Hi :D.

You may have previously read this story and noticed I took it down. The reason was that the premise to the story was too similar to another story that I drew inspiration from. I thought I could make it different, but it ended up being too similar to resemble anything original. As a result, I reworked the story and gave it an original premise. I hope you guys enjoy reading it.

Be warned, this is a yordle-centric story with a romantic subplot to it. The pairing(s) should be obvious as the story progresses and it wouldn't be any fun to give it away from the beginning. It would really awesome if you could take the time to leave a review to tell me how I'm doing so far.

Enjoy :).

Unexpected Journey

Bright beams of light poured into the valley as the sun rose above the high mountains of Ionia. The radiant warmth of the sunlight slowly spread throughout, giving life to the land as it progressed. Out of everything Ionia had to offer, it was its radiant beauty that enthralled Kennen the most. The young yordle was sitting on a cliff, high enough to overlook the Kinkou monastery, meditating. This was one of his favorite times of the day. He loved feeling the warmth of the sunlight on his fur as it roused him out of his meditating state only to be greeted by the astounding sight of an Ionia bathed in twilight. As he slowly got up to his feet, he felt the warm caress of a gentle breeze. Kennen closed his eyes and relished this moment of peace. The wind blew off the hood of his purple garb, exposing his bare face to the elements of nature. Kennen took a breath, opened his eyes, and slowly exhaled. He took one last look before readjusting his garb and turning to head back.

This had recently become a morning ritual for Kennen. As ninjas of Kinkou Order, they were trained to preserve balance in the world. However, to be able to preserve balance elsewhere one must preserve balance within themselves. In the past few months, Kennen had come to recognize that he had become particularly anxious. It's something he had been trying to deal with internally for the past few months. Kennen was starting worry that this would start to affect his performance in training and subsequent missions. What furstrated him the most was that he hadn't been able to identify the specific reason behind his anxiety, but what he did know was that it made him think of home. Although Ionia had become a comfortable home for him, he found himself longing to go back to Bandle City.

That's not to say Ionia and the Kinkou Order were all bad; it turned out to be quite the opposite in fact. The Kinkou Order gave Kennen a purpose to work towards, whereas before he didn't have much of an idea of where he was going. When Kennen was younger, he used to be quite mischievous and, as a result, would get into all sorts of trouble. This was partially due to the abundance of energy endowed to him; he didn't know how to direct it or where to direct it to. The arduous training Kennen underwent in the Kinkou Order helped him build discipline and, as a result, he was now able to control his impulses. Kennen also gained two new companions in Akali and Shen. In many ways, Akali and Shen had become Kennen's family and main source of social interaction. Akali was like an older sister to Kennen; always willing to listen to his grievances and help him solve internal problems. Shen was the older brother; always looking to help Kennen improve on his mistakes. Despite all of this, Kennen found himself reminiscing on memories of his old life in Bandle city with increasing frequency.

- Flashback -

"Kennen!" A scout shouted. "Get back here!"

"No can do sir! You gotta catch me first!" The blue-eyed yordle cheekily replied as he sped through the woods with a uniform in tow.

"If you don't stop right now, you're gonna be in a lot of trouble!" The scout responded, struggling to keep up. Despite his words, the scout knew that his chances of getting him to stop or catch him were slim to none. He stopped to catch his breath. "Come on Kennen! We're already late to roll call. Can you please give me my uniform back?" He pleaded.

"Roll call is boring anyways. This is a lot more fun!" Kennen replied with an energetic laugh.

Before the scout could reply, a gruff voice intervened. "What's with all the commotion over here?"

Kennen looked to the source of the voice and saw a noticeably older yordle with a group of younger yordles following behind him.

"Ah! Captain Rusk!" The scout saluted.

"At ease scout." The captain said as said scout dropped his salute. "Now what seems to be the problem? You're both supposed to be at roll call." The older yordle said, eyeing Kennen.

"Well I would be there sir, but this young yordle took my uniform and won't give it back to me." The scout explained.

"And who might this young yordle be?" The captain asked as he eyed Kennen.

"His name is-"

"I'm Kennen!" The young yordle responded with his everlasting smile. "And who are you?"

The captain lightly chuckled. "I see you're making trouble on your first day Kennen."

Kennen knew he had built a reputation in Bandle City as a trickster, especially among the scouts. It wasn't so rare that scouts were sent after him to stop him from causing more trouble. He couldn't help but smile at the recognition.

"I'm the captain in charge of this camp, so you can call me captain Rusk." Rusk responded. "Now why did you take this scout's uniform?"

"I wanted to see if he could catch me!" Kennen replied with a wicked grin.

