Yasuo woke with a start and immediately reached for his sword on the bedside table. He floundered for a second until his hand touched the hilt, then surveyed the room, ready to draw and attack.
But nothing out of the ordinary greeted him. He let out a breath of relief, and brushed it off to his imagination, or perhaps a dream that had already vanished from his memory.
A few short seconds later, the tension inside of him returned. Today was the day he'd find justice. He was putting himself into mortal peril by attempting this at the League of Legends of all places, but it had to be done. The culprit of his misery rarely left the place.
He quickly got dressed for training. Every moment of the day would be spent preparing. He knew what his opponent was capable of, which meant this battle would not be easy. One small mistake, and this entire journey would be pointless and shameful. Yone, his dear brother, would never know peace.
He picked up his sword and exited the room, a sense of unease clinging to his determination. He looked over his shoulder constantly as he walked to the training grounds. It felt like someone was watching him, but the wind told him nothing was there.
'It's paranoia. It's nerves. It's this new, foreign place.' He told himself. 'It's nothing to be concerned about. Priorities first.'
When he reached the empty courtyard, he his eyes swept the training dummies lining the walls. Thanks to their self-repairing enchantment, they looked brand new after every session. Yasuo only wished he could enchant them to fight back, to mimic his future opponent. Even after he'd studied her movements incessantly, watching the televised League matches like a hawk circling his prey, he still felt unprepared. She was, after all, a champion of the League. But then again, he assured himself, so was he.
Yasuo faced a training dummy and steadied his breaths, matching the tiniest of breezes that passed him by, intertwining with them, creating the aura that shielded and aided him. Some referred to his power as magic, and he would be inclined to agree if he felt any magical potential within him. No, it was more of a connection with the wind, a bonding of soul, something higher than even magic. Whatever it was, Yasuo had decided it was his domain now, and any who interfered or imitated would meet his blade.
It had been less than ten minutes when Yasuo finished his first routine, and noticed the surreal quiet around the courtyard. Not a soul walked by the open hallways surrounding it. He hadn't noticed when and where they'd all gone.
As he readied himself for his next routine, he suddenly felt a presence beside him. It had been nearly undetectable, and when he looked over curiously, his heart and mind froze.
It was her. Casually preparing for training, as if he didn't even exist beside her.
"Y-you!" He stammered. His mind slowly started churning again. This was too soon. He wasn't prepared yet. "You killed- I'm here to kill you!"
The white-haired woman looked back at him curiously. "What?" She replied with a face that barely showed emotion.
Yasuo took a quick breath and pointed his sword at her, finally regaining his composure. "You, in the invasion, you killed someone of great importance while I was fighting elsewhere. I know it was you because you are the only Noxian with a technique like my own. You've caused me endless pain since that day. I've never known a night of respite, pursued by my own clan because they believed me the culprit. Even my brother... I was forced to face and kill him. And so I can never forgive you. The only consolation I'll receive is with your death."
"What?" Riven asked again with a tone near boredom.
"No, don't you dare mock me after everything you've done already." Yasuo clenched his sword so tightly that the blade shook in his hands. "Don't even try to-"
"It wasn't me." Riven interrupted him in monotone.
Yasuo's grip slipped momentarily. No, it had to be her. Nothing else fit.
Riven's gaze held, bearing down on him with the weight of a stone. Not a twitch or flicker of doubt crossed her visage. Yasuo's thoughts faltered.
"But, it had to be-"
"It was you." Riven interrupted him again, with just as little emotion as before.
"What? It wasn't-"
"Who was it that abandoned their duty, then?"
"I didn't abandon anything! I had to help those Ionians! They-"
"Who was it that fled when they failed?"
"What are you talking about?! It was that or be killed!"
"Who was it that killed your brother?"
Yasuo's face contorted in anguish as his voice refused his commands. His mouth and throat suddenly parched, his thoughts gone with the wind. Tears threatened the corners of his eyes, and it took every bit of will he had to fight them off.
Riven waited patiently for the response that never came, her sword still hanging loosely in her grasp. She knew she had won the duel without raising her weapon an inch.
"You've had plenty of choice in your actions. The results speak for themselves. You fucked up, and you chose the coward's route."
Yasuo gripped his sword tightly and raised it in anger. "I'm not a coward."
"Why? Because you fought your hardest? Because it was a matter of life and death? Let me tell you, if you made the same mistake as you did in the Noxian army, you'd be executed on the spot. Your only options are to die with honour, or run like a coward. Seeing as what transpired, our ways aren't too dissimilar, are they?"
Yasuo took a deep, ragged breath. He was already imagining the satisfaction of swinging his sword down on the woman. "If you're trying to goad me, it's working."
Riven scoffed, almost grinning at the words. "I'm not trying to goad you. I'm trying to insult you. You're an idiot, and you aren't worth my time."
"That's it!" Yasuo roared and made to attack, only to find his limbs unmoving, unresponsive. His mind raced in panic. Poison? That bitch had tricked him! By the gods, if he survived, she was-
"Relax, boy," A small, effeminate voice sounded behind him. "You're not in danger, at least for the time being."
Another one? The wind hadn't told him of her presence. Was she another wind user?
Riven sighed in exasperation. "You were right. I'll back off. He's all yours." She turned on her heel and walked off, holstering her sword in what looked to be some custom-made buckle.
"Wait!" Yasuo called after her. "I'm not done with you!"
