Wild But Innocent Stories: Akali x Shen

by Wiger

Akali's inner equilibrium has been out of balance recently, and it seems to have something to do with Shen. Not my work, just a repost of a long gone author.

This is not my work, but that of an author who used to be on this site, named Wild But Innocent. Her profile is still on here, but she deleted all of her stories and left Fanfiction for good. Luckily, I recorded some of her stories, and since I feel that they are too great to disappear, I'm posting them myself for everyone to enjoy.

She closed her eyes and neatly put on the red eye shadow to counteract the green of her clothing. Even in color, there had to be balance.

It was all part of her morning ritual; bathing and making herself ready for the day. Most of all, it was a moment to reflect on herself, it was in a way a form of meditation. When she looked into her own eyes when she put on her make-up, she always had a steady breathing rhythm that accompanied her movements. Her kamas were standing on either side of the mirror, ready to be used. Symmetry put her at ease. She cleaned them every night, before her last bathing ritual. They bathed a lot – because the body could only work according to the ways of the ninja if it was completely clean and free of distractions.

She'd been fourteen when the Kinkou inducted her into their order. A lot of time had passed since then, and many painful experiences had become part of her life, but she wouldn't be a true ninja if she didn't give those happenings a place in her system and counteracted it, to keep the equilibrium in balance. Balance. The key word of the order. She couldn't imagine living a life without it.

When she looked into the mirror, she saw her slender figure, ready to bring balance to Valoran. She still wore the same clothing that she'd worn on the day she got accepted into the order. Her body had kind of outgrown it, hence all the summoners making jokes about her "side boobs." She had thought about replacing it, but the memories attached to the garments counteracted that the size wasn't completely right anymore. If she'd gotten a new outfit, it wouldn't have the same meaning – so she'd stayed with this one.

She put her long black hair up in a ponytail and tied it together in multiple places with green ribbons to match her clothes. This way her hair wouldn't be in her way during training.

"I'll make you proud, mother," she whispered as the last part of her ritual before she picked up her kamas and closed the door of her room behind her.

x x x

"No, no, Fist of Shadow. Try lifting your left arm a little higher, so that the kama gets more speed when you throw it."

Shen grabbed her shoulder and put his other hand under her upper arm, lifting it up and directing her in the order that it should go. She nodded and immediately threw her kama at the target, beheading it.

"Well done, Fist of Shadow."

"Thank you, Eye of Twilight."

She ran up to get her kama that was stuck in the wall, faster than the speed of light. With a strong pull she removed it from the bricks.

"Good morning, Akali!"

Kennen came running up to her, his two stars in his hands. She smiled. "Good morning to you too! Did you forget to set your alarm?"

"True ninjas don't need an alarm," he said, grinning. "We can feel exactly when we need to get up. But today I needed more rest. For the balance in my body."

Akali lifted an eyebrow. "If you say so."

"Fist of Shadow, what stopped you from training?" A hand was on her waist as Shen pulled her back into her training spot.

"Apologies, Eye of Twilight. I was listening to Kennen."

The yordle positioned himself behind the line, and started smashing stars into the targets, so fast that they wouldn't be visible to normal eyes. But Akali could see every single one of them.

She felt Shen's eyes on her and she immediately started focusing on her training, not letting anything interrupt her.

She sensed something, but it wasn't quite strong enough to pay attention to. If it became stronger, she'd have to find out what it was, because anything that disrupted the balance had to be taken care of right away. But for now, training was more important – because a day without training would severely damage the equilibrium, even more than this sensation would.

"Fist of Shadow, I would appreciate it if you could have a private training with me on Summoner's Rift at the end of the afternoon."

They had been training the whole morning and the beginning of the afternoon, but she still had energy for days.

"Of course, Eye of Twilight. Can I ask what for?"

"The League has made some small tweaks to your skills and their damage. You were too strong compared to the other heroes. I think it is a good opportunity to test your skills before you have a real match."

She nodded. "At what time do you want me to be there?"

"Four."

Another nod. "I'll be there."

She wiped the sweat off her face and left to her room to freshen herself up. In the meantime she thought about what her master had said. Apparently she was too strong… She'd never intended to be stronger – balance was key, even on the battlefield. She didn't need to be stronger to prove to anyone that balance was the way of life. That thought immediately made her think of Zed. And at the same second he crossed her mind, she banished him again. Only death was suitable for him – no matter the connection they once had. She took a deep breath and regained her peace quickly – in the blink of an eye. But something still felt off, her aura didn't feel right.

Traveling to the Institute of War was easy for the ninjas. Traveling in general was easy for them. Where other heroes had to take trains to get across Valoran, they could jump great distances in mere seconds. In the mornings they could be training in their gardens and the afternoons they could be fighting at the Institute of War, miles away.

They once had their own temple and training grounds… But that place was now the training ground for the order of the Shadows. Akali knew she shouldn't feel any emotions, because emotions were known to easily disrupt the balance, but that day left a scar in her heart. When the pain would get too much, she would counteract it with long training sessions and bathing to calm her down. She wondered how Shen was able to do it; not have any emotions. He had watched his own father get tortured as a test – and he hadn't shown any emotion. That's when he'd become the Eye of Twilight and their master. After Zed had killed his father, he turned even more emotionless.

When she'd just joined the order, she remembered he wasn't wearing his mask yet. She'd thought that he was very handsome, even though he was twice her age at that time. But that was before everything had happened. Before Zed turned to the darkness.

She was allowed to show pain, unlike Shen, she knew that - as long as it was in balance with pleasure. Just like order couldn't be without chaos, and light couldn't be without darkness.

But sometimes the pain would be too much, and training and bathing wouldn't help her get the pleasure and calmness she wanted. Then she would just sleep and almost always she'd wake up balanced in the morning. She knew she had dreams that subconsciously were pleasurable, because her whole being was so used to the ways of the ninja that her own body would regain the balance even when she was sleeping.

Sometimes she wished her mother was still alive so she could ask her for advice. When Zed had killed Shen's father, their master, his army had slaughtered most of the Kinkou. Including her mother. She still didn't know how he was able to do that… there truly must've been no emotion left inside him. To do that to his own… She shuddered and put her hand on her chest to calm her heart.

When she was done freshening herself up, she looked at the clock in the corner of her room. It was almost four. Her equilibrium was out of balance; she could feel it now. The training with the Eye of Twilight would most likely get her back in balance again. She was always looking forward to their private trainings, because she learned a lot from them. Even after ten years of being part of the Kinkou, she still felt like there was something new to learn everyday. It didn't have to be about battle or skills, sometimes she learned something about herself that she didn't know. Of course, everyone changes. She'd grown up in the meantime, she wasn't the fourteen year old girl anymore that could cut dangling chains with her bare hands.

