**This Story Contains Tcest**
Pairings: Raphael/Donatello, Leonardo/Michelangelo, Raphael/Michelangelo, Michelangelo/Donatello
Info: Alternate Universe, Royalty, Elemental Magic, Action/Adventure, Romance

Author's Note: In later chapters this story will contain content rated above the restrictions of FFN. Because of this, I will not be able to post some chapters in their entirety. These chapters will be clearly marked and I will be providing a link to where this story is posted on AO3 where you can read the chapter in full if you wish to do so. I also strongly recommend simply following this story on AO3 because of these restrictions. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: This story is NOT inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender. I started writing this ages ago, long before I ever watched through Avatar, so any similarities are pure coincidence. Or proof that I have no original ideas. Take your pick. lol Also, it's possible I will be adding more ships and tags as this develops, we'll see how it goes...

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~*~ Chapter One: Education ~*~

"... and that was five hundred years ago, when your ancestors first claimed this continent and the elemental spirits gifted them the power over the elements that you now control... Your Highness, please stop fidgeting and pay attention."

"But it itches... why do I have to wear this thing?"

"Because your father says so. Raphael! Focus please."

Raphael jolted awake at the sound of the instructor's pointer slapping against the table in front of him. The late morning sun coming through the open window was warm on his skin and he'd dozed off resting on his hand, bored to tears that they had to be inside listening to the instructor drone on when what he really wanted was to be outside catching sand lizards.

Blinking the sleep from his eyes he looked over at his friend practically shoving his royal orange mask off his face in an effort to itch underneath it.

"But whyyy does he say so?" Michelangelo whined. "If it's so important why doesn't he wear one..."

The instructor sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose under her glasses. "This has been explained to you, my prince. In one week, the both of you, as well as Prince Leonardo, will be officially named as the crowned princes and heirs apparent. When that is done you will be expected to wear these bands of cloth as part of your royal dress, and your father wants you to become accustomed to wearing them before then so you do not disturb the ceremony with your fidgeting."

"Don't ya' remember Mikey? Our fathers told us all about it last week." Raphael said with exasperation, resisting the urge to fiddle with his own mask. It was the same as Michelangelo's, only royal red in color.

"How am I supposed to remember something from last week!?" Michelangelo squeaked, itching under the cloth again until it slid off his head to flutter to the floor. He dived after it as the instructor sighed, louder than before.

"My young princes," She began again, leveling them with a commanding stare from her sharp cat eyes. "You are but ten years old, and I can understand that you would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine, but this time is designated for your education. If you do not settle down and concentrate, I will be forced to report to your fathers how obstinate your behavior is and they will be the ones to decide how to deal with you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sorry." "Sorry." The two princes said sheepishly, Michelangelo trying his best to sit still and not scratch under his mask.

The instructor eyed them closely, waiting until she was sure they were giving her their full attention. She had only lived in the earth kingdom for a few years and if anyone had told her on the day she arrived that she would soon be given the position of royal private instructor for the crowned prince she would have laughed, and yet, here she was. It was a job she took great pride in... most days... when the prince was in a mood to behave.

Unfortunately, it seemed that this was not one of those days. Her glossy ebony fur was puffed out in annoyance and her tail swished side to side a little too stiffly, forcing her to take a steadying breath. She wasn't accustomed to having more than one student, but the royal family from the fire kingdom had arrived early, intending to spend a week relaxing before the official ceremony, and Raphael's mother had insisted that his time would be best spent if he joined young Michelangelo during his daily lessons. So, she unexpectedly found herself with two unruly boys under her care.

She turned back to the chalkboard, writing the subjects for the day's lessons out with a small piece of chalk as she continued to speak. "Now, your ancestors divided this continent into four separate kingdoms, each of them claiming a region to rule and your families have prospered greatly through the centuries. Each kingdom has grown and thrived in their own ways, building up into the great empire that we know today..."

After a few minutes of listening to the drone of her voice and the scratching sound of chalk on the slate, Raphael started to doze off again, hoping he would dream about lunch so it could be time to eat sooner.

A warm breeze came in through the window, drifting across his skin and tickling the side of his face. There was a buzzing sound, light, just at the edge of hearing. It sounded like a fly was caught in the window.

"Raph...?" Michelangelo whispered in his ear.

"Mmm..." Raphael grunted without opening his eyes.

"Raph... don't move." Another whisper, closer this time.

What the heck was that nitwit talking about? Something tickled his cheek again.

