The calmness of the forests was soothing. The wistful aura of powerful trees was soaked by the air, filling the area with a solemn serenity. With the scent of humid moss and fresh greenery, laces of ferns, and hanging vines, the life pulsing in this place looked almost unreal. There was something majestic and full of dignity here, but also appalling. Cruel. Nature had its laws, rhymes, and reasons. From Earthlings' point of view, it might have not made any sense, but thanks to that harmony animals, plants, and humans alike were able to survive. And now... Mighty and wide crowns were creating a thick green thatch above, and ribbons of light that passed through shone in the quiet dimness. The wind was playing with the branches, filling the forest with soft creaks of wood and whispers of the leaves. The air was warm. It carried the fragrance of fresh resin and decomposing wood. On any different occasion, Ayu would come here eagerly, walking through her favorite trails and gathering herbs, looking for sweet berries growing on the nearby bushes... No. Not today.

She sat between the shrubs and ferns, pulling her knees closer to her chest and hiding her face. Green braid blended with the emerald grass perfectly, and lose locks obstructed Ayu's cheeks. Like a piece of the puzzle that perfectly merged with her surrounding, the girl was sitting in complete silence between dense bushes. The solemnity of the lonely forest always welcomed and missed today was underlined with anxious thoughts. The nature... The nature around and the character of the intelligent races that roamed this planet were so different, weren't they? Lots of questions and tangled reflections were filling her head. Kill or be killed. Defeat or be defeated. Ah, Ayu's heart was so upset about that... She couldn't say that there was nothing to worry about when a scene that unfolded in East City was playing over and over in her mind. She clearly remembered the panic... And the horrific sensation of life energy running out around her. That was it. As simply put as possible, it all boiled down to her being a hopeless and helpless person, who wasn't able to stand up for herself. Did her actions cost them their life? Shame was flushing on her face as well as burning her heart, but it was the cold and stabbing sensation of dread that terrified her the most. There was no right answer to her questions.

If it wasn't for that Saiyan, something bad would have happened to her. The pursuers that stalked Ayu through the East City had a clear goal in mind. She wasn't able to read their thoughts, but feeling that their energies gave off was enough to deduce that she wouldn't make it home in one piece. And she was too scared to do anything... Just standing there pathetically frozen in fear. Ayu never fought, let alone hit anyone, and thrown in that situation she was both clueless and lost. Does she even have to right to disapprove of the help she got? Although the people being murdered in front of her eyes weren't making the situation any less troubling. If pushed hard enough does she have to kill to protect herself? Was there truly no different way? As much as she was grateful for being saved, obviously, the Sayian who disarmed the pursuers did so not because of his goodwill. It just... Made her feel somewhat guilty, even if she shouldn't have those feelings in the first place. She wanted to ask for help, and before she could, she was offered it - just not in the most pleasantly expected way. Why... So why did she feel like she did something so reprehensible, that the numb soreness was growing in her core?

Contrary to her mental state, everything around Ayu was beautifully calm. The forest was busy with unseen life that harmoniously continued surviving despite what was happening outside of the woods. The wind played with green, leafy crowns above, long, frayed stalks of ferns moved softly dancing in the breeze. Lost in her thoughts, Ayu didn't realize that the flora around her seemed to move a little more than other plants in the forest. Branches stretched toward her and blades of glass straightened, pointing up. Even a nearby patch of forget-me-nots turned their blue flowers in her direction. Yet, the girl was too deep in her pensive mood to notice anything.

Why was everything so complicated and so hard and dangerous out there... People were scary. Not only Earthlings but inhabitants of any other planet too, well, as far as she knew. Animals didn't kill anyone out of pure hostility. They never take a life based on their whims - they do so for clear reasons. They either feel threatened or see no other way of coming out alive. They protect themselves and their mates and offspring, or they hunt and kill to eat. To survive. Nature was cruel in a way, but the reasoning there was sound and comprehensible. The food chain was something that should be understood and respected, even if it was sad seeing animals being preyed upon. That was the law of survival here. If Ayu would be able to fight and would do so intentionally for defense, that surely would be considered a means to survive, right..? Yet, taking life when there was no need to it felt so wrong. People were often making her anxious, but now fear emerged from those complicated feelings. The more intelligent creatures roamed this universe, the more problematic their morals felt, and now... Was it even reasonable to dwell on that? It's not like sitting here with bitter tears gathering in her eyes would help with anything.