Now she was the woman who could move through walls. The woman who was stronger than most of the heroes on the Fields of Justice. She didn't need to be stronger, but she was. She'd grown up. She was deadly now. There were a lot of heroes who called her cocky because of her jokes about the 'noobs', and because of her confidence. But she just knew her own strengths and weaknesses, and she felt content with her own being. She had fought to be who she was today. Literally. The massacre at the temple seemed like it was yesterday, while it had been years ago now. And her hatred got stronger everyday – and she knew now for sure that it was damaging to her equilibrium.

She really hoped that this training would help her to counteract the hatred inside her heart.

x x x

"Welcome to Summoner's Rift."

She swiped the dust from her garments and got an Amplifying Tome, a potion and a ward. She wondered if Shen would be on the opposite side or if he would come on her side to help her train.

As it turned out, it was just her and Shen on the battlefield. She smirked. He was strong and she learned a lot from him, because he had a great eye for technique and skill, but in the end she could beat him in battle. He always got the tankier items and she got the damage. Sure, it always took a while to kill him, but she still was able to overpower him. Still… he was her master. And his techniques were graceful and controlled, something she couldn't say about her own. Of course, they were more graceful than the other heroes', because she was a ninja. But even though she hated to admit it, the way Shen moved across the field made her shiver. She didn't exactly know why, but it had always done that to her. Probably something with respect, she imagined.

She waited under her tower until the minions passed her and wandered to the middle of the lane. She had leveled the skill first where she threw her kama to mark the enemy, but there was no sight of Shen anywhere yet, so she used it to kill the minions. The blood gutted from their little bodies as she put an end to their lives, thoroughly enjoying it. It's not like they had a soul or anything… they were like plants. Not as deadly as Zyra's plants though, but the little buddies were not real beings. She killed another one and saw a teleport coming into the minion in front of her. Her heart jumped up.

With a bang Shen appeared in front of her, and immediately she threw a kama to his head, hurting and marking him. When she lifted her hand to attack him, he grabbed her arm and blocked the damage. For a short moment she just looked into his bright white eyes, then she swung her kamas around and struck him in his stomach, breaking his shield. He didn't even flinch, which wasn't a surprise. He never flinched. He didn't show any pain, not even when he was close to dying on the fields. It was just who he was; being the Eye of Twilight didn't allow him to show any emotion at all. He probably still had them, but he just had to control them and keep them inside. Balance.

When she noticed he was making the movement to taunt her, she threw her mark on him, knowing that if she was forced to attack him, it would at least do more damage so he would hurt himself a lot by taunting her.

'Perfect,' she thought when he did just that. But the damage that she did to him disappointed her; it used to be a lot more… She looked into his eyes and wanted to curse, but she held it in and she almost swore she could see him smirking behind his mask. But then again, that definitely wasn't the case. The last time she'd seen him laugh was when she was still a teenager, and he and Zed were training together. The memory pushed a wave of bitterness through her and she screamed out, slashing around and hurting Shen in every way possible, before hiding in her cloud of smoke.

"Your equilibrium seems off," Shen noted in a calm voice while the blood was dripping out of his wounds.

"NO!" she then yelled. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. "No, I am fine

"You are not, Fist of Shadow."

"Can we just focus on the fight for now, master?" she asked while killing some more minions. In response he taunted her again, so she was forced to attack him. Unfortunately, this time she hadn't marked him before, so she didn't do that much damage to him. She needed to finish her hextech gunblade, but for now her basic attacks didn't do anything…

She took another deep breath and tried to get her head back together, staring Shen into his eyes, trying to tell him to back off because she was back in the game, in balance this time. But the look in the bright white pools sent a different message, one of steadiness and determination.

"Fist of Shadow," he said while his eyes held hers, "we really need to fix your equilibrium."

"It is okay, master. After this fight everything will be back in balance, trust me."

"I do not trust you on that, Fist of Shadow."

'Yeah, because the last time someone told you to trust them, he killed your father,' she thought, bitter again. She gritted her teeth and marked him, farming the minions in the meantime. When she tried to run up to them, he stepped away from her, knowing that she didn't have her ultimate yet to catch up to him. When the mark faded away, he immediately taunted her, catching her by surprise, and despite her attempts to escape, he killed her off in a few fluid motions.

"You have been slain."

"What?" she muttered under her breath, healing at the fountain. "I guess my damage really did get altered too much…"

"Good idea to train for a bit before joining another battle, right?" Shen said bluntly when she arrived back in lane. She nodded, loading up her ultimate ability and she smirked. "Indeed, Eye of Twilight. My damage seems to have been severely reduced, so I need to train in order to get the right techniques to do the most damage out of my skills."

Immediately she marked him, dashed forward and struck him with a basic attack, slashing him in his chest with her spinning kamas, before hiding in her shroud. His health was so low that she was tempted to go after him again, knowing that his ultimate ability wouldn't be of much use if he didn't have any other teammates. Without hesitation, she marked him, dashed and attacked him, but just before she could finish him off, he taunted her under his tower, making the tower attack her. She smirked again, knowing when his taunt would end – she would be able to get away if she ran away fast.

But just when she thought his taunt was wearing off, he threw his blade at her, killing her again – and he himself getting away with a sliver of health.

"Dammit," she whispered. She would show him who was the stronger one…

"You are not as confident as usual," Shen noted and she raised her eyebrows, not meaning to disrespect him but still showing him that her confidence was fine. He raised his eyebrows too, mirroring her gesture. This threw her off, he'd never done that before. This was getting close to showing emotion – even though he was just mirroring her.

"My confidence is just fine, I can assure you that. My damage has just been reduced and I need to learn how to work with that. Just watch, I'll kill you within minutes, master."

x x x

After the match, she sat down on one of the benches next to the shop at Shen's base. She'd won, but she didn't feel content about it. Her tower-pushing skills just were better than Shen's, but he had killed her over and over again – she'd only killed him a couple of times. This had never happened before.

Shen sat down next to her and she noticed his muscles seemed to be more buffed than usual.

"Have you been training more, master?" she asked.

He nodded simply, without saying anything else.

"Why?"

"Because I need to be as strong as I can be."

When she didn't want to ask further, she could've sworn she heard him sigh.

