A/N: Welcome back to Save The Last Dance! Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, but my Love Live! phase kinda died down, to be replaced with Higurashi, thanks to the new anime which is airing(which helps with WTBC), but I've still managed to get some of this story done in between writing that one. Come to think of it, there's a new anime for Love Live!, isn't there? Well played, Love Live!, well played.

Anyways, enjoy the final chapter of the 'Formation Arc', Never Miss A Beat!


Chapter 10 - Never Miss A Beat

For the next few weeks proceeding that meeting, the group had adopted a simple routine: Meet up and walk to school together, attend classes, meet up at the end of the day, and travel to the studio, where they would spend 2 hours practising for their next show, before splitting up and returning home. In regards to their performance, the group had decided to make it a simple showcase, nothing too extravagant, just enough to show they were still active after winning Love Live!. While practices for the showcase had gone smoothly for a few days, things eventually got, shall we say, complicated, on one particular day...


On said day...

In a separate room of the studio, the Militia had been working on a part of the routine that their group would be performing alone, when Adam called an end to the practice. "Not bad, guys! Slowly, we're getting there." He said, getting smiles from the rest of his crew. "Hey, boss?" Riddick asked, drawing Adam's attention. "What's up, Riddick?" The boy in black asked. Nodding towards the door, Riddick stated, "We got company." Whirling round, Adam smiled gently when he saw who was standing at the door.

"Well, this is indeed a surprise, Maki." He said, causing the red-haired girl at the door to blush. "What can we do for you?" Carlisle asked, as he finished packing up his stuff. "I..." Maki started, before trailing off. "Take your time. We've got all day." Adam said, causing Maki to nod, take a deep breath, then look him dead in the eyes.

"I want you to teach me how to street dance."

After a second's silence, during which Maki's face blushed bright red from embarrassment, Adam raised an eyebrow. "Come again?" He asked. "I want you to teach me how to dance like you do. For this upcoming showcase." The redhead stated, more confidently this time. "Uh-huh...And why do you want to learn street dancing?" Jamie asked, drawing Maki's attention to him. "I...I want to dance with Nico." She said, before her face blushed again, and she looked to the floor to hide her face due to her embarrassment.

"So, why would you need to dance like us to dance with her? Aren't you two both part of the same idol group?" Cameron asked, which made Maki look to him, unimpressed. "Well, yeah, but...it's because..." "Because you love her." Adam cut in. Her eyes widening, Maki looked to the Militia leader in surprise. "H-how did you know?" She asked, getting a gentle smile from the boy in black. "Oh, come on, it was obvious. The looks you two shoot each other, I'm surprised you two aren't already together." He said, walking over to her, before placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go and tell the others there's been a change of plans."


A few minutes later...

"So, hang on, Maki will be performing as one of your dancers?" Eli asked, getting a nod in response. "Yeah. She'll be taking Cameron's spot." Adam replied, before looking to Nozomi. "Could you teach Nico how to dance the routine?" He asked, getting a nod from his girlfriend. "Alright, then..." He stated, before looking back to Maki.

"Let's get started then, shall we?"


A week later...

"Stop!" Adam called out, causing the street dancers to sigh, for this marked the umpteenth time this had happened. "Boss, come on!" Riddick stated, drawing a glare from Adam, who turned his gaze on to Maki.

"Maki, we've been at this for a week. So, why do I feel like you're still at the same point you started at?" He asked, causing the red-haired girl to scowl. "I'm trying my best, you know!" She spat, causing Adam to sigh. "Well, we're running out of time. We can't wait for you to catch up. Tell you what..." He stated, causing Maki's gaze to soften. "You've got until next practice to get this down pat. You can't do that, I'm sorry, but you're out." He explained, causing Maki to widen her eyes. "I..." She started, only for the group to jump when the door to the room was knocked. Whirling round, each of the dancers smiled when they saw Hanayo standing there, Rin beside her.

"Well, what can we do for you two?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow when he saw Hanayo look to Rin hesitantly. "Go on, Kayo-chin. I'm right here." The orange-haired first year said, taking her friend's hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze. Nodding, Hanayo turned back to the street dancers, bowed, and said...

"Please take me on as a student as well!"

