I would like to give special thanks to Saphirabrightscale. This story loves you too.

Chapter Nine: A Seed Of Hope

The Once-ler gave Marilyn a tour around his mansion. She was amazed at the exquisite design and beautiful decorations. This guy had sure had money to burn. And then she had an idea.

"Once, why don't you donate your money to the people of Thneedville?" she looked at him, seriousness in her eyes.

The Once-ler had considered that idea a few times before but his family always dismissed them saying he only needs to worry about himself and his family. Since then, the idea never crossed his mind again until now.

"I mean, they are suffering great economical problems. Life is becoming harsh for them everyday" Marilyn said looking down at her hands, thinking. The Once-ler knew exactly what she was thinking about. Her family.

Everyday,he lived like a king, though a miserable one. He dwelled in his grief too long to realize that the town he practically created was in times of need. Maybe this could be his chance to redress the wrongs he has done.

"Yes, maybe I should" he said. The tour was over but the pair still walked the long, hollow halls together, side by side.

"How is your family?" he asked Marilyn, who still was deep in thought.

"Oh, um, my family? Th-they're fine I guess" she still didn't look at him.

Has she realized how bad of a liar can she be? The Once-ler could tell there was something wrong. He stepped in her path and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. She looked up alarm but quickly let her gaze down at her feet, clutching her hands at her chest.

"C'mon Marilyn, tell me, what's wrong?" he asked her. Bringing his face closer to hers, inspecting her eyes that soon formed tears.

She poured down all her troubles on him, telling him about her family's struggle and how she was afraid of failing her family. In a way, Marilyn was like how Once-ler once was. In a minute she brought out of him what The Lorax and all the other forest animals fought desperately to find. The two talked for a while like good friends. The Once-ler felt it was time to tell her the truth.

"Marilyn there's something I think you should know." He said. They both sat in a couch located in one of the many living rooms in the mansion.

"Hm? What is it?" She said. She was done crying but still sobbed as she spoke.

"Do you want to know what happened to them? Why their gone?" he asked.

"What is gone?" she asked. The Once-ler's face has hidden in his hands and his arms positioned on his knees. Marilyn tried to make out his expression but couldn't.

"The trees." His mind was entering into a flashback. The day earlier, the shame took it's leave just for one moment. But now, the shame came back along with all the dreaded memories.

The Once-ler didn't knew that Marilyn knew already but she figured he might need an understanding ear and she wanted to hear his point of view of the story so she asked "What happened to them?"

"I destroyed them all" his eyes were looking intensely at the fire that burned brightly before them. He said it as if he committed a crime, a murder.

"How?" Marilyn wondered what horrid scenes were being played in his mind. The torture that must over come him must be terrible. She wanted to help him carry his weight, to comfort him.

"I went mad with greed, I hackled all the trees down. Because of me thousands of innocent animals starved and lost their home. Because of me every thing of beauty is gone and hundreds of families are struggling. Because of me The Lorax left..." his voice trailed off as he got up and walked towards one of the room's window.

"The Lorax?" Marilyn was at full attention now.

"He was the guardian of the forest... he was my friend." the sad tone in his voice was unbearable to hear. He held back his tears as he told Marilyn the story from the start but couldn't hold back the tears any longer and they began to pour one by one.

"I took everything and lost everything. I am nothing!" He sobbed. His grief broke Marilyn's heart and she made his way to him.

For a moment he forgot about her presence . "I feel so alone..." he cried.

Marilyn stood behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and layed her head on his back. Tears streamed down her face. "You are not alone Once."

They remained silent in the same position for a few minutes until he turned around and put her hands in his. He stared down at her beautiful face. His heart touched.

At that moment, in that instant, they both knew that hey were made for eachother. Two lonely people, from different walks of life, brought together by the power of love.

"You should go home" The Once-ler said as he let go of her hands. He didn't knew why he broke off the moment, but he knew what he had to do. He had to make things right. Some how he had to bring the trees back. He had to do it for the people of Thneedville, for the forest animals, for Marilyn and for The Lorax. Only then could he be free.

Marilyn stepped outside as The Once-ler watch her from a window. Marilyn waited outside until the cab she called came for her. The chauffer would've drove her home but it was late and he was at his home.

As she walked a little into the distant, something gleamed in the dark that caught her sight. She made her way towards it.

As she came near she realized what it was. It was a seed. As she picked up the small object with her hands she looked up. The sky looked as if it just enclosed. "This must be a miracle" she exclaimed. How could a tiny seed survive for all this time? Surely some one placed it there. However it got there she knew that it was there for a reason. It was fate. A sign. A seed of hope.

She wrapped the seed in a hankerchief and put it in her pocket. The cab pulled next to her and she hopped in. As the vehicle moved away she watched the factory disappear into the horizon. She felt a faint breeze brush against her skin and a simple word was whispered to her ear, "Unless"

"Sometimes the heart sees what is

invisible to the eye"

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

I just thought I should get this out of the way. I already wrote chapter 10 and its my favorite so far, and I think it will be yours too. This is my explanation (at least for this story) of the origin of the seed. Guess how it got there for Marilyn to find...