Disclaimer: All Bust-A-Groove elements belong to Enix. I own nothing.
James Suneoka's joke is from 101 Vacation Jokes by Jovial Bob Stine.

Pander Forever
Chapter 5: Familiar Face and Obstacle2x
by ArchFaith (formerly known as the ArchPrincess of Saturn)

My eyes darted from Z to Bi-O. They were staring at each other, both appearing surprised. Did they know each other? Z had called Bi-O Dr. Fitch.

I vaguely remembered having heard something about a guy named Dr. Fitch, or something like that. Oh yes...I was trying to figure out my dance style...or something like that. Z threw the fan at me...and mentioned something about a Dr. Fitchenstein...?

"Robo-Z, type 7000? Is that you?" Bi-O questioned, leaning over the railing.

I could feel Z smile. "It is good to see you again, Doctor."

"Amazing! Are you getting this on film? A Bust-A-Groove reunion between creator and creation!" James boomed while the cameras adjusted their lenses.

Bi-O's face lit up. "Come up here!" he requested. Z complied. Although instead of walking up the rickety wooden ramp, he flared his red steel wings and floated up the deck where Bi-O stood.

I saw Bi-O give Z a slight embrace. "Z, it's been such a long time." He eyed Z from head to toe. "Someone told me that they had seen you in the first Bust-A-Groove, but I didn't believe it."

"No, it was true. I have been dancing all this time," Z answered.

"I see. And your style is techno punk, isn't it?"

"Yes, and yours is zombie, correct?"

Bi-O grinned. "Correct. I may be old, but I can still 'bust it'." He chuckled. "So, Z, did you keep that fan I gave you?"

"Well, I thought I might give to someone who would put it to better use," Z replied, gesturing to me. I had idiotically been standing next to James, listening to the conversation and clutching the fan in my right hand.

"My best friend, Pander."

Bi-O nodded. "I see. So your best friend and my opponent dances the same style you refused to." He laughed. "How ironic."

"Um, I hate to interrupt, darlings, but it's already 3:40," Michael said, indicating his pink and yellow wristwatch. "The match was supposed to have started ten minutes ago. Can we have the match, and then you two can talk?"

"Oh, of course," Bi-O responded. Leaning over the side of the ship, he yelled, "Come on up!"

I crossed the cement floor and proceeded up the ramp, which wobbled as I stepped on it. I was followed by the camera crew, who toted speakers and head microphones. Climbing onto deck, I noticed it was very plain. There was simply a door which must have lead to a lower cabin, and a few barrels that were propped against the walls.

As soon as the crew boarded, Bi-O took out a control panel. He pressed a few buttons on it. Looking up, I noticed that the ramp had disappeared. From off the side hung a heavy anchor, which hadn't been there before. The ship suddenly lurched foward, sending me reeling against the cabin door. We were sailing!

"We're going out into the Bay," Bi-O called, adressing all of us. "I think that would be more suitable than just being parked at the Pier.
So, he had imagination.

By the time the equipment had been set up, the ship was in the middle of the Bay. It was a clear, blue sky, and the waves lapped lazily around the ship. Perfect setting for an intense battle.

"Alright people! Get ready!" Michael commanded. I took my cue and stood to the left side of the ship. Bi-O shuffled to the right. Z retreated to stand behind a camera guy. Michael quickly strapped the head mic onto James and he ran out to stand in between my opponent and I. Michael did the countdown."We're on in five, four, three, two, one!"

"Good afternoon folks! It's me, James Suneoka, coming at ya live from aboard the S.S. Blackbeard in Tokyo Bay. It's a beautiful day for a dance battle, isn't it? Well, we're a little late, so I won't be able to tell my joke. I know you're all disappointed, but that's life! Anyways, let's get this thing going: Second round, match #4, to the theme of Zombie Hopper, Pander vs. Bi-O!"

With that, James leaped out of the way. The intro strains to Bi-O's theme could be heard. I braced myself and began.

The tune was much faster than Kelly's slow melody. It had no lyrics, but instead sounded like a mix of hip-hop and heavy metal, with electric guitars and drums. It had a definite beat to it, but I managed to keep up, having practiced with Enka 1 all that time.

I did miss more than I expected to, but quickly made up for it by performing a Freeze. I stole a glance at Z. He was staring neutrally at both of us. I wonder who he wanted to win...I, his best friend, or Bi-O, his creator? There was no doubt in my mind whom he was rooting for...

Careful, Pander, don't get a big head about this. Don't worry, I won't.

In the middle of the song, I suddenly felt the floorboards begin to crack. Alarmed, I almost stopped. "Keep dancing!" Michael encouraged. I nodded and danced on.

