Paint & Treble: Duo Overture
	Chapter 1 - The Artsy Trio
	Written by: CS-Masyet
	Previous version: March 20, 2010 (est.) Uploaded on: January 20, 2016 New Style Remake: February 21, 2017

Ail

Neturus High.

That was the name of the high school I had chosen to transfer to.

It wasn't special or anything. Heck, you can't really expect much out of a school that chose to simply name itself after the region it's located in instead of something more original. It's also not really known for anything important, or is even well-known at all, despite it being located in the very middle of the region.

So why did I pick this school out of my many other choices? Well, honestly, my reason is as boring as this school is. Or should I say reasons: the entrace exam was easy, and both the cost of tuition and staying at this school's dorms is really cheap. This school also isn't too far from where I used to live, so getting here from there was pretty easy, too; it was just about an hour ride by taxi.

And now I'm here, at my school, Neturus High. Today's the day, my first day at my new school... Well, technically, it's my second day, as I had arrived a day early to move and settle into my dorm room. Well, whatever. In this situation, it doesn't really matter...

--

School overall has never been all that much fun for me. Yet, for some reason, I always feel at least a bit of excitement when going to a new school. Maybe it's because I wonder if the next school will be "the one"; the one school that would change everything. The school that I would finally have that grand school experience that I've always dreamed of, ever since I was a kid. However, each new school I would go to turned out to be even more boring and dull than the last. Of course, my hope for that experience has begun to dwindle over time; in fact I can hardly even remember what exactly I wanted my great school life to be like in the first place.

Just like with the other schools, I felt a flicker of excitement when first arriving at Neturus High. Maybe it's because, unlike my previous schools, this one is in a different part of the region? Because unlike my previous schools, not a single one of my classmates will know who I am? This school's slogan is "A Place of Infinite Possibilities"...

... But from what I've heard about this school, and from what my other experiences of school have been like, I'm sure this one won't be any different...

I finally stepped through the school's main entranceway, for the first time. The school itself was fairly large, but I didn't really realize how large it actually was until I had actually stepped foot into the building. I then breathed a sigh of relief, feeling glad that my classes all took place in rooms on the first floor, as having to climb the stairs to class every day would be a huge pain.

Ail   "If I remember correctly, my first class is in room 17."

After finding the right numbered room (with little difficulty, thankfully), I entered it nonchalantly. Not really caring about where I wanted to sit, I picked the first empty seat I saw; one at the front row.

I heard a few people chatting with each other, but most of them were slumped over at their own desks. Almost no one was in a very good mood, mostly because the room was abnormally warm. I can only imagine that whichever mythical Spirit Guardian is in charge of controlling the weather forgot that it's supposed to be autumn during the end of September, not summer. Either that, or this part of the region's weather patterns are just really weird.

Teacher   "Quiet down, everyone. Everyone, get back to their seats."

The room became completely silent, once the teacher had walked into the room. They did as they were told immediately, without a single ounce of protest. The teacher didn't seem to be very happy about the room's temperature either, but she tried her best not to let it bother her.

Teacher   "We have two new transfer students today. I am Ms. Reachet, your homeroom teacher. The both of you should get up and introduce yourselves."

Having to introduce myself immediately wasn't very surprising, especially since I've had to at every new school I've been to. But that other statement she made, on the other hand...

Ail   Two transfer students? There's another one here besides me? What are the odds, especially in the same class?!

As I thought about this, Ms. Reachet pointed to me.

Ms. Reachet   "You. Introduce yourself first."

Ail   Of course she chose me first... Oh well.

I got up, then said aloud my "well-thought-out" intro.

Ail   "I'm Ail, I'm 16 years old, and I've just moved here from southern Neturus. Nice to meet you all, I guess."

I then sat back down, deciding that would satisfy the teacher and the other students.

Ms. Reachet   "Is that all you're going to say?! You call that an introduction!?"

Ms. Reachet gave me a not-too-happy stare down, apparently not satisfied with my intro. However, I was pretty sure some of the other students gave even less original intros when they first started school, so I decided to ignore her angry glare.

Ms. Reachet   "... Never mind. It's your turn now, other transfer student."

She eventually gave up, and pointed to the guy sitting to the left of me next.

The boy stood up slowly. He looked rather short and effeminate, and seemed really uneasy and timid. He looked like the type of person who didn't like standing out, but that would be pretty hard for him not to do, as he was wearing a sweatshirt in this almost 80 degree room for some reason.

???   "M-my name... is Tear..."

He stammered, looking down nervously. His voice was so quiet that even I could barely hear him, even though I was sitting right next to him.

Ms. Reachet   "... And?"

Tear   "U-uh... um... I-I'm 15 years old, and I've just moved to Neturus..."

Ail   Just moved to Neturus? I guess he's a foreigner, then...

Ms. Reachet   "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Tear   "U-um, no thanks... I-I'm done..."

Tear answered, before sitting back down quickly. He nervously stared right down at his desk, while Ms. Reachet continued to glare at him. Eventually though, she gave up and walked away from him. Even I had to admit that the teacher was pretty scary looking, so I kind of felt sorry for Tear. But at the same time, there was also one thing that bothered me about him...

Ail   That guy totally just copied my intro, didn't he?

It didn't bother me that much, but it still kinda bugged me. Because of that, I inadvertently started glaring at him too.

