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kayoticworld · 4 years

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A Vastaya on the Run

[League of Legends Fanfiction]

Based on the Zed Comic...

Chapter 2

A Master

Word count: 1395

Warnings: none

Outside the cold air hit Zed hard. It was like walking into a wall of snow. His lungs took a moment to deal with the temperature of what he had just breathed in.

At least it didn't smell like alcohol, sweat and blood here. And it wasn't noisy. There was only the wind softly tilting the corwns of the black trees in the night.

"We should go over to that forrest, near the mountains. There is a lake close by."

It was another long march, over an hour, but they couldn't stay here.

"We better go now.", Kayn agreed. "As long as we can still see the moon."

Slowly his master nodded.

His blades still had blood dripping off of them.

As they just walked, the door of the establishment opened and closed again. In front of them stood the vastayan girl.

"Wait."

"For what?"

"I wanted to say thank you."

"You just did. Now leave."

The master turned his back on the Vastaya, like nothing he just did mattered to her in anyway.

His group did the same, well, except for Kayn who shrugged.

"Wait!"

"I just did."

A rush was what Zed felt, than the girl with the wolf ears stood infront of him.

"What is your name?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Zed. Are you happy now?"

He passed her, but this time she caught up even faster. Again there was this rush. Like wind it slightly touched the area and then again she faced him.

"I want to join you."

"No. I won't allow any Vastaya as a student of mine."

"Please. I... I have no home, no place to go. I-"

With a sharp movement the little wolfgirl faced two of Zeds blades. They almost cut into the soft skin on her throat. She really had gotten on his nerves and Zed was in no mood to face her.

What he didn't expect was that this Vastayan would use her magic. Pathetic, the master didn't think that could happen. Even Master Kusho always told them to expect the unexpected.

It was a light, a bright blue light, like a wall, a cage. Zed couldn't move. This feeling of being trapped, it almost made him lose his breath, as his knees slowly trembled, pulling his weight down.

The girl had stunned him and jumped back a few meters, as Zeds students were pulling out their weapons.

"Release him. Now.", Kayn demanded.

His scythe heavyly layed in his hands. In his mind Kayn and the others must have looked threatening to a girl her age, but the wolfgirl did not step back.

The tip of her tail seemed to vibrate, like a dog how was about to bite someone.

"Put your weapons down."

"Pff. What then? You kill us all?"

"Kayn. Do as she says."

"But Master-"

"Do as she says.", he slowly repeated.

The same moment their weapons hit the ground, Zed was free.

He coughed. It felt like there was no air left in his lungs.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to use such dramatic measures... My name is Nasyra."

"And why would we care?", Kayn responded annoyed.

"You're just like your master. I am looking for someone..."

"A Master?", Zed asked, as he slowly got back on his feet.

"No. Yes. There is someone I want to kill, before he kills me, but in order to do that I need to learn more."

"And you want me to teach you?"

"Yes. You see, I barely survived the last trap he set. My magic... Since then I am not able to get to my full potential..."

A trap? Could it be...?

No, no one ever survived Khada Jhin. No one ever escaped him.

It must be some hunter for magic ingredients or new fur.

"I am no Vastayan. I don't use magic."

"Oh please. I saw it. The shadow. The moment before you killed these men. You were... You were swallowed by it. You might not be a Vastayan, but you are using magic."

Zed stood there. His glance focused on the girl. She looked innocent, even sweet in a way, but something about this had him wonder... What if she was the trap Jhin set for them? What if he was in one of the trees nearby, just waiting to shoot him?

Was this one of his plays again?

"So, what is your answer?"

"No."

"No?"

"I don't want to train a Vastayan. Besides, we are on our way to kill a demon. You would only be a hindrance on our way."

She stepped closer. A strong look in the light blue eyes.

"I could have already killed you. If I wanted you dead, you would be already. So don't call me a hindrance. My abilities can help you. I am fast. You saw it. Please."

"I either have to kill you or let you join us?"

She nodded.

"Good. Not like I would care for the life of a Vastaya, but you are right. You could be of use."

"What? Master, are you sure?", Kayn interrupted their talk.

He wanted to point out the danger of accepting a stranger into their rows, but still once they we're all strangers to each other.

"I am sure. She had me kneel before her, so just imagine her saving your ass from Jhin."

The wind coming from the valley got stronger. With the intensity rising, the temperature fell even more. It had something shockingly cold in it, that would give even Zed goosebumps.

Nasyra rose her nose in the wind. Like any dog would do once they had a trace.

"We should probably go now. There are some people riding towards us."

With a mod of their masters head the group moved forward, into the forest, until they disappeared in the darkness. It was like Shadowmagic, still less debilitating.

Kayn was right behind Zed, next to the newest member. He didn't like the fact that this dog just joined him, that some Vastaya actually managed to trap their master and later on explaining that she can't even use all of her magic. He just couldn't believe it.

"If you are planning anything, you better be prepared to die.", Kayn finally stated.

"I'm not. What is your Problem?"

"You are. Some Vastaya will not ruin Master Zeds Mission and I will make sure of that."

A smirk grew on Nasyras face. She leaned towards Kayns face, before giving him the cocky answer he deserved.

"Oh, so you are going keep an eye on me, huh? Well, be sure to make better job this time, than when you were guarding your shirts. Apparently someone stole them."

She didn't need a stun this time. Kayn was just surprised. So surprised that he forgot to walk, whereas the other students of Zed couldn't contain their laughter.

"Can I ask you something?", the Vastaya asked the master.

"You just did."

"I'm not playing this game with you. I just wanted to know why you hate Vastaya? And what your mission is?"

Zed rolled his eyes. He didn't trust her at all, but still he was sure she wasn't one of Jhins traps. If he wanted to use her, than he could rather tell her now.

"I don't hate Vastayans, I just don't care for them. I killed way too many to start caring now."

Dipped in the silver light of the moon the path of the forest lead them towards the mountains. Only leaves bowing from left to right and the footsteps of the group were to hear.

Zed was silent for a moment.

"Your mission? What is it?"

"How old are you?"

"Probably not old enough for anything you want to tell me."

She was young. A young woman. Probably around 17, but still not quite old. Or she could be older. Hundred or a thousand years old. It wouldn't have changed the way she looks.

"We are on our way to kill the Golden Demon..."

This time it was Zed who stunned her. Out of shock her legs refused to move, as she slowly finished his sentence.

"Khada Jhin."

Not so far away from them, a man sat infront of a candle. Happily grinning, but no one could see it because of the grey mask.

"Eight.", he announced.

"Oh, what a pleasure it will be. Let's make this play my masterpiece."

#jhin the virtuoso #league of legends #ahri league of legends #lol #League of legends Fanfiction #Zed #zed lol #zed comic #kayn league of legends #kayn #Kayn x reader #kda akali #akali league of legends #lol akali #Shen #khada jhin #fanfiction #lol oc #Oc

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rosywrites · 5 years

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An Easy Decision

Fandom: League of Legends Summary: After receiving a tip that Jhin was spotted in Navori, Shen and Zed didn't stop searching for his whereabouts without rest. Until one day, the Virtuoso himself sets the stage for Zed to make a choice.

Note: A collaboration story with @spinyoctopus based on a tweet she made!

[AO3]

Word count: 3,012

Several days passed since Zed and Shen received a tip that Jhin appeared in Navori, and they hadn’t stopped to hunt him down since. Both the Shadow and Kinkou Orders were on high alert for the Golden Demon. The two masters kept in contact with their students, making sure they would be prepared if Jhin tried to go for them. Even Akali, who had distanced herself away from the Kinkou Order, accepted the message and kept Shen updated on her whereabouts.

A white cloud formed from Zed’s breath as he turned from the mountain he was climbing. He could see the entire region of Navori from here. He crouched, wondering where Jhin would be hiding… or waiting. His helmet sat in his hands, staring up at him with its empty eyes. He shut his eyes and allowed himself a moment of rest, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.

He was tired, very tired.

It had been so long since Jhin’s imprisonment, his breaking from the Kinkou Order, and his murder of Kusho. Then everything came to a stop when word got out that Jhin escaped. It all took a toll on him, but he could never show that. He didn’t deserve to.

The golden light overtaking the dark night from behind the mountains signified the break of dawn. He squinted from the sliver of light that shone into his eyes and shielded them with his hand.

Ever the one to lean towards the shadows.

Another white cloud seeped out of his helmet with another long sigh. The mountain air was cold, but it felt refreshing to his tired soul. Zed allowed himself the liberty to think of nothing and enjoy the sunrise, though he only let it last for a moment. That’s all he could give himself. He put the helmet back on his head and sent one last look at the horizon before sinking into his own shadow.

Shen was waiting for him. If finished with the patrol, Kayn as well.

Zed arrived at the top of the stone steps of the Kinkou Monastery, or rather what once was the Kinkou Monastery. Ever since he overthrew Kusho, the monastery turned into the base for the Shadow Order. Shen had been coming to the Monastery to help deal with Jhin. He could imagine how angry Shen must have been when he first stepped foot into his former home.

They had decided to meet at the monastery every three days to report their findings. So far, their searches had all failed. There was no sign of Khada Jhin anywhere. Nothing on Zed’s end this time either.

He made his way towards the entrance of the monastery, expecting Shen to stand by one of the pillars with his usual stoic expression. And just like Zed, there was an underlying exhaustion in his eyes. Shen was just as tired as Zed was, if not more.

