by scorpions-tale

As soon as those trees started falling, Greedler was keeping an eye out for the Lorax. But whenever he asked Oncie about it, and whenever Oncie asked his family if they’d seen anyone strange around trying to stop them, the answer was always no. Greedler thought there might be some sort of quiet sabotage going on behind the scenes, but he didn’t recall the Lorax as being the type to work quietly without saying anything. He always talked just a little too much.

But surely, if there was a Lorax in his own timeline, then there must be one in Oncie’s timeline as well, right? Everything else was consistent. Did he really come from the one unlucky timeline with the obnoxious forest guardian? He wasn’t sure whether to feel resentful or relieved.

“Oncie,” Greedler said, standing over him as he drew up his plans for the factory, “You’ve been sitting there all day, right?”

“Yeah,” Oncie said, “But don’t worry, alright? I’m working. I’m not slacking off.”

“Have you been staring out the window at all?” Greedler asked.

“Uhh…maybe a little. On scheduled breaks,” Oncie said, holding up his hands defensively, “Part of being the boss is that you get to schedule your own breaks, right? I think that’s perfectly fair.”

“This isn’t about you slacking off,” Greedler said, “While you were looking out there, did you see anything strange?”

“No, not really,” Oncie said, “I mean, not anything stranger than my family usually is.”

“No strange little creatures running around?” Greedler said, eyebrow raised.

“Nope, just the regular forest fauna,” Oncie said, “Unless you’re really concerned about the humming fish. They are pretty noisy, I guess.”

“No, I don’t care about them,” Greedler said, “If you see any strange-looking animals, you just let me know, alright?”

“Okay,” Oncie said, “Sometimes I wish I knew what you were so paranoid about right now.”

“It’s not paranoia if it’s valid!” Greedler said, “And no, you really don’t want to know. Trust me, you really don’t. It’s just an annoyance trying to get you to feel bad for cutting down a bunch of trees.”

“Oh,” Oncie said, “How come?”

“Some people are strange. Some people think trees have feelings,” Greedler said.

Oncie blinked and tilted his head to the side, “Do they?”

“No, idiot,” Greedler said, “They’re trees.”

“Okay. Good. Didn’t think so,” Oncie said, “I’ll tell you if I see any nutjobs running around, okay? I said I wouldn’t keep it from you if anyone tries to talk to me.”

“What if they tell you not to tell me?” Greedler said.

“Well, who are they to tell me what to do?” Oncie said, “I can make my own decisions.”

“I agree, as long as the decision you’re going to make involves telling me,” Greedler said, “Even if someone’s nice and pretends to be your friend. They’re not. They’re really not.”

“No one’s talked to me all day except mom,” Oncie said, “Don’t you trust me?”

“I want to, but sometimes you’re a little bit gullible,” Greedler said (and by ‘gullible’ he really meant ‘potentially swayed to someone else’s ideals’, but he couldn’t just mention that), “So no matter what, you have to trust me first. I know best.”

“Okay, okay,” Oncie said, “You don’t have anything to worry about. Really.”

Oncie was acting annoyed, but inside he was really relieved that Greedler was so concerned about him. Or, he could just be concerned about the future of the company, but until he got proof otherwise, Oncie wanted to think that his own safety was a part of it. Greedler had obviously been hurt by whoever this was. Maybe he wanted to spare Oncie the same fate, and the company was just a bonus. Or…he wanted to spare the company and Oncie was just a bonus, but at this point he was okay with being the bonus as long as he was something.

“Where is everybody?” Greedler said, peering outside the window. Aside from the missing trees, it was quiet and serene as it was untouched. Not a typical sight when his family was around.

“Oh, mom drove everyone back into town for a while. Something about a half-off sale,” Oncie said.

“You didn’t want to go?” Greedler said.

“No, I kind of like the quiet. More time to sit and think,” Oncie said, tapping the end of his pencil against his pursed lips, “Besides, anything that’s half off probably wasn’t that great to begin with, right?”

“Of course not,” Greedler said, putting a hand on Oncie’s shoulder (and damn, was that a bit of pride welling up inside of him? Not that he’d ever admit it to Oncie’s face.), “People like us don’t need things that are on sale anymore. But let them have their shopping spree.”

“I think mom would still love sales if she had all the money in the world,” Oncie said.

“That’s because not everyone knows that choosing better things is more important than choosing more things. But that can work in our favor, too. If we’re smart enough to take advantage and give the people what they want, we deserve our rewards, even if what they want isn’t what’s best for them,” Greedler said, gazing out the window, “By the way, do you know where everyone first started cutting down the trees?”

“Somewhere over there, I think,” Oncie said, gesturing to the left of the window, “Does it really matter?”

“No, I’m just going to check something out,” Greedler said, “Nothing too important, but I just want to confirm something.”

“Suit yourself,” Oncie said, getting back to his drawing.

Greedler walked around outside, carefully examining every stump he saw. He didn’t want to be here all day exploring the whole forest, but if he could just find that one tree and see that nothing had happened to it he could put his thoughts at ease and focus on something more important than keeping bad influences away from his company.