Tear   "E-eh?!"

Tear noticed my angry stare, and backed away from me. As much as he could in his small seat, anyway.

Classmates   "Uh oh, he's dead meat..." "That scary guy's picked his first target!" "The other newbie's a goner!"

Two students decided to comment, apparently thinking I couldn't hear them.

Ail   "Scary guy"? Really...? I'm assuming that's the name they've chosen to give me, as there's nothing terrifying about Tear in the slightest...

I turned my attention to the whispering students behind me, and they immediately became quiet.

Ail   ... Yeah, that confirms it. I've only been in here for... what? A couple minutes? And everyone's already afraid of me. This is a bit ridiculous...

Ms. Reachet   "Why can't anyone give a proper introduction anymore? I've only been teaching for about a year now, but this job is already beginning to make me overstressed..."

Ail   I hope it's just the heat that's making you this moody, because I really don't want to see you like this all the time...

???   "If it's a proper introduction you need... Then I, the Master Chef, will be more than glad to supply you with one!"

Someone exclaimed from the back of the room, standing up suddenly.

Ail   Who is that... imbecile? And how the heck did he hear her from all the way back there?!

???   "The given name for yours truly is Barry Fesch. But the title that I should be always be referred to as, is of course, the Master Chef!"

He then took out and held up a spatula, in a "valiant" pose. A few people looked at him strangely, but for the most part, no one was really fazed by what he was doing.

Ms. Reachet   "Why are introducing yourself again, Barry? We already know who you are."

"Master Chef"   "The Master Chef is aware that he already introduced himself. But the two transferees have not had the pleasure of hearing the Master Chef's introduction, have they? The Master Chef merely felt sorry fo-..."

Ms. Reachet   "Enough. Sit down so we can start class."

She cut him off, not caring at all about what he was saying.

Ail   Huh, maybe she won't be so bad after all...

--

Our first lecture for the day was pretty long, almost lasting three hours. I'm assuming it's because the two transferees, one of them being me of course, needed to learn what the rest of the students have been learning in Ms. Reachet's class. It must suck for my classmates, as they've had to spend so long going over five months' worth of stuff they've learned already, but I don't particularly care. If it's any consolation, we all got to have lunch break right after.

As soon as I made it to the cafeteria, I knew finding a place to sit wouldn't be easy. Not because they weren't a lot of tables or anything, but considering the reactions I got from my fellow students, I knew they probably wouldn't be very comfortable sitting with me. So I was forced to hunt for a completely vacant table, among the gazillions of them occupied by other people.

Ail   Eureka!

I almost shouted out loud, as soon as I found a table no one was sitting at. It felt like a miracle that among this sea of people, I actually found one I could have all to myself so easily. It almost seemed too good to be true...

... and that's because it was.

As soon as I took a seat, I noticed that one of the other chairs next to me had a bag placed on it. I was sure it was done so by someone else to "call dibs on" that seat while they were away buying lunch.

Ail   Ah, screw it! If they don't want to sit with me, it's their problem; they can just move. There's no way I'm giving up my miracle table!

Ultimately deciding to stay put, I took out a bottle of water and a sandwich I'd bought yesterday.

Ail   I do wonder, though... Who exactly left their bag here, anyways? It's the only one here, and since there was no one at this table when I got here, I'm guessing they must prefer to be alone... Or maybe they just haven't been able to make any friends?

Ail   "T-that's... just like..."

Ail   ... N-no, I'm just overthinking it. Who cares about who's bag it is, anyways!

As soon as I stopped thinking about it, the bag's owner returned to the table they "claimed". And that person was...

Ail   The other transfer student?! Seriously, what are the chances!?

Tear   "I can't believe I forgot to bring money to buy lunch..."

Tear said to himself in his usual quiet voice, walking toward the table. He moved his bag onto the floor, sitting in the chair in its place. He sat there quietly, not seeming to notice me right away.

Ail   "... Yo."

Tear   "Eeeyah!"

He exclaimed in a kind of girly voice, seemingly startled after becoming aware of my presence.

Tear   "W-what are y-you doing here...?!"

Ail   "Too bad for you, but the 'demon' of room 17 has taken over this table. So you'd better take a hike, fellow newbie."

Tear said nothing, only staring at me with fear in his eyes. As soon as I'd finish talking, he immediately began to grab his bag, get up, and walk away...

Ail   "Hold on, stop."

I stopped him by grabbing the side of his sweatshirt, before he attempted his first ever 100-meter dash.

Ail   "I was only kidding, sheesh. And besides, I'm pretty sure it's too late to find a new seat right now; it's almost the middle of lunch break."

He hesitantly returned to where he was previously sitting, looking defeated. He tried his best to look away from me though, still choosing to stay silent. I decided to ignore him and continue eating what was left of my sandwich.

Ail   I guess it's better for me if he sits there quietly. This way, I get to eat my food in peace...

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him occasionally glancing over in my direction. Or, to be more specific, at my sandwich.

Ail   "Can I help you...?"

Tear   "N-no, it's nothing! I-I'm just... a bit..."

Ail   "Just a bit what?"

Tear   "I-it's nothing, never mi-..."

He began to say, but was interrupted by a loud growling noise, coming from his stomach. Obviously, he was pretty embarrassed by this, and hugged his stomach nervously.

