A/N: Ahem… *belts out at top of lungs* FREUDE, SCHÖNER GÖTTERFUNKEN TOCHTER AUS ELYSIUM,
WIR BETRETEN FEUERTRUNKEN, HIMMLISCHE, DEIN HEILIGTUM! *shrugs* Seemed appropriate to sing a little of the final movement of Beethoven's 9th since I'm almost done with this and I'm so freaking happy about it. Considering it is also known as the Ode to Joy…yeah… So here we are at long last. The death scene, the confession, the transformation, the resolution of the plot, and the happy ending! I've been wanting to write this bit since I started this story back in October. It is now nearly the end of May. I have been waiting a long time for this… I'm not waiting any longer! I can see the finish! Here we go! Ah…quick recommendation, before I really get going, though. I…may have been listening to the Chrono Cross Soundtrack while I was writing this and 'Life – Distant Promise' started just as I hit the bit with the transformation. It…kind of influenced me a bit. Well, part of it did at least. That's why I am recommending you look it up and listen to the first 50 or seconds when you reach that part of the chapter because that sequence of notes is what is playing when the curse breaks. Not the whole song though, because the transformation sequence is not 6 minutes long. Just…repeat the rapid note sequence in your head for that segment to get the full effect of what I am trying to describe. T_T This song hijacks my brain and has since I finished that bloody game for the first time back in 2001…. Holy cow, it's been sixteen years since the first time I actually finished a video game that wasn't made by Nintendo… Well, not quite… It was June then. So it's almost sixteen years as of my writing this… Still…wow… Right! Story!

Disclaimer: I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 14: Dawn

"Tier," Ahiru cried out as she grabbed onto her friend's wrists as he fell backwards limply, "No!" She winced slightly at the sound of Femio's scream as he fell, but couldn't focus on grieving his needless death. She had to save Tier! The red head braced her foot against the stone railing of the balustrade and threw all her weight backwards. Amazingly, this worked to pull him back up and she fell backwards onto the wet stone as the dragon-like man's limp body landed on top of her. He groaned weakly at the impact and, mustering what remained of his strength, tried to roll off of her.

The blue-eyed maiden did her best to help and, between the both of them, managed to shift the injured man so that he was lying on his back. His eyes were shut tight as he struggled to breathe and winced as a series of weak, wet-sounding coughs tore out of his throat. Between the slow drain on his strength over the past few weeks, being shot in the back, and now the stab wound that had torn a gaping hole in his left lung Tier's body simply couldn't endure any longer. Tragically, he was getting his wish for a quick death instead of one that was slow and drawn out, but at a time when he did not want it. "Tier," Ahiru pleaded as she cradled his head and shoulders in her arms, "Tier, look at me!"

The dying man opened his eyes partially and met her gaze. He didn't want to die without at least knowing why she'd returned, and struggled to muster enough strength to ask her. "You...," he gasped weakly, "Came back. Why…? I thought…" Ahiru smiled comfortingly at her injured friend as she replied, "Of course I did! After Femio went crazy, and bribed everyone into coming after you… I knew I had to at least try to talk him out if it before anyone got hurt… Only…I guess I failed at that…" "I…see…," the dragon-like man murmured sadly.

Part of him had been hoping for more even though he knew better than to expect her to have suddenly fallen for him while she was away. Such a thing was impossible. Another series of wet coughs tore through him and it started to occur to the red head that he might actually be dying and not just badly injured. She bit her lip anxiously as his eyelids started to flutter shut and his breaths came in ever shallowing gasps once the coughing fit ended. "Tier," she pleaded desperately, "Tier, hang on!" The dying man huffed weakly as he forced his eyes back open, "Tired…of hearing…you call…me that…" Ahiru blinked in confusion at this random complaint, "What?" He sighed, coughed again, and did his best to explain between his faltering gasps for air, "Tier… It's not…my real…name…"

"So," she asked hesitantly, "Then what is your name?" The dying man's eyelids fluttered again as he replied faintly, "It's…Fakir…" "Fakir," the red-head repeated thoughtfully. It was a nice sounding name, and part of her was puzzled why he had gone with the name 'Tier' for as long as she'd known him. Fakir nodded weakly and whispered, "Yes…" His eyes had slid mostly shut once more and the time between his shallow gasps for air had gradually lengthened until he was barely breathing at all. Ahiru had noticed this, but was still holding onto the hope that some sort of miracle would prevent his death. "Please don't die, Fakir," she begged desperately, "Please!"

A weak, sad smile spread across Fakir's face. There was nothing he could do to grant her request no matter how much he wished to. The last thing he wanted was to break her heart by dying in her arms, and he desperately regretted that he couldn't spare her that. The pain of his injuries and his failing body were already fading away. Yet he still tried to at least tell her goodbye with what little strength he had left. "I'm glad," he breathed as his eyelids fluttered shut for the last time, "I got…the chance…to see…you…again…bef…ore…I…" His voice trailed off into a faint sigh as his body slackened and stilled in her arms.

