"Leilah!" Yone calls out. I raise my hands as the creature pounces on top of me. I feel it's teeth sink into my right arm. My blood falls onto my face. I scream and just do my best to keep it's claws from mauling me. I don't have enough magic to shove it off. When it raises a massive paw, I sacrifice my left arm instead of letting it hit my face. It swipes cuts deep. My vision is starting to blur. I can only watch helplessly as it lets go of my arm and starts to close in on my face.
GET OFF! Starshadow hisses. The creature looks and snarls. I'm barely breathing under its weight. I barely manage to make out that there's a copy of it before I fall into darkness.
I open my eyes. I'm still in Ionia, with the creature attacking… itself? Though the copy fades. It snarls and looks down at its feet to see… me. I'm there. I gasp and look at my hands. It's still me. Am I… dead? Starshadow is small. He's terrified, his head switching between the beast and myself. He can't decide who to choose. Does he protect my body from the beast or bring my soul back?
Then Yasuo dashes through. Literally through as he swiftly attacks the creature. It's knocked back. He takes on the beast while Yone skids to a halt next to my limp body. He picks me… her… my body up. He brushes blood off my face before conversing with Starshadow. Starshadow is shrinking rapidly. He closes his eyes.
"LAMB! FOUND HER!" A familiar voice echoes. I yelp and try to run. A sharp arrow flies through the air and lands on my ankle, pining it to the ground.
"Well done, wolf." Lamb's soft, soothing voice echoes around me. My eyes widen and I yank the arrow out. It's agony, but I take a stand. I have to run. Though, something pulls at my ankle. I glance down to see a familiar face, just the wrong colors.
"Starshadow?" I ask, urgently. Starshadow keeps searching, unable to see me. His tail just happened to wrap around my ankle. He definitely knows he's found someone as he's frantically searching the place he touched me.
"Leilah! If you can hear me, we need to hurry! You have to hold onto me!" Starshadow yells. I reach down and try to pick up my bonded, but my hands slip through. I'm fading.
"LAMB! SHE IS FLEEING." Wolf howls. I can hear the hunt in his voice. Starshadow hears it too and desperately tries to find me. I can't pick him up. I try to tap my foot against him. He doesn't feel it either. The howls are getting closer, with a clopping of hooves. I mentally panic. Starshadow hears it as well. He grunts as he flashes a little bit of light.
"This is our last chance, Leilah. You have to grab onto me now. Otherwise we're going to die."
"I can't touch you!" I scream at him. He still doesn't hear me. The ground begins to pulse. I look over my shoulder to see Wolf coming to close in on me. I launch myself on top of Starshadow. I need to protect him. A bright flash of light appears as Wolf's enraged howl echoes in my head.
When the flash of light disappears, I stumble and fall a little bit. A pair of soft hands catches me. Something is pounding at my chest making it really hard to breath.
Careful there. Aurora murmurs in my head. She helps carry me to my magical core. Daamien is in the light, his hands carefully tending to my magic. It's turning a cool blue color. He sighs before coming to me. You've lost a lot of blood. And magic.
"Wha-" I try to get out, but my legs give out on me. Aurora yelps as I take her down with me. She keeps my right arm wrapped around her shoulder as she groans, attempting to help me up. It feels like my arms are being ripped out. I glance over and widen when she's getting blood over her arms. "What's-"
"Happening? Right now, you are dying." Daamien says bluntly. He doesn't leave my little stream. "Not enough magic in your core and you're losing too much blood. Starshadow yanked you from Kindred, but I'm not sure how long that will last. We have to preserve you."
Aurora struggles to hold me up. I keep feeling I'm I'm going to fall asleep. My legs become numb and I pull her back down again. This time, we're a little closer. Daamien reaches out and takes Aurora's burden from her. He carries me the last of the distance to the liquid. One touch and I'm instantly freezing. My fingers turn a dark blue. My teeth are chattering.
"P-p-pres-s-serv-v-ve?" I shiver. Daamien keeps trying to lower me into the light.
"Too much blood loss. We need to freeze you until someone can heal you." Daamien explains.
