I'm proud of how this one turned out. This one's long mainly because we have scenes with the search party, scenes with Andrew and a lot of Project stuff in between. Anyway, here's the arc title Man or Machine (in which the Projects remember that they weren't always like this).

Chapter 14

Man or Machine: Leona

"You're doing what!?"

I sighed, resting the tip of my blade on the marble floor.

"It's already been done, Aelius, the League has a Champion of the Sun now. I can't just sit here. Combat's in my blood, protecting people is in my blood,"

"But you can't…"

"I did," I growled, "I trust your faith won't be shattered so easily. Your ancestors trusted mine when she did something unorthodox…marrying a Rakkor…it's time you trust me and do the same,"

Aelius gave a sigh, shaking his silver streaked blond head.

"Fine," he mumbled, "Who am I to command the Chosen of the Sun?"

I gave a soft laugh, tapping my fingers on the hilt of my sword.

"Now, where is my sister?" I asked, "She told me she had something she wanted to show me when I got back from the Institute…"

The Historian bit his lip and my instincts kicked in, my hands gripped the sword and shield a little tighter and my body settled in a fighter's stance.

"Aelius…where is my sister,"

I wasn't in the mood for playing around. I wanted to know where my little sister was.

"She's in the temple," he started, uneasily flicking his gaze towards my blade, which was trembling and starting to rise a little, "She…she found a 'moon' temple if you will…she's been pronounced a heretic. They're going to execute her,"

Icy fear ran down my spine as I raced forwards.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I cried, slamming into the temple doors and bursting into the main antechamber, "NO!"

The temple guards tried to stop me, grabbing my arms as I heard the chanting from the other side of the door increase in volume.

"LET ME GO!" I roared, kicking and thrashing in an unladylike fashion.

The guards refused to let me go, I gave up on Solari tactics and went back to Rakkor tactics. I elbowed one guard in the stomach, kneed another in the groin, bit another one and dashed into the room.

"STOP!" I shrieked, "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HER! YOU MUST ST…"

And stop I did, eyes wide with horror and shock as I saw my baby sister kneeling, unharmed, in the midst of sixteen priests…sixteen dead priests.

I opened my mouth, trying to speak her name…but it wouldn't come. Her name…I forgot…my little sister, the Moon's Chosen…

My name…I forgot my name…what was it…Lion…Dawn…

My sister's voice whispered, the broken fragments of my own name riding on the breeze just outside my hearing.

Le…a…Leo…a…Leo…na.

Leona?

She jerked awake, trying to breathe, but the darkness was crushing around her. Fear fluttered in her chest, a primal surge that shouldn't have been there. Shouldn't be possible for a Project to have fear. Fear was human and she wasn't human…right?

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY GOT AWAY!?" came the Creator's shriek.

The Dawn flinched, turning towards the Wanderer, whose visor flickered in uncertainty.

"The others," the Dawn murmured, "They must have escaped…Shadow must not have found them,"

"It's good for them," the Wanderer nodded quietly, "They are free…but they're in danger too. Shadow will kill them because they don't want to be here anymore,"

"Do you think the Creator will make it so we can't get away?" the Dawn asked, a tinge of fear coloring her voice, "That we won't want to?"

"I hope not,"

"But do you know," she repeated.

"…I don't," he admitted, freezing when Viktor stormed in and glared at them both.

"I'm not losing you two," he growled, "I'll at least have two Projects…"

"No…you won't," the Dawn thought, a peaceful warmth starting to fill her chest as she started emitting light, shining brighter and brighter, "I won't let you keep me…"

Viktor didn't notice the steady glow coming from the Dawn's chamber. Thinking she was deactivated, Viktor opened the windows…letting the dying day's sunlight stream through. The Dawn gasped as searing light blinded her but the orange-scarlet beams filled her with strength she'd felt only in the faintest fragments of memory. Viktor froze at the sound, whirling around, panicking as he saw the Dawn glowing brighter and brighter as if she were the Sun instead.

"No…NO!" he snarled, yanking on the chain to close the skylight, but it was too late, there was a brilliant blaze of golden light a blast of heat and a shockwave knocked Viktor away from the Dawn.

