AN: A long time ago, in a country far, far away, an author with the penname of "Vitalus" went on an invigorating journey to track down one of her runaway characters. Enjoy a snapshot of the "touching" reunion. :P
Victor smiled despite himself as he cradled his new baby in his arms… his beloved daughter. And nothing in the world was ever going to change take her away from him –
As he was thinking this, a solitary figure kicked down the door to the room, pointed directly at him and insisted, "Victor! You're coming with me, right now!"
"What the… who are you? And… HOW DARE YOU call me 'Victor!' Only Sonja has any right to call me that!"
"Ugh, I can't believe how attached you are to a name that isn't even yours," the figure replied, running a hand through her brown hair in frustration. "And, anyway, I created you, so I'll call you whatever the hell I want."
"Created? What are you talking about?" Victor insisted.
"I mean that I am the author of your story, Dear Victor, a story that you have accidentally wandered out of. You crossed the line between fiction and fanfiction, and so, have landed in the realm of 'Revenge Tastes Purple,' my charming love story between Lulu and Veigar, the latter of whom was supplanted by you upon your arrival."
"You're insane!"
"Am I? Take a look at the girl in your arms. Does that really look like your baby?"
Victor looked down and was stunned to see the illusion fading away. The baby's beautiful blond hair faded to black, and her crimson eyes turned to a milky gold. "What the hell?"
"Just come with me, and I'll set everything right," Vitalus assured. "Veigar has been looking everywhere for his family, and it'd be best for all of us if you weren't here coddling his cub when he walks through the door."
Thoroughly confused, Victor took the woman at her word and, replacing the cub in her crib, joined her as she opened a portal and leapt to another world.
Hello, my dear readers! Sorry again for abandoning ship. I could get into the long list of reasons why I vanished off the face of the earth, but I thought I'd introduce you to a stowaway who turned up last chapter instead. As many of you pointed out, I made a typo wherein a certain "Victor" decided to carry Lulu into the sunset. I assure you, this was not intentional, but rather the result of a sleep-deprived author who has been constantly shifting back and forth between this fanfiction and a story of her own creation, both of which feature shockingly similar protagonists whose names both start with a "V." I suppose muscle memory took over at some point while I was typing and "Veigar" became "Victor." Sorry about that. I'll fix it just as soon as I figure out how to edit my submission…. In the meantime, enjoy the next bit of Revenge Tastes Purple. Again, I apologize most sincerely for the wait, my patient (and hopefully forgiving) readers, but I'm going to stop making promises I obviously can't deliver on as far as the update times of this story. All I'll say is that I swear I will finish it. It may take years to do so, but it WILL be finished, so help me Mordekaiser!
Also, do not panic at the end of this chapter about another long haitus, at least not immediately. I have a second chapter 99% done that will be uploaded later this weekend (I hope) or by next weekend at the latest. I know this chapter is still a bit melancholy, but there's a bit of important set up in it for future chapters. Here's a box of tissues and a plate of cookies to get you through. :) Don't worry; I promise the next chapter's lighter stuff, and this chapter's got NOTHING on the last two in forms of depression and angst. Don't panic if you don't see a reply to your review at the end either. Seriously. If I included every review at the end here, we'd be at over 15,000 words. :O So, I've included roughly half of the reviews on this chapter, and half on the next, which features a "sneak peek" into the next chapter, so as to be compliant with FanFiction rules (which say I can't publish anything that doesn't include at least partial relevance to the story).
As always, I hope you all enjoy this next update, and please remember that I own nothing, and all rights go to RIOT games. Now then, on with the story (and please review when you're done if you still care about this story. It means a lot to me.)
Falling Apart and Coming Together
"Ugh… nugh… no… NO!" With a startled cry, Lulu bolted upright in her bed, the fading pieces of her nightmare vanishing in an instant. She drew a few deep breaths and reassured herself, "It was only a nightmare…. Veigar's alive, so are Gnar and Lynessa. We're fine. We're all going to be okay." The reassuring words sounded empty even to her ears. She turned to the opposite side of the bed, hoping she hadn't disturbed her mate, only to find his side of the bed empty. Her hands ran along the indentation of the mattress beside her, prompting a frown. Veigar's side of the bed was cold… again. Before she could consider that matter more thoroughly, she heard another wail from across the hall.
"Oh, Lyn," Lulu whispered as the cries of a newborn cub shattered her concentration and the silence within the mansion. She looked at the clock on the wall and muttered, "Three hours… just as timely as the starfall and rainbow geysers in the Glade." A long sigh escaped her lips as she pulled herself to her feet and, after a final glance backward at the empty bed, stumbled wearily toward Lynessa's room.
As she opened the door, she promptly noticed an orange blur between herself and the cradle, sniffing the air in her direction for any sign of danger. Once Gnar was assured that it was only Lulu, not Teemo or some other enemy, he relaxed his guard and rushed back to Lynessa's cradle, lifting her out gently. The little cub relaxed as she felt his familiar, furry arms. Even if she hadn't yet grown old enough to identify her family by name or title, she knew enough about their touches, sounds, and smells to tell them apart.
"I've got her, Gnar," Lulu stated gently, taking the cub from his outstretched arms and making her way to the nearby rocking chair. Lynessa frowned to herself, as the voice didn't sound entirely familiar to her sensitive ears. Her mama always sounded more… bright. She sniffed at the air in front of her, catching the scent of lavender, and immediately relaxed. It really was Mama. She just sounded… different now… far more stressed than she had been before. Lynessa wailed a little more at the thought. Her "distressed" mama was beginning to sound far more "normal" than her real mama ever since she was born.