"I can sense your equilibrium, Fist of Shadow. Your hate is growing stronger every day."

With a dash she was away from him, taken aback by his accurateness. Her eyes burned a bright red and she gritted her teeth again.

'"Your eyes are red, Fist of Shadow. That is a bad sign. A ninja in balance should always flash a bright white when they are taken aback by something."

"Easy for you to say," she laughed. "You just don't allow your emotions. Even though you probably have them, you just can't show them. Doesn't mean they aren't there."

"Excuse me?"

"Master, I don't mean to disrespect you, but aren't I right?"

"This is not about me, Fist of Shadow. I can control my equilibrium. At this moment, you are not able to. You are getting further and further out of balance."

"And why would that be?"

She was hoping Kennen would show up soon, since he had to train on the Rift as well, but so far there was no sign of the tiny furball. He was her best friend, without a doubt. They always had so much fun together… And here she was, feeling vulnerable under Shen's bright white eyes. It was like he could see through her.

"It's because of Zed, isn't it?"

His voice caught her off and she hissed. "Please don't say that damned name ever again."

"Come with me."

He got up from the bench, said goodbye to the shopkeeper and teleported back to the League facilities. She followed him hesitantly.

When they arrived in the reviewing room, she held her breath because of the sweaty smell that was hanging in the air.

Shen noticed and gestured her to walk with him, not wanting to disobey she followed him. She glanced at his broad back and frowned. He has to be very frustrated to train so much… Seems like I am not the only one. He just didn't show it. Cause he wasn't allowed to.

She realized when he walked into the garden that he was looking for a private place to talk to her, and suddenly she got nervous. She didn't want him to know what was going on. And everything should be fine soon anyway – even though the training with Shen didn't give her the balance back that she wanted. Maybe my hate does grow stronger, she thought. She always pushed the thought of Zed and that particular day away, but it was in stuck in her soul like a leech. It drained her energy and at first she had been able to keep it under control, but the more she missed her mother, the worse the pain got. Maybe because in the beginning she couldn't quite believe that it'd actually happened. But now she was reminded of it every damn day, because she missed her mother more than ever. Now that she was grown up and had her life together, being a well known and praised ninja, she wanted advice from someone who knew her better than anyone. But that wasn't possible anymore.

Sometimes she dreamed of her mother, her dark brown hair and brown eyes – Akali looked like her, especially now that she was a woman.

She watched the fountains that resembled the fountains at the Rift, but these ones actually had water and didn't have healing abilities. It looked peaceful.

"I don't know what's wrong," she then bluntly admitted. "I have tried everything, but it doesn't go away."

Shen was silent for a moment. "Maybe you can't make it go away."

"And then what?"

"You have to counteract it. The Kinkou is known for their dedication to the preservation of balance. That doesn't mean that if there is too much of something, you should make it go away. Order, chaos, light, darkness ― all things must exist in perfect harmony for such is the way of the universe. This literally is in our contracts for the League, Fist of Shadow."

"What are you trying to tell me, master?"

"Your mother was a strong shadow warrior. She always had the motto: 'We do what must be done'. I think you should live by that rule."

'Does he have to bring up my mother?' A zing of sadness went through her bones. "I still don't understand."

"You can't make the hate go away, but in order to maintain the balance, you need to counteract it. Darkness can't be without light."

"I was just thinking about that this morning. The training didn't give me enough pleasure and satisfaction, it wasn't what I hoped for. It has worked for a long time, but lately it seems like it's getting too… boring… It still makes me happy, but not enough."

"You're looking for balance in the wrong places."

"Then what else am I supposed to do?"

"You need love."

She stopped and stood still; her mouth fell open. What did he just say? When he kept walking, she sprinted and caught up to him.

"What did you mean by that? I have love in my life, I have friends and you are all like my family..."

"You know what I mean. Why else did you stop walking?"

She untied her mask and clenched it in her balled up hands, welcoming the fresh air in her lungs. "Are you saying I should find a man?"

"I am, Fist of Shadow."

"Why?"

"You need the emotional and physical satisfaction of having someone you love, against the hate and pain you feel."

She raised her eyebrows and smirked. He noticed because she wasn't wearing her mask anymore, but his eyes stayed serious and didn't show any hints that he was fooling her. Why would he fool her anyway?

She started laughing. "I can't believe you just said that. How would I find a man? One that I love and holds mutual feelings for me? I am a ninja, I am from the Kinkou Order. There are no men in this order that I can be with. My mother was lucky to have found a husband that was in her league – but I don't have that opportunity."

"You do."

Another laugh escaped her throat, it sounded like a giggle. "Okay. Sorry for laughing, master, but I really need to think about that."

"You have time. But don't take too long – because your equilibrium will be damaged permanently if you don't fix it soon."

Her hand grabbed a bunch of leaves and pulled them from the tree, rubbing them between her fingers. She smelled the crushed greens and took a deep breath.

"Thank you for your advice, Eye of Twilight."

"You're welcome, Fist of Shadow. Let's go back to Ionia."

x x x

That evening when she took off her make up, she looked into the mirror. Her brown eyes stared back at her and she wondered if there would ever be a man that would match her and that she could love. There was one man that came to mind, but she pushed away the thought. That was impossible anyway…

She decided that she didn't want to bathe yet and walked back to the training fields, without make up. Her eyes looked like brown beads, surrounded by black eyelashes that weren't as luscious as usual without her mascara. But she didn't care. She had stuff to think about, a lot of stuff.

She braided her hair quickly and then remembered that she had forgotten her kamas. She cursed under her breath and ran back, fast as lightning. She flashed through the hallway and suddenly she smashed into something hard. Taken aback by the collision, she fell backwards – but a strong hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back up before she fell.

"Thanks," she mumbled to Shen. She then passed him by without saying anything else, her face flustered. When she got to her room, she picked up her kamas and sprinted back to the training fields. She was there within no-time and saw Kennen furiously training, his stars flying around in all possible directions. Flashes of lightning were above his head and his enthusiastic voice screamed the usual "Yes, yes, yes!" and she grinned.

"Fist of Shadow in the house!" she screamed and immediately he stopped throwing the stars and ran up to her. "C'mon Akali, let's train together!" he yelled.

She nodded and stepped into the circle, targets around her. His stars started flying again and she dodged them easily, throwing her own kamas at the same time.

"Everything okay, Akali?" he asked, panting in between throws.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you usually don't train around this time, silly."

"Oh… Well I guess I have some things to think about."

"I figured," he smirked as another star flashed past her face.

"You figured? How?"

