A Story of Many Tales

The swan:
The most beautiful bird in existence.
The most graceful, the most innocent, the most loving...
A creature born to be royal!
But such a reputation is too much to live up to with some swans.
So rather than disappointing everyone,
A certain swan attempts to hide the truth about her heritage,
Clinging to her imperfections
And hiding like the moon behind its shadow,
Not realizing that even with the shadow covering it,
The moon is still the moon.

Chapter Three: Swan Princess

Red remained beside Gialloblu's body for hours, unable to do anything but scream and sob. Angi watched this scene on her knees, unable to move. It was not that she was tired or cold, or even interested in what would happen next. Angi simply wanted to wait as long as was needed to help Red. The pain that Angi had felt over losing Zurineno to the Snow Queen was nothing compared to what had just happened to Red, and Angi wasn't about to abandon someone in such agony.

But after hours passed and the sun finally began to set, causing the grey sky to turn orange and pink, Red's cries finally quieted, and she found the energy to stand up. Angi blinked for a moment, hurrying to stand as well. She began to jog over to Red as the ninja pulled her red hood over her hair, but Angi could only gape as she saw Red lean down and heave Gialloblu's cold body into her arms. For a moment, Angi wanted to gasp, unable to imagine touching a corpse, but quickly realized that Red had nothing but honorable intentions for it. Red's dark eyes were hard and determined, though red and puffy from crying. And with a small nod towards Angi, Red began to march towards her village.

When the sky began to fall into the darker part of sundown Red kicked some gates open, revealing a large village filled with huts and people in ninja-like clothing. At first, they all smiled at the sight of Red, but when they noticed her blood stains and the body in her arms, the smiles quickly turned to looks of horror. Villager after villager began to ask Red questions, but she gave no reply. She walked right past them, as though she did not even know of their existence, until she reached a burial ground at the edge of the village.

Red looked around until she saw a large birch tree. When her eyes fell upon it, she walked towards it in a half-dazed state and finally set Gialloblu's body down. She pulled out her kunai and began to mutter a chant under his breath, as though praying to the tree itself.

Angi watched with the other villagers from a few feet away. She was confused as to what her new acquaintance was doing, but from the looks of the villagers, it was obviously a sacred ceremony. The villagers all remained silent and pulled the hoods of their black capes up, bowing his heads in silence. Angi, too, bowed her head, saying a silent prayer to herself for Gialloblu. Though she knew almost nothing of him, she knew enough to understand that he had obviously been a good, brave person and wished him luck in the afterlife.

When Red finished her chant, she looked up into the now-dark sky, seeing a full moon up above her head. She choked momentarily, attempting to keep herself from crying again, and began to dig a grave at the base of the tree with the kunai Gialloblu had given her at the beginning of their training together.

The ceremony ended in several hours with the villagers and Angi standing side-by-side behind Red the entire time, watching every bit of dirt being lifted out of its proper place only to be set back down again when the grave was done and Gialloblu's body was inside. Finally, finished with the burial, Red stood, whispering a final goodbye to her dear friend. She turned around, looking away from the villagers as she walked towards them. Once she was close enough, she took Angi's hand whispering ‘Follow me' while the villagers attempted to commence their questioning.

Angi only stared in confusion while following Red. The two girls walked swiftly through the village, eventually reaching the gates from which they had entered and then weaving through the trees, losing the last of the villagers the thickets. But Red did not stop. She continued through the forest, dragging Angi along until they were at the bed of a huge, crystal-clear lake. No matter how horrible everything had just been, Angi couldn't help but gape in awe at the lake's beauty. It seemed to illuminate the area with a heavenly glow, and though it was completely transparent so that even in the very center small pebbles and Koi fish could be seen, every star in the night sky was reflected on it, as well as the large, silver moon.

Red looked quietly at the water for a second, her eyes remaining as sad as they had been since Gialloblu's death. But when she looked over at Angi, the look on the white-haired girl's innocent face brought a smile to her as well.

"We call this the Purity Pond," Red explained, causing Angi's attention to turn towards her. "Its waters can heal any wound as long as the one drinking it is pure of sin. Obviously, it doesn't work on me, but I think you may need it on your journey."

"But...How did you know I'm on a journey?" Angi asked in surprise. She had told Red nothing of her reasons for being in the forest.

"People like you don't leave their homes unless it's vital," Red replied, plopping down at the edge of the lake. She pulled one knee close to her chest and rested her elbow on it, able to relax for the first time the entire day. "And though it's none of my business, I can't help but wonder what that reason is."

