There’s more to a person than meets the eyes. A corny cliche, yes, but it is true, one can never just judge the surface without truly seeing what lies beneath. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes a cold and aloof person can be a kind soul, a kind soul can also be hiding a dark truth. Such is the way of human beings, complex, never stagnant, always static. Take one girl, a girl by the name of Tree Hugger .
She was called many things, a hippy, an environmentalist, an eco-warrior, yoga enthusiast, but none knew the real Tree Hugger . However, only one probably knew her well enough, or as well as she wanted her to.
Tree Hugger sat down at Fluttershy’s house, having enjoyed the hospitality of her parents Mr. and Mrs. Shy. Currently, both girls were in Fluttershy’s room. Tree Hugger, sporting her red dreadlocks, laid on Fluttershy’s bed, with said girl laying beside her. They were mostly cuddling, having had come home after a tough day at the animal shelter. For a while now the two had been enjoying a closer friendship than most would think normal.
Fluttershy knew Tree Hugger was a little more affectionate with her friendships. She liked holding Fluttershy close to her, it felt nice. Of course she didn’t do such a thing without Fluttershy’s permission, actually, it was Fluttershy who voiced her appreciation of cuddling.
“Still haven’t gotten around to talking your school friends, Shy?” Tree Hugger asked.
Fluttershy shook her head.
“You know, if you all keep this negative energy between you all, it’s gonna be very unhealthy for you all later.”
Fluttershy sighed. “I know…but I still can’t understand why Pinkie would ruin my silent auction like that? On top of that, Rainbow Dash will barely talk to me, and…really, not many of us do. I…I want to be friends again, I’m just so afraid that -”
“They’ll reject you lose them forever?” Tree Hugger interjected, earning a nod from her shy friend. “Shy-Shy, if you put out that kind of negative feelings, then the universe responds in kind with a negative response. But, with positivity, you can make anything possible, and you’re too cute for someone to stay mad at.”
Fluttershy blushed. “T-Thank you, Treesy, but I don’t know. Everyone’s still unwilling to talk, and if we were together, it would just end in arguing. Sometimes I feel all alone…”
Tree Hugger moved her right hand to cup Fluttershy’s chin, turning her to head slightly so that their eyes would meet. “Is that girl still harshing your vibe?”
Fluttershy averted her eyes for a moment.
“Shy-Shy, tell me.”
Some tears began to form in the corners of Fluttershy’s eyes, prompting Tree Hugger to bring the kind girl closer to her. “This may be a bit out there since it’s me, but, maybe you should tell your parents about her, about Sunset Shimmer.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No-No, I-I don’t want to do that! I-I mean, she doesn’t do anything physically to me…”
Tree Hugger knew that Fluttershy was non-confrontational, and that was fine, it was her nature, she was a gentle soul. However, Tree Hugger felt that if the issue wasn’t addressed soon, Fluttershy may end up doing something terrible to herself. Tree Hugger unconsciously held Fluttershy tighter to her, making Fluttershy squeak a little from the ever closer contact, and the fact that she was being pressed closer to her friend’s ample bosom at the same time.
“Uh…ahem…T-Treesy, d-do you mind um…loosing up a tiny skoosh…?” Fluttershy asked with a fierce blush on her face.
Tree Hugger brought herself back to the moment and realized what she was doing, with an apologetic grin she loosened her hold on Fluttershy and allowed the pink haired girl some room. “Sorry Shy-Shy, I kinda drifted from this space.”
Fluttershy was still blushing, not entirely sure if she really wanted to her stop now that she did. “I-It’s fine, but really, don’t worry about Sunset Shimmer. I’ll be alright.” Fluttershy looked at her clock and sighed as she sat up. “Well, I better open my computer and make some pamphlets for the animal shelter.”
Tree Hugger looked up at the clock and sighed as well. “Yeah, I better get moving too. I have to be at a nature preservation rally tomorrow and early rising is recommended.”
“I wish I could go, it sounds exciting,” said Fluttershy with glee.
