A/N: I've decided to follow up what was originally a one-shot with a multi-chapter work. This was originally contained in League of Lesbians but I pulled it out to be the prologue for this new story. If you've read this, you can skip ahead to the first chapter.

Prologue

Most people were aware that the Solari were not known for subtlety. In fact, anyone within visible distance of their temple would have to be blind not to notice the imposing golden peak they had built onto Mount Targon. The open air abbey simply dominated the top of the mountain and was visible from miles around. It's open golden-bricked walls spiraled wildly, winding up the mountain around convoluted sets of stairs and pathways. Tall maroon tapestries, embossed with golden threads, jutted out over the walls, buffeting in the warm winds. Few knew why, but the Mount was blessed with warm, sunny weather year round; it was evidently a perk of worshipping the sun.

Deep within the winding labyrinth, a lone figure was kneeling before a golden altar. She was dressed in bright golden robes, delicate in stitching and beautifully designed and cut, flowing elegantly as she stood up and raised her hands to the sky. Her hood dropped back, releasing locks of long red hair. The hymnal chanting that always resonated through the abbey during the day made a good backdrop for her prayers.

"You summoned me, Radiant Dawn?" a youthful yet slightly deep voice asked from behind her.

Leona dropped her hands, quietly whispering the last words of her prayer before turning and regarding the new arrival. Her hood completely shadowed her face, but Leona knew precisely who it was. "Yes, I needed assistance in my training. We shall spar in my private garden."

After a moment of hesitation, the initiate gave a light nod. "Very well."

The Chosen of the Sun left the small, empty chapel, assuming the other girl was following behind her. The two wound their way through the temple. Leona gave a respectful nod to elders as they passed, and received deep bows from everyone else. Somehow it still felt odd to her, when adults and priests would show so much respect for a teenager.

Following a memorized but confusing route, the two eventually found their way through the abbey, approaching the peak. The final hall was draped in a wall of golden silks, obscuring what lay on the other side to all but the Chosen of the Sun and any guests she may invite.

They slid through them, arriving at a wide, round, and open garden. The walls were low, but the placement still protected it from any prying eyes. The sun shone brightly, as it always did in this sacred place. This was the place where the sun shone brighter and longer than anywhere else in all of Runeterra.

There was a small clearing of golden grass in the center, surrounded by a ring of well kept sunflowers. On the far wall was a large golden monument, on which sat the relic armor of the chosen one. To the side was a path to her private quarters.

Leona moved quietly to the center of the glade, taking a deep stretch and basking in the warm light and the scent of the garden around her. When she turned, she found the robed girl approaching her from behind, her face still shadowed by her hood.

"Are we to fight unarmed?"

With a chuckle, the Radiant down quietly pulled down the hood, revealing pale skin and a pair of icy blue eyes. The other girl's snow white hair was pulled back through the thin headdress of an Iron Solari initiate.

"I didn't really plan on fighting. I see you've earned your first piece of armor, Diana. The trial went well?"

"Very," the other girl answered, a proud smile on her face.

"Such a shame," Leona chimed back, shaking her head a little.

The pale-skinned girl quietly tilted her head and gave the redhead an odd look. "How so? It is an honor to finally–,"

"I think you looked much prettier with your hair down," Leona interrupted with a smile.

Diana released a chuckle, her teenage hormones drawing a slight flush to her milky skin. "Well sorry, but I have to wear this from now on."

"I guess it's irrelevant anyway, the way you always hide beneath your cloak. Keep it up and the elders will punish you again."

"Sometimes it's just– too bright here," the girl retorted, glancing away from Leona's smirk.

"You definitely shouldn't let them hear that."

Diana gave her a slight smile in response. She took a few steps closer to the Radiant Down and pressed her body into the other girl's, hands snaking around behind her neck. "I think there are far worse things they could punish me for."

"Yes, you're probably right," Leona responded, using a free hand to gently tilt the white-haired girls head up as she leaned in and kissed her. Her other arm slid around Diana's waist, pulling her in tighter.

Pulling back and taking a few deep breaths, Diana nodded before resting her head into the crook of Leona's neck. "Honestly, you can't keep summoning me with such flimsy excuses. You might actually get me executed."

