In the world of Runeterra, champions compete in strategic battles to gain influence. Hecarim is one of these champions. When a match goes terribly wrong; however, Hec will be transported to a place supposedly filled with fear, deadly creatures, and... ponies?
This is for all my fellow Summoners out there who can't get enough of League. I'm going to try and keep this story as open as possible for future additions to chapters. So please feel free to make this as interactive as you wish. Also, if I screw up lore or something, give me some feedback; it's always welcomed.
As another side note, I'm 100% aware that there are plenty of Hecarim crossovers already. However, Hec is one of my favorite champions and I have just as much right to write about it as anyone else does. After all, fanfics are made for entertainment.
His hooves thundered through the jungle, shattering the earth as he used his Devastating Charge. “HAHAHAHA! COME HERE, MORTALS,” he bellowed into the Rift’s skies.
“Hec! Get out of there! Malzahar is MIA!” shouted Nasus from behind. His pleas reached the ears of Hecarim; however, it only fed his thirst for blood. Through the brush, he saw something in the corner of his eye.
“FOUND YOU!” With force unrivaled in the League, Hecarim tore through the river, preparing to strike down his prey.
“Gotcha’,” the Void Mage whispered under his breath. Before he could anticipate it, Hecarim was bound by tendrils from the darkness. “Have a taste of the void!”
“What is this?!” he exclaimed as he was enveloped with a violet haze. Hecarim cleaved his axe into the ground, attempting to gain footing as he was dragged into a gaping portal of some sort. Silent murmuring could be heard from within. “Fool! You think the Void can compare to the Shadow Isle? HA!”
“What?!” Malzahar was taken back as Hecarim turned and let himself be enthralled into the portal.
“Let’s see if this place truly is as dark as they say…” The nonchalant laughs of Hecarim could be heard faintly as he sank deeper into the Void.
“A SUMMONER HAS DISCONNECTED!” shouted the announcer.
Confused, the champions put down their weapons. “Where’d Hec go?” asked Twisted Fate, as he threw a blue card into a minion wave.
“Uh, guys, I think we have a problem…” Malzahar tried to explain. Although it was clear that Hecarim disconnected, he would have normally just lost his ability to fight and return to base, but this was different.
“What do you mean?” Asked the enemy Nasus, walking up next to Malzahar.
“Due to an unexpected bug, Hecarim has been removed from the Champion Roster. We are sorry to inconvenience you, and are currently working to find a solution.”
“What do you mean he went into the Void?!” Nasus was already on the verge of losing his temper.
“I don’t know!” Malzahar said, baffled. “This hasn’t happened before! Well, not inside a match anyways!”
It was true. There were only a few who had ever seen the Void. Aside from Kassadin, Malzahar was the only mortal who had direct experience with it.
“What’s going to happen to Hecarim?” Twisted Fate asked, scratching the inside of his hat.
Malzahar shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. The Void is a strange place. It tries to break you down by showing you your greatest fears,” Malzahar paused, rubbing his forehead at the bizarre situation. “The only thing that concerns me is that Hecarim is not only a being from the Shadow Isle, a place filled with equally horrid things, but he himself is already just as corrupt.”
Nasus leaned against the side of a nearby tree. “What’s your point?”
“My point is that the Void will not react the same way that it did with Kassadin and I. I have no idea what it’s going to do to him,” he explained.
“Is there any way to get him back?” Nasus asked concerned.
Malzahar stroked his chin uncomfortably. “We’d have to find someone with a matching personality as Hecarim, and use him as bait for the Void. That way we could travel to the same dimension that he’s in.”
Twisted Fate’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Go into the Void? That’s your plan? What happens if it doesn’t work?”
Mal shrugged. “We’d be consumed and killed by the inhabitants, most likely.”
Twisted Fate shuddered as he recalled a memory of being in the jaws of Cho’Gath back in Season 2. “Can’t we just leave him?”
“You can’t possibly believe that the Summoners would let us get away with that…” Nasus said, crossing his arms.
TF sighed. “I suppose you’re right…” he looked back to Malzahar. “Well it’s not like we can continue this match as it is anyways. The Summoners are probably running ‘round trying to sort this mess out.”
“Couldn’t we just leave this to them?” Nasus cut in. “I’m sure they’re more than capable of getting him back.
Malzahar shook his head once again. “The Summoners have very little power in the Void. They’ve been experimenting with extracting power from it, but have only been receiving abominations for centuries. Who knows how long it would take them to figure it out.”
The trio stood in silence for awhile, pondering how things lead to current events. “At any rate,” Nasus said, breaking the silence, “we’d better go tell everyone else what’s going on. It’ll be best if we’re working together as a team.”
Twisted Fate and Mal nodded their heads in agreement. The three champions split up to spread word of their plans.
The remnants of the portal faded as Hecarim observed his surroundings. Gloomy trees loomed over him, blocking any light from breaking through the leaves. Strange sounds could be heard from all directions.
“Am I back in the Jungle?” Hecarim asked himself as he shoved past the thick foliage. No, he thought. This looks more like the Shadow Isle than the Rift. Is this really the Void?
A growl from behind caught Hec’s attention. He calmly turned to see a small pack of strange looking wolves. Their bodies were what looked to be imbued branches of some sort. “Hahaha! It’s as if this really is the Rift!” he joked, his dark voice echoing through the dense forestry.
He calmly lifted his hand into the air, smiting down the biggest of the wolves. Then, with a single spin of his axe, he cut through the other two as if there was nothing there to begin with. Hec grunted, displeased with the ease of the challenge. “Is that all the Void truly has to offer?”
