Stanza I: Musica Coda

Stories sometimes do not always start the same way, nor do they always tell everything there is to be within it. Some stories become completely different over time as details are lost to the ages, or sometimes, two similar tales can be made completely different by only a minority of differences.

One such story is a simple one. A story of a tower, the one who climbed it, and the one who gave that tower it's power. A tower built to reach the Heavens as a challenge to God. A story many would know, but, this is one of the latter stories… one that becomes different once new details come to light.

Add more to this story, and you get a different tale. The builder of this tower had with them a follower, someone to give the tower the ability to reach Heaven itself. Though this individual was not a follower by complete choice, it was by their voice that this tower. Remains say this person may have been called…

"Bored now…"

A sigh left the lips of the individual as he closed the browser screen on his phone, pocketing the device into their jeans and tugging at their black jacket, glancing through the crowd with sharp silver eyes shrouded by locks of white, the boy's slender, pale features hinting he was around his mid-teens.

"Tch, you'd think I'd find a way to not bore myself in a line, but, no." The boy sighed, pulling a pair of blue headphones up onto the white locks of his hair and snugly cupping his ears in the soft, noise canceling foam of the headset, glancing up at the towering building that was the chief landmark of the city while also raising the hood of his jacket, clicking his tongue as he looked away from the signs announcing that day's concert, fiddling with a sword shaped pendant hanging around his neck, "Let's hope this concert is a bit fun."

And within the building, amid the clamor of all the concert preparation and suit talk, laying on top of one of the many empty crates, least it was for now, was a teenager with headphones topping his head, the red plastic sticking out against the dark blue strands, which also framed his pale face and emerald colored eyes, the teen humming along to the music playing through his headset, his eyes scanning through the words of his book, completely engrossed in his reading and in no way noticing the individual creeping up on him…

"Heeeyyy KYOMEI!"

"WAAAGH!" The blue haired teen yelped when he was grabbed from behind, fumbling to keep a proper hold on his book, his headphones nearly flying off his head as he was lifted up while the one who'd grabbed him laughed, "Koto put me down!"

"Ahh come on, how else was I gonna snap you out of it eh?"

Kyomei sighed as he was set down, adjusting his headphones and turning to look at his assaulter, an older looking teen pocketing his hands in his white jacket, the young man's bright blonde hair framing bright blue eyes and lightly tanned skin, his handsome features marked by a bright grin.

"Not like I need to do much else." Kyomei sighed, the much taller Koto throwing an arm around his junior's shoulder and leading him along while fiddling with the white, wireless earbuds he himself wore.

"Ah ah, that's being too solitary. Not gonna tell Tsubasa good luck before the concert?" Koto asked, Kyomei looking to the side.

"Not like I need to. She'll be fine with Kanade helping her." Kyomei replied, getting a sigh from his senior, "What?"

"See, this little buddy, is the problem. Come on, I'm gonna go wish Kanade luck anyway, so you're coming with me and encouraging Tsubasa yourself, alright?" Koto chuckled, Kyomei flipping through his book and marking his previous spot.

"I don't see why it's necessary."

"She'll appreciate it, trust your ever reliable senpai with these things my socially awkward friend." Koto chuckled, ruffling Kyomei's hair, the boy only blinking.

"I'm not awkward… I just don't get stuff like that." Kyomei bluntly responded, Koto sighing and lightly tapping the younger teen on the back.

"You will someday, trust me on that." Koto hummed, scanning around as they proceeded along the walkway, a hand shading his eyes for no discernable purpose other than the effect of it, "Now, where are they... aha! Oiii! Kanade, Tsubasa!"

"So loud." Kyomei chuckled as Koto ran ahead to two girls both dressed in concealing white robes for the purpose of the concert, one who looked around Koto's age with fluffy red hair that looked like feathers and eyes to match, the other girl still wearing her hood, but easily discernable with pale blue hair and darker colored eyes, looking to be around Kyomei's age.

"Hey, Koto! You made it! I thought you'd be running around the concessions, you mischievous monkey." Kanade chuckled, Koto again throwing an arm over Kyomei's shoulders.

"What, and leave my adorable kouhaimoping around in a corner somewhere? Nah. I was looking for the kid the entire time." Koto chuckled, Kyomei rolling his eyes, but his expression was of an amused smile as he brushed Koto's arm aside from ruffling his hair again.