The pounding on the boards must've been too much, because the next thing I knew, I had fallen through the floor and was standing in a room below deck. The room's walls glowed a neon red. In the back, there stood a giant cauldron with a skull on it. Barrels and crates were strewn about, and in one corner of the room, there was a big pile of treasure. Where did he get all this stuff?

I quickly stopped thinking about the contents of the room and started concentrating on my dancing. I had already missed two beats, and would lose if I didn't do something...

Let's see, if I time this right...

"Ya!" Automatically, my hands raced to above my head and my knees bent. My attack.

I had kept it a secret from everyone else, even Z. I had started practing it aboard Capoeira's ship, and had perfected it just the night before.

A thousand black-and-white hands appeared and proceeded to slap Bi-O. He tried to dodge but missed, sending him to the ground with a moan. "Good one!" Michael yelled at me. I looked up momentarily and saw the the camera people had moved up and were pointing their lenses towards the hole I had fallen into. Michael, James, and Z were viewing me from above, kneeling down.

While Bi-O was down, I managed to perform a Freeze. As soon as I made my finishing move, Bi-O groaned and slowly rose. He resumed dancing, grumbling under his breath.

But by then, the song was over. Had I won?

I scratched my head while the scores were calculated. Michael had brought along what seemed to be a large calculator. It was a mobile scoring machine, used in matches like this. I waited nervously while Bi-O rubbed his leg.

They fiddled around with the machine, touching buttons and dials, until Michael nodded and James stood up. Did I win? Huh?

James turned to the cameras. "It was a close one, and both compeitors were excellent. But the score is...with 33,510 points...advancing to the next round of Bust-A-Groove...the winner, Pander!"

"Yeah!" I yelled ecstatically, almost jumping into the air. I had done it again! Maybe I really was destined to go far in BAG. Or maybe not...

Remembering my manners, I turned to shake Bi-O's hand. "Great dancing, sir. You did really well. I thought I had lost."

Bi-O smiled, though I could tell he was disappointed. "But your dancing was superb! I've never seen someone handle a fan so gracefully."

"I think you both did well," Z's calm voice filtered. I suddenly noticed he was standing next to me, his wings flared. He must've hovered down while I wasn't looking.

"You can learn a lot from your friend, Z," Bi-O advised. "He seems like a sensible young man."

"Um, a sensible young panda," I corrected, still aware of my heritage.

Neither Bi-O nor Z heard me. "Yes. I intend to," Z answered.

While we stood in the room below deck, James finished his monologue. "See you at 5:00 sharp at the Disco Fashion for Match #5, the triple header! Robo-Z vs. Hustle Kong and McLoad!" The cameras stopped rolling. James adjusted his tie.

"Say, Bi-O?" he asked, peering down at us. "Can you take us back to the pier now? We need to get going."

"Sure." Bi-O whipped out his control panel and entered a code. The ship raised anchor and started sailing back towards land. I remained in the bottom with Bi-O and Z, chatting about the competition and how good with a fan I was. Soon, the ship reached the pier and the ramp lowered. The camera crew picked up their supplies and hustled down onto the cement.

"See you later, darlings!" Michael yelled, blowing us a kiss. "Come along, Jamie."

James was practically pulled down the ramp by an exhilarated Michael. "Be sure to be at the Disco Fashion by five!" he called to Robo-Z.

"I will," Z replied neutrally. I, having nothing to talk about with Bi-O, and seeing that he and Z were engaged in a conversation, decided to excuse myself.

"I think I'll go back to the hotel," I said.

"Alright," Z told me. "Oh, and Pander, maybe it is best if you do not come to the match with me."

"You like going alone?"

"Yes. Some prefer with friends, others prefer without. I prefer without."

"Okay then. See ya!" I called. "Oh, and nice to meet you, Bi-O."

"Yes, nice to meet you as well, Pander."

As I turned to leave, I suddenly remembered something. I spun around. "You guys?"

Both men looked at me. "Could someone help me outta this hole?"

-
Bi-O
Real name: Johannes Fitchenstein
Age: 47
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 65 km
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Dance type: zombie
Likes: cheese, elevators, laboratories, electronics, Japanese fans
Dislikes: stringrays, watermelons, axes, remembering that "awful incident"
-

"And that's what happened? Wow!" Kiki exclaimed.

"Looks like we all made it into the finals!" Lala added.

"Yeah," I said softly.

I was sitting in Capoeira's room as we awaited the results. I had received a call from Z earlier, telling me he had won his match. He told me there were still some things he wanted to talk about with Bi-O, and would be a little late. I had understood.

Capoeira and I sat on the twin beds, watching the nightly rerun of Litterbox Warriors 5. "Isn't there anything else on?" I asked.

"We don't wanna watch this, it's just that the Bust-A-Groove results are gonna be shown after the show," Kiki explained.