Angi smiled shyly, sitting down beside Red. She kept her eyes on the water, not wanting Red to see her face glow red as she spoke.

"Well, at home, I have a good friend named Zurineno. Our village is completely cut off from the magical world. So you can imagine my surprise when a very beautiful woman flew into our village -- she called herself the Snow Queen. The snow lifted up, and when I could see again, Zurineno was wounded and crying the Snow Queen's name. She took him away...but I'm going to bring him back."

"Snow Queen?" Red's eyes widened. "You were attacked by her?"

"You know about her?" Angi asked, a lot more forcibly than she had intended. But to her relief, Red did not seem phased.

"Of course," Red said, her tone turning to disgust. "Everyone here in the forest knows of her. Because of her, winter's been going on for almost an entire year! All the villagers are beginning to grow tired of trying to grow plants only to have them freeze over! I'm sorry to say, though, I have no idea where she is. If I did, I would have attempted to take her out myself."

"Oh," Angi muttered, looking back at the water. The two sat in silence for a long period of time, until finally, without a word, Red pulled a bottle from her pocket and handed it to Angi. Angi nodded in understanding and filled the bottle with water, unsure if she was truly pure enough to drink such a liquid, but positive that it would come to some use during her journey. When Angi pulled the cork over the top and set the small bottle inside of her bag, she looked at Red with an unsure expression.

"Is this...Are we going to part here?" Angi asked in an almost frightened manner.

"Hm?" Red lifted her eyebrows, not having expected such a question. She leaned back in the snow, looking at the large oak trees surrounding the area. "Our paths are separate ones. I owe you my life; that much I can admit without a second thought. But before I can repay my debt, I have to get back the Crystal of Serenity. That's what started this entire mess. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I simply forgot of my responsibilities."

"I understand. But...Does that mean I can't come with you?"

Red eyes widened, looking from the trees to Angi in disbelief. The white-haired girl was looking right at the ninja with hopeful eyes and a lip quivering in fear. It was as though all the hopelessness and loneliness Angi had felt was entering Red's body, tearing at her insides with flames of guilt. True, Angi had helped Red, but it was not guaranteed that Red's path was a safe one, or even one that led towards the Snow Queen. She wanted to tell Angi no, that it was far too dangerous, far too unpredictable. But the longer the two looked at one another, the more Red understood Angi's situation.

The girl did not want to just save her friend. She wanted to help as many people as possible. She was worried about Red and how she was going to do if she were alone. So finally, Red sighed, sitting up once again.

"Well...If you're willing to risk it and you come with me, I promise to help you try and find the Snow Queen as a way to repay you."

"Really!?" Angi cried. The overly-exited and yet relieved expression on Angi's face caused Red to smile once again, and even to let off somewhat of a small laugh.

"Yeah, but only if I find the Crystal of Serenity," she added, holding a hand to her mouth in an attempt to hide her expression. It became harder to hide as Angi crawled towards Red and began to spout out 'thank you' after 'thank you', until Red finally burst and broke into a small fit of laughter. Seeing that Red was fairing much better than she had but moments ago, Angi, too, began to giggle.

Amidst all the laughter, a swan made its way gracefully across the pond, directly over the reflection of the silver moon, towards the two girls. The swan was rather odd. Its eyes were large and opal, but oddly expressive. There were also four circular markings above each of the swan's eyes, growing larger in size as they went towards the center of her face, and three silver feathers were protruding from either side of the swan's head. It floated regally towards the laughing girls and paused before them, until Red opened her eyes in between laughs and saw the beautiful creature waiting expectantly.

"Prata!" Red called to it, causing the swan to nod its head. Angi, too, ceased her laughter to stare at the beautiful bird.

The swan drifted closer to Red, just as the ninja crawled towards it, pulling an odd necklace from her pocket. It was very simple, nothing more than a string with a hoary crescent-moon charm on it. But as Red leaned in and gently pulled the accessory over the swan's long neck, it became very clear to Angi that this was no simple necklace. The moment the charm made contact with the feathery chest of the swan, the water rose from the lake and surrounded the white creature.

Angi gasped and fell back, unsure as to what had just happened. The water created an orb that glimmered in the moonlight, engulfing the creature in its entirety. But after a blinding flash of light, the water gently fell back into its place in the lake to reveal a woman standing knee-deep in water rather than a swan.

