She had never expected that things could turn out this way. There had never been a thought of a war in her mind as she had been called to Demacia for her services as one of their paragons. An honor for sure, an honor so big in fact that she dropped her quest for now to go to the city state.
The homecoming was beautiful as well, people cheering for her, Jarvan IV Lightshield himself welcoming her into the city as a hero from tales… it was flattering, even to her humble heart. She was no hero, just a Yordle with a hammer.
Without much beating around the bush he had clad her into the armor of his vanguard, explaining the situation of what was going on and why she had been called back so urgently. The tension had collapsed: Noxus and Demacia were once again at war. Both city states already had start building up their armies and were about to head out to fight for freedom and honor.
While this was frightening at first, Poppy had no backed down at the offer, a big smile on her face as she was guided to the side of her personal hero, Garen Crownguard, smiling down on her as it was announced that she would lead the troops as his assistant. That meant for her attending the training of his soldiers, briefings and ultimately riding on the top of the Vanguard as they went to war.
It started out like in a dream. Poppy was able to hang out with all those people, all those heroes that she admired all her life… now they were comrades! And if the days would have continued like that forever, man, she wouldn't mind it at all.
Unfortunately, it was only natural that it had to end. And it ended way worse than she ever expected: The scouts had found and made contact with the enemy and this plane in the middle of Valoran would soon be soaked with blood. The soldiers got into position, the Yordle running through the lines to the very tip, where Garen was already waiting. It was their job to ambush into the flank of the main army and everyone in the Dauntless Vanguard was ready to strike at the notice.
And the notice came, a loud horn coming out pathetically before it died down with a gurgling sound. Things were going already badly in the main forces. It was upon them to save them. With a roar and the trampling of a few dozen feet, made the ground shake as Poppy ran side to side together with Garen, her hammer at the ready as she looked up at the leader of this group.
Suddenly there was a big bang, a loud explosion, it was merely a string of light or it seemed like it. Her eyes followed as the chest part of Garen's armor burst open, the metal breaking to open up like a flower, in the center a hole straight to his heart.
In that very moment the Vanguard stopped. The onslaught they had planned, the fall into the side of the Noxian main army…it stopped, each and every single one of them turning their head to their proud captain who suddenly fell to the ground.
Poppy could see the last moment of shock in his own eyes, the fire of battle still burning, the will to serve his people and bring them to victory still present before there was one last breath.
She could almost feel it, his soul leaving his body, breathing out his spirit as the fire in his eyes became dull and then was just ashes, the blue turned dull where once a sparkling strength. It only now sunk it what happened.
A roar went over the battle field as the sky seemed to darken, the eyes of everybody was drawn towards the very center of the battle field as the ground started to shake with the step of this... creature.
"THE MIGHT OF DEMACIA HAS FALLEN!"
The voice was loud, the voice was booming and it was followed by the sound of a heavy body crashing into multiple men on the front, like a cannon ball he ripped through them and trampled them under its feet.
Sion stood in midst of the Demacian army, a trail of destruction and death was behind him as the gigantic man, gray skin and dark metal covering parts of his body, the rusty Demacian crown hanging on his jaw like some kind of grotesque jewelry. The Juggernaut rose his gigantic axe, the tip pointing towards Jarvan IV who was still a few steps away from this monster.
"AND YOU ARE NEXT, LIKE YOUR GRANDFATHER DID BEFORE ME!"
Moral could not be any lower right now, the will to fight, the will to defend Demacia. Soldiers backed off and lowered their weapons. The only thing on their mind was a sense of defeat, better run than suffer more losses.
Even the vanguard started to tremble, as the feeling of certain loss started to seep into their bones. Everybody trembled, everybody but a little Yordle, clutching the chest of the fallen hero of Demacia. Blood seeped down onto her hand, staining her gloves red. A drop of blood fell down onto the ground, the dry earth turning red on contact.
And to blood came tears, slowly falling to the ground as Poppy grabbed the hand of her hero, squeezing it. It didn't seem fair! How could it be over already? She didn't have the chance to really know him and yet now she was supposed to see him in his last minute? How was that even remotely just?
