Strangers, the lot of them. When Elder Glaciari has Arctina break her free from the prison, Shivian emerges from the cave to find herself surrounded by froslass she has never seen before. They laugh amongst each other and gather round one particular froslass: Frozy.
Shivian grinds her teeth as Frozy balks at them with that pretentious face of hers, then pushes past everyone to cozy up to Arctina. Arctina the guardian. The doltish brute of a glalie, of all pokémon.
It has been about a full day since she was locked away, and their clan has morphed into a group of aliens. She trudges to the center of the clearing, in plain view of everyone. The elders occupy themselves talking with the outsider Agnice. Even if Frozy were the chosen one of prophecy, why is that gaudy, obnoxious froslass allowed to stay? She ought to be banished. She can take her daughter with her as she leaves.
Wryly chuckling to herself, Shivian resists the urge to spit at the froslass draped in gems, talking over even Elder Glaciari in a voice loud enough to attract enemies from the end of the world yet loathsome enough to chase them away to such lengths. It makes the haughty silence of Frozy all the more infuriating. They both truly think themselves so mighty.
The children run around together during rehearsal break, trying to include Frozy in their games. They pass Shivian as if she were Arctina. Her pout grows bigger by the second as the group of froslass clumsily float overhead without a care, playing tag. Somehow, the newly evolved froslass' elegance remind her of what she's seen of Frozy, what with how they fumble about and cling to one another as they float. How pathetic. If she were a froslass, no doubt she would remain as sophisticated as ever.
Shivian cannot take it anymore. They can ignore Arctina to their heart's content as they always have, but her?
Two froslass float by her holding hands. They must be the sisters. She can recall an avoidable incident they involved the clan in not too long ago. She reaches out and yanks on both their sashes, forcing them to halt. "Do not ignore me."
The two froslass look at each other and pull back their sashes. The bigger one says, "Who do you think you are?"
Shivian wishes to slap her across the face, but she is unfortunately too tall. "I am the prima donna-"
"No you're not." The smaller sister narrows her eyes. "Frozy is."
"That newcomer? Don't make me laugh." Shivian scoffs. "Was it not just yesterday that you all praised me so? Did I not lead you all during the first half of morning rehearsal flawlessly? I will save everyone as prima donna. Is that not what you all believed but one day ago?"
"You're delusional." The bigger froslass tugs on her sister's hand. With a sly smirk, she says, "You're just a provisional frost maiden. We are true frost maidens. Know your place."
"You think too highly of yourselves!" Shivian explodes.
"We should be the ones saying that." The bigger froslass guffaws. "You always acted like you were too good for us before, but now look at you. You're just an unnecessary snorunt. Is that not what you thought of us before?"
"Were you not the ones falling over yourselves to kiss the earth I walked upon?" Growling, Shivian runs after them. Despite their graceless strides, they manage to outpace her. "Don't you dare leave me!"
The smaller froslass stops and turns. "Do you even know our names?"
Lips parted, Shivian emits no noise. She manages to say, "You're the sisters."
"Then do you know which sisters we are?" The smaller froslass huffs. "Are we the youngest sisters, or are we Elder Flurrita's daughters?"
Shivian pauses. Were there two pairs of sisters among them? She never truly paid it any mind. But what relevance is this? This is not a matter of friendship or anything silly like that. It is a matter of respect. A respect so fickle as to bend from a baseless legend. "Does it matter?"
The two sisters float away without looking back. What unloyal dunces. Shivian admits, it was not wise to attempt a connection with such fools. She sets the bar lower. Someone who is so simple and is bound to address her properly.
A glalie happens to pass her. She shoots an ice shard at the back of her head, to which Arctina spins around. "Yeah?"
"I…" She has Arctina's attention, but she does not quite know what she wants to say to her.
"Sorry, I have to go." Arctina brushes her aside, even. "I should go back to Frozy."
"Are you not to watch over me?"
"Well, I'm the guardian. I protect everyone," Arctina says slowly, as if talking to a mere child. "But the prima donna is the most important."
"I'm the prima donna!" Shivian wants to pull her teeth out at this madness.
"No, Frozy is."
There it is again. Such utter nonsense. Shivian stomps her feet and cries, "Then what about me?"
Arctina tilts her body. "Of course I'll protect you, too. I just have to stand by Frozy. I can see you from her side all the way over there, don't worry!"
Arctina is always so stupid! Shivian gnaws her lips, savoring a disgusting taste completely foreign to her as something warm oozes onto her dry tongue.
"Prophesied prima donna my butt!" Shivian kicks at a stone wedged in the ground, only to flinch back and nurse a now-tender foot. "What stupid prophecy, even?"
