The crisp, autumn breeze flowed through the young girl's hair, trailing behind her as she laughed and played in the Zaunite countryside. Annabelle's home was surrounded by withered, leafless trees, and the grass on the ground was mostly browned and brittle, but the area was no less to her. It was her home, where she was loved deeply by her parents and her brother and sister, and even the earth and the sky seemed to beam love onto her.
Her mother, Nadia, had told her they'd lived in the city not too long ago, but Annabelle couldn't remember much of anything before the quiet, two-story barn house. Fragmented memories of a harsh light shining down on her, and a shadow looming over her sometimes fluttered to mind, but Nadia had done well to help her manage the strange snippets, and to dismiss them as silly fantasies. Though Nadia knew the truth of the memories, it was best for Annabelle to move forward none the wiser. She would be able to live a happy, normal childhood in the Petrov's new home. The air felt like freedom as she danced about the tree line, watching night fall over the joyful abode.
Candy colored eyes flickered back and forth, before settling on the figure of her mother calling her in for the day. Truly Annabelle was a beloved child. She sprinted to Nadia, embracing her as she innocently explained the types of games she'd been playing all day alone. Such an inventive girl, coming up with all sorts of games to play alone. She'd race butterflies, play hide and seek with the sun, and even just lie on the ground and find stories in the dark puffs of cloud.
It wasn't always Nadia and Annabelle alone, by any means. Annabelle was gifted with with a doting father, Yuri, and two adopted siblings, Dominika and Leo. Yuri had explained to Annabelle that he was taking her brother and sister into the city to do some shopping, but she needed to stay home to take care of the house with Nadia. She remembered her mother and father looking sad as they parted ways, but Nadia insisted that she was simply going to miss Yuri so very much, and that it was absolutely normal to miss people when they leave.
Nadia was an enchantingly beautiful woman, with hair black as night and eyes the same color as the trees outside her home, a quiet green, desaturated and almost gray. Despite the gift of striking looks, she was a fearsome woman to other adults her age. She could hold her own in a fight, if need be, and she was quite the intelligent engineer.
Annabelle grinned, gently squeezing Nadia's hand as they walked into their home. The house was adorned with various hextech do-dads; clocks, thermometers, light up knick knacks… Nadia's tinkering never failed to spark her daughter's interest, and she couldn't be a more proud mother.
Nadia took time out of most days of the week to teach all her children simple engineering tips and tricks. Since they were young, she kept it to simple tips; what screwdriver to use, how to wear safety gear properly, and sometimes what materials to use to make specific items. She had such faith in the children for greatness, especially with the solitude of their home away from the city. They would all have time to cultivate their talents without the corruption of Zaun's population, and also time to heal the wounds the city had already inflicted onto their young lives.
The faint scent of cinnamon seemed to cling to the very walls of the house. Nadia had a fondness for cooking with cinnamon, and it was something the children recognized as home. The smell followed the woman like an aura, and Annabelle herself felt cloaked in it as she squeezed her mother's arm during their trip into the kitchen.
Annabelle made for an adorable shadow for Nadia, taking a keen interest in everything her mother did. This habit never failed to earn a prideful smile from her mother, and she would talk her way through her daily tasks to be sure that Annabelle had every opportunity to learn from her. The evening faded right from under them, and soon it was time for Annabelle to be put to bed.
The energetic four year old felt sleep tug at her as Nadia sat with her, telling a story from her own youth in Noxus. Nadia spoke very fondly of her home country, but it was clear that she'd go anywhere to be by Yuri's side. Enveloped in the warmth of her bed, Annabelle drifted into sleep with a smile.
Later, a loud thump dragged a groggy Annabelle away from her world of dreams. It was followed by what sounded like some stomping and arguing. She stumbled in the darkness of her bedroom, making her way to the door. A cool wind blew through the home, giving her a chill as she opened the door. She could hear Nadia's voice in the office at the end of the hall.
Dim light shone out into the hallway from the modest stove in the middle of the room. It was placed upstairs only so that Nadia could use it for some minor welding, but it was sometimes used to heat the house when the colder part of the year came around.
