Princess Tutu Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's Waltz ❯ Act 2 - Suspicion ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sorry for the loooong delay, but here's chapter 2 in it's un-beta read glory.


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Destiny's Waltz

Written By: Teno Hikari
email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com


Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Tutu, its characters, or anything associated with it. I'm writing it purely for my own satisfaction, and the fact that Neko-sensei threatened me with marriage ^^;;

Summary: After the search for a 'heartless' Prince; Fakir and Ahiru grow closer together to protect Mute from the Ravens. With this unique relationship, will their story change? Or is it doomed to end in tragedy?


Note: Holds spoilers for series... however, since the story is written by me (and not that creepy, Nutcracker looking guy: Herr Drosselmeyer), I'm making quite a few changes to help it.





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Once upon a time, there lived a girl who could turn into a beautiful princess. However, the princess fell in love for a prince who did not share the same destiny. As soon as she announces her love for the prince, she will vanish into a flash of light. Knowing this, she continued to collect the pieces of the Prince's heart, and will someday announce her love. Such a cruel fate... but who was the princess destined to be with, if not her prince?


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Act 2 [ Suspicion ]



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After changing into her pale yellow leotard, the duck turned human girl, quickly rushed to the dance room. Hoping against hope to be spared from Neko-sensei's threatening marriage proposal. Despite the fear of becoming her feline instructor's unfortunate bride; Ahiru felt relieved that everything was starting to return to normal.

Padding silently down the hallway, she found the door to the dance room slightly open. Thankfully, the class was going through warm ups, which was usually before Neko-sensei took role call. Blue eyes darting left and right, she spotted her teacher at the organ, flipping through some music notes he was going to use for the lesson that day.

Sitting with another group of girls, her close friends spotted her peaking by the door and brightened. At their frantic waves, Ahiru nodded in determination, and sucked in her breath. Slowly and silently, she stepped into the room, the door creaking softly as she nudged it enough to slip inside.

'Please, just once, I want to get through this class without getting in trouble!'

Quietly as possible, Ahiru darted forward, taking brief glances at the ballet instructor who's attention remained on his notes. Pique and Lilie continued to wave, and Ahiru couldn't help but break into a smile. Just when Ahiru was halfway across the room towards her friends, the sound of a paw slamming onto the piano keys froze her in place.

"Miss Ahiru," Neko-sensei's voice rose above the small dance room chatter. Sweat formed on the young girl's brow as the instructor turned his head to face her, whiskers and tail twitching dangerously. "Kindly explain why you feel it necessary to interrupt my class with your tardiness, yet again!"

The girl winced, feeling as if she were forced to give her awful performance in front of the class once more. She let out a long explanation that involved over-sleeping and flying cows. Oh she had to 'thank' Fakir for that latter one. Neko-sensei was not amused by this rambling string of nonsense. Nor would he let it substitute as an excuse.

"YOU WILL BE HERE ON TIME," he boomed. His fur-covered face suddenly tinged blue and those yellow cat eyes grew large. "Or I will send you back to the Apprentice Class, then to the chapel where we will exchange vows and-"

"Neko-sensei."

"Meow?" The ballet instructor was caught off guard, along with most of the class, as Fakir approached. Neko-sensei began cleaning himself in an attempt to calm down as Ahiru retreated. "Y-Yes, Fakir?"

"May I be excused to go to the nurse's office?" Holding up his bandaged hand, he added, "I think the gauze needs to be replaced."

"Certainly, Fakir. You are excused." Anger forgotten, the cat instructor clapped his paws together to gather the class' attention. "Now everyone, for today's lesson..."

Ahiru, safe using her two stunned friends as a wall, held a sigh of relief as she was saved from the rest of Neko-Sensei's scolding. If it hadn't been for Fakir's sudden outburst. Just before Fakir left the room, she caught the side of his lip curved upward in a smile, before it melted off his face in an instant.



In the Knight's absence, Ahiru found herself sitting closer to Mute who performed as beautiful as he always did in class. She nearly died when the Prince asked if she would be his dance partner for the day. Her response, of course, was a choked 'quack' sound.

It was only days ago when they were dancing hand in hand. A few days that felt like forever. But of course it was different this time. She was the elegant Princess Tutu, and just as graceful as the story book Prince. Now she was the plain and clumsy, Ahiru.

