Aneko: HI!!! Sorry for the delay folks and folkesses. I happened to misplace my handy dandy fanfiction notebook over the past couple days. Some minor panicking occurred on my part, but other than that, it's all good…

Disclaimer: What, do you think I'm in charge of that horrible ending?! Oh wait, you do?...Well I'm not. I don't own Princess Tutu…

Chapter ten- Obligation

They stayed that way for what felt like eternity, but eventually they separated, just a bit, and Fakir rested his forehead on Ahiru's.

"Don't cry," he whispered.

"Yeah," Ahiru said, closing her eyes as he wiped away the salty tears. His hand stayed on her cheek, warm and resting lightly. She looked up into those emerald eyes as the hand moved to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear, coming to rest beneath her chin. He was so close, less than a foot away…

Right outside of the gazebo, a pair of forest eyes watched them. The rain oddly seemed to stop just before touching the small figure, and so he was hidden by a gray curtain without being soaked by it.

A large pearly drop beaded in his eye and ran down his cheek.

"I'm sorry," his voice came out in an echoing whisper, just before the rain was stopped by darkness swallowing the sky.

"What's going on?!" Ahiru cried out, as the world became a lot darker.

Black briars erupted from the ground in random places, the ugly, evil-looking thorns taking over the beautiful rose bushes.

Without warning, one erupted in between Fakir and Ahiru. Ahiru, sensing the danger, tried to reach out to Fakir, but even as her hand shot out, the single cine had grown to a full-scale wall, encircling her.

Fakir reached back, grabbing the vine with one hand, the other reaching through, heedless of the scratches he received in the process. They came within an inch of each other, and for one terrorizing moment, Ahiru thought they wouldn't be able to reach. Then, Fakir's hand grasped her hand, and their eyes met.

"Don't let go," Ahiru whispered.

"Never."

But even as he reassured her, ropes of darkness appeared, snaking around her waist. She was being pulled away, as the Puppetmaster's voice projected all around.

"So, you have decided to disobey after all, little Ahiru. Very well. This will be your punishment. Instead of killing the knight though, I think I'll just make you my puppet. From now on, Rivervale shall live in an eternity of darkness!"

Ahiru disappeared into the darkness as the Puppetmaster finished speaking.

"What is this?!" King Oran boomed out, Frowning as he looked out the window and into the oppressive darkness that cloaked his Kingdom. Servants ran around left and right in a frenzy, scared and confused.

"Order!" Oran shouted above the clamor. Everyone immediately stopped to listen to what their King had to say.

"Everyone remain calm! No one is to leave the palace until we can figure out what's going on. I will go out with some of our soldiers!"

Oran turned as he felt a gentle touch on his arm. Hana was looking up at him with concerned eyes.

"Oran, please be careful."

Oran covered her hand with his.

"Of course my dear. I'll be alright."

Ahiru collapsed as the darkness dropped her into yet more darkness. There was the sound of a footstep, and Ahiru looked up. Relief washed over her as she saw Kiru.

"Kiru! Thank goodness! Do you know how to get out of here? I have to—eh? Kiru?"

Ahiru looked on in confusion as the boy started crying.

"I'm sorry," he cried.

"What do you mean? Kiru, I don't—"

"He means that he has betrayed you." The Puppetmaster appeared.

"What do you mean?" Ahiru's chest felt tight.

"You, my dear Hime-sama, have been deceived. You are looking at my spy, and one of my greatest masterpieces—Kiru, the two-sided puppet."

Ahiru stared at the boy, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Kiru, is this true?"

He did not reply. The Puppetmaster, who was observing, took out a doll, rolling it around gently in her hands as she tutted.

"Oh, come now Kiru. It's rude not to answer. Tell her the truth, now."

Taking the doll in one hands, she held the left arm between thumb and forefinger. Kiru's arm also rose into the air, as though held by invisible strings. Then, she squeezed the doll's limb. Kiru cried out, and Ahiru was certain that had he not been held up by force, he would be rolling on the ground in pain.

