FicWad

Chapter IV



Music: In the Great Hall of the Mountain King



Three weeks had passed since they first met Caruso, and the first dance was a smash hit. In that time, Fakir had finished reading the manuscript, and had just laid down a few sentences before the dance that night: just the chance for which Drosselmyer was waiting! He was sitting, watching things, when he saw Fakir begin to write. At that same moment, the cogs started to move-pay dirt! He watched as Fakir and company left for the dance, and he figured that that would be the best time to act. He knew his forays into that world were limited, but he figured that would be worth it. He entered one of his coffin shaped clocks that lined one end of the story, and entered the former world. He chewed on a couple of plot point, knowing that he both left a chance for hope, or a chance for doom. To remind you, he ended the story like this: if one were to find the diamond, he or she could make one wish upon it. It would be granted, and it would free the princess. However, if one were too greedy, and wished again, it would release the warlocks, and crate chaos all over again. Yet, the way he would do it, he was certain that it would make matters worse, because what he wanted to do sat a bit outside the plot, and he knew it could disrupt things to no end. Now, just what would happen, he did not know, but he knew it would be delicious. Of course, he was going to start with the duck: the one that cause the whole mess to begin with. He also decided to involve that Caruso kid. He looked like the perfect character for tragedy: he was happy, had a great love, a great future. How tragic would it be to see all that go down the drain? He entered, and made a beeline for the manuscript. He wrote quickly, yet carefully, setting events for early that coming morning, as if he were setting a time bomb. He began to feel the pains of the stress being in this world, just as he laid down his last words, and exited. It had hurt, but he knew it would be worth it. Now, all he had to do was wait for things to happen. If all went well, he wanted to provide the warlocks with safe haven from within the story itself, from where they could work their deeds. That way, no matter what Fakir wrote, they could thwart it. It would be the story with no end, until Fakir died. If he ever had offspring, then he could get them to write, and keep the misfortune going. Why kill any of them? Torturing them for the rest of their natural existence was much more fun, and far more tragic.



Meanwhile, at the dance, everyone was having a ball. They covered the boards in music, and left everyone with a great memory. Even Tutu got involved, flooring everyone with her interpretations of the music. She was quickly moving from class mascot to school mascot. Everyone loved the duck. After the dance, Siegfried offered rides to Fakir, Tutu, Joe, and Freya. For the first time in a while, Siegfried felt like a normal teenager, laughing, joking, sharing school stories, reminiscing, and generally letting his hair down. Freya and Joe were the first two to be dropped off, did not want to be too far away from Joe, and, besides, they wanted time "alone." After whishing Fakir and Tutu a good weekend, the royal couple went on. There was a strong scent of romance in the air, and everyone was feeling it. Fakir was holding Tutu close to his chest, and she could feel his heart racing as she snuggled closely. "Duck, I love you so much," said Fakir silently, and caressed her gently. She rubbed head on his chest. She wanted so dearly to say those words back, but how could she? Moreover, she was aduck; he was a human. No matter how content they were, no matter how long they stayed together, this would always be a barrier. They entered, and he set her on her pillow on her side of the bed, taking off her necklace and head rig, so she could sleep comfortably. He began to ready himself for bed, and it was then she finally understood her anxiety: because of how things were, she would never be able fully to reciprocate all the love she had been shown, and there never could be an expression of their loved that really met their needs as they both wished. As she drifted off, she desperately wished there could be a way for this to happen. She knew that all Fakir needed to do was write a story about her becoming...well...whatever was needed. However, Fakir explained to her that, even if that were the wish of both of them, anything that happened after that would be a part of the story, and could it truly be said that either one would then be acting out of free will? Moreover, there was the temptation to write than needed, and then use and manipulate her. This, he would not risk. Yet, there had to be a way.



Later that night, on the porch, Freya and Joe were finally able to pry themselves apart after sitting, talking, and...whatnot...for hours. However, just as they were about to part, Joe locked up and gained a blank stare. "Baby, what's wrong?" asked Freya.

