Chapter 27 –Complete and Utter Whimsical Madness

My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103477

Days have passed, I think… Like I suspected, I have been in this cage for a while. Yet I am surprised that the leader of this tribe has taken no real interest in me so far, despite what she said when they first captured me. She hasn't come to inspect me once. I have every reason to presume that this world is not familiar with Yordles, based on the way that they have treated me like I am some sort of animal. I suppose it's somewhat understandable from their perspective, but I still feel angry at how I have been deyordlised to an animal. The nerve of these young people I say…
They do have the decency to bring me some food at least: but these nuts are among the blandest thing I have ever tasted. Beggars can't be choosers unfortunately.

Well, it doesn't matter ultimately. The most I can do is sit here and wait for something to happen. Good golly though, I wish there was more I can write about. Being here is so boring. Having that cat to talk to would've been something. I've taken to writing about my captors though.

One of them wears a red hairband over one of his eyes and drinks a lot of something from a large bottle. Fashion choices are subjective of course, but surely his depth perception must be wonky. I can't imagine only having one eye. Well that's his prerogative I guess.

Another one wears grey armour over his left arm and a dark red top. I'm intrigued why he wears protection on only one side. If I had to guess, it's probably because most humans, from what I gather, are right-handed. So if he engages in close quarters combat, having armour on your left arm is more important in a duel. Still though, that must put him off balance.

There's also this relatively small woman with very short hair and a mean look on her face. She's gazed at me a few times, and our eyes have come into contact. Let me tell you, my dear Journal that she could shatter the mind of a child with that stare. It's not quite as terrifying as the leader's, but it's close.

Overall though, few people in this tribe really stand out. They're all wearing similar clothes with no pizazz. If I could get a look at their leader again, I would probably have more to describe. I beg silently but fervently that this will be over soon.


My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103478

Anticipation is often scarier than the actual event itself. Now, as I have said before, I am fearless when it comes to missions. The sky is more my home than Bandle City itself is, but even I have my nerves tingling sometimes before I've taken off.

Right now, in this tribe's camp, I am feeling that anxiousness, but cranked up to ten levels above my usual self. The prolonged wait is causing my fear to brew and become stronger with each passing minute. Why won't they just get on with what they want to do with me?

Then again, what if they do the unthinkable to me. I should not be even contemplating the idea, but what if they skin me for my fur? Could they be interested in killing me and have me served as their next dinner. Oh no, no, no, please don't let it be that!

I could hope that they become disinterested and let me go. What are the odds of that though? I don't know, because their motivation for shooting me down is still unclear.

Although she's sometimes full of mettle in a hazardous way, I wish that the Yordle Gunner was here right now. Tristana is no stranger to humans and could certainly rescue me if her shots were on point. There's no use in dwelling on the ifs. Material reality is all around me, and it is futile for me to resist.

At this point, I'm going to assume that the cat either died from the impact, or is too scared to come and find me. Not that I can blame her for wanting to preserve her own fur and skin. I don't really care for her. Honestly I want to know what happened to her just to sate my own curiosity, that and her book could be a really good exit clause.

Gosh darn it! Let me out of here! Please!


Raven sipped a cup of tea from inside her tent. One of her trustier bandits, Vernal, was sitting opposite her at the shallow table. The future of their tribe was up in the air. They had little to do with the outside world, but were aware of Beacon's fall, and they had felt the earthquakes from last week. It had been a cause for panic: reason to suspect that something big was going on. This was one of the major cons of their lifestyle. A sequestered tribe in the middle of an unassuming forest in Anima meant that they were at little risk from being bothered by anyone, but a lack of technology and access to news of current events that were happening in Remnant, was a large setback.

'You look concerned.' Vernal commented as she lowered her teacup from her lips and placed it delicately on the table.

'Things aren't right at the moment.' said Raven.

'Things never are.'

'Of course, but I can tell that something is more amiss than usual.'

'Because of those earthquakes last week and the irregular solar and lunar activity?'

'Mainly, yes. But since then, I have sensed something in the air that rubs me the wrong way. We all know that the days have become longer, and that there are now two moons at night. It's not normal obviously, but I cannot think of a reason or explanation for this strange occurrence, other than her.'

