My apologies for being so late on publishing anything. I've been busy with finals and stuff like that. The collab too. Anyways...I figured I'd introduce my final Chosen...well, her Champion anyways. I don't care what Riot says the lore is...I've kinda thrown it out the window since they Reworked Targon. So, this is how Zoe came to be for We Are Warriors.
Chapter 1
"Thank goodness it's summer vacation," Cira yawned, stretching as she and Arthur walked through the woods on Mount Targon, "I don't have to worry about grading students and I can just relax and recharge…"
"Literally," came Leona's amused chuckle, "We're running on reserves right now…a good night's sleep might be in order,"
"Agreed," Cira nodded.
"What?" Arthur asked.
"Leo's basically telling me it's time to go to bed," Cira grinned.
"How much power do you have left before forcefully shutting down?" Arthur chuckled.
Cira hummed, looking down slightly at something Arthur was unable to see…most likely something on her visor.
"0.01%," she hummed, "Come on Leo, we've gone through Rift battles with less!"
"Sometimes, Ci…I wonder how much of a machine you really are," Arthur teased.
Cira punched his shoulder lightly, for her, but it still sent him stumbling slightly as he rubbed his arm.
"Ok, ok, lesson learned…don't tease the Project about being a Project,"
"You're hopeless," she laughed as she leaned on his shoulder.
"But you still love me anyways," he replied.
"Can't imagine why!"
"Oh really?" he growled playfully as he grabbed her and whirled her up onto his shoulder, howling in glee as he took off through the woods while Cira shrieked with giddy delight, laughing as she half-heartedly pounded her fists against his back.
"Put me down Baker Boy!" she laughed.
"NEVER!" Arthur crowed as he continued to run, his cloak whipping behind him in the twilight breeze.
A scream ripped through the air, making Arthur skid to a halt and immediately put Cira down. He held her, worriedly before him and scanned over her. The blue-eyed Radiant Dawn's face was confused as she looked around.
"You heard that too…right?" she asked.
"It wasn't you…" he frowned as Cira's eyes flared gold and she shook her head.
Another scream, this one fainter came from their right. Leona immediately bolted towards the sound.
"Leona!" Pantheon yelled, giving chase, though was quickly outstripped by the Project.
Leona burst through the trees and into a clearing. The remains of a crackling fire sent shadows dancing through the twilit grove. There were carts of what seemed to be merchants' gear, but the jars were shattered, the bags were slit and the boxes in splinters. The horses that had pulled the carts were nowhere to be seen, likely run off by the source of the scream. Leona's form flickered slightly in worry. She could not see anyone here.
The Radiant Dawn moved forwards, padding closer to the edge of the firelight…and her core nearly stopped, her façade failing as her circuits ignited and her hair faded to white. Pantheon came up behind her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder before he himself froze at the carnage before them.
Bodies, at least a dozen of them, were strewn about the clearing. Unseen by Pantheon's eyes, but Leona's enhanced ones could barely pick them out, a dark shadow and a pale light flitted between each one.
"Kindred is here," Leona said softly.
Pantheon's grip on his spear tightened as Leona wandered closer to the carnage, her metal shod feet splashing through puddles of blood as she examined the bodies.
"Bandits," she started, looking up at hearing a shuddering breath.
She could barely make out Lamb's pale form standing before what looked to be a child. Leona immediately rushed forwards, standing between the two halves of death and the child.
The wind rattled through the trees as the Kindred became visible.
"I have to take her, Cira," Dianne said, "She has a mark,"
"I don't care," Cira growled, turning to face Pantheon, "Are there any other survivors?"
The Artisan of War shook his head. The child whimpered.
"It…it hurts…" the little girl stammered, "M-Mama? D-Daddy?"
"Shhh, it's alright," Leona cooed, gently picking up the child, who was badly slashed and bleeding heavily.
Leona's core sank as she could see bone and even some bits of organs through the slashes. It was a miracle this little girl was even alive. The child gave an even louder cry as she was moved.
"I'm sorry…" Leona apologized, "We're going to get you help, alright?"
The girl gave a whimper and buried her head into Leona's armor, bathing in its warmth.
"Leona…" Dianne tried again as Wolf gave a mix between a whine and a growl.
"I said: No," the Project growled back before turning to Pantheon, "Meet us at my parents'. Tell my father what's going on and for him to get ready to help,"
Pantheon nodded, bending down slightly before launching himself upwards, disappearing into the sky. Leona gave a nod and held the child closer.
