Hey guys I'm treating you to a VERY long chapter. I hope it is anyway, fanfiction crunches it down, but its 8 pages long on my documents.

read review and enjoy! :)

It wasn't just one long day. It was four long days.

Nod was never bored. The slug and snail kept him busy, but was he happy? Far from it.

Mub and Grub had immediately started on their caring of the sprout. They told him all sorts of things about roses.

"Roses love a deep drink of water," Grub had stated. "So you'll to drink five canteens of water a day."

"Why can't I just submerge my arm in water?" Nod had asked.

Mub had glared at him, "Roses don't like wet leaves."

It was like that for the past four days. Grub told him what roses liked, Nod would ask him a stupid question, and Mub would glare at him and tell him what roses don't like.

"Roses need at least six hours of sun a day. In the early morning."

"Why can't I do it in the afternoon?"

"The sun is too intense for them at that time."

His slimy caretakers gave him a bowl of...something to eat with his breakfast every morning. They said it was rose food, a mixture of bloodmeal, bonemeal, and alfalfa. His curiosity of what exactly what it was kind of stopped there. They said it was supposed to make him stronger, but to him, all seem to accomplish, was making him gag.

It didn't take long for Nod to notice that Mub had his eyes on Thryn. He would try to get into conversations with her, sweet talking and flattering her in every sentence. Thryn would always give him a deadpan expression and turn her back to him. But that didn't stop Mub, and he was convinced that he would win the game of 'hard to get,' even though the game was nonexistent.

Nod was just glad he could stop hitting on M.K. At least for the moment.

Thryn would just watch them, not commenting on anything. Sometimes she would get up and practice sword moves with her katanas, or play fetch with Sterling, (he didn't know dragonflies could play fetch) but often she would stare at the sprout with an intensity that unnerved him, as if she expected it to attack. She must have been so bored out of her mind, that she longed for something to attack, anything to break the monotony of the day.

When Nod got up early to get his six hours of sun, she'd get up with him, and they would sit quietly on a balcony near the top, the sentries watching them like hawks. Dawn breaking out on the forest made everything gorgeous around them, and Nod longed to go outside even more. The trees, meadows, and sky called for him, but he couldn't answer.

They wandered the halls of Moonhaven until they knew them by heart. Nod tried to blow off some steam by running, jumping, and somersaulting down the halls, with Thryn for company. But that was just the thing. He was never alone. Thryn was always there, watching him and guarding him, never letting him out of her sight. He needed space, but Thryn didn't go away. "Ronin's orders," she would say, and he'd get more aggravated.

The thing he hated most, though, was the rose. It drained him of energy fast, so he couldn't run more than a mile without feeling dizzy. He felt thirsty after ten minutes of having a long drink, and he wanted to tear this parasite off him. He missed riding his bird and leaf-boarding with his friends. Most of all, he missed talking to M.K.

On the fifth day, he woke up in his guest room to go catch the morning rays, when he felt an increased weight on his arm. He looked, and saw that that the leaves that used to hug the back of his hand had fallen off in the night, and had been replaced with a small green bud, shaped like a teardrop. He felt more lightheaded than he usually did.

Thryn, Mub, and Grub met him on the balcony. Mub and Grub eye fived when they saw the bud, and Thryn gazed at it in new wonder.

"We have not labored in vain!" Grub stated happily, in triumph.

"I'm the only one laboring here," Nod corrected. "After all, it's not attached to you."

"It's not all about you, Roseboy," Mub retorted. Nod didn't have the energy to get in an argument with Mub over his new nickname.

Thryn seem to notice. "You look a little pale..."

"I'm fine."

She snorted in disbelief, "The bud is taking more energy from you than the sprout did," Thryn looked to Mub. "Could you fetch him some water?"

"Why would I need to do that babe?" Mub replied slyly. "A tall glass of water is already here."

Thryn didn't even flicker, "Just go get the water."

