Prelude! The Sunlit Garden.


In the glorious Ohtori Academy, gentle music cascaded through the music room and all areas in between. Rezo Karou sat at the black grand piano putting all of his soul into the sweet sound that caressed the very air.

And then he stopped.

Amelia stood in the doorway, clapping. "That was great!" she said, smile full of sunshine and luv. She walked over to the piano and its pianist. "Thanks to you that part yesterday turned out wonderfully."

In response he pressed down a single key. The clear note died soon after its birth. "I think that this piano needs tuning."

"Oh?" She looked puzzled. "It was just tuned a few days ago."

He sighed. "Then maybe I'm the one that required tuning." He again began to play, the same song as before.

"You always play this song when you're alone," she said, thoughtfully.

"Truth is, this is the only song I play that means anything at all to me. Strange ne?"

"No, no! It's beautiful!!" She picked up his music book and a little bit of dust fluttered from the pages. She sneezed and although her eyes darkened she kept her current composure.

As she flipped through the pages, Rezo began to explain. "It's about how I can't feel the eternal beauty I feel inside."

She gazed hatefully at the page she had stopped at. The page with a photo of that awful girl nestled between the paper. It was a candid photo of the girl watering the roses, a smile on her pale features although she obviously didn't know a picture was being taken. "What's the song's name, Rezo?" Amelia asked coldly.

"The Sunlit Garden."


"O~OHOHOHOHOHO!!" Naga laughed/wailed as she received her test grade. The evil math teacher had tried to best her, but she triumphed!! She passed....

With a 73.

She let out a great sigh and turned to Lina, who was still in her desk staring out the window. "Can you believe this?!" Naga shoved the paper in her friend's face.

"Sucks for you," Lina said tiredly.

"One day I shall triumph over the Evil Lord Precal Joe and show to him the superiority of NAGA THE WHITE SERPENT OHOHOHOHO!!!"

"You need common sense for that."

Naga dropped to her knees, leaning on Lina's desk. "How do you do it, Lina? How do you trick the Evil Lord Precal Joe into giving you A's or B's?"

Wordlessly, Lina held up her own test. A 65?

"Ne, Lina," Naga's purple/blue eyes where wide with shock. "You should really work on your common sense."

WHAM Lina's head slammed onto the desk. She picked herself up, a bright red mark on her forehead. "I'm going to have to take a make up test."

smirk "Sucks for you."


Sylphiel tapped her foot as she waited for the water to fill her watering can. Such a pretty day outside... have to make sure not to get the papers wet. Finally, she shut off the water, turned around -

SLAP Yes, a normal day. The sound echoed through the nearby vicinity and the golden watering can fell to the ground. Her papers fell from her perch, unnoticed.

"It's all your fault!!" Martina screeched.

"Yeah," piped one of her buddies.

"You said something to Rezo last night and he lost his confidence," accused the third.

Martina took a step forward. "Everyone knows how much he loves you!"

"But I don - "

click Seventeen seconds. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Erm... nothing? Bye!!" Martina tachi scurried off.

Rezo rushed to help Sylphiel. "I'm sorry, you must have been caught in a misunderstanding about me." He reached for her papers.

smile "It's alright."

His eyes widened in shock, then he smiled at the musical notes written on the page he was holding.


"Hmm?" Red eyes blinked and Lina leaned closer to the window. Sylphiel was walking and talking to a purple haired boy wearing an elaborate white and blue uniform. "Naga, who's that guy?"

Naga frowned at Lina. "You mean that you don't know?"

"Nope."

"He's Rezo Karou, the boy genius of the Student Council. He's just a freshman but he's studying college level work, great at spells and fences at a national level. Still..." her face contorted into puzzlement. "I can't figure out what he'd be doing with Sylphiel Himemiya."


She let her hand slide down the library's mahogany banister.... aha! She walked over to the boy, who was hunched over various papers. "Found you!" She graced him with a hearty slap on the back.

Rezo nearly screamed, but since the library is a place of learning he kept his composure. Good boy. "Luna-sempai!"

