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Crescendo con Affectto

By: Yuuna Miyako

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Summary: Both Eriol and Tomoyo attend Clow, a conservatory of music and arts. Both have amazing skill, but both have hindrances that prevent them for using their ability to the fullest. When both of them meet, what will happen?

Parings: E x T – S x S

Authoress Notes: I'm actually escaping from my terrible writers block for the Wedding Planner's Romance. I really thought I had it all together for the next chapter but when I started writing, it didn't fit very well. So I'm remaking my ideas XD. While I'm on it, I decided to write chapter four for Cresendo, since this story was already well outlined. BTW, I noticed my shallow writing for chapter three so I want to inform you guys that I edited it. Please re-read chapter three if you guys have the patience to do so.

Please do enjoy chapter four!

Review? Please? -^_^-

Review Responses:

Midnight Ghost - I noticed~So I edited that chapter.

asga - I'm happy too. It's one of my best works so I gotta have some hope for it!

brokenshadow23 - Updated. And It's not impossible to write musical stories. There is always inspiration out there. You just need to do a lot of feeling and writing practices. That's what I did XD.

Norymar Potter C. - Thanks, and updated. I hope you enjoy this XD.

pinchess07 - *Showers with more*

Jensniffer- Thanks!

cheng - It'll be kind of a switch off between Eriol and Tomoyo. Though, this chapter is Eriol again.

iluvthis. - Soon ~ And I'll do try to finish this story. Slowly XD.

Fickle Luck - I dunno XD. I watched the movie long time ago, It probably rubbed on me. But Syao-chan isn't bad as an art student XD. I have other ideas as well... His drumming exterior could be such a pain.

Property Of Eriol - LoL. GOGOGO!~

IV. Le Joueur de cornemuse Bigarré de Hamelin -- -- The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The cerulean haired man stormed out the office, blindly going against the flow of the crowd, which were headed to the opposite direction. Everyone was already headed to Melodia, the school's main performance hall, while Eriol didn't even know where he was headed. He wanted to run away; he didn't want to hear music any longer; he didn't want to play any longer…

But why can't he let himself do it?

What's holding him to this place?

Anguish filled his very soul as he aimlessly walking up the elite building, just following where his feet were taking him. Just like he didn't know where is headed, he also didn't know what to do. He just felt like quitting music altogether. Besides, what's the point of music without her—the reason he played his heart out—in the first place?

Somehow, he found himself standing in the doors of a practice room…

Not any regular practice room…

The same practice room he and Kaho spent together.

With great self will he opened the door as he stepped in. Everything didn't matter, but somehow the grand piano in the middle was somehow calling him. No matter how much he wanted to resist trying to just press a key, the urge to play was stronger.

Why?

Wasn't the reason why he wanted to play was Kaho?

But he knew the urge was great, so he finally gave up fighting it and allowing to pour himself out through music. He sat down the black uniformed piano seat as he positioned both his feet in the pedals and his hands through the keys.

Then he played—notes thundered, deep and dark, causing anybody who heard it to simply stop and call their emotions out. Eriol continued, allowing himself to be sucked in his own world, as his hands bolted from key to key, chord to chord, note to note.

The piece was definitely the essence of sadness itself, though a dark kind of beauty resound it. Playing the piano served like an anesthesia to Eriol's current pain, leaving his own body to numbly play out his feelings for everyone and anyone to hear. Complicated notes started being played in fast measures, increasing and increasing…

…then it slowed down. The soft slow tune made it seem like you're walking in glass or through a forest of thorns and bristles.

He continued, he just did—not even caring what's happening out the world around him. Not caring if the world heard how he really feels.

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Sakura Kinomoto, the golden haired friend of Tomoyo Daidouji found herself completely lost to where to go. She asked to go to the restroom earlier, but when she returned to the classroom, everyone is gone. Not only that, there was no hint of anyone in the building, but herself.

"What?" Sakura felt her heart beat fast, too fast for her liking. So to calm herself down she took her flute with her, as she exited the classroom, deciding to find where everyone is.

"The preforman—"

That's when she heard it.

Because the whole building was quiet and still, she heard the tune slightly. Curiousity grabbed a hold of her adventurous heart, and because of this, she felt herself drawn to the unusual tune. A part of her wanted to just go ahead to the performance hall, where everyone is most likely to be present. Yet, a bigger part of her wanted to discover the secrets of the lone tune.

