> Of Food and Friends > by Sandova Mirell > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Food? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Void, a dark and dangerous place inhabited by even darker creatures. The swirling madness houses many creatures in various states of age, stature and sanity. One of these creatures is sleeping peacefully, waiting unconsciously to be summoned so that it could participate in its favorite pastime: eating. It was about as tall as a human, but its body consisted mostly of a enormous mouth dripping with strange ooze. Its tongue looked like a telescopic tube studded with teeth, with in the center a small opening from which the ooze dripped. It's small arms were tipped with sharp claws, and his legs were also short and stubby. Between its legs wagged a short tail back and forth, indicating the sleeping beast's excitement. The creature's name was Kog'Maw, one of the Void representatives in the League of Legends, and it dreamed of food. Food running from him, other food running towards him to attack. It didn't matter, food is food and Kog'Maw would eat it, dissolving it with his void ooze before gobbling it all up. If he got hurt too much he would go boom, sometimes taking the food responsible with him. Then he would be summoned again and he could continue eating. His visage changed in something resembling a smile. As long as he was in the League he could go boom as often as he liked, he knew he would come back sooner or later anyway. Outside the league was another matter though, Malzahar was very clear on that. If Kog'Maw would go boom outside the League he would not come back, and that meant no more food! Something else moved through the swirling madness towards the juvenile Voidborn, something even more monstrous. This one was four-armed and hulking, it's head adorned with horns and a maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its long tail was sweeping back and forth through the madness, and it looked fondly at its little brother. Cho'Gath was known as the Terror of the Void, and with good reason. It was the first of his kind to appear on Valoran, and entered the league soon after for reasons unknown. It was not long before other Void-aligned champions entered the league. The inquisitive Kassadin had delved too deep in arcane mysteries and found himself changed, now he was an agent of 'balance' that could move through the void at will. The seer Malzahar was the next to enter, but unlike Kassadin he was actively spreading the influence of the Void, being the one that welcomed Kog'Maw to the world and introduced him to the League. The last to arrive was Kha'Zix, another Voidborn whose sole purpose was to eat deadly creatures and take their strongest aspects for itself. Cho'Gath looked at his baby brother again, although utterly alien it still knew emotions, it's just that they worked differently. It was then that it felt the tell-tale tingle of a summoning, followed by a presence in its mind of the one summoning him as their Champion. It's hideous features contorted in a wicked smile, it knew that carnage and slaughter would come soon, and its mouth watered at the prospect of feasting on the enemy Champions. When the link was complete it could sense his Summoner conversing with his teammates, and Cho'Gath discovered that he would be fighting his baby brother in this match. If possible its smile grew even wider at the prospect of showing off his killing talent to the young Voidborn. Cho'Gath's screeching voice rang out in the madness before he disappeared in a flash. "See you soon Kog, may we both eat until we burst." ~ Marzax the Dark was eying his teammates stationed around him in the dark room. Several already picked their Cahmpions, and the enemy team looked strong. He wasn't worried, though, because he knew that Kog'Maw would help Noxus obtain another victory. Right at that moment something went wrong, the Nexus flared and a spark of purple energy washed over the room. Most Summoners could leap out of the way, but Marzax was hit point-blank by the blast. The last thing he felt before he was cooked alive was the presence of Kog'Maw leaving his mind, the Voidborn's excited purring changing to a confused snort before everything went silent. ~ At the other side of the League one cloaked man wearing golden chains looked up from his book. "Who attempted an unauthorized summoning?" A woman wearing similar robes walked in. "We do not know, but the backlash surged through the Nexus System and interrupted a match that was about to start, killing one Summoner in the process." The man sighed and put his book down, this would prove troublesome. "Who was it, and which Champion did he pick?" The woman looked at the clipboard she was holding. "One Marzax the