A smile crossed her beautiful features, eyes obscured by strait bangs. "If I can't find you at your dorm or the Council Room, you're almost surely to be here." She leaned over his shoulder and if her eyes where visible one would notice shock. "That's.... quite a test you're grading." Luna was, of course, referring to the butchered paper bleeding red marks from wrong answers. "Strange for a guy like you who keeps to himself so much."

He turned away, blushing slightly. "Luna-san... is it true that happiness is sometimes surprisingly close?"

One could swear that they saw pained blue under lavender. "...Yes, I suppose."


"I corrected your test for you." Rezo pushed the papers toward Sylphiel, who paused in mid tea pouring. She regarded him with a puzzled expression. "That teacher always gives tricky problems."

"Lucky," Lina muttered, lying on the top bunk of her dorm room while Sylphiel and Rezo sat at the coffee table. She looked at her notes in distaste. "Ne, Shabby-chan, maybe I should get a genius boyfriend."

"Shaa," the crablike monster replied, testing her eraser for edibility.

"Oh, Lina-san," Rezo glanced up to her direction. "I've been wanting to meet you for so long! I'm Rezo Karou."

"Meet me? Why?"

"Well, you're all we talk about these days."

"Who's 'we'?"

He held up his signet. "This is we."

She immediately shot up, her short height thankfully preventing her from hitting her head on the ceiling. "You too?! I suppose you're gonna try to fight for the Rose Bride as well!!"

"N-no!" he stuttered. "I'd never do that! I have no intention of fighting you to make Himemiya-san my bride!"

"You better not!" Holding one bed post with her right hand, she leaned off the bed, hair spilling over her shoulders. "Do you have any idea what a pain you people are?!" Using her ringed hand, she wagged her notes in front of his face. "We both have to take these damn make up exams because we where caught up in these dumb games!!"

Blinkblink "...Lina-san, you're taking a make up test too?"

Sweatdrop "....uh... blush yeah."

"Shaa!! >.<" Shabby-chan threw the eraser down in frustration, angered that it wasn't edible after all.


Rezo once again sat at the music room's grand piano, repeating the Sunlit Garden over and over... but something was different about the pitch, the tone, the sound. He recognized this as something special and closed his pale blue eye, feeling more content than he had in years.

Zel leaned against the wall, enjoying the sweet melody. "You're playing very well today," he complemented. "Normally your technique is a bit forced and overbearing, but now there's a whole new quality to the music all together." He smiled knowingly at the purple haired boy. "Did you finally find that 'Shining Thing' you told me about?"

"Yes," he replied happily. "I think I have! I just may be regaining that wonderful feeling I lost so long ago..." He let his mind wonder back into his memories - a sunny day, a garden, and a small white piano. Four small hands worked the miniature ivory keys and chibi Rezo gazed lovingly at the little girl playing beside him. Finally, the world washed away in a soft, white light and he found himself staring entranced at his candid photo of Sylphiel.

"I envy you Rezo. If you really did find that 'Shining Thing' you be sure to tell me what it is."

Amelia watched from the hallway, puzzled. What do they mean by 'shining thing'?


The sun set dramatically, washing the campus in red. Yes boys and girls, it's that time of day again.

Welcome to the Shadow Play Club practise.

A-ko: (dreamily) The first boy to fall for me was the school's genius!!

B-ko: Really?

A: But then...

B: But then?

A: He found out that I won't go to the mall on rainy Tuesdays, liked lots of garlic on my noodles -

B: (Holding nose) Phew!!

A: (Stuns Shadow Girl B) And liked pro wrestling!

B: Now I see what kind of girl you are! (Pulls on a trench coat and walks away, wind dramatically billows in the wind while A-ko falls to the ground in anguish)

A: (Jumping up and down) To get the girl...

B: (Also jumping) You have to know who she is!

Together: Do you know, do you know? Do you know who she is?


Ding dong "Hi." Lina opened the door to her dorm building. "Hey Rez - - oh." She smiled at the pretty brunette with the bright yellow headband. "Is that your girlfriend?"

DoubleblushSHOCK!!! "N-N-NO!! She wanted to study too, that's all!!!"