Just then, he heard the noise of a branch snapping from a bush. “Show yourself, creatures of the Void!” he shouted towards the direction of the sound.
There was some shuffling, then a sudden stop. After a few seconds, Hecarim bolted forward, charging into the brush.
“Eeek!” A small, yellow and pinkish blur took off in the opposite direction of Hecarim.
“Hahaha! Don’t think I’ll let you get away that easily!” he called out, taking off after it.
Malzahar wandered toward the Bottom Lane, passing the dragon. From the distance he could hear what sounded like arguing. “What’s going on now?” Mal groaned. They had been fighting this entire match.
“Do you even know who you’re up against, cowboy?” Draven mocked, spinning his axes with deft movements.
“Some pretty-boy Noxian, I reckon?” Graves spat, aiming his shotgun directly at the unfazed Draven.
Ignoring the comment, he continued. “I’m THE Draven. A master of the League! A hero of the Noxus! A-” Draven was cut of by a sudden shot from Graves.
Draven winced, but when he opened his eyes, all he saw was a glowing light in front of him. A low chuckle could be heard from the trees. Draven sighed in relief.
“I was wondering when you were going to get back into the action, Thresh,” he complained.
The lantern flew back to the ghastly figure. “Watch your tongue, mortal,” he threatened, approaching his side.
“Yay! Ghost-man is back!” squealed Lulu in delight. The purple little yordle skipped up to Graves with her Faerie friend Pix tagging along.
The four champions were silent for awhile, staring at each other threateningly. Just as they were about engage, Malzahar jumped out of the bush. “WAIT!” he shouted.
Draven yelped and flashed backwards, leaving his support behind. “Get back to the tower, you good-for-nothing support!” he called out, reaching the safety of his turret. “I told you to set up a ward earlier!”
Malzahar rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to gank you…”
“Uh-huh. Sure. Like I haven’t heard that one before,” Draven remarked.
“I speak the truth, actually,” Mal replied. “We actually have a problem that concerns all of us.”
He didn’t lower his guard, but was interested in what he had to say. “Go on.”
“You heard the announcement that Hecarim disconnected, right?”
“What about it?” Graves broke in. “That happens all the time here.”
“He didn’t just disconnect,” Malzahar explained slowly, “he’s not even in Runeterra anymore.” Confused, the group remained silent. “It’s hard to tell what actually happened, but from the looks of it, I may have transported Hec into the Void…”
“WHAT?!” Draven exclaimed. “Since when were you able to do that!?”
Malzahar hadn’t the slightest idea either. “Normally when I use the power of the Void, people are able to resist it. All it can really do here in the Rift is provide a stun and damage my opponents. No one has actually turned and gone INTO it before.”
Thresh laughed maniacally. “That sounds like something the Shadow of War would do.”
“But what does that have to do with us?” Lulu spoke out.
“From the looks of it, the Summoners have disabled our match while they try to figure out what’s going on. If we don’t get Hecarim back, who knows how long we’ll be here.”
“Hmmm… What do you suggest we do?” Graves asked.
Malzahar looked toward Thresh, “I can’t guarantee it’ll work, but it requires your help.”
“And why should I do that?” Thresh grimaced, obviously not liking the idea of helping the enemy champion.
Mal sighed. “Do you want to be stuck here until the Summoners figure something out?”
He had a valid point. This could take weeks to fix. “Alright,” Thresh hesitantly complied. “What do I have to do?”
“We’re going to have to enter the Void and follow after him…”
The trees bent to the sheer force behind Hecarim’s speed as he chased after the creature. He was getting closer and closer, to the point that the he was nearly within range to attack.
Suddenly, it lifted itself off the ground and flew into the sky above Hecarim. It can fly?!
Hecarim slowed his pace until he reached a full stop. As fast as he was, there was no way he’d just sprout wings and fly. “Maybe these beasts are as unpredictable as I imagined after all…” A smile creeped upon his face. “This might actually be fun.”
Bursting back into a full sprint, he followed the path the creature had gone. In the distance he saw a bright light. Assuming it was the exit, he dashed through and bounded over a crystal blue river. Landed on the ground, he looked up, ready to cut down any foe that stood in his way. Instead, he was filled with complete shock.
Bright, vibrant buildings were scattered across the area. The aroma of flowers filled the air, holding a most pleasant scent. What the…
Hecarim expected to fight his way through hordes of foul monsters, but instead was greeted with a sight that looked like Bandle City. “By the Shadow’s… EVEN THE ROCKS ARE COLORFUL!” He was disgusted by the appalling appearance of the village.
As he said that, he noticed something from behind one of the larger boulders. Yellow ears jutted from the peak of the stone, and heavy breathing could be heard. Unperplexed, Hecarim approached the poor hiding spot and grabbed the creature by the back of the neck, lifting it into the air. Frozen in fear, the equine remained silent with its eyes widened.
It had a long pink mane, with a butter-colored coat. It’s size was extremely small compared to Hec’s stature. After a brief silence, Hecarim broke in. “Well, creature of the Void? Can you speak?”
Nothing.
“I suppose you can not,” Hecarim said, lifting his weapon. “Well then I have no use for you, creature.”
As he was about to strike down on the helpless pony, he was stopped by a quiet whimper of sorts. “Huh?” He lowered his axe and listened closer. “Say that again, voidling.”
Once again, he heard inaudible mumblings. “LOUDER, MORTAL.”
