Finally, here is chapter 3, whic I hope you'll like^^
Not much to say, except: Please tell me what you think, it makes writing these much more fun!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own AKB0048, nor it's characters.
Chapter 3: Mimori Revolution
Deep inside a cave... Well, it was a cave, but it wasn't a dark, scary, and cold cave, it was filled with bright lights that moved around, it had a vast underground lake, and the cave couldn't really be described as anything else than 'Etheral'. Back to the story.
Deep inside that cave, a swirling plate of light could be seen, and a voice which seemed to come from everywhere could be heard. It said:
"...This soul's... essence... Succession... Succession..."
Mimori woke up, feeling very hot, and her vision was at first a bit blurred. The first thing she saw, was a shrine-looking her head, she realized that she, in fact, was in a shrine, which seemed to be inside an underground cave. Weirdly enough, though, she could have sworn that she saw stars inside of there, gut every time she looked closer, they disappeared.
"Where am I?" She asked, and a glowing blue crystal above the shrine caught her eye through the glass. "Crystals..? They're beautiful!"
A new voice cut in.
"Those dualium crystals are glowing in resonace with our soul."
"Tsubaba-san?" Mimori asked, and turned her head towards the source of the other voice. Sure enough, there was Tsubasa, and she was walking up to the lying idol. She had some kind of shrine maiden outfit, and a smile on her face.
"Looks like your fever has subsided." She said.
Mimori smiled back.
"I'm going to become a successor, aren't I?" She said, and her gaze turned back to the blue crystals in the roof (which she now had realized were all over the cavern).
"I'm also going to shine!" Nagisa's voice rang through the dormitories of AKB0048. "I, Motomiya Nagisa, want to shine with even more radiance than Yuko-san, or Acchan the 13th. I want to become Centre Nova!"
"Nice, very nice!" Miichan said, walking infront of the hologram screen, showing Miichan's recording of the previous concert. "Chan-Nagi declares her rivalry on stage!"
"That was one heck of a statement, Nagisa." Yuka said smiling to her pink-haired friend – who, by the way, didn't look quite as happy about it, more nervous and regretfull.
"Yeah, you surprised me." Orine added, making Nagisa flinch.
"I kinda got lost in the moment..." Nagisa said. "...But Yuuko-san wanted me to do it, too..."
"So you didn't mean it?" Miichan interrupted. She was wearing a rather mischieveious look on her face. Nagisa rose up at the question, instantly confident-boosted.
"Of course I meant it!" She turned around towards her friends, and backed a step away, looking at them all. "I meant it, you hear? Yuko-san didn't want me to say specifically that; She wanted me to show her why I was a part of 00!" Her friends smiled and nodded, except for Kanata and Sonata, who seemed to be rather tired, and worried.
"What's wrong, Kanata-san?" Orine asked, turning around. "Sonata, you look down too."
The elder sister was the one to answer." were wondering if Mimori was okay." Sonata nodded at that statement.
"We haven't heard from her since they took her to the hospital, have we?" Orine asked, her timid voice full of concern.
"Is Mimori still all wobbly-wobbly?" Sonata asked, voicing her thoughts.
"Don't worry, Sonati." Suzuko chimed in, smiling."She'll be better before you know it."
"I se the gang's all here." Ushiyama said from the doorway. "I have news from the administration. There have been some changes to the next concert." He handed Kanata the iPad-lloking device.
"This is..! The setlist is completely different!" Kanata exclaimed, after reading through the list.
"And the stars of the show is no longer the elected members, but the successors?" Yuka asked, and Ushiyama nodded.
"The next concert is going to be a special one." He smiled before dropping the bomb. "It will be Kishida Mimori's successor debut: Mimori revolution!"
The understudies gasped.
"Mimori's... Successor debut?" Kanata asked.
"It's happening!" Yuka exclaimed, and jumped at Orine, hugging her.
"Mimori-san's becoming a successor?" Orine asked, equally happy.
