Uzura watched Fakir from the doorway of his room, hidden in the shadows.
She waited until she heard him sleeping, his slow even breaths carrying
across the room, before she dared to emerge from the shadows of the
stairwell. Her wooden feet were oddly silent against the floor as she
walked over to the desk where Fakir lay sleeping.
Uzura picked up the paper that Fakir had flung aside. As her eyes traveled down the paper she smiled, words coming to her lips. The words she spoke were barley more then a silent whisper.
"Love, Love-zura."
Fakir stirred, as if he heard her works, then settled into a deeper sleep with a quite mumble.
Uzura placed his story on her drum and walked out of the room. As she walked down the stairs she began to fade, until Uzura has disappeared into the air and the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning sun found Fakir still asleep at his desk, his cheek pressed against the grainy food of the desk. His papers lay scattered around him on the desk and the floor.
Fakir stirred with a moan, and bracing his hands against the edge of the desk pushed himself into a sitting position. Glancing around he sighed at the sight of the scattered papers.
"You're a fool, Fakir."
Fakir leaned over and scooped the papers up, tossing them onto the desk as he stood.
Fakir reached above his head, stretching his sleep filled muscles as he glanced out the window. School would be starting soon.
His time at school would soon be over, and he knew that he would not move away - that much was certain - but he also didn't want to live with Charon for the rest of his life. The same thing that kept him here motivated him to want to live on his own. He lived too far from Ahiru, and as the weather and many other factors had proved time and time again, living this far from Ahiru was a danger to the poor little duck.
Fakri sighed. "I don't know what to do - I am such an indecisive fool. She probable doesn't even want me around."
Fakir shook his head, as if to shake his thoughts away. "Enough of those thoughts, for now I should worry about my day at school."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pique and Lilie sighed with happiness - in class today their sensei had chosen Fakir to give a baler demonstration. Fakir had just taken him place before the class, his eyes closed and his body straight, ready to dance.
Pique nudges Lilie and smiled, whispering to her.
"it is a lucky day. It isn't often Fakir is asked to give a demonstration."
Lilie nodded her understanding. Her head rested on her hands, which hugged her knees to her chest. "I'm going to try again to get him to go on a date with me."
Pique didn't take her eyes of of Fakir as he began his dance. "I don't know I that is a good idea, Lilie. He looks so sad and alone as he dances there.will he welcome your attentions?"
"more reason for him to agree." Lilie flashed a smile and Pique and turned her attentions back to Fakir.
Pique was right, Fakir's dance was-well depressing. His movements and expressions conveyed a deep sadness and he danced as if holding a shadow to him, his movements betraying his sadness at the absence of the shadow.
Lilie knew that if he would agree to date her she could make the sadness and lonliness go away. She could make him happy, eh would be cared for. But something about Fakir seemed to push people away, as if he wanted to be trapped with his sorrow and loneliness. He had let a few people close to him, but as Lilie tried to remember who they were, she found she couldn't recall them, as if their memory kept themselves hidden from sight.
"Why would he want to be sad and alone?" Lilie looked to Pique and Pique shrugged, a frown on her face.
Fair didn't bother to hid his frown as he saw Pique and lilie waiting for hima fter classes. He had seen them whispering during class and know that they had been talking abouth im
Fakir walked past the pair with quick strides, hoping that they could take a hint. However it didn't seem that either girl could, for he could hear their running footsteps as they hurried to catch up with him.
"Your performance today was wonderful. So sad and full of emotion." Lilie's voice was cheerful and she took care not to look at Fakir. Pique at the other hand saw the briefest flicker of pain cross his face as Lilie spoke.
"She must have been a close friend, Fakir-kun." Pique looked to the ground. "I'm sorry." Pique grabbed Lilie's sleeve and pulled Lilie away from Fakir.
"Hey!" Lilie complained ad Fakir strode away. "What did you do that for?!?!" Lilie looked from Pique to fakir and moved to go after Fakir.
"His dance today was about someone he cared for, leave him alone, Lilie. He still feels sadness for her loss."
"but I can make him happy!"
:Some sadness wont go away with someone new, Lilie. Give him some time. Pique sighed. I just wish there was something more that I could do for him.
"but." Lilies protest was weak and she turned away from Fakir and back towards the school, where they lived.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir was grateful for Pique's insight, for it let him escape Lilie, but he wondered hwo she had known.
