Disclaimer: All names, places, and characters used in the following story are property of Riot Games.


Chapter 1: Twisted Fateful Encounter


The Fields of Justice were his playground. So many victims he could plague with nightmares beyond imagination. So many meatbags he could slash to bits all he wanted, only to see them come back moments later, fresh and ready for maiming anew. Sometimes, Nocturne could forget that he was trapped in a hellish prison created by the ones he wished dead. That was because he was in his element when inspiring terror upon his victims, be they human or not, or even his intended targets. While he was not free to roam and destroy the minds of those who now controlled him, destroying any opponents he found in battle was, by his standards, marginally acceptable for the time being, even if it meant temporarily subjecting his will to whatever whims his current controller had.

Here, upon the fields, he could wreak havoc amongst those who opposed him, or even those he was supposed to consider part of his 'team'. Nocturne had no team. He cared not for the fleshling warriors he fought alongside. They were nothing but pawns made to help along as he tore to shreds all those who stood in his way. He would not hesitate to turn his blade upon anyone, and those who fought alongside him were no exception. If not for the control of his summoner when he was in battle, Nocturne would simply kill everyone around him. He was the embodiment of nightmares itself, and nightmares did not turn blind eyes, or pull any punches. They were terrifying, unrelenting, and unforgiving. Fighting a nightmare was impossible; all you could ever do was run from it, hoping to escape on to some better dream, where the light was there to protect you.

Such was the same with Nocturne. Once you were in his sight, and even when you weren't, death was inevitable. You could not escape; his Duskbringer would undoubtedly pull him that much closer. You could not fight; his Shroud of Darkness granted nigh invulnerability while he planted an Unspeakable Horror in your mind and shredded you apart with is Umbra Blades. And worst of all, you could not rely on anyone else; he would call down a veil of darkness and fear so strong, that Paranoia was inevitable.

It was in a living being's very nature to feel naught but horror just before they were cleft in twain.

However, there was one thing that Nocturne could not stand, and that was the opposite of darkness: light. It was not due to his nature that he could not bear to see light, for even in the light of the sun, nightmares like himself could still be seen, and all the better for they were in plain sight. No. It was the arrogance of those who sided with the light that he hated. Light was always claiming its superiority over the darkness, always keeping it within their grasp with a crushing fist. They did not know that if not for whatever gods above claiming that there should be light, it would not even exist in the first place. Darkness always preceded light, for no matter where it went, darkness was always there first. And yet darkness was reviled, while the light was revered.

But in some ways, the light and the dark were not very different. For example, Demacia and Noxus fashioned themselves as different sides, and assertively claimed that the two were not alike in any way, with Demacia being the light, and Noxus the dark. Yet both were heavily militarily aligned, each requiring a certain time in military service, one with a longer required period and life-long draft, the other with more stringent policies regarding service.

At least, Noxus, however, was more honest with itself than that of Demacia. Take the Iron Ambassador, Poppy, for instance. She tirelessly fought for her city-state, asserting its dominance, and conveying the messages of Demacia to the world through fights in the League of Legends. But since when did being an ambassador involve using a smithy's hammer – supposedly once belonging to her father, who was killed by Noxians – to beat to death the kinsmen of her father's killers? Was an ambassador not supposed to be a vanguard of peace between two opposing sides? What could she hope to achieve by fighting for her side this way? All she would do was paint the Noxian city-state in a negative light, fashioned after her own egotism and personal opinion.

Noxus had no need for such deception, and in Nocturne's opinion, Noxus was a much more 'virtuous' than it's supposed 'light' counterpart.

There was also one person he loathed even more than the fake image Demacia presented to the world, with its 'paragon of life' and 'valuable morals' perpetuated throughout its existence. This one person, aside from being someone who embodied his opposite, also took the side of the same phony image he had grown to despise.

The Lady of Luminosity, Luxanna Crownguard.

Her control over light magic was of little importance to him. Though she was annoying in combat for a fleshbag, she was still nothing more than a target for him to rip apart just like the rest. His reason for hating the teenager was because she took the persona of Demacia, and amplified it many times over. She was overly cheerful and optimistic, acting as a constant beacon of happiness for those around her. She thrived in battle, serving her side of conflict with a fervor matched only by her brother, Garen.

But most of all, she seemed to have absolutely no problem facing Nocturne in battle. He'd fought with her only twice before, and both times, even when faced with a one-on-one battle, Lux never lost her smile. And once, when he was venturing through the halls of the League, he passed by the young blonde, and she didn't even as much as flinch at his presence. Even worse, she had chosen to smile and wave at him.

