Hi there! Well, thanks to Ducklin and her (I think you're a her) lone review, I posted this futuristic AU story! Don't expect the updates to come too soon, but I swear I won't forget my beloved readers.
Princess Tutu and it's characters need more love from the world!
Well, anywayz, on with the story.
It was the year 3013, and the rebellion was rising against their oppressor. Only an unspoken good would save them. But where would they find it?
He knew he was useless, yet Mythos trusted him. The Prince, they called him. Prince Mythos.
Fakir was always by his side, and when The Prince formed the rebellion, they knew Fakir to be Mythos' right hand man.
But Fakir… He never trusted himself. Other than protecting The Prince, he felt useless. He lived with the fact that he couldn't even protect his parents from the Raven's clutches.
The Raven was the dictator; the scum that made the people feel weak. Nobody ever saw his face, or even knew his real name.
All contact was through his mediator, his alleged daughter, Kraehe. Kraehe was The Raven Princess, and her father ordered his soldiers, the 'ravens', against all humanity that went against them.
Fakir fought with thousands, beside The Prince, who gave his whole heart to protect the people.
The Prince vowed to defeat The Raven and sever his grasp on the people. One day, though, something happened.
"Fakir! The Prince has been captured!" As soon as the words left Autor's mouth, Fakir was up. He was ready.
"Where is he?" Fakir demanded promptly, sheathing his sword.
"The old cathedral. They said that he'll be transferred to the Castle tonight!" He replied.
"I'm going alone. I need to get him out quickly. I'm leaving you in charge. Tell Charon as well, so he can help you." Fakir snapped, pulling up his hood.
"Of course, Knight. And what will happen if you don't succeed?" Autor questioned haughtily.
It was Autor's nature to question Fakir's choices. Partly out of envy for having a more important part, partly out of interest. But it was different this time.
Fakir could sense fear in what Autor said, even if he hid it. Nobody, other than Fakir himself, could deny Fakir's loyalty and strength when it came to their leader, his friend.
But everyone knew of Fakir's insecurity, and they knew that he'd go to the ends of the earth for Mythos because he'd never believe that the rebellion could survive without The Prince.
And now Autor was worried; worried that, as well as The Prince, they would lose 'The Knight' as well.
"Like I said, you're in charge. My life's insignificant, as long as The Prince will come back to all of you." Fakir said, grinning.
"I suspect that you don't want anyone other than your father to know about this?" Autor said calmly.
"Yes." That was the last thing Fakir said before he disappeared into the shadows of twilight, on his way to save The Prince.
The rebellion had gone on for nearly twenty years. The whole time, it was led by The Prince.
Nobody questioned him, for he was their shining light through the darkness, but for someone to live so long without aging nor changing, it was strange.
Fakir was a child when the rebellion had gone for about five years. He was five, and it was when he suffered.
His parents fought in the rebellion, and he was proud to say they were heroes.
They told him before that he must always write. He didn't understand.
He wanted to fight, but they didn't allow it. They told him that his writing was important.
He wove stories in his mind; about The Prince winning them a future; about him and his parents living a wonderful life together, but to him they were mere stories.
He did, though, write them, in hopes that they act like a wish to come true.
Unfortunately, it brought more misery. As he finished, the ravens raided their home. His parents died to protect him, as they'd hid him when the attack came.
It was Charon who found him, in the ruin of the old house among the signature black feathers that were left by the ravens.
Charon became his 'new father', and it was him that became the reason for Fakir's first meeting with 'The Prince'.
Fakir could see what many could not: The emptiness in his eyes.
Mythos' goal was imprinted in his soul, and he forever led the rebellion for the sake of his people. But his own desires weren't there.
Fakir believed that this was better for him, because that way, no distraction would come.
But then, he remembered why this was. The rebellion started right before Fakir was born, and a story circulated among the rebel groups.
It was centered on Mythos before the rebellion, and it was said that he was kind, protective, and noble, just as he was in present time.
But then, there were those who sought to kill him, so someone granted his wish of sacrifice.
He was known as the Knight, as Fakir was to be called. The Prince needed a sacrifice to protect his people from the everlasting darkness that The Raven nearly had in his grasp.
Thus, the Knight shattered his heart for him, as the story went. It was unbelievable, but true.
The only one who was unaware of the fact in the rebel group was Mythos himself.
Fakir was believed to be the reincarnation of the knight, and the birthmark across his body proved it.