"Oh, I'm afraid you are, darling." The voice behind him said again. A figure appeared at the corner of his vision and casually slid into view. If Yasuo had control over his movements, he might have gasped. In front of him stood a ray of sunshine embodied. He forgot his situation entirely as he stared at the young woman unabashedly.
"Good," The woman smiled, "It seems I have your attention. Are you going to relax? 'Cuz if so, I'll release you."
Yasuo had already lost the rage he'd felt just a moment ago. This stunning beauty before him eroded it faster than any storm. "Y-yeah." He managed to spit out.
"Excellent." She replied cheerfully, and snapped her fingers once. The effect was instantaneous, and Yasuo nearly fell over from the chore of having control of his limbs once more.
"Now then, if you try anything again, know that it's a simple matter for me to put you back in that state. So no funny business, alright?"
Yasuo nodded after a brief moment of consideration. She was entirely in control of the situation right now. And for a reason he couldn't comprehend, Yasuo was okay with that.
"I'm glad. You're quickly rising in my books. Let's hope that continues, hm?" She giggled quietly.
"So," She continued, "Let's talk about how to solve our little dilemma here. You're not budging and, well, I don't see Riven budging before you do. So let's talk like adults, okay?"
Yasuo's mood sunk a little at the remark. "You're talking down to me an awful lot. I don't appreciate it."
The blonde laughed lightly. "Well that's because you're acting like a child who lost a game."
"Call me a child one more time." Yasuo muttered. This woman was a beauty, but she sure had a mouth.
She paused for moment, then tilted her head playfully. "What do you think the difference is between a child and an adult?"
"Duty." Yasuo replied readily.
"So close." She held up two fingers closely to illustrate her words. "The difference, at least to me, is quite simple. Adults take responsibility for their actions, and that's that."
"So you're calling me a coward too?"
"I'm calling you a child. And you're lashing out because you're afraid."
"I don't have to listen to this." Yasuo growled.
"You do, actually. You also need to hear it. Because there is a difference there too."
"Why are you getting in my way?"
"Two reasons, actually. One, to stop you from making another stupid mistake, and two, because Riven is worth more to the world alive than dead."
"Is it really such a mistake to seek justice?"
The woman giggled again. "My, it's like talking to Yi. In one ear and out the other."
"You know Master Yi?"
"Swings a sword really fast? Kills first, asks questions later? Always spouting off about justice? Yeah, I know Yi. I also know that he's really quite similar to you. He also made a mistake and blamed it all on his enemies. 'If I wasn't forced to fight, my family would still be here.' Sound familiar?"
Yasuo said nothing.
"You weren't forced to fight. And neither was he. You both abandoned your main objective, trusting and hoping that in the middle of a war, things would work out alright. And we both know how that turned out."
"It wasn't my fault!" Yasuo yelled.
"It was!" The blonde shouted sternly back. "It was and you know it! Elder Shu died because you abandoned him!"
Yasuo's head dropped, but there was no immediate response.
"Did you know, that in Demacia, going against your orders is the same as failing them? Even if you manage to complete the objective, you've failed. You insulted your commanding officer and your king by thinking you knew better than them.
"You need to accept that your own mistake, your own failure led you down this path. What happened after that has only filled you with more regret. And even if you killed Riven, that regret wouldn't disappear. That bounty on your head wouldn't disappear either."
Yasuo looked up, and Lux saw the despair in his face as he shouted, "So what do I do?!"
Lux smiled softly. He had heard it after all. Or perhaps he knew all along and refused to admit it. Either way, her plan had worked like a charm.
"You need to atone for your mistakes, Yasuo. More bloodshed won't help you with that."
Yasuo was silent for a long moment, before finally asking, "How?"
"I know just the monk you can talk to. I'll introduce you tomorrow."
The man slunk down to his knees, his sword falling softly to the ground. His breaths were slow and heavy.
Lux crouched down to be on eye level with him. He looked up to see her with a calm, serene smile. "Is there something else?" He asked groggily.
Lux's smile brightened. "Just wanted to let you know that if you decide to follow your initial objective here at the League, you'll be dead before you draw your sword. Got it?"
Yasuo felt shivers run down his spine, but kept a brave face. "You sure about that?"
Lux giggled and spun as she stood, skipping a few paces away. She stopped for a brief moment to say, "When you woke this morning, in your private, secure room, your sword was two inches away from where you placed it last night. Such a small amount, yet crucial when you might need to grab it quickly. For instance, if someone, an enemy perhaps, were to get into that private, secure room."
Lux continued walking away, and gave a small wave behind her. "I'll see you tomorrow."
With another snap of her fingers, the illusion around the courtyard melted away to reveal the regular hussle and bussle Yasuo had expected earlier. Summoners and their aides walked along their merry way like nothing had even happened.
Yasuo held his sword in a tight grip again, but this time not out of anger. The ray of light was seemingly just a disguise for a complex of shadows, and his instincts were on high alert. Every inch of nerves in his body told him she was dangerous.
He would see her tomorrow. Whether he wanted to or not.
Author's Note: I just can't leave Lux and Riven behind. I love them too much.
Also, as much as I hate Yasuo, I did my best to give him a decent representation. It still isn't enough to make him likable at all to me. He likes to act all cool and tough, but he's an idiot at heart. (Sorry-not-sorry, Yasuo fans :D)