PA- Well, here's chapter four!
Fakir- So what's THIS one about?
Ahiru- It better be good. I like attention.
Fakir- No duh…
Ahiru- HEY!
PA- Well, continuing on with this chapter, please enjoy.
Ahiru (in the background)- Get back here!
Fakir- Help!
PA- (giggle) okay, this time is for real. Here's chapter four, hope you enjoy!
I stirred as I woke, suddenly bolting up out of the bed when I saw the time. But I sighed in relief as I saw the date on the alarm. It was Saturday. I had been in school a whole week, and finally, the weekend had come. Plopping my head back on my pillow, I sighed again and closed my eyes.
Diana had been avoiding me but getting as close to Fakir as she could when I wasn't around, which was rare. She was trying everything she could to get him away. The week was disturbing. I constantly saw Rue's face when I walked around town or the school. I had seen her last night, as if she was searching desperately for someone.
Then I had a dream about her. She was crying, and looking everywhere for what she was looking for. Her elegant clothes were ripped and dirty, her hair that was in a bun before losing strands of hair and tangled. Her skin that used to be so fair was scratched and had bloodstains on her neck. She had probably been through a lot.
I once again was going to ask Fakir about this, but he was always avoiding me when I was about to, like he knew the question wasn't sensible. So I ignored for like the thousandth time that week.
Luckily, Charon understood about me, so he had gotten me some clothing and other stuff. Um…of course I got the…uh…feminine things. Charon wouldn't have gotten those things for me for the world.
Deciding I should get up, I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, and I dangled my legs over the bed. Letting my feet hit the wooden floor, I opened the curtains and heaved a tired breath. Not a sigh, but just a heavy breath,
The sun shined over the dark room, the crystal lights rushing over and warming my bed and other objects. I yawned again, and headed for the door. I got out of my room, shut the door behind me, and headed heavily toward the bathroom. There were more than three bathrooms, thank goodness, so no needing to wait for another person to get out. I noticed there was a lot of privacy around here.
I looked at the photos on the wall, which had probably just got put up. Then I saw something I never noticed before. A photo of the one person I hadn't seen for a while. I never saw that person when I was a duck either. Scared that she had done something to herself, I shrieked and ran downstairs.
I saw Fakir sitting at the table drinking coffee. Gee, who knew he drunk coffee? Rushing to him, I blurted out, "Where's Uzura?"
"Ahiru!" Fakir yelped as he fell back in his chair, blushing. The chair fell back, and it fell to the floor with a loud thump. Squeaking, I looked down and realized my nightgown, wasn't exactly the public type. It was for one thing very short, and slightly see through. I squealed and covered myself with my towel as fast as I could.
"Did you look?" I said hoarsely.
"No," was Fakir's reply. He lifted himself and looked at me. "Where's Uzura you ask?"
"Yeah, I haven't seen her since the defeat of the Monster Raven. Where is she? I just noticed that I've never seen her around." I was still blushing, but I wanted where she was.
"Ahiru-zura!" said a voice. The creak of the closet door opened, as she popped out. I saw she had grown taller, and more, well, mature. Her silly young face was now heart-shaped, like mine and Edel-san's. She looked more like Edel-san more than ever. Her green hair was high and cupping her face. Her large blue eyes had shrunk and shaped into almond shaped darker blue eyes.
"She's been hiding in the closet. She comes out frequently; I guess you're just never here when she does. After all, what type of girl wakes up at seven in the morning?" Fakir grinned, still sipping his coffee.
I was surprised. "She still says zura?" I croaked.
"Ahiru-zura! Glad to see you-zura! Where've you been-zura? Uzura-zura has been looking for you at the time-zura!" she said, walking toward me. She wasn't as tall as me, she was still young. I also noticed her drum was tied to her back. Plus she used the word zura more often.
"Do you still have your tail-zura?" she questioned. Her voice hadn't changed much. I widened my eyes and shook my head.
"No," was all I could say to her.
