Disclaimer: Not mine.
Vignette Eleven: The Child (part two)
Now that her detention was over and done with Ahiru wanted nothing more than to visit Retzel and talk girly talk about the up coming baby. She smiled her goofy smile and trotted down the lane that led to Fakir's house where Retzel and Hanz were staying. Fakir. Yeah, she should talk to Fakir to. Not about girly stuff and babies but about the story and their plan for rescuing Mytho. She hadn't spoken to or even seen Fakir all day, she hoped he wasn't still upset about yesterday's argument.
"...you're still the same old JERK!" That had been uncalled for and unfair. He wasn't the same old jerk, was in-fact not a jerk at all. What was it he had said no more than a week ago (in ch. 2)? "...now that I'm trying to write about you..." He had been trying to tell her story, to write a happy ending for the heroin of the "Prince and the Raven" that no one else would acknowledge. Didn't that make him a truer and dearer friend than even Rue?
It was strange, whenever she felt weak or inadequate Fakir was always there, strong and supporting. Just like he had been down in the depths of the lake of despair (from ep. 27). It seemed that more and more Fakir was becoming her hero and Mytho was being cast by the wayside. Fakir HAD saved her from Hoffnung's seductions, even if she'd never admit it to his face, he had and she was grateful for that. Strong and supporting, that was what Fakir had become for her. A pillar of strength and a shoulder for support as a true knight should be.
SPACE
"...as a true knight should be."
His piecing gaze scrutinized the last sentence he'd just written. A "true knight", but he had shed the empty role of the useless knight, hadn't he? That story was over now anyway. This was HIS story, HE was the author, he shouldn't have an exact role. But... the little voice in his head whispered, if you don't have an exact role then how can your heroin fall in love with you? That was the problem. He couldn't make Ahiru love him and stay the objective author. He had to become a character, but to become a character was to relinquish control of the story.
Control.
Which did he want more at the moment? Love or control? His knee jerk answer was "Ahiru" which would be love, but what he needed most at the moment was the control to stop Hoffnung and save Mytho. That was what he HAD to do. But he wasn't sure if Mytho was even worth saving anymore. He'd had his happy ending, he and Rue had had their's! Where was HIS? His and Ahiru's? Didn't they deserve a happy ending as well? They had suffered just as much as Mytho and Rue! Where was the equality? The fairness?
Fairness.
He looked back down at the paper he'd written. It wasn't fair to force Ahiru to love him. Not only was it not fair but it wasn't right, it wasn't true. They'd be living a lie and he would know it. A memory of Mytho surfaced in his mind.
"If the love I'm seeking is 'False Love' then all the love in the world is FALSE!"
That had been episode twenty, when Mytho had tried to steal Retzel's heart and Tutu had stopped him. She'd woken Retzel from her trance by reminding her of her feelings for both Karon and Hanz and asking her if it was really worth it to throw her true feelings away for a false and twisted love instead. Retzel still loved Karon more than Hanz, Fakir knew that, that was why she wanted Karon as her child's godfather but she had settled for Hanz.
Settled.
If Ahiru still loved Mytho more than him, would she settle like Retzel had? Would she marry Fakir because he was the best she could get when everything was said and done? Would he be happy knowing she'd settled? Would she still even be human when this was all over? No. She WOULD be human still. He'd see to that. Mytho had had his chance at a happy ending. And If he couldn't keep Mytho's shard he'd find another, he'd give her his own if she would just love him!
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Ahiru paused in her step when her thoughts of Fakir stopped suddenly and abruptly. So abrupt was it that at first she couldn't remember what she had just been thinking about. Upon remembering it was Fakir, she then started wondering what had started her on that. She was on her way to see Retzel and... Oh yeah! Retzel. She was staying at Fakir's house. That was it! Her trademark goofy grin plastered itself on her face once again.
"I wonder if it'll be a girl or a boy..." She said aloud. "I bet a girl will be really cute and pretty just like Retzel-san."
"What are you babbling about?"
Ahiru turned around to see that it was not a person whom had spoken but a walking pile of books. Thick heavy looking books to be exact. Rue stood next to the pile, a single thin paperback in her hand.
"Be polite." She reproached the legged books. "We were bringing some research material over to Fakir's." She was addressing Ahiru now. "I thought some of these might help him with his writing." She indicated the book pile who's legs now looked like they were going to buckle soon if they didn't start moving again.
"Not to be rude..." the book pile said. "But could we maybe get going?" A thick book with a hard red leather cover fell from the peak to land at Ahiru's feat.
She picked the book up. Something about Book Pile-san's voice sounded familiar. "Ah! Autor-kun!" She reached for the books. "Let me help you with this."