Leona let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Oh come on, it was a joke," the girl tried to explain, pulling back a little further. She let out her own sigh when her girlfriend's face kept its worried expression. After a few moments, she bit her lip and pulled away completely, reaching a hand into her robe. "Cheer up, I have something for you."

Diana pulled out a little silver locket. She quickly showed Leona the inside, which had their names engraved around a little pink heart. Without saying a word, she snapped it shut.

"I know you have your doubts," the white-haired girl whispered as she reached around Leona and worked the clasp of the necklace. "But I love you. Now, you have my heart, and I decide when I take it back," she explained.

Leona leaned forward and kissed Diana deeply, using both of her hands to cup the other girl's cheeks. "Thank you. You may not be very funny," she commented, pulling away with a slight chuckle, "but you can be very romantic sometimes.

Diana gave her a quiet nod, hesitating a moment before pulling her lips into a smirk. "Hey, I heard a rumor that the chosen has a four poster bed with a view of the sky."

The sudden comment brought a gentle flush to Leona's cheeks. "That's true."

"I'd love to see it."

Leona was a little shocked as she gave a slight nod. "Very well, this way." She led the other girl by the hand to her quarters.

"You know, I've already finished all my duties for today," Diana commented, not so innocently.

"That's good," Leona answered as calmly as she could manage.

With a frustrated growl, Leona wearily opened her eyes to the darkness of night. Under her breath she cursed the timing of her awakening. The only light filtering into her room was that of the stars and moon through the large bay windows. She quietly raised a hand up to the tapestry of the sun that hung over her bed before peeling herself from her covers and sitting on the edge.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before casting a quiet glance over to her door. Dreams of her former happiness still occasionally haunted her, and the Radiant Dawn was well aware that she wouldn't find sleep again that night. Her hand subconsciously found its way to the small, unassuming locket that still hung around her neck from all those years ago. As restlessness began to overwhelm her, she stood.

She examined the state of her golden pajamas, ensuring she was well covered before heading out the door for a long walk. They weren't the wide open halls of Mount Targon, but the Institute of War still had a gentle, magical glow even at night. Leona found herself remembering the way Diana disliked the bright light of the day, but loved having the stars overhead at night. 'Perhaps I should have known,' she thought to herself as she continued to walk.

Leona found herself walking onto one of the expansive, wide balconies that dotted the walls of the Institute. There were intricately carved stone railings and high trellises against the walls with flowering vines snaking through. She glanced out at the wide, full moon that was sitting high in the night sky. The moon that Diana betrayed the Solari for– betrayed her for.'Stupid bitch, stealing my lover.' Leona stared up, perhaps with a bit of jealousy, at the moon as it slowly passed out of sight behind the building at her back. It was a long while before she decided to try and sleep again. But as she started to turn and head back, something cold pressed against her neck.

"Should the Chosen of the Sun really be stargazing?"

Her teeth grit firmly at the deep, familiar voice. "Diana. What are you doing out here?"

"Well, I'm stargazing, but that is sort of my thing. Why are you out so late?"

"Hmm. Good dream," Leona responded with a smile.

"Don't you mean bad dream?" the heretic questioned. Leona could tell from just the tone of her voice that the other woman had an eyebrow raised.

"No," she answered, relaxing a little.

"Shouldn't you be more afraid?"

"Of a wooden sword?" Leona questioned, pushing the training weapon away. "Don't be silly. Besides, you wouldn't hurt me off the fields."

"What makes you say that?" Diana asked, her tone growing a little aggravated.

"You know why," the Radiant dawn responded, wheeling around suddenly.

The pale woman's eyes glowed with a gentle silver light, accentuated in the dark of night and matching the well with the white tank-top and silver pants she was wearing. Her hair was pulled back, as it had simply picked up that grain over years as Iron Solari. Leona sighed, missing the woman's formerly pretty blue eyes and the contented, loving smiles she used to receive instead of the cold, hard glare she was getting now.

"I don't. I would hurt you if I was allowed. I want to hurt you more than anything."

"We both know that isn't true."

Snapping, Diana tossed aside the wooden sword before throwing a sharp jab aimed at Leona's jaw. It was quickly blocked, and the Radiant Dawn decided it would be best to try and defend herself. The two found themselves circling each other, mirrored in stance and occasionally throwing out a punch or kick.

