Princess Tutu

Chapter of the Fledgling

Act 17.5 最も純粋な中心

le coeur le plus pur

{ The purest heart }

Summary: An episode I demand should have happened! Set after episode 18 when Fakir is likened to the dead knight who murdered his lover. Mythos decides to try and take Ahiru's heart with many consequences from his action. Eventual Fakir x Ahiru, some raven controlled Mytho x Ahiru

This story does sound a little like Moahoa's story 'Princess Rose 'but I assure you it is different! The idea of a villain taking a heroine's heart isn't that original, see sailor moon series with the heart snatcher's episode where Venus pretends to be moon to save Usagi's ass and you'll know what I mean. However! I do encourage you, should you like the idea, to go and read 'Princess Rose' right now as it is s good read. As an afterthought, on those feather things with the raven! I've always imaged they 'pin' the raven to the depths of his lair and their white shining reminds me of the doves which Mythos's sword turns into so it always looked to me like they were part of the enchantment keeping the raven at bay. Note, these feathers also disappear after the raven awakens, perhaps because as the seals they have been broken? Speculate away!

I do not now, nor ever will or have previously owned princess tutu. The rights belong to Ikuko Itoh, Junichi Sato and the many other incredible minds who worked on this amazing anime!

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Once upon a time there was a princess who fell in love with a nobleman,

For days all the princess would do was pine for the man.

One day the man found out and immediately confessed his love for her too.

The Princess was delighted, she believed she had the world's truest love.

But the nobleman was actually a wicked man and wanted the princesses' love all to himself.

For who would not take advantage of the purest heart of all?

In the Darkness Princess Kraehe waited, surrounded by the shining feathers which sealed the monster Raven away, dormant for more than a decade, left practically helpless by the selfless act of her prince. Soon enough the feathers would disappear, the raven would bereleased. She trembled under the weight of the gloom, clutching her bare shoulders and looking down at the ground, biting her lower lip. Her father had not opened his eyes, so deep was he in contemplation. The Raven had never been one to socialises, even with her his beloved daughter, yet his continued silence for so long meant that when he did at last speak it would be an outburst of his pent up anger and aggression, the result of his loathsome and unheard thoughts.

"father...?" She whispered, her voice a booming echo in the silence.

Too late did she realise the angle of the slant that now open glowing red eyes had narrowed to, the sheer size of the pupils made her visibly quiver. Yet she stayed her ground. Father loved her, Father had given her the one thing she desired most, her prince.

"Silence daughter!""

The voice shuddered, impossible to tell where it came from and all the more terrifying for it. She flinched, as if he had physically hit her and he noticed at once.

"Are you afraid of me daughter? Why is that? Why should you fear the one other of this world who can love such an ugly thing as you? Is it because you have ONCE AGAIN FAILED TO BRING ME A BEAUTIFUL HEART!?"

The monster raven's voice caused the glowing feathers to waver, though never so much as to dislodge and extinguish their ambient light.

"P-please father! The prince and I, we've been trying so hard an-"

"I will not tolerate excuses much longer! Do not whine of you incompetence to me, you have the blood of a noble raven, do not pollute such good fortune with your selfish failures!'

Kraehe fell silent, gasping as the giant claws of her father's mighty foot clamped over her, a razor sharp talon scraping her shoulder and she let out a cry as pain shot down along her arm.

Tutu! She mentally cursed, forcing herself to remain standing under the intense glare of the Monster Raven. If only the prince did not partially regain himself when she was around. He became himself again...Why? Why did he still see Tutu and think of her like that? She had done everything Father had said. Everything but get him a...

"A heart Kraehe, a heart! If I do not get a heart it will be you who will suffer my wraith. Do not underestimate me when I say I will show no leniency towards even you, my own daughter."

Kraehe swallowed her fear, wishing only to please the one who had so selflessly helped her as well. She walked closer to the steely edge of the Raven's claw, wrapping an arm around it and caressing it as apologetically as she kind find it in herself.

"Yes father. We'll find you a heart, the prince will know who to go after this time and this time I will not fail you. "

She hugged the monstrous appendage, promising herself not to let him down once again and resolving to leave the discussion of the prince's still existent feelings for tutu for a later time.

The raven nodded his mighty head solemnly, lapsing into a silence which she imagined he would not have given to anyone, bar herself under such conditions. She would get a heart, Mythos would know who would yield one to him so willingly so as to even undermine Tutu's persuasive ideals. But who, besides herself, could ever love Mythos enough to give him her heart?