'He loves Princess Tutu,' she thought sadly as he released her hand when the dance practice was over. 'And she can't return his feelings...'

As if he could somehow read her thoughts, Mute looked away, stepping back and placing a hand over his chest. An inaudible gasp escaped his lips as the Prince's delicate features twisted in pain. It was only for a second before the boy just smiled and sat down as if nothing had happened.

Ahiru, however, was still worried. It had to be Mute's heart. The fact that it was incomplete must be the cause to the Prince's suffering. All she could do was watch... just like Herr Drosselmeyer's answer to her question: 'Why me?'

* Because, Ahiru-chan, you perfect Prima Donna for this story. So close to the Prince, and yet, must keep your distance. *

Distance. Would she ever be able to cross the huge gap between Mute and herself? Or were they doomed to keep these hidden secrets forever?


With Fakir's return, Ahiru scuttled back to her friends as the class settled on the dance room floor. No words were exchanged between the Knight and the Princess as they passed one another. Just a glance that could have lasted only mere seconds, but it was enough for Ahiru to give Fakir a tiny smile.

Pique and Lilie had to restrain themselves from pouncing their friend as she sat between them. Neko-sensei would surely marry all three of the girls if his class was interrupted by them again. Swallowing hard, Ahiru struggled to keep her eyes focused on the instructor who began to tell a story from his childhood.

Nyadinsky - one of the most famous ballet dancers in history. Of course, Ahiru got a good whack at the back of her head from Lillie when she mouthed: 'Who?' Ouch... it wasn't her fault she was so ignorant about these things. This world was still very new to her. Especially with animals walking around as people.

"Nyadinsky," Neko-sensei murmured as his eyes began to twinkle. "He was a legendary ballet dancer. A genius, and my mentor. I remember when I was a fairly young cat..."

She could visually picture it in her mind, as if she were right there. Perhaps she was, in this world it was hard to tell the story and reality apart. Seeing Nyadinsky, another dancing cat, made the duck inside her wish she could dance as gracefully.

Neko-sensei went on about how his mentor routinely performed the simple basics over and over again. All the while Ahiru couldn't take her eyes off the large ballet toe-shoes presented in a box carefully held in the instructor's paws. They were gift given from a master to a protégé, and he treasured them with all his heart.

Smiling, she looked down and absently brushed fingers across the pendant attached to her leotard. The young girl's eyes widened as it began to glow indicating that a piece of the Prince's heart was nearby. Glancing around wildly, her blue eyes couldn't see anything out of place... well except for... Mute.

The Prince's amber eyes were narrowed oddly, also eyeing the toe-shoes. A shiver ran down Ahiru's spine. She had never seen such an odd look on his face before. It scared her.

'Something is wrong,' Ahiru thought in a panic, wishing she were sitting close enough.

Once story time was over, the Nyadinsky's shoes were put away and class was dismissed. Thank goodness, no detention this time. Ahiru changed in a hurry, wanting to catch up with the boys in the hall. Running past her friends, her pace increased when she could only spot Fakir heading out to the main hall.

'Oh no!' Her blue eyes quickly scanned the crowds of students. 'Where way did Mute go?!'

This wasn't good. If something was wrong with Mute after his whole ordeal being captured by the ravens, he shouldn't be alone. The 'bad feeling' that formed in the pit of her stomach during class had become increasingly worse. She opened her mouth to call out to Fakir who was almost out the door...

"FA...!"

Until a tall figure stepped out of the corridor and right in front of her. The heels of her shoes screeched against the linoleum floor as she quickly skidded to a halt. Well almost. Her two friends had given chase to Ahiru and crashed into the poor girl from behind.

The three girls crashed to the ground before an annoyed looking feline teacher. Who was twitching his tail in irritation, looking down at the groaning pile of his students. Both Pique and Lilie bolted right up and quickly backed away, once again leaving their friend to fend for herself.

"Miss Ahiru, tell me, have you had time to reflect on the lesson?" inquired Neko sensei.

Ahiru lifted her head and stared up at the ballet instructor in confusion. 'The lesson? Why? Class was over!' she inwardly moaned. A lecture was coming, she was sure of it. Ballet dancers were supposed to be graceful at all times and not laying splat on the ground like road kill.

