Chapter 3: Pas De Deux

Fakir changed his clothes. What was this new director thinking? Most auditions were solos for the reason that the person auditioning didn't depend on the partner...or to show male strength...never for a woman's audition on the first try. He hoped Ahiru would have it in her to perform the way she did when she had Princess Tutu behind her.

Ahiru put on her new leotard and her pointe shoes. She needed to stretch terribly, and she needed to warm up. She did some side stretches, hamstrings, and went up and down on pointe with some plies. She'd dreamed of dancing again as a Duck, but now...two years later...did she have it in her to perform to the new Director's expectations? She went into the room to see the Director already waiting.

"Good, now once your partner arrives, we'll start." He said looking at her. He wasn't old and crotchety , or even deranged like Cat-sensei was...he seemed aged by his hair...but his face was somewhat youthful. Maybe he was in his 30's...forty's at most? Ahiru bit her lip. He seemed professional...and yet he wasn't wearing any dance wear himself.

Fakir walked in and saw Ahiru already standing there. He walked beside her. "What do you want us to perform?"

"Swan Lake, Pas-de-deux. The Prince and the White Swan. Do you know?" He said turning away.

"It's a harder, but we've been taught on occasion." Fakir answered, as he saw Ahiru's face drop a bit. "Follow me." He leaned to her and whispered.

Ahiru nodded, just before the Director turned around again. "Good. I'll have the music ready in a moment. You may prepare."

Ahiru gulped. Her hair was up in a bun, and tried to think about being graceful in her new leotard and shoes. They'd barely been worked in. She tried to recall the pas-de-deux from Swan Lake which she'd performed once as Princess Tutu on her own. She didn't know if she could actually do it as herself this time and looked to Fakir who somehow managed to look as confident as possible. Then again this wasn't his audition...it was hers.

Director Kugamaii played the music and they got in position. She began slightly awkwardly, bending down and reaching over her toe on the floor.

"Think...like a Swan. Like a swan." She repeated in her mind, harshly to herself.

She rose and felt Fakir's hands softly over the outside of hers. "Relax." He whispered to her. She felt him guide her into a pirouette, and into her arabesque and ponche, as his hands beneath hers gave her a slight reassurance. Suddenly they began to dance as if nobody else was in the room.

Fakir felt a slight bit of strange comfort in this pas-de-deux. He'd only done it once or twice before with another partner, one of which time happened to be Rue. Still, as he leaned over as Ahiru arched her back to the floor via his support, he wondered why now, with Ahiru it seemed so familiar.

Ahiru felt a grace come to her like an old memory in Fakir's supporting arms. She knew he wouldn't drop her, and with his support, the pieces of the routine came in her mind. The pain of her shoes came secondary to the lightness she felt. She almost felt like she did as Princess Tutu dancing...she almost felt...graceful...like a swan.

The two finished just as the music took pause, and the Director gave a slow applaud. "Very nice. Other than the odd, tweak I'd say you both have an apt ability for such a pas-de-deux. I'd recommend you stay partners for this reason. Ahiru was it? Well I will see you both in class on monday. We will set you up then with a room. Do you need one as well?" He looked to Fakir, with his silver eyes.

"No, I remain in my own home, just outside the grounds."

"Suit yourself." He nodded and began to walk away. "It seems I am on the beginning of finding my pair." He said to himself as he disappeared into the long hallway to his office.

Fakir looked to Ahiru, who still seemed surprised that she had accomplished such a feat. "It seems you haven't lost all of your abilities as a duck." He gave her a calm smile.

"I don't know...it felt like it was second nature at times though." She said, as if the concept was abstract.

"Well you had done it once on your own as Princess Tutu." He admitted to her though he'd had a similar feeling.

"But that was Princess Tutu! I don't even know how I did half the things that she did!"

"It seems he was impressed either way. You're in now so you don't have to worry." Fakir said, as her concern disappeared from her face.

"Oh thank you Fakir!" She said as she hugged him. He was surprised by her sudden affectionate hug, but then sighed as he felt happy for her.

"We're going to have more pas-de-deux to practice it seems. I wonder why he holds them important?" Fakir asked as she let go.

"And we'll have the same partner the whole time?" Ahiru asked.

"He just recommended we stay together." Fakir admitted.

"But I don't know anyone else here that well anymore!" Ahiru persisted.

He smiled a bit, as she got so worried so easily. "I'm not going to ditch you as a partner. Duck or not I'll keep my promise."

"Fakir...do you know how I turned into a human?" Ahiru fiddled with her fingers.

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know...I just thought that maybe, since you are like Drosselmyer maybe you knew why I-"

"Because I can write like him? How do you know if I got my powers back?" He asked.

