The first day Ahiru waited in her lake, she wasn't sure if Fakir was going to come. She scurried along the banks, looking around for him frantically. It had only been two days since the Mytho has defeated the Raven and took Rue to be his princess, and Fakir promised her that once school ended for the summer, he would be there by her side all the time. Today was the day to see if he would come, and the knot in her stomach made her wonder if he was really going to show up.
Minutes passed as she sat down in the dirt at the very edge of the water, feeling it dampen her tail. Finally, she scurried back into the water, ducking her head under. Stupid Fakir, making promises he couldn't keep. He probably realized that she was Ahiru the duck now, not Ahiru the little girl or Princess Tutu. And she would always be Ahiru the duck, now that Drosselmeyer's story was over. It would be pointless to stick around a duck.
She was glad that it ended well for Mytho and Rue, which was good enough for Ahiru, but she sort of wished she got to keep Fakir too.
She swam back to the surface of the water, and shook her head to get the water droplets off her feathers. The pier was still bare, and Ahiru, disappointed, fluttered on it, looking out at the lake. She was so used to her reflection as a duck, that being a little girl was really the only thing that had disrupted her. But being Tutu had been the best time of her life, doing something more for people than she could ever as a duck. She had done so much for her friends, she had kept them safe, from the Raven eating their hearts, from staying stuck as crows when Mytho was fighting too.
A cloud moved from in front of the sun, and Ahiru closed her eyes to bask, feeling happy with the warm rays on her face. She heard a clack on the pier behind her, and turned around, startled to see Fakir standing there. His green eyes looked so nice in the sun, and he was smiling at her. He had a fishing pole and a chair in one hand, and a stack of papers with a pen in the other. "Hello, Ahiru," he greeted her putting his things down and reaching out to pick her up. She nudged his nose with her beak, looking grumpy. "Sorry I'm late, I forgot what time it was. It won't happen again I promise."
She nodded and he set her back down, sitting next to her on the edge of the pier. Ahiru got comfortable leaning against his leg, and Fakir patted her side. "How was your night?" he asked, and she nodded so he would know that she had a good night. Fakir smiled and laughed. "Did you think I wasn't coming, Ahiru?" he said teasingly and she flailed her wings in embarrassment. He reached out and nudged her into the water of the lake and she swam to the surface, looking irritated.
She turned her back on him and Fakir called to her, "Ahiru, don't be mad! It was just payback for thinking I'd ever forget about you." Touched, Ahiru looked back at him and quacked loudly for him to hear. With a smile, Fakir set up his chair and hooked his fishing pole to it, pulling up his paper and pen. Ahiru's heart was so happy to see Fakir there, so happy to know that he would be there with her forever. Suddenly filled with giddy joy, Ahiru swam beneath the water and broke the surface, sending sparkling water everywhere.
"You're really happy," Fakir said, touching her lightly with his finger. She nodded and sat next to his foot on the pier, feeling content and secure. "I'm glad you're happy, Ahiru." She nudged him with her beak affectionately. Maybe someday she would be a girl again. But for now, this was all she needed.