Categories > Anime/Manga > Princess Tutu > Fakir and Duck Afterstory
Once upon a time, there was an old couple who began to suspect that their lame little duck, was anything but a fledgling.
So one day, the couple thought up a plan to make the duck reveal its true nature. After carefully discussing their plan, they hid and yelled loudly that they were leaving to go gather.
The little duck, certain that they were now gone, transformed into a young girl before their eyes and set to work in the kitchen.
To confirm that what they saw was real, the couple ran into the bedroom and found the duck's nest– empty.
An unsettling mixture of greed and love overpowered the old couple– now at last they could have a child all to themselves.
As the girl rushed into the room to see what the sound was, the couple threw the duck's nest into the fire–
And watched it burn.
---------------------------------------------
Duck flapped with all her passion. Soaring through the pale light of the blue evening sky– peaking the heavens, she saw the fullness of the moon before falling back through the clouds.
Though she was a teen in human years, she was but a mere fledgling in duck years.
And a fledgling like her was not meant to fly.
So Duck fell back down to the earth, swirling as she flapped and honked with all her might.
But nothing helped her stay airborne.
Crashing down upon a tree in the forest, she hit every branch she met on the way down– finally falling onto the padding of a large and soft mushroom.
"Quaaaack..." Duck mumbled. Wha... What happened?
Dizzily, Duck reared her head to view her surroundings. Woozily, the clear water before the little duck came into focus.
Am I back at the lake?...
She wondered. So she flapped and took one jump off of the mushroom.
Her wing ached in fresh pain. /Oh... and it had just healed. Maybe this is why Fakir had told me to sit still all this time./
She shook her duck head.
Oh!... Who cares what that Fakir thinks! He'd keep me in a cage if it were more convenient!
Duck waddled towards the water and jumped in with a splash. Floating atop the water, she swam towards the center of the lake.
I remember... When jumping into the water like this used to...
Duck looked down at her reflection on the water– a melancholy glimmer set into her sky blue eyes.
/I'm not a girl anymore. I was never a girl./
But why do I have these feelings?
Tears shed from Duck's eyes into the water. Slowly, the water rippled around her. In the moonlight, other ducks pranced into the water, jumping off the ledges of the lake and floating in unison atop its crystal surface.
"Quack. Quack." They shouted. It's the little duck. She's back! The fledgling that no mother raised.
"Quaaaack..." Duck replied. That's right, no mother raised her.
When she was but an egg, her mother must've kicked her out of the nest.
The egg rolling down and away, it was said that the fat old gander at the bottom of the hill found the egg and sat upon it. All day and all night he warmed the egg, until at last, it hatched.
The ducks parted on the water. Slowly, the fat old gander swam, swayingly, towards her.
"HOOOOONK." The gander called. My little daughter.
"Quack." Duck replied. Papa?
Where have you been all this time, my little daughter? I heard unsightly rumors– rumors of you walking amongst the humans and even falling in love!
This makes your papa very upset.
The old gander honked.
/But papa! /Duck cried.
You dry your tears, little one. Think no more of the stupid human who broke your heart. For tonight, you are going to marry one whom you belong with. One of your kind who will cherish you forever.
And the gander honked loudly again. Then thrice. The water rippled once more as the ducks parted to make way. Resolutely, a husky but younger gander floated across the water.
"Hooonk. Honk." He greeted. Beautiful duck. You shall marry me.
Duck froze in terror. But... But...
I've never even met you before!
Her father gander shook his head and honked.
Oh, but you have! He is my sister's eldest son. You once played together when you were but two weeks old. But of course you've already forgotten. You are already several months old. Such memories fade when you grow older.
"Quaaack!" Duck shook her head in horror. No! No! I don't want to marry someone I don't have feelings for. I can't.... Papa!
The ducks swam closer, encircling the little duck so that there was no where for her to swim.
"Quack quack quack!" They all laughed. She heard their murmuring.
How fitting! Such a fitting marriage. For such a strange little duck.
Marrying into the family of geese suits her well!
Ha hahahaha!
Duck closed her eyes in heartbreak. But... Fakir... he...
The gander honked in his sudden rage. You will forget about any human! Know your place, your father knows what's best for you.
And soon after that was said, the ducks began to quack in perfect unison.
The great grandmother duck brought the beautiful wedding crown of reeds and placed it upon Duck's little mopey head.
And the marriage procession between the little Duck and the strong young Gander began.
