Chapter Summary: Idols gotta sing and dance. And train. And meet some aliens.
Chapter Word Count: 6,620
"It doesn't feel like three months," Yuki said, staring out at the audience through the curtains.
"We sound good together," Yanzy said, in a low voice as they wait for the show to begin. "They turned us into an actual idol group."
"They do call it an idol factory," Yuki said, smirking. "Once they send us out to make them money they'll start on building the next group."
"They sell the groups they make to impresarios," Yanzy said. "Or they sell parts of groups."
"Very commercial," Sita said. "Everything we do makes them money."
"It's like living under a microscope," Mika said. "I don't think we've had privacy in months, except on Sundays when we get to go visit friends."
"They're just looking out for their investment," Sita said. "At least they don't take pictures all the time."
"We don't get anything for those photo-books they did," Yuki said. "And they had all of those fake poses and pretend events."
"It was in our contracts," Mika said. "We sneeze and they'll make money through a sponsorship with a cold medicine company."
"Something to remember for the next time," Sita said. "Get a piece of the sides."
"Better yet, the main dish," Yuki said, quickly dodging Mika's jab.
"Ready?" the director said, walking along the line of girls. "Go out there and entertain!"
After five songs, they went off stage and away from the cheering crowd. After a few quick words from the director, they all landed in the dressing room, collapsing in companionable silence.
"I've been more tired than that before," Sita said. "But not this buzzy."
"It wears off, eventually," Yanzy said. "Don't renew your contract or sign anything important right after a concert. Bad things may happen."
"That sounds like something that would happen to Yuki," Mika said, laughing.
"Time to pack up and go back to the hotel," Jas said, standing in the door.
"Did they like us?" Yuki asked, before she could leave.
"Well enough," Jas said. "Be prepared to work hard tomorrow, we have an appearance on the morning shows on Friday."
"On television?" one of the other girls said, excitedly. "Do we get new costumes?"
"No," said Jas, "the same costumes you are wearing now, so get them off and hang them up so they can go to the cleaners."
"Yes, Jas," they all chorused.
"She has us well trained," Sita said, once she'd left the room. "Like puppies."
"Or seals," Yuki said. "Balancing balls on our noses."
"That makes no sense," Sita said, standing.
"I'm tired," Yuki said, holding out a hand. "Sense is not happening right now."
Sita pulled her to her feet, and then Mika and Yanzy. "Dinner?"
"Soup and crackers? Yum," Yuki said. "How about something better tasting?"
"Who's paying?" Mika said. "We have no money."
"I have enough left over from my birthday to buy us a pizza," Yuki said.
"Okay," Mika said. "Order it when we get back to our room. But nothing strange on it."
"Strange? Pizza is just bread with anything on it," Yuki said. "There's nothing strange that can be put on pizza."
"There was that time you ordered it with kale," Mika said. "And peanut butter. That was very strange tasting."
"It was the special," Yuki said defensively.
"It was the special because they had ingredients they needed to get rid of. And some people will try anything," Sita said.
"I once had a pizza American style," Yanzy said. "Bitter red sauce, stringy cheese, and some kind of hard sausage."
"Pepperoni and cheese is a classic," Yuki said, nodding. "But it seems to be impossible to get right."
"Sushi chefs should never open pizza restaurants," Mika said. "It's a different style."
"Just like idols should never sing country music or that kind of music with drums and guitars," Sita said. "At least we are pop idols and not country idols."
"When is our next day off?" Yuki asked, following Sita up into the bus back to their hotel.
"Two weeks," Sita said. "We have a concert and then we get the next day off."
"We aren't famous yet, are we?" Yuki asked.
"No," Mika said. "You have to do something to become famous."
"Or be clever," Yanzy said. "There are people famous because of what they know."
"What do you want on your pizza?" Yuki said, holding up their room phone.
"Is it that sushi place or the real pizza place?" Sita said.
"Pizza," Yuki said. "It's cheaper. The sushi pizza place costs twice as much for half the amount."
"That makes sense," Mika said, flopping down on one of the lower bunks. "The sushi chefs are artists, so they charge more."
"We're artists," Yuki said, "maybe we should charge more also."
