My infant daughter. Newborn. Innocent and Pure. She was dying.
I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyelids tightly clenched together and my breath is hitching and heaving. It was senseless. Why would the gods above grant me such a wondrous gift at all if they had meant to soon take it away again?
"Oh spirits, there must be a way to save her."
There is.
I raised my eyes and I could see.
A maiden, a radiant apparition. Beautiful is the image; flowing strands of shimmering white hair fanned and billowing around her being, illuminated by moonlight. Her image floated before my eyes, a spirit lighting the night.
The image looked so fragile, as if she would crack and shatter had I dared to reach out and touch her.
"Is this what will become of my daughter?"
Yes. A voice from beyond the boundaries of the world of spirits whispered in my ear. She will belong to me.
The volume of that single statement pierced me and sunk down low, to the pit of my stomach. Was I to give my daughter's freedom in exchange for her life?
"What are you saying?"
She will become a separate vessel of my vitality and power on the mortal plane. She will be bound to my power, and subsequently she will be bound to the balance. My state of being will affect hers as it does the balance.
The thought left me numb. I solemnly bowed my head and I let the tears fall.
I cannot afford to give unless you give in return. If you choose this, your daughter will become apart of me. We will be essentially sharing the same life. In the end she will return to me and become me. What is your choice?
I caught my wife's eyes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks but she nodded her assent, her heart grave as was mine. I glanced down at the silent infant in my arms and I set her in the water. All was still. The moon shined down, and it was as if its pale light was bleaching my daughter's hair white. She opened her eyes, soft azure orbs locking my gaze with her's. Immediately she started bellowing and crying.
Curiously, I noticed the white koi fish swimming circles vigorously around it's black-scaled counterpart. At the time, I thought it was such an unusual reaction for a fish.
I wouldn't realize the significance until it was too late, sixteen years after the fact.
A/N: Inspired by the season finale, of course. Yue's character didn't strike my fancy in particular, but I found the concept behind her interesting so I decided to play around with it.
Please R&R. I'll give you cookies.