Chapter 30: The Ceremony
"BODY CALIBRATION STARTED..."
Even before Reina understood what she had heard, a brutal wave of pain hit her and she started screaming. At the same time she also heard Kaede screaming in horror. Something tugged and pulled at her body. Her arms and legs felt numb. The suffering reached from her joints to her bellybutton, which literally threatened to tear. The impulses of pain continued their way mercilessly. Her breasts burned like in a sea of flames. The unspeakable pressure crept up her oesophagus. Then the formless something that tormented her so much hit her head, which within milliseconds felt like it was going to burst. Reina screamed her lungs out.
Then it was over. The sweet, monotone and already so familiar voice echoed in the distance:
"BODY CALIBRATION COMPLETED. SIZE. WEIGHT. WIDTH. GROWTH. UPDATED."
Reina did not move for a long moment. She was still dazed. She had forgotten all about the water around her. The rain also seemed to have stopped for quite a while. Even the strange windows that surrounded her before had disappeared. Everything was calm. The glimmer around the two girls faded away. Now the future Morning Musume members were just standing motionless in the center of the basin of cleansing.
Reina raised her hand towards her face. She stroked her cheeks, then her mouth. Finally, she let her fingers move from top to bottom all over her body. It felt different. Something seemed different to Reina. But she couldn't describe where that feeling came from.
She turned to her left and looked at her comrade. Kaede replied with eye contact. The older one seemed to be excessively confused as well. No one spoke a word.
"Go ahead! You're clean!"
Salma's voice echoed to them through the wafts of mist. Reina couldn't make out whether the moon nun was waiting for her in front or behind the basin. But she instinctively directed her attention to the end of the bathing room, where another door already seemed to let her pass through.
The two friends set off. Slowly they waded through the water. They had long forgotten that the silk dresses had almost adhered to their skin.
When they got out of the basin, even before they reached the door, people came towards them from all sides. They were also, like Salma, vessels in the clothing of the moon nuns. They were slipping off the clothes of the two girls. The process no longer seemed embarrassing to them. The past experience clung to them too much and kept them busy in their mind.
While Reina stood quietly in front of the door, daring to look down at herself, the strange feeling of having become a little fuller, both at her hips and her bust, came over her. Then she stroked her hair with her hand, which now reached far over her shoulders. Eccentrically she shook her head. She probably just imagined it, she thought.
Kaede, on the other hand, didn't seem to have changed at first sight. Reina didn't even want to know what the cool egomaniac with longer hair looked like. The short hairstyle suited her much better, the younger one decided.
Then the moon nuns showed up again. They carried many colorful fabrics and did not hesitate to dress the two former Kenshuusei bit by bit. Soon both Reina and Kaede wore a midnight blue tunic with an orange and yellow floral pattern and a salmon-colored silk scarf as a provisional belt. Even though it didn't necessarily was the latest craze, Reina felt a certain gracefulness about herself. After what seemed like an eternity, the familiar smile slinked back onto her face. She thought about the emotional ups and downs she had already experienced that day. The excitement before the exam, then the rush when she was finally called, at last the euphoria after the success. All of this was followed by the joy of being appointed a member of Morning Musume, the nervousness and insecurity in the changing room and ultimately the downright affliction of pain here in the bathing room.
Reina gave a satisfied sigh. All in all, it was probably the most eventful day in her life, if you leave the evening on the hilly lands outside.
Salma stepped in front of them and gave them a smile. Even though it was meant to be kind, Reina still couldn't get used to how unreal the emotions of vessels looked. They simply didn't seem alive in everything they did and were. At least that's what the girl thought.
Without saying anything, Salma asked them to follow her. Together they walked through the door and left the room filled with mist. A short, torch-lit corridor led them to a platform. The three of them positioned themselves on it and waited for a moment. After a few seconds, the platform buzzed and started moving abruptly. Then it went up at a slow pace.
When the elevator arrived at its destination, Salma stepped forward and opened the brass door in front of her. Immediately, a familiar joy chased through Reina's limbs at the sight of what lay before her when it opened. They found themselves right in the huge hall with the oversized glass dome ceiling. It was truly the most magnificent thing that the Haven had to offer.