"Musicians don't count," Yanzy said. "Just be glad we can eat. Most musicians in Western countries starve before they become famous. They aren't considered artists of that sort."
"And we want to be idols, why?" Yuki asked. "The management company gets all of the money from everything we do and we get nothing, except maybe soup, and sore throats and feet."
"Philosophy has no place in an idol factory," Sita said. "It's a very commercial enterprise, designed to separate the fan from their money."
"There are famous idols," Yuki said. "How did they become famous?"
"A good PR budget," Yanzy said.
"That's what we need," Yuki said. "A budget."
"I don't feel as if we are accomplishing anything," Sita said, six months into their idol experience. "We're part of a group of girls that travels all over the country making something resembling music."
"We get fan mail," Mika said.
"From creepy men," Sita said, standing. "We sing the same music as every other large idol group."
"They feed us," Yuki said. "And we get to go places."
"When was the last time we did our forms?" Sita asked, starting to pace in their small hotel room.
"Last week?" Mika said, pulling her feet up out of Sita's way.
"We need to find more time for the forms so we don't forget them," Sita said.
"We get just as much exercise with the running around and dancing as we get from doing the forms," Yuki said.
"We can get up earlier," Mika said. "Get up an hour earlier and we'll have time to do the forms."
"Where?" Yuki asked.
"Where what?" Sita asked, stopping to face her.
"Where do we do the forms?" Yuki said.
"We need space and some place we won't be disturbed," Mika added.
"We can start with a morning run," Sita said. "Do that for several weeks until everyone sees us doing that and then we can find a private place to do the forms."
"Yanzy will want to come running with us," Mika said.
"That isn't a problem," Sita said. "And, if she has any interest we can teach her the forms."
"Teach?" Yuki said, squeaking.
"Some day we will become teachers, temple instructors," Sita said. "This will give us an opportunity to see if we can teach."
"And what will you tell her about the forms and why we do them?" Mika said.
"The truth," Sita said. "It's something we learned in school."
"Which we don't talk about whenever anyone asks," Mika said, "They already think it's an odd place. Throwing in the forms will just make them believe it more."
"So, we have a plan?" Sita said.
"A plan," Yuki said, jumping to her feet. "An excellent plan, I was feeling rusty."
"No that's because you are somehow not getting taller," Sita said. "Even though you are growing, it doesn't appear to be going anywhere."
"She's not getting rounder," Mika said, reaching over to poke her.
"Unlike you," Yuki said, dodging. "It must be going somewhere."
"To your head," Sita said, shaking her own head.
"What forms do you want to focus on?" Mika asked, pulling out a pad to write on. "From the beginning or the new ones from the Thirteen?"
"No preference," Sita said, gracefully sitting down. "We need to know them all."
"Can I come with you," Yanzy asked, one morning several weeks later, when she saw them dressed for running. "I need some variety. Something other than aerobics to our own music would be welcome."
"You don't like idol music?" Sita said, grinning. "It's very popular in some places."
"It isn't bad," Yanzy said, laughing. "We do sing it all day long. But doing aerobics to it isn't enough. I need exercise that is challenging, not just healthy."
"We can provide that," Sita said, nodding. "We have a routine, of which running is just a small part."
"How much exercise do you really want?" Mika said, leaning against the door. "You can run our normal route with us and that's it, or you can try our other exercises."
"How far is your normal route?" Yanzy asked.
"Ten kilometers, if we can find a safe route in whichever city we're in," Sita said. "Less if we can't and have to run at a local health club. Going around in circles on a small indoor track is not effective exercise."
"Yuki goes crazy if we run inside for too long, and they make us leave," Mika said.
"I behave appropriately in cases of extreme boredom," Yuki said firmly. She turned to Yanzy. "Don't make any decision until you see what we do."
"Okay," Yanzy said. "I'll run with you and then decide."
"Do you have to be back for anything this morning?" Sita asked her. "We are usually gone for two hours."
"That's how much time we were able to get Jas to agree to," Yuki added. "She had to see what we were doing first, before she approved of our alternate exercise program."
"We do have to attend all other team building exercises," Mika said. "So this isn't a way out of those."
