Hi guys! I haven't written too much fanfiction recently (or finished any), but I have been playing quite a bit of League. But what I've noticed is that no one really has the story that I'm looking for, so I've decided to create it myself. ^_^ I love playing as Zed, as he is my favorite champion, and I feel as though I could expand upon his story more in my own way, while creating a new one as well. I'd appreciate it if you guys give this story a chance and maybe drop in some reviews if you'd like, whether it be a comment or constructive criticism. I may also change the rating later. Anyways, happy reading~
A message was sent out today to all currently registered champions. In the years that the League had existed, all kinds of beings had been welcomed in, no matter their background, no matter how... controversial.
He was not one to exempt himself from this label, but all things considered, he supposed it could be worse.
It had been an hour since he had become aware of the League's calling. The notification wasn't entirely specific enough for him to decipher any hidden messages or implied meanings. Since it was mandatory for all champions to heed the conditions which they had agreed to when they were accepted into the league, it was expected that everyone would be present.
Everyone.
Including a certain triumvirate of ninjas.
His steps never made a sound, unless he wanted them to. With the eerie silence surrounding him, Zed made his way down to the ornate doors that housed the meeting hall within the Institute of War. He approached the doors and lazily pushed aside its weight, revealing other champions and summoners who were already seated.
Within his view, he could see elevated rows of seats, similar to ones found in an arena. There, handfuls of officials, champions and the like spread about conversing with one another, engaging in casual topics of interest.
He needed not to be acknowledged by anyone nor make any eye contact, and swiftly headed to an isolated seat away from the others. The fireplace within the meeting hall dimly lit his features. His mask reflected the scarlet glow from the embers and he sat in silence.
He was here earlier than most, in about another hour give or take, the seats would be filled by latecomers. In this time, he occupied himself with quiet meditation, shrouded by his own shadowy bubble, where none dare interrupt him.
As he rested in undisturbed silence, flashes of his past came back to irritate him. Try as he might, he could not entirely ignore these irksome thoughts from pervading his tranquility. He was the Master of Shadows after all, not the Eye of Twilight, who could completely remain apathetic to all external and internal influences that may cloud his judgement. He was highly respected for his uncanny knack of making efficacious decisions and unerring diligence to his duty. Quite assiduously so, which Zed regarded with disgust.
But mainly because... he once admired it.
There were still things about himself, that he was still uncertain of. In acceptance of his new identity and life, he embraced the shadows and put all his faith in them. Even still, seldom there were times he showed a faint doubt in his choices.
He dismissed these treacherous thoughts each and every time, still holding the belief that his fate was bettered by his link to the shadows. And nothing would ever change that.
For now at least.
The overall ambience grew louder, signaling the advent of more people (mostly people) who had been requested by the League for the same reason. Soon enough, the hall was almost filled, and yet there was still enough room to navigate through.
He showed no changes in expression, and even if he did, it was masked by his face plate. Well, was masked.
His helmet suddenly disappeared from his head, and he felt hands cover his eyes that had momentarily opened in response to this invasion of space. He would have felt slightly alarmed and ready to counteract, but two facts gave him reason not to: first of all, no violence of any kind was allowed within grounds owned by the League, except for the Fields of Justice which was specifically sanctioned for said violence. Second of all, only one person ever dared to cover his eyes as a joke.
Well... one person as of now.
"LeBlanc. I would appreciate it if you returned my helmet to me and set aside with your delicate hands..." Zed said impassively with the slightest hint that he was annoyed. LeBlanc curled her lip in a mirthful pout.
"Such a charmer, you are Zed. How did you know it was me?..." She responded, acknowledging his comment about her 'delicate hands'. She returned his helmet and placed it on his lap. He suppressed a sigh, and continued meditating with his arms crossed.
"You may be the Deceiver, but I am one of those rare few who are more intimately familiar with such actions..." Then he added as an afterthought, "...and I suppose it's because I've known you for long enough."