After the books had been equally distributed between Ahiru and Autor (Rue still carried only the one) they make their way to Fakir's. Retzel opened the door for them, she explained that Fakir wasn't home from school yet and that he seemed very dedicated to his writing to stay so late. The trio gave an awkward laugh and she asked if they would stay and wait for him. They agreed. That was when Hanz came down from the stairs looking through the pockets of his coat.
"Retzel dear, I can't seem to find my wallet." He said.
She turned to her husband. "Could you maybe have dropped it when you bumped into that boy?"
"You know, I think you might be right." He kissed her sweetly. "Will you stay and look for it here wile I go and find that kid?"
"Of course." A smile.
He left. Rue and Ahiru stood in unison.
"You know, you shouldn't really be doing any strenuous bending or lifting in your condition." Rue seemed adamant. "It puts extra stress on the developing fetus and can cause lasting effects."
"I'll look for you Retzel-san." Replied Ahiru ever the Mary-Sue.
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Hoffnung strolled lazily down the lane tossing the wallet he'd nicked from one hand to the other. Pick-pocketing was a skill head learned the first time he'd run away. After Mytho had locked him in that tower he played the obedient son for a few days before realizing that Father hadn't moved him their for his own benefit, he'd put him there to forget about him. That was when he flew the coop, quite literally. It was exhilarating, hearing the adrenalin pumping in his ears as he flew over the palace wall and to the lands beyond. The first rebellious thing he'd ever done.
His first night out in the world after a life lived within the confines of his parents' castle and what does the wayward Prince do but befriend a gang of grungy little street urchins. And one of them actually was an urchin, a sea urchin. They were the first real friends he'd ever had and they were the ones that taught him how to pick-pocket. He was rather good at it to. Not that he was one to brag or anything... Things had gone south with his friends, however, when he had gotten hungry.
One of them, a cute little girl with a dirt smeared face and messy blond pigtails had offered him a crust of bread and upon seeing the glow of kindness on her cheeks, the aura of purity around her form... he'd eaten her heart.
That incident had caused Mytho to capture him and return him to the palace.
Hoffnung paused in his step. He didn't want to get to close to the writer's house, the place his pray was staying. An expecting father. He hated fathers, it didn't matter if it was his own or a stranger they were all the same. Selfish. Uncaring. Negligent.
Mytho had lead him shame faced back to the castle in the dead of night. He was sure he was going to be returned to his prison of a tower when they had changed direction and taken a dark staircase down ward.
"Where are we going?" He'd asked, still a little innocent and naive.
Mytho hadn't responded, he simply lead Hoffnung deeper into the bowls of the castle until they reached the lowest level of the dungeons. Mytho lead him to the most secure of cells and opened the door wide to reveal an almost comfortable bed room. The narrow cot that occupied most of the dungeon's cells had been replaced by a mahogany four poster bed with burgundy colored hangings. The floor was covered by a carpet of the same dark color, there was a small dresser, a bookshelf and an oil lamp but no windows. No entrances or exits save the one Mytho now held open for him.
That was when the glass bubble of naivete had shattered.
"No! No I won't."
He refused to enter his new prison, fighting tooth and nail against his father. Mytho had forced him in however, and slammed the door before Hoffnung could rush it. He had clawed at the door, banged on it, tried to break it with his shoulder. Finally he sank to his knees and just called through it.
"Please, Father, let me out! I promise I'll be good. I'll eat nothing but soy! Please, I'll be a good son. Please! ...please..."
...please...
He punched the side of the nearest building, his fist leaving a hole in the dry-wall plaster. Hoffnung examined his hand as if he'd never seen his own blood before, before licking his hand clean. Fresh blood always made a good appetizer for Pure Hearts.
Hoffnung glimpsed the man rush out of the Shmied down the lane. He was doing this kid a favor, eating his father's heart before it's even born...
The man saw Hoffnung down the lane and set off for him at a light jog.
"Hi ya." Hoffnung began when the man reached him, not giving him the opportunity to speak first. "I think you dropped this back there." He held up the wallet.
"Yes. Thank you, Young Man." Hoffnung dropped the wallet in Hanz's grateful hand. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?"
"Actually, there is." The Raven Prince lead him off the main road and into a back ally just in time to miss being seen by Fakir returning home to fess-up to Ahiru.
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Fakir hurried home. The sun had long since set and darkness spread itself over the town like a cat over your key board when you're writing a fan fiction. He came up short when the Shmied was in sight, pausing in his step, his eyes cast down to scrutinize the cobble stone street. Did he really have to confess to Ahiru? Nothing had come of it and he'd never try it again... at least not until this story was over. So what was the need?