"The group team building is usually fun," Yuki said, giggling. "If you skip the aerobics."
They patiently waited for her to change into exercise clothes.
"Shall we?" Mika said, holding open the door. Nodding, the four idols started off with a slow jog to warm up, gradually moving into a fast pace.
"We can slow down," Yuki said, keeping an eye on Yanzy.
"No, this is good," Yanzy said, her face red. "I haven't had this much of a workout in months."
"We're almost there," Sita said.
"We're actually near our hotel," Mika said, when they stopped in front of a nondescript building. "We ran in a circle and ended up back here."
"It's a private dojo chain," Sita explained, waving at the building. "They have dojos in almost every city. You can rent a training room by the hour. They usually have rooms available in the early morning."
"How did you find out about it?" Yanzy asked. "And how can you afford it?"
"A friend of our families owns it," Sita said. "So we don't pay much."
"We also give them our spare comp tickets to our concerts," Yuki said.
"I never use mine," Yanzy said. "No one in my family likes our music. It's too tame for them."
"Too tame?" Yuki said. "Or too sugary? I'm surprised we don't have dentists traveling with us."
"Don't suggest that to Jas," Mika said. "She'll find dentists willing to open booths at our concerts."
Yanzy shrugged. "My brother plays drums American style, and one of my cousins plays bass guitar. They're in an underground rock band in Tokyo."
"Ah," Sita said. "Yes, we are tame compared to that kind of music. Why are you in an idol group instead of doing that?"
"I wanted to try something different," Yanzy said. "To sing, and get paid. They have to have office jobs to pay their expenses."
"So you play an instrument?" Yuki asked. "Why are we just finding this out now?"
"It never came up," Yanzy said. "Electric guitar, though I had to sell it to pay for singing lessons."
"We'll have to find you a guitar," Mika said. "We need to hear you play."
"It isn't something we can do in the group," Yanzy said.
"Tomo plays her piano sometimes," Sita said. "Why not guitar?"
"Electric guitar isn't something idols do. There are famous idols who play the piano," Yanzy said. "So that is acceptable."
"Well, if we ever get our own group, you can play guitar," Yuki said.
"And we need to get moving," Sita said. "We have to be back at the hotel in an hour."
"Yes boss," Yuki said, stepping up to the door and pressing the doorbell. "Moving."
A smartly dressed office lady opened the door and bowed to them. "Lady Sita, Lady Mika, and Lady Yuki, please come in." She raised an eyebrow at their fourth.
"Good morning, and blessings of the Fox God on this house," Sita said formally. "This is our friend Yamoto Yanzy. She will be observing and possibly training with us today."
"Honored to meet you, Lady Yanzy," the woman said, waiving them in. "The Fox Room is available this morning."
"Thank you," Sita said. "Would it be possible to find a gie for Yanzy? She's taller than us, as you can see."
"Of course," she said.
"Good," Sita said. Bowing back, she led the others to the locker room.
"All of the dojos are the same," Yuki whispered. "So if you know where things are in one, you won't get lost in another. The Fox room is dedicated to the family kami."
"You aren't just girls who wanted to become idols, are you?" Yanzy said in a low voice as they changed.
"I've always wanted to become an idol," Yuki said. She waved at Sita and Mika, who were waiting for them to finish changing. "These two? They had other plans."
"Plans change," Sita said, leading them to the Fox Room. "We were something else before becoming idols and we'll be something else after. And right in this moment we will show you our other exercises."
"There are five Fox Clan forms," Mika said, stepping into the center of the room. "The basic forms, which we'll show you today, and upper level forms."
"We can give a brief demonstration of the upper level forms but actually doing them takes years of training. The basic forms we will teach you we learned when we were ten," Sita said.
"That was amazing," Yanzy said, after Yuki and Mika demonstrated several of the upper forms. "Very graceful. Is it an art like bushido? Or does it have another purpose."
"It is intended as both a mental and physical exercise that is defensive in nature," Sita said.
"So, if you learn these forms you can defend yourself?" Yanzy said.
"Yes," Sita said. "There are other forms that can be used for actual combat but they are rarely taught outside of the Fox Clan."
"There hasn't been much use for those forms," Mika said. "It's taught to novices of the Fox God as a form of exercise."