Shadows were cast on the wall across from the open door, as Annabelle's heart pounded loudly in her chest. Never could she recall a time she'd felt such terror. There was a sudden outcry, as something came flying out of the room and into the wall. She covered her mouth, trying to mask her own fearful vocalization. The way her voice caught in her throat came out as an almost insignificant squeak, but the rest of the shriek seemed to claw at her, begging for release. She kept her hands in front of her face, hoping to keep any more noises from escaping.
Annabelle walked into the doorway, not even entering the room. The whole of her minute body trembled in horror. Nadia was locked in a struggle with a man Annabelle couldn't recognize, and they both cursed at each other as they fought.
Annabelle began to back away, desperately hoping the wall would swallow her, that she would be able to disappear. She never remembered the wall being so far from the door before. When did the hallway get so wide? She swallowed hard, struggling to contain herself as her foot touched something cold and metal.
It was the object that hit the wall earlier, a rifle. Annabelle had never seen anyone Nadia or Yuri use it before, but she'd seen Nadia keeping up the maintenance on it. Nadia had taught her that the weapon was for protecting her beloved children in case of emergency.
A strong sense of safeguarding washed over the child, and she reached for the gun. It was so ponderous to her thin limbs, and the barrel bobbed up and down as she did her best to aim. Nadia caught sight of her child, and called out; telling her to run, but Annabelle was convinced she could save her. She was going to shoot the strange man who was attacking her mother.
The rifle weighed heavily on the child's arms, and her breathing was erratic. Annabelle's arms quivered as she took aim, barely able to keep the her shot steady. The edges of her vision began to blur as her slight fingers squeezed the trigger.
The recoil from the gun sent the Annabelle back, into the wall. A loud ringing swam in her head from the noise, and she heard more yelling, then silence. Her sight darkened, and she felt herself fading into darkness.
The next morning, Annabelle's whole body ached as she awoke, punishing her for many hours lying on the floor after being knocked unconscious. Her head seemed to spin, as she pushed herself upright with particularly sore arms. The memories of the previous night came back to her, and she shook her head, picking herself up off of the floor.
"Mama!" Annabelle called out, running into the office where Nadia and the stranger had been fighting the night before. Annabelle's knees gave out from under her, and she began to sob loudly. Her small body hit the hardwood floor with a loud thud.
Nadia lay on the floor, her chest caked in blood, and a hole in her body from a bullet. A bullet shot by Annabelle. When she fired the weapon the night before, the kick back from the rifle led her to shoot her own mother.
Annabelle curled up next to the lifeless body, crying and apologizing for hours. The world around her felt like it was so quiet, and she felt more alone than she had at any given moment in her short life. Her mother's sweet cinnamon scent was tainted with the coppery tinge of lost blood, and she was sure that nothing would ever be as painful as what she felt then.
… How long had it been? Annabelle wondered silently, sitting up from her place in the floor. Her long hair stuck to her mother's chest, but the dazed child paid no mind. A spot of red stained her face. She didn't look back at Nadia's body, leaving the room as though she were dreaming.
The house had been ransacked the night before. Many of Nadia's trinkets were missing from the walls and shelves of the Petrov home. Annabelle truly felt that her mother's spirit was gone from the whole of the world. There was just simply nothing more left of the strong, yet gentle woman.
Clutching a family photo between tiny fingers, Annabelle ventured alone out into the unknown. She had no memories of when her family lived in the city of Zaun, but there were times she would listen to stories about it. Leo and Dominika were older, and remembered a bit more, but they never seemed interested in telling stories to their younger sister. Annabelle hoped that showing the picture to people in the city could help her find her father and siblings, that people in Zaun would show kindness and help reunite the family. There was no safety for her in staying home, so any path forward was a pure unknown.
Half a day of roaming got little Annabelle into the Slums, but also earned her a bit of a cough. The youngsters lungs weren't used to being exposed to the thicker areas of the Zaun Gray, and it was eating away at her fresh immune system with a quickness. The heavy air slipped into her body, tainting her slowly, as it did to all of its inhabitants.
Completely unprepared for the city, Annabelle had travelled wearing only a striped sundress and simple shoes. She looked like a paragon of innocence walking amongst the garbage of the Slums. Her stride was forward, almost brave, and she wasn't afraid to talk to strangers in the slightest. No one she tried to speak to wanted to even try to help. Everyone expected her to give something in return.
