I thank Unnoticeable_Demon for helping.

"That's right I am a crow, and I alone am the true prima-donna: Princess Kreahe! I'll take what I desire by force if need be!" Princess Kraehe cried out triumphantly and with a flapping move with her arms she summoned a black whirlwind and vanished.

"I never wanted for her to receive that memory." Princess Clara said regretfully and she shook her head in shame.

'Memory?' Fakir looked at Princess Clara for a second in surprise, but then his frustration at once again failing again to finish the Crow Princess took over and he rounded on Princess Tutu.

"Princess Tutu, will you not cease this restoring of his heart then?" He asked her with a biting tone.

"No, because that is the Prince's wish." Princess Tutu replied in a calm tone.

"Do you attend to shatter his heart again?"

"If I do?" Fakir asked her challengingly.

"I won't allow you to." Princess Tutu countered, her tone as calm as ever.

"You'll kill me then?" Fakir asked her with skepticism in his tone.

"What?" Princess Tutu breathed in shock, Fakir had found her weakness at last.

"What did you say?" Princess Clara cried out, shocked to hear Fakir even imagine such a cruel act.

"Could you kill?" Fakir asked in a low voice, ignoring the reaction from both Princesses.

"That's not..." Princess Tutu began hesitantly, but Fakir had heard and seen enough. He wanted to teach this phony a lesson! He turned sharply towards Princess Tutu. Princess Clara was standing between them, Fakir had shoved her towards Princess Tutu by accident when he entered and now pushed her aside again, hitting her on her wrist with his armed hand as he raised his weapon towards the shocked Princess Tutu. He launched himself forward and thrust the broken piece of glass closely past her throat, all the while keeping a hard face. He stared to split second into her shocked ocean blue eyes and hoped she would learn her lesson. He had not harmed her at all, he never meant to, he just wanted to show her the reality of the situation.

"Why did you…" Princess Clara yelled at him as she checked her wrist after Fakir had struck her quite hard. It hurt and would be very bruised tomorrow, but the shard had mercifully not cut her skin.

Mytho was shocked as well and he ran forward to restrain Fakir from trying to harm Princess Tutu again. "Stop!" He told him in alarm as he grabbed a hold on him.

"When the Raven stands before you, you strike! You can't protect Mytho with just heart shards!" Fakir yelled over Mytho's shoulder.

"But Kreahe, she was suffering." Princess Tutu argued, her voice shook slightly.

"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 to her, shooting her an angry look.

"Tutu run!" Mytho cried, in earnest as he tightened his grip on his friend. Princess Tutu gave Fakir one last hurtful look and ran from the room.

"How could you? I never wanted Kreahe to be an enemy." Princess Clara yelled, turning towards Fakir and glaring at him.

"What do you mean by 'memory?'" Fakir asked her, his anger changing into curiosity. "Do you mean to tell me that that glowing orb you chased…?"

"I thought that memory was yours." Princess Clara replied, her frustration clear in her voice.

Fakir was still staring at her with interest. "You've been collecting these memories? That's what brought you here tonight and to the town's square that time, too?"

"Yes, I've been returning your memories."

Fakir's expression softened, but then his brow furrowed again and he averted his eyes. "I don't need you to do that." He mumbled stubbornly.

"You truly believe you could have regained them on your own? You haven't succeeded in that for years. And you left that girl all alone." Princess Clara said to him, her tone clear and firm.

"Why must you hinder me from regaining my heart, Fakir?" Mytho asked him suddenly.

"Hinder?" Fakir repeated in surprise.

"My heart. I want to get my heart back. No matter what fate might await me. I just… Fakir, you're trembling.. Why?" Mytho let go of Fakir and looked at him in mild confusion. He was not yet able to feel 'worry'.

Princess Clara gave Fakir one last look, but their conversation was clearly over and he wasn't even looking at her anymore. She left the building, intending to look for Duck.

As she walked at a brisk pace. She transformed back immediately when she emerged outside and started to look around for Duck, but couldn't find her anywhere. This was strange, because there was no reason for Duck to hide from Tiger like this. Had she been that freaked out by Fakir's attack to run off? Maybe she was back at the dorm already? Feeling a bit uncertain what to do, Tiger started walking towards the heart of town, but then she met up with Duck. For some reason Duck was back to being a normal duck and she seemed to be in a panic. Then Tiger noticed what was up, even in her animal form, Duck always had her pendant around her neck, now, however, it had gone. Stricken with a sudden thought, Tiger looked down at her right wrist and saw with a shock that her bracelet with the Gem of Courage had come off when Fakir had accidently hit her there with a piece of glass. This explained why she had not been cut by it at the time.

