Drosselmeyer's Finale: The Mouse, The Princess and The Curse

Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12: Like Father...

"You're back." Autor looked up beside Fakir, whose status hadn't seemed to change. His left leg was almost entirely wood.

"Did...Did you fix it?" Ahiru asked.

"I hate to say it, but theres no way he can mimic Drosselmeyer's writing to awaken his ability again - look..."

Ahiru looked down to see that Fakir's writing was practically illegible.

"He couldn't draw a straight line to save his life."

Ahiru looked to Fakir with sad eyes. He was still in pain. So much so his jaw hadn't unclenched since she'd came in.

"...or any other kind of line for that matter. Plus, to reverse a spell, Fakir told me you have to ...trade. A story can't take a left turn for no reason, so that rule, it makes sense. " Autor sighed. "What happened with Nesumir...that didn't take very long..."

"Nesumir knows. He even referred to a memory on the lake of a Swan..uhm dancing..." Ahiru saw Fakir's jaw loosen as his eyes met hers in a confused stare.

"So he knows about your past?" Autor speculated.

"And...and his last words were '...return to your toy prince, soon a knight with no armor'...or something like that."

"He did it." Fakir grumbled out.

"It seems that way. But unless we figure out who- and even if we do- I mean we can't fix much with Fakir like this-"

"That's another thing." Ahiru looked nervously to them. "He said he's willing to make a deal. But first he wants the Knight's sword."

"Your sword?" Autor looked to Fakir.

"It's the only thing- I have-" Fakir's words broke in cringes and sweat. "To protect-Ahiru-"

"Fakir its not me that needs protecting...not now anyway-"

"But he said he knows-"

"He knows she's Princess Tutu doesn't he?" Autor's eyes opened.

Ahiru looked to the ground. "I think so. But that doesn't matter; if we need to give him it...then we can get you back to normal and fix it all. Maybe if you make me into Princess Tutu again I can-"

"Last time I did that I nearly got you killed."

"But I helped."

"It's really out only choice. We can always pretend to give it up and then take it back before the deal is set." Autor looked hard, as if he was decoding a puzzle.

"This is weak." Fakir sighed.

Ahiru was happy to see him speak, but noticed his hands clenching again, so hard that his palms almost bled.

"It's all we have. Why don't we at least amuse the idea to find out who and what he wants...and who he is since that one remains a complex mystery." Autor said, in a way that made Ahiru and Fakir wonder if it was a jab at them for their inability to remember this "loose end" or his own disdain for his ability to figure it out.

Ahiru swallowed. She knew, they wouldn't go if they knew how much Nesumir had seemed interested in her... Fakir came first this time. She'd do what she had to to fix this.

"...can you even walk Fakir?" Ahiru asked concernedly, closing the silence.

"I can hobble or something- maybe." He said as beads of sweat rolled down his head.

Autor nodded. "I'm unimpressed though."

"Why?" They asked.

"I'm ending up as a better crutch then any kind of decoder of Drosselmeyer's web, its kind of a let down."