"Ar-r-ren't I alr-r-ready f-f-froz-z-zen?" I shiver violently.
Your body is. Aurora answers me. What's we're trying to do is keep your soul here. Without your soul, you're dead. This is the best way we can keep your soul here.
"S-s-so s-s-s-sinc-c-ce I'm-m-m h-h-her-r-re, c-c-can you t-t-teach m-m-me m-m-my m-m-magic?" I struggle to get out.
"Not the best idea, Leilah. Especially since you would need to practice the theory at some point, and that in itself requires magic." Starshadow slithers in. He's small. If he didn't speak, I would have never found him. "Clever, using your entire soul on me to hang on. I could tell you were slipping."
"W-w-where d-d-did y-y-y-"
"Come from? Your frozen body. Well, not exactly frozen, but it is freezing. Like there's actual frost on you. It's kinda terrifying. Told the brothers to rush you to a hospital. They're hurrying right now. You'd think that Yone would let Yasuo get you there faster, but noooo. Stupid selfish man wanting to be the one to rescue you…"Starshadow hisses in annoyance.
Not the time, Starshadow. Aurora gently chastises while the Daamien attempts to put my head under the freezing cold.
"N-n-n-n-n-" I can't finish my sentence, but I can struggle. Daamien keeps trying to get my head under, but I keep sneaking out of his grasp. I manage to keep my head above the light, still conscious.
"Daamien, wait."Starshadow calls out. The darkin stops just in time. I was just about to have my head pushed under.
"She needs to go to sleep. That's the only way her magic can last long enough to get help." Daamien protests.
"She'll last. She's stubborn enough to reach it. Besides, Yone wouldn't be carrying Leilah personally if he wasn't sure he could get her there in time. According to him, we're only two hours out of town. And that's at walking speed. Besides, even if you think that Leilah should wait to ask, there's nothing else she can do right now. She's been feeling left out, since she's the only human here. She needs to learn." Starshadow supports me wholeheartedly. Not sure why it's now of all times, but I definitely appreciate it.
Perhaps it is for the best that she learns. She's done an excellent job figuring things out, but she can still use some guidance. She's also proven herself to be quite the mage, with plenty of magical power, but no idea how to control it. Aurora speaks up for me.
"She needs to meditate and learn herself." Daamien snaps.
You weren't taught like that, Daamien, and you know it.
"The heavens themselves taught me the moment I ascended."
I was born with my knowledge, but you were a healer before you ascended. You were taught how to bandage wounds and mend organs long before the emperor chose you to ascend. Be kind. Aurora walks forward and gently touches his hand. He glares, but sighs.
"Only you… Fine. Starshadow, you get in the magic too." Daamien barks.
"Why me? I'm her guardian."
"You're using her magic too. It might kill you both if you remain out too." Daamien explains as he picks up my little bonded.
"I'm too small. Besides, it's freezing. My scales are going to prune, and-"
"Starshadow, I'm worried about you. Both of you. You need to live. The only way you can is if you go into the True Ice magic and let yourself be chilled. It'll extend Leilah's life."
"I thought you hated being on Runeterra?" Starshadow asks as he slinks into the magic. He lets out a squeal as icy shock stuns him a little bit. COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD. I'd feel a little pity if he wasn't being so obnoxious.
"I did… but… there are people worth living for." Daamien glances at Aurora in fondness before looking at the two of us. "You saved me, gave me a home and peace. Aurora taught me how to feel again, and Starshadow… well, he's Starshadow."
"Hey!" Starshadow protests. He doesn't shiver. I toss him a soft glare, though my face starts to fall into the magic. I yelp a little bit and try to stay afloat. I almost fall under when Daamien's hand keeps my head up.
"What do you want to learn?" Daamien asks.
"H-h-h-heal-l-l-ling." I stammer out.
"Anything specific?" I can't speak any more, too cold to say anything effective. Thankfully, Starshadow knows me well enough by now.
