(A/N): I've been a League player for over nine years, and for some reason, I've never thought to write a little something rooted in the new lore as opposed to the old days. After watching the Awaken music video for perhaps the ten thousandth time (good lord, the part with Jhin taking a bow and when Kennen arrives completely gives me goosebumps), I got some ideas of how the conflict between Noxus and Ionia could be expanded upon in that video.

This little story is an attempt to connect the dots concerning the battle between Noxus and Ionia, in addition to adding a couple of characters who participate in the battle (I found it hard to believe that some Ionians would not participate).

In addition, Akali has always been my favorite League Of Legends champion, even more so once her rework came out (good lord, she's easily top 5 hottest). So on top of expanding the battle, I aim to write a bit more about her own backstory, which could potentially turn into a separate one shot (seeing as A Second Chance With The Fist Of Shadow has been rendered no longer canon thanks to the rework).

I will be introducing an original champion design of mine as an OC, seeing as he is also an Ionian and definitely believes in fighting for his country. I'll throw his kit down at the end of this chapter so you guys can have an idea of what he's like. I think he's pretty cool, super high skill cap but very cool. I'll let the story tell his background dynamically and maybe, I'll throw up a chapter in the same vain as the short stories Riot does for the champions!

Without further ado, let's get this started. Let me know what you guys think, I always love reading reviews!

For Ionia

Prologue: Seeking Aid

~ o ~

Somewhere In An Ionian Forest

"She's here somewhere... I know what she's like when she doesn't want to be found... hopefully, she's in a talking mood as opposed to an angry one."

I continued to look around the area, following the tracks of my childhood friend. Though I knew I wasn't doing myself any favors by wearing garb that hid my face, I doubt that she would be able to recognize me... seeing as we haven't seen each other since we were children.

"A war is coming... and we need your help... I fear for the safety of our country... please. Don't abandon us Akali..."

I suddenly heard the whoosh of steel through the air and I immediately sidestepped it, seeing three shuriken lodge themselves into the tree in front of me. I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword, closing my eyes to focus on the sounds.

"...You're an assassin. There's no point in trying to see you. Master Shen and your mother trained you well Akali. If I didn't train for so long myself, that may have been the end of my journey."

Another several whooshes, this time significantly more numerous and I knew I had no time to dodge them all. I drew my sword and turned around, immediately deflecting four of the shuriken while just barely managing to dance my way out of the remaining three. Before I could do anything else however, I felt a hard kick to my stomach, sending me flying into a tree. I felt the wind leave my lungs and before I could get up, I felt a cold blade at my throat. I opened my eyes to see that I had finally found the woman I had sought after for the past week.

"Who are you? And what do you want with me?" she demanded.
"...I come seeking aid. I mean you no harm." I replied.
"That remains to be seen. How do I know you're not someone sent to kill me or take me in?"

I responded by lifting my sword and letting go of the hilt, allowing it to fall to the ground.

"I am here to talk. If you'll allow me to." I pleaded.

She looked at me, her dark brown eyes scanning me for any trace of a lie. She released some of the pressure from the blade, but crouched down.

"Show me your face." she said.

I raised a hand, noticing how her eyes shot to it as if she expected me to make a move to reverse our roles, but I did as she requested, lowering my hood before reaching for my mask and lowering it as well. She shook her head.

"Who are you?" she asked.
"...You may not remember me. But we grew up together." I explained.

She shook her head, the pressure once again increasing as she didn't in the least believe me.

"No one else survived the attack at the Order... you're lying to me."
"Akali Jhomen Tethi, daughter of Mayym and Tahno Tethi... the next successor to the Fist Of Shadow until you decided to defend our country your own way outside of the Kinkou Order. I know you Akali... you always talked about how much you wanted to help protect our people. And you always spoke of how you couldn't stand Shen's obsession with restraint. It's what cost you your father, and most of your life as a member of the Kinkou Order."

She still didn't let the blade up, but I could see emotions flaring in her eyes.

"...I remember us sharing ramen together with Master Kennen. You would always ask me to cook it instead of him because he had a tendency to make it a little too sweet for your tastes. You also enjoy tea straight from the plant; you were never one who wanted to wait for the leaves to infuse into the hot water because you were so impatient back then... and you always beat me in our sparring matches. Your record is 45-0." I explained.

