Chapter 4: It could have been worse!

(Continued from Chapter 3)

Continued from Episode Eight of AKB0048

After the concert ended

"Shiori...SHE WHAT? Alright...be on my way!" Chris frowned.

"What happened, Chris-sempai?" Nagisa wondered in worry.

"Shiori...she demanded to perform in the main stage instead of Kanata. She did get her wish but...towards the end of the concert she collapsed from exhaustion. Tsubasa requested " Chris frowned as she whistled for her R8 GT, who auto-piloted its way to her and Alito via her Arcana Core Reactor to the R8's transmitter.

"We will stay here and protect the kids and residents of this village until the Flying Get comes along!" Nagisa nodded.

Chris and Alito nodded as the former created forty wind and ice skeletons with heavy armors wielding blades.

"This should be enough to hold out without exerting myself through ice clones..." Chris replied.

"Be careful, Chris and Alito-sempai!" Hazuki nodded.

Back at the Flying Get

"Sorry...Shiori, we should have stayed on the Flying Get and continue with the healing process...I mean, you wouldn't end up getting sick again..." Chris shook her head.

"Don't blame yourself ya dolt!" Shiori simpered. "Your confessions of your experiences inspired me to continue on with my dream and not worry about the succession problem for now. You are right, Kanata and I are like two sides of a coin; one cannot compete healthily without the other. I'm like a mentor to her, and she's like a precious disciple to me. I must do whatever I can to prove myself as being a reliable mentor by showing my passion in front of the crowd and inspiring her along as well, because she looked up to me!"

The green-hair idol continued, "True enough...Kanata was inspired by my performance with no hard feelings. We are going to give it our all, no matter what the future brings us! We might be rivals in the future...but the right kind of rivalries recognizes honor and friendship despite competition, right?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah...and good thing you are showing signs of it as well."

"Thank goodness, your friendship ain't in jeopardy..." Alito simpered.

"Thank you...Chris and Alito." Shiori smiled brightly as she gave a thumb up.

"Thanks ya? You really helped Shiori on this one...Ya all right; we shouldn't be all up and arms about the succession - concentrating on individual's dreams is important. It will be Shiori's choice and if she decides to do it when the time comes...we will respect her!" Hikari smiled.

"Trust me, Hikari...Achieving your dreams are important, but neither should one be doing a crash and burn - go too far so as to lose yourself for who you are - while doing so." Alito firmly replied.

"Well, we will see about that!" Hikari grinned.

Chris could feel a surge of emotions heating up her cheeks, not expecting her confessions to make a huge impact upon Shiori and Kanata. She attempted to turn her head away and hide her emotions with her icy powers, but Shiori's green Kirara - with a bowtie on top - squealed softly as it landed in between the maidens and shine softly.

"See? Our Kiraras can still detect your emotions even if you may hide it...It's okay to feel those positive emotions, Chris..." Ayako smiled sweetly.

"Is it the feelings of warmth, and not conceitedness, after knowing that your actions can make a difference among others? The feeling that you're...you're not alone? Is that...the meaning of humanity as well?" Chris wondered and found herself simpering. "Maybe...just maybe..."

Chris nodded "It could have been worse."

She continued, "After all of this...I seemed to be feeling slightly better now...I mean, I can't put my hands on why, but I seem to enjoy a bit of company once in a while..."

Ayako gave a warm simper shortly after...

"I guess we know why..." the sixth Yukirin replied.

"Why?" Chris and Alito wondered.

"You're opening up..." Ayako simpered.

"You mean...?" Chris wondered.

"What did you do before feeling those emotions you felt?" Ayako wondered.

"We...choose to seek the truth behind the Fuschia's death and to learn the meaning of Humanity. We accepted help from every one of you, starting from Team Muse back in our world." Chris recalled, then her eyes and Alito's eyes widened.

"See?" Akira grinned.

Nothing we have seen in the parallel visions happened in here because...because we did just one SIMPLE thing...

We choose to accept help from others...

