Princess Tutu
~Kapitel des Vogel~
~鳥の章~
(Chapter of the Bird)

27. AKT "The Duck and the Pauper"
~ Dornröschen : Walzer ~

- Part 2 -

Throughout the way back to the academy, Mytho held an occupied silence, seeming to be considering something. Trutho seemed more at a loss for words rather than just trying to keep quiet. The sun was almost below the horizon, and the moon was starting to glow overhead.

When they reached a calm back entrance to the academy, Mytho whispered briefly that they should continue to follow him quietly, but not to act as if anything was wrong. They entered, and crossed the grounds. It was of course impossible to really sneak around, with all the servants and other royal staff members bustling about, but everyone was so busy no one really paid much mind.

Finally, Mytho found a quiet, unoccupied room, and led everyone into it. He seemed more apprehensive than ever. The natural light outside was starting to get dim, so he lit the lamp in the room.

As soon as Mytho closed the door, Trutho burst out, "You're Mytho, aren't you?" as Fakir sat down on a nearby chair.

Mytho blinked, unsure of what this meant. "Yes…"

Trutho's fist banged on his other palm with realization. "That explains it. You've got to be the one everyone kept mistaking me for. Then, you must be…some kind of royalty, I guess."

There was a fleeting look of disappointment in Mytho's eyes, but it was gone in moments and replaced with guarded concern. "Did they realize that you weren't me?"

Trutho shook his head. "…Why? Is that important?"

"Well…I have…something in mind…but…" Mytho trailed off, turning to the window.

Trutho slumped down into another chair and sighed with resignation as Mytho gazed outside. Fakir, remembering old tendencies, lightheartedly checked to be sure the window was too high for him to climb up and jump off of before settling himself back down into his chair.

"Quack?"

"Hm?" Fakir turned to the duck on his shoulder.

Ahiru glanced at Mytho, looked back at Fakir with an angry face, then a questioning one.

"Mytho, angry—" Fakir remembered Ahiru's earlier confusion. "Oh, that… it's kind of a long story, but…did you ever read the entire story of The Prince and the Raven?"

Ahiru shook her head. I don't think I ever got to read the entire book, s'matter of fact...

"It's been a while since I've read it myself...well, not too many people remember this part very well, since it was only a brief, but before the start of the story, the prince had a little brother, and they lived quietly together in a castle within a peaceful town."

Although still looking the other direction, Trutho slid his chair closer towards them, his ears perked up.

"The prince and his little brother liked to play in the castle's courtyards. The prince's little brother would dash around in the grass, poking around at everything and exploring, while the prince himself would sit at a nearby distance, watching him play.

"Then, for some reason, ravens began appearing around the castle. Since ravens weren't known to live anywhere near that area, the prince became suspicious. For the next several days he wouldn't even let his little brother out of the castle. Eventually, with no incident, he let his little brother outside, but kept close by him, with his sword in hand. The ravens lingered around the castle, but they did nothing, barely stirring from their perches. Gradually, the prince's panic subsided, and as before his little brother amused himself around the castle grounds, with his older brother calmly minding him. The ravens remained at a distance, still scrutinizing them warily."

Trutho, listening intently, blinked curiously.

"And then, one day, when the prince was watching his brother skipping stones across a pond, a giant raven, bigger than all the rest and the leader of them all, swooped down and seized him clean off the rocks, carrying him off into the sky. The prince dashed to try to help his brother, but the other ravens blocked him, making it impossible to see where they were headed. The prince, having let his guard down, hadn't brought his sword, and so he ran inside the palace to grab it. But, when he had gotten back outside, the cloud of ravens had disappeared. There only remained a few on the towers, cackling at him. His brother was nowhere to be seen."

Ahiru's eyes wilted sadly. "Quack…"

"The prince conducted a kingdom-wide search for him, but no one was able to find any trace of him. His little brother was lost, gone forever - just about everyone was sure. The prince still held hope, and kept searching. After a long time of fruitless searching, his hope too started to fade. But one thing didn't - his rage towards the ravens for taking his little brother from him. From then on, the ravens were always his enemy, and so…"

Fakir glanced back at Mytho at the window. "…That's how the animosity between them had begun."

Trutho, who had been leaning in his chair towards them, slowly slid back in his chair, thoughtful.

Mytho took a deep breath from where he was standing, closed his eyes, and turned back around from the window. When his eyes opened again, he seemed decided.

"I have a plan," Mytho announced, almost to himself. Everyone in the room turned towards him, wondering exactly what he was talking about.

He paused, wondering where to start. "Do you know of the trouble in Ginkan?"

"You mean, the ravens…?" Fakir shook his head. "You've been thinking about that all along, haven't you?"

"This may sound mad, but I think this is the best – perhaps only – way things will work out."

"Huh?" Trutho blinked. "How do you know about the ravens?"

"…How…? What do you mean?" Mytho asked in response, puzzled. "I got a message as I was returning to Kinkan about raven attacks in Ginkan…"

"I guess the problem didn't go away after I did," Trutho remarked bleakly.

"What do you mean by that?" Mytho inquired, almost interrogatively.

"Um, er…I was in Ginkan before, and ravens kind of, I don't know, seemed to stalk me, or something like that…" He stumbled upon his words, as if the recollection had flustered him a bit.

Mytho's expression turned solemn. "That settles it."

Trutho's brows tilted nervously. "Wh-what…?"

"I must go there, immediately. The ravens will get out of hand if nothing is done. Yet, if I am absent, people will suspect something, and sooner or later will find out where I am, whereupon they'll implore me to come back out of fear for my safety, or for many other reasons I might be wanted here.. And…" Mytho looked somewhat sheepish. "I don't know if I'll ever hear the end of it from Rue if she knew…"

"Then, what does this have to do with me?" Trutho inquired. "What did I say that made you so sure about something?"

"You'll be safe if you stay here in the academy, and within the town," Mytho replied. "If I'm gone, and you take my place, no one will be the wiser, and I will be able to take care of the ravens in the meanwhile. And…I can't risk losing you again."

