I can't believe I’m a fucking tree. I thought to myself while idly enjoying the feeling of wind rustling through my wilted leaves. Out of everything I could have possibly come back to life as, it had to be a creature without legs, or any method of locomotion whatsoever. I would have been fine with a treant or something but just a plain old tree? I am going to go mad.

While my mind was starting to become completely overwhelmed with fear and panic, I realized something odd.

How am I thinking? I don't have a brain, nor can I sense anything that isn't the wind or the dirt beneath my fee-er roots. I realized.

I tried to feel out my own features but I wasn't used to having so many extra limbs, nor being as large as I was. The closest thing I could think of for a comparison would be if you were to grow three dozen extra arms overnight. Whatever was doing the thinking for me may have been built with all these appendages in mind, but I sure wasn't.

Extending my senses in such a manner nearly made me get a migraine after only a few seconds, so I quickly pulled back. Focusing out in a single direction, I started with up, where several thick limbs extended skyward. I could feel the heat and light of the sun more intensely up there, only it didn't quite feel right for some reason.

This body was almost repulsed by it, and the energy I received was almost sickly in a way. This made no sense to me for obvious reasons. How could light be so unpleasant? Don't trees need it to survive?

Brushing off such considerations for the moment I decided to focus myself downward next, as I wasn't quite ready to look around. There I discovered many deep, thick roots that felt like they went down all the way to China. I could sense that these veins were strong enough to shift the very earth they were confined within, though I didn't have the power to do so at the moment.

It was like my roots were asleep or something, as I could feel them but couldn't actually move the damn things. Which made sense given how thirsty and oddly hungry I felt, though I wrote that last sensation off as a misfiring neuron of some kind. Trees didn't get hungry after all, so I was probably just not used to being a plant quite yet.

I was about to recall my sensations when I detected that there were a number of caves running beneath my metaphorical feet. They went deep, and even had an entrance nearby, one that I could sense was currently blocked off by a number of boulders. I also felt as though there was a cavern somewhere under me, though I would need to extend my roots before I could reach it.

As I pulled back, my brain, or whatever organ did the thinking now, had managed to peice together a more complete picture of the ground around me. My main body was growing on the side of a grove which was itself nestled against a high wall of stone that rose dozens of feet into the air above me. It felt as though my back was to this steep expanse of rock, which gave me an odd feeling of protection that I enjoyed.

There was also a pool of water nearby, though I ignored that for the moment, and instead focused on my immediate surroundings. Other plants both large and small filled the area around me, though they gave me a wide berth for whatever reason. I felt like I could reach out and connect to them if I had the energy to do so, but I was just barely clinging to life as it was.

This wasn't the time to wonder why I was being left out of the cool plants club, as I had bigger concerns on my mind. Namely doing a better job at feeling out my surroundings using whatever new set of sensory organs allowed me to do so.

Trees, bushes, flowers, vines, some deadfall, and even a few bones littered the area. That last one really grabbed my attention and I focused in on them, only to immediately be disappointed. As they were all smashed to bits so small that I could only really pick out a single femur out of the bunch, which was still strange.

Why were there so many bones so close to me and why were they all destroyed so utterly? Whatever manner of creature which had been calling my grove home had not been there for a while as I could sense no fresh kills. Only scattered bits of wasted calcium remained, along with the small pool of water which lay directly in front of me.

I was about to go back to feeling out the various caves beneath me when I noticed something odd about the pond. You see by that time I had started to really visualize my surroundings in a matter in which my human brain could comprehend. It sort of looked like radar with each vibration alerting me to the physical surroundings nearest it.

Air currents were less easy to pick up than the larger, heavier ground bound vibrations, though that might have been due to my wilted leaves. Half closed as they were, the things struggled to pick up the more subtle, fast moving waves which traveled above the ground. Either way it was enough that I could imagine my surroundings in a more complete manner, including the pond which wasn't as empty as I had first thought.