"Aww. That's so sweet of you, Zed-zed," LeBlanc replied and he gave a small growl of dislike for that nickname. Teasing was inevitable during each of their encounters, but Zed had learned to tolerate this in her characteristic style of conversing with him.
"What brings you here so early?" She asked affably of him.
"I wished to reserve a decent seat for myself. And it was, until a minute ago..." He replied with mild sarcasm. LeBlanc pouted and lightly tugged at his arm.
"You wound me deeply, Zed-zed..." She said mockingly as he ignored her antics and turned his head in the other direction. Utilizing 'distortion', she appeared on the side he had turned his head to. He sighed resignedly and gave up trying to ignore her. He stared at her with a side glance.
"Why did you choose to sit next to me again?..." He inquired in an slightly strained tone of voice.
"For good reasons," she said vaguely and added, "For me to know and you to guess." There was almost never a straight answer with her. He gave up in this pointless pursuit of investigation.
"Why do you suppose we've been called here?" Zed asked offhandedly. She put a finger to her chin in childish contemplation, and responded.
"Perhaps the League has seen fit to celebrate your wonderful personality," LeBlanc quipped smirking. He remained silent and decided to stay that way.
At last the meeting hall was near full capacity. That meant the meeting could almost begin, which meant the sooner it was over, the quicker he could leave.
Finally, with Gragas being the last to arrive, all champions and summoners were accounted for. Including imprisoned champions such as Nocturne, who was currently barred within a mobile magical barrier in the immediate vicinity and was restlessly flowing about.
The High Council stepped forward to address all who had gathered, and explain why they had congregated as of now.
"Greetings fellow summoners and our respectable champions," said High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye. Her words were met with mixed reception to the adjective, 'respectable'. It was only expected for her to address everyone equally, nevertheless, 'respectable' overlooked a large majority of the champions currently gathered.
"Normally, an occasion such as this would be to honor or announce a significant event within the League of Legends. However, it brings me great distress to tell you that this is not the case. Recently, we have been unable to maintain complete security of Valoran. This is not the work of any single faction, seeing as several settlements, all of different peoples, have been attacked and decimated. No survivors were found each time..." She added sorrowfully and everyone's attention sharpened at these words. Noxians, Demacians, Ionians, and the like were all affected and expressed similar reactions of indignation and resentful curiosity as to who attacked and slaughtered their respective people. Their silence allowed Kolminye to continue.
"This is not the first time we have faced such unanswered atrocities. However, this time, it is alarming at how great the number of fatalities have amounted to in such a short time. Similarly we have received reports from Zilean..." she said and briefly everyone stared at the aged Chronokeeper who was weary and wore a countenance of distress and worry. "...and from Malzahar that something dangerous has arrived to Runeterra. You may not have noticed it, but slowly yet definitely, our land is changing. The air is heavier, the forests are rotting, and the water is starting to appear polluted. We have done what we can, and have stretched our hands and resources to the maximum in keeping things in check as best we can. Under ordinary circumstances, we would not bother you all with matters that we, the High Council and all our distinguished summoners, could handle with earnest effort. However this is something that is greater than us all. Therefore, we are requesting aid from our esteemed champions. The task is simple: investigate the affected areas of suspect activity and bring information back so that we can better deal with the situation overall. Regrettably, all previous summoners sent to look further into detail for this matter have... been indisposed of by unidentified means," and here the High Council gave a moment of silence to acknowledge those who had fallen in service. The other summoners and most of the champions gave similar acts of condolence and respect. Then Kolminye went on to finish her case.
"This is unprecedented. For the sake of all of Valoran, we implore you, our admirable champions, to aid in us in solving this enigmatic problem that eludes us. It will not be easy, but we trust in your abilities. Please, if you are willing to help, step forth, and we shall entitle you with special permissions to further your investigation."
Her well-worded sermon immediately drew forth almost half the entire champion population to her request. Zed adopted a calculating expression and wondered whether he should accept. During his contemplation, another figure approached him almost unknowingly.
