Once upon a time, there was a prince with the most beautiful heart.

The prince loved all his people equally, and the people loved the prince who did everything in his power to protect them and any innocent he saw in danger.

One day, a great darkness appeared, a giant black raven who began to feed on the people's hearts, vying after the most pure and beautiful hearts he could find.

The prince tried to save his people best he could, catching The Raven's attention. The young man's heart shone even in the midst of The Raven's darkness, the most beautiful heart of all.

Sensing the beast's approach, the prince remembered the gift he'd been given the day of his birth: a magical sword made of two swans that were said to be the spirits of life and death. With the prince's wish or the blood of another, the sword could shatter any heart. In exchange for this sacrifice of humanity, it would seal away any darkness that threatened their world.

As the prince pointed the sword towards his chest, tears running down his face, a thought occurred to him: "Perhaps it will be nice to be without emotions, without the exhaustion of being a prince expected to love everyone, life would surely be less painful that way... Yes, perhaps it will be safer to have no heart at all…"

Rue knew getting a bird's eyes view of the area was the best way to find someone, but at the same time, she didn't wish to frighten Fakir if she found him. So, she decided on the next best thing and surveyed the town from the high walls that surrounded it.

"Where are you, Fakir…?" Rue wondered aloud, the wind rustling her feathery hair. "Are you alright? I hope so…"

Fakir hasn't woken up since I found him beside that feather…Mytho thought somberly, brushing the other boy's hair off his face.

Tap.

The boy glanced over towards the window as the sound slowly intensified.

Tap, tap, tap.

He took in a sharp breath, reminded of the horrible day he'd learned the truth about Fakir and himself. About the ravens.Have they… Have they come for us?

Tap, tap, tap, tap!

I can't be afraid of them, a prince shouldn't be afraid!Mytho narrowed his eyes before rushing to the window and shoving the curtains aside.

But it wasn't a raven as far as he could see. She simply had the features of one.

"I'm not here for you!" Rue shouted with a blush.

You never are.He forced a smirk to keep up appearances before closing the curtains again.

"You-! You can't just ignore me!" The girl yelled. She waited a few moments before realizing he wasn't coming back. "Jerk…"

"She has dedication, I'll give her that…" Mytho whispered, watching her leave through a crack.

"Mytho…"

"Fakir..!" Mytho gasped before turning to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Where's Tutu?"

He's still thinking about her after everything that happened to him?Mytho pouted slightly before sitting down on the bed. "What happened? Did she hurt you?"

"No." Fakir said softly, gripping his head gently. "She didn't hurt me, she wanted to help me… She restored a piece of my heart and then…" His eyes narrowed. "Kraehe appeared."

"Kraehe?"

"She seemed to be the true princess of the ravens while the princess I saw in my dreams was just an illusion… Could it have been a trick by some enemy? Or maybe my heart's trying to tell me something. Something imp-"

"Shhh…" Mytho placed a finger to his lips, quieting him. "You don't want to make me worry, do you?"

"No." Fakir responded softly, turning his head away. "Sorry, Mytho."

"It's alright." Mytho smiled before gently pushing his head back down on the pillow. "I just want you to focus on recovering, alright?"

"Alright."

Once Fakir had drifted off to sleep, Mytho's calm faded into a look of worry.

The girl tossed and turned in her bed, hugging her duck pillow as if it was a life preserve.

A sudden golden light filled the room, causing her to slowly open her eyes.

"Morning already…?" She yawned, brushing the sleep out of her eyes. She would've noticed she was in her uniform rather than her pajamas if her eyes didn't immediately focus on the unnatural light flooding her room.

She peeked around her bed to see her messy desk. Her windup music box seemed to be the source of the peculiarity.

Duck didn't know where she'd gotten the music box from but figured it must've been a gift from someone special given how unique it was. It was pink and purple with ornate designs of flowers on the lid and drawers, a golden horn sprouted out from its side to play music.

