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2018-12-09
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2020-12-14
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League of Legends Series

Chapter 39: Kayn x Zoe

Notes:

The cutest mf in the whole of Runeterra~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

There was once a myth of a young girl capable of bending the world to her will, albeit her childlike features struck doubt in the hearts of many, her wisdom held no limits. A child of the stars, and a child of the gods, they called her, with unimaginable power. It was believed that upon sacrificing something of value, one could attain a single wish—if found worthy. The definition of value varied from person to person, and so those who ascended the sacred mountain were never heard from again.

In the end, the myth was lost to time. It was a story of a mad man's dream, or so it was labeled until all was forgotten.

However, one man rose to the challenge, seeing an opportunity worth taking and a chance to claim what was rightfully his. Power can achieve all things, of that Kayn was certain. He was determined to find this so-called child of the stars and piece together why no man ever returned to tell the tale. After a half day's worth of travel, Kayn reached the summit, and to his surprise, it was underwhelming.

Before him sat a young girl, her apricot hair fading to a sparkling pink color, and Rhaast quivered with an odd sort of excitement upon seeing the cosmic being. It must have been her, he deduced. The celestial rose, her magical quill pointing to the Darkin before resuming its recording of events. Her pink cheeks rose with joy, and she spoke. "Wowee! Welcome traveler, my name is Zoe, and yours?"

The reaper frowned, conflicted by the overwhelming bundle of positive energy. It wasn't just Zoe's personality, though. He could feel her power quaking through his bones. His inner Darkin quelled by the cosmic presence, a being that could quickly subdue him given a chance. A gust of wind blew across the mountain top, and the boy was mesmerized by the inner workings of her silky hair, reflecting a vast galaxy he could never hope to fathom. "Kayn, Shieda Kayn."

The child looked nothing like the description he was given, and nothing struck him as wise or powerful, despite his better judgment. "Hey, mister! That's quite rude. You should respect your elders." Kayn took a step back, trying to ward off his mind, but compared to the supreme being before him. It seemed like an impossible feat. "Ah, and you must be Rhaast. It's a pleasure to meet you finally."

The scythe lit up in response, acknowledging the ancient being. Not only that, but Rhaast purred, and Kayn wished the corrupted God-Warrior was this docile around him. "So you know Rhaast?"

"I know every—most things," Zoe smiled softly, her quill stopping to give a quick nod before resuming its scribbling.

"Oh, so can you-?"

"No, no, no," Zoe huffed. "You called me a child, and I don't like being called a child!" Her cheeks puffed in annoyance, and Kayn couldn't help but think of it as cute, a feeling Rhaast echoed a bit too eagerly. "Haven't you heard flattery will get you nowhere?"

Kayn reached for his scythe, blowing air through his lips, but it was not there. Zoe held his dearest scythe, and he narrowed his eyes. "Give it back." However, Kayn found himself incapable of taking a step forward. He was rooted to the ground. "And I didn't call you a child!"

"In here you did." Zoe tapped her temple, and the reaper rolled his eyes. "Anyway, let's play a game!"

"I did not come here to play a game!"

"That's too bad," she teased, waving her hand dismissively, and the binding that rooted Kayn disappeared. Reality began to shift, and Kayn found himself in the galaxy's embrace. The summit at his feet fell away, and he stood still, eyes wandering over the vast expanse around him, and the mesmerizing view engulfing his every sense. "Soooo, the rules are pretty simple. You just gotta collect as many stars as you can within the time limit, and then...maybe, just maybe I'll consider giving Rhaast back, but I rather like him, and I think he likes me better than you."

Kayn scoffed, watching pillars rise from the void around him, stars stationed at the top of every pillar. Zoe's figure disappeared from his sight as a pillar took her to the very top of her man-made structure. "Just like rescuing the princess but with stars."

I am not a princess.

"Whatever, Rhaast."

Looking around, Kayn climbed the pillars one by one, leaping from summit to summit, but his body wasn't quite listening to him. Was this what it felt like to be reduced down to the state of a mere mortal? Zoe was obviously testing him, and he could teach a kid or two not to underestimate him.

"Stop the inner monologue and get up here already!"