"I'm Amelia Kiryuu!!" she chirped. "Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise. Come on in, Sylph's waiting upstairs."


When they were all comftorably situated around Lina's and Sylphiel's coffee table, Rezo took a moment to study the dorm in earnest. "I had heard that this was a haunted house or something, but this room is so neat!"

"Well, that's because Sylphiel works herself to death to keep it clean."

"Ah!" Rezo commented. "You like to keep things clean, Sylphiel-san? Lina-san, you're so lucky to live with such a neat girl."

"Is that sarcasm? T_T"

"I'm so impressed!" Amelia gushed. Ohhh, strange itch again... "ACHOO!"

"Bless you," Lina said absently, eyeing her paper in order to determine where she went wrong.

Thanks.

- "Excuse me, Sylphiel-sempai?" Amelia blinked darkened eyes cutely. She reached for the Bride's pencil box. "May I borrow an eraser?"

"Ahhh!!" Amelia cried, yellow rose petals swirling dramaticaly around her. She fell to the ground, far too delicate of a madien to handle the horrific sight before her. "A snail!! She keeps a snail in her pencil box!"

Rezo and Lina gasped at the slimly little creature. Sylphiel glanced down, ashamed.

"Sylphiel-san, I've misjudged you!" cried Rezo.

"I'm shocked!" added Lina.

Sylphiel cowered on the floor for her dasterdly deeds as Amelia pointed the Finger O' Justice (tm) at her, Lina and Rezo standing behind her. "It's all over! Sylphiel is an Unjust Weirdo!" -

"Yosh! That's what will happen!" Amelia cried darkly. "I call it: Operation Sylphiel is an Unjust Weirdo Who Keeps a Snail In Her Pencil Box!!"

"Did you say something," Rezo asked.

Blinkblink "No, nothing." She rummaged in her school bag behind her- finally pulling up her prize with a pair of tongs - a little snail. Shimmer eyes "May I borrow an eraser, Sempai?" Not waiting for an answer, she flipped open the case aaaand....

"AAAAIIIIIEEEEEE!!! O.O " she screamed as hundreds of tiny snails popped out of the small pencil box. She scooted backwards towards the wall. "SNAILS!! THERE ARE SNAILS IN THERE!!!"

Lina looked up from her papers. "You're point?"

Amelia lept to her feet. "Don't either of you think that's weird?!"

"I think it's cute," Rezo genkied. "It's just like Sylphiel-san to do something like that."

"I told you not to put them there," Lina reminded. Damn things looked too much like slugs for her tastes.

CRASH And that was, of course, Amelia.

"Margerette, Jean, Juliette, I'll see you later. ^_^" Sylphiel carefully replaced her 'friends' in their home.

click 48 seconds. "I see it, Inverse-san. This is where you went wrong."

"Where?"

"Well, you see___"

Amelia again rummaged in the bag behind her, using both hands. You leave me no choice, Sylphiel. She veeery carefully pulled her prize from the bag - a full grown Garder Snake held by a larger pair of tonges.

- Amelia twinkle toed to Sylphiel's desk. "Kawaii! What a lovely desk, I wish I had one like it." She innocently opened a drawer -

"Ahhh!" she cried as yellow rose petals swirled around her dramaticaly. She fell to the ground, far too delicate a maiden to deal with the horrific sight before her. "A Garder Snake!! She keeps a Garder snake in there!" Rezo and Lina gasped at the lowly creature before them.

"Sylphiel-san! I've misjudged you!"

"I'm so shocked," Lina added.

Sylphiel cowered to the ground for her dastardly deed as Amelia pointed the FOJ (tm) at her, Lina and Rezo behind her. "The jig is up! Sylphiel is a Villanous Unjust Weirdo!" - -

"Yosh!" Amelia cried darkly. "That's what will happen! I call it Operation Sylphiel is a Villanous Unjust Weirdo WHo Keeps a Garder Snake in Her Desk Drawer!"

"Did you say something?" Rezo asked.

Blinkblink "No, nothing."

