There were once two kingdoms that were the worst of all neighbors. The human lands bordered a magical land filled with colorful trees  called the Truffula Moors. It was a home to all the magical creatures  and the Fair Folk. The Mayor of the human lands greatly envied his  neighbors for its beauty and treasures. He would do anything to have  such a land. He would stare out of the window at the beautiful lands  with the colorful trees. Yet every attempt he made to conquer the Moors,  it would end miserably since they were protected by the Guardian called  the Lorax.

Yet, as the Lorax grew older, it would be time to  choose another Guardian. He had a young pupil who he raised to be his next successor.

In a great tree on a cliff lived one such a spirit. One might take her for a girl. But she wasn't just an ordinary girl. She was a fairy. She was pale green with eyes the color of moss.  Her hair was orange to show her contentment and joy. She had beautiful  large verdant wings. The fairy lay on her hammock in Mother Tree, as  she called it. With her magic, two figurines that she had made out of the  forest floated above her head, dancing.

And her name was Fiora.

Her playtime was cut off when she heard a snap and the cry of pain from Mother Tree. Bolting upright, she stood up with her wings fluttering slightly. She found a branch had broken. She whispered soothingly to the tree, then picked up the branch and held it in her hands until it was healed.

"There you go," she said with a smile.

She heard the tree whisper Her thanks in a woodish tongue. With a smile of contentment, she free fell  from the tree and let her wings carry her above the Moors, greeting the  magical creatures. She called to the playful bar-ba-loots as they played games, watching the humming-fish splash about in the water, and greeted the swomee swans as they sang their songs out in space. They greeted the fairy with a big smile. She whooped as she soared into the heavens. She looked down at the center of the forest. The magical creatures and animals seemed to be gathered and whispering with nervousness. Fiora  landed to investigate.

"What's going on?" she asked frowning.

"Something  has happened!" said the Lorax seriously. "The border guards found a human thief at the Pool of Jewels. We must go investigate."

"A human?" Fiora gasped.

Her heart raced with excitement when she heard this. She had always wanted to see a human for the longest time. Her teacher had always gone to the  borders to drive them away with the help of the sentries.

"Can I see the human?" she asked eagerly. "Please! I promise I'll be good."

The Lorax knitted his brow; his pupil had been begging him for a long time. He never thought Fiora was ready to deal with humans since she would get distracted when the real task was at hand. It was his duty to protect the Moors. Not to mention, he didn't want to expose her to them-she did not know about their greed and envy. How cruel they could  be. They were complex creatures.

"I don't think so," he said. "You're not ready."

"You say that all the time!" the green fairy whined sulkily. "You said I needed to learn to deal with them. When will that be?"

Another frown from the elder Guardian. She sure did argue a lot with him.

"Fine,"  he said. "Just remember what I taught you, Fiora. We need to make sure the humans know not to cross our borders. Come with me."

The Lorax led Fiora to the Pool of Jewels with a serious expression. He could only hope she would pay attention to the task at hand. He had been  dealing with humans for years. Fiora was still young.

The peasant boy had decided to see the mysterious Moors. He heard his  mother speak about how much she wanted the riches there to her family.  They were lazy and spoiled as she was. She was so tired of being poor.  He thought they were merely rumors.

As soon as the boy had stepped  into the magical land, he was in absolute awe at the sight of it: the  trees with colorful fluffy tops, the magical creatures that danced in  the air and the sounds of birds singing and fish leaping out of the  pools. Not far from where he had entered, there was a beautiful pond  with giant crystals coming out. The glassy surface of  the pond had glittering gems of all shapes and sizes. Looking around, he reached in,  grabbing two jewels. He admired how the gem glittered in the sun and stuck it in his pocket.

This action caused two giant tree-like creatures decorated with orange hair to awaken. They growled at the boy, pointing their spears at him. Scared, the boy hid in a cove in hopes the guards would go away. But they wouldn't leave. He waited for quite a while until he heard the flapping of wings outside the cove and the gruff voice of the Guardian of the Moors that he had heard about.

When  the Lorax and Fiora had arrived, the border patrol explained in their language that the human had stolen a gem from the pond. The boy glanced  out from the vines to see a diminutive orange creature and a winged green girl about his age.

So THIS is the mighty guardian called the Lorax. the boy laughed to himself.

It was when the Guardian turned his attention to the boy's hiding place that he pulled back and stayed hidden so they wouldn't find him.

"Alright!" the Lorax said gruffly. "We know you're in there. Come out of there!"

"No way!" said the boy defiantly. "They mean to kill me. And besides, they're hideous to look at."

One of the border patrol snarled offended by the comment.

"That's extremely rude!" Fiora scolded. To the sentry, she said, "Don't listen to him, Balthazar. You're classically handsome."

