Chapter 23: The Magnolia's Lament
New York was chaos incarnate. The city that never slept was now a war zone, skyscrapers dwarfed by the colossal tree that had erupted from Central Park like a primordial giant awakening from eons of slumber. Roots thicker than subway tunnels burrowed into the earth, cracking pavement and toppling lampposts as they absorbed the planet's nutrients, its energy, its life. People screamed and panicked, rushing away in waves—cars abandoned in gridlock, subways flooded with terrified crowds, the air thick with dust and the metallic tang of fear. Elena and I hovered above the fray, our suits battered from the initial skirmish, auras flickering like dying stars. The tree—Magnolia's true form—towered over us, branches reaching for the clouds, leaves rustling with an unnatural wind that carried whispers of doom.
We rushed to the scene—flying low at first to avoid debris, then ascending to confront the behemoth. "This is insane," I shouted over the wind, my violet energy crackling around me. "How do we even fight that?"
Elena, her purple aura steady despite the exhaustion in her eyes, grabbed my hand mid-flight. "Together. Like always." Her voice was a anchor—calm, determined, the woman I loved, my partner in every sense.
As we approached the base of the tree—roots coiling like serpents from hell—Elena shouted, her voice amplified by her power, cutting through the din. "Why? Why are you doing this?"
The tree shuddered—a low groan echoing like thunder rolling across distant mountains. Then, at the bottom near the roots where we stood, bark rippled like water, forming a face. Massive, ancient, with eyes like knotholes glowing green, mouth a gnarled split in the trunk. "Why, you ask?" Magnolia's voice boomed, a creak of wood and whisper of leaves, carrying across the city like a gale.
Elena and I landed—feet sinking slightly into the churned earth, the air heavy with the scent of sap and soil. We listened in stunned silence, the world around us fading to background noise—the distant sirens, the crumbling buildings, the panicked screams—all muted as Magnolia spoke.
"I have existed for tens of thousands of years," she began, her face twisting with what could have been sorrow or rage. "But this was not always my nature. I was born on a planet called Mothious Naturi—which translates to 'Mother Nature' in your primitive language. We were a peaceful world of tree people, living in harmony with the soil, the sun, the stars. Our lives spanned centuries, drawing sustenance from the earth without harming it. We sang to the winds, danced with the rains, and nurtured all life around us."
I felt a chill—despite the destruction, her voice carried a haunting beauty, like an old forest telling its tale. Elena's hand tightened in mine; we stood transfixed.
"Eventually, aliens found us," Magnolia continued, her bark-lips curling in disdain. "They mocked us, laughed at our gentle ways. We didn't care for such things—war, conquest, domination. We were life-givers, not takers. Until they attacked. They raided our most precious resources—the sacred groves where our elders rested—I was just a baby, hidden in a pod of roots. They took me to study, hoping my genes could extend their pitiful lifespans."and then... they blew up our planet. In the chaos"
" Only I survived although, I did not know the truth at the time"
Elena's eyes widened—stunned silence holding us both. The tree's face shifted, eyes glowing brighter.
"They brought me to their world"
"At first, I wondered why I was different from the other people in this world. Why was I the only person who resembled a tree?"
" They experimented on me"
They were delicate at first—asking for pieces of my bark, which didn't hurt. I would sing and dance for them, and although most adults laughed, the kids loved me. Their little faces lit up when I grew flowers from my branches or wove vines into toys."
I felt a bad—imagining this ancient being as an innocent child, trapped and prodded. But the story darkened.
"After 4 years—I was technically still a baby—it was deemed the research was a dead end. They decided to get rid of me. They tried to chop me, burn me. I screamed, crying—why? Why would they do this? In that moment of agony, I saw everything: what they had done to my planet, my people. The explosions, the screams of roots being torn from soil. Rage filled me—rage like a storm in the cosmos. I dug my roots into the ground, absorbing their planet's life. They tried to attack me, but I split them in two with the strength of my branches. It took one week to completely drain their planet—all life slowly died as the soil became infertile, uninhabitable."
