Veluda

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Streets of Valoran

---

Xayah yawned a bit while walking towards Ahri's house. She was used to lying in bed around this time, either texting Rakan or watching some television before going to sleep. Saki was fluttering around her head, chirping nonstop. It kept saying that it was excited to be part of the sleepover. "Hahah ok ok calm down buddy. I get it." Even with her remark, Saki was simply happy that they were about to spend some quality time with their team. As they kept walking, a text popped up on Xayah's phone.

---

To: Xayah

From: Rakan

You on your way?

---

Xayah laughs at Rakan's worrying.

---

To: Rakan

From: Xayah

Don't worry about me "dad". I'll be perfectly fine. I mean, if somebody tried to pull something on me, I'm pretty sure they won't leave alive.

---

Soon after, Rakan's final reply came.

---

To: Xayah

From: Rakan

Alright. I'll be hanging out with Vlad and Ekko. And I think the kid that Sarah's teaching is coming too. Good chance to mess with him. Anyways, you guys have fun. Love ya.

---

Xayah blushes at Rakan's last two words. She never really understood how and why Rakan always manages to make her feel flustered, but she has welcomed the feeling at this point. She texted back a short "I love you too" to him before stuffing her phone in her pocket. Then she was reminded of something. "Hey Saki, wanna get some extra food before we go to Ahri?" The bird happily agreed. "Alright. There's a convenience store we can go to but we're gonna have to take a short detour. Stay close." She then turns a corner into an alleyway. It was dark and gloomy, but Xayah was used to surroundings like this. Out of nowhere however, two menacing figures showed themselves.

"Hoho, what'chu doin' here little girlie?" came one. "Pretty dangerous for anyone to be walkin' around here." said the second. The two goons gave her a really nasty smile. "Whaddya say we go to our place to avoid some...issues taking place here yeah?" the first says as he slowly brings out a knife. Xayah on the other hand, has remained silent all this time, a dark look starting to creep onto her face. "Hmph. Idiots are always idiots I suppose." A vein bulged on the second goon's head. "WHAT DIDJA SAY YOU BRAT?!" The first goon fully brought out the knife. "Girlie, I suggest you keep that mouth of yours shut..." He walks to her and puts a heavy hand on her shoulder. "...or this little friend of mine might end up in places you don't wanna know." At this point, Xayah couldn't control herself anymore. Her eyes glowed menacingly. Her wings starting to make an appearance. Even Saki was pissed. The two goons backed away, scared of the unnatural events unfolding before them. Xayah looked them in the eyes before opening her mouth, her words dripping with venom.



And in a flash, both goons had quills embedded in their throats, blood spilling out like a fountain. Xayah made sure to avoid the scene so that Ahri wouldn't notice anything on her. Saki suddenly asked her something. "Oh don't worry. Nobody's ever going to know what happened." As she says this, the quills that were previously sticking out of the throats of the goons started dissipating into stardust. "One of the perks of being a Star Guardian is that we don't leave traces of our activity behind. This might be the first time I'm glad that we're so glittery and sparkly." She gives a slightly grim laugh. "Now come on, we still gotta get our snacks." The two then proceed multiple bags of chips and a bottle of soda.

5 minutes later...

Xayah arrived at Ahri's doorstep and was readying herself. *inhale* "You can do this Xayah. This is just a sleepover with your close friends. Nothing will go wrong. Trust Ahri." After pepping herself up, she rings the doorbell. "Ahri? I'm here."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

"Hey hey, I know it's girls only." Xayah pats Rakan's head at this. "Don't worry babe. We'll spend some time together too afterwards okay?" The two share a hearty laugh. "Anyways..." She turns towards Neeko. "I don't really have anything to ask you. I'm just...I'm just happy to see another Vastayan besides us. A different tribe too." She gives Neeko a smile. "Yeah. It's pretty refreshing to see a new member which has links to our race. Makes the team feel more homely." says Rakan as he gives a sound of agreement. The two bird familiars were also happy for the new member. They once again flew into the open and stuck to Neeko, chirping happily. "Heh. Looks like we aren't the only ones who're happy to see you here kid." Syndra gives a small chuckle at the small act of festivity. "That solves it then. Neeko is now officially part of our team as a Star Guardian." She then turned towards Ahri. "And to answer your question, yes. I'll definitely be there." she says with a mature smile. Xayah then asked. "Sooooo, should we eat? We've got about 40 minutes till next period."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

Rakan

"I got freedom. I got a lady. I got a cause I'd die for."