Ahiru froze before shakily inquiring, "Fakir?" He didn't respond, and she shifted her grip to his shoulder before shaking him gently, "Fakir, wake up!" All that her actions resulted in was his head flopping about limply with the movement before falling back when she stopped. Slowly, the truth started to dawn on her as she shook her head in denial and she screamed, "FAKIR! NO, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" Tragically, her cries were in vain. Fakir, the Crown Prince of Goldkrone Castle, was dead.

Ahiru started to cry over her fallen friend's body as she was forced to accept that he really was gone. It hurt more than anything she'd ever experienced. 'No,' she denied silently, 'No, he can't be dead! He just can't! He's my best friend!' Yet as the thought flashed across her mind it suddenly occurred to her that he meant more to her than that. The thought that she might actually lose him had shaken her terribly, but it wasn't until she realized that there was still hope for him to survive that her feelings for him started to grow. Over the course of the ride back to the castle, they had continued to evolve rapidly until – just as she'd finally been reunited with him – they finally settled into feelings of love. She simply hadn't recognized the change until now.

Against all odds, she had fallen in love with the cursed prince before the final petal fell from the enchanted rose. Yet what did that matter? He was already dead, and she felt her heart shatter as she wept bitterly. "No," she sobbed brokenly, "Please no… You can't be dead… You can't…" She never noticed the storm's fury had given way to a gentle, somber rain that fell gently on them both. "I love you, Fakir…," she whispered tearfully as she buried her face against Fakir's motionless chest, "Please… Wake up…"

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Mytho, too, was weeping silently as he watched from the balcony doors. Ahiru had passed him shortly before reaching the doors to the prince's chambers, but had not noticed him. He'd arrived on the scene in time to witness everything from their reunion to his best friend's last breath and the red-head's tearful confession. Now he grieved not only for his beloved friend, prince, and brother's death, but also for the heartbreak being suffered by the girl his friend had loved.

"It can't end like this," he whispered angrily as he turned to glare up at the wilting rose, "Neither of them deserves such a cruel fate! Why?! Why would you let him die when his time wasn't even up?! They love each other! You've heard his confession and now hers as well! Doesn't that mean your conditions are satisfied?! How could you let this happen?!" He didn't expect the rose to answer him. For all that it was enchanted, it was not – and never had been – able to speak. However, he was hoping – praying in fact – that the rose would show some sign that the curse binding them would break. Yet it did not. To his horror, the light of the last remaining petal dimmed before it separated from the stem and floated down to join the rest of the petals on the table before the glow fully died.

A choked sob escaped the enchanted maitre'd as he bowed his head in despair. It seemed as though all hope was lost…then the rose stem and the pile of petals dissolved into a swirling multicolored cloud of sparks with a faint chime that drew Mytho's attention. A second chime at a slightly higher pitch sounded as the sparks phased through the glass, and then a third chime at a slightly lower pitch sounded as they slowly started to drift towards the balcony. A fourth, higher pitched chime sounded as they neared the doors, then a fifth and sixth at two different lower pitches sounded as they swirled around the still sobbing Ahiru, and finally a seventh sounded as they shot skywards before disappearing into the clouds.

Seconds later a sequence of seven glowing, bolts of magic fell to the balcony accompanied by a louder repetition of that same sequence of chimes. The grieving red-head looked up as she noticed the first few bolts fall and looked around in confusion. Yet, after the last chime sounded a new, more vigorous sequence of chiming notes resounded through the air as more and more radiant packets of magical power streaked down from the sky. Ahiru squeaked anxiously as they impacted the balcony around her, yet none of them touched her. This wasn't that comforting though as they came uncomfortably close to where she sat cradling Fakir's body tightly to her chest.

Her anxiety grew as a swirling fog rose from the wet stone and started to twine about Fakir's limbs; she tried to pull him away. Yet the rising magical power had a purpose to fulfil and would not be denied. The magical fog proved to be surprisingly solid as it gently, yet firmly pushed at her arms until she was forced to release her friend's body. To her surprise, the fog supported him and continued to swirl upwards until his body was floating and spinning limply in the air over where she still knelt. The chiming notes continued to sound as the fog started to glow with the same light the rose had once had before the faint radiance sank into the dead man's body.

Moments later, he started to glow from within as his body began to shift and change before her eyes. His wings melted into his back as the fabric of his shirt spread to cover the now bare scaled skin; followed by his tail slowly shrinking up towards the base of his spine until it disappeared and the fabric of his pants smoothly covered the gap as it opened until that space was fully covered as well. His taloned feet slowly shrank and changed shape until they looked completely human, and then his hands and ears repeated the change. His horns shrank until they disappeared into his hair, and then the scales started to merge together and gradually lighten in color.

