Once upon a time a man died. The last story that the man had spun should have ended in extraordinary tragedy. However, the story turned out to have a happy ending. The reason for that ending was one little duck that the man himself called into the story. And so, another man started to write a story. That story, overflowing with hope had just begun…

"Get back here! Get back here this instant!"

The tranquil morning silence was abruptly broken by the sound of furniture being overturned, doors slamming, running feet, a young man's furious yell and rather indignant quacks. If such a scene had erupted in a city or if there had been any neighbors nearby, such a disturbance would have been hastily dealt with. As it was, besides the inhabitants of the house in question, there were no other dwellings for several miles in any direction.

"I mean it, Ahiru! Give me back my quill!"

Deciding not to continue the chase inside the house, a small duckling made an awkward hop-skip to try and launch herself into the air, but only managed to flap her wings enough to somewhat slow her earthward descent. A calloused hand shot out of the window a split second after the duck's effortless take-off and snatched at the tiny bird.

Growling in frustration, Fakir slammed his hands against the windowsill as he called after Ahiru, "I don't have time for this!"

Racing around to the front door and yanking it open, Fakir pelted after the frantically waddling Ahiru as he shouted, "Would you quit fooling around?"

All of a sudden, Fakir stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Ahiru turn to face him with his favorite quill pen clenched firmly in her beak. Ahiru's webbed feet were completely covered by lake water and Fakir knew firsthand just how quickly Ahiru could move when she was in water. The last thing he wanted was for her to take off and drop his pen in the middle of the lake, so his mind worked furiously to try and come up with a solution.

Holding out his hands palms up, Fakir made his voice as level and non-threatening as possible as he said, "Easy, Ahiru. Just stay right there. Stay."

Ahiru's blue eyes flashed in outrage and Fakir quickly tried to back pedal as he said hastily, "Ok sorry for talking to you like that. I wasn't thinking."

At Ahiru's 'you-got-that-right' expression, Fakir snapped, "Don't look at me like that! You brought it on yourself by acting like this!"

Taking another step into the water, Fakir thrust out his hands and shouted desperately, "No!"

After a moment, Fakir let out an exasperated sigh as he let his head and arms drop in resignation and he said, "I give up," as he slumped wearily to his knees.

Looking up at Ahiru through his disheveled hair, Fakir said wearily, "I didn't mean to step on you this morning. You know that, right?"

Ahiru's expression didn't change so Fakir went on, "Even though it was an accident, it was my fault and I'm sorry. I'm also sorry that I snapped at you for going around where I couldn't see you and blaming the whole thing on you."

This time, Ahiru's eyes got wide and she opened her beak to let out an excited 'Quack!' before she remembered the quill was there. Because she was such a small duck, she only had a split second to react before the quill hit the water and in her haste to snap it up again, Ahiru went careening towards the bank.

With the quill once more clenched in her bill, Ahiru realized that with the way she was falling, the quill had been saved from the lake only to get broken and bent on the bank as she fell on top of it. Flapping her wings desperately, Ahiru managed to flip her body around just before she hit the dirt. Her skull thumped against the ground and it was just her luck that a rock just happened to be there as well.

As she lay there completely stunned, Ahiru's already spinning world was sent into an absolute frenzy as she heard Fakir's garbled voice yelling at her and felt his calloused hands pick her up. Trying to suppress the sick feeling beginning to take over, Ahiru's wing stirred feebly to let Fakir know that she just needed some time to recover.

Seeing Ahiru's signal, Fakir let out a sigh of relief before he looked behind him to see what had caused Ahiru to react that way in the first place. His own mouth dropped open in surprise before he tried his best to compose his face into his usual cool expression rather than allowed a huge grin to brighten his features.

A gilded carriage drawn by four snow white horses had pulled up in front of Fakir's simple home. Prince Mytho had alighted and was now helping his wife of three years, Princess Rue, from the carriage. The next moment, Fakir was surprised, but not unpleasantly so, to see Autor climb down as well. Looking down at himself and Ahiru lying quietly in his hands, while Fakir didn't necessarily mind that his friends had come, he rather wished that they didn't have such poor timing.

Just as he was about to turn and head for the front door, Mytho caught sight of Fakir by the lake and called out, "Hello Fakir!" before taking Rue's hand and heading in Fakir's direction.

"We've brought something with us," said Rue, "and I think you're really going to like it. Is Ahiru with you?"

Right then, Ahiru managed to pull herself together enough to sit up in Fakir's hands and give an enthusiastic 'Quack!' in response to Rue's question.

As Autor got closer, he adjusted his glasses and said pointedly, "While I do realize that we dropped in rather unexpectedly, I didn't think-"

"Autor," cut in Mytho calmly, "why don't we skip over the formalities for now and tell Fakir and Ahiru why we came here."

"Actually Mytho," said Fakir, "if what you have come here for can wait for about four minutes, I'd prefer to do that."

