All encompassing heat suffocated her like a tightening grip. If this was Hell, she may have reconsidered jumping in front of the fireball.
'Really, what were you thinking?' What part of her logical reasoning thought she could cut it down or Riposte it?
'Stupid.' Maybe she did prove Nera wrong on that regard – the duelist was indeed capable of making ill-advised decisions. But could she live on knowing she would never see those baby blue eyes for the rest of her life?
'Maybe someone could have gotten to them in time.' A most likely assumption – why wouldn't there be a group of guards there to at least protect the royal couple's engagement? Fiora had a delayed reaction time, plenty enough for someone to move in yet not a single guard came to their rescue – even the Prince did his best to protect Lux, ironically enough.
At the end, none of it mattered. Her image in Demacia's eyes, her role as Matron of House Laurent, or the fact she possessed magic – all of it fell apart in favor of her promise to the blonde. They wouldn't have been able to make it work. Spending her life with the Prince – no, King-to-be – was a much better fate. Fiora couldn't afford the same protections and immunity the Crown held and she most certainly had nowhere enough wealth to present luxuries of its equivalent.
That was enough to settle her thoughts and quell the conflict in her mind. As long as that light never went out, her sacrifice was worth saving thousands of souls across the kingdom.
She could lay there without regrets.
Soft...
Something settled atop her like a heavy blanket. Wasn't dying supposed to be... liberating? She expected some form of release from her mortal shackles and envisioned staring down at her own lifeless corpse. Yet she lay there – wherever that was – unable to move her limbs whatsoever.
A shadow fell over her face and she had to squint to look past the luminescence surrounding the silhouette. Coupled with smoke and dust burning her eyes, identifying whomever it was remained a distant notion. "Now what have we here?"
Fiora grit her teeth and fought the urge to spit in their face with such a gloating tone. "Who are you?"
Her laughter – so clear and yet so echoing – sent shivers down her spine. "I am the Veiled Lady."
So she was dead. Only the dead and the damned could see the mythical Veiled Lady, and Fiora was certain she was not the latter.
"However, your blonde friend here knows my other pseudonyms, and a long forgotten one." Wait, Lux?
The weight on top of her suddenly felt too familiar, too real. A quick glance down confirmed her suspicions – wisps of shimmering, blonde hair fluttered in her sights and she found Lux sprawled across her front like a woman collapsed against her lover.
Her heart skipped several beats.
No...
They both couldn't be dead.
"You're both incredibly brave and foolish." Fiora frowned at those words. "But you have spared each other from a harrowing end."
So by some fucking miracle of the draw, she wasn't dead. Lux wasn't dead either. They were still very much alive, barely, but alive nonetheless. "If we are not dead," the duelist began, confusion evident in her voice. "-then why are you here?"
The Veiled Lady canted her head. "I come bearing a warning – I can feel her coming. Approaching. Linger, and witness this city collapse in starfire. Both sides have sinned and must face judgment."
The shadow vanished above Fiora's face, leaving her blinded by the sudden burst of sunlight from between the flickers of flames and smoke.
"Why tell us?"
She could no longer see the Veiled Lady, but her voice reverberated around her and inside her skull long after her voice vanished.
"Because her light is truly unique. It would be a shame to see my sister take it from this world."
Fiora sat up slowly once her limbs began cooperating again. The additional weight of another person didn't help, though the duelist stopped trying to reposition herself when she noticed the odd shimmer around both of them. Light radiated from every strand of Lux's hair and pierced through the thick, violet aura encasing the rest of her body. Dark, ethereal rivulets dripped off Fiora's own body like water, yet as she inspected her arm, that same purple wove tightly with pure white until it all but turned into a soft glow at her hand.
No, their hands.
Coiled together around what remained of her rapier.
She remembered marveling at their magics intermingled so tightly, it was hard to see where one color started and ended.
It happened once before.
When Eyrin's magic threatened them.
Their magic had merged together to protect them both.
Fiora reached up to comb her fingers through soft hair, watching Lux's face relax at the gentle caress. Lux knew the consequences of leaving her barrier. Instinct drove her to stand with Fiora at the last second, and she gambled on the possibility they wouldn't make it out alive. But why hadn't she summoned her magic sooner, or given a boost to the shield Fiora created like she had done before? Why did it take her risking her own life?
The duelist stared at the broken weapon settled between their fingers.
And it dawned on her.
