III

Before either of them knew it, they were passing through the heart of the capital. It was early morning and already it seemed crowded with people bustling and calling to each other. Not only that, but she was sure people spotted Sona, well-known across Valoran for her otherwordly music. Usagi grumbled at how many people blocked her path but her grumpiness only seemed to make the maven smile.

As Usagi turned to Sona to complain, she bumped into someone, knocking her over onto the ground. The green-haired turned to see who bumped into her and the first thing she noticed was a pair of hooves, followed by purple legs. She only knew one person with those type of features.

"Soraka?" she asked as Sona peered over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the Starchild.

"Usagi." Soraka said as Usagi stretched her arm to her. She gladly took it and got up on her hooves, then brushed the dust off her yellow and orange dress. "You don't usually come into the city." her eyes glazed over at Sona, then back to her face. She could easily tell they were both stressed from something.

"I could say the same for you." she smiled.

Soraka gave her a small smile back, then flung her white hair over her shoulder. "I needed to pick up a few documents from Irelia. I thought the morning would be an appropriate time." then she tilted her head and asked, "And what brings you here to the city? It must be very important."

Usagi laughed her off as she vaguely said, "We were just passing through."

"Ah, where are you headed?"

Usagi froze and laughed nervously. "You wouldn't believe it..." she shrugged and said, "I'm headed to the Order. We're meeting with Shen and the others."

At first, the Starchild held an uncertain look in her eyes. As sweet as Soraka can be, she was a divine person and she could sense even the smallest hint of any emotion. It was how she knew people a distance from her were injured. Though this time her eyes flickered and she smiled, "I see you're finally taking Karma's advice to go and see them."

Usagi shrugged grumpily and turned to Sona with an annoyed glare. The maven of the strings shrugged as well but gave a sheepish grin instead. "Yeah... it was Sona's idea for a walk today."

"Well thank you, Sona. I have no idea how you got it through her stubborn head," Soraka giggled, passively poking fun at the green haired, "but I guess actions speak louder than words."

Hearing that made Usagi think back to him; he never was the one to talk, but the way he moved fascinated her. She would definitely dance with him if she could, even if she was the worst dancer on Valoran. She wasn't sure if he was the type to, but she could imagine sweeping her off her feet, not that he already-

"...someone needs more sleep." Soraka joked and Sona laughed. Usagi blinked a few times then turned to the Starchild, then blushed a lot harder than she should've.

"Sorry, I was thinking of something. What you said reminded me of something a while back." Usagi mentally twitched her eye at her own lousy excuse.

"Something? It seemed like you were thinking about someone." Soraka jokes and Sona giggled more.

Usagi crossed her arms and smirked. "Say what you want, but I have no one on my mind!"

"Whatever you say." the Starchild smiled, then pushed back her hair once more over her shoulder. "Ah, I shouldn't keep you." she mused over another thought and recalled, "I hear the Order's been busy these days. It would be a shame if they weren't there when you arrive."

"Yes it would be..." as she said that, Usagi thought of how nice it would be if nobody was there. She can just go back to her house or find information from the library. That would be perfect; she could just sit in peace and research without anyone bothering her. She turned to her blue-haired friend and mentally frowned. If anything, she'd just make her wait there until they came back.

"Well, I don't want to keep you either. We should get going now." Usagi said as Sona started to glide away a little. Soraka gave them both a big hug and they both returned it. "I'll catch you later Soraka."

"Of course! Have fun, tell me how it goes." she smiled and continued, "I would love to hear what happens between you and the Order. Just imagine the stories you both have to share!"

'Along with all the underlying guilt, disappointment and anger.' Usagi thought with a twinge of annoyance. She couldn't let Soraka know that though, especially with how excited she sounded. Instead, she put on a smile and said, "Yes, I'll be sure to tell you everything that happened!"

The three of them waved at each other before the Starchild made her way past a few people and into the heart of the Ionian Capital. The two of them continued to walk around the city, now past the large crowd and into a breathable space. As they walked, Sona's eyes caught a glimpse of someone and smiled. Usagi followed the direction of her eyes and her expression was in stark contrast to hers.

Two Noxians walked to the Capital's main building where the Elders gathered. They were surrounded by guards leading them to the area. One was very loud, his booming voice could be heard from miles away. The other spoke in a quiet, but commanding tone. Usagi remembered them from not too long ago, when Noxus took over the nation and refused to give back Southern Ionia. Karma brought together a nation of people to reclaim Ionia, with Usagi being apart of the efforts.

Needless to say, her opinion of them hasn't changed a bit.

Sona on the other hand was a valued member in Noxus because of her performances there. They loved her there and completely ignored the fact that she was born in Ionia and raised in Demacia. Usagi always questioned the logic behind that, but the only answer she could come up with is that Sona was such a likeable person that it transcends nations.

"These guards are so damn pushy. They oughta know who they messing with!" the voice of the louder of the two just seemed to get louder and louder with each word. "That's right, Dra~ven!"

Sona smiled sweetly as she rushed down to visit the pair. Usagi gritted her teeth at his voice but had no choice but to follow her friend. Before the green-haired could catch up, Sona reached over a guard's shoulder and tapped Draven on his. He turned around, wide-eyed and full of newfound energy.

