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“Momma, can you show me where Demacia is on a map?”
Ren approached Caitlyn at her desk, clutching a battered piece of paper in her hand. In the year and a half since she and Vi had formally adopted the girl, she had finally come out of her shell a little and become an inquisitive child.
“Dear, why are you suddenly asking about Demacia?”
“Um…well…our class at school had this idea that we can write letters to kids in other places for Snowdown and I got my letter for Terbi…Teribiz…Terbisia, and they say that their teacher taught them all about Piltover, but I don’t know anything about Demacia and I want to know more.”
“Did they now?” asked Caitlyn, “Why don’t you hand that letter here, and we’ll see what we can figure out?”
It wasn’t often that Luxanna Crownguard sat down at her desk to see a letter from a Councilor of Piltover, but in her time as governor, she had grown used to surprises.
Dear Governor Crownguard,
It has come to my attention that a teacher in your city is sharing some…compromising details about the nature of my city with their students, including details about myself and my wife that very few people other than ourselves are privy to. Please do not consider this an accusation. I would simply like to know how this teacher of yours acquired such information. I await your reply.
Kind Regards,
Caitlyn Kiramann
When Lux finished reading the letter, she sighed and went into the other room. Blue was sitting there, tinkering with some new device to teach science to the children. Lux wrapped her arms around her paramour’s neck.
“Darling, what have you been telling the children about Piltover?”
Letters to and from Demacia moved slowly, and it was several months until Caitlyn heard a reply back. She opened the letter while resting against Vi on their chaise lounge.
“Watcha reading, Cupcake?”
“Just some correspondence from Demacia. One of Ren’s classes did a letter exchange with a school there.”
Caitlyn did not want to say more. If her suspension was correct, she wasn’t sure Vi was ready to hear what the letter was truly about.
Dear Councilor Kiramann,
I was most intrigued by your letter and I made some inquiries. I have determined the origin of these particular facts, and rest assured they will not continue to be spread. However, I will stop short of revealing anything about the individual involved. Terbisia is a place of refuge and renewal, and we try to protect the desire of our citizens to forge a new start after a troubled past.
Yours Sincerely,
Luxanna Crownguard
Caitlyn sighed and put the letter down. She should really just let this go. Whatever was going on was happening in Demacia, hundreds of miles away. It was not her business. But then she caught Vi staring at her.
“I know somethings up, Cait. You can’t hide that stuff from me.”
Vi reached out and squeezed Caitlyn’s hand, and Caitlyn knew she was right. No use hiding it. The truth would come out eventually, and it would only hurt more the longer Vi went without knowing.
Silently, Caitlyn rose and retrieved the letter that the Terbisian child had sent to Ren. Vi read over the letters in silence, then again. When she looked back up, Caitlyn could see the tears brimming in her eyes.
“It’s Jinx, isn’t it.” She phrased it as a statement, not a question.
Caitlyn sunk down next to Vi and rested a hand on her shoulder.
“That was…my conclusion….oh, Violet,” she added, sinking down to wrap both arms around her wife. She could feel Vi tremble slightly under her touch, but soon, Vi forced herself to still. Then, resolutely, she rose, went to the desk, and began to compose a letter.
“How did I know they’d not leave this alone?” asked Blue as she thrust a new letter from Piltover into Lux’s hand. “Maybe I shouldn’t have organized the writing.”
“Darling,” replied Lux, taking the letter and giving Blue a kiss on the cheek, “why did you organize those letters anyway? You’d almost think that they were meant to find out. And you saying those things to the kids, and sending the letters specifically to the age that their daughter is…”
Lux trailed off, checking Blue’s eyes for the hurt that usually appeared whenever anything related to her old life. But today, there was only a worn smile.
“You got me, Blondie,” said Blue, leaning into Lux’s embrace, “I think I want to try things again. See if we can do it right this time. I think distance will help”
“So why the convoluted plan with letters?”
“I figured they’d accept it more if it was in the form of a mystery. Ya gotta remember, my sister and her Piltie missus are crazy. Now, let’s see what this thing says.”
