Once the yellow ball in the sky came back, I left my valley. Pleasant as it was, the slow creep of boredom was not one to wait long, and I needed to find something to do.

Ideally, Della would come back at some point, but I didn't want to just wait until then. With Dioda still recovering, I figured it wouldn't be a terrible idea to go check on Green. I had little to no responsibilities, which I found mind-numbingly irritating. Having nothing to work towards or do was a far larger issue than I'd anticipated. Even back where I'd come from, I'd still had opportunities to do something.

Green seemed pretty old. He'd probably have a few ideas on what I could do.

After a moment of thought, I felt that strange tug again. It was barely even noticeable at first, but as I focused on it, I could definitely tell that something was calling me. A faint mental pull that told me to go in a very specific direction. I couldn't tell whether it was directed towards just me or aimed at everyone with a mind, but if the latter was true, Della would likely end up there at some point.

Whatever the case, it wasn't very long before I ended up at Green's clearing, pushing through the hedge again. The ground was still as white and ashy as ever, with a miasma of dust floating through the air. I'd come through the hedge on the other side, which meant Green was facing away from me when I came in.

The pale objects half-buried in the ground were still as much an obstacle as they'd been the first time around. In other words, annoying and not much of an issue past that. Although some of them did look weirdly familiar now. They kind of reminded me of Della, in a vague, disconnected way.

Coming around the other side, I saw Green, his eye sockets dimmed and his head hanging. The pattern of the vines hadn't changed at all. Giving a quick knock on the rock, I sent a message. Green? Are you all right?

His eyes surged to life, and the vines abruptly erupted with spikes. WHO - Shold'er? He blinked in surprise, and the spikes retracted. You... returned?

I sat down, folding my legs and looking up at him. Yeah, of course. I said I would, right?

He stared down at me for a long moment. I receive few visitors. I have never seen any of them twice, except for you.

I sent a distinct sense of humor into my voice. I can relate. I'm not exactly a popular person where I come from either. I never could figure out why, though.

Green's voice is warmer than I've ever heard it. I can only guess at their idiocy.

I shook my head promptly. No, they're definitely geniuses.

He blinked. Oh.

Nodding, I continued, Yeah, they were way better at me in pretty much every field. Seriously, picture the definition of smart and these people would fit it. Competent, strong, surrounded by impressed fans all the time. Although it's really frustrating when someone is conceived with power and charisma and every natural advantage you can think of and they just use it on doing whatever they want instead of... I don't know, teaching everyone worse at them on how to do things better.

Green almost sounded guilty. ...Oh.

For example, I could really use some help on three-dimensional objects interacting with the fourth-dimension. They just don't fit right and usually end up exploding. Take Skal'dryn - she's really good at that sort of thing, but she's too busy perfecting her stupid miniature multiverse and its transdimensional physics to bother teaching me how to design objects to cleanly transfer from third to fourth. Do you know what I'm talking about?

I looked up at Green to find him staring at me wide-eyed, and had to check myself to make sure I hadn't somehow changed into a different creature in the past minute. It wouldn't have been the first time, although it hadn't happened here yet. What?

He shook his head amusedly. When you said you were not from here, I assumed you were perhaps from Undersea or Novaline. I suspect my assumption may be somewhat... misplaced.

Undersea... Novaline? Wait a minute. How big is this place?

He raised an eyebrow, an impressive feat considering he didn't have any. The forest or the world?

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Aren't they the same thing?

Green threw his head back and dropped the bottom quarter of the front of his face, shaking slightly. He kept doing it for a solid thirty seconds, the duration of which I spent staring at him in blatant confusion. Once he was done, he mirthfully said, I must confess, it's been longer than you'd believe since I've laughed. Thank you for that. But no, this forest, large though it may be, is a mere dot against the backdrop of Hynia as a whole. It's been far too long for the geography I remember to be relevant, but I assure you that the world is far larger than just this forest.

I processed that for a moment, then slowly toppled over backward. Green wordlessly watched me for a moment, then asked, Is everything all right?

