Disclaimer: Princess Tutu and all related characters are the property of Ito Ikuko-sensei and Sato Junichi-sensei.

Vignette Six:

Autor sat al alone at his table in the dinning hall. Hoffnung had woken him up earlier that morning to write him some breakfast into existence. The disgruntled Autor had groggily scribbled a few lines on a pice of scrap paper about some girl in the town and then gone back to bed, not even bothering to watch Hoffnung leave through the window. Now he sat alone at his table in the dinning hall wondering if helping Hoffnung was really the best decision he could have made.

He watched two girls from the ballet division walk by fully immersed in their conversation. He wondered if one of them would be next. Would get their heart stolen and eaten by the Raven that he had brought into this world. A wave of premature guilt washed over him. Hoffnung would be eating his class mates, friends, well, people he knew. He didn't really have any friends, most of his fellow students found him to be quite the egotist. But he knew these two girls. Their names were Pike and Lillie or was it Pique and Ririe? Maybe he didn't know them after all.

"You're not eating." He nearly jumped at the sound of Hoffnung's voice. The Raven boy clad in school uniform glided out from behind his chair to take one up of his own facing Autor.

"I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"You should eat, keep up your strength." He smiled. "You can't Write if you're starving."

Autor poked at the croissant on his plate. It had suddenly gotten less appetizing now that Hoffnung was sitting across from him. But he recognized a order when he heard one. He'd given Fakir and random people in the library enough of them to know one when he heard it. He picked the french roll up off his plate and bit into it sparingly.

"Do you know why humans are a people of hope?" Hoffnung was saying. "Because you make things like croissants and pastries. Especially the pastries. You make something of astounding beauty, carefully decorated, fragile, lovingly, knowing that the person who receives it will only appreciate it for a few moments before they devour it. In that we have something in common, humans and I."

Autor didn't know what to say to this so he just took another bight of croissant.

"Well, I've got a ballet aptitude and placement test to get to." He stood up. "It would be a terrible shame if the Prince of the Ravens was put in the remedial ballet class 'cause he was late." He smiled without crinkling his eyes and left.

Autor swallowed the last of his croissant.

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Huff Huff Huff

"Grr! I've never been late before!" Fakir panted as he, Ahiru and Rue ran to make it the the Academy on time.

"Neither... have... I." Rue huffed behind him. She looked like she was ready to collapse. She may be a prima ballerina, but that didn't make her an athlete and she was by far the slowest member of the trio.

"Relax guys." Ahiru was jogging at the head of formation at what was probably a light pace for her. "I've been late loads of times! All they do is make you clean the classrooms after their done and now we don't have to worry about marrying Neko-sensei because he turned back into a cat." She smiled a goofy little smile that none could see from behind her. It would be allot nicer to not have to worry about Neko-sensei marring her.

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The teacher applauded fanatically.

"That was wonderful, Mr. Hoffnung!" Was he actually crying. "I've never seen a student with so much talent. You truly must have a calling for this art!" Yes, he was also crying. "Your passion, the power and drama you convey, you are a prodigy! Your parents must be so proud!"

Hoffnung bit the inside of his cheek to keep from replying to that last statement. "Thank you." he managed.

"Well, there were two others who were suppose to be here today, but..." He glanced around the ballet studio. "But it seems that they were unable to make it."

Just then, as if the moment was scripted, the double-doors to the studio swung open wide to reveal two girls clad in ballet tights and leotard, doubled over and panting. Hoffnung started when he recognized one of them as his mother. It took him a moment because he'd never seen her dressed so commonly before, but it was her, no mistake about that. Her wavy raven black hair was pulled up in a tight bun and she was wearing a rose red leotard with tights the same color as her skin so that it looked like she wasn't wearing anything under the leotard at all.

The second girl he was ready to ignore. She was obviously a peasant, with a plain and simple face toped with orangeish -pink hair that stuck up in front and reminded him of a duck's feathers. Her clothing was nothing special either. She was wearing a simple white leotard and matching white tights. Nothing special.

"Sorry we're late." The plain one stood at attention. "It was all my fault."

Hoffnung nearly gasped. There, around the girl's neck was a shard of his father's heart! The shard of hope. So this... girl was Princess Tutu. The Princess Tutu that had helped his father defeat the original Raven. She didn't look that threatening. She didn't even look that smart. He fought the urge to just walk up to her and rip the pendant from her neck. It would be so easy. He'd take the shard from her, just walk up and yank it from her neck, then rush away to the tower of cog wheels where Mytho was strung up on puppet threads and unite his heart and then eat it. And that would be it. The story would end.

He took a step toward her.

"No, we're both late, we should both be punished." Rue stepped directly in-front of the girl who was Princess Tutu, her eyes boring into him, but she addressed the teacher. "A good disciplinary doesn't care who's fault it was, so long as all parties involved are held accountable."

Hoffnung chewed on the inside of his cheek. She had known what he was going to do, probably before he did, she knew him so well. And she had successfully and subtly placed herself as a shield between himself and Princess Tutu, or more accurately, between himself and the shard of Hope that would make this... this peasant Princess Tutu.

"Well spoken." Said the oblivious teacher. "You're a very responsible young lady Miss..."

"Rue." She supplied. Though 'young' was not the word she would have used to describe herself.

"Miss Rue." The teacher finished. "And so you must be the other transfer student, Ahiru."

"Y-yes." She stood at attention.

"You're here for your ballet aptitude and placement test, so let's start with you, and maybe give Miss Rue a chance to catch her breath. She looks like she's about to drop."