"You've spoken of the Fox God," Yanzy said. "This isn't the same kami as Inari?"
"No," Sita said. "They have similar forms but come from very different traditions. The Fox Clan families are the only ones who worship the Fox God."
"Worship isn't really the correct way to phrase it," Mika said. "The Fox God don't really ask for worship or for people to join in worship. He is closer to that uncle who gives advice that should be followed because it is good for you. We give him respect and thanks for protecting the Fox Clan families in times of trouble."
"The school we attended was part of the main Fox God temple," Yuki said.
Yanzy nodded. "That is not what I expected," she said. "There is no Fox cult?"
"Some would say it's a cult," Sita said. "It isn't a traditional religion or belief system like Shinto. But you didn't ask for the Fox God lecture."
"We've been trained to explained who the Fox God is and how he isn't a threat to any of the other kami," Mika said. "But no one ever asks, though Sita can spout it all when prompted. We are sorry if you were offended."
"I am not offended," Yanzy said. "I will admit to not being very religious and not interested in worshipping anything other than music."
"Good, good," Sita said. "So, just running with us? Or would you like to learn the forms."
"Or start learning the forms," Mika said, correcting Sita. "Although it isn't considered one of the martial arts, it takes the same dedication to learn the different forms. Most practitioners start very young."
"Definitely the running," Yanzy said. "The forms seem a little more useful than aerobics."
"At least as much exercise," Yuki said. "And good for self defense once you've learned enough of them."
"So you'll join us again tomorrow? We have two more days here," Sita said. "I'll let Jas know that you are joining us for our outings."
"That went well," Sita said in a low voice, later that night, after Yanzy had gone to dinner with Yuki.
"Yes," Mika said. "A little heavy on the Fox God but you avoided talking about a lot of the history of the Fox God."
"There isn't a lot that can be said without explaining the true history of the Clan families," Sita said. "Explaining that the Fox God is more like an honored uncle than one of those European smiting gods requires knowing that history."
"Well, we aren't supposed to convert anyone so I think we are okay. That isn't what a Fox God priestess does," Mika said. "That isn't our role."
"She doesn't know we are priestesses," Sita said. "I don't think she'll ever need to know."
"I want to hear her playing guitar," Mika said. "It would be a very different sound than what we are doing now."
"We still have another six months, before we have enough experience to create our own group," Sita said. "I think we should take Yanzy with us."
"How?" Mika asked. "The agreement the elders have with their impresario is only for us. Unless you have had another vision?"
"Not a complete vision, more of a feeling that Yanzy is a part of this," Sita said. "We need to find her a role."
"She plays an electric guitar, her brother drums, and a cousin plays a guitar," Mika said. "Add us and we have a band."
"We know how to be idols," Sita said. "What kind of music would we play if there are three instruments and us?"
"I don't know," Mika said. "Maybe this impresario would have an idea."
Before they could continue, the door to their room opened and Yuki skipped happily in, followed by a grinning Yanzy. "Guess what!" Yuki said.
"What," Sita said.
"You're supposed to guess," Yuki said, disappointment clear.
"Sometimes you miss things," Yanzy said shaking her head.
"We've been invited to hold a concert for the ambassador for the Mayan aliens," Yuki said. "She's going to be in Tokyo next month."
"How did Jas arrange that?" Sita asked.
"Not sure," Yuki said. "She must have connections."
"Will we get to meet her or is this just a concert?" Sita asked.
"Just a concert," Yuki said. "She was curious about our music and someone invited her to hear us live."
"Jas is going to train us so hard to impress them we're going to die," Mika said. "We're going to be so tired we'll fall asleep in the middle of the concert."
"If she kills us we won't get to meet the alien ambassador," Yanzy said. "They say she's their best musician ever. She has memorized all of their songs and a large number of ours."
"Does anyone really know anything about them?" Sita said. "They just suddenly appeared several years ago and took over part of Mexico."
"Just rumors," Yanzy said. "They have space ships, and an army and embassies around the world. And they are all women."
"Girl power!" Yuki said. "We definitely need to meet them."
"They cleaned up the Yucatan when they took over," Yanzy said. "Got rid of the drug cartels and took over the government and got rid of corruption."