"This is incredible!" Nagisa cheered, joiningYuka and Orine.
"Successor! Successor!" Sonata followed along, fistpumping happilly. "Ah! Now I wanna eat sweet pepper*! My tummy is rumbly" She rubbed her stomach with a 'fitting' face.
"Save the puns for another time!" Makoto replied, adding to the fun. Everyone started laughing.
"Oh, looks like we've got quite the party here." The unmistakable voice of Takahashi Minami the 5th rung in the room. She was accompanied by Yuko and Yukirin. "Mimori's succession, I assume? She's the first since Sae succeeded."
"Indeed. It's wonderful news!" Yukirin answered.
"Chan-Mimo's succession, huh?" Miichan nodded approvingly. "Well, what do you ow-knay."
Sonata hugged her sister from behind. "Sis-sis! Mimori did it!"
"Yeah." Her sister smiled, making Sonata realizing it. Kanata was the only one left of the 75th generation.
"Sorry, sis-sis." The younger said. Her sister smiled bigger, and patted Sonata on the head.
"There is nothing to apologize for. We've gotta celebrate for Mimori." Kanata had said the magic words to cheer Sonata up again.
"Celebration!"
Ushiyama clapped his hands, getting the attention of everyone in the room.
"Mimori and Tsubasa will be occupied until the performance with preparations for her succession. All of you, start practicing! We don't have much time!" His words were met with a 'Right!' from all the understudies, ad the successors smiled.
"We'd better start practicing as well!" Takamina said, before she started running over to one of the other practice rooms. Yukirin followed closely after. Yuko seemed a bit lost in thought.
"A new successor... And it wasn't Nagisa..." She mumbled to herself, everyone else in the room oblivious to what she had just said. She heard Takamina call for her, and her cheeky grin was back in plase, as if it had never gone. She started running herself.
"'Comin', Captain!" She called.
Later that day, the understudies were back in the living room of the 00-dorms. The television was on, and a reporter was currently speaking about 00 news.
"While the rumours about where Sono Chieri have gone are still going strong, another rumor, which has now been confirmed by the administration of AKB0048, has swiped through all of the galaxy. Recently, Kishida Mimori was unable to preform a concert to the end, where Motomiya Nagisa had to take her place after one song, and was confirmed to have very high fever. Following her placement in the general elections, the administration of AKB0048 have now confirmed that she has been chosen for succession. Kishida Mimori-san is going to become a successor of AKB0048. Fans are fired up to see the first successor from the "cursed" 75th generation."
As the reporter started talking about other things, such as movements in the D.G.T.O and the entertainment ban, Yuka shut the TV off.
"This is so cool!" She said, holding up her phone, viewing a hologram of one of the many posters of the upcoming concert.
"Looks like the odds for the tickets are 1 to 168!" Makoto exclaimed, looking on her own phone.
"A successor's debut concert is a once in a lifetime performance. It's no surprise that the odds would get tougher."
"Ah!" Yuka exclaimed. "They're predicting who Mimori-san will succeed. Most people think it will be Oshima Mai. The second highest is Satou Sumiere. And then... Oh! A lot of people think she might become the next Acchan! It's on third place!"
"Amazing!" Nagisa said, peering at the list as noticed 4th-6th place was Kojima Haruna - which was weird, since there was already a Kojiharu present - Shinoda Mariko, and Watanabe Miyuki.
Makoto nodded. "I wonder who Mimori-san will succeed."
Suzuko smiled, and turned to the pessimist of the group. "It's a secret even to the members until the debut concert.
"Oh! So the question is who she'll become..." Orine smiled kind of sadly, and it wasn't unnoticed.
"Orine?" Nagisa asked, turning to her friend.
"Oh, well, I understand that becoming a sucessor is get to take on the name of an original member, after 's just... That also means parting with your old name. I wonder what that's like."
"She'll change. Completely." Megumi said, standing in the doorway. "I was just passing by, and happened to hear part of your conversation. Trust me. I witnessed it when Youko became Miyasawa Sae the 10th."