Instead of a voiced response, the pony broke down into tears. Hecarim slowly let the creature down and looked around awkwardly, then back to it. “Erm…”
He wasn’t exactly sympathetic towards it, but he wasn’t getting anywhere like this. Frustrated, he yelled again. “WHY ARE YOU CRYING, CREATURE?”
Once again, this served no purpose but to invoke more tears. Perhaps I should try being a little more comforting, he thought. “Ahem, creature, why are you upset?”
The words left a foul taste on his tongue, but he seemed to have gotten his point across. It stopped crying and looked up at the menacing champion, still stricken with dread.
Still not enough, huh? “I’m Hecarim. And you are?”
“I’m-” her voice trailed off, leaving Hec without an answer.
“You’re…?”
She made a hardly audible sound, irritating him even further. “Fine then. You obviously have no name. For now it shall be Creature. Understand?”
She didn’t respond.
Hecarim looked around, unsure of what to do next. “Creature, what is this place called in your tongue?”
“Ponyville…” she mumbled.
At least I could hear it this time. “Ponyville? Are there more inhabitants such as you?”
Creature nodded.
“Hmm, interesting. Take me to them, Creature,” he demanded.
“O-okay…” she squeaked, cautiously getting up. She turned and led Hecarim towards the center of the town. As he followed close behind her, he took notice to the sudden closing of doors and windows as they passed by.
“Are the rest of your kind just as feeble?” Hecarim scoffed. She remained silent, not wanting to provoke any more violence from the terrifying stranger.
After a while, they finally reached what looked to be an enormous tree. “A tree?” Hecarim commented in disbelief. “This is your nest, I presume?”
Once again, she ignored him and knocked on the door. On the other side of the door there was a reply. “One second! I’ll be right there!”
In a few seconds, the door opened and they were greeted by a purple figure. “Oh hello Fluttershy! How can I-” she stopped abruptly upon noticing the enormous thing behind her friend. “What is that?!”
“I am Hecarim, the Shadow of War,” he declared, “Creature has guided me to this nest of yours.”
“Erm, Creature?” Twilight asked, looking around for anyone else. “You mean Fluttershy?”
“Flutter...shy?” He looked down at his guide. “Is that your name, Creature?”
Fluttershy didn’t respond, still fearing Hecarim.
“I see. And what is your name Purple One?” he asked quizzically.
“Twilight Sparkle…” she answered. “Where did you come from, exactly?”
“I came from a place known as the Shadow Isle. A place filled with nightmares, death, and terror.”
“Oh, um… That sounds nice…”
“Hardly,” Hecarim said, looking about the town again. “I had personally expected the Void to be a much more similar place.”
At this point, Fluttershy had sought shelter from behind Twilight. “The Void?”
“This is the Void, correct?” Hecarim asked.
“I don’t think so,” Twilight denied. “This is Equestria.”
“WHAT?!” Hecarim exclaimed.
Twilight cringed at the sudden increase of volume in his voice. “Maybe you should speak to Celestia…”
“Who?”
“Celestia, the ruler of Equestria, along with her sister Luna. Together they raise the sun and the moon,” Twilight explained insightfully.
“They’re capable of raising such powerful forces?” Hecarim asked with an astonished tone, interested in the topic of such incredible feats.
“Indeed!” Twilight added, “But how exactly did you get here in Equestria? I’ve never heard of the Shadow Isle before...”
“I am a champion of the League of Legends, a tournament where other challengers compete in order to prove their strength,” he started. Twilight listened, intrigued. Hecarim continued. “During a match, I encountered a seer that wielded the power of the Void, a place supposedly riddled with unspeakable horrors. I was originally supposed to be taken there, but this,” Hec said, gesturing towards his surroundings, “doesn’t match that description at all.”
“Yeah, Equestria doesn’t have anything like that, fortunately.”
Hecarim seemed slightly disappointed. “But these rulers you spoke of sound like they’d be a true challenge.”
“You mean Celestia and Luna?!” she yelped. “You mean you want to fight them?!”
“As long as I’m stranded in this pathetic place, I may as well have a little fun…” He began to laugh. “Yes! That would be perfect! I shall annihilate these so called leaders, and take this world for my own!”
“But the ponies of Equestria are a peaceful race! Why would you want to do such a thing?!” Twilight asked in a panic.
“Not my problem,” Hec responded. “Where are these rulers of yours?”
“Why would I tell you that after you just threatened to take over our world?!”
“Because I’ll destroy your precious little village otherwise,” he said ruthlessly.
Unwavering, Twilight readied her horn. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that!”
A lavender glow enveloped Hecarim, rooting his muscles in place. “Oh? What kind of magic is this? It’s so…” he paused, and slammed his axe into the ground, “WEAK.”
With a blast of dark blue light, Twilight was sent flying backwards, taking Fluttershy with her. They were knocked into a shelf, and a hail of books fell on top of them.
Noticing a large castle in the distance, Hecarim grinned. “That seems like a good place to start!”
Before Twilight could stop him, Hec was already on his way towards his destination, tearing the earth apart in his wake.
From the skies, a particular Pegasus noticed Hecarim’s speed. “Woah!” she exclaimed, flying down to the rampaging monstrosity. “Hey! You’re pretty fast!”
What?! How is it keeping up with me?! Hecarim clenched his jaw and put all his force into his movement, but to no avail.
“I’ve got an idea! Wanna race?” she asked casually.
“You can’t be serious…” Hecarim whispered under his breath. This could be fun though, he thought.
“Fine, mortal. I accept your challenge!” Hecarim slowed and circled around, planting the hilt of his weapon into the ground. “What are your conditions, Blue One?”