Zed slowly looked up in realization Shen wasn’t waiting for him by the entrance. Odd. He was never one to be late for their rendezvous in the morning. There was a chance he had business in the spirit realm, but he would leave a sign that he would come back.

While he would have shrugged it off, a glint from a bush had caught his eyes. Furrowing his brows, Zed approached the bush and brushed it aside.

Dread immediately pooled in his stomach as he jerked his arm back with his blades pulled out on instinct. His breaths became shorter as he continued to stare at the lotus trap hidden within the bush. It was almost perfectly nestled into the leaves, just barely showing enough to be noticed by a careful eye.

But the Golden Demon would not make such a grave mistake.

This was on purpose.

A warning.

“Shen…!” Zed whispered in panic. He snuck down the hall through the shadows, searching through every room in the monastery. Each room contained a butchered corpse, torn apart and rearranged into different displays. Very few were left untouched, but those few were gravely injured and barely left alive.

“M-Master Zed…” a student croaked, catching his attention.

Zed materialized from the shadows and rushed over. The student’s wounds were severe, half his body covered in deep cuts and gashes. Pieces of metal were embedded into his skin, possibly even puncturing his body. A victim of Jhin’s traps. He laid a hand on the student’s shoulder, trying to shake him awake. “What happened?” he growled.

The student gripped Zed’s wrist with a desperate strength. “You can’t, you can’t,” he kept muttering. “He… he got them too…”

Zed almost felt his heart lurch up to his throat. “Where are they?” he hissed. “Tell me. Now.”

“The meditation hall… they’re…” The student choked and struggled to breathe from the blood that filled his lungs from the penetrating metal. He wasn’t going to live through this. Even if he did, he would be crippled for the rest of his life.

The least Zed could do was end the student’s misery.

Zed silently opened the door to the meditation hall. His eyes scanned the area for any dangers or even the Golden Demon himself. The hall was empty and quiet, the floor and bottom of its intricate carvings and pillars dimly lit by the rising sun. As he walked closer to the center of the hall, he looked up at the swinging chandelier above.

But it was no chandelier.

Zed gasped in horror as he noticed the familiar blue hair. Kayn was hanging limply in the air with two metal hooks dug into his back, his face covered in knife cuts, and metal wires wrapped tightly around his neck. The wires extended to the ceiling, silver bells tied every four feet and around his neck like a harness. His scythe was on the platform ahead, propped up against a statue of the Spirit of Ionia. The red eye of the scythe, usually open and actively looking around, was closed.

Following the wires above Kayn, there was some sort of mechanic constructions extending throughout the ceiling. But it had been placed so neatly that one would have thought it was part of the ceiling structure. Zed brought his attention back to the boy hanging above him.

Kayn was still alive. His eyes were barely open, and the bells made quiet chimes with each shallow breath he made. Zed wasn’t even sure if Kayn could recognize his surroundings anymore.

“Kayn, are you awake? Answer me.”

A quiet wheeze sounded from Kayn’s throat, his eyelids fluttering in response. Zed’s shoulders lowered as he sighed in relief. Kayn was awake, but barely. He saw Kayn’s eyes roll to the left and followed his line of sight, to where Shen was.

Shen was kneeling in the far corner of the meditation hall, where the sunlight began to crawl towards, hunched over with his head hanging low. Golden rope immobilized his torso and legs, preventing him from breaking free. Above him was an arrangement of metal scraps and pieces, disturbingly resembling the shape of eye.

“Shen! Are you awake?”

Groaning, Shen awoke to Zed’s voice. He shook his head, trying to clear his head. But even when he was completely conscious, he didn’t make a move. “Sorry, Zed,” Shen uttered, his voice coarse. “I couldn’t stop him.”

Zed tried to rush over to Shen’s side to untie him, but a propelling glint of silver stopped him in his tracks, and he caught it before it pierced his head. An Ionian dagger, elegantly carved with designs of smoke along the blade with a green gem inlaid in the handle.

The sounds of metal clinking on stone then caught Zed’s attention. From the shadows, an all-too-familiar figure stepped out into the light, the trademark ivory mask almost glowing under the sunlight. “Welcome to the finale!” the figure announced, his cape flying with his grand gesture.

Khada Jhin.

It took everything Zed had to stay where he was and not recklessly attack the murderer before him. His vision was flooding with memories of the gore and horror he had witnessed all these years since his youth. If he hadn’t been used to the smell of blood and corpses, he would’ve vomited by now.

Besides, Jhin was always a step ahead: he stood just out of Zed’s reach.

Jhin chuckled at Zed’s trembling shoulders. Was he trembling out of rage? Panic? Fear? Perhaps all three. “You’ve learned to stop charging headfirst into danger, haven’t you? Indeed, quite the character development.”

“Why are you here?” he growled angrily.

“Why? I thought this is what you wanted. To catch me. And what’s better than being caught in the Shadow Order’s temple?” The amusement was clear in his voice. He paced around in a rhythm, humming to himself. “But what good is a capture if there is no reward, yes? After all, you’ve come so far from back then. I suppose it’s only fair to let you decide your reward.”

“Bastard. You’re only toying with us.” Zed’s hand balled into a fist around the handle of the dagger, a desperate urge to drive the blade into Jhin’s neck overtaking his body. But he couldn’t. Jhin had him wrapped around his finger, and one wrong move would be the end of it all.

Jhin raised his arms, gesturing to both Shen and Kayn, whose bodies were now lit by the rising sun. “Let’s start with the setting for this finale. I walk away, and these two bloom in a matter of seconds.” He lazily paced to the side, keeping an eye on Zed. “But you, the protagonist, can still save them from their fate.

“One, you can save your beloved student from bursting with wings to fly to the sky. Two, you can save Shen, the man you once called your brother, from becoming the final piece to complete the Eye of Twilight above.” He paused to chuckle. “You did come to a peaceful compromise in your little detective adventure, after all, right?”

A shuriken shot past Jhin, narrowly missing his mask.

He merely clicked his tongue and shook a finger at Zed. “Ah, ah, ah. You need to listen thoroughly.” He held up a third finger. “Three, you settle the score with the Golden Demon once and for all, abandoning the angel and the all-seeing eye.” Jhin paused before he turned around and began to walk away from Zed.

“And the fourth?”

Jhin turned his head back to Zed, his visible eye squinting in amusement, before walking away again. The sunrise slowly filled the room with light, creeping up the mechanism until it reached a green gem embedded into the center. The meditation hall became lit with green fractals from the reflecting gem.

With a snap of his fingers, numerous cogs in the mechanism above went into motion like the gears of a clock. Kayn started to ascend to the ceiling with each tick. He had no reaction to his body lightly swinging from the hooks, but Zed couldn’t imagine how much pain he was in.

Looking at Shen, Zed saw wire that was being pulled above between the metal scraps. The wire led down to Shen’s neck. There was plenty of wire before Shen would be beheaded and pulled into the air, but there was not enough time to save both. Zed knew that.

“Choose wisely.”

Zed glanced at the dagger in his hands, then to Kayn, then to Shen, and then back to the dagger. His eyes moved up to Shen, who stared back with those glowing blue eyes. The two shared a look that seemed to last for an eternity.

“You need to save Kayn,” Shen insisted. “It doesn’t matter what happens to me.” He was now sitting upright, the rope just barely tightening his neck now.

Kayn suddenly coughed blood when the metal hooks began to pull him in opposite directions. His breathing was getting shallower, the bells chiming in quick succession.

Jhin was still walking away with a lazy bounce to his steps. He was slowly disappearing into the shadows.

The cogs continued to tick away faster.

Tick.

Tock.

There was no time.

But then it dawned on Zed. He realized it was an easy choice all this time. He made the decision a long time ago after all. He raised the dagger, its blade flashing at Shen.

Shen closed his eyes and lulled his head back, leaving his neck and chest open. But the dagger never came. The sound of metal meeting flesh snapped his eyes open to look at Zed.

Zed had pierced the dagger into his own stomach, twisting it with a pained grunt and pulling it out. In that moment, his shadow materialized behind Shen and cut the wire free.

“Zed!” Shen called in desperate panic, jumping to his feet.

Jhin stopped in his tracks to turn his head, seeing Zed bleeding out on the stone floor. His eye met Shen’s, whose eyes were glowing brighter in rage. He could only smile. “What will you do, Eye of Twilight? It’s all up to you now.” He once again turned to walk away without a care in the world. Not even two steps, and Shen had already gone to Zed’s side.

And the Golden Demon disappeared into the shadows.

The cogs in the mechanism came to a stop and lowered Kayn onto the ground. Shen first cut the wire tied around Kayn’s neck and laid him on his stomach. He carefully pulled the hooks out of Kayn’s back, which were hooked onto his scapulas. Had Zed been any later, the hooks would have tore Kayn’s scapulas apart and spread his chest and arms into the air.

Kayn wheezed before he coughed a few more times from becoming able to breathe better. “M-Master… Zed…” he called before falling unconscious.

Shen wasted no time tending to Zed’s wound, removing Zed’s helmet in the process. He kicked away the dagger in Zed’s hand while applying pressure onto his abdomen. “Zed? Zed, stay with me here.” He watched Zed’s face contort in pain from the stab wound. “God, what is wrong with you? Killing me was the easiest option, and yet you—”

“No, he knew what he was doing,” Zed answered. “This was the only way.”

