Equinox

Three days. It had been three days since she and Diana spoke. It felt like forever since Leona had experienced such a peaceful rest, and to wake up without worry or bags of fatigue that had once hung under her eyes were now gone without a trace, any unease felt nothing more than a distant memory. She leaned against her window frame, her shoulder resting against the glass, and allowed herself to bask in the radiant dawn.

To be able to bask like this, to be allowed to feel like this, it had been...so many years, in all honesty. To feel this much at ease. She allowed herself to relish in the moment just a bit more, staring out from her window, before pulling herself away. Leona had duties to attend to.

When Leona's door swung open, she was greeted with an empty hallway. A little odd, but there had to be good reason for this. Where were her Iron Solari guards? As she walked down the halls and into the open, she noticed the streets were empty as well. It was a little odd, yes, but most people were not awake by this point, usually. Leona, dressed in the Solari regalia, made her way down the sidewalk. The homes and roads just started to become visible thanks to the sun when she finally found a pair of Iron Solari round the corner during their patrol route.

"Avatar," they said as they gave her a salute and continued their march.

Leona returned the gesture and continued her stroll. Morning prayer would not be for another half hour, but today her presence was needed at the League. She ascended the stairs to the ruined Solari temple, which despite it being in the throes of repairs, was still used for their ceremonies. As she twisted her shield out of the way of the half-finished door, she was greeted with the entire Iron Solari vanguard, as many Solari citizens that could squeeze in along with the Elders.

She walked down the aisle and made her way to the altar, ready to start the sermon. It always began and ended with the Solari creed. Her voice rang loud and clear,

"Ask not why the sun rises

why he bathes all in his light

why his glory shines on all

when all who gaze skyward know his might.

For songs rise the slumbering sun

As dark to day does turn

One simple truth we dare to speak:

For the light and warmth, we yearn

From the mountains of Solarus

to the darkest dale

Let the essence of Targon flow

And follow the huntress' bow

Brilliant Sun, purify their souls

The Heretics will never rise again."

How bitter those words tasted. The crowd chanted it back without pause. Leona looked at all the people gathered before her. She wanted to tell them what she had found, as her hand rested atop the scripture. Her fingers had traced the words and her eyes the pages hundreds of times by now, after all, she had found the answers through the texts.

What would they say if she just told them the truth?

The way they went behind her back, what they had done to Diana, Leona could feel anger bubble within her. The room started to become more illuminated, shining far more brilliantly than any could reasonably withstand. Leona took a deep breath in, the light dimmed by a reasonable amount, and she started to read the morning mass.

The mass was its standard two hours, and when it was concluded, Leona was always the first to leave, as per tradition. Her sabatons clanked against the stone stairs when a voice called out to her, "Avatar!"

Molik.

She turned around and beamed a smile at him. "Iron Solari Molik, how may I help you?"

He stopped at her side and stared at her, her radiance eliminated all shadow, including those cast by the contours of his face and wrinkles because of her brilliance.. She could see that he seemed panicked about something.

"Is something amiss?"

"No, no, Avatar, nothing at all. I just…"

The others started to leave the temple, the civilians making their way around the two, not coming too close to the Radiant Dawn, but those who did make eye contact shot her a quick smile before hurrying on to their homes or duties.

"Do you trust me, Avatar?"

"Of course I do," Leona laughed. "Why?"

"Maybe I should speak to the Elders about what you found, a-"

Leona interrupted him with a pat on his shoulder. "Not quite yet, Molik. I still need to work with her a little more, I need her to trust me, I need to trust her, I need her to come here of her own accord."

Molik's lips trembled. "And what will happen if that day never comes?"

"I think it will come sooner rather than later, Molik," Leona affirmed, her smile not wavering. "I trust her."

"More than our Elders?"

"I cannot trust them so long as they let themselves be ruled by fear," she replied without hesitation. Her hand slid upwards and cupped his cheek. "Which is why I can trust you, you dink. You're not that little boy anymore, Molik."

Leona pulled her hand away and marched down the rest of the stairs. "I will be at the Institute for the majority of today, who knows how they managed to book so many matches in a single day for me. I will be back in time for the equinox. See you then."