A sudden flash of light forced Ahiru to close her eyes, yet when she opened them again it was to find Fakir's body had fully changed from its familiar dragon-like form to one that was fully human. The fog was still supporting him as it gently lowered his body to the balcony as the chiming notes started to slow. As the final crystalline tone faded away, so too did the remnants of the fog leaving the now human prince lying limply on his side. The red-head hesitantly started to approach before suddenly freezing as he groaned weakly, and then rushed over to his side.

She fell to her knees in disbelief as she realized he was breathing again, and pulled his upper body back into her arms as she studied his features intently. He didn't look all that different aside from that his hair wasn't as thick, he had thick, dark eyebrows where the scaled ridges had once been, and he had lightly tanned skin in place of scales. Then his eyelids fluttered and flicked back open revealing his familiar – if slightly dazed and unfocused – malachite green eyes with normal pupils in place of the reptilian ones she had grown used to. He blinked a few times before focusing on her face and frowning faintly as he noticed the tears still streaming down from her eyes. "Thought I told you," he grumbled tiredly, "I didn't want you crying over me…"

He had no way of knowing her tears were now more relieved than anything, and she smiled back sheepishly prompting the prince to roll his eyes in annoyance. He reached a hand up to brush them away as he opened his mouth to remind her how much he hated it when she was sad before freezing as he noticed the change that had taken place, "What?!" Fakir gaped in amazement as he brought his now human hand to his face and turned it forward and back several times. "The curse…it's broken," he murmured disbelievingly before stammering as he turned his stunned gaze on the young woman still holding him, "Ahiru…you…?" The red head blinked in confusion and tilted her head to the side, "What?" The dark-haired man grunted as he sat up and shifted position so he could look her in the face. "Ahiru, the curse I was under…it can only be broken if I learn to love someone," he explained hesitantly before a blush spread across his face as he finished, "And if they fall in love with me…" Ahiru started to blush as well upon hearing that, "Um…" She really had no idea how to respond to that revelation.

Fakir sighed at her reaction and shook his head. "If you really need me to say it," he muttered awkwardly before sighing again and looking away as the blush across his cheeks darkened considerably, "I'm in love with you, Ahiru." Ahiru stared at him in surprise as he continued quietly, "I have been for a while… I just…didn't…feel like I deserved to love someone like you… You're…easily the kindest, most forgiving, and most free-spirited person I've ever had the fortune to meet and I…I…" The dark haired prince trailed off and closed his eyes before swallowing hard, and continued, "I'm not going to ask for anything more from you than you are willing to offer. If it means we're just friends, then I'll accept that. If…it means we become something more… No matter what I will be content with whatever you choose so long as you are a part of my life."

Ahiru blinked a few times as he finished speaking and shook her head in amazement. She'd been expecting a proposal or something, and his offer to let her choose what she wanted their relationship to be caught her off guard. Still, she knew what she wanted without having to think about it much. Considering their shared passion for ballet and Fakir's clear desire for her to be happy… She didn't mind changing her dreams a bit. No, there was no reason why pursuing a relationship with the prince couldn't work out. They loved each other, and that was enough for her. She smiled and hesitantly tried to catch his attention, "Fakir…?" The dark haired young man sighed, but didn't look at her as he replied flatly, "What, moron?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed in irritation as she realized the prickles were back. Clearly, he was expecting a rejection and had gone fully into defensive mode. Ahiru refused to let him get away with that and reached out, grabbed his face, and forced him to look at her as she scowled at him, "You are such a jerk…" Fakir glared back at her stubbornly before his eyes widened in surprise as she leaned forward and kissed him as she concluded inside her head, 'And yet I love you all the same.' It took the prince a few moments to work out that this was her way of answering him, and once he did he immediately felt a thrill of elation as he responded to her kiss. This was more than he'd ever dared to hope for and, as his eyes drifted shut and brought a hand up to caress her cheek, he swore he'd never give her cause to regret her choice.

As the new couple deepened their kiss, a wave of magic flowed over the castle as the last remnants of the curse gave way. Mytho muffled a yelp as he banged his head against the edge of the table upon changing from an ornate, three-pronged candlestick to a full grown human male. He rubbed the forming lump under his feathery, snowy white hair, then smoothly stood and brushed off his pants before adjusting his jacket. It was nice to have hands and legs again. He then headed over to the balcony doors to check on his friends.

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All across the castle, similar transformations were taking place as everyone from the castle guards to the scullery maids were restored to their original forms. The castle itself also changed as the curse continued unraveling. The decayed tapestries were restored to their former richness of color and pristine state of preservation, the grim statuary reverted to the assorted statues and busts of Fakir's more illustrious royal ancestors they had originally been, the damaged pillars were instantly renewed, and all the signs of decay and neglect about the castle were undone. As the last of the curse's power faded, the remnants of magic surged back upwards into the storm clouds above and dispersed them to reveal the light of the rising sun peaking over the horizon. Both the storm and the curse were dispelled. Yet Fakir and Ahiru noticed none of this.

