okay chapter two. This is my first princess tutu story as I've said before so I am nervous about the quality of this story but it looks like people think I'm doing a good job! thanks for the kind reviews!
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As Rue talked with the nurse trying to convince her that Fakir should be released, that he was really alright, Mytho sat with his best friend and faithful knight. "Fakir...are you alright? Are you in much pain?" Fakir looked at Mytho and shrugged. An odd smile crossed his face startling the young prince, "I don't know...I'm dying, I can feel it. My chest...my heart is...it feels as if my own heart is dissolving into nothing. But...Ahiru is back." He dropped his head chuckling just the slightest bit, "So I hardly recognize the pain anymore, because she is back. How can I be bothered by pain when Ahiru had returned?" Rue stood at the doorway looking at Fakir after the nurse had finally agreed. Rue looked to the ground unable to look at Fakir our Mytho, this was just so terrible. Mytho reached out and gently wrapped his arms around Fakir. Fakir did not return the hug-startled that Mytho had hugged him in the first place. But then again Mytho had his heart back, maybe this is how Mytho had always been.
But still, Fakir had to get used to this new Mytho.
Rue joined Fakir kneeling by his bedside taking his hand gently in her own and looked up at one of her only true friends, "Mytho and I will change this fate! You won't die, and Ahiru won't disappear!" Fakir nodded at Rue. "You've changed so much Rue...I'm glad for you." Rue smiled, flushed a little. "Well I am not the only one, Fakir you have changed too." Mytho smiled, "That's right...You smile more. It's nice to see that smile." Fakir nodded, "Ahiru changed me, I have her to thank for that..."
"You said my name...why?"
The three jumped. Ahiru was there, now dressed in a golden dress, that resembled the color of her feathers. She was no longer a student so it made sense that she wouldn't be in the school uniform, but she didn't seem like the old Ahiru without it. In Ahiru's arms she held several white roses. She approached Fakir, Mytho and Rue getting up staring at her. She placed the flowers in his limp arms. "My sister told me that I should come see my knight, and give them these flowers." Fakir looked down at the white roses, a painful look filling his eyes. Fakir stiffened when Ahiru kneeled by him, and rest her head against his arm. "Ge-chan said if you cough, you should cough on the roses and turn them into a beautiful red with your blood...and then give them back to me to express your love. My sister says such silly things."
Ahiru closed her eyes, not seeing her former friends sufferings. Mytho turned away. He couldn't bare to look at this scene. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging painfully at his white locks. Rue silently let tears trail down her face. She could remember the old Ahiru running after her, saying her name so happily, and then dancing with her that first time...and even when she was Kraehe, and fighting alongside the monster Raven, she could still recall Ahiru's kind words, and open arms. Ahiru never gave up on her.
Rue turned and took Mytho's hand, she smiled at him, "We'll bring her back...like Ge said...it's our turn to protect her." Mytho smiled softly at Rue, holding her hand lovingly. He looked back at Ahiru and Fakir, his eyes focused on Fakir the most. Fakir was trembling, but he steadied his hand as he set the flowers aside, and pulled Ahiru to him in a hug.
The girl did not embrace him back, her arms hanging limply at her sides. She blinked looking at Fakir with this false calm face she wore now.
"Ahiru..let me stay with you. Stay by my side and don't let anyone else be as close to you as I want to be." Fakir suddenly spoke up. Mytho and Rue were stunned to hear such words fly from their friend's mouth. This was so uncanny, so unlike Fakir. But at the same time it made sense. The boys who had seen Ahiru, were falling for her cold exterior. If they had seen her true nature, they might have thought she was a klutz, and a bother, but now that she had become this flawless, perfect, cold person, they stared at with the same hunger most girls had give Mytho. Ahiru placed a gentle hand on the back of Fakir's head. "If that is what you want Knight." Fakir pulled her to him, squeezing her, "Yes...this is what I want."
Ahiru stayed a few moments longer in his arms, before gently tugging away, "My sister is expecting me." She walked slowly out the room, and Rue stopped her, "Um...Ahiru can we see you as well?" Ahiru looked over at Rue and Mytho, "Yes, as long as it is okay with my knight." She glance at Fakir who nodded his consent, and she turned back to them. "Yes we can see each other." She turned away once more and walked steadily out the room. Mytho turned to Fakir who was trembling. "Fakir," He reached for him, and Fakir spat sharply, "I will not weep...I must be strong for her...get me out of here..." Rue and Mytho looked sadly at him, and helped him up. Rue picked up the flowers hesitantly asking, "What do you want me to do with these?" Fakir glanced at them, "Bring them. I'll keep them in a vase I have...they are after all from Ahiru." Rue bowed her head, picking up the flowers, and the three left the room.
