The Gang of Five
Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => The Arts => The Written Word => Topic started by: FlipperBoidSkua on January 28, 2011, 05:40:40 PM
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This is one of my most popular original stories. It was inspired by the many videos of honeybees vs hornets. With my love of insects, I couldn't help myself. The story's like A Bug's Life or something, but a bit more.....natural. Without further ado, here's the summary.....
Summary: A young bee's colony is attacked by their worst enemy. How can she possibly survive?
....and here's a cover I drew for this particular story (Yay!! More lazy work!! :DD )...
(http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m596/FlipperBoidSkua/insectwar001.jpg)
.....and here's the Prologue....
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In the mountainside of Japan, a lone wooden cabin sits undisturbed in a clearing surrounded by serene forests. But its inhabitants are far from undisturbed. They got things to do, some of them with places to go. Up here, flowers don't always stay long and they have to take advantage while they still can! They were as busy as bees...
Literally...
"Hungry!! Hungry!! Hungry!!" came the chant of the baby bees. Young worker bees rushed from honeycomb to honeycomb, feeding their younger sisters with a mixture of pollen and nectar. Yet the babies had endless appetites and they would continue the mantra immediately after they swallowed their food. It never ended...
The whole hive was a bustle of activity. Foragers came and went. Guards checked each returning bee for the correct ID smell. Builders sculpted their wax secretions into hexagonal cells. Cleaners picked up after their hive mates. Receivers took the goods from Foragers and placed them into the cells. Mixers turned the nectar into honey by stirring it and fanning it. Nurses cares for the young ones and the Queen, who laid hundreds of eggs every hour.
Drones did absolutely nothing...
Mai Mai, one of the busy Nurses, shot a look at the closest group of Drones and she let out a huff of disdain. She didn't like her brothers' laziness, but like all her sisters, she tolerates them...at least until late fall comes. When that time of year arrives, the hive can kick the Drones out to die of starvation. A harsh punishment, but justifiable.
With a buzz of her wings, she continued on her way across the hive's honeycombs, heading towards the nursery for her shift. She had to push her way through hundreds of her other siblings, climbing over some, but she was used to these crowded conditions. She actually liked it a bit, as it was warm and reassuring to be among one's kin.
"Mai." The young bee felt a gentle nudge on the right side of her abdomen and she turned around to meet antennae-to-antennae with her Forager friend and favorite sister, Sashi. The older bee still had a full bundle of pollen on her hind-most legs and it was obvious that she didn't meet a Receiver yet.
"Want me to put those away for you?" Mai Mai asked excitedly, bouncing up and down with a buzz of her wings. She's been waiting for an opportunity like this! However, she saw Sashi tilt her head and lift an antenna questioningly.
"You're not old enough for that job." she pointed out. Honeybees were divided by age, put from task-group to task-group as she got older. That way, if building stuff wasn't your thing, you'll be practicing something new soon enough. These two were on opposite sides of the spectrum: Mai Mai just emerged from her pupa cell a few days ago and Sashi is just short of 5 weeks old, close to the end of her lifespan. She's expected to die a Forager.
But as for Mai Mai, she was unfazed by this rule, which she felt was made to be broken. Time for her favorite motto in life: "It's never too early to practice."
"I don't know...I still remember what happened last time..." the older bee muttered, memories of the somehow wrecked honeycombs came to her mind. Mai paused awkwardly, her own memories flashing in her head. But it didn't take long for her eagerness to resume.
"It was all fixed....I'll be more careful this time!" She widened her now glistening eyes and pulled off the cutest face she can muster. "Please...."
Sashi gave out a sigh of resignation, wondering why she was unable to resist that face, and listlessly passed the nectar to the Nurse. Mai Mai was also quick to gather the pollen afterward and hurried to the food storage cells, the Forager following close behind to make sure her over-enthusiastic sister didn't mess things up again, which would be highly expected...
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Meanwhile in the branches of a nearby bush, a Giant Hornet scout watched the hive from a safe distance. But even this precaution won't last long. The hornet was only taking a short rest from his journey here. Earlier at the start of the day, his leader had sent him to find a bee hive and mark the spot for future take-over.
It wasn't a difficult job. He was 5 times the size of the bees and 20 times heavier. His thick shell will protect him from enemy stings and his deadly jaws can kill his rivals without any effort. He himself can wipe out 40 bees in a single minute. Add to that the fact that he's also one of the best soldiers in his colony, favored highly by his superiors. He had every reason to be confident.
"Any second..." he muttered to himself in a gruff voice signature to the males of his species. He waited for the last of the returning Foragers to enter the hive and then he tensed restlessly. It was time.
He flew closer, bending the tip of his abdomen down to reveal a fleshy scent gland, which immediately trailed pheromones...
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Antennae perked up and the Guard bees became very agitated. They've picked up the scent of a hornet...a Giant Hornet. Without hesitation, they backed into the hive entrance and let out the alarm, shouting and jerking waves through the crowds. The colony has faced scouting hornets before and they knew how to react. "Hornet Alert! To arms! Be prepared! You all know what to do!"
Mai Mai and Sashi picked up the alarm, along with hundreds of others. They gathered around the Guards, all facing the entrance, waiting for their arch enemy to show himself.
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The hornet landed cautiously at the ledge leading to the nest. He had seen the bees retreat inside and couldn't help but wonder what they were up to. Other scouts had mysteriously disappeared on their missions and he didn't want to be one of them. With hesitant steps, he crawled inside...
...And was immediately engulfed in a mob of bees. He struggled, killing those unfortunate enough to be near his powerful jaws. He tried to back out, but couldn't, his claws leaving furrows in the wooden floor beneath him. He was overwhelmed as the bees he managed to kill was pushed out of the pile and replaced with new insects.
The bees did not waste their time on stinging. They were experienced enough to know that it'll have no effect. Instead, they vibrated their bodies, slowly and steadily warming the bug bundle.
"Kill him!! Kill him!! Kill him!!" came the aggressive mantra as the bees continued their group defense.
The hornet felt the heat of the bees' bodies rising and so was his own...to a dangerous level. Knowing this was quickly becoming lethal, he struggled all the more viciously.