Dear Jinx,
I don’t really know what to say. Even this letter is even reaching you, because, like, we could be totally wrong about this whole thing and it could be someday else. But I don’t think we are. It’s you, there, Jinx. In Demacia. What a thing. Cait’s not happy about it, but she’s not about to lead an army through your magical forest or whatever. I just really miss you. After everything, I just want to see my sister again.
Love,
Vi
Blue swallowed hard as she finished reading the letter, and leaned her head back against Lux.
“Yep, that’s her alright. I…have some thinking today.”
“Whatever you decide, my love, you have my support.”
The leaves on the trees were starting to change as Vi strolled home from work. Running the new VanTallis Forge was not exactly how she thought she’d be spending her time, but at the end of the day, she was glad she got to use punching to build, rather than destroy. Just as she rounded the corner back to the Kiramann manor, she saw the postman dropping off an envelope in the distinctive rustic filigree stationary of Demacia. Without hesitation, she nearly snatched it out of the postman’s hands as she rushed inside.
Hey Vi,
I guess we should talk. Your favorite spot, Snowdown night. Don’t bring Top Hat. Be there, loser.
XOXO,
Your sister
A sudden wave of relief washed over Vi, met with an equal swelling of anxiety and grief. This was how Cait found her, half an hour later. After reading the letter, she ran a calming hand over Vi’s back, and Vi rested her head against her hip.
“You should do this. I won’t interfere.”
On the night of Snowdown, after all the presents had been cleaned up and Ren and Tobias had gone to bed, and Steb had gone home, and Vi found herself making the climb down into Zaun for the first time in what seemed like years. Which, she reflected, it had been. Sevika and the new Zaun Board of Directors had really done a lot to fix up the place, now that its resources weren’t being totally siphoned off by Piltover. This had led to a certain amount of belt-tightening topside, but people were getting used to the new normal.
One place that had not changed at all, though, was Jericho’s. Vi followed the familiar smell through Zaun’s streets, hot and humid compared to the winter chill topside. Naturally, Jericho’s was open even today, serving up hot bowls of Zaun’s finest. If Jericho was surprised by her return, he didn’t show it. It was certainly less time after than her last absence. With a steaming bowl of stew in front of her, Vi waited from whatever was supposed to happen next.
She was halfway done with her meal, which tasted just as she remembered it, when she heard a familiar voice in her ear.
“No Top Hat. Good. You’ve gotten better at following instructions.”
Vi turned to see her sister, really her sister, sitting next to her. She looked a little different; no more hungry, rail-thin look, and her hair was tied in a demure bun, but Vi knew it was her sister. She wanted to run and hug her and burst into tears, but it didn’t seem like that kind of reunion, for now.
“Thanks, I guess. You look well.”
“Guess I finally got a chance to slow down and rest. And the wife takes good care of me.”
Vi nearly spit out her mouthful of stew.
“You have a wife now?”
“Yup. She’s Demacian. I guess mooning over rich bitches runs in the family.”
Vi couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.
“I suppose it does. You’ll be happy to know we left the whole enforcer thing behind.”
“That’s good. You looked real goofy in that ice cream suit.”
“So…um…what are you doing in Demacia.”
“Teaching, mostly. Found a group of kids that needed someone there for them. So Luxie let me stick around…ya know, they go really hard for Snowdown in Demacia. Helps that it actually snows there.”
“I’ll bet. I’m…glad you’ve found something…and someone.”
“Yeah. And how are things with you and Cupcake?”
“Good…good. We have a kid now.”
“Nothing as undoing as a daughter, as the old man used to say.”
Vi didn’t want to think about which old man. Instead, she finished her stew and pushed back from the table. She could feel her sister moving as well, and before either knew what was happening, they had wrapped each other in a crushing hug.
Her sister’s voice came out muffled against Vi’s shoulder, but her meaning was crystal clear.
“I’m sorry for letting you think I was dead for like, two years.”
“Hey, hey, you did what you needed to do. It gave me time to think, to heal. And now we can start it all over again. As sisters.”
“Yeah, maybe we can. But just so you know, I’m not spending Snowdown at your Piltie mansion.”
“Guess we’ll just have to make a trip to Demacia then.”