Chapter One: Gilded Cage

Part 2: The Cage of Destiny

Every choice you make from now on, must be made for your people.

Okay update, this officially stands alone, i decided

"Be lighter on your feet!" The voice of her father commanded her calmly. However, to her it felt like he was yelling. She closed her eyes and focused on her footing.

Selene had been practicing, drilling all day. Her body ached and her legs shook though she dared not let it show. Her chest hurt and her lungs stung, her exhaustion threatened to beat her. She grinder her tears with determination and faced her opponent again. "jahiz,"(ready) she yelled, preparing herself for her opponent. The man nodded, signaling he was ready for her.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she charged. The man prepared for her attack, since she had revealed her strategy the last time he was ready. However, she could improvise. As she reached striking distance from him, she ducked down. He sliced the sword at her, missing her and being displaced by the weight of the attack. In the few seconds it took him to regain his stance, she had already jabbed two of the three points she was aiming for. Both under his shoulder blades. His arms fell useless by his side, and with them his weapons. However, he wasn't done. He twirled around to face her, and charged at her. The man was three times her size and could still very well win if he managed to pin her down. So, she did the only thing she knew to do. She jumped, flipping over him and quickly jabbing his chest. Thankfully, she hit her mark and the man managed to fall to the ground paralyzed.

She landed lightly on her feet though her legs felt as if they may collapse. Slowly, she turned to face her father, who was staring at her with his usual blank stare. She lifted an eyebrow inquizicly to wonder if she had met his standards, to which he gave a small nod.

"Very good, however you will need to learn to become faster before you depart with Ozia." He said, dismissing the other men.

Selene angrily rolled her eyes, catching herself after the act and biting her lip.

"Selene," her father scolded her misbehavior. However, since no one but them was present he needn't lift his hand to her.

"I apologize father." she paused, knowing she would end there. However, she didn't. "It simply makes no sense, you have me fight a man three times my size and give me no weapon. I understand the use of this new technique you show me, but I don't feel that it was a fair fight." She said, as she plopped on the ground.

"Your right Selene, it wasn't." He said, walking to the child pouting on the ground. To her surprise, he sat down in front of her, crossing his legs and facing her on level ground. "But, where you are going, no fights will be. It is important that you learn this and how to counteract the advantages others have over you." He said, grabbing her face as something seemed to catch his eye.

A small cut she had gotten in the practice. It ran from her cheek to the base of her jawbone. The cut was deep enough to draw a steady stream of black blood from her skin.

Her fathers eyes grew darker as he ran his finger over the wound. It stung, however Selene tried not to wince. He brought the black covered finger in front of her face and stared angrily at her.

"He drew blood," he growled angrily at her. Selene winced at his expression as he stood up. "Selene do you understand the severity of this, you let him draw blood!" he almost yelled at her.

"Father, I didn't mean to. I…"

Her father angrily walked to the door to summon guards. "Bring aleimlaq back instantly," he ordered the guards. Selene's eyes widened in fear as her father stocked over to her. He walked past his sword off the ground. "You will take care of this, for it was your blood he drew." He said, allowing her to hold his sword.

Selene looked down at the metal, studying the reflection of her green eyes. She knew what her father wanted her to do. It was a crime for anyone not in her fathers inner circle to draw their blood. Because, as her father made sure to constantly remind her, her blood was the blood of the gods. She sighed, feeling guilt build in her stomach. She didn't want to kill this man, this whole thing was her fault. She swallowed her shame down and faced her father.

"Yes father." She said smiling at him, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. She heard the commotion outside and held the sword tighter. Her knuckles became white, but her grip did not lighten. She was facing away from the door and still heard it open, the steps of aleimlaq, "the giant," echoing throughout the stone room. Her hands trembled on the hilt of her fathers sword as she turned around. Based on the look in his eyes, he knew why he was here. He gave her a look of resignation before bowing in front of her father.

"Ra's Al Ghul, you summoned me." He said, the fear evident in the shaking of his voice. Selene looked at him, remembering all the times they had trained together. This man, for being incredibly big and intimidating looking, was quite nice. Selene had trained with him quite often, and enjoyed it. Sometimes they would even just sit and talk, him counseling her. He was one of the few who knew her face. As the daughter of the demon, she was kept hidden away from her people until she ascended to heir at age twelve, but he knew not only her face, her secrets.

She saw him look down at the sword in her hands and back up at her, giving her a weak smile. She would return it, show him she didn't want to do this, but that was weakness and weakness was unacceptable especially in the eyes of her father. Instead she bit her lip and walked over to him, preparing the weapon for the kill. For crimes such as these the punishment was beheading, the blood of the gods spilled and so should the mortals. She had never killed someone this way before, and as she raised her sword her stomach churned. This is wrong, she thought, her hands still shaking slightly. She couldn't kill this man, this innocent man. But if she didn't her father surely would. She took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do.

Selene raised the weapon, and time seemed to slow. She was aware of her fathers form behind her, striking distance away. She didn't want to harm him, but needed a distraction. With the resolution, he hands stopped shaking. It would work, she told herself.

Ra's al ghule saw the fear in his daughter fade and smiled proudly, so she was learning, he thought to himself. But, the smile quickly faded as her weapon clattered to the floor. He stood there, shocked that she would disobey him. Furthermore, he knew she knew if she wasn't the one to kill this man, he would be. This act of defiance wouldn't save this man, and it would cause her pain. But, he didn't know just how far her defiance was going to go.