Ail   "..."

I sighed.

Ail   "Word of advice, make some friends. Then you'd be able to sit at a lunch table, without having to worry about me, from now on. You'd even be able to mooch some food off of them if you forget to bring money again."

Tear   "U-um..."

Ail   Wooow; way to go me! That statement totally wasn't hypocritical in the least!

Tear   "A-actually... I'm not really good at making friends. Even at the last school I went to, I wasn't able to make any at all... I've always... been all alone..."

Ail   ... Man, what am I supposed to say after hearing that?

After hearing Tear say that, even a guy like me couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

Ail   Ah, jeez...

I rummaged through my bag, tossing what I took out of it to him. It took him by surprise, but he still managed to catch it.

Tear   "E-eh? W-what's this?"

Ail   "Can't you tell just by looking? It's a pear, stupid."

Tear   "U-uh, that's not what I meant... Are you... g-giving this to me?"

Ail   "No way. I just need you to hold it for me for a sec."

  He stared down at the table, looking both confused and a bit upset. I sighed again.

Ail   "Of course it's for you! Go ahead and eat it if you want."

Tear   "Really!? A-are you sure?"

Ail   "Yeah, yeah. It was supposed to be part of my lunch, but I'm already full from my sandwich, so I don't need it anymore."

Ail   Well, that's not really true, but whatever...

Tear   "T-thank you... Thank you very much!"

Tear smiled, for the first time since I've met him. He began to eat it happily.

Ail   "Jeez, you don't need to be so happy about it; it's just a pear..."

After I finished my sandwich, I spent the rest of lunch break watching Tear eat. Despite how hungry he apparently was, he ate it slowly and quietly.

When lunch was over, the school bell chimed, as expected. All of the students of course responded to this by getting up and heading to each of their next classes.

Ail   "Alright, time to go. My next class is... math. In room 27, I think?"

I said to no one in particular, grabbing my bag and getting up myself.

Tear   "W-wah!?"

Ail   "What's wrong? If you don't hurry up, you'll be late, y'know."

Tear finished the pear in a hurry, made sure to wipe his mouth with a napkin he found on the table, and got up. He then quickly went over to my side for some reason.

Tear   "U-um...! I-I...!"

Ail   "If you have something to say, just say it already. I don't want to be late to class, either."

Tear   "I-I... have math next, too... I-in room 27, also..."

Ail   "... That's nice." Did the teachers think it'd be more convenient for them if they put us in the same classes today or something?

Tear   "C-can... I go to class together with you...? I-I almost got lost last time, so I'm w-worried I'll-..."

He pleaded, looking with me with eyes similar to that of a lonely puppy. I responded with a sigh once again.

Ail   "Sure, why not. We're going the same way, anyways."

He didn't say anything, but gave me a faint smile.

Ail   "... Let's go."

He nodded, following behind me awkwardly. He was pretty quiet for a while, but...

Tear   "A-ahhh!"

Ail   "W-what?!"

Tear   "I-I'm sorry... Please wait a minute..."

Ail   "Jeez..."

He rushed back to the table we had been sitting at before, and then rushed back.

Tear   "I-I'm sorry... I-I almost forgot my bag..."

Ail   "Whatever, let's go already..."

I said, starting to become kind of peeved, but still trying to keep a calm tone of voice.

We continued on our way to our next class. Our way there should have been a perfectly normal walk, but...

Ail   Something doesn't seem right. It feels like there's a... slight chill in the air...

Tear   "Ow!"

Tear abruptly shouted again, holding his head in pain.

Ail   "You okay, Tea-..."

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head, instinctively holding my head the same way Tear was.

Ail   "Agh! W-what the heck...!?"

All of a sudden, all I could see was white, until I eventually blacked out...

--

Ail   "Uggh..."

When I came to, I was lying on the ground, my face planted to the floor. Feeling rather groggy for some reason, I got up, noticing Tear lying down in the same way I previously was. But after getting up, I noticed something else... We were no longer in the hallway, leading to room 27. In fact, it didn't seem like we were in the school building at all anymore...

The room was completely blue. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all seemingly made up of all similarly shaped blocks, or at least that's what the design of the room made it look like. The floor in particular was pretty strange; it was see through, although I couldn't see anything below it but murky water.

Aside from me and Tear, there wasn't anything else notable aside from the large, scaffold-like platform at the very end of the large room. If this room had any doors, they'd have to be behind that platform, because I couldn't see one anywhere else.

After I'd finished my brief observation of the room, I blurted out the first thing that came to my head.

Ail   "Where the heck are we!?"

Tear   "O-ow... My head..."

Tear uttered, getting up slowly himself.

Tear   "E-eh? W-where are we?!"

Ail   "I already asked that question..."

Tear   "W-what is this place...?"

Tear looked around nervously. After realizing I wasn't answering him, he looked at me in confusion.

Ail   Don't look at me like that! I don't know!

 ???   "Welcome, you two."

A familiar voice echoed from above us, from the platform. Part of the wall near the top of the platform opened up, almost like a shutter, and someone stepped out of it. Soon, four more people followed her, standing behind her atop the platform. I didn't recognize three of them, all of them being adults, but the other two were definitely familiar, as I had just met them this morning.

Ail   "Ms. Reachet?! And... the chef boy!?"