Trutho blinked confusedly. "B-but…I…"

Fakir spoke up in Trutho's pause. "Mytho, you don't have to go through all this trouble. I could go to Ginkan just as easily and deal with the problems there. There's no need for you to be gone if you'd be missed here." Ahiru, on Fakir's shoulder, quacked heartily in agreement, indicating that she was up to such a trip as well.

Mytho's fist clenched involuntarily. "No!"

Fakir blinked, startled at Mytho's reaction.

Taken aback by his own harshness, Mytho composed himself and said more softly, "No…Fakir, Tutu, I appreciate what you're offering to do, but…this is my problem. My responsibility. I have to deal with the ravens personally."

"Then, we'll come with you," Fakir offered. "It'll be easier if there are more people with you."

Mytho shook his head. "I couldn't ask it of you…" Seeing Fakir's determined face, he added, "And if I have too many people with me, it may attract too much attention, thus giving me away."

"We can still help," Fakir insisted with a complementing quack from Ahiru.

Mytho sighed. "You two truly are the most caring companions one could have… I suppose you could keep an eye out for Trutho for me while I'm gone…"

Fakir closed his eyes. "It's fine like that, but still…" His frown deepened. "If you're planning to go alone like this…think about it, Mytho. First of all things, how can he—" he indicated Trutho off to the side, "pass off for you? He might look like you, but he's not completely the same. His eyes, for example." He gestured to Trutho's azure eyes. "His resemblance might be enough for people who don't know you, like the people in the town, but others are bound to see the difference right away."

Mytho paused a moment. He knew Fakir had a point. Then, a woman's voice in his mind murmured from a memory, "…modify into the color of the powder. In this case, of course, it is your exact match." He took out the jar in his pocket. "So, that was what the purpose of this was…"

"What is that?"

Mytho told Fakir about what Takako had said about the jar.

"This dust stuff, if you rub it on your eyes, it makes them change color?" Trutho already had the jar in his hands, and was looking at it all over, examining it curiously like a small child. "Do you have to dust it into your eyes, or can you do it with your eyes closed?"

After realizing that the jar was gone from his hand, Mytho replied, "Well, you can just dust it on your eyelids…but…"

Trutho immediately took some of it into his forefingers and sprinkled some on his right eye. He blinked a couple times, and then turned to the mirror on the wall.

At first nothing seemed to happen. But abruptly, the color of Trutho's right eye faded from blue to amber, matching Mytho's own. He gaped at this, staring at his right eye with awe.

Then, very unexpectedly, Komaro walked right into the room, looking around.

"Oh, your Majesty, there you are, I was wondering when you would get…back…" He spotted Trutho by the mirror.

Trutho realized someone had entered, and glanced back towards Komaro, startled.

Komaro blinked dumbly. "…Huh?"

Mytho put his hand over his face. "Oh no, not this…"

Komaro started to put up a finger, then realized it was rude to point, and his finger wilted as his eyes rolled from Trutho to Mytho and back several times. "Er…Mytho-sama…and Mytho-sama? Or Mytho-sama with left blue eye…uh…your Highness, or is it you…?" he asked, looking back at Trutho. "Could one of you, or, er…"

He erupted into a panic. "Could someone tell me what's going on?"

Mytho put a finger to his mouth nervously. "Shh, keep it down!"

Fakir quickly got up closed the door, checking that there was no one else in the hallway.

"I suppose there's nothing for it now," Mytho sighed, "I can't keep it a secret from you, at least."

"F-first off…who is this other person, who looks like you a little too much?"

"Umm," Trutho spoke up before Mytho, "he says that I'm his little brother. But otherwise…I don't remember him. But I could have…since I do remember having forgot a lot, if you know what I mean…"

Mytho glanced outside. The sun was completely set now, and the stars were beginning to appear. "Komaro, what time is it?" he asked with an air of urgency.

Komaro, still quite taken aback, calmed down as best as he could and replied, "A-actually, I went around to tell you that the ball will soon commence, that the final preparations are being made…I had figured you'd be back by now…"

Mytho grimaced to himself. "There's very little time, then…I'll have to work swiftly." He turned to Trutho. "Could you dust some of that in your other eye?"

"O-okay," Trutho replied. "But, uh…does this stuff come off?"

"I believe that water will wash it off," Mytho answered, remembering Takako's parting words.

"What are you doing, your Highness…?" Komaro queried uneasily. "Why are you…?"

"I am going to Ginkan," Mytho replied, "I have to help the people there deal with the ravens. I can't delay any more than I have been."

"What? All of a sudden like this?" Komaro was flabbergasted. "I mean, surely you could wait until after the opening gala, and then it could be arranged more formally, and then people will know you're coming—"

"Which is precisely what I don't want."

Komaro only blinked, but Mytho knew exactly what he wanted to ask.

"If I let everyone know I'm going, a big fuss would erupt amongst all the royal staff, I know it. There would be all sorts of interruptions and holdups, trying to prepare, and it would be weeks before I could actually get out of the palace. That's saying nothing of how the town would react." Mytho sighed exasperatedly. "Much can happen in that short time of 'preparation'. I must help those people! Any delay would be putting them in danger, and ravens – I can't risk it. Never again."

Mytho took on a calm but just as fierce appearance as he had when he remembered what happened to his brother. He had made up his mind. Fakir knew that it was in his very nature to rescue those in danger, his instinct to protect weaker ones. There was no talking him out of this.

Finally snapping out of his shock, Komaro asked, "Does this mean that your brother will be replacing you in the castle?" At this, Trutho looked startled, as if it hadn't really occurred to him until now. "Who will be going with you?"

"That's the only possible way I can think of that will work," Mytho replied, "I'll go alone. I wouldn't want one more person put in danger because of me."

"Your Majesty, pardon me," Komaro said with a respectful bow, "but above all else, if I cannot persuade you to delay your leave, I must come with you. Going alone on a mission like this is too dangerous; what if something happened to you? How would anyone be able to help?"