"You know not of the prophecy?" Elder Chillena sneaks up behind her and asks. Shivian flinches and falls to the ground. "My apologies, child."
The dull and dreary elder helps Shivian to her feet. Elder Chillena is always so unsettlingly drab. She remembers how the children would often gossip in her ear of how the elder was simply a husk puppeted by the Frozen Gigant to mock them. That she has no daughters among them did not help.
Shivian snaps, "What are you on about?"
"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know the prophecy. It is a tale passed on by our elders, after all. Our generation has never truly had the time to breathe such a fantasy unto yours. I believe we can rest easy now with Frozy, so I ought to share it with the others."
"I dare you to make sense of that outsider," Shivian hisses.
"It goes as such: A froslass will stumble upon us, modest and elegant beyond her years. She hails from the belly of the underworld, having finally escaped after a life of unjust damnation. She brings with her transcendent jewels to gift upon the lyrical children, and together they rejoice in a Frozen Opera that commands the Frozen Gigant's heart to blanche our world into eternal paradise."
"That's it?" Shivian's eye twitches.
"Is that not Frozy to a T?" Elder Chillena shrugs.
"Absolute drivel!"
An outsider of prophecy? That is why she was stripped of her birthright?
"The prophecy is said to be borne from a truth of a time long past." Chillena puts a hand to her chin in thought. "The story of our first generation. The birth of our tradition."
"Do you believe it?" Shivian cannot help but ask. "That she will save us?"
"Glaciari believes so." Chillena does not elaborate further.
"But I was born to be the prima donna! Every cell of my being is far more worthy and talented that her! I will save us all!"
"The person most deserving of becoming the prima donna will not always bear the title," Chillena says, gently stroking her own throat marred with several overlapping sets of three faint parallel scars with her vocal chords on display within a shield of ice, and sash, which has always been only half of one as far as Shivian was concerned.
"Though if she lacks conviction, was she ever truly worthy?" Chillena quietly muses. "Ah, how I prattle. My apologies."
"You dare insult Elder Glaciari?" Shivian automatically asks. She purses her lips after and refuses to meet the froslass's gaze.
"How could I? She is perfection incarnate." Chillena stares off into the distance with a faraway look. "Rehearsal will resume. I do hope your faith in the opera never wavers."
Shivian grumbles as she drags her feet off to the side and plops down to sit on a stone as the frost maidens line up before the elders. They are the ones brainwashed by some prophecy, but somehow she is the pariah? Even Arctina has found company in the form of a cursed outsider.
The children begin the opera from the beginning. Shivian cannot find it in herself to follow along even in her head. She knows the opera by heart. It runs through her blood. It is part of her soul. But for what?
Off to the side, not too far away, Arctina and Frozy observe rehearsal. As the belles toll, Arctina delivers a spoken word echoing them so stilted, Shivian questions the glalie's sanity. Frozy listens on with a face most insolent of a prima donna beholden to the opera she will lead.
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For whatever absurd reason, Arctina manages to draw ire from her to a degree comparable to the outsiders. It is not nearly as severe, but it is omnipresent. The stupid guardian is always there. Shivian does not miss when the glalie hovered over her shoulder in the past, but how could that ninny substitute Frozy's worth for hers so easily?
The duo follows along with rehearsal. Arctina plainly states the lyrics in time with the others for Frozy. How absurd. That froslass probably cannot remember her name, much less the libretto of the opera.
Rehearsal falls to a painful silence. The aria is meant to ring clear now, but the supposed prima donna remains mute on the sidelines, looking bored off into the distance. The frost maidens continue to swirl about in the air in a ring as the choreography goes. The elders float up to several of them to correct their movement. Agnice follows them like a fool, pretending like she has any authority amongst them.
Shivian rolls her eyes as she sings the aria to herself. That one is too slow, she thinks as she eyes a froslass dancing a beat behind. Another moves much too flamboyantly. That one is so overbearing. Does she believe herself the prima donna? She curses that she remains a snorunt, unable to exercise the aerial steps, but she puffs her chest out knowing she will execute the dance flawlessly on her first attempt.
Elder Glaciari approaches Frozy. Shivian continues to sing, but finds herself inching closer to them. Glaciari takes Frozy's hands in hers and says, "I know the children remain subpar, but rest assured, we shall whip them into shape. All to compliment your radiance."
Sticking out her tongue and gagging, Shivian tries to ignore them. How can Glaciari grovel so? She certainly never treated her so gently.
"How I yearn to hear your aria, Frozy." Glaciari chuckles. "It will even rival mine."
"Worry not! My daughter is primed to perform!" Agnice laughs along with Glaciari. The two pat each other on the back, almost nonsensically, and float back to the other children once the choir pipes up.
