One week later, The Greenhouse
"Amazing that Dakota nearly being killed in the dining hall is still the talk of campus" Lance rolls his eyes as he sits at a table ironically behind Dakota, Atlas, and Aster. "I figured that charm in her possession would be on the tip of everyone's tongues."
"Good morning class. Today we are beginning our lessons on restorative magick." The voice of Professor Kontos is heard from a distance as he enters the greenhouse and makes his way to the front of the class. "Now I understand that this may be tricky for some of you, so this will be a companion lesson."
"Yes! Let's do this Azure." Dakota slaps her table with excitement as her black/purple arylu emerges from the ether
"Rowrf!"
Which is then also followed by a second arylu, this one being blue/black.
"Rwooof!"
"Oh you want to help too Navi? Awesome!"
"She has two? And only one of them is evolved. Just great..." Lance sighs and rests his chin on the table, "I haven't seen my companion since I first got him; the damn gorgue."
"Very well class, it is up to you to improve the health of these sick plants, I am here to help if you really require some assistance. Although I'm sure our resident wood nymph Aster D'Yew, is happy to assist too."
"But of course!" Aster smiles brightly, "I do this type of magick all the time back home."
Professor Kontos walks around the class, setting down potted trees in front of students, their leaves are withered and brown, with the entire thing nearly tipping over.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Hm?" Lance looks up and sees Atlas turned towards him, "Oh, yes."
"No need to fake it in front of me, I know this is such a drag." Atlas smirks
"Good luck."
"Yeah, sure." Atlas coldly turns around
"O for Three now with Shreya, Beckett, and now Atlas. This just isn't meant to be I suppose." Lance looks up at the one person sitting next to him but she has no problem restoring the tree back its former glorious state.
"Damn I barely got to see how it's done, how about them-!" Lance tries to peak at Dakota and Aster, but they too are already finished, "Whatever, let's just get through this already." He focuses on his dying tree and struggles to come up with any words of encouragement, "Come on you, I know we take you for granted with the amount of life you give this planet but if you stay in this position you'll be in a worse spot than ME, you don't wanna do that, do you?"
...Silence... until giggling can he heard from the girl sitting next to Lance
"Ok." Lance rolls his eyes and slides the potted tree away from him
"Work damn it!" Atlas slams her fist against the table
"Whoa Atlas slow down, what's the matter?" Dakota turns towards her sister
"I've been talking to this stupid plant for nearly fifteen minutes but nothing's happening! Toughen up, be stronger, fix itself. Did anything happen? No! It wants to be assisted throughout the entire process."
"Atlas that's kind of the point." Dakota turns her head over in confusion
"You need to encourage it Atlas." Aster with a panicked tone closely monitors the plants
"I am, being a realist is the best for this plant." Atlas says nonchalantly
"No no, what Aster means is that you have to be nice."
"Do not panic Atlas, you can do it, I'm sure of it, maybe you just need some help." Aster looks at Dakota and her companions
"I do? Hell no." Atlas crosses her arms
"Come on Atlas we believe in you. Why don't you get help from me and we can-!" Dakota prepares to offer her services but then her eyes land on Lance who has just about given up, "Hey look, it's him again." She waves and tries to get his attention
"Ah yes, the one one Beckett cannot stop speaking of." Aster smiles
"I'm assuming it is for all the wrong reasons." Lance picks his head up again and acknowledges them.
"Yup." Dakota nods and tugs on Atlas' shoulder, "Better yet, why don't you and Lance help each other out since you're both struggling."
"Yeah great logic." Atlas frowns, "He's not even in a better spot than me."
"She's not wrong." Lance mumbles, "Wood magick and I just don't get along. I have come to the conclusion that it hates me."
"Do not say that!" Atlas cries out, "Wood magick is for everyone, even for a... forgive me, but what is your attunement?"
"Li-!" Lance stops himself, "Fire."
"Even Shreya can do wood magick with ease and she is quite... stubborn? Yes, now come on let's get through this, stat." Atlas stands up, picks up her chair & plant and positions herself across from Lance, with both of their withering plants sitting next to one another.
