The gentle trickling sounds of a stream rang in my ears. Birds chirped and the wind blew. With a grunt, I forced my eyes to open and I woke up. Standing up, I observed myself and my new surroundings.

The robes Ahri had given me back at her cabin were gone. In it's place, I wore a long pair of white and blue robes that looked alot like a more masculine version of the robes Ahri had changed into for the spirit blossom festival. A strange, gray, belt-like accessory had been wrapped around my waist, and I felt extremely refreshed and clean. It wasn't just a regular type of cleaness, but as if I had been thrown into a car wash and had every inch of my skin rubbed spotless.

I stood in what appeared to be some sort of garden that was placed at the foot of an enormous tree. The tree's trunk and branches were pure white, and it's leaves were glittering blue and pink. Images seemed to move among the leaves, though I was too far away to see clearly.

I wandered over to the stream I had heard earlier, and it was overlooked by a small white wooden bridge. The stream trickled into a pure blue pond, with lotus blossoms in the middle. The water sparkled in the somewhat pale sunlight, like a perfect mirror. I looked at my reflections in the pond, and found I had light blue patterns imprinted onto my face.

The flora surrounding me were of similar colors as the tree. They all were made up of various shades of white, pink, and blue, though no images gleamed in their leaves. The pale yet lively grass swayed in the wind, and I realized I was no doubt in the Spirit Realm.

A sudden sound behind caught my attention, and I turned to see a large, snow white fox. It had patterns on its face much like the mask Ahri had been wearing, and it had a fluffy blue tail that looked alot like cotton candy.

"Follow." The fox's feminine voice said in my mind, though it did not move its lips.

"Are you the gatekeeper?" I wondered out loud, as I stared at the creature with curiosity.

Giving no indication that it heard me, the fox simply turned away from me and began walking down a trail that I had missed before. It turned its head and stared right into my eyes, and I quickly followed it.

The fox led me along the trail, through the plains and up a hill. On the top of a hill, stood a shrine of the very creature in front of me.

"Legend says that a beautiful woman guides the souls of the dead to their eternal peace. She takes the form of a fox." The fox whispered in my mind in the same voice I had heard earlier, though this time it seemed to be teasing. "You wouldn't know anyone like that would you?"

"Are you-"

I was interrupted as the fox was suddenly consumed by a storm of petals, in a similar way as I was. In just the time of a second, she had transformed into a familiar faced woman with nine tails. She was dressed in similar robes to Ahri's spirit blossom costume, though no fox mask hung on the side of her face. She had even lighter skin than Ahri, however, and instead of sleek black hair accompanied by a few braids, she had bright pink hair that puffed like cotton candy directly down towards her lower shoulders.

"Hello!" The woman said to me with a bright smile on her face. "I'm Ahri. I'll be your spirit guide to the afterlife."

"Ahri?" I yelped happily in disbelief, and ran in for a hug.

Ahri laughed and returned the hug, before pulling away and looking at me with sparkles in her eyes.

"No, I am not Ahri as you would know her. I am Spirit Blossom Ahri, the gatekeeper, the Spirit of Salvation." She clarified. She glanced at my confused face and giggled. "Yes, it's quite confusing Wentao isn't it."

"Wait, if you're not the other Ahri, how do you know my name?" I wondered.

"Well, each leaf from the Golden Tree of Peace tells the entire life story of each soul that comes into the Spirit Realm. Both their past and their futures, though the future is not for me to reveal." Ahri explained. "It is my job to examine each and every one of them so I can do my job and lead them to their respective afterlifes."

"So you, umm, looked through my life?" I said, slightly embarrassed.

"Hehe." Ahri giggled. "Yes, every bit of it. Even the parts you may have wanted to keep private. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

I blushed. Ahri wrapped her fluffy blue tails around me, and put a hand on my shoulders. I buried my face in one of them, and was surprised at its texture. It was like the gentle, solid form of water. Bright blue effects shimmered on the tail, like sunlight shining on the ocean on a clear day. It smelled of rose fragrance.

"Well," Ahri said, as she released me. "You must be wondering why you are here."

"Well, ya." I said. "Do people get transported here during spirit festivals often?"

"No, in fact." Ahri answered. "The living are almost never allowed to cross over to the Spirit Realm. But you aren't local to Runeterra aren't you? You come from a different world."

"Yes." I replied. "My world's called…actually I'm not sure what my world even is called since my people never thought other worlds existed."

"Hmmm." Ahri smiled. "Humans really are a self centered bunch, aren't they? Slow to learn, quick to follow."

"Well, umm." I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this, so I just nodded awkwardly.