Her wand. My rapier.
Like fog lifting from the valley, the answer couldn't have been any more clearer. She knew Lux could freely wield her magic, but without a vector she couldn't give it direction or purpose.
No wand meant no magic.
Fiora imbued magic into her rapier's edge seconds before impact.
It was her only option.
Lux had just a second to dive for her hand, and must have poured all of her magic into the rapier.
And they both lived thanks to that.
The duelist found a new light to respect Lux in because even for herself, that kind of move required resolve not often found in even the bravest soldier.
But if they were here, where was Jarvan?
"Laurent, Lux?" Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Thankfully the Prince found them before she killed her own voice trying to call out. "Oh, Gods bless." Jarvan carefully lifted and carried the blonde off her. "Just hold still Fiora, I'll come help once I get her somewhere safe."
The duelist ignored his lack of courtesy and once she had full control she sat up properly...
...or rather as well as one could with a broken pillar pinning her leg to the ground. It wasn't crushed, per say, but rather her leg managed to land in a crevice just large enough to accommodate it. She stared at her leg incredulously, and vowed never to doubt Lady Luck again.
"Can you move your leg?" Jarvan returned just seconds later but she hadn't noticed his approach. Fiora nodded mutely and he jammed a spear he found on the underside of the pillar. For a man of his size, he impressed her with his ability to lift it enough for her to slide her foot out. "Are you able to walk?"
She managed to stand on her own, but walking proved a much more difficult task. Perhaps her ankle did sustain notable damage. Rather than answer, the duelist ignored the question in favor of the blonde's well-being. "Is she okay?" She fought the cracking in her voice, more from exhaustion than fear. He led her out of the impact zone a short way away to Lux leaned up against the wall. Fiora rushed forward to inspect her from head to toe, scrutinizing every inch of skin for any injuries.
Jarvan gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "She will be fine – you on the other hand need to be seen by a medic." He reached up and gently pressed his fingers to her forehead, drawing away to show her the blood stained on his glove.
Fiora scowled. "I do not trust them."
The young Prince didn't chide her for her crassness, as she expected of him, and instead picked up Lux carefully in his arms. He offered the spear to Fiora – a crutch seeing as she couldn't walk properly at the moment. "Then take us to one you do."
She narrowed her eyes. She had every right to be suspicious. Why was he offering aid?
Jarvan sighed when Fiora refused to budge. "Please, trust me. I give you my word it will not be ill placed."
Deep down, she trusted Lux and if Lux trusted Jarvan, then to some wild extent he had her confidence.
And the Veiled Lady's warning echoed back in her mind. "Very well. If you know of a less-traveled route to Miss Buvelle..."
He nodded and started walking towards the castle. "Follow me."
When they appeared on one of the main roads cutting through Demacia's capital, Fiora recognized immediately where they came out to. Jarvan proved his words and led them through the hidden maze carved into the castle walls – even royalty had their secrets. He kept them out of sight from rushing guards, shouting generals, and panicked citizens all the while.
Even with all of this, she still couldn't fully trust him. Before they stepped into the healer's house, she grabbed his arm to stop him. "Let me. We don't know if there may be a trap."
Jarvan frowned, considering Fiora was the most injured of the two and had no right to be swinging around a weapon in her condition. He bowed to the daggers in her eyes however but followed close on her heels nonetheless.
The sooner they were out of sight, the better.
"Miss Buvelle?" Fiora called out as her voice echoed down the empty hallways. Silence met her and she frowned – had Sona been captured or caught in the crossfire?
The light around them warped slightly and she froze in place, remaining deathly still with the point of a blade digging into the skin of her throat. "Who- oh shit." It retracted almost as quickly as came and Sayo stepped from the shadows. "My apologies. Had I known-"
"Think none of it," Fiora cut in sharply. "Lux needs attention."
Sayo frowned and reached up to touch the duelist's forehead, but earned a hard smack on her hand. "I know. I am not a pet. She comes first."
The time mage didn't argue with Fiora. She beckoned for them to follow her and led them through the rest of the building. The duelist never had a chance to see the rest of the building and suddenly understood why it was built the way it was. While aesthetically pleasing to the eye, their footsteps seemed to echo endlessly in a loop – anyone sneaking into the healer's house would have been noticed right away. "Noah and I were with Sona when the attack started. They planned it really fucking well – using the wedding as a cover to infiltrate the city and strike at the heart of the ceremony. We didn't have enough time to retaliate so we escorted her to safety. He went back out there to help combat the Rebellion while I keep watch for any more rogue mages."