Meanwhile, Fakir and Mytho had decided to leave the Art building as well.

"Is that?" Fakir mumbled to himself as he saw something on the floor of the room as he made for the exit. He picked in up to find that it was a hand-made bracelet with a pretty two-piece gem attached to it. Then, as he walked down the stone steps of the building, he noticed yet another gem, attached to a necklace, lying there. The gem was red and Fakir picked it up immediately, suspecting to whom it belonged.

Tiger had told Duck to hide and wait in the bushes while she went back to collect her sketchbook. Just as she edged towards the building again in her cat-form, moving from tree to tree, she caught sight of Mytho and Fakir leaving the building well behind them. She slunk back into the room to get it. Once she got it back, she returned to the bushes where she had left Duck, but her friend had gone. She had been severely freaked out about losing her pendant and it seemed she didn't want to lose any time in finding it. So Tiger returned to their dorm room alone, where she returned to her human form. Changed into her pyjamas and let herself fall into bed.

"All I can do right now is hope Duck finds her pendant." she muttered to the ceiling, then fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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 a glass slipper, and she returned to being Cinderella once again. The prince went to great lengths 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?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Tiger awoke to find herself still alone in the room. Duck had not returned from her search, which must mean she had not been able to find her pendant yet. So Tiger walked to school alone and she went early to avoid Piqué and Lillie on her way there. That night she had another dream and the subject had been plain this time. It was the story of Cinderella. She knew the story somehow. She couldn't remember anything from her childhood, yet she knew the classic fairy tales. Somehow they had stuck from an unknown time reading them. Voice in her dream had questioned the prince's genuine feelings for a maiden he knew one for her beauty and Tiger had to confess to herself that she could remember questioning the same thing in the past. Of course, the question also applied to Cinderella. What had she known about the prince, other than his wealth and title?

When she arrived at the school, she spotted Fakir by himself in front of the school building. He was holding something in his hand and looked a bit lost. Carefully she moved closer to him to see what he was holding and recognized Duck's pendant at once. He was gripping the gem in his fist, but the delicate chain was clearly visible. Then he opened his hand and with a thrill of excitement Tiger saw her own gemmed bracelet curled around Duck's pendant. She wondered what she could do to get it back. She couldn't simply ask for it back, if she did that, then she would reveal herself to be Princess Clara.

Maybe if she turned into a cat, she could charm him into giving her the bracelet. But before she could make up her mind about what to do, Fakir had moved away towards the side of the building. He had spotted something there, lying on the pavement. Tiger noticed it too, something yellow and alive…it was Duck! It looked like she had wandered herself into exhaustion last night and had fallen asleep while still standing near the school building. She was lying with her beak on the pavement and her wings and feet sprawled out.

Fakir had halted just behind her and tried to wake her up by gently calling out to her. "Hey, Hey."

Duck opened one weary eye and looked at him. Then she turned her head slowly towards him, still not registering that it was him. She glared at him groggily for a second, then the realization came to her and she let out a loud squawk of shock. Panicked, she began to scurry around, quacking loudly and flapping her wings. Fakir simply watched her and waited for her to calm down.

'Oh no! I must've fallen asleep!' Duck thought in panic.

"You're that duck from the other day. Where's your cat friend?" Fakir asked her in a friendly tone. It was then that Duck turned around. The normal, friendly comment had brought her back to reality. She looked at him in mild surprise, but then noticed the necklace dangling from Fakir's grip.

'The pendant!' She realized in relief and waddled immediately towards Fakir to try and pull it out of his hand.

"What is it? Have you taken a liking to this?" Fakir asked her.

"Quack?" Duck stopped pulling and stared at him shyly, just like the last time Fakir had surprised her with his true nature. Then, she recollected herself and started pulling on the necklace again.

"I do envy your innocence." Fakir whispered to her and patted her head affectionately, causing Duck yet again to forget her little mission.