"I've known you for a long time now! You are out of balance lately. Did Shen talk to you about it?"

It was funny to her how Kennen called Shen so easily by his name, while that was always way harder for her. She always called him "master" or "Eye of Twilight." Calling him by his name was too… personal. She didn't want to affect his emotions in any way.

"Yes, he did, after the training."

"And?"

Her kamas flew past his face and he changed into a bolt of lightning, dodging it and rolling around in a circle past the targets, damaging them.

"He said I can't make the hate go away."

"That's helpful."

"He said I need to counteract it with love."

"Holy shit that sounds cheesy," Kennen chuckled.

"I know…"

"But do you think he has a point? He means a man, right?"

"He said that I need 'the emotional and physical satisfaction of having someone I love, against the hate and pain I feel'. I guess that's kinda true. I've been through all other options."

Kennen laughed again and his laugh was so catching that she couldn't help but grin. It was actually kind of hilarious.

"And let me guess, now you're frustrated and you've come to throw some kamas into poor dummies?"

"You could say that," she chuckled. "I don't know what to do with his advice."

"I know what to do!"

"What?"

When he just looked at her with amusement in his eyes, she grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up by his garments. "Tell me!" she demanded.

"Nope."

"Do you want a kama in your furry face?" she threatened and he laughed even harder.

"Akali, just think about it." He poked her nose and she squinted her eyes in surprise.

"Think about what? There's no one suited for me!"

"I think there is, silly."

"You're silly!" She felt content because of the joking and happiness she felt when she was around Kennen. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to fix anything.

She put him down on the floor, looking down on him with her hands in her sides, cocking up one eyebrow. "Tell me then, Kenny."

"Nope."

"I'll hurt you!"

"No, you won't. And don't let Shen hear it."

"I don't care about what he thinks! Just tell me."

"You care more about what he thinks than you're aware of."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I care, he's my teacher and the Eye of Twilight. But he doesn't have anything to do with this subject. Now tell me!" She lifted him up off the floor again.

"He has everything to do with this subject," Kennen grinned, his bright teeth showing all the way.

Akali just stood there for a minute, then she dropped her fellow ninja to the floor, stunned by his words as it dawned on her. Then she started laughing. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Probably, if you think I said that you should consider Shen as the person to bring you back in balance."

"What the hell," she then started laughing out loud. "That is not an option. The Eye of Twilight? He doesn't even show emotions – I don't think he's even allowed to have them."

"Of course he has them. He just has them under control."

"Hmmm," she pondered for a second, closing her eyes. "This is a lot to think about," she then said, frustrated. She threw her kamas into the targets, effortlessly.

"Calm down, Akali! The more you get worked up about it, the more your equilibrium gets tilted to the wrong side. And it already is. So just relax, and think about the options and if it will help you to get the balance back that you need."

"Since when did you get so wise?" she smiled.

He shrugged and put his stars into his belt. "Been watching closely."

"Watching who?"

"Your future husband," he said and covered his eyes and tried to hold back his laugh, but instead a little snort escaped his mouth. She kicked him on his butt and walked away.

"Screw that," she yelled back over her shoulder. "This whole situation is way too weird! Cheesy bullshit," she added. She heard him giggle as she walked back to her room.

x x x

That evening she decided she had to leave. Even if it was just for the night… She needed time alone. Without influence from being around her fellow ninjas - who were more in balance than she was at the moment. Or at any moment.

She took a quick shower instead of doing her usual bathing ritual, and packed a small bag with some clean underwear and a spare outfit. And some tissues and sanitizer – she couldn't stand being dirty for too long. She wouldn't need her kamas; she'd be back before dawn because she had a match tomorrow.

She swung a jacket around her waist and tied it together in a knot on her stomach, before closing her door and flashing through the hallways, careful not to bump into anybody. Her hair was flowing behind her, still damp from the shower. It felt fresh to have wet hair from the shower. Her chamomile shampoo left a lingering scent in the hallway, but she didn't care. It was time for her to take a night off.

The Kinkou Monastery was on the northwestern part of the island. She'd been to a lot of places on Ionia, but not at night. Night was a time to rest and to refill the energy – but her balance was really bad anyway…

There were a lot of heroes that came from this place. She knew them all by name and felt happy with all the people she'd gotten to know – except for one. Sure, there were a lot of heroes with dark pasts, but none of them had affected her in the way that Zed had on that day when his army had destroyed everything.

Right away the pain in her heart was back and she stood still for a couple moments, putting her hand on her heart and looking back to see the Monastery on top of the hill. Quiet, peaceful. She wished she had more of that peace…

She looked at the forest in front of her and knew that behind the trees there would be the shore. She longed to hear the sound of the waves. It only should be a three hour walk. Enough time to think about all this, she thought. Determined, she stepped into the woods, welcoming the fresh scent. The air was cool and made her hair grow cold against her back, but she didn't care.

Never in her whole life she'd thought about the possibility that she could be with a man… Of course sometimes she dreamed about it, but she'd never accepted it as a true possibility. She'd always brushed it off and every thought that'd crossed her mind about being in love, she'd put it away. For some reason she always thought that ninjas shouldn't think about those things – they had a more important job to do: to maintain the balance of Valoran. And they would kill for it – she had killed so many of Zed's soldiers that she'd lost count. And besides that, she'd murdered some other dangerous threats. But they had to do what must be done to maintain the balance. Because her mother had taught her to do so.

'I wonder what my life would be like if it didn't have to be "in balance" all the time,' she pondered as she grabbed some grass and rubbed it between her hands. She loved to smash leaves and grass, to smell the fresh scent. It made her relax a little bit.

She chuckled when she thought about the idea of being with Shen – but she didn't really want to actually think it through. That was dangerous terrain. But if it truly was the way of a ninja to counteract negativity, then maybe she shouldn't shut it out.

'God, this cheesiness. It feels like I am in some stupid kind of novel,' she thought, grinning. 'And I am not going to let that happen to me. If there's anyone who is going to decide about my life, it has to be me. I just don't want to get kicked out of this order because of my screwed up equilibrium. This needs to be fixed. But Shen just can't be the… solution.'

A bat flew past her face, and she already saw it coming even though it was pitch black outside, so she didn't even flinch. Being a ninja had its perks.

'Or can it be a solution?'

She focused on opening her mind to the option, but it was hard. How could Shen even be in a relationship when he wasn't allowed to show his emotions?