Chef Boy   "Indeed, it is I, the Master Chef! The one and only! You two must be wondering why you were brought here, yes?"

Ail   "Of course we are! And what the heck is this place, anyways?!"

Ms. Reachet   "Calm yourself. Everything will be explained to you shortly. If you must know, we are currently underneath the school building."

Ail   "U-underneath the...? Seriously!?"

Ms. Reachet   "Indeed. However, the existence of this area is unknown to everyone but the ones currently in this room. Not even the school principal knows about this place."

Ail   "Uh... okay?"

I said, acting like what she just said actually made sense. I actually had a lot of things I wanted to ask her about, but I decided to let it go for the time being.

Ail   "So, if this place is so secretive, why bring us here? I mean, we're just students. Students that just transferred, no less..."

One of the men standing behind Ms. Reachet was a ritzy looking man, with an unusually fancy mustache. He stepped forward and began to speak.

Fancy Man   "Actually, we had already known that you two would transfer to our school eventually. In fact, we have been waiting for you for some time now."

Ail   W-whuh...?

Tear   "K-kyahhh!"

Before I could even say a word, Tear suddenly screamed in horror. Even though he tried his best to hide his face, I could still see how terrified he was.

Ail   Jeez, I'm pretty surprised by what he said too, but there's no need to shout like that!

???   "Relax sweetie, there's no need to be so alarmed."

A lady on the platform reassured her. She was wearing a beret and a painter's smock, so I assumed she was an art teacher.

Art Teacher   "It's not like we've been spying on you or anything. Spirit Guardian Tansa told us about you."

Ail   The Spirit Guardian Tansa!? And she said that like it was the most normal thing in the world!

Ail   "So, that means Spirit Guardians really do exist? Or are you just messing with us...?"

Ms. Reachet   "How rude! Of course they're real, you buffoon! And he has chosen the both of you to undertake a very important task."

Ail   "And what would that be?"

Ms. Reachet   "It will be the job of you two, along with Barry, to vanquish all of the monsters that have begun to plague this land."

Tear   "M-monsters?! L-like actual demonic monsters!?"

Ms. Reachet   "Yes. I'm sure what you are imagining in your head right now is what we are speaking of."

Ail   "H-hold on a sec! You're joking right?! First, you say you talked to a Spirit Guardian, then you also tell us monsters exist too?! There's no way I'm gonna buy any of that crap!"

???   "Oh dearie me, it seems the young cupcake will be hard to convince..."

The last one to speak was a rather, er, "large" man, who was wearing a cooking apron and a chef's hat.

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef understands. Even he was skeptical at first. But after what they showed the Master Chef later on, he was a lot more understanding."

Ms. Reachet   "This is a very serious matter. These are no ordinary beings. They are merely harmless shadows at first, but they can attain a physical form by consuming a person and using their power as an energy source."

Ail   Is she really being serious?! I mean, this region has been perfectly normal all this time, and then monsters just suddenly appear out of nowhere? It's not like this is some fantasy story or something; this is real life!

Ail   Then again, some strange, unexplainable things have happened in my life... But not as crazy as this!

Ail   "... Okay, fine. Let's say I buy this whole 'monster' thing. Why then, are we the ones who have to do something about them? Why can't it be the job of, I don't know, you guys for example?"

Ms. Reachet   "I already explained that to you, didn't I? Spirit Guardian Tansa himself has chosen you three. As for why he picked you, it has to do with your affinity for something special."

Fancy Man   "My boy, have you heard of 'Paint', 'Treble', and 'Culinary', by any chance?"

Ail   "Are you talking about those three heroes, spoken of in Neturuan legends?"

Fancy Man   "Precisely, my boy. Back in the day, they fought terrible beasts as well, in order to protect this region from destruction. And we need you three to do the same."

Ail   So they're real too, huh? I guess that means this isn't the first time monsters have appeared, then. But that still doesn't explain why it has to be us...

Fancy Man   "Ail, what is your biggest passion? Something you truly enjoy; more than anything in the world?"

Ail   "U-uh, I guess I've always had a thing for music... But what does that matter?"

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef's passion is cooking. Of course, that should be obvious."

Ail   No one asked you, Chef Boy. No one cares about what yo-...

Ail   ... wait a minute.

Art Teacher   "Tear, sweetie, what's your greatest passion?"

Tear   "U-um... It's painting..."

Ail   F-for real?! That means...

Ms. Reachet   "Just as I suspected. You three all meet the requirements. You three will be the new Paint, Treble, and Culinary, and wield the weapons that they previously used against the monsters."

Fancy Man   "We have received them from Guardian Tansa, and have been instructed by him to give them to you."

Chef Man   "I have already given the young cookie his weapon. Now it's time to receive yours~!"

Ail   I'm assuming "the young cookie" is chef boy...

Art Teacher   "Barry, could you be a dear and give the weapons to your classmates?"

It looked like she had handed the Chef Boy something while she spoke to him. The fancy-looking man did the same afterward.

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef will gladly do so, especially if upon the request of a lady. But... how will the Master Chef get down from her-...?"

Before he could finish, Ms. Reachet stomped one foot on the ground, apparently activating some sort of trapdoor that sent chef boy into the platform, and out of a chute that appeared at the bottom. He ended up sliding down head first, him still lying down on the floor in a daze. Despite being taken by surprise, he still managed not to accidentally drop what he was holding from either of his hands.