Meanwhile, Mai Mai clung to the intruder's abdomen just over the base of his stinger, but taking care not to be too near the end where she might end up getting impaled. This was her first time confronting a Giant Hornet and although the size of the enemy was intimidating, she felt her courage multiply with the number of her sisters.
Just then, something gooey and cool nudged against the underside of her thorax, but she ignored it. She just shivered more vigorously, trying her best to copy what all the other bees were doing. In this situation, it's best to follow the crowd.
The hornet scout felt the furry body of a bee rub against his scent gland and he managed to look back at the source. He saw that it was a young bee, not even a week old yet. Despite the situation, he gave quite a menacing grin. If his colony attacks this hive, this bee will be recognized as one of his assaulters. And knowing his leader, this little one will be made to suffer.
His body heat reached the lethal level. He was hit with a seizure and white saliva dripped from his jaws. Not ready to accept his fate, he made one last violent jerk backwards, using all his strength. This time, he managed to get free of the pile and tumbled out of the entrance. With a few bees still clinging to him, he fell from the ledge and collided with the ground. His body shook one more time and he went still.
The bees let go of him and immediately assumed he was dead. Flying back to the hive, the bees went on with their work as if nothing had happened.
Moments later, the hornet scout twitched and revived. He was far too weak and knew that he wouldn't last much longer. But he wanted to die with his mission successful. That was the one thought in his mind. Summoning the very last of his strength, he shifted his abdomen until the scent gland touched the wooden wall of the cabin. He rubbed the wet pheromones onto the surface, marking the hive's location for his colony to find, raid, and destroy.
His body convulsed once more and he went into his death throes, his body thrashing uncontrollably for another minute. Afterwards, he laid still on his back, wings spread to their full extent, legs drawn to his thorax, his abdomen curled inwards.
Staring at the sky, where Forager bees flew back and forth, he forced out a dark chuckle. "Enjoy it now...you miserable bees...My colony and I...will have the...last...laugh..." His vision blackened and he allowed himself to be folded in Death's dark wings.
END OF PROLOGUE
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Holy cow! Awesome prolouge FBS! I love the senteces and the metaphors you do. :yes
Mai Mai. I love that name! It's so cute. Those hornets sound evil. I'll love to see gow this battle goes down. I love this sentnce, "His vision blackened and he allowed himself to be folded in Death's dark wings." Wow, so emotional and strong. Great! I love it! Keep working on this! Looks very promising. :yes
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Ooooooooo!!! My first comment!! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! *feeling extra spazzy today!!!* And thanks for all the compliments! I'm sooooo happy that you find Mai Mai's name to be cute!! Most of these characters were just named off the top of my head using a Japanese syllable chart of some sort! :DD
I love this sentnce, "His vision blackened and he allowed himself to be folded in Death's dark wings." Wow, so emotional and strong.
Another fan of that line!! Most of my friends in RL love that line too!! I never truely expected it to be such a popular part of the story!! Thank you!! *glomps!! No, not hug as I'm too SPAZZY!!!! GLOOOOMMMMPPPP!!!!!!*
I have more chapters available; I'm just not sure when to submit it.
*spazzes some more for no rational reason this time!!!!!!!!!!*
Okay, seriously, I gotta lay off the chocolate. But what can anyone expect? My dad got a $60 ten pound chocolate bar!!! :blink: Looking at my signature, how can I NOT eat it?!! I'M IN PARADISE!!!!!!!!!
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*GLOMPS back* SQUEEEEEE!!!!! I love being glomped! What? I random too.... :cry
It's a good story, seriously. Don't worry, I got sugar-high yesterday! A snowcone and two bags of cotten candy will do that for you! WEEEEE!!!!!! Randomness!
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Randomness!!!! Being glomped is soooooo FUN!!! And sugar is awesome and making me look like an idiot on this forum!! Yayz!!!! :celebrate:
I'm feeling uber spazzy and it must be celebrated via submissions earlier than I scheduled!! :p So for you LBTD and all the anonymous readers, here's Chapter 1!!
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"That was exciting!" Mai Mai buzzed to Sashi, who only responded with a curt nod. The younger bee looked back at the entrance, where she can see several bees fanning their wings. Their assault on the hornet has left a hot spot and they were trying to cool it back to normal.
"You'll get used to it." Sashi muttered boredly with a yawn. "Then it loses its-"
Mai quite eagerly interrupted her. "What was that hornet doing here anyway?" She never been taught about the giant bugs before and her Forager friend was old and wise, at least to the Nurse's eyes. Every time she had a question and the Queen was out of reach, Sashi would always be the first bee she'd ask.
The older bee lowered her antennae a bit with a sigh. She decided not to hide anything and just went out with the truth. "He came to destroy us." Mai cried out in surprise, taking a startled step backwards as Sashi explained. "If we didn't kill him, he would've marked out our hive and brought reinforcements. Then, they would kill us all mercilessly, leave no survivors."
"W-why?" the younger bee managed to ask. Sashi gave another sigh.
"After they exterminate us, they'll eat our honey and steal our little siblings. To save them so they can eat them later..."
Mai didn't say anything for a moment and Sashi could see the fear in her eyes. Before she could comfort her sister, the Nurse bee asked another question. "Can't we do something?"
"Only thing we can do is to destroy the scouts when they come, like we did a few moments ago. But if they attack in a group...we won't stand a chance. They'll use their jaws to tear us apart before we even have time to fight back. And even if we manage to sting them, their shell's so thick, it won't even scratch them."
Mai shivered violently as Sashi continued.
"We're lucky we can kill their scouts. Our bee cousins the humans brought long ago has no defense whatsoever. They're completely at the mercy of the hornets, leaving their fate to the hope that they're never found to begin with."
Sashi paused to groom her face for a moment before continuing. "I've seen what those hornets could do on my first flight. I was on a branch when I witnessed the hornets completely wipe out a whole hive of bees! And believe me, I was just as horrified as you...Didn't even have the nerve to finish my practice before zooming back to the hive in horror...I hope never to witness it again..." She paused. "Especially not to this colony..."
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Outside the cabin was lush mountain forest and on the other side of that forest, there stood a dead tree. And like the beehive, it too was bustling with activity...Giant hornet activities.
