Warning as usual, though this chapter is definitely more relaxed. I just feel obligated to warn ya.
Yone carries me behind Trixie… Lanying. Mei keeps trying to cover the poor woman, but Tixie is having none of it. My head lolls a little bit, too exhausted to keep my muscles going. Everything hurts. Not because of the injuries I sustained. I've already healed that. It's from the massive amount of magical use I've had to do. I haven't done that much in one day… ever. While it's nice to know that I'm definitely more powerful and in control. I would really love to just one time not feel any soreness, any pain, and just be good.
"You shouldn't carry her. She disobeyed the Master." Trixie calls over her shoulder. Yone tightens his grip on me while making sure that my head rests against his shoulder.
"She's exhausted." Yone argues with the broken woman.
"Doesn't matter. She was bad. Bad girls shouldn't be cared for. She's been bad this whole time. Deviago is going to punish her so hard once she's healed him." Trixie's voice becomes incredibly dreamy. Her eyes remain cloudy as her face drops and she attempts to yank me from Yone's grip. Yone is a little bit annoyed, easily fending off her attempt.
"Lanying, don't-" Mei attempts to get Trixie's attention again.
"She has legs. She's awake. She can walk. GET OFF!" Trixie snarls out of nowhere, startling us all. Her hands grab onto my shoulder and yanks me out of Yone's reach. Mei shrieks as Trixie throws me to the ground. My wrists snap before slowly healing itself. It still hurts badly enough that I scream a little bit. Trixie flips me onto my back and completely covers my body. Her hands reach for my borrowed tunic to rip off. She doesn't get far before Yone knocks her off. She hisses like a cat, but Yone already has me up and in his grip. He lets me bury my face into his chest. His arms are wrapped around my waist, though he's tense. My legs are trembling from exhaustion. Finally, my wrists heal. My stomach is starting to hurt a little bit. My magic must be getting to it's limit.
"Lanying, stop this! This isn't you!" Mei is absolutely crying. I turn around just in time to see Trixie attempt to stand up. Her eyes… for a moment, they look a little bit clearer. I notice and try to reach for her. Yone keeps me on my feet as I walk over to her.
"Lanying? Lanying, is that you?" I ask softly, not wanting to startle her into being Trixie again. Her eyes find mine, and she loses herself again.
"Now, we go to Deviago. You should really lose some of those clothes, Leilah. It's not how Deviago would want you to be. And you should go back to your cage. Otherwise Deviago's going to be mad." Trixie flits a little bit. I sigh and am about to follow when Yone stops me.
"Leilah, are you sure you want to do this? You don't owe that man a single thing." Yone asks me quietly. Mei helplessly follows her sister away, leaving us to our little bit of privacy. I take Yone's hands into mine. My wrists finally finish healing, though I'm still a bit sore. I gingerly bring Yone's hands up to my heart.
"Maybe not, but I have to help Trixie." I murmur.
"Are you sure you can still help her?" Yone presses a little bit.
"Daamien mentioned a mind healing before. And I've recovered a mad man back to sanity before. I have to try, Yone. I can't just let this happen." I plead a little bit. Yone sighs, letting his forehead fall onto mine.
"You were stubborn enough to come here even when we all said no. Might as well join you to make sure that you are safe this time." Yone jokes with a groan.
"Really? You're going to remind me of that terrible mistake?" I close my eyes and let our hands fall to our sides.
"At least it's me, imagine if it was Starshadow. You know he would never let this go." Yone remarks. I flinch a little bit at that.
"Any chance that he's not going to hear about this?" I whisper.
"None."
"Worth a shot."
"Leilah! Leilah Starshadow! Where are you?" Trixie howls a little bit, sounding like she's getting closer. I can start to make out Mei's tears. Yone sighs before standing up tall. My scarf makes excellent contrast with his skin. Focus, Leilah…
"We're coming." I call out. My footsteps are super shaky as I try to walk towards Trixie. Yone pull me against his side right as Trixie rounds a corner.
"She can walk on her own." She scoffs.
"Either you let me walk with her, or she doesn't go with you." Yone snarls. Not even Trixie is daring enough to deny him. Instead, she bows her head and meekly guides us to where Deviago is.
We enter the room. I have to cover my mouth and nose at the state of the room. It's absolutely awful, with blood splattered everywhere. All the men that Deviago associated himself with are on the ground, whimpering and crying. I wince at some of the injuries they sustained. It's even more highlighted by the sun through the balcony. Broken bones, blood pouring out of men's mouths… no one looks like they will survive without help…
Deviago is in the worst of their states. His pants are completely soaked, smelling of pee. He's missing his arms, and his face is swollen. He's struggling to breath, wheezing in and out in pain. Yone, even if he sees the man's condition, pulls me behind him and points his sword at the broken down man.
