Ahiru sat on the counter, one of Rue's books open in her lap. She was careful not to let Charon see it, lest he get the wrong idea about why she was reading it, it was purely educational. It was only a bonus how completely captivating it was.

The door chimed and she stuffed the book under the counter before slipping off the counter.

"Hello! How can I- oh, it's just you."

Femio stood in the doorway, placing a hand to his heart in mock pain. "You bring me misery, are you not happy to see me?"

"Not really."

"Is there a reason? Something I did?"

Ahiru had grabbed her duster and moved into the aisles, intending on making herself look busy by dusting. "No, it has nothing to do with you."

"Then- oh mon petit amour, it is you, you are not ready to love me, I understand, I am quite intimidating. But, fear not mademoiselle, for I will ease your woes. For you, I have written a sonnet." He cleared his throat and snapped his fingers. "Montag!"

Suddenly, Femio's man servant appeared, fanning a bowl full of rose petals forcing them to flutter around Femio.

"Girl with hair of the fiery sunset, Eyes deep'r than the Mediterranean Sea, The stars twinkle upon your rosy cheeks, Your lips, plump and the color of peaches, I shall press mine against yours in the dance, They call pas de deux, a dance of bliss-"

"Ahiru, is this man bothering you?" Charon asked, rather confused when he saw Femio on bended knee, his hand connected to hers, planting kisses up and down her knuckles between the lines.

"Nothing I can't deal with, Charon. Thank you."

"You're still going out with Fakir this evening, and not this candyass?"

"Yes, I am." Ahiru pulled her hand out of Femio's grip. "We're not dating." She pointed between herself and Femio.

"I didn't think you were, but I prefer you with Fakir than whoever this is."

Ahiru groaned. "I'm not dating Fakir either."

Charon raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't say you were. It's just, with you two going out to the movies and all."

"Ahiru, what does this man say? Is it true?"

Ahiru sighed. "I'm going to the movies with Fakir, Femio."

"Le rat! He tries to take away the princess from the prince."

"He's not taking me away from anyone, why don't you go home?"

Femio looked taken back. "You don't long for my presence?"

"No Femio."

"I-I see."

He looked sad, Ahiru almost felt sorry for him.

"Then I shall win your heart! No princess should be without a prince!"

He left, presumably to plot some over the top plan to win her heart.

"That guy is a ponce, you're better off with Fakir." Charon patted her shoulder, he motioned to the roses. "Uh, clean this up."

Ahiru stood in front of the full length mirror positioned in the corner of her room, she wasn't entirely sure why she suddenly had nothing to wear with a full closet, or why most of them looked suddenly horrible on her.

Mytho knocked on her door. "I called Rue, she's coming over to help."

Ahiru, after giving up, yelled for Mytho and told him about her dilemma and he made the executive decision to call Rue, and once she arrived, Ahiru had also made the executive decision that laying down in the pile of clothes that surrounded her was better than trying to find something that worked.

"Oh, Ahiru, get up." Rue extended her hand. "It's first date jitters, it's alright."

"It's not a date." Ahiru groaned. And it wasn't. Fakir had made a comment about how there were no good movies out that year and Ahiru asked him what a movie was.

He shook his head, and told her he'd take her to see one.

"Of course. You're still nervous."

Ahiru pouted. "But why? We've hung out so many other times, why does this one matter?"

"Ahiru, going out to the movies is a common first date, it's not that strange."

"Wait, it's common?"

"Of course, everyone knows it is. Fakir, too." Rue smirked.

"Did he do that on purpose?" Fakir knew she didn't know much about this culture, would he ask her out without even saying what his true intentions were? No, Fakir is straightforward. He would tell her upfront.

"I don't know, he could have." Rue pulled something from the bog of clothing and placed it on her bed. "There, how's that?"

On her bed was a pair of jeans and a yellow tank top. "Won't I get cold?"

