A/N I only just finished watching this anime and it is AWESOME! Now just so you don't get confused, I watched the English translation and in it her name was Duck. I'm aware her name is meant to be Ahiru but I know her as Duck so that is what I wrote as her name.
Anyways I was sad she was left as a duck at the end so I had to write a fanfic. Hope you like it.
More than just a duck.
Once upon a time there lived a knight who traded his sword for a pen, and a duck that wished she were a girl once again.
And yet they could not find the happiness they sought. For how could a duck be happy when she could not tell the knight how she felt? And how happy could a knight be when he was in love with a duck?
Fakir sighed, sitting up straight as he attempted to rub the usual kink from his shoulder. That damn knot that always formed when he was hunched over his desk writing. But he could not stop writing.
It had been four years since Mytho and Rue returned to the story. The prince had his princess and lived happily ever after but what of the knight?
He looked down at his lap where the small yellow duck slept silently. Her feathers fluffed, looking soft to the touch and shone like silk.
But what of the knight? No he didn't have his lady. He had a duck. And although he loved the duck with his whole heart he yearned for the duck's 'Lady' self.
He yearned for the simplest of things; to touch the lady's soft skin. To look upon her silky hair. To understand the words she spoke…
He sighed a disheartened sigh as he fell forward, now hunching over his desk as he buried his head in his arms, careful not to disturb Duck as he did.
Four years. His hand was rough from the constant pressure of the pencil. Every day he wrote. He wrote so many different ways to return Duck to her human form. And yet since that day four years ago not one of his stories came to life. Duck remained a duck and he remained nothing more than a boy with a pen.
'At least you're alright.' Fakir whispered as he again sat straight and looked down at Duck with caring eyes.
He believed it was the most important thing and yet his heart ached in selfish desires to be the knight who saves the lady. He truly desired to look upon, to touch, to hold close, Duck in her beautiful human form.
Sliding his hands beneath the lovely feathered animal, he gently lifted her from his lap as he stood. He walked slowly toward his bed as if in a daze, cradling Duck in his arms and holding her close to his chest.
He gently placed her on the edge of the bed, instinctively pulling the blanket over her small fragile body before he collapsed on the bed next to her.
His eyes drifted to his desk and his mind whirled on the pages he had just written. A blush caught him off guard and he impulsively ruffled his hair in frustration.
Would it work? All his other stories didn't. But this one was very different, wasn't it?
Should he try it? She was asleep. He could do it quickly and gently so she doesn't notice.
He quickly dismissed the idea as ludicrous but noticed his thoughts strayed down the same path within moments. In fact they kept returning to his mind until he could no longer dismiss them.
There was only one thing that would put his mind at rest and allow his tired body to sleep. He will try it. Just once and as quickly as possible.
He rolled to his side and stared at Duck intently. He moved slightly closer. He watched her small body rise and fall with each of her small gentle breaths. He leaned a little closer so his nose almost touched her beak.
He lay like that for several minutes. Unable to move either forward or back. He felt like he was battling the future and the past, not sure what he preferred.
Taking a breath and gathering his confidence he moved before that very confidence could flee him. He pushed his lips to her beak, so gently, so quickly it was more like a whisper of a glorious dream. Like a splendid dream you awake from that makes you feel warm and brings a smile to your lips and yet you cannot recall it.
And yet when Fakir opened his eyes he knew exactly what he did. He covered his mouth as he went as red as a tomato and his eyes grew to the size of saucers.
He looked in wonderment at the soft white skin, the blush pink hair, the soft lush lips and the gentle sprinkling of light brown freckles that was only noticeable when you were close enough… And he was pretty damn close.
"D-Duck?" he quietly exclaimed as he found it impossible to move. She opened her eyes and batted her thick long lashes as she looked questionably at him. She rubbed her eyes as she mumbled and sat up "Why are you laying like that Fakir? And why are you so close?"
Fakir didn't budge an inch, his hands still covering his mouth and his cheeks still red as he looked up at the human girl before him. The blanket slid from her body and his face instantly went redder.
Finally his body reacted in synch with his sudden regained ability to think and he flew from the bed and out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.
