The Balance

The eye of Twlight and the Master of Shadows had a long history together. Days upon weeks, weeks upon months, months upon years of a rivalry. In recent times though, their rivalry seemed to be reaching a climax with each meeting harder, each fight fiercer. Feeling the perfect balance of his swords in-hand Shen gazed across the windswept fields of Ionia without emotion. Instead of how some might imagine it, however Zed did not sneak up silently from Shen's shadow, he didn't strike from a blindside for a certain kill. No, he appeared from the darkness in the fields, opposite Shen. They stood for a tense moment in complete silence, regarding eachother like always. Shen bowed his head lightly, acknowledging Zed, who replied in kind. Slowly Shen slid his swords back into their sheaths, hands taut on their handles. Slowly he shifted his position, crouching just a bit as his unwavering gaze stuck to Zed, who held both hands across his chest while standing straight, his ever-lethal blades exposed in the moonlight. As the wind blew through the fields they held their positions until, as if in sync, they flew at eachother, meeting in a flurry of blades. For every strike, a parry, and for every parry a counter strike. Their blades whistled in the wind as the familiar clang of metal on metal rang around them, Zed's powerful strikes met and deflected with Shen's fluid balance, their lethal blade dance in full motion. Upping the ante a shadow flew out of Shen's, the image of Zed cutting through the air as he flew into Shen's back, blades exposed. As they struck, the gratifying sound of flesh giving way to steel was lost to Zed as both of Shen's swords found their way into his sides.
Being caught perfectly like this only infuriated Zed "How long have you known?" he spat as they stood, as if frozen. "Since the beginning, you cannot deceive the eye of Twilight, Zed." Shen replied in a dull, uninterested tone. "Then why didn't you stop it?" "Because I had to stop you. Balance in all things, Zed." "Neither of us will leave these fields tonight, I hope you realize that..." Zed said, his voice faltering as he felt the full repercussions of Shen's decisive strike, coaxing his life from his body. "Balance in all things, old friend.. the Kinkou will have us at dawn, but tonight our rivalry dies." Laughing as he felt death overtake him, Zed lay his head against Shen's back, held up only by the blades buried deep through Shen's chest. "So it seems, old friend..." he muttered as they both fell to their knees, locked upright by their blades like a grim monument.

Their bodies were gone as sunlight hit the fields, with Akali and Kennen standing and staring out into the horizon. "When will they find a new eye for the Kinkou, Akali?" Kennen asked quietly, without turning to the woman. "Probably at the same time as they find the man destined to kill him." she responded, arms crossed. For a moment they were frozen while looking over the horizon, and then they were gone.