In many ways, hornets and bees were alike. Both built nests with cells. Both lived in colonies. Both had Queens and both care heavily for their young ones...And yet, despite these similarities, the two species couldn't be anymore different...
Shon, the chosen leader of the Giant hornets, waited impatiently for his scout to return with news of a hive. The baby hornets were getting hungry and the last hive they took over was running out of resources. These buggers had no problem hunting other types of prey, but honeybees are a lot more productive than say...a mantis.
"Where is he?" Shon growled to himself, clicking his mandibles, looking very irritated. He sent that scout out almost a full day ago and he still isn't back. What was taking him? It doesn't take this long to mark a hive and return...
He felt somebody tap him on the thorax and he turned to see a returning female soldier known as Namida. He lifted his antennae as a sign that she had his full attention.
"Sire, I have some news on Khan." she said in her more feminine voice. Shon grew even more interested. Khan was the scout he sent out. He hoped the news wouldn't be a bad one. But his hopes didn't come true. "He died near the human's nest."
The hornet leader jolted back in surprise. One of his best soldiers was killed?! How was that even possible?! Nothing in his experience showed a Giant Hornet being killed by another creature. Not mantids, not beetles, even the few humans he's seen ran in full terror at the sight of him! Before he could ask questions, Namida continued.
"I didn't see all of it, but I felt I should inform you of this incident, My Lord."
"How? How did he die?" he inquired. The other hornet answered with a note of contempt.
"He was killed by a hive of Japanese honeybees. I don't know what happened, but they did something to him. I saw him escape, but he perished at the scene." she told him.
Shon looked like he was about to explode with anger, his body shivering as he tried hard to keep control of himself. "My best male soldier, at the peak of his life...was murdered by BEES!!!" he shouted. Namida flinched and took a step back. The male hornet snapped his jaws in her direction and gave an aggressive growl. "And you did nothing?!"
Namida groomed her antennae in an attempt to ignore his temper. While she did so, she responded in as best a cool tone as she could muster. "What could I have done? He died before I could get to him." She stopped her grooming. "However, I do have some good news for you. Before he died, Khan did manage to mark out the hive."
At this, Shon slowly began to smile. It seemed his soldier didn't die in vain. He rustled his wings and gave her his command. "Bring me a Japanese bee alive." he commanded. When he noticed Namida's brief second of confusion, he explained. "I want to find out what they're doing, to prevent any future accidents. Surely you can take such a task, am I right?"
The female soldier nodded and hurried outside...
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"What's that smell?" Sashi asked as she and Mai Mai drank some honey, taking a break from their work. The Nurse paused, perking her antennae. She never noticed the smell before, for it wasn't very strong. It was just one of those things where it wasn't obvious until somebody pointed it out.
"Huh...that hornet's scent must've rubbed off on me a bit." she gave a half-hearted explanation. Sashi flinched in high surprise.
"I'd clean that off if I were you." the older bee told her. Mai agreed and was about to groom when she was strongly jostled from behind. She was almost pushed into the honey cell, claws barely gripping the edge, and she snapped her gaze to the source of her annoyance.
It was a Drone. Her older brother Razo...
"I'm hungry, but the cell I want is capped with wax already. Take it off now, worker!" he demanded. Mai lowered her antennae with a sigh and Sashi left with disgusted grumblings. Exactly what they needed to ruin their day: A lazy Drone telling them what to do. Mai usually never wishes ill harm to anybody...but she couldn't wait until it was time to kick these buggers out the hive for good.
"Why not have some from the open cells?" she asked. Razo huffed.
"I want the one that's capped. So get over there and uncap it already!"
"If you want me to help, then you'll have to ask nicely." she told him, turning her head away.
"Now!" he yelled impatiently, using his size in an attempt to intimidate her. Drones, despite their laziness, were stronger than workers and twice their size. And Razo apparently knows how to put these advantages to good use.
"That's not nicely..." she muttered, but she obliged. It was her duty to care for her brothers, no matter how worthless and rude they are. She followed him to the cell in question and yanked off the cap with all her might. Capped honey cells was meant to be stored, but she'll make the exception this time.
Razo quickly drank his fill, gulping down the sweet syrup like it belonged to him and him only. And after a bit of gorging himself on almost half the cell's contents, he turned to leave without a single word of thanks.
"You know..." Mai called after him as she put the cap back into place. "Since you seem to like showing off so much, why not do something useful for a change?"
Razo didn't even look back. "Eh...too much effort."
Mai sighed again in aggravation and walked off to resume her job as a Nurse...Completely forgetting about the scent...
END OF CHAPTER 1
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Wassup! Nice chapter, but before I do anything...I have to do this...
KHANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that that's over with, time for my review. No spelling mistakes or grammer mistakes I noticed, good job there. So, we finally get to meet Shon and Namida. Yikes, those drones are even lazier than me. :lol Mai has forgotten about the scent. That's not good. thanks for getting the next chapter up so fast and I can't wait for the next one. Randomness.... :lol
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Wassup!
Hold on, I have to do this too:
WAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPP!!!! :P:
KHANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:lol :lol :lol :lol That's about as classic as the Sparta joke!! I love it!! :lol:
Yayz!! I passed the grammar and spelling!! Since this is one of my older stories, I make sure to correct anything before I submit it here! Or at least try to.... Shon and Namida, Dun dun duuuuuuuuuunnnnnn!!!! :DD
And also.......Yay to laziness!!!! My mom says I'm the laziest person she's ever met just because I refuse to use my cellphone cuz it required taking it out of my pocket!! :^.^:
And no problem!! I'm currently resisting the urge to put up the next chappy until morning.............unless you want it now! :smile
Random!!! Chocolate!! Nom nom nom!!
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Randomness is awesome isn't it? :lol
Dat's awesomesauce (oh yes... :lol ) ya know? You canpost the chapter whenever you want. I'm okay with whatever you decide. I'm pretty tired so I might go to bed soon, or watch LBT 12 on my iPod in bed :P: MUAHAHAHA!!!!! :P:
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Yes, randomness shall take over the world!!!
Since you're tired, I'll post it up in the morning :smile !!
And awesome!!!! I'm not the only one to buy LBT12 off itunes!!!
