I do not own Yumeiro Patissiere

The legendary sweets spirits?

A few days after meeting Henri Lucas, Ichigo arrived at the St. Marie Academy in Nijigaoka. The boarding school looked magnificent; it was huge and it looked more like a castle. Ichigo had seen the pictures in the school guide, but it looked more wonderful to her with seeing it for real. The school also had a huge school ground and a very big garden. "Even though I've only been here for a few minutes, I already like it here," Ichigo said to herself "it's a pity though that Henri-sensei isn't here though". Henri Lucas had to go back to the St Marie Academy in Paris for business, so he wouldn't be teaching in the school in Japan. "Never mind he will probably come back here again, after he's done with his business in Paris".

Just then Ichigo saw a big statue in the middle of the school grounds. The statue looked like a fairy queen. "What statue is this?" Ichigo asked herself. She was just about to look it up in the school guide, when suddenly a girl her age answered her question. "That is the queen of the sweets spirits," she said "there's a story that says the sweets spirits are spirits that are said to visit this school and watch the patissiers and patissieres here at work". Ichigo was amazed by the story. The girl introduced herself as Rumi Katou and explained that she was Ichigo's roommate. "I'll lead you to your dorm room". Ichigo looked at the statue one more time and followed Rumi to the girl's dorm room.

The girl's dorm was the size of a very big house, and the rooms turned out to be big as well. "All the luggage from your home is already here," said Rumi "I'll help you sort it out this evening". "Thanks' Rumi" said Ichigo. She could already see that she had a good friend in Rumi. Just then the school bell ran and it was time to head over for classes. Rumi had to go at once to help prepare the ingredients for the cooking classes, so Ichigo was left alone to find the classrooms.

As the school was very big, Ichigo had no idea how to get to the classroom. "I better ask someone where the classrooms are, otherwise I will be late" she said. Suddenly a bunch of roses appeared in front of her. "Nice to meet you Ichigo Amano" said a voice. A boy, with green hair, was standing next to her and he was holding the bunch of roses. "I'm Satsuki Hanabusa," said the boy "and you and I are in the same class together". He gave her the roses as a welcome present. Ichigo accepted the roses and thanked Satsuki. 'He's a nice boy' she thought. When she smelt the roses, she realised that the roses were made from hard candy. Satsuki explained to Ichigo that he had grown up with roses all his life and that he liked to make sweets based on roses. "I understand that actually," said Ichigo "I grew up with strawberries all my life, so I like making sweets with strawberries". Her grandmother grew strawberries in her garden and Ichigo loved it very much.

Satsuki led the way to the classroom. Along the way Ichigo met Satsuki's friends. They were all boys and their names were Sennosuke Andou and Makato Kashino. Sennosuke Andou was a blue-grey haired boy with glasses and he was also very nice. Makato Kashino, a blonde haired boy, turned out to be a boy who had a rude personality and he looked so serious. Ichigo couldn't understand how two nice boys like Satsuki and Sennosuke could be friends with a rude guy like Makato. She noticed that Makato was carrying a sculptor made out of chocolate and asked him if he made it. "If you want to know, yes I did" said Makato. 'Then he is a chocolate making expert' thought Ichigo. Ichigo learnt that Satsuki specialised in candy sculptures, Makoto specialised in chocolate and Sennosuke specialised in Japanese sweets. She thought that they must be real experts in making sweets. 'I'll need to do my best of trying to be as good as them' she thought.

Soon they reached their classroom and Ichigo introduced herself to the other students. Some students walked up to Ichigo. "You're lucky to have entered this classroom with the sweets princes" said one of the girls. "Sweets princes?" asked Ichigo. The girls explained to her that Sennosuke, Satsuki and Makato were called the sweets princes because they were top of the class in making sweets. 'Amazing,' thought Ichigo 'so that means they must be talented patissiers. But this won't scare me because I have practiced making sweets for a long time'.

Later on it was time for a cooking class and Ichigo was wearing a cooking uniform. "It's been a while since I last wore clothes that pastry chefs wear" she said. The last time she wore one was when she was last at her uncle's shop. The teacher of the class was a woman named Ameya-sensei and Ichigo introduced herself to her. "Amano you are in group A with the sweets princes" she said. Ichigo and everyone else were surprised that she was placed in the highest group. "Please excuse me sensei, but there must be a mistake," she said "I can't be in the top group surely". "Henri-sensei recommended that you shall be in group A" said Ameya-sensei. Ichigo again was surprised by that, but if Henri-sensei recommended it then there was no point in arguing about it now. 'I'll just do what he says, but I'll probably be switched to another group later' she thought.

Now it was time to cook. Today's lesson was to make a mille crepe; a mille crepe was a french cake made with 20 layers of crepes, with a filling of pastry cream between the crepes. Ichigo was happy with this because she made mille crepes many times before, mainly at home when her parents weren't around. She calmly made the crepe batter with flour, eggs, butter, milk and sugar, and then she made the cream filling and cut up some strawberries. She was also making sure to smile while making everything; she wanted to make sweets to make people smile, and to do that she had to have a happy heart while working. If she didn't then the sweets wouldn't turn out happy. Unbeknown to her, she was being watched by the other students; they wanted to know how capable she was with making sweets. The sweets princes were also curious about how she was with making sweets and watched her with interest. After mixing the batter and cream, she calmly cooked the 20 crepes with ease, then spread the cream and places strawberry pieces between the layers, and then finally her strawberry mille crepe was finished. Ameya-sensei came over to inspect it. "You made this very well Amano on your first day," she said "I take it you've practiced making this before?" "Yes sensei, I've practiced this many times before" answered Ichigo.