His mood plummeted as he saw a tree in the distance with what looked to be a bunch of rocks around it. Rocks are in the forest, right? It could just be a coincidence. But as he stepped closer he saw them carefully arranged in a little ring around the tree, as if someone was holding a funeral for it. A funeral, for a tree. Greedler couldn’t imagine anyone that sappy and stupid – anyone except, of course…

“Just come and say something if you’re going to sneak around here,” Greedler said, “Yeah, that’s right, I know you’re out there and I don’t want to play any damn games with you. So just come out and talk to me already.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that, Onceler,” said a familiar voice from behind a tree, “For a really, really long time.”

“Yeah, right, as if you’d wait. I know what your act is. You were probably waiting to drag my bed into the river again, weren’t you? Well, I’ve got some bad news for you. The guy you want to talk to and lecture about tress is in there and he isn’t coming out to see you, so go away,” Greedler said.

“No,” the Lorax said, stepping out from behind the tree, “I’ve been waiting to talk to you. You, specifically you, not the you sitting inside doodling a factory.”

Greedler was taken back by that. He wanted some sort of witty reply, but this time he was the one who didn’t understand what was going on, much like Oncie was towards him. He hated that. He didn’t want the Lorax to be in any position to know more than him, because he really didn’t want to sit and listen to any explanations from someone he hated. But, alas, his surprise showed and the Lorax caught on.

“If you think I don’t remember you, you’re wrong,” the Lorax said.

“But…but you’re here,” Greedler said, trying to work this out in his head.

“I’m wherever I’m needed,” the Lorax said.

“No you’re not!” Greedler yelled, “Don’t think you can pull that with me anymore. I know at least one place you weren’t when you were needed.”

He didn’t actually want to admit that it was him that needed the Lorax when he was all alone after the demise of his company, but he figured it would get the point across well enough without actually having to say it. The thing was practically omnipotent, wasn’t he? He had to know that somewhere along the line he’d decided to abandon Greedler without even saying anything.

“I was there,” the Lorax said, “But you didn’t want me there. Maybe you thought you did, but deep down you wanted to keep me away.”

“There was only a very short period of time when I didn’t want to keep you away, and that’s never stopped you before,” Greedler said, “You had no trouble coming to me when I was young and naïve.”

“Yeah, well, things change. But I tried to get to you, because I considered you my friend and I wouldn’t give up on a friend forever, even if they did the wrong thing,” the Lorax said, stepping closer slowly, as if he were frightened.

“Really? Because it sure felt like abandonment to me. Couldn’t even come to taunt me when I was down?” Greedler said.

“I didn’t want to taunt you. And I’ve been trying to get to you, to at least say goodbye, but this is the first time you’ve let me talk to you at all,” the Lorax said, “I saw what you were doing all those years and it wasn’t healthy. If I could’ve talked you out of it, I would’ve, even if you broke your promise.”

“Don’t you dare come here and taunt me about that stupid promise I had to have made ten years ago now! You said it yourself, things change. I was different back then,” Greedler said.

“I know you were. But I’m not sure you know it,” the Lorax said, “Do you know how much time has passed since we first met?”

“No,” Greedler said, “I lost count. I know it had to be a few years, but I was working.”

“You weren’t working, you were piling up stacks of junk and trying to convince yourself that if you bought enough things there had to be something in there that would save you. That’s hardly working, and it didn’t do anything for you,” the Lorax said.

“What do you mean, ‘didn’t do anything’? I’m here, aren’t I? I got exactly what I wanted, even if I wasted some time,” Greedler said, “It’s not the ideal situation, but what are a few years if I can have another shot?”

“The day you cut down that tree and summoned me was almost thirty years ago exactly,” said the Lorax.

Greedler’s eyes widened. He looked down at himself. He went through the time in his head. It didn’t look like that much time had passed. Even Oncie guessed it had only been around five years or so at first, and although Greedler knew it was a bit more than that it certainly hadn’t been thirty. “You’re lying,” Greedler said, “If it was thirty years I’d be almost fifty years old by now, and if I was sitting there wasting that much time, don’t you think I would’ve noticed?”

“Is thirty dollars a lot of money, in your opinion?” the Lorax said.

Greedler scoffed, “No, obviously not.”

“Well, to someone who only has a hundred dollars, thirty is probably a lot,” the Lorax said, “It’s easier to lose track of something when you have a lot of it.”

“What do you mean by that? If we met thirty years ago then I could damn well keel over before I ever set my plan in motion!” Greedler said.

“You don’t get it, do you? You have more time than that. A lot more time,” the Lorax said, “I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out already. You’re a smart kid.”

“Don’t call me ‘kid’,” Greedler hissed, “And I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, you crazy, ranting maniac.”

The Lorax sighed, “I think you have some idea, or you would’ve told me to go away by now. Sure, I’m a crazy, ranting, maniac. Now, tell me to get lost, and I will.”

