A Void in My Heart, A Void in Your Stomach

Syndra groaned and rolled over, pushing sections of earth and rock off of her body.

"Kog…" She coughed as she choked on the cloud of dust that had engulfed the battlefield.

"Kog…" She called out again, this time louder. No response. The entire battlefield was silent. Stumbling, Syndra forced her mangled body to move in the direction that she last saw Kog'maw run. In the distance, Syndra heard a soldier wail out in agony. She cruelly ignored the man's pleas for help, intent only on finding Kog'maw. Syndra continued her stumbling trudge forward until suddenly the ground disappeared beneath her foot. Syndra cried out in surprise as she slid and rolled into a ditch, finally coming to a stop when her body collided with a charred corpse of a former soldier. Slowly, the dust over the battlefield settled. Syndra drew in a sharp breath as she realized that she wasn't standing in a ditch. She was standing in a crater; a crater that Kog'maw's enormous explosion had created. Syndra's breathing quickened, as she stumbled towards the center of the crater.

"Kog…" She panted as she moved, using sheer willpower to keep her body from collapsing. Finally, Syndra reached the center. Her heart instantly dropped to her feet.

"No… Kog…" Syndra whispered as panic constricted her throat. In front of her, the mangled body of her companion lay on the floor. There were several holes in Kog'maw's body where the combination of chemicals and pure magic had erupted from his body. Syndra knelt down onto her knees and gingerly lifted Kog'maw's tattered body, cradling it as though it were a child.

"mmmrah….." Kog'maw suddenly whimpered weakly as he turned a beady eye to focus on Syndra's face. Instantly, Syndra's eyes brightened as renewed hope empowered her. I can still save him. Syndra thought as though she were convincing herself. Forcing herself to her feet, Syndra called upon the last vestiges of her power. The strain tore through Syndra's body, engulfing her entire body in pain. Syndra looked down as she felt a cold liquid on her legs. Violet… blood… Her own life essence was seeping out the wounds on her body, forming a pool around her feet. Syndra's body shook violently, threatening to give out, but Syndra focused all of her willpower on maintaining her stance. She focused again, drawing on more magic from the depths of her core. Again, pain seared through her body. Syndra's mouth gaped open in a silent cry of agony, but she grit her teeth and maintained her poise. Finally, using the magic she collected, Syndra heaved her body into the air and catapulted herself with blinding speed into the darkness of the night.

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The muffled thump of an impact against the wall of Irelia's home woke Irelia from her slumber. Groggily, she brought her hands to her face and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Was it a dream? Irelia wondered as she swung her legs off the side of the bed and moved to the door. As she opened the door, Irelia noticed a strange sort of paint on the side of her house. It was a fresh, glowing violet color. Irelia's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she noted its familiar tint. Then, she noticed a trail leading away from the side of the building and off in another direction. Irelia's breathing quickened slightly as her heart began to pound in her chest. The only building in the direction of the trail was Ionia's central hospital. Quickly, Irelia dashed back into her home, grabbed an overcoat from her closet and sprinted out the door, slamming the door shut behind her.

Irelia ran at top speed as she followed the trail up to the hospital. The front door to the hospital was still ajar, as the last person to open it had not bothered to close it. Irelia dashed through the doors and continued following the trail. Finally, she caught up to the source. Syndra was slowly moving through one of the many hallways that led to Soraka's quarters. She was supporting the weight of her own body by placing her left hand on the wall of the hallway. The action left periodic splotches of purple blood on the wall wherever Syndra's bloodied hand made contact with the surface. As Irelia caught up to Syndra, Syndra's body trembled violently. Unable to resist her body's complaints any further, Syndra collapsed to her knees. Her left arm gave out, causing her to fall with her shoulder against the wall. Syndra shook violently again, coughing up a large amount of violet blood. She was about to collapse entirely when Irelia caught her from behind, preventing Syndra from smashing her skull against the cold floor.

"Oh god… Syndra…" Irelia breathed as she gazed upon her friend's ragged body. Syndra's hazy eyes flicked over and around Irelia's face, having difficulty focusing on her.

"Soraka! Wake up! I need help!" Irelia yelled down the hall. Immediately, there was a sound at the end of the hallway as Soraka emerged from her quarters. Upon seeing Syndra, Soraka couldn't resist drawing in a sharp gasp of horror. She could hardly recognize the sovereign in her current state. Syndra's face was unusually pale and pasty. Her right arm was charred almost entirely black by what appeared to be a chemical burn. Cuts and bruises littered her body, highlighted by large gashes and stab wounds. Aside from her face, almost every other part of her body was coated with a layer of magic-infused blood.

