Aneko: Kon'nichi wa. I'm updating a bit faster, ne? Well, at least according to my schedule. Sorry this chap is a little short.

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu

Chapter 5

Ahiru woke rather unwillingly to the sound of flapping at her window. She looked out and saw the usual crowd of birds. Getting slowly out of bed, she took the bowl of birdseed and opened the window, overpowered immediately by a swarm of feathers, beaks, and talons, and struggled to put the food on the window sill. She sat up smiling, brushing feathers off her head.

So you guys remember me, huh? Even if it's only for food…"

Ahiru stood up and got ready for school, putting on the white uniform.

The principal, who had given Kange, Geiju and Koeko their uniforms, had told Ahiru she could use the one she had now, since it looked very similar to the school's. He gave her a few more to wear as well, but when she had taken them and put them away, Ahiru found the next day that the uniforms she had been given had turned white as well. It didn't make much sense, but she didn't know what to do about it.

Ahiru was thinking again about their new enemy as she quietly closed the dorm gate, when a voice sounded from behind her.

"Oi"

Ahiru turned and smiled. "Oh, ohayo, Fakir."

"Yeah."

Fakir started walking, and Ahiru jogged a little to catch up with him.

"Hey, Fakir, do you know how everyone else's first day went?" By "everyone else", Ahiru meant Koeko, Kange and Geiju.

"No. I didn't see them after that morning."

"Huh. Well, it couldn't have gone that bad. Maybe we'll see them today."

"If we do see them, it probably won't be good news they bring." Fakir warned.

"Oh yeah…I guess you're right."

"What about you?"

"Ara? Me? My day was pretty good. I've become friends with Pique and Lilie again. And it feels almost like I never left. They haven't changed a bit. Yesterday they even started talking about how y-" Ahiru put a hand over her mouth.

"Hmm? What?"

"Oh, nothing, I just got carried away. Ah ha ha ha." Ahiru said, laughing.

Fakir gave her a strange look, then said, "See you later. I've got to stop at the library before class."

"Oh, okay." Ahiru hadn't noticed they had arrived at the academy already. She watched Fakir walk away, then breathed a sigh in relief/

I can't believe I almost told him what the said about him having a girlfriend- that would have been so embarrassing…especially if it wasn't true.

"A-hiruuuuu!!" Ahiru heard Lilie's voice a second before the girl actually ran up, giving her a neck-breaking hug.

"Oh, poor Ahiru! You finally worked up the courage to ask out Fakir-senpai but you were rejected! We'll always be here to comfort you!"

"You mean you were to far away to actually hear what he said to me?" Ahiru asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Pique asked curiously.

"I wasn't asking him out, we were just talking!"

Lilie hugged her painfully tighter. "It's okay, Ahiru! You don't need to lie to hold in your sadness!"

"Ohayo, Ahiru-san."

All three stopped and looked up at the warm voice. Geiju stood a few feet away. "Is something wrong?" He asked, seeing Ahiru's uncomfortable-looking position.

"Oh, no, I'm fine!" Ahiru said, while escaping Lilie's grip. "How was your first day Geiju?"

"It was nice. Well, I've got to get to class, but maybe I'll see you later."

"Ah, yeah." Ahiru said, watching him walk away and thinking about what Fakir had said.

If we do see them, it probably won't be good new they bring.

"No way! Ahiru, you know the other new students?" Ahiru was snapped back when she heard Pique's shocked voice.

"Oh, yeah. Why?"

"Only because there are two new princes in our school to be adored!" Lilie said, a cloudy expression on her face. "And now, the female student body has been split in three and there are fewer in the Fakir-sama faction!"

"Yeah, and Ahiru happens to know all three of them..."

"Hontou? She knows Kange-senpai as well?"

"Yeah, I think so. I mean, Geiju-senpai and Kange-senpai know each other, so she probably knows Kange-senpai as well. Right Ahiru?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah, that's right." Ahiru said distractedly, caught off guard by her sudden inclusion in the conversation. "I know Koeko-chan too."

"Wow! That's cool!"

"Really?" This brought Ahiru back more than anything else.

"Yeah," Lilie piped up, "to think that Ahiru know such amazing people when she has so little talen herself!"

I should have guessed she'd say that…

In a dark cavern, three figures stood in the shadows. Had anyone gone into the room, they wouldn't have been able to distinguish any of their features from the heavy darkness.

They stood in a small circular room, with pillars set equally distant around. Each figure stood equidistant from the others, between two pillars.

They were all gazing into a large round pond with a surface more like glass than water. Above it hung a giant stalactite with a water drop on the tip, and instant away from falling into the pond.

In the pond was a picture of Koeko, singing- though it couldn't be heard from the pond- to a piano accompaniment. As they watched, the water droplet on the stalactite fell into the pond. As the ripples spread, the picture changed to show Kange, who was the one playing the piano for Koeko.

"So," Said one of the figures, as the picture changed again, to show Geiju painting. :we are back to this again." From the voice, you could tell it was a male, with a deep accent.

"We'll have to be careful, since we lost Drossoelmeyer and Kadori." Another figure said, a female with a quiet voice.

The third figure laughed, a high giggle. "Oh, lighten up, Reiko. I'm sure this'll be fun."

"Still, though," The first figure spoke again, as another drop fell in the pond, showing Fakir reading a book from the library, "it looks like they've found replacements for their team."

"Juniper," Said the one called Reiko, "isn't that the one who defeated Drosslmeyer?"

"Yes," The male spoke again, "along with that girl."

"Big deal," The second girl said again, "we can take care of them easily. It's kind of too bad such a handsome guy is our enemy, though " She giggled again.

Juniper silenced her. "Now, Yamiko, Reiko is right. We are outnumbered, and cockiness will not help.""

He looked into the pond as another ripple showed Ahiru talking with Pique and Lilie.

"I think it's time we made our presence known to those kittens who call themselves Lions."

Aneko: So? What are your first impressions of the Serpents? XD. See you next update.