"Our offer still stands as well, Mytho," Fakir added while Ahiru nodded furiously. "We'll all go with you."

"Komaro…Fakir, Tutu…I couldn't put you all in danger…"

"If these ravens are as dangerous as you're treating them, then both you and I would be less in danger if there were more heads instead of one."

"Komaro…"

"Sire, to tell you the truth, I don't know if I'd stand it if I had to stay behind," Komaro went on. "I tell you, I'd go mad; I'd always be wondering, what's happening now? Are you hurt? Has anything gone wrong? What if you were to need help and no one was around to assist you? I'd worry myself to death!"

I suppose he's got a point there, especially for him… "Still, Komaro—"

"Sir!" Komaro's expression grew resolute. Mytho noticed his gradual change in address and this meant he was getting more and more persistent. "Whatever my opinion of the matter is, it is my job to assist you in whatever tasks you may need to perform. If I stay here, I wouldn't be doing my job, would I?"

Komaro bowed low, a knee to the ground, a fist over his heart. "Please…let me be of assistance." Mytho knew that at this point, if he absolutely didn't want to listen, the prince would remind Komaro of the respect he owed, and to remember the proper addresses that he had forgotten in his resoluteness. Then he, the prince, would be able to do as he wished and Komaro would back off despite his own personal judgment.

But did Mytho really want to do that?

"All right, Komaro," Mytho gave in. "I suppose it would do me well to have one accompanying me. How soon will you be prepared to leave?"

"Well…as soon as you are, Mytho-sama," Komaro replied.

"Good. We best leave as soon as possible, as fast as we can get—"

"Hold it, your Highness!" Komaro exclaimed. "Meaning no insult to your Grace, I think the anxiety this matter has caused you prevents you from thinking this matter through clearly. Right now, the roads and gates are crowded with people. If we leave now, we'll be spotted for sure, and your hopes for a quiet exit are ruined. Let us wait a little; as soon as most of the guests have arrived and things have settled down, we can sneak out around the back and no one will be the wiser."

Mytho considered this. "Yes, that sounds more reasonable. That means, though, that I will need to spend the time during the beginning of the gala for covert preparations, and that means…" He turned to Trutho. "You will need to stand in my place at the dining. Fakir, Tutu, if you would be so kind as to keep watch over him—"

"What – now?" Trutho exclaimed.

"Please, little brother," Mytho pleaded, "I know this may be asking much of you after having just met again, but there's nothing else to be done. Please, dress in my formal garments and stand in for me until I return from my mission. I beg this of you."

Trutho looked at Mytho. Trutho didn't know that face very well, but he could tell that Mytho knew Trutho's like the back of his hand. It made him feel awkward, almost guilty that he couldn't remember what the other did. It reminded Trutho of his past frustrations whenever he had tried in vain to remember his past.

He had no idea what was going on right now, and he felt inclined to object to something, but maybe…just maybe, if he stuck around for a while, maybe he'd get a glimpse into that past that had been eluding him for so long.

"All right," Trutho answered, taking a breath. "What do I do?"

o-o-o-o-o

CLANK. Click clank click clank click clank… The cluster of gears had begun revolving once again.

A mouth with a curly white beard smirked as Drosselmeyer's characteristic chuckle escaped his lips. "Heh heh heh heh…so, this is how the story starts once more…"

"Tussle-mayor's coat is getting caught in the gears-zura!"

o-o-o-o-o

Fakir sat down at the long, large dining table where all of the nobles and others invited were to sit. It was a couple seats away from the two end seats, which were slightly more ornate and currently unoccupied. Ahiru took a special seat on Fakir's shoulder, admiring the intricate silverware.

Fakir knew that he wouldn't be able to relax too much as a guest; he'd have to keep a close eye on Trutho and be ready to clear things up if he slipped, as he had promised Mytho before the prince left to prepare. And as confident as Trutho looked, he'd need it.

"Now presenting their royal majesties, the Prince Siegfried and Princess Rue!"

Rue and "Mytho" entered the room through a large archway, servants on either side. Rue had her arm around Trutho's, whose agitation was barely constrained. His eyes, dyed to the color of his older brother's golden brown, held a potent mixture of confusion and apprehension. Ostensibly, it appeared as if Rue did not notice anything, except if one observed closely; she glanced at him periodically, scrutinizing his every move.

When they got to their seats, Trutho made as if to sit down, but when Rue looked at him with puzzlement, he slowly stood back up. All of the others stood up as well. Rue gazed at Trutho expectantly. Trutho stood there, blinking, as all the nobles along the row of chairs stared at him in the same way Rue was. He couldn't stand it. He fidgeted nervously, tongue-tied, driven beyond any verbal response with so many people staring at him.

"Oy, get started already!" A lady noble muttered loudly. Fakir glared at her, and then recognized her as the one who had nearly run over Ahiru before with a darkening expression. Ahiru glowered at the ginger-haired young lady, and then stuck her tail out at her. Some of the other nobles glanced derisively at the young woman as well.

Rue glared at Trutho in disbelief, and then turned to the politely waiting audience. "I would like to welcome you all to the homecoming gala we have gathered to celebrate tonight." This was followed by light applause.

As Rue went on with the speech, Fakir and Ahiru heard a servant of the offending ginger-haired lady whisper to her, "Kamome-sama, please, try to be polite…it's a formal occasion…" Lady Kamome snorted at this.

When Rue had finished her talk, she and Trutho sat down. Trutho had such a bad case of stage fright that it looked like he might be sick. Rue had those scrutinizing eyes again.

Fakir grimaced. This was not a good outset. At this rate, Trutho would be found out by dessert. Or sooner. Fakir wracked his brain, but he had no idea what he could do at this point to alleviate suspicions.

When Trutho began eating, he held the fork in such a way that he gripped the handle of it in his fist, instead of like gracefully holding a quill like Mytho usually did. Rue looked curiously at this, but said nothing. She thought a moment, and then asked him a question.

