Ball of Nothing

Chapter 582 - Spriggan and His Tree

After dismissing all the women in the royal private property, Alex informed Sharo that he would no longer need it. Alex cleaned up very well, and Zero almost couldn't believe his eyes at how respectable and proper the spriggan looked. The man who fooled around with women daily in the bath couldn't be seen when Alex left the compound.

"Are you ready?" Zero asked after he collected his brain cells that fell out from shock.

Alex nodded. They didn't leave with any entourage. Zero didn't remember where the Tree of the Future was located even if King Sharo brought him there before. The elven king was too busy to see Alex off, so he left it to Zero.

Funnily enough, even without stepping out of that private estate for decades, Alex still remembered the way back to the Weeping Willow as if he left only yesterday. Zero thought that the spriggan must have thought about this day for a very long time. He was slightly nervous because the Weeping Willow doesn't know that Alex was returning today. He didn't have any way to inform her, but he thought Alex might be more nervous about it than he was. After all, they parted on bad terms. How would people who parted on bad terms reconcile? It wasn't a misunderstanding like Medusa and Poseidon's case or King Sharo and Arvin's.

"Shall we stop here for a while?" Alex asked. They were near a creek and Zero nodded. Alex might need some time to mentally prepare himself before he met the Weeping Willow.

The spriggan sighed and sat down, dipping his toes in the water and closed his eyes. Zero didn't know what the spriggan was doing, but he decided not to bother him.

Alex felt the connection between him and his tree grew stronger when he touched the water made from her tears. Memories of different versions of the future flooded in his mind. He experienced all her emotions, and the spriggan shuddered. This was the part he really hated. Between him and his tree, they shared everything. There were no walls between their emotions and no privacy. Returning to her side was going to be like this. Unlike other trees and their spriggans, the Tree of the Future and her spriggan was like two halves to a whole and not two individuals working as a team.

After a long time, Alex was finally ready, and they resumed their travel. Zero followed Alex silently behind, and they arrived at the barrier quickly.

Zero looked at Alex nervously as he stood just before the barrier. "Do you need me to go ahead and ask her to lift it so you can pass?"

Alex shook his head. It wasn't necessary. The barrier wasn't effective on him. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Head-first, Alex walked into the barrier. The bubble passed him harmlessly, and Zero heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly followed and felt that the air inside of the protective barrier felt very different from when he was here the other day. For some reason, it felt more alive.

The Weeping Willow stood in the middle, unchanging and Alex approached steadily. Zero decided to stand further behind to observe them. He wanted to give them some privacy before he asked about the Moss Giant Orb. Once he had the key, his business here would be over.

"I'm back," Alex said. His words were simple, but it meant much more.

Forgiveness. Acceptance. Happiness. Sadness. Regret. Loneliness. When two become one, they don't need words to communicate. They simply understood.

"Welcome back," the Weeping Willow brushed her leaves against the spriggan's cheek. Alex closed his eyes and enjoyed her feathery touches.

Zero watched them interact from afar and blushed. He felt that their connection was too intimate and that he shouldn't be here. Zero hardly ever felt out of place, but at this moment, he didn't think he should be here.

More and more leaves covered Alex and Zero frowned. What was going on? Eventually, the spriggan became entirely covered in leaves until Zero couldn't see him. Then, Zero felt something change in the air as energy gathered at the spot where the Weeping Willow and Alex stood. The spirits and lingering souls in the air danced around them, creating a vortex until Zero couldn't tell where the Weeping Willow and Alex parted.

"Mii! What's going on?"

The strawcherry fairy watched with amazement and shook her head in the mindscape. "I don't know, Zero. I've never seen anything like this before."

They watched on silently and waited until the energy dispersed. It was not Zero's imagination. The landscape grew more vibrant now that the strange energy dissipated. Yet, there was only the Weeping Willow present. The spriggan couldn't be seen, and Zero hurried over.

"Where's Alex?" he asked and tried to find the spriggan using his mini-map. Did he run away?

"He's right here," the Weeping Willow answered, and Zero looked around. The doctor didn't see or sense anyone else apart from himself and the Weeping Willow.

"Where?"

The tree swayed gently and pointed at herself. "In here. He's with me again. We're tree and spriggan, two as one. Thank you for bringing him back."

Zero was rendered speechless. Then, the Weeping Willow produced something that he had been waiting for.

A shining green orb floated in the air and Zero reached his palms out as it gently fell into his waiting hands. He could feel the two other keys in his inventory vibrating in sync as if sensing another one of their kind in the vicinity. Zero's heart raced. His third key!

"Thank you, chosen one. Please accept the Moss Giant Orb. I wish thee the best of luck for your journey, Nel will be waiting for you in Whiskeria. Although the journey is filled with darkness, never forget that there is light behind and beside you. Take this advice as this old lady's parting gift."

Zero accepted the Moss Giant Orb and thanked the Weeping Willow. Finally, he had three out of four keys. His business in Altear is done. There was only one more key left to collect from Queen Leah before he could make his way over to Mystic Meadows.