The day seemed to drag on as Riven lay on her Zac-bed and attempted to clear her mind. The multitude of experiences that plagued her were less than kind in her endeavor. She had begun to think that simply forgetting and moving on was enough to truly cure her of the thoughts, but when she had encountered Master Yi, who reminded her of the things she had done, it was like starting from square one.

"What's up champ?" asked Zac, who noticed Riven's restlessness.

"It's a lot harder to forget your past than you may think," she stated.

"I don't think forgetting is the key here."

"Well, how else will I clear it from my mind?"

"Embracing." Riven stayed quiet, not knowing how to answer the remark. "Hasn't Garen laid that out for you?" Zac pressed.

"Do you think that's what he wanted me to do?"

"He wants you to be you. He doesn't want your head to be clouded. He wants you to be at peace with your decisions, because he knows the pain of a mistake."

"I honestly have no idea how he does it," she told Zac. "He is a strong and intelligible man. Yet he has done things he regrets deeply. He has killed hundreds and ruined the lives of people he doesn't even know. He has run away from his life and everything he lived for, yet he traveled with us and taught us. He dealt with his own emotions and sought to protect people he hardly knew. I don't... I just don't get it."

"You clung to him pretty tightly too Riven. What drew you to him?"

"Just... The chance to... You know, escape. To realize that there is a world beyond what I was forcing myself to see. He was a distraction."

"But that's where you are wrong. You needed someone else to help you realize that there is more to the world. But it wasn't a distraction from your world. It was a new one for you to prosper in."

"A new world..." she muttered.

"Have you thought about starting a new world with Garen?"

"A... What? Nonono... We aren't like that," she said, blushing. "And besides, if I don't heal here, I won't be able to start anything."

"But you will," Zac assured her.

"I guess... I guess I feel like I would hold him back. He is such a father figure. He would make a good dad and deserves no less. I can't be a mom. I mean, physically. I can't have kids and..." Riven knew what message she wanted to get across but the more she spoke, the more awkward it felt. Zac did not poke fun at her, but instead wrapped two gelatinous arms around her, being sure to keep away from the icy wound. The move was strangely comforting, even if it was a very bizarre sight from an outside perspective.

Riven smiled and closed her eyes, thinking back on her life. She wondered what exactly she would say if someone else confronted her about the events on Ionia, much like Master Yi had. Then she remembered that Zac had been there to rescue her shortly afterwards. While she could not bank on someone bailing her out, part of her believed that she could to hold onto the firm understanding that she would never be alone in the world, and that there was always someone behind her as support.

Over the course of the past few weeks, Garen had never turned on her, despite knowing she was Noxian, despite the dangers that rode in them traveling together, and despite the fact that he had hardly just met her. It was a friendship built to last, and a peace meant to stay.

As Riven's mind ran through those thoughts, Zac took note of her quietness. He knew that she was deep in thought and chose not to say anything, in hopes that she was making progress. After a little while, footstep could be heard coming up the steps. Zac pulled his arms away and Riven snapped out of her trance to face Master Yi. He looked at them and nodded, as Riven slowly sat up and pulled her legs to sit cross-legged.

"Are we ready?" Yi asked.

"Yes," she stated firmly. The confidence in her voice pleased Yi and he sat down in the same position as she did. He placed his hands on his knees and hummed softly to himself. After bowing his head, he closed his eyes and the familiar green glow emanated from his body. Riven drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to be at peace.

At first, Riven repeatedly felt the urge to let her mind dwell on memories and emotions. Time and time again she pushed the thoughts away and tried to stay focused on staying relaxed. Her attempts were cut short by a sharp voice beside her.

"Do not push your mind to focus. Let you mind stray, but let it be at peace." Riven took in Yi's words and returned to her meditating. Pictures of Ionia made their way into vision but that time she kept them there. A scene painted itself in front of her as she watched the memory she had seen so many times before.

The grim and dark surroundings complimented the lurking haze to a "T". The Island of Ionia had once been a beautiful place, full of flowering plants, lively people, and natural landforms. On that day, not a single bird chirped and a gloom set in so unnaturally that it sent chills through the spine; it was almost as if the island itself knew just how much peril its citizens were in.

Riven shook the thought from her mind and she looked to the road in front of her; long and winding through the hills. No winds shook the tall grasses scattering the path, making it look more like a picture than a real scene.

