Guardian Angel (Considered a spin-off one-shot from "Demonic Beauty")

Twirling the ethereal blade in the grasp of her translucent hand, her glowing amethyst eyes roamed the city until it distractedly surveyed through the many windows of the medical center right across the rooftop she's presently perched at. The hospital had always been a place where Death Sworns usually lurked. It was a place where people give birth to countless lives, yes, but it's also known as a place where the mortals are taken from realm of the living.

The moment she stopped the motion of her blade's twirl, she stabbed it onto the concrete edge of the rooftop. Although the surface remained unaffected, she disappeared from her place with a flash of flame invisible to the human eye.

Merely blinking for a single second, Katarina found herself on a different rooftop. She had her eyes fixated on one of the windows in a particular unit in the apartment building right in front of her, her crystalline hair flying freely with the breeze.

Lips pursing in idle contemplation, Katarina narrowed her eyes at the sight of the demon her fellow Death Sworn had trusted to deliver a soul for its afterlife trial. As she had predicted, the succubus failed the given task and was now entertaining the mortal she had saved from the afterlife.

Katarina harbored no ill-intention towards the soul Evelynn had saved and defied the laws of the afterlife for, but she was a Death Sworn. It was in her nature to bring the spirits to their time of judgment upon the end of their mortal lives. She knows that she has the full capability in reaping Akali's soul from her body, but she didn't do such thing.

It was certainly not because Evelynn was there.

No, it was because the vixen possessed something she wasn't supposed to possess in the first place.

Knowledge.

Evelynn wasn't suppose to know about Katarina's actions, specifically the one that involved the mortal she herself had saved from either eternal peace or the possibility of reincarnation. Instead of bringing the soul for its judgment, she had brought it to a different type of trial.

A trial that made the spirit more than what once was.

It's not a Death Sworn's duty to be involved with the work of the Heavens. They decide if a certain person is worthy in being deemed an angel or a demon. Pure white feathers or satanic-looking wings, it was the Gods above that made that choice.

Yet, Katarina braved through the possible consequences, knocked on Heaven's door and presented a soul she herself saw worthy in becoming one of the many saviours to the people that prayed for the mercy of their Gods.

"Howdy-do, miss."

Katarina's entire form stilled like an actual statue lifeless statue, the blade she had resumed fiddling with earlier dropping out of her hands and vanishing in a small but soundless flash of fire. Leaving her crouched state and standing in her full height, she turned to her right, where another individual joined her at the edge of the structure.

Eyes as gold and delicate as a halo met her gaze and suddenly, she felt like she was mortal again. The feelings she was overcome with upon the breathtaking sight, the emotions that coursed through her like a spell that bound her supposedly heartless self in the embrace of warmth, the sensations was just too incredible to be put into words.

The hat on top of the woman beside her was tipped for a moment, a gesture solely serving as an additional greeting to the one earlier. The dark red lips that reminded her so many things. Blood was one of them, but there was also another.

An emotion she had long-forgotten the feeling of.

"What are you doing here?"

"Of all things to hear, I expected a little howdy in return." The cape-wearing female lightly teased, chuckling as she shook her head. "What's a cowgirl have to do to get that here in the city?"

"Ashe."

Orbs of gold once again darted back to her, a small smile taking over the beauty's lips, which stood out quite nicely from the pale complexion she owned. "No time for small talk, partner?"

Katarina wanted to be enraged with how casually she was being spoken to by the angel right beside her. Although the dark-themed attire the latter wore wasn't similar to the well-known white tunics and golden halos mortals were more familiar with, it still didn't change the fact that she was a faithful servant sent from Heaven.

The conflicted Death Sworn turned her head away, forcing herself to remove her gaze from the being that seemed to make her feel as weak as a fragile mortal. A being like her wasn't supposed to be near an angel like the other anyway, since it weakened them due to their difference in nature, yet she made no move to make a hasty retreat and put as much distance between them.

Ashe smile faded from her lips, a gloved hand of hers reaching up and towards Katarina's shoulder, only to wince ever so slightly when the Death Sworn's passive aura burned her fingertips. Her glove did nothing in shielding her from its harm, for it was what the Gods intended.

No angel belongs with a demon, they say.

Despite the urge to offer comfort to Katarina through a simple touch, Ashe retracted her hand back and bowed her head, adjusting the hat she was wearing. She couldn't exactly think about anything else to do with her hands at the moment.

"Guess this wasn't the best time to make this visit." Ashe murmured, looking around for a brief moment. There wasn't much to see anyway.

"When is it ever?" Katarina grunted out, nearly sounding like she wanted to snarl at the angel.

"I honestly don't know." Ashe replied, turning to hopefully make eye contact, only to be greeted with nothing but the sight of Katarina's fingers slowly burning bright with hellfire. She was beginning to react to her literal heavenly presence. "I don't suppose my little lady regrets what she had done for me."

