Haru:
Twelfth Moon
AUTHOR'S NOTES: GOMEN for such a VERY long update. The forums had been keeping me pretty busy, and I was busy collecting stuff for my ficcies....to which our PC spectacularly crashed down again. AAARRRGGGHHHH~~~~!!! Now I have to start over from scratch. I asked Selenay to back-up some of my files in case our PC bogs down again. TT_TT Well anyway, after that rather long and winding discussion of -Sephira-, -Sigils- and -Relics-, and Yuri's weird flashbacks, the rehearsals are under way, and there's no stopping the Kagekidan. They had to do all their best, for the heir of the Chrysanthemum Throne himself would watch their gala performance...so it's but natural that the whole cast are cases of bundled-up nerves. Daitenji-kacho takes them through their paces, even Max is in his element as the wardrobe master, and Lei gets girly-fied (^^;;). And since this was the Imperial Capital Defense's finest hour, they all had to go all out with the best thespians on stage, to give the entire world a truly spectacular performance (READ: CERTIFIED TAKARAZUKA MATERIAL). But just as Team Hoshi's having rehearsals, Team Axis is not too far behind, and Emily gets a really nasty surprise. R/R PLEASE~~~!!!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bey Blade, Sakura Taisen, and Asato Tsuzuki + his 12 original Shikigami; I only own the OC's, and certain terminologies portrayed and written herein. So no SUING~~~!!!
"A WHOLE week?!" SD Takao's eyes became wobbly. "But that's HELL WEEK~~~!!!"
"Well, you're supposed to shut up about it Kinogu, and DIGEST it," Kai retorted, looking up from his own short brown envelope with his script, the songs he had to sing, and the times of the rehearsals filed within. "We only have 2 weeks to go before the gala, and Team Axis is not exactly giving us any respite since Lady Whitaker has kindly joined us 2 days ago."
"But...but..."
"Hey, I think that's GREAT. I mean, I really think we could pull off rehearsals and a Team Axis invasion all at the same TIME. The last time we did, we were having a script reading during that Hiwatari Heavy Industries raid with all the bombs going on all around us while we read our lines for Othello," Max said happily, nodding. "And it did great wonders to our concentration; I didn't realize I was already killing King Lear over and over again and I got Othello and King Lear all mixed up in my head."
"With a dose of Macbeth," Kenichiro added while he cut up his toast. He shook his head. "I remember with equal fondness how Kai breathed fire for days."
Lei blinked. "You...did...?"
Max nodded again, his eyes closed happily, as he grinned at Lei. "Yep, but you really can't blame us, the only light source we had were those occasional bomb explosions and our -Nirvana- Crystals blinking on and off during 'dead zone'. My world wasn't exactly still until after 5 days of stolen catnaps."
"Uh...O...K..." Lei blinked again. "And hell week...?"
"We're supposed to wait for some Axis alarm and we hightail off to the battlefield as if we've got a billion fire ants up in our pants," Takao replied as he looked over his own script, songs, and rehearsal times from his own short brown envelope. "I mean, you have to leave at exactly mid jump and run like mad to your -Sigil- and square off against some operatives and go back to rehearsals then run off again if they become too persistent."
"?"
"Daitenji-kacho assigns pairs of pilots to do the 'skirmishing' every passing day. So, when the 2 pilots hightail off to skirmish duty, the rest of the cast is supposed to take over THEIR lines and continue rehearsing until they come back and resume their parts. That way, we won't be wasting too much time waiting around for them and have a clear view of what's still to improve and other stuff, in case the 2 pilots arrive some time after the main rehearsals itself. They only have to polish a few of their lines here and there, and that's it." Kenichiro put his toast inside his mouth. "And so, aside from memorizing our own lines, we still have to memorize everybody else's. We're going to force cram 50 or so pages of script inside our heads every single night thereafter, and that's not yet counting the songs each of our characters had to sing."
"And..."
"Still try not to become insane while we blast their -Relics- off to smithereens." Max blinked. "HEY! I get to play one of Lei's Faerie troopers...this is going to be some interesting play...my soaring jumps are the BEST in the entire Kagekidan..."
Yuri was just quietly munching on his own toast as he looked through his own set of documents.
"..." Lei looked at his own brown paper envelope. "I'm going to play 3 different people ALL at the same TIME?!"
"Trust me when I say that's the least of your worries," Takao said, reaching for the pitcher of orange juice right in front of him. He gave a silly little grin. "Now how about trying to climb your -Sigil- in a tight-fitting gown and danger's 5 minutes away? You'll only get ripped seams, the wardrobe master will give you roaring flames for ruining a $50 worth costume, your acting hitting way below the 6 foot mark, and your -Sigil- gets a busted Chi Regulator. Not enough hell week for you?"