"You really make Elder Glaciari happy! I've never seen her so joyous before you came!" Arctina laughs. Shivian struggles to not curse aloud. The glalie calms and awkwardly purses her lips. In a low voice, she says, "Hey, can I ask you something?"
Shivian leans even closer to them. Frozy only slowly nods.
"Um, I'm probably wrong, but I think Agnice said something when we first met. Didn't she say that… you can't talk?"
Shivian completely perks up and sneaks as close as she can to the two. Hiding behind a large stone, she peeks around, eyes locked on Frozy who desperately shakes her head left and right after a moment's delay.
"Yeah, I thought so! I just heard it wrong, right?" Arctina quickly says, laughing like an idiot. She truly buys this silent answer? It is pure dreck! "You're just too shy! But you don't have to be that way around me, you know? I'm here for you!"
Frozy stops her exaggerated movements to gaze warmly at Arctina. She nods heartily.
More than she wants to retch at the moment, Shivian cannot prevent the laugh from escaping her. She skitters farther away and allows herself to guffaw to the sky. Frozy is mute? How utterly delightful. This false prophet is truly fake? How deliciously ironic. So absolutely perfect.
Shivian knew something was wrong with Frozy, but this exceeded her expectations. Though perhaps it would have been funnier if she had a terrible voice!
She darts her eyes around, desperately searching for her mother. Mother? No, she reminds herself that she is not allowed to call her that.
Elder Glaciari stands alone not too far away. With glee, Shivian dashes, borderline skips to her. "Elder Glaciari!" Shivian waits and waits, but the froslass pays her no mind. "Elder Glaciari!"
Still no reaction. Shivian tugs on her sash, only to be flicked to the ground. Glaciari's eyes say an irked What is it?
Stifling her giggles, Shivian rises back to her feet. "I have important news! Frozy is mute! So she can't be the prima donna!"
Shivian pats herself on the back for her report. It might not be good news for the outsiders, but that is how it goes. The snorunt beams widely as she reiterates, "She can't sing, so she won't save us. But I remain!"
She suddenly finds herself back on the ground. Elder Glaciari grinds her face into the coarse earth. "How strange. Did I hear something?"
Try as she might, Shivian can only let out muffled screams as dirt fills her mouth. Glaciari strikes her body with her free hand. Shivian struggles until she manages to overpower the hold by sheer will. "I said that Frozy is a fake! The prophecy is a lie!"
"Arctina." Glaciari shoves Shivian back down and beckons the guardian forth. "It seems we have but a cruel stranger uttering heresy among us. I assume you can take care of this threat?"
The hand pinning her down disappears and Shivian is able to stand once more. When she looks up, she is face-to-face with a grimacing, yet resolute glalie looming above her. She would not… Elder Glaciari would not, right? Shivian is the prima donna. Shivian will save everyone.
Shivian is her daughter.
That foolish snorunt Fridgette reappears in Shivian's mind. The careless, useless snorunt's ravaged corpse remains a frozen decoration in their sleeping area. Only in her death is she beautiful to Elder Glaciari.
Weak in the knees, Shivian falls back to the ground once more and bows deeply. She does not want Glaciari to acknowledge her like that. Choking back sobs, tears, and pride, she manages to say, "I'm sorry. I take it back. I lied. Please forgive me."
"You truly disgust me. I've had enough of you."
Shivian is flung about by the foot, and when the world stops spinning, she finds herself in the accursed alcove she was once locked away in the day of the outsiders' arrival. A boulder blocks the exit, frozen in place just the same as the last time. How utterly unjust. They are the oafs blinded by an inane prophecy
"Why? Why are you always so mean?" she cries. "I'm the prima donna!"
Just like Arctina is a frost maiden. She manages to chuckle dryly to herself as she remembers how the guardian once spouted such similar rhetoric.
It is not fair. Why is she the one relegated to a worthless pest? Why was she raised as the prima donna if this is what would become of her? Glaciari whispered in her ear that her aria, and hers alone will save the clan as she gently stroked her head. How could she say that and immediately change her tune for some outsider?
Everyone in their clan is just as cruel. She admits, perhaps she was not everyone's darling, but she never wronged anyone any more than the rest have.
Is it even worth it to save these pokémon?
No, it is not.
Did Shivian lie? No. Frozy should have been made to disprove her. Her refusal to abide would be admission to Shivian's claim. There is no doubt in her mind: Frozy is mute. She is fake. She will bring their clan to ruin.
As long as Frozy is here, the others truly exist hopelessly. If they hold the Frozen Opera with her as the prima donna, the Frozen Gigant will never hear their cries. The world will persist as it is and melt their clan away into nothing. How can someone who cannot talk possibly sing their clan's anthem?
