Work Text:
October 14th 992AN
Powder doubles over, a violent eruption of bile escaping just as she makes it to the vent. Her head spins, the world around her a blur, but slowly coming into focus. She was surrounded by greenery, and before her, the late afternoon sun illuminated a medium sized tree with lilac leaves. She retches again, wiping the sickness from her mouth. She stumbles over to the stone bench, and sits down catching her breath, placing the glowing cylindrical device beside her. No wonder bizarro Ekko’s was weird when he had arrived in her universe, it feels like her insides were tearing themselves apart. She doubles over, leaning her shoulders on her knees, but after a minute or two of catching her breath, she's able to properly take in her surroundings. Judging from the attire of the people milling about, she was definitely in Piltover, but she’s surprised to see some of them recoil in fear when she looks their way. Weird. She slowly stands, evaluating her shaky legs, deciding she could walk, and that it would likely do her good.
The first thing she notices is the huge tower in the center of the city, easily dwarfing all the smaller structures around it. If there were any doubt this wasn't her world, it was instantly vanquished. Her eyes are drawn to the gaping hole near the top of the tower, and the impossible floating debris around it. She had gone over her conversations with fake Ekko hundreds of times, so she was fairly certain things didn’t go as well for this world as they had hers, but she was so not prepared for this. What the hell happened?
As she moved across town she noticed the repairs underway on the damaged buildings, along with the odd rainbow webbing that seemed to have emanated from the mysterious tower. She couldn’t help but think that Ekko's alter-Ekko was involved somehow. Now that she was closer to the center of town she had her bearings. Cait’s home wasn’t too far away, perhaps she could get some answers there? She picked up the pace with a new determination. Here I come, sis!
Vi sighs as she fills yet another cluster of vibrantly coloured balloons. They're going all out for the celebration, a Zaunite tradition adopted by the entire city in the wake of the war. Something about holding on to what little joy was found in the dark. The balloons remind her of Jinx's mural in the undercity. Jinx would've loved this. This wasn't for her, she's gone, but she couldn't help her thoughts drifting to her sister's birthday a couple of days ago.
The leaves flutter slowly down as Vi kneels in front of the Firelight’s monument to the fallen. She knew Jinx wouldn't like being remembered as Powder, but everything had been so broken since they were separated.
“Hey Pow-pow, it's been a minute. Undercity's doing a lot better now 'Vika is a councillor, she managed to wrangle some funding to repair the vents in the middle of the reconstruction effort, if you can believe it. Also makes me glad I never managed to take her out. Almost. We've got a specialist, Lux, helping us root out all the corrupt magic left behind. I think you would've liked her. She has the same rebellious spirit you had, she even led a freaking revolution. Anyway, it's hard. I'm trying, but I miss you.”
Vi brushes the tears away and focuses on the party. Eventually the inflation allows as the helium tank depletes. She moves on and starts hanging the large black banner. She says to the steps and inspects it. The large letters spelling ‘Happy birthday Lux’ glitter in silver and gold.
Lux slumps down on the armchair in the library, letting a loud sigh interrupt Caitlyn as she reads.
“Long day?”
She asks the blonde, even though she already knew exactly what that day entailed.
Lux had visited the city of progress when they were just children, her parents had been on some sort of diplomatic mission. While initially she thought entertaining the foreign dignitaries' daughter was no more than one of her myriad of duties, the pair surprisingly had quickly become friends. She had so few it was painful to watch her go, but she kept in touch over the years.
So when she received Lux's letter, she instantly replied with an invite. If anyone knew how to deal with the remains of unwanted magics, it was the Demacians. Since her arrival Lux had been working tirelessly on efforts to protect the city, Victor’s mannequins had all been rounded up, and safely disposed of. She wasn’t familiar with the process, only that it was an annuller secret. While the arcane shards projected from the tower held little magic, they were still being collected by the wardens. That only left Lux’s current task.
“Uurgh, you know how exhausting it is tracking down these infected critters?”
