As you, the girls and the Elders all made your way towards the Heart Tree, Zilla continued to chat and banter with you all, her energy endless. She cracked jokes and made sarcastic comments, filling the air with a mix of laughter and eye rolls from the other girls.

Everyone finally arrived at the Heart Tree, and you couldn't help but marvel at its sheer size and majesty. The towering tree loomed above us like a giant guardian, its branches reaching up towards the sky.

“Damn, that's a big-ass tree. Ain't never seen one so…heart-y.” Zilla said.

“DIE,” Rachel spat, giving Zilla a venomous glare.

Zilla chuckled with a shrug. “I mean, the tree literally has a hollow core in the shape of a heart, so I had to shoot my shot.”

“Still, DIE.”

The two's bickering snapped you out of your awestruck state. You couldn't help but smirk a bit at Zilla's cheesy pun, even though Rachel looked like she wanted to strangle her.

"Yeah, I get what you mean," you said, smiling. "But maybe dial back the puns before Rachel actually kills you.”

Zilla rolled her eyes with a sneer, unconcerned by Rachel's murderous glare. "Oh, c’mon, I was just jokin’. Can't a girl crack a few lame puns around here without getting death threats?”

"I'll gladly give you death threats," Rachel growled, not amused.

"Relaaaax, Rach," Zilla said, putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "You look so cute when you're angry, ya know that?"

Rachel bared her teeth and slapped Zilla's hand away. "I swear, one day I'm gonna rip your head off.”

Zilla just laughed. "Oh, I'd like to see you try. But seriously, you should lighten up. It's not good for your blood pressure, you know?”

Rachel looked like she was about to pounce on Zilla, but Noelle stepped between them. "Okay, please break it up, you two. We're here to save the Heart Tree, not fight each other.”

Zilla looked around Noelle and gave Rachel a smirk, with Rachel growling as she looked back at the jokester.

“Please stop, you two…please…”

Noelle then stepped forward next to you and looked up at the tree, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. "This...this is the Heart Tree..." she whispered, her voice filled with reverence.

"Yeah," you breathed. "It's...amazing."

“You know what else is amazing?” Zilla asked with a mischievous grin before looking down at her own rear end and back up again.

Rachel cut to the chase and put her hand over Zilla's mouth before she could finish. “I will END you–” She was cut off by a sharp pain in her own bottom, making her uncover Zilla's mouth and hold her right buttock with it as she winced. “Shit, shit, shit! I just pulled a muscle in my ass…!”

“Oh, does it hurt?” Zilla asked in a taunting tone. “Lemme kiss it to make it feel better.”

“I DARE YOU–”

“Girls…please…” Noelle pleaded, a nervous sweat drop running down her forehead.

The Heart Tree was like nothing you had ever seen before. Its bark was a rich, deep brown, and its branches reached out towards the sky like giant arms. The leaves were a vibrant green, dancing in the breeze.

The most striking feature was the hollow core in the heart tree, shaped like a heart, as Zilla had pointed out. It was as if the tree had been crafted specifically to reflect its name.

Sharline walked up to the tree and placed her hand on the bark, feeling the texture. "This is incredible. I've never seen anything like it..."

Rachel had joined Sharline, and was now inspecting the tree as well, her hands running over the surface. "I agree, it's pretty impressive. But I still have one question. How does a tree even end up with a hollow core like this?”

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"Well," Noelle spoke up, a thoughtful expression on her face. "According to legends, the Heart Tree is a symbol of the world's balance and harmony. Some say that the heart shape is a representation of that, the heart being the core of the tree and the symbol of life itself."

"So..." Zilla started. "The Heart Tree has a heart-shaped core, which also symbolizes the core of life...that's both poetic and kinda cheesy, if you ask me."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Of course you would find something to critique about this.”

Zilla shrugged. "Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it. It's a big heart-shaped tree with a heart-shaped core. It's like nature's version of a Valentines Day card."

"Geez, you're insufferable," Rachel grumbled, her patience wearing thin. "Can't you just appreciate the beauty of this tree without making dumb-ass jokes?”

Zilla feigned hurt, dramatically clutching her chest. "Oh, Rach, you wound me so. But seriously, you know you love my sense of humor. It adds a little sparkle to this tree-riffic scene."

Rachel glared at Zilla. "I hate you so much.”

Zilla's grin took a mocking edge. "Aww, love you too, Rach."

Rachel made a strangled noise of frustration as Blair chuckled in the background.

You couldn't help but chuckle a bit too, despite Rachel's irritation. Zilla had a way of getting under her skin like no one else could, just like Kinsey.

Zilla turned her attention back to the Heart Tree. "But seriously, though. How old do you think this tree is? It must be really ancient.”

"That's a good question," Noelle said, her gaze still fixed on the tree. "The legends say that the Heart Tree has been standing tall and strong for as long as the very origin of this forest, bearing witness to countless generations. Estimates range from several hundred thousands to even millions of years old."

“That is correct,” Magnus confirmed with a nod.

"Wow," Zilla breathed. "That's like, older than some of the oldest creatures we know of. It's a relic of the past right here in front of us.”

“Um, helloooo!” Rachel said in an annoyed tone. “The tree needs saving while you're here just yapping!”