"There will be plenty of time to play Kennen, but this is a scout camp and that means we're doing all the things scouts do including roll call." The captain explained. "So please return his uniform and line up with the rest of the campers."

"Okay." Kennen responded, holding his smile. "But only if you can catch me."

"Oh? And he hasn't caught you yet?" The captain inquired.

"Nope!" Kennen proudly responded.

"Kennen he is a captain. You have to follow his orders." The scout said with an annoyed tone.

Rusk raised his hand to the scout signaling he had the situation under control. "Okay Kennen, since it's your first time at a scout camp why don't we make this a little fun." Rusk said with a smile. "If we catch you, then you have to behave for as long as you're in the camp." The captain proposed. "Sound fair to you Kennen?"

Kennen was not one to back down from a challenge. "You're on." He responded.

As soon as he agreed, he felt a presence behind him so he turned his head to look over his shoulder to see a light furred yordle diving for him. Kennen instinctively jumped to avoid the surprise attack. Unfortunately for him, it was a set up. Now that he was in the air, there was no way to dodge the purple skinned yordle coming at him. Kennen struggled as he was pinned to the ground, but found that it was to no avail.

"There's no use struggling Kennen. You know Trist is really strong." A familiar voice said.

"Teemo?" Kennen called out as he opened his eyes and focused on the yordle on top of him. "And Tristana!" He said excitedly.

With that, Tristana got off of the blue-eyed yordle and extended a hand to help him get up. Kennen gladly took her hand and rushed to hug her. He couldn't believe they were here.

"Kennen!" Tristana called out as she pried the energetic yordle off of her. "You know how I feel about hugs." She said with a chuckle.

"I know Trist." Kennen said, laughing. "I just couldn't help it."

Kennen turned to the male yordle next to Tristana and smiled. "Teemo!" Kennen called as he dashed forward to embrace said yordle.

Teemo promptly returned the hug and chuckled. "It's good to see you again Kennen." He responded as they broke apart. "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you in the city." Teemo asked with a serious tone.

"Oh that?" Kennen said with a nervous chuckle. "I got into a bit trouble with my parents, so they haven't let me go around the city on my own" Kennen explained bashfully. "It's also part of the reason I'm at this camp."

Teemo sighed. "Should've known."

"And that answers that question." Tristana joked. "Well at least now Teemo will stop asking about you." She said with a smirk.

Kennen gave her a confused look.

"You should've seen him Kennen. He would ask me if I thought you were okay everyday he didn't see you around. He was so worried about you." Tristana explained with mischievous smile.

"Trist! Stop!" Teemo shouted, crossing his arms. "I wasn't asking about him all the time anyways. I was just worried that something happened to him." Teemo said with a pout. "And don't pretend like you weren't worried too!" He accused.

Kennen laughed at their antics and caught Teemo in another hug. "It's okay. I think it's normal to be worried about your friends." He said with a confident smile, which Teemo happily returned. "I really missed you guys."

"I missed you too Kennen." Teemo responded, breaking their embrace. "It's just not the same without you."

"I guess I missed you a little too." Tristana responded with a smirk as she ruffled the fur on his head.

Teemo smiled, while Kennen giggled at Tristana's antics.

Rusk cleared his throat to draw their attention. "You remember the deal right Kennen?" The captain asked, smirking.

At first Kennen gave him a confused look, but then it dawned on him. He whirled around and pointed a finger at his two yordle friends. "Traitors!" He accused, which prompted Tristana and Teemo to fall down laughing.

"No fair, it was 3 of you against me." Kennen protested.

"I did say if 'we' could catch you." Rusk pointed out. "Kennen the scouts are not renowned for their individual skill, rather we are renowned for our ability to work together." The captain explained. "There is only so much you can do alone Kennen, but what you can achieve together has no limit."

Kennen took in what the captain said and nodded.

"Don't worry captain, we'll keep an eye on him for you." Teemo said, putting a hand on Kennen's shoulder.

"Yeah, we won't let him cause anymore trouble." Tristana responded.

Rusk smiled at the four yordles before turning away and walking towards the rest of young yordles. After Kennen apologized to the scout and returned his uniform, the three yordle friends walked back together to line up for roll call.

- Flashback End -

This longing had been intensifying as of late, which is why it was starting to worry him. He had spent nine years away from his home and never had he felt such an intense necessity to return. For the sake of preserving inner balance, the Kinkou order did not allow for members to write to loved ones and they strongly discouraged the formation of relationships with outsiders. For this reason, Kennen had been completely disconnected from his previous life. Since Kennen was constantly busy at the Kinkou monastery, with his duties that come with his position, he had no time to request a visit to his original home.

