Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The arcane is a curious thing.

It is unpredictable. Chaotic.

Impossible to understand.

One might dedicate their whole life to learning of its nature, and still never find the answers they seek.

When one messes with the arcane—an unstable force to begin with—the universe does what it can to right itself.

So, when Isha sacrificed herself, she might have accepted the very likely possibility of her death, but that did not mean that would be the result.

In fact, when the universe sensed the disturbance of that powerful blast, it did not eradicate the source. It simply… transferred it to a place better suited for such power.

For magic.

•●♠︎●•

The first thing Isha noticed when she woke up was the blistering heat. The sun beat down on her skin, and when she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but rubble and debris surrounding her.

Slowly, tentatively, Isha rose to her feet. She paused for a moment to look at her hands. Yes, she decided, those were definitely still her hands.

Isha took a deep breath and began to walk.

She traversed the area with care, paying attention to each significant detail that she might be able to use as landmarks later on. An archway here, an especially large pile of rocks there, or that strange structure with the most beautiful gold peeking out between the dense layers of vines.

When she arrived at a massive building that still stood among the wreckage, she finally allowed herself a small break. Take a moment, regroup, plan.

What would Jinx do?

Oh, how she wished Jinx were here. She always knew what to do. If Jinx were here, she'd laugh, pat Isha on the head, and tell her exactly where to go from here.

But… Jinx wasn't there. Isha was alone.

And so, she pressed on. Into this grand building. She heaved the doors open with a great effort, squealing in delight when they finally swung open.

Isha looked around the room, the tall walls and high ceilings that reached the heavens, absolutely covered in books. She smiled to herself. She had always wanted to read, but never had much of a chance.

She climbed around the shelves looking for any book that might catch her attention. Giggling with glee, she pulled one from its place, a brick red cover with gold decals, elegant and perfect.

Isha dropped to the floor, book in hand. She opened it gently, carefully, allowing herself the chance to soak in the wonder of literature. She traced her finger on the slightly faded black ink of the words she could not understand but felt thrilling anyway.

Flipping through the book, she came across a striking drawing spread over two pages, depicting a dark-skinned woman with pale orange hair and an intricate crown made of gold resting on her head. She wore the most beautiful, indescribable garments of yellows and oranges and gold. When Isha looked closer, she noticed a pair of horns and pointed ears, and orange markings on her face.

She was beautiful, but she wasn't human.

Isha sat there for a long while, running the pads of her fingers over the mysterious woman in the drawing. It was peaceful, and she could almost forget how desperately she had wanted to get back to Jinx.

Then, there was a loud creaking noise as the library doors were pushed open. Isha hopped up, slamming the book shut and tucking it under her arm. She ran over to hide behind a stack of books, peeking out from the side to keep an eye on the people who had entered.

There were two people. One, a red-haired man with kind eyes and freckles scattered throughout his face. The other, a tall woman with scary amour, a shield at her back and sword strapped to her hip. There was a scar on her cheek, and her hair was brown, though the style of it was achingly familiar. Like Vi’s.

Isha watched them, carefully observing their every move. They did not speak, instead making strange gestures with their hands in order to communicate. Isha frowned. It would have been easier to gauge the level of threat if she knew what they were saying.

It was fine. Jinx always taught her to prepare for the worst case scenario, so she placed her hand over Jinx’s gun where it was tucked into her belt. The other hand gravitated to the hex gems where they were safely stowed away in their own special pouch on her belt.

She smiled to herself. Jinx wasn't there physically, sure. But her weapons would protect her. Should Isha need to defend herself from these people, Jinx's hands would guide hers and help her do what was necessary. Whatever it took to get back to Jinx.

Isha looked back at the people, and instantly made eye contact with the brunette woman. The woman turned to her friend to tell him, but when she turned back, Isha had already taken off running up the stairs.

She wasn't safe yet, though, as she could hear the thundering stomps of heavy metal boots climbing the steps behind her. Isha winced, running faster. Ducking and weaving under tables, between chairs, through piles and piles of old books.

Isha kept an ear out for the footsteps, and they never left. She ran even faster, until the state of the old library betrayed her, and she tripped on a loose floorboard with a yelp. The woman caught up half a second later, standing over Isha with a strange expression on her face.

The woman knelt down to Isha’s level as she tried to scramble away, only to hit her back on the wall of shelves. She was cornered. Isha looked around her, trying to find an escape, completely neglecting to keep an eye on the woman right in front of her.

She snapped once, twice in Isha's face to get her attention, then began to move her hands in those strange movements from before. Isha pressed her back against the bookshelves. What was she doing? Was she… casting a spell? Or was this some strange fighting technique that was all the build-up to Isha getting beat up. She wasn't sure which option she'd prefer.

And so, with hesitant, trembling hands, she reached for the gun. Isha whipped it from under her belt and pointed it straight at the woman.

Show no fear.

Jinx wouldn't be afraid.

Be like Jinx.

Isha put on her scariest face, yet the woman just blinked at her a few times before making those gestures again. She growled quietly, waving the gun around a bit to emphasize to the woman the power she had.

I have a gun! she wanted to scream. I have a gun! You should be afraid!

But she couldn't. So she just… stared.

The woman frowned, appearing annoyed or frustrated. Isha wasn't sure why. But it was of no consequence. The woman made yet another gesture, off to the side as she maintained eye contact with Isha.

Then, that red-haired man appeared from around the corner, and… Isha wasn't so sure she could fight off both of them.

The man walked over to them and knelt beside them, smiling at Isha and looking at her with those kind eyes. She did not like people with kind eyes. Those were the people whose kindness always gave way to cruel intentions.

Isha did not like this man.

She shifted her gun to point at him instead. He put his hands up in surrender, but she did not lower her gun. He could be lying, don't trust him, yes, that's what Jinx would say.

There was a soft pat on her head.

Jinx?

Jinx used to pat her head like that. But when Isha looked at who it was, it wasn't Jinx. It was that woman. She wasn't Jinx, but… it felt nice. The woman was smiling at her and stroking her hair and it was nice. Isha felt herself leaning into the touch.

These people were safe.

Jinx would want her to be safe.

Isha threw herself into the woman’s embrace, wrapping her arms around her neck. There was a sharp intake of breath from off to the side where the man still knelt next to his friend. But Isha did not care. The woman was warm and soft and she smelled nice, like flowers, and Isha buried her face in her neck to breathe it in.

The woman rose up, taking Isha with her. She cradled Isha in her arms, still gently rubbing her back in soft circles. Isha nuzzled her face further in her neck, and the woman laughed, a silent, breathy sound.

Isha allowed the woman to carry her down the stairs of the library, and back outside. She only grumbled little complaints as the woman peeled her off her chest to place her on the back of some strange animal Isha had never seen before—though she guessed it must have been a horse, like she'd heard about in some stories.

The woman mounted the horse, sitting on the saddle directly behind Isha, wrapping her arms around her to secure her and grip the reins. Isha leaned back to rest her head on the woman's chest, closing her eyes once more as she began to drift off.

Yes, she thought sleepily. I'm safe.

Chapter Text

When Isha woke some time later, she had been placed on the softest bed she'd ever been on, with the warmest blanket tucked carefully around her.

She hesitantly blinked open her eyes, wincing at the bright orange light of fire that flooded the room. Isha sat up, trying to look for the nice woman from before. Instead, she was faced with a different woman who looked strangely familiar, even though she was sure she'd never met her before.

“Hello,” the woman said apprehensively, her voice carrying a noticeable accent that Isha didn't recognize.

Isha backed up against the intricately carved headboard of the bed, pulling her knees to her chest to defend herself from this stranger. She tried to discreetly pat her waist to retrieve Jinx’s gun, but it was nowhere to be found.

“We took it,” the stranger explained with a shrug. “Just a precaution.”