"Think about how much you want to help this plant." Aster stands over them as if she were the professor
"This might help too." Dakota stands beside Aster and forcefully tugs Atlas and Lance's left and right hands together
"How does this help?" Atlas narrows her eyes at her sister and Aster
"I've seen both of you do magick before and clearly you can do this, but maybe feeling each others energy will boost you towards succeeding at an even faster rate." Dakota struggles through her sentence but finishes it nonetheless.
"That made no sense and I'm pretty sure this only works with you and I, but if it'll shut you up I'll try." Atlas grasps Lance's hand and closes her eyes, her cold aura suddenly starts to heat up before her entire body is jolted with a quick spark, "W-what the hell!"
"What happened?" Dakota looks at Atlas with concern
"It worked, but are you sure you're a fire-att?" Atlas glares across the table
"Unless Professor Kontos wants to re-test me, I think so." Lance shrugs and shuts his eyes as he within seconds figures out Atlas, "You are very cold but also quite soothing."
"That sounds just like my sister." Dakota claps, "Now that you two feel different vibes, let's try to put that towards your plants."
Lance and Atlas look at each other, nod, and loosen the grip of their linked hands as they use their free hands to touch the leaves of their plants.
"Excellent, now send all of your magick to those happy thoughts."
"I'm helping you." Atlas mumbles
"You are an important part of this world and I wish to assist." Lance follows
As they speak with magick being carefully executed, the injured and withering leaves perk up.
"T-they listened..."
"See that wasn't so hard, right?" Dakota nudges on Atlas' shoulder
"Oh be quiet already." Atlas retaliates with a punch to Dakota's shoulder.
Out of nowhere Aster is seen wrapping her arms around Lance and giving him a big hug
"Lance, this is incredible." She happily states
"Whoa, what is?" Lance opens his eyes and sees that his plant was above par from what was asked. Atlas stopped when her plant was back to normal but he unknowingly made his grow to the point where his potted plant was nearly touching the ceiling of the greenhouse.
"I thought you said you sucked with wood magick?" Atlas raises an eyebrow
"I do Atlas." Lance raises an eyebrow, "There's no way I did this, Aster did you?"
"Not at all, I was just guiding you with words." Aster releases the hold and backs up as Professor Kontos approaches them.
"I see you are helping each other out. I have been watching you two closely and you both have made excellent progress, good job Atlas and Lancel-!."
"It's just Lance."
"I see, my apologies." Kontos nods and turns to Aster, "And you Ms. D'Yew have been a marvelous assistant. Amazing work by all six of you." Kontos recognizes even Dakota's companions before walking over to another desk.
"Thanks for the help Atlas." Lance extends his hand out for a handshake
"Us holding hands wasn't enough!?" Atlas says before her widen with shock, "Wait what?"
"Atlas!" Dakota snaps
"I'm sorry." Atlas sighs, "I'm just not used to others helping me and please don't thank me, this was all you." She nods and shakes Lance's hand
"It was a team effort." Aster smiles as her vines extend to pat Lance and Atlas' shoulders
"Well it was nice to officially meet you Lance." Dakota claps her hands together, "To think I've seen you around campus for an entire year but we never once spoke."
"Huh, so it wasn't just a one way thing." Lance chuckles
"A new friend? How wonderful, I just have this good feeling about the rest of today. Dakota and Atlas how would you like to visit my grove and the saplings later?" Aster looks over at Lance, "Would you like to join us as well?"
"Me?" Lance slowly shakes his head, "But you don't know me."
"Exactly!" Dakota jumps, "We want to get to know you some mo-!"
"That's not what he means." Atlas cuts her off, "You're about to show us around your grove yeah, but he's asking why him? We just got to know him right now."
"Oh..." Aster rubs her chin, "That's ok, the more the merrier."
"Um, ok I'm in." Lance nods
"Splendid." Aster claps
Conveniently class is dismissed, as Professor Kontos makes his closing statement complimenting everybody for their good work or hard effort. The students quickly make their way out; except Lance who remains seated with his eyes locked on his plant.