Elsewhere, the knight tore through the dark forest. "Duck! Duck, where are you?...!" He screamed, ripping his hands through the dense branches and leaves. No, Duck... Going out so late at night. What if you're...
–What if something eats you?
You're just a tiny little duck!
You moronic duck!
Clenching his teeth in his tantrum, he tore further through the forest, his ebony hair becoming wild and frazzled with his uncontrollable fury.
"No... it's because she's just a moronic girl! No duck would be this ridiculous and melodramatic. Flying all the way over here. She always acts on impulse!" The knight spat in resentment.
Fighting and careening through the greenery- his hands and arms became torn and bleeding. So destructively did the Knight curse and hurry, that his eyes became weepy and blurry.
Misplacing his next step, he went tumbling through the downward slope of the forest– rolling for what seemed like a hundred moments– crashing through the boughs guarding a steep drop into the lake.
The knight dropped into the water, struggling to find which way was up or down. Finally, he let himself go and floated to the top. Pulling his face out of the cold water, he came to his senses.
Taking place halfway across the pond was a strange procession. Rows of ducks waddled on the water, dancing around the smallest duck and a large bird. The silhouette of the smallest duck, with a strange crown on it's head, was all too familiar to the knight....
"–Duck!" Fakir hastened, backstroking towards the group of waterfowl.
"Quaaaa quaaack quack quackquack." The minister duck recited, loftily lifting his head in his majestic bowler hat.
And so... littlest Duck. Do you take the great strong young Gander to be your lawfully wedded husband- to care for in sickness and in health, through fire and winter, darkness and day?
The minister duck questioned.
Duck sobbed uncontrollably. "QUAAACK!" No! I can't! I don't love him! I don't want to marry a gander! I'm cursed to never proclaim my love, or else–
Stupid little duck! Stupid girl!
Marry him! Marry him!
All the witnessing ducks complained and criticized bitterly behind Duck's back.
Does she think she still has a chance to love amongst humans?
For even the prince himself rejected her in favor of the //raven's daughter//!
Duck froze in hurt and suffering.
It was true. It was all true...
"Quaaaack..." She folded her head down.
My dearest daughter. Do not hurt us any more. Know your place amongst the animals, and make your father proud. The old fat gander persuaded.
"What the... What are those birds doing?" Fakir questioned in perplexion. He stopped his hurrying and now stealthily paddled nearer.
He stared at the scene of the animals. There was a crowd watching on both sides, two ducks up front, and a grave looking duck in a bowler hat before them.
"Is this... a wedding?" Fakir whispered, finally making sense of the scene before him.
"Impossible... Does Duck... want to be with someone other than me?" He halted, a fear and sorrow deeper than any he ever felt before... welling up inside him.
Instantaneously, the strong young gander forcefully took Duck's wings in his. Duck cried out in pain. Ow! My wing's still broken. Please...! Stop! It hurts!
Somebody!
Fakir!
Fakir where are you?...!
Duck! Stop this nonsense! You shall be my wife! Now agree to your vows and kiss me! The gander persisted, pulling her close and putting his beak closer to her struggling bill.
No! Please! You're a gander, and I'm just a duck!
But you found no problems with a human?!
No! It's true that there were problems, that's not it, but!...
The knight looked at his duck, crying and struggling against her will. No longer was he wavering. He finally knew what her will was.
He saw that her heart was that of a real girl's.
Rising through the water, the knight no longer withheld his presence. Standing tall above the waterfowl, water pouring off of him, he made himself known.
"You!... –I object!" He declared, the redness in his face rising from the awkwardness.
As harebrained as it inherently was, he now understood what he had to do– he was going to steal away the duck bride.
The ducks honked in a great sea of flapping wings and feathers, rippling and sending the lake into a frenzy.
What's this? Duck's human lover?
The knight?
Did he seriously come for her?
What a strange human!
Such a strange human!
The knight thought he could hear their words– audible voices amongst the quacking.
The fat old gander spread out the widest breadth of his wingspan and quieted the mobbing waterfowl.
Silence! He honked in his most prestigious voice.
The knight could hear his words... Somehow...
So... you both want my fine daughter?
Then so be it!
You two shall duel, and the winner will be proven worthy to be her husband!
"I understand..." Fakir stated, lowering his head. He took his sword out. "Then I shall duel to the death, if need be. Because to me Duck is anything... but a mere duck." He swept his blade outwards, slicing the air in a powerful swing.
The great strong gander honked, snapping his incredible beak, a beak so powerful– it was capable of snapping off the legs and arms of men.
I accept as well! The great gander proclaimed.