"Called it." Ryan said, as the brothers looked to each other. Silently, Adam took a step closer to Hanayo, causing her to look up at him. "Hanayo, I applaud your courage in asking this of us. But I'm afraid I have to decline." He said, causing Hanayo's eyes to fill with tears. "Why, nya~?" Rin demanded, stepping in front of her friend defensively. "Because I was hesitant to train Maki, who at least looked like she could handle the training. Hanayo, on the other hand? No chance. I get you two want to dance together, but it ain't happening." Adam replied, causing the two girls to blush. "Who said we wanted to dance together?" Rin asked, causing Adam to smirk. "I'm not an idiot. I've caught the looks you give each other." He stated, stepping back and sighing.

"Look, if you want to be centre of the show that much, fine. I'll take you on. But I'll only do it on one condition." He stated, causing the girl's eyes to fix on him. "And that would be...?" Hanayo asked, smiling when Adam raised a hand and pointed to Rin.

"Instead of Hanayo, you'll be the street dancer in your pair, Rin. What do you say?" He asked, causing the cat-girl to look to Hanayo, who nodded encouragingly. Looking back to Adam, Rin extended a hand, which the boy shook. "Deal!" She stated, making Adam nod. "We'll run you through the routine today. Think you can keep up?" He asked, getting a nod in return from Rin.

"This should be interesting." Riddick said to Carlisle, as Rin placed her bag on the floor...


A couple days later...

"Good practice, everyone! See you all tomorrow!" Honoka called out, as she sprinted from the room, with the rest of the group following close behind her. Chuckling, Adam went to pick up his bag, only to stop when he picked up a faint bit of music.

"Hey, bro, we heading out, or what?" Jamie asked, snapping his brother out of his trance. "Actually, I'm gonna stay a bit longer. Wanna make sure I got my part down pat." The younger sibling replied. "You sure?" Nodding, Adam watched as Jamie slung his bag over his shoulder. "Alright. Just try not to burn yourself out, alright?" He asked, getting another nod from Adam. "Got it. I'll catch you later, bro." Giving a quick nod, Jamie left the studio. When he heard the front door of the building close, the leader of the Militia quietly snuck out into the hall, and moved to the open door of the room across from the one he had been using. Peeking in, a smile began to appear on his face at what he saw inside...

In the middle of the room, Maki was attempting the routine that the street dancers were supposed to perform, but unlike Rin, who had taken to the training like a fish to water, Maki was still struggling to keep up. Which is why Adam wasn't the least bit surprised when she stumbled, and came crashing to the floor. "Shit!" The red-haired idol spat, punching the floor.

"You're thinking too much."

At the sound of Adam's voice, Maki looked to the door, as the boy in black entered the room. "I still have time." She shot back, as she got back to her feet. "I can do this." "Maki, look at the facts. You're not made for street dance. I know you want to dance with Nico, but you should let Cameron take your place. It'll be easier on you." Adam replied, making Maki's face redden with rage. "I'm not giving up!" She screamed, making Adam nod, and rub the bridge of his nose, as he let out a loud sigh. "You really won't, will you?" He asked, causing her to glare at him. "What do you think?" She demanded, making Adam nod.

"Alright, then. Watch me closely." He said, before stepping to the centre of the room. "Hit it." Nodding, Maki pressed play on her music player, before stepping back beside him. As the song's beat started, the pair began moving, with Adam's steps being incredibly fluid, while Maki's were less refined, as she attempted to mimic her co-dancer's movements. Despite struggling, she eventually managed to gain enough speed to keep up with Adam, just before the song finished.

"Okay, think you can do that a bit faster?" Adam asked, turning to Maki. Nodding, Maki pressed repeat on the music player, and the pair began to dance quicker than before as the music played...


The next day...

"Good luck, Maki!" Rin called out, causing the girl in question to smile at her, as she stood in position with the rest of the street dancers. "Thanks, Rin." She replied, before looking to Adam. "You ready for this, Maki?" He asked, causing Maki to look from him, to Nico, who was watching with the rest of μ's. "Ready." She replied, as he passed her the cap that she needed, as Jamie done the same to Rin. Looking to Scott, who was over to the side with the music player, the leader of the Militia nodded.