"I wasn't moping. I was just reading the next Dazai Osamu book I got my hands on, No Longer Human." Kyomei stated, flashing the mentioned book, opening it up to his previous page, Koto peering over to look, Kyomei turning sharply on his heel to prevent the peeping, to the amusement of the girls as Koto clicked his tongue.

"Ah, I wanted a glimpse. You never let me read your books." Koto sighed.

"Because the last time I did, you lost it and I had to buy a replacement." Kyomei replied.

"I found it eventually!"

"After I'd bought the replacement."

Koto hung his head in admitted defeat as Kyomei sat down on the nearby crate, turning his page as he did, Koto sighing, while Kanade chuckled.

"No getting him out of it, is there?" Kanade mused, placing her hands on her hips, Koto shaking his head.

"No, I guess there isn't. Shame, cause I was hoping he'd tell Tsubasa good luck." Koto murmured, keeping his voice down for the latter statement, Kanade letting out a hum.

"I see. Well, we can cover that easy." Kande replied, Koto snickering, "So, Genjuro talk to you two as well?"

"Yeah, before I went looking for the reading little scamp." Koto mused, fiddling with his earbuds again, "Speaking of, good luck with the live… and I don't mean that in the sense the boss said. I'm looking forward to the concert!"

"Of course you are. Shame though, you're an even better singer. Ah, if only we could perform on stage together." Kanade chuckled, winking to Tsubasa as she turned and walked off, Koto following as he let out an exclamation.

"Ehh? Come on, you know I can't do that! It's not part of my job! Which is being a student!" Koto proclaimed, Kanade laughing as she continued on, Tsubasa turning from watching them leave and to Kyomei as he continued with his reading, almost looking downright oblivious to the clamor around him.

"Good luck." Kyomei spoke up, Tsubasa blinking, the boy closing his book and turning with a small smile on, "With the concert. Good luck. I hope you do your best."

"I...I will. Thanks." Tsubasa started to give a slight smile in return, Kyomei opening his book again, and unbeknownst to the two, their two seniors had been watching, and excited chuckling immediately turned into quiet sighs.

"Those two are gonna take ages to go anywhere." Koto clicked his tongue, Kanade nodding and leaning on her knees.

"Yeup! Ah well, can't force anything along too much. Some are just slow burners." Kanade mused, spinning a finger, Koto chuckling.

"Yeah, and you burn as fast as a match." Koto chuckled, earning a light punch on his shoulder for the comment.

"Pff, yeah right!" Kanade scoffed in reply, proudly pumping a fist as she stood up, "I'm a fire that'll never go out!"

"Hahaha! Course not. You're passion hasn't faded since the day we met. If anything it's only ever gotten brighter." Koto mused, adjusting and jackknifing to his feet, "So, again, good luck with the concert, be sure to blow them away!"

"What, no token for luck as well? We're not exactly under the scrutiny of a camera right now." Kanade chuckled, her hands on her hips as she playfully leaned forward into Koto's face, then looking downright disappointed when Koto simply pecked her on the forehead, "Heyyyy…"

"Later. You need to focus on your show anyway." Koto chuckled, putting a finger over his lips, Kanade sighing.

"Ya' darn tease. Alright then, watch as I blow the crowd away! I'll be expecting a reward afterwards!" Kanade chuckled, putting a finger right in Koto's face, the young man chuckling.

"Alright then. I'll be watching to judge appropriately."

"Jeez… this place is packed. This is all just to watch two people sing?" The white haired teenager sounded utterly baffled as he looked around at the shuffling crowd anxiously chatting away in the seats waiting for the show to stop, the bored looking boy sighing, twirling the unlit glow stick between his fingers, blinking as the remaining lights went dark, the crowd cheering as their own glow sticks lit up amid the new cascade of colored lights, the tee, shrugging as he lit his own, looking up from under the brim of his hood as the lights shifted upwards.

And up in the private booth, Koto and Kyomei were observing… well, rather Koto was observing and Kyomei was back to reading his book… which Koto promptly plucked away.

"Hey!" Kyomei yelped, Koto teasingly holding it away and leaning back.