"A-are you alright, Barry?" Tear asked in concern, running up to the faceplanted chef boy.

Tear ran over to the faceplanted Chef Boy out of concern. He helped him up, but he somehow didn't seem to be bothered by what had just happened.

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef is alright. He was merely taken by surprise, is all!"

Ail   What's with the technology of this room...?

Ail   "You still got those weapons for us?"

Chef Boy   "Indeed; they are both safe and sound! But since you are asking the Master Chef that question... It must mean you are willing to help this region, correct? You are willing to risk your life for the greater good?"

Ail   "To be honest... not really. But it's not like I've got much choice. If I don't do it, it's not like you guys have anyone to replace me, do you?"

Chef Boy   "That should go without saying."

Ail   "That would leave you and Tear to handle the monsters alone. Obviously, it won't be as easy with two people instead of three. If I left and made you guys do everything, I'd feel pretty guilty about it..."

Chef Boy   "How admirable! The Master Chef is touched that you would be so concerned for him like that!"

Ail   I was mostly worried about Tear, but whatever. Although...

I turned my attention to Tear, who was looking down at the ground nervously.

Ail   ... I can't imagine he'd want to do this, either...

Chef Boy   "What about you? Will you fight alongside the Master Chef and defeat the evil monsters of this land?"

Chef Boy said to Tear, but he gave him no response, continuing to look down at the ground. It looked like he was having trouble thinking of something to say.

He eventually did say something, though.

Tear   "... I-it'd be selfish of me to say no, w-wouldn't it?"

Ail   W-whuh!?

Ail   "Was it about what I said before? Don't worry about it. You have no obligation to do this, especially since you aren't even originally from this region..."

Tear   "... N-no. I-I'll do it."

Tear tried to put on a brave face, but I could tell he was faking it.

Ail   Is he serious? That's... pretty surprising.

Chef Boy   "Wonderful! The Master Chef was upset at first that neither of you turned out to be ladies, but he is happy to be comrades with such brave souls!"

Ail   Oh goodie, I get to be pals with this pompous guy...

Chef Boy   "Here you are."

He handed us each our "weapons"; which, honestly, didn't look like weapons at all. What I was holding in my hand looked like a medal, with a music-note symbol on it.

Ail   "What the heck is this thing? It doesn't look like any weapon I've seen..."

Tear   "Mine doesn't either..."

Tear showed his to me. It looked identical to mine, except it had an image of a painter's palette on it instead.

Chef Boy   "Indeed, they don't look like weapons in their default state. These 'Art Emblems' must be activated first in order to use them."

Chef Boy explained, taking out his own medal, which had an image of a spatula on it.

Ail   "Activated? What does that mean?"

Ms. Reachet   "The emblems take their current shape in order for you to hide them while not in use. It is to prevent anyone not involved with this from seeing them."

Ail   That wasn't what I asked...

Ail   "Wait... So this is all supposed to be kept a secret?"

Ms. Reachet   "Of course it is. To keep this region as peaceful as possible, you must make sure all of the monsters are eliminated before anyone knows they even existed in the first place. I would prefer to keep all of this simply between the ones currently in this room, if possible."

Ail   Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But it seems like actually pulling that off is going to be a huge pain, though...

Ms. Reachet   "Anyway, to answer your question... To activate the emblem means to unleash its power; to actually be able to use it in combat."

Ail   "So, how do I activate it, exactly?"

Ms. Reachet   "Simply call out the name of the emblem, and think of the type of weapon you want to use."

Ail   "The... name of the emblem...?

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef will show you... Culinary!"

He held his emblem up in the air, as dramatically as ever. The emblem started to glow, until it transformed into his weapon, which he now held in his hands.

Ail   Oh, so the names of the emblems are the same as the heroes the-... wait a sec!

Ail   "You call that a weapon?! That's just a giant spatula!"

Chef Boy   "Oh no, it is not merely a spatula, my comrade. It is... a dual-headed spatula! A perfect, grandioso weapon for the Master Chef, is it not?"

Ail   "Whatever, I've officially given up on trying to understand you, Chef Boy..."

All of a sudden, I felt a light poke on my back. I turned around, and unsurprisingly, saw that the one who had done so was Tear.

Tear   "U-um, excuse me... You wouldn't mind if I tried it first, would you? T-transforming the emblem, I mean..."

Ail   "Knock yourself out. There's no need to ask me."

Tear   "O-okay then..."

He held up his emblem above his head, trying to imitate what Chef Boy did, but definitely not with as much of a confident air about him...

Ail   "You don't have to make the same pose, y'know..."

Tear   "A-ah!"

He lowered his hand down immediately after I said that, looking down in embarrassment.

Chef Boy   "You don't need to be embarrassed, comrade! The Master Chef's pose is a magnificent pose!"

Ail   "Quiet, Chef Boy..."

Tear   "A-alright, here goes..."

Tear held his emblem in front of him this time. He briefly looked up at the teachers, before dropping his head back down, closing his eyes in concentration.

Tear   "P-Paint!"

He cried out, transforming his emblem into his weapon of choice.

Ail   "... Seriously; you too, Tear?! How do expect to fight with that!?"