"More?" The addendum at the end made Fiora uneasy.
"I interrogated some of the ones coming for Miss Buvelle and one of them gave up some information. Sylas intends to kill every last noble in the city – no matter if they are innocent or not. He wants bloodshed and a complete overthrow of the Crown." Sayo rasped her knuckles on a rather inconspicuous door, alternating the pattern before stepping back. The sound of heavy metal sliding and clinks later, it swung open to reveal the mute dressed down in simpler cottons than the silk dress fitting her like a second skin. "He's already succeeded in sending mages to assassinate some of the smaller houses within the city."
Fiora felt her stomach turn at the news. "And the higher houses?"
"He plans on capturing them and publicly executing them in front of every person within the city."
The duelist watched Sona direct Jarvan around, helping him get Lux situated on a bed. Like the Prince, she too took great care in handling her as gently as she could. "He can have Lux over my dead body."
Sayo nodded. "Which just strikes me as strange all around. Why would he claim that, yet aim to wipe out all the noble houses in one fell swoop?"
Jarvan leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "It would have succeeded had it not been for Fiora and Lux blasting that fireball apart. It exploded and flung its fragments away from harming anyone, but a few could not escape the cascading effects."
Lux's voice echoed in her mind, reminding her once more of Sylas' intentions.
'He always plans for the long run.'
Fiora gazed forlornly at Lux, her mind too wound up to gather her scattered thoughts. Only the ones pertaining to the blonde lying in front of them mattered in that moment. "How is she?"
Sayo signed back and forth with Sona briefly as the healer came over and coaxed the duelist to take a seat. "She will be fine. Just extreme exhaustion from overexerting herself." At least she wasn't injured and Fiora relaxed enough to be tended to. She closed her eyes against the world and fell to the darkness of her mind. With Sona treating the cut on her head, she had nowhere else to go or anything to do. Like clockwork, the pieces began falling in place and the gaps filled with her own prior knowledge.
"The fireball was not made entirely of magic – the Prince has made it clear it had a physical presence," Fiora mused quietly. "Cascading effects..."
'It absorbs, rather than inhibits.'
"It was made of petricite, doused with oil and flames to alter its appearance."
Aimed for them.
"Why petricite?"
Aimed for Lux.
"Because it absorbs magic. And Sylas knew that someone would use magic to stop it."
Aimed not to kill, but to expose.
Fiora opened her eyes when soft hands stopped working on the wound on her head. All eyes were on her as she slowly worked out the master plan Sylas had. She held up her hands and stared at them, continuing her thoughts on a much quieter level.
"I poised myself to protect you with magic. Lux poured all of her magic to blast it apart."
And if it absorbed enough-
"He wanted to expose anyone that possesses magic. He wanted internal conflict and strife among the noble houses."
Jarvan slowly unfolded his arms as Fiora made the connections for him. "To turn the truly selfless who would protect Demacia into persecuted criminals. Many saw what you and Lux did, they know now. And they will come for you because in their eyes, mages killed many there. They will not see the lives you saved, but the lives lost."
It was all so wrong, so very wrong.
Fiora tore her eyes away from Lux briefly. She met with the Prince's and suddenly he didn't seem so black and white as she thought he might have been. Ambiguous, with no clear cut edge.
Like Lux.
"You have many question for me, Laurent." Far too many buzzing around in her head with no real way of grasping onto one of them long enough for her to ask. "But I'll answer the important ones we all have hanging above our heads."
She swallowed thickly, nerves on edge.
"Why do I not accuse you of magic? Why do I not arrest you, as my duties as a Prince demands I protect my people? Why then, do I stand here?"
Fiora held her breath when his eyes went to Lux. "Because if I did any of that, then I'd have to condemn her as well."
She saw it then in his eyes – the pain of sentencing a beloved friend to an inevitable doom. He looked at Lux as he would a fond family member, willing to take blows and arrows to protect them from harm. His presence here stirred up an invisible whirlwind of conflict – did he bow to justice or hold onto his morals of what was right and wrong?
"Fiora, if I may ask this not as a Prince, but as a dear friend to Luxanna..."
She listened with every fiber of her being.
He earned her trust, for now.
