dancers and one for the announcer. Capoeira, Z, and I stood on the third platform. Everyone around me was making quick adjustments and little prayers. They were nervous too. But none of them was as nervous as I.

Hands shaking, I checked my watch. 7:59...

Michael and another man stepped on stage. The man wore a red suit with blue sequins. "Well Jamie, you're on in one minute," Michael told him.

"Who's that?" I asked Z.

"That is James Suneoka," Z answered. "He is hosting the Bust-A-Groove competition this year. He really stinks when it comes to stuff like this. I wonder how he got chosen."

Michael ran to the sidelines. "Okay, we're on in five...four…three...two...action!"

The curtain opened. I thought I would faint.

There were hundreds of thousands of people in the Stadium. Men, women, children, people of all kinds and ages packed into every seat. As soon as the curtain opened, they burst into deafening cheer and applause. I looked across the sea of faces and wondered if anyone had noticed a strange panda-like freak standing on stage.

Television cameras were mounted on railings and stairs. There were cameras wherever they could be accommodated. I reminded myself of what the reporter had been saying: ".....broadcast to over one hundred countries around the world..."

Pander, you had better not mess up.

A split second after the curtain opened, a booming voice greeted the audience. "Yo! Welcome to the Bust-A-Groove 2 Dance Competition, live from Tokyo, Japan! Get ready for 10 days of nonstop action! I'm DJ Mix Deadly, coming at ya with all the dance styles you can imagine: breakdance, disco, jazz, even capoeira! So come on, get ready to BRING DOWN THE HOUSE!!"

The crowd erupted. The cheers were so loud that I covered my ears to drown them out.

Another voice addressed the audience. "I'm DJ Dangerous, and Mix Deadly and I will be bringin' you awesome music throughout the whole show. But enough wit my talk, let's bring on the dancers! Here's our host, James Suneoka!"

As soon as James stepped up to the front of the stage, the applause stopped dead. He smiled and waved. "Hey everyone!" he greeted. "Hello everybody, I'm your host, James Suneoka! I know all of you out there want to get this thing started, but first I'm gonna tell you a joke." James smoothed back his hair and grinned. "Why did my grandma put rollar skates on her rocking chair?" He paused, then finished, "Because she wanted to rock and roll! Ha ha! Wasn't that great, folks?"

There was complete silence in the Stadium. "See what I mean?" Robo-Z whispered.

I could hear Michael frantically whispering from backstage. "Keep going, keep going! Do the intro!"

James regained his composure. "But enough of my talk, let's get this thing going! First of all, we've got to introduce these awesome cats!"

Fast-paced music started playing. The first row of dancers strutted up to the front of the stage. As James said their introductions, each of them stepped up, did a few moves, and went to the back of the line.

"You all remember this breakin' Fireboy! His moves are so hot that he'll set you on fire! Heat!"

"This skater gal's new, and her blades are so smooth they'll run you over! Servin' up anything you desire, Comet!"

"Our youngest competitor, this little schoolboy isn't what he seems to be. He's flyin' high, Tsutomu!"

"She's back, the cute little kitten with sharp claws! She's gonna make you wanna purr, Kitty-N!"

"This bad boy is here again. He made a jailbreak, skipped town, and will gun down all competition! Strike!"

"Well, ladies, our playboy is back in town! He bustin' moves on the disco dance floor to make your heart miss a beat! Hiro-kun!"

"Isn't this a surprise? She's sugar and spice and everything nice, but watch out--she's all grown up now! Shorty!"

I watched as all of them confidently strode up and showed their stuff. None of them seemed nervous at all. Not even Tsutomu, who had been hanging on to Comet just an hour earlier.

There were thirty competitors in all, ten in each row. After the first seven, I didn't recognize any of the others. Although a few looked very interesting. Like the zombie, or the dinosaur. I was surprised to learn that Shorty's mouse, Columbo, would be dancing with her and also competing by himself.

Finally the third row stepped down. I could feel all the eyes in the audience looking at me. I could almost hear their comments: "What is that? What kind of costume is he wearing? He looks hideous!"

