Soeur Idols

A Maria-sama ga Miteru Story

A/N: This might be a bit on the crack side, but it was a fun idea that I had as I was watching my brand-new Season 1 Maria-sama ga Miteru DVDs that I just got from Amazon. I hope that you all enjoy this bit of silliness.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the intellectual property of Konno Oyuki-sensei. I am not writing this story for financial gain.

Chapter One: From Today, You are an Idol!

"Well then," the producer intoned. "I would like numbers 45, 63, and 14 to step forward. The rest of you, thank you for auditioning. The talent level was really high, and I believe that you all will succeed. May Maria-sama bless you all."

As the producer finished speaking, Fukuzawa Yumi looked to her left and to her right. On the right was number 14, Toudou Shimako, a soft-spoken, beautiful girl with honey-blonde hair who just happened to dance like a prodigy. On her left, was number 45, Shimazu Yoshino. Yoshino had her twin tails braided. She was cute with mischief dancing in her eyes. Both girls were considered to be shoo-ins to be added to The Yamayurikai, the hottest idol group in Japan. The netizens gushed over Shimako's beauty and dancing ability and Yoshino's older cousin, Hasekura Rei, was already in the group, and it was her input that convinced Kashiwagi Suguru, the producer, to pass Yoshino through.

'How in the world did I pass?' Yumi wondered. 'The only reason that I auditioned was because my good friend Yoshino was so insistent. I never imagined that I would make it.' In Yumi's mind, there was nothing special about her. From her mousy light brown hair to her average figure, she had thought that it would be nice if she didn't cut prior to the audition. Yet here she was, part of the 9th Generation of The Yamayurikai with her best friend and the lovely Shimako. "I cannot believe it," she said as she fell to her knees.

"Believe it, Yumi-san," said the confident Yoshino. "I knew that you would make it. Your song choices were great. Your Furusato in the first round was beautiful and choosing Shabondama in the second was inspired. You showed so much personality. You were the only one not to do any Yamayurikai songs until the final round when we all had to sing Soeur Power." Soeur Power was the group's third number one song in a row, breaking AKB48's record for sales.

The befuddled new idol sighed, "I just love Morning Musume. Is that wrong?"

"No," the previously silent Shimako chimed in. "However, we must now pledge heart and soul to The Yamayurikai."

Both Yumi and Yoshino looked at their new band mate with surprise. Shimako spoke very little during the audition, allowing her talents do the talking. 'So cool,' they thought at the same time.

The three were lead to a conference room with a large table. They were seated in chairs behind placards bearing their names. Moments later, the producer, Kashiwagi, and his assistant, Arisugawa Kintarou, entered the room with the girls' parents, and closed the door securely behind them. Yumi tried to follow the conversation; the basic point of which was that they would be under contract until they finished high school. At that time, they could either sign a new contract, staying with the group or graduate from the group at the same time they graduated from high school.

They were expected to attend school unless they were on tour, at rehearsals, or engaged in group promotional activities. The girls were not allowed to date boys until they graduated, which made their parents happy. The last provision was that they would be assigned an Oneesama, an older member of the group that would mentor each girl. At this, Yoshino looked bored, and Shimako and Yumi apprehensive.

Kashiwagi passed the contracts to the parents, who added their hanko (signature stamp) and their signature before having each girl repeat the process. "I would like to officially welcome you three to Japan's best idol group, The Yamayurikai! Here are your Oneesamas." He pushed a button and the door opened. "Toudou Shimako, your Oneesama will be Sato Sei, Rosa Gigantea. She is the most outgoing member and she will help you to loosen up. Shimazu Yoshino, you will have two Oneesamas, your cousin, Hasekura Rei, and her Oneesama, the Rosa Foetida, Torii Eriko. Eriko will keep you on your toes and Rei, the Prince, is your childhood friend, so she will help you adjust. Last, but not least, Fukuzawa Yumi, your Oneesama will be Ogasawara Sachiko, the Ice Princess. She can be a bit harsh, but she is very professional and she will teach everything that you need to know about the business of being an idol."

While he was speaking the ladies in question quietly entered the room and sat next to their charges. There was still one seat left open, and with a purposeful stride, a girl with short black hair came into the room with roses in her arms. "Ladies, I am the leader of The Yamayurikai and Rosa Chinesis, Mizuno Youko, and I would like to welcome you to our group and to present you with these roses." She gave Yumi a red rose, and said, "Yumi-chan, welcome to the Chinesis family. Your Oneesama, Sachiko, is my petite soeur, which makes me your grand-soeur." She smirked at the brunette's confused look, and chuckled, "You will understand soon enough, so don't worry too much about it."

Youko gave Yoshino a yellow rose, saying, "Yoshino-chan, on behalf of Eriko, I welcome you to the Foetida family. Rei-san will help keep you from the worst of Eriko's mischief, but I think that you have enough grit to stand up to her."