"Sounds like paradise," Mika said. "There must be a catch."
"You have to be one of them or related to live there," Yanzy said. "They came here over a thousand years ago, disappeared and came back. There are a lot of native Mayans related to them somehow."
"So, paradise but only for a few," Yuki said. "That's disappointing. But maybe some of us are related?"
"Not me," Sita said, sighing. "I can trace my family back before that and none of them were Mayans or those aliens."
"Me neither," Mika said. "How about you, Yanzy?"
"No, all ancestors accounted for," she said sadly.
The group came out on stage and lined up in their regular configuration. Jas nodded at them to begin, and the music started.
"They have beautiful voices," Rachel said, leaning towards Brittany and speaking in a low voice. "But isn't this like a puppy mill?"
"How so?" Brittany asked.
"Don't they churn out idols constantly?" Rachel asked "When a group wears out its welcome they replace it with a new one? And there's an age limit?"
"Well, the Japanese maestros figured out years ago how to package a constant flow of new talent into a very profitable business. It's very formulaic. And only works in this culture," Brittany said. "Just like there are certain things in our Clan that wouldn't work for anyone else, idols are a product of their culture. You'll occasionally see a western band where someone has tried to do the same thing but not at this scale."
"So, idols are really like boy bands?" Rachel said. "Even with the wholesome cuteness?"
"More or less," Brittany said.
"So, why are we here? It isn't something we would want to emulate. I don't think we have anyone in our clan who wants to be an idol." Rachel leaned forward for a closer look. "An overabundance of cute, I think. But nice voices if a little fast for my taste."
"That's part of being an idol. Singing fast in a high voice, most of the time," Brittany said, giggling. "And being young. Idols are mainly geared towards teens and pre-teens with money.
"So their audience ages out just as fast as they do?" Rachel said.
"Yup," Brittany said. "As for why we're here? I have plans for several of them."
"What kinds of plans," Rachel asked.
"Long range plans," Brittany said. "I needed a reason to be here."
"So I'm just your beard?" Rachel asked, giggling.
"Without the beard part," Brittany said.
"So, who caught your interest?" Rachel asked, trying to get another look at all of them as they danced.
"Fifth over from the left, and the seventh and the twelfth," Brittany said pointing them out. "They're part of a special project, though they don't know we are involved."
"How special?" Rachel asked. "They look like the others."
"What do you know of the Kitsune Clan?" Brittany asked.
"Those Fox God followers?" Rachel asked. "They weren't part of the original thirteen clans but always seemed to be around when we needed an extra hand. And then they disappeared."
"They had a falling out with the clans," Brittany said. "It happened some time after our problems. They've been in hiding ever since."
"Do we know what happened?" Rachel asked.
"Not a clue, though they think the Clans will punish them if they are ever found," Brittany said, "so it must have been a doozy of a falling out."
"Well, we can always use the help, if we find them," Rachel said. "As long as whatever happened isn't something unforgivable."
"I'm still digging into that," Brittany said. "Only members of the Council of Clans have access to that info, and we aren't exactly."
"So, you know where they are?" Rachel asked.
"Yes," Brittany said. "Those three are some of their best trained in this generation. They call them priestesses of the Fox God but they are something a bit more than that. Peacekeepers, leaders, and a few other things which they receive years of training for."
"Why are they here, being idols?" Rachel asked. "This must not be a challenge for them."
"As I said, I have long range plans," Brittany said. "I might have had a hand in them becoming idols. They've also been trained in the basic fighting techniques of the Thirteen Clans. They aren't quite up to the level of our troopers but experience would fix that."
"I won't ask how you made that happen," Rachel said, frowning at her.
"Good," Brittany said, smirking. "This is only the beginning of my plans for making use of the Kitsune Clan."
"I would like to be kept in the loop though," Rachel said, sitting back in her seat.
"Not a problem," Brittany said. "Shall we go meet some cute idols?"
"That's what we're supposed to be here for," Rachel said. Standing she headed towards the musical director and his assistant, followed by Brittany and Rachel's bodyguards.
"Where have we seen that one before?" Mika asked Sita in an undertone, as they gathered around the alien women after running through their routine.