"Hit it." Nodding, Scott pressed play on the device, which caused the music to start playing. As their part got closer, the street dancers prepared to start moving. Eventually, they heard the part they were waiting for...

"Let's get it going!"

As they heard the music start, the two brothers moved forward, as Maki and Rin tossed the caps into the air...


The next week...

Otonokizaka High, Auditorium

"Are you sure it's alright for us to be here? We're not even Otonokizaka students." A ginger-haired girl asked her fellow A-RISE members, as they took their seats in the auditorium. "Anju, relax." A purple-haired girl said, as she made herself comfortable. "Tsubasa's girlfriend gave us tickets. Besides, if it wasn't okay, they wouldn't have let us in the door." She said, causing the third member of their trio to glare at her. "Honoka isn't my girlfriend, Erena." She stated, drawing a smirk from her companions. "But you want her to be, don't you?" Erena asked, causing Tsubabsa to smirk herself. "Now that would be telling." She said, settling back in her chair, as Erena smirked.

"Who's that?" Anju asked, making her friends look down to the front of the stage, where they saw a bearded man step up in front of an orchestra at the front of the auditorium's stage. "Beats me." Erena said. "Probably a friend of the Militia." Tsubasa piped up, as she saw Yoshie Minami, the school's Director, step up onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all for coming. Tonight, you'll bear witness to something most people would declare impossible. But, having seen these young men and women perform together already, I'm sure I can say, along with many others, that it is indeed possible. So, without further ado, please give a warm welcome to the lovely ladies of μ's, and their partners, the magnificent men of the Militia!" Yoshie stated, causing the crowd, A-RISE among them, to erupt in applause, as she walked offstage.


"BOUT IT:"

As he put on a set of headphones, the bearded man began to conduct the orchestra, as the curtains parted to reveal the rest of the stage. As the instruments reached their first crescendo, a group of 4 idols walked out onto the stage, led by Eli, those being Eli herself, Nozomi, Nico and Hanayo.

Throwing their legs out in a circle, the idols spun once, then threw their heads to the side, before spinning once again. At the same time, the remaining three idols, Honoka, Umi and Kotori, had joined up with Ryan at the back of the stage, where they waited for 4 individuals wearing caps to approach them. When they did, they allowed them to step onto their hands, which were then used to propel the newcomers into backflips, as the instruments reached another crescendo.

"I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing."

In the glare of a spotlight that shone on them the second their feet made contact with the floor, the cap wearers turned, revealing they were Adam, Jamie, and to the surprise of the crowd, Maki and Rin from μ's. Moving forward, they kicked themselves up off the floor, spinning themselves with a roundhouse kick, after which they landed seamlessly on the floor. Shooting a hand up to their heads, they knocked their caps off, but luckily, they grabbed them before they hit the floor in a spin, before ducking down.

"Incredible!" Anju stated, as the crowd applauded when the street dancers placed one hand each on the floor, and used it to kick their legs out to the side. For a second, the only thing keeping them secured to the floor was the one arm they were using. Unfortunately, they dropped the pose, and straightened back up to their feet. Placing their caps back on their heads, the quartet stepped back, just as the rest of the street dancers rushed onto the stage.

With the music picking up, the street dancers threw their arms down towards the floor, before spinning. As they faced the front of the stage again, they looked quickly to the side, before bringing their arms over to their right legs. Popping them out, the group seamlessly ducked into a spin on their knees, before straightening back up and jumping backwards to the beat of the music.

Moving their lower halves up and down to the music, the street dancers waited as the idols moved in front of them, and began to dance. First, they leapt up while kicking one leg out, making sure to bring it back down in time to land on the floor. Spinning once to their right, they then used the momentum they had to spin themselves twice to the left. Next, they ducked down to their stomachs on the floor, spinning onto their backs and pushing themselves back up into a jump, just as Carlisle and Riddick ran out from behind them. Racing to the front of the stage, Carlisle flipped over Riddick, who elected to do a forward roll under him, with both of the boys coming to a stop on their feet.