"Oh, not you specifically perhaps." Ahri laughed and patted my head. "Anyways, you're here for a specific task. I am aware that you have met a certain man named Yasuo?"

"Ya. He's that big guy with the sword isn't he." I confirmed.

"Correct, but do you know his back story?" Ahri inquired.

"Well, I read he got blamed for killing an elder and now he's one of Ionia's most wanted criminals."

"Precisely." Ahri nodded. "Ionia's leaders sent some of their best warriors after Yasuo, and he was forced to slay them one by one in self defense."

"Really?" I asked. "Didn't he get a trial? Also, how did he even manage to kill Ionia's best fighters? Is he that powerful?"

"You are a curious fox aren't you?" Ahri giggled. "Well, those matters do not concern you. However, Yasuo didn't just defeat Ionia's toughest warriors, for one of the warriors sent after him was his older brother, Yone."

"Well surely Yone knew his brother was innocent!" I protested. "Wasn't Yone older, wiser, etcetera?"

"Yone was both." Ahri smiled sadly. "But all the evidence at the time had pointed towards Yasuo's betrayal. Before his brother's death, Yasuo also had quite a temper. Furthermore, Yone held honor above all else."

"But Yone was the older brother," I said slowly. "Why didn't he win?"

"Even though Yone was both older, wiser, and a better swordsman, Yasuo was a master of the powerful wind technique." Ahri explained. "In a final confrontation, Yasuo accidentally delivered a fatal strike to Yone after breaking one of his swords. Even though Yasuo begged Yone to forgive him and pleaded that he was innocent, Yone died still believing Yasuo's guilt."

"That's really depressing." I commented. A tear dripped from my face. "Yone didn't deserve to join the cycle of death."

"Awww." Ahri simpered, and brushed the tear from my face. "It's alright. Death isn't a cycle, just a moment. However…"

Ahri turned towards the other side of the hill across the shrine, which had been covered by a thick fog. With one hand, she waved across the sky and the mist parted. On the other side of the hill, lay rolling plains of grass. A gentle path led through the plains, towards a forest much like the one where I came from. On the path walked a man dressed in similar clothing as me, though he was about a head taller. Two sheaths hung on his belt, one with a sword, the other empty.

"No way." I said. "Ahri, is that Yone? But how is he here? I thought he died years ago!"

"Four years ago actually." Ahri confirmed. "But time passes differently in the Spirit Realm. From his perspective, he's just arrived. Although you can't actually see me, I'm guiding him towards this very shrine in my fox form."

I strained my head. Yone did appear to be following something, though the path was clearly empty aside from him. "But how does that work? You are right here."

"Well, it's difficult to explain." Ahri replied. "But numerous people die every second. Each of them exists in a different level of the Spirit Realm. Although I can manifest in different layers of the Spirit Realm at the same time, only one of myself can exist in the same realm. Currently, talking to you in one realm, and guiding Yone in the other, though I've bent the realms so that yours and Yone's are intertwined. Thus, you are able to see him. Now watch carefully. Something important is about to happen."

Ahri and I gazed down towards Yone together, a purple colored mist appeared on his left, and in the middle of it was a doorway. Yone looked at the invisible fox in front of him, before turning towards the door. He entered, and drew his sword.

"He has entered the cave of obsession." Ahri told me. Though to him it will appear as a solid cave, we will be able to see through it like a one sided mirror."

Yone cautiously edged forwards with blade in hand, his forehead beaded with sweat. Suddenly, a black and red creature with a hideous face melted out of the floor, and attacked Yone. Drawing a red sword that blazed with energy, it aimed a cut straight at Yone's neck. Yone's swords work was flawless, which made me wonder how Yasuo even had a chance against him. Yone stepped back and dodged the creature's slash, before bringing his own sword down on the creature's head. But even though Yone was an excellent swordsman, the creature had both a strength, size, and speed advantage. It easily swatted his sword away and flung Yone to one side.

"What is that thing?" I whimpered, and Ahri held me tightly.

"It is an azakana, a demon that feeds on negative emotions." She explained. "Yone has been corrupted with guilt and doubt ever since he started to hunt Yasuo. The azakana is far more powerful than Yone currently."

Ahri then stared straight into my eyes. Unlike normal Ahri's, Spirit Blossom Ahri's eyes were azure blue. "It is you who must help him."

"Me?" I stuttered. "But I can't even hold a sword! What could I do?"

"An azakana feeds on negative emotions, yet it is weakened by positive ones." Ahri answered. "You must convince Yone to move on and forgive both Yasuo and himself. It is the only way. Do you think you are up to the task?"