Shivian makes her decision. She pledged herself to be her family's savior when she first learned she would be prima donna. She pledges it again aloud, echoing off the alcove's suffocating walls. She will not forsake her back-stabbing clan. She will still save everyone as prima donna. When the Frozen Opera takes place and Frozy flees from her stolen responsibilities, Shivian will swoop in and perform the aria and move the Frozen Gigant. That is all there is. That is how it is supposed to be. That is her sole purpose in life. It is tradition. So who is she to object?
"I am the prima donna," she meekly states in the lonely alcove.
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Without the role of prima donna, Shivian's life is meaningless. So she has no choice, no desire to do anything than keep to herself and continue practicing alone. She will show Elder Glaciari. She will show Frozy. She will show everyone how only she could assume the title. She will earn back her place in the clan.
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Her voice is as lovely as ever, yet no one waits on her to remark as they used to. Frozy prances about with the others during rehearsal like a fool. She has been made to participate by the elders to perfect the choreography, but is still excused from singing. Shivian wants to curse the lot of them, but it is far too funny seeing the outsider pathetically flailing her limbs with tears in her eyes.
The frost maidens dance out of sync. Have they no sensibility? A true prima donna leads by example and is able to uphold perfection amongst her entourage. They are the ones who do not know their place. How could they save their clan when this is the extent of their devotion? There ought to be no time for any rest, so Shivian sings and sings without pause. She will have to make up for the rest of the frost maidens when she reclaims her rightful place as prima donna
"Shall we bask in a blanched paradise as one?" she sings several times. The refrain, their desperate plea to the Frozen Gigant comes so easily. Shivian will be the first prima donna in forever to make Them hear her loud and clear. But for whatever reason, the beginning of the bridge trips her up, no matter how she practices. She curses her own incompetence.
No. Shivian takes a deep breath and takes it slowly. Her mouth moves faster than her head, so she recalls the words first and hums the melody leading up to the troubling phrase. "Know that I-"
"Knowing here, I do belong. It is the universe's song." Arctina appears from the bush behind her and says it stiltedly. Scratches tarnish her ice armor. Blood paints the area around her mouth. A couple frozen souls stick to her body. "You used to mess up the second verse. Now it's the bridge?"
"Do not treat me so lightly!" Shivian snaps. "Are you so daft as to believe I do not know all the words?"
"I'm sorry." Arctina bows and floats away to join her.
Even Arctina knows the lyrics better than her. Such tender and loving words. Shivian never thought them more than something to sing, so she wrinkles her nose upon realizing what they actually say. How can such gibberish mean anything to the Frozen Gigant? No wonder the Frozen Opera never succeeds. Oh, well. Her pure talent will overcome all.
Alone once more, Shivian watches as the rest of the clan gathers at the opposite side of the clearing, preparing to go to bed. She looks down at the meager dinner supplied to her before the final practice of the day began: three shriveled berries. The other frost maidens and the elders had received much more. But those outsiders? They stood by Glaciari with what could only have been defined as a feast before then. A generous spread of berries, and souls only for Frozy. Should that not have been Shivian's place? It was, not too long ago.
No matter. She inhales the berries, paying no mind to the flavor. It wets her throat just enough. It sates her appetite just barely. And with only her voice and the Frozen Opera as company, she practices through the night, even when drowsiness threatens to overtake her.
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The next day, she wakes past noon after falling asleep without meaning to. Shivian's stomach growls, but she knows breakfast has already been doled out. Requests for more food will be denied, even if she hadn't received any to start. Why did no one wake her? With just a shrug to herself, Shivian clears her throat and resumes her endless practice. Warming up takes noticeably longer than it used to.
Come lunch, she reluctantly joins the others as food is distributed. Frozy is served first with excess as Agnice and Glaciari join her. The frost maidens are served next. Shivian waits as an elder comes toward her, then passes her.
Loudly clearing her throat until Elder Evelanche notices her, Shivian looks up expectantly. Evelanche only wordlessly drops two berries from a hollowed block of ice on the ground and floats back to the cave.
Seething, Shivian almost stomps on the unripe berries. They have a limited food supply, but this is insulting. Is she merely an afterthought? They dare continue to serve her these scraps? And why does no one ask her where she has been? She spent all of yesterday rehearsing alone separate from everyone, appearing only once for dinner, yet no one seems to care about her disappearance.
Everyone continues to ignore her, so she only kicks her supposed lunch away to the bush she has been hiding in to practice alone. She rehearses till dinner, where she repeats the cycle over.