After trading a few blows, Diana released a feral, deep growl as she charged forward and tackled the other woman. They spilled onto the ground, and Diana ended up straddling her. A bare hand quickly found its way to Leona's neck, applying pressure but not cutting off her breath. "I could just choke the life out of you now."

With a quick glance up, Leona took a deep gulp. The familiarity of this situation, though with slightly different context, wasn't helping with her earlier feelings of frustration.

But that thought brought what seemed like a good idea. With a smirk, Leona brought a hand up, brushing past the woman's hip and sliding up, where it applied a bit of pressure to a well known weak spot on the small of Diana's back. The heretic couldn't keep her body from bucking a little at the sudden caress, giving Leona just enough space to shove her off. Rising forcefully, the Radiant Dawn pushed forward, pinning Diana against nearest wall.

"Still as sensitive as ever," Leona whispered with a smile.

"Two can play at the game," Diana growled, suddenly leaning forward and giving a firm nibble onto Leona's earlobe.

She couldn't hold back a light whimper and moan that formed in the back of her throat as Diana continued to toy with her. After a moment, Diana roughly shoved her away. The unexpected motion sent Leona to the ground, where she froze, her head down and her face shadowed by the night. The heretic raised her fists, ready to continue the fight, but Leona made no effort to stand.

"Diana?"

"What?" she growled, slightly confused.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

Leona finally raised her head. Diana could see that her dark, golden eyes were misty and wide, tears just on the verge of forming. "Everything."

The white-haired woman had to glance away; she couldn't look her former lover in the eyes while she was like that. With a sigh, she began to speak. "You're the Chosen of the Sun."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You were the chosen one– our messiah, perfect in everyone's eyes. What was I? Just some underachieving initiate, barely passable as a Solari. I was a failure!"

Leona looked taken aback. "But I love you anyway."

Ignoring the tense of Leona's words, Diana continued. "Anyway? That's what I hated. You were settling. I never felt good enough for you! I just wanted to be good enough."

The Radiant Dawn's mouth hung open in shock.

"I loved you, I wanted to feel like I deserved to stand beside you. I could never achieve that in the Solari. I tried so hard to find a way, and then I discovered the Lunari. I worked hard and searched, because I could be the Chosen of the Moon. I could earn that place by your side, and I succeeded."

"Diana…"

"… and what did they do when I returned? When I told them I had found power, a new ally for the sun? They wanted to have me executed! All my reaching to be by your side, and I never realized the sun and moon were so far apart. I'm finally your equal and now I find that the sun and moon can never be together."

Leona shook her head violently. "We can still–,"

"We can never go back to the way things were. What did you do when you found out what happened?"

With a moment of hesitation, Leona shook her head again.

"Say it!" Diana commanded, her voice laced with fury.

"I hunted you down."

"That's right. You didn't come to ask why– you didn't come to me for an explanation back then. You came to execute me for heresy. Me! The woman that you were supposed to love! The woman that had loved you for years!"

"You murdered them," Leona started to weakly explain.

"Because they would have murdered me. You can call it an execution if it makes you feel better, but it would have been murder." Diana marched right up beside Leona, who had dropped her head in shame and was wholeheartedly weeping. "I'm sorry, but we can never go back."

Leona finally glanced up, finding that the sun was beginning to rise, but was eclipsed by Diana. The heretic crouched down, reaching out a hand and tracing along Leona's collar bone, before tugging at the silver chain around her neck. The small silver locket slid out from Leona's nightshirt. Diana stared deeply into her eyes.

"I'm taking this back," she whispered, reaching around and undoing the clasp. She stood and started to walk away. "Goodbye Leona. You won't see me for awhile. I need to research this moonstone Nami keeps bothering me about. It turns out that when your infallible elders decided that the Lunari didn't deserve to exist, they may have doomed her people to extinction."

Leona looked up with guilty eyes. "Can I help in any way?"

"No Solari will ever enter a Lunari temple again," the heretic stated with venom. She couldn't help but give an angry glare when Leona let out a genuine laugh.

"Sorry, I know it's serious. But I thought it was a joke. A double entendre."

Diana thought for a moment, then blushed heavily. "Oh shut up!"

With a nod and a resigned smile, Leona just stared at the back of the woman she still loved as she walked away. "Goodbye," she said solemnly, so quietly she was certain she was the only one who could hear it.