Greedler clenched his teeth and his fists, posing like he was about to lash out at any given second. But he didn’t say anything. He stayed put, and he listened.

“Do you know why I want to talk to you?” the Lorax said.

“No,” Greedler said, jaw clenched so tight his voice came out strained and muffled.

“Because I really haven’t given up on you yet,” the Lorax said, “I want to give you a chance to do things differently here. You’ve got a fresh start. You don’t have to waste it like this. You could do a lot of good, you know. No matter what’s happened, you aren’t at the point of no return.”

“I don’t need to redeem myself!” Greedler said, eyes narrow, “I have no good reason to let you stop me. Besides, if you can follow me here, then how do I know there aren’t a million identical forests for you to cry about? You have enough trees.”

“I said it’s easy to lose track of something you have a lot of, not that it makes anything less precious,” the Lorax said, “That’s why I don’t want you to waste any more time here on whatever you’re planning this time. I don’t think it’s going to make you happy.”

“What do you know about what’s going to make me happy? I’ve been plenty happy here,” Greedler said, “You care more about your stupid trees than about my happiness. You would’ve let me go down the waterfall if that stupid animal hadn’t snuck in with me.”

“I didn’t say I’ve never done anything wrong. I’ve made mistakes of my own, and I’ve made a lot of them, believe it or not. But that doesn’t mean I want to see you make mistakes, too,” the Lorax said, hopping up on the tree stump as to feel slightly less insignificantly small next to Greedler, “I’m not spiteful like that.”

“Then what are you here for? I know what’ll make me happy, and I’m doing it. If this really was about me and not about your trees, you’d just let me do it,” Greedler said.

“I can’t deny that it’s about the trees, too, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be about you,” the Lorax said, “You have a chance to give yourself a better life here, and I mean that for you as well as the other you. He’ll listen to you. A tree falls the way it leans, and he’ll lean with you.”

“You and your stupid nature talk!” Greedler said, pacing around the stump, kicking the rocks out of the way, “You think you’re so much better than me just because you speak for the trees. Well, trees have been around for a long time. Maybe it’s time for someone else to take over. Maybe your time is done and you can’t accept that.”

“Do you really think that? Do you really think it’s right that people should have to buy oxygen, Onceler? I think you’re better than that,” the Lorax said, trying to straighten out the circle of rocks before Greedler came and kicked them over again.

“Why would it be? Why is it that anything that isn’t natural and pure is bad to you? What about innovation? What about progress? You know where survival of the fittest comes from, right? Not from anything I or anyone else invented. That’s all you and your little forest friends, buddy,” Greedler said, “That’s nature, right there. You do know what happens in nature, right? We don’t just all hold hands and sing around the trees. Small things die. Sick things die. Weak things die. Things die when there are too many of them. Things die when they’re just born with something bad, even if it isn’t their fault. Well, guess what? Now it’s come to bite you. This is nature. One thing stomping another thing out. Whether you like it or not.”

“You’re right,” the Lorax said, “Nothing is inherently good or inherently bad, and there are bad things everywhere. But it’s what you do with it. It’s about balance. You could do good things with your company, plenty of people have. Like I said, you’re smart. You can do something better than destroy, before it’s too late.”

“No,” Greedler said, “I have no interest in cooperating with you. If I’m the strongest, if I’m the smartest, if I’m the most able then I deserve to take what I want. I wouldn’t make any money at all if I wasn’t doing what somebody else wanted, too. You’re not the only one in the world.”

“I know,” the Lorax sighed, “But not everyone can see long-term consequences very well. I at least had to try and help you.”

“You’re not helping me! You’re not!” Greedler said, “Hey, you keep telling me where a tree falls, but answer me this – do you know when a tree falls?”

“When?” the Lorax said.

“When it’s pushed,” Greedler said, “Now go away.”

“Are you su-“

“Go away!” Greedler yelled at the top of his lungs, and when he turned around the Lorax was nowhere to be seen.

But his victory caused him nothing but more discomfort as he went to sit on the stump, the rock arrangement still in ruins. His mind was racing to put everything together, but even if he thought he understood, it was something he was intimidated by understanding.

There was something about him that could keep the usually obnoxiously persistent Lorax away. Something that could let him spend years and years piling up useless trinkets in various combinations and not notice that much time had passed at all. Something that let him do what others thought impossible at the very moment he wanted it most. Something that let him avoid being seen by a relative he never wanted to meet again without going anywhere at all.

Deep within the heart of the Earth were things like the Lorax who had been there for all time, as one would expect of a guardian of timeless things. But, as the Lorax said, nothing on its own was inherently good or inherently bad, so it would be foolish to think that only things seen as good and natural would have guardians of their own. Things unnatural and created have a life or their own, in a way – companies, man-made things and the desires that create them – especially when those things had become strong enough to utterly destroy an ecosystem that had been there longer than any person had lived.

And, rather than something old as time and all-knowing as the guardian of the forest was, unnatural things beget unnatural gods, who might not even know what they are at all.


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