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From this height, Piltover and Zaun seemed so insignificant, the setting sun hitting her face as the wind knocked the hood of her cape off her head. Not bothering to put it back on, she laid her cheek on the golden silver railing, letting her legs dangle over the edge. Miles and miles of sea under her.
She said goodbye in a silent whisper, enjoying the quietness. The only noise now being the subtle crash of the waves beneath her. To think, three days ago, she believed the only way to achieve this quietness was to stop breathing altogether.
A bittersweet feeling filled her chest. “Sometimes, taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind.” She let the words spill out of her mouth in a silent murmur as she fiddled with the blue orb she’d gotten out of Vi’s gauntlet.
By the time the Council’s tower became a mere dot in the distance, the voices had quieted down and the weight on her shoulders had lifted. A new buzzing behind her eyes. Not the thrill of a kill or the anticipation of her undoing. Agency. The power to do whatever she wanted, to be whoever she wanted.
The wooden floor of the deck creaked behind her. Seconds later, Ekko too was now gazing into the horizon. His fingers grazed hers as he grabbed the blue orb and tucked it away.
“You could’ve said goodbye, y’know.”
“She would’ve tried to convince me not to, not after all we’ve been through. Or” She looked him in the eye. “She’d chase me to the ends of the world, like a certain someone.” She taunted him lightly.
She’d figured it out in the cell. Vi would never give up on her. So she had to make the choice for herself. As a person who had been haunted by the past for her whole life, she was very much aware that, as much as Vi was willing to forgive her, there was no undoing for all the crimes she'd committed and all the people she had killed. Her wrongdoings would chase her to the grave, and Vi would never forsake her; she’d never stop fighting for her little sister, even if it meant tearing herself apart. Unluckily for Vi, Jinx would not stop fighting for her sister either.
Those thirsty for revenge, those awaiting her redemption. So many prying gazes; so many expectations. The further the airship got from Piltover, the lighter the weight in her chest became.
The memories hit her like a bullet. Running through the vents of Zaun escaping the enforcers, pranking the rest of the gang with their silly gadgets, long afternoons tinkering in the lab. Then, Ekko trying to get her to come with him after Silco adopted her, the fight on the bridge, his words in The Last Drop only yesterday…
Ekko dried the lonely tear running down her cheek. Their gazes met again, and the blue-haired girl crumbled in the boy’s arms. She cried. He did too. For what they had lost, for what they had accomplished, for what could have been.
“I’m so sorry, Ekko,” she sobbed, grasping his jacket.
“Me too.” He whispered as he took her in his arms.
For the first time since Silco died, she allowed herself to fully break down. Trusting that Ekko would be there to pick up the pieces. “Can you tell me about her again?” She whispered under the night sky.
“Her smile brings to light the darkest room,” he whispered in her ear after a while, hugging her tighter. “She keeps her brothers from embarrassing themselves, but in caring for others, she sometimes forgets to care for herself.”
“She is the brightest mind in Zaun, and her inventions help thousands.” He stared directly into her eyes before saying. “She keeps me grounded and makes me feel loved, even when I don’t feel lovable.”
“Do you think I can ever…”
“I know you can; I’ve seen it.”
“If everything was so perfect, why did you come back?”
“That Powder had her Ekko,” he blushed before continuing, “I figured you’d need yours too.”
A warmth spread in her chest, and tears threatened to fall again. He’d come back… for her? She thought of Isha then—how much of Powder she’d seen in her. How she had healed something in herself she believed to be irreparable.
“You would’ve loved Isha”
They talked for hours about everything that went on in their lives until then, about Isha, Sevika, Scar, Heimerdinger… They laughed and cried, and it was like no time had gone by at all.
“I’m sorry that I gave up on you,” he murmured.
“I’m sorry that I gave up on Powder,” she replied as he caressed her cheek.
“So maybe we can try again?” He leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers, waiting.
“Let’s pretend like it’s the first time.” She closed her eyes as their lips met, the tender promise of a brand-new life awaiting, a new beginning.