They landed together gently upon the treetops. Princess Tutu gazed around in the darkness, searching the moon-frosted grass and shadow-blackened branches for a sign of the prince. "Where could he be?" she whispered to Fakir.
"Knowing her, she'll want to make a big deal out of this," he answered back in the same low tone. "She'll have him in an open place for us to easily see."
Princess Tutu bit her lip, trying to hold back her frustration. "I don't understand. Why the big deal over this?! I've done nothing wrong to her, and yet, and yet…" Her hands tore off leaves and shredded them into bits. "And yet she's taken Mytho, and I'm sure he's frightened and…"
Fakir's hands reached out and closed around her own. She looked up at him silently in the moonlight.
"You're making too much noise, doing that," he muttered, and took the leaves from her hands. "Listen… Tutu. Kraehe doesn't need a reason. She's the daughter of Evil – she might as well be a demon herself. Tormenting you and the prince, the embodiments of Good – that's her ultimate goal. She's content with upsetting children through nightmares, but she really wants to hit it where it hurts the most. You two are the ones who represent everything that she was created to destroy, and her utmost desire is to break you. But…" He held out the leaves in his cupped hands and parted his fingers. The leaves swooped and glided away through the cool air, curving and ribboning in smooth formation away from them into the night. "I do have faith in you. You're just as strong as she is, and even more motivated. Am I right?"
Tutu nodded. "I… I know I can rescue him. But… I still can't understand her. I guess I never will. It sounds as if she has no motive – only a drive. A drive to hurt everything she can." Tutu stood and stared down at the leaf bits that remained on her palms. "But it is my job to stop her. And so I will. For the sake of those I protect… And for the prince!" She raised her chin.
"Good." Fakir smiled. "So, then…"
"Shall we?" Tutu held out her hand, and he took it. Together, they leaped from the tree and zipped through the forest. Fakir stared in awe as the trees flew past them. Never once did Tutu's toes touch the ground. They were flying, soaring, just above the dew-drenched grass. They passed through dappled openings between trees, the moonlight falling and disappearing within moments upon them. Overhead, the moon slowly hurtled through the black sky.
"I see a meadow up ahead," Tutu whispered. "I sense… I sense him. He's there!" The warmth returned to her voice.
"Then what are you waiting for? Get him!" Fakir replied. He let go of her hand and came to a halt on the ground.
Tutu paused and turned to look at him, the afterwind of their movement catching her hair. "Thank you, Fakir… For everything." She gently curtsied, her smile genuine.
Fakir's throat tightened, and he nodded gruffly.
Then she was gone, a blur through the thinning trees.
"It's difficult, isn't it, my prince?" Princess Kraehe sighed and stretched out upon the velvet rug that was spread on the grass. "Perhaps now you have an idea about how hard it is to be me… hm?" She rolled onto her side and stared down at the prince.
He was bound, hands and feet, and had a kerchief tied securely around his mouth. He gazed up at her, but, of course, did not reply.
"Oh, don't look at me like that." She tenderly traced the curve of his cheekbone. "I'm doing this all for you. That princess… She's a little too fake, isn't she, that Princess Tutu? A little too cheerful, a little too sugary. A stupid girl." Kraehe rolled back over onto her back and gazed up at the stars. "But I'm not like that. I may revel in the darkness, but, my prince…" She turned her head to look once more at him. "That doesn't mean I'm worthless."
He didn't so much as blink in answer.
She sat upright. "What? Do you think I'm worth nothing?"
The quiet breeze rustling the distant trees was her reply.
"I am NOT worthless!" She screamed, tearing at the grass and throwing a violent handful of it. "Do you hear me?!" She grabbed Mytho up by the collar and shook him. "How dare you call me trash! I'll show you!"
She held her palm up to the moonlight. A single black spike slowly emerged from her hand. Once completely formed, it fell and she caught it tightly.
"Why don't you smile for me…?" She teased him darkly, running the spike along the kerchief where his lips were. "Nothing to say now, hm?" She dragged the spike deeper down through the kerchief until the fabric was nearly torn. "But you'll smile for her… right?" She smiled, her eyes full of malice. "With a few slices, you'll smile for me – you'll smile forever!" She tore the kerchief from his mouth.
