Chapter 45: Just Like That?

(So this is how it feels like to live your dream?...I'm not gonna lie, it's almost perfect.)

Right now I was lying down on my back with a slight wind brushing over my skin, while Eathguardian's shadow covered my whole body, making my current state even more pleasant.

All of this was great, but it couldn't match the soft pillow under my head which was the main point of my blissful state.

(It's a shame that this pillow is also the reason why I could only say that my current position is almost perfect.)

"Can you tell me again, why did I agree to this?"

I let one of my sleepy eyes open slightly and said. "Because I asked?"

"You know it's not the case!" Unforunately Gaia didn't share my sense of humor.

"Saying that laying on your thighs will make me stay for certian could also factor in your decision, but is it really the case?" I shrugged my shoulders to act as if an obvious reason didn't exist.

Seeing my attitude made already irritated Gaia stare at me with a new level of anger.

"I won't stand this any longer. Get off!" Gaia moved her legs to shove me away, but how could I let it happen after achieving what I wanted for so long?

"Let me think about it...hmm...How about no?" I smiled and moved my hands to the back of my head to put aditional weight on my 'pillow'.

This in turn prevented Gaia from shoving me away without throwing me on the ground below our couch.

"You can't do that. You obviously weight more." Gaia's complains became a melody that I throughtly enjoyed, which didn't go unnoticed by her. "It's unfair."

"Nothing is fair in love and war."

After my words, Gaia hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. "Which one are you referring to?" Her voice had a slight amount of expectation in it.

But I didn't plan on letting her get what she wanted so easily. "Which one do you think? Was I referring to love or war?" My teasing tone didn't help Gaia in distinguishing the correct answer.

"I-I think it was..." She knew her choice could have lot of consequences. After all, what would happen if she chose war and I chose love? Or maybe the other way around?

Each answer would carry a significant value behind it, making it almost impossible for Gaia to choose the correct one.

Would she think that I chose love, showing my potential feelings for her? Or maybe war, showing a less intimate relationship between us? Or maybe I just used a saying that came to mind?

(I wonder which one it is, but I don't think I will have the pleasure of learning that information.) I quickly realized that despite her struggle in finding the right answer, Gaia wouldn't be able to even utter it.

(I thought I got rid of you, but it seems like you're still a necessary part of the story.) Just as Gaia was about to find enough courage to express her thoughts, my lips moved on their own.

"Gaia, do you have a second heart?" My voice turned plain, seemingly mechanical in nature.

Pure shock overwhelmed her, leaving all of her other emotions diminish and yell out uncontrollable. "What did you just say?!"

(I expected a big reaction, but isn't it a little bit too much?...Actually, thinking about it. Isn't it too small?) This train of thought soon made me realize how much I jinxed myself.

*BAM*

"Couldn't you be more gentle about it?" I touched the back of my head, feeling a small bump on it. "It could result in a permanent brain damage. What would I do if that happened?"

While my words sounded painful, Gaia didn't even bat an eye at the damage she caused.

"What did you just say?" She asked the same question in a threathing manner.

(She threaten me a lot of times, but this time it's not a joke.) I knew that gravity on the situation didn't leave with no other choice than to repeat that question.

"Do you have a second heart?" I became more serious, and unbeknownst to her, the bump on the back of my head healed itself.

My words also confirmed her worry and dispelled her hope of mishearing what I said the first time.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"It feels like the temperature around us suddenly dropped. " I rose from the ground with a teasing tone. "I didn't know you had such a cold side to yourself, Gaia."

Gaia gritted her teeth. "Don't try it. I won't fall for it anymore." She moved her hand, and a vine shot out from under the ground, passing by my cheek. "You should better answer my questions."

I didn't reply at first and touched my cheek with my hand before looking at my fingers, now covered in blood.

Then I turned to the vine that flew past my cheek and saw a drop of blood dripping from one of its spikes.

"You want those answers so much that you're willing to hurt me?" I ignored the cut on my cheek, looking deep into her wrathful eyes.

"Don't try my patiance." Those simple words became a threath and showed me the lack of care in the current Gaia.

(Who would have thought that you resamble your older self so much after all?)

"If you want to know who I'm, just look behind you."

"Don't play those games with me. I already warned you."

She wanted to intimidate me, but I stood my ground and said. "And I already replied."

