The autumn breeze played around with the fallen dead leaves of the trees while it drizzled softly, moisting the ground. The smell of damp ground and of the rain was evident in the air. The rain water slid over the marble gravestones that made up of the cemetery located on the outskirts of Piltover, near the boundaries between the City of Progress and Zaun. The place was silent as anyone would expect it to be. After all, dead men told no tales. The only signs of life in this particular place where Death was at his glory was a tall distinctive figure that could barely be seen in the fog. She was standing tall dressed in a dark coat. Some of her pink hair had glued on her forehead due to the rain. She hadn't bothered bring an umbrella with her. Perhaps she had underestimated the weather or she simply didn't care.
Vi stood over the grave, lingering over the letters that were engraved on the tombstone. It wasn't anything special, considering there were several similar ones all around the cemetery. To Vi though it held a special place in her heart; It was where her mother was buried. Another victim of the extensive - and most of the times illegal - chemical activity in Zaun. One of the thousands of lives that had been claimed, sacrificed on the shrine of power and money. Vi had barely been maybe six or seven years old. She couldn't recall anymore. She couldn't recall her mother's face either which was terrifying and depressing all over. The only thing she remembered was coming in the exact same cemetery and watching as her mother was being placed six feet under the ground, not caring that her daughter was left alone to struggle in life. Her six year-old self couldn't understand the concept of death, that her mother was gone and wouldn't return. She had witnessed the ritual in utter confusion until it ended and thankfully it hadn't last long. Only then did she realize she was left completely alone. When she stepped out of that cemetery, she had swore to herself to never return back there. The place was too suffocating and it held painful memories .
She hadn't been true to her word, however. She had visited maybe once or twice. The first time was before joining her gang that remained her family until she betrayed them; that was the second time she visited before she fled to Piltover.
This was the third.
Vi had brought some flowers symbolically even though she was well aware that they couldn't survive long in such an environment. The cemetery wasn't anywhere near Zaun but the atmosphere was already intoxicated enough. She didn't really care about that too. She had placed them near the tombstone and now she was standing over it, repeating in her head over and over her mother's name while searching for the right words to say.
"Hey mum," she spoke softly, her voice barely audible in the moist. "Long time no see."
Indeed it was. Her last visit was approximately almost ten years back and on entirely different circumstances.
"I know I haven't been very a consistent visitor," she admitted openly, not so much to the silent grave as much to herself. "But I thought I owed to come over since my life has taken an entire different turn since the last time I was here."
Vi held her breath. Ten years ago she was banished, a lost animal, scared and lonely, with fleeding being her only available option. Now she was the polar opposite.
"Just wanted to let you know that I'm finally settling down," she continued. "I'm getting married."
The way she spoke it really striken her. Ten years ago she wouldn't even imagine such a scenario. Yet here she was. The universe worked in mysterious ways, unable to be comprehended by the human mind.
"Yeah, I'm actually getting married," Vi repeated, still not absolutely convinced at the sound of it. She was getting married. Who would even predict such a thing? Would would predict she'd survive in the streets long enough to experience this in her life? Definitely not her. "Thought I'd let you know."
Then she paused. She needed a moment to re-organize her thoughts, for her feelings were already in turmoil. She continued.
"She's wonderful, she really is. She picked me up when I was at my lowest, she offered me a place to call home and a stable job. She cared for me when no-one else would, when I had nothing. I was in a really dark place, y'know. Yet somehow she saw something in me that no one else seemed to notice. She gave me a chance. I don't know how on Earth did I get so lucky, considering my life is a series of unfortunate events," she chuckled at her joke. "And she happens to be a sherrif. Ironic, huh?"
Indeed it was. Vi had spent a significant amount of her life being a criminal and Zaunites weren't particularly famous for the relationship with the law or anything that infused discipline for that matter.
"I know what you might think but I'm sure you'd love her. She's not just a pretty face, y'know. Her brilliant mind and her ethics are what make her not only a great sherrif but a unique human being. I'd like to call myself lucky."
The feelings were becoming more and more overwhelming, just like the raining was pouring harder and harder. But Vi didn't stop. She wouldn't stop until she got this out of her heart. She needed to speak those words.
"But the most important part is that she loves me despite who I am and despite what I've done. I only wish you were here to see for yourself," Vi said, her upper lip trembling.
She took a brief moment to calm herself. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, her heart pounding inside her chest. Tears threatened to spill but Vi wouldn't let them. She might seemingly be alone but she wasn't going to allow herself to cry.
"I used to blame you for abandoning me," she confessed. "I thought to myself, what type of mother leaves her child behind to live alone? Maybe that was the reason why I didn't visit much. I was angry at you. I thought you simply didn't care, just like everyone else did. Of course I realized later that this was bullshit. Death is beyond our power and our human nature. I should be blaming others for killing you instead of blaming you for dying."
Her hand curled into fists inwardly as anger infused her. But it only lasted for a moment before it faded away. She allowed herself to relax again.
"As a child, I constantly felt as if you didn't care. But as I grew up and reached this point in my life, I started wondering. Perhaps you'd put an angel in my path so they could care for me when you couldn't." She smiled softly. "I was right. An angel with a shotgun," she chuckled softly, before going serious again. "I can't tell for sure if this was really you but in case you were, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
This time she couldn't behold the tears. They rolled down her face, not any more distinguishable than the rain water that was falling on her softly. She wiped them quickly with her sleeve as she felt another presence approaching her and covering her with an umbrella. Two warm hands wrapped around her arm and immediately Vi felt warm despite the fact that outside it was anything but that.
"Are you alright?" Caitlyn asked softly.
"Yes, I'm fine." Vi nodded. She wasn't lying. Caitlyn laid her head on Vi's arm, gazing over the gravestone. The only sound that would be heard was the rain that created puddles all around.
"Let's go," Vi eventually spoke, breaking the silence.
"Are you sure? We can stay a little longer if you wish."
The enforcer shook her head. "I'm done here. Let's leave before we catch a cold."
They walked together away from the grave and towards the exit of the cemetery, the water splashing around their boots. The grave stood in the distance, silent as always. But for the first time in forever, Vi left it behind without any burden in her heart.
