Aneko: Argh! Okay, so fanfiction's being a little funky right now, and I'm finding out that some things I want to put in my chapters are taken out...such as an exclamation mark after a question mark...the question mark getseaten by the exclamation mark...or something like that.Hopefully that will be a temporary thing…

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN PRINCESS TUTU! SO LEAVE ME ALONE, 'KAY?

Chapter 11

"Well then I guess I'd better get on with it."

Everyone below tensed, waiting for her next attack. Reiko lifted her arms above her head, closing her eyes. She began to sing, low at first, then gaining in volume and pitch; Ahiru could not distinctly tell what she was singing since she was too far away.

I need to do something! Ahiru thought, panicked. She tried desperately to transform, but found that she couldn't. What! Why can't I…!

The ground was rumbling again, and Ahiru looked at Kange and Koeko. At first she thought Koeko was hurt, because she was kneeling on the ground with her head bowed, and Kange was next to her, and hand on her shoulder. When she noticed Koeko's lip moving, though, she realized Koeko was signing too, but could not hear the girl's voice over the tremors going through the ground.

She was still watching the two when she noticed Koeko's lips stop moving in song, and she leaned against Kange, panting heavily. As soon as she stopped, a great jagged tear formed in the ground, a fissure that stretched to each side.

Ahiru and Fakir jumped back as it came under their feet. Now they were separated from Koeko and Kange by a great maw that was growing larger. It stopped expanding when it was too far across to jump.

Silence reigned once more as Reiko stopped singing and the ground stopped rumbling.

"How disappointing." She said, crossing her arms, "I was really expecting more of a fight."

"Don't underestimate us." Kange growled.

"I'm not." Reiko said, much to their surprise, "In fact I tried to warn that little fool Yamiko not to, either. Jun-sama even warned her as well, but she still didn't listen. You all are dangerous, and I was told by Jun-sama to take care of you."

Ahiru didn't have to ask what "Take care of you" meant.

Reiko began singing again, and this time, Koeko kept pace with it. Their voices clashed and made an odd harmony. Darkness poured out of the fissure like some thick, oozing, black mud, forcing Ahiru and Fakir back more. Koeko sang louder, her melody rising above Reiko's and drowning it out.

The darkness slowed to an agonizing stop, then began retreating back down the fissure again. When it completely disappeared, Koeko started a new melody, faster than before and more complicated.

A focused beam of light shot out so quickly it was a blur, from the ground between where Koeko's hands rested. Ahiru was sure it would hit Reiko, but the older girl hurriedly sang an arpeggio, and the light was deflected by a gray, film-like substance. The light glanced off the shield, instead flying up into the sky, where its path continued unobstructed.

The two didn't even spare the stray attack a glance, already weaving new attacks into song. Reiko sang in a lower pitch, and sharpened spikes of hardened clay rose up out of the earth, forcing Koeko and Kange apart as they dodged each unpredictable spike. Each time a spike rose, it stayed where it was, standing straight in the ground.

"Kange!"" Koeko called.

"I got it!" Kange called back. Through some unspoken communication between the two, Kange pulled out his flute and began to play for her. Koeko added her voice, as they both still dodged the spikes.

There had already been clouds in the sky when the fight began, but now they grew thicker and darker, until the sky was almost black with the heavy clouds.

Ahiru felt a drop of wetness sting her cheek, then looked up as more raindrops fell from the sky.

What are they doing? Ahiru knew the sudden change in weather was Koeko and Kange's doing, but she didn't know why.

Ahiru happened a glance at the spikes, and noticed they didn't seem as dangerous now.

Of course! Ahiru thought. I get it! The rain was softening the clay and turning it to mud, rendering the spikes useless. This made Reiko sing a new melody, this time in a pitch almost as high as Koeko could.

Ahiru shivered-it was starting to get cold. She looked down at her feet and noticed small ice crystals starting to form on the ground. Within minutes, the ground was coverd in a fine layer of slippery ice.

Ahiru took a step back and immediately regretted it. Her legs went out from under her, and she landed right on her rear end.

Ow ow ow…She thought, screwing her eyes shut in embarrassment. Beside her, Fakir let out a sigh of exasperation, rolling his eyes.

On the other side of the chasm, Koeko and Kange had both grabbed a hold of one of the half melted spikes, clinging to it while trying to keep their balance.

Koeko sang out again sweetly, Kange playing quietly behind her, and the clouds quickly cleared, showing a bright sun. The ground was getting warmer, and Ahiru chanced standing up; luckily she didn't fall down again.

Reiko cut across their song abruptly, holding out a note at a pitch Ahiru couldn't believe was humanly possible. It was accompanied by a ringing that, wherever it came from, gave a splitting headache. Ahiru clapped her hands over her ears, and saw everyone else doing the same. She fell to her knees uncomfortably, shutting her eyes. The ringing was making her feel weak, along with hurting her head.

