Late update on the story, but there should be nother chapter out either today or tomorrow. I was at an academic conference, and didn't have time to edit/post the chapters, though I did work on them. Enjoy here or HERE!

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-- POV Grass --

Waiting..... Is so boring. Soooooooo boooooooooring. I'm not sure what to do with all of my free time now. I can't spend it in pleasure, since I'd just release all over the place (growing, that is) and waste all of my accumulated growth points. Plus be eaten to death probably. ‘Shiver’

Just another day and I'll have enough. Just don't hatch today bugs. Come on.

...

'Crack'

'Crinkle'

'Craaaaaaack'

...

My luck just suuuucks. I'm sure if there was a luck stat, mine would be 0. A big, fat, 0. Not a 1, a 0. The complete lack of anything good happening to me, and only snake eyes are ever rolled.

All the eggs are hatching, and I only have 1076 points. I have to wait another full day before I can begin my addiction crap. There is no way in hell that I’m going to go down to just 30 Growth point again. My life is too precious, and awesome, to do that.

Zzzzzzzzzzz.

Well, all I can do now is wait for the 30 bugs that hatched today to hopefully stay. The only thing I have going for me right now in those regards is that I'm QUITE tasty to the aphids around me, so as they try to get at me there will naturally be a cluster around me, letting the beetles that just hatched also naturally cluster around me as they feed.

When the beetles land on me tomorrow, I'll strike!

...

At least while I'm waiting I won't have to deal with as many things eating me.... Which means more points! Niiiice, but still. I feel like if I got all of them with some sap before they left their eggs, it would have been better.

...

..

...

It's morning again, yet I can only sense about 20 beetles still on my leaves. About 20, because they are frequently leaving my leaves and coming back. I hope it's because they like my area, and not because the rest were eaten by something else or if the stayers are only here because they aren't ready to leave yet.

Because of the risk that more of my workers will leave, I better go ahead and buy the abilities I need and get to cracking! I have 1207 points saved up

For 1000 points, Drug Compounding!

For 15 points, Controlled Sap Release! (I already bought this, I was bored. It was fun to cover an aphid in a really thick goo, sweet sweet revenge! But then the goo hardened, and it itched somewhat like a scab. That's probably why only trees decide to use sap defensively, they have an unfeeling outer layer. So annoying, from then on I just focused on practicing my release abilities to quicken them up and make sure my concentrations of chemicals in my sap are to the right proportions compared to what I know from Earth. Comparing the drying time, and the viscosity, I seem to have it down!)

For 50 points, Caffeine! The lovely addiction that is praised by man around the world, and despite people trying to kick the habit, they came back to their Starbucks either by will, or by their friends forcing them to go back after they were tired of dealing with their moody shit.

And now, a decision I've been putting off. I could try to bring nicotine into this world, but I'm not a fan of it. It caused so many deaths back in my world, and I fear that by introducing this drug back into this world, the same thing will happen here. Plus, I didn't really account my points saving for getting both drugs. I have the extra points to do it, and if I just release a tiiiiiny bit of it, I'm sure it would be fine. Ugggh, I just remembered some crazy science fiction book where they find a plant with a mysterious ability to produce a drug which can be concentrated to control people. That plant was flamethrowered to ash. Now I'm not afraid of a quick death, I don't want it, but it'd be muuuuuch better than being burned alive. I know I'd survive too, because of my root network and my regeneration abilities. I could burn for days. 'Shiver' Fiiiiiine, I won't use nicotine. I'll try just caffeine.

15 bugs left, I have to hurry.

Caffeine itself can be a deadly drug in higher concentrations, and the physiology of bugs might differ from Earth. I especially hope that the bugs’ physiology differs here than on earth, because caffeine did act as a natural pesticide… But only really for herbivorous insects. But progress wasn't made by being safe. I should start high, and go down from there.

Let's isolate a beetle that's not moving very much... There.

Now, for the sap concentration. I want it to have a good amount of surface tension, without getting the beetle stuck. Ok, from my practice I have that concentration down of 10mg. Let's add a good dose of sugar, spice, and everything nice! Oh no, 10mg of chemical X was knocked in! What will the results be? Hopefully, thousands of obedient beetle slaves!

Ok, I have my bait and trap in my sap, now to release a tiiiiny amount right in front of the beetle. It's worked millions of times in the lab, so it should work here.

Annnnnd, the bait was taken, it drank the drop of sap! Yes! Now to wait for the results........

...