"Let her heal him!" Trixie shrieks at the sight.
"It's ok, Yone. Daamien said that I can't restore other people's limbs. Even if I completely heal him, he can't lay a hand on me." I gently touch Yone's shoulder. He doesn't move as I walk around him and lay a hand on the man. Immediately, all the worst of his injuries heal. I didn't have the mental fortitude to control my magic, and I pay for it. My stomach cramps horribly. I groan as I roll away from him. Yone is quick to come to my side, gingerly holding me uprightish. Deviago can breath evenly, but he's unconscious. His arms are still missing.
"You will never hurt anyone. Ever again." I weakly growl under my throat.
"Blossom…" Deviago wakes up slowly. His eyes find mine and he smirks. It takes a moment before he realizes that his arms aren't working. His eyes widen in shock while Yone helps me stand. Once I'm on my feet, Yone takes out his sword. He doesn't stop pointing his weapon at the boss. Trixie squeals and pounces on Deviago, running her hands up and down his chest. "What… You! Fix me, you stupid bitch!"
"I did." I shiver under Deviago's angry gaze. Two weeks, and I am already terrified of this man. Hopefully I can recover from this easier than I can recover from Bilgewater. Thankfully, this ended better than that awful place did.
"Where the fuck are my arms, you stupid bitch!" The man howls. I curl into Yone, terrified of the man's wrath. Yone keeps his arm wrapped around me, though he's holding onto me a little bit tighter. "You are supposed to be a healer!"
"Healers can't restore what has been lost." Yone answers coolly. Trixie must have heard that as she wails loudly. I wish I could cover my ears, but I'm so tired.
"Master! Your arms… Your strong arms... " Trixie weeps. Mei can't watch it anymore than I can listen. Yone's hand in my hair is the only thing that keeps me calm. With that, I glance over my shoulder to look at my tormentor's face. I can't look into his eyes.
"I know you, slave. You were the one that lost your voice once! In Jyom Pass! Fix my arms!" Deviago keeps screaming. He's sweating quite a bit, messing up his already dreadful appearance. Trixie is whimpering, rubbing her naked body against him, trying to comfort him.
"I can't restore anyone else's missing limbs. That's beyond me." I try to speak up bravely, but it's so hard. My voice trembles. Yone's arm tightens around me, trying to give strength. I look away, unable to see my friend Trixie throw herself on him so openly.
"Then clean me up!" Deviago snaps. Trixie leaps up and searches for a clean cloth. Mei leaves, trying to stop her, but she can't. I gently touch Yone's hand, asking him to let me go. My stomach… it still hurts, but as I told Yone before, I have to try. I should have enough magic for this. Yone reluctantly does so, but he doesn't stop pointing his weapon at Deviago. The arrogant man smirks, expecting me to attend him. I ignore him, going over to Trixie. Mei is attempting to hold her. With all the strength I have left, I press my hands against her temples. I hope that I can replicate what I did before. Trixie… she has a sister. She deserves to live as Lanying, not trapped in her mind. I can do it. I have to do it.
I see and feel everything that ever happened to her. The shame of showing so much. The terror at watching the vulkodalks eat her fellow healers and not sure when it's her turn. Disgust of letting Deviago and his allies do what they want to her. What made her snap, what turned her into his servant, was when… he forced himself on her. She's retreated into her mind, letting her body do everything it needs to. Performing for her.
There's different thoughts of how to make him happy. Should she give him her mouth? Her hands? Her body? What should he have for dinner? The best food… figs or grapes? Should she wear nothing? That seems like a good idea. The thoughts slam into me. I can relate to so many of them, considering that I was in the same place as her. That's how I know how I can help her.
"Lanying!" I call in her mind. It echoes. Every thought that is Trixie recoils. The images disappear. "Lanying, it's me, Blossom!"
"Lanying wants me here." Trixie states. I snap around to see the naked version of my friend.
"Trixie, I assume?" I ask politely. The woman checks her nails before peering at me with power.
"So, you are the mysterious healer that Deviago always wanted. You're pretty, I will say that." Trixie stalks around me. I let her, though my eyes never leave her. "You would have replaced me. Stars… Never would have thought that someone can look like that. It's very attractive. Especially that body. Not the biggest breasts, but they are decently sized. Sixteen?"
I can't help but look down at my clothes. I'm still in the clothes Deviago left me in. My hair floats into my face. It's my normal colors, sparkling and black with the palest of skin. I look back at her.
