Ghosts
Smoke was the only thing that covered the space. She was running, from what she wasn't sure. She could hear a low voice trying to go after her. He sounded so desperate, with an anguish so apparent that It left a hole in her chest. But she kept running because that voice was being accompanied by sets of others that were shouting insults, orders and weapons being drawn as well as hexes being cast.
Her feet jumped over logs, bushes, and skipped around rocks and went over a river. She could barely hold her pace, her skin was glowing even if she tried to calm down. Her wrists were burning where scars of petrice shackles had been before. The light trying to accommodate itself again by going out of her body but It wouldn't respond to her calls to fight. It Will tingle in her fingers before being snuffed out and almost making her lose balance. All of her body is going to explode from the slow readjustment and overflow. And they're still after her!
Now she was regretting her choices, she was hating being born like this, she was regretting not having been more careful, hating on her family for fuking selling her!
At one point she came to a halt, her Magic finally responding to her. The flow was pure white anger and Lux was alright with it. She was done playing her part of good lady of Demacia, when Demacia had never taught her good deeds against her own people. She was done.
When they arrived in front of her, she unleashed it. A ray so full of power that burnt down the bodies of a dozen of them, the screams of battle change tone to ones of desperation. Pulls of flashes that scrotch out skin and cages that made the wait even more awful, before a death in a ray of a rainbow came down to it. The ones who came close to the rabid mage got their throats sliced off by the blade of a lightsword. She was not gonna go without a fight. They could kill her if they wanted, she already has been dead living, but they will not caged her, not again.
“Lux! Please cease this horror! Let us take you into custody! I know we can help you, I can help with this affliction! I’m aware of your hurt, I would give It to myself instead. But I can't, so please let this brother of yours do something good in his life. I love you Lux, please remember who you are, this is not you”
She stopped momentarily, and looked at the man who was clutching his sword with pain and fear in his features. She never thought he could sport such a face…especially not for her. She fell to her knees at the sudden realization, she looked at her shaky hands with sobs treating to come out.
“What have I done?”
And then a sharp pain rattled her skull. A lot of guards were pinning her to the floor. A feeling of nausea and numbness traveled around her nerves but the weight of shackles and collar were recognizable. Before losing consciousness when someone hit her face against the floor, in the ringing of her eardrums and bloody nose, she heard him for the last time.
“Please don't hurt her! Let me go! Lux, Luxanna!. No, no, no where are you taking her?! El###&#€# promised, he promised! “
And then there was nothing.
_____________________________________
The day has been spent by Jinx playing with some gizmos to do little fixes on Stinkmaw and Isha doing a makeover to the walls with the new chalk, always keeping in her hand the lion plushie, while sneaking glances at Lux. Who was laid on the floor like a forgotten big toy, her fireworks felt odd today, they were exploding so much and then after a moment they would cease completely.
When she ended Jinx's smirking face with long hare ears and did her monkey symbol she came to sit next to Jinx on the floor. She had gone hunting earlier, bringing something neither her or Isha knew about. They cooked in the fireplace downstairs and at least they haven't felt any different after eating. So that was good.
Putting Nux in her lap she hug Jinx by the shoulders from behind.
“Bu”
“Oh, shit a little gremlin has sneaked in! Quick Isha, get out your dagger! Hide the mystery meat before It multiples! I will take It down”
Jinx leaves her tinkering and pushes Isha to the ground. Isha wiggles around putting her legs together against her tummy maintaining her mom at a distance . Nux was now splayed on the floor.
“O no It has taken your form to deceive me. Don't you worry my dear daughter. Your mamma is coming to your aid!”
Isha giggles and puts her hands to her moms face trying to pray her off. Seeing that that's not working she licks one of her fingers and approaches the genius ear. Jinx scatters from on top of her almost blinking out of existence.
“Okay okay you win! Iugh gremlins sure fight dirty”
With smug face,Isha cleaned her finger on her sleeveless shirt and let her legs rest on her moms lap, while looking at the weapons form.
“The holder for the arrows is coming together little by little”
Jinx offers back the lion to Isha and she lets It rest on her chest to be able to communicate.
[Tricky?]
“A little but just because I didn't have all the materials, now is coming together much more”
[Arrows gonna be colorful too?]
“You know me so well kid”
[But they're not gonna sparkle]
“I Will find a way, maybe ask Luxie if there are some fun flowers or something to use.”
Isha looks at the Gargoyle lighty and Jinx pats her knee.
“You sure you wanna wait for the makeover?”
Isha nods at her mom and then points at Lux.
“You wanna ask the big girl if she wanna match with us?”
“Mhm!”
“So that was why you were waiting for the dye, you sneaky bastard”
Isha smiles at her mama and hugs Nux, sniffing a little the lion's head. And let's go with just one hand.
[She seems upset, want to cheer Up]
“Upset?”
