An hour has passed while the taxi is traversing the neighborhood which is covered by blossoms. The Xans inside the moving vehicle gives the mood having a cheerful way of killing the deafening silence. The dancer is still in thought as she admires the background behind the glass, completely lost in mind because of the thing that happened at the hospital.
Well, it ended as a nudge from her O-ma breaks her thoughts which concludes the taxi has reached the Xan household.
"Thank you." Irelia's mom gives the payment, the driver now drives off, leaving a trail of smoke. She opens the gates and went ahead, followed by the elders, lastly on Irelia.
As Irelia enters the gates, she has seen a white fluff at the bushes, it is wiggling. It is tempting to go for giving it a check yet she chose to ignore it.
"What was that?" She wondered.
"Relia? Would you kindly close the gates please?" Irelia's mom commanded, however.. "Ah! Ruu! What is it?"
The toddler is squirming uncontrollably as if he wanted to be on the ground. Sighing, she puts down the kid and watches it run towards Irelia.
"Irelia! Ruu's coming!"
"Boys. Go after Ruu, hm?" Irelia's O-ma ordered, the two boys immediately followed.
"Ah! Sis! Look out! A bulldozer!" Kai joked, which it made Irelia glance. A running toddler is coming in front of her. Bulldozer? As if the toddler will ram and plow Irelia upon reaching her.
"MMM!" The toddler finally reaches out, ranting to be lifted.
"Oh, Ruu." Irelia didn't hesitated, so she lifts her brother. The action is followed by a glance at her right. A car is coming with red and blue light above the roof.
The car stops in front if the gates, the door opens and a man came out, having a loose kimono and a traditional hair bun. It is Lito; her father. Zelos follows and give himself a stretch.
"Excuse me, Mr. Xan. This is the house you mentioned at the station?" A police clarifies.
"Yes, my family lives here over a decade now, passed from our ancestors."
"Noted sir, we will landmark this location to our GPS in case of emergency. We seemed to be unknown to those Brotherhood men, they might be lurking around." The police said before a static came from the device near the radio.
"PO2? Navigate your location. Over."
"Neighborhood of Navori, Ionian Faction, 2 blocks away from the city. Just beyond the shrine, few meters away. Over."
"Notify your status. Over."
"Negative, family is unharmed. Over."
"Affirmative, GPS now pinpointed location. Please check, PO2. Over."
"GPS now marked location. Over."
"Status *kssh* report.. *kssh* Return to post."
Static ends up having the officer turns the signal and restarted it. He glances at Lito and made a final word. "I'll be returning back to my post, sir. Please contact the station if anything happens." He starts the engine, reversing the car and drives off, leaving a trail of white smoke and tire marks.
"That is so cool. Police stuffs, I mean." Zelos joked just giving a set of reaction on how he views the heroes of the city.
"I advice you dear children to go inside now and close the gates." Lito advices, he went ahead to check the house.
Zelos is about to close the gate yet his eyes has seen a white thing peeking at the bush, just at the gate. "Hey."
"Yeah?" Irelia said, holding her brother tight.
"What is that?" Zelos pointed at what his curiosity tells him.
"Yeah. I see that, but I ignored it. Wonder what is that." Irelia gives no damn at this point.
"It looks like a fur." Ohn wonders.
"Right, it looks like a poro has." Kai added, the comment made a certain youth jumps from curiosity.
"Poro?!" Ruu excitedly screamed, squirming and slaps Irelia's face. Which this action made Irelia let the toddler off from her hold.
"Ugh! Why RUU loves slapping people?!" She winced in pain.
"Poro!" Ruu scuttles and checks on the bush. It is a poro actually. "Look! Poro!" The toddler touches the animal.
However..
"Ruu!" Irelia quickly follows. Her foot still stings as hell but what made it a lot painful is in front of her. She can't move. Her foot is quite pressured from her standing and she can't move. Why?
Why she can't move? The question answers by revealing a threat hiding inside the bushes.
A man with a mask, wearing a sleeveless robe which is showing a good muscular build, and he is grasping the toddler to shut up. There is no animal, in fact, it is just a toy for baiting..
