"Jay… honey… wake up."
The tender voice whispered through the void, gently calling the young woman's spirit back into reality. Jay opened her eyes meekly, allowing reality to come into focus. Through the thick haze of smoke and incense formed a pair of amber beacons, guiding her back into the world.
"Hi there," Jay replied softly, still trying to get her bearings. Ahri placed a hand over Jay's forehead, wiping the stray strands of hair from her face. She sat for a moment, staring into Jay's eyes, trying her hardest to hold herself back from the inevitable.
The protocol was clear.
Ahri was Jay's mentor. Her guide. She led her young pupil head first into the void; shadows of past memories contorted into demons festered in the recesses of the subconscious. Vandalized dreams turned into pain; bullets fashioned from emotions; locked and loaded in a weapon of doubt and self-loathing. Each day, a spin of the chamber; a squeeze of the trigger; nozzle pressed against her temple.
Her little sister accomplished the unthinkable. She walked the path of forgiveness armed with nothing but the light of her spirit to guide her. Each step of the way, never vanquishing her others, but loving them, unconditionally, for who they were; for who she was.
For who are we, if not ourselves?
"Jay, I…" Ahri muttered, cradling her daughter in her arms.
The young girl that arrived at her doorsteps three years ago; battered, broken, discarded by the world; was a distant memory — claimed in her place, a different person. A different woman. A soul that survived the greatest challenge anyone can face: the struggle against the self.
The protocol was abundantly clear.
Ahri was Jay's mentor. Her guide. Wake the pupil, gently. Allow them to re-acclimate to their environment. The pupil is in a fragile space; between the then and the now. Do not speak of what happened. Do not speak of the ritual. Do not interject your thoughts. Allow them to process their feelings - reconnect to reality, on their own terms.
"I…" Ahri repeated, shutting her eyes tightly, trying to regain her composure. "I…"
The protocol could not be any clearer.
Ahri was Jay's mentor, yes. Her guide; this was without doubt. But first and foremost, beyond all of her self-proclaimed titles of guidance and mysticism, were her nurtured bonds. A mother. A sister. A friend. As she held her daughter in her arms, the words she so desperately held back from her little sister for the length of her journey engulfed her in a wave of excitement and pride.
"I…"
"..."
"..."
"…AAAAAAHHH!" Ahri squealed loudly, no longer able to contain her emotions. She reached down and scooped her little sister in her arms, hugging her as tight as she possibly could.
"JAY MY BABY I'M SO SO SO PROUD OF YOU!" she screamed, voice echoing against the walls of her meditation room. Her tails surrounded the pair, blanketing them in a soft layer. "I CAN'T BEGIN TO… TO JUST… ...TO TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM… I'm just… JUST SOOOO PROUD... and… and… GODS, I promise you there is NOTHING you will EVER ever ever EVER EVER DO to make us take our love away! We will love you FOREVER and ever and ever and.. and…"
"Thanks, Ri," Jay replied meekly, "but-"
"...I NEVER KNEW YOU FELT THAT WAY MY POOR SWEET SWEET BABY," Ahri squealed, nuzzling Jay's body into her arms just a bit tighter, never daring to let go. "And I never ever EVER WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT WAY AGAIN! I want you to talk to me about things and open up to me and tell me… JUST EVERYTHING AND.. everything and… and… AND NO MORE HIDING IN THE WORKSHOP ALL DAY! You're gonna tell us when you're not feeling well and then we can… we can… help you and care for you and… and… and then…"
"Ri… I-" Jay tried to speak with no hope in sight.
"...AND YOU WERE JUST SO… …SO FREAKING PERFECT! I mean we trained SOOO LOOONGGG but I never thought that you would be so…" Ahri continued, grasp tightening with every word, "Oh gods that was just... It was so beautiful with Powder and how you… you rescued her and… and then you gave her hope… and a new home… and GODS BABY EKKO WAS SOOO CUTE! And then JINX! it was scary and then she tried to lunge at you but then you… YOU MET HER WITH SO MUCH GRACE AND LOVE AND KINDNESS! And… and… and OOO the daughter of chaos… I mean Sorrow… who knew she was really nice and sweet and… that poor, poor baby... I mean YOU MY POOR POOR BABY… and… and… OH! THE BOAT-"
"AHRI!" Yasuo yelled with an expression of horror contorted on his face. He readjusted himself, finding his balance while juggling two cups of cocoa in his hands.
"SHUSH YASUO WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF STUFF!" she quipped back with a slight annoyance.
"Ahri… honey…" Yasuo continued, "she can't breathe - you're loving the poor girl to death."
"What?" Ahri replied, eyes darting towards her little sister, who in turn was turning a bluish color in her arms. "Oh, gods!" Ahri exclaimed, releasing her hug of death on Jay. The girl crumpled in her arms from exhaustion and love. "Jay! Gods, love, I'm so sorry, I just…"
"It's okay, Ri," Jay replied with a tender smile, trying her best to mask her desperate gasps for air. She looked up at her mentor and blinked before resting her head on Ahri's chest. "I love you too."
Yasuo kneeled beside Ahri, speaking quietly to his little sister. "Hey kiddo, welcome back," he said with a smile, carefully handing her a warm cup of cocoa. Jay reached for the glass and sipped on it, savoring the chocolatey taste in her mouth. Yasuo extended a hand to the nape of her neck, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, before playfully rubbing her hair. "How did it go?"