"Confused?" Professor Kontos is suddenly back in the picture as he towers over him
"Very, I never did well with wood magick until literally right now." Lance frowns
"It is rare to come across a student who frequently undersells their abilities."
"Just because I'm not openly social with everybody-!"
"You did not even give it a chance until Ms. D'Yew and her friends encouraged you."
"Okay, maybe I am stronger than I let on." Lance looks down at his hands and smirks at his hidden magick
"If you are holding back, you should schedule a time as to when to stop. Myself, the other professors, and your new friends would love to see how strong you really are Lance." Professor Kontos nods and walks back to his desk
"I'll sure think about it." Lance mumbles and promptly walks out of the greenhouse
Later that day
"I am glad you didn't forget about me, I honestly would've just kept wondering where in the world Aster's grove would be."
"Please it was our pleasure." Dakota nudges her sister
"R-right." Atlas nods, "That and I don't want to deal with a doubtful wood nymph wondering why her new friend didn't show up. Looking at Aster's sad eyes while she pouts is not on my agenda."
"So Aster wasn't yanking my chain?" Shreya's eyes lock right on Lance, "I did not believe in the slightest when Aster said she broke through to you."
"Broke through?" Lance smiles out of generosity, "She helped me today and invited me, I could not refuse."
"No, no, no!" Aster shakes her head, "You did everything with only the help of Atlas."
"You can count me out out." Atlas shrugs, "We may have helped each other for like six seconds because our plants turned out far differently."
"Eventually I will figure out who did it." Lance mumbles as he faces Dakota
"Don't even." Dakota throws her hands up
"More guests were invited I-!" Beckett's sentence drops dead when he turns to look directly into a guy who made him look foolish in front of his sister, "What is he doing here?"
"You're still not over it?" Dakota frowns
"Not ever what?" Griffin skeptically looks at Lance before turning his attention to Beckett
"Nothing." Beckett mumbles
"Lance humiliated him." Zeph laughs
"You told Zeph?" Beckett growls at Aster
"A-and everyone else, s-sorry!" Aster backs away
"Um..." Lance clears his throat, "If there is too much hostility I can always go back."
"No. Harrington should just suck it up." Atlas snarls, "Your sister already gets on my nerves, don't join her."
"A-atlas!." Dakota gasps, "Although, what she did say at the beginning is true."
"Not true!" Beckett shrugs as his jaw visibly clenches, "Can we just move along already, I'll let it go for now."
"Fantastic." Aster nods as she walks ahead of everyone to lead the way, "The saplings love hearing about my time at school."
"I have plenty of stories to add to yours. I can also tell them all about Serene and Sublime." Shreya chimes in
"Serene and Sublime?" Lance asks
"Don't." Atlas shakes her head, "You do not want to know."
"Haters." Shreya scoffs
"It's been a while since humans visited the wood nymph forest, yeah Aster?"
"Oh yes." Aster glances sadly at Dakota, "At least a century has passed since the last pair of humans have, we tend to keep to ourselves nowadays. If I told the elders, I don't think they'd want me to bring you."
"Logically." Beckett nods, "I'm assuming tensions between the attuned and wood nymphs still fraught following the Wand Wars."
"Well yeah. The attuned chopped down forests during the war." Atlas speaks
"Don't worry, the saplings are much more accepting now." Aster leads them through a cropping of trees, as the magickal wood is now visibly different from the regular woods.
"It's very lively." Lance points at the different colored light dance between the leaves along with the thin trees softly swaying in the calm afternoon breeze, "Quite energetic too."
"I'm glad to hear that, because these are my siblings the saplings!"
"Hello saplings." Dakota looks around confused, "It's very nice to meet you all?"
The trees around rustle with a sound like bells, making Aster giggle
"No no, these are humans, they are my friends from school."
"Interesting." Lance hears rustling grow louder in Dakota's direction
"Are they laughing at me?"