Purging these thoughts from his mind, Kennen started to make his way back to his residence. As he came down the path leading to the complex meant for the Triumvirate, he saw Akali and Shen standing at the intersection.

"Good morning Akali and Shen." Kennen greeted. "Is something the matter?" The yordle asked.

"Good morning Kennen." Shen responded. "We came to inform you that the Triumvirate is to have a meeting with the council this morning before any duties." Shen explained.

"Any particular reason for such a sudden meeting?" Kennen asked, since council meetings were usually arranged with plenty of forewarning.

Shen remained silent and looked over to Akali.

"They want to talk to you Kennen." Akali responded.

Kennen immediately felt knots grow in his stomach. "What about? Has my performance been deteriorating?" Kennen inquired with slight urgency.

"We're not sure Kennen." Shen said. "They did not tell us anything further from what we've told you."

Kennen nodded.

"Kennen." Akali called as she bent down to the young yordle. "Everything is going be alright. You've worked hard the nine years you've been here and have earned your place in the Triumvirate. There is no need to worry so much." Akali explained.

Kennen nodded once again, but, despite the truth behind Akali's words, he couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness. The Triumvirate silently walked down the slope and headed towards the heart of the Kinkou Monastery, where the council would convene for meetings. The three ninjas stopped in front of a double sliding door and awaited further instructions.

"Come in." A voice emanated from inside the council room.

Shen slid the doors open and let Akali and Kennen come in before sliding them shut. Compared to formal government buildings, this was a far cry from anything luxurious. It was a simple larger than average room surrounded by wood walls on three sides and illuminated by candles and the natural light that poured in from the outside. The Triumvirate were now facing the five elders assigned to the council.

"Kennen, Heart of the Tempest, please step forward." One of the male council members said.

Kennen did as requested and stepped ahead of his two companions.

"It has come to our attention that you may be experiencing some distress as of late. While your performance has not dropped significantly, it has certainly staggered." Another councilman said.

Kennen's eyes briefly widened.

"You seem distracted young one. We often notice a forlorn look in your eyes as you gaze at the mountains or trees. Your once laser sharp focus has been waning; we can only imagine it is because something else demands your attention." A female council member explained. "Your two companions have also noticed that you have been waking up earlier than usual to head up the mountain. This change in behavior coupled with a reluctance to communicate leads us to this conclusion."

Kennen had no idea it was this blatant. He thought it was something he could deal with internally, so he has been masking it, but now that is was in the open, he didn't know what to do. He wasn't entirely sure where his anxiety stemmed from, so telling others would be of no use. At the same time, if it was affecting his duties to the Kinkou Order, he had an obligation to let them know about the problem. It was not good to keep secrets like this, but, on the other hand, he didn't want to show any weakness in front of the council.

"Young one, for the sake of the Triumvirate it is not wise to keep these internal problems to yourself. For if your comrades do not know of these problems, then they cannot help you alleviate them. It will thus become a permanent hindrance in not only your performance, but theirs as well since the Triumvirate was built upon balance of three." The other councilwoman said.

Kennen could not deny the truth in those words, yet he still hesitated to speak.

Shen raised a hand to speak.

"You may speak Shen, Eye of Twilight."

Shen bowed. "Kennen you are a vital part of the Triumvirate. As the Heart of the Tempest you have the task of spreading and enforcing the values of the Kinkou Order wherever you may go. Anything that impedes this task, impedes our whole purpose as the Triumvirate. For this reason, I ask that you share your grievances with us so that we may take appropriate action."

Kennen tensed his muscles, took a breath, and relaxed as he exhaled. "I go up to the mountains to enjoy the beauty of Ionia. It brings me peace to be the witness of such a display. In the past few months, I have been growing anxious for reasons outside of my understanding. I thought it was something I could deal with internally, but this feeling has been progressively growing in intensity as time passes. Along with this anxious feeling, I've had memories from my home resurface and have had a strong desire to return there."

"When you speak of your home, I assume you're referring to Bandle city correct?"

"Yes, that is correct." Kennen responded.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

"I apologize for not informing of this earlier. It was not my intention to hurt the Triumvirate or the Kinkou Order in any way." Kennen said with a bow. "I will do whatever is necessary to make up for my mistake."

"It's quite alright. It was not something we didn't see coming or, rather, Akali didn't see coming."

Kennen's gaze shifted to his female partner.

"You've been with us since you were a child Kennen, but not before you experienced the life of one in your home. Shen and I were born into this, you were not. It was only a matter of time before you would desire to go back." Akali explained.