'Do you reckon that she's powerful enough to do something as incomprehensible as that?'

'That's where I falter. She's unstoppable, but she's not omnipotent. It's feasible, but I have trouble in believing it with confidence. Besides, Salem is cunning and tactical. She does things with a purpose in mind. For what reason would she go to the trouble of making Remnant orbit slower and adding a second moon into the sky?'

'Salem's plan is likely to be bigger than we could ever imagine. We could try and theorise, but most likely fall short of the answer.'

Raven took another sip of tea. 'I can't explain it in words, but a sensation is running ramped through my body right now.'

'Is this due to you being the Spring Maiden?'

'Yes, it is. The whole air feels different. It's not necessarily better or worse, but the fact that there is a different sensation is worrying. Do you understand what I am saying?'

'I do, Raven. We have reason to be cautious of what we cannot see coming. Oh, by the way, when are we going to have a closer look at the rodent that the boys caught?'

'I was initially very curious about it, but my mind quickly became occupied with something else that I've been wanting to do.'

'May I ask what that is?'

Raven sighed. 'Qrow.'

'What about him?'

'He was at Beacon during the invasion. I'm sure of it, and he almost certainly has answers to questions that I want to know.'

'Like what?'

'A particularly important one: I need to know if she has it.'

'If Salem has the relic?'

'Precisely.'

'Do you even know where to find him?'

'My Semblance.'

'Oh, yes. Of course. I forgot about that. Why not use it then?'

'I'm… just not sure that now is the right time to go and see him.'

'When is it then? If it's as simple as walking through a portal, why hesitate?'

'I'm planning what exactly I want to say to him.' Raven said agitatedly. 'My brother might still be following his path of delusion with Ozpin, but he's not stupid. He's astute and can handle himself well in combat. I'd rather avoid a fight with him; at least for now.'

'I understand, Raven. But remember that you have backup. Your tribe and I are here for you. Qrow cannot handle all of us at once.'

'Qrow has allies and a team of his own.' Raven reminded her.

'True, but they do not have magic, or a Maiden.'

Raven took another sip of her tea. 'You may be right there, but even still, I just want to convince him to lower his guard long enough for me to have a conversation with him and for him to tell me what I want to know.'

Vernal nodded. 'Your word is true, Raven. I will not question you any further.'

'Hey, Raven!' called a voice from outside.

'What is it?' she called back as she stood up.

A man with grain coloured, matted hair and a lean, bony face stepped inside. 'The rodent's getting frantic. It keeps grabbing the cage bars and saying "Let me out! Let me out!".'

'I was just about to go and check upon it.'

Raven walked out of the tent, with Vernal following behind. They approached the cage where the creature remained captive. 'Shay, keep a gun pointed at it, but only shoot if I say so.'

'Got it.' he said subserviently. Four other members of the tribe joined them, with one of them also pointing a rifle at the specimen.

'Alright then. Let's start with some basic questions.' said Raven. 'Apparently you can talk. Is that true?'

The creature was shaking but kept its mouth shut.

Raven already knew the answer, but instilling fear into it would get it to comply. 'It seems like you don't want to. Maybe a few rounds will change you mind. Shay, fire in three… tw-'

'Wait! Wait! I'll talk!' the creature cried out. Its voice, in addition to its long, white moustache, suggested that it was old.

'Good to hear. Now answer my questions, or we will not hesitate to put you down.'

'I will! I will!'

'First of all, describe what you are. Are you an animal, or some sort of creature? I've never seen anything like you before.'

'I'm… what is known as a "Yordle".'

'A "Yordle"?'

'Yes. We're all very short and furry.'

'Interesting. Where do you come from?'

'You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I promise you that.'

'I still want to know. Tell me where you are from or you will be filled with lead.'

'Okay, okay! But first, I need to ask you a question. Are you aware that your world has merged with another one?'

Raven and Vernal looked at each other.

'No.' said Raven dubiously. 'That is an absurd thing to say. Do you think that we were born yesterday? Speak the truth, I said.'

'My life is in your hands right now!' said the Yordle desperately. 'What reason do I have to deceive you when so much is at stake for me?!'

