Chapter Text
Pain. Pain in her head. Pain in her stomach. Pain in her chest. It was all Lux felt while she was drowning in darkness.
Until she opened her eyes. Lux found herself in a beautiful room. There were flowers in vases, framed paintings on the walls, a small chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. The sun was shining through silk curtains, filling the room with warm light. The mattress, the pillow, the blanket, everything in the bed was soft and fluffy and overall pleasant to the touch. The only things that were somewhat plain were a sideboard, a closet and a table with a mirror on it, and even those things looked well-crafted. Where was she? Was she dreaming? Lux noticed an appetizing smell in the air that made her mouth water. She was extremely hungry. How long hadn't she eaten anything?
Someone knocked the door and opened it. A man with dark blue hair and a well-groomed beard entered the room. He had a friendly smile on his face and was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl. “Ah, hello! I thought you should be awake by now. How are you feeling?”
Lux sat up. She didn't know this man, but there was something welcoming about his gentle voice. “My head hurts a little but otherwise I'm fine, thank you!”
“I'm glad to hear that. Are you hungry? The doctor said you need rest and recommended something easy to digest, so I made you a tomato soup. Be careful, it's hot!” The man placed the tray on her lap.
Doctor? Was she sick? What had happened? Trying to remember anything only gave her a terrible headache. It didn't matter. All she cared about was the soup in front of her. “Thank you so much, I'm starving!”
“Alright! I'll leave you to it then. I have another guest to attend to, but if you need anything, feel free to ring the bell! Enjoy your meal!” The friendly man headed out the door.
The soup was exactly what Lux needed right now. Greedily, she slurped it directly from the bowl, completely disregarding the spoon that was neatly wrapped in a napkin. What she couldn't ignore, however, was the heat that burnt her tongue and throat. Water! She needed water! With a dry cough and tears in her eyes she searched the room for the aforementioned bell. It was on the sideboard, right next to a glass of water and a note that said: 'Drink the water if you are thirsty! For everything else: Ring the bell!' The man had really thought of everything.
Lux hastily gulped down the water. Much better! A hearty burp accentuated her satisfaction. How impolite! She quickly covered her mouth, only to realize that her cheeks were covered in soup. Had she forgotten all her manners? This wasn't like her at all! Luckily she was alone. She took the napkin and cleaned herself. Did she get it all? Better have a look. She went to the mirror, which had a little surprise for her. Her head was bandaged! She hadn't even noticed that. There were bloodstains towards the back. So that's what it was. She'd been injured.
Lux couldn't remember anything. Whenever she tried to focus on something, it already slipped her mind. What was this place? A look out the window didn't help at all. Was this even Demacia? Ouch! There was the headache again. Perhaps it was better when she didn't think about it. She returned to the remaining soup and ate it, properly this time. Then she considered what to do. The nice man had said something about her needing rest, but she felt too uneasy. She needed to get out. Surely there was nothing wrong with her walking around for a bit. She took the tray with the empty bowl. The man had been so hospitable, bringing it back was the least she could do.
Her door lead to a long hallway. Through an open door on the opposite site Lux could see a young girl sitting on the ground in a room similar to hers. She was hugging her legs and looking down. In front of her lied another tray with a bowl of soup. The friendly man was kneeling beside her and talked to her in a soft tone. “Don't you at least want to try it?” The girl didn't react.
Lux hesitantly entered the room. “Uhm... Excuse me? Where should I bring this?”
The man quickly stood up. “Oh, you're done! I'll take care of this.” Before Lux could protest he had already taken the tray from her hands. “Was everything alright?”
“Well, yes, uhm...” Lux decided not to mention her little faux pas. She was worried about the sad girl so she lowered her voice. “Not that it concerns me, but... What's up with her?”
The man frowned. “Oh, it's a tragedy, really. She used to live alone with her father, but he died recently. We took her in for now, but... She doesn't eat, she doesn't talk... I'm at my wit's end with this child.”
“Poor girl...” Lux had a risky idea. “Could you maybe leave me alone with her? I'd like to try to cheer her up.”
“Oh, by all means, go for it! I'll check in on you in a few minutes.”