"Kraehe, stop!" A scream came from the edge of the large clearing.
Kraehe chuckled darkly as Tutu appeared under the moonlight. "Finally come, have you? You were very nearly too late – I was about to do some quick modifications to your dear prince's face." Kraehe took Mytho's cheeks and stretched them. "I told him that he ought to smile more – well, for me, at least. Not you." Her simpering tone dropped into one of frost.
"Please, don't hurt him!" Tutu cried.
"Don't, Tutu! Stay back!" Mytho called to her.
"There you go again!" Kraehe shouted, grabbing Mytho roughly by the jaw and craning his face up towards hers. "You'll talk to her, but not me?! What's she got that I don't?! Nothing! Nothing at all! And yet…" She contemplated Mytho's golden eyes that danced with the moonlight. "…you'd choose her… over me?"
"Please, Kraehe!" Tutu pleaded.
"Silence!" Kraehe screamed at her. "Do not interrupt me!"
Tutu grit her teeth. "I'm done negotiating with you!" She rose her hands, and her arms began to flicker with sunbeam-esque sparks. "Release the prince, now!" Her hands moved to aim at Kraehe.
Princess Kraehe sighed and let go of Mytho. "Another battle… It seems this 'princess' of yours is forcing us into a war, my dear prince." She smirked at Tutu. "Yes… I have grown tired of talking and beating around the bush… Shall we fight?"
"No, Kraehe, don't!" Mytho protested as Kraehe stood. "Please!"
"Now you acknowledge me, isn't that funny?" Kraehe smirked down at him. "Perhaps the way to you is through her. If I demolish her, you'll be mine, is that right?!" Kraehe bounded through the air and pirouetted to a halt halfway between Tutu and Mytho. "Then I'll destroy her!"
"Just try!" Tutu shouted to her. "I won't go down that easily!"
"Shall we test that?!" Kraehe rose her arms as well. Black spikes began to protrude from her skin.
For several moments, the two scrutinized each other.
Then Kraehe flashed her arms out, sending the spikes speeding at Tutu. Tutu arched her back, letting the spikes pass inches above her nose, and darted along the edge of the meadow. With a flick of her elbow, the sparks went soaring towards Kraehe – but Kraehe jumped straight upwards, neatly avoiding them. "You'll have to be more creative than that!" Laughing, she sent the spikes in an evenly spread mess at Tutu. Tutu stumbled and pivoted through the air to avoid being stabbed. A single spike caught the edge of her dress, neatly slicing the fabric.
"You've got a lot to learn, newbie," Kraehe laughed cruelly. "I've been fostering nightmares for hundreds of years. Some sugar princess won't come onscreen and ruin everything I've done!"
"I'm not through yet!" Tutu whirled into the air, her skirt flying out about her. She soared high, far above Kraehe, and then –
Realizing what she meant to do, Kraehe leaped to get out of the way.
Tutu plummeted back to the ground. "Rose Vine!"
Vines shot up from the ground below Tutu, ensnaring around Princess Kraehe.
Tutu landed gracefully behind her. "Give it up, Kraehe!"
"No!" Leering, Kraehe turned around. Her eyes glowed a violent ruby. "I won't be outdone yet!"
Shadows oozed out from the dark trees on the edges of the meadow. They slowly took form as misshapen humanoid figures.
Tutu took a step back in terror. Kraehe began to laugh.
"Get her!" Kraehe screamed. The shadows rushed past her towards Tutu.
Tutu raised her arms, which began to glow once more, though their light was dimmer than before. Her heart pounded fast. How can one defeat the darkness?! Through light, of course, but… I don't have a large enough source!
"Tutu!" Mytho yelled. "The moon!"
Tutu jumped, startled. The moon… The moonlight! The light of the moon is just reflected sunlight. I can bend it!
"Rose Vine!" Tutu called once more. The vines shot up underneath her, carrying her high into the sky and out of the reach of the shadows. Bathed in silver light, she rose her hands, palms up, to the moon. "Moon Beams, Sun Beams, they're all the same… lend me your power!"
