"Stop! Please do no more!"

It was a little girl flapping on large, pointed and clear, bug-like wings only but a few meters away.

John was startled, there was something that could get this close to him without his notice? He had only noticed her presence as she began to speak, a coincidence perhaps or that she knew how close she could get before needing to announce her presence.

Mana began swelling within him as he perceived a possible threat. She may have been cute and adorable but that was no reason to be nieve.

"Arcane shield!"

John engaged a strong defence protecting him and Niera.

Continuing to come closer, the newcomer eventually ran right into it. It was like a bug to a bug zapper as her leafy green hair went into a ball of poof before landing, with her, on the ground. There she twitched uncontrollably as small purple bolts of shock travelled across her body.

It was a strong shield.

John got closer and poked her cheek but found his hand passing right through.

What the hell was this?

John knew allot about first and to come across something he didn't know anything about made him nervous. This was because the things he wouldn't know anything about was likely to cross into the celestial plane where he was in many ways, a non-contender.

But a celestial being would of been annoyed at most by his shield so she was not one, probably. This was by speculation at least.

"Pleeeazzzzzzzzzze, don't zzz, z, zzz, do that zzzzz, zzz again."

She was suffering from the electric shocks, subsiding in her body. It would past.

"Who and what are you," John spoke with alertness.

"I'm a pixie, the name is leafy."

"You are not a pixie, again what are you?" John's voice became sharper and he brought forth a spear in his hand.

"Fine, I'm a high pixie."

John let loose his spear, sending it buzzing over leafy's head as she was just getting up.

She froze and John brought forth another spear.

"Your not a high pixie either"

"Awah?!? For a human to know of high pixies, that is beyond my expe-"

Her voice trailed off as John slowly went through the motions to throw another spear, just a little lower.

"Stop! Stop! I got it, I'll tell the truth!"

John stopped his approach but didn't retract it.

"I'm a ghost."

"A ghost of what?"

"The world tree"

John let his arcane spear fade to nothingness.

"I see, that makes some sense. Unnatural death, near the world tree seed, and an incorporeal form. Still... I'd like to be sure."

"Well, I'd prefer you don't but as long as you don't bring that purple thingie out or something worse, I won't mind. It's not like I can really stop you and I would really like you to listen to me."

"I'll take that deal then, let me be sure and I'll listen."

The self proclaimed world tree ghost sat up and John helped her to her feet, coating his hands in weak mana so he could touch her.

You might think a ghost to be lighter then air but it wasn't the case towards themselves. They still had their perception from when they were alive and could only break away from it in severe circumstances.

John took out a small scroll and rolled out the contents on the ground. It was a series of intricately drawn circles offset from one another and connected by lines.

A hybrid array, made of magic and spirits. It was the 3rd tier of technical hybrid spirit magic and was usually needed to cast advanced magic.

John clapped his hands together like a prayer and slowly drew them apart, forming a small drop of energy that was neither spirit power or magic anymore. It evolved to be something far more, celestial energy.

The droplet of energy was terrifying, not because it was powerful and potentially destructive, because one could feel it wasn't, but because it shouldn't exist. Ones deepest sense of truth and falsehood was pressured as it attempted to suggest, very strongly, to flee from reality. It simply should not exist and more then that, not be in the hands of a human.

Leafy gulped nervously thinking to herself, "this was better then being zapped?"

Leafy and Niera were too afraid to move as John let the droplet of energy fall on the first circle.

It set off a micro flood, turning the lines connected to a white golden light. The array lit up one circle after another as the light travelled forward. When it reached the last, a yellow sphere expanded but then quickly disappeared. The scroll then burned but left no asses, nothing was left.

"See, harmless and yes, I believe you now"

Leafy fell back down, her knees becoming weak from the experience.

"Harmless? HARMLESS?!? It may have turned out harmless but it was also dangerous, unwise, and irrational! Who in their right mind would use something like that?!? Celestial magic is for the realm of gods, not humans!"

