Opening: Good day, my faithful readers! I am pleased to have gotten so many reviews! Lovino not so much… He wanted to terrorize some people as stress relief for all the s*** I'm putting him through. I don't think it's that bad.

Lovino: You keep embarrassing me! I don't faint! And don't act all proper, you didn't censor my cursing last chapter, why do it now?

Me: Because I have higher standards for myself. You can curse uncensored until you're blue in the face for all I care. Oh wait; you already had a blue face last chapter didn't you?

Lovino: *Death Glare*

Me: This chapter will contain more poetic license, specifically about the other animals that live at Swan Lake.

I own nothing sadly…

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Chapter 4: Far longer than forever…

A series of badly stifled chuckles broke out across the tranquility of Swan Lake.

"Quiet! I can't concentrate." Complained a French accented voice.

The speaker was revealed as a frog that was stringing together pond reeds into a pole and the one laughing was a turtle watching amusedly.

"You've come up with some mad ideas Francis, but this one is a doozy." The turtle informed him with happy green eyes.

"Hah! Go ahead and laugh, Antonio. I'll get him to kiss me and when he does…"

"…And when he does, poof!" He made an exaggerated gesture with his arms. "You'll change back into the 'noble lord' you once were. I know, you've told me." He rolled his eyes then glanced at some nearby violets. "Why don't you just give him these flowers, these are nice."

"Pfft. What a love dunce. I don't want those flowers, I must have those." Francis pointed to some identical flowers growing out from a crack in the castle. On the opposite side of a two alligator infested moat. "Once he learns that I have risked my life for them, the kissing will not stop!" He hopped up to a low branch on a tree next to the water.

"And then you'll change back?"

"Precisely."

"Mind if I point out a problem?" Antonio said as he laid his head against his webbed hand.

"I don't take advice from peasants."

"Suit yourself." Francis set his shoulders to prepare for the vault.

"Flowers. Kiss. Concentration. Flowers. Kiss. Concentration." He said to himself. He took the jump down and the reeds bent to send him the other way.

Antonio looked across the moat. "Just curious, how are you gonna get back?"

Francis' eyes widened, finally realizing his mistake a little too late. He was flung forward. "Ahh!" The alligators were sitting in the shallows mouths wide. The frog managed to push himself off one's nose and flew back at Antonio. The turtle tried catching him a few times unsuccessfully.

"Hurry, hurry! Move up, move up! No, not that near! Aaaah! Grab me! Grab me!" After the next miss and return the reed stopped moving, but Francis continued to panic a moment. "Hold my arm! Hold my leg! Hold my – hold it, hold it, hold it."

Seeing as he was no longer being launched into the jaws of death, Francis glanced up noticing the prince lightly holding the pole down with an amused smirk. Truthfully he had arrived earlier when the frog first jumped, but why miss out on the show?

"Oh merci, Arthur, merci." With a sheepish grin, he flipped off the reed. "May I have that?" He pointed at the pole which was passed to him. "Silence, you savages!" He released the reed and it struck an alligator's head. Laughing, Francis turned to address Arthur and was slammed to the ground by the last rebound.

The prince barely reacted as if used to these kinds of things. "You okay, Frog?"

"Oui, oui, Arthur, yes, I'm alright." He pried himself from the ground.

"What in the world were you trying to do?"

"He thought that if-" Antonio cut in, but Francis shushed him.

"I wanted to get those flowers for you, Mon cygne." (My Swan.)

"You were being sneaky again weren't you?" Arthur asked stiffly, not appreciating the nickname.

"What's sneaky? You deserve a nice bouquet." Francis said with innocent eyes.

"Yeah right, and you deserve a kiss."

"Well, if you say so." He puckered his lips and Arthur pushed him over.

"Stop that. You know I'm under a spell." The prince stood up.

"But my kiss will break the spell!"

"Give it up, Francis." Antonio sighed.

"I can only kiss the one I love and then he-"

"-Must make a vow of everlasting love! I know, I know."

"And prove it to the world." Arthur continued as if uninterrupted.

"What do you think I was doing with the flowers and the alligators going chomp-chomp?" Francis exclaimed.

"Being a moron. Antonio can't you make him understand?"

"I'm only a turtle."

The prince walked away from the two and looking at the stars began to softly sing. "If I could break this spell,I'd run to him today. And somehow I know he's on his way to me. Alfred, you and I were meant to be… Far longer than forever, I'll hold you in my heart. It's almost like you're here with me, although we're far apart."

Alfred gazed at the sky over his kingdom and sang as well. Wishing for Arthur's presence as strongly as the other was for his.

"Far longer than forever. As constant as a star. I close my eyes and I am where you are…"

"Sure as the dawn brings the sunrise, we've an unshakeable bond!" Arthur sang.

"Destined to last for a lifetime and beyond! Far longer than forever!" Alfred said.

"Far longer than forever!"

"I swear that I'll be true!"

"I swear that I'll be true!"

"I've made an everlasting vow, to find a way to you!" They both declared.

"Far longer than forever, like no love ever known… And with your love, I'll never be alone." Simultaneous lyrics, unknown to either vocalist.

"Far longer than forever…"

"Much stronger than forever…"

"And with your love, I'll never be alone." Arthur finished his piece hoping for Alfred to come find him soon.

