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Thank you to everyone who has favirouted, followed or reviewed this fic so far.

This chapter will cover a lot of conversations and interactions, and will also reveal some more about Runeterra.

Chapter 13- Speaking to the Elders

Runeterra, Ionia, Bard Mountain

Sara staggered down the stone steps towards the village. Only a few Noxian soldiers were left at this point, but were still fighting the villagers.

One soldier attacked Sara but she blocked the punch and kicked his knee hard, shattering the bone as he fell down screaming.

Another swung his ax but Sara ducked under and stabbed him in the throat with her sword, killing him.

For some reason, she didn't feel any pain. She was now fueled by rage that made her irises glow red.

Another struck her arm with a sword but Sara didn't feel it, and instead delivered a brutal head-butt that smashed the Noxian's nose.

"Dumb motherfuckers." She grumbled, slashing another Noxian's throat and spraying blood across her face.

Several old men looked at her in horror as she continued brutally beating the Noxians.

"Oh damn it! Retreat, fall back! Contact Darius! He will finish her!" a Noxian shouted, as the others reluctantly retreated.

Sara's eyes glowed as she watched them fall back. Finally, she sunk to her knees, the rage leaving her body.

An old man in brown robes and a wispy beard approached her carefully. He was wearing worn out sandals. His face was tired, and there were heavy wrinkles under his eyelids. His eyes still shone with the wisdom of someone who had witnessed the rise and fall of entire empires.

"Ms. Lance, are you okay?" he asked carefully.

Sara's eyes snapped up in shock. "How the hell do you know my name?"

"I received a dream that you would appear on Runeterra," the Elder said in a soothing voice. "I suppose you are here to find a way back to your world."

"Uh yeah?" she asked, unsure of how to respond, but the Elder somehow made her feel comfortable.

"I believe I might be able to help you," the Elder said. "I would like to thank you for aiding this village."

"No problem. I stand against Noxus." Sara waved him off, feeling exhaustion beginning to take over, replacing her earlier rage.

"You must be hungry. Come with me, and all answers will be revealed in time."

Sara sat on a small peak as the Elder and several other people surrounded her. Sara was sitting on a rock and had a cloak wrapped around her as the chill reached her bones.

She had learnt about this society of people known as the Bards, who were isolated from the rest of Ionia, and were very wise. They also worshipped the Cosmic God they called 'Bard'.

"Thanks for helping me, O-fa." Sara murmured just loud enough for the Elders to hear her, using the Ionian world for grandfather, which was used to address an elderly man.

Lee Sin had taught her some basic Ionian during the two months that she had known him for.

"You are very welcome, Sara." The lead Elder replied gently in a Japanese accent.

"Brie would have loved this." She muttered, thinking fondly back to her childhood friend.

"Were you two…courting each other?" the Elder asked, looking at her carefully. A woman and a woman in a relationship was near unheard of in Runeterra.

"We were. Not anymore." Sara corrected.

"Well, love truly knows no boundaries, not even gender." The Elder said, smiling. Sara looked at him surprised.

"So I heard that you could help me get back to my world. Can you?" Sara asked.

"I believe we can," the Elder responded, spreading his hands. "I myself cannot send you back. I do not have such power. But there is a way that you can."

"What is this way?" Sara asked curiously, looking at him.

"There are several ancient and powerful relics scattered across Runeterra that can open gateways between worlds." He said.

Sara looked at him in shock and said. "Really?"

"Yes indeed. The relics have been either lost or destroyed. Only a few are left, and are hidden away, deep where no man delves." The Elder said.

"Oh! What are these relics?" Sara asked.

"I do not remember all of them, but there is one located here in Ionia. It is called the Ionian Boots of Lucidity."

"What do these Boots do?" Sara asked curiously.

"They normally allow the wearer to leap great distances, but combined with other relics, they will summon the Doomed Ferryman."

"Doomed Ferryman? Who is that?" Sara asked.

