Greetings, Summoners! Ok, sorry, couldn't resist. I've had this idea for the longest of times, but it wasn't until I read another story like this that I finally decided to do it. I'm going to need you all's help too...because we have 127 champions that we can choose from. Well, 121 now :). I'm going to be doing little short stories talking about the characters/Champions before I make up a big story with them all...so, without further ado, I give you We Are Warriors: Leona.
Chapter 1
"Cira! You're going to be late for church!" a young female voice called.
Cira Noble's stormy blue eyes cracked open blearily as she glared in the direction of the red-headed girl in the door way.
"Don't make me get the cat…" the girl threated as Cira groaned and flopped an arm over her eyes.
To be honest, Cira was never a morning person. Ever. Don't get her wrong, she liked the daylight and all…she felt safer in it. But waking up early? Oh heck no.
"'m up, Janie," Cira mumbled, rolling off her bed and onto the green carpet of her room.
Janie, Cira's younger sister, beamed and walked out of the door way…leaving the door wide open. Cira yawned once more and quietly shuffled out of her room, shutting the door right on her sister's cat's nose, earning an indignant yowl from the feline.
"Stay outta my room, furball," Cira grumbled, walking towards the bathroom to get ready for the day.
The day actually went by smoothly, other than Cira nearly killing herself when the cat decided to run down the stairs through her legs as she was heading down to get clothes from the laundry...but it was an average Sunday. Church in the morning, family dinner right after…and then Cira made the long drive back to her college campus two hours away from her family.
When you looked at Cira Noble, you saw a stocky, blonde twenty year old with a too bright, too curious, too sad stormy blue gaze that held you and seemed to x-ray you to your very soul. It was a truth-seeker's gaze, a teacher's gaze…a gamer's gaze. Not many knew this, but Cira was good at seeing patterns in games and making it so she wouldn't die as easily. I.E, she strategized easily.
Her current gaming obsession was the internet-based game known as League of Legends. Her boyfriend had got her started into it a little over a year ago, right around when they started dating, and they'd played with/against each other constantly. He teased her about her tendency for running away…which she had began to outgrow since starting in the role of Support…and when against her, he always went for her lane and tried to take her down.
She didn't mind, if anything, she just got right back up and had at it once again.
Everyone had their champion that they resonated with, whether in lore or in playing style. For her boyfriend, Pantheon the Artisan of War was an obvious choice…for Cira, it was the Radiant Dawn and Pantheon's friend, Leona.
She didn't know why Leona had drawn her in, but after she started playing the Support role, she had gotten into it and played it well.
But, that's enough about the backstory of our current heroine, let's get to the story, shall we?
"You've been playing that game all week," Cira's roommate, Elaina deadpanned, "I come in and it's click, click, click, click,"
"It's fun," Cira returned, focusing on bashing Taric over the head with Leona's shield, "You should try it sometime…takes out a lot of stress,"
"I have ways of dealing with stress," Elaina sputtered.
"Uh huh, binge watching Friends and snacking on my peanut butter M&Ms isn't coping," Cira deadpanned as she whirled out of the way and let her ADC, Ashe, take Taric out with a well-placed Volley for a double kill…right as the Jungler, a Diana, popped out of the bushes.
She promptly tapped 'R' and a beam of sunlight slammed down on top of the already wounded Scorn of the Moon. Diana tried to flee after the stun wore off.
"Who said you could go anywhere?" Cira hummed.
She activated Eclipse, then Shield of Daybreak, and then pulled towards the Diana with Zenith Blade, stunning the Jungler and allowing Ashe to take her out for a triple kill.
ModnarNosrep (Ashe): OMG! BEST SUPPORT EVER!
Cira gave a soft laugh as she tanked the tower and finished it off, allowing her and her carry to advance once more.
"You're not paying attention to me, are you?" Elaine asked.
"No, not really, sorry. Trying to keep my teammate from getting killed," Cira blinked as she got a charge on her Face of the Mountain and took out a cannon minion, letting both her and her carry get the gold.
She looked at the map, noticing that mid lane was getting pushed by the enemy Veigar. She quickly typed a message in the team chat.