"Soraka!" Irelia's voice finally shook Soraka out of her trance.

"My quarters. Now!" Soraka said firmly. Hearing the healer's voice seemed to temporarily re-energize Syndra. Suddenly, Syndra shook off Irelia's supportive arms, bolted upright, and promptly thrust Kog'maw's body into the star child's stomach.

"Save him…" Syndra managed to croak as she teetered dangerously before steadying herself on the nearby wall. Neither Irelia nor Soraka had noticed that Syndra was carrying the void beast until then.

"Mrah…"Kog'maw whimpered weakly, grasping at the straws of life.

"Uhm…" Soraka said in shock as she glanced at Irelia.

"Please…" Syndra gasped as her strength rapidly faded.

"Just do it." Irelia finally said, "I approve it." Soraka nodded immediately and carried the mangled body into the emergency room. Syndra turned her head to Irelia, fixing her with a gaze that expressed all the gratitude in the world.

"It's what friends do." Irelia replied to Syndra's gaze as she bodily lifted Syndra off the ground and followed Soraka into the room. Syndra couldn't even muster a reply as her pain faded into merciful darkness.

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Syndra woke up feeling hazy, as though a cloud had settled over her. She tried to move, but even with her mightiest effort, Syndra could barely get her fingers to move. Suddenly, she noticed a semi wet, heavy object on her left arm. Syndra flicked her eyes over to the mass on her arm. Hair… Head… Body… her eyes slowly traced over. It was Irelia, sitting in a chair, completely asleep with her head resting on Syndra's outstretched arm. Syndra immediately had an urge to swat Irelia's head off of her arm, but a slight click dragged her attention away momentarily.

"Awake already?" the nurse asked as she opened the door and walked into the room. "We thought you would be out for at least another day." Syndra flicked her eyes over to the woman's face. Immediately, her eyes registered with surprise.

"Yes, I am a nurse here now." Akali replied as she picked up on Syndra's astonishment. Syndra had enough energy to manage a scowl in response. Akali smiled slightly and shook her head in subdued exasperation. Measuring Syndra's breathing and heart rate, Akali spoke up again.

"She asleep?" Akali asked, referring to Irelia. Immediately, Syndra glanced back at Irelia's head.

"Poor thing…" Akali continued "Y'know she hasn't left your side ever since you came in four days ago." Syndra scowled again in response. Akali looked at Syndra, regarding her with a look of mild shock.

"She really doesn't mean anything to you anymore?" Akali said incredulously "After all she has been through, you still hate her?"

"Tch…" Syndra whispered with annoyance. "After all she has been through?" Akali looked even more flabbergasted.

"You mean you don't know what happened to her?" Syndra turned her head to face Akali entirely; there was a blank look on her face. Akali let out a breath of amazement before continuing:

"She died." Akali said mutely. Syndra's gaze hardened.

"I've heard that before." She replied darkly.

"No, this time she really died." Akali repeated firmly. She paused before continuing.

"You see that sword that's next to her?" Syndra turned back to Irelia and leaned over the side of the bed. Sure enough, there was an ornate blade resting by Irelia's feet.

"Her soul is tethered to that blade. It keeps her bound to this world." Akali finished. Syndra didn't reply as she turned her gaze back to the sleeping warrior by her side. Akali gave a small smile as she read the maelstrom of thoughts that crossed Syndra's eyes. Finally, she rose without a word and started towards the door.

"Kog'maw?" Syndra asked somewhat demandingly as Akali's hand touched the door handle.

"Not right n-"

"Now." Syndra demanded firmly. Akali sighed and shifted the weight of her body onto her left leg.

