Aneko: Kon'nichi wa

Aneko: Kon'nichi wa! Yosh! My good friend named inspiration came back and now we are going to go meet with my friend named productivity. I hope we have fun. And here is the third chap as promised!! I just want to take the time to say, thank you for all of you who faithfully review my somewhat spur-of-the-moment ideas. I'm really sorry I never send you a message, and I don't say it that often, I'm not ignoring you or anything- I promise! And it's not that I have too many reviewers. I'm just extremely lazy, so…yeah…Now, fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, I'm about to change what I wrote before for this chapter!

Disclaimer: -wailing- I DON'T OWN PRINCESS TUTU!!WAAHHHHH

Fakir: -wincing-what are you screaming about? calm down, you're breaking my ear drums…

Chapter 3- I Wish

P…princess?! Ahiru thought in (yet more) shock. Things just kept getting weirder.

Getting up, Ahiru went over to the balcony slowly, slightly afraid of what she would see. When she did reach the edge, placing her hands on the railing, she gasped.

She had to be three stories up at least. Below, a city was spread out like a picture on one of the wall tapestries. The streets were alive with people, bustling about on errands, or simply meandering. The sound of bartering, laughter, and general noise drifted up to her ears.

The door banged open suddenly.

"My beloved daughter!" A deep voice boomed in what can only be described as utter joy.

Ahiru nearly fell over the railing.

W-what?! She thought, just as her view was cut off by royal blue fabric and she felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs. Were they trying to hug her or kill her?

"Oran, dear, be careful. You're choking her," said a gentle female voice.

"Oh! You're right, Hana my love. I only was so happy."

Ahiru was released, and she looked up…and up.

A giant of a man stood beaming at her. He was large, though not in a chubby way. He merely had a thick, muscular build. He had dark brown curly hair and a beard and bushy mustache to match. His eyes were decidedly blue, with little wrinkles that crinkled when he smiled widely (as he was doing now). By comparison, the woman beside him was completely his opposite.

She was small and slender, with a gentle, motherly face. Soft golden hair fell in waves down her back. Her eyes were a soothing gray and she was dressed in a gown that was the same shade as her eyes, with a vine-type design in silver thread as trim along the edges.

Ahiru looked tentatively from one to the other, before daring to ask.

"Who are you?"

Fakir flipped idly through another book, before placing it on a growing stack of other unsuccessful searches.

"Aotoa!" Fakir called.

"Keep your voice down! This is a library! What is it now?" Aotoa replied, appearing from behind a shelf.

Fakir had asked for Aotoa's help a while after having started searching, realizing it would go faster with two people. For whatever reason, Aotoa had agreed to help.

'Could the book we need have been destroyed by the book people?"

"That certainly is a possibility. Of course, they only destroyed Drosselmeyer's works," Aotoa pointed out.

The thought made Fakir feel sick. Would they have to deal with another of Drosselmeyer's sick tragedies?

Fakir shook his head. Not yet. They would finish going through the library first, and then, if they had not found anything, they would go to the book people.

The man laughed at Ahiru's question, but Ahiru thought she saw the expression in the woman's eyes become a bit sad.

"Ha!" She doesn't know who we are?" The man roared, still laughing, "It appears introductions are in order!"

He swept his arm out dramatically, making the robe he was wearing swirl about him.

"I am the King of Rivervale, Oran the Just, your father. And this," he gestured to the woman, who curtsied, "is the lovely Queen Hana the Fair, your mother."

Mother? Father? Ahiru thought in confusion, But I'm a duck!

"You, of course, are the beloved princess of our Kingdom, Princess Hikari."

"EH?!"

"Don't you remember, darling?" Queen Hana spoke, "A couple years ago you disappeared. Then a few months ago, your body suddenly returned, though you were in a deep sleep. We feared you would never wake up again."

"But look!" Here she is! We shall soon have you remembering, for I can see from that blank expression that you find nothing familiar. We'll fix that! There is nothing like a normal day to jog your memory."

Oran clapped his hands as he spoke, and two maids entered.

"Your mother and I have business to attend to, but your maids will assist you throughout the day."

The two Royals exited, leaving Ahiru feeling like her world had been turned inside out and upside down.

"Tutu-samaaaa!"

For the second time that day Ahiru was nearly squeezed to death.

"Tutu-sama! We were so worried about you!"

Ahiru looked at the person hugging her. It was one of the maids, in a gray uniform. She had black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Hey Iris, let go. You're hurting her," the other maid said, walking up with her arms crossed over her chest. She also wore the gray uniform. She had short brown hair down to her chin, clipped back from her face. Both girls looked to Ahiru to be her age.

