Eri: This next episode might remind us all of something....
Nozomi: Have you watched it already?
Eri: Not yet....but still...just had a feeling...

-----Honoka calls Umi with her phone-----

Honoka: Umi-chan!! Where are you?!!
Umi: Go ahead and watch it without me, Honoka. The rain is really rough right now. It'll take a while before I join you guys.
Maki: Nico is so silent right now......
Eri: This is where Mari finally shows up. I've been waiting for her. Nozomi: We all do, Erricchi....

(Episode starts - Beach practice.....)

Eri: They work really hard.....
Maki: I am surprised they are very detailed with this....

(Mari arrives via helicopter)

U's: EHHHHH?!!!!
Maki: WHAT THE F#@&?!!!
Nozomi: MY GOD?!! THEY ALMOST DIED!!
Eri: Hahaha....omg...Mari is sooo ridiculous!!
Rin: That...that was Mari?!!
Nico: Geez...I wish they died at that point....

(Mari introduces herself....)

Everybody: .........
Eri: Mari seems sooo....jolly...
Kotori: More jolly than Honoka-chan....
Nico: Ridiculous?! How on earth can a student be the principal too!?
Maki: Agreed. Makes no sense.

(Mari teases Dia....)

Everybody: .....(gasp)
Rin: ...........
Honoka: ........
Nico: Good lord, she's so much like Nozomi -
Maki: Yaaaaahhh!! L-let go of me -
Nozomi: I am so happy that Mari is just like me. Boob grab!!!
Maki: STOOOOOPPP ITTTT!!!
Nico: Get away from her, everybody.

(Mari's challenge to Riko, Chika and You)

Honoka: Mari is such a tyrant!!
Eri: Wow, she's very relentless. Disband Aqours if they can't fill the gym with people. Now that you mention it, maybe I should've thought something like tha -
Umi: ERI?!!
Eri: I'm just joking, hehe. I'm no longer that cold anymore....
Nozomi: She's just like you.
Eri: Yeah, I guess.....

(Chika, You, and Riko getting audience for the live.)

Honoka: Uggghh....they're selling out flyers.....
Kotori: Honoka-chan.......

(You gets lucky for support - Yousoro!!)

Honoka: Arrrrrggghh!! How come You-chan has charisma!!? She makes it look so easy to get viewers!!

(Riko builds her confidence - by handing out a flyer to a cardboard human figure.)

Rin: That was funny!!
Maki: (facepalm).....Umi would react just like me had she saw that....
Eri: Yeah....Riko is kinda.......dumb, huh.....
Nico: (whispers) Ha, talking to a cardboard.....what a noob move, Riko. You clearly don't have what it takes to.....

(Yohane appears!! - dressed with sunglasses and a long coat - acting kinda like Nico. Gets a flyer from Riko for the live.)

Everyone: ...............
Nico: BULLSHIT!!! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING NICO WANNABE!!!! HOW DARE YOU COPY MY SIGNATURE DISGUISE!!!!
Maki: ............the hell is this.....not again....
Nozomi: Yoshiko is the Nico.......very interesting......
Nico: I AM SOOOO GONNA BASH THIS IMPOSTER!!!

(More advertisement for the live - getting help from Chika's sisters and using the radio to call EVERYONE IN THE CITY.)

Hanayo: You is sooo helpful...
Eri: Harasho....they had the guts to use a public radio to advertise. U's only got the school's radio to get support.
Kotori: I feel kinda ashamed that none of us thought about this, we could have....
Maki: Nah, we're living in a city. Everybody here has their own business, I don't think it would have made a difference....
Hanayo: I guess. Announcing one here would irritate other people.
Eri: It's clearly starting to rain guys....I have a bad feeling about this....

(The live is about to begin - Riko, Chika, and You wear costumes that look too similar....)

Honoka: WAIT A MINUTE.....WAIT A MINUTE.....IS THIS GONNA BE WHAT I THINK IT IS?!!
Kotori: OMG, is this START: DASH all over again!!!?
Eri: Guys....patience please....
Nico: God....I am so pissed off by now....

(The curtain is about to rise up.....)

Honoka: Umi-chan, where are you?!!! You gotta see this -
Umi: I'm here everyone!!!
Everyone: Umi!!!
Kotori and Honoka: Umi-chaaaannnn!!! (hug)
Umi: Hey!! Let....go of me!!!

-- Umi notices the seemingly START DASH events --

Umi: GOOD LORD!!? IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?!!!
Honoka: Ssssshhhhh....the curtain is about to open up....
Everyone: (getting unbelievable amount of goosebumps.)
Hanayo: ....don't tell me no one will watch.....

(...the reveal that a few people were around to watch them.)

Everyone: (Gasp with shock.)
Umi: Why.....why do you have too.....
Kotori: I dunno if I should be crying right now.....
Nozomi: Wait......five, six, eight.....guys....there are a number people out there this time. In a way, they're better off than we did.....
Honoka: ...... (does not talk at all. Looks very sharply at what is about to happen)
Nico: I KNEW IT!! YOU MORONS ARE TRYING TO COPY US!! I AM SOOO GONNA REPORT THIS EPISODE TO EVERYONE!!!
Eri: Ssssssshhhh....Nico.
Nico: Hmph!!! (wears dark sunglasses to cover her angry eyes.)

(Chika, Riko, and You dance and perform.....)

Nico: ........
Honoka: ......(still speechless. Watches with extreme focus - worried for the trio.)
Umi: ......(I am too worried to comment....)
Kotori: I...I really want to enjoy this song but....I can't help but feel really nervous with what will happen....
Rin: I think they'll pull this off guys.
Maki: Rin, don't be so sure. I have a bad feeling for them.....
Hanayo: .....(cheering quietly while feeling very nervous).....
Eri: Guys, I think I know what is gonna happen....
Nozomi: I do too. I think the rain will -

(....suddenly the power is cut off....)