"Twenty-ish, trapped in a sixteen year old body." I answer her. Trixie's eyebrows rise.
"An immortal. Deviago would love you. If you let me go, I'll be happy to give you to him. You'll love it. He's good. Besides, you'll be able to escape after some time." Trixie sounds incredibly bitter at that. That's my way in. She starts to walk away, her back to me.
"Never." I claim. Trixie freezes. Her head snaps around, her eyes flash to mine. "I was a captive once. They harvested my eyes. I can still feel the pain they inflicted on me sometimes."
"How did you get past it?" It's more curious than accusatory.
"Time. I accepted it happened to me. Sometimes… sometimes it can get too much. But I have people that I can talk to, that help me understand that I'm ok."
"Lanying doesn't have anyone." Trixie scoffs, trying to walk away.
"Mei would understand." I call. Trixie stops completely.
"She wouldn't want to be reminded of being a prisoner." Trixie whispers.
"Her older sister throwing herself onto her captor and ignoring her is worse." I argue.
"Don't you understand? This isn't the first time that a mutiny has happened! I was punished back then. I have to obey him, so when he comes back, he won't hurt me." Trixie turns around, tears in her eyes.
"He's missing his arms, Trixie. He can't strike you again. He's going to prison at the very least, possibly killed. Either way, the man standing guard over me and his brother will ensure that everyone knows what he did to healers. Everyone will know that he tortured healers. What happens if someone tortures a healer in Ionia?" I may not know it, but it feels right to ask.
"Death." Trixie murmurs. She reaches down and creates a little robe cover. She pulls it on before walking to me. "He's… he's never going to be coming back, is he?"
"I will make sure." I promise her, offering my hand. Trixie looks at it before breezing by me. I turn around to see her standing in front of a door. She doesn't move much.
"She's in here." Trixie murmurs. I rush past her to open the door, only for pain and agony to flood me. I have to drop to my knees, overwhelmed by all the feelings… It's like the Shadow Isles, only not magical. "Save her."
"Lanying!" I yell, crawling into the suffocating feeling. Soft sniffles are the only things out of place in all the screams. I grit my teeth and conjure a soft light in my hands. The feelings scream as the light forces them back. I manage to spot a shadow of a person. It attempts to retreat. I force my light to get brighter, making the nightmares around us back away even more. The sniffles stop for a moment. "Lanying?"
"W-w-who are you?" Lanying's voice is barely audible. It sounds completely worn out. I slowly walk to her. She's… everything about her is different. Her posture, her eyes, her voice. Trixie, determined, steadfast, and helpful. Lanying, she's like a terrified animal. I get down onto my knees and look at her.
"I'm… I'm Blossom." The name I absolutely hate falls from my lips. Still, it's the only name that could really help her come out.
"No. Blossom is a brunette with blue and black… eyes." Lanying attempts to protest when I make my appearance flash into the one she knows better. She crawls on her hands and knees towards me. Her hands reach out to touch my cheek. "Blossom? How are you here?"
"Part of my magic, I didn't know it would work. Though, now's not the time to discuss that. I'm here to help you." I offer my hand. Lanying stares at it like it's going to bite her.
"No. Deviago's out there. He's going to hurt me." Lanying retreats. The nightmares sink in on us. I force my magic to get brighter, forcing them away. Lanying stares around her in shock.
"I wouldn't be here if he wasn't taken care of. I promise, Lanying, he will never hurt you again." I plead. Lanying stares at me, trying to find any form of lies in my words. It feels like an eternity, my magic getting weaker and weaker. I get desperate for her to take my hand. I'm not going to be able to help her unless she accepts it.
"Ok." Lanying places a thin hand in mine. A little white light glows, showing her the path out of her trapped mind. She jumps, startled at the sight of it. "What's this?"
"As much as I wish I could erase what happened, you have to come to terms with what happened to you. It's a part of you now, just like how I will always remember my eyes being torn out. You have to find your way out. " I confess. I wish I could do more. Lanying's eyes flash to me.
"What if I can't?" Lanying sounds terrified. I pull her into a hug. She trembles from the kind touch.
"You will. Because you have people around you that won't let you be alone. Mei will never let you suffer again. If you ever feel lost, find that light."
"Mei?" She brightens a little bit. The nightmares shriek a little quieter. "Mei's alright?"
"She's waiting for you." I tell her. Lanying starts to cry. Everything is quiet now.
"Thank you."