Only few knew of the mark, inclusive of Charon and Autor.
It was shaped as a cut that ran from his shoulder down to his other hip, a mark of his past life's death.
It was his fear.
The silver-haired beauty of a man lay still in the darkness. He knew what had happened to him, but his only concern was that he wouldn't be there to protect all the others.
The guards were tall and ominous, the masks over their faces and the top of their heads made them look like-like ravens.
Before, it might've struck disgust in him, but he wasn't aware of that. He was only focused on helping his friends.
It was then she appeared.
Dark brown tresses cascaded over her shoulders delicately, her face perfectly framed by it, and deep eyes stared intently at the figure on the floor.
"Prince Mythos. I have heard many stories about you. More importantly, my father is interested in your plans." She said, her voice deep and smooth.
"The only reason for my actions is to protect people I care for. I don't think there is much more to that." The Prince said simply and respectfully.
The girl gave a light, tinkling laugh, and continued.
"You misunderstand me, Prince. I mean he is interested in what you did twenty years ago." She said meaningfully.
"I apologize, but I have no such memory of the matter. It seems that I've forgotten exactly what happened twenty years ago." Mythos said lightly.
"That is why you are here: To remember." She finished.
"I'm fine with that, but pray tell, what is your name, miss?" He asked with a smile.
"I am Rue- I mean, I am Kraehe. Princess Kraehe, if you wish." She replied, with, unnoticed by Mythos, bitterness.
"Tell me, Princess Kraehe, what do you mean, I will remember?" The Prince asked, still retaining the same smile.
"You will remember soon. But we must wait. Father is going to get a new puppet." Kraehe muttered.
She wondered, Why me?
She was caught in the middle, but never really was affected by the war, the fighting.
Then HIS men came for her. The ravens. She was told that she would take part in an important plot.
She didn't know what, or how such a small, insignificant girl like her could do a thing.
Then she was told her task.
She was told that she was the only one who could return Mythos' heart to him.
She knew the story, and from afar, she had admired the noble Prince, but saw the emptiness in his eyes.
Nobody else seemed to, but she could see what happened when his heart had gone.
Someone had given her the pendant. Herr Drosselmeyer, the man of stories.
He was supposed to have been dead for centuries, but she knew it was him when she gave her the pendant. It was her chance.
HE seemed to recognize it as well, because she stood before him, the one feared by all.
You are lucky to have your chance. He said.
"I don't understand." She said, quivering.
Don't be so surprised. I'm only here to help you fulfill your goal. I will help you get his heart back, if you help me.
"Why? What will you do?"
Don't misunderstand. People often misinterpret my generosity for cruelty, so you see. The rebellion merely took away their own chance at their own good life. You can change their fate and help them.
"I know that. I want to help. I especially want to help… Prince Mythos."
Of course. I understand this. Believe me, all I want is to help you. Come to me when you are in need. Understand that I consider you my second daughter, little Duck.
She felt the chill run down her back, but she knew she couldn't do anything else but accept.
She knew better than to throw away such a chance.
She would help Mythos. Ahiru would, for once, be of use.
Fakir got past the guards easily unnoticed, and found himself in the old cathedral.
He saw the silver-haired figure tied to the altar, head hung low.
"Mythos." He mumbled, approaching him.
He reached out to The Prince's shoulder, thinking that he didn't hear him.
But that wasn't it.
"A hologram?" Fakir jumped back in surprise, but as he whipped around, something hard made contact to the back of his head.
"Damn you Kraehe…" He forced out before he passed out.
"Father, he's here. Oh, hello, Ahiru." Kraehe smiled sweetly at the younger girl, and Ahiru smiled back weakly, nervously fiddling with her long red braid.
"Ah… Hello Rue - I mean, Princess Kraehe." Ahiru stuttered.
Kraehe bowed to the dark side of the room, and his voice thundered through to where they stood.
Wonderful, Kraehe. For a useless knight, that man is persistent. Send him to the prisons. Or, it would be better to have him killed.
Kraehe smirked at the idea, but flinched at the next thing heard.
"No! Please, you can't kill him!" Ahiru's sudden outburst caused Kraehe to glare.
Ahiru was so immature, that the older girl constantly worried about her. She had to act as strong as her father, but at times, she felt loving towards the girl.
But when Ahiru let emotions get the better of her, it was troublesome.
"Ahiru, hold your tongue." She said sharply.