Before giving Annabelle any sort of information, a boy a little older than her had asked her for her shoes, one scantily clad woman seemed to beg her for her dress, a scary old man touched her hair and told her hair possessively… They would grin at her as she walked away, confused by why they would ask her for such things.
The weight of the Gray seemed to haunt her as the hours passed. It was like her body had forgotten how to hold itself up. It became a shadow that weighed on her little shoulders, looming over her like a giant, waiting to swallow her whole.
Walking through a dim alleyway, the diminutive child collapsed onto a pile of rubbish. The sun hadn't shone through the smog the whole time Annabelle had been in the godsforsaken city, but it felt like it was reasonably night time. Exhaustion rested atop her, almost like a blanket, separating her only slightly from the heavy Gray.
Annabelle curled herself up, trying to shrink into something no one would see or bother overnight. She just wanted to rest, heartbroken from her long day of loneliness, without disturbance from people on the streets. Maybe it would be better, a fleeting thought teased, if she faded into the rubbish. Maybe it would be better if she never existed at all.
So far it had been like walking through a nightmare for Annabelle. Many of the citizens of Zaun were visibly malnourished, with sunken skin, tired eyes, and desperate dispositions. Many of the adolescents and adults she encountered appeared to be so strange in manner to her, but what was such a young child to understand about such real world weaknesses and transgressions as drug or alcohol usage? She couldn't fathom the reality of just how much danger she was in every moment. Nothing had prepared her for such a place, nothing prepared her for such a people, and the idea began to creep upon her that she was truly alone.
Sure, giving up after only a day of searching was a bit dramatic, but Annabelle wasn't old enough to make it on her own. Even one more day by herself was detrimental to her health and certainly to her safety. Logic and all manner of odds were purely against her. A lone child in a crowded city stood no chance.
She stirred quietly, watching the streets grow more dim as time passed. For a town of industry, it seemed to become surprisingly cold as the natural darkness of night overshadowed the dark of the Gray. Annabelle shivered, hushing herself as she coughed into her hands. Huddling into herself for warmth, she let sleep claim her, hoping she would not be bothered until morning.
Even through closed eyes, it was obvious that a light shone on Annabelle. It was likely some dim light from a dying, buzzing street light. She'd noted a few lining the alleyway earlier, but most of them weren't in completely working condition. She grunted, suddenly feeling a soft touch to her cheek. "Hey kid!" She opened her eyes, blinking confusedly. Bubblegum orbs met with a cool stained glass gaze, filled with life and vibrance. "You freaking deaf or somethin'?"
The girl before Annabelle appeared to be only slightly older, but a little more muscular in stature. Her hair was a quiet blonde, but her eyes were loud and beautiful. A peculiar marking was tattooed to her left cheek. VI. For some reason it seemed as though the world stopped around them. She felt so fixated on this girl, like this girl was the promise of help, of a future.
Annabelle clenched her fist over her chest. She had a similarly styled marking on the left of her tiny grasp. Dominika and Leo had markings on their bodies as well… This girl just had to be a friend, she told herself, She's just like me.
"Ain't you a bit young to be rollin' it solo, kid?" The girl crossed her arms, raising a curious eyebrow. "I… I lost my family." Annabelle retrieved the family photograph from her pocket, unfolding it to show the mysterious girl, "I need to find this man, my dad. He's s'pposed to be here somewhere…" She dropped off her sentence, choking on her own coughs as they escaped her. "There's no one home for me anymore…" She admitted, her voice weak and defeated.
The blonde didn't seem to offer the picture a glance, instead keeping her piercing gaze on Annabelle. In her fit her eyes had started to water, and she completely missed the blonde start to take off her jacket. She sighed, draping the warm black fabric over the increasingly frail looking child, "The name's Ruby. Look, kiddo, ya look like you're feelin' like shit now, so I want you to follow me." The heat of the jacket filled the dark-haired girl with a reignited hope within her, as well as a much needed feeling of security.
