Chapter 7: To Protect or Not to Protect? That is the Question…?

Fakir left before anyone. He didn't want to face anyone at that moment. Honestly…he thought about Director Setsuna's words.

He was…protecting her? He looked to his hand. Even after Drosselmeyer's rein had likely finished, he found himself acting out the tendencies of the knight.

And yet, he thought, so was Ahiru. She'd been as graceful as ever with her dancing, which was part of who she was as Princess Tutu, in her alternative identity.

Was that their curse then? To always live as the characters they'd been made out to be? Or was he wrong…was Drosselmeyer still pulling some unfound string…what would it take to get rid of that if it was…

Well … somehow his Knight character had drawn the short end of the stick. Flawed. He could see no other way. He had the ability…sure the pen was mightier then the sword at times, but his flaw….his protectiveness of Prince Mytho … his protection of Princess Tutu….all caused their own curses.

He'd thought he'd redeemed himself against the Dark Kuro…he'd …saved her. Or helped save her.

But if she were a Princess…in her own way… would a knight ever just suffice? Or was it someone more like Mytho she needed? A Prince?

He found himself at the lake. He stared out and then scolded himself for thinking that way. Wasn't it the Knight in shining armor that rescued the Princess anyway? Isn't that how the fairy tale went?

He kicked a stone into the water and watched it ripple. That's the way it was. Every move they'd made in this town had caused some kind of ripple effect and they rarely had a way to figure it out before it happened.

Just then he heard the bushes shuffle.

"Who's there!?" He turned sharply.

"What are you doing here?" Pike complained.

He was relieved to see her, but he noticed here eyes were red from crying.

"My house is …or…it's not far from here. I don't live on campus anymore remember? …Plus I come here to think. Are you-"

"Crying?" Pike interrupted. "Even if I was what does it matter to you?"

"Don't cry over that Nesumir…he's nothing more than a conniving rat in my opinion."

"You only say that because Nesu likes Ahiru! She can dance! Everyone loves her and I –'

"Don't listen to his harsh words Pike. If Ahiru saw you like this-" He scolded.

"I don't care about Ahiru…right now, what about me? It's not fair! Just because she's as graceful as a swan at times she gets all the boys…"

Fakir swallowed. If only Pike and the others had remembered Ahiru from before…graceful like a swan…well then…she was as graceful as a duck. Neither he nor Mytho had really an eye for her, until they'd found out her real nature underneath it all. …And yet nobody knew…Mytho…Rue…as if they'd never existed. She still had her klutzy tendencies but nobody knew about them... all they saw was Ahiru when she danced.

"Pike just-"

"No, no. Leave me alone. I'm going to practice here…or…until…just go!" Pike turned away.

Fakir turned away and left towards his place, sighing. He just didn't know how else to convince Pike. He wondered if Pike should be left alone. He swore he saw a shadow move, but the sun was setting, and shadows grew. He hoped Ahiru had returned. He shouldn't have just left her at the school…but he had so much on his mind after Nesu's stunt and Setsuna's advice…

If he was hoping to become her Prince, his standing was in rough shape.

As he walked away from the Lake, Fakir didn't recognize that shadow had in fact moved.

Nesu emerged. So Fakir went to the Lake to think…

Ah how fitting. Just like before. But yet the Swan Princess wasn't there instead, was this pink haired girl, void of any real character, who'd he'd offended on his way to prove himself to be a formidable contender.

On the other hand…he did have a better grasp of himself now…maybe it was time to at least have more then just himself to depend on …

"Pike?"

"Huh?" Pike turned. She was surprised to see Nesu.

He placed a smug smile on his face. "I'm sure you don't want to see me. But on the other hand I'm grateful to see you practicing. At least you take responsibility for it, unlike some people-"

"I won't stop. I know you'd like Ahiru as a partner but I'd make a good partner too. I'd do anything." Pike pushed herself.

"Anything?" He repeated.

She blushed.

