For the Love of a Duck

Chapter of Swan

Act 4- Be Our Guest

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It was very quaint- a small shop hidden in a nook between two larger ones. A small building of brick that looked ages old yet was created minutes ago. Tilting his head to one side in wonder, Fakir observed it.

"It's amazing what power a few words have," Aotoa spoke up as the two continued to stare at the store's front.

Glancing down to his parchment, Fakir's eyes glazed over the few words he'd written there.

Knowing not what else to do, the knight traversed into the village. Once there, he sought out the console of a wise jeweler who had a tiny shop nestled amongst the larger ones.

She was a kind woman, whose cryptic warnings often fell on deft ears. But to those who listened, she could change the course of their life.

And being as such, the knight and his companion approached her to seek out her thoughts on their predicament.

After looking to one another for reassurance, the two boys walked forward into the store their words created.

It was warm and cozy; the low rafters making the store seem smaller than it was. The shimmer of the jewels in the displays mirrored the shimmering pieces of glass hung from the ceiling- making the whole room seem like a large sparkling jewel.

Looking up from where she sorted the many stones into the display cases, the aqua-haired woman seemed like a shadow out of Fakir's brief memories of their meetings. The eccentric hairstyle, the eclectic choice of clothing and the almost painted-looking appearance to her face and skin. She was just like a puppet with life breathed into her, a true version of a living doll.

At the sight of customers, she sat down her work and turned to greet them.

"Welcomings are given to those who enter. But when they go- is it a goodbye or merely the time between our meetings?"

Aotoa blinked at the strange way the woman worded herself, but Fakir just smiled.

"Hello, Edel," He replied warmly, thinking back to when she'd saved him and helped Ahiru and Mytho to safety.

"I see our acquaintance has already been made," She replied, her gaze falling on Fakir as she tried to decipher why he seemed familiar.

"Fakir. An old friend," The emerald-haired man clarified.

Nodding her head, she looked to Aotoa, "There is a time when matters are best attended to alone. A place where you might pass the time is not far. Its distance, not much to cover. And its location just adjacent to the building of red."

Pointing to himself in confusion, Aotoa tried to figure out Edel's strange words.

"You can get your glasses repaired down the street across from the red building," Fakir translated with a smirk.

"Well, that was quite the way of putting it," He muttered, taking the hint and begrudgingly making his exit.

"Your troubles are as plain as the words upon your parchment. Your worries run deep like the scar across your skin. You seek answers to your questions, yet are afraid to ask. The moment is now. Your chance is now," Edel spoke up, as the small bell by the door indicated Aotoa's departure.

Slowly lifting the parchment up onto the counter, he reached out and took the stray quill from the countertop.

"Let me borrow this for a moment?" Fakir asked, the jewels on the quill reflecting the beams of light and shimmering as his hand moved.

She nodded her consent silently and he began to write.

Edel was mysterious, that much was true. But her insights and observations were something the knight could understand. If anyone would be able to aide him on his plight- she would be the one to lay the stones for his path.

For to her, as a jeweler, stones told you all you could need to know.

And so, he laid the pages before her and hoped- just like her stones spoke volumes to her- that his words would speak more than just the mere text written there.

Placing the quill back on the counter, he pushed the parchment towards her. The story's beginning there for her perusal.

Her eyes danced across the page- over the words and into the depths of the unwritten thoughts behind them. Then without a word, she began reaching into the displays, picking up jewels of varying colors, sizes and shapes.

Laying them out before Fakir, she told of the answers she'd found.

"The stone of blue is for a dream-

The nighttime casting its enchanting spell.

The stone of white joined with red is courage-

You must learn to use it well.

But there's the black stone of rejection-

It has a fondness for your fear.

And if your Love love's another-

The green of envy shall appear.

Purple is a mystery-

The questions looming in your mind

And hope's the stone of red-

The one you want to find.

The jewel of love is hard to grasp-

Its color never once the same.

Its appearance varies from light to dark-

Not an easy one to obtain.

If treated harshly or pushed away-

Your emotions take a fall.

But if it is pure, and not mislead-

Then it shines the brightest of them all.

Fortify yourself with courage-

And let hope lend you a hand.

Then embrace the love with all your heart-

And all things shall occur as planned."

As Edel finished speaking, she handed over a large red jewel with a gold chain to Fakir.

"Take this and use it well. Your intentions are as pure as the fresh fallen snow and no harm shall befall you if you speak truthfully. The princess shall be restored and reunited with the knight."

Quietly, he ran his finger over the smooth stone; its shape and size all too familiar to the pendant he'd once taken from Princess Tutu herself.

"Should I…give this to her?" He asked absently.

"It can convey that which you hesitate to say."

He fell silent once again as he observed the jewel, then looking up to Edel, he spoke again, "So when I think the time is right, I should…give this to her and…tell her?"

"The spell shall take its hold in the pendant. Just like it has in the past times."

"And…she'll have the ability to change between the form of a duck and the human girl like she was before?" Fakir questioned; not sure if he was asking Edel or himself.

"If the story takes the course you want. But you must not delay, for a story without an ending…"

"Is a tragedy," He finished for her, his hand clutching the jewel tightly.