Rue rolled her eyes. "Of course you will! And once you do, he'll offer you his jacket. What about your hair?"

"My hair?" Ahiru touched her braid.

"Well of course, you always have it up in a braid, could you imagine how pretty it would look if it was down? Framing your face."

Ahiru shook her head. "It won't be practical on his bike."

"Here." Rue undid her hair, running her fingers through it before it was all free. She wrapped it up into a bun and stacked it on the top of her head. "See? And when you put the helmet on, it'll keep it in place."

"Alright, get out and let me get ready."

Rue smiled as she slid off the bed, closing the door behind her.

Ahiru came out a few seconds later, dressed with her hair down.

"It feels like it's going to get everywhere."

Rue waved away her worry. "It's fine. Don't worry about it, okay? Oh, I think he's here."

Ahiru went back into her room to grab her helmet and ran to the door.

Rue and Mytho stood out on the balcony and Ahiru pushed past them.

She came to Fakir, leaning against the motorcycle. He waved to Mytho and Rue before straddling the bike once more.

"Ready?"

"Wait." She twisted up her hair and covered it with the helmet, snapping the strap into place, no hair fell out. "Ready."

She waved goodbye to Rue and Mytho as they drove down away.

"Here we are." Fakir parked and stepped off the bike, he turned to her and offered his hand.

Ahiru took her helmet off, shaking her head, her hair fell over her shoulders. "Wow, it's pretty!" She smiled at the glowing lights, flashing in the dark, bright whites and pinks, so people would see in the sign even in the night.

"Pr-pretty. Yes." He turned pointing to the theater. "It's pretty."

Ahiru giggled, jumping off the bike and following behind Fakir. "So what's a movie again?"

"It's like a moving picture."

"But it's not a picture."

"No, because a picture stays still, movies, well, move."

"How do they move?"

Fakir strolled up to the ticket booth. "Well, they play a bunch of pictures moving really fast so it looks like they're moving."

"So it is a picture."

"No, it's- two tickets please?"

Ahiru brushed her hair behind her ear, was Rue right? It felt like her hair was wild and all over the place; far from pretty.

"Here you are, sir, enjoy the movie!"

Fakir took the two tickets and they went inside.

"Oh, did you pay for them? Sorry, I meant to buy mine." Ahiru told him.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine." Fakir handed her her ticket. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"I thought we were eating after?"

"People like getting snacks to watch movies, something to do with your hands."

Ahiru looked over at the brightly lit snack bar. "Do you want anything?"

"I like getting popcorn, have you had popcorn before?"

"No, what is it?"

He gave her a curt nod. "You'll like it, but if we're going to get popcorn, we'll have to get something to wash it down with."

Ahiru stood behind Fakir, a line of people ahead of them, and she looked around the theater, she was still confused about what a movie was, but she would just have to wait and see. She wondered if it was anything like television and the show Grandpa liked to watch.

A large group were making their way out and Ahiru spotted her old doctor.

"I'll be right back." She said, not giving Fakir a chance to respond. "Edel!"

Edel paused at the sound of her name. "Oh, Ahiru." She smiled at her old patient. "How are you?"

Ahiru smiled. "I've been doing good."

"You never came back for any check ups, I was starting to worry."

"Hi Duck!" Uzura smiled and waved.

Edel raised a brow. "Duck?"

"Oh! It's what everyone calls me at the ballet studio." Ahiru gave her a sheepish grin. "It's my inner animal. Uzura started it, actually."

Fakir came towards them, a striped red bag in one hand and a large cup in the other. "Dr. Nivale." He handed Ahiru the cup.

"Fakir."

"How's Autor?"

Edel's good natured smile faded. "He's doing fine, but there are no changes. He won't be waking up soon."

"I see."

"But, go and watch your movie, have fun!" Edel smiled and ushered Uzura away.

"I'm sorry about Autor." Ahiru stated as they started to walk away.

"It's fine, he deserves it for being stupid."