-00FFFF-

---

Name: Rakan

Earth Name: Rakan

Age: 27

Sex: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Star Guardian Familiar: Riku

School year (pre-corruptipn): 3

Appearance (pre-corruption): Even before being a Star Guardian, Rakan's fashion choice was never to be laughed at. His history of being a battle-dancer has led him to don fashionable robes and leggings to make sure he causes the most amount of distraction possible. He carried that fashion sense into his life as a Star Guardian, albeit with a completely different color palette from his usual. Instead of his bright yellows and reds, his new attire consists of a modern hoodie with cyan and dark shades of purple and denims.

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 170lbs

Likes (pre-corruption):
- Xayah (lover)
- Ahri (close friend)
- Rebellion
- Dancing
- Chaos
- Birds
- Warm weather

Dislikes (pre-corruption):
- Void creatures
- Cold people (except Xayah)
- People who hold him down
- People who flirt with Xayah

Personality (pre-corruption):
An older member of the Star Guardians, Rakan was the humorous one of the bunch. Never taking things seriously, except for some cases, he always makes sure to have a fun time when doing something. Doing homework, flirting with Xayah, extinguishing Void creatures. If you ever need to have fun, Rakan's your man. Although he has mellowed down a bit due to Xayah's request, he's not one to turn down a good time when it comes.

Biography (pre-corruption):

"As mercurial as he is charming, Rakan is an infamous Vastayan troublemaker and the greatest battle-dancer in Lhotlan tribal history. To the humans of the Ionian highlands, his name has long been synonymous with wild festivals, uncontrollable parties, and anarchic music. Now however, he is the faithful partner to the previous rebel, now Star Guardian, Xayah, and is dedicated to her and their cause, protecting the planet."

Rakan has always led a chaotic life. He was used to dancing and singing his heart out for the sake of enjoying himself. He didn't hold back on anything and made sure to always capture the hearts of his audience, especially the ladies. He wasn't called "The Charmer" for nothing. But everything changed when a small, green bird made an appearance. After one of his performances, he saw a small, sparkling, green figure flitting around on the corner of his vision. Curious, he made his way through his audience, and charmed women, and approached the creature. Once he got close, the small avian creature chirped happily. What surprised Rakan was the fact that he understood the bird. It seemed happy to have caught the attention of the Vastayan. Once it confirmed that yes, it indeed can speak, it began talking about something called the "Star Guardians." It also mentioned that it wanted Rakan to join this group. Ever the adventurous fellow, Rakan willingly agreed to come with the bird. Soon enough, he came face to face with the "First Star". It explained the new fate that the stars had in store for him. Once he fully understood what was going on, Rakan immediately accepted the proposition. Being able to save the world? Getting to dress in fashionable clothing? Catching the hearts of an even bigger audience? What more could he ask for? And thus, Star Guardian Rakan was finally on-duty. Part of the package of being a Guardian however, was to attend a certain school in a place called "Valoran". There, he would finally meet the girl of his dreams...

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

One blink.
A second blink.
Then a third.

Finally...

"WHAT?!?"

The two Vastayans' minds were completely blown. They looked at each other in disbelief. "That girl's a GUARDIAN?!" Xayah's eyes were wide as an owl's. This was completely out of the blue after all. "Holy crap. This is unreal." Rakan was as surprised too. He was holding his head in shock. "No way..." The female Vastayan was still perplexed as to how things came to be as is. "So l-let me get this straight. Neeko was chosen by the First Star and she so happens to be transferred to our school. The school where literally EVERY STAR GUARDIAN CURRENTLY KNOWN GOES TO FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" She rubbed her temple in stress. "So the 'shiny' she was talking about was..." Rakan starts. "It's her gem. Of course it is." Xayah facepalms after not realizing sooner. On a side note, Riku and Saki have listened to the other familiars and decided to hide among their partners' clothes.

