Night was approaching. The sky was getting darker and darker. Rain was falling. A stormy night was approaching. The warmth of the day had almost vanished and the cold was slowly taking over. The wind, which had gotten stronger in the past hours, was carrying fallen leaves through the air and dropped them somewhere else. It toyed with the hair of the women who stood face to face in the middle of the forest clearing. Their tousled hair was almost floating in the air, dried leaves stuck in their long manes.
The cool, stormy weather didn't bother them. Not even the raindrops that wettened their hair and fell on their faces and armours. The usually dry ground was getting wetter and might even become muddy if the rain would get heavier. The dark clouds told the women that the rain wouldn't stop so soon. They had no other choice than to deal with the rain, whether they liked it or not. Despite their contrasting powers, they couldn't influence the weather. Not even in the slightest way. They had to accept the circumstances as they were.
The women couldn't be more different. Leona, also known as the Radiant Dawn, was the Chosen of the Sun while Diana was the Chosen of the Moon but she was also known as the Scorn of the Moon. Like Leona, Diana had once been a Solari, a worshipper of the Sun but destiny had chosen another path for her. She became a Lunari, a worshipper of the Moon and later became its Chosen. Leona was still worshipping the sun and despised the moon and its worshippers. Especially after what Diana had done. She had had nothing against the Lunari until Diana had done a drastic move which was an atrocity in Leona's eyes.
There could have been different ways that didn't involve violence, bloodshed and death but Diana had still chosen the path of violence. The circumstances had not been ideal but Leona was certain that there would have been a better way. If only Diana would have thought longer about everything before making a decision. But now it was too late. The past couldn't be changed. Neither of them had the power to reverse time. The past was unchangeable but the future wasn't. There was still a chance for a brighter future for both of them.
The women were of similar size, Leona was a little bit taller, but not significantly, and more muscular than Diana. Her armour was thicker, its colours were golden and purple. Her auburn hair was as long as Diana's silver-white hair which reached to her rear. Diana's armour was not as thick as Leona's, it was designed to protect her but also allow her to be agile and move quickly. It was blue and silver. Diana's skin was very pale while Leona's had a natural colour. Unlike Diana, Leona had no tattoo of her religious order on her forehead. The symbol was composed of a circle and a crescent moon with their ends pointing upwards.
Leona held her heavy shield, the Shield of Daybreak, in front of her. She held her huge Zenith Blade in her right hand, its tip pointed at the sky. Diana's weapon, which was known as the Crescent Moonblade, laid lightly in her right hand. It was made of Moonsilver, a silver metal forged under the moon's light that was imbued with a small amount of the moon's magic. Unlike the Zenith Blade, it was not directed at the sky but at the ground. Diana held it beneath her waist, hoping that she didn't have to use it against her former friend and lover.
Diana's deep blue eyes stared into Leona's brown, almost bronze, eyes. There was no hatred in Leona's eyes, but disapproval, disappointment and even sadness. Diana, on the other hand, looked indifferently at the other woman. Her face showed no emotions, making her appeared as cold as the night.
But she was not cold or cold-hearted. She had feelings. Feelings that had been hurt in the past. But she didn't show them. Not even at this very moment where she faced her former lover after not having seen her up close for several months. She was not scared to show her feelings but she thought things would be easier for her if she wouldn't show them after everything that had happened.
"Have you become mute suddenly?" Leona shouted. "I don't remember the elders cutting out your tongue before you slaughtered them." The distance and the pouring rain forced her to raise her voice, otherwise, the other woman wouldn't understand her.
Diana tilted her head a little and raised a brow. "What do you want me to say?"
Leona raised an eyebrow when only half of Diana's words reached her ears. "What? I cannot hear you," she shouted back.
Diana repeated what she had said before but louder this time so that Leona was able to understand every single word.
"I want you to tell me why you slaughtered the elders. I want you to explain to me why you did such an atrocity. I want to know what happened to the woman I once knew." And loved she added in her thoughts but didn't speak it out loud.
Diana's facial expression didn't change at all nor did her voice. It remained monotonous and emotionless. "I gave these hypocrites what they deserve."
A frown appeared on Leona's forehead, anger rose in her eyes. "Are you serious about this?" Her voice was quivering in anger, her body was much tenser than before.
Diana tilted her head to the other side. "You know exactly what the elders wanted to do to me. They called me a heretic, a blasphemer. They wanted me dead. They wanted to execute me."
"You cannot know that," Leona hissed.
Diana's expression changed for the first time since Leona had caught up to her. A frown line appeared on her forehead, small hints of anger could be seen in her eyes. "How can you know that? You were so focused on me that you didn't even look any of the elders into the eyes for a single moment. You didn't do that but I did. I stared into their eyes the whole time. I saw their disapproving looks, the fear in their eyes but there was also anger and disgust. I saw outrage but also murderous glares. They wanted me dead, the looks in their eyes were speaking for themselves."