When he opened his eyes, Viktor saw something that made what blood was left in his body run cold. The old factory was decimated, but it was just temporary until Viktor could move his Projects to the Lab. What scared him was this…

The Dawn…was gone.

She dashed through the alleyways, holding her shield and blade to her chest protectively, hiding in the shadows of the deepening night. She heard the drones march in the streets outside the alley, freezing and not wanting to move as one of them came near her hiding place.

The Dawn's visor flickered slightly as she caught a glimpse of the ruined factory they'd hid her and the Wanderer in…but a sad pang hit her systems as she noticed the apartment building that had been nearly destroyed by the explosion. She watched as the drones herded a pack of human adults out the ruined building, watching as some women began to panic, screaming out names as they thrashed and tried to break free of their counterparts' arms, trying to race back into the buildings…only to get shut into vans and driven off to the nearest hospital.

When they all left, the Dawn turned to go…only to hear a faint crying sound.

She turned her head back towards the ruined building, seeing a flicker of color underneath a concrete slab. The Dawn looked around carefully, seeing if there was anyone around. Thankfully, the streets were empty. The Dawn quickly dashed across the street to the building and carefully lifted the slab…

Just to reveal a cellar with at least ten human children hiding underneath it.

The children gasped, huddling back against the wall as they looked at the Project. The Dawn lay her weapons aside, holding her servos out in a friendly gesture.

"Don't be…af-f-fraid," she told them, "I'm not going to h-h-h-h-hurt you,"

The children still stayed back…except for one child. A little six year old girl with curly brunette pigtails. She reached a chubby hand out to the Dawn and the Project gently lifted her out of the hole, noticing the girl had a broken leg, and holding her close as the girl started sobbing.

"I want my mommy," she whimpered as she wrapped her hands around the Dawn's neck, entwining her tiny fingers in the Dawn's snowy white hair.

The Dawn felt something hot and wet streaking down her face and in shock, she touched the fluid, staring in wonder at the clear droplet hanging from her finger.

"…What is this?" she whispered, "Something's wrong…"

"It's…crying…" a little boy started, coming closer, "It's not a Vigilnaut…it's…it's human…"

"She…" another boy blinked, "It's a she,"

The Dawn let go of the little girl, setting her on the ground and reaching down to help the children up to the street.

"Can you help us find our parents?" one of the older girls asked.

"I…will try," the Dawn nodded, standing upright and picking up the little girl that had hugged her before.

She carried the child in her arms, leading the others down the street and into an alleyway. She was going to do everything in her power to protect them.

The sky was dark with smoke, from fire, from industrial factories, robotic men patrolled the streets, children ran rampant in gangs. One led by a white haired, dark-skinned boy with an hourglass marking on his face and a cocky grin.

I stood in darkness, surrounded by shadows that closed in, crushing, grabbing…until a faint light appeared ahead, soft and golden.

Sunlight.

The light solidified into a vaguely human shape, sword and shield in hand.

"Leona?" I asked, walking towards the glowing person.

She looked at me, only to turn and walk away.

"LEONA!" I yelled, running forwards, reaching and grabbing her hand…

Only to be met with metal.

She turned around…this wasn't my sister…this white haired creature wasn't my big sister…I screamed as she whirled around, her sword shining brightly as it jabbed my side…

"I think we should start in Ionia," Pantheon started, tapping the map with his spear tip.

"Why there?" Shen asked, "Ionia's been peaceful as of late…"

"Except for the disappearances and the explosions over the past few days," Syndra snorted.

"I agree with Pantheon," Wukong nodded, "I think Ionia is our best bet,"

Pantheon turned to the last member of their group, who was currently asleep on her feet. He gave a sad smile and poked her with the butt of his spear. Diana's pale eyes shot open and her hand flew to the hilt of her blade…only to relax and glare at the other Targon Champion.

"Am I that boring?" he asked.

"Yes," Diana snapped back before sighing, "Where are we going?"

"Ionia,"

Diana gave a frown, not escaping Pantheon's notice.

"You think we should go somewhere else," he stated.

"I need to go to Zaun," she told him.

"What, why?" he asked.

"I have a feeling about it," she shrugged, "I can't explain it. But I need to go there,"

"I will come with you," Pantheon started.

