Author's Note:
- So this is the final chapter of my Ashe x Nocturne fanfiction. Just like in the second chapter, the following songs are the theme music for this chapter only: Unbreakable by Fireflight, Stronger Than You Think by Fireflight, and Stumbling in Your Footsteps by Get Scared. Do take time to listen to the music and figure out to which scene it belongs. ;)
- Happy reading :)
Frozen Identity
We all know darkness as a vast empty space. There's nothing to see, nothing to hear, and nothing to feel. Ashe was so calm that her mind processed nothing, until suddenly, a gentle voice echoed in her ears.
"Wake up, Ashe..."
By the voice's command, her heart jump-started and she threw her eyes open. Her field of vision focused on the thick blanket of snow lying on the stone grounds of the Howling Abyss. She lifted her elbows and noticed that her hands and arms were covered in grayish-purple metal, and she also realized that her whole body was covered in armor. Before she can figure out everything, someone approached her. A tall, old man with pale blue eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. He was magically hovering in mid-air and he had a huge clock floating behind him. Upon seeing him, Ashe finally understood.
"I made a few modifications if you don't mind, Ashe," he began. She opened her mouth to speak, but Zilean immediately cut her off.
"We may not have the tightest of bonds, but just like I, you still have to battle for your nation. And with your good intentions, Ashe, I am very confident of your future. But do understand that this will be the last time I'll help you, so be careful."
With that, Zilean handed Ashe her ice bow. The moment she held onto it, there was an immediate spark of something more powerful, besides the fact that the weapon was now the same color as her armor, and the bow had sharp edges at the curved parts. When Ashe finished admiring her newly customized ice bow, she wanted to thank Zilean, but the sorcerer was nowhere to be found. However, his last words lingered in the air.
"You will now be known as Marauder."
By the fireplace inside castle Freljord stood Tryndamere. He carelessly watched the canvas painting of him and Ashe burning in the furnace, depleting past memories just to move on, although his conscience kept bugging him that his actions were foul. He kind of regrets hurting Ashe. Even though he was a barbarian, he was not a monster.
What have I done?
All of a sudden, all windows burst open, allowing gusts of freezing wind to raid the entire room and extinguished the fire.
Tryndamere winced and grunted from the strong breeze. He stood up, made his way to the windows and closed them all. Just when he turned around to face his cozy chair, a frozen arrow whizzed out of nowhere and pierced through his shoulder. Tryndamere grunted in pain and glanced down to his wound. Blood dripped from the tip of the arrow and landed on the snow.
Wait... snow?
The carpet had a trail of snow in the shape of footsteps. His eyes followed the trail until he realized that it belonged to the stranger who stood a few meters in front of him. The stranger wore a mask, her body covered in metal armor, and her aura was like that of a deadly, bloodthirsty predator. She may have a dark aura, but why did Tryndamere feel something else?
"Who are you?" Grunted the wounded Tryndamere.
The marauder did not utter a single word. She remained in her position while staring coldly at the worthless creature before her.
Frustrated that the stranger didn't answer, Tryndamere advanced but the marauder quickly shot another arrow at him, warning him not to come any closer. Tryndamere grunted again when the arrow pierced his collarbone.
Pissed, Tryndamere adamantly lunged at her, but the marauder shot another arrow at his feet to slow him down. She sprinted to the corner of the room and fired again, then she moved to another area and fired another. She's too fast and unstoppable!
Tryndamere's patience snapped that he furiously spun around with his sword until he hit the enemy, but to his frustration, the marauder managed to swiftly dodge the attack, even though the edge of the sword gave a small cut on her right cheek.
What the-?!
He caught a glimpse of the marauder's mask lying on the floor. He painstakingly glanced to her, and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but the marauder instantaneously fired her Volley, with one arrow piercing through his mouth, the head of the arrow protruded from the back of his skull.
Tryndamere fell on his knees and just painfully stared at the monster that his wife had become. The marauder slowly took a couple of steps forward and wordlessly fired her Enchanted Crystal Arrow to immediately freeze him to death. Once his body was engulfed in killer frost, all Tryndamere could see was the shadow of the marauder picking up her mask and wearing it. She took a last cold leer at him, then her dark figure fled until the blizzard took her whole being. For Tryndamere, it was all a bad dream.