Isha's eyes widened at the woman, whose commanding presence was steadily growing more intimidating. The woman tilted her chin up slightly, proudly.

“I am Queen Janai of the Sunfire elves, ruler of Lux Aurea. You have already met my wife, Queen Amaya, as well as Gren, correct?”

Isha just blinked at her. She figured, of course, that Janai must be talking about the nice woman and her friend, but she wasn't quite sure she should let her know that. Queen Janai didn't look nice, not like… Amaya.

Janai sighed, as though she anticipated this kind of response, but she still stared at Isha expectantly, her eyes never losing that fierce (and intimidating) glint.

Isha tried to look sweet and unassuming, hoping that would make the queen go easy on her. She had learned very quickly, living in the Undercity, that if she could not outrun someone or outsmart them, then her next best chance was to make them pity the sweet, lost little girl (and then, most often, get in close and hit them where it hurts).

For a while, with Jinx, Isha was able to depend on her to keep her safe. And, if all else failed, at least she had a gun.

But she had no weapon, not anymore, since this… elf took it from her as a “precaution”. So she had to pray that, at the very least, these odd people had some sympathy for her.

Or, hopefully, Amaya would come and take her away from this place, bring her somewhere safe.

But—hold on. Did she say Amaya was her wife?

Isha frowned.

Surely, Amaya could still be trusted, right? If she wasn't as nice as she seemed, she would have done something earlier.

So maybe, Queen Janai could be trusted. Maybe. Jury's still out, but Isha was willing to at least give her a chance.

She looked up at the elf, who had not dropped her fierce gaze for a second, her eyes boring holes into Isha's skin.

Just one chance.

Isha nodded at the elf, who tipped her head to the side curiously.

“Can you speak?” She asked. Isha averted her gaze, which was an answer in itself. Janai hummed. “Do you know sign language?”

Isha shook her head. Where would she have learned that, living in the Undercity? Janai frowned, clearly frustrated.

“How do you communicate, then?” Isha shrugged. Her and Jinx had developed somewhat of a personal code, but she had no way to explain it to the queen.

Janai sighed, then rose from her seat next to the bed. “Very well. I suppose I'll just have to ask yes or no questions until we find a way for you to communicate.” She paused, shifting on her feet. “...Are you hungry?”

Isha suddenly became very aware that she was, in fact, starving. She nodded rapidly. Janai chuckled, and held out a hand to Isha. For the first time, Isha noticed that she only had four fingers, and hesitated slightly.

Janai arched a brow inquisitively. “What? Never seen an elf hand before?” Isha shook her head. No, she certainly had not. The only four-fingered people she'd met were those who'd lost them to various infections in the mines. Not exactly “elf hands”.

Isha took Janai’s hand, which was startlingly warm, and rose from the bed.

They left the beautiful tent, walking outside. The camp was pleasant—far nicer than anywhere Isha had been in the Undercity—even though it only seemed to be a temporary settlement. Isha looked around in awe as they strolled past tents for medicine and shops, as well as a group of young elves and humans sitting on the ground with a couple of adults, like some kind of makeshift school.

When Isha looked back at Janai, the queen was smiling proudly. “Incredible, isn't it?” she asked in her strange, implacable accent. Isha nodded in wonder, and Janai chuckled.

The elf led her to a large wooden structure that appeared to be some kind of outdoor dining hall. The comforting smell of food flooded Isha's nostrils, and her stomach growled loudly. She couldn't quite remember the last time she'd eaten anything at all, let alone a proper meal.

Janai placed a warm hand on her back and guided her to one of the long tables that lined the inner circumference of the structure. Bowls and platters of unfamiliar yet mouthwatering dishes were scattered about, and Isha barely suppressed her urge to shove her face in them. She pointed to a stack of wooden trays at the end of the table, looking at Janai questioningly.

Janai picked up two of the trays, and began piling them with food. Janai would point to a dish and look at Isha, who would nod or shake her head to tell the elf what she wanted. Eventually, they settled down on one of the benches in the hall, and Janai nodded to Isha to dig in. She did just that, enthusiastically grabbing handfuls of the meat or greens on her tray and shoving them unceremoniously in her mouth. Janai watched her with a fond smile, going through her own meal far more politely.

The food was strange, with plenty of ingredients Isha didn't recognize, but it was the most delicious meal she'd ever had. And that wasn't just because she'd been starving.

Isha dropped her tray on the bench next to her after practically licking it clean. She patted her stomach in satisfaction, better fed than she’d been her whole life. Janai laughed and ran a hand through Isha's hair. She flinched at first, not expecting the touch, but when she processed that it was just Janai, she relaxed into it.

Janai can be trusted. Janai is safe.

Jinx would want her to be safe.

Isha should stay with them. It's what Jinx would want.

Yes, she decided. She would stay with Queen Janai and Queen Amaya.

They were safe.

Isha was safe.

Chapter Text

Warm water poured over Isha's head. She clung to the edge of the basin, letting Janai run her fingers through her hair to lather up the soap. Isha kept her eyes screwed shut to prevent any dripping in her eyes.

She also didn't want to see the water slowly turn blue as the paint was washed out of her hair.

That was Jinx’s blue.

Losing the colour from her hair felt a little like giving up on Jinx. Giving up on finding her. Losing her.

But Janai has insisted that she was filthy. So Isha let her do as she pleased, even if that meant undoing the braids Jinx had put in. Even if it meant losing her. It was only for a little.

Isha wasn't giving up on Jinx. She'd find her. She was simply… biding her time. Until she could communicate with the queens to ask for their help.

Yes, that's what she would do. She would stay with the nice ladies in the Sunfire settlement, then convince them to help her find Jinx.

And, maybe… Jinx could come stay here. Jinx, and maybe Vi, too. And Vander. And Sevika! Surely the queens wouldn't mind? They'd be helpful, and… Isha could convince them.

“Alright,” Janai declared. “I think you're done.” Isha nodded, rubbing her eyes to clear any soap. Janai helped her out of the basin, and began drying her off with what must have been the softest towel in the world, helping her put on the silky garments that the elves wore.

Janai reached over to grab a small mirror from the table in the corner of the tent. She handed it to Isha with a soft smile. Isha took it, looking at her reflection. She hadn't gotten a good look at herself since Jinx initially painted her hair. Isha frowned, running her fingers through silky brown locs, softer than they'd ever been.

Janai had made her take her braids out, just another way her connection with Jinx had been broken. The elf didn't know, of course, so Isha couldn't really blame her, but… she didn't want to lose her physical reminders of her friendship with Jinx.

Isha fumbled with the longer hair in the back of her head, trying to remember how Jinx had braided them back then. She wished she had asked Jinx to teach her.

She sighed wistfully.

Janai looked at her curiously. “Do you miss your little braids?” she asked. Isha turned to face her, nodding vigorously. Janai laughed. “Come here.”

Janai took her to a stool opposite the basin, patting the seat to get her to sit there. Isha did as she was told, and felt the comforting warmth of Janai's hands carding through her hair. She closed her eyes, allowing Janai to braid two little pigtails in her hair, keeping them in place with matching gold clips in the shape of suns.

Even once she was done Janai kept running her fingers along Isha's scalp, and Isha smiled softly to herself, knowing the elf was doing it because she saw how much Isha liked it.

The sound of footsteps marking someone entering the tent made Isha turn around. A small part of her heart jumped as she saw the build and haircut of the person who had entered—Vi?

Where there was Vi, there was likely Jinx, too.

But Jinx wasn't there. That wasn't Vi.

Still, Isha leaped up, running to hug the nice woman. Amaya! she wanted to call, suddenly thrilled at the thought that she knew her name. She couldn't call out, though, so she hugged her twice as hard instead.

Amaya patted her head gently.

Isha felt Amaya's body shift as her hands made those odd gestures again—sign language, she finally realized.

