Plant Seminars

“So, we’re finally in Vence.” Pixie breathed.

They’d landed right in the middle of the town square. Cobblestone tiles spiraled into a mandala that blossomed across the plaza. Little huts each only one or two storeys high littered the landscape, their storefronts all agape and filled to the brim with interesting goblets and trinkets. A gentle breeze weaved its way across their legs, releasing a symphony of tunes from the dangling windchimes. 

At the very center of it all stood a tiny, stone statue of the Fae Deity. It was drenched in moss and lichen, yet little flowerbuds snaked up the sides and their legs. Its eyes were shut, two hands pressed together as if channeling its magic throughout all of the Lylluana Reef. Little sprigs of weeds and daisies sprung up around the statue, which intertwined with its antennae. 

Pixie smiled and looked back at the trio of misfits whom he had been tasked to befriend. “Any idea on what we should do first?” 

“Comes without saying, but we should definitely explore the place!” Shoreline laughed gleefully, a huge grin on her face. “It’s Bloom Season! Finally! Out with the freezing frost, and in with the wonderful warmth. Oh how I’ve missed the lifeblood of the Lyullana Reef!” She did a little twirl on the spot, seemingly relishing the glorious morning sunlight on her back as she flapped her wings and leaped into the sky once more. “Try to catch up!” 

Morning sunlight spilled like liquid gold across their path as they dashed across the pavement. Little bits of rock and sand crumbled under Pixie’s paws as he ran, panting in order to keep up. Lumendras were certainly not the fastest species in Faia. In fact, he was running so fast, he almost crashed head-first into a cloud of teal mist. 

“What in Faia… ” Pixie blinked, realizing Shoreline had come to an abrupt stop beside a poster plastered on a shop window. He peered closer. The poster read, in elegant cursive handwriting, “How to Become a Plant Doctor - Plant Seminar.” 

“Held in Vence as well!” Blossom commented from behind, who proceeded to squint at the small text on the poster. 

“Shoreline, we are NOT visiting another useless seminar.” Pixie growled threateningly, raising his defenseless tail in a weak attempt at intimidation. 

Instead of firing a defensive retort however, Shoreline simply chirped inquisitively, “Why not? Have you ever attended one of these plant seminars before?” 

“No,” Pixie shrugged. “But what’s the point of attending one? If you have family members with a green paw, you can learn how to take care of plants without much hassle. You don’t have to waste an entire afternoon sitting with other Faians just to get some generic lecture.” 

A smug smile bubbled up from within him when he saw Shoreline’s furrowed brows and pensive expression. However, Shoreline’s response only annoyed him more. “I’m sure you’re already an amazing gardener, Pixie.” She nodded patiently, looking him directly in the eyes. Pixie sighed and braced for another boring, non-confrontational lecture. “But to become expert botanists, there’s knowledge we’re still missing - knowledge only an expert can pass down.” She paused again, perhaps to give Pixie time to rethink his life choices. “This seminar might be exactly what we need to learn what we’ve been missing!” 

“You’re not convincing me, Shoreline.” Pixie laughed, wiping an imaginary tear as her expression melted into a pout. “We’re going on a hot air balloon ride instead. Truly inspiring, Shoreline. But I think I’ll pass.” He flicked his tail and strutted off, before a forcibly calm voice stopped him. 

“Have you ever owned a plant before?” Shoreline asked. Her voice was calm, yet her eyes revealed she already knew the answer.

“Yes.” Pixie said flatly, turning around to face her. “Many, in fact. Why do you ask?” 

“What happened to them in the end?” 

Ouch. 

The swelling, rotting carcass of a cactus plant. Yellow pus oozed from out from within it, a puddle of golden blood leaching into the soil. 

The smell of mold seeped into the wooden walls and floors of his home, smothering them in a deathly, satin-white blanket of plaque. 