"You better PUT. HIM. DOWN." Irelia threats, her blades got the call and appear magically.
"Relia!" Zelos calls, his brothers silently looks out the elders to get notified.
The man growls, his hold on the toddler is making the poor boy grunts in slight pain. "Lead Ionia."
"I don't entertain cavemen who does nothing but to convince ME to lead Ionia every damn time." She seethed, her blades are in position to stab the man's body.
"If you don't. We will lead. Brotherhood will."
"Is that so?" Irelia looks down on the man. "Ionia is a country that ANYONE is welcome, not a power succumbed country that gains power or fortune, just like Noxus."
The man glared, he eventually gives the toddler a lift. The rest of the Xans have seen the man, Lito shouted and prepares his katana.
"Don't you dare, or I'll blow this kid's head off!" The man targets the toddler's head with a pistol. Ruu is just there, helpless and crying.
Crap. That is not an ordinary pistol but an infused one. The pistol has a rune attached to it, giving the weapon a harness of mana flowing its bars.
"Cute, since when the Brotherhood now uses specialized weapons? I prefer steel over that." Irelia jeered, she anticipates for an attack while her blades floating in position.
"Irelia! Don't―" Lito shuts his eyes from a blinding light, the henchman shoots a beam which Irelia easily blocks it.
Grunting, the man falls into a taunting gaze from the dancer's power. In an instant, he slithered with the toddler as he runs further at the side, following with a set of growling from an engine. Lito got hostile, he runs and follows the man but he is too late for that. The man is suited along with a Brotherhood sidekick and a motorcycle. They shoved a lot of smoke which obscures their vision.
"Dad! Don't go! He has a gun!" Zelos immediately retaliated, stopping his father from proceeding.
"But Ruu―"
"Dear! You have to listen this!" Out of nowhere, Irelia's mom calls them an attention, her face is pale as sheet, likely she has seen a ghost.
The Xans enters the house, they check on what on earth does the mother wants them to hear about. And on the phone, she pressed a button. An unknown number passed a message. An eerie low voice boomed the speaker.
"Fellow Xans.. In case that you don't know, the Blade Dancer is stubborn than the rest. So far, only the Blade Dancer is capable to lead Ionia. But with her precious decision.. The Brotherhood will. A shame. We understand and we are not powerful, capable enough to defeat.. killing the Blade Dancer. Her potential is reaching beyond the greatness of anyone who lives spiritually in Ionia..
However, it seems that the Blade Dancer has some people in her life that is behind from her potential. And we. The Brotherhood decided to take them down.
At last, who wouldn't have thought? A child. From the Xans. Innocent, having no such thing as power is in our hold.
Pass this to the Blade Dancer, give herself to us, else.. this juvenile will be ours; will be in the Brotherhood forever.
If ANYONE of you lead the police, we will not hesitate to KILL this kid."
*Beep* *Beep*
Irelia gritted her teeth, she had enough of this Brotherhood crap before they kept haunting her. And how dare they touched her family?!
"I am so going to call their corpses. How dare they mocked my family." Irelia has this anger that burns her will to kill. Immediately, she runs to her room, preparing for her things, finding the right things for vengeance.
"Relia."
"What."
"Settle down, lady." Irelia's O-ma pats her back, gently calming her down.
"How can you be so calm, O-ma?! This Brotherhood wants me to LEAD Ionia and wants me!" Irelia screams her burdens. "And they even took Ruu away from us!"
"That is what I want to tell to you. Your burdens are not supposedly—"
"No. O-ma, if this is about the Balance. I am OUT with it.
"It's not."
"Then what am I expecting from this talk, O-ma?"
"This burden is beyond from your peers.. I would like to see a decision from you. Let me tell you this. Is submitting yourself as a beginning for bloodshed really is the answer?"
"I—"
"Another thing, they held Ruu as hostage. Your recklessness will give consequences." Her O-ma is right, but what will she do? Sit here? Wait for someone do the work?
"Irelia." Her O-ma kneels down. "Look at me. Take a breather, and plan the next step, shove in with grace, follow the beat." She gave Irelia a heart-warming smile, then she embraces the agitated girl with her arms. Little did she know that the other members were listening, they consoled Irelia for the thought of her seeking rampage. Even her father wants her to plan this, a warrior should be following an objective before the deed of bloodshed. It is not necessary but this time, it's on her.