"Do you remember, Mytho, when we danced together when I was just a child?"

Trutho, of course, remembered no such thing. He tried to play along, hoping he'd be able to pass it off. "Er…yes, I remember now, um…you were just so cute, and I…enjoyed those times…"

Rue didn't look convinced, but she seemed to take it as partially adequate.

With Rue right beside Trutho, Fakir couldn't possibly get a chance to prod him in the right direction without her seeing. This wasn't working out at all. Fakir shook his head. In his haste, Mytho made some serious errors in judgment, even with his first assistant with a cooler head and Fakir himself giving him counsel. This could have been foreseen, but how could they have anticipated all the short ends with such short notice?

Rue asked Trutho, "Do you remember when we finally became Prince and Princess?"

Trutho answered shakily, "…Y-yes, I remember."

"Tell me about it again, won't you?"

Oh, great… "Well," Trutho began, "I remember when we first met…" Wait, she talked about Mytho dancing with her when she was a kid, right? "I remember, I thought that you were…charming."

Rue kept her gaze on him, expecting more.

"Um…and when we finally were together, I…" Cut me some slack, won't you? You're sure one tough cookie to fool…

Rue thought for a moment, and then asked another question. "I hope you remember recently…when we accidentally fell out of the window together?"

Fakir winced. Unless it had happened when they were away, nothing of that sort had happened to them…

Trutho feigned knowledge like he had been. "…I remember that now. It was lucky neither of us was hurt very badly…"

Fakir spotted the suspicious look on Rue's face and buried his face in his hand. Clearly, such had not been the case. Disaster was coming.

But as soon as it had appeared, Rue's expression became closed. Because of this, in Trutho's own relief, the fake prince did not notice the air of wariness on her face. Fakir noticed her eyes dart around the room. She seemed to calm down and start eating, but the closed expression remained on her face.

"Quack…?" Ahiru whispered to Fakir worriedly.

"No, Ahiru, I don't think all is well now…" Fakir shook his head. "The only thing we can do is keep an eye out…if only it wasn't Rue, and someone else farther away from him…"

"Are you feeling all right?"

"Huh?" Fakir glanced to his left to see an old nobleman wearing a dull red coat and a monocle frown at him concernedly.

"You haven't eaten for ages," he noted aloud. "Is something upsetting you?"

"No…of course not," he answered halfheartedly. He had barely eaten anything, that was true, but he was too nervous then to feel much hunger.

His head pricked up when Rue finally spoke to Trutho again.

"Mytho, could you follow me? We have something to talk about…"

Trutho made a nervous half-smile. "Oh, really? Wh-what about?"

As clueless as 'Mytho' was, Fakir realized the seriousness of the situation. He knew he had to follow. So, when Rue led Trutho away to a quieter area, Fakir quietly excused himself and he and Ahiru followed them loosely behind.

Fakir overheard two noblewomen talking as he left.

"Where are the Prince and Princess going?" one asked another.

"Oh, I know…they must be getting ready their ballet performance after dinner. You know, this town is all about ballet…it's one of the main subjects at the fine arts school their palace hosts, besides painting and music and all…"

o-o-o-o-o

When Rue and Trutho arrived at a spare bedroom, they went in and Rue closed the door. She was calm. She took a breath.

Then, she went on attack. "You. Who are you, and what did you do with Mytho!"

Trutho held his hands up nervously. "Uh, um…er, hahahaha, Rue, that's um, very funny…"

"I am not joking." Rue scowled. "I will ask you again. Who are you, and where is Mytho?" She advanced on him. "I'm warning you, if you don't tell me right now this instant…!"

Trutho backed up against the door, terrified. Then, with an outcry, he exclaimed, "H-he made me do it, all right!"

Rue's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean by—"

Fakir, just outside right then, burst in at that moment, sending Trutho careening off onto the side of the wall face first, causing none too much discomfort to him.

"Ow!" Trutho got himself off of the wall, and glared at the person behind the door furiously. "Hey, what's the big…!"

Trutho noticed that Fakir was standing behind the door. "—ide…a…?"

Rue accosted him immediately. "What are you doing here? Do you have something to do with this?"

"Mytho left to fight the ravens," Fakir said simply, knowing what Mytho had told him to do if Rue found out.

Rue's mouth dropped in shock. After some moments, she shook her head with frustration. "I should have known. That was what had been bothering him the whole day, wasn't it? Mytho…that's just like you to fret so much about people who could possibly need your help. You had to act so rashly, Mytho…I hope he knows what he's doing…"

"Komaro went with him," Fakir added. "I think we'll be able to keep in contact if we use Komaro as an excuse for messages."

Rue shook her head again, sighing tersely. "I suppose Mytho would have left already, wouldn't he," she muttered jadedly. "Even if I did catch up to him…I doubt I'd get him to change his mind."

She turned to Trutho. "Who are you, anyway?"

Trutho scratched his head. "He's been telling me all along I'm his little brother, or something like that, but I lost my memory of when I was little, so…"

Rue's eyes widened again. "What, you're…?" She blinked a few times. "I had no idea that his little brother had still survived…"

She went from surprised to acquiescent. "All right, I don't really have any choice, then. We'll just have to play along with Mytho's charade and hope for the best. In the meantime, we have a pas de deux to perform."

Trutho blinked bewilderedly. "A poddy-what?"

Rue glared at Trutho. "Are you trying to be funny?"

"What?" Trutho replied sincerely. "I don't have any idea what that…phrase you said was."

"Don't you know anything about ballet?"

"Ballet? It's kinda hard to learn things like that on the streets, you know. And definitely not that…uh, padey-doo thing."

Fakir rolled his eyes. "A pas de deux is when usually a man and a woman dance a special ballet dance together. It's relatively advanced."

Trutho's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying you want me to do ballet?" He shook his head vehemently. "No way, I am not going in front of an audience and dancing tippy-toe with a tutu on!"

