"Once upon a time there was a maiden. The maiden wore tattered clothes and was called Cinderella. But with the help of some magic, she became a beautiful princess and got to dance with the prince. Then at the stroke of midnight, the maiden ran away leaving behind a glass slipper and she returned to being Cinderella once again." The announcer took a pause to let the words sink into the minds of the audience.
"The Prince went to great length to find this maiden which he did and took her as his wife. Yet, a thorny question rises. Did the prince really fall in love with the maiden?" The stage lights were turned off consuming the room into a dark abyss. Just as quickly as the lights turned off they were turn on once again only this time the stage reveal itself with a scene. Princess Kraehe was floating in the air in front of the broken window she had come in through.
"That's right I am a crow, and I alone am the true prima donna." She said with a smirk as she lifted her arms in the air as she started to flap them as if they were wings.
"Princess Kraehe, I'll take what I desire by force if need be." A dark ominous gust surrounded Kraehe as the gust cleared out Princess Kraehe had vanished leaving Mytho, Princess Tutu, and Fakir standing there.
"Princess Tutu," Fakir called out. "Will you not cease in this restoring of his heart then?" Ahiru gave a straight face as she answered Fakir's question.
"No because that is the Prince's wish." Fakir started to make his way towards where both Mytho and Princess Tutu were standing with a glass shard in his hand.
"Do you intend to shatter the prince's heart again?"
"If I do?"
"I won't allow you to." Fakir stood in front of Tutu as he replied to her words.
"You'll kill me then?" Tutu was taken aback by his words.
"What?"
"Could you kill me?" Fakir asked.
"That's not…" Just as she was responding to Fakir's question Fakir strike her with the glass shard however, he missed her by an inch and only grazed her on her neck. Mytho seeing all of this happen in front of his eyes gasped at the scene. Without hesitation, Mytho rushed in between Tutu and Fakir and held Fakir back.
"Stop!" Mytho cried.
"When the Raven stands before you strike! You can't guard Mytho with just heart shards!" Tutu stayed in place from shook. With her eyes widen she still replied.
"But Kraehe, she was suffering."
"Then that was your chance! I would have finished her, and if it came down to it I could even kill you too!" Fakir said. His voice held anger and frustration as for his eyes; his eyes were cold as they glared daggers towards Princess Tutu.
"Tutu run!" Mytho called out as he held down Fakir. Tutu stared at Fakir for five more seconds as she took Mytho's words and ran out into a safe distance from Fakir. When Tutu was out of sight Mytho spoke out once again.
"Why must you hinder me from regaining my heart Fakir?" Upon hearing, Mytho's words Fakir was at lose of words.
"Hinder?"
"My heart I want to get my heart back. No matter what fate then await me. I just…" Before Mytho could continue with his speech, he cut himself off as his eyes widen.
"Fakir, you're trembling. Why?" As Mytho asked his question.
The Curse to find True Love
Outside of the "building" there, lying on top of the last step of the small stairs laid a red pendent with a broke chain. Fakir was the first one to come out of the building and noticed the pendent.
"Is that…" As his voice trailed off the scene turned dark as a spotlight lit up a part of the stage showing a small lake with a small yellow duck staring at her reflection on the water.
"Why?" The yellow duck asked herself in thought, however she was voiced out by a recorded audio that she had done weeks in advance.
"When in the world did I go back being a duck" The duck rubbed her petit wing upon her "cheeks" as she wondered what was going on when soon an idea struck her.
"Oh I know!" The little duck quickly flapped her wings and jumped into the water. She waited for a few seconds expecting something to happen only to have nothing in results making her to start to panic.
"Wa! Why aren't I turning back into a girl?" The little duck looked back at herself in the water as she started to recall the scene where Fakir charged at her with the glass shard grazing her an inch away from her neck.