A violent crash suddenly slammed against the earth like a fallen meteor, then ashes forming a puff of smoke surrounded the area, granting absolutely null vision. Once the debris cleared out, a good-looking man grunted while hoisting himself out of the newly formed crater. He yanked his enormous hammer off the ground and leered at his opponent who wafted a few meters ahead of him.
"Heh... fully charged," Jayce mumbled as electricity became more visible as it cascaded throughout his weapon.
"Suffer eternally!" His opponent emerged from the shadows, making his way to him. When Nocturne reached halfway near the hero, Jayce blasted a thundering blow to knock him off, but Nocturne managed to cast his Shroud of Darkness in the nick of time to defend himself.
Once the shroud wore off, he immediately marked Jayce with his Duskbringer, hovered closer to him, and then slashed him on the chest. Jayce winced in pain as he was taken aback, providing him the advantage to shift to a different fighting stance. He swiftly lunged forward, faster this time, and he deployed a line of electricity ahead of him with his weapon. It was five meters long, extending from the edge of the river on the left, to the row of trees on the right.
"For Piltover!" Spoke the determined Jayce as he fired his Shock Blast through the Acceleration Gate, increasing the speed of his electrical orb and it slammed violently against Nocturne, damaging his left shoulder armor while he fell sideways.
"Without fear," Jayce smiled confidently.
Fear..?
Nocturne slowly glared at the arrogant hero, then a vast smoke of darkness engulfed him and rapidly expanded throughout the whole place. Cold sweat dripped from Jayce's forehead, and just as he was about to switch stance once more, his midsection was abruptly stabbed with both of Nocturne's blades.
Surprised, Jayce coughed out blood, and as Nocturne sliced his body to huge pieces, the darkness faded away, revealing the freshly cut hero lifeless on the cold ground. Nocturne stared intently at the bleeding corpse before him when, without warning, an arrow whizzed out from nowhere and pierced through Nocturne's back armor.
He winced and looked back only to find no one there, however, another arrow was suddenly shot, taking advantage of his blind side and went through his shoulder. Nocturne quickly turned around and caught a glimpse of a shadow vanishing into the woods. He glided his way to the area but another arrow whizzed from the west and critically struck Nocturne's rib armor.
He slightly fell sideways but immediately regained his stance. He glanced ahead and quickly saw an incoming arrow, in which he impulsively casted Shroud of Darkness to shield himself. His haste, however, resulted for a miscalculation. The arrow struck through his collar a second before Nocturne successfully casted the shroud. He slightly fell back and found himself slowing down for no reason.
He glared ahead to check if his opponent was still there. When the dark figure didn't move, Nocturne casted Duskbringer to mark her, but since she read his movements in advance, she effortlessly evaded the attack and lunged forward, sprinting into the natural light to reveal herself, and then firing another arrow that critically pierced through the center of his chest.
Nocturne fell backwards and winced in pain.
What's going on? I've never been beaten before!
He opened his eyes to take a good look of his opponent who stood proudly in front of him.
"Who are you?" Nocturne huffed in exhaustion.
"I am your worst nightmare," the marauder coldly replied.
That voice!
Nocturne's eyes grew wide while the marauder shot a salvo of arrows that at first seemed to look like one arrow splitting into 3 arrows in midair. Each arrow gave Nocturne a critical hit on his chest. He was so surprised that he can't decide what to do anymore, but to just stare at her. And that was when he realized his deep affections for Ashe was because of her resilience and tenacity. His eyes lingered at her for the last time, imagining her beautiful face behind that mask until finally, Nocturne dissipated to nothingness.
- EPILOGUE -
Standing silently by the dragon's nest, she lowered her bow while watching the agonized dragon crumble to dust and explode into ember. Then, there was an unexpected sound of someone approaching, so she quickly aimed her arrow at the target.
"I'm not here to steal the dragon. I'm too late anyway," he spoke rather softly.
Ashe remained silent but kept her aim, prepared to fire her frozen arrow at any time.
"I respawned for you." The dark figure emerged from the shadows and slowly made his way to her, while Ashe gave him a cold, uninviting stare.
"Ashe... you really kicked my ass good," said Nocturne as he moved closer to her.
What's wrong with me?
Ashe couldn't seem to fire her arrow at this jerk who has always been so mean to her. Then, just before she knew it, he lowered the bow for her, wrapped an arm around her waist, gently lifted her marauder mask with his other hand, then planted a sweet kiss on her lips. And to his surprise, she finally kissed back, acknowledging him.
"Nocturne~"