Written By: Teno Hikari
Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Tutu, its characters, or anything associated with it. I'm writing it purely for my own satisfaction, and the fact that Neko-sensei threatened me with marriage ;;
Summary: After the search for a 'heartless' Prince; Fakir and Ahiru grow closer together to protect Mute from the Ravens. With this unique relationship, will their story change? Or is it doomed to end in tragedy?
Warning: A little AU but does contains story spoilers. Also, un-betad like all my fanfics P I know I desperatly need a beta-reader but doubt I could find one who's patient enough to deal with my annoying and ever present writer's block.
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Once upon a time, there lived a girl who could turn into a beautiful princess. However, the princess fell in love for a prince who did not share the same destiny. As soon as she announces her love for the prince, she will vanish into a flash of light. Knowing this, she continued to collect the pieces of the Prince's heart, and will someday announce her love. Such a cruel fate... but who was the princess destined to be with, if not her prince?
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Act 3 - Fall from Grace
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Fakir and Ahiru turned their heads toward their heads toward the direction where the scream had come from; before exchanging worried glances. Seconds later, both were running down the hallways of Ginkan Academy, passing by confused peers in their wake. The fact that Ahiru's pendant had flashed shortly before the two ballet students had heard it, could not have been a coincidence.
It was Ahiru who had broke into a run first, always following her instincts no matter the danger. Ever since the story had begun, the people in need had always come before her. It made duck inside the girl question herself? Were these acts of selflessness part of who she was... or were they to the author's writing come to life? No time to think about that now, she scolded herself and turned another corridor with Fakir alongside her.
The two ballet students came to a halt when they approached an open door. Perhaps the source of the scream had come behind it? Before Ahiru could knock, the raven haired boy beside her stepped forward and pushed the door wide open.
Peering around him, Ahiru gasped in shock at the sight of Neko-sensei laying on the floor. At first glance the feline instructor appeared to be dead, with his feline eyes widened in shock and his mouth still hanging open. Yet it wasn't long before they could see him twitch slightly while making soft pathetic mewls. Stepping further inside, the two cautiously approached their teacher and while wondering what had caused him to react this way.
'Maybe he accidentally accepted a marriage proposal?'
Neither had to wonder long as they song the tattered remains of worn ballet toe shoes clutched tightly to Neko-sensei's chest. Nyadinsky's toe shoes that is. Blinking, Ahiru looked around and saw that on the floor there were scraps of material scattered about ... along with a pair of used scissors. Someone had done desecrated Neko-sensei's most precious belonging.
"How cruel..."
Fakir's dark gaze lifted from their teacher who began to let out a low whine - to his companion. He nearly flinched upon seeing the girl almost break down in tears. Well he guessed he could sympathize for their teacher, but really it was nothing for her to cry about!
Looking away quickly, he was slightly relieved as the other members of the faculty entered the room. At once Neko-sensei was rushed to the nurse's office - toe shoes still clutched in a tightly to his chest. Fakir explained to the staff what had happened, while Ahiru tried not to turn into a blubbering mess.
Wiping away her tears, she began to collect the tattered pieces off the floor and placed them where Neko-sensei would find them. She was sure the ballet instructor would try to repair the damaged shoes once he recovered from the shock. It didn't even occur to the girl, that the simple task was similar to the role she played as Princess Tutu.
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They parted ways after Ahiru finished cleaning up while Fakir had explained. The desecrator had probably been long gone before Neko-sensei even entered the room. Could it have been someone from their morning class? Someone who must have slipped out early enough to beat the ballet instructor had to his office.
Suddenly the frightened odd look in Mute's eyes had flashed through her mind, causing the young girl to stop abruptly. Mute? Could he have done it? No that would have been impossible! Mute wasn't so cold-hearted...
A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the prince's heart was not yet complete. Yet still, Ahiru's instincts were pointing in his direction. Perhaps it had to do with a missing piece? It must be, that explained why her own pendant had flashed earlier.
But where could it be now? Perhaps...
"AHIRU!"
'Qua...!'
The girl was practically strangled to death by her friend Lilie who pounced from behind. Following the blonde as always was Pique who had an exasperated expression on her face. Ahiru knew that look pretty well.
"You were calling me...?" she guessed and mentally sighed at the affirmative nods. "Sorry, I had something on my mind."
Lilie giggled and continued to hang from Ahiru's back like a monkey. "More like someone, ne?"
"Huh?"
Ahiru looked confused as she stared between her friends. She could feel her stomach turn with anxiety as they were wearing similar expressions of envy and glee. No good could come from this. Especially when Lilie's hold tightened lethally so.
"Who is it Ahiru?" Pique inquired, pointing accusingly towards the stunned girl. "Is it Mute or Fakir!"
She paled slightly at the question - and the fact that the blonde from behind was cutting off her oxygen supply. Of course they would interrogate her. Being so close to the two boys whom no girl at Ginkan Academy could approach. Especially Fakir, the emerald eyed boy who's cold glares would freeze anyone who so much looked in his direction.
The girl could not even count all the times Fakir had glared at her that way. All those times she had gotten close to Mute, he had been there to try and ward her off. Effectively putting himself in the middle, even if it meant dancing with her in front of all their peers. No matter how much he provoked her, Ahiru couldn't help but admire him. Even felt a tiny bit jealous of Mute for having such a devoted Knight by his side. "I bet it's Fakir!" Lilie was practically glowing as Ahiru's blue eyes practically bulged from their sockets. They were either hit a bull's eye or their younger classmate was about to pass out soon.
