To A New Beginning
One month later...
Sarah Fortune leaned forwards in her chair. Her elbows resting on the table before her, the pirate hunter gazed forward; her eyes sparkling with expectation. Across from her sat a familiar white haired Ionian. Without a doubt, she was rather uncomfortable underneath the weight of Miss Fortune's intent stare. Raising an eyebrow, Irelia picked her sandwich up off the plate in front of her, took a bite, and set the sandwich back down. The whole while, maintaining her stare on Miss Fortune. A few moments passed until Irelia slowly chewed her food and swallowed it. Finally, she spoke up.
"Uhhmmm... Do you... want something, Sarah?" Irelia inquired slowly.
"I'm waitin' for you to give me the scoop!" Sarah answered immediately, blinking briefly before restoring her intent gaze.
"Scoop?" Irelia questioned mildly as she took another bite of her sandwich. "What do you mean 'scoop'... there is no scoop."
Miss Fortune rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms and legs in a terse manner.
"I mean Syndra..." She finally specified.
"mmm?" Irelia sounded through a mouthful of sandwich. She swallowed her food again before speaking up. "What about her?"
Sarah let out an audibly frustrated grunt and spoke up once more.
"C'mon, it's been a month! Surely you guys have done something..." Miss Fortune pressured.
Irelia put on her best poker face as she took another bite of her sandwich.
"Nope. Nothing." Irelia answered in-between bites of her food.
"Nothing?" Sarah repeated, sounding disappointed.
"Nothing." Irelia confirmed.
"So then when you leave your home every night and don't come back till the morning, nothing happens?" Sarah questioned suddenly with a twisted smirk on her face.
Irelia choked on her food the moment Sarah hit her with such an accusation. It took the warrior a few moments along with a drink of water to return the Ionian back to her stoic composure.
"I... How did you..." Irelia hesitated slightly before continuing.
"Are you spying on me?!" Irelia finally finished, sounding almost alarmed.
Miss Fortune chuckled openly with a winning twinkle in her eyes.
"Nope." The pirate hunter quipped immediately.
Finally it dawned on Irelia. Miss Fortune had merely taken a gamble with her accusations. Irelia's shocked reaction was evidence of her gamble being correct.
"God damn it Sarah... I swear..." Irelia grumbled with subdued annoyance.
Miss Fortune only gave Irelia a large, winning smile in response to her anger.
"Well?" Sarah pressured hungrily.
Irelia bit her lip and frowned slightly.
"Oh don't be like that, Irelia, I'm just curious..." Sarah continued, sounding slightly dejected that Irelia was refusing to confide in her.
Finally, Irelia sighed and gave in.
"It's... complicated..." Irelia stated, taking particular care in choosing her words.
"mmmmhmmmm annnnd?" Sarah pushed on relentlessly.
"Well... It's complicated. What else do you want me to say? Tell you a story?" Irelia shot back, sounding slightly annoyed with Miss Fortune's persistence.
"Well that would work too but-"
"It was a rhetorical question." Irelia interrupted off-handedly. She took a deep breath before speaking up again.
"I don't know... It's just... complicated..." Irelia continued, "She's different from everyone else. Y'know, like she doesn't really know how to socialize or connect with other people."
Sarah nodded eagerly, but offered no words in response.
"Honestly, I feel like she's almost not a human anymore..." Irelia finished with a muted sigh.
"Not human? You mean like she's so curvy that she's a goddess now?" Sarah teased.
Irelia let out an exasperated sigh before answering.
"Not like that, Sarah." Irelia stated in a serious tone. "I mean it like she doesn't behave like a normal human would. It's like she doesn't know how. Honestly, the only emotions I have seen from her are angry and upset."
"Angry and upset, huh? That's one heck of a way to live your life..." Sarah commented.
"Well... It's not like she's just those two, but even when she's happy or smiling, it's almost like a hollow kind of happiness. It's like she doesn't know what being happy really means. Like when she's playing around with her magic or crushing someone's life at the rift, she smiles, but it's more of a 'I'm drunk with my power' kind of smile. It's not a smile that... well... comes from your heart as opposed to your brain." Irelia concluded philosophically.
"You're such a romantic." Sarah quipped dreamily with a joking smile on her face.
"Shut it." Irelia grunted back. "I wasn't kidding..."
"You should take her with ya!" Sarah suddenly spoke up with a large smile on her face.
"Take her with me?" Irelia echoed hollowly. She paused briefly to mull over her thoughts, "I doubt that would be a good idea... I haven't even told her yet..." Irelia concluded mutely.
" 'relia, what are you stalling for? You know you will have to tell her sooner or later. You have to leave in a few days anyways." Miss Fortune chided mildly.
"Ugh... don't remind me..." Irelia groaned.