As the four members were talking, a fifth made her appearance. "So that girl was chosen too huh?" Xayah looked to her left. "Oh thank god you're here Syndra. I guess that means there's less explaining to do." Rakan was shaking his head. "Still, this is pretty unbelievable. We were just talking about this too. About if we're the only Guardians on this planet." His lover gave a small laugh at this. "I know right? First Star's got our work cut out for us."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

"First question. Who is she exactly?" Rakan was next. "Second. What's with the skinship cap?" Xayah continued. "Third. She immediately knew we were Vastayans. Is SHE a Vastayan?" There was a bit passion in her voice when she said that. And finally... "What the hell is a shiny?" Even both Saki and Riku were interested about Neeko as they both flew into the open. Xayah looked over Ahri's shoulder to take another look at the new girl. She seemed to be asking, almost crossing the line of pestering, about Sarah's phone, much to Sarah's dismay. The way she acted reminded her of young children. Always curious and inquisitive about things. "Certainly a weird one huh?" Xayah nodded. "I know right? It's like I'm looking at a baby in a teenager's body. A uh, very colorful teenager might I add."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

As Xayah and Rakan were heading towards the cafeteria, Rakan pondered about something. "You ever think there're other Star Guardians besides us?" Xayah raised an eyebrow. "It's just...Are we the only ones who're capable of defending the planet? Do we have to do all the work?" From inside his bag, Riku asked if he was just feeling lonely. "Nah, I've got you and Xayah so why would I be lonely?" His lover blushed a little. "What I mean is, is the First Star gonna choose other people someday? Or do we just protect the planet until we die?" Xayah put her hand on his shoulder. "Babe, you shouldn't think about these things because 1) you're stressing yourself too much, and 2) it doesn't suit you." She then proceeds to remember what the First Star told her when she was chosen. "When the First Star chose me, it said something about stars being plenty and spread out. So if we take that into consideration as well as the fact that we're called 'Star Guardians', then maybe there are other Guardians out there. We just don't know who and where they ar--" As she was finishing her sentence however, she bumped into someone, their books dropping on the floor. "Oh! I'm sorry!" Once Xayah understood the situation, she immediately crouched to help the student gather her books. "Oh nono, it was my bad. I wasn't looking on where I was going." When the student got a closer look of Xayah, her eyes widened. "Oh. My. Gosh. Xayah-senpai I didn't know it was you!" Rakan's eyes turned to his lover. "You know her?" Xayah looked at who she was helping and paused for a bit. Then a smile appeared on her face. "Oh hey! It's you!" As they both finished gathering the dropped books, the two hit up a conversation while walking to the cafeteria, Xayah completely forgetting that Rakan was there. Riku and his companion looked at each other and shrugged and just followed behind.

"So how've you been? Has school been treating you well?" The small girl beside her gave a sheepish smile. "Eheh, I'm still getting used to my schedule. It's completely different than what I'm used to back from where I previously studied. But other than that, I've been enjoying my time here!" Xayah gives a smile and pats her head. "That's really nice to hear. You'll get used to things around here soon." The girl nodded with enthusiasm. "So, have you made any friends?" The young girl's eyes brightened. "Oh yes! She's part of my second and third periods. When she introduced herself and said where she came from, I was delighted!" The girl clearly loved her new friend with all the giddiness she was showing. "Well, she didn't mind me at first. But after a bit of convincing, I managed to hang out with her and we've been together ever since!" As soon as she finishes, another girl called out. "Lulu! There you are!" She came running towards Xayah and the aforementioned Lulu. "I've been waiting for so long! Where were you?" Lulu rubbed her head in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry. I accidentally bumped into Xayah-senpai so I got a bit held up." When the other girl heard "senpai", she immediately bowed her head and apologized for her friend. "Please forgive my friend for disturbing you. My name is Poppy Orlon. It's nice to meet you!" The girl named Poppy also extended her hand out for a handshake. Xayah and Rakan sweatdropped, with awkward smiles on their faces. "Um, nice to meet you too. And it's okay to speak without the formality. I don't bite. Name's Xayah by the way." She took Poppy's hand and shaked it. "So, shall we go?" Lulu perked up and looked at her senior. "Oh yeah! We'll be going now. Thank you for accompanying me Xayah-senpai!" The two girls left the couple with Lulu and Xayah waving each other goodbye. "So you never answered my question but who's that girl with the green hair exactly?" Xayah turns back to Rakan as they continue walking. "Lulu Fae. She's a first year." A sound of agreement comes from Rakan. "Seems like a nice girl. How'd you two meet?" Xayah gave a small laugh as she replied. "Oddly enough, exactly the same way we met earlier. It was right after the welcoming ceremony for the freshmen a few months back. She was getting lost left and right. Then she happened to bump into me around a corner. After hearing her out, I gave her a small tour around the campus. Since then, she started calling me senpai as you've heard earlier." Rakan lightly pats her back. "Heh. Babe's got a junior under her already." he says with a smug face. "Oh shut it you. Now come on, we still gotta ask Ahri about her 'friend'."