"No," Diana disagreed, "Go with the Ionians, if I'm wrong then we'll waste more time trying to get to Ionia and who knows what'll happen then. But if we split up, there's a chance that one of us will find the others,"

Pantheon gave a sigh, shaking his head as he renewed his grip on his spear.

"Fine," he told her, "But you will tell me if you find her?"

"Of course," Diana scoffed, "Honestly, Pantheon, if you care that much about her…why don't you just marry her,"

She gave a wry smile as she saw Pantheon's face turn red underneath the shadows of his helmet. She turned to go…only to get stopped by Pantheon's hand on her shoulder.

"May your spear fly straight," he started.

"And your shield be true," Diana finished, renewing her grip and running out of the building, making her way to Zaun.

"So what's your name?" the little girl asked.

"I don't have one," the Dawn replied.

"Everyone has a name, Silly!" she giggled as she nuzzled into the Dawn's warm armor.

"Not Projects,"

"Projects?" a boy asked, "Is that what you are?"

"Yes," the Dawn nodded, "The Creator calls me Project: Dawn, but my fellows just call me Dawn,"

"Dawn…that's a pretty name," one of the older children smiled, "It's like the League Champion!"

"That's the Radiant Dawn, Marcus," one of the other children corrected, "And…Dawn? Are you ok?"

For the Dawn had stopped, frozen as she heard the League Champion's title.

"Radiant Dawn," she murmured.

It was so familiar…

"Yeah, the Targon Champion," one of the other children nodded, "But she went missing with five other Champions, the League's going nuts trying to find them,"

"How long ago?" the Dawn asked.

"Um…nearly a year?"

"What was her name?"

"Her name was Le…" the child froze, staring in fear at the road ahead.

The Dawn looked up just to see a host of drones standing before them, barring their path. The Dawn gave a low growl as the drones leveled their weapons at her. She gave the little girl to another child and started moving them away from the street.

"I will…prot-t-t-protect you," the golden warrior promised, herding the group of children towards a building, "Go…they'll…have t-t-t-to go…through m-m-me,"

Curse her glitching vocalizer! It'd always had trouble when she did something like this. The Project turned around, facing a group of Drones that had circled around the building to get at the children and their parents. A low, metallic, warning growl rumbled from the Project as she slashed her blade in the air once, twice, three times.

"Project, you are disobeying protocol. Return to the Lab at once," one of the Drones ordered.

"And…if I…d-d-d-don't?" she snarled, her body tensing for a fight.

"This building is full of rebels. Cease…"

He didn't get to finish as his head thudded to the ground, the Project's blade whirling back to her side.

"Status Updated," another Drone called, "Project Unit: Codename 'Dawn' is malfunctioning. Proceed with subduction,"

The Project glared heatedly at the Drones from behind her visor, giving a feral metallic hiss as she flicked her left arm and her shield expanded from its collapsed form.

"You w-w-w-want me…come and c-c-claim me!" she challenged, banging on the holographic shield once, twice, three times, "You will n-n-not get these children!"

The Drones swarmed her and she dashed into the fray, her shield building up a stunning charge as she rammed it through one Drone only to pull to another with her blade and running it through. Her shield expanded, a glowing gold aura shimmering around her and reducing any damage she was taking…and then it exploded in a rush of gold light. A foggy memory rose to the surface and she grinned, thrusting her blade up into the sky and giving a shout of fury…

Right as a violent blast of light slammed down onto the remaining drones, smashing them into the pavement.

Power Levels at 0.001%: Preparing for shutdown.

"No…" she thought stubbornly, "I will not shut down. Those children…need me…"

She limped back to the building, the struts in her legs trembling with every step…and her knees gave out, sending her tumbling to the ground with multiple error messages flashing before her visor. The ground felt so good…and even though the sky was heavily polluted with Zaun's light, she could make out a few stars and the steadily brightening horizon.

"What is this?" she wondered as the first rays of the dawn touched the sky scrapers, "It's…familiar…why can't I remember? It's so beautiful…"

She reached a shaking servo to the sky, visor flickering weakly in wonder as the sun's light came down the sky scrapers. The sunlight eventually flooded into the square and the Project gasped as a rush of pure, joyful energy flooded her being as the light played over her.