Molik watched Leona become more and more distant, the words caught in his throat. He just had to say one thing, just one thing, but…

Leona walked outside the limits of the holy township and waited to be summoned. A blue light enveloped her, and in a flash she was gone. The chance was gone.

"Iron Solari Molik?"

He looked behind him and saw the Iron Solari Vanguard, and the Elders, all standing behind him. "Is there a problem?"

"N-no...No," he sputtered, adjusting his helmet out of nerves rather than actual need.

"Then lead them, Molik," Elder Alexandros said with a bow. "In the name of the Sun, you march.

"In the name of the Sun."

The hundred Vanguards marched down Mount Targon and walked into the city of the Kor. The citizens were all awake now, tending to their farms and what not, but they were caught unaware by the appearance of the Iron Solari. They looked at one another, unsure what this meant, and the Solari Vanguard made no effort to state their purpose. As they marched through the streets, Molik could feel a pair of eyes watching him, staring at him, boring into his very soul. It unnerved him to the core. A familiar figure watched the march of men. His scarred face matched the gross scars on his body, his thick arms resting on the fence post. Molik made eye contact with him for just a second until he felt the urge to vomit. His hand came up to his face, and before he could empty his breakfast, a butterfly bumped into his nose. A purple owl-eyed butterfly, incredibly beautiful, and something he had never seen before. Any sense of nausea dissipated, and a strange euphoria filled his chest. It must be a lucky butterfly.

Molik poked it with his finger, urging it to step onto it, and when it did, rested the butterfly on his shoulder. A little luck never hurt anyone.

Diana leaned over the altar, a magnifying monocle that had been given to her from the Institute strapped over her right eye as she gently brushed the cracks and the crevices in its face. She placed the brush on the metal tray that laid on the floor, her fingers hovering over a selection of tools until she decided on a metal pick. Fatigue blurred her vision for a split second before she shook it off. Diana could ignore it for now, there was important work that needed to be done. Just before she started to scrape away at the surface a sharp yelp stopped her from continuing work.

Diana did not want to break from her work, but she had to see what had caused the sound. She stood up and walked down the aisle of the Lunari temple, her feet echoing with every step she took. Once outside the afternoon sun washed over her, she had to squint to fight through the brightness to look for the source of the sound.

A Demacian footsoldier sat next to a youth dressed in the clothes of Noxian military, roaring in laughter at the fish that jumped on the bank and was slapping the young man in his face.

"He's being stupid," a grouchy voice grumbled.

Diana looked down and stared at the Noxian soldier who stood on the foot of the stairs of the temple and waited for him to clarify.

"He's spending too much time with that woman," he growled. "Damn well will infect his head with Demacian stupidity. Not to mention the others."

"What is a Demacian?"

The Noxian soldier glanced up at Diana, unsure if she was being intentionally factitious or if this was a serious question. She continued, "You are not Noxian here. They are not Demacian. You are united by belief, community of the same mind. Demacia, Noxus, mean nothing here. We are all people, servants of the Moon. You will do well to remember that."

The Noxian snorted and grumbled incoherent curses audible only to himself.

"Is there something you need from me, Myron?" the Moonlit Knight demanded, since the Noxian soldier was not working alongside the others in the fields.

"Yeah, there is," he replied with a grunt. Myron looked her in the eye as he told her, "Accordin' to the farmer, with all th'extra help you enlisted, we'll have an acre of ploughed in a few more hours. Y'should look into horses though, cause this is goin' t'break backs. He'd also like to get back to his fields."

Diana gave him a quiet nod as she descended another step, surveying the scenery about. The farmer and several Demacians and Noxians she had met in her travels were working in the fields. They hacked away at the overgrown vegetation and tilled the soil to prepare it for future production.

"The funds from the League should be enough, I'll have to look into more...modern, equipment," she admitted. Diana removed the goggles and held it and the pick out to Myron. "Can you take this back inside? I will accompany Jed home and look into these matters. Though the question of how to transport it occurs..."

Diana knew that she could not see Leona within Mount Targon, it would be too soon, but she could contact her via the League. She had told Diana the other day that she would be having multiple matches today, so the safest bet would be to catch her inbetween fights. Maybe Leona had a solution, she knew more people in the League and was on friendlier terms with them.