Rue was so insulted she was speechless for several moments. Even Ahiru quacked loudly in protest.

"Men don't wear the tutus, you know," Fakir replied evenly.

"That's not the point!" Trutho exclaimed. "I don't know anything about ballet, and you're saying I need to go out there and pretend I do? Do some ballet dance that I have no idea what it is? I am not doing it!"

"I wouldn't ever, in any case, not with you," Rue replied scathingly. "But…as much as I would like to abandon the idea right this moment, it's just about impossible. I couldn't simply go up and tell everyone we were too ill to dance when we came to dinner just fine…"

"But it would be just as awkward to perform with this clown on stage," Fakir pointed out. Trutho glared at him.

"What should we do then?" Rue asked with exasperation.

Fakir sighed. "If it comes to it, I'll dance instead."

Rue merely looked at him.

"I'm doing it for Mytho. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's his plan, and somehow I let him persuade me to let him do it." He paused. "I suppose I owe him that much anyway."

Rue took a breath. "All right. That's the best we can do." She opened the door. "It's almost time. This way."

"See you later, Ahiru," Fakir said a goodbye to the duck on his shoulder as it flapped off onto the ground. Then Fakir followed Rue out of the room.

There was silence for some moments as Trutho stood there without a word, with Ahiru looking curiously up at him.

Finally, he turned around and walked towards the bed. He stood there for a moment, then turned on a side and flopped onto it dejectedly, arms splaying across the bedspread, as if he were some useless, insignificant rag doll. His eyes clenched shut. When he opened them, they were shimmering moistly, and his eyes faded back to his native color.

Ahiru waddled up to him. Her azure eyes held gentle concern, gazing up at the boy who resembled the prince.

Trutho sat up again slowly, discreetly wiping the wetness out between his eyelids, and glanced down at the feathery yellow bird with his bright cerulean eyes. "Hey, duck. It's good to know that someone in the world's still on my side."

Ahiru quacked cheerfully in reply.

"I mean…" Trutho hesitated, and then took a breath and started confessing all the thoughts crowding his mind. "You know, I didn't expect anything to happen when I came to Kinkan. I knew I'd have a fresh start and everything, but then when people started paying attention to me, kind of too much, I'm wondering what's going on. I don't like that many people staring at me, you know? And then I just come upon a guy who looks just like me and he tells me I'm his long lost brother? That's kind of a lot to swallow already. And then he has some issues with ravens in my old town too, and he leaves me to pretend to be him in all this royalty stuff I have no idea about. And then, after all that, I have to do a ballet performance with this professional performer lady when I barely know what ballet is beyond standing on your toes in a tutu? It's just too much for me to deal with on my lonesome."

Ahiru looked thoughtful. "Quack quack!" Ballet isn't all that hard if you know the basics!

"Yeah, but you see, that's the problem," Trutho replied. "I don't know the basics, or anything about it really. I've never danced ballet in my life, or as far as I can remember I guess…"

Ahiru blinked. "…Qua?"

It was just like the first time they met: Trutho could somehow understand what she was saying, despite being a duck. How else could he have known she was talking about ballet just now?

"Oh…that…" Trutho impulsively glanced left and right. "Well, I suppose it's all right to tell you…"

He made sure the door was closed, and then sat back down on the bed and held up his hand in a whisper toward her. "I can understand you because, well, ever since I could remember I've had the ability to communicate with animals. You're a duck, so that would include you."

Ahiru's eyes widened with awe. "Qua…" Wow…

Trutho sat back up and smiled. "Actually, I think I can understand you even better than other animals, for some reason. It's like you're used to talking with humans!"

Ahiru sweatdropped. Indeed, she was used to talking with humans, especially since she had been a human for quite a while herself. But of course, he didn't know that. She smiled sort of awkwardly. "…Q-quack…" Eheh…wh-what do you know…

Trutho shrugged. "Well, it makes sense. You stick around with that other guy all the time, so that sorta thing would be natural, I suppose." He lay back down on the bed. "Yeah…anyway…" He sighed. "I guess I have a problem if I'm supposed to know ballet to pretend to be that prince, but I don't. I won't be able to put up this act for long."

Ahiru thought a moment, and then put her two webbed feet together, heel-to-heel so that her feet pointed opposite directions. Then, she made a horizontal circle with her wings level with her shoulders. Trutho watched curiously.

Ahiru quacked at him, asking him to do as she did. He might've felt kind of embarrassed to do some kind of weird pose, but he reasoned with himself, if a duck could do it, why couldn't he? Puzzled, but compliant, he copied her movements. She quacked again.

Trutho blinked. "So that's…'first position?'"

Ahiru assented merrily. "Quack!"

Trutho looked thoughtful. "This is actually ballet?" A look of surprised ease crossed his face. "Not too bad, actually…what's 2nd position?"

Ahiru spread her legs apart, but kept her webbed toes still pointing outwards. She did the same with her wings.

"That's all?" He imitated her. "Second position, huh…what's third? And there's a fourth? How about a fifth? And a sixth? No, I guess not…" I wonder what Rue-san and…that other guy – didn't catch his name – are dancing now…

o-o-o-o-o

Rue balanced one foot on a stool, tying her other dark red pointe shoe. She wore her trademark claret performance ballet skirt from her prior days at the academy, along with her black hair elegantly tied back in a bun.

Fakir appeared, dressed in a simple but appropriate blue shirt tied in a knot at the bottom and black pants suitable for dancing.

Rue finished strapping her tie and stood back up. She glanced towards the lighted stage beyond the stage curtains. "All right. Remember, first I go on by myself, and when I start the fouetté twirl, you come in. Ad-libbing is terribly unprofessional, but it will have to do." She looked dutifully resigned to her fate.

"I'll do my best," Fakir replied.

The lights around the stage dimmed while the audience quieted in excitement, except for one ginger-haired lady who seemed to quiet down only because everyone else was. A servant went in front of the curtain and spoke an introduction. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present…the Prince and Princess, dancing a pas de deux."

