“Nee-chan…”

Nee-chan? Why are you calling me that..?

“Nee-chan… I’m so sorry.”

This girl… who is she? Why is she crying? It’s breaking my heart… Why is she so sad?

My heart… it hurts…

“Nee-chan!”

…..

“Kyaa!” I suddenly got up from my bed as I woke up that morning.

I keep having dreams that keep growing and progressing, as if that world is real, and this one is a dream.

The happiness, the sadness, even the pain, it all feels too real. And when I see everyone, they seem so familiar. I feel like I should know them, but whenever I do…

I feel pain…

Something happened, I can’t remember. It’s strange. I rarely remember any of my dreams. The only thing I remember is her, that girl. I need to know who she is…

“Nee-chan…”

Could it be… she’s..?

Just then, my phone rang. I got a text message from Nana.

“Hurry to the bus stop! Miichan says we’re going on a field trip!”

“Eh~? Sugoi~!”

I answered to her that I was on my way and quickly got changed into some cute clothes. Just something simple, a brown jacket over a white shirt and a black skirt.

It’s been getting colder; I need to buy some winter clothes.

I tied my hair up with a white scrunchie and put on my scarf as I headed out the door. I walked down to the nearest bus stop and saw Takamina waiting for me, in front of a bus.

“Hey, Mako!”

“Takamina-san,” I greeted her happily and bowed to her. “Good morning.”

“You look cute today.”

“Thanks. You, too. Your hair is so pretty.”

“I got it dyed red at the ends.”

“Un! Kawaii~”

She blushed and giggled, making me laugh, too. She is actually so cute and girly even though she has such a cool and tough image. There are times when she’s serious, but she’s really fun-loving.

“Kojimako-chan~” I looked and saw Haruna at the front of the bus, along with Miichan.

“Let’s go!”

“Un!” Me and Takamina got on the bus together and sat down as the driver took us somewhere. “So, where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“It’s a surprise!”

“Ah, now I’m getting excited~”

“Since it’s getting cold out, we got everyone hot chocolate!” Haruna said as she passed us our cups. Well, except for Mio and Meru. They had both fallen asleep.

Cute~.

I was sitting beside Nana. She just stared out the window while she hummed to herself.

“Is that *‘Hanamizuki’?” I asked her.

“Yes, it is.”

I smiled. “I want to hear you sing. You always have such a pretty voice, Nana.”

“Wakatta.”

Sora wo oshi agete
Te wo nobasu kimi go-gatsu no koto
Douka kite hoshii

I laid my head on her shoulder and shut my eyes a bit, smiling.

She is good, as I expected…

“You like it?” I heard her say.

“Un. Keep going…” I answered without opening my eyes.

Mizugiwa made kite hoshii
Tsubomi wo ageyou
Niwa no hanamizuki

“Pretty…” I said to myself.

The calm feeling of riding the bus, how slow it was going, and Nana’s beautiful voice… I could fall asleep.

In fact, I think I did.

I still heard her voice, but I was dreaming again. I was in a large bed, my eyes closed as I was asleep. I felt someone caressing my head, and singing…

Usubeni-iro no kawaii kimi no ne
Hate nai yume ga chanto
Owari masu you ni
Kimi to suki na hito ga
Hyakunen tsuduki masu you ni

Who is this? She sounds like Nana… Is it? Or am I thinking this because I’m dreaming? It feels like a different person, but she’s somehow… the same.

Boku no gaman ga itsuka mi wo musubi
Hate nai nami ga chanto
Domari masu you ni
Kimi to suki na hito ga
Hyakunen tsuduki masu you ni

I heard her stop singing. She covered me up in the warm blankets and kissed my forehead, gently, like a mother. I felt her slowly get up, then my hand grabbed hers.

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

She does look like Nana… Or maybe, because I’m dreaming, she does…

“Princess…”

“Sing more,” I said. “I’ve always loved your voice.”

She simply smiled and sat back down, resuming her singing.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are

It’s so beautiful… So nostalgic…

Where has this happened before?

I heard my voice again.

“I love you, *Uta.”

Uta? Is that… her name?

Uta…

Like the song…

“Mako-chan, wake up!” I felt someone shake me and wake me from my sleep. It was Miki. “We’re here! We’re here!”

“Eh? Where?”

“*Yomiuri Land!!!”

“Eh?!”

…..

“Welcome to Yomiuri Land, girls!”

We all stepped out of the bus and looked at the amusement park before us.

“Uwaa~ this is amazing!”

“This is a rare moment we all get to have a day off, so go out and enjoy it!”

“HAI~~~”

“Let’s go~!” Miki grabbed my hand and we all started walking in a group. “Nee, what should we do first?”

“Let’s see…”

“Hey, how bout that?” Meru said, pointing at a roller coaster.

I looked and saw Miki already frozen in fear.

“Seriously?”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Nagisa said.

“Ikuzo~”

“Maji ka?!”

“Don’t worry, Miki-chan,” I said reassuringly. “I’ll sit beside you, so that way, you’ll be okay.”