"Megumi-san..."Suzuko asnswered, and she seemed to wanting to continue, but Sonata interrupted her.
"Mimori's not gonna transform!" She yelled at the senior understudy.
"She'll definately change." Came the rather calm reply. "It'll be like she's a different person. Well, wait 'til she succeeds, and see for yourself." The brounette left the room, a confident smirk on her face.
"Mimori-san will become... a different person?" Makoto asked worriedly.
"Maybe she'll be really unfriendly?" Suzuko asked. This subject wasn't anything she knew much about, and she was pretty much a living database of 00-information.
"Seriously?" Makoto whined.
"Or... Perhaps a super sadist..?" Yuka asked.
"Or forget all about us?!" Orine exclaimed.
"None of us know exactly what succession is like..." Nagisa said. Megumi had really, with only a few words, downed their spirits a lot.
"The fever of succession..." Tsubasa said, filling a clay bucket with water. "Looks like you've recovered. It's the high fever that occurs when your body tries to reject your soul's resonance." She tipped the water over Mimori's back. "Still, of all names you could've succeeded..."
Kanata was in one of the rooms, still practicing. She had told the others that she wanted to work on some of her dances, but in reality, all she wanted to do, was think. Of course, she danced as well, but her mind was not really concentrating on it. The memory from the general elections, of Mimori's speech, flashed through her mind, as it had done frequently, since they had gotten the news of Mimori's succession. She stopped dancing.
So I'm the only one left of the cursed 75th generation. I know I should be happy, so why is my chest feeling so heavy? Why does it ache so much?! What am I missing?Why can't I become a successor?
She had been so lost in thought, that she hadn't heard the door open and close, nor had she heard the footsteps of someone approaching her. Because of this she got really surprised and scared, when someone put two ice-cold cans of soft drink at each side of her head from behind. She yelled, and received a laugh from the figure behind her, and jumped two steps away from the shortest member of 00.
"T-Takamina-san?" She exclaimed.
"Know when to take breaks. Here." The successor smiled, and threw one of the cans to Kanata, who almost dropped it.
"Thank you." Kanata said, as they opened one of the big double-windows.
"I thought Mimori's successor debut concert deserved the best opening act possible. Guess I got carried away." She laughed slightly.
"Kanata..." Takamina took a sip from her can. "I hope Mimori feels better in time."
"Don't worry. I got a fever like hers some time ago, but I felt better pretty soon. And Mimori's a really strong person. She'll be up and about before any of us can say 'Akibastar'."
Takamina's eyes widened at Kanata's words. She did know the reason why Kanata had gotten that fever, and she knew all too well why Kanata wasn't a successor. Takamina herself.
"Besides, Mimori's the star of the show this time." Kanata continued. "We can't let down her fans. I'll carry her on stage if I have to!"
"The fans and friends always come first for you, don't they?" Takamina turned, and looked out at Akibastar. "It's true... You're just like Takahashi Minami."
"Huh?"
"Hypotetically speaking, what if you were already qualified to be a successor? What would you do?" Takamina turned to Kanata.
Kanata didn't really know what to answer that question. "... What do you mean by that?" She asked.
"If you could become Takahashi Minami the 6th, what would you do?"
"Takamina-san?" Kanata asked.
"What if your skills and your soul were ready for succession long ago, but you couldn't advance because of me?" Kanata paused. She had no idea what to say, or think about the situation. Had Takamina just said that the only thing in Kanata's way of becoming a successor was because Takamina hadn't graduated?
"Um, why do you ask?" Kanata asked, she almost dreaded the answer.
"...Just out of curiosity..." Came the answer, and Kanata almost jumped when she heard Takamina's can fall to the floor, and tears streaming down Takamina's face.
"Tell me-.." The shorter of the two said. "Would you be willing to drive me out to become a successor? To become Takahashi Minami?"
