Fakir's POV
It's the night of the long awaited fire festival and I see Mytho dancing with Duck. Won't the girl listen when I tell her back off? The first thought that comes to mind is I don't want him to him to go to the fire festival with Rue or Duck. I instantly take him to a library storage closet as 'punishment'. When I close the door I'm tackled by ninety pound ballerina. It wasn't out of the ordinary, but the flash of red hair was beginning to piss me off. It follows Mytho everywhere and it's just plain obnoxious to see them together. "Punishment! What did Mytho do wrong? And you Mytho, Rue is waiting for you and you have some shards of your heart back you don't have to listen to him any-"
"Shards of his heart? Your name is Duck right? So, what do you know?," I hiss.
"What... nothing really," She whimpers. Her eyes look to the floor hiding her lie.
"Wait, come to think of it your that girl who asked me about that children's story 'The Prince and the Raven' weren't you? you know don't you? You know Mytho is the prince from that story? Did Rue tell you?" I pin her to the wall. "Mytho has no need for a heart!" I snarl.
"What do you mean no need of a heart!" Tears start to well up in her eyes.
"And just what do you know? I know everything auto Mytho. What do you know?"
"Well... I might not know much about Mytho, but I do know he needs a heart to feel things like love and happiness! And that's why I-"
"How worthless! even if you regain the shards of his heart I'll seal him away. If I shut him away in the darkness he'll become numb even to the dark. Numb to all sensation and feeling all together."
"That's just terrible of you!" She shakes her head.
"Then don't let your ignorance carry you away." I let go swiftly and walk down the hall. I am not letting this girl get to me. She's just some pathetic school girl who means nothing. Why do I feel pain when I see her cry. She seems much different from the other Mytho fan girls could she be? Princess Tutu. No, that's just ridiculous. I've seen that girl dance she's the opposite of what Princess Tutu was meant to be. A clumsy, flawed, unwise ballerina. She is a sad excuse for a ballerina and nothing else.
I hear one last thing before I leave, "I won't let him become like you."
~.~.~
Alice's place...
"So after I left you became the opposite of what I wanted you to become. I would be disappointed in you if that wasn't an expected outcome of my disappearance."
"Ali- Mom, we should-"
"Dude, only you can screw up a relationship with the girl I know you still-"
"We don't bring that up!"
"Fakir, I may have been 'dead' for awhile, but I am still your mother!"
"We can discus this afterwards Alice."
~.~.~
I understand what I have to do it's what my mother taught me before the mafia took her away. To be a knight and defend the prince from harm. Now this Princess Tutu is just standing in my way of keeping him a dull emotionless puppet. I hear a soft echo of Mother's voice in my head, "Fakir, sweetheart I need you to be a strong knight. Take care of Mytho and Karon I don't think I'm coming back this time." I need to save Mytho from this thing. "You can't run from fate it'll just catch up to you, but my dear you can defy it," The sweet voice fills my head once more. The one piece of advice I can't follow for my mother.
I pull back the hood of my cloak over pond. I complete some occult like chanting while holding Siegfried's sword. My blood pours into the fountain and I touch his blade to it. The sword sheds a black coating and it becomes a magnificent blade once more. I'm praying no one can see me because everyone thinks mother and I are crazy for knowing this magic exists. I put a mask on my face to keep my identity hidden from Mytho and Tutu in case we have met.
I arrive in the forest to see Princess Tutu and Mytho standing ever-so-closely together. "Mytho look at me," I order. My rag doll complies. "Good now sit down." once more he obliges. "I going to cut out your heart for your own good," I inform him. I see Tutu's shocked look. I ignore it and begin to thrust the sword into his chest. I look down to see Princess Tutu holding up her fan to stop the blow of a sword. My eyes widen how the hell was a fan stopping a sword?
"You were the one who cut out my prince's heart? Why? It is such a cruel thing!" The wise princess asks.
"Just move out of my way it's for the best," I snap.
Mytho stands up slowly. "Fakir I'll cut out my own heart," He says. I could tell he would see my way in the end. He always will and always does. "Only if you'll let Tutu go unharmed," He continues. I nod and toss him the sword. A smile creeps up into my face as he angles the sword and begins to take his heart out.