'True…' Raven thought to herself. 'Do you have anything to add to that claim then?' she asked.

'I do. I can't explain how it happened, but you have to believe me when I say that I am from another world, and ours have suddenly come together. Did you feel the tremors in the planet, by any chance? Or have you seen the presence of another moon in the sky, and that the cycle of day and night is longer than it should be?'

'Yes…' Raven considered his words. 'Do you have a name?'

Did he dare say it? 'I have to tell the truth. The more I say that is honest, the more likely I am to be spared.' 'Yes. My name is Corki.'

'Corki.' Raven said and repeated the name in her head multiple times. 'I also gather that you're a pilot?'

'Yes, I am. I was flying over the forest and then your tribe shot me down.'

'His plane is over there.' said Shay, pointing at a stack of crates. The wreckage was just to the side of them.

'Hmm… curious.' Raven muttered. 'Are many Yordles adept at flying machines?'

'Not many, but I have been flying for many years. It's just a part of who I am.'

'Does your world have a name?'

'Yes, it's called "Runeterra".'

'Okay. Now be more specific. Whereabouts in this world do you come from?'

'Umm…' Corki hesitated. 'There's no clear-cut answer for that.'

'Why not?' Raven asked sharply.

'Well, you see, the place I come from is called "Bandle City", but its exact location is not as simple as pointing at a map and saying that it's there.'

'What do you mean by that?' Raven demanded.

'Bandle City is not in the material realm. There are magical gateways to it that most humans are not aware of. Fewer still have entered one and set foot in Bandle City itself.'

'Do you believe this?' said Vernal.

'Scarcely.' Raven replied.

'If I may point out,' said Shay. 'We know that magic is real. Aren't you the Spring Maiden after all?'

'Yes, that's correct. Very well then. Corki, stay completely still. Open the cage.' she ordered.

Vernal took a key out of her pocket, placed it in the cage lock and twisted it. A clicking sound followed.

Raven slowly opened the door and reached for Corki. He scrunched his eyelids as she put her hands around his waist and picked him up. 'I'm going to test you for magic.' Raven explained. 'Do not resist. You know what will happen if you do.'

'Is… this going to hurt?' Corki asked timidly.

'Possibly, but it shouldn't be too bad.'

Corki braced himself for his examination. 'Please be gentle.' he begged silently.

'Hey, let him go!' a high-pitched voice called out from behind them. Everyone's head turned to see the cat floating towards them on top of her book. She looked absolutely fearless, even when all the marauder's weapons were suddenly pointed at her.

Corki gasped. What was her name again? 'Y-Yuumi?! What are you doing here?!'

Yuumi continued to fly past them without a care in the world. She came to a stop next to Raven. 'After you lost control of your machine, Book saved me. I saw you then getting captured by these guys and I wanted to go in after you, but Book said not to.'

'Where have you been this whole time then?!'

'Just wandering the forest. I did sneak in here a few times to steal some snacks, but I've been mostly outside. I was thinking of a way to save you though, but I couldn't find the right time.'

'Hold on a minute!' Raven barked. 'Do you know this cat?' she asked Corki.

'Yes, she came with me on my voyage here!' Corki confirmed.

Raven examined her. 'She has a lot of nerve coming in her without my permission, but I am intrigued. Not only do we have a… yordle, but also a talking cat with a… floating book?'

'I'm a magical cat.' Yuumi corrected her. 'Now, would it be any trouble if you let him go? I'm looking for my master and it would be easier if he could stay with me.'

Raven's tribe all looked at one another, and then burst out laughing.

'What?' said Yuumi. 'I just asked you to let him go.'

'Do you honestly think that we'd let him go just because you asked us to?' Vernal sniggered.

'Well, yeah. When you ask nicely for things, people usually give them.'

'I'm sorry to say that he belongs to me now.' said Raven. 'When anyone enters the vicinity of my camp without my permission, they become my prisoners. The same is true of you: doubly so since you confessed to stealing food from me.'

'You can't make me stay though.' Yuumi retorted.

'Oh yes we can. See those guns point at you? Make any wrong movements, and you're toast. Understand?'

'Yuumi, do as she says!' Corki pleaded. 'These people aren't to be underestimated!'