"Good," Jay replied wearily, "it was like a really bad dream… but it turned out the monster was me." Yasuo nodded slightly, in understanding. "I'm proud of you, Jay. I always knew, since the moment you walked into our lives… that you could do this."
"Thanks, Yasuo," Jay replied with a slight smile.
"Come here," Yasuo replied, wrapping his arms around his daughter gently, "I love you, little cannonball."
"I love you too, Yasuo," Jinx replied, shifting her weight in his arms, "...and your terrible dad jokes."
"Hey!" Yasuo yelped, rubbing Jay's back in comfort, "terrible? My jokes are the best, thank you very much."
"You're right," she replied, melting in his arms, "your jokes, and your cocoa, are the best."
"Damn right," Yasuo replied, beaming with pride. "But enough of me, kiddo. I have somebody here that wants to say hi." No sooner were his words spoken than a handsome man came into her view. A figure she knew intimately. He knelt in front of her, between Yasuo and Ahri, greeting her with a kind smile.
"Ekko!" Jay squealed, words of gratitude for his presence showering her mind. She mustered all her strength and gingerly lunged towards him; the weakness of her ordeal foiled her at every move.
"Whoa there, love," Ahri said, catching Jay from collapsing on the floor. Yasuo gripped Jay's arms and guided them towards her destination, Ahri gently prodding her little sister's body forward to Ekko's embrace, which Jay so desperately desired.
"Hi, Jay," Ekko replied, planting a soft kiss on her head. "Welcome back."
"Ekko, I…" Jay replied in a haze of weariness and delight. "Gods… I… I just…"
"It's okay," Ekko replied, "I know."
"I.. buried you," Jay continued, digging as much of herself into his embrace as she could possibly muster. "I held you in my arms… and I buried you." Jay looked up towards Ekko, amethyst eyes shining as bright as the stars. "Please, Ekko…" she whispered, nuzzling her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around him, and closing her eyes tightly.
"Please," she begged, "don't make me do that again."
"Jay, I…" Ekko replied, caressing the top of her head, "I…" he replied with a heavy sigh. He slowly tilted backwards, flattening himself on the sand, carefully guiding Jay's body onto his, her head resting below his chin.
"Do you hear that?" he asked softly, running his fingers across her back as her head rested below his chin. She pressed her ear against his chest, listening to the familiar rhythm of his body.
"I do," she replied meekly, gripping him ever-so-tighter.
"What is it?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"Your heart," she said with a smile.
"And who does it belong to?" he replied, wrapping his arms around her.
"Better not be Zeri," she quipped weakly, trying her best to poke his ribs to no avail. Jay took a deep breath, tremors of her lover's laughter rippling beneath her body. "Never going to live that down, am I?" he asked, playing with her hair.
"Nope," she replied, "never ever… ever… EVER."
"Hey," he said, inching her body upwards, her head resting on his shoulder blade. "I'm serious. Who does it belong to?" he whispered in her ear.
"Me," she said eagerly, planting a kiss on his neck. She nuzzled her forehead on his chin. "It's all… mine."
So it was said. So it was.
The lost cause became greater than the cause. Greater than the self. The girl who longed for purpose, meaning - love, found a way. Her way, to continue. To exist.
A childhood friend, turned rival, became lover.
A desperate hope, turned mentor, became family.
A girl, lost herself, found a woman.
As she laid on his chest, eyelids slowly dropping like window shades during noon, she reflected on her past. Her path. She never felt she would amount to anything. Not since her loss. Those that abandoned her, Hunted her - considered her nothing more than the sum of her worst tendencies. Loved her for the wrong reasons. Their own reasons.
And yet…
…she smiled, gently; breathed a small chuckle at her trials; love radiating as she thought of her others.
Herself.
Her.
Self.
No one else owned it.
Owner her.
Her power.
Her mind.
Her spirit.
No one, but her.
She gave herself willingly - to her loved ones. To the ones that gave so much of themselves, in return. Showing her the meaning of love. Sacrifice. Family.
A state of peace blanketed her; mind still for the first time in years. Focused on nothing but the ones surrounding her. The ones that loved her.
For who she was.
For what she was.
For better.
For worst.
And yet…
…
…there was that part of her; the part that would always stay with her, no matter her triumphs. Her conquests.
The part that will always ask…
…
"...why…?" she muttered softly, opening her eyes to her adopted parents. Ahri leaned back slightly, looking towards Yasuo, his puzzled face his only reply.
"...is that for us?" Ahri replied, her face slightly crunching into a quizzical expression.
"Yes, I…" Jay continued, closing her eyes tightly, burying her face on Ekko's chest. "I know why this idiot did it…" she continued, tightening her grip on Ekko, "...gave up so much… for me… because we're…." she whispered. "...but you didn't have to… to take me in and… and…"
"... love you?" Ahri replied with a smile.
"I was gonna say care but… yes…"
"Honey, I…" Ahri began, turning towards Yasuo who smiled and nodded in return. "...how do you explain… love?" She continued, gently rubbing Jay's back in return. "We just…" she paused, searching for the right words.
"...we just… recognized you… knew you… and Ekko… as soon as you walked through our door. It was like…" she sighed, the question rummaging her mind. "...as if you carried a part of us, in you. A part that we could never deny."
"Helping you… helping Ekko," Yasuo continued, "...was never a question. It was an answer."
"...an answer?" Jay whispered.
"Yes," Ekko chimed in, understanding their sentiment. "An answer to your question."
"To what… to why…" he continued, eyes closed, basking in her spirit.
"...love, is."