~The battle is waged! A man and a gander– fighting for the love of a duck?...~
So one day, the couple thought up a plan to make the duck reveal its true nature. After carefully discussing their plan, they hid and yelled loudly that they were leaving to go gather.
The little duck, certain that they were now gone, transformed into a young girl before their eyes and set to work in the kitchen.
To confirm that what they saw was real, the couple ran into the bedroom and found the duck's nest– empty.
An unsettling mixture of greed and love overpowered the old couple– now at last they could have a child all to themselves.
As the girl rushed into the room to see what the sound was, the couple threw the duck's nest into the fire–
And watched it burn.
---------------------------------------------
Duck flapped with all her passion. Soaring through the pale light of the blue evening sky– peaking the heavens, she saw the fullness of the moon before falling back through the clouds.
Though she was a teen in human years, she was but a mere fledgling in duck years.
And a fledgling like her was not meant to fly.
So Duck fell back down to the earth, swirling as she flapped and honked with all her might.
But nothing helped her stay airborne.
Crashing down upon a tree in the forest, she hit every branch she met on the way down– finally falling onto the padding of a large and soft mushroom.
"Quaaaack..." Duck mumbled. Wha... What happened?
Dizzily, Duck reared her head to view her surroundings. Woozily, the clear water before the little duck came into focus.
Am I back at the lake?...
She wondered. So she flapped and took one jump off of the mushroom.
Her wing ached in fresh pain. /Oh... and it had just healed. Maybe this is why Fakir had told me to sit still all this time./
She shook her duck head.
Oh!... Who cares what that Fakir thinks! He'd keep me in a cage if it were more convenient!
Duck waddled towards the water and jumped in with a splash. Floating atop the water, she swam towards the center of the lake.
I remember... When jumping into the water like this used to...
Duck looked down at her reflection on the water– a melancholy glimmer set into her sky blue eyes.
/I'm not a girl anymore. I was never a girl./
But why do I have these feelings?
Tears shed from Duck's eyes into the water. Slowly, the water rippled around her. In the moonlight, other ducks pranced into the water, jumping off the ledges of the lake and floating in unison atop its crystal surface.
"Quack. Quack." They shouted. It's the little duck. She's back! The fledgling that no mother raised.
"Quaaaack..." Duck replied. That's right, no mother raised her.
When she was but an egg, her mother must've kicked her out of the nest.
The egg rolling down and away, it was said that the fat old gander at the bottom of the hill found the egg and sat upon it. All day and all night he warmed the egg, until at last, it hatched.
The ducks parted on the water. Slowly, the fat old gander swam, swayingly, towards her.
"HOOOOONK." The gander called. My little daughter.
"Quack." Duck replied. Papa?
Where have you been all this time, my little daughter? I heard unsightly rumors– rumors of you walking amongst the humans and even falling in love!
This makes your papa very upset.
The old gander honked.
/But papa! /Duck cried.
You dry your tears, little one. Think no more of the stupid human who broke your heart. For tonight, you are going to marry one whom you belong with. One of your kind who will cherish you forever.
And the gander honked loudly again. Then thrice. The water rippled once more as the ducks parted to make way. Resolutely, a husky but younger gander floated across the water.
"Hooonk. Honk." He greeted. Beautiful duck. You shall marry me.
Duck froze in terror. But... But...
I've never even met you before!
Her father gander shook his head and honked.
Oh, but you have! He is my sister's eldest son. You once played together when you were but two weeks old. But of course you've already forgotten. You are already several months old. Such memories fade when you grow older.
"Quaaack!" Duck shook her head in horror. No! No! I don't want to marry someone I don't have feelings for. I can't.... Papa!
The ducks swam closer, encircling the little duck so that there was no where for her to swim.
"Quack quack quack!" They all laughed. She heard their murmuring.
How fitting! Such a fitting marriage. For such a strange little duck.
Marrying into the family of geese suits her well!
Ha hahahaha!
Duck closed her eyes in heartbreak. But... Fakir... he...
The gander honked in his sudden rage. You will forget about any human! Know your place, your father knows what's best for you.
And soon after that was said, the ducks began to quack in perfect unison.
The great grandmother duck brought the beautiful wedding crown of reeds and placed it upon Duck's little mopey head.
And the marriage procession between the little Duck and the strong young Gander began.
Elsewhere, the knight tore through the dark forest. "Duck! Duck, where are you?...!" He screamed, ripping his hands through the dense branches and leaves. No, Duck... Going out so late at night. What if you're...