"Why not regale us with everything? It should help Leilah stay awake and interested enough to stay alive." Starshadow suggests. I try to glare at my snake, though moving is not the greatest option at the moment. There's a sharp jostle on my back, though I'm certain that it hasn't been that long. "What's happening?"
"You were starting to slip out of the tall one's arms. He adjusted and they are still running. Now, back to the lesson at hand. Healing is a very ancient art. Most magics manipulate things outside the body, as those are simple, basic. The problem with that comes that each element has a different feel to each thing. For example, you, Leilah, could not copy the Black Mist at all because it's just everything you aren't. It's like you trying to be a carbon copy of Starshadow."
"HEY! Celestial is right here." Starshadow pipes it. I shudder a giggle and relax. It's really very interesting. "Besides, Leilah can control shadows."
That's a little different. You have Daamien's Darkin magic. Part of his job was to teleport to the wounded and get them help, remember? Aurora speaks up.
"Hard to forget, since he keeps lording it over me." I don't even need to know that Starshadow is glaring at Daamien. I can see the amusement in the Darkin's eyes.
"Part of my magic required me to appear and disappear at will. It started as light, as most battles would take place where there is some light, but with the corruption, it switched to shadows. Besides, shadows and light are not that different. They're two halves of a whole. Without shadows, there is no need for direction. Without light, there's no need to go anywhere… Stop trying to distract us, Starshadow. Healing is a sacred and most honoured of magics, and you distracting me will only delay what she needs to know." Daamien chastises my celestial. A small tug of jealousy burns in my stomach. I wish I could have a bond with the two beings that I house.
"You make it too easy. That's why most people loved you, because you were always able to discuss whatever they wanted to at a moment's notice." Starshadow snickers. Daamien reaches over and shoves Starshadow's head into the light. He's silent. I can only sense that he's asleep, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned. It's very rare for Starshadow to ever shut up. One of the things I can adore about him, but he really needs to learn how to stop talking.
"Now that the menace is out of the picture, I can get back to my explanation. Healing is it's own branch, though it's inaccurate to say that it's a branch. Say magic comes from a tree, where elements and specific talents are branches and leaves respectfully. Magic, it's the energy that flows up and through the tree, but it's not actually a part of any specific part of the tree. Healing magic is a part of everything."
How does that work? Aurora asks. I blink in surprise, as that's exactly what I was wondering about. She glances at me with a soft smile. We share the same body. I live in your mind. It's part of why I know exactly what happens to you and I'm here whenever you are here.
"I can understand why you are curious as to how healing can work on other magics, but it really doesn't. It's more like they share similar characteristics. For example, you would never think of fire and healing to go together, but both can cleanse an area of bacteria and diseases. Same with dirt. The earth can block any more dangers from getting through. The only magic that healing can't fight is death because… well, death is rather permanent. It's everything the tree isn't, but it makes the tree healthy.
"Healing is unique for that reason. Only those that are capable of understanding other branches even have a chance of being a healer. Another reason why healers are so rare is because there are requirements. Compassion, caring, and a sturdy soul. That person's soul, they can not be worn down by the adversity they encounter. Every single healer knows what the job will entail, but they do not understand it's hardships until they are actually a part of them. Those with the natural personality and soul are the true healers."
It sounds incredibly picky. It certainly is. Magic has a balance, afterall. Everything has a balance. Life, death, light, dark. The more important a magic skill is, the pickier it is. It's part of why I chose you and only you. Hope, inspiration, it's such a seemingly insignificant thing, but both are so important to the future of anyone. Nothing is done without either. As such, I was incredibly picky over who I would choose. Aurora senses my comments and helps with the explanation.
"With that in mind, you are literally one in a lifetime of a world. You somehow were born with the healer's personality, but you did not have the magic to use it. You did your best with what you had, using stories to calm and soothe feelings. Not to mention you made those around you feel important. You made others aspire to be better. Very few have been born like that. Soraka is one, though she is much older, more powerful, and wise. Aurora snapped you up quickly when she saw what you could be. I believe that I am more of Myisha's shenanigans. I was meant to never be found, though her chosen Zoe brought you right to me."
Dear, I think you're getting a little off topic.