“What happened to the Master of Shadows I knew?” Shen retorted. “We need you to capture him. Stabbing yourself was not the answer.” When Zed didn’t respond, Shen tried to slap him awake but was stopped by Zed’s hand raising up.

“He never stated out loud what the last option was.”

“But you shouldn’t have gone with that choice. You should’ve just killed me to save Kayn.”

Zed didn’t respond. Instead, he exhaled slowly to help with the pain. “Do you remember when we were young, we made that oath of brotherhood? I never really forgot about that.”

“Zed,” Shen said, a warning evident in his tone.

“I deserve this, don’t you think?” He tasted the blood rising to the back of his throat. Spitting blood out, he croaked out a laughter.

“Stop.”

“Ironic that I, the one who started that oath, destroyed everything with my own hands. The Kinkou Order, the monastery, our bond… your father…”

“Stop talking about things that are long gone, Zed!” Shen shouted, slamming the side of his fist onto the stone floor. “I thought the past is dead. What is the point of bringing this up now?”

Zed couldn’t help but smirk. “When was the last time I heard you lose yourself like that? It feels like an eternity ago.” He closed his eyes. His senses were beginning to numb, and the lull of sleep was tempting. He let out a long sigh before fluttering his eyes open again. He scoffed, “You were foolish for thinking you were the choice.”

“I,” Shen started, a slightly crack in his voice, “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I thought you always wanted to see me dead? Your wish is getting granted now.”

“Don’t, Zed. You are not going to die.” Shen’s shoulders started to shake. “I’m not going to let you.”

Zed blinked in slight surprise at the warm droplets that fell onto his hand. “The Eye of Twilight? Showing emotion? The world must be coming to an end.” He laughed despite the fluctuating pain. He gripped Shen’s wrist tightly. “Shen, promise me you’ll get that masked demon. He doesn’t deserve to see the light of day.”

“I will, but you have to stay alive for that. You’re foolish to think I can do it on my own.”

“Better than what I can do. Besides, you still have your Order. You’re not alone.” Zed pursed his lips and took a deep breath. He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer from the blinding morning sun. “I think I’m going to sleep for a while. I don’t think I can keep awake. I’m just… so tired.”

“No. No! Zed! Stay with me!”

But Shen’s cries were for naught. Zed’s vision was beginning to blur to black, and Shen’s voice was getting quieter and quieter by the second. For a moment, he didn’t want to die. For a moment, he felt fear for his candlelight being snuffed out by the darkness. For a moment, he feared the shadows he embraced.

That moment of fear was soon replaced by a wave of catharsis. His own words echoed in his mind: I deserve this, don’t you think?

He blinked, and he was taken back to his childhood in an instant, back when he and Shen happily spent their days in the monastery together. Shen’s tearful face turned to his younger, happier grin, dragging Zed over to the temple. It almost felt like another world where nothing bad happened, where Zed didn’t crush everything he had.

A world where Shen and Zed grew up together without a single drop of animosity towards the other. A world where there could have been more. A world where Kayn became closer to a son figure to him. A world where both Shen and Zed were happy and had nothing to lose.

“Shen… I…”

#league of legends #zed #jhin #shen #kayn #khada jhin #rosywrites

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ladybuvelle · 6 years

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A Digestion of the New Ionian Lore So Far - A Personal Opinion

If you know me, you know I love a good fairy tale or fable. It’s something I have Sona like as well, but certainly from her perspective they must be very different in context. Sona lives in a fantasy world where magic, fairies, dragons, monsters, half-humans, tiny furry people, and all sorts of wonders exist.

In some tales you might read how in our modern world we don’t really see fairies, gnomes, unicorns, dragons, mermaids, or other mythical, wondrous creatures because we’ve either “lost” our connection to nature/the spirit realm/the old gods of the earth/etc etc, or we simply didn’t “need” them anymore. Our real world history of the ancient world recounts sea beasts like the leviathan and the kraken, or describes the exact trap you must set to capture a unicorn, and the healing properties of its horn, or where to find dragons, or about the ancient protectors of nature, or bestowers of wealth and good fortune. We treat them all as myths now; fun things to think about, read about, write about, draw inspiration from, but knowing that above all they aren’t real. They’re only as real as you believe them to be.

And from a more real perspective, you could say the current state of our world at large is anything but magical. Every day if you turn on the news there’s usually something horrible going on. A war, or a bombing, or yet another shooting. I don’t want to make light or gloss over these events for the sake of making a point about fiction, but I think it’s an important place to line up your perspective for what I’m trying to explain about my feelings about the Ionian lore.

Because again; Runeterra is a fantasy land. All those legendary things are real. And repeatedly we’re told, now more than ever, that Ionia is a land where the veil between the spirit realm and the ‘normal’ realm is at its thinnest. Spirits live in every tree, every rock. Sometimes they walk among people. Ionians have learned over thousands of years how to work in harmony with the land, and the land in turn cares back for them (as it sees fit, because nature is always fickle). Things have been the way they are for so, so long, and a greater need for anything else just hasn’t been all that important (from what we see). There’s no standing army. There’s no unified government. Anyone who tries to invade Ionia has ultimately failed in the past because the land itself sorts them out.

But then, as the Dev Diary went to explain, Noxians don’t take no for an answer. If the land is going to be a problem, they’ll just destroy the land itself.

This has put the Ionian people in a position they’ve probably never been in (in their recorded history, since we do know there are ancient war sites that no one even knows what happened there anymore). These are a people who, again, have lived a certain way for thousands of years. Living in tune with spirits and beasts and the land - perhaps, in their way, Ionians are more than just ‘human’. Consider them the sort-of-kind-of elves of Runeterra, being in tune with magic and nature.

Now take that magical land and throw science at it. Throw corruption, doubt, death, throw the rest of the world’s reality at it. Throw bombs, guns, a will to kill, and not a single mercy for what’s considered sacred to someone else. Throw all that at a people who have always strove for peace and personal betterment.

Darha, the current incarnation of Karma, internally cries out to the many voices within her of ages past that “what’s the point of this power if we don’t use it?”. Then, given the chance, she uses it. And kills an entire fleet of Noxians. Her people are overjoyed at the victory, but she finds the voices of ‘Karma’ falling silent within her.

Irelia took her skills as a dancer - as someone who was in tune with the land and the spirits, honoring them with her skill - and turned them to a way of death. She helped turn back the tide of war. She cut off Swain’s arm. She’s even killed her own people who, in the madness of these times, have taken desperate measures to counter-act the Noxians brutality. But she takes no joy in it. Her blades have stains that won’t wash away. Every victory means another loss.

The more Ionians are forced to fight and protect themselves, the further they seem forced away from the spirits, magic, nature. Zed is another example of someone who’s likely sacrificed his very soul for what he believes in. He wants to fight for his country. He wants to protect it. But his great power comes at a potentially extremely heavy price for him. In some respects he may even already be dead. It’s just a matter of how much he can get done before someone or something comes to collect. Shen, on the other hand, in trying to keep the Balance is trying to keep Ionia’s natural order. You can also argue ‘at what cost to Shen though?’, and yes that’s a fair thing to say. We’re dealing in two very different extremes. Either a pacified land filled with magic or one that can adapt to change and potentially lose its power in exchange.

One that, thousands of years from now, may no longer ‘need’ spirits. The veil may someday be removed entirely, or shut like an iron door. Vastayans may die out there or find new places to live, or even evolve and adapt themselves. We’re told time and time again that magic is wild and unpredictable at times, even with years of study and practice and self control. It’s a force of energy that chooses where it wants to be and what to do, and mages (much like the trees that turn into houses) can only coax a favorable outcome. Maybe that’s not totally true, or maybe it is. We still need to know more. But magic is certainly not something any one person can control absolutely. There’s always a cost.

So what I’m basically getting at is that in the process of the Ionian people trying to protect themselves, they also seem to be systematically destroying a part of themselves. They are changing. And change is hard. Painful. Things are being lost in the process. And I’m really curious as to what that may mean in the long run, since there are certainly those who embrace that change and chaos or ‘new order’. You’ve got Jhin and the cabal that supports him. You’ve got the Navori Brotherhood. And who even knows what else is going on?

#league stuff #lore #just my own thoughts on it all so far #because I think context is important as a whole #rather than looking at individuals and saying #'this doesn't make sense for X'#I think it does with what Riot seems to be wanting to tell us about Ionia #and it's neither good nor bad overall #to build a muscle you have to break it

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rosymiz · 7 years

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Like A Rose, Last Chapter: Peace

Title: Like A Rose By: ArisuChanSenpai (Visit my blog for AO3 link!) Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

“Shen, I am done with playing your games!” Zed growled as he burst into Sona’s dressing room in anger, taking off Shen’s blue mask and throwing it to the ground. After sensing Shen’s presence backstage, he managed to pull himself away from the annoying musicians. But when he saw Jhin on his knees and subdued with his arms held behind his back, his rage drained away immediately. “You… actually caught him…” The hidden blades in his armor slid out as he slowly stepped towards Jhin. He tugged at the flap of the bodysuit on Jhin’s head, pulling the fabric down to reveal his face. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for years since you escaped that prison,” he hissed, pointing at Jhin. “And now I’m about to deliver your punishment, Golden Demon.”

