The Knight could finally notice something besides the blinding pain. He struggles to breathe as he gathers his bearings for his final moments. The Prince and the Raven have moved on, giving him some peace. And yet he finds he's not alone.
"So this..." he wheezes. "This is what...has become of you...Tutu..."
There was no mistaking it. Despite her small, yellow-feathered form, the duckling had Tutu's beautiful blue eyes. They were so caught up with the Raven's taunts that they must have-
"Please...don't cry, my love..." Lohengrin weakly murmurs as Tutu nuzzles near him, her strange, quacking sobs halting his muddled thoughts. He can barely move his thumb when she presses her small head against his hand but it's enough to wipe away her tears.
One thing becomes clear in his mind: This place is not safe for her.
He wills himself to take his hand away from her and force his body somewhat up. She quacks and flaps her wings in protest.
"I must...take you out of...of here," he insists. He cradles her in the crook of his arm as he literally pulls himself together. "You must...find safety...find my father..."
The Knight fights his way to his feet, grimacing in mortal pain as he makes himself take each step out of the Raven's lair.
"I'm a mess...aren't I?"
Author's Notes: Or where I try to justify what I've got going on here. Essentially, the entire story started with the particular idea that there was more to Princess Tutu after turning into a speck of light and (apparently) vanishing. Admittedly, it feels pretty retcon-y to me. But some ideas just won't leave you alone.