"The pendent…"
"This is good, little duck. There's nothing more boring than a perfect heroine. When the spell is broken, Ahiru is just a duck. Now, show us what the duck will, what a mere duck is capable of"
"We will be having a short intermission please feel free to enjoy the small snack and refreshments in the back thank you." Upon hearing the announcement, everyone made his or her way towards the snack area while the students went to change the set. While the students in charge of the set were changing the stage, Ahiru took the change to quickly look for her pendent however. The result of her search wasn't as fruitful as she thought it would be. Her pendent was nowhere to be found.
~Quack!~
Ahiru started to panic. 'Where's my pendent? This is where Angel told them to put it! Ahiru thought as she anxiously looked around the stage again. When she was about to give up a thought passed through her mind.
'Ah! Maybe they forgot and they placed it in my dressing room,' she thought. Ahiru quickly rushed over towards her dressing room only to find it completely wide open. 'I don't remember leaving the door open…' Ahiru thought as she quietly walked her way towards the doorway. Only to see that the room was completely empty and nothing looked out of placed.
'Huh…? There's no one here,' Ahiru walked into the room slowly as she looked around to see everything in fact was in place as how she left them. Just as she was reaching the center of the room a black figure emerge from behind the open door.
'Doesn't look like they took anything…I wonder why they came in,' she thought. Just as she finished her thought she heard the door close shut. She wiped her head around only to see the black figure dangling a necklace in the air. She saw a flash of red swinging from side to side.
QUACK! QUACK!~
'Ah! The pendent!' She cried out as ran over towards the figure. However, just as she was about to get close to the person it pulled back the pendent into their hand.
"Not so fast," Ahiru stopped and stayed rooted in placed as she heard the dark figure speak. "You're not getting this back…just yet."
'Wait…that voice it can't be…'Ahiru thought. As the dark figure took a step forward only to reveal the one person Ahiru was just thinking of.
'FAKIR!' Ahiru's eyes went wide at the sight of Fakir standing there with her pendent in hand.
A smirk was placed on his lips as he stared down at the yellow duck while the said yellow duck glared up at the green-headed young man.
QUACK! QUACK!~
'FAKIR! Give me back my pendent!' She cried at as she tried to communicate with him in the form she's placed in.
"Ah, ah the only way you will be able to get this," he said as she lifted up the pendent in the air. "Back is for you to do whatever I want." Ahiru mentally bit down on her bottom lip as she debated in her mind to whether to do what he asked of or take her chances and take it any way possible. After she pondered on with the thought she finally came to an answer.
QUACK~
She called out calmly. Fine, I'll do what you want, she said. If it were any one else but Fakir they wouldn't have understood what Ahiru had just quacked. Fakir's smirk grew wider then what it had started out as. Before he took a step forward towards Ahiru he made sure to lock the door in case someone tried to come in. Once assuring that there would be no interruptions Fakir took a step forward towards Ahiru and kneeled down in front of her.
"Sit." He said as he stared down at her straight into her ocean blue eyes. Ahiru tilted her head in confusion not understanding what he was saying.
Sit? She asked
"Yes sit," he said. "On my lap." He added on. Her eyes instantly widen when the words he had just spoke registered into her head. Her heart had skipped a beat and she stayed speechless for a short period before she finally calmed herself down and answered him.
QUACK~
No, she quacked. Fakir shrugged his shoulder as started to get up.
"What a shame," he said. "I guess I'll just have to keep it then." He finished as he gave out a sigh. Ahiru puffed out her furry cheeks and gave him what looked like a scowled. Fakir held in his chuckle as she sat back down in front of her.
"So?" Ahiru gave out a frustrated sigh as she began to climb up his folded legs and sat on his lap. She felt uncomfortable and awkward for the first few minutes. Without noticing Fakir had lifted his hand and started to pet Ahiru's head.
QUACK!~
What are you doing! She said in annoyance. It was bad enough that he has my pendent now he's petting me! She thought. Despite her cries of annoyances Fakir didn't stop petting her. A minute passed of this "torture" Fakir was giving Ahiru as she unconsciously nuzzled his warm smooth hands. Fakir bit the inside of his cheek in order for him to not allow his smirk to appear upon his lips and swallowed his words. He knew that once he gave her back the pendent she would go after him for everything he did to her right now. Fakir continued on for about two more minutes more until he finally got him fill. He picked up Ahiru and placed her back on her webbing feet.