"Lightheartedly." Aster smiles "They said you look like a funny type of nymph and they want to play a game of Whispering Winds with you."
"Sure, how do you play?" Dakota smiles back
"They learn by feeling other people's magick, so you just have to cast a spell and they will try to copy you." Aster nudges Atlas as if to get ready
"Cool, let's make our magick kind and playful then." Dakota extends her hand
"Wait, i'll help too. This will also be a good way for Atlas to practice her restorative magick too."
"But we literally just did that... for hours." Atlas sighs, "I guess it couldn't hurt to practice some more, Lance wanna join in?"
"Lance perfected it already." Aster shakes her head
"I did not." Lance rubs his forehead in frustration
Aster, Atlas, and Dakota channel their magick, the branches on each of the saplings intertwine with each other. Only a moment later do vines grow up from the ground and wrap around the three, squeezing softly.
"Wow this sucks." Atlas groans
"Liven up, this is probably the closest the saplings can get to giving hugs."
"And it's so cozy!" Aster squeals
The branches soon let go, as they continue to rustle loudly before they slowly go quiet
"They wanted me to tell you that they had a lot of fun playing with you, and consider you friends of the forest now." Asters smile falls to a mere grin, "I wish the rooted nymphs, the elders, were more open minded."
"The saplings are a good start." The corners of Lance's mouth perk
"I agree, surely the elders will have to like all of you too!"
"I'm not sure about that Aster. From what you've already told and have yet to tell me, they seem pretty set in their ways." Dakota visibly shook her head
"They'll come around. This is the season of Leaning Leaves! This is when nymphs learn to shed the past and focus on growing a better future. If the elders are going to let go of their prejudices, now would be ideal. Besides, you all are the most wonderful people I've ever met, if anyone can get them to see reason, it's you guys... and even you." She looks at Lance
"Again, you just met me today." Lance mumbles
"Even still." Dakota intervenes, "Wood nymphs hate attuned no matter how friendly we are to you. There's too much history between the two, it won't disappear overnight."
"I do not want the saplings to grow up brainwashed to hate attuned, especially when the option of being friends is there. Regardless of what you said, I cannot just do nothing about it, come on!" Aster laces her fingers with Dakota's and leads her further into the forest
"Did anyone's stomach just drop?" Shreya asks
"You probably ate too-!"
"I'm giving you the chance to not finish that sentence mister!" She snaps and glares at Zeph with venomous eyes
"Noted." Zeph panics and nods rapidly.
"What the..." Lance narrows his eyes as they enter an older section of the forest where indistinct faces stare out of the trunks of trees.
"Whoa." Griffin blinks and even goes as far as to rub his eyes
"I get what you mean now Shreya." Lance mumbles as his eyes remain on a wood nymph who is around a nearby tree trunk
"Aster." The nymph speaks but does not move as his body is visibly turning wooden, with his legs appearing to be rooted into the ground, "Have you come to visit? You did not send a message through the trees."
"My apologies papa, I brought my friends from school to visit and we just made a recent addition to our group. Everyone this is my papa, Yarrow. Papa these are my friends, this is Dakota, her sister Atlas, Shr-!"
"She did what!?" Rustling from the trees is heard as the faces whispers reach the ears of the attuned friends
"It's nice to meet you Mr. D'Y-!"
"Silence!" Yarrow's screams are aimed directly at Dakota
"That was uncalled for..." Lance frowns, "All she said was it's nice to meet you."
"Shh!" Griffin elbows him
"You brought Attuned into our forest, after everything they have done!?" Yarrow now aims his anger at Aster
"Y-yes, I wanted them to meet everyone! I thought we could talk and learn about each other."
"Nonsense! They are not to be trusted! They will destroy you and everything that is disposable to them. Have you learned nothing from I've told you about our history. Why don't you just come back to the forest and give up these ridiculous studies?"
"Yes Aster. Come back. This is where you belong!"