Makato tried a bit of Ichigo's mille crepe. "I can tell from this taste that you have indeed practiced before," he said "but have you practiced making other sweets apart from this before?" Ichigo didn't like Makato's attitude; he was acting like he was the judge of this school, just because he was in the top group. "If you must know yes" she said. She was not going to let him put her down. "I have practiced making sweets ever since I was five years old. And I learnt how to make sweets from an actual patissier and patissiere thank you very much. Besides if I never practiced making sweets, then I wouldn't have had the desire to become a patissiere would I?" Ichigo and Makato looked at each other with cross faces; it looked like a showdown between them was going to happen any second now. The students watched with interest; no one had ever stood up to Makato like that before. "Okay that's enough now," said Ameya-sensei "Kashino and Amano, no more arguments, and everyone tidy up now".

That evening at dinner, Ichigo was sitting at a table with Rumi and the other students in group C. Even though Ichigo had only been at the school for a few hours, she had already made friends. "Say Ichigo who was that taught you how to make sweets?" asked a girl named Kana Koizumi. Ichigo explained about her grandma and uncle Hikaru teaching her how to make cakes. "Wow that's nice," said Rumi "who else taught you?" "I also learnt some things at my last school and I also taught myself by practicing at home and school". Her friends were amazed. "I still don't see why I'm in the top group," said Ichigo "I mean I know I've practiced a lot, but I'm nowhere near at the sweets princes' level". "Don't you worry Ichigo," said Rumi "I believe that you will be as great as a patissiere. Why you might become a sweets princess". Ichigo and the others laughed at Rumi's joke. The sweet princes were watching over Ichigo. "I feel that Ichigo is going to do great here" said Satsuki. "Yes me too," said Sennosuke "you should have faith in her Makato". "Yeah, I mean she has practiced making sweets before and she's different from other girls" said Satsuki. Makato just huffed. The truth is he was one those types of boys, who didn't believe in girls and their strengths.

That night, when everyone was asleep, Ichigo couldn't sleep. She was still anxious about being in a group with the top students. To calm herself, she walked out of the dorms and went to the kitchen to make something sweet to eat. Eating sweets always calmed her nerves. She decided to make the mille crepe she made in class. "I still say that Henri-sensei has made a mistake about placing me in group A," she said "I feel I should be in a lower group. But I'm not letting that put me off. My wish is to become a patissiere like my grandma and I am going to make that wish come true no matter what". "That's the spirit Ichigo" said a voice.

The voice came from a little girl fairy standing on the table, holding a spoon. "Who are you?" gasped Ichigo. "My name is Vanilla, a sweets spirits" said the fairy. "So you're a sweets spirit," said Ichigo "but what are sweets spirits?" "We are little winged spirits living in the sweets kingdom, which is ruled over by our queen," Vanilla explained "and we are born to make delicious sweets. We also come here to search for a human partner in the human world, and we spirits work with the humans make sweets together. And now I have found my partner, which is you Ichigo". "What?" gasped Ichigo "why me?" "Because I can sense you are a girl with a kind happy heart," said Vanilla "and you also love sweets and have a strong determination to never give up on your dream to become a patissiere". "Do you have a dream too Vanilla?" asked Ichigo. "Yes I do," said Vanilla "my dream is to become a royal patissiere in the sweets kingdom". Ichigo could see that Vanilla was like her. "Want to make the strawberry mille crepe with me?" she asked. "Of course, that's why I'm here" said Vanilla.

Together Vanilla and Ichigo worked together to make the strawberry mille crepe. Vanilla watched Ichigo carefully while she made the crepes and everything else. "I watched you ever since you entered the school and I saw you making the mille crepe in class" said Vanilla. "Did you also hear about when I told Kashino about me learning to make sweets ever since I was a little girl?" asked Ichigo. "Yes I did," said Vanilla "I was also impressed with how you stood up to him". "Let me tell you something Vanilla," said Ichigo "I hate those who act like they are the top of everything. I mean I know that Kashino is the top of the lass, but he still didn't have to look down on me like I'm a lowly peasant". "Tell me about it," said Vanilla "I have a rival who also acts like she knows everything". After the mille crepe was finished, Vanilla waved her spoon over it, and then a card appeared and then the card went through the painting of the sweets spirits queen that hung in the kitchen. "What was that?" asked Ichigo. Vanilla explained that after a human partner makes new sweets, the sweets change into a recipe card and is given to the sweets spirits queen. "And the more cards a spirit gives the queen, the more points they earn to get the chance of becoming a royal courts patissiere". "I see," said Ichigo "well Vanilla, let's pursue our dreams together". She and Vanilla shook hands with each other and then they ate the mille crepe together.

Ichigo felt much better after having the mille crepe, and with Vanilla on her side, she felt she would become a great patissiere in the future.

Ichigo should have practiced making sweets with her grandma and uncle in the past.