Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Princess Tutu.

AN: I was watching some Princess Tutu episodes today, and was inspired during episode 7. This fic contains spoilers.

Tears stung Ahiru's blue eyes and slid down her cheeks like two little waterfalls. The redhead buried her face into her pillow, causing it to become damp. For the past couple of nights, it had gone the exact same way.

Why did it have to be this way? The pain that she had seen from her Prince… the way that he trembled… she didn't intend this. She didn't want him to suffer! All she wanted was to see him smile! Was that too much to ask?

The girl, who was in reality a duck, had the same dream night after night. In it she saw a terrified Mytho backing away from Princess Tutu, who continued to advance on him. Against his wishes, she forced the heart shard back to him, causing him more pain and suffering. She pleaded to the Princess as Ahiru and then as a duck, but it didn't change anything!

Ahiru hugged her pillow as she continued to cry. She didn't know what she should do anymore. Before, she had the determination to do what she had to do. After all, she was sure that in returning the pieces of Mytho's heart that he could rid himself of Fakir. But the best part would be seeing him smile.

And yet, in the end, all she seemed to be causing him was pain and suffering. But Mytho wasn't the only one who was hurt. Ahiru's heart was throbbing, but that was because she cared about him so much. It was a feeling that she couldn't express to him with words, or she would turn into a speck of light and she would vanish.

The reason it hurt so much was because she loved him.

Though the redhead could hear her two friends, Pique and Lilie, telling her that it was time to get moving, she didn't really want to get out of bed. After all, she knew that Mytho and Fakir wasn't going to be in ballet school today. The words she heard from Mytho echoed in her head…

"I'm afraid… of Princess Tutu…"

Those words haunted the little duck. She never meant to cause fear and suffering to her beloved Prince. But, now it was already too late.

Was being Princess Tutu meaningless now? Should she give up in finding Mytho's heart shards? Was Fakir right all along? Would Mytho be better off if he didn't have a heart?

Such was the pain of the little yellow duck.