"She does look familiar, but I can't say from where," Sita said. "The others? Not familiar at all."
"She's watching us," Yuki said.
"They don't look like aliens," Yanzy said.
"What should aliens look like?" Sita asked.
"Like aliens?" Yanzy said. "Different. They wouldn't fit in."
"So, could we be aliens?" Sita asked.
"No," Yanzy said. "You don't act like others.
"It's probably all part of the plan," Mika said. "If we were aliens we wouldn't want anyone to know it."
"Sita, Mika, Yuki, and Yanzy?" Jas said. "Please come over here. Our honored guests have a question for you."
"Yes, miss?" Sita said, leading them over. They found themselves under the piercing gaze of the two obvious bodyguards. Sita could feel her defensive chi levels automatically increasing. She struggled to force it down, and could feel Yuki and Mika doing the same thing.
"I was curious," the alien ambassador, who'd been introduced as the Lady Memory, said, a faint accent giving her voice an exotic sound. "Jas said that the four of you live together?"
"Yes, ma'am," Sita said. "Since the first day."
"Does that influence your performances, being so close?" she asked.
"We do spend a lot of time together," Mika said. "We run together in the morning and exercise together."
"It gives us a strong awareness of where each other is on stage, and that carries over to our performances." Sita said.
"I'd noticed that there is a certain flow to your performances," the Lady said.
"Do all of your group train the same way?" the other alien asked.
"No," Sita said. "We needed something a little more active. The others are happy with the regular training."
"All of our members are equally trained," Jas said quickly. "But not all have the same past experience. Or need the same physical training to maintain appropriate energy levels."
"What do you think?" Rachel asked Brittany and the twins later in their Tokyo embassy, after they'd left the idols to go back to their normal routine.
"They have training in one of the arts," Kili said. "They reacted to our presence as a trained acolyte would."
"But they were able to hide that reaction," Fili said. "I don't think anyone else noticed."
"No, the others were unaware," Brittany said. "Their friend seemed to notice that something was going on. But I don't think she knows what it means."
"So there's a fourth, in this little group? Was that part of the plan?" Rachel asked.
"No," Brittany said. "That they would involve someone outside their clan is a little surprising."
"I would like to see them performing, without the entire group," Rachel said. "They fit in with the others, though that is obviously the intent, to not have any stars that aren't picked by the music director."
"I think I shall drop in on their morning training," Brittany said.
"Take the twins with you," Rachel said.
"As observers only," Brittany said. "But we'll need to bring in your backup bodyguards."
"I don't need bodyguards," Rachel said, protesting.
"I disagree," Brittany said. "They will be here shortly."
"Try not to frighten them," Brittany told the twins. "Although they have had training in the arts, the purpose was different than yours. They were not trained for war."
"We shall keep that in mind, Lady Shadow," Fili said.
They stood, shielded from sight, waiting for the four idols to appear. Kili and Fili wore their standard hard suits while Brittany wore a Shadow command suit that allowed for greater mobility.
The four young idols came running down the sidewalk at a fairly brisk pace. They seemed to glow from the exertion.
"That's fast for non-troopers," Kili said. "They must be in good shape."
"Interested in talking with them?" Brittany said. "Or just observing?"
"Are we going to be working with them in the future?" Kili asked.
"Very possible, though they don't know it," Brittany said.
"So, the Shadows have plans?" Fili said, clearly amused. "We'll be nice then."
The four idols stopped in front of the dojo.
"There's someone here," Sita said. "I can feel them."
"Yes," Brittany said, decloaking, followed by Kili and Fili. "You are not alone."
"We haven't been introduced," Sita said, hiding her surprise at the sudden appearance of the armored figures.
Brittany retracted her helmet. "You may call me Lady Shadow of the Serpent Clan of the Thirteen Clans of the Pan Galactic Confederation. Which is a mouthful, so you can just call me Shadow."
"Lady Shadow," Kili said firmly.
"Contrary to what Kili and Fili here say," Brittany said.
"What can we assist you with?" Sita asked.
"Singing tips?" Yuki asked, getting poked by Yanzy for her comment.