The man left and Lux closed the door behind her. There was a reason why she wanted to be alone. She concentrated and used her favorite ability. She summoned a colorful bird of light and let it fly through the room. The little girl gasped and watched the bird with widened eyes. That was the nice thing with young children: They usually enjoyed her magic and it was safe since most adults didn't believe them when they told about it.
Lux sat down next to the girl. “It's beautiful, isn't it?” She made the bird land on her finger and held it in front of the girl's face. “You can touch it if you want. It feels a bit strange, though, not like a real bird.”
The girl touched the bird with an astonished expression. She turned to Lux as if she wanted to say something. Suddenly she closed her eyes and turned her head to the other side. What an odd reaction. Was she scared?
Lux let the bird disappear. “Are you okay?”
It took a while for the girl to answer. “You're a stranger...”
She talked! That was a good start! Lux was confident. People usually responded well to her cheerful nature. “You're right! Let me change that! I'm Lux. I live in the room right across the hallway. We're like neighbors!”
Slowly but surely the girl opened her eyes and looked back at Lux, who gave her a soft smile. Something still seemed to bother her. “Does that hurt?”
“What? Oh, that...” The bloody bandage! Of course, that could be a frightening sight for a child. “Don't worry! It looks a lot scarier than it is. I just hit my head a little too hard. I'm fine now because that nice man took care of me. He also brought me soup just like this one. Believe me, it was so tasty!” Lux had an even riskier idea than before. Nobody should ever see that! “There was just one problem: I forgot to blow on the hot soup until it was cool, so guess what happened!” She slurped imaginary soup from an imaginary bowl. Then she began hopping and running around the room while fanning herself and spouting: “Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!”
The girl giggled. Lux stopped and laughed herself. It worked! She ended her ridiculous performance by breathing fire. In reality she blew shimmering clouds of light out of her mouth. The girl was amazed. “How do you do that?”
Lux placed an index finger on her lips and winked. “It's a secret! Oh, look at that, your soup is getting cold! Now you can't burn yourself anymore, but you should hurry and eat it while it's warm!” The girl nodded and started eating. Lux let out a sigh of relieve. Sure, the girl's sadness wasn't simply gone, but this was a huge step in the right direction.
A knock at the door announced the return of the friendly man. Needless to say he was positively surprised. “I cannot believe it! You did it! I couldn't even get her to look at me! How did you do it?”
Lux shrugged. “I guess I'm just good with children.”
“Well, thank you! By the way, if you're feeling well enough, Caitlyn and Miss Violet would like to hear from you. They're waiting downstairs.”
Lux nodded and made her way down the hallway. Caitlyn and Miss Violet? She could've sworn that she'd heard those names before but she had no idea who they were. When she reached the stairs she could hear someone talk.
"I'm just saying, I could've handled it!”
“Handled it? You almost died! Stop being so delusional!”
“I'm not! I'm... Oh...”
Vi and Caitlyn noticed Lux coming down the stairs. Vi and Caitlyn? Now that she saw them, there was no doubt: She DID know them! But how? When did they... Piltover! She was in Piltover! Slowly she remembered. Enforcers, the undercity, a junk heap, a fish man named Jericho... A sudden panic rose within her. She felt like she had to do something, quickly. But what? If only her head didn't hurt so much! Suddenly an image flashed through her mind. A face full of pain.
“JINX!” Lux ran down the stairs. Jinx was hurt! She needed help! But Caitlyn and Vi stopped her. She tried to free herself, but to no avail. The whole room started turning. No, that didn't make any sense. It was Lux who was getting dizzy. Without any further resistance she let herself be sat down on a padded bench.
Caitlyn touched Lux' forehead and gave her a worried look. “It's hot. You need to rest!” She grabbed a bottle of water from the table in front of the bench and gave it to Lux. “Here, drink!”
Lux did as she was told. Caitlyn was right. As much as she wanted to get back to Jinx, she was not in the right condition to do so. At least she remembered everything now.
Caitlyn took the now empty bottle back and placed it on the ground. “Are you okay?”
Lux nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine... It was just... I'd kinda lost my memory and remembered everything just now...”
Vi chuckled awkwardly. “Well, you did take a pretty hard hit to your head, so... Yeah, I'm glad you're okay.” Caitlyn sat down on a chair on the other side of the table while Vi sat down at the other end of the bench. “Thanks, by the way. For saving me. Although I kinda saved you as well so I guess we're even, hehe. It makes me wonder, did you not see the bomb Powder dropped?”
