Ahiru remembered distant dreams of what happened the night before. Princess Tutu danced around gracefully in them before stopping.
"Ahiru, what has brought you to my attention this morning?" she questioned, cocking her head.
"I've turned back into a girl, Tutu. I don't think I can handle the pressure..." I looked down.
Princess Tutu laughed gently, touching my cheek. "Ahiru, you have no need to be worried." A gentle smile formed her perfect lips, blue eyes brighter than mine shining. "And as for Fakir...he truly cares about you. With a knight like that at your side, Prince Mytho and Princess Kraehe watching your back, you won't be harmed. And for me, I'll give you power."
"Power?" I asked, holding her soft hands.
"Power," she repeated. Letitng go and twirling away, spinning on en pointe, she laughed again and asked if I would join her. I did, and we danced for hours on end. Though my dance was nowhere as beautiful and graceful as hers, she let me dance to my heart's content without saying a word. She held me tight, like a mother hugging her little girl after a frightful thunder storm. "This," Tutu said, placing both of her hands over my heart. "Is bravery. This is your heart. It guides you during the worst of times."
Tutu gripped my hand and spun me, and for a minute, I felt as beautiful and powerful as a swan.
She put her hands on my heart again.
"This," Tutu repeated quietly, her soft voice almost a whisper."Shows you the way when you're alone."
"I thought I was never alone," I murmured, lifting my right leg in the air until it could go no further, letting her hold my hands and pull me into an embrace.
"You aren't," Tutu smiled, waving her hands as if flying. I silently examined her dance. She was beautiful, I was just taking her power. I felt worried about it.
"What ails you, my cygnet?" she asked, a concerned expression crossing her face.
"I feel like I'm just taking your power, that I'm not worthy enough to be Tutu. Why am I Tutu..." I hesitated, then rephrased that. "Why was I chosen to be Tutu?"
The Swan Princess chuckled and lifted me into the air. It felt just like the time Rue and I danced..no...closer...when Fakir and I danced. Warm and gentle.
"Ahiru," she said, putting me down in front of her and placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I want you to try something. Dance."
"Dance?"
"Just close your eyes and think hard. Do a grand jete."
I stood before her, closed my eyes, and concentrated. Whatever else Tutu was saying was blocked out. I heard one last thing before taking the jump.
"Just pretend you are flying, Ahiru, flying!"
I danced my best and pushed off of the ground, splitting my legs and raising my arms up. It felt like forever before I hit the ground, hitting my knees and landing on my stomach. Princess Tutu didn't do anything but say, "Try once more, Ahiru."
Raising myself weakly, I did as she said. Ready to land, I stuck out my toes and landed gracefully, falling back on my whole foot and trying my best to prevent from falling.
"Beautiful, Ahiru! I could not have done it better myself!"
"Ahiru," said Fakir, nudging me gently. Ahiru glanced up, seeing a dog. A female doh.
Shrieking, Ahiru backed up into the wall. Fakir sighed and whispered, "Inu-sensei...the new ballet teacher?"
"The story is here too?" Ahiru panicked.
Fakir said nothing. "Yes, Inu-sensei?"
"Would Ahiru like to dance today?"
"D-d-d-d-dance?" the red headed girl quivered, shoulders sinking.
"I'd like to propose for her to dance a pas de deux with somebody. I would suggest Mytho, but I have been informed of how close you two are-" This caused a major blush way between the two -"and I think I'd prefer if you two danced instead."
"But, I-I-I-I'm not close t-t-to Fakir a-at all!" Ahiru protested, staring down at her new toe soes. She would've liked to test them out, but she was a horrible dancer, and she just wasn't ready. Surely the teacher would understand that a first time en pointe would be painful? But it wasn't her first time, Ahiru knew. She had done many practices with Fakir before on en pointe, and soon she became accustomed to the sharp pain that would sting her toes and aches that burned the muscles in her foot. Blushing, she peeked up.
Fakir was holding out his hand for her.
"May I ask you to dance with me, Ahiru?" he asked.
"H-h-h-hai," she answered, taking his hand slowly all the while suddenly becoming interested with the toe shoes on her feet.
Pulling her into motion, Ahiru recognized the dance. Just like at the illusion lake when I danced for Mytho, she thought, pushing herself onto en pointe. Her toes ached slightly, but she sucked in her breath and danced. Jumps and motions pulled her into a world of fantasy and dance. Spins and bends, waves and crosses, her dance might have not been as beautiful as Princess Tutu's, but she let herself fly anyway. Lifting her leg and spinning, it didn't matter how she looked. She was having fun! Ahiru jumped and felt herself high in the hair as Fakir gripped her hips tightly and gave her the power to feel nothing beneath her feet. Feeling astonishinly graceful, she let herself down, hitting ground with pointed toes and a lifted leg, and she and Fakir ended the dance.
"Ah...Fakir?" Ahiru asked after class.
"Yes?" Fakir answered, not even looking down at her.
"When we danced...I...uh...liked that."
"Baka?" Fakir stopped and stared down at the blushing Ahiru.
"Yes?"
With slow steps, he embraced her and said into her hair. "I liked that too."