The audience applauded. Many barely knew what a pas de deux was, but had heard of Kinkan's skill in the arts, particularly ballet, so they were looking forward to a dazzling performance.

The curtain lifted. The lights were on, but no dancer was on stage. The audience waited only moments when Rue danced onto the stage, twirling slowly and gracefully as she went, as if she were dancing to a gentle waltz. Then she stopped and stood on the point of her toeshoe in an arabesque. From there she turned the other direction and leaped, finishing the move with a twirl.

The audience watched eagerly, wondering when the other dancer would appear on the stage.

Rue pirouetted around the stage, adding various elegant arm motions that made the stage seem like a separate, surreal world. After she reached the center of the stage again she started to spin swiftly around in place, waiting.

As she whirled around, Fakir strode gracefully onstage, came up next to Rue, and held a hand out to her. Rue stopped twirling and looked at Fakir.

This confused the audience, though they were silent about it. Who was this young man? Where was the prince? After some moments, they told themselves that perhaps the prince was to come later in the program. They kept watching.

Fakir and Rue took each other's hands and marched gracefully to the center of the stage. Then, they began the movements of the pas de deux. Their expressions were strictly professional, appropriate and with flair but no passion, particularly not toward each other. A ballet expert might have noticed this difference, but not the unknowing audience in front of them. The pair then promenaded around the stage. It was as if they were in a ballroom, the star virtuosos, while everything else – the scenery, the music, even the audience – simply faded into the background.

No one's eyes were looking away from the dancers. No one had any idea of who was leaving in the opposite direction while the former Knight and the Princess danced in front of the audience.

o-o-o-o-o

Two figures on horseback exited the gates of Kinkan. One was a cloaked figure on a dignified white horse. The other young man was not cloaked, but had on a high-ranked royal servant's uniform, riding on a sturdy brown steed.

The cloaked individual said to the other, "I think we may ride faster outside of the town gates. There will be no one to see us this late in the night."

After an acquiescing nod from the uncloaked young man, the one with the mantle on took off his hood. His pearly hair glowed in the moonlight like a soft lantern in the darkness. The true prince tugged his reigns and his mount broke from standing to a gallop, and the other young man echoed him.

In a small lake nearby, a great blue heron dozed in the reeds of the shallow shores. A noise roused her. Her eyes slid open groggily. At first, she closed her eyes again, but after the sounds grew louder, she raised her head and strode over to the banks to take a glance at what was happening.

The night brought in slight fog surrounding the pond, but in the bright moonlight, Sagi could make out the figures on horseback galloping by. One was on a brown horse, and he seemed to have servant's robes on. The other person on the white mount, however, had distinctive short white hair, on which a golden crown was placed. A prince, then, Sagi noted to herself.

By this time, the two young men had already passed by. Sagi chewed over this for a little while, wondering why a prince would be out this late at night on horseback. If what Ahiru had told her before was correct, hadn't he just returned from somewhere? Perhaps he had forgotten something back where he came from. But wouldn't he just send a servant instead of getting it himself? She saw that a person looking like his servant was with him, but…

Finding she was too sleepy to ponder this in entirety, she made a mental note to bring the matter up to Ahiru the next morning when she came. Perhaps she had some more information, and didn't she live in the town with her human friend? After some minutes had past, Sagi had continued her nightly slumber, at peace in the reeds of the lake.

o-o-o-o-o

Meanwhile, Fakir and Rue finished their dance with flourishing strides from the back of the stage to the very front, jumping to the final pose, arms thrust up to the ceiling. They gazed towards each other somberly.

The audience applauded cordially, many standing up in great approval. Quite a few were also wondering why the prince hadn't appeared, but many had already forgotten that matter, astounded by the performance.

Fakir and Rue bowed, receiving the applause generously. They walked stylishly offstage, the viewers still clapping.

When they were behind the curtains once more, a servant went up to them almost right away and asked, "Umm…what happened to the Prince? Why didn't he show up?"

Rue's eyes narrowed. "Why? Why didn't he show up, you ask?" she asked him with severe poise. "Are you saying that we didn't dance well?" Fakir rolled his eyes discreetly.

"Oh, no!" he exclaimed a little loudly. "No, of course not, Rue-sama…you danced marvelously…I was just, um…" He faltered a little under Rue's intense gaze. "…um, just wondering where Mytho-sama was…"

"He's not feeling so well. So he wasn't supposed to dance tonight anyway." Rue looked at him again. "Didn't you know that?"

"Umm…yeah, sure!"

Rue paused, and then added, "If anyone else asks about it, tell them that for me."

"Sure! Right away!" He scampered off, glad to be out of the range of who was secretly known in the servant's quarters as Rue the Ruthless.

Fakir took a breath after a moment. "We should probably go and check on Ahiru and the prince's little brother, make sure he hasn't done anything stupid while we were gone."

"You're probably right." She set off back for the waiting room. Fakir walked the same direction.

As they strolled along, Rue remarked, "This is a thin act. I might be able to cover up some of that boy's ballet ineptitude, but I won't be able to hide the fact that he doesn't know anything about dance at all for long."

Fakir sighed, silently agreeing.

They finally got to the door of their destination. Fakir was about to open the door when he heard quite a bit of floor movement, as if someone were stomping or moving their feet about a lot. He turned the door open a creak and peeked inside. His eyes blinked a couple of times in amazement.

"What is it?" Rue inquired uneasily. Fakir wordlessly opened the door a tiny crack more for her to see.

"So, this is the spinning move…what's it called again? Oh, yeah, a pirouette," Trutho responded to a quack from Ahiru. He attempted to do a spin on one foot, but lost his balance and fell over, dizzy. Ahiru waddled over to him, making sure he was okay, and Trutho gave the thumbs up.