Before he even raised his blade to kill Jhin, Sona stepped in front of him with her hands out to protect him. Her eyes were swollen and red from her tears, but her expression held a tenacity that stopped Zed.

“Are you trying to protect him?” Zed’s hand balled into a fist as he pointed the tip of the blade at Sona’s chin. “Do you even know what kind of person we’re all dealing with here? He murdered people beyond gruesome ways because he’s a fucking monster!” he spat. “You can’t tell me you knew all this time and still choose his side!”

Sona nodded, but her protective stance didn’t waver and only grew more tense as if she expected him to attack. She wasn’t letting Zed get anywhere near Jhin.

“Hah!” he barked. “You’re really in love with him, aren’t you? I can’t believe he manipulated you into a relationship to have you as an ally.”

A fury ignited in Sona’s heart as she slammed her hands against the strings, producing an angry cacophony. She let out a shaky breath in her fury. “How dare you claim I was manipulated when you don’t even know what happened between us?”

“And you don’t know what happened between us either. He’s a murderer .”

“He was overtaken by a compulsion he had no control over!” she furiously signed.

Zed broke into scornful laughter. “A compulsion, you say,” he repeated. “You’re telling me that everything he did until now was all because of a compulsion.”

“It’s true.”

“As if I can believe such a lie,” Zed growled. His contemptuous eyes stared at Jhin, who silently stared at the floor and made no move to break free from Shen’s hold. Jhin wasn’t even cowering like the first time Zed tried to kill him. He was still, as if he accepted his capture. “You’ve never even seen the kind of murders he’s done, have you?”

Sona pursed her lips. “No, but I have witnessed the darkness that plagued his heart like a broken harmony. He wanted to change. He never wanted to willingly kill people.” She stood her ground against Zed, even staring him in the eye as she signed. “I can confidently say that he is a different person now.”

“And if he isn’t? What will you do when his so-called “compulsion” comes back and murders people?” He loomed over Sona, who was two heads shorter than him. “What will you do if he tries to point that very gun at you one day? Will you still claim that he’s changed?”

Without hesitation, she took another step closer to Zed. “I will take responsibility.”

“You? You will take responsibility?” he sneered.

At those words, Jhin’s eyes shot up as he looked up at Sona in shock. “Sona, do not take responsibility for my actions. I am not going to let you be in the face of danger for something I have done.”

Shen, who was quietly observing Zed and Sona’s argument, was trying to sense the darkness that Sona had mentioned within Jhin. His father’s voice echoed in his head from a memory he thought he had forgotten. His father used to say the same thing when he made the decision to take Jhin alive and throw him into Tuula Prison. As someone who was less experienced, Shen disagreed with him, having believed that the darkness he sensed in Jhin to be his true self.

But now…

He sensed nothing of the sort. The darkness that tipped the balance within Jhin had disappeared.

Sona sat by Jhin while keeping an eye on Zed’s movements. “I am the one who helped you recover from your compulsion and seen the progress firsthand. It’s a given that I would take responsibility as someone involved.”

“You’re going to get killed if you do,” Jhin said gravely. “I don’t want to see you taken on that kind of burden because of me.” He frowned. “I’ve already caused you enough heartbreak tonight.”

The darkness that Shen had once sensed was replaced by a light. It seemed to shine the brightest in Sona’s presence. Was he truly the man he and Zed caught so many years ago? Or was this perhaps the man that his father saw in Jhin when he stopped Zed from killing him? He was beginning to understand what he thought was his father’s emotionless logic behind the decision.

It wasn’t foolish mercy, like Zed always claimed, but a second chance at redemption.

“Enough!” Zed bellowed. “I’m sick of listening to your excuses. Move aside, Maven, or I will personally strike him through you.”

“Zed,” Jhin called in a quiet, chilling voice. “If you dare raise your blade to Sona, I will not hesitate to take my gun back and pull the trigger. You will leave her out of this.” His blue eyes met Zed’s with a cold rage that forced Zed to withdraw his weapon from Sona’s neck. Jhin maintained his glare for a moment longer before turning back to Sona with a softer expression. “I apologize, Sona. It doesn’t seem like I will be able to join you for the finale.”

“No,” Shen finally spoke up as he released Jhin’s arms and picked up his mask from the floor. “You are going on that stage to dance with Lady Sona.”

“What?!” Zed turned to Shen in disbelief. “You’re just going to let him go like that? After all those years of trying to chase him to put an end to his crimes, you’re going to show mercy ?”

Shen gently pushed Jhin and Sona’s back to usher them outside. “I’m not sure the musicians will be able to stall for much longer. You will have to go soon.”

“You are not going anywhere!” Zed dashed towards Jhin with his blade ready to strike. Jhin grabbed Sona and turned his back to Zed, holding her tightly in his arms. But instead of metal meeting flesh, another blade colliding with Zed’s resounded in their ears. “You!”

“Lady Sona, go. I will try to talk some sense into Zed.” When they left, Shen grabbed Zed and teleported them to another building. “Listen to me. I’m starting to understand what my father was trying to say back at Tuula Prison when he threw Jhin in there.” He took off Zed’s helmet and armor and tossed it at Zed.

Zed met Shen’s eyes with a piercing glare as he caught his helmet. “What?”

“Now that I’m more experienced and in tune with the balance like my father, I sensed something different in Jhin.” Shen brought a hand to his chest. “That man is not the man we once knew anymore. Like Lady Sona said, he has changed. I cannot see the darkness I used to see in him anymore.”

The crowd’s cheering drowned out Zed’s roar of anger and the sound of blade meeting blade. “You are just like your father! I was a fool to think your path was closer to mine than it was to his!” He jumped back from a swift strike from Shen’s blade. “I refuse to work with you any longer now that I know you’d just be in the way. You and your father’s pathetic mercy to that pitiful act is what will be your downfall, Shen. Next time, I’m doing things my own way without you!” Zed disappeared, leaving a faint shadow in his wake.

Panic coursed through Shen’s veins when he realized Zed was gone but was quickly replaced with relief when he felt Zed’s presence blinking farther away from the concert venue and sheathed his sword behind his back. After fitting his head inside his mask, he turned his attention back to the concert and teleported to Akali and Kennen’s side.

While Shen was holding Zed back, the two slipped past them out the door as the musicians were nearing the end of their time. Standing by Sona’s dressing room was Lestara with her hands shaking as they covered her mouth. She overheard them. She overheard everything.

“Oh my goodness!” Lestara ran to Sona with open arms, embracing her tightly. “Thank the gods, I thought… I thought…” Tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I thought you might have been killed, my dear daughter…” Her eyes moved to Jhin, who stood behind Sona with a somber expression. Suspicion flashed in Lestara’s eyes, but it quickly dissolved to worry as she checked Sona for injuries. “Are you safe? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

Sona smiled as she gave her mother a reassuring embrace. “Shen protected us, mother. We’re not hurt.” She glanced at Jhin briefly to point at him. “He protected me too.”

Lestara dried her eyes with a handkerchief once she calmed down. “Sona, dear, I heard everything. He’s a criminal? A murderer?” She saw Jhin in the corner of her eyes, but he simply lowered his head with his eyes half-lidded as he faced her. “Is it true?” she asked him.

“Yes, madam.”

Sona gently held Lestara’s hand with a look that asked her to remember. She wanted her to remember the request she made to her mother before she left to find Jhin. “Will you wait for us after the concert?” she asked again. “I beg of you, mother.”

There was hesitance, but her mother nodded. “I expect both of you to tell me everything once the concert is over. Especially you.” She now faced Jhin with an insistent glare.

Jhin bowed his head to her. “You may ask me whatever you would like, and I shall answer honestly.”

“Then, go on your way. Both of you. The musicians and I have done all we can.” She reached into a bag around her shoulder, taking out a mask. “I believe this is yours.” She handed Jhin his mask for the finale. “I found it in the changing stall when I went to look for you.”

“Thank you, madam. I will be on my way.” He looked at Sona, who smiled and nodded to him to go his side of the stage. “Let us meet at the stage, Lady Sona.” He held her hand up to kiss the back of it and left promptly, leaving Sona and Lestara to continue their conversation.

Lestara turned back to Sona after she watched him turn the corner backstage. “Sona. He never tried to hurt you, did he?” Seeing Sona shake her head with a firm confidence loosened up the tension in her shoulders.

She couldn’t tell her mother how she had first encountered Jhin in the grove just yet. That was for later, when they all gathered to explain their story. She heard the music die down as the audience cheered the musicians’ performances. Sona squeezed her mother’s hand before approaching the steps leading up to the stage.

“Wait. Sona, dear.” Lestara stopped her from leaving and reached into her bag. “I found a mask that might be suitable for your finale. And with your makeup slightly faded, this might help.” She took out a mask that looked exactly like Jhin’s, but instead of a black base, it was white with gold streaks and red accents, black lining the beautiful colors along the mask. “I bought it thinking it was a nice match with his. You can wear it at an angle on your head instead of on your face.”

Sona’s fingers followed the streaks on the mask and nodded in thanks.

“Go. I will watch from the side,” Lestara said as she gestured to her to get ready to show up on the stage.

“Lady Sona! There you are!” The female musician rushed down the steps as soon as she was out of the audience’s sight. She huffed in relief. “We’re so glad you made it in time! The stage manager was yelling at us to get off stage earlier, but he seemed to understand what was happening by the time we got to our second song.”