“From my reports you’re doing a splendid job, how many creatures did you manage to contain today?”
“Ten. Including a family of mice that confirmed our fear, they are absolutely capable of breeding.”
Caitlyn detected the faintest of scowls when muttering the number, if she hadn’t also seen it whenever the girl said ‘mageseeker’, she might have thought nothing of it. She needed to have a conversation with the mageseeker about this later, but certainly not anytime soon. Neither she nor Vi had many friends left after the war, most had died somewhere along the way, and the few they did seemed to disdain the other’s partner for one reason or another, but when the Demacian met Vi they clicked, they finally had a friend in common.
Lux had met Vi the evening she had arrived, Caitlyn taking her to her girlfriend’s bar to unwind from the journey. For someone who was a stone's throw away from royalty, she had little respect for those in power, especially inherited power, it's one of the reasons she and Cait became friends all those years ago, but with Vi’s issues with authority, it was like throwing oil on fire. Still she was shocked at what came out of Lux’s mouth when they had returned to the estate. ‘I can see why she stole your heart, she doesn’t by any chance happen to have a sister?’
A loud knock echoes through the giant manor, Caitlyn begins to get up when Lux interjects.
“Let Millie get it, that's what you hired her for.”
She knew Lux would’ve attempted to get it herself had she not been so exhausted, but truthfully, without the assistance both would’ve been completely spent weeks ago. She reads a few more pages when she realises Millie hadn’t returned yet from answering the door.
“Millie?”
She bookmarks her spot, and slowly heads out, intent to see what was keeping her recently appointed butler. She walks softly down the hall before coming into view of the entry, Millie is holding the heavy door open, frozen like a statue with mouth agape. In the entryway is a figure, a silhouette she would recognise anywhere. She glances quickly at the secret compartment in the wall, considering taking the loaded rifle, she pushes down the thought, for Vi’s sake, but couldn’t help but venomously spit.
“JINX!”
Oh how she hated that name, she hadn’t been called that since she was a kid, save for the couple of times it slipped from I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-Ekko’s tongue. She and Cait had been friends since the explosion, they shared a lengthy recovery in hospital together. She hadn’t seen her in a while though, Cassandra had been preparing her to take her place when she retired. But it seemed that in this universe they were anything but friends. She hesitantly steps forward.
“Hi Cait, ummm, have…”
“You really have some nerve showing your face here, I don’t care that you helped save the city, if it weren’t for Vi you’d have a bullet between your eyes!”
She’s frozen in her tracks, eyes wide with fear. After a beat, she raises her hands, and inches further forward.
“I’m not who you think I am, I’m not the Powder from your universe.”
This time though, it would seem it was her turn to be startled by a ghost from the past, as the long lost light of her life emerges from the same hallway.
She met Lux about a year after she lost Vi, she found her bawling her eyes in the abandoned arcade, she was drawn to her old hangout by the weird light escaping the broken stained glass windows. Lux tried to escape Powder at first, scurrying deeper into the dilapidated structure, but Powder knew it like the back of her hand. She kept going on about how she was ‘afflicted’, was a ‘monster’, it took Powder two whole hours to calm the distraught girl. It turned out the glow was her magic, and she had fled in fear because of the prejudices back home.
Instead of fissurefolk being the big scary boogeyman, it was the mages, Demacia was no better than topside. She didn’t trust the change that had come in the aftermath of the incident that claimed her sister's life. Aside from Cait, she didn’t think any cared about the undercity at all. Powder snuck her food for weeks as she hid out, enthralled not just by her magic, but by the light in her soul. She found herself unable to deny the spark lit within her. It was the scariest thing she'd ever experienced, but she pushed through and confessed her feelings anyway. The following fortnight her family barely saw her, she elected to spend her time in her flashlights arms. She wanted to remain that way forever, just her and Lux. She was devastated when a Demacian vanguard had tracked her down and dragged her away, but she didn’t lose hope until a month later when papers mentioned crown prince Jarvan’s betrothed. How the fuck were arranged marriages a thing?
