Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 221: When it rains, does the sky know?
The Fairy Sleeping Inn under the Sycamore Tree is well-known among the aliens in the area near the Sossen Mountains. It has provided a place to rest for many lonely fairies who were wandering in the wind and rain. No matter they are the dwarfs who are not good at fighting, or the Capells who have great strength but are not good at speaking and communication, they have all found spiritual comfort in the warm fire, delicious food and clean beds.

The inn's proprietress, Shesta, eliminated the fights between the different races of aliens with her unique personality charm, making the inn a pure land in the chaotic era, and she was respected by the guests. Even after a long time, many aliens in the Sosen Mountains still remember her kindness and often miss the beautiful and gentle smile of the proprietress.

However, few people know that Shesta's gentleness, kindness, sincerity and love were all learned from another person, who was also the first guest of the inn and the most special guest for a long time. It was she who became the first guest of the inn when no one was interested in it at the beginning. She was very impressed with Shesta's original intention of "wanting to give everyone a warm and safe home", and she always supported and encouraged her and provided a lot of help. This is how the Fairy Sleeping Inn, which the aliens in the Sosen area never forgot, came into being.

Until the Night Watch began to move frequently and persecute all aliens living in human cities, the Fairy Sleep Inn had to hide under the ancient sycamore trees and lost its glorious history. The proprietress Shesta, who could not leave the inn due to the nature of the traveler fairies, once thought of dismissing other members, including the younger sister Shemi who had not yet embarked on the journey, the magic plants and Mr. Rabbit in the inn, the stone gardener and magic vegetables in the underground garden, etc.

At that time, the first thing she thought of was the special guest who had given her a lot of support and encouragement and had a relationship with her as both a teacher and a friend, so she asked her opinion and asked her "Have you ever thought about leaving here and living somewhere safer?" After all, "You have helped me many times, and I can't let you be in danger for this hotel again. If that really happens, I'm afraid I will regret it for the rest of my life."

And how did she answer then?
……

"At that time, the Tree Lady said to me," Shesta's eyes flashed with reminiscence, and she imitated her tone at that time, telling the story to Shelia, Little Sun and other magic herbs who were listening carefully to the story, or perhaps to the old man who always had a gentle smile on his face: "I didn't stay for the hotel, Shesta, but to wait for my destiny. Before that day comes, no matter how you persuade me, I will not leave; similarly, when that day comes, no matter how you try to keep me, I will not stop. This is not because I have a heart as cold as a stone that can reject all sincere words, but because that is destined to happen. It is the meaning of what I have been waiting for a long time ago and will continue to wait for a long time. Without these meanings, there would be no me."

The proprietress paused for a moment, then looked deeply at Mrs. Shu and said, "That's what you said, isn't it?"

Mrs. Shu smiled and nodded, her voice and tone so calm: "I didn't expect you to remember something so clearly after such a long time, Shesta."

"No wonder." Xie Liya suddenly realized. No wonder her elder sister said that Mrs. Shu's farewell was not sudden at all. It turned out that a long time ago, something happened that she didn't know about, which determined the ending of today.

The past and the present, the two ends of time are connected together, forming the circle of fate. Most people run around in the circle in a daze, busy with familiar scenes. Only a few wise people can see the truth of its cycle through some kind of specious premonition, and realize that many things are not accidental, but have been brewing long ago.

"Don't say that, little sun."

Mrs. Tree did not answer, but Shesta gently touched the flower disk of Little Sun and told her softly: "Everyone has their own choices. The importance of life does not lie in comparison, but in saying that when one day you encounter something you have to do, you can muster up the courage to do it. This is meaningful."

Perhaps, only ancient trees like Lady Tree, which have lived through a long period of time, can be considered a symbol of wisdom; as for others, even Shesta, who has grown a third pair of butterfly wings, is still far from this definition.

"But," Little Sun suddenly said sadly, "Is that matter more important to you than everyone in the hotel?"

She said these words like a wise philosopher, but in fact, these words were taught to her by the Tree Lady. Because the traveler fairy is born carefree and not suitable for sentimental life. Only an old tree that has always stood tall after wind and rain can understand such truths through the scars on its body.

The little sun man muttered, "Mrs. Tree is not a human..."