He cracked an eye open with a groggy frown. The instructor was still writing on the board, her back to them.

"Mikey, get outta my face." He growled irritably seeing how closely his friend was crouched right next to him.

Michelangelo was looking past him nervously. "... don't freak out."

"Why would I...?" But then Raphael heard it again, the low buzzing, and he recognized the sound this time. It wasn't a fly.

Turning his head slowly he found himself face to face with a Bilifay. The tiny creature was hovering right next to his cheek. It's body a miniature tornado of swirling air and dust and he could just make out the minuscule bits of leaves and flower petals it had managed to pick up as it flew about outside. Its pinpoint black eyes were staring at him in a quizzical way.

It made a soft, almost musical noise, a twittering chirp that didn't carry beyond the table where the two princes sat frozen as they watched it carefully.

The sprite didn't have regular arms or hands, only limbs of smaller funnels of twisting air that poked out from each side of it, but that didn't seem to stop it from picking up things. And at that moment it was holding a bulbous green caperberry that it had plucked from a bush right outside the window.

The creature's beady black eyes seemed to flick toward the instructor and then back to Raphael, then it twittered another quiet call and darted upward toward the ceiling. Raphael's eyes widened as he looked up after it and he heard Michelangelo gasp beside him.

From its place near the ceiling, the fay gave them one last challenging look, then it turned and flung the hard berry directly at the instructor with all its tiny might. Its aim was true, and the fruit pelted her directly on the center of her backside with a loud 'thwap!'

She yelped and spun, finding Raphael sitting in open mouthed shock and Michelangelo with his hands clasped over his mouth, holding back a snorting laugh.

"Raphael!" She accused sternly.

"It wasn't me!" Raphael cried. "It was the..."

But before he could finish, the tiny creature swooped down from the ceiling and plucked the chalk right out of the instructor's fingers. Chirping with a resonating trill, it darted about the room, immensely satisfied with itself.

"Oh!... for goodness sake..." She groaned, watching the fay flit about the room.

"I got it!" Michelangelo crowed, jumping onto the table and diving after the sprite.

The resulting chase was a chaotic blur. Raphael was seething, swiping for the small creature whenever it came within arm's reach. Michelangelo was climbing over all the furniture trying to catch it, his whoops and hollers echoing off the walls while the instructor yelled at him to be careful.

Luckily, it was only a minute or two before Michelangelo cornered the tiny thing and swiped the chalk from its clutches as it twittered an indignant screech at having its prize stolen. Seeing that the fay was distracted by the prince, the instructor moved to quickly capture it in her fist.

These small magical creatures were unlike any other flora or fauna on the continent. They were the true children of the elemental spirits, made from the elements themselves. Air and water and earth and fire, snow and rock and tree and leaf. The fay were mysterious, sometimes malicious and always mischievous.

And even though this one appeared to be nothing but a swirling funnel of air, it somehow had substance, because the instructor was able to squeeze her fingers around it as it struggled to free itself. She stalked to the window and unceremoniously tossed the sprite outside, shutting the pane with a snap behind it. The creature spun and beat upon the glass for a moment, screeching loudly in its anger, before darting away and disappearing into the gardens.

"Can't even keep the windows open anymore..." The instructor mumbled with a huff, turning to look at the boys and the mess in the room. Raphael was pointedly staring at her with a rather impressive scowl.

"I am sorry I yelled at you, Raphael." She offered. "I should not have assumed."

He accepted her apology with a shrug. "Why are those things always causin' trouble?"

The instructor shook her head with a sigh. "Perhaps it is just their nature. Although they do seem to have become more bothersome in recent years."

"They're acting out because our elements are out of balance. They sense the change, and they don't like it." Michelangelo said as he held out the small piece of chalk.

She blinked, looking down at him with a concerned frown. That was something she truly hadn't considered before, but it made a lot of sense. The spirits of the elements were directly influenced by the world around them, why would they not also be influenced by the instability within the families that they had chosen to bond with.

"You have always been far more astute than anyone gives you credit for, my young prince. And I imagine you are right. This current situation between your royal families must be causing the fay some amount of distress. It is distressing for us all."

Michelangelo gave her a sad smile as she gently pushed him toward his seat. She returned to the chalkboard and quickly finished what she had been writing before the interruption.