This existence persists until she finds her voice unwilling to ring out some days later. Rehearsal proceeds as if to mock her. When the silent aria plays, she desperately wishes to sing it in place of Frozy, but not even a groan makes it out her throat. Shivian clamps her eyes shut tight, desperately praying to anyone and anything that will listen for her voice to return.
It is simply a slump, she surmises. She need only wait. So she does. She simply sits down in the brush, hidden from the others, staring off to the distance, and waits. And waits and waits and waits. She does not move even when mealtime comes up. She has no desire to. Without her voice, she might as well be dead, after all.
She continues waiting as the sun and moon play chase in the sky. Enough rain passes and falls into her subconsciously open mouth to adequately hydrate her. She knows not eating or drinking will damage her voice, but she needs to know if she still has it at all.
It is hot. The sun filters through the sparse green of the bush above onto her. She never truly realized how hot it could be, having spent her time rehearsing in the shade and resting in their cool cave. No wonder the next Frozen Opera must succeed. Sweat pours down her splayed body and turns the topsoil beneath her into mud.
And still, she remains silent. She wonders how long she has been missing from the others. When will someone stumble upon her? No, when will someone notice she is missing? She did not think to count the days. But surely someone noticed she had disappeared. She is not too far from the cave, only a few steps beyond the border of the trees.
The clan grew up together. They fawned over her. They are family. Shivian has an indescribable value. Someone must seek her out eventually.
And still, the days pass by. She can hear rehearsals from her spot. They are still far from perfection. The aria is still glossed over. They still believe in Frozy? They still forget her.
Surely someone will discover her. An elder. A frost maiden. An outsider. Arctina. An enemy. Anyone.
One evening, someone says, "Hey, they're missing!"
Shivian's heart squeezes and she struggles to sit up; she lay frozen for so long.
"My berries! I was saving them from lunch!"
Shivian collapses back down. What a fool. She, not the whining child. She wants to laugh at herself and over the berries. Someone kicked something into the brush earlier. One piece soared overhead while the other managed to land in her mouth, and she ate it without thinking. It might have been sweet and juicy. She must have eaten their berry. It is certainly far more missed than her.
I stole it, she desperately tries to say, but not even a croaking makes it out. I'm over here. Come get me.
Shivian slowly cranes her neck and manages to spy a limited scene of rehearsal through her bush. The frost maidens argue nonsensical matters as Arctina approaches them. She does not speak loudly enough for her to hear, but Shivian can make out the shapes of her mouth. It's okay. Dinner is not too far off.
The children still treat her as air, continuing to babble on. Everyone ignores Arctina. They do it because she is the guardian. She is destined to die, so there is no point in being her friend. To top it off, she is annoying.
What of Shivian herself? She turns away from the scene and stares at the endless sky, dying twilight beating down on her. She thinks back to something two sisters said not too long ago. Maybe they were right. Maybe she is unnecessary. The clan continues life without her, after all. She tries to laugh, even cough, but still, even her voice forsakes her.
Is she not the true prima donna? Frozy is mute, so is Shivian not?
Isn't she? Her heart wavers as she asks herself, Aren't I the prima donna?
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"Hey, has anyone seen Shivian?"
Shivian thinks she is dreaming when she hears this. Perhaps the heat has rendered her delusional. But the same voice repeats the question.
It is Arctina who asks. The children obviously disregard her question. The last pokémon she wants to save her is Arctina, but still, her heart screams, I'm right here.
But is there any reason for someone to find her?
She was born to be the prima donna. Since the moment she could talk, she was groomed to be their savior. Glaciari strictly coached her every move and sound and struck her down until she achieved a satisfactory result. The Frozen Opera is all she knows.
But it was all for naught. Frozy is the one of prophecy. Frozy will do what Shivian cannot. Frozy did not replace Shivian. She erased her.
Shivian was forgotten so easily, without hesitation. Then what was her entire life thus far for? It was and is simply meaningless. Her life is worthless. She only knows how to be obsolete.
She cannot even dream of having the awesome talent that a mute prima donna holds.
Why is Shivian not enough? Why does Elder Glaciari not look at her anymore? She was the one who told her that she was perfect. She was the one who sculpted Shivian in her own image. Why is she not proud of her?
Shivian laughs in her head. Did Glaciari's aria not fail to save them? Who is that elder to preach? But Shivian does not care. Because she loves Elder Glaciari more than anything in this barren world. She loves her mother… But her mother will not exist until the Frozen Opera succeeds. Thus, she loves the Frozen Opera, Elder Glaciari's one true source of pride.
Everything else is extraneous. Friends and a mother who care not of her whereabouts? They are simply peers and a matriarch. The prima donna only has room for the Frozen Opera in her heart.
No. Shivian's prima donna only has room for the Frozen Opera in her heart. Because that is the way she will achieve perfection. That is the way Glaciari will acknowledge her. That is all she has ever known. That is the way she is supposed to be.