"This is what I wanted..." Riven muttered to herself, clutching her massive sword in one hand and waving a "move out" signal to the troops behind her, with the other. Since her husband had never returned from his deployment to Ionia, all she could think about was proving her strength as a soldier and as a person. The nasty thought of her being unable to carry a child still lingered in her brain, as it would for a long time to come, and it drove her to where she stood that day.

A messenger approached Riven and stood at attention, waiting for her go to deliver the news he had. She saluted him and he handed her a letter before marching off.

Riven, I must admit, I am quite proud of you thus far. You have proven to be both a strong and useful asset. Your swift assassination of that Ionian elder left the entire village in shambles. Clean up will be easy. Your next assignment is a somewhat remote village to the east. The warriors practice in an ancient art and have proven to be more than capable of combat. The threat they pose is incredible, and we need them all exterminated. We are prepared to use any means necessary for their extinguishment.

The final threat to us is in the southern portion of the continent in a small village called Novar. Two waves of troops have already been wiped out entirely. Reports indicate a large amount of explosives were used yet no more than two or three soldiers were seen on the battlefield. Terminate the threat once you finish the previous assignment. This war is nearly ours. Good luck, and hold strong.

Riven stared up at the sky and crumpled the letter. It fell straight to the ground in the lack of wind and suffered a series of soldier's footsteps across it. Riven picked up her pace to a jog in order to get herself to the front of the pack, and lead the way eastward, keeping her eyes open for the small village the general had mentioned in his letter. The perpetual fog did not help her plight any, but she kept her chin up and showed confidence in herself in attempt to keep her soldiers encouraged.

The dank atmosphere persisted and the number of corpses scattering the ground gradually increased in numbers. The ground seemed to be the landfill of a violent battle, but the corpses had a little peculiarity about them; few of them had any sort of dismemberments. Glaring facts do not become as prominent until after the matter. And by then, they are the only facts that burn ever so deep into the mind.

The rest of the events that followed were ones she had shared multiple times before, where her soldiers were cut down by Ionians in an ambush until the sky rained a toxic sludge down upon friend and foe alike. The pain Riven had felt from the memories seemed all too obvious: as she had stood in Ionia, sword in one hand, selfishness in the other, she made her stand completely alone. She did hardly knew any of her soldiers by name, the spirit of her husband was not beside her in the quest to prove she was stronger, and no friends even knew she was there. That was no longer the case.

Riven opened her eyes and looked at Master Yi, who bore a smirk as he watched her actions intently.

"The village that was assaulted by chemical warfare, the one that I was sent to invade and exterminated, was your village, wasn't it?" The swordsman stared deep into her eyes and nodded.

"I was away, pursuing my own selfish endeavors. When I returned, all was gone." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he paused to take a small bow. "Riven, my strength came not from pursuing vengeance, but from forgiving those responsible. Fighting through anger gets one nowhere. Fighting with a conscious cleared of any frustration will prove to overcome any obstacle. Perseverance is always mind, over body. "

"Do..." Riven was not sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. "Do you think, I can do it?" The stammered question turned Yi's smirk turned into a full on smile. He pointed towards the ground as he spoke.

"You already have." Riven's gaze lowered towards his finger and she saw a pool of water seeping over the cold floor, just besides Zac. Beaming, she clutched her side and noticed a wound; a normal one, free of ice and cold. "The wound is deep, and will take time to heal. But free of true ice, time is no longer critical.

"How... How can I ever thank?" she stuttered out, overcome with excitement. Yi responded with a laugh.

"I did nothing, Riven. YOU found the strength to clear your mind. Seeing someone begin to understand the ways of Wuju, is beyond what I could ask fo – umph!" Yi's sentence was cut short as Riven's arms wrapped around him in thanks. She turned away and plopped on top of Zac with her arms spread wide, attempting to hug his massive squishy body.

"Do not forget to rest Riven," Yi told her. "You will need to heal before we can leave. The summoner who had been kind enough to teleport champions to and fro has gone missing. We may have to hike back. In which case, you will need to be in top shape."

"Yes Master Yi, I understand. Zac, let's go downstairs to a real bed. They should be open since Sejuani and Shyvana are gone." He nodded and Riven slowly got to her feet to descend the stairs. The small walk was enough to wear her out, just getting used to the ability to breathe fully again, and adjusting to the arrow holes in her side. She crawled into the bed and held the covers tight.

"How ya doin' champ?" Zac asked, smiling at her.

"Cold and alone," she replied sarcastically. Zac moved over and sat down on the edge of the bed, near her head. She shifted and laid her head on his lap to stare up into his strange amorphous face.

"Thank you Zac, for being a friend."

"Anytime, Riven."