Sun of Lament
Underneath the emptying metropolis of Tokyo, the base Phoebus Apollo bustled with activity by government personnel. To be specific, Captain Minami and Nozomi were greeting three new recruits to µ's - Hanayo, Rin and Maki. They were present in the fitting room.
The three girls were in pure amazement at the new iDol suits tailored to fit them. The only difference was the individual suit's colour: Hanayo's green, Rin's yellow and Maki's red.
"This is unbelievable!" Hanayo exclaimed, "It's like cosplay!"
"Hanayo, this will be a soldier game from now on." Maki remarked, "And what happened to your glasses?"
"I'm wearing contacts. I think it would be more appropriate," Hanayo answered.
"Uh…" Rin murmured, groping at her non-existent bust.
"Rin-chan, don't worry. You look perfectly cute in that," Nozomi complimented, "Your blush adds on to your charm point."
"Really…" Rin cheered up slightly.
"What is going on?"
Eli was stomping towards the group, her face blackened in disgust.
"Captain, I thought we have spoken about this before! You cannot drag in more students from our school into this mess!" Eli shouted.
"She's scary…" Hanayo murmured timidly.
"It was my idea to bring them here, Eli-chi," Nozomi replied, "The cards told me that they would make a fine addition to µ's and they need the teamwork."
"Nozomi!" Eli cried.
"Look, Student Council President." Maki confronted, "You may be our boss in school, but in here, you have no power over us."
"Do you even know that your lives are at stake?" Eli yelled, "This is not a game; this is war."
"Of course we know the stakes!" Maki yelled in retaliation.
"Ayase-san! Nishikino-san!" Captain Minami tried to defuse the situation.
However, the alarm rang throughout Phoebus Apollo to declare another Avatar attack.
"All residents of Tokyo, please cease all current activity. Avatar sighting has been determined in the city outskirts. All civilians are to evacuate to the nearest underground shelter for safety purposes. Self-Defence Force units are to mobilise for defence of national territory."
"We have a problem on our hands. Ayase-san and Toujou-san, please sortie." The Captain ordered.
"No, just me… the rest of you, stay put." Eli insisted.
In the Central Command of Phoebus Apollo, crew personnel geared up for another Avatar attack. Hideko and gang took up their usual seats, and analysed the situation at hand.
"Cross-referencing the Avatar Compendium… Avatar codename determined as… Geras."
"For this mission, the Terpsichore will be dispatched," Captain Minami announced, having arrived in the room with the newly inducted first-years and Nozomi.
The battle took place along the seashore, with a tall imposing figure emerging from the seas. Pale as death and with shrivelled skin, the creature stood on three legs – two being its feet and the third being an elongated 'arm' that formed a bony cane. It made an eerie moan with its gaping mouth, and its milky eyes were just as eerie.
In short, this Avatar was the perfect caricature of an old man rotting in old age. A fitting name would be Geras, the personification of old age in Greek mythology. It slowly hobbled its way to shore, taking its time to make it.
Suddenly, a blue flash dashed towards the Avatar and rammed into it. It soon leapt into the sky and spun about before delivering a kick to Geras' head. The wrinkled Avatar hardly fought back, but the attacks merely slowed it down.
Inside the light blue iDol called Terpsichore, Eli glared at the stubborn Avatar still making its way to land.
"Eli-chi, this one is quite durable," Nozomi's voice called out, "Hitting it at high speeds is not going to help."
"I know!" Eli yelled.
There was hardly any time for chitchat, for Geras soon hobbled its way to land and waved its third leg to hit Terpsichore. Thankfully, its pace was so slow that the high-mobility Terpsichore dodged all of Geras' attacks with ease.
"Durable eh?" Eli taunted, "Try this!"
While dodging the Avatar's attempts for offense, Terpsichore extended its arm and a propulsion force accelerated the punch directed at Geras' chest. It pierced through the thin brittle chest, with the fist appearing through the other end and gripping the Avatar's core. The fist pulled back and ripped out the core, causing Geras to collapse along the beach like a dead whale.
"Harasho. Target neutralised."
Meanwhile, at Phoebus Apollo's Central Command, everyone saw the quick work done to destroy Geras. It was an impressive feat for a single iDol to achieve.
"So fast…" Rin commented.
"She fights like a dancer… and goes in for absolute brutality…" Maki thought.
"Amazing, she singlehandedly destroyed that Avatar…" Hanayo said.
"But didn't that happen in games a lot?" Rin asked.
"Games scaled down the Avatar's true power for the sake of competitive balance," Nozomi explained, "I can however assure you that the real Avatars you will be fighting are a lot more lethal... and are beyond a single iDol to fight."
Evening, in the apartments of the more rundown districts left in Tokyo, it was the home of a student of Otonokizaka Academy. Despite her shortness and twin pigtails, her green necktie indicated her status as a third-year. She grabbed two full bags of grocery that might be too heavy for her, struggling to ring the doorbell.
