Chapter 14

Fakir's hand gripped the corner of his writing desk, his knees giving out from the events draw Drosselmeyer had put into play. He needed to end the story as soon as possible yet he couldn't find the will to write another letter. He follows the path that the dead author had created there would be a happy ending and no harm would come to his friends, in exchange he would lose Ahiru forever. Though he knew of a way that he could direct the story in a way that would bring her back to him, but to do so someone would have to get harmed. That ending would be a tragedy, the ending Drosselmeyer wanted.

'no.' A part of his mind told him as he struggled to gain the strength to walk out the door. He was tired of this game, and he would not be forced to choose between Ahiru and what was right. They had to do that once before and Ahiru had to embrace the lifetime as a duck.

Fakir winced as he stepped out of the dormitory and into the light of day. Despite his writing affecting time in reality everything appeared to be fine, that is because the consequences of his power would be coming to a head in a city, miles away from him. A part of him regretted taking Drosselmeyer's deal, Ahiru even as a duck he had never considered her leaving him.

He looked to the sky at the clock tower that loomed over the town. He would stop the game, even if it meant the world would have to go back to that purgatory state Mytho had once created. At this point it was the only way for Fakir to truly fight against Drosselmeyer, the rules are no rules.

He moved swiftly across town pushing away people who smiled at him or questioned him with concern. Surely, he must have been a terrible site kept up in his room for days, only coming out to classes that would allow him to continue writing even more. Fakir began to ascend the staircase of the clock tower each step leading to a nagging feeling that he should turn back, that any other solution would be better. Though he wouldn't create a tragedy for himself or tragedy for everyone else, he would never bring to make such a decision for someone else ever again.

When he reached the final landing of the clock tower however, the machine that had been repaired so Drosselmeyer could continue his game was a wreckage scattered across the room.

Fakir's eyes glanced up to see two figures standing and cross from him. One a small girl in the other a young man "How!" Shouted at the sight of them "Allard I thought!"

The blonde boy laughed as a scruffy owl perched upon the window besides him "You had sold my freedom away by writing me into your story? You did not, but only because somebody else sold my freedom away long ago to protect me." Then patted Uzura's head. The puppet girl giving him a grumpy look as he did so.

"Your mother?" Fakir asked, knowing that Edel probably was the only one that could do such a thing.

"Yes." Allard nodded looking absently at the owl "In another time, perhaps another life the story of the Prince and the Raven ended differently."

Fakir couldn't understand what the other young man was saying. The only reason this mess began was because this story couldn't end, for it to have ended before meant.

"Drosselmeyer wasn't pleased with that ending, so he scrapped it and started the whole universe over." Allard confirmed his thoughts as the blonde-haired boy narrowed his eyes at him. "Kind of like what you've been trying to do with Ahiru?"

"She deserved better." Fakir try to justify his actions, in a way he felt guilty for giving her the courage to return the last heart shard. Though a part of him knew that if he didn't, she would've fallen into despair in the Raven would've destroyed Mytho and the town with him.

"Yes but if she got rewarded for sacrifice do you think Drosselmeyer would've been happy with that ending?" Allard questioned his reasoning, knowing that the master of tragedies wouldn't let a story finish without somebody suffering.

Fakir nodded, if it wasn't for Ahiru's sacrifice and hope for everyone to be happy. Perhaps Drosselmeyer would've just restarted the story again, forcing everyone into another cycle of tragedy. He had to remember until the dead author's no longer had a hold on the world of the living.

"If you did not desire to her to return to a girl, to deserve better. Drosselmeyer wouldn't of used it to try to continue the story." Allard continue to explain his voice holding a hint of cold spite for the other man. "Therefore, you must end it."

"Do it for the love zura!" The green haired girl pounded on her drawing loudly, trying to encourage Fakir. Though her close proximity to the blonde haired man made it clear that the doll -like girl was taking Allard side in this matter.

Fakir looked at the remains of the writing machine on the floor, his decision to destroy it already taken from him. "I can't do it!" He would either have to accept that the world was frozen or continue the story. Any attempt to forfeit the game to Drosselmeyer now was meaningless.

"Then let Ahiru make the choice, after all Drosselmeyer might be making a happy ending because he doesn't have the control over her like she used to." Allard proposed a course of action.

Fakir glared at the other man while on the inside he trembled. He wasn't even sure that he could give that choice to Ahiru, he didn't want to risk her getting hurt from the consequences of such a choice. Despite all her courage and compassion, deep down he still saw her like a fragile little bird.

"Fakir. I know it might scare you the thought of losing her." The blonde-haired man said trying to comfort him. "Back then in that other life I had a chance of saving my mother but I let her choose her own path because I love her."

"I just want her to be happy." Fakir confessed.

Allard shook his head "Then trust that you know whatever decision she makes it will make her happy. If it's to go away, to stay with you, or maybe it's to go back to being the duck. If you really want to show that you love her allow her to have that choice."

Fakir clenched his fists, unwilling to admit that the other young man might be right. He only realized he loved Ahiru when her destiny seemed like it was set in stone. Now that he had worked so hard to change it, he was worried that her good nature would force her to sacrifice herself once again.

