The Journey Ahead
Summary: Princess Tutu, Princess of the Swans, has engaged, by their families, to Myuto, the Prince of a far away land. To wed her love, Prince Myuto's knight, Fakir, is asked to go to her kingdom and accompany her on the journey to Myuto's kingdom. Will Tutu fall for the knight of her perhaps beloved? Will the knight leave all duty, all loyalties, to be with his beloved? As love is tested, Princess Kraehe, Princess of the Ravens, schemes to rule the kingdoms and the Prince's heart. How will our heroine possibly defeat this foe?
Last Chapter: Tutu and Fakir can only rely on themselves after the gruesome deaths of the other guards and the driver of the carriage by the southern Raven minions. Hurrying onward on their journey, Fakir is puzzled by Princess Tutu's words that she didn't want him to die. Meanwhile, Kraehe's plan soon unfolds as she begins the attack.
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Tutu woke up slowly, mumbling that she hated the bumpy road they were on. She rubbed her eyes. Her slumber on the seats in the carriage wasn't what you'd call "pleasant," but at least it was decent. It was then, and there, she noticed the carriage was moving. Princess Tutu had a questionable face as she opened the door and accidentally fell as she hung on the door while the carriage was still moving. "Ahhhhh!" Princess Tutu said with a dry voice as she held unto the door, "Fa-Fa-Fakir…! St-St-Stop the carriage…!!!"
Fakir looked over and his jaw dropped when he saw Tutu hanging on the door, wide open, trying to reach the couch inside. "What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded, who couldn't believe it.
"Stop the carriage!" the Princess of the Swans shouted, hanging from the open door.
"You idiot!" Fakir snapped as he stopped the carriage from moving. Tutu sighed in relief as she dropped to the ground.
"Ow…," she mumbled. The drop did hurt a bit, but at least she wasn't hanging from the door anymore.
The Knight shook his head as he walked over to her. "Duck! What were you trying to do? Kill yourself?" Fakir questioned, annoyed.
"No… I just noticed the carriage was moving. Don't tell me you were driving the carriage all night…," Princess Tutu explained.
"…" Fakir was silent.
"Fakir, did you sleep last night…?" Tutu lazily asked, a bit tired from the ride.
The knight glared at her. "What did you expect? Myuto wants me to bring you to his kingdom as soon as soon as possible. Do you think I want to be stuck with you?"
Tutu looked appalled. "Well, you could've slept in the carriage, you know…"
"I'm not a pervert!"
"I didn't mean it like that! You could've slept over there!" she pointed to the seat he'd always sit on, across from her.
"Oh… well, it wasn't like I had a choice."
"Huh?" the Princess of the Swans asked, confused.
"I tried getting inside, but you locked the freaking doors, remember?!?!" Fakir snapped in anger, "I couldn't sleep out there; someone could've tried and kidnapped you while I was sleeping, so I had no choice, but to keep on going, you idiot!"
"Oh… that rattling on the door was you? I thought it was the wind…," Tutu mumbled with a yawn as if it were nothing.
". . ." Fakir looked like he was going in kill Tutu.
"Eh heh heh…," Princess Tutu laughed nervously as she reminded him that they had a long to go, but they could rest for a while. "Fakir… has your wounds healed yet?"
"Not yet…," Fakir replied, "Those damn crows…" Fakir quietly sat on the seat of the carriage as he soon fell asleep.
"Fakir?"
"…"
"Fakir…?" Princess Tutu repeated.
Tutu stared at him. He must be asleep… I guess being up all night must've been tiring…, she thought. Deciding that Fakir should sleep in silence, the Princess of the Swans slowly went outside to take a breather.
The sight amazed her. Green, fresh fields, a blue, wide sky, the wind blowing perfectly; it was a beautiful view. Tutu rarely left her Kingdom; every now and then she'd visit Myuto with her parents or had to visit other Kingdoms.
Looking back at the carriage where Fakir slept, Princess Tutu thought he probably wouldn't really mind if she took a quick look around. Fakir must be so tired from driving the carriage all night. I think I should let him rest for now; he deserves it, the Princess of the Swans thought with a smile as she slowly and quietly closed the carriage door.
Tutu walked over to the horses and petted their heads. "You poor horses… I'm sorry you had to suffer while the Raven minions attacked a while ago," she said to them, and then she sat on the driver's seat. Tutu looked at the view in thought. Fakir sat here all night to take me to Myuto…, she thought, Myuto… I wonder when I'll get to see him again… Tutu stared into the blue skies as she smiled. "I can't wait to see him… Myuto…," she whispered with a soft voice.
