Chibiusa peered across the art studio. It was another joint art session, and across the room sat the class a few grades above hers. There he was, the one that had raised a lot of flags in Fakir's mind. Gene sat at the edge of the room, a multitude of girls surrounding him. They had scooted their easels and stools closer to him just so they could bask in his supposed glory.
He's really nothing special, Chibiusa wrinkled her nose.
"I was hoping to have lessons outside today, but it seems that the rain just won't stop falling," Miss Kitter explained. "So we'll continue our focus on the study of movement and color. I've made a quick request, and managed to get us the leads from the ballet troupe's production of Princess Kaguya in full costume to come pose for us."
"The leads?" Momoko echoed, leaning around her easel. "Chibiusa, isn't one of them your friend Senior Fakir?"
"He is," Chibiusa nodded, "with Miss Illia."
Fakir entered with Illia, the two bowing to the class as an introduction. They were dressed in a colorful combination of Japanese and ballet attire. Fakir had on the top of a men's kimono, decorated in brilliant blue, tucked into a pair of traditional pants that puffed out then drew in tight at the knee. Illia had a short kimono crisscrossed over a more traditional ballet tutu, the skirt made of layered leaf-like patterns. She had on a thin obi with a large bow knot to keep the kimono closed tight as she moved.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Illia?" Fakir asked her quietly.
"It's just simple poses," she replied. "If it's not too strenuous, I should be okay until the rain passes. I want to show everyone I still want this role."
"If you feel faint, we'll request a break," Fakir added, stepping onto the stage and offering a hand to Illia. She spotted Gene up in the group, quickly turning away and back to Fakir. Fakir glanced up to the audience.
"Something about that Gene guy bothers you, doesn't he?" He pointed his front foot forward, tilting slightly forward and rounding his arms. Illia mirrored his position as they posed for the start of the pas de deux between the bamboo cutter and the princess.
She looked towards him as part of the pose and to continue talking quietly as the artists worked on their drawings. "He's been stalking me for the past few days, trying to peek on our practice sessions and sending me love letters I don't want. I've even told Miss Bottom the donkey to burn all his letters."
"That's worse than even Robin had described," Fakir observed, keeping his expression pleasant and loving to keep in character with the bamboo cutter. "I know he's new, but has he always been this way?"
"I have no idea," Illia replied. "I didn't even know who he was until a few days ago."
Fakir took a guess. "When the rain started and the fainting spells began again?"
"Sounds about right," Illia tried to recall. "I feel like he's staring at me right now."
"Just focus on the dance," Fakir encouraged her. He shifted his stance, taking a more supportive position as she releved and leaned into him.
"I don't understand why you're so nice to me sometimes," Illia commented, leaning into him for support. She hadn't felt any strain yet, but she had to make sure she wouldn't have a fainting episode in the middle of art class.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Fakir nearly broke character. Perhaps he had become nicer than he thought, but it was likely limited to those who didn't annoy him and Duck. He had been nice to Chibiusa as well, but she had been helping to try to solve the current story that seemed to be controlling the world once again.
He spun her around on her toes, wrapping an arm around her back as she bent backwards with her arms raised above her head.
"I've had enough of this charade!"
"Mr. Gene!" Miss Kitter hissed.
"I won't have him handle her like this!" Gene shouted. "Illia should be mine!"
Illia nearly lost her pose with the outburst if Fakir hadn't had such a good grip on her back. She rolled upwards, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on her forehead.
Fakir could feel her waver in his grip. He pulled her close to steady her, glaring back up into the audience. Was this Gene the cause of the fainting spells returning? Was he the storybook character who had gotten out of control? "I apologize, Miss Kitter. Illia isn't feeling well. I'm going to take her to the clinic."
Miss Kitter pawed at her whiskers in worry.
"It's probably something she ate," Fakir lied, picking up Illia in his arms. He glanced up to the back of the classroom where Chibiusa sat, nodding slightly to the side then quickly exiting the art studio.
"I'm... I'm really sorry about this, Fakir," Illia apologized, grabbing at his shirt. "I don't know what's going on anymore. This isn't like before. I'm not that frightened child anymore. Something's wrong..."
"This isn't your fault," Fakir stated sharply. That Gene was definitely involved in this somehow, and perhaps if he could separate Illia from him, he might be able to understand what story was at play here. He pushed open the doors to the art building with his shoulder, nearly tripping over his own feet in surprise. "What in the world?" The courtyard no longer lay outside the doors but a massive forest covered in fog.
Illia shifted just slightly to see what had shocked Fakir. "Since when was there a forest here?"
"So the story has finally progressed," he muttered to himself.
"A story?" Illia echoed.
"Nevermind," he shook his head, turning to go back inside, but as soon as he turned, the building had also disappeared. He was no longer leaning against the door but instead a rather large tree branch hanging close to the ground.
Illia managed to regain her bearings, carefully standing on the ground before releasing Fakir's shirt. "Do you recall the first ballet we ever danced in our class?"
"The Enchanted Forest," Fakir recalled. "Where the prima ballerina, Ilka, gets lost in a forest in Hungary and is courted by the Genie of the Forest." That was it, wasn't it? Gene was the Genie, obsessed with Illia to a point where it was physically causing her to faint, just like in the ballet. So that was the story at play here, this time a ballet instead of a foreign legend. "Certainly sounds like the situation we're in right now, doesn't it?"
"It really does," Illia agreed. The sound of breaking branches nearby caught her attention.
"Someone's coming," Fakir grabbed her by the waist and ducked behind a large tree.
"Illia, oh Illia!" one of the girls called. "Come on out! We're here to take you back to Gene!"
"Don't make us wait, Illia," another called out. "It's so rude!"
Illia could feel her heart racing. She leaned into Fakir, gripping his shirt. "Please don't let them take me," she whispered. It really was like The Enchanted Forest and she'd been unwillingly cast as Ilka.
Fakir grabbed a branch as he heard the girls approach. "Stay here, Illia. I'll try to fend them off until help arrives." He stepped out from behind the tree to stop the approaching girls. Among the approach were Deeria, Bearella, and Bunette, their three classmates, along with a handful of other girls from different classes, all dressed in flowing attire that made them look like nymphs.
The Dance of the Dryads from the ballet, is it? I'll have to delay them as long as I can until Tutu and Chibi Moon get here. He'd take on the role of the knight temporarily as this knight was currently without paper and a quill. "This stops here."
...
Author's ramblings
So the story finally reveals itself. The Enchanted Forest is a weird old ballet that involves strange fantastical things of dryads, forest creatures, genies, and weird fainting spells. How could I not include such a weird story?