"And what about th'horses? Some sorta beast that can help us actually work the fields." The Noxian snorted once more and mumbled, "Gods know that I don't know a damn thing about farmin'. Some animals would be nice to help."

"I will look into them as well," Diana replied as she gave him one last affirmatory nod. The Moonlit Knight descended the stairs and gave a curt wave to the ploughers as she made her way towards the workers while Myron made his way into the temple. A purple butterfly landed on his shoulder, making him nearly leap out of his skin and crush it, his hand stayed only by the fact that he would have driven a pick into his shoulder.

"Gods you scared the crap out of me," he laughed. "Almost pegged you as a danger."

Leona left the lobby with Caitlyn at her right, Jayce at her left and Heimerdinger waddling behind them.

"It's fine, Leona, it's one-all," Caitlyn reassured the flustered Solari Avatar. "They barely managed to get around us that last time because Rammus was being forced to go for that bloody top turret."

"Nearly two hours," Leona groaned, red shading her cheeks. "If only I caught onto their delay tactics sooner-"

Jayce gave the Radiant Dawn a hearty clap on her shoulder, silencing her. "You did everything in your power, it's alright. It happens."

"Oh! It's you!" Heimerdinger exclaimed, waddling in front of the others with in a burst of speed.

Diana's eyes lifted up from the floor and swayed her line of sight over to the voice. She had been resting against the wall opposite to their lobby, patiently waiting for their emergence. Heimerdinger stood before her, his mustache bristling with excitement. "You are Diana, yes?"

"I am," she affirmed with a nod. "Why?"

"Well, aside from you standing outside our lobby," the yordle started while clapping his hands behind his back. "Leona also told us much about you."

"Such as?"

"The star charts you drew up, we-"

"My star charts?" Diana's eyes narrowed and met with Leona's for a brief second. Her curved blade twitched, but instead of raising it, the Moonlit Knight kept it at bay. "She showed you my charts?"

"Yes, she did, she could barely make sense of them so she had to consult a genius, can't blame her for that! Quite magnificent! I've been trying to find you for weeks now!"

Diana tilted her head to the side, deciphering what Heimerdinger meant. "Why?"

"I want to ask your permission for using your charts at the University of Piltover, do a comparison and correct our charts," Heimerdinger started, his goggles twinkling with excitement. "I would also like to ask you to do a little lecture, if you could?"

Diana drew back, not sure how to react to such an offer. "A lecture? On my charts?"

"Yes, on your charts, how you made them, what celestial bodies your culture has compared to others and what clusters they are in," the professor continued. "It would be truly wonderful to hear from a scholar such as yourself!"

Leona almost let out a gasp. The slightest hints of blush afflicted Diana's cheeks, but with a forced cough it disappeared. "I will consider it."

"Excellent! I wish I could pencil you in today, but alas, bureaucrats," Heimerdinger grumbled. "Ragamuffin, razzlin' frazzlin' permit 838…"

"Even if you could, I would have to deny it. Today is the equinox," Diana replied with a shake of her head. "I will not commit sacrilege today of all days."

Leona smiled at this. Whether it was Diana's upbringing or the fact that the Lunari had celebrated this holy day, it mattered not. It was another comparison she could use to convince the Solari to accept her once more. And before Heimerdinger could open his mouth again, Caitlyn reached over and dropped a cupcake on his outstretched paw.

"Oh dear, how did that happen?"

Heimerdinger stared at the baked confection then gave Caitlyn a glare of mock fury. "I'll have you know that I will eat this, but I will do so with the utmost contempt for you."

"Of course, professor," she laughed, feigning a serious tone to emphasize the subtle sarcasm that she had laced in her words.

Caitlyn motioned to Diana to go towards Leona, a knowing glint in her eyes. The Lunari Avatar looked at the Solari Avatar and asked, "Do you have a few minutes? I need to speak with you."

Leona shook her head, "I cannot at the moment. The next League match should be within the minute. I-"

"Will it take you long?"

Leona puffed her cheeks up, exhaled and shrugged in response, her body language denoted her ease, her contentment despite the defeat. "The last one took nearly two hours, the next one may take however long, and then afterwards I have t-"

"Very well. I shall accompany you. This cannot wait any longer, I will converse with you."