They probably would have continued kissing each other if Mytho hadn't cleared his throat from his relaxed position against the door to the balcony. The prince and Ahiru stiffened in surprise at the sudden interruption as they each pulled back, and Fakir scowled in annoyance towards the party responsible. An amused smirk crossed the maitre'd's face at that reaction which – naturally – caused the dark-haired man's scowl to deepen as he grumbled, "Don't start, Mytho." Mytho's amusement grew as he replied, "Start what?" The red-haired young woman blinked in confusion as the man she'd fallen for stood up and stated flatly, "Don't give me that. You have that irritatingly smug look all over your face."

Mytho only blinked and smiled innocently as he watched his best friend help the blue-eyed maiden to her feet, "I'm just pleased that everything ended well." The green-eyed prince scoffed quietly before walking over to where his best friend stood – with Ahiru trailing behind curiously – and stopped in front of him as he studied his friend skeptically. He then snorted and sarcastically stated, "Right. That's all it is." The golden-eyed maitre'd contrived to look even more innocent as he responded, "Hm? What else could it be? Surely you aren't expecting me to tell you 'I told you so' or something? That's Autor's job." The red-haired young woman giggled at that prompting Fakir to groan in irritation as he brought a hand up to his forehead, "Shut up…"

A clattering crash from the hallway drew the trio's attention effectively ending Mytho's friendly teasing for the moment. It was followed by what sounded like furious swearing, though the actual words couldn't be made out. It was the tone of voice more than anything. "Sounds like Autor ran into something," the maitre'd mused as his smirk returned, "He must be in a hurry." "Oh," Fakir grumbled sarcastically, "Great. More lectures." "Lectures," Ahiru inquired curiously. "You don't want to know," the prince sighed as the sound of someone stomping towards the doors echoed down the halls.

Not long afterwards a seething, blue-haired, glasses wearing young man in courtly dress stalked through the door. "Autor," the green-eyed man greeted drily. Autor's eyes abruptly focused on the now human prince and the young woman next to him before he glared furiously at his liege. "…Never…again…," the young chamberlain hissed. Somewhat taken aback by the uncharacteristic rage boiling off the blue-haired young man, Fakir stared at back at him with a hint of confusion gracing his features, "Huh?" "You…are never…letting that girl," the glasses wearing chamberlain snarled as he pointed sharply at Ahiru, "Out of your sight…again. Got it?!"

Frankly, the prince didn't intend to, but he didn't appreciate being ordered around by the younger man. "Dare I ask why," he asked tensely. Autor promptly snapped, "I WAS ALMOST TRAPPED AS A CLOCK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" Fakir scowled back in annoyance as he pointed out, "And I actually died. I think that gives me the right to make whatever choices I want in regards to my fiancé." Mytho, Ahiru, and the young chamberlain all gaped at the dark-haired man over that sudden pronouncement in silence for a few moments. Then the maitre'd slapped a hand over his mouth as he struggled to muffle his snickers, and the red-haired young woman simply blinked in sheer confusion.

Last she checked he hadn't even proposed. Since when was she his fiancé? She didn't get it. The blue-haired young man was even worse off though as he blinked a few times, shook his head, and cleared out an ear with his pinkie finger. He wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly and he inquired uncertainly, "Wait…what?" Fakir huffed and grabbed Ahiru's wrist to pull her after him as he headed for the door, "Not repeating myself." Mytho promptly doubled over laughing at the look of sheer confusion on the chamberlain's face. This was already the best day of his life and it had only just started!

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The prince released Ahiru's wrist once they left his chambers, but didn't stop walking down the hall prompting the young woman to hurry after him. "Um, Fakir," she asked curiously, "Since when were we engaged? You never asked me to marry you…" Fakir flinched and looked back at her apologetically, "Sorry, I just said that to shut Autor up… I mean, I'd love it if we were to be engaged, but I need to ask your father for permission first." "Oh, I see," the red-head nodded before a faint blush spread across her cheeks, "You really want to propose to me already?" The dark-haired man stopped and turned to look back at her in surprise, "Of course I do. I told you I am in love with you, remember? I meant it."

"It just seems kind of sudden is all," the blue-eyed maiden admitted , "We've only known each other for a few months." "I'm aware of that," the prince replied drily before he sighed and shook his head, "Look, Ahiru, I know it seems sudden, but I don't think you really get just what I mean when I say 'I love you'." Ahiru was puzzled by that remark, "What else could it mean other than exactly that?" Fakir blushed faintly as he ran his fingers through his hair before he started to explain awkwardly, "There are many types of love. I loved my parents, I love my servants like family, and I love you so much I have a hard time finding the right words to convey just how strongly I feel."

The blue-eyed young maiden tilted her head to the side curiously, but remained silent as he continued to explain with a slowly spreading flush of embarrassment, "I guess I should try though. To start with when I say I love you I am referring to every aspect of your being. I think you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met, and I've been introduced to a fair number of young noblewomen who were pretty enough on the outside. The thing is, that's about as deep as it went with most of them. You're beautiful all the way down to the core of who you are. Then there's the effect just being around you has on me. You inspire me to try to be a better person than I am, and without you in my life… I don't live."