“The name’s Rainbow Dash, actually.” Dash landed a little roughly and looked up. “What do you mean conditions?”
“I mean what will I receive when I win?”
“Ha! You mean if you win!” Dash joked, not at all fazed by his fierce presence.
She was thinking when Twilight suddenly came running up panting. “Twilight? What’re you doing here?”
Through short gasps of breath she tried to explain the situation. “That thing is going to try and hurt Celestia and Luna!”
“Kill, actually. I don’t plan on sparing their lives,” Hecarim admitted.
“See?!” Twilight shouted.
“Relax Twi,” Rainbow assured. She turned towards Hecarim. “Okay, I got it! If you win, you can go and we won’t stop you.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed.
“And if you win?” Hec asked.
“You mean when I win,” she joked playfully. “If I win you have to do whatever Twilight says.”
Slavery? These creatures are more cruel than I thought… “I accept these conditions.”
“Great! First one to the mountain wins!” she said, pointing towards the gigantic landmark.
Both the contenders readied themselves, determination glinting in their eyes.
“Ready.”
Hecarim leaned down, pressing his hooves into the ground.
“Set.”
Dash unfurled her wings.
“GO!”
Hecarim charged forward, leaving trails of fire behind. Rainbow Dash was still at the starting line, remaining motionless.
“Rainbow! What are you doing?! He’s getting away!” Twilight yelled.
“I already told you to relax Twilight, I’m just giving him a head start!”
After a few seconds of waiting, Dash took off. The air around her erupted into a shockwave, vanquishing the flames Hecarim had left.
Hecarim laughed at the initial ease of the challenge, but turned his head to see that Dash was already caught up.
“IMPOSSIBLE!” he roared. There were very few who could match Hecarim’s speed, let alone if given a head start.
“Come on, is that all you got big guy?” she mocked, taking the lead.
“You’ll have to do better than that!” she said, going even faster.
Tch, I may have to actually use some of my power to win this… Hecarim sent out bursts of flames, his momentum increasing with each wave. Several ghostly duplicates of Hecarim rose from the ground, aiding him in the race. His pace quadrupled in mere seconds, leaving Rainbow in the dust.
“Woah! How’d he do that?! That’s so cool!” Rainbow cracked her neck and wound herself up. “Guess I shouldn’t hold back either!”
Dash changed direction and flew straight up, reaching the clouds. She paused and angled herself towards Hecarim as he neared the finish line. “Here I go!” she shouted.
She blazed through the skies, tearing the air around her. Piercing through the friction with ease, she began to reach Hec.
For a split second, Hecarim saw a cyan blur in the corner of his eye. In that same moment; however, Dash burst forward with enough power to stop him in his tracks.
He shielded his eyes from the dirt that was kicked up from the explosion. When the dust cleared, a huge rainbow took its place. It continued to expand until fading back into the clear blue skies.
Hecarim turned his gaze towards the finish line to see that his competitor had already won. Rainbow Dash stood proudly, with her chest puffed out. Hecarim’s eyes widened in surprise.
Malzahar looked around at the circle of champions.“Alright, is that everyone?”
In total, there were nine of them. Just awhile ago they had been slaughtering each other, but now they were working together in order to get Hecarim back.
First there was Malzahar, a seer who wielded the power of the Void, and had been the one to banish Hec in the first place.
Next to him was Nasus, a protector of balance. His only goal was to retrieve his missing teammate before things got out of hand.
To his side stood Lulu and Pix, two friends that were beyond strange. While their allies bore grim faces, they held a completely different perspective on the current events. Lulu could hardly contain her excitement.
Following after them was Twisted Fate and Graves. The air was uneasy as the two gave each other backstabbing glares. Working together was the last thing they expected to do, nor were they pleased with it.
Further down was Jarvan, a commander of Demacia, and Riven, a Noxus exile. Although they were neutral on terms personally, they still held little trust for each other.
Then there was Thresh, the keystone of the operation. Like Hec, he also originated from the Shadow Isle. His job was simply to enter the Void first to hopefully gain entrance to the same dimension as Hecarim.
Lastly, there was Draven. Who was, as usual, boasting of his skills to a very agitated Riven.
“Alright,” Mal started, “I need you all to be mentally prepared for what we're about to do. The Void is a tainted place, and is not to be underestimated. I can’t tell you what to expect, so it’s best to be on your guard at all times.”
“Question!”
Everyone moaned in irritation.
“Yes, Draven?” Malzahar repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time.
“Will there be women?” he asked with a sly voice. “I mean, don’t get me wrong,” he quickly added on, gesturing towards Riven. “You’re good looking enough, but I don’t think you could handle the Draven on your own.”
Riven rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath.
“Any questions that are actually relevant?”
The only answer was a slightly disapointed Draven.
“Then let us begin.”
With a swift flick of his hand, Malzahar reopened a rift into the Void. One by one, with Thresh taking the lead, the champions marched into a vast world of uncertainty.
“But… how can this be?” He kneeled in defeat. “No mortal being has ever been able to match my speed…”
“Oh come on,” Rainbow said as she landed near the speechless Hecarim, “don’t be such a sore loser!” the pony teased.
“Rainbow! You did it!” Twilight yelled, running up. “That was amazing!”
“No…” Hecarim murmured.
“Aww, come on Twi! That was nothing!”
Hec clenched his fists, pounding them into the ground forcefully.
“What’s your-” Dash was interrupted by the Shadow of War as he gripped her throat and slammed her down.
“NO! I WILL NOT LET THIS STAND.” Flames spouted from every direction as his rage enthused. “A CREATURE AS PATHETIC AS YOU DOES NOT EVEN DESERVE THE AIR YOU BREATH.”