The curious thing about babies of any species though, is their incredible one-track mindedness. The moment Lulu seated herself in the rocking chair and helped Lynessa find a nipple to suckle, her previous pain for her mother's changed demeanor faded away in favor of tending to her empty belly. Lulu rocked her cub slowly while she drank, while Gnar peered up curiously at the touching site.
The prehistoric yordle tilted his head as he looked at them and asked, "Mama… why is she so hungry all the time?"
"That's just the way newborn cubs are, Gnar," Lulu explained with a yawn.
"But she's wearing you all out," the orange furball insisted, his ears drooping sadly.
"She can't help it," Lulu explained, opting to conceal part of the truth from his sensitive ears. While it was true that the cub had certainly kept Lulu busy and tired, Lynessa's demands could in no way equal the pain and horror of her nightmares. Night after dreadful night, she relived the catastrophe of the day Teemo nearly destroyed everything she held dear. Sometimes, the dream played out as it had occurred in real life. More often though, especially of late, she saw how much worse it could've been. What if Veigar had been struck, and Teemo forcefully dragged Lulu away as he lay dying? What if Gnar fought back, trying to protect his "Mommy" and gotten hurt or worse? She didn't want to think about such things, and she certainly didn't wish to dream of them. Pix and Ariadne were doing all they could to relieve her nightmares, but the cursed toxin still prevented much of their magic from affecting her. She still couldn't cast or summon much fairy magic of her own to help either. She sighed again as she looked at her daughter. Like Lynessa, Lulu showed no signs of recovery, although several months had passed since that dreadful day. The cub remained blind, crippled, and helpless in the very literal sense. Lulu felt just as blind, crippled, and helpless in spirit, as, she suspected, did Veigar. After all, if he weren't, he wouldn't sneak off in the middle of the night… right?
Gnar came closer and looked down at the baby, who contently suckled upon her mother's breast. Sensing a nearby presence, Lynessa stopped drinking for a minute and moved her face closer to Gnar's, sniffing the air around him. She smelled fur tainted with the woods outside, a little fresh dirt, some pine needles, and the fresh scent after a rainstorm. She giggled and blew a raspberry at her brother before returning her undivided attention to her mother's milk.
Lulu forced a smile at the cubs' antics as Gnar playfully growled back at her. His dark eyes glittered in the moonlight that streamed through the window as he stared lovingly at his baby sister. "Where's Daddy?" he asked curiously.
Another sigh escaped Lulu's lips as she answered, "The library… again."
"Should I go get him?" Gnar asked helpfully, only to wince as he heard a crash from deeper in the mansion.
"No," Lulu answered gently. "If I know him, he's in no mood to be disturbed right now. Leave him be. He'll come to us when he's ready." Lynessa had finished eating, but still shifted about as best she could, indicating her discomfort. Lulu shook her head, knowing the problem, and asked, "Gnar, has Corki dropped off any more care packages lately?"
"Uh-huh," Gnar answered. "He dropped one off yesterday, with diapers and toys and food and clothes and everything."
"Good," Lulu answered with a sigh, thankful for the champion's aid. Corki had been airdropping care packages and letters for Lulu, Lynessa, and Gnar since the first day he'd heard of Teemo's tale. As the first of these letters from a very distraught Teemo had explained, once the other yordles learned of Veigar's "death" and that Lulu was (allegedly) on her own with Gnar and a disabled cub, they refused to abandon her any longer. Each yordle collected/created pleasantries and necessities for the family that Corki would drop from the sky any time he made a passage over Veigar's mountain. Teemo begged her not to refuse or disdain their aid; after all, they all were responsible for allowing her banishment from Bandle City, which meant that she'd have a difficult time obtaining such goods for herself. As much as she and (more often) Veigar hated to admit it, the care packages had made their lives much easier.
"Does she need one of these, Mommy?" Gnar asked, waving a clean, cloth diaper from the most recent package over his head.
"Yes, bring it here, please, Dear," she requested, stretching out her hand. He placed the cloth in her hand before returning to dig through the box again while his mother changed Lynessa. A grin settled over his face as he said, "Lynessa has lots of toys in this one, and even a music box!"
Lulu forced another half-smile for her son and explained, "Several of those toys are probably intended for you as well, Gnar. The other champions haven't forgotten you."
"I know, Mommy. I just want my baby sister to be happy." As if on cue, Lynessa made a contented coo as she curled a fist around a lock of her mother's lilac hair.
Lulu lifted her daughter into her arms and whispered, "My sweet, little, Lyn… I'm so sorry." The cub just cooed again and held the lock of hair tighter as she fought determinedly against slumber.
"Can I hold her for a little bit, Mommy?" Gnar pleaded. Knowing the cub would take careful care of little Lynessa, she gently laid her in his arms and made her way back to the rocking chair. She watched with tired eyes as Gnar chatted on and on with his sister, who giggled and babbled nonsensically back, as if trying to hold a conversation. Before she realized what was happening, her eyes had grown heavy, and she'd drifted back to sleep.
"Damn it; there's got to be something!" Veigar growled, throwing a heavy spell tome across his library in disgust. The tome crashed against the wall before landing with a heavy "thud" on the granite floor.
"Good arm," Pix muttered with a twinge of sarcasm as he flew in. "That tome probably weighs at least twelve pounds, and you nearly knocked me out of the air with it."
Veigar let out a huff of air as he mumbled, "Sorry, Pix," under his breath.
"No, you're not, 'Master of Evil,' but considering all of the shit you're dealing with, I'll excuse you. Just for the love of the Glade, don't lash out at Lulu or one of your cubs."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Veigar replied honestly as he dragged out another tome and opened its dusty frame to muse over its contents. No matter how desperate and weary he was, he'd never allow himself to so much as raise his voice to them, especially not now, not when they were all already falling apart.
