John didn't come back to First for awhile, leaving Neira-Leafy nothing to do but eat, sleep and wait. They didn't talk, it was too strange because when one of them talked the other would already know what they were going to say and then they would both get confused and stutter.

Like this they may have wanted to say something but it just wasn't possible. Though once they got used to the arrangement, the two would be able to properly divide their consciousness and smoothly coexist with each other. It would just take time but for now, it was a carnival of crazy inside their head.

It wasn't all bad though, Niera-Leafy had wings now which was a new experience for one of them. Flying was at least one of the dreams of all land dwellers and realizing it by means of your body would leave you speechless.

After passing the last gate, Icarus found herself with a large distance to travel. The next gate they could use was further away then usual so today, the next day and the day after that it would be conventional travel. As Icarus had depleted the second crystal in the encounter with the dark treant, it was necessary to stop in a mana rich location to recharge. The next change to use a gate was over a week away.

With a flash of light John returned.

Niera-leafy was ecstatic, there was just so much leafy wanted to ask. Unfortunately in their combined state the strong emotions washed over onto Niera, then again back to leafy and so forth. The strong yoyo effect stopped any action with the effect of collapsing them to the floor.

With quick hands John caught them and began chanting.

"Darkness, silence, sleep."

With a poke on the forehead Niera was asleep.

Leafy being a spirit was unaffected, spells of a physical sort had no bearing on the unbound. The only disadvantage was a large drop in ability as the host, the medium to her powers, was not of an active mind.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you. The merging process has been slow."

"I noticed. But give it time. This is likely Niera's first spirit merger, and that its with you... It could set a record for the most difficult merger in history."

"*sigh* I wish it wasn't so but what you say is true. But in her defence she is excelling at the process and taking it quite well. That you have been gone for over a day, during which she has held a basic routine and not passed out beyond sleeping is a feat to applaud."

"That's good to hear and I'm happy to hear you give her high praises."

"Yes, but that's not important now. It's just a matter of time until we perfect the joining and with her talent and temperament, it will be over within a few days. What I really want to know about is you."

"Me? What about me? I'm just your average guy."

"Humility doesn't suit you. The smirk on your face with those words does not match in the slightest."

"Hah! Is that so. It's been a long time since someone asked me personal questions though, I'm not sure I'll have a talent for answering. But in that you do not repeat the answers, I may be inclined to tell you."

"Not that I dislike the trust, but why?"

"Call it a hunch. But your a part of the world tree and they are known as truly being truly noble. In a perspective of balance and harmony that they strive for, what reason would they have for dishonesty? It would corrupt them."

"I can't say I know much of the world trees, only that I, in someway, am one."

"Yes, in that respect you are a child but still, I can't believe you have lost that part of you. Even in death, you stayed behind to look after the forest the best you could. You challenged the soul cycle and stood your ground on the basis of helping others. Regardless if you remember it, you did something extraordinarily selfless."

"Why do I get the feeling that you know more about me then I do myself?"

"Maybe, at least in regards to still living world trees. But as to what you became, I'm at a loss. Go see a priest, cultist, or necromancer for a clue to that."

"Hmm, well I wasn't expecting anything in regards to that but I'll keep it in mind. But regardless of all that, it you that perplexes me. Are you even Human?"

John patted his face and then his body, showing a fake face of consern.

"Two arms, two legs, rounded ears, no whiskers, and a handsome face."

Leafy just starred at him with half lit eyes, highly unamused.

"I am human."

"Are you truly human? To your bones? To your cells?"

"Through and through, though it does surprise me that you knowledge like bones and cells. Those have nothing to do with trees."

"I guess, there's allot of knowledge at my disposal. I'm not sure what to make of it or even how it works."

"Hmm, it must be something to do with world trees. Sorry, again I can't help you there."

"I don't expect you to. Now, let's please stop sidetracking. This inquiry is for you."

"Then please, ask away."

"Why can you use celestial magic?"

"Old experiment. Attempted fusing mana crystals with spirit water. I got the hang of once I managed successfully. Icarus might be able to tell you more, there were allot of experiments but two of them blew up the lab. The first got her grumpy but on the second she stayed parked over a volcano for an entire day hence why I remember it."

"Why were you trying to fuse the two?"

"Curiosity mostly as it hadn't been done before, nor again for that matter. I don't think anyone has thought of or successfully repeated my experiments. I haven't heard of any at least and I don't think many people could keep quite about it."