"I came back because there isn't much time left before someone finds you. Whether it be the guards my father summons, the Mageseekers, or Sylas, you cannot remain here and hide. Demacia is no longer safe for you-" He sighed, tears brimming in his eyes. "-or for her."
He asked her to flee Demacia, the land she called home for all her life, with Lux.
Where could they even go?
"You saved my life – that is something I will not ignore or forget. That matters more than magic, than any of this." Jarvan pushed himself off the wall and approached Fiora, slowly lowering himself to his knees. "Promise me to keep her safe. Do what you must, but know that I will never see you in a lesser light than her."
Fiora nodded numbly, still trying to process everything. "I will. But what will you do?"
Jarvan rose to his feet once the duelist gave her word. Gone was the concern and desperation, replaced with determination. He grabbed the spear Fiora brought with her and pulled open the door. "I have to protect my kingdom. When I walk out of these doors and into battle, I must be the Prince the people need me to be. Lives need to be protected and saved. That is what I must do."
He glanced behind himself and gave her a small salute. "Godspeed to you, Laurent. And good luck."
"Fiora! Oh – goddess bless." Fiora found herself wrapped in probably the tightest hug of her life. When the snowy-haired woman released her, she took a second to inspect Nera from head to toe. Covered in dust and blood – hopefully not of her own – but wholly intact from what she could tell. The bracer she saw earlier transformed into a shield and judging from the multitude of dents on it, she ran into too many well-equipped opponents.
What did shake her to her core was how expressive her servant became. "You're both alive. Gods, if I could faint right now I would."
"How did you know we were here?" A question answered damn near before she finished.
"I ran into Noah. He told me to head to Miss Buvelle's as quickly as possible. It's a nightmare out there – the Great City is burning. I lost count of how many people I've knocked out by now."
The duelist raised an eyebrow. "Knocked out?"
The servant placed a hand on her chest and gave a short bow. "As per our honor and my own moral code, I must not kill if it can be avoided."
Sayo snorted and pat Nera's back, ignoring the pointed glare from the older woman. "It takes a hell of a lot more skill to incapacitate rather than kill and to do it with nothing more than a shield and a fist? I've never seen someone move so fast in my life."
It was a shame then Fiora missed it, despite their circumstances. "Prince Jarvan helped us get here, but we need to get out of the city, and quick."
"All the gates have been sealed off," Nera regretfully announced. "I saw it myself. We're trapped here until the assault has been contained."
Shit, Fiora cursed in her head. It would only be a matter of time before the guards or the Mageseekers found them, and that was an entirely different situation they'd have to handle if it came to that point. Not to mention Sylas was looking for them. More specifically, her. "What about the port?"
"Not likely. If people are fleeing to the docks as an alternative, they will cut them off soon. And we are too far from there."
The duelist sighed and collapsed in the chair next to Lux's bed. They had been here upwards of an hour with no signs of the blonde waking up anytime soon. And their window of opportunity was rapidly closing on them.
Sensing the unease in the room, the time mage bowed politely and backed up a couple of steps. "I will keep watch. If anything happens, I shall return."
Silence followed her departure but a persistent buzz kept the duelist's mind preoccupied. Fiora threaded her fingers through Lux', rubbing circles on the back of her hand. "Mon cher..."
She promised Jarvan she'd keep her safe, but she still hadn't woken up yet.
"What happened to Lux?"
The duelist grunted quietly, but didn't tear her eyes away. "She fell unconscious. Hasn't woken up since-" Fiora cut herself off before she finished, feeling her throat close up at the thought of coming so close to death with the blonde at her side.
Nera cautiously approached them, studying their interlinked fingers and canting her head slightly. "Milady?"
"Oui?"
The snowy-haired woman sat opposite of Fiora, with the blonde between them. She cupped her hand over their conjoined ones, eyes fluttering shut and breathing deeply.
One minute passed, then another.
"I see..." Instead of further elaborating, she sat back.
Fiora, impatient to know what exactly bounced around in her mind, snapped on Nera. "No riddles."
"Magic roots itself deeper than what we can see. It intertwines with our spiritual essences, and in turn connects us to a greater entity beyond our comprehension. When two people spend enough time together, lines blur and begin to bleed until all that remains is an endless loop."
Nera folded her hands together. "It is a bond rarely witnessed in Demacia, but all too common in Ionia. Two become one. And when something happens to one half, the other responds to restore the balance."
