A/n I was attacked...by this idea for this chapter. I finally finished the Princess Tutu series, but now I'm depressed, because I wanted a major Fakiru moment somewhere towards the end...sure, him crying for her while she was being attacked by crows was heart wrenching, but alas, I wanted more...

So this popped up! Hope you like!

Disclaimer: Did Fakir declare his undying love for Ahiru yet? No? Bingo.

--------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Of An Emerald Fowl

Ahiru opened her crystal blue eyes, blinking slowly as if from a deep sleep. She yawned, stretching her slender arms up in the air, ruffling the top of her tangled salmon-coloured hair...

...hair?

"Why do I have...?" Ahiru's hand flew to her mouth, shocked to find herself...talking?

Ahiru scrambled up to the edge of the lake, peering over the water's ridge, prepared to see...

Blue eyes blinked innocently, a curved bow of pink lips rounded into a small 'oh' of surprise. Salmon-coloured hair spilled over her shoulders, free from its bond and flowing down her back like a veil of pink.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Ahiru found herself slammed to the ground, a pair of skinny arms wrapped around her neck, loud squeals drowning out her panicked yells.

"Ahiru, you're returned after an extended absence! Oh where, oh where have you been?" A squealing blonde-haired pig-tailed girl inquired.

"Lillie, stop it! You're choking Ahiru!" Pique scolded as she pried off Lillie's arms from around Ahiru's neck. "Ahiru...what happened to you?"

"Huh? Pique? Lillie?" Ahiru yelled in surprise; the two actually remembered her. "You remember me?"

"Of course Ahiru! Why would we ever forget your clumsy antics and hopelessness?" Lillie squealed again, throwing her sweater over Ahiru.

"Lillie! Now is not the time!" Pique said again, pulling Ahiru up to her feet. "Where were you this entire time? Where are your clothes?"

Ahiru, who had been confused this entire time, could only answer: "I don't know."

"C'mon, we need to get you something to wear." Pique picked her up by the arm, hastily fixing the sweater on Ahiru to at least allow her some dignity for the sweater barely covered her thighs; she grew a bit taller.

"But...wait..." Ahiru looked around the lake, an eerie silence surrounding the three. Something wasn't right...she could feel it...

She looked to the lake.

A small form laid on the edge of the lake. Ahiru kneeled before it, surprised to find a small, grayish-green duck, its feathers slightly ridden with dirt.

"Guys! Look, a duck!"

"Ahiru! Oh, you're so selfless!" Lillie replied as she followed suit, kneeling next to Ahiru. "You have so many troubles in your life and yet you are concerned for a little duck! So cute!"

"Ugh...Lillie..." Pique shook her head. "Leave it alone Ahiru. It's probably dead."

Ahiru's eyes widened as she took closer inspection of the duck.

"It's still breathing!" Ahiru yelled, scooping the poor little duck into her arms.

"Okay! Fine! Whatever! C'mon Ahiru! We still need to find you some clothes!" Pique said impatiently as she walked towards Kinkan. Lillie squealed once more and followed suit, while Ahiru cradled the unconscious duck against her chest, trying to catch up to her two friends.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That's much better!" Pique smiled happily after picking out Ahiru's clothes. Since Ahiru didn't have any to begin with, Pique just lent her some of hers.

"Thanks Pique." Ahiru smiled as she fiddled with the last button of her white shirt and swished around in her yellow, knee-length shirt. "I feel really bad though."

"Oh Ahiru!" Lillie said happily as she hugged Ahiru tightly to her. "You always feel bad no matter what! You're filled with an everlasting perpetual guilt!"

"Lillie...can't...breathe..." The blonde-haired girl squealed happily, letting go of Ahiru as she gasped for breath.

"Anyway...how's our patient doing?" Pique asked Lillie, who quickly donned a nurse's hat and stethoscope, a grim expression on her face.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do! He has suffered greatly and will soon pass in the cold, cold arms of Death!" Lillie yelled in delight, Ahiru quacking in fear.

Hey, I didn't turn into a duck...