"Babe, it's been such a long time! If I woulda known you'd grace my presence, I woulda been in my fan costume!" Draven said, his voice dipping with enthusiasm and excitement from seeing her. "And gee, you look as great as me today!"

Sona smiled widely, then made a few rapid hand gestures, her hands shaking slightly. Draven had a bit of a twinkle in his eyes as he replied, "Why thank you. Compliments always help Draven excel in everything he does. Not that I already do~"

Usagi wriggled her nose, "Ugh, who let trash wash up on Ionia?"

Draven's eyes flared as he was about to speak, but the other pushed him aside slightly. "We're here for an audience with Karma." he said in a calm, but forceful voice.

She sighed in response. "Karma seems to have a soft spot if she keeps inviting you to these meetings. If I was her, I'd never want to see another Noxian again after all that you've caused."

"We're mostly here because she told us that the Golden Demon has escaped." Darius explained. When she raised an eyebrow in response, he continued explaining. "Based on what Karma gathered, she said it's possible that Noxus could be his next target."

"We saw how he kills people. That's a little crazy, even for me. Even for my bro." Draven said in a quieter tone.

Sona glanced towards her friend, who had firsthand met him after Karma told her he escaped. She knew who he was really after, though he did have a hatred for Noxians, so maybe it wasn't such a long stretch. Though, the first person she should've talked to was Karma.

"Babe, you're going have to be more careful till you get back home." Draven said in a much louder tone, though she could faintly hear the concern in him. Sona nodded weakly, but then he outstretched an arm through the guards and lifted her chin. "I'll be your shining knight in armor. Dra~ven, the Glorious Knight! Known all across Valoran and Runeterra! Shudder in fear, gaze in awe, and bask in the glory of Dra~ven!"

Usagi's face scrunched up and she started to walk past the guards. "I'm going to go see Karma first." when Sona tried to glide to her, the green-haired stopped her. "Stay here with them, this shouldn't take too long."

Karma was at her desk, signing a few papers and writing reports for the Council to take note of. Irelia stood at one end of her desk, saying something to the Duchess but her mind couldn't focus. She knew she shouldn't be dealing with Noxians after what happened, but getting a report that Jhin had interest in Noxus put her on edge. Not only that, but she hoped that she could strengthen her bonds with her enemies.

"Duchess?" Irelia called, hearing no response from the previous question. She still had her head down, prompting her to call a little louder. "Karma?"

The leader of Ionia jumped in her seat. The pen she held fell onto the desk and rolled. It rolled off the desk and hit the ground with a click. Karma sighed as she picked up the pen. She turned to Irelia, the dark bags under her eyes started to show her age. "What were you saying Irelia?"

"I was asking if I should send another search squad for Yasuo."

"Oh- yes, of course. He's becoming increasingly slippery to catch."

"And you've been becoming increasingly tired since Khada Jhin escaped." Irelia crossed her arms. Karma sighed again and rubbed her eyes a few times. "You need to give yourself a break as well. The guard will work hard to ensure they catch every criminal in Ionia."

"Yes but-"

"Your spirit keeps us together. That's why we we're able to endure. What's going to happen if we don't have that?"

Before Karma could answer, Usagi bursted into the room panting. Both Karma and Irelia had their eyes wide and tensed. "Karma!" she called, catching her breath.

The Duchess shook her head and relaxed in her seat. "Yes? Speak, Usagi."

"...Last night, Jhin came to see me," she started. As she explained what he asked her to do and his conversation with her, both of their faces grew more grim as time passed. Irelia clenched her fist while Karma clenched her jaw. Tension filled the room tenfold as she finished up the story.

"You're putting yourself in a dangerous situation. You could've been hurt or worse-" Irelia started, but Karma raised her hand.

"There was nothing more she could do. If she refused, he would've attacked her. We can use this to our advantage to catch Zed." Karma suggested, and Usagi nodded. She disapproved but that was something she needed to hide. "Head to the Order and let Shen know. I'll send him a letter letting him know."

Irelia turned to Karma and added, "She and Sona were en route to go there anyways. Soraka told me when she delivered the reports a little while ago."

Karma raised her eyebrows and turned back to Usagi, "Is this true? I was about to say that maybe you wouldn't want to, but it's a must."

"Yes I was going there to tell Shen and get more information."

Karma closed her eyes and waved Irelia. "Head to the smaller villages outside the Southern provinces. See if they have heard or seen anything."

Irelia bowed to her and walked past the green-haired. She closed the door shut behind her. A few moments of silence passed between them before Usagi turned to the door. As she was about to reach for the knob, Karma called her name. She turned back to the Ionian leader with a bit of curiosity in her eyes.

"I sense a bit of defiance." Usagi froze in place, her fingers brushing the knob. "Was there something else you want to tell me?"

"...I'm just nervous..." she half-lied, her eyes shifting between the Duchess and the hall in front of her that seemed to stretch for miles. She fidgeted with the pages of her book, threatening to accidentally tear important pages.