Heimerdinger looked up from his cupcake, glancing about. "Shay wah nowah?" he demanded before swallowing his food. "But that means you would take my-"

"That would mean that I would be giving you time to organize the paperwork," Diana snapped, which successfully interrupted the professor. "I will take your position in this match, you can do whatever you please."

Heimerdinger was about to fume and rant at the rudeness, but he decided to hold his tongue since she did have a good point. "Just don't lose, please?"

"If the Moon grants us Her favor, there will be no question."

Diana walked past Heimerdinger and motioned to Leona and the others to follow her back to the lobby. "Let's not waste time."

Down the slope, through the mountains, Molik could tell they were nearly at their destination. His nose could not stop twitching, as though something smelled off. Different.

A vanguard marching close to Molik decided to ask, "How much longer, Molik?"

"Very soon," he affirmed before he slid down a steep hill. Molik could no longer delay them. He had hoped that by doing so he would be able to come up with some sort of plan. This proved to be as futile of an idea as it sounded. "It should be through here and-"

There were people here. Demacians, Noxians, some soldiers from the armor that they wore, farmers and thugs from what the others wore. The only one that noticed them was a grizzled Noxian man who froze the moment he caught sight of them. The hundred members of the Iron Solari vanguard advanced. Shrill whistles shrieked which sent the scant Lunari heretics running towards their temple. They stopped at the entrance and created a wall, preparing themselves for combat.

So it was true. It was all true. Diana had been gathering forces for an uprising. But Leona...Was she fooled? Was she a part of this? There was no way to turn back now. If he backpedaled, he would be killed and the Vanguard would march on without him.

Molik stepped forward and called out, "Followers of the cult of Lunari, lay your arms down and no harm will come to you. We have interest only in your temple."

The Noxian made what Molik assumed was a rude gesture, though he was not certain. But all the same, a great rage seized his heart the moment the gesture was made. He grabbed the spear of his nearest comrade and heaved it with all of his might.

How strange that it sailed through the air, throwing was never his specialty, and yet the spear hit the Noxian with such force and precision that it not only impaled his chest, armor and all, but carried on to impale the next three people in a single stroke. Blood gushed down the steps of the Lunari temple, and the cries of battle rang.

Blood had been shed.

The Iron Solari vanguard advanced.

The brush in the forestry rustled. A familiar plumed helmet rose into view and then dipped back down. Within moments more plumes appeared, and they started to slowly move into positions, their footsteps as quiet as death.

Diana was midstep, her hand outstretched when a violent pain in her head sent her to the floor, gasping for air. Viktor stood over her, momentarily surprised by the fact that the woman who was about to slaughter him now knelt before him for no reason. No reason to question luck, at least when he had a summoner this idiotic, and primed his death ray to fire.

A flash of sunlight screamed down and stopped the scientist in his tracks, making his knees buckle from the heat and magnetic field it produced, his lungs aflame. By the time he recovered a beam of light pierced his stomach and Leona appeared in front of him, a defiant glare in her eyes. His third hand fired the death laser at her, in the hopes that it would be able to reach the Lunari avatar in the same stroke, but her shield came crashing down and crushed him into the ground.

"Next time…" Leona growled as she pressed her sword against the back of his neck. "Try to leave a dent."

A whistle and his iron face shattered, the smell of gunpowder overpowered the scent of cooked flesh.

"Caitlyn has slain Viktor, with the aid of Leona and Diana!"

Leona turned around and went towards her fallen friend, her hand extended to help her up. "What's wrong, Diana?"

"My head," she grunted in response. "Leona, I need to go. Something is amiss."

Leona looked at the path they stood on, the enemy's second tower had just fallen thanks to the Sheriff, this was not a time for Diana to disappear.

"Diana, we still need your help. Can it wait?"

"Leona, I need to go, right now," Diana stated while attempting to stand, her knees making her sway to and fro.

"I-"

A crippling pain burst in Leona's head, making her clench her teeth and hiss under her breath. What was this sensation? It felt like wordless screams in her head that would never end.

"You feel it too, do you not?"

Leona nodded and braced herself. It was getting worse by the second. But their teammates, she owed them…

"Diana, we cannot leave our duties here."

"Leona, something is wrong. I can feel it. Y-"

"We will end this quickly, I promise," Leona interrupted. She stabbed her sword into the ground and patted Diana's shoulder. "We gave our word. We cannot break it."