“Careful, little one,” Janai translated with a chuckle. “I bet you're strong enough to squish me even through my armour.”

Amaya slowly, carefully peeled Isha off her, giving her a soft smile. She said something in sign language and Isha turned to Janai expectantly.

“I already bathed and fed her,” Janai said as she signed the same thing to Amaya. “And I requested to have a tent set up for her next to ours.”

Isha perked up at this, thinking of the tent she had in Jinx’s living space. Amaya signed something else, and Janai shook her head. “No. She can't speak, and doesn't know sign language. I'm trying to figure out another way to communicate with her, but I haven't gotten very far yet.”

Amaya looked down at Isha with a sad expression, then looked back at Janai suddenly, signing quickly. The elf glanced back at Isha. “That might work… Hey, little one, can you write? Or draw, at least?”

Isha nodded happily. Amaya smiled softly at her, while Janai stepped out for a moment, likely to request some paper and pencils or something. Isha waited patiently as Amaya ran her fingers through her damp curls.

Janai returned a few minutes later with paper, ink, and a quill. Isha tilted her head at them, not used to using such materials.

Janai set the supplies on a small table, dragging the stool over. Isha settled on the stool, Amaya and Janai sitting on the floor next to her. Isha dipped the quill into the ink, hovering the tip of the quill over the paper as she considered what she should tell them.

Eventually, she made her decision, beginning to draw. She quickly got used to the quill, guiding her hand across the page, carefully avoiding the wet lines so they wouldn't smudge. Isha smiled as she worked, having forgotten how much she loved this. Once she was finished, she placed the quill down next to the paper and lifted it up for the queens to see.

Isha had drawn the last moment before she woke up in this strange place. Over there was Jinx, reaching for her while Vi held her back, scattered about were that annoying army, and in the middle was that scary monster that used to be Vander. In front of him, of course, was Isha, shooting him.

The queens stared at the drawing with unreadable expressions. After a moment, Janai spoke up.

“Your name is Isha?” She asked, pointing to where Isha had written her name with an arrow pointing to the drawing of herself. Isha nodded in confirmation.

The two queens glanced at each other for a moment, before looking back at Isha with warm smiles. Amaya signed something very slowly, mouthing her name. Isha tipped her head to the side curiously, trying to mimic Amaya's movements. Amaya chuckled silently, doing it again, even slower.

Isha tried again, beaming up at Amaya when she nodded approvingly.

Janai turned back to the drawing pointing to the different figures as she attempted to decipher it. “So… you shot Vander, and Jinx tried to stop you, but Vi held her back?” Isha nodded.

“And… who are the other people?” Janai asked. Isha shrugged. She never did figure that out. And, to be honest, it had seemed irrelevant at the time, so she didn't pay attention.

Amaya signed something, but when Janai responded, she did not verbalize her answer. Isha frowned, upset at being left out. Amaya turned back to her, signing something while Janai translated. “Would you like to learn sign language, little one?”

Isha's eyes widened, and she nodded excitedly. Janai placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her close. Amaya joined them, wrapping her arms around her from behind until Isha was fully encompassed by the warm embrace of the queens.

She nuzzled into Janai's shoulder, sighing softly. Suddenly, her worries and fears regarding Jinx and everything else felt very far away.

For the first time, she did not have to even question if she was safe.

Isha knew she was.

Chapter Text

The thing about Isha learning sign language, was that apparently Janai didn't know enough to properly teach her. Which meant instead of learning with both of the queens, she was taught by Amaya… and some unripe strawberry cosplaying as a human man.

Or, sorry, Gren.

Isha didn't like him. He looked too… nice. And his face made him look like a topsider, someone who'd never wanted for anything in his life. Ew.

But Amaya seemed to like him. He would sign things to her and she'd smile and occasionally do that silent laughter. Isha knew he must not be so bad.

But dammit if she wanted to punch him. Just a little.

One for every stupid freckle, that's all.

When Gren corrected the placement of her hands for ‘want’ for the umpteenth time, she huffed angrily, crossing her arms and turning away stubbornly.

She could feel both his and Amaya's eyes boring into the back of her skull, but she pretended not to care.

There was a soft tap on her shoulder, and she turned back just slightly to see which one of them it had been.

It was Amaya, smiling softly with a hint of concern, holding out a sheet of paper. Isha understood what she wanted, the obvious question without Amaya even having to sign it.

What's wrong?

Isha turned around fully, taking the paper and grabbing a nearby quill and inkpot. The nice thing about these little lessons was that they included reading and writing as well. Which meant that Isha was much better at it than before. Perhaps not the level she should be at her age, or the level she would have been if she were a topsider, but good enough.

She took her time, carefully dictating each stroke of ink so that there would be no doubt with what she wanted to say. When she was done, she slid it across the table to Gren, who flipped it around with a slightly nervous look on his face. He looked back up a moment later with a confused expression. Isha nodded proudly.

You look like a lesbian gingerbread man.

Amaya leaned over to look at what had been written, and her shoulders shook with laughter when she saw.

She signed something quickly, which, with Isha's limited knowledge of sign language, she guessed must have been something along the lines of “that's my girl!”

“That is very… um,” Gren said with a grimace. “Your handwriting has gotten better, at least,” he offered lamely as Amaya reached over to ruffle her hair joyfully.

Isha grinned up at Amaya. The queen raised a hand for a high-five, and Isha reciprocated with a giggle. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gren shaking his head with a chuckle, and Isha found herself smiling softly.

For someone who appeared so fortunate, at least his kindness didn't seem performative. Isha could appreciate that, at the very least. She looked at Amaya, brows furrowed in concentration as she signed something to the effect of “how know him?”

Amaya glanced at Gren with a smirk. She signed something which Isha gathered probably meant something like “I'm not sure if he wants me to tell that story…”

Gren noticed their conversation, blushing in embarrassment at Amaya's statement. Amaya grinned, signing “maybe that’s a story for another day.”

Isha pouted, but didn't want to push it.

Suddenly, someone poked their head into their tent to whisper something to Gren, who signed something to Amaya which was too quick for Isha to comprehend, before abruptly standing up and walking out.

“Have you seen your new tent?” Amaya signed slowly. Isha shook her head, and the queen smiled softly. “Would you like to?” Isha perked up, nodding.

Amaya stood up, holding out a hand for Isha to take as they exited the tent and began walking back to where the queens’ tent was. As they got closer, Isha noticed a smaller tent that had been set up off to the side. She tapped Amaya's arm to get her attention, pointing at the mini tent. Amaya nodded in confirmation.

It was hers! She had a tent of her own!

She smiled widely, breaking away from Amaya to run in the direction of the tent. Instead of reaching it, however, she smacked right into what must have been the furriest brick wall in the Sunfire camp, falling back onto the dirt with a soft “oof.”

Isha looked up at what she had run into, only to be met with the coolest yet strangest creature she'd ever seen. She stared up at it in awe, taking in its unique features. The two tails… horns… wings! She squealed in delight.

Amaya walked over and helped her up. “What?” Isha signed, pointing to the beautiful creature. Amaya proceeded to sign several words that Isha couldn't have deciphered if she tried. She stared dumbly at Amaya, who smiled and signed “hot cat” instead, to which Isha nodded in understanding.

Amaya placed a hand on Isha's shoulder, using the other to gesture to her new tent. She began to walk forward, guiding Isha forward. She stayed with Amaya this time, finding the silence quite comforting for the first time in her life.

Isha had a difficult time getting used to the slower pace of life here, the serenity and brightness of it all, but… she was beginning to love it.

It was a breath of fresh air. She felt like she could really be a kid. In the Undercity, there weren't really children, just tiny adults. But the queens didn't see her that way, didn't treat her that way. They didn't expect her to fend for herself.

And as much as it confused her born and bred Undercity instincts, it was… nice.