Joe said automatically, "I must go. I must be free-free as a bird."

"What!" exclaimed Freya, and she saw it was obvious that there was something terribly wrong. "Must find the diamond," he said robotically,"No time to lose."

He then stood up and began to walk. Frey tried to pull him back, but he was too strong. All she could do was follow, and beg him to stop.



Meanwhile, back at the smith shop, Tutu awoke in a start, and suddenly felt a compelling to go to the park, which contained the remnant of the oak tree that named Fakir as the successor of Drosselmyer. Robotically, she stood and began to walk off the bed. In so doing, she stepped on the foot of Fakir, which woke him. By the time that he regained his faculties to react, she had already hopped off the bed and was heading out the door. He started to go after her, and then noticed the manuscripts. He had been too tired and distracted to notice that things had been disturbed, and now he took acloser look. The first thing he noticed was that the handwriting was not his. In fact, it matched the rest of the manuscript. All Fakir could say or think was, "Drosselmyer!"

He quickly began to read, and realized what Drosselmyer was up to. There was no time to figure out how he did this, but he had to stop her. He knew he would never catch her if she decided to fly, so he made a phone call.



It was about 1:30 in the morning, and a call came to Siegfried's room unexpectedly. If a call came through at this point, it meant it was an emergency, and it was only one person, because only one person outside of the palace knew that number-Fakir. He awoke with a start, and snatched the receiver off the phone. "Fakir," he said, still a bit groggy, "What's wrong?"

"It's Tutu," said Fakir, and now Siegfried was wide-awake.

"What happened?" he exclaimed.

"I don't know yet," said Fakir, "but get Rue, and tell her to bring an extra night gown, a dress, robe, something, and meet me at the Mittelburgespark."

"Okay," said Siegfried, all confused, "but why all the rigmarole?"

"If what I think has happened, happened,"said Fakir, "then we may have more problems than just Tutu."

"On my way," said Siegfried, and he hung up. He quickly jumped up; donned some sweats and slippers, and he went to Rue's room, (since they were not yet wed.) He pounded on the door, and he heard a few steps and some stumbling. She cracked the door open in time to hear Siegfried holler, "Ready the car! It's an emergency!"

"Baby, what's wrong?" she said, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Grab a dress or nightgown," he said frantically, "Its Tutu-there's trouble."

Now she was fully awake, and said,"Coming!"

She went to the closet and grabbed an old housedress as she put on her robe and slippers. As soon as she emerged, they both ran for the car.



Meanwhile, at the park, Joe was trying to, and finally opened a tool shed, and retrieved a spade, all the time that Freya was vainly trying to pull him away and beg him to stop. He then went to a spot where the old oak tree used to stand, the same spot that had empowered Fakir. As he began to dig, a duck flew over the wall and landed near. All this time, Fakir was running as fast as he could, holding the manuscript, lest Drosselmyer return to cause more trouble. As he did, the royal limo pulled up, and took him in. Back at the park, Joe had finally unearthed the diamond. It was a rough diamond about the size of acantaloupe: a treasure for any gem dealer. He knelt, took it out of the hole, and set it before him. As he did so, the duck approached and extended a wing to touch the stone as he did this himself. He then said, "I wish I could become that which would make me the most free."

At the same time, Tutu quacked her wish, which, in English, would have been, "I wish there could be some way I could reciprocate my love to Fakir in the fullest, best way possible."

The diamond began to glow, and then abright beam of light shot up from it, and it then engulfed the entire park.



As they approached the park, they saw the flash, and though the worst. The driver pulled up to the gate, and they all exited before the driver could move to let them out. When they rushed in, they were stunned at the sight. The area was charred, but the three individuals were untouched. Freya was on her knees, weeping loudly over the sight. Once they got a closer look, the two boys turned around, and told Rue to take care of it. When she approached, she saw, not a duck, but a red haired girl about 15 or 16 years old. Not far from her, breathing, but unconscious, was a milky white cockatoo. By this point, Freya was cradling it, sobbing over it, saying, "Joey, why-why did you do this? Come back to me!"