Meanwhile, in a room that had been leant to Ahiru and Ge, Ge sat brushing her, "little sister's," hair. Ahiru sat still looking into a vanity mirror. Ge smiled to herself, "What do you think of Fakir, your knight?" Ahiru blinked, "He is a knight. He is dying. What should I think sister?" Ge smiled cruelly, "What ever I tell you to think." Ahiru nodded, "And what do you want me to think?" Ge leaned down looking into the same Mirror that Ahiru was looking in to. "That he will never save you. That you will turn into a feather. That is how act four ends." The white haired woman placed a hand on a stack of papers, and Ahiru looked at them. "That is how you have written it isn't it sister?" Ge nodded. Ahiru looked back at the mirror staring at her own darkened eyes, "Sister...how can they succeed if they don't know how to return my missing memories?"
Ge smiled and began braiding Ahiru's hair. "That is where the beauty of this tale lies. Your knight is doomed to fail from the start...For how can he save you, when he does not know how to?" She laughed, and Ahiru looked down at her hands. Tears were dropping on her legs, and Ahiru watched in awe as tear droplets splashed on her legs. She scrunched up her face, "Sister my eyes are turning into water." Ge tensed and forced Ahiru to look at her, seeing the tears. Her face tightened, it turning ugly, and she roughly squeezed Ahiru's shoulders. "When did those start to fall? When?!" Ahiru blinked, the tears still falling, "I don't know...I had a thought that is was...some sort of emotion...something I can't remember that the knight would never save the one he loved...save me and it was...sa..." Ahiru could not get the word out, and Ge stared at her eyes wide, and body shaking. 'She's remembering? How...she can't! It will ruin everything!' She thought frantically.
Ge released Ahiru going to a purse on the bed. She pulled out a small vile, shaped like a swan. She cupped Ahiru's chin making her head dip back, and said, "Don't worry sister you don't need to feel anything. Drink." She tilted the swan shaped bottle and a red liquid, the color of blood, was poured in Ahiru's mouth. Ahiru drank closing her eyes. The tears stopped and she opened her eyes, now any signs of her normal blue color had been clouded over. Nothing but darkness remained.
Ge smiled and hugged Ahiru, "There is that better." Ahiru closed her eyes nodding against her sister breast, "Yes sister, thank you sister..."
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It was late at night, and Rue, Mytho, and Fakir were still up and talking inside the dorms. "Do you think her memories are glass shards? Like how Mytho's had been?" Rue asked cutting through the tense silence. Fakir sighed, "I don't know...right now I don't know anything. I don't know how to return any of those memories..." Mytho looked at his friend, "But when you think of it...maybe it's not so hard...It's broken up in two groups. Sorrow, and Happiness." Fakir stood up his chair making a sharp sound on the wood, "But...where do I find it? Am I meant to write it down?! Is it something I must find-must journey for!? Must I show her what sorrow is? What happiness is! Where is the answer!? " He grew quiet and looked at his two friends, "And if I find them how do I return them to her?"
The room grew silent again.
Then Mytho brought up another piece of the puzzle, "And what did four acts mean?" The three bowed their heads in thought when Rue gasped, "Wait...She said she was going to preform the ballet and that it was four acts long. Maybe we have until then!" Fakir and Mytho looked at her Mytho nodding, "That makes sense, how long until this play you think? What did she say." Fakir shook his head, "She didn't say anything. She said nothing at all." Mytho and Rue sighed at Fakir's words, "So we have no idea how much time we have left." Mytho sighed, "She is cruel...she is not helping us at all...we don't know what to do, or what is going to happen."
Fakir looked out the window, "I will look day and night, every spare moment I have, I will find what she needs," Fakir sighed, "Because I love her, and I want to protect her with MY power, as weak as it may be." Mytho and Rue looked at him, listening to his honest and pure words. Mytho stood up patting his friend on the back, "You will, and we'll help you. You are my faithful knight who has always protected us, who helped Ahirue save me and Rue, I will be here to help you, I promise" Fakir nodded , "Thank you..." Suddenly, a cough escaped Fakir and he almost collapsed, but steady strong hands from his two friends supported him. "Get to bed Fakir, we'll see you tomorrow." Fakir nodded, and with help crawled in bed, still dressed in his uniform. It took only seconds for him to fall asleep-right on top of the covers looking so weak.
