The Knight and the Duck

~14~

School seemed to be normal, although when she made it to her class, her teacher was neither cat nor human guy.

It was a lady. Although Duck was pleasantly surprised, she still made clumsy mistakes resulting in staying after.

"Cleaning duty😩 again" Duck groaned. "Some things just don't change."

"Hey, Duck?" Rue's voice floated over to her from the door. "I see you're still getting cleaning duty despite your dancing parts. I thought you were going out with Mytho?"

Rue leaned on the wall, smirking.

Duck took in the sight of her friend. It was so interesting, being back with her.

"Duck? Are you going out? With Mytho?"

"Oh!" Duck shook her head fervently. "Rue, I'm really not looking to date Mytho. How about you? do you want to?"

Rue blushed, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Well I- Well we were supposed to play fair. It's not fair if you just give up!"

Duck dumped the mop in the water and went over to Rue. "I'm really not the Duck you think I am." Ahiru frowned. "You said earlier, you turned into Kraehe? Are you still Kraehe?"

Rue didn't like that, and looked away in disgust. "Miss Edel gave me a pendant, It used my bad emotions and turned me into Kraehe, under the guise of being able to get Mythos love."

Duck softened her gaze. "I, I didn't mean to hurt you Rue. I'm just, where I'm from, this wasn't how the story went."

"How would you not know? You're so weird." Rue folded her arms but didn't step back. She didn't seem to be disgusted or mad with Duck exactly, but definitely uncomfortable with the topic.

Duck clasped her hands. "In, whatever alternate thing this is, My Rue, she got married to Mytho!!"

The image of the storybook couple in their beautiful clothing, Rue's golden dress, Prince Siegfrieds love for her.

Duck alit with excitement, and grabbed Rues hand, twirling her around. "You had this Beautiful!!! dress and he loves you so so much. You were Kraehe for similar reasons though, But you were raised by the Raven. Mytho really loves you."

Rue couldn't help but be skeptical.

"How do you...know all that?"

"I told you, whatever happened here, isn't what happened to me. I went to the lake yesterday, you see, in my world I'm a duck, and I got sucked in!"

Rue furrowed her brow. "You're a duck? Prove it."

"Ahhhh I can't actually." Duck smiled at Rue. "I used to be able to transform back with water. But things have changed."

Rue bit her lip and thought about it for a moment. "Me and Mytho really get married?"

"Yeah! but you guys go back into the book, you see, Mytho is a prince. You're his princess."

A smile escaped Rue's frown, unable to contain the delight at being Mythos princess.

"What about Princess Tutu? If you're a duck? And Fakir?"

"I had to give up my amulet, to give Mythos heart shards back. But I turned into a duck. Fakir takes care of me. Recently I have been able to turn into a girl." Duck wished Fakir was here now, she missed his prescense.

"So that's why you were so eager to hug Fakir. No wonder. Does this mean if you are able to go back, the other Duck will come back and want to be with Mytho?" Her tone wavered.

"So Duck, how will you get back? to where you should go?"

"I dunno yet honestly," It was true, Ahiru didn't know. It was a bit scary. There was no way if she transformed into a duck if she could get back and what would she do?

"If I turn into a duck there's no way I can get back." She looked up at Rue, tears forming in her eyes.

Rue wasn't used to such emotion from Duck. "Ah, So, um..Come here"

They embraced, and Duck squeezed her. "I know you're not my Rue but I'm so glad to see you."

"Likewise," Rue murmured back.

When Duck separated from her friend, Rue said she could leave the mop there and vouch for her. The best way to get everyone to help was to tell everyone else about the problem.

"I couldn't do that-" Unsure about the situation, Duck and Rue walked out of the building towards the lake. "The thing about all this is problematic"

"How so? If you tell Mytho he might be able to help! And also I won't bother you about dating him anymore. All mine for a few days!! ee!" Rue held her heart and sighed.

"Well see, it'll be awkward. I don't know Fakir." Duck grumbled.

"Ahh that's right! Fakir takes care of you on your side of the lake."

"Yeah, he was Mythos knight. But the only way to turn back into me is...well, uh" Duck felt her face turn red and hoped Rue wasn't looking at her.

No response from Rue so Duck looked up at her.

"You like him!!" Rue was so excited about this. Maybe a little too much. She was much more excitable than Ahiru's Rue. "So how do you turn back is it maybe, True Loves Kiss???!!!" Her smile extended up her whole face

Duck waved her arms around "I mean I-oh I didn't think about that but I can't I- Rue it's just I don't know how the Fakir is here!" She was exasperated. She buried her face in her hands and peeked up at her

"I think it's so nice. I like your world." Rue was calm at the situation, content with the opposing future.

"Well just until yesterday I was a duck, Rue, you got a prince." Duck didn't mind it though, her tone was light. She was fine with getting to be a duck. As long as she was safe and not forgotten, and was able to help those in need.

"True true." Flipping her hair behind her shoulder, Rue pondered on Ducks situation. "If Mytho and I set you up with our Fakir here, could you turn back?" She was sincere.

"I don't know. I'm sure if I at least had a talk with Fakir things might be slightly okay. But if things are like where we hate each other than how do I talk?"

Rue shrugged. "The same way we talk I suppose. At least you don't have to call me 'Miss Rue' anymore. Ugh that was a problem."

"I can still call you Miss Rue!" Duck smiled wide.

"NO thank you!" Rue snapped back. "Rue is fine I guess."

//Hi guys pls drink water