'Oh, okay… So what do I do then? Take a nap?'

'Just get down on the ground, and shut it.' Vernal snarled.

'Okay, okay. People are so pushy sometimes.' Yuumi rolled her eyes. She and Book gently floated down to the dirt below.

'Now, where was I? Oh yes, Corki, I'm going to search you for magic. Hold still now.' Raven's grip on Corki tightened and her eyes started glowing. He could feel the magic in his body being fumbled around with. The sensation was highly uncomfortable, as if someone was pushing, prodding and squeezing his internal organs. Meanwhile, in the corner of his eye, he noticed that Yuumi was flicking through the pages of her book.

'Certainly promising.' Raven commented. 'Just a little bit more should do it.'

'Please be over soon! Please be over soon!' Corki begged silently.

'I got it!' Yuumi shouted. She and her book leapt up from the ground towards Corki. Shay shot at the ground where they had been – the bullet sunk into the dirt. Book began sucking. It immediately pulled Corki free of Raven's grasp and dragged both him and Yuumi inside of its pages.

Raven cried out in anger and immediately tried to dive into the pages herself. Book tried to close itself, but got stuck with half of her body already inside. Everyone else in the camp gasped, unsure of what to do. With one big heave, Book swallowed the rest of Raven before disappearing in a flash of light.

The tribe exchanged looks of concern and worry.

'That was some really poor reaction time right there.' Vernal reprimanded.

'Crap… sorry.' Shay said awkwardly. '…what do we do now though?'.

Vernal scratched her head. 'I'm not sure.' The tribe was capable of handling themselves, but it was a predicament nonetheless. What had just happened? Where had she been taken by that cat's book? Raven was the wood and the energy in the fire that kept their tribe together. 'We should probably take a look at that plane. Who knows; we might be able to find something that we can use to get to Raven.' She suggested.

'You reckon?' another male bandit with an eyepatch asked. 'That's just a pile of junk.'

'Unlikely, but it's the best chance we've got. We shouldn't sit around and do nothing.'
Everyone went to the plane and began pulling it apart.

Vernal sighed. Part of her was mad at herself for not instantly following them. Another part of her however believed that she had been fortunate enough to have missed it. Who knew where they had gone and what was on the other side?


Corki whizzed through the tunnel between the material and enchanted world. It only took ten seconds to exit, but the rush was a bit uncomfortable.
Book arrived at their destination, opened up, and Corki and Yuumi came tumbling out one after another. They landed on lush green grass. The sky was comprised of the most vivid blue imaginable and dotted with a few delicate, wispy clouds.
He returned to his feet and looked behind him. Book was still open and it looked like it was retching – trying to spit something out. 'Oh no. Don't tell me that they're following us here!' Corki feared.

'I don't think Book has ever teleported a human before. Probably a bit too big.' said Yuumi.

Corki looked to his left and saw a small hill with pretty little flowers atop it. Also at the top, Corki could see a Yordle. He recognised her instantly. A ludicrously tall red hat with its point curled backwards. It had fallen over her eyes and she seemed to be dancing merrily to nothing in particular. She had long purple hair and carried a wooden staff with her. A faerie with four purple wings was flying next to her. Corki immediately began running towards her.

'Wait, where are you going?!' Yuumi called out after him.

'Away from that book! They might pop out at any moment!'

'I'm not leaving Book behind!'

'Do as you please! I'm running for my life!' As he got closer to the hill, he called out the name of the Yordle. 'Lulu!'

'Huh?' She lifted her hat upwards so that she could see. 'Corki!' she shouted back and slid down the hill to meet him. 'Pleased to see you again!' she said. Her voice was incredibly high-pitched, and she was always happy-go-lucky.

'Lulu, humans are coming! We need to return to Bandle City and warn everyone!'

'Humans? You mean those big people with dull colours?'

'Yes, those people! Quick, let's go!'

'But I want to meet them!' she said cheerfully.

'What? No! Come on! Humans are dangerous!'

But Lulu was not heeding. She saw Yuumi and Book, and skipped towards them. 'Here humans! Come out, come out wherever you are!' she chanted.

Yuumi looked at her confusedly. 'Is she okay?'