A few years later she started dating Ekko. The original Ekko, accept no substitutes. And he was good, he loved her completely. Although she tried her hardest to reciprocate, her heart was never really in it. Her encounter with Ekko-the-Ekko-body-snatcher just made her face the feelings she was suppressing, she broke up with him about a week later. Putting all her focus on recreating the Z-drive.
Here she was standing before her, and no sign of the fucking pissant that had stolen her spark.
“Flashlight?!”
The nickname was odd, but given her powers Lux finds it fitting, in this other world they must have known each other. She takes in the sight of their otherworldly visitor, the first thing she notices is the vibrant blue hair. If Powder and Jinx were two sides of the same coin, that the wanted posters did her a great disservice. Her hair's not entirely blue though, she spots the vibrant pink streak.
“If you're not our Jinx, what are you doing here?”
“I… I wanted to see Vi.”
Seeing Cait falter, and the mournful, broken look poorly hidden behind Powder's attempt at a smile, she realises the meaning behind it. In Powder's world, Vi was the one who didn't make it.
“I'm sorry J…Powder. How did it happen?”
“Caitlyn, we should invite her in and discuss in the parlour.”
Caitlyn leads the way, she's clearly uncomfortable, glancing multiple times at the doppelganger. While their faces bear a striking resemblance, Powder's physique is vastly different to Vi's. Lux finds herself captivated by the lithe girl, and though she tries to resist the urge, her eyes inevitably drift lower as she follows behind.
Cait motions for Power to have a seat in the armchair, while she and Lux sit on the sofa opposite.
“I'm assuming you're from the world Ekko visited? He was rather tight lipped about the differences. What happened to your sister?”
Lux is completely focused on the Zaunite as she recounts the harrowing tale. Caitlyn gasps when Powder describes the explosion.
“That was you!?”
“Yea, losing her tore a hole in my heart that just never healed. When carbon copy hijacked my ex's body, he told me about your Vi, claimed it was a dream he had, but when he poofed out I realised what was up. So here I am.”
“Ekko is your ex?”
Not the worst news, but it doesn't bode well for her chances with the interdimensional traveller. She can't help but pry.
“Yea my Ekko was sweet and he really loved me, unlike your creep, but his visit forced me to realise I didn't love him, there was only one who ever stole my heart, and she was taken from me.”
Is that a look? Powder's gaze certainly seems pointed. Suddenly things are starting to look up. She pays close attention as the two compared histories, it certainly sounds like this other world fared far better than their own. She wonders what the life of her counterpart would be like there.
“So yea, just point me at sis and I'll be out of your hair.”
No, it was too soon, she doesn't want their time to end so soon. She speaks before Caitlyn gets a chance.
“Well Cait and I are actually headed down there later to see her, you should come with us.”
“No!”
Caitlyn's interjection is baffling, maybe she was worried it would cause Vi to relive the pain of losing her? Her whisper is practically a hiss.
“Cait!”
“She can't come, not tonight.”
Did Cait know how big a crush she was developing for the blue haired bombshell? She knew the sheriff had her issues with Jinx, and though she set it aside for her girlfriend's sake, the animosity simmered under the surface. But she couldn't hold that against Powder could she? If the past hour had shown them anything or that Powder and Jinx were two completely different people.
“Don't be absurd, why the hell not?!”
“I didn’t want to say anything, but Vi and I are throwing you a surprise birthday party. If Ji…Powder is there, it will ruin it, it will all be about her, and you deserve to be celebrated.”
Ahh this she can deal with, if that is the problem, then it's easily solved.
“Since it's my coming birthday we’ll be celebrating, I think I should have some say in who attends, and I want Powder to be there.”
It seems as though Cait wants to protest further, but it dies before even leaving her lips. Powder barrels across the room and pulls Lux into a tight bear hug.
“Thanks sparkles, you're the best.”
