Five Truffula Trees

[whichwayyoulean]

So. When people die here, they come back? I mean, like: One day, bam; DEAD. And then suddenly, they're back? Like nothing ever happened? Am I getting this information right? And everyone here is okay with this? No one finds it...really, really creepy?

How about odd? Does anyone at least find it odd? I can't be alone here. That's pretty high on the 'unusual things that happens here' list.

[Of course, he'd probably show a little more tact if he knew his closest friend's fiancé was one of the dead people. But he doesn't, and that's a pretty big 'probably' anyway]

Unless that sort of thing is just...normal where you guys come from. Then I could get why you're desensitised to it. Or it could be back to that collective insanity theory of mine.

Wow, that's a lot of rambling. Way to go, me. Orrrr I could just remove my foot from my mouth right about now and we can go back to our lives. Sounds good? Goood. Let's do that.

Comments

[heal_theworld]

Well, of course.

Yes. He tries to say he's not, but I don't let him. He's a lightning mage, see. [Well, was. Is. Tenses are so hard in this castle.]

Well, see, it paid all off in the end.

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler tilts his head to one side because...what]

What the heck does a lightning mage do?

[He scrunches his face up a little. He still thinks it would be a lot better for everyone if he was isolated, but that is a discussion with Martel he knows he'll never win] I guess. Maybe. Big maybe. With a capital M.

[heal_theworld]

His element is lightning. He uses lightning magic. [She says it like it should be obvious.]

Well, you got a friend out of it.

[whichwayyoulean]

...Like. From the sky? ...How does that even work? Does he have a lightning conductor strapped to his back or something?

[That gets the smallest of smiles] Yeah. I guess I did.

[heal_theworld]

No, you conduct the mana from the atmosphere and shape it into a spell. Mana often has an alignment with an element.

[whichwayyoulean]

Okay. Cool.

...

What's mana?

[heal_theworld]

Mana is the life force of my planet. The Great Kharlan Tree made it. [Until it died.]

[whichwayyoulean]

[Oh, there's that magical dead tree again]

So it's like...oxygen?

[heal_theworld]

Something like that. Without it, everything would die. And elves and half elves can use free mana or their own mana to cast spells.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Maybe that's how the Lorax created all the lightning he kept talking about that the Once-ler never actually saw]

Is that how you guys fly, too?

[heal_theworld]

Yes. Our wings are made out of mana. Only you need a special crystal to get mana wings.

[whichwayyoulean]

Buuuuut you don't need the crystal to play about with lightning? Because I figured the lightning thing would be a lot more complicated than a pair of glowy wings.

[heal_theworld]

No, you don't need a crystal. Well, the crystal does more than give you wings. It gives you better hearing, sight, and strength, makes you easier to heal and harder to injure...

How did you think I was able to kick down your door? [She has super strength, that's how.]

[whichwayyoulean]

I don't know, I figured you were some kind of secret ninja.

Still, those crystals sound like powerful things, I hope they're not on sale to just about anybody at the dollar store.

[heal_theworld]

No, I'm not a ninja. But we do have them.

No, of course not. They're special. Cruxis Crystals are sort of...evolved Exspheres. Exsphere are more common. You can mine them. But they're useless... unless... [She sighs.] unless they are attached to somebody and take their life force. It's a terrible practice.

[whichwayyoulean]

...Wait. Wait so these crystals are charged by...someone dying?

[He's just going to stare for a moment. Because seriously. That's pretty horrific]

So you and Zelos have some kind of...dead person's life in your glowy magic rock?

[heal_theworld]

Well, they don't have to die. I'm not sure about Zelos', but my Cruxis Crystal hasn't been on anybody but me. So, if it has grown any, it's probably used my life.

1/2

[whichwayyoulean]

[Sorry, the Once-ler isn't home right now. Please call back at another time that is convinient to you]

2/2

[whichwayyoulean]

[Kind of distantly]

So it's feeding on your life force. That's nice. It's like your own little soul-leech. You can call it Marv and have happy adventures together. You can sing songs, play amongst the trees, and it can drain the life from you slowly. Nothing weird or disturbing about that at all. N o p e

[heal_theworld]

[Martel is laughing. Honestly laughing.] Once-ler. I have a special mount on it that controls the crystal's abilities. It isn't actually draining my life anymore. [Or killing her painfully.]

[whichwayyoulean]

Well, that's so much better. The not being drained of your life thing. Because honestly, and I hate to break it to you, your life sucks kind of a lot already. You don't need an added life leech to make things worse.

[heal_theworld]

I've never quite heard them described as that before. Life leeches. Though I suppose that it's very accurate.

[whichwayyoulean]

I think it's very accurate. So you guys...all have them?

[heal_theworld]

Oh, no. Not everybody has one. Especially not Cruxis Crystals. They're rather rare. But I know... that sometimes they use exspheres to power machinery. Exspheres are much more common.

[whichwayyoulean]

And the exspheres are the ones that aren't powered by souls, right? So which does Zelos have?