As Youko was about to give Shimako her rose, a tall grinning girl with shoulder-length blonde hair snatched from her, and with a flourish, bowed before Shimako, "It is my pleasure to welcome such a beautiful girl to the Gigantea family, Shimako. Don't worry, I don't bite…hard."

Youko smacked the back of her friend's head, "Sei, control yourself. This girl is your sacred little sister, not a potential girlfriend."

"You-chan, you are no fun," Sei pouted theatrically before noticing Yumi. A predatory look came into her eyes, and she asked, "This little cutie is Yumi-chan, right? My petite soeur might be sacred, but she isn't, right You-chan?" She released Shimako and glided to the object her interest.

Her forward progress was stopped as a tall, raven-haired girl stood between her and a frightened Yumi, "Sei-sama, please stop this unprofessional display. You are scaring our new members and giving their parents second thoughts about letting them join us." The flirt went back to her seat, grumbling that the Chinesis ladies were both crummy spoilsports.

Eager to usher the parents out of the room before Sei did anything else crazy, Kashiwagi smoothly asked them to accompany him to his office to answer any addition questions and allow the girls to become better acquainted. He liked his choices. He was already envisioning the 9th generation's introductory concert and he even had a song idea as he copied his hero, Tsunku, in writing and producing his group's songs. 'These new girls will bring in new fans and new fans will make me more money. This is going to be awesome!'

Meanwhile, Youko decided to break the ice by having the girls ask each other questions. Yumi had always hated this sort of thing, but she went along, mostly because she was intrigued by her new Oneesama, Sachiko, who seemed so mysterious and aloof. "Sachiko-sama, you don't want to do this either, do you," she asked, noticing the older girl's attitude.

"Not really," Sachiko answered and for the first time Yumi saw her Oneesama's sapphire eyes and aristocratically beautiful face. She felt her face warm up. Sachiko saw the blush, which triggered one of her own, but she continued, "Oneesama thinks that these elementary school exercises are valuable. I just find them embarrassing and pointless. How we learn what we need to about each other, we learn in the camps that we have while we are preparing a new single. I learn what each member's work ethic is and how serious they are about being in this group. I hope that you are prepared to impress me with your attitude and hard work because I have no time to deal with the half-hearted or a girl that thinks her cute face will make her a successful idol. I have sacrificed too much for this group to let some giddy girl that Suguru-san lets in ruin it."

Yumi looked terrified at the anger dancing in her Oneesama's eyes. "Now Sachiko, you mustn't scare your imouto (little sister) too much," Youko admonished with a loving smile. "Not everyone is as intense as you are." Sachiko gave Youko a cold glare before walking off. To Yumi, "Yumi-chan, she really is a nice girl once you break through the ice. You seem to be such a sweet girl. I am looking forward to working with you. I loved your audition work. That is why I picked you. Well, I also picked you for Sachiko because I believe that you can open her heart. No pressure though, just be yourself and everything will work out."

'What have I gotten myself into?' Yumi wondered as she scanned the room for her friend. Yoshino was trapped by Eriko in a corner, looking as bewildered as she felt. Yoshino's cousin Rei was standing by her Oneesama, looking helpless. Yumi had met Rei a few times when she was hanging out with Yoshino. She seemed nice enough, but despite her bishounen (pretty boy) appearance, she was, in actuality, the type that was easily overpowered by strong personalities like her cousin's and Eriko, her Oneesama's. Yumi wanted to bail her friend out, but she felt a gentle hand grab her arm.

"Yumi-san, can we talk?" Shimako asked. Wanting out of the now-claustrophobic confines of the conference room, Yumi agreed quickly. When they were in the hallway, the honey-haired dancer sighed, "They are so different than they are in public, aren't they? I never knew that Sei-sama was such a pervert or Eriko-sama was so pushy. I thought that Sachiko-sama might be a bit of bitch, but she surprised me by how harsh she really is."

"Well, Shimako-san," Yumi responded, "I honestly had no expectations because I really didn't follow The Yamayurikai before the audition. I am a HUGE Morning Musume fan, and Yoshino insisted that I audition with her. Now that I have passed, however, I am going to work hard so that I don't drag the group down. I want to be a part of making this group the most popular in Japan!"

Shimako smiled, "Me too. I was a Yamayurikai fan before, but now that I am a member, I want to do my part and more! At least I didn't get the Ice Princess as my Oneesama!" They girls giggled.

"Yeah, you got the perverted Tanuki as yours," Yumi laughed. Shimako's giggles became a full-fledged belly laugh. Yumi's laughter subsided and she said thoughtfully, "This seems strange, but I feel like we have been friends as long as Yoshino and I have."

Shimako nodded, "I agree. I believe that the best part of this experience will be becoming friends with you and Yoshino-san."

"Well, for better or worse, we are idols now. The only thing that worries me is how much school we will be missing. My dream has always been to become an architect and to take over my father's company when he retires. I will not be an idol forever, so I need to keep my grades up so I can get into a good university when this ends."