And as the girl plants a soft kiss on her cheek, she realises she's a goner.
“So, how's Jarvan doing?”
Cait walls ahead of them, not far enough to be out of earshot, but enough to not be part of the conversation. Powder pries, continuing to guard herself against the inevitable answer. She knew with Demacia being half a world away, it was unlikely the timeline would've diverged that much. Still, she knew how to read Lux, and the Demacian was clearly attracted to her.
“Oh, the king? My brother mentioned he was doing well in his last correspondence. He tends to avoid Terbitia, we have only an uneasy peace since the uprising.”
Powder hums, it wasn't what she expected. The old feelings she had thought she buried were bubbling their way to the surface. She already knew that once she's seen Vi it would be next to impossible for her to leave, now Lux was here too?
“What of this lost love of yours, would you tell me of her?”
“She's the other you, sunshine.”
She manages to refrain from blurting out the response on the top of her lips, and forces herself to think on the answer.
“She was visiting with her mother, who was here to strengthen relations between our nations. She had run away because she'd been promised to some arsehole. Arranged marriage. Anyway I hid with her and we kinda just fell for each other, ya know. But they found her and took her away.”
She's careful not to use names or places, she's determined not to be the cause of any pressures of expectation having seen how they had damaged the Demacian’s counterpart.
“I'm sorry you lost her.”
She knew Lux well enough to know what she wasn't saying. This version is sending all the same signals. She wants her, like her Luxie wanted her. She gulps, it was dangerous getting close while she was on borrowed time. But every time she catches Lux's radiant smile she just melts.
Cait slows down, allowing the pair to catch up. They unravel their fingers from each other and the enforcer turns to them.
“I think Luxanna and I should head in first, prepare Vi for meeting you.”
This doesn't sit well with Powder, again how friends mirror is trying to delay her.
“Are you sure about that, Caitlyn? My Vi hated being kept in the dark.”
“Vi's been through so much, I'm sure. I promise it won't be long, 10 minutes, maximum.”
They round the corner and Powder lays eyes on the partially reconstructed burnt out husk of the Last Drop. She knew this timeline had been through a lot but this made it far too real. Vander, Mylo, Claggor, Benzo she had talked to all of them in the last few days, but here? They had been dead for years.
“W… what happened?”
Cait puts a hand on her shoulder, it's the first real sign she's not hostile towards her.
“It happened after the commune, it's best if you ask Ekko.”
She didn't really want to talk to the thing that wore Ekko as a skin suit, but it could be worth it to hear the story. Maybe this spaceboy wasn't as bad as she thought? This timeline seemed to just royally fuck everyone over left right and center. It's not enough for her to forgive him, but maybe there's an understanding.
She dutifully waits by the door as Lux and Cait enter the building in progress.
“SURPRISE!!!!”
The place wasn't by any means packed, but there were more people than Lux had expected after finding out the party was for her, and it seemed they had all managed to segregate themselves. Fun.
Sevika and a green haired girl crawled into the far booth quickly after the commotion. In the corner Ekko sits with Scar and Abby, the Firelight team that assist her when her tracking leads into Zaun. In the booth closest to the door, Steb and Erin, the wardens that assist in Piltover, share a drink. Vi was behind the bar but had quickly called over it, and was crushing Lux in a bear hug.
“She let it slip, didn't she? You weren't surprised in the least.”
Vi releases her hold, and Lux takes deep breaths now she can again. Vi placed a chaste kiss on the sheriff's lips, before nudging her playfully.
“Last time I let you in on a secret plan!”
“It's not my fault!”
Cait huffs, but Vi forces a look as if she didn't believe her girl.
“Is true Vi, we had a visitor this morning, I invited her to come with us, she's waiting outside.”
“What? Why'd you leave her out there? Let's get her inside.”
“It's not that simple, she's from Ekko's world.”
“Why would anyone from that perfect world ever want to slum it here?”
“It's far from perfect Violet.”