That made sense to Kennen, but to call it a mere desire was an understatement; it felt like a necessity.

"There is more to it isn't there?" A male council member inquired.

Akali nodded. "Kennen has served as the Heart of the Tempest for years, since he was a child. The person he has built is just that. The time has come for him to find who Kennen really is." Akali explained, addressing the council.

Kennen shot her a questioning look; never had Akali's words confused him so much.

"I am in agreement with Akali. Even though Kennen is necessary for the Triumvirate to achieve true balance, he has to first find that within himself." Shen said in his usual monotone.

"Ah, I see." A councilwoman said. "Coming in from the outside to become the Heart of the Tempest is an impressive feat, especially for one so young. You have embodied that position well young Kennen." She said with a warm smile.

The ninja yordle turned to face her.

"Be that as it may, you were not born here and have lived elsewhere. That part of your life is a vital part of you; a part that you cannot afford to replace. The Heart of the Tempest is a difficult position as you navigate surrounded by a storm, which you tame. I'm afraid you may have lost sight of Kennen as you became the Heart of the Tempest." The councilwoman continued, closing her eyes for moment before reopening them again.

Kennen awaited her next words in suspense.

"You must go beyond the tempest."

The young yordle looked at her with a confused expression. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean." Kennen responded.

"Kennen." One of the councilmen called.

The yordle turned to face him.

"You have expressed a desire to return to Bandle City correct?"

Kennen nodded to confirm.

"We are prepared to grant you that request."

Kennen's heart raced excitement at the prospect of returning to his home. "Are you sure you won't need me? I do not wish to burden you with my absence." Kennen said.

"It is true that it will be harder without you here Kennen. But we must have your interests in mind if we are to fight for the best interests of everyone." Shen said.

Kennen smiled. "When will I be expected to the return?" He asked.

"This journey may take some time. Matters such as these cannot be contingent on temporal restrictions. While we do not expect it to take more than a year, the path to the self is different for all of us." A councilwoman answered.

Kennen nodded and bowed. "I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity." He said earnestly, stepping back next to the other two members of the Triumvirate.

Akali placed a hand on the yordle's shoulder and squeezed to show her support. Kennen looked up to her and flashed a small smile to show his acknowledgement and appreciation.

"There is another thing we would like to address."

The three ninjas straightened out to listen once more.

"As you know, pirate attacks in the Guardian's sea have been increasing over the past few years, of which most originate from Bilgewater. Given the ties between Bilgewater and Noxus, this creates a problem. It is absolutely crucial that we stay vigilant." A councilman explained with a sigh. "Unfortunately, that is the only way for Kennen to get to Bandle City.

The young yordle was about speak, but Shen beat him to it.

"We cannot let the enemy know you're gone Kennen, otherwise it might give them an incentive to attack. "Shen said. "As a result, you will go without a sound. Do not wear your ninja garb and take as little as possible. We cannot afford for anyone to recognize you as you're leaving." He explained.

"Understood." Kennen said, nodding in confirmation.

"Now then, are there any objections?"

Shen, Akali, and Kennen held still.

"Then we suggest you leave under the cover of darkness. Vessels on this island do not go straight to Bandle City, so you will have to go to the Ionian mainland first. There are not many vessels that travel at night; the few that do are not for commercial purposes." A councilman explained.

Kennen nodded. "I will adjust accordingly." He responded.

"Take the remainder of this time to prepare anything you wish to bring. We wish you the best of luck young one."

The Triumvirate bowed simultaneously.

With that, the meeting was over. The three ninjas walked out of the council room and headed up to their residence to start their day.

"Don't wait on me." Kennen said, breaking the silence. "I need some time to myself." He explained.

Akali glanced at Shen. "Don't take too long Kennen." She said.

"I won't." Kennen responded.

With that said, Kennen continued towards his residence. The complex, in which the Triumvirate lived, consisted of four main parts including private rooms for each ninja and a meeting place. Consistent with Kinkou philosophy, the rooms were very open with translucent walls. Kennen didn't mind, in fact he liked this way. He loved how the sounds of nature put him to sleep at night and when the warm sunlight wake him up to, then, be greeted by the sight of flourishing flora.

The ninja yordle slid a door open and walked into his room with a smile forming on his face. Kennen could barely hold it in; he was finally going home. Kennen wondered how much it had changed.

"Would anyone even recognize me?" Kennen mused.