Tiger had watched it all in secret. 'Then again,' she thought as she watched Fakir stand up to leave and cause Duck to snap out of her daze and start quacking loudly again, 'maybe that wouldn't work. Although, it would be nice to be petted on the head like that.' She caught Duck's eye and gave her a shrug, then she left for class.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That day, Mr Cat had them all perform in turn again. Mytho was up first and he had chosen to dance his favorite and specialty: The dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

'This one again.' Tiger couldn't help herself from scoffing slightly at Mytho's choice. After all, the dance was designed to be performed by a woman. However, no one seemed to share her opinion. Mr Cat never questioned it and the rest of the class, especially the beginner's class, only marveled at his dancing skills and his good looks while doing so. There was only one that shared her indifference to Mytho's performance. Tiger looked at Fakir and saw that he was only pretending to watch. His eyes were not entirely focused upon what he was seeing and he seemed lost in thought. He wore a thin chain around his neck that was half hidden by his ballet shirt, but Tiger knew it ended in Duck's pendant.

'Now he's wearing the pendant. Duck's not going to be too happy about this.' She thought.

At the far end of the row of students from the beginner's class sat a small crocodile in a tutu. Suddenly she stuck her nose enthusiastically in the air and sniffed loudly.

"Mr Cat, do you smell that? I smell a tasty duck." She said loudly.

"Hush, Miss Crocodilia!" Mr Cat hissed to her as Mytho continued dancing.

Tiger sighed, guessing Duck must be outside the window right now, watching Mytho dance. She would agree with all the other girls that Mytho was handsome. She couldn't deny the truth to that, but he just wasn't her type. Tiger also remembered Mytho from when she and Fakir had found him. He had been exactly the same as he was now and not a year older! That knowledge made it impossible for her to like him like all the other girls in the school. The age gap would be too much of a deal-breaker for her.

"He's so handsome, isn't he?" Piqué whispered to Lillie as she watched Mytho in awe.

"Duck will be sad she missed it." Lillie whispered back, wistfully.

"She must be hurting pretty bad from the rejection, huh?" Piqué said.

"I'd love it if she is." Lillie replied.

"I hope she's coming back to class soon." Piqué said.

"Right, right, before she fully recovers." Lillie agreed, nodding.

"Well, you know, she does recover quickly." Piqué said, an edge of amusement to her voice.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Lillie screamed out loud.

Unnoticed by them, Mr Cat had approached them and was now towering over them threateningly.

"Miss Piqué, Miss Lilie, if you continue to chit-chat during class, I will have the both of you marry me together. While we're at it, why not include Miss Duck who is absent today, so all three of you could get married together?!" He hissed at them angrily.

Shocked, Piqué and Lillie shook their heads, clenching their mouths shut in fear of Mr Cat's threat.

"Mr Cat, calm down." Tiger sighed exasperated.

With a snap, Mr Cat came back to his senses and started to lick himself distractedly.

After Mytho had finished with his performance Mr Cat complimented him on the emotion he could detect his dancing now and suspected that Mytho had to be in love. Mytho was surprised to hear this and asked the teacher eagerly if he was. This made Tiger glimpse at Rue. If Mytho had not considered himself in love before, what was Rue even to him? Was she aware that her feelings might be one-sided? If she was indeed Kraehe then she must know that Mytho had no heart. Tiger thought it all very sad, really.

After class Mr Cat held Mytho back in class to teach him about love. He offered it to others too, but no one was interested, save Mytho.

Tiger returned to her dorm and after changing into her normal clothes, sank onto her bed to start drawing. The image she had seen in her dream had been of a winding stone set of steps. At the bottom of it lay two ballet slippers and a sword was thrust into one of the steps not far from the shoes. Hanging from the handle of the sword shone a pendant, lighting the darkness with a bright red glow. Around the other side of the handle hang a bracelet with two intertwined gems in the shape of hearts.

"Maybe I'll go visit Charon. It's been a while." Tiger decided as she stared at the drawing, now completed. She stood up, stored the sketchbook away and set off for the Blacksmith's where Charon lived.

"It's been a while, Charon." Tiger greeted Fakir's foster father friendly as she entered the little work room at the back of the shop.

"Tiger, what a pleasant surprise." Charon said to her pleasantly and he stood up from his work bench to look at her. "I was starting to think that Fakir had convinced you not to visit me anymore. I haven't seen him in a long while. I'm afraid he's angry with me about something." Charon looked at her gravely when he said this.

"Actually, I've been thinking about the stories you used to read to me when Fakir stopped doing it for me." Tiger told Charon truthfully. She knew she couldn't help him with his problem regarding Fakir and she had no intention in pretending she could. If Fakir wanted to speak to Charon, he would do that entirely on his own.