Elena and I looked at each other—shock mirroring in our eyes. The destruction was unreal; New York was more or less a war zone, but this backstory painted Magnolia not as a monster, but a victim turned destroyer.
"Since then," Magnolia intoned, her voice a rumble that shook the ground, "I've gone from planet to planet, draining the life from each because life is not for living—it's for the strongest. Survival of the fittest, as your species says. Like I said, I've existed for tens of thousands of years. I became bored with my methods. During that time, I came across a planet of beings who could shapeshift using a golden necklace. They offered me all their knowledge to spare them. I accepted... and still destroyed their planet."
She paused—branches rustling as if in memory. "Since then, every now and then, I like to entertain myself while destroying worlds. Like seducing men, manipulating those same men to do whatever I want. It's a game—watching civilizations crumble from within."
Elena spoke first—her voice steady, integrity shining through. "Magnolia, I'm very sorry that happened to you, your family, your planet—honestly, I am. But the solution isn't condemning all planets you encounter to share the same fate. I get it—you want everyone to feel what you felt, but wouldn't you prefer if they felt the love you once felt?"
Those words seemed to mean something to Magnolia—she paused, the massive tree stilling for a second, leaves rustling softly as if considering. The air grew thick—hope flickering in the chaos.
But people celebrated prematurely. Suddenly, missiles streaked through the sky—fired from military jets circling the perimeter—hitting the middle of the tree high above us. Bark exploded in flames, chunks raining down like meteors.
Magnolia regained her composure—her face twisting in rage. "Love doesn't win wars," she snarled. Her arms extended—branches smashing the fighter aircrafts in mid-air, explosions blooming like fireworks. Surrounding buildings crumbled under the force—glass shattering, concrete avalanching. She started intensifying her efforts of destruction—roots bursting from the ground, coiling around cars and people, lifting them into the canopy to be absorbed.
We looked at the sky—more of her fragments were coming from space, streaking like comets to rejoin the main trunk, making it grow even larger.
"Yes, rejoin me," she said, voice booming.
Elena and I sprang into action—but she was too strong. Her branches lashed like steel whips—hitting like the force of a bird striking a plane, ripping my suit in several places, drawing blood that stung but would heal. "Alex—watch your left!" Elena shouted, her purple blasts scorching branches that regrew instantly.
I dodged—flying up, blasting violet energy at her face, but she countered—roots grabbing my leg, slamming me into a building. Pain exploded—bones cracking (it will heal, but not instantly). Elena screamed after me—she tried to attack, but shared the same fate, Magnolia's branch whipping her mid-air, sending her crashing through a billboard.
Governments watching through the media decided we had to nuke her. A loud siren played—asking people to evacuate. After a minute, the sirens stopped.
Elena rose—screaming, her purple aura becoming golden, hair gaining golden highlights. She had become more powerful—given the circumstances. "You focus on the nuke—I'll deal with her!" Her voice was different—almost god-like, echoing with raw power.
Elena destroying the middle of the tree with a nova—branches incinerating, the trunk splintering like mountains crumbling under her force. She flew straight at Magnolia—ripping her roots from ground some as long as buildings, her strength was now so immense that it shook the ground.
"I'll take care of her," she said, starting to fly upward. "You take care of the nuke!"
I saw the missile incoming—streaking from the horizon, aimed at the city. I jumped with everything I had grab the top of the bomb, it shaked like it was about to explode.—I fly at the speed of light, my body burning from friction, skin blistering (it would heal). I intercepted it mid-air—throwing the nuke into space where it exploded harmlessly, a distant starburst.it took 1 seconds for me to fly out of earth and throw the nuke in the void of space. My nose bleeding, muscles aching some split from the sheer pressure.
I panted—exhausted, I'd never flown that fast. I didn't even know I could. I couldn't even move—just floated, looking around for Elena and Magnolia.
I saw what looked like a golden comet—leaving a golden streak, flying into the sun.
I screamed, "ELENAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The world held its breath.