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daphnefisherofficial · 1 year

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bugna: TAKIPSILIM | destiny's twilight

PROLOGUE

Pairing: MCU Moon Knight System (Marc/Jake/Steven) x Avatar Fem!Reader

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PROLOGUE - A KISS OF INTERTWINED DESTINIES.

YEAR 900 circa, FIRST NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON. Tribes of Maynila - Archipelago of the Philippines in the Pre-Colonial Period

The night was draped in a silver shroud, illuminated by the radiant glow of the full moon. Its ethereal light cascaded down upon the tribal lands of Maynila, casting long, sinuous shadows that danced in the gentle breeze. This territory rich in culture and ancestral heritage was the heart of the Philippine archipelago, where the lush green canopy of the rainforest embraced the emerald waves of the sea.

Amidst the crickets' serenade and the leaves rustling in the balete tree, you lay in your mother’s bosom, so tiny and fragile. Haliya held you closer as your small fist closed gently around her forefinger. The dark brown eyes of your iloy (mother), the punong babaylan (head priestess), were filled with both love and a profound sense of protectiveness. Beside her was Rajah Bagani, your baba (father) and the leader of your tribe, his face etched with a mixture of pride and hope.

As future folklores will soon tell, your birth was no ordinary one. You emerged into the world not alone but accompanied by a twin unlike any other - a small serpent of silver and gold coiled around your small arms, its scales glistening like stars. The people of Maynila saw the kambal-ahas (snake twin) as a great omen, a symbol of true unity between the terrestrial and the divine.

Yet, destiny, like the shifting tides, has not always been kind.

On the eve of your first birthday, as the moon ascended to its zenith, you were taken ill. A high fever surged through your tiny body like wildfire, threatening to extinguish the light of your young life. Your father’s loyal uripon (servant) found you in your fevered state and rushed to inform your mother, Haliya, who had been tending to her sacred duties as the head priestess.

She and Rajah Bagani immediately rushed to your abode and abandoned their duties, all accompanied by a group of your mother’s alabay (priestess apprentice). The tribe's handmaidens watched over you with a mixture of sorrow and helplessness, for no remedy concocted by your mother’s apprentices seemed to quell the relentless fever. Panic immediately gripped your parents' hearts as they found and watched you wither away in your crib.

Desperation finally drove Haliya to her knees as she knelt and raised both arms to the sky, turning her gaze to the full moon above. With tears streaming down her face, she started whispering fervent prayers to their pantheon gods and goddesses residing in the heavens above. She beseeched them to spare your life, her precious daughter, in exchange for your eternal servitude. As Haliya's words filled the night air, the heavens themselves seemed to respond.

Among the celestial beings who heard Haliya's desperate plea, none held more sway than the Philippine pantheon goddess of the moon herself. From her celestial perch, Mayari beheld the heartache of a mother's love and could not help but take pity. Her ethereal beauty was matched only by her boundless compassion. With a resolute look, the goddess then knew what she had to do.

The moon, glowing brighter and more radiant than ever before, began to descend from the sky. It hovered above the tearstricken Haliya and her ailing little girl, its ethereal light bathing them both in a gentle, silvery glow. The villagers and the leader of the tribe were seemingly frozen in time as Mayari herself finally descended from the heavens in a cascade of silver beams.

The moon goddess was a vision of divine beauty, her luminous form casting an otherworldly radiance upon the gathering. Her silver and black hair was flowing freely with the night breeze, and her luminous right eye casted a curious look around her surroundings. Her left eye may be scarred and blind, yet it still held the same powerful gaze as its counterpart.

“Mahabaging Bathala”, Haliya managed, her tears even more prominent as she almost prostrated herself before the moon goddess. “Diwatang Mayari, ako ay iyong matapat ng lingkod”

By the grace of Bathala! Mayari, my goddess, I am your most loyal servant.

“Narinig ko ang iyong pagsamo, Haliya”, Mayari’s gentle voice spoke as both her eyes fell to you this time, the child whose bugna (true destiny) is yet to be seen. “Maging ang mga umalagad na nagbabantay sa iyong anak sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kambal-ahas”

I heard your pleas, Haliya. Even the ancestor spirits watching over your child through her snake twin prayed with you.

“Isang tagna ang nasisilay ko sa mga guhit ng kanyang kapalaran”, Mayari continued, addressing the head priestess directly. “Kaya’t tumahan ka na, Haliya. Hindi pa ngayong gabi magwawakas ang buhay ng iyong anak”

I foresee a prophecy written in the lines of her fate. So do not weep no more, Haliya. Your daughter’s life will not end tonight.