"You are exaggerating. I believe that they were not very fond of you but I doubt they wanted to kill you... There was still another way... You didn't have to murder them. We might have convinced them..."
A questioning look appeared on Diana's face. "You do not seriously believe that these old bags of bones would have listened to us. They would have never changed their minds, no matter how many convincing arguments we would have told them. Have you already forgotten the way they reacted when they saw us kissing? Do you seriously believe that these homophobic, decaying, perverted men would listen to me after I corrupted their dear Chosen with my evil magic and turned her into a woman-loving fiend? Their words, not mine. They already wanted me dead since they found out about our secret relationship. The fact that I worship the moon made things even worse. My discovery just gave them another reason to want me dead."
Leona thought about Diana's word in silence. Lots of thoughts crossed her mind. She was conflicted. She had to admit that Diana was right in some points but she was not right about everything. It might be true that the elders didn't like her since they found out about their relationship but she didn't believe that they wanted to kill her because of that. She was certain that the elders would have never harmed anyone who was important to the Chosen of the Sun. They would never dare to upset her. But it seemed that Diana had a different opinion about that. There must be a reason why she had thought that. If only Leona would know why.
Nevertheless, she still believed that there could have been another way. A way without killing. Diana had not even considered another way. She had killed them as soon as she had gotten the chance to. Diana would have to answer for what she did. Leona could only hope that the Solari would spare her life. Maybe if she would renounce from the moon and submit to the teaching of the Solari again. Leona didn't want to lose her, no matter what she had done. Diana was still important to her. She still had the hope that Diana could be redeemed. She just had to allow her to help her.
Leona took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, noticing that she and Diana had been silent for several minutes. She felt a bit calmer than before, she was still angry but not as angry as before and her heart was beating a little slower. Nevertheless, her heart was still beating faster than usual.
Her body was still tense and her skin was tingling. Her gaze still rested on the Lunari whose black eye shadow was running down her beautiful face. If it wouldn't pour down with rain, it would have looked as if Diana had cried. But Diana hadn't shown any emotion except for rage the last time Leona had seen her. Since she had killed the elders, she hadn't shown any positive emotion.
Leona finally broke the uncomfortable, depressing silence. "People can change...You just need to give them time...And a chance to change... I believe we..."
"THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER CHANGED!" Diana roared angrily. Leona was not only heavily surprised but also shocked about the sudden outburst of the other woman, who had managed to keep her emotions under control until this moment. "These ignorant, intolerant assholes would never listen to what I have to say. Not only because I'm a woman or because I worship the moon. They would never listen to the woman who defiled their Chosen. They regarded me as an abomination and they would have always treated me like one if I wouldn't have ended their worthless and pitiful lives."
Leona's eyes narrowed, anger rose in them. "Don't you dare to speak of them like that again."
Diana tilted her head again, her eyes narrowed a little. "What did you just say?"
"I said that I demand that you to ever speak about the elders in that tone again," Leona replied determinedly.
"Or what?" Diana asked provocatively.
Leona's eyes narrowed even further. "Or I will beat that provocative grin out of your face."
Quiet laughter escaped Diana's lips. "Will you? Are you sure you have the guts to hit me?"
"I don't want to fight you, Diana." She hesitated for a short moment. "But I will if I have to... If you leave me no other choice..."
"You Solari may be good at talking but bad at doing. I doubt you will manage to hit me."
"Don't test me, Diana. It's best if you come with me. I can convince the Solari to spare your life if you submit to their teachings of the Solari again."
The Chosen of the Moon regarded the other Chosen for a few moments and then did a disrespectful gesture. She spat on the ground, angering Leona even further. "I will never follow your false light again. Never ever again."
"You are ridiculous," Leona hissed.
"Am I?" Diana asked and gave her a provocative grin.
"Stop this infantile behaviour, Diana. You are in serious trouble and I'm the only one who can help you. The only one who WANTS to help you. The others have already given up on you, they don't believe you can be redeemed. But I do. You just have to trust me."
"I don't need to be redeemed. My path is the only right path. You can stay on the same path as these ignorant thralls or you join me and follow the only true path."
"You know I cannot do that, Diana," Leona replied determinedly.
"Because you still believe in your false, merciless and unjust goddess."
"Better than believing in a goddess that slaughters old innocent men," countered Leona knowingly that this would provoke her opponent.
"INNOCENT?" she cried out in anger. "THESE BASTARDS WERE ANYTHING BUT INNOCENT!"
Leona remained cool, eying her former lover closely. "Calm down, Diana. You are scaring the birds away with your screaming."
"Stop making fun of me," Diana hissed through gritted teeth.
Leona made use of the same cocky behaviour Diana had used earlier. "Or what?"