...

...

And it's not moving. I think I killed it. Heh, at least his sacrifice wasn't in total vain. I know that 10mg is too high.

Now who's next up for the trial? His friend is nearby, let's do the same thing with a lesser concentration of caffeine.

Uggh, of course it flaps its little wings after I release my sap in front of him. Just drink your goddamn caffeine like all humans on Earth did (Well, all NORMAL people on Earth who had JOBS to do.) Ungrateful shit, it costs 0.1 growth points to create that sap, and now I'm going to have to spend another 0.1 points to wash it off so it doesn't "scab" and itch like crazy.

Remember this you stupid beetle, you're on my shit list! Don't come begging me for help if there's a bird about to eat you! I can't tell you apart yet, but just you wait. Eventually I'll determine who you are!

-- POV hated Beetle –

Relaxing.

'!?'

Something moved near me, not beetle. Gotta get away, predator!

'Bzz'

-- POV MC Grass --

Finally, found another still beetle. This time, I guess, I'll release slowly, slightly in front and to the side so it's not immediately visible and threatening. I'll lower the concentration of caffeine by 50% since the last does was lethal, and go from there.

Again, this beetle took the bait and drank the sap. Aaaaand it's not moving again. Well, where's the next Guinea........

Oh, it is moving, but circling the spot, like it's on a caffeine high! Potential success, but let's wait and see what are the effects on this beetle.

..

It's been an hour, and the bug is still running around the spot where the sap came out of. But it is slowing down.

..

I just realized a huge problem. I think this guys is super addicted to my sap. There's aphids all around him, but he's not eating them. Sigh, another failure. He's not benefitting me, so I guess I'll take care of him. There we are, look, another small sap bubble right in front of you! Just sleep, sleeeeeeep.

And, it's dead. Man, that felt terrible. I never thought of bugs before in a sentimental way, but damn. That felt like taking your sickly, hurting dog to the vet and putting him to sleep. Well, almost like that. It's weird doing it intentionally yourself. It must be the human psychology, where things you personally do affect you more than choosing for someone else to do. That, and bugs were bugs back then. Now these beetles are keeping me alive, almost my size, and I had to put one down.

'Sniff'

Being alone really makes you form attachments with the weirdest things. Won't stop me, but some introspection now and again can be helpful.

Stolen novel; please report.

Ok, so I'll drop the concentration of caffeine another 50%. This should give them a small burst of energy, and make them want this sap whenever it shows up, but it won't make them 100% slaves to the sap. I’ve not been a fan of slavery, you know, but humans have always domesticated those with less intelligence than ourselves. So let’s treat this more of domestication, instead of slavery.

Finally, SUCCESS! The next five beetles all experienced the same behavior. After drinking my sap, they look around, and start running around a bit, scaring aphids off and swatting at them if they got too close, usually injuring the aphids. Once the energy rush wore off, they would hang around my leaves, looking for sap while munching on the aphids. So not only has my main goal been successful, keeping the beetles near me, but also I got some kickass slaughter guards. Just a little bit more I should have an army.

Ok, I have succeeded in capturing 13 beetles to guard my leaves. I have another choice to make. Should I train their actions, or let them be free to do as they like? For the first, I would give them some sap whenever they do something I like, like slaughtering aphids. But only if they are on me. For the second, I would just randomly setup a sap release system. Both are tremendous at making loyal pets, but one requires my attention. I'm already so busy, I don't know what I'd do if I had to watch over my 13 beetles army, now named the Slaughter Guard.

Haaah, yea, I'll do the first choice. What else am I gonna do, sit on my proverbial ass all day and soak in the sun? Plus, I need to train multi-tasking more.

Ok, I'll train tomorrow, looks like everyone is getting ready to sleep. Well, most of the bugs, my caffeine slaves, have a few more hours before they get to sleep. But don't worry, in the morning there will be a good 'ol wake up juice just waiting for you to drink it up little guys!

-- POV ??? --

'Whistling'

Ah, a good day's work done. The souls are all going the right way, and all are going through the soul furnace just fine. This is how I like it, a smooth-sailing system.

Just have to wait for that grass-guy to die, and everything will be just peachy. Guess I could snooze a bit, I am working hard here....

…..

Ahhhhhh, that feels good. "A little to the left, ah, right there."

"Are you feeling better? It looks like you have everything running quite nicely over here. Why don't you just RELAX?"

'Gulp'

'Sweat visibly forming on forehead'

I don't want to look behind me. I don't want too. I don't want too.

