Dollface [Chapter Three]

I continued to walk, and was beginning to become tired. My feet pissed and moaned,
"Are we there yet?"
"How much further?"
It was getting to the point that I stopped just to shut them up. When I did stop, they just started screaming more, as if stopping made them sting more. Feet, they never really know where they're going.
I sat underneath a tree, a huge, massive oak. Its branches curling over and covering me, like an umbrella gone limp. Each branch hung low, like dread locks older than centuries. I rested my head on the trunk of the massive oak, I closed my eyes and let my head fall back.
I could hear the wind blow through the branches, like they were each a strand of hair, waving gently in the breeze. I could hear the whole tree creaking and cracking as it too, swayed in the breeze.
"I've always loved the fall." It said to me, it's voice sounded like an old man's, decrepit and almost abhorred with age. "I love to watch the others change."
"It must be nice." I said, my eyes still closed and my feet only barking now.
"It is, very much so." The tree said down to me. "It is also very pleasant to have company. We so rarely get company, us trees. Most of the time we just stand around, growing. It is so comforting to have company, a wanderer come for shade as he rests on his journey. It was that reason that we were built, did you know?"
"I did not." I replied.
"Well, it is true. Our purpose is to grow, breathe and give shade. We are lumber, it takes much training to develop such a strong body, as us trees. Some are better at it than others, but for the most part we all do a fairly good job." He said creaking this way and that. The breeze blowing through his hair with the same type of rhythm as the tides.
"I would agree with that. You are all pretty strong." I said, feeling sleep start to creep up the sides of my eyes.
"Don't fall just yet, fragile one." The tree said. "I'd like to ask you a question first."
"What question?" I replied.
"What is your purpose?" He asked slowly.
"What is my purpose? As in, my kind? The humans?"
"No, you. Yourself. What is your purpose?" He asked.
"Umm...Well, I guess my purpose is to be with Abbi." I replied, my eyes still closed.
"What is an Abbi?" He asked me.
"That's the woman I love."
"Woman? That makes you a man." He spoke more to himself. "It must be a very..." He paused, the wind blew through his hair. "...Difficult existence, to be dependent on another for survival and solace. Now I understand why I often see two of your kind wandering together, locked in one another's gaze. But tell me, what are the smaller versions of your kind?"
"Those are children." I said. "Offspring."
"Oh. I see." He said and paused. "What happens when you find this Abbi? Does everything fall into alignment? Are you at peace, as I am now?"
"Yes, and no." I replied.
"There can be only one answer to the question." He said.
"Well, then I guess it would be..." I paused, and opened my eyes. "Sometimes."
"Elaborate." He requested.
"I am at peace when I'm with her, but life continues when I'm living by her side." I could tell he didn't fully understand. "Its as if one part of a long list has been fulfilled. I now longer have to look for a mate, and I don't have to worry as much about myself, but I have to use all of that worry on her now."
"I think I am beginning to understand, but please...continue." He insisted.
"Humans like to set goals for their lives, most of them are somewhere off far away."
"Where are these goals located?" He asked.
"Some place in the future." I replied.
"What is the point of wanting to obtain something that will take such a long time to accomplish?" The tree asked.
"I think its so we can continue to move forward."
"You make much sense." He said. "I once heard a tale of how your species was born, would you like me to tell it?"
"I'd enjoy that, yes." I said.
"Many years ago, when the world had nothing but trees. One tree grew tired of always standing around. He would watch how the other trees across a massive abyss he stood next to looked different from him and his neighbors. One day he decided to walk over to them and ask them why they looked differently, and so he pulled his roots from the ground and made them into feet. He walked for many days and nights, walking around the abyss, and when he reached the trees he was so tired and in a great deal of pain, so much so that he slept under their shade. He felt so at peace under their shade that he slept forever. The trees also felt at peace, giving him shade, but they wondered where he came from. So, another tree pulled up his roots and walked to find the other trees that looked like the one who slept in the shade." He stopped. "If you keep searching for something that's too far away, or too unattainable, you might not be able to appreciate it when its right there, giving you shade."
"You're right." I said, I was really starting to feel the sleep seep into my eye lids. "I need to find Abbi."

Then I slept.

When I woke up the moon was still out, hanging high in the sky, looking small. The tree spoke.
"You would be smart to flee, now." I looked around and saw five grey colored torches coming my way. I jumped to my feet.
"What, who are they?" I asked.
"They are The Angry. The ones without hearts, they travel the world destroying any sort of happiness." He said.
"Any sort? What do you mean?"
"You do not want to know. Now please, flee." The tree pleaded, but I disobeyed. I stayed behind, I had to know what these Angry were.
"There! By the tree, I see color!" One shouted.
"Color? From what?" Another shouted.
"Flowers! Come on!" The first voice shouted.
"I'm afraid I will not be able to aid you in battle, I am only a tree." He said. Then the five torches surrounded the two of us and the five monochrome figures stood underneath the grey flames.
"You see!" One shouted. "Color!" They all moved in. One touched one of the tree's locks of hair. A grey type of fungus ran up the branch and spread all over the massive oak in a matter of seconds.
"No!" He screamed he voice stuttering slower and slower, like a dying computer, until he stood limp, a black and white imitation. The one who touched him fell to his knees, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, he was breathing heavily, then he opened his eyes and said,
"More!"
Just as they were about to spring on me an enormous light lit up the whole scene. All of us, and the dead tree. The five Angries looked to the source of the light and hissed like cats. Then the sound of huge stomping feet grew closer and closer. Each step making the earth tremble. Then they sprang at it, and that's when I saw "it".
A colossal suit of armor, similar to a very old scuba suit, started smashing them with it's massive arms. With each impact The Angries shattered like dust. They were outmatched by the behemoth, and in a matter of seconds were all mounds of ash.
The giant suit slowly approached, with its earth shaking footsteps. I was sure it would crush me just like it did to the five Angries.
I fell backwards trying to run away, and when I looked up at it I saw that it had one hand outstretched to me, palm upwards, offering to help me up.

-Sir Jestro