Morning seemed to come only too quickly. I wasn't very fond of Mondays, and with everything that had happened the previous week, sleep still wasn't coming easily. Nevertheless, I forced myself to wake up and put on my uniform. It was just when I was hiding my anklet inside my sock that I heard someone open my door.
"Good morning!" Duck called, bursting into the room.
I smiled. "Good morning to you too, Duck."
"Are you ready to go?" she asked, still holding onto the door and already half way back out.
I grabbed my books in my arms and said, "Yep, let's go!"
As we walked to class, Duck started up a conversation. "So when are you going to tell Fakir that you're Princess Lapin?"
I laughed a little. "How about the same time you tell Mytho you're-" Duck suddenly slammed her hand over my mouth. At first I was confused, annoyed that she could say my identity, but I couldn't say hers. However, she then turned me around, and I saw that both Mytho and Fakir were standing not a foot away. She put her hand down when Duck knew I shut up.
"Good morning, Duck," said Mytho. It was the first time I'd ever seen him happy like this. I turned to Duck and smiled.
"Oh, good morning, Mytho," she said, and as Fakir appeared next to him, she continued. "Have your wounds healed, then?"
Fakir hesitated. At first, I thought he was finally going to show Duck some respect, considering how close they'd gotten after rescuing Mytho. However, I was wrong. "They had started to improve, but seeing your face has brought back new pain."
I frowned, not approving of his attitude. I knew it would take a lot for Duck to not yell at him, so I quickly covered her mouth and began to drag her away, giving a quick explanation. "Uh, sorry guys. We have to get to class; Duck has enough trouble trying to stay out of probation as it is. See you there, Fakir!" I smiled at him before running off, dragging Duck behind me. I also noticed Fakir staring at me longer than he had needed to. He didn't even have a response to my behavior.
"Why couldn't you have just let me yell at him?" asked Duck, stubbornly as we were walking into the changing room.
"Because you would have wasted too much time, and we would have been late," I argued, throwing off my uniform and trying to change as fast as I could.
"What does it matter to you?" said Duck, changing as fast as me. "Mr. Cat teaches us first!"
"Then you better get going," I said, shutting my locker and running to the advanced classroom, still trying to tie one of my point shoes.
I at first poked my head into the classroom. Luckily, Mr. Cat hadn't shown up yet. However, that meant that Duck wouldn't be so fortunate. I smacked my forehead. I should have dragged her off earlier than that, I thought. Fakir and Mytho were in the corner, as always. The other boys were in a group, and the girls were stretching. I took my usual place in the middle of the room and was about to stretch when I heard someone utter my name.
"Ahira."
I looked up, confused. It wasn't a girl; none of them were looking at me. I looked through the boys quickly, and I caught Fakir's eye. "Hm?" I answered. He stood up, moving toward the middle of the room where I stood. I thought he was going to say something crafty, but he didn't. He just stood there, looking at me, into my eyes. Suddenly, I became nervous. I knew he could recognize Princess Lapin in me. There were similarities. The basic color of my hair was the same, and my eyes were the same color. My body was built the same; I was the same height. Come to think of it, I began to wonder how it wasn't obvious that I was the new princess. However, I didn't show those thoughts. "Is there something you wanted, Fakir?" He didn't say anything, just continued to look. I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head a bit. It was only then that he said something.
"I just-" he began. I frowned as someone suddenly flung open the door to our classroom.
"I would like everyone to join me for a special class today!" Mr. Cat announced heartily.
Despite my annoyance at the feline, I smiled at Fakir and turned to follow the other girls out the door and to the classroom with the beginners. However, I muttered angrily, wanting to know what Fakir was going to say.
It turned out Mr. Cat had called us all in to tell a story about when he was in ballet school and got to see the legendary ballet dancer, Meowzinsky. The whole point of it was to remind us to practice the basics of ballet diligently, for anyone who couldn't master the basics, would not be able to master advanced choreography, nor cultivate the spirit of dance.