"W-w-what's happening?" Lanying asks. I blink open my eyes to see the woman looking down at herself and yelping, attempting to cover herself. Mei starts to cry, only this time it's tears of joy. She pulls her sister into a tight hug. After a moment, Lanying returns the affection.
"Trixie! Blossom!" Deviago keeps howling. Lanying trembles in her sister's grasp. I pull off the tunic Yone put on me and wrap it around her. She jumps at the sudden cover before looking at me.
"You are the healer." She points at me. It seems like she doesn't remember what happened in her mind. Still, I nod. Her eyes flick between me and Deviago constantly. Seeing that my job is done, I stumble back to Yone's side. My eyes are blurring so much I'm amazed that I haven't passed out. Yone presses a kiss against my head after he catches me.
"Well done." Yone praises me. I hum and let my head fall on his chest. I'm dead tired.
"Trix-" Deviago's snarling is abruptly cut off. Yone pulls me away. I look over to see Lanying stabbing the man. I can't see her face, only that she's tense.
"This is for my family." She snarls, bringing a knife up and bringing it down on his body. He gurgles again. "This is for the other healers!" Another stab. Mei is unsure as to what to do. "This… this is for me." Another slice. I bury my face into Yone's chest, unable to hear every single crime that Lanying lays into Deviago, emphasised by every single slice. Tears fall down my face. Still, Yone doesn't mind. He sheathed his sword in favor of shielding me from the horrible scene happening.
The doors open again. All the ones not in a murderous spree look to see who's coming in. It's a bunch of officials, wielding weapons. They see that everyone in the room is struggling to breath except for one. Deviago died a long time ago. Lanying drops on top of him, exhausted from airing out all her grievances. It must be quite a sight to see, a man clutching a strange celestial girl in his arms and a teenager standing in front of a woman on top of a dead man.
"...Settrigh sent us here, telling us that the man responsible for the vulkodalks attacking the city and his friends are awaiting arrest…" One of them says. Yone lets a hand go free and gestures to the room.
"The only one who you won't be able to arrest is the man responsible." Yone answers. The men nod their heads to him respectfully.
"I'm assuming that your plan was a success, Yone?" The same person asks. Yone shrugs his shoulders.
"In a way. Navori is safe. Spread the word." Yone pulls me with him out the door. My feet are stumbling along, trying to keep up.
"Where will you be, if we need to ask questions?" He asks desperately. Yone glances over his shoulder to look at him.
"We'll come back to the station after we have sufficiently rested and recovered." Yone answers before picking me up and carrying me out. This time, I let myself close my eyes, trusting Yone to get us out safely. I'm not sure how long I got to sleep. It feels like a second before the sunlight startles me. I have to blink my eyes against a bright sun as we leave the colosseum. Yone still isn't struggling to carry me.
"I should.. Probably… get down…" I slur a little bit before attempting to leave. Yone tightens his grip on me.
"You're too light. I'm fine. Besides, you need the rest." Yone murmurs quietly. I huff, but he's not wrong. I leave it as we get closer to a loud clamor. Yasuo is talking with everyone, trying to handle all the questions being asked. Someone notices the two of us.
"What happened? Where's Deviago?" They get louder. Yone gives a sharp whistle, quieting everyone down.
"Navori is free of it's vulkodalk infestation. Deviago's gone. For good." Yone announces. The racket afterwards is so much louder than I could have imagined. It brings the citizens of Navori to our location. Eyes widen as missing people are recognized. Hugs and tears are mixed into the noise. Through it all, I rest my head on Yone's shoulder.
It's finally done.
Deviago's fate... A bit shorter, but still satisfying. I bet none of you were expecting that. And I swear, I'm spoiling you and me. I'm horrible with suspense. I kid you not, I was tempted to post all three of the last chapters on Wednesday. I have to say, this... this is infinitely more satisfying. And besides, I'm more excited for the next arc... again. It's not going to be as long as this. This arc... was MONTHS in the making. Literal months! And this... posting this last chapter... I have never been more satisfied in my life.
I love the suggestions you guys have been giving. So far, there's one I absolutely love. I'm not going to say what as I don't want to give away what I chose, but you guys are the best. Anyway, feel free to keep giving suggestions and reviews (Love hearing how you feel about the story and how you feel about Leilah and Starshadow and how they interact with the world).
As it's Easter, I'll give into my desire to share all of this with you. And end with... Ashe. HOOOOOOOO BOIIIIIIIIIIIII. Alright. May you all have the strength and courage to protect what matters most to you. May your sights be true and you follow your dreams. (These might get repetitive, but deal with it. A lot of them have very similar reasons as to why they are league of legends champs.) And I hope you guys have a wonderful, extraordinary day.