Walking under the thick roots that had uplifted from the ground due to the Mother Roots emergence, you allow yourself to relax as the smell of fresh grass wafts around you. Gently, trailing your hands around a few budding rose roots, you laugh as a couple of adult floxes jump across the roots in an extreme game of tag.

Their coats and flowers seem to sparkle unnaturally in the sunlight, and each one seems to be filled with an unusual amount of energy. Earlier you had heard Aream mumbling something about too many minerals in the ground, but you don’t have enough evidence to prove it as the cause of the floxes jumpiness.

An array of colors wash over you as the sun filters through the floxes petals and you bl
ink slowly as what seems to be little shiny particles, fall off their bodies onto the ground below. Shifting your gaze downward, the shiny pieces seem to absorb into the ground and the surrounding area begins to shine with an unnatural light. Weird. Hopefully Ink and Aream can explain to you what is going on.

Breaking out of your thoughts, you switch your gaze back upward and watch as a flox makes a graceful leap across a large gap in the roots. Breaking out in a grin at the beauty of it, you can’t help but see the new event as a good thing. Continuing forward, you follow the length of the root back toward the Mother Tree and you hum in surprise at what awaits you.

Sitting in a comfy looking pile, 5 new eggs lay perched up against each other. Their colors range from bright red to light blue, and you gasp in surprise as 2 of the eggs seem to be a little bit different from the others. 

These must be the new Rose Root Eggs, everyone’s been talking about.

Gently bending down to get a closer look, you can’t help but question when Ink picked them all. The guardian himself seemed to be nowhere in sight, and Aream had rushed off in an excited daze to meet with some stranger nearby.

Shaking your head at the two floxes actions, you quickly scan your eyes over the pile again and wonder if you should take one of them home with you.

Oh my! In your absence, it seems Ink has picked 3 Birth Flower Eggs from the Mother Tree along with 2 of the brand new Rose Root Eggs from the Mother Root! The Rose Root Eggs are said to hatch into a new subspecies of flox called Treelings, but they are also known to have a hard time breeding with other non-Treeling subspecies of flox. No matter, all the eggs sit happily in the Open to Anyone Pile, and you’re sure Ink wouldn’t mind if you took one home today. (Note: Eggs from the 2 or Less Floxes Owned Pile have also been moved to the Open to Anyone Pile.)

The Flox count has finally reached over 50 XD, thus prices have now changed! Regular Eggs now cost 7 mill tu! For other price changes, please check the 1st page and the FF Rule Forum! Thank you to everyone who has helped the Flox population reach this huge milestone!

Humming a low tune while walking along a familiar but new path, Alcarie calmly brushes a hand through their hair as they make their way toward the Mother Tree.

Loads of people had been raving about the Floxes across the four planets, and they had finally decided that perhaps it would be nice to own some more of their own.

Reaching the edge of the thick forest, Alcarie smiles warmly when their Blue Lily Flox hurtles out of a bustle of grass, and into their legs. The blue flox purrs loudly and Alcarie laughs as a couple of their long petals tickle the underside of their knees.

Bending down to scratch behind their beloved floxes ears, Alcarie makes a happy sigh upon finding the fur to be smooth and soft. A little too soft one might say. Lifting an eyebrow at the unnatural feeling Alcarie sits on their knees to get a better look at their dear floxes pelt.

While the silky blue color made it hard to find anything amiss, Alcarie was a master observer and quickly noticed multiple shimmering specks coating the floxes hair strands. Combing their hand through the floxes fur caused the particles to stick to their hand, and they hummed in surprise as the shiny dots seemed to make their skin glow.

Lifting their hand out of the floxes fur and into the air, Alcarie shook it slightly and watched as the tiny sparkles gently floated to the ground in a shower of reds, blues, and greens. Upon reaching the ground, the particles seemed to absorb instantly and Alcarie jumped up in surprise, as a group of flowers suddenly popped out in their place.

Having fun without me, are we?

Alcarie startles at the cheeky voice entering their head before turning around and sighing in relief as the Mother Tree guardian, Ink laughs at her skittishness.

Hehehe! You Rescreatians are just too easy sometimes!

Ink snickers wolfishly at Alcarie, before walking up to stand next to their Blue Lily Flox.

A quick once over of the guardian showcased that they too had the glittering sparkles all over their fur which, given they stood at the right angle, seemed to bathe him an ethereal glow. Squinting at the bright light coming off of the guardian himself, Alcarie asks Ink if they could explain what the mysterious sparkles were.

Well, I could tell you, but that would be boring. So, I think it would be better to show you since you and your friends are kinda the cause of it!

Trying to call out on the guardian on their crude accusation, Alcarie sighs in frustration upon finding Ink and their Blue Lily Flox bounding away to the Mother Tree without them. Of course Ink wouldn’t fess up right away. Snorting at the floxes energy Alcarie rushes forward to meet them at the tree.