As they entered the small tent, Isha noticed that it was quite bare compared to the other tents. When she looked at Amaya questioningly, the queen signed “for you to…” and Isha didn't quite understand the last word, but she assumed she probably meant “decorate” or “customize” or something like that.

She jogged over and flopped face first on the bed, sighing contentedly, and she heard Amaya walk up behind her to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching over to rub her back soothingly. Isha practically melted further into the stupidly soft mattress, a lifetime of missed sleep finally catching up to her.

She rolled over onto her back, looking up at Amaya, who was smiling softly down at her.

As Isha drifted off, she raised her hand to tiredly sign one last thing.

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Jinx was… decidedly not going to lose her shit.

It wasn’t like Ekko just dropped the best/worst news of her life as if it were nothing.

Nope.

God, she wanted to smack him.

She sat there on the floor, Ekko humming busily behind her as he attempted to fix her “unfortunate new style” (Ekko's words, not hers).

He had told her everything.

Everything.

Which, on its own, was certainly something notable. Even if Jinx otherwise couldn't give a rat's ass about the arcane and how it worked, it was… incredible.

But even more so, this meant something.

For her. For Isha.

Jinx never really knew what it meant to have something to lose, until she lost it.

A part of her kept wondering if the only reason she allowed Ekko to talk her down that day was because, deep down, she knew Isha would think he was cool.

Another part of her wondered if Isha would have been better off landing on Ekko rather than her. He could have taken care of the stupidly sweet kid. Could have given her a home, safety, security. Everything neither of them had as kids.

In another life, another world, perhaps.

Ha ha.

She couldn't exactly blame him. But Ekko just… didn't get it.

They lived two different lives. Two sides of the same coin, or whatever. Parallel, never meeting. Always trying, but never quite understanding.

There was a loud clatter behind her, and Jinx whirled around to see what was going on. Ekko met her eyes with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry,” he said awkwardly, gesturing to the floor. “Dropped some of your tools.”

“Whatever,” Jinx said with a shrug, pushing up off the ground. Together they collected the supplies, shoving them carelessly back into their box.

Ekko watched her as she went about organizing some of her stuff, observing her every move like a bird of prey.

“Hey, Jinx?” he asked after a moment. Jinx looked up at him questioningly. He bit his lip, appearing to carefully consider his next words.

“Just spill it, already,” she murmured, turning back to her previous activity. Ekko sighed deeply.

“It's just… about that little girl—”

“Isha,” Jinx snapped. Ekko winced, giving her a small nod.

“Isha. With the whole… other world thing.” Jinx froze, resisting the urge to look back at him again.

“What about it?” she asked, forcing her voice to sound neutral. “You already told me she might not be dead, what else is there to know?”

Ekko said nothing, probably turning back to his own preparations. After a while, Jinx assumed he had decided to drop it, until he spoke up again.

“I just want to make sure you won't do anything stupid,” he said, so soft she almost missed it. But she didn't.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” she said, the words coming out far more bitter than she had intended.

They did not face each other, but Jinx didn't have to see his face to know what his expression must have been. “You know exactly what I mean,” he stated, as though it were really quite simple. Jinx did not agree.

“You're the stupid one if you think you can stop me,” Jinx said, holding the edge of her work table in a death grip. She heard Ekko halt his actions immediately.

“It's suicide and you know it.” Ekko turned to her, a desperate look on his face. Jinx missed it, her back still turned. She stayed silent, and he understood.

“Jinx,” he said gently, almost patronizing, like she was a damn child. “It's not worth it.”

He just didn't get it.

“She is,” Jinx argued. She looked up at the mirror perched on the table. As she met her eyes, she swore she could see Isha's little face peeking over her shoulder.

“She's worth it. Isha's worth it all.”

Chapter Text

That night, she dreamt she was floating on a crystal clear river, the sun beaming down on her, warming her cheeks.

She allowed herself to drift, to forget which way was up or the difference between left and right. To let distinction between all and all fade away. To just be. The river had no difference between good and evil, right and wrong, dark and light. On the river, Topside and Bottom held no meaning.

There was only water. No oil. No separation.

She could have been on land or underwater or somewhere inbetween, or perhaps all three at the same time. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. That was the best part.

Here, she could speak, but not hear, or maybe it was the other way around? She could feel, she knew that for certain. She certainly could feel the hand that wrapped around her ankle to pull her underwater, and suddenly she was falling. Or drowning, maybe, but there didn't seem to be any water slowing her descent.

As she fell, she saw the monsters. Warwick. Silco. Ambessa. And when had she learned those names? They reached for her, claws out, teeth bared. Wolves sent to hunt her down, ready to tear her apart, and all too happy to do so.

Enforcers watched her with predatory gazes, guns aimed, fingers on the trigger. Take a shot, she could hear their minds whisper.

Someone stood with a glowing vial of shimmer in their hand. They watched her as of she was some type of scientific curiosity. They popped the cap off the vial and held it toward her, an offering.

She passed them too quickly for her to accept, even if she wanted to.

(She didn't.)

She passed even more monsters on the way down, flying by too fast for her to recognize their faces. They all reached for her, drawing nearer and nearer as she fell further and further.

Take a shot, her mind whispered.

She reached for her gun.

The monsters closed in.

-=+=-

Isha woke with a screech, a sound she didn't even know she could make. Her hand shot instinctively toward her gun at her waist, only to be reminded that Janai had taken it “just in case”. She scrambled to pull her blanket around her, trying to shield herself with the impossibly soft fabric. Her nose scrunched up as she fought not to cry.

Had Jinx been there, she would have already made some confident comment about how no one could touch them, and that either way, she'd shoot ‘em a hundred times before they could hurt a single hair on Isha's head.

She bit her lip, feeling a strange sense of… guilt wash over her. She'd been in the Sunfire camp for weeks now, living in this wonderful tent the queens gave her. She could sleep without staying vigilant for attackers, she no longer had to question when she'd see her next meal… it was all too perfect, too safe.

It wasn’t fair.

How could she enjoy such luxuries, when she wasn't even sure Jinx, the one who really deserved them, was still alive?

The thundering of footsteps derailed Isha’s train of thought. Her head jerked up, and she shuffled around—still wrapped in her blanket—to press her back against the wall.

Amaya and Janai burst into the tent, panting from the exertion—they must have run there. Isha still eyed them warily, but allowed herself to relax a little at the sight of them.

Amaya was the first to move, surging forward to embrace Isha tightly. Her soft brown hair brushed against Isha's cheek, though she found the sensation oddly grounding. She maneuvered her arms out of her little blanket cocoon to hug Amaya back.

Janai stepped closer a moment later, running her fingers through Isha's hair the way she'd come to learn she liked. The elf offered a comforting smile, and Isha did her best to reciprocate.

“What's wrong, Sunshine?” she murmured gently. Isha considered the question for a moment, trying to piece together the sign language to express herself. Eventually, she landed on “bad mind sleep,” since she couldn't seem to remember the sign for “dream” at that late hour.

Janai chuckled quietly, slowly signing “nightmare” as she said the word so Isha could learn. Isha nodded in agreement. Yes, she'd had a nightmare.

Janai’s gaze softened with sympathy, and she inched forward to press her warm body against Isha and Amaya. Isha hummed contently, already feeling more calmed by their presence.

After another few moments, the queens pulled away, Amaya still tenderly cupping Isha's face between both hands. Her expression was laced with concern as her thumb gently stroked her cheek. Isha leaned into the touch, doing her best to wordlessly communicate that she was okay.

Amaya glanced back at Janai, and the two had a silent conversation between themselves. It was rather sweet, how they had adapted to be able to do something like that without words.

“Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?” Janai asked, turning back to Isha. Isha shrugged. She'd had nightmares plenty of times before, and it was always a toss up when it came to falling asleep afterward.

