Wow! Reviews already! A HUGE thanks to FishnetRose and bree luv for being my first reviewers! It means so much to me! Well, here we go! I hope you enjoy, and please R&R!

Disclaimer: While I wish I did, I DO NOT own Princess Tutu.

Duck quacked quietly, taken aback. This woman would just shatter her heart for them? That was absurd! And yet, it made sense. She couldn't help but hope that it worked, hope that she could become human again. It was wrong, but she felt that way anyway. "I just need you to write something to make sure it goes as planned, Fakir." Loraine was telling Fakir, who had an equally stunned expression. "Once you're ready, I'll jump into the lake, so you won't have to watch. Then once the heart shards come up, just collect them all and you'll have plenty of backup amulets." She continued, keeping a straight face even while talking about her death.

"This is crazy!" Fakir finally cried, finding his voice. Duck could hear the interest in his voice though. He wanted it to work, wanted to write...

Loraine just smiled tiredly, as if he were a young child. Duck could see the sadness in her eyes, though. She'd noticed Fakir's hope too. "It's my choice, Fakir. I know my fate. I'm not afraid." She told him confidently, handing him his pen and a blank paper. "Please, write. And be quick about it." She urged him, walking over to the edge of the dock. "Tell me when you're done." She said in a tone that left no room for argument. Duck waddled over and sat next to her, feeling a flurry of emotions. Could she really let this happen? The only reason she could, Duck felt, was because Loraine was going to die anyway. And she had chosen this. That made it alright… Didn't it?

Fakir sighed heavily and sat in his chair. He felt conflicted. Hopeful, but also doubtful. This idea was exactly what he'd been thinking earlier though. A pure heart was needed, and if Loraine was willing, that clearly proved she had one. His hand was moving before he even thought about it. Words poured onto the page, forcing their way out. Finally, he could write something that flowed! A pity it was something so somber. When he finished, which didn't take long, he stood. "I, uh, I finished." He muttered, looking at the paper. Loraine nodded and stood, holding her knife in slightly trembling hands.

"Alright then. I'll go in now then." She said, biting her lip. On impulse she lunged forward and gave Fakir a quick, friendly hug. "Thank you for writing." She whispered. She knelt down and gave Duck a small hug as well, then nodded. "If you ever see Pieter, on the off chance that he realizes I came here, tell him I'm sorry. And that I love him." She told them. With that, she did a graceful pirouette and plunged into the water.

Fakir and Duck were silent, rushing to the edge of the dock to see. The water was thankfully dark, so they couldn't see her. Suddenly the water started to roil, bubbling crazily. A bright pink light shone, forcing Fakir to shield his eyes. A second later, it faded, and on the dock in front of them was a cluster of shards. Loraine's heart shards. Fakir gathered them up, putting them gently in a drawstring bag that he'd carried his writing utensils in yesterday. He drew one out, delicate and small. Duck quacked softly, nudging him with her head. Tears were brimming in her eyes. He took a choked breath and fished out a chain from his pocket. He'd always carried one with him, ever since he'd begun trying to change Duck back. A moment passed as he connected the gem to the chain. It shone and swirled with a beautiful light.

Fakir pulled his white Academy shirt off, shivering a bit in the morning breeze. "This should be long enough to cover you if this works." He explained to Duck. She nodded, and he knelt down. "Here goes nothing!" he whispered, and placed the necklace around her feathered neck.

At first, nothing happened. They waited; disappointment and worry growing inside them. Then, suddenly, pink light consumed Duck's small form, and she felt a familiar change take place. A second later, she stood on her own two legs. She gasped, looking at her hands. Hands! With fingers! Her hands reached up to her head, feeling soft hair. It was longer, a whole year had passed. "Fakir!" she cried, and her voice was human. He could understand her. She looked up at him, still much shorter than he. He was looking to the side, a blush covering his face. One hand was held out with his shirt in it. "Augh!" she screeched, grabbing the shirt and throwing it over her head. It came down far, a bit above her knees. "I'm decent." She muttered embarrassedly.

Fakir spun to face her, eyes shining. She'd hardly ever seen him so excited. Fakir wasn't the happy, excitable type. He was always stoic, cold, and detached. "Duck! You're human! IT worked!" he said breathily. And then she was crushed against his hard chest, arms wrapped tight around his waist. At some point she'd started crying, and tears streaked down her face. A moment later they pulled away, embarrassment coloring their faces. "Uh, sorry." Fakir muttered, regaining his composure.

Duck just smiled up at him. Her human eyes were clearer, and she could really take in his changes. He was taller, more mature. She flushed again. "This is… amazing!" she exclaimed, holding her arms out again. Her hand moved to the pendant. "It's beautiful." She whispered, sadness leaching in. "Poor Miss Loraine. She deserved a good life. But everything was against her." She murmured. Fakir nodded silently, a somber expression on his face.

"Well, we should get you to the Academy. They think you've been traveling with your family, so you'll be welcomed back without suspicion." He told her, gathering his things. Duck smiled. Together, they walked down the dirt path towards Charon's house. "We'll grab some new clothes for you too." He assured her. Just like old times. Duck babbled on in her odd way, and Fakir was mostly silent. The lake was calm again behind them.

Deep in the clock world, the gears were invisible in the dark. Drosselmeyer sat in his chair, depressed and blind in the darkness. His wonderful story, given a happy ending! Ridiculous. An odd sound was heard. A small gear was moving! It wasn't there in the old story, he was sure. This little gear moved others, until most of the gears were spinning wildly again. "What's this?" he wondered aloud, standing. Lights flickered to life, and he peered into a gear. "A new story has begun!" he cried gleefully. He watched the now human Duck and Fakir Walk down the path, oblivious to his presence. "Finally, I have a chance to get my tragedy." He murmured, looking into another new gear. This one showed a young man, pushing desperately through a forest.

A rhythmic tapping sounded behind him. "Can I go back now-zura?" Uzura asked hopefully. She'd asked often, irritating him. But now, she could go. In this new story, she may come in handy. Drosselmeyer nodded, and gestured to a large gear. "Goodbye-zura!" she cried, tumbling into the gear and back into the story.

"Goodbye, my dear." Drosselmeyer whispered after her, a dark smile forming. This time, he would get what he wanted. No matter what.