The woman's hair, tied back in a low ponytail, was a shinning blonde that almost matched the radiance of sunlight itself. Her body was slender and well-toned, with a long neck and perfect nails. Dark brown, wise eyes stared down at the two girls, exactly the same as the two orbs that belonged to the swan from which she had transformed. Her skin was pale, her cheeks were rosy, and her lips were full and pink. But, despite all this beauty and elegance, when the woman smiled, it became very clear that her demeanor was but an act.

Her wise eyes filled with glee, and Angi noticed a few inhuman traits. In the blonde hair, sticking out on either side of the woman's head, were a familiar three feathers, and the markings above her eyes, beneath her eyebrows, matched the swan's. The woman also had three very large feathers on her back, protruding from her shoulder blades that just peeked out from behind her shoulders. She wore a small, white shirt that showed her stomach and slipped from her shoulders, with sleeves that reached but her elbows. The colorless pants she wore were held up with a glimmering belt and reached half-way to her ankles. She wore gloves as well, with strange pads on her thumb, middle, and index fingers. A pouch was attached to her belt with the contents inside hidden from view.

"Red!" The woman shouted, leaping out of the water in order to hold her friend close. As they hugged, Angi noted how unlike the two were, not only in appearance and height, but in personality. The swan-woman was obviously very lighthearted, and glad to see her friend. Red seemed mildly annoyed, as an older sister would if her younger sibling showed unwanted affection.

"Prata, you can let go any minute now..." Red said with a small sigh, and with a giggle, the woman called Prata let go.

"Who's your friend?" the beauty asked, looking at Angi with interest. The white-haired girl swallowed nervously, but found her voice in her throat as she attempted to reply. The shock of what had happened combined with the elegance of the newcomer left Angi speechless.

"This is Angi," Red replied for her, smiling gently as she spoke. "She saved my life today and agreed to go with me to search for the Crystal of Serenity. Angi, this is Prata. She's my Double-Guard, but more importantly, my best friend."

"Double-Guard...?" Angi asked, perplexed. She'd never heard such a term before.

"It's kind of like a shape-shifting-guardian," Prata replied quickly, as though used to such a question. "When an animal loves someone enough, an item can give them a human shape. Or, when a human is so tired of being one, removing one of their most treasured possessions can turn them into an animal. When they put the item on, they can take human shape again. Usually, we're guardians of someone. Me? I'm Red's," She put her arm around the ninja's shoulder, causing Red to roll her eyes. "Yeah, without me she'd be lost!"

"Oh, i-it's a pleasure to meet you," Angi stuttered hurriedly, remembering her manners. "It's very nice to meet a friend of Red's, and especially a Double-Guard. I have never seen one before..."

"You probably won't again," Red sighed. "Double-Guards are very, very rare. There are five, maybe six in the whole world. Prata only happened to find me and entrust me with her necklace...Few other Double-Guards ever find someone to give their Transformation Items to. Now, either way...Have you found out where the Crystal is, Prata?"

"Actually, I have," the blonde smiled playfully. "It's across the forest, deep in there, over the mountains. I found a secret path by following them. It should only take about two days to get there. I don't think they're going to sell it yet without finding more information on the Crystal, so we have enough time to get it back from them."

"What a relief!" Red looked to the sky in thanks. But her brown eyes fell upon Angi quickly. "Well, are you ready?"

"Hm?" Angi perked up in surprise, still trying to comprehend the idea of shake-shifting bodyguards. "Er, y-yes! Of course! I have everything I need. I'm ready any time you are!" She balled her hands into fists and held them up to show how prepared she was.

"I'm ready," Red said with a small nod, turning in order to begin the journey.

"...What?" Angi was confused. "But, your...your outfit. It's covered in blood!"

Red froze when she heard that. Her clothes had been hidden by her red cloak. But now that that had been uttered, Prata's reaction was prominent.

"Blood!?" The blonde gasped in shock. "When were you covered in blood!? Why are you covered in blood!? Whose blood!? That isn't your make-up leaking is it!? It's a black eye! And BRUISES!" And so began a long string of questions, followed by terrified assumptions, involving everything from a scraped knee to Red's entire arm having been ripped off.

"Calm down, I'll explain on the way," Red sighed, holding her hands up to get her friend to calm down. Angi felt a badly for having mentioned it, but enjoyed Prata's motherly reaction.

So, the three girls walked into the forest, Red beginning the tale of Gialloblu's death from the beginning, and Prata listening intently. They left their tracks in the snow, unsure of the future or what could possibly come next.