Princess Tutu rushes forward before I grab her by the arms and hold her back. "No my prince! Please don't do it! You need all your emotions to live happily! They may not be the best emotions right now, but you need things like sorrow and loneliness to live life to the fullest!" She weeps.
"Don't listen Mytho! She doesn't know what they can do to you!" I shout the feelings that come to heart. As she spoke mother's parting came to mind. How it feels to be left from the one who loves you most. The one who keeps you safe and encourages you. The one who taught you dreams can come true and that it only matter how you think of yourself what others think isn't as important. To have her ripped away from you when your only five. I remember everything about her and I can't bear to look in mirrors any more because I see her in me. I was just a shorter version of my mother when I was little, but the pain from that only drives me to stay the same just for her memory when I can look in the mirror without as much pain. I've cut my hair the same and have even kept it pulled back in the ponytail like she insisted.
"No my prince!" She weeps as the sword plunges deep within him. I turn to leave when vines... no wait flowers entangle me holding me there. Tutu walks up to me and removes the mask. "Fa-Fakir," She whispers just loud enough for me to hear. "Why? Why would you have him shatter his heart once more?" She begs. I sneer at the pitiful creature before me. Tears form in her eyes and she repeats the question. "I won't let you stop me Fakir! I love the prince and I will complete his heart!" Princess Tutu screams. I was waiting. Just waiting for her to turn into a speck of light and vanish forever. Yet she stayed in front of me living and breathing same as me. Mother told me the entire tale would come to light from Drosselmeyer's story. She said the spinners tales in our family always come to life in the end. Well almost always. So why didn't she?
"Maybe she doesn't love him?" Alice's sweet voice suggests in my mind. I agree with mother as it is a rational explanation. I remember her red hair from somewhere.
"Duck," I state. The red haired girl who was childhood sweetheart. Not that Duck would remember Mother and I made sure of it. The next day Duck couldn't remember me like I want. I think that's what I want it's what Mother told me all those years. It doesn't matter I got what I wanted Mytho's heart torn out once more. An emotionless puppet. What I feel about the red haired girl would never matter.
~.~.~
I moan wondering what I'm even doing. Duck dragged me out on a picnic after I convinced Mytho to shatter his heart a third time this week. She calls it punishment for not helping her out. I oddly enjoy spending time with her. I wish that she would remember those times we shared together as children, but I know it's impossible Mother insured me she'd never remember. I'm glad she'll never remember me, but it wasn't my fault I had to say goodbye or take her memories of each other. It was the Mafia's attempt to hide all evidence that Mother existed and she was always there with Duck and I to keep us safe from ravens that seemed to follow Duck everywhere. "Fakir, what would you do if I turned into a speck of light and vanished? Mytho said you'd laugh and move on. He also said we used to date, but I've never spent a lot of time with you until recently," Duck ask breaking my chain of thought.
"I wouldn't ever forget you Duck. I'd never laugh at your disappearance. It would be wrong and besides I'd have been moronic to get to know you then pretend nothing ever happened when your ripped away. I've already lost enough people. Mytho to the ravens blood, my mother to the mafia, yo-" I stop just suddenly. I almost said more than needed. I almost said you. I couldn't mess up and say something like that she'd just call me crazy or weird. I had enough with all those therapists diagnosing me with things I don't have. I realizing I'm staring at her. I have to think fast, "Well?" I ask impatiently.
"I'm so sorry for asking! I didn't know such horrible things happened to you! You lost your mom to the mafia just like I did!" She exclaims. Tears stream down her cheeks and she touches them. "Sorry this happens when I think about them," She mumbles. I completely forgot that Duck lost her family as well. It was worse off for her losing both and my mom was forced to walk away from us. No where near dead.
"It's okay, I understand completely. After my mom passed away, Karon sent me to therapists to help with her death. When I talked about things like this they called me crazt. Later, they all started calling her crazy because she taught me all this. It stuck for years the thoughts that came to mind with story telling. No one believed things like this existed. One day, I almost had proof. This girl I was dating her memory of me was written away. The day after it was written the girl forgot me," I tell her.