Without hesitation, Hecarim lifted his axe with his free hand and aimed it at Dash’s throat.
“YOU WILL BE SILENCED!”
Rainbow gritted her teeth, flailing in attempt to kick away her overwhelming attacker. “Hecarim!” Twilight cried out, “You promised!”
He paused. Where...? Where have I heard those words before?
His grip loosened, allowing Dash to break free.
“What was that for?!” she managed to say through large gasps for air.
Hecarim paid her no attention and turned away. “I will obey my word,” he began. “For now, that is.”
“Geez Twi, who is this guy anyways?” she asked, rubbing the mark that had already started to form around her neck.
“I’m not really sure, but it’d probably best if we took him to Celestia,” Twilight responded. “Without any violence,” directing the remark at Hecarim.
Riven awoke, lifting herself from the grass. A soft breeze swept across the area, swaying the branches of a lone tree above the new arrival. She stretched her arms towards the sky. “Where is this place?”
It was as if she were in a dreamland of some kind. She tugged at violet flower beside her and felt its soft petals brush against the skin of her hand. “Is this truly the Void?”
On that comment, she noticed that she was alone. Not a single one of the others were in sight. She stood to her feet, giving herself time for one final stretch. She picked her blade up off the ground and looked toward the horizon.
In the distance, she saw what looked to be a naturally formed bridge with a small stream running under, along with a yordle-styled cottage. Bird houses were scattered all across the building. “Am I still in Runeterra after all?”
Brushing herself off, she started towards the home, noting the rather peculiar animals on the way. Instead of hiding from her, they stood in plain sight. One bunny in particular was bolder than the rest and approached her directly.
She reached out and the rabbit met her halfway, placing its head into her palm.
Riven smiled. You can almost feel the harmony in this place.
The bunny was quite outgoing and let Riven pick her up. She was miniscule compared to Riven’s gauntlet. The one trait that stood out to her was the rabbit’s unnatural blue symbol on her back. It matched the pattern of the runes on her sword. “That’s it! I’ll call you Rune!”
The rabbit paused for a moment, then happily hopped onto Riven’s shoulder, snuggling against the base of her neck.
“Oh right, I should probably figure out where I am…”
She advanced towards the home she had seen earlier. Upon reaching the door, she gave a few knocks.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
There was no response.
Figuring the house was unoccupied, she gave another scan across her surroundings. Following the path of the road, she saw a town in the distance. “I’d probably be better off trying my luck there.”
With her new companion perched on her shoulder, Riven crossed the river, and walked down the rugged trail.
“I can’t tell you what to expect, so it’s best to be on your guard at all times.”
Riven stopped to Malzahar’s words echoing through her mind. How could I have been so careless?!
She looked at Rune from the corner of her eye. The rabbit was staring straight forward, unaware of Riven’s questioning gaze.
Don’t be ridiculous, she thought to herself. There’s no way a harmless rabbit could pose a threat.
She continued on, but didn’t lower her guard. She had been deceived once before, and didn’t plan on letting it happen again…
Within a few minutes, she had reached the beginning of the village. “Where is everyone?” Riven asked aloud. Rune also seemed a little confused at the ghost-like streets.
She turned a corner and bumped into something.
Crash!
A miscellaneous assortment of fabrics exploded from the cart, scattering everywhere. In the mix of it all was a very distressed white unicorn, with long purple mane. Opening its mouth, the words flew out automatically.
“My dearest apologies! I simply could not see where I-"
The ponies face turned from one of distress, to one of horror.
Before her stood an imposing two-legged creature, with a blade in hand. Locked in a daze, she didn't move a muscle.
Riven blinked slowly, adjusting to the situation. “Oh, um…”
She got on all fours and fumbled around to pick up the pieces of cloth. She folded them as best she could manage and placed them back into the cart.
Riven gave the creature an apologetic look, “I’m, uh, sorry. I wasn’t paying attention...”
After an awkward moment of silence, Riven spoke up again. “Excuse me, uh, I hate to cause you anymore trouble, but do you mind telling me where I am?”
“Ponyville,” she replied, recovering slightly from her shock.
What a strange name… "And what are your, er, kind called?"
“We’re ponies…”
Riven’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “I see… How clever.”
“I suppose you aren’t from around here, are you?” she asked nervously, stating the obvious.
“Not exactly. I’m here looking for a friend...”
“A friend?”
Riven nodded. “He’s gone missing, and I’ve traveled from afar in order to bring him back.”
“Oh!” she blushed, “How romantic!” Her mood had changed in an instant.
“Huh? I don’t-”
“But you simply can’t reunite with him looking like that! Follow me and I’ll fix you up in a jiff!”
“But-”
“Oh right! Where are my manners? I’m Rarity. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“Riven. But I don’t see how-” Again, she was cut off.
“Come now! We mustn’t let such a rare opportunity go to waste!” Rarity used her magic to push the cart forward hastily. Riven and Rune exchanged glances and shrugged, following the unicorn into a large boutique. Remember, she reminded herself, don't trust anything here...
Hecarim, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash had finally arrived in Canterlot, where they were to meet Celestia. After Twilight explained what had happened, Hec was bound in magical shackles to prevent him from causing any more harm. Guards surrounded him, with their weapons tracing his every movement.
Celestia was slightly smaller in height compared to terrifying horseman, but she showed no fear when addressing him. “Hecarim, was it?”
