Hello again, readers! This is another one of the major League plotlines that I have been working on. Personally, I love the flexibility of the champions, they are just so much fun to write about! :3

This one is mostly going to be about Yasuo and Irelia (and their pasts) with some Riven here and there to please all you YasuoXRiven shippers out there. I hope you enjoy, and please leave reviews and constructive criticism!

There was a dark, foreboding atmosphere within the Temple of Justice. The floor was frigid underneath his bare feet, and the way the walls of the room melded into the darkness outside made him feel like he was walking straight towards his death. The chains binding his arms together pressed painfully against his wrists, and he gritted his teeth as he was yanked harshly forward by each of the two guards at either side of him. It was nothing at all like what he had imagined.

Seated directly in front of him were all of the Ionian Elders, assembled specifically to discuss his fate. He scanned the cold faces of his superiors, and nearly startled when he glimpsed a familiar one. She had to be the youngest person there, unmistakable with her green eyes, fair skin, and dark hair. The Mantle of Decorum hung behind her head, a reminder that she was no longer the same girl he had known from before. She was donned in red armour that covered most of her entire body. It was the first time he had seen her since the last battle, and he couldn't have imagined what had happened to her to make her change so drastically...

It was a sunny day in the northern provinces of Ionia, with a crisp spring breeze blowing in from the shoreline. The Shinjutsu training school was welcoming its new batch of students with the season, and amongst them was the daughter of the legendary Master Lito himself. The rumours had already begun flying, spreading like wildfire amongst the students. But Yasuo didn't understand what the fuss was all about. Skill level was not related to blood, or at least, what he believed. But somehow everyone else thought differently, including Master Tai.

"I see Master Lito," Yone announced quietly. Yasuo could practically feel the vibrations from his brother's throat cramped up in the tiny space against the wooden wall.

"Why are we even here," he grumbled under his breath. "We haven't even finished our drills yet."

"Shh!" an irritated voice hissed from the other side of the doorway.

Yasuo sighed, just as he heard Master Tai's voice.

"Welcome to Shinjutsu," their master said grandly. Feeling curious all of a sudden, Yasuo slowly peeked out from behind the wall to see Tai hunched over in a bow that was too humble even for a student. Behind their master stood a tall man with dark hair fully donned in armour, and even from this distance Yasuo could clearly make out piercing green eyes. But the new student was nowhere to be seen – perhaps she was hidden behind her father's imposing stature.

"It's nice to see you again, Tai," said Lito. His voice was rich and deep and hinted at years of wisdom and experience.

"Likewise, Master Lito," Tai replied respectfully. He straightened and tucked his arms into his long sleeves before turning slightly to speak to the phantom girl. "And you must be Irelia."

"Yes, master," replied the distinctive female voice.

"I leave her in your capable hands," said Master Lito. "Please teach her all that you know."

They bowed to each other once more before Master Lito left without even bidding his daughter farewell.

"Let me give you a quick tour of the academy," Master Tai said. Yasuo found himself unable to look away as his eyes bore into the scene before him. Slowly, at an excruciating pace, Master Tai turned around with a hand on the small girl's shoulders. She was extremely short and petite, perhaps more than a head shorter than Yasuo himself even though he was constantly made fun of for being a shrimp. But she was pretty, with shoulder-length dark hair and the same mysterious green eyes as her father. Her features were delicate against fair skin.

"Yasuo!" Yone's voice sounded against his ear, making him flinch. "We have to move!"

His words were confirmed by the sound of the footsteps of retreating eavesdroppers. Yasuo let his brother grab his arm and drag him away from their hiding place. They were probably going to be in trouble later for not finishing their drills. The two brothers quickly settled behind a wooden barrel further down the hall as their master and the new girl turned the corner in the other direction. Yone breathed out a sigh of relief.

"She's pretty cute, isn't she?" he said jokingly.

"She looks kind of weak if you ask me," Yasuo replied flatly.

"Master Lito's her father, though. I really don't think that's the case."

"And we weren't given private tours of the school," he grumbled under his breath.

But Yone seemed beyond caring. He was too busy trying to get a better look at the girl. Irritated and incredibly bothered, Yasuo decided that it wouldn't matter if Master Lito's daughter was amongst them or not. He would become the best warrior to ever graduate from this academy so no other person would be able to receive unnecessary attention.

Within the next few days, it became clear that the girl kept mostly to herself. Yasuo supposed that it was understandable given how tiny and out of place she looked amongst all the other students. However, he was surprised that she was immediately given the same rank as him, judging by the white Koshaku uniform that she wore, which was identical to his. In between his daily routines and training, he only caught mere glimpses of the small girl. He saw her wielding a wooden sword several times too large for her slight frame. He had scoffed quietly, for surely the girl had bitten off much more than she could chew.

But as he faced her down, he saw that there was a determined glint in her green eyes that he had never noticed before. Yasuo tightened his grip on his sword. Master Tai was watching from the sidelines, amidst a quiet crowd of students. It was time to show him just how much he had learned.

"Begin," Master Tai said.