Dark from Noxus, he had picked Kog'Maw right before the blast hit him. Whatever happened afterwards is still being investigated, although we are trying to contact Malzahar and Kassadin as we speak. If someone can contact the Voidborn and find out what happened with Kog'Maw it's one of them." The master Summmoner pinched his nose. When he looked up he seemed very old for a short moment, then his signature calculating gaze returned. "Whatever happened, I have a feeling it will have severe consequences for whatever world Kog'Maw ended up in. I just hope we can salvage the situation afterwards." The woman looked worriedly at him. "And what if we can't?" "Then gods have mercy on their souls." ~ Kog'Maw opened his four eyes and blinked. Wherever he was it didn't smell like Summoners' Rift, and it was too bright for the Twisted Treeline or the Crystal Scar. The next thing it noticed was that he couldn't feel his Summoner in his mind. This could only mean one thing, he was free to eat whatever he pleased! Kog'Maw happily danced around the small forest clearing before looking around for something to eat. After about fifteen minutes he finally saw something larger then a critter moving through the forest. Kog'Maw immediately blasted an glob of ooze into the sky and watched as it landed a second later. The thing was immediately covered in caustic ooze and pheromones, hurting it badly and revealing its position at the same time. It appeared to be a creature made of wood. Kog'Maw was confused, although it was made of wood like the Tree-Food at the League it looked more like the Wolf-Food. Kog'Maw then decided to investigate this strange creature in the only way it knew: by devouring it. After it ate the strange Tree-Wolf-Food Kog'Maw saw more of them moving around and it squealed in delight, more food! One of the Tree-Wolf-Foods lunged at him while the rest circled around. Kog'Maw responded with spewing forth a large ball of sticky ooze that covered the ground in mucus, trapping the ones circling him and even killing one unfortunate enough to get hit by the ball. Kog'Maw then began to turn red and heaved up as much arcane ooze as he could muster before repeatedly spitting it all around him. Most of the Tree-Wolf-Foods died there, gaping holes showing where the bio-arcane barrage had hit them. One food still lived and tried to escape, but Kog'Maw spit another large glob up in the sky and hit the running food with it. Satisfied with his work he began eating, but stopped when he heard growling behind him. Kog'Maw turned around to see something large move through the trees. This looked like no other food Kog'Maw had seen before, it didn't even look like it was easy to eat! The Maybe-Food was big, almost as big as the Dragon-Food, and that took most of a team to take down! It had large head filled with teeth that resembled the Cat-Man-Food's head, but its body looked like that of the Wild-Cat-Lady-Food. It also had wings like the Stone-Guard-Food and a tail like the Crystal-Bug-Food. The Maybe-Food roared at Kog'Maw end eyed him hungrily, and Kog'Maw realized that it saw him as food! Kog'Maw knew that look, Cho'Gath had the same look when he was fighting. It was the look of a predator that spotted easy food, and Kog'Maw couldn't help but feel angry. The Maybe-Food might be big, but Kog'Maw had eaten bigger things before! The Maybe-Food pounced at Kog'Maw, but the Voidborn was waiting for it with spittle dripping from his maw, ready to give it a taste of void ooze! The Maybe-Food got hit square in the chest by the glob, but it didn't seem even fazed! Kog'Maw realized that this Maybe-Food was strong, and while Kog'Maw wasn't restricted by the League, he also didn't have any of the magic items that made his ooze stronger. The Maybe-Food had closed the distance quickly and swiped a claw at Kog'Maw, knocking him across the clearing while large gashes hurt him badly. Kog'Maw then remembered Malzahar's words, if he got hurt too badly and went boom here he would never come back! Kog'Maw suddenly became afraid. He didn't want to go boom! Not here, not now! Daddy hadn't even made it to the League yet! Kog'Maw did the only thing it could think of, he spit a ball of void ooze at the Not-Food monster and ran in the other direction, screaming all the way. ~ "Angel come back! I-if you don't mind that is." Angel Bunny ignored his caretaker and went on hopping towards the Everfree. Fluttershy squeaked. "N-no Angel, it is dangerous in there. Please don't-oh my, what is that?" Fluttershy heard crying coming from the direction of the Everfree, and quickly hid behind a brush. The crying continued, it sounded like some creature was scared! Fluttershy composed herself, if some poor animal was scared she must help it! Fluttershy got out of