I thank Unnoticeable_Demon for helping.

Once upon a time, there was a maiden with wings of freedom. A man in love with this maiden thought, "If I could just bind those wings, we would never have to be apart even for a moment." But when the man wrapped the maiden's wings in a magical shawl, the wings immediately fell to the ground, and the maiden died. The man did not know that the maiden's wings were the source of her life.

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Early in the morning, Tiger came to school to practice. She wanted to start practicing. Mr Cat had given the opportunity to her and a few others to start moving up in their education, namely to dance on point and Tiger wanted to practice this without prying eyes before doing it in class. However, when she arrived at the dance room that could usually be used in the early morning, she saw that Fakir was already using it. She couldn't help herself to stay and watch. Fakir, next to Mytho and Rue, didn't get enough praise. He was really good. The amount of focus he possessed was awe inspiring and he moved with such strength, he was able to complete the whole piece of Egmond's overture without difficulty, it was like he couldn't get tired! Remembering Rue's exhaust during Giselle's dance of the dead, Tiger couldn't help but smile proudly at her friend, even though she knew he couldn't see it.

'Princess Tutu… is her.' Fakir thought, remembering the clumsy antics of Duck. 'And Princess Clara is Tiger.' Fakir couldn't believe he had been fooled by either of them. He shook off his feeling of surprise, it made him doubtful.

'It doesn't matter who Princess Tutu is. I will protect Mytho in my own way. I'll be the one guarding him from the clutches of that raven, without fear.' He thought to himself resolutely. The music piece ended and Fakir absentmindedly looked towards the door and was surprised to see Tiger there, watching him.

"I just wanted to do some extra practice before class." She told him quickly, answering his questioning gaze before he could say anything. "I'm finally learning pointe."

"Oh, that's impressive." Fakir said, still looking a bit dazed. "I wish you luck." He said and left the room without waiting for a reply.

Tiger watched him go, feeling a bit taken aback by his words of encouragement. It had been so long since he had spoken to him like that. Then she shook her head and started her practice routine. First, like Mr Cat had told them repeatedly, she started with going through the basics a few times to loosen up and build up her endurance. Then she started to dance. She had selected a piece from the ballet La Sylphide to practice the art of pointe.

The dance began with some slow steps that led up to dancing on point and once she had balanced herself thusly, the dance allowed her to revolve slowly on the spot and practice to keep her balance and swift her weight properly to not exhaust her ankles. As the dance progressed she was required to do a couple of jumps, but these were also meant to be done slowly and they were repeated a few times so Tiger could perfect her deliverance as well as her technique at the same time. To help her to know how she was doing, she kept her eyes on her reflection in the large mirror on the back wall of the room at all times. Because of this, she did not know that Fakir had returned after freshening himself up in the boys' changing rooms and was now watching her quietly from the door.

'Though she's not as graceful as Princess Clara, she's confident enough to get there eventually.' Now that he let himself think about it, it amazed him how she still had so much strength after these years. He had not been kind to her at all and all the while he had moved on to the advanced class with Mytho, leaving her behind with Duck and no one could see that she inspired much in improving. Unwillingly, he thought back to yesterday. When all had been revealed to him. When he had learned who Princess Clara in truth was.

Tiger turned away from Fakir, preparing herself mentally for the worst.

"Well," She said loudly. "Get on with it."

Fakir blinked. "With what?" He asked, perplexed.

"You're getting angry, hurting me and wanting to forget me again." Tiger said, closing her eyes as if she was expecting a blow to the head.

Fakir was stunned and could only stare at the back of her for a moment. Then he tried to defend himself, but didn't know where to start or how to convince her.

"I, I'm not." He began. "I'm not angry, Tiger and I don't want to hurt you! Listen!" He added pleadingly as Tiger hung her head and shook it while she still refused to turn around.

"I'm glad you returned my memories to me. It made me see how wrong I've been about shutting you out. I just want to know how long you've been Princess Clara."

Tiger raised her head, took a deep breath and turned around, her hands balled in fists.

"I discovered I could transform when I watched a child fall into a stream. I was so shocked that it nailed me to the spot where I stood. All I could do was ask myself in panic what I could do to help as he went under, the bank on the edge of the stream was too high up for anyone to crouch low enough on to pull anyone out. I ran towards the bank anyway and when I ran I felt a sudden glow spreading over me and I became weightless. I jumped down the bank and instead of falling I glided down and low enough to pull the boy out of the water. I never told you this because you were still ignoring me and I was afraid you would think I would want to use my ability to interfere with Mytho."

Fakir stared at her for a moment. Seemingly stunned by her words, then he caved. He realized he really had given her no options. "You're right, that is what I would have thought then." He admitted softly.

"I just wish you would have seen my dance when I was trying to prove myself. I worked so hard on it, and you just turned your head away."