With a little more speed, Reina and Kaga headed off under the leadership of Salma. They crossed the glass dome hall and headed straight for the throne room. There, Reina suspected, the final ceremony would take place.
And she was right. While they were still halfway there, the two enormous wing gates began to move with a resounding roar. Reina felt honored that the gates were opened to their full extent especially for them. Normally only headmaster Tsunku had this right.
Just before they entered the throne room, Salma stopped and turned to her two protégés. Quietly she spoke:
"You are about to be led inside by me. But we must wait for the sign. So relax for a moment."
Kaede and Reina looked at each other resolutely, then they nodded. Their big writing was on the wall. As soon as this day was over, they had done it. Then they were finally members of Morning Musume.
The throne room was filled with hundreds of people, vessels, group members, kenshuusei and teachers. They had all come to witness the intake ceremony. Miyazaki Yuka looked around excitedly. The dining tables and chairs had been moved to the walls and stacked on top of each other. The curious crowd had formed a narrow passage that reached from the entrance gate to the teacher's table. On the height headmaster Tsunku, Fukumura Mizuki, Ikuta Erina, Iikubo Haruna and Shimizu Saki had already positioned themselves. They talked with each other lively. Right behind them were the remaining members of Morning Musume.
Yuka watched them for a while, but her attention was drawn to Tomoko, who made a conspicuous squeaking sound, while she stretched on tiptoe to recognize the entrance more exactly.
Sayuki slammed her elbow into Tomoko's ribs with full force and hissed at her:
"What are you doing? Pull yourself together a bit."
Tomoko on the other hand opened her cat-like eyes wide and said enthusiastically:
"But it's almost time. I'm getting jittery."
Sayuki snorted contemptuously. Next to her, Karin moved who only gave a dull smile before she turned her face towards Yuka and asked in a sweet voice:
"Will we leave after the ceremony?"
Instead of Yuka, it was Akari who made a stunned noise. While she was still linking arms with her leader, she questioningly confronted Karin:
"You want to leave again? But we've only just arrived."
The addressed person nodded peevishly and countered:
"We still have to find the Hunter. °C-ute was unable to locate him after all..."
Suddenly she fell silent, because at that very moment Yajima Maimi and her comrades joined them. Akari blushed immediately, but Karin kept a straight face.
The leader of °C-ute must have clearly heard what Karin had said, as she said with a calm smile:
"You're absolutely right, Miyamoto. It was our mistake for letting the Hunter get away. That's how it should be proclaimed."
Yuka tried to save the situation and whirled her hands around in denial:
"No, no! That is not true at all. This all happened much too fast. Who could have guessed that suddenly he would leave everything in the hut and just disappear. Karin didn't want to blame you."
A nervous laugh accompanied the Juice=Juice leader and Maimi nodded thankfully to her. But Karin stared emotionlessly at the °C-ute members one by one. Especially with Suzuki Airi she had a long and intensive eye contact. Finally it was Okai Chisato who gave the younger one a surprisingly strong pat on the head and answered cynically:
"Don't look at us with such contempt. You may be talented, but you still have a lot to learn. Not everything always works out the way you want it to. Otherwise the world would be too simple."
For a short moment it seemed that Karin wanted to reply to this, but finally she turned away from the events and shrugged her shoulders.
This made Yuka think. Until now, Miyamoto Karin had made it too easy in all aspects. She completed every mission with flying colours. One could see her as a rising star in the sky of Hello!Project Online. She was a person everyone could definitely call a genius. She was also the definitive Ace of Juice=Juice. Yuka couldn't have guessed where the group would be if Karin hadn't pulled them out of their misery one or two times. However, this had created a certain kind of arrogance in the younger one, which was hard to eradicate. Probably only a defeat could contribute to the wealth of experience. But so far, it didn't look like Miyamoto Karin would ever know what it meant to lose.
"Yuka?"
The person addressed startled. She had been so lost in thought that she had not paid attention to her surroundings. Akari, still attached to her, looked at her uncertainly.
"Is everything all right with you?"
Yuka scratched her cheek and smiled in response.
"Y-Yes! All is well."
The Juice=Juice leader recognized that °C-ute had moved on in the meantime. Gradually a certain calm and tension returned to the crowd. Tomoko spoke emphatically in a whisper:
"It's about to start."