Janai hummed thoughtfully, sitting down on the bed next to Isha, who shifted over slightly to give her more room. Amaya sat on Isha’s other side.

“Is there anything that usually helps you fall asleep?” Janai asked. “Like a lullaby? Or a story, perhaps?”

Isha shrugged again. “Two,” she signed nervously.

“Both?” Amaya signed to clarify. Isha nodded, grinning sheepishly.

“Well,” Janai began, “there's a very popular lullaby that is based on one of the Sunfire elves’ folktales. It was a personal favourite of mine when I was young,” she explained. “What do you think, Sunshine?”

Isha's eyes widened in excitement, nodding enthusiastically. Janai laughed. “Alright, then.”

The three of them shifted on the small bed so they were laying down with Isha snuggled up between the two queens, and Janai began to sing.

Chapter Text

According to Janai, Isha had become an “honourary Sunfire elf.”

Which meant, of course, that Janai was periodically dragging her around the Sunfire camp so that she could share the old traditions and folklore of her people.

And Isha had been enjoying it, really. There had been plenty of Undercity culture that Isha knew she would have loved… had she the time or resources to learn about it. But now she did. Not Undercity culture, not exactly her culture, but… wasn't it?

She'd been living with the queens so long now, it was almost difficult to reconcile the fact that she had once lived in constant fear. That there had ever been a time when she didn't feel so safe.

It wasn't like she forgot, though. Isha would never.

But slowly, those memories got farther and farther away. They got hazier and hazier.

There was one thing she could never forget, however.

Her family.

Jinx.

The queens were her family, too, now, but they were an addition, not a replacement.

Still, she figured she should allow them to share their worlds with her. They were being so generous, and it wasn't a difficult choice.

Especially when one day, Janai asked if she wanted to play with the Hotcats.

Isha had nodded so vigorously, Janai had been worried her head might fall off.

And so they walked, hand in hand, to the stables. Janai beamed as she told Isha stories of when she first learned to ride a Hotcat, how she'd been so scared, and how her sister had rolled her eyes and guided her through the motions.

She had this strange look when she spoke of her sister. Khessa, she'd called her. That look sort of reminded Isha of the look Jinx used to get when talking about Vi. Like she loved her and missed her, but also like she'd give her a good smack in the face the next time she saw her.

Janai had also explained that the hotcats were not actually called hotcats. Apparently, their real name was “Twin-Tailed Inferno-Tooth Tiger,” but personally, Isha much preferred “hotcats,” so dammit, that was what she was going to call them.

When they arrived at the stables, Isha could do nothing but gawk at the various creatures there. While they walked through the different areas, Isha noticed Gren talking passionately with one of the keepers. As Isha and Janai passed, their eyes met, and Isha signed “gingerbread” before continuing on her way.

Her gaze lingered on him just long enough to catch his annoyed scowl before she turned away.

“This is Embertail,” Janai explained, gesturing to a particularly gorgeous hotcat with teal markings. Their pen was one of the nicest, large and clean. The massive creature laid in the middle, wings spread to absorb the afternoon sun.

“I had wanted you to learn to ride Aegis first, but Amaya has taken them out today. So you'll be learning to ride with mine.” Janai opened the gate, beckoning Embertail out.

Isha stepped back, slightly intimidated despite her eagerness. Janai chuckled at her hesitation.

“Do not worry. They only act viciously to those who do not possess a pure heart,” Janai said, trying to comfort her.

It didn't work. After all, Isha did not have a pure heart. How could she, when she'd been nothing but a dirty miner in the impure Undercity—the lowest of the low. Surely, this creature would eat her alive?

But it was the strangest thing. Isha did not get mauled by the cat. In fact, they began to nuzzle her face, pushing her back a few steps.

Embertail purred loudly, licking her face with their huge tongue. Isha laughed as she tumbled to the ground, the huge creature continuing to enthusiastically lick her.

Isha heard hearty laughter as Janai pulled Embertail off her. She got up, wiping her face with a smile.

“The purest heart,” Janai said, a hint of pride in her voice. Isha grinned at her.

“So, Sunshine? Will you ride them?”

It was hardly a question worth asking—the answer was obvious. Isha nodded.

Janai threw a saddle over Embertail’s back, and held out her arms like she meant to pick Isha up.

Isha shook her head defiantly. “I do it myself!” she signed confidently. Janai gave an amused sigh, raising her hands in defeat and stepping back to give Isha space.

She realized very quickly that it was a very stupid plan. Well, really, not much of a plan at all. Isha ended up with her arms over the saddle, her legs hanging off as she kicked and flailed in an attempt to boost herself up. Eventually she gave Janai—who’d been watching her struggle with far too much amusement—a pleading look.

Janai pushed her feet up, giving Isha the extra boost to settle properly on the saddle. The elf climbs up as well, sitting behind her on the saddle.

She reached around Isha, grabbing the reins. Embertail began to run.

“Shall we fly, little one?” Janai asked. Isha nodded excitedly.

Janai flicked the reins, and Embertail gave a few powerful flaps of their wings.

And suddenly, they were flying.

Isha decided that flying was easily the best thing ever. Okay, maybe it was tied with sunlight, stuffed bears, and the colour blue. But flying was definitely up there!

She spread her arms out to feel the air go by. The wind whipped at her, blowing her hair in her face and making it difficult to open her eyes. But when she did, the ground was far beneath her, a blur, and the people were nothing but specks in the distance.

Her whole life, Isha had been so small compared to the vastness of the world. But in that moment, the tables had turned.

For the first time, the world was small in comparison to her.

For the first time, Isha felt free.

Chapter Text

Something was happening in the Sunfire camp.

Well, at least with the humans. And Janai.

They were all packing up their belongings, putting packs on their steeds. Like they were leaving.

Amaya, in particular, seemed to be in a rush. Like she couldn't wait to get out of there. Away from Isha.

It was probably silly to make that assumption. There was no way this had anything to do with her, right? But she couldn't help it. No one was telling her what was going on, no one even mentioned that something was going on at all!

That had to mean something, Isha just knew it. They were leaving her behind. Because they didn't want her anymore.

Well, the joke was on them. Isha would not be alone again.

Isha hid behind one of the nearby tents as the humans did their final checks of the supplies they'd packed up. She watched them mount their steeds and nod toward Amaya before departing swiftly.

She waited until Amaya walked over to Janai, kissed her, then hugged her. They pulled apart briefly to have a short conversation, and Isha took the opportunity to dash over to Aegis and jump inside one of the large supply bags attached to their saddle.

It wasn't the most thought out plan, but Isha figured it could work in a pinch. She was small enough that she might be able to go unnoticed for most of the ride to… wherever they were going.

After several long moments in the dark and stuffy pack, there was a significant jerking movement, and Isha felt the sensation of being in the air.

Isha realized very quickly that not only was it not a well thought out plan, but it was less of a plan at all and more of a really stupid, reckless idea.

What if the pack wasn't secured properly, and Isha fell with it? Or worse, what if Amaya found out and got upset?

The pack began to feel more and more claustrophobic as all the possibilities rushed through her mind.

And then, after what felt like hours of panicking, they landed. Being inside the pack meant she was literally and figuratively in the dark, with no clue where they were or what they were doing.

It took a while, but eventually Amaya opened the pack that contained Isha—likely intending to retrieve something else entirely—and stared at her with a shocked and concerned expression.

Isha felt Amaya’s hands under her arms, lifting her up and out. She was gently placed on the ground of an open courtyard surrounded by several guards in armour similar to the ones worn by the humans in the Sunfire camp.

She glanced at Amaya, doing her best to sign a frantic apology. Amaya stared at her for several seconds, her expression unreadable, before she shook her head with an amused look on her face and a deep sigh.

A second later, Gren walked up to Amaya, giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder.

“She'll have to stay,” he signed. “There's no time to go back to Lux Aurea before the ceremony.”

