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THE IMPERIAL PRINCESS OF FAERIEL EL TEIARCH awakes to a cacophony of sounds. The palace is thundering with the loud footsteps and movement and the young princess cannot help but flinch and curl up into a small ball.
Loud earpiercing screams echo through the battlefield as Kalpas quickly covers her with his body, burning hot flames. Both of them are blessed by the flame, but even then, the captains flames are scorching.
During the battle, the field has always been alight. Bright, embroiled in flames but once does flames went out, it was darkness and only her dimming eyes were light to her, flickering on and off before finally she went limp. Fire was life. They had said.
Sometimes, when Hua closes her eyes, she sees the Captains face looking up at her with a small smile. Embers flickering in the darkness.
Tentatively, Hua crawled out her bed. Not daring to already increase or decrease the light in her chambers as she opened the door. Her personal guards immediately straightened as she stepped out, surveying the scene. Many servants were awake, most likely awakened by something and had been whispering to each other before they halted and bowed deeply in respect.
Hua already knew what had awakened them. A large thundering noise had seared through the palace and as she looked at the large glass portion of the walls that made up her tower, she saw it.
A small but horrid thunderstorm, cackling with energy as several flares of red signalling for help all pointed towards the mountains of Amaterasu, where the large acres of land belonging to the Yae's was bathed in dark clouds.
And the nine-year-olds heart leaped as she came to realize that her ‘older sisterʼ was in the vast lands clouded by darkness.
Without a second thought, she summoned her magic and teleported away.
Hua finds herself in a bright room, a familiar voice yelping in shock before the familiar scent of the ocean and wine came to a dazed princessʼ senses as bandaged hands pick her up and she looked into the amber eyes of the Alpha.
“Hua!” Eden began and the phoenix realizes that Mobius and Elysia are in the same room. The latter already half dressed in her mages robes and the former sitting on the large bed, having formerly been watching the chaos that engulfed the mountains before her gaze had turned on Hua “Don't randomly teleport here, or anywhere. Your magic stores may nearly be endless but you have to stay careful!”
At that, Hua flinches and looks down and Eden's gaze immediately softened.
“Sakura.” the young omega mumbled and Eden embraced her tightly.
“She'll be fine,” Elysia reasured “And everything will be alright, we're all in this together.”
.
.
.
(Faeriel's only princess is given a silver pendant with a ruby gem, a scarf is warmly wrapped around her still form before the criminal convicted of genocide is dragged away from her.)
As Sakura is led away by a group of Samurai, the young princess clutches a silver necklace that she had given her.
(The prodigal princess watches as her older brother and sister figures leave one after another. Not looking back.)
Soon, in the coming moons, all of her family will go away. Kevin is sent back to Schiksal where he is expected to carry out his duties, the same going for Eden with Elysia following suit relinquising her position of High Mage along with Mobius. Kalpas is sentenced to the front lines and Aponia is back at Soleil.
(Fu Hua watches as her cousin shuns himself from society not paying any heed to her small form attempting to process the days going by like wind, her uncle gripping her shoulders as she is waiting outside for the airship ready to escort her to Shenzhou where she shall reside in.)
And Hua is alone again. Curled up on her bed as Su dedicates himself to the Empire, sending her away to Shenzhou for her own safety. As Hua's uncle had placed it.
Scent bonds are vital and fragile, especially for such a young child.
And Hua feels a gnawing chasm in her chest. The magic core in her sternum not as full, hollow and alone.
Just as she is.
(And Fu Hua is alone.)
.
.
.
Shenzhou... Training Grounds of the Emerald Palace.
Sweat and heavy pheromones filled the air as a young teenaged girl clashed with a male alpha twice her size. Where the man is more of a brawler, the girl is a dancer, effortlessly dancing around him with grace before delivering a hard blow to his stomach, making him pass out as public enforcements come and bow in gratitude, quickly dragging the man's unconscious body out.
Princess Fu Hua's former ragged breathing quickly calms as one of her personal attendants quickly comes to her, guiding her back to the castle.
As they walk, Hua's eyes are casted downwards. Not meeting anyone's eyes as she attempts to act as if her limp has not healed and is still evidently broken. She winces slightly as her attendant, a kind beta woman who was a refugee of the Hyperion Wars places a hand on the small of her back. Before retracting again, most likely thinking Hua's back was her shoulder.
(Nadia, her attendant, had her eyes gouged out. Scars riddling her face beyond recognition.
And all Hua could truly see when she looked at gentle Nadia was her father's broken form. Limbs twisted painfully in angles that should be impossible, his left eyeball gouged out and his face falling apart with a slash made by a monsters claw. Blood and other dried liquids clinging to him as she can imagine the exact way how exactly his heart was ripped out from his chest.
