"And 1, 2, 3, and 1, 2, 3," Fakir counted the steps for Chibiusa as she attempted to learn to dance with Helios.

Chibiusa still had no idea what she was doing, and was probably more distracted by actually dancing with Helios than what she was supposed to be doing. She stepped on Helios's feet a few times before tripping.

"That's a bit better," Fakir commented. "You could learn something from how fast she learns, Duck."

"Hey, that's totally mean, Fakir!" Duck fussed, shouting up at him as he simply smiled in return. "Why don't you teach me a few things?!"

He quickly grabbed her hand, drawing her close before she had a chance to object some more. "See, the way to dance the waltz is to lead and follow. If you think too much into this, you'll trip over your own feet. It's a flowing movement, step first out then guide the trailing foot to the leading."

As awkward as Duck was, she managed to follow the simple movements. She understood the concept pretty well, but her form wasn't quite as graceful as Illia's or Fakir's. Her knees were awkwardly bent but at least she turned her feet in the proper direction as she moved.

Chibiusa watched in awe. She didn't believe Duck was as bad as she thought. She clapped for both of them as they finished the demonstration. But as she and Helios stopped clapping, the clapping seemed to continue for a moment more.

"Very good, you two." Mr. Cat approached. He'd quietly slipped into the dance studio during the demonstration.

Fakir watched the teacher approach. "I was pretty sure this studio was unassigned."

"Oh it is, Mr. Fakir," Mr. Cat waved off any concern. "I was drawn here by the dance of love and romance. After all, who better to talk about love and romance and the passions of dance with?"

"I... I just want to learn how to dance at the festival," Chibiusa pointed out, rather taken aback. Granted, she had been thinking about love and romance and actually dancing with Helios, but she didn't want Diana getting the wrong idea and calling her out as having an affair again. Not that she was, since she loved Helios. Then there was Hotaru as well as Mamoru and the other Sailor Guardians... She nearly buried her face into the side of Helios's shirt.

"Worry not, Miss Chibiusa," Mr. Cat held up a finger matter-of-factly. "It is exactly as Mr. Fakir had said. This isn't a dance of overthinking. It is a dance of passion, of one following the other in a flowing motion. Go ahead and give it a try."

Chibiusa wrinkled her nose a bit. She did consider herself a guardian of love, so something like this should come naturally, right? Sure she didn't have the grace of Sailor Moon, but she could certainly dance from her heart, right? She pursed her lips as she stared up at Helios.

"Worry not, Maiden," he reassured her gently. "I'm sure you'll do just fine."

With Helios believing her, she had to get this dance right! She took his hands, following his steps as they moved, one step at a time, first the leading foot, then the trailing foot soon following. It felt a little easier to do after Fakir and Duck's demonstration and the encouragement from her friends and even Mr. Cat.

"I think I'm getting it!" Chibiusa smiled, but quickly tripped over her own two feet as the door suddenly burst open and a flurry of rose petals burst into the studio. "Oh no."

It was as Chibiusa had feared. In waltzed Femio dressed in more traditional European garb, though waltz was a rather loose term for whatever he was actually doing. He twirled a few times, somehow not tripping over his feet before he stopped in front of Duck, extending a hand. "Surely you would dance with me for the Fire Festival."

"Aren't you in love with someone else?" Fakir narrowed his eyes at Femio.

"But my heart is in such pain as I cannot choose!" Femio protested, not that it actually made sense.

"It sure sounds like you're choosing," Fakir frowned. Not that he wanted Femio to really go after either. "Besides, Duck has already chosen her partner."

"I'm really sorry, Femio," Duck apologized. "I want to dance with Fakir."

"Woe is me!" Femio exclaimed, dropping to a knee and leaning backwards with his hand on his forehead. His servant or assistant or whateve fluttered by, fanning rose petals out of a basket onto Femio dramatically. "To think my love would be stolen from me by a corsaire on the high seas!"

"What are you talking about?" Fakir wrinkled his nose at Femio.

"This isn't a ballet, Mr. Femio," Mr. Cat fussed. "Love cannot be bought and sold like pirates on the high seas."

"Woe!" Femio cried, leaning backwards and extending one leg outward as his servant or assistant or whatever, held him at the lower back. "I must find my princess elsewhere!" He suddenly snapped back to standing and exited the studio in some sort of poor excuse for a grand jete, the flower assistant following close behind. The assistant offered a bow and quickly shut the door.

"I really don't understand him," Chibiusa admitted.

Not that anyone else in the room truly did.