He remained silent, sizing up the supposed Princess. She became aware of his challenging glare, and positioned herself directly in front of him, meeting eye to eye. “Those chains have been enchanted with an ancient spell that nullifies any aggression the bearer would make. In other words, you have no power here.”
Hecarim grimaced. It was true that he felt incredibly weakened. He hardly even had the willpower to walk straight.
“You have already harmed one of my dear subjects, and I do not intend to let you do so a second time,” she said, her words sharp like daggers. “So I will ask this of you once, why are you here?”
“I need not answer you, filth,” he retorted.
A nearby guard bashed him on the side with the butt of his spear. “Watch your tongue, beast!”
Hecarim didn’t flinch. “Had these infernal devices not have been binding my strength just then, you would be dead,” he growled at the guard.
“Silence!” Celestia shouted. “I will not have to speak to my subjects in that tone.” She turned to her student. “Twilight, I thank you for bringing him here, but I would feel much more assured if you and your friend returned to Ponyville.”
“Yes Princess Celestia, I understand.” With that, Twilight and Rainbow exited the room.
The sound of the large doors closing echoed throughout the throne room. “Why are you so intent on harming us?”
Hecarim laughed loudly, startling the knights. “Why? Because I find suffering enjoyable. I want you to bend to my will, and to see this pathetic world CRUSHED beneath me! And no matter how you restrain me,” he threatened, “I will have my way.”
“In that case,” Celestia raised a hoof into the air, “Take him away! Have him locked up beneath the library, in the Arcane Prison!”
The leader of the guards bowed humbly. “Right away Princess.”
They shoved Hecarim out the door, leaving the room empty once again. Celestia sighed. “What’s happening to Equestria?”
A few hours had passed since Hecarim was placed in his new prison. It was made up of dense protection magic that electrocuted anyone with the slightest touch. On top of that, he was still bound by the shackles from before.
But Hecarim was not fazed. He saw all these attempts at locking him up as petty comforts. He knew he would not be so easily restrained.
All of a sudden, light flooded the damp dungeon. The sound of hoofsteps became more and more apparent, stopping outside his cell. A silhouette of a pony resembling Celestia stood before him, with its mane shining in the darkness.
“Have you come to ask more useless questions?”
“No. I’m just here to observe.” From the sound of its voice, it was surely a female.
There was silence for a few moments, but eventually the mysterious captor spoke again. “What is your name, prisoner?”
“I’m Hecarim, Shadow of War.”
“Hecarim…” she repeated, as if tasting the words. “I hope we can get along.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m Luna,” she explained, “sister of Celestia. Besides watching over the night, I’m also the warden of this place.”
Hecarim remained silent.
“Do you require anything of me?”
“Can you get me out of this cage?” he asked bleakly.
“I cannot,” Luna admitted.
“Then I have no use for you.”
Luna was quiet for a bit, then turned to leave. “I shall be seeing you, then.”
As her hoof steps grew more and more distant, a grin creeped across Hecarim’s face. Slowly, he began to unravel the spell-bindings that were sapping his magic. Interesting, he thought.
Riven began to turn to a dark shade of blue as Rarity pulled at her new, experimental dress.
“Oh!” Rarity eased up, allowing Riven to breathe. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never worked with a such a unique shape as yours before.”
She circled around her client, taking mental measurements. “It would certainly be a lot easier task without these,” Rarity said, pressing against Riven’s breasts, causing her face to flush a crimson red.
Riven pushed her wandering hoof aside and cleared her throat. “I think you may be misunderstanding something…”
“Are the colors not to your liking?”
“What? No, that’s-”
Rarity had already begun to rummage through a box of supplies. “Is the material not comfortable enough?”
Rune watched in amusement as various objects flew across the room.
Riven stepped down from the pedestal, approaching the flustered unicorn. “The person I’m looking for is only a friend.” If you could even call him that, she thought.
Goodness how embarrassing!” she blushed. “Why didn't you say something sooner?!”
Ignoring the last comment, Riven continued. “He looks similar to you in a sense, but much larger. He also carries around a large axe. Have you seen him?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen anyone like that in Ponyville before…”
“He’s also surrounded with blue flames,” she added.
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Then I definitely haven’t seen him around.”
“I see,” Riven sighed. “Then do you have any idea where I should start looking?”
“Hmm. Maybe I could introduce you to Twilight?”
“Who?”
“Twilight Sparkle, the librarian here in Ponyville. She’s a dear friend of mine, and would probably have a better idea on what to do.”
Riven was hesitant. She had already risked a lot by picking Rune up, let alone following Rarity into her home. Before she could respond, they were interrupted by the door swinging open.
“Talk about timing!” Rarity exclaimed.
At the door stood Twilight, who quickly took notice of Riven’s presence.
“Twilight! This is Riven. She’s here looking for her friend from out of Equestria. Isn’t that interesting?”
“Is he a giant horseman with a huge axe?” Twilight asked bluntly, rather unaffected by the strange visitor.
“With blue flames?” Riven questioned.
Twilight tensed up. “You’re not going to strangle us, are you?” Twilight blurted out in alarm.
“What?! Of course not! Riven would never do such a thing!” Rarity said, defending her new acquaintance. Twilight and Rarity both looked to Riven.
“My companions and I are just trying to bring him back, that’s all,” she reassured.
“Phew, that’s a relief…”
Rarity seemed rather concerned. “Did something happen to you?”
Twilight sat down in a nearby chair and explained the mysterious appearance of Hecarim and how they had taken him to Celestia. “But I didn’t expect anyone to come after him,” Twilight admitted.
Riven had already put her other clothes back on and had been listening intently to her story. “Do you think you could take me to this Celestia?” Riven asked.