She has to laugh, because she refuses to cry. Shivian's prima donna is not allowed to cry.
Shivian closes her eyes. Arctina stops her useless inquiry. Shivian wonders what either of them are even doing. She silently sighs as she nods off, afternoon sun illuminating all but her.
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A rustling in the brush and a sudden relief from the harsh sun wake her after however long. Before she can open her eyes, someone gasps harshly. "Shivian! I finally found you!"
The snorunt's mouth stretches into a gamut of shapes without eliciting a sound. Her body refuses to move otherwise. But eventually, by a miracle, she manages to ask, "Who sent you?" It is more a gasp for life than an utterance.
"No one? I mean, no one knew where you were, so I thought something bad happened to you. I looked everywhere but the Gorged Gorge, and you're right here? Well, I'm just glad you're safe!"
Wilting at the answer, Shivian closes her eyes again. Arctina is the first and only one who realized her disappearance and tried to find her? She is sure, had she drunk enough rain, she would be crying. Where is Mother?
Her voice disappears again. But Arctina is still the only one around.
"How long have you been here? You look so haggard! I'm so sorry I never noticed sooner!" The dumb guardian bows apologetically. "Agnice kept bossing me around for stuff, so I have only been paying attention to her and Frozy. Oh no, let's get you back to the cave to rest!"
No! Shivian desperately screams in her head. Don't bring me back! They have to find me first!
She cannot even stomach the damning thought that tears at her insides: No one will notice her even when she returns. No one will care.
Against her sobs in the form of spasms, Arctina manages to roll Shivian's limp body on top of her large head, leaning her against the one good horn she has, and carries her back to their cave. The guardian freezes a cluster of rocks into an ice bed and lays Shivian down. Arctina carves a small chunk of ice off with her horn and slides it into her mouth, where it melts deliciously on her tongue. Once Shivian swallows, the glalie does it again and again, nursing her and evoking a feeling so strange in her chest.
"You…" Shivian finally manages to say at a decent volume. Her voice is finally back? At least she can laugh at herself now.
A shrill sing-song voice breaks the moment, one hard to ignore and forget: Agnice. "Oh, Guardian! I have a request!"
Arctina visibly balks, but turns to leave. "I gotta help her…"
"Don't you dare!" Shivian snaps. Her throat stings after its period of disuse, but she ignores it. "You-"
"Sorry." Arctina starts floating away. "Just take it easy. Relax!"
Shivian is alone once more. She cries to herself, snuggling into her slowly melting ice bed as she cannot bring herself to do anything else. How can that doomed idiot be the one who cares the most about her?
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"There's a monster in the gorge, unlike any other," Agnice gossips to the elders, gesticulating wildly. "Have I not told this story yet? Well, it is a heartless savage that kills anything that crosses it. The epitome of power. A harbinger of death. The apex predator. It is a miracle Frozy and I survived living there."
Frozy buries her face in her hands, shaking her head. Shivian rolls her eyes as she emerges from the cave with the smallest of steps. She had been worrying about how the others would react to her reappearance, but the annoying outsiders overwrite her anxiety with irritation. She is finally back to herself after a lonely nap.
She sneaks up and joins the children as the elders distribute dinner. The frost maidens receive an adequate meal. Glaciari fawns over Frozy with a feast as they indulge in Agnice's tale. The elders completely ignore Shivian and do not even provide her with a single morsel.
Shivian chases after the elders and calls for them, but they still pay her no mind. Her stomach screams, almost as ferocious as Glaciari. Starving as she lay in the bush never hurt this bad, but ever since Arctina brought her back, she cannot stand how empty she feels. As hunger pangs twist her being, on the verge of collapse, she stares at Frozy and her meal.
Making her choice, Shivian takes trepidation-laden steps toward Glaciari and the "prima donna." She is hungry. She is lonely. She just wants something from her mother. No, from Elder Glaciari.
Shivian finally makes it and approaches her from behind. She hesitantly tugs on the sash and utters, "I'm hungry."
Glaciari shoos her away without looking. "Dinner has been served."
How casual a remark. She is not even looking at her. Shivian's stomach growls yet again, almost dropping her to her knees. "But I haven't been fed in forever."
"There is no more food for tonight." Glaciari pushes her to the ground and turns her back firmly.
Shivian must nourish herself to fully regain her voice. What a foolish stunt she pulled with no payoff. How could she have been so stupid? She scans the smiling faces of the clan. At least she is fully awake now.
She gazes deeply at Frozy as the froslass suckles on a juicy berry. The elders do have ripe ones? All Shivian has ever received since the outsiders' arrival has been berries on the verge of rot. That and the one tossed into her mouth by sheer chance.
