Arcane S02 E07 struck a chord with me. This edit (AMV? is that what these are called?) is basically me having a brainworm about Ekko wondering if he’s chosen the wrong timeline. He left the other timeline behind because he knew that this timeline needed him. They needed Ekko to save them.

And he did it. He managed to talk Jinx out of suicide. He defeated Viktor and saved both Piltover and Zaun. But what did he get for it? What’s left for him here?

From his perspective, Jinx is dead and Powder’s long gone here - and maybe he even blames himself because he wasn’t there to save her from herself. Can you imagine the heartbreak of talking her down from suicide-by-grenade only for her to do it later anyway when you’re not there to stop her? And this is juxtaposed against having just seen her thriving and happy as Powder in the other timeline.

Heimerdinger’s gone, having given himself up to send Ekko back.

For all of their history, Vi didn’t even say a single word to him. At least a “thanks for having our backs” would’ve been nice, you know? Maybe she’s too busy with Caitlyn now.

Mylo, Claggor, Vander, Benzo - dead.

He might even feel responsible for leading to Jayce’s death in the process of taking Viktor down.

So he gave up a world where he had everything he wanted - even the dreams that were so far away that he had given up on ever achieving them. He had to experience the pain of losing all of these people, and all of these dreams. The pain of having them ripped away from him not just once, but twice.

The world he saved should be building statues and writing sonnets celebrating his heroism and courageous acts of selfless sacrifice.

Instead we see him sitting alone by himself, far away from everyone else at the bridges. Maybe that’s where he belongs - far away from them. Far away from this.

Maybe he chose the wrong universe to wake up in. Maybe he belongs where he was happy.

…Maybe there’s a way back?

This is of course twisting the narrative a bit! Things aren’t quite as bad as that depressive catastrophizing, but I thought the idea was still deeply and emotionally thought-provoking.

Some of this was also inspired from a comment by No Way (@dg-dm1rr) on the Ma Meilleure Ennemie video: https://youtu.be/1F3OGIFnW1k

Jayce: strong enough to crawl his way out of hell
Ekko: strong enough to leave heaven behind