"Don't let him hear that, he never liked being called stupid."

Fakir nodded. "That's right, you know him."

"Yup, he was one of the few that knew about me and the story."

They got to a set of french doors and Fakir pulled it open for her.

"Is it supposed to be so dark?" Ahiru blinked as her eyes adjusted.

"Yes, otherwise the projector wouldn't work."

"The what?"

"The- you're going to have a lot of questions, I can already tell." He shook his head, his hand landed on the small of her back and he lead her through the theater.

"It's really loud too."

"You'll get used to it. Careful, there are steps."

Fakir stopped about the middle and motioned for her to go down the aisle.

She sat down and looked up at the screen, imagines moving over it. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.

"It's huge!"

"It is, that's one of the reasons people prefer movies." He whispered. "Don't be too loud, people don't appreciate it. Just lean over if you want to say something."

Ahiru nodded, but in truth she had nothing left to say, her eyes remained glued to the screen as a movie started playing.

Ahiru stood and stretched as the lights turned on, she insisted they stay until the very end, and so the theater was empty of all except her and Fakir.

"What did you think?"

"I liked the popcorn."

"Of the movie?"

"And what was in the cup? That was really good."

"It was coke, what did you think of the movie?"

Ahiru giggled as they made their way out. "I liked it! It was like watching a ballet, or a play."

"Are you hungry?"

"Hmm, not really, the popcorn was a lot."

As they made their way out of the theater, Ahiru attacked him with the reservoir of questions she had saved in her mind, rather than interrupting the movie.

"-and how did they get so many snakes? Did they pay them all? What was the thing at the end?"

"The credits?"

"I didn't see any snakes listed in the credits. I don't think that's fa-" Ahiru gasped as they stepped outside, inside, it had been wonderfully warm. But outside, her arms were covered in goosebumps and she started to shiver. "It's cold!"

"Why didn't you bring a jacket?" Fakir shook his head and started removing his. "Here."

"Oh, thank you." Rue was right, but of course she was. "I wasn't sure what to wear, so I called Rue over and-"

He rolled his eyes. "And told you fashion is worth freezing to death for?"

"Something like that." Ahiru started poking her arms through the sleeves when she heard a loud caw, one she hadn't heard in a decade.

A large raven, black, just a silhouette against the night sky started to dive.

"Fakir, look out!" and Ahiru, with all of her might, tackled Fakir to the ground as the raven swooped, barely missing his head. Fakir landed on his back, but he had wrapped his arms around Ahiru, keeping her close to his chest rather than letting her roll out onto the floor herself. She sat up immediately, her legs slipping over his sides to straddle him.

"What the hell was that?" Fakir pushed himself up onto his elbows, and she slid down into his lap.

Ahiru looked to the skies trying to find the raven, but it was gone, it had disappeared like smoke into the air. Her focus returned to Fakir. "Are you okay?" Her hands went to cradle the back of his head, she was sure it hit the concrete. "Did I hurt you?"

"Ahiru." He said softly, his hand moving to rest on her arm, still holding his head. "What was that?"

"It was a raven, but one of the Monster Raven's. I don't know how it's here."

"Sir, are you alright? That crow just dive bombed you!" A stranger came towards them. "You and your girl alright?"

Fakir sat up and pulled Ahiru off him, he stood, pulling Ahiru up with him. "We're fine, thank you, sir."

The man gulped before rushing off, his eyes avoiding Fakir's.

"Fakir, your head." Ahiru reached out to him again. "I felt a bump."

"I'm fine."

"We don't have to go to the hospital, it just needs ice, we can go to my apart-"

"My place is closer."

His place? Ahiru had yet to go over to his place. She nodded slowly and they got back on the motorcycle again. Ahiru took one last look around them, searching the trees and the branches for a sign of the bird, but there was none.

It took only a few minutes to get to Fakir's house, and much to Ahiru's surprise, it actually looked like their home in Gold Crown.