The girl spared him no extra second. He blocked her first strike with ease and pushed her away to prepare a counterstrike. She was able to deflect it, but she stumbled backwards slightly. Yasuo saw his chance to end the fight, and he trust his sword quickly forward, but she parried and lunged. He was unprepared for the sheer weight of the heavy wooden sword, and he found himself beginning to lose the upper hand already. And she was able to tell. If Yasuo didn't act quickly, he would definitely lose this sparring session.

What happened next had been so fast that he was unclear about it. He remembered moving at an incredible speed, the wind whistling through his hair. He had felt as if he was flying which he was sure he did – because the next thing he saw was the girl knocked flat against the wooden floor. Yasuo landed gracefully on the ground beside her as the crowd of watching students stared on, speechless.

"The fight is over," Master Tai announced. "Yasuo is the winner."

Several cheers went up in response. Yasuo bent down to help the girl up when he realized that she was utterly still. She didn't appear to be breathing. His heart gave a violent thud in his chest as an overwhelming sense of panic flooded over him.

"Hey!" he cried, slapping the side of her face. Her skin was incredibly soft to the touch, and he found his face beginning to grow hot for whatever stupid reason.

Master Tai appeared almost instantly beside him, just as she seemed to stir.

"My back hurts," she murmured hazily.

"Your attack probably left her winded," his master said, glancing over briefly at Yasuo. He couldn't tell if it was approval in his dark gaze or reproach. But this was a fight, and there was a winner and a loser. His master wouldn't blame him for showing off his skills, could he?

Shakily, Yasuo dipped his head in a standard gesture of humility following a match before heading off the wooden platform and slipping into the students. He located Yone in the middle of the crowd and took his seat next to him.

"Was that the sword technique you were practicing?" Yone whispered.

"I...didn't think it would be that strong," Yasuo admitted. He hated how his gut twisted with guilt at a simple question.

His brother said nothing, and they sat through the rest of the matches in silence.

When it was finally over, they split up into separate groups to finish the rest of their afternoon training. But in the middle of Yasuo's drills, Master Tai finally approached him as expected.

"You've been getting stronger," he observed nonchalantly as Yasuo repeatedly struck the air in front of him. His simple academy robes were rolled up to his elbows and his forehead felt damp with sweat. Master Tai placed a hand underneath his wooden sword and slightly lifted it. "Keep your posture light and breathing steady."

Yasuo did as he was told without a word.

"You are a talented boy, Yasuo," his master said. "You have great power and potential within you."

Yasuo cringed inwardly, expecting another one of his master's lectures. They were all the same, and he had heard them countless of times before. It was starting to grate on his nerves.

"But you must learn how to control your power." Master Tai rested a gentle hand on his chest. "From here..." his hand shifted to Yasuo's forehead. "And here."

"I'm trying, Master, I really am," Yasuo replied honestly. "But it's difficult to, I mean, I just don't know how to..."

"I understand that it takes practice," Master Tai replied. "But remember this – true power comes from those who know when to use it best." He knelt beside him and placed his hands on Yasuo's shoulders. His brown eyes were wider than distance and older than time itself, and Yasuo saw his own reflection within them. "That is why you are called Yasuo, the peaceful one."

His master stood once more and regarded him. "Refine that technique you used against Irelia. Use it wisely."

After training, he had passed through one of the main halls in search of Yone, when he suddenly heard a voice.

"You think you're so much better than us, you shrimp?"

"You can't even hold that sword properly!"

"What's the matter? Got nothing to say?"

There was a loud smack, followed by the sound of someone hitting the wooden floor hard. Yasuo froze. There was no doubt that they were picking on the new girl. But why would they have a reason to? Was it because he had defeated her so easily during the sparring session? Acting on instinct, Yasuo took a breath and stepped out from around the corner.

Three of the older students were standing over the girl, who was splayed on the ground. Judging by their uniforms, they were probably some of the lower-ranked students perhaps Shishaku or Danshaku. They were circling the injured girl like wolves, waiting for her to get back up so they could push her down even harder.

"Stop that!" Yasuo shouted, and they turned to stare at him

The biggest boy there broke into a grin. "What's this? Another shrimp who can't handle his sword, huh?"

The only girl standing amongst them looked hesitant when she saw him. She recognized him from the sparring session earlier, perhaps.

"Leave her alone, she didn't do anything to hurt you," Yasuo continued.

And to his surprise, the boy's grin disappeared.

"You're right," he said in mock remorse. "We should leave her alone and focus on you, right?" And without warning he lunged forward, sword prepared to strike. Yasuo easily sidestepped and thrust out a leg, causing the teenager to tumble flat on his chin. The other two charged at him, but he easily outmaneuvered them. Their movements were rather slow, proving their academy rankings true. He could begin to feel his body taking control again, and he forced himself to stay focused as he dodged and struck. But of course, the students didn't back down and Yasuo had to hit them hard enough several times before they finally did.

"What is going on in here!?" The familiar voice of Master Tai sounded somewhere in the distance, footsteps signalling his quick arrival. When he appeared, the scene in front of him looked far from pleasant, especially since he just gave Yasuo a lecture. Three bruised and battered students, a collapsed Irelia, and an upright Yasuo with a sword.