"Thank you, Rory. Yes, healing is an art. Most healers have to study for a month to handle a cut. That's because the cells in a body are alive. They are basic, but they do have a sort of consciousness. That's why healing is an art as well, as you have to convince the cells you are working with that you are there to help and not going to harm them. People do not have control over their own bodies, so you can heal even the most reluctant of patients.
"Healing magic, normally, will gently coax the cut to recognize that it is cut, and that you can guide the cut to mend itself. Most of the time the month long study is because their healing magic is as unsure as themselves. They need to follow a process and pick it piece by piece. They also need to exercise their magic enough to ensure it closes. Most students have the issue of needing enough magic or the know-how of closing a wound. Once they can seal a cut, it's remarkably easy to close other, larger injuries. All cuts are very similar in how they heal. Even the most apprenticed of healers are usually on stand by in harsh situations, as an amputation can be handled by them under a watchful eye of a senior healer."
That's the wartime healer in you talking, Daamien. Aurora interrupts. She shakes her head and floats into view. Most apprentices are slowly taught how to close bigger and bigger injuries, growing their magical cores. You shouldn't be exposed to such conditions so early on in your medical training.
"Quite right, though I want to treat Leilah like a wartime healer. She's going to be in hot spots like the Shadow Isles, and she should be able to handle those situations. As such, she can not expect to only use experienced healers. Others must be aware that they must step up when something goes wrong. I want her aware that anyone who has even the slightest bit of training in the healing field is enough to assist her." Daamien explains himself. Aurora nods her understanding. My teeth are struggling to not chatter, though if I try to warm myself up, that might kill me. I have to stay cold. That's the only way Starshadow and I can survive. It's our only chance.
Sorry for interrupting. Aurora apologises. Daamien shakes his mighty head and looks at her in fondness.
"Not at all. It's good for her to be aware of how other healers are apprenticed. Now… where was I?... Ah yes. After the study of external injuries, we go to internal injuries. A cut is easy to heal because one's eyes can see exactly what needs to happen. What about a broken rib? That is much harder. This is where the study of anatomies are best used. Back in my time, I studied every single creature's anatomy we came across, as it was not only humans fighting. The other Ascended's gained more… animalistic or carnal features, so I had to learn how to accommodate them. I can not tell you how often I saw Renekton come in, asking for a quick bandage on his maw before he went back into battle…"
Of topic, Daamien.
"Right. This is the level you are currently at, Leilah. You can easily heal all these injuries without pause. This is where most healers would graduate. You, on the other hand, are housing my soul. I was one of the greatest healers of all time, but there's a reason why I never graduated an apprentice."
You never graduated an apprentice? Aurora asks, a little shocked. I am too. I didn't think that he would apprentice someone. He always sounds like he's out and about, bringing the injured back for healing and then he's back out again. I would never have expected that he would have apprenticed anyone.
"I told you, I was the greatest healer. All sorts of aspiring healers to be came to me to ask to be apprenticed. I had extremely high standards, but I took them in. Those that apprenticed under me had to learn how to fight magic caused by runes. Most of them managed to graduate after altered poisons and did not wish to continue. I do not blame them, as those were incredibly hard. There was one apprentice that was so close… but he… he mixed up his runes… I wasn't there to watch him, like I always ordered that to happen, but I was busy with another task. I thought he could handle it, he was so close to graduating…"
"I-I-I'mmm… s-s-sorr-rry." I chatter quietly. It took all of my strength to even mutter that much. My body stops shivering. I can't tell if it's because I got used to it or I'm still dying… My eyes are getting heavy, but I can still see and hear Daamien clearly.
We can let the magic go now, Daamien. Aurora states abruptly.
"Huh?"
They reached a hospital. She's going to be safe.
"Rory, we can't let the magic fade quite yet. Her body needs to be completely restored in order for her to stand a chance of survival." Daamien protests.
"Next time you want me to shut up, don't push my head under a bunch of True Ice." Starshadow grumbles.
"St-t-t-t" I can't even finish making a noise now. Starshadow appears in the middle of a sky of stars above my head.
