• Published 5th Apr 2012
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The Redemption of Jericho Swain - Ghosted Note



Sequel to League of Discord. The Mane 6 are pulled into Runeterra, and must get home.

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Chapter 3: Not So Bad

The Redemption of Jericho Swain

Chapter 3: Not So Bad


“Okay, very good, now would you be a dear and hand me that bolt of fabric?” The poor assistant scrambled to figure out which bolt of fabric that Rarity was referring to, before promptly being smacked in the face as Rarity’s magic levitated the aforementioned fabric through the air. Demacia had been good to her over the past few days. Like her companions, she had been quickly discovered by League officials, only to have her talent as a seamstress quickly catch the attention of those around her. Her fast work pace, which was assisted by magic, had already netted a substantial profit, and since she did most of her work via telekinesis, her trouble adapting to her new form did not affect her work’s quality in the slightest. Word of her talent had spread like wildfire through the city-state’s gleaming streets, and with her current workload, she had been forced to hire a temporary assistant.

Designing clothes for humans had been easier than Rarity expected. Though the humans she had met still had an eye for the flashy and extravagant, there was a pronounced love of practicality, and she had spent the entire previous day consulting with several armor-smiths regarding ceremonial wear. Twilight wasn’t scheduled to arrive for another week, and since her magic and unusual aptitude for multitasking allowed her to work on multiple projects at a time, Rarity figured she would have a sizable allowance of spending money amassed which could either be used to make their time in Valoran more comfortable, or converted to more solid assets that could be returned with them to Equestria. It never hurt to be prepared, after all, and there was definitely a market for her product, as the state of Demacia’s artistic world seemed to be sadly lacking, with most themes being rehashed time and time again as people stuck to what they knew would work instead of innovating.

Of course, more than anything, it was an excuse not to be idle more than anything. She may not have been as strong, but she was still just as married to her work as Applejack, and perhaps even a bit addicted to it. Rarity had almost always harbored an obsession with becoming well-known, though only Rarity and her parents remembered the harder times that had become the birth of a work addict. Life had been better for years now, but even now, Rarity was still driven as much by the subconscious urge to constantly earn money. It had been Rarity to singlehoofedly fund her parents’ early retirement, and her extravagant spending had always been considered a boon to Ponyville’s economy, not to mention her charitable contributions to help rebuild Ponyville after any of the myriad disasters that seemed to occur in the supposedly quiet village. Between Town Hall’s recent repairs, and two colts bringing an Ursa Minor into town, there was always something in need of repair. At any point in time, she could have also retired, but she could never bring herself to, still driven to work, though she had been getting better about it, between talks with her therapist and constant exposure to the carefree attitude of the party-obsessed Pinkie Pie.

There was no time to think about that now, though, nor was there time to think about why she was here, or the possibility that she might not be able to get home. She had work to do, and work precluded such thoughts. Work didn’t leave space for her to worry about such things as home, fear, friends, or family. Rarity huffed, and wiped her eyes. It would be unladylike to show her concerns here, in public. Perhaps later she could try some of that meditation her therapist had suggested. That wouldn’t be for a while though. After all, she had work to do.

- - - -

“They’re here!” Fluttershy perked up at Ezreal’s announcement, and hurriedly finished grooming herself, a task that she had found to be relatively relaxing and calm, which was an important thing for a po-a human as jumpy and easily stressed as Fluttershy. Ezreal poked his head in the room, causing Fluttershy to jump slightly. “Is your stuff packed? We probably should leave straight away so that we make better time.”

“Um...Yes. I’m ready.” Fluttershy picked up her bag, which now held a few changes of clothing Ezreal had bought for her, as well as a variety of minor comforts that would help on the journey. “Are they meeting us here or at the Embassy?”

“They’re at the Embassy now. We actually should have left a while ago, but the message was delivered while I was asleep. No harm done, though. Meet me downstairs and we’ll start walking to the Embassy.” Ezreal stumbled down the hallway, fiddling with a boot strap. Fluttershy flinched and blushed slightly as an audible thump accompanied by a few colorful swears reached her ears.

A few minutes later, the pair had begun their trek across the city. The walk passed in relative silence until they arrived. The lobby, as usual, was busy and nobody gave their presence a second glance, except a single secretary who greeted Ezreal in passing. It didn’t take long to spot Kassadin, and by extension, Twilight Sparkle, who greeted them, beaming. “Fluttershy, it’s so good to see you! Nice wings!”

“It’s good to see you too, Twilight. What happened to your horn? Can you still do magic?” Fluttershy was slightly concerned that the primary feature of a unicorn was missing from Twilight’s forehead.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. Not quite sure about the horn thing, but we’re working on an interdimensional translation theory. I can still do magic though. I just channel it through my hands instead of horn, though. Oh, and speaking of we, this is Kassadin. He’s providing us with escort as we travel.” Twilight gestured to Kassadin, who bowed in response.