Jinx trails her pink gaze to the stone golem in the room. Her eyes are closed, so the little she could tell from her in this state was now completely impossible. She was just glad that before falling asleep Lux had closed her wings in the cape. It would have been really difficult to move around if they had been outstretched. The floor wasn't little by any means but It would have been pretty messy.
“I don't know Ish, she looks passed out cold to me”
The kid rolls her eyes and kicks her foot.
[You just don't get It mamma]
“Oh shoot, are you going into that phase already? “
Jinx makes a face between concern, fear and horrified at which her child just blows a raspberry at her. The ex-terrorist sighs smiling, glad to know her baby is still little.
“But how are you so sure about what Sunrock is feeling, little bunny? Your gut speaking to you? Cause that could be easily from the mystery meat we ate earlier”
Isha just hugs the lion tighter and with nervous hands trace the blue scars up her temples shrugging with her shoulder. At this Jinx just looks at Isha, she was hit directly by the arcane while….she was gone. Maybe that has given her some insight?
“Okey Okey, I trust you kiddo. We can't have a moody guard can we. Once she is awake we Will make her have some fun.”
Isha jolts upright and hugs Jinx in a crushing embrace, and the blunette holds her calmly.
“We are Bunny and hare, the most fun crazy criminals out there we sure can make a Sunrock laugh”
Jinx circles Isha's back in a reassuring way before realising her with a kiss on the forehead. After that a peeling is heard behind them, and for the first time since they have met the gargoyle they are able to see her awakening.
The creature stretches out of the rock, her arms and legs going up with a ferocious roar, her tail and wings shooting upwards.
Lux stands in her four legs and clutches her head with her claws gripping at her head with guttering sounds (like ones from an accurate dinosaur) between hisses.
Jinx and Isha looked at the scene. Too familiar in some way. Too different in others. Jinx approach little by little with her arms up singing an old lullaby of her homeland. The little girl hugging the plushie went to Lux’s arm clutching at It. The gargoyle keep muttering, her marble gaze locked behind memories, but she didn't move nor did she pushed Isha away.
Jinx keeps singing and then cradles the beast by the cheeks. The sound made her pointy ears move, and her eardrums full of voices started to pale in contrast to that melodic raspy voice. When she opened her blue eyes and looked at pink everything came back into place and she could feel the girl hugging her as well making her body,funny enough, feel lighter.
Her wing hugs the child closer to her while still looking at those pools of pink.
“You are safe Sunrock, we got you. You're not alone anymore. Wherever you were listening or went into your dreams we will fight them off. The light needs her little shadows to guide her directions. We are here for you, no ghosts will get to you”
Luxs eyes travel through her and she sits on the floor now looking at the ball of brown and blue spots draped on her wing. She hugs the child back putting her to the shoulder taking a deep breath.
“I’m sorry for the scare little Isha, my dreams were not comfortable ones. But I'm okay now, thanks to both of your company.”
Isha looks up at her, holds her cheeks and then gives a kiss to her head between two horns hiding in the mane, like a charm to make the Ghosts scram. Lux smiles at that, being with them is so much better than being alone.
“You're a lucky big girl. You might be Magic. But Isha here? She's a supernatural ghostbuster I tell you that much.”
Still with her eyes closed she nuzzles Isha's head offering a hand to Jinx who takes It and places her head to the both of them. The three of them laugh under their breath and then they sit against the wall. With Isha between the two older girls, with jars of paints in front and a poor excuse of a brush between Jinx's fingers who was working on the clouds of Isha's arm with a tender touch.
“I still don't get why you love to match me so much kiddo. But as long as you're happy”
“So to say that It looks beautiful on you little missy. I'm sure you can reach the sky farther than a Silverwing could “
Isha detached her look of the work that was being put in her arm and looked up at the gargoyle with wonder in her eyes.
“A Silverwing is like a wyvern, a dragon -like creature with feathers. They reach and swim in the clouds”
Not wanting to mess with the Paint she instead pokes one of the permanent clouds on Jinx's shoulder. The blunette almost swat at her claw, but then thought better not to. That hit will sting her hand.
Isha smiles with the gap showing and puff out her chest proudly. Then when Jinx had done It she stood up, blowing at the paint to dry faster and tapped Lux's own arm.
“Mhm? Oh you want me to match with the both of you?”
“You don't have to say yes Luxie”
“No no, it Will be an honor to be part of your crew in that way”
“Really? “
“Of course we are a unit now. We have to have a crest to match It”
Jinx rolls her eyes with a smirk at the noble talk, but Isha moves her fists up and down excitedly.
“Okey blondie, take off the upper part of your armor and let me work on ya’. Don't worry you can cover yourself up with the blanket. I just need your arm.”
Lux nodded and Isha put her hands to her eyes being a polite little lady. Jinx just averted her eyes.
