Once-ler smirked to himself as he fondled the other gem in his pocket he had stolen from the pool. He was glad he didn't get caught for the second theft. He imagined it could feed him for a while.

While he regretted lying to the fairy since she was so kind and forgiven him for his sin upon the request that he give back what he had stolen, he still felt glee. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind of what he could do with such a gem. He planned on opening his own business. He hoped selling this would be his ticket to doing so. He had an idea of an invention that could do many things. He called it a Thneed. Yet he still needed to find the right materials.

The trees of the Moors seemed to be right. He thought about stealing some samples, but shuddered to think those trees would come to life like those orange-haired centries did. Perhaps asking Fiora would be the safer alternative.

While he was despondent to have to return to his peasant home again, he couldn't help but smile quietly to himself as he thought about his plans. First thing tomorrow morning, he'd walk to town while everyone was asleep and see a jeweler to find out the value. Once he sold it, he'd hide the money he earned from it along with all of the savings he earned from doing jobs for the neighbors.

As he got home, he watched his two stupid brothers wrestling with each other. They began to taunt him. He just ignored them, heading towards the house.

"Where were you, Oncie?" Brett asked. "Momma's pretty mad you didn't make lunch for her."

Once-ler thought about a sassy remark he could make, but stayed silent. His two brothers jumped on top of him, pinning him down and began to wrestle. Given he was so skinny, they were crushing him. He struggled beneath the gruesome twosome, barely able to breathe.

"GET OFF ME!" he yelled painfully.

That's when the jewel slipped out of his pocket. The twins stared in dumbly at the sight. Brett picked up the gem between his stubby fingers, shoving his whining twin brother away.

"Lemme see it, Brett!" Chet demanded.

"Geroff, idiot! I saw it first!"

"Give it back! It's mine!" Once-ler said quickly.

"Where'd you get this?"

Once-ler stammered, trying to find an explanation; his face flushed with a mixture of fear and shame. No one would ever believe his story about how he got it.

"Just give it back!" Once-ler replied petulant.

"Wait 'til Momma sees this!" Chet said excited.

"NO!" Once-ler yelled.

Too late! They ran inside to show her the jewel. Once-ler chased after his stupid brothers. He knew he would be in serious trouble now. His chance of building a business was gone forever!

Isabella was once a beautiful young woman. Yet the years of poverty and parenthood caused her good looks to fade. Her boys' father left her with nothing but three screaming, fighting children. She was too exhausted to care anymore after Once-ler was born. Her brother, Ubb, and his nasty fat wife, Grizelda, had moved in with her to help alleviate the stress, but they were just as lazy as they were. Once-ler became the parent and took care of his older, slow-witted brothers. He was the good son. He did most of the work and they used him whenever they felt like it. His mother had him do all the chores on their farm while she sat in the house, complaining.

The peasant woman glared when her peaceful time was disrupted by three unruly boys running through the house.

"Momma! Look!" Brett shouted.

"How many times do I have..." she began to shout irritated.

Her sentence trailed off when she saw the jewel in Brett's hand. She swiped it from her oldest child's fingers and observing it with narrow mean eyes through her garish glasses. She was fascinated by it. The clarity. The beauty. How it shined a perfect rainbow in the sunlight.

"Where did you get this?" she asked suspicious.

"Once found it," Brett said stupidly.

Once-ler's face flushed, feeling a pit in his stomach. His family's eyes began to bore into the smaller boy as they were unable to believe that this insignificant little insect had found such a treasure.

"Is this true?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

Once-ler bit his lip, frightened he'd get beaten for running off and not doing his chores. He wasn't sure if he should say anything. He didn't like lying, yet he didn't want to betray the fairy's kindness either. He was cornered.

"Well?" she demanded sharply.

"I stole it," he said quickly. "From the Truffula Moors."

Isabella sat up, her eyes lit up with intrigue at how he had managed to do such a bold act. The peasant woman's eyes became slits like a snake that had found an unguarded nest. This would be a golden opportunity. There would be riches beyond their wildest imagination. No more farm work. No more dirt. No more living in a hovel. This boy could be of great use to her.

****

The Mayor of Greenville looked the jewel over between his fingers and then back at the skinny, raven-haired peasant who had acquired it. It was unbelievable to hear the blonde woman's story about how her son had stolen the jewel from the very place he desired to conquer.

"You stole this?" he said. "From the Moors?"

Once-ler nodded, still flushed.

"Really?" she said. "However did you manage to sneak past the Guardian?"

"I just did," he said shrugging.

"How did you escape?"

"The fairy. She was kind to me and let me go."

"I see."

