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Oozora Akari awoke with a start, sat up in her bed, stretched, then swung her legs out and paused, eyes still glued shut with sleep. “Uuu…” she said in a vague sort of way.
Nearby, Sumire was just zipping up her tracksuit jersey. “Morning, Akari-chan.”
“Morning…”
“You’re taking it awfully easy, considering what today is,” Sumire added.
“Eh?”
“It’s the baton hand-off ceremony today, remember?”
“Baton…” Akari murmured. She was still more or less entirely asleep. Then her eyes opened wide. “Oh god, it’s the baton ceremony today! I can’t be lounging around like this!” She jumped up and got ready. Moments later she was dressed, zipping up her jersey and fretting that she looked untidy.
“You look fine, Akari-chan!” Sumire reassured her.
“Okay…” Akari figured it would have to do, it wasn’t like she had much time left in which to fuss. “Let’s go!”
They exited the room and ran from the dormitory to the front gates of the school where the hand-off would take place. Akari was getting nervous now. Very nervous. Hoshimiya Ichigo was her personal idol, the one girl she aspired to more than any other, and she would be personally handing the Third Season Baton to Akari here, this very morning.
Akari worried she would mess this up. Drop the baton maybe, or even miss it altogether and go running empty-handed to the school building. She fidgeted, hopping from one foot to the other and emitting nervous “Uuu…!” noises under her breath.
Sumire grasped her friend’s hand, hoping to instil some confidence and calm.
“Thanks, Sumire-chan!” Akari whispered.
They had arrived at the gate now, the crowd of other students making way for her. This morning, Akari was the most important student in the whole academy; she was about to carry the hopes and dreams of every single new entrant into the school.
This would be the beginning of her, and every other first year student’s, passionate Aikatsu. She couldn’t let them down.
A cheer rolled around the sky as Ichigo appeared on the horizon dressed in her Starlight Academy tracksuit, flanked just behind and to either side by Aoi and Ran, her honour guard for this momentous occasion.
Akari felt her heart rate increase exponentially as her top idol steadily climbed the gently sloping road up to the academy gates.
Ichigo had run a full circuit of the city’s circumference holding the ceremonial baton that represented the very life and soul of idoldom, and was close to completing her duty, ready to hand it off to her most precious junior, the girl she had personally chosen to become a brand new light to illuminate the world.
“Ready, Akari-chan? I’ll be right by your side the whole way!” Sumire said.
“So will I!” came another voice.
“Hinaki-chan!” Akari said, briefly hugging her brand new friend as she arrived. “You made it!”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Hinaki said, laughing.
Ichigo was very nearly upon them now, smiling widely and not even remotely out of breath after a near marathon-level jog.
Akari’s admiration for this girl grew ever more, day by day, bit by bit, filling her soul with a warmth and joy she hadn’t thought possible…
And then Ichigo was there, slowing a little as Akari set off at a jog towards the school building, holding her hand out behind her in readiness.
“Here you go, Akari-chan!” Ichigo said, gently pressing the baton into her junior’s waiting hand. “It’s all yours now, make us proud!”
“I will! We will!” Akari replied, accelerating as her own honour guard fell in to either side, keeping pace.
The other students jogged behind, following their emissary, their chosen one, as cameras flashed and reporters reported. And, waiting for her at the entrance to the school, Mitsuishi Orihime, the legend herself.
Akari neared the school building’s entrance now, running through the centre of the four obelisks that lined the intersecting paths. She came to a gentle halt before the headmistress, her friends standing at attention behind her. They bowed.
“Headmistress Orihime!” Akari said, straightening and extending the baton, resting across both her outstretched palms. “I bring the Baton of Seasons, representing our will and our determination to do our best for this next year of Aikatsu! Please accept it!”
Orihime nodded. “I accept the offering of the Baton, Oozora Akari.” She took the proffered baton in both hands, raising it high above her head.
The assembled students cheered, and Akari finally let out a sigh of relief that this ordeal was over.
Sumire rushed forward to catch her just as her legs gave way. “You did well, Akari-chan,” she said, holding her limp friend tightly.
“Thanks…!” Akari murmured, before passing out.
Ichigo arrived and personally carried her off to the infirmary for a well-deserved rest. And this marked the official beginning of Akari’s – and her friends’ – passionate idol activities.
Or it would, just as soon as she came around.