Chapter Seven
PA-…well, since there's nothing to say, we should just get on with the story
(Others nod)
Princess Araena- Yes, so I can destroy them!
PA- Don't go overboard!
"Help?" Princess Araena staggered. Bu then she added wickedly, "Nothing is able to stop me, you filthy pieces of dirt!" She added a sly grin and crossed her arms.
I only grinned, though Rue was confused. "What?" she asked, grabbing hold of my arm. Only shrugging her off, I looked up and yelled at the top of my lungs. "Edel-san! Lend me you power and call forth more light!" I stood there, confidently.
"Uzura, lend me your hand! Fakir, lend me your hand! Mytho, lend me your hand! Pike and Lillie, lend me your hands!" I turned to face Rue. I added softly, "Princess Kraehe…" I smiled and faced Princess Araena again.
"Princess Kraehe, embrace your ice snow powers into mine, and forge them together." I struck out my hands in front of me. The real me didn't know what was going on. I was just saying and doing things that were unknown of my knowledge.
"Lift heavy darkness and spread happiness, light, and warmth throughout the world!" Now I was saying nonsense. But my body kept going on and on. "Blend those powers and use it to defeat the darkness within this emptied soul!" I felt silly, saying that stuff. Words wouldn't change anything.
But then, I saw them. I felt warm hands press against my own. I looked up and saw Fakir. He smiled at me, and then Uzura joined in. Mytho, even though he was lying there behind Princess Araena, didn't join in but a felt invisible hands press against my own. I couldn't help but start to beam with happiness as more hands joined in. I saw more than ever. I even saw Rue's face. She smiled gently, and the real Princess Kraehe stood beside me, planting her feet firmly on the ground, and joined her hands with mine.
But the least expected person joined with me. I saw the encouraging smile of Diana, her raven hair blowing. I widened my eyes and softened them; happy to know Diana was in with me.
Lifting my head to look up at Princess Araena, she looked horrified. "No!" she cried, stepping back. But a flash of anger rose in her. She stepped forward again. "No!" she repeated. "Joining together won't stop Princess Araena, sister of the Great Monster Raven! Never!"
Princess Araena growled and put her own hands in front of her. Repeating her own line, she closed her eyes and recited. "Darkness, fall forward to me. Fall to your Princess, and imprint your powers in the records, amongst the name Princess Araena! Raven's call forward more shadows, and demons, lift your heavy souls and bring terror once again." She opened her eyes, and yelled as loud as she could, "Call forth the shadows and darkness of the raven colony!"
Her hands glowed black, and my heart suddenly sank. An overwhelming darkness surrounded me, my happiness fading away. Bu I wouldn't give up. Rue beside me staggered a bit but stood it up. "Keep going, Ahiru. No, not Ahiru…Princess Tutu, Ahiru-chan!"
What she made me jump for joy, and the darkness slowly lifted. I felt more hands of the light place theirs upon mine. I breathed in slowly, and yelled, "You won't win, Princess Araena!"
She struggled, and her black shadows emitted harshly from her hands. I saw the Monster Raven's shadow cast upon her. Then I saw of flash of Diana in her.
"S-stop!" she cried. But her form resisted and it went back to Princess Araena. "Stop it, you blabbering mortal! I shall destroy all light, and call forth more shadows to cast upon the world. As my brother would've done, if it hadn't' of been for you!" she snarled, staring straight at me. I despised that stare, and I felt one more two more hands join in. Turning to see whom it was, I saw a girl with red hair and crystal eyes and freckles. She smiled at me, and then a duck came, her feathery wings placing over the other dozens of hands. It was my inner self who was giving me more strength.
I felt a wave a confidence jolt through me, and I heard the scream of Princess Araena. "No!" The light was pushing harshly against her body. Then the Monster Raven came from the shadows and stood over her.
"Diana!" I suddenly called. Princess Araena fell down and clutched her head painfully.
"Diana, please, come with us and add more light to defeat the Monster Raven!" I cried, struggling to keep this light going.
Diana shook her head painfully. "No! No!" she sobbed.
"We need more light," Rue said from beside. "One more person should do the trick!"
Once again, slowly though, I felt a soft hands join in. Gasping, I face the person, and saw the face of Mirabelle. She gazed at me with thoughtful eyes, and I laughed. "Give me more, Mirabelle."
She focused, and I felt more power sinking into my body. It felt very good.
