(Untitled)

[reallyaduck]

Duck's been looking for Mytho all day.

And Mytho's been looking for Princess Tutu.

"Is my prince searching for someone?"It's Tutu and not Duck who asks; it's Tutu, and not Duck, that Mytho shelters with the umbrella that Duck gave him

Comments

[theladyrue]

There's quiet laughter, and the air fills with crows.

The heart shard is caught in the vines, half-sunk into the Prince's chest, when Princess Kraehe lands behind them. She lowers her arms slowly, they cross her face and then settle into love.

[reallyaduck]

Tutu twists her neck around as far as she can.

(She already knows what she'll see.)

"Kraehe!"

[theladyrue]

"The feeling of love, you say?" Kraehe asks, voice brittle and amused as Mytho falls to his knees. "I had intended to finish Princess Tutu...but this is quite a find."

Her arms lower gracefully to her sides, and she steps towards the Prince on the ground. "And now," she says, speaking to Tutu though her gaze is on him, "to shame you as well."

[reallyaduck]

. . . so now Kraehe knows her identity.

No, she can't let the part of her that's Duck get distracted by that; she has more important things to worry about. Like Mytho, crouched on the ground, the heartshard of love still protruding from his chest.

He's in pain.

"What are you going to do, Kraehe?"

[fairytaleknight]

Fakir's been looking everywhere for Mytho, and here he is: crouching in pain beside Princess Tutu, who is imprisoned in black ropes and feathers. The raven princess is taunting them both, and calling crow armies in with a flick of her wrists.

Is this it? Now? Fakir wonders.

Fakir takes a deep breath and draws the Lohengrin sword.

[theladyrue]

Fakir draws his sword as Kraehe jumps backwards, covered by the crows rushing him.

"What?"

This is the scene for two princesses; why is the knight here at all?

[reallyaduck]

"Fakir!"

When the raven stands before you, strike, Fakir had said - but she doesn't want to kill Kraehe, doesn't want him to kill Kraehe. Surely there's a better way -

[fairytaleknight]

Fakir's here because he has to be. When the prince is threatened, who can protect him but the knight who loves him best?

"Back off," Fakir cries, "Raven," as he charges her.

(She's a much more satisfying enemy than that creature at Milliways.)

[theladyrue]

Kraehe regains her aplomb and raises developpe devant en pointe; she leaps before he reaches her, passing over his head.

She hates him, almost as much as she hates Tutu. The feeling cloaks her and gives her strength.

At the arc of her leap, Kraehe leans back and flicks her wrist, sending the storm of pitch black feather-knives at his face.

[fairytaleknight]

Secure in the nobility of his cause, Fakir ignores the stinging knives and keeps charging.

I won't fear. I won't fear.

"KRAEHE!" Fakir yells.

[theladyrue]

Kraehe lands, and her footing wavers. She falls, landing hard on her back, and her breath crushes out of her.

She breathes in, fear rising, as she sees the knight charging. Then she remembers and smiles; taking the fear and molding it in her heart, she opens her hand and lets it fly crow-form.

[fairytaleknight]

Memory, from another life: the Raven's claws, rending the Knight's body from shoulder to waist.

Fakir screams and covers his eyes. Whether he's blocking the crow-princess or trying to wipe away the memory, even he's not sure.

The Lohengrin sword falls to the ground. So, an instant later, does Fakir.

[reallyaduck]

"FAKIR!"

She can't move, can't do anything, bound as she is by - what is it? The Prince's love? Kraehe's pain?

[theladyrue]

Kraehe stands, confident and angry-proud, staring down at the fallen knight.

"I am Princess Kraehe; what I want, I will take by force."

She catches the wind and leaps, letting it carry her to stand once more onto Tutu and Mytho's level.

[reallyaduck]

Angry, proud and confident, and winning - Kraehe's hurting them all to get what she wants, and for a moment Tutu almost hates her.

But no, Tutu reminds herself, that's the black bonds around her speaking and the feathers at her back. Hate is a lie that ravens tell. Kraehe is in pain, or she wouldn't hurt others; Kraehe is suffering too.

"Kraehe, what are you doing?"

[fairytaleknight]

Fakir struggles to his feet, gasping. This battle isn't over yet.

I will not give up.

"Kraehe," he says, more weakly than he intends, and an instant later, half a dozen crows have come to push him down again.

How pathetic am I? There's Mytho, with a heartshard like a blade in his chest. There's Tutu, bound and imprisoned. There's the raven princess herself, attacking them both, and I can hardly even move to help them.