"Have you found anything?" Pix asked, all previous bitterness gone from his voice.
"No," Veigar admitted, an uncharacteristic sadness in his voice. Despite the long weeks and months wherein he'd virtually shut himself away into his library, he'd yet to come any closer to finding a cure for either his wife's or his daughter's ailments. "To be honest… finding any sort of an answer in here is probably a long shot. Black magic doesn't generally concern itself with finding ways to undo its effects."
"But Teemo's poison isn't technically black magic," Pix observed.
"Not on its own, but when I cast my curse on Lynessa, I changed its nature. I may have saved her life, but I fear I've doomed her to an existence where she'll never see or walk. I can't even keep my focus half of the time I'm searching these books. I keep thinking about what else I could've done, what other spells I might have tried. I knew the curse was the best chance, but the cost…."
"You did the best you could," Pix admonished. "We'll never know what would've happened if you'd tried another spell, but the fact remains that the poison nearly killed Lulu and Lynessa. Because of your actions, they're alive. We have time to figure out how to fix this. I have no doubt that it will be much easier than fixing their deaths."
"I know that, but it doesn't make me feel any less guilty. What kind of yordle am I, to place such a curse on my own mate and daughter? I know I chose to master evil itself and bend it to my will but… I never…" Veigar unleashed a bloodcurdling scream as he sank to his knees in despair. "They were right all along," he whispered, hiding his head within his gauntlets. "I am a monster."
"No, you aren't." Ariadne's voice broke the tension in the room like a ray of sunshine in the midst of a storm. She flew over to Veigar and put a comforting hand on what little was left exposed of his cheek and murmured, "Veigar, you've got to stop blaming yourself. Lulu, Gnar, and Lynessa need you to be strong, now more than ever."
He laughed bitterly, brokenly, and replied, "Look what my strength's already done for them, Ariadne. Look what it did for you."
"You kept me alive, Veigar. You kept them alive. Do you really think any other mage could've found it within themselves to do what you did? If you had even a fraction of weakness in your heart, you never could've cast that spell. Instead, your doubt would've doomed both your mate and your cub. I know this isn't ideal, but it's the best you or anyone else could've done. If you want to fix it, then you have to be strong and keep searching for the answer, whatever it takes."
He drew a long breath and said, "I know. Sorry, I'm just… tired."
The fairies nodded in understanding. Strangely, Veigar had become the pillar of strength and optimism in the face of crisis. Veigar had been managing the cubs, cooking the family's food, cleaning up after everyone, treating Lulu's burns, and searching his library tomes every spare second for a cure to the family's plight. All through the day, he tried to make up for Lulu's missing smiles and bubbly affections, both of which were seldom seen since Teemo's dart struck her. But now it wasn't daylight, and no one was watching. This was when he grieved, doubted, fell apart. He'd escort Lulu to bed and stay just long enough for her to drift into unconsciousness before returning to the library, poring over every spell in every tome, hoping for something, anything that could undo his curse.
The Tiny Master of Evil stayed awake for days at a time before passing out from exhaustion, only to awaken a few hours later and repeat the cycle. He hadn't eaten properly in months. He'd been painting on smiles he didn't feel just as long. For lack of a better term, Veigar was letting himself go.
And yet, he did the best he could to appear strong for everyone else. He devoted as much time as he felt he could to Lynessa, rocking her to sleep each night and playing with her whenever she grew restless. He also took Gnar and Lynessa on short hikes around his mountain, showing them the way to a beautiful waterfall with a swimming hole at the bottom, a brook where Gnar could catch fish while Lynessa splashed in the shallow water, and some caves to explore.
Whenever the fairies weren't watching the cubs, Veigar was, holding Lynessa in his arms while Gnar played a short distance away. It kept the family together, but all the effort was tearing Veigar apart inside. He couldn't keep it up much longer, especially with his guilt berating him every moment.
"You're exhausted, Veigar," Ariadne coaxed gently. "You need to take a break from this. If you keep all this up much longer, you're bound to have a breakdown. That's not going to do your family any good."
"I'm not going to breakdown," Veigar snarled stubbornly, drawing on the last of his strength. "But I'm not going to rest either. How can I? Someone has to take care of our affairs, and Lulu is in no state."
"Pix and I can handle the cubs. Luckily, Gnar's relatively mature for his age too. He's been wonderful to Lynessa."
Veigar smiled a little and said, "I know…. I thought I was doing him a favor when I offered to take him in. If anything, he's been a godsend. I don't know how Lulu or I would've survived this blow if not for his optimism and help with Lynessa."
"You and Lulu should get out for a little bit," Ariadne coaxed. "If only for an afternoon, you two need to get away from everything that's happened. Like I said, the cubs are no more trouble than Pix and I can handle."
"No, I need to stay here and fix this mess I've made. Lulu's heart isn't well enough to take solace in travelling anyway. And besides that, where would we go? Neither of us is welcome anywhere, to say nothing of the fact that the world thinks I'm dead."
Ariadne had nothing to say to that.
Pix remained silent for a long while, then suggested softly, "We could all go to the Glade…."
Veigar blinked, the suggestion taking him entirely off-guard. He knew why Pix had remarked that they should all go. With the altered time-continuum, there was no promise if they entered separately that they'd ever see each other again. If they went… it might do a world of good for Lulu, maybe even Lynessa. The Glade was where Lulu had obtained her magic before; there was a chance that returning could restore it to her. Besides, the Glade overflowed with healing, fairy magic. Perhaps it could cure Lynessa and Lulu… but at what cost?