"Aurora let me out. A team of healers is currently attempting to dethaw you in order to help, but that's going to kill you. I'm going to have to direct them. I'll save you… again. I need to be paid for this stuff. Seriously, if I was paid for this, I'd be rolling in so much food-"
"Begone, child." Daamien barks and swipes another hand. Starshadow disappears in a blink. A literal blink, as one second he's there, and when my eyes open again, he's gone. "Huh. That actually worked."
I frown. Starshadow, he's a sort of constant presence. Now, I can't feel him. I try to fight my own magic, trying to find him. I feel like when I try to reach for him, he's not there. I call out for him in my mind. There's no response. I'm scared now, and I rip my arm from under the ice.
Leilah, calm down. If you take off your magic too fast, you'll die. Aurora appears in my vision and starts to push me back under. I shake my head free and try to leave.
"St-t-tarshad-d-dow is-s-s m-m-miss-ssing." I stammer. I have to wake up. I need to see him. We've been through so much already. He can't be gone! I didn't die! I'm not dead!
"Leilah, you need to calm down!" Daamien orders. He uses his other hand to shove my head back into the magic. This time, my head goes under and I black out.
I gasp awake. It's Targon. I tear up at seeing where I am. It's not just anywhere in Targon, It's my home. It's my little farm on the side of the hill. I can feel the wind brushing through my brown hair… wait, didn't my hair become like the starry sky?
"Leilah!" Mother's voice echoes around me. I turn around, searching frantically for her. Tears spring in my eyes. I miss her terribly. But I saw her this morning… I guess I was having a nightmare. How would I have been able to climb Mount Targon? "Your fiance's coming to visit us for dinner! And don't forget that Geras and Lye are coming too! I want you looking your best, afterall!"
"Coming, Mother!" I yell back. I hop up and leap off my resting spot. I have never felt so fast getting back to my house. Father opens the door just as I get there.
"Remember, you need to set out the table. I would, but you know your Mother." Father shrugs his shoulders. He frowns and looks closely at me. "Leilah? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
I reach my hand up to my cheeks. I pull away and gasp at my hand. I pulled away frost. I blink and it's gone, back to a tear. I find myself blinking rapidly a few times, making sure that what I saw was a weird trick of the light, only I felt like it was cold.
"N-n-nothing, Father. I'm… really pleased. So, when's Yone coming?" I ask casually.
"Yone? I'm not sure who you are talking about. Don't you remember your own fiance's name?" Father teases me. I frown.
"But, Yone is…" I blink. How do I know a name like Yone? It's not a Targonian or Shuriman name. I shake my head. What name was I talking about?
"Dear, I think your rest was a little bit too much. Why don't you take a seat. I'll tell your Mother you're not feeling well-"
"Sir, Ma'am." A new voice interrupts, one I never heard before. I do recognize who it is when I look up. My head pounds. I reach up to the crown on my head and yank at it. Glimpses of my past flash before my eyes. A pair of kind eyes. My hair is black with stars, like I remember it. Then it flashes back to brown and I can't feel the crown. I warily look at the man in the door.
"Leilah, you do remember that you are going to be mine, right?" Viego asks. My eyes widen and I shake my head. I reach up and grab the crown again. With all the strength in my weak limbs, I yank at the crown. The weight grows on my head, I can barely keep my head up. "You will be mine."
"Like hell, I will." I snap. With all my strength I manage to break the crown. He stares at me in shock.
"Impossible."
"I am no one's puppet. I am the Aspect of Hope, or Inspiration. I carry in me the darkin Daamien, and I am Starshadow's bonded. You will never possess me, not again!" I snarl and throw Viego away with my magic. He flies out, cracking the scene around me. The light from the blast is blinding. I can only close my eyes.
I wake up… I think. My entire body feels heavy. My head is pounding from my dream. Was it a dream? I can't… first I was hunted by lamb and Wolf, then I was frozen in my magic core to keep me alive, then I had that wacky dream where I was home… Starshadow?