The blade suddenly held no sort of pressure at all, and her eyes widened.

"No one knows about that... except Master Kennen and... and..."
"It's me Akali. It's-"
"Len... Len Anatsu..."

She allowed me to get to my feet, her face looking straight at the ground as she continued to grip the kunai in her hand. I gave her a moment to gather her thoughts and she looked at me, her eyes clearly apologetic for what she had done.

"You... you're supposed to be dead..." she gasped.
"Master Shen sent me on a mission that took me out of the mainland. At the time of the coup, I wasn't around... I've only recently returned to this side of the islands and I went looking for all of my old friends... you were the one I sought after the most." I explained.

She clearly held some distaste for the Eye Of Twilight, her former master and the reason she decided to leave the Kinkou. Her gaze intensified, her hand still unconsciously gripping the blade as if she were attempting to restrain herself. I walked up close to her and held out one of my hands. She looked down for a moment and much to my astonishment, she placed the kunai in my hand and allowed me to drop it to the ground. In the next moment, I gave her a smile.

"You're still every bit the girl I remember... unrivaled in skill as an assassin. But you were also my closest friend... I'm so happy to see you again Akali." I said.

She was still silent, her eyes locked onto mine as if she still couldn't believe I was standing before her. I raised my hand, slowly approaching her mask before I felt one of her hands grab hold of it. I knew it was a reflex, because it had been a long time since she really got to interact with someone close to her. It was her instinct to remain at arms length and to not let anyone close... it must've been so hard for her when the Order was attacked by Zed.

"It's me Akali... you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you." I whispered.

She was still reluctant, and I noticed that tears had begun welling up within her eyes. Her grip loosened and she allowed me to place my hand on her cheek. As I reached to lower the mask, she closed her eyes. I pulled it down... to see the beautiful face of my best friend. The girl who helped shape me into the shinobi I am today.

"...You're still as pretty as the day we last saw each other... no. Even more so." I whispered.

She responded by opening her eyes and giving me a slight smile. She then wrapped her arms around my back and shoved her head into my chest. I wrapped one of my arms around her and let out a heavy breath.

"I'm sorry... I'm... so sorry..." she sobbed.
"You were only doing what you were trained to do. It's alright..." I replied.

It took her several moments to calm down, but she finally let go of me. I took the opportunity to wipe away her tears.

"If I didn't train so hard, those shuriken might've finished me off."
"Then it's a good thing you were always right behind me in our training." she replied.

I chuckled softly before picking up her kunai and placing it back in her hand. My face then turned serious.

"We have a lot to discuss... I was sent to find help by the Ruling Council and there was no way I could ignore your skills." I explained.
"...The council sent you? I thought you were-"
"I made the decision to leave the Order because the council needed protection from Noxian assassins. If any of the members were to fall, Ionia would become the embodiment of civil war. I went to the city and pledged my blade to the council, and they appointed me as their shinobi." I explained.
"So... Shinobi Of The Ruling Council huh? That's quite an upgrade." she teased.

I laughed for a moment before nodding.

"...I was tired of standing idly by. I'm not letting our people die if I can do something to help them." I explained.
"The very same philosophy I follow. Master Shen couldn't see that in order for balance to be maintained, we need a land to balance in the first place. And these Noxians are killing their way towards the heart of the country."
"Agreed... so how about we catch up?"

She responded by holding my hand.

"I have a camp nearby... I want to hear everything you've been up to for the last four years."

Meanwhile- The Placidium, Ionia

"You've had visions of this?" asked Irelia.
"Indeed. The attack will come not long from now... so we must be prepared." replied Karma.
"What are our options?"

The Duchess cleared her throat before looking down at the large map in front of her.

"They will be attacking the village. I did not receive a clear idea of how large their army is... but it's significantly larger than ours. We don't have anywhere near as many troops as they do, so it will be an uphill battle from beginning to end." she explained.
"Have we no allies?" asked Irelia.
"I do not know if any of them have received word. We may have to fight this battle with only the villagers to aids us."
"That... is disheartening."

The blade dancer let out a loud sigh before turning back to see at least one individual to answered the call.