Tree Hugger chuckled nervously at that. “Y-Yeah…it is, but the opposition can really be negative and hostile, major bad vibes from some of them. Best work the animal shelter for now, Shy-Shy, I’ll turn you into a hardened Eco-Warrior, one day.” Tree Hugger walked up to Fluttershy’s computer and saw the copy of the pamphlet. “Wish I could help you tomorrow, between the two of us we could probably get some more attention.”
Fluttershy chuckled. “It’s alright, I’ll be at my usual spot by the horse statue. Sunset doesn’t really like to bother me when I’m around it for some reason. But I won’t question it.”
Tree Hugger nodded and picked up her satchel. She then headed to the door but paused upon seeing a shadow by the edge of the door. “Say, Shy-Shy, how’s your little bro doing?”
Fluttershy sighed heavily. “Zephyr Breeze? Well…he’s doing…alright, I guess.”
“He has such a free spirit, and that slight bit of stubble he’s got really gives him a mature look,” said Tree Hugger as she inched closer to the door.
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “Well…free spirit I suppose is a good term, but…‘mature’…” Fluttershy intentionally left that open, not necessarily wanting to belittle or bad mouth her little brother, however she did know him well.
“Not to say he couldn’t do with some proper motivation, and maybeeeeee…” Tree Hugger quickly reached for the doorknob and opened the door swiftly.
The result ended with a tall, lanky, young man tumbling forward until he hit Fluttershy’s bed. His hair was a sandy blonde, with a mint green complexion, and slight stubble on his face.
“A little work on the stealth and privacy,” Tree Hugger finished.
Zephyr, now upside down, turned his gaze to the pair of pale yellow feet now standing before him. He followed them all the way up until he was staring at the very perturbed face of his big sister. “Heh…Heh…heya Flutter Brutter…what’s up?”
Fluttershy growled and stomped on the floor as she shouted, “ZEPHYR BREEZE!”
Tree Hugger was going to a nature preservation rally, but what she neglected to tell Fluttershy, is that it was in Louisiana, and that it was less than a peaceful protest or rally. For a while now, Tree Hugger’s group known as Gaia’s Sword had been protesting the pollution being dumped in the swamplands done by Rich Industries. The CEO, Filthy Rich, had many a time stood before cameras and disputed that his company was doing anything illegal out there, and that their plants and factories were one-hundred percent ecofriendly.
However, Gaia’s Sword had been a major thorn in Filthy Rich’s side, mostly because of both their ecoterrorism tactics, and their methods of obtaining secret data that has proven most of the claims of his pollution, however, they weren’t able to get enough hard stuff to put the tycoon away. But today, they were going to.
Tree Hugger’s faction of Gaia’s Sword had gotten some intel that Rich Industries was working on something in the swamps of Louisiana, hopefully tonight they would find the hard evidence they needed and somehow bring down the businessman once and for all. Do not misunderstand, Tree Hugger believed in peace, but that there were somethings needed tough love.
The red dreadlock haired girl scanned the area, it was night, and moon was full. The swamp was alive with the sounds of nature, crickets chirping, snakes slithering in the distance, and every once and awhile there was the disturbing sound of an alligator growling. Tree Hugger was donned in black gear, black pants, shirt, gloves, and mask. Upon her belt was a can of spray paint, some homemade flashbangs, and tucked in a protective case was a flash drive. Within it was a virus that would find any and all info on Rich Industries’ activities at the swamp, plus give the added bonus of allowing their tech support hack into company’s systems to give them some support.
Tree Hugger waited a few more minutes and was rewarded by three other ecowarriors joining her side. All three were already donned in their gear, keeping their IDs secret was key here, even from each other. That way, everyone could maintain complete anonymity, referring to each other only by code name.
“Chiron, Pan, Nymph, you made it, righteous,” said Tree Hugger.
“Demeter, early as usual,” said Chiron.
“So what’s the security like?” Nymph asked.
