Two Sides Of The Same Coin- Once-Ler X Reader

Two Sides Of The Same Coin- Once-Ler X Reader Chapter Eight

White Water

(Name) was having a rather lovely dream. She and Once-ler were sitting on a raft, and it was heading down a stream, and there was sunshine and Swoomie Swans in the sky and Humming Fish were singing, and there were Bar-Ba-Loots playing on the riverbank and calling out to each other.

Then the Swoomie Swans vanished, and the Humming Fish were singing a funeral march and the Bar-Ba-Loots sounded panicked and frightened. Suddenly, she got hit in the face with a splash of cold water and woke up with a shudder.

“Wha?!” She yelped, looking around. Water rushed all around her, and the trees and sky that she could catch glances of past the bedposts tilted at dizzying angles as they rushed past at high speed. “Wh-where am I?” She squeaked.

“Hey, (Name)!” She whipped her head around to see the Lorax and a swarm of animals following the bed along the bank.

“Peanut?!” She hollered before looking in the direction he pointed to see some rather terrifying-looking white waters a few hundred yards ahead.

“Ya might wanna wake up the Beanpole!” The Lorax shouted.

She spun around to see Once-ler, one foot in the water, and Pipsqueak, the small Bar-Ba-Loot who had taken a liking to marshmallows, on his chest. “Oncie!” She yelled, shaking him. “Once-ler!”

He mumbled. “Huh? (Name)…”

She shook him again. “Take a look where we are, Meat-brain!” She yelled.

He sat up as a spray of water slapped him in the face. “Ah- we’re in a river!” He yelped, grabbing onto her and Pipsqueak tightly as the bed rocked.

“Hey, guys!” The Lorax yelled again. “You got trouble, and it’s coming up fast!”

(Name), Once-ler and Pipsqueak all screamed as the bed tipped over the threshold into the faster water. “Do something!” She screamed to the Lorax.

He looked around ordered some Bar-Ba-Loots up a tree, shoving the larger one up to bend the tree over the river. “Beanpole, (Name)! Grab on!” He yelled, dangling over them on a chain of Bar-Ba-Loots.

Once-ler grabbed his arms, tucking Pipsqueak under his arms as he reached out, but the current swept the bed away, taking (Name) with it. He waved his arms wildly trying to reach her. “(Name)!” He yelled.

The Lorax pulled him back up. “C’mon, Beanpole, we ain’t lost her yet!” He proclaimed, running along the bank, dragging Once-ler with him.

(Name) shrieked and grabbed the pillow. “Lorax, Oncie!” She screamed as she frantically attempted to paddle towards them, having just spotted the rather ominous-looking waterfall before her.

“Hang on!” The Lorax ran up a hill to where a large boulder lay at the edge of a small cliff. Once-ler grabbed a stick and shoved it under, the two of them straining to shift the rock.

“I’m running out of river!” She hollered, swiping at the water with the pillow.

“Just a second, (Name)!” Once-ler grunted as the boulder started to roll of the edge.

It dropped… well, like a boulder, onto the end of the bed, sending (Name) flying through the air in a stunned silence. Once-ler dived forward to catch her, slipping and falling on his butt as she landed next to him with a hearty thud.

Once-ler picked her arm up and grimaced as it dropped limply. “Eh…” He looked helplessly at the Lorax, who glanced around before  grabbing two Bar-Ba-Loots and rubbed them together.

“CLEAR!” He yelled, pressing them to her chest.

(Name) sat up with a cough and a gasp. “I’m alive!” She cried. She swept the Lorax and Once-ler into a hug. “I thought I was a goner for sure, but you guys saved me!”

Once-ler grinned. “Well, we’d both be pushing up underwater daisies if the Lorax hadn’t grabbed me!” He gave the Lorax an affectionate squeeze.

The Lorax laughed nervously. “It wasn’t really anything.”

“No, no!” (Name) insisted. “If it wasn’t for you, the bed would have gone over the… waterfall…” She trailed off.

“W-wait, how did our bed get in the water?” Oncie said with a fading, confused smile.

The Lorax squirmed. “Well… ya see…  we…. I put your bed in the water.” He muttered quickly with a wince.

(Name) dropped him. “What?!” She yelled.

“I didn’t mean you two any harm, I swear!” He held up his hands. “Just wanted to float you gently away, so you’d stop cutting down trees!”

Once-ler started to tense up, but (Name) put a hand on his arm. “Oncie!” She said sharply. “Now isn’t the time!”

He took a deep breath and relaxed, closing his eyes. She watched carefully until he opened his eyes and checked the colour. ‘Blue. Okay then,’ she thought.

“Look, Beanpole. These animals, the trees are their homes. They need them. A whole lot.” The Lorax said softly. As he spoke, Pipsqueak crawled up into Once-ler’s lap, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Once-ler looked around at all of the animals crowded around and closed his eyes for a moment. ‘Okay. From here on out, I, the Once-ler, strictly swear to never cut down another tree.” He stated formally.

(Name) took his hand and smiled. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Mr Once-ler.” She teased.

He smiled back at her. “Well, since this is the second time that we’ve been woken up by the Peanut, I’m going back to sleep,” he yawned, then he paused and huffed. “Right after I find my bed.” He crossed his arms and walked off.