The blue haired interloper launches herself into Vi's arms, Lux watches the sisters as the elder brushes a stray stand of hair behind the younger's ear, happy she helped with their reunion.
“Powder? How?”
“Did buster boy not tell you I helped build his precious Z-drive? I made another one myself. I had to see you.”
“Why d… oh.”
“Yea, everybody lived, except the one person I needed to. I missed you so much.”
She watches as the sisters peel off to find a booth, Vi's arm already wrapped around Powder's shoulders.
Cait reaches over the bar, grabbing a bottling of whiskey to bring with them before returning. Lux pushes down an absurd twinge of jealousy.
“They certainly are close, aren't they?”
Cait doesn't respond, she just takes a quick sip and ushers Lux along to the enforcers booth with her. She zoned out when Caitlyn and Steb began talking shop, instead turning to the blonde enforcer, who was fidgeting to her right.
“Hey Erin, how have you been?”
“Be better if I were topside, I mean I know the sheriff's girlfriend lives down here but that doesn't mean we couldn't have had the shindig up top.”
“You don't like the undercity?”
“Just because they swooped in at the last second and turned the tide doesn't mean I have to bow at their feet, there's still a lot of hurt.”
She glances over with a pointed look, the sheriff had told her she had weeded out the bad eggs from the warden's ranks. Cait just shakes her head subtly glancing at the healed over defensive scars littering angry wardens forearms. Noticing Lux's attention she shifts and tries to hide them. She decides to spare the girl.
“What made you become a warden?”
"I was a baker, but like half the force, I joined to fight for our city in the battle of the hexgates. My dads did too, we loved this city. I couldn't bear the thought of returning to baking without them, so I stayed enlisted.”
𝅘𝅥𝅮 There's a girl in town and word's gone around she's just fine 𝅘𝅥𝅮
“I love that song, come on Vi, let's dance!”
“Nah, I gotta save Cait from talking shop all night. Our Lady of Luminosity has been giving you heart eyes all night, you should dance with her, I know it's your birthday too Pow, but this was meant to be her party.”
The sisters slide out of their booth, making their way across the dance floor. Powder motions for Lux to join her, the next second the two are in each other's arms dancing.
𝅘𝅥𝅮 Each day it grows more and more I'm sure, it shows 𝅘𝅥𝅮
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
She can't help but let her eyes drift over the girl. Sure she looked fantastic in her armour, but this? Her sleek dress was white with gold accents, it looked like something that young councillor would wear, but on Lux or lit her imagination on fire. She swallows when she looks back in the blonde's eyes. A playful smirk facing her lips.
“Like what you see?”
𝅘𝅥𝅮 Our love, that flows into a sea 𝅘𝅥𝅮
While Powder's brain short circuits, Lux eyes greedily roam over her body. She bites her lower lip.
“Because I sure do.”
𝅘𝅥𝅮 Ooh, like someday I'll pray our love will always stay pure 𝅘𝅥𝅮
After the song wraps up, the others head over to a booth while Powder walks up to the bar. Abby was sitting at the bar, her glass is clear, but the bottle of vodka next to it is a bit of a giveaway. Pow runs behind the bar and starts filling a little ‘table keg’.
“Hey, do you know why bat man has been glaring daggers at me all evening?”
“Scar? He's just jealous and pissed. To lil bro, you were the one that got away, they really got into it after Ekko returned, didn't speak for like a week, they almost broke up. So yea, not your biggest fan.”
She takes another swig, and idly races the edge of her glass with her finger. She doesn't have the heart to tell Abby she died in her universe too.
“Is that why you're here drowning sorrows?”
“Fuck no! In case you hadn't noticed I'm gayer than your sister, if that's possible. This was meant to be liquid courage, I was hoping for… something else, but hey that blonde enforcer's also cute. Oh! Happy birthday by the way, didn't think I'd forget, did ya?”
“So, should I be asking about your intentions?”
She furrows her brows in thought, whatever could Vi mean by that? She has done nothing but help since she arrived.