"You know, I see a tendency here. The small people…the unnoticed…remain unnoticed. Even Director Setsuna tends to only recognize Fakir and Ahiru…no matter how good they might be. Even I was overlooked…its like their the main characters of this place, and leave room for nobody else. We all falter in the background…"

"I'm sorry-" She cried.

"No, no. But I think that maybe us meek and small should stand on our own…Power in numbers. You said you would do anything for me Pike?"

She stopped. "Mhm." And nodded up at him, past his relaxed greyish eyes.

"I do appreciate it, for I really would never be able to be as strong as I could be without you."

...

Fakir turned to look over his shoulder after feeling a strange wave…a movement in the air…a shift…the wind maybe? It ran through him like a shiver. He turned around and walked faster. Ahiru better be home. If that god forsaken Nesu had bugged her about anything else…he might have to try out his writing skills again…

"Ahiru?" He opened the door to the cottage. He'd really thanked his step-father for this one. Rooming at the academy just wasn't really preferable anymore…it hadn't been for a long while.

He looked around nobody was here.

He walked over to her doorway. He knocked. It was definitely closed for a reason.

"Ahiru…look, I can admit. I was hasty today. It never would have happened if I hadn't just breathed and walked away from Nesumir. No matter how much that stupid boy gets under my skin…"

Nothing. He sighed.

"But I also realized that I do play my part…my tendencies…Drosselmeyer's heir….a knight…sometimes its just hard…."

Still silence. Was she even in there?

" Anyway, just so you know, I saw Pike down by the Lake. She's taking this whole thing a little hard but-"

"Pike?! Is she okay?" Suddenly she opened the door in a rush and it hit Fakir in the face.

She turned to him and he was grabbing his nose.

"…did I do that?"

He nodded. She couldn't tell if his face was red from the door, or red with anger.

"Are you okay?"

He sniffed. "I think. You know apart from what everyone thinks, you are still a duck on the inside."

"Hey! What was that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. You still have your klutzy side too…that didn't go away."

"Well you still have your mean stubborn side sometimes." She looked away.

He sighed. He knew his own faults too well.

"Is Pike okay?" Ahiru asked.

"She's not happy. Nesumir has to stop this charade."

"If she's not happy, I should go talk to her and see if I can fix things…" Ahiru walked past.

"Wait!" Fakir grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"What?" She was surprised when she felt the restraint.

"Just let her go. She's actually more mad…at you."

"At me?"

"Well I think she's jealous. Ahiru being Princess Tutu can be your gift and your curse. You have a better handle on dancing now, but you steal the spotlight. That's how it was then; that's how you caught my eye back in the story apparently. Stealing the spotlight makes others notice you, but people might get jealous. What I'm saying is let her be. Say something tomorrow if you want, but I think she has to realize that no matter what she does Nesumir can't give her what she wants."

"It seems cruel…to just leave her…"

"I know you want to help. It's in your tendency. But all he has is words. Let her figure it out. I think I get it now though. We can't always control or protect the ones they want. They have to make their own decisions."

"Fakir?" Ahiru noticed his conversation had changed. He wasn't just speaking of Pike anymore.

"Look. I think I need to …tomorrow she gave us a day of practice. I'm going to spend the morning at the library. I need to know who the Prince character was in the Nutcracker. Now that I'm not just a knight anymore…I think I need to adapt. I think it will help both of us out."

"But you are the Knight Fakir…and-"

"-But Director Setsuna was right. I need to take on a new role now."

"But why?"

"Because you're Princess Tutu. I'm not sure if…if we really want our happy ending maybe we have to change a little...fit the roles that we need to fit..."

Ahiru watched Fakir leave to his room. Was this really her fault? Being a duck meant that he didn't have to feel pressured…and although they were living in this world…they still were attached to who they'd been. But Princess Tutu didn't need a Prince…she didn't want Mytho. That was his character. Princess Tutu had once been happy as a simple duck beside the Knight whose weapon was his pen rather than his sword…

Nesu couldn't go on pressuring them. She had to make Fakir realize that she didn't need anymore then he gave.

And apart from what Fakir said…she was going to talk to Pike tomorrow. She fell back to her bed.

She'd fix all of this. She'd have to.