the brush and flew towards the sound and she ended up in a clearing. Before she could see what made the noise something bust through the underbrush. "Eep." Fluttershy dived for a brush, but then she saw what had come out of the brush. It was the strangest creature Fluttershy had ever seen, but she then noticed that it was badly hurt! Before Fluttershy could comfort the poor thing a manticore entered the clearing as well, eying the creature hungrily. Fluttershy felt weak and her wings snapped to her side, but then she heard the strange creature speak in a frightened tone. "No, dont want to go boom. No boom, no boom! Help me, me no food." Fluttershy composed herself and looked at the manticore. She took a deep breath and locked eyes with the beast. "HOW DARE YOU! You think that just because you're big you can bully other creatures? You will go back right now mister!" The manticore froze at the small pony in front of him. The ice blue eyes seemed to pierce its very soul. The manticore actually shrunk back, but Fluttershy did not relent. "You will go away now, or I WILL Stare you until you cry, you hear me?" The manticore seemed to understand and ran away with its tail between its legs. Fluttershy sighed and looked back at the strange creature and gasped. It had collapsed and was bleeding badly! "Oh you poor thing. Don't worry, I will get help." Fluttershy hated to leave the creature here, but she couldn't move it by herself. She needed to get her friends as quickly as possible! With a final look at the creature she took off to Ponyville as fast as she could. > No food?! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: Rainbow Dash was clearing the last rogue cloud that had drifted from the Everfree when she saw Fluttershy flying past at an impressive speed. That is, impressive for Fluttershy. “Heya Fluttershy! What’s with the big rush?” Fluttershy noticed her friend and flew towards her, Angel Bunny hanging from her mane. “Rainbow, it’s awful. I just found some creature in the Everfree and it's badly hurt! We need to help it!” Rainbow Dash looked at her friend and cocked her eyebrow. "In the Everfree Forest?! Fluttershy what were you thinking going in there? You, of all ponies, should know how dangerous that place is." Fluttershy mumbled and hid behind her mane before Angel Bunny tapped her on the head. "Oh, uhm, well. I was chasing Angel when I heard some noise. Some creature I have never seen was badly hurt because a manticore wanted to eat it. It talked and it sounded scared so you really got to help me because I can't move it and-" Rainbow raised her hooves. "Whoa Fluttershy, take it easy. Where did you say this weird creature was?" Fluttershy told Dash where to find the strange creature and Dash took of as soon as Fluttershy was done talking. Fluttershy eep'ed before following her blue friend as quickly as possible. After a while she reached the clearing to find Rainbow Dash standing next to the unconscious creature. She looked up when she noticed Fluttershy. "This was the creature you were talking about? It seems kinda, dangerous, you know? You sure you wanna help it." Fluttershy looked sternly at her friend before nodding, Angel still sitting on top of her head. "Of course, it sounded so afraid, the poor thing. It was crying and begging for help, and help it I will. So, could you help me take it to my cottage, i-if you don't mind, that is." "Sure thing, I'll be there in ten seconds flat!" "B-but the cottage is so far away." Now it was Rainbow's turn to narrow her eyes. "Ten.seconds.flat." Before Fluttershy could protest her friend had already grabbed the creature and started to drag it into the sky, straining visibly. She stopped a bit and huffed. "Okay, maybe no ten seconds. But I will make it in ten minutes, tops." Fluttershy smiled meekly and flew up to the creature. "Don't worry, I will get you better, I promise." ~ Kog'Maw hurt, but also felt strangely soft. No, it was the world around him that was soft. He snorted and tried to open one of his many eyes. When his eye adjusted to the light he saw he was inside some kind of building. He snorted curiously and tried to get up. He was halfway up when a sharp pain made him cry out a bit. "Oh, you mustn't get up. You'll only hurt yourself." Kog'Maw was even more surprised at the soft voice coming from somewhere near him. He turned a bit and saw a strange creature looking back at him. The creature was light yellow, except at the top of its head, where it was pink. Two large blue eyes looked at him. Kog'Maw tilted his head in confusion, what was this thing? And more importantly, could he eat it? "Food?" The strange creature's eyes widened, and Kog'Maw head a small gasp. "O-oh, you really can talk. Don't worry, I can bring you some food." Kog'Maw