"That's..." Kanata started, her voice was shaking a bit. Takamina had actually said it. The way she had said it, clearly told anyone listening that it wasn't 'Hypotetically speaking'. It was the real deal, and now, Kanata found herself torn. Was preforming beside Mimori again worth driving Takamina out?
"You wouldn't?" Takamina said, demanding an answer.
"I... don't know. To me, both you and the name of Takahashi Minami hold a special place in my heart."
"I see..." Takamina moved over to Kanata, and gave her a hug.
The next morning, everyone awoke and went to breakfast, where they found a bag-eyed Makoto, and an equally bag-eyed Sonata.
"What happened? You two look like raccoons." Nagisa exclaimed, when she saw the two of them. It was Makoto who answered.
"We couldn't stop thinking about what Megumi-san said yesterday."
"I blame the return of Nasty!" Sonata exclaimed, raising her clenched fists in the air.
"When I thought about Mimori-san really turning into someone else, I ended up too worried to sleep." Makoto continued.
"You'll worry about everything, won't you?" Yuka asked, and rose her hand, holding her phone, and a hologram flipped open. "Take a look at this."
"Messages to Mimori-san from her fans?" Makoto asked, and Yuka nodded. Nagisa bent over and read out loud.
"'The letter you sent me remains one of my most treasured possessions. I hope I can continue to be your fan forever.'" Nagisa smiled. "Mimori's not going to change. I mean, look at how much she loves her fans, and how much they love her. She's replying to fanmail by hand. She's not goingto change."
"Nagisa..." Makoto said. The named one had effectively cheered both Makoto and Sonata up.
"For realsie?" Sonata asked, not really believing it.
"That's my belief too, Sonati." Suzuko added.
"Realsies!" Sonata exclaimed, instantly believing Suzuko's word. "Then let's celebrate!"
"Eh?" Everyone else said, very confused.
"Sonata means, since Cherrychi left, not that much has changed. We gotta celebrate Mimori's birthday!" Sonata explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"That's right. It's the birth of a new, successor Mimori." Suzuko smiled.
"I like that idea!" Nagisa said, getting nods from everyone else in the room.
"Lets do it!" Orine said, coming back from getting her second helping.
"Yeah!" Yuka exclaimed.
"Let's all throw a party!" Makoto continued.
"Nope." Sonata said in a flat voice. "Sonata wants a super-duper-great-awesome-amazing-huge-special-..." She got quiet as she ran out of words to describe it. "Um... PARTY!" She yelled.
"Yeah!" Everyone rose their right fists in the air.
A few days later, all of 00 was in the 00-theater, where a lot of fans had gathered as well. It was packed, and that in fact, wasn't surprising. After all, it was Mimori Revolution. Kishida Mimori's successor debut.
The understudies ran offstage, after having preformed Aitakatta, Oogoe Diamond, and Kibou ni Tsuite, with clips of Mimori's understudy-time in 00, as an opening act to the concert. As everyone thought the successors would enter the stage next, the hall went black, and several confused cries could be heard. What was going on? They all silenced, when they heard a familiar voice in the speakers.
"Thank you all so much for coming to the Kishida Mimori Successor Debut Concert, 'Mimori Revolution'." At this, people started crying out encouraging words, and just sheer happiness.
"To see this many people coming today...To see this many people coming for me, I'm completely overjoyed, and so lucky. I am so happy to have fans like you. My grandfather gave me the name Mimori. 'Mori' means forest, which is a place where animals and plants live togheter in the harmony that we humans call 'Nature'. My name carries his love for me, as well as his hope that I would mature into a woman, who is as caring, loving, and accepting as a forest. I love my grandfather, and I love my name through him. It is with his love for me, as well as my love and gratitude for my name, in my heart, that I today shall take on a new name. I'll be..." Two spotlights appeared, and they shone on a figure on a flying board with their back towards the audience. The new successor turned around, with a confident clenched right fist. "Shinoda Mariko the eighth!"