Of course, if she found out through other means, say the plot hole Renkon Nairu was conveniently leaving open for herself, the in-suing conflict would be devastating. Ahiru would hate him forever and... no she wouldn't hate him, Ahiru was incapable of the emotion. She would be disappointed in him. An image of her bright blue eyes, usually wide with cheer, slightly hooded as she regarded him. "I thought you were better than Drosslemyer-san, Fakir." She would say, or say something like it. He shook his head to clear the images.
He would tell her, just not in-front of Rue or Retzel or anyone else whom it was no concern of. It would be a conversation between him and her and when she asked him why he would say... what? That he did it 'cause he was in love with her? That'd get a laugh. She would say that it couldn't possibly be love if he felt he needed to force the feeling in her. Hmm... Maybe he should wait until the opportune moment presented itself. Moments like that always presented themselves in stories like this.
He crossed the remainder of distance between himself and his house and entered the front door.
"Hanz!" He was greeted by Retzel's smile. "Oh, Fakir, it's you. Did you see Hanz out side? He's been gone a wile."
Fakir stared blankly, Ahiru was down on her hands and knees apparently looking for something under the stove, Autor (what was Autor doing here?) was like wise on hand and knee searching the opposite side of the room. Rue sat calmly at the kitchen table sipping tea. "No." He answered her question.
"Oh, I'm getting worried, he's been gone to long." She crossed one arm under her breast and put the other hand up to her face in a "dear me" gesture.
"Where'd he go?"
"He went out looking for this boy that we bumped into earlier today. I think he dropped his wallet then." She began pacing up and down the room. "But he's been gone for far too long..."
"Well, what did this boy look like?" Fakir asked. "I'll go out and look for the both of them."
"He was about your age with wild-ish hair as black as the night sky and a handsome face like... I can't remember. A boy you used to play with, Fakir. I don't quite remember his name..."
"Mytho!" Fakir supplied in a voice that betrayed anxiety.
Rue stood, so did Ahiru, rising from her place on the floor with a worried expression. Autor looked over his shoulder slightly but no one noticed, all eyes were on Retzel. A boy with black hair and Mytho's face... that could only be Hoffnung. Fakir rushed from the house, his ledger and quill in hand.
"I'll come with you!" Ahiru fallowed after.
"Me too!" So did Rue.
The trio jogged down the lane as a brilliant crimson light emanated from Ahiru's pendant, lighting their path. Her body was swepped up in the usual sparkly storm that formed and solidified into the golden egg, the egg then dissolved to revel the form of Princess Tutu. She landed en pointe in-front of Fakir.
"Tutu, can you jete over the buildings to find them faster?" The pony tailed writer asked.
"Sure." She took to the air with ease.
"I'll help too!" Rue made a jete after her, taking off from where she stood and gliding through the air to land just a little ahead of Fakir. She looked down at her school uniform, at her shoes, at the cobbles of the street. She turned her face back to Fakir. "A little help here."
"What are you trying to do?" He blinked in confusion.
"Make me Princess Kraehe." She commanded.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Fakir lifted one critical eyebrow at her.
"Just do it." She crossed her arms over her breast. "Do you want to save Retzel's husband or not?"
He lifted his dried quill to to his lips and moistened the flaking ink with his tong. He scribbled a few lines on a blank page in his ledger and glanced up to see two crows, their feathers the color of midnight, flutter down to Rue's feet and morph into black toe shoes. She gingerly stepped into then and no sooner had both her dainty feet nestled within the soft material than a dark mist swirled and swam around her body, tearing her clothing and replacing the woolen school uniform with the dark satin and ebony feathers of a Raven's tutu.
She examined the soft black material, it felt strange wearing it again after so long. He hair pulled up to mimic one large black feather atop her head, the ebony colored cloth that covered her breast and slithered down her belly to meet just bellow her naval, the feather trimmed hem of the tutu... yes it all felt very strange after so long.
"What are those marks around your belly button?" Fakir's voice popped the bubble of nostalgia that had formed around her.
She glanced down at her stretch marks, not just on her stomach but also breast on the sides and her thighs, although the tights hid those. She covered her exposed belly button with an embarrassed arm. "Well, you see, Fakir, when a woman has a child her body..." she trailed off and finally stopped upon the sight of Fakir's bright red face. "Never mind. I think maybe the costume could do with a little tweaking."
"Fashion complaints at a time like this?" But he none the less began writing again.
SPACE
The feathery garb she now wore was not meant for her anymore. It was the costume of a different Kraehe, a different role all together. She was different now. No longer a Princess of the Ravens but a Queen. Their queen. The Ravens would answer to her, to Queen Kraehe!