"P-please, s-s-s-stop!" Diana groaned. "Damn!" The light overcame her, and I saw the most beautiful woman after the light faded from her body. A tall woman with butter blonde hair that rushed like the sun fell to her feet. Golden eyes opened as she sighed with relief. Sun-shaped earrings were heavily hanging from her ears. The same with a gold necklace with a yellow topaz in the middle.
Her dress was white, and more like mine than Rue's. It was the same, actually. But the colors were different. Her dress was white, but the ribbons and lacing was green. She disappeared for a moments before standing before me, offering her hand.
"Want a hand?" she smirked.
"Of course," I breathed. She added it, and a screech came from the Monster Raven.
"No! No! You cannot defeat the Monster Raven a second time! It's not possible!" he shrieked, his black body becoming smaller and smaller.
The light flamed throughout the room, and then, I was sitting out in the street, panting heavily. I was in my original form, and I saw Rue, sitting up, rubbing her head. "Where's Diana?" I asked her, crawling over to her.
"There," she pointed, still rubbing a hand over her forehead. But what I saw was not Diana. This Diana didn't have Raven black hair, but buttery blonde hair, and peachy skin. Her lips were still full, but were smothered in pink, not blood red. Her eyes slowly opened, and they were green, like grass.
She looked at herself, and gasped with delight. "I'm back!"
"What?" I asked.
"I'm back!" she squealed. "I'm back! I'm no longer dark and shadows! I'm back to my original form!"
"Now that's the Diana I know," said a voice. Fakir was leaning against the doorway, smirking. "That's the Diana I used to like."
"Oh Fakir!" she breathed, but she didn't make a move to get up and hug him. She sat there, hugging herself, and a flash of light came from behind me warmed my back. I spun around and saw a different Rue as well.
This Rue had hair not as dark, but a light brown. Her eyes were silver, and her white skin was also peachy. She gaped at herself. "What the-?"
"You're back?" said another male voice. It was sweet and clear. "This is why I made you my princess. I knew the real Rue was somewhere in there."
"Mytho!" I cried. Rue looked back at him, and staggered toward him. She fell into his arms and started sobbing loudly.
"I'm really back! We're all really back," she cried, tears running down her face. There had been so much crying lately.
"I was always like this though," I sighed, smiling. I dusted off my shirt, noticing I was in my school uniform. "That's good though, no more Monster Raven, definitely. After a second time, I'm sure he was defeated completely."
"But where is he?" Diana asked, still clutching her old body. "He had an original form!"
"There!" Fakir said, pointing at a raven, darting his beady eyes around. He pecked at the ground, and flew up to a streetlight.
"Well, he can't do much damage in that form, can he?" Rue laughed, holding onto Mytho. He was smiling, what I had wished for all my life as a human.
"Well, we'll be going now," Mytho started. I was ready to protest, but Rue stepped forward and shook her head.
"I'm not going Mytho. I'm going to stay here with Diana and Ahiru. Princess Araena and Princess Tutu, me, Princess Kraehe, all together in one life. We'll stay together, all of us princesses, no matter what." She smiled at us.
Mytho only smiled gently and added, "I knew you'd say that. So we'll move into a house around here. In fact, that house, right there"- he pointed to the next door house"-is vacant, we'll live there, definitely."
Rue grinned at him. "Thank you so much!" she cried.
Diana nodded. "I'm missed at school, and tomorrow's Tuesday. I'm sure I can make my entrance as I did before I changed." She chuckled. "Imagine me looking like this, and then going to school with black hair, paler skin, blood red lips, and darker eyes." She shook her head. "No, I'm going to return to my old life. My parents have probably been looking all over town for me. I'll return home, and return to my old life as well."
"That's great," I said, looking at her. She sighed, and turned to the other end of the street. She started to leave, but then turned her head toward me and waved.
"I'll see you tomorrow!"
And she enthusiastically ran down the street and into a home. We could hear the voice of happy people.
"Mom! Dad! I'm back!"
"Diana!" the voice cried. And the front door slammed shut and we all looked at each other. I just figured that Uzura was standing next to me.
"I guess we should get some sleep, there's school tomorrow," I yawned, letting my shoulder drop.
Mytho nodded. "Yeah. Let's go Rue." They disappeared in a flash of flower petals, and they were gone.
Uzura gazed at me. "I'm tired-zura," she sighed.
Fakir nodded, similar to Mytho's nod. "Yeah, after all, we ended the story, once again, with a happy ending."
With that, I grinned and ran happily into the house. It would be different from now on. Yes, very different.