"Don't ever say that." This time, Katarina actually growled at her, hands clenching into fists.

"Say what?"

"That I'm yours," Katarina immediately replied, finally turning to Ashe and glaring at her counterpart. "because we both know that will never happen."

Ashe remained quiet, but she did look down to her left hand. It was the nearest to Katarina and it was beginning its own reaction towards the demonic presence it was being exposed to. She could feel a mild burn starting from her fingertips and gradually climbing up to envelop all of her hand. Possibly even her entire body.

Katarina could honestly say the same with her right, but none of the two made a move to leave one another. They remained standing on the edge, both regarding the angel's hand with fheir own versions of realization.

"Go," Katarina commanded in a harsh tone, removing her gaze from Ashe and turning away once again. "before we hurt each other more than we already have."

This was the life Katarina led Ashe to live, and it pained her to know that no matter what happens between them, the story of both their immortal lives would never end with their fates intertwined and their hearts combined. The rift in their love was inevitable.

"I want to hurt myself," Came Ashe's abrupt confession, reaching her aching hand to the Death Sworn that seemed to be determined in pushing her away. "because I know it'll be worth my while."

Katarina hissed lowly when Ashe finally placed a hand over her shoulder, the fabric in between their touch serving as a futile shield from the harm of the contradiction. Regardless of the building burning sensation caused by the vanquishing distance between them, neither of them dared to pull away and end the bittersweet moment.

"What's a cowgirl like me without her lovely lady?"

"Ashe..." It was a warning, not a threat. She knew that if she was going to be further pushed to the limit, she would do something that would quite literally burn them.

"And what's an angel without her demon?"

Spinning around, facing Ashe completely and grasping the wrist of the hand that was once draped over her shoulder, Katarina looked directly into the gaze that never failed to make her feel human again. It was a strange feeling, but it wasn't unpleasant either.

"Why can't you just go?" Katarina gritted out, firmly gripping Ashe's wrist.

"Is that what you want?"

"It's what I've always wanted. From the very beginning, I wanted you to go, but you didn't. You came back for me."

And the moment Katarina snapped and bared her fury for Ashe to be burned and faced with, it felt like they were both thrown back into the very day Katarina's mortal life met its tragic end.

"Run!"

"Katarina!"

"Don't look back!"

"Kat...-"

"Just don't...-!"

BANG!

"Agh!"

The white-haired woman skidded to a halt the second the other fell forward and crashed into the snow beneath their feet. The bullet that pierced through the skin of her back caused immense agony to fill her entire body, which she trembled in the frigid surface of the earth.

Try as she might, Katarina knew her attempts of standing was futile. This was the time she'll meet her demise and she needed to accept the bitter truth. She clawed at the snow, forcing herself to raise her head and shout at the woman that she so desperately wanted to leave her.

"Go! Just run!" Katarina ordered, almost sounding as if she was pleading for Ashe to do what she was being told.

"Ashe!" The King of the kingdom that had been overrun called out his wife's name from a fair distance. He could already see their enemies fast approaching and if they waited a couple of more seconds, then there would be no possible escape for them.

"Tryndamere! Help her!"

"No!" Katarina protested before the King could do so. "You need to leave me! I'm already dead!"

Although the hesitation was evident on the King's face, Tryndamere looked towards his wife, who displayed no intention in leaving the injured woman. He called her name out again, telling her to leave Katarina and just run. Ashe knew she should've done just that, but instead...

"Go!" Ashe commanded her husband, waving him away. "We'll meet you at the border!"

Tryndamere was just about to utter an objection, but the wood of the tree right beside him splintered the second two bullets shot at him and nearly blew his head off his neck. The King of the fallen kingdom was forced to take his own retreat, managing to spare a brief yet sincere look of apology as he took his leave and abandoned his Queen.

Despite Katarina's cry of agony, she was left to drape most of her weight for Ashe to carry. They both stumbled in the snow-covered terrain as Ashe tried getting them both out of danger. It was a huge risk and was useless though.

Katarina was bleeding profusely already and by the time they both hid behind a boulder that conveniently concealed them from a group of enemy troops that crossed the area, the redhead's fill of energy was almost depleted completely.

Slumped against the boulder, she was mostly kept up by the hands that held her shoulders. Blue eyes stared back at her with fear, panic and worry. She couldn't bring herself to think she deserved the latter. She was the one who gave the enemies the advantage. The reason why the kingdom of Freljord was defeated, yet here the Queen was, trying to save her from the inevitable death that awaited her.

"It was me..."

"What?"

"I told them what you told me." Katarina spoke in between shallow breaths, feeling herself come closer and closer to the end. "Your kingdom fell because of me..."

Ashe stared right back at her with wide eyes filled with shock, the betrayal she admitted rendering the woman speechless. Her hands fell from her shoulders little by little, and Katarina was a bit surprised she didn't just fall onto the ground like a corpse.

"Tell me you're lying..."