"Upupup! Not until the show's over! Take a breather and watch." Koto chuckled, Kyomei sighing and turning his attention to the show as Kanade and Tsubasa descended onto the walkway of the stage, the crowds cheers coming through into the booth.

(Start song: Gyakkou no Flugel, from the OST)

"Alright." Kyomei replied, and his foot was already tapping to the beat of the music as the girls began singing, Koto clapping along and bobbing his head back and forth and letting out a chuckle as Kyomei began humming along out of habit despite his usual stoicism showing once more.

"Come on Mr. Blank Face, show a bit more excitement!" Koto laughed, Kyomei rolling his eyes, a small smile nonetheless showing on his face, the younger boy blinking as, during the midpoint of the song, the area roof opened up to wash the floor in the evening twilight, Koto jumping up at the crescendo, "Well, you gonna sing along or not? We got the booth to ourselves!"

"Ehh?" Kyomei yelped, Koto chuckling as he jumped back, getting in synch with the girls right on cue, Kyomei sighing and joining in, Koto's singing voice deeper and smooth, Kyomei's lighter but just as smooth.

(End Song)

"Haha, hell yeah!" Koto slapped a high five with Kyomei as the song finished, the blue haired boy laughing as Koto whooped and threw a fist in the air, then sighing with laughter in it, "Ah man, I'm gonna owe Kanade big time."

"Owe her what?" Kyomei asked, Koto chuckling again.

"Ehh, couple things."

And below in the crowd, the headset wearing teen was chuckling as he spun the glowstick amid the crowd, his other hand fiddling with the longer strands of his hair hanging over his right shoulder.

"Ahahaha! Wow, that was way cooler than I thought. Totally not boring at all!" The teen laughed, but with an odd sort of dryness to it, though he simply tuned out the typical "thank you for being here" spill that came next, even if he was getting caught up in the crowd's hype for the event… though any joviality in the air was thrown to the horizon when a massive explosion shot from the center of the arena floor, yells of excitement being replaced by screams of terror as people recoiled in fear and scattered away from the blast.

"The hell?!" Koto jumped as the blast rocked the booth, Kyomei's eyes wide as he looked up.

"The Noise…" Kyomei muttered, Koto clicking his tongue, taking a few steps back as a creature that seemed to flicker about, more creatures of a different type filling the sky, "Well, guess we can't sit around and let the girls deal with this themselves, that's a lot of Noise down there!"

"But, the commander hasn't…" Kyomei murmured, sighing as Koto took a running start and leapt through the window as the crowd below ran to escape from the veritable army beginning to invade… though the unlucky ones who got caught were silenced in their terror as the Noise turned them to ash with nothing more than a touch, Koto steeling his gaze as he came close to landing.

"Cantato magno Ruyi Jingu Bang zillz!" Koto's voice rang as light then gathered around him, and with a burst followed by the ball around him crashing into the ground, the young man came out garbed in a fitted black, gold accented suit under black armor fitted to various points, headphone like pieces on his head that also formed a headband, Koto clashing the slender gauntlets together, the items forming a two meter long staff tipped in gold, which he promptly stuck into the ground, leaving a small crater, the Noise facing him as he let out a smirk, "Alright then partner… let's go!"

Koto lept into the air and smashed down onto the first Noise below him, his staff becoming a whirlwind as he shot through the swarm, shooting high into the air and rearing it back, smirking as he threw the weapon, which then expanded into a veritable pillar as it crashed onto a crowd, Koto slamming down onto the top and causing cracks to shoot through the ground as more Noise were then blown away by a whirlwind from the other direction, Kanade coming to a stop, geared out in her own armor and wielding a rather large spear.

"Hey, don't hog them all Koto!" Kanade chuckled, stepping back when a few Noise lunged, only for them to be shot away, the girl chuckling, "Hey! Nice save Kyomei!"

A glint from the booth showed that Kyomei was still up there, also in his own armor, the white accented by red and yellow, a visor over his eyes as he aimed down a rifle that changed into twin handguns as he jumped down and joined the fray, a flash of blue revealing Tsubasa herself had joined in, garbed in blue and black and wielding a katana, and amid the flurry of the four fighters facing the monsters, the battleground hadn't exactly been abandoned from civilians…

"Whoa… what the heck is that?" The white haired teen from the show was still present, his eyes wide as he watched, and he yelped when the floor beneath him crumbled, tumbling to the ground into a heap, off in the middle of the clash, and Koto stopped his movement as he heard the crashing, turning to the dust cloud as Noise shot towards it, the stragglers being knocked down by Koto's staff.