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Yay to double posting!!!! Eh, I don't really like double-posting.... Sorry!!
Anywho, right on schedule, the next chappy of the story!!
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A Forager was dropped at the base of a dead tree, a female Giant Hornet landing upon her and pinning her down so she couldn't get away. The bee struggled with all her might, but it was in vain. Her assaulter, who previously introduced herself as Namida, wasn't even fazed by her desperate attempts to get free. Her captor just watched before looking up as another hornet flew closer curiously.
"Tell our Lord that I have what he asked for. And tell him that I'll enter the hive as soon as our guest here tires herself out." Namida said, the other hornet wasting no time flying back into the hive entrance. Namida patiently waited as the honeybee continued her efforts. The smaller insect tried to sting her, but that was as useless as expected. The hornet was apparently getting bored and began grooming herself, not meaning to be insulting but still angering the bee nonetheless. The furry bug increased the strength and desperation of her struggles. As she did so, she recalled on how this came to be.
She had just reached the last hours of her life. Her wings had worn down to a flightless level. She had just barely arrived at her hive to give out the food she collected. After handing the goods to a Receiver, she immediately stumbled out of the hive and climbed down the cabin walls, falling the last few inches to the ground. She had gotten to her feet and limped along, pausing only for a moment to sniff a hornet body nearby. Having found a satisfying spot on the forest floor, she was preparing for her death when Namida suddenly landed before her and took her away. Now she found herself here.
Her distress was so strong, it seemed to have become her permanent state of mind. Her body stamina was shot and she was more than exhausted, but she refused to back down.
Namida took notice of this. She knew the bee was overexerting herself and will kill herself if she didn't interfere. And for the first time in the female hornet's life, she didn't wish that on a bee. She made more effort to restrain her captive's movements, digging her claws into the fur and shell. It was painful for the bee, but it was for her own good.
Feeling this, the Forager finally seemed to give up and went limp. Her breathing was the only thing that marked her as alive. Her body language said all: She won't fight and she accepted her fate...
Learning that, Namida gently lifted her in her jaws and took flight towards the hive, to where Shon was waiting with an almost anxious air.
Namida placed her captive before her superior before giving a small bow. "I have done what you asked, My Lord. I spotted this Japanese bee on the forest floor, wandering away from her hive."
Shon nodded. "Excellent." He looked down at the much smaller insect and saw that she was rather old, about 5 weeks of age. He knew that she was probably dying when she was found and, thus, he knew he had limited time to get his answers.
"Alright, bee. I can tell that you're nearing your death as it is, so I won't threaten your life. Instead, I'll simply ask you to make yourself useful."
He knows how much honeybees honor work and usefulness. That's the reason why the majority of them die so early in their lives; they literally work themselves to death, when in fact they can live for much longer.
The Forager said nothing, lowering her antennae. But she still kept her submissive posture and Shon took that she's cooperating.
"Our scouts are disappearing. I've received word from a reliable source that you Japanese honeybees have something to do with it." He made an aggressive growl. "So?!"
The Forager could see other hornets watching them. She knew the reason why they wanted to know and she won't tell them anything. Her brave defiance must've shown in her eyes because the hornets began getting into a rage. But she didn't care. Instead, she took aim and spat at Shon's face! The hornet leader flinched in surprise before angrily wiping the saliva off.
Angered herself by this show of great disrespect, Namida nipped the bee hard on the thorax, enough to pierce the shell. Then she ripped at her wings and shook her in her jaws, ignoring her cries of distress. The female hornet wasn't usually like this, but NOBODY insults her leader in such a disrespectful way! The torture went on until the bee stopped trying to fight back and went limp once more.
"Okay...okay...I'll tell you everything...I promise..." she muttered weakly, resuming her signals of submission. Namida let her go.
"So spill it!" Shon demanded, still very much angry. The bee shivered, practically feeling her life slipping away. She never wanted to perish this way...and definitely not here...
"I'll tell you...if you return me to the place I wanted to die..." she negotiated. Shon paused thoughtfully. He hated this bee, but he's in the general mood for compromise. And he needed the information this bee could give. He nodded in agreement. The Forager nodded back weakly before saying what they wanted to hear. "We Japanese bees have been attacked by you hornets for a very long time...It's natural that we thought up a defense against you..."
She paused to catch her breath, her body heaving. The hornets waited for her to recover and Shon urged her to continue in a surprisingly gently tone, still angry of course, but now getting what he wanted. No need to punish cooperation.
"What kind of defenses, little one?"
The Forager took her time answering, not wanting to push herself too far. She tasted her own blood and it seeped out of her mouth. She made no attempt to clean it off and let it puddle under her head.
"We kill your scouts...so that you can't find our hive..." She paused again to shift out of her blood pool. Shon nodded.
"Yes, we figured that out. But how? How can you pathetic little bees possible kill one of us?" he questioned. The Forager gave another shiver of weakness before continuing.
"Long ago...we Japanese bees noticed something...during a hot drought....we decided to take advantage and use that knowledge against you...We can smell your scouts coming...then we lure them inside our hive...And when they enter...we mob them..."
"Mob them?" A hornet nearby repeated, surprised. Shon shot a scolding glare at him before nodding for the bee to continue. She didn't disappoint him.
"...We swarm all over them into a ball...and make sure they can't escape...And then...we turn up the heat, so to say...That kills your scouts..."
Suddenly, a horrible weakness went through the bee's body. She gave a convulsive shudder, thrashing violently. Shon and Namida stepped back in astonishment as her seizure got worse. This continued for a moment before her spasms calmed. She curled up into a fetal position, breaths coming on a very weak scale.
Shon understood the signs and he nodded. "I got what I wanted. And I'm a hornet of my word." He looked at Namida. "Take her back to where you found her, then return immediately for another task."
He looked around at the other gathering soldiers as Namida quickly gathered the bee up and carried her to her original spot. Shon grinned and announced in a voice loud enough for all hornets to hear:
"We have a hive to conquer!"
The hornets cheered in excitement before getting themselves ready. Shon took a moment to groom, feeling disgusted by the bee's earlier gesture of defiance and wanting to remove all traces of it. Then he looked back at the entrance as Namida returned, walking over to her before she could get too far into the hive. "Come. We have to gather some things."