He then showed us a pair of white ballet shoes given to him by Meowzinsky. It was quite amazing to think about that. Being given slippers from a famous dancer? That would be amazing, especially to someone like me, I thought. To be a rough, ungraceful gymnast turned to ballet dancer and be given a pair of shoes like that. Of course, everyone else was probably thinking about the same thing himself or herself.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mytho. When I looked, he seemed stressed. His hand remained over his heart as if in pain. I then made eye contact with Duck, who had obviously noticed the same thing. However, we left class as if we didn't notice anything.
"Anyway," began Mr. Cat to Duck. "Be on time for class tomorrow."
I laughed a little after he walked away, wondering if she could really do it. We stood there with Pike and Lilie, who also seemed delighted by Duck being in trouble. Mr. Cat hadn't left for two minutes before the four of us heard a horrible cry from back in the classroom.
"What was that scream?" asked Pike.
"Could it be an incident?" Lilie joined in, as if a pink, frosted cupcake had been placed in front of her.
Duck and I ran immediately back toward the classroom. Pike and Lilie followed us, a few feet behind. When we opened the door, I gasped, seeing Mr. Cat lying on the ground, appearing devastated. I expected him to start twitching uncontrollably; it was as if he'd seen a ghost.
Then we saw them. They were Meowzinsky's shoes, cut up into shreds, lying on the ground near a piece of scissors. They were his pride and joy, the reason he did ballet and taught it to us. "Who would do such a thing?" I asked no one in particular.
Duck suddenly yanked me away from the room by my hand, running as fast as she could down the hallway. I had no choice but to follow her.
"What's Fakir doing in the library?" Duck asked me, referring to the information we'd received from the ferret brothers, the best eavesdroppers anyone knew.
I didn't know. We ended up going back to her room, deciding what to do about Mytho. "Are we sure anything was really wrong with him?"
"Well, that's what I want to find out," said Duck. "If we could only find him!"
I looked out the window, at Mytho and Fakir's room. "Maybe he went back to the dorm," I said. We hadn't checked there, and we couldn't, since girls weren't allowed.
"Hmmm," said Duck, going toward the window. "I can't see them."
I looked away for a second as she opened the window, and when I looked back, my eyes widened. She was gone. "What the…?" What, had she jumped out of it? I ran from my seat and looked down at the ground. No bloody remains of Duck. Good. Then I looked up. I nearly squeaked. "Duck! What are you doing on the roof?"
"Trying to see Mytho!" she called, obviously not hearing the worry in my voice. I looked down at the ground and bit my lip. However, I had to make sure she wouldn't fall. So I got up the courage to swing around to the side of the window and climb onto the roof myself.
"Don't look down," I said to myself. "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down!" I quickly climbed over to Duck, who had frozen where she sat. "What is it?"
"A crow."
I saw the vile looking bird sitting about two feet in front of us. I froze as well. "We should get back inside," I whispered. Just then, the bird turned toward me. I slammed my hand over at my mouth before I could squeak. The thing began to spread its wings and caw. I wanted to cover my ears, but then Duck and I heard someone cry out from across the courtyard of the school.
"Mytho!" Duck cried.
Just a few seconds later, right after I turned to face the direction of Mytho and Fakir's room, Duck and I both saw the window fly open. Duck gasped as we saw Mytho fall out of the window and start heading toward the ground. Fakir stood behind him, calling his name, his hand stretched out as if he'd pushed Mytho. And everyone in the school had witnessed it. They'd see Mytho fall from the sky and think Fakir pushed him. Did he? He couldn't have. I refused to believe that, not after the side of Fakir that I'd seen. He would never do such a thing.
Before I even had time to react, Duck was running off of the roof. She changed right before my eyes into Princess Tutu. I would have followed her, but I didn't get the chance. She had reached Mytho before I could even stand up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up right. They gently then floated to the ground. I sighed out of relief and turned my eyes toward Fakir. He hadn't really pushed Mytho out of the window, had he?
"Senior Mytho's been called to the office!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"Fakir's in trouble!"
Duck, Pike, Lilie, and I watched as several girls ran past us, uttering such exclamations. I raised an eyebrow and turned to Duck. "What's going on?"
"It must be about the pushing incident!" cried Lilie. Duck and I each turned to face her, with only more confusion showing on our faces.
"Pushing incident?" she questioned.
