A… school? That's where she was? Of course, Lux recognised the desks and set up of a classroom, but she could tell that it wasn't Runeterra High. Looking to her left, she saw a purple-haired girl absorbed in a book. Janna, her brain reminded her, and she realised that the past events hadn't been a dream at all. She'd been falling through the sky, a Star Guardian, with the other Guardians, then they'd turned into crystals and disappeared and… awoken in a classroom? Wait… A Star Guardian. She'd become a Star Guardian.
Confused, she turned to where she heard two loud voices behind her, and saw two yordles. A green-haired and a blue-haired, eating bentos together. Lulu and Poppy. Lulu gave her a small smile, while Poppy momentarily lowered the lunch from her face to offer an odd look. Lux turned around and noticed the empty desk in front of her, covered in drawings, the name "Jinx" in graffiti on the chair back. Where was Jinx? Lux had seen all the other girls, but not her.
Lux turned back to Janna, reaching over to softly tap her shoulder. "Umm, sorry, I'm Lux and umm…"
"I'll tell you everything after school, okay?" Janna said quietly, not looking up from her book. "Eat something, you look hungry. I'm sure either Lulu or Poppy have food for you."
"O-oh, okay… thank you." Lux stuttered. She was overflowing with nervousness. This was her one shot to protect people and use magic for some useful good, and she didn't want to mess up. Janna's perfect posture and intelligent eyes intimidated Lux.
"Here you go!" Lulu said cheerfully from behind her, and she turned to see a traditional Japanese lunch being held out for her by the green-haired yordle.
Lux smiled brightly. "Thank you, Lulu!" She took the lunch box. "Umm, what foods are these?"
Lulu grinned. "Well, we're on planet Earth, and this is food from one of the countries on this planet. I thought we could eat from different countries until we find what we like best. This is the food from the country we are in, though. It's called Japan! Oh, they have their own language, too. But that's okay, because our powers allow us to understand and speak in any language without really noticing too much."
"You sure know a lot, don't you?" Lux smiled. Make a good impression, she told herself sternly.
The green-haired yordle smiled wider, her eyes sparkling. "I guess I do, huh?"
Lux turned back around, absent-mindedly opening the bento as she gazed at the desk in front of her. She again wondered where Jinx was. Her eyes eventually moved towards her lunch, as she lifted some rice into her mouth. Eating silently, Lux was left to her thoughts. She wondered exactly what her life would be like now. She knew she had to give up her old life, her freedom, and everything she knew for this. Her friends, her family… she thought of her brother, Quinn, and her parents. Would she ever see them again?
Of course, she'd never expected to actually be chosen as a Star Guardian. Who would? She always knew she had the right qualities, but that never actually meant she'd get chosen. Lots of people were brave, strong and everything a Star Guardian should be. Dropped into these circumstances, Lux realised that she knew very little about the life of a Star Guardian. It's my duty to protect the Universe, she thought. But what exactly does that entail?
Lux jumped at the sound of a hand slapping a desk. "Alright, listen up boys and girls." A female voice monotonously called. "My name is Miss Fortune and I'm your new teacher for maths." Lux's eyes were met with a very young-looking woman, wearing a low-cut white shirt with a black pencil skirt and impractically tall wedged black heels. She grinned in a way that made Lux unsure of what to expect.
Turns out, Miss Fortune was the best teacher Lux had ever seen. She cared enough to make sure everyone was understanding the content, but also made sure everyone enjoyed the class. Miss Fortune loved games and prizes, so a lot of maths-inspired competitions were played in class. Winners would receive small chocolates or lollipops.
Janna had racked up a rather impressive pile of such treats, her facial expression still unwaveringly stoic. She intrigued Lux, who noticed Poppy staring angrily at her uneaten pile of sweets.
"I'm gonna win this one, no matter what!" She declared, her blue pigtails bouncing as she stood up, raising her hand as high as possible. She was yet to win her own prize. "Miss Fortune!"
Miss Fortune turned around from facing the blackboard, looking over her shoulder at the yordle. "Yeah?"
"I got the answer!" Poppy stood proudly, holding up a piece of paper filled with scribbles of mathematic equations, a number circled in the middle.
"That was quick," Miss Fortune remarked. "Let me come and check it."
Lux noticed how much Poppy wanted to win, to get what she wanted. She's so determined, she thought.
Lux also noticed how Miss Fortune somehow had gotten everybody to win at least twice. Stopping anyone from feeling insecure about their skills was something her teaching method really nailed.
"Good job, Poppy! You got it right!" Miss Fortune said, her tone more encouraging than condescending.
The yordle watched as she pulled out a bunch of colourful lollipops, reaching instantly for the bright red one.
~time skip~
"So, we get to save people and stuff?" Poppy asked Janna, who had mentioned that she used to lead the previous Star Guardian team.
"It is our duty to protect the Universe, yes." Janna affirmed, not making eye contact. Lux wondered if her stoic personality had anything to do with leading a team of Star Guardians before. Maybe losing them had affected her? Lux wondered if she would have to lose this team.
"So, we hab 'agic powers n' spuff?" Lulu questioned through the lollipop sticking out of her mouth.
Lux remained silent as the yordles asked Janna questions at a rapid speed. After a few minutes, Janna raised her eyes from the ground to Lux.
"Any questions, leader?"
Lux gulped, nodding her head slightly and disregarding the fact that she was yet to be called by her name. "Umm, where's the other girl?"
Janna sighed. "Jinx is the newest of all of us. She was the last to appear during the call, and none of us have seen her since. She's rejected her fate. That's the main thing we need to talk about today."
The purple-haired girl stopped walking, looking out to the side and softly closing her pale lids. "If a Star Guardian rejects her fate, the consequences ripple across the entire Universe. A team of four Guardians cannot protect the world, and if Jinx can't learn to accept her fate… well, she'll become one of the Dark Stars."
"D-dark Stars?!" Lux squeaked. "You mean they actually exist?"
Janna took a deep breath. "The only known Dark Star is the original one. Any Star Guardian who cannot see the light will inevitably be consumed by the power and manipulation of the Dark Star. He is a collector of souls, and his ultimate goal is to collect those of the purest beings- Star Guardians."
Lux took a step towards Janna, reaching out to gently touch her arm, but decided against it.
Janna breathed out slowly, then continued speaking. "His powers are based on self-doubt and hate. His name is Thresh, and if we don't do something, Jinx's soul will be claimed by him."
A/N: Okay, so I didn't really intend for such an intense ending to this chapter but oh well. Please leave thoughts/suggestions for what you think I should do next. I have a plan, but if anyone really wants something to be included then I'll consider it. Constructive criticism welcome. Thanks for reading!