Excitement boiled in her blood as she slowly took steps toward the stair case.

"It looks like it's coming from one of the upper floors." Sakura said to herself as she held her silver flute tightly in front of her chest. Without hesitation she continued, walking and walking, with a hidden desire to know who's behind all of this.

Sakura managed to step in the highest floor of the elite building, now clearly hearing the song as clear as glass. She felt her legs stiffen and her arms forming goosebumps when the notes reached her ears.

Then she felt something roll down her cheek, and in an instant she touched her face.

She was crying.

"Why?" She whispered as tears continued to roll down, "Why does my heart fill so heavy?" She hated feeling this way, it was so unlike her.

It was definitely the song being played. It was painful, sad—so much so that it could move anyone and anybody to tears. That included the ever cheerful Sakura Kinomoto. Sakura's tears never failed to fall as she slowly continued through her venture down the hall…

…then she spotted the room with an open door.

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More notes we're being packed in the measure, faster and faster they rolled and deeper and deeper they sounded. The very anguish he felt was being played out through the piano—

Then he heard a sniff.

Quickly, Eriol Hiiragizawa stopped, as he quickly opened his eyes, waking himself up from the trance. His eyes flew to the door of the practice room he failed to close, and there stood a somehow familiar golden haired girl, with tears running down her face.

"What the heck…" Eriol muttered. He still felt dazed, being snapped out a dream.

"That was so sad!" The girl cried, "I can't stop crying!"

Noticing the unusual predicament, Eriol find himself walk towards her and felt a little panicky. Was it his fault she was crying this way? He felt so stupid as he blankly watched her cry in front of him. She was sniffing like there was no tomorrow—it reminded him of—

A slight chuckle came off Eriol as an unusual picture popped in his mind. From all the times to think about that, suddenly it wedged through his memory. He bit his lip to stop him from laughing but one more string to cut and he'll probably just burst out.

Sakura looked up, as her tearstained face was finally visible to the cerulean haired young man. He looked at her with a stupid smiley face that made Sakura wondered twice if he was the very same person who played such music earlier.

"Now stop crying—" Eriol patted her head, "You—"

"You—"

Both eyes blinked at the same time, finally locating the familiar face in the part of their memory. They both remembered the audition. Then finally, in Sakura's surprise, Eriol burst out laughing, completely shattering the once depressing feeling that loomed the room.

Sakura smiled softly, "It's nice to see you happy again."

"Huh?"

"I heard the song—It was…"

"I know."

Both of them understood—besides, they were musicians weren't they?

Sakura had the urge to play and because of this she did. Her dainty fingers pressed every silver button of the flute, as a light, cheerful song was created. Eriol closed his eyes as he listened to the girl's music, lightening him up.

She no doubt has the Pied Piper gene. Eriol was amazed how easily her music cheered him up. It's like pulling him out in the deep darkness he allowed himself to sink to no matter he wanted it or not. He felt like dancing along the music for god's sakes. But of course, to keep his sanity intact he managed to just control his emotions and just listened to it very carefully. He opened his eyes again as he watched her once tearful countenance illuminate to something much more like her, a bright, cheerful person. So bright that she herself could replace the sun.

Her music could leave her audience in a giggling and smiley state, a style of music that one would want to have. Her way of playing and the expression she left in the audition was the main reason why she successfully managed to qualify for the elite level.

Her song ended with two cheerful notes.

"Thanks." Eriol grinned.

"No problem," She smiled, "I really don't know what happened, but it's the least I could do."

"I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, you? If I remembered your name correctly, it's like, Sakuya Kaneshiro."

"Sakura Kinomoto." Sakura corrected.

"Wait," Eriol said slowly, "Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in the performance hall?"

"Oh yeah," Sakura said brightly. Then blinked.

"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the young man by the arm, "You should go with me too!"

"What?!" Eriol said, "No way!"

"You can't run from music forever."

Eriol knew she was right. Because of this, he willingly gave up, allowing the unusually cheerful girl to drag him wherever she's headed to go.

end of-- Le Joueur de cornemuse Bigarré de Hamelin

next chapter—Parmi les Voix