you are standing in the royal holy pavilion, and you can smell smoke in the air. it's the first breath of relief after a crowd of resentful spirits swarmed the holy temple, and you, crown prince, were able to near instantly find the vital spot to disperse them. there's a magnificent sword in your hand; you are dressed in fine, pure white clothing, and thrumming with powerful spiritual energy.
your two bodyguards kneel on the floor, both sooty but otherwise fine, and in front of them, a young child holds his head. he is filthy, wearing red and covered in bandages, and he is surrounded by three deputy guoshi. your tutor, famed mei nianqing, grand master guoshi, renowned for his skills and talents in fortune tellers sits in front of you, and he looks horrified.
"your highness" he says, suddenly, springing to his feet, "you really shouldn't have brought that thing up this mountain. that small child is toxic! his sign is borne of the most ominous star, the star of solitude, destined to bring misfortune and destruction, the kind that evil loves most. whoever touches him will have misfortune befall them, whoever gets close will lose their lives--"
before he can finish, though, a scream rips out of the throat of the tiny, red wearing child. he is young, barely ten years old, but the noise is agonized, filled to the brim with unmistakable, unspeakable pain and sorrow, and he runs full speed at the guoshi to headbutt him, then starts flailing - he hits and tears and cries at the guoshi, wailing like a miserable animal.
around you, the deputy guoshi gasp, horrified, and your bodyguards leap to their feet. they tear the child away from the guoshi, who scrambles backwards, yelling "MAKE HIM GO DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, HURRY! Don't touch him, I mean it! That fortune is too toxic! Don't touch him!"
the deputy guoshi jump as if they were burned. your bodyguards are frozen to the spot, and everyone avoids the child like he is poisonous - it just makes it worse. the child screams, and thrashes, and bites at anything he can, like a wild animal. "I'M NOT!! I'M NOT, I'M NOT!"
and you, crown prince, holy child, beloved son, come back to your senses.
and you walk forward. you keep walking, forward, forward, past the deputy guoshi, and drop to your knees behind the child
and you take him in your arms from behind. ] You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know you're not.
[ the child stops, frozen in your arms, like a wild, captured animal. his tiny hands catch the white fabric of your sleeves, spreading grime from the spot, and hold on for dear life. he takes a deep breath --you feel him trembling in your arms, tiny, emaciated, terrified thing, and you close your eyes.
and you feel something in that child's body just give. he takes a deep, heaving breath, and bursts into tears.
your heart breaks.
you pull the child closer to yourself, and speak, again, firmly. you will not be questioned. ] It's not you. It's not your fault.
[ the child whips around, suddenly, buries his face in your chest, and begins to wail.
the guoshi warns you, one last time - i mean it, it's best to let go, and you shake your head, and hold the tiny hong-er in your arms, so that if he falls apart, you can keep his pieces together. you let him scream and cry, like a wounded animal sobbing its last breaths, the desperate cries of a grown man breaking down instead of the misery of a ten year old. you ignore your advisers, let him soak the front of your snow white robes with his tears and blood and dirt. you don't care.
bad luck be damned; hong er is not an ominous star. he is a child, who deserves to be loved. who deserves kindness. who has suffered, so very much, so much so that his sobs rattle his bones, rattle the entire pavilion.
you will not be the reason he continues to suffer.
if this child's misery is - is heaven fated, then you, crown prince, beloved son, soon-to-be-god -- you will change his fate with your bare hands.
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