blinked. The strange creature could talk? Kog'Maw did not know this creature, so his first instinct was to eat it. On the other hand, it did say it was going to get him some food. Kog'Maw decided to wait until he had eaten whatever the creature gave him before eating it, because then he had more food! The creature had already moved away, but he could still see another small creature standing before him. It was a, bunny. Or at least that's what he was told these creatures were told. Kog'Maw tried to eat a bunny before, but his ooze had dissolved all of it before Kog'Maw could eat it, so he didn't bother with them anymore. This bunny was looking at him with narrowed eyes, and Kog'Maw decided to look back. The Voidborn and the bunny were still locked in their staring contest when the pink and yellow creature returned. "Oh, I see you've met Angel Bunny already. Are you getting along?" Neither Kog'Maw nor Angel Bunny reacted, still locked in their staring contest. Although Kog'Maw did not know what a staring contest was, he still kept looking at the strange bunny, waiting to see what it did. Maybe he should eat it, because this bunny confused him. Before he could make a decision the strange creature put a large basket between them. Kog'Maw turned his attention to the basket, oblivious to Angel's victorious expression. The basket was filled with all kinds of vegetable, and Kog'Maw looked at the strange creature in confusion. "This food?" The Creature nodded. Kog'Maw picked up an orange stick and put it into his mouth. It tasted good! He then opened his maw wide and swallowed the entire basket, ooze dripping from his mouth as he did so. The creature made a startled sound and flinched back, before smiling again. "Oh you poor thing, you were famished, weren't you? It's a good thing that I found you before that manticore got you." Kog'Maw was still swallowing the last remains of the basket and didn't hear the creature talk. When he was finished he looked at the creature again. "More food? Want meat." The creature froze in place. "Y-you want m-meat? I-I'm sorry, but I can't h-hurt another creature just so that you can eat m-meat. Y-you will have to do with v-vetgetables." Kog'Maw cocked his head sideways. "Strange creature is meat." At this the creature made a terrified sound and ran out of the room. Kog'Maw blinked, then followed the creature. "Stop run food, me hungry!" Before he made it out the room a rainbow-colored blur shot through the doorway and something blue slammed into Kog'Maw. He felt himself slam into the wall of the room and cried out in pain and surprise. "Oh no, you are not gonna eat my friend after she just tried to save you." In front of Kog'Maw stood another strange creature. It looked like the other, but this one was blue and had a lot of colors on top of its head. So this was the creature that attacked him? Kog'Maw laughed and spit a glob of ooze at the creature, who simply dodged it. "Ew, watch it." The creature then saw the ooze eat its way through the floor, hissing and bubbling as it did. "Oh horseapples." Kog'Maw had already heaved up a lot of ooze, and was now readying a barrage of bio-arcane slime. The blue creature saw the slime drip from his mouth and swallowed. "So you wanna be like that? Fine, let's dance, freak." Before Kog'Maw could spit the creature shot forward and hit him again. Kog'Maw cried out in frustration and began spitting his ooze everywhere he could, hoping to hit the creature this way. The fighting went on for a while, but eventually the blue creature got stuck in his sticky spittle. Kog'Maw had almost exhausted his supply of ooze, so he decided to eat the creature immediately. He had taken two steps when the yellow creature suddenly stepped in front of him. "S-stop, please. No more fighting." Kog'Maw stopped advancing, these creatures confused him. "But blue creature hit me. I hit back. I just want meat, and she meat. You meat as well. I will eat meat." He set another step forward when the yellow creature opened its eyes wide and looked at him. Kog'Maw found that he could not move, the creature's blue eyes filling his vision. "You will not eat my friends, you hear me mister? Ponies are not food, and you will not try to eat them. Am I clear?" Kog'Maw stood there, caught in the creature's spell, and became afraid. He began to cry. "I sorry, I just want food. I like meat. I wanna go home, to Void." Kog'Maw kept crying, not understanding this world and these creatures. He wanted back to the League and fight. He didn't notice the yellow creature coming closer until it stroked his head. "It's alright, I'm not angry. Hush now, I will help you get home. But first you have to apologize, okay?" Kog'Maw nodded, and the creature stepped back. "Dash, can you come over