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Fakir looked around. He knew he was dreaming. He knew he was in a dream. His mind wandered to his past… when he used to play with Myuto and Tutu in his childhood. It seemed so far away, and yet… and yet… he could remember it all so well. Tutu, wanting to follow Myuto around with her childish crush; Myuto, wanting to protect every living thing, and wanting to protect Tutu as well; and he, himself, Fakir, who wanted to protect Myuto, like in the story "The Prince and the Raven." Of course… it's just a story, Fakir had thought, but Tutu's name was very odd, considering it was the same name as the Princess Tutu of the story. Not to mention the raven minions of the south seemed to have something to do with the story as well.
"Duck…," Fakir whispered as he remembered the times when he played with her and Myuto as children.
It was a sunny afternoon as the three were playing in the gardens of Myuto's kingdom. "Wow, Myuto!" Tutu awed with her bright, blue eyes in amazement of his kingdom, "I can't wait to live here with you! Of course… when we're married…" Her face grew red as she looked down, blushing.
Myuto smiled. "I feel the same way," he replied with a calm, gentle voice.
As Tutu played through the flowers, Fakir rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was standing with Myuto as the two watched her. "You're really gonna get married when you're older, huh?" Fakir questioned, "To her?"
"Yes," Myuto explained with a smile, "It is of our parents' wishes, but it's my wish as well."
"Out of all the girls in the world…," Fakir mumbled, shaking his head, "… why'd they have to choose the weird one?" Princess Tutu's head rose slowly, hearing that insult, as she slowly turned around as she stomped back to the two.
"Hey, Fakir! I heard that!" Tutu shouted.
"So?" Fakir said, not amused, "It's the truth."
"Well, it doesn't matter! Either way, Myuto and I are gonna get married someday!" Tutu snapped.
"Not if I can help it," Fakir mentioned with a grin, "I am Myuto's knight. I'll protect him from weird girls, like you!"
Tutu frowned sourly, angered. "Hey!"
Myuto watched the two quietly. "Fakir, you really shouldn't say such things to girls. It can hurt their feelings," he noted.
Fakir didn't listen as he grabbed a bucket of water. "Myuto, she's no princess! She's just a duck! Watch: I'll just pour some water on her, and she'll turn into a duck!"
Tutu glared. "What are you talking about? I am a princess!"
"Let's see then!" Fakir said as he chased her around with a bucket full of water. Tutu ran quickly, despite wearing a dress. She raced quickly, not wanting the water to get all over her.
"Hey, quit it!" Tutu complained, but laughed in the fun of it. She quickly ran behind Myuto. "Myuto, stop him! He's being mean!"
Myuto looked from Tutu to Fakir. "Fakir, stop doing tha---."
Before Myuto could stop him, Fakir spilled the water all over Myuto and Tutu. Tutu moaned, annoyed that her pretty dress was ruined. Myuto blinked, but laughed. Tutu noticed this and smiled. She grabbed another bucket of water.
"Hey, Fakir!" Tutu called, "Now it's Myuto's and my turn to get you wet!"
Fakir backed away, nervous. "You wouldn't!"
Tutu glanced at Myuto. "Ready, Myuto?"
Myuto nodded with a short smile. "Alright."
The two chased Fakir around, and eventually, all three of them were soaked. But it didn't matter. Afterwards, all three of them were laughing because it was fun.
Fakir, himself, was amused at what had seen. It was a memory of long ago, but it was a good memory, at best. "Duck…," he whispered again as he woke up. Fakir woke up with a yawn, and suddenly realized… the carriage was moving. "Damn, don't tell me…," he thought, nervously, as he opened the door, and peeked his head out, only to find Princess Tutu steering the horses.
"What the hell are you doing, Duck?!"
Tutu peered back to see Fakir was awake. She stopped the carriage as she stepped off from the seat and walked over to Fakir with a smile. "Good morning, Fakir! … Actually I should be saying good afternoon, but…"
"What were you thinking?! Why were you driving the carriage?!"
"I just wanted to try it…," Tutu explained with an innocent voice.
"Well, don't!" Fakir shouted.
"Hm?" Tutu asked, confused.
Fakir sighed as he looked away. "You're such a handful… you idiot."
Tutu glared as she was about to shout, but didn't as the two noticed something ahead. "A… town…?"
Fakir blinked. He glanced at Tutu. "Well? Let's go."
Tutu was taken aback, since just a second ago they were in an argument, and now it's over. She smiled.
"But I'm driving," the Princess of the Swans announced.
"No, you're not," Fakir stated.