"It's going to be ok…we're going to help you," she whispered, dashing away while the Lamb and Wolf gave chase.
Leona burst through the door with the little girl, Orion and Astra were waiting for her having cleared off the table and Orion was dressed in his healer's clothes. The Solari male examined the little girl closely as Leona gently laid her on the table.
"Moon above, Leona…" Astra whispered, "What happened to her?"
"Bandits," came the Radiant Dawn's reply, "She was with a group of merchants…her family are all gone. Where is Pantheon?"
"Resting for the moment," Astra told her, "That jump took a lot out of him,"
"Can you help her?" Leona asked her father, "Please…"
"I'll do my best, Little Sun," Orion promised, "But this is really bad…"
"You should just let us have her, Cira-Child," came Wolf's growl.
"No!" Leona snapped, "I'm going to fight you on this, Kynigós!"
"The Kindred are here?" Astra choked, "Leona…that is bad luck to deny t-"
"I don't care," Cira growled, "I'm not letting them have that child!"
"Cira…" Dianne tried, "She's suffering…please…I'll take her. I won't let Wolf have her I promise…It'll be painless,"
"No!" Cira repeated firmly.
Dianne's shoulders sagged. She didn't like being at odds with her friend. But Cira was being a tad unreasonable.
"This is like Arthur getting shot all over again," Dianne muttered as she perched on a chair, watching as the Mark over the little girl faded and became bright again, "Orion's pretty skilled though,"
"He has taken many from our grasp," Lamb stated, "Pantheon, Diana…even Leona a few times. Sickness nearly took all three but he yanked them away from us right at the last moment. However…I do not believe this one he will be able to take from us,"
Hours wore on, Cira was currently wearing a rut in the floorboards from her constant pacing. Pantheon had woken up from his recovery and was currently keeping sentinel at the door. Wolf's ears perked up as the floorboards creaked under Orion's step. Leona looked up at her father, just to see him wiping his hands.
"I made her comfortable…she's not in pain," he told her.
"Does that mean you healed her?" Leona asked.
Orion's shoulders sagged and he shook his head.
"Leona, dear, she's hurt too badly. I can't call her back. This is one prey that Kynigós is going to take from me," he admitted, "I just eased her suffering a bit, but I can't keep her alive,"
Dianne hopped off the chair and Leona's sword raised at her.
"You stay right there," she ordered, "You're not taking her,"
Dianne stared down the blade and then up at the Radiant Dawn. She'd seen those eyes before…but in Cira's face, not Leona's. It was the terrified yet angered look of someone who was about to lose someone dear to them.
Leona lowered her sword and ran to the child, picking her limp form up. She turned to Pantheon, an apologetic look on her face.
"I'm sorry…but can I get you to warn another for me?" she asked.
"I am rested enough to do one more Skyfall," he told her, "Where am I needed to be?"
"The Solari have a healer, Hestia," Leona explained as she and Pantheon ran outside, "Go up there and tell them I'm coming with someone who needs healing,"
He gave a nod and once more leaped away while Leona once again dashed towards the mountain path to the temple.
"I like to chase but this is ridiculous," Wolf grumbled, "Why can't I have this one, Dianne?"
"Because Cira wouldn't like it if I let you," Dianne told him as she ghosted behind the Radiant Dawn, "And the girl said she'd take my arrow when she died,"
Once more, Leona was pacing back and forth outside of the infirmary. Pantheon had gotten the attention of the Solari healers and high priests like Leona had asked, they had been waiting for her as she sprinted up the mountain. No one asked questions about how she got up there so fast and Leona didn't mind that at all. They just took the child and rushed to the infirmary, trying to get her stable.
"I am not sure why you still fight to keep her, Leona," Lamb stated as she jumped off Wolf's head, "Dianne says one thing, but I do not understand why that has such a profound effect on you,"
"I'm not going to fail anyone again," Leona growled, "I failed to protect before…I'm not failing this child,"
Her form glitched as her circuits blazed and her visor shone like a star.
"You are not going to take this child," she snarled, a metallic rumble roaring in her throat, "Not while I still function,"
"You have no right," Lamb said calmly, "If it is her time, we will take her. That is just how things are. You did not fail. None can stand against Death, even though there are those who avoid it…all fall to my arrow or Wolf's teeth. Even you, one day, will fall to us,"
Leona gave a heart-stopping growl that chilled Dianne's spirit before her form sputtered back into its 'normal' red-haired self.
