Duck woke up.

Reality struck again:

Yes, Duck was once again a duck, and everyone left in the real world seemed to forget she'd existed, except Fakir.

Yet another beautiful day, perfect for swimming and catching fish... as if there was anything else to do.

The funny thing is, Duck was never very good at being a duck.

I don't even remember life as a duck before I was Duck the girl...so odd. And I didn't remember being Tutu, until suddenly I was.

I wonder how Drosselmeyer just made my life change like that...

Oh well, at least Muto is happy in his story with Rue, they really are perfect for each other.

Fakir seems relieved since the story is over. He's worked hard to restore things to the way they should be, as best as he can tell. Rather than guessing about Mr. Cat, he just wrote, "And Mr. Cat returned to his true form" and voila... he really was just a cat, unlike most of the other animal-like people who were people.

But as for my story, I can't help but feel something is missing. I get this eerie feeling it's really not over... like things haven't returned to how they're supposed to be.

What did Drosselmeyer do when he first gave me the pendant, and why don't I remember that or anything before that?

Do ducks just have such bad memories? If that's it, then why do I still remember everything from then on?

I remember how much I wanted to help Muto... how I said I'd give my life for that... and then Drosselmeyer appeared...

I may just be a duck, but I'm not a normal duck. I understand people still, and writing. I can write in the dirt with my feet—when I need to.

Today Fakir came to the lake about an hour later than usual.

I scribbled a question mark in the sand.

"Yes, I know I'm late. It's your fault. I was thinking about your part in the story... It just doesn't make sense.

"All people and animals have returned to their true forms (and levels of intellect) except you.

"You're the exception. I thought in returning to a duck you were already there, but you are still nothing like other ducks—whatever you are. This is not normal: you lack the instinct, and the skill, yet you still understand people, our emotions and language. That seemed normal when I was under the influence of the story...but now I see,

"Drosselmeyer did more than allow you to become a girl and Tutu. Somehow your mind even as a duck has human abilities, human ways of thinking and understanding."

I saw exactly what Fakir was saying...I'd just been thinking about it too.

"So this begs the question—since I have vowed to finish the rest of the story that influences this town...to bring things to their true states: do you really want to return to your true form?"

Duck did the closest thing a duck could to raising her shoulders, as if saying I don't know.

"I thought so... well for now I'll leave things as they are... but let me know if there's anything I can do. Things might be more pleasant in your true form." Fakir paused, as though suddenly lost in a daydream, he even smiled.

Then he frowned, "But if your true form really is a duck, you might just lose all of you memories, but you could live a complete life of a duck, I guess."

Fakir then set up his fishing gear, and began writing.

What could Fakir do?

His powers were still unpredictable, and limited. He'd tried to change her to a girl before, when she'd asked (in writing), but it didn't last.

The only consistent, lasting way to change reality is like the way he'd changed Mr. Cat, by writing him back into his true form. It lasted, perhaps since that is what reality held for Mr. Cat outside the story: he was truly a cat. But what did reality hold for Duck?

There's nothing I can do as a duck.

Duck had been so sad since returning to a duck. Her life felt so pointless. The times Fakir came made it a bit better, but only just. And seeing Duck sad wasn't making Fakir's pleasant demeanor any better... it all felt so forced.

Occasionally he would hold her close and warm. Those times were the best. Fakir always made her stronger.

They would both remember what had happened, how they overcame their fates to save the prince: they did everything in their power to help Muto and all the people, together.

If I'm really just a duck, I want to be the best duck I can be...

I don't want Fakir forced to comfort me any longer. I don't want to hold him back.

No more of this waiting, or dwelling on the past. I must live each day towards the future, whatever it may bring. I must stop trying to take what was never mine to have.

Duck then scribbled in the sand:

'Make me true form'

She then approached Fakir, and dragged him to the writing.

"Are you sure Duck?"

They met eyes for a meaningful time. Their lives had been so deeply connected, but now that connection might all end: be erased. Nonetheless, the resolve never left Duck's eyes, so Fakir knew her choice.

"I'll read you what I write from here, Ahiru...

'Ahiru, the hope, that guided everyone to their happy endings, is once again the light to complete the story, this one her own. And then Ahiru returned to her true form with all the memories she was meant to have...so that she could live a complete life as her true self.' "

Ahiru then felt herself changing, and she collapsed. Fakir rushed to catch her. Though ducks could not talk, she thought very loudly,

"Goodbye Fakir, live a good live, smile...you can move on too...from this bizarre duck, I'll be a normal duck and we can both move on... I love you"

She opened her eyes, "Quack!" Fakir was holding her. Duck felt her arms, her feet, her hair... all were as Ahiru the girl. She was wrapped in the long jacket Fakir had been wearing moments earlier. She quickly slipped her arms in and buttoned it. Still overwhelmed be her sudden transformation, Ahiru stiffened. Fakir's grip softened.

"Idiot... I could hear your speech, you're human now: it would seem you always were, until Drosselmeyer changed you. I suspected as much. Did you make some kind of deal with him?"

"Well I did say I'd give my life for Muto to smile..."

"That'd do it."

"Wait! Human? I'm really a human! Then why did I think I was a duck?"

"Drosselmeyer could change people, and I'm guessing you weren't very hard to convince. You are still a very duck-like girl: without much centering or priority on yourself. You jump all over the place for no reason, but then you care so much for others... if you could help someone, you would overlook the nonsense and memory gaps to help them."

"That is what's really important: helping others..."

Fakir gently touched her hair, "quack!"

"You even picked up the habit of quacking after being turned into a duck so many times"

"Fakir, I thought I was just a duck, I thought I would lose all the memories... I thought I'd lose you, so you could be happy... but I couldn't even do that."

"Idiot. I never wanted that to happen. I just had to prepare you for the worst. I never planned on giving up on getting you back, Ahiru. Even if you changed into a normal duck, I'd have kept trying to write back your memories, and bring you back to the girl you were. "

"Why Fakir?"

"You think I'd just give up and accept something so awful as fate? I'd fight for you to the end. I protect you now."

"But why?"

"You give me hope, you make me smile. Remember? I'll be by your side forever"

"But you were so sad Fakir..."

"Weren't we both because of the situation? I knew you wanted to be human; I wanted that too. To talk to you...to dance with you...to work with you to help others, I missed it all."

"Oh Fakir..." They then began to dance, a simple pas de deux.

The two, truly reunited after so long... their dance went on and on in the silence of connection beyond words.