Namida paused before nodding respectfully. "Yes, Sire." She followed him as he flew deeper into the lush forest...
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Midnight. Mai never slept better. She's been working hard today, as the baby bees were especially ravenous today. She never knew they could eat so much, so fast. Where do they put it all?! She vaguely wondered if she was the same way when she was a pupa.
She was about to go into a deeper sleep when she felt a familiar nudge.
"Hey, you lazy worker. Get up. I'm hungry!" It was Razo again. And he had the nerve to call her lazy! She's actually been WORKING!!! Unlike him...It took all her will-power not to snap at him about that subject and she forced her eyes open.
"Can't you bother another bee?" she muttered, voice thick with sleep. Razo shook his head stubbornly.
"I want YOU to open that lousy cell. Now!"
Mai looked at Sashi, still sleeping beside her, before glaring at her older brother. "Does it have to be now? I'm tired."
"Yes, now. Get up!" He roughly nudged her to her feet and Mai groaned in protest. But she gave in and followed the Drone unsteadily to his chosen honeycell. Opening the cap, she began to doze off again as Razo had his snack. She snapped back to consciousness when Razo impolitely shoved past her. "I'm done. Put that cap back on before the honey goes bad."
Mai, now fully awake and angrily, restrained herself from doing something rash. Putting the cap back on tight, she wandered back to Sashi and laid down, trying to get back to sleep. But it wouldn't come. Needing something to take her mind off her annoyance, she nudged Sashi awake.
"Mai? ...What's wrong...?" Sashi asked wearily, almost in a daze. Mai beamed.
"Play with me!" she said.
Sashi sighed, almost smiling. "You woke me up for that? You little..." She grabs her younger sibling and begins to tickle her. Mai laughed softly, trying not to wake the other bees. She was very ticklish and Sashi knew it. The younger bee tried to get away, but her sister had her in a pretty good grip. Finally, exhausted after a few minutes, the two honeybees fell asleep in a small pile, Sashi draped across Mai's back. They were smiling as both were blessed with a very nice dream of their times spent together...
END OF CHAPTER 2
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Oh yes...Randomness SHALL take over the world MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!
Now for the review. Good chapter. But I noticed a few mistakes.
And as she did so, she recalled on how this came to be.
Never start a sentence with "and" unless your speaking it. You've started a lot of senteces with and but that's okay. Probably every great author does it.
"We Japanese bees has been attacked by you hornets for a very long time...It's natural that we thought up a defense against you..."
"Has", should be "have"
"Mob them?" a hornet nearby repeated, surprised.
A letter should only be lowercase if the person that's speaking is speaking right after he/she says the first sentence. So the lowercase "a" should be an uppercase "A"
That's all I found wrong.
Now, for my emotional responce to this. Awwww! That poor forager and Namida actually has a heart! At least...for a while. But who was that forager? I thought it was Sashi for a while but I guess she wasn't it. Hmmm...I wonder who it could be.
Great chapter again FBS! Just a few mistakes but nothing major. I look forward to the next one. :yes
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Fixed the problems!!! Thanks for pointing them out to me!!
I guess I should add the "and" thing on my list of writing habits. Nobody has pointed them out to me before, so I guess I never noticed it! :DD
That Forager was originally going to be Sashi, but then I had another idea for her instead.... :smile
*checks my mental submission schedule* I should have the next chappy up in about 2 more hours!! I'm very precise :rolleyes:
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Cool. I can't wait to see what your idea is for Sashi. If I know you, it should be creative and random. :DD Can't wait for the next chapter.
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It be precisely two hours!! That means another chappy to this story to be submitted! Yayz!
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"Sashi?" Mai said, nudging the Forager, who turned to her. Her sister's antennae lifted attentively as Mai continued. "Can you do me this huge favor?"
Sashi stretched all six of her limbs and yawned before tilting her head. "What is it?"
Mai buzzed her wings excitedly and she smiled. "Can you teach me to fly?"
Honeybees spent the first parts of their lives in the hive. Only use they had for their wings was as a fan to cool the hive and thicken the nectar. Only when they go on guard duty will they even see the outside world. Then, the last weeks of their lives spent foraging...that's when they finally take to the air for the first time.
Both Mai and Sashi knew this and the older bee paused in confusion. Mai's hopeful look didn't fade. Sashi sighed, her worn wings going limp. "Mai, you're a Nurse...You're still too young. If I teach you now, what use would it be?"
"Well, it's-" Mai started but her sister rose a claw to stop her before finishing the sentence wearily.
"I know, I know...'It's never too early to practice'."
Mai beamed playfully. "Now you're learning!"
Sashi couldn't help but give a soft laugh and lightly tugged her younger sibling towards the hive opening. "Alright. Let's get this done and over with."
Mai bounced happily and gave Sashi a tight hug. "Arigato! You're the best sister ever!" The older bee only kept a small smile, pulling free to groom her antennae.
"I know I am..." She said quietly in a mock-vain tone. The younger bee grinned, although inside her mind, she began worrying about something regarding Sashi, but she dismissed it...for now... She followed her older sister obediantly, wagging her abdomen in her own personal show of delight. She closed her eyes as she stepped outside the hive for the very first time. It was very bright and she clamped her eyes shut. It took Mai a moment to slowly reopen her visual orbs and seeing the world, she gasped in wonder.
"Wow..." she awed, looking at all the trees and the rocks and dirt. It was almost too much and Mai tried hard to keep herself together. She looked up at the sky (first time she saw the sky!) and saw clouds and birds...It was all so beautiful...Sashi watched her explore the hive's ledge, waiting patiently for Mai to get back on task. The older bee smiled at the Guard bees, who were overall curious about the Nurse's early initiation.
"It's Mai for you..." Sashi said to the Guards, who nodded in amusement. Mai's ways have always been known to the colony, as the youngster's hyperness have not gone unnoticed. From the moment she hatched, she was a pupa that stood out, already trying to crawl out of her cell before it was time to. Seems she hadn't grown out of it yet...
Finally, Mai stopped exploring and bounced over to Sashi. "Ready for my lesson now!"