Does she perhaps remember a little bit of what happened? Those who were unaware of the story forgot about its existence entirely.
Fakirs thgouth wandered as he played with the possibilities of how Pique could have known the casue of the sad and lonely dance he had performed earlier. Pique was the only one of Ahiru's two friends that he could tolerate. Lilie-grated on his nerves. Something about her gave Fakir great annoyance, and he wasn't certain what it was. Perhaps it was her single mindedness, her whole hearted pursuit of whatever it was her desire of the moment happened to be.
Whether it was the love letter that she had written to him from Ahiru or Lilie's current pursuit of him, she didn't give an inch when something mattered to her. Lilie didn't seem to take a hint about anything, but Pique did. What neither of them could do, however was understand him. Ahiru could. Even as a duck Ahiru understood him-always. That was one of the reasons she was so dear to him
Rfakir smiled as he saw Ahiru waiting from hin on the tree line of the cleaning.
"this afternoon will be much better than last night." Fakir walked with quiet steps as he snuck up on Ahiru, hoping to surprise her, thankful for his dancers training.
"Waiting for someone?" Fakir sat down next to Ahiru and was pleased to watch her startle at his presence as she ruffled her feathers uneasily.
"Why would I be waiting for anyone?" Ahiru's voice was slightly tense, obviously startled by Fakirs sudden appearance. She had been daydreaming as she stared at the lake, remembering the shooting starts last night, and a blush had covered her cheeks again, as it had many times that morning as she though about last night. Ahiru hoped that Fakir hadn't seen the pink on her cheeks.
Fakir glanced down at Ahiru and was surprised to see tension still in her body. "Sorry."
Ahiru glanced at Fakir and her body relaxed. Fakir never apologized. "I-- its ok, really." Ahiru stammered ruffling her feathers once again. "You don't need to apologize for anything." Ahiru smiled as best a little yellow duck could and at her smile Fakir once again felt a pang of regret, remembering last night, and his distress at the circumstances.
When she smiled as a duck he recalled the sweet smile of the girl Ahiru, and the fondness he felt for Ahiru would almost overwhelm him.
"I have a lot to apologize for." Fakirs voice was soft, and Ahiru turned to fully face Fakir.
"What do you mean, Fakir. Why do you have to apologize?" Ahiru s quack was distressed, upset at the idea that Fakir was distressed at something.
Fakir sighed and leaned forward onto his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.
Ahiru watched him intently her distress andconcern obvious onher eyes.
"Gomen, Ahiru. I didn't mean to upset you." Fakir smiled wryly at Ahiru and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how to proceed. He wasn't sure how much of his inner turmoil to reveal to Ahiru. He wished to tell her everything, but he didn't was to upset her with his distress.or his feelings.
He wanted to share his regrets, how much he cared for her, how greatly he wished to make her happy, how he wished her human again, but only if she desired to be. He wanted to tell her how much he valued her friendship-and how much their pas de duex was treasured by him.
He longer to share all his heart held with Ahiru but he didn't want to overwhelm her, and he didn't want her to reject what he offered her, his love. Could he bring himself to confess his feelings for her? She would probably reject him ad he didn't know if he could deal with having Ahiru not in his life, or having their relationship change because of unreciprocated feelings. He knew that he would not deal with being unloved in the same graceful was that Ahiru had dealt with Mytho choosing to make Ruu his princess. He didn't want anything less of a friendship then they had now, no matter how much he desired for there to be more between them, in whatever manner a human and a duck could have more. Could her tell her. Could he take the risk.
He valued their friendship. It was a very precious thing to him.
Ahiru watched as Fakir contemplated what to tell her, and her gaze grew more troubled as she watched emotions flicker across his face.
He looked so sad. And it wasn't a fleeting sadness it was a deep rooted sadness that tainted Fakir's featured with its presence. Ahiru was familiar with such a sadness, all to familiar, but she knew of no reason that Fakir would know of such sadness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uzura watched Fakir contemplate how to answer Ahiru with great dissatisfaction.
"Too scared, zura." She murmured, glancing down to the paper on her drum.
It was obvious he cared for her, and she for him, and turning Ahiru into a human was a simple enough matter for Fakir-but he didn't seem to write Ahiru her own story, one that would be much like Drosselmeyers where the story guided itself.