“No, I didn't...” That was a lie. She remembered it vividly, she was simply too embarrassed to admit how dumb and desperate she'd been. Lux also remembered someone pulling her back. Of course it must've been Vi. It was only now that Lux noticed that Vi was wearing an arm sling around her left arm. Apparently the explosion had injured her as well. And it was only because of Lux. No, she didn't deserve any thanks.
Suddenly it was very quiet. Nobody said anything. Vi and Caitlyn were looking at anything but each other. Didn't they want to talk about what had happened? There was an awkward tension in the air. Lux decided to break it. “So, uhm... Who's the nice man that took care of me?”
Caitlyn seemed glad to have something to talk about. “Oh, that's my father. Did he not introduce himself?”
“No...” It was strange. Lux could've asked him. She could've asked him to explain the situation. Yet she hadn't even considered it. “He was very friendly and accommodating, though!”
Caitlyn had to smile. “That's just how he is. Who you are doesn't matter to him, but he will make sure that you enjoy your stay.”
“I've also met this little girl...” Maybe not the best topic to talk about, but it was still better than the silence from before. “I heard that she'd lost her father. Do you know her?”
Caitlyn frowned just like her father did before. “Her name is Ren. Her father used to be the sheriff of Piltover. He was another victim of...” She threw a quick glance at Vi who squinted her eyes. “...Jinx.”
Vi scoffed. “Pah! Fucker had it coming.”
Caitlyn vehemently stood up. “Violet! I know he wasn't exactly great, but he did not deserve to die!”
Vi stood up as well. “Unlike my sister, huh?!”
“She's a psychopath! A murderer!”
“Oh, as if he hadn't ruined people's lives. I bet he killed some, too! But I guess people from the undercity don't count!”
“You know exactly that that's not what this is about! She's still out there and can't be stopped, unless I-”
“What?” Now it was Lux who stood up. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. “You want to kill Jinx? She has suffered so much and you just want to end her?”
“So you're defending her, too?” Caitlyn's eyes darted between Vi and Lux. Then she shook her head. “I cannot listen to this!” She angrily stormed off into another room. The door closed behind her with a loud bang.
Vi sighed and dropped back onto the bench. Lux was still trying to understand the situation. “Is... Is this what you two have been arguing about before?”
“More or less. Did you notice that Powder was injured when she left?” Lux nodded. “Well, Caitlyn shot her.” Vi clenched her fist. “If she just hadn't done anything... You and me, we could've handled it!”
Lux' pulse rose. Vi was right! Jinx probably would've stayed! But now... Poor Jinx... Stupid Caitlyn! Why did she have to shoot? Everything would've been fine! Lux decided to go after Caitlyn and give her a piece of her mind.
She opened the door. Caitlyn was just standing there, looking out the window while twiddling something in her hands that Lux couldn't see. Lux wanted to tell her, how wrong it would be to kill Jinx, and what a terrible person she was for even considering it. But Caitlyn threw her a fierce look over her shoulder. Once she'd seen who'd entered she turned back to the window. Lux' words were stuck in her throat. Why was it so hard? Caitlyn was wrong and she had to be told!
Lux breathed in, ready to stand her ground, but Caitlyn was faster. “My mother died yesterday.” Lux' confidence fell apart as quickly as a house of cards. “I received the news only an hour after you left.” Caitlyn didn't sound sad or angry. She was frustrated. Tired. “I could've killed her. Right before she attacked the council. It would've been right. She'd taken so many lives. But I didn't. Because of Vi. And today... I could've done it again. But I didn't. Because of Vi. And then...” She turned around and revealed, that she was holding Jinx' pistol. She aimed it at Lux who was too shocked to react. “Bang! That's how it ends, right? One small pull with the finger.” She lowered the gun. “I tried to stop her, went straight for the gun to disarm her. But I wasn't quick enough. If it weren't for you, Vi would be...”
“Dead...” Lux felt terrible. What a tiny miserable worm she was. Caitlyn wasn't a terrible person. She only spoke the truth that Lux didn't want to hear. Jinx was dangerous. She'd killed people. Caitlyn's mother, Ren's father, and now almost Vi...