But one comment had quickly caught Fakir's attention. "A ballet? I don't really remember one that made so little sense. Which one?"

"I am reminded of Le Corsaire," Mr. Cat replied. "A ballet of trite love and bad stereotypes where the story just isn't as important as how well each of the ballerinas can dance. It's essentially a series of dance offs."

"That sounds like a really weird ballet," Duck nodded. "What's it about?"

"The story tells of a young slave girl named Medora who's sold to Pasha. The pirate Conrad instead steals Medora and declares his love for her," Mr. Cat explained. "But Conrad's right hand gets jealous and sends Medora back to Pasha. Then there's a large love tangle that involves Medora, Pasha, and another slave girl. But eventually Medora gets back to Conrad. The two are out sailing when a storm hits and they survive the shipwreck by the power of their love."

"Even I find that in poor taste," Chibiusa wrinkled her nose, "and I believe love conquers all."

"We don't often teach this here because it requires pushing the boundaries of dance and that the story isn't all that great," Mr. Cat added, "and this coming from someone who believes in the true power of love."

Fakir glanced at Chibiusa then Duck, considering the similarities to what had been happening in recent events with Femio's actions. Femio was over the top and arrogant normally, but he'd been using such specific phrases for the last few days, Fakir had to wonder.

"Regardless," Mr. Cat added, "if you get a chance to see it, I do recommend it for the sheer fact that the dancers fly higher and hold their poses longer than you'd think possible. Just don't pay attention to the story."

...

"You really believe that Femio is controlled by a story?" Helios looked a little incredulous as the quartet stood within the heart of Gold Crown Town.

"I do, but not quite in the traditional sense," Fakir replied. "By the way Mr. Cat had described it, even without it fully making sense, it almost seems like Femio is taking on the role of Medora as if the roles have been completely flipped across gender lines."

Duck folded her arms, tapping a finger on her forehead. "So you mean that Tutu and I are Pasha and Conrad and Femio is smitten by us both without realizing we're the same person?"

"That's what it seems like," Fakir nodded. "He seems to be mostly after Tutu, so she might be taking the role of Conrad in this story." He pulled the quill and paper from his pocket. "Go ahead and transform. I'm going to write a temporary duplicate of you."

"But won't he come after me?!" Duck worried.

"That's the point," Fakir pointed out. "Femio only appears when you're around. No one actually knows where he lives within the town. If he's the source of the story, then I think you know where this'll go."

"If he's no longer affected by the story, he should cease his attempts to sway you," Helios reasoned.

"Within reason," Fakir added. "This is Femio, and he has some kind of obsession with Tutu still."

"Quaaaa..." Duck clamped a hand over her mouth. She huffed, bapped herself on the cheeks, then resolved what to do. "Okay, let's do this." Feathers surrounded her as she curled up, emerging from the feather storm as Princess Tutu. "Let us try to draw the story out from him."

Chibiusa held her brooch, shouting the commands as she became Super Sailor Chibi Moon as well. "We'll do this together."

Fakir quickly scribbled a few lines and beside Tutu appeared a rather convincing duplicate of Duck. "She'll act and think like you but once the story's complete, she'll merge back with you."

"This is quite surreal," Tutu commented, leaning over to observe the illusion.

"This is pretty weird, I don't think I've ever stared at my other self before!" Duck commented as well, staring back up at Tutu.

"We'll leave this up to you three," Fakir added, tucking into the side street with Helios.

Tutu nodded, stepping out from the trio of girls, one leg in front of the other in fourth position before beginning to turn. Again and again she performed a fouetté turn, pausing only momentarily to bend the supporting leg before returning to releve for the next turn around.

Sure enough, her fouetté turns had garnered the attention of their story-following target. Rose petals flooded the street, followed by Femio's awful attempt at mirroring Tutu's turns. "My beloved Princess Tutu! They said you weren't real!"

Tutu suddenly stopped in her turns in a perfect releve with her two feet planted together. "I am certainly real, Femio." She wound her hands above her head, offering one to him. "Won't you dance with me?"

Femio paused in his turns awkwardly, noticing Duck standing next to Tutu. He glanced between the two with concern. "You both are here! But how can I truly choose? My heart is enslaved to one but burning bright for another! How is a prince to choose between a princess and a maiden?!"