The door opened up, where a younger version of that girl appeared. The similarities were so striking, that they were without doubt sisters. The only difference was the side-ponytail of the smaller girl.
"Nico-ni is back!" the little girl chanted, "How was saving the world from those mean Avatars?"
"Kokoro, those Avatars never stood a chance against the Universe's Number 1 iDol nico~" Nico replied, "And is Mum still out at work?"
"Yup," Kokoa replied, "Kokoa is watching that fight you shown us with Kotaro."
"I see… I will have dinner ready in half an hour, so behave nico~" Nico beamed.
At the same time, Nozomi was peacefully playing with her Tarot cards. Nine such cards had been set on the table, with only six of them face-up.
The Fool. The Hierophant. The Lovers. The Chariot. The Strength. The Magician.
"So next on the list will be…"
She flipped open the next card in the set.
The Sun.
"A ray of eternal sunshine that never falters, true or fake…"
Nozomi took a card from the remainder in the deck, and saw it.
The Moon. Upright.
"But she hides herself in deception… a white lie that is ultimately a reflection of the true Sun…"
The next day, it was business as usual in Otonokizaka Academy's lunch period. In the rooftop of the school and out of prying eyes, Honoka and her closest friends were chatting with the first-years who recently became part of µ's.
"So you were volunteered in by Toujou-sempai, as I understand," Umi reiterated, "Are you girls okay with this?"
"Hey, don't be like the Student Council President!" Maki protested, "I don't know about those two, but this is my selected path."
"Maki-chan's right! I don't like how she's so stuck up just because she's older and more beautiful and so smart and…" Rin added.
"Since when I allowed you to call me by name…" Maki interrupted but met with Rin's pouting face, "…Okay fine, you guys can call me Maki… we'll be working together anyway."
"Maki-chan! Maki-chan!" Rin beamed.
"Don't worry, Hanayo-chan! With us around, you won't regret joining us in µ's!" Honoka exclaimed loudly.
"Uh…" Hanayo was somewhat intimidated by Honoka's energy.
"Honoka-chan, you are scaring her," Kotori calmed down her friend, before turning to Hanayo, "I'm sorry. She's still pumped up from telling everyone in class about us defeating Ymir."
"Ahem…" Umi coughed, "Back to Ayase-sempai… you mentioned she wanted us out of this conflict."
"She constantly blamed the chairwoman about dragging in students," Maki replied.
"Oh, that would be my bad…" Honoka apologised, "I didn't know that Kotori's mum and the President would fall out like that."
"You had always been that impulsive…" Umi bemoaned.
"But the President's so strong… she singlehandedly destroyed Geras yesterday," Hanayo voiced out.
"Remember what Toujou-sempai said…" Maki reminded, "The Avatars are beyond a single iDol to fight."
However, unbeknownst to them, the walls had ears and someone was eavesdropping on them. Behind the door that led to the rooftop, Nico peeped into the door and put her ears close to it.
Suddenly, something… or someone grabbed her chest and crushed it tightly.
"NO!"
"Who's there?" Maki cried, slamming open the door to find nothing odd, "Huh?"
"Someone's eavesdropping on us… ever since we've joined µ's…" she thought.
Further down the flight of stairs and out of sight, Nico and her mysterious assaulter laid there silently. Nozomi tugged onto Nico as if she were her stuff animal, still groping her breasts.
"Nico-chi, eavesdropping is bad you know," Nozomi lectured, still groping away, "And they didn't grow much since your first year here."
"So is groping. Get your claws off me!" Nico cried.
Nozomi released the petite girl from her grip and turned Nico to face her, face to face. Sadly, their height difference wound up with Nico being in Nozomi's bosom.
"What do you want, you breast fiend?" Nico demanded.
"You've been overhearing those girls for some days, right?" Nozomi said, "As part of the Student Council, I am merely expressing concern for a potential stalking case ya."
"Stalking… isn't that what you've been doing?" Nico shot back.
"Of course, who won't want to stalk the Universes' Number 1 iDol, Nico-ni?" Nozomi teased.
"What?" Nico exclaimed.
Nozomi calmly displayed the upright The Moon card in front of Nico's face.
"The cards have told me a grave fib that runs deep," Nozomi went on, "How about instead of lying about it and envying others for it, join them."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Nico replied, feigning ignorance.
"I can tell. The cards have revealed all to me," Nozomi said.
"You join them yourself!" Nico cried.
"Alas, but I am… well, not officially…" Nozomi admitted, her face closing in to Nico's face, "But surely you would make a fine addition. You know you want to…"
Nico, at this point, squirmed her way out of Nozomi's bear hug and simply ran down the steps. The spiritual girl sighed, but simply walked down as well.
"An iDol… No, Nico has given up on that dream…" she thought, while running.
Later that day, as Nico was returning home, she found both a pleasant and unpleasant surprise waiting for her there. For one thing, her mother finally managed to return before her and was making dinner.