Fakir was barely in a better state. He saw Ahiru fall to her knees before he himself fell to one knee, squinting his eyes. He was feeling dizzy, and put a hand on the ground to steady himself, but immediately withdrew his hand. His attention focused on the ground, the ringing stopped.

The ground felt inexplicably dead. It seemed cold and frozen, not just how it was in winter, but truly dead. Fakir looked closer and saw that the earth was turning gray, up to the tips of each blade of grass. To his left, a flower wilted, it's once vibrant head that stood erect in the sun no bent so low it nearly touched the ground in its misery. Fakir reached out to it, but it withered away at his touch, turning to dust. The air itself also seemed to be graying, like someone had thrown a veil over everything.

It's like she's pulling out everyone and everything's life and energy. Fakir thought, frowning and gritting his teeth against the pressure as he looked at Reiko, who alone looked unaffected.

Ahiru was trying her best to open her eyes again, but it was unreasonably hard; the best she could manage to do was squint. When she did, she noticed how gloomy the air had become.

What's wrong with everything? She thought worriedly.

From in front of her Koeko was trying to get up. But she wasn't succeeding, her eyes shut tight, as she cringed at the ringing, her hands over her ears. This was the reason she could not see that the ground beneath her was beginning to glow an angry red color. Ahiru's eyes widened when she saw it, and she opened her mouth to call out a warning, but someone else beat her to it.

"KOEKO!" Kange shoved Koeko out of the spot a moment before the light shot up, catching him instead. Koeko stumbled a bit from the force of the shove, before looking back in horror towards Kange.

"Kange!" She tried to run forward, but Kange stopped her.

"No! Don't! It's got me, don't let it get you!" He paused, then continued more gently, "Take care of yourself, Koeko. You can beat this old lady!" He encouraged, then turned towards Ahiru and Fakir, "Take care of her, would you?" He gave a grin and a thumbs up, as his body faded and disappeared.

Ahiru felt as though a song just stopped. It was weird, but she felt like he had been playing a song for her, and had been stopped right in the middle. It was hard to explain, but she herself felt…quieter now that he was gone-though it wasn't a quiet she was comfortable with.

"Well now." Reiko looked at Koeko. "That was unexpected, but I guess beggars can't be choosers."

Koeko's face was hidden by her bangs, but Ahiru heard her quite clearly when she said, "You'll pay."

Fakir, who was also watching the small girl, noticed that while she had lost her color from the attack, it was coming back now. In fact it seemed she had even more than before, and was positively glowing.

She stood up straight, staring unblinkingly at Reiko with clear eyes. Closing them, she inhaled and exhaled a large breath slowly through her mouth. Her arms went above her head, one, and then the other, both hands pointed palms out a Reiko.

Reiko's eyes widened as she watched Koeko's body glow bright. She tried moving, but found two shining gold shackles binding her feet where they were.

"You insane child!" She shouted, struggling futilely. "You'll die!"

Ahiru's head snapped back towards Koeko.

She'll…die?

Koeko didn't answer; instead the glowing energy increased.

"Koeko-chan!" Ahiru shouted. "Koeko-chan!"

She was impervious to Ahiru's calls as she took the energy in her hands. As she did so the circlet that she had appeared wearing, but taken off for classes, appeared on her forehead. Koeko opened her eyes and called out as she released the energy from her hands. It was more of a shout than a song this time.

Reiko stopped struggling. "How unfortunate." She murmured. "I failed, Jun-sama. Gomen." She didn't make a sound as the light hit her head-on.

With a rumbling and groaning, the chasm started closing up again .As soon as it was small enough to jump over safely, Ahiru and Fakir ran over to Koeko, who was already fading.

"Koeko-chan," Ahiru gasped, "what did you do?"

Koeko, who was still standing and looking into the sky, turned and looked up at Ahiru. "I used an attack I knew she wouldn't be able to dodge, but it cost me." She examined her hands, which were nearly transparent.

Ahiru wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. Koeko reached up and placed her own hands, which were warm, over Ahiru's, giving her a deadly grin. "Get the last one for us,'kay?"

"B-but-!"

Koeko's face softened again. "Take care, okay?" he smiled, closing her eyes. "Sayonara, Ahiru-onee-chan." She said quietly and sweetly, using Ahiru's name for the first and last time since they had met. She gave one last wave to them both, before she was gone.

Ahiru did her best to wipe her eyes, and she and Fakir got up silently, heading back to the dorms.

They were totally unprepared for what happened next.

Aneko: AHHHHHH! I'M SORRY! IT'S ANOTHER CLIFFIE! The next chap doesn't have one, I promise! Oh yeah, and Geiju didn't disappear in a puff of smoke that no one noticed. You'll hear about it later. Another sad chap...T.T