"We were curious about your training routine," Brittany said. "My understanding is that it is not normal idol training?"
"No," Sita said. "Though, if you prefer we can discuss this inside?" she added as the door opened and the dojo caretaker poked her head outside, pausing when she noticed the additional people.
"We can do that," Brittany said. She stepped back, allowing the four idols to enter the building.
"If you do not mind waiting a minute, we will change first," Sita said, pausing just inside. "We only have a limited amount of time for our training."
"Go right ahead," Brittany said. "We are here to see you."
"Please show them to the training room," Sita said to the caretaker, "we'll join them in several minutes."
"Yes, Lady Sita," the caretaker said.
"What do we do?" Yuki asked, as they dressed for training. "Why do you think they are here?"
"They must have seen something yesterday that made them curious," Mika said.
"The three of you looked startled for a moment when they asked us over," Yanzy said. "And there was a strange feeling in the room."
"Ah," Sita said. "I thought I suppressed that reaction."
"I too," Mika said.
"Understandable," Yuki said. "They are dangerous, and we reacted with self defense forms."
"Idols who show that kind of control, and reaction, were probably not what they expected to see," Yanzy said. "I don't think anyone else noticed."
"Good," Sita said. "But we also need to focus on that aspect of our forms. We should have more control."
"They may know more than we are ready for," Mika said. "What will we do?"
"You should explain to me so that I am not surprised by whatever they say," Yanzy said, looking at all of them.
"Yes," Sita said. "Do you agree," she addressed to Yuki and Mika.
"I have no problem with it," Yuki said. "I trust Yanzy to keep a secret."
"Are you sure you want to know?" Mika asked Yanzy.
"Unless you are secret demon hunters, then yes," Yanzy said. "That I'm not ready for."
"No, not demon hunters," Yuki said, giggling. "No Devil Hunter Yoko's hiding in an idol group."
"But, we do have alien ancestors," Sita said, watching Yanzy carefully to see her reaction. "And not from another country."
"Oh. Oh!" Yanzy muttered sitting down suddenly. "You're real aliens? Like them?"
"We can't speak for them," Mika said. "We don't really know how our families are related to their Clans, though there was some connection in the distant past that our Elders won't discuss."
"But you don't seem like aliens," Yanzy said.
"Thank you," Yuki said, bowing deeply to her. "I have done what I can to make sure we appear like normal teens."
"If you hadn't said something I wouldn't have known," Yanzy said. "Do you think they know?"
"Possibly, though no one has mentioned it to us," Sita said.
"So, is there some secret alien reason for becoming idols?" Yanzy asked. "Is that why you are addressed as Lady Sita? You said the dojo is owned by family?"
"If you will be patient, we will try to answer your questions," Sita said. "But first we must deal with them."
"I can wait," Yanzy said. "This is exciting."
"Hopefully not too exciting," Mika said.
"They are informing their fourth," Brittany said, over the comm, to Rachel. "She apparently did not know. But appears okay about it."
"You plan to take advantage of that," Rachel said.
"Of course," Brittany said. "It's an opportunity. And they are coming. I'll let you know what happens."
Sita, Yuki, Mika, and Yanzy filed into the training room. The aliens were standing in a relaxed manner in the center of the room. The idols stopped, facing them.
"What would you like to see?" Sita asked.
"We are interested in your normal routine, Lady Sita," the Lady Shadow said.
"We are equals," Sita said. "I am Sita, this is Mika, Yuki, and Yanzy. In this group no one is better."
"I am just a beginner in these forms," Yanzy said. "So, that isn't quite true."
"You are doing well, for 'just a beginner'," Yuki said to her. "But Sita's point stands. We do not use those forms of address among ourselves. That is something for a different time and place."
"Understood," Lady Shadow said.
"That was amazing," Yanzy said, when they returned to their hotel. "The Lady Shadow taught you new forms. And the other two, Kili and Fili, they are very different."
"They are all taller," Yuki said. "And their art is different."
"Because they are soldiers," Mika said, "It isn't just art, it's survival."
"And they wear armor, which affects how they use the forms," Sita said.
"The forms she taught us were not Serpent Clan battle forms," Mika said. "They are something else, some other art that I did not recognize."