“Sure, for the most part…”

I simply patted her head and waited until we got in our seats.

“Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at ALL~~~ times~~~!!!” Mio said as she and Meru anxiously sat behind us.

The cart started moving and we were heading up, up, up.

Miki held onto me tight, I did the same. Normally, I can handle these kind of rides, but this one seems…

“Mako-chan~~~”

We came to the edge, and dropped.

“KYAAAAA!”

As we bolted down the hill, I shut my eyes and felt the wind blowing in my face.

After it disappeared, I opened my eyes and found myself in a forest. I felt lost, and scared. I hugged myself, crying, silently praying for someone to come and find me.

Please… find me.

“Princess!” I looked up and saw someone running to me. She looks like Miki. She knelt down and hugged me. “Thank goodness you’re okay!”

Yuuki… Is that her name?

Yuuki…

Like courage…

“Let’s go. Everyone is worried about you.”

Just then, I heard a growl and saw a large wolf in front of us. I was about to scream, but then Yuuki came in front of me and calmed it, petting its head.

“There… Good boy.”

The wolf was calmed and left both of us. Yuuki smiled and picked me up.

“Let’s go!” She ran through the forest again and jumped from tree to tree, flying in the air.

I shut my eyes again, feeling the wind getting stronger. My eyes snapped open again when I heard Miki scream again and I was back on the roller coaster.

“Mou yada~ Kowai~~~”

What just..?

…..

“Uwaa~” Miki fell down to her knees as we got off the coaster. “I’m tired already…”

“Don’t worry, Miki-chan,” Nagisa said, petting her head. “We still have all day to have fun.”

“Hai~…”

We went through the park one ride after another. The giant ship, the spinning tea cups, even the haunted house. We also played a few games to win prizes.

I’ve never had this much fun with everyone. It feels nice. Finally, we have a day to relax and just be normal girls, not idols or magical girls.

“Guys, let’s go on the Ferris wheel next!”

“Ryouha-tan, wanna sit with me?”

“Uh, sure.”

We both got in our cart and sat down as the Ferris wheel slowly moved and took us up before stopping.

I could feel Ryouha shivering a bit. I guess she’s afraid of heights, too.

I held her hand, trying to reassure her, but then she pulled me in for a hug, making me shut my eyes suddenly.

When I opened them again, I felt my body fall backwards and roll down a grass hill. When I stopped, I couldn’t help but laugh. I felt joy in what I just did.

I looked and saw someone else with me, laughing. She looks like Ryouha…

“That was fun, huh?”

“Un!”

She sat up and pulled back some of her hair, feeling the wind. I got up and leaned my head against her shoulder.

She looked at me, giving me a kind smile. “Because I care about you, Princess.”

Chii…

Like the earth…

I simply smiled and closed my eyes, feeling her arms wrap around me warmly. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the Ferris wheel with Ryouha.

“Mako, y-you can let go now…” Ryouha spoke shyly.

“Ah, gomen…” I let her go and we both quietly sat there, taking in the view. I spoke again, “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Un.”

“The view is beautiful from up here. You normally don’t get to see something like this. Look, you can even see Mount Fuji and the Shinjuku cherry blossom gardens.”

“Yeah… it’s pretty.”

I felt her hold my hand, and when I looked, she had a shy expression again, hiding it behind her hair. I just smiled and said nothing as the Ferris wheel started moving again and eventually we got off.

Nagisa immediately ran up and leaded us somewhere.

“Where are we going?”

“You guys have to see this!”

She pointed in front of a large house I haven’t seen before. She said it was a Mirror Maze and everyone had already gone in.

“We won’t get lost, right?” Ryouha asked.

“Don’t worry, Ryouha-tan. I’ll be with ya.” Nagisa said, taking her hand. “Let’s play a game. See who can get out first.”

“What do we get if we win?”

“Uh, spotlight moment in our next live.”

“Alright.”

We each went in different directions in the maze. I tried to find my way out by myself, but there were so many twists and turns, I felt like I was going in circles.

I was starting to feel dizzy and I kept seeing strange things in my reflections. I leaned up against one of them and slowly sat down, feeling my head spinning and closed my eyes.

“Princess!”

I opened my eyes again and saw someone pick me up and spin me around, making me laugh and cheer. This girl, she looks like Nagisa.

After a while of spinning in the air, she put me back down on the ground.

“C’mon, *Kanata, let’s play!”

Kanata? Is that..?

Kanata…

Like the outer limits…

“Sorry. We have to get back to studying later.”

“Eh~? I wanna play more.”

“No, Princess. If you’re going to be the next Queen, you need to be sure you’re ready.”

My cheeks puffed. I was pouting in front of her.

What was she talking about, “next Queen”? I remember one of my dreams talked about a coronation…

“How about this? If you do a good job on your next test, we’ll play all the next day. Okay?”

“Un!”

Does this mean..?

“Mako!”

My eyes opened again and I saw Mio and Meru in front of me.

“Girls…”

“C’mon, let’s go. You’re really out of it.”

