//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Launching Point // Story: The Redemption of Jericho Swain // by Ghosted Note //------------------------------// The Redemption of Jericho Swain Chapter 12: Launching Point “Grand General, the reports you requested are enclosed within,” said Swain’s subordinate as he handed a sealed scroll to Swain. “The witnesses we’ve found have been interrogated and are ready to be disposed of, unless you’ve found further use for them.” “Very good, Darius. Send one of my best men to Emilia with the words ‘The sun seeks to wither the rose.’ You may dispo-” Swain paused mid-sentence, feeling a shred of hesitation. “Keep the prisoners alive and contained for now, I believe that I might have further use of them later. You are dismissed until I have further need of you.” ‘Getting soft, Grand General?’ Nightmare’s voice was calm and smooth in his head, but Swain still felt his temper flaring. ‘It’s not like you to leave loose ends.’’ Swain waited patiently for his minion to exit the room before responding. “Not in the least. These witnesses might have more information about those who have traced my connection to the Black Rose and figured out that the methods I used to dispose of Noxus’ former ruling line weren’t entirely within the bounds of traditional Noxian method.” ‘What does it matter? Dead is dead, and Noxian ideals state that if you aren’t good enough to keep yourself alive, you don’t deserve to live.’ “You do not know of what you speak,” responded Swain. “Noxus values shows of power, and the kind of subterfuge that the Black Rose and I share is regarded as weak, despite it merely being a different type of strength. If it comes to trial, my enemies could reveal that the fight between Darkwill’s whelp and myself was a set-up. If it is found that the Black Rose helped me win, it would shatter Noxus’ faith in my strength. Noxus was already very unhappy with how Boram Darkwill died. If his son’s own death was tied to the Black Rose, I’d have an entire army of assassins after my blood.” Nightmare laughed. ‘Well, you know, dabbling with outcast secret societies can have downsides. Maybe you should have thought about that beforehand.’ “I did what I had to,” Swain said flatly, irritation beginning to seep into his voice. “Boram Darkwill was good, but his scope was pathetically limited. I know I alone can usher Noxus into a new era of prosperity.” ‘I bet Boram thought the same of his predecessor. What makes you any different?’ Nightmare was barely containing its amusement at Swain’s growing frustration. “Darkwill was a brute. I know that it takes more to build a nation from a city-state. Despite her naivety, Riven was still right in that Noxus is wasting resources. I am different, Nightmare,” replied Swain, grinning wolfishly. “I am different because I understand that the strength of Noxus extends beyond its sword arm. What Darkwill did for our arms, I will do for our hearts and minds, that none may ever challenge us again! We will be the supreme power of Runeterra, and I will be at the helm to make sure that we remain supreme. I will end war, and hunger, and all of this waste. I will bring peace.” ‘And he’s humble too, this one. Swain, for someone who prides himself on seeing the big picture, I find it a little sad how blind you are to the fact that those six aliens have a type of strength you never will.’ Swain could hear the disdain dripping from Nightmare’s voice. Swain rolled his eyes. “Spare me. I had enough of the so-called ‘magic of friendship’ when I was in Equestria. A few magical trinkets aren’t nearly enough incentive to show my back to anyone. The benefits do not outweigh the risks.” ‘Idiot. Your relationship with that thing wearing a bird’s face speaks otherwise.’ Swain had not ever seen Nightmare this confrontational, and was beginning to question it. ‘I am not talking about friendship, I’m talking about the ability to see the world from a perspective that is more than cynicism. Your great empire will crumble into the ground because you close yourself off to the full scope of human nature. You think Noxus will simply relinquish violence because you say so? No, they will not. Before peace can ever be achieved, peace has to be desired. You have a city-state of conquerors, not guardians. They won’t be content with defending your empire. They will want more, and when there is nothing more to conquer, they will turn on you and each other. You won’t get anywhere until you teach them how to want peace, and you don’t even know how to do that yourself! Despite your claims to the contrary, the only thing you intend to bring to this world is war of the likes that my kind uses to weaken your kind. As long as you don’t know how to value anything but yourself, you won’t be invested enough in this world to bring it peace. You have doomed yourself to failure.” “Then why bother helping me, if you are so convinced that I am lost?” Swain said, his wariness masked beneath a layer of annoyance that was only partially sincere now. ‘As sad as it is, you’re still the best chance I have of thwarting my former comrades. My success hinges on yours,’ responded Nightmare, somewhat sadly. ‘It isn’t beyond recovery though. Look at Equestria; the fact that the entire nation stands united means that they have far too much power to invade, unless the Void wishes to expend a tremendous amount of power and effort that it might have trouble recovering from. This place is different, though. All it will take is a little tip before Runeterra is ripe for conquest. You need to bring Equestria into this place or everything here is doomed. Your salvation and mine lies within those six. If you want to survive long enough to see your empire bloom, you will learn from them, and I promise you, if we get through this in one piece, I will be sure that you live long and healthy enough to rule your empire as long as it stands and more, if you get my meaning.’ The last sentence hit Swain like a brick, and he had nothing to say in response. After a few moments, he recomposed himself, uttering but one word. “Immortality.” In the distance, a certain six-eyed raven observed Swain’s portion of the dialogue. As Swain uttered the last word, it shook its head disdainfully and flew away. - - - - Rarity frowned as she shuffled the papers in front of her. Fluttershy was beside her, trying to make headway on analyzing a few profiles belonging to the next Summoners they were going to try and persuade to work with them. Of course, a new champion naturally brought out those curious to test his or her power level, but most of those Summoners didn’t have enough heft in the General Assembly to help them. Rarity’s task, however, was different. Malzahar hadn’t made any attempt to strike at them since they had reached the Institute of War, but Rarity still needed to know why he attacked in the first place. Her research had told her that Malzahar had once been a prodigy of prophecy and divination, but that merely implied that he knew of some way in the future that these actions might benefit him. Rarity needed something more substantial. Kassadin had been more than willing to fill her ear for hours about Malzahar’s quest to bring about the end of Runeterra by unleashing the Void upon it, but, as Rarity noted dryly, Kassadin’s own zealotry on the subject made it hard to get a balanced perspective. Years of running her own business had taught her when a customer didn’t really know what they were talking about when describing something. Unfortunately, using her own creativity to fill in the gaps simply wasn’t an option in this case. The sum of her information thus far was depressingly limited: Malzahar wanted to open a portal to the Void, and thought that Rarity and her friends might better serve his purposes captured or disposed of. “Fluttershy, dear, would you please pass me the coffee? I want to get through these newspaper articles before the match tomorrow.” “Okay,” said Fluttershy. “You’ve been drinking an awful lot of this stuff since we’ve gotten here. Are you sure it’s healthy for you?” she added timidly, immediately dropping her gaze to the floor as soon as she had finished speaking. Rarity sighed. “Of course it isn’t, dear. However, sometimes we must have other priorities. I feel that it is of the utmost importance that I find some sort of lead on Malzahar’s purposes. The League itself won’t help due to its neutrality and refusal to be involved in anything that doesn’t concern its rules and regulations. Every champion is basically under the protection of the League. Why, I’ve done some digging, and it seems like half of the people here are psychopaths or war criminals. Did you know that there is a champion here who was captured after slaughtering people in their dreams? It’s simply outrageous what people can get away with if they are champions.” Fluttershy squeaked at the mention of murder, and shrank back further. Gathering what little courage she could muster, she managed to bring her voice above a whisper. “Well, uh, that’s... really, really bad, but I don’t think you’re going to make much progress if you’re not going to take care of yourself. You, uh, kind of have a habit of getting wrapped up in your projects sometimes.” Fluttershy looked as if she might wither away, sinking into her seat to avoid Rarity’s gaze. “Sorry.” Rarity smiled and put a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. She knew Fluttershy absolutely detested arguing or anything that even remotely resembled being contrary, and anything she was willing to contradict another person on to any degree tended to be important to her, even if her willpower tended to be rather lacking. “There’s absolutely nothing to be sorry about, Fluttershy. I know you mean well, and I promise that I’ll be done for the night in another hour or so. It would hardly be fitting if I were to fall asleep in the midst of our friends’ first battle. Go get some sleep. Both of us are rather tired, I know, and there’s no reason for you to stay up for my sake.” Fluttershy let out an almost inaudible sigh of defeat, and bidding Rarity a good night, left the room. Rarity waited until the door clicked shut before reaching for the coffee. “Now, where was I... Local cult suspected in the disappearance of a young couple...” - - - - Malzahar gasped, his eyes shooting open, inundating the room with a faint, somewhat sickly purple glow as light spilled from them. Looking out of the window, he could tell that it was probably midnight, or close to it. Once again, the visions that had long filled his head had awakened him. Images of death, destruction, and nightmarish creatures flowed seamlessly through his mind. He knew in his heart that everything his visions showed him was inescapable, and with it came a crushing despair that had long