Yamagen hummed to himself, watering the giant tree that rested in the center of the island. He pat the thick trunk.
"Oh, my dearest tree. I'm glad you've grown so huge!"
"...Yamagen. You care for me, right?"
"Of course I do! You and me forever...It's the best feeling!"
"I need you to listen to me."
"Have I ever done you wrong before?"
"You and I aren't too different, Yamagen. You and I both need to be cared for, which we do an excellent job at doing for each other. You and I also have branches, although you call yours 'hair.'"
Yamagen pulled at one of the cords in his head. "I never saw them like branches, but I guess you're right."
"And we both rely on this land to provide us with the materials needed to live and care for each other. You give me water, and I provide you with food and shelter."
"...Yeah? Why are you talking about this now? Is something bothering you? You better not start again by saying 'however.'"
"However...You are still neglecting my needs. I've been dying for years. Slowly and surely, I've been shriveling because of a lack of one thing we both need more of."
"Darkwood...? What are you talking about?"
"Your heart is corrupted and foolish. You lack the wisdom needed to survive in this world. You see nothing past your own fake reality. You are not alone."
"Of course not! I have you!"
"You cannot be alone any longer. The darkness in your heart is corrupting my roots, destroying my leaves, and draining the love from me. You are an idiotic, selfish being who ignores the cries of pity from others if it doesn't suit your personal gain. You've convinced yourself that isolation is sublime because you fear other's views towards you. I feel that you need to stop this behavior, now, before you kill the both of us. If you truly cared for me, you would listen."
He scoffed. "You're speaking gibberish. Care to explain what you mean? I'm not afraid of people's opinions on me."
"Then you will allow me to reach out to other islands that produce the same energy as me."
"You're a tree. You produce air, moron."
The Darkwood sighed. "I see. So you've cared for a tree and had no idea what it was even capable of. How disappointing. I thought you would be more clever than that. I suppose this is what Fate wanted. I now take my care into my own hands."
"Darkwood? What do you mean?"
The tree ignored him and began to glow faintly. Yamagen disliked being ignored; and decided to climb the tree and shake sense into its branches. As he made his way to the top, one of the branches snapped in his grasp. He scrambled onto the safe branch and watched the dying wood fall into the water.
"You've pushed me to this! You failed to listen! I've been crying for your help for years! I do not want to go to waste all because of your selfish behavior! Get off of me this instant!"
"No! I want you to listen to me! I know what's best for you! I'm the best you're ever going to get! Other people will only chop you down! They'll kill you! I'm here to protect you, and help you grow!"
"No!"
He made it to the top, where a large bulb sat in the center of the trunk, wrapped with wooden branches. Yamagen touched a hand to the bulb, a shock shooting through his hand. He pulled it quickly off, looking at the burning mark on his palm.
"Darkwood, you hurt me."
"Just like you've done to me for a long time."
"I'm not hurting you, I'm taking proper care of you! Why can't you understand that?!"
"You fear others hurting me, but they will actually care for and listen to me! You...you are the very thing you fear! You are the monster you say others are. You are a hypocrite to believe such foolish things without first fixing the vileness within yourself."
The bulb flashed and Yamagen covered his eyes to prevent being blinded. The tree swayed, knocking him off his footing. He slipped and fell down the side of the tree, hitting branches as he fell into the soft, green grass.