Beyond the shore, somewhere past the sea
The sun beaming on her skin through the window only heightened the anger Vi felt boiling in her blood. She was livid. Her body vibrated like there were thousands of bees hovering just beneath her skin. How could Caitlyn do this to her? Her mouth was dry. After everything they’ve been through, after everything she did because of her. Her breaths quickened trying to make up for the lack of air. The maids were in a panic trying to get Vi to relax. Vi ignored the yelling from the maids as she tried to calm down.
“Focus on what you feel,” Felica said in a soothing tone.
“I feel like a building clasped on me,” Vi answered through gritted teeth.
“Then focus on what you can see. What’s around you?” Felica replied.
Vi’s vision was blurry and her chest was tight but she did what her mother suggested. Frantically Vi’s eye darted around the bedroom. Her room looked like enforcers had ransacked it. Papers and books were everywhere. All of the dresser drawers were open and her desk chair was smashed to pieces next to her closet. The huge dent in the wall courtesy of Vi throwing said chair in a fit of rage
Vi took in everything. The color of the drapes, the sound of pages from Caitlyn’s stolen journal fluttering in the wind, the broken pieces of wood from her desk chair. Anything that would pull her out of this panic attack.
“This isn’t working!” Vi said, frenzied.
“Then talk to me. I’m sure there are lots of things you wanna say to me right?” Felica tried.
“Ha, ya think? My whole life has been a wreck since you died. You were gone and I was all Powder left. She didn’t even understand what was happening on that bridge. And Vander left too. I wasn’t enough for her. I couldn’t do what he asked. I- I can’t do this. I can’t. It’s too hard. I can’t breathe,” Vi panted out.
"Dear friend across the river. My hands are cold and bare. Dear friend across the river, I'll take what you can spare. I ask, of you a penny. My fortune, it will be,” Felica sang.
Vi closed her eyes and listened to the lullaby her mother used to sing. Her voice sounded just like Powder’s. Maybe it was Powder’s voice. Janna knows she can barely remember what her mother actually sounded like, but it helped. Vi’s breathing slowed down and her heart stopped racing. She could finally feel her airways opening up and she gulped down as much air as she could. When her eyes finally fluttered open her mother was gone.
“I’m fine!” Vi yelled to the maids.
She wasn’t. Not by a long shot but she would be. She just needed to find her sister and everything would be okay. Slowly started packing all of her things. It didn’t take very long as she didn’t have much to her name. Caitlyn always offered to take her shopping but Vi rarely went. It was odd walking into shops in piltover she would have had to steal from when she was younger. She felt like she didn’t belong there.
She had new clothes and make up though. The few things she always wanted when she was younger instead of handmade outfits from Vander’s old clothing. When she was younger she didn’t have time to worry about makeup or new clothes when they had to scrounge up enough money just to eat. Vi finished packing her bags, put her gauntlets on the new hostler she built and took one last look around the room she shared with Caitlyn. Her eyes welled up at the thought of losing another home but she took the next step out of the bedroom door anyway.
“So it looks like the first place they think Jinx went was bilgewater,” Vi said aloud as she read through Caitlyn’s notes.
She was walking through the city making her way to the docks. She didn’t have a concert plan but how could you plan for something like this. Her sister was in the wind, had been for months. She was just going to go where Jinx had been and ask around. See if anyone had any information on her whereabouts. Follow any trail she left behind.
Vi had enough money to do that at least. Anytime she declined to go shopping, Caitlyn would just leave money in Vi’s nightstand in case she changed her mind. Vi hated it. She felt like a charity case when Caitlyn did that. She knew it was out of love but it still hurt her pride. She had always found a way to earn what she needed. And yeah she knew stealing wasn’t really “earning” it but the time and effort she put into planning her heists felt otherwise.
“I need a ticket for your next airship to bilgewater,” Vi said to the ticker agent.
“5 cogs! The next ship leaves in 20 minutes,” The agent said back.