She gave it a small tap, causing all the drawers to pop open and reveal a single glowing shard.

"Huh? What's this…?" Duck wondered aloud, reaching out to touch it.

"Why? Why did you take me with you?"

"Quack!" Duck spun around to see the spirit. "Fakir?!"

The shard raised a brow in confusion.

"Ah…! Are you one of Fakir's heart shards?" Duck asked. She tilted her head in confusion. "Shouldn't you be with Fakir? Why are you here with me?"

"You ask so many questions… Others would probably find it annoying, but not me.." The shard said cryptically before giving a nod in greeting. "I am the feeling of curiosity."

"The feeling of curiosity?" Duck repeated. "That's what you are?"

"What are you?"

"Huh?" The girl jumped when he was suddenly behind her. "I… I'm…"

"Are you a raven?"

"A raven? N-No, I'm-!"

"Oh, right, your name's Duck, isn't it? Is it because you're a girl named Duck, or are you a duck pretending to be a girl? A girl that dresses like another bird entirely…"

"Ah!" The girl's eyes widened in surprise before she bowed her head, grimacing as she grabbed her head. It hurt so badly... "I don't… I don't want to think about it!"

"Don't want to think about it? But it's important, and I want to know! Who are you?! I want to know! Who-?!"

The music box slammed shut with a discordant clank before Duck fell to her knees, holding herself tightly to stop the pain.

Where could Fakir be?Rue wondered as she walked past the girls' dormitory.Last I saw him he was taken by that-

She heard a sharp cawing and glanced up to see a raven glaring down at her from resting on Duck's windowsill.

If that woman was their princess, does that mean all the ravens are her minions?She stopped suddenly, a horrible realization coming to her mind:I'm a raven.

The other bird flew away just as the thought came to her.

"If Fakir is the knight reborn, that woman may have been The Raven." She placed a fist to her chin in thought. "Before my story as Princess Tutu and as the human girl I am now… I was just a ugly crow, right? I can't remember my time before becoming Rue but it's very possible that Fakir and I used to be enemies. But Princess Tutu is-"

"Princess Tutu?"

Rue looked up in surprise at the familiar voice that was sounding less cold each day that passed. "Fakir!"

Fakir glanced down in slight surprise when she grabbed his hand in both of hers. "Rue?"

She dropped his hand at once, realizing how intimate the gesture could be seen as. She placed a hand to her blushing face. "F-Forgive me! It's just I was looking for you all over town and I wanted to be sure you were alright-"

"You were talking about Tutu. Do you know about her, Rue?" The boy narrowed his eyes.

"I… Well, I…"

"My, my, I would say this is a surprise but it's becoming all the more frequent~"

They looked up to see Mytho smirking down at them, sitting in one of the windows of the bridge.

"Mytho!" Rue gasped in surprise as he landed beside them without a sound.

"Rue. You just can't stay away, can you?" The boy asked, still smiling at her. He didn't even turn Fakir's way as he gestured towards the school. "Head off to class, Fakir. I'll join you in just a moment."

"…Alright."

Rue watched Fakir leave before glaring back at Mytho. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you to stay away from Fakir from now on..." Mytho whispered, leaning in close. His normally soft eyes hardened. "If you don't… I won't be so kind…"

Rue felt her body trembling as his sugary sweet smile returned.

"Have a nice day, Rue~"

Duck stared up at the celling, back to hugging her pillow. "What happened last night…?"

She rolled over, laying her head down. "Well, I remember I was out in the woods looking for Fakir and when I found him, he was with Princess Tutu… Tutu wanted to restore a piece of his heart, and Fakir said he wanted it too. Once I heard that I… I… What happened to me? Who was- Who am I…?"

Rue sat down at the pavilion in the woods, using the break between classes to think.I always knew Mytho was hiding something, could it be that he's really dangerous under that facade? Fakir shouldn't be around him… Oh, what should I do?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar banging on a drum. Uzura grinned when she saw her. "Rue-zura!"