No, Kraehe, let her speak. I'd like to hear what you have to say, little Ahiru.
Kraehe was silenced by the Raven's words, and Ahiru started, shivering with fear.
"I meant- I just thought that if- It would be a waste to kill him so quickly, what if we got him on your side, sir? I mean- He's practically a leader himself, so he'd know…"
She cut herself off, hoping that she hadn't blabbered too much.
That's an interesting idea. You know, Ahiru, you may take on that responsibility if you wish.
"Erm, well, I hadn't-" Ahiru started.
Of course, I don't know how else your wish may come true. We could always just kill him. Just say the word.
Ahiru tried not to collapse then and there, and then blurted, "I'll take the responsibility!"
Excellent.
Just then, one of the raven soldiers tapped Ahiru on the shoulder and led her out, leading her down to the dark lower regions of the 'Castle', the place known as the impenetrable fortress of the Raven.
They were in the dungeons now, and Ahiru could see each prison cell was empty.
Maybe they had all the prisoners killed. She thought to herself, sighing sadly.
She wondered how she got herself into such a mess, and was having second thoughts about what she was going to do.
Then she remembered that she was doing this all for the Prince. It would all be okay if she just did what she needed to. It was for the Prince.
This newfound hope was diminished slightly when they stopped at the last decrepit cell.
There sat a man in his twenties with black and oak green hair, dressed in brown, giving Ahiru the impression of a tree.
He looked up, his eyes glaring at them. At her.
They were piercing and deep, as well as cold.
So this is what the war does to people. Ahiru thought bitterly as she unlocked the door.
The ravens escorting her as well as the guards readied themselves for an attempt to escape, but instead, he stood up calmly.
"Why are you here, little girl?" He questioned coldly, his words cutting like a blade.
"I- I'm supposed to take- I'm supposed to take responsibility for you!" Ahiru finally said, trying to make her words sound strong.
"Take responsibility? I don't think you're up to that." He continued wearily.
"I am!!! The Raven gave me the responsibility and I won't fail at this!" She said angrily.
"Why would the Raven give the task to such a weak girl like you? Or is he just insulting me?" He smirked, enjoying the fact that he was causing this girl such worry.
"I don't know!" She shrieked, surprising even him.
"What I do know is that at least the Raven gave me something to let me feel like I'm not useless!!! I know I'm weak but he somehow believes I'll play a significant role in all this! I don't want to feel useless to anyone, that's why I did all this!" She continued, tears threatening to fall.
"That's why I risked saving your life! Because I know you're important to someone!" He was genuinely shocked at hearing this, and he replied.
"Alright. But you're definitely wrong about one thing; I'm not really that important at all."
"I don't believe that." Ahiru mumbled, but kept silent as the ravens led his shackles along with him out.
He was put into the large raven-black limo that was in front of the Castle's gates.
The driver wore no mask but had the Raven's symbol etched into his forehead, and he bowed towards Ahiru.
"You may sit in the front if you wish, ma'am. He may be dangerous." The driver said respectfully.
"No, I'll sit with him." Ahiru said, no emotion betraying in her words.
"But miss-" "Please, that's my choice." She said, acting strangely out of character.
"Of course, miss." He said, opening the door to the back.
"You're sitting here, then?" He said in the same cold voice.
"Yes." She said calmly.
He looked at her strangely, for he noticed something different about her.
"What am I to call you, then?" She continued.
"My name is Fakir, but I won't listen to you, so what does it matter?" Fakir said.
"You're listening now." She pointed out.
"You're a smart-ass, you know that? Acting all afraid in the dungeon." Fakir said warily.
"That was no act. If you must know, that was Ahiru." The eighteen-year old said simply.
"Then your name is Ahiru? Why are you speaking about yourself in the third person?" Fakir questioned.
"My name isn't Ahiru. Not entirely. If you must know, I'm schizophrenic. Ahiru was the first one you met. I'm Tutu." The redhead said with genuine sweetness.
"Alright then, so there is something more to this. Tell me, Tutu, what is it that I'm going to be used for? Or do you know anything about it?" Fakir asked, still quite suspicious.
"I'm aware of everything happening with Ahiru, but she's quite oblivious of what happens when I'm out. Sometimes, she has vague memory of incidents while I'm here, like faded dreams, but that's it. So she most likely won't remember this talk." Tutu explained kindly.