Lei's overwhelmed silence was answer enough.
Yuri stretched his arms way above his head, flexed the fingers of his hands, then looked over at the rest of the cast members. "Well...vocal chords and diaphragms ready? Alright, let's hit it with a C." Yuri looked at the sheaf of sheet music right in front of him, blinked, nodded, then started tapping his foot. "1...2...3."
He then played a haunting melody on the piano in the rehearsal hall a little while later after breakfast, akin to a dreamy night with stars a-flowering over the sleeping world. And the Kagekidan started to sing.
"Aaah...aah...aah...aaaahhhh...aaah...aah...aah...aaaahhhh..." Takao and Max sang.
"Aahhhh..." Kenichiro put in after a 2 second interval.
"Aaah...aah...aah...aaaahhhh...aaah...aah...aah...aaaahhhh..." Takao and Max sang again.
"Fly beyond the distant stars, and way beyond the sea...
Beneath the cold midnight skies, you had turned to me..." Kai sang in a clear voice.
"Summer's past and falling fast, the leaves of twilight home...
Far beyond the deep blue waves, I feel your eyes on me..." Lei sang in a somewhat cool voice.
"And if wishes grant for thee, shining up above, soaring free...
That's when I knew that you loved me..." Kai and Lei sang together in perfectly blended voices.
(*NOTE: While Lei and Kai are singing, Takao, Max, and Kenichiro are still doing their vocalization parts, although a bit muted, in the background)
"Aahh..." Takao sang.
"Aahh..." Max sang.
"Aaaahhh ah aahhh..." Takao, Max, and Kenichiro sang together in perfectly blended voices.
"Never I knew you, for what reasons I have asked,
A mere shadow of a man?
But then you gazed upon me, and I breathed,
How could you risk it all in a glance?" Kai sang.
"I knew my own reasons, yes, and they need not be asked.
A folly, yes a jest, yet I'd not loved another...
Was I risking it all, perchance?" Lei sang.
"Take me for a fool, yes, I had been dreaming,
Why did I let you go?
And now my heart is aching,
Simple lies just pretending,
Why can't we fall just like before?" Kai and Lei sang in perfectly blended voices.
"Fly beyond the distant stars, and way beyond the sea...
Beneath the cold midnight skies, you had turned to me..." Kai sang in a clear voice.
"Summer's past and falling fast, the leaves of twilight home...
Far beyond the deep blue waves, I feel your eyes on me..." Lei sang in a somewhat cool voice.
"And if wishes grant for thee, shining up above, soaring free...
That's when I knew that you loved me..." Kai and Lei sang together in perfectly blended voices.
(*NOTE: Same as above; vocalization parts muted in the background c/o Takao and company)
"This is just madness, foolish little glances,
What do you want from me?
I've had it with you,
Can't you see what I'm going through...
All lies, lies being true," Kai sang.
"Why can't you spare a minute,
Rest assured, and please believe it,
Don't throw me out the door.
I need you, and that's just it,
My heart, won't you please spare it!
For this is all I am, no more," Lei sang.
"Take me for a fool, yes, I had been dreaming,
Why did I let you go?
Now my heart is aching,
Simple lies just pretending,
Why can't we fall just like before?" Kai and Lei sang in perfectly blended voices.
"Fly beyond the distant stars, and way beyond the sea..."
"..." Daitenji-kacho nodded as he watched the 5 thespians go about their vocalization practice very flawlessly, and the last one playing the piano piece, as if the 6 of them didn't just go through hell and back just 2 days ago. "At the rate this rehearsal is going, those children would be able to perform the entire play for the Emperor with their eyes closed."
Dr. Mizuhara sighed. "Let's just hope they wouldn't do that, Daitenji-kacho. I'm afraid that in this week, they'd be having more nightmares than sleep...I've received word from Kyouto that those Axis operatives are on the loose and they're going to raise more than hell itself just to take back the Lady Whitaker. Add that to the Ministry of Defense breathing fire down our necks, Falcrest acting totally weird again as it did 4 years ago, those -Seraphim- making our detailed investigation regarding the Edelweiss virtually non-existent...I say we're ALL going to have a grand time."
"A typical day in the life of the Kagekidan." Daitenji-kacho smiled. "We've had hell more than this, Judy, as you ought to remember."
"Right. But we were older than they are right now, and I'm really frightened for them...I don't know how they would handle this war. I just sure hope they come out of it unscathed."