Daybreaker3791 (Leona): Feel like ganking a yordle all by his lonesome?
The reply was quick.
ModnarNosrep (Ashe): Heck yeah!
Daybreaker3791 (Leona): Got your ult?
ModnarNosrep (Ashe): Yeah?
Daybreaker3791 (Leona): Wait 'til I say so…
Suddenly, Cira pulled to the Veigar player, stunning him with her Q before rapidly typing.
Daybreaker3791 (Leona): NOW!
A giant arrow flew through the screen and smashed against the unfortunate mage, stunning him in tower range…right as his last minion died.
Cira guided Leona away so her auto-attack wouldn't hit Veigar.
Daybreaker3791 (Leona): All yours.
And Ashe swiftly ended the Tiny Master Of Evil.
The game ended not long after that, and Cira happily put away her laptop before climbing back onto her bed, smiling as she pulled out her school computer and started to work on her latest assignment.
"Research shows that gamer students tend to do better in classes than those who don't," Cira teased, "I have a CD of Tron Evolution if you want to try it…"
"I'm happy with Angry Birds or Flappy Bird tell you the truth," Elaina countered, "I'm on level ten,"
"Pff, amateur," Cira scoffed.
"Alright, you think you can do better?" Elaina challenged.
"You said it, not me,"
"Alright, here!" Elaina snapped, pushing the phone into her roommate's hand.
Cira smirked, putting in her headphones and turning to a song that she could easily feel the beat…and then proceeded to go through eleven holes on Flappy Bird before handing the phone back to Elaina.
"And Angry Birds is simple math," Cira shrugged, "It's all angles. That one there is just timing. Music major, remember?"
And it was true, Cira was working towards a degree in Music Education, much to her family's chagrin. They wanted her to do something that paid well…Cira saw it that if you were stuck doing something you hated but paid well for the rest of your life…your life was being wasted away. Teaching brought a joy to Cira that she hadn't known for a long time. Writing did that too…but music most of all. Cira didn't really fit anywhere when it came to being in a certain 'niche'. She could do quite a few things but music was where her heart lie.
Elaina on the other hand, was a Nursing student, preferring to spend days helping others feel better…and making Cira uncomfortable as often as she could…talk of sex and of body parts always got the younger music student blushing and hiding behind her book/computer whenever the topic came up.
The two were very good friends, they just liked teasing each other. They'd known each other for two years now, having been roomed together during Cira's freshman year and Elaina's junior year. They had yet to fight and were always there for each other when the other started to spazz (mental health for Elaina and music theory for Cira).
"Whatever," Elaina rolled her eyes before playfully shoving her younger friend, "Ready to get something to eat?"
"Hmm? Oh, sure," Cira shrugged, taking her ever-present iPod and switching the song before grabbing her phone and sliding off the bed.
Elaina grabbed Cira's ID, hissing as something sharp poked her palm.
"What the…" Elaina blinked only to glare halfheartedly at her sheepishly smiling roommate and then at the tiny replica of a golden and red blade with a rayed crossguard.
"It's just a key chain," Cira defended, grabbing the lanyard and striding out the door, "C'mon, you're hungry, right?"
"Heh, yeah, let's go,"
Cira hummed along with her iPod as she and Elaina walked out the dorm's doorway and into the warm May air. She finally convinced her instructor to let her sing this song for next semester…even though it was from League and not from a classical composer.
The young music student smiled as the song continued, turning to get ready to cross the street. She was almost across the crosswalk when the sound of screeching tires rose above the sound of her music. Cira's head snapped up and she saw an out of control red sports car weaving erratically down the street. Worse yet, a girl had just stepped out onto the street, her own headphones in her ears while she looked down at her cell phone. Cira's eyes flashed as she dashed forwards back into the street and shoved the girl out of the way, making her collide painfully with the sidewalk and into the worried arms of some of the other students.