"I have heard myths and legends about him. But even I do not know who he is. All that is said is that he ferries people across all the realms of Targon." The Elder replied.

"Wow," Sara mouthed. "Where do I find these Boots?"

"I have no idea," the Elder admitted. "There are a few gaps in my knowledge. But give me some time, and I shall be able to piece it together."

"How long is that going to take?" Sara asked.

"I do not know. Hopefully a day or two, if not then a week." The Elder replied.

"All right." Sara shrugged. If it took a few more weeks, she would wait.

'Ask him about the Boots!' the voice in her head snapped. Sara's eyes widened and she then narrowed them.

"Will you shut up, man?" she snapped in annoyance.

The Elder looked over at her with narrowed eyes, before they widened in realization.

"I know of what being it is that speaks to you," he said. "It is the Aspect of the Wanderer. My magic sensed it."

"The what? What is an Aspect?" Sara asked, confused as all hell.

"The Aspects are stellar beings that live beyond the physical and spiritual realms of Runeterra, in the Celestial Realm of the City of Gold and Silver." The Elder explained.

"So they are Gods?" Sara asked.

"Yes. These beings embody concepts and celestial magic's. They are able to meld with mortals, making them their hosts, or merely imbue them with stellar power. Your soul is intertwined with the Aspect of the Wanderer." The Elder said.

"What exactly is this Aspect of the Wanderer?" she asked.

"A near forgotten Celestial, it traverses the Realms, making sure that the spirit of adventure is never lost." The Elder explained.

"Holy shit." Sara breathed out, trying to process this new information. She was being influenced by a literal God. How, and why?

"I understand that might be a lot to take in." the Elder said.

"No shit, Sherlock." Sara muttered.

"However, our Lord, Bard, has a plan for all of us all." The Elder continued.

"The Gods may think they see who I really am, but they'll never know me." Sara remarked bitterly.

"What do you mean?" the Elder asked curiously.

"Every day, it's as if I play a part. Please, answer me this, who is that girl I see, staring straight at me?" Sara asked, pointing to a bowl of water in front of her.

To her shock, it wasn't reflecting her. It was reflecting someone else.

"You must show the world what's inside your heart and when you do, you will be loved for who you are." The Elder said gently.

Sara looked conflicted now. What the hell did he mean 'show the world what's inside her heart'?

"All will be revealed in time." The Elder spoke, looking up at the glowing stars.

Sara looked up, and only then did she notice the constellations.

"What are these?" she asked.

"Constellations formed in the sky," the Elder replied, pointing to a constellation of a one eyed creature with multiple arms that were connected via stars.

"The Frozen Watcher," he revealed. "A horde of these strange creatures once enslaved the tribes of the Freljord. They smothered Valoran under glaciers and cast a shadow upon all of Runeterra. The Frozen Watcher signals the end of autumn. It reminds us we must all be prepared for winter's wrath."

Sara looked up, seeing a constellation of a disc. "What's that?"

"That is the Fall of Shurima. The Ancients groped blindly in the darkness, threatening to unravel the very fabric of creation in their hubris. Their ambitions ended an age and killed thousands of innocent people. Such was the fate of mighty Shurima and of Men who would become Gods."

"So that's what happened to Shurima." Sara muttered, remembering Xin Zhao explaining to her. She felt a twinge of sadness at her old friend, wondering how he was now.

Sara looked up again, seeing the face of Bard in the stars.

"What exactly is Bard?" she asked.

"Bard is an ancient Celestial. He is above all powers, above all Kings. Above all wisdom and all the ways of Men. He was here before the World began."

"Wow." Sara mouthed.

"What a beautiful name it is, the name of Bard. He has no rival. He has no equal. Now and forever, Bard, he reigns." The Elder said.

"Holy, just…wow." Sara said, trying to process all this new information.

"It is said that Bard now wanders the Cosmos, preparing for the arrival of the ultimate threat that threatens all reality. A war that will not be fought in any single realm, but all Realms."