Grub elbowed Mub, telling him to knock it off. The slug winked at Thryn, then he and Grub slithered out, leaving the teenagers to themselves.

"How do you do that?" Nod asked, slightly impressed.

"What?"

"Keep your face so straight. Most girls I know would at least smile at Mub's complements."

She shrugged, "It's just practice, and I've done plenty of that."

The dawn rays washed over them, shedding light on a new day. Another day stuck in Moonhaven's walls, having his nerves grated to frays by Mub and Grub's mother-henning, and Thryn's unwavering vigil. One thing was for sure...he wouldn't stand for another day of this torture.

He'll find a way to give Thryn the slip, then he'll sneak up to the hummingbird roost and fly out of here. He'll zip through the trees at top speed, do some aerial loops and dives, give himself a real adrenaline rush. Then he'll get his board and go down Hickory Hill again, and he'll chat with M.K. via the cameras. He'll dodge and ditch every Leafman that Ronin sends after him, and he won't come back to Moonhaven until he gave himself one hell of a day. He didn't care what the consequences would be.

"Queen Ariel comes back today," Thryn says, interrupting his master plan.

"Really? She's done regrowing the whole meadow already?" He didn't expect the Queen to come back so soon. She had left with her mother, her bodyguards, and a whole battalion of Leafmen to Berry Meadow, to fix the damage the Boggans had caused.

"She's stronger than she looks," Thryn replied. "But your right. With devastation on that scale, it should have taken her longer."

"Maybe it's her dreams of Tara," Nod suggested. "Could Tara be training her in them?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Either way, she'll be happy to see us."

The boy raised an eyebrow in question, so Thryn went on. "She doesn't have time for friends. Even though she's Queen, she's still a kid, and kids need friends. So she'll be excited that there are two bored teenagers in the palace."

Nod realized that he couldn't escape now; if he did, he'll be upsetting Ariel...more importantly, he'd upset the Queen. Not a good career move. A part of him said, forget about her, she's just a kid! Go have some fun! Yet he knew that if he sneaked off, no matter how much fun he could have, it wouldn't cover up the guilt he'd feel.

Just one more day, Nod. Just one more day.

After sitting for six hours in the sunlight, the teenagers, the slug, and the snail, made their way down to the Queen's garden to greet her. They had watched as her escort landed on the Outcrop. Now they were being invited to brunch. A servant led them to the entrance of the garden, and the leaves that covered it parted away.

As Nod stepped through, he was suddenly hit by a strange sensation. He heard whispering and rustling all around him. He looked but there was nobody around, yet he felt multiple presences, like the room was full of people. It was almost overwhelming.

"You okay?" Thryn asked, noticing how he had stopped in his tracks.

He nodded and kept walking, not wanting to talk about it.

The Queen's garden was extensive, a real forest of flowers that you could lose yourself in. The servant led them down a winding path bordered by shiny black pebbles. They walked past a small pond garden, flourishing lily pads, water lilies, and katniss. One section had purple, pink, and red fuchsia hanging above them, and another section was a forest of foxgloves. They caught glimpses of shimmering butterflies and bright bumblebees through the foliage.

Finally, they came to a mossy clearing, surrounded by blue and purple hydrangea. In the center was a long dining table, beautifully crafted from oakwood. It had small, brown toadstools for chairs, and looked as if it could seat at least thirty people.

Sitting at the head of the table was Queen Ariel and Fara. They had a late brunch set before them, trays of pastries, berries, and nuts, with a pitcher of red berry juice. Queen Ariel gave them a big smile in welcome. They knelt to bow, but she stopped them.

"Oh please don't," she said. "I think friends don't need all that bowing and scraping."

Queen Ariel considered everybody a friend, but they obeyed. She waved a hand to the table, and they sat down. A butterfly fluttered up, and poured them glasses of juice. Nod was glad that he could sit. The beings he sensed were still all around him, and it was making him feel a little dizzy.

"Your Majesty," Grub began. "How was the regrowth of the meadow?"