SPACE
Fakir looked up just in time to see the end of what might have been a Tutu style transformation. Not a golden egg but a silver one melted away to reveal a new Kraehe, still clad in all black, but now with silver trim on the hem and over the breast of her tutu a tutu which now covered her entire belly.
She nodded in approval of the costume. "I'm off to save the day." She grinned at Fakir and took to the air after Tutu.
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Princes Tutu landed on the roof of a building no more than two blocks from Fakir's house and peered down into the ally behind it. As luck of the draw would have it, that was the exact ally way that Hoffnung had lead Hanz in order to steal his heart. A process of which he was in the exact middle of right now.
Hanz was suspended by a chorus of Crow costumed minions in the process of bearing the tranced gentleman to their master who was himself perched atop his own chorus of Crow clad minions. His arms outstretched, wings at full span... he looked quite menacing (although not as cool as the original Evil Mytho).
"That's right, Hanz, come to me." The ebony Prince commanded.
"Yes..." Actually he was being carried, not going to Hoffnung of his own power but since when did Anime characters fuss over detail?
"Give yourself to me."
"Yes..." He was being taken, not giving himself freely, but again why fuss over detail?
"You mustn't!" Princess Tutu leapt from her perch atop the building and landed perfectly en pointe behind the Crow Person Palanquin bearing Hanz. "Hanz-san, is this really what you want? To give your heart away to a monster? What about Retzel-san? Didn't you already give your heart to her?"
"Ret...zel..." He opened his eyes weakly. "Retzel. I wanted to give her the world." He extended his arms up to the moon high in the sky, to high, to far out of reach, unattainable. "But I couldn't, I can't. I'm not good enough for her, never was."
"That's not true, Hanz-sa-"
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Princess Tutu was cut off by her dark feathered adversary. "It hurts knowing that you're a failure. That the people -the person" (he corrected himself) "you love most hate and scorn you."
"Retzel-san doesn't do that." Tutu said, more to herself than anyone else.
"I cam make it all better. I can make the hurt go away! Just give me you beautiful PURE HEART!!"
"Yes..." Once again the Crow costumed lackeys lifted Hanz and bore him to their master.
"You mustn't!" This time it was not Tutu who cried out but one who could only be described as what a Raven Princess hoped to be when she grew up.
"Reu-chan?" Tutu asked tentatively. "What are you doing...? Who are...?"
"Rave Queen Kraehe." She supplied. Queen Kraehe spread her arms wide, her own set of massive dark wings appearing from no where, her own entourage of Crow costumed minions lifted her up off the cobbles of the street. "Now, Hanz, come to me instead!"
"Kraehe what are you doing?" Tutu asked, shocked and dismayed.
The minions changed directions and slowly started bearing Hanz over to their Queen instead of their Prince.
"NO! Come to ME!" Hoffnung shouted in annoyance. Once again the minions changed directions, returning this time to their Prince.
"Wouldn't you rather sacrifice your heart to a woman?!" Kraehe called.
The simple minded lackeys were now so confused that they began to sink into the ground, fusing with the very stones of the ally way in which they stood. The slightly dazed and very confused Hanz was left standing in the spot where they had vanished looking like he was about to have a break-down.
"Now, Tutu!" Kraehe commanded. "Do your goody goody hero stuff!"
Princess Tutu nodded at the command and circled her arms over her head, she then extended her hand palm upturned to Hanz."Dance with me, Hanz-san?"
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Fakir jogged in the same general direction that he'd seem Tutu and Kraehe fly, not knowing whether or not her was any nearer or farther from where he was needed.
"Fakir!" He turned to see Autor with Karon and Retzel in tow.
"What are you three doing out here?" He raised the same questioning eyebrow at them that he had at Rue.
"She wanted to help us look." Autor indicated Retzel (obviously, seeing as how she was the only "she" in this scene). "And he wasn't going to let her go out alone." Here he indicated Karon. "And I wasn't going to sit alone in someone else's house wile they weren't home. That would be really uncouth."
"Fine." Fakir nodded. "Autor, you can help me find Princess Tutu." This he whispered. "She should be with our wayward father to be right now..."
Autor nodded, then remembered that he wasn't supposed to know as much as he did and asked in what he hoped was a surprised voice: "Princess Tutu? For a missing person's report? Jeez, Fakir, the term 'over-kill' has no meaning for you."
"Just help me look."
He nodded again, looked around, noticed one of Hoffnung's black feather's on the ground near a trash can and pointed to the ally of which it was placed. "That way." He said.
"How'd you know?" Fakir asked.