And she did. What had Princess Tutu, Ahiru, done to her. Hoffnung watched his mother walk over to the window that served as a wall and sit down on the studio floor. She looked completely exhausted and it seemed like she could collapse at any moment. He walked over to sit by her.

"Where's your father?" she whispered before his butt even touched the floor.

"Safe." Was his only reply.

"From whom?"

"Just safe...for the moment."

He watched Ahiru begin her dance. Or rather, he watched Ahiru begin her attempt at a dance. She was by far the least graceful thing he'd ever seen. She was out of time with the piano sonata she was dancing to (number 11 by Mozart) and her movements were spastic and awkward. He couldn't believe that this uncultured, untalented dunce was THE Princess Tutu! It couldn't be. It was impossible. Why was his mother allowing such a shameful wretch keep one of the precious shards to his father's heart?

"How can I trust you, Hoff-chan?" Rue was speaking again.

"I'm your son."

"You tried to kill your own father."

"Not kill." He corrected her. "Never kill. Just eat. Raven's gotta eat, don't they? If I ate father's heart I would gain immortality. I could live healthy and happily for ever. Don't you want me to be healthy, mother?"

Rue didn't know how to respond to that. How to tell Hoffnung that , yes, she wanted him to be healthy. Always, form the moment he was born, she wanted him to be healthy. Healthy and happy. But not at the expense of her husband's heart. Or anyone else's for that matter. She wanted Hoffnung to find a way to break the Raven's cure and become human, become the Prince he was meant to be. Not the monster he was now.

Princess Tutu, the girl Ahiru, tripped.

"Thank you, Miss Ahiru." Said the teacher, his face in his hand. "That will be quite enough."

She bowed to him and walked over to sit next to Rue.

"Miss Rue, are you ready to give your performance?"

"Yes." She stood.

With Rue no longer between them, Princess Tutu turned to address Hoffnung. "Hi, I'm Ahiru." She gave him a goofy smile. The kind that made the eyes squint into little anime style arches and she laughed an awkward open mouthed laugh.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." He forced himself to say. He scooted ever so much closer to her. "That is a beautiful necklace you're wearing, Miss Ahiru." He tried to sound as casual as possible.

"Thank you." She put a hand to the stone. "It's a very precious thing."

He scooted closer. "Is it now? And why is that, I wonder?" Closer.

"Well, you see," She looked up to meet his eyes. Lavender eyes with tones of pink. The same eyes that Mytho had when he was being controlled by the Raven's blood. The same color, the same shape, the same gigantic, anime huge eye lashes. Mytho's eyes set in Mytho's face, or a copy of Mytho's face at least. She had looked into those eyes so often as Princess Tutu, seen herself reflected in them. Just as she saw herself reflected now. "...Mytho?" she breathed.

Hoffnung moved back instantly. "No."

"You're not Mytho." It was a statement, not a question.

"No." He said again.

"You're there son. You're Hoff-chan."

"Do not address me so informally."

"Why did you try to take Mytho's heart?" She looked so sweet and concerned, he wanted to tear that gentle face off. "He's your father, don't you love him?" Now it was her turn to scoot closer to him.

"No." He pulled away.

"Yes you do, he raised you. You must love him somewhere deep down." Closer. "Your heat must be in such turmoil right now." Closer.

"I don't have a heart." Farther away.

"Yes you do. Why don't you tell me how you're feeling?"

"That was splendid, Miss Rue!" The teacher had his hands clasped to his chest directly over his heart. "To think that two students as gifted as you and Mr. Hoffnung are attending my school..." He smiled up at the sealing. "... It brings my hear such joy!"

"You must have a very Pure Heart, then." Hoffnung said without thinking. He realized his mistake the moment both Rue and Ahiru's eye fixed themselves on him. "You know, 'cause they say that Pure Hearted people can appreciate the arts the most." He tried desperately to fix his error.

"Sensei," Rue addressed the teacher. "Don't you have to file our student enrollment forms?"

"Oh, yes!" He started. "Thank you, Miss Rue. You are such a responsible young lady." He turned to leave. Half way through the door he stopped and said. "Oh yes, you and Miss Ahiru were late this morning. I understand that this is your first day, however, that does not excuse you both from punishment. You both shall be cleaning this room as punishment." He left.

Once the teacher was safely out of the room Rue rounded on Hoffnung. "I want to know where your father is. And I want to know NOW!"

Hoffnung inched back pressing himself tight against the studio window. Monster Raven though he may be, he was still terrified of him mother. "He's inside the story." He said truthfully.

"Well, obviously." She placed her hands on her hips with a huff. "Where in the town are you keeping him?"

"He's not in the town." He looked up into his mother's eyes and smiled a wicked, villainous smile. "He's as near or as far as the writer's quill."

Rue struck him across the cheek.

"Rue-chan!" Ahiru gasped.

Rue stood there, shaking in anger. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "I just don't understand you any more!"

Hoffnung stood. "That's fine. It's better that way." He brushed past her towards the door. "If you don't understand me, you can't predict my next move. I'll see you around, mother." He opened the studio door. "Princess Tutu!"

"Y-yes!" Stammered Ahiru.

"I want that shard of my father's heart." The door slammed shut, leaving Rue and Ahiru standing in silence in the empty ballet studio.

Fin for now...

(A/N: Sorry this took so long. I've been staying at my Grandmother's all week and she doesn't have internet, so I couldn't get this one to you sooner. But here it is now! Chapters six and seven ready and uploaded just for you! Hope you like them. Chapter seven is my personal favorite so far. Please read and review. The "special thanx" to my readers will be featured at the end of ch. seven seeing as I'm up loading them at the same time.)