"Rue-chan, please leave the room, he can't sleep like this, I'll get him ready in his night clothes." Rue nodded at Mytho's request and quietly left the room. Mytho found a nightshirt for Fakir, and took on the task of undressing his friend. When he found the scar on Fakir's chest, he touched the wound. "Fakir...you suffered so much...just like Rue when she was a child. Knowing that you were going to die, knowing that you were...alone in this task." Mytho tugged the shirt over Fakir's sleeping frame before removing Fakir's pants, "You protected me, you tried to save me...and in the end you never gave up on me even all those times I caused you pain. You were my dearest friend." He pulled to covers over Fakir and placed a cool hand on Fakir's brow, "And this time-I will save you, I will keep an eye on you and make sure no harm comes to pass for you." Mytho pulled away watching Fakir sleep just a second longer before leaving the room allowing his friend to sleep.
That night, as Fakir slept he was tossing and turning remembering a girl who had completely changed him.
"Fakir, I don't think you're a worthless knight..."
Such kind words...
"Fakir! Don't become a tree!"
It was so painful to see her cry...
"Fakir lets save Mytho togther!"
A warm loving smile...
"Fakir did you write my story for me?"
A slim, and comfortable body that felt so wonderful to the touch...
"Thank you...Fakir..."
A dead duck laying on the ground. A dead girl sprawled out on the stone streets.
Fakir sat sharply up, sweat drenching his face, "Ahiru!!" He panted heavily looking around the room. Sighing he got up. "DamXit..." He strolled over to the window sitting on the window frame and looking out. He was then startled to see in the grass, dancing with the flowers beneath her feet, was Ahiru in her own night shirt that stopped just before her knees. "Ah...iru?" Fakir got up and went quickly outside, stopping when he came to her. She had her arms outstretched towards the moon, and she turned in circles kicking her legs up to spin in a hurried and desperate pace. Wrapping her arms around her chest and shoulders, she sunk to the ground holding on to herself as if she was going to break. Lowering herself to the ground she slid her arms down her long slender legs, resting her brow against the flesh. She brought her head up to look directly at the Fakir who had frozen.
This dance was so sad.
"Knight...will you dance with me?"
Fakir walked slowly over to her, and helped her up. "Ahiru..." she looked at him, her once beautiful blue eyes breaking his heart He held out her hands, the girl taking them and rising to look at him. "It's cold. Go back inside." She bowed her head leaving him alone. He stared after her, and watched her retreat back to her own side. He turned away leaving to go to his room. 'Ahiru...I promise, even if I die, even if we may never be together again, I will save you.' Fakir promised himself. He closed his eyes stopping moments before he got to the door, tears dripping down his face. "Ahiru...ahiru!"
One week passed, and Ahiru was always with the knight or her sister. The group found out the play would take place at the end of the month. They were running out of time, and just as Fakir said, every spare moment was devoted to finding the what Ahiru needed. But he still had no idea what it was she needed, not at all. Mytho and Rue helped to, spending time in the library trying to find anything , maybe some sort of story that was similar to what was going on, but nothing was found. Ahiru stayed close with Fakir, and he had taken to holding his hand. Jealousy ran from many people. Girls were jealous of Ahiru, boys were jealous of Fakir, but no one interfered between the two.
Something seemed to work between those two.
Rue was saddened to see that Fakir's relationship reminded them of the relationship she had with her prince when he had no memories. She often found herself crying when she least expected it. Something was so sharp. Things were not well for Mytho either, he was getting so worried, and even angry. There was more then one occasion when he had to be stopped before he could hurt Ge, who wore the same cold but beautifully haunting smile.
It was the ending of the second week when Mytho and Rue met with Fakir after school. He was in the library surrounded by books of all sorts. He looked up at his friends who silently watched him. Fakir pulled a red handkerchief from his pocked and coughed into it. "Fakir is that you-" Fakir shook his head cutting Mytho off, "I bought a red handkerchief to hide the blood I cough...don't worry not all this is my blood." The two nodded, and took a seat. Rue looked at Fakir, "I wish we...we knew what to do." Fakir rose shutting the books, "But we don't...and we can't help that...we can only try hard to help her...like she helped us. We can't give up! I...I won't give up. She saved me so many times...and I failed to protect her every time. I won't let that happen ever again." Fakir vowed closing his eyes painfully, "I won't lose her." He turned away from them heading for the door.
