Chapter 1: I Know my Place
There is something you should understand about the way I work.
When you need me but do not want me, then I'll stay.
When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go.
It's rather sad really, but there it is.
Dinner was quiet that night, and in Riven's opinion it was uncomfortably quiet. The two looked down at their bowls of food, the only noises present were the chewing of eel or the occasional slurp of water. She looked up, watching Yasuo silently take another piece of unagi. Life was especially peaceful out in the countryside of Ionia, the rapid advance of technology made the city always shine with light, pillars of smoke gushing out from the skyscrapers that dazzled with a million different colours.
She knew Yasuo was bitter about it, almost everyone was, including herself. Years ago, what seemed like a simple truce between Piltover and Zaun turned into a full economic dealership, which metastasized into the two nation-states merging their borders to create the 'Zaun-Piltover Eastern Runeterra Conglomerate'. With each month passing they grew more and more ambitious, using advanced weapons and experimental chemical weaponry to bring almost every other nation-state to it's knees. The Freljord fell first, Ashe's people reduced to bickering clans after a potent bombardment killed the queen and king in their capital. Sejuani, finding the explosive innovations as 'weak and cowardly' launched a full-scale assault on Piltover itself. Her whole army and the princess herself died before they could even reach the walls.
Noxus fell soon after, even the military giant could not fight with spears and arrows as gas and bullets felled their armies and government. Esteemed champions hailing from Noxus, such as the Grand-general Swain, Darius, his brother Draven and most of the Black Rose were burned at the stake for agressive attacks against the Conglomerate. Bilgewater fell in less than a month, being completely wiped off the face of Runeterra, ever since then it was renamed 'Joke's End', the floating piers and wrecked ships creating a graveyard for the seedy pirate town.
Suprisingly, only three nations kept firm from the Conglomerate. Demacia, who publicly executed most of the innocent Piltover natives out of sheer paranoia that spies could be inside their marble-lined city of "justice and honour". Bandle city was mostly left alone due to it's good relations with Piltover, but several Yordles dissapeared from sight, including the esteemed inventors Heimerdinger and Ziggs. It's military was also dissipated, causing Yordle gunner captain Tristana and omega squad lieutenant and well-known war veteran Teemo to vanish overnight.
Then there was Ionia.
At first they decided to stay away, knowing that they were a more peaceful nation and would most likely only fight in self-defence, but as the years trudged on they began to dwindle in resources: wood, iron and sulfur for gunpowders. Ionia, being almost untouched by mining was eyed by the Conglomerate, as if a tiger would stalk a mouse. Two years ago, they struck with all the force of an avalanche. Gun drones and Robots rose from the sea and shoreline, launching a suprise attack on Ionian home soil. As impressive as their defences were, gas and ballistic weaponry decimated armies before they could even raise their spears and bows, killing thousands without losing a single soldier.
A choice needed to be made, so the council of Elders signed a surrender that allowed Piltover and Zaun to molest the land as much as they pleased. Many Ionian's rose up against these policies, but robots patrolled the streets and captured anyone deemed as a revolutionary.
Life was bad, worse than it had ever been before, not just in Ionia, but in Runeterra as a whole.
She was deep in thought, looking at her reflection in the glass of water beside her, oblivious to the fact that Yasuo was staring at her. "Riven, I need to tell you something".
Her body jolted at his voice, almost forgetting that he was present at all. She faced him eye to eye. "Yes? You want to talk about something?".
He looked away, regretful for some reason. That face was never good news for Riven, and almost always meant that he was going to leave for another assignment. "The Herald called earlier today".
"Of course he did" She huffed, crossing her arms in frustration.
"Look, Riven. I know my place is right beside you, but the Resistance needs my help".
With a sigh, she started playing with her hair, coiling her white locks with her finger. "I know, Yasuo. But, it's been three years sinc-".
"It's not about them anymore!" he snapped, slamming his fist against the table. Her eyes widened at the sudden agression that he showed.
"I shouldn't have said anything" she muttered, watching him breath slowly through his nose.
She looked away, waiting patiently until he calmed down. Yasuo looked at her, his cheeks red with embaressment. She felt a warm hand touch her fingers, his touch was warm and comforting, but still had a hint of steele in his grip. "Riven, I'm sorry. I know they're dead, but Rin and Ran aren't the only ones who will die if I don't help".
"I'm aware of that, Yasuo," she glared at him. "I gave birth to them, I felt them in my womb for so long, I felt them alive inside of me".