Clutching the jacket close to her form, Annabelle followed Ruby throughout the gutters of the wretched town of Zaun. In the comfort and friendship of the older girl, years seemed to fly past the little girl, pushing them closer together. As they walked, the future that she could never imagine opened before her. A bond stronger than she'd ever known formed between them, and Ruby was eventually able to replace the family lost to Annabelle.
Thick as thieves the Lost Children of Zaun were, meeting in various locations throughout the city to congregate and share whatever goods they'd pilfered during the day. They were a community, and they all took care of one another. Their favorite place to occupy was a heavily sealed up hotel, where it was easy to keep most of the younger urchins relatively safe and sound. It hadn't been used for some time, and no corporation seemed interested in taking up the dilapidated structure for business. An easily ignored place, where the children were able to stay for long periods unnoticed.
The older kids would go on more dangerous runs, and the younger kids would do chores and learn useful crafts. Ruby, who had dyed her hair a light, rosy color a short time after Annabelle's arrival, was an excellent Hextechnical engineer, and she urged Annabelle to learn as quickly as possible. The ability to make slight energy-powered trinkets was invaluable to the gang, as the Zaunite markets were easy plays into their tiny hands. They could exaggerate the worth of their 'tools,' or steal straight from the pockets of absent-minded passerbys. They did whatever it took to survive, and they all had fun doing so.
Annabelle found camaraderie amongst her kin, and Zaun became a home she was proud to call her own. She often toiled and chatted passively, awaiting Ruby to return from various outings. She didn't understand much of what they were doing, but the older kids seemed to have a structured plan for relieving certain supplies and equipment from adults. While the big kids roamed the towns every reach, Annabelle was able to hone in on her creativity, showing that no matter what she'd always be her mother's child, and inventing anything from useful tools to weapons.
The black-haired sweetheart always seemed to be the first one standing when her comrades returned, pink eyes lighting up the second they saw Ruby walked in. The kids closer to Ruby's age would often tease Annabelle for following her like a lost puppy. Oksana, a heavier set girl with mismatched eyes would always joke that others might get jealous seeing the two together, because Ruby was popular all around in the group of orphans. It looked like the super star was giving her special treatment.
Eventually there came a day when Ruby just didn't walk through the doors with the others. Annabelle played with her friends that whole morning, until Ekko made Ajuna cry over some silly game, and Peter and Nikita ditched them to go get some chores done. It was a day like any other days had been during the past five years. As the doors swung open, Annabelle stood alert. Instead of their usually victorious smiles, the teens and tweens wore disappointed frowns and dispirited eyes.
No one made eye contact at all with the nine year old as she stood waiting. Liliya, who rarely spoke, nudged her gently, as if telling her it'd be best to just move along. Oksana bit her lip and stared at Annabelle for a long while, before Maxim pushed his way in between them, "Well somebody better tell the pup something." Oksana swallowed hard and started, "Anna.. Ruby.. She…" The chestnut-haired girl hid her face under a veil of her own locks as she began to sob quietly. Maxim sighed, clicking his teeth, "The psycho went back to save those damn Pilts!"
Annabelle felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach, and her knees began to shake beneath her. She gave those around her confused, desperate gazes. Liliya strode back up to the group, looking apologetic, yet impatient with the others. She knelt down to the younger girl's height, taking both of her small hands in her own, "Ruby is gone, little Anna."
Oksana and Maxim walked away, both too awash in their own grief to comfort the youngster. Annabelle's chest tightened, and she could barely breathe. Ruby had made that place her home, and without her what was that building, who were those people? She curled up onto the floor, sobbing miserably.
No one could console Annabelle in the days that followed, though many of her brothers and sisters urged her to seek happiness in a life lacking Ruby's existence. Anatoly, a strange boy much closer to the age the famed pink-haired hero had been, tried to offer her company on several occasions. He would tell her how there was always another world ahead of them, that they only need to believe in broader horizons for them to exist. Nothing penetrated the perpetual loneliness she had created for herself, and the boy could not get her any closer to recovery than anyone else.
Life went on around her, and she scarcely noticed the passing of time. Day to night, night to day, hour by hour she wallowed in her own dark world. Under the hushed cover of night, Annabelle chose to gather her few treasured belongings to chase her way into a new place to call home. Without Ruby, she felt there was no place for her amongst the others.