There was no way to enter the Glade without entering the alternate time-stream. If you entered the Glade for so much as a second, you could return to Valoran decades, maybe even centuries after your departure. The rest of the champions, including those Lulu considered her friends, would age tremendously, perhaps even die during the time span. Then again, so would everyone who'd ever hurt her and the rest of their family. It could mean a new start… for all of them. Veigar could return to an era where no one remembered his crimes. He and Lulu might face again a world where they didn't belong, but that was no different than now, was it? Who knew, maybe by then the world would have changed for the better after all that time?
Or… maybe… they wouldn't have to leave. Maybe he and his family could stay in the Glade… forever. He knew little about the magical world where his beloved had disappeared for centuries, despite her many stories. It seemed that the Glade was a world that defied explanation, a place you simply had to experience to understand. He did know that it was a good world though, and that the fae, although mischievous, were good-hearted. It would be a good and magical realm where he and Lulu could raise his cubs in peace. All at once, it sounded like a perfect idea.
Then, as he looked at Ariadne, he remembered her illness. The Glade may have been healed… for now, but if the world remained unchanged… it would fall into sickness again. The power of Lulu's magic would only last so long, and the world hadn't changed nearly enough to preserve the world of the fae on its own. There was no promise that the Glade, or Runeterra for that matter, would survive through their lifetimes… at least… not without help.
"I'll talk to Lulu," Veigar promised. "One day… I have a feeling we will go to the Glade, but not before I make certain that both it and Runeterra itself are safe for our cubs."
Ariadne and Pix nodded, understanding his choice. Veigar had made up his mind long ago to save Runeterra from itself by ruling it with an iron fist. Those plans may have been put on hold when he took Lulu for a mate, but the recent events had only confirmed in Veigar's mind that he must finish his task. If he didn't… the world would not accept his or his family's existence… and that was the one thing Veigar absolutely couldn't tolerate.
A clock on the far wall chimed thrice. "Damn, is it already three in the morning?"
"Looks like it," Pix chimed. "Lynessa should be waking up for her next feeding soon."
As if on cue, Lynessa's cries filled the house and a definite "pitter-patter" of Gnar's paws echoed against the hardwood floor as he scouted for danger. A few seconds later, he heard his beloved mate wander into the cubs' room as well. Veigar sighed and slipped a bookmark into the tome to mark his place then started making his way toward the nursery.
"You should talk with Lulu," Ariadne advised as she and her brother flew by Veigar's side. "After all of this… she's not herself."
Veigar stopped mid-step, sighed defeatedly, and gave her and Pix a knowing look.
Pix nodded sadly and said, "You know… don't you?"
"It's not something I could easily miss, especially after Ariadne."
"My illness is nothing compared to hers," Pix consoled. "Lulu is just hurt and doesn't know what to do about it. She wants to be mad at the world and will be for a little while, but she'll come around eventually."
"I hope you're right," Veigar admitted, resuming his walk toward the nursery.
By the time Veigar entered, Lynessa already lay in Gnar's arms, giggling as he rocked her while proudly singing her lullaby. Lynessa babbled nonsensically as his song ended.
Gnar looked up at his adopted father and grinned hugely. "She says she wants to learn to sing like you, me, and Mommy soon!"
Not for the first time, Veigar found himself extremely grateful for Ariadne's spell. Her magic had transformed Gnar's primitive language into almost eloquent speech. Every word he said was magically transformed into something the listener could easily comprehend (assuming they too had been touched with fairy magic). To Lynessa, he spoke in baby gabbers. To Veigar and Lulu, he sounded more… mature. Conversely, every syllable uttered by someone to him sounded like his native language, allowing him to perfectly understand everything from Pix and Ariadne's fae tongue, to Lulu and Veigar's yordle language, to Lynessa's baby talk (which was very handy for understanding why Lynessa would throw various tantrums).
Veigar chuckled as he took his daughter from Gnar's arms and said, "I don't doubt that she's trying, but don't get your hopes up yet, kid. She's still got at least a couple of weeks before we should expect so much as her first word."
"Gah, gah, gaaah!" Lynessa squealed, as if challenging her father.
Veigar put on an obviously fake unamused face and replied in a sarcastic tone, "You change that 'g' to a 'd' and then, maybe, I'll be impressed, little Lyn." Lynessa blew a raspberry at him. Gnar giggled, prompting a childish glare from Veigar.
"I didn't teach her that!" the cub exclaimed, putting his paws up defensively, though the grin remained plastered to his face.
"I suspect you taught her that, Pix," Ariadne admonished her brother with a stern look, though merriment shone in her eyes. Pix didn't reply, but shot his sister a smug smirk.
Veigar rolled his eyes as the fairies launched into a light-hearted argument, with Gnar leaping straight into the middle. While they were distracted, he pressed a gentle kiss onto his daughter's forehead and whispered, "Daddy's so sorry, sweetheart." Lynessa blindly groped around in front of her with her little hand. Knowing what she wanted, Veigar gently placed his finger in her palm. Her fingers curled around it instantly and a warm smile that reminded him greatly of his Lulu spread across her face. The little cub's eyelids fluttered shut as her father held her close against his chest and softly sang her lullaby. By the end of the lullaby, Lynessa had fallen into a deep slumber, and Veigar carefully placed her back into her crib while pulling her new blanket over her.
"Is Little Sister sleeping now?" Gnar asked through a long yawn, his burst of late-night energy thoroughly spent.
"Yes, she is, and you should be also," Veigar chastised lightly, as he lifted Gnar into the air and placed him in his own bed. Gnar jumped out of the bed with his blanket and pillow to curl up beside Lynessa's crib.
"I sleep better on the floor, Daddy. I'm not used to beds."