"Well...I was just..."

Fakir sighed. "Did you look at my note-book?"

"I happened to see a page of it yes...but only on accident. I meant to look at the feather that's all." Ahiru admitted.

Fakir looked away. He felt kind of awkward knowing she'd seen his sentence...knowing that he'd wanted to have her back to normal too. "I don't know if it was me. I don't know if its because you have a part in this new story...if they're is a new story...or if something is going on. I just wanted you to be happy...you're supposed to be a duck but you weren't happy as a duck."

"I just missed being a human...having friends...dancing...feeling..." Ahiru said looking up at him with her blue eyes.

"I know. It seems the things that we tried not to be, the character's we thought we'd left in the last story have become us once again...not our true form outside these stories." Fakir admitted.

Ahiru remembered how they'd both realized that her being a duck, and him being normal and un-sheltered would be okay...and yet now she was human and he may be a story-teller again, taking roles of some unknown story that had befallen them.

"We should get back to the town. The sun will set soon." Fakir said looking out the window to the lowering sun.

Ahiru nodded and went back to her change room. She took out her hair, and decided to leave it down again. Her uniform went back on and she walked out. She leaned against the door and waited for Fakir. She then felt a breeze, as the door opened and she saw a shadow of a bird cross over the ground above the school. When she looked up she saw nothing...she wondered...a large bird? Could it have been a swan? Or was it a vulture?

"Ahiru?"

She turned around to see Fakir.

"Oh I was just waiting for you!" She shifted back and forward on her feet.

"Then lets go." He said as he walked beside her.

"So I think you should get the bed tonight!" Ahiru said.

"Why?" Fakir asked.

"It's your bed! That's not my house! I couldn't make Fakir sleep on the chair again!"

"You'll only be staying there until monday." Fakir said. "I've fallen asleep in that chair before."

"Well it doesn't look comfortable!" Ahiru said. "I'm used to sleeping on the ground! I'll sleep on the floor."

"You're a human now not a duck Ahiru. Just take the bed, and I'll get a sleeping bag from my dad's shop. I think we have some stashed in there somewhere."

"He makes sleeping bags?"

"No, he uses one if he has a large project and he has to stay there overnight." Fakir explained.

"Oh. Well I don't like taking your bed..." Ahiru persisted.

"Don't worry about it. Just try not to wake me up tomorrow morning." Fakir looked at her, raising his eyebrow.

"Oh, no, I won't go near you in the morning. I'll just stay in the bed like a good du- I mean girl." Ahiru promised.

Fakir and Ahiru got to his small cabin-like house, after picking up a sleeping bag from his father's shop. Fakir hadn't liked the idea of returning to the Academy's rooms to stay after the closing of the story. Mytho wasn't around for a roommate, and he'd kept expecting to see Rue or even Ahiru in the halls. He went there for his classes, and then returned here. People thought he was a loner at times, and yet other's admired him. He was the only dancer of Mytho and Rue's caliber that remained at the school...now it seemed even Ahiru might challenge that this time.

"And I have my own pjs this time!" Ahiru said once in the house, as she went over to the bag of her clothes. She left into the other room to change. He sighed and put on his own t-shirt and casual pants. He stretched and put the fire on, putting a log in to make it stronger. Akiru came out in a pink tank-top, and purple pj pants with little ducks on them.

Fakir smiled as he saw the ducks on her pants. It was humorous that she picked such a pair after all that time as one. Ahiru yawned and walked closer to the fire to feel the heat.

"Isn't it ever lonely out here...separate from the school?" Ahiru asked.

"At times. But it's frustrating when nobody remembers any of the past...plus this way I'm closer to the lake and closer to-"

"Me?" Ahiru asked. "You didn't do it for me? Fakir, did you?"

"Well not entirely...but even as a Duck you were the only person who'd gone through more than I had. I can't say my father even recalls much of what happened." Fakir said.

"Well I'm here now!" Ahiru said. "So if you want to move back you can!"

Fakir just looked at the fire. "All the same I still think I'd stay. It feels more like home out here anyway."

Ahiru nodded and yawned again. "Well I'm going to go to bed! Are you sure you don't want the bed? I still feel bad about-"

"Just take it." Fakir said. "The fire's warm anyway. Don't worry about me...you should start worrying about yourself more."

She nodded and left to the bedroom. Fakir sighed. She did need to think more about herself...there was a reason Drosselmyer was letting her stay human, even if he'd influenced her through his own writing in his notebook. And there must be a way that Drosselmyer was writing again. After the events of today...his dance with Ahiru...and the feathers...something was happening. What? He just wasn't sure yet.