He was doubled over in pain. Sweat trickled from his forehead as the pain rolled in waves from his shoulder and down his arm. His chest throbbed as his breathing became ragged and strained. Struggling to rise to his feet, he swayed while Ahiru watched helplessly.
"Fakir!" Ahiru cried in alarm, trying to catch him as he threatened to collapse.
"Get…Muto…back…" Fakir managed through gritted teeth. His hand clenched around Ahiru's arm, speaking volumes about the urgency of the situation.
"I don't want to leave you when you're like this…" Ahiru began, when she was interrupted by a chilling glare from Fakir.
"Go…I'll be fine," he muttered emphatically. Ahiru stood for a moment, torn, before she rushed out the door.
"Fakir, hang in there," Ahiru wished into the wind as she ran towards the depth of the forest. She followed the trail of crow feathers Kraehe had deliberately left for her to follow. Overconfident, proud and possessive, Kraehe had stolen Muto away as bait—bait to take down Ahiru and Fakir.
"I won't let you harm Muto!" Ahiru cried out.
"Very good! Very good! Go and rescue him—Princess Tutu!" a voice from the darkness cried out in glee.
Her pendant glowed a brilliant red. Engulfed in the light with her body covered with white feathers, she transformed into the form that would be able to stand up to Kraehe—Princess Tutu. She pirouetted through the forest, clearing away ensnaring branches and roots with a wave of her arm.
As Ahiru pursued Kraehe's trail, Fakir managed to get himself over to his desk. Every moment Muto was away from him was pure agony, and he knew that Muto was suffering perhaps even more than he was. He needed to sever the bond they shared now to give Muto the strength to escape. He needed to let Muto go.
Thus, he began his work—the work he had been putting off for so long due to fear. He closed his eyes and imagined that clumsy girl's smile. A smile that brought him the courage to do what needed to be done.
That clumsy girl was not smiling now. Her lips were pursed in a frown at the scene before her. Kraehe was sitting on the ground with Muto's head in her lap, stroking her captive's shivering body. His eyes were closed and he was trembling in pain. Once in a while, he would moan and toss about, and his eyes would flutter open and then shut once again.
"Let Muto go!" Princess Tutu demanded. She could not bear to see him in such pain. It pained her to see him in such pain, just as it pained her to leave Fakir behind when he was in such pain. What had Kraehe done to both of them to cause this? She would not forgive her.
"Try and make me, Princess Tutu," Kraehe said, rising to her feet. She struck a pose in front of Muto, shielding him from view.
"Muto deserves only the best—me. Prove me wrong and I'll give you Muto back," Kraehe challenged, beginning to pirouette. Princess Tutu imagined the music she wanted Muto to hear to soothe his pain and began to dance.
I want you to be free from this pain. I want you to be happy, my dear Muto.
As she brought her hands in front of her chest in a cradling position—a position demonstrating love—her mind suddenly flashed to Fakir. He was placidly standing before her with his arms crossed in an X in front of him. The sign of death.
Fakir!
She needed to hurry. She could sense that he was in terrible danger. She needed to bring him back Muto. And for that she needed to defeat Kraehe.
She closed her eyes and imagined herself in the prince's arms, dancing a pas de deux with him. His gentle smile and the warmth he had given her when she was injured and afraid flooded into her mind. She would return the favor; she would pour these feelings of gratitude to heal him.
She leapt into the air and felt the rays of sunlight through the trees upon her face. Kraehe watched her with contempt and continued to dance with flair. Kraehe felt freer than she ever had, dancing to her heart's content to ensnare her prince in her arms. She was in the darkness and the light, beckoning to the prince with all the authority she could muster. The prince was hers and hers alone.
As the crow princess danced, raven feathers swirled around her, caressing her skin. She summoned a pseudo-figure out of the feathers, and curled her body around it. The figure lifted her into the air, where she sensually arched her body into two. When it brought her back to the ground, she pirouetted over and over again, supported by phantom hands on her waist.
Princess Tutu crashed to the ground, wincing as her ankle twisted. Hobbling to her feet, she continued to gesture to the prince, trying to reach out towards him. She bent forward, supporting her entire body on her broken foot, and brought her arms in front of her in a cradling position imagining holding the shivering Muto in her warmth.