"No, I didn't." Fakir said, almost inaudible.

Fakir blinked when a muffled thump brought him back to the future. He looked into the room and saw that Tiger had fallen on her knees at the end of her dance. She was panting and wincing as she gingerly removed her toe shoes and rubbed her sore toes.

'At least this time, I got to see this.' Fakir thought with a smile and he turned to get her some water and a towel from the changing rooms.

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That afternoon, Tiger sat on a bench in the school's backyard, deep in thought while she was vaguely aware of the chatter from Duck, Piqué and Lillie on another bench not far from her. She kept thinking about her choice to dance La Sylphida. Apart from the dance being doable enough for a novice in pointe, she had been drawn to the story behind it, but could not explain to herself why. Maybe because she could relate to the sylph in the story, but in a different way. She had tried to capture Fakir's attention and lead him away from his path to loneliness, feeling herself unable to keep him close. She had felt invisible, like the sylph had been to anyone else. But she did not feel as if her wings of freedom were bound now that she had captured Fakir's attention. On the contrary, she felt stronger now!

Incidentally, her dream had also been about wings and a magical shawl and she had a strong suspicion it had been about the story of La Sylphide. The dream had shown her a skull-like bird's head on a lit surface surrounded by a few feathers, standing upright in the light. Held in the beak was what had looked like a broken gem, hung from a thin chain. Tiger was about to draw out her sketchbook to visualize this, when her attention was caught by what Duck and her friends were saying. Apparently Mytho had joined them and the three girls had become noisier with nerves. Mytho was asking them about the concept of giving gifts.

"Love?" He asked them in his usual hollow tone. "There needs to be love?"

Like clockwork, at the mention of 'love' Mr Cat appeared. "Mr Mytho, I held a special class yesterday on being in love. Perhaps I need to hold a special class on love itself." He said.

"Are you saying that there's a difference?" Mytho asked.

Mr Cat started to sweat immediately. "Of course there is. If you do not grasp that, you will not be able to get mar-married!"

Tiger swung her bag back over her shoulder and stood up.

"Mr Cat, calm down." She sighed, annoyed that everyone was so noisy all of a sudden.

Mr Cat, who was stretching, snapped back to his human-like behavior and added: "Would you care to sit in as well, Mr Fakir, Miss Tiger?"

"No, thank you." Fakir told him bluntly, not even trying to be polite.

"I'm fine." Tiger said, in a tone not much politer than Fakir's.

Mr Cat's tail twitched in annoyance, but led Mytho away as if their refusal had not bothered him.

"So Mr Mytho, let us go." He said and as they walked, he immediately began his thoughts on giving gifts.

Later, while walking absentmindedly along the inner-bridge between the buildings of the academy, Duck met Fakir.

"Fakir." She greeted him, somewhat nervous.

"I want to ask you something." He said to her, not unkind. "Follow me. Tiger's waiting as well."

He led her into one of the empty classrooms, where, as Fakir had told her Tiger was already waiting.

Nervous, Duck walked all the way to the right side of the end of the room and chose to keep in the shadows as she faced the other two.

"What'd you want to ask me?" She asked me, addressing Fakir first.

"Princess Tutu." Fakir replied calmly.

Duck startled and almost quacked, but put her hands over her mouth just in time.

"You are, aren't you?" Fakir continued in the same calm attitude as if Duck had done nothing strange just now. "I'm surprised, to be honest. Of all the people I never expected it was you."

"You should know. He knows I'm Princess Clara, too." Tiger interjected, turning towards Duck.

Duck gave her a nod, then addressed Fakir again. "I want to ask you something too. Just like me, you're fighting to protect Mytho, aren't you? Then why are you trying to shatter his heart all the time, why?"

"That is something that has no bearing on the present situation, understand? The tale can no longer be halted." Fakir told her and this time, there was a little edge in his voice.

"The tale?" Duck repeated.

"If you wish to restore his heart, then go ahead. No matter the outcome of your little heroics, I will protect Mytho." Fakir told her decisively.

"Then why don't we work together and that way-" Duck tried, optimism rising in her voice, but Fakir cut her off.

"No thank you." He told her flatly.

"But why not?" Duck sounded disappointed.

"To put it simply, I don't trust you." Fakir said and with that, he left the room with his hands deep in his pockets.

"You just haven't known him as long as I have." Tiger told Duck and she gave her an apologetic smile before she too left the room.

Tiger did not head in the same direction as Fakir, but went in another direction on purpose.

'But still, he has trust issues. How can I help him with that?' She wondered, feeling still a bit lost.

After school Tiger was walking through town when she heard a familiar tune, accompanied by a familiar voice.

"Would anyone like a gem?" Miss Edel asked in her mystic voice over the gentle tunes of her organ.

"Miss Edel." Tiger greeted her, feeling relieved to find her. Maybe she could clear some things up for her.