Panic made Cira look up at the approaching car and she realized there was no way she was going to get out of the way in time. She'd just taken the futile step out of the way…when the car slammed into her and sent her flying into the air only to fall back down to earth on top of a pile of cement bricks with a resounding, sickening crack. She rolled down the brick pile and onto the road, her hand outstretched and headphones still in her ears as the students around started panicking, calling 911 and getting the license plate of the car as it picked up speed and hurtled down the street even faster, avoiding the scene of the crime.
Cira's vision started doing dark as the paramedics reached her, carefully lifting her onto the stretcher as Elaina hopped in and gently put a hand on her roommate's shoulder.
"Cruel moon…bring the end," the headphones whispered out as a tear streaked down Cira's pale cheeks from her still open eyes, "The Dawn will never rise again…"
As soon as Elaina had called her, Gwen Noble rushed to the hospital near the campus with Janie in tow. The worried mother was stopped by the secretary and by Elaina, who said that Cira was in critical condition and currently in a coma…Gwen still was panicking and tried to force her way into the operating room to see her grievously injured child. The doors banged open and two young adults, a dark haired young woman of Hispanic origin and a blonde, stocky young man with piercing blue eyes, rushed into the room. Star, Cira's best friend since elementary school, and Arthur…Cira's boyfriend and potential future husband if things went well for two more years.
"Is she ok?" Arthur demanded, "What happened?!"
"I just got the call saying Cira was hurt…Arthur picked me up and we both came here as fast as we could," Star added, "Ms. Noble, what's going on?"
"I can explain," Elaina started, "Cira and I were going to get dinner in the dining hall when a crazy driver came down the road. Cira was out of the way…but there was a girl that was going to get hurt if no one did something. Cira jumped in the way of the car and shoved the girl out of the way,"
She bit her lip.
"Her spine's been fractured and her skull's been smashed in in a lot of different places," she whispered, "I don't…I don't think she's going to make it,"
Arthur's blue eyes blinked once…twice and he shook his head in denial.
"No," he growled, "No! I refuse to believe it! She…she can't die…"
He fell to his knees, shaking.
"She's my everything…" he held his head, "I was going to marry her…"
Gwen knelt down and embraced the boy, crying as Janie started crying too.
"My daughter's dying…and there's nothing we can do," Gwen whispered.
"Actually…" a calm, male voice started, "I think I might be able to help with that,"
The mourning, grieving family stopped, looking up at the pale-haired man in a fedora dressed in a suit and tie. He took off his sunglasses and stuck out his hand to Gwen.
"My name's Andrew Summers," he introduced himself, "I work for Riot…creators of League of Legends. I might have a way to save your daughter…but it will come at a price,"
"If it will save my daughter, I don't care how much money I have to spend," Gwen growled.
"I'm not talking about money, Ms. Noble," Andrew stated, "Come with me, let's talk alone for a moment,"
Pain, so much pain…the last thing Cira remembered was pushing the girl out of the way…but nothing after that. The young music student looked around at the misty surroundings. She thought she heard birds and smelled wood smoke, but she chalked it up to her rampant imagination. That is, until she actually walked closer to the edge of the room and watched as it slowly became clearer. The misty surroundings turned into something that looked more at place in a Greek temple, elegantly carved columns, mosaics all over the floor, golden sun-like designs spiraled in many hues of yellow from the center of the room. It was beautiful and when the sunlight shone through the pillars, it made the whole room turn to gold.
"Cira Noble?" a male voice asked.
Cira turned around to face him, her body already tensed and ready to fight if it should come to that. The man gave a sad smile and took off his hat, revealing a shock of almost white, blond hair.
"My name is Andrew Summers," he started, "You were in a horrible accident. You saved that child's life, but the car struck you. You have a fractured spine and many places in your skull that are broken. They don't expect you to live much longer. You've been in a coma since the accident."
"Then how are you talking to me?" Cira demanded, "If this is all in my head,"
"You have to love technology and its advancements," Andrew chuckled, "I told your mother and sister that I would ask you personally. They agreed with me…but they wanted your opinion, saying it would supersede all other judgements,"
"And that is?" Cira asked warily.
"You're familiar with League of Legends, correct?" he asked.
Cira shot him a 'no duh' look as she held up her key chain featuring Leona's Zenith Blade.