With a soft, tender kiss, Mayari bestowed upon your small forehead a gift beyond mortal comprehension. Your eyes, previously dimmed by illness, now glowed with a radiant white light, a symbol of Mayari's life force and divine power coursing through your veins. You had been reborn before your tribe’s eyes, fully transformed into the living proof of your mother’s divine oath - a promise of eternal servitude in exchange for your life.

"You shall be called Mira," Mayari declared, her voice a soothing melody. "And as my avatar, you shall serve me for all eternity until I release you. Until you fulfill and answer the calling of your bugna through my lead and my guidance"

Word of this miraculous event spread like wildfire in the neighboring tribes of Maynila, and even in the outlying territories. Little did your parents know that the trials you have surpassed in your infancy were only the beginning of your journey towards spiritual growth and enlightenment.

With Mayari's divine blessing, you grew into a child of exceptional abilities. Your very strength, agility, and durability surpassed that of any mortal. Your skin becomes impervious to harm, making you nigh invulnerable.

You underwent rigorous training in the ways of the babaylan (priestess) under your mother’s tutelage, serving as an alabay (priestess apprentice). At Haliya's guidance, you honed your abilities in spiritual guidance and mediumship. You also practiced with the tribe's babaylan (priestesses) elders in the art of healing, herbalism, and divination. With each passing day, you felt more of the moon's power coursing through your veins, its silver light guiding your path.

With unwavering dedication, you slowly climbed the ranks of the babaylan order, eventually assuming the mantle previously occupied by your mother as punong babaylan (head priestess) in your own right. You have then stood alongside your father, Rajah Bagani, as his right hand and equal in the protection and guidance of your people. Your entire family ruled with wisdom and compassion, and under your watchful gaze, your father’s banwa (tribe) prospered as your lands grew and prospered with each passing season.

But time, unrelenting and inexorable, took its toll. Like all mortals, your parents, Rajah Bagani and Haliya, succumbed to their mortal limitations, leaving you as the last vestige of their once-proud lineage. As you mourn their passing in their deathbeds, you then realize the true magnitude of your mother’s divine oath.

As the avatar of Mayari, you were untouched by mortality. You now share the immortal life of your patron goddess when she breathed your second life into your lungs that fateful night. At this discovery, you know that your life has then changed forever.

You left your late father’s banwa (tribe) to the rule of your siblings and lived as a nomad. In your solitude, you became more attuned to the celestial rhythms that governed the world. Drawing strength from the moon's luminous embrace and Mayari's guidance, you slowly unlocked the secrets of moon sorcery, mystical arts, and witchcraft. By harnessing your newly discovered powers, you managed to cast a strong illusion spell on yourself, concealing your true identity through the ages of the world that will come.

Time flowed onward like a river, carrying you through centuries and across continents. For over a thousand years, you fulfilled your duty as Mayari's avatar, protecting her travelers of the night. Your presence was a beacon of hope in the darkest of nights, guiding lost souls to safety and warding off malevolent forces that sought to harm your people - Filipinos - both faithful believers and non-believers of the old pantheon faith.

But your bugna (true destiny) wasn’t written in the stars yet, until a thousand years later.

YEAR 2025, JANUARY 13TH, FIRST NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON.

Guildford, Surrey - Carter Family Estate.

The year was 2025, a distant time far removed from the world you once knew - your humble beginnings. The world has changed beyond recognition since the days of your youth, yet you remained an unwavering presence in the cosmic dance. An unchanging constant in the ever-shifting tides of history.

You stood upon the weathered balcony of your late husband’s ancestral house in Guildford, Surrey, the centuries-old stone beneath your feet a testament to the passage of time. The old chateau was a far cry from the tropical beauty of your birthplace, but you will never trade it for anything else. After all, Darius Carter was the only man you’ve ever loved.

And he has and will always be your home.

Your thoughts swirled like the distant constellations, memories of a time long past. Centuries have passed, and you have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the ebb and flow of civilizations. You even witnessed the world welcome all forms of life outside its circular corners, from distant galaxies and realms stretching out to the cosmos.

You stood beneath the same moon that had watched over you since your first breath. Casting its silvery glow upon the world, today marks a moment of celestial convergence.

