I thank Unnoticeable_Demon for helping.

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a happy prince. He recalled no painful past, and knew no painful future. One day, the prince obtained a comforting warmth. The source of this warmth, however, emanated not only tranquility, but also unhappiness, pain and loneliness.

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During their Intermediate Class, Mr Cat showed them how to do the Assemblé move. Firstly he had them all line up next to the bar, facing the big mirror at the backside of the room. Then he told them all to take on the fifth position, right foot back, left foot forward with toes facing inwards.

"To start, all move your right foot forward in an elegant sliding motion. Not too far, mind your balance and mind the person in front of you." Mr Cat instructed. With some shuffling and uncertain mumbling the class did as they were told.

"Next, to push off the ground, you go slightly into a demi-plié. Not too far and DO NOT STICK YOUR BUTT OUT!" Mr Cat hissed angrily as some people had their backs bent already. After everyone was in line again and Mr Cat had given himself a thorough cleaning, he calmly continued.

"Now, as you jump up, let your left leg slide out and use your right leg to push up and as you land in a demi-plié once more, resume fifth position with right leg in the back again, as we do it just once this time."

After class, the girls lingered to talk about the Fire Festival. It was tradition to wear outfits resembling the old days and the girls were discussing what to wear. Apart from the fashion choices, the prospect of winning the golden apple was always talked of with much ambition. Not only was it a beautiful price to get, you could use it to your advantage in your future career. No teacher would doubt the judgment of the Town's Dance Committee.

"Tiger, what are you going to wear?" One of Tiger's classmates asked her with enthusiasm.

"I don't go to the Fire Festival anymore." Tiger replied with a small shrug. She gave the girl a small smile. It had been years, it didn't bother her anymore, but around her everyone was shocked. Every person in the room stopped mid sentence to stare at her, even Mr Cat.

"I haven't gone since Fakir stopped asking me to go. I tried once with someone else, but it didn't end well. No one can replace Fakir." Tiger explained, feeling awkward by everyone's reaction.

Mr Cat shook his head in disappointment "This won't do, Miss Tiger. As a young girl, you simply must take advantage of this event."

"Mr Cat, you're not going to force Fakir to ask me, are you?" Tiger asked him in suspicion and she gave him a warning look.

Mr Cat shook his head again. "This isn't right." He sighed, then he left, still shaking his head.

The teacher found Fakir in the common room, reading. Mr Cat approached his table and cleared his throat to get Fakir's attention. The latter sighed and laid his book aside, not even trying to hide his annoyance.

"Mr Fakir, a word, please." Mr Cat said stiffly and he tried to lock eyes with Fakir, but Fakir avoided his gaze.

"What is it, Mr Cat?"

"I would like to know why you did not ask Miss Tiger to the Fire festival?" Mr Cat said, getting directly to the point. "I know you two used to go every year, even before you enrolled here. Your tradition to dance together earned you experience and you developed skills your peers would be jealous of, especially you, Mr Fakir. Even though Miss Tiger just entered the Intermediate Class, there's no doubt she will surpass her classmates soon enough, but little troubles of the heart are holding her back. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Mr Cat, as a teacher you must realize that everyone is responsible for their own growth in skill." Fakir replied. He looked his teacher straight in the eye, causing the latter to take a step back. Fakir's gaze was fierce, he would not let his teacher meddle in his personal choices. The fact that he was pretending to care about a single student's growth was ridiculous!

Mr Cat sighed sadly and turned to leave. "I only ask that you think about it. Forgiveness is the first step to healing."

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After class, Tiger went into town, to see the townsfolk preparing for the big bonfire in the middle of the town's square. It was always interesting to see how the workmen could build it so high and the atmosphere just before the event was always so uplifting, no matter what mood you were in.

As she passed one of the last shops along the alley that led to the square, Tiger glimpsed the window display. It was a clothing store and its display had been completely themed with the Fire Festival. The mannequins were wearing old fashioned attires and accessories were laid down around them. The female mannequin was clad in a three-piece: a white top with half length sleeves with a multi-colored bustier in green, red and gold and long full black skirt with a red front piece of a silky material. The whole outfit was finished with a golden silk belt and a pretty gold necklace. Tiger stared at it and sighed. She would love to wear something like that tonight.