Sona bowed to the three musicians in gratitude. “You’ve done me a great favor, and I cannot thank you enough for providing me enough time to stop him from doing something he will regret.” She knew they couldn’t interpret her signs, but that was for the best.

“Oh! I think that motion is ‘thank you’, right?” the musician asked, repeating Sona’s sign for ‘thank you’. “I’m just glad we were able to help you, Lady Sona. We did request the audience for another intermission before you went on for your finale.”

“Yeah, and so we can take a break too…” one of the male musicians shook his wrists to alleviate the stiffness.

“But we’re ready to play whenever you are, Lady Sona,” the other musician said. “This is the finale we’ve all been waiting for.” He grinned at his fellow musicians. “I think we did well in keeping the crowd on edge.”

“You have no idea how much the audience is anticipating your finale now. They’re gonna love it!” The female musician yelped in surprise when Sona pulled her in for a thankful embrace. She patted Sona’s back and giggled. “You’re welcome, Lady Sona. Let us know when you’re ready. We’ll be waiting right here.”

Sona carefully pulled the mask on her head, the female musician making sure her hair didn’t get caught between the strings, and placed it near one side of her head. The shadow of the mask hid the red tint of her eyelids from her crying. On the other side, she saw Jhin waiting with his costume all fixed and tidied up. His head seemed to turn slightly to Sona as she caught his eye.

“Break a leg out there,” he signed. “You will do marvelously.”

A smile curled on her lips as she signed back, “You too.” She pressed her fingers to her lips and shifted it towards him. “Thank you,” she started, “for coming back.”

Jhin bowed gracefully as an actor would. “All thanks to you, darling.”

The audience gasped in surprise when the lights shut off again, whispering to each other excitedly for Sona’s finale. A spotlight turned back on to reveal Sona standing near the right center of the stage, curtly bowing as the crowd shouted in joy.

She gestured to her right, a spotlight shining on the three musicians sitting on their knees on a cushion with their instruments at the ready. Then, she gestured to her left, where another spotlight shined on Jhin’s figure, the gold on his mask and costume glimmering under the light. He sat on his knees like the musicians with his hands on his lap, waiting. The crowd applauded with the occasional whistle and whoop.

Taking a deep breath, Sona plucked a few notes in progression.

Jhin moved to the music as if the song controlled his movements. He danced with finesse as Sona played, slowly making his way to her for their dance. He acted like a young man searching for something to fill a void in his life, like there was something missing. He would reach out only to take his hand back and twirl away as if what he reached out for was not what he longed for. Then, he reached out towards Sona as the musicians picked up their instruments.

Sona took his hand with a delicate elegance and stepped towards him. They danced together on the stage, keeping a distance as if their encounter was sudden and uncertain of each other. Her etwahl followed behind her every step as they circled around the stage with the occasional twirl. She returned to her etwahl to resume her part again, but the musicians continued their part in harmony with her.

Something was starting to form in Jhin’s mind as he continued to dance. He kept wanting to reach out to her to cup her face with his hand but always curled them back to himself. The second time they danced together, their bodies were closer, their steps more certain, and with more elaborate movements to their dance. When they pulled apart, he couldn’t help but caress her cheek down and brush his fingers under her chin as he danced around her.

The audience voiced their captivation as they watched them dance like two streams, the currents gentle and joining together to create a river. Much like a dance between two lovers.

Their last time dancing together became much more elaborate and sure like the young man had finally found what he was searching for. Jhin added extra flairs like bring Sona’s fingers to his mask like he wanted to kiss them and touching her cheek gently. Sona would run her fingers through his wig or line her fingers against his mask as if she wanted to see the face hidden behind.

It was nearing the end of the song, and the musicians began to play softer until they were droning whole notes. Jhin and Sona finished with a slight dip, their bodies almost touching each other. They gazed into each other’s eyes, seeing each other’s reflection within. They didn’t even hear the booming ovation from the audience. Only their heartbeats.

“I love you,” he whispered to her.

Actions spoke louder than anything Sona could sign. She leaned in towards him to press her lips to the corner of his mask, leaving a faint print of her lipstick on the black color.

When they returned from their quiet bliss to the roaring crowd, they pulled apart and bowed. Bouquets and individual flowers adorned the stage and still rained onto them as the audience threw them to the stage. Jhin caught a rose that flew at him and handed it to Sona, who took it with a loving smile. They bowed to the audience again and welcomed the musicians to center stage to join them also.

Sona intertwined her fingers with Jhin’s as they collectively bowed to the audience once again. A thought tugged at Jhin’s mind as it finally formed and tried to connect something to Sona’s song. “Sona,” he called. “The song for this finale… What did you have in mind when you made it?”

She smiled knowingly at him as she pointed it at her and then him. “Us,” she answered.

Jhin chuckled as he gripped Sona’s hand tighter and pulled his mask off to the side to kiss her on the cheek. “I think it’s rather fitting.”

“I know.”

It was hours past the end of the concert. Sona was interviewed by several people about her finale and the dancer, a topic she managed to keep vague about his identity while giving more details about the composition and dance process of the finale. Jhin avoided the eyes of the few curious interviewers that had wandered backstage in search of the dancer by dressing in a lighting crew uniform. He preoccupied himself by assisting with the disassembling of the stage while waiting for Sona and Lestara to finish.

Now, Jhin and Sona sat around a table as Lestara took a seat on Sona’s bed. For an extra measure of privacy, Lestara requested the innkeeper to not send anyone to their room for the next few hours. She understood that their conversation wasn’t one to be overheard by anyone else. She waited patiently for one of them to speak up.

“I believe I should be the one to explain,” Jhin started, shifting his position. “But before I do, I would like to introduce my stage name, Khada Jhin, which I’m certain you’ve heard earlier backstage. I was hired by the cabal of the Ionian council to terrorize Noxus after the war. However, the name I gave you in the beginning is my true birth name.”

“Hm, Sona has told me,” Lestara replied shortly, urging him to continue.

“I had stayed in the previous city to enjoy the festival they were holding at the time. I didn’t know of Lady Sona’s concert until the day of.” He rubbed the back of his hand nervously. “I’m sure you’ve heard, but I’ve been plagued by a compulsion for many, many years. I’ve murdered people and turned their corpses into… horrendous displays, only to satisfy it. I never wanted to keep doing it, but I eventually let it take me over.”

Sona watched him in concern.

“Lady Sona was, unfortunately, planned to be a victim. My compulsion knew no bounds.” He curled his hands in and out. “But when I first heard Lady Sona play, I felt the peace I’ve always wanted. For once, I knew silence.” He couldn’t imagine the look on Lestara’s face when he was going to tell her what he did afterwards. “After finding out that her music was the answer, I realized that my desire for peace probably wouldn’t be granted. So I went to the grove to kill her.”

“But I stopped him!” Sona immediately continued. “When he explained to me what my music does, I offered him to stay and listen, if that was what soothed him. I also told him to come visit me in the grove again the next day.”

Lestara’s eyes moved back and forth from Jhin to Sona. “Tell me, what did you see in him?”

Sona paused. “I saw him swallowed by a darkness that clawed at the light he held onto. I saw a man who never wanted this darkness but accepted it helplessly.” Her eyes found Jhin’s hunched over figure. “I wanted to help him.” She then reached under the table to pat his hand in reassurance. “We eventually kept meeting… and we did become friends at some point. But then…”

“I fell in love with Lady Sona,” Jhin finished. “At first, it was only her music that provided me peace. But as we got to know each other more, I began to trust in her. I trusted her to the point of revealing my face and my name—my real name. Lady Sona herself became the answer I was searching for. I love her with all my heart.”

“And you, Sona?” Lestara asked.

“I love him, mother. He understands me, never having forced me to do anything against my will. He soothes my own dissonance with whatever he can do, and I feel secure in his presence. He fills the silence within me.” She cupped her hands together on her lap to calm herself. “He’s changed for the better, mother. I love him so much.”

Her mother was silent. She was considering everything she had heard from Shen and Zed and now from Jhin and Sona. “Do you know what kind of morals that we Demacians uphold in our society?”

Jhin paused to think. “Demacia upholds benevolence and fair justice for all. I’ve heard that people who have committed crimes or viewed others as expendables were punished.”

Lestara smiled. “Yes, and we see malice and selfishness against the morals of our society.” She crossed her leg over her other leg. “From what I’m hearing, you lack those two traits to be considered an enemy of Demacia. Despite your past of crimes, I’ve observed that you are, in fact, kind and polite towards my daughter and other people, as she says. And you treat my daughter with such a dedicated love.”

Sona was staring at Lestara in surprise. “Mother, does that mean…”

“I will accept him for who he is and what he has done in the past on one condition,” Lestara said. “I want him to show me proof that he has control over his compulsion. If he has really changed as you say, then I expect to see evidence of it.” She leaned back with a smile. “Someone from Piltover was talking to me earlier while you were interviewed, Sona. They wanted to sponsor you for a concert there in a few weeks after they saw your finale. They specifically asked that you perform it again there.”

Jhin and Sona exchanged glances.

“You are free to accept or refuse. But if you accept, he will have to come with us.”

Nodding in overwhelming gratitude, Sona embraced her mother tightly. “I want to go. Will you go too?” she asked Jhin.