Her glare continues even when the other children scatter to play and the elders, along with the parasite Agnice, disappear into the cave for their regular meeting. What a disgusting, spoiled pokémon, this Frozy. A manipulating little false savior leeching off of their limited resources and slowly sending them to ruin.
She wonders if she can manage to convince Arctina that Frozy is the true enemy. The glalie, at the very least, seems partial to her now. Mayhaps the guardian can slay the menace. It is difficult to truly kill a froslass, a phantom of frost; that is why a glalie is used as sacrifice for the Frozen Gigant. But Shivian has no qualms expending excess effort in eliminating this pest.
As she giggles to herself, lost in a bloody daydream, something cuts through the air and materializes right before her. A primal aura of malice overtakes Shivian's senses and forces her to slowly face the source. A red sash is all she makes out before a small hand wraps around her throat and chokes her. Shivian shoots her eyes up and meets a pair lacking any humanity.
Frozy gazes through her. With little effort, she lifts the snorunt into the air with the hand choking her. Shivian cannot scream. She can barely breath.
Tears spill from Shivian's eyes. She cannot bring herself to think or do anything else. The bloodlust she just harbored toward Frozy? Nothing but a joke compared to what taints the froslass's eyes right now.
Shivian crashes to the ground on her bottom. She sobs and rolls around, clutching her throat. Frozy looks down on her. Her eyes, having just been overflowing with spite, now ooze with what can only be pity as she floats away.
Shivian must truly not pose any sort of threat to Frozy. She wryly laughs at herself. She should have learned as much in her self-inflicted banishment.
The healthy remains of Frozy's dinner mock her. After contemplating for a while, Shivian spits on it and walks away, her body begging her for sustenance.
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Shivian lies on what remains of the ice bed Arctina made for her, which is mostly a puddle. She tries to at least get a decent sleep, but a moist crunching irks her. Her constantly-grumbling stomach does not help.
Shivian drags herself out of the cave and creeps through the night to put an end to the disgusting noise. A hulking shadow cast by the moonlight catches her attention, and she carefully approaches the source as a wet slurp fills the air.
Arctina is there. She chews messily as liquid drips from her mouth and droplets fling through the air. Shivian marches over with a grimace, and she can tell even in the dark of night that Arctina gluts on the frozen corpse of a girafarig. Though revolting, Arctina manages to make it look delicious. The head and neck are gone. A bloody cavern is carved through the center of the cross-section, hollowing the inside.
"I-" Shivian starts, rubbing her aching stomach, but cuts herself off.
"Huh?" Arctina unfortunately heard her peep and turns to her. "Oh, Shivian. What's up? You feeling better?"
She is so casual that Shivian cannot help but want to strike her upside the head.
"I… I'm hungry," she finally utters as her stomach growls louder than she imagined possible.
"Oh…" Arctina shyly looks away for just a second. "Uh, well, I already gave the soul to Frozy."
It is not like she was going to ask for it or anything! And she already knew that; the gouged void in the body is a method of expediting the soul, achieved by isolating the heart, for when Arctina cannot immediately consume it. The guardian had done this for her many a time before.
Shivian scoffs and growls instinctively at the name. The cursed froslass already received that feast of berries and souls. Does she really need more?
"We can share this if you want," Arctina stupidly offers, moving over to allow Shivian access to the so-called meal. She bashes her body against the ice coating to shatter it in one. "The tail is the yuckiest part, so I don't recommend it. The best parts are usually the front legs and the chest."
Shivian holds in a gag as the foolish glalie chomps off the staring tail without hesitation. This is pure nonsense. Without thinking, she blurts, "I refuse! I demand the soul!"
She is not so uncouth as to dine upon a rotting corpse. No frost maiden is. That is, if they value the quality of their singing. Consuming something so foul and heavy undoubtedly spoils the voice. Not that Shivian is one to talk about self-care.
"I just said, I gave it to Frozy!" Arctina flinches back at the sudden outburst. "Besides, you can't have the soul. You're just a provisional frost maiden."
"I don't care!"
The hollowed corpse lies there. The mere sight of the dripping blood and inanimate body sickens her. Unacceptable. She should have received the soul-
No. She shivers upon realization. Arctina is right. The prima donna only is to enjoy the soul. The others are only to consume what the elders and the guardian, who obeys the elders absolutely, provide for them. She cannot have the soul. Correct. Because Frozy is the prima donna.
She does not deserve any food right now. Shivian cannot find it in herself to argue otherwise. Does she even want to be the prima donna anymore? This very moment, she only wishes for someone to see her.