Shaking her head, she tore her eyes away from the dress and walked on. Once emerged onto the square, she flopped down on a bench and got out her sketchbook. Last night she had yet another vivid dream, but it was vague. All she really remembered was a gap in a brick wall through which she had seen yet another brick wall. The only thing that stood out was a light that seemed to be glowing just behind the first wall, in the right corner.

"This dream doesn't make any sense. And it's no story I've ever heard of." Tiger mumbled thoughtfully to herself. With a deep sigh she pushed the sketchbook back in her bag and stood up. She would figure this out later. The square around her had become quite noisy with more and more people coming to the square to see the preparations for tonight. Feeling a bit harassed, Tiger set off, not quite knowing where she wanted to go. She could imagine the Girls' Dormitory also buzzing with cheer and she didn't feel like being around that. Where could she find a quiet place to forget the festival for a few hours? The library! Yes, she would go to the library, it would be even quieter now, so it was perfect.

Tiger hoisted her bag resolutely over her shoulder and started walking, but in her haste, she wasn't looking where she was going and flat out walked into someone. She apologized quickly, but lost her sense to speak any more when she saw who she had bumped into. It was Fakir. Fakir in turn, had not been paying attention and looked as stunned to see her. He stared at her for a few seconds, then he cleared his throat and wanted to walk on, but Tiger stopped him before she was even aware of what she was doing.

"Wait!" She called out to him, making him halt at once and turn to her. He had a weird expression on his face. Was it nervousness?

"Hang on, why are you here on your own? I thought you didn't want to leave Mytho on his own anywhere." Tiger asked him suspiciously. There was definitely something wrong here. This was a day Fakir would particularly want to keep Mytho on a tight leash. It was a day Rue would want Mytho for herself and even other girls who hadn't even spoken to Mytho would use the spirit of the festival to invite him to come with them to the bonfire. Now that Tiger watched him closely, she saw clearly that Fakir felt indeed nervous and worked up about something.

"It's none of your business. Mytho is not going anywhere tonight." He said shortly.

"Oh yeah? What makes you so sure? Did you bolt the door of your Dorm? You know people are very nosy around Mytho. Someone will bust him out." Tiger countered and she allowed herself a cheeky smile as she imagined Duck wanting to do just that. Heck, she could easily break him free in her Princess Tutu form.

"I'm not stupid!" Fakir snapped. "No way I would trust anyone around here, that's why I locked him up in one of the abandoned storage rooms in the library."

"You what?! Why would you do something like that?!" Tiger cried in shock.

Fakir tried to keep face. "So, what if I did?" He said. "I will let him out once this reckless chasing after pieces of his heart has left him. Mytho should not have a heart, you know that Tiger! Don't act so surprised. Some time in solitude in the darkness will calm these urges. He will become numb to it once more and everything will be as it should be, again."

"That's crazy!" Tiger growled. "This is a new low!" Tiger sighed deeply and shook her head. 'This is becoming a huge mess.' She thought hopelessly. She had to make Fakir see that this action of his was not the answer. Tiger lifted her head and dared to look Fakir straight in the eyes, her expression imploringly.

"Please Fakir, don't get what you know mislead you. Mytho is still your friend. Even if the tragedy would come true again, I'm sure he would want to save you as well, but right now you are acting as his captor, not as his friend at all! What difference is bitter fighting to this chained life you enforce on him?"

Fakir said nothing. He only looked at her earnest expression. A muscle was twitching on his brow and he seemed to be struggling with his next course of action.

"Please, Fakir." Tiger repeated in a gentle voice. "You can be stronger together."

"You're right." Fakir admitted and he turned around to return to the library.

"Thanks for telling me, Tiger." He added in a much softer tone after he had his back turned to her, then he started walking and didn't look back.

Tiger stood rooted to the spot, watching him leave with a racing heartbeat. She had spoken to Fakir and stared him in the face, without wavering. She had not done that in years, not since they had grown apart and she was stunned by her own daring.

"Something is happening in the dark." A voice said suddenly at Tiger's side. She startled and looked down. It was the little boy again.