Slowly, the girl tilted her head to the side, cheek resting on a knee and pale yellow irises blankly stared at the world around her. Dark circles under Ayu's eyes were painted there by the sleepless night and feeling of hopelessness feeding on her grief. A deep sigh raised her chest... Right. How long was she sitting here? Zhang forbid her from venturing into any town or city, allowing her only to visit the rural area they lived in. Not like he was at home to make those consequences a reality, but Ayu silently agreed. Cities were dangerous. People were dangerous. She'd rather spend eternity with her plants, hidden here in the forest. The tangled vines crawled silently between blades of grass, affectionately playing with the tip of her braid - were they answering her thoughts..? Ayu rubbed her temples - thinking so much gave her a headache, tiring her more than she'd like to admit. The tree trunks creaked above, still unnoticed they leaned over her. And finally then, raising her eyes to gaze once again at the greenery around her, Ayu was met with an unexpected view. Every species of flora in diameter of like ten feet was more-or-less leaning towards her. Branches bowed, creaking softly, with raised leaves. Ferns moved closer, placing their stalks all around her, even grass felt like it desperately wanted to comfort her in this distress. Wild vines wrapped loosely around her silhouette, shrubs tilted near, and small, prickly twigs touched her braid. Every flower was facing her, bobbing softly under the wind... No, it wasn't that. The plants did it by themselves which was biologically impossible with their lack of locomotor systems, and even then-

Ayu blinked. And then turned pale.

The vines, branches, even bushes, and grass leaned towards her and continued to do so!

Startled she jumped right back on her feet. The girl expected a resistance, vines tangling and gripping her stronger but... Nothing like that ever happened. When she leaped with her face chalk-white, everything around her marched back into place, and once again, the surrounding area looked so regular. Normal. Ayu stood there in mild shock, shaking her head slowly, trying to process what just happened. Forest answered with familiar silence. Green crowns above were right in their place, vines dangled loosely and the grass was simply grass. The girl looked around, cautiously walking up to the nearest tree and gently placing her hand on the trunk. With her forehead resting on uneven bark, she closed her eyes. She knew... Since she remembered she was able to feel the plants in a different way than she could sense the life energy of living beings. It was something else than their presence, and their feelings, though it was hard to call it that... Flora did not have emotions like animals, there was no pain or fear. More like sensations of growth and their needs being met - sun, water, soil. They perceived the damage and react to it, they are aware of their surroundings and potential threats. Minds of the plants... Was it even possible to call it that? Botanically speaking, there was no such thing. Simply their whole being was translated into a single deep impression, and it seemed that only Ayu was aware of that.

Plants didn't kill. They didn't fight. There was no violence or grudges in their language, they only knew so little, so... The fact that Ayu sensed something new was both scary and fascinating. Especially when the feeling that plants around started developing was something so deeply unexpected, she couldn't help but feel concerned. Ayu raised her arms and embraced the tree. Rough bark scratched her forearms, but reassurance poured into her heart. Was it her presence that influenced the plants..? Did she use her energy unknowingly, blinded by her emotions, without awareness of what would it cause? Or simply, did they react to her mental state? Whatever it was, she felt more synchronized with nature than before.

"I know now," Ayu looked up at the curved branches. With a deep sigh, she pushed just a bit of her energy through, raising her hand towards the green crown above. It listened and reacted. The invisible connection that colored her energy in this specific vivacious hue of vegetation, now allowed her to access a different kind of bond. It wasn't an exact control, but the tree bowed towards her, offering the vines that obediently wrapped around her waist and arms. Ayu was picked off the ground easily and placed on a branch high above the ground, her head peeking out of the leaves, just so she could admire the sea of trees all around her. With the softest motion, the thin twigs and buds moved to the sides, following Ayu's directions. Maybe she wasn't able to understand the complicated and layered nature of the world surrounding her... But she just understood one more thing about herself. And her nature, for all that matters.

Observing how she was in control didn't make her proud or stronger. In fact, it only gave her an additional sense of duty. If she was able to affect the greenery around her, she might as well utilize it to fight or defend herself - but using another living being for selfish reasons like that wasn't to her liking. Maybe it was foolish... Maybe she was a fool here for not baring her fangs and diving into this conflict, attacking before she could be attacked, but she couldn't. Remembering the feel of sensing life running out was the most sickening memory, and she'd hate to see it again. Ayu's heart throbbed anxiously. Kill or be killed. Defeat or be defeated. She couldn't put together human temper and the nature of well-known animals and plants, expecting to find enough connection to justify every action she'd take. No. And the moment she silently was to accept her state a branch wrapped tenderly around her hand and Ayu's eyes widened. Her melancholic expression softened when she stroked the tree lovingly. It didn't change anything... Yet the realization that the flora she always loved so much cared about her as well, was the most moving emotion Ayu felt for years.

"I feel you," Ayu closed her eyes, resting her back and head on the trunk behind her. The vines softly moved and secured her waist, caressing her arms and cheeks. For a bystander, the image of the girl partially wrapped by vines could create misunderstanding, but Ayu felt safe in this embrace. Welcomed. She sensed the plants offering their aid, and first time in her life she didn't feel as lonely as usual. Her concerns didn't melt away, the worry and grief were poking at the back of her conscience, but now all the doubts were more bearable. With half-open eyes, Ayu looked at the forest serenely. A gentle addition of her energy made the vine tangled between her fingers bloom with dozen of yellow flowers. With a bit of practice and more understanding, what else she could do? A delicate smile raised the corners of her lips. Trees hummed in unison. "I feel you," Ayu whispered again. "And you feel me."

The calmness of the forests was soothing.

---

Power Level - 5,842
Word Count - 2159
Weighted Clothing Equipped
Technique - [OT1] Chlorokinesis