+Princess Tutu: Kapitel des Vogels+
Author: hakuchou-san
Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Tutu.
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, I was at a loss of what to write this chapter about. And I decided to stop talking about Japanese dramas and my personal life in my author's notes. This is a online story, not the Extra Special Blah-Blah-Blah (those who read Fruits Basket know what I'm talking about). Sorry! And I just wanted to say, I read the Mediator series by Meg Cabot (ah great, I just said not to do this) and it has inspired me to give more detail in my writing, so hopefully, these chapters will improve (I can't even read the last few, I might be tempted to delete this story 'cuz it sucks so much)! I hope this chapter isn't too dull. Please R&R and enjoy!
In the previous chapter: Ahiru and Fakir both attend Kinkan Academy again. There are two new students in their class: Gachou, a twisted girl with split personalities and a fiery temper; and Melanctha, Gachou's beautiful yet gloomy sister who isolates herself from the other classmates.
Chapter Three: Secret Hideaway
Part One of Two
Ahiru yawned as she walked to class. For once she woke up on time, and she was determined to get to class on time. She had even planned it out the night before: "Operation Be On Time!". She decided, if she wanted to be a better student, she had to put more effort into it.
And that she did. It was a pain to have to wake up so early in the morning. It was much easier to just be late, but Ahiru wasn't the lazy type. No, she decided, not even an earthquake or a fire could get in her way now. "Nothing will stop me from getting to class early!" She practically yelled as she raised a fist into the air.
"I highly doubt that," Fakir said coldly as he walked up next to Ahiru, surprising her. She nearly jumped a foot in the air, she was so startled.
"Don't be so mean!" Ahiru whined as she pouted at him. She put her hands on her hips and glared, but to no effect. She then noticed Fakir looking around nervously, scanning the crowd of people. "Um, Fakir, what are you doing?"
Fakir turned to Ahiru and whispered, "Shh! Be more quiet, will ya? I'm hiding . . ." Fakir crouched lower to the ground.
"Really?" Ahiru asked confused. "From who?"
"That girl from yesterday," Fakir answered grimly. "The one who did a flying kick to my face!" Fakir rubbed his nose, recalling the painful memory.
"Oh!" Ahiru piped in cheerfully. "You mean Gac--"
"Don't say it!" He growled.
"Fakir, isn't it a little cowardly of you to be hiding from her?" Ahiru scolded. Fakir looked up at Ahiru, realizing she had a point. He thought up an excuse.
"Well, er, it's not exactly hiding. More like...avoiding another beating to my face."
Ahiru rolled her eyes and stood right in front of Fakir, with her arms crossed. "Fakir," she lectured, "this isn't like you. You're being a coward because you don't want to be beaten by a girl again, aren't you?"
"That's no--" Fakir started, but Ahiru put up her hand to silence him.
"That is it, you said so yourself, remember? You said you were hiding? But you're not a little boy anymore. You're a fully grown smart and good-looking man..." They both suddenly blushed, realizing what Ahiru just said. "I mean, good-looking to other people. Female people. That aren't me-- anyway," Ahiru continued with a cough. "What I'm saying is, you're older now, and shouldn't be hiding from a younger girl, let alone think she's intimidating enough to cringe every time you hear her name! Now get up, and face your fears!"
"I'm not afraid!" Fakir shouted, angry that Ahiru would assume that. "Not of a little girl like her!"
Ahiru knew that her little pep talk had hit home.
"Then prove it! Face your problems, and conquer them! Unless..." Ahiru leaned down and whispered, "...unless you're too afraid to."
"What? I'll show you!" Fakir angrily got up, ready for his encounter with Gachou.
"That's it! Fight-o! Fight-o!"
Fakir looked down at Ahiru. "Pique and Lilie really rub off on you, don't they?"
"Nah," Ahiru assured him, switching back to her old self. "Just taking advice from them."
"Please don't do something like that again."
"Why not?" Ahiru asked, skeptical.
"'Cause that really wasn't like you and it kinda scared me."