In his paws he held the broken corpse of what once used to be a strong young sapling that had shot for the skies. Now it was reduced to a dozen thin, lifeless twigs. Its leaves, once bright green and plentiful, were now torn, ragged and littered across the floor of the pot. Little bullet-holes punctured through every one of the sparse leaves that still remained - not a single survivor left. 

A river of tears fell onto the dry soil where the sapling had once lived. Amidst the leaf-litter, his watering eyes fixated on the blurry image of a gigantic worm, which had somehow gotten its way by disguising as a tree branch, munched its way through the buffet of leaves it had been provided with. 

His jaw clenched. Fingers curled into claws. Sobs became battle cries, seething with rage.

He snatched up the sharpest, most-pain inducing kitchen knife and slammed it down on the perpetrator. 

Pixie tried to stop the onslaught of memories, guilt, sorrow and grief flooding his brain. 

It didn’t work. What an amazing side effect of having any empathy at all. 

“... Yeah, I don’t keep plants around anymore.” Better they suffer without me than because of me.

Maybe one day I can save them. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Shoreline’s voice broke clear into his mind again like a knife slashing at his skull. “We don’t have to go if that’s what you’d like,” she said sympathetically, tilting her head. “We haven’t collectively decided on what we want to do yet. So about that balloon ride-” 

“No, no, it’s fine. Let’s just go.” Pixie reaffirmed. “We are going to the plant seminar. That is my final verdict.” 

“If you say so,” Shoreline beamed. “Anyone know what time it is?” 

Amethyst glanced at the watch on her tail. Pixie was immediately met with a look of surprise from her. “Perfect timing. Apparently it’s held in the Terrarium.” She swished her tail as if beckoning for the rest of them to follow along. “We’ve got fifteen minutes until the seminar starts. Now let’s hurry!” 

They all scampered downtown, rushing out onto the wooden docks close to the sea. Pixie could taste the fresh tang of sea salt in the air. All across the harbor, groups of Lumendras and Candle Noodles were hauling in their morning catches, dumping down nets filled with vast amounts of writhing, wriggling fish.

As they rounded the corner, they emerged into a discreet, shallow pool of water next to the sea. A waterfall cascaded from above, sending ripples of effervescent light scattering across the shimmering ceiling. Shoreline immediately squeaked and splashed in, immediately soaking everyone in the vicinity as she floundered around in the shallows. 

Overgrown turtle, Pixie mused, shaking the water off and looking directly at the waterfall. “Well, guys, that’s it. The map says the entrance to the Terrarium should be right here.” He glanced around, trying to search for a door or some kind of pathway. “I don’t see anything, though…” 

Amethyst tapped the walls with her tail. She leapt back across the water to share her findings. “It’s hollow.” Another two worried glances later, she glared at Shoreline. “Where is Blossom?” 

“Oh, he went in there.” Shoreline pointed lazily with one wing, who was floating on the surface of the water like a gigantic upside-down rubber duck in an all-too-small sink. Pixie squinted at the waterfall. A glaive - what looked surprisingly like the end of Blossom’s tail - sliced out of the rushing curtains of water. 

“Your sharp observations are as helpful as ever, Shoreline.” Amethyst stated, splashing her way across the pool of water. “Now, you magnificent mist angel,” She said, looking down at the fully drenched, sopping wet Tortuvina with an impish grin on her face, “Are you going to the seminar or not?” 

Pixie bit back a giggle as Shoreline dragged herself to her wings again and fluttered into the waterfall. He stepped into the cool water, enjoying another benefit that came with his species - being short. Whilst it was shallow for the others, Pixie struggled to even wade through the pool, which reached up to his neck. He eventually gave up and just resorted to paddling across with his tiny feet. 

As Pixie stepped through the waterfall, he saw Blossom already darting between the walls of the cavern. Blooming moss and dangling lichen adorned the cavern’s nooks and crannies. The humid scent of cool mist reached Pixie’s nose as he padded up the sloping tunnel. At the very end of the passage, hanging curtains of ivy marked the entrance to the Terrarium. 