"Zed," a new voice addressed him. He turned his attention to Syndra, the Dark Sovereign. For some reason, she appeared to be uncomfortable.
"Syndra. You have business with me?" He asked professionally. She fidgeted with her hands slightly but went on to elaborate.
"Would you accompany me in this investigation? I have confidence that we would be successful in our endeavor together," she said masking how flustered she sounded on the inside. LeBlanc, being one who loved playing games, interrupted.
"I'm afraid that Zed-zed has already agreed to make a partnership with your's truly..." she said emphasizing her point with a hand placed upon her chest. "Too slow, Syn-syn..." she mocked teasingly. Both Ionians gave similar expressions of annoyance.
"LeBlanc..." they both said at the same time, but only Syndra looked away embarrassed while Zed stared pointedly at the Deceiver. She threw her hands up in surrender.
"I get it, I get it. Can't come in between this lovely 'couple'..." she said slipping away with a Cheshire grin. Zed forced himself to stay silent and regain his composure. He stood up and made a move to leave. It was not that he didn't care about the welfare of Ionian, but he would deal with this problem if it came within his boundaries. He had other matters to attend to.
"I apologize, Syndra. I do not regard this situation as an immediate necessity. Should the next time be more dire, I will request your assistance," he dismissed her in a polite manner. She bowed her head and bid him farewell. While walking away she had a slightly happier expression, adorned by a smile.
His answer was no, and it would have stayed that way, if not for fate provoking him otherwise.
"After deliberation, we have decided it best to elect a representative for each region. A responsible champion who will maintain the direct flow of the investigation unless proven inadequate by later circumstances. Please consolidate amongst your respective faction before giving us your elected champion," Kolminye said regally.
Zed lingered a little while longer to see who would be chosen. He wasn't really interested, rather he decided it wouldn't take up too much of his time, so why not.
There were murmurs and a few heated words exchanged, but ultimately, several champions stepped forward as the chosen ones.
From the Noxian corner, Katarina gracefully walked forth wearing an arrogant smirk along with her iconic hair flip. From Demacia came Jarvan IV looking official as ever. For some reason, Garen appeared to be slightly disappointed. Zed made an assumption when said Demacian gave a quick glance to the redhead Noxian and put the pieces together. He rolled his eyes in distaste but said nothing. From the Shadow Isles, Thresh traversed slowly to the front where the other representatives had stood before the High Council. From Zaun, Zac made his way to the front looking cheerful as ever. From Bilgewater, Miss Fortune came forth to claim her place after besting Gangplank in a rock-paper-scissors match, the latter showing an intense look of resentment while the former stuck her tongue out. After giving Caitlyn a bone-crushing hug, Vi strode proudly forward to represent Piltover, garnering an embarrassed look from the sheriff and an amused but supportive smile from Jayce. Zed chose to presume there was some childish persuasion from the Enforcer. In all honesty, the expected representative was Caitlyn after all. From the Freiljord, Ashe made her way forward to join the other representatives. At first it appeared no one was going to represent Bandle City until everyone looked a little bit lower. Tristana eagerly trudged her way over to the line of the elected. Following her as Void resident, Kassadin floated over to stand beside the rest. Finally, the last representative from Ionia would approach the front. Zed wasn't paying too much attention while staring into the distance and almost missed the formal confirmation from the high council.
"Very well. If you are all certain of your choices, then these ten shall be your leaders in this investigation. Katarina, of the Du Couteau, do you accept..." It was a long and tedious formal procession but was nevertheless necessary to make certain that the elected champions would not back out of their duty. Zed had nearly fallen asleep until a single name brought his attention back.
"...and Shen, of the Kinkou Order, do you accept the terms of duty you have volunteered for?"
Before he could confirm his acceptance, Zed intervened.
"I raise an objection," he stated, staring unflinchingly in Shen's direction. Everyone's attention turned towards him as he made his way towards the representatives. A few fearful champions kept their distance from him while others looked wary or amused. Either way, each of his words resonated within the hall.