Diana's eyes narrowed to slits. "Or you will regret it," she spat.
Leona's expression didn't change at all. Determination was burning in her eyes. "This is your last chance, Diana. Surrender and I will give my best to spare you from execution. Or fight and get hurt."
"Kiss my ass, Leona," Diana hissed back.
Leona exhaled loudly, disappointment could be clearly seen in her pretty face. "You leave me no other choice but to fight you."
"I'm not scared of you," Diana replied much calmer and colder than before.
Leona pointed the tip of her blade in Diana's direction. "Neither am I scared of you. But it doesn't have to end that way, Di."
"Don't call me like that," the Lunari hissed. "I'm no longer yours. Don't call me by the stupid nicknames you have once given me."
The Solari raised an eyebrow and eyed her counterpart with a confused expression on her face. "Things can be so much easier if you wouldn't be so stubborn, Diana. Just surrender and we will stand things through together. I'll protect you, I promise."
"I don't need YOUR protection. I don't need anyone's protection," the Chosen of the Moon snarled.
"There is no shame in being dependent on someone. There is no shame in needing someone's protection," Leona replied calmly.
Anger grew in Diana's eyes. "Only weaklings need the protection and the help of others. I'm not weak like your Solari. I don't need anyone. Not even you."
The pain in Leona's heart almost felt real, but she didn't allow herself to show any form of emotion to the woman she had once thought to be the love of her life. Diana's statement had hurt Leona harder than she had expected. She didn't want to believe that she meant nothing to Diana. She was certain that deep inside her, she was still important to her. She guessed Diana just didn't want to show any of her feelings that she had buried beneath layers of anger and hatred. She still had hope for the white-haired woman even after everything she had said and done. She hadn't given up on her beloved yet.
"I will bring you back to the temple even if I have to knock you out and drag you to it."
Diana lifted her weapon and pointed the curved blade at the other woman. "Try it."
Leona shook her head slowly, exhaling loudly. Her eyes still rested on Diana who was not moving. The rainfall had become heavier in the meantime, Diana's face was dripping wet and her hair was soaked. Its colour was dark grey instead of bright silver. Leona's auburn hair was also wet and looked more like dark brown. Unlike Diana, she didn't wear any make-up that could run down her face.
"I don't want to fight you but it seems I have no other choice. Seems I have to beat some sense in your thick skull."
Diana didn't respond to her former lover. She held her blade in front of her body, her eyes didn't leave Leona for a second. She regarded her closely, waiting for her to do the first move. Leona didn't wait for too long to set herself in motion. She sprinted towards Diana who decided to give Leona one last warning. She concentrated a bolt of lunar energy in the middle of the crescentand threw it at Leona who avoided it by jumping to the side at the right moment.
A burnt hole was visible in the floor where the bolt had struck, signalizing Leona that Diana's powers should not be treated so lightly. Her power could be very destructive when concentrated. She had experienced that first hand when Diana had killed the elders in her presence and knocked her onto the floor at the same time. Her golden armour had smoked that day as if it been freshly forged. The pain she had felt had been immense but she had not suffered any long-lasting wounds. No burns, scars or other bad wounds.
Leona had not stopped running after she had successfully dodged Diana's ability. Diana shot another bolt which Leona blocked with the Shield of Daybreak. Mud splashed through the air with each step she made, some drops even landed on her shield and armour but Leona didn't care. She would have enough time to clean up any splashes of mud or blood once she had brought Diana back to the temple of the Solari. She just hoped she didn't have to hurt Diana too much to make her surrender. She hoped that the stubborn woman would eventually realize that she was her only hope. She could only hope for the best outcome.
Diana jumped to the left and swung her blade at the same time, hitting Leona's shield. She took another swing but Leona blocked her attack again, swinging her own sword. Diana blocked her attack and pushed the sword to the side, making use of the short time window, where Leona's sword was beneath her waist, to execute a swift swing. She hit Leona in the left side of her upper body but the blade didn't manage to break through the firm and heavy armour. It only left scratches and even small dents in the area of her left hip.
Diana tried to hit her again but Leona was fast enough this time and blocked the attack with her shield. But she did not only do that. She pushed against Diana's blow with all of her force, causing her to stagger backwards. She attacked immediately but not with her sword because she didn't want to seriously hurt Diana. She landed a heavy blow with her shield, causing Diana to stagger again.
The Chosen of the Moon threatened to fall to the ground but she managed to catch herself at the last moment. She avoided Leona's next shield bash, focusing her inner power to create a silver glowing barrier around her. The barrier moved with her and protected her from Leona's next attacks. Two swiftly executed sword strikes that were only meant to trigger and destroy the barrier. They served their purpose and left Diana defenceless.
