FicWad

Chapter VI



Music: Waltz of the Flowers



Sunday arose with a bright sun, and preparation for Ahiru to return to school was in full swing. All seemed like it would be an ordinary day, or at least as ordinary as expected. Joe surprised Ahiru awake when he landed on her window sill, found it cracked open, and started to thunder "Nessun Dorma." "Quack!" she screamed, (as old habits die hard,) and she literally jumped straight out of bed. She wheeled around and glared at Joe as he said, "Good morning, Sunshine."

"Well that was rather rude!" she snapped.

"Hey," he said, "The prince told me to wake you: breakfast is ready."

"Yeah," she said, angrily, "and I am agirl now, and I've always wondered what parrot tasted like!"

She then began to move quickly towards the window, as Joe said rapidly; "Welllookatthetimegottago!" and he swiftly flew away. She was suddenly sorry she had taught him how to fly. She put on Rue's old dress and went to breakfast.



Everyone was settled in, and were about to start breakfast, when the sound of a loud snare drum cracked right behind Ahiru, and a childlike voice thundered behind it, saying, "Hi, ducky-lucky-zura!"

"Quack!" said Ahiru, and she fell out of her chair. When her vision cleared, she was looking right into the face of Uzzura. "You didn't change-zura!"

Everyone tried to stifle it, but then they all let out a big belly laugh. Ahiru pulled herself up to the table level, and she said, "How long has she been here? Furthermore, how long have you known!"

"What's so funny-zura?" shouted Uzzura.

"You!" said Ahiru, retaking her seat.

Uzzura though for a minute, and then started to march around, beating her drum, singing, "Funny, funny, zura funny!"

Fakir snatched her up, but his hand on her mouth, and grabbed the sticks, saying, "That's quite enough from you!"

"Where did she come from?" asked Ahiru.

"We're not sure ourselves,' said Siegfried.

Uzzura seemed to be trying to mumble something from underneath the hand of Fakir, and when he would not relent, she bit his hand. He screamed in pain as Uzzura shouted, "Bad people want to hurt ducky-zura! Want to help-zura!"

Rue then took a serious note, and said,"What bad people?"

Uzzura then began to tell, in her own childlike, unique was, how Drosselmyer had caused her to come to him when things had bone back to normal, used her to spy, and tried to treat her as amindless robot he had created and controlled. She then told of how these five bad people came in, and how they were watching the world. She did not know why, and she tried to ask, she was roughly tossed aside. "Naughty, naughty-zura!" she yelled. Rue patter her on the head, and said, "Yes, they are very naughty!"

Freya, in her own sweet way, said, "Don't worry, little blossom, we'll make sure they never are naughty again."

Quickly, her attention shifted to the cockatoo on the perch, munching away on some sunflower seeds. Joe caught the sense someone was watching him, and chewed slowly. "Pretty white birdie-zura!" she cried, and wanted to take a closer look at it. Joe began to climb to his highest perch, not sure what to think. Quickly, Ahiru came over and said, "Careful! You have to be gentle."

"Oh," she said, and Joe said, "Yeah, be careful with the bird."

"What is it-zura?" asked Uzzura.

"It's a cockatoo," said Siegfried, "It's akind of parrot."

Uzzura thought for a moment, and then said, "What's a parrot-zura?"

"It is a bird that can talk and mimic things,"said Freya.

"Wow!" said Uzzura, "a talkie-birdie-zura!"

Joe, by this point, had retreated to his highest point, as far back on the perch as he could go without having to fly away. Uzzura then said, 'Talk birdie-zura!"

"So," said Joe, very uneasy, "What do you think Bayern-Munich's chances are this year?"

"I dunno-zura," said Uzzura. She thought for another moment, and then said, "Is he a birdie like ducky-zura?"

"Well, in a sense..." said Ahiru, but just as Uzzura heard that, she was across the table like a shot, and Fakir found it hard to stifle a laugh, as he knew what was coming. Because of the comedic value, there was no way that eh was about to stop her! Before anyone could react, she made a beeline for the pitcher of water, and was already heading for Joe. "Hey, kid, what are you..." and stopped, realizing one second too late what was coming. Once second before the tsunami hit, one would have heard him utter, "This is gonna hurt!"

Joe has all he could do to hold on to his perch, and gripped it long enough to only be knocked to its base. You could hear the snuffs as he cleared his nostrils. He shook off the water violently as Uzzura watched closely, saying, "Nothing happened-zura!"

"WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!" thundered Joe, but everyone was in stitches by this point. "Sure," he said, "Everyone laugh at the bird!"

Ahiru said, "I'm sorry Joe," wiping away afew tears, "I'll explain later!"



Later on that day, they all went to the dorms to move in. As was hoped, because of the nature of the tale, no one remembered Joe as a human, and no one remembered the bird. Ironically, Ahiru's and Rue's old rooms were still open, and they were given those very rooms respectively. Because Freya seemed to have a soothing effect on Uzzura, she was given her care. Joe was roomed with Fakir and Siegfried. At the cross point between the two dorms, Freya stroked Joe's crest, and said, "I can't stand this, baby. We'll try to get you back to normal as soon as we can."