Vi fished around in her pocket for the money and mumbled how she thought it was too expensive. She’s never ridden on an airship though so she really has no frame of reference for how much it should cost. She paid for her ticket and made her way to the airship at the end of the dock.
“You planned on leaving without even saying goodbye?” Ekko questions.
Vi whipped around to see the boy with his arm cross and a smirk on hsi face.
“Ekko? What are you doing here?” Vi asked.
“You think I wouldn’t hear about your buggin out at the enforce station,” Ekko replied coolly.
“Ugh no. Why would you? I didn’t even destroy anything like I should have so it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal,” Vi shot back.
“Yeah well I’ve been keeping my eyes on the enforcers. I know we have this “peace” with piltover now but I still don’t trust them,” Ekko said with clear disdain on his face.
Vi laughed and shook her head, “ You really can’t trust them. Not Caitlyn anyway.”
Ekko’s brow furrowed at that admission. After the war ended and he went back to the firelights, he heard about everything that happened in his absence. He knew that Vi and Caitlyn were a thing. So much so that Vi chose to don that uniform of their oppressors. He was disgusted by her actions no matter how brief it may have been, but she was still like family to him. After losing so many people he didn’t want Vi to be another one.
“I could have told you that. Actually, think I did tell you that when we first met. But you were very adamant that she was. So what happened?” Ekko asked.
Vi clenched her fist as she felt the anger begin to rise in her again at the thought of what Calityn withheld from her.
“Jinx is alive and Caitlyn knew. She’s known for months and chose not to fucking tell me!”
Ekko was stunned silent. The mention of Jinx sending a flood of emotions his way. He had mourned her just like Vi did. No, that wasn’t right. He mourned her in ways Vi couldn’t comprehend because he mourned not only the person she was here but the version of her he left in that other universe. He had loved jinx since they were kids and she was just powder to him.
“You- you’re sure about this? That she’s really alive?” Ekko asked, desperation lacing his tone.
Vi’s eyes softened, “Yeah. She sent someone after her. Apparently she wanted to be sure and they got confirmation that she’s alive but that’s it. Or at least that’s all I know.”
“I’m going to bilgewater. That’s the first place she went to when she left 6 months ago. I’m going to find her,” Vi added.
“I’m going with you!” Ekko blurted out.
“What?! No Ekko, you can’t,” Vi said.
“Why not? I love her too Vi,” Ekko exclaimed.
Vi smiled and pulled Ekko into a hug, “I know you do little man. But Zaun still needs you here.”
“And they don’t need you?”
Vi scoffed and released him, “No one here needs me. When I was a kid I wanted to turn the world on it’s head. To make everyone in piltover respect us. To know we were equal to them. But after I went to prison, I just wanted my family back.”
“Ekko when you were missing, I did things. Some fucking terrible things I can never take back. Even if I wanted to help our people, I don’t feel like I have the right to,” Vi said, her eyes downcast.
“I know what you did Vi,” Ekko said tilting her head up, “I was so pissed at you. I couldn’t believe you would do that to us. But you’re wrong. As long as you are alive you can make amends for that. Jinx was trying to. You can too.”
Vi took in a deep breath, “ I hope you’re right about that but I can’t do that knowing Jinx is out there somewhere. I have to find her Ekko.”
“All aboard! Last call for bilgewater passengers!” A fat man called from behind them.
Ekko nodded slightly with a sad smile appearing on his face, “When you find her, you make sure you tell her I miss her too.”
Vi grabbed Ekko into another hug this time holding tighter than before, “Of course.”
Vi released him and turned to walk off to the airship.
“You’re wrong about another thing Vi,”Ekko shouted to her, “ You’re my family too. As long as I’m in Zaun, there will always be someone here who needs you.
Vi boarded the ship with a smile plastered on her face. Finding Jinx felt like a daunting task. Like looking for a needle in a haystack but even though he was doing it by herself she didn’t feel alone. She still had a family even if they were scattered to the winds. And Vi was willing to fly to the ends of the earth to find them.