Aneko: Woot! First chapter and I already got a review!!! XD. I is so happy!!! I got so motivated I'm putting up the next chapter (very odd, that…I'm never motivated…)!!! Go me!! And go Ahiru and Fakir and the new strange person. Who could it possibly be?!-does dramatic music-

Be forewarned: There's a huge chunk of text in this chap that's all new info of my own idea. You're being warned now…

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu, but I do own the characters that you've never heard of in PT.

Chapter 2

"Who are you?" Fakir asked.

"Koeko." The girl said in her quiet voice.

"Quack quack quack?"(How old are you?) Ahiru asked, before realizing that the girl wouldn't have understood what she was saying.

"I'm eight." The girl said, looking at Ahiru.

No way! She couldn't have- but she did! She understood what I was saying! Ahiru thought, astonished.

Fakir's frown deepened. "You know our names. Why?"

"It's an old, old tale." The girl mused, staring off into the sky. "One so old it has never been recorded in a book, and those who do hear it think of it was just another fairytale. My version is slightly different, as I am the first to be released."

Ahiru looked at Fakir, confused, but looked back when the girl began speaking again. Her gaze grew distant, and her voice lilting as she began,

"Long, long ago, there was a group of individuals who found that they had power in the arts they practiced: art, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, and writing. These people found that through these powers, they could control some things in reality to a certain extent. They decided to form a group to protect the world with their powers, but…some of the group were not content, and decided to use their powers for themselves. Their way of thinking was to enjoy tragedy and despair.

"So the group was split into two halves- one called the Lions, and the other called the Serpents. The Lions devoted themselves to stopping the Serpents. For many years they clashed, the writer of one side going up against the writer of the other, the artists, and so on; but because they were evenly matched, neither side gained the upped hand. Then, in a surprise attack, the writer and the dancer for the Lions were killed. The other three realized that things could not go on like this, and they decided to seal the serpents away, but the cost was that they were to be sealed away as well. They each bore the seal for their counterparts, plus the writer's and dancer's divided between them. They sealed away them all successfully, and together they were frozen in time."

Fakir was beginning to get a strange feeling as Koeko told the story.

"After a while, though, the strain on the three was too great to bear, and the Serpent writer and dancer broke free of their bonds. The two worked together for a time, but in getting out of the seal, the dancer was severely injured, and she was dying. So the writer, who she had asked to save her, wrote her into one of his stories. The result was more volatile than he expected. The writer had never before attempted to bend death to his will, and in the end, he was thrown into the story as well. He was still able to write, and eventually he got out again, but after he realized how to put people into roles of his story, he continued to do it, until his death; but even then he could not be contained."

Ahiru felt like she had heard this story before, but she couldn't think of where.

"The story still lacks an ending. While the three others are bound, the seal has begun to slip.Now, there is no telling how the story will end."

The story made something click in Fakir's mind. "Drosselmeyer was the writer." He heard Ahiru gasp as he looked at Koeko.

"Yes."

"And from your name (note on the names at the end), I guess that you are the singer of the Lions?"

"Yes."

Again, Ahiru was amazed at this news.

But wait…Ahiru thought suddenly. I thought she said she was eight…How can she be alive?!

Fakir was silent a moment, then asked. "How long have you existed?"

"873 years."

"Qua-?!" Ahiru's beak went slack-jawed. This was too much to take in. She shook her head, closing her mouth, trying to get all the confusing thoughts out of her head.

"You said that you were released. Who released you?"

"You did."

Fakir merely looked slightly surprised, but the girl noticed and continued, "When you brought my art into your story, I was released."

Fakir thought back to the story of the singer he had written earlier that afternoon. "This is my fault?"

Koeko shook her head slowly. "No. It would have eventually happened anyways. Like I said, there was a lot of strain trying to hold five Serpents back. It was only a matter of time."

But what does this have to do with us?" Fakir said, eyebrow raised. "I doubt you'd tell anyone a story like that."

For the first time since they'd met her Koeko smiled. She stood up and walked towards the lake.

"Come."

Fakir hesitated, looking at Ahiru. They couldn't just follow a suspicious person. They didn't even know if she was telling them the truth…but…

Something about her, the air around her just seemed so trustworthy.

Fakir looked at Koeko, who stood by the lake, looking back at them, then shook his head, picking up Ahiru. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

I hope I don't regret this…He thought, gong to stand by Koeko.