"You have my best wishes, Fakir."

Looking up, he could see her smiling at him- almost like her fading vision amongst the flames when they'd lost her before. But this time, she was of flesh and blood. She was real, and soon- Fakir vowed, he'd give Ahiru the chance to live as a girl once again too.

"Thank you, Edel. We'll visit once the story has ended."

"Once it has ended happily," Edel added.

And Fakir nodded, his courage and hope shining as brightly as the jewel in his hand. He wouldn't let anyone- Ahiru, Edel- heck, even Aotoa- have a tragic ending.

This was his story and he wasn't going to let it end unhappily.

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Fakir returned quickly to the school, hoping that immersing himself in dancing for a few hours might help him sort things out better in his mind. But everyone could tell- the girls who pined for his affections and his teacher all noticing the sad confusion with which he danced that day.

So it was no surprise that once classes were dismissed, Fakir found his rather unique teacher approaching him and asking what the matter was.

Now to some it might seem weird, but looking at his teacher who was now a man instead of a giant cat still was odd for the emerald-haired boy to completely process.

Once the spell had been broken on the town- the ballet teacher known as Neko-sensei had in a sense, been broken into two entities. The cat side was happily "married" so to speak, to a local white-cat and they had a few children to prove it. They shared their home with their owner- the human side that remained as the school's ballet teacher; his love for cats only shadowed by his obsession with love and marriage.

And it was in part due to Neko-sensei's strange obsessions that Fakir found himself in his office discussing his current problems.

"So, Fakir-san- might you wish to enlighten me as to why your dancing wasn't as lively today?"

"Ah, I'm just…a bit confused about how to go about telling someone something," He answered, his gaze avoiding that of his teacher's.

"Perhaps- does this have anything to do with the emotion of love mixed in with the confusion as you danced?"

Fakir coughed, a light blush coming to his face at the mention.

"The joys of being young and in love. You must take these opportunities and let them lead you to bigger and greater things. Let them lead you to ma-ma-marriage!" The purple haired man ended up stammering as the infamous word came to be the topic.

"No!" Fakir protested, his face growing redder at the thought, "It's not marriage!"

Neko-sensei blinked at that, both him and the small cat in the corner seeming almost disappointed that that wasn't the case.

Sighing, Fakir shook his head- supposing that Drosselmeyer's spell or not, some things would just never change.

"Well then, what is the issue with love you are coping with, Fakir-san?"

"I…" He paused, gathering up the courage to speak of the matter aloud, "I have someone I…I really like."

"Oh? Another student? Should I partner you two together?"

"No. She doesn't come here… she…might in the future thought if it all works out."

"Hmm, well then- what kind of relationship are you currently in?"

"Re-relationship?"

"A friend? A…close friend? Or is it something…special?"

Fakir found himself glaring absently at the corner, berating himself for thinking that this would be of any assistance to his plight.

"I'm not quite sure. We're very close but…I don't know how she feels about me."

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere. So you have feelings for her, but are afraid to interrupt the delicate balance your relationship is at the moment to see if she loves you in return, correct?"

He nodded, "And due to something beyond my control, I have to tell her very soon or I could lose her forever."

Nodding sagely, the teacher stood, his eyes falling on his prized ballet shoes from a famous dancer. "Each one of us cherishes different things, and when threatened with losing that- we must speak out. Fakir-san, I know it must be awkward, but let your heart lead you. Speak out to her- tell her of your feelings before you lose her forever. For love cannot grow if it is hidden away, feelings cannot move forward if words are not exchanged- and most of all- ma-ma-marriage and a happy life together cannot be had without a foundation of undying love to build it from!"

He struck a dramatic pose to emphasis his point and the pet cat seemed to nod in approval as he looked to his wife and children.

"Err…I suppose," Fakir managed nervously.

"So how to you plan on confessing?"

"I…hadn't exactly thought about it…" He admitted awkwardly.

"Well first- treat her to her favorite things. Dinner, dancing, whatever it is she loves. Then, present her with a lovely gift and tell her of your burning passionate love for her. And if she accepts- then ask her to ma-ma-marry you!"

The emerald-haired boy's eye twitched, "I'm not ready to marry her!"

"Why not? You love her don't you?"

"That's beside the point!"

Sitting back in his chair, the purple-haired man let the purple cat jump up in his lap, "At times, Fakir-san, you must look at all the steps to the destination. Even if you aren't ready for those final steps, you still must take the ones before it."

Thinking back over his words, Fakir sighed, his hand clutching the pendant where it rested in the folds of his jacket's pocket.

"I know Neko-sensei. I just wish…I knew if she even felt the same first."

"But you can."

"I…can?"

"Watch her. Her eyes, her movements. Much like dancing speaks without words; so does everything else someone does. Read her unintentional mime. Watch the expressions on her face and you will be able to tell if she feels the same. You'll know by the swelling feeling it gives your heart."

Not sure quite what else to say, he just nodded in understanding.

Eccentric or not, that was indeed something he could try and do. And right now- even advice from his marriage-obsessed teacher was better than nothing.

And as he made his way home that afternoon, his mind could only think over one thing.

"Marriage! I can't believe he thinks I'm ready for marriage!"

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