Five seconds later, Book finally managed to regurgitate Raven. She was launched and skidded across the grass on her face.
Book took its version of a sigh by shaking itself and let Yuumi sit on top of its pages again.

'Ooh, a human!' Lulu said in excitement.

Raven spat out grass from her mouth and rose to her feet. She looked down to see Lulu staring at her with bubbly eyes. 'You there, did you see an old… Yordle – that's the word – go past?'

'Why, yes I did! He's over there!' said Lulu, pointing with her staff at Corki, who was running away in the direction of Bandle City.

'There you are! Corki, come back here!' Raven yelled. 'I'm not finished with you!'

The old Yordle's little legs could only carry him so far. Raven pursued him and pulled out her sword from its sheath.

'Wait! What do you want with him?!' Lulu asked, suddenly alarmed at the sight of the bloodred sword.

Raven did not answer or look back at Lulu. Her eyes were locked on Corki. 'You're not getting away from me!'

Yuumi and Book floated down and hovered right next to Lulu's head. 'I'll stick with you.' she said.

'Whoa, dizzy.' Lulu mumbled.

The gap between Corki and Raven was closing exponentially. Corki looked back and cried out in terror as he saw Raven towering over him. She raised her sword and slashed it dow- 'Transmogulate!'

In an instant, Raven shrunk. Her sword disappeared and felt herself walking on four legs instead of two. Corki opened his eyes and saw that a purple squirrel with two tails stood where Raven had just been.

Raven had no idea what had happened to her, but looked to her right to see Lulu who was suddenly taller than her, with Yuumi and Book, hopping in front of her.

Lulu began to laugh and laugh and laugh. Yuumi also started laughing. The sound was ear-grating and Raven could not cover her ears. 'Make it stop! Make it STOP!'

'A purple squirrel! So cute!' said Lulu once she had calmed down after twenty seconds of nonstop, hysterical laughter.

Corki grabbed Lulu's arm. 'Leave her! We need to get extra help!'

'But I'm having so much fun!' Lulu demurred. She walked up to the squirrel and petted it on its head.

'How long does that spell last?' Corki asked.

'Not long, but I can simply turn her into something else.'

'Don't bother. Please, Lulu. Just come with me, and you too, Yuumi.'

'What if you go to Bandle City and get help, meanwhile I occupy her?' Lulu suggested.

'You know what, I won't argue with you. Just make sure that she can't hurt anyone.'

'You got it capt'n!' Lulu smiled in Corki's direction as he continued to run off into the distance. 'It's just me, Pix, my lovely purple squirrel, and this cat.'

'A don't forget about Book. My name's Yuumi. Have you seen my master? She's about your size.'

'Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't.' Lulu replied. She hadn't paid much attention to the question anyway.

The Raven squirrel began to squirm and roll away from Lulu. It squeaked in frustration.

'Wait, don't go away!' Lulu called out to it. 'Hmm, let's use all the colours.' she waved her staff. 'Delightify!'

The squirrel disappeared. Now, a pink cupcake with a kaleidoscope of sprinkles, big eyes and stubby feet took its place. Lulu chuckled. 'Now for a nibble.' she dipped her finger into the icing and popped it into her mouth. 'Yep, that tasted purple.' she said.

'I want some too!' Yuumi scooped up some icing with her right paw and licked it. 'Tasty, but not fishy enough…'

The cake continued to struggle. It waddled away from Lulu, desperate to escape its humiliation. It could not go very far though. Lulu skipped ahead, laughing through her nose, and pirouetting in a circle.
If it had skin, the cake would be red with both embarrassment and anger. It continued to stagger away from Lulu as fast as it could, until it was too quick for its own legs. It tumbled over, and the icing was smeared over the grass.

'Whoops, I can fix this.' said Lulu. 'Let's put on our thinking caps.' She placed her staff in the ground and began spinning around it in the air, with the curve of her hat around the base, and landed after a few twirls. 'Ah, I got it!' Lulu took her staff once again and waved it at the cupcake. 'Fuzzy!'

Yuumi watched in awe, fascinated by Lulu's strange behaviour. Her magic wasn't too dissimilar from her master's own, but the way she used it was definitely something else.