By choosing to accept help, Alito and I are able to see Humanity at its best...and somehow, we can feel ourselves opening up to those people whom we have helped so far...

By opening up, we felt lighter, as if we need not worry as much as we have assumed. We are able to deal things logically, instead of having to jump to conclusions like my parallel self.

We felt more confidence; the courage to deal with what is up ahead...

Suddenly...suddenly, I do not think the dark tunnel surrounding us is as dark as it was before...

Chris looked at the Dualium Crystal necklace that Orine crafted for the former as a sign of gratitude and clenched it firmly.

Chris could hear Katagiri Atsuko whispering through the wind.

"See? You ain't as hopeless as you claimed yourself to be!"

So...Katagiri...I once thought that you are a prick who knows it all; I even accused you of being a DES's gimmick to bring me in. Guess I was wrong...

"Just be glad that those things you have seen are the past and won't really trouble you lots! Because like what you said before..." Hikari grinned as the rest shot out.

"It could have been worse!"

Chris and Alito stood up as they bowed to the AKB0048's Senbatsu members present, much to their relief and delight.

"Thanks...every one of you."

Episode 12 (From Phase 2 - Dignity)

Lancastar...

Mr Motomiya reunited with his wife and Nagisa. The tears of joy, their ecstasy in seeing one another alive and well, somehow brought that peculiar feeling of warmth to the Icy Maiden.

Yet, despite the triumphant victory of the 77th Generation Kenkyuseis' debut, Chris could not let go of their past yet...

The Kirara Drive allowed Chris and Alito to see the truth behind the Fuschia's demise; being able to emulate the energies in the Tree of Knowledge - the Tree that knew all.

Chris knew that the Fuschia's death was no fault of hers, but she knew that realising this means to let go of the past.

I'm too young to do anything at that time, despite my vast knowledge.

It was not my fault that my parents and relatives died of E. Coli, right?

I might have thought of a cure together with group of medical scientists, but that's when I'm twenty years old.

There's nothing I can do at the time of my loved ones' death, but neither is it my fault...

I found my own eyes starting to well up, and found myself starting to smile.

But...

Wouldn't that means letting go of my loved ones? To forget them? To forget what allowed me the chance to live?

NO! NOOOO!

It might not be my fault for my loved ones' death...but I don't want to let them go! I love them, I don't want to forget them! I don't want to be deemed as someone who doesn't care for my parents!

She remembered looking away from the Kiraras, the Shinonomes, the Motomiyas, the Aidas, Katagiri Atsuko, and even the idols themselves. However, she could feel their genuine shock...and disappointment.

Who would not? That was just basically 'One step forward, and two steps back'...

Chris was so close into letting go of her past...yet she feared that letting go of her past would mean forgetting the entire Fuschia family.

No...

I can feel it...

I'm close, right?

I'm close...close in letting that which is my pain go...

After all, I'm learning what humanity is, right?

Humanity...is admitting that I might not be the best at everything, right?

Chris stood up and clenched her fists. She was not guilty anymore, nor does she intend to wallow in self-pity.

A burst of cold air surrounded her, which nearly blew the surrounding people and Alito away; she was angry...

Veins bulged within her fists as she thought about her failure in making the last hurdle, Chris was more than determined to rid the last thorn in her heart.

No...this is not over; one of these days the thoughts of having to let go of my past will come once again...

Until then, I will be ready...

"Maybe I have not understood much about it? Maybe the time has not come yet? Or maybe I'm not yet ready enough, both mentally and physically, to deal with the surge of emotions within…But what done is already done!" Chris replied firmly, her fists clenched in determination as her icy aura that surrounded her grew ever stronger. "I might have failed once, but that does not give me the rights to give it all up after all that I have experienced with those who believed in me! I will find those answers and I will overcome those hurdles yet! I have made a promise to the Four Horsemen, to the Fuschias, to Alito, to Team Muse, and now to AKB0048...and I'm not about to let the mishap be my undoing..."

"One of these days, until then, I am going to train myself till the day that we fight fair!" Chris frowned.