Ahiru gaped at him at that admission which prompted a self-deprecating smirk to cross Fakir's face, "As pathetic as it sounds, I have come to rely on your presence in my life. You are more important to me than anything else, and there is nothing I would not do… Nothing I would not give to make you happy." She could only stare at the prince as he finished his startlingly honest explanation, "That's what I mean when I say 'I love you'. It means I am completely and utterly devoted to you and everything that you are or will ever be. It means that I am yours forever; heart, body, mind, and soul."

The red-haired maiden swallowed hard once the now furiously blushing prince fell silent before stammering uncertainly, "S-so…the reason you are already wanting to m-marry me…" "Is because I already love you with all of my heart, and I'd swear my feelings are only growing stronger with every passing day," Fakir stated bluntly as the blush started to fade, "I can wait, though. I'm even willing to court you for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable with the idea. Though, I'd like it if we could keep up the façade around Autor." Ahiru gave him a puzzled look as she mused, "I guess it's okay if we're just pretending… But why do you want to?"

"Because if he thinks we're engaged he'll willingly ward off all the overly ambitious members of my court who want me to marry their daughters, sisters, or female cousins once they learn I'm not dead," the prince replied flatly, "I love you and only you. Having to deal with a bunch of unwanted proposals is just going to tick me off. I'd prefer to avoid that if at all possible." "I am more than willing to play along if it means saving people from your horrible temper," the young woman agreed solemnly though the slight grin tugging at the corners of her mouth ruined the effect.

Fakir grinned lightly in response to her attempt at humor as he replied with equal gravity, "Your noble sacrifice is greatly appreciated. The masses may never learn of it, but know that it is indeed worthwhile." They looked at each other for a few moments before they both started to laugh. "That's another thing I love about you," the green-eyed man admitted between chuckles, "You make me laugh." Ahiru smiled back as she giggled, "Well, I like seeing you happy. It's all I ever wanted once I got to know you." "I feel the same," the prince smiled gently.

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Once the couple calmed down from their brief moment of levity, they resumed the trek down towards the main hall where Ahiru had last seen her companions. The red-head took the time to catch the prince up on her side of everything that had happened up until their reunion. Fakir was a bit surprised to learn the two strangers he'd seen in the illusions called up by the enchanted book had come along with her and her father. "Why would they care whether I lived or died, though," he asked her, "It's not as though they know me."

"They were the ones to work out the whole thing about you being the prince," the red-head explained, "And Pike, in particular, was livid that Femio was not only willing to commit treason, but had bribed people to help him out. Apparently, she and her family have always been furiously loyal to yours. As for Herr Katzenhaft, I think he was old enough to remember how things used to be before you were cursed and was hoping returning you to normal would help fix the whole neglect problem." Fakir tensed at that and frowned, "You mean with the nobles around Grünefelder."

"Well yeah," Ahiru shrugged, "Grünefelder and all the other small towns, villages, and farms." "I feared that was what you meant," Fakir muttered absently before an irritated scowl crossed his face, "And to think those same nobles would go on and on behind my back about how I wasn't a 'proper' prince… They won't be getting away with it. I promise you that." "Well, it's not as though we've suffered for their neglect," the red-head shrugged, "I mean, it's kind of irritating to have to give them money every year when they won't help us out, but things are pretty stable." "That doesn't excuse their behavior," the prince insisted.

They would have continued their conversation further had they not encountered a familiar-looking brunette walking down the hall towards them. The older woman smiled as she noticed them and curtsied politely, "My lord." "Raetsel," Fakir nodded back before inquiring with a concerned look, "Are Hans and the rest of your staff back to normal as well?" "They are," Raetsel replied, "As is everyone else in the castle. Nothing remains to show that we were ever under a curse." "Good," the prince sighed in relief before inquiring, "And Uzura? Has she been found?"

The head of the kitchen staff glanced over at a suddenly uncomfortable looking Ahiru as she hesitated to respond, "Um…" Fortunately, she was saved from having to explain by the little girl rocketing down the hall at full speed from behind her, and tackling the dark-haired man's legs with a gleeful cry, "PRINCEY-ZURA!" "That's a yes," he sighed as he looked down at the green-haired child, "Hello, Uzura." The blue-eyed little girl peered up at him with a bright smile and then promptly caught both young adults off guard as she asked bluntly, "Are you and Ahiru love-love now-zura?"

Fakir blushed as he glanced over at the now giggling red-head standing next to him and muttered awkwardly, "Um…yes…" "YAY," the little girl cheered before she started happily chanting, "Love-love, love-love, love-love…" The prince was growing increasingly embarrassed as she continued her chant, and would have preferred to just walk away. Unfortunately, with her clinging to his legs the way she was he was pretty much trapped. "Please let go of my legs," he requested tensely. All the little girl did in response to his request was to release one leg and cling tightly to the other while not once letting up on her chant.