"Well, you could always choose to ignore your orders, Miss Guard Captain!" Sarah teased slyly.
"Not a chance in hell." Irelia shot back instantly, clearly exhibiting her unwavering loyalty to her country.
"C'mon 'relia, just take her with you!" Sarah pushed almost beggingly.
"Sarah, we both know she won't want to go. More importantly, I doubt she would even be allowed to come back to Ionia. She is a wanted criminal there y'know..." Irelia answered.
"Well, what says it has to be a 'Syndra' that is travelling with you, hmm?" Miss Fortune asked deviously.
"You want her to travel with me under a fake name." Irelia stated almost incredulously.
"What's wrong with th-"
"First of all, Syndra hates Ionia, why would she want to go there? Second, Syndra is proud of who she is and rightfully so. Having her pretend to be someone else other than herself would be... wrong... Besides, I'm not going to push her into something that she doesn't want to do. Enough people have tried to do that." Irelia finished decisively.
"Buuuuuuuuut it would be sooooooooo romantic!" Sarah answered back dreamily. "Not to mention there would be plenty of time for... intimate... moments."
Irelia rolled her eyes and spoke up.
"I don't need to travel somewhere in order to have 'intimate moments' " Irelia replied, sounding mildly upset with Miss Fortune's assumptions.
"Oho? So you guys have done it then?" Sarah pushed forward aggressively, her eyes flashing with expectation.
Irelia's cheeks blushed slightly with embarrassment before she answered.
"I'm not going to talk about my sexual life with you, Sarah. Next thing I know, the entirety of Runeterra will know about me and Syndra..." Irelia retorted.
"AHAHA!" Sarah burst out laughing, "Look at that, our little Irelia is all grown up now..." she teased laughingly.
"So what was it like? Being... close... to such an exotic woman?" Sarah asked eagerly.
Irelia looked away and refused to answer.
"What does she like?"
"..."
"What do you like?"
"..."
"Or were you both just lost to each other, tangled together in bed while you-"
"SARAH!" Irelia finally shouted angrily. "That's enough."
Miss Fortune stopped in her blabbering immediately.
"I was just playing..." She finally spoke up mutely, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Yeah... yeah... whatever..." Irelia answered back, still sounding mildly upset.
Sarah seemed to immediately regain her tongue after hearing Irelia's words.
"I'll just ask her instead!" Sarah spoke up jubilantly.
Before Irelia could even argue back, Sarah called out in a loud voice.
"Syndra! Over here!" The pirate hunter waved her arm and yelled out in the direction of the doorway.
Having her back turned to the door, Irelia hadn't noticed Syndra enter the bar a few moments before.
"Huh?-wha-no-Sarah-whatareyoudoing!" Irelia sputtered in a surprised moment of panic.
"You're gonna ask her right here right now!" Miss Fortune declared firmly.
"Mmm Plaything!" Syndra greeted Irelia as she wrapped her arms around the warrior's neck. The sovereign practically ignored Miss Fortune even though it was the pirate hunter that called her attention.
Irelia's cheeks pinked slightly as Syndra cradled her head in a remarkably gentle embrace.
"Hey Syndra..." Irelia mumbled softly as she unconsciously lifted her hands to grasp Syndra's arms.
"Okay lovebirds, that's enough, you're makin me jealous!" Sarah pointedly interrupted the pair of Ionians.
Syndra's head snapped up as she fixed Miss Fortune with a rather displeased glare. Sarah wisely avoided a confrontation by changing the subject.
"So, Syndra, little 'relia here has something important to tell you and something important to ask you." Sarah quipped quickly, giving Irelia a pointed glance. The moment Sarah started speaking, Irelia shook her head frantically, but her efforts rewarded her with nothing.
"Sarah... I'm going to kill you if you keep butting into my business..." Irelia growled menacingly.
Abruptly, Syndra's eyes flashed and a twisted grin spread across her face.
"Kill?" Syndra questioned almost eagerly. The sovereign fixed Miss Fortune with a gaze that clearly exhibited her eagerness to shed blood. Moments later, Syndra lifted a hand up and began focusing magic at her fingertips. Thankfully, she was interrupted by Irelia who reached up and snatched her arm back down; returning the sovereign's arm to its place in embracing the warrior.
"I was just kidding..." Irelia whispered softly to Syndra.
The mage frowned slightly with visible disappointment. Though she was clearly still content with her arms wrapped around her "plaything".
"Uhm... Anyways, I was saying that little 'relia had-"
"Shut up, Sarah." Irelia interrupted with an exasperated roll of her eyes.
"But-" Sarah barely started until Irelia interrupted her again.
"Sarah, I can do this by myself. Stop trying to butt your head in my business." Irelia stated sternly.