Tear was now holding a giant paintbrush, and was looking at it rather awkwardly.

Tear   "I-I'm sorry... I wasn't expecting it to be so big..."

Ail   I think you're missing the point...

Chef Boy   "There's no need to look so disappointed, comrade! That is a perfecto weapon, perfect for a painter like yourself! The Master Chef looks forward to what his other comrade will conjure up!"

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef looks forward to what his other comrade will conjure up!"

Ail   Yeah, let's hope I actually get one that looks normal!

I held my emblem in front of me, like Tear did earlier. I closed my eyes and concentrated heavily on the small object in my hand.

Ail   I can get pretty much any weapon I want, as long as I think about it hard enough, right? But what should I choose? I need to make sure I pick a good one...

Just then, an image of a certain weapon popped into my head.

Ail   Where did that come from?! Whatever, it'd do, I suppose...

Ail   "Treble!"

I cried out, transforming my emblem into the weapon I saw in my mind, which I now held in my hand.

Ail   "Hm, not bad..."

Chef Boy   "A sword, huh? It's a bit... cliché, but it suits you."

Ail   "Cliché or not, I'm glad I got something that I can actually use..."

Ms. Reachet   "Alright, now that the two of have successfully activated your weapons, try and change them back to their emblem forms once again."

Ail   "How do we do that?"

Ms. Reachet   "Simply place them into a small space, like your pocket, and they will do so automatically."

Ail   "Like... this?"

I put my sword into one of my pockets, doing so slowly so I wouldn't accidentally poke myself, and it began to glow again. Like she said, once I had it about halfway through, the weapon turned back into an emblem again. The same thing happened with Tear's and chef boy's weapon as well.

Ail   Well, that's pretty convenient...

Ms. Reachet   "And that'll do for the time being. It's better that you not miss too much class today, especially for the two of you that just transferred today."

Out of curiosity, I decided to check the time on my watch.

Ail   It's already past noon!? It's already well past our second class! Just how long were we out for?!

Ms. Reachet stomped again, somehow turning the chute into stairs. She went down the stairs she just "made", and came to where the three of us were.

Ms. Reachet   "I will guide you all out of this place. Follow me."

She told us, walking toward the large wall behind us, not even stopping to wait for us to follow her.

Ail   Where is she going? There's nothing there...

As she made it to the wall, she placed her hand on it gently, and part of it opened up, revealing a passageway.

Ms. Reachet   "Hurry up, you three. Let's be going, now."

Ail   So that's how we get out of here. At this point, I shouldn't even be surprised...

Chef Boy did as he told without question, and the two of us followed behind him. We weren't in that passageway for long though, as it was small, and the only thing worth noting in there was what was directly in front of us: an elevator. However, it only pointed one way... up. It confused me for a bit, until I remembered what Ms. Reachet told us earlier...

Ail   "... Ah right, we're underneath the school right now, aren't we?"

Chef Boy   "You've already forgotten? The Master Chef is amazed by your forgetfulness."

Ail   "Shut up, Chef Boy. After everything that I've been told today, something like this was the last thing on my mind..."

Chef Boy   "Hm, I suppose the Master Chef understands. Even he was rather baffled the first time he was told about all of this."

Ail   ... I mean, having to fight monsters? That is not what I came to this school for! Who knew that I'd be involved in something like this? Why me? Would I have been left alone if I'd decided to transfer somewhere else? I don't even know if I can do what they've asked me to...

Ail   Just because I have a weapon doesn't mean I know how to use it!

Ms. Reachet pushed the "up" button near the elevator (aka the only button near the elevator), and it opened up, surprisingly instantly.

Ms. Reachet   "Let's go. Hurry up."

We did as she said, and entered. As soon as we were all inside, the elevator doors closed. Soon enough, the elevator began to rise upward, although I could barely feel it. Even though the elevator looked as strange as everything else in this place, it seemed to work just like any ordinary elevator would, which reassured me a little.

Ms. Reachet   "After all of your classes are finished, the three of you are to report to me immediately. We will return here to give you some lessons on how to use your new weapons. The other teachers are preparing for that as we speak."

Ms. Reachet told us, like she had somehow read my mind before or something.

Ail   "Is that why they didn't come with us?"

Ms. Reachet   "That's correct."

Chef Boy   "Of course, the Master Chef has already learned how to use his, but it couldn't hurt to train alongside you all a bit more."

I decided to ignore Chef Boy and turned my attention to Tear, who I then noticed was standing away from us, leaning against one of the elevator walls nervously.

Ail   What's wrong with him? He's acting strange...

Tear   "..."

Ail   ... Well, it's none of my business, so whatever...

Ail   ... No, I should definitely talk to him!

I went over to where I saw Tear cowering, leaning against the wall next to him.

Ail   "... Hey."

Tear   "W-whuh!?"

Ail   "What?"

Tear   "Y-you... You actually came over here to talk to me, Ail...?"

Ail   "Yeah, I did. Is that weird or something?"

Ail   ... Actually, it kind of is. I thought I decided I wasn't going to bother, but then I had this sudden urge to come talk to him for some reason...

Ail   "Well, whatever. I'm already here, so... What's up? You not feeling well?"

Tear   "I-I-I... I-I'm... s-scared..."

Ail   "Of what? Is it about the monsters? Or..."