Raetsel sighed, and shook her head as the dark-haired man shot her a pleading look before bending down to pry her niece off of him. "Now, Uzura," she scolded lightly, "The prince asked you to let him go. Don't be rude, now." "Don't want to-zura," Uzura huffed petulantly before resuming her chant. "Please, Uzura," Ahiru asked politely, "We really need to talk to my father, and he can't make it down the stairs with you clinging to his leg." The green-haired child stopped chanting, looked back at her older friend thoughtfully, and then smiled as she finally agreed, "Okay-zura!"

The prince let out a quiet sigh of relief as she finally let go of his leg. It had been starting to go numb from the little girl's surprisingly tight grip. As Raetsel led Uzura away down the hall, he took a moment to lean against the wall and massage it to get the circulation going again. Ahiru was about to ask him if he was okay when a familiar, amused female voice sounded from where the little girl had appeared, "Feeling all right, your highness?" Fakir scowled as he glanced up, "Really not in the mood for this right now, Rue."

The raven-haired maid laughed lightly before replying, "Neither am I, to be honest. I was wondering if you knew where Mytho had gotten off to." "He's up in my chambers by the balcony," he replied with a faint scowl, "Probably still being irritatingly smug. If you could make him stop I'd really appreciate it." Rue blinked a few times before an anticipatory look spread across her face as she purred, "Oh, I will… Pleasure to be of service, my prince…" Ahiru made a small inquisitive noise as the maid practically sauntered down the hallway towards the North Wing. The prince only shook his head and quietly muttered under his breath, "…Sometimes that girl worries me…"

He then straightened up and glanced over at Ahiru, "Shall we continue?" "Ah," she blinked before smiling sheepishly back at the prince, "Right… Sorry. I was just wondering why Rue looked so happy." Fakir sighed as the resumed their trek down to the main hall and started to explain, "I'm sure you're aware of the fact that she and Mytho are in a relationship." "Well, yeah," the red head admitted, "It's pretty hard to miss."

"They're actually engaged to be married," the dark-haired man revealed with a wry grin at the startled quack that escaped the young woman walking by his side, "Mytho proposed a few years after the curse was laid, but they decided to hold off on actually getting married until they were human again. He never gave up hope that the curse would be broken which is partly why he was being so smug earlier. No doubt Rue is looking forward to…ah…celebrating the fact that they finally have the chance to move forward, and I know for a fact that Mytho isn't going to be in any state to be thinking much of anything once she finds him." "I'm not sure I really get it," Ahiru frowned in befuddlement, "But Rue and Mytho are going to be married one day soon, right? And they're both happy not to be cursed anymore?" "Basically yes," Fakir replied. "Then I'm happy for them," she beamed brightly.

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They'd almost reached the grand staircase leading down to the hall when they ran into one final interruption. "Hello, Prince Fakir," a curly haired young woman in a simple, pale yellow dress curtsied before her face lit up at the sight of the red-head standing next to him, "Ahiru! You came back! Thank you so much!" Ahiru thought the young woman looked familiar, but was having a hard time placing her as she replied uncertainly, "Um…you're welcome?" Fakir sighed and shook his head before addressing the chamber maid, "Look, Hermia, I really need to deal with the townsfolk and hopefully work things out with my potential future father-in-law. Can you save the gushing for later?"

Hermia stared at the prince for a few moments as a broad smile spread across her face before she squealed giddily and rushed off. "No doubt she's going to find one of the other female servants to gossip with," he muttered and then turned his attention to the puzzled blue-eyed maiden, "Sorry if she startled you." "It's fine," she assured him before turning to look down the hall towards where the curly-haired brunette had raced away, "…I just wasn't expecting her to be so enthusiastic about that." "I'd have thought you'd be used to it by now," Fakir teased, "Considering she was your chamber maid during your original stay." "Well, I knew she could be a bit spastic sometimes and was really cheerful," Ahiru defended herself, "But we're just going to be talking to people!"

"One of those people being your father," the prince pointed out as they resumed walking, "Who still needs to give me permission to court you, let alone marry you, and I'm pretty sure he hates me." "He doesn't hate you," the red-head insisted. "Ahiru," the dark-haired man pointed out drily, "I locked him in the dungeon, made a deal with you that would make you my prisoner in his place, ripped him away from you without allowing him a chance to say goodbye, and then told him to forget about you before sending him away. He has every reason to not only deny my request, but forbid me from ever seeing you again."

"You just made a bad first impression," Ahiru smiled reassuringly, "I convinced him to give you a second chance before the whole mess with Femio started. It'll be fine! You'll see!" "I hope you're right," Fakir muttered as they reached the top of the side stairs that led down to the main landing, paused, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. It was time to be the Crown Prince again. He held out his arm to the blue-eyed maiden beside him, and she took it with an understanding smile. Then, together, they headed down the stairs to finish straightening out the mess Femio had caused.