"Oh, shush," Zilla retorted, giving Rachel a playful jab. "I'm just appreciating the history and grandeur of this amazing tree. Besides, we're here to help the Elders, right? So can you chill for a sec?”

Rachel grimaced, but held her tongue.

Noelle, ever the mediator, placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder, trying to ease the tension. "Rachel, Zilla has a point. It's amazing to soak in the ambiance of the Heart Tree, but we should focus on the task at hand. Let's head inside of the Tree and make our way to the core, please.”

The Heart Tree's interior was just as grand and awe-inspiring as its exterior. The smooth wooden walls were covered in intricate patterns that glowed with a gentle multicolored light, and magical energy seemed to pulse through the air. The torches mounted to the walls added to the mystical atmosphere, bathing the group in a warm, dancing glow.

Hecate walked ahead towards the stairwell, a small smile on her face as she looked at you and the others. ''Come on, the core is this way.'’

As the group followed behind Noelle and walked up the stairwell, each step they took echoed throughout the wooden chamber. The sounds of their footsteps on the stairs mixed with the faint hum of magic that seemed to course through the very walls of this fantastical tree. The glowing light from the walls and torches illuminated their path, yet the core of the Heart Tree remained shrouded in a mysterious shadow.

A sense of anticipation hung in the air as the group ascended, each of them quietly absorbed in their own thoughts, wondering what they might find at their destination.

At last, you and the others reached the top of the stairwell, arriving at a landing with a thick iron door. The glow from the walls and torches was fainter up here, leaving the area in semi-darkness.

Noelle turned back, her voice soft yet filled with determination. ''This...this is it. The core of the Heart Tree lies behind this door.'’

The group gathered closer around the door, the anticipation in the air palpable. Some of them were quiet and tense, while others whispered softly to each other, their voices filled with excitement and nervousness. Magnus's gaze was focused on the iron door, his expression stern but determined. The Elders, meanwhile, were quiet and looked around curiously with a hint of eagerness in their eyes.

Shit…when can I sit down already, my ass is killing me, Rachel thought with a huff.

"The door looks thick," Blair noted, placing a hand on the cool iron.

“You know what else is thick?” Zilla asked teasingly.

Rachel put a finger over Zilla's lips and leaned into her. “NOW…IS NOT…THE TIME,” she whispered through gritted teeth.

Zilla rolled her eyes and continued with the suggestive humor. “Just sayin’. These li'l thighs of mine put those doors to shame..."

Rachel groaned in frustration. "Zilla, can you stop being so lewd for five seconds? We have more important things to worry about behind these doors.”

“That’s right!” Sharline agreed, shaking her head at Zilla’s antics while holding back a smirk. “There’s a serious task ahead of us. We should focus on the Heart Tree and its restoration, not Zilla’s thighs.”

Zilla put her hands on her hips and grinned. “Relax, Sharline. Just having some harmless fun here, ya know? Besides, what's more important than these babies?” She gestured down to her “thick” thighs, giving them a playful spank.

Looking back with a sigh and back forward at the iron door, Magnus stepped forward, placing his gloved hand on the door knob and giving it a firm twist, the door slowly creaking open with a drawn-out groan.

As the door swung open, a warm glow from the interior of the core of the Heart Tree spilled out into the hallway like a beacon. At the center of the room, the heart-shaped core of the Heart Tree glowed with a brilliance that only strengthened the deeper you went inside.

Hecate nodded, her gaze locked on the glowing core. "This is it...the heart of the Heart Tree.”

“But something's not right about it,” Magnus intervened. “The light is not as bright as it usually is. I feel a thick darkness radiating from it…”

Looking around, Ophelia looked over at a corner in the Core with a smirk. “I can sense a presence over there,” she said, stepping over to the location in question. “Better reveal yourself now, or we'll dispose of you quickly.”

A sigh could be heard, and the familiar knightly figure of a man in red an blue armor appeared from the shadows, smirking at the others with a twisted sense of justice.

“...Remember me?!” he said, his gazed focused on Noelle, you, and the other fellow Ephemerals.

“Of course I remember you!” Rachel answered in a mocking voice. “You got kicked in the nads by Noelle in our fight earlier, remember?”

“Oh damn, she did that for real?” Zilla asked with a huge smirk.

“Hmph! You thought that was enough to stop me?! I'll do much worse to you, and THEN some!”

"This guy's ego is seriously something else…" Sharline mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Blair chuckled. "Ya gotta hand it to him, though. He's quite persistent...and annoying."

"You have no idea…" Magnus mumbled. "He's like a damn cockroach...refuses to stay gone."

Hecate shook her head. "It's unfortunate that he's made his way into this sacred place.”

“Huh, so he's famous around here or something?” Rachel chimed.

“Indeed,” Magnus answered. “Warren has been a pestilence to our forest for as long as we remember.”

“Then let's kick his ass once and for all!”

“Oh, but it won't be as easy this time,” the Knight challenged. “I'm imbued with the power of Darkness this time, you're all toast!”

“Oh, great. He’s going all dark and edgy now,” Zilla quipped, flipping her hair.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, cause that's really intimidating...”

Blair couldn't hold back a scoff. "Please, he's going full cliché with the whole 'darkness powers' thing. It's like he's trying too hard to be menacing.”

The Knight glared at the Ephemerals, his eyes flashing with determination. “You mock me now, but let's see how you fare against my power! BRING IT!”