The yellow duck looked up at him as she saw him digging into his pants pockets. He pulled out the pendent and reluctantly held it out for her. Ahiru eyes soften as she softly nuzzled his lap. As she then walked over to the dangling pendent she flapped her unflyable wings as they lifted her enough off the ground to the pendent. Her small feathery head passed through the hole of the pendent silver thin chain as soon as she came in contact with it there was a flash of white that blinded Fakir. Her whole body was consumed in that bright light as her little duck body started to transform into a human girl.
The light started to diminish and as they grew dimmer Fakir started to open his closed eyes. However, when he finally opened them fully he wasn't expecting to fine the girl that he fell in love with completely naked siting on the cold floor. Ahiru was still looking at the floor with her eyes still dazed. While Fakir was mentally freaking out as he searched around with his eyes where any piece of her clothing was. There about three feet away from the two was her clothes sitting on a chair waiting to be worn. It was too far for Fakir to go and retrieve.
Wait, he thought. I'm still wearing the "school uniform" costume.
He took off his blazer as he draped it over Ahiru's naked body. She snapped out of her dazed as the fabric come into contact with her skin. She lifted his head to look up to see Fakir's flush red cheeks as he was facing another direction. Despite her embarrassment Ahiru gave a small smiled towards Fakir. She stood up and walked over towards her clothes and ever so softly she lifted her hands and began to clothe herself. Once she was finished she turns to face Fakir only to see that he was still face the other way. Ahiru gave a light smile that is until she remembered something. Her eyes widen as she touched her pendant and then looked at Fakir back. He knows, she thought. She quickly made her way towards him and touched his arm making him turn to face her.
"Why…aren't you running away….?" She asked as she stared straight into his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Fakir didn't quite understood what Ahiru was asking.
"You…You saw didn't you…I turn into a duck. Yet you…didn't run away," her gaze had shifted to the floor for a few second until they return back to stare at fakir forest green eyes. "Why?"
Fakir's eyes soften when he finally understood what she was asking for. "Ahiru," Fakir started as he reached out to her and cupped her cheek. "Didn't I tell you to trust me? I won't judge you. I don't care if you're a duck, a cat, or even a crow because you are still you inside and out. Nothing can change that." Ahiru's ocean blue eyes were glassing from the forming tears.
"Do you mean that?" She asked which cause Fakir to chuckle.
"I mean every word," he replied with a soft smile. He then cupped both of her cheeks as he pulled her a bit close. "I wasn't kidding when I told you before Ahiru that I love you." Ahiru's teary eyes started to overflow down her covered cheeks as she listens to his smooth tender words. The two started to inch closer with ever 'tick' the clock would make. They were but a breath away from each other but just as they were about to seal there gap the door to the room burst open. Both Fakir and Ahiru jump from the unexpected entrance. They had a good distance away from each other as the two turn to look at the culprit who had made there grand entrance.
"Oh, did I interrupt something? Was that why the door was close?" Angel asked in a sweet sarcastic voice.
"I'm sorry Angel I locked it that way no one would be able to come in while Ahiru transformed back from her duck form." Fakir was the first one to respond. It took Angel a while for the words to register and when they final did her eyes widen as she rapidly closed the door. Once the door was close she turned back towards them and pointed from Ahiru to Fakir. She went back and forth for a while until she finally composed herself. Angel took a deep breath and exhales it.
"So let me get this straight you," she said as she pointed towards Ahiru. "Finally trusted him and told him….wait that's not right you showed him your cruse and he accepted you…" Ahiru nodded her head as Angel stared at her two students with an intense stare.
"FINALLY!" Angel cried out which surprised the other two. "It took you long enough. Jeez how long were you planning to make the poor boy wait." Ahiru raised an eyebrow at what Angel had just said.
"Wait what do you mean having him wait so long?" Angel stopped in herself from moving as she realized what she just said.
"What did you mean by it Angel?"