"I'd prefer that. Listen, I will go back to them once I think I should, so don't expect any kind of alliance with me. You are with the ravens, so I'd rather have nothing to do with you." Fakir emphasized on the last sentence.
"I can understand that. But Ahiru, no matter what you believe, is not doing this for the ravens, and neither am I. We are doing this for The Prince's sake." Tutu said.
"You're not helping him in any way, and don't you ever say you are! Your siding with the Raven does not help in any way!" Fakir said, losing his temper.
"We're not siding. But I won't argue with you. Just don't ever take this out on Ahiru. She's more a child, and to bear things like this…" Tutu shook her head and stayed silent for the rest of the trip.
They stopped in front of an old-fashioned cottage, except this one had large gates around it.
Fakir felt emotional pain crash around him as he realized where he was.
"Hey, I think we're here." Fakir said. He noticed that she'd fallen asleep.
"Hey!" He raised his voice, and she jumped up.
"Oh, when did I get here? Tutu? Was it her?" She mumbled more to herself.
"Hurry up, idiot." He snapped.
"I'm not an idiot!" All the grace of Tutu seemed to have gone, and Fakir assumed this was Ahiru.
He silently followed as she walked to the entrance of the gate and put her hand on what he assumed to be a genetic signature scanner, and the smaller gate opened immediately.
"Is this your home?" He questioned.
"Yes, well… It was the home that was given to me." Ahiru said.
Fakir felt like punching the wall as they entered the house.
The house… It was his parents' house, long before.
It seemed to have gotten bigger, and of course, considering the fact that it was taken into special care, the house had gotten much more advanced, seeing as it was no longer the homely style cottage type that Fakir once knew.
"I didn't want them to ruin the original one." Ahiru said, leading him through unfamiliar, new hallways deeper into the cottage, now seeming more like a mansion.
"You stay here." She said, opening a door to a simple room, a writing desk with a lamp in the corner, a bookshelf, a bed, some chairs; simple necessities.
The only unusual thing was that the window was barred, but covered with simple curtains.
"Why was I brought here in the first place?" Fakir questioned.
"Just so you won't cause trouble and… Well, I don't really know why-" Ahiru stumbled on her words once again.
Fakir sighed and muttered, "I have no time to waste here."
"Well, I know you don't want to be here, but… You see, they told me that Mythos was being kept somewhere with the Raven's orders! I also thought that you wanted to rescue Mythos, so I thought that if the Raven trusts me, I could help you! I don't like the Raven's plans but I want to save Mythos." Ahiru stuttered.
Ahiru had tears in her eyes that she rubbed away quickly.
"Tutu." She suddenly said.
"What about her?"
"You're the only other person who knows about her." Ahiru explained. "You and- and Mr. Drosselmeyer."
"Drosselmeyer? That's the name of that old storyteller." Fakir said.
"He IS him. I know you're going to say that I must be crazy because he's dead, I know you'll think I'm lying, but I'm not. He's the cause of everything bad that's happening around. He's doing something to our lives! He told me I have to help Mythos get his heart back, otherwise, he'll die!" Ahiru burst out.
Fakir stared at her incredulously, then glared.
"You have no right to think that you're doing Mythos good. How can you understand; you don't even know him!" He shouted at her, making her shrink back.
His eyes bore down on her trembling figure, and he forcefully pushed her to the wall.
"You stay away from Mythos, do you understand?" He said threateningly, his grip tight on her wrists.
Ahiru avoided his gaze, and this time, tears forced their way out of her eyes and she tried her hardest to restrain her sobs.
Right then, Fakir fell to the floor, his consciousness leaving him quickly.
"Fakir's been captured too. What now?" Pike entered the dark meeting room where Autor stood.
Autor's presence always made Pike feel strange. Scared, but at the same time, awed.
Pike always looked up to Fakir, thought him the best. She was attracted to his strength and will.
But then, Fakir wasn't here, and neither was their good leader, Mythos. How was it that even after all of that, Autor could keep it together like that?
"Autor…" She said carefully.
"All we have to do is keep it together. The Prince wants us to be safe and that's what we'll do. You and Lillie spread the news: Fall back on any plan to attack. We have to be on defense." Autor said shortly.
Pike smiled slightly. "It's no wonder he left you in charge."
"What?" Autor turned to her questioningly.
"Oh- Nothing, sorry." Pike blushed with embarrassment and closed the door, sighing to herself behind it.
