Author's Note
Hi there. This is my first time writing FanFiction so I hope you like this. Reviews are appreciated, heaven knows I need criticism. If you see these () around a phrase it means those words are whispered. Enjoy. :)
Incoming message. Incoming message.
Alex wearily lifted his head. His clock glowed 1:36. He groaned and plopped his head back onto his pillow.
Incoming message. Incoming message.
"Alright, alright! Shut up ya stupid thing!" he said, reluctantly throwing off the fur blankets given to him by Ashe. Memories flooded back to him, her blue eyes, shy smile, and shimmering laugh still brought tears to his eyes after all these years.
Incoming message. Incoming message.
His ward's incessant beeping snapped him out of his reprieve. He walked up to it and all but smashed to oblivion. But, as he was about to strike, he saw who the message was from. Teemo. His head explorer and scout, the best around, Teemo was a quiet and withdrawn individual. Everyone's withdrawn nowadays, since what happened almost 3 years ago... Alex shook himself out of that memory.
"Let's see what Teemo has to say. Display message."
A small projection appeared over the plant-shaped ward, displaying the face of a exhausted and frightened Teemo. However it wasn't that that interested him, no, it was the thing in Teemo's hand that had caught his eye.
"We've found it, Alex."
Alex let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. After years of frustrating, de-moralizing, and fruitless searching, they had finally found it. The Cure.
/
10 years before...
/
The man gaped at the huge building in front of him. And big it was, rising hundreds of feet above his head, looking extremely imposing and foreboding. Then again, it was the Institute of War, the seat of the High Council of Equity, the residence of thousands of summoners and champions, and the most feared and respected institution in the world: the League of Legends. The man looked around and saw many other gawkers, for which he was glad. He started up the steps, heading for the door.
At that very moment the very same door burst opened and a furious Ashe stormed out. She was closely followed by a chubby summoner, his build much like a whale's. She yelled something indistinguishable at him (the man couldn't hear it, he was too far away) and pointed back the way they both had come. The chubby guy huffed and puffed for a second then, seeing Ashe reach for her bow, quickly headed back inside, although "quickly" may be a bit of an understatement. Ashe stared after him then screamed in rage and plunked herself down on the top step of the Institute's steps.
The man looked around, and, seeing that the pedestrians had gone back to whatever they were doing before, started to climb the steps again. As the man approached Ashe's hunched form, he heard a faint but unmistakable sound, one that got a little louder the more he stepped towards Ashe. Finally, he reached her and he knew what the sound was. Ashe was crying. Not the tears of the heartbroken or the joyful one, no these were tears that spoke of oppression, mistrust, and hurt. So, he reached down and gently touched her shoulder. She jerked away, looking up at him fearfully. Her eyes were beautiful. Like the colour of the sky on a clear morning, or the colour of a lake in paradise. They were mesmerizing, it was like looking into an endless ocean of beauty and splendor...
"...I said: May I help you?"
The man jerked a bit. He scrambled for an answer, quickly finding one.
"You looked like you were hurting, I decided to come and see if I could help."
"Well, thanks, but no thanks." Ashe said in a bitter tone. She slumped back over. "I doubt anything would help me."
"Come now," the man said, sitting down beside her. "People have told me I'm a very good listener, and an even better counselor."
"Well, fine, there's this... person who has basically owned me for the past three years. I haven't been summoned by anyone since the first day he layed his chubby fingers on me." she shuddered. "Anyone who has tried has ended up, and I quote, 'Disappearing under extraordinary circumstances, the likes of which cannot be determined.'"
The man chuckled. Ashe looked at him. He had chuckled about this kind of thing?
"I don't find this topic very funny." she said, giving him a disapproving look. The man chuckled again.
"It's not about that, it's about you." he said, pulling back his hood for the first time since they started talking. Ashe gasped. The man had radiant blue hair, and blue eyes that twinkled with mirth to match. He had a dazzling smile, one that, unlike a lot of people Ashe knew, reached his eyes. She realized she was staring and quickly looked away, hoping he didn't notice the faint blush to her cheeks. She crossed her arms and put on the angriest face she could muster and said, "You find me funny?"
"No, no not like that." he replied, flashing his smile again. "I find your 'predicament' funny."
"What's funny about it?"
"Well, take this 'person' for example. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy you want around, but he seems to have stuck around quite a bit. Why don't you just... I don't know... dump him?"
Ashe laughed a bitter laugh. "Oh, if only it were so simple!"
"What do you mean?"
"OK, let me explain," Ashe said, turning to face the man. "When a champion comes to the Institute to sign up, he/she has to go through a rigorous exercise designed to test the champion. It does one of two things, either A. eliminating the champion if he/she is too weak or B. determines what role he/she would play in a match. Once the role is determined, the champion then signs a contract that states, and I quote again, 'The undersigned hereby agrees to abide by all the rules stated in Section C, paragraph 1-17.'"
"And I assume those rules say something about 'taking care of summoners'?"
"Exactly." Ashe sighed. "Part of Section C says that you cannot injure or kill a summoner under any circumstances."
"I see. But, like I said, my not just dump him? Like what a girl does to her boyfriend?"
"Are you saying that boys don't dump their girlfriends?" Ashe said, raising a teasing eyebrow.
The man laughed. "Of course not! I just think that you could tell this guy your true feelings, get him off your back you know?"
"Believe me, I've tried. He just dismisses them as temporary things, assuring me he'll 'win me back.'"
"I see." the man said, a thoughtful look coming to his face. He smiled.
"Why don't I talk to this...?"
"Hagnar."
"...Hagnar, and maybe straighten him out?"
"Oh no," Ashe said, shaking her head. "I can't ask you to take care of my problems."
"Nonsense! I'm going in to signup as a summoner anyways, so I'll be in the Institute for a while (I hope), so I can talk to him. It's really no problem!"
"Well... I... you really shouldn't do this."
"Is that a yes?"
Ashe sighed. "It's not a no."
"Well then," he said, standing up. He extended a hand. "Care to give me a tour?"
Ashe smiled. Taking his hand, she got to her feet. "Absolutely."
They turned and started up the steps toward the Institute. Ashe frowned and looked at the man.
"You really sure you wanna talk to Hagnar?"
He smiled. "Anything for a friend."
"A friend? You haven't even told me your name."
"Oh! How rude of me." the man stopped and turned to face Ashe. He smiled and said, "My name's Alex, nice to meet you."