Chapter 2: The return

Once upon a time there was a little princess who all believed lovely and the girl knew nothing but love in her family…however one day she ran away from home and vanished without a trace. But did she truly run away?…

The girl smiled as she called her sister; “It’s been a long time Ahiru.”

Fakir was still transfixed by the scene seeing the old Ahiru; he still couldn’t believe that it was she. As he looked though it was definitely her. The same hair, eyes, mouth, face and… suddenly he put his hands over his own a deep red blush appearing.

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Ahiru blinked a few times once again looking around her before she started to ask quickly “Sister where are we, how did I get here and…” she then stopped looking down at herself she saw that she had no clothing on at all.

…

“AAAGGGGGHHHH!” She screamed before running into the bushes, she stared at her sister with a red flush across her face, who had started laughing. Ahiru grew annoyed “It’s not funny!” She complained blushing madly.

Her sister stopped laughing, with a little giggle she still had a smile on her lips, “I know, I know, but I couldn’t help it, oh wait here.” With that she got out a bag she had been carrying with her, she then kneeled down rummaging inside. Ahiru watched her sister as she continued searching, still feeling stupid she wondered what she was doing naked out in the woods.

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Fakir having looked away from the sight and was curing himself of the sudden surprise; it was definitely the same as before. Then when Ahiru went into the bushes, he had finally got over it. He then started to continue his swim; the speed was increased by his happiness and excitement at seeing her again.

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Finally her sister found what she was looking for. “I got your night dress here, I know it’s not really the most appropriate thing to wear, but it’s the fastest thing to change into.” She told Ahiru handing the white dress over to her sister’s outstretched hand.

Quickly under five seconds Ahiru had changed. Reappearing out of the leaves of the hedge in her white night dress, she walked over to her sister, she then asked her, “Anyway as I was asking how did I get here?” She asked indicating with her hands at the forest. Her sister shook her head, “It’s a long story, I think that should wait till we get home, and also there you can get a proper apology too.” She added as she turned her head to the side. Her eyes were now annoyed staring into the distance.

Ahiru blinked then asked puzzled, “An apology?”

“Ahiru!” Suddenly a voice called from the lake that made both Ahiru and her sister turn to look who had called out. They both saw Fakir who was now only a foot away from the shore. Looking her sister then said with a surprised annoyed look “Oh no it’s that weirdo again!”

“Weirdo?” Ahiru asked puzzled as she looked from her sister at the boy wondering why he was calling out her name.

Then her sister grabbed her by the hand, “Come on we’ve got to go!” She then dragged Ahiru still surprised into the forest quickly disappearing among the trees.

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As Fakir called out to Ahiru on the shore, he suddenly saw that the new girl had taken Ahiru’s hand and then had disappeared into the forest. Fakir looked on in confusion as he finally made it to the shore, pulling himself out of the water he slipped a little on the muddy bank. Trying to get back on his feet as he entered through the trees after them. ‘Ahiru why are you running away from me?’ He couldn’t understand what was happening, but he couldn’t let that girl kidnap her, his anger grew at the thought of this, he’d kill her if she tried to harm her!

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Ahiru continued to be dragged by her sister, countless trees were in the way and it was difficult avoiding each one as they moved in between them. Looking back she could still see that the boy from the lake was chasing them, “Sister what is that guy after?! How did he know my name!” She asked her feeling worried and panicked.

“I don’t know, but I don’t want to know! He kept popping up every time I was out looking for you, he must be a stalker or something!” She said as she brushed away branches and leaves blocking their way.

Ahiru grew worried at this thought, ‘a stalker!’ She looked back seeing that he was still following them just a few meters behind. She grew scared, as he looked mad. “He’s still following us!” She cried.

“Damn! We’re nearly there just a little more and we’ll be safe!” She told Ahiru pulling her sister’s hand a little harder moving forwards faster.

Ahiru nodded looking back again, ‘why does he want to follow us so much?’ she wondered looking back at him as he too got caught between some trees as they had.