Yeah, I promptly replied, and then reconsidered. Okay, maybe not. Up to this point I'd been thinking of whoever made this place as a prodigy. A genius the level of which I've never heard of. Honestly, just one of the trees here is beyond the capabilities of most people back where I come from. Physics, dimensional sequencing, collision manipulation... we can do those pretty well. But making a thing creatively? On the grade everything here is? It's basically impossible. I've been walking around thinking hey, I might be outmatched, but at least this stuff is possible. The forest would take a lot of people to replicate, but it could be done. At least until I found out Dioda lived in it, but that's a whole thing.

Green tilted his head. Dioda?

I nodded. Yeah, that's what I called the forest. She's pretty nice. Back to what I was saying, it's people like you that made me realize this place was totally out of reach. Thinking creations that weren't anything like me, but still could think like me. Feel like me. It honestly hurt realizing my life's work was such a thin comparison to all of this. But even then, I thought maybe it was all some unbelievable one-in-a-trillion genius making it all. But...

I stared up at the sky and at the massive white mounds of condensation steadily pushing across it. If the world is really as big as you say it is, I'm not even sure if it's possible for anyone to make this, no matter how much help they had.

Green shook his head. Halt a moment. Dioda is the forest?

I nodded, somewhat put off that he was still caught on that. Yeah, she was talking to me through the trees. She even cleared out some space where I could stay using tree roots, although I honestly can't figure out why. We hadn't talked yet, so there wasn't any reason for her to be nice to me. That makes me think she's just nice by nature. Hah, nature, get it?

He insistently repeated, Dioda, the forest, is a thinking, living, sapient creature!?

I looked over at him. Even without much of a face, I could tell he was concerned. That's correct. Is something wrong?

Green seemed to be a little broken for a moment. He stared dead ahead, not really paying attention to anything. He didn't so much as budge, even when I stood up. Leaning over, I poked his face. Green. Are you all right?

He blinked and distractedly looked over at me. What? Yes. Well... No. I believe I owe... Dioda... a rather serious apology.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. What for?

He indicated the vines holding him to the stone. I've been using substantial amounts of life force to sustain the prison. It may have been imposed upon me at one point, but it has been self-inflicted for quite some time now. Aside from that, the sword impaling me here consumes a certain amount of energy as well, and so I've been siphoning the required amount from the forest.

I processed that for a long moment. From Dioda, you mean.

He simply nodded. Pausing briefly, I glanced up at him. I'm going to go talk to Dioda. I'm sure we can smooth this out. In the meantime, could you maybe... stop fueling the vines?

Green stiffened, and his voice steeled. My punishment is one I deserve. Nothing shall stand in its way.

I folded my arms. Then your apology won't be genuine, and you might as well just keep taking it from her.

He flinched, but stayed resolute. I shall pay for my crimes, Shold'ler. Do not try to stop me.

I shook my head. I'm not going to get in your way, Green. I'm going to help you and Dioda. But you've got to stop stealing from her, or else there won't be any point in trying to fix it.

He glared at me, and green light began to pour from his eyes. If you force me to cease in this task, I make no promises as to the havoc I shall wreak upon you.

I raised an eyebrow. Not too long ago you talked about how much you regretted wreaking havoc. What happened to that?

His eyes widened, and the light was cut off abruptly. I... He stared at the ground. Leave me.

I shook my head. Not until you drop the vines.

His hands clenched into fists, but he still refused to look up at me. Then I will force you to leave me in peace.

The vines at his feet snapped towards me. They shot forward like strikes of lightning... and kept moving... and moving... but never gained an inch. Green's eyes narrowed in confusion. What is this?

I kept the spatial loop going, making sure that no matter how far or fast the attack went, it never actually went anywhere. I'm going to help you, Green. I think you want me to help you too, but you're too caught up in self-pity to recognize it. You're hurting Dioda, even though I don't totally understand how, and I'm not going to let that happen.

His eyes glowed, and the stone he was bound to glowed with it, crimson runes changing to green. I will banish you from this place if I must.

I took a breath, and readied every trick I could think of. It wasn't my first time in a fight, but it was the first time the fight had ever mattered. I'm not going to let that happen either.

Fog began to pour from his face-hole, and the unidentifiable objects that had been buried in the ground shifted. I apologize, Shold'ler. But even though I am bound, I doubt you are a match for me.

And then his real attack started.