On the opposite side, Yuka saw how the members of ANGERME, who as usual were talking loudest, slowly fell silent one by one. Country girls were also nearby. She wonder if Kobushi Factory and Tsubaki Factory were also present? At least Yuka couldn't find the two newest groups.
The two newcomers were about to enter the hall. And indeed it was time. At the edge of the height, a harp with lovely sounds started and accompanied the harmonic, calm walk of Kaga Kaede and Yokoyama Reina, who now both stepped through the wing gate. A woman in a silk dress walked in front of them. She was clearly marked as a moon nun and led the two aspirants.
At the place where the small walking group was, the crowd applauded. As soon as they left, the crowd calmed down again. It was like a gentle shower of rain that pelted against the window pane early in the morning, at first approaching in all regularity and then fading away as time passed.
The spectators experienced an especially cute moment when the threesome reached the Kenshuusei. Louder cheering than necessary became audible and one could hear people named Kawamura Ayano, Nishida Shiori and Yamazaki Yuhane shouting joyful chants of encouragement to their former comrades. Even the otherwise more respectful Ichioka Reina and Takase Kurumi could not be stopped.
When Kaga and Yokoyama arrived at the peak of Juice=Juice members, Yuka began clapping with all the people around them and their comrades. She took the opportunity to take a closer look at the two personalities. It was clearly seen that they had completed the cleansing. Their appearance had adapted and they no longer looked like little lost chicks. Now they were women to whom the future was open. Anything was possible from now on.
The taller Kaga and the smaller Yokoyama. Yuka wondered what adventures and experiences they would soon have to tell? Did they have what it takes to make it to the fifth level of rehabilitation? The young woman hoped with all her heart.
Then the train was over again and the crowd ended the applause. Slowly and thoughtfully the newcomers climbed up the height and stepped in front of the team of five, which had been waiting for them eagerly.
Headmaster Tsunku stood before his own throne. A narrow smile appeared on his face. Fukumura Mizuki, as leader of Morning Musume, and Shimizu Saki, the coordinator of the audition committee, next to him radiated pure happiness. And on the very outside were also the two sub-leaders of Morning Musume, Ikuta Erina and Iikubo Haruna. The five received the two most heartily.
For a brief moment, there was a reverent silence. Here and there a clearing of throat could be heard. Then the booming voice of Tsunku resounded:
"Welcome! Welcome to Haven... again."
Parts of the crowd smiled. A few even had to refrain from laughing. But Tsunku continued to speak unperturbed:
"You have come this far. For some, it has been a long and arduous journey.
His eyes fell on Kaga, who was trying hard not to let any emotions show.
"For others, the motto was 'The first step is always the hardest'."
Meaningful his eyes wandered to Yokoyama, who grinned at him embarrassingly. Then he gave a signal and the moon nun, who had temporarily moved away, came towards him with clothes in her hand. Without further words, they were handed over to Kaga and Yokoyama, who received the pieces of cloth in awe.
Yuka tried to get a close look at the clothes. This was to be the new equipment of Morning Musume from now on. She mainly recognized colors in red and black and possibly golden strings. But she was not sure. Immediately Tsunku brought her back into the here and now:
"This is your clothing from now on. It is to protect you and to be a sign that you are a part of the Haven... that you are now a part of Morning Musume."
He stretched out his hands far out so that the palms of his hands reached over the heads of the two. Kaga and Yokoyama instantly took this as a signal to kneel down before the headmaster. In the same breath, the harp began to play again, which was temporarily silenced. This should give more authority to the following words of the headmaster, because he spoke melancholically:
"Kaga Kaede! Yokoyama Reina! You are the thirteenth generation of Morning Musume. Wear this title with pride. Stand by the side of your comrades. Study hard alongside your mentors and teachers. Seize the chance for a second life, because it is precious. Form the harmony between the knowledge of mind, energy and clarity. Progress in rehabilitation and aim to see the true reality again soon with your true eyes. Give everything for it!"
Tsunku touched the heads of the two girls gently and at once the crowd roared. Jubilation broke out and the whole throne room began to shake. The members of Morning Musume also joined in the background loudly.
Finally, it was Fukumura Mizuki who reached out her hand to both Kaga Kaede and Yokoyama Reina and greeted them in a happy voice:
"Welcome to Morning Musume!"