"Father, how is it that Ahiru can get the Prince's heart back?" Kraehe asked, choosing her words carefully. "I mean, I'm afraid I don't see exactly what she's able to do."
I'm sure you wouldn't. You will understand in due time, but for now, attend to your own responsibility.
"O-of course, father. Forgive me." Kraehe sighed.
Forgive me as well, My Prince. I'm doing this for your sake. I am hoping that Ahiru will do for such an important responsibility. Kraehe thought to herself.
It was years and years ago. She was only a child, and she was playing outside of her father's Castle.
She then stumbled upon a man with silver hair and a beautiful face. He was weak for some reason.
She brought him water to drink, and soon she nursed him back to health.
He never left the place she found him, and she brought him food and water everyday, and got to know him.
He was the Prince. She knew that if anyone knew that she visited him, they'd take her away from her. So he was her secret.
He started going back to the people he protected, but she made him promise to come back everyday.
Whenever he did, she'd dance for him. He said that he liked it when she danced, because she looked so happy.
But then… When she looked at him, he didn't seem to have the joy in his eyes. She then learned the story, and found that he didn't have his heart.
But she would always love him. She vowed that.
She would do anything for him. But the one he knew wasn't Princess Kraehe. No, the one who the Prince came to know was the little girl named Rue.
"Are you awake?" Fakir opened his eyes and found himself on the bed, and Ahiru, or at least he thought it was Ahiru, sat beside the bed.
"What happened?" He demanded, sitting up.
The girl beside him shrank back slightly, and Fakir guessed her to be Ahiru.
"They sedated you. I'm sorry, but you've been out for about a day or so. They did something… They said it was if you'd get out of hand again." Ahiru said.
She raised her arm and showed him a beaded bracelet.
"Is that…?" Fakir stared intently at the bracelet, assuming he was right in his thought.
"I don't know exactly what it is." Ahiru sighed.
"It's nano-machinery. I've seen it used in HIS security, usually for only important things. He's already formed nano-machine guards; we went up against those before." Fakir said in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Why not use real guards?" Ahiru asked, looking very interested in the ordeal.
"The new ones were more useful, seeing as much as they're sliced up, they'll just regenerate. What I want to know is why they'd give you something like that." Fakir glared at her and she whimpered.
"I don't know… I really don't get it either." Ahiru said.
"That's it. I'm going." Fakir said, getting up.
"No, you can't!" As soon as Ahiru said it, Fakir felt a pain. It was only very quick, but it was enough to bring him to his knees.
"Shit- what was that?" Fakir panted heavily, and Ahiru hurried to his side.
"Are you okay?" Ahiru asked worriedly.
Fakir winced.
As the pain subsided, he could feel where it originated, and felt a pang of dread as he realized that it came from his birthmark, and stranger still, the pain made him feel like he was splitting in two.
Just like the knight in the story.
"How pathetic. It'll be so easy to break that useless knight's spirit with the right technology." Kraehe muttered.
In truth, the raven princess didn't care much about anything else except 'her' Prince.
Her father showed his face to nobody, and she was no different from anyone.
Under the cover of darkness, the Raven had power. All Kraehe had to do was keep in line and be a good little daughter, and she could make her own ends meet with the power bestowed on her.
She could have her Prince, the good little obedient doll he was.
But if he got his heart back, his emotions would drive her away. She wanted him to love her, and her alone.
She didn't want emotions or free thought to get him to leave her.
But still, it was her father's wish. As far as she understood, the Prince needed a heart so that the Raven may get what he needed.
The Raven was trapped in his own Castle, and somehow, the Prince would let him be free. But only with all his emotions.
"My Prince… Soon you will be mine."
"Well, that settles that. We can't get Fakir back, not in the current circumstances." Autor announced as he finished speaking with his informant.
"WHAT!?" Lillie and Pike were outraged, and as the crowd around them, all Resistance soldiers, slowly picked up on their current leader's words, they started protesting as well.
"Why can't we, then? What is it that's holding us back? NOTHING, that's what." It was Mr. Cat who spoke up then.
Mr. Cat didn't have another name, and whether it was radiation or some other form of mutation, he had the face of a cat.
He was in all counts eccentric (coughwierdcough), but his judgment was honest and good when it came to others.