"But I thought it was already broadcast," I stated, a bit confused.

"It was, earlier. But at the end of the day they do a recap and tell the competitors who their next opponent is," Lala told me.

As if by cue, the LW5 credits began rolling. As soon as they ended, James's face appeared on screen. He appeared to be standing in front of a wall that read, in green graffiti, BuSt-A-gRoOvE.

"Hey again, all you happenin' cats! It's me, James Suneoka! Lemme tell you a joke: Why did the elephant have a lousy vacation?" He paused, then answered, "Because the airline lost his trunk! HAhaHAhaHAha!" he laughed, probably expecting the audience at home to be laughing as well. He stopped and wiped his eyes with a pink handkerchief that had the initials "MD" monogrammed on it. "Anyways, I'm here to recap all the matches that happened today."

As he said the names of the matches, a few images of it flashed onscreen.

"Match #1, Heat vs. Strike.
Match #2, Tsutomu vs. Columbo
Match #3, Capoeira vs. Sushi Boy
Match #4, Pander vs. Bi-O
Match #5, Robo-Z vs. McLoad and Hustle Kong
Match #6, Hiro-kun vs. Michael Doi
and Match #7, Shorty vs. Chi-Chi and Sally!"

"Hey Lala, don't we know Chi-Chi and Sally?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Lala answered. "They're from our planet. Didn't they arrive earlier than us?"

"And now, here are our semi-finalists!" James shouted ecstatically. As he called their name, their faces appeared onscreen:

"Strike, Tsutomu, Capoeira, Pander, Robo-Z, Hiro-kun, and Shorty! There you have it, folks! Our semi-finalists! And lastly, here are the matches and times for tomorrow."

They ran through the list quickly, along with the dates and times. Z's was the first: "Match #1, Robo-Z vs. Tsutomu, at 2 PM, at the Takimachi Shrine." Capoeira's was second: "Match #2, Capoeira vs. Strike."

"Strike? Ah, he'll be easy," Kiki whispered. "Where are we facing him?"

James continued, "At 5 PM at the First National Bank."

"And next, it has been decided that since Pander has gained the most points in his match, he will the face the two competitors who scored the lowest in their matches but still managed to win: Pander vs. Hiro-kun and Shorty at 8 PM at the Jungle Tours Theme Park."

"I've got two opponents?" I asked incredelously. "I don't know if I can handle that."

"Don't worry about it," Lala replied, slapping me on the back. "You're one of the best! You can handle it."

"Well that's all for tonight, folks! The matches are set for tomorrow! Tune in to this channel at the right times to see the battles! I'm James Suneoka for BAG! Peace out!"

As soon as James finished his transmission, Z walked in the door. "Greetings," he said cordially.

"Hey Z," I greeted. "You're battling Tsutomu at 2 PM at the Takimachi Shrine."

"Am I?" he asked, sitting down next to me. "Well, I shall have to be careful. He is very good, as he has proved thus far."

"We heard you met an old friend," Kiki began.

"Yes. My creator, Dr. Fitchenstein. Also known as Bi-O." At this he turned his head to me. "He asked me to congradulate you. He thinks your dance skills are excellent. Especially the fan rountines."

I smiled. "I'm not that good."

Capoeira burst in. "We're battling Strike!"

"And I got Hiro AND Shorty," I added.

"Ah, so you got the double this time," he observed. "I am sure you will be able to handle it."

"I don't know," I answered. "Sounds like it'll be difficult."

Z smiled. "By the time our matches are over, no one will know what hit them."

My frown slowly broke into a grin. "And I used to think I couldn't do it."

-

7:45 PM.

Fifteen minutes until the competition.

I, along with Capoeira and Z, stood at the entrance to Jungle Tours, Shorty's personal mini-park, built at the edge of the her sprawlig mansion.
The setting sun appeared hazy in the orange sky. The park's various rides were all shut down and covered with large canvas covers. Everything was dark and quiet.

At 2PM, we had all left the hotel and headed to Takimachi Shrine, a large Shinto tower in the south of Tokyo for Z's match. Cherry blossoms surrounded the area, spreading a sweet scent around it. At the entrance, Tsutomu was waiting for us, Comet and Sushi Boy surrounding him.
Tsutomu explained that the shrine belonged to his grandmother, and would've invited us in for tea if the camera crew hadn't arrived.

Capoeira, Comet, Sushi Boy, and I stood off to the side while Tsutomu instructed Z to stand on a platform next to the tower. The cameras were set in place, and James had done his intro.

The match then started. Tsutomu turned out to have a very catchy tune. I found myself tapping my toes to the beat. Everyone around me seemed cheerful and hyper, thanks to the music. The platform swirled against the tower walls, making everyone a bit dizzy as they followed its ascent.