Fakir continued as his body shook, his hand subconsciously resisting him with each movement. With the last burst of energy he had, Fakir finished the job.
Muto…with this I set you free…
Through her tears of pain, Princess Tutu saw Muto rise to his feet, his face clear of any signs of pain. His eyes were clear as if he were free of some internal darkness. He leapt and came towards her, extending a hand out to her. She took it gratefully, reflecting once again how it was always Muto who came to rescue her. Even that time…
She had been attacked by a fox in the woods the one time she had wandered too far away from her home on the lake. Her wing was broken and bleeding, preventing her from flying away. Hobbling away as fast as she could, she continued onwards, a small yellow bird, scared and hurt.
It was then that he had appeared. With a swing of his sword, he had killed the fox that was hunting her and then bent down to her. He extended his hand towards her. With a smile that reassured her that everything would be okay, he took her into his arms. Before she fell unconscious, she took one more look at her rescuer…at those kind eyes and smile…
Those kind green eyes framed by midnight black hair…
Fakir?
Ahiru's eyes shot open in confusion. She looked up to Muto, her hand in his. His eyes were kind and gentle and his hands had the same warmth she had felt that time she had been rescued. But it was also different somehow. Why hadn't she realized it before?
"Muto…Fakir is in trouble!" she cried out. He nodded, his golden-brown eyes looking sad for a moment.
"Let's go back together," he said softly. She nodded as he picked her up into his arms.
"I won't let you go," Kraehe cried stepping in front of them. Muto's eyes blazed in anger and with a ferocity that she remembered well. The same ferocity she had seen in Fakir's eyes when he killed the fox that fateful day.
"Begone you crow!" Muto cried summoning the prince's sword out of thin air. Kraehe hissed and turned into a crow, swooping forward to attack him. A thick cloud of darkness surrounded Princess Tutu and Muto. With a swing of his sword, he dispelled the darkness and shattered Kraehe's form into a thousand pieces. Her shrieks filled the air. Princess Tutu held back tears, remembering to steel herself for Fakir's sake.
"Let's go," she said. Muto nodded and carried her back to the cottage. She leapt out of his arms and rushed through the door.
"Fakir!" she cried out as she saw him slumped onto his desk. His eyes were closed and he lay still. Ink flowed down his arm like rivulets of dark blood and pooled onto the floor.
"Fakir!" she cried out again, trying to shake Fakir awake. But it was to no avail. He would not budge. She called out his name over and over as tears streamed down her face. He couldn't have…he couldn't have…
Muto walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"He tried so hard to keep me from realizing the truth," Muto murmured, as he buried his face into Fakir's still shoulder.
His heart. Fakir let go of his heart and it killed him…
"What will you do now, Princess Tutu?" a voice cackled from the darkness.
"Princess Tutu…" she mused aloud, stroking the pendant.
The pendant's power was derived not from within, but from without. The warmth he had given her when she was injured in the forest—was nothing but a piece of his heart. Her identity of Princess Tutu, of Ahiru the girl, was possible because of that kindness. She existed because of Fakir's desire to help the weak. Her desire to protect Muto—Fakir's heart—was born from that simple act of kindness.
She knew what to do. She would rescue him this time. She would rescue the prince who had rescued her all those years ago.
"Fakir, please come back to us," she prayed as she removed the pendant from her neck and put it around his.
In a flash of brilliant light, Ahiru—Princess Tutu—returned to being a duck. A plain little duck with a heart full of love and compassion. A groan escaped from Fakir's mouth and he stirred.
"Why am I still…?" he began when he saw a small, yellow duck quacking incessantly at him. He smiled and reached out an ink-stained hand towards the creature.
"It was you all along, huh? Thank you," he said, patting Ahiru on the head. She smiled in relief as she felt his large, warm hand.
"You're free to go wherever you please now, Muto," Fakir said, rising to his feet and meeting Muto's eyes, "I will not trap you ever again."
Muto shook his head.
"There has been only one place I have ever wanted to be…by your side," Muto responded. Fakir's eyes widened as the embodiment of his heart embraced him.
You don't need to be afraid anymore. You don't need to be alone anymore, my dear prince…