"I ... uh..."

"I hope it inspired you," he continued, much to her dismay. Fakir was probably gone by now. Back to the boy's dormitory where she could not follow. "As Nyadinsky's words had inspired me long ago."

"Uh...Well... maybe..."

Neko sensei just sighed tiredly before he side stepped around the her. "Just at least try to come to class on time."

Releasing the breath she didn't know she had been holding, Ahiru looked away and was relieved there wasn't another marriage proposal. Pulling up her knees, the girl sat up and absently rubbed the back of her head. Another figure stood before her know, and to her relief, it wasn't the cat teacher this time.

"You," Fakir began while holding out a hand to her, "are hopeless."

Her face brightened with delight, which confused the surly dark haired boy. Though it annoyed him when she remained sitting on the floor, ignoring his gesture. Already they were making a scene to the onlookers that still remained in the hall, and of course, she was completely oblivious to it.

"My hand," he grated out between clenched teeth.

Startled out of her reverie, Ahiru's face turned crimson with embarrassment and quickly took his hand. His strong grip pulled her up until she was now standing on her feet. Without releasing his hand, she smiled up at him again.

"Thanks."

Now it was his turn to blush. He had insulted her before. Called her idiot to her face. Unlike other girls who would cry or yell, she just smiled. Unusual... but what could you expect from someone who was a duck and Princess Tutu?

"I thought you left already." Ahiru began dusting off the back of her skirt. "Were you waiting for me?"

"What?!" Composing himself quickly, he looked away and shook his head. "No... of course not. I thought you called out my name before that scene with Neko-sensei." He swallowed hard. "You did... didn't you?"

Ahiru blinked in confusion until remembering she had partly called out his name before the instructor had came out of nowhere. "O-Oh yes! I needed to talk to you about..." she trailed off upon seeing her two friends hovering around close by. "Um... could we talk in private?"

Glancing over to the girl's ever present friends, he nodded and turned to lead the way to a private practice room. She waved to the other girls, trailing behind the Knight. Neither of Fakir or Ahiru paid any attention to the curious onlookers. Neither of them noticed that their hands were once again intertwined.

From behind, jaws dropped and Pique shared an identical expression of shock with Lilie. What in the world was going on? Fakir and Ahiru?! Holding hands no less.

"Something suspicious is going on! Something suspicious!" Lilie sang as she excitedly glomped the violet haired girl. "Our Ahiru-chan and Fakir are having an affair... and oh! What about Mute? Did she forsake him for his friend? How terrible! I sense a battle... a great battle..."

Pique folded her arms across her chest and mumbled, "You always sense a 'great battle', but anyway, where is the Mute...?"


"Are you sure you just didn't imagine it?" Fakir asked after she explained everything. Her bad feeling. Mute's expression and the pendant's glowing reaction.

"I know what I saw." Pacing back and forth, she replayed that morning's events in her head. Unconsciously Gripping the pendant, she held it closely to her chest. "Something is wrong with the Prince, I can feel it."

Looking out the window, his coal black eyes scanned the stream of students outside. No sign of the Raven Princess. If she knew what was good for her, Rue would stay far away from Mute as possible. Absently he traced the bandages on his hand that peeked out of the sleeve of his uniform.

"D-Does it still hurt?" Ahiru asked carefully, taking a peek as she stood next to him.

He sighed and shook his head, tugging the sleeve down some more to cover it. "Not as much..." he trailed off and looked at the duck - turned girl. "And you? Were you injured? Did..."

He stopped himself again. Of course she was injured. He remembered Princess Tutu in tears, watching the robot woman - Edel - burn before her eyes. The one who saved him and both of the Prince and Princess had sacrificed her existence for them.

Oblivious to the Knights thoughts, Ahiru looked confused. The question had caught her by surprise. She caught the strange look in her eye that seemed to be close to concern, and shook her head.

"I'm fine! Really! I..."

Both of them jumped and went pale at the sound of a loud, and shrill scream that echoed through the hallway outside.

"What was that?!"

"Ahiru, your pendant!"

The young girl glanced down at the glowing ruby before meeting the Knight's gaze once more. "Mute...?" they had both said in union. Neither of them had a chance to finish as they rushed outside towards the source of the scream.

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Dundunduuuun!