"Stop! Oh, please stop it, you're hurting him!" Ahiru begged.

The Puppetmaster sneered and dropped the doll's arm. Kiru stopped his cries, clutching his injured arm with the other. The Puppetmaster disappeared in a whirlwind of darkness, and only then did Kiru look up at Ahiru. She was taken aback by the ancient sadness in his eyes. His anguished whisper echoed back at her as he disappeared after his Mistress.

"Do you hate me now?"

"So, I see she has made her move." A hand placed the paintbrush down on the easel shelf. "I suppose I should get going as well."

Ahiru gasped as her head throbbed. She held it in her hands, curling up in a ball.

Voices, jumbled together and incoherent, bounced around in her mind. Some screamed with rage, others trembled in fear. Some cried out in pain. Through all of them, it echoed of insanity.

"W-What is this?"

A liquid voice invaded her mind, clear and smooth above the others.

"Poor child. Living with such misconceptions, such illusions. How could the knight have been so cruel?"

Ahiru's mind went blank at the statement. Fakir? Deceive her?

"But I suppose it is to be expected, since he pitied you. What a noble sacrifice, staying with a duck."

The word duck was said with such sneering superiority that Ahiru could feel her heart crumbling with each word.

"I wonder that he did not tire of such an obligation. No doubt it was his pride and sense of duty as a knight. No one could doubt his honor."

An obligation? She was an obligation?

"Oh…I see. I really am just a burden to him."

Would it be better to just disappear? Then he could move on. He wouldn't have to look out for her any more.

"Yes, I think it would be better if you stayed here. Out of his way."

"…Yes…" Ahiru's emotionless voice replied, her eyes devoid of light and life.

"Tch!" Fakir gritted his teeth as he stared into the sky.

"My, my, look who it is. Fakir, wasn't it?"

Fakir turned. The man from the bar approached him. He had a casual look on his face, as though black thorns popping up from the ground and darkness taking over the sky happened every day.

The man raised a hand in greeting. "What's up?"

Fakir frowned. "How do you know my name?" He was fairly certain that, in their brief meeting, he had neither given nor asked for a name.

"Oh, you know, word gets around."

Fakir decided to let the subject drop. It wasn't his highest priority right now, after all.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter now. I have to find—"

"Ahiru?"

Fakir whipped around to look at him.

Contrary to the previous friendly smile, his eyes looked at Fakir as though he knew; and the amount of what he knew was unsettling.

"You want to save her, yes?"

"…Yes."

The man nodded to himself as though it was what he expected. "You have the sword of Lohengrin, right?"

Fakir drew the sword in question. As he did, a line came back to him from the book.

"The knight took the sword of Lohengrin and slashed the dark air."

Fakir tightened his grip on the sword, but before raising it, he turned back.

"What's your name?"

"It's Reuben."

Turning back, Fakir grasped the hilt in both hands and swung it in a vertical stroke. The darkness itself was cleaved in two as white light spilled to fill an ever-widening crack. Eventually it was large enough to accommodate Fakir passing through.

"Good luck," Came Reuben's voice from behind.

Knowing what to do, Fakir walked into the light.

King Oran approached with his soldiers just as the light glimmered out, Reuben staring into the sky.

"Reuben, who was that boy? What's going on?"

Reuben continued gazing up.

"He is…a knight, who is trying to save his princess. What would a swan be, after all, without her wings? All we can do now is watch and wait."

Fakir stepped out of the light and into the darkness, but oddly enough, the sword began to glow slightly, like a lantern. He walked cautiously forward, but stopped when something colorful flashed past on his right. If his peripheral vision was correct, the colors had been white…and an unmistakable red-orange.

"Ahiru?"

He turned and she was there, standing just outside his sword's light. Something was wrong somehow, something—her eyes. They were pupiless and lightless.