I thought about Yasuo and Yone. The two brothers and all the hardships they had suffered, starting from birth. Their life made the worst parts of mine seem like a blessing. Right now, it appeared I alone had the power to do what was right. Now filled with motivation, I nodded.

"Very well." Ahri smiled, the light blue streaks on her face seemed to burn brightly. "Be brave, Wentao. I'll see you, on the other side."

With that, Ahri waved her hand and mist creeped around me. The air grew colder and colder, and the mist grew darker and darker. Finally, the mist parted around me to reveal Yone's cave upclose. Yone's battle was not going well. Yone had managed to knock the azakana's sword to one side, though his own sword had also been thrown besides it. Yone's body sported fresh scratch marks, and his once light blue clothing had been stained a shade of red. The azakana glanced in my direction, before looking back towards Yone as if I was invisible.

I ran over to Yone's sword, and tried to lift it. But even with all my strength, the sword was too heavy.

"Wow." I thought. "Am I this weak? I guess mother was right, I should have gotten out more. Playing League of Legends all day could not have been good for me."

That's when I noticed a faint blue smoke had been clinging onto the sword, holding it down. The mist slowly trickled from Yone's sword towards that of the Azakana's. With renewed vigor, I ran over to the glowing red blade and lifted it by its handle. The sword was almost weightless. With a yelp, I leaped towards the azakana and buried its own sword into its back. The azakana howled, before melting into a puddle of shadows. As I watched, the shadows began to reshape itself. I attempted a second slash at the puddle of darkness, but the blade went through the shadow without affecting it.

"Yone!" I cried, and ran towards the injured swordsman. He lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Who are you?" He breathed.

"A friend of Yasuo's." I answered hastily.

"Murderers…have no friends." Yone whispered back. Grief and sadness filled his voice.

"He didn't murder the elder." I told Yone. "I think somewhere deep down, you realize that. Your brother loved you. He begged you for forgiveness right before you died didn't he."

Tears trickled down Yone's face. Behind me, the shadows had already taken a form much bigger than me. I was running out of time.

"Your brother is currently hunted for a crime he did not commit. I think it's time you forgive him, and most importantly, yourself." I finished.

Yone thought for a moment, before his eyes focused. Standing up, he turned towards the shadows, which materialized into the Azakana. The demon whirled his hand, and his sword reappeared in it. Dashing across the room, Yone picked up his blade and met that of the Azakana's just in time. With a single sweep, he knocked the Azakana's blade from its grip, picked it up, and aimed an X shaped slash at the demon's neck with both swords. In a last resort, the Azakana lunged at Yone's face and bit into it with it's full power. Yone's swords slashed through the demon just as it's teeth plunged into his face, and both figures vanished.

The cave disappeared, and a blue mist surrounded me once again. When the mist departed, Spirit Blossom Ahri was revealed standing near her shrine on the hill.

"Ahri!" I yelled, and ran in for a hug. Ahri laughed and hugged me back. Her pink hair danced in the wind. Her body was cool and warm simultaneously as I buried my face in her chest.

"You did great, Wentao." She congratulated. "I'm proud of you. You made Yone realize just how much his brother meant to him."

"I did, didn't I." I said somewhat smugly while pulling away, and Ahri giggled. "It wasn't that hard. He just needed a reminder of the truth."

"Yes, though it's nearly time for you to return to Runeterra as well." Ahri told me. I nodded.

"But where did Yone go? The Azakana bit him and they just both vanished."

"Yone, has an interesting path ahead of him. Much like you little one." Ahri explained. "You'll know when you return to Runeterra. Although it's against the rules to directly reveal to you your fate, seek out Karma the Enlightened One. She will be able to tell you your destiny. But you've had a long day. I think it's time you get some rest."

"Why?" I complained. "I'm in the Spirit Realm aren't I? My body isn't even real!"

I pinched my arm, which still hurts, and I gave a yelp. Ahri laughed.

"Even spirits need their rest!" She told me, and gently patted my hair. "Even I need to sleep sometimes. A good rest is the best part of the job. I'm going to grant you a quick rest before ferrying you back to the mortal world."

"Will I ever see you again?" I asked, trying to put on my best puppy eyes.

"Awww. Aren't you cute." Ahri teased. "Everything finds its way to the Spirit Realm eventually. When your time comes and all goes dark, you'll see a fox. Follow it."

With that, Spirit Blossom Ahri blew a kiss at me and my vision turned pink.

"Sleep." Ahri looked me straight in the eyes and whispered. "Bye darling!"

"Bye." I muttered, before my vision turned black, and I fell asleep.