Duck awakes from a dream in which she is a duck watching a handsome prince dance ballet. Later, she walks early into class and discovers Mytho, a student in the advanced class, dancing alone. She has a nerve-racking conversation with him before Fakir, another student, walks in. Fakir is revealed to be domineering and condescending towards Mytho. In ballet class, we learn that Mytho is dating a girl named Rue. The teacher is a cat, yet Duck is the only one in the class to find this strange.
Rue is revealed to be a talented girl in the advanced class, who most of the students look up to. After class, Duck goes to the boy’s dorm to apologize to Mytho for accidentally causing him to injure his leg. Before she can work up the courage to go in, Fakir stops her and turns her away.
Later that night, Duck regrets not being able to apologize to Mytho, and ponders his lonely eyes. She wishes to help him, catching the attention of the mysterious Drosselmeyer, who says to himself: “As the water flows, time has begun to move. Now, let me listen to your story!”
The next morning, Fakir goes to the library. As Duck resolves to apologize to Mytho, she spies canary chicks on the dorm roof beginning to fly. One of the fledglings hesitates, and is forced to jump when a raven attacks it. Mytho leaps to catch the bird, and falls as well. To save him, Duck transforms into Princess Tutu. The bird flies away, and Mytho asks who she is. Tutu/Duck remembers that she is a duck, and runs away. The story has begun.