“How could I say refuse?” Jhin chuckled. “I humbly accept your condition to prove myself before you, Lady Buvelle. However,” he gestured outside, where they would’ve seen the Ionican council building if the curtains weren’t closed, “I must take care of some loose ends so I am not tracked and can ensure both your and Lady Sona’s safety.”

Lestara hummed in thought. “May I ask what methods you will be using to tie up those loose ends?”

Jhin smiled reassuringly. “Without killing, I assure you. I will be entrusting Lady Sona with my weapon for extra measure. It will take me a few days, but I must cut all ties with the council without leaving a trace. I will be making my way to Piltover as soon as it’s all been taken care of.”

“I suppose I can work with that,” Lestara said as she extended a hand out to Jhin. He took her hand and shook it firmly. “We will be leaving within the next three days, depending on when the next ship to Piltover arrives.”

“While it is a shame I will not be able to go with you both, I will make sure to follow within a week.”

“Alright. It’s rather late, so I will be getting ready to sleep.” She looked at Sona, who was patiently waiting for something. “If you’d like to take a stroll, do it now before it gets too late.” Seeing her daughter’s face light up made her chuckle as she sent the two outside the room.

“Mother. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Lestara gave Sona an approving nod. “Anything for your happiness, my dear daughter.”

Jhin and Sona were strolling around the neighborhood under the stars. “I was expecting something much worse,” Jhin confessed. “It’s strange that I was almost anticipating her to report me to the authorities.”

“I’ve said it before, but mother is reasonable to an empathetic extent. She’s not one to focus on someone’s past as long as they’re a changed person today,” Sona signed. “I’m just happy that she accepted you to some degree.” She slid her hand under Jhin’s, holding it tightly.

They spent the next few minutes walking in silence, listening to each other’s breathing and steps on the stone pavement.

“I know I’ve said it many times already, but I apologize for tonight.” Jhin’s grip tightened around Sona’s hand. “I could have sparked a disaster from what would have been my biggest mistake. But what’s worse is that I caused you so much heartbreak because of what I’ve done.” He looked up at the stars and watched them twinkle in the dark.

Sona brought their intertwined fingers to her lips to indicate her forgiveness. She didn’t want to let his hand go. She wanted him to stay with her like this.

“But thank you for stopping me. I feel… so much more different, like the compulsion wouldn’t overtake me like that again.” A smiled flashed across his face before a frown replaced it. “If, if that ever happens again, I will let you know the moment I feel it. While I’m more confident that it won’t come back now that I feel nothing towards Shen and Zed, life can still be unpredictable and uncertain.”

Of course she would do everything in her power to help him heal once again.

Always.

The only indication of her answer was her tightly holding onto Jhin’s arm and leaving a kiss on his bare skin.

A large ship stood out among the others on the docks, the technology used to construct it apparent in the design and function as it floated in the water. It was indeed a ship directly from Piltover that anyone would recognize. Merchants from Piltover and Ionia hurriedly dragged their belongings up and down the walkway of the ship.

Shen stood beside Sona and Jhin, waiting for Lestara to come back with the ship’s schedule. “A concert in Piltover? You would be in for a sight, Lady Sona. I’ve visited a few times, and I feel it’s getting more impressive each day.” He chuckled. “Though, I don’t think they’re a match for the lush nature of Ionia.”

Sona giggled. “Ionia is my homeland. I will always find it more beautiful than anything else.”

Jhin remained silent as the two exchanged words. He was in disguise to prevent any spies of the council from noticing him. Sona left to the docks on her mother’s request.

“Lady Sona tells me that you have something you wish to say to me, actor,” Shen referenced to Jhin. “Something about the council?”

“Yes. You and Zed seem to be under the notion that I escaped from Tuula Prison,” he replied in a quiet voice. “But in reality, the cabal within the council is who freed me and tried to use me as a weapon to instill terror in the hearts of Noxians.” He looked up at Shen, who had narrowed his eyes in shock. “You may already be aware of the corruption within the council. But you won’t get anywhere if you don’t start with the cabal. They are the ones controlling the darkness within Ionia, or in your words, creating the imbalance between the people here.”

The ninja was silent. “Why are you telling me this?”

The corner of Jhin’s lips tugged into a smile. “As someone who will cut ties with the council, I obviously cannot do it. And I vowed to her that I would never kill anyone ever again.”

“Is that why you won’t be following them today?”

“I must make sure the council does not track me once they realize I have become… inactive in their line of work.”

“You truly are not the man I once knew you to be, actor,” Shen said. “You’ve changed. I was able to fully confirm it from the way you danced with Lady Sona last night.”

Jhin felt a chuckle in his throat. “This is who I’ve always wanted to be.” He gazed at Sona’s figure, her skirt flowing beautifully in the wind. “I just never had the opportunity until she came. She is my love, my muse.”

Shen watched him with a curious eye. It was difficult to believe that the man he’s been chasing for so many years was now standing beside him with a peaceful outlook. That the man he’s been chasing for so many years now wanted nothing more than a tranquil life with the woman he loved.

“Unbelievable, I know,” Jhin said as if he heard Shen’s thoughts.

“But it is the truth, and I am not one to turn away from it.” Shen then stepped back. “I must go. If what you say about the council is true, I must act now. The Kinkou Order will be the ones to take on this imbalance and set it straight.” He began to disappear in purple light. “Please relay my goodbye to them for me.”

Sona soon returned after speaking to her mother. She looked around for Shen. “Did he leave already?”

“He had some matters to take care of. But he did ask me to pass on his farewells to you and your mother.” He noticed Lestara speaking to the ship’s captain with their bags by her feet. “I’m assuming the ship will depart soon.”

“It will be leaving in half an hour, actually. But the captain wants us to board in the next fifteen minutes.” Sona smiled under the shadow of her sunhat. “I wanted to talk to you one more time before we left.”

Jhin smiled back in mild amusement. “About what?”

“Things.” Sona shrugged and strummed a giggle at her vague answer. “Did you tell Shen what you needed to?”

“I have. I think you were right in telling him about it.” A calm silence settled between them as they looked out over the sea. The breeze was nice and cool against their skin as it blew past. For once, Jhin was able to hear the world properly. The sounds of the ocean waves washing up on the sand, the fisherman scrambling to haul in their catch, the bells ringing to indicate the ship’s departure… It was such a pleasant experience.

Sona let out a soft sigh. She never thought her initial desire to practice her magic in the grove would eventually lead to this. She tucked a stray lock of her aqua hair behind her ear as her other hand found solace in Jhin’s. They kept quiet as they watched flocks of seagulls fly past the sails of ships over the glittering ocean waves.

A small laughter then broke out from Jhin’s lips. “Didn’t you say you wanted to talk earlier?”

Sona shrugged again and held onto his hand tighter. She didn’t feel a need to talk when he was by her side to enjoy the view together. She turned to Jhin, whose eyes glittered from the sunlight reflecting on the water. She leaned in closer and kissed him on the cheek.

“A surprise attack, I see.” Jhin raised a brow at her teasingly.

Her eyes seemed to smile with so much bliss as she leaned in again to place another kiss on his lips this time. He kissed her back gently and cupped her face. Their arms found each other in an embrace, laughing softly against each other’s skin.

“Who would have thought it’d end like this?” he whispered happily into her shoulder.

#league of legends #jhinxsona #khada jhin #sona buvelle #rosywrites #like a rose #y'all this is 5680 words #i'm so sorry to the mobile users jfc #last chapter folks!!#but no worries!#we still have an epilogue left ;)#also hi daffy #yes i did use that reference :p

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thegoldendemon-blog · 7 years

Text

ANNIVERSARY.

@masteredshadows kissu

The path that led to Zed’s domain flitted and flexed underneath the pallor of Jhin’s boots, a cloud of ashen-colored dust kicking back as he dismounted from his horse. He crossed fingers with a blackened splotch on the colt’s canvas-creamy fur, but did not let it trot with him any closer. The horse was stalwart, Jixi was, but save for the animals that lived and breathed the dark dearth that hung over the grounds, scaring it was inevitable the longer it waded inside. Averse to having his main means of transportation running wild into the northern bush, Jhin tied the reins up to an unusually hopeful-looking oak tree whose leaves were nothing now but buds and set off to the rest with his own two feet.

“Don’t wish for me when I’m away,” Jhin said behind him.

He imagined it to huff.

A tip of his golden claw struck the trim of a quaint but sizable box that he carried with him. He hoped that the sight of him carrying it meant that he wouldn’t be hassled to enter. Ever since the incident with the rubber-headed disciple and now Jhin had to worry about receiving shurikens into his shoulders from the treetops above– worse, that disciple hadn’t even perished in the altercation! (Even if Jhin was the reason why he remembered that disciple as “rubber-headed.” Truly, they should’ve expected what they got for getting between the Demon and his all too-prized sugary confectionery.)

His brows furrowed and he glanced at the box to re-examine its contents, not that he hadn’t done so twice before. The same shimmer and swim of iridescence hit his eyes and reflected the sheen of the dying sun beyond him. Zed would adore it, Jhin knew. He would be a madman not to. Satisfied with his tertiary inspection, Jhin closed the box and settled on his way.

His stroll went undisturbed.

Well– not completely. There was a disturbance here and then; a cropping of the trees, a brush of water from a faraway stream. But Jhin welcomed those disturbances. They did their part of breaking up the monotony involved with approaching the brick-cast shadow that grew larger and larger the more Jhin walked. A time ago and there was novelty in the endeavor, what with the Golden Demon approaching the Order of Shadows and to have such a thing welcomed, or in the least tolerated. But novelty never lasted past the first year and they were heading into their fourth, hence the gift– a jewel for their anniversary. Jhin smiled pleasantly and pursed his lips at the thought. A twinge of satisfaction lopped up inside him.