Jumping straight up, the whole group threw their arms out to their right, before they all spun, with the idols ducking down to their knees in the process, while the street dancers started to spin in place where they were. Getting back to their feet, the idols joined their fellow dancers as they started to move their bodies in a wave-like motion, eventually shooting themselves straight up, throwing their hands up as well. As they brought them back down in tune with the music, Maki and Rin walked forward to join Nico and Hanayo, making sure to roll their caps along the floor to the Robertson brothers, who joined the rest of the group as they left the stage.

Gazing into their partner's eyes for a second, Maki and Rin spun round them, coming to a stop by grabbing their hands, which their crushes had held out for them. As Nico and Hanayo spun away from them, Maki and Rin slid across the floor to catch back up with them, pushing themselves off the floor to look them in the eyes again. Taking their hands again, the pair allowed their partners to spin round to one side, before they wrapped a hand round their waist and lifted them back to where they had started. Retaining their grip on their partner's hands, Nico and Hanayo spun out away from them, leaning backwards when their connected limbs couldn't go any further. Placing their free hands on top of their partner's, Rin and Maki gently pulled the other two girls down to the floor, and using a small amount of force, caused Nico and Hanayo to slide across the floor to the right side of the stage.

"Well, they certainly deserved to win Love Live!, if this is what they do for a simple showcase." Erena stated, as she and the other two members of A-RISE watched Nico and Hanayo push themselves off the floor, before quickly leaning backwards. Luckily for them, their falls were halted by Maki and Rin, who had leapt over and lifted them back over to their left. As soon as their feet touched the ground, the two idols spun away from their partners, but the other two girls leapt forward into a roll, just as their crushes leapt and spun in the air.

When they came back to the floor, Hanayo and Nico spun down to their knees, just as Maki and Rin used the momentum from their rolls to slide behind them. Pushing themselves to their feet, the street dancers spun to the centre of the the stage, as the idols spun backwards to look them in the eye. As Hanayo and Nico took the hands that their partners offered, they spun into them, then were lifted up of the floor as they kicked their legs out. Seamlessly coming back down to the floor, the two idols leant backwards as Maki and Rin supported them, before they straightened back up and spun off to the side.

"Moment of truth..." Maki thought, as Nico and Hanayo turned to face her and Rin. Nodding, Maki braced herself for what was coming, as Rin did the same. Breaking into a run, Hanayo and Nico leapt towards the street dancers, who caught them by the hips, and lifted them up into the air, causing the crowd to erupt in applause, as they spun on the spot for 2 full rotations, before Maki and Rin brought them back down, and placed them back down on the floor.

"Let's get it going!

Woo! Yeah, let's get it going now!

Yeah, a little louder now!

Come on! Yeah, let's get it popping now!

Yeah, let's go!"

As Nico and Hanayo walked towards the back of the stage, where the rest of μ's had come back into the performance, their street dancing partners joined the Militia as they moved to the centre of the stage. Stepping back to allow the Robertson brothers room at the front, Maki and Rin moved seamlessly to catch the two pairs of caps thrown to both of them by Blink, Hybrid, Doc Quake, as they arranged themselves into a triangle formation, with Cameron, Riddick, Rin Jamie on the left, and Ryan, Carlisle, Maki Adam on the right.

Quickly placing one of the caps they held on their own heads, Maki and Rin tossed their remaining caps up for Jamie and Adam to catch, like they'd done in practice. Amazingly, the brothers caught them, and swiftly brought their arms down, making it look like they were throwing their hats, just in time to the new beat of their song, just as the rest of their group mimicked them.

As the room brightened up, the brothers placed their caps onto their heads, before they joined the rest of the street dancers in placing their hands in front of them, before swinging their left legs round in a backwards fashion, spinning in place to face the audience again.

Bringing one hand up to their heads, the dancers pushed their heads to the side, but also made their bodies fall to the floor, lifting a leg up as they did do. Pushing up off the floor, the crew hopped onto their feet, but kept themselves in a squatting position. Bouncing once on their feet, the dancers landed on their backs on the floor, splaying themselves out to lessen the impact. Holding out their arms above them, they brought their upper halves up off the ground for a second, curling their legs up at the same time, before relaxing them again. Next, they shuffled backwards on the floor, before pushing themselves up again, bringing one of their legs up off the ground as they did so, whilst also using one hand to balance themselves. As they brought their feet back down, Adam thought to himself, "Alright, Maki, let's see what you got."