here, please?" The blue creature huffed, but stepped forward. The yellow creature nodded and looked at Kog'Maw. "Can you tell us your name?" Kog'Maw nodded again. "I Kog'Maw, I come from Void." The yellow creature smiled at him. "Hello Kog'Maw, I am Fluttershy. And this is Rainbow Dash." Rainbow Dash waved a foreleg at him. "Uhm, hi." "Kog'Maw, you scared Rainbow Dash and me very much. Can you apologize, please?" "I sorry for scaring Rainbow and Fluttershy. I will not eat Rainbow and Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash looked relieved, and Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "Very good. Now, do you know how you got here?" Kog'Maw thought about it, then nodded. "I was waiting for League match. Summonner then gone, I go in forest. I see tree-wolf creatures, I eat tree-wolf creatures. Then big creature come, try to eat Kog'Maw. I run. Wake up in soft building." Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy with a confused look. "Did you understand that? 'Cuz I sure as hay don't." "We should get Twilight, maybe she knows something." Fluttershy approached Kog'Maw. "Kog'Maw, we are going to see our friends. Maybe they know how to get you home, will you come with us." Kog'Maw nodded eagerly, he really wanted to go back home again. "Okay, but you can't eat ponies. Do you understand me?" Kog'Maw nodded a bit more sadly this time. "Don't worry, I still have some food for you." She went away, then came back with more orange sticks. "I saw you liked carrots, so I hope these are enough." Kog'Maw happily devoured all the carrots, then sat down and waited for Fluttershy. She and Rainbow Dash move to a door and gestured at him to follow. Kog'Maw got up and waddled after them. ~ Twilight Sparkle was busy reorganizing the library when somepony knocked on the door. "Spike, can you get the door? I'm kind of busy right now." "Sure thing, Twilight." Twilight was almost done with the 'E' section when she heard Spike cry out, followed by a shout from Fluttershy. "Kog'Maw, no! You can not eat Spike. He is a friend." Twilight didn't hesitate for a second. As soon as she heard the words 'eat spike' she teleported downstairs, horn sparking with power. "No one is going to eat-huh?" In her years as a bearer of one of the Elements of Harmon, she had never seen such a strange sight. Spike was hiding behind a large pile of books, while Fluttershy was berating some kind of eldritch monstrosity. Rainbow dash was lazily flying around, watching with a bemused expression. "Okay, what is going on here?" When Spike heard Twilight's voice he immediately ran towards her, looking panicked. "Twilight, I opened the door and there was this monster and it said that it wanted to eat me!" Fluttershy looked up at them. "Don't worry Spike, Kog'Maw won't do something like that, won't you Kog'Maw?" The eldritch monstrosity, Kog'Maw, nodded. "I sorry for scaring Spike. I not know this world." Twilight blinked, from its looks to its grammar the creature seemed absolutely wrong. Whatever this Kog'Maw was, it didn't belong in Equestria. "W-what? Fluttershy, what is that thing?" Fluttershy looked at her sternly. "He is called Kog'Maw, and he is lost. I think he is from another world, and he doesn't know how to get back. The poor thing ended up in the Everfree forest, where a manticore was trying to eat him. I berated the manticore and tended to Kog'Maw's wounds." Twilight took a deep breath to calm down, then looked at Kog'Maw again. "Okay, I understand that part. But was that about eating Spike?" Fluttershy hid behind her mane a bit, like she always did when delivering news that somepony wouldn't like. "Well, I believe he is omnivorous, since he ate an entire basket filled with vegetables before he asked f-for m-meat." Rainbow Dash swooped down and looked sternly at Fluttershy. "Before he tried to eat you, you mean. He tried to eat me too, wrecked half your home with that creepy slime of his." "W-well, It ended up alright, didn't it?" Rainbow Dash huffed. "Yeah, after you had to use the Stare and made him cry." She turned to Twilight. "Flutters may be able to keep him under control, but that doesn't mean that he isn't dangerous. We need your help in getting him home, fast. Who knows what he'll try to eat next." All three mares looked at Kog'Maw, only to find him waddling after Owlicious, mouth gaping and dribbling ooze all over the floor. "Kog'Maw! Stop trying to eat Owlicious! Have a carrot instead." Kog'Maw stopped at the word 'Carrot' and turned to Fluttershy. "No eating little bird?" She shook her head. He hung his head and waddled towards them, but perked up when Fluttershy handed him a carrot. Twilight sighed and trotted over to the door, flipping the sign from 'open' to 'closed'. This was going to be a long day.