The moonlight around her began to shiver, then concentrated and focused around her hands.
Below, Kraehe shrieked in rage. "What do you think you're doing?!"
Tutu's hands flashed upwards, then down to aim at Kraehe.
Bright white beams of moonlight began to flood around the evil princess. The menacing shadows disappeared at once. "No… No!" Kraehe screamed. Her body began to disintegrate and smoke under the light. She dashed for the trees, but Tutu was determined to make her pay for the trouble she'd caused.
"Who's winning now, Kraehe?!" Tutu called after her, falling back to the ground and pursuing Kraehe. The tall grass fanned out from them with the speed of their movement.
"You might win tonight… But you can't win always!" Kraehe stopped running and whipped around to face Tutu, her hair in a mess and her eyes deranged.
"Even so… At least the prince is no longer your captive!" Tutu spun her arms, charging the moonlight into a pulse. "Begone, now!"
Tutu released the energy, and the light burst outwards through the forest.
Moments later, Tutu rubbed her eyes and picked herself off of the ground. "Ah… I didn't think the burst would be so bright. Mm…" Once the spots had disappeared from her vision, she straightened and took a good look around. Kraehe was nowhere to be seen, and while there was a slight chance that she had escaped, Tutu seriously doubted it. "I guess she's taken care of… at least, until she reforms." Tutu turned and hurried back to the meadow. And now, I can finally free Mytho!
When she reached the meadow, she saw Mytho being approached by the last of the shadow creatures, who were slowly but steadily dragging themselves towards him. Fearing she wouldn't make it in time, she sprinted as fast as she could –
"Moon Beam Spot Center!" Mytho called, struggling with his binds. The moonlight came to a point and scissored through the dark thorned vines holding him hostage.
"Sun Spark!" Tutu yelled, showering the last of the misshapen shadows with golden sparks that melted them away. "Mytho, are you all right? You're not badly hurt?"
"No," Mytho grinned as Tutu helped him to his feet. "I was actually impressed. Not even I had the courage to attack Kraehe outright!"
Tutu blushed. "You were in danger, and Kraehe rubbed me the wrong way. Of course I wouldn't just sit by and do frappes."
Mytho laughed, and Tutu felt the cozy feeling of warmth that had been absent ever since Mytho's kidnapping flood back into her.
In the distance, a raven shrieked, interrupting their reunion. Knowing what it signified, the two locked eyes.
"Let's leave," Mytho said, holding out his hand to Tutu. Together, they took off into the sky.
Snippet of an idea I got Saturday night. Let me explain...
I usually share a room with my sister, and her presence is comforting, but that night I was alone and although I was very tired, the darkness unnerved me. I couldn't really explain why - maybe just the exhaustion? - and I couldn't do anything but curl up and ignore it. Then, as I finally started to drift off, my mind began to whirl in that hazy way it does right before I fall asleep. And I remembered how, whenever I become very scared, I pretend that my stuffed animals and the characters on my posters are secret guardians and angels who protect me from the evil dark beings. I thought, "If that were true, surely Princess Tutu would be one... and she'd protect me through the night... and watch over me and protect me even in my dreams..."
My sister came in a little while later, waking me up, but letting me ponder what I'd been thinking about. And I started to build on that image of Princess Tutu sitting on the headboard, watching over me.
So, ending this story within a story, I came up with this concept of a different sort of Princess Tutu. Prince Mytho is the good dream prince who watches over people and makes sure they're happy even when asleep, Princess Kraehe is the nightmare princess and is essentially the daughter of evil, and Fakir is the knight who guards those who sleep and makes sure they don't awaken. And Princess Tutu is the recently born good dream princess, who was created from the dream of a particular little girl... :)
This story would not exist without the inspiration that was given to me by the theme of Schindler's List. I encourage you to listen to it while reading this - you might find the two mesh together quite well. I recommend the video I listened to, the one by BestSoundTracker on Youtube. Sigh... The song alone is good enough to be part of a Princess Tutu episode, I think! It's just so graceful and sad. :)
PLEASE REVIEW and stay tuned. :D