"Judy, by taking these responsibilities at such a young age make them older than any of us right now. They know that if they don't do something against the Axis, then they wouldn't be able to live their lives normally as they all want to. And besides, I'm pretty sure those boys would come out of it unscathed, they have each other to believe in, and that is what made them strong. Believing is essential to winning this hopeless war."
"~~~oh SHUT UP Hiwatari, you're just JEALOUS because you're NOT a frigging POET~~~!!!" Takao yells in the background.
"I've had better reads than THIS when I was in London, and the poets in question are 8 year-olds," Kai replied unflappably. "What, is this a poor attempt at unrequited love or something, Kinogu? I feel terribly sorry for the girl."
"OH SHUT UP~~~!!!"
Max, Kenichiro, Lei, and Yuri burst out laughing, as SD Takao turned into a burning ogre and started yelling all sorts of insults at SD Kai.
SD Kai sighed. "Can't we have a MORE appropriate song other than this piece of crap? It's not like we're in LOVE all the time, and why Kinogu has even FELT this stupid emotion is way beyond me. This is SO pathetic."
SD Takao's flames burned even higher still. "I HATE YOU HIWATARI~~~~!!!"
"..." Dr. Mizuhara's eyes became expressive as she watched the 4 remaining young pilots laugh, and the 2 others hurled insults at each other (Takao VS Kai), to which Kai just sighed again. She smiled. "Yes, Daitenji-kacho. I believe that there is still hope..."
Daitenji-kacho nodded. He then stood up and clapped his hands. "Alright children, that's enough! Take it from the top, Yuri. And Lei, that was pretty good. All you just need to do is give it a little more angst..."
"Yes, Daitenji-kacho."
"Good, good. Alright Yuri. At the count of 3..."
"Oh BOY I can't WAIT for the GALA~~~!!!" SD Max sang after a whole day rehearsal later that late afternoon. He then blinked, then grabbed the Kraft paper-covered box right in front of him. "Eh, our COSTUMES! Hee hee, I can't wait to see what my costume looks like..."
"I don't want to turn into a Sugar Plum Faerie," Takao moaned.
"Don't worry, Takao-senpai, you'll only look like a Mandarin Orange Plum Faerie." Kenichiro ripped off the Kraft paper covering his own box and got his own costume. "As for me, I'll go as the Jujube Plum Faerie."
"And I'll go as the Strawberry Plum Faerie," Yuri put in, brandishing his floaty red Faerie costume right in front of him. He looked over at Kai. "What would you be wearing?"
"I'll be wearing my birthday suit," Kai replied, "plus a bunch of dried maple leaves to cover what needs to be covered, and a crown of dried maple leaves on my head."
Takao blanched. "Just THAT?"
"Of course NOT you idiot, do you want the play to be barred from imperial audience? I'll be also walking around with a white bolt of cloth wrapped around me like a toga."
"Oh."
Lei got his costume and held it up above him. It was exactly what Max had shown him on his sketchpad, except the skirt looked like it was draped over with folds of a fine, gauzy material, as with its flowing sleeves.
Max laughed. "Ha ha ha, I don't think the male portion of the crowd would let go of you once you step into THAT dress, Lei. You're going to wear your long, glossy jet black hair up in a coronet braid, held up with pins of frosted maple leaves and dried flowers, and upon your dress, as well. And we have to bring out those exotic White Tiger eyes of yours with makeup, and even Queen Titania would be SO proud of someone playing her part even if it's in DRAG."
"What happened to the other design?" Lei asked.
"That dress is supposed to bring out the woman in you, Lei, so you would be more believable," Max told him. He grinned. "Don't worry, I haven't altered the design that much, just little tweaks here and there."
Lei turned the dress around and he gulped. "Is THAT what I think it IS?"
"Oh yes, genuine lace up ribbons at the smallest part of your back. And it's what holding the entire dress together. One tug and you'll be walking in your birthday suit 5 seconds after, so you better be careful your wings don't get snagged into the laces."
"..." SD Lei just sweatdropped.
"Oh NO I AM the Mandarin Orange Plum Faerie," Takao said in a strangled voice.
"Hey, at least you're not the Pear Plum Faerie," Max told him as he got out his own costume. He grinned. "And at LEAST we get to hold wands. Having costumes that clash with our hair couldn't be bad now, right?"
"And the audience would be seeing all red with me," Yuri put in. "So don't feel bad, Takao. I've a feeling I'll have spotlights chasing after me everywhere I go on the stage..."
"Who designs our costumes, anyway?" Lei asked.