Something had been floating near its center, though a stiff breeze had blown it close to me over the last few minutes. Upon bumping into the edge, I was able to sense that it was a small horse like creature, though its proportions were all wrong. Its head was way too big, its legs too short, and not only that but it had two extra appendages which grew from its back.

Appendages which I reasoned to be tiny, membranous wings like that of a bat, though I couldn't be certain. Without eyes I couldn't know what color it was, or even how big it was in relation to myself. I didn't know how big I was for that matter, though if it was the size of a full grown horse then I would be nearly six stories tall in comparison.

That didn't feel right though, so I pushed such considerations of that manner towards the back of my mind for the moment. Instead I focused on the horse creature, which I quickly summarized was dead. The poor thing bumped lazily against the side of the pool, unmoving and unresponsive to its fate. It might have been asleep, but there was something about the way it floated that made me think that wasn't possible.

Poor dumb animal. I thought to myself. I bet you fell in and bumped your head.

I wished I could sigh, as the action felt oddly appropriate. At least if you were alive I’d have some kind of company.

I ruminated on the creature’s fate for a bit longer before allowing my mind to wander once more. This time I thought back to the moment before I arrived here, trying to peice together some clue as to how I was transported to this place. It was obvious that my one time opponent, Bedlam, was responsible, though how he had managed such a feat was beyond me.

Either way that guy is a fucking asshole and I hope he chokes. I thought to myself before quickly calming down. Right, let's think back to what else happened.

I remembered the screen going black, then the character creation template appearing out of nowhere. I remembered putting everything I had into defence, magic, and health, leaving me without speed, offence or charisma. Which made sense I suppose, as a tree must have high defence, but zero speed. The magic part of this equation certainly didn't exactly seem logical however.

It also didn't seem possible that a tree could become a necromancer, but at this point I kind of expected things not to make a lot of sense. Though if I was indeed a mage capable of raising the dead, then I could bring back this strange bat winged pegasus creature. Having a servant to help defend myself seemed like a good start, and I’d certainly have one up on the other trees who just had to wait for rain.

If I can find a lake or stream I could water myself. I thought rather triumphantly. I could even ensure no upstart trees grow next to me and steal my sunlight.

With that thought in mind I reached out as best as I could towards the fallen creature, only to stop when I felt my branches twitch painfully. Recoiling, I tried to reach out to the creature in a more metaphysical sense rather than with one of my new limbs. I wasn't sure if was actually how necromancy functioned though it certainly felt right to me in the moment.

Pouring a bit more of my strength into the action I extended myself towards the pond and gripped the animal in my magic. A little surprised, I briefly wondered what to do next before deciding to go with my gut instinct. Which told me to breathe my essence into the dead pegasus until energy filled its every last pore.

Rise. I commanded.

And rise the creature did, stumbling into an awkward stand with all the grace of a newborn foal. I could tell all this because not only could I sense its movements but I could feel its body as it moved around. Its flesh was mostly intact, and it had suffered little apparent damage save for a scratch across the throat which wasn't deep enough to have killed it.

For a moment a slew of old yet new senses assaulted my confused mind, flooding it with smells and sounds I had not been able to pick up. I could detect the scent of rot, and the unpleasant aroma of standing water which had long since gone bad. Not only that but I could also pick up distant bird calls, buzzing insects and the scurry of small animals far in the distance.

Then my new eyes opened and I was gazing down on a reflection I never thought I’d see.

My mane was a two tone dark blue color reminiscent of a clouded sky, and my hair was a light grey that reminded me of rain. The pupils that stared back at me were a similar grey color, yet my sight was perfect despite the fact that I appeared blind. Turning my body to the side I noticed that my tail was the same color as my mane, though there was a strange symbol on my flank.

The image depicted several dark cumulonimbus clouds dumping rain and spitting cartoonish lightning bolts. Turning the other way revealed that an identical image was also stamped on my other side, further confusing me. It was an odd tattoo to give anyone, nevermind an animal which likely wouldn't appreciate getting stuck with so many needles.