As they near the Rose Root it becomes obvious that the limb may have something to do with the appearance of the strange glitter. Lights shimmer all along the ground near its base and the upturned Earth it had pushed through when emerging, and a plethora of plants that had originally never been there before, had sprouted almost all around it. What’s most interesting is the fact that various floxes seemed to be eating the strange greens.

Coming to stand near Ink and their flox, Alcarie ushers Ink to explain what was going on.

Well, I think it’s quite obvious if you ask me.

Alcarie makes an annoyed face and Ink rolls their starry eyes at the others' moodiness.

The Mother Tree, is a tree, you know.

Like that wasn’t obvious.

Nyeh >:P. Anyways like I was saying, a tree is a plant. And what do plants rely on to grow?

Water.

Well yes that’s true, but that’s not the answer I was looking for.

Ink makes a foxy laugh before pawing at Alcarie’s legs, who takes it as a sign to sit down. Ink yips happily at the action and quickly noses a pile of dirt onto Alcarie's leg before continuing.

Plants require more than just water to grow. They need sunlight, love, shade, and the most important...dirt.

Alcarie makes a disgusted noise as the flox pushes more of the sparkling dirt onto their clothing and tries to brush it off before flinching back as Ink slaps away their hand with their tail.

Do you know why dirt is the most important thing plants need to grow?

Alcarie makes a noise of confusion before finally giving up on having clean clothes and instead takes a deeper look at the dirt staining their leg. Various colors shine throughout the brown particles. Pinks, Purples, Oranges...Golds...Silvers. The variety reminds them of different types of rocks. Wait a minute...rocks...gold...silver...!

Minerals.

Bingo!

Alcarie scoops the dirt into their palm and brings the multicolored soil closer to their face for a better look. The smell of dirt is a welcomed nostalgia but an underlying scent catches Alcarie’s interest, and they bl
ink in surprise as the smell of metal stings their nose.

That’s right. Plants use a variety of minerals to grow you know! While the most common are elements you don’t really see, metals such as copper, tin, iron, silver, and even gold can play a major part in plant growth!

Alcarie sneezes as a couple of particles find their way into their nose and quickly dumps the pile of dirt back onto the ground before asking Ink why there’s so much of it.

You already saw the reason why.

Alcarie makes a nod of acknowledgment and states the Rose Root was the cause.

Yay! You got it again! Third times the charm! But yes, when the Rose Root emerged, it brought with it millions of years of minerals buried deep beneath the ground. And since we floxes are part plant, it only makes sense that we acquire the same benefits, if a bit more different.

Alcarie snorts at Ink’s statement of different, before turning their attention back to the groups of floxes eating the plants near the Rose Root. Thoughts of shiny and metal things fill their mind, the words silver and gold playing through their head like a mantra.

Ink hums in the background, most likely listening in on Alcarie’s thoughts, before swiftly making a mad dash up into the Mother Tree.

The sound of rustling leaves and quiet hisses puts Alcarie into a fit of giggles and they quickly turn their head to save the guardian from some embarrassment as they finally exit from the branches 

Wiping a few tears from their eyes, Alcarie takes a few calming breaths before returning their gaze to the guardian. Gasping at what they find, Alcarie brings a hand to their mouth to cover their own surprise.

Having jumped down from The Mother Tree and returned to Alcarie’s side, Ink had brought with them two plain flower buds. However, these two flower buds had seemed anything but plain. Each one sparkled like tiny jewels. Their unfurled petals glistened in the sunlight and looked almost metallic. The buds themself looked much smaller than normal and Alcarie gently brought their other hand forward to let Ink drop them into their palm.

It seems The Mother Tree is also taking advantage of all the minerals surfacing around its roots. I didn’t expect to find any new buds born from just the minerals, but it seems the Mother Tree has taken it upon itself to birth some new types of attributes for us floxes. Gold and Silver. A match made in heaven, many would say.

Alcarie simply nods their head, obviously not paying much attention, and gently brings the tiny buds closer and strokes each one with a delicate finger.

These two buds were attached to the same branch, so I imagine their bond will be stronger than most. Although not twins, branch kins are very territorial of each other so please, keep them both as close to your heart as you can and never try to break them apart.

A sad look seems to cross Ink’s muzzle, but it’s gone as quick as it came, and they offer Alcarie one last nod before bounding away towards the Rose Root and the other floxes encircling it.

Alcarie sighs at the guardians' random mood swing, before returning their attention back to their plain birth buds. The larger silver one seems to give off a confident aura and fills their heart with determination, while the smaller golden one seems to give off a warm and homey feeling, reminding them of a gentle but firm hug. Truly they are the auras of warriors, and Alcarie smiles at that thought as they begin to push their feelings into them.

Oh wow! New rare attributes can now be found in limited supply as the Mother Tree sucks in ungrounded minerals brought by the emergence of the Rose Root (Horns, Mineral Glimmer). These attributes are super rare, so who knows when they’ll come around again once all the minerals are used up. Interestingly enough, it seems any floxes bred during this time have an increased chance of the traits appearing on their kits.