In her fathers confusion, she ducked under him, rounding his back. Jumping up, she hit the center point between his two shoulder blades, his body falling to the floor as he glared at her. She knew the paralysis would wair off, and she had to hurry. She looked back to Aleimlaq, noticing the shock and fear on his face. However, she didn't have time to focus on that. "We leave now." she told him, making her way to a passage only she knew about. The man stood up, following her out. He was confused as to why she was doing this, for him. But, he didn't voice it.

They walked through the passageway Selene took only twice a year. "Once we excite the passage, keep traveling to the coastline. There is a small cove that has a boat you can use to escape, after that I wont beagle to help you, understood?" she barked at him, telling him it wasn't a request.

He nodded and remained silent as they walked through the passageway. What had to be more than an hour passed before she heard the waterfall signalling the passage was at it's end. She crossed over to the wall of water, and carefully moved the rock as to part the flow. Only then did the man speak up, and even so his voice was silent, almost fearful.

"Why?" Was all he managed to ask.

Selene thought, why? Why? She didn't know. It just didn't seem fair, he was one of her own people yet she was expected to kill him. She was raised being told that loyalty to her people was the most important thing. That every choice should benefit her people in some way. So the better question was, why not? But, that wasn't the question he asked. "You spilled mere drops of my blood and yet I am expected to spill all of yours, it is not justice." That was all Selene said before she moved the rock back, the waterfall regaining its flow.

The punishment for her weakness wasn't at all what she had expected. Instead of taking away her privileges or harming her, he assigned her a new job. She became his executioner, executing all the traitors of the league, people who had once been her people. At first it was hard, but eventually a numbness came over her. Killing no longer caused her stomach to churn, and her weakness as her father put it was gone.

However, it was months later when she was given the actual test, to see just how far she had come. One day, her father pulled her away, saying he had something to give her. Politely she followed him to his throne room, where on the map table sat the head of aleimlaq. However, seeing it didn't bother her, didn't even cause her stomach to churn. She supposed he deserved it for getting caught.

Selene was vaguely aware of the sensation of water engulfing her body. The water wasn't cold or hot, and she could feel it soothing her aching muscles. She allowed herself to go, letting the water flow around her in whatever forms it saw fit. Almost as if it had a mind of its own, she mused in her head. She could hear voices, but they sounded so very distant. She strained to grasp them though, trying to make out what they were saying.

"You're lucky you found her when you did, if she was out there much longer she may have frozen to death." an old sounding voice said. But, Selene knew the voice, only she couldn't remember where from. "Do you know how she got in the middle of the south pole?" the older woman asked.

Selene jumped up, all her senses returning to her. No, she couldn't be in the south. Not again. She looked around in the small hut, seeing the look of shock in the elderly woman's eyes. Before anything else had time to register she was racing through the door and outside into the freezing cold tundra.

As far as the eye could see, in every direction, was gleaming white snow. She was stranded in the south, again. Only this time, not only was she worlds away, she was out of time.

…...

Korra found herself pacing outside the healers hut. Having just returned from a lecture by yours truly, the white lotus, she somehow made her way here. Perhaps it was due to worry for the girl she found buried under the snow, or perhaps it was curiosity that pulled her back. But, in the end, it didn't matter. All that did was that she was back. She made her way up the snow covered steps, knocking harshly on the door. Upon hearing a voice call for her to come in, she pulled open the handle, letting herself in.

she shouldn't have been shocked to see the girl awake, but for some strange reason she was. Maybe it was the strange features of the girl. She seemed around the age of her, only her eyes were so, dark. Not the color, the color themselves was bright and lively. However, there seemed to be shadows behind the beautiful irises, a darkness consuming their being. The girls body was covered in markings and symbols, only, they were symbols she hadnt seen. They seemed to depict a hord, a army of evil.

"Hi, I was just checking in to see if she had woken up. Thank you so much for taking care of her master Katara." Korra said, bowing with her hands clasped.

Katara simply smiled her sweet, old lady smile. "Of course, avatar Korra.

Selene felt her as if her mind was melting. The thin line between reality crumbling. She saw there lips moving, but wasn't able to hear anything after avatar. What was going on. She felt her fear begging to rise and she found herself to, rising from the bed. It wasn't possible. Aang was the avatar. Katara was, she was sixteen. Not sixty.

"No," her voice came out horse and filled to the brim with fear. No, not fear, terror. She had never been this terrrified in her life. Not when she jumped infront of the lightning to save the young prince. Now when she faced Darke himself. Not even of her father, and he was the devil himself. Because, what was happening now, there was no explanation for. Sure, she had been through some crazy shit. Hell, six years ago she didn't even know bending was a thing. But, this was impossible. To be staring into the aged eyes of her friend who was only fourteen less than six months ago. To be looking at the avatar, someone who wasn't Aang.

"No, that's…. That's not possible. K-Katara?" she asked fearfully, staring into those oh so recognizable blue eyes.

The women stared back at her, a sweet smile on her face. "Your okay, nothings wrong, everythings gonna be fine." she said as she approached the unstable girl.

"What?! No, everythings wrong, your not supposed to be old. Aangs the avatar. Please just, what =s going on" Selene began crying as she fell to the floor, the confusion and fear sweeping over her in waves.

Kataras eyebrows knit themselves together. What on earth could this child possibly mean? Then it hit her, the tattoos, she knew she had seen such symbols before. But, the last time she had seen them was at the end of the 100 year way. "Selene?

AN: chapters will get longer from here. However with finals week coming up I have little time to write. Anyway, stay tuned. And as always, please review with comments, suggestions, and questions. Byeeee