Isha blinked at him, wondering if she misunderstood his signs. “The ceremony”? That was awfully ominous. She had no idea what it could mean.

But Amaya just smiled and looked back at Isha. “Do you want to see the castle?” She signed. Isha nodded with excitement. Amaya held out her hand for Isha to take, and they walked together into the grand castle.

As they walked through halls with wide walls and tall ceilings, Isha gaped at the various decorations and paintings that told of the vast wealth of whoever lived there. She'd been so lost in her awe, that she almost walked straight into the chest of another human.

A human! She realized with a thrill. The only humans she'd met so far were Amaya and the handful of soldiers living in the Sunfire camp with her. But there was another human, in their own human home.

Isha looked up to see two humans, a tall one with a heavy-looking book at his hip, and a short one with a simple gold crown resting on his head.

She gave a nervous wave, which the shorter one reciprocated with a cheerful grin. Amaya was having a conversation with the taller one, her hands moving too fast for Isha to follow.

“I am King Ezran, Amaya’s nephew,” the shorter one said, his voice energetic and chipper. “Welcome to Katolis!”

King? Isha thought, almost amused. How could he be a king? He's barely older than me!

“This is my brother, Callum,” King Ezran continued, gesturing to the guy still absorbed in conversation with Amaya. “He's the High Mage of Katolis.”

Mage?

Magic!

Isha knew she had to talk to him about her situation. If it was magic that got her here, maybe a mage could help her get back home.

She was about to try and interrupt their conversation to ask, when Callum suddenly turned to her with an almost wild look in his eyes.

“You just… appeared? In Xadia?” he asked, leaning far too close for Isha’s liking. “Why would a human appear in Xadia out of nowhere? Where'd you come from?”

Isha raised her hands to sign an answer, but his questions kept coming.

“Did you do it?”

“Callum…” Ezran tried to interject.

“Was it on purpose?”

“Callum—”

“Can you do it again?”

“Callum!”

“What?”

Ezran shook his head with an exasperated sigh. Isha was beginning to see the family resemblance with him and Amaya.

“I can't do it again,” Isha signed, hoping she was properly conveying her disappointment. “I actually wanted to know if you could help.”

There was a brief moment of silence where Callum just… stared at her. His gaze was intimidating, something darker lurking beneath the surface. Then his face shifted into the same joyful expression that must have run in the family.

“I'll go do some research in my tower!” he announced, before running off in what Isha assumed was the direction of his tower. The three remaining stared in shock at the place where Callum had once been.

“Um,” Ezran said, breaking the silence. “How is he going to do any research if you haven't told him anything about what happened?”

Amaya chuckled. “Who knows,” she signed. “He'll probably lock himself in his tower until the ceremony. You know he always gets weird around this time of year.”

Ezran nodded in agreement.

After a few more minutes of polite conversation, Amaya and Ezran saying their goodbyes—at least until the ceremony—Amaya took Isha to her splendid chambers in the castle.

Her chambers were neat and clean, but lived in—a book here, a child’s drawing there. Isha flopped onto the bed as Amaya set down her stuff.

“We'll have to share the bed for the time being,” Amaya signed, slowly so she'd be sure Isha understood. Isha nodded, finding no issue with that.

As Amaya began organizing the room, Isha asked, “what's the ceremony?”

Amaya froze, studying her carefully. She put down the stuff she was setting up, walking over to sit on the bed next to Isha.

“I used to have a sister as well,” she began. “Her name was Sarai.”

Isha perked up immediately. A sister? Amaya had a sister, too?

“Today is the anniversary of her death,” Amaya continued. “That is what the ceremony today is marking.”

Isha glanced sheepishly off to the side, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Thought…” she began slowly, feeling sort of guilty for her earlier assumption. “Thought you were leaving… me.”

In her periphery she saw Amaya's eyes widen in shock, before her gaze softened into sympathy.

“I don't blame you for feeling that way,” Amaya signed. “I should have told you where I was going, instead of keeping you in the dark.”

Isha felt Amaya's comforting hand come to rest on her shoulder, grounding. “I'm sorry.”

The woman looked around the room with a wistful expression, her hand leaving Isha's shoulder to sign, “Actually, I'm grateful for the opportunity to show you Katolis. It's not fair that you've only ever seen Xadia.”

At the ceremony, Amaya asked Isha if she wanted a candle to light for Sarai. Isha hesitated only for a moment, and it was in the shock of the idea that Amaya would want to give her such an honour.

And then, of course, she accepted.

Amaya helped her light the candle, guiding her hands with even more softness than usual. Isha walked forward by herself, in front of the vast crowd that was very telling of the kind of respect Sarai had earned from others throughout her lifetime.

She placed the candle onto the base of a grand statue, slowly and carefully. Isha glanced up at the statue, depicting Sarai on a horse, holding a spear.

It looked like it should have been very intimidating, but the sculptor had carved her eyes in such a way that gave Isha a comforting feeling. Like she wasn't riding that horse or holding that spear for a fight, but for protection. It gave Isha a sense of peace.

For a moment, Isha allowed herself to imagine Sarai alive, taking care of her when Janai and Amaya were away, maybe teaching Isha things they were too afraid to teach themselves.

She imagined Sarai like an aunt.

Which meant… well.

They were already sort of her mothers, weren't they?

But this made it real. If Sarai was her aunt, then Amaya, and by extension, Janai, were her mothers.

Isha thought she ought to find it frightening that she already viewed them that way. But she didn't. She had wanted to separate herself from them, force herself to always remember that she wasn't from this place. That they weren't the same.

But when Janai and Amaya spoke so lovingly of their sisters and how much they missed them, Isha figured that maybe they weren't so different after all.

I have… moms now.

Isha walked back to where Amaya stood, taking the older woman's hand in her own.

Isha looked up at Amaya with a smile.

Finally, she had parents.

Chapter Text

Coming to Katolis was, apparently, a very busy time for Amaya. For the past few days, she'd had meeting after meeting after meeting.

It would be unwise to leave her alone in a strange place, unable to communicate with most people there. So, Amaya did her best to track down anyone who could watch Isha while she was away.

Unfortunately—or, at least, Amaya seemed to find it unfortunate—the only person available was some random guy named Soren.

Isha clung to Amaya's arm as the woman sternly signed instructions to Soren, Gren translating as politely as possible. At first, she listened to the conversation, but after a moment her attention was drawn to the soldiers sparring all around them. Their swords clashed with a sound that made her flinch, yelling and panting from the effort.

Eventually, Amaya kneeled to Isha's level, smiling kindly. “It's time for me to go, Sunshine,” she signed. “You be good, alright?”

Isha nodded seriously, and Amaya chuckled, patting her on the head—like Jinx! she thought—and walked away with a wave.

“Alrighty then,” Soren said with a dramatic sigh, placing his hands on his hips. “Amaya suggested some basic self defense lessons, so I guess that's what we're doing!”

Isha stared blankly up at him. Soren stared back for a moment, before swiftly walking over to grab two wooden swords from a nearby rack.

“These should do,” Soren said with a grin. He tossed one to Isha, and she fumbled to catch it, almost smacking herself in the face in the process. “Okay, you just… copy what I do.”

Nodding, Isha watched him get into a defensive position, sword raised to protect himself. She did her best to mimic his stance, glancing back at him for approval. He scanned her up and down, and gave a serious nod.

“Pretty good. You should raise your left arm a bit and shift your right foot back, but other than that, looks great!” Soren gave her a double thumbs-up, smiling proudly. Isha offered a small smile in return.

Over the next few hours, Soren cheerily taught her some basic forms. He gave constructive criticism along the way, though it was always intermingled with genuine words of encouragement. Eventually, he decided that she was ready to learn some actual fighting techniques. He put down his own sword to guide her into the right movements.