"Hello, Tiger. Have you come here for something?" Miss Edel asked her.

"Well, to be honest, I was thinking maybe I could give Fakir a gem to help him move forward in the right direction." Tiger said to her, thinking out loud.

Edel eyed Tiger with interest, then she opened her display of jewelry and gave her was a transparent shade of deep blue, like the depth of a night sky.

"This gem is called 'trust.'" She told Tiger as she handed it over to her.

"Be warned, however. Trust must be allowed to go deep. Trust someone only on the surface and bonds will easily break. You must take special care of it." She urged her.

Tiger nodded. "Thank you, I will." She promised.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night Duck sat on her bed, her feet on the little step ladder that led to the top bunk. She had her face in her hands and looked pensive.

"Fakir found out. But it's kind of strange. I actually feel relieved now." She said thoughtfully.

"I'm glad he knows. I don't like keeping secrets like this from him." Tiger replied. She was lying down in her own bed, her head turned in the direction of the ladder where she could only see Duck's bare feet.

"Fakir's always thinking by himself. Deciding by himself. Fighting by himself." Duck continued.

"Even crying by himself." Tiger finished, sadly.

"He won't show me his true face." Duck said.

"Except when we're animals." Tiger pointed out. "It was so warm in Fakir's arms." She sighed.

"Yeah, I bet that's the real Fakir." Duck agreed.

Tiger sat up and poked her head out from under Duck's bunked bed.

"It is, but if he finds out we're animals too, who knows what will happen." She looked back down beside her where a gift box lay on top of the blanket. It had the gem of Trust inside it.

Elsewhere, the boy had been fishing, looking up at the ravens on a nearby roof.

"Tiger will have to know the truth, soon." He murmured.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once upon a time, in a corner of the World of Stories, there existed a place that had yet to be a story of its own. It had been formed by a young boy who had fallen in such a deep sleep that it had created a world of its own.

The boy had named himself Lion and could transform into that very king of the animals. Surrounding him were animals who were, like him, once human, but unlike him, they had forgotten that. The boy named Lion had created this world without a story by dreaming and one day he dreamed of another. Only this world already existed before he had stumbled upon it and it already had a story.

Looking closer, Lion saw that the world did not belong to the story within and that it made other stories intermingle haphazardly alongside it. Lion became curious and wanted to see if he could help this story move along from the town it had in its grasp.

Lion had a sister named Tiger and she too could transform back into a human whenever she wished. Lion asked Tiger if she wanted to help him fix this town and free the tale within it. Tiger agreed and offered to go to the other world herself. She too had the ability to shape reality with dreams and she would use it to help in any way she could. However, Lion sent Tiger away too quickly and it cost her her memory of him and her world. Now she is lost in a world. A new reality has been made by the town. A reality she now believes.

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After school Tiger wandered through the streets of Gold Crown Town. She had only stopped at her dorm to drop off her school bag and change into her casual clothes. After that, she had left again, without a real destination to get to. Tiger just felt like walking for a bit. It helped clear her mind. She hadn't had the opportunity yet to give Fakir the gem of Trust and pondered what could be the best moment to do so. As she passed Miss Ebine's restaurant she glanced over, it was doing well and a merry sound of many conversations drifted her way. Tiger smiled to herself.

"To think I've come this far." she said softly to herself. A rumbling overhead told her it was about to rain, but Tiger didn't let it spoil her stroll. She had brought her umbrella.

"Tiger?" A familiar voice spoke and with a leap of her heart Tiger saw Fakir coming towards her.

"Fakir." She greeted him, smiling.

"It's starting to rain." He said needlessly, looking a bit sheepish.

"Yes, I know. That is why I brought an umbrella." Tiger replied, and she pointedly opened her umbrella and held it above her head as the first drops began to fall.

"I don't mind walking in the rain. I find it calming sometimes." As she spoke she put her free hand in her pocket and fiddled with the box with the gem in it.

"Um, do you like gifts yourself?" She asked him awkwardly. "I mean about the conversation between Duck and her friends and Mytho. Would you like to receive a gift like that?" Tiger felt her cheeks burn, but she forced herself to keep looking Fakir straight in the eye.

"I…" Fakir began hesitatingly. "What?" He asked her confused.

"I just-" Began Tiger nervously, but then a scream rang out from behind the trees of the park behind them and they both looked round in its direction.

"Was that Duck?" Tiger asked in alarm. They shared one more meaningful look and then broke into a run towards the park. They found themselves emerging in a clearing where a ruin stood, illuminated by a strange purple light. Kraehe was standing triumphant within its broken walls, looking at a kneeling Mytho and a bound Princess Tutu.

"The feeling of love, is it?" She cried out with glee.

"I was hoping to dispatch Tutu with the gem, but look what turned up. And now I know your identity." She told Princess Tutu and she started moving towards Mytho who seemed to be in pain.