Angel started to get fidgety; the strong willed, hard headed, stubborn woman, -Angel- was fidgeting. "Um…well you see what I meant by that is well….." Angel was stumbling with her words trying to come up with something that Ahiru would take however, the longer she took the less of a chance that Ahiru would actually buy the story that she was about to feed the poor Swan princess. Fakir mentally sighs as he sees his strong willed teacher, and friend struggle with her words.
"She means," Fakir spoke out drawing the attention away from Angel. "That I've known about your cruse but I was waiting for you to tell me on your own." Fakir answered. Ahiru eyes widen as she turn to face Fakir fully. "I wanted you to trust me with your own heart and words. I didn't want to force you to tell me about it…So I waited until you eventually did."
"You knew…" She asked him and he responded her with a nod. "How long…?"
"Since the day I told you, you were going to be my girlfriend." Fakir said. Ahiru thought back to that day. She had believed that it was all just a dream that none of it really had happened. Even Amu and Ikuto had made her believe that it was just a dream by making her think that Fakir had brought her home because she had a high fever.
"Then I didn't dream it, it really happened..." Ahiru said completely dumbfounded by what she was being told. The room fell into an unbearable silence. The silence was to the point where if a thinnest sewing needle were to fall and hit the ground you would be able to hear it.
"Ahiru it wasn't Amu's and Ikuto's fault so please don't blame them. I was the one that told them to tell you the fever lie. They were only following what I told them to do. So if you want to blame someone then blame me." Angel spoke out breaking the unbearable silence. Ahiru looked over towards over Angel and gave her a pained look as she shook her head.
"I'm not blaming anyone Angel...I understand why you all did it," Ahiru said as she let her gaze drop to the floor. Silence filled the air once again. With her head hanging he crossed her right arm across her chest and took a grip on her left arm.
"I…I was scared, I was scared that once Fakir knew what I was...what I am that he would turn his back on me and walk away from my life like my parents did on me." Angel was lost of words as she heard what the Swan Princess was saying. Unshed tears started to form on both girls eyes as one voice out her true emotions and the other one listened. The truth was that Ahiru had every right to be afraid of being abandoned. The Swan Princess might not know it but that's how her past lives have been. Each one abandoned and left to endure the hurt and pain of loneness until they lie there by lake's shores…lifeless.
"Ahiru…" Fakir softly called out. However, her eyes were glued to the floor she wouldn't pick up her head.
"Ahiru look at me." Fakir called out once more only with a little more force into her voice. Ahiru shook her head with her head still hanging down. Fakir was started to lose a bit of his patient's in a matter of seconds his hands reached out towards Ahiru's face and cupped her cheeks. The minute his hands covered her cheeks he felt his hand become wet. He forced her to lift up her face to face him straight into his eyes. She was crying her silent tears were streaming down in between the cracks of her cheeks and Fakir's hands. It broke Fakir's heart to see her like this.
"I will never leave you. I promise you I will be by your side until the end." Fakir cradled her face in his hands as he gave her a tender smile. "Because you're not going be able to get rid of me that easily."
.:The Curse to Find True Love:.
The intermission came and went as the play continued on. The play was nearing its end however, just as it was nearing its end things went all down the drain.
Princess Tutu had finally retrieved all of the prince's heart shards…well all but one. The last one was just around her neck; that's right her pendant. It was just starting the second to last scene where Princess Tutu stood in front of Prince Mytho with a soft sad smile gracing her face as for Fakir –the knight was standing a few feet behind her. "Prince Mytho…I had vowed to have your heart restored to what it was." Tutu's voice was shaky and her eyes held unshed tears. "So I give to you the last of your heart shards and the thing that gives me the power to become who I am." Tutu reached behind her neck to remove her pendant. As she was removing it her tears started to cascade down her soft tender cheeks. She removed it completely and held it in front of the prince. The prince gave her a soft loving smile as he accepted the pendant.
"Thank you Princess Tutu." Tutu softly shook her with her softly sad smile still in place.