–What if something eats you?
You're just a tiny little duck!
You moronic duck!
Clenching his teeth in his tantrum, he tore further through the forest, his ebony hair becoming wild and frazzled with his uncontrollable fury.
"No... it's because she's just a moronic girl! No duck would be this ridiculous and melodramatic. Flying all the way over here. She always acts on impulse!" The knight spat in resentment.
Fighting and careening through the greenery- his hands and arms became torn and bleeding. So destructively did the Knight curse and hurry, that his eyes became weepy and blurry.
Misplacing his next step, he went tumbling through the downward slope of the forest– rolling for what seemed like a hundred moments– crashing through the boughs guarding a steep drop into the lake.
The knight dropped into the water, struggling to find which way was up or down. Finally, he let himself go and floated to the top. Pulling his face out of the cold water, he came to his senses.
Taking place halfway across the pond was a strange procession. Rows of ducks waddled on the water, dancing around the smallest duck and a large bird. The silhouette of the smallest duck, with a strange crown on it's head, was all too familiar to the knight....
"–Duck!" Fakir hastened, backstroking towards the group of waterfowl.
"Quaaaa quaaack quack quackquack." The minister duck recited, loftily lifting his head in his majestic bowler hat.
And so... littlest Duck. Do you take the great strong young Gander to be your lawfully wedded husband- to care for in sickness and in health, through fire and winter, darkness and day?
The minister duck questioned.
Duck sobbed uncontrollably. "QUAAACK!" No! I can't! I don't love him! I don't want to marry a gander! I'm cursed to never proclaim my love, or else–
Stupid little duck! Stupid girl!
Marry him! Marry him!
All the witnessing ducks complained and criticized bitterly behind Duck's back.
Does she think she still has a chance to love amongst humans?
For even the prince himself rejected her in favor of the //raven's daughter//!
Duck froze in hurt and suffering.
It was true. It was all true...
"Quaaaack..." She folded her head down.
My dearest daughter. Do not hurt us any more. Know your place amongst the animals, and make your father proud. The old fat gander persuaded.
"What the... What are those birds doing?" Fakir questioned in perplexion. He stopped his hurrying and now stealthily paddled nearer.
He stared at the scene of the animals. There was a crowd watching on both sides, two ducks up front, and a grave looking duck in a bowler hat before them.
"Is this... a wedding?" Fakir whispered, finally making sense of the scene before him.
"Impossible... Does Duck... want to be with someone other than me?" He halted, a fear and sorrow deeper than any he ever felt before... welling up inside him.
Instantaneously, the strong young gander forcefully took Duck's wings in his. Duck cried out in pain. Ow! My wing's still broken. Please...! Stop! It hurts!
Somebody!
Fakir!
Fakir where are you?...!
Duck! Stop this nonsense! You shall be my wife! Now agree to your vows and kiss me! The gander persisted, pulling her close and putting his beak closer to her struggling bill.
No! Please! You're a gander, and I'm just a duck!
But you found no problems with a human?!
No! It's true that there were problems, that's not it, but!...
The knight looked at his duck, crying and struggling against her will. No longer was he wavering. He finally knew what her will was.
He saw that her heart was that of a real girl's.
Rising through the water, the knight no longer withheld his presence. Standing tall above the waterfowl, water pouring off of him, he made himself known.
"You!... –I object!" He declared, the redness in his face rising from the awkwardness.
As harebrained as it inherently was, he now understood what he had to do– he was going to steal away the duck bride.
The ducks honked in a great sea of flapping wings and feathers, rippling and sending the lake into a frenzy.
What's this? Duck's human lover?
The knight?
Did he seriously come for her?
What a strange human!
Such a strange human!
The knight thought he could hear their words– audible voices amongst the quacking.
The fat old gander spread out the widest breadth of his wingspan and quieted the mobbing waterfowl.
Silence! He honked in his most prestigious voice.
The knight could hear his words... Somehow...
So... you both want my fine daughter?
Then so be it!
You two shall duel, and the winner will be proven worthy to be her husband!
"I understand..." Fakir stated, lowering his head. He took his sword out. "Then I shall duel to the death, if need be. Because to me Duck is anything... but a mere duck." He swept his blade outwards, slicing the air in a powerful swing.
The great strong gander honked, snapping his incredible beak, a beak so powerful– it was capable of snapping off the legs and arms of men.
I accept as well! The great gander proclaimed.
~The battle is waged! A man and a gander– fighting for the love of a duck?...~
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