Pixie ducked in. Immediately, he was taken aback by the sheer beauty of this indoor greenhouse. Trees, rocks and shrubs grew here in this cool, humid environment. A massive number of wooden chairs were strewn all across the damp, fertile soil. Above them, the walls curved into a gigantic glass dome, encasing them all in a paradise of sparkling sunlight. 

“Welcome, welcome!” A dashing young Candle Noodle, who seemed only a few years older than them, waved the incoming participants in. “Grab yourselves a seat, and get ready to learn about how you can revive your plants after a long and grueling frost season!” He smiled as he stood on top of the wooden platform which he would deliver his seminar on. Next to him sat a large bag filled with interesting leaf-like plants with no stem or roots whatsoever. 

“Our talk is just about to begin, so just wait a few more minutes in the stands there, okay? Try to contain your excitement.” He smiled their way again, this time letting his gaze sweep across the stands. 

“When I saw ‘professional plant doctor’ on the poster, I definitely did not envision this guy.” Amethyst stated flatly, as Shoreline plopped down on the chair next to Pixie and twined her tail around the chair’s wooden legs. Pixie couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He let his gaze drift to the surrounding stream as more and more Faians filed into the hall, excited whispers and chatters stringing up all around them. Before Pixie could open his mouth to make more comments about the professor, however, the whispers and murmurs suddenly died away, fading into silence. 

“Welcome, everyone.” The young professor smiled, surveying the hall. “Looks like every Faian in all of Vence has decided to become a plant doctor as well!” A flurry of good-natured laughter rose from the audience. 

“I’m pleased to see that so many of us have gathered here today. But of course, if so many of us feel the need to heal our plants, then we, collectively, must also have done a significant amount of damage to them.” He flicked his tail, walking closer to the audience. “Would anyone like to share any anecdotes?” 

An elderly Lumendra raised her paw. “My plants keep dying even though I keep watering them every day.” 

“Some of my plants are rotting, and I can’t seem to figure out why.” Another Ruptour chimed in. 

As more and more sympathetic murmurs broke out amongst the audience, Pixie felt a sudden burst of relief. He wasn’t the only Faian to commit mass genocide on his plants, and he certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

“It seems like all of us wish that we could have treated our plants better at some point in our lives.” The professor mused, addressing the audience again. “But what can we do to save them? Well, first, we’ll have to take a look at how a plant works.” In the snap of his fingers, a bright, labelled diagram of a plant projected itself onto the wall behind him, as if by magic. 

“I’ll save all the boring details, since you all know that plants need three things to survive: sunlight, water and soil.” He explained, pointing his tail at different aspects of the diagram. “But do you know why plants need these things to survive? Firstly, plants need light. This is because plants are autotrophs, or they make their own food via the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis requires two ingredients - water and carbon dioxide. And light makes it all happen!” 

Pixie found Shoreline and Blossom listening in closely, their eyes focused on the presentation and their ears perked. Amethyst, on the other hand, seemed utterly unimpressed. It soon dawned to Pixie that his new friends might have already been educated on this knowledge from years ago. He lashed his tail angrily, contemplating another benefit of being a Lumendra: physically maturing four times faster than any other Faian species, so that his brain would never have enough time to catch up on all the knowledge he was missing. 

“Now as for why plants need soil… this one’s a bit more difficult. I’ve already told you that plants make and eat food through photosynthesis, which is why they need light and water. But does anyone know why plants need soil? Does anyone want to take a crack at it?” He smiled at the crowd, as Shoreline raised a wing and looked at him with an expectant gaze. “Yes?” 

“Is it because they need to get mineral ions from the soil, for example, nitrate and phosphate ions for genetic material and magnesium ions for chlorophyll?” Shoreline replied. 

“Exactly! Wow, we’ve got one knowledgeable Tort here, better ask her if you want gardening advice!” The young Candle Noodle laughed. 