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Fakir was slowly catching up to them and he saw that as he moved in between the trees that Ahiru looked at him now and again, he couldn’t understand why she looked so scared at him ‘is this another story set up for us by Drosselmeyer?’ he wondered. That girl obviously had something to do with what was going on and she had obviously done something to Ahiru. He charged on, he’d get to the bottom of this situation very soon.

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As her sister and herself got past a few more trees they finally got to a clearing, bright sunlight shining down on them.

The two stopped for breath for a few seconds, Ahiru was exhausted from running around so much and especially in a nightdress, which wasn’t the best thing to run in, inside a forest. Her sister wiping her head quickly grabbed her hand again.

“Come on sis as soon as we get through there we won’t have to worry anymore.” With that the girl started running dragging Ahiru again. As she looked she saw inside of the green grassed clearing was what seemed to be a shrine in the centre of white pillars made of aged stone. Inside was a blue portal, it shimmered continually as though it was a drop of water caught in time, before it would fall and leave nothingness.

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Nearly immediately after them Fakir appeared. He stopped for a second seeing that the two were running and then he saw the portal, he knew in that instant that was their destination. He then started his pursuit again. ‘This must be Drosselmeyer!’ He thought furiously to himself; he wasn’t going to allow tragedy to occur again.

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As the two sisters drew closer and closer to the portal Ahiru was starting to feel relieved and excited by the portal and it’s blue light. Her sister reached into her white blouse with her free hand drawing out her blue pendant which shone with it’s own blue light that activated a strong gust of wind that started to pull them in, “We’re gonna make it!” Her sister exclaimed excitedly. The light amazed Ahiru but as her sister spoke, she nodded excitedly, then turning around again she saw the boy, as she looked at him though she began to feel uncertainty inside as she saw his determined face.

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Fakir suddenly felt a sudden strong wind that made him put his hands up across his face defensively, he then felt himself being pushed back. But he was determined, he pressed his feet dragging himself forward as best he could, but the wind was too strong to let him go any faster or further to a point that he could only stop and watch the girl and Ahiru. He saw that they had stopped in front of the portal. The girl was talking to Ahiru with a smile on her face seemingly laughing, he growled in irritation at her. Then taking a step towards the portal the girl smiled and waved to Ahiru as she began to disappear first. Then she looked at him and stuck her tongue out at him in mockery as the blue light engulfed her making the portal shimmer slightly. He then bit his lip in anger he hated that girl now with a vengeance, suddenly he saw that Ahiru too was beginning to make her way closer to the portal. Fakir realized that she too was going to disappear. He couldn’t stand it! Reaching out with one of his hands as best as he could against the strong wind he screamed her name, tears beginning to threaten to emerge from the anxiety and pain he felt inside.

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“AHIRU!”

Almost touching the portal she looked back and saw the boy again. He had his hand reaching out to her, she saw that he was also struggling against the wind that was threatening to push him all the way back. She looked wide-eyed at him and saw what she felt were tears. She then felt a vague sense of this being familiar and for some reason she felt something tighten inside. She then slowly hesitatingly reached her hand out to him.

‘What is this feeling?’ Her thoughts echoed inside.

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Fakir then felt the wind change as Ahiru reached her hand out to him, it seemed to pull him in, a smile of relief was on his face as he drew closer to her. The wind was practically making him fly there, but as Fakir was within a small distance between himself and her he was about to ask her what was happening however he stopped himself. For when he looked at her face, her eyes were in a questioning manner and seemed to be empty to him with slight worry; his smile then all at once vanished as she disappeared into the blue light asking three very haunting words.

“Who are you?”

The world suddenly spun around him, as he too was absorbed into the blue light. He couldn’t tell if it was from the magic or the shock but he felt great pain inside that formed into one last tear that fell upon the grass, lost and forgotten as the portal closed on itself. It left nothing but the ruins and the blue skies as witnesses to the tragic scene.