Provisional frost maiden… Yes, that is all she is. Before, she deeply valued knowing one's place. That is why she prided herself as prima donna, because that was what she was born to be. That is why she praised the guardian for killing Fridgette. That is why she has no respect for this generation's clumsy frost maidens. That is why Elder Glaciari is so precious.
Yes, she is but a provisional frost maiden. She has no true place in the Frozen Opera. So who is she to act like that anymore?
Shivian stares at the corpse. Absolutely disgusting. She has only ever had souls and berries. Yet her stomach screams. How many days has it been since she last ate with the others? She holds her stomach and prays the noise is not too loud as to alert Arctina.
The silly glalie only stares the other way, still chewing the tail she said she hated. Forcing a gulp, Shivian steps up to look down on the corpse. And after hesitating just once, she lowers her head and bites down on the body.
It is quite tough, but the meat of the chest peels away with little effort thanks to its decapitation. That is not to say anything about the sickeningly viscous blood coating her tongue. Or the strangely tender flesh making her shiver every chew. She plugs her nose, unable to accept the raw, gamey flavor of someone who could talk to her had they not crossed paths with her guardian. She chews and chews, beyond reluctant to swallow.
"I can help you." Arctina carves out a chunk of meat with the one good horn she has and mashes it. Idiot. The texture is not the issue.
Bile rises in Shivian's throat. It tastes of death. It tastes… so bad. Tears stream down her face as she forces herself to swallow her first bite.
They finish off the corpse together. Shivian is pretty sure she ended up vomiting more than she consumed, but she simply wipes her mouth and turns away. She dares not face Arctina, and walks back to the cave, forcing down the spew threatening to breach her mouth.
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"Pssht."
An annoying buzz and looming presence come from behind her. She ignores it. She lies by the mouth of the cave in the puddle that used to be an ice bed. It must be an enemy encroaching on their territory. Arctina will eliminate them soon.
"Psssssshhht!"
It comes from in front of her. Shivian keeps her eyes clamped shut. She is ignoring it, but the voice is not that of a stranger.
"Pssssssssshhhhhhht! Shi'ian!"
"What?" She catches herself and maintains a whisper. "You stupid… Why are you talking like that?"
"Blegh."
A pile of frozen berries rolls out of Arctina's mouth. The last one remains stuck to her tongue, which she pathetically flicks to try to get removed. "Ptooey, blargh!" Her tongue wags and undulates disgustingly.
"What is this nonsense?" Shivian can barely choke out. "You aren't allowed to-"
"You just can't have a soul. They didn't say anything about gathering extra berries for someone. They were really hard to find, though." Arctina finally manages to loose the berry. "For you. You still seemed so hungry before!"
You aren't allowed to go to such lengths for a provisional frost maiden, she was going to say. Shivian does not even try choking back her sobs. What is this stupid glalie doing? In what world does she deserve this?
Despite knowing herself unworthy, Shivian drags herself to the berries and refuses to meet Arctina's gentle smile. She is beyond hungry. The only thing that could make this more perfect would be if Elder Glaciari gave her this-
No. Glaciari would only spoil the meal. It is perfect now only because it is the silly guardian Arctina.
Shivian devours the berries as tears stream down her face. Thank you, she repeats in her head as she chews, savoring every lick. It is precious ambrosia instilling her with life. Arctina, thank you.
"Who goes?" Elder Glaciari floats toward them on high alert.
Arctina moves forward and hides Shivian with her shadow. "Oh, I… I was chasing an intruder. They were fast, but small. Weak, too. Their soul shattered upon reveal."
Shaking her head, Glaciari turns away. "Make sure you aren't a bother."
"Was I that loud?"
"You woke me."
"But-"
"You woke me."
She does not pry further. Glaciari retreats almost out of sight before she turns back around to ask, "What were you doing with your tongue?"
"You… You saw that?" Arctina bashfully asks.
"Yes, your silhouette reached back there."
"Uh, I just thought they might taste good. Like, really good." Arctina is a bad liar. "They weren't, though. They were super yucky."
Glaciari turns around immediately and shakes her head. She sharply says, "Do not do that anymore. Ever."
"Understood."
"What is wrong with you?" Shivian whispers between snivels, cowering in Arctina's broad shadow once Glaciari disappears.
"I'm the guardian," she so confidently says. "I'm supposed to protect everyone."
"What of that Frozy?" she spits. She cannot let go of her grudge. But even if the answer is not what she wants to hear, at least Shivian can laugh at the silent admission that Glaciari is a threat.
Arctina only blinks. "I'm your guardian, too."
Shivian falls to her knees and openly weeps. Arctina tries to help her stand, but stops when the snorunt desperately clings to her, so tightly as if the universe would disintegrate if she didn't.