Diana nodded and winced, her pain tolerance was admittedly a little lower than she would have liked to admit. Leona looked her in her eyes as she said, "We will do this as quickly as we can. Trust me."

The Iron Solari had managed to force their way into the temple, none of them sustained any casualties while the Lunari who were once twelve were now only three. They had put up quite the fight, but it was a futile effort in the end. And everywhere they looked, podiums containing artifacts of the Lunari lined the path to the altar.

The Vanguard spread out and started to advance towards the artifacts, the ceremonial weaponry, armors and clothing, and started to destroy them, per their orders. Molik could swear that he heard laughter fill his ears. From where? He looked down at his lucky butterfly only to find that it was nowhere to be found.

Within the summoning room of the Purple side, the summoners controlling the Zaun team continued their conjurations, lost in their trance when the Deceiver appeared next to them. Her heels clicked as she made her way over to one of the crystal balls from which they scryed the Field of Justice and peered into it. Her left hand grasped her golden staff while her right hand twitched, making a butterfly appear. She glanced at it then back at the battle.

"I think now is an appropriate time."

LeBlanc raised her staff up and pressed it against the crystal ball. She watched the Zaunites destroy their own surprise attack by wandering out of position, the Piltoverans counter the attack. The beautiful words of the announcer, "Aced!" soon followed.

"Now I do believe that calls for you to surrender, yes, dears? You cannot possibly win from such a setback, after all," LeBlanc cooed.

The summoners nodded and hung their heads in shame. The crystal balls all shone a dark green and fizzled out. By the time they snapped back into consciousness, their mind link had been severed, and they were being read out the results of their defeat. Each of them was flabberghasted, unsure how this came to be. How could this have happened?

"Zaun has surrendered! Piltover has won!"

Caitlyn drew back, her face blank. "What? Why the deuce would they surrender?"

Leona let out a breath of satisfaction. "We won. That means-"

Diana gave Leona a clap on her shoulder as she said, "I will see you tomorrow. I need to leave."

Before Leona could respond, the Lunari avatar disappeared in a flash of blue light. Leona tilted her head back and followed suit, allowing the blue light of the summoners to wrap around her. She appeared on the outskirts of the Solari town. With a casual glance, Leona could not spot a single living soul out and about. They must be at the temple, preparing for the Mass of Equinox. She made her way into the village and heard the hustle and bustle of people. They had stands set up, tables set, the smells of food wafted into her nostrils.

Even though the clanking of her armor could not be heard over the din of preparations, the presence she exuded was enough to make her people know that the Solari Avatar had arrived. They all looked to her and fell to one knee in supplication. Leona smiled back and was about to say something when the screams filled her head once more, even louder than before.

Her face twitched, her eyes screwed up as she attempted to take the pain in stride. Leona forced a smile as she ascended the steps, she wanted to see her vanguard, Molik and the Elders before preparing herself for the ceremony.

Diana appeared outside the Institute of War itself, and the moment her feet touched grass, she disappeared in a beam of light. In less than a minute she was on the grounds of her temple.

The stink of fresh blood assaulted her nostrils. She could hear the priceless artifacts break, stone crack, screams of protest over the clamor of weapons. A burst of silver light filled the temple as Diana dashed in, staring at the Iron Solari Vanguard who froze in place. What were they doing here? How did they find this place? H...Leona.

'Leona, what have you done?'

The few who had picked artifacts dropped them as they scrambled for their weaponry. They clanged their weapons on their shields, then one of them called out, "Diana, Heresiarch of the Heretic Order, you are ch-"

He did not get to finish his sentence as the Moonlight Knight cut him in twain, from head to toe, shearing through armor and bone like wet paper.

'How could you, Leona?'

Her blade slammed into the floor and cut through the marble with the same amount of ease. She turned the blade inwards and sent up chunks of the stone as she aimed to rip through the nearest of the Vanguards.

'I should have known.'

"Where are the Iron Solari?"

Leona looked around, baffled. There was no sign of them, the only people inside the temple was the council of Elders who looked at one another, concerned, but they did not reply.

"Where are the Iron Solari, Elder Council?" she repeated, her voice gradually rising in volume. "They are meant to be here, to join us in celebration."