A tagna (prophecy) waiting to be fulfilled. Your bugna (true destiny) is finally being written.

Clad in your ceremonial robes from your olden days as the punong babaylan (head priestess), you’ve made the necessary preparations to perform a spell. One that would reveal the hidden location of the ushabti of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the afterlife. You started chanting the incantation, allowing Mayari’s celestial powers to flow through you as your eyes glowed white.

But just as you began to invoke the moon’s magic, an ancient and powerful celestial presence intruded upon your thoughts, abruptly interrupting your focus.

"Mira, Avatar of Mayari and daughter of the moon. Hear my voice”

Your glowing white eyes faded slowly as the Egyptian god of the moon started materializing before you. A towering figure dressed in white ceremonial robes of his people, Khonshu’s large bird skull head looked down on you with his hollow eyes. You closed your eyes for a moment, trying your utmost best to gather your thoughts before acknowledging his presence.

"Khonshu, you old bird" you whispered, your voice carrying a weight of barely contained anger waiting to be unleashed. "After your betrayal, I’m surprised you’ve still got the balls to seek me"

“I will let your insults pass, you insolent wretch”, Khonshu’s voice boomed, but you stood your ground and merely smirked at his outrage. “The only reason I did seek you was because I have been left with no other options”

“I’m the very last resort, I see”, you raised a single eyebrow before folding your arms as if waiting impatiently for his next words.

“Enough! There’s no time, little one”, Khonshu impatiently bellowed, prompting you to stick out your pinky finger before him to rub your ears clean. “I swear that by enlisting your help tonight, I will make it worth your while”

“Speak then”, you sighed heavily, surrendering to his plea. “What do you require of me?”

“You have the power to move the heavens, Mira”, Khonshu said as his next words sped up your heartbeat. “Lend me and my avatar your power as a fellow wielder of the moon’s prowess”

“Why would you need to move the heavens, Khonshu?” you inquired, shaking your head slowly as you finally sensed the gravity of what he’s truly asking of you.

“Arthur Harrow leads a cult that follows Ammit”, Khonshu explained, his tone growing heavy by every second. “They seek to release her from her thousand-year exile, and we need to move the heavens at the very night where the very stars pointed at her last resting place. I need to find Ammit’s tomb first and prevent it from happening. At any cost”

You slowly connected the dots, realizing the implication of aiding him in a task of cosmic proportions, one that would shift the very heavens themselves. Khonshu’s plan would incur the wrath of the Ennead, the Egyptian pantheon of gods, and they would punish him by trapping his ethereal form in an ushabti—a god's divine imprisonment that would render him powerless.

“The Ennead will punish you”, you couldn’t bring yourself to utter the rest of the words, the painful memories of grief and loss surging in great waves. “They will imprison you in –”

“The ushabti, Mira”, Khonshu finished the thought for you. “And Moon Knight, my avatars, will then lose their lives. The same way he lost his”

In the recesses of your mind, you saw the face of Darius Carter, your late husband, who had been the avatar of Anubis. You saw glimpses of your shared memories together — his smile, his laughter, and the tragic day he was taken from you. His death had been a consequence of the very ceremony that Khonshu is now doomed to repeat and subject his own avatars to, and the memory of his sacrifice weighed heavily on her heart.

“Lisanin mo ang aking lingkod, lapastangang diwata!”

Leave my servant alone, you disrespectful god!

Mayari’s powerful voice echoed as she descended at your side, her eyes blazing as she eyed the Egyptian moon god distastefully.

“Huwag mo siyang pakikinggan”, Mayari warned as you felt the weight of your own goddess's disapproval. “Mayroon na tayong planong nabuo, kaya’t di mo siya kailangang sundin”

Do not heed his words. We have already formulated a plan, so you don’t need to follow him.

“My avatars”, Khonshu spoke, his voice resolute as he addressed you directly. “Are intertwined with your destiny closer than you think”

“Kasinungalingan!” Mayari bellowed, attempting to shield you from Khonshu’s view. But his words intrigued you greatly.

Lies!

“Hayaan natin siyang magsalita, mahal kong diwata”, you said, breathing heavily as you looked inquisitively at the moon god.

Let him speak, my goddess.

“What do you mean by those words, Khonshu?”

