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The Once-ler was right outside of his little house. He was watering the Truffula trees, which had grown quite tall at this point. He couldn't help but smile at them, these were the reason all the animals came back. He couldn't have done it without Ted, though. He was the Unless. The one who cared a whole awful lot.
But suddenly, there was a ring from the phone inside his house. Just as the Once-ler was about to set down his watering can to answer it, the Lorax ran ahead of him.
“I’ve got it, Beanpole! Keep doin’ your thing!” the Lorax called out as he opened the door to the house. The Once-ler nodded and kept watering the trees. He wondered how the Lorax could have so much energy with how old he is; for himself, the older he got, the less activity he could do. Soon, the Lorax made his way back to the Once-ler.
“It was Ted, he wanted to invite us over for dinner,” the Lorax informed the Once-ler. The Once-ler smiled, then looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful roasted pink.
“Did he mean now?” the Once-ler inquired. The Lorax nodded. The Once-ler cracked his million-year-old back. “Alright, let's head there.”
He and the Lorax started their long walk to Thneedville. The Once-ler had trouble walking, as his body got worse over the years. The Lorax often had to help him along. They eventually made it to Thneedville, which no longer had a wall. There were trees growing everywhere, just as he had dreamed of.
Once they arrived at Ted’s house, the Once-ler knocked on the door. At the door was a taller man with brown hair.
“You came!” Ted exclaimed as he gave a big hug to the Once-ler, then the Lorax. They all had a good chuckle to themselves. Ted stepped out of the way to let the other two enter.
Dinner was great; they had roasted Truffula fruit and steak. The Once-ler and the Lorax had been sitting at the table, having a nice chat with everyone.
“Why don't we have a campfire in the backyard?” Ted’s mom suggested. The Lorax was a bit skeptical, but nodded anyway. The Once-ler seemed a bit worried. Outside, they all sat down by the fire pit.
“Let me get the wood,” Ted offered as he got up and left. The Lorax seemed slightly off about using wood, but he put that aside for once. He could see the Once-ler gripping his pants; he was concerned about him, but kept silent.
Ted eventually arrived with the firewood, and threw it in the pit. The Once-ler’s eyes widened as he was taken aback. He could feel his heart rate increasing as beads of sweat fell from his forehead. He was completely still; he could barely breathe. His vision started to blur, but that didn't matter to him because all he could think about was everything he had done. All of the guilt came flooding back, the memories flashing before his eyes. Tears came flooding down his face. At this point, he was not aware of his surroundings.
The Lorax had been holding the Once-ler’s hand all this time. No matter how hard he tried, the Lorax couldn't get his attention.
“Beanpole???” the Lorax called out trying to get his attention. This, as you could imagine, didn't work. “Beanpole, it's not real! You're in Ted’s backyard; it's better now! It's all fixed now, the trees are flourishing!” the Lorax continued. He managed to get the Once-ler to look at him; that was some progress. “Come on, Beanpole, can't you smell the nice air? Feel my hand?” the Lorax tried to ground the Once-ler. It seemed to be slowly working.
The Once-ler’s vision started to slowly come back, he could see the shape of the Lorax. He looked up and saw some blobs, which he assumed were other people. Once his vision cleared up, he saw their faces; they were all really concerned. He looked back at the Lorax, who was still holding his hand. The Once-ler finally caught his breath.
“Um… sorry about all of that! Just the… the sight of the firewood I guess…,” the Once-ler apologized. Ted shook his head.
“No. Don't…don't apologize. I should've been more mindful; it's not your fault,” Ted corrected the Once-ler. The Once-ler thought for a moment.
“Why don't we just start this campfire, huh?” the Once-ler suggested enthusiastically. Everyone complied.