"Hey! You alright?!" Koto shouted, the dust fading as he heard coughing, the young man blinking to see the white haired boy struggling out from some rubble, the boy getting some help from the fighter, the boy holding his left arm as he sat up, hacking dust out of his mouth.

"T-Thanks… agh…" The boy muttered, still coughing, Koto nodding and patting the kid on his head.

"Good. You need to get out of here alright?" Koto stated, the kid coughing, but nodding, "Sweet… got a name?"

"Of course." The kid muttered, "It's Ritsudo… Narukami Ritsudo."

"Alright then, Ritsudo, stay behind those rocks, and get away as soon as it's safe, alright?!" Koto shouted, Ritsudo nodding, watching as the young man jumped back into the fray, retreating to the cover of the rubble, wincing as his arm and chest ached, blood marring the sleeve of his jacket and dripping down his fingers.

"Guess running away isn't an option… shit." Ritsudo muttered, "But why the heck are they singing while fighting? Honestly… what's going on here?"

Ritsudo let out a bitter sigh, leaning up to look back at the brawl, his vision beginning to blur out from the blood loss, barely being able to make out the shapes of the four fighters as they cut through the Noise, barely making out Kanade coming back in from the side opposite the others, his vision going black for a moment as he stumbled, and next he knew, he saw the same person collapsing, the other three rushing over, but all sounds just a dull buzz as the boy finally went unconscious…

Two Years Later…

Laying atop the school building he was at, a now sixteen-year-old Ritsudo was quietly snoozing away the day instead of doing what he should have… going to class. But, the perpetually bored young man decided he had better things to do with his time than sit in a classroom and be bored out of his mind, and instead had resorted to spending the day napping on the roof, his particular sleeping position allowing the bandage wrappings on his left arm to show under the sleeve of his blazer.

Though his headphone assisted slumber wasn't going to last much longer, as the napping boy was soon covered by a shadow, and a rather thick book was promptly dropped onto his face.

"AGGGGHHHH!" Ritsudo yelled as he shot off, the book flying off only to be caught, Ritsudo rubbing his nose as he winced in pain, "Owowowooww…"

"Skipping class again Narukami? Honestly…" The assaulter, the now seventeen-year-old Kyomei, sighed, Ritsudo looking up at his blue haired senior with a flat expression.

"What's the point? Class is boring as hell, and I already know all the subjects that old geezer is teaching through and through." Ritsudo replied, his tone cold and flat, laying back once more, his sword pendant jingling on it's chain, "Besides, shouldn't you be in class too?"

"I have a free period." Kyomei flatly stated, Ritsudo rolling his eyes and staring up at the rolling clouds, "Don't you at least consider your education the least bit important."

"Not when the class is pointless to me. And this one just so happens to be pointless to me, so why should I bother showing up?" Ritsudo replied, his bored tone carrying just a hint of bitterness as he rolled over, "Besides, I bet those guys feel better without the guy with a record being in the same room as them."

"Commander said that wouldn't be a problem for you here." Kyomei murmured, opening his book as he leaned against the fencing lining the roof.

"Did the words "guy with a record" not carry over? All these teachers at this darn private school know what I did during middle school and my first year back at those other schools. Something like that doesn't go away, even if you're part of some secret government group." Ritsudo grumbled, jackknifing to his feet and picking up his bag as he headed for the door.

"Going back to class?"

"Going home, that's where." Ritsudo replied, Kyomei sighing as his junior slammed the door behind him.

"Great… now I've gotta follow him around town again." Kyomei sighed, pulling a communicator out of his pocket and clicking it on, "Commander Kazanari, it's Kyomei, Narukami is leaving again… yes… yes. Alright. I'll at least make sure he'll answer." Kyomei hung up and walked to the front edge of the roof, Ritsudo already leaving the grounds of the academy, his hood raised to obscure his face, the older teen sighing as he put a hand to the pendant around his neck. "What would Koto do if he was here?"