"Yeah, when Senior Fakir pushed the wonderful Mytho out of the window!"
"What?" I exclaimed. "He would never do that!"
"Yeah, Mytho jumped out himself!" Duck said after me.
"Everyone saw him do it," Lilie said, happy for a dramatic situation to be going on.
Her and Pike ran toward the office door, where a ton of girls already stood huddled against it. Duck and I followed, yet neither of us could get in the crowd. She shared a look with me, and we both ran back around the corner. She quacked; I squeaked. We both changed back into our animal selves and ran back- holding our clothes- to the office door. We were able to find room under everyone's legs to go right against it to hear what was happening inside.
"Unpleasant incidences just keep happening lately, don't they?" said Mr. Cat. "What exactly happened yesterday?"
Mytho's reply angered me. "That was simply due to my carelessness, just an accident." He made it seem like he was covering for Fakir! Who, by the way, was dumb enough to ask why Mytho would lie like that. Mr. Cat heard and asked exactly what the boy meant, not accepting the "accident" himself. I cringed as Mytho spoke again. "Are you saying that you believe that Fakir actually pushed me out of the window, Mr. Cat?"
I couldn't help but think that Mytho was trying to make it seem true, by acting like he was covering for his friend. I made a mental note to tell my suspicions to Duck later. I wondered what would happen now that the two's friendship would be questioned by everyone. I could already hear girls in the back telling each other things that weren't true about what was going on in the office.
"I cannot let you continue to live in one room," said Mr. Cat.
"I'll leave," said Fakir before Mytho could even reply. When Duck and I heard his footsteps coming, we both ran back down the hallway, carrying our clothes with us. Every girl we passed was swooning over Mytho as he followed us, saying how mature or foolish he was for covering for Fakir. They talked about how he looked in pain because his best friend betrayed him.
"Bullshit," I thought. I told Duck I wanted to follow Fakir and asked her if she'd take my clothes. She added them to the pile of hers and ran the other way, toward Mytho. I thought I might stay a rabbit for a while and turn back later. I remembered what the ferrets had said earlier and started hopping toward the library.
I was a bit tired by the time I got there, and I had to wait for someone else to open the door before I could get inside. I stood hiding in a bush until a boy I didn't recognize opened it. Quickly, I followed him in the library before it could shut again.
Since I was on the floor, I looked for the pants and shoes of the boys' school uniforms inside to try to find Fakir. There were only two of them here. The first was the boy who'd let me inside, and the second I guessed was Fakir. He was sitting at a desk studying a book. Quickly, I hopped over to him. I wondered how to get his attention, and then I wondered if he'd even remember me as the rabbit he had taken in a while ago. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot and nudged his ankle. I cringed as he suddenly tensed, thinking of how weird it would be to be sitting in a library and then feel something on your ankle. When he didn't look under the table, I started biting at his pants and tugging the white fabric.
"What the hell?" I heard him mutter before he finally took a glance under the table. I smiled, not exactly knowing what it would look like in rabbit form. He reached under and picked me up from the ground. "What are you doing here?" he questioned. "I thought you ran away a long time ago." He held me in his arms, and I was reminded of how warm it was there.
I squeaked happily. "Did you miss me, Fakir?"
He shushed me softly. "I don't know if you're supposed to be in here." However, he placed me on the desk in which he sat. I looked at the book he was reading and frowned, for the pages were torn out. Had he taken them?
I jumped as Duck suddenly came running up to Fakir. She was blabbering on about something that had happened with Mytho and Pike. That was odd. Mytho and Pike? Since when did they start talking?
"Hey, would you be quiet?" the boy from before called up to Duck. She apologized and finally stopped talking. Then she looked at me.
For a second, she just stared. I blinked at her, trying to tell her somehow it was me.
"Why do you have a rabbit on your desk?" she asked. I mentally slapped my forehead.
"She just came in here and started chewing on my pants," said Fakir. Coming out of his mouth, it definitely sounded weird. He patted me on the head, though, and changed the subject. "What were you saying about Mytho?"
"Oh, yeah!" she said. "So I followed him before, but then he suddenly disappeared. And then he left behind… a crow's feather."
