Oh no oh no oh no. It’s over. My adventure is slipping through my fingers. Mother must’ve found out about Yuclaus. Why else would she have gathered all of the stolon unless she wanted to figure out who was responsible. She has to know it is me. Who else is curious enough to approach a stranger, and then help them without knowing anything about them. In hindsight, maybe I should not have trusted an unstable Reform so easily.

There was just something in his eyes. For a second I felt like I caught a glimpse of his true self before it was hidden away. What I had seen had reflected me surprisingly well. Someone who was helplessly lost and looking for an escape. As Yuclaus would say, the eyes are the window to the soul. Weird how he hasn’t really spoken so beautifully since I got this new vernacular. Maybe he forgot to absorb his copy after splitting them?

I think I’m far enough, even if Yuclaus followed me, he'd be going in the complete opposite direction. After a few days together, I’ve come to terms that if Yuclaus was told “no” or not responded to, he would just do what he wanted. Typically what he wanted was predictable. Did he really think I wouldn’t notice him ravishing my Soul Spore with his eyes?

I started moving in a circular direction, swinging around the city to the opposite side from where I left. At first I had thought Yuclaus was a mastermind, planning everything from the start, handpicking me to be his partner in crime. A crime that would get us both killed. Yet the more we spoke, the more I feel like that was not the case. I’m not used to deciphering the weird way he shows emotions, but the way he perks up at specific things, seems odd.

It’s not too important for now, first we need to cleanly escape, Mother being none the wiser. She would undoubtedly follow, but if we could get out of the forest, we would have a head start before the Stolon followed. I know Mother just wants to protect me but it’s frustrating! She traveled to a whole new world when she was a sapling!

If I am lucky, Mother will eventually follow us to the elevator. If I could give her back the sense of wonder at the world she once had, it would make me so happy. So ecstatic. More so, we would be able to tell Mother why we left, without making her guilty by association. As long as we made it to the next floor of the elevator. I heard the second floor was a planet covered in trees. It would be a walk in the park for our family.

I stopped by Brother Lianfa’s lake on my way to the Angel Oak. Looking down I saw my reflection staring back at me. I tried to...smile. I was hoping I could look more normal to Yuclaus, it would make me lo- OH NO. WHY ARE MY EYES GLOWING? Since when did they start emitting light? The only other eyes that have- ah Yuclaus. Is that his system’s tell? Wouldn’t his eyes not glow then? Unless… It’s not his original system! How does he have more than two systems? The Inquisition would have hunted him down by now! Impossible. Maybe the tell is something else, and the glowing eyes were happenchance.

That’s a problem for a future Isencia! I need to somehow cover or dim my eyes. Oh, there are shiny leaves down at the bottom of the lake. Yuclaus had a word called spectacles that might work quite well for this situation. Is there a stick nearby? I doubt it, Vierra probably made a sweep recently. That's when I spotted something that didn’t belong. We cultivate all kinds of magisterial plants, this was not one of them.

Sitting in the middle of the lake was an amalgamation of wildlife. It was disgusting to see. Cringing at the sight, I tried to determine what had been mixed into this perversion of life. It seemed a Reform Maple, a Crystal Sakura, a Fish-Catching Mangrove, and a- no that would be too cruel. I will deal with this personally after the meeting. I summoned my Soul Spore, and had it burrow under the ground. In a few hours the network would be complete, and not even Mother could stop the destruction of this abomination.

Brother Lianfa had always been avante-garde, but this needed to be brought up to Mother. Or, I could force Lianfa to dance to my tune. I need to hide my eyes, and the leaves from his tree are the perfect material. If Mother asks about my spectacles, I could simply say it was something Lianfa had been helping me with. He would obviously know that I was aware of his experiment, but by that point my network will be complete. Both of us would know this fact, so he had to follow my lead.

I nodded to myself once, trying to mimic something Yuclaus would do. I pulled myself to a nearby reinforced-cedar. Using my vines, I dug up a root. This cedar was close to where my Spore had started its net. I commanded the cedar to drop its root, and it complied. A few minutes later and I held a pair of monocles.

After placing my invention on my nose, I realized that I could actually see quite well through them. Everything did seem slightly darker though, I should ask Yuclaus if that was how they were supposed to be. I also have to ask what a nymph is, something he mentioned when we first met. I cannot ask too many questions though. I would not be mysterious and knowledgeable then. Continuing the rest of my journey towards the Angel Oak was harder without my Spore, but luckily I kept vines with me always.

After a few minutes I finally made it to the base of the Angel Oak. Standing with her back against it was Mother. She still resembled a Reform, but she had left her mouth sealed after fathers death. I joined the semi-circle of stolon facing her before she spoke.

“I am glad you always come so quickly when I ask. If you are ever tangled do not trouble yourself. I know in my core you all love me. Yet today is important,” she rustled to all seventy-six of us.

“What is it Mother?” Tifa asked, “You almost never gather us like this, we still have half a cycle before our moon feast.” I kept my pheromones under my skin at Tifa’s question. This was the moment of reckoning.

