Another Legend Past

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This is a fanfiction made for Wandering's Great AU Story Contest with the prompt "What if animus magic never existed?"
== Foreword ==
This is mostly snippets from the Legend, modified for the prompt.
Since the IceWings never had animus magic, the animus gifts do not exist, including the gift of order, the gift of defense, and the gift of diplomacy. However, the IceWings recently started a different gifting ceremony: one for artisinal work by the IceWing at the top of the rankings. There have been two at this point. For context, I need to describe them:
*THE FIRST. This one introduced the gift of order. Since animus magic never existed, it is instead a podium. Numerous ice blocks of precise shape and size have been carved for this podium, each one with the name of a different aristocrat. To change the rankings, one swaps the blocks. A simple and elegent solution to make a non-magic analogue.
*THE SECOND. This one included the gift of defense and with it, the gift of diplomacy. Since magic ice walls don't exist in this AU, the gift of defense is a massive fortress covering the land border of the Ice Kingdom, staffed by numerous highly trained guards with communication connections to the palace; they have orders to kill on sight. The gift of diplomacy is three rings with three special symbols on them. If one wishes to pass the gift of defense, they must show one of these three to the guards.
== Prologue (c. 3000 AS) ==
Arctic hated the Ice Kingdom. Hate, hate, hated it.
He knew he was supposed to be grateful. He was the third IceWing to be chosen for the gifting ceremony! But his mother, Queen Diamond, wanted him to make a gift of vision, which was basically a giant tube to spy on the other kingdoms. Most useless gift ever.
As a dragonet, he had read the legends of animus magic and what it could do. He often had fantasies of what he could do for his tribe with that magic. He could fix everything! Alas, they were only of the imagination. No animus dragons had ever existed. And he, for certain, wasn't going to be the first.
And now she was bothering him again.
"Are you having wild fantasies of different choices? I want the gift of vision, exactly as I described it," she hissed.
Wingbeats were audible in the distance. He turned his head sharply. Four NightWings were flying to the palace, likely for the meeting. Wait. He did a double take. Four‽ The gift of diplomacy had only three rings!
One of the dragons caught his eye. One of the younger ones, closer to his age, struggling against the cold. I sense…my life will change forever.
== Chapter 1 - The Only Chapter ==
Darkstalker was listening to his parents argue. Again.
This happened all the time! He had heard Queen Diamond's "offer" and knew that Arctic would never accept it. But still. If he had animus magic, he could fix all of it! Stop his parents from arguing, give Whiteout her scavenger toy back, and maaaybe manipulate a few dragons into liking him…?
"I heard all of that!" he suddenly called.
And…? his mother thought.
"Whiteout, too. She was here when I got here."
…
Eventually, Clearsight notices Darkstalker's timelines slowly shifting towards him seizing the throne, perhaps because of his thrice-moonborn abilities getting to his head.
However, since there was no SeaWing massacre and thus no Fathom with them, she convinces him herself to come to Agate Mountain. A rockslide then kills him, and Clearsight goes back to her normal life with the guilt of having killed her love.
== Epilogue ==
The timeline diverges here. Here are some highlights:
*Since Clearsight never fled to Pantala, the BeetleWings never had a tribal split.
*Without the Book of Clearsight, the Tree Wars never happen.
*The NightWings never move to the volcano; technological progress is made much faster.
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Content (R12340987565656556565566565)