“You recited that straight from your textbook, right?” Amethyst whispered. Shoreline simply shrugged, hiding her emerging grin. 

“Many Faians’ gardening problems are honestly just a result of too much or too little water and sunlight. As for soil, ensure that it has just the right nutrient level - you might think that extremely fertile soil might allow for the plant to fare better, but oftentimes pests just end up stealing the nutrients instead.” He cleared his throat.

“Well, I did say I would move on with the boring stuff fast. Because now, instead of just telling you how to keep your existing plants from the brink of death, I’m going to show you how to let your new plants flourish. Presenting…” He took a single plant from the huge bag beside him and placed it in his paw for every Faian to see. “The Tillandsia, otherwise known as the Air Plant!” 

A bunch of surprised exclamations went across the crowd as everyone craned their heads to stare at this unique specimen. “Not to fear, not to fear- there’s one for each and every one of you!” The professor chuckled. With another flick of his tail, the plants floated up, up and up, out of the bag and into their paws. Pixie watched as a tiny plant, no more than a bundle of leaves, floated its way down into his cupped paws. 

Immediately, a rush of protective love flooded through him as he stared at the tiny, adorable plant. It had no stem, and no roots, only thin, bright green leaves which grew out from its center like the top of a pineapple. “The craziest thing about these plants is that they don’t even need soil to survive. It contradicts everything we’ve ever learned about plants - the world of botany just keeps growing! They absorb nitrogen straight from the air…” 

“...They were first discovered living in the shade on the branches of the tallest trees in Woodhaven. Some botanists theorize they’re a type of moss that grows on trees, but I wouldn’t be so certain about that. Anyways, enough talking! I’ll teach you how to take care of them!” 

The professor beckoned for everyone to approach the nearby stream which ran through the entire Terrarium. “Soak your Air Plants in natural river or lake water every three to four days.” He instructed, dipping his own Air Plant in the river. 

Pixie followed along, gently submerging his own plant into the sparkling stream of cool water. As it went underneath the surface, little bubbles sprang out from its leaves, coating the Air Plant in a shimmering silver sheen of what looked like morning dew.

Dewy. I’ll name you Dewy. 

As he returned to his seat, he noticed a neatly folded handkerchief had been placed on every seat in the vicinity. “They can’t stay soaking wet forever. Root rot is one of the most prevalent causes of plant death.” 

Root rot. 

A rotten stem, completely covered in a wet, tar-like substance. 

Black dots across the xylem. Roots turned to mush, melting to noth-

SNAP OUT OF IT. Don’t miss the instructions. 

He blinked again. “Make sure you place the folded handkerchief underneath the Air Plant and allow it to dry fully.” 

Pixie did so, admiring how Dewy glistened under the refracted sunbeams. “And don’t forget to place them somewhere with access to bright, indirect sunlight and good ventilation…” 

You’ve been given a second chance. 

Use it well.

“Alright everyone! Thank you so much for coming to this seminar, and I hope you all take good care of your new plants! Have an amazing Bloom Festival, everyone!” The professor exclaimed, bowing. Immediately, the crowd broke out into rapturous applause. Pixie clapped loudly. He didn’t usually show his appreciation, but this seminar had him in awe. 

As the sounds of scraping chairs and Faians getting to their feet filled the Terrarium, Pixie took extra care in keeping Dewy safe by cupping it in his first pair of paws and using his others to maneuver around. He stole another look at the others. Amethyst seemed to only be happy about the fact that she’d received a free plant, whilst Blossom seemed overjoyed, keeping the plant on the hilt of his tail. 

“So, was the seminar worth it after all?” Shoreline smiled as they ducked through the lichen curtains again and headed out of the Terrarium. 

“You know what? It was amazing. It really was.” 

He gazed fondly at the adorable little plant which was nestled gently in his paws. 

Dewy. I’ll take care of you forever. 

Promise.