Katarina weakly shook her head once. "I betrayed your trust... And I regret it. I tried... to make things right... I thought... I could at least... save you..."

"You..."

"I was wrong. I... I shouldn't have done what I did..." With all the strength she could give, Katarina reached up and placed a hand over one of Ashe's. "but maybe... you can still run... Come out of this alive..."

The hurt that showed through Ashe's gaze broke Katarina's heart. She never she'd ever care for another person like the way she cared for the royal in front of her, and now here she was, severely berating herself for her treacherous actions.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

Katarina desired two things in that moment. For Ashe to survive and forgiveness from the Queen that she had robbed of her kingdom. With the level of betrayal she had shown though, she knew it was a long-shot for the latter to be given.

Bang!

Emerald eyes widened while a body fell on its side and onto the snow, crimson gradually painting the white blanket of ice. Katarina watched as the life in those ceruleans drained completely until she stared at nothing but the look of death in the eyes of the woman she had been desperate in saving.

"No..." Katarina pushed herself and crawled, grasping Ashe's shoulder as she gazed into those empty blue hues that were once filled with life. Regret seeped in and her heart ached terribly at the sight.

A small group of soldiers approached them, but just when one of the men were about to shoot her, the commanding officer stopped it and told his troops to leave the 'traitor' to die in the unforgiving cold. After all, she was already bleeding to death anyway.

Katarina's breaths were shaky, while her trembling fingers brushed over the cool and smooth skin of the Queen. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she mourned for the woman that she fallen in love with. The same woman she failed in protecting.

"Ashe..."

"And I've despised my own existence ever since." Katarina finished as she released Ashe's wrist, head bowing in shame as she cowardly avoided the eyes of the angel.

It was also the reason why she became a Death Sworn. Her act of treachery was sinful, yes, but her desperation in saving one innocent soul was enough to convince the beings above to sentence her to the life of a Death Sworn rather than an angel like Ashe, whose soul was reincarnated decades after the incident.

"I got another chance in life, didn't I?"

"You had a life, and I took it from you."

"I'd like to believe it was destiny." Ashe replied, taking her hat off and dropping it aside, only for such to disappear in a black puff of smoke. "I met my little lady in the West during my second life. They say you're a Death Sworn, and you are. But, they seemed to miss out on the obvious fact that this angel wants nothing more to be with her demon."

Katarina looked up and regarded Ashe with a gaze that told her she was growing insane. Ashe smiled and lightly shrugged, the burning between them numbing until they felt not a single pinch of pain.

"You'd still have me?" Katarina asked in a whisper, her disbelief written all over her face. "No matter how much it'll hurt?"

Ashe was too enraptured by the moment to feel the tight clenching within her. The Heavens were objecting with her actions, but such was not enough to deter her from leaning in and instigating the most sinful kiss an angel has ever shared with anyone.

The kiss was utterly painful, and the tears, one for each of the beings, that left their eyes was enough to convince the ones from high above to lessen the suffering within them.

Although the pain had vastly lessened, Ashe pulled away and ended the kiss and settled in letting her hands rest over Katarina's shoulders. The emotion conveyed between her gold-hued gaze with Katarina's amethyst-tinted orbs was a combination of sinful and heavenly, and they were left to bask in the moment of doing nothing but staring into each other's eyes.

"I wish we had more time." Katarina softly murmured, wanting to reach out to caress Ashe's cheek.

"My duty calls." Ashe said at the same moment her horse, Virtue, emerged from the shadows behind them, its own gold-colored, translucent eyes auditing the unconventional couple. "If you'd excuse me, ma'am."

The cry within her was disregarded as Ashe pulled away and mounted herself on Virtue's back, hands grasping the smoky reins of the horse given to her by the Heavens. She laid her hand out, where her hat materialized, which she then perched back on top her head. She tipped it again as she smiled at Katarina.

"Holler if you need me, miss."

Once Virtue spun around and galloped away and both he and Ashe disappeared in a puff of black smoke, Katarina was left to return her gaze back to the succubus that looks to be enjoying the company of the recently-saved mortal.

Katarina is a Death Sworn. It's her duty to guide the departed souls to their judgment.

But for Ashe, she'll turn a blind eye and let Akali live her life the way Evelynn yearned for her to.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Author's Note: Been a long while ever since I wrote about these two again xd (Snowdown Treat doesn't somehow count xD)

And if any of you noticed it, yes, I'm well-awake that Ashe's backstory here doesn't match the canon skin lore of her High Noon skin. All of this was merely INSPIRED by the skin itself and of course, Death Sworn Katarina. ^^

If you readers are confused with what happened, a little summary here is that Ashe and Katarina knew each back then, but Katarina betrayed Ashe when she was still alive. After becoming a Death Sworn, she came across Ashe's soul again, but this time she did everything in her power to keep Ashe alive even after she died in her second life. Which, of course, now beings us to this story! That's that! ^^"

Anyway, that's all for now, peeps! Till my next update~