But Diana was not impressed at all. Her expression remained determined, her body was still tense and her senses were sharper than ever. She saw Leona's next attack coming before Leona had even taken a swing and dodged beneath her blade, performing a strong kick that hit Leona in the stomach and caused her to stagger backwards. She didn't feel any pain besides the kick's heavy impact nor was her armour further damaged in the slightest. Besides the air that had been pressed out Leona's lungs, she remained unaffected. She quickly regained her breath, preparing herself for Diana's next attack that followed quickly.
A sphere of lunar energy flew towards her and collided with her shield that didn't crack when the sphere exploded. Leona was shoved backwards but she didn't slip on the muddy ground. She remained steady on her feet and increased her distance to Diana who remained on her spot and regarded her with narrowed eyes.
"Do you have enough already?" Leona shouted loud enough to drown out the noises of rainfall.
"No," Diana yelled back at her. "What about you? Have you finally realised that you cannot defeat me? Just walk away and leave me be. That's all I'm asking for."
"You know I cannot do that. It is my duty as the Chosen of the Sun to capture you and bring you to justice."
Diana snorted loudly. "Justice. There is no justice in this cruel world. Not as long as pathetic people like the Solari exist."
"So, you want to eliminate the Solari? Is that your goal?"
"I thought about it but I won't achieve much with their deaths. I just want them to accept the teachings of the moon and accept the Lunari as a religious group with equal rights. That's all I'm asking for."
"You shouldn't have murdered the elders then. After what you have done, no one will listen to you as long as you didn't receive your just punishment. You must answer for your crimes."
Diana screamed out in anger. "I told you before that I won't go with you. I rather kill all Solari than allowing them to judge me and put me in chains. Or worse"
"Even me?" Leona asked, her voice was strong and determined.
"What?"
"Would you even kill me to achieve your goals?"
Diana's expression changed. Her narrowed eyes widened, the anger vanished out of them and the frown disappeared from her forehead. Diana was biting her bottom lip hard but said nothing at first. She chose to be silent because she had no idea what to answer. She had no idea how to respond to Leona's question. She didn't like the thoughts that were running through her head. She didn't like the things she was imagining. The horrible scenarios. The nightmares that were haunting her since the day she had killed the elders and almost Leona too.
There was only one right response to this question but Diana couldn't tell Leona. She didn't want to make her any hopes. She just wanted her to leave her alone. She wanted her to stop hunting her. That was all she was asking for. Diana chose to give no answer.
Leona tilted her head, eyeing Diana from head to toe. She was unable to interpret Diana's silence and the look on her face. She had no idea if her behaviour was a good or a bad sign.
"I find no joy in fighting you," Leona said, trying to make the other woman talk so that she might be able to convince her this time.
"Neither do I," was Diana's only response.
"I don't want to hurt you."
"I don't want to hurt you either...," Diana took a deep breath and exhaled a few seconds later. "But I will if you don't leave me at peace."
"I'll forgive you for everything if you come with me and turn yourself in. Your punishment will be lower if you surrender. We can start all over and begin a new life."
"As mindless slaves of the sun? No, thanks. You can kiss me where the sun doesn't shine but I will never go back with you to these bastards. No matter what you will do."
Leona's facial expression grew softer, a pleading look appeared in her eyes. "Di, please..."
"I told you to not call me that," Diana hissed. "I'm not your lover anymore. There is no us. Only you and me."
"You cannot tell me that you don't love me anymore," Leona replied. She tried hard to hide her insecurity but without success. Diana was aware that her words were affecting Leona in a certain way. It was obvious that Leona was hurt and it hurt Diana to see her former lover like that.
Nevertheless, she didn't drop her guard or give in. She tried to appear as cold as possible which turned out to be harder than expected. She didn't want to hurt Leona. Neither physically nor emotionally. She didn't want that but she knew she wouldn't get rid of her if she wouldn't hurt her in some way. Hurting her emotionally was the easier way but not the best. It was not guaranteed that Leona would stop fighting her if she would hurt her emotionally. On the other hand, if she could knock her out, she would get the chance to escape.
It was a tough choice. Both solutions were risky and not optimal. She had to choose the lesser evil. It was probably the toughest choice of her life.
She noticed the pain in her chest when she made her decision and parted her lips to tell Leona about it. Speaking out the words she had in mind turned out to be much harder than expected but she managed to say those words eventually. "I have never loved you, Leona. You were nothing but a tool to pass time and satisfy my lower needs. NOTHING ELSE but that."
The Lunari showed no reaction when she saw that Leona's eyes widened in shock. She was not close to her but she could still see the colour vanishing out of her face. Leona's face was a mix of expression. There were shock, hurt, anger, disbelief and sadness. She was anything but happy about Diana's statement.
Leona's bottom lip quivered, tears appeared in the corners of her eyes but they didn't leave them. Leona was the strongest woman Diana knew. Nevertheless, she was close to breaking out in tears if Diana would say another wrong word. Diana could make an emotional mess of her by saying the right words but she didn't. Instead, she remained silent, wondering what Leona would say or do in response.