"What?" said Fakir, closing his book immediately. He stood up, and for a moment, I was going to hop down and take my leave. But instead I was scooped up into his arms again, which I didn't object to. I could still see Duck's eyes darting toward me a few times as we left the library. A smile curved onto her lips. If rabbits could blush, I would have been at that moment.
We weren't half way across the courtyard when Fakir suddenly stopped. "Why'd you stop?" asked Duck. I looked up at Fakir, and then looked in the direction he was staring. His eyes were fixed on Rue, who stood near the fountain. She was back.
Fakir put me down onto the ground and ran over to her, grabbing her arms and demanding she tell him what happened to Mytho. I cringed as everyone started staring at them. It was a bad idea for Fakir to start a scene like that, but I understood why he did it. It was hard, knowing you had to protect someone when you had no idea what was wrong with him or her.
It was only when Mytho showed up that I got angry. I hadn't known what was wrong with him either, but I could tell he wasn't himself. Ever since he had jumped out the window and practically framed Fakir, I'd suspected it. Now he was demanding that Fakir leave Rue alone. I watched the whole thing with a sad expression. I felt bad for everyone; for Mytho, for Rue, and especially for Duck and Fakir.
"Let go of me!" Demanded Fakir. To everyone's horror, he turned around and threw the back of his hand across Mytho's face. It was hard to watch, and yet the prince merely told everyone he would be fine. It was more of making Fakir look like the bad guy. I didn't want to see any more. I was only a rabbit, but I could do something, at least.
I hopped toward Fakir and nudged his ankle yet again. He looked down at me, and I stared up at him, begging to pick me up again and just walk away. When he let Rue go, he did so and began walking back to his dorm. He said nothing to no one, and I did my best to show him how bad I felt, nuzzling my head against his arm. "The story will end soon," I snickered. I could feel it. We just needed to figure out what to do, and I think it might soon be time to let Fakir know who Princess Lapin really was.
Fakir left me inside his room that day with more lettuce leaves- which I gladly ate- when he was called to the office once again. When he came back, I could have sworn I saw tears in his face for the second time. He was emptying a few drawers; getting regular day clothes, instead of the school uniform. I was confused. I hopped from the bed, onto a chair, then up onto his dresser.
When he saw me, Fakir began to stroke my ears. "It seems I've been suspended for a week, starting tomorrow," he explained.
"What?" I gasped. Was he only suspended for hitting Mytho? It wasn't like he didn't deserve it. In my opinion, he should have slapped Rue too. Sure, I felt bad for her, but that doesn't mean I'd ever forgive the things she's done. Nevertheless, I had to go find Duck. I needed to see if she knew anything about Mytho. Quickly, I nuzzled my head against Fakir's palm. "I'll be back," I squeaked. Then I hopped down from the dresser and ran out the door, which was still ajar. Fakir didn't object to my leaving. I hoped he understood that I wasn't running away, exactly. I hopped as quick as I could across the school's courtyard. I was lucky enough to be able to jump through the door as a few girls were heading in for the night. I ran upstairs and to my dorm room. Duck and I always kept pitchers of water in our rooms, just in case. I hopped up onto the table on which it sat and jumped in it, closing my eyes. The familiar tingle went through my body, and I saw the purple light through my eyelids. Before I knew it, I was standing in my room, in need of clothes. I grabbed some pants and a tank top out of my closet.
As soon as I pulled everything on, I just happened to glance out the window and notice Duck. She was down by the fountain in the courtyard. I wondered what she was doing there before going out of my room and back down the stairs myself to find her. "Duck!" I called, running to catch up with her before she got out of the school gates.
"Ahira!" she said, happily. "You're back."
"Yeah," I said, a little out of breath. "What are you doing?"
"Well," she began to explain. "Today, I saw Pike and Mytho together. She said they were dating, but I think something's wrong. Earlier, she came out here and was walking into town. I think she's going to find Mytho, and I wanted to go see."
"Wow," I said. "Pike and Mytho? I thought she liked Fakir?" One of the few things I didn't like about Pike and Lilie; they were big fans of Fakir.
"I thought so too," said Duck. "That's part of why it's so weird. Anyway, will you come with? I think we might need princess help here."