".... Ummmmmm, hi sis. How wonderful to see you! How are you doing?"

-- POV Fate --

"Ah, little brother, little brother. What have you done?"

'Snap'

"Oh, little brother, it looks like your finger just broke. It must've been fate, you never did drink milk. Tsssk, Tsssk."

'Snap'

"That's right, you were asking how I was doing, hmmm?"

'Crunch'

"Well, a couple weeks ago I was just fine, you see. Then, a little wrinkle appeared coming from your way. Do you remember that little wrinkle, hmmm?"

"Whatever are you tal-"

'Snap-crunch’

"Oh, yea, now I remember. That wrinkle. Well, you see, I had no choice. He still had memories, and a lot of karma. You know that it's not allowed to retain his memories, so I threw him through the soul furnace to become grass and die out quickly. Please forgive me sis."

"Oh, so you decided to make something that was your fault into my problem, huh? Couldn't take care of it yourself, and now asking for forgiveness AFTER I've come to see you, and AFTER it's become a huge freaking problem? That stupid wrinkle you put in, as well as the influence you used a few days ago, really grew into a huge problem. So many thousands of strings of fate are twisting around, warping. Not even I know what's going to happen now. I'm practically frantic trying to see what will happen in the future, you know, my job? But I'm"

'Pop'

"So"

'Pop'

"Glad"

'Pop'

"That you're having such a swell time doing your job."

"Sis, please. It was a simple action, I've done it before, how much can grass change the world!?"

".....You've done this before, hmm? I admit I noticed the earlier wrinkles, but after some tinkering they went away quite quickly. Why did it fail this time? Why not just burn the memories away, you must have been able to tell it was a particularly troublesome one?"

"Because of his karma, it would all be lost. Neither of us want to anger her, now do we?"

"No, I suppose not my little brother. Now, what can we do to solve my problem, my dear brother?"

"Ummm, he should still die soon. He's just grass, whatever can he do? Also, can't you just use your influence and mess with his fate a little?"

"I already have. I saw a glimpse of the entire world enslaved to a drug that was released into the atmosphere from a bush that had spread across the globe. It took all of my influence just to get him to forget about that drug, and also to not choose another, lesser drug to create. If he had chosen either, he would have eventually been found by humans and cultivated and protected, until it became too late and the entire continent, then the world became physically addicted to the drug to the point where he controlled the entire world! Do you know just how bad that would be? Not just Karma would be freaking pissed, but HE might notice and come here. This would have all been easier if you had come and asked me for help, I could have pointed you to the correct way to manipulate someone so that he would die, but nooooooooo, someone was too proud to do that."

"Little brother Grim, if this becomes known, your FUCKUP, I can't protect you anymore."

"Please sis, please help me. Don't leave me to them. I'll do anything, I'll listen to what you say, and I’ll even become your servant, anything but them!"

Sigh, what am I to do with him? I've been covering for his mess ups for a long time. Too many times, really. But we're all family, so I have to look after my younger brother. But this latest problem is quite frankly too much for me to fix 100% by myself. The most I can do now is to bend the strings of fate so that everything can become stable again. Fuuuuu, at least his body lets me release my frustrations out without killing anyone. Being immortal can do wonders to keep you from dying from gross bodily harm. There now, most of his limbs are dislocated, and most of his fingers are broken, that should help him focus on his mistake. And it will heal, different from the wounds my sister and brother twins will inflict.

"I'll think about it Grim. I'll think about. Until this problem is corrected, neither you nor I will be safe. Think, think hard. If we can't solve this, we may be forced to go see them."

"U...Understood."

-- POV Karma & ??? –

"Brother, should we help? Seeing them try so hard, stressing their tiny brains, is quite fun like you said!"

"Sister, not yet. It's just starting. We'll watch them until the time is just right, then we will strike. We’ll make them feel such abject humiliation that they won’t forget it for the rest of their lives."

"Fiiiiiine, then let's play another game as their heads catch on fire, trying to think of something more difficult than what to eat for lunch. How about we play World in Flames? We've already pretty much exhausted Go and chess, whoever goes first wins or we tie. I did win the last time we played Go, so I should get to choose. And no cheating in World in Flames this time, that's the only reason you won last time."

"Like I said before, anything should be allowed in war. The game's not realistic enough. I should be able to play fake pieces and bluff actions."

".....Sin, you know that's not all you did. Sigh, come on, and let’s start it again."