Petite Princess Yucie Fan Fiction ❯ 30 Kisses: Arc and Yucie ❯ Trade ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Title: “Trade”
Author: Wish Wielder
Pairing: Arc/Yucie
Fandom: Puchi Puri Yucie
Theme: #4 (our distance and that person)
Disclaimer: “Puchi Puri Yucie” and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Meg D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own “Puchi Puri Yucie.”

DISCLAIMER EDIT NOTE: Wish has recently discovered that the Masahiko Otsuka is the director of PPY and that the creator is Takami Akai. She apologizes for her goof (she’s already beat herself up quite a bit for this blunder).

“Trade”

The room was unusually somber.The lights were off, and only the palest sliver of moonlight illuminated the dark space.It provided just enough light for Yucie to see the opened book on the desk before her, or, more specifically, the dried, flattened Sunset Bright resting on its pages.The old flower gazed up at her, mocking her with its cheerful disposition.On any given day it served to remind her of Arc, of his taunting laugh or his silent praise, but tonight...how could that flower make her think of anything good tonight?All it brought to mind was Arc's screams.She hadn't even seen him through the mass of people crowding around his bed, but she had heard everything.His screams, his groans...every sound he uttered had torn at her heart.How had things turned out so bad?The day had held such promise that morning.She had graduated from the Princess Academy, and she was to receive the Final Scene the next day.She remembered Gurenda teasing her because of the bouquet Arc had sent her, and she remembered arguing with Gurenda and Erumina over who would become the Platina Princess.She remembered how good it felt when the townswoman had called her a princess, and how she had stopped to admire that pink dress in the seamstress's shop window, wondering what Arc would think of her once she looked her true age.Everything had been so good until then.
When Frederik had approached her, she knew something was wrong.She had tried to believe that it was nothing serious when he asked her to go to the palace - maybe Arc just wanted to congratulate her in person? - but that feeling of dread had refused to relinquish its grip on her stomach.Then he had told her why, and she didn't even realize she had dropped her graduation presents until he had returned them hours later.She remembered feeling cold, and that was it.She had been so cold...and yet, at the same time, she was filled with disbelief.She hadn't waited for Frederik or even directions to Arc's room before she had run off, racing to where her heart guided her.She had burst into his room, crying out his name and fully expecting him to turn around and greet her with one of his smart comments and mocking kisses.Nothing but his pained screams had answered her.She hadn't even seen him; the crowd of people around his bed - doctors, she had guessed - had prevented that.But they couldn't block those screams, the ones that were now drilled into her mind, echoing and re-echoing time and time again.She had rushed to get to his side, but as she had taken that first step towards her dying prince Erlsel had stepped before her, extending an arm and barring her path.The queen's glare had been pained but fierce as she told Yucie that no one was to enter the room.As the screaming continued, Erlsel had told her why Arc was suffering: the wound from Diabolos was feeding on his body, much the same as it had done to the Fairy King."Just a scratch," huh?She couldn't remember ever feeling so guilty.Arc had been injured saving her.Because she had been too slow - too stupid to run - his arm had been slashed by one of Diabolos's roots, and now it was killing him.She was killing him.The guilt had mounted, quickly becoming too much for her to bear, and she had once again found herself needing to be near him.It was almost like her mind wouldn't believe it unless it saw him for itself.So, one more time, she had tried to reach him, yet, again, Erlsel reached out and kept her away."Stay back!" she had shouted at her, gray-blue eyes narrowed in the sternest of looks."You are to receive the Final Scene - nothing must happen to you before that time!"Once more she had cried his name and tried to get to him.Once more Erlsel had tightened her grip and ordered her to stay.She wasn't sure if the tears were her open admission of defeat or just a way to get through the tumult of emotions reeling inside her, but that's when they had come.Large, bulbous tears that reflected her frustration had fallen from glassy, chocolate eyes that not even an hour before had been full of hope and excitement.Now she would trade it all in just to be able to go to him, to hold his hand as she told him to hang on.For the first time since being selected as a candidate, she did not want it.If becoming the Platina Princess, or even just being a candidate to become her, meant staying away from Arc while he battled for his life, she did not want it.And how could Erlsel, his own mother, worry about the Final Scene when he was dying?Her son was dying, and all she was worried about was the Princess Selection.Why?How could she be so heartless?Didn't she care at all?At that moment, she had wanted nothing more than to slap the queen.Maybe that was another reason the tears had come.It just wasn't fair.After everything they had been through, how could it end like this?He had survived falling hundreds of feet through dense trees just to be killed by a scratch.He had survived the most severe part of the battle - he had fought against Diabolos itself - just to die from a scratch.A scratch!His pained screams echoed again through her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched her pendant.It was all too ironic - too cruel.For the first time in her life, Arc was within her reach - their happily ever after was within their reach - and yet, despite it all, he was farther away than ever.
owari
a.n.:
In case it wasn't painfully obvious, this is set during ep24, just before the dinner with Gunberd.I know a lot of you are probably thinking "Wish, c'mon!She knew she'd use her wish for him - how can you say she wanted to give up her candidacy?!" - but I do have an argument to that.I've always seen it like this: Yucie didn't think of that at first.She was too upset by the simple fact that the man she loved was dying to think of it - at first.When she's in her room, before the dinner, I always saw her just worrying over him, and possibly thinking along the lines of what's above.However, after dinner, Gunberd gives her the dress and comments about her using her wish to become an adult.That's when it hits her: she can save Arc using her wish.That's my version, at least, and it just fit the theme so well, don't you think?

Comments and constructive criticism welcomed. Please, don’t flame. If you can’t say your CC without flaming, don’t bother. Flames will be used to fuel Az’s bonfire for the yummy s’mores.