Once upon a time there was a girl who was also a duck. This girl could change freely between the two form, and she did so at will. The end.
Would be enough, it would be a story that involved but that didn't control.
Uzura sighed, and then began a determined stride towards the pair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir smiled sadly. "Im sorry to have worried you, Ahiru. My silence seems to have worried you m ore, but I am having trouble with my words today. Imagine a writer having trouble with his words. I don't know If the words I use will be welcome." Fakir took a deep breath, his gaze locking in an intense stare with Ahiru's worried gaze.
"Ahiru I l--"
"Hi, zura!" Uzura jumped between Fakir and Ahiru with a loud bang on her drum. Her drum rattled more than usual as two rocks bounded upon the head of the drum.
Ahiru quacked startled and jumped away, flapping her wings nervously while Fakir leaned back, impassive.
"Uzura, its been a long time since you have come by. After Mytho and Ruu left I thought you had gone with Drosselmeyer.."
"he's to boring, zura." Uruza sat down next to Fakir and smiled sadly as Ahiru waddled back over happily quacking.
"Missed Ahiru, zura. Not the same without her, zura."
Ahiru quacked sadly remembering the way Uzura had held her skirt as she was leaving to give Mytho the pendant. She remembered the sadness that had been there when Uzura realized Ahiu would be loosing her human form.
"I miss Ahiru as well."
Ahiru was so caught up in her contemplation that she didn't realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud, quietly quacking her desire.
Uzura heard, and Fakir stirred slightly, very surprised to know that Ahiru was unhappy with her current form. Her dance had hinted, but to know that she was unhappy, truly unhappy, was a shock. He had thought she was happy. Wasn't she happy?
Uzura smiled glancing at the two contemplating individuals. Standing abruptly Uzura banged her drum loudly and then picked up the two rocks that rested on the head of he drum.
"here, zura." Fallen stars, zura." Uzura handed one to fakir and placed one, bound to a leather cord, around Ahiru's neck. "good luck charms, zura." Uzura waved and with a beaming smile ran off into the woods, banging her drum happily as she ran.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uzura smiled happily as she ran. "I shouldn't meddle, zura." She shrugged and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir and Ahiru watched Uzura scamper away.
"I wonder if this is the star that I made my wish on." Ahiru placed her wings on the stone around her neck, a small ordinary looking rock.
Fakir turned the rock over in his hands, then placed it in his pocket. "its getting dark, Ahiru. I should go, you need to go find your nest for the night anyways, to make sure everything is fine for bed. There is a chill in the air tonight."
Ahiru nodded wanting to bring back up the conversation Uzura had interrupted but knowing not to push Fakir.
Fakir smiled softly, noting the expression on Ahiru's face. She was easy to read as always.
:I don't have class tomorrow, Ahiru, and I haven't forgotten. I will spend the entire day with you, and we will finish our talk then."
Ahiru nodded, her curiosity rising even higher. Fakir would tell her when he was ready, she just had to wait until he felt he was ready.
Ahiru quacked her goodbyes with unusual cheer and waddled away to her nest with hurried steps.
Fakir sighed and spoke, his voice soft. "If Uzura hadn't interrupted Ahiru would now that I love her. Do I want her to know. Can I bear her rejection?" Fakir shoved his hands into his pockets and began the walk home, his steps filled with far less cheer than Ahiru's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir arrived home t a dark house, Charon out somewhere as he often seemed to be these days. He and Fakir kept such opposite schedules that to Fakir it seemed as If he lived alone. He and Charon had discussed the possibility of Fakir moving out, and they both agreed it was a good idea. Fakir was in the process of finding new living arrangements, or rather finding a place to building a house. He wanted to be closer to the water, so he could take better care of Ahiru's needs.
Fakir slowly climbed the stairs and threw himself down on the bed with a sigh. Seeign Uzura again reminded him of how much things had changed. Uzura had gone with Drosselmeyer. Aota had vanished. Mytho and Ruu left happily married. All those he had associated with were gone, or at least changed. Ahiru wasn't gone, she was only.a duck now. Not the girl that he had come to treasure, thought he did not treasure the duck any less that he treasured the girl.