I nodded, and we both ran out of the school gate into town. Before we got too far, I turned back to face Fakir's window. "I'll be back soon."
When we had caught up with Pike once again, Duck and I hid behind the corner of a building and watched as she met up with Mytho.
"Promise to love only me," said Mytho. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Promise to hate everyone else." She agreed. Pike actually said yes to hating everyone except Mytho. Duck and I watched as he continued. "All right, as proof then, you'll give me your beautiful heart, won't you?"
I gasped.
"Yes," she said.
"Then step forward, into my arms. Give me your heart!" Mytho stepped back and unfolded arms that turned into wings, with crow feathers as black as coal. Behind him, Duck and I could hear the raven's voice, the father of Kraehe.
In front of our eyes, Pike began doing the Waltz of the Doll. If she could have Mytho, she wouldn't mind becoming a doll. But Duck and I knew that wasn't true. It was the spell of the Raven. We had to help her. Mytho mustn't take Pike's heart.
Duck and I began to transform then. Her pendant glowed at the same time my anklet began to jingle. We changed into the princesses of the story; Tutu and Lapin.
"Please, Pike," I stepped out from behind the building. "Come dance with us, won't you?"
Tutu and I both extended our hands, but the doll declined. She was raised on stone, an offering to the Raven. And so, Tutu began to dance for her, and I joined in. We did our best, trying to bring back the Pike we knew and loved.
"Is this truly what you desire?" Tutu asked.
"You're a girl who likes chatting and singing, and who loves to dance," I reminded her. "A girl deeply in love."
"If you really love Mytho, then you must want to chat with him, and sing and dance with him, don't you?" Tutu continued.
I finished, trying to speak out to Pike as best I could. "You say you don't mind losing your heart, but that' s not the real you!" And we watched as the stone pedestal began to lower. It was done. Pike was safe, and the Raven was defeated for now. I caught Pike as she fell to the ground. "Go to him," I told Tutu, for Mytho was weakening, holding his heart with pain.
"Good night, Tutu," I said, bidding my friend as we departed for the night.
"Sleep well, Lapin," she said back, bringing Pike back into the girls' dorm and changing into Duck as well. I turned toward the boys' dorm and took a deep breath. I wondered if Fakir had gone to sleep without his rabbit. He would have to figure it out sometime, and the battle would be easier to fight if he knew.
I entered the boys' dorm as quietly as I could, creeping through the halls and up the stairs to Fakir's room. I was able to find it easily, having seen him in the window many times. When I opened the door, he was asleep, or at least appeared to be. I was still in the form of Lapin. I would wait for him to awaken before I would change. He was sleeping on his side, with his hair ruffled a bit and his hand on the pillow. I knelt down at the side of the bed. "I don't mean to disturb you, my knight," I whispered. "You look so peaceful and content for once, I almost hate to."
Nevertheless, the knight woke from his deep sleep. I saw his eyes open and peer into mine. "Tell me, Princess," he said in a bit of a groggy voice. "Is this a dream?"
I shook my head slowly. "No, Sir Knight, it isn't a dream. I need you to wake up now. You need to know another part of the story."
I helped him sit up. "What do you mean?"
I went to the curtains on the window and opened them a bit, letting the moonlight drift in. "Yesterday you approached me and wanted to talk. You were going to ask if I was Lapin, I believe, and you were right. Do you remember?"
Fakir thought for a moment, back to the day before last to when he called my name while I was about to stretch. "You…" he trailed off. I knew that he had finally realized it. I began to back away from the bed, into the streak of moonlight that reached through the window.
I closed my eyes as the little bell began to ring. Then came the tingle, and I stood in front of Fakir now with my pants and tank top instead of the purple and periwinkle tutu and slippers. My feet were bare, and my face was scratched from the encounter with Mytho.
I at first feared what Fakir might do once he found out. Would he be disappointed? Maybe angry? He got up out of bed and approached me. I took a step back out of instinct, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. "Are you disappointed that it's me?" I asked, whispering.
To my absolute relief, he shook his head in the moonlight. His hand reached around my waist, and Fakir held my hand still. After I was able to look into his eyes again, he whispered back. "I knew it was you."