The image was also slightly nostalgic in a way. It reminded me of something I only partially recalled. The finer details were gone, though I got the feeling that this image was an important one.

Filing that bit away for later I noted that the creature was thin. So thin in fact that it made me think it had perished from malnutrition, which made very little sense as there was plenty of grass. Looking around I found that the majority of the greenery had turned brown and was likely not a pleasant meal. Animal or no.

“Hello?” I whispered in my new voice, a little surprised to hear the English words.

I had always assumed horses lacked the more complex voice boxes that allowed speech. Yet here I was, talking like a remarkably innocent sixth grade girl with the slightest of speech impediments. The voice itself also felt familiar, and very, very human.

Did I just make up this voice or perhaps my magic gave it such a human sounding tone? I ruminated, pondering the many possibilities before pushing them all away. Too many questions, and not enough people to ask them to. I’ll have to wait until I find a sentient, magic using species before I can find the answers I seek.

With that in mind I decided to look around using my new eyes, only for my gaze to immediately settle on what I knew to be my true self.

Which happened to be the ugliest tree I’ve ever seen in either of my lives.

The deep brown trunk twisted in on itself, creating several deep shadows which seemed to grow from my branches and stretch out in all directions. My roots were gnarly and massive, the tops of which emerged from the ground, creating a web of blackened veins. My branches were numerous, and reached in all directions like a horde of skittering spiders bent on covering everything.

I also had a massive hole in my trunk which I had somehow not noticed before this very moment. Now that I had however, I couldn't help but focus on it, making me a little uncomfortable in the process. It was a huge vulnerability, and I could see that inside the blackened bark there was a vibrant deep brown core of normal looking wood.

It was a stark difference from my intimidating exterior, and the half dead leaves which clung from my branches. It was also just enough space to fit the tiny undead body I was now inhabiting, though I didn't test that at the moment. Instead I decided to look around and try to figure out more about my new surroundings.

The trees I could see in my vicinity were familiar to the ones I had seen while on a trip to the great lakes when I was kid. The wetlands had many towering, closely packed plants all fighting for sunlight amidst the many ponds and pools. Almost like a swamp, the trees here were mainly leafy like me, though there were a few firs amidst the bunch which stuck out.

Gazing out of the grove I could see that the natural wall of rock behind me was very tall, and it stretched on in both directions for as far as I could see. Which wasn't exactly far given how tiny my new body was. I could also tell that it was likely the very end of winter, for there were a few small pockets of snow which had yet to melt.

This was a bit of a relief, as it meant that I wasn't dying already, again. Or at least I hoped all I needed was a good rain and a few days of sun, because this hunger was beginning to grow irritating.

For a moment I looked around, and considered exploring my surroundings a little more, only to notice how low the sun had gotten. The clouds were painted a brilliant gold by the setting of the sun. A sight which confused me as the last time I had perceived them they had been white.

I must have spent longer than I thought bringing this horse back to life. I realized.

Not wanting to lose my sole servant to a passing wolf, or particularly ornery bear, I decided to test my earlier hypothesis. Sure enough my tiny body was able to fit into the empty space within my trunk, though climbing up into it was a bit of a hassle. Thankfully it wasn't too hard, and after the small horse was safe, I closed off my connection to her.

Now solely within my leafy form, I took a moment to consider my circumstances.

Yes I may be a tree, but at least that didn't mean I was blind or trapped in one spot. Furthermore I had gained a power that I had yearned for since I had lost my father as a child.

The power over life and death was one of the greatest abilities in fiction, at least in my opinion. What was super strength when you were forced to fight the reanimated remains of a two ton gorilla? Super speed could not outrun death, nor could flight escape its hungry maw.

Yes I might be a tree, but this was one perennial that was always going to come back for more.

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