Sara was about open her mouth to say something, but a time itself seemed to freeze.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGG!

Sara nearly jumped on seeing Bard floating in the air.

"Bard." She whispered, awed for the first time in a long time. She felt an overwhelming feeling of joy; she felt love for everything and everyone. Tears fell down her face.

'Bard says that there is a reason you are here,' the Aspect of the Wanderer whispered. 'He is trying to bring the Universe back in tune, and it is the only way this world can be saved from what lies beyond it.'

"And I'm supposed to help?" Sara asked back.

Bard chimed again, gesturing with his hands.

'Pretty much,' the Aspect replied. 'Ask the Elder, and he will tell you. The Elder knows a certain way.'

"Okay, and then what?" Sara asked.

'You want to get home, back to your world right?' the Aspect asked. 'Well, I hate to tell ya, you have another impossible task ahead. One that will take all your might.'

Sara felt a chill run down her spine. The way the Aspect talked, it sounded like this would definitely be an impossible task.

"Oh boy. Now what?" she asked. "Why doesn't he help? He's a God, right?"

'He cannot. Targon law. Even I cannot properly intervene. Celestials and Aspects can only guide humanity on the proper path..' The Aspect replied.

Bard waved his hand as the Aspect said. 'He will return. Just speak to the Elder.'

Bard disappeared in a flash of light, and time seemed to return to normal. The Elder blinked a few times as Sara looked at him.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked kindly.

"Yes I am," Sara said, her face hardening. "Can you read my soul please?"

The Elder looked confused for a moment before nodding. "Of course."

He leaned forward and pressed his fingers to her forehead. After a moment, he pulled away, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What is it?" Sara asked on noticing his expression.

"I believe you must speak to the Soul of Runeterra itself." He said quietly.

"The Soul of Runeterra? Runeterra has a soul?" Sara asked, shocked. How could a planet have a soul?

"It does. If the Soul itself wants to speak to you, then it is very important. It has only spoken to one person in all of Runeterra's history, though it didn't quite end well."

"Okay, you're right, that is very important." Sara admitted, though she wondered who this person was.

"I remember an ancient ritual. It is time for the ceremony." The Elder said ominously.

And this is done. Hope all enjoyed it.

Hope the interactions were enjoyed in this, as well as the reveals.

Sara now has to find a series of relics scattered across Runeterra, in order to get home, and the Ionian Boots of Lucidity are the first relic.

The thing about the Doomed Ferryman is a very important part that will come into play later on.

So yes, Sara is being influenced by the Aspect of the Wanderer, and hope the explanation for what Aspects and Celestials are was enjoyed.

But one of the three major arcs of this tale is about Sara finding her true self, which was symbolized by the bowl of water showing a different reflection of herself.

Homosexuality is only a recent thing in League of Legends (no, Taric/Ezreal doesn't count.)

But anyway, since I dropped a bisexual woman on Runeterra, that world's reactions to it is not something I can leave out.

Now for someone like Taric, he is a very kind and open-minded person, so I imagine someone like him would be delighted by something like this. The Elders also would be.

People from Ionia and the Yordles would be fascinated, while those from Noxus, Demacia and the Freljord wouldn't really care as long as it doesn't affect them.

And like Taric, I'm sure beings like Karma and Soraka would be quite fascinated and supportive too.

Among all peoples and countries of Runeterra, there can be people that are bigots are about the whole thing.

And those from Piltover wouldn't care as long as it didn't affect them in any way.

That's just my opinion though.

And now Bard's back-story has been revealed. At last, the guy finally has lore after years of not having any. Now if only some other champions could receive the same treatment.

Now in canon, he is most likely referring to the Void as being the ultimate threat, but because this is a crossover verse, it is up to you to decide whether Bard is referring to the Void or Anti-Monitor and COIE as the ultimate threat fought in all Realms.

But now Sara has to speak directly to the Soul of Runeterra, and that will be a very important part, and will happen next chapter.

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.