Seeing this resulted in Gaia moving her hand again, creating another cut, and making an 'X' symbol on my face.

"No matter how many times you do it, my answer will remain the same. Look behind you." I said the last part of my sentence slower, to amplify the meaning of it.

"I would like to see if you could keep that attitude after my vines slash you 100, 200, 500, 1000 times." This time her voice wavered a little, either uncertian if I could survive the full experience or for some other unknown reason.

"Would you like to try?" No matter why it happened, I didn't put a lot of thought into it.

"I won't waste so much enegry on someone like you." Her proud behavior still shone through from time to time. "I would rather look behind me." Those words left her mouth from being tired at my behavior.

"Then do so."

"I will only do it because I want to, not because you asked me to."

I put another smile on my face and said. "Why are you explaining this to me if that's the case?

Seeing how easily I seen through her words made her blush and yell out. "Shut up! I'm the one in charge here."

"I see." I looked like I realized it just now.

"Why do you look like you realized it just now?!" In this moment Gaia's fury was at its breaking point, but suddenly she calmed down. "You know what? Just don't speak. I'm fed up with you."

She didn't let her emotions control her and make it impossible to learn anything from me. (As expected from Mother Earth. Despite her young age, she isn't stupid.)

Gaia could look reckless on the outside, but her quick control over the desire to kill me showed that she's still capable of rational thinking in critical moments.

(After all, her two cuts done nothing so far, and what could killing me do? Seal my mouth forever? )

After this back and forth between us, Gaia finally turned around. And there was only one thing before her. Two letters carved in the tree.

"W-Why would you want me to look at this? It has no meaning to me." From her conflicted reaction, I knew what the truth really was.

"You want to know why? Very well, I will grant your wish." Right when my words fell, I appeared behind Gaia and wrapped my arms around her. "I showed it to you because it's who I'm. The letter A who promised to marry G in the future, and I intend on keeping it that way."

"No! Stop it. You must be like them." Gaia started uncontrollable skaking. "You're only deceiving me and want to gain my 'Wodden Heart'." Then she began struggling to free herself from my grip. "Let me go!"

"As you wish." I did what she asked for and released her.

"What?" She couldn't believe that I did it so easily, so she turned to me and asked weakly. "Why?"

"Because I never lied to you and I never wanted to gain anything from our relationship, Gaia. I don't know what 'Wodden Heart' even is."

She wasn't convinced by my words, so I tried again. "You know me, Gaia, and you know my character. I know this year we spent together meant a lot for both of us and..." I smilled. "The word I meant was love."

"Love? No. You can't love me." She shook her head. "If you knew who I really am, you wouldn't think the same. You would want what they all did."

"Mother Earth."

Gaia quickly realized how I addressed her. "You know my real identity? From when? How?"

I felt like my next answer would be crucial, so I replied with the truth. "From the start. Name Gaia, nature magic and an ent to accompany her called Earthguardian. Could all of this be a coincidence?",

"I guess not." Gaia accepted my reasoning and even her eyes started to show slight change, telling me that she didn't hold as much hatred for me as she did moments ago, even if only as a shadow of doubt for the memories of our past year together.

But it didn't mean that everyone did the same.

And just moments later, the ground started shaking before a huge amount of roots started burrowing out from the ground, and soon a huge tree raised higher and higher in front of me.

I looked up to the top of it and saw a huge face starting directly at me. "Hey, buddy. It looks like it's time we officially meet."

Then I heard a cricking sound before the enormous mouth of Earthguardia moved, and from it, a powerful voice rang out. "What's the real reason you approached, Young Miss?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I was forced to do so?"

"No."

"Then why bother asking?"

"You.." Eathguardian felt insulted by my comment.

"Earthguardian stop. I want to ask him one question."

"But, Young Miss. He..."

"I know, but please, let me do it."

Their short conversation made me look at Gaia and saw how she stood tall in front of this huge ent, like his ruler.

(What am I even thinking? She is his ruler.) But deep down, I knew I was referring to her attitude and grace she carried herself with, not her position.

"What's the question?" I decided to speak on my own to not let Eathguardian interrupt what Gaia had to say.

Gaia turned her gaze to me, determined about something. "You." She pointed at me. "Did you ever aproach me with any impure intentions?"

Her hot gaze surprisingly made me relax, and put my hand on her cheek. "Never."

She nodded, not bothered by my actions. "I believe you."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."