She remembered when he was still younger, when he'd walked around without a mask and enjoyed training, and joking around with his friends. But all his friends were gone now, and his best friend… well, he was still alive. Technically. But his mind was as dead as anyone can be. And Shen… well, he was the Eye of Twilight. He was intimidating, unreachable. She remembered when she'd first met him; she'd been only fourteen. 'I thought he was handsome,' she smirked. 'But I haven't seen his face for years now…'

Suddenly, an idea flashed through her head and it made her shiver. In her mind she saw Shen, walking up to her and taking off his mask while making his way over to her. His hands cupped her face and she was too stunned take in what just happened, but his face came closer and she…

"What the hell?" she then woke herself up from the thought, punching a tree that she walked by. The bark broke off and she immediately regretted doing it, not wanting to damage the tree. After all, her duty was to "prune the tree". She saw when things needed to be tweaked and cut off. She knew exactly what had to be done to make the balance stay perfect, even if it meant that something had to be cut off or added. 'Then why can't I see it with myself?'

x x x

After another hour of walking, she arrived at the shore. The sky was clear and the stars were clearly visible, reflecting in the sea. Shen should be here, it's his duty after all to watch the stars, she smirked.

With a thud she dropped to the floor, enjoying that she felt a little sore from the walking. It had been a long time since she'd walked a distance like that, usually she just flashed faster than light, but this night she needed the time.

'If I'm able to clear my head then I can stay here till sunrise and just be back at the monastery in less than a minute,' she thought, smiling.

The sound of the rushing water made her feel a little light-headed and it felt good. She had missed this. When she was younger, she'd lived close to the sea and it had empowered her during her trainings. Even after her mother had exhausted her with impossible missions, she still maintained to stay calm. This place had helped her.

Suddenly, a blade struck her shoulder and she jumped up in pain. She wanted to scream, but she held it in for a couple of seconds.

"What the hell?" she yelled then, ripping the blade from her shoulder, holding it in her hands. Immediately she felt whose blade it was. And she knew that that particular person always carried another one.

Instinctively she ducked, avoiding the second one just in time.

"What the hell?" she screamed again. "What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

"I did," Shen's calm voice came from behind her and she finally turned around to face him.

"Why?"

"Because I can't let you be by yourself with your equilibrium so badly tilted. You're dangerous to yourself."

"And did you have to hurt me for that? We aren't on the Rift!" she said, wiping the blood away from her wounded shoulder.

"You'll survive, Fist of Shadow."

"I know I will but you could've just called my name!"

"Do you realize that you are still screaming at me?"

"I do. I am sorry, master," she then whispered, as if to make up for the way she'd just yelled at him.

She sat back down in the sand, not planning on going back with him. To her surprise, he sat down next to her, gracefully. He crossed his legs under him and leaned his elbows on his knees, holding his face up. He looked at the stars intently like it was home to him.

"You seem tired," she dared to say. Was being tired an emotion?

"I am," he then admitted. He turned his head to look at her, she saw from the corners of her eyes, but she didn't look back at him. Not after everything Kennen had told her and that weird thought she had earlier tonight. She didn't want to get confused by looking into those white bright eyes…

"Did it help?" he asked.

"Did what help?"

"Your walk here. You didn't use the ninja ways of traveling – so apparently you needed the time to clear your head."

She laughed out loud, it sounded fake but she didn't care. She had always been the kind of person to joke around, despite the fact that she was a ninja with an important job. But she felt uneasy now, Shen's presence made her feel different from usual.

"Why do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

Her face cocked to the side and a frown appeared on her face. "You know why. You're the Eye of Twilight, you know exactly what's going on."

"It's about what I said after the training."

"Yup."

"I heard you and Kennen this evening on the training court, talking about it."

"Did you hear everything?" she said, her heart beating faster. She then clenched her teeth, cursing at herself for being so uneasy and scared. She was never this way. She was the Fist of Shadow – and no one could scare her. But this, this whole "love" thing, made her feel weird.

"No, I didn't hear everything. But just enough to know that you, Fist of Shadow, seriously need to think about what I said. Even if Kennen called it cheesy."

She chuckled. "Sure."

"Judging from the way you left the Monastery, I'd say you did a lot of thinking on the way here."

"Not that much," she admitted. "I can't get used to the idea yet. I've never thought about the possibility, and suddenly it's the only solution to fix my equilibrium… I just need time."

"You can't get used to it by just thinking about it. You have to experience it in order to get comfortable with the idea."

She facepalmed and sighed. "This is all so stupid. I don't need a man. I am fine on my own."

"You would be, if it wasn't for all the pain and hate you're feeling."

"So I need a man just for the balance? That's a stupid reason. You should never be with someone because it's your only solution, but only because you want it. And I don't want it."

"That's very true. But are you sure you don't want it, Akali?"

Hearing him say her name like that made her look away from him. It was like her stomach just turned into a knot and she felt like throwing up.

"Just leave me alone, please. I'll be back before morning," she then whispered.

The wind made her hair blow up and it brushed against the wound on her shoulder and she hissed. Shen noticed and hovered his hand above the cut, and suddenly a purple layer appeared, much like the shields he used on the Rift. Immediately it eased the pain and she shuddered. "Thank you, master."

His hand, still above her shoulder, then moved her hair out of the way without touching her skin. "That should be better," he said plainly.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I don't want you to be in pain. I apologize for throwing my blade at you. At the moment, it seemed like you were so far gone that I needed to punish you to let you know it is not okay to leave like that without notice."

"Okay. I forgive you," she smirked.

"Akali…"

"Don't say my name like that, please, master."

"What does it do to you?"

She shrugged. "I'm just not used to it."

"What does it do to your equilibrium?"

She put her hands in front of her eyes and layed down in the soft sand, frustrated. "It makes it a little better, I suppose."

"Because it gives you pleasure when I use your name."

Pleasure sounded like such a stupid word. "I don't know about that," she muttered. "And can you please stop acting like you care? It's not like I can be with you anyway." She then moved her hands to cover her mouth, regretting what she'd just said. She got up and wiped the sand from her sides and upper arms. The wound didn't seem to hurt at all anymore, and she was grateful for that. Physical pain was something she was used to, but that didn't mean she didn't feel it at all. Her skills were so good that she was able to dodge most weapons that people used on her – and on the Rift the healing power of the fountain made everything that was done to her fade away in mere seconds; there were barely any scars on her skin. And she was proud of it. She wondered if this wound would leave a scar. It would be a good reminder to not walk away without telling anyone…

"Why do you think that?" he then said, waking her up from her train of thoughts.