She would tend to that, but first, she had to tend to...well...just who was this? The girl moaned, and began to right herself. Once she had, there was no mistaking the face-it was Duck. She was older, but it was her, no question, and looking more like Tutu had in this older state. She then said, "Oh, where am I?"

She then shook her head, both to be more awake, and because of what just happened. "How did I...? Huh?" she said, "How am I speaking? I..." and then noticed her hands for the first time. She touched various spots of herself, and then screamed, "AAAHHH! What happened to me?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," said Rue, helping Duck to her feet. She then handed her a dress, and said, "I suggest you put this on, because the boys are here."

"But..." she hesitated, and then asked, "But why did this happen," as she put on the dress. Before, it would have been too big, but it now fit her. Rue said, "You can turn around now, boys."

The boys were not quite prepared to see the duck/Duck/Tutu, like this. They had prepared their minds never to see the like this again, but there she was. Duck then said, "I know, I'll just do what Iused to," and then let out a happy "Quack!" Nothing happened. "Nooo!" she moaned, "This isn't supposed to be!"

"I don't understand," said Siegfried,"You're a girl again. This is a bad thing, because...?"

"No, its not that," said Duck, "I was only a girl because of someone else's willingness to use me for wrong. I am not a girl."

"Isn't this better," said Rue, "I mean, now..."

"Rue, please understand," said Duck, "Even before the end of the story, I learned that people...and animals, cannot be what they are not, or else their lives will never have peace."

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence. She then said, "Did I have more peace like this, or as I should be? Was Siegfried a better person now, or as Mytho? Is Fakir better as a medieval knight, or the writer and dancer that he is? Are you Rue, or Kraehe?"

Everyone had to admit that she had apoint. It seemed that a mental maturity came with the natural body. She then said, "How did this happen?"

Fakir then produced the manuscript. "It was Drosselmyer," he said, "Somehow, he took what I started, and did all this."

Siegfried then said, "That means we are trapped in another story."

"It's worse than that," came another female voice, "and there is no telling just how bad things may get."

Everyone looked up to see floating there an apparition of a beautiful woman wearing flowing robes and a crown. "Mother," said Siegfried, "You're free."

"Yes, my son," she said, "and it seems at a cost."

She then pointed to Freya, (who had now stopped crying,) and the bird, and she was awed at the sight. At that moment, the bird began to stir, and then said, "Ow! Tell that guy with the jackhammer to lay off!"

Yet, his eyes began to focus, and he then realized where he was, and in whose arms he now rested. At first, he was embarrassed at the first sight he saw. Then, he was up like ashot when he realized his shrunken state. "Brack!" he exclaimed in quite parrot-like fashion, and flipped over backwards onto the ground. When he made his feet, it was then he realized his present state. He saw the wings, felt for his nose, felt a beak, and then exclaimed, "I'm a bird! Ack! What happened?"

"I believe I can explain," said Adelheid.



Everyone now focused on the sight. Fakir rehashed the whole thing on the wishing, and Adelheid said, "Nothing was said about two wishes simultaneously. Apparently, this was the result. Yes, both I, and the five were released, but apparently, the gemstone decided to fulfill you wishes by using one against the other. You wished to be human; you wished to be a bird."

"Hey, wait a minute!" said Joe, "I never mentioned 'bird.'"

"And I never mentioned wanting to be a human," said Duck.

"Aha!" said Adelheid, "But what did you say?"

They thought for a moment, and then Duck said, "I wished to be able to express my love for Fakir more fully."

"And I just wished to be freer-as free as I could be."

"However," she said, "You were a little vague in your wishes. Since 'bird' had to be in your heart somewhere, the gemstone must have provided its own interpretation by switching your humanity with her avian nature, and figured that this would satisfy both wishes."