Fakir pulled the fallen star Uzura had given him from his pocket and examined it. It looked like a normal rock, yet something about it was familiar to him. It looked like a normal rock, and yet something about it puzzled him. Fakir frowned, staring t it, trying to determine what is was about the rock that was familiar. What bothered him more that the familiarity of the rock was that he couldn't identify that familiarity-but he would not let the rock w in.
And so that night dear Fakir fell asleep, stone in hand, and his mind tried to grasp that which was familiar about the fallen star.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahiru waddled happily back to her nest. Uzura's visit had done much to alleviate her fears, worries, and speculation about what Fakir had been trying t tell her. She was still worried, mind you, but she allowed Uzura's visit to take precedence in her mind, and not her worries.
Pleasant memories absorber her at the moment, memories of time spent with Uzura and Fakir, questing for a way to save Mytho, memories of a life she had taken for granted. It was these happy memories that lulled Ahiru into the world of dreams that night as she lay nestled among her nest of leaves and twigs, beneath the seclusion of the dock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahiru yawned and stretched sleepily. She was awake thought it was not yet morning-something had roused her from her sleep and Ahiru didn't want to acknowledge what that thing was. And so Ahiru kept her eyes closed and she tried to bring the elusive sleep back once again.
Only the quiet sound of gently lapping waves greeted Ahiru and while quieter than normal even that was not enough to make Ahiru stir.
The cold winter wind that blew across her body, however, was more than enough to make her stir. With eyes still closed Ahiru leaned her head over to ruffle the feathers on her body, trapping the warms once more against her skin. Ahiru froze, however, when her mouth came in contact with bare skin.
Ahiru's eyes flew open and she could see herself-her human self curled up like a duck in her nest.
"What?" Ahiru settled into a sitting position, modestly pulling her legs to her chest, and stared at her hands.
"When did I become a girl again? How?" Ahiru's voice was quiet in the night, barley louder than the waves and yet it was a happy voice. She was a girl again, if only for the moment. She didn't know how long it would last, but she would cherish this moment.
"I have to go tell Fakir!" Ahiru jumped to her feet and wincer as her head cracked against the dock. Falling to the ground with a whimper Ahiru stilled for a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Once everything had settled Ahiru crawled from underneath the dock with care. Once free from the confines of the dock she once again sprang to her feet and began sprinting towards Fakirs house giving to thought to her nakedness.
Uzura picked up the paper that Fakir had flung aside. As her eyes traveled down the paper she smiled, words coming to her lips. The words she spoke were barley more then a silent whisper.
"Love, Love-zura."
Fakir stirred, as if he heard her works, then settled into a deeper sleep with a quite mumble.
Uzura placed his story on her drum and walked out of the room. As she walked down the stairs she began to fade, until Uzura has disappeared into the air and the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning sun found Fakir still asleep at his desk, his cheek pressed against the grainy food of the desk. His papers lay scattered around him on the desk and the floor.
Fakir stirred with a moan, and bracing his hands against the edge of the desk pushed himself into a sitting position. Glancing around he sighed at the sight of the scattered papers.
"You're a fool, Fakir."
Fakir leaned over and scooped the papers up, tossing them onto the desk as he stood.
Fakir reached above his head, stretching his sleep filled muscles as he glanced out the window. School would be starting soon.
His time at school would soon be over, and he knew that he would not move away - that much was certain - but he also didn't want to live with Charon for the rest of his life. The same thing that kept him here motivated him to want to live on his own. He lived too far from Ahiru, and as the weather and many other factors had proved time and time again, living this far from Ahiru was a danger to the poor little duck.
Fakri sighed. "I don't know what to do - I am such an indecisive fool. She probable doesn't even want me around."
Fakir shook his head, as if to shake his thoughts away. "Enough of those thoughts, for now I should worry about my day at school."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pique and Lilie sighed with happiness - in class today their sensei had chosen Fakir to give a baler demonstration. Fakir had just taken him place before the class, his eyes closed and his body straight, ready to dance.
Pique nudges Lilie and smiled, whispering to her.
"it is a lucky day. It isn't often Fakir is asked to give a demonstration."
Lilie nodded her understanding. Her head rested on her hands, which hugged her knees to her chest. "I'm going to try again to get him to go on a date with me."
Pique didn't take her eyes of of Fakir as he began his dance. "I don't know I that is a good idea, Lilie. He looks so sad and alone as he dances there.will he welcome your attentions?"