Francis came over, for once actually seeming somewhat guilty. "I am sorry, mon ami."

"It's fine. I know you just want your castle and title back." The prince said, referring to his current prison that Ivan took over.

"Hey, what's that?" Antonio asked pointing up at a struggling form in the sky and a smaller dot fluttering behind it. The first form took a sudden dive, freefalling to the ground. The group moved back in alarm and a large black eagle crashed in front of them.

"Ugh…" It groaned in pain, which was not helped when its companion, a little yellow chick, decided to imitate it and plop down onto its head.

Stepping forward, Arthur saw an arrow protruding from its left wing.

"Is he dead?" Antonio asked from behind him.

"Doesn't sound it. His wing has been hit though and that fall couldn't have been helpful either."

"Strange looking bird." Francis commented.

"Poor fellow must be in a lot of pain. You better hold him down." The prince moved the chick from the bird's head and waited for the others to hold the eagle still. When he was secure, Arthur broke the arrow embedded in his wing, slipped it out, and then wrapped it with a piece of cloth he ripped from his clothes.

"Francis pried an eyelid open and waved at the eagle. "Hello, this is your wake-up call."

The bird's eyes popped open and he snapped up, swatting Francis and Antonio away with a cocky laugh. "Ah hah, it'll take more than a couple of pond swimmers to keep the awesome me down!" He turned to the prince and his jaw dropped. "Oh mein gott! Prince Arthur, you're alive!"

"I'm sorry, have we met?" The prince asked in confusion.

"It is I, the awesome Gilbert! One of the guards of King William's castle! At your service." Arthur face-palmed in remembrance. Oh yes, how ever could he forget the 'Awesome' Gilbert.

"How are you a-"

"Most epic eagle? Well, some other scouts and I went lookin' for you when the king's ship came home reporting you both missing. Found out from that stupid queen that your father didn't make it and they never found you. The others thought you were dead too, but I decided to loiter around instead of heading home."

"So the bird thing?" Arthur prodded.

"Oh yeah, right. So I was out hunting one day and I come across this really weird place in the forest, I see crazy animal thing and I shoot an arrow at it. Next thing I know, I'm a bird. Didn't know what to do after that, so flew round for a week." The yellow chick from before flew over and landed on Gilbert's head again. "Also this chick won't leave me alone, but I don't have the heart to get rid of him."

Prince Arthur sat for a while with an eyebrow raised, trying to absorb all the information. Antonio and Francis, fed up with being ignored spoke up. "Can someone explain all this?"

The prince snapped out of it. "Sorry. Francis, Antonio, this is Gilbert, one of the royal guards of my father's- I mean my kingdom. Gilbert, this is Antonio." He pointed at the turtle. "He used to be Francis' advisor when he was human and this is Francis. He used to be the lord of this castle before Ivan took over."

"Who's Ivan? Wait, you mean that enchanter that the king banished? Arthur, you need to go home!"

"I can't. He has me under a spell." The prince looked down sadly.

"How? Ya seem fine to m-" A patch of sunflowers magically spawned into existence around them and then a garden of light and beautiful blooms sprung up. Gilbert was so surprised he barely noticed when Antonio and Francis pulled him away to hide.

Arthur stood and walked through the Sunflowers surrounding him, taking care to snap a few stems and erase a tiny portion of the illusion. From behind an archway to the garden, Ivan stepped out wearing full silver armor with a helmet under his arm.

"Rejoice Arthur, for your knight in shining armor has come to set you free."

Gilbert tried to rush him, but Antonio held him back. "Let me at him. Let me at him."

"Chill, amigo. Arthur can handle this."

Ivan went on. "All it takes is one little word. Will you marry me?" The enchanter asked as he kneeled. The prince only sent him a scathing glare.

"Every night, you ask the same question."

Ivan shook his head in denial. "Don't."

"And every night, I give you the same answer."

Ivan got back up and took a threatening step towards the prince. "Don't you dare."

"I'll die first." Arthur declared pridefully. Ivan was seething.

"You are really starting to bug me."

"I should think you'd be used to it by now." He turned his back on the enchanter.

"That's it! Just keep pushing, but one day I'm going to boil over!" As he said this some of the illusion erupted in fire.

"Well go ahead then! But I'll never give you my father's kingdom!"

The illusion completely dissolved. "I was hoping you might say you'd be mine… But it looks as if you need another day to think about it…" He began to laugh.

Arthur's line of vision turned to the descending moon. "No."

He moved slowly into the water and waited. A new waterspout of gold surrounded him and he felt his body change. When the vortex ceased he emerged from under the surface of the lake… a swan once more.

Ivan sneered in approval, then turned and stalked away.

Gilbert couldn't believe his eyes. "Prince Arthur?"

The swan didn't answer.

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Me: Whoo! New chapter done!

Lovino: You gave the BTT main roles?

Me: Yep. Couldn't think of anyone more suited for their parts. Also any reviewer that guesses why Gilbert is the bird he is get's a virtual cookie!

Lovino: You gave the BTT main roles!

Me: Lovi, sweetie, I believe that's already been established. Now quit throwing a fit or I'll toss some Spamano into the story.

Lovino: …

Me: Thank you. Review or I send Francis after you.

Francis: Ohonhonhon…

Me: H-How did you get in my house, I was just bluffing!