Shadows creep across the wooden floor that cloaks the colors into a shade of black saturated hue, blending along the bright lights from the lone heavenly body which it gives anyone who stands underneath a hidden spotlight. Regardless on the situation, Irelia has no time to make a sleep about it, in fact, there is no way she would let this conflict pass by and let her elders do the responsibility on saving Ruu from those Brotherhood henchmen. This made her insomniac, full of thoughts on everything.
She sits and lays down on her soft bed, just to ease the tension from her burdens. The white ceiling is the thing that falls through her vision and the slithering darkness in each corners of her room. Yet, the curtain flutters along the rhythms of the wind, probably just a call of breaking the silence by the nature itself.
Absolutely not, it is neither nature or anything but someone.
"You're gonna mope there instead of doing what your elders told you to?" A voice trail from the balcony reaches Irelia's hearing. She glances and has seen a silhouette of a person just imprints on the red curtain, having a spiky ponytail; leaning at the balcony railing while fiddling a sharp object.
"Just thinking." She sighs.
"Thinking of the next action." The person corrects, she walks towards the curtain, almost revealing her figure throughout the darkness.
"I do." The dancer said. Halfway glancing at the person at her window. "And why are you standing there?"
"Don't want to interrupt your thinking."
"But you already have done it, silly." Irelia smiles lightly. "Good thing you did." Then her voice lowers down its default tone..
Her mask hides an emotion that reflects as way as Irelia has right now. She has a purpose for this night, why did she made a visit if she wasn't?
"Relia." The ninja calls, her feet drags her towards the dancer and faces her. "Your decision."
"Unsure. And I thought you'll be having ramen at home?"
"After I heard the news, I came here running."
"Heard? Who told you about this?"
"Your O-ma. She called me. I was about to say hi, but her tone is in doubt. After she greeted me, she told me little kid Ruu got kidnapped by those Brotherhood grunts. If I am holding my ramen at that time, I might break my chopsticks. Clean. One grip at the time." Akali explains, her voice has no such thing of explaining but hard and convincing for a fight. "Ha. I was on my way crashing down on my bed before she contacted me, and here I am."
"..That's new, you are not wearing the shuriken pajamas that I had given you." The dancer pointed out, just to skip the rising tension from the kidnapping issue.
"Not now. I will wear it.. maybe." By the looks of her, Akali is wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, plus a different mask; the mask is plain dark navy blue for blending and secrecy in the night, just that. Yet, there is no way she would run around the neighborhood wearing those adorable pajamas. From Irelia of course.
"Hm.. I am just kidding." Irelia went back being quiet all of the sudden. The fact Irelia is not in a mood of small aversion of talks made the ninja fall into having an objective to wipe that face out from the dancer.
Maybe.. She could run Irelia's mind to tickle it a little. "Where is that Brotherhood? Location?" Akali asks, sitting on the bed with a carefree stretch.
"Ah. It's hidden inside of a warehouse."
"Warehouse? How did you know?"
"Back then, I used to rendezvous with those Brotherhood grunts because this leading Ionia is haunting me like an annoying canary. Like a bee, it buzzes around my ears. Their henchmen wants to get me, kill me too. If they can." Irelia snickered, those moments where she kicked the lives out from those pathetic men never fails to serve her bloodshed tendencies.
"Oh really. They didn't stood a chance." Akali smirks, almost impressed on Irelia's pride. "Are you a dancer or what? I can watch you dancing over their corpses without blinking an eye."
"Heh. Hell I am not going to have a decapitated grunt as my dance partner." Irelia chuckled, just to take a small joke from her pride.
"Why not? It sounds great."
"Why would I as I do have a dance partner already?"
"Dance partner? Hm.." Akali stole a glance, literally her mind is already screaming internally because of the hint.
Never tried this one but Irelia felt warm inside, she knows Akali is hinting something and that hint is too obvious. She faces the ninja and sits on the bed, slowly she scooted closer on the girl following a small touch to the hand resting on the sheets. Her face has this mellow feeling of bringing that thing before.