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Fortunately, it didn't take much effort to convince the townsfolk he was the missing prince. Once she'd finished berating Lilie, Pike had turned her fury on them and made it absolutely clear to them that their greed had nearly caused them to help murder the rightful heir to the throne. Seeing the regal looking, dark-haired man descending the stairs towards them with Ahiru holding onto his arm only served to drive her point further home. They had screwed up. Badly. Fakir did give a short speech where he basically informed them that he was willing to forgive them for being greedy idiots this time, but only so long as they promised to never give into such temptation again. The townsfolk eagerly accepted his pardon and made their vow to the prince before he ordered his guards to escort them back to the village. However, there was still more to be done.

Lilie had been separated from the other townsfolk, and there was some concern over what was to be done with her. Ahiru's account of what had happened back in town had made it clear that she had been one of the major instigators for the attack, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again if she got bored enough. Fortunately, Pike had come up with a solution. She pointed out that the asylum was likely no longer under Drosselmeyer's control by this point, and there was no reason the sadistic blonde couldn't be sent there for treatment once they found someone new to serve as warden. Until then, she could stay in the castle dungeons. Fakir was all for it. It meant less paperwork for him since the only other alternative would have been for her to be executed.

That ended up leading into a whole new conversation that ultimately lead to Fakir making the connection between Ahiru's friend and a former noble from the reign of one of his more temperamental ancestors: Auric Falkenrath. Pike flinched and looked a bit embarrassed as she replied to his inqiry, "Ah…yes. He was my great-great grandfather. We…don't talk about him much." "I don't see why not," the prince tilted his head evenly, "Based on what I read in my family's journals, he was a good man and one of the few nobles who didn't make a nuisance of himself."

"…He cost our family everything," the ashamed young woman admitted, "Our lands, our titles, and our good name. We've had to work hard to repair our reputations and even now there are still those who look down on us for being disgraced nobility." "It wasn't his fault," Fakir countered evenly drawing a startled look from the two young woman, and he explained, "The king at the time was a pompous, arrogant prick by all accounts who had no sense of humor. All Lord Falkenrath did was tell a joke about his wife's pet dog being overly pampered, and the old man exploded. He immediately stripped your ancestor of everything claiming that his levity was unbecoming of a nobleman. It was a complete over-reaction and I honestly haven't the slightest idea why no one bothered to restore your family to its proper standing after his death."

He then shrugged and smirked in satisfaction, "Easy enough to fix now, though. That's one bit of paperwork I don't mind having to wade through." "You'd do that for us," Pike gaped. "It's going to help me out, too," Fakir stated bluntly, "Considering how unreliable the other noble families have behaved recently, I can honestly say I'd rather have your family in charge of the region around Grünefelder than anyone else." The magenta-haired young woman stared at him for a few moments before lunging forward to hug him tightly with a happy squeal, "THANK YOU!" Ahiru burst out laughing as the prince yelped in surprise which drew Charon's attention.

"Just what is going on with you three," he asked as he approached the three young adults. Pike abruptly released the stunned prince and whirled around to beam happily at the smith, "My family gets to be nobility again!" Charon blinked in confusion, "I see… That's a nice reward, I suppose…" "It's not a reward," Fakir muttered awkwardly, "They never should have lost their titles in the first place. I was just fixing a mistake that had gone uncorrected for far too long. Besides, I'd like to have a noble family in the area I can actually trust. Or just a noble family I can trust in general. I am not looking forwards to dealing with all those idiots again…"

"Are they really that bad," Ahiru asked curiously. "Treating me as a tool to advance their own standing in court," Fakir started ticking off on his fingers, "Calling me a poor excuse for a prince behind my back at every opportunity, condemning my interest in both writing and practicing ballet as being below my station, and generally doing everything in their power to strip away every possible freedom I might have had growing up. There's a reason I consider my life prior to being cursed to have been a gilded cage. Sure, it looked nice from the outside, but it was still a prison. They made my life hell, so yes. They really are that bad."

Ahiru looked a bit anxious at hearing all of that and fretted quietly, "So…what would they do to me if we were to start courting and all that?" "Nothing," Fakir assured her firmly, "If they even so much as think about trying anything like they did with me on you, I'll make them regret it!" "What was this about courting," Charon asked uneasily. The couple blushed faintly as the prince coughed uncertainly, "About that…um…I realize I didn't exactly make the best first impression, but…I…I wish to court your daughter." The smith's face went blank at that as he responded neutrally, "And what makes you think I'll allow this?"

"Honestly…," the dark-haired young man replied with a sad smile, "I'm expecting you to deny it and forbid me from ever seeing her again. I wronged the both of you because of I was selfish and afraid that I would never break the curse which bound me. Yet that does not excuse the way I treated you, and for that I humbly apologize." "It seems you've managed to break this curse of yours anyways," Charon observed in the same neutral tone.