"Okay." Sashi said, starting immediately, as she had foraging to do. "Your wing muscles are untried, but that's okay. I want you to watch me carefully and do what I do. Beat your wings in a figure eight pattern. Now." Sashi buzzed her wings hard and hovered in the air. Mai tried to copy and almost immediately took off at high speeds.
"WHOA!!!" she yelped as she careened head-first into a flower. Sashi paused and flew over to her little sister, who retained her happy personality even though she was stuck halfway inside the flower. "Oh, so this is where nectar comes from!" she exclaimed, voice echoing inside the plant. Sashi sighed and dug her claws into Mai's fur. After a few tugs, she managed to pull her pollen-covered sister free, who immediately climbed atop the flower. "That was awesome!"
Sashi shook her head. "Probably should've told you not to beat your wings as hard as I do. Mine's worn, yours isn't."
Mai nodded eagerly, perking her flight limbs. "Can I try again?" she asked.
Sashi smiled softly. "Okay...Now, another thing..."
And thus continued Mai's flight lesson...
--
"What are we searching for, Sire?" Namida asked as they flew about the forest, the male hornet obviously looking for something. Shon didn't turn to look at her, more focused on his task. But he did answer her question.
"A special plant found only here. My father and grandathers are part of a line that knew how to beat the heat of hot days. Hopefully we can use the same tactic to protect ourselves from the bees." he told her. Namida nodded as Shon continued. "Being the last of my line with no heir to leadership, I have to pass this knowledge to somebody." He smiled at her.
Namida tried to keep down a blush, flattered that Shon chose her over all the other hornets. Why? She didn't know, but she was too inwardly happy to care much right now.
Shon suddenly stopped in a hover and Namida followed suit, keeping a respectful distance as Shon's been known to snap at fellow hornets or even kill them if they go too close to him while he's in a foul mood. Though he didn't seem to be in a bad mood right now, she still didn't want to be one of his victims. The hornet leader flew closer to a fleshy-leafed plant and landed on it. He tested it with his antennae before sinking his mandibles into it. Namida tilted her head, landing a little ways off.
The male chewed on the broken piece of plant with a disgusted grimace before spitting the mush out. Without further ado, he began coating himself with the stuff, making sure not to miss a spot. While he did so, he glanced at Namida.
"Unless you want to be killed by our native bee friends, I suggest you put this on." he told her. Namida nodded with no hesitation, not wanting to test her superior before coating herself with the cool green goo that turned clear as it was applied. Soon, shells shining softly (try saying that five times fast!), the hornets chewed at the stem of one leaf. The plant fell to the ground with a soft 'thump' and the two insects broke off as much as they could carry before hauling their load into the air towards the nest.
Few hours later...Late in the Afternoon...
Everything was ready. The soldiers were fully coated with the plant, and Shon was confident that his plan will work. After all, if this piece of vegetation could block heat from the mighty sun, surely it can block heat from the puny little bees. He was in his 'room' deep inside the nest, waiting for the coat to dry and fanning his wings to speed the process, when he got an unwelcomed visitor: a female hornet, no doubt coming to flirt as she wasn't a Soldier. She was a Nurse, the caste that bothered him the most.
Shon ignored her, keeping his back turned as she approached with head low in submission.
"Konichiwa, Shon." she greeted sweetly. Already, her greeting put him in an even higher state of annoyance and the hornet leader growled softly at his name. Who was she to address him like that? He wouldn't mind his name spoken if she was saying it to another hornet. But to him? Never. "How's your day been going?"
Shon grunted irritably. "Stressful."
"Well, then you need to relax." She touched his thorax with a claw and he jerked away, growling loudly that she dared to touch him before taking her neck in his jaws and giving her a violent shake. Not through yet, he tore her wings mercilessly, ignoring her cries of pain. Yanking her antennae almost to the point of tearing them off, he finished her off by biting into her throat and holding tight. Gradually, her struggles weakened and her movements came to a halt. Still not letting go, he dragged her body out of his room and threw her at the two guards stationed just outside his quarters. Plenty used to this, as it happened often, they proceeded to hauled the unfortunate insect out of the nest.
Shon resisted grooming himself as he didn't want to remove the plant coat, which he decided was dry enough. Still slightly aggravated, he moved towards the entrance, the other hornets making way and bowing to him as usual. After all, he usually punishes those who didn't do so and his punishments tend to be very severe as demonstrated earlier... Yet, he caught sight of one hornet who didn't show this repectful gesture. It was Namida. He paused before her, taking a moment to contemplate. She was the only hornet he gave any and all exceptions to, for reasons he kept to himself. She was special in many ways and she was always of interest to him.
Unlike the other females, she didn't pester him with courtship matters. It seemed she's the only girl who understood that he's too busy for such things. He respected that greatly. But for the time being, the closest thing he'll admit to affection right now was that she was a very attractive hornet, even by his high standards, and that she was worth being allowed to tag along with him whenever he went somewhere. And that's obviously saying something.
Finally, she gave a slight bow to him. It was better than nothing, even if the hornet leader didn't mind in the first place. He felt the overpowering urge to nuzzle her in loving amusement, but kept himself from doing so. He would not allow himself to indulge in such feelings right now. Maybe when he retired from leadership and will finally be free of all his stress and duties, but that was a long ways off. No doubt she'll move on before then. So instead, he gave her a smirk and continued on his way. He could hear her mutter something, but didn't take time to decipher the words. He flew outside and turned back to the nest.
"Let's go!" he demanded loudly so every soldier could hear him. It was now time to invade, conquer...destroy...
--
Mai didn't know how much more she could take. She always considered herself a patient bee, but these Drones were putting her on edge...Especially Razo, who insisted on bugging her almost every hour of the day and night. She wished Sashi was here right now, but the other bee was on a forage. When she'll be back, the young bee didn't know. She did notice that her sister was getting more and more weary and how she had to flap her wings harder and harder each time she got airborne. Mai usually ignores the signs, as she didn't want to acknowledge what was happening to her friend.
It was the way of the colony, all natural. That's what she always told herself, but it's little comfort regarding the truth...Sashi's reaching the end of her life-span and there's nothing Mai can do about it...Heck...This might even be the old insect's last forage...
The Nurse bee lowered her antennae with a sigh. Things were just so complicated right now and she wished she could just forget everything. Best to focus on her job...