"...I cannot thank you enough for coming to our aid." she said.
"I'm not letting those Noxian dogs destroy our land. Exile or not... I'm going to do all I can to help."

Karma's face tightened as she let out a deep sigh.

"Your exile has nothing to do with the man you are Yasuo. It has already been revealed that Riven was was responsible for the death of Elder Souma. We were informed of the entire story by those who bore witness. No one thinks you abandoned us."
"If I didn't leave for the frontlines, he'd still be alive and here to help us now." replied the samurai.

He leaned off of the wall he was against before turning to Irelia.

"If it's a Noxian army, we can expect hundreds, perhaps even thousands of soldiers to come knocking on our doorstep. And that's not even accounting for the more powerful members of their ranks. I guarantee they'll be sending at least five of their elite, some of which are the furthest thing from a mere soldier." he explained.
"Then what do you propose we do?"

He approached the table before putting a hand to his chin.

"The way I see it, they'll only be able to attack from the river outside the walls. They've already laid waste to a small village nearby, so some of their forces are probably not battle ready. However, Noxians never let up an assault once it begins. We'll have to hold them in the field outside the gate." he explained.
"How can we stand a chance against such insurmountable odds?" asked Irelia.
"By splitting the army apart."

He pointed to a small area near the forest, just to the left of the field.

"I'll be able to thin their ranks on my own. I will attack from here and push towards the gates where we can regroup and push them back. If any of the ones you've called for arrive, they'll help you hold the line. It's probably best that I work alone." he continued.
"Are you insane?! That's an entire army."
"An entire army that has no idea that I've mastered the Wind Technique my teacher passed onto me. They have no idea that you, the duchess and I are here. Right now, they expect this battle to be over quickly... we'll make sure we give them a fight to remember." he said firmly.

The blade dancer glared at the samurai, but he was completely unfazed by her gaze.

"The villagers here can fight. I've seen what they can do because I've been here many times in my travels. Have faith in your people... because they want to protect this land just as much as we do, if not even more." he explained.

It took several moments for her to process what he said, but Karma placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded.

"He's right. We must have faith in our people. We know that they are vulnerable, but some of the greatest battles in history have been won by a small number of determined participants. We face great opposition... but they are fighting on our lands. This is our home. And everyone will defend it to their last breath."

Yasuo nodded in agreement with the duchess's words. Irelia took another moment to gather her wits until she finally nodded.

"Alright. This plan doesn't appear foolproof... but we don't have any options... now we can only hope that our shinobi has found more aid." she said.
"...Shinobi?" asked Yasuo.
"A former member of the Kinkou Order." replied Karma.

Karma closed her eyes.

"He wanted to fight for his country... because he lost his family to a Noxian attack when he was young. Master Shen took him in and trained him. However, he chose to leave the Order in order to serve his country instead of simply maintaining balance. He came to the council and pledged his life to us... and he's served faithfully for the last four years." explained Irelia.
"I take it that he's extremely skilled?" he asked.
"...Very much so. One of the most talented swordsmen I've ever seen." she replied.

The samurai nodded before taking a deep breath.

"We'd best get some rest before this battle begins. I'll lie in wait for the army to attack and come in swinging." he said.
"...Thank you again Yasuo." said Irelia.
"...For Ionia."

The samurai took his leave from the tent as Irelia sat down and let out a heavy breath.

"...This may not be a battle that we can win."
"You must have faith Xan. Our people are strong and stand united against all who would seek to disrupt our way of life. They will not simply lay down and die... we cannot let Noxus take our home away from us, else... the balance will forever be disrupted."
"Who's to say that this battle won't disrupt the balance forever as it is?"

The duchess closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh.

"A valid point... but I love my country. You also love your country. And I would rather meet my end facing our enemy on the battlefield than to have them sweep across the land killing everyone in their path. I will do my part to protect the balance... the question is, will you step up to be the leader we need?"
"I've never been a leader Darha. My exploits do not make me a capable leader." she replied.

Karma smiled at her friend and nodded.

"No... but they make you a beacon of hope and inspiration for everyone. Many of these men and women will follow you to death's door. You have all of their support in this endeavor... remember that though the Noxians outnumber us, we have one thing they don't: a cause that is just."