"What a kawaii desk, Sylphiel-sempai!" Amelia cried, tiptoeing to the said object, snake hidden behind her back. "I wish I had one like it." As her back was turned to the furniture, she didn't see the drawer open slightly. She didn't see the glowing, hungry eyes. SHe did notice when the animal she was carrying gained a lot of weight. Puzzled, she pulled the tongs out infront of her, a mongoose slurping up the remains of the snake like spagetti.

Her face fell into that of a child who had lost their toy. "i - I was up all night, trying to catch - "

Sylphiel looked up and smiled. "You've found the drawer where Mongoose-san lives."

"I told you not to put him there," lina sighed.

"I think it's cute," Rezo genkied. "It's just like Sylphiel-san to do something like that."

"She has a mongoose!" Amelia screeched. "Don't either of you think that's weird?!?!!?!"

Sylphie carefully replace her 'friend' in its home. "We're studying, so I'll have to see you later. Did you enjoy eating that mean ol snake?"

CRASH We all know who that was right?

click Seven minutes... "What do I do here?" Lina asked.

"Well..."

As annoyed as she was, Amelia found herself victim to Anime Eyetwitch Syndrome as she again rummaged through her bag o goodies. If that's how you're going to play it! I REALLY didn't want to use this... And what did she pull up this time? Why, a live octopus of course! Yeesh, what did you expect? Hm? Oh, yes she is wearing gloves. Ewwww.

- "My, what a lovely closet!" Amelia squealed. "I wish that I had one like it." She innocently opened the door -

"Ahh!" she cried, yellow rose petals swirling around her. She fell to the ground, far too delicate a maiden to handly the horrific sight before her. "An octopus! There's an octopus in there!" Lina and Rezo gasped at the lowly creature.

"Sylphiel-san, I've misjudged you!" Rezo exclaimed.

"I'm so shocked," Lina added.

Sylphiel cowered to the ground for her wicked deeds as Amelia pointed the FOJ (tm) at her, Lina and Rezo standing behind her. "The jig is REALLY up now, Sylphiel Himemiya!!" -

"Yosh! That has to be what will happen!!" Amelia cried darkly, several hairs out of place. "I call it; Operation Sylphiel is a Great Big Villanous Unjust Wierdo Who Keeps an Octopus in Her Closet!"

"Did you say something?" Rezo asked.

Blinkblink "NOTHING!!"

"What a cute closet, Sempai!" Amelia cooed creeping to the said object, the octopus squirming behind her. Prepare yourself, Sylphiel Himemiya. I'll beat you... with this octopus!! She let out a horrible laugh that was all too familiar and THREW open the closet doors.

"Hey!" Lina called out as soon as she realized what was happening.

Too late.

Amelia screamed in terror as something BIG and RED stumbled out of the tight confines of the closet. Gravity is a harsh mistress.

Gravity:1 Amelia:0

Lina closed a ruby eye, remembering her own ill fated encounters. "It's kind of dangerous to just open closet doors around here." She was, of course, referring to the giant octopus crushing poor Amelia.

"This... can't be real." Pobresito, she had that glazed look in her eyes. "How can this huge octopus be here?" Never mind that she had just pulled a live one from her bag or that said live one was now happily squirming about on the bigger one.

"Don't you recognize it?" Rezo asked. "It's the ad balloon from last year's class festival."

What, didn't think it was real did you?

"I felt sorry for it when they threw it away," Sylphiel explained. "So I brought it back here."

Lina rested her head on one hand, exasperated. "Didn't you say that you where going to throw that thing out?"

"I think it's cute," Rezo genkied. "It's just like Syphiel-san to do something like that."

Fortunately for Amelia, she was already pinned to the floor and could not crash down.


"Here," Rezo handed the papers back to Lina. "you know x=3, so just substitute it."

"I get it!"

Sylphiel scribbled furiously in her notebook, unnoticed.

"Is this right?" Lina handed the paper back to Rezo.

"You've got it!"

"Wow, thanks genius boy, you make this stuff seem like cake!" Mmmm, caaake.