"Okay." Ahiru looked down with a little shame.
They walked in silence for a while, nearing the ballet building. Many people were walking to their classes, or just hanging out around the fountain. Ahiru observed them quietly to herself.
"So." Fakir said, and Ahiru turned to him. "Are you, um, busy after classes?"
Ahiru blushed a little-- only a little, just slightly-- and shook her head. Fakir saw this out of the corner of his eye (he was still facing forward) and turned red. What's he doing? Ahiru asked herself. She felt somewhat nervous, and tensed up. "Why?" she asked.
"Well, uh, um..." Fakir turned even redder and didn't face her. Instead, he turned his head the other way, so she couldn't see his face at all. He ran his fingers through his dark green hair. And he spat out what was on his mind all morning. "Doyouwannagogeticecreamwithme?"
Except Ahiru didn't understand him. Because:
a) he said it really quickly, and
b) his face was turned to face the other direction.
So in reply, she said, "Eh?"
Fakir turned to directly face Ahiru, who took a step back. His face wasn't as red as before. "Do you wanna go get ice cream with me after school?"
"EH?"
"You don't have to, though. It's just, I hear there's really good ice cream at the place across the street. And you can bring a friend with you, if you don't wanna hang out with just me..."
Ahiru didn't believe it at first, that Fakir would want to hang out with her. But she simply smiled and said, "Of course I do! I'd love to!"
Fakir looked relieved. "Really?"
"Sure!" Ahiru grinned. "And I don't mind hanging out with just you!" Ahiru smiled happily, and Fakir smiled back.
"By the way," Fakir said, walking ahead. "You're paying."
"WHAT?" Ahiru yelled, annoyed. "You jerk! I might just have to let Gachou beat you up for me--!"
"Did someone say my name?"
Gachou rushed up to Ahiru's side, smiling. "Ah! Hi Gachou!" Ahiru waved. Gachou looked condescendingly at Fakir, who turned around to face her and try his best to not look intimidated. He stood up straight with a glare. Gachou's smile dropped immediatly and she kicked his shin.
Fakir let out a yelp of pain-- with caused many students to turn in his direction-- and yelled, "What the hell was that for?"
"Don't look at me like that," Gachou shouted. "You shouldn't glare at people you've only just met!"
"And you shouldn't be causing trouble on your second day," came an icy voice from behind them.
Now it was Gachou's turn to yelp as someone behind her pulled on her ear. The icy voice belonged to Melanctha, who was looking moody as usual. "Hi, Melanctha-chan!" Ahiru greeted cheerfully as Fakir held his shin, grimacing in pain.
"Don't be mean, Melanctha!" Gachou yelled, flailing her arms and pouting.
Melanctha pulled harder and Gachou let out a gasp. "Mother wouldn't like you picking on others. Now say you're sorry."
"No! Never! He was glaring-- OW!" Melanctha tugged harder and Gachou gave in. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, Fakir. Forgive me." Melanctha relunctantly loosened her grip on Gachou's ear, and Ahiru stood there feeling awkward. "Would getting on my hands and knees and kissing your feet make you feel better?" She asked sarcastically.
Melanctha let go and smacked Gachou upside the head, making Ahiru flinch. Fakir looked up and glared, saying, "It's a start."
Melanctha ignored Gachou's groan and apologized, "Sorry about my sister. She can be a real pain sometimes. Actually," Melanctha added with a glance in Gachou's direction, "she's a real pain all the time."
"Stop fraternizing with the enemy!" Gachou yelled, half-joking. "And, HEY! I'm not always a pain!"
That's when Ahiru remembered her goal that morning: don't be late. "Ah, sorry guys, I gotta go! See you later?" She looked over at Melanctha, who just looked at her with an cold stare and turned away. "I'm busy later."
Then she walked away.
"Well, Ahiru-san, I see you came early today. COULD IT BE BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO PROPOSE TO ME BEFORE ANYONE GOT HERE?"
"Ah, uh, ahaha...not really." Ahiru looked at him nervously, then shook her head really fast. She might as well have been late. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation.