"Uzura." Rue said in slight surprise. "What are you doing out here?"

"I thought Rue-zura could use some help!" Uzura explained, plopping down beside her.

"Help?" Rue repeated before giving a short sigh. Despite her best attempts to ignore the girl, it seemed like she'd found her way into her heart. "That's very kind of you to offer, Uzura, but I can't ask you to help me."

"I know that-zura. I can only guide-zura…" The puppet pouted slightly, upset about it too.

"So you're saying I should get help from someone else to help Fakir?" Rue realized. If something were to happen to Duck becauseof Tutu, I'd never forgive myself. So who does that leave?

"I want you to restore my heart, Princess Tutu."

Rue's eyes widened "If I tell Fakir I'm Princess Tutu, then maybe together we can go against Mytho…"

"Mytho-zura?"

"The white-haired boy that's always with Fakir, you remember him, don't you?" Rue asked.

Uzura took a moment before smiling. "Ohhh! The prince-zura!"

"Prince? Well, I suppose he looks and acts like a handsome and charming prince…" Rue blushed, covering her mouth. "No, I mean-!"

"Mytho-zura and Rue-zura are-!"

"Bitter rivals! That's right, we are!" Rue declared, standing up. "I can't forget that, thank you for reminding me… Uzura?"

She couldn't recall when the girl had vanished. It shouldn't have been long ago and yet she didn't hear any annoying rapping sounds through the woods. "Uzura! Where did you go this time?"

Having given up her search for the girl, Rue flew into the boys' locker room, intent on delivering a message to Fakir.

She located the right locker with her bird sense of smell and pecked at the letter until it was in.Okay, time to get out of here.

Just as she was about to take off though, she heard approaching footsteps, causing her to squeeze herself in the nearest locker to hide.

She peeked through the little hole to see a iguana just finished from class and sighed in relief.Thank goodness. For a moment I thought it was-

The locker door opened at that moment to reveal just the person she didn't want to see.

Mytho's eyes widened in surprise at seeing the feathery creature. He gritted his teeth slightly, narrowing his eyes.

He has every right to look at me like that given how ugly I am in this form! Not to mention I'm a raven! He's so protective of Fakir, this must be the end for-!

Mytho gently wrapped his jacket around her before smuggling her out of the school.

Huh?The raven looked up at him questioningly, seeing his eyes were soft and gentle.

"Is this some trick of The Raven?" The boy wondered aloud, still knelt down on the ground to watch her. "He knows my weakness for anything that looks small and innocent… Is that why he sent you, little one?"

Rue didn't realize ravens could blush until now as he slowly reached out a hand.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you." The boy whispered softly before opening his palm to reveal some bread. "Here you are."

She slowly pecked at the food, keeping her eyes on him the whole time.

Mytho's smile looked so genuine, more so than any other time she'd seen it. "I never realized ravens could look so cute… Well, I'd better get going now. But if you really do work for The Raven, fly away while you still can, alright? I don't want you getting hurt."

Rue watched as he walked away, cheeks still burning.He was so gentle and kind just then, but no one was around to see him so is he really…?

"If you don't… I won't be so kind…"

No! I can't get swept up by his charms!Rue cawed to herself, literally ruffling her feathers.But then again, I was just a disgusting crow, and he still treated me with kindness… I guess that's something I should tell Fakir as well: that I'm truly a terrible raven…. That we may have even been enemies once…

She let out a sigh that sounded more like a croak in this tiny form.

"What've you got there, my knight?"

Fakir glanced at Mytho who was peering over his shoulder before slowly handing it over. "I found it earlier. It's from Rue."

Fakir,

I'm sorry for the suddenness of this letter but there's something important we must discuss. I'll be waiting at the pavilion at 5 o'clock this evening, I hope you can come.