The duelist raised an eyebrow. "What you are suggesting-"
"-is something you should witness for yourself." The snowy-haired woman smiled. "Empty your mind and act on how you feel. Familiarity is the key, should you require a hint."
Fiora pulled her lips in a thin line. Clearing her mind was easier said than done, but one glance at Lux pushed her to at least try. She brushed aside her thoughts and sought for a calm deep within.
Dueling had always been her focus. She zeroed in on Lux, studying her like she would an opponent and finding any hint to how to counter the situation presented before her. Magic pooled in her gut and spiraled out towards her fingertips in attempts to seek... something. It too tried to analyze the atmosphere alongside herself.
The duelist frowned. She was used to reading an opponent, which she currently lacked and her magic-
Fiora's train of thought stopped dead cold. She was missing an opponent. Her magic was missing the other half.
Empty.
Alone.
Lost like a wandering soul with no anchor to the world.
They both had been searching and it took one meeting to change it all.
'Familiarity is the key.'
Out of instinct, Fiora stood up just enough to sit at the head of the bed. She carefully lifted the blonde up and wrapped her arms around a shoulder to maneuver Lux until the smaller woman was nestled comfortably against her. She could have kissed her, she could have continued to hold her hand.
But in her mind, the duelist wasn't familiar with all of that.
She stopped Lux's head from colliding into the ground the first time they met.
She shielded her from Eyrin's magic, using her own magic and body as a barrier.
Lux became her support in Terbesia when she no longer could carry herself.
Fiora kept Lux tucked against her the following night, comforting her in a vulnerable moment.
She held and eased the blonde when they stretched themselves thin to find Sylas.
The duelist let down her guard enough to allow Lux in the night they entered Zeffira, both to protect her against the patrols and to keep their secret hidden.
Fiora sought out the blonde despite being saddled with the knowledge of Lux's betrothal and spent hours with her in her arms until the following morning.
Lux hugged her one final time before their beloved kingdom would forever split them apart.
The Laurent matron squeezed her arms tightly around the blonde's shoulders, feeling tears brim in her eyes as her emotions rushed back into her heart and mind. They drowned out all sounds, until the only thing that remained was the blonde in her arms.
Even when faced with death, Lux made her decision – she chose to leave the Prince's side, to leave safety, and embrace Fiora.
To her, all of this was more than simple kisses. More than fleeting smiles. More than anything that life could have given them.
And the body in her arm shifted, moved.
Baby blue eyes fluttered open just after she opened her own eyes. "...Fiora?"
Magic coiled around and between them like a protective shield. She felt it course through her veins – the familiar surges of her own now evening out with the warmth of another filling in the gaps. And she knew Lux felt it too when her eyes wandered down to their linked fingers. "What happened? Where am I?"
Nera cleared her throat quietly. "You were asleep and Fiora woke you up, simply put."
Lux tried to sit up properly but winced when her head pounded. "Asleep? I don't-"
"Mon cher." The blonde twisted around just enough to meet Fiora's gaze. "You saved me."
And it all came rushing back to her at once. Lux reached up to brush away the tears, heart clenching when she realized Fiora had been crying. "Demacia has seen enough darkness." She pressed their foreheads together and smiled, despite the duelist hugging her even tighter. "I believe in you, not just Demacia. And you believed in me, kept believing in me. You gave me a chance, and gave me a choice. You sacrificed so much to let me see the light in my own darkness."
She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Fiora's lips. "I know what I did." Lux held up their hands. "This is my choice. When you came towards us, you were determined, steadfast. You were ready to protect and ready to die."
The duelist averted her gaze, guilt filling her to the brim. The blonde refused to let her try and escape and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look back. "I want to see everything, but we're in this together. I've been hiding my light long enough. No more holding back."
"And as much as this is touching," Nera interjected and shattered the tense atmosphere. "I believe milady has inquired about escaping the city. And now that you're awake, perhaps you would know of a way?"
Lux was confused. "Escape? What is happening?"
"There is war waging within the Great City," Nera regretfully informed. "The kingdom has sealed off all methods of entry and escape in attempts to contain the Rebellion."
The blonde broke free of Fiora's grasp and tried to hop off the bed. "Then we need to get out there and help-"
The duelist grabbed Lux's arm firmly, but not enough to cause discomfort. "Non, we must leave."