"Do you know who she is?"
"Yes."
"Do I know her?
"Better than you think." I stand up ready to leave I know Duck will finish returning his shards. It'll be best if I walk out of her life from now on.
"Fakir, we've been working together for awhile and I wanted to know if you want to just hang out?"
"Like we're doing? Right now?"
"You know without me dragging you out here? You willingly coming with me."
"Who says I'm not doing any of this willingly?" On that note I walk out. I know she'll be confused but it will keep her thinking about me. It may mean she doesn't care for Mytho.
~.~.~
In Alice's apartment...
"Fakir, I told you to never talk to Duck again after that. No offense sweetheart, but you seem to be talking an awful ton about her."
"Alice... I mean... Mom, I know that. Let me finish the story."
"You know I only asked because I thought you would have some news on Karon."
"Mom, that comes later."
"Fine continue."
~.~.~
A week from the picnic...
"Thanks Fakir! I thought you were kidding when you agreed to come!" A familiar salmon haired girl greets me.
"No problem, I need to stop by the library though to pick up some books."
"Of course," The enthusiasm lighting her eyes is enough to remember her later on when I write her memory of me away. To the best of my ability.
~Time skip~
"I only checked out five books, bat," I argue
"Mr. Autor from the music department checked this one out for you. Can't you do math Mr. Fakir," the bat insists.
"Couldn't you have said that the first time!"
"Be quiet this is a library!" a boy with glasses shouts.
"Hypocrite!" Duck replies.
"I think that's Autor," I conclude.
"This ruined our date," She pouts, "Qua- I didn't mean date I meant... time to hang out," She panics.
A/N: The meeting in the piano room is pretty much the same so we go off to the tree... Right before Fakir faints... Um...
~Time Skip~
"I heard a voice."
"What?"
"It was you, Duck"
She looks shocked and concerned before I pass out.
~.~.~
After Rue gets saved from the Monster Raven...
I go to meet Duck after the Raven is defeated. Rue isn't there, but I know he saved her. There is one thing I notice about Mytho other than his prince getup. His eyes are still that demented swirling pink. I hide in the ally way. Was our dance in the lake of despair nothing to her. Was my confession nothing as well? "Duck, promise to love me and hate everyone else."
"Okay."
"Mytho, Haven't you claimed enough hearts!"
"Well, Fakir what are you going to do to stop me? There isn't a Princess Tutu to help us and there is no Rue or Kraehe to talk Duck out of this?" Mytho replies with a smirk.
"Duck, what about our promise? Don't you care? What about Rue you're like family? Do you want to let two of the people who care the most about you down?"
"Mytho says they were just lies."
"How about we make a deal Fakir?" Mytho seems to be holding back laughter.
"Like what?" I hiss.
"You make Duck forget you exist or make her think you're dead I'll let her live."
"And if I don't?"
"She dies."
"Fine, for her."
"Good choice, you may fail as a knight seeing as-"
"I get it! I didn't die! Just shut up!"
"I would let you have your stupid Duck if Rue chose to accept my offer to become my princess, but she ran away with some dork in glasses."
"Autor?"
"Whatever."
~.~.~
Normal POV
up to speed!
"After that I decided to move away and ended up in this town Gold Crown. I can't shake the feeling I'll be seeing Duck again soon."
"Fakir, I really need to hear about Karon."
"Fine Alice, he has a girlfriend and there getting married."
"Oh god, I can already see him sending you to a therapist again. Call him up and ask to meet him at my old law firm. I think I should open up shop again, don't you?" Fakir's mother asks sweetly. Her law firm was popular she usually dealt with mafia members, but it made money and it was well worth it. She opened the firm down here to get more clients because Kinkan was never exactly crime infested like this place. Of course, he calls up Karon and tells him to meet them there and Karon tries to put up a fight, but Fakir wins the argument. Alice is going to murder Fakir when she learns Karon's girlfriend will be there. Sometimes Fakir wishes Raetsel would help settle things out in his messed up family. Alice goes to buzz a guest in. She has no idea who, but she figures a mafia member left something behind. To Both adults horror a salmon haired girl is standing in the entrance.