Yumi's new friend was shocked, "Wow, Yumi-san, that is the coolest thing that I have ever heard. Most girls that become idols just think about the fame and never plan for the future. They just assume that they can be idols and they won't have to do anything else. Maybe they will marry some rich man who will help them maintain their celebrity lifestyle after their looks are gone, but that is about it."

"I don't plan on getting married," Yumi said suddenly. "I just want to be able to take care of myself and my parents and to design wonderful buildings. I don't have time for romance or anything silly like that."

Shimako looked her thoughtfully, and cleared her throat, "You told me your dream, so I'll tell you mine if you promise not to laugh."

"Of course, I won't laugh," Yumi replied brightly. "It cannot be sillier than my dream."

Sighing, the blonde looked into Yumi's brown eyes, "That depends on your definition of silly. Okay, here goes. My dream is to become a nun in a Roman Catholic convent. I think that there is something wonderful about devoting one's life to God and serving others while living simply with other women who have the same dream."

"Well, that is a big dream," Yumi reacted, surprised. "I am not a man, but speaking from my little brother's perspective, you becoming a nun would be loss to the male population."

Shimako chuckled, "Why is that, Yumi-san?"

"Well, Toudou-san, has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are or what terrific style you have? You are one dead sexy girl, Shimako-san. You are definitely my brother's type, judging from the gravure magazines that he leaves all over his room."

The aspiring nun blushed, "That is not true, Yumi-san. I am just a plain girl who has trained all her life to dance. I am truly nothing special."

"Let's see about that," Yumi retorted with an evil smile. She took out her cell phone, snapped a quick picture of Shimako, and sent the picture to her brother with the question, "Yuuki, what do you think of this girl?" Faster than Shimako could blink came the response, "Holy shit, Nee-chan, who is that girl? She is freaking hot!" Yumi smirked as if she expected that answer and passed her phone so that Shimako could read the message.

Shimako turned a bright scarlet, and mumbled, "Yumi, you baka. That isn't fair. You win, I'm pretty. That won't stop me from achieving my dream."

"Nor should it," Sachiko's voice came from behind them. "If it is a true dream and you wish to work hard for it. I find it strange that the only one of you three that actually dreamed of becoming an idol was Yoshino-san. Yet, here are the two of you, one dreaming of being an architect, and the other one being a nun. You do realize that

you crushed the dreams of those girls who lost to you, and that you owe it to them to work hard and to put those dreams aside until you decide to graduate."

Shimako looked chastened, but Yumi replied coolly, "Yes, Sachiko-sama, we understand that. We will do our work seriously so that we honor those who did not pass."

The raven-haired woman smiled, dazzling Yumi, "That is what I hoped that you would say. By the way, Yumi, you should start calling me Oneesama, not Sachiko-sama. Shimako-san, your Oneesama was looking for you. She will show you to your dorm room."

Yumi gaped, "Dorm room, Sachiko-sama? What do you mean by dorm room? I thought that we would live at home when not on tour."

"Suguru-san didn't tell you," she sighed. "Well, we use the dorms for our camp while we are preparing a new single, and since we have added three new members, we will have a new single almost immediately. Besides, we will need to teach you HOW to be an idol before then: our songs, our dances, speaking at concerts, how to answer interview questions without embarrassing yourself, and developing your persona."

Shimako whistled, "That sure is a lot. How much time will we have to learn all that?"

"Well…" Sachiko began, sounding as if she didn't want to tell them. "We will likely only have a month, so we need to move you into your dorm room immediately. Yumi, you will share with me until you are out of training, and Shimako-san, I am sorry. I am so so sorry, but you will have to room with Sei-sama."

Looking a bit scared, Shimako softly asked, "Is she really that bad, Sachiko-sama? She won't rape me, will she?"

The older girl laughed, "No, no, Sei-sama is all talk, but she has a one-track dirty mind, and she never lets it rest. Once she finds a weakness, she will good-naturedly tease you about it forever. Plus, she snores like a bear."

"What did you say, Sachiko-chan?" A cross-sounding voice intoned, making the aristocratic-looking girl jump. "Do you want me to tell our petite soeurs your dirty little secrets?" Her target shook her head furiously. "Good. Let's go, Shimako-chan. Creepy Producer-san wants us in the dance studio ASAP to rehearse Soeur Power to perform at your introduction the day after tomorrow."

"Jesus!" Yumi shouted, "So soon?"

Sachiko gently laid a hand on her newly-minted little sister's shoulder, "I'm afraid so. That's the life of an idol. It's not all sold out concerts and adoring fans. It is a lot of work and it never stops. There's nothing for it, let's go prepare. There are dance clothes for you in our dorm room. Please follow me," she finished, reluctantly moving her hand from Yumi's shoulder. "From today, you are an idol."

To be continued?

A/N: Well, what did you think? Did this suck as bad as I thought it did? If so, this will be the only chapter. This was just something to break my mental tension surrounding Ten Years Later. This, if continued, will be much lighter. My inspiration for this fic came from Ikemen Desu Ne and my love for Marimite and Morning Musume.