"He isn't awake yet." Akali replied. "On the bright side though, his body is healed up. We just don't know if he's there anymore…"

Syndra again didn't reply, instead turning her head back to Irelia's sleeping form. Akali took it as a cue to leave, to which she gladly obliged. As the door clicked shut, Syndra beckoned one of her spheres to her from its resting position on a nearby table. The sphere came to a hover next to Syndra's leg. With a tap of her finger, a small crumpled box fell out of the depths of the sphere, landing softly on Syndra's bed. Gingerly, Syndra reached out and lifted the parcel in her hand. It was remarkably heavy for its size. Finally, Syndra worked her hand around the brown paper wrapping, removing the paper from the object within. The paper peeled off to reveal a smashed velvet box that was in equally bad condition as the paper that wrapped it. Syndra frowned unconsciously in annoyance. Shortcut… She thought as she placed the box in the palm of her hand and clenched her fingers around the crushed box. –Fwoosh- The box was instantly incinerated as Syndra used her magic to forcibly burn the material. With the box gone, Syndra felt a cold object press against her hand. Slowly, she unraveled her fingers, revealing a large, resplendent amethyst. Subconsciously, Syndra took a deep breath. Even she, a person who had little interest in beauty, was caught breathless by the flawless stone. Gingerly, Syndra held the stone up, watching external light refract through the core of the crystal.

"Like it?" Came a mumble. Syndra turned her head back to Irelia. She had opened her eyes and was watching Syndra stare into the amethyst. Syndra didn't reply as she set the crystal down next to her. Finally, she turned to Irelia and stared at her for a second until –WHACK! - Syndra used her free hand to slap Irelia across the face. It was such a forceful blow that Irelia was knocked backwards in her chair, stunned. Irelia uttered a cry of surprise as she teetered dangerously. However, before Irelia could fall out of her chair, Syndra reached out with the arm closest to Irelia, catching her by the wrist. Immediately, she yanked Irelia out of her chair and onto the bed, catching her in a vice-like embrace. Irelia recovered slightly as she felt her body make contact with Syndra's.

"Uhh… Syndra…" Irelia stammered as Syndra clung to her.

"Shut up." Syndra said forcefully as she buried her face in Irelia's shoulder.

Irelia stroked Syndra's head lightly, failing to muster up words in response. Syndra quivered slightly and Irelia felt her shoulder grow damp.

"Y'know I could have saved you." Syndra finally spoke up, her head still glued to Irelia's shoulder.

"I uhm… Sorry…" Irelia finally breathed after a few seconds of silence, unsure of what to say.

"Stop doing things that make you sorry."

"Okay…"

"Promise?"

"Syndra it's not that sim-"

"PROMISE?" Syndra interrupted demandingly. Irelia sighed in resignation, but reached up and squeezed Syndra closer to her.

"Yeah…"

A few minutes passed in silence as the two friends were content with the contact between them.

"Syndra?" Irelia finally spoke up, breaking the peaceful silence.

"mmm?" Syndra mumbled in response as she released Irelia from her grasp.

"Wanna go see Kog?" Irelia asked although she already knew the answer. Syndra gazed straight into her eyes with a stare that had all the longing in the world, but Syndra shook her head.

"I can barely move." Syndra replied, sounding somewhat annoyed with her physical condition. Irelia's face wore a mischievous grin as she stood up from the bed. Without speaking, Irelia leaned over the bed and reached one arm underneath Syndra's knees and her other arm around her back. Then, she bodily hoisted Syndra off of the bed and into the air. Syndra winced slightly as lances of pain stabbed through her ribs, but she allowed Irelia to move her without a word of complaint. Finally, Irelia turned and tapped her sword with her foot, promptly causing the blade to float up into the air next to her; the flat part of the blade facing upwards. Gingerly, Irelia set Syndra down on the sword's flat surface. Syndra wobbled slightly as she was briefly disoriented by the floating weapon, but she immediately hugged her knees to her chest and leaned against Irelia for balance.

"Easy." Irelia said happily as she placed her hands on Syndra's shoulders and gently pushed her towards the door like she was wheeling around a shopping cart. As Irelia and Syndra moved out of the private hospital room, the pair immediately bumped into the Soraka who happened to be passing through the hallway.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Soraka almost screeched demandingly as she set her eyes upon the two women.

"Uhm…" Irelia stuttered, trying to think furiously of an excuse.

"NO! While she is here, she is MY patient. And she WILL have her rest." Soraka said in a surprisingly stern voice. She could be quite fierce when it came down to the well-being of her patients.

"Oh please Soraka, just this one time?" Irelia asked somewhat childishly. Soraka stiffened immediately as she heard the tone of Irelia's voice. Light, happy, as though she had finally been freed of a heavy burden. Soraka glanced and Syndra, then Irelia, and again back to Syndra before she finally realized that something must have happened between the two. Irelia fixed the star child with a winning smile, her eyes sparkling slightly. Instantly, Soraka felt her willingness to argue wither away, utterly defeated by the innocent look Irelia was giving her.