Caitlyn looked Lux directly in the eyes. “Tell me: Do you really think you could reach her? Stop her? Save her from this madness? Is that even possible?”
Lux couldn't answer. She desperately wanted to say yes. But no matter how hard she tried to think of the good time she had with Jinx, her mind always jumped back to Jinx shooting Vi. Her furious face just before she'd run off. Lux didn't even know whether she'd be able to talk to Jinx. There was only one thing she was certain of: She did not want Jinx to die. There had to be a different solution!
Caitlyn seemed to read her thoughts right off her face. “It's not like I WANT to kill her. If it were up to me I'd detain her and lock her into a room full of pillows where she could release her madness without hurting anyone else or even herself. Then Vi could visit her from time to time... But the way things have been going... I just can't risk it. You understand that, right?”
Lux only looked to the ground. She understood, yes. But she still couldn't agree with it.
“Do you think that Vi would... hate me?” Caitlyn sounded very desperate now. “It's just... I feel like no matter what I do I'd lose her... But I'd rather she hated me than-”
“I wouldn't hate you.” All of a sudden Vi stood in the door frame behind Lux.
Caitlyn was embarrassed. “Vi? H-how long have you been listening?”
“Long enough to realize what an idiot I am.” Vi went up to Caitlyn and grabbed her hand. “Listen, Cupcake... You're the sweetest person I've ever met. I should've known that you're not taking this lightly. I thought you only wanted revenge for your mother, but... I guess I just couldn't admit that my sister actually tried to kill me. I don't want you to suffer because of me. I still hope that we can find another way, but if you killed her... I'd feel sad and... and guilty... but I'd never hate you!”
The two of them leaned into each other, touching foreheads. Caitlyn laid her arms around Vi. “Blood and water?”
Vi smiled and wrapped her arms around Caitlyn. “Blood and water!”
And they kissed.
Lux watched the scene with a heavy heart. She was happy for them, no question that. It was quite reassuring to know that Caitlyn and Vi were fine as long as they had each other. But Jinx... Lux kept thinking about the last time she'd seen her. If only she'd left her hiding place before everything went wrong, surely she could've solved the situation somehow. Or what if she'd arrived sooner? She could've been there for Jinx when Vi... Wait... Did she even...? It was hard to imagine. “Uhm... Vi?”
“Oh...” Vi and Caitlyn were still hugging it out and had apparently forgotten about Lux. They quickly let go of each other. “Uh... What is it?”
“When your sister came to you, did you reject her? Could you not accept her for who she is when she asked you?”
Vi was confused. “What are you talking about? The only thing she asked me was, if I'd allow her to kill Caitlyn since I was 'too weak' to do it myself. It sounded like I was a hostage or something...”
So that's how it went. Lux wanted to slap herself. How could she be so stupid? What had she expected letting Jinx talk to the one person that made her lose her mind? “Then it's all my fault...”
“What? No!” Vi firmly shook her head. “I don't know what you've been doing with my sister in the undercity, but what she did today was not much different from what she'd done before.”
“But this was all my idea!” Lux needed to come clean. “We were actually having a nice time, but every now and then she was thinking about you and it made her go mad. I just wanted her suffering to end, so I told her that she should talk to you and if you couldn't accept her the way she is that she should tell you to back off and leave her alone... That you'd need to move on. I never meant for things to go this way... I'm so sorry!”
Vi understandingly put her hand on Lux' shoulder. “Hey, if you did that only to make my sister happy, then it's all good. You couldn't have known. Actually, I should've warned you.” She exchanged a stern look with Caitlyn. “Her way of thinking is... a bit radical. When I got out of prison and met my sister again, she saw Caitlyn and immediately assumed that I was trying to trick her.”
Caitlyn chimed in. “To be fair, I WAS looking for her. She'd killed several of my colleagues and she'd stolen a hextech gemstone, which I tried to get back.”
Lux pricked up her ears. “Did you say hextech? Like the things that are supposed to contain magic? Is that what she stole?”
Caitlyn nodded. “Exactly. It's a dangerous tool in the wrong hands.” So that's what Jinx used to attack the council! And Caitlyn's mother... It was probably better not to ask any further questions.
