The Redemption of Jericho Swain

by Ghosted Note

Chapter 2: Cities of Progress

The Redemption of Jericho Swain

Chapter 2: Cities of Progress

Applejack may not have wanted to keep her new body, but she had to admit, these hands were useful. Zaun didn’t seem like an especially safe place to wander around in, but after some kind soul had given her some clothes, a tiny handful of coins, and directions to the League Embassy, she’d gotten a firsthand taste of how useful her new appendages could be with the proper application of force, though she still felt a little guilty about the cracking noise she’d heard after slugging a would-be thief in the jaw.

It hadn’t really taken much for Applejack to adjust to her new body. Part of being an earth pony was being naturally in tune with yourself and your environment, and even now, she felt just as connected to her body and the land around her as she had previously. The latter was a bit concerning though, as she couldn’t help but feel a pang of nausea every few minutes, which was likely related to the intense pollution and smog that dominated Zaun.

It was a colorful city, Zaun, and filled with wonder and amazement the likes of which Applejack had never been able to imagine in Equestria. Machinery clicked and whirred all around her, and strange devices whose purposes the farm girl couldn’t even begin to guess at seemed commonplace and perfectly normal. Overhead, huge zepplins listed through the air, trailing smoke and magical auras. On the streets, people and magically animated golems intermingled, and guards armed with bizarre weapons resembling hollowed sticks with machinery attached patrolled, ever vigilant for lawbreakers. It was a bit much for the countrified farmer to take in.

Nonetheless, Applejack was known by many a pony for being levelheaded and determined, if not a little stubborn, and she had already decided that she wasn’t going to let her situation get the best of her and panic. Thus armed with her resolution, she began her journey. Zaun’s streets were winding and complicated, and although she seemed capable of understanding the language here for some reason, she couldn’t help but feel like looking at the map she’d been given was giving her a headache. Strangely enough, the woman who had found her unconscious near a notable chemist’s home didn’t seem at all phased by Applejack claiming to be from another world, as if such occurrences weren’t uncommon in Valoran, and the woman had calmly directed Applejack to the League Embassy, where people trained to deal with bizarre interdimensional occurrences could help her.

The embassy seemed like the most normal, even boring place in all of Zaun. A tiny, bored-looking man sat behind a desk, shuffling papers around as if trying to pretend at productivity. Applejack took a deep breath. “Uh, excuse me, sir, but Ah was told y’all could help me here. Mah name’s Applejack, and Ah ain’t from this world.”

The man raised an eyebrow, and gave no other indication that he had heard her until his paper shuffling abruptly stopped. “Ah, yes, Applejack. We just received the paperwork authorizing a retrieval team to go fetch you. Seem you have people looking for you. A party of two, one Kassadin and one...Twilight Sparkle....will be here to escort you out of Zaun within a matter of days.” Applejack figured such a name probably sounded bizarre to the man, and was almost inclined to congratulate him on an admirable effort to keep his composure in the face of weirdness. Truthfully, the man had barely managed to keep from snorting at Twilight Sparkle’s name. “Please go sit at one of the chairs over there. Someone will be there to escort you to your room shortly.”

“Mah sincere thanks, sir. Have a good’un.” Applejack made her way to the group of chairs, most of which were occupied. Beside her, a small boy just sat, staring at her. “Uhh, can Ah help you?”

“You don’t look like League material. I guess I don’t either.” The boy was still staring, as if sizing her up.

“Ah ain’t here to join the...wait, ain’t you a bit young to be applying to something like this?” Applejack frowned. “From what Ah’ve heard, you could get seriously hurt. If they didn’t turn you down for being so young, that is.”

The child snorted in response. “They don’t have age limits in the League. As long as you are combat capable and capable of understanding what you’re doing, they’ll let you apply. Momma says I’m the best hydromancer this side of Valoran.”