"Shut up!" Kayn shouted after her rising pillar and threw himself at the next column, finally acquiring his first star. A star-like icon appeared over his head, and Kayn grunted, taking a small breather. The next pillar crumbled, and his was quick to follow as the reaper fell into the cosmic abyss. Cracks and ripples shattered the illusionary galaxy, and a blazing inferno erupted forth, swallowing the pillars with haste.

The reaper looked up, a sinister chuckle echoing across the illusion, a laugh most foul that could not have been Zoe's. "A fool you are, herald. We Darkin are never to be trusted." Zoe's chest glew a bright red color, and Kayn let out a painful gasp, clutching his chest. Rhaast emerged from the herald, and the Aspect of Twilight collapsed, wrapping herself in a protective bubble. "And you..."

From the lava emerged molten chunks, clumping together to embody the Darkin's scythe. Rhaast sighed longingly, running a delicate finger across the edge of the blade. Freedom he had not felt in over a century. Even so, this freedom was temporary, forever sealed away, never again to regain his Darkin form. What a cruel irony, the God-Warrior, turned into a weapon. "You humans never know when to stop or when to give up. The same goes for you celestial beings."

Kayn had yet to master the Darkin within him fully, and though their souls clashed, he found himself unsure. Was this all an illusion? And if it was, why did everything feel so real? Like his soul was bare and vulnerable to forces out of his control. Rhaast floated down from his pillar, striding towards his vessel, his scythe parting the lava as he advanced.

"I must say, this was quite the disappointment. First, a herald, and then my master. I expected...more, I suppose."

"At least we agree on one thing. I am your master, Rhaast." The Darkin reached for Kayn, wrapping bony fingers around his throat and lifting him with ease.

"Hm. Yes, a rather powerful master at that. But, you are nothing without me. A mere human vessel."

"And you are nothing without me, Darkin. You need a vessel, just like I need you to achieve greatness. We may not be alike, but we are one. And I am your master." Despite the Darkin being god-like, there was no way his imprisoned self had the power to manipulate a cosmic realm. Kayn reached out, resting the palm of his hand on the Darkin. "You nearly had me," he chuckled. Rhaast grit his teeth but succumbed to the blue mist overtaking his body as he was forced back into Kayn's body.

The Aspect of Twilight smiled down from her perch above the lava, floating down to meet him much like Rhaast had. "Congratulations! You managed to acquire one whole star, which is, believe or not, the most stars anyone has ever acquired." When Zoe appeared beside him, Kayn smacked the back of her head in playful anger. He wasn't sure what all that had been about, but if it meant Rhaast was back under his control, he was fine with it.

"You know, if that had been your plan all along, we coulda skipped the buildup," he mumbled, rubbing his chest.

"Well, where's the fun in that?"

"What if I hadn't passed your little test?" Her bubbly smile turned dark, and he had a feeling he didn't want to know. Despite the innocent appearance, Kayn knew better than to challenge a cosmic being. As hard as it was to take her seriously, the fact that she could kill him with a single snap of her fingers was quite terrifying. "So, about my wish?"

"You got what you wanted, didn't you? The Darkin recognized you as its master unless I read you wrong?"

"No, I mean you cosmic beings are never satisfied with an even trade, so name your price?" His original goal had been to get what he came for and kill the herald, but unfortunately, that was not an option. And even he would feel awful, killing something so adorable.

"Ahem, every full moon, you must return here and keep me company!" Her cheeky smile returned, and the reaper looked wary. "We never finished collecting all the stars. Oh, and there's this really cool trick I can do. Most people never appreciate my creativity, and there's also a bunch of games we can play, well, I can play them alone, but there's no fun in that!" Zoe kept on rambling, her smile enough to melt the reaper's heart, and Kayn realized the herald was just lonely. It was a reasonable request; he could deal with the celestial once a month, better than Rhaast.

We are one. The Darkin mocked.

"Sure." Zoe was simply a lonely girl, duty-bound to the gods above her. To his surprise, the Aspect of Twilight jumped him and wrapped her arms around his torso, spinning him around as she giggled. Kayn patted her head awkwardly and glanced at the night sky. "Besides, sightseeing once in a while is not so bad, little shrimp."

"Hey!"

Notes:

Man, I do not know where I was going when I wrote this, but hey life story!

If you enjoyed-pop a like and comments are always appreciated! Thank you for reading! <3