He slipped his garb off and sat in a meditating position, feeling the rays from the sun warm his fur. Kennen slowly relaxed his muscles and progressively closed his eyes. Thoughts of his original home quickly surfaced. Memories of Bandle City were foggy for the most part, since he traveled to Ionia at a very young age, but certain memories were as clear as the present moment. The few that were clear reminded him of a happy and active life. Although Kennen appreciated the silent and disciplined lifestyle of the Kinkou, he would be lying if he claimed not to miss the spontaneous interactions with other yordles. Knowing he didn't an abundance of time before morning training, Kennen opened his eyes.

The ninja yordle started preparing for his upcoming journey. As far as clothes, Kennen chose to bring a tight white vest, featuring a hood, with grey pants. The ninja yordle prepared a small pouch with shuriken and stored a few kunais in his vest. Kennen knew he would need some coins, but, seeing as he was only bringing the bare essentials, he couldn't carry that many, which may present a problem later on. He laid all his things out and put his ninja garb on.

Time passed by relatively quickly. There were no missions for him to complete, so, other than typical duties around the monastery and training, the day had been uneventful for Kennen. It was now time for their evening training session. During training, Kennen felt incredibly motivated; more so than he had in a long time. Even after hours of conditioning and sparring, he felt an endless amount of energy coursing through him along with the laser sharp focus that it took to control it. Just as they were about to start another sparring session, the three ninjas were called down to the council once more.

"You were very impressive today Kennen." Akali complimented as they walked to the council room.

Kennen pulled down the hood on his garb and gave Akali a wide smile. "Thanks Akali. Your performance was impressive as well." Kennen responded.

"How do you feel?" Akali asked.

Kennen pondered her words for a few seconds. "Relieved and excited." Kennen responded. "I can barely contain myself Akali." His ears twitched as the wind blew and a few sparks started to appear around him.

"I can tell." Akali said with a chuckle.

When they arrived at the council room, the doors were already open and the elders stood outside waiting for them.

"I trust that you have made adequate preparations." A councilman inquired.

"Yes. Everything is ready." Kennen responded.

"As a last piece of advice, be careful not to get too attached Kennen. There is great risk in this journey as you are visiting your home. Contact with old acquaintances and places can elicit emotions, which could potentially cloud your judgement. Do not let any attachments compromise your ability to return to your duties here." A councilman said.

"I understand. That will not be a problem." Kennen explained.

The elders nodded in acknowledgement.

"We wish you the best of luck on your journey young one." A councilwoman said with a warm smile.

Kennen bowed. "You have given me an invaluable opportunity." The ninja yordle said, still bowing. "I don't know how I can thank you enough."

"You have served the Kinkou faithfully for years. That in itself is more than enough." A councilman said.

"We await your return, Heart of the Tempest."

The elders bowed.

Kennen turned around and began walking up to his residence once more. The yordle looked at the sky and noted that it was completely dark out. Knowing that his time was limited, he sprinted in to an empty bathhouse and quickly cleaned himself. He, then, went to his room and put on in his new attire. Taking his weapons and coins, Kennen stood at his door, ready to go. He wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, he was excited to go back home, but, on the other hand, he would be leaving his current one for an indefinite amount of time. Kennen took a breath and slid his door open only to find Akali and Shen waiting outside. Kennen stepped out and faced them.

"Kennen, Shen and I wanted to wish you luck on your journey." Akali said, smiling. "And we wanted to walk you to the entrance."

Shen nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, I would like that." Kennen responded.

The three ninjas started walking to the entrance to the Kinkou. Aside from the sound of their footsteps, the walk was silent. Kennen was busy with his own thoughts, while Akali and Shen didn't feel the need to say anything as of yet. In what seemed like an instant, they had reached the entrance. Kennen turned to face his two companions.

"Thank you." The yordle started. "For all that you have done for me." Kennen said. smiling.

Akali knelt down. "Be safe Kennen. We will be waiting for you to return." She said.

"Kennen, stay vigilant and do not forget your training. It will never betray you." Shen said.

The young yordle suddenly felt a bit emotional, which was an anomaly considering Kinkou philosophy emphasized self-control. Kennen rushed forward and caught Akali in an embrace, which she briefly returned. Even though Kennen knew Shen was not one for emotional displays, he still wanted to communicate his gratitude. He looked up to Shen and stuck out his hand. Quicker than Kennen expected, Shen grabbed his hand and shook it, completing the amicable gesture.

Akali and Shen bowed.

Kennen stepped away from them and returned the gesture. "Goodbye." The ninja yordle said.

Using the speed he's been gifted with, Kennen turned around and ran towards the docks. It wasn't hard to find the cargo ships and even less so to sneak into them. He found the workers joking, laughing, and chatting amongst themselves. They were all too busy to notice a ninja yordle hiding in between some crates.

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Reviews or PMs are always welcome and appreciated :D.