As Neko-sensei scratched his head furiously, Ahiru began walking over to her usual spot when she heard a high-pitched bubbly voice exclaim, "Look, there she is!" Ahiru looked up to see Pique ad Lilie run over to her, squealing. They pulled her over to her spot and started giggling.
"Huh? W-what is it?" Ahiru asked nervously.
Lilie and Pique looked at her and asked, "Hey, does Fakir-senpai have a girlfriend?"
"Huh? How should I know?" She asked.
"Because," Lilie chimed in, "we saw you walking with him this morning, and all the girls think he's cute!"
"We knew him ever since before last year, but he's always been by himself, and he rejects all the girls who ask him out!" Pique added, and she and Lilie looked out the window to she Fakir seemingly arguing with Gachou.
Ahiru smiled when she noticed them out there too, then frowned, noticing something missing in their story: herself. Oh, right, of course they don't remember about me. I'm just a duck... She sighed sadly. She looked around at all the familiar faces, whom she knew over a certain period of time, and felt like crying. None of these people remember me. No one. I remember them, but... She felt herself tearing up, so she breathed in and out, in and out, and calmed down.
Pique continued talking, assuming Ahiru's sigh was because Fakir didn't date people and that she liked him. "I know, bummer, right? No girl has a chance with him!"-- Ahiru felt rather proud of herself after being asked to get ice cream with Fakir after school, even if it was only a friend thing-- "But this one girl asked him out last month, but he declined. You know why?
Ahiru's expression was quizzical. "Er, no. Why?"
"Rumor has it, there is a girl he loves, a princess from far, far awa--!"
"No, no," Lilie interrupted the violet-haired ballerina. "Not a princess, but an older, childhood friend, whom he used to love, but died in a great battle for his affection!" Ahiru silently laughed at her friend's silliness, knowing that couldn't possibly be it.
A girl with blonde pigtails that was stretching nearby named Lana, who was listening in to the conversation, also butted in. "No, you're both wrong! It was a mysterious older woman dressed in a cloak that he met once, and has been infatuated with ever since! He's devoted his life to looking for her--!"
"That's not it either!" A girl with short brown hair entered the conversation. "He kissed a frog one day and it turned into a beautiful princess! He's loved her ever since!"
All the students in the room turned to the girl.
"Oh, and I suppose you have a better theory?" Tilly said defiantly, placing her hands on her hips.
"I already said," Pique started to explain, "a princess in a far away kingdom!"
"No, a mystery woman!" Lana shouted.
"A beautiful maiden!"
"Died in a battle!"
"My sister!"
Ahiru looked back and forth from each girl who shouted out their theory, and sighed hopelessly. None of those are even likely to have happened.... She looked over at Fakir, who was stretching and didn't seem to be listening. He can probably hear though, but just not saying anything about it... She looked at him, thinking about all the times they've spent together.
Fakir was the first person to discover my real identity: a duck. Most people would have scoffed and said, "A duck? How pathetic!" But, he didn't. He accepted me for who I really was. And I'm so grateful for that. I should thank him one day... Then Ahiru realized Fakir was staring back at her, confused. Ahiru quickly noticed this and turned away, blushing. Ah, great, now he's wondering why I was staring at him...
"Maybe it's a mermaid!"
Ahiru snapped out of her stupor and continued concentrating on the conversation.
Ahiru breathed a sigh of relief, then looked over at Fakir, who turned away as she did so. I hope he's not mad at me for some reason...
Ahiru was about to ask when class was about to start when Gachou, who mysteriously popped up in the center of the crowd, stuck her arm up and pointed to the ceiling while shouting her idea at the top of her lungs: "I think he fell in love with a duck who turned into a human!"
"QUAA--" Ahiru covered her mouth with her hands. She hid behind Pique and Lilie, carefully avoiding other's confused gazes, wondering about her outburst. Many people looked quizzically at her.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? She must know I'm a duck, but how? I didn't tell anyone! Now everyone's gonna know! A/N: Notice how Ahiru was oblivious to the fact that they suggested Fakir being in love with her. O.O
But to her surprise, one of the tall, older girls-- named Oletta-- said condescendingly, "That's the lamest idea I've heard yet!"