There's no answer to my call. I muster all my strength to open my eyes. Even then, I can't see. I think I'm awake. There's warmth on my hand. That wasn't there before. And if my dream was any indicator, I should be awake. It's too tame to be anything else. Still, if I was awake, Starshadow would be all over me.
There's a bright flash of light. I can't even jump, but I can finally see where I am. I'm in bed. I guess it's a hospital as I am in a rather white room. I think it's white. It's hard to tell when everything is tinged orange and purple… wait a minute.
"Zoe?" I choke out. A pair of bright blue and purple eyes pop into view.
"HI BESTIE!" She squeals. Whatever is holding my hand stirs a little bit. I try to see who it is, but Zoe quickly creates a bubble and pops it on whoever is there. The hand that tightened around mine relaxes instantly. "You seem to be in a bit of a pickle."
"What are you doing here?" I rasp out. My body sends a shiver up my spine. I finally register that I'm freezing. I think that's a good sign, remembering that when I was in the Freljord shivering is good, stillness, not so much.
"Oh, I came to collect a friend to play with! He promised me, afterall! But he's so small. I'd hate to take him away without telling you." Zoe, surprisingly, tenderly holds out cupped hands. A small black string is the only thing not illuminated on her body.
"Starshadow."
"Mhmm. He promised to play with me. He already said that I already played with him, but this one hasn't.. Now he's going to play with me!" Zoe squeals. I manage to see a reflection of metal in the doorway.
"What?"
"But then I saw that you were still recovering from meeting the Grumpy Pale Man, so I thought, you wouldn't want to let Starshadow out of your sight unless you knew where he was. Don't worry, I'm going to play with him and Space Doggy! Say hi to Pretty Lady for me!" She chirps happily. She hops up and dives into a portal just as Yasuo lunges forward. He barely misses her as the portal disappears, taking my bonded with her. The moment the portal closes, my chest squeezes so much I can't breath. Yasuo then crashes into a wall, rather painfully by the sound of it. The hand holding mine tightens before it's removed. It's dark in my room again.
Starshadow… My eyes feel so heavy, but I have to move. I need to find him. I need to get to him now. But how can I when I can't breath? It's like an important limb of mine is gone, and I'm not used to being without it. I have to try though. A light flickers on, the flame gently illuminating the room. Still, it's too bright. I wince and slam my eyelids shut. It hurts.
"Leilah?" Yone's voice whispers. I force my eyes to open, but it's so hard when it's so bright. I moan instead, letting him know I'm alive. I feel his hands tightly onto mine before a pair of lips press against my knuckles. "You're alive. I thought you were going to die. Right in front of me."
"Leilah? What was that girl talking about? Who was she?" Yasuo mutters. I can't answer him. I can't even gesture to my chest that I can't breath. Yone's hand holds mine. I part my mouth, trying to get air in. Yone notices that I didn't answer Yasuo, something I would have normally done. He places his hand near my nose. I don't exactly understand what he's measuring, but I think he understands the peril I am in. My eyes are closing just as he is calling for… I don't know what. I can't hear.
Bit of a summary down here. First italics part, she's meeting with Kindred and escaping... again. This girl is so lucky right now. Second part, she's interacting in her core. Third part, it's a nightmare. Everything else not italicized for the most part is real life.
O.O... Zoe just kidnapped Starshadow... And Leilah's still struggling... I mean, we all know that she's going to live, but it's gonna be rough. I wonder... What brought her to the brothers in the first place? What is that giant creature she encountered?
This is where I'm going to be writing an arc that basically never happened exclusively in the timeline. it's the first arc I'm doing (sort of. I mean, I kinda did with others but I also didn't make up that many facts) where it's all on my and making sure that I stay true to characters. It's going to have new opponents because hey, not that many villains running around Ionia at this time. So, I'm hoping that all's well that ends well (I already know how it ends, but I'm trying to see from your point of view. Don't ask for spoilers, I might love to spoil you guys, but not that much!) and that Leilah will be able to handle being on her own.
As always, may your day be extraordinary, as you are in it, and I hope that whatever may happen today or tonight for some of you, it will put a smile on your face.