Disclaimer: So totally not mine. Except for the parts that are.
A/N: This idea came to me pretty much right after finishing Princess Tutu (at an ungodly hour of the morning with my roommate, I might add). I took me about a week to churn out this chapter (a week and a day, to be exact), and that was with a lot of work in the way, as well as other animes as a distraction. The title I had also come up with almost immediately, but was stupid enough to not write down, so it took me hours of agonizing over it (while I was supposed to be listening to a script read-through for our new production). I even involved my roommate after all I could come up with were horrific things that rivaled the world's worst country songs, and she couldn't come up with anything except a few words that could be plugged into the title somewhere. And then it hit me again (for which I am rather thankful). And so, without further ado, Chapter of Swan!
A/N2: Yes, I realize that Peer Gynt is a play, and not a ballet like the rest of the music in the series, but I could care less. I like the music, and it has the expressions that I want to get across, so there. For anyone who cares, the composer is Edvard Grieg.
A/N3: Oh, and I used Duck's Japanese name, for those of you who were good little law-abiding persons and only saw the licensed version. This is because it's already confusing enough with the difference between ducks and Ducks (see note at bottom). We didn't need to add Duck to that confusion as well.
Morning Mood
Once upon a time, there was a town that had been controlled by a story. For many years the story had remained unfinished, until a humble duck took on the role of Princess Tutu, a role that no one was supposed to fill. Through her powers of hope, courage, and love, she returned to the prince the pieces of his shattered heart. Together, with the help of the dark princess and a useless knight who could only write stories, they vanquished the Demon King and the prince was free to return to his home with his princess.
Princess Tutu, however, was left behind. In a selfless act she gave the prince, whom she loved, the pendant that gave her power. By restoring this jewel, the final piece of the prince's heart, she was forced back into her duck form. She could only watch with unshed tears in her eyes as the prince and princess rode away in the swan carriage. The knight, who had come to care deeply for the little duck, vowed always to stay by her side, but something told him that it would not be enough.
The town, meanwhile, had become rather dull since the prince had left. When the story had ended, and the storyteller's power over the town had been broken, the magic had left the town as well. The people had lived so long with the magic, since the later days of the storyteller himself, that they seemed lifeless, mocking versions of their former selves. Seeing the monotonous, mundane life the townspeople now led, the knight decided to act. He took the paper and quill, which he had often used since the days of the Demon King, and began to write. He described the town in great detail, and how happy the townsfolk had been, living side-by-side with Animals. He wrote of the excitement the magic had given them, and how it had fed their souls and imaginations. Then, he began to describe how much better life would be if the magic returned, if people could converse and work with Animals, if people had the courage to once again believe that they could do anything…
Fakir straightened his shirt as he looked out his window at the morning sun. The town bell had rung a few hours earlier, waking him. He looked over to the small desk where he had fallen asleep. Papers were scattered across the surface, only a few of them blank. The page he had been working on when he'd succumbed to his tiredness was still incomplete, leaving his description of what the town could be unfinished.
"I'll return to that later," he decided as he moved to the small basket beside his bed. Gently, he nudged its small, fluffy, yellow occupant before picking her up and cradling her in his left arm. "Time to wake up, Ahiru."
The little duck slowly opened her eyes and gave what could only be described as a fowl version of a yawn. Looking at Fakir, she chortled through her beak and quacked happily, waving her wings wildly at his face. Though they had lost most of the thought connection they'd had at the story's end, a word or two would sometimes pass between them still, and Fakir caught the words "ink" and "cheek" through the quacking. He walked over to the mirror, Ahiru still in his arm, and began to rub vigorously at his left cheek, which was smeared with ink from having fallen asleep on his pages. He swore softly under his breath when it would not all come off, and turned to walk down the stairs.
Charon turned his head and smiled at the boy he had long ago come to look upon as his own son and the duck Fakir held close to him. Fakir smiled back before reaching his hand into a small pot of water sitting on a stool and splashing the cool liquid on his cheek, rubbing again with the edge of his sleeve.
"Fall asleep at the desk again?" Charon asked knowingly, turning back to his task. A small pile of tools sat to his right, waiting to be tended to.
"Yeah," replied Fakir, presenting his cheek to Ahiru for inspection. He took her positive quack to mean that he was now clean of the ink. "We're going out to the lake again today. We'll be back by evening."
Charon nodded his assent, not looking up from the metal he was scraping across the whetting stone. Fakir grabbed the small part-loaf of bread that had been on the table, setting Ahiru down in its place for a moment as he wrapped the loaf in a clean cloth. Hooking his thumb and finger on the knot, he carefully picked up Ahiru once more and walked out the door.
The street, they noticed, was empty, though they could hear the townspeople bustling about ahead. As they turned the corner, they were forced to stop, blocked by a crowd that had gathered to watch a wandering troupe of street performers. Two women dressed in bright orange costumes adorned with coins and bells were doing acrobatic tricks in front of a caravan wagon. On top of the wagon stood a fire-breather, a large brown bear with an orange vest and yellow cap.
Ahiru quacked loudly when she saw the bear, her eyes wide. She turned her head to look at Fakir for confirmation that she was not hallucinating, and saw shock scrawled across his face. One glance around the crowd told him what he needed to know; there were not only humans surrounding the performers. Stranger still was that the townsfolk seemed unperturbed by the presence of Animals amongst them, as though they had never spent any time without them.
"Come on," Fakir said lowly to Ahiru, shifting her slightly and slowly in his arms, his eyes still darting left and right. "Let's go." He walked off, picking his way through the ever-growing crowd, in the direction of the lake. He needed to think.
A/N: I realize this was rather short, but it's introductory, so bear with me. For anyone confused by the mention of Animals, it's a concept used in many fantasy books (most particularly in Gregory Maguire's Wicked, which I recommend to anyone and everyone. Awesome book) where there are non-human creatures both who act like humans and don't. Those which don't, who possess all and only the characteristics of that particular animal as in the real world, are 'animals.' Those that act as humans, with speech and (to an extent) mannerisms are 'Animals,' sentient beings that could be philosophically classified as 'persons.'
Hopefully you enjoyed this first installment. If you did, I hope to get the next chapter soon. If you didn't, thanks for giving me a chance anyway, and I hope you find what you're looking for in a story. Either way, leave me a review, especially if you have any particular comments or questions about this. Don't be shy!
Aindel S. Druida