"Will you go into the darkness to see? You shouldn't be afraid." He added.

"I know! I'm not!" Tiger spluttered, feeling personally attacked. "What is happening and where?" She wanted to know.

"At the library, come, I'll show you!" The boy answered brightly and he turned in the direction to the library, just as Fakir had done only moments ago.

"Follow me!" He called over his shoulder as he began to run.

Tiger followed him without question. She still wanted to know what was happening, but she would find out once she got there. The boy never really told her much, but he always came to fetch her when she could find a piece of Fakir's memories so she was sure she would find one once she arrived at whatever was happening. The boy led her to one of the high windows at the back of the library and pointed to it.

Nodding her understanding, Tiger turned herself into a cat and climbed up the brick wall and through the open window, which was missing its glass panes for some reason. Once she landed nimbly on all fours in the small storage room, she looked around. It was deserted, Mytho had gone. Tiger knew Fakir could not have come by, because she would have met them on her way. Something must have happened. She looked around for some clues and spotted a trap door that was animating a reddish glow. Thinking, that must be where Mytho (and maybe Duck too) had disappeared through, Tiger moved towards it and pushed the lid open.

A set of stone steps lead down to a sort of labyrinth. Stone archways, supported by thick stone pillars lead to different directions and only small lamps were affixed to some of them to light the way. Tiger turned back into her human form and looked around to see where she needed to go. Not long after, she heard a girl's laughter. It came from her right, in the direction of the darkest tunnel. She started towards her when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Who's there? Mytho?"

"So there you are, Duck." Tiger said to her roommate in relief and she walked towards her.

"Oh, Tiger! I wanted to help Mytho because Fakir had him locked away in the library, but he disappeared. Mytho I mean" Duck explained, a bit harassed.

"I know." Tiger replied calmly and she looked to the direction that laughter had come from. Then the girlish voice that had laughed, spoke.

"I'm just a little thing, but I flood the entire room, what am I?"

"A riddle?" Duck asked thoughtfully. She began to run through the lit passageway, but when the laughter came again, it was obvious from which direction it had come. Tiger had already made this conclusion and so she had not moved.

"It's coming from the other side." Duck realized and she stopped, then she ran into the dark passageway. "Ah, I mustn't fear the darkness!"

Tiger followed her. 'This is starting to look familiar.' She thought to herself as she looked around

"Ok, just a little thing that floods the room. Oh, a sneeze!" Duck tried, quite optimistically as she ran.

"Seriously?" Tiger snorted as she walked fast behind her.

"Too bad." Said the voice. "I'm a white snake that swallows the sea. What am I?"

They were now passing chambers that faced off the passageway on either side and in these chambers Tiger could make out old broken tombs in the dark. It was an eerie place.

"Uh, a white paint brush with red paint on it?" Duck tried, losing her nerve.

The voice giggled again. "Too bad. Here's the last one. I become shorter the longer I stand. What am I?"

"What's the point of these riddles?" Tiger cried out to the voice in a challenging tone. She had the nasty feeling that she was being tricked.

"So you're like… a flower, right?" Duck tried uncertainly. She was groping with her hands in the darkness in front of her. The passageways had become darker and darker and the voice seemed to move around. Listening closely Tiger and Duck followed it into one of the rooms on the left side of the passageway. Like all of them, it housed tombs and old crates.

"Too bad, but congratulations. The person you're looking for is here." The voice told them.

"What? Mytho? Give him back!" Duck replied in alarm and she spun around to find the person that was speaking to them.

"No." The voice refused flatout and the crack in the wall through which they just had entered the room, closed itself with a bang of stone hitting stone.

"You also must stay here." The voice told them.

"I can't do that!" Duck cried back.

"Me neither!" Tiger agreed fiercely.

"You'll be fine." The voice told them soothingly. "I'm here."

Tiger was not convinced. "I don't even know who you are!" She retorted.

As one Duck and Tiger transformed.

"Are you there?" Princess Tutu asked serenely, it was clear that Duck had left all her panic behind once she had taken this form. Even when all around her candles suddenly lit up with burning flames, she didn't flinch.