Tear   "I-I've never ridden one of these before... I-I can't see where we're going... I-it's kind of terrifying..."

I patted his head gently, and gave him a reassuring smile.

Ail   "It's going to be okay; it's just an elevator, Tear. We'll be out of here and on our way to our next class before you know it. So there's no need to cry, alright?"

Tear   "A-Ail..."

He uttered quietly. He nodded slowly, looking a bit better.

Ail   "Alright, as a distraction, let's talk about something else, okay? Like... what classes do you have next? Maybe we have even more of them together today, heh."

Ail   What the heck am I even doing... ? This isn't like me at all; acting all chummy with someone I barely even know. Like we're old friends or something...

Ail   ... Oh well. Tear seems to be feeling better, so that's good I guess.

Ms. Reachet   "Tear, what are you doing?! You shouldn't be so uneasy about something like this. At this rate, you'll never be brave enough to take down the monsters."

Ail   "Yeah, how about you shut it?! You're not really helping, y'know."

Ms. Reachet   "Excuse me...?!"

Ail   "What!? You got something to say?!"

Ms. Reachet   "... Hmph."

She turned away from us, deciding to leave us alone.

Ail   Yeah, "hmph" right back at you. Screw you, teach.

Tear   "U-uh, Ail?"

Ail   "Yeah, what is it?"

Tear   "T-thanks..."

Ail   "... Don't mention it."

--

After the rest of our classes were over for the day, every hard working student had the privilege of returning to home or to their dorm rooms for some well-earned rest. Well, except the three "lucky" students secretly chosen to be the new legendary heroes who will defend this region from monsters. Instead, they had to spend most of their precious free time training on how to use their new weapons.

And, of course, I was one of those three. Yaaay...

Tear, Chef Boy, and I returned to our homeroom, where Ms. Reachet was waiting for us. Standing behind her desk, she turned to her whiteboard, and pushed it aside, revealing a secret passageway. That passageway obviously leading to the big, blue room we'd been in earlier.

Ail   I can't believe that was behind the whiteboard this whole time...

Ms. Reachet   "Let's go."

She said simply, going down the passage first. The three of us followed with a word, first down a stupidly-long hallway, then down the elevator. And finally, into the blue room, where the three other teachers were waiting for us. Unlike before, the room wasn't as empty; there were now strange-looking targets and training dummies all over the place.

Ms. Reachet   "I'll let the three of them take care of the rest. I'll be going now."

Ms. Reachet told us, deciding to leave without waiting for a response. The three teachers chose one of us to focus their attention on, and walked up to them. The one who chose me was the fancily-dressed man.

Fancy Man   "Are you ready for this, my boy?"

Ail   "As ready as I'll ever be..."

Fancy Man   "You are Ail, yes? I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Mr. Musico, and I'll have the pleasure of being your music teacher from now on. I shall also be your weapon instructor as well, of course."

He told me, politely bowing afterward.

Ail   "But wait a sec... how exactly do you know how to train us to use them? Did the Spirit Guardian tell you about it or something?"

Mr. Musico   "Hm hmm...! Ahem... You see, as a music instructor, I am an expert of music of all sorts. And that includes music-based weapons as well, my boy!"

Ail   "But my weapon's a sword..."

Mr. Musico   "Your weapon is a reflection of your passion, and your true self, my boy. To be honest, I found it a bit unusual that you ended up with a blade... But if you truly have a passion for music like you said, it may still be a music-based weapon, after all."

Ail   "Really? Well, let's see..."

I took out the emblem from my pocket, and transformed it into a weapon by yelling out "Treble!" like before. I held it up, and looked at it carefully.

Ail   "Nope. Looks as swordy as a sword could be..."

Mr. Musico   "Not quite, my boy. Look at the sides of the blade, Ail. Do you see the patterns on it?"

I looked at the sword again, this time at the sides in particular. I noticed some weird, colored holes on it; three on each side.

Ail   "What about them? Isn't just some weird, niche design?"

Mr. Musico   "I am not sure; it was developed from your mind, after all. Do you perhaps have a preference for fancy-looking blades over regular ones, my boy?"

Ail   "Um, no. Not really..."

Mr. Musico   "Then there must be some meaning behind it. Try swinging your sword at one of the training dummies over there."

Ail   "Sure, okay."

I swung at one of them normally, with a THWACK!, leaving a mark on the dummy and made it rock back and forth. I was surprised by how easy it was to do so, as it was the first time I'd ever used a sword...

Ail   I don't know why, but it almost feels like I've used one of these before...

Mr. Musico   "Excellent, my boy. Fantastic swing! Now we know it performs well as a blade. But what we need to find out if it's a music-based weapon... Hm..."

He curled his mustache in contemplation.

Ail   "If it has something to do with these holes, maybe I should try swinging with the side of the sword this time?"

Mr. Musico   "A marvelous idea! Go ahead and give it a try, my boy!"

I turned the sword to its side, and swung at it like before. Instead of with a THWACK! like before, it instead made a sharp pinging sound as it collided with the dummy. The dummy didn't take this as well as before, as the poor thing shattered into pieces immediately after my sword hit it.

Tear Art Teacher Chef Man Chef Boy   "W-wha!?" "Oh my!" "Dearie me!" "The Master Chef is now deaf!"

