KWAH!!! Wow, look how far STLF has come along! Isn't it amazing?! Well, I think so. Does anybody else care? pout I guess not. sniff Nobody loves me. sob

N-E-ways... it makes me so happy to know that I'm still getting new reviewers! Arigato to all! Oh, and since it's been a while... Pocky and Ramune soda for all as well. grins

We've made a lot of progress since the beginning of STLF:

1.) Yuki is not as cold-blooded as he pretends to be.

2.) Shuichi doesn't enjoy being shitted on forever.

3.) Tohma can show signs of fear towards something.

4.) Ryuichi has more going on in his fluffy head than we ever imagined.

5.) Bad Luck may have a chance of reaching Nittle Grasper after all.

DUM DUM DUM!!! And there's much more to come! I have a feeling that these next few chapters are going to be packed with angst! So much to write... not enough reviews to compel me to do so. Hai, I am being stubborn. And hai I am evil. Can't you tell by my maniacal laughter? Oh, wait... I haven't done it recently. Here it is... MWUHAHAHAHA!!! REVIEW OR DIE!!! kapoomph Kyah! I lost my evil muse! What do I do now? HELP! I am nothing without her! sob

Oh, oh! One more thing... huggles to Jenn-chan... hope you like Ch. 10! Let me know, ne?

{Disclaimer} Cut & paste your favorite disclaimer here... I'm too lazy to make them up anymore.

Regular italicized writing indicates thoughts

Bold italicized writing indicates conscience

Chapter 10: Behold the Power of Potential

A new song.

"Spicy Marmalade! These days, people really seem"

That's what K had demanded of a certain pink-haired lyricist, three weeks after Nittle Grasper had released the remake of 'Be There.'

"To be led astray, with faces hidden by sadness."

And not just any new song- one that would blow away Japan and solo Bad Luck in the spotlight.

"What's making you tremble? Hedonists are the ones who smile."

Not an unexpected demand.

"Lying along these frozen rails is a future that's been planned without telling us."

After all, the news of the passionate rivalry between Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper had just reached the ears of the almighty media.

"Eccentricity is an obstacle; passion is absorbing."

Now both bands were in the midst of the 'Who is better?' debate which included fan girls and boys as well as the press swarming to get the details.

"Quite a nightmare, isn't it? Boredom's fighting back."

That was exactly why a superior hit had to be produced immediately to ensure that Bad Luck would remain in the loop.

"Spicy Marmalade! Now that's exploding into being!"

They needed to create doubt in the public's opinion of how Nittle Grasper was 'untouchable' so that they wouldn't be left behind.

"Seize hold of this evening's chance."

To everyone's surprise, instead of stalling like he usually did when a deadline was set, Shuichi complied readily with his manager's demand and composed lyrics for a new song by the next day.

"Vanish into the night! These days, people really seem"

Three days later, 'Spicy Marmalade' had been retouched between Bad Luck's singer, manager, and producer.

"To be led astray, with faces hidden by sadness."

At the same time, Hiro and Suguru put their heads together to create a contagious beat and a catchy tune to balance out the 'in your face attitude' that seemed to emanate from the strangely titled song.

"Beneath the stage of the pale moon, the sobbing villain screams aloud."

The result...?

"In the sweet contents of the bottle, the fatal reality is a misunderstanding."

Front cover displays on every magazine and newspaper.

"Mischievously acting like you want it, join the fad yourself."

Second most requested song on every music station.

"Quite a problem, isn't it? Vainly not even noticing..."

One of the top stories on the morning and evening news

"Spicy Marmalade! In your own way,"

Guest appearance on a late night talk show.

"Throw off the chains if they've rusted."

Rating as the number one rookie band of the decade.

"Vanish into the night! Even tonight, so intently gazed upon,"

In short, they became recognized as fresh blood for the music industry.

"Becomes a phantom with the touch of a fingertip."

They fell a small margin behind Nittle Grasper in their own debut for the remake of 'Be There.'

"Spicy Marmalade! Now that's exploding into being!"

And then it happened.

"Seize hold of this evening's chance."

At Nittle Grasper's ninth week at the number one spot on the billboard, they dropped.

"Vanish into the night! Conspicuous Marmalade!"

To number two.

"If you've decided you're ready, well then..."

Just below Bad Luck's 'Spicy Marmalade.

"Spicy Marmalade! In your own way,"

And that was also when Ryuichi decided to visit his rival at their premier as a solo act for Hit Stage.

"Throw off the chains if they've rusted."

From the rear of the audience, the God of J-pop observed the latest phenomenon in Japanese music.

"Vanish into the night! These days people really seem,"

His unblinking gaze widened slowly as the theme of 'Spicy Marmalade' finished unraveling.

"To be led astray, with faces hidden by sadness."

From his slackening grasp, a pink bunny dropped to the floor with a soft 'thump.'

And from center stage, piercing violet eyes met astonished azure ones. As the music stopped, time froze between the two rivals. Applause rose deafeningly as the lights faded into a blanket of darkness.

The legendary vocalist of Nittle Grasper stood motionless as realization swept through his mind. He finally realized what his fellow singer was trying to convey.

