Accelerando

Chapter 2 of 28: Sonatas In The Sakura Garden

On September 17th, the halls of Guerzon Castle were enveloped in silence, a stark contrast to the sudden, loud crash that echoed through its walls. Ava Murray was in the throes of another outburst, with Mrs. G at her side, attempting to provide some comfort. "GOD DAMMIT!" Ava's frustration sent her collapsing to the floor, Mrs. G watching on with a mix of concern and disapproval.

"But Ava, I've scoured the entirety of Livermore High School to secure the finest prize a band teacher could ever lay hands on," Mrs. G explained, trying to appease her.

"It's not ENOUGH!" Ava retorted, her voice laced with anger.

Mrs. G let out a weary sigh. "I understand you're upset, Ava," she said, just as Ava let out another cry of frustration, her fists relentlessly pounding the wall.

Attempting to steer the conversation towards a more positive direction, Mrs. Guerzon suggested, "Why don't you tell me what you REALLY want for your birthday?"

Ava paused her display of anger, pondering for a moment before her eyes lit up with an idea. "Japan," she declared.

"But Ava, Japan is on another continent," Mrs. Guerzon gently reminded her, trying to temper her expectations.

Ava's face flushed with anger, her patience worn thin. "I DON'T CARE! I WANT JAPAN FOR MY BIRTHDAY!" she demanded.

As Mr. Jingles and his companions enjoyed a moment of calm, appreciating the temporary respite from the Band Clan's antics, Haru concurred with the Jester's sentiment. "Indeed, when Mrs. G organizes a birthday party for her students, they're usually holed up in the Band Room all day," he remarked.

Suddenly, Kamari's voice pierced the tranquility. "OH NO! IT'S MRS. GUERZON'S DOOM SHIP!" she exclaimed in terror. Mr. Jingles, quick to react, proposed a strategy amidst the chaos of the ship's attack. "I'll try to hold them off while you all make a run for it!"

However, their escape plan was thwarted as music stands, entwined with chains, descended upon them, trapping the group in agonizing binds. Ava emerged at the forefront of the doom ship, her presence commanding and smug. "You're merely the Jester of the insignificant Orchestra Town," she taunted. Flaunting her ambition, she declared, "I! Am going to be the Queen! Of Japan!" Her laughter echoed menacingly, while Mrs. G looked on with a mixture of admiration and pride. "You really know how to make a teacher proud," she complimented Ava, then turned her attention to the captives. "PUT THEM IN THE DUNGEON!" she ordered.

Haru, overwhelmed by a sense of defeat, lamented their predicament. "Our poor home country, we can't even warn them that the band kids are on their way." The grim reality of their situation set in, as they faced the formidable Mrs. Guerzon and her ambitious protégé, Ava, against the backdrop of their once peaceful town.

As the citizens of Japan gathered around the area where Ava stood, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and unease. Ava, basking in the spotlight of her newfound power, made a bold declaration. "It's time for a meaner, crueler Japan!" she proclaimed, her voice echoing with pride.

Mrs. Guerzon, ever supportive of her protégé's ambitions, encouraged Ava to share her vision for the future. "Read them your new laws, Ava!" she prompted, a gleam of excitement in her eyes.

Ava, with a list in hand and a smirk on her face, began to unveil her decrees. "Law Number 1: Every airport in Japan must grant me First Class access," she announced, her demand setting a tone of self-indulgence and authority.

Her expression soured as she moved on to the entertainment industry. "Any boy band who fails to compose a song in my honor will be turned into a ROCK!" Ava declared. Mrs. G, wielding her magic baton, demonstrated her loyalty to Ava's rule by instantly transforming three of the bands into stone, much to the shock and dismay of onlookers.