"I love you so much," said Joe, "I'll keep singing for you!"

She picked him up and hugged him, and then sent him along with Fakir. As Ahiru was settling in, Pique and Lillie both showed up, and said, "Wow, a real princess!"

Pique then said, "Can we help you settle in?"

"Sure," said Ahiru, "I'd love the company."

"The poor dear," said Lillie, "So used to living in a palace, and now she stuck in a stuffy old dorm room! It seems so much like a fairy tale beginning."

Ahiru chuckled, and said, "It's okay-at least this way, I get to know everyone better."

"Such a princess of the people," said Pique, "and you have such poise."

The two had aged a year, and matured atouch, yet they still had their old personalities. However, because of her slightly more advanced age, gain in maturity, and because they though her to be a princess, they approached her differently. No longer was the awkward duck of a girl standing before them, but a grounded, settled young woman, who seemed now more of an older sister to them than apeer. Just to test the waters, Ahiru said, "Interesting room: I wonder why the bunk is up there in the loft?"

"I'm really not sure," said Lillie, "It's been so long since someone has been in here."

That was what Ahiru was probing for, and then she asked, "Yes, who was in here before?"

"It's so funny," said Pique, "We all know someone had been in here, but no one can remember just how. We know she liked birds," and then she pointed to the bowl and the empty bag of seeds. Ahiru climbed the ladder to the bed, and saw the old duck pillow she had had, but both had an old, mildew-like smell. As soon as Lillie saw that, she ran off, and then came back with a can of disinfectant/deodorant. Ahiru took it as Lillie said, "We have to do this every year, because these buildings are so old."

However, it seemed everything had been somewhat modernized. In the old story, everything seemed like a renaissance mixed with the modern world kind of setting. Now, that was changed when the old spell had been broken. She was surprised to see that things remained modern despite the start of a new story. Later, she would have to see if they were all trapped as before. If so, the parameters extended past the town, considering the free movement about the principality. Ahiru decided to test some more, and said, "It's odd you can't remember who lived in here. Can you remember anything?"

"It's very fuzzy," said Pique, "and everyone has different ideas. Some say she was a nice person, others say that she was clumsy; others say that she was always late for class. Lillie seems to think she's some great girl of mysterious tragedy!"

"Do not!" Lillie snuffed back.

Pique then said, "But, anyways, it's your room now, so if you wan to paint or redecorate, or anything, just let us know."

"Thank you," she said, as they finished putting things together, and they took their leaves. Ahiru wondered about the room, seeing things in there as if she had just left. In fact, she insured that there were certain draws and cracks of the closet that the girls did not enter, and she then opened them. Sure enough, there were her old dance clothes and casual wear. They were a bit moth-eaten, and they smelled a bit. Yet, they were right where she had left them. It began to sink into her that she had quite been forgotten. It has been as if she never existed, and that hurt. It was then she saw the old lamp from an early adventure. It had been alone and forgotten, then found new life with Ahiru, and then had been abruptly abandoned again. She walked up, trimmed the wick, and lit it, saying, "I'm so sorry for leaving. I promise that this time, you will not be forgotten."

As she stared at the lamp, she then realized something. Yes, she had been forgotten. However, like the lamp, she now had a new life, and another chance. She would do all she could to not be forgotten again.



That night, her dreams were in aswirl. She was dreaming of the royal wedding upcoming, and she dreamed that she was the maid of honor, and Fakir was the best man. It was a beautiful wedding, full of joy, pomp, and beauty. However, when they came to the part where the groom kissed the bride, suddenly, it was not Rue's face, it was her's! Fakir had taken the place of the prince as he lifted the veil, and they prepared to kiss!

"Quack!" she screamed, as she bolted awake, and bumped her head on the awning. "Now what was that all about?" she thought, and then she heard tapping on the window. It was Joe. She opened it up, and he said, "Fakir told me that you used to have trouble waking up on time, so he sent me to wake you!"

"Thank you, Joe," she said, "So, what are you doing today?"

"Siegfried told me to hang out with him today," answered Joe, "he said he could convince Frau Von Trapp to let me stay. All I had to do was sing."

They began to hear movements in the hall of the girls going to and fro from the shower room, preparing for class. Ahiru went to join them, and said, "Sing something now."

As she went into the hall, all remarked about the bird on her shoulder. The girls started to chatter, "Isn't that Joe the Cockatoo everyone's been talking about?"

"What's he doing here?"

"I hear he's free, he just likes people."

"Does he have to be in here?"

"He's only a bird, what harm is there?"

With that, he said, "Thank you for the compliments, and now, I shall sing," and he started in on "Good Morning, Starshine."

Suddenly, the morning began to move along, and all seemed like it was going to be a fine day. Joe, however, behaved himself, and stayed out of the private areas. Freya would never forgive him if he was gawking at the wrong things. All the girls loved the singing, and remarked on how intelligent a bird he was, and how he could have gone into the opera had he been human. Joe winced, but bit his tongue. As they exited, he saw some of the girls from the music division, and flew over to them. He said, "Let's sing 'Mama Mia!'" and they all broke into a ccapella harmonies, highly impressing some of the boys as they emerged. Soon, some of the male singers joined in, and tat that, one of the girls said, "Oh, please, your highness, can we have Joe with us today? Teacher would love him!"

