The sun was shining down on the verdant grass of Summoner's Rift. Birds were flying overhead, the trees were waving with the wind, and the river sparkled a clear blue.
A storm was about to start, of course. When things are this good, something bad's always about to happen.
Not the kind of storm with rain and gales and lightning, though. On Summoner's Rift, great battles were fought between man and monster, woman and abomination, child and robot. And one such battle was gearing up.
The champions representing both teams had materialized upon their respective fountains and were choosing their items. The battle today would be deciding a matter of small importance; another minor spat between Noxus and Ionia over land. Soraka, Master Yi and Ashe and Irelia had stepped forward to defend Ionia's honour. Maokai's entrance, however, had been leaning towards the 'dragged in kicking and screaming' style.
All the champions maintained a constant link with their Summoner, who in turn were connected to their fellows. Co-ordination was done through them – they were the brains, the Champions the muscle that enacted their will. Soraka was joined to a Summoner of no particular import – she had worked with him once before, and he had only spoken to her infrequently to issue commands.
Master Yi nodded once, addressing his Summoner, and set off towards the northern forest at a brisk pace. Ashe followed suit, blazing a trail towards the middle lane. Irelia nodded once towards the two Champions still standing on the platform, then began running down towards the northernmost turret, with a light murmur of assent to her Summoner and her blades floating at her side.
"Well," Soraka began easily. "I guess I'll be working with you for now, great treant." She had never been in a battle with or against him – indeed, she had only even watched one match which he had been a part of.
Maokai gave only a small rumble in response before lumbering away towards the bottom lane. Soraka hurried to catch up with him, eager to help.
"Welcome to Summoner's Rift." the unseen announcer's familiar voice rang out across the Field of Justice.
"Are you planning on taking control of the brush to start?" Soraka asked as she fell into step next to him.
Maokai responded with a nod, only making eye contact for an instant to glare irritably at her, and bounced the sapling in his hand.
"Alright. If you go first and keep their weapons away from me, I'll do my best to see you out alive."
"If it pleases you, feel free," Maokai grumbled in response, this time not even deigning to look at her as he walked. "It does not matter to me either way."
"What? Why not?" Soraka couldn't understand. Even Fiddlesticks, on the one occasion she had been placed on a team with him, had welcomed her assistance with open arms – and he had happily done his best to kill her on every other occasion he'd seen her.
"My greatest wish is for this cursed life to end," The frankness with which he replied was almost enough to make Soraka stop in her tracks.
"Why?"
"Thirty seconds until minions spawn." The announcer's voice temporarily put a halt to the conversation.
"I was ripped from the soil by this foul magic," Maokai grumbled slowly. "And it keeps me from going back. All I want is to return to the forest."
As the last word left his mouth, he reached back and hurled the sapling he had been carrying into the brush. After a few seconds, he lumbered forward, and Soraka followed meekly along behind him.
"Then why do you still fight?" she asked.
"Because I am given no choice. I am forced to exist solely for the purpose of representing these foolish mages, though their petty battles mean nothing to me."
Maokai stopped at the edge of the brush, picking up the sapling he had thrown with surprising care.
Soraka hesitated before speaking.
"Well, I don't know anything about that," she said slowly. "I'm sure though, that in time, you'll have your wish granted. In the meantime, I will do everything I can to make your life in these war games as pleasant as possible,"
Maokai turned around and looked down at her, studying her for something. After several seconds of scrutiny he turned around again.
"It is appreciated," he relented.
Soraka hadn't planned on dealing with an ally who would possibly need some kind of psychiatric help in addition to her opponents, but if her first conversation with him was any judge, he might not be as much trouble as she thought.
Maokai turned his attention to the brush on the other side of the lane, throwing his sapling into it with an underhand swing. Once again, he waited for a response before moving forward into the farther patch of brush, and Soraka followed behind.
"Minions have spawned."
Maokai retreated from yet another furious exchange of blows with Sion, and Soraka rushed forward to mend the wounds that the Undead Champion's axe had rent in him. Maokai spared her a small nod before propelling another sapling into the brush in an attempt to force his opponent to abandon.
A loud barrage of exceedingly foul curses to her left drew her attention.
"On the left!" Soraka shouted, fleeing out of range of Veigar's magicks as Maokai moved forward to intercept him.
Another flurry of powerful spells and furious shouts erupted from the tiny, egotistical mage as his would-be prey escaped him again. Soraka cast an Astral Blessing on Maokai as he took the brunt of Veigar's magic, and this combined with his attacks drawing the Minions' attentions forced him to retreat, swearing to deliver a bloody vengeance on all who defied him. Idly Soraka wondered how his teammates could stand to be near him.
"This is a good thing we've got going," Soraka remarked as she cast an Infuse spell to restore their mana. Maokai nodded once, tossing another sapling at the battling minions. "If we can keep this up, there's no way we can lose."
Neither side had sustained any casualties yet, as the threat both forces presented were still too great for either to move in for the kill. Soraka was sure that they could win, as her restorative spells would undoubtedly assure their victory in a battle of attrition.
Sion emerged from the brush, swinging his chopper in wide arcs at the battling minions, and Veigar returned to the forefront of the fight, hurling spells in every direction.
"Keep at them," Soraka encouraged Maokai as he moved forward to engage them.
This continued for several minutes, with the fight continuously shifting up and down the lane, in one side's favour one moment and the other's the next.
"Alright, back up!" Soraka yelled to Maokai as the last of the purple Minions crumpled to the ground. Veigar and Sion retreated to their tower with a small crowd of blue Minions in pursuit.