"In order to save your life, there's an experimental process that will…ahem…make you a Champion," Andrew stammered, wringing his hands as Cira's grey eyes narrowed, "One…one Champion has chosen you…as in, she agreed to let you become her,"
"And who would be crazy enough to do that?" Cira snorted, "Jinx?"
"Not quite," a warm, summer sun-like female voice answered.
Cira turned around…and gaped at the gold and scarlet figure that walked out from behind a pillar.
"I will admit I've been called crazy before," Leona, the Radiant Dawn, smiled, her warm amber gaze sparkling gently, "But that was only by Diana…sometimes Pantheon,"
"You…" Cira choked, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"I've been watching you for a long time, Cira," Leona continued, "You have the makings of a true Solari warrior. A Chosen of the Sun. I see a lot of myself in you, hence why this process will go very well for the both of us,"
She put a warm hand on Cira's shoulder.
"I would gladly give my life to save another," Leona finished, "After all…that's what Supports are for, right?"
Cira gave a slight smile and nodded slowly, making Leona give a loud, warm laugh. The Radiant Dawn looked at Andrew, her sun-bright eyes dimming slightly as she bowed her head.
"She will have to become more than just a Champion, won't she?" Leona asked, "Because of what I am? What Fiora, Yi, Lucian, Yasuo and Zed are?"
Andrew gave a sad nod before looking at the Solari warrior.
"Why don't you show her," he suggested, "Then let her decide,"
"Decide what?" Cira asked.
"Cira," Leona started softly, "I…I am not completely human. Not anymore,"
She touched her chest and her form started to shimmer like a mirage…before appearing in a form that looked like a mix between man and machine…woman and machine to be more corrected. The golden visor that covered the Radiant Dawn's eyes flickered as she turned her head.
"Yi destroyed the lab," Leona explained, her voice taking on a metallic quality, "Yasuo and I weren't finished yet…hence why we look the most human. Yi can't remember, Fiora feels nothing, Lucian has scars, Yasuo has fits of rage, and Zed…"
Her gauntleted servos clenched into fists.
"Zed is a complete psychopath," she rumbled, "But…only when we're like this, when a Summoner chooses this form for us. But the sad thing is…and Yasuo and I alone know…this is now our constant form…anything else is a glamour, a hologram,"
She looked back up at Cira.
"If you choose this path…this will be your form," Leona warned, spreading her arms out, "I will protect you the best I can from whatever comes your way…but I cannot choose what you decide. To die human or to live and take on the mantle of the Radiant Dawn. That you must decide for yourself,"
Cira look at the Radiant Dawn as her form shimmered back into her 'Classic' look, the scarlet-haired beauty's golden eyes were sad, tired…worn even. Cira looked down at her own stocky form and closed her eyes. She didn't want to die…she wanted to live.
"Leona…I know what you've told me…I know doing this is dangerous," Cira started, "But…"
She set her jaw in determination and stood upright.
"I accept the mantle of the Radiant Dawn,"
Arthur watched as the surgeons worked on the love of his life. He, Star, and Gwen refused to let the doctors work on Cira without their supervision, so they watched as the surgeons started implanting pieces of silvery metal into the young woman.
"The League is real," he shook his head, "I had no idea…"
"I thought you and Cira had just found another odd pastime," Gwen admitted, "But this…are we doing the right thing? Letting her live as another person?"
"She'll be alive," Arthur smiled softly, "That's all I care about,"
"You and me both," Gwen nodded.
Cira gave a soft whimper of pain, her body arching off the table as golden light surged from it. Arthur and Gwen both started forwards, only to stop as Cira settled once again. With each passing moment, Cira looked less and less human and more machine with each metal fitting added to her frame. She truly did look like Leona's PROJECT skin…aside from the short bob of blonde hair that flowed from the helmet.
Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days…but finally, the surgeons had finished, allowing Arthur, Gwen, Janie, Star and Elaina to come into the post-operating room. Andrew stood beside the hospital bed…next to a sleeping Cira, who looked almost exactly as she did before the operation.
