Once upon a time there was a magical boy who was found in a bird's nest and was taken in by a noble woman's step daughter.
The boy fell in love with the girl, but the step mother refused to let the daughter go. So the boy and the girl ran away to be together.
The noble woman sent her servants after them two times, where the boy used his magic to transform the girl and himself into: A rose bush with one rose, and a tower with one chandelier.
The final time the noble woman herself went after them, as the two lovers turned into a lake and a duck. The noble woman fell into the lake and began to drown but as this happened, she took the duck with her, killing the girl as well.
"We've been at this for hours. There's nothing here." Autor frowned, "No one knows where his unpublished works were hidden!"
Autor had said this for the longest time… and Rue had just about had it!
"Well we figured you would know something! I mean, how many years have you spent studying this guy!?"
Autor started cowering in fear, when Mytho came to his rescue holding a book in his hand.
"Wait Rue. I think I found what we need." He flipped to the very end of the book and opened it to the inside of the back cover to reveal something scratched into it. "It looks like Drosselmeyer created some sort of failsafe system, just in case someone close to him came looking for his works. It's a guide that knows where he hid the stories, and I think this might say where we can find it."
Fakir had to lean on Ahiru for support on their way back into town. Fakir was weighed down by his baggy clothes and how the fabric clung to his wounds.
It was painful, but he could manage, he had Ahiru after all…
"Don't worry," Ahiru said with a determined voice, "You'll feel better soon."
"I'm already starting to…" Fakir smiled as he kissed her head.
It was just another moment they had together. Something they wish could have lasted. But, like most of the time, they were interrupted.
At that instant Ben had arrived.
"Well well, it seems my nephew has been cured. And it looks like he is still hanging out with the bird girl." He smirked.
Fakir was about to charge at him, but was halted by Ahiru.
"What do you want?" She said calmly.
"Don't worry duck girl, I'm here for your boyfriend, not you!"
Fakir glared at Ben, "Don't talk to her that way!"
"Then why don't you and I talk?"
Ben grabbed his nephew by the wrist, pulling him away from Ahiru.
"Go back to your friends you runt." He commanded before he vanished, taking Fakir with him and leaving Ahiru to herself.
Fakir and Ben arrived in a strange area. A world filled with gears that were either mowing in a steady motion or were completely still.
"Where are we?" Fakir asked in shock.
"Just a little loophole in time. While we are here, we get a chance to talk!"
"What is there to talk about?"
"Your reckless writing skills that cost me my sister! That is why I brought you here! Just what the hell did you think you could accomplish? Did you really think a child could handle those ravens?! A child! Drosselmeyer's talent is wasted on a wretch like you!"
"Oh really?" Fakir retorted, "What about you? You think controlling people and putting them through Hell is any more noble?! I use this power to protect people!"
Ben laughed, "Of course, the young puppet master who is gentle on the pull of the strings. You just keep denying that your power is to control fate, to control people. You cannot escape who you are! No one cannot escape you will."
Fakir clenched his fists, "You're wrong," His voice was low but firm, "I don't have to control people if I allow the character to choose their fate."
"Fine, you can stay in denial if you wish, but I will make you see reason."
Ahiru burst through the door to the library, completely out of breath. "Rue, Mytho… are you… here?" she said in between pants.
Ahiru could hear footsteps from behind the bookcases. It wasn't before long that Rue, Mytho, and Autor came to her side.
Mytho raised an eyebrow, "Ahiru, where is Fakir?"
After catching her breath Ahiru answered, "Ben kidnapped him!"
"Why would he do that?" Autor asked.
Ahiru looked at Autor with an annoyed look, "I don't know! But we need to find him!" Ahiru said trying to pull her friends out of the library.
"Ahiru wait!" Rue stated, "Look at your feet."
Everyone looked down, only to see Ahiru's feet and the rest of her body slowly disappearing.
Ahiru began to panic, "What's happening?!" She shrieked.
"Calm down!" Autor yelled. But by then Ahiru had completely vanished.
"Now what do we do?" Rue's voice grew with worry.
"I don't know. But I think I know where we can start looking…" Autor answered.
"You see Fakir, the real reason I am in this story is to not only help Drosselmeyer, but also for my revenge!"