"Do you remember the version of Cinderella where a tree gave her the gowns instead of a fairy godmother, and where the ball was more than just one night long?"

Charon nodded and his face brightened a little. "Yes, I remember, it was actually believed that the tree from that story is based on an ancient oak tree that stood in the little garden behind the museum of Gold Crown town. The tree was said to be sentient and could communicate with a select few people." He told her.

Tiger was ready to listen, she knew Charon knew a lot, besides the basic story and she was getting excited to hear everything there was to know about it, but just as she wanted to sit down on a chair beside Charon, she heard footsteps and, having a strong suspicion who it was, Tiger jumped up again and hid herself behind a tall rack of tools in the corner of the room. This surprised Charon, but he had no time to ask questions because it was then that the door to the room opened for a second time and Fakir entered.

"Charon." He called immediately upon opening the door.

"Fakir." Charon greeted him shortly, his demeanor had changed from mild surprise to gruff stubbornness.

"Where's the sword?" Fakir asked him, not bothering explaining himself.

"You haven't been home in ages, yet you've no greetings for me? There are plenty of swords in the shop." Charon told him bluntly and he turned away from Fakir again.

"No, 'that' sword, the Loringrin sword." Fakir clarified in a hushed voice.

Tiger couldn't help but gasp in her dark hiding place. She knew that name.

"I have need of it, I have to protect Mytho from the crows now." Fakir told Charon in that same hushed tone, he was obviously trying to let Charon see the importance of his question. Charon, however, did not seem to pick up on it.

"I can't give it to you." He simply replied.

"What?" Fakir was taken aback by this and his eyebrows furrowed angrily.

"You know that sword is meant for the knight." Charon said.

"You promised you would let me have it!" Fakir said, raising his voice now.

"That was when you were a child." Charon reasoned simply.

"Mytho has been regaining his heart and Princess Tutu has already appeared. The crows are returning as well." Fakir told Charon and at last the old man's expression broke. He had not expected this, but he knew it to be true and what it would lead to.

"The story you told me about as a child is swiftly becoming reality. If so, this means that I'm the knight from the story, reborn. If I'm the knight, it should be fine if I use the Loringrin sword." Fakir said pressingly. "Also, there is someone unknown as well. She called herself Princess Clara and she's most likely from a different tale entirely. This means that the thin wall between stories and reality is crumbling even faster than ever before in this town!"

"Fakir, why can't you just leave Mytho be?" Charon asked Fakir with a defeated sigh and he turned to look at his foster son again.

"Leave him be?" Fakir repeated in great surprise.

"You'd be much better off, forgetting this cursed tale." Charon told him.

"It's too late to be saying things like that! It was on the same day that you took me and Tiger in after my parents died when you told me, remember?" Fakir sighed. He decided to try one last time to convince his foster father, by reminding him of their past.

The day after the accident that had cost Fakir the lives of his parents, Charon tried his best to be a comfort to the little boy. Fakir had not stopped crying since, but Charon could see strength in him and when he helped him into his button-down shirt, he told Fakir about the strange birthmark that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip.

"This mark of yours is the same as the legend that has been passed down among our people. I'm sure you'll grow to be strong." He told him bracingly. "It's a sign that you're the reincarnation of the brave knight who guarded the Prince. Which means you can protect Tiger."

His words were just what Fakir needed to hear. His cheeks glowed with excitement and pride and at last he smiled. Curious about the knight that was meant to be him in a past life, Fakir looked up the story of the Prince and the Raven. In particular, the story of the knight and the prince. Their bravery was especially inspiring to him.

"If it was to protect the people, the Prince never feared being injured in the line of duty. Wow, that's great!"

"In time, it became a source of pride for me." Fakir told Charon truthfully.

"And then, my destiny was suddenly set in motion. That day when I went out to do an errand for you and found Mytho lying on the pavement. He had been injured and seemed unconscious. But I managed to get him around and brought him to your house."

Fakir drew breath. Somehow, retelling the story calmed him down. He only hoped it would have the same effect with his foster father. He continued:

Fakir bent over the stranger as he lay down in a spare bed. He tried to hear a heartbeat, but couldn't hear anything. "Hmm? Charon, his heart! I don't think it's beating."

Alarmed, Charon stepped forward to check himself, but didn't say anything. He drew back again.

"Charon?" Fakir asked timidly.