“Hydrowhatnow? Uh, on second thought, nevermind. Ah think that mah escort is here to take me to my room anyway. Good luck, kid. Hope you get what’s best for ya.” Applejack was correct, as an intern approached her and signaled her to follow, she complied, grateful for the knowledge that Twilight was coming, though a bit concerned that she wasn’t the only one who had been pulled into this world. Celestia only knew how Fluttershy would get along in a city like this.

- - - -

Fortunately for Fluttershy, she was not in a city like Zaun. Piltover could best be described as the opposite approach to Zaun’s obsession with progress at all cost. Piltover was also a city of technological and magical wonder, but it showed considerably more restraint when it came to ethical boundaries. As Ezreal escorted Fluttershy around the city, she couldn’t help but stare in amazement as machines held aloft by rotary blades soared overhead. Flight wasn’t especially amazing or exciting to her, even if she was a relatively weak flier, but nobody else here had wings with which to fly. The fact that they had so easily bested gravity without any help from nature was astonishing by itself. She wasn’t even sure if she was going to be able to fly in her new form, especially when she still had trouble walking. It was as if her natural clumsiness had been multiplied tenfold, and she struggled to balance herself as she walked with her new legs. It had been a trying experience, but Fluttershy didn’t wish to complain to Ezreal, especially after he had been so kind and helpful, even volunteering to take her on a tour of the city while they waited for Twilight. She’d been able to see the Piltover University of Science and Progress, the large screens that displayed League matches to all of Piltover, and even meet some of the other sentient lifeforms of Runeterra, a short race of creatures called yordles, which averaged at about three feet in height, which exhibited the most extreme case of sexual dimorphism Fluttershy had ever seen in any species. The males were all furry and somewhat resembled oddly colored rodents, whilst the females were bereft of fur or hair except on their heads, and were covered in a pale blue skin. It was one of the most fascinating things the animal lover had ever seen in nature, and she felt inclined to mention it to Ezreal, who offhandedly mentioned that the reason for it wasn’t entirely certain, and that many even suspected that yordles weren’t originally native to Valoran, or perhaps even all of Runeterra.

Fluttershy was honestly surprised at how pleasant her time in Piltover had been thus far. She had never been one to deal with crowds very well, but overall, the populace of Piltover was extremely friendly, and if Fluttershy had to venture a guess, extremely well-educated. Yordles were naturally inventive and creative, and humans seemed to possess a strange stubborn nature that didn’t let the possibility of letting anything as petty as the limits of science stand in their way exist. The two natures had met and intermingled in what could possibly have been the best possible way, and the result was a hotbed of innovation and creation for all of Valoran. It was, in a way, heartwarming to witness, as the two species worked together on a day by day basis for the betterment of all.

“And here we have the League Embassy, possibly the most boring place in all of Piltover.” Ezreal rolled his eyes as he continued in an over-the-top, blatantly fake impression of excitement. “Home to paperwork, boring magicians, and every wannabe who doesn’t know how much it hurts to have Jarvan’s spear shoved up your-”

“Um, I don’t mean to interrupt...well, I do, but I’m sorry...but...” Ezreal stood with his arms crossed as he waited for Fluttershy to recompose herself after doing something so extreme as interrupting Ezreal’s rant. Predictably, it took a few minutes for Fluttershy to become audible again. “Um...how long exactly till Twilight gets here?”

“Should be tomorrow, actually. She’s being escorted by a guy named Kassadin. Kinda creepy, but Ryze trusts him. We’ll be meeting right here at the League Embassy. I’m actually kinda on a vacation from my non-League employment, so I’ll actually be free to join you all as we look for the rest of your friends.” Ezreal motioned for Fluttershy to begin following. “Come on, I’ll show you the Piltover Gardens. It’s the the largest self contained, artificially created and maintained biome in all of Valoran, home to all sorts of interesting creatures, and it’s also a sterling example of magically replicating ideal growing conditions for the flora.”

Most of the words went over Fluttershy’s head, but she looked forward to the prospect of seeing some of Valoran’s nature. “That sounds...nice.”

- - - -

“Your daughter? Really? That’s...horrible.” Twilight Sparkle flinched as Kassadin finished his story. “Well...I guess there are definitely worse reasons to be a wanted criminal in a city. Zaun doesn’t really sound like a great place anyway.”