"A VERY color blind seamstress, my dear Mr. Kon. She's just about as fearsome as Goliath is having a toothache, about as stubborn as a rickety old mule, and her color span ranges ONLY from red, green and blue." Max sighed. "It's a good thing it's still 2 weeks off till gala, and we have lots of time to fix our costumes. Good thing she could still see white as WHITE."
"Fix our costumes..."
"Don't worry, Lei, we wouldn't be all caught dead wearing clothes clashing horribly with our hair by the time the curtain rises up for the gala 2 weeks from now. I wasn't a lamp post for nothing." Max nodded. "Now the only thing that we must worry about is how to get out of these ridiculously intricate costumes in a span of 10 - 15 seconds flat, in case of costume changes as we all play our assigned characters, each. And how not to rip it off in case of a skirmish emergency."
"O...K..."
"Good."
"Tomorrow, the REAL rehearsals will start," Kai was saying, looking at each and every one of them as they all sat around in the rehearsal hall. "So I want you all to memorize your lines and the others' lines very well, get a good night's sleep, so we could all start early tomorrow. Daitenji-kacho would be posting the names on for skirmish duty during the entire week tomorrow; I expect you all to read it. I won't be entertaining questions on who's on for skirmish duty during the entire hell week. Is that clear?"
"Yes, oh Great Hiwatari," Takao answered promptly.
"Good. Lights out at promptly 9:00 tonight, and start reading. No read, no eat. Is that clear?"
"Yes, oh Great Hiwatari," Takao answered again.
"Alright. Snacks are being served in the dining hall, and Dr. Mizuhara's waiting for all of us there to give us an important announcement." Kai nodded. "Rehearsal, adjourned."
The lonely cries of the seagulls pierced through the crisp cold air, and Emily watched them all fly by as the ship she was riding on set off from the docks off Port Arthur (I am just making this UP) somewhere in Canada.
***Just a routine visit, nothing much,*** Emily thought. ***Aunt Jean had been begging me for a visit ever since Dad died, and it's such a good thing I was sent there to retrieve something for the Eagles to give to Dr. Mizuhara...***
Jean Kingsley was waving at her niece from the docks, and Emily smiled, waving back.
***It'll be quite a while before I see you again, Aunt Jean. The Eagles are pretty busy, and Team Axis isn't exactly giving us any respite after that tragic meltdown 4 years ago. Gee, I DO hope everything would be fine now, that it's just a false alarm.*** Emily's clear blue eyes became worried. ***But I know that I'm asking for the moon. Those files I translated aren't exactly my version of of comfort food...it's just confirmed what my worst case scenario analysis told me about, and it's not REALLY nice. Is Dr. Kyrieans some sort of a Doomsday Nostradamus...?***
She watched until her aunt faded to a tiny dot in the distance before turning away from the railings and heading back to her room.
***An entity bent on destroying the world, proclaiming itself as the Hand of God in cleansing this world and ridding it of sinners...a war beyond time and ageless than death...cycles when the world had almost come to the brink of disaster, called as the 'end of the world'...Oblivion...void...***
Emily shook her head.
***I'm sure Dr. Mizuhara would find a way. She found a way during those trying times in that meltdown 4 years ago...and she'll tell me that these files are nothing but ramblings of a delusional old fool and nothing else. I'm sure of it...***
The waves crashed against the sides of the ship.
***But why am I still afraid? Is it because I know that these files are to be believed in? That even before the beginning of time, this world was fated to be destroyed after all? Would another 'Holy War' spring up again...? Oh dear God in heaven...please wake me up and tell me that this is all just a very bad dream...***
"...it's more likely that the Kagekidan is fully and thoroughly guarded against outside attacks by now, and it'll be harder to drag Lilith out of it..."
"...nonsense, it'll be a breeze. We have the wolf guarding us from inside, he'll be able to filch her out..."
"...do you think his loyalties are to be trusted...?"
"...it is not very hard to see where his loyalties lie, my dear little friend...as they should soon see..."
Emily blinked. The voices were soft enough to be missed, conversing in rapid German as they were, but it certainly caught her attention. She looked up. Her eyes widened.
It...it couldn't BE...!!!
Ralf Jurgen blinked, then gave her a small smile.
"So we meet. It's not everyday the Eagles and the Griffins meet at such short notice. Are you also headed to Japan to watch the Kagekidan's play...?" he inquired in a soft voice, with the faintest trace of a German accent.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AUTHOR'S NOTES: A conspiracy?! Oh NO~~~!!! What is owl eyes up to?! Stay tuned for that chappie~~~!!!