"What is it?" Tiger asked in interest and she looked eagerly at Charon, but the latter shook his head. All three went silent and lowered their eyes in sadness, but then they heard the stranger move and when they looked up they saw that he had opened his eyes. Tiger and Fakir began to smile in delight, but Charon only let out a gasp.

"The Prince who had lost his heart. Mythos!"

When the prince had recovered he followed Fakir and Tiger around, somewhat confused and without real decisions. Charon had told Fakir that this was because the prince had lost all his emotions when his heart was shattered to seal the Raven away. So, Fakir tried in his own way to guide and help him. As they were walking towards the middle of town. Fakir was talking to him. Thinking out loud about the Prince's name, because he didn't remember it.

"Mythos means a person or character from a legend. Did you know?"

"No." Mytho replied dully.

Young Fakir snickered. "You don't know anything, do you, Prince?"

"Sorry." Mytho mumbled.

"I don't blame you for not knowing." Tiger said to the prince kindly.

"'Prince' is a weird name. How about we call you, Mytho? Now that would be a cool name." Fakir suggested brightly.

"I like it." Cried Tiger enthusiastically, beaming up at Mytho, waiting for his reaction.

"Ok." Mytho agreed without real enthusiasm.

"Alright! You'll be Mytho, starting today!" Fakir said joyfully.

"Mytho had no emotions, but whenever he saw something weak or suffering, no matter the danger, he would rush to try and protect it." Fakir said thoughtfully. The story reached a point that was quite hurtful for him to remember, let alone, retell.

The whole street had rushed out at night, one of the houses had caught fire by some unknown accident. Help arrived and the inhabitants of the house were saved, but as everyone watched the firefighters extinguish the fire, Myhto heard a high pitched twittering of a bird in a cage. It had been left behind by the firefighters and the flames were closing in around its cage. Without hesitation, Mytho ran into the flaming building to try and rescue it.

"Mytho, it's dangerous! Mytho!" Fakir called out to him, panic strong in his voice, but his friend was already inside. A moment later they saw Mytho reappear in the window where the cage was attached to the ceiling.

"Be careful!" Tiger called out to him as he stretched to reach the hook of the cage. He had no way of supporting himself as he balanced dangerously close to the window. Fire was behind him and a deep fall was in front. Mytho managed to open the cage, but just as Tiger had feared, he lost his balance and fell. People screamed in shock, Fakir yelled his name, while Tiger could only gasp in horror. But no one was near enough to catch Mytho when he fell.

Fakir stopped speaking and closed his eyes, as if to regain the strength to continue the story. Mytho had fallen down and if he hadn't been a 'mythos' he would properly have died or been paralyzed. It had been terrible to witness.

"I remember. And then… it happened." Tiger said quietly as she emerged from her hiding spot.

Burned, bruised and concussed, Mytho woke up from a sleep that had kept him unconscious for three days. Fakir had not left his side all the time he had been asleep and was now glaring at him as Mytho slowly focused his eyes on him.

"Fakir." Mytho greeted him softly.

"Stupid." Fakir said to him immediately. "You don't think, do you? You do useless things like that."

"Useless?" Tiger repeated as she walked into the room. She turned her head to Fakir and raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry." Mytho muttered.

"Forget helping other people." Fakir cried out and his voice broke a little due to his anger.

"What?" Tiger cried out in disbelief, but Fakir turned away from her.

"Yes." Mytho agreed and Tiger turned to him in even more disbelief, but neither paid her any attention.

"You just listen to what I tell you. From now on, I'll be protecting you." Fakir said pressingly to Mytho and there were angry tears in his eyes.

"I will protect Mytho. That was the promise I made." Fakir said softly, concluding his story.

"This fool's errand you're attempting now is not for Mytho's sake. It's for your own sake, isn't it, Fakir?" Charon snarled at him, the story had not at all done what Fakir had hoped for.

"What?" Fakir was taken aback by this.

"The time to fight is drawing closer. Are you sure you're not afraid of sharing in the same wretched fate as the knight from the story?" Charon asked him, accusingly.

"I'm not." Fakir replied, he did not raise his voice, it was as if he was answering himself rather than Charon.

'Stop lying.' Tiger thought desperately and she looked from one to the other, but nothing had changed, none of them ever paid her the slightest attention at times like these.