"Why?" he growled as he returned to her. "We should pressure them now. We have them cornered."
"If we go out there, whatever champion they have in their forest will come for us," she replied. "And I break too easily to risk it."
Maokai paused for a moment before nodding.
"You think wisely, little creature." the great tree rumbled.
"And you fight well, for all that you complain," Soraka gave a cheeky grin as she cast another Infuse.
Maokai didn't respond to her quip, choosing instead to toss another sapling into the neighbouring brush.
"You know, this life isn't so bad." Soraka said easily. Maokai turned and looked down at her. His gaze was neither threatening nor particularly caring, which she took as a good sign. "I think, if you really are unable to return to what you had for the moment, you should try and enjoy what you do have,"
"What is it that I have? I did not ask for life, nor did I want it." he growled.
"But you have it nonetheless. You have a proper life. You have your strength, your thoughts, and your mobility. The time will come when you will return to the forest, I believe. But until then, you should try and enjoy life. You'll never have another opportunity to,"
Maokai shook his head slowly. "No. This life was not meant to be. I can find no pleasure in it."
"Life is equal parts pleasure and pain," Soraka replied. "What matters is what we choose to focus on."
A break in the conversation ensued and both of them remained staring at each other, contemplating what the other had to say.
Look out, her summoner's voice rang out in her head.
They turned their gazes out to the field simultaneously, and were met with their two opponents leading a charge towards them. Veigar was screaming a constant stream of threats and inane gibberish, while next to him Sion advanced towards them silently, with his axe at the ready and a red mist coalescing around him.
Soraka stepped behind Maokai as he moved in front of her, brandishing a sapling in his hand and leering intimidatingly. A fresh wave of blue Minions moved forward to engage their purple-clad opponents, and the fight raged on.
Maokai stepped forward and brought his fist down onto Sion, shattering his shield. The undead behemoth in turn raised his axe to defend himself, before retaliating with a Cryptic Gaze. Veigar moved forward to take advantage of his opponent's inability to react, only to be met with a blast of energy from Soraka which prevented him from mustering his spells. Another Astral Blessing on Maokai repaired the damage Sion had done to him, allowing him time to recover.
The hulking wooden creature slammed his hand into the ground, releasing a wave of energy which pushed into Sion, knocking him back slightly and forcing him to move his arms away from his body to try and regain his balance. Veigar screeched in frustration as Maokai raised his arm again, and brought it down into the temporarily defenseless Sion's skull with a sickening crunch.
"First blood." The apparently omniscient announcer stated as the Undead Champion fell to the ground with a mighty thump.
Veigar, suddenly left without Sion's protection and far from his turret, immediately turned to retreat, spewing a wave of curses which would've made Gangplank cringe.
"Good work," Soraka praised as Maokai wiped his hand clean on the brush. He nodded once in response.
"He should have known better than to push his lane while half-dead."
"He should have," Soraka agreed. "But I'm not complaining, mind,"
Once again they hung back, unwilling to risk Noxus' jungler or mid-lane attacking them and leaving them between a rock and a hard place. Soraka took the time to mend his wounds and restore their mana.
"We make a good team, you and I," she said happily. "You know, you should come and visit me in Ionia. You'd like it there, and I'd enjoy your company,"
"You would enjoy the company of a creature that seeks death?" Maokai's gravelly voice carried a note of confusion.
"I like to help," she smiled up at him.
Yet another pause in conversation arose as Maokai turned to launch a sapling into the brush that watched their flank.
"Perhaps," he relented. "Perhaps this curse can be repurposed for the better."
They paused for a second to watch Veigar engage the blue minions. With the turret casting its protective shadow over him, he had suddenly gained a lot of boldness.
"You know, you and I are of a kind." Maokai said deliberately. Soraka turned to look up at him. "The trees are providers and protectors. In many ways, you display that good trait. Though I still long for the warm embrace of the dirt, perhaps I can grow... somewhat accustomed to this."
Soraka smiled. He really wasn't so bad.
"Yeah, you keep laughing!" A furious, high-pitched shout wormed its way into their ears. They looked up to see Veigar brandishing his staff, Sion running up behind to reinforce him. "Wait till I get over there, you useless pair of f-"
Several weeks had passed since Ionia's victory over Noxus on Summoner's Rift that day. The sun that rose this fine morning found a hulking treant, tinted purple and green from magic and moss respectively, lumbering down a road surrounded by trees towards the Ionian capital city.
When the great tree reached the tall, white walls he was met with unsurprising hostility.
"Who goes there? What is your name, creature?" One of the guardsmen called, holding a spear at the ready.
"Maokai," came the treant's rumbling response.
"What is your business here?"
"I am here to see the Starchild, Soraka."
The guards spared each other a quick look of mixed apprehension and surprise.
"What do you want with the Starchild?" The second guard asked testily.
"She invited me here."
The guards sent a runner to find Soraka, understandably hesitant to allow an unknown creature of wood and magic near one of their revered champions, and when he returned with her in tow they were surprised to see her run out to meet him.
"Hello, Maokai." she smiled warmly.
"Hello." he replied slowly.
"I knew you'd take me up on my offer," she said happily. "Did you encounter any difficulty on your way here?"
"No," he replied, "but the League did not want me to leave. I persuaded them that I was no danger to any people."
"Well, good," she smiled.
Maokai crouched down and placed one of his large hands palm-up onto the ground, wordlessly inviting Soraka to climb up. Without hesitation she did so, and he placed her easily on his shoulder.
"Let us walk," he said evenly. "I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Show me everything there is to love in life."
With that, they set off back towards the forest Maokai had emerged from with new purpose.