Alright guys, I loved the reviews and reactions, thank you so much, I love you all. I know you've been waiting a while for this one, so please enjoy it even though it's kinda short. I'm sorry. Really. If this isn't what you expected. MY HUMBLEST APOLOGIES. But for now, enjoy~! -HB
Chapter 3
"So… Uh… Zed… Why do you wear a mask?" Syndra asked quickly, knowing that the atmosphere had gone silent for quite a while. They were sitting in one of the rooms of the palace, looking out through the doorway and gazing over Ionia while sipping some tea. Cherry blossoms were in bloom, and those little flowers flew around here and there through the air. Zed chuckled.
"To tell you my story, of how I came to be the betrayer and the Master of Shadows, you must understand my side of the story. You might want to see what's under this mask, but I'd rather not you see that. I'm sorry." Zed explained a little. His red eyes seemed to have taken a friendlier shade, that made it seem as if he was smiling. Syndra nodded avidly.
"Alright, so a long time ago, when I was a young kiddo with no mask on, I was living in Ionia with another ninja. I was adopted into his family and was learning the way of the ninja with him. He-" Zed was cut off as Syndra quickly interjected.
"Was he Shen? I see him so many times wandering around here. He seemed nice." She said suddenly. Zed laughed a little.
"He's nice, but he can be cruel if has to. Anyways, so we were kids but we had a fierce competition. He was always better than I was. I thought he had taken a liking to Akali those days, but apparently he was interested in someone else quite far away, he had never told me and will never. I was always jealous that he had our teacher's love the most and he was always better than me. It never made sense. I thought I could do better. But one day, it all changed. It was during the dead of the night, where no one was awake, only I was. I had sneaked off into master's house and stolen a box. It was really ornate box. Black. Decorated with black jewels. Dark as the blackest night I've ever seen. It seemed to call for me. I was foolish. I opened it immediately, finding a horrible nightmare in it. I fought it. I tried to. In the end all I had ended up with was injuries that left unsealing scars and red eyes and this strange power to control shadows. Well. That was just the good part of it. What's worse was that my teacher did not even consider me as a person any more since then, and Shen too had hated me. I was branded a traitor and absolute disgrace. I ran away." Zed paused once more; he needed to organize his thoughts for a moment. Talking about his past was something he hadn't revealed to anyone, but for some reason he told it all to Syndra. He didn't know why.
"Would you like some tea? I thought you might need some…" Syndra asked politely, knowing her guest was nervous and all. He nodded, and she quickly willed her two cups, a teapot that had been on the stove for quite a while, and some tea leaves in front of her. The objects clattered before her and she quickly made some for herself and Zed. She handed the small cup to Zed, who graciously sipped it by turning back and lifting his mask a few seconds and coughed a little.
"After I had run away, I resolved to overthrow them. I had had enough of that nonsense that it's all about balance, and whatsoever. Years passed until I heard my master's passing and by this time Shen and I had grown a lot. I had gathered a few of my closest followers who were trained by me and invaded Shen's fortress in the middle of the night. A massacre, that's what it was. Shen had gotten away, he had given me another scar to live with, while I had taken what he had. He ran away to the Kinkou Order and I had taken over my master's abode and fortress. Thus was the existence of my Shadow Guild. Oh right, I had worn this mask ever since I became master of the Shadow Guild. Covering up myself from enemies and to not let them know who I was. That's my story. Apparently I'm a villain." Zed ended that with a happy note, presumably. Syndra too was labeled villain.
"Were you cursed when you killed them all?" Syndra asked, she was curious as to know if she was the only person cursed for her crimes.
"Well the master cursed me. I guess. He cursed me that I would be walking on the face of the earth alone, until there existed a person as dark as I was. Not sure how that's going to be possible." Zed muttered, but he had a vague idea who this would be. Syndra wondered about that too.
"Do you talk to Shen?" Syndra asked, but regretted asking that, perhaps it was too personal. Zed seemed to look at her with interest.
"Only after when we go against each other in Summoner's Rift. Not much talking. Still hostile." Zed managed to say. He always wanted to be close to Shen. Not this. Now he couldn't really do much about it.
"I see. Well… For me, I had no one to ever call friend or anything. All except this grumpy old man who restrained my powers and did nothing. I hated him. He hated me. We both hated each other. For a while in my life, my mission was to kill that stupid man and live freely. I got what I wanted. But I'm alone. I have no parents, no relatives, nothing at all. For you, you have someone who knows you. Someone who might still care for you. How does it feel?" Syndra asked suddenly, without knowing she became bitter and asked that question. She totally didn't mean to say that. Zed was a little shocked. He didn't expect this.
"You didn't tell me about yourself. I'd like to hear about you too. We're both villains. And orphans. I'm sure we can relate to each other. So please, tell me." Zed kindly asked, he seemed to be smiling under that mask. So Syndra told him the tale of her predicament and such, (If you need reference, please go to the first chapter or something.) and her curse too. She didn't leave out anything. Zed's red eyes seemed to soften a little in that dark mask. Syndra looked away into the far grounds of Ionia, where she'd never go, for she was exiled here. House arrest. Something like that. She felt tears forming in her eyes, for she despised the fate she was held to. Her tears flowed freely, letting the pain and all flow from her bottled feelings that she could tell someone. Someone who she just met. This someone who understood her. Someone dear to her. Someone she loved.
Zed figured he needed to comfort this poor champion. He faltered at first, but he inched closer and put his arms around Syndra and hugged her gently. She looked at him and the mask that blocked whatever face was behind it. She leaned herself in towards Zed and cried.
"There, now. You must have been feelings this way for quite a while. Cry as much as you want, it's what you need for now." Zed whispered, and he stroke her hair as she held tightly to the ninja. It was what the two needed. Comfort. Someone who they could relate to. Friendship. The afternoon had already gone by quickly, it was closing to sunset. The orange beams of light shone onto the Celestial Fortress, shining on the two champions who were secluded from the rest of Ionia, in a tight embrace. Little petals from cherry blossoms were still fluttering around the air, and a stray one found its way out of the fortress.