"more reason for him to agree." Lilie flashed a smile and Pique and turned her attentions back to Fakir.
Pique was right, Fakir's dance was-well depressing. His movements and expressions conveyed a deep sadness and he danced as if holding a shadow to him, his movements betraying his sadness at the absence of the shadow.
Lilie knew that if he would agree to date her she could make the sadness and lonliness go away. She could make him happy, eh would be cared for. But something about Fakir seemed to push people away, as if he wanted to be trapped with his sorrow and loneliness. He had let a few people close to him, but as Lilie tried to remember who they were, she found she couldn't recall them, as if their memory kept themselves hidden from sight.
"Why would he want to be sad and alone?" Lilie looked to Pique and Pique shrugged, a frown on her face.
Fair didn't bother to hid his frown as he saw Pique and lilie waiting for hima fter classes. He had seen them whispering during class and know that they had been talking abouth im
Fakir walked past the pair with quick strides, hoping that they could take a hint. However it didn't seem that either girl could, for he could hear their running footsteps as they hurried to catch up with him.
"Your performance today was wonderful. So sad and full of emotion." Lilie's voice was cheerful and she took care not to look at Fakir. Pique at the other hand saw the briefest flicker of pain cross his face as Lilie spoke.
"She must have been a close friend, Fakir-kun." Pique looked to the ground. "I'm sorry." Pique grabbed Lilie's sleeve and pulled Lilie away from Fakir.
"Hey!" Lilie complained ad Fakir strode away. "What did you do that for?!?!" Lilie looked from Pique to fakir and moved to go after Fakir.
"His dance today was about someone he cared for, leave him alone, Lilie. He still feels sadness for her loss."
"but I can make him happy!"
:Some sadness wont go away with someone new, Lilie. Give him some time. Pique sighed. I just wish there was something more that I could do for him.
"but." Lilies protest was weak and she turned away from Fakir and back towards the school, where they lived.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir was grateful for Pique's insight, for it let him escape Lilie, but he wondered hwo she had known.
Does she perhaps remember a little bit of what happened? Those who were unaware of the story forgot about its existence entirely.
Fakirs thgouth wandered as he played with the possibilities of how Pique could have known the casue of the sad and lonely dance he had performed earlier. Pique was the only one of Ahiru's two friends that he could tolerate. Lilie-grated on his nerves. Something about her gave Fakir great annoyance, and he wasn't certain what it was. Perhaps it was her single mindedness, her whole hearted pursuit of whatever it was her desire of the moment happened to be.
Whether it was the love letter that she had written to him from Ahiru or Lilie's current pursuit of him, she didn't give an inch when something mattered to her. Lilie didn't seem to take a hint about anything, but Pique did. What neither of them could do, however was understand him. Ahiru could. Even as a duck Ahiru understood him-always. That was one of the reasons she was so dear to him
Rfakir smiled as he saw Ahiru waiting from hin on the tree line of the cleaning.
"this afternoon will be much better than last night." Fakir walked with quiet steps as he snuck up on Ahiru, hoping to surprise her, thankful for his dancers training.
"Waiting for someone?" Fakir sat down next to Ahiru and was pleased to watch her startle at his presence as she ruffled her feathers uneasily.
"Why would I be waiting for anyone?" Ahiru's voice was slightly tense, obviously startled by Fakirs sudden appearance. She had been daydreaming as she stared at the lake, remembering the shooting starts last night, and a blush had covered her cheeks again, as it had many times that morning as she though about last night. Ahiru hoped that Fakir hadn't seen the pink on her cheeks.
Fakir glanced down at Ahiru and was surprised to see tension still in her body. "Sorry."
Ahiru glanced at Fakir and her body relaxed. Fakir never apologized. "I-- its ok, really." Ahiru stammered ruffling her feathers once again. "You don't need to apologize for anything." Ahiru smiled as best a little yellow duck could and at her smile Fakir once again felt a pang of regret, remembering last night, and his distress at the circumstances.
When she smiled as a duck he recalled the sweet smile of the girl Ahiru, and the fondness he felt for Ahiru would almost overwhelm him.
"I have a lot to apologize for." Fakirs voice was soft, and Ahiru turned to fully face Fakir.