Giving Fakir a troubled look, Mytho said, "I do hope we haven't come at an inopportune time. If we are being a bother at all-"

While Fakir did show proper courtesy towards Mytho as a commoner to a prince most of the time, after years of having taken care of him and addressing him in a more familiar fashion, Fakir interrupted Mytho and said, "You know that if I didn't want company today I would have said something when you first got here. I'd just like to have a chance to clean up a bit, if it's all the same to you."

"By all means then," replied Mytho, "and don't hurry on our account. What we have to talk about will keep for a while."

Five minutes later, Fakir emerged from the house finishing tucking in his cravat. He was a man of simple taste in clothes, but what he wore was good quality and fit him well. He approached his friends gathered on the lake shore with Ahiru sitting contentedly in front of Rue and listening intently to what the princess was saying.

Hearing Fakir's approach, Rue turned around and said, "There you are," looking at Autor, she said, "Why don't you start."

"Start what?" asked Fakir as he sat down next to Rue and allowed Ahiru to nestle in his lap. She had evidently forgiven him for earlier and he felt his mood lighten as a result.

Crossing his arms and looking smug, Autor answered, "Start explaining why we are here of course. It is only fitting that I begin the talking since it was through my efforts that this even-"

"Cut to the chase already," said Fakir firmly.

With irritation lacing his tone, Autor snapped, "You'll remember that three years ago you began your career as a writer."

When Autor didn't elaborate for a second or two, Fakir asked flatly, "Are you asking me or telling me?"

Adjusting his glasses with a huff, Autor muttered, "This will go so much faster if I don't have to deal with interruptions."

In tandem with Ahiru's impatient 'Quack!', Fakir snapped back, "Then don't pause so long between your statements when you're trying to make a point. And don't go stating the obvious."

Before Autor could say another word, Mytho said smoothly, "What Autor was trying to get at is that what we have to tell you goes back to that day when you wrote the story about Ahiru. The day she stopped being…Princess Tutu."

Matching Mytho's even tone, Fakir asked, "What about that day?"

"Ahiru was only able to turn into Princess Tutu because she had one of my heart shards," answered Mytho, "She lost that ability when she freely gave it back to me, but as a result she also was not able to remain in her human form."

Before Fakir could restate his opinion about being told things he was already well aware of, Autor said quickly, "At least, so we all thought."

"What do you mean?" asked Fakir warily, "Ahiru was born a duck, so she turned back into a duck because that was her true form. There's no way to change that."

Snootily, Autor said as he held his index finger up, "It is true that Ahiru was born a duck, so there is no way to change her past…however, what happened in the past does not necessarily have to be set in stone for the future."

When Fakir turned to Mytho with a 'what-nonsense-is-he-going-on-about' expression, Rue responded by reaching into Autor's pocket and pulling out a small parcel. After unwrapping it, Fakir looked at the object in confusion while Ahiru gave a high pitched 'Quack!' of surprise. Looking again, Fakir realized with a jolt that it was the tiara Ahiru had worn when she was Princess Tutu.

"Where did…how…why…" was all Fakir managed to say yet Rue seemed to understand the unfinished questions.

"Autor found it," answered Rue, but before he could say a word, Rue went on, "but that's not important right now, neither is how he found it. What's most important is what it can do."

Again, before anyone could say anything, Rue said, "Because Ahiru wore this while she was transformed into Princess Tutu, you could use it now to let her take on that form again."

There was silence for a few moments before Fakir asked, "You mean, with that tiara, Ahiru could become human again?"

Mytho said softly, "We don't know for sure, but from what Autor has researched from other legends and stories, magical objects like this tiara can be used to grant one wish," sensing Fakir's next question, Mytho answered, "This time, Ahiru would remain a human permenantly."

Taking the tiara from Rue's hands and placing it in Fakir's, Mytho finished with, "All you have to do is hold the tiara and wish for Ahiru to become human again."

When the tiara's minimal weight rested in his hands, Fakir's brain suddenly began going into overdrive. Ever since that day three years ago, Fakir had never once regretted helping Ahiru support Mytho by giving up her human form and he knew Ahiru was content as well with their life. However, he would be lying if he said that there weren't times when he wished there had been some way for Ahiru to give Mytho back his heart shard and yet still remain human. While they had started as…well, not quite enemies, but something rather similar, they had become close friends in a short period of time. It had also surprised Fakir when he thought about how he had also started to fall in love with the clumsy, excitable, caring and somehow adorable young girl.

He thought about how he had promised Ahiru that he would stay by her side no matter what, and once again, he did not regret his decision. While there were plenty of times when the two of them would get on each other's nerves (like that very morning), they would always find a way to work it out. They had been friends and companions keeping one another company…but if she turned back into a human, he would be able to keep her around as someone whom he could have a more intimate relationship with…and yes, that could be interpreted in more than one way and could his face stop flushing at the idea already!

Anyway, now he had a chance to have such a relationship with Ahiru. He could make her human again. He could…Fakir stopped, looked at the tiara and then down at Ahiru, who was looking up at him with an unreadable expression.