"So, how do we fix this?" asked Joe, "I can't stay like this!"

"Nor do I wish him like this," said Freya.

"Fakir, you could always change it," said Rue.

"No!" said Fakir, "Meddling like that has already done too much. The only way to fix this is to play the story out, and decide for ourselves how it goes. I can then write the entire thing retroactively, and finish the tale."

"Where then do we take the story?" asked Duck to Adelheid, "You're free."

"Yes," she responded, "but those murderers are free as well. Let me tell you what happened before you all arrived for your friends."



"When we were freed, the five warlocks turned to attack me, but I fended them off by using a chunk of the diamond that came free when we were released. It was in my hand when we emerged. Apparently, it can be used to cram them back into the diamond, because they feared touching it. I thus tried to use it. Yet, before I could, everything froze, and astrange clock shaped like a coffin emerged. A voice said, 'If you want safe haven, come in here!'

They were panicked, as they dove in, and it vanished."

"That was Drosselmyer," said Duck.

"Do not tell me he's involved!" she said.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Fakir, "I could say that he is partly the reason why all of you are free."

"Mother," interjected Siegfried, "I wanted you free, but not like this."

He then realized how he had just tripped over his words, and then said, "Well, I mean..."

"I understand, my dear son," she said, as she drifted to him, "and maybe, it is a good this way, because we have a chance to stop both the warlocks and Drosselmyer once and for all."

"I don't understand?" said Siegfried.

"Son, I always have sought many options to things in order to solve problems," she said, "and it is something you must learn in order to rule well. Whenever it seems that bad things are on the horizon, remember that we can always make our own solutions. Always believe that there is another option, even when there seems no other way. We are in a story now, like before. Except now, we can use the misfortune against the source of our trouble. Who's to say that none that happened was to our own good? Come, and let us set our own destinies."

"How do we do that?" asked Duck.

"Ah, Duck," she said, "I sense there is, or was, something quite special about you."

She looked down; twiddling her thumbs, and said, "I used to be able to help people in a special way."

"Then perhaps we can tap into that again,"said Adelheid.

"How?" asked Duck, now very curious.

Adelheid opened her hand and showed the diamond shard, which, by the power of the release, had been smoothed and polished into a teardrop shape about the size of an egg. She handed it to Duck, and said, "I shall dwell in it, and grant you the power to be whatever it was you were, and by it, we can entrap the warlocks and Drosselmyer forever."

"How do we proceed?" asked Fakir, his knight nature now rising.

"The first thin we must do is find out how much the story has affected things," said Adelheid, "then we have to see how the six of them are going to act in this, because there is horror that awaits if we do not act."

"How so?" asked Rue.

"Just because they are spirits does not mean that their murderous ways have died," answered Adelheid, "They can no longer harm thing in this form, but by their power, they may cause another to harm his or herself. They find the weakest point of the victim psychologically, and then try to exploit that weakness. Believe me, if Drosselmyer has them, he will use them to try to create the worst tragedies possible. Therefore, he shall release them, and then we can go from there."

"Then let us not wait any longer," said Siegfried,"Let us finally bring this man's evil to an end."

Adelheid then turned to Duck and said, "Keep the stone with you at all times, and when the need to be that it was that you were, hold it to your head, and concentrate on that."

With that, she entered the stone, and Duck put it into her pocket. However, Joe watching it all, said, "Okay, will someone PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Freya picked him up, and Siegfried said, "Let us go to the palace, and we can fill the both of you in there."



Before they left the park, they buried the diamond, knowing that it would receive the six they sought, and they left. As they did, however, Duck showed signs of being worn out by the whole ordeal, Fakir came over, put an arm around her, and she put her arms around his chest. Then came one of those awkward moments again. However, this time, it was different. For the first time since the lake of despair, love was able to show its full blossom. Fakir now understood, and he said to himself, "Somehow without manipulating her life by my writing, I will keep you like this...somehow."