"Show yourself. It's your turn." Princess Clara called out, next to Princess Tutu. In contrast she was looking fiercely into the room, ready for anything.

"Who are you?" The voice asked and a flicker of worry could be heard.

"I am Princess Tutu." Princess Tutu replied, still very calm.

"And I am Princess Clara." Princess Clara added.

"You're both wonderful. Please stay and dance. I'll illuminate you for the rest of your lives." The voice told them.

"Illuminate us?" Princess Tutu repeated curiously.

"That's right." The voice confirmed.

"So that's it. The little thing that floods the entire room is the light of a lamp, then." Princess Tutu realized.

"And the white snake with the red head that swallows the sea and becomes shorter the longer it stands is the lamp's wick." Princess Clara said, realizing the answer to the riddle as well.

"You're a lamp." Both of them cried out.

"Are we right?" Princess Tutu asked the faint light, glowing in front of them.

"You are correct." The voice said happily and she showed herself. The spirit of the lamp had taken the shape of a young girl with long curly hair and her frail frame seemed to end in a long wide dress that had no hem. It just seemed to flow out of a beaten up lamp as it stood on the stone floor of the room. Mytho's red heart shard was clinging on to it with his arms around the small shoulders of the girl.

Then Princess Clara saw it, a blue sphere, dancing behind the lamps glow. She smiled at it. 'I will get you.' She thought.

"Now please, give back Mytho and his heart." Princess Tutu said to the lamp.

"No." the lamp refused, but Princess Tutu was not discouraged.

"Please dance with us." She told it instead and extended a hand towards the glow.

"Dance with you?" Asked the lamp.

"You don't have to be nervous." Princess Clara told the lamp kindly, but the glowing girl disappeared and instead a brilliant spotlight began to shine upon both princesses.

"You dance. I will light your steps." The voice told them.

Princess Tutu nodded.

"Very well. You can join when you are ready."

They began to dance and Princess Tutu began to speak to the light.

"Your light is so warm and gentle. Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

"Though it's comforting, I sense unhappiness. Why?" Princess Clara asked the light as well.

"My one wish, my only wish is to keep on shining for someone. I want to envelop them tenderly in warm light." The lamp spirit said sadly.

"Wanting to shine for someone." Princess Tutu repeated softly and she closed her hand around her pendant, the pendant that granted her the power to help Mytho.

"That was all. I didn't want anything else. And yet, somewhere along the way, I'd simply become forgotten." The lamp spirit continued and her story formed on the dark walls for the princesses to see, so that they would understand.

"The people who were precious to me forgot about me and the light I gave them. No, they must not have needed me from the beginning."

"That can't be true." Princess Tutu said to the lamp gently.

Princess Clara agreed. "I don't believe that."

"I thought they enjoyed my presence, but that was only what I believed." The lamp said and she was only listening to her own sorrow.

"I'm sure that's not true." Princess Tutu tried again, but still the lamp was not listening.

"But right now, there is someone that wants my light." It said and the light returned to its source. A broken lamp on a long crate on which lay Mytho, huddled close to the fading light of the lamp.

"Mytho!" Princess cried out when she spotted him. "Is that what you want? To shut him away?"

"Yes. I will stay here and illuminate him for all time." The lamp spirit said and wrapped herself around Mytho, enveloping him in warm light.

"Please, remember what it was like to have your warm light shine on the people you loved." Princess Tutu told the spirit.

"I haven't forgotten." It said as it appeared before the princesses again.

"Then you should understand there's nothing worse than isolation. To be in a cage." Princess Clara said.

"Forcing your warmth on people won't bring joy to anyone. I love the soft and tender glow of your warm light." Princess Tutu gave the spirit an understanding smile and wrapped her arms around her.

"So do I." Agreed Princess Clara and she too wrapped her arms around the glowing spirit.

"I believe that the people who were precious to you were very happy to have you envelop them with that glow. It's sad that they no longer need you, but it's something that can't be helped. Because it isn't something you can force on people." Princess Tutu spoke softly to the lamp spirit as she took her by the hand and started to dance with her.

"If you want what is best for Mytho, return his heart. That will bring him happiness."

"Will it?" The lamp spirit asked and it was clear in her voice that she indeed wished for Mytho's happiness.