They arrive at the cafeteria and started to look for Ahri's table. "There." Xayah pointed at a table off to the left. But there was a small problem. "Crap. Our POI seems to be with them. What do we do?" She thought for a bit. "Let's just ask Ahri discreetly." The two then proceeded to approach Ahri. Once close enough, Xayah tapped Ahri's shoulder and leaned in. (whisper) "Hey, can we talk for a bit?"

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

Xayah blinked in surprise. She just witnessed this new transfer student transform from the oh-so-famous Lux into one of her classmates, then into what is apparently her true form. "Did she just..." She was really in disbelief at this. She turned towards Rakan to see that his jaw was wide open. Said Vastayan slowly looked towards Xayah and pointed towards the newcomer. "Did she just..." Xayah could just nod. She looked around and it seemed like they weren't the only ones surprised. "What the heck is with that girl?" came one student. "Is that supposed to be normal?" came another. The teacher lightly tapped the board to gather the class's attention. "Alright class listen up. I know that you all are curious about Neeko here, but please give her time to adjust before starting to ask her questions okay? As you have seen, she is quite nervous around new people and tends to mimic the looks of others to blend in. Speaking of which, did you know that it is a trait that is--" Xayah was already starting to get bored of the teacher's endless droning and put her forehead against her desk. She reached into her pocket to bring out her phone and decided to get the opinion of a friend.

---

From: Xayah

To: Syndra

What do you think?

---

Syndra's phone buzzed from under her desk. She grabbed it and read the message that was sent to her.

---

From: Syndra

To: Xayah

I'm interested.

---

After replying, she returned the phone to its previous location while Xayah checked her message. 'Hmmm...' From her right, Rakan poked her. "Hey babe?" She turned to his direction. "Something feels off about that girl." She, knowing her lover's attitude towards newcomers, especially females, assumed that this was simply Rakan acting like Rakan and replied with a nonchalant face. "Yes, I know she's cute. Yes, I know that she can be anyone a person wants her to be." Xayah could go on, but Rakan stopped her. "Nono, I mean it this time. I'm picking up some strange mojo from her." At this, she took on a more serious look. The only times Rakan was serious about girls was when it was about her. She then takes another look at the newcomer who was whispering something Ahri. "Neeko Oovi-Kat huh...?" She started pondering about Neeko and paid no attention to the teacher in front.

As lunch break arrived, Xayah and Rakan decided to go to Ahri to get some info about the transferee since both of them seem to be acquainted to each other already. "It's her first day here and she already on good terms with cap? She slick." Riku also chirped from inside Rakan's shoulder bag. "Tell me about it." Xayah rolled her eyes. Saki said that it might be because they were friends before she was chosen by the First Star. "Yeah. I'm guessing that it's that "I haven't seen you in a long time" sorta thing." Rakan then rubs his chin. "Doesn't explain that little outburst from Sarah though. You think she knows something?" She just shrugs. "Dunno."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

Xayah thought about Ahri's proposition as she fixed her bag from her...outburst. 'Hmm...a sleepover huh?' She hasn't had much experience with sleepovers as a child, what with her constant struggle for survival and never-ending worry for the fate of her kin, so she's still getting used to it. "Hey Saki, what do people do at sleepovers again?" The bird seemed baffled at her question. It asked if she was serious. "Um, remember the fact that I was waging a personal war against the humans who might've done something to my tribe?" She retorted back while putting her hands up to show her exasperation. "Yeahhh that really messes up your childhood y'know?" Saki facepalmed with its wing. Xayah on the other hand tried her best to remember what happened during sleepovers. "Let's see here..." She also starts walking towards class as to not be late.