ago proven stronger than his sanity. Ghastly devils whispered to him in his waking hours, filling his mind with prophecies of the world’s end, and with it his own. Unshakably enraptured by the impending doom of everything around him, his mind only presented him with one possible mercy, and he gladly devoted himself to the task of making sure the world would end as quickly and painlessly as possible. When he had returned from the lost city of Icathia after being drawn there by visions, he had been fully claimed as a tool for his new master, which called itself the Void. The horrific whispers became irrefusable commands, and the glimpses of a hopeless future were mixed with instructions for bringing it about. Tonight had been no different. The Void had shown him more of the horror that he would be responsible for expediting, and then had told him what was needed of him. Both unwilling and unable to refuse, Malzahar set to work. His cultists were almost as fanatical as he was, their minds twisted by specious promises and dark magic, and there was always someone waiting to take any sudden orders that the Prophet of the Void would issue, who would never delay in enacting the will of his masters long enough for morning to come. Malzahar exited his room and coldly regarded the robed figure who hurriedly stood to bow. “The Void Walker is no longer of consequence. The Void brings sunset to two worlds, and as such requires us to render unto it a sacrificial Twilight. The Void commands the apprehension of the purple-haired alien, and has instructed me on how to fulfil its command. Prepare a small group of the devoted. Wipe them, and instill with them the directive to attack the aliens in a week’s time.” The robed man nodded. “As you wish, Prophet. How will we reach them within the Institute? Shortsighted as they may be, the Summoners are too powerful to attack directly at this time.” “Fate has decreed their demise. I will draw them out of their shell, that they might be exposed. Their weakness shall be as a fool drawn to a diamond in the lair of a dragon.” Malzahar felt an empty laugh escape his lips. Soon, there would be an end to his suffering. “Make sure that the aliens are aware of our next meeting in Zaun. Be sure that they are...interested.” - - - - It was another dull night in the hidden vaults beneath Canterlot. Not many ponies knew what was down in this series of dark, dank catacombs that had been repurposed for the sole purpose of housing Equestria’s most dangerous prisoner. Despite the inaction, the guards were anything but lax. A few of the more potent battlemages that had participated in the battle against Discord now stood as vigilant watchponies to ensure that he might never again escape to cause suffering in the nation of Equestria. At the core of this prison, four unicorns waited, as always, for an intruder that they suspected might never come. “ So Princess Luna doesn’t want to devote any more resources to finding Princess Celestia. She’s pretty much given up on finding her. I don’t blame her. Somepony as powerful as that probably knows how to keep out of sight,” one of them commented. “Understandable...” replied one of his comrades, “but if it were my own sister, I’d never give up. Maybe being immortal gives you some perspe-what was that?” A large crash resounded throughout the prison, and the group was immediately on alert. The large, enchanted steel door that barred the room from the rest of the world had a large dent in the center of it. Another large crash signaled the appearance of another dent, and various magical wards began to strain and crack, unleashing glowing tendrils of magic into the stale air. As suddenly as it began, the assault on the door stopped, leaving several seconds of tense silence between the four unicorns. Cautiously, they began to advance toward the door, only to freeze in place as it began to glow red hot. The door fell to the ground with a huge clatter as the hinges that held it in place dissolved. The squad leader stepped forward to address the intruder. “By order of the Royal Pony Sisters, this section of the castle is restricted. You will accept magical restrictors and accompany us to be judged.” As the dust settled, the intruder came more clearly into view. It was an alicorn, of that there was no doubt. Its black coat stood in stark contrast to the tendrils of flame that comprised its mane and tail, and a sickly purple glow emitted from its eyes. Upon the alicorn’s flank was the image of a sun, though streaks of black spider-webbed across it, creating the impression of a broken mosaic. Past the cracks, though, the image was one that resonated deeply through every heart in Equestria. The unicorn who had first spoken was once more the first to recover from his state of shock enough to whisper quietly. “By Faust’s wings...Princess...Celestia?” Celestia’s eyes flared briefly at the mention of her name, and she stepped forward, wrapping them in a telekinetic vise that almost no creature in the world had the strength to break free of. “My loyal subjects,” she began, her voice echoing darkly, as if accompanied by a chorus of shadowy nightmares, “Your services are no longer required.” The squad barely had time to scream before they were slammed through the closest wall. Celestia didn’t pause, and walked briskly towards the statue that was once her enemy. Tendrils of purple magic slid across the