Nature’s Guardian

by Zoe To

The wind's melody was soft as it blew across the evening sky. Its hum casting a sweet lullaby. The surrounding tree’s leaves flutter with the oncoming gusts of air. The sweetest nectar dripping from glowing flowers. The little bubble of land has a subtle glow to it.
The plants of this bubble are alive and basking in the sun. Engulfed in the loving feel of the land, the landscape is bright and content. In the heart of the bubble lives a glowing camellia.
There are no humans here, no sign of human life, except for a young woman. Dressed in a long skirt and a thin long shirt, her dark hair was pulled into a bun. She walked the paths of her little home, wandering the paths of daffodils and dandelions, tulips and trilliums. As she walked she tended to her plants, watering her flowers and tilling her soils. She sings as she does her daily tasks, happily keeping her bubble of the world in good condition.
Her little bubble truly was a bubble. Her little oasis of greenery was encased in a translucent dome, like a force field. If you stepped too close you’d see the sparkle of the bubble, an iridescent shine. If any other human were to attempt to go through it, they would not be able to. This bubble was only to allow the purest of people through, the ones who nurture the world in their very palm. People who love nature as much as they love one another.
It seemed that the only human that could walk through was the young girl. There used to be many others who resided within the beautiful bubble. These people had slowly been pushed out of the bubble by an invisible force, and one by one the people began to leave. Those who used the green earth as if invaluable, those who just seemed to take and take and take.
Mother Nature had so much to give. But, depleting the world of its beauty was unforgivable, and the bubble was not so forgiving.
So, the bubble forced all those who were selfish and greedy out. Anyone who did not value Mother’s green earth were pushed to the edge of the bubble and they were not allowed to step a single foot in. The bubble used to be filled with people, little houses and families, gardens of all shapes and sizes, and the sound of children’s laughter could be heard as often as wind chimes. It didn’t stay the same once the people realized they could use the earth's resources in many ways, and what had once been used when needed, was soon collected tenfold. Humans are selfish beings, they can be selfish and they can be cruel. With one selfish human came many others, corrupted by an ideal that the area would replenish itself.
The bubble could not allow such humans to be inside its oasis. In the end, it left a small family. A grandmother, a mother and a daughter.
Raised within a house in the bubble, the mother had followed those around her, she loved the earth for the only reason that she did not want to leave the bubble. But her love for the earth was not true. She soon, too, was forced out of the bubble.
The little girl with her big toothy grin, and her cheery energy stayed with her grandmother ever since her mother left. Her grandmother was true to the bubble's life, she embraced it happily. The girl’s grandmother ensured that her niece would understand that the earth is precious, it’s beauty an endless cycle, but only if taken care of properly.
Her grandmother had said to her once, “Just because the plants may not speak of their pain, does not mean that they do not feel it. You must protect it as if it is your own.” The girl, named Amellia, had held her grandmother's words close to her heart, and she carried the sentiments with them. Careful, she had ensured that she never harmed nature. She loved it as much as her grandmother had before, and she wasn’t planning on changing that any time soon.
Now older and wiser, Amellia began to realize her grandmother wasn’t wrong about the nature around her. Different from the plants outside the bubble, the greenery within pulsated with a sort of energy that was only dreamt of. She also had realized that some time ago, others could not pass the bubble.
She loved the bubble, but she was lonely. That was something she couldn’t deny.
Amellia loved her home, but without her grandmother she felt lost. She didn’t want to leave, her home, but she was tired of the solitude she felt when she stayed.
Though, soon enough, her time alone had met an abrupt halt.
On a sunny morning, Amellia began to hear knocking at her door. Surprised, she jumped to her feet. A human? No, she thought, no one has passed by in a very long time. She shrugged and thought maybe one of the sheep got out of their pen or one of the cats was scratching at the door.
The knocking continues, sounding incredibly humane.
“Hello?” Calls a voice, “Does anyone live here?”
Amellia jumps to her feet and rushes to the door, quickly running her fingers through her hair to soothe it.
She opens the door a sliver and peers out. Outside is a man, tall, ruffled brown hair and hazel eyes.
“Hi. Uh-” The man stutters and then sticks his hand out, “I’m Theo.”
Amellia bites her lip, unsure of how to feel. She doesn’t know whether or not to be excited about the man, or scared because she hadn’t had anyone for the past while.
Amellia nods, staring at Theo. He looks about her age, maybe a little younger if she had to guess.
“May I come in? I have something important to speak of with you. I know it’s out of the blue, but this is important.” Theo’s hushed tone washes a cold feeling over amellia’s body. Tense, she allows him in. If the bubble let him in, then so would Amellia.
Amellia opens the door and ushers him in. She directs him to her small dining table, wood with a green table cloth, and a potted succulent adorning the table.
She busies herself with making tea for the two of them, and finishes pouring before he finally begins to speak again.
“What is your name?”
“Amellia.”
His eyes glowed. “You’re real.” Amellia cocked her head in question. “Nothing, don’t worry. But, I’m not here for a vacation or anything like that. I’m here to ask for your help.”
Her eyebrows crease in question and she watches Theo’s expression carefully. He merely nods.
“They’ve found you.”
“Who has found me?”
“The queen. She’s read about this magical piece of land, and while she never cared about it before… She does now.”
Amellia tilts her head in question. “What does she want with the bubble?”
“She wants it all. Ever since she began her reign, she’s been taking down all the trees, grinding all the flowers and stealing all the plants. She won’t tell anyone why, but everyone in the land is losing their crops and their wood.”
“Why would she ever do that to the plants?”
“She isn’t like you, Amellia. She wants to take the flower.”
The Heart of Celestia. Amellia’s voice shakes, “N-no.” Her body trembles. No one is supposed to know about the sacred flower.
“She believes it’ll give her some sort of power if consumed.”
“How does she even know about it?” Amellia asks, fear settling into her bones.
Theo sighs, sipping his tea and staring out the window. “She found a book a very long time ago. She thought it was some fantasy story, but clearly it isn’t.”
“How did you find me?”
“I don’t know, I don’t,” Theo’s eyes met hers, a frown settling into his face. “I felt it. Calling me. It was like a faint humming, and the closer I got the humming stopped and became beating. Like a heart. It doesn’t matter, she wants the heart.”
“She won’t be able to come through.”
“Why not?” He questioned.
“Only the purest of hearts for Mother Nature are allowed in.”
Theo laughed. “I was allowed in?”
“The bubble trusts you.”
At that, Theo nods and his expression turns solemn once more.
“How am I to help you?”
“The world has been falling apart ever since we stopped taking care of it. The only thing keeping it from turning to ash and dust is the heart. I can’t allow it to fall.” Amellia’s heart grows fond for the man, understanding his reasons even if she hadn’t seen outside the bubble in a very long time. Without the heart all nature will wither away. All Amellia has known is nature. She can’t imagine a gray world without it.
“What do we do?”
“Confront her. The Queen’s hosting a ball later this evening. We need to tell everyone about her evil plans.”
“Why would anyone believe me over the Queen?” Amellia's confused by Theo’s statement. What makes her the person to do it?
“Amellia… You’re a legend. Written in fairy tales and fantasy novels, the mother of all nature,” Theo smiles, “Camellia. Your name, it’s named after the heart. Your heart. You protect and you nurture, and only those loyal to you may enter your blessed lands.”
He wasn’t wrong. Her grandmother had always said she was special. That, when she was gone, Amellia was to guard Camellia as if her heart.
Amellia nodded and rose from her chair.
“How long is the journey?” She quickly grabbed a bag and hurriedly put on her shoes.
As the sun began to rise, Amellia and Theo made their departure. The two left the bubble and took Theo’s horse together to the castle.