Kassadin’s watery voice sighed wistfully. “Indeed. I only wish I could have stopped it in time. Even so, I cannot rest to grieve. We stand upon the precipice of disaster, and precious few are moving to stop it. The Void wishes to consume us all, and it has willing servants to aid it.”

“Sounds pretty serious...Has the League offered any help?” Twilight Sparkle found the tales of hideous monsters, sanity-shredding magic, and the never-ending hunger of the Void to be a little far-fetched, but she refrained from saying such to Kassadin. It wouldn’t be prudent to dismiss something without researching it, and she did not have the means to do said research at the time being.

“The League views my claims with...understandable skepticism. They refuse to commit resources to something that they see as hearsay and myth.” Kassadin sounded more than slightly frustrated. “I fear that by the time they see the threat, it will be too late. I digress, however. I am not sure how our conversation wandered so far from your friends.”

“Speaking of which...It concerns me that we were able to get specific locations for everypony but Pinkie Pie and Rarity, and even more that while most of us landed near one of the champions that came with us, they landed in completely random locations, it seems.” Twilight reached into the bag slung on her shoulder, and pulled out another book on interdimensional mechanics. “It doesn’t seem consistent.”

Kassadin shrugged, a motion that seemed slightly awkward with his unnatural physique and heavy garb. “It could be that Swain and Ryze were elsewhere on Runeterra when they arrived back, but used a magical method of rapid transit directly after returning. Applejack didn’t land in direct line of sight to Singed, so we know that there’s a possibility Swain and Ryze might not have seen the two others upon returning, and seeing as they would have likely been unconscious as the rest of you were, Pinkie Pie and Rarity would not have been able to stop them from leaving.”

“Reasonable enough,” Twilight said, before continuing, “That would explain it decently well, though there are still a host of other mysteries pertaining to our transportation to this world. At least we don’t have to go overseas to Ionia. Bandle City and Demacia sound like interesting places anyway.”

“Bandle City is stereotypical of the yordles: inventive, childish, at least by our standards, and maybe slightly insane. Demacia...They mean well, but perhaps they take their morality crusade a little too seriously. At times I fear that they value an arbitrary moral code more than the rights and freedoms of its citizens.”

Twilight Sparkle giggled dismissively. “Surely there’s nothing wrong with trying to make sure everypony acts nice to one another. I mean, Princess Celestia’s been doing that for thousands of years, and Equestria’s never been better.”

“I’ve never met your princess. If she’s managed to keep peace for that long without becoming a tyrant, then she truly must be something to behold. Here, though, things are different. Humans aren’t quite so long-lived, and they certainly aren’t beyond corruption. Demacia’s ideal is...noble, but perhaps they’ve strayed from their original covenant. It is run like a well-oiled machine, and like a well-oiled machine, there is no room for faulty parts. Every citizen must adhere to a strict set of rules and expectations, or they are punished severely. It isn’t necessarily lawbreaking either. One could be ostracized from Demacian society for simply presenting a dissenting view. They value their self-proclaimed righteousness so much, that they have long forsaken the happiness of its people.” Kassadin’s garbled voice didn’t mask his disdain. “One extreme or the other, both are unhealthy for a people. Demacia is no better than Noxus.”

“Oh.” Twilight stared awkwardly at the ground for a few minutes as they walked, occasionally stumbling as she still adjusted to her new body. “So, um, you’ve worked with Ryze, right? You must know a lot about magic.”

Kassadin let the change in subject pass without mention. “I am not nearly as well-versed in as many schools of magic as he is, but I have found my own niche as a magic-user. My exposure to the Void may have had some unintended physical consequences, such as my unusual coloration and physique, but it has also taught me more about the nature of magic.” Twilight immediately perked up as the conversation began to turn toward a more scholarly subject. “The subject has often been broached that magic is more like a flowing river of energy than anything else, but it is less discussed that like a river, magic can be redirected, repurposed, and even dammed.”