Joe shrugged, and said, "What can Isay? I have a fan club."

Siegfried laughed and said, "Well, I guess it works out better that way."

He then looked at Joe, and said sarcastically, "Who am I to separate you from your 'adoring fans!'"



Frau Von Trapp was all giddy that she now had two members of royalty in her class, and she knew this would look good on her class, and she knew this would also look good on her evaluations. She then said, "Now, I do apologize, your highness, if this seems to question your abilities, but we'll have to do an aptitude test."

She then looked at her feet, and said, "Oh dear, your not en Pointe yet? Tisk, tisk! This must be corrected. Do you have any have any open class periods, your highness?"

"I have one after the classroom phase of this class, in fact," said Ahiru.

"Excellent," said Von Trapp, "Then, if you don't mind, I would like to have you one-on-one, and get you en Pointe as soon as we can."

Ahiru was ecstatic! She could wear toe shoes now, just like Tutu! Yes, she was clearly different than Mr. Katt. She often wondered if he would have been this kind. Ahiru said,"I would love it!"

"Good," she said, "We start later today. Now, what is the music to which you wish to dance?"

"Waltz of the Flowers," said Ahiru.

The music started, and despite being demi-point, she was able to show her skill with great confidence. Ahiru remembered how she had often practiced as a duck with Fakir, and she was more able to dance and learn, considering all the pressures of classes were no longer an issue. Moreover, Fakir had shown himself a patient teacher, helping her to perfect her art, even if she was only a duck. This had resulted in far more confidence in her ability, and it showed. Von Trapp said, "It amazes me that you have not yet gone en Pointe yet. I would set you in advanced class, but I would like to get you used to toe shoes first. However, with your already refined skill, and solidity in the basics, you'll be there in no time."

She then turned her attention to the class, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a prime example of how practice is so important. She has never gone en Pointe, and yet she dances with that kind of skill, as one who had been doing so for years. Also, to you younger girls, this is why I am not in such ahurry to get you en Pointe. You have to be strong enough in your legs, and in your skills. If you are skilled in the basics, you shall also do well, and be more able to adapt, in toe shoes faster. Thank you, your highness."

Everyone applauded, and Ahiru took it in stride, but inwardly, she was in ecstasy. Only a year ago, she could barely stay out of the probationary class, and now, she was going en Pointe! Rue then said to her, "Shows what happens when you learn to love yourself, doesn't it?" and she gave her a sisterly squeeze.



Then Frau Von Trapp said, "Okay, today is a pas de deux class. This is where confidence really comes into play. There is confidence that has to be built both ways, because this is the hardest kind of dancing ballet has to offer. The gentleman must build confidence in the young lady, that she would know that he shall keep her balanced and that he shall not drop her. However, she had to give the young man confidence that she will do nothing to cause him to get hurt, namely, his back. That is where most of the stress will fall when he lifts you, and you must be sure to execute properly and avoid over turns, hard twisting, or gyrations could cause him to get hurt. It could hurt him for weeks, and may end up ruining his whole career. It would not take much to throw his back out, so we all have to be conscious of theses things. Therefore, I would not expect perfection. I would rather, at first, you build confidence in one another first, and then we shall refine it. Partners everyone!"

However, Ahiru did not have a partner, and Fakir was odd man out. Frau Von Trapp said, "I hope you would not mind working with Fakir, your highness."

"No," she said, "He is a loyal, hard working knight, and I would feel safe."

"Excellent," she said, "Then, let us begin."

As things progressed, things became easier and easier. At one time, Ahiru knew that working with Fakir would have been difficult. Yet now, it flowed smoothly, considering how much work that they had already done together. Still, it could have never been like this! As they worked, their hearts were racing, and not just form the exertion. It was hard for them not to look each other in the eyes. They did not know how to describe how they felt, but they knew they did not want it to stop. Frau Von Trapp could not believe how much passion the two were showing, but she was not about to stop it either! Could this be what they had been missing?



Meanwhile, Drosselmyer was furious. Uzzura was nowhere to be found, and he could only assume that she must have snuck back and warned the others. That would make things quite difficult. The warlocks were assessing targets, and he did not want to disturb them with this news, lest they act too quickly, and bring the tragedy to too swift an end. The one thing he was relieved about was that Tutu was nowhere around. If she had reemerged, this may have been over before it started. Then Helmut said, "Ah, I think I have my first victim!"

He referred to a girl who had watched Hermia the year before graduate with honors, and she was jealous of Hermia's skill. Worse, the Elki Troupe was soon to tour again, and Hermia was going to try out. She felt it should have been her. He said to Drosselmyer, "Grant me access to that one! She's perfect!"

Drosselmyer glowed in the moment, and said to himself, "And just what are you going to do now to stop me, little duck?"