"It was so awesome!" the Queen described excitedly. "I never did something so big! All the plants grew and moved where I told them to, and the meadow dwellers were so happy." She took a nut muffin off a tray, and stuffed her mouth. "And I-"

"Ariel," Fara cut in, "Eat what's in your mouth first."

"Whoops," the flower queen quickly swallowed. "Sorry. Anyway, I made a friend while I was there."

"Really?"

"Yes, his name is Zeke. He's a mushroom Jinn. He was shy at first, but he came up to me eventually and said hi."

While the Queen chattered on about her friend Zeke, Nod was trying to figure out his new development. He had been in this garden plenty of times and he never sensed this many beings. If he wasn't so skeptical, he might say the place was full of ghosts. It sure felt that way.

The only thing different now was the rose. When it was a sprout, he didn't sense anything, but now it was a bud. He felt that the answer was obvious and right in front of him, but his dizziness was getting the better of him.

He tried to imagine what Ronin would say to him if he knew about this. Come on, Nod, think a little. Ask yourself...what exactly are you sensing? He sensed living things. But there were only five Jinn in the room with him, why could he sensemore? That's how many you see, Nod. Your not sensing Jinn.

That's when it hit him. The plants! All the flowers, vines, and moss around him, that's what he was feeling. His connection to the rose made him aware of the life that surrounded him, like they were people. He looked down to a little vine at his feet. He stretched out his arm with the rose on it, experimenting what would happen. Maybe the vine would shake his hand. Instead, it shied away from him, as if afraid of his touch.

"Nod?"

He now noticed that Thryn and Ariel were staring at him. "What are you doing?" Ariel asked.

"Oh um...just about to drink some juice," he said quickly, and reached for his glass, but a slimy hand slapped his away.

"Tut tut tut! You know your only supposed to drink water," Mub scolded, as if Nod was a child. "Hey waiter! Water over here, and no ice!"

Nod scowled, and Ariel tried to hold in her giggles. That moment, a Leafman in white armor, a royal guard of the Queen, came in and bowed, "Your Majesty," he said respectively, then turned to Thryn. "Your father is here to see you. He's waiting by the lily fountain."

Thryn looked surprised and a little angry. Nod heard her growl under her breath, "Now he comes?" She turned to the Queen, "If you'll excuse me, your Majesty, I have to go talk to him."

"Of course, you may go."

Thryn whispered to Grub, "Watch Nod for me," and followed the Leafman out, her back stiff.

Something was wrong, he could feel it. The air had grown tense when the word 'father' was said. Thryn, the girl that had watched him like a falcon for four days, had just left at the call of her dad! It was the first time in days that she wasn't around him. Yet, it didn't feel right.

Grub, who at first was paying attention, got distracted when Mub started showing off his eye tricks to Ariel. Soon, there was a competition between them, over who could stick their eyes out of their mouths' the furthest. Ariel thought it was funny, whereas he thought it was gross.

"I just need to use the washroom," he said as he got up.

"It's down the path to the left," Fara instructed.

"Thanks," and Nod left, walking down the path until he was out of sight. Nod turned right and sprinted off the path and into the forest of flowers. He and Thryn had passed a fountain when they were being guided to the Queen, and he made an estimated shortcut. He just hoped there weren't anymore fountains that they could be at.

He jogged through the garden, passing through dark areas and light areas, where the sun broke through. It started to get really dense with grass stalks, so Nod held out his arm. Like the vine, the stalks shied away whenever the rose came near them, making the travel easier.

It troubled him though. It's like the plants thought the rose was poison or something. As he kept going, he heard the trickle of water and voices. Quietly, the Leafman crept closer, and peeked through the rocks in front of him.

Thryn and a man had their backs to him, sitting on a stone bench in a circular clearing. The ground was made of cobbles and in the center, a stone fountain sang with water. A tiger lily, carved from the stone, sat at it's top, spitting water up from it's center, and sent it back down to the bottom basin.