"Who else? The one who is front of me, a ramen addict, smashes people's faces with a ball, throws steel and stars, wears a mask, has an attitude that annoys people and has a cute shuriken pajamas waiting at home." The dancer gazes at the ninja's face with her blue hues of sight flickers from the moonlight. It has a tease but it didn't feel like a tease for Akali, in fact it feels so..
"So much confessing from you who has a nerve to say that in front of my face.." Goodness.. She can't think elsewhere but the dancer beside her. Until it went to the point where her mask is being tugged gently. With her slight aversion, Akali notices her mask being removed, and this made her wonder. A hand grasps her cheek, slowly it pulls her towards the source. Then suddenly, something warm just happen to conduct the blood rushing throughout her skin.
It went so fast as if it is just a second but..
The way that soft touch from her lips is tipping the sanity out of the ninja, it is passionate, as if the dancer really means the feelings she has right now for the ninja.
"5 seconds." The ninja counted how that small gift lasted before Irelia pulls out. Of course.. That action brings Akali the next step. She stood up and faces the dancer.
"Where are you going?" Irelia said, halfway got distracted by the action she has done to the ninja.
"Where? I am going to take those Brotherhood newbies a visit and see if I can get a corpse." The ninja smirked, closing her eyes for a moment before she opens it just to make a soft gaze on that bluish pupils of the dancer. "You gave me something to bring the blood boil through me." And she masks herself. Watching the dancer blush makes her feel bubbly inside as if she really mean those feelings.
"I-If you are coming. I'll go. I'll come with you. I do wish to see a blade slitting a throat." Irelia immediately stood up and walks to where the ninja is standing. "Plus, I want to see you in action."
Akali smirks. "Ha. Really? Make sure you keep your eyes on me then." She now proceeds to the balcony and picks something. A satchel containing her things.
"Wow. She is fully prepared." Irelia commented.
"Of course I am. I am an assassin and I do not wish to spill my things while I'm running around." She laughs. "How about ya? Blade inside your pants?"
"Idiot." Irelia makes an arm movement, forming an arc. Out of nowhere; from behind, six blades came out and they are real. The honed edges sparkles from the reflection of the moon and it blinded Akali a little.
"Woah. Now it didn't came from your pants." The ninja joked.
"I am hiding these under my bed. So yeah." Irelia flicks her arm and the blades moves just the way Irelia guides it.
"You HIDE those? What about the blades you had summoned before?"
"It's part of my magic. The blades bestowed me mana to give me freedom to call it. And so expect multiple blades."
"I am pretty sure I can almost view multiple lacerations and stabbings of flesh right now."
"You sound like a professional psychopath nurse in that tone." The dancer laughs.
"Hmph. Not sure but, let's keep that nurse part. Okay? I am taking a role of an assassin now." The ninja pouted, slightly taking the joke aside.
"Nah. Just admit you can take multiple side roles."
"Well. I really do." Akali smiles behind that mask. She finally buckle her things up for preparation. But before she could move out..
"Hop on." Never did she know that Irelia is already in midair. She is balancing on her blades.
"Talk about Balance in all things." Akali shakes her head in disbelief yet somewhat impressed.
"Whatever. This Balance talk make us exiles on how real Ionians believe."
"Typical." Akali closes the window and jumps on the railings. Irelia's hand catches hers, pulling her towards the blades. As she finally stood on the blades, Akali starts talking.
"Just like that time we're almost late for class."
"Yes. ANNNDD.." Irelia steal a glance at the ninja behind her. "Don't you dare touching there again."
"What? Here?" And she heard a yelp.
"I SAID NO! You're such a perv." Irelia glared, having a sort of embarrassment on to her face.
"Me? By just holding your waist? Maybe you ARE the perv here." Akali blushes and grasps Irelia's shoulders. "Here. Happy?"
"Pleased." Irelia sighs in relief. "Hold tight!" She swings her arms, guiding the blades to surge across the night sky. The winds slaps her face though that makes her feel better as the breeze literally shakes the anxious tension from the problem that her family has now. She couldn't rest until she must save Ruu from those henchmen. Of course, why would she let her elders do the dangerous work? And she swore to herself that she broke her elders' orders. Especially her O-ma.