The cupcake morphed again, but this time it grew bigger. A large, ginger cat now stood before them. Far bigger than Yuumi. 'Oh dear, wrong spell.' Lulu said timidly.
The cat glared at her and licked its fangs.

'Another cat? This one looks mean! I don't like it!'

'Yep, it's time to go…' said Lulu. She entered an awkward sprint, heading towards the heart of Bandle City.

The ginger cat had become the predator.

'Zippy!' Pix conjured a spray of pretty little flowers and cast it over Lulu. She began hovered above the ground and sped away.

Simultaneously, Book conjured some magic of its own to speed them up even more. 'We got the Zoomies!' Yuumi sung.

Furiously, the cat increased its strides and the sight of its nasty glare gave a pinch of fear a way into Lulu's carefree heart for the first time in so many years. They were equal in speed, even with help from Pix and Book. Lulu maintained five metres between her and the cat. 'Where do I go, Pix?!' she asked the faerie. It responded with a glittering noise. 'Of course! What an excellent idea!' she said. Lulu turned abruptly to her left.
The cat followed her every move and could turn just as well. Its devilish eyes never left Lulu's diminutive frame. They burned with magic and rage as fire literally flew out of her sockets.

'Just a bit further!' Lulu said.. The cat hissed and grinded its teeth together.
Lulu saw it: a stretch of tall grass. 'Now!' She rushed into it along with Pix, Yuumi and Book, and they became hidden from view.

The spell broke just as the cat reached the long grass. Raven returned, running on two feet and with her sword in her hand. She fiercely cut through the grass. 'You're gonna pay for this, I swear!' she yelled.

She trod on something soft. It exploded beneath her feet and a cloud of purple gas enveloped her. Her legs became unbelievably heavy and began to feel dizzy. '*Cough* *Cough*, w-what is this?' she spluttered.
Raven tottered forward in tumultuous annoyance and stepped on something else. It too exploded and consumed her in the same purple gas. Raven completely lost her focus and struggled to keep herself from falling over. The only thing she could discern was a vexatious little laugh coming from somewhere that she could not ascertain. It was not as loud as Lulu's, but equally as maddening.
'I will… get yo- argh!' something sharp connected with Raven's forehead. In an instance, her vision turned to black. She howled as she accidently trod on another soft thing, which erupted from below. The effects on her were amplified tenfold. She chocked on the gas and her own saliva. Her head throbbed with a scorching hot headache, she felt like her limbs were about to snap, and the laughter did not stop.

'It's… too… much…' she mumbled. Light gradually began to return to her eyes, but her view was still distorted by the effects of the gas and her watering tears.
Something flew down from the sky, in front of Raven: another Yordle, carrying a cannon. 'Surprise!' she said as she landed, and proceeded to fire. A timed bomb emerged from the tip and it stuck onto Raven's chest. She withstood impact of the subsequent cannonballs, but the bomb exploded in her face and it sent her flying back. 'Boomer says hi!' the Yordle taunted.

Raven's aura was on the brink of being depleting entirely. She landed on her back, right on top of two individual explosives. She was debilitated. All she could do was feebly cover her mouth and nose with her hands to stop herself from inhaling the purple gas.
She had had enough, but they certainly had not.

Corki descended from the sky, now piloting his favourite aircraft. He launched a barrage at the now helpless Raven. She screamed as she was bombarded with missiles. The last of five rockets was the final straw. Her aura shattered. The effects were taking their toll in her body. She let loose a geyser of vomit from her body for two seconds. It returned to the ground, coating her in her own sick.
It was over. She had lost.

Lulu, Pix, Yuumi and Book emerged from the grass, alongside another Yordle with a blow-dart and a green hat with goggles. They were all in fits of laughter.

Corki gently landed his plane, got out and went to inspect his former captor. The Yordle with the cannon did the same.
'Yuck, that's a lot of human goo.' she commented.

'Well, she can consider herself spanked.' said Corki triumphantly. 'Thanks for the help, Trist. Really couldn't have done it without ya.'

'No problem, Corki. Don't wanna miss out on the fun.'

Lulu, Yuumi and the Yordle with the blow-dart joined them.

'Good thinking, leading her to Teemo's mushroom field.' said Corki.