Tree Hugger peeked from behind a bush and the glanced back to her fellow ecowarriors. “It’s pretty much easy, the swamp doesn’t give them much ground to stand on, can’t really patrol if there’s chance to be bitten, poisoned, or lost in the bog. So they’ve limited the patrols at night, meaning easier entry.”
“And what about cameras? They probably have cameras in those areas,” said Pan.
Tree Hugger winked her eye. “Nothing to fret, there’s a dense fog about to come in, with the natural elements of the swamp in the moisture, it can really mess with camera feeds and their ability to see clearly, we’ll slip under them.”
The four ecowarriors were excited, but still cautious, believing that they may once and for all find some damning evidence against Rich Industries. Tree Hugger nodded to Chiron, Pan, and Nymph and all four began their recon.
They avoided the more obvious points of entry, as well as some that were unable to be surveyed by a person and better watched via camera. So that left the unusual options, circling around the building and skirting the edge of the river. They kept constant awareness of their surroundings, knowing full well that most of the wildlife in the swamp was nocturnal and would be skulking about at this time, especially during a full moon night.
The group of four managed to find a part of the chain link fence that seemed to have been messed with. Tree Hugger spotted some tracks, gator tracks, around the area, apparently the creature was responsible for the damage. It was providence for them, now they had a way in, but Tree Hugger couldn’t help but feel for the gator’s no doubt aching teeth and jaws from chewing on metal.
Once in, Pan made his way to one of the doors. It appeared to be a maintenance door, allowing access to possibly some sensitive equipment they could mess with. Pan removed, what looked like, clay from a pouch he had on his belt. Pan packed the clay against the door handle, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a lighter and placed the flame against the clay.
In no time the clay was set ablaze, becoming molten as it hissed against the metal door. Soon sparks were flying as the superheated clay melted through the door handle and through the locking mechanisms inside it. In just a few seconds a round hole was melted through the door where the knob used to be. Pan carefully pulled back on the door and allowed Tree Hugger , Nymph, and Chiron entry.
Luckily there was a computer nearby, Tree Hugger took out the flash drive from its protective casing and inserted it into the computer. The virus downloaded quickly, and already a strange icon appeared on the screen, that of a smiley face with a ball cap on it. Text appeared that read: [Nice to see you guys aren’t dead, kudos on getting in! lol]
“Is he serious right now?” Pan asked.
“Cypher, can you provide over watch for us?” Chiron asked.
[Can I? No prob! Also, here’s a quick map.] The printer near the computer turned on and printed out a map with a red line starting from where they were to where they need to be. [This route will allow me the most control over the security systems, and cover for you guys. I’m already in their security systems and ready to blind them once you get there.]
“Righteous, Cypher. Alright dudes and dudette, let’s bring down this place and win one for mother Earth,” said Tree Hugger .
Nymph, Pan, and Chiron nodded.
It took a grand total of thirty minutes for the group to make it down the designated path that Cypher had made for them. True to the hacker’s word, there were security cameras and each one was already pointing straight up, allowing a view of the ceiling, however, to the guards, they would be seeing the same footage of a clear hallway but looped.
Thankfully, they were able to reach their destination, but with a minor hiccup. There were a couple of scientists still working late. Tree Hugger cursed under her breath, she was hoping to avoid any physical confrontation with anyone, and capable as she was Tree Hugger did not believe in hurting other people. With a sigh, Tree Hugger gripped one of the homemade flashbang canisters, she pulled the pin and rolled the ticking canister across the floor.
The canister continued to roll until it hit the leg of the desk the scientists were sitting at. Both curiously looked down to see what it was, just in time for the can to explode, releasing a bright flash and causing a deafening ring in both their ears. The surprise of the explosion sent both men flying to the floor in a daze, rubbing their eyes constantly to try and remove the spots that hindered their vision.
Taking this opportunity, the group rushed in. Nymph hurried to the computer that the scientist was using and began applying her own tech skills, at the same time, Chiron and Pan went to work tying up both scientists and taping their mouths shut. Tree Hugger kept watch, although her flashbang wasn’t that big of a noise, they couldn’t take the chance that someone didn’t at least hear something.