Vi continued. “Yeah, so my sister thought that I was selling her out, which wasn't true, of course. Then we got separated and the next time we met... I had a fight with Sevika and my sister just knocked me out. She also kidnapped Cait. That's when things got really creepy. Me, Caitlyn and even Silco were tied up and sitting around a dinner table. There were more seats. I recognized some things that belonged to Vander and Claggor like the pipe and the goggles and that one doll kinda looked like Mylo... you know, our old family, that she...” Lux got goosebumps. Not only was this insane, she had seen those items herself. “There were also two chairs with names on them. One for Powder, one for Jinx...” Vi had to pause. She took a deep breath. “It was only then that I realized how fucked up she is... But the worst thing... You see, Caitlyn wasn't there at first and my sister placed a covered plate in front of me. She... she really made me think she was going to serve me Cait's head...” Vi looked at Caitlyn as if to make sure that she was alive.
Lux had to gulp. “That sounds horrifying...”
“Yeah, it was... I have no idea why she did it, but it's clear that she hates Caitlyn. Apparently she thinks that I have replaced her... She even asked me to kill her...”
Caitlyn went to Vi and hugged her. “Please, let us not talk about this anymore. I think she has a pretty good picture now.”
She didn't. The picture in Lux' mind was torn. She felt so conflicted. On one side was an unhinged murderer, who felt so alien to her, on the other side was her friend, the best friend she ever had...
A knock at the door pulled Lux out of her thought. The nice man, Cailyn's father, Mr. Kiramman, entered the room with his friendly smile. Holding his hand and shyly hiding behind him was the little girl, Ren. “Ah, there you are! Little Ren here told me that she had something to say to the 'lady that asks so many questions'.”
Apparently that meant Caitlyn, who was quite happy. “Oh, she's ready to talk? That's great news! Well then, Ren... What do you want to tell me?”
“Uhm...” Ren looked up at Mr. Kiramman, who nodded at her. “I... I let strangers into our house...”
Caitlyn gasped. “Strangers? Who? What did they look like?”
Ren hid behind Mr. Kiramman again. Vi sighed. “Oh, Cupcake...” She crouched down to talk to Ren at eye level. “Ren, did one of the strangers have a really weird eye?” The little girl nodded. Vi triumphantly stood up. “I knew it! They were working together! This proves-”
A sob interrupted her. Tears were rolling down Ren's cheeks. “I-I didn't mean to... I didn't know... Daddy was afraid of him... It's my fault he's gone!”
Vi realized she had completely disregarded Ren's feelings. She quickly crouched again. “Nonono!Listen, Ren! Thank you so much for telling us, that was very brave of you! And no, it isn't your fault. Your daddy...” She hesitated. The next words must've been hard to say. “He died while he protected our city. He was a hero! But that had nothing to do with the man you let in. He was only there to scare you. That's all he ever did.” Vi wiped a tear off Ren's face. “But he's gone too. He'll never scare you again.” Ren abruptly hugged Vi, who began petting her back. “It's okay. You're safe with us. We'll take care of you.”
Eventually Ren stopped crying and let go of the hug. Vi gave her a soft smile. But then her expression changed. She looked concerned. Sad. Suddenly she got up and left the room with quick steps. Lux and Caitlyn looked at each other, but neither of them knew what was going on. Lux decided to look after Ren first, in case she got startled. With a big smile she waved at the little girl. “Hey there! Are you doing alright?”
Ren rubbed her eyes and nodded. Mr. Kiramman picked her up. “The others have something important to do...” He winked at Caitlyn and Lux. “...so how about we go to your room and play a little bit?” Ren nodded again and the two of them left the room. Caitlyn and Lux followed.
Vi was nowhere to be seen. A strange noise was coming from outside. Caitlyn looked out the window. “There she is!” The two of them ran outside. Vi was punching a tree with her healthy arm. “Vi, what's gotten into you?”
Vi's punches seemed to get harder. “It's all! My! Fault!”
Caitlyn tried to calm her down. “You need to stop blaming yourself! This isn't healthy!”
Vi paused and stared at her fist. “I've been lying to you.”
What? Lux did not like the sound of that. “A-about what?”
“About what I did when Powder...” Vi shook her head. “You were right when you said that I need to work on my temper.”
Powder? Temper? “What are you talking about?”