"Fine…" Soraka finally grumbled in defeat. "Room 118 on your right." The star child continued, directing the pair towards the room where Kog'maw was.

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As the pair entered the Kog'maw's room, they got a clear look at what appeared to be a cone of plaster. Kog'maw 's body was almost entirely covered in a plaster cast, designed to restrain his body from moving and facilitate faster healing. The only parts of Kog'maw that were not covered in the thick, white cloth were his closed, beady eyes and his tongue, which hung lopsidedly out of a hole in the front of the plaster cast. Wordlessly, Irelia lifted Syndra off of her floating blade and gingerly laid her down on a chair closest to Kog'maw. Syndra's hand trembled slightly as she ran her fingers over the plaster that encased Kog'maw. It was a rare gesture of tenderness that even Irelia had only seen once or twice.

"Must mean a lot to you…" Irelia spoke up as she watched Syndra stare at the void beast.

"Yeah." Syndra croaked in a semi-choked voice. Irelia let out a breath and moved closer to Syndra, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently as a comforting gesture. After a few moments, Irelia pulled up another chair and placed it next to Syndra before seating herself in the chair. Immediately, Syndra shifted her body slightly, moving into a position so that she could rest her head against Irelia's shoulder. Blinking blearily, Syndra murmured:

"What have I missed?"

"Hmm?" Irelia questioned in reply, unsure of what Syndra was referring to.

"You. What have I missed." Syndra repeated, offering no further explanation as her speech further slurred as her body slowly gave into exhaustion.

"Uhh, dunno… captain of the guard… balance?" Irelia offered in tentative reply. Syndra snorted in response before offering her own answer.

"Balance is boring…" Syndra's speech sharpened slightly despite her closing her eyes with sleepiness.

"Boring?" Irelia asked, sounding somewhat perplexed. Syndra sighed and temporarily lifted her head off of Irelia's shoulder, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"If everyone was balanced, there would be no change." Syndra spoke in a slurred tone again. "People would just-" Syndra yawned widely mid sentence "discover what they were and be content with it… No change… Boring…" Syndra concluded as she nodded off to sleep. Irelia smiled wryly as Syndra's breathing adopted a steady pattern. She stayed stationary for a few more minutes, listen to the gentle, rhythmic pattern of Syndra's breathing before she gently lifted Syndra's head from her shoulder and moved Syndra's head onto the side of Kog'maw's bed; neatly folding Syndra's arms to form a pillow of sorts for her head. Finally, Irelia stood up and moved to the door. As she placed her hand on the handle, she gave one last look at her friend before she silently moved out of the room, closing the door with a gentle –click-.

When Irelia returned to the room several hours later, Syndra was awake again, fiddling with the amethyst that Irelia had given to her. Syndra smiled as Irelia walked into the room and took her seat next to Syndra.

"How long was I asleep?" Syndra asked, trying to make conversation.

"Couple hours." Irelia replied as she reached into a bag that she had brought with her. Rummaging around, she finally produced a bag of freshly baked cookies.

"Hungry?" She asked as noticed Syndra watching her.

"I've had hospital supplements for the past four days. What do you think?" Syndra replied sounding almost annoyed. Irelia chuckled as she handed Syndra the bag and watched Syndra carefully pull out a cookie. Syndra took a small bite and smiled immediately, savoring its sweet taste. Carelessly, she placed the bag of treats on the bed and turned back to Irelia, immediately engaging her in conversation. The pair of friends easily spent two hours catching up with each other on past events. Their topics ranged from recalling past events in which the two had created fond memories together to darker times when they were separated from one another. Irelia was in the middle of explaining one of her most memorable battles against Noxus when she was interrupted by a loud SLUUURP-CRUNCH!

Curiously, Irelia stopped talking and glanced at Syndra, wondering if she had created the odd sound. Syndra met her gaze with equal confusion. Finally, both women turned and looked at the bed where a pile of crumbs lay on the sheets. Immediately, they turned their heads to the cone shaped plaster cast; four beady eyes stared back at them.

"Fewd?"

Author's Note:

It was a little awkward trying to tie ends together for this one, honestly it was a little much to smash all into one chapter. I probably should have split it up for the sake of cohesiveness... It is what it is I guess. Anyhow I hope you guys enjoyed part two of this series, hope to see you all in the last and final installment!