Vengeance of the Union

Chapter 4

WARNING. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS CONTENT SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING. DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

I wanted a new start. I never wanted to be a botonist, really. Though I'd admit it was the closest I could get to Mother Nature...

But I got sick of my life. What was the point of flowers and trees if my dream of Mother Nature acknowledging me would never come true.

So I burnt them. I burnt them all.

I wanted to burn with them too. So I did. Heck, who was gonna stop me?! Myself? No, why would I stop myself? Mother Nature? Ha. As if.

I loved being surrounded by the warmth of the flames. It was the most affection I'd ever felt in my life. How funny. To think this feeling would come from something so destructive.

Disappear. Well, I guess I'll see you flowers in hell.

-------

"Oh dear Timba. Such forsaken youth. You have suffered for so long."

Suffered? I loved it. It was the most alive I'd ever felt. Heh, how ironic.

"Come, child. I shall show you all the fruits of your labour."

My eyes opened to a clear blue sky. Is this heaven? No, I don't deserve heaven! Take me back, I didn't want this!

"My dear, lift up your head."

I can't believe it. Is it... Is it really you? The one I have longed to meet for all of eternity?! M-m-m.....

"WHAT"

"Have you realised who I am?"

"You're her! M-mo-m-mother Nature!!!"

She laughed a tinkling laugh. I stared in awe. This had to be heaven. Why else would she be here?! But how did I get here...

"Yes. I am Mother Nature of the mortal realm."

"There's one of the immortal realm?!"

"Yes. But we don't talk about her. Anyway. Young Timba, have you ever seen the world's beauty through not the eyes of a botanist, but the eyes of a child?"

"A child? Well I am a child! I'm only 13!"

"A man with an adult's mind and the body of a child. How strange. Let me rephrase that - have you ever truly lived as a child?"

Childhood. Come to think of it I never had such a thing. I had no friends, no family. I am simply a terrified orphan who ran away from the realities of my existence,  chasing the blind dream of finding a motherly figure. Fun? What was fun? In fact what was so beautiful about these flowers anyway? Why was I so obsessed? I've long since forgotten.

"I... I don't know."

"Take my hand. Let me show you just how beautiful our world is."

I took her hand almost too willingly as we travelled across the plains of Earth, until we stopped at a field of green.

Daffodils, sunflowers, roses, lilies, poppies. Oak, rowan, aspen, birch, willow, sycamore. I've studied these for over 5 years but I've never seen a combination so beautiful.

"What is this?"

I felt my eyes clouding up. My vision blurred, and drops of water seemed to fall onto my hands. I looked up, but to my surprise there was no rain. The sky was just as clear as when I first opened my eyes. Tears.

For the first time in my life, I was crying.

This world - nature - is beautiful.

How could I have destroyed something so full of life! 

"Mother, I want a new start..." I croaked.

"Wipe your tears, my child. Look!" She pointed over a nearby hill.

There were two figures on the side, one of which seemed to be having a much easier time hiking up.

"Come on Mystis, hurry up!" A girl with black hair tied up into a ponytail shouted at the slightly shorter girl who was carrying a large questionable box.

"Excuse me, would YOU like to carry this instead?!"

"No why would I?"

The slightly shorter girl, probably the 'Mystis' the other girl was addressing, sighed as she heaved the box up the hill.

"Nah, I'm just kidding... I'll carry the box down after."

"THAT'S JUST AN EMPTY BOX!"

"Pshhhhhhh. Details. Hey look I reached the top before you, haha!"

"You little..."

'Mystis' dropped the box onto the ground and stretched.

"So, what now?" The girl with the ponytail asked.

"Well, SASKIA, since YOU were SO busy scrutinising the ground. Now you can follow MY instructions. Anyway, that old lady told us to plant this right?"

'Mystis' opened the box to reveal a small sapling and a miniature shovel. How cute...

'Saskia' picked up the miniature shovel before working at the ground.

Eventually she managed to dig a small hole. With care, 'Mystis' slowly lowered the sapling into the ground.

"There! Now that wasn't too hard was it, SASKIA?!"

"Yeah, so hard. V. difficult. Much effort."

'Mystis' rolled her eyes, as if she was used to 'Saskia's behaviour. "Right, let's go find that old lady again. And since you offered, you can carry the box back down."

"I didn't OFFER, I just SUGGESTED..."

"Well then I'll take you up on your SUGGESTION."

Such strange humans. Looking around I saw the sapling surrounded by a group of large trees. Someday, this tiny sapling will turn into a big tree. Over time it'll grow. It has only just begun its life.

I want that. I want a chance to begin again.

"Moth-" I began but looked up to see Mother Nature staring down at me with glee.

"Timba, I will give you the chance to do something great. But this will come with the cost of a great burden. Will you accept my offer?"

This was the chance I was looking for. A burden? How could this more burdensome than my previous life?

And with a straight face and determination I said,

"Yes."