Chapter Six: Answers

Fakir laid Duck gently on her bed and brushed his fingers through her bangs lovingly. Mytho and Rue could clearly see the pain in his eyes as he turned toward them sadly.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw her again" he replied, "I thought I had lost her forever."

"What do you mean Fakir?" Rue asked while Mytho raised an eyebrow questionly.

"Two years ago I was still writing. But I hadn't written anything I considered good enough. She was always at my side. I would sit on the dock and write and she would be in the water. But one day, one very sunny day she wasn't there. I looked all over the lake, but nothing. I called out for her; I left her scraps that never disappeared. Every day for two months I looked for her, but she never came. Oddly enough because of her absence I found myself going crazy so I took up my pen once more and wrote a story. A story that now everyone knows as my most popular."

"We know, we read it" Rue said proudly, "You're very famous Fakir."

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you left Gold Crown Town" Mytho replied interrupting.

"I know. You see after I had written my story Autor saw it. He read it and he was amazed at what he read. He insisted on taking it to a publisher. At first I hesitated but then I allowed him to take it. He came back soon after that and told me how popular it had been. He said that the world wanted to meet the author. Now you know me? I'm not the type who likes to be around people, however Charon came down with an illness. Publishing my books and seeing the public would give me the necessary means to take care of him. He's better now. I just saw him recently. Since then I have been traveling the world. I never imagined though" he looked back at Duck's peaceful sleeping face, "That I would ever see her again. In this form no less. Mytho" he said turning back to the other boy, "How did it happen?"

"Well" Mytho began, "Rue and I found her on the bank of the lake. We had gone there for a picnic that day, but it was strangely cloudy, remember?" he added to Rue who nodded her head.

"Yes I remember. There she was just lying on the bank in a white dress, totally unconscious" Fakir listened intently his eyebrows beginning to furrow, "She was saying something though. Something over and over."

"What was that?" Fakir asked afraid to hear the answer.

"My knight. Where are you? Why have you left me? She said it over and over until we got her back here."

"Strangely enough though" Mytho replied, "When she came to, she was no longer our Duck."

"What do you mean?" Fakir questioned.

"She could not remember who we were. She couldn't remember anything. Not her friends, not the school, not even Princess Tutu."

"She couldn't even remember that she was the one who made it possible for Mytho to regain his heart, and thus saving Gold Crown Town from the Raven" Rue added sadly.

"She seems to know now," Fakir observed.

"That's because we have been trying to help her regain her memory for two years" Mytho said, "Slowly she has regained some, but her memories of Tutu has been locked away."

"And not only that, she's changed too" Rue replied, "You remember how Duck used to be such a klutz on the dance floor and her school work was never up to par?"

"Yea, sure" Fakir shrugged, "So?"

"It's not like that anymore Fakir" Rue continued, "Now Duck is up for the next position in the advanced class. She's always on time, never late. Her dancing is beautiful as if she really is Tutu. Only she can't remember that. It's like she is a completely different person."

"I see" Fakir nodded slowly standing up from the bed and walking over to the window, "You said before Mytho that you found Duck lying on the bank of the lake is that correct?"

"That's correct" Mytho nodded.

"You're certain that's where you found her?"

"Of course I am sure, why?" Mytho asked a bit irritated as well as curious.

"Because" Fakir began his eyes becoming wide, "Wait here" he ran to the door, "I'll be right back" he flung open the door and dashed out.

Mytho and Rue looked at each other quizzically at his sudden departure.

"I wonder what's up?" Mytho said aloud.

"I don't know" Rue replied, "But he looked awful worried."

(Next Scene)

Fakir rummaged through his trunk at the foot of the bed and pulled out a parchment of paper with very few writing on it. As he stared at the paper his eyes became even wider. He grabbed the paper and then ran to the door only to bump into Autor.

"Fakir, where have you been?" Autor demanded, "You ran off and I couldn't find you."

"Sorry Autor" Fakir said slightly out of breath, "I have something important I have to take care of right now" he ran past.

"What?" Autor replied as he ran.

"I'll see you later!" he called not even looking back.

(Next Scene)

When Fakir returned for a second time to the girl's room he entered the door slowly. Mytho rose as he walked in and took the chair that Mytho had just occupied. He sighed just as slowly as he had entered the room and once more the young couple looked at each other quizzically.