It promptly drained out when the gates were closed.

Don’t tell me he wants to play this little game again.

His teeth bore in a grimace before Jhin straightened himself out and drifted into feigned neutrality. He stood at the very foot of the gates: steel alike ebony with precocious spikes, those things. He was holding the box in both his hands, looking up to where he imagined the projected eyes of Zed might be. The Master didn’t waste time to gloat that he could see all in his temple, and surely he wouldn’t make the mistake of ignoring Jhin.

So he hoped.

A bristle of shadows wisped past him in his peripherals, tailing down behind him. The dirt path broke to stone here, all laid with precision and care. Jhin’s muscles tensed as if to expect the fated kunai or shuriken, but it never came. The silence was impenetrable save for what he could only assume was the whistles of a soft wind and maybe the distant chitter of whispers.

He was just about ready to voice a personal request to the gate when it finally roared and then split open.

Now tense with relief, Jhin began to walk again. The gate collapsed with a hiss once he was past, as it always did. Figments of shadow were more frequent now– the whole enclave was twist with them. One movement outside and a shudder would come past his eyes, never in front. He likened them to floaters, darting from his view whenever he looked at where they were. The shadows coupled with the fine mist that tickled on his nose and the atmosphere was so unbelievably Zed that Jhin was not the least surprised when a ring of black wrote with crimson runes bubbled up from ahead of him.

In fact, he only smiled.

Zed said nothing and neither did Jhin– they had worn of their greetings since year two. Jhin caught up with Zed, still hoist with his box and strode with him as they headed towards the temple. Bonsai trees poignant with rock fields flanked them in line with blossoming cherry trees just ahead. It never ceased to intrigue Jhin that Zed insisted on such scenery yet Jhin also knew what Zed did to the trees and flora of the ones whose feathers his gift might have once belonged to. Zed struck him as inconsistent to his core– yet without that inconsistency and their partnership, misbegotten and rancid as Zed claimed it to be, would not exist.

At the mouth of the temple, Zed was the first one to break the ice.

“You’ve come again just after a mission, Jhin.”

“Hm?” Jhin noticed that Zed’s arms were crossed. “A mission? And not under the cover of night? How unusual.”

His eyes leapt up to Zed’s own. “You don’t look any worse for wear.”

Zed chuffed. “If I was, those gates would have stayed closed. What have you brought?”

“Ah-ah-ah, Zed, don’t be impatient,” Jhin chastised. “Inside first. What about tea?”

“You think I haven’t sent for that already?”

Jhin chuckled. “It would be dubious if you hadn’t.”

The doors pushed open and they both stepped inside, up from the granite stairs that led them there. The first room of the temple that any visitor would see was not spurious as much as it was predictable in Jhin’s opinion. The full suite of intimidation tactics were in display, down from the red and black color schemes to the dim lanterns that hung from the high ceiling, and that was with only passing mention to the blades and stuffed heads that came up in every conceivable corner on the walls.

It was Zed’s place, alright.

The two parted to the right and into a much tighter corridor, then at the left at the initial room. Disciples came and went in orderly droves, none of them despondent enough to look once in Jhin’s direction. Not that he minded– he wasn’t bored enough to look in theirs.

It wasn’t until he and Zed sat down that Jhin put the box beside him and did away with his mask. Zed followed after him, never the one to be the first. A few moments ahead and Jhin’s hair was all rifled out from his cowl and collar, reaching to scrape at where his legs gave to kneel at his seat. Another few and he was pleased to hear the clunk clunk clunking of tea being served.

“Something different, this evening,” Zed said as he reached for his cup. “From Galrin. Hibiscus.”

“Heart problems already, Zed?”

Something about the way Zed glared told Jhin all he needed to know on that front. He shined Zed his typical half-smile half-smirk before he set upon his own teacup, finding the translucent red of the tea water fitting, and if not fitting then at least consistent. They both were quiet as they sampled the taste. It wasn’t long before Jhin was reaching for sugarcubes.

He was dropping them in one after the other as Zed talked again.

“The box. What is it for?”

“I’ll answer when you tell me what you were doing for your mission, Zed. I’m deeply curious.” Drop drop drop drop. A cursory mixing with his teaspoon and Jhin raised the porcelain to his lips. “It is unusual, after all.”

Zed sighed, apparently forgetting that without his helm Jhin could tell exactly when he was rolling his eyes.

“We attacked in daylight as they wouldn’t expect it,” he said. “Surprising them was the keystone to our success.”

“They?” Jhin was enjoying the flavor now.

“Another order that sought fit to lie to me and pledge allegiance when all they really wanted was their skins intact.”

Jhin chuffed at that. “Did you leave any alive?” It was quality gossip. He needed the details.

“Let me say that their wish for their skins went unanswered.”

Ha. Of course not.

“I’m sure they scattered like mice,” Jhin mused. “It would have been entertaining to watch.” It was his way of saying that I should have participated. If not to see the fire emblazoned on Zed’s flaming eyes– that never ceased to amuse him.

Zed ignored it and focused back onto Jhin. “And what of you? Any spoils from the Demon?”

“Oh, come now Zed. Don’t you pry me like a child would. If I’ve acted it, you’ve heard of it.”

The glare on Zed’s face was absolutely sensational. So much so that Jhin swallowed down the desire to laugh. He would, later; now, and it would be impolite.

Armed with his sugarcubes, Jhin went back to the kettle. “To answer your question,” he said, looking at the lip as the steam cast from it, “I have been busy, yes. Busy enough that to tear myself away from my plans means that today is special enough to warrant it.”

Zed’s glare bottomed out. He was curious now and Jhin knew he had him hooked. He gestured down to the box, Zed reaching for it in an instant. Jhin narrated as Zed popped open the gold-leafed clasp and looked inside.

“A gift from the hands of yours truly to celebrate our partnership. All four years of it.”

He sipped at his second helping as Zed took out the cloak. Even in the sconed light of the tea room, the feathers glistened with hues of purples and sorry blues. The darkness of the black only served to heighten the intensity of the red that followed after, tapering down to a cloak of prodigious size… or just right, should you be Zed.

“Vastayan feathers,” he murmured.

Jhin clicked his tongue. “At the market and you’d be seeing merchants falling over their pouch riddled tables to look at the thing. It took quite the while to find the right subjects for it. The avian types are terribly loud and just as slippery.” The rest I transmuted. Not that there would be any discernible difference.

Zed pondered on it and let it down back into the box, putting it aside. “Thank you, Jhin. It’s a–” He put on his best smile. “–a gift I won’t soon forget. Is there anything you want in return?”

This time Jhin allowed himself to laugh. “Oh, I have but a few ideas.”

There they were: Jhin with his mane askew, lumbered down in front of a suite of plush-pin pillows as Zed neared up on top of him with hands idly running themselves through whatever thick lock they could get a hold of. Zed’s armor was exchanged for robes; Jhin let his stay. There was a quiet musing that pushed on his lips, one that went a little like ah ah ah ah but settled on the oh oh oh oh.

For a duo that promised to one day have the other’s head mounted at their foyer, they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The memories came in misty heaps and black and white reels in the back of Jhin’s mind as he set a hand somewhere in front of him on Zed’s waist. The fear that gripped him as he lay surrounded and helpless at the feet of Master Kusho and his sons. How Zed, hatred like fire, strode forward with blade in tow. Master Kusho saying nothing as his hand reached out to stop him. Shen to the side watching it all unfold.

“Oh. Get me another glass of champagne, Zed, would you?” Jhin asked.

He muttered a thank you as the glass was offered and he, without pause, poured it down his throat.

White, bubbling champagne straight from the fields of Demacia. Zed regrettably kept a cache in his hoard just for Jhin. He smiled even as it all disappeared from his glass.

Zed had only one for himself. Even in the throes of celebration, Jhin had not yet seen him tipsy let alone drunk.

Oh. But Jhin– Jhin was getting there.

“Ze-e-e-d,” Jhin called, his voice like honeydew and just as jarringly sing-song. “You’re a cushion, you know that? Why are you on top of me?”

“You asked me to pet your hair,” Zed reminded him. “It would be tiresome to do it with you on top.”

“Tsss!” Jhin hissed. “You liar. A pretty, petulant understudy of a liar. Come here and be my cushion. I’m tired.”

Zed sighed and brought Jhin up to lie aside on Zed’s stomach. Jhin, giddy with glee, clapped his hands.

A second later and he was fast asleep.

#I've been reading more Stephen King and this is the result.#This is absolutely-- without a doubt-- the gayest thing I have ever wrote.#I would have made it gayer but physically restrained myself from going on.#Not small text because Quinn hates the small text and this is 4 her.#ANOTHER PIECE TO THE LEGEND — DRABBLES #GD AND ZED TBT #How do I not already have a tag for them.#Jesus.#HATE HATE HATE HATE... BUT YOU STILL SHARE TEA — ZED #masteredshadows

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atamake · 7 years

Text

Mirrors

Khada Jhin no longer felt the once- familiar presence of his mask, no longer felt the smooth handle of Whisper running up and down his palm. And yet he more than occasionally thought of what he used to be, where he performed so wondrously, so passionately, though no one clapped at the end. No one cheered him on, blessing his very being. His performances were perfect, yes, but with a startlingly disturbing beauty that no one could look away from, and no one could appreciate.