"We can't just abandon-"
"Listen to me, mon cher," she interrupted, her voice softening when Lux glared at her. "Prince Jarvan asked us to leave, and that is a direct order I cannot ignore." The blonde's expression relaxed at the mention of her old friend.
"And the Veiled Lady warned of starfire raining on the city," Fiora further elaborated.
Lux's attention peaked at the mention of the Celestial. "Morgana approached you?"
Fiora raised an eyebrow. "Morgana...?"
"I'll explain later." She sighed, staring at the ground. "I trust you, Fiora. But must we leave?"
"Oui."
Lux took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I know of a way out, but I'm not sure if it is being monitored. It is an old escape route for many mage refugees when the Mageseekers did periodic searches. I don't know where it leads to exactly, but it's definitely outside of the city."
Fiora glanced to Sona, who merely nodded and slipped out of the room to notify Sayo. "Then it'll have to do. If you're well enough to lead-"
"-no."
Fiora blinked, confusion written all over her face. "Mon cher?"
"I can't leave yet, not without knowing if she'll be safe."
Nera's smile faltered, and bitterness filled her eyes. "I already knew long before the wedding, Lady Crownguard." She clenched her fists tightly. "I haven't been able to pinpoint her location, but I know she's still alive, somewhere. I sense traces of her magic – they are fleeting, but they are here."
She turned to Fiora and the duelist knew immediately. "Milady?"
It would be the first time they were fully separated. The moment they left the city, Nera would be on her own.
"Stay, Nera." Despite the shaking in her hands and the unease at being apart from the older woman, Fiora's voice remained steady and clear. "Find Eyrin, but be safe. I expect nothing less."
This kind of decision shouldn't rest on her shoulders – this was a matter of the heart. Fiora had no say in whether or not Nera could come along, nor did she desire to indulge in such selfishness when she had her own light secure in her arms.
The Ionian bowed at her waist, hand over her chest. "Of course, milady."
Ever the obedient servant. It brought a small smile to Fiora's lips.
Sona returned shortly after, holding the door open with Sayo appearing around the corner. "You're almost out of time. If you need to leave, leave now."
Lux secured her grip around Fiora's waist as they descended the stairs into the sewers. They managed to slip from Buvelle's home unnoticed but getting to their intended destination took longer than anticipated.
The duelist forgot about her ankle up until Lux noticed her limp.
"Are you sure this is the way out?" Fiora hissed quietly, her voice echoing in the space despite her lowered volume. "Have you been this way before?"
"Yes, and no, to answer your questions respectively. But I know I've seen mages use this route." Their feet splashed through the murky water and Lux winced at the liquid soaking her shoes. There was no time to stop by her home for a quick change of clothes – every second they wasted in their escape only increased the chances of being caught. Were it any other situation, people would have perceived them as a runaway bride with her secret lover.
In a way, the two were exactly that, except they had the added bonus of being highly-wanted persons by virtually everyone in the kingdom at this point in time.
"Mon cher, you do realize we must continue beyond the city."
Lux bit her lower lip. "I know."
"Do you intend to carry me the entire time?"
They stopped and Lux brought up the orb of light to Fiora's face. She glared at her, offended the duelist would think she wasn't capable of such a thing. "Yes."
Fiora ceased speaking after that and they continued their trek through the extended sewage system. Time dragged on for what felt like hours before something finally came into view, but it wasn't what either of them expected.
Lux felt her heart drop to the floor. "The exit..."
….was blocked. Boulders and rubble met their end and not a single bit of light came from the other side. This was a dead end with no other way out except back.
And they would be discovered soon enough.
"HALT."
Lux's blood ran cold. She recognized that voice and looked back, seeing a hulking man approach them. Hastily-strapped armor covered a majority of his body and an ornate broadsword hung from his back. But she'd recognize him from miles away, no matter what.
"Garen..."
Fiora stiffened next to her when he got closer. Lux tightened her grip around the duelist's wrist, squeezing it reassuringly.
They stood there staring at each other. No one dared budge an inch.
Someone had to make a move – they couldn't stay there forever.
"You can't hide Lux. They will capture you and Laurent for what you've done."
She knew that, both her and Fiora knew this. But she made her decision a long time ago and she refused to turn her back on it now. "Then we will be caught, together."
Garen looked between his sister and the woman she supported. He never did like Fiora, but he had no reason to hate her. He hardly knew her, except Lux managed to secure a friendship with the duelist and frequented her home in the past few months. "You had a way out of this," he tried to reason but it fell on deaf ears.