'It was scary, but also so much fun. We should do it again sometime!' said Lulu enthusiastically.

'No, no! Let's not do that!' Corki responded firmly. 'Don't want another whisky delta coming and potentially destroying our beloved city.'

'Well, she didn't manage to.' said Tristana cockily. 'We all did great!'

'Yep.' said Teemo. 'Just goes to show that you should never underestimate the power of the Scout's code.'

Corki sighed. 'You say that a lot, Teemo.'

'If it's worth saying once, it's probably worth saying a lot.' said Tristana.

'Exactly.' agreed Teemo. 'I own this land, and if humans think that they can waltz in here, they get Teemo'd!'

'So Corki, what happened during your mission to the new world?' Tristana asked.

'It's a terrible story, I tell you.'

'As terrible as licking a dewdrop?' Lulu asked.

'Umm… I dunno what that means. Let me explain. I flew over Valoran and made it to the new world. I went over a village settlement, then a forest. But all of a sudden, my plane got shot down by this hag's tribe of bandits.' he said, pointing scornfully at Raven. 'They locked me up for days until she finally decided to give me some attention. She tried to see if I possessed any magical properties. Yuumi, over there, went with me and brought her book along. It enabled us to escape, but then she managed to follow us. Thank goodness that all of you came to the rescue in time!'

'So that's what happened.' said Tristana, ponderingly. 'What a terrible person! What should we do with her?'

A mechanical sound whirred, coming from Bandle City. They all turned to see a machine with legs walking towards them, piloted by another Yordle. 'I'm here, at last!' he said.

'You're too late, Rumble. Party's already over.' said Tristana.

'Aww, really? I was looking forward to it…'

'That machine really slows you down, doesn't it?' said Teemo. 'You need to be swifter.'

'It takes a while to get this baby revved up.' Rumble replied. 'But when things get cooking, Tristy here never lets me down, outside of a few hiccups here and there.'

'Wait, what's "Tristy"?' Tristana asked, puzzled.

'Oh, umm, nothing. It's just the name of the mech.' Rumble responded nervously.

'Why'd you call it that?' Tristana questioned suspiciously.

'I… just thought it was a cool name.'

'Is it true? Is it true?!' said Lulu.

'What should we do with this human's body?' Rumble said abruptly, changing the subject.

'I don't think she's dead.' said Corki. 'You can see her chest rising, so she's breathing. She has her own form of magic too, so we should keep her as weak as possible.'

'Why not just kill her?' said Teemo. 'What's the point in keeping her alive?'

'If we do, can I bat around the body?' Yuumi asked.

'That's not necessary, but we need to figure out how to get rid of her. In the meantime, keep feeding her poison, and Lulu; pacify her if she manages to regain her strength.'

'Tulips.' said Lulu, looking up at sky.

'But like Rumble said, what do we do with her?' said Tristana.

'We can't take her to the city.' said Corki. 'She smells, and it would be worrying for everyone, bringing an evil human there.'

'How about we keep her in the mushroom field?' Teemo proposed. 'I can keep her supressed.'

'Brilliant idea.' Corki beamed. 'Sounds like a plan. I'll go back to Bandle City and report to my commander what happened between now and when I left. The rest of you, just do what you want.'

'See ya, Corki.' Tristana called out as Corki boarded his aircraft. They all waved at him as he flew away.

'So, Tristana, what are you going to do then?' Rumble asked curiously.

'I'll probably stay here with Teemo. Got lots to talk about since I got into a scrap with some Noxians.'

'Mind if I, umm… stay here too? I'd also be interested to hear about your adventures.'

'Sure, why not?' Tristana responded as though Rumble had asked a question that did not need answering.

'Thanks for the ride!' Yuumi said to Lulu. Her and Book dismounted from Lulu. 'Have you lot seem my master?' she asked Tristana, Teemo and Rumble.

The three of them shook their heads.

'Nevermind. C'mon book. Let's go and take a nap.' Book carried her towards the city.

And as Tristana began her story of a recent encounter with a Noxian who had the uncanny ability to use blood magic, Lulu capered away, chasing a red squirrel that she caught in the corner of her eye.

It looked familiar.