I started to feel sick again. But there was no time, I would be on in a few seconds! You've been waiting for this moment, Pander! Waiting for it and dreading it.

"Here they are, the two alien beings whose dancing will blow you into the stars and out of this world! Capoeira!"

As Capoeira did their little act, Z gave me a quick squeeze on my hand.

"He's mean, he's tough, he's ready to challenge anyone who gets in his way. Back again, and gold-plated no less, Robo-Z GOLD!"

Robo-Z went up and did his dancing act. He gave me a wink through his visor as he passed me.

James was about to start my intro when he took a good look at me. "W-Whoa," he muttered into his microphone. Great. Even the host thinks I'm a freak.

There was silence while everyone stared at me. Through the corner of my eye I saw Capoeira, Z, and the other dancers looking sympathetically at me. Even Strike.

I felt like dying. I wanted to get away from that place, that time, that universe. I wanted to be by myself, all by myself, where no one could ever see me again.

But...no. That wasn't going to happen. It wasn't going to be that way. This is your time in the spotlight, my inner self whispered. Make the best of it.

In that moment my fear disappeared.

The silence lasted a split-second, but seemed to go on for eternity. I put my hand on my hip. "Well?" I asked, looking questioningly at James.

James blushed and looked at the TelePrompTer. "This new guy's got a different attitude, a different way of doing things. Demonstrating a style never before seen in Bust-A-Groove, Pander!"

I snapped my fingers, and the fan appeared in my hands. I waved it gracefully, then stomped one foot, then the other, on the ground. I threw the fan in the air, whirled around quickly, and caught it again.

The crowd cheered. The faces were not so threatening anymore. It was awesome!

I went to the back of the line, where Capoeira and Z patted me on the back. "Nice going!" Capoeira told me. Z just smiled.

I was next-to-last person to be introduced. We all got a shock when Michael stepped up. He was the last person everyone expected to enter. I saw Kitty-N smile and blush when she looked at him. Hmm.

The intros were over. The competitors stood back in their rows. James addressed the crowd.

"Aren't they all great? But the fun is just beginning! Tonight, we're gonna have fifteen matches right here on this stage. That's right, fifteen! Stay tuned folks, the BAG Competition live from Tokyo will be back after a few words from our sponsors."

James stopped talking. The curtains fell around the stage. Michael stepped out of the line.

"Everyone," he said, addressing the competitors, "Please head over to the bulletin board backstage to see who you're going against."

We all filed to the message board on the right of the stage. Everyone was pushing and shoving to see who their match was. I hung back to wait until everyone was done.

Capoeira emerged. "We're up for Match #1, against Comet!"

Robo-Z elbowed his way through the crowd. "I'm Match #8, Kitty-N," he grumbled. "Why don't you go see, Pander."

I nodded. By this time all the people had dispersed. I took a look at the paper.

MATCH #15: PANDER VS. KELLY

"Kelly?" I asked out loud.

"Uh huh," a deep female voice replied. A woman had walked up next to me. She wore a blue police officer's outfit complete with a badge and a hat. She wore tight black shorts and carried a police stick. Her long strawberry blonde hair tumbled to her waist.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Kelly. Looks like I'll be going against you tonight."

To be continued...

Author's notes: I wrote this in a case of severe writer's block, so it may not seem as good as my last two chapters. But don't worry, the next chapter will be really good! I promise!

Here are a few things you might be wondering about: Yes, Heat is from Canada. I made it that way so the BAG competitors would have diverse backgrounds. Besides, he deserves to be from a country that all too often gets a bad rap. O Canada!

I don't know why I made Tsutomu Comet's cousin. I just wanted to introduce him in a way that would still make him seem like a little kid.

And Michael Doi is the guy who schedules who's going against who. I wanted him to be in the story, so I added him in.

Lastly, my version of the Bust-A-Groove Competition seems a little like the Miss America Pageant, doesn't it? I didn't want it to turn out that way, but it did...

In the next chapter, Pander vs. Kelly and things start getting freaky...