"We know what you have done."

Leona was about to ask more when her head pulsed once more. She buckled to one knee and clutched the back of her head. Why did it hurt so much? What was the warning? They knew what she...had...

"Excuse you?"

"Excuse us?" Alexandrios stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at Leona. "What have you done? Why would you consort with a heretic? Why would you aid them?"

Leona pushed herself to her feet, her hazel eyes crackled with sunlight. "What have you idiots done?"

"Your job, Avatar. To purify her soul so that she may be granted a chance to be welcomed in Solarus' arms."

In that moment it clicked together where the Iron Solari had went. The Solari Temple exploded with sunlight. The people marveled at the wondrous sight, and how despite that it was so close to sunset that the Avatar decided to bring daylight back, to show the eternal strength of the sun.

Leona yelled at the Elders, "How did you find out? Who told you? Who?!"

She heard mewls of pain in response, that was not the answer she was looking for.

"Who told you?!" she demanded once more, the stone under her feet started to melt from the intense heat that exuded from her body.

"I-Iron S-S-Solari M-Molik," one finally gasped out in between labored breaths of pain.

And just as quickly as it came, the light died out. Leona could smell the beginning of cooked flesh, the Elders writhed at her feet, some of them bemoaning about their eyes. "Do you realize what any of you have done? Any one of you?"

Leona struck the side of her head with her index finger, "None of you do! Not a single one of you! You don't understand, the religions were one in the same once upon a time. This would be a return to the roots."

The Elders all became as pale as death.

"The previous Avatar had them exterminated. It is in our creed, it is-"

"It was through the previous Avatar's scriptures that the Lunari temple could be found," Leona shot back, holding up one of the various scriptures of the Solari. "It was in the very creed of the Solari that the clues were deciphered from, Elders. And when I went in the Temple, I found her tomb that had her lamentation, her apology for doing what she did. It was signed Albina."

Alexandros swallowed his saliva to the best of his ability and demanded, "And what was the Heretic's name? Did it say Its name?"

The Radiant Dawn went quiet. Yes, it was obvious the point he was about to drive. "Her name was Su'en. Or Sin in our tongue."

"The very word whose definition is to violate the will of Solarus was derived from her name, Avatar. It was going to kill us all and we were spared complete destruction at the hands of heretic army because of Albina's leadership. We have lived for centuries in peace because of Albina, bec-"

"Peace? Peace?" Leona cast her swordhand backwards and pointed it at the entirety of the temple. "What peace is there? You have the Rakkor defend you from enemies while you all sat on top of this stupid mountain, looking down on others, living a lie and killing those who discovered the truth! The cycle does not have to repeat! We can control our fate, our destinies, why are you so bent on her erasure, why are y..."

Leona stopped mid sentence. The pain thudded in her head once more. Her eyes went wide. "Oh dear Sun...I'm wasting time. I'm wasting time because of you idiots."

She spun on her heels and started to glow once more.

"Avatar! Where are you going?" Alexandros demanded as he rolled over, gasping in pain. "You can't le-

"I'm going to save our people you sent to the slaughter, and when I return, I will have the Rakor put you all on trial," Leona growled.

Before they could protest, she disappeared in a beam of light that raced out of the temple.

It took her mere seconds to reach the Lunari temple. Outside was foreboding enough, with blood that flowed down the stairs and into the crimson tainted lake. Bodies were strewn about every which way. Leona broke off into a sprint, the weight of her heavy armaments barely a note as her golden sabatons sent pools of blood spraying to the air as she ascended the steps. On the seventh step Leona ducked out of instinct and a corpse flew over her head. For a scarce moment, Leona's eyes and the man's dead eyes met: it was an Iron Solari member, Socrato. He exploded upon impact with the ground, the shrapnel of his armor the only note of his existence aside from the red stain and the fragments of bone.

By the time Leona ascended the stairs, revulsion filled her stomach. The stink of blood was overpowering. Corpses were strewn every which way over cracked foundations and pillars, broken artifacts littered the ground, and she could only watch in horror as Diana hooked one of the members of the Vanguard by their groin and split them wide open, their entrails raining down on her. She was covered head to toe in blood and gore, her eyes hummed with lunar energy, three of her followers were huddled by the altar, quaking in fear as Diana swung her blade once more, the shields of the Iron Solari providing no defense as it bisected their defenses and their bodies alike.