She slowly got to her feet, still shaky, but no longer on the verge of shutting down. She saw one of the children peeking out of the building, her brown eyes wide in amazement as the Project before her nearly glowed with the sun's light.

"You're safe now," she promised, "Don't fear. I told you, I will protect you,"

She stayed with the children, watching over them as the night fell and the 'Sun' set. The rush of energy she felt was gone as the last rays of the 'Sun' disappeared. She was sad that it wasn't there anymore…but she knew it would come back. The children said this 'Sun' would return in a few hours, but now the 'Moon' would stay in the sky for a while. How strange it was the 'Sun' and 'Moon' weren't together. Wouldn't that make more beautiful, wonderful light?

The children had laughed and she thought she was what they were laughing at. Her 'innocence' as it were. She'd never seen the sun since she was activated, but she loved it most out of the lights that lit her world.

…Or was it one of those fleeting memories that came with the glitches? Those moments of irrationality that were more human than Project. Was there something to those? All she knew was that she was a Project, she'd disobeyed orders like a human and felt emotions like a human. It didn't compute. Was she human? Before? Was that what the scientists were going on and on about when some of her fellow Projects malfunctioned?

Did she have a name?

The Project gave a sad smile and she looked up at the night sky.

How sad it was not to know your own name.

She walked away from her post to check on the little ones, smiling as they slept and a protective warmth rose up in her chest. They were her charges. No one was going to hurt them.

She sat down next to one of the children, gently stroking his head with her servo, feeling the ratty tangle slide under her fingers. He hadn't had a bath, none of them had…not for a long time. The boy snuggled up to her side, giving a contented sigh as he bathed in the warmth her metal skin gave off. No one knew why her armor was warm instead of ice-cold like the other Projects, it made her unique and that's what she liked about it.

She hummed softly, a half-remembered melody that just came to her…memories of a red-haired woman with silver eyes played before her mind's eye, of sunlight and warm summers, of blood and bitter winters.

"Finish it,"

"No."

"You need to do this L…"

"I won't."

"There is only one punishment for crimes against the tribe. As you well know."

Warmth flooded my entire body and I lifted my face to the sky right as a brilliant flash slammed into the ground around me.

A low whine escaped her as she grabbed her helm, fighting off the pain that exploded in her processor. Why did this hurt so much!? Who did those voices belong to? What was that?!

She looked up at the sky, seeing it was still dark. How much longer until the sun came back? Until she was filled with that holy warm energy once more?

Her sensors picked up movement in the alley behind the home they had snuck into. She got up, gently placing the child down on the floor and pulling a blanket over him before grabbing her blade and shield and stalking out the door. She charged her shield with a stun, ready to fight…

"…Leona!?"

She whirled around at the sudden cry just to see a young human woman with hair as white as her own in silver armor standing before her. The white-haired human blinked her silver eyes rapidly as the Project warily scanned her.

"Leona…is that you?" the human whispered, "Oh Moon…what happened to you?!"

"Id-d-identify," the Project ordered, shield ready for a stun and her blade ready to pull her to the human.

"It's me…Diana," the human, Diana, tried…only for the Project to see the crescent blade strapped to the Scorn of the Moon's back.

This human was going to hurt the children. She could not let that happen.

The Project gave a yell and cast a projection of her blade towards Diana, feeling it connect and draw her to the Lunari warrior. The Project brought her shield down on the other warrior's head, stunning her with the charge for a second and causing a faint glow to surround them.

"Leona! STOP!" Diana roared taking out her blade and parrying the Project's with her own…

Only for the blade to sink into her shoulder, cutting a deep slash into it, the skin bubbling from the blade's heat. Diana gave a piercing shriek and dropped her blade to grab at her shoulder only for the Project to kick her to the ground, eyes hard behind her visor as she raised her blade for a killing blow.

"REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE!" Diana shrieked.

The blade halted just inches from Diana's head, quivering with the force behind the blow.

"You promised that you would never kill me," Diana stammered, "The Fields of Justice don't count, but you promised you wouldn't kill me if we met like this. You promised me, you promised our parents,"

She looked up into the flickering visor.