“So you can keep others from using magic? That sounds like it could be useful in this world, from what I’ve heard anyway.” Twilight fell silent once more, and looked hesitantly at Kassadin.

It was impossible to see Kassadin roll his eyes beneath his breathing mask. “I could show you some of what I know, if you wish.” What followed was probably the most excited series of giggles Kassadin had ever heard related to studying magic. “Oh, and you might want to drop the word ‘everypony’ for now. In Valoran, we use the term ‘everyone’. It covers all species.” Twilight was only moderately aware of the latter part of the response, though, as she was completely absorbed in her internal celebration of upcoming knowledge. Studying was the most enjoyable of all activities, after all.

- - - -

The creature had been traveling for a few hours now, following the distinct scent of the magic native only to its homeland, bristling against the form this world had constrained it to the entire time. As it skittered through the grasslands, it was grateful that it at least had a form at all, and that the wards keeping creatures like it from being here were weakened in places and broken in others. Still, it couldn’t help but look forward to an upcoming time when this world would behold its true form, in all of its glory.

The creature sensed that it was close to its target, and its four spider-like legs increased pace. It could sense now that this form would not remain intact for very much longer, but it almost had the information it needed. One of its three eyes finally found what it was looking for, and took in every detail about the purple-haired girl traveling with enemy sorcerer. It was none too soon, either, and the creature squeaked out a pathetic cry as it felt its exoskeleton withering, and its essence being ripped away from Valoran. It didn’t mind though. Soon it would be back, and it would be a lot less restrained.

- - - -

Riven groaned in frustration. “I knew this was a bad idea. It hasn’t even been five min-”

“Relax, it’s not like any of those guys have even touched us. But yeah, I didn’t quite believe you when you said that people in this place were so....violent.” Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings nervously. “But, yeah, I guess we’re too much awesome for them to touch, right?”

“All you did was fly around in circles while I incapacitated the thieves.” Riven rolled her eyes, and began collecting the weaponry of the unconscious thieves around her. “Maybe you can brag after you actually know how to fight.”

“Hey! I, uh, got into plenty of hoof-fights back in flight school. I mean, someone’s gotta teach those other ponies that I don’t care about what they think I do with other mares.” Rainbow Dash’s face burned at Riven’s flat statement. “You might have a bit more experience, I admit, but I’m no pushover.”

“A bloody nose isn’t a fight. Come back after you’ve broken a few bones, maybe been in actual danger while you’re at it. But hey, there’s no shame in being green. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere.” Riven put her spoils in a bag. “Any chance we could dye your hair to something less...attention-grabbing?”

Rainbow Dash recoiled at the thought. “Hey, hey, nopony’s touching my awesome mane. It’s all I have left of my cool appearance. Also, on a completely separate note, why did you leave each of them one weapon? Isn’t that gonna allow them to keep attacking people?”

“They’re thieves, not murderers, which is exactly what I would be if I didn’t leave them a weapon. Only a fool or someone with a death wish travels the streets of Noxus without some means of defense. They wouldn’t last until sundown.” Riven motioned for her companion to follow. “Let’s sell this junk and buy you some gear. Tomorrow, after my meeting, I’ll start training you in some self-defense while we’re waiting for your friends to arrive.”

“Welcome to Geas’ Armaments, where all the wares are spellbi-” The shop they arrived in was a bit dank and worn down, and filled to the brim with armor and weapons of all shapes, sizes, and qualities. A muscular smith with arms almost as large as his girth stood behind a counter, and dropped the scowl he wore for most customers as soon as Riven entered. “Riven! It’s been too long. Last I heard, you’d joined the League. Didn’t think you’d be needing to come to my shop again. I thought that the League heavily regulated what equipment you could use. Who’s your pretty angel friend?”

“It’s good to see you too, Geas.” Riven gestured to Rainbow Dash. “I’m not shopping for me. This is Rainbow Dash, don’t ask about the name, and I was wondering if I could get you to craft a few pieces for a novice. Needs to be light enough for her to fly in. Also, I have some junk to sell you while I’m at it.”