“Nymph, how’s it going?” Tree Hugger asked.
“Almost there, pass me that flash drive,” said Nymph.
Tree Hugger gave the device to Nymph, quickly inserting it and uploading the other part of the virus. Now connected, both Nymph and Cypher went to work downloading any and all files that they could on Rich Industries’ illegal activity here.
Pan walked around the room, spotting a tank with some kind of chemical compound that made him sneer in disgust before continuing on his patrol.
“Does anyone else feel like this was too easy?” Chiron asked.
“How do you mean?” Tree Hugger asked.
“Considering the amount of security they have at their other places, and granted this place is in the middle of a swamp, you’d think they’d still beef up security as hard as we’ve been coming at them.”
Tree Hugger didn’t want to say it, for fear of universes karmic energies would turn against them, but Chiron did have a point. The hacking of their systems, the low amount of guards, and even now. Either good karma was on their side or this was –
Suddenly the computer shut off, red warning lights began to blare out around the compound as the computer displayed readouts that no one could understand. Tree Hugger rushed to one of the scientists and took off the tape on his mouth.
“Dude, what’s happening?!” Tree Hugger asked.
“S-Something’s wrong, that’s not an intruder alarm, that’s a hazard alarm!”
Tree Hugger reached behind him and untied the rope, directing the man to one of the computers as he inputted some code that brought it back up. After a minute the scientist’s face went pale.
“Good god, I told them those chems were too volatile to keep in the same place!”
“I don’t – what are you talking about?!” Chiron asked.
“Okay, okay, there’s some shady crap going on here, that’s why they set up way out here in the swamps, surrounded by wildlife that not even a reporter would try to snoop around for fear of getting eaten or poisoned, but we’ve been working on a compound that’s supposedly going to revolutionize fuel for vehicles, and Rich Industries would be the leading creator and distributor!”
“Basically a monopoly on the market, drive all the oil based businesses out of the rat race,” said Pan.
“Of course the stuff’s toxic if it’s released into the open air or gets on human skin,” he added.
Pan pointed to a vat near the window. “Is that what that stuff is?!”
“No that’s –”
A series of explosions went off deep underneath their feet, the rumbling tremors got more intense as the seconds passed, prompting everyone to go into panic mode.
“We need to leave, NOW!” Nymph shouted.
Chiron went to the other scientist and released him so that they could evacuate. Tree Hugger was running behind them, but tripped at the last second on a chair that had rolled into her path due the constant shaking. She tried to get back up, but it was too late. A giant explosion came up from beneath her, tossing her through the vat of chemicals and straight out of through the window.
Outside the entire complex was crumbling, and soon, a fiery column burst forth from the center of the building, sending a blast wave that shook the swamp to its core. Debris rained down from above as smoke billowed into the air.
A still barely conscious Tree Hugger felt pain throughout her body, to the point that her mind was about to go numb. Her vision was filled with animals running away in fear, black smoke that obscured the moon and stars, and a deafness that she couldn’t shake. She felt so tired, she wanted to rest, but if she did, Tree Hugger knew she’d never wake up. However, her body betrayed her, as one limb after another became paralyzed, the pain dying out as her body followed suit.
Many things passed through Tree Hugger’s mind as the darkness began to encroach and the cold crept over her. Visions of her past lives, her current life, the passing of her parents that forced the young teenager to become self-dependent. The day she discovered her love of nature and animals, the day she joined Gaia’s Sword. But most of all of these memories, were the ones that contained a sweet, shy girl, whose kindness was like a beacon in the darkness, who cared not only for animals but the people close to her.
“Fluttershy…” Tree Hugger uttered with her last breath.