"I don't believe you," Leona screamed, her voice sounded shrill and anything but secure. Diana hit a sore spot. She had made use of Leona's only weakness. Her emotions. Her feelings for Diana to be exact.
She almost sounded whiny, a strong contrast to the self-secure person she usually was. Diana guessed that Leona couldn't believe why she was acting that way. Such behaviour was untypical to theself-confident Chosen of the Sun.
Diana tilted her head a little, trying to appear as indifferent as possible. It is the only way to not physically hurt her. She might hate me but she will still be alive. She won't leave me alone even if I threaten to kill her. I cannot go with her but I cannot make her leave without hurting her in some way. If I say the right words, she will break out in tears and that might give me the chance to escape. This is the only way to guarantee her survival. Our survival.
"Do I really need to give you a detailed explanation?"
"The way you interacted with me, the way you looked at me and talked to me in the past speaks against your statement. You are lying to me to make me leave you alone but I don't buy it. I'm not that dumb," Leona shouted.
"No, you are not that dumb. You are even dumber. You didn't notice that I played you all the time and fooled you. Nothing I said to you was real. I just pretended to like you to lure you into my bed and let you satisfy my lower needs. You are as unimportant to me as the dirt under my feet."
Diana prevented herself from showing any form of remorse when she realised that Leona had bought her lie. The auburn-haired woman looked heartbroken as if the world had fallen apart for her.
It hurt the silver-haired woman so much to see Leona like that. She really had to fight not to break out in tears. Despite the heavy rain, Diana could still recognize the tears that were running down Leona's cheeks. She had no other choice than endure the heart-breaking sight.
The Solari wiped the tears off her face, her reddened eyes reflected anger. "If everything about us has been a lie, I'm certain you won't object if I wipe the ground with you."
"Try it," Diana challenged her. Dammit, my plan didn't work out. Seems I have to knock her out. I'm sorry, Leo. But you leave me no other choice. "Let's see if you are fast enough to hit me. I doubt it."
Leona's eyes narrowed even further, she bit her bottom lip hard but said nothing to the arrogant Lunari. She raised her shield even higher, gripping the handle of her sword even tighter.
"And now it begins," Diana said indifferently.
"No," Leona groaned. "Now it ends."
Leona sprinted forward, attempting to attack Diana with her sword instead of her shield this time. Diana avoided the attack with ease, jumping to the left side to attack Leona's unguarded side. As expected, Leona reacted quickly and turned her shield in the direction from which Diana's weapon was coming. A loud clang could be heard as metal met metal. Neither did Diana's weapon splinter nor did cracks appear in Leona's shield. The Crescent Moonblade and the Shield of Daybreak remained in one piece.
The crescent blade began to glow silverly, spheres appeared around Diana that rotated around her at a fast pace. Leona was certain that she better wouldn't come in contact with them. She had no idea if her armour could resist them but she was certain her shield could. She hoped that at least.
She pushed her shield forward, hitting one sphere which exploded immediately on contact, causing Leona's body to slightly vibrate. The vibration stopped after a few moments but returned when Leona cut through the second sphere with her sword. Diana pulled a grimace but said nothing. Not even when Leona executed another swing, intending to destroy the last sphere. Diana blocked the attack and kept her opponent's weapon away from the sphere which she flung away eventually.
But she didn't just fling it away. She threw it at Leona but not with a direct throwing direction. It was a curved one, meaning it flew around Leona and hit her in the back. It exploded on contact, causing a loud painful cry to escape Leona's lips. She had not expected to feel pain at all, it was much worse than she could have imagined but she still managed to pull herself together and block Diana's next attack. She could feel blood running down her back which was really hurting. She had no doubt that the explosion had left a hole in her armour and a wound in her back.
She gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain as best as possible. It was not easy but she still managed it. Her movements were slower than before due to the pain that was rushing through her body. Nevertheless, she was able to keep up with Diana. The more attacks Diana blocked or avoided, the stronger and faster Leona's attacks became.
At some point, Diana really had troubles blocking the furious attacks of the Sun's Chosen. Even though Leona was wounded, she was still able to become stronger and stronger with each attack she made. She forced Diana backwards with each attack and forced her to use more and more power to defend herself. She didn't give her a single opportunity to strike back. Attack after attack was raining down on the Moon's Chosen. It almost appeared that the angrier Leona got, the stronger she became. It could have something to do with her Rakkorianorigin. Or because of the powers of the sun. Or both.
Diana had already realised that she was going to lose if she wouldn't stop Leona from attacking her over and over again. She had to distract her somehow or find a way to get away from her. Her stamina was almost spent, meaning it was only a matter of time until she wouldn't be able to block Leona's attacks anymore. She had to gain distance from her and refocus the remains of her power.