Of course, the loud noise my sword had made caught the attention of the others in the room. And I had a huge urge to make Chef Boy the next victim of my blade after the stupid joke he just made.

Mr. Musico   "Bravo, bravo! Just like I thought, your blade is capable of making very strong sounds! Now, you just need to learn how to control it properly!"

Mr. Musico clapped for me, with his ears surprisingly still functioning properly.

Ail   "So not only to I need to learn how to use a sword; I also have to learn how to control its sound properly, too?"

Mr. Musico   "Precisely, my boy!"

Ail   I have a feeling this is a going to be a huge pain in the rear...

--

We all trained for several hours. Well, it was just about two or three hours, but it almost felt like days. After noticing how exhausted we all were, the teachers decided it was time to head back. All six of us went through the elevator and the passageways like before and made it back to Ms. Reachet's classroom. As soon as they gave the okay to turn in for the day, I used the remaining amount of energy I had left in me to head for the dorms as fast as I could.

Having already left the school building and gone into the dormitory, I searched for my room.

Ail   39... 39... Where are you?!

After having to make a left turn in the V-shaped hallway, I had finally made it to my destination.

Ail   39! Hooray! It's my room!

I got out my key, and entered my room happily. As soon as I could, I crashed into bed, back-first.

Ail   I'm finally here... In my utopia...

Ail   "I finally get to be by myself. All alone... This is paradise; I wish it could last forever..."

Ail   ... But is that what I really want? To always be alone...?

Ail   "Nrgh... Why am I still thinking about these kinds of things?"

All of a sudden, I heard a knock at the door.

Ail   "Jeez, who is it!?"

I couldn't help letting out my irritableness in that comment. I dragged myself off the bed, toward the door, opening it slowly.

Ail   Who could need me at this time of hou-...

Ail   ... Wha?

???   "U-um... e-excuse me, sir..."

Ail   "You... What are you doing here...?"

The person continued to speak, looking up at me slowly.

???   "U-uh, actually, t-this is m-..."

???   "... EEEH!?"

In front of me was the other guy who transferred into this school, one of the other ones who was asked to fight monsters and got a weapon... That same shy, sweatshirt wearing boy was trembling before me...

... Tear.

Tear   "I-I can't believe it... I-it's you?"

Ail   "Huh? What's me?"

He held up a key that he took out of his pocket.

Tear   "Y-you... Y-you're going to be my roommate, f-from now on..."

Ail   ... Eh?

Ail   "Seriously?!"

Well, for better or worse, my "lone paradise" had already come to an end...

End of Chapter 1

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Writer's Comments (1/20/2016):

And here is a brand new chapter of a completely brand new series! Hooray! ... Okay, I'm obviously joking. This is actually the beginning of my rewrite of Paint & Treble! Yes, I'm rewriting this saga... again!

For the most part, I'm just going to be fixing up some stuff, changing some minor stuff, and adding some more detailed... stuff. I've also made some cosmetic changes as well. There's also going to be one more big change, though... but I'll keep that a secret for now!

To be honest, (re)rewriting this chapter took a lot longer than I thought it would, and I ended up adding a lot more detail than I thought I would, too! It wouldn't be that surprising if this was the most worked on chapter of them all though, since this one definitely needed fixing up the most. I've never been that proud of this one really, but I'm very happy with this version! I hope everyone likes it a lot, too.

In case anyone's wondering, this doesn't mean all of 2016 will be dedicated to Paint & Treble (like 2014 was). I really want to work on other stuff as well. At the same though, I hope this rewrite is completed by the end of this year (or at least next year).

Well, until next time... Enjoy!

- CS-Masyet

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Writer's Comments (2/21/2017):

"I hope this rewrite is completed by the end of this year (or at least next year)." Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Silly, over a year ago me! Just what did I think I was capable o-... wait, I wrote that a year ago!? Holy...

Anyway, a lot has changed over the past year, so I felt it was worth writing another "Writer's Comments" section to this. Originally, this was to be the original beginning chapter for Paint & Treble's re-write, before I decided to change it to be Duo Overture's 1st chapter instead. Speaking of which, I don't believe I've ever explained what "Reverse Side Canvas" and "Duo Overture" mean, have I? Well, one obvious difference between the two will be that the narrator for each chapter will be switched from the other... although that's far from the only thing setting them apart from one another.

I don't want to reveal too much about it right now, but basically, some small differences in the characters' dialogue and actions will pop up from time to time, and those differences will grow as the story continues. Why is that, you ask? Well, I can't say at the moment. By the way, all of Reverse Side Canvas is meant to be read before any of the Duo Overture chapters, as you may find out about plot important details earlier than you're meant to if read together. Reading this chapter early shouldn't be a issue, but it might be better to hold off on reading the next chapters that I release for this part later on. I'll be working on them "early" for the sake of convenience, and unlike what I did with Chapter 14 from P&T's previous version, I'll be uploading them like normal, so please keep in mind what I've said here if you don't want to be spoiled.

It's unfortunate, but I didn't finish this in time to match it with the previous versions' "20"s, but it was the 20th only a few hours ago, so... close enough?

Well, sorry for having to make you read through this "essay" that I ended this off on. I hope you really did read it, as I feel that what I had to say was pretty important. That's all I've got to say, so... bye, I guess.

- CS-Masyet