"Another reason is that while using magic, one can't use spirit energy. You use one then the other, its inefficient. If possible, it would be preferable to use both simultaneously as hybrid effects and attacks would have the strength of both. That was my theory back then at least and I was wrong. The combination produces celestial energy which has completely different properties then what makes it up."

"I think Icarus should of dumped you in that volcano. You got off easy."

"Hah, maybe. But that's how in anycase. It just goes to show how dangerous celestial beings are. It took Great effort just make a drop of the stuff and they are entirely composed of it."

"So what was the magic you used?"

"I guess a type of radar?"

"Radar?"

"I generated a thin wave of celestial energy. Had it bounced off you, I would not of believed you."

"Wait, you thought I might of been a god?"

"It was a possibility."

"*pfft!* Hah! You are stupid and foolish on many accounts if this is the case."

"I can't completely refute that."

"Well to each their own adventures... What about your disappearing act?"

"Logging?"

"Is that what you call it? What could it possibly have to do with cutting down trees?"

"Haha! I guess that's a word thats unique to our world."

"Your world? You mean you are not from First?"

"No."

"Where is your world? What is it called?"

"It's hard to explain to someone, or something in your case, who was born and raised in first."

"Try me."

"*haa* well from where I come from there is no mana and as a result we developed machines. They do stuff, like aiding us in our tasks. Where one would use magic here, we use our hands to create an object. With that object we build more complex objects then with the objects others built we go even further."

"Machines... This is new to me but does not explain your world or how you got here."

"It sort of does because as our machines continued to grow in complexity, so did our understanding of the universe. What we could see and realize from the eyes of our creation was ever growing and at some point we discovered something called cyberspace."

"Another word I don't know."

"Hmm, you can think of it as a space with no sense of direction or distance, a place where only thoughts interpreted by machines may enter."

"It sounds like a dream."

"As a metaphor perhaps but it doesn't operate like one. Cyberspace is a byproduct of our repeated use of machines. As we forced them to do more and more, it eventually lead to the creation of first."

"Wait what? That's not right."

"Well, I can't confirm it for you but it is as I say."

"So then, what am I? What am I to you?"

"Well, I see you as Leafy the world tree spirit. Nothing should change with the way you think I think about you. You can think for yourself and that's enough for me to think of you as being alive."

John placed a warm hand on her cheek, the news was allot to take in for one of this world.

"But in your world I'm just a piece of a machine."

"Does it make you feel small and insignificant? Perhaps question the point of living? Leafy is leafy, never forget that. All of those questions are secondary when compared to the fact that you can think for yourself."

"I see... Well it's easier to just not believe you and think that your some crazy person. Your methods definitely are so the assumption would fit."

"Hah, fine by me. I catch myself thinking that some days."

"And your wings, why do they seem so natural to you? Let alone their performance. At first glance I thought they were soul accessories but the abuse and flight capability they underwent in your fight exceeds my understanding of them. They were conducting your magic, using it, as if it was a part of you."

"I'll be careful in the future with how I used my wings but that was most definitely an extenuating circumstance. And I'm sorry, my wings or anything related to them is not something I can't talk about."

"Is that so."

"That is so."

"Hmph. Well, it's not really a concern of mine... In any case I heard Icarus is needing a place gather mana."

"Yes, her acceleration crystal has been completely drained and her primary won't make the full journey without another stop."

"Hmm, in that case why don't we fly and take a look around. How long will Niera be out for?" Leafy inquired.

"Till I wake her up or about a day. Which ever comes first." John said with a smirk on his face. What he had done to Niera could be considered evil.

"Alright, forward sweep then?"

"That sounds-..."

"What?"

Leafy turned around to see what John was looking at. "A settlement? Out here? How bizarre."

"Yes, I'm seeing signs of human culture. I suppose it might be a gypsy outpost."

"Gypsies? I'm not familiar with the term."

"They are Nomad-like humans carrying strong ties to those they call their kin. No loyalties to outsiders, be prepared for swindling and shrewdness."

"They hostile?"

"Don't know. Want to go find out?"

"Let's"

"Icarus, head for the settlement at high altitude and wait for us there. Use what you can for cover so you don't get spotted."

"Yes John."

Leafy ran and jumped, opening her wings to glide towards the settlement and John followed suit, opening his own wings for a fast vertical take off.