Oh, and nobody forgets his annoying, and slightly disturbing knack to threaten marriage on the girls who didn't listen to what he said. (Being the age he is, it's probably mid-life crisis, but don't ask me what his human age is, I honestly don't know)
Seeing as he was one of the generals chosen to train most of the females to survive, it was good that he had authority.
"Mr. Cat's right!!! What IS holding us back?" Lillie demanded.
Autor pushed his glasses up and said, "Two reasons."
"One, the informant just told me that nanotechnology has been forced on Fakir. Now, he can't escape for whatever reason the ravens planted it into his body."
Gasps became evident to most of the Resistance fighters, knowing the severity of the situation if nanotechnology was involved.
"Two, you all remember my order: None of us will make any attempt to provoke them, because The Prince only wants all of you to be safe. But if you'd rather go against the Prince's wishes, just say so." Autor finished smugly.
The crowd fell silent, and Autor gave a lazy salute and retired back into the meeting room, where he seemed to stay more often than not.
As the crowd dispersed into their small, run-down city, and the generals took their places leading their groups away to their assigned homes, Pike separated from the others.
"Hey, Pike, come on, or Mr. Cat will make you marry him for not coming." Lillie said, a little too cheerily.
If anyone could make a tragedy into something to laugh about, it was Lillie. Pike was the one who kept her in line, but at times, she found something else bothering her.
This time, she was ready to punch the smug bastard's head in.
Without a thought, she yanked the metal door open and, fists clenched, went towards Autor at the far end of the room.
"If you have something to say to me, you could have just said it from where you were standing. I can hear you just fine from across the room." Autor said.
"You're amazing, you know that!?" Pike said, sounding murderous, every restraint in her will keeping her from punching his head in as she'd planned earlier.
"If you're supposed to be our leader, why aren't you doing your job? The whole reason the Prince formed the Resistance; the reason Fakir left you in charge was so we wouldn't lose against the ravens! They're practically on top of us, and soon we'll have to surrender to them, and you're just standing here, telling us we can't fight!!!"
Autor merely pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and shrugged.
"I have half a mind to shove those stupid glasses up your sorry-" "I get that you don't understand, but it's not my place to tell you you're wrong. I'm only acting on their wills to protect all of us." Autor interrupted.
Pike hated his cool tone and calm demeanor. Couldn't he show at least a bit of worry? He's inhuman, the bastard. She thought.
"Who's your informant, anyway?" Pike demanded, not able to pursue the matter further.
"Someone who is particularly shy about her face. As long as she gives me the right information." Autor said simply.
"Who?" Pike asked numbly. "She called herself Rue." Autor answered.
It was a dangerous business, but worthwhile in the long run.
She was Rue when she came around, her face hidden in a hood and a scarf around her face. Only her deep red eyes were seen, and some of her dark brown hair.
But when she was Kraehe again, her hair was tied tightly, a raven's feather standing on her head, giving her a strange, royal air.
Kraehe's eyes were lined sharply with purple, and her lips blood red, and she wore a dress of raven's feathers. She was beautiful, and she was royal.
As Rue, her soft brown hair was worn loose, and it framed her face perfectly. She had an air of softness, and she was simply lovely. Breathtaking.
As Rue, she was unrecognizable to be Kraehe, and it was better that way for her.
To her, Rue and Kraehe were two separate people.
Ahiru and Tutu were different, too different. But they shared the same life, and it had always been that way.
Fakir had decided to sleep for that night, and Ahiru left him alone.
But Ahiru couldn't sleep. Instead, she danced.
It was an empty room with two mirrors covering the extent of two walls. When Ahiru felt upset, she'd go there and practice dancing.
She wasn't very good, though. Having Tutu as an 'other' was utter irony, seeing as Tutu was graceful, confident, and had an air of beauty, as Ahiru remembered from a vague memory, while Ahiru was clumsy, nervous, and plain-looking because of the way she acted.
But even as inept as she was, dancing still comforted her. Only that and her will to help the Prince kept her living for the future.
She started with a careful chasse and lifted up on her toes, moving her arms carefully in a flapping motion, as graceful as she could manage.
She raised one leg in front of her, her foot pointed straight, while she raised one arm and moved the other into fourth position.
(A/N: Fourth position in ballet, not the normal stances for the arms. Fourth in ballet is third in the normal arm positions)
She continued with what were considered graceful movements, but they were only simple.
As she danced, she thought about her situation.
I was only supposed to help Mythos and give him his heart back. How did I get dragged into this? And how did I end up with such a dangerous person as that Fakir?