The Mayor's gears in his mind were turning. He had an idea to find out what he could do to get past this irritable Guardian. He had to know the Moors weakness. Maybe this fairy was one of them.

"Do you think you could go again and find out more about this...kind fairy?" the Mayor asked.

The boy felt a pit in his stomach when he heard this request. He didn't like being so sneaky and deceptive. But how could he say no to his mother? To the Mayor?

"I can't," he said.

"Oh come now, boy. Don't you want to have more of these riches? Don't you want to have more than this?"

"W-well, yes," Once-ler said, wringing his hands. "But I don't think it's a good idea."

"What if..." the Mayor said. "I were to pay you? All you have to do is go to the Moors each week and find out some things for me. I'll reward you for your trouble."

Isabella's eyes went wide as well as her son's. All that money in the world and all he had to do was spy on the Moors? He felt tempted by the offer, yet he could think of Fiora's kindness. It didn't seem right. Yet the thought of being rich and having a better life, perhaps get his business off the ground should it come to that. He couldn't say no.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly.

**************************************

The weeks went by. The human didn't come back to the Moors again. While she was disappointed, she figured that was to be expected. The Lorax made sure no humans ever returned to the Moors. He stressed to her the importance of protecting the Truffula Moors. That humans were not welcome. All other creatures were, but humans were not. They had their lands and lives while they had theirs.

On a beautiful sunny day, Fiora flew in the sky, enjoying her flight and listening to the sounds of the Moors, she put aside all thoughts about the human. The fresh air blew through her orange hair and green wings. She inhaled the scent of the trees that hung in the air of the Moors. She listened to the songs of the swomee swans, humming with them.

"FIORA!" called a voice.

Her pointed ears perked up when she heard her name and looked down. There, waiting at the border was none other than the human thief. With a whoosh, she landed behind him, making the dark-haired boy spin around. He gazed wide eyed, surprised by the fairy's arrival.

"So, after all these weeks," she spoke with a grin. "What made you come back?"

"I told you I would be," said Once-ler smirking. "So what do you do for fun around here?"

Fiora smiled even more. She was glad and so excited to see the human. She had so many questions about them.

"Well," she said. "We should stay out of sight from the Lorax. He won't like it if he found out you came back. I know a spot that he doesn't bother to check."

She led him to a small glen-while the entire Moors was beautiful, yet this was just perfect. Once-ler sat beneath a pink Truffula, watching the scene: some humming fish leaped out of the pool and some swamee-swans paddled around, pecking at the water lilies. The two children sat down under the shade of the fluffy Truffula trees.

"What IS that meatloaf's problem with humans being in the Moors anyway?" Once-ler asked.

"The Lorax said that all these wars between the lands-it's enough reason not to trust them," she said. "He said they're greedy and envious creatures."

Once-ler felt a surge of guilt for what she said. It was true. He was here and for a wrong reason.

"Not all humans are like that," he reasoned. "There are some humans that want to be friends with the Fair Folk."

Fiora perked up. "Is that so?"

"Of course."

"You think we could show them we can be friends?"

Once-ler shrugged. "I suppose it could work. It might take a long time though."

Fiora showed him the Moors where they played a game of mud ball with the humming fish and the bar-ba-loots. The two of them got covered in mud from head to toe, laughing. When they cleaned up, they would watched some swomee swan chicks learn to swim on the water. A baby bar-ba-loot approached Fiora, allowing her to pet him.

"How do you do that?" asked Once-ler curiously. "Magic?"

Fiora shook her head. "Kindness," she spoke, letting the bar-ba-loot nuzzle her palm.

He gazed at Fiora: her wings, her vines on her flesh with the leaves growing out, the flowers in her hair. He had wondered so many things about fairies.

"I always thought fairies were always small," he said.

"They are," said Fiora glancing over. "Not all of them; they come in all shapes and sizes. What else did you hear about fairies?"

Once-ler thought about all the times he told stories to his older brothers about the fairies. He gazed over the smooth water.

"They hide from humans mostly, playing tricks on them," he said. "I heard they like sweets too."

"We certainly do," she said. "Why, the sweetest fruit in all of the Moors is this."

With a flap of her wings, she flew up to the Truffula tree, plucking a purple fruit from the branches and offered it to the human boy. He took a bite and there was a big, purple faced grin.

"It's delicious," he said, his mouth full.

The green fairy laughed as she saw the boy's silly face. Eventually, one of the bar-ba-loots threw a mud ball at the two of them. Once-ler frowned sourly, glaring at the bear. Fiora laughed even more, making the boy grab a mud and throw it at her. Her wing instinctively shielded herself. They got into another game of mud ball until Once-ler saw the setting sun and decided it was time to go. He would promise to come back again.