"So, as I was saying before we were so dramatically interrupted, the Greater Terrapin Empire has a long and grand history, that is why it is crucial that you fully understand the importance of your roles within it. This vast continent was built with the blood, sweat and tears of the ancestors that came before you. They were powerful and just kings and queens who have left you a legacy that..."

"May I ask a question?" Michelangelo asked, his hand raised in the air.

"Yes, Your Highness… what would you like to ask?" The instructor replied, holding back her irritation.

"So, if the ceremony is next week, and if it's for Raph and Leo and me... does... does that mean that Donatello will be there too? Will we finally get to meet him?"

Michelangelo's voice was so hopeful, his crystalline blue eyes so large and pleading, that the instructor almost didn't have the heart to answer. She saw Raphael's head quickly snap up at hearing the question, eagerness on his face as well, and wished she could lie, just to keep from seeing their disappointment. But knew she couldn't do that, not with this.

Again, she sighed, with sympathy this time, looking at them each before answering honestly. "I do not know the answer to that question. I wish I did. I would like to think that the importance of this ceremony will bring King Archus out of his self-imposed exile so that he may present his son as his heir with the rest of you. But I fear there is no evidence to suggest that he will."

The hopeful looks on both boys faces disappeared, replaced with an empty sadness and the instructor felt the weight of it in her heart. "I know how difficult this must be for you, my young princes. The magic shared between your families has always connected you, and to be separated from Prince Donatello must pain you every day. I wish I could tell you that he will be there and that you will finally all be together, but you must be prepared for the reality that he most likely will not. The water kingdom's borders have been sealed for ten long years, no one knows why, and no one knows if they will ever be opened again."

Tears brimmed in Michelangelo's eyes and Raphael frowned, neither spoke.

Wanting to cheer them, the instructor smiled. "Do not trouble yourselves so. Perhaps the day of the ceremony will come, and we will all be surprised. Now, let us return to your studies, yes?"

"Yeah, ok..." Michelangelo replied sadly, itching under his mask again.

"Why don't we start over with something simple? Which of you can tell me the names and elements of each kingdom in the Terrapin Empire?"

Michelangelo's hand shot into the air, the young prince's sadness disappearing as he eagerly bounced in his seat. "The air kingdom, Aeolus. The water kingdom, Varuna. The fire kingdom... uh..."

"Agni, dummy." Raphael growled in annoyance. "Ya' were just visitin' me there last month."

"Oh, yeah... sorry Raph." Michelangelo apologized. No matter how much he tried he was always forgetting the name of Raphael's kingdom.

"And where are we now, Michelangelo?" The instructor prompted.

"Sucellus!" Michelangelo exclaimed with a beaming smile. "The best kingdom of them all!"

"No way!" Raphael argued. "Earth will never be better than fire!" To accentuate his point, Raphael snapped his fingers, a small ball of fire erupting in his hand. "I can make fire wherever I am. You need the ground under your feet to use your power."

"So!?" Michelangelo pouted, leaning away from the flickering heat in Raphael's fist. "That doesn't make you more powerful, Raph, it just makes you more annoying..."

"Raphael!" The instructor cut in sternly. "Please do not use your power indoors, you have been warned before."

Raphael extinguished the flame, mumbling an apology before sticking his tongue out at Michelangelo.

"That was very good, Michelangelo. Four kingdoms representing the power of the four elements. The great elemental spirits granted you the powers you command and every twenty-five years they call the eldest born from each family before them in judgment. What is this event called?"

"The Trials of Succession." The two princes said in unison.

The instructor nodded with a smile, "Yes, the trials will test your ability to control your elements and to work together as a team in joined brotherhood. When you have completed your trials, the elemental spirits will judge your worthiness and you will each be named king, replacing your fathers on the thrones of your kingdoms. You will also be ranked based on your performance, I asked you both to read this chapter from your history books last night, what becomes of the one who is ranked the highest? Michelangelo?"

Looking up toward the top of his head and scrunching up his face, Michelangelo tried to remember what he had read. "The... eldest born who is... victorious in the trials becomes the Emperor and... and... uh, oh! And rules over all the kingdoms with a compassionate and patient hand."

Michelangelo grinned wide, proud of himself for remembering the text and the instructor gave him an approving nod. "That is correct. That is why the ruling emperor changes every twenty five years, and that is why it is so very important that you train diligently and remain studious with your lessons so you can grow to be the very best you can be and bring honor to your kingdoms."