Fluttershy found the man’s appearance to be more than a little intimidating, but it would have been impolite to cower in fear instead of greeting him. “Uhhhh...Nice to meet you, I-I’m Fluttershy.”

Kassadin’s voice caught Fluttershy off-guard, and it took all of her self-restraint not to back away. “The honor is mine. Twilight has regaled me with many tales of the exploits of you and your friends. Looking a dragon in the eye is no small feat. Greetings to you as well, Ezreal. I trust your lessons with Ryze are going well?”

Fluttershy visibly shrank. “Oh, uh, it was nothing. I just, ah...” Fluttershy trailed off, and Ezreal picked up the slack.

“Well enough, but Ryze can be a bit rough sometimes.” Ezreal rolled his eyes, thinking back to several painful, but intensely educating experiences about magic. “He knows what he’s doing, though. Ever since I started, though, I’ve noticed a few summoners taking me out of the lanes early more often. Not super common, but it’s been happening.”

Kassadin nodded, while Twilight and Fluttershy stared blankly, completely unsure of what they were talking about, thought Twilight suspected it had to do with the pitched battles that the League held. The topic didn’t last long, though, and Ezreal soon pointed out that it would be wise to grab a bite to eat before leaving. This idea seemed to sit well with the group, and Ezreal led the way toward one of Piltover’s many cafes.

- - - -

Swain laughed, a hollow and dead sound. “Meeting in an area isolated from my guards, amidst the turmoil of Noxus’ streets? How quaint. Is this some foolish assassination attempt, Riven?”

“If it were truly an option, I would strike you down where you stand. You’ve committed far too many crimes to be walking around freely. That’s not why I’m here, though.” Riven inhaled deeply before slowly letting the air out of her lungs. She hesitated a moment before continuing. “I need your help.”

“Really, now?” Swain was surprised, but it didn’t show. “I wouldn’t think that you would come to me for help under any circumstance, even if I was inclined to render assistance. You have me curious, though. What sort of endevour would require the likes of you and I to work in tandem?”

Riven bristled, barely containing her anger at having to turn to Swain for assistance. “I know you are an intelligent man, if indeed you can still be called that after whatever you sold your soul to was finished with you. You learn from your mistakes. That’s what makes you so potent. I have learned from one of my mistakes as well.

Swain’s expression remained calm and neutral. “The flattery is nice, but don’t think that it will influence my decision. Go on. What sort of mistake have you amended that you feel is so important for me to know about?”

“I know that the only thing that your loyalty to Noxus is second to is your loyalty to yourself. You probably know that I hold my own loyalty to Noxus in high regard, though we express it differently.” Riven shifted, still uncomfortable. “Your way to help Noxus has always been to dispatch the enemies of Noxus, and to use the mental strength of leadership to augment the physical strength of soldiers like myself. At times, your lack of concern for the well-being of your troops has caused my ideals to clash with yours, but you have always gotten results...” Swain petted his raven idly, still expressionless. “But your result haven’t been good enough! Neither have mine. You can no more completely fulfill your plans to make Noxus the only dominant power any more than I can give Noxus complete solidarity. Equestria taught me something though. There’s no war there, and no violence. It took a threat from another dimension to shake the natural order there. It was so stable, so strong a system, and yet soldiers and generals were barely even a concept. I also noted that it only took a matter of weeks for Ryze to train a suitable defense force. I talked with one of the Elements of Harmony extensively during my time there, and I think I know the answer. It’s reflected in those marks that appear on the flanks of Equestrians. Such a mark is a direct reflection of everyone’s strongest point, their ‘special talent.’ Most importantly, I did not see a single adult without one.

“I barely saw any soldiers there, but the ones that existed, though inexperienced, were all naturally suited to their position. There were no weak points in Equestrian society. We’ve been looking at this problem one-dimensionally. We have, hands-down, the most fearsome military on Valoran, but it isn’t enough to propel us to the level of prosperity that Equestria has. We need to change our approach. Our agriculture is almost nonexistent, and our culture is the laughingstock of all of Valoran. We are known for one thing alone, and that is war. I believe that if we shift our focus from being entirely a military state to making sure that all Noxian citizens are positioned according to their natural strengths, we will become untouchable. You have power. The more power Noxus has, the more power you will have, but you are the only one I know of with both the foresight to see the merit of what I am saying and the position to do something about it. This is a win-win situation for you. Your efforts will earn you and Noxus both respect from other entities on Valoran, and if you increase Noxus’ prosperity, your own status will naturally follow suit.” Riven was slightly out of breath as she finished, and looked at Swain for his reaction.