The man had a weathered face, a beard, blond hair, and tired gray eyes. He looked like he was guilty of something. Nod focused all his hearing on them, trying to block out the fountain.

"I'm sorry, I only got your message today. Garen received it and sent Sterling back to you," the man said.

"Well I'm glad Garen was there, but what could have possibly kept you from the farm for four days?" Thryn asked, irate.

The man didn't answer, only stared at the fountain, not meeting his daughter's eyes.

"Oh no Dad, you didn't," she said, her voice cracking. "You promised me you wouldn't!"

"Listen, I was only going for one race, but there were these new card games set up in the lounge. I played a few, not betting a lot."

To Nod, this seemed backward. The was father explaining himself to the daughter, and she looked ready to chew him out. There were tears in her eyes, threatening to fall. Her fists were clenched and she spoke through gritted teeth. "Your holding something back," she stated.

The father looked like he wanted to melt into the ground, "Then Bufo came up and offered a game...I thought I had a good chance at winning."

"That's what you always think!" she shrieked. "Haven't you figured out by now that Bufo hustles and cheats? He flashes money right under your nose, and your hooked, then he can't lose!

The man seemed to regain his nerve, "Don't speak to me like that young lady! I'm a grown man, and I can do what I like!"

"A grown man would care about his daughter!" she shot back.

"That's not the issue right now," he held up his hands placatingly. "We have big problems right now."

"Did you bet more than the house this time?"

"More than the farm."

Thryn paled, "We could...lose our farm? Can he even do that?"

"I'm not willing to find out. The deadline is the day after tomorrow."

She got up, making a decision, "I'll go to the Queen, maybe she'll make a donation."

He grabbed her arm, "No, you can't let anyone know. If that general finds out, he'll court martial you."

"Ronin?" she looked confused. "He's not like that, and why would he do that anyway?"

"Do you know how bad it would look if this gets out? People won't trust you because your dad's a gambler. They'll be expecting you to steal from them to help cover our debts."

"This is your debt Dad, but now I'm involved. How else are we supposed to pay it off?"

He hesitated, "I...I need you to borrow some money from the...the vault."

Her eyes widened and her knuckles turned white, "You mean steal. From the Queen," she growled. Thryn shook her head, "No way, I'm not doing that, I can't believe you'd think I'd do that!"

"Sweetheart, it's the only way...I want you to have a home to come back to on your days off, on the holidays. If you don't do it, then I'll have to hand over everything...including the dragonflies."

This was the final blow for Thryn's resolve. Her face seem to crumple, and she covered it up with her hands. Her father put a comforting touch on her shoulder, but she shook it off. When she looked up again, her expression was harder than a mountain. "How much money is it?"

He whispered it, as if scared of her reaction. Nod didn't catch it, and Thryn's face remained stone cold.

"I'll get the money but not for you," the Leafgirl said. "I'm doing this for the dragonflies, and for Garen, and all the farmhands, but your wasting your time. When this is over, I'm not coming back." With that finality, she stood and marched out, strong as a soldier.

Her father looked on, guilty tears starting stream down his old face. After a minute, he stood and walked out, his head low, tears of regret falling on the path.

Nod sat back, trying to take this all in. Instead of feeling accomplished, he felt solid guilt, weighing him down. He wasn't supposed to listen to that. It wasn't for his ears. The rose shifted, sensing his emotions, and uncoiled itself from his arm. It lifted itself up like a snake, and laid it's bud against his shoulder. The little leaves hugged him.

He was too depressed to be shocked by this, but he cleared his head. The comforting gesture of the rose snapped him back to the world. He knew that the only thing to do now, was to stop his friend from making a big mistake.

Hey readers, im going to draw character sketches for you guys, so you know what my oc's look like. Maybe ill do one with them leaf-boarding and another of nod and the rose.

Ill paste the link to get you to my deviantArt account when one of them is ready :)

As always, review please! :D