She tried to think of a way to get away from the angry Solari but it turned out to be pretty hard to think up a solid plan that didn't involve her getting injured. Leona was keeping her busy, preventing her from getting pauses for breath or time to think about a plan. Diana couldn't stop her from pushing her further backwards.
Diana decided to take a risk and jump to the side and dodge Leona's next attack that way instead of blocking it. She had to risk something to get out of the defensive position. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as planned. She leapt and avoided the attack at the last moments but she slipped on the muddy ground when she landed. She fell and landed on the ground before she could even realise what had happened. She laid on her back in the middle of a brown puddle, her weapon laid several feet away from her. It was out of her reach but she could get it if she would get up quickly.
Unfortunately for her, Leona didn't give her the opportunity to head over to her blade. The moment Diana had gotten back on her feet, a steely fist hit her right in the face. Diana staggered backwards, shock was not only visible in her eyes but also written all over her face.
She had not expected this to happen, had not expected to be in this situation. She had thought she would be superior to Leona in every way. She had thought she would be much stronger than her. She had not expected to get in such a bad situation where she was disarmed and defenceless. She had not considered the environment, which was the reason for her unfortunate situation
Another fist hit Diana but not in the face this time. It hit her in the stomach, stealing her breath and stunning her again. The pain was bearable but Diana still wanted to avoid it at any cost. She managed to catch Leona's left fist, blocking the other with her upper arm. She lifted her gaze and looked into Leona's face that was distorted with rage, noticing that her shield and sword were lying in the dirt. After everything Diana had said and done, Leona still didn't want to kill her.
Diana exerted pressure on her fist but Leona managed to get free before Diana could hurt her. She faked a left hook to Diana's face, causing her to draw her guard up. That way, she managed to punch her in the stomach with all her might, causing the armour to crack. A painful scream reached Leona's ears but she didn't stop what she had started. She punched Diana in the stomach again, stunning her. But Diana recovered quicker than expected, punching Leona in return. A fistfight broke out that resulted in injuries for both women.
Leona took a big swing and crashed her fist into Diana's cheeks, causing a loud howl to escape her lips as her head snapped back. Diana's vision blurred out for a few moments and when she got it back, she noticed that she was lying on her back and something heavy was sitting on top of her.
Someone to be exact. Leona was sitting on top of her and pinning her down, not giving Diana any opportunity to get up. Leona's lips were parted, her narrowed eyes still reflected anger as she stared down at the beaten Lunari. "Confess," she pressed through gritted teeth.
Diana raised a brow. "Confess what?"
"That the things you said earlier to me were nothing but lies. Confess that you have loved me before we broke apart. Confess that I meant something to you."
Diana bit the inside of her left cheek, ignoring the pain on the other side of her face. It was not easy for her to say the following words. "I. Never. Loved. You."
"I don't believe you," Leona spat and grabbed Diana by the collar of her armour, lifted her up and brought her face close to hers. "Look me in the eyes and say it again."
Diana's response was not verbal but physical. She bumped her forehead into Leona's nose. A painful scream echoed through the air, blood flowed out of Leona's nose but she didn't let go of Diana despite the pain she was feeling at this very moment. Leona slapped Diana in the face as hard as she could and bashed her head on the ground, causing another painful noise to escape her lips. She put her hands around Diana's throat but she didn't squeeze. She applied no pressure on her neck and throat.
"Do it," Diana hissed. "End it already. I'm done running away from you."
Leona increased the pressure a little, the anger inside her got stronger and stronger with each passing second. Her thoughts started to drift away in a direction she didn't like but she couldn't banish them out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried it.
The desire to increase the pressure on Diana's neck and strangle her to death increased. For some reason, something inside her wanted the other woman dead. It wanted to make her pay for everything she had done. For the numerous lives Diana had destroyed. For the atrocities Diana's followers had done in her name and in the name of the moon. For all the mean things she had said to her.
The desire was strong, the anger she was feeling was immense. It was the anger that caused her to increase her grip on Diana's throat. Diana remained much calmer than Leona had expected. She didn't fight back, she didn't even try to get free and save herself nor did she try to harm Leona. She just laid there and stared at Leona. Diana's eyes showed no fear. It almost appeared as if she had given up.
Leona regarded Diana's face once again. Her left eye had started to swell up, her right cheek was bleeding and her nose was broken. Her jaw looked dislocated and there was also a lacerated wound on the right side of her head, not far away from her forehead. Diana looked beaten and it hurt Leona to see her former lover like this. She had never wished to hurt her but Diana had left her no other choice. There was a deep pain in her chest that didn't want to leave. It became stronger the longer she applied pressure on the other woman's neck.
Leona noticed the colour fade from Diana's face, who started to gasp and struggle for air. The anger made her do that. It drove her to do something she didn't want to. The anger was strong, too strong for Leona's liking but it was not strong enough to control Leona forever.