John watched with impassive eyes thinking that Leafy's reddening face with her child like body was actually somewhat cute and funny. He was intentionally being completely oblivious to leafy's outbreak since he didn't think much of the incident. This only served the stir leafy on even more as she attempted and failed to scorn him. Rather, it seemed her language skills played out to be innocent and proper so no matter how much she talked, she could not properly voice her frustrations.

Niera on the other hand was fine. She had passed out standing up half way through the process.

"So, what was it you wanted to say?"

Leafy closed her mouth and began chewing her lip. The fiery look in her eyes didn't sway. She was mad.

"Don't touch the seed, don't touch that which holds it."

"Why?"

"Because bad things will happen if you do. The darkness will rise and harm my forest."

"I see."

"If you understand then leave."

"That was a terrible reason you known."

"You! Listen to me! Please turn away!"

"It'll be alright."

John Placed a hand on her head, rubbing it back and forth. It got her even angrier but the sorrow welling up inside of her snuffed the flames of rage, like it was a candle before a waterfall. Leafy was realizing that John Wasn't backing down, he was going to go through with this despite her protests and her ghostly form was helpless to stop it.

It started with just a sniffle but a steam began down the side of her cheek. Then it was hiccups and soft whimpers.

John took a knee and looked her in the eye.

"How long has it been that you watched over this place?"

"I. I. Can't remember *sniff sniff*"

"Long enough then. So how about you come with us?"

"I can't, my place is here and that seed is all I have left. Please, don't take it away."

"I refuse. Instead, how about this? My friend could use your help, as a ghost you are but a breeze while you remain unanchored to the physical world. If anchored to her though, your strong soul will transform her into something more and you'll get a chance to see the vast world through her eyes. In return, I will carry the seed and its burden of finding a new home."

Leafy let out a tired laugh.

"How naive you are human, to think of leaving this place alive while carrying the seed. You will only manage to stir up chaos."

"I'm going to whether you like it or not so why not have a moment of faith and believe."

"Human... Human, what is you name?"

"John, John Ryder."

"Well, John Ryder, I want to believe but just can only feel despair. But In response to your resolve, I will help your elf companion."

"Like I thought, you can see her."

Elves were affiliated with the forest by birthright and Leafy was a part of the world tree, there would naturally be a strong connection.

Leafy walked over to Niera then flapped her wings, bringing herself eye to eye with the taller Niera.

It was one innocent kiss, on the transparent lips of Niera, breaking the veil that hid her. Even the human disguise broke to reveal her elven body undergoing subtle changes. Her eyes took on thousands of green shades and some brown, blending together to become what some might consider, eyes of the forest.

Leafy on the other hand was dissolving into particles of light, with those particles coming to rest on Niera to cause the changes.

Niera's face became vibrant, nicks and dryness receding while her armour shifted to reveal growing proportions. The influx of life force was refining her looks in potential and size.

When the shifting stopped... It was an angel perhaps? No, there were angels in first and they might get jealous looking at Niera now. And she was still looking elven, just not like one John had ever seen.

Unfortunately, the image was a little off set as leafy's last spec of light vanished and her soul began moving the unconscious Neira.

Leafy could just not get used to moving Neira's body.

Staring down at was now her own chest, "what's the dam point of these things!"

Leafy was a child now in a fully developed and well refined mature elven beauty.

With one shaking foot she moved forward but almost lost her balance as her now top heavy chest felt very different from her child like body.

"Argh!"

Leafy got frustrated and suddenly larger clear wings like she had as a ghost sprung from her back. Flapping them she got in the air and entirely avoided the issue of walking.

John couldn't help but let out an unnoticed chuckle.

Raising his hand, John released firework like magic green-green-white-silver.

"Pretty."

"Yes, and very effective."

John then reached for the two forbidden objects and quickly inserted them into his soul realm.

"Ahh! You actually did it!?! No no no! Why! Why are you so foolish?"

*rumble rumble*

The entire ground shook, maybe the entire forest. It was coming.