The five of them were instantly placed on detention and were assigned a week's worth of chores, despite Yasuo's fervent protests.

"A true man does not make excuses, Yasuo," Master Tai had said sternly, and Yasuo had forced himself to keep quiet for both their sakes. Their master's punishments could get quite nasty, and one week of cleaning the outhouse was already enough to look forward to. But the unjustness of the situation bothered him for a long time.

As he and Irelia hung up some clothes to dry on the deck, Yasuo found himself wanting to apologize for putting her in such a position. He had injured her when they sparred but when he attempted to defend her, they were sentenced to a week of cruel and unnecessary punishment.

"Master Tai is so unfair," he grumbled to himself, but just loud enough for the girl to hear. "He wouldn't even listen to me when I was telling the truth."

"I think he knows the truth," Irelia replied in a quiet undertone. It was the first time Yasuo had heard her speak.

"They why would he make us do the chores too?" he demanded.

"I-I'm sorry for the trouble," Irelia stammered. "You were only trying to defend me." Yasuo saw her bite her lip as she bent down to pick up a damp uniform.

"How come you didn't defend yourself?" Yasuo asked as he wrung out a piece of cloth to dry. She could have surely gotten out of the situation herself with her skills.

Irelia said nothing, and Yasuo looked at her, wondering if he had hurt her feelings.

"I don't think that it's good to fight amongst ourselves..." she finally admitted. One hand clenched and unclenched around a sash from the laundry basket. "There are bigger issues that can happen and we need to work as a team."

Yasuo didn't know what she was talking about, but it sounded like nonsense to him. He would never work with those three teenagers if he had to do a lifetime's worth of chores.

"Maybe if you had a smaller sword, it would be a lot easier to fight with," he commented.

"It was the closest sword I could find."

"Closest to what?" Yasuo turned to look at her.

"The sword I use to practice at home..." she replied uncertainly.

He snorted. "That's dumb! Obviously the lighter the blade, the easier you wield it!" It was the first lesson he had learned since he arrived at Shinjutsu.

"My father wanted me to use it."

"Well, he's not here now."

Irelia said nothing as she hung up the sash. Her fingers were laced with calluses and scratches, and Yasuo wondered what kind of person her father was. She was just a little girl, and she already had more injuries than he did.

"In trouble again, huh Yasuo?"

Yone's voice nearly made him jump. His brother's head popped out from behind the deck fencing.

"No need to rub it in, okay!? I was just trying to defend her..." he grumbled.

Yone grinned. "Everyone's talking about how brave you were to step in. Well, the girls at least."

"Huh," Yasuo huffed, folding his arms. "Why would I care?"

Yone tugged playfully at the white apron that he was wearing. "Because you look like one," he teased.

Indignant and feeling his cheeks begin to grow warm again, Yasuo grabbed the hem of the apron and tugged it over his head in attempt to remove it, but his shirt somehow moved with it. Well, until it got caught around his ponytail.

Yone's laughs filled the air. Of course. He had fallen victim to another one of his brother's jokes again. Yasuo pulled the apron down again and found his brother already racing across the deck.

"You get back here, Yone!" he yelled furiously.

"Yasuo!" Master Tai's reprimanding voice suddenly sounded from below them. A moment later, he stepped into view with his arms folded across his chest. "Is there a problem with the laundry?"

"No, Master," Yasuo growled.

"Good," was the firm reply. "Then get back to work."

Angry and ruffled, he did as he was told. But he snuck a peek at Irelia before he did so. There was a distinct smile on her face, one that lit her up from the inside out. And then Yasuo decided that he liked seeing her smile. Perhaps looking like a girl was more worth it than he had thought after all.

...But she wasn't smiling now. In fact, she wasn't even looking at him. There were subtle changes to her face as well – the juvenile look had gone and along with it the uncertainty. Her features were still delicate against fair skin, and the determination in her eyes had been rekindled into a subtle flame.

"Yasuo." The sound of his name snapped him out of his reverie. It was the oldest Elder that had spoken, a frail-looking man with a long beard and wrinkles that hid his eyes. "Due to your ignorance and your abandonment of duties, Elder Caelis is now dead."

He bowed his head in resignation. He was prepared to accept whatever punishment necessary to atone for his terrible mistake. Forgive me, Elder, he thought mentally. I have failed you.

"You have been accused of treason for abandoning your post and for the murder of an Ionian Elder."

At these last words, his head snapped up. For what reason could he possibly be accused of murder? Forcing himself to remain calm, he began, "I did not-"

"Lower your head!" The furious voice of Irelia reverberated against the nonexistent walls of the Temple. The rage in her voice stung, but Yasuo could do nothing but obey. Perhaps she was close to Elder Caelis. Perhaps she blamed him for her death.

"For your crimes, you have been sentenced to a week of questioning and eventual exile from Ionia."

He could have argued. He should have argued. But every single time he opened his mouth in preparation to, all he could hear was Master Tai's disembodied voice in his head.

A true man does not make excuses, Yasuo.

Just as a sidenote, I picked the rankings of the students in the Shinjutsu academy to match those of Japanese nobility, which are known as "Kazoku" (not related to the lore in any way).