Swain held himself as one of the most intelligent residents of Noxus, but even he was, to some degree, bound by the way of thinking that he was raised into. It had always been his first instinct, upon seeing another society, to find ways to exploit it, looking for weaknesses instead of strengths. He had not dwelt for long upon the peace-loving ponies of Equestria, only seeing the lack of real threats and the complacency of its rulers causing military weakness. In truth, he could see the direction and reasoning behind Riven’s approach, and he knew that his recent appointment to Grand General of Noxus meant that he had one of the strongest positions on the continent. He decided to take the safe approach to responding. “I will take into consideration your words. If you are further needed, I will contact you regarding the matter.”

Swain needed time to think.

- - - -

Pinkie Pie loved this place. Bandle City seemed to be made of one giant party. Everypony was always laughing and smiling and doing something that looked fun. Even the scientists, who, if Twilight was any indicator, Celestia bless her boring heart, should normally be a bit dull and obsessive, were bright and chipper, as if every day was some sort of huge sciency party where the presents were all discoveries. The yordles, and the few humans who lived here, were all super-nice, and very helpful. Some of them even appreciated how urgent the need to press and pull exposed buttons and levers was, and didn’t even get mad at the accidental fires. Apparently it was a pretty common occurrence for yordle scientists. Everypony here had a hint of crazy to them, and Pinkie was loving every minute of it.

It was at one point while Pinkie was happily skipping around the city, looking for interesting things to do, and perhaps make a spare bit or two for a meal, that she witnessed one of the stranger things she had ever seen. A series of high pitched, almost-vaguely-evil laughs drew her attention to a yordle, standing on the apex of the local clock tower, dressed in a blue robe covered in metal spikes, with a hat that obscured his face, and a staff that was clearly too heavy for him. The threat that followed was equally as dissonant from the comically high pitched voice that delivered it. “FOOLISH PEASANTS! I have come to CONQUER this pathetic city, that I might have a suitable workforce to carry out my evil whims.”

Pinkie was understandably confused. Clearly this yordle was evil, or else he would not be able to have evil whims, but he didn’t look extremely capable. A passing yordle nudged her, and chuckled. “Don’t worry. Veigar does this almost every week. Comes in, threatens us with his ‘unimaginably destructive and evil power’, and all that. Guy makes more prophecies of destruction than Malzahar.”

Pinkie tilted her head, still slightly confused. “Is he just not that good at magic? Why does he keep trying if all he does is fail? That doesn’t seem fun...Maybe he just likes stirring things up?”

The yordle laughed. “Oh no, he’s probably one of the most skilled and powerful practitioners of black magic on all of Valoran, but he’s...not all there in the head. I know yordles might have a slight reputation for being inclined toward eccentricity, but he’s past eccentric and on to full blown ‘I’m so crazy that I can foil my own plans to take over the world despite actually being capable of leveling a city.’ The city guard will be here to chase him out in a moment, after he’s tripped over his robes or whatever. We’re kinda lucky that he’s so crazy. If he were just a little more sane, he could probably pull off half of what he promises.”

Pinkie looked mildly disappointed, and the yordle almost felt guilty for some reason. “Oh, well...I guess that’s a good thing? I guess that means I don’t get to panic... Oh, well! Say, you wouldn’t happen to know of any good bakeries that need help, would you?”

In the distance, there was the sound a drawn out ‘no’, followed by loud thump. Pinkie looked back, and saw the clocktower unoccupied.

- - - -

“How do you even eat with that mask on, anyway?” Ezreal poked at Kassadin’s breathing apparatus, only to have his hand promptly swatted away.

“The Void has taught me how to metabolize raw magical energy, and Valoran is inundated with power,” Kassadin explained.

“Mmmm! This stuff is good.” Twilight was enthusiastically stuffing her face with food as the four sat down at a table beside one of Piltover’s many eateries. “What is it?”

Ezreal laughed. “I know, right? The beef comes from the finest pastures in Ionia. I hear that they even massage the cattle to make sure the meat is tender.”

Twilight and Fluttershy both paled for a moment, before both spitting out their food. “You mean...we’ve been eating...meat?” Twilight said. “That’s horrible! I know cows! I talk to the ones on Applejack’s farm regularly! And I just...just...” Twilight trailed off, looking as if her brain might be shutting down.

Ezreal looked confused. “What? It’s not like the cows in our world are intelligent or anything.” Kassadin shot him a death glare, but unfortunately, due to his mask, it looked like every other expression Kassadin had made thus far.

Fluttershy seemed a bit more composed, oddly enough. “Um...what she means is, although we respect the fact that your species is omnivorous, I’m afraid that me and our friends will probably be sticking to a herbivorous diet. We don’t have anything against you, and we respect that different species have different needs, but I don’t think that either of us can stomach the thought of eating another animal. Don’t worry about Twilight. I’m sure she’ll be fine after a while. I’ll talk to her later.” Fluttershy patted Twilight gently on the shoulder, at some point during the explanation, had passed out.