'She knows?' Tiger thought with a shock. 'How can that be?'

"Kraehe, what are you doing?" Princess Tutu asked her from her trapped position. She kept her eyes on Kraehe with great apprehension. Kraehe had reached Mytho, but before she could do whatever she was planning to do, a murder of crows flew up in surprise. Fakir leapt forward, sword raised to slash.

Kraehe backed away. "What?" She snapped.

"Fakir." Princess Tutu called his name in relief.

Fakir kept his eyes on Kraehe as he landed on the platform where Kraehe stood.

"Back off, you raven!" He growled at her.

The boy had been hiding nearby. No one knew he was there and he wanted to keep it that way. 'It's not safe for me to show myself yet.' He thought as he watched the fighting.

Fakir charged again, raising his sword, he yelled: "Stay away from Mytho. Be gone, you ugly crow!"

Kraehe watched him approach with a cunning look upon her face. She raised a leg, arched her arms and launched herself up again, as she did so she fired another attack at Fakir.

Fakir's attack had been thwarted, he was unable to finish his strike as razor sharp spikes came flying at him and he had to use the blade of his sword as a shield instead.

During her attack, Kraehe had soared over him and was now intending to land gracefully with a pirouette, but she tripped upon landing.

"Kraehe!" Fakir ran at her again, but Kraehe conjured a crow out of thin air and it flew right at him. Sharp beak opened wide and sharp claws outstretched. Fakir began to tremble as he saw it coming. Any moment it would tear his eyes out. Unwillingly, the image of himself behind ripped apart came into his mind and he screamed in fear. Falling to his knees, he lost his grip on the handle on his sword and threw his hands over his face.

"Fakir!" Princess Clara came to his aid. She landed in front of him, blocking him from Kraehe and summoned her own wind. This wind was a yellowish gold and it acted as a shield. Princess Clara threw out her arms protectively and glared at Kraehe, who was coming to her feet.

"That's enough, Kraehe!" She told her in a ringing voice.

"Fakir, Clara!" Princess Tutu called out to them, but she was still bound tightly and could do nothing but watch.

Meanwhile the boy was watching Fakir. 'It is obvious he still has some lingering fears he needs to overcome. Otherwise he will continue to fail.' The boy thought.

"Yes, I am Princess Kreahe. Whatever I want, I'll take by force." Kraehe said in a demanding tone, enforcing her presence once more. It was clear she was done playing with her prey and she focussed on Mytho again as she slowly began to walk towards him.

"What are you intending to do?" Princess Tutu asked her helplessly.

"Kraehe!" Fakir called, he wanted to draw her attention again, to keep her away from Mytho, but Kraehe didn't bother with him anymore. With a lazy flick of the hand she threw a murder of crows at him again and they bore him down to the ground where they kept him busy.

Princess Clara stopped blowing her protective wind at once and jumped down the platform to rescue Fakir. The crows Kraehe had sent had somehow evaded her protection and could pick Fakir to death! Acting quickly she sent shards of her own in the direction of the birds. Aiming carefully, she shot them all to the ground without hitting Fakir by mistake.

Kraehe knew nothing of this, or she simply did not care. She was still slowly walking towards Mytho, who was still kneeled on the platform. She spoke to Princess Tutu as she walked.

"How do you like it, Princess Tutu? Being bound by the Prince's feelings?" She asked her with an edge to her voice, somehow, it was not envy.

"What?" Princess Tutu breathed, but said nothing else.

"Hurts, yes? Well that only shows how strongly he feels for you." Kraehe had reached Mytho. "How shameful." She finished in a hollow voice. She then reached down to grab the red heart shard that was sticking out of Mytho's chest and began to pull it out, very slowly. Mytho's eyes widened in shock and pain. He opened his move to scream, but Kraehe leant down and closed her mouth over his, cutting him off with a cruel kiss.

Princess Tutu began to plee to Kraehe. "No, Kraehe! Stop! You love the Prince, right?!"

But it was too late, Mytho's eyes became completely blank and Kraehe tore the shard out of his chest with merciless force.

Princess Tutu's eyes began to fill with tears as she watched it all. Not understanding what love could lead to this.

"But why? Why would you do something so horrible?" She asked in despair.

With a last whirlwind of black wind Kraehe and Mytho disappeared. With the caster gone, Princess Tutu's bindings disappeared, but it was too late. She had not been able to do anything to protect anyone and she fell miserably on her hands and knees.

"What happened?" Princess Clara wanted to know and she looked up at Princess Tutu, once she had made sure that Fakir was unharmed. "How did she find out you are?"

"It, it was the gem." Princess Tutu replied weakly and she averted her eyes from them. "It was a trap, somehow, it made Kraehe see that it was me as Duck who came to see Mytho before she showed herself."