With light-speed, a shadowy figure sprinted across the cobblestone street, black dress blending into the darkness. Ravens passed over her head, wings rustling and beating against the wind. Stopping at a large house, the figure glanced up at the black birds and muttered some words. With a noisy rustle, large black wings grew from her back and lifted her high into the air.

Silently stepping onto a windowsill, she pressed her pale face against the pane and saw a duck, her small head hid underneath her yellow wings. The girl's wings folded behind her, and she snapped her fingers, unlocking the window.

"Is this the one?" she whispered to a raven, who had landed on the sill without a sound. She tenderly stroke the duck, but a look of sheer hatred crossed her face. The raven flared his wings and opened his mouth.

"Slice her, beat her, kill her," hissed the black bird. "Kill her, Diana, kill her!"

"As he wishes," the girl murmured, tightening her fist and plucking a feather from her hair. Throwing onto the duck, Diana whispered a flow of unknown words as the feather began to glow a violet hue. The duck winced as mind-blowing pain reached her, and she awoke in a struggle for her life.

Quacking in terror, it wasn't long before a young man burst through the door, knocking over furniture and plans. "Ahiru!"

Diana, startled, flew backwards to the sill, wings spread. "Fakir!"

"Diana?"

"H-h-help!" Ahiru struggled, her duck voice slowly morphing to a young girl's voice. Feathered wings became skinny arms, thin legs stretching out; Ahiru cried in pain and the feather continued its work. Black vines stretched around her body, a spell used before on her. But these squeezed her body like a constrictors, and she began to lose her breath.

"I'm leaving," Diana sneered, holding out her hand and releasing the feather's powers. Ahiru winced and felt her breath leaving her. But the vines retracted and slithered back into the feather. The black object flew back into Diana's hand, and she placed it in her blonde hair. "Let us not meet again, Fakir."

She jumped and flew away, leaving a slightly choking but relieved Ahiru, and as a girl.

Ahiru sighed, coughing and clutching her neck. Knee long red hair covered her naked body, and she fell back from shock, hitting her head as blackness reached her eyes.

"Now the way Diana looked at me and said my name, she recognized me, Mytho."

"Mytho, you don't think she could be…"

"Yes, dearest Rue, she is. We have to do something about her."

"Her?"

"Why, Mytho?"

"She's been knocked out for hours."

A female whine. "She could just be asleep, Mytho."

"Knocked out, Rue, knocked out."

Ahiru groaned and stirred, and the talking stopped. Blowing away a wisp of red hair, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Mytho and Rue, sitting across the table, staring directly at her. Raising her arms and stretching, she made contact with a face.

"Moron! You hit my face," growled Fakir's voice. She turned her head and realized that she was sitting on his lap, close enough to kiss him, and in a thin, thin white dress. His hands were oddly close to her chest…uncomfortably close.

Her face turned redder than a tomato. "F-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-fak-k-k-k-k-k-ir-sama!" Of course, as she scrambled up, she made more unwanted contact with him. Squealing, she backed up into a table and fell forward, her head falling onto his lap as she came face to face with something else. Getting redder than possible, she shook and stood up, shaking, laughing nervously. "Ehehehehehehehe…" Her face steamed as he stared at her. "Ahaahahahahahahaha!" Her face was burning, red, and steaming. She fell back with wobbly legs, falling to the floor.

Feeling soft hands under her head, she opened her eyes and looked up. "M-m-m-m-m-mytho-sama!" It felt exactly like the first time she made contact with him, but this time, he had avoided injuring his ankle.

"Baka," Fakir muttered, crossing his arms.

Ahiru's face resumed its natural blush, and she sat up, quietly setting herself down in the chair next to Fakir. "T-t-thanks…" She looked up at Mytho. "Thanks."

Mytho smiled. She blushed again. "His smile…it's so pretty…" She blinked. "Ah, Rue-chan!"

"Good evening, Ahiru," Rue laughed politely. "That was quite a show there, but don't get embarrassed, we're here on very important business." Rue glanced toward Mytho silently. She nodded.

Mytho sucked in a breath. "Ahiru, you know you are a girl, yes? Once again?"

Ahiru bit her lip. "Ah..." She looked down. "Yes."

"Did you experience any pain several hours ago, er...a strangling pain? As if someone was choking you?"

"It still burns," Ahiru replied quietly. Her unbraided red hair covered most of her body. She glanced up quickly. "Ah, Mytho and Rue-chan, today's my sixteenth birthday!"

Rue sighed. "Yes, we know Ahiru, which is what we were afraid of that."

Fakir yawned unpolitely.

Rue pouted. "Fakir, please! She could be in serious danger!"

"That Diana better not lay a hand on her," he muttered, looking at the floor.

Rue continued, "Ahiru, the Monster Raven has distant relatives, to tell the truth, an actual daughter who runs around and does slave work for him. Only hours ago, she...uh, Diana...was sent with a raven knows as Arrasmin to murder you. Luckily, Fakir here burst into the room at that moment, forcing her to steal her powers away and leave with Arrasmin. She has the power to dance and grow wings, unfortunately. Fakir couldn't catch her fast enough, and she disappeared. We were called immediately. She also left you as a sixteen year old girl."

Ahiru bit her lip. "I...heard Fakir say her name...do you know her?"

Fakir avoided her eyes.

"Fakir, answer me!"

"Yes," he replied shortly.

"Who is she?"

"Diana was my old girlfriend."

Ahiru sweat dropped, feeling a pang of jealousy for a split second. Shocked with surprise, she leaned back and let the chair fall. Her body made contact with the floor. "Itai..." she groaned.

"As I remember, she was a dancer. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Dark and mysterious. I lost contact with her years ago."

Rue sighed. "We've got to keep a close eye on her, you know that, Mytho?"

"Yes, Rue, I do," Mytho murmured, putting an arm around her. "Fakir, I must ask you to move back to the town where Diana lived. Both Rue and I are confident she is still there, and we must keep Ahiru safe from her. If Ahiru is cornered and alone..." Mytho didn't need to say anymore.

"I could lose my life?" whispered Ahiru, eyes half closed. She was barely awake.

Ahiru suddenly felt the urge to sleep. Placing her head on a surprised Fakir's lap, she curled up into a ball and closed her eyes. Her deep breathing showed she was asleep in seconds. When Fakir looked up, Mytho and Rue nodded.

"We'll do it with you, actually," Rue offered gently, not wishing to wake the sleeping girl.

"Yes, we would."

Fakir smiled and stroked Ahiru's face. "It's okay, Princess, I'm not letting anybody get you..."