For the embodiment of nightmares itself, this could be seen as little more than a blatant insult to his very existence. It had taken every drop of whatever self control Nocturne had to not run his Umbra Blades through her heart in that single instant.

Ever since the second of those battles had come to pass, Nocturne swore upon his very being that the next time he encountered the Lady of Luminosity on the Fields of Justice he would spend that battle making sure that she knew fear. That she had no right to smile like that all the time when someone like him was around. That she had every reason to be afraid of the Eternal Nightmare.

And that chance was now.

It was winter on the Summoner's Rift. The trees were dead, providing little shade from the foreboding gray clouds that hung over the war zone. Magic torches hung from the walls of every path, shedding an erratic but reassuring firelight across every corner of the field. Every corner, of course, except for where Nocturne stood. Or rather, floated; where Nocturne went, a trail of chilling darkness always followed him, and wherever he chose to stand/float, a curtain of darkness fell over his position. The tip of the wisp comprising his lower body impatiently tapped the ground in anticipation, spawning a small pool of black that rippled every time he struck it again. The two sets of red-white blades growing from his arms itched, urging him to sink them into flesh and bone before they shriveled and died of starvation. But he had to remain patient for the time being. The brush would do well in hiding him before the coming assault.

In a way, Nocturne couldn't believe his luck. Two of the many summoners of the League had gotten into a petty argument over a matter that Nocturne did not care to remember. And in order to settle the argument, the two had agreed to set out in the dead of night, when everyone else would be asleep, to settle it once and for all on the Fields of Justice. Of course, doing something like this was forbidden, as the summoning process was dangerous, and one that had to be carefully monitored at all times, but both parties were willing to eschew the rules for a single night. They would do battle on the Summoner's Rift with each picking their single favorite champion for the battle. No minions would be spawned, nor would any turrets be active for this fight, and whoever could kill the opposing champion first would be declared the winner.

Such was the situation as explained to Nocturne by the summoner who had chosen him. But of course, none of that mattered to him. All that mattered was the fact that he was here, and his adversary was none other than the one he loathed the most: Lux.

And there she was now.

Through the gaps in the brush, he saw her pass. She was strolling down nonchalantly, arms behind her head and baton loosely dangling from her fingers. Her form-fitting battle armor clinked a bit as her greaves scuffed noisily against the dirt.

Though Nocturne was never one to draw any conclusions, seeing the Lady of Luminosity alone like this caused him to remember the words of several summoners he passed on occasion (at least, the ones who didn't flee in terror the instant he was within sight range). Despite being trapped in an infernal prison devised by the head summoner who had first capture him, Nocturne was allowed certain amounts of free time over the course of the day when he could wander the League of Legends unhindered so long as he did not harm anyone during any of his ventures, and a single slip would mean that he would be locked in his usual chamber around the clock unless called to the Fields of Justice. While he hated the way he was somehow being pitied despite the destruction he had caused before his capture, he was not stupid, and knew that any time he could spend out of his chains was preferable to being contained. So he endured the urge to slash apart everything in sight whenever he was released, instead, satisfying himself through the looks of horror he received any time he silently drifted down a hall, and the terrified screams of those who fled.

And of course, whenever he wanted to, Nocturne could just melt into the shadows, remaining out of view until he chose to reveal himself and frighten anyone in range.

That aside, he would occasionally pass by groups of summoners (while unnoticed, of course) that talked about their favorite champions, or the ones they believed to be 'the most beautiful' or 'the coolest' in their personal opinions. Though it seldom happened, Nocturne would hear his own name during one of these conversations, and whenever this happened, he would take a mental picture and make a note to kill that summoner as quickly and painlessly as possible as a reward if he ever broke free of his chains (scary would also be a part of a list of possible compliments). But any time he heard the name Lux, he would almost immediately jump from the shadows in front of the one who did so. The group would dissolve instantly, the summoners running and screaming in every direction as he filled their thoughts with nightmares in as mild a dose as possible, so as to not drive them insane despite how much he wanted to. Naturally, he saved the largest – though still much smaller than normal – dose for the idiot that touched his nerve, causing whoever it was to remain in their room for sometimes days afterward, refusing to come out. Of course, the person wasn't driven insane, so the head summoners couldn't come down on him for leaving a victim curable.