Allard picked up the broken pen from the machine as well as a few stray pieces of paper "Perhaps, if you try to convey enough love through your words it might reach her." He handed the objects to Fakir "To tell her the things that you weren't allowed to, and I was stopped by Drosselmeyer from saying."

Uzura began to pound her drum in a cheerful beat "Lovey-dovey storytime zura!" She cheered.

Fakir stared down at the broken pen, it was still leaking ink from when a pipe still pumped the dark liquid into it. Then then he closed his eyes and let out a sigh, he would only have one shot to give Ahiru the choice that would put an end to his mistake.

…

Glittering blades clashed against decayed beaks and rotten feathers. The cavern the trio traversed was a labyrinth filled with the decaying remains of the Raven's minions. Rue in particular, was unnerved by the structure of the caverns. It had long since resembled a tunnel or an entrance to a sewer, but becoming almost woven like the entrance to some animal nest.

"They won't go away!" James said as yet another flock of crows fell to his sword.

"I hope we find Ahiru." Rue voiced her concerns out loud, she felt somewhat guilty for this situation.

"There definitely is a lot more a lot more monsters." Siegfried said as he tried to catch his breath "It means that we must be getting close." He said looking ahead.

"Why are they all half dead?" James said as he stared at the remnants of a large bird skull

"Perhaps his power isn't as strong as the Raven, or because the Raven is dead there all dying to." Rue said, though the idea of that the ravens power might still have some hold on the world scared her.

Siegfried narrowed his eyes at the branching tunnel ahead of them "Corvin must be as strong as he let's on." It made him briefly consider that the false Prince probably didn't have any powers over the birds at all. "It makes me wonder." Deep down, he could still feel the remnants of the ravens fled within him. If he invoked that power, he could turn all of the defenses that were hindering their rescue against Corvin.

Rue touched her princes arm and said gently "Lets, not wonder about that." She honestly feared that the situation only become worse if they did such a thing.

Siegfried then looked down at her with his golden eyes, and softly planted a kiss on her lips. It warmed his heart to know that she did not want him to go through the effects that the raven's blood once again.

"Hey you two! Over here." James shouted to them rolling his eyes. Then once he was sure that he had cut in their attention he began to move up one of the branching tunnels.

Not wanting to be left behind the Prince and Princess followed after him, each step they took the tunnel grew more and more dark. When they can barely see an inch in front of them, they were emptied out into a large chamber, with a shallow stream burbling through the center of it. A small cave entrance leaking light atop hill of destroyed furniture and tangled fabrics.

Corvin's shadow eclipsed the light as he entered the chamber. He glared down at the trio his hand protectively covering the wound Siegfried sword had given him.

"Corvin!" Ahiru quickly emerged behind him grabbing his shoulder protectively "Stop, you're just making your injury worse!"

Ahiru blue eyes then turned downwards at the shadows of her friends across the room. She felt her lips trembled, didn't know what to say to them.

"Ahiru." Rue called up to her. "Please come down here, you're not safe there with Corvin.

Ahiru stood in front of Corvin "He's not evil!" She didn't understand what was going wrong, she thought that the story would've been over.

James looked at his two companions and said "She might have been bewitched."

"I'm not!" Ahiru put her arms out using herself as a shield for Corvin.

No one made a move to attack, fear and confusion filling the space of in the darkness.

Corvin broke the silence by grabbing Ahiru's shoulder "Ahiru, they hurt me to get to you." He whispered to her "They will kill me, before listening to what you have to say."

"You attacked first! Ahiru don't listen to that serpent, doesn't love you!" James growled angrily up at them.

With icy eyes Corvin glared down at them "Don't make me strike you down!" Then shakily reached for his own blade.

"Ahiru! The voices of her friends called up to her trying to get her attention.

She shook her head not willing to listen to them, but not fully accepting what Corvin has said either. All she wanted was the story tend, and for everyone to be happy. Though becoming Corvin's Princess meant Mytho and Rue weren't happy, because they sent something she cannot.

"Listen to us!" Siegfried called out to Ahiru.

Ahiru continue to shape her head stumbling back, she didn't know if she could pick between her friends and what she knew was right.

"Ahiru."Corvin reach out to her gently.

"Stop! Stop!" She pulled away tears streaming from her eyes, she didn't want to be forced to make a decision that would hurt anyone.

She ran back into the light collapsing to her knees. Small colorful birds flitting around startled by her sudden movements and sobs. Ahiru didn't understand what she was doing wrong, she wanted to help Corvin and keep her friends safe. Though when she thought she had completed that task and thought that this story would end, it felt like her world was being tear it apart.

The sounds of fighting erupted from the darkness behind her, but she couldn't bear to go out and face the group. Ahiru was completely lost, and her heart felt like it was going to shatter no matter what she did.

Then through her tears she caught a glint of something familiar. She looked up to see what it was in like a flashing star above her she saw it.

Blinking away her tears Ahiru knew what she had to do.