surface, and stone became flesh. “Stand and be made whole, Discord.” Discord couldn’t help but let out a maniacal laugh as he stretched his limbs. “Free again! And so soon too!” Discord paused to examine his savior. “Oh my, Celestia, is that you? Love the flames, they go simply lovely with your coat. Ah, but enough pleasantries, what do I owe the pleasure to?” “Your services are required,” Celestia replied bluntly. Discord laughed again. “As fun as that sounds, I think I’d much rather celebrate my return to Equestria with some good ol’ fashioned chaos.” Celestia’s expression was unmoving as Discord became engulfed in her purple magical aura. “The choice is not yours. The Void demands your services, and you will answer.” - - - - By the time Luna arrived, the only sounds left in the room were the feeble groans of the guards. After getting the story from them, Luna withdrew to her quarters to meditate on the events. She wanted to know why Celestia’s appearance had changed so much. She wanted to know why Discord had been freed. Above all, though, she wanted to tell her sister that research had uncovered that the Elements of Harmony were still attuned and fully functional, meaning that Twilight and the others, at the very least, were alive and still able to draw strength from one another. - - - - “Today’s the day! Are you excited?! I know I aaaaaam!” Pinkie’s rambling hadn’t stopped since dawn had arrived, and she hadn’t hesitated to let her friends know how excited she was about their upcoming match. “I wonder how we’ll do? Will we make a good first impression? How often are we all gonna be in the same match? Or on the same team? Will we have to fight each other? That wouldn’t be fun at all.” Rarity tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a yawn, earning a reproachful glance from Fluttershy. “Pinkie, dear, it was mostly luck that we managed to get you all on the same match and team. It’s more than likely at some point that you all will have to fight each other at some point. Just...try to think of it as friendly competition. Now, go out there, and do your best everypo-I mean everyone.” Rarity stifled grumblings about inconvenient Runeterran lingo, and the six friends exchanged hugs, and Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack went to the summoning chamber to wait for their first official match, while Fluttershy and Rarity accompanied Ezreal and Nasus to spectate the match. Waiting for them in the chamber was a grizzled looking man, whose otherwise ordinary work clothes were accented by a short cape and several metal plates that were somewhat clumsily attached all over the entire getup. In his hands was a strange, glowing device with two cylinders that mystified the others on the team, who had never encountered a firearm previously. Pinkie was the first to strike. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie. Who are you? What’s that thing in your hand? Do you think we’re gonna win? Do you like parties? I love parties! We should have a party afterward. It could be our ‘We Won Our First Match’ celebration or our ‘We’ll Do Better Next Time’ party.” The man slowly backed away from Pinkie, looking half-annoyed, half-mystified. When he spoke, his voice was reminiscent of Applejack, though significantly deeper and more gravelly. “Call me Graves. Actually, don’t. Ah’d rather you just shut up.” “Eww, someone’s a grumpy-gus,” Pinkie huffed in response. “Maybe you need a p-” “He doesn’t need a party, Pinkie,” Applejack said flatly, cutting off Pinkie. “He probably just needs time to adjust. Celestia knows some of us necessitate some very thorough adjusting to.” “No need to be snide, Applejack. She’s probably just a little nervous about this. We all deal with it differently,” quipped Twilight. “Also, you know Celestia doesn’t like ponies using her name like she’s a goddess.” “Sorry Pinkie,” Applejack conceded. “This just seems to be taking forever, and Ah can’t say that I can bring myself to be excited over the prospect of violence.” Pinkie giggled. “I’m not excited about that part, I’m excited about finally making progress towards getting home, and I even get to do it with my friends! And this grumpy guy! Nice sideburns, by the way.” “Okay, back on subject, everyone.” Rainbow Dash pulled out a small map of Summoner’s Rift, where the battle would be taking place. “Just like we practiced, I’ll be after the jungle minions. Pinkie, you’re in the top lane, Twilight’s in the middle, and Applejack will go bottom with Graves.” “Why do they call it a jungle? That looks more like a forest to me,” noted Pinkie. “Try to stay focused here, Pinks,” said Rainbow Dash, masking the frustration threatening to creep into her voice. “Once the link is established, I’ll help anyone who needs it as I’m able to, with instruction from my Summoner. Play it safe, play it cool, and we should have this done before too long.” Another group hug erupted. Pinkie looked expectantly at Graves, who glared daggers back. “Ah’d just forget that idea if Ah were you.” Before Pinkie could respond, a bright light erupted in the room, and everyone’s minds were flooded with a host of new thoughts and sensations. When the light ebbed, they were standing on a familiar platform overlooking a structure housing a huge crystal. Each champion heard a new voice as each mind was paired. A female voice boomed across the landscape. “Welcome to Summoner’s Rift!”