"First of all, I was just blurting stuff out. But the only person that comes to mind that I could be with… Well, you get it. It's not like humans can be with yordles," she chuckled, not paying attention to the fact that he was intently listening to her. "But you, master, can't show any emotions – you're the Eye of Twilight. How is it possible to be in a fully functional relationship with someone that isn't allowed to show you their feelings? If you would even want me in the first place? I don't see how any of this is going to work. My equilibrium is going to be more and more damaged if I don't fix this hate thing. And you said it might just stay forever –"

"It will. It's a memory that you can't just abandon. Memories are part of who you are." His interruption made her realize how much she had been talking, and she wanted him to say something useful about all this.

"So, now what?" she hissed, almost like a grunt. "I don't want any of this. But apparently I need it. If that damn Zed hadn't-"

"Stop right there, Akali. Don't let your mind go there."

"He even killed your father! How can you be so… calm about it? Are you even human?" she then yelled and threw her arms up in the air. Grains of sand were flying through the wind and landed in her eyes. "Dammit," she cursed. She looked to the side to see if she'd also thrown sand in his face.

What she saw, was something she hadn't seen for a long time. He had taken off his mask and was laying in the sand, looking at the stars.

"What…" she whispered. She'd forgotten how long ago it was since she'd seen his face for the last time. Maybe even ten years… His jawline had gotten stronger and he kept his face clean-shaven but with a slight stubble, accentuating that first fact even more. His hair was still the same dark brown color. He noticed she had become silent and turned his head to look at her.

"I am still human, as you can see," he then said, his voice monotone but she heard the determination in it. She didn't answer, still too shocked.

"You do realize that I succeeded my father as the Eye of Twilight, right?"

"I do. I was there," she said when she regained her ability to speak.

"Think about that."

She wanted to touch his face for some reason, to feel if she wasn't hallucinating. He had gotten more handsome, she had to admit that. 'What does he mean; think about that? What is his point?' flashed through her head for a split second, but right away she knew exactly what he meant to say.

"Oh," she mumbled. "I get it. He was married, but your mother died a long time ago, just like my father. But how did that work?"

"Between him and my mother?"

"Yes."

"The Eye of Twilight is allowed to show emotion in only one condition; he can let his feelings out to only one person. He has to connect with that person in an emotional, spiritual and physical way."

The word "physical" sent a shiver down her spine, not knowing what to do with this information.

Here she was, the woman that could split up walls with just a chop of her hand; lost for words. This was an unknown path.

"So," she muttered, "how is your equilibrium?"

He closed his eyes and pushed himself up on his elbows, she found it had gotten dark in an instant without his bright glowing eyes and she wished he would open them again.

"You tell me, Akali. Your duty is "pruning the tree," after all. You are the only one who can sense it, nobody else can."

"I have been pushing away these senses," she then admitted. "I have been fighting with my own balance so much, that I have neglected others'."

"You are the strongest woman I know. You can regain those senses with a flick of your finger, Akali."

He was using her name again and she frowned, trying to open up her mind to the senses that she was used to experiencing before she'd let her own equilibrium ruin everything. Suddenly a tear ran down her cheek when she felt his aura.

Without saying anything else, she put her arms around him and pressed herself against him, forcing him to sit up against her weight.

She sighed. "You can't show it… But you feel it. The hate, the anger, the pain..." she whispered, another tear sliding down her face. She didn't care.

"I need you... I need you so very much."

For a moment she didn't know whose lips the words had fallen from. She just sat against him, feeling his pain. She hadn't been alone… She looked up at him, and his eyes were open, looking at her intensely and suddenly she realized that the words had flown from her mouth but the deep voice that had accompanied it had to mean that he'd said the same thing… at the same time.

'He needs me,' she thought, and for some reason it made her feel wanted, and more confident than she'd ever felt. 'The Eye of Twilight has just told me that he needs me…'

She saw that he still had a blank expression on his face, but it was more intense than usual.

"So, you… you've been thinking about… me?" she then said, smirking. She couldn't help it, but if this all was true, she felt more confident than ever.

"I am not sure if I should tell you that, Fist of Shadow."

"Why not… Shen?" It was the first time that she'd used his name in front of him and it fell from her lips easily.

He took a sharp breath and she felt his aura twitch slightly.

"Seems like I am not the only one who enjoys being called by my name," she chuckled.

"You know what must be done first," he grunted suddenly. "I can't open up unless I know it's for good, because I only get one chance. That's all. Just one."

"Is that why your father never remarried?" she whispered, surprised.

"Yes. Plus my mother was the only woman fitted for him. Just like…"

Akali removed her arms from around him and then she did what she'd wanted to do earlier. She grabbed his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "Just like what?"

"Just like you're the only woman fitted for me."

Her mouth fell open and her mind went to her earlier thoughts, when she'd been sure that no one other than Shen was fitted for her. But she hadn't thought that it was possible… Now she was slowly changing her mind.

"Your hands smell like crushed leaves," he noted and she pulled them back fast.

"I have a habit of picking leaves and strands of grass and rubbing it in my hands… The smell calms me down," she chuckled.

"Akali," he mumbled and it was weird, the tone of his voice was demanding, but there was also a hint of desperation in there.

She looked back at him.

"I need you to be mine," he then stated. His white eyes were glowing softly. "I just need you to. And we both know that you need me. I am the only one to match you in everything."

She nodded and she still had a smile lingering on her face. A lot of the heroes in the League called her "hot" and she sometimes felt longing eyes staring at her. She knew she was pretty, but the way Shen just told her that he needed her… that was something completely different. A strange feeling filled her stomach and her smile faded.

She swung her leg over his lap and her fingers trailed his jawline.

"Don't do this unless you know…" he swallowed heavily.

"I am yours, Shen. I think I have been from the moment I first saw you."

What happened next was something that she'd remember for the rest of her life. The bland look that had been in his eyes for years now, completely broke. He let out a deep sigh and she felt his walls come down in a way that was so strong that his aura engulfed her, taking her in and drawing her closer.

He took her chin in his hands and naturally, she leaned in. When he stopped for a brief moment to look into her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitched and she knew there was no stopping her anymore. She caught his lips with hers and pushed him down into the sand, kissing him with all the power and confidence she felt now that she knew everything would be all right. He moaned into her mouth and the vibrations that went through her throat made her shiver. His hands slid down her sides, pulling her in closer and pressing her against his chest.