As they traverse the night sky, Akali glances below her. Did she find the city lights are mesmerizing, as if it looks like shining dots, forming an art. Plus, the way the stars above her that flickers over her eyes gives their flying moment a different meaning.
"It feels.. kinda romantic." Akali soften her gaze, staring who is in front of her. She wasn't sure if Irelia is her friend anymore. Or was she?
She could feel the tension and tries to calm the dancer down, as she gave the dancer an embrace from her shoulders wrapping around her neck. What's the deal of visiting Irelia upon hearing the news if the only thing she can do is to console her? Something rings her mind that tells her to give Irelia a hand. Likely, her O-ma is the client of this mission she has right now..
And that is to make sure Irelia is unharmed. Not breaking the promise she had made with the elderly woman who finds her as an eligible friend, companion, and.. a dance partner for her dearest granddaughter.
"Psychologically speaking, an embrace from a dearest person will calm the situation. Comfort is beyond the needs of mental health." Akali began to speak intellectually that made the dancer laugh.
"I thought you are not a nurse but an assassin right now?" Irelia giggles and returns the embrace.
"Not sure but I don't want you to lose focus because of your revenge tendencies." Akali shrugs.
"But your actions making me lose focus already." Irelia whined before she chuckles.
"..Ugh. Okay. I am not going to hug you anymore then if it counts as it loses focus." Akali blushes. Ah, great. Just what she said, her actions kind of a bit way too forward that it made her feel a little crazy. "Yet, kissing me out of the sudden makes me feel the same. You're a total danger of a woman."
But the dancer inquires with a setback. "Not on the way I AM flying with my blades. Maybe.. if everything is free and yeah."
.
.
.
Wait..
"Wait what?" Her eyes widening, surprised to hear that. Coughing in fake, she just did that to hide her embarrassment. Great.
"Ugh. Just shut up, stay put, and let me fly!" Irelia complains in way she is LITERALLY uncomfortable from her deepening blush.
...
It takes too long. And Akali is growing impatient. Just where is this warehouse anyway?
"Just a little meters now. We have to pass a mountain and it hides beyond the trees." Irelia answers.
.
.
.
Great.
"I am a total drag if I am impatient. Swear, I should apologize on being annoying." Akali sighs, never knew she is getting heck of an impatient person because of this travelling. Only to know, maybe exploring her eyes will do. Yet, it's making her tired, her eyes are falling if she continues to gawk around the surroundings. Thus, she decided to admire what's in front instead.
Her eyes went up. Raven colored hair, long, silky, smooth, and it falls in length just on the waist. Speaking of waist..
Why is Irelia wearing a navy blue, tight spandex short in nighttime? It is so tight that it almost shapes her rear like a plump peach. Questions rises:
'Why on earth Irelia wears a short, probably for dancing, in sleep?'
'Why it's shaping her rear perfectly?'
'Are dancers like this?'
'Will it feels like skin?'
"Hell. I think I am the perv here." Akali squinted, shaking her head to remove the rising warmth of her cheeks. "Knock it off. I don't want a blade slitting my throat because of this."
As few minutes went by, Irelia calls Akali that they were about to reach the warehouse. Wow. It seems it is fully guarded as if they knew the Blade Dancer that they fear, pursue, and believe to be eligible to lead Ionia is coming. Who wouldn't? Her brother is held hostage there and he is ONLY two-years old.
Both of them exchange glances before making a jump, landing on the solid rooftop. Their killing tendencies starts, in pursuit of rescuing the two-years old who is inside the facility somewhere.
NOTE:
Hmm.. Good luck for the Brotherhood. :3
Annnnd who wouldn't thought? Let me ask you guys.. Are Akali's actions are having a slight perversion or not? Cause' Irelia is almost calling her that now. UwU Plus.. WHO sleeps with a tight, fitting shorts anyway?! Additionally, it shapes her butt fully! C'mon Irelia! *pout
Do you guys like the fluffs? uwu.. Next chapter will be filled with action and YES guys.. FLUFFS! Rescuing Ruu time!