The tree sentry bowed, flattered.

"Now come out this INSTANT!" the Lorax said gruffly.

The  boy refused to come out. Fiora wondered if they should try a different  approach. While she was empathetic to all of the creatures and plant life of the Moors. Humans couldn't be any different. The human was scared and the way they were speaking to him was frightening. Many animals were frightened of  loud sounds and wouldn't come out.

"Perhaps if we spoke kindly to the human, he will come out," Fiora suggested.

"Nature's breath!" the orange guardian spoke exasperated. "Humans are not to be trusted, Fiora. Don't you pay attention to your lessons?"

"Yes, Lorax. But didn't you say there are good ones as well?"

"I did. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be wary of them."

Fiora nodded. "I know. But can I try at least?"

The Lorax sighed. His pupil had to learn to take his place one day. Why not today?

The green fairy turned to the cove and spoke.

"Don't be afraid, human. It's not right to steal, but we don't kill anyone for it. The guards won't hurt you unless you've returned what you've stolen."

The boy listened to the fairy's kind words. He seemed swayed and came out of his  hiding place, staring at Fiora with wide blue eyes. His dark hair hung over his face. He was tall and skinny, dressed in tattered clothes.  Fiora looked at the human boy up and down with her widened eyes as well.

"Are you a fully grown human?" she asked, tilting her head.

"No," the boy said.

She looked at the border guards and the Lorax.
"He's...just a baby," she said.

"No, a boy," the Lorax corrected.

"What are you called, human?" asked Fiora with narrowed eyes.

"I'm called Once-ler," he answered. "And you?"

"I'm Fiora," she said.

"Let's break up the pleasantries," said the Lorax impatient. "And stay on the subject."

The green fairy nodded, knowing she had to remain focused. She looked at the boy called Once-ler and held out her hand.

"You have to give it back," she said firmly.

"Give what back?" he said.

She gave him a look along with the Lorax and the guards. With a sigh of defeat, Once-ler reached into his pocket and took out the stone and tossed it back to Fiora. She caught it in her hand, then dropped it back into the pool. Once-ler frowned as he watch the gem sink to the bottom of the water. He could've bought a week's worth of food, maybe something more. The sentries growled softly, watching the human boy with suspicion.

"Now," said the Lorax. "You know the way out."

"Let me take him back," Fiora offered.

Another frown from the orange Guardian. Yet he figured this would be a good lesson for her. He had to let her grow up someday.

"Be careful," the Lorax warned.

"I will." She looked at Once-ler. "Come with me."

The two children walked in silence towards the border between the human lands and the Moors. The peasant boy sulked the whole way there.

"If I would've known you were going to throw it away," he said. "I would've kept it."

"I didn't throw it away," said Fiora. "I returned it home. Just like I am doing with you."

Once at the border, Fiora looked at the vast expanse of the human lands. She had seen them when she would fly up in the air, yet she wondered what they were like. Up in the sky, everything would seem so small. Yet from the human's perspective, she felt small herself. There was massive house in the  distance. The Lorax explained to her that the human ruler had lived there and he and his monstrous armies had tried to take the Moors many times.

"One day, I'm going to live there," Once-ler said, pointing to the mansion.

"Where do you live now?" the fairy asked.

"A stable," he said sad.

"And your family?"

The boy lowered his head. He didn't like talking about his family too much. 

"They're...fine," he said. "We'll see each other again."

The fairy felt uncomfortable since she knew none of the Fair Folk trusted  humans, especially the Lorax. He had spent centuries fighting off the humans who had tried to take the Moors. Yet there was a small part of  her that wanted to see the human again.

"You really shouldn't," Fiora said. "It's not safe."

"And if I DID come back, then what?" Once-ler said. "Would you come?"

She shrugged, feeling a tremble of excitement. She wanted to learn more about the human. "Maybe," she said.

The  human boy held his hand out towards the green fairy to shake her hand.  Upon taking it, Fiora felt a searing hot pain on her hand, letting out a cry. She saw the ring he was wearing was glowing red.

"What's wrong?" Once-ler said shocked.

"Your ring," she said, rubbing her burnt hand. "Iron burns fairies."

"I'm sorry," he said.

Fiora was touched as she watched the human boy take it off and threw it away.  Once-ler began to walk away and he smiled as he took a last look at  Fiora before heading home.

"I like your wings," he called.

Fiora broke out into a smile, feeling flattered. Perhaps the Lorax was wrong  about humans. This had to be one of the few good ones at least she  believed. She wanted to meet the human again, but knew it would be too  dangerous for them to meet in the Moors. She would figure out a way that they could meet without the prying eyes of the Lorax.