"Tch, darn that guy, why is he always following me around when we're off duty? Geez." Ritsudo continued his bitter grumbling as he maneuvered through the mid-day crowd of the shopping district, fiddling with the volume control on his headset to further drown out the noise around him, "Boring boring boring… why the hell is everything so boring all the time?"

His meandering about however, came to a halt when Ritsudo realized that aside from the nearly drowning noise coming from his headset, the road had grown quiet and empty, the boy clicking the sound off as he looked around.

"Did I take a wrong turn?" Ritsudo muttered stopping when he looked around and saw why the streets were so quiet… the entire road and the interior of the shops were strewn with ash and debris… and a smirk broke out on his face in place of the cold expression he had on, "Well… looks like today might actually be interesting."

Ritsudo turned when he heard springing and twitching sounds, smirking wier when he saw a swarm of Noise coming out of the woodworks, the teen chuckling a bit as he jumped back from the ones who lunged at him, skipping past and into an alleyway, pulling his own communicator out of his pocket when it rang.

"Yo! Boss, wassup?" Ritsudo answered, pulling himself up to a roof.

"Narukami-kun, we have an alert!" A gruff voice spoke, Ritsudo chuckling.

"I'm kind of already at the site." Ritsudo replied, jumping to the next building as the Noise followed him up, "You can keep Kyomei and Tsubasa on the sidelines, I've got this one!"

"Will your Gear work this time?" Genjuro asked, Ritsudo chuckling as he slid under the attacking Noise.

"I worked out the kinks the other month, remember? I got this, so let me have some fun." Ritsudo hung up, jumping to the next roof, his sword pendant falling into his hand, "So, is this place clear…"

A child's scream told the boy otherwise, and he clicked his tongue, and when he heard panting, looking down into the alleyway, he saw a child being led along by a girl who looked to be just a bit younger than him, Ritsudo letting out a growl when the Noise then moved to the opposite end, and he matched pace, jumping down and yanking the two back the other way.

"That way's dangerous, come on!" Ritsudo snapped, the teenaged girl nodding and following him out and to the rooftops with the kid in tow, Ritsudo letting out a long sigh, "Good, we lost them, for now."

"Wait… that uniform, you're from the boy's campus at Lydian!" The teenaged girl gasped, Ritsudo cocking a brow, though he knew for a fact his hood was obscuring it.

"Is that really important right now? Good grief." Ritsudo muttered, looking over the ledge, "Great… the swarm is still following us. Come on!"

Ritsudo grabbed both of the others again and continued the run back to the streets, the teenager picking up the kid as they continued, Ritsudo stopping once they got far past the town and to the power plant district, both teens panting from exhaustion.

"God freaking… I said I was gonna handle this, and now I'm escorting a civi, just my rotten luck!" Ritsudo grumbled, rubbing the side of his head, "You good to keep going? Those things won't give up easy."

"Yeah… what about you?" The girl asked, Ritsudo standing up and turning around.

"I can give you time to run." Ritsudo stated, cracking his knuckles as a smirk came back to his face, "So get out of here… I've wasted enough time already."

"Thank you! Oh…" The girl stopped as she picked the tired child, Ritsudo glancing back, "I'm Tachibana Hibiki, nice to meet you!"

"Narukami Ritsudo… now get out of here!" Ritsudo snapped, Hibiki nodding and running off, Ritsudo chuckling as the swarm caught up just as Hibiki vanished from sigh, grabbing his pendant and pulling it off, "Finally. Let's have some fun."

"Scindum Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi tron"

The air whirled around Ritsudo before bursting up in a gleam of white and blue light, the vortex being cut open when a white bladed katana shot from the light, Ritsudo now standing clad in a black, blue accented suit under gleaming, sleek silver armor that let out bits of steam as it finished locking into place, the headset like segment on his head retracting a visor at a slight touch, Ritsudo lifting the katana towards the swarm, the leaf like pattern along it's flat glinting in the twilight as he angled the weapon.

"Let's make this fun!"

A/N

Merry Christmas to everyone reading this, if you, well, celebrate that holiday, though for some it definitely won't be when you read this... if not, then happy whatever-it-is-you-celebrate! This idea started because I'd been binging Symphogear and Symphogear G over a weekend and then… boom. God I put a lot of planning into this…