“Before Anubis was imprisoned by Set, he tasked Taweret to perform a ritual and allow his avatar’s soul - his essence to be reborn into this world”, Khonshu confessed, his revelation rendering your eyes wide with disbelief. “His soul may have long passed the Field of Reeds, but Taweret succeeded with reincarnating Darius Carter into this life once again”

Tears immediately fell from your eyes as the overwhelming emotions of pure longing threatened to overwhelm you. Your patron goddess, Mayari, watched you sadly as you struggled to form your next words.

“It can’t be”, you shook your head as it filled up with even more questions left to be answered. “Your avatars?”

“See them for yourself”, Khonshu said before placing his large hand over your head, casting a spell of his own before disappearing from your sight.

Your eyes glowed white once more as the combined powers of Khonshu and Mayari flowed through your veins, your consciousness traveling with the Egyptian moon god as he commanded.

He resurfaced once more at the familiar deserts of Cairo in Egypt, with your astral form landing elegantly at his side. You swiftly scanned your surroundings for any sign of Khonshu’s avatar, your eyes trying to find evidence of his preposterous claim of them sharing fragments of your beloved’s reincarnated soul. But when you finally laid eyes on Khonshu’s avatar, his Moon Knight, your knees almost buckled.

His face - every facet of it - is an exact carbon copy of Darius Carter. Your long lost love buried beneath the sands of time - literally and figuratively.

Although, the man standing before you carries himself very differently. His white aura shines like a halo swirling around him, and he was situated beside another young woman of Arabic Egyptian descent who you do not recognize. You notice his eyes were directed at where you stand, but you realize that he couldn’t see you. He was currently looking at his patron god, his master.

“I remember that night”, Khonshu spoke, addressing his avatar’s latest words. “I remember every night”

Steven Grant eyed the god inquisitively, wondering what he was on about. You, on the other hand, couldn’t help but hear your own heart thundering inside your chest as your beloved’s reincarnation neared.

I beseech you, Mira. Khonshu’s celestial voice now echoed in your own head. Lend half of your life force to them. Save my avatars.

Huwag mong gawin ito, Mira. Mayari’s own voice resonated as she implored you. Hindi magugustuhan ng mga kapwa diwata ni Khonshu ang gagawin mo, at tiyak kong hindi na nila nanaising tulungan tayo. Hindi ba’t gusto mong maipaghiganti ang pagkamatay ng pinakamamahal mong si Darius?!

Don’t do this Mira. The Ennead won’t like you aiding Khonshu, and they will no longer be keen to help us. Don’t you want to avenge the death of your beloved Darius?!

Mayari’s vehement protests and Khonshu’s urgent pleas fought valiantly in your thoughts, one vital decision being analyzed and weighed against another. Yet as you stood at the precipice, you couldn't help but see your beloved’s reincarnation closely for the first time. A deep sense of responsibility welled up within you, and you knew you couldn't stand idly by and let history repeat itself.

You could not bear to see Marc Spector and his alters—Steven Grant and Jake Lockley, suffer the same fate as your beloved late husband.

With resolve in your heart, you made your decision.

“I’ll help you, Khonshu”, you spoke, much to Mayari’s disappointment. “I will help you move the heavens and share my life force with your avatars. And upon my aid, you will owe me a celestial debt”

“Thank you, Mira”, Khonshu nodded. “I will let you collect when the day comes”

“Khonshu?” Steven spoke, reaching out to his god.

“With your help, I can turn back the night sky”, Khonshu said, speaking to both you and Steven Grant.

“How?” Steven inquired.

“It will come at a heavy cost, and I cannot do it alone”, Khonshu explained, repeating his previous words to you for Steven to hear. “When the gods imprison me, tell Marc Spector to free me”

As Steven’s ceremonial suit enveloped his body, you summoned your own powers as Mayari’s avatar. Your astral form started to slowly ascend as your eyes glowed white, your moonlit robes trailing behind you.

“Do what I do”, Khonshu said, demonstrating to Steven how they will move the night sky.

You also extend your hands towards the moonlit sky, waving it around in sync with what Steven Grant and Khonshu is doing as the celestial skies start to dance at your command.

“Whoa, this is mental”, Steven spoke in awe at the swift shift of the constellations above him. You allowed yourself a small smile as you continued shifting the skies, his child-like wonder greatly reminding you of Darius. Your connection to Mayari surged, and the power of the full moon flowed through you as you aided Khonshu and his avatar.

“This is the night”, At Khonshu’s command, you finally stopped at the night sky that the Egyptian god was seeking.

“It’s surprisingly painful to hold, Layla”, Steven grunted, feeling the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. “Now I understand how Atlas must have felt.

