Author's Note: Yay! Yuri on Ice is a thing! (I couldn't think of anything else to say) And this is just a prologue, not an official first chapter

Disclaimer: I own nothing (except the Lebedeves. And Polina and Ulyana, I guess)

It all started one day, when she was six.

"Have you heard?" Polina whispered during warm-ups. "The Russian National Figure Skating Championships are being held tonight."

"How do you know?" Ulyana responded as she stretched her leg.

"My brother is having his junior debut," Polina stated proudly. "Mother says he is magnificent."

"You think he will win?"

"When was the last time my brother won at anything?" Both girls laughed, which prompted Irina to speak up.

"Figure skating? That is taking place tonight?" Both girls nodded.

"I want to watch," Irina murmured under her breath, her short dirty blonde ringlets framing her face.

"Miss Lebedeva!" Ms. Baranovskaya's harsh call struck through the air like a knife. "How many time must I tell you? Tie up your hair!"

"Yes, Ms. Baranovskaya." Irina attempted to tie her hair with a hair tie, until Ms. Baranovskaya took over, pulling harshly as she reprimanded Irina. Soon, warm-ups ended and the real practice started.

"Mommy, look at them." Irina was awed as she stared at the TV. "They are just like little ballerinas."

One skater on the TV leaped and spun mid-air, landing flawlessly on the ground to cheers.

"Yes, I suppose they are." The scrape of silverware rung out as her mother scooped the remnants of that night's smoked salmon into the garbage.

"They are just like…me."

Her mother chuckled, a soft, but hearty sound. "Not quite, my little one, but soon, you will be a full-fledged ballerina."

"Not quite," Irina murmured, her finger tracing the outline of the "little ballerina". "Not quite…"

"Irina?" Her mother spoke, as Irina was still staring at the TV, and her little head seemed to have gears working in it.

"Mommy," Irina turned away from the screen, breathless. "I want to be like the ice ballerinas."

Her mother was startled. "But you are already training as a ballerina!"

"Can I not do both?"

Maybe it was the hopeful glint in her daughter's eye, or how amazed she looked at the figure skaters, that made Yuliya Lebedeva consider it. "Well...many skaters do have backgrounds in ballet…"

"Can I, mommy? Please?" Irina begged.

"Maybe," Her mother clarified. "But if you do-" Irina gave out a little gasp. "-Then you must work hard at both. No slacking, no angering Ms. Baranovskaya or your coach, no playing in the mud-"

"Yes! Yes!" Irina bounced up and down. "Yes, mommy! I'd do all of that!"

"Then we can think about it," Her mother said. "And continue this conversation when your father gets home."

Irina nodded, but she was long gone, dreaming of snowflakes, tutus and twirls on ice.