Still, it wasn't right for them to put that technology in his body; it looked painful.
They said that it would protect me if he tried anything, that's why they put it into me too.
Ahiru looked at her wrist where a beaded bracelet was.
Nano-machinery wasn't new to her, nor anyone else. But all Ahiru saw it do was cause pain.
She wondered what it would do to her, now that it was inside of her.
Come to think of it, she noticed a weird feeling of dread just as Fakir was trying to leave. She didn't want him to, and then that's when it happened.
So then, I guess it was my fault for causing him pain. She thought miserably, doing a clumsy pas de chat.
She stopped abruptly and tried removing the bracelet, and it came off easily.
But she felt a strange feeling, like the dread she felt when she caused Fakir pain, and she hastily put it back on.
The truth is, I'm scared of Fakir. That's why it's like this.
Fakir sighed. The confinement was killing him, but he had no choice.
Anyway, Ahiru said she wanted to help Mythos, and he could tell that she meant it with her heart.
Heart. Mythos doesn't need one. Fakir thought bitterly.
He didn't trust Tutu even more. Ahiru had one simple goal, but Tutu was deeper than that. She obviously had something different in mind, and Fakir wanted to find out what.
He looked at the clock looming over him on the wall. It read, 12:37.
He was used to late times such as these, and it hardly ever did matter because of the darkness that spread over the city nearly all day, every day.
He walked over to the door and turned the knob with no reason whatsoever, and to his surprise, it opened easily; apparently it hadn't been locked.
He looked down the dark hallway and noticed the lack of security, or even any ravens.
If anything, there was no trace of the Raven's authority from where Fakir could see.
He walked down the hallways, his steps not heard, even on the hollow wooden floor.
He had learned a long time ago how to move swiftly and silently, and as someone had told him before, it was like dancing.
Each step was of importance to the whole scheme, and one wrong move, the dance will be flawed, or ruined altogether, unless you are quick enough to get back on your feet.
In Fakir's case, his dance was his life, and with the wrong move he'd done, he just landed himself an irreversible mistake.
The only reason he thought about it that way was because Mythos, unknown to many, danced a lot when he was alone.
Without feelings to show, he danced how he felt inside. His movements emanate his being the Prince he was before, but only unconsciously.
Fakir learned from watching, but let nobody see him dance.
At this point in time, he found, coincidentally, someone dancing, right there in his sight.
It was a simple one, but expressive. It was what a dance should be.
About ten minutes passed, and Fakir wondered how much longer until she noticed he was there. He smirked.
That was when she turned, squeaked with surprise, and fell.
It was probably only instinct that made Fakir swoop in and catch her. (A/N: Instinct. Right…)
She didn't say anything, and it occurred to Fakir that she wasn't the least bit curious how he got out of the room.
"Why'd you leave the door unlocked?" He asked.
Ahiru's eyes widened. "Umm… I-" She stuttered.
Fakir walked over to the window.
"Whose side are you on, really?" He asked without looking at her.
"Mythos'." She replied quietly.
"Your doing what the Raven tells you goes against Mythos' intentions. You know that right? Then why are you doing it anyway?" Fakir questioned harshly.
"Because that's all I can do… The only things that make me the least bit important are being Tutu and helping Mythos."
"Tutu understands Mythos' feelings, I know she does, that's why I do this; Mythos wants to get his feelings back, he told her!"
"It's so hard to think like this! Everything that's happening… I can't handle it!!! I never should've even been here!"
Ahiru took a ragged breath, and tears still flowed while she sobbed.
"Tutu is eighteen. She's strong and willful, and she can do things right! I can't… She came first, and I came like a disease two years later, and so we have different 'ages', even if we share the same body."
Fakir looked at her warily, wondering why she'd told him that.
"She's like my big sister. Sort of. I'm just a kid, and I can't do this by myself! It's hard enough without you making me feel even lesser…" She sobbed.
"Stop crying." Fakir said, his voice raised enough for her to stop.
"Listen to me. I won't interfere with what you're doing, but that doesn't mean I trust you." He said clearly.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
Fakir kept a neutral expression, and he left the dance room.
A truce! Anyways, I used the original word that they derived the name Mytho from, which is Mythos.
Tutu is schizophrenic, yes. The setting is partly futuristic and partly magical, sort of. Next chapter won't come soon, but I assure you, it WILL come.
Suggestions are appreciated. R&R!