Veigar sighed but nodded his head in consent. He and Lulu had been trying slowly to help Gnar become more used to the world in which he lived, but it seemed he was resisting for the time being. There wasn't anything wrong with how Gnar behaved and interacted with the world; it was just… well… bothersome to him and Lulu as his "parents." After all, though he claimed to be more used to sleeping on the hard floor, he often awoke with a stiff neck. He was more accustomed to eating foods that could make him sick or that were dangerous to gather, like mushrooms and wild honey (Veigar's eyes still stung whenever he thought of the orange-furred cub returning to the mansion with his eyes nearly swelled shut from beestings). They didn't wish to change their son, but that didn't mean they didn't wish to protect him.
"Daddy?" Gnar added, interrupting Veigar's train of thought.
"What is it, Gnar?" Veigar asked.
"Mommy fell asleep in the rocking chair again," he explained, pointing a fluffy finger in Lulu's direction.
Veigar turned to look at his unconscious mate, shook his head, and sadly whispered, "Oh, Lu… this has all been so hard on her."
"There's something wrong with Mommy, isn't there?" Gnar asked in a fearful whisper.
His father nodded sadly and whispered back, "I'm afraid so. Try not to worry about her, Gnar. I promise; she'll be okay. She just needs time… and lots of love, from you, Lynessa, and me."
"I promise," said Gnar.
"Good boy," Veigar answered, rubbing his head affectionately. "Get some sleep, son. We all need the rest."
"But I need *yawn* to protect my baby sister," Gnar protested as he wiped his eyes drowsily.
"We'll stay awake to protect her and your parents, Gnar," Ariadne promised, ignoring the look of protest on Pix's face. It wasn't that Pix didn't want to protect everyone, it's just that it sounded like a lot of work…. He opened his mouth to protest, when Ariadne shot him a glare– daring him to open his mouth. Pix wisely opted to remain silent.
"Thank you both. I'm sorry we're asking so much of you right now."
"This is our job, Veigar. It's why we exist. To protect and care for those who share our bond," Ariadne explained. "You and Lynessa are my first priority, my sacred duty, and all of you are my dearest friends. Besides, I owe you all my life. If not for all you did, I wouldn't be here to help."
Pix nodded begrudgingly to his sister's impassioned speech and admitted, "Lulu will carry her bond with me as long as she lives, but I can't deny I love her and her cubs dearly. As for you… well… you're growing on me, I guess."
Ariadne smiled at her brother, then turned back to Veigar and promised, "We'll be there to help with Lulu if her nightmares continue. For now, just get her to bed. Of all of us, she needs you most."
Veigar nodded and walked to the rocking chair. He carefully lifted Lulu into his arms and, ever-so-carefully, he carried her, bridal style, to their bedroom, where he gently tucked her back into their bed.
Her eyelids fluttered open as he lovingly caressed the healthy side of her face. Desperately, he fought the urge to weep as he noticed their deep blue color, only barely laced with lavender.
"L-Lu?" he choked, feeling the unshed tears burning in his eyes. Tears flooded from her eyes too as she reached up and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. Tonight, for whatever reason, they couldn't pretend they were okay any longer. Tonight… they fell apart. Veigar held her as closely as he could without aggravating her burns, all the while whispering, "Oh, Lu, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Me too," she whispered back, clutching tightly to his dark hair and robes, trying to pull him closer.
"Please," he begged her. "Please… can't you ever forgive me?"
"My mate… there's nothing to forgive you for," she promised, kissing his cheek tenderly. "You're innocent. None of this nightmare is your fault. You only ever tried to do what was right."
"But I've hurt our daughter. I've cursed you." His lips were roving over her neck as he pleaded.
"To save our lives. Veigar… I can never blame you for this. It wasn't you or I who was wrong. It was the world."
Veigar wept, tears of bitterness intermingled now with tears of relief. "I love you, Lu. I love you more than words can say. Thank you. Thank you so much."
"I love you too, Veigar. No matter what happens… please… don't ever doubt that."
"Never," he replied, kissing her lips deeply. After the kiss ended, the mates lay within the bed, holding each other as though the forces of the world were trying to rip them apart. Tears still streamed from their eyes. Lulu buried her face in Veigar's neck, inhaling his comforting scent and trying to ease the painful throbbing of her heart. Veigar carefully tucked her head beneath his chin and caressed her hair and back lovingly.
A few minutes passed as they cuddled in silence before Lulu explained, "I think I understand now."
Veigar blinked in confusion and asked, "Understand what?"
"Why you wanted to crush the world in your fist, why you hungered to see Valoran burning," Lulu elaborated, a little of the blue in her eyes turning to a feral yellow as she spoke. "Every time I look at Lynessa, all I can think is, 'It's not fair.' She never did anything to deserve this curse. I was ready when I became your mate to face whatever condemnations the world had for my choice, but this? This is… abominable. She's just a cub… and she's suffering because the world couldn't accept us."
Veigar held Lulu closer, beginning to worry. Such talk wasn't like her, even when angered.
Lulu looked into his eyes, glowing every bit as golden as hers, albeit for different reasons, and continued, "The worst part isn't seeing her in pain. It's knowing that there isn't a damn thing I can do to help her. My magic is all but gone; without it, I'm powerless to undo the damage that's already happened, much less help if someone dared to lash out again." Her mouth had twisted into a snarl and her fists clenched in rage as she ordered, "Veigar… teach me."
He didn't have to ask what she wanted him to teach her. After all, there was only one subject he was qualified to teach. "No, Lulu," he replied softly, trying to calm her down. "You're the Fae Sorceress. You shouldn't abandon your own aptitude."