Chibi Moon stood to the side, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

Tutu continued to hold her hand out, recalling Mr. Cat's summary of the ballet. If Tutu were to play the role of Conrad, she'd have to make the first move in the story. The pirate was the one who literally stole Medora from Pasha. She withdrew her hand suddenly, stepping forward on her toes and forcing Femio back to his feet and into her arms. Tutu felt awkward acting so aggressive towards him, especially with Fakir watching from the alley. But it was only to help end another story so she could dance with Fakir at the festival.

"I do believe you should dance with me," Tutu stated forcefully. For a moment, she felt like Kraehe in forcing people to dance with her. It was like Kraehe's attempt at stealing Femio's heart but a bit more forceful. But Tutu certainly didn't blame Kraehe for her actions. She'd been misled by the Raven, after all.

Tutu took Femio's hands, taking the lead in a pas de deux with him as if the roles for each person were reversed. Femio was awkward, and even with the magic Tutu used to help people dance with her, it just felt forced. She paused in her movements to glance up at Chibi Moon, silently pleading her to end the story. There was no passion in the dance, no love behind the movements. It felt disheartening. She could understand why Mr. Cat had said the ballet was awkward. The love seemed unrealistic.

Taking a knee on the side of the street, Chibi Moon summoned the Kaleidoscope. "Please, Kaleidoscope, reveal what's hiding his true dreams!" But as the rainbows burst forward, the dream didn't seem to end. Could Femio be truly following his own dreams and not actually be affected by a story? Or was Femio just so entwined with the story naturally that the dream simply wouldn't show itself.

"Maiden, do not fret," Helios knelt beside her. "Please, borrow my power and my hopes so that you may restore his as well."

Chibi Moon nodded. With Helios beside her, she felt like she could help anyone. He always believed in her when she herself didn't. She held the Kaleidoscope out again. "Reveal what's destroying their dreams! Moon Dream Meditation!"

Rainbows burst forth, finally revealing a duplicate Femio standing beside him.

Tutu nearly sighed in relief. "Please, won't you come with us?" She touched the duplicate, turning it into several leaves accompanied by a handful of rose petals.

"Tutu... I will always love you," the real Femio admitted as he fainted.

Tutu actually did sigh this time. "I suppose that even a story wound around him cannot change who he truly is, but at least he will not be so obsessed."

"We can always hope," Chibi Moon agreed.

...

The fire roared and crackled in the center of the plaza, the couples dancing together around the warm fire in their traditional attire. Helios had donned his priestly robes while Chibiusa had chosen a dress that resembled her princess attire, just a little more traditional for Earth than the Moon.

Duck smiled, watching the pair dance while she leaned against Fakir. "I'm sure that was resolved, even though Femio is still pining for Tutu."

"Some things may never change," Fakir frowned a bit.

"I hope you're not jealous or anything," Duck added. The pair did a twirl and she spotted Lilie standing on the side, gushing over the two as they danced together.

"Jealous? Don't be ridiculous," Fakir replied sharply. "I already know how you feel."

"That's good," Duck smiled. "I'm glad we can dance together like this. You know, like you and me, and not me as an actual duck."

Fakir couldn't deny that it was enjoyable to dance with her again. It wasn't quite like dancing at the Lake, but they were dancing together. Just at the moment they weren't completely as they should be, trapped in the wiles of another story they didn't fully know. But that was what they were working towards, that goal of returning to their true selves in the true Gold Crown Town. That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the situation just a little bit. "It's nice."

He paused, feeling her suddenly stop in her movements. "What's wrong?"

"Over there," she pointed towards the shadows dancing off the buildings. "I might just be seeing things but for a moment, I really thought that I saw a silhouette of Miss Edel."

Fakir stared at the shadows intently. Edel had burnt herself as firewood in order to save him and guide Mytho and Duck to safety. Her timber had been used to create Uzura, who had been noticeably absent from the story thus far. Chibiusa had also mentioned seeing Edel before arriving. He at first thought it was impossible, but this was now twice that she'd been seen. "A puppet returning to the story."

"Do you think this could be Drosselmeyer's work again?" Duck worried.

"We disassembled that machine," Fakir shook his head. "But I'm pretty sure it's someone familiar with his work. The question is, who?"

...

Author's ramblings

At this point, Drosselmeyer would laugh.

Le Corsaire was recommended by my Tutu fan group, and it literally is as ridiculous as Mr. Cat describes. You watch it for the dancing, not the story. Because the story literally makes zero sense. When I sat down to watch the ballet, I couldn't help thinking Femio would be perfect for it, caught in a dramatic role reversal.

Though let's face it. That ballet literally is the biggest, overly dramatic dance off that a ballet could ever be. It's perfect for Femio.