"Riven, I gave you the seed, didn't I? I watched them grow as well, we both saw them and loved them".
They both stayed silent for some time. Rin and Ran were both sensitive topics to both of them. When the Conglomerate began invading the central lands, both of their daughters signed up, dismissing Yasuo and Riven's protests. Rin, being the older sister, joined up with the shocktroopers. Ran on the other hand was a spearwoman. Neither of them could use the wind technique that Yasuo implemented, but both of them fought with talent and grace unseen in generations.
Talent and grace didn't save them from the gas and bombs.
Three days after a small division was ambushed in the Aroyyo outlands, telegrams regarding their deaths found themselves at the couples door. It was all to much at the time, both of their children were dead, both buried in mass graves in some muddy, godforsaken battlefield.
Yasuo stood up, taking his wife by her hand. He led her into the living room, sitting down on the leather couch that was shoved into the corner. He sat on the corner, while Riven lied down, her head resting on his stomach.
"So, what's the news from Herald this time?" She asked.
"Well," he began. "The government's apparently expecting a new shipment of restrainium in a few days time, if we can get rid of it they won't be able to control the populace as smoothly until the next shipment is delivered in spring".
Restrainium was a psychological drug used extensivly by the Conglomerate, originally from Zaun as a benevolent medicine to clear headaches, it was concentrated until it could make people refrain from thinking or doing acts which he thought was dangerous to his rule. It was pumped throught the water system, something that they didn't need to worry about being so far out in the countryside.
"Won't Jayce has eyes and ears everywhere".
Jayce...
Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.
"I doubt it, ever since he took control he's been busy mobilising security. Besides, I'm lucky enough to be on his good side".
She scoffed, moving closer to his chest. "Regardless, I don't like it. Every time you help the resistance he sends those damn machines to check up on us, I know to him it's a sign of good will, but what happens if they ever found out about the Herald and everyone else?".
"I promise you that we will be fine, Riven. If he ever decided to come for us, Cailtyn can just yell and we'll be gone before they even get in shooting range".
Something that Jayce did not realise was that he had more than a single group of enemies. After Ionia was "pacified", he allowed Yasuo and Riven to live in peace, due to his past freindship with the couple. Caitlyn was elected captain of the 'Blossom Guard', the Ionian secret police. At first she agreed with graciousness, but after seeing how cold the once beautiful land became she began working as a informant for the Resistance, or the 'Perpetua Populos' as the Herald preferred to call it.
Humans weren't the only ones to fight the nightmare of dystopia either. When Heimerdinger dissapeared it was to join the underground, along with Ziggs who supplied heavy weapons for the movement. Tristana and Teemo, both disgraced and ravaged by war joined up as scouts, they even had a air support group, manned by Corki alone. In the aspect of humans there were several, most of them being part of the Invictus initiative or simply acting as runners...
Then there was Vi.
She actually left a while ago, seemed to just leave one night, nobody's seen her since. She used to be the repairwoman for the movement, but one too many tussles with Jayce got to her. They used to have a thing going, and Yasuo wasn't suprised that she decided to leave them all behind.
Riven patted his stomach twice, sucking him back to reality. "Did you hear what I said, big guy?".
He shook his head, making her mumble something under her breath. "I said, when are you going?".
"Tomorrow night, I'm supposed to report to Kaiserreich safehouse before the sun falls".
Yasuo started playing with her hair passivly, looking outside the window opposite to them, seeing the purple and yellow lights flash in and out of existance, the city alive with activity.
"Just promise me you'll be safe, okay?".
"You know I can't hold that" he chided.
"I know, but at least make me feel a bit better". He gave a short laugh, bending down to kiss her cheek.
My place is by you're side, it always has been, Riven.
But I need to wake up...
Wake up and smell the ashes...
hello again! I just want to quickly say some things. You would probably notice that my chapters start with a poem. This is because I love poetry, also that I wanted to enforce the really traditional, poetic view on Ionia while it is technologically advanced. You would have noticed that ulike most stories, PILTOVER IS THE BAD GUY!
Main reason? As much as I love Piltover, I felt as if Demacia, Ionia and Piltover are used as "Good guys" wayyy tooo much. By far you already know, Ionia is corrupted, Piltover is now an agressive, expansive empire and Demacia is paranoid. I'm not going to reveal much but expect more to be said on the good/bad guy quality of Runeterra at this time...
Oh yeah, Jayce is a douche btw...
BIEEEEEEE :D
UPDATE: I had to delete and put the story back up becuase this chapter didn't download for some weird reason...