“With my sister, you seem quite taken with her.”
“Oh! Yes! She's amazing, I really want to get to know her better.”
A warmth spreads across her body at the very thought of it. After all she's been though it's like the Veiled Lady is finally giving her a break. Like Powder was meant for her.
“Just need to know you want her for her, Cait told me…”
“Caitlyn!”
This time the fire burning her cheeks was pure embarrassment. She never thought her oldest friend here would betray her like this. Caitlyn just shrugs it away as if it's nothing.
“I don't keep secrets from Vi.”
“Fine. Yes. I did find you attractive too, but I've never before felt the way I feel about your sister. I want nothing more than to make her happy, if she'll allow it.”
“Good enough for me.”
Powder pops the small barrel on the table and unstacks the glasses. She slides into the booth and her fingers effortlessly intertwine with the blonde's. Lux can't help but smile, they fit perfectly together.
“What did I miss?”
“Oh nothing much, just talking about Lux's undying love for me and how I've spoiled her for everyone else.”
Vi's cheeky comment earned her stink eyes from the other two girls, and at least one kick under the table.
Lux turns away as Cait pulls Vi into a deep passionate kiss. She wasn't used to people showing their affections so openly. She found herself mere inches from her crush, unable to pry her eyes from the girl's luscious lips.
Powder lifts Lux's face with a finger under her chin and leans in. Her breath hitches as Powder's lips meet her own. The world falls away as Lux loses herself in the sensation. Nothing else matters but the goddess in front of her. Their hands start exploring each other's bodies, feeling the brush of the other girl's tongue, Lux opens wider, letting a soft moan escape.
They rapidly fix themselves back up after Vi clears her throat comically loudly.
“The bar looks… different.”
“I know Pow, I've been trying to restore it to what it was, but the last time I saw it like that was before Stillwater. I think it's starting to look ok though.”
“What happened to it?”
Vi and Cait share a concerned look, and Lux realises she's about to hear a part of the story that had remained untold.
“Maybe you should talk to Ekko.”
“I don't want to talk to him. I'd much rather talk to you.”
“Jinx kinda sorta adopted a kid. Isha. She idolised my sister. When Jinx lost her, it broke something inside her. She burnt the bar down. She was gonna… Ekko found her in time, thank fuck, but after all that I still lost her.”
“Don't worry Vi, I know it's not the same, but you have me now.”
“For how long?”
“What?”
“You've got a whole life to get back to in that other shiny universe, so I figure we're on borrowed time. Was just wondering how long I have?”
Lux's heart drops, she hadn't considered their time could be cut short, but Lux's responsibility to the people of Terbitia would also cut things short. What started as a blessing was now balanced in the tip of a blade. She mourns the loss as Powder's fingers separate from her own and she runs off.
She closes the door softly, even though she needed to slam it shut. She had wanted to distance herself from Lux, but all her old feelings had reignited, and now the thought of leaving her leaves a twisted knot in her stomach. She brings her head to her lips chasing the memory of their kiss.
She also didn't think of the pain it would cause Vi to have her and then lose her again when she leaves, even though she's experiencing the same thing herself.
Was she really considering staying? She hadn't even told anyone where she was going. Ekko would work it out, but as far as the others were concerned she would've just disappeared. She throws a glass across the room.
“Geez lady, you're crazier than I am.”
It's only then she realised she was talking out loud. She didn't bother looking up to the rafters, to her old hiding spot, she knew the raspy voice far too well.
“They think you're dead.”
“It's better that way.”
“But…”
“Nah, if Vi knew, she'd let everything fall apart again tryna fix me. She's happy with cupcake, now she's got you too. Boy savior had us all believe yours was paradise, guess it isn't a barrel of rainbows after all, who would've guessed?”
Powder doesn't respond, how could she? Her thoughts are a tangled mess.
“You don't wanna leave, and I can't stay, so I'll go, let ‘em know you're all happy and shit. ‘sides, there's someone I lost too.”