Lux played a little with the clasp of her armor, frowning. When was the last time she had taken off the thing? Ignoring this she pulls out the metal thing leaving his grey skin on sight. Some cracks could be seen across her chest. They were not deep nor splitting, just little lines with gold. She put the blanket on herself but Jinx got to see a little trail of hair going down her tummy. Why that especially? Because it looked a little like moss and Jinx got the urge to touch It, but she controlled herself.
Isha sat against the gargoyle lookin how the clouds took form on an arm with gold joints like in her fingers. Lux smiled during the process and once It was done the three of them brought their hands to the center smiling.
“Now is oficial”
“Mhm?what is?”
[You are part of the family]
And Lux doesn't need a translation from Jinx to know cause her heart thumps exitly and she glows lightly. The clouds on her arm now being casted by it. They cuddle close while they start teaching Lux singh language while talking to her about what they have done in the day. Lux was learning the movements fast and was both talking with her voice and arms little by little, to take hold of the dynamics.
They were like that until they ended up sleeping and cuddling together, both girls hugging Isha. Lux hugged them with her wings and Jinx’s hand going on Isha's tummy and taking hold of Luxs forearm.
[..........]
Piltover had been in a little of a tiny mess. After everything that had happened the reconstruction alongside with the works of trying to do better to Zaun were being slow but steady. Some problems were meant to arouse, but the gap of differences between piltovians and zaunites were less important than change itself.
Sevika in the council had been a great first step, she was working hard to uphold the title. Ekko was opening more the Firelights and both of them were making plans to enforce a better life in Zaun.
And with a Zaunite in the Enfocers things were going in a path to making amends.
Vi was calm, calmer than she had ever been. She no longer wore bandages around her knuckles and was doing her best to accommodate her new life. Putting on those gauntlets was never easy, people looked at hextech with fear now. Even without the prospect of the arcane, the existence of the power was still there. The Atlas gauntlets alongside Caits rifle might be the last remnants of It. And Ekkos z-drive but piltover's finest didn't know about the device, and Ekko wasn't sharing it with anyone. The boy savior had been looking every night at the stars, something was telling him that in another place pink pools were looking at the same sky.
But he knew his friend was gone. Even if his mind played false hope dreams with him. Even with the murals of her face being printed all over the city of poison fog. He at times saw glimpses of blue on the heads of fans and held his breath when someone was too close to the idol they were adoring.
He kept going forward even if It meant leaving a few things behind. He had to keep moving for the Firelights, for the future of Zaun. For Vi…
They hang out, sometimes to spare, sometimes to mourn and others just to parkour in silence. Getting to know Vi again was a miracle that Ekko was not going to throw away, even after everything.
The boy knew that the girl was putting up a face for him most of the time. Like she used to do when something disturbing happened in the streets, and she would shield him and Powder from the sight. Even if they tried to look. Those days were long gone, so were those innocent kids. And Vi took that guilt like everything was her fault. No matter how many times Ekko reassures her, that It wasn't. Not even Caitlyn could do that.
Speaking about her the sheriff of Piltover had been trying to make amends. Pay for her crimes against her own morals and clean the cities from a corruption force that she had been without intending in a blind sight of mourning and insanity really. She took late night shifts just to make everything right and to be sure that all patrols were legal and on the right path. And on those nights she thought about her sins, about her demons and monsters. How easy It has been for her to throw everything away, to rip off the person that made her human just because she thought It made her weak at the time.
She was such a fool and a mess wreck. And she was not proud. Hating Jinx had been an extension to hate herself.
And now, sitting at this stool for the hundredth time in weeks now. Looking at a monkey head of a dangerous toy she was sure. She was so sure that something was odd with Jinx's sacrifice. She had listened to Vi, she had held her while she cried and let herself be vulnerable even after everything. Cause the fighter just needed a break.
And Cait had done exactly that, held Vi and just stayed there for her. And Vi had treated her eye every night with a pained face apologising, for what, Cait wasn't sure. They had spent nights just holding the other tightly . And mornings where Vi would read the newspaper to her partner just to let that perception rest.
So this is why she was doing all this wreckage. For Vi. Even if Vi had been calmer, had been able to duel and mourn in a good environment, finally, Caitlyn noticed her sight going around blue streets, hopeful.
Caitlyn wants to give Vi that spark again. But at the same time she was indecisive. Jinx had fled if she had survived, she had wanted to walk away and she would not be happy at all if the sheriff decided to go out of her way to find her.
“How much longer do you plan to hunt my mind like a ghost of my own insanity?”
With a final roam of the files she turned off everything and went to prepare for bed. When Vi returned from her hangout with Ekko, she didn't say anything other than entering the bed and let her body rest besides her cupcake. And Caitlyn once again didn't say anything about her most lonely true theory. Giving her a false hope?
She would shoot herself through her good eye if that happend. She just needed more Intel, then when she could she would talk to her partner, and they would chase this loose cannon together.