Her uncle leans down. Hands gripping her small shoulders as Su finally touches back to reality as he screams in horror.)
All Hua feels are rough hands grabbing onto her back. Forcing her onto the cold hard ground as the heady scent of an alpha fills the room, he grinds into her and her first instinct is to deliver a hard blow to his lower abdomen making him vomiy blood. Hua's guards quickly taking the alpha in rut away from her as she curls up into a ball as a rookie soldier guides Nadia to her. The motherly beta comfortably soothing Hua she she curled in on herself.
Nadia helps her to a bath. Leaving to prepare a tray of food for Hua.
As the door closes behind her, Fu Hua lays down on a small velvet red couch, a fur blanket on her lap.
Dressed only in a robe with a familiar scarf wrapped around her shoulders, the bandages binding her wings are visible as she extends a hand. Her talons were short but still sharp as she cuts through the bandages. White wings unfurl from her back and her robe falls from her shoulders.
Hua cant's bring herself to care as she envelopes the blanket over herself and clutches the pendant and scarf.
Everything had been numb ever since she had turned fourteen, ever since the incidents, ever since she was assaulted multiple times — physical or sexual, it didn't seem to matter. School was hell, but did it really matter? She needed to finish her education, and the victims of the Battle of Quelrra, the children of those soldiers who Fu Hua could have prevented from dying deserved to enact their vengeance on Hua.
She could have saved them all. Had she acted faster and called the guards when Captain Himeko embroiled the gardens with flames. Killing Fu Hua's companions as she left.
In spite of that, in own selfish way, Hua wanted to be back at the capital. She wanted to be home and she wanted her family.
Fu Hua just wants to be home again.
Were does the thoughts of the soldiers who died fighting against Himeko? Did they yearn for their families again. To be back home and continue on with their lives?
Hua's relative, Lan and current Marshal is an odd character. While he is legend with a bow he has designed today that he shall use a sword.
When Hua asks him of this, he smiles at her charmingly “Well, I want to master all the weapons in the world. Is that not an extravagant goal?”
That idea quickly made it's way through Hua's mind and later that month, she'll pose the question.
Lan will grin at her and suggest a blade first.
Hua agrees to a normal sword. But says that she'll leave off on great or broad swords along with Katanas.
She doesn't know why but whenever she sees a great sword, all she can imagine is Judgment of Shamash which was improved with Captain Himeko's magic core, or whenever she sees a Katanas, she imagines Sakura's own getting destroyed publicly. A show of the kitsunes failure as a swordsman.
Hua shakes those thoughts away as she focuses on her etiquette class.
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.
.
“Princess, please eat your meals. You've skipped many of them.” a nervous servant says as Fu Hua looks up from her desk of paperwork and assignments, her backs were hunched over as she had been hyper focused on her work.
Then, the princess looks to her side and sees three trays of cold food. The servant holding another.
Oh.
Hua wants to slap herself. Not everyone knows that she can survive such trivial things. Eating and sleeping to Hua were always third priorities. She could keep them to a minimum since as a half-breed, eating and sleeping was essential. In a way.
The castle servants were, of course, concerned as to why she hasn't eaten. How long has it been? Hua tries to remember the time but cannot truly recall.
“It is alright, I've already eaten—” a complete lie but Hua didn't have the energy to “—Give the leftovers to the other servants.”
The servant nods, quickly placing the trays into the cart, bowing lowly, and escaping through the door and Hua brings out her pocket watch. A birthday gift from Su which he had commissioned from the inventor Vill-V and checked the time.
Her fifteenth birthday should be coming along soon. Her cerulean blue eyes turn to a stack of letters she was planning to send to the others.
Would they be able to come?
Hua shakes her head and returns to her work.
Why would they waste their time on her?
Nadia died on Hua's birthday due to lasting corruption that had infected her injuries.
The Princess personally oversaw the funeral rites as Nadia had no family.
She watched as the casket lowered, the flames burning brightly so that the maids soul could be guided to the afterlife by the Phoenix Mors and into the embrace of Thanatos.
Hua never let anyone close to her heart for years after the death of the beta.
The servants whispers are heard all over, spreading throughout the Empire. The princess has gone numb. Now seventeen years old, the prodigal martial artist has been spending more and more time in the neighboring kingdom of Auerverst. Studying and throwing herself into her duties. Rarely does she smile and even rarer does she sleep and eat, even in Moth Academy, the professors have reported the princess' behavior. She is kind yet has thrown herself into solitude.