"Diana! Diana, stop this!" Leona called out.

The Lunari Avatar's weapon was already raised, about to fall down once more when the Solari Avatar's voice stopped her. She turned to look at Leona, her face a blank slate. No anger, no rage, she looked calm, serene about this affair.

"Diana, listen to me," Leona called out as she took a step towards her, dropping her shield and her sword as she did so. With her hands raised up in front of her in her attempt to show good faith, Leona continued, "This has gone too far. Let's talk, Diana. You and me, let us talk." She then pointed at the Iron Solari, "This is not my fault, this is not their fault. I am here now. They will listen to me. The bloodshed can stop now. We can put an end to this."

Time seemed to stop: The remaining three dozen or so Iron Solari did not move, did not breathe, the Lunari members were huddled together, seized by terror, the young Noxian boy' face contorted with grief, and the two Avatars stared at one another.

"Now what?"

Leona forced a smile as she said, "It's alright Diana. It's not too late. Let them go, I'll take them back to the Solari, I will dole out punishments and-"

"Ask not the sun why she sets, why she shrouds her light away."

Her followers looked at one another, unsure what to do now. Diana gave them a quick glance that told them everything. They repeated after her, "Ask not the sun why she sets, why she shrouds her light away."

Leona tilted her head, not sure what Diana's response meant.

Diana took another step towards Leona and continued, "Or why she hides her glowing gaze, when night turns crimson gold to grey."

The creed. Or at least a variant of it.

"Diana, listen to me, this was a mistake, a misunderstanding."

"For silent falls the guilty sun, as day to dark does turn."

"Diana? Diana listen to me," Leona demanded, light flooding from her body. "Listen to me, this was one, catastrophic, mistake."

"One simple truth she dare not speak," Diana replied, lunar energy gathering about her while her followers continued to echo her words. She flicked her blade clean of blood as she sang, "Her light can only blind and burn."

"I did not command them!" Leona yelled, her composure barely a footnote. "I did not tell them to do this! They were told by the Council, I just found out, I'm going to put them on trial, I'm going to the Kor, I'm going to need your help for this, but the only way this can happen is if you stop this now! Put your weapon down, Diana! Trust me!"

Diana stopped her walk. She paused, and allowed Leona and her to make eye contact. Leona could see the twitches in the Moonlit Knight's face. She begged again, "Trust me!"

Diana's response stole the breath from Leona. She flicked her blade and sent a beam of lunar energy that traveled to five Iron Solari members and incinerated them, their burn shadows the only evidence of their existence.

Leona had no words. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. The light started to grow brighter as she took a step towards Diana. "Diana, why-"

Some of the Iron Solari managed to gather enough cowardice to attempt to run. They only managed three steps before they met the same fate as their comrades, shadows burnt in the marble. She advanced on the other members that just barely managed to stand despite how violently their knees shook.

"Diana! STOP!" Leona bellowed, a stream of sunlight shooting forth from her as Diana swung her blade over to hook nearby Iron Solari. The Lunari Avatar had to jump back to avoid the solar flare. "Don't do this to yourself! Don't do this to them!"

"No mercy for the guilty. Bring down their lying sun," Diana shot back, her eyes locking with Leona's. "Blood so silver black by night, upon their faces pale white..."

Diana's hair started to swirl and flow like a river of crimson not bound by gravity. She crouched to the ground and stabbed her weapon down in front of her. All around them the sun started to set, the orange and red in the sky a pattern that Diana reflected on herself, resembling a harvest moon. Her hands at her sides, she tilted her head back and allowed herself to be bathed in Lunar energy.

"I didn't lie to you! I never would! I was lied to!" Leona yelled, her skin glowing with golden light. "Diana, we do not have to do this! We don't have to repeat the past mis-"

Diana's head snapped down, she stared Leona directly in her eyes as she yanked her weapon free and took off in a bolt of energy.

"Cruel moon, bring the end. The dawn will never rise again."

Author's Notes: The end is coming! My lovely editor KuzAnn managed to help me out with this chapter, and I'm aiming to finishing up the story this month! Let the dawn never rise again.