"It's nothing - " Further conversation was cut off by rustling papers and Sylphiel's giggling. What was she laughing at? The mini cartoon she had drawn in her notebook, of course! What, didn't think she was really studuing, did you?

She continued to giggle at the cute little animals she had drawn as she flipped the pages over and over and over and.... Rezo and Lina stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Sylphiel," Lina pleaded, her eyebrow twitching. "Be serious, the test is next week!"

giggle "Y-yes, Lina-sama."

The Victor sighed as the clock struck seven. "That late already? Ne, all that work makes me hungry! Wanna snack, Rezo?"

"Sure."

"And you, Amelia? Amelia?"

Amelia stared off into space, her eyes going from light to dark to back again. Apparently she was still in shock.

"Amelia?" Rezo asked, cautiously.

"Eh? .....Oh, a snack" She pulled a large box out of her talented bag. "I actually made us all a snack, I hope you all like it." She opened her containder and therer lay Shabby-chan admist a pile of crumbs. "A-another animal?" Anime Eyetwitch is chronic ^^; "Is this another of Sylphiel-san's friends?"

"Shabby-chan!" Sylphiel scolded. "Shame on you!"

The mini Demon King burped and picked at his intimidating teeth with a tooth pick.

"THESE ANIMALS!!! >.<" Uh oh, steam coming out of the ears can't be a good thing.

"I'm sorry, Amelia-san!" Sylphiel scrambled to her feet. "I'll make us something instead."


Lina allowed herself a dopey grin. She luved shaved ice.

"It's really delicious when you mix the lemon and strawberry," Sylphiel advised her Victor.

As the others ate, Amelia rocked back and forth, muttering under her breath. "Animals. Animals. Animals. Animals."

"You HAVE to give me the recipe for this, Sylphiel-san!" Rezo cheered.

"Amelia-san?" Sylphiel looked up and smiled. "You should eat your ice before it melts."

"...You must be kidding me."

Rezo narrowed his open eye. "You should really be more respectful to an upperclassman.

"Snails in her pencil box, a live mongoose in her desk drawer, an octopus balloon in her closet - "

"Shaa!!" Shabby-chan cried as the live octopus attacked him and took his shaved ice. He was ignored.

" - And now, shaved ice for dinner?! You're making me sick! I have a very delicate stomach!!" Things where NOT following the 'way it is'!!

"I like shaved ice," Rezo defended.

"Shaa!!" Shabby-chan wailed. He was fighting a losing battle.

"Too bad about your stomach," Lina said around a mouthful of cold, syrupy goodness.

Amelia slammed her fist onto the table. "This isn't about my stomach! Why does everyone like her so much?!"

"Amelia-san, didn't you say that you wanted to be Sylphiel-san's friend?"

She haughtily turned her nose up in the air. "What do you mean? You're in love with her, aren't you Rezo?!"

"Well..." blush

"Wait!" Lina interrupted, looking over to the unoccupied side of the table. "Where did Sylphiel go?"

"Eh?" Rezo looked over, and she was indeed gone.

"Achoo!!" Amelia's eyes lightened and she held a worried expression on her face. "Perhaps she was tired of studying."


Sylphiel tiredly sat down at the building's smallish piano. "Hi, Shabby-chan."

He looked up adoringly at her with ruby red eyes as he handed her some sheets of paper.


Lina rose to her feet. "I'm going to look for her."

"I'll help you." Rezo rose to his own feet.

All three paused as the faintest wisps of sweet music filtered into the room. "A piano?" Rezo turned around in a full circle.

Amelia looked up at him. "Isn't that the song you always play?"


All three of them watched from the door as Sylphiel played the smallish piano.

"I didn't know that Sylphiel could play," Lina grinned.

A warm garden, little Rezo sharing the piano with a little girl...

"It's the same..." Rezo murmured. "The same touch as my little sister's. It's the Sunlit Garden."

Sylphiel sat, enraptured at the activity at hand. She didn't acknowledge them, but she never closed her eyes to them either.

He looked at her, an angle in soft light - the only real illumination in the room. He let both eyes open appreciatively, even his monstrous right eye deserved to behold such a lovely sight. I finally found it, my Shining Thing...


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