She didn't mean to offend, but she believed it from the bottom of her heart and believed it. She knew how hateful humans were, like the night watchmen who always liked to catch and kill innocent aliens; she also knew how hard they lived, and could only breathe turbid air and see the gloomy sky. In this case, wouldn't it be better to be a plant? Sleep when you want to sleep every day, be in a daze when you want to be in a daze, and bask in the sun when you are bored, chat with the surrounding plants and flowers, play games with butterflies and bees... Especially a tall oak tree like Mrs. Tree, you must be able to get more sun and see farther scenery, right? It can even attract a lot of squirrels and birds, chirping and running around the branches. Although it is very noisy, it makes people feel very energetic.

Little Sun would be very longing for such a life if he thought about it. But why didn't Mrs. Tree like it and wanted to leave here and go to another distant place? Is there any place more comfortable than here? Is there any way of life better than being a tree?
Mrs. Tree smiled silently, with a color brighter than the sun flashing in her eyes: "Maybe it's like this, little sun, but deep down in the heart of every tree, there was a desire to become a human. It's not because being a tree is bad, but because some things can only be done by humans. Just like, people can travel thousands of miles to pursue the figure in their dreams, but once a tree takes root, it can never leave the ground under its feet; or, people can hold on to obsessions heavier than darkness and will not give up until the last moment before sinking, but as long as the tree is blown by the wind and pressed by the snow, it will fall down... The same is true for what I want to do."

Pursuing ideals is belief, and exhausting belief is obsession, but can people's obsession really make up for regrets? Or does it bring more regrets? This is also an unsolvable mystery in the universe.

Little Sun's small head couldn't comprehend such a profound concept. She only knew that she seemed to be unable to persuade Mrs. Tree to change her mind, so she was dejected, and even her leaves were listless and lifeless. The other magic herbs were the same, and even more sad, because they couldn't control their emotions well. Some of them had already sobbed softly, making the atmosphere suddenly become very heavy.

Shelia silently held the things left by the Tree Lady, walked to the little sun, and gently comforted her and other magic herbs, trying to calm them down. And Shesta still stood there, supporting the Tree Lady's arm, staring at every deep wrinkle on her old face, like a ravine left by the years, full of the suffering and ideals of the past era.

"A tree is about to grow old, but that is also the moment when it welcomes a new life." Mrs. Tree suddenly said in a voice that only she and she could hear: "My teacher once taught me this about how a tree should grow."

The next moment, her hand quietly broke free from Shesta's support, and the boss lady's palm was suddenly empty, as if nothing had existed in the first place. She looked up in astonishment, but saw that the figure of the tree lady retreating backwards was becoming illusory. The tall and sturdy oak tree behind her gently shook its branches, scattering the aura of magical elements all over the sky, and she was gradually turning into green light spots and flying away. That was the real body of the tree lady, and it was also the oldest tree in Mount Sosen. Every ring wrapped inside it measured the length of life, and there was a suffocating sense of shock.

At this moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew, and at this moment, all the grass and trees on the hillside bent in the same direction, and the tips of their leaves touched the warm earth; all the blooming flowers withered at the same time, and the petals blown by the wind passed through people's eyes, and the fragrance seemed to stick to the corners of their eyes and hair; all the lush green leaves on the oak trees were trembling, listening to the same call, and making the same sound -

Blah blah blah!

Just like the surging of the tide, it was uniform and brought with it a thick humidity that came from nowhere, making one's nose sore and wanting to cry uncontrollably, as if the taste of sea water, rain and tears were all the same, fishy and salty.

"Ah." Mrs. Tree murmured amid the falling leaves, and she seemed to see the scene of that day again: "Is it raining?"

Shesta subconsciously raised her head and saw that the sky was clear and cloudless, without a single drop of rain, only petals and leaves. This secret land had never seen such a blue and clear sky, as if to send off someone's soul. Suddenly the wind stopped, and every fallen leaf swayed and floated away in front of her eyes. The crisscrossing veins on the leaves actually foreshadowed the rough journey of life: How far does a tree have to go before it can grow into a human?

This is a question that has no answer and is destined to have no answer. When Shesta looked away blankly, she found that there was no one on the hillside and the ancient and majestic oak tree was no longer in her sight.

　Sad news: Since the recent chapters are poorly written and I am unable to revise them, the glass-hearted author has decided to play dead and not read the comments and interjections for the next few days. I will come back after I finish writing this plot. Private Marseille Cat

　　
　
(End of this chapter)