"I know!" Another girl said. "Who ever heard of a duck turning into a girl?"
Ahiru breathed a sigh of relief, happy they hadn't known all along. It was probably just a wild guess, totally coincidental! Ahiru thought. Then she laughed at the irony of it all.
Ahiru looked in Fakir's direction to see his reaction, and he was also looking in her direction. His whole face was red, and when he noticed Ahiru looking at him, he turned away.
Ah, he's probably just embarassed that they're talking about the girl he likes... Poor, clueless Ahiru.
Ahiru and Fakir took one last glance at each other, then turned away.
"That's stupid!" People kept saying about Gachou's idea. "Why a duck?"
"Because!" Gachou yelled back. "A duck was the first animal that came to mind! Besides, it's not like your ideas were any better!"
"They were too!"
Finally, the bell rang. Neko-sensei strode in, then noticed the group of students in the middle of the room. "THE BELL HAS RUNG! SHOULD YOU NOT BE PRACTICING? HURRY, GO ON!"
Many startled students ran to their places nervously. Surprisingly enough, Ahiru did not get in trouble for most of the morning. She did as she was told and Neko-sensei didn't seem to be paying much attention to her. He just looked at the empty spot in the corner, puzzled.
Ahiru, Lilie, and Pique followed his gaze to the spot. Ahiru looked just as puzzled.
"Why is he looking at the one spot?" Ahiru leaned over and whispered to her friends.
"That's the new girl's spot," Pique whispered back. "Melanctha."
"Oh!" Ahiru realized. "Why isn't she here?" She asked quietly.
"I don't know."
"Maybe she's late because of a tremendous battle!" Lilie suggested.
"But I just saw her this morning!"
Melanctha chose that moment to walk in. Everyone looked over at her. Neko-sensei watched Melanctha walk silently to her spot, and said in a loud voice so she could hear, "Melanctha-san, I hope you realize you're late to class. I would let this slide since you are new, but you have been late to class the past few days. I am sorry to say you're going to have to stay after for cleaning, or YOU WILL HAVE TO MARRY ME!"
Everyone looked stunned as Melanctha completely ignored Neko-sensei's presence. She didn't even listen to him speak. She just walked to her spot and stretched. Neko-sensei noticed this, and started cleaning himself furiously.
Ahiru looked over at her, and felt a little sympathy. It's kinda sad how she's always by herself. She's probably a very friendly person who's always lonely.
Boy, was she wrong.
After being lectured and assigned to cleaning duty that day, Ahiru trudged silently with a mop and a bucket in each of her hands. Some water from the bucket made it's way onto the floor. Her feet ached from walking, and she yawned. "Man, why am I always assigned to cleaning duty?" she complained outloud. And today, of all days! Fakir asked me to go get ice cream with him! Wait, why am I so excited? It's not like I like him or anything. Besides, he probably meant it in a friendly way, and yet I feel slightly disappointed...
Ahiru sighed and when she reached the classroom, she turned the doorknob and swung the door open. And she gasped.
It was already clean. The windows shined and the floor sparkled. Everying was absolutely perfect. "Who did this?" Ahiru asked to herself as she walked toward the window. She ran a finger along the windowsill, and lifted up a-- suprisingly enough-- dust-free finger.
Then, something caught her eye. She looked outside through the clean window, and saw Melanctha walking through the grass. Of course! It must have been Melanctha! She was also assigned to cleaning duty. I wonder where she's going...?
She watched as Melanctha walked toward the library. Ahiru assumed she was going to walk in through the double doors, and was caught off gaurd when Melanctha walked not toward the building, but around it. Ahiru, not able to hide her curiosity as to where Melanctha was headed to, ran out of the building and followed her, unaware of what dangers might await her.
I'm afraid that is all for today. Is a fun story awaiting us? A sad story? Or maybe...