Her tone clearly expressed the fact that she was being entirely serious. Before she could even address Syndra, however, the sovereign spoke up first.
"You're hiding something from me?" Syndra inquired, sounding almost indignant.
"I'm not hiding anything from you... It's just..." Irelia stopped suddenly with hesitation.
"It's just?" Syndra pressured.
"It's just I didn't want you to get upset." Irelia finished, looking away rather guiltily.
"And what would I get upset with?" Syndra pushed further.
"I have to go." Irelia stated bluntly, seeing no better option other than to just say it.
"Back home. To Ionia." Irelia added on quickly.
Syndra stiffened immediately as a mixed storm of emotions flashed across her eyes. Even without saying anything, it was easy to tell that she wasn't happy that the warrior was leaving her.
"Little 'relia was also wondering if you wanted to go with her!" Miss Fortune suddenly butted in, sounding hopeful.
Of course Syndra's reaction was the exact opposite of what the pirate hunter wanted.
"I will NOT set foot in that cesspool of weakness!" Syndra snarled venomously. "The next time I stand on Ionian soil will be the time I destroy it!"
Both Irelia and Miss Fortune flinched at the toxic amount of hatred present in the sovereign's voice.
A moment of silence descended upon the group until Miss Fortune chuckled nervously in attempt to dispel the air. Unable to break the uncomfortable silence, Sarah resorted to the same tactic yet again. She changed the subject.
"So... Syndra... How's Irelia in bed?" The pirate hunter questioned bluntly.
"WHAT!?" Syndra practically roared back, her face suddenly flushing crimson.
Syndra snapped her head around and shuffled sideways slightly so that she could glare at Irelia. Behind her glare however, the mage was clearly demanding to know whether or not Irelia had talked about their intimate moments.
Irelia raised her hands and shook her head vehemently; an emphatic negative in answer to Syndra's questions.
"Is it your business to shove your ugly mug where it does not belong?!" Syndra snapped nastily at the pirate hunter.
Sarah, however, took the threat in stride and instead chose to focus on her victories.
"So you guys DID do something!" Miss Fortune declared triumphantly. "What did you do? Make out? Second base? Third base? HOME RUN!?" The pirate hunter questioned quickly and without even the slightest hint of restraint or embarrassment.
From her position, Syndra had unconsciously released Irelia and had clawed her hands until they were white with the amount of pressure she was putting on them. Her face had an expression of wanting to strangle the very life out of Miss Fortune.
On the other hand, Irelia completely buried her face in her hands, pitifully trying to hide her embarassment with both Syndra's unintentional affirmation that they had shared intimate moments and with Sarah's blunt interest in their relationship.
"Let me kill her." Syndra snarled at Irelia through gritted teeth "PLEASE let me kill her!"
"I'm about to do that myself..." Irelia muttered back with her face still buried in her hands.
"C'mon ladies!" Sarah continued uncaringly, "Gimme the scoop! Lemme know! C'mon open up! It's nothing to be ashamed of!"
Neither Irelia nor Syndra chose to indulge in the pirate hunter as they both looked away and attempted to pretend as though nothing had happened.
"AWWWW C'MON!" Sarah practically yelled in the most begging voice she could muster.
Of course her efforts failed miserably.
"Fine then." Miss Fortune pouted. "I'll just continue to ask you about this every minute of every day until y'all open up to me!" She declared jubilantly.
Irelia turned back to Miss Fortune and gave her a horrified stare. Syndra did the same only it was a predatory glare that conveyed an immense desire to crush the redhead with her powers. Miss Fortune continued blabbering away, unfazed by the looks she was receiving from the Ionians.
"Well, since little 'relia here won't tell me what she likes, maybe you will tell me what you like!" Sarah bluntly stated at Syndra. "Does she like it rough? Do you like it rough? Are you guys really kinky with each other!?"
Midway through Sarah's blabbering, Syndra shut her eyes and ground her teeth as the limits of her embarassment and anger were tested. Just as she was about to explode, Irelia finally stepped in.
"SARAH WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!" The warrior blasted in uncharacteristic frustration.
Sarah stopped immediately, recognizing the danger in Irelia's voice.
Irelia reached out and gently caught Syndra by the arm before speaking up in a placating tone.
"Hey... hey... She's just trying to play... She just doesn't know when to stop... It's okay..." Irelia said in a gentle tone.
Luckily for Miss Fortune, the warrior's words had their desired effect as Syndra relaxed her tensed muscles and let out a muted grunt. Behind both of their gazes, Irelia and Miss Fortune heaved relieved sigh as they realized just how close they came to a disaster.
After another few minutes of silence passed, Irelia fidgeted slightly and shifted to face Syndra.
"Are you sure you can't come with me?" Irelia asked, fixing the sovereign with her best puppy dog eyes possible.
