ExpertBunny looked up at the largest apple tree in the grove. She and Nibs were in the middle of a heated debate. "Are you sure? I mean, we just need a tree—it doesn't have to be the biggest one in the entire forest."

  GYOAT shook his head and chuffed. ??????

  Nibs nodded firmly. "Go big or stay home."

  ExpertBunny shrugged; she was officially outvoted. "Okay, but how do we unplant the thing?"

  "????," said GYOAT.

  Nibs agreed with an excited squeak.

  ExpertBunny was starting to wonder if asking a Yak and a Rat for engineering advice was a mistake, but she was feeling democratic, so she conceded the point. She opened a private message to Püf.

  ExpertBunny: Can we get Choux to help?

  Captain Püf: Um, I guess? What do you need my big floaty boi for?

  ExpertBunny: To move an apple tree.

  Captain Püf: ... That plan seems like a bad idea. So, yes. Just holler into the sky. I’m trying to find Violet; she was supposed to be here already.

  ExpertBunny: Check the farm.

  Captain Püf: Great idea. She does really like animals.

  ExpertBunny shook her head. All the sisters liked animals. She also had Admin map access and already knew Violet was with HnyThsl... and a giant spider.... Huh.

  "We have permission to use the sky-child," she told GYOAT and Nibs.

  "?????????!"

  "CHOUX!" ExpertBunny yelled at the clouds. The sky turned dark as the giant whale descended through the canopy, leaning his massive head down to see who had hollered. "We need help lifting a tree!"

  The whale shook his fins, and a heavy rope fell to the mossy floor. ExpertBunny took the line and began tying it around the trunk, several major branches, and a few thick roots that had breached the surface. She had zero knowledge of "How to Extract a Tree via Sky Whale," so "winging it" became the official strategy.

  She gave the line a sharp tug to signal Choux. The whale pulled. For a creature of his magnitude, it was a minor effort, a casual flick of a fin. For those on the ground, however, it was a cataclysm.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The tree creaked and groaned, then screamed as its deep roots were ripped from the earth. The ground shook, buckling and lifting in massive, jagged chunks. ExpertBunny fell back against GYOAT, who stood firm as the landscape shifted. Nibs squeaked in panic as he was rolled away from the crater where the tree once stood.

  Chunks of dirt and rock rained down from the sky. ExpertBunny and Nibs scrambled underneath GYOAT, who was far too large to hide. The yak was pummeled with stones and debris as the tree and its massive root ball were hoisted into the air. Once the tree cleared the treeline, the chaos subsided.

  ExpertBunny crawled out from under her friend, dusting off her fur and smoothing her ears. She pulled a healing potion from her inventory and uncorked it for GYOAT, the magic mending the bruises from the falling rocks.

  "What the hell was that?! Why are roots so big?!" Nibs screamed, his fur standing on end from the adrenaline.

  "Yeah... maybe we should have used shovels," she admitted, looking up at the tree suspended in the air. Small clumps of dirt still fell, but the worst was over. Then she looked down at the devastation. The forest floor was in tatters—broken roots, jagged stone, and a massive, gaping hole.

  "You wanted a pond in your forest, right GYOAT?" she asked.

  "???????," the yak replied.

  ExpertBunny remembered there wasn't a specific "pond" emoji in the system, so it translated as an island. She yelled up to the sky, "Choux! Just hang around! Püf will be back soon!"

  The whale let out an echoey rumble of confirmation. ExpertBunny then did what she was an expert at: she sat on an upturned rock and pulled up her Admin interface. Technically, this was Dev work, the kind of heavy lifting Coro?en usually handled, but she could do the design.

  She started by smoothing out the hole, turning its jagged edges into intentional-looking overhangs. She painted on areas of grass and mud. She checked the manifest, no "Awakened" fish or frogs, so she used standard programs for now. They wouldn't complain if her mud-to-shore ratio was off. She filled the crater with water that was probably a bit cleaner than a forest pond should be, but it was her pond. She could have filled it with radish soda if she’d really wanted to.

  She paused, considered the soda, and then decided against it. Players liked a little "Prime World" logic sometimes. Lilies, reeds, algae, and a few "dumb" frogs later, and the forest had a new landmark. It was definitely always meant to be there. A perfect place for players to meditate. She quickly crafted a server announcement.

  Exciting News, Players! ??

  The long-awaited Pond of Peacefulness is finally complete! Thank you for your patience. As promised, you can now relax in GYOAT’s forest with your feet in cold, refreshing water. Rest, snack on a fresh apple, and enjoy the company of the forest while having your toes nibbled by fish! (Note: Fish are not 'Awakened' at this time).

  Also, GYOAT will be away from the forest for a few days, but many other animals will be available to keep you company.

  Coro?en and your Amazing Administrator are here for you!

  Thank you for playing, Love, ExpertAdmin

  "Was that message gaslighting?" ExpertBunny asked herself. "Totally." But it was already racking up thumbs-up reactions from the player base.

  Then she realized a logistical hurdle. "Wait, what animals are staying behind?"

  "Well, I’d love to go," Nibs said, "but the shop needs at least one manager while you and Chef are out. I can spare the doves, but the deer and raccoons are vital. Maybe half the squirrels can go."

  ExpertBunny looked sad. "I’m certain Noobkitty would want you there."

  The rat shook his head. "And deny the forest animals their snacks? Deny players their buffs? Now we have farm animals relying on us. I can't let the shop close."

  "I can get him to the event," a voice interrupted.

  ExpertBunny looked up. "You can?"

  "I have teleportation, and he’s small, so it’ll barely cost any mana," the person said.

  ExpertBunny nodded. "What do you think, Nibs?"

  Nibs looked at the figure. They seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place the face. "Um... who are you?"

  "Oh," ExpertBunny said, realizing the obvious. "This is..."