"I... I don't." Aster's eyes fill with tears as she loses the will to speak
"Stop it." Lance's voice gets only a little bit louder, but loud enough to draw the attention of Aster's father
"And you." Yarrow turns back to face Asters friends, "Leave this place now! While you are at it, cease your attempts to corrupt my Aster with your foolish ways."
"Corrupt?" Lance speaks up, "Who do you think you-!"
"WAIT!" Dakota cuts him off, "You have to believe us, we are Asters friends!"
"Yeah we would never hurt her!" Zeph joins in
"It's true!" Aster finally speaks up, "They're the most wonderful people-!"
"Lies! All attuned do is lie Aster. They're using you for their own gains, as they always have with us wood nymphs."
"If you would just listen!" Aster's face falls as she desperately pleads with her father
"No!" You've let these attuned fill your head with false stories!"
"Grr..." Lance's hands ball up into fists, he buries his fingertips as far into his palm as her can, hiding the sparks of lightning that want to come out and strike
"Don't go crazy on us Lance." Atlas nearly looks down at Lance's hands but ultimately chooses to stare daggers into Yarrow
"You need to grow up Aster and see them for they really are!" Yarrow turns away from his own daughter with disgust
Aster runs off in tears as her new friend's anger reaches its boiling point.
"Stop talking to her like that..." Lance's voice oozes aggression
"You dare speak to me with that tone! In my own home!?" Yarrow scowls
"Yes." Lance takes a step forward, "Unless you want to-!"
"Lance no!" Atlas shouts as she and Griffin grab onto his left and right arm
"If you won't take Aster's word for it, maybe you will listen to the saplings, they liked us all." Dakota continues being the voice of reason despite her final words being the nail in the coffin
"Yeah they were all-!" Atlas begins but whatever she was about to say was too late
"T-the saplings?" Yarrow's eyes widen before quickly twisting with rage
The wind rips through the clearing, knocking everyone off their feet. The forest darkens and the trees loom over the entire group, casting the pend pals and Lance in shadow.
"What the hell!" Lance quickly gets back up to his feet and acts quick by helping Dakota and Atlas back to their feet
"GET OUT!"
"I get being stuck in their ways but this is savagery." Lance despite being in the dark keeps looking in the exact direction Yarrow stands
"Fighting Aster's dad will only make it worse, come on!" Atlas drags Lance as they trail behind Shreya, Zeph, Griffin, Beckett, and Dakota
Soon enough when the sunlight is finally visible; the groups realizes they are in the exact spot just before entering Aster's home.
"Well, that could've gone a lot better." Dakota sighs
"Tell me about it." Zeph looks down in disappointment
"Over here." Lance nods towards Aster, who is seated by a stream sniffling and still crying.
"Aster..." Atlas begins with a soft tone, "Your family are a bunch of jerks."
Dakota and Shreya turn to her with frustrated looks
"Atlas, maybe don't say that." Shreya says softly
"She is right though, a little too brash but still right." Lance nods at Atlas
"Guys." Dakota sighs again before wrapping an arm around Aster's waist, "What they're trying to say is, we're sorry."
"No, it's not your fault. I really thought it would be different, that maybe they would finally understand."
"Oh Aster." Dakota wraps her other arm around Aster
"Anything we can do to help? A cup of cocoa, maybe?" Griffin offers
"It's okay, I should just get to the shop, though it's been slow there recently, so there won't even be any customers to talk to."
"Why don't we help you with the shop, it might cheer you up!" Zeph exclaims
"Yeah and we can help promote. We'll get you every customer possible." Shreya smiles in excitement
"O-oh, are you sure? I wouldn't want to bring to mood down for all of you."
"Don't be foolish." It's more important that you feel better, don't you agree Dakota?" Beckett turns to her
"Help run the shop? Of course, we'll be your coworkers except way better because we are also your friends!" Dakota nods
"I've never had coworkers before, it sounds fun!" Aster gets back on her feet in tow with Dakota
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Zeph runs off
Lance hesitantly tags along as he and his new friends hurry to Penn Square
"I got what I wanted, now I need to not screw it up." Lance smiles as he trails behind his new friends