10/19/2005

For the first day Fakir sat unmoving at the lakeshore. He would wait patiently for Ahiru to speak to him. He would not leave the lake until she listened to what she had to say. And so he sat at the lakeside – his hair falling slightly into his eyes, his face serious. He tired to convey with every ounce of his being how sorry he was to Ahiru. His demeanor was convincing – and all who saw him as they walked by the lake, knew that the young man was very upset about something – upset about causing another one grief. He could convince all who saw him, but Ahiru refused to turn around to look at him. She swam complacent in the middle of the lake, occasionally feeding, but at all times her back was too him.

Fakir sighed, and he waited.

The second day brought Ruu and Mytho to the lake. After seeing that the situation between Fakir and Ahiru had not changed, Rue walked to the far side of the lake to talk to Ahiru. The irate quacks could be heard across the entire lake as Ahiru angrily told Rue just how upset with Fakir was, and her quacking quieted as she mourned – how could she have been so silly, to think that a boy, a knight such as Fakir, could ever harbor feelings for a small yellow duck. It had been silly, and reality was quite harsh. She knew now that she had been a silly duck in all things. She was just glad that she had been able to help Mytho and Ruu find their happiness.

"But what about your own happiness, Ahiru?" Ruu's voice was soft as she picked the small duck up out of the water. "What about what Ahiru wants for herself?"

"A duck does not deserve the happiness that I seek." Ahiru's quack was sad and bitter – very uncharacteristic of Ahiru.

Did Fakir really hurt her that deeply? Ruu frowned as the though passed over her mind.

"Everyone deserves happiness, Ahiru. Especially you." Ruu placed Ahiru back into the water. "He will not leave until he explains his words to you Ahiru. I think you should listen to him."

"What is there to explain? He wishes to be bound to no one. Why would he want to be bound to a think – a duck who was once a princess and a girl?" With that though Ahiru swam back out into the lake, her head low, her eyes focused on the water, and not the sad pleading for of Fakir that she would have seen if she had looked up. But if she looked at him, her heart would shatter all over again – and the tiny Ahiru could only harbor so mean shatter fragments of a heart within her body before she burst.

Ruu walked slowly back to the side of the lake that Fakir and Mytho occupied. Mytho and Ruu had brought food for Fakir, and Mytho made Fakir promise to eat the food. Both knew that it was an empty promise – Fakir was too absorbed in Ahiru to think about eating, and in all honest Mytho couldn't blame him. Fakir had made a big mistake.

"You cannot get her to listen to you if you are incapable of speech. Eat something, Fakir." Mytho urged as he joined Ruu by the forests edge, hugging his beloved briefly before they walked into the forest, leaving the knight to watch over the princess he had hurt.

The third day brought Aota to the clearing. Mytho and Ruu had thought that perhaps Aota would be able to effect some change in either Fakir or Ahiru. Aota ignored Fakir but walked around the lake, motioning for Ahiru to swim closer.

"I will tell you a story, Ahiru." Aota smiled, and lay back, his hands behind his head. "Once upon a time there was a knight. The knight might not have been a very good knight, but he was loyal, and when he committed himself to a task, he devoted himself to it whole-heartedly. While protecting the Prince that he had sworn his life to, the knight watched a beautiful Princess appear. This princess was not a typical princess, for she had a very tragic role to play in a story that was full of tragedy. The knight began to fall in love with the princess, and by the end of the story, when the Princess helped restore happiness to the prince that the knight served, the knight knew that he would forever love the princess. He could never tell the princess this, however, for in her act of devotion to the prince, she was forever taken from the knight, she was forever changed. The knight, however, had pledged himself to the princess – he would serve her for the rest of his days, even though he was no longer technically serving a princess, he would always see her as such. He spent time with the princess every day, keeping her company and trying to make her happy – he always loved the princess, and longed for there to be a day that she would be restored to her former self."

Aota paused and glanced to Ahiru. She could tell where this story was headed, and was trying her best to appear uninterested, but he knew she was very very interested to hear what he had to say about the knight and the princess.