He walked the bike into the garage before closing its door and lead her around to the front.

"I'm sorry if it's messy." He pushed open the door and let Ahiru go in first, and to her surprise, it wasn't messy at all, in fact it was rather barren.

The walls were plain, no fixtures of photographs. She wandered through the rooms on the bottom floor and could count on one hand all of his furniture.

He followed behind her, watching her reactions, how she took it.

"When you said messy did you mean you hadn't swept in a couple of days?" Ahiru turned back to him. "You don't have much, do you?"

"I try to keep it that way. Nothing I wouldn't miss, nothing worth much."

Nothing worth stealing. "Oh." Ahiru looked down at her feet. "Well, show me your kitchen, and we can ice your head."

"Sure." He took the lead, heading to the back of the house and opening the freezer.

Ahiru walked up to a window. "Huh, I didn't think you'd have curtains." She ran her fingers along the linen.

"Those where there when I bought it."

Fakir sat down at a round kitchen table, a bag of frozen peas in his hand, and Ahiru sat down next to him.

She started talking, trying to distract him, and perhaps herself.

In Gold Crown, Fakir had come to forgive himself for what happened to his parents, but here…

She didn't want to think about it, about the pain he must have harboured.

She talked about the movie, asking more questions, and would listen to his answers. When he asked about the raven that attacked, she tried her best to answer.

"Well, it's not a real animal, the Raven is just kinda able to create servants to help him, but I don't know what it's doing here. Or how it got here."

He iced his head until the peas had thawed and Ahiru checked the lump to see if it had gone down before going to the freezer to grab a fresh bag of frozen produce and put the peas back.

She was growing tired, she could tell, her eyes were starting to get heavy, she kept yawning, she knew she had to go, but in her heart she didn't want to leave Fakir.

"I should take you home." He whispered, his hand going to brush the bangs out of her eyes, but he stopping himself just before he did.

She rested her head on her arm, and she shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I have to make sure your head-" She yawned. "-is okay."

"I'm okay. Don't fall asleep, I'm going to get your helmet."

She nodded, but with her eyes closed, she was warm, the pleasant scent of the woods filling her nose from the collar of his jacket. She fell asleep.

She woke up, her eyes blinking awake, a white pillow, heavy blankets covering her. Ahiru looked over to the window, where Fakir stood, facing the window.

She sighed, everything was back to normal, she was back in Goldcrown, back in their house by the lake, her lake and his dock. He would write her a story, and he would read the letter from the Swan Kingdom, from the Queen and King.

"Fakir." She said.

She said. She sat up, hands, feet, legs. A woman, not a duck, she looked over at Fakir, who had turned to look at her when she called his name.

"Are you alright?"

She touched her face, her lips. "Oh."

"Sorry, I didn't take you home, you fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you up."

The strap of her tank top fell off her shoulder, and she was slow to fix it. "It's fine."

"Did I startle you?" His eyes flashed to the window. "I wasn't in here, not until a few minutes ago, I didn't sleep with you."

"I don't mind." She rubbed her eye. "We shared a bed in Goldcrown."

He blushed, and cleared his throat. "Well, I'd offer to make you breakfast, but I just have coffee." He held up his mug, black and steaming still.

She grimaced, she hated coffee. "No, thank you."

"I was going to take you out to dinner last night, how do you feel about going out for breakfast."

She smiled, stretching her hands over her head. "Sure. Where? Ebine's?"

"What's Ebine's?"

"Oh." Her hands fell. "Sorry, I forgot."

"Ebine's is in Goldcrown?"

She nodded.

He shook his head. "C'mon."

Fakir produced an extra tooth brush for her to use and offered a shirt for her to borrow so she wasn't wearing her old one two days in a row, and she took it.

She changed in the bathroom, but when she tugged the shirt over her head, she had forgotten just how big Fakir was and just how small she was.