Eri: I KNEW IT!!! THE RAIN WILL DO SOMETHING, NOW IT DID IT!!
Nozomi: We both had the right guess....
Honoka, Umi, and Kotori: NOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Hanayo: Oh my...I can't believe....
Rin: This is so cruel......
Maki: Ouch. No electricity....they're in an even worse position than we thought....
Honoka: NO NO NOOOOO!!! DON'T THIS MR. TYPHOON!!! PLEASE, SOMEBODY DO SOMETH -

(....Chika and the others lose motivation and start crying....)

Everyone: ....... (feeling the pain the trio feel. Some are starting to get a bit tearful with what will happen.....)
Umi: God.....I......this is......beyond shameless.....
Kotori: .........(covers her mouth just trying hold her tears back).....
Honoka: ..........please.....don't give up now Chika, Riko and You.....(holds Umi and Kotori's hands - they notice Honoka do that.)
Maki: Nico...you've been through something like that before you joined u's right....
Nico: Shut up, Maki. What I went through is more painful....don't remind me that right now.....
Maki: You sorry for them now?
Nico: Hmph. I am glad that they are failing right now.....
Maki: .....(whispers to herself)...you're such a jerk.....
Honoka: you....you can do it....YOU GUYS CAN DO IT!!!

(BUT THEN THE REST OF THE AUDIENCE ARRIVE!!!!)

Everyone: Whoa....whaaaaaattt!!!!?
Honoka: YAAAAAAAYYYYY!!! THEY HAVE IT!!!
Umi: OMG.....THE AUDIENCE ARRIVED JUST IN TIME TO RESCUE THEM!!!?
Kotori: Wooooww....oh god...they're such good people.....
Nico: Tsk. So Chika got the schedule wrong that's why no one came? Geez....you cannot be an idol if you commit such a trivial error...
Rin: Chika's sisters are sooo awesome!!!
Hanayo: Phew!! I am soo happy!!!
Maki: Hey!! It's Kanan - huh?!! She already left?!!
Everyone: Whaaaattt?!!!
Nozomi: She did the same thing just like you, Maki-chan. Hiding while listening to -
Maki: Don't bring that up!!!

(...emergency power restores the light. Ruby and Hanamaru help out....Dia is revealed to have opened the power.)

Rin: I love those two now!! So helpful!!
Nico: Wait a minute......IT WAS DIA?!!!
Everyone: Ohhhhhhh.....
Umi: So it's her?!! Wow Dia, you helped them even though you -
Eri: I can relate to this.....
Maki: Such a tsundere.....
Nozomi: Just like you....
Maki: So what?

(The trio perform once more with confidence!!!)

Honoka: Finally we can enjoy this!!!
Hanayo: Yaaaay!!!
Everyone: (they watch with optimism.)
Nozomi: Well, Nico. They did not fail this time now....
Nico: Still not enough.....

(Their first live as Aqours ends with a stunning victory!!!....)

Everyone: YESSSS!!!
Kotori: I am so proud for them!! We failed on our first try - but they did win their first live!
Honoka: Amazing....really amazing...
Nico: It still doesn't convince me....
Rin: Nico-chan.....why do you still....
Nico: Guys, let me say something....they're dumb to think that -

(Dia steps in and warns them....criticizing them....)

Nico: Oh!! Nevermind, Dia says it all for me. (In her mind, Nico is thinking "Way to Go Dia!! Tell them the truth!!")
Eri: Wow. So true. She has a point that them being in a province with a community gave them success.
Honoka: She is trying to be like Eri again....geez...
Eri: Thank you.....kinda?
Umi: At least she is honest!
Honoka: But still!!....Chika and the others have the potential -

(Chika responds to Dia's accusations with the right answer......)

Honoka: Ha!! Take that Dia!! Way to go Chika!!
Kotori: Soo amazing....
Umi: I am sooo impressed right now.....
Hanayo: Amazing!! I am sure they will become great idols with that kind of reason!!
Nico: .......wow....okay Chika, I will give you one point for that one - since it is kinda like our answer too....
Maki: ...wanting to shine, huh...(smiles after hearing Chika's answer - knowing she too wanted to be an idol to have fun/follow her dream)....

--- Review ---

Umi: God, that was so intense. I am so glad I made it in time to see it.
Kotori: I AM SO GLAD THEY DID NOT FAIL LIKE WE DID!!
Honoka: Fantastic....really, I will be their fan from now on!!
Eri: I am so glad with this episode
Nozomi: Strange....Kanan did not show up........
Nico: Guys, I still don't like them...
Honoka: Hey, Nico-chan....can't you be considerate?
Nico: (stands up) NO!! I AM NOT AND WILL NOT!! I WON'T SUPPORT AQOURS NO MATTER WHAT!! I AM GOING HOME!!!
Everyone: ...............
Maki: I feel really sorry for Nico-chan. I think she's doing all this because she couldn't accept that we disbanded so early.
Umi: That still doesn't add up. All of us feel the same way yet does it bother us to the point we should feel insecure towards others?
Maki: ........I guess she just feels they are trying to copy us then.....
Eri: The next episodes should be good.....I want Nico to change her mind.....
Honoka: Maybe she is just.........nevermind.....

------

A/N: Phew!! Finally I have Wi-fi to get this published!!!

Still, I gotta say my schedule is still hectic. College begins again for me and I am going to have heavy classes with little free time. Hopefully I can release the next pages and update anymore of my stories soon. See ya again!!!