"In spite of my best efforts to sabotage it," Fakir replied drily which drew a startled look from everyone other than Ahiru, "Considering that I released your daughter without telling her that I'd fallen in love with her and fully expected to be dead long before she ever returned to learn of my death. The fact that she still managed to break it in time is nothing short of miraculous." "So you love him," Charon asked his daughter passively. "I do," the red head admitted with a shy grin, "Though I don't think I'm ready for marriage or anything yet…" "Please don't make me repeat myself again," Fakir sighed. "I know, I know," Ahiru laughed.

Pike looked at her best friend, and then looked at the prince before flatly stating, "I approve. He's perfect for you." The sandy haired man sighed and smiled at the young woman, "I think I'm the one whose supposed to give my approval, my young Lady Falkenrath." "So give it already," the magenta-haired woman huffed, "Dragging it out like this is just plain vindictive of you." "Fair enough," Charon nodded before smiling kindly at the startled prince, "You have my permission to court Ahiru, and marry her when the time comes." "I…uh…thank you," Fakir stammered bemusedly as Ahiru tackled him with a happy squeal, and a small smile spread across his face, "I am humbled by your generosity…"

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The rest of the day passed in a blur as affairs around the castle started to return to normal. Lilie was transferred to the castle dungeons until the situation at the asylum was resolved. Fakir informed Autor of his desire to restore the Falkenrath's noble title and ended up spending hours arguing with him over drawing up the paperwork for that before arranging the prince's coronation as king. It was technically an event that was eight years overdue, but the dark-haired man insisted it could wait a few more weeks. The Falkenrath's, on the other hand, had been wrongfully robbed of their rightful station for far longer. Their affairs took precedence, and he eventually succeeded in persuading his chamberlain.

The pile of furniture used for the makeshift barricade at the castle doors was removed and the damaged pieces moved into the back rooms to be repaired. Fortunately, the dining room table was not among these and was moved back into place along with all the other undamaged pieces. Ahiru dragged Herr Katzenhaft and Pike off to show them the ballet studio Fakir had given her on his suggestion. The retired ballerina would not be removed from the room for several hours; he'd fallen in love at first sight. He only poked his head out long enough to ask a passing servant if the prince was in the market for a ballet instructor. To his good fortune, the servant in question was Mytho and he assured the man that if he wasn't he could soon be persuaded to be.

On top of getting the castle back in order, there was also the prince's birthday celebration to be considered. Fakir had secretly been hoping that, in all the commotion, the fact that it was supposed to be held on that exact day. Autor was not so disorganized, though, and argued that they had even more reason to celebrate since they were no longer cursed. The dark-haired young man couldn't really argue with that and gave the chamberlain permission to do as he wished. The young chamberlain spent the rest of the day rushing around organizing a small feast, decorations, and inviting Ahiru's family and friends to attend as guests. The exasperated prince, an amused Ahiru, and the three guests soon found themselves being shanghaied by a group of servants under orders from the glasses-wearing young man to get them cleaned and dressed for the party. Yet in spite of Autor's vigorous efforts, it wasn't until late that evening that all the preparations were finished.

As he walked into the ballroom with Ahiru by his side, Fakir had to admit this was one of the nicest parties his chamberlain had arranged. The guests weren't annoying; in fact, he'd actually enjoyed talking to them over dinner. There were no gifts to be presented, but he didn't really care. Best of all, however, was that Ahiru loved him and wanted to stay by his side! Finally, the time came for the dance to begin and Autor surprised him by announcing that the dancing that night would be in the form of ballet. He then caught him even further off guard by requesting that the new couple start things off with a pas de deux…yet they were happy to oblige. "I think this is my first actual happy birthday," the prince admitted with a faint grin as his blue-eyed maiden spun into his arms. "And now you have many more to look forward to," she smiled back. "So long as you are there by my side, I'm sure they will be," Fakir replied softly.

The End

A/N: IT'S DONE! FINALLY, AFTER EIGHT GOD-DAMN MONTHS, THIS STORY IS DONE! This is the longest it's ever taken me to finish a story…though not the longest I've had one in development. That honor goes to an original story that is still in the works that I came up with the original concept for when I was 13. Didn't start writing it until I was in my 20s. If I could stop writing fanfiction long enough to focus on it, I might actually finish it some day and maybe get it published… But that is irrelevant to here and now! I'm pretty happy with how this story turned out even though it took longer than I expected to finish it. I hope you all enjoyed it as well. And yes, I am aware of just how cheesy Fakir's little confession sounds. So was he. It was why he was blushing. Now to start work on my next project! Though I might take a few days off to recuperate before then. Actual completion date for the first draft of this story: May 20th, 2017! Who knows how long I will spend editing this before it is posted… Eh, whatever. The hard part's over! YAYS! ...Well, aside from my now standard go-back-over-the-whole-fic-and-hunt-down-all-mistakes-that-slipped-passed-me-the-first-time editing run. There is going to be a mass re-upload after I finish doing that because I am just that much of a bloody perfectionist. Aside from that, this is good bye for now, dear readers! Maybe we'll meet again in my next story…however long it takes me to finish that. Till then…fare thee well!