The bad news was the guest who made herself home. Nozomi was braiding Kokoa's side-ponytail into twin tails styled after hers, with Kotaro probing the busty girl's chest with a toy mallet.
"Nico-ni is back!" Kokoro announced.
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here…" Nico stuttered, pointing at Nozomi.
"Hello, Universe Number 1 iDol-san," Nozomi cheerfully called out, so cheerful was her tone that it was more mocking than anything else.
"Ah Nico, your Student Council Vice-President is here for a visit," Mrs Yazawa called out from the kitchen.
"Hello Nico-ni, your friend is so nice," Kokoa said, "She even did my hair to look like hers, see?"
"Washi~" Kotaro moaned out, still beating Nozomi's breasts.
"Nozomi… in my room… now…" Nico said, dragging Nozomi away from her siblings.
The two of them went inside Nico's room, adorned with soft toys and a multitude of iDol merchandise. Models of various types of iDols and Avatars were carefully preserved, along with recorded DVDs of the various iDols' careers still sealed in plastic wrappers.
"Quite an iDol otaku, Nico-chi…" Nozomi laughed, "But there's nothing wrong with having a hobby."
"What are you really here for?" Nico shouted, "Leave my family out of this!"
"Your family? But they are every reason for all your actions and the course you have chosen." Nozomi answered calmly, "You wanted to be an iDol since young, and you worked hard for it. You wanted that path so badly, and yet refused the call in the end…"
"Stop. Just stop." Nico relented, burrowing herself in her bed, "You don't understand…"
Nozomi gently smiled and showed Nico The Sun card.
"The night is only temporary, the Sun will always rise at the end of night," Nozomi explained, "All despair shall die with the night. I offer to you salvation… if you wish for it…"
"Just who the hell are you, Nozomi?" Nico asked.
"Your Student Council Vice-President," she replied with a catlike grin.
Later into the night, with the three younger siblings asleep, Nico's room had another visitor – her own mother.
"Nico, are you alright?" her mother asked, "You've been down since your friend came by. Please don't tell me your grades are in the red. Ah, I can really handle things at home on my own."
"No Mum, I am still part of the family and will keep it afloat," Nico said, "But things are tougher nowadays, are they."
"Yes, I could never get the lottery draw right," Mrs Yazawa admitted, "Relocation is harder as time goes by. I doubt we can move out in time if the worst happens."
"Uh Mum… I think I have a way to get us all out of Tokyo…" Nico said, "My friend… she pulled some strings… but…"
The following day, in the base Phoebus Apollo, the members of µ's had been called in by the captain for an important meeting. Even Eli and Nozomi attended despite Eli's protests against the other girls' enlistment. All of them sat in a conference room, with Captain Minami in front.
"Everyone, we are here today to introduce to you our latest addition to µ's," Captain Minami began, "May I now invite her in."
The door opened and Nico came in. She instantly made a cutesy pose with her hands making a strange gesture with her third and fourth fingers tucked in, her face beaming in radiant smile.
"Nico-nico-ni~ Reporting for duty is everyone's Number 1 iDol, Yazawa Nico-nico!" she introduced.
"I think I want to vomit," Maki remarked.
"That was kinda lame…" Rin added.
"What did you people say…" Nico eerily glared at the two.
"…Uh, thank you…" the captain continued, "Yazawa-san will be working with us as our ninth official iDol pilot and…"
"Captain, I'm sorry, but I don not see myself or Nozomi as part of this team," Eli interrupted, "Once again, you've dragged others into this."
"You cannot just lord over us!" Rin cried.
"President, I only wanted to save the school!" Honoka exclaimed.
"And I… Nico has her own reasons to do this…" Nico muttered, looking at Nozomi.
"We have chosen this path on our accord." Kotori voiced out, "This has nothing with Mum, I mean… the captain."
"President, I understand your intentions," Umi rebuked, "but it is wrong simply dismiss us."
Frustrated, Eli stomped out of the conference room. Nozomi stared at her departed friend, joining her soon after.
At the end of the day, Nozomi returned to her private apartment. She drew out a card from her Tarot deck.
The Hermit. Reverse.
"Alone and into darkness, the Hermit walks…"
Nozomi then took out a book from her shelf, browsing through its pages. The book's title was "Avatar Compendium", an old book with yellowing pages.
"And despair to all the land plagued by the endless night." She read out.
At last, all of µ's are brought together... well, Eli is not onboard with having the others around and Nozomi... uh, it's mostly a mystery. I did not expect to have them join in the same order as the anime, but it turned out that way in the end.
As for Tarot symbolism,
Nico: The Sun (optimism, her "never-say-die" attitude)
Also, I would say Nico would be the most OOC among the cast and her personality would be a mix of her anime and manga personas (i.e. the Manga Nico was less bitter and even wanted to enrol in UTX; her first appearance even have her taking selfies with Maki and responding positively to Honoka and gang as µ's).