No matter what Diana had done, she didn't deserve to die. Especially not through Leona's hands. Leona had to find a way to stop herself from strangling the love of her life. Her body was not listening to her but at least she was able to order her thoughts. Leona closed her eyes, focusing on the remains of her strength to make her body stop.
Memories came to her mind. Memories of the past. Memories of the day she first met Diana when she had been a student of the Solari with dark hair instead of silver-white.
Tears ran down her cheek as she remembered their first conversation, the first time they trained together, their first study night. She remembered the first time their hands had accidentally touched and the first time they had almost kissed. She also remembered their first kiss, the first time she had caught Diana wearing nothing but her underwear and the first time she had seen her naked when they had taken a bath in a hot spring. She remembered the first time they had made love.
She remembered everything. The romantic moments but also the silly ones. The ordinary and extraordinary ones. She remembered every single moment she had spent with the stubborn Lunari.
With the woman she loved more than anyone else.
She couldn't kill her. She couldn't. No matter what would happen. She would rather die than killing Diana. She would rather let Diana kill her than the other way around. She was too important to her. She was more important than her own life.
Diana slowly opened her eyes as soon as she noticed that there was no longer any pressure on her throat. Her throat was still hurting but at least she was finally able to catch her breath. Against her expectations, she was not dead. It surprised her that Leona had not killed her.
Diana's gaze fell on the woman that was still sitting on her hips. Leona's hands no longer rested on Diana's neck. They covered Leona's face instead. The rain couldn't drown out the sobs that escaped Leona's quivering lips. Diana couldn't see Leona's face but she was certain that she had her eyes closed. She had never seen Leona being so emotional until this day. She had not cared when Leona had broken out in tears earlier, but now she was caring.
She felt bad. Very bad for making Leona so sad. She had never wanted to hurt her, she had believed that she had to do it because she had no other choice. But now that she was seeing her like this, she never wanted to make her sad again. Never again.
Diana parted her lips that had started to swell, a sharp pain ran through her jaw when she opened her mouth. Leona had hit her harder than she had expected. Diana wanted to say something but no words escaped her lips. She had no idea why no words wanted to escape her lips. She only knew that it was not the pain that was stopping her from speaking. She was clueless. The pain's intensity decreased with time but it didn't completely vanish. It was still there and reminded her of the heavy hits she had received.
Diana couldn't stop Leona from crying by speaking to her but she was still able to move her arms and legs. She brought them closer to her body and pushed herself off the wet ground beneath her. It was not easy to lift up her upper body but she still managed it.
Leona was still covering her face with her hands and she was still crying. Diana did the first thing that came to her mind. The first thing anyone would do when their beloved would be sad or even cry.
She wrapped her arms around Leona's upper body, hugging her carefully. Leona's breath stopped when she felt the embrace but she didn't stop crying yet. Diana brought one hand to the back of Leona's head and ran her fingers through her wet auburn hair. "Hush, my dear. It's okay to cry, even for strong women like you. Let it all out."
Contrary to what Diana had offered, Leona stopped sobbing relatively quickly and removed her hands off her face, looking at the pale-skinned woman. Her eyes were very red, her bottom lip was still trembling and quiet sobs could still be heard. She was no longer crying but it was obvious that she was still sad. She stared at Diana's beaten face which showed a neutral, almost comforting expression. The corners of Diana's lips formed a weak smile as she put her other hand on Leona's left cheek. Leona flinched, not having expected Diana's gauntlet to be so cold. But she got quickly used to it.
Her heart was no longer hammering in her chest but its beating rate was still pretty fast compared to normal circumstances. The hair on the back of her neck flattened slowly and the intensity of the tingling of her skin decreased as well. Staring at Diana had a positive effect on her body.
"I'm so sorry," was all Diana said after several minutes of unpleasant silence. She cupped Leona's cheeks with both hands and caressed them, noticing how the sadness vanished out of Leona's eyes when she did that. Leona was heavily surprised, her mind couldn't comprehend everything that had happened. Only a few minutes ago she had fought with Diana and now Diana was comforting her. It was too much for the moment.
"Are you okay?" the silver-haired woman asked eventually.
Leona nodded hesitantly. "I think I am."
"I'm so sorry for what I said earlier... I didn't mean it that way but... I don't know... I was just mad that you have been chasing me for months and haven't left me any free minute. I just wanted to be left in peace. I didn't want to hurt you physically, so I tried to make you leave by saying mean things to you... Now that I can look back at things, I have to admit that it was not the best plan. On the contrary, I achieved the opposite. Wasn't very smart of me."
"So, I wasn't just a tool for you to pass time or to satisfy your lower needs?" Leona asked carefully, a small amount of doubt could be heard in her voice, which was weaker than usual.