"You kept calling the prince a good-for-nothing so that his heart wouldn't be restored. Knowing he loved to dance, you enrolled him into the academy to keep him busy. You were too afraid to fight! And on top of that, when Tiger wanted to help, you shoved her away, telling her to get away and stay away. She came to me crying, asking what she did wrong. How could you do that to her?!" Charon yelled.

Tiger looked at him in surprise. Charon had remembered that happened?

"No!" Fakir only yelled, but to which part of Charon accusations he was referring to, he didn't clarify.

"There's no way you'll protect Mytho the way you are now!" Charon continued angrily.

"Stop it!" Fakir cried out and he looked cornered, but Charon didn't stop.

"Just give it up!" He pressed on.

"Enough. Any sword will do." Fakir said desperately and he grabbed a sword at random, attempting to leave with it, but Charon had reached his tolerance. He rushed forward the moment Fakir touched the sword's handle and hit Fakir across the face as he grabbed his wrist. Fakir dropped the sword and sank down to the floor with his back to the wall. He seemed dazed by what just had happened.

"This ends now, got it?" Charon said to him in a commanding tone.

"Yes, I may be afraid of risking my life, just as you've accused me." Fakir whispered. His anger had left him and he had his eyes down-cast. "But, I want to protect him. The pure-hearted Mytho who's always risked himself."

As Tiger silently watched Fakir's face, a ball of light flew past in the corner of her eye. She looked round, but by that time Fakir had come to his feet and ran from the room. Charon fell to his knees and Tiger forgot about the memory she wanted to collect. Carefully she completely emerged from her hiding place and approached the broken man.

"I'll try talking to him again, Charon." She said to him kindly and, when Charon didn't look up, transformed herself into her cat-form and darted out of the room towards the garden.

Fakir was leaning against a tree in the dark garden as night fell swiftly in Gold Crown town. As silent tears ran down his cheeks Fakir tried to find comfort in the soft rustle of the grass in the evening breeze and the gentle light from the moon. All he ever wanted was to protect Mytho and it had cost him everything. He was known as a tyrant and a villain to most. He had accepted that, but it had caused him to hurt Tiger. She had only wanted to help him, but he had seen her as everyone else and feared she would lead him and Mytho to misery. Charon had been right to hit him. He felt so lost and did not know what was right and what was wrong anymore. He just felt alone, so very alone and in his misery he recalled some things that had been said to him.

"This is too much for you. You have to let it go." Tiger had said.

"There's no way you'll protect Mytho the way you are now!" Charon had yelled at him.

"You can't fool me or your heart." The strange boy had told him.

"You truly believe you could have regained them on your own? You haven't succeeded in that for years." Princess Clara had said to him.

The tears were flowing thicker and faster now. Fakir felt a steely grip around his chest and feared his heart might break from emotion. Maybe that was why Fakir had been telling himself for years that Mytho was happier without emotions, because they often overpowered him. Feeling exhausted and drained, Fakir gave into his weakness and sobbed silently.

Tiger was watching him in the shadows, feeling her own heart ache as she saw his cheeks wet with tears shine in the moonlight. She heard movement in the tall grass behind her and turned around to see Duck waddle silently towards her.

"I owe you an apology, Tiger." She said to her softly as she halted next to her.
"I can tell that Fakir isn't lying. I didn't see it, but this whole time, Fakir's been the same as me. No, he might care about Mytho even more than I do."

"That's just how I care about Fakir." Tiger said softly and without another word she walked towards Fakir and Duck followed her without question.

"Oh, it's you. Sorry you got me at a bad moment." Fakir said to them and he managed a small smile as he looked down at them.

"Quack." Said Duck quietly.

"Meow." Added Tiger sadly.

"You're crying? What, for my sake?" Fakir said in grateful surprise as he saw the tears in both animals' eyes. He bent down on his knees and picked them both up. Neither struggled and gently Fakir enclosed them in a warm hug. Tiger rested her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It was warm and comfortable in his arms. The three of them remained that way for a little while, then Fakir released them slowly and stood up. He reached into his pocket and threw Duck's pendant in the grass in front of her.

"Take it. You wanted it, didn't you?" He said to her kindly.

As Duck looked down at her pendant she noticed that something else was attached to it. She looked at Tiger, who had recognized it as her own bracelet. She picked it up with her teeth and gently uncoiled it from the necklace.

Fakir gave her a smile. "You should hold on to that, it suits you." He told her. And with that, he left the two little animals behind in the garden. Not knowing who they were, nor that he just had given Princess Tutu the means to thwart him again.