Why not?" Tutu asked.
"Because…! Oh, never mind! You're still not driving!" the Knight told her.
"Come on! I can drive good!" Tutu whined.
"The carriage isn't even on the pathway anymore! You drove the carriage down three hills!" Fakir snapped, pointing at the three hills behind them. Tutu glanced at them, but shrugged.
"And if I didn't, we would've probably never seen the town over there!" she reminded him.
"… Never mind."
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"What is it?" Myuto asked as one of his guards approached him. Myuto was looking out the window, awaiting Tutu.
"I'm sorry I must tell you this, Prince, but… we have heard from the neighboring towns near Princess Tutu's kingdom that they saw crows somewhat at the path she was on. They suspect she was attacked, and the whole kingdom's in an outrage…"
Myuto gasped. "No…," he thought, but looked down. He wanted to search for Tutu himself, but he had a kingdom to take care of. He couldn't just leave. Myuto looked up and faced the guard. "I know Tutu's alive… I know it. So is Fakir. I trust Fakir. I know he'll bring Tutu to me," he said.
"Are you sure it's wise to trust that knight of yours, Prince?"
Myuto quietly stared at the guard. He was surprised to see the guard had no faith in Fakir. But Myuto had faith in Fakir. He always had faith in him. "Of course," Myuto told the guard with a reassuring smile, "Fakir is one of my most loyal knights and I have known him for years. I know he'll return, with Princess Tutu."
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Princess Kraehe smiled a cruel smile. "So… they found the town in which it all began, hm?" she asked herself, "I wonder… if Princess Tutu has been in contact with… him yet?"
She looked over at her raven minions, forever loyal to the Princess of the Ravens. They all kneeled in front of her throne, awaiting orders. "Find Tutu," Kraehe commanded them, "Torture her to your heart's content. And as for the knight… if he interferes, kill him."
Her minions obeyed and immediately left her. Kraehe smiled as she stared off in the window and watched the crows fly off. "Soon… Father, you will have your heart, and I… I will have my Prince."
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Tutu and Fakir stepped into the town. It was different from any town Princess Tutu had ever seen. There were animals walking and talking like normal human beings, and none of the humans seemed to mind it. "Fakir… what is this?" she asked him.
"I've heard of a town like this. It's been cursed by some story writer who could write anything, and it would become reality," Fakir said.
"What?"
"They say they had to cut off his arms. And even in death, he was still able to curse this town forever to live in tragedy."
"How terrible…," Tutu mumbled, "But… no one in the town looks like they're in pain, Fakir."
Fakir didn't know why they weren't in pain. He had heard the story writer was cruel, writing stories about tragedies, and for his own personal gain. Do the townspeople even know they're cursed? Fakir wondered. He sighed. He knew they shouldn't have come to the town in the first place; taking Tutu to Myuto was supposed to be his first priority, not taking her to foreign towns. "Hey, Duck, let's just get food and supplies. Don't run off anywhere, got it…?" he told her as he turned to find her gone. Fakir flinched as he backed away, and began looking around quickly. Dammit! Where'd she go now?! Fakir thought, First she goes off saying stupid things about not wanting me to die, then she drives the carriage and gets us off course, and now she runs off to who knows where! That idiot…!
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Princess Tutu's smile grew wide as she gazed at the town and the townspeople. She was only allowed in Myuto's kingdom, and her own, yet never visited the town within her kingdom or Myuto's. Tutu was amazed to see it all. She didn't know where to start looking. "Wow! Fakir, isn't this all… neat…?" Tutu exclaimed with a grin as she turned to face no one. Tutu gulped, worried. Oh, no! I left Fakir by accident! Now he'll get really angry at me! She thought, looking around, her eyes racing, Fakir! Fakir! Where are you…?!
"Hey, are you lost?" a girl asked, walking up to her. The girl had pink hair tied up, and was tomboyish.
"Oh, she's lost all right! Let the torture of being lost begin!" squealed the blonde girl with pigtails and pink ribbons, who followed the pink haired girl.
Tutu blinked as she stared at the two with her big, blue eyes. "Actually… I'm looking for someone…," she explained, "I sorta accidentally got separated from him… His name's Fakir." And as the Princess of the Swans befriended two townspeople of the cursed town, little did she know of the crows flying above her, high up in the sky.
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Sorry it took me so long to write the second chapter!!! … I had a bit of writer's block! As Tutu and Fakir learn more about the cursed town and the story writer who cursed it, Fakir fights Kraehe's Raven minions who are after Tutu as Tutu encounters the writer of tragedies himself! RXR!