"We finally got the holo-tech installed a few minutes ago," Andrew explained, "That's what was taking so long…we wanted her to look normal when she woke up,"
"Is she my daughter or is she the other one?" Gwen demanded.
"Leona's still settling," Andrew told her, "It'll probably be a while before she wakes. But for now…"
He gently shook Cira's shoulder.
"Cira…there's some people who came to see you," he coaxed.
Cira's eyes fluttered open, flaring a brief gold before fading back to stormy blue.
"Hey…" she croaked and immediately was kissed on the lips by Arthur.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again," he ordered, kissing her forehead before grabbing her hand, "You hear me?"
"Loud and clear," Cira rasped before giving a weak smile to her mother and sister, "Hi Mom…hi Janie,"
Gwen leaned down and kissed her daughter's forehead, tears streaming.
"You scared us all," she scolded, "Cira, I'm grounding you until you're fifty,"
Cira turned a hurt, pleading gaze up to her mother.
"…Twenty five," Gwen deadpanned before smiling and gingerly hugging her daughter as Janie did the same.
Star put a hand on her best friend's and Cira gave a smile as she and Elaina got into the injured woman's field of vision.
"Sorry I scared you all," Cira murmured, "I didn't mean to,"
"You were being selfless," Star grinned, "Just being you,"
"Yeah I…" Cira started, only to freeze, her eyes flaring bright gold as she started to panic, her breathing becoming shallow as she started to thrash, "What is going on…where am I?! Who are all these people?!"
Andrew put a steadying hand on the panicking, newly reborn Champion's shoulder.
"Easy, Leona, remember what we decided to do?"
Cira…Leona…blinked rapidly, her golden eyes starting to calm down as she held her head.
"I'm her now…aren't I?" Leona whispered, "I apologize for frightening you all…this is disorienting…I need to get used to this,"
Her eyes flared back to blue and Cira turned a slightly afraid look to Andrew.
"What did you do to me?" she rasped, "To us?"
"I saved your life, remember?" Andrew started, "I told you that you and Leona would be one. I warned you what would happen and you still chose this path. Cira, you are so much more than just Cira Noble. You are also Leona, the Radiant Dawn, the Chosen of the Sun. That being said, you have quite a few responsibilities now…"
"Such as…" Cira growled.
"Being a Champion…I suppose you understand what that means…"
The color drained from Cira's already pale face.
"You expect me to fight…" she whispered.
"Not for a while yet," Andrew reassured her, "You're going to recover first…and then, we're going to train you. Leona's been disabled from play for a while just until you get back to your feet. We're saying it's a glitch in the system,"
He put a hand on Cira's shoulder.
"I have to go, but we'll be in touch, ok?"
And with that, he left.
Next will be Cira adjusting to Leona and vice versa. These won't be very long, less than five chapters tops. And you, my wonderful readers, have the opportunity to be a part of the story! Just PM me if you're interested and let me know what champion you'd like to represent (be forewarned, if you say yes...I'm going to be bugging the living daylights outta you just to get your reaction to different things. I want it to be your character, not the Champion).
For you people wanting Chosens, here are my requirements:
What Champion
Character's name ( 1st and last)
Age
Family?
Physical Description
Personality
Why were they picked by the Champion?
How did they become the Champion(why did the Champion choose them and what were the circumstances that made the Champion choose to bond with the character? *doesn't have to be tragic accident, but I still want to know why they're the new Champion*)
You will have one month to get me a description of your Chosen before the Champion goes back into the pool. You can have multiple Chosens (my requirement is that they are related/know each other) Limit is 3. I CAN decide whether or not I will use your Chosen, I'm pulling the 'My story, my rules' card. If I see that someone has a very good reason for that Champion, then I will show preference for them mainly because it's easier for me to write.
Champions already taken:
Leona: me
Kindred: The Kitsune Girl Ahri
Gragas: RoboticFreeze
Diana: MMiladinova
Jinx: minifox1
Kayle: sop56
Fiora: Oceanbourne
Pantheon: boyfriend
Viktor: ckies
Shen: HLZB
Tahm Kench: Tourvelix
Wukong: Unbiased Friend
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.