Will of a Warrior – Chapter 1: A New Hope

(SEQUEL TO MY PREVIOUS WORK – UDYR X NIDALEE. READ THAT FIRST IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS!)

Listen to your surroundings…Watch as time fast forwards right before your eyes. The ever so changing world that has enveloped Valoran for years has seemingly undergone some significant series of events, but time lapses….

Stop.

Three weeks…Twenty one days…Five hundred and four hours…What felt like years, for Udyr and Nidalee, was not even a month. A month since Udyr decreed that he wanted to stay with Nidalee in Ionia. That day would not seemingly have any resemblance to the two now.

Action.

"I am sick and tired of you constantly leaving home! You have a commitment now, Udyr. If you can't realize that, then this won't work out at all." Nidalee was making breakfast for Annie that day, and scolded Udyr for turning a blind eye to his family for the fourth time that week. "I was hoping you weren't going to be out all night so we could go out on a date, but you didn't even come by until midnight!"

Annie was sitting down at the bench whistling with Tibbers in her hand.

"I realize. Why do you get so upset, Nidalee?"

Nidalee threw the pan to the ground. "GOD DAMNIT! You're so ignorant to what is going on around you!" Nidalee saw Annie got scared when she did that, and went to comfort her. "Sorry sweetheart. I'll make you more food after I have a talk with Udyr." Nidalee grabbed Udyr's hand and went outside.

"Look, I have no doubt in my mind that whatever you do outside of this house is for the good of this family. I'm just irritated that you are blatantly ignoring us. You aren't in the wild anymore, you know!"

Udyr closed his eyes, and sighed. "Again, I realize. I'm still adjusting to the life of a normal person. It's exhausting having responsibilities. Anyways, we can talk this over later. I'm too tired to continue apologizing."

Nidalee grabbed Udyr's hand as he was walking back. "No, we are discussing this right now!"

"Let go, Nidalee."

"You are really pissing me off, Udyr. Why do you keep acting like nothing happened?"

Udyr started to get more agitated. "I said I realized my mistake. Let go of me!"

"You always say that, and pull the same thing the next week! I've had it with-"

"I SAID, LET GO!" Udyr threw Nidalee off his arm, and Nidalee fell over on the ground. He walked towards Nidalee and helped her get off the ground, and started breathing.

"I…I'm sorry. You didn't need to feel that. I've undergone a lot of frustration from not being able to meditate in weeks. I didn't think the town life would be this difficult; it really wears down my soul. I'll still push forward to do what is best for our family however."

"Ugh…Udyr, I never thought things would get complicated between the two of us. We're both from the wild. We're both honest to each other. We're both talented spiritually…I'm just now realizing how hard this relationship is going to be…"

Udyr wrapped his bear hands around Nidalee, and took another breath. "Nature is where the wild reside. This place is where we belong. Even if Nature speaks through our spirits, life speaks through our souls."

Nidalee started crying when she remembered the last time they got in a fight about something.

'Fight after fight after fight, and all have ended the same. Yet still, nothing is resolved. I feel like our bond is decaying slowly over time, and between us it could mean falling into an emotional wreck, or even worse…breaking up…but I have nowhere left to go if Udyr leaves me. I really don't want to ruin it this time…'

Now fast forward. Ahri calls Nidalee out to the Ionian Lake to ask about how she was doing with Udyr.

"If I were to describe our relationship…I'd say it's completely awful. Two weeks ago, we were blushing every time we looked each other in the eye. Now we don't even acknowledge each other…"

Ahri threw a pebble into the ocean, and started thinking to herself.

"You know, Nidalee, Udyr was sort of like that when I first met him as well. He was particularly shy, and always blushed whenever I looked him into the eyes. After a while, he started ignoring me because he started thinking about other things that he considered more important than me. He's having one of those moments right now. It's not that he doesn't like you, or hates you, but he can't let go of something from his past still that is getting in the way between you two. For me, it was Lissandra and being in the wild. For you, it could be many things, but you should confront him about it!"

"I'm not sure I can do it. He always seems so hostile when I'm around because of how much I expect out of him…Could you do me a favor and talk to him for me?"

Ahri's cat-like ears went straight up, and she smiled. "Hmm…It has been a long time since I've talked with Udyr, but I'll gladly take this opportunity!"

Nidalee hugged Ahri, which startled her. "Thank you. I owe you so much, Ahri!"

"Oh, don't mention it. I would take any opportunity to help a good friend!"

Ahri still had longed for Udyr even after Nidalee and Udyr got engaged. She had a thirst for excitement that any regular day in Ionia would usually not give her. With this opportunity, Ahri wanted to reassert her position, but still try to do it in a friendly way.

Later in the night, Udyr came out to the ancient shrine where he originally proposed to Nidalee to do some serious thinking.

"What is it that is holding me back in these days? I based my principle off of logic, understanding, and reasoning. I longed for a life that would be free, and ended up letting these 'emotions' warrant a reason to get tied down back in this city…I do have a strong feeling for Nidalee, but something lacks still. What is it that is lacking?"

"Maybe you just need a bit of excitement in your life." Ahri came up behind Udyr, and sat to his left. She leaned on Udyr's shoulder, and yawned.

"What is it that you want now? Haven't you done enough?"

"Relax silly. I came here at the request of your wife. She's a bit sad that things aren't going too well. Care to clue me in?"