"She was amazing," Yanzy said. "Do you think we'll see her again?"
"She seemed to be interested in us more than in the idol group," Sita said. "I can't see the purpose. I have figured out who she reminds me of. Ka'nsah."
"Ka'nsah?" Yanzy asked.
"A teacher we had," Yuki said. "Yes, I see it. The same way of moving, though not of speaking."
Reaching their room, they piled in and flopped down on their beds.
"We don't have anything until after lunch," Yanzy said. "Explain."
"We cannot tell you everything but we will tell you what we can," Sita said. "What do you want to know?"
"Aliens? You don't look different, and we have been living together for months so I would think I would notice?" Yanzy said.
"There are many beings in the universe," Sita said. "Humans and our clan share similar genetic code. You can see the same thing with them. Our Elders claim there are common ancestors thousands of years ago, but they don't know where they came from."
"Why don't you have all of the technology they do?" Yanzy asked.
"We left a lot of it behind when we came to this planet," Mika said. "The clan Elders made the decision to live as natives, though we kept many of our traditions."
"The school you went to? Was an alien school?" Yanzy asked.
"Well, it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to go to it," Yuki said. "It was our temple school, for women who were training to be clan priestesses. Everything we learned there was for that."
"Priestesses?" Yanzy said. "How do the forms fit into that?"
"The forms are a form of meditation and exercise," Sita said. "And self defense. You have to know all of the clan forms to become a priestess."
"One of the things the Clan kept was our religion," Mika said, nodding. "We are not Shinto, or Buddhist, or any other local religion. We have our own gods. The Fox God and his brother Coyote and others."
"And you're priestesses?" Yanzy asked. "Why become idols?"
"We can't answer that completely," Sita said. "Our elders felt there was more for us to learn and that becoming idols, or attempting to become idols would be useful. We suspect they had other reasons but Yuki wanted to become an idol so we agreed."
"My sister has been trying out for idol school but never makes it past reserve," Yuki said.
"But doesn't that conflict?"
"How?" Mika said. "We signed the idol contract like you did. We may be trained priestesses of the Fox God but we are also idols."
"The Fox God moves in mysterious ways," Sita said. "Which is true."
"You are not what I think of when I think of priestesses," Yanzy said. "You have too much fun. You aren't serious. And there are the forms."
"A Clan priestess is different," Sita said. "I don't think it translates well. It means having a connection to the Fox God but that isn't a chain."
"What will happen when your career as idols is done?" Yanzy said.
"We don't know," Sita said. "Become teachers at our temple? Or village priestesses?"
"Our Clan will have something for us," Mika said. "Not many of us become priestesses. It takes a lot of time to train to become one."
"I would like to go to college," Yuki said. "Like my sister."
"You're really normal," Yanzy said, nodding to herself. "Normal for people who's ancestors were aliens and have a different upbringing."
"Normal? Yes," Yuki said. "But it can take a lot of work to get there. Look at what we started with." She pointed at Sita and Mika. And then burst into laughter at the look on Mika's face.
"The other aliens, the Serpent ones?" Yanzy said. "How does that work? Why are they here to see you?"
"We don't know," Sita said. "The Clan Elders have kept any information about them secret. We only know what you know."
"Which isn't much," Yanzy said. "Mayans, and settled in the Americas, and look like American super models. And there's some mystery why they came here many centuries ago and then disappeared until recently."
"They don't all look like supermodels," Mika said. "Their ambassador doesn't."
"They would make the gods jealous," Yuki said, sighing. "Kili was the prettiest."
"Too tall," Mika said. "But loyal. Did you notice how protective they were of Lady Shadow? Whenever one of us got too close, they were there between us."
"They were doing their job," Sita said. "They were obviously her bodyguards."
"They can guard me any time," Yuki said, floppy back on her bed to get away from Mika's fingers.
"You are short enough," Mika said, smirking. "Their ambassador is your height."
"Hey!" Yuki said, throwing a pillow, which hit Sita, missing Mika.
Their room was quickly filled with flying pillows as the others joined in.
Additional Note: This is where we start to tie this part of story into the rest of it, though Rachel, Brittany, and the others will only make brief appearances for the next few chapters.