"Ahiru?" Fakir asked again, reaching out and touching her arm. She pulled back as if stung, but not before Fakir felt a burning sensation and words echoing in his mind:

"…Obligation…"

She began dancing away from him, but it was jerky, mechanical. Sliding his sword back in his sheath, Fakir followed. As soon as he saw a chance, he slipped into the dance, dancing with her. When he touched her, the burning came back, but he held on, trying to figure out what was happening. Her thoughts, fragmented, tumbled around in his mind again.


"Hurting…burdening him…to disappear and…troubling…a duty…move on…an obligation…"

And so it continued. Fakir frowned. It's almost like…

…Like she was under an enchantment. And finally those discordant thoughts connected, and the realization hurt him much more than anything so far.

"Ahiru, whatever you've been told, believe me, you are not a burden."

Her mouth didn't open but her thoughts were loud and clear.

But I…I was just a duck.

"No, you weren't a duck. Anyone with as much feeling as you couldn't be a duck."

But…

Was it his imagination, or were her movements becoming less mechanical?

Even if that's so, I was a duck. I couldn't offer anything that would make you want to stay. It was…

"It was not an obligation to be with you Ahiru. It was never an obligation. I want to be."

He twirled her around, and finally she opened her mouth to speak.

"That's right…with Fakir, it feels like I can do anything."

"Ah." Fakir lifted her high into the air, and Ahiru spread her arms as though she was flying.

"Can you feel it, Ahiru? Is this what it feels like to fly?"

Ahiru nodded, a content smile gracing her face. Fakir brought her slowly down again, and the both sank to the floor.

"Ahiru, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm…alright. I'm alright."

"Please, don't ever think that again."

Ahiru looked into Fakir's eyes and saw the deep sadness there. She ducked her head down so she couldn't see.

"I just thought…"

"What?"

"…that you only stayed with me because of your promise; that I was just holding you back. It's just that you never looked happy. I mean…"

Ahiru bit her lip. She didn't know how to explain it to him. He had smiled for her, but behind that she could see sadness. No matter what she tried, she had been unable to make him really smile.

"If I was unhappy, it's only because I felt helpless."

"Helpless?"

"Ah. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change you back."

"You were…trying to change me back?" Ahiru asked in astonishment.

Fakir nodded and squeezed her hand.

"I see…thank you!" Ahiru couldn't help letting a grin light up her face as her heart swelled with happiness. It suddenly felt like the weighty darkness had lifted off her shoulders just a little bit.

A footfall to their left caught their attention, and they saw Kiru standing there along.

"Kiru!" They said together.

"You know him, Fakir?"

"Yeah. He led me to you."

"But that's impossible! He's been here with me!"

They both looked at the boy.

"I am Kiru and…"

A second boy appeared, identical to the first.

"…I am Kiru."

"Twins?" Ahiru asked in confusion.

The first shook his head. "We are the same, but we are also different."

"Wait…the Puppetmaster did say he was called the two-sided puppet."

Kiru nodded, and the second disappeared again. "We are the same person, but were are different halves."

"But why—"

"I—I'm sorry!" Kiru interrupted, as big tears began to roll down his face, "She told me to watch Hime-sama and knight-sama! She said if I did she would let me be free, but…I didn't know Hime-sama would be so kind! I'm sorry! I—I didn't want to hurt Hime-sama!"

Ahiru could read it in his voice, what was most likely in his thoughts. A silent plea—Please believe me.

"You were afraid, weren't you?" Ahiru asked gently.

Kiru nodded, his shoulders shaking.

"It's okay." Kiru looked up at Ahiru with a tear-stained face. "It's okay, Kiru. It's not your fault. You didn't have a choice."

Kiru began crying even harder, and Ahiru reached forward, hugging him to her.

Aneko: Hmm...think I'm overusing the words "Drakness" and "appear/disappear." So, how 'bout it? Did I confuse you with the two-sided puppet? Did Kiru's role surprise you? Ne? Tell me about it please!