People started cheering, as Ue Kara Mariko started to play.
Beside the stage, some very surprised – and happy, mind you – understudies cheered. Sonata jumped at her sister, giving her a tight hug gleefully. Kanata did not niotice her.
"M-Mariko?" The redhead exclaimed. Wasn't Mimori closer to Oshima Mai?
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Yuka exclaimed, she was holding Orine in her hands, and Makoto was on the latter's shoulder.
"She even cut her hair!" Makoto exclaimed, hugging Yuka and Orine.
"She's beautiful!" Orine agreed. "It's a new look, but it's great!"
"She's Mariko-sama.!" Nagisa exclaimed, joining the group of Yuka, Orine and Makoto.
"This was an unexpected succession!" Suzuko exclaimed, and turned around, when a new voice cut in.
"See, I told you she would change." Megumi said, matter-of-factly. This time, however, everyone didn't get upset by her words.
"Mimori transformed!" Sonata cheered, unaffected by Megumi's presence.
At the other side of the stage, the Successors were waiting.
"So Mimori is now Mariko, huh?" Yukosmiled.
"All right, everyone, we're on!" Takamina called, and nodded, before they all ran out on stage.
As they started singing, Mi-... Mariko started flying around in the concert hall, waving to her fans, smiling all the while. As she backed away a bit, she saw that the glowing sticks formed words. First they showed "Thank you for everything", and then they changed to "Congrats on succession". Tears formed in her eyes, and her voice became a bit unsteady.
Just as the song ended, Mariko jumped off her flying board, and it flew back into the stage. Mariko ran over to the side of the stage, and grabbed her best friend, pulling her out on the stage. This did, of course cause a bit of confusion among the seats.
Mariko turned off the mic from her earpiece, and asked Kanata:
"What do you think of my hair?" Mariko smiled, as she made Kanata puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Kanata asked, causing a bigger smile from the newly made succesor.
"Did you imagine that I'd become Shinoda Mariko the eighth?"
"Not at all!" Kanata exclaimed, taking a step back. "I was really surprised. But... You've become more beautiful." Mariko took a step back herself.
"Kanata, this is what sucession is. I finally realized after I became a successor. Our dream starts here. So go on, Kanata! Be greedy!" She took the final 75th generation understudy by the sholders, and smiled a beaming smile. "You have to be a bit selfish, o0r you'll never become a successor! There is a name waiting for you, I just know it!"
"Waiting... for me..?"
Mimori turned on the mic again, and backed away from Kanata.
"You'd better keep our promise, Kanata!" She smiled, and spread her hands, as she saw Kanata was about to ask which promise. "The one we mande at the General Elections! To both become successors as soon as we can!" A small laugh escaped her lips. "You'd better be a successor by Christmas, as my present! Got it?"
"That's quite the unreasonable demand."Backing off, Kanata was almost tempted to say 'No'.
"Well, I'm Mariko, after all!" The other girl responded happily, to which Kanata could only smile.
"Got it." She walked over to Mariko, and took her earpiece, speaking up to the audience. "This is Shinonome Kanata, 75th Generation Understudy. Everyone, please listen! I still am not a successor, and it has been two years. I do not know whose name I'll be given, but I can tell you this. I am going to become a successor. I will get to call one of the original members' name's my own! I know this, because I want to shine on this stage with Mim– I mean Mariko. Just wait! I'll definitely become a successor!" A kirara zoomed out of her chest, and shone brightly. It flew upwards, being joined by Mariko's kirara, as the two shining creatures danced upwards.
Little did they know of the upcoming events.
*The two words in Japanese for Sweet Pepper and Successor are extremely similar, it's a pun.
Again, I've kept some of the dialouges and such in the show out, since I don't feel that they are that important to the story, or that they just don't fit with the concept of this story^^;
Also, I do need OC's for my other story, AKB0048 the 200th Generation, so if you are interested/have time, please send one in. There are a lot of places^^