"What do you mean, Fakir. Why do you have to apologize?" Ahiru s quack was distressed, upset at the idea that Fakir was distressed at something.
Fakir sighed and leaned forward onto his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.
Ahiru watched him intently her distress andconcern obvious onher eyes.
"Gomen, Ahiru. I didn't mean to upset you." Fakir smiled wryly at Ahiru and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how to proceed. He wasn't sure how much of his inner turmoil to reveal to Ahiru. He wished to tell her everything, but he didn't was to upset her with his distress.or his feelings.
He wanted to share his regrets, how much he cared for her, how greatly he wished to make her happy, how he wished her human again, but only if she desired to be. He wanted to tell her how much he valued her friendship-and how much their pas de duex was treasured by him.
He longer to share all his heart held with Ahiru but he didn't want to overwhelm her, and he didn't want her to reject what he offered her, his love. Could he bring himself to confess his feelings for her? She would probably reject him ad he didn't know if he could deal with having Ahiru not in his life, or having their relationship change because of unreciprocated feelings. He knew that he would not deal with being unloved in the same graceful was that Ahiru had dealt with Mytho choosing to make Ruu his princess. He didn't want anything less of a friendship then they had now, no matter how much he desired for there to be more between them, in whatever manner a human and a duck could have more. Could her tell her. Could he take the risk.
He valued their friendship. It was a very precious thing to him.
Ahiru watched as Fakir contemplated what to tell her, and her gaze grew more troubled as she watched emotions flicker across his face.
He looked so sad. And it wasn't a fleeting sadness it was a deep rooted sadness that tainted Fakir's featured with its presence. Ahiru was familiar with such a sadness, all to familiar, but she knew of no reason that Fakir would know of such sadness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uzura watched Fakir contemplate how to answer Ahiru with great dissatisfaction.
"Too scared, zura." She murmured, glancing down to the paper on her drum.
It was obvious he cared for her, and she for him, and turning Ahiru into a human was a simple enough matter for Fakir-but he didn't seem to write Ahiru her own story, one that would be much like Drosselmeyers where the story guided itself.
Once upon a time there was a girl who was also a duck. This girl could change freely between the two form, and she did so at will. The end.
Would be enough, it would be a story that involved but that didn't control.
Uzura sighed, and then began a determined stride towards the pair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir smiled sadly. "Im sorry to have worried you, Ahiru. My silence seems to have worried you m ore, but I am having trouble with my words today. Imagine a writer having trouble with his words. I don't know If the words I use will be welcome." Fakir took a deep breath, his gaze locking in an intense stare with Ahiru's worried gaze.
"Ahiru I l--"
"Hi, zura!" Uzura jumped between Fakir and Ahiru with a loud bang on her drum. Her drum rattled more than usual as two rocks bounded upon the head of the drum.
Ahiru quacked startled and jumped away, flapping her wings nervously while Fakir leaned back, impassive.
"Uzura, its been a long time since you have come by. After Mytho and Ruu left I thought you had gone with Drosselmeyer.."
"he's to boring, zura." Uruza sat down next to Fakir and smiled sadly as Ahiru waddled back over happily quacking.
"Missed Ahiru, zura. Not the same without her, zura."
Ahiru quacked sadly remembering the way Uzura had held her skirt as she was leaving to give Mytho the pendant. She remembered the sadness that had been there when Uzura realized Ahiu would be loosing her human form.
"I miss Ahiru as well."
Ahiru was so caught up in her contemplation that she didn't realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud, quietly quacking her desire.
Uzura heard, and Fakir stirred slightly, very surprised to know that Ahiru was unhappy with her current form. Her dance had hinted, but to know that she was unhappy, truly unhappy, was a shock. He had thought she was happy. Wasn't she happy?
Uzura smiled glancing at the two contemplating individuals. Standing abruptly Uzura banged her drum loudly and then picked up the two rocks that rested on the head of he drum.
"here, zura." Fallen stars, zura." Uzura handed one to fakir and placed one, bound to a leather cord, around Ahiru's neck. "good luck charms, zura." Uzura waved and with a beaming smile ran off into the woods, banging her drum happily as she ran.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uzura smiled happily as she ran. "I shouldn't meddle, zura." She shrugged and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir and Ahiru watched Uzura scamper away.