Rue

"I thought she'd have given up by now…" Mytho muttered the same thing Drosselmeyer had been thinking the entire tale so far. He turned back to Fakir. "How silly that she'd think you'd actually meet her!"

"But I am going."

Mytho forced a tight smile on his face since there were other people around, walking up to him. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right. What did you say?"

"I want to go, Mytho." Fakir repeated with more conviction this time.

"Why's that?"

"I think she may have some information about Princess Tutu." Fakir asked, meeting his gaze.

I thought as much. She's getting way too close to Fakir and I…Mytho's eyes narrowed. "Princess Tutu may seem like someone wonderful but she'll only bring you pain and suffering, just like she has done before. Not to mention that Kraehe woman who tried to take you the other day. If you were to get hurt searching for your heart I-!"

"I don't care about that."

"Well, you should! You aren't going anywhere, do you understand me?!" Mytho cried in anger, surprising the other students around them.

"No." Fakir's eyes narrowed.

"You're staying by my side, that's an order!"

Whispers broke out amongst the students as Fakir glared at his friend sharply.

"I-I'm sorry, Fakir…" Mytho whispered at once, shocked at himself as much as the rest of them were.I've never spoken to him so fiercely before… But now I know no words can disude him.

Duck didn't know what to do with the heart shard beside place it in a small black box she'd found and try to find Fakir. It was his, after all.Maybe if I talk to Fakir about all of this it'll start to make sense… And besides, he wants his heart back so I should just give it to him!

She frowned as she passed a lake, seeing two little ducks splashing each other.

What if he gets this shard back… and starts wondering why he'd hang out with a clumsy duck like me?

He'd only heard legends about where the sword lay in wait but as Mytho walked down the crumbling steps of the catacombs, he could feel he was in the right place.

He tried not to look at the many skulls and bones that littered the place, focusing on placing a fresh lily on each coffin. He hoped they'd be good enough payment for the disturbance his mission caused the resting place.

He gently set a dying flower aside one particular coffin, not bothering to replace it as he slid off the stone lid.

Inside was a beautiful sword that's purple hilt bore a heart made of two swans alongside a white mask. He took a shaky breath before unsheathing it.

"Could it be? The prince has taken his blade once more!" Drosselmeyer laughed, on the edge of his seat. "It's the very same sword that once shattered his past self's heart, and soon after pierced his loyal knight's! I wonder what you plan to use for this time, young prince?"

The boy held the sword close to him, whispering to it: "Though in a new body, I am still your master that will fight The Raven's return in the only way I know how… Holy sword, grant me the near forbidden power you possess!"

At his command, the decades of dirt and grime cracked apart, revealing the glowing blade beneath it.

Rue tried to steady her heartbeat as she rehearsed what she would say. "Fakir… Fakir, I… I, um… I…"

"What is it?"

The girl jumped before turning to see him, her face turning red in embarrassment. "Fakir!"

"You asked me here." He said flatly.

Rue nodded. "Yes, you're quite right!"

Duck had arrived there by chance after searching the usual spots she'd find Fakir. "There he- Oh, what's Rue doing out here? Was she looking for Fakir too…?"

"Mytho said I shouldn't come but I…"

"You told Mytho?" Rue sighed in disappointment. Of course he did! "I should've guessed you would…"

"Rue, I want to see Tutu again." Fakir mumbled softly, stepping closer.

"Fakir…"

"When she's around, she makes me feel something warm and bright, reminding me of something I haven'thad in this lifetime…." He placed a hand to his chest, taking a breath. It's frightening to be so vulnerable with my emotions… "Sorry, it's hard to talk about this with you."

Rue nodded in a sad understanding. I can't expect him to be open with me when he has someone like Duck to listen to him…

Duck's eyes welled with tears as they began to change, a dark red glow coming from the pendant around her neck.Something he only feels when Tutu's around. It must be that…

Rue felt the hairs on her neck suddenly spike before turning to see a wave of flower petals emerge from the trees, swallowing her in them. "Ahh!"