If her expression didn't convey it, it was most certainly clear by the tone in her voice that she was visibly disappointed by Syndra's refusal.
Syndra sniffed slightly as she glanced down at Irelia. Behind her eyes, a huge conflict of interest raged across her mind. Torn between her hatred of Ionia and her desire to stay with Irelia, Syndra bit her lip as Irelia continued to silently beg her to accompany her.
"But..." Syndra started, but suddenly stopped when Irelia's grip on her arm tightened with expectation.
Although Syndra initially hesitated after Irelia's actions, the sovereign's gaze suddenly hardened.
"No." Syndra finally spat, "I'll burn that country to the ground before I step in there again!"
Irelia and Miss Fortune flinched once again as Syndra's cruel tone reached their ears.
"But then I'll be all alo-"
"Then you should stay. Stay here with me." Syndra interrupted selfishly.
"But I can't! The elders are-"
"Those weak, foolish leaders of your country are unworthy of your service!" Syndra snapped haughtily.
"It is... my duty..." Irelia answered back feebly.
"Your duty is to stay here and be my plaything!" Syndra declared smugly, fixing Irelia with a possessive smile.
Irelia rolled her eyes with mock exasperation as she returned Syndra's smile. Alas, the warrior found herself pushing forwards once more.
"C'mon Syndra... it will be a nice break from here..." Irelia begged.
Syndra frowned in response, but it was easy to tell that she was still visibly torn between her choices.
"If Ionia is buried then mayb-"
"Please?" Irelia interrupted, her eyes shining like bright blue sapphire crystals.
"Besides, you should visit the places of your childhood at least once..." Irelia continued, still sounding hopeful.
Syndra's expression, however, darkened when Irelia mentioned her childhood.
Her childhood...
She despised her life at that time...
Syndra dispersed the cloud of darkness descending on her with a shake of her head.
"Visit my childhood..." Syndra echoed hollowly.
"Yeah... with me next to you this time..." Irelia whispered softly, recognizing the pained look hidden behind Syndra's impassive face.
Syndra looked up briefly as Irelia added the "with me" part of her statement. She blinked and sighed heavily; weighing the heavy options before her.
Irelia said nothing. Patiently waiting for the sovereign to make her decision based on nothing other than her own will.
At long last, Syndra let out another sigh and met Irelia's gaze. She said only one word:
...
...
...
"Fine."
Instantly, an uncontrolled smile spread across Irelia's mouth. Unable to even form words, Irelia wordlessly reached out to Syndra and pulled the mage into a strong, squeezing embrace.
"GREAT!" Miss Fortune suddenly spoke up in a startlingly loud voice.
"But before you guys go, we need to change a few things!" The pirate hunter declared. She continued without even bothering to wait for either Ionian to reply, "First of all, Syndra, we can't have you waltzing back into Ionia after that mess you made. Your name is now... Sandra!"
Syndra opened her mouth to argue back, but was cut off by the pirate hunter yet again.
"Secondly, we can't have you dress like that because it's just waaaay to distinctive. 'relia's going to need to take you shopping!" Sarah finished.
Before Syndra could even attempt to fight back, Irelia spoke up.
"I know a few places around that might have some... cute... things for you to wear!" Irelia stated enthusiastically, fixing the sovereign with a winning smile as she spoke.
"But I like my clothes!" Syndra finally managed to blurt out, sounding like a child that was having her toys taken away from her. "And what's wrong with my name? I like Syndra! It rings with power!"
"But you'll look so cute!" Miss Fortune gushed, "And you'll have a cute little name to top it all off!"
"C'mon Syndra, it'll be fun!" Irelia chimed in eagerly.
Syndra glanced back at Irelia with a look of horror on her face.
"You're going to take her side on this!?" Syndra demanded in feeble resistance.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you!" Irelia answered back with undaunted and unwavering conviction.
"But... but... but..." Syndra tried to resist, but was unable to overcome Irelia's persuasion.
Finally she groaned and hung her head in uncharacteristic defeat.
"C'mon, we can get started right away!" Irelia declared enthusiastically.
Without a moment of hesitation, the Ionian warrior bolted to her feet and grabbed Syndra by the wrist before pulling the mage in the direction of the door.
"This is going to be great!" Irelia exclaimed.
Alas, while she was being dragged away, Syndra could only bring herself to say one thing.
"What have I gotten myself into..."
Author's Notes:
Before I even say hello to everyone, I'm going to apologize for the two week delay in getting this chapter out. That being said, finals are done and over with so I can finally get back to spending my time on things that I actually enjoy. On another note, I finished making my revisions to the general outline of this story. Hopefully you guys will like what I have in store for you all.
As always, thank you all for reading. Do leave a comment if you have any pointers or criticism for me. Hope to see you all in the chapters to come!