"When I last heard from Sarah, she said that they talked about boys? What, like, their favorite colors or something?" Saki was having the time of its life listening to its partner. "Um, Syndra said that they discussed something about how to get anyone to do your bidding. A weird topic but..." At this her companion swooped in and chirped worriedly. It said that that's not what goes down at sleepovers and Syndra was simply joking. "Woah woah calm down Saki. No need to be that worried. And besides, even if it isn't part of a sleepover, I already know how--" As she was passing the door into the hallway however, a presence made itself known. "What's cookin' good lookin'?" For the second time today, her soul nearly jumped out of her body. "For GOODNESS' SAKE RAKAN!" Both Xayah and Saki were fuming. "YO CHILL CHILL! I was just looking for you since first period's about to start!" Rakan had his hands in a defensive formation just in case his love had decided to do something rash. Riku, who was behind his neck, chirped nervously. "Yeah what Riku said. We were just worried." Xayah just rubbed her temple while Saki flew over to the two and pecked them both in annoyance. "You know what, whatever. Let's just get to class." She continued walking, Rakan trailing after her.

"So what'd you two talk about?" Rakan asked. "Sleepover." Rakan raised his eyebrows. "Oooooh can I come?" Xayah lightly slapped his cheek and answered as dryly as she could. "Uh, no."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

"..."

She stared at the hand extended to her. With a grim look, she thought long and hard. After a while, a smile made its way onto her face. "...fine." She takes the hand. Saki cheers for its companion. "I'll try to do what I can. But in return, I'm gonna hold you to your word. You better keep that promise of yours you hear me? I don't wanna be at arms against you someday." Saki also chirped at Ahri. "Saki says that it'll also watch you." She gives a genuine laugh as a feeling of relief washes over her. It's been a while since she's felt like this. She brings out her gem which serves as her certification as a Star Guardian. "Y'know, I never thought that things would end up like this." Her smile grows warmer. "Me going to school, meeting Rakan, enjoying life as a teenager; I never would've imagined that becoming a Guardian would introduce me to such a nice life." Her eyes turn toward the sky, where the clouds cover the space beyond the unknown. "Maybe that's why the First Star chose me." She looks back to Ahri and gives her a smile, probably one of her brightest yet.

"If it weren't for you, maybe I wouldn't have changed this much."

Before the Dark - A Star Guardian Tale

---

~ 𝓧𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓱 ~

---

Location: Valoran Academy

---

Xayah scoffs at Ahri's tone. "Oh please spare me the rant mom." She begins to play around with a quill blade she materialized. "I've told you many times that I can handle it. If I get in trouble, Rakan'll be there to cover for me. It's just that simple." Saki also adds that Xayah is perfectly trained for situations like that. "What Saki said. Before the First Star chose me, I was nothing but a rebel." She stopped playing with the quill. "For years, I had to fight and kill just to survive. People weren't as kind as they were now." She clenches her fist before continuing, a scowl beginning to form on her face. "They didn't know what it felt like...to have your whole world crumble before you..." The outline of her wings suddenly appeared, although opaque.

Xayah threw the quill at a wall behind Ahri in anger. Saki, worried, flew and landed on her shoulder. It nuzzled her face in an attempt to calm her down. Xayah began to think about happy thoughts to remove the hatred in her heart. There's a reason as to why she was chosen as a Star Guardian, and revenge wasn't. Not anymore. "Hahhh...thanks Saki." She ruffled the bird's feathers in appreciation. Said bird was happy to have helped her partner. "*Sigh* Point being, I'll be fine Ahri. Before a Star Guardian, I still have the heart of a rebel. This is how I've lived for most of my life. I mean sure, Rakan makes things a lot easier and he's certainly a wonderful partner, but this is just who I am." came her words as she caressed Saki.