"Lillie!" Pique bonked Lillie on the head, causing her to moan in pain. "Ahiru, he's fine. He's just sleeping, I checked."

"Thank goodness..." Ahiru sighed in relief.

They placed the duck in a box with a blanket with water and bread incase it woke up. So far, he had not woken up, but was now sleeping in a more comfortable position.

"What should we do with him?" Ahiru asked, gently stroking the greenish feathers of the duck; they were very soft.

"Hey! Maybe you can get him checked out by this man who lives down the lane!" Pique replied, quietly observing the duck. "He knows a thing or two about animals. Maybe he can help."

"Okay!" Ahiru smiled happily, grabbing the box roughly and practically bouncing out the door, Pique shaking her head and Lillie squealing happily.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh boy...I should have asked Pique where this man lived..." Ahiru moaned after wandering around for about twenty minutes. The town had changed much in the past two years, and she wasn't that much familiar with Kinkan anymore. "Gah...I'm hopeless..."

Ahiru continued walking around, wandering aimlessly when she bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry—!" Ahiru looked up to see Charon, the old man's arms full of groceries. "Charon!"

"Ahiru?" The man's eyes were wide in surprise. "Is that really you?"

"Yup! I'm a girl again!" Ahiru replied happily.

"Did Fakir...? Oh! Speaking of Fakir, have you seen him? If you're human again, I figured he must be with you!"

"Actually..." Ahiru thought back to when she woke up. "I haven't seen him since I turned into a girl...!"

"Hm...Fakir wouldn't just leave you alone...I have a feeling that something is amiss." Charon scratched his chin in thought. "Was there anything strange around when you turned into a girl again?"

"Not really..." Ahiru replied, readjusting her grip on the box containing the duck. "Pique and Lillie remembered me again, and then...Oh! I found this duck..." Ahiru motioned towards the box, Charon peering inside.

"Hm...He doesn't look too good. Why don't we take care of this little guy first, and then we'll look for Fakir."

"Well...Pique said that there was a man around here who knew a thing or two about animals—"

"—and that man would be me." Charon finished, smiling smugly.

"Okay then!"

The two strode to Charon's, keeping an eye out for Fakir along the way.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, while I get the first aid, why don't you go clean him up in the tub? Then we'll go search for Fakir." Charon replied as he set the food on the table.

"Alright." Ahiru replied, readjusting her grip on the box, walking towards the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, taking care not to wake her charge.

The salmon-haired girl gently set the box on the floor, filling up the tub with water.

"Hmm...I wonder where Fakir could have gone...he wouldn't leave me if he changed me back..." Ahiru mused out loud, the duck in the box twitching slightly in awakening.

"Would he?"

Ahiru shook her head, mentally reprimanding herself for thinking that way.

"Quack..."

Ahiru snapped her head towards the box, a feathered head groggily poking its way out of it.

"Hello there." Ahiru said gently, her voice grabbing the duck's attention. "Looks like you're up."

The small green duck blinked its emerald eyes in confusion, staring at her in...fear...?

"QUACK!" The duck scrambled quickly out of the box, running around everywhere.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" Ahiru scrambled after the duck, trying to grab him. "Stop! I need to—"

Ahiru grabbed the duck, him flapping in panic in her fingers.

"C'mon! Stop it please!" Ahiru pleaded, but the duck kept on struggling. "Please—"

But the duck slipped out of her fingers and fell into the water, splashing her as a result.

"Hey—!"

A sparkling light filled the room, temporarily blinding Ahiru.

"What's going on...?" Ahiru stared in disbelief as the light died down, her mouth open in shock.

There in the tub, sat a shivering, though slightly flustered...Fakir.

"Fa...kir...?" Ahiru questioned timidly, as the green-haired boy turned his own shocked gaze to her own.

"Ahiru...?"

Both continued to stare at each other in disbelief, until common sense kicked in.

Fakir...was naked.

"QQQQQQQUUUUUUUAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/n Well, I updated! Hope you guys like! And I'm sorry for taking so long to update but please review!