Several minutes passed as the chemicals seeped into her corpse and into the earth around Tree Hugger’s body. Animals began to gather to her, but none touched her, alligators, wolves, rabbits, birds, and snakes, all manner of swamp dwelling creatures began to gather to her, predator and prey alike. Some of the animals parted for a large black bear that looked over the body, it sniffed for a minute, but then carefully began to lift Tree Hugger’s body onto its back.
The bear led a procession of woodland creatures through the swamp and away from the disaster area. After a couple of minutes of walking the bear and the rest of the animals arrived at a small clearing, the bear carefully laid her body on a bed of moss. The bear stepped back and so too did the animals, staying in a perfect circle on the perimeter of the clearing.
After a few seconds, vines began to slither towards Tree Hugger’s body, the moss washed over her like a blanket, and the vines wrapped around her, as if making a cocoon for her, her body was moved into a fetal position and finally closed off. The cocoon sunk into the earth, and for a moment all was quiet. However, that soon changed.
The vines of the swamp lashed out from the trees and coiled at the center of the clearing, the earthen dirt rose up, forming a body as the vines outlined like an exoskeleton. Green vines grew from the head of the humanoid being, weaving tightly until they resembled dreadlocks, leaves detached from the branches and swirled around the being, stitching together to form an opened arm coat that flowed in the wind. Green, luminescent moss outlined whimsical vine like patterns on its body, all the way around its legs, arms, and chest. Upon its head grew a crown of flowers, pink orchids to be exact.
When the rumbling stopped, and the greenery settled, the being feel to its knees. For a moment it was still, the animals regarding it, part of them knew what it was, and yet still curiosity warranted them to keep an eye on it.
The being opened its eyes, which were now glowing a light shade of blue-green. The being slumped back a bit, looking down at itself it tried to understand what it was. From what it could tell, it was female. It – she – began feeling her arms, the cool earthen dirt, and the smooth vines that made up her exoskeleton, the soft patches of moss that gave off a subtle glow. Her hands went to her head, feeling the crown of orchids, and further on she was able to get her hands on the long vine dreadlocks, some of which draped over her shoulders.
One of the animals, a rabbit, hopped into the clearing, seemingly against the wishes of the other animals. It inched itself closer to her, not really feeling a sense of danger from her. She looked down at the rabbit, tilting her head to the side curiously. The earthen woman switched her seating position, crossing her legs and sitting on her rear.
She then beckoned the rabbit to come to her, of which the little thing happily did. She lowered her hand to the ground, finding that she was a lot bigger than she realized, for the little rabbit fit in the palm of her hand. Carefully she brought the bunny closer to her, and gently petted it with the index finger of her left hand, taking special care with how much pressure she was placing on it.
“C-Cute…” she uttered.
The earthen woman paused in her petting, raising her left hand to her throat. She spoke a word, she knew what words were. She knew the creature was called a rabbit, she knew the names of all the assembled animals, the names of the trees and even the moss that covered the ground. Carefully she placed the bunny back on the ground and brought herself into a meditative position.
She began to concentrate, there was more inside, a core to her being that was a part of her. Memories began to flow, memories of a little girl surrounded by loving parents, who were too soon taken from her. The community helped raise this girl, and through their actions learned to become a self-dependent person. This girl learned all she could about nature and animals, and about those who would harm it.
For some reason, her mind stuck to those memories, memories of people who polluted the waters, and destroyed nature in order to plunder its resources. Toxifying the air and choking the life of Earth’s animals and plant life.
The Green has chosen you…
The woman’s brow began to furrow.
Evil is poisoning the world, the evils of man, and the evils from beyond…
Her hands began to close into fists, and the earth beneath rumbled.
The Green chooses you as its protector…as one who once cared for the The Green…
The orchids began to change, transforming into a crown of thorns. The vines that made up her exoskeleton also began to sprout thorns, even her dreadlocks.
Memories of those who hurt The Green were flashing in her mind, but one stuck out, one that was responsible for what happened to her, for the loss of the others who also fought to protect The Green.
The earthen woman rose up to her full height, about eight feet tall, her eyes having changed from blue-green to a menacing red.
“Filthy Rich…!”