Koeko took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and began to sing. Ahiru sat enraptured in Fakir's arms as she listened to her voice, though the words were in a strange language she couldn't understand:

Toue Le'en barel

Shou du ran ne

Esna ferdah pue

Runhim shrenah

A deep rumbling came from below, and Fakir took an involuntary step back as the ground beneath his feet began to shake.

From the center of the lake, a crack formed from one end to the other, and water poured through the crack, as it widened, until all the water on the surface had gone. In its place was now a large, crude stone staircase, descending down into a pit of impenetrable darkness.

"This was beneath the lake?!" Fakir said in total shock. Ahiru was of the same opinion.

"Come." Koeko said, beginning to descend.

"Ah." Fakir snapped out of his surprise, moving forward to follow Koeko.

"Once, this was the 'base', if you would, of the Lions."

"I thought this town was created by Drosselmeyer as a stage for his stories?" Fakir questioned.

"No. He would like you to believe that, but he only twisted it for his own purposes after we were sealed away."

They arrived at the bottom of the stair, but Fakir could see nothing but the darkness. He and Ahiru watched curiously as Koeko stepped forward and held up a hand. She sang a few words, and the area was flooded with a gentle light. The soft glow lit up the giant cavern they stood in. Carved on the floor in circles were unidentifiable runes, with a large, elegant spiral in the center of the middle circle.

"What are we doing here?" Fakir asked, determined to get answers.

"We will free the two remaining Lion."

"Ho-"

Koeko held out a hand in front of him to cut him off, then took a deep breath and began to sing again, this time in a recognizable language. The tone was laced with sweetness and sadness.

The sun has set and night has come

Her in the wind's small whisper

I sing now to bring you out

The power of song and art.

The time has come again,

The hour again draws near

That calls us all to fight

Warriors of Lion appear.

On two opposite side of the middle circle, a warm glow formed, becoming brighter and larger, until within them, a shadowy outline could be seen, floating just above the ground.

As it faded again, there were two young men, and as the glow totally disappeared, their feet touched the floor. One had dark blonde hair, and the other brown. There were both about Fakir's height, though the one with blonde hair was a little shorter.

Slowly, they opened their eyes, and with a small cry, Koeko ran forward and hugged them both. From where she sat, Ahiru could see tears in her eyes.

She must care about them a lot…

She said something to them, but Fakir and Ahiru were too far away to hear, then Koeko led the boys both by the hand over to the two.

"Hello." Said the taller one with brown hair. He gave a small bow, "My name is Geiju, and this is Kange." He held a hand out to the other boy, who nodded his head, but could not bow, because Koeko was latched to his arm. Kange reached down with his other hand and touched the top of her head. Koeko let go of his arm, but stayed close to him.

"Thank you. Without you we would still be trapped in that prison." Kange said, smiling. His voice was firm, but quiet and warm.

"I thought you sealed the others away willingly." Fakir said, frowning a bit.

"Yes," Geiju said, his face a little sad, "but, hundreds of years is a long tome to watch the world go by." Fakir had nothing to say to that.

Ahiru, who Fakir had put down, craned her neck to see everyone above her.

"Why did you bring us here?"

Geiju, seemingly ignoring the question, knelt down next to a surprised Ahiru.

"So, you're Ahiru-san. It's nice to finally meet you both."

Ahiru, flustered by his sudden closeness, blushed bright red and began quacking frantically, babbling (in duck, of course) incoherently. Geiju laughed, and Ahiru calmed down, but she was still red in the face.

"Yes," Geiju said, looking at Ahiru, almost like he was sizing her up, 'it should work. Are you willing to try it?" From behind, Koeko and Kange nodded. Geiju patted Ahiru's head and stood up. Ahiru was so confused she felt like her mind was going in circles.

"What are you talking about?!" Ahiru could hear irritation in Fakir's voice now.

"Ahiru. Fakir." This time, Kange spoke. He looked at each of them as he said their names, then he spoke to Ahiru again. "Ahiru. Would you like to regain your human form?"

Aneko: WAH!!! Another cliffhanger!!! I'll try to update soon. Names: Koeko comes from the Japanese words Koe(voice) and ko(Child). Kange comes from Kangengakudan (orchesetra) and Geiiju comes from Geijutsuka/ geijutsu (Artist/art)…. See you next update.