In the League nobody would've expected that Akali wasn't the kind of person who didn't hook up with everybody. Of course, some would always spread rumors but she just ignored it. Her purpose in the League was more important than caring about gossip. Plus no one ever wanted to confront her about it because they knew they would get a kama to the face…

Here she was, in her master's arms, getting lost in his kiss. Her hands went to his hair and grabbed a hold of it, intensifying the kiss. The Eye of Twilight was hers… The emotionless man had fallen for her – she didn't know how or when, but all she could think about was that she felt that she was exactly where she needed to be. His hair was soft and a little wet because of the sweat that hadn't been able to evaporate yet because of the mask he'd been wearing.

She gasped loudly when his hands slid down her back and grabbed her butt and squeezed gently. Immediately he silenced her by closing her mouth with his, flipping her around as he was now on top. His hands were still on the bottom of her back and she felt his weight on her, his muscles pressing against her chest while his mouth didn't leave hers for one second. She felt a heat in her lower stomach and she pressed herself further up into him, her hands going down his arms and his back, feeling every muscle through his garments. He grunted onto her lips and licked them slightly.

"Shen…" she whispered through the kisses and he clamped her further into him, just when she thought she couldn't be closer to him anymore than she already was. She wrapped her slender legs around his waist and she felt a bulge pressing against her – her face flushed a bright red but she didn't stop.

"We should go back," Shen panted after a while when he let her go, "or someone might see us here."

"Who would…?"

"There are a lot of dark heroes from around here, Akali. Syndra, Varus… and not to mention…"

"Zed?"

He nodded and his eyes searched her face for any anger, but she just leaned up to him and softly kissed him, to which he eagerly responded.

"Let's go back then."

x x x

When they flashed through the woods that she came through, holding each other's hand, Akali felt euphoric. The man that was holding her wasn't just anyone… He was the Eye of Twilight. She wondered what would happen once they arrived back at the monastery – but somehow she didn't want this night to go by without… sealing the deal.

In a couple of minutes they arrived in the hallways, making sure no one saw them, Shen stopped before his bedroom. Akali just stood there for a couple of seconds, raising her eyebrows, smirking.

Without saying anything, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room, slamming the door behind him. "Sit down," he gestured to a chair and he walked to one of the closets, getting out a first aid kit. For a second she frowned, not knowing what it was for, but then she remembered the cut he'd made earlier that still needed a bandage.

"I don't even feel the wound anymore," she confessed as she looked up at the ceiling, seeing the Kinkou order sign above Shen's bed. The covers of the bed were simple and dark blue, much like the clothes he wore everyday. The chair she was sitting on was simple and effective, not very impressive – just an oak chair.

He sat down on the one next to her and when his hand removed the purple layer she took a sharp breath when she felt the pain coming back. But Shen's presence and being in his room was so intoxicating that she didn't care. With a couple of swift movements he disinfected and patched her wound, and with a flick of his fingers the purple layer was back on top of the bandage. His fingers brushed over her upper arm and she shuddered and closed her eyes. The suspense in the room was killing her.

"Thank you," she stammered.

"Come sit here," he gestured and pointed to his lap, which made her smirk – but she didn't have to be told twice. She swung her leg over him and pressed herself against his crotch, grinding slightly, earning her a deep grunt. She looked up from under her eyelashes and batted them seductively, then she leaned forward next to his head.

"So tell me, Eye of Twilight… When did you fall for me?" she whispered.

"Don't even start," he groaned.

"Tell me…"

"I've liked you from the moment you came into the order, but I think I really fell for you a few years ago, when you were reaching your early twenties…"

"But you couldn't show those emotions… why did you wait so long?" she nuzzled his neck and he let out a sigh.

"Because I wanted to be sure you wanted me too. When the Eye of Twilight does something, he has to do it right. At least, I want to."

She felt the stubble against her cheek and she pressed her eyes closed, holding herself back from tearing his clothes off right then and there.

He must've sensed it, because he pushed her away from him, grabbing her arms. He looked deep into her brown eyes and she looked intensely at his mouth when he said: "Don't hold yourself back, Akali."

Everything happened very quickly after that; the colliding of lips, the clothes on the floor, the sounds of skin on skin.

Her hands wandered over his whole body, taking in everything and going to all the places she'd always wanted to discover. The chairs fell down and they landed on the floor, Akali on top of Shen, lowering herself onto his hard manhood. She gasped loudly when he entered her; a sharp pain made its way through her lower body but got clouded right away in an immense smoke of pleasure.

"Oh, Shen…" she moaned and time stood still for a moment, everything around her seemed to be in awe of what was happening here on the floor; their bodies becoming one – the Eye of Twilight and the Fist of Shadow. She felt the soft summer breeze through her hair, even though they were inside. The equilibrium had been repaired. Everything was going to be all right.

When Shen grabbed her hips and pulled her down while thrusting upwards, her insides shuddered from the pleasure and she let out a long moan and right away she was back in the moment, leaning on his chest to prevent her from losing her –physical- balance. As he kept thrusting into her, she met every movement perfectly and his eyes didn't let go of hers as they completely lost themselves in each other. In bare minutes they both crashed down in waves of pleasure, their gasps and grunts disappearing into the air as he flipped her over and started all over again.

Akali pulled him down to kiss him intensely, her body was physically strong but at this point it was having trouble keeping up with all the pleasure that was flooding it. Her breaths came out in a random pattern onto his face, when his hands grabbed her breasts she gasped loudly. She wanted to curse, to scream his name loudly, but they were already too loud – making too much noise wasn't a smart idea. But when his tongue went down from her neck to her chest, she let out a loud yell and she arched her back upwards into his thrusts.

"That's right…" he whispered. "Scream for me."

Hearing those words from his mouth was something she'd never imagined, but now that he said it, her whole body convulsed onto him, she clamped her legs tighter around him as she screamed his name.

"Sh… She-nnnn!"

x x x

When they walked onto the training field the next morning, she felt his hand slightly brushing her back before he walked to the front of the group of ninjas. He smelled like soap and mint leaves. She felt completely satisfied walking next to him. At ease.

In the blink of an eye she saw a star fly to her face and she grabbed it out of the air, holding it up in front of Kennen's eyes. "What was that for?"

"Just to see if your skills are still up to par," he grinned. She slapped him against his head as he stood next to her. Shen had started to give assignments for the morning training and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. His mask was back on his face, like usual… but she knew what was under there.

"Weird," Kennen then mumbled.

"What's weird?" she said, waking up from her daydream.

"Your balance."

"What about it?"

"It's perfect." He then lifted up his finger and pointed at their master. "Did something happen last night? I heard you left and the Eye of Twilight went to find you… Did something happen?"