Even though she couldn't speak to him, Soren was very accommodating, asking simple yes or no questions and generally speaking enough for the both of them. He was sweet, honest, and a little stupid (in an endearing way). Isha liked him.

That night, after Amaya had picked Isha up and brought them back to her bedroom, Isha couldn't stop talking about how much fun she'd had. She enthusiastically signed to Amaya about how nice “uncle Soren” was, and how she loved learning self defense.

Amaya gave Isha that soft, affectionate look, and asked if she wanted to spend the day with him again tomorrow. Isha, of course, happily agreed.

The next day, Soren greeted her with a cheery wave as she entered the courtyard. He explained that he thought they should try real sparring today. Though the idea made Isha a little nervous, she knew it would be fine. Besides, Jinx would want her to be brave.

Soren went easy on her, obviously, because she was still a kid and he was an adult. But Isha liked to think he wasn't totally exaggerating when she made him stumble that one time.

A few hours in, Soren told her that he thought she was ready to use real swords. Isha thought that sounded a little reckless, but Soren was the expert, right?

Soren gave her a small sword—actually handing it to her this time, thank goodness—and picked up a medium sized one for himself. It looked smaller than it should be for someone of his size and skill, though she supposed he did it to minimize risk.

The weight of the real sword was strange and unwieldy in her grasp, and after a few strikes, Isha had to fight against the strain on her arm. Soren easily blocked all of her blows, never moving to make any of his own. Isha huffed in frustration, yelling as she charged at him with her sword raised high above her head.

Suddenly, her sword was stopped in midair. Isha looked up in confusion.

Amaya stood there, absolutely fuming, the blade of Isha's sword digging into her palm, drawing blood. Amaya removed her hand from the blade, and Isha dropped it to the ground, watching her mom nervously.

“You could have killed him,” Amaya signed simply, before turning to face Soren. Isha watched in horror and embarrassment as Amaya began signing furiously at Soren. The man stood there like a scolded child, though he looked very confused.

Isha heard muffled chuckling from behind her, and turned to see Gren standing there with a hand over his mouth. Oh, that would explain it. Soren had no idea what Amaya was even saying, though he looked terrified in spite of that.

Since Amaya had her back to Isha, she couldn't see what her mom was signing. She walked up and hesitantly tapped her on the side to get her attention. Amaya turned, her gaze softening when she saw who it was.

“I know it was dangerous, but I had fun,” Isha signed to the best of her ability. “Please don't be mad at him.” Amaya stared at her for several moments, as if trying to decide how mad she should be.

“I understand you're angry, but we still have to get to that meeting,” Gren said, stepping in front of Amaya so he could sign to her. “Also, you should probably get your hand bandaged up.”

Amaya glanced back at her bleeding palm, as if she just noticed she'd been injured. She sighed in defeat. “Fine. But only wooden swords from now on.” Isha nodded in agreement, and Gren quickly relayed the message to Soren, who also agreed.

As she left, she gave Isha a loving kiss on her forehead and a stern look to Soren. Gren started to follow, briefly turning back to give Isha a hopeful, questioning look. He probably thought he was doing her a favour by distracting Amaya.

“I still think you look stupid,” Isha signed. Gren sighed, shaking his head as he disappeared into the castle after Amaya.

Once they were both gone, Soren tossed Isha a wooden sword again. This time, she caught it gracefully. The two of them raised their swords, smirking as they prepared to fight.

When they fought, Isha found she was enjoying herself more than she had in a really long time. The more she thought about it, there were only a handful of times in her life when she'd really been able to have this sort of free, childish fun.

But now she could.

The next time Isha's sword met Soren's, her smile wasn't one of determination for the fight, but rather one of pure, childish joy.

Chapter Text

This was, without a doubt, the stupidest thing Jinx had ever done. Which, given her track record, was seriously saying something.

It's not that she didn't want to do it—not that she did, either—rather, she had no idea how this would go. Even in all her chaos, she always liked to have some expectations for the outcome of her actions, but right now, she was utterly clueless.

Jinx lingered outside the door to Ekko's tree longer than probably necessary. After that fight, she thought it would be best to… walk away. Like Silco had advised. To detach herself completely from her old life, so that both Jinx and the people she loved could find a way to move on.

And she tried. She really did. But “moving on” had never really been her style.

Jinx knocked on the door.

Ekko, her beautiful Ekko, opened the door with an exhausted, confused look. “What do you—?” He froze. Jinx said nothing.

In the end, he said nothing either, instead lurching forward to pull her into a bone-crushing hug. Jinx hugged back with just as much ferocity. She forgot how much she missed him. How easy it was to still miss him, even as she held him.

“I can't believe you're here,” he murmured, so quiet like he thought he might scare her away if he spoke too loud. Jinx hummed in response. Sometimes, she couldn't quite believe it either.

It was the slightest hint of her voice that did him in. Or, perhaps it was the way she pressed her face further into his neck, as if to prove that she really was there. Ekko began to cry, sobbing and heaving into Jinx’s shoulder.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there, just holding each other. It didn't matter, really. They were together, for the first time in a long time, that was what counted.

Eventually, a thousand eternities later, they separated. Ekko sat on the squeaky chair of his makeshift lab, just staring at her like he was trying to memorize every little detail before she inevitably disappeared again. Jinx leaned against the wall, scanning the workshop with a small smile. She'd never been here before, but there was something so familiar about the Ekko-ness of it all.

Of course, her real purpose for being there never left her mind. But based on his initial reaction, how could she bring it up?

“Jinx,” Ekko said softly. Jinx turned to face him.

“Hm?”

Ekko chuckled, shaking his head. “Why the hell are you here?”

Jinx hesitated. A part of her wanted to go back to her old ways—rely on no one, do everything herself. But she was sick of lying, sick of being alone. She could trust Ekko, he'd already proven himself a thousand times over.

She took a deep breath. “I want to find Isha.”

“Jinx,” Ekko breathed with a hint of disappointment.

“I know, I know. But Ekko, listen to me,” Jinx urged, waving her hands wildly. “Since the battle, I've been trying to find a way to recreate Hextech—”

“Jinx, what the fuck—”

“Listen to me,” Jinx snapped impatiently. “I've gotten close. Like, really close. I'm almost at a major breakthrough, but I think I could do it faster if I had those looney science bros’ old notes.”

“Jinx,” Ekko repeated, this time much softer and calmer. “You can't recreate Hextech. Not after everything that happened.”

Jinx grit her teeth, looking around the workshop to try to distract herself from her frustration. “I can try.”

“There's no guarantee you could get it to work,” Ekko pointed out, his tone delicate. “You don't know if you could get it to take you to the right universe, especially if you don't even know where she is. Or if she's alive,” he added quietly.

“Isha is alive.” Jinx fidgeted anxiously with her hair, which had grown significantly since that final battle, though still not at its previous length. It was at her waist now. “Besides, I've thought about all that. I know the risks.” Ekko sighed, shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose like their conversation was giving him a headache.

“I don't know about this.”

“I'll destroy it right after,” Jinx swore, stepping forward to grab his shoulders with a hint of urgency. “Once I have Isha back, it all goes away. We'll be done with magic, forever. I just… I can't give up on her, not when there's still a chance, not when she could still be out there.”

Their eyes met, earthy brown to poison pink, and in a split second, they had another conversation. Ekko knew it was a terrible idea, that there was no universe in which this could possibly end well. But more than that, he knew that after everything that happened, Jinx's hope was the only thing keeping her together. He had already saved the world. Now it was time to save his world.

Ekko sighed, looking away. “Fine. But if we do this, we do it properly.” Jinx raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Through official channels. We'll talk to the council.”

Jinx scowled. “Seriously? You know damn well—”

“There's no other way—”

“Oh, fuck you!” she snapped, pushing off the wall. She slammed the door as hard as she could behind her.