With that final message, she gave the blade dancer a reassuring look before taking her leave. Irelia sighed softly and shook her head.

"...Spirits... give us all strength. This is the second invasion of our lands by our enemies... and this could change everything for our people. Grant us the strength and will to keep the balance..."

Champion Concept: Len, Shinobi Of The Ruling Council

Passive: Shinobi's Instinct

Whenever Len lands a basic attack or ability on an enemy, he marks them with a stack of Wound up to a maximum of three stacks. Upon reaching three stacks, the enemy is afflicted with Vulnerability, causing the next ability hit to have a bonus effect in addition to dealing bonus physical damage and restoring 40 energy. After exploiting a vulnerability, Len cannot mark the same enemy for 6/5/4 seconds (reduces as he ranks up his ultimate).

While an enemy champion is Wounded, Len gains bonus movement speed towards them.

Len can reduce the cooldown of marking an enemy champion by hitting them with abilities while it is on cooldown, with each reducing it by 0.5 seconds.

Wounds and Vulnerability last for four seconds respectively, and stacks of Wound fall off one at a time.

Q: Triple Slash: Panther Fang/Tiger Sweep/Raging Dragon (80 Energy for each strike) (10/9/8/7/6 second cooldown)

Len strikes with his katana in a devastating combo. Len must land each hit of the combo in order to continue it. Each strike has a different effect upon consuming Vulnerability as well as hitbox and area of effect. Each time Len strikes a target, he gains a stack of Focus up to 3.

Panther Fang (20/30/40/50/60 base damage + 100% Total Attack Damage)- An inward sweep, striking everything in a small cone in front of him. If used on a Vulnerable target, slows for 15/20/25/30/35% for 3 seconds.

Tiger's Rise (25/35/45/55/65 base damage + 100% Bonus Attack Damage)- A furious upward slash, striking in a straight line. If used on a Vulnerable target, inflicts a small bleed effect that deals 20/30/40/50/60% of Len's bonus attack damage over four seconds.

Raging Dragon (30/40/50/60/70 base damage + 100% Total Attack Damage)- Leaps forward and does a full circle sweep, striking everything around him. If used on a Vulnerable target, will automatically critically strike for 20/30/40/50/60% bonus damage. (This ability cannot have its damage amplified by Infinity Edge)

If Len successfully executes Raging Dragon on an enemy champion, he gains a small burst of movement speed and consumes his Focus, regaining 20 energy per stack consumed.

Missing any part of the combo will immediately place the ability on cooldown.

W: Flying Swallow (90 Energy) (30/50/70/90/110 base damage + 100% Bonus Attack Damage) (12/11/10/9/8 second cooldown)

Len leaps in target direction and slashes the first enemy champion in his path, coming to a stop if he successfully does so. Deals physical damage. If this ability strikes a Vulnerable target, Len will ignore 30/40/50% of the target's Armor for the strike and will be allowed to cast Swallow's Return for five seconds, which is a second cast at no cost, but deals 30% damage and cannot consume Vulnerability. This attack goes through minions.

E: Innervate (No cost) (14/13/12/11/10 second cooldown)

Len sheathes his sword for up to five seconds. While sheathed, Len cannot attack or cast other abilities. If he successfully keeps his sword sheathed for five seconds, his next ability cast will cost no energy and will heal him for a portion of the damage done. Len can pre-emptively end the channel to attack or cast, but will not empower his next cast and will break his focus, removing any active stacks of Wound or Vulnerability on any present champions. Len will lose any stacks of Focus he has upon channeling, but will heal himself for 20/30/40/50 health per stack of Focus he loses over the channel time. If Len successfully strikes a Vulnerable champion with an empowered ability, he will heal for all of the damage dealt to that champion and gains a brief burst of movement speed.

R: Final Draw/Swift Execution (120/110/100 second cooldown)

Final Draw: Len lets go of his inner peace, sheathing his main blade and drawing the powerful katana and long time companion, Kaya, from his back and wields her for 8/9/10 seconds. When the blade is drawn, he strikes everything around him, knocking them away but dealing no damage. While wielding Kaya, she infuses his body with magical energy, granting him 10/15/20% movement speed and 20/30/40% attack speed and his abilities gain bonus effects though he will not be able to critically strike his enemies while wielding her.