Once Fakir was out of sight and earshot, Duck and Tiger resumed their human forms again and returned to the Blacksmith workshop.

"Was this really the right thing to do?" Charon was asking someone as Duck and Tiger sneaked back into the shop. They opened the door just enough to see Charon's back as he stood behind his work table, his hands on the sheath of the sword. A heart shard stood beside him. It had its hand on Charon's back and seemed to give him either comfort or advice.

"There's no way to know that. No matter what you do, you'll only regret it." It said, which was neither comforting or advising. It was only feeding the feeling Charon already had.

"You're right." Charon agreed, sounding defeated.

A memory sphere began to float around them, Tiger and Duck looked at each other, nodded simultaneously and transformed.

"Mr Charon." Princess Tutu called out to him gently and the old man looked around.

"We've come to help you." Princess Clara told him, answering Charon's questioning gaze.

"Princess Tutu? Could it really be? And are you Princess Clara?" Charon asked them in awe.

Princess Clara nodded and smiled. "I am." She said.

"Please, come dance with us, Mr Charon." Princess Tutu said to him and held out an inviting hand.

"So the tale truly has sprung back to life here in our day. But I still do not know what it is I should do. I always regretted telling Fakir the story of the legend. I regret having hurt Fakir. The only things I can do for that child are things I regret." Charon confessed to the Princesses as they danced slowly through the tiny shop.

"Then stop regretting." Princess Clara said to him.

"She's right. You should be able to have faith in him." Princess Tutu added encouragingly.

"Have faith in him?" Charon repeated, uncertain.

"Yes, if Fakir journeys down the path of his heart's conviction, I do not believe he'll regret it, whatever the outcome. Why not have faith in Fakir?" Princess Tutu said.

"Let him follow his heart. If you do, perhaps he will see what you want for him. If he sees his mistakes, I believe he will come to you for guidance on his own."

"Have faith in Fakir." Charon repeated it slowly, but the words seemed to sink in.

Princess Clara let Princess Tutu conclude the dance by taking the Heart Shard away from Charon and turned to the bobbing sphere in front of her.

'Please don't be another one of Kraehe's memories.' She thought desperately, but the sphere had come to her this time and Kraehe's memory had darted away from her, so that was a good sign.

"Princess Tutu, Princess Clara, thank you. My doubts have cleared." Charon said gratefully to the Princesses and he truly looked happier than before.

"I'm glad." Princess Clara said to him. She then turned to Princess Tutu.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up with you." She told her in a whisper. Princess Tutu agreed and left, leaving Princess Clara alone with Charon and the memory. Charon could not see the memory and so he assumed that their conversation had concluded. He gave Princess Clara one last nod and left the shop through the door that led to the house.

Clara took a deep breath and opened the sphere to reveal the memory.

"Fakir, I don't think-" A young Tiger cried out in a high-pitched voice.

"Quiet!" Snapped the young Fakir in front of her.

"But I just-" Tiger tried, but Fakir cut her off by pushing her back. She lost her balance and fell on the hard concrete ground. It cut her knee and it began to bleed.

"You'll just cause misery for Mytho if you're near us, like everyone else does, so just get away from me and stay away from me!" Fakir yelled at her.

"Fakir…" Tiger tried weakly, her knee was hurting her and she was still shocked Fakir would do such a thing to her.

The truth was that Fakir had not meant for her to get hurt. He just wanted to scare her, it was just meant as a bluff, but then he noticed the red spot on her knee as a trickle of blood slowly slid down the length of her shin. He gasped. What had he done? But before he could apologize to her, Tiger had already ran back into the house, her face wet with tears.

"What have I done?" Fakir asked himself in shock, but the images of the end to the tragedy of the Prince and the Raven flashed through his mind. He had to do this, to keep it all from going wrong! "No, just forget about everything. Forget about friendship. Just do whatever it takes to protect Mytho."

But the guilt that tore at his heart was building up too much. It froze Fakir in a sort of shock. It would have been easier if he didn't have memories of happier times, of a precious friend that cared so much about him like family. Fakir had been alone before Tiger had come into his life. No one would bother him while he tried to keep Mytho from regaining his heart. If only he could lose these happy memories, or rather any memory of his time with her. It would make this excruciating to go away! With a sigh of despair and exhaustion, Fakir fell where he stood and when he awoke a few hours later in his bed after Charon had found him and tucked him in, he had gotten his wish. His memories had gone.