"Usagi, I promise he will not harm you. We will do everything in our power to bring him down and whoever is working with him." Karma said to her in a firm tone. She nodded at her statement, then looked back down to her book. "However," Karma started and she snapped her head back to her. She looked at the brunette with wide, curious eyes. "Should you betray us, we will have no choice but to hunt you. Though, I don't feel as if you'd make a decision like that."

Usagi nodded, a little shaken by what she said. She knew that since the Noxian Invasion, neither Karma or the Elders are going to be lenient again. She firmly nodded again before leaving the room.

Karma didn't say anything as she left, though she still felt a strange aura of determination and defiance. Almost like how she was when she watched the peaceful Elders of the village being slain by Noxian invaders for their weakness. She couldn't stand there and watch as her people were being slaughtered, so she went against the Elder's wishes and used her powers to hurt the Noxians.

She had a sinking feeling that Usagi would do something reckless. Something in her gut told her that she wasn't going down without a fight. But Karma saw both how polite and gentle he was, but how twisted the corpses of his victims became. They weren't dealing with any ordinary criminal, they were dealing with a sociopath who possibly has ties to someone in Ionia.

"Karma." she was interrupted by a gruff, forceful voice that she knew very well. She straightened herself in her seat and laid her hands flat on the desk.

"Darius." she called back. "I'm glad you arrived."

He marched forward to the center of the room. The numerous amount of guards around him bowed to the brunette and escorted his brother through the door. Darius listened for the door to shut before approaching the desk. "You're right, we have pressing matters to discuss."

To regular Ionians, he was a very imposing figure. Though, it had no effect on Karma who was so used to seeing him that she knew as long as she displayed her strong side, he would respect her.

He slammed his fists down on the table. When she didn't flinch, he moved closer. "Why did you release him from jail?" his eyes shifted around the room, then he added, "More importantly, who decided he should be kept alive?"

"Master Kusho decided it would be best if he was kept alive but in jail for the rest of his life. We were trying to reform him." Karma moved her head closer to match his intimidation. "Besides, we did not order his release."

"Kinkou Order? Disgraceful. He was a senile old man."

Karma narrowed her eyes, "You Noxians rule with brute force and an iron fist. You miss things we'd normally see. Master Kusho was not only maintaining peace and balance, he saw potential in the man."

"You should've just killed him when you had the chance. He's insane." Darius said, his tone slightly more respectful. "Just find him and get rid of him."

"Would you like to join us in our efforts?"

"He's yours, not ours." Darius replied, slowly turning his back to her.

Karma raised her eyebrows, remembering when Noxus used to call this land theirs when they took over. "Very well. My guards will escort you out." A few guards came in and circled him before turning on their heel towards the door. They left through the large doors, but not before Darius turned back to cast a glare at her. "Goodbye Darius."

"-And then we mangled with the beast, five times our height, spewing fire and spit everywhere. I came up with an amazing plan to take him down. I asked my guards to attack him head on. It was a crazy plan but they trusted me. And of course-"

While Draven told Sona of a spectacular, almost hard to believe story, Usagi sat down against the wall. She opened up to a page in her book, the words sprawled carelessly across the page, ignoring the lines. There was a small space at the bottom of the page where she started writing. She was so focused, she didn't hear Darius come out of the room. Nor did she hear them talking about what happened.

"Huh? Babe, your friend's had her head in the book for a while now." he pointed to her and she looked up right away with an annoyed face. She had filled up the rest of the space on the page, even going so far as to write over previous entries.

"And your point? This is a hobby of mine."

"Hobby? It looks more like a ritual." Darius remarked.

"What did you write in there?" Draven asked, pointing to the book.

Usagi closed it and held it close to her heart. "None of your business!"

Sona turned to Draven and showed him a few hand signs. He put a hand to his chin and looked back at the green-haired. "Yeah I know. Still is odd to me, I'd rather keep a journal in my head." he said, knocking his head. "Then again, you probably need the space in your head to learn all those magic techniques. Draven doesn't need those, only his astounding good looks and his axes. And an audience!"

As she rolled her eyes, Darius commented, "Right. You were fighting in the war. I remember you." he gestured his brother to come along. Once Draven was at his side, he looked down at Usagi and then to Sona. "Good day."

Once they left and were out of earshot range, Sona blushed slightly. She made a few very fast signs that were messier than usual. Usagi raised her hand and replied, "I know you two like each other. They way you look at him when he tells his stories..."

Sona giggled and made more hand signs. The green haired puffed her cheeks, "That's true but his stories are absolutely ridiculous to my ears! No way my lover's going to be telling stories like those."

The maven tilted her head before showing a few hand signs. Usagi's eyes slightly widened, but her cheeks deflated. "No, I don't love anyone. Love is a little... out of reach for me at the moment."

Sona wanted to ask what that meant but by then Usagi already got up from her seat. She brushed off her blue and green dress and walked past the blue-haired. "Come. Let's go now."

A/N: Thank you guys for all the support so far! I wasn't too sure how it would go since this story includes an OC, but I'm glad you guys like it so far. Always feel free to follow/fav the story or drop a nice review :)