Later, Ekko found her sitting on the roof of a nearby building, gazing out at the new, revived Undercity. Ekko frowned, knowing how she probably felt. Jinx had been gone for so long, while everything was changing. She would hardly recognize the place where she grew up. Ekko understood, of course. The changes were bittersweet, but their people were better for it.

As Ekko approached, Jinx didn't look back at him, but he knew she sensed his presence.

“It's not that I… disagree with your desire to do things all ‘official’. I mean, I do, but that's not the main reason,” Jinx murmured, looking down at her hands in her lap. “I guess I'm just… scared to see her again.”

“Vi?” Ekko asked gently. Jinx snorted.

“Vi,” she confirmed. A beat of silence. “She'll be there, I'm sure of it. No doubt she's still all obsessed with that Piltie chick.” Ekko chuckled.

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Ekko looked around at the view. It truly was beautiful, he supposed, but Jinx more so. He stepped forward and sat down beside her, legs dangling off the edge.

“I understand your fear. It's okay.” Ekko slowly reached a hand out to place on her shoulder. She turned to face him, offering a small smile. “I'll be with you the whole time. It'll be okay.”

Jinx held out a hand to him. “For Isha,” she said. Ekko took her hand.

“For Isha.”

As Jinx stood by the door to the council, she shifted nervously from foot to foot. If Ekko noticed her anxious actions, he made no indication.

Jinx had not been privy to Ekko’s brief meeting with Sevika, but she got the run down afterward, which was: a meeting with the council. Jinx wasn't thrilled, but if it kept Ekko happy, she supposed she'd go along with it. But that didn't mean that she had to accept their inevitable rejection.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the grand doors swung open to reveal the even grander chamber within. Jinx stepped inside, feeling a little out of her depth, and more than a little uncomfortable. So this was it, then? The place she blew up forever ago?

It had been nicely rebuilt, it seemed. Though, she wasn't oblivious to how the Piltie councillors would hold her past actions over her head.

Jinx inhaled deeply, trying not to flip out as she was ushered into the centre of the room, surrounded by bored-looking councillors.

“Tell me why,” the bald lady began, tapping her fingers on the table, “the council should hear out this criminal.”

“Shoola,” Sevika interrupted. Her familiar rough voice was strangely comforting to Jinx after all this time. “Don’t you think Jinx has more than compensated for her crimes by helping out in the final battle?”

Shoola huffed, clearly irritated, but did not argue.

“Jinx,” Sevika continued, addressing her directly. “Though I want to help an old… acquaintance, I don't think it would be a good idea to revive Hextech after all the damage it caused.”

Another councillor—a Piltie, it seemed—nodded. “I agree. While I sympathize with your desire to find—” He glanced at the papers before him. “—Isha, I can't in good conscience permit you to take such a risk for a single child.”

She's not just a child! Jinx wanted to shriek. Before she could, however, the doors behind her were thrown open.

“She's not just a child!” the intruder yelled. Jinx whirled around, and there she was. Unmistakable pink hair, grey eyes, tattoos, scars, and piercings. She dressed differently, now, but it was her.

Vi.

“Vi?” Jinx whispered in awe.

“That child saved my sister! When everyone else had given up on her, including me, that child protected her.” Vi was breathing hard as she spoke, as though she'd run there as soon as she heard of Jinx's visit.

Vi did not look at her, like maybe it was too painful, but it bothered Jinx less than she would have thought. As long as she was there, as long as she could see her, nothing else mattered.

“And in the final battle, do you really think any of us could have done it without her?” Vi continued, her voice booming through the chamber. “This isn't even half of what she’s owed, especially after everything else Topside took when we were kids. You wanna sit on your high horses talking about reparations, reconciliation, and all that other bullshit you call ‘fixing things’? Fine. Do this.”

Caitlyn walked up behind her once she was done, placing a hand on Vi's shoulder to ground her. Vi turned back, and they shared a look of understanding. For some reason, it didn't make Jinx sick anymore.

Caitlyn turned to address the council. “I think you've heard all you needed to from Vi. However, I would like to add that I believe there is a way to do this safely. As Ekko promised in his meeting with Councillor Sevika, the moment Isha is brought back, all Hextech-based machinery they have created will be destroyed. Also, I have seen the work the two of them can create, and, given they swear to it, I believe they can make improvements to the technology to minimize the risk.”

The council began speaking amongst themselves in hushed voices, periodically glancing at each of the people standing in the centre of the room. After what felt like seven years, they finally quieted down.

“I think,” Sevika began slowly, “the council has come to an agreement.” Jinx drew in a shaky breath.

Shoola nodded. “Jinx. You are permitted to access the restricted laboratory of former councillor Jayce Talis, and former academy member Viktor. You will use their notes to recreate Hextech, on the condition that you do so with utmost attention to its side effects and implement safety precautions. You are to keep it active only as long as you need to find the child, and then you will destroy it completely. Do you agree to these terms, Jinx?”

Jinx stared at each of the council members, dumbfounded. Vi and Caitlyn had made nice speeches, sure, but this was the council.

Still, knowing better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, she said, “Yes.”

Jinx tapped her pen against her page in irritation. She was close to the answer, she was sure of it! If only…

“Everything okay, Jinx?” Ekko called from the opposite side of the lab. “Looks like you've been staring at the same line for an hour.”

Jinx let out a loud, frustrated groan that sounded almost like a growl, pushing off the edge of the desk. Her chair rolled back into the middle of the room.

Jayce and Viktor's laboratory had been left untouched. Which meant Jinx and Ekko had access to all their old notes, strewn about exactly as they'd left them. Over the past several months, the two of them had succeeded in recreating the Hexgem based on scraps of instructions they could find in the mess. Or, really, Jinx had done that. Ekko was busy recreating the universe travelling machine he'd designed in the alternative universe.

Initially, he struggled to stabilize it, but with some revisions by Jinx, they were able to get it working. The last piece of the puzzle was to get the two to fit together perfectly, with all the flaws not fitting the original designs.

Jinx huffed dramatically, staring up at the ceiling. “Hey, I believe in you,” Ekko said with a touch of sarcasm, and Jinx snorted in response. She rose from her chair, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at the mess of papers on her work desk.

With a decisive nod, she leaned down and swept all the papers off the desk, scattering them about the floor. She heard a distant chuckle from Ekko.

“I need to start over,” she explained, though she knew Ekko already understood. She hummed as she picked up the remaining pages on the desk, dragging a dusty notebook with them, one they'd barely touched. When they had initially looked through each notebook when they first got there, they both decided it contained nothing useful, and it ended up serving its purpose as a paperweight for whenever the lab got too hot and they opened the windows.

“Hey, how much you wanna bet I can open this to a random page that has all the answers?” Jinx joked, holding up the book. Ekko gave her an amused look.

“I'll bet my whole life savings. That book’s pointless.”

With excessive dramatic flair, Jinx opened the book roughly in the middle. She sat on the chair, looking through the page. After a moment, her amusement morphed into shock. “Oh shit,” she murmured.

Ekko glanced back at her. “What is it?” Jinx tossed the book to him with a smirk.

“How much you got in the bank, buddy?”

The two of them stood by the machine. This was it. They looked at each other proudly. Whatever happened, happened.

As they were about to step through, the laboratory door burst open.

“You really like making grand entrances, huh, sis?” Jinx said, turning to face her. Vi said nothing, running forward to embrace her. Jinx didn't hesitate, hugging her back as tight as she could, like she might have otherwise floated away.

They hadn't spoken during or since the meeting with the council, but none of that mattered anymore.

“Let me come with you,” Vi murmured into her shoulder. “Don't leave me again, please.”

Jinx pushed her away just enough to look her sister in the eyes. “Never.”

With her left hand, she grabbed Vi, and Ekko with her right. Together they walked toward the opening created by the machine.

Whatever happens. Happens.