Princess Kreahe entered gracefully, using the petals as a sort of red carpet to reach Fakir. She gave a small curtsey before smiling up at him. "There is no need to strain yourself discussing such a difficult emotion, my knight…"

Fakir stared with wide eyes, wondering what she truly wanted from him.This princess in front of me… She's my true enemy, isn't she…?

"That's the spirit! Uncertainty, doubt! Each princess wishes different things for the knight, the knight expects different roles for the princesses, even if he doesn't know why!" Drosselmeyer chuckled, watching the three gears turn together. "Such a conundrum, don't you think, Princess Tutu?"

"I can see it in the way you hold yourself, your body is so tense, your eyes so troubled…" Kreahe cupped his grimacing face before trailing it down to his shoulders and then his chest. "I hate seeing you like this…"

"Let him go, Kraehe!

Kreahe turned to see Princess Tutu had arrived and frowned slightly. "I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you again, Tutu…"

"Release the heart shard you stole at once." Tutu ordered, stepping forward. "Stop making the knight suffer!"

"I'm not the one making him suffer." Tutu whispered softly as she placed Fakir's arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him. "That would be you, Princess Tutu. Or did you forget?"

Rue felt her heart sink at the reminder. Fakir said it hadn't mattered to him but to her… "I…"

"You always act so brave and tough, just like a knight should…" Tutu smiled at Fakir as they began to dance, it felt natural to them both despite the tension between them. "But you can't hide your suffering from me, your one true love…"

Tutu's eyes widened in surprise at the statement. How could Kraehe be so bold to declare herself Fakir's true love?

"I know feeling, let alone expressing these troublesome emotions pains you, Fakir…"

"Kraehe…" The young man whispered, looking into her eyes. Why did someone with the ravens claim she knew him so well? And why was she right?

"I don't want you hurt anymore, my knight…" The heart shard of curiosity appeared in her hand and ravens began to swarm the two, each vying for the shard. "I don't want you seeing Tutu ever again, for both our sakes."

"No!" Tutu yelled, leaping towards them. She reached desperately for the shard, scaring the crows away.

Kraehe gasped in surprise before making the shard vanish once again.

Suddenly, someone came in the middle of them, whisking Fakir away from them both.

The person wore a mask and a red cloak, shielding his identity. He glared at the two Princesses as he unsheathed his blade.

"Ah! The prince's sword!" Kraehe gasped in surprise. "How did you…?!"

The prince from the story?Tutu wondered, looking between them. She'd been so focused on Fakir and Princess Kraehe lately, she'd forgotten all about the titular character.

"You're the princess Fakir's been talking about…" The young man whispered, his voice echoing through the mask. "Are you the one I'm destined to fight?"

"As long as you hold that sword..!" Kraehe hissed softly. She had no idea why the sight of it made her upset, angry, afraid.

The two leapt at each other, the prince's sword managing to cut the heart shard loose from the princess' dress.

"Tell me, are you truly The Raven?!"

I… I don't know!Kreahe's eyes widened as they faded back to blue and she fell forward.What am I supposed to be?!

Kraehe disappeared in a torrent of golden and black feathers, leaving the three wondering what had happened.

Tutu was about to run and grab the shard when someone put their arm out, stopping her.

"There's no need." The man assured her, stepping towards Fakir as his mask cracked apart. "We will soon be free from the suffering this tale has put us through, including you, Princess Tutu."

"Mytho… What are you talking about?" The princess asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It's going to be alright, I promise." The boy threw the rest of the mask away, a sad smile on his lips. He sat Fakir down gently, bending down to assure him.

Fakir looked at him questioningly, his eyes drifting to the sword at his side. "Mytho…?"

"You must understand that though it will hurt this…" Mytho grimaced, feeling his eyes grow wet. "This is for your own good!"