“Sure, but I have a question to ask you first.”
“Yes?”
“You said you came here with companions? Does that mean there are more of you?”
Riven had completely forgotten about them. “Yeah, but we got separated when we entered your world. I have no idea where any of them are right now.”
Rarity gasped overdramatically. “How tragic!”
Twilight, on the other hand, was rather worried. “You’re friends,” she started, “are they anything like Hecarim?”
Riven shrugged. “I cannot say. I don’t know too much about them myself.”
The librarian furrowed her brow. “I don’t like the idea of them causing trouble in Equestria…”
Twilight sat in silence, asking herself what her next step should be. “Rarity, do you think you could take Riven to Celestia?”
“Of course I can, but what about you?”
“It’d probably be best if I rounded up the rest of the Elements, just in case.”
Rarity nodded in agreement. “I understand.”
“Thanks Rarity, I owe you one. We’ll meet up in Canterlot once I’ve gathered everyone!” she shouted back as she ran out the building.
“I just don’t see why we have to go in the middle of the night…” Silver Spoon complained as her and Diamond Tiara trudged through the thick mud.
“Because Daddy said they had found a ton of gems and-”
Before finishing her sentence, she found herself muzzle-first into the brown sludge. She quickly hoisted herself out, gasping for breath. “EWWW! IT’S IN MY MANE!”
Silver Spoon stifled a giggle.
“Don’t laugh at me!” she cried, wiping the mud off her eyes.
An eerie voice echoed around the two lost fillies. “Hahahaha…”
Silver’s eyes widened in fear, looking around in a panic.
“I said not to laugh, jerk!” Tiara repeated.
“That wasn’t me!” she squealed.
Finally clearing away the grime, the infuriated pony faced her friend. “Ha, ha. Very funny!”
“Hahahahaha…”
This time, it sounded closer than before. The two ponies clung to each other, shaking uncontrollably.
The clanking of chains being dragged across the ground could be heard faintly in the distance. It became louder and louder, and tears began to stream down the pony’s faces.
Then it stopped.
A few seconds passed by; then a minute had gone. Taking the chance, Diamond Tiara shoved her friend down into the mud and took off running.
“Hey!” she screamed. “Don’t leave me!”
Suddenly, like a shadow moving across the land, a large and rusted hook gouged itself into Diamond’s back. She went sprawling onto the ground, but wasn’t able to say a word. The chain started to reel in, and the helpless filly flailed her hoofs out, reaching towards her abandoned friend.
The resistance was futile, and was met with a large heave that tore across her spine. Blood sprayed against the treeline, and her body went limp.
Witnessing the horrifying event, Silver Spoon broke down into sobs. Snot dripped down her face, mixing with the brown muck. She sank deeper and deeper into the mud.
A blue light shone from the darkness. A few yards away from the gray pony stood a massive, skeletal figure. A bloody chain drooped down from his hand, with pieces of flesh still attached to the tip.
She struggled to break free, but realized she had become stuck. The terrifying visage slunked forward, twirling its hook.
Like plucking a flower out of the earth, Thresh lifted his prey up with ease. “The Void is surprisingly…” he began, unhinging his jaws.
The magic sealing was more complex than Hecarim had originally predicted. Several hours had passed and there was no end in sight. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he felt truly exhausted.
The rattle of keys came from behind the hall door. Slowly, it creaked open, allowing a gust of fresh air to enter the damp dungeon. From the dim light appeared Princess Luna, a hood draped over her face.
“Back again, Warden? What do you want this time?” Hecarim snarled.
“I just came to speak with you,” she assured.
“You’ll have better luck talking to someone who cares for your pitiful words, fool.”
Luna frowned. “What made you like this, Hecarim? Why do you hold so much hate in your heart?”
“Because compassion is for the weak-minded, such as yourself.”
“I do not believe it is a good idea to be making remarks such as that in your current condition.”
“HA! Do you think you’d really stand a chance against me in combat?”
“That is besides the point, Hecarim. I still seek an answer to my question.”
Hec glared at Luna, annoyed with her casual tone. “A mortal who has not known the confines of the Shadow Isle won’t understand anything.”
The Princess sighed. “I am much more similar to you than you believe.”
“I doubt you’ve bore any experience that comes close to the daunting trials of my homeland.”
“Maybe not, but I would not be so quick to judge. I once was an outcast too, and was bound to a more cruel cell than this…” Luna’s voice trailed off as she recalled that lonely millenium she spent banished to the moon. “I returned to Equestria as a different mare. I was powerful, and feared by all.”
“And what was your downfall?” Hecarim asked, trying to hide his interest.
“I was saved by the Elements of Harmony, and returned to my original self.”
“Saved?” Hecarim scoffed. “I believe you mean defeated.” He paused momentarily. “What are these Elements you speak of?”
“The Elements of Harmony,” she clarified. “You’ve already met some of them, from the looks of it.”
Hecarim bitterly remembered the race he had lost. “So they are the true challenge.”
Luna looked puzzled. “I hear you mention this ‘challenge’ often. What exactly are you referring to?”
“It’s as it appears. I want an opponent that is worthy of me.”
It’s strange, really. Luna had never met anything like him before, yet she understood his motives completely. She shared an unexplained empathy for the prisoner. She lowered her head in thought.
“Perhaps I could make a deal with you.”
Hecarim was cautious of the sudden offer. “A deal? Of what sorts?”
“If you are willing, I could grant you freedom.”
“And what do you wish for in return?” Although he could break down the magic that was infused in the shackles, it would require a large amount of time; time that Hecarim would rather spend slaughtering.