"Revenge?" Fakir repeated.
"Yes. To avenge my sister and her husband that you murdered. After they were gone, all they left me was a drawer of a few possessions and custody over you. I was fine with taking the drawer, so long as I did not open it, but I could never take in the child who killed his parents. Her being gone, her husband being gone, but you being alive! I couldn't stand it! I lost control. That mental institution was supposed to help me. And it did. I formulated a plan to summon Drosselmeyer, and take my revenge. And now, this is where the pieces come together. Now if you're a writer who can protect people, let's see you 'protect' these people now. In these three situations you must try and save these people. If you succeed I lose my soul to Drosselmeyer; but if you fail, you lose your soul."
"I won't lose!"
"Alright then," Ben grinned, "We will call out the situation, after all a voice is just as powerful as words on a page. But be mindful of your choice of words."
Ben summoned a gear before the two of them.
"The first situation: Within a small home there was a rose bush which caught fire. The fire began to spread throughout the house."
There within the gear was exactly what Ben had said.
"How do you save them?"
Fakir breathed in and out, "But the fire was stopped by… a rain storm. One that was strong enough to put out the fire, but gentle enough to keep the house from falling."
And Fakir's words came true.
"Huh. I guess you won that one. Onto the next then."
A new gear came before them, "The second situation: Many people came into castle, only to find out they were locked in and it was about to collapse. Be mindful of what you say. One wrong word and they will be crushed. That will be more blood on your hands."
Fakir slightly panicked, what could he do? Then it came to him.
"The people found a hidden door, which lead them to a tunnel that could lead them out of the castle."
"But the door was locked."
"Um… one of the people found a key and unlocked the door."
"They were all sealed inside by the falling rocks."
"But… the door led to an underground tunnel which lead them to the outside and out of harm's way…"
Fakir was getting tired, it was difficult coming up with something quickly.
Ben only smiled, "Alright, final one: A young princess had weights tied down to her ankles. She was tossed into a lake. And you want to know the plot twist, Fakir? It's your precious Ahiru."
"What?!" Fakir looked to the gear and Ben's words were true. Ahiru was drowning.
Fakir's worry began to consume him. He couldn't focus.
But he had to do something!
"But Ahiru didn't drown because … she was… taken out… right out of the water by… myself…?"
Right then, everything around Fakir and his uncle ceased moving.
Ben laughed, "Such vague words nephew. Now look what you've done. You pulled her out of the story just like I myself did with Liesel."
Fakir gasped in horror. Ben laughed harder, "You say you are not like us, but you instinctively did exactly what Drosselmeyer or I would have done. But oh well. Before I give my soul to Drosselmeyer I better tell you what is to come next. Drosselmeyer will attach my soul to his newly finished machine, putting him in absolute control over the story. And the stone army will be closer than you think."
Ben soon dropped like a stone. Fakir stumbled over to the limp body of his uncle and checked his vital signs. He was dead.
Fakir began to breathe short and quick breaths.
This was bad, really bad. He was breaking down. The one he cared the most for, was pulled out, by his hand. How could he protect people if he did exactly what his uncle and great grandfather would have done? What was the point of changing if he was already going down the same path?
Fakir was soon surrounded by light, and in the next instant, he fell out of Drosselmeyer's grave and surrounded by Autor, Mytho, and Rue.
"Fakir, what's wrong?" Mytho asked with worried eyes.
Fakir slammed his fist to the ground, tears falling from his face, "She's gone…" he whispered, "I pulled her out… Just what they wanted me to do… She's gone!"
A/N: Man this was a tough one to write. Especially Ben's monologue.
Anyway, Ahiru has been pulled out of the story just like her mother. Where does that leave her? What will happen to her in this 'limbo' of the story? And what about Fakir? Has he lost the strength to write anymore? Has his fear won?
Quotes from the next chapter Mother Hulda:
"I cannot believe you are here!"
"It's time I tell you our story."
"You would live at the cost of his death… the greatest sign of love."
Thank you to Eloise for the wonderful review! I am so glad you like how the story is going!
Also thanks to charlesie for favorite the story, deadlyrose123 for favorite and following the story too!
And a special thanks to you for reading this chapter! I really hope you are enjoying this story!