"But Chare, aren't you glad she's back?" Iris protested.

Chare rolled her eyes. "Of course, but I kind of thought there would be more point to her coming back if she was alive."

Iris, finally seeming to notice the strangled noises Ahiru was making, released her.

"Oh! Tutu-sama, why didn't you say something sooner?"

"That's your fault," Chare pointed out.

"You lie!"

"Why do you keep calling me Tutu-sama?" Ahiru asked her, recovering.

"She really doesn't remember…" Chare said, staring at Ahiru.

"How sad How can you not?" Iris interjected, coming to stand just in front of Ahiru, "When you were younger you loved to do ballet, so everyone started calling you Princess Tutu. Your given name is rarely used, even on formal occasions."

Ahiru's mind reeled. That name again. Princess Tutu. The very same name that had set in motion The Prince and the Raven.

"That reminds me," Chare put a finger under her chin, looking at the ceiling, "do you still like ballet, Tutu-sama?"

'Y-yeah. Why?"

"We were going to show you around the palace. I was thinking we could stop by your practice room and try some ballet."

"My practice room?"

"Silly Tutu-sama-of course!" Iris chirped.

"Man, it's been ages since we've all danced together. It was different with just me and Iris."

"You like ballet to?" Ahiru was surprised.

"Well duh! Silly Tutu-sama!" Iris laughed.

"The more the two talked to her, the more they reminded her of Pique and Lilie.

Of course, Pique and Lilie only used '-sama' on Fakir's name…

Thinking of Fakir made Ahiru grow sad.

"Hellooo? Tutu-sama?"

Ahiru blinked. Chare was waving a hand in front of her face. Before she could reply, Iris pulled Ahiru's head around almost 180 so she could see her face.

"Oh, poor Tutu-sama! Her absence, wherever it was, was traumatizing. Look how much pain she's in!"

"That's your fault."

'You lie!"

Iris released Ahiru immediately at the accusation.

"Since you don't remember anything, we'll go pick out a dress for you to wear."

"You just stay right her, Tutu-sama!"

"Oh…okay…and, um, do you think you could stop calling me Tutu-sama?"

Both girls looked at her blankly.

"Then what are we supposed to call you?" Chare asked, eyebrows knitting together in perplexity.

"Ahiru," Ahiru said instantly.

She couldn't think of any other name that made her feel comfortable.

"Ahiru-sama?" Iris tried.

Ahiru shook her head firmly.

"Just Ahiru.'

"Just a duck? Just Ahiru?"

"Ahiru? You're sure?"

Ahiru nodded again, smiling slightly.

"Hmmm…well okay, I guess…kind of weird though, don't you think? Duck…"

The maids began walking to the corner that was between the walls holding the bed and the door. A wardrobe sat there, simple in design compared with the rest of the room.

"You think?" Ahiru heard Iris, "For some reason, I kind of think it fits her."

Smiling softly, Ahiru turned towards the city again.

"Here you go tu-er, I mean Ahiru!"

Ahiru found a bunch of stiff fabric thrown in her face.

"We'll help you get it on- they can be kind of complicated sometimes."

Ahiru raised her arms, and the dress went over her head. As Chare stood in the back tying up the bodice, Ahiru glanced down at herself curiously. It was a lovely baby-blue color, with sleeves to her elbow. The neck and waistline were both v-shaped (though not too much). The skirt swamped her legs, coming out from her body in a graceful bell shape. Kind of like Rue-chan's wedding dress.

"Now, let's go!"

Grabbing Ahiru's hand, Iris whisked her towards the magnificent doors that led to the rest of the castle.

Somewhere along the second or third hallways they turned onto, Ahiru got lost among the marble floors, thirty-foot ceilings, and large arched windows with embroidered curtains.

Iris and Chare chattered on endlessly, but Ahiru usually only made out a few words, so the conversation sounded like something along the lines of:

Blah blah blah King and Queen blah blah blah ball blah blah blah Kingdom blah blah blah.

Before reaching the (her) practice room, they passed by several closed doors, the two maids explaining where they led as they passed each one.

"That's the ballroom."

"The dining hall-the large one, for when they is a formal dinner."

"That's the smaller one, for when it is only your majesties dining as a family."

"There's the King and Queen's chambers."

They also passed the kitchens, the armory, and many other rooms Ahiru forgot.

"It's huge!" Ahiru said, eyes spinning.

Iris laughed airily.

"Oh, but Ahiru, this is only less than half the castle!"

"HALF?!"

"No need to shout. Here we are," Chare spoke, smiling as she pulled open yet another door.