Quickly, the group brought up one of their legs in a spin, moving their hands out the way just in time, but instead of allowing their upper bodies to follow, they flung themselves onto the floor, landing on their backs, before they quickly rolled over onto their fronts, and pushed themselves back to their feet, narrowly avoiding colliding with μ's, who had turned and walked back down the stage, with Nozomi, Eli, Nico and Hanayo at their front. "Yes!" Maki thought, smiling to herself at having performed the routine.

"I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing,

I see you, give it to me, stop playing."

As the street dancers slid backwards slightly, they joined the idols in spinning round, before the whole group stepped backwards while bringing their arms up. Next, Adam, Jamie, Maki and Rin spun over to their respective love interests, placing their hands on their hips as they spun round them. Bending down, they joined the rest of the group as they returned to their original spots. Shooting their heads up, the group swiftly looked to the side as they kicked their legs out, before turning and kicking that exact same leg out twice. Bringing their arms back in as they stood up straight, the dancers bounced their upper halves to the beat of the music.

While the crowd cheered, Director Minami nodded her head to the music, just as the group of dancers slid to their left, throwing out a hand as they did so. Silently, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, deciding that she needed to send a message...

As for the dancers, they had once again split into two groups, the street dancers and the idols. For the former group, they had spun, and began to bounce backwards across the stage while swinging their arms, as the latter group ran to the side and leapt into the air, kicking their legs out in the process. Down at the front of the stage, the conductor gestured to a pair of girls holding violins, who immediately started playing, adding a heightening undertone to the still-playing music.

Spinning back to beside the idols, the street dancers joined them in spinning round once, before raising their hands up as if to wipe their brows of sweat. Afterwards, Adam, Jamie, Maki and Rin turned to their partners, who wrapped their arms round their necks, before jumping into the air while leaning backwards. Luckily, the street dancers caught them before they collided with the floor, and the idols flung out one arm when their momentum was halted, before their partners used their strength, as well as the momentum the girls had maintained, to swing them back up into the air, causing the crowd to gasp in surprise.

Turning in sync, the street dancers brought their partners back down to the floor, only to take their hands and spin them twice. Seamlessly, the idols came out of the spin and leant back, but again, the street dancers caught them, as the rest of the group ran off stage. Bringing them back up, the street dancers spun them again, before the crowd was shocked by their final move.

Placing one hand on the idol's waists, and the other under their thighs, the street dancers lifted their love interests into the air, and slowly spun once as the idols splayed themselves out, before bringing them back down to the floor, spinning them away from them, then pulling them back towards them, catching them before they collided, just in time to the song's last beat.

As soon as the catch was successful, the crowd erupted into applause, while the 8 dancers still on stage smiled and laughed to each other. "We did it!" Nozomi said to Adam, as he and the other street dancers lowered their partners back to the floor. "Yeah, we did." Her boyfriend replied, just as the rest of their friends returned to the stage. Getting into a line, each of the dancers linked hands, before they all bowed to the crowd, as the curtain fell once again...


Backstage...

"We did it, guys! Can you believe it?" Honoka stated, as the dancers entered the backstage area. "Indeed. I think we performed well out there." Umi replied, getting a nod from Kotori, who was standing beside her. "Especially Maki and Rin. Well done, you two!" She said, causing the group's attention to turn to the two girls in question. "It's not us you need to congratulate..." Maki said, twirling her hair round her finger, causing the group to laugh. Well, all except for one member. "Oh for the love of..." Nico groaned, before wrapping a hand round the back of Maki's neck, and pulling her into a kiss, to the surprise of the rest of the group. "Thatta girl, Nico!" Ryan stated, as he and the Militia applauded. Breaking apart, the red-head and the pigtailed girls looked to the group.