"I believe that Shen is not competent enough to represent Ionia. In his stead, I would like to nominate myself to this position," he declared resolutely. This statement raised a few murmurs throughout the crowd, but no one dared to muse their thoughts to the dark ninja directly. High councilor Kolminye gave a raised eyebrow, but offered him a chance at explanation.
"Then tell me, Zed, formerly of the Kinkou Order, why do you believe that you are more worthy to take Shen's place?" she inquired objectively.
"Though I acknowledge his 'judgment' and renowned title as 'the Eye', I must confess that I have doubt that he will only be able to carry us so far in our investigation, while I have a greater drive and ability to seek and find the truth. That is all," Zed finished with a touch of haughtiness. There were a few whom he associated with giving him whispers of approval such as Fiora, a fellow duelist he respected for her skill. However, there were many muttered comments of skepticism from the crowd, including those of Master Yi, Kayle, and several others.
It was unlike Zed to voice a complaint, because he rarely did so, seeing as he was able to tolerate most things. Kolminye contemplated his reasoning. Between Zed and Shen, each were, ignoring their backgrounds, potentially viable to represent Ionia. However, to keep things as simple as possible, there could only be one delegate.
"While I recognize points in your argument, Zed, I must defer to the majority in this case. Shen shall be Ionia's emissary, unless you have unequivocal evidence to suggest Shen does not meet the requirements we have established," she orated calmly and awaited politely for his response.
A moment of silence passed before Zed spoke again. This time addressing Shen directly.
"I'd like to ask you something, Shen. In order to truly test your resolve as a 'representative'. If I was the problem the High Councilors spoke of, what would you do?"
It was a simple inquiry, no tricks or circuitous wording. Shen replied almost immediately without changing tone or expression.
"I would take it upon myself to make sure no one else would be further harmed by you," he replied in a flat manner. Zed looked down upon his feet. Then he started building up a soft, but audible laugh full of malicious contempt.
"Of course you would," he stated mockingly surprising several champions at his reaction. "Protect the others at any cost. Then let me ask you as well, is that enough? Is that all you would do?" Zed ceased in his mirth and became deadly serious. "You would not seek to punish me? To exercise your strength to ensure true safety?"
"If that is what you would do, then it is clear why you are unworthy of being Ionia's representative," Shen replied dismissively. A few chuckles emerged from the crowd as Zed seethed with hatred.
"Let me guess: balance is the key, am I correct? A single action demands an equal reaction and nothing more..." Zed started a emanating malign aura which everyone could feel.
"That is correct. I am surprised you still remember," Shen deadpanned, not intending to make humor out of his statement, rather out of almost genuine surprise. Almost. Zed was no fool; it was clear that was the closest Shen ever got to insulting someone else. Instead of opting for violence, there was better way to get a rise out of Shen. Strike him where it hurt.
"You believe that you can protect everyone. Everyone. Is that true, Shen?" Shen narrowed his eyes as he figured out what his former brother was hinting at.
"Yes. I do," he responded succinctly.
"That's a lie," Zed spat out venomously before applying sardonic derision to his next statement. "You cannot protect everyone, Shen. You couldn't even protect your father."
At these words, the tension may have well burst through the roof as several reactions were produced from the crowd. Those of noble standpoints, such as Demacia and Piltover gave cries of indignation in support of Shen, while others such as Noxus and Zaun, laughed and gave approving glances in Zed's direction. His arms were crossed as his body was filled with satisfaction in humiliating Shen so openly in public.
"He was your father too..." Shen responded without any trace of anger or signs of being provoked. Damn him, and his insufferable disposition, Zed thought. "...Brother..." he added. Zed quickly became enraged with disgust.
"We ARE NOT brothers, nor was he our father..." Zed denied vehemently. "And for someone who preached so much about 'balance', he sure spoiled you, 'Eye of Twilight'. It was not fair that I worked twice as hard, just to gain half as much. This is why I should be Ionia's representative. I shall not allow even this to be handed down to you as well," he proclaimed bitterly.