Kassadin bowed his head. “Our sincere apologies. I am unfamiliar with your world, so I did not realize

Ezreal chuckled nervously. “Yeah, my bad, err, sorry. I’m gonna go talk to that waiter over there. I think someone needs to tell him that we aren’t pressing charges for food poisoning.”

- - - -

Rainbow Dash hit the floor again. Riven stood nearby, barking instructions. “Your stance was too wide. Get up and try again.” Rainbow Dash groaned, letting herself recover for a moment before standing. Riven’s training had been grueling and unrelenting since it had started earlier. Luckily, years of being one of Equestria’s most determined athletes had hardened her body, and that strength still remained in this world, making the physical demands of the training slightly less intense. Still, the animal defense classes she’d mastered hadn’t really prepared her for actual fighting. Scaring away animals from the Everfree Forest rarely involved violence, and when it did, it wasn’t quite so refined as what Rainbow Dash was being taught.

Riven had seemed a bit frustrated since her return from her meeting, and even without the slave-driving mentality of Riven’s training, Rainbow Dash found her concerned for her friend. Riven had been attempting to teach Rainbow Dash the basics of hand to hand combat since she had returned, and though she was willing to do everything she demanded of Rainbow Dash, the pace was a little fast even for Rainbow Dash, and she wasn’t sure if she was retaining much of the instruction. “You okay, Riven? You seem a bit off since you got back. Not to mention aggressive with your training.”

Riven sighed. “I suppose I’m being a bit transparent, aren’t I? Yeah, I’m worried.”

“Did your meeting not go well? Who did you talk to, anyway?” Rainbow Dash frowned, and with a flap of her wings, propelled herself to Riven’s side. “Each time I fail a tryout for the Wonderbolts, I know I’m kinda stressed, and maybe a bit sad. Always sucks when it doesn’t go like you want, but you just gotta keep your chin up and keep trying.”

“Urgh!” Riven put her hand to her face, groaning. “That’s the problem! I met with the Grand General of Noxus, and I asked for his help in changing what’s wrong with this place, and his response was ‘I’ll think on it’! I don’t even know if it went well, and this is the future of my homeland at stake! I just feel so...incapable. It’s out of my hands at this point, and I hate that. I have always made my way by trying my best, and being more skilled than those around me, but now, it doesn’t matter what I do until I get an answer. It’s infuriating.”

“Sounds like it.” Rainbow Dash nodded sagely. “A few months before you guys showed up, Twilight got a message from herself...from the future. She’d come to warn her past self about something, but Twilight’s eagerness over learning that time travel was real kept her future self from delivering the message.”

“Go on...” Riven wasn’t quite sure how time travel was related to her current situation, but she guessed that there must be some point to the anecdote.

Rainbow Dash chuckled softly. “Well, that egghead spent the next week completely flipping out over it. She went absolutely crazy trying to figure out what the warning was. She had us work to disaster-proof the entire country! Not sure if that’s actually within her authority as the Princess’ personal student, but whatever. Anyway, the point is, a week passed, and she hadn’t slept a wink, she was that obsessed. She even broke into one of the secure sections of the Canterlot archives trying to find a spell to stop time! Then the day of the disaster came...and nothing happened.”

Riven was confused. “Well that certainly was an interesting, if a little anticlimactic story, but how-”

“Not done yet. She realized that she’d been stressing over a future she didn’t know about and couldn’t change, and she resolved to let the future take care of itself...right after she went back in time to tell herself not to worry about anything.”

It took a moment for it to hit Riven. “Oh...Ohh! Haha...She caused a loop in time.” Riven gathered herself, and stopped laughing. “I guess I get what you’re saying though. Makes sense. If you can’t change something, don’t worry about it.”

The soldier smiled and patted Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. “Thanks. Now, let’s see about that training, the right way this time...”

- - - -

Malzahar floated slowly across the battlefield, kept aloft by his magic. The battle had been raging for roughly an hour now, and Malzahar was on the lookout for any engagements. Beside him, a huge, nightmarish creature, with a purplish-black carapace, and faintly glowing pale green eyes escorted him. The creature had six limbs. Two larger ones served as the beast’s means of locomotion, while a second set held a set of grasping claws aloft. The third and final set had two scythe-like protrusions at their ends. The creature turned to Malzahar, and rasped through a gravelly voice, “It is nearly time. We hunger.”

Malzahar nodded, deftly floating away from a huge, crystalline arrow that had been propelled in his general direction. “I have forseen it. Our victory is finally approaching, Cho’gath.

The creature known as Cho’gath nodded, stepping in front of another would be attacker, this one a small yordle dressed in camouflage, before promptly devouring him. As the creature’s bones shifted, and Cho’gath grew before Malzahar’s eyes, he laughed. “This world shall burn.”