Now, the princess slept in her bed. Two hours set on the magical timer next to her. Several months ago, Hua found out that she could go without sleep for many months and could be increased if she slept for several hours or more along with consumption of food. This would increase her efficiency with work, getting duties done thoroughly.
Other than that, Hua didn't want to be plagued by nightmares.
Jingwei, Hua's pet bird who had been with her since she was born — her uncle speculating that the bird was her mother's animalis socius had been incredibly displeased by this. Often pecking her or forcing her to sleep.
Sometimes, when Hua would lay in bed, a soft melodius voice would sing to her, and Hua felt faint touches on her head. Her hair swept off her face as a warm figure gently caressed and sang to her.
Sometimes, Hua also believed she was hallucinating. Which wasn't unbelievable considering she imagined a woman singing to her.
Sometimes, Hua looked at Jingwei and wondered if she was really her mother's animalis socius.
She highly doubted it.
“Should we terminate her fellowship of study mates?”
A ethereal woman with silver hair looked up from where she was singing and caressing the young girl in her lap. The Dream Realm was maintained by the God Morpheus and the gods phoenix named Sonno.
Speaking of her brother. Sonno was glancing at the young half-breed who slept peacefully. Playing a flute as he leaned on the Whitepine tree.
The woman hummed “You should truly tune in with this centurys common speak. The proper term should be “Shall we rightfully annihilate our ****** classmates?”
Sonno shrugs as he plays a calm tune, the woman following after him, singing melodiusly.
Fu Hua first meets Cheng Lixue when she is nineteen. A day away from going back to Auerverst for school.
She is small, incredibly so not even a month year old when Hua slaughters the monsters that corroded her home. Young Lixue's parents, unfortunately we're buried soon after by Hua's assistants. The young Fae infant wrapped warmly in Hua's scarf.
As she wakes up, Lixue smiles brightly at Hua.
Hua can't help but smile back as she presses a bottle of milk to the infants lips.
Perhaps she could talk to Su and her uncle about a possible adoption of a new member of the imperial family.
Sofia Kaslana is Fu Hua's headache personified.
Since her arrival, Kevin's sister deigned to wreck havoc. From pranks, to bluntly telling someone off, to breaking in and out of Hua's personal chambers and dragging the Phoenix out of her room and either into the cafeteria or library.
Kaslana's, Hua can practically hear Mobius mutter as the older omega slithers away.
The two omegas sat in the library, Sofia having the Kaslana genetic inability to understand simple math was seated next to Hua. The two quietly eating as the other omega explained a particular problem to the other omega.
Sofia is rather odd. Often wearing a monotonous face, blunt, and strong in her views. She seems emotionless but is a bottle of emotions held back by layers and layers of steel. She is compassionate and is ready to do what she deems right. Such as breaking into Hua's room and either forcing her to eat or help the Kaslana study of course.
The next time Sofia breaks into Hua's room, she holds an aced math test with a largest grin known to man and Hua cannot help but smile back.
Fu Hua has come to understand that Sofia is in fact a good actor, emotionally wise.
Kiana Kaslana, Fu Hua has come to understand is a good actor.
Behind a smile of stubbornness, supposed idiocy and recklessness is a self-sacrificial girl, who sees that fighting for humanity is the only thing that she is made for and hell bent in her ways. She does not focus on studying because she sees no use in it. However, Kiana is a child and Fu Hua knows well that even the most strong hearted and will children can fall under pressure.
And, if it is right, Kiana has the weight of the world on her dainty shoulders.
Oddly, Hua finds herself reminisced by Kiana Kaslana.
The two sat in the coast. Overlooking the ocean before Kiana brings a question up that surprises Hua.
“Did you ever have a lover? A family, Miss Celestial?” the young teenager asks and Hua frowns softly.
A lover... Family...
Kiana had both. Raiden Mei owned the young omegas heart and vice versa, Kiana had plenty of family, Theresa, Himeko, Bronya, Maria, Angelia, and, dare Fu Hua say, herself.
Fu Hua, however recalls none of her own.
Finally, Hua looks up and answers “I'm not sure I remember.”
Kiana frowns “Well, that sucks.”
Fu Hua smiles back “Well, we must also focus on the future. Come now.” Kiana mutters something and stands up, brushing of the sand as she runs after the older woman.
“Family...” Kiana hears Fu Hua faintly say and she tilts her head, a soft smile on her face that takes Fu Hua's attention.
“You said that we shouldn't let the Ghosts of Yesterday hinder the path of life. Didn't you?”
Fu Hua hums as she walks up the rocky terrain, Kiana hurrying after her.
“You are correct, Kiana Kaslana.”