Normally Pique would have pried Ahiru free from the death grip, if she weren't contemplating the day's earlier events. "Fakir was acting a bit strange today, maybe it has something to do with his injuries? Say... Ahiru, you wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"
Her violet eyes suddenly grew wide with shock as she turned to look at them. "Lilie, you idiot! You're gonna kill her!"
The blonde blinked and suddenly looked embarrassed as she finally released Ahiru, who lifelessly deflated to the ground. "Oopsies."
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Fakir was a bit surprised to see Mute back in their dorm that afternoon, already dressed and tucked in for bed. Which was odd considering it was only mid-afternoon. Blinking in confusion, he set his books down on a nearby table and approached the other boy's bedside. Amber eyes followed his very movements under thick eyelashes.
"You left without going back to the locker room," Fakir spoke quietly as he sat down on the side of the bed. "Is everything all right?"
Out of habit he reached out to feel Mute's forehead - despite the fact that the Prince had never been ill for as long as they've known one another. There was no fever present and all Fakir could come up with was just fatigue. With the pieces of his heart finally returning to him, it was probably that Mute was emotionally exhausted.
Withdrawing his hand, the raven-haired boy stood up and went over to dresser to change out of his uniform but paused when he heard the sound of movement behind him. Turning to look passed his shoulder, he looked over at the prince again, only to find him standing. Head bowed, pale lips curved slightly into a feral grin...
"Mute?" Fakir called out worriedly as he completely turned around as the pale boy stretched out his arms and gracefully began to back away. "W-What in the world...?
"Are you doing?" the prince finished in an eerily calm voice. "The question you ought to be asking is 'what are you?'"
"What...?"
The knight stared as his friend's uncharacteristic behavior began to disturb him.
"I'll show you who I am!" Mute exclaimed before the other boy could finish. Fakir only tensed, never before has he heard Mute raise his voice like this. Slowly he watch as Mute raised his head and Fakir gasped in shock and disbelief as his gaze was met by the glowing crimson eyes...
No! This can't be!
... Of a raven.
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Once Pique and Lilie confirmed that Ahiru wasn't "living impaired" they quickly apologized and offered to treat at the local cafe. Though she was tempted, Ahiru politely reclined and told them she had some after school detention to go to. Of course this wasn't technically true since Neko-sensei had passed out before he could issue her punishment. She just needed to make sure that Mute was all right. The warning feeling she had earlier was still nagging her to investigate the matter further.
As she approached the boys' dorms, however, she heard the chirping noises coming from above that made her pause and look up. On the rooftop of another building across the dormitory was a young bird she met often for breakfast. From what she could manage to make out, despite the other students socializing around her, it was chirping rather angrily about unwanted visitors...
That's when Ahiru saw them, two ravens, just perched about a foot away from the other bird. Immediately Ahiru went into action, racing into the building, up the stairs and out onto the third story window where she could climb up onto the roof. Carefully the duck-turned-girl balanced herself on the rooftop, glad that none of her peers down below bothered to look up.
The ravens glanced wearily in the girl's direction as she inched closer to her friend while frowning back, and started to shoo them off. What were they doing there? Trying to cause trouble, or waiting for it to happen? Past experience with these black birds so close by normally meant something awful was going to happen. An unpleasant wind was making her shiver and she could feel it now... something awful was happening close by... and that was when Ahiru heard the sound of windows snapping open.
She whirled around quickly, just in time to see Mute falling out from his third story bedroom window.
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The prince's smile did not falter as he fell. Above him he watched his oldest friend frantically lean over the railing and reach out in attempt to grab him. But Mute didn't bother to reach back, only watched as the other's hand missed his arm by mere centimeters.
You can't save me. You never could, my knight.
From below, came the horrified screams of the students body from the ground level as they stood paralyzed in shock. They were helpless of course. Not even the bird-like students could fly up and save the boy who was plummeting to his death.
You're background characters after all. Powerless to do anything.
He was uncertain why the mass panic and hysteria amused him. Or why his heart seemed to be fluttering within his body as if it had wings of it's own. What was this strange feeling? It was certainly nothing he could recall ever experiencing before. It was dark, that much he could tell, a constant shadow that dwelled in the crevices of darkest corners of his heart.
None of you know who I am. I'll show you right now, I'm...
"Mute!"
Amber eyes snapped wide open as the sound of a soft melodious voice that called out his name. A voice that seemed to banish the darkness which had been ready to devour him whole. He could feel it now, the warmth that filled him whenever the source of that voice was near. Unlike all the others, only she could save him...
"Tutu...?"
From the corner of his eye, he saw her, leaping across a building towards him. Princess Tutu. His courageous and beautiful princess. Her hand reached out and grasped his own, gently pulling him upright and close to her as literally thousands of bright feathers whirled around them as a protective barrier.
"Thank goodness," the swan princess murmured softly as they seemed to be now standing on thin air that was slowly descending. Her sky blue eyes softened as they gazed deep into his own as if searching for something. She looked relieved a moment later and smiled at him. "Dance with me?"
What is this feeling? Love?
It didn't take long for him to return the smile, a genuine one that he was certain came straight from his heart even if it was incomplete. Deep down he knew that she made him feel complete. Tutu was his, and his alone. Without any more words exchanged between them, the Prince reached out, wrapping an arm around her slender waist, as they danced and let the world around them cease to be.
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Author's Note:
Actually finished this chapter in one day - I apologize for slacking off for so long. To be honest, I really wasn't planning on continuing this story since I started writing Raptura. Then decided to play around with a Dark Mute x Tutu/Ahiru x Fakir triangle, which wasn't really intended. Oh well. Please feed the author by reviewing, thanks!