But looking back on it now, he would most often hear Lux's name when being described as 'cute' or 'useful in fights'. As much as he loathed hearing even her name, Nocturne could not quite deny either as a simple opinion. For a fleshbag, and when taken from the point of view of a fleshbag (something that Nocturne was actually fairly good at doing), Lux did have some form of attractiveness around her that didn't quite apply to the other female champions that would be called 'beautiful'. Calling her 'dazzling' would be more fitting, due to a strange phenomenon that Nocturne noticed; sometimes, whenever light shined upon the Lady of Luminosity, she would shimmer along with it, sometimes turning invisible in plain sight.

As for the latter part of the description, Nocturne could easily see why a summoner would say that, even though he'd only fought against her twice before; she could very easily trap an opponent with her Light Binding and leave them hanging just moments before using her most powerful light spell, Finales Funkeln, to blow them into oblivion. If that wasn't enough, or the situation didn't call for it, her Lucent Singularity would be more than enough to slow someone down in order to set up a teammate, often protected courtesy of her Prismatic Barrier, for the kill.

Being on the receiving end of it was, obviously, painful. Very few champions could face both combos at once and live.

But Nocturne wasn't going to give her a chance to use either.

What are you waiting for? Go get her!

And there was his summoner, giving a command. The Eternal Nightmare snarled inwardly. Silence! Are you a fool that wishes to lose more quickly? Wait for her to drop her guard.

What are you talking about? I chose you because you're able to kill quickly and efficiently. Just slash her apart and be done with it.

If only it were so easy. You do not need to tell me what to do, summoner. He spat the last word with distaste. I would be more than glad to rip her to shreds. You need only say the word, and I shall do it on my own time.

For a few moments, the echoing inside his mind quieted. Then…

Do it.

Nocturne laughed, and knew that if he had a mouth that it would be stretched out in a smile. This, he would enjoy.

All of a sudden, Lux began talking aloud. "So what was the argument again?"

Her bright, cheery voice rang with disgust for Nocturne. She was chatting with her summoner.

"Oh, so that's it?" she giggled, bouncing up and down on her heels and toes. "Well alright then. All I have to do is take out the other champion, right? Then in the name of Demacia, I'll punish him!"

Unfathomable rage boiled up inside him. She walked so carelessly, talked so frivolously, and still had the nerve to say she would punish him?

He would see to it that she paid for that arrogant remark.

With all his might, Nocturne summoned the powers of darkness buried within him. Fueled by rage, he nearly exploded with black power, scattering an immense black cloud over the entire field of the Summoner's Rift. Once that was done, he melted away, joining the infinite expanse of shadows he created.

"Ahahaha….." It was something that seemed caught between a rasp and a cackle. It boomed out, echoing around and around, caught within the clouds from which it came. "All alone in the darkness…."

"Oh, here he comes," Lux pointed out needlessly. She raised her baton, and in a second, a perfectly spherical force field enveloped her.

Such a pitiful shield would do nothing against him.

"You… cannot… escape!"

The being of shadows attacked, diving out towards his prey at fantastic speed. His Umbra Blades lashed out, crashing into the Prismatic Barrier with incredible force. So much force, that the impact echoed out, shattering the very earth beneath the light mage. The shield cracked, and broke apart, sending the Lady of Luminosity flying.

Nocturne did not let up, charging at his prey once more. Lux, though surprised, did not intend to lose, rolling with the landing and throwing out her Light Binding spell. A murderous cackle issued forth as Nocturne cloaked himself in his Shroud of Shadows. The ropes of pure light dissipated harmlessly against the shield, just as his Duskbringer burst forth, seizing the unfortunate teenager. With a single, immense heaving motion, Nocturne lifted the mage, brought her all the way back to him, and smashed her into the floor. Lux choked and coughed, spitting out a bit of blood.

But before she could get back up, the Eternal Nightmare was already upon her. His arms swung in a dervish, his blades singing with delight as they sank into human flesh. Both her arms and legs were hit with deep slashes, and she lay limply on the floor, unable to get her limbs to move and having lost grip of her baton. Numerous lacerations were scattered across her torso, her battle armor unable to protect her.

But she was still alive.

Nocturne yelled in triumph, having conquered his greatest nemesis.

"How does it feel?" he asked, staring down at the enemy he had so utterly broken. He had all the time in the world now, to toy with this fleshbag all he wanted. And he was going to enjoy it. "You have lost, Lady of Luminosity!"

Light blue eyes that also cycled through a myriad of colors blinked, staring back at the pure whites that comprised his own.

And she did the exact thing he hated the most.

She smiled back in his face.

