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Chapter Text

On the night of the full moon, thousands of souls, passed from the World of Man since the beginning of time, twinkled against Tui’s nightly masterpiece, beautiful and flawless.

The Lady of the Night herself was anything but. 

Her anointed leaders of her favored Northern Children, were pleading, desperately clinging to their small, lifeless child. 

Tui, heeding the Council of Six’s plan, as well as listening to her heart, made all the people present in the oasis go into a deep sleep. Out of the water, she materialized from the mist and snow. She hovered an inch above the grass floating to the baby wrapped protectively against the Northern winds.

Tui took the baby and pried away the fabrics down to a thin swaddle. The baby was too small and sickly, she’d be surprised if the baby ever opened her eyes. The Moon Spirit glided to the surface of the pond and slowly submerged herself halfway along with the baby. Tui, being Tui, began to sing a lullaby to the baby.

While she sang for the majority of her night, the pond glowed a peculiar silver aura, misty tendrils reaching up to surround the baby. 

When dawn was nearing, the baby opened her lids to silvery eyes. Tui smiled. Her own starry-silver eyes shone with love. As she wrapped the baby back up, she spoke.

“You will be my Champion. You will bear my Wisdom, Glory, Power, and Love. Crown Princess Yue, daughter of the Moon, you will be half-human, half-spirit. The Crinaeae. You and the other will end this war once and for all.”

The Lady of Night’s eyes softened and whispered, “La’s Champion will protect you.”

When Arnook opened his eyes, he saw the backside of a woman with calf length silver hair splayed in the water whisper, “I love you.”

When he blinked, the woman was gone and his daughter was in the grass before him, breathing and reaching out to him. The Chief took his daughter and moved to wake the others.

When the Queen of Ice sat back in her throne she could hear her anointed leader’s thoughts.

“Thank you, Lady Tui.”

Chapter Text

Princess Yue, blessed one of Tui, only daughter of Chief Arnook and Chieftess Venna, now passed, stood in the spirit oasis, practicing.

Practicing what, you may ask? She was practicing ice-bending. No matter what she did, she could not bend water to her will, only ice.

To her people, however, she is marked as a nonbender.

Her form was flawless, graceful like water, powerful like water’s counterpart, fire. Her aura was pure through strength, will, and determination.

Yet, while she can bend the ice of her home, she cannot leave it. Her father forbids it, like so many other things. Yue supposed she could relate, to some extent, to the girl with unseeing eyes from her visions.

Yes, besides her peculiar ice-bending prowess, she was gifted with Tui’s Gift of Divination. All about the same six people, one for each spirit she could think of except for a few of them, like the gloomy girl surrounded by wraiths. She didn’t understand that one at all.

The small door opened behind her. Yue rushed to place the ice back where it came from before they saw. The stout elder woman, Head Healer Yugoda, strided to the white-haired heir.

“Master Yugoda.”

“Princess Yue,” the aforementioned royal grimace at the wrong title, still facing away, “your father has summoned you.”

Playing the part of the perfect little non-bending petite princess, the Grand Champion of Tui, stood and meekly followed the elder to her father’s palace. Once there, she played the perfect host to the representatives of the outer outposts before seeing the Chief.

“Ah, my daughter,” Chief Arnook spoke fondly, “I have a gift for you.” At this, the (Crown) Princess of Tui’s favored ones merely raised her brow. 

“I know this is rather hasty, but I am granting you a betrothed,” her beautiful silvery eyes widened in horror, “and I have already chosen the lucky one, Hahn.”

HIM!? That brash, selfish, irresponsible brute , will be stealing my inheritance? Through MARRIAGE?!

His daughter started to protest against it before getting cut off, “I will not accept a no for an answer.” She clamped her mouth shut.

When she was dismissed, Tui’s Champion walked (mentally stormed) off to the one place that felt more like home than a prison.

Master Yugoda looked on as she saw her Princess walk away, and mentally took note on how quiet and graceful she was on the permafrost. Almost too quiet and graceful. She left for the one place where her voice was truly heard, one thought on her mind,

I hate all this stupid sexism.

Chapter Text

Throughout the years, the Princess of the North upheld her masquerade flawlessly, moving gracefully like water. She proceeded to practice her special ability in secret, her Patron Spirit watching closely amongst her starry night sky.

Three Years Later

Princess Yue was livid, not that she would ever show it. Here she was, in her palace, being forced to ‘chat’, with her ‘betrothed’. 

More like sit and nod prettily while the brainless brute boasted about frivolous things. 

Then, a sense of detachment rushed over her. The Young Mistress hastily bid Hahn goodnight, easily coming up with a lie of having duties to attend to. Before she could leave, Hahn pressed something against her hand. She didn’t have enough time to see what it was before dashing out the door.

When she finally got to the oasis, she knelt beside the pond where the koi swam, and allowed herself to see what Tui wanted.

Darkness. Red. Men speaking in the semi-foreign language of High Court. A ruthless, despicable plan. A massacre. A defender gold eyes glowing.

Darkness. Ignited bowls of fire on long poles. An arena filled. The defender kneeling. A gong ringing. The defender rises. Falls. Cries. A shadow stalking. The shadow demands fight. The defender refuses. The shadow takes the defender by the hair and face. The defender’s eyes glow with fear. Fire in the shadow’s right hand. The shadow strikes.

The defender screams.

“NO!” 

Yue jolted backwards, landing hard on her back, breathing heavily. Tears sprang to her eyes as the permafrost below the grass cracked and broke.

“Was this a vision?” she asked pleadingly to the physical representation of Tui and La.

Tui couldn’t respond, being in the emotional wreck she was when she and her celestial twin saw what happened. Her beloved was doing all he could to calm her. His deep blue eyes bore into the golden ones of Agni. He got the message.

The King of Fire spoke for his sister, his usually warm and welcoming voice replaced by a steely, cold one.

“No, this just happened.”

When Yue got her answer, she looked down at the carved stone on the blue ribbon...

And promptly threw it down an ice shaft and sealed it.