It was a plain t-shirt, but it was blue, the shade of blue he would wear when he wasn't wearing his school uniform. It lacked the ripped sleeve, but it still felt like the one she remembered.

Ahiru took hold of the sleeve that reached her elbow and started folding it up, did the same to the other, and tied a knot at the bottom so it didn't brush against her knees.

She touched her hair, still down, but she didn't have a hair tie to put it back the way it was supposed to be.

She opened a drawer and dug around until she found a brush, she pulled her hair over her shoulder.

There was a knock on the door. "Ready?"

She opened the door and nodded. "Ready."

His hand reached out to touch the fabric of the shirt. "It looks better on you."

She smiled.

"Let's go."

She followed him out the door and he handed her her helmet.

A thin mist veiled the sky.

"And just where have you been?"

Ahiru leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath, she was still wearing Fakir's shirt and she couldn't stop her heart from beating.

He sat across from her at the table and smiled. He grinned, his lips pulling over teeth and he looked happy. He leaned across the table and whispered to her.

Mytho stood in the door of the kitchen, he had a spoon in his hand and both fists rested on his hips.

"Hi, Mytho."

"The next time that-" He waved his spoon towards the door, though Ahiru was sure he was aiming for Fakir. "That- scoundrel tries to take you out he better know I'm going with you!"

Ahiru pushed herself away from the door.

It was a game they started playing, Ahiru would point to other patrons, "What's their story?" she'd ask him.

"And just where do you think you're going? You can't just stay the night with random men!"

"Fakir isn't a random man."

"That's besides the point, what did he do? Drug you up? Give you a roofie? Did he do anything without your permission and consent?"

"Nothing happened, Mytho."

"The lady sitting across from her husband?" He started. "She loves her annoying little dog more than she's ever loved him in the past fifty years of marriage."

"Fakir!" She chastised. "That's mean!" But she kept playing, "What about them?"

He smirked, turning to look where she pointed, a young couple with no self control.

"High school sweethearts. They've never dated anyone else, so their wedding night will be extremely awkward."

She laughed, holding her stomach.

She crossed her arms. "Besides, Fakir isn't the kind of man to do something like. He's kind and considerate, he would never hurt me."

Mytho humphed. "He still should have had you home last night instead of the next morning. It's only your first date, you can't just give him everything!"

"What about us? Make up a story for us."

He thought for a second and she took a sip from her water.

"Let's see, the knight destined to be ripped apart by a monstrous raven and a duck, that can turn into a girl, that can turn into a princess try pancakes for the first time."

She laughed.

"It wasn't a date!" Ahiru snapped, turning on Mytho (sure in the Swan Kingdom this would be considered treason, but she couldn't stop herself). "I'm tired of everyone calling it a date! Or calling me his girl! Or asking if we're together!"

Mytho's face lost the protective big brother, righteous anger.

"We're not together. We're not meant to be together." She breathed heavily, tried to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's impossible."

A man can't fall in love with a duck. A man can't spend the rest of his days with an animal. And, a duck can't live the rest of her days wishing she could be what he needed.

"What did he say to you?" Mytho laid a hand on her arm. "Did he hurt you?"

"No." Her jaw trembled. "No." She sniffled, she could feel the tears pouring over her lashes, and she couldn't stop them.

Mytho pulled her to his chest and swathed her in the span of his arms. He laid his cheek on the top of her head, and brushed her hair.

Ahiru put her hands to her cheeks, trying desperately to stop the trail of tears.

That's all she was. Just a duck that could turn into a girl.

Her sobs started to wane, and Mytho forced her to sit on the couch, he called Rue.

"Rue had some classes, but I'm going to cover them for her, so she'll be here in a few minutes, okay?"

Ahiru nodded, and Mytho kissed her temple before heading out, his ballet bag over his shoulder.

She grabbed the blanket Mytho kept on the couch and cloaked it around her until only her face was left uncovered.

"What happened?" Rue asked, the door bouncing against the wall. She came and knelt before Ahiru. "Sweetie, what did he say."