“After the explosion... When I realized it was Powder... I didn't run away. I was so mad. All she had to do was stay at home... That's all she had to do...”
Oh no, not that dreadful explosion again! How deep was this hole? “W-what did you do?” Vi didn't answer. “Vi, what did you do?!”
Vi's fist started shaking. “I hit her... and called her a jinx...”
Lux burst out. “YOU WHAT?!”
Vi flinched. The muscular fighter had turned into pitiful mess. Lux couldn't be mad at her. Vi regretted it. She'd suffered enough.
Suddenly Vi's body tensed up. She raised her fist for another punch but Caitlyn grabbed her arm. “No, Vi...” Her fingers slid down Vi's arm to her fist and carefully opened it. “You need to stop bottling up your feelings like this! You're not alone!”
Vi grabbed Caitlyn's hand and stroke it with her thumb. “When Powder was just a baby...” Her lips were trembling. Tears filled her eyes. “She was so small... Such tiny hands... I promised I would PROTECT HER!” The tears started rolling. Tears, that had waited years to get out. Vi pressed her face against Caitlyn's shoulder and sobbed. “How could I do this to her?!”
Caitlyn caressed Vi's neck with one hand and her back with the other. “It's okay... It's okay... You've made a mistake... Don't dwell on it...”
“But... Everything she's done... What she's become... It's all because of me!”
“Who.” Lux said.
“What?” Vi looked at her with a confused expression, her eyes red from crying.
“You mean who she's become.” It was only one word, but it bothered Lux so much. “We keep talking about her as if she'd turned into some kind of monster that needs to be dealt with... But she's still a person! She has feelings! I understand that she's dangerous, but she's not a mindless killer! We haven't lost her! She's...” Lux felt a sudden pain as if an arrow had pierced her head. The world turned sideways.
“Shit!”
“Oh no! Quick, help me get her back inside!”
Lux was carried inside and laid onto the padded bench. The headache wore off little by little.
“I told her, she needs to rest!”
“She's still breathing, at least!”
“Should we call the doctor?”
Lux slowly sat up. “I'm fine... I'm fine... I'm just... tired.”
Vi sat down next to her. “You really had us worried there... Look, I'm sorry for upsetting you. You're right. Both of you. I can't undo the past and I shouldn't see Powder as a problem but more as my sister who needs help.”
Lux smiled. “Which I'm happy to provide! I'll get back to her and I promise I'll solve this messy situation somehow!”
Vi smiled back. “Thank you! I wish I could go myself, but considering my arm and the fact that Powder tried to kill me, I don't know what I could do right now.”
“You could start calling her Jinx for one. It's what she wants.” Lux playfully punched Vi's unharmed shoulder to show that she wasn't judging. “What's with your arm anyway? Is it broken?” Lux still felt guilty about it.
“No, it's only lightly sprained. It's gonna need some time to heal, though.”
Caitlyn chuckled. “You wouldn't believe how long it took her to accept that she needs rest. Which goes for you, too, by the way. You will not leave the house today!”
“But...” The thought that Jinx was hurt and alone in the undercity did not sit right with Lux. But Caitlyn was right. “Fine...”
Caitlyn noticed her disappointment. “We can see how you're doing tomorrow. Your belongings are in the closet of your room, in case you missed it. Also...” Caitlyn took something out of her pocket. It was Jinx' pistol. She looked at it with a concerned expression, then she held it out for Lux to grab. “Do whatever you think is right!” Lux tried to take it, but Caitlyn kept grasping it firmly. She gave Lux a stern look. “I'm not going to hunt Jinx, but if I see her up here... I cannot guarantee anything.” Lux nodded and Caitlyn let go.
“Thank you, Caitlyn! And... My condolences, by the way... Uhm... Didn't you mention two other survivors? Are they...?”
Caitlyn frowned. “Jayce and Viktor. They are alive for now, but... The doctors said they're not going to make it either...”
“Oh...” Lux didn't really know what else she'd expected. It seemed almost impossible to talk about the current events without a frown. “Well... At least your father's in a good mood! How come?”
“Oh, he was devastated at first, but...” Caitlyn smiled a little. “Taking care of you and Ren really lifted his spirit. Which reminds me: Vi, was it really a good idea to lie to Ren like that?”