"It's about time you two got together!" Honoka said, causing Maki to blush bright red, and bury her face into Nico's shoulder to hide her embarrassment. "Shut up..." She groaned, which drew another laugh from the group. As their friends were distracted, Adam shot a quick look, as well as a nod, to Rin. Returning the nod with one of her own, Rin walked over to Hanayo, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Hanayo hummed, as she looked round. "Oh, Rin! What's up?" She asked, her tone raising in pitch slightly when she realized it was Rin. "Well, you see, I..." Her best friend said, scratching the back of her neck. Shooting a quick look to Adam, Rin saw that he was looking at her, one eyebrow raised. Taking a deep breath, the orange-haired girl relaxed. "Kayochin..." She said, taking her friend's hand, "I love you. Would you go out with me?" Gasping, Hanayo widened her eyes, before looking to the rest of the group, only to see them all smiling at her. Taking a deep breath, she looked back to Rin, who was beginning to blush bright red.

"Well, you took your time." She said, causing Rin to laugh nervously. "Alright then..." She stated, placing a hand on Rin's cheek, before leaning forward and gently kissing her, which caused the group to applaud again. "That's so cute, isn't it?" Nozomi asked, as she leant into Adam, who wrapped his arm round her shoulder. "Yeah, it is." He stated, only to look to the side and narrow his eyes. "Well, well, well, since when's that been a thing?" He asked, making the group to look round, and what they saw caused them to be caught off guard...

"You two as well?" Honoka asked, when she saw Umi kissing Kotori. Realising the amount of eyes on them, the pair broke apart, their faces flushing bright red from embarrassment. "W-we..." Umi stammered, only for Kotori to smile, and take her hand. "We started dating the night μ's performed Snow halation." The ashen-haired girl explained, just before Honoka ran up to them.

"And you never told me? No fair, you two!" The ginger exclaimed, getting another smirk from Kotori. "Sorry, Honoka. But you know how Umi gets with this stuff." She replied, making Honoka look to the archer in question, who was blushing bright scarlet at this point. "Eh, fair play." She stated, before pulling both her childhood friends into a hug.

"Well, I'm happy for the pair of you." She said, which made Umi look to her. "So, you're not mad?" The blue-haired archer asked, which made Honoka shake her head. "Nah, we're good." μ's leader said, as the group laughed. "Thank you, Honoka." Kotori said, as her friend grinned at her. "No worries. What are friends for, after all?" The ginger asked, getting a pair of smiles from her two childhood friends.

"So, anyone else in a secret relationship?" Cameron asked jokingly, which caused a chorus of laughter to erupt from the group. "Nah, I think we're done." Nozomi said, just before the group heard someone clear their throat. "Seems quite lively in here, doesn't it?" Someone said from behind Adam, causing the whole group to look round, where they came face-to-face with...


"A-A-RISE?!" Hanayo and Nico asked at the same time. Indeed, all three members of μ's rival group were standing before them. "What are you doing here?" Eli asked, before Tsubasa smirked. "We were invited." She stated, holding up three tickets. Immediately, every pair of eyes went to Honoka, who was lightly pressing the tips of her index fingers together, as a blush began to overtake her face. "Hehe, well, you see..." She said, laughing nervously.

"Honoka..." Umi growled, causing Honoka to pale, only for Kotori to slip her hand into the blue-haired archer's. "Let's let it slide today, Umi." The grey-haired girl stated, getting a sigh from her girlfriend, before she looked back to Honoka. "So, care to explain?" She asked, getting a nod from her ginger-haired friend.

"Well, after we decided on a date for the showcase, I met up with Tsubasa, and I gave her the tickets. I just wanted her to see what we could do. That, and...our groups are friends, aren't they?" Honoka explained. "That's fair." Adam stated, before moving his gaze over to A-RISE. "We haven't been formally introduced. Adam Robertson, leader of the Militia." He said, extending a hand, which Tsubasa shook. "I already know who you are. Actually, we're here because we have an 'ulterior motive', of sorts." She said, causing a look of confusion to appear on the group's faces. "Go on..." Jamie said, after looking to the rest of the group. Smiling, Tsubasa took a deep breath, then said:

"We want to make you an offer."


A/N: And I hope you enjoyed the chapter! And I hope that you all liked the 'Formation Arc'. Next up, we will be heading to UTX, as we head into the 'UTX Arc'. Maybe I'll change the name of that one. Anyways, I'll catch you all in Chapter 11 - A New Offer.

Madman out!