Ahiru shook her head, how could she explain it to her? She wouldn't understand.

"Ooh, I'll kill him. I'll invite him over for dinner and poison his food, and once he starts to spasm I'll gut him like a fish and my laughing face will be the last thing he sees before he dies."

"Rue, it's not him."

"What?"

Ahiru pulled a piece of hair behind her ear. "He didn't do anything."

Rue tilted her head. "Then what happened?"

"We're not supposed to be together, it's not for us."

"What do you mean? I don't think I've ever seen Fakir as happy as he is when he's with you."

"Can we talk about something else?"

Rue nodded. "Of course." Rue stood and went to close the door, she sat down on the couch. "Whatever you want to do."

Ahiru sat up, she pulled her legs onto the couch, and though the blanket fell off her head, she did her best to make sure it covered her. "Do you have chocolate?"

"No, but I know where to get some." Rue stood and offered her hand. "C'mon."

Ahiru got off the couch.

"Oh, Ahiru." Rue grabbed the edge of her shirt. "This isn't his, is it?"

Ahiru nodded, she untied the knot and pulled the shirt off, making her way to her room and picked up a sweater, large and warm. She thought to throw his shirt down, to stomp on it, and ripping it apart for making her fall for him, but she didn't.

She folded it and placed it on the foot of her bed.

She went into her bathroom and find a hair tie and braided her hair, tired of it getting in her face, tired of it being everywhere she didn't want it to be.

"Ready?" Rue held out her hand for Ahiru to grab, and she nodded, taking Rue's hand.

"I'm sorry, I ruined your Saturday."

"Oh, Ahiru, no you didn't, I promise." Rue lead her down the stairs and to her car. "I just had teaching planned, and now I get to spend my day with you."

Ahiru gave her a smile as she buckled her seat belt, but before they were able to pull out, a black motorcycle pulled in front of them.

"Hang on, I've got this." Rue glared, throwing the car into park before she climbed out.

Ahiru couldn't hear them, but she knew Rue was yelling, her finger jutting out and jabbing Fakir's chest.

He didn't yell back, his mouth going slack every once in a while, but mostly, his eyes looked for Ahiru.

"-and how dare you-!" Came the muffled yell. "-I don't want to see your face-"

He said her name, and she stopped. He told her something but Ahiru couldn't read his lips, he handed Rue a yellow tank top, the one Ahiru left in the bathroom. He had come back to return it.

Rue took it and he stepped around her, heading towards her car.

"Now, wait just a second!" Rue yelled.

The car door was thrown open and Ahiru gasped.

"Ahiru, what's going on?"

Ahiru screwed her eyes shut, she couldn't bear to look at him.

"Was it something I said?"

"You leave her alone!" Rue pulled at his arm, but it was ultimately useless.

"Ahiru, please."

"Fakir-" She trembled, "When things go back to normal, I- we-" She shook her head. "We can't."

"I can fix it, I can write you a story, you said I could-"

"You've been trying for ten years."

Fakir reached for her but pulled back.

Rue was finally able to push him away and slammed the door shut. She started yelling once more.

Rue turned on her heel and sat in the driver's seat, and drove away. Ahiru looked in the rearview mirror and watched Fakir as he stood there, growing smaller and smaller until he was gone.

"I'm sorry he came back." Rue said, handing Ahiru her shirt. "I don't think he'll bother you again."

Ahiru spread the tank top over the tops of her thighs, spreading it out until it looked like a shirt and less like a crumpled ball.

A knight and a duck could never be.

Fakir promised he would stay by her side, but what good was such a promise if she couldn't give him everything he needed? More than just her loyalty, and her friendship.

But her heart.

*:)

*The movie they saw was Indiana Jones, realized in 1981, but I figured it'd take a while to translate the movie, even just subtitles, and release it in Germany.

*Ducks can't have chocolate, bread, or popcorn.