"Hmm, let me review the positions again," he said. "Okay, first position is like…this, right?" he asked, putting his heels together and putting his arms round in front of him, clumsily but accurately. After a nod from Ahiru, he split his arms and legs apart, adding, "And this is second position, right? Oh, good…and then, third position…"

Rue's mouth dropped slightly. She blinked a couple of times in disbelief. In moments though she recovered herself gracefully. "Well…I suppose there is some hope for him, then," Rue muttered. "Mind you, that's the bare basics, and Mytho knew well beyond…"

As Rue went on about Mytho's ballet prowess, Fakir was pondering over something else. When Rue, a princess, tried to make him dance with her (even though she was against the idea) he flatly and blatantly refused to have anything to do with it. Plus, he was nearly frightened out of his wits. But if Ahiru, a mere duck, suggested some tips and taught him, unobserved, in a quiet room, he could learn in a short amount of time basic skills of ballet that he had perhaps no idea about at all at first.

For some reason this image intrigued him. He had been missing his muse for some days now, and the stories he had been working on had withered in lack of nourishment. Still, it did not surprise him of one thing: that Ahiru was the one who would refresh his ideas in the end.

Rue grew impatient and finally swung open the door. Trutho started and tumbled back down on top of the bed in surprise. "Oh…you're back!"

"I thought you said you couldn't dance," Rue inquired doggedly.

"Well, I couldn't, especially at the time you asked me," Trutho replied rebelliously. "Besides, I still can't dance…not even close to competently, anyway…" Blinking, he turned to Fakir. "Actually, I still don't know your name…would you mind telling me?"

"I'm Fakir," Fakir replied, "and this duck is Ahiru." Ahiru quacked in emphasis. "And you call yourself Trutho, right? I wasn't entirely sure of your name either…"

"No problem," Trutho replied, "I kinda like it that way. If too many people know your name, it kind of gets…annoying."

"Annoying?" Rue inquired. "How could your name being known be annoying?"

"Then you just feel like you're in the spotlight all the time, right? That's annoying to me."

"I'd rather be in the spotlight, if that's what you're talking about. I don't see anything wrong with being paid attention to."

Fakir sighed. No matter what happened, it seemed impossible for these two to ever see eye-to-eye with each other.

o-o-o-o-o

Drosselmeyer swung on a pendulum, chuckling to himself. "Heheheheh…now the plot is set up! And with such curiosities on hand! The Prince has set off for another town to fight the ravens, the Prince's little brother takes his brother's place alongside the Princess, and even the former Knight and the duck are twisted up in matters!"

He smirked viciously, holding up the large black feather. "And we haven't even come to the matter of the Raven yet…"

All the meanwhile, Uzura tapped her drum with an incessant pling! pling! pling!

"Now, spin out a story! Tell a tale like no tale told before!" Drosselmeyer spread his arms wide to the cluster of character apparatus.

Uzura paused and took out the precious yellow quill. "Don't worry, Ahiru-chan. I'll make sure to keep this safe for you-zura."

o-o-o-o-o

"…And so, the duck taught the clumsy prince how to dance. A simple little duck, whom no one would think of any use to a prince, being his mentor when all the most distinguished dance instructors failed to be able to teach him. For all those tutors failed to have something the duck had plenty of: patient, unrelenting dedication to teach a willing student."

Fakir sat back from his chair. The soft, warm light of Ahiru's red lamp lit up the desk. Ahiru was already asleep in the bathtub. He had stayed up a little to finish the story, but he was glad he did. He had been on a roll.

He glanced at the other stories that he had put aside for the time being. The one that he had been working on before his writer's block lay on top. The last part of it read:

The spirit of the lake told the duck, "You have been so good to me, and so kind to my inhabitants, that I will reward you with the thing you most desire. Tell me: what is it you want the most?" The duck replied…

That was as far as he was able to go before his writer's block set in. He wasn't really sure what she wanted most. What would a duck want? He did wish Ahiru was human again, at least for a short time, so he could talk to her, and she would be able to talk back. Was that what she sincerely wanted, though? Sure, he doubted that she'd hate it, and sometimes she showed her frustration at her limitation in expression, but…well, it reminded him of writing. People couldn't truly write only feeling that they had a duty to do so. And in the same way, he couldn't just say to himself that he knew Ahiru would love it if he wrote her back to being human again; she'd say she'd be happy, but that wouldn't say much about what she really felt. He never wanted to manipulate others in his writing, only to support them for what they truly wanted to accomplish.

Besides…whenever he came up to her to ask her about it, for some reason he found himself at a loss for words. He couldn't seem to put it right. He'd always end up forfeiting the endeavor and covering it up with something irrelevant.

He yawned and glanced towards the direction of the bathtub. Maybe he was being stupid. After how hard it was to return to how it would've been without the story, the way things were supposed to be, it would seem unfitting to bring such things back. But, the Ahiru he knew during the story was no fairy-tale, no fake personality that disappeared after the story concluded.

Maybe she was never meant to be human. But, would it be a lie or a fleeting fantasy for her to be human again? It couldn't be just a dream for her to be who she had always been, could it?

He put down the quill and turned down the light of the scarlet lamp on his desk. He'd continue writing the next morning, watching Ahiru dip her plumed head into the shallows. It was funny; so much had happened that day, and yet tomorrow Ahiru and he would go down to the lake like usual, yesterday but a memory to marvel at. How the days go by incessantly, stopping for nothing no matter what happens. It was encouraging, in a way.

Fakir pulled aside the covers of his bed and slid in. The moonlight cast a sharp, shadowy light across the room, outlining the windowpanes the rays came through.

He thought it could have been a full moon tonight, but he wasn't quite sure. Perhaps there was still a sliver to be filled in the next night. Or maybe it was past, and the next night would bring one less shard of moonlight. But that didn't really matter. His eyes closed.

Soon he was asleep. He didn't see the moonlight gradually ebb away as a small cloud drifted across the sky.