With a quivering lip the yordle rose her gaze, her hands leaving the dead body that she had so hoped would wake up once again. It was no use, he was dead. He was dead and gone forever. And fate had decided that he would not be the one. The one person she had always hoped to give this hammer to.
Her fingers wrapped around the leather around the handle. It slowly dawned on her why it was meant to be this way. It was meant to be this way because she was wrong. About Garen. About herself. About her quest.
How could she have been so blind? She had lost count of the years she had tried to search for the hero. She had tried so hard to honor the dying wish of her dear friend. And now she was sitting here, finally realizing that her journey was not meant to find a person, but to give experience.
She had misunderstood it for long enough. Humbleness was a trait of heroes, the ability to not take pride in who you are and continue with life as if your deeds were just another step on the road.
Today, however, was different. Today she learned self awareness. Today she learned that sometimes, it was necessary to realize your fate. You had to be the hero, not to save the day. Not to receive the praise and honor. You were the hero cause who else would it be?
Poppy rose from the ground, holding her weapon, not in pride but in need. She was the hero of Demacia, who was going to save it in its most desperate day. And when would that be if not now.
Her hands trembled a little, there was a hint of fear in her heart, she walked forward regardless. And with every step she made she saw Sion walking closer to her as well, a self confident smile on his face with an expression as if he knew this victory was his.
But this was not the case, this would not be the case ever. Slowly Poppy rose the hammer, her eyes focused on the the juggernaut and she felt her heart beat resonate with her weapon, felt the metal heating, felt it vibrating as it started to spread.
Walls of golden light started to surround her, pushing those who had stood to interfere away as if they were nothing. Countless Noxians that tried to finish her before Sion could take their place, gasping in surprise as they were bounced aside as if they were hit by solid concrete wall.
In the end there was no space left, no man in between, the little Yordle standing right in front of the giant that was the Noxian juggernaut.
She looked up, her purple eyes stern, with courage and the realization of what her role was in destiny, what her role was in life and yet she did not even reach that monster's knees. A loud laugh thundered down from above as Sion realized this extreme difference between them.
"YOU WILL DIE BENEATH MY FEET!"
The juggernaut's foot tried to trample her, a flick of her hammer against his sole made him stumble back while she stood unmoved, without even a sign of damage or effort.
The smug smile turned into an angry grimace as the undead creature lifted his axe, the blade alone the size of the Yordle's body as he started to bring it down with all its weight and power.
And yet, the little Yordle just rose her weapon, holding the gigantic ax in place with one hand holding the hammer, as Poppy took a breath.A small jab forward and the weapon was sent flying into an air.
One step forward, Poppy took a deep breath, she felt the light that had pushed the soldiers away before pull back into her body. The hammer was not the cause, it was the catalyst. She knew what was capable of…and now it was the time to show this to the world:
Another step forward, her eyes focused on the shocked expression of a monster that had seen the cruelties of war before, for the first time taken back by what was unfolding.
And Poppy started to swing the hammer, ready to muster one single strike, all her strength going into one attack, only one thing on her mind.
Light started to shine around the hammer as the head traveled towards the ground. Poppy making her final step forward. And every step felt as if it was an earthquake, breaking the world open under her might, every breath was a hurricane ravaging everything its path and leaving nothing standing, and every single heartbeat felt like an explosion, ripping the world in and out of existence.
The metal hitting the ground with the sound of bells after a war passed by…the earth shattering as it was bent and formed the shock wave traveling towards the giant. With a golden shine the shape of the hammer pushed out of the earth, ramming up towards Sion's surprised visage as it hit full force.
Before the eyes of everybody he was suddenly ripped off the ground, several hundred pounds of killing machine pushed off the earth as he was sent flying, the neck twisting to as far as it could go, before the force overwhelmed it, the rusty crown flying through the air and with it…the severed head of the beast.
Poppy stood there in the middle of the pit, the hero of Demacia, protective between her prince and the whole Noxian army... and they ran…leaving back the corpse of their biggest weapon.