"So that's the reason Fakir chose to forget. Maybe when he remembers, he will apologize. May this memory reach his heart." Princess Clara whispered with a heavy heart and she sent the memory on its way.

Meanwhile Fakir tried to give himself some courage by facing his supposed fate. He had returned to the school and entered the library where he found a copy of the tale of the Prince and the Raven. Placing it on a little table in front of one of the vast bookcases of the library, he braced himself.

"A book is not something to be feared. Turn this page with your own hand." He whispered to himself as he stared at the dark cover of the book, ghostly illuminated by the weak light of the little desk lamp beside it.

He turned a few pages of plain text till he reached the dreaded illustration of the knight being torn in half by the claws of the raven. A shock went through Fakir's whole body as if he had been hit by some sort of electricity. His blood seemed to run cold and his heart gave a tremendous jolt as he vividly remembered one of his most terribly realistic nightmares. The one where he himself was slashed clean in half by monstrous claws.

"No way, no way will I succumb to such a miserable fate!" Fakir told himself breathlessly through clenched teeth as he tried to calm himself. "I'll change it!"

Then the memory entered his head and for a moment he had forgotten his fear or what he had wanted to do next.

"I did that to Tiger? How could I be so stupid? Choosing to forget everything about her. She did everything she could to help me, and this is how I repay her?" Fakir began to burn with anger at himself. It actually drove the fear for his own safety away. If this memory was truly his and he had truly done this to Tiger then he deserved to fail as a knight! He closed the book with a loud snap and without returning it to its shelf, left the library to return to Charon's.

When Fakir returned to the work room, he found Tiger there with Charon. She had been waiting there for him. So, it seemed, had Charon. He gave him an expectant look as he sat at his table with the Loringrin Sword upon its surface and said: "I've been waiting. Do what you must. Leave no cause for regret."

Fakir was stunned. The air was completely different from last time. It was like a certain pressure had left it.

"Charon." He began hesitatingly, but Charon cut him off by approaching him and enclosing him in a bracing hug.

"Go, my son." He said to him softly.

"Fakir?" Tiger spoke to him timidly and she startled a bit when he turned towards her upon hearing her voice.

"Tiger." He greeted her, almost as timidly and he looked a bit ashamed.

"I'll wait for you to return." She told him softly and she gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry for everything." Fakir couldn't keep his eyes on her and looked away, but not as he had done in the past. Then he had avoided her in stubbornness, this was deep regret. He then left to rescue Mytho. Tiger stayed behind. She was sure Duck had gone to the same place, but Tiger didn't think Princess Clara was needed. She already had fulfilled her mission today, her fight was not with Kraehe. Mytho was not hers to rescue. She therefore remained in Charon's workshop and waited for Fakir to return.

When Fakir returned, an hour or so later, Charon left without a word, to give them privacy.

"Tiger?" Fakir began and again he seemed unsure and ashamed of himself.

"Yes, Fakir?" Tiger replied encouragingly and she took a step towards him to listen, her heart secretly raising with anticipation.

"You probably have mixed feelings about seeing me, but I owe you a long overdue apology." Fakir took a deep breath and plunged on, speaking a little faster now.

"I'm sorry, Tiger. I'm so sorry I hurt you and chose to forget about our friendship. I don't expect you to forgive me. I just wanted to protect-"

But just as Charon had done, Tiger interrupted him by hugging him tightly.

"Why? I thought you'd be furious with me." Fakir spluttered, taken aback by her warm embrace.

"I wasn't angry, I was sad that I lost what I treasured. Being with you." Tiger told him almost soundlessly and there were tears in her eyes.

"Maybe Princess Clara was right, I do need her help regaining my memories."
Fakir leaned back and held Tiger at arm's length to beam at her, but as Tiger smiled back and moved her arm to wipe her tears with her right hand, Fakir noticed the bracelet gleaming in the pale light in the shop.

"That bracelet." Fakir cried out as he recognised it as the one he had given the cat.

"What about it?" Tiger asked him, a bit shakily.

"That fell off Princess Cla-" Fakir stopped speaking and his eyes widened in shock as his brain made the connection. Tiger saw it happen in his eyes and gasped. Betraying herself even more to him.

"Are you…"

Panicked, Tiger flinched away from him and turned her back to him. Her heart was racing again, but this time out of fear. She couldn't deny any of it, but what if this made Fakir angry with her again? What if he wished to forget it all again?