"Fakir?"
"Fakir where are you going?"
Fakir paused at the door, "I'm tired...I haven't had enough sleep, I'm going to bed."
He left his friends, he had a hard time looking them in the face these days. He walked through the halls where he saw Ahiru in the same spot she had stood when she danced that sad dance. He turned away from her, and walked to his dorm. He couldn't look at her today, he just couldn't look at her. It hurt so much, it hurt worse and worse every day. When he reached his room, he stopped staring at a door a note had been nailed to his door.
"Dear Knight,
When the time is right, dance with her. You know which dance to do, it is in your heart, it is everywhere. Do not ignore this letter-please. You must help her, you're running out of time. I will reveal myself as soon as I can. Don't be afraid knight, you will save her. It is your love that is strong, and it is love on your side.
-Signed
The story teller."
Fakir pulled the note off, feeling numb. Who wrote this. He went inside his room, and stared outside at Ahiru. "Dance with her...but...what dance Is there a dance I need to dace? Like, "The Phantom Dance," Or is it "Dance de la Lune? What is it !?" He watched Ahiru as she stood in the grass dancing, even though others stopped to stare, gazing at her beauty. Others tried to join in, but she would shake her head no, and not dance with them. She kept dancing all on her own, and she made Fakir's chest hurt more when she looked directly up at him. He felt so weak looking into her dark eyes, and within an hour he was asleep, his mind buzzing with too many questions, and far too little answers.
He woke later that night, and Saw Ahiru dancing still. She looked haggard and worn, why was she still there. "Dance with her...is that how I help her?" He turned and walked out of his room heart pounding. "I...I said so myself that her dance was sad...is that dance how I return her sorrow?!" He soon was running down the stairs and before he knew it he was outside once more. He stared at her eyes wide, and face wet with sweat. "Ahiru..." The girl looked at him, "Knight will you dance with me?" She asked once more.
He took her hands pulling her to him. "Yes." Ahiru closed her eyes nodding quietly, and held her arms above her head as he spun her slowly around .The moon seemed to become more intense and shine on them as they danced. He set her down, the girl perching on the tip of her toe, her leg extended outward. He slowly spun her around on the spot. "Ahiru...do you care about anything?" He asked eyes staring at the colorless ruby. "I don't know." She said dully as he pulled her to him.
He dipped her low, resting his head against the crook of her neck, "Are you sure you don't know?" He brought her back up holding her above his head as he spun around. She opened her eyes looking at him, "I think I knew once." Fakir felt eyes fill with tears-but he refused to let them fall. he had to be strong for her! He had to. Setting her on the ground, he kneeled before her taking her hand, kissing it gently. She pulled away briefly looking at her hand and stop her dance. Then she began to spin again, spinning around Fakir who rose on his toes his leg bent and behind him. She came to him resting her hands on his chest, bowing to him, and holding on to him.
This was the final straw.
Ahiru's eyes opened as tears fell down his face splashing against her cheek. "Knight?" Fakir was crying. He pulled her to him in a desperate hug, and slid to the ground arms tight around her waist. He clung to her, letting out what sounded like a whimper. He clutched on to her, he was never going to let her go! To let her go would be losing her. "Ahiru..." He whispered sobbing against her waist, "I'm sorry I can't...I'm sorry I didn't protect you! Ahiru!" She looked down at him, and the tears began to fall, and despite herself she made small whimpering sounds. He looked up at her, and saw that the ruby around her neck was glowing. The ruby stopped glowing and turned mostly red, the very center still blank. "Fakir..." She whispered crying. "Fakir!" She dropped hugging him. Fakir held her tight, "Ahiru...do you...?" She sniffed crying loudly, "Fakir I'm so sad...my heart hurts so much!" She said sobbing in to his chest. He shushed her lovingly, "I'll fix this, I'll fix it-I promise. Ahiru I'll save you..."
So the knight had returned her memories of sorrow to her. And as he coughed blood it splashing all over his hands and sliding down his chin, and to his neck, he couldn't help but feel happy...so happy. She had said his name. And it was the most wonderful sound he had heard in all his life.
END OF CHAPTER TWO
The ballet is mostly over, Happiness must be returned, but oh knight how can you return happiness, when you yourself is so unhappy? This ballet must end in four acts. It must...but with the way things are going The princess will be a feather, and the prince though his coughing will stop will die of heartache.
-signed
The story teller.
see you next chapter!