"it just so happened that on the day the princess was given the precious gift to temporarily return to her former self, that the knight was faced with the confession of a long time admirer. He told the admirer that he wished to be bound to no one – but what he really meant is that since I cannot be bound to the one I love, I will have no one else. The knight had already sworn his life, and his love, to the princess of the lake. Unfortunately the princess overheard this confession and was broken – she thought that knight did not care for her in any way, and she had wished to inform the knight of her love for him. The knight, realizing his mistake, pursued the princess as she ran from him, and pledged to forever wait for her to once again look at his with her beautiful eyes, so he could confess how he really feels."

Aota smiled. "It is a tragic story. One that sounds like Drosselmeyer himself wrote it." Aota turned his head to look to Ahiru. "You should forgive him, Ahiru-chan. He is as heartbroken as you are. He never meant to hurt you, it is the last thing that he wanted." Aota looked to the crumbled form of Fakir across the lake. "He hasn't eaten for days, and I don't think he intends to."

Ahiru glanced to Fakir, her eyes soft. "The knight in the story, Aota, he should not wait for the princess. If he is so passionate about her, should he not do something about it – does he not care enough to try?"

"Maybe he thinks that he is trying."

"Maybe he is merely keeping the princess waiting." Ahiru's voice was soft. Im tired, Aota. Will you stay a while. I haven't slept in days, there are animals in the forest. I spent too long as a human to be able to sleep in the water, and normally I sleep when Fakir watches over me."

"It will hurt him, Ahiru, if he thinks I am trying to take his place."

"You aren't taking his place, you are helping a friend in need, who asks." Ahiru swan to the shore and snuggled down into the grass. She did not lean against Aota like she would Fakir, but she still quickly fell asleep.

Aota caught the eye of fakir across lake and shook his head, mouthing "I will tell you later."

By the fourth day Fakir had managed to work up enough nerve to take Ahiru, and Aota's advice.

"Ahiru!" Fakir called, and while she did not turn he knew that she was listening to him. "If you will not come talk to me, I will come out there and make sure that you will listen to what I have to say."

Ahiru didn't respond and Fakir sighed. He took off his uniform jacket and shirt, tossing them both onto the ground beside him. His shoes and socks were soon added to the pile. With purpose in his steps the young knight strode into the water, making gentle waves that rocked Ahiru as she swam.

Mytho and Ruu watched from the forest, Aota near them. Ruu giggled as she noticed Ahiru blushing. "Fakir is actually going to her, I am surprised."

"It was only a matter of time. One of them would have broken and gone to the other." Aota smiled.

Ahiru tried to ignore the presence that swam purposely towards her. She was merely a duck swimming in the lake. Fakir would not come into the middle of the lake to talk to a duck.

And then she was swept up into warm arms and pressed against his bare chest in a tight hug. "I will never let you go, Ahiru, not again. I made that mistake when I ended the story with you as a duck, and not as a girl." Fakir's voice was low, and he spoke against Ahiru's neck, her face pressed to his cheek, her body pressed into his shoulder and chest. "I do not wish to be bound to anyone but you. You are the reason that i—" Fakir stopped his voice hoarse, and moved Ahiru so he could look her in the eye. He noticed the flush across her complexion and smiled gently, a smile that finished healing the broken heart that Ahiru nurtured.

"I love you, Ahiru, no matter what form you are in." Fakir whispered his confession, and moved his lips closer to Ahiru. Please forgive me." He placed a chaste kiss on the bill of the tiny duck he so gently cradled. A flash of light enveloped the two of them, and Fakir's eyes widened in surprise as he felt warm lips against his own in a gentle smile.

"Mytho, what did you do?" Ruu demanded of her love as Mytho smiled and began to walk away.

"I am the Prince, I do what I wish. Come, give them their privacy." Mytho looked fondly at his loyal knight, and the beautiful princess who had sacrificed everything to give him and Ruu happiness. The least he could to was grant them a wish.

And once upon a time there was a knight who was reunited with his princess, and they lived happily ever after in a house by a lake.