"I guess I have. I hate it when a plan doesn't come together."

Shocked, Nocturne recoiled. For a couple seconds, he didn't do anything other than stare at the face of his broken enemy.

And his fist clenched.

But with every bit of his willpower, Nocturne refrained from beheading the teenage girl. Instead, he converted his rage, little by little, into a rising laugh. Not quite an evil laugh, as darkness was not evil by nature. It was nothing more than a laugh.

"You are bold… I'll allow you a tiny bit of credit for that. You are bold… but stupid. Very stupid, even for a fleshbag. You have the nerve to smile in my face? I will make you fear me!"

His eyes flashed, glossing over with an ungodly red, and two thin beams of black-red energy lanced out, attacking Lux's mind. She did not cry out, but her face was washed over with shock.

"Let me see... what your greatest nightmare is..."

It was a process Nocturne had done multiple times before. Before he had gained a physical body, when he was still able to freely roam through the pitiful minds of humans in their sleep, and draw from within them their most hated memories, their greatest fears. And once he did so, he would amplify them, overwhelming his victim with a storm of terror so horrific it render them either screaming endlessly, catatonic, or dead. It was his most powerful skill.

Nocturne let his newfound consciousness drift away, channeling down into the beams of energy into the mind of his prey. From there, he began scanning, searching for the information he was looking for. Images flashed past him at quick pace as he filtered through everything he did not need. Battles on the Fields of Justice, shared moments with summoners and champions alike outside the Fields, training in the Demacian military. All were things he did not need. He continued to filter out what he didn't need, until….

Until….

He found nothing. Nothing at all

His consciousness snapped back into reality.

Now he was the one who was horrified.

Never before….

Never before, had he ever found person whose deepest, darkest fear he could not discover. Never before, had he ever failed to terrify someone.

Never before… had he ever felt fear for himself.

How…? How can this be? HOW?

A ghost of a smile touched the one that was supposed to be petrified. "You can find a nightmare when the person is already living in it, can you?"

All time froze at those words. Even the air itself decided to stop humming, and the sound of the burning torches died away.

Nothing happened.

Until the Eternal Nightmare howled with rage.

A single arm shattered the still air, bringing down an Umbra Blade to cleave the Lady of Luminosity almost cleanly in two. The usual white cloud of a departing spirit being saved by summoner magic flowed out, and the body was whisked away, vanishing in several pillars of light. As was standard for her death.

Yes! You did it!

The voice of the summoner was ignored. For a few moments more, the shadow stood there, nearly catatonic.

Without a word, he turned and drifted away, heading for the spawning well to be sent back.


Author's Notes:

Why hello there! What are you doing here?

So... if you came here due to an author alert that you set in place after reading my previous story, Unparalleled Ayakashi Incident, then yay, you just had a dose of something completely different~ (that is, if you read the whole thing of course) If the above reason does not apply to you, and you simply stumbled upon this while scouring the rather small League of Legends section of fanfiction, then yay, you picked up the story of a somewhat-insecure, not-so-confident writer~

Well... actually, the latter half of the second above statement doesn't quite fit anymore. I've been gaining in confidence with the apparent success of my first story, so I'm not exactly not-so-confident as of now. But enough of that. I'll stop there before I run off rambling. Anyways...

As odd as it's going to sound, yes, this will be a romantically-aligned story. For those of you who've played League of Legends, or vaguely know the characters if you haven't, then you're probably going to be scratching your head, thinking "Wait, what? Lux and Nocturne?" Even if you have no idea who these people are, and have never even heard of League of Legends, you'll probably still think that, given how I described the two of them. So yes, for the most part - actually, scratch that, definitely, for all intensive purposes - this is a crack pairing. It was actually suggested by a friend of mine on this site, who goes under the pen name of harukashinigami4 (and unfortunately inactive, but hopefully coming back soon), when discussing over AIM about crack pairings around the League. Then haruka suggested this pairing, and lo and behold, the idea has come into fruition.

And, hopefully, I will be able to make this work. The idea is pretty solid in my head, and I have a feeling this will be at least somewhat smoothly written. But we'll see.

Of course, I won't be updating this very often, since this time I'm actually posting what I write instead of writing a bunch then posting it later (as opposed to UAI). And on top of that, I'm going to be absent for a whole week after this weekend, so it's going to be pretty slow going. But I'll mind that later, and to all that read this pilot chapter on what should (hopefully) be a somewhat good story, thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoyed it~ Reviews and criticism will be greatly appreciated.