"I won't. I intend to remaster it also, along with any and all other kinds of magic I can, provided this curse is broken one day. Until then though, I won't be powerless anymore. I'm not going to allow the world to take everything precious from me again, and if they try… I will make them regret it."
"You intend to go through with my plan." It was a statement, not a question.
"Of course, I'm not going to bring my children up in a world where they're punished for existing. You've already come to the same conclusion, haven't you? Long before Lynessa was born you started sneaking away in the dead of the night to study your tomes again."
Veigar sighed. He knew she hadn't approved of his plan to change the world, but he still felt the call within himself, ordering him to see it through. So… he'd tried to secretly resume his studies, reforming and adjusting his original scheme to conquer the world. He wasn't doing it for himself; it was never intended to bring him lasting power. All he wanted to do was fix the broken world he lived in… for the sake of everyone around him… for Lulu, Gnar, and Lynessa. But for Lulu to so desperately and suddenly align herself with his plan… it was so out-of-character, so very against everything his Lulu stood for. By the stars, how close am I to losing the mate I love to my own darkness?
He thought long and hard before he answered her. "I'll admit it; there's no point in keeping secrets from you now. Yes, I'm still studying the dark arts, and yes, I still am planning to change the world. However… I… we need a new plan. It would've been easier my way… but there's too much to lose now," he admitted, holding his mate tightly in his arms.
"I have no intention of letting you die, but if it comes to that, my fall will be right beside you. Whatever happens from this day forward, I am never leaving you, even if that means dying at your side."
"We can't both leave our cubs," Veigar reminded her.
"Then we'll find a way to do this and come out of it alive. I believe in you, Veigar; I believe in the Master of Evil."
"And I believe in my Fae Sorceress," he coaxed, softly kissing above her brow. "If you believe in me, Lu… then leave the Black Magic to me. It comes at a price… a terrible price… one that I hope to whatever gods are listening no one will ever have to pay again."
"I will pay it, if that's what it takes."
"It won't come to that, Lu. I promise you; I've already paid it. Let me carry the burden. All I ask of you is to be my comfort and my conscience, my partner and my confidante, a mother to our cubs and a lover to me."
The last of the yellow glow left Lulu's eyes as she whispered, "Okay."
He released a soft sigh of relief and kissed her lips. "Thank you, Lu. We're going to be okay in time; you'll see."
"But what if they come again?" Lulu asked, her voice trembling with fear. "Veigar… I've told you about my nightmares. Please… if you won't teach me to protect the ones I love, then at least promise me that this will be enough. Promise me I'll never have to watch you or our cubs die."
"I promise." He could see in her eyes that she was still frightened and that she felt alone and helpless in their poison-ridden hell, so he spent the entire night reassuring her the only way he knew how. For the first time since Lynessa's birth, he made love with his mate, whispering words of love and encouragement into her ears between every long, tender kiss. He promised her that their love would be strong enough to protect their family. He swore she was the strongest and bravest yordle he'd ever met. He praised her for casting her magic over him even as the curse flowed through her veins, magic that gave him the strength and courage to face every day. He worshipped her every strength and beauty, inside and out.
And in the end, when he held her in his arms and softly whispered confessions of his undying love even as he drifted into slumber, she was blessed with a night free from her nightmares. Even better, when she awoke in the morning, for the first time since Lynessa's birth, Veigar lay beside her in their bed.
AN:
All: Hey again, everyone! Like I said, about half of the reviews are below, and half are with the sneak peek of the next chapter. Keep an eye open for the full chapter's release soon! I hope you all enjoyed this, and let me know what you think!
Sylver 9895: Uh… I kind of died again on you, didn't I? Sorry, I'll try to do better. Thank you for your review!
Hipoisthabest: We'll see if Teemo keeps his word. It'll definitely be hard for him to keep it from Tristana at the least. She's a rather perceptive yordle, and he is devastated by what really happened. Thank you for the review!
Heimerdonger: Yeah… this story has been a rollercoaster of feels, I think. Lots of ups and downs. I am pretty sure we'll be headed slowly back uphill for a while after this though. Your welcome for the two chapters and sorry I dropped off the planet again. Thank you for your review!
AlphaMeerkat: I'm so glad you liked the chapters. Sorry about the long delay before I could get this one to you. Thank you so much for your kind words, friend!
ThatGuyWhoDoesThingsYouKnow: Thank you for your kind words! There will definitely be a series of ongoing "ripples" from Teemo's actions, including for a handful of characters I haven't revealed just yet. ;) I hope you can bear with my spastic updates to see what happens in the future, and I apologize (again!) for the delay.
NexodusArc: These two chapters are definitely a climax. I don't know if I'd call it the climax, especially if I end this story the way I'm currently planning to…. Don't worry though; things will definitely be patched up more and more in the future chapters. In fact, I believe next chapter should begin the healing of one of the afflicted yordles. (I think I've made the family suffer enough for now; don't you?)
Thank you for your kind words! I'm so glad that my fanfiction has moved you and so many others so much. It's hard to believe that I originally intended this to end at chapter one. I will definitely be continuing this fanfiction, and try to be better about my updates. I apologize for once again disappearing. Clinical rotations were really stressful this year. :(
To address your questions: 1) Poppy and Annie (among others) will definitely be informed of the "development" eventually. In fact, by now I'd say that they both probably know. Teemo simply addressed everyone who was in Bandle City at the moment. Poppy, according to her lore, tends to wander around Demacia, and thus wouldn't likely have been around to hear the initial story from Teemo's lips. Annie, being a human, would have no reason to be in Bandle City to hear the original story either, although her friendship with Amumu suggests that he will soon inform her of the details.