"It's what I believe." Princess Tutu told her.

Now that Princess Tutu had secured the heart shard and ensured Mytho's safety, it was Princess Clara's turn to fulfill her mission. She gently called the sphere towards her and caught it in her cupped hands.

"It's time I return you to someone who is very precious to me." She told it softly.

"Princess Tutu, Princess Clara, I want to continue illuminating you." The lamp spirit declared and she retreated into her broken form, where she kept flickering serenely.

Meanwhile the sphere began to glow brightly in Princess Clara's hands. It was yearning to go back to where it belonged. Princess Clara let it float upwards and it showed her what was inside:

It was a normal day in Gold Crown Town, when suddenly, a door came from thin air. No one really noticed the door. It was just sort of... there... however this strange door did peak the interest of a small boy…

The door opened, and out came a small girl. The boy stared at the little girl, wondering where that door led to... where did she come from? Why was she here?

The door behind the girl closed. She looked around the town.

The boy couldn't stop staring, his green eyes shone with wonder and intrigue as the girl looked around.

'Where am I? And WHO am I?' The girl wondered.

The boy slowly approached the girl who had come from the mysterious door.

"Hello." The boy said slowly, his head tilted to the side as he looked curiously at the girl.

"What's your name? My name's Fakir." He asked, his green eyes shining and a shy smile on his face.

The girl tried to think, but her mind was blank. "I don't remember."

That just peaked at the child's already massive curiosity. "You don't remember?" He thought for a second. "Well then how about I give you a name?"

The girl slightly blushed and brought her finger to her lip. "Well..."

"Please." The boy begged. "I promise it won't be anything bad and if you don't like it we can think of another one." His green eyes seemed bigger than before and they suddenly resembled the eyes of a puppy or maybe a cute little kitten.

The girl's face got all hot. Something in his eyes captured her. She never felt like this before. "Ok, just until I remember my name."

He nodded his head, "Alright." Fakir thought for a moment. "How about... Koneko?"

The girl thought it over. It sounded nice. "Ok."

The boy smiled at her, glad that she liked it.

'I came through a door from nowhere?' Princess Clara thought in amazement as the memory faded away. Then she shook her head to clear her head. She had no time for that now. They had to go back, but what she had just seen made her make a decision. Keeping her form as Princess Clara, she let Duck and Mytho return to the little room in the library first. The door had been opened and left that way, no doubt Fakir had come back while they were down in the labyrinth. Then Princess Clara followed them at a small distance.

Quickly they left the empty building and returned to the square where, as they approached it, saw that the fastival had ended. Mytho left them to go to Rue, who was still standing close to the bonfire. Duck stayed behind, she still had the broken lamp with her and there was a somber expression on her face. Princess Clara said nothing. There was nothing really she could say, Mytho went to Rue to dance with her as he wanted and so all was as it should be. She looked to the other dark alleys surrounding the square and found Fakir. He too was watching Mytho as he approached Rue and started dancing with her. As expected, Fakir's expression was grim. Then suddenly Rue and Mytho stopped dancing and Rue slapped Mytho's hand away. She ran away.

"May this memory reach his heart." Princess Clara whispered to the sphere and sent it on its way.

The ball of light entered Fakir's mind and it made him quite dizzy.

'How could I have forgotten how Tiger came here?' He wondered in bewilderment. He wondered again why he kept having these sudden flashes of memory. Something was going on here and he looked around for some clue. Then he saw her. A glowing princess in faint orange light. She was wearing a deep yellow dress with an asymmetric cut to the left side. The dress ended just above her knees and a broad black striped band was wrapped around her waist and let up to her left shoulder to make a sleeve. She had orange-red hair and around her neck hung a blue pendant. Fakir stared at her. She was beautiful.

"Who are you?" Fakir asked her quietly as he approached her.

"I am Princess Clara." The princess answered.

"Princess Clara?" Repeated Fakir confused and he raised an eyebrow. He had sooner expected Princess Tutu to appear, but this princess was clearly not her, even though she gave him the same sense of foreboding.

"Why are you here?" He decided to ask her straight out.

"I've come to return what is precious to you." She replied.