“I’m not out of it. I’m—” I was interrupted by a loud growling noise from my stomach. “I’m hungry.”

“Takamina said we’re going to have a picnic lunch outside.”

“Let’s go, before all the food is gone!”

“Un!”

…..

“Lunch time~!”

“Come on, girls! Under here!”

“Uwaa~” We all ran up the hill to a large blooming cherry blossom tree in the center of the park. “It’s beautiful!”

“Look at all this food!” Meru cheered happily as she sat down and started eating.

“Here, Mio. I even got some melonpan for you.”

“Yay~”

We all sat down under the sakura tree and ate lunch. We were all chatting about that happened in our private lives, when we weren’t working as idols.

I didn’t tell anyone about the dreams I’ve been having besides Miichan. I haven’t even told her what they’ve been about. I’m starting to get worried; what if it means something?

The sound of soft snoring interrupted my thoughts and I looked to see Mio and Meru were both sleeping peacefully under the tree. I smiled and watched them until a gentle breeze blew against my face, making me close my eyes.

When I opened them again, Mio and Meru suddenly looked different, and the others were gone, too.

Not again…

“Isn’t it pretty?” Mio said, catching one of the falling petals in her palm. “See, the petals are dancing.”

“Dancing?”

“That’s right. Their own special dance. All living things have one. A dance only they can do.”

“Eh…” I held out my hand and watching the light pink petal flutter and float down onto my palm. “Sugoi…”

“Right?”

“That’s amazing. How did you know that, *Hana?”

Hana…

Like the flower.

“It’s easy.”

I smiled and crawled over, looking at Meru.

“Nee, *Umi-chan, does the ocean have a special dance?”

Umi…

Like the sea.

“Of course. It looks kinda like… this.” She made a wave movement with her arms, making me and Hana giggle.

“You’re so goofy, Umi.”

We all laughed, sitting under the sakura tree. I closed my eyes, taking in the sweet scent and gentle breeze.

“Nee-chan!”

“Eh?”

“Mako-chan!”

I looked behind me, and for a moment, I thought I saw the masked girl. I rubbed my eyes, but then I saw it was Naanya.

“Naanya?” What is she doing here? Is it her day off?

“******!”

“Ah!” I held my head again, feeling a sudden pain…

But, not only that… My chest… it hurts….

“Mako-chan?” She walked over and knelt down to me. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

“I…”

“Ah, you’re right.”

“She’s been spacing out a lot today.”

Miichan felt my forehead. “Your temperature’s a little warm… It doesn’t seem bad, but, maybe we should go back, just to be safe.”

“Guys, I’m f—” I tried to stand up, but my legs felt numb and I fell back down again.

“Mako-chan!”

“Mako, get a hold of yourself!”

All of their voices were fading, my world crumbling…

What is happening to me?

…..

I woke up in the meadow again. But this time, it was night. A full moon shone over the garden. I opened my eyes and faced a familiar pair of blue eyes.

It was her. I saw her again, right here.

“Who are you?”

“I…”

I slowly got up, looking at her eyes. I couldn’t see well past the mask, as if a charm was over them. Preventing me from figuring out who she was…

Or maybe… it’s a charm on myself…

“I keep seeing you here… I know it’s only a dream, but.. everything feels so familiar. Have we met? Do I know you?”

“I knew it. Oh, well. It was quite obvious from the start you wouldn’t remember…”

“Remember what?”

“I can’t say now… But, when the time comes, you’ll know.”

“Can I at least know your name?”

She looked up at me, a bit in shock. But, there was still a spark in her eyes. Light. A light of hope.

“…*Hoshina.”

Hoshina…

Like the stars…

…..

My eyes opened again. My body still felt numb. How long was I asleep? It only feels like I was…

“Ah. She’s up.”

“Eh?” I looked and saw three unfamiliar girls staring at me.

I looked around. I was back at the agency… so, why are they here? Are they idols? Or new recruits? Maybe clients?

“Naanya~” One of them called out. “She woke up!”

Eh? They know Naanya?

Naanya came in, her eyes widened. She ran up and hugged me tight, surprising me a bit.

“Nee-chan!”

Again with that. Hehe, so cute.

“So, this is the girl you’ve been telling us about, Naanya?”

She broke the hug, nodding at them.

“Naanya, you know these girls?”

“Of course, they’re members of Shinjuku Girls. Don’t you recognize them?”

“Eh?!”

I took a closer look at them.

They look like….

“Ah! Cinderella!”

===============================

Footnotes

*1. “Hanamizuki” - A song by Hitoto You.

*2. There were six knights who served to protect the Queen and her daughter in Eterna from the Maou. Their names were Uta, Yuuki, Chii, Kanata, Hana, and Umi. They died protecting the palace when the Maou’s army attacked, and their souls were reincarnated on Earth…

*3. Yomiuri Land - One of Japan’s most popular amusement parks.

*4. Hoshina - A girl who lived in Eterna during Queen Muse’s reign. But, her true identity is…