Next episode preview

Fakir and Autor sit on the dock by the lake outside the town.
"Drosselmeyer," Fakir mutters the name with utter contempt. "Does he have to define the way I live?"
"He is your direct ancestor, after all."
Rue knocks on the door next to her bedroom, where Trutho is dashing for the exit to the hall.
"Trutho, what do you think you're doing?"
Ahiru and Sagi sit by the lake, and a watery being appears pirouetting in front of them.
"Have you ever thought about what you most wanted?" the watery being asks. "Because whatever it is, if it's within my power, I'll grant it."
(Ahiru's voice) "Wish for…? I don't know…what to wish for…"
A young man with black curly hair and a young woman with long aqua hair curled at the ends sit at opposite ends of a fountain.
(A deep masculine voice) "Ravens…what do you think of them?"
"What are you doing here?" Autor and Fakir ask each other curtly in unison in a dorm's doorway.
Water swirls around the duck and the heron as Fakir and Autor rush towards them.
(The watery being's voice) "Then, it shall be so."

Princess Tutu
~Kapitel des Vogel~
28. AKT "Resurrection"
~ Mondschein Sonata : Adagio sostenuto ~

All children who love stories, come gather round once more! Heheheheheh…

Extra notes:

("sah-gi" heron in Japanese)
(Ginkan means 'silver crown' – a spin-off of Kinkan 'gold crown')
("komadori" means "robin" dori/tori means bird and "-ro" is a common Japanese ending for a boy's name)
("taka" in Takako means "hawk", "-ko" is a common suffix to a girl's name)
("kamome" means 'seagull')

27. AKT Music List
(the time ranges listed show what part of the track is used in the scene, based either on the tracks of the original soundtrack or the source classical music; you can also listen to or download the music used in each episode at this link here: hidden-currents DOT org SLASH cotb_ost DOT htm)

"Avant Title"
Played after the first sentence during the prologue, and stops right before the title.
The mysterious music used in each episode's prologue during the series; a foreboding version of "March" from the Nutcracker.

"Morning Grace (TV vrs.)"
Played at the title screen; imagine opening sequence here.
(Artist: Ritsuko Okazaki) The opening of Princess Tutu; shortened version played in the show.

"Ichinichi no Hajimari"
(start 0:23 until 1:34)
Played at the start of the story after the title; cut off when Charon asks Ahiru and Fakir if they will greet 'them'.
A bright, cheerful, morning-like version of Miniature Overture.

"Ichinichi no Hajimari"
(Clock Tower Bell) (until 0:22)
Played when the bell tolls right before the parade starts.
Sound clip of the clock tower bell heard in the series.

"March"
Played right after the bell rings, and stops when Fakir asks what happened.
from "The Nutcracker" The famous marching song also used in the PT series.

"Ahiru's Comical"
(until 1:02)
Played after Trutho puts down his hood and comments on the weather; stops after he asks for some peace and quiet.
A funny, quirky version of Miniature Overture.

"Mazurka Op.6-1 in F# Minor"
Played while Fakir is at the lake, thinking. Stops when the narration says it would soon be time for Ahiru and Fakir to leave.
(composed by Chopin) An ambivalent, introspective piano song changing from calm to restless back to calm again. Could be thought of as Fakir's piano theme (another one, probably his main theme is the Overture of 'Coriolan').

"Dance of the Reedpipes"
Played when Ahiru notices the person behind her; stops after Trutho trips.
(from "The Nutcracker") A playful, slightly humorous song with flutes as the main instrument used. Could be thought of as Trutho's theme.

"Humoresque (strings vrs.)"
Played when the narration starts describing Komaro; ends with the end of the scene.
(composed by Dvorak) A quaint song that has a tranquil, yet droll air. Could be thought of as Komaro's theme.

"Arabian Dance"
Played when Mytho turns the corner; fades away after the scene with Takako.
(from "The Nutcracker") A slow, enigmatic song. Could be thought of as Takako's theme.

"Ahiru, Sentimental"
Played when Trutho stops and looks at Mytho; stops at the end of the scene.
A sad, emotional version of Miniature Overture.

"Aquarium"
Played when Fakir starts telling the prologue; stops when Fakir concludes it.
(from "The Carnival of the Animals") A mysterious, watery-sounding song.

"Omen"
(until 1:31)
Played after Mytho looks away from the window and looks decided; stops at the end of the scene.
A grim, foreboding version of Miniature Overture.

"Drosselmeyer Resurrection"
(until 1:03)
Plays for the scene where the gears start turning again.
A menacing, apprehensive, yet eccentric, version of "March" from the Nutcracker.

"The Story's Terminal Station Is…"
(Monogatari no Shuuchakueki) (until 0:56)
Played at the start of the scene with Rue and Trutho away from the dining hall; stops when the door suddenly comes open.
An ominous, dark song.

"Waltz"
Played when the lights dim on the stage; the pause in the music comes when the curtain lifts, and it continues through the stage scene and the lake scene (though during the lake scene it is slightly softer) until it stops at the end of the dance.
(from "Sleeping Beauty") The well-known theme from said ballet (also used in the Disney movie in a song with a line of "I've walked with you once upon a dream")

"Drosselmeyer's Shadow"
(start 0:52)
Plays for the scene with Drosselmeyer commenting on the situation.
A thunderous version of "March" with an organ, horns, and drums.

"On Wings of Song"
Plays for the whole scene with Fakir writing the story and stops at the end of the scene.
(composed by Mendelssohn) A piano song with a thoughtful and contented air. Also played at the end of episode 4 "Giselle" in the 1st season.

"Though My Love is Small (TV vrs.)"
Played at the end of the episode; imagine ending sequence here.
(Artist: Ritsuko Okazaki) The ending of Princess Tutu; shortened version played in the show.

"Sonata no.14 in C-sharp minor Op.27 No.2 'Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia' a.k.a. 'Moonlight Sonata' (1st movement)"
Played during the preview.
(composed by Beethoven) A sustained, quiet song with low notes and many sharps that give the feeling of a dark but tranquil night.