"If there's one thing I know about my big sister, it's that she never breaks a promise,"

The blade lowered and the Project stared at the prone figure before her.

"Who…are…you," she asked.

Diana's pale face went whiter as tears streamed down.

"You…you don't remember me, Leona?"

"I…I don't have a name," the Project shook her head, "I think…y-y-you mean someone…else,"

Diana struggled to get to her feet, but the Project knelt down, gently but firmly forcing her to lay down.

"Don't…don't move," she ordered, "You'll…you'll hurt yourself even more,"

"What did they do to you?" Diana asked, "You barely look like yourself,"

"…I don't understand," the Project shook her head, "You must be glitching…no, what's the human term for it…oh, hallucinating,"

She carefully picked up Diana and walked back to the house.

"I am taking them to their parents," she stated as Diana looked at the sleeping children, "You to a hospital…but if you harm them…"

She gave a low warning growl that chilled Diana's blood.

"You don't have to worry about me," Diana told her as the Project set her down and sat down beside her with her back against the corner, "Sister,"

Diana awoke the next morning to see the Dawn in the same position as she had been when Diana had fallen asleep. Her sister gave her that blank stare once again, unmoving.

"Do you even sleep?" Diana muttered.

"I don't require any of that for a long while yet," the Dawn replied, making Diana flinch at the metallic bite in her sister's voice.

Diana's fists clenched slightly as the Dawn looked around, scanning for danger. Whoever did this to her sister was going to have their life slowly and painfully cut short.

She watched as her sister grabbed her blade and shield, only to kneel back down and gently shake a child awake.

"It's time to wake," she told him, "We will be with your parents by day's end. Wake the others,"

The boy bobbed his head happily and scrambled upright to wake the other children while the Dawn straightened up, her metal struts creaking slightly as she did.

"How'd you find them?" Diana asked.

"The Lab was destroyed by one of my fellow Projects," the Dawn replied, "I was released from stasis along with another of us and ordered to hunt them down…and destroy any rebels in the process. But we were moved here to take down some rebel cells. I found them hiding in a crumbling building after Vigilnauts destroyed it. Their parents escaped…but they were left behind,"

"You're talking a lot smoother than last night,"

"Because I am not glitching,"

The Dawn frowned.

"Seems like you were fine to me…you didn't kill me,"

"I saw you as a threat to my charges," she replied, "I see that you are not and I apologize for that,"

"Why did you protect them?"

The Dawn froze, her visor flickering wildly as she gave a soft groan and collapsed to her knees, holding her helm in her servos.

My name…

"Make it stop, make it stop," she pleaded, "It hurts…it hurts so badly…I didn't want them to die! If I join the League, I can make it up to those children I couldn't protect…Chosen of the Sun, the League should feel privileged…no, no, NO! How can they just watch this!? I don't want to die! Please, please, please…"

My name…

She turned an agonizing cry to the ceiling.

"Agh! What did they do to me!?" the Dawn shrieked, crumpling in on herself as Diana quickly wrapped her arms around her sister's shaking metal form.

My name…

"You are the sun and I the moon," Diana sang softly, remembering the lullaby their mother sang to them, "Joined by the gods of fortune. Midnight and bright noon, sharing the sky, we have been blessed, you and I,"

Leona's cries started softening and Diana kept singing.

My name…is…

"Ask not why the sun sets, nor why the moon hides," she crooned softly, "Just…"

"Have faith the sun will rise," a softer, more metallic voice whispered, "That the moon will shine and the stars…"

"The stars will keep watch over me and mine," both sisters finished together.

My name…is Leona.

"…Leona?" Diana asked slowly.

"Diana…what's going on?" Leona whispered, "Why is everything so different?"

Diana grabbed her sister's shoulders and forced her to look at her.

"What is your name," Diana ordered, "Tell me. Tell me who you are,"

Leona looked at her sister strangely…or at least as strangely as she could with that visor.

"My name is Leona…I'm the Chosen of the Sun, a fighter for the League," Leona blinked, "Diana, why are you…"

"What was your nickname for Pantheon when we were kids?" Diana growled.