"She fights the inevitable," Wolf growled, "She would make a good chase…"
"That is just how Leona is, Dear Wolf," Lamb replied as the Radiant Dawn continued her pacing, visibly shaking in rage and fear, "For someone so obsessed with protecting others, she fails to protect herself. It would not surprise me if she leaped in front of my arrow to protect that little girl,"
They watched as one of the High Priests, Hyperion, came up to Leona.
"You wanted to see me, your Radiance?" he asked.
"It's about the girl," Leona said, "Pantheon and I found her alone, her parents killed. What will happen to her since she has no one?"
"If she has no family, we'll gladly take her in," Hyperion told her, "We'll raise her as a village. She'll be take-"
"But that doesn't give her a family. Just someone that takes care of her," Leona countered, "Hyperion, she needs a mother and father. Are there none in the village that can do it?"
"Not that I know of, Radiant Dawn,"
Leona's eyebrows knitted together as she muttered under her breath to her Chosen.
"Should we?" she asked, "We will have to tell her about you…But what of a…yes, yes, that's right…"
She turned back to Hyperion.
"Is there something about the Radiant Dawn being unable to take a child?" Leona asked him.
Hyperion blinked.
"Not to my knowledge," he said.
"Hyperion, when she wakes, I wish to adopt her as my own," she stated firmly, shooting a look at the Kindred, who said nothing.
The night wore on, finally, right before the sun rose, Hestia emerged from the infirmary looking completely exhausted. Leona and Pantheon came up to her, almost expectant.
"I'm sorry," the Healer told them, "I've done all I can but…I can ease her passing if that will help,"
A pale and black blur darted past and Leona gave a screech of denial, pushing past Hestia and grabbing the sleeping child, holding her close and stroking the dark red hair.
"Leona…please move," Dianne pleaded, raising her bow.
"Not. Likely," came the snap as the sun began to rise and Leona began to pray, "Please…let me save her. You gave me my gift…let me use it to save someone…that's why you gave it to me in the first place…"
Her body began to glow with golden light as the sunlight poured through the massive windows of the temple. Tears rolled down the Solari's cheeks as she pressed the child's sweat-slicked head to her chest, the droplets hissed as they splattered upon the marble floor. Something stirred in Pantheon and he dashed to Leona's side, holding her tightly as well as the child, encircling them both. As the golden glow shone from Leona, a bronzed-silver glow blazed around Pantheon. The light burned brighter and brighter, until two stars in human form seemed to kneel on the marble, holding a single dark shadow that slowly melted into their light.
Just as the light became unbearable to look at, causing all present to shield their eyes, it faded. Dianne lowered her arm from her mask and blinked at what she saw.
There was no Mark. Not on the girl, not on Leona, not on Pantheon. Instead, there were the three Targonians laying on the floor, completely unconscious. The two adults held the child still…but something was different.
The child's once dark red hair was now a light orangish-red, similar to Leona's, that faded down to a shade of dusky violet. Starlight seemed to play within the long locks and her wounds…were completely healed.
The Healers and Priests dashed forwards towards the Radiant Dawn, the Artisan of War and the child, picking them up and settling them on the infirmary beds, tending to them to make sure they were alright.
Dianne quietly walked out of the Solari House of Healing and into the night. She stopped, staring in awe at the brilliant light display that rolled over the sky. The entire peak was bathed in golden light, shooting a spire of white light far into the sky while tendrils of golden aurora spiderwebbed over the rapidly lightening horizon.
"What is this?" she asked.
"We have seen this only six times," Lamb admitted, "When Elena Aurora, Levana Nyx, Targon Ouranos, Pantheon Atreus, Leona Aurelia and Diana Selene were born. This only occurs when a Celestial is born,"
"But…Leo and Panth don't have kids…" Dianne blinked.
"No…but I believe they might have accidently created a Celestial Child," came the reply, "Twilight, the union of the Sun and Stars…The girl, Zoe, is the Celestial Aspect of Twilight,"
I'm going to keep going for a couple chapters. I want to explain a few things about Miss Zoe lol. First of all...I love this champion. I think she's adorable and her giggling makes my day. There is no 'theme' for the League. We've just had edgy as heck champions lately and I'm glad they gave us this adorable girl. I did use the image they gave us of when a new Aspect is made (the mountain glowing and shooting a beam of light into the sky and all), but it's when one is born.
Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Farewell and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.