He had cast away his guns, cast away his mask and identity with such an unnerving ease that it startled even him. The silence had become too much, too predictable, too boring. His performances faltered, faded, then suddenly stopped, much to the anger of the Ionian council. Caravans dared to run freely throughout the country again. The past performances rotted away or were cleaned up, and his name became one of the haunting myths that spread through the country like wildfire, children’s tales that were much more exaggerated than his artwork had ever been.

With Jhin’s absence, Ionia and its citizens were free of its terrifying Golden Demon.

“And now, the curtain rises!”

Jhin’s hands gestured extravagantly to the stage, he gave a small yank on the rope that drew the cloth up. The frame of the wooden puppet stand held, and he raised two marionettes to accommodate with the story. The children, wide-eyed with amazement, followed his every movement. Jhin gave a little smile, then continued with his story.

The tale was a simple one. A lonely shepherd and a lovely young woman meet one day, and they fall deeply in love with each other. She proposes to him, and they get married to live happily with each other on his farm. However, a murderer sweeps through the region and kills the woman, leaving the shepherd grief- stricken and vengeful. The shepherd chases after the murder tries to kill him, but ends up dying instead. The shepherd then reaches out for his wife on last time-

“Mister storyteller, that’s a very dark story!” A child called out throughout the protesting, young crowd. “Tell a happier one!”

Jhin turned towards the child and gave a slight frown. “No story is truly happy, because they’re modeled after the lives of others. Every story is riddled with death and sadness, young one.”

The child defiantly jutted out his chin. “But they’re stories, Mister!”

Jhin sighed in defeat. “Your ignorance is admirable, yet you are so young. The world is full of death and sadness, and you choose to remain bright. Very well.”

He did not have the heart to tell the child that his story was one he had participated in, where he turned the wife into a beautiful creature but her husband had no appreciation for such art. Back then, when the man had hunted him down and shot at his arm, now replaced with a prosthetic. How hard he had tried to forget those moments of beauty where a clean kill brought joy, no matter how brief, to his life.

Not many recognized him without his mask and trademark guns. Not many even believed he was still alive after his rampage ended- and yet here he was, in his home village, welcomed but feared, telling stories to the children.

Jhin rubbed his temples to clear his head and prepared the stage for another show, when a voice from behind stopped him.

“Ah, Mr. Khada. We haven’t seen each other in some time.”

Jhin felt a ghost of a smile grace his lips at the voice. It was older, and full of much more malice than he had remembered, but it was definitely recognizable. A painful yet strong reminder that no matter how much time had passed, no one could outrun their identity.

“Indeed, Shen. Would you like to join the audience for this performance?”

Long ago, that sentence would have meant something else. A taunt, dripping with paint and blood, with the sickly sweet scent of lotus flowers drifting through the rank air. Yet he still kept the offer casual, and gestured towards the children as a small sign of truce.

There was a pause in the conversation, and Jhin realized that while he could not see Shen, the children could. His eyes darted up and he saw them cowering in the firelight, eyes fearful as they gazed at the Eye of Twilight. Eye of Twilight indeed, for Jhin knew that he could see all. There was a reason for this meeting tonight, yet Jhin allowed himself to wonder if Shen was truly alone pursuing this encounter.

Shen still did not respond, and Jhin did not dare look up. Instead, he calmly went back to preparing for the next puppet show when Shen spoke again.

“I might as well join in. After, however, we have some business to settle.”

Shen walked out from behind Jhin, and the children hastily made a path for him to walk to the back of the clearing and sit down. Addressing the children’s nervous looks, Jhin smiled reassuringly. “There’s no need to be afraid. This is Shen, and old, ah, friend, of mine.”

Shen’s eyes flashed noticeably at the title before settling down again, yet he remained silent. Still somber as usual, isn’t he? Jhin thought in amusement, then raised the puppets.

“There were three powerful ninjas once, a master, and his two top apprentices. They were feared and respected throughout Ionia, for they knew the meaning of balance and security-”

Jhin look up briefly to meet Shen’s startled gaze once more, then gave a slight smile and went back to his performance. He told extravagant stories, weaving details into a narrative of their feats and the growing respect they had earned, their successes, their failures, their joys and sadnesses.

The stories and legends of Kusho, Shen, and Zed.

At last, he finished. The children cheered wildly, jumping up and down, clutching each other in excitement. The sky had gone dark, and he half- heartedly chased the children back to the main village.

“Thank you, Mister Storyteller!”

“We’ll be back tomorrow?”

Jhin gave a slight bow. “Of course, young ones. I will be waiting.”

He could hear Shen’s footsteps approaching slowly behind him, then felt a sudden cold grip on his shoulder.

“Storytelling? That’s something I didn’t expect.”

Jhin smiled a bit. “I didn’t either, but clearly not everyone enjoys a live performance.”

“Clearly.” Shen snapped, and it was then that Jhin finally turned around to face him.

“Shen,” Jhin cleared his throat for a moment, then continued. “Shen. I may be half blind and old, but I am not a fool. Who have you brought along to rampage through this village? I may be guilty, but this village is harmless. Should you bring death here-”

Shen cut him off with a small wave. “I am alone here. Your village is safe. It is you I want to talk to.” His brows furrowed. “What a performance.”

Jhin returned his gaze evenly. “A performance, indeed. I assumed I had most of it correct? It would be a pity for me to have the most important adventures wrong.” The Eye snorted. “It was accurate, though for you to find details that well done I’d have to question how you found them. Though I’m sure I already know,” He added, voice hardening at the end, “which brings me back to why I’m here.”

Jhin spread his hands. “How long has it been, Shen? 4 years? No one remembers me, and a public execution would just call your authority into question. I live to entertain, if not for the vast crowds anymore. Let me live for the children.” He finishes, his voice tired. “This is not a request for my selfish desire to live. I just want to pass on the tales of the ones who I ended. A redemption of sorts.”

Shen did not get a chance to speak again, because just as he opened his mouth, the same child that had asked Jhin for stories ran in between the two men.

“Mister Storyteller is a nice man, I swear!” He cried, hugging Jhin’s leg. “Mister, please don’t kill him. Please, please! He’s really good at storytelling, he cares about the village, and we all like him- don’t take him away, please, Mister-”

Jhin patted the boy’s head gently to calm him down, and the child’s cries receded into quiet sobs. Shen looked at the boy, then back at Jhin, his gaze hardening.

“Khada…”

“Shen.”

Shen sighed loudly, then rubbed his temples, brows furrowing again. The boy hugged Jhin’s leg closer to him, still sniffling, eyes and nose red. Jhin simply stood, petting the boy’s head, his left eye never leaving Shen.

Finally, the Eye of Twilight looked back up at the former Golden Demon, his eyes hard.

“If you… if there is ever a case of mass murdering in Ionia, or anywhere, you understand the future consequences, correct?” Shen’s voice was cold, stern, and unforgiving- a far cry from his youthful appearance. Perhaps his experiences with Zed in the past had changed him drastically, or the pressure of the spirit world and his responsibility to maintain the order had reformed him. Whatever it was, he followed his own orders. Shen had undoubtedly grown since their last meeting- for better or for worse, though, Jhin was not entirely sure.

“…Yes.”

Shen straightened his posture, then sighed deeply. “I hope I do not regret letting you slip away once again, Khada.”

Jhin’s eyes widened slightly along with the boys, then gave a small chuckle. “You have grown to be much like your father, Shen. Hopefully you will not meet a bloody end as he did.“

Shen shouldered his spirit blade, ready to leave, when Jhin reached out a hand to stop him.

“What is it?”

Jhin uncurled his fingers to reveal the small puppet he had been using to represent Shen in his show. “A sign of truce.”

Under his mask, Shen felt himself smile. Touched, he took the small puppet, tucking it in his sleeve.

“Until we meet again, Khada.” Shen bowed slightly to Jhin, and Jhin gave him a small wave in return. “Have a safe trip back.”

The boy watched Shen go with wide, wet eyes, then turned to look up at Jhin.

“Mister Storyteller, aren’t there monsters in the forest?”

Jhin crouched down to match the child in height, patting his head affectionately. “Yes, little one. There are many.”

“Then why did you let him leave by himself?”

Jhin smiled. “Child, the puppet I gave him is a clear sign to the monsters that he is my friend, and that I will protect him. No harm will come to him so long he keeps my gift. The monsters fear my wrath.”

The boy scrunched his face up in deep thought. “But why would they fear you, Mister Storyteller?”

Jhin led the boy back to his house through the darkness, the borders of the village lit dimly with torches. Before the boy went back to his house, he looked at Jhin again.

“Mister Storyteller?”

Jhin turned towards the child, a small, sad smile flitting across his lips.

“Because, little one, monsters do not like mirrors.”

@parachuter @bloodynumberfour kind of thought of you two when i wrote this :

also i want to point out the last line is what stuck with me I’m 99% sure it’s from something but I can’t think of it

#this was inspired by something i read a while back #i think it was a jhin fic #if so im sorry #the last line i mean #it kind of just stuck around im sorry if you're offended #my writing #if u take this i will find you and kill you #jk but also not really #jhin #league of legends

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