Gabriella watched the sun slowly dim, giving everything a golden tint. Weaver Bird brought some stew cooked with yam in simple clay bowls to both of them as Mama Mango smiled. Felix just looked puzzled.

"The ending has changed, what do you mean Mama? Also, I thought Snail was my father." He asked in confusion.

"Eat, I will answer all your questions tomorrow. Oh and here, both of you may have one of my mangoes, remember to eat the skin and pip too. Don't look at me like that, they are meant as a gift of healing, all parts will help you, goodnight." Mama Mango smiled mysteriously, walking back to her spot, becoming a tree again.

Snail hugged Felix and patted him on the head, which was only possible because his step-son was sitting on the floor.

"Don't worry my boy, nothing is as it seems here. Eat up, you'll need your energy. Goodnight!" He sniggered.

The food was amazing so the couple ate with enjoyment but Gabriella was starting to feel uneasy, if Felix had been lied to, what else could be hidden? There were stories that she had grown up with, of places in the hills where powerful beings took unsuspecting humans, for whatever purpose and this place reminded her of them.

Looking over at Felix gave her some courage, at least she wasn't alone. Gabriella smiled and picked up the mango, if this was a trick, she had no complaints. This was the coolest and most unusual thing that had happened to her, even if she was kidnapped by fairies!

They finished the food, including the unusual fully edible mangoes and returned to their home, filled with happiness. Gabriella had forgotten about her hotel, the flight back to England and her job. Tonight, she just wanted to stay in her husband's arms, they were content and that was all they needed.

As the barrier formed around the hut once again, the leaves on Mama Mango's branches rippled without any wind. A smokey form wound itself around the trunk and settled itself comfortably over the branches.

"You didn't need to tell him that.." it whispered.

"It was time, I was right and you know it. I told you she existed. Don't forget your promise! " Mama Mango rustled.

"Alright, maybe they deserve a chance. But it could be too late. I'll give our Prince some time. A few more decades and I won't be alone anymore." It added.

"I wish they were a normal human couple, this burden might be too heavy. She is very strong, do you think she will break away from the false memories?" The tree swayed, feeling the guilt of it all.

"Those memories aren't false my friend, they found each other without my help. She broke through the memory barriers too. I did stop her from remembering everything but mostly, they have been restored, this proves she is not ordinary. This is new to me." It pooled its length onto the ground.

"Hmm, so it could be that your form was just too strong to see her. Do you accept my idea now? That she will teach Prince about the other humans, the ones who have been out of The Garden too long." She asked.

"If it doesn't work, I'll have to start culling them. I hate to do it because sometimes the promising ones get caught up in the mess but they only seem to grow after they get some room. I want to be more precise with it this time. Even if it doesn't work fully, the knowledge from Prince should help." It confided.

"What about Gabriella? You've been searching for so long, are you giving up now?" She asked.

"She will play her part but I have no connection with her yet, which means the time hasn't come." It shifted and faded away.

Mama Mango's branches creaked in relief, being so close to its presence was always disconcerting, such a powerful being could snuff her out of existence on a whim. It hadn't mentioned the mangos, maybe they had gone unnoticed. They were just a snack after all.

Settling down in her mind for the night, she wondered if her plan would succeed. Going against her creator, gave her a thrill but would it work out for the best? Hopefully the hint would spark its curiosity. Unlike the other spirits, she knew Prince wasn't a separate part of the entity at all and maybe there was a chance to stop the slaughter.

Inside the safety of their hut, the happy couple slept peacefully, unaware that they were being watched. The barrier was nothing to this being, after all it was made by Prince, a part of itself. They seemed innocent, but they had no idea what was in store, their trials were about to begin.

It was good, they would be strong, the being thought to itself. But it wondered what it felt like to have a physical form, just for a moment. Maybe it would feel something, like Prince. Silently, it slipped into the sleeping body which stirred and opened its eyes.

Emotions, scent and touch, dominated the moment. His arms held a beautiful woman, she was perfect. Stroking her hair made her wake.

"Felix?" She mumbled.

"Hmm." He answered, Stroking her ears and jawline.

He nuzzled her neck feeling its softness, smelling her scent, wanting to hold her closer. Was this how humans felt or was it just Prince who felt this way? His soul ached to be one with hers, the gap between them was too great. He used his lips to feel her, to close the gap, was that what it meant? Soon the body took over but it was too much, the sensations overwhelmed his barriers and the physical form of Prince dissolved at the final moment.