"I would do anything for you Prince Mytho," Tutu took a small pause as she looked straight into the Prince's eyes. "Because…I love y-"
However, before Ahiru had the chance to finish her line she was cut off.
"NO!" Everyone turned towards where the voice came from. There floating in midair of the stage was Princess Kraehe. "I won't let you have him!" Princess Kraehe graceful floated down in between the Prince and Princess Tutu.
"I won't let you take anything of mine anymore!" Whispers and murmurs were being heard amongst the audience who were flipping through there pamphlets of the play. Even the students were baffled on what's occurring at the moment. Tutu looked at Kraehe closely as her tears dried up instantly. She took a few steps back until she was standing right beside Fakir. Just as she stood beside him Fakir whispered lowly for only Ahiru to hear.
"It looks like her raven blood has fully awake." Ahiru nodded in response to what Fakir said.
"Kraehe…what are you talking about I've never stolen anything from you." Ahiru replied back as Tutu in a sweet calm soothing voice.
"LAIR! YES YOU DID NOT ONLY DID YOU TAKE MY FRIENDS BUT ALSO MY FIRST LOVE!" She yelled. "Ever since you came to live here in Seiyo when we were children you were the talk of everyone's conversations. Not only that but you were always stealing boy's hearts with just a flash of your smile!" Ahiru was left widen eye at the sudden outburst of Rue.
"Kraehe, what are you talking about I was just a nor…normal child. I kept to myself at most times and I only spoke when needed or when called on." Ahiru calmly explained as she tried to reason with Rue. However, her reason came to no avail Rue franticly shook her head trying to block out Ahiru's words.
"NO, NO, NO, NO ,NO! You always acted like a broken child that was pitied by others!" She shrieked as she pointed and accusing finger towards Ahiru. "And I've had it with it!" Just as Rue finished her sentence she pulled back her arms as she recoiled it back towards Ahiru with her hand fully open launching an attack. Ahiru had no time to react to it as she quickly lifted her arms to protect her head. However, the pain never came. Slowly Ahiru pulled her arms down as she looked at what was in front only to be blinded by a broad chest. She looked up to take a better look of who was protecting her. She gasped when she finally noticed who it was.
"FAKIR!" Fakir smiled down at Ahiru but mixed in with his smiled was the searing pain. Horror filled Ahiru's eyes as she sees Fakir's body go limp and slowly descend to the ground.
"Fakir! No!" Ahiru was about to drop the ground to tend to Fakir but before she had a chance Rue threw another attack. This time Ahiru saw it in time that she jumped out of the way leaving Fakir lying on the ground.
"FIGHT BACK TUTU! STOP COWARDING AND FIGHT ME!" Ahiru was floating in midair as she looked down at Rue. Her expression had changed from a soft and peaceful expression to a stern full rage expression.
"You…You just attacked your childhood friend…and what your more concern about is for me to fight you!" Ahiru's last words were yelled out. "You heartless RAVEN!" Just as Ahiru said that she flung an attack towards Kraehe. It looked like a white beam of light mixed with white feathers.
Kraehe countered the attack with her powers – A black violet beam of light mixed with raven feathers. "Hahaha that's exactly the reaction I wanted for you Princess. Tutu." Kraehe laughed as she added more power to her attack. She added enough power to through Tutu off.
"KYA!" Kraehe didn't miss a beat as she took her other arm and threw an attack with that one hit Tutu right at her gut sending her crashing into the ceiling of the stage. Everyone in the audience gasped in horror as they saw Princess Tutu body peel off the ceiling and slowly drop to the ground with a big thud. Kraehe gave out a maniacal laugh as she made her way towards the limp body.
"Finally! I can rid myself of you and any other future generation of yourself! Hahahaha!" A wicked smiled was placed upon Kraehe's lips as she stood less than a foot away from Tutu but before she had a chance to stand above her a black bury abstracted her vision from her target.
"What the-" Rue looked up at the face of the culprit who was standing between her and the Swan Princess. "Argh! Fakir! Get out of my way!" Kraehe glared at Fakir as she waited for him to move away from her victim. Fakir was panting with small sweat drops were forming on his forehead as he gave a tried glare to Kraehe.