It was close, but Z came out first, with points. Tsutomu was so upset he threw a temper tantrum. Comet had to go over and give him a few slaps before he calmed down. As we left, he reluctantly wished Z good luck in the final round. Comet and Sushi Boy didn't look too happy either, seeing as they had both lost against Capoeira, and now Tsutomu's victory had been repelled by Z's triumph. I simply smiled and waved.

Next was Capoeira's match against Strike, at the First National Bank of Japan. It turns out Strike had planned to rob the bank, and was in the process of tying up the bank manager when we arrived. Kitty-N was also there, and gave Z a dirty look. He ignored her, and as soon as the cameras were rolling, Capoeira began bustin' it.

Strike had a gangsta rap theme, which turned out to be easy to follow. Capoeira didn't miss a beat, and managed steal two solos from Strike, enlarging his head and shrinking his body. Everyone tried not to laugh while Strike continued to dance, his head way out of proportion.

Capoeira aced it. Now it was my turn.

"Where are they? Shouldn't the crew at least be here by now?" I complained to my companions. No doubt I was nervous; Capoeira and Z had managed to make it to the final round; and I had to prove I was just as good as they are.

I noticed two figures walking towards us. Shorty, with Columbo on her head, and Hiro, with his mirror in his hand. They appeared to be arguing about something, but stopped as soon as they came within my hearing range.

"Hey," Shorty greeted plainly.

"Hey," I answered.

"Hey," Hiro repeated.

There was an awkward silence a while after that. Finally Capoeira decided to strike up a conversation. "So, Shorty, Hiro, what's up?"

"Oh, congrats on your win, Caps!" Shorty told them, brightening. "And you too, Z."

"Why thank you," Z answered.

"We heard you guys were pretty good too," I began.

Hiro shuffled his feet. "Yeah, we were kinda good. Though if we had been better, we wouldn't have to battle you like this..."

"Alright! Alright! Not a moment to lose!" The crew had arrived. James had a box of donuts in his hand and Michael held a cup of coffee.

"Shorty, is this your park? It's so dreary," Michael commented.

"Oh, this? This ain't my park! My park is full of lights..." With that, Shorty ran to an wooden pole that held a fusebox on it. She snapped it open and flipped a gigantic switch. At once, the covers were lifted off all the rides. Lights began to shine, and machines began to operate. The whole park had come alive with sight and sound.

"Now come on, let's go!" Shorty cried impatiently. She grabbed Hiro's hand and rushed into the park, leaving the rest of us behind. I hastily followed her, my companions and the crew jogging behind me.

I walked through a maze of concession stands and game booths before finding them at the edge of the park. They stood next to a ride that looked newer than the others, with a jungle theme to it. There was a raft floating in a narrow river, which seemed to wind through the palm trees planted on both sides of the bank. The river flowed into a small volcano in the middle of the track, then flowed back out, forming a circle.
Hiro and Shorty seemed to be arguing again; they noticed me, but didn't stop. "You'd better do good," Hiro warned.

"You're the one who's gonna have to score the big points!" Shorty yelled back. She stuck out her tongue at him, and he muttered a few words in another language. This seemed to really annoy her, and she gave him a strong push, almost making him stumble backwards into the river. Furious, he stepped up to her and...

"Hey! We should NOT be fighting!" James yelled at them, as he and everyone else came up to where I stood.

"I got that on camera, Mr. Sunoeka," one of the camera people said. "It was broadcast live on air."

Both Shorty and Hiro turned bright red. "Now let's get started," Michael suggested.

Shorty's redness decreased a bit. She slowly strode up to a large wooden sign that was covered by a canvas cloth. Hiro followed her, and they both stood in front of the sign.

What's with the introduction? It's making me more nervous. I began fanning myself to keep under control. There were two of them. TWO. They could easily beat me. It wasn't fair. I should've gotten Tsutomu or Strike, and Z or Capoeira could've handled these guys. But I had scored the highest; time to face up to it.

"Everybody," Hiro began, making sure everyone had his attention. "Shorty and I would like to welcome you to-"

They quickly parted, revealing a purple and yellow sign that read in large, bold letters:

"JUNGLE TOURS!" Shorty yelled.

TBC

Notes: I had a really hard time writing this. Maybe it was because of the heat around here. And I know this is getting kind of long, but bear with me; expect no more than two chapters and a fantastic ending epilogue! Don't forget to review this story, and also my La Rima Tibia story, because sometimes I get discouraged!

I'd like to thank all the people who've reviewed my little saga, esp. Taitofan, cause she's reviewed almost every chapter! Keep tuning in, people! Every week a new chapter will be done!

XOXO,
Archie of O