"Will you shut up?" she grunted in a low voice. "Listen to what he has to say. We need to train."

Kennen giggled and pointed at a bruise in her neck. "I think you've done enough training, Akali."

She put her hand over the hickey instinctively to cover up, gritted her teeth and picked Kennen up, holding him on his cap. "I'll tell you later, but can you shut up for now? For God's sake, Kennen. Nosy yordle."

He grinned widely and she winked at him, letting him know she didn't mean it to sound angry. He was her best friend; he knew what she wanted to make clear.

"So…" Kennen started as they walked back to the center of the training area. "I was right, hmm?"

"Yes, you were."

"How did it go?" He tugged on her loincloth and she smiled.

"Okay, I'll tell you. But not all the details because those are none of your business."

"Deal. Oh and Akali… I think you deserve it."

"Really?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

She grinned and started talking.

x x x

After the training and being strictly professional towards each other, Shen walked up to her and grabbed her arm – something he did a lot, but she didn't mind. He was hers. Even this simple touch made her want to tackle him and make love to him.

"I am going to tell them, Fist of Shadow."

She nodded. It was something that had to be done; as much as she'd enjoyed the idea of nobody finding out. The Eye of Twilight had to be respected, so this was what he had to do.

"Everyone gather around," Shen gestured and immediately the group assembled in a circle around Shen.

"What's wrong, master?" a couple of the ninjas wondered, but he didn't answer.

"As all of you might know, I succeeded my father as the Eye of Twilight. There is an important rule that goes with that, one among many. I am able to get married – but only once. Only to that woman I am allowed to let down my mask and share myself with her. I've been thinking about the best choice for me for years now and it's always been the same person that was the perfect fit. Luckily, she agreed – and I am the only one fitted for her as well. Because something like this is a bond for life and cannot be taken lightly. I think you all know the woman I am taking as my wife; you are all very smart ninjas, I've trained you well."

The group did a step back, leaving Akali standing in the front and she looked around with a smirk on her face. She just couldn't help it.

"The equilibrium feels so much better, master. The Fist of Shadow is perfect for you. As are you for her."

Akali smiled in appreciation to her fellow ninja and nodded.

"The ceremony – a small ritual - will take place in one week exactly," Shen added. "You are all invited, of course."

Akali felt a cold breeze and turned around, just in time to see a dark shadow fly through the trees. A shudder went down her spine and flashbacks went through her head. Her mother, brutally killed by the one she'd never expected to betray her… Shen's father… the whole dark shadow army… the temple in ruins. Blood.

But when she felt Shen's hand in her side, pressing her close to him, she knew once more that everything was going to be all right; a warm feeling took the place of the cold.

x x x

"Mommy! Catch!" A tiny star was thrown towards Akali and she caught it with ease, smiling at the little boy.

"That was great, honey!"

The stars that they'd given to their son were blunt and not sharp at all, but they were perfect for training.

"When I grow up… I want to be a neenjah just like you and daddy!" His tiny hand reached to the sky and Akali spread her arms. He ran towards her as fast as his little legs could carry him and she closed around him in a strong hug.

"I love you mommy. And daddy too."

"We love you too, Chintan."

"Look, there he is!" He broke free from her hug and ran towards the figure that was walking towards them. He almost stumbled during the way but Shen caught him right before he had another chance to fall down.

"Hey, big guy!"

"Daddyyyyyy!" He clamped himself around Shen's torso.

"Are you training with mommy?"

"Ya! I want to be like you daddy!"

"Oh, don't worry… you will be. You'll become stronger than your mommy and daddy combined. Okay?"

The little brown-haired boy nodded even though he had no idea what his dad had just told him, but he seemed fine with it.

Holding their son in his arms, Shen bent forward to hug Akali swiftly, knowing that kissing was impossible when they were out in public because of his mask. For the other ninjas it was recommended to wear their mask, but it wasn't forbidden to take it off every once in a while. But the Eye of Twilight always had to wear it in public.

"Want to go somewhere private?" she whispered in his ear and she could see the smile in his eyes.

"Chintan, do you want to play with uncle Kennen?"

"Yasssss!" the boy yelled and Shen put him down on the floor, walking behind him to make sure he didn't trip because of the uneven stones.

"Did I hear my name?" they suddenly heard and Chintan jumped up and turned around, running towards Kennen.

"Onkel Kenny!"

Akali just grinned when she looked at her son and her best friend. It was always a pleasure to watch those two together. Kennen slapped her behind and gestured. "Go. I'll watch him. I give you an hour."

Shen didn't show any emotion because Kennen was around, but Akali started laughing. "Thanks buddy. You have to be with Meri too, so we'll pick Chin up soon so I can put him in bed for his nap before the late afternoon training starts."

"Gotcha," Kennen winked as he walked away hand in hand with the little boy. They weren't too different in size, which made it all the more adorable to watch.

"I want to kiss you so bad right now," Shen suddenly grunted next to her ear.

"Don't take the risk," she warned him but there was a glimmer in her eyes that challenged him to do it.

Instead he grabbed her arm and in a flash they were in their room, on the floor; kissing, clothes everywhere. Even though they were ninjas they always took their time to enjoy these… activities. After all, the equilibrium had to stay intact.

Shen still made her feel the same way as he had when they'd first gotten together – and they were married for six years now. And they had a beautiful son together. He had her mother's eyes… When he grew up he might have to succeed his dad as the Eye of Twilight… But till then, they enjoyed being together as a family and spending every second together.

When they collapsed next to each other, Shen's fingers trailed down her stomach and over her thighs and she smirked.

The Eye of Twilight and the Fist of Shadow were the leading couple of the Kinkou order, and slowly but gradually the order had been rebuilt. They were still out on revenge on Zed, and they'd been out on missions to kill his warriors, but after all this time they'd taken the bad things and turned it into a wisdom; a life lesson that they'd had to learn in order to know what true balance looks like.

And they'd found it. That didn't mean they could just stop obtaining it – because the slightest things could tilt the equilibrium, and those forces had to be stopped, no matter what. Even if it meant bloodshed. One day, they would kill Zed, no matter what he'd once meant to them.

'For you, mother.'

They had their own life now, and Zed had chosen a different path. He'd been watching them from the shadows. But they'd been watching him as well. One day, they would get revenge – they would avenge their parents. Their mission was clear.

The balance of Valoran was in their hands.

'But,' Akali thought as she looked at her husband, 'you can't truly take care of others until you've taken care of yourself.'