"Wait, what are you-?!" Fear and shock tangled together, sparking her heart. "No, you can't!"

He raised the sword over Fakir's chest. "Forgive me, my friend!"

"No!"

Steel clashed against steel as Tutu shielded the knight with a dagger. It trembled wildly but still held strong, the will to protect Fakir strengthening its power.

Fakir's eyes widened in shock.

"You shattered Fakir's heart?!" The girl cried. "How could you do something so horrible?!"

"Princess Tutu may have helped in the story but…!" The boy backed away, grimacing. "You don't understand, I'm doing this to save him, to save all of us!"

"What are you talking about?" Tutu growled, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

He didn't answer, rushing at her with his sword. "Get out of my way!"

"Mytho, stop!"

"My knight!" His sword was knocked away in his surprise, leading it to land beside Fakir.

"If it's true what you say..." Fakir whispered, picking up the sword as he rose to his feet. He glared at Mytho. "Will shattering my heart with this sword really protect you, Mytho?"

"Yes." Mytho whispered, placing a hand to his own chest. "Yes, it will, my knight…"

"Then I'll do it."

"What…?" Tutu asked dryly.Fakir's going to shatter his own heart?!

He dropped the sword to the ground, aiming it at his chest. The man stared at the blade, wondering why he was hesitating despite wanting to protect the two before him.

"Fakir, don't do it!" Tutu begged as Rue's heart took over. "Is this what you really want?!"

"Please, you must do it!" Mytho yelled. "Pierce your heart!"

"No! Please! Please, don't!" The princess sobbed before Mytho grabbed her, stopping her from interfering.

"Do it!"

"No!"

Fakir leaned forward towards the tip.

"I know feeling and expressing yourself to someone hurts, but think of what it brings!"

He glanced up in surprise that she could remember such a tiny detail.

"The other day I saw you smile at someone special, someone who deserved and waited for that smile for so long! You let her see you, the true you!"

I really did feel happy at that moment…Fakir thought to himself.Even when she ran away, the joy of that time never faded. I treasure it…

She called, reminding him of the night he and Duck danced at the festival. "If you lose your heart tonight, you lose that moment, you'll lose that feeling! And we all will lose you, too…"

For a moment, only her sobs filled the night.

"I can't protect you like Mytho and Kraehe wish… I can only return your heart, and hope you will learn how important it is to everyone who cares about you, how important it should be to you…"

"…I'm starting to. If I lost my heart, I'd lose the very thing that would make my life worth living."

The sword clattered to the ground before leaving them in an eerie silence.

Tutu felt her arms finally be released before turning to see Mytho pull up his hood once more.

"If that is what you truly wish…" He murmured before turning away.

Tutu stared after him until a golden glow invaded her sight.

"Tutu, I'd like you to restore this heart shard to me."

Tutu nodded before walking up, allowing the shard to return to his heart.

"Princess Tutu…" After a moment of thought, Fakir looked at the girl before suddenly kneeling down before her, placing a hand to his chest. "Thank you for understanding my struggle… I know I shouldn't put you in a similar position but I want to know. I want to know… what you think of me."

What I think of Fakir? … I think I finally understand it now but…Tutu stared into his emerald eyes, a blush on her face. "I… I…!"

She pulled herself away before running off into the forest, surprising the boy.

"Tutu…" Fakir sighed, holding himself tightly. He didn't even know what he thought of Tutu, why would she know about him? "I'm such an idiot…"

Rue lay awake staring at herself in the mirror. She'd been reflecting literally and internally for over an hour now.I'm just a bird. And not just any bird, I'm a ugly raven! But all Fakir sees is Princess Tutu in her beautiful dress… Kraehe was right… My feelings… They'll only make him suffer. Maybe that was my fate all along…

"Exactly!" Drosselmeyer chuckled, watching the mirror slip from her hands as she drifted off to sleep. "And not only him, but everyone around you, including yourself! You're playing your part perfectly, my dear~!"