*pants* "No I won't let you," *pants* "murder Princess Tutu." He said in between pants. Kraehe balled her hands into fists to control her rage as her expression turned cold and blank.
"Then so be it, perish alongside hers." Lifting up her right arm with her enclosed fist she slowly opens her hand that was emitting a dark violet light. Just seconds before Kraehe's hands fully open Fakir's body suddenly fell backwards. The audience's voices were caught at their throat as they saw the whole scene unfold in front of their eyes.
"Wha-" Fakir fell on his back with a thud just as Kraehe's hand open fully exposing her attack. If Fakir hadn't been pulled back just as he had been seconds before. Then without a doubt he would have perished. Sighs of relief were heard throughout the whole room as they saw the attack miss Fakir by a strand of hair.
"Don't involve others into our fight Kraehe this is only between you and –ah- and me." Tutu said as she struggles to stand up. As she was standing up everyone could see that she was badly hurt Tutu had an arm wrapped around her stomach.
"It seems that you can still stand." Kraehe evilly grinned. "But it won't be for long." Kraehe stood in front of Tutu as she grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground. Tutu tried prying off Kraehe's hand off of her as she gaped for air.
"Why did you have to come to this small little town out of all of them out had to choose this one." Kraehe said as she adds more force to her hand making it hard for Tutu to breathe. "You shouldn't have been born in the first place." Tutu kept trying to pry off Kraehe's hand off her neck as she looked at her straight into her eyes.
"Ah d-don't you get you Kraehe…I never chose to live like this. This cruse was placed upon my ancestor and has gone down from generation to generation. Th-This cruse will never leave my blood line until it has been broken." Kraehe glared at Tutu as he pulled her closer to have her face just a millimeter away from her face.
"Then why haven't you broken it."
"B-Because only true love brakes the kiss a-a person who will not only love Princes Tutu but who would also love the yellow little duck and the normal girl I am. B-But each time I'm close to brake it that 'one true love' ends up turn his back to me or you come in to kill me and move on to the next generation."
"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU STEAL MY TRUE LOVE FROM ME!" Kraehe shouted but Tutu with the little energy she had shook her head.
"N-No I don't. Y-You always misunderstood that because you were a-always focus on the Prince's feels towards me. B-But I was in love with the Prince's K-Knight."
"LAIR!" Kraehe hurled Tutu to the ground with such force that Tutu broke through the stage floor sending her to the basement of the stage.
"AHIRU!" Angel had run onto the stage but was quickly pulled back by Haruko. "No let me go! She needs me!"
"You can't you'll only make things worse!" Angel went limp in Haruko's arms as she whimpered in tears. Kraehe was staring down at everyone while she still floated up in the air. However, what people didn't notice was the Fakir had disappeared from the stage.
.:The Curse to Find True Love:.
Heavy pants were auditable throughout the whole basement. "I finally was able to regain my past memories only minutes before I'm killed by the Crow Princess." Ahiru said in a low whisper as a small sad smile graced her face. "I'm just glad that I was able to get my feels out to him before my life ends this time."
"Like hell I'll let you go after the type of confession." Ahiru's eyes widen when she heard that voice. She tried to pick herself off the ground to get a better look where the voice came from but it was useless. Her body was too weak to do what she wanted it.
"F-Fakir?" She looked around at what her eyes were allowing her to see. It took her a few seconds to finally see Fakir. He walked towards her as he picked her up bridal style.
"Do you really think I'm going to just sit there and watch as the girl I love get killed." Ahiru looks up at Fakir's face with unshed tears.
"But you can't fight her she's too strong even for you."
"I can't just let you die like this." Fakir said as he creased her cheek. Tears were flowing down her face but he smile never left her lips.
"It's just not time for me to break the cruse just yet," Ahiru lifted her arm to crease Fakir's face. "But we will meet again it's within our fates." Fakir places his hand on top of hers as she kept her hand upon his cheek.
"I love you Ahiru." Ahiru softly smiles.
"And I love you too Fakir."