The Black Swan and the Duck (Princess Tutu FanFic)

Chapter 1: A New Beginning and A New Magic

Fakir sat at his desk. Ahiru wouldn't return, and persisted she stay at the pond. He had a feeling it had to do with Mytho and Rue returning...and Mytho's mention of his hope for Princess Tutu to return should the feather cause problems. He knew that it was Ahiru's natural form to be a duck...but even he saw the way she wished to be human again.

On the other hand, what could his grandfather hope to achieve by starting a new story? How could he control it if he had no way to write it? He had broke the clock mechanism. And yet something was stirring. Even so...it seemed the magic hadn't reached this world yet. He wondered if it was best that it didn't.

He sat in his chair and closed his book. He didn't want to stare at the words any longer. He could will it for all of his might and yet still the words had not came true. If he could even make this one sentence come true...even if he could never write again, this would be it. He wondered why he'd longed for such an event to happen...was it his own selfish want for his own happiness...though he'd neglect to admit it. Or...was it he just couldn't the fact that everything was as it should be. His thoughts were dangerous.

Meddling with fate...it was dangerous. Had his grandfather...had Drosselmeyer really returned? And for what reason? ...even so they assumed too much. If every feather that landed on the ground from a bird scared them into thinking the Raven had returned or something else had begun they'd be frantic all their lives. Still he'd felt the darkness, the way it spread onto the table like a parasite. The way it had felt in his hand. Still what kind of bird produced such a long feather? No raven or crow for certain.

He looked out the window. The sun had already set and the dark sky was blue and starry- but then. He went closer to the window as a looming shadow like a dark cloud, covered the sky as if to make the town black from right to left, as if it was passing above. He looked saw nothing but a simple black cloud...but the darkness...was uncanny.

He waited until it passed...he questioned his ability to see outside, and felt an urge to go find Ahiru...but waited. The dark cloud passed, and so did his reluctance to leave the house.

He opened the door and felt an urge to look down, as if he felt hesitant that the ground was even there when he saw...a feather. A long black feather. Like the one Mytho and Rue had shown him from their kingdom. Was it in fact magic? He looked down the street as each door had one on its doorstep...like a warning...like you couldn't leave your house without facing the darkness waiting at your doorstep. He felt a cool breeze brush past and noticed that the feather didn't even flutter with the wind...yet when he took it in his hand was as light as a...well feather.

"Ahhhhhh!"

He heard a shrill scream from the woods. Was something going on in there? Wasn't Duck still there from her departure earlier? He rushed out of his house, still holding the feather, and ran for the woods. He found the lake Ahiru swam at but...she wasnt there.

"Ahiru! Duck! Where are you?" He said looking around frantically.

Did the dark cloud get her? Did something happen? Had she not returned here earlier today?

He heard a ruffle in the bushes and turned towards them. Something was in them! An animal? The dark bird that had left the black feathers? He took two hesitant steps towards it and brushed the leaves aside.