That song... it's about me.

He clenched his hands into tightly balled fists, understanding that he had been discovered after all. The mask was broken, and the facade had been uncovered.

Ryuichi had known that the younger boy had seen a piece of what he really was. But the acknowledgement of it by the Bad Luck vocalist was intimidating to the Grasper.

The silent star of Nittle Grasper turned sharply to exit the building, Kumagorou long forgotten.

{Backstage of Hit Stage}

"Oi, Hiro?" The pink-haired singer raised a hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

"Nani, Shuichi?" Bad Luck's guitarist turned to address his friend as he settled his instrument on the ground.

"Do you think Ryuichi liked the song?" The vocalist's voice rose slightly, expressing both hope and concern.

"Eh, doushite? Does it really matter that much to you?" The longhaired musician raised a single eyebrow at the question. Shuichi sighed impatiently.

"Of course does! He's my idol! And besides, I have to repay him for dedicating the new 'Be There' to me. It's only fair!" The whining tone was answered with a roll of the eyes.

"Ah, so that's the reason you wrote it so fast? To impress your 'god'?"

"Eh, iie. Not really. I mean, I do want to impress him, but even more than that, I want to reach him."

"Well, if you're so curious, why don't you ask him yourself?"

{Tohma's Office}

Tohma turned his wide screen off with a resigned flick of the remote. He'd seen as much of Stage Hit as he could withstand. Behind him, Noriko toyed with her half empty soda can, uneasy of her colleague's apathetic behavior.

The usual aura of power and control no longer hung around the executive. Instead, the President of NG Corps seemed to sag his shoulders and bow his head more recently. The polite smile was replaced with an apprehensive frown.

Even his clothes had been more conservative as of late. No feathers, no fur, and no animal prints. Not to mention no leather, no dress gloves, and no bowler hats. Just plain black and white.

Noriko actually saw a wrinkle on his suit as well. Her coworker was more stressed out then he let on. And the strain was beginning to show.

"No matter how good we are, they still manage to bite at our heels." He brought one hand to his temple, trying to rub his headache away.

"You make them sound like rabid dogs." She meant it to be teasing, but he took it literally, not even cracking a smile.

"Close enough. It seems that they are determined to reach us." His voice was laced with bitterness at the idea of anyone daring to embark on such a journey.

"And? What's wrong with that, Tohma? You've said it before... you admire those with perseverance. As I recall, you told me that they reminded you of yourself." She was on dangerous grounds to quote the executive against himself, but the female keyboardist did it comfortably.

"This whole situation is unsettling. How is it that Bad Luck never showed this kind of ability before?" Closing his eyes, the blond man dropped his between his hands as if to crush the thoughts in his head.

"Ah, but they did." Noriko flashed a dazzling smile at her friend.

"Nani? How did I miss that?" Raising his head, the CEO turned to make eye contact with the lavender-haired musician.

"Many times. Like when Bad Luck wiped Ask from the top of the charts. And the time Shuichi stood in for Ryuichi on Music Fan. Oh, and course when they went platinum on their first single. All of that added up to obvious potential. Now the real question should be when and why did you blind yourself to it?" The female keyboardist raised her voice as if to challenge her colleague.

"Hmph. Blind myself? A little luck can't count as talent, Noriko. As far as I'm concerned, you're overestimating their potential." Tohma dismissed the idea entirely with a wave of his hand.

"Normally, I'd agree with you. But even I can't feign ignorance with the truth is about to pass us by. They've had nothing but their namesake, and yet they still advance towards us. These aren't children that we're playing with anymore, Tohma. Someday, Bad Luck may be the ones that will set the standards of excellence." Noriko crossed her arms, determined to get her point across.

"So you believe it to be true too? Both you and Ryuichi? To have that much faith in their talent... unbelievable! I never thought I would live to see the day when either of you would willingly pass on our legend." With a raised eyebrow and a slight shake of the head, the President of NG Corps expressed his disbelief of his friends.

"Iie. Don't get me wrong- neither of us is giving away anything. If Bad Luck wants the top, they've got to get past Nittle Grasper first. And believe me, I sure the hell am not one to step down willingly. If they want the throne, they'd better beat me down and drag my dead body out of it." Lavender hair shifted as the pretty keyboardist tilted her head as she answered her coworker.

"I'm glad to hear that, Noriko. For a moment, I thought that you were giving up before the race really started." Relief revealed itself the blonde executive's eyes, which warmed at the reassurance.

"No way! Nothing's going to keep me from having my fun!" She let out a short laugh that banished any thoughts of quitting while ahead.

"Good. Still, I think you're being a bit lenient as far as their potential goes." A warm smile softened the harsh comment from Nittle Grasper's keyboardist. In return, Noriko smiled just as sweetly back, getting in the last word before turning to leave the office.

"And I think you're in denial."

TBC...

Gomen for the short chapter... I'm really, really sleepy. Next chapter will hopefully be longer. I'm not sure what it will contain... so onegai send me some ideas via reviews and e-mail. Arigato for the reviews... demo, I'm greedy and always want more. REVIEW!!! You know what happens when you don't... I pout, rant, and cry... so just do it!