2) I may go into filler for that time at a later date (most likely as bonus chapters to the end of the story by this point). I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do (especially since you were kind enough to leave me such a long review! I love that!)
3) Bandle City will not be retaliating against the League for several reasons. A) The powers that be believe Veigar is dead. In their mind, he's not been 'removed' from the League so much as he simply can't participate (because death is a problem unless you're from the Shadow Isles apparently.) Lulu can't participate either because she's in mourning. No one would know better than another yordle how devastating it is to lose a mate. Frankly, in their minds, Lulu was a loose cannon before, but now she's a time bomb. They don't want that kind of liability. If the League were to have explicitly kicked Veigar and Lulu out for now good reason, then Yordleland might have cried "foul" or "prejudice;" however, that is not the case under these circumstances.
I hope that answered your questions! Thank you for your review!
Superblal: Thank you for your review! I'm glad to see you still care about this story! :)
Yes, I'm actually pretty happy with how I portrayed Amumu, even though it could be conceived as taking him "out of character." I did it for several reasons. One, I refuse to think that anyone behaves the same way 24/7. That's why Lulu isn't portrayed as constantly happy-go-lucky in my story, for example. Plus, as I've been trying to imply, time is passing for all of the characters within my story, and they're beginning to change/rub off on each other (Veigar is slower to anger after spending time with Lulu for example). I have a good reason for Amumu acting as he did, but we'll have to wait a few more chapters to see what exactly is bringing him out of his shell. Two, for the purposes of my story, the death of a yordle's mate is supposed to be devastating, and all yordles get that. Teemo confessing that he killed someone's mate is a much bigger deal to the yordle community than if someone were to kill a human's husband or wife because the yordles psychologically cannot move on from such a loss. Now, most aren't going to blame him because they have the "Veigar was evil. He had to go," mentality, but having seen all that he has of Lulu and Veigar's relationship, Amumu knows better, which is why he opted to speak up. Everyone else seemed to be calmly accepting something that, in his mind, was an atrocity, so he decided to enlighten everyone on the full devastation of Teemo's actions. There's another reason that he's so sensitive about this, but that will be discussed in a later chapter.
The poison, Veigar's magic, and the sheer trauma of everything Lulu has been through are definitely affecting Lulu's magic and her personality, as you mentioned. In fact, her heart has now been "polluted" long enough for Pix to start feeling the effects, so if she's ever going to return to her former strength, action will need to be taken (most likely in the next chapter or two). In order for fae magic to work (per my story's interpretation), the caster must have a "pure" heart, but, as you intuited, there are several factors playing into that. Lulu's heart is NOT pure at the moment because she has allowed anger, betrayal, bitterness, and sorrow to taint her (no doubt Veigar's black magic is encouraging this).
Lynessa is somewhat spared from the effects for two reasons. One, although Veigar cast his black curse upon her as well, Lulu had simultaneously cast a spell of fairy magic over Lynessa in an attempt to protect her (Remember Veigar commented that Lulu had cast a spell to induce her own labor). That spell exuded the last of the mana/energy Lulu had to give, so she wasn't able to protect herself from Veigar's spell, only her cub. Two, Lynessa may have been born a child of black magic, but as a cub, she maintains a child-like innocence that prohibits the worst of the black magic's effect on her heart. Lulu may have initially had such innocence, but that was brutally destroyed by Teemo's dart. For lack of a better term, Lulu had always approached the world with an uncanny, almost unhealthy, optimism before, but, after nearly losing her mate and cubs, she's now acutely aware of how cruel and unfair the world can be, which has dramatically altered her mindset. She can still become pure of heart again, even with this changed outlook, but first she would have to let go of her lingering bitterness, which is not something she's ready/able to do yet.
The genetic component has nothing to do with the purity. Lulu explained in a previous chapter that fairies are typically bound to family lines. Put simply, a fairy cannot choose who they bind to. When they are born, they are automatically bound to a particular human/yordle/etc. This binding remains until either the fairy dies (meaning that the one they bound to had a corrupted heart) or the one they are bound to dies. Whenever the individual a fairy is bound to passes away, they must bind to someone else of the same family line, assuming there is such a person, but they still don't get to choose. For instance, if when baby Lynessa grows up, she has twins and dies in childbirth, Ariadne would not be able to choose which of Lynessa's descendants she wished to bind to. Instead, her magic would automatically merge her with one or the other. As for how Veigar was able to cast the magic, thanks to his mother's past, he actually has latent fairy magic within him, although, to cast it, he had to "purify" his heart by forcefully shoving away any and all anger/bitterness both at Teemo and the rest of the world. Such anger/bitterness obviously returned afterward, but for that moment in time, all that mattered to Veigar was a simple, pure intention that drove away his inner darkness.
Now, to address the "curse." The answer to whether or not it could be considered such is "yes and no." While said curse definitely saved their lives, it did so by blocking out all the fatal effects of the poison (as Veigar intended), but this also caused serious side effects, including blocking out Lulu and Lynessa's natural magical abilities and crippling/blinding Lynessa. As you said, you could argue that it isn't a curse since it saved them both, but the fact that the price is so steep almost makes it a curse in and of itself. The lesser of two "evils" is still, by necessity, "evil." Just so, the lesser of two "curses" is still a "curse."
The question of how Lynessa is going to be received when she inevitably enters the public eye is a good concept to keep in mind. I fully intend for her to eventually be unveiled, but I have yet to decide how the people/yordles are going to receive her, particularly amongst circles that both know of her heritage and can determine that her magical nature is inherently contradictory. Another question to keep in mind is that if Lynessa is ever freed from her curse, what would her magic look like? Fae magic and black magic do not mix very well. In fact, they typically counteract each other. What then, if anything, would Lynessa be capable of, since she has such vast quantities of both fae and black magic within her?