Raphael was frowning again and quietly chewing on his lip. His father, King Kaimon, had sat him down when he was eight and told him about all of this, drilling into his head the importance of his performance in the trials and of the honor he would bring his family name if he were to secure the emperor's crown for his kingdom. It was something the fire kingdom had not held for over three hundred years and his father was adamant that with Raphael, the element of fire would come away victorious at last.

But even then, Raphael had wondered about the glaring problem that no one seemed to want to talk about. The water kingdom, and the prince that none of them had ever laid eyes on. When he'd asked his father why they had never met, Kaimon grew sad and told Raphael to be quiet, saying it was a very painful moment from his past and after seeing the look on his father's face, Raphael didn't ask him about it anymore.

But everything they had talked about today had him wondering again...

The instructor saw Raphael's serious expression and she addressed him warily. "Do you have a question, my prince?"

He remained still for a moment before looking up. "What'll happen to our trials if... if the water kingdom never reopens its borders? What happens if Donatello doesn't show up?"

The instructor pressed her lips together, answering slowly. "That... I do not know. What has happened with the Kingdom of Varuna is unprecedented. In theory, the two of you, with Prince Leonardo, will complete the trials without the benefit of the water element. However, such a scenario has never come to pass before, and it is also possible the elemental spirits will not allow the trials to proceed without all of the elements present. I believe that all we can do is simply wait and see and hope for the best."

Michelangelo fidgeted in his seat, speaking up with a quiet voice like he was afraid he was telling a secret. "Leo told me that... his father told him that... King Archus betrayed them during their trials and that he angered the elemental spirits and that they punished him for his treachery and that is why he shut himself away in his kingdom."

"When did he tell ya' that?" Raphael demanded, but the smaller prince just shook his head.

The instructor frowned; extraordinarily little information was known about the day the element of water was disqualified from the previous trials ten years earlier. The royal families refused to speak of the incident, preferring to pretend it had never happened rather than provide an explanation, and she knew better than to ask. Her job was to teach, not to ask questions of those above her station.

But this was something she had never heard before, not even in the whispers of the serving staff. If young prince Leonardo had accurately conveyed his father's admission, then that truth held the power to change a great many things. The very idea of one of the four princes betraying the others for his own gain during the competition was unheard of and almost too sinister to even consider as reality.

She swallowed, filing the information away for further investigation later, and gave the earth prince a reassuring smile. "The fact is, there are only four people on this continent who know what happened that day, and unless all of them come together to speak of what occurred then we, as bystanders, must accept that we may never know the truth."

Raphael grunted in frustration and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms across his front. Michelangelo sat looking down at his hands twisting in his lap, a worried frown creasing his brow.

"Where is Leo anyway? Wasn't his caravan supposed to be here by now?" Raphael asked, glancing sideways at Michelangelo as the earth prince perked up with a curious look on his face.

"Yes, it was." The instructor answered. "However, it was explained to me that an unexpected but important matter of state has delayed the departure of the royal family from Aeolus by a few days. They should be arriving by the full moon."

"But isn't that only a day before the ceremony?" Mikey whined. "We haven't seen Leo in almost a year, and we were supposed to have a whole week together!"

"Of course." Raphael grumbled, rolling his eyes in frustration. "The high and mighty emperor's son managed to get out of having to sit though the boring stuff... again. By the time he gets here we'll have been wasting away through these mind-numbing lessons for a whole week... hey!"

Raphael fell from his chair as a kicking ball hit him square in the face. Shaking his head, he peered up at the instructor from his place on the floor with a stunned look. Michelangelo was sputtering behind his hand, trying to hold back his laugh.

"I'm sorry you find my lessons so tedious, my young prince." The instructor said jovially. "Perhaps we should go outside, and you can try and out score me at the foot nets. As I recall, young Michelangelo still holds the high score..."

"Not for long he don't!" Raphael sneered excitedly, jumping to his feet and running for the door with the ball clutched in his hands, yelling over his shoulder as he disappeared through it. "Come on pipsqueak! I'll race ya' to the pitch!"

"Hey no fair! He had a head start!" Michelangelo yelled, darting after the prince of fire with a whooping laugh.

The instructor sighed, quickly following them, accepting with a smile that the lessons she had planned for the day were a bust. The princes were simply too worked up, a break and some exercise, that is what is needed more than books right now. The mystery of the water kingdom would have to wait for another day.

These were strange times, with many strange unknowns, but one thing would always be true, young princes would never miss a chance to one up each other with competition. Even if they had to do it with scratchy new masks on their faces.

~*~ EotW ~*~