Q- Converts 20% of all damage dealt to true damage.

W- Cast range is increased by 150 and allows him to pass through all targets if he strikes any, including champions.

E- Hastens the channel time to three seconds and the empowered ability will ministun if it strikes an enemy champion. The ability will also immediately make the struck target Vulnerable, ignoring the cooldown of Shinobi Instinct.

Whenever Len consumes Vulnerability while wielding Kaya, he gains 2 extra seconds of wielding time. At any point, Len can cast Swift Execution on any target that is immobilized by either him or any member of his team and has at least one stack of Wound or has Vulnerability on them.

Swift Execution (100/250/350 + 80% Total Attack Damage) (Has a one second cast time): Len vanishes, becoming briefly untargetable as he moves in to strike a deadly blow, dealing massive physical damage. If used on a champion who is afflicted with Vulnerability, the blow will ignore 50/60/70% of the target's armor. Len cannot cast Swift Execution if he is channeling Innervate. If Swift Execution kills the target, Len restores 40 energy and he may recast Swift Execution again.

Playstyle Summary: Len is an assassin/fighter, capable of dealing immense damage if he makes clever use of his passive.

Shinobi's Instinct is Len's primary means of dealing damage as his abilities gain bonus effects if he manages to strike his target three times, either with basic attacks or abilities before making his move for the kill. Because Len is 100% skillshot based with the exception of his ultimate, he has to work hard to build stacks of Wound to make his target Vulnerable.

Once his target is open, Len gains several options.

With clever use of Triple Slash, he can manipulate when his enemy becomes vulnerable to take advantage of the effects it offers. If Len needs to stick to his target, Panther Fang can provide a slow to force his target to commit or blow their resources to escape. If he needs to back away from a trade immediately, Tiger's Rise allows him to leave a bleed effect behind, giving him a good chance at coming out on top of the trade especially if it's not a favorable one. When going in for a kill or seeking to deal a lot of damage, Raging Dragon allows him some burst damage, though landing the ability is difficult due to having to land the previous two slashes to enable it.

Flying Swallow allows Len the option of closing the gap or an escape over a wall or terrain. If he uses Flying Swallow on a Vulnerable target, such as a minion, he can double his chances of escape by gaining the second cast. If used on a champion, he gains a second chance at catching his target if they happen to dash away and he is also rewarded with more damage due to the attack ignoring some of their armor.

Innervate is Len's sustain tool, and he must make clever use of it due to the fact that it consumes his method of regenerating his energy in addition to losing all stacks of Shinobi's Instinct upon interruption of the ability. If fully channeled, Len recovers some of the health he lost in the trade at the expense of disabling any offensive capability for five seconds. However, if he dedicates himself to focusing, Len will be able to heal off of the next ability he casts after Innervate, allowing him to get back into the fight or to further sustain.

Len's ultimate is a high risk, high reward form that rewards aggressive, but also clever play. Due to not gaining innate damage while wielding Kaya, Len is forced to be aggressive when he draws her. The movement and attack speed increase allows Len to quickly stack up Shinobi's Instinct to set up a bonus effect. Due to only having a ministun in his kit, Len will not be able to use Swift Execution on his own unless he is wielding Kaya and manages to land an Innervate empowered attack. To allow him a better chance at being offensive, Innervate's channel time is reduced due to Kaya sharing her strength and focus with Len. When a teamfight breaks out, Len will be able to strike with Swift Execution if his teammates manage to lock down his enemies, finishing off any low health enemy and if he manages to kill, he will be able to do so again and again. If the target is vulnerable, Swift Execution gains the added effect of dealing significantly more damage, giving him a better chance to take his target out. Because he cannot critically strike while wielding Kaya, Len must rely on his abilities, basic attacks or his teammates to weaken his enemies to give him an opening to execute them.

He is a melee champion and possesses no form of ranged attack, which makes him very kitable by champions like Quinn or Ashe. Len however, truly shines when he is in teamfights alongside a crowd control heavy team with champions like Amumu, Malphite or even Yasuo. As long as his target is hit with hard crowd control, he may cast Swift Execution to instantly close the gap and strike with deadly force.