“Taking on an apprentice finally?” Riven shook her head. “Well, I have, and you can talk to him about the aforementioned junk.” Geas turned to Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I’ll be, I ain’t seen a prettier rainbow since I looked at Zaun’s water supply. Of course, I got sick a week later from the pollution. I don’t think that’ll be a problem, though my heart might be feeling a little weak just lookin’ at you.” Geas winked, and Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but shudder. “Why don’t you step on over to my work room, and we’ll get you some nice Noxian leather. I’ll even throw in a free blade, too, for a friend of my favorite customer.”

It was about an hour later before they left the shop, with Rainbow Dash feeling slightly violated by the fitting process. She was also sporting a scimitar on her hip now, which Riven felt was an acceptable compromise between heft and agility. When they finally returned to Riven’s compound, it was dark, and Rainbow Dash was ready to sleep. Riven, on the other hand, found that sleep did not come easily, as her thoughts were preoccupied with a meeting she did not especially want to go to approaching.

- - - -

Nasus braced himself as he was slammed into the air by a living mass of rock, and with perfect form righted himself in the air, and landed, barely scratched. He was used to battles like this, against uneven odds. In a way, he thrived on it, as it gave him more targets to leech life force from. He had finally aligned himself fully with his Summoner, and the full extent of his abilities had been unleashed. Adding to it, the opposing team of champions and Summoners had left him to gather his strength, embedding the magical power that drove the automated minions he had dismantled within himself for the duration of the battle. His opponents had realized too late what their mistake was, and now they had to pay the price. An all-too-familiar sandstorm engulfed the forest that they had ambushed him in, and Nasus felt himself increase in stature and power as he began draining the life out of his attackers. The rock creature tried with all of its might to hold Nasus down, but his blows barely scratched against the armor covering Nasus. A sword-wielding human was next, and his blows were mighty and swift, but drawing blood against the behemoth had merely motivated Nasus to put his full force into a single swing, and the warrior was sent flying and retreating for his life.

Nasus was ready to pursue the swordsman, but found himself held in place as his eyesight blackened for a moment, and Nasus recoiled as visions of his own demise, and his brother’s unchecked rampaging as a result filled his mind. After a moment, Nasus was finally able to think clearly, and the first thing he saw was a human magician, clad in purple, with radiant eyes of the same color. The sorcerer laughed cruelly, and Nasus felt magic sapping away at his strength. The mage stood still for a moment, shouting as he unleashed his magic. “Gaze into the Void and be consumed!”

Nasus fell to his knees, unable to break his gaze away from that of his assailant as he was bombarded with magic. It was over after a few seconds, but the damage was done, and Nasus weakly stumbled toward as the mage sighed boredly. “I grow tired of these games that the Summoners play. Soon, this will all end. But first things first...”

The magic that was gathering in the palms of his enemy fizzled out as Nasus’ allies finally arrived, and a flash of light from a warrior’s gem-encrusted shield slammed into the sorcerer. Nasus saw the opening, and lifted his staff.

- - - -

Nasus walked away from the fight, toward the enemy base, where structures that he was directed to destroy waited for him. As he rubbed his arm where he felt the wounds healing rapidly, he wondered if Malzahar’s threats were any less empty and worthless as they usually were. The mage had been making claims about the Void since he had joined, but nothing had come of it. Nasus shrugged, and finished digesting Malzahar’s life force as he moved to end the latest battle in the League of Legends.

Comments

[Fighterx345]

Geez, am I really the first comment? I got the feeling that this story was popular, so where is everybody?
Oh, and did you get the idea of the would-be champ from Annie?
A small, young, male hydromancer sounds like a story counterpart for the small, young, female pyromancer.

[Dralen]

I want to see their reaction to Hecarim.

[zernoc56]

in the first chapter, you had said that AJ had landed in Demacia with Rarity, but you opened this chapter with her in Zaun

[Terabyte West]

Is it strange that the second time I read this, I was hoping that instead of that water-user, you put in Ekko?