The Daughter of the Sands is an Alternate Continuity fanfic in The Mysterious Cities of Gold, set in the era of Mu and Atlantis, 10.000 years in the past.
Following an accident in the fifth City of Gold, Zia is sent back in the past, to the ancient Empire of Mu. Adopted by the imperial family, she becomes known as princess Rana'Ori, the one whose tomb is the fourth City. Armed with knowledge of the future, she must try to put a stop to the upcoming war between Mu and Atlantis, all while knowing she cannot change events that are already set in stone.
Completed as of October, 2020, it can be read here
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The Daughter of the Sands provides examples of:
- Accidental Murder: Rana accidentally kills Ankheru during a fight. It is implied he purposefully lowered his guard at the last moment.
- Ambition Is Evil: Kane'Oro doesn't want Mu to be the first world power: but to be the only world power.
Mu was at the apex of the world, and needed to stay that way! To be matched in strength was humiliating! There was no pride, no goal in being equals; what he wanted, what he ordered was immediate and pure annihilation of these snake-eyed fiends!
— Chapter 26, The Grieving Sanstorm will Mute the Desert
- A Million Is a Statistic: Rana refuses to kill Fisaga, even if it is the only way to stop the destruction of Atlantis.
- Animal Battle Aura: In battle, people's auras take animal forms. Rana's takes the form of a lion.
- Animal Mecha: The seventh City of Gold, Lohikaarm, is a flying fortress shaped like a dragon, built to wipe Atlantis off the map.
- Applied Phlebotinum: Orichalcum.
- Archnemesis Dad: Kane'Oro, following the war.
- Assassination Attempt: Rana is targeted by an Atlantean assassin with the power to turn invisible.
- Assassin Outclassin': She ends up killing said assassin.
- Attack on the Heart: Averted. The only way to stop the solar cannon is to literally open Fisaga's heart, which Rana refuses to do.
- Bludgeoned to Death: Twice. First with Rana killing Ankheru, then with Rana killing Kane'Oro.
- Brother–Sister Team: Kardelios and Fasavis.
- Combo Platter Powers: The Power of Kings, held by both Kane'Oro and Rana, gives them a range of abilities: including the ability to see people as animal shapes, mind reading or telekinesis.
- Similarly, Atlanteans possess their own powers such as Weather Manipulation; some can even turn invisible by bending light around them.
- The powers displayed by Atlanteans seem to be biological in nature, but that explanation doesn't add up.
- The Consigliere: Meliad, Rana's devoted teacher/second-in-command/petsitter/conscience/crush/babysitter.
- Downer Ending: The story ends with Rana dying during the destruction of Mu.
- Energy Weapon: Lohikaarm's solar cannon focuses sunlight into a beam powerful enough to destroy a continent. Basically a very powerful flashlight.
- Fate Drives Us Together: Rana and Kardelios just so happen to keep bumping into each other. Not that they mind.
- Happily Adopted: Zia's arrival was eagerly awaited by the imperial family.
- Identical Stranger: Kardelios bears a striking resemblance to Esteban, to the point Rana wonders if he is Esteban, sent back in time along with her. However, the real reason why they look so alike is implicit.
- Improbable Infant Survival: Asterion, Kardelios and Rana's child, is taken overseas before both Mu and Atlantis are destroyed.
- Infallible Babble: Rana is given a minor prophecy she doesn't understand. It is implied that all chapter titles are similar in-universe prophecies.
“When the bridges that were have been torn to shreds, in their remains you will find the feathers of a copper bird, that no falcon can scare.”
...what was that even supposed to mean? Well, she had an idea of what or whom the falcon could be, but still no clue about the bridges and feathers. These old people were just speaking gibberish at her, and that's why they needed new seers.
— Chapter 24, Burning With Vengeance and Love
- Karmic Death: Kane'Oro.
- The Kingslayer: Rana kills Kane'Oro, minutes before the destruction of Mu.
- Likable Villain: While Ankheru is not a good person in Rana's eyes, he's made allies out of many other nations, including Atlantis.
- Might Makes Right: Kane'Oro believes it is Mu's right to hold Atlantis under their heel.
- My Own Grampa: This fic goes with the popular theory that Zia is Rana'Ori's descendant...which makes it a little uncanny when both turn out to be the same person.
- Non-Heteronormative Society: The rulers of Mu are considered to be a third gender "above" male and female. Both Mu and Atlantis are accepting of same-sex relationships and transgender people.
- Offing the Offspring: Attempted with Kane'Oro and Rana.
- Outcast Refuge: Rana opens the doors of New Sun Land to her new Atlantean allies and council.
Rana: “Well. Sages of Mu and Atlantis. That has a nice ring to it, does it not?”
Meliad: “It sounds a little...clunky, if I may say.”
Rana: “We will find a better name. But I think this is a step in the right direction already.”
— Chapter 30, Fear the Day She Embraces the Sun Within Her!
- Pet the Dog: Ankheru is very doting to his several hunting falcons. Even when they just attacked Pichu and near-mortally wounded him, or tried to attack Rana out of nowhere.
- Polyamory: Kane'Oro, Vai'Sina and Fisaga. The Emperor of Mu is expected to take both a husband and wife at the same time. Hinted at with Rana, Kardelios and Meliad.
- Reincarnation Romance: Implied with Rana and Kardelios.
- Rightly Self-Righteous: Kane'Oro.
- Stable Time Loop: Rana builds the Memory Temple in India and allows Meliad to research flight technology that will eventually lead to the Golden Condor; these have helped Zia and her friends during their search for the Cities of Gold.
- Strict Parents Make Sneaky Kids: While Kane'Oro is leading the war on Mu's side, Rana is actively helping Atlantis and plotting against him, while insisting to him that she's acting in Mu's interest.
- Symbolic Weapon Discarding: When Fisaga points Rana's dagger at his own heart, she removes it and throws it away. Dooming millions of Atlantean lives in the process.
- Temporal Paradox: Averted. While Rana knows the end result of many decisions and actions, these come up naturally in present time. For instance, she knows that Meliad's research on flying machines will successfully lead to the creation of the Golden Condor, but all she does is allow him to pursue it.
- Thanatos Gambit: Ankheru made allies with Atlantis so that his death at Rana's hands would cause the war through political ripple effect.
- Time-Travel Romance: Rana and Kardelios, who were born 10.000 years apart.
- Together in Death: Rana, Kardelios and Fisaga.
- Was It Really Worth It?: Moments before death, Fisaga wonders whether the destruction of Mu might be for the best after all, as it has become corrupted by its own ideals.
- You Can't Fight Fate: Rana knows the war between Mu and Atlantis is meant to happen, but to actually be there is a different story.
Rana: “I do not know what will cause the war. Any action I take, any day that passes might be the trigger. Even the smallest things can have unforeseen consequences.”
— Chapter 17, A Bird With Metal Wings