“It’s working”, The Arabic-Egyptian woman who Steven Grant calls as ‘Layla’ gasped, pointing her electronic tablet towards the sky. She then attempts to scan it on her app to find out the location of Ammit’s tomb.

I can feel it. Khonshu whispered in your subconscious. The Ennead is starting the ritual.

You started to panic at his words, your life’s worst memory threatening to resurface once again as you saw Steven’s mask dematerialize before your eyes. Khonshu then knelt as he felt the ancient Egyptian spell taking its effect.

Taking a deep breath to calm and recollect yourself, you allow your hands to rest on either side of your body. You then summon every bit of strength you can muster as small beams of moonlight start to collect at your palms.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this”, Steven gasped, his own strength from Khonshu’s power draining from his body as he tried his might to keep the night sky on hold.

“Tulungan mo ako, Diwatang Mayari”, you pleaded to your patron goddess. “Ipagkaloob mo sa akin ang iyong lakas at kapangyarihan”

Help me, my goddess Mayari. Lend me your strength and power.

Sa pagkakataong ito lamang, Mira. Mayari spoke, her motherly love for her avatar winning over her divine anger.

Only this once, Mira.

You then felt an immense power surge through your astral form like you haven’t experienced before. It was like Mayari herself channeled her divine energy and prowess directly within you as the front strands of your hair turned white as a result of the goddesses’ power residue.

“I’ve got it”, Steven’s companion, Layla, exclaimed as she finally pinpointed the coordinates they needed. “29 degrees North, 25 degrees East”

Steven then collapsed with the last of his strength, his hands planted firmly in the desert as Layla tried to catch him to support. Khonshu’s form, on the other hand, was slowly withering away like sand swaying with the strong wind. The last of his divine essence left his avatar as he foretold, prompting Steven Grant and his slumbering alters to lose consciousness.

Layla was panicking at this point, repeatedly shaking Steven Grant and Marc Spector awake to no avail. You then shook your head as your own powers briefly subsided, witnessing the gut wrenching scene unfold before you.

“It cannot end like this” you whispered, determined to fulfill what you were meant to do that night. “I will not let you die - any of you”

Summoning your moon powers once again, one wave of your hand rendered Layla El-Faouly unconscious, their bodies then floating lightly upon your command as you tried to get them to safety. You enveloped them in a protective shield using your magical talents as bullets started to fire from oncoming vehicles headed towards your direction.

Your hands slowly raised in midair, your eyes glowing bright white once more as your magic commanded the blasphemous vehicles to float. You crushed them with your fist in a terrifying grip, the moon’s power surging through.

As your astral form descended, the auras of Khonshu’s avatar swirled before your eyes. Hues of white, gray and black enveloped the unconscious body of your former lover’s reincarnation as you took a few steps near. Finally kneeling before him, your hands hovered directly above the unconscious form of Marc Spector who lay on the ground, his alters Steven Grant and Jake Lockley locked in a fragile balance. You began to chant in an ancient, melodious language, your words carrying the weight of centuries of moon magic.

Whispering a silent prayer to your patron goddess, you pressed a gentle kiss on Marc’s forehead. And as your lips slowly hovered over his, an oath was sealed beneath the full moon's watchful gaze.

"Arise, Moon Knight," your voice echoing as a soothing lullaby in the deep corners of Marc Spector’s shared headspace. "With the power of the moon, I grant you half of my life."

With the magic that flowed through your veins, you breathed life into his lungs as your lips finally connected. A surge of energy coursed through Marc's prone form, his eyes fluttered open as it glowed white like yours. A crescent moon tattoo then slowly inked itself into your respective jugular notches, symbolizing your intertwined destiny with Khonshu’s avatar.

You then opened your eyes to see Marc looking directly at you, seemingly recognizing his other half even in your astral form. He sees you - they all do.

And as the events of that night finally took a toll on your body, your astral form was pulled back to your waiting body in London. Your eyes then felt heavy as a powerful sleep spell overtook your being, collapsing in the arms of your patron goddess. The last whispers you’ve heard were of a heavenly voice, seeking your forgiveness as she places a spell before you surrender your mind to the promise of good dreams with Darius Carter and his reincarnation, the Moon Knight, beneath the full moon’s eternal light.

“Patawarin mo ako, Mira, sa aking gagawin” Forgive me, Mira, for what I’m about to do.

END OF PROLOGUE.

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