As she was feeding a newly hatched pupa with some royal jelly, she felt a familiar push. Already, her annoyance skyrocketed and she felt the overpowering urge to snap at someone. Barely keeping herself under control, she turned to face Razo.
"Ya know...I hadn't had royal jelly in a while. Mind giving me some since your already feeding these little brats?" he said. Mai paused, deciding that she had just about enough of her leech of a brother.
"Yes, I do mind. And this 'little brat' just happens to be a member of this colony, your little sister!" she pointed out. One of his antennae twitched as he shrugged carelessly.
"And? I still want some food." he told her.
"Why should I?" she responded defiantly, giving a very rare growl.
"Because I'm bigger than you, stronger than you, and you have to do what I say!" he replied with a louder growl.
Mai shook her head, eyes steely with anger...and she snapped for the very first time in her life. "No, I don't! I don't have to do anything for you, because as far as I'm concerned, you're nothing to this colony! You're just a useless lump that doesn't care about anything except when your next meal-time will be! Keep in mind that there's hundreds of Drones in this hive, so any one is expendable!"
Razo didn't say anything for a moment and Mai could just pick up a hurt glint in his large eyes. She wondered if she was going too far, then decided that it was for the best. Anyway, Razo was quick to hide the injured feeling with anger and finally spoke.
"And what are you going to do about it?" he questioned mockingly. Mai showed him just what she had in mind. She clamped her mouth on his foreleg and started to drag him towards the hive entrance. Razo resisted, pulling in the opposite direction. The Nurse bee shifted her grip to his over-sized thorax and grabbed his forelegs with her own. This gave her better leverage and she had more success taking the Drone to his premature fate. It wasn't long until they were outside and the smaller bee continued to haul her indignant load towards the end of the ledge.
The Guard bees watched curiously.
"Isn't it a little early in the year to clean out the hive?" one of them asked. Mai managed to answer back, her voice muffled by her struggling cargo.
"Like I always say...It's never too early to practice."
Suddenly, everything stopped. The Nurse bee halted her assault. The Drone ceased his efforts to free himself. The Guards froze. The wind picked up and it amplified the scent that distracted them...
Hornets...Giant hornets...And lots of them...
END OF CHAPTER 3
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Before I do ANYTHING, I have to do this,
WOOT! I'm at Cera level now!
You have no idea how hard the wait was. I was saving my 500th post just for you FBS! It took a lot of work,but I pulled it off.
Onto the review! MUSH!
"I know I am..." she said quietly in a mock-vain tone
The "s" should be uppercase. You've done this a lot in the story. But that's okay. Just a simple mistake.
"Ya know...I hadn't had royal jelly in a while. Mind giving me some since your already feeding these little brats?" he said. Mai paused, deciding that she had just about enough of her leech of a brother.
"Yes, I do mind. And this 'little brat' just happens to be a member of this colony, your little sister!"
Who was the little brat? I'm a bit confused. Is Razo talking about Mai or the eggs?
And anyway, Razo was quick to hide the injured feeling with anger and finally spoke.
Remember not to start a sentence with "and"
Now that that's done. Uh oh, this does not look good...And what's happening to Sashi? Is this the plan you were talking about? I look forward to see what happens to her, just like I look forward to the next chapter! SQUEEE!!!!!!
P.S. I've been taliingto my cats about politics. But he just seems to be interested in his moterboat imitation...
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Awwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, that's so nice of you! You were saving the Cera-level post for me? *double glomps, which is now possible :smile * Congrats!!!! This calls for yet another celebration!! :celebrate: :celebrate: :celebrate:
:lol: Man, I'm full of habits, aren't I?.... First the tenses, then the "ands", now the lowercase! :lol I now declare them to be my signature writing style!! That way, you definitely know that a story's done by me!!!! Whoooooo!!!!
Remember not to start a sentence with "and"
Dang it! I thought I got all of them!! Thanks!! :DD
Who was the little brat? I'm a bit confused. Is Razo talking about Mai or the eggs?
Razo thinks all the babies (and all his sisters, for that matter...) are "little brats" and he's referring to the infant bees in general. Meanwhile, Mai's response is specifically pointing out the baby she was feeding at the time Razo arrived as an individual example. Does that make sense? I'm not too good at explaining the things I wanna say....
We be getting next chapter soon....I can't decide whether to submit it in a few more hours or tomorrow morning. :unsure:
P.S. I've been taliingto my cats about politics. But he just seems to be interested in his moterboat imitation...
:lol Thanks for that. It certainly cheered me up from the drama happening in my house.... :( *sniffles*
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Thanks for the congrats. :smile Honestly, I don't know how people do it! Going up to just reaching a new level and being one post away. How can they do that! I was going into insanity! Whoops! Too late. :smile
Thanks for answering the questions. I don't care when you get the next chappy up, I'm ready whenever it comes.
Awwwwww! Are you okay?! I hope you are. I hope everything gets better soon! I don't want you to feel sad! :( *sniffles and glomps you back*
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I know I would go wacko....Wait! It's too late for me too!! Yay!!!!! I just hoped I didn't make you suffer too long!! :lol:
And I'm ready to post it at any given moment!! Beware the ninja chapter of ninja-ness!! :smile
Thanks for the glomp. *huggles* One of my little ratties, Caramel, is reaching the end of her life-span's rope....and it's showing. She's not acting like herself anymore... She's sleeping a lot more than usual and she's choosing to snuggle and sleep on me rather than running about like a maniac and sticking her nose in everyone's business like she always does. I'm worried and I get the feeling her cage-mate's worried too. I know it's all a natural process, but I don't want her to go... :cry :cry :cry
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Awww....I'm so sorry, I hope it doesn't come soon either. I love my cats and I certainly don't want them to pass on anytime soon.*huggles back*
And since you said Ninja (hey look I broke my own rule. :smile ) I have to do this...
ASSASSIN!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Bogden. :DD
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*huggles ratties* Me neither. But I'm happy you understand. *huggles you too!*
Bogden- Your welcome! :lol:
Now, for the moment you all probably weren't waiting for :DD , here's the next chappy!!
