CH. 34 The Dress Rehearsal
The party is aboard the Bifrost helping Shiori for the challenge in three days. She is currently reviewing what three songs to go with for it and the boys are preparing their outfits for their disguises. Shido would go, but they can't risk Miku recognizing him since it was clear she recognized Shiori's resemblance to his female guise.
Currently, Aki is being dressed by Tohka. They've obtained wigs from breaking into a store below, and grabbed a crate of assorted clothes from another shop. They had to be quick about it and they've even dyed a wig using stuff on the ship and made fake bras with some silicon and help from the girls, good thing the ship has a heater. Tohka has dressed up Aki in a simple outfit with a purple buttoned down short-sleeved shirt with a rose on the back, a knee-length frilled lavender skirt and a wig which is similar to her hair when she tried to pass off as a boy, but with a cream colored ribbon tied into a bow. Tohka is taking great joy in this as her son seems to be enjoying himself. She then has him walk like a girl which he does in the most stereotypical way with exaggerated hip swings. Tohka then tells him to pull back a little.
Hiro is being helped by Shido. He's just finishing up dressing up and emerges from the closet wearing a ball dress with red lipstick and a wig which covers his now red eye. Shido is mortified by this as Hiro's body, unlike Shido's and Aki's, is chiseled and covered in scars on his arms. Shido, despite his horrified expression, tells Hiro.
"Okay…let's hear your girl voice."
Hiro gets his throat ready, and in the most screechy female voice, he says.
"All I brought under my skirt is more punch, Big Boy, is it alright if I brought that through?"
Shido is just horrified and says under his breath.
"That was the most disturbing thing I've ever heard."
Kurumi and Ellen walk up and pull Hiro behind a curtain that they set up and help out with his disguise. They don't have voice changers and don't have time to learn how to make them. Aki's female voice is passable as he does sound like a girl enough to pass it off. Kurumi and Ellen then present Hiro in a long-sleeved white shirt to cover his scars, a pair of blue pants with full-leg white chaps to cover his legs, cowgirl boots, and put Makeup on his face to hide his more gruff appearance. They also tell him to not talk under any circumstances. His outfit is even more convincing than Aki's.
Kotori gets the two boys up to training to respond as she tells the two of them.
"Okay, your names are Akihime, and Hiroko. So repeat after me, and tell your names. Except you, Hiroko you're mute."
Hiro nods as their training begins with Kotori training their responses.
While Aki and Hiro are practicing, Shido decides to check on Shiori, who is in her room aboard the ship. He plans to help her with her choices, but when enters the room, he hears sobbing a little. Shiori is holding her guitar as she strums it lightly. Out of concern, Shido approaches her and sits down next to her and asks.
"Hey, what's wrong, Shiori."
Shiori looks at Shido and replies with a tear in her eye.
"She was so mean, Shido. How can that selfish person be my mother?"
Shido starts rubbing Shiori's head and explains to her.
"She just doesn't understand how you feel about others. Remember that she was hurt once, it hurt so bad that she just became bitter. But you had a bad experience, but you didn't become sour."
Shiori sniffles a little and tells Shido.
"But singing should make a person sweeter. I love singing for the smiles. I loved it most of all when my parents smiled and cheered for me. Then my brothers came along and clapped with them. It was the greatest thing in the world."
Shido smiles and suggests.
"Then prove her wrong. Prove what your style is like. I'll watch and I'll clap for you just like your dad."
Shiori smiles and nods as the two listen through some of her music to help decide.
In her mansion, Miku is plucking the petals off a rose as she is remembering her time in high school when she encountered Shido in his female guise, and the day she discovered his deception. She managed to have him executed in secret. She even convinced the Spirits that he's simply away. Killing Shido even seemed to have a profound effect on Miku. Somehow, she became stronger, so strong that even Kurumi and Ellen fell under her spell. With her new power, she crushed D.E.M, and had all the men executed. However, Ellen died years ago from the power in her body.
Miku is frustrated as something is nagging on her mind.
"Why can't I shake this feeling? I feel like I should know that girl….When I win our little game, I'll have to the find my answer personally."
Miku awaits her meal being prepared by her collection as she looks forward to the next three days passing by.
Back aboard the ship, Aki and Hiro, or Akihime and Hiroko, are practicing with the instruments they've been assigned. Tohka wants to play the drums, but the role of drummer is Hiro due to his fast movements, and Aki has been assigned to play rhythm guitar, Miyuki is on tambourine, and Akane is bass. The Spirit children are on their own in this case as they should be immune to Miku's power like their father, but Shido can't go out of worry of being recognized. Instead, he will simply stay aboard the ship. Tohka is rather upset at not being allowed to play the drums, but Shido promises her a date when this is over.
Shiori is currently practicing with her makeshift band to learn one of her songs chosen for the contest. It isn't easy to catch up with Shiori's rhythm. Shiori has only decided on one song for the moment. A song she wrote with Hibiki when they started out called "Cyan Rose". The rehearsal finally begins to make an impact as they start getting more and more.
Shido decides to go into the kitchen to make the other group members a snack for their hard work. Tohka follows him and asks him for a favor. While he's making some rice, she asks.
"Shido, can make Aki's myself?"
Shido moves over as he lets Tohka make Aki's snack. Clearly she wants to do more for Aki. The two work next to each other as Shido makes little meals based on what he knows they like. Tohka wears an apron with her sleeves rolled up as she chops meats and vegetables. Shido looks at her and is somewhat reminded of the adult Tohka he met in Aki's timeline and smiles a bit.
While taking a break, Shiori talks with Hiro, who has a suggestion for her. He asks her out assurance.
"You haven't decided on all three songs yet, have you?"
Shiori shakes her head and answers.
"I haven't even decided on the second song yet."
Hiro takes a piece of paper and begins writing on it. He puts music notes and lyrics on it. He shows it to Shiori and she begins humming the notes and looking at the lyrics. She finishes it and compliments.
"Wow, this is a beautiful song. Did you write this song, Hiro?"
Hiro shakes his head and explains.
"No, the Miku of my time did. She wrote this…in memory of Tohka and Yuzuru."
Shiori looks at Hiro with shock as she didn't know about that. He goes into the origin of this song.
"When we planned a memorial in memory of them, Miku was very distraught to the point she didn't want to go. Instead, she wrote this song as a way for us to cope with the loss. She calls it "Blade on the Wind"."
Shiori looks at the sheet and decides to save this song for last. She is unsure of singing it at all in fact. Aki and Akane listen to some MP3s that Shiori downloaded of her own music to hopefully find a song they can play that sounds good. They then come across a rather somber song that they like and it's called "Starduster", a love song. They bring it up to Shiori, who explains to origin of this particular song.
"I wrote this song when I and Hibiki got into an argument when I started out. I sang it on stage, and she knew who I was talking about. These lyrics are about what I think is the most precious thing the world, pure untainted unconditional love."
Aki then gets an idea.
"Shiori, why don't you use this to beat Miku? She obviously will sing some energetic pop songs. So I think we should go with whatever you feel in your heart about music."
Shiori looks to the ceiling and smiles as she tells her fellow Spirit Children about her feelings on music.
"Music is more than just singing and dancing. It's about personal vision, feelings, and telling the world what you stand for. To me, that's what music is."
The group then starts gathering the instruments to play and try to play the song in question. They have already decided on two songs and they have three days to practice and decide a third song.
On the bridge, Kotori and Mana are reviewing what they should do. They know beyond a doubt that Miku will not play fair when she notices Shiori's skills. They can't attack the stage because only Shido is immune to Miku's power who isn't going to be there in person, Hiro may even attack anyone who will want to harm Miku. They'll just have to put faith in the Spirit Children.
In the city, someone smiles in shadows as they say.
"A contest in three days, huh? I guess Miku will have to expect a gate crasher."