"Oh-zura. Guess what?" she struggled. "I have been trying to not say zura as often. Guess it slipped-zura." Then she widened her eyes too and slapped a pale hand over her mouth. "Fakir says I need to be more mature," she added with a big struggle.
"You do," Fakir said coldly. He took another sip and stood up, the chair screeching against the tile floor as it went back. "I'm going out for a walk." Turning to me, he added, "You might as well get out, too. If you unexpectedly change into a duck, just run off. Well, I'll be off."
"Bye-bye Fakir-sama!" Uzura said, banging her drum. I waved as he went out through the front door and all was quiet.
"So why have you stopped trying to say zura?" I questioned the banging girl.
"Like I said, Fakir-sama says I need to be more mature." She smiled heatedly at his name. "Uzura will do anything for Fakir-sama. He raised me, so I'll repay him by doing whatever he says. Like Edel-san, she said she liked Fakir-sama."
I choked on my bagel I had grabbed from the breadbasket. "What?" I gagged.
"Edel-san used to like Fakir-sama," Uzura repeated slowly. "That's why she made that fire for him when he got really hurt."
"You mean as friends right?" I croaked, still recovering from my gagging.
"Of course!" Uzura said with a small pouting look. "Why would us puppets love? We cannot love." But she added a sad tone to her last words. Uzura looked up and smiled at me. "I'll be off too-zura! I want to take a walk through the new city."
She walked toward the door. Turning her head at me, she smiled one last time and said, "Bye-bye Ahiru-chan! I'll se you later!" And she was gone. It was only me. Groaning from what I choked on, I sat down for a moment before getting up again to go back upstairs. I was still in my nightgown.
I left upstairs and headed for the shower like before I got distracted. I stepped daintily into the bathroom and stripped my clothes off. Turning the knobs for a shower, I nimbly got in and felt the hot warmer tap against my body.
"I remember how good showers feel," I sighed with pleasure. Rubbing my hands through my hair and I added conditioner, I closed my eyes.
"It seems as if Uzura is hiding something," I said softly, even though I knew nobody would hear me. "She seemed pretty quick about it. I'm like that too." By that time I had finished rubbing the body soap over my skin and was turning the knobs again. The shower stopped pelting my skin, and I quietly stepped out.
My dripping hair let drops of water fall to my feet as I rubbed the towel roughly over my arms and chest. When I was completely dried, I headed toward my room, and got dressed into a white dress with a blue ribbon tying around my stomach. I couldn't breathe for a minute, but I got used to it.
I tied my hair into a ponytail using a blue ribbon, and I for some reason, wanted to add the pearl earrings sitting on my dresser to my ears. So I did.
Laughing softly, I asked myself out loud, "Why does a duck need to get all dressed up just to walk through the park?" I was putting on my long white stockings then, the soft fabric leaking over my legs. It felt smooth. I had waxed them that morning. What? Even girls like me need to do that!
I added black shoes that were new, and I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked real cute, beautiful, and graceful depending on how you looked at me. Then, I felt complete. So I grabbed my white purse and ran downstairs, bolting out the door.
The warm air greeted me heavenly. I breathed in the fresh scent of roses from the garden as I walked down the path to our front door. That's when I saw her. Rue, crying, running past my door. I gasped and nearly dropped my purse. I was shocked. That's Rue from my dream, I told myself hoarsely.
Coming out of shock, I gaped and started to run after her.
Ahiru- I saw Rue?
PA- Yup
Fakir- And I saw her wearing the most slu-
Ahiru- Okay, Fakir, we get the point!
Fakir- Humph, though I must say...you did look good in them...
Ahiru- So you did look!
Fakir- Not on purpose! It's only acting! Blame PA, she wrote it!
PA- Hey, what did I do wrong!
Ahiru- EVERYTHING!
Fakir- Hah, that's serves her right! (But then yelps as Ahiru comes to chase him)
PA- Well, I hope you enjoyed this chappie! Now, I'm getting ready to type the next one, so wait a couple hours or a day or something like that. Bye-bye!
Fakir- Help me!