The visor flickered, like she was blinking rapidly, but she did answer.

"I called him 'Baker Boy' because he loved to bake. He'd always have me try his new creations…hence why I was able to overpower him because I was heavier than he was. Diana, why are you asking me these questions? Better yet…where am I? And why…"

She froze, putting a hand to her throat.

"Wha…what is that?" she whispered, listening to the metallic cadence of her voice with confusion, "Is that…"

She stared down at her hands and her breathing spiked as she got up to her feet immediately and looked in the mirror…shaking badly as she saw the golden visor staring back at her.

Leona grabbed the sides of her helm and attempted to yank it off, biting back the squeals of pain she wanted to give as she attempted to pull it off.

"Leona! Stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" Diana ordered, getting up, "Stop it!"

"Get it off," Leona demanded, "Get it off me! I want it off! I don't want any of that on me!"

She tried again and again only to finally succeed in yanking the metal helm off, her long white hair rippling down her back as she gave a metallic shriek of fear and despair.

Diana rushed to her sister's side just to see quite a bit of metal tracing through her sister's face…but what got her were the golden optics that glowed where her sister's sun-bright eyes had been.

"It wasn't a nightmare," Leona whispered, falling to her knees, "It was real…They killed me and…and…and turned me into this! I'm a monster! A…A freak!"

Diana grabbed her sister's shoulders and spun her around to face her.

"You are not a freak," she snapped, "You are Leona, the Radiant Dawn, the Chosen of the Sun…and my big sister. You are not a monster, and certainly not a freak,"

She embraced her sister's armored form, bursting into tears.

"I've missed you so much," she cried, "We were so worried…"

Leona said nothing, but she drew her sister into her embrace, tears streaming down her own face from her glass eyes.

The children were returned to their parents, Diana and Leona watching from the shadows as the joyful reunion happened.

"We can go home now," Diana told her sister, frowning as Leona shook her head, her visor flickering slightly, "What? What is it?"

"Yas is still here, I need to find him," she reminded her little sister, "I can't remember who did this to us…but I know myself now, I can handle everything better. You need to go back to the Institute, tell Andrew and the Summoners that we're alive. Yas and I are here in Zaun, the others are in Ionia. We were separated…I'm going to find Yas, but I need the Institute's help to get to Ionia and find the others,"

"Leo…" Diana started only to get a servo held up.

"I don't want any argument, Diana," Leona growled, "It's not safe here for you…whoever did this to us is still here…I failed to protect the others from this fate…I don't want to lose you to it too,"

Diana gave a heavy sigh as the two walked down the alleyway and into a building. She didn't like this plan, didn't like it at all.

Leona brought her sister into a hug, nearly crushing her by accident.

"I need to rest," she told her, "You get out of the city, do you understand?"

"…Fine," Diana growled, "But you come back to me, ok? You promised Mother and Father that you wouldn't kill me, I promised them the same thing…and that goes for taking care of each other,"

Leona gave a smile and nodded.

"I'll be back, I promise,"

Diana followed her sister in, making sure that she settled down to rest, watching her shut down, and then leaving silently. She didn't know that the last memory wipe protocol had activated during Leona's rest.

Leona might have remembered herself when she awoke…but she had no memory of what caused her to do so. She didn't know that Diana had come to see her and brought her back from her dark dreams.

"Andrew,"

Andrew jumped, falling out of his seat as a pale shape seemingly materialized out of thin air next to his desk.

"Diana, don't do that!" he snapped, "I swear, they need to add invisibility to your stats…"

Diana gave a mirthless chuckle before speaking once more.

"I found them,"

"Found who," Andrew growled, picking himself up and getting the papers that had fallen off his desk in his fright,"

"Yi, Yasuo, Lucian, Fiora, Zed…" Diana started before closing her eyes once more, "Leona,"

"Well that's good," Andrew grumbled, not paying attention, "Tell them that I…"

He froze, looking up at the Lunari warrior in shock.

"You…found…them?" he whispered, making Diana nod in triumph, "Where?! How!?"

And Diana began to explain.

One down, five to go! I'm staying in Zaun next chapter...and yet another Champion comes into the mix. You'll see who it is when I get the next one out! :)

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.