Congratulations Alcarie, the feelings you pushed into the two plain birth buds caused them to bloom! Atlas, it appears the buds went ahead and passed their flower stage and have grown up into their adult flox forms! Born from your desires and wants, a beautiful Yellow and Red Hibiscus flox and Blue Love In A Mist flox have been created. Ink also stated that these two were born from the same branch, so their connection is stronger than most. Alas, please continue to love these floxes as they are special partners that hold a piece of you inside them. (Ink and I thank you for using the custom service and are happy to have helped you create the perfect floxes!)

The sun hangs low in the sky as you calmly make your way toward the Mother Tree. A crisp breeze of cold wind blows through the air, a sign of winter’s coming.

Walking down the beaten grass towards the Mother Tree, you laugh as a group of floxes pounce in front of you, all of them play wrestling as mineral sparkles sprinkle down from their fur onto the ground below. Avoiding the bundles of furballs and continuing your journey forward, you eventually reach the base of the great tree.

Looking into the leaves above, you smile at the various birth flowers and buds that lay waiting on each branch. Surprisingly, many of the flowers look to be in a closed state and seem to pulsate as if breathing.

Well yeah, of course they breathe! What kind of plant doesn’t?

The snarky voice entering your mind alerts you to the presence of the Mother Tree Guardian, and you look to your side to see said snarky flox sitting beside you.

A pleasure to see you too!

They say before hurling themself into the branches above and relaxing onto one of the lower hanging ones.

Watching the guardian maneuver himself into a more comfortable position, you scoff at his pose and make your way to sit against the trunk of the tree. Once satisfied with your spot you ask Ink how they are doing.

I’m doing quite well, thank you! I don’t think anyone’s asked me that in a while so it’s nice to know someone cares!

Humming in acknowledgment, you dazedly watch as a couple of floxes exit out of their hiding spots in the tall swaying and grass, and come to cuddle around you. You then belated realize that the Mother Tree itself seems to be letting off an abnormal kind of warmth. Although a bit worrying, the coziness you get from the heat lulls you into a sense of security, and you close your eyes for a bit to enjoy it.

It is pretty nice, I’d agree. With all the minerals in the ground, everything's become super healthy and happy. It only makes sense that the Mother Tree has entered a state of relaxation now that it doesn’t have to try so hard to produce nutrients for the Birth Flowers.

Opening your eyes, you lift your head up in Ink’s direction and ask what they mean.

Well, it’s nothing that really needs explaining. I guess you could say that the Mother Tree just isn’t in a hurry to release any new birth flowers. Usually, I’d receive some sort of sign from the tree that it wants its flowers to be cut, but I really haven’t felt any of those wavelengths recently. Thus...

Ink stands up to stretch his back before laying on his side and rolling his head over the branch to look down at you.

I feel no need to cut off any flowers right now.

Widening your eyes at the guardian's response, you ask when the next batch will come out then.

Now, now no need to get your clothes into a knot. I’m sure the Rose Root will still be releasing eggs every once in a while, and Aream’s Master should be sending another flox with some more rare eggs soon. While I can’t always know what the Mother Tree is thinking, I can assume that it desires more kits to be born.

You tilt your head to the side and face forward to observe the groups of floxes roaming around the fields. A quick sweep affirms Ink’s statement, and the lack of said kits is quite sad. 

Kits are a natural necessity to every flox family, and I think the Mother Tree is trying to encourage you and your friends to make some connections. I admit I miss the little buggers getting stuck in the tree and me having to go in fetch them down. It’s lonely when you’re the only one with a leaf for a tail around.

Ink’s rainbow tail flicks at the statement and you finally tell Ink that you understand their reasoning but you also ask when you can expect the Mother Tree to start releasing birth flowers again.

I honestly can't tell you that. I’m sure the Mother Tree will return to normal once all the minerals in the ground have been used up, but who knows when that will be. My best guess is when the first snowfall descends upon us.

Sighing at Ink’s vague guess, you return to your relaxed state against the tree and run your fingers through some of the fur of the floxes nuzzled beside you. Maybe Ink’s right about the lack of kits. It’s been nice seeing all the different types of floxes emerging from the Mother Tree, but now you wonder what kinds of combinations you could get from mixing them.

The lack of chittering kits is a sound you desperately miss and after a brief moment, you come to a decision. Closing your eyes in anticipation, you let thoughts of future kits plague your mind before succumbing to deep happy sleep.

Oh my, it seems the Mother Tree has entered a type of hibernation due to the overwhelming amounts of minerals it has absorbed. Ink is unsure of when it will return to normal, but has stated that the Rose Root and Aream’s Master will continue to provide new eggs. In the meantime, Ink has recommended that now would be a great time to think about conceiving some kits. There has been a huge shortage of the fuzzy little beings in the flox population, and with the prospect of new rare additions being available to them, the idea of kits is quite tempting. Nonetheless, Ink and I thank you for helping to grow the flox population and we look forward to seeing any new additions you add to your flox family.