.•° ✿ °•.

The castle was filled with dancers and partygoers, and Amellia’s heart was beating heavily in her chest. She needed the kingdom to believe her and Theo, and put an end to the Queen’s rule. She raced up the palace steps and stood in front of the Queen, arms outstretched.
She yelled, “Everyone please listen.”
The Queen immediately called the guards, but everyone stalled. In awe of the girl in front of them.
“Please listen to me. My name is Camellia, and your Queen wants to attack my heart. The heart of Celestia. Please, just listen for a moment. Have you noticed that your crops are dying? Your grass turning yellow and your flowers stopped blooming? It’s because of your Queen. If she takes the heart there will be nothing left here for us except for dust and ash. This is not a ruse, I promise you with everything I am that I am the protector of heart.”
The crowd gasped and nodded. They’d read of this girl in fairy tales and novels. A beautiful girl who cares for the Earth. Though surprised, they listen.
Theo stood as well. “My mother has been poisoning these waters, she’s been talking about stealing the heart for months. I know it is out of the blue, but I beg you to believe us.”
Amellia was the one to gasp, Theo’s mother is the Queen. Theo nodded to the guards and the guards, still stunned, listened and began to take the Queen away.
The kingdom learned a lot that day. They stopped taking the Earth for granted, and began to love it as much as Amellia does.
From then on, the bubble began to grow. The heart was safe and kept Celestia alive. It helped the rest of the world and its love spread throughout the kingdom. The bubble soon enveloped the entire kingdom, everyone in it appreciating the beauty of nature.
Amellia still took care of the heart, but now she also took care of the people of Celestia alongside Theo.