Diana shook her head. "No, you weren't. I have truly loved you back then...And I still love you after everything that had happened...between us..."
"You do?" Leona asked, her voice perfectly reflected how insecure she was at the moment.
Diana put a strand of hair behind Leona's right ear. "I do, Leo. I would never stop loving you, no matter what happens."
"Prove it," Leona replied insistingly.
Diana sighed, putting a hand on the back of Leona's head. Before the Solari could realise what was happening, Diana had brought their faces together and put her lips on hers. Because of the swelling of her lips, the kiss was more painful for her than expected, but Diana still held it as long as possible. She pulled away when the pain became too strong, noticing the blood that was flowing out of her burst bottom lip. The kiss had been too forceful for her bottom lip.
"Sorry," she muttered as she wiped the blood from Leona's lips. "I didn't mean to sully you with my blood."
Leona pointed at the bloody knuckles of her gauntlets. "You did that already."
The Chosen of the Moon chuckled softly. "I think I deserved that, after everything I said to you. I don't regret killing the elders, they deserved it in my opinion. But I regret hurting you in the process. I never meant to injure you. It's just...I couldn't control my powers back then... I'm so sorry."
"I don't agree with your point about the elders but I believe that you didn't want to injure me."
"Was never my intention, honey. I would rather die than injure you."
"Same counts for me, my dear."
"I wish I could kiss you again but my lips really hurt," said Diana with a weak smile on her lips.
"Your face really looks messed up but time heals all wounds."
"Not sure if I have that time if you bring me back to the temple."
"You wouldn't go with me voluntarily, would you?" Leona asked irritated. Her eyebrows were raised and a frown could be seen on her forehead.
"Well...," Diana began but paused as she realised that she didn't know what to answer. She ordered her thoughts and gave her beloved an answer as soon as she got one. "I would go with you because I trust you. I'm certain you can negotiate with the Solari and convince them to spare my life. I don't really want to be in chains but... If that's the only way..."
"There might be another way," Leona interrupted.
Curiosity appeared on Diana's face. "Another way?"
Leona nodded. "We can run away...Together."
Diana's eyes widened a lot. To say that she was surprised about Leona's suggestion was an understatement. She couldn't believe it at first but the serious look on Leona's face told her that she really meant it.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? Your people will hunt us down."
"Not if we find a place to hide no one knows about except for people we trust."
"Except for you, there aren't many people I trust... My Lunari maybe but I'm not sure if they would accept you. They won't be pleased about your presence in the temple," Diana explained.
"I do not hate the moon. I do not worship it but I don't hate it. I'm certain that you can convince them to tolerate my presence. You are the Chosen of their goddess, I have no doubt that they will listen to your words. Especially when you tell them that it's the moon's will that I stay there."
"I would have to meditate to find out if the moon really wants that."
"You can meditate as soon as we reached a hiding place. Is there any hidden Lunari temple near our location?"
A thoughtful look appeared on Diana's face but it only lasted for a few moments. "We would have to walk for three days to reach the next temple. The paths we have to take are pretty thin at some points and we even have to cross an old suspension bridge. We have to take careful steps but it's reachable and the risk is not too high if only two cross the bridge."
"Shall we go then?" Leona asked.
"When you get off me, yes."
Leona caressed her lover's cheeks, pressed a kiss on the symbol of her forehead and stared into her eyes for nearly five minutes before she got up and offered Diana a hand, helping her up.
"Thanks, Leo."
"You are welcome, Di." She put an arm around her lover, pulling her close to her. "I've missed you so much."
Diana smiled at her. "I've also missed you so much, my bright little star."
Leona chuckled about the nickname Diana had given her a few days after they had confessed their feelings to each other. "You still remember."
"How could I forget? You are too important to me. I will never forget anything that has to do with you."
Leona's smile became much wider. "I also remember everything. Every moment we spent together."
"Let's hope it will always be like that."
Leona nodded, regarding her lover a few more moments before she averted her gaze and looked to the left. The rain that was still falling was not drowning out the quiet noises that had just appeared out of nowhere.
"Someone is coming."
"Who?"
"I don't know. Maybe Solari who are looking for you. We should better get out of here before they find us."
"How much time do we have?" Diana asked worriedly.
"A few minutes maybe. The chances are high that they will figure out that we have been here. We don't have the time to clear the tracks we left. We can only hope that the rain washes off the blood and the dark night covered the rest. Maybe they don't find anything that will lead them to us," Leona responded.
"They will be able to track our footprints until we come to an area where the ground isn't muddy," Diana said to her.
"We should hurry. Can you walk?"
Diana nodded. "Pick up your sword and shield and follow me. I know the way to the next temple."
Leona removed her arms from Diana and bent down to pick up the Zenith Blade and the Shield of Daybreak. "I'm ready," she said once she stood upright again.
Diana nodded. "Let's go then."