Did Ahiru even want to be human? Fakir had just assumed that she would want to be again, but he had no idea. Maybe after three years of being in her original form had reminded her just how much she actually liked being a duck, so if he turned her into a human, he would be doing it against her will.

What was he going to do? Well, with those thoughts in mind, there was only one thing he could do.

Placing the tiara on the ground, Fakir looked into Ahiru's eyes and said slowly, "This isn't my choice to make."

For a few moments, Ahiru looked at Fakir before she got up, hopped down and stood in front of the tiara for about fifteen seconds. Then, she began pushing the tiara towards the lake with her bill and when she got to the water she poked her head through it so it was around her neck and then she swam away from the shore. Everyone on the bank sat perfectly still and silent, watching and wondering what the little duckling was about to do.

When she was a good distance away, Ahiru dove under the water and was not seen for about thirty seconds. Just as they were all starting to feel a little anxious, Ahiru surfaced again and all saw immediately that the tiara was no longer around her neck.

Trying to keep his face composed so as not to betray the heavy weight settling over his heart, Fakir stood up and was about to say something to Ahiru, when he noticed that the water around her was glowing. He just had time to point and start to say something when the little duckling was completely concealed by a shimmering wave. The others joined him on their feet and they all watched the wave, wondering what was going on. Fakir could barely suppress the feeling of hope welling within him at the sight. His hopes were confirmed when the wave suddenly burst and immediately turned into sparkling vapor…and Ahiru's head and neck, her human head and neck, were seen above the surface of the water.

Taking a step or two into the water, Fakir only managed to choke out, "You…did you…"

Giggling and blushing, Ahiru looked at Rue and said, "Sorry to ask this, but would you mind helping me, please?"

Understanding the situation at once, Rue reached out to pull Fakir away from the water and then hastily pushed them away from the water, saying, "All right. Off with you all. I'll deal with Ahiru and we'll come out to see you shortly."

Then men swiftly retreated and stood silently around the carriage. Fakir went over in his mind the things that he wanted to talk with Ahiru about…but he had no idea how he was going to get around to asking her to marry him. Just like with the whole duck vs. human thing, Fakir had no idea just how Ahiru felt about him, so could he really ask her to marry him this quickly?

Just as he was beginning to think that maybe Ahiru should have remained a duck so that things wouldn't become so complicated so quickly, Rue's voice called out, "Here we are," and when he turned to look, Fakir's mind went blank.

Three years ago, Ahiru's human form had been a good head or so short than him, but now she was within two inches of his own height. While Fakir had assumed that Ahiru's human form would remain the same as before because her duck formed had not aged a day in three years, boy, had he been wrong. Standing before him was a mature-looking seventeen year old young woman with long strawberry-blonde hair (it was no longer a bright carrot red) that was braided over her shoulder and beautiful blue eyes he had grown so used to in the past three years.

He was just beginning to wonder where in the world Rue could have gotten a dress that would fit Ahiru so well when Ahiru took a step forward and stumbled slightly. Fakir immediately reacted and jumped forward to grab her hand and right her. When Ahiru looked up at him in apology with her cheeks flaming in embarrassment, Fakir couldn't help the grin that spread over his features. Part of him had been afraid that this Ahiru was too perfect since she was now beautiful and mature, but now he saw that she was still the same Ahiru he had always known.

As he stood there holding her hand, Fakir realized that Ahiru had made the choice to become human so as to have a more intimate relationship with him. With that idea in mind, Fakir pulled Ahiru's hand until she was within inches of his chest and then bent his head slightly to claim her lips for the first time. Ahiru's response was to wrap her arms around Fakir's neck to deepen the kiss.

Once upon a time a man fell in love. For years, the man had believed his love to be a tragic one as there seemed to be no way he could ever act upon his feelings. His love story would have remained unfinished if he had chosen to try and force his will upon the one he loved. In the end, when he chose to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of his beloved's happiness, the man discovered that her wish was the same as his. And so, the man and his beloved started a new chapter in their story. A chapter which would span the rest of their lives and beyond…

Author's Note:

This is a story that a dear friend of mine commissioned from me about two years ago and that I couldn't think of a good idea for...until now. Just in case you are thinking that some elements seem familiar, I took the idea of Fakir giving up his preference and allowing Ahiru to make up her own mind from the tale of Sir Gawain and Ragnelle.

If you're not familiar with the tale, Sir Gawain marries what seems to be an ugly hag, but when they are alone he discovers that the hag is really a beautiful woman under a spell. Ragnelle tells Gawain that she is allowed to take one form during the day and the other during the night so she asks him when he would like her to be an ugly hag and when to be herself. Earlier, Ragnelle had told Gawain that women desire to be allowed to make their own decisions, and Gawain remembers this and says that he will abide by whatever decision she makes. When he says that, the curse is broken for good and Ragnelle is able to stay in her true form at all times.

So after learning that, you'll probably be able to figure out how I used that in my own story. I certainly hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions, comments, critiques or other things you would like to say, comments or private messages are always welcome. :)