"You betrayed me, Garen," she responded calmly. Lux closed her eyes and sighed. "You set me up with Jarvan, even though you know well we have no feelings for each other. We are only friends."
"I was only trying to protect you-"
"-and look where it put us!" Lux shouted, her voice echoing down the sewers. She hoped he didn't have a squad waiting behind him. "This marriage led to Sylas choosing today to target the city. Demacia is in chaos, all because we are trying to cling onto a system that no longer works as we want it to."
Garen cast his gaze elsewhere from the two women. Lux looked up at Fiora pleadingly and the duelist slid her arm off. This was a matter for them to settle.
"Garen," Lux whispered, reached up to bring his face back towards her. "I have to do this. You know that if I don't, even my light won't be able to pierce the darkness. I am not abandoning Demacia, but this is not my Demacia."
He opened his eyes, resignation shining clearly in them. "Then what is Demacia for you?
"Demacia is home, a safe place for every citizen within its borders. It is a place to live without fear and oppression. It is a kingdom that prides itself on justice and honor without prejudice." She glanced back at Fiora, who only smiled faintly.
Lux took a deep breath. "My Demacia is being with the one I love, and to rebuild the home we live in so all are protected. It is what I've done, what I have been doing, and what I will continue to do."
Garen rubbed the back of his neck when she stepped closer to him. "You really do intend on leaving, don't you?"
"One way or another. But I will not remain here in a home that is not my own."
He sighed and reached behind him. She held her breath, thinking he went for his broadsword but instead procured a thin, metal wand.
Her wand.
"Jarvan found me as I rallied the troops. Told me you were leaving the city, and to find you before you left." Garen handed Lux the wand and dropped his arms to his sides. "You..."
She waited, feeling her magic pour out into her wand and illuminating the darkness just a bit more. It chased away the shadows and gave her more confidence. "Yes?"
He finally caved in. "You are a mage and a true Demacian. Perhaps you are right. There is no place for you in the kingdom, for now. I should bring you in but you are my sister. And the mages will never accept you because you are a Crownguard, and in their eyes the enemy."
Lux threw an arm around his neck and he wrapped her up in a tight hug. His eyes met Fiora's and when they separated, he stepped towards her and offered his hand.
Fiora hesitated. Was everyone this moralistically gray?
"I don't know what all you have done, Laurent, but what I do know is that you protected my sister. If she chose you, then all I can do is ask that you keep her safe."
No animosity, no hostility. Just pure, genuine concern.
She reached out and accepted the outstretched limb.
The promise remained the same, but Fiora had more people relying her now to keep it.
"Now go. There isn't much time and I must return. Whatever you do Lux, don't look back and don't stop."
Garen retreated into the shadows and left them alone at the end of the sewers. Lux turned towards the tunnel block and leveled her wand at it, but something ate at her gut. She reached out and held onto Fiora's hand, pulling her close. She planted a soft kiss on the duelist's cheek. "If I faint again, will you catch me?"
"Of course, mon cher," Fiora replied confidently and wove their fingers together. "But I doubt you will be fainting this time-"
She wrapped her hand around Lux's on the wand and let her magic flow with the blonde's.
"-because we will be doing this together."
Boulders cracked and exploded out into a spray of rubble and dust.
This time however, it wasn't smoke that greeted them but bright sunlight.
Sunlight and freedom.
A/T: Well. Writing this chapter was easy. Revising it, not so much.
I know I left that terrible cliffhanger in the previous chapter, but it would have been too cruel for me to leave it as is.
A curious thing about the suit - it was originally introduced as a misdirection. Yes, it is strong enough to withstand many things such as magic and regular weapons that could pierce through regular armor, but given the fact she was facing a giant, motherfucking fireball, a small suit isn't going to protect anyone from something designed to crush anything in its path. However, it isn't just a random, convenient plot device I threw in there. The suit will have more uses down the road, but I won't mention what they are exactly. There is a reason for Taric's cameo and it ties heavily with his backstory and Fiora/Lux's development thus far.
In any case, I hope this chapter makes up for the crap I put you guys through for a week straight. Yes, we've finally gotten past the biggest hurdles and we'll be seeing a lot more Fiora/Lux-centric chapters coming up.
Thank you once again for sticking with me through yet another chapter in this crazy tale! Reviews and comments are always welcome! (and they can encourage me to write fast haha)