"My know-it-all sense is tingling." Autor rolled his eyes dramatically. "Now let's go."
The quartet rushed down the ally to find none other than Princess Tutu dancing a pas de duex with Hanz wile Queen Kraehe kept an infuriated Hoffnung occupied.
"Gang's all here, I see." Observed the peeved Raven Prince. He made a move towards Tutu and his prey, but was intercepted by, not Kraehe, but Karon.
"I don't know who you are or where you come from..." He said, brandishing a pair or black smith tongs like a sword. "...but I won't let you spoil Retzel's happiness!"
He swung the long pair of tongs in a wide ark but the Raven Prince dogged expertly. He, however, was not expecting the middle aged black smith to be double wielding and instead of being struck by the tongs, came in contact with the hammer.
Hoffnung stumbled backwards, sure he now had internal bleeding. Kraehe rushed over to him, concern clear on her face. He may be an evil, self serving villain but he was till her son.
He pushed her away and fix the gang of heros with a glare of utmost acidity, over flowing with undiluted hatred. The glare remained plastered to his face as a dark mist and cloud of feathers swirled around him and he vanished.
Princess Tutu finished her pas de deux with Hanz and sent the no longer entranced victim back to his relieved wife.
"Thank you, Princess Tutu." They spoke unanimously.
She gave a plie like bow in response. The happy couple left arm and arm together. Tutu then turned to Karon. "You're in love with her, aren't you? You have been all this time! Why didn't you say anything before she got married?"
Karon suddenly looked very awkward. "I well... she... you see... I too old for her!" He said at last.
"True love is ageless." Queen Kraehe informed him. "But to bring your feelings to her now would destroy the happiness she's made for herself." She cast him a humorless smile. "If it's any consolation to you: she's still in love with you too. That's why she wanted you as her child's Godfather."
"I..." He was lost for words.
"Alright you people," Fakir broke the ensuing silence. "I still have to live with them for a wile, so don't go creating any unnecessary domestic strife in my house!"
All fell into silent obedience.
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Femio was enjoying an evening stroll in the moonlight, appreciating how beautiful his reflection looked in the waters running bellow the school's bridge. Yes, he truly was one whom was qualified to be a true Prince among men. His dashing debonair beauty, his angsty romanticism, the was Montove sprinkled the rose petals at his passing! Why it was almost to much for one man to bear!
Just when he was ready for Montove to call in the bull and punish this unworthy sinner, a swirl of dark mist appeared and from a cloud of feathers fell a boy. The dark figure moved as if to stand but them fell back to the ground.
Femio knelt beside him. "For such a mysterious and beautiful stranger to be so hurt!" He offered Hoffnung not a helpful hand but a thorny rose bud. "Were you set upon by ruffians?"
He didn't reply, merely just stared up at this abysmally stupid fellow he was unfortunate enough to have fallen by.
"For such brigand to be roaming the city! Why it's more than I can bear!" He placed a dramatic hand to his forehead as if to swoon. "Fair Stranger, what shall I do for you? How may I help you in this hour of need? For you see I am one who is qualified to be a true Prince among men! So I ask again: what can I do for you?"
You can shut-up. He thought. "Give me..." he began weakly. "Give me..."
"Yes?" Femio bent down closer.
"YOUR HEART!" He grabbed the false prince by the collar of his school uniform and pined him to the ground, straddling the poor stupid boy to minimize struggling. He plunged his hand deep into the flamboyant boy's chest and with drew a small lavender colored jewel with a faint, almost none existent glow. "Not much." He scoffed. "This'll barely sustain me the end of the night, let alone the week, like the flower girl's did." Never the less he popped in his mouth and swallowed it whole.
Montove and the bull, whom had been watching this all take place went dashing from the scene as fast as their respective legs could carry them. Both screaming like twelve year old girls. Yes, the bull screamed too.
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Karon and Fakir entered their home in awkward silence.
"Oh, you're back." Retzel's smile greeted the both of them. "Welcome home."
She had made dinner for all of them and it was spread over the table in a way that made any one no matter how lonely or love sick feel like they were home.
"Oh yeah." Hanz suddenly remembered something. "On our way home, we met an acquaintance of yours, Fakir."
"Of mine?"
"Yeah. He said he wanted you to stop by his club tomorrow after school. Called it the Book Men."
Fin for now...
Thanx to:
Fish Head The 3rd and Co.: You are the one author of which I have been coming into contact with the most lately. I'm starting to feel like I'm writing this fic just for you...
James Birdsong: I'm glad you think so. Seeing as I'm the one writing it, I only see the flaws.
Special thanx to RodentOfUnusualSize and Kage Mistress of Shadows for adding me to their Alerts list.