Vi shrugged. “I don't know. But I know what it's like to lose your parents... She'll understand eventually, but for now I think it's better she doesn't know what her father did.”
“Okay... But what about taking care of her? You made it sound like we're going to adopt her!”
Vi grinned. “Well, she needs a family and... Why not us? Sure, we can't always be there, but like you said, your father enjoys taking care of her.”
Caitlyn was slightly irritated. “Vi, this is going way too fast! Just a few days ago I didn't even know you which is crazy already and now you want us to raise a child?”
Vi enthusiastically stood up. “Think about it, Cupcake! You come home from work and Ren runs up to you to greet you with a hug! And then we play games with her, answer her questions until we're annoyed, bring her to bed, sing her a lullaby... Unless... Do you not like Ren?”
“I do, she's a sweet child, but... What if she doesn't like me? What if I don't have time for her? I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a mother.”
“Are you kidding me? You're the kindest person I know, of course she'll like you! You'll be a great mom! We'll help her with her problems, teach her everything we know and watch her grow!”
Caitlyn shook her head. “Vi... Why are you so obsessed with this?”
Lux, who'd been listening carefully, had a guess. “Are you... perhaps... trying to compensate? For the time you lost with your sister?”
Vi was perplexed. “I... No! Maybe... I-I don't know...”
Caitlyn threw Vi a worried look. “You know Ren can't just fill in for your sister, right?”
Vi sank back onto the bench. “No, she can't...” She was lost in thought for a moment. Then she pleadingly looked at Caitlyn, “What if I just want to have kid? To raise it, support it, hug it, love it... Is that so wrong?”
“Oh Vi...” Caitlyn went to Vi, laid an arm around her neck and kissed her forehead. “I'd also like to raise a child someday. But not right now. There's too much going on. Please be patient! For now you can spend as much time as you want with Ren, until we find a new home for her.”
“Yeah, you're right... You're always right... Sorry for pressuring you, Cupcake!” Vi reached for Caitlyn's cheek and caressed it while she kissed the other one.
Meanwhile, Lux, the third wheel, couldn't help but think of Jinx again. Nobody was hugging or kissing her. She let out a groan that could not be ignored.
Caitlyn was alarmed. “Are you okay? Does your head hurt? Do you need water?”
Lux quickly declined. “No, no... I just hate waiting.”
Vi chuckled. “Tell me about it! I was going crazy while I was waiting for you to come back. Hey, why don't you pass the time by telling us what happened down there? I'd love to hear more about my sister being happy!”
That was actually a good idea. Those were good memories after all. “Sure! We actually met again while I was threatened by Sevika.”
Vi was already excited. “Sevika? Please tell me you kicked her butt!”
“Sure did...” And so Lux told about her second time in the undercity, albeit she omitted a few things that she didn't feel like telling, like why she actually left her home. But then, while she was talking about the paint bombs, the doorbell rang.
Caitlyn yelled loudly enough for her father to hear: “I'LL GET IT!” She went to the entrance door. A short time later she returned with warden Gregory. “Gregory here is looking for you... ahem... Miss Crownguard!”
Lux was pleasantly surprised. “Ah, Gregory! Do you need another statement?”
“Uhm... No, Miss Kiramman gave us everything we needed.” Gregory nervously scratched his neck, maybe because of the mean look Vi gave him. “Actually, I'm here to tell you that we've received a message from Demacia.”
From Demacia? That couldn't be good! No, relax, this could mean anything! “W-what does it say?”
Gregory cleared his throat. “They are very concerned for your safety and they are ordering you to leave Piltover within the next 24 hours. You will be able to move around the topside until the time is up, but you are no longer allowed to cross the bridge. That is all.”
Lux was absolutely dumbfounded. “No! Absolutely not! Don't I get a say in this?”
“I'm afraid not. It explicitly says that this is not a request but an order that cannot be ignored, neither by you, nor by us who have to make sure that you leave for your home. I'm sorry.”
Lux was shaking. No! She couldn't leave! Not after everything that had happened! Impossible! Who did this? Who thought they could just order her around like that?! Who?!?! “Who signed the order?”
“The order was signed by...” Gregory took the a piece of paper with the Demacian emblem out of his bag. He looked for the name at the end, but Lux already knew the answer. “Garen Crownguard!”
Fuck you, Garen!