"Fakir" Mytho began as he saw his friend's worried expression, "What's wrong?"

"I think I did it again," Fakir said slowly.

"Did what again?" Rue asked.

"I'm not sure how I did it" Fakir replied, "But somehow I did."

"Did what Fakir?" Mytho said once more irritably.

"You guys said you found her on the bank of the lake" Fakir replied, "I think I know how she got there."

"How?" Rue asked.

"Here" Fakir handed them the piece of paper and they read.

"What is this?" Mytho asked his eyes wide.

"About two years ago, when I started traveling" Fakir began, "One night I was up. I was thinking about the lake, but mostly" Fakir stood from the chair, "I was thinking about her. You know what had become of her? Why did she disappear? Why she left without saying goodbye? You know that is so unlike her" they both nodded their heads in agreement, "Before too long I was asleep on my desk, but when I woke up the next morning I saw that my pen was in my hand. And in front of me on the once blank piece of parchment was the beginning of a story. That which you are holding is it," he pointed.

"Wait a minute Fakir" Mytho said slowly, "Are you telling us, that this" he held up the paper, "is the start of a story?"

"Yes, I believe it is. Only I didn't know I had written it. When you mentioned the lake and the bank and the girl lying on it you reminded me of that piece of parchment that I had buried in my trunk. I buried it because I don't know how it happened. Nor did I possibly know that it had come true. There is no way I could have known. She was thousands of miles away."

"And you're saying that that is the reason why Duck has returned to us?" Rue replied.

"It has to be. It's the only explanation to why your story and my story match."

"Fakir" Mytho said with a frown, "Do you know how dangerous this is? You of all people should know. You started a story and didn't finish it. A story without an ending will always end in tragedy. Why did you not finish it?"

"Mytho" Fakir replied in surprise, "There's no way I could have known."

"It doesn't matter" Mytho said angrily, "You should have finished it anyway, that would have been more responsible. Now Duck is the one who is suffering for it. She has nightmares and talks about a knight that never even existed."

"Oh he exists all right" Fakir replied with a sigh as he sat down once more, "I know perfectly well who her knight is."

"Who?" Rue asked.

"Me" Fakir answered, "I can remember the dream I had before the story was written. It was a strange dream I had too. I was in a place covered with mist and I heard a cry. Of course I was all dressed up in my knight gear. I had my sword at my side. So I followed the cry in the mist, and there was this small little girl, she couldn't have been any older than six or seven. But as I moved closer to her, she grew taller and suddenly I was standing next to a thirteen year old. When she saw me, she immediately fainted. I can't quite recall her face though. Maybe she looked like Duck but I am not sure. Anyway, these dark shadows started to loom over us, so I picked her up, held up my sword and the shadows seemed to dissipate. But then I woke up and saw the pen in my hand. When I looked down on the paper I believe what was written there was the end of my dream that I never got to see. Like I said, I am not sure how it happened, but I am certain now that Duck had to be the girl in my dream and I was the knight that she keeps talking about. Wait" he stopped, "You mentioned she has had nightmares. What kind of nightmares?"

"We don't know" Mytho shook his head.

"She wakes up most nights in a cold sweat. I always sing her back to sleep" Rue added.

As they all thought of this, they heard stirring coming from Duck's bed. She was tossing and turning and there was clear pain on her face as she squinted her eyes.

"No" she said out loud, "Don't take me back. I don't want to go back to that dark place," she yelled.

Fakir immediately rushed over and took her hand.

"Duck!" he called, "Duck it's okay."

"No" she cried, "No!" she sat up and found herself in his strong arms; "Huh?" her eyes became wide.

"Duck" he replied as Mytho and Rue looked on in deep concern, "I am right here."

"Who?" she began and then looked up into his gentle green eyes, "My knight."

"Huh?"

"You did come. It wasn't a dream. Thank goodness" she sank back into his arms, "The lake" she shuddered.

"What?"

"I don't ever want to go back to the lake. I don't want to go back to that dark place."

"Dark place?" Fakir said as Mytho and Rue shrugged their shoulders in confusion.

As he held onto her, Fakir knew he was partly responsible for her return but he couldn't help but wonder if that was entirely the whole story.

(To be continued…)