Ahiru's jaw dropped. The walls were made entirely of glass (except for the wall with the door). They revealed the fresh green of the gardens at the back of the palace. The room was very spacious, with an upper area. A grand piano sat patiently in a corner.

All in all, it reminded her very much of the practice rooms at the Academy in Kinkan town on a grander scale.

"Alright, you stay here, we'll be right back," said Iris cheerily.

"Eh? What?" Was all Ahiru got out before she heard the click of the door behind the two maids.

Resignedly, Ahiru turned back toward the room, gazing around.

This is…A strange feeling…

It was like déjà vu, except it felt like it was someone else who had been here before.

A dark shadow flickered across the window, but when Ahiru looked, it was gone. Instead, she saw something disappearing behind a distant hedge outside,

Ahiru was sick and tired of not understanding. She wanted to know exactly what was going on.

Spying a glass door in one of the walls, Ahiru ran towards it, only to trip and fall over her volumous skirt.

"Ouch," she groaned, but she was up again in a moment, this time picking up the skirt to run.

Ahiru was met by the cheery light of the sun, warming her pleasantly as a cool breeze played across her cheek. The day was absolutely beautiful.

Ahiru ran the way she had seen the…whatever-it-was- disappear. A wall of hedges rose up before her, with a choice to go right or left. Ahiru hesitated, but a rustling from her left prompted her o veer in that direction. Every time a choice came up, that same noise guided her, as thought someone was in front of her, just around the next bend. High walls of hedge rose up on each side of her, blocking her view of anything but the sky directly above.

When she finally broke through the last narrow green pathways, Ahiru found the area empty. It was only a small circular area that was cleared away in the middle of the maze. Nothing moved.

"Great. That's what I get for running into a maze," Ahiru mumbled.

She turned to go, but stopped, as she saw a small boy standing in the entrance she had just come from.

He stared at her blankly, blinking a few times. Not knowing what else to do, Ahiru stared back.

He actually wasn't that much smaller than Ahiru herself. He was wearing a slightly big, royal-blue tunic, with sleeves that were so long they covered his hand up to his fingers. Black pants hung loosely on his skinny frame. Thick blonde curls fell messily over his head.

Several moments of silence passed in this manner, before her stabbed his hand out, pointing a finger at Ahiru as though accusing her of something. Ahiru looked at the finger pointed at her face.

"Ano…"

An unbelievably large grin grew across the boy's face.

"Ahiru!"

"EH?!"

The child tackle-hugged the girl, sending them both down to the ground.

"You know me?" Ahiru asked, wincing as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Hime-sama is just like a duck!" The boy exclaimed happily.

"Ugh…" Ahiru stood up, the boy clambering off her. "I'm not a princess!: She declared.

She was tired of memories other people claimer she was supposed to have.

"I'm just…just…"

She was a duck. A duck who had been turned into a girl so she could be used.

"Just Ahiru?"

Ahiru's eyes widened. The grin had turned into a strange smile, as though he knew something. A moment later it had passed, that grin returning to his face.

"Like I said, Hime-sama is like a duck!"

"Who…who are you?"

"Me? I'm Kiru!"

"Kiru?"

"Yep!"

"Well-"

"The knight is coming."

"Huh?"

His mood had changed again. Now he stared at her with all the gravity of any adult.

"The knight is coming."

"I don't-"

A faint call echoed towards them.

"I have to go now," the grin was back on his face, "bye-bye!"

He vanished into the hedges pathway. Ahiru ran to follow him, nearly tripping over her skirt again, but when she turned the corner, Kiru was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, there she is!"

Chare and Iris came around the next corner. Chare frowned putting her hands on her hips.

"Hey, what's the deal? Why'd you go and disappear on us like that?"

"Sorry…"

Ahiru rested her elbows on the stone railing of her balcony. The soft glow from the lanterns in the city below were like fireflies, glowing in the night.

Overall, the rest of the day had been fairly unmemorable. They had explored the rest of the castle, but it had taken the rest of the day. Now Ahiru was about to go to bed.

"This can't be right," she murmured sadly, "I don't want to be a Princess. I just want…"

What did she want? She didn't want to be a Princess-not when it felt so wrong, like she wasn't supposed to be here. She wanted to go back to Kinkan Town. Back home. She wanted-

"I wish Fakir was with me…" She murmured into the empty night air.

Aneko: Okay, I'm sorry I was late with this chapter. I meant to update sooner, but you know, I had to get away from life first…

Chare and Iris are supposed to be like Pique and Lilie, if you didn't notice.

Chare Shar-ay