Duck quizzically looked at the door, whispering his name in her confused, sleepy daze and then finally looked down. Her mind awoke fully, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she looked down at her petite human body. Her agape mouth slowly turned into a smile as she excitingly ran a hand over her leg, her other hand immersing itself in her soft long hair. But it would not take long before realisation of Fakir's sudden strange actions would hit her and her smile faded, her eyes widened with horror rather than sheer amazement and her voice was high as she screamed.
Fakir cringed as he heard her scream. Knowing full well that she knew he had seen everything. He slid down the door and sat on the floor as he listened to her frantic panicked rambling after she hurryingly stifled a quack…
and he quietly chuckled. She had not changed. She still had the same adorable personality that he fell in love with.
"FAKIR! I'M NAKED!" She stated in a loud panicked plea. He jumped to his feet yelling apologies back to her as he bolted down the stairs.
He practically stumbled down the stairs, his long legs trying to take 3 steps at a time until he finally staggered into the kitchen. His feet seemed to know where he was going before his brain as he ended up at an old wooden trunk. Throwing the lid open he retrieved the school girl outfit he had kept for four long years.
Fakir stared at the clothes, holding them up by the shoulders. His mind pictured her in the dress and he suddenly wished he hadn't! His face red once again he began slamming his head into the cupboard that stood by his side.
"STUPID STUPID STUPID! Why didn't I realise BEFORE getting the clothes out that she is b-bigger in certain areas?" He whined, stopping his self-abuse as he tried to think.
"Why isn't she the girl I recall?" he wondered out loud. His face fell in horror as he once again resumed banging his forehead on the cupboard
"STUPID STUPID STUPID! I wrote her as my age. I described what I thought she would look like if she were older… Wait… Is that really stupid of me or genius?" pausing He recalled the curves he saw before fleeing the room. His eyes may have lingered a little longer than necessary…
"PERVERT PERVERT PERVERT!" He yelled as he continued hitting his head on that dreaded furniture.
"Owwwww….." He muttered as he pulled away and slowly made his way up stairs again.
Duck sat on the bed, sheet pulled around her body and secured as she patiently waited for Fakir's return. She had a perplexed look on her cute face as she finished plaiting her long hair like she used to always wear it.
How did she turn back to a human?
BANG BANG BANG! She started at the sudden noise down stairs that stopped after a moment. Her eyes drifted to the bookshelf, full of the knight's books. Taking one out she started again as the banging resumed and stopped again. Opening the book she quickly read a few paragraphs and her eyes widened.
This time she did drop the book as she jumped in shock at the banging that continued yet again. She waited for the banging to start up again but instead received a muffled cough and light tap on the bedroom door.
"Umm… Duck…I have no clothes that fit you and my clothes are in the wash so… so I will ask next door…ummmm...I will be right back okay."
Duck nodded as if he could see her through the door and listened to his footsteps fade away. Quickly she grabbed another book, and another, and another!
"They're all about me?" She exclaimed as she flicked through the hundreds of books. There were so many different ways of returning to her human form.
Touching the water of a magical lake… is that why he took her to the lake every day?
A fairy visiting her in a dream, a goddess granting her a wish, a magic book that when read aloud fulfils your greatest desire, magic rain falling upon her head… is that why he took her for walks in the rain?
Hundreds of books and hundreds of possibilities. But none were what had just happened.
Her eyes drifted to the desk and her legs lead her to the chair. Sitting down she took hold of the pile of papers and read as quickly as she could.
It was entitled more than just a duck.
Tears formed in her eyes as a smile graced her lips. Looking to the mirror above the desk she fingered the red pendant that hung from her delicate neck and choked back a sob as the smile only grew.
"I-I got you some clothes." Fakir spoke, cracking the door open slightly so he could pass her the clothes. She rushed to the door and flung it open looking at Fakir with joy and gratitude.
Fakir's eyes widened as he looked at the sheet tightly wrapped around her chest. He willed his eyes to look up and finally they obeyed, concern laced his expression as he watched the tears slide down her face.
"Y-You gave me a piece of your heart." She stammered as she clutched the pendant tightly.
Diving into his arms she cried tears of joy into his chest.
Fakir smiled, unable to hide his feelings anymore as he wrapped his arms around his beloved angel. Kissing her forehead as he looked at the papers now scattering the table.
'No, my whole heart is yours.' He silently thought to himself.