All his work was ruined after a moment of pleasure, he should be angry at himself but viewing the woman made him content. She had joined him, their souls had touched, she slept in exhaustion but with a contented smile. Truthfully, Prince still existed, he had just returned to being part of the being. But now everything was different, the stars sparkled like her eyes and he felt warmth, deep inside.

The smokey shape curled itself protectively around Gabriella, every breath she took was amazing, a miracle in itself. How had it functioned without this feeling before? Yes, it cared for every creation and it guided each creature so they had the capacity to find partners if necessary, it hadn't made the feeling of love. It had a secret, it had been created by something else long before these spirits came into existence and hadn't made them either.

In fact it was just a much older spirit like themselves, a gardener that guided living things. Its power had grown over time. It had watched the living things come into existence as well as the spirits in the village but had never taken a physical form. It knew that they were just a tiny part of the creator but that knowledge could destroy the ones with less experience or strength. It had been part of the first garden, the first failure.

Many eons ago when the earth was still new, the creator made a garden in this place but the garden smothered itself and fire consumed it. The ancient spirit felt only that its job had failed. The ocean was the source of all life on this planet so it searched for any survivors and started to guide, nurture and prune. Many new living things were developed and discarded until the land was ready again but it was not alone in this task.

Another like itself, worked also, helping to bring back a more vibrant and beautiful garden but every time the garden developed, it failed. Not to the extent of the first failure but enough to set back all the progress. It learnt to be harsher and more generous, it learnt to find balance. Acceptance of the creator's method made it find wisdom, everything was a test. It appreciated the journey and sometimes worked alongside its colleague.

But the garden failed again, when the inhabitants of the land and sea became too strong, this time the spirit understood something new. The land and sea was also living, the whole planet was a living thing and the organisms that lived on it were part of it. The two spirits joined forces to guide the creatures in gaining better balance and perhaps understanding so they could guide themselves.

Then something happened, the other spirit fought with this ancient spirit, they disagreed. It argued that something new had developed, something that changed everything. The other spirit would become one with the living things to understand emotions and find the reason that some went against their nature to be better or worse. The being didn't understand, what was emotion but just a way for a creature to make decisions, a mixture of thoughts and chemical responses to their environment.

So it left and this being felt nothing as it had never experienced emotions. But something was missing, a part of itself and it felt unbalanced. A strange feeling developed, that wasn't an emotion, just an empty space that needed to be filled. The being realized its mistake as it watched the more advanced creatures react in illogical ways as the other spirit had warned him.

The animals would fight when that was of no benefit, choose partners that weren't stronger or a benefit to their children. They protected those that would die, sometimes causing their own doom and to some extent the being came to recognize the emotions that caused it. It wanted to nurture them when it saw that those emotions linked larger groups together for the benefit of all, it wasn't always a bad thing.

The insects had formed similar groups but no emotions were involved and they were efficient in their methods. Birds grouped together to form flocks which at first seemed just a simple way to improve their chances of survival but some paired together and withered away without their partners. Why didn't they just choose another? He noticed this pairing with parents and children too, caused by an emotion it didn't seem to have.

As the garden developed, it noticed something that made it experience something close to emotion. The other spirit had released it's energy, was it gone from this world? It paused, not able to function, as the energy from its companion pooled around the being's form. Tracing it back to its source brought nothing, its partner was nowhere to be found. It gathered the energy and held it, watching it flow endlessly in complicated patterns, around its ethereal body.

Could it feel regret without emotion? Did it understand those creatures that withered in dispare, perhaps this was another test. It spread the energy through the forest, in the hope that it would be absorbed by living things as the spirit had wished and waited. The animals progressed and died back in cycles, with no help from the being until the energy began to split apart. It watched as new spirits were born and died until they stabilised. Some stayed formless but it encouraged the stronger ones to form bonds with their chosen organisms.

It began to care for those spirits and the animals and plants they cared for. It was satisfied by those that chose to inhabit the creatures or become them. It absorbed the knowledge they shared and noticed that its own form was too powerful to do the same. Understanding blossomed and it felt that maybe, the other spirit had let go of its energy, to learn more and be with the creatures it wanted to nurture.

Now it had hope, that the spirit was alive. The empty part of itself, filled with an unfamiliar sensation, a fullness and a discomfort. As it learnt more, it continued its task, which had changed to one of searching and not just guiding but the other spirit could not be found. The new spirits were a comfort, they were a part of the being's partner. They were like its children, so it came to understand the bond between a family.

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The story has taken a biblical turn but remember, it's a fantasy. No one knows how things began as we weren't there, enjoy and don't forget to vote and comment.

Do you think the being is good or bad?