Don't feel bad about rambling. I enjoyed reading and responding to all of your points. This just means that you were thinking about my story, which is a tremendous compliment in and of itself. Thank you, friend, and sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.
DannyNeko: Please don't hate me! T.T I promise, every cloud has a silver lining; just be patient, please! Yeah… sorry about the runaway Victor. He's going to have some serious explaining to do with his wife…. :P Anyway, as for how Gnar can transform even when he isn't "angry," I translated his backstory from one of the comments of RIOT staff when he was first introduced to mean that he can transform out of a desire to protect. Maybe it's a stretch, but I figured it was possible, that Gnar might transform to protect Lulu and her unborn cub by helping them home whenever Lulu overexerted herself. Plus, I just like the idea of a pregnant Lulu riding around on a giant, orange fluffball. Sue me. As for the shadow vs. kinkou orders, my response to you is… we'll see. :) I'm not going to confirm or deny it, but there is a possibility that these two orders could make a fight within the context of my story (still playing with the idea for a future chapter a bit). So, the answer is a definite: maybe. Thank you for your review, and I hope the future chapters make you happier with the situation at hand.
ChunniSenpaii: Patience, Senpaii, patience. All good things to those wait (including happier endings for unfortunate yordles). And wow! This story partially inspired Paranoia of Sweetness? That's amazing! Thank you! And thank you for writing such an amazing story! VeixLu seriously needs more love on this site…. Anyway, thank you for your review, friend!
Veii: I'm so glad I lifted your spirits… and so sad that I probably crushed you again with the recent hiatus. :( I hope you can forgive me (again). Thank you for your kind review, and I'm so happy that my story means so much to you.
Terrian 10: You're welcome, and sorry for taking yet another hiatus. Thank you for your review!
Misfit Drums: I'm sorry that the past two chapters didn't live up to your expectations, but thank you for your constructive criticism. I tried to toy with Veigar and Lulu's personalities to give as much "fluff" as possible before the traumatic plunge. I'm sorry if the end result made them feel… flat.
As for Gnar… I deliberately used a cop-out, as you probably deduced by this chapter. I have zero experience with young children, and they are very difficult for me to write, so I deliberately caused a circumstance that aged Gnar's speech patterns, if not his personality. I admit that it's a deliberate low-road, but I felt that it was probably better to take that path rather than cause readers confusion and/or annoyance at what would have no doubt been a failed attempt to create a realistic childlike character. Also, I really have no idea what to do with Gnar's personality from a "childhood" perspective, since he is from such a distant era. No doubt he was expected to help his family hunt game, protect them from predators, and other "adult" responsibilities. How does one reconcile that with the fact that according to LoL officials, he's mentally three-years-old? -.-' I had no clue what to do with it, and every time I tried, the results were abominable to me. I hope you can forgive me for this.
Teemo's breakdown…. Sigh… I actually can't apologize for this one. A huge point that I've been trying to stress throughout the story is that the loss of a mate is the single most devastating thing that can happen to a yordle. Deliberately participating in events that would lead to the death of such a mate would be completely debilitating for any yordle with a conscience. Add to that the fact that Teemo finally pieced together who Veigar was and why he's been acting as he has, and it literally led Teemo to a crisis of conscience. After abandoning Veigar to die in Noxian hands, he then had a significant role in ostracizing him from society (a big deal to yordles, as stated in the lore), and nearly killed his mate and cub. If Veigar were to go before the members of Bandle City with this information, they would very likely call for either Teemo's immediate banishment or possibly his death; however, going to play tattle-tale is not really Veigar's style. More likely, he would've stormed into Bandle City and killed Tristana before Teemo's eyes while saying something like "a mate for a mate" before proceeding to torch all of Bandle City. Teemo knows Veigar's dark side well enough to guess what's at stake if Lulu and her cub don't make it. In fact, I don't doubt that Teemo's nightmares probably all involve a deranged Veigar coming for him and everything he loves. He knew only that Lulu and the cub were alive at the time he left Veigar's mansion. He had no way to know whether or not they were stable. Now that Lulu's told him the full extent of the damage, no doubt he's still worried about Veigar's revenge. Teemo now has to deal with the very real possibility that he could lose everything and everyone he loves to death or worse because he made a series of bad calls that nearly culminated in the yordles number one capital sin: death of a mate. I feel like no yordle, no matter how strong willed they are, would be able to go through something like this without at the very least breaking down. Many would probably even consider suicide. I'm sorry if I've done a poor job of getting the point across for how important the issue is, but as I said, I can't in good conscience state that it would be "out of character" for Teemo to break down according to the rules I've incorporated into Bandle society for the purposes of this story. Sorry if you disagree.
I'm very interested to see the lines you thought contradicted themselves though. Please, if you can remember, point them out to me in your next review. I've been trying very hard to keep that from happening, but I'm not perfect (obviously).
Anyway, I hope you liked the second chapter and that you enjoyed this new update as well. Thank you for your review, and please, feel free to be as criticizing as you feel you need to be. This is only my second fanfiction after all, and my first one was a major flop compared to this, so I need all the help I can get! Thanks again!
Anduplex n Emoth King: Don't worry. I'd never leave you with something like that. It's going to get MUCH better, I promise. I have a pretty good idea how things are going to wind up, and I promise you'll be much happier after a few more chapters. As for the time-travel champions… I can't confirm or deny their involvement. Thank you for your review, and I'm actually glad I was able to invoke such strong feelings. It should (in my opinion at least) make the ending much sweeter for you when you get there (oh dear… I just admitted this is going to have a happy ending didn't I? Oops.)