“I was thinking of expanding our ecosystem, I want you to all have the space you need to grow after all. When I was walking on the border of Lianfa’s microcosm, I noticed one of his Earthen Primates had escaped.” Mother looked at me when she said that. I felt a loss of water due to transpiration. Interesting how stomata have been the cause of it all these decades. Another interesting measurement from Yuclaus’ mind.

“Escaped?” Lianfa radiated confusion, “I have my Soul Spore constantly watching them.” I could almost sense a burst of worry, but none was forthcoming.

“Following the tremors, I went to the enclosure. I saw no break in your hedge, good work by the way, the use of acacia and glandy is impressive.”

“Thank you Mother.”

“You have done many good things Lianfa. Your experiments have led to an explosion of growth for all of us. What you are doing currently is not one of these. It is not a good thing. I am sure Isencia can attest.” All eyes turned to me when Mother said this. I would need to soak up plenty of water if I made it out of this unpruned.

“Unconditionally,” I almost released a burst of panic when I used a word that did not belong to me. If Mother noticed my mistake, she never showed it.

“Isencia has already started the process I would have done myself. Lianfa, my child, please leave sentience alone.”

“Mother. I ask that you replant the seed of thought on this subject. I believe I have developed a way to create a fully independent Soul Spore. Also I would like to point out the dandelion in the field, and ask why Isencia was in my territory.” As Lianfa was making his speech, I was distracted by a vine touching the bottom of my foot. My Soul Spore had noticed a familiar vibration in the earth. Yuclaus.

“Lianfa, you know as well as I that not even I can stop Isencia at this point. She already has control over the entirety of your territory. The reason she was there was because she was likewise curious about the Earthen Primate that entered her territory.” I would have let out a startled burst at Mother’s knowledge if I was not already suppressing my emotions. Yuclaus was casually walking through Lianfa’s microcosm. Is that vibration I’m hearing him humming? He didn’t realize it, but that was a common thing he did when he was deep in thought.

What is he doing? How did he even find out where I went? Maybe I misunderstood the lost look in his eyes. His steps were those of confidence, as if a bloodhound tracking a convict. I believe Reform’s have a type of bloodhound? Hurriedly, I communicated with my Soul Spore to make sure that no creatures that escaped our attention got close to him.

Mother’s words slowly became a background noise as I followed Yuclaus’ march. He eventually reached the lake of the abomination. He stopped at its edge. He wouldn’t. Betraying my expectations, he did exactly what I feared. He walked into the lake. Hurriedly I enforced my will upon the monstrosity. It had almost speared him with its unnatural amount of roots before I reigned it in. Just holding it out of his range was the limit of my ability.

Yuclaus stopped at the bottom of the mangrove, before turning and… How does he know? I could have sworn I have kept most of my abilities hidden. I irritatedly twitched the root to tell him to get a move on. Instead he pointed more aggressively at it. Ok, you know I’m here what do yo- THE GALL! Fine! Fine. I’ll lift you up. I can only take you to the surface though, the fish catcher is incapable of leaving the water.

Using more concentration and effort than I had used in a long time, I brought him to the surface. Yuclaus got up on the trunk of the mangrove, and then he spread his legs apart. What’s he doing?

“I CHOOSE YOU, CRYSTALLINE MANGROVE!” He yelled, throwing his hand out. Wait. Choose? No. It is impossible that he knows how to choose a Soul Spore. He then straightened his clothes.

“...Right Isencia?” Mother’s voice broke through the haze.

“Precisely.” I responded, hoping the interruption didn’t cost me much. Huh. I knew my vine left a mark on him, but I did not think it would last this long. The mark started to glow green. Oh. No. The fool. If he makes that unholy composite his Spore, it might be more harm than good. I need to stop him somehow.

I tried to use the mangrove to stop him, but the roots were trapped beneath the surface. I spread my net to search for a plant that I could use as a substitute. He would be mad later, but a Soul Spore can be changed with nearly infinite possibilities. I’ll console him with some rare ingredients. That was when I came across the perfect specimen. Lying stuck in Lianfa’s hedge was a tumbleweed. How it got there is beyond me but it would do perfectly for my purposes.

Immediately taking control of it, I used nearby foliage to propel it forwards. I aimed it to knock him over, hopefully forcing him to grab the tumbleweed instead. With a final push, I launched the plant over the water. Were it going slower, the tumbleweed would undoubtedly flourish into a delightful plant with the abundance of water. Yet I had planned for its reluctance, and made sure to use ample momentum to fling it forward. As it started its race across the water, Yuclaus turned around and saw it.

He panicked. He knows. Go faster! You need to stop him! His scar started lighting up slightly faster. At this rate it would finish before I could intervene. Right when I thought hope was lost, it boomeranged back to me. Yuclaus looked surprised that the spread stopped, but it seemed he didn't know he had to touch his chosen plant. Though I am not good at reading faces, the panic in his eyes was evident. Finally it seemed like it clicked. But it was too late.

What happened next was lost in a flash of green light, but I returned my attention to my Mother. I knew I was successful.

“My rose are you ok?” Mother asked me, “You seem to have been lost in your thoughts.”

“Yes, everything is perfect.”

“Good, I was worried. I like your sunglasses by the way.”