"I wonder if this is the star that I made my wish on." Ahiru placed her wings on the stone around her neck, a small ordinary looking rock.
Fakir turned the rock over in his hands, then placed it in his pocket. "its getting dark, Ahiru. I should go, you need to go find your nest for the night anyways, to make sure everything is fine for bed. There is a chill in the air tonight."
Ahiru nodded wanting to bring back up the conversation Uzura had interrupted but knowing not to push Fakir.
Fakir smiled softly, noting the expression on Ahiru's face. She was easy to read as always.
:I don't have class tomorrow, Ahiru, and I haven't forgotten. I will spend the entire day with you, and we will finish our talk then."
Ahiru nodded, her curiosity rising even higher. Fakir would tell her when he was ready, she just had to wait until he felt he was ready.
Ahiru quacked her goodbyes with unusual cheer and waddled away to her nest with hurried steps.
Fakir sighed and spoke, his voice soft. "If Uzura hadn't interrupted Ahiru would now that I love her. Do I want her to know. Can I bear her rejection?" Fakir shoved his hands into his pockets and began the walk home, his steps filled with far less cheer than Ahiru's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fakir arrived home t a dark house, Charon out somewhere as he often seemed to be these days. He and Fakir kept such opposite schedules that to Fakir it seemed as If he lived alone. He and Charon had discussed the possibility of Fakir moving out, and they both agreed it was a good idea. Fakir was in the process of finding new living arrangements, or rather finding a place to building a house. He wanted to be closer to the water, so he could take better care of Ahiru's needs.
Fakir slowly climbed the stairs and threw himself down on the bed with a sigh. Seeign Uzura again reminded him of how much things had changed. Uzura had gone with Drosselmeyer. Aota had vanished. Mytho and Ruu left happily married. All those he had associated with were gone, or at least changed. Ahiru wasn't gone, she was only.a duck now. Not the girl that he had come to treasure, thought he did not treasure the duck any less that he treasured the girl.
Fakir pulled the fallen star Uzura had given him from his pocket and examined it. It looked like a normal rock, yet something about it was familiar to him. It looked like a normal rock, and yet something about it puzzled him. Fakir frowned, staring t it, trying to determine what is was about the rock that was familiar. What bothered him more that the familiarity of the rock was that he couldn't identify that familiarity-but he would not let the rock w in.
And so that night dear Fakir fell asleep, stone in hand, and his mind tried to grasp that which was familiar about the fallen star.
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Ahiru waddled happily back to her nest. Uzura's visit had done much to alleviate her fears, worries, and speculation about what Fakir had been trying t tell her. She was still worried, mind you, but she allowed Uzura's visit to take precedence in her mind, and not her worries.
Pleasant memories absorber her at the moment, memories of time spent with Uzura and Fakir, questing for a way to save Mytho, memories of a life she had taken for granted. It was these happy memories that lulled Ahiru into the world of dreams that night as she lay nestled among her nest of leaves and twigs, beneath the seclusion of the dock.
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Ahiru yawned and stretched sleepily. She was awake thought it was not yet morning-something had roused her from her sleep and Ahiru didn't want to acknowledge what that thing was. And so Ahiru kept her eyes closed and she tried to bring the elusive sleep back once again.
Only the quiet sound of gently lapping waves greeted Ahiru and while quieter than normal even that was not enough to make Ahiru stir.
The cold winter wind that blew across her body, however, was more than enough to make her stir. With eyes still closed Ahiru leaned her head over to ruffle the feathers on her body, trapping the warms once more against her skin. Ahiru froze, however, when her mouth came in contact with bare skin.
Ahiru's eyes flew open and she could see herself-her human self curled up like a duck in her nest.
"What?" Ahiru settled into a sitting position, modestly pulling her legs to her chest, and stared at her hands.
"When did I become a girl again? How?" Ahiru's voice was quiet in the night, barley louder than the waves and yet it was a happy voice. She was a girl again, if only for the moment. She didn't know how long it would last, but she would cherish this moment.
"I have to go tell Fakir!" Ahiru jumped to her feet and wincer as her head cracked against the dock. Falling to the ground with a whimper Ahiru stilled for a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Once everything had settled Ahiru crawled from underneath the dock with care. Once free from the confines of the dock she once again sprang to her feet and began sprinting towards Fakirs house giving to thought to her nakedness.