“I want you to cleanse nightmares with me,” she explained plainly.
“Cleanse nightmares? How is that possible?”
“I am the Princess of the Night. My job is vast in responsibilities. One of these tasks is to comfort my subjects by visiting their dreams and chasing away whatever is haunting them. Since all you seek is a challenge, both sides of this offer will benefit you, correct?”
It was, without a doubt, a win-win. It sounded almost too good to be true. On the other hand, taking the chance was certainly a lot better than rotting in a cell. “I agree to your terms.”
“Excellent. Then let us not waste any time.”
A nightly glow surrounded Luna and Hecarim, and in an instant: they vanished.
Dust blew in the wind of the abandoned town. The cold air lingered in the desert night. Graves walked through the empty roads, his gun resting on his shoulder.
A familiar face revealed itself from the shadows. “Heh. About time you found me,” Twisted Fate mocked. He shuffled through a deck of cards, taking the first three from the top.
Graves loaded his shotgun and pointed it towards his enemy. “Ain’t got the time for your games, traitor.”
The two rivals stood their ground, waiting for the other to make a move. A tumbleweed drifted in between them both, accompanying the suspenseful silence.
“Draw!”
Twisted Fate flicked his wrist, sending the three cards flying directly at Graves.
Without hesitation, he dashed to the left and fired quickly. The bullets narrowly missed his opponent, brushing against the end of his coat, but Graves was not finished just yet.
A smoke grenade landed beneath Fate's feet, emitting a thick haze. Seizing the opportunity, Graves fired volley after volley at his foe. The shots continued to echo even after the dust had settled.
But when everything cleared, Twisted Fate was nowhere to be seen.
A whisper came from behind the gunner’s ear. “Gotcha.”
A golden card impaled itself deep into Grave’s shoulder, forcing him to yell out in pain. He tried to recover, but was kicked to the ground. “Well it was nice knowing ya buddy.” Another three cards were pulled out from his sleeve.
With a single agile movement, Graves loaded a hidden shell into the barrel of his gun. Before Fate could react, he was sent sailing through the air by an over-sized shot, crashing into a pile of crates.
They lifted themselves up, readying for another attack. Both spat out thick portions of their blood.
They burst into a sprint, preparing to strike.
“STOP!”
The land beneath their feet jutted out abruptly, forming huge walls that separated the two.
Slowly, the walls retracted back into the earth, leaving behind a furious Demacian Prince. “I know not of your pathetic quarrels, but now is not the time to be fighting! Save it for when we are back in Runeterra!”
“Tch, you got lucky boy,” Graves spat.
“Same goes for you,” Twisted Fate retorted.
“Quit acting like children, the both of you! Now come, we must regroup with the others.”
The pair hesitantly followed Jarvan, setting aside their hate for the time being.
“Hecarim! Behind you!” Luna shouted to her companion.
Spinning around, Hec slashed the dragon across the eye. It staggered backwards, bellowing in pain. Not letting up, he pressed forward, ramming his halberd into the beast's stomach. “RAH!” He cleaved his axe upwards, gutting the creature alive.
Another serpent had been slain, but there was no time to rest. A spiked tail bashed into his side, causing him to soar into the rocky cliffside, but Luna cushioned his fall using her magic.
Still in a frenzy, the dragon lifted his head and bombarded Luna with a hail of hellfire. Hecarim had galloped to her though, and dissipated the flames with a single whirl of his weapon.
Although physical harm did not carry over to the real world, the pain could still be felt. Relieved, Luna quickly thanked Hecarim.
Ignoring her, Hec raised his axe into the sky, summoning hordes of spectral riders to his side. Leading the charge, he sprinted at the dragon, slashing down through its thick scales.
The last of them had been vanquished, and Hecarim used this time to catch his breath. “I am not disappointed in the deal I have made with you,” he admitted. “These have truly put me to the test of my strength.”
For the last several hours, the duo had fought through endless swarms of giant spiders, defeated masses of decomposing ghouls, and even the occasional army of Changelings.
“Normally all I need to do is soothe the host of the dream, but sometimes that is not enough,” she explained. "Things such as this happen more often than not."
“So, how many more dreams are left to purge?”
Luna shook her head. “The sun is soon to rise, and our job is complete.”
Hecarim was slightly disappointed.
“Don’t worry, there is always next time,” Luna joked. Hecarim shot her an irritated glare.
Before he could say anything, a small colt came running towards his saviors, tears dripping down his face. “Princess Luna!”
“Comet Cloud!”
The minuscule Pegasus leaped into Luna’s hooves, holding her tight. “Thank you for saving me!” he let out between sobs.
Luna gently let him down. “You are very welcome.”
Comet wiped the tears away and nervously edged closer to Hecarim. “And thank you too Mister. You looked really cool fighting those dragons!”
Hec was rather blunt with the young pony. “I am only here for personal amusement. I care not for your wellbeing.”
“Wow! That sounded so cool!” Comet blindly admired.
Are you an idiot? Hecarim asked in his head.
“It’s time for us to go, Comet. Remember to be brave, even in the darkest of moments,” Luna encouraged with a motherly tone.
The colt went and hugged Luna a second time. “Okay Princess! I promise!”
Luna patted his head and the colt turned and ran back to where he had come from.
Watching the scene, Hecarim felt something he had never experience before. Deep inside, he could feel an unnatural warmth. Luna looked back, and gave him a genuine smile. The warmth increased tenfold, causing even more discomfort.
What is this feeling?
For the first time since setting foot into existence, Hecarim felt… different.