"Hmph, you sure know how to get into other people's lives. To sum it up, I've been trying to adapt to the normal life, but I haven't been succeeding in doing so. With lack of free time, meditation, and daily exercises, the stress inside me has kept on building up, and little by little I've let parts of myself get out of hand."

"I know you very well, Spirit Walker. If I'm not mistaken, you had this same feeling with me a long time ago. There's something in your life that is bothering you right now. What is it, Udyr? Do you miss the wild; the carefree days of being free to live out your life?"

"Incorrect. However, you are partially right. I am distraught at something in my past that has been keeping me back because of how long I've thought about it. The ancient luminous gem of the guardians of Ionia is still out there somewhere, and has yet to be obtained. This gem has the power to gift a person one wish; anything to their heart's desire. No one has been able to activate it because it was sealed with the mark of the spirit elders. Only descendents of Spirit Walkers can translate the gem and activate its power. I wanted to take that gem, and use it for a special occasion when something went terribly wrong."

Ahri listened in more. "Any wish, you say? Where might this gem be located?"

"Don't even think of trying to take it away from me, Fox."
Ahri sighed, and got up on her feet. "Udyr, do you know what it is like to have the urge to be something you are not? That is my entire life in a nutshell. I've tried for so long to bring amenity between my human and fox form, but I always end up back where I started. I know you and a lot of others look at me and think that I only lust for a man's spirit essence, but there is really more to it…"

"You won't change my mind."

"I'm not trying to. I was just hoping to clear up that. I don't want to look at you, and you look at me and only see the dark side of me that lusts for you. If I had the chance, you know I would indeed do everything in my power to be with you, but I realized that I shouldn't get in the way of your path. I want you to know that I have a respect for you and your relationship with Nidalee. Other than that, since you are tied down with your current life, I thought I would make a proposition with you."

"I'm listening…"

"I'll retrieve the gem of the guardians if you can point me in the right direction to do so, and I'll gladly bring it back to you here. If you want, I won't even tell anyone our deal. How does it sound?"

Ahri held out her hand to Udyr, hoping that he would shake her hand in agreement.

"I'll accept your offer…" Udyr turned around. "…but I refuse to shake your hand. You've done enough to nearly ruin my life."

"My, aren't you feisty about your past. I really did mean no harm to your relationship, Udyr. I'm afraid we'll have to make another condition of agreement, then."

Ahri went in front of Udyr, and looked into his eyes. "Perhaps…a kiss?"

"Are you testing me?"

"You didn't want to shake my hand, so I simply proposed another condition. I am the one that saved you from a near death experience, aren't I?"

As Ahri looked closer into Udyr's eyes, she could see him losing more and more focus.

"…Don't ever test me again, Fox." Udyr let go of Ahri's arms, and kissed her. Ahri put her hands around him, enjoying every moment.

"Don't think for one moment this means anything. My two loves lie in the wild, and Nidalee."

"Aw, I would never get in between you two! You're too cute to break up, anyway."

Ahri started thinking to herself the possible outcomes of this part time journey for the ancient gem of the guardians:

'Nidalee, I do like you and have faith in your relationship with Udyr…but I might just have to take him back one of these days. I just can't control my desires! Even if I don't get Udyr, I still can achieve my human form, which could also allow me to seduce Udyr. I was speaking the truth when I said I had not intended to get in between you and your relationship, Nidalee. There just hasn't been enough excitement in my life for the past month or so, and I need to find something to cope with.'

Ahri went off back to her house as a full moon appeared. Udyr wiped the lipstick off of his lips that Ahri got on him, and began walking home as well.

'I don't understand…I hate what Ahri has done to me, yet I still have some level of attraction to her. I don't want her to get between me and Nidalee, and yet she seems to be honest when she says how she could never break the two of us up. I do owe her something for giving me an edge on death row, but I still can't understand. I will have to keep that Fox in check. I need a good night rest to think.'

Udyr quietly entered the house, and saw Nidalee coming out of Annie's room.

Udyr whispered, "I'm sorry for being out late again. I needed time to reflect on the day."

"You're fine. I just got done putting Annie to sleep. She's still a young one, but she really does grow up fast. Anyways, you don't need to worry about apologizing. I'm just glad you are here!"

"Well, I'm glad I have a place to call home. Now, to get some rest…"

Nidalee didn't want to end the night on that note. She remembered what Ahri told her, that Udyr might have been holding onto something of his past. Nidalee wanted to figure out right then what exactly it was. "W-Wait. Ahri told me there might be something you would like to talk about, perhaps?"

"Nothing particularly important I would say. We can talk in the morning if you want to hear about it."

Nidalee didn't want to give up, and tried one last thing. "Hey…you know, we haven't been sexually active in a long while. Ahri told me it could help keep things between us better, if you're interested."

Udyr bit his lip this time he heard Ahri's name. "…I don't want that Fox to be the one who dictates what me and you do in our engagement. Get some sleep."

Nidalee sighed as Udyr went into his own room. Nidalee decided to sleep on the couch that night.

'I didn't want this to happen! I just wanted to live a regular and happy life with the one person that I loved, but it just had to be so much more difficult! It seems that Udyr didn't like it when I referenced Ahri a few times…if only I knew what that could mean. I can't seem to get a thing out of Udyr without taking it to some next level of engagement.