"That's enough, Zed. Thank you for being honest in your objection," High Councilor Kolminye objected before things got out of hand further. "We cannot have Valoran be disunited under times such as these. If you truly wish to prove your worth, then it is only fair I give you a chance," she said impartially. She appraised him carefully. It was undeniable that Zed was capable of pursuing and achieving anything he wanted, but that Shen was of a similar capacity. Therefore, there was only one way to settle this peacefully; under classic League terms. She discussed her suggested idea with the other officials before readdressing Zed.
"Zed. I offer you a compromise. You will not immediately be appointed as Shen's successor. However," she continued quickly to mitigate his dark expression (even under the mask), "If you manage to best him in a first blood match this Sunday beginning at noon, then we shall recognize you formally as Ionia's representative. Do those conditions appeal to you?" Zed merely nodded his approval after a brief delay of thinking about this new proposition.
"Very well then. Everyone, you are all dismissed for now. Please take care, and stay vigilant. There are dark times ahead of us, but surely, we can make it through as long as we hold hope in our hearts and faith in each other."
These were sweet words on the ears, but Zed knew better. The League was synonymous to a truce. A truce that would not last forever. The unknown threat that loomed on the outside was only one matter. The demons within people were the other. Zed exited the hall, accompanied by Syndra and LeBlanc. As he passed the Triumvirate of the Kinkou Order, he gave three separate glances that almost went unnoticed.
One, to Shen, and it was one of scorn.
Two, to Kennen, and it was one of disapproval.
And three, to Akali, and it was one of-
Of... what? That he was not certain of. Actually, he knew what it was, he just didn't want to confirm it. But it was a mixture of feelings, namely, disappointment, jealousy, and... regret?
No. It could not be. And if it was, it would not be so any longer. It was time to move on.
"That was extremely disrespectful of him, Shen. Why do you not show any signs of resentment?" Akali asked him almost frustratingly. Kennen also gave Shen an odd look.
"She not's entirely unjustified in speaking for your sake, Shen," Kennen squeaked in his Yordle accent.
"I am not resentful because he knows not what he speaks of. Zed is not entirely himself. He does not mean what he says," Shen replied placidly and this arose exasperation out of Akali and surprise out of Kennen as the three companions walked home.
"What do you mean? Was it not clear from his tone that he has completely abandoned the Kinkou Order and has decided to regard all of us in spite?" Akali cried vexedly. The frown upon her face marred her beautiful appearance.
"You see what you want to see, my dear friend. You see Zed as nothing more than an adversary. A traitor. One worthy of disdain and spurn. I, however, have a differing opinion. Through his anger and loathing, I can see who he once was. Though he has been touched by the shadows, he is not lost. A part of him is still Zed. The true Zed..."
Whatever that meant, was left to each one's own interpretation. Kennen pondered his comrade's cryptic statement while Akali was confused and unconvinced.
They continued to walk back home as the night grew darker.
Speaking of darker...
An unknown figure emerged from thin air. It seemed to move with purpose and direction. It was difficult to make out its actions, but suddenly it started moving into the Mount Targon, and throughout the land.
A/N How was it guys? Good? Bad? In between? If it was at least somewhat redeeming/interesting to read, I'd appreciate a review. I'll try to update when possible, the speed of which updates happen may or may not depend upon the number of reviews. (*hint,hint*) But seriously, I'll try updating when I can in between the stress of high school and chores at home and volunteering and whatnot. The plot of this story might bend a few lores and change details so don't be too surprised if that does happen. I don't want to spoil much, but yes, there will be elements of romance as a point in the story, however large it impacts it, I'm not sure as of yet, but we'll see. You're all welcome to give suggestions to the story as well so don't hesitate in leaving your opinion. I'm pretty sure I know where I want to go with the direction of this story, but I'm always open to change (mostly). Anyways, have a nice day and stay cool~