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It seemed like a frozen eternity when all time appeared to stop. Mai, Razo, and the Guards stared, antennae pricked as the sound of low buzzing got louder. But there was nothing. Where were the hornets? Mai released Razo and huddled against his side fearfully.
"You see anything?" She asked him. After all, a Drone's eyes were much larger and more sensitive than that of other castes. If any bee can see anything, it was a male. Razo, not moving from his spot, looked all around for a moment, but lowered his antennae.
"No...I don't." He told her. Mai gulped and gathered the courage to hesitantly crawl to the end of the ledge, ignoring soft whispered warnings from the others. Her curiousity was getting the better of her as she reached the end and peered down cautiously. Suddenly, a huge insect shot up into view and Mai jumped back with a yelp, looking up as the bug hovered above the ledge. The four honeybees screamed in terror as more hornets joined the first in a horrible army. The obvious leader of the armada flew forward and landed before the smaller bugs. He smiled.
"Greetings little insects." He growled. Mai was frozen with panic even when Razo gave her his typical nudge towards the entrance.
"Run, Mai! RUN!!!" He yelled. The Nurse felt a split second of surprise. Razo knew her name...? Drones never bothered to learn a worker's name before. Snapping out of her daze, she turned and scurried as fast as she could back to the hive, Razo hot on her tail. She heard the hornet leader laugh and the Guards hurried her along before bravely facing the much larger bug.
As Razo looked back at the entrance, Mai set off the alarm, "Giant hornets! A whole lot of them! We're under attack!" This news got the hive in a buzzing chaos as each bee passed the information to the next. Mai turned back to Razo, who was watching the Guards with a traumatized look on his face. His younger sister looked too and gasped. That single hornet leader was tearing both Guard bees apart as easily as if they were wet paper. Other hornets landed on the ledge and explored as one of them took the Guards' remains and threw them overboard. The bodies were still twitching with shock as this happened.
"That ain't right..." Razo muttered and Mai knew that the both of them will probably be scarred for life...Though, how long would that life be? Some of the other bees rushed outside and the battle began. Though 'battle' soon became the wrong word to use. 'Slaughter' was more like it, and Mai felt Razo turn to press against her in an attempt to push her deeper into the hive. But the smaller bee isn't going to give up so easily.
"No! We have to help!" She exclaimed desperately, trying to scurry outside. But Razo wouldn't let her. What has gotten into him?
"We have to hide! Those things are gonna kill us out there!" He said, prodding Mai further from the entrance. She didn't make it easy, trying to climb over him.
"But they'll destroy the colony!" She screamed in distress.
"If we can get the Queen out of here, we can start a new colony." He told her. "But if we stay, there'll be nothing left."
Mai didn't like his reasoning, as the colony has worked very hard to get as far as they did. Were they really going to give that all up? But, somehow, she thought of something else that worried her even more.
"But what about Sashi?! She's out there somewhere! I can't leave her!" She continued, ready to sting her own brother to get pass. But Razo sensed this and was quick to restrain her. He roughly grabbed the base of her wings in his front claws and pinned her to the floor. Mai struggled helplessly, wincing as the Drone's claws dug into her shell to leave two small gashes around each wing base. Through her pain, panic, and angst, she heard Razo speak softly.
"Mai, don't go all mindless worker on me, okay? Try to think this out. We can save the colony by having the colony retreat. If we give the hornets what they want without a fight, this will all be over. They'll be happy, we'll be alive...everybody wins."
The Nurse bee stopped resisting and went limp. "But Sashi..." She muttered with lowered antennae. Razo sighed.
"She wouldn't want you to get hurt. She would want you to live, alright?" He said gently. Mai paused, taking in everything around her, before nodding slightly. Razo released her and she listlessly got to her claws, ignoring the jolt of pain given by her wings. She supposed he was right and she was surprised by the Drone's change of character. Is this really her rude, self-centered brother who really couldn't care less about the colony?
She saw Razo turn around and head deeper into the hive and she followed him closely, keeping her antennas in contact so she won't lose him in the panicked crowd. She just hoped he knew what he was doing. They found the Queen at the very back of the hive, as far as possible from the entrance, and they forced their way past her Guards. The large bee looked amazingly calm and regarded the two as if it was any other day. It was absurd in Mai's opinion.
"Your Highness...Mom..." Razo began. "We have to get out of here as fast as we can, as soon as we can...while we still can." Mai just gave a mute nod, looking back as the hornets began to swarm inside. The Queen nodded back.
"Yes, I have gone through all our options and I too think escape is our best tactic. Unfortunately, our only exit is the entrance and I'm afraid the hornets have it blocked. So we might have to compromise with them." She said gently. Mai, Razo, and even the Guards jolted in shock.
"What?!" They exclaimed simultaneously.
"We're trapped here until the hornets leave their blockade on our escape."
"Can't we just make another way out?" Razo asked. A Guard shook her head half-heartedly.
"It'll take too long."
"IT'S NOT WORKING!!!!" came a sudden cry and they snapped their attention to it. There was a heating-ball in progress, but the hornet target wasn't being affected! In fact, deep laughter could be heard from within the ball and in a panic, the bees dispersed to free the large insect.
"Impossible..." The Queen muttered, looking worried for the first time. Her worry turned to anger and she took a deep breath. "ENOUGH OF THIS!!!"
Her powerful voice echoed inside the hive and every living insect froze what they were doing. There was near silence with only the occasional whimper from a frightened pupa. The adult bees began to slowly retreat towards their Queen and the hornets only looked at the largest bee in amazed surprise. This obviously wasn't a frequent occurrence to them. The Queen sighed and stood on her hind legs to further survey everyone. When she next spoke, her calmness returned.
"Which one of you hornets is leading this assault?"
The larger bugs glanced at each other in amusement and a particularly large one stepped forward with a grin. "I am. Is that of any importance to you?"
The Queen bee looked over at the hornet and nodded as she returned to all six. "Hai. Now if you please, let us talk." The hornet chuckled and gave a mocking bow.
"Whatever you wish, your Royal Highness." The majority of the other hornets snickered and the bees held back the urge to retaliate against this insult. The lead bugger walked over, giving a 'follow me' gesture to a female soldier with eye designs that made it look as though she was crying. She made no hesitