7- Unity

So, we got a former xode sitting at the back of the carriage? No big deal, Unity thought. Except it was. Shimmer was good company, she kept everyone alive and talking during the two-day trip to Tobuscis and kept Ghoul somewhat sane as she listened and sang along to some of his trashy music. Still he was wary of he presence. What were to happen if she just snapped into her xode-self? Unity knew it was stupid to think this way but when it comes to killers like xodes, you could never be to careful.

Tobuscis was a pretty village that was more had more of a rural look that any other town in the north. It was well recognized for it's almost glowing trees in the sun and incredible farming service. Shimmer had a staring contest with the passing villagers as the cart pulled itself along the dusty country road that lead to the main farm of town.

"What's this?" Ghoul said, looking forward at the gateway ahead.

"This is the farm where the plant-bender lives." Unity said. He being a plant-bender himself, he was exceptionally excited to see the kind of powers this young one held.

"I LOVE plant-benders!" Shimmer squealed.

"I HATE farms!" Ghoul whined. "You guys know how badly farm weather affects my aura!"

"Ghoul, you handled being doused in ectoplasm, you can handle a few trees." Unity said, facing his son. Only when he turned back he realized how different the farm looked form when he was here last.

The last time Unity had been here it was to shoot a movie (which flopped, by the way), this is where he met the head of the farm, Elgetrat and his wife, Petunia. Sadly Petunia was lost in the war, leaving a precious daughter behind. The daughter that was gonna help with phase one.

But the farm looked so much different now. But still the exact same somehow. The was a redwood cabin sitting at the front with the farm acting like a backyard. Bumps of earth and grass acted as hills with oak trees stretching firmly at the top. The farm itself was more for harvesting peat from underground, which is why it is more likely a place for earth-benders like Elgetrat to work at.

It was and still is so full of love as the farmers here are more like a family then Unity had ever seen. The atmosphere was probably why it didn't look so different at first.

As the carriage parked in the garage of the cabin, the pair of kings made their way out and looked with amazement of how this place was still standing. It looked almost the same as it was last described, only the cabin looked weary and falling apart. The red paint peeling off the roof like worn out stickers. The backdoor of the cabin was a rustic wood with moss growing in between the cracks. Unity knocked and called out "Elgetrat, it's me!"

After a few moments of banging and clattering and something that sounded like a whip, Elgetrat opened the door to meet his old friend. The earth-bender had fern skin with paler fern hair that was messy, overgrown and covering one of his eyes. His iris was the color of the earth itself, the mesh of blue and green being very noticeable. His pendant, like all earth-benders, were two overlapping green mountains with grey at their points, all of it surrounded in a white outline. The man looked exhausted, his moss dungarees barely able to stay on his shoulders. Still he smiled and shook Unity's hand firmly. "Your majesty, out of the movie business?"

"It was a long time coming."

"You bet!" Elgetrat laughed. "Man those were something. King Infinity." The earth-bender switched up Unity's hand for Infinity's. "How are you keeping these days with your whole plan?"

Infinity put his hand on Shimmer's shoulder. "So far so not bad."

"HI!" the star-bender chirped. "I LOVE farms! This place is so homely!"

"Why thanks!" Elgetrat chuckled, seemingly ecstatic someone complimented his home after all this time.

Ghoul was less splendid to be here. He noticed quickly moss was consuming his feet, sticking him to the ground so he couldn't move. "Hey!" He said. "What's with this moss?"

Elgetrat needed only a moment to react before shutting the door behind him and yanking Ghoul out of the morass with his bare hands and landing him on the safe concrete. "I'm so sorry." He said. "It's kinda been tough here, dealing with Dicentra's powers and all."

"Who?" Shimmer asked, tilting her head.

"The girl we're here for remember?" Infinity reminded her. "Where is she, by the way?"

"Yeah, about that..." Elgetrat opened the door behind him, the tiled floor coated with a mossy carpet that trailed into the hallway. "There are a few things you need to know."

The kids had left because Ghoul was 'allergic to the farm,' and wanted to find a place where he wasn't stepping in soggy moss for a minute. Shimmer had followed him for her own amusement. That left the two kings and Elgetrat to discuss Dicentra and her unhinged powers in their sitting room. "I understand you guys can help, but Dicentra's powers are already running wild here, in a whole environment, who knows what could happen."

Infinity scoffed and said, "El, I think you're forgetting you've got the most powerful plant-bender on your side here!" He put an affirming hand on his husbands shoulder.

"Oho, stop Finnie!" Unity blushed. "But he is right, El. I can help Dicentra handle her powers. You clearly need a break from them."

Elgetrat threw his hands up in the air, gesturing to the walls enclosing the men. "Look around you guys! You would not be able to handle this!"

The room had moss growing out of the corners of the room. Different exotic plants stemmed up from the rug and other pits of soil placed around the chairs. There was even a orchid tree growing nearing the mantlepiece.

"El, think about your farmers. If this is the kinds of conditions they work in-"

"My farmers are fine." Elgetrat said. "The only reason they'd be fatigued is because of over-working, not Dicentra."

"Elgetrat." Infinity reached over and placed a hand on the earth-benders shoulder. "Let us handle it. Just for a week and we'll bring her back."

"It's not that I doubt you guys," Elgetrat said. "It's that I'm just worried for everyone else around her. These abilities, they cannot be easily tamed. So while I am truly grateful for this opportunity, I can't allow Dicentra to hurt anyone. Weather it be accidentally or purposefully."

The husbands looked at each other with great concerned. They wanted to help their friend, but they can only do that if he allows them to.

The two thanked Elgetrat for his time and made their way out. As soon as the door was shut on them Infinity gripped Unity's hand and gave him a look that said "I've got another stupid plan to try!" Unity knew the look all too well and argued before Infinity actually said anything.

"I don't know what you're thinking exactly, but the answer is NO."

"El says the farmers are happy and don't mind Dicentra's powers. We'll see about that."

With that the king jogged up toward a hill to do some field research. Unity reluctantly followed.

The first farmer they met was an earth-bender woman with straight hair down to her back. "Hello!" She said brightly before getting on all four for the monarchs. "Please rise," Infinity said. "We just have a few questions for you regarding Dicentra."

"OH ARE YOU FINALLY GETTING RID OF HER?!" The woman gasped eagerly. Once she realized what she said, she clasped her hand over her mouth and began re-phrasing. "I mean I love Dicentra. Raising her with the farming community has been a dream. But her powers are a little, y'know-" She proceeded to spin her finger against her head, motioning for the 'cukoo' sign.

Infinity gave Unity an "I told you so." look before continuing the questions. "Why do you feel that way, uh-"

"Terra!" The lady blushed about how the king wanted to know her name. "I do believe Dicentra's powers are a gift to her, and I do not believe for one second this is intentional, BUT I CANNOT HANDLE BEING EATEN BY ANOTHER VENUS FLYTRAP!"

"FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS!" A second farmer came over picking at a few thorns out of his arms. "Even from her bedroom the child continues to torture us!"

"Oh dear, Urte," Terra looking over worried for her friend. "Is that from-"

"ANOTHER exploding thorn bush? Is that even a question at this point?" Urte pointed at the two kings. "You both are here to get rid of her, right?"

Unity tried to correct the man. "Actually we've been informed that we can't-"

"Hey guys! These are Dicentra's new carers!" Urte called to the other farmer's at work. Soon, the kings were surrounded my highly anticipated people waiting to see if this menace would be taken from them. Unity once again tried smoothing things out. "Everyone calm down, we can't-"

Unity was drowned out by the waves of questions crashing over him.

"Are you taking her away?"

"If so how long?"

"Forever? Is it forever?"

"I wouldn't mind forever!"

"Will she ever come back?"

"Can you get her flytrap to cough up my mobilizer?"

"Yeah and maybe my friend Dave as well."

"Wow I just can't believe she's really going!"

"If you need help packing bags I can-"

"ALRIGHT STOP!" Unity had heard enough of this. Infinity was clinging to him as the crowd around them grew. Unity decided he ought to give them a piece of his mind. "How dare all of you just stand here and back-talk a child! If she can't control what she does then help her how you can! You can't pretend to be supportive and then rejoice the second she's someone else's problem!"

"And to be fair," Infinity remarked, "You all sound stressed, we understand that. But don't treat this as a going away forever present. That's just mean. And what was it one of you said? 'Venus fly-trap?' 'Dave?' That's just hyperbolic nonsense. I knew a lot of plant-benders in my day and none could be that much trouble."

BAASSSHH!!

All heads turned to the cabin. Wild vines exploded from the roof, entangling themselves around the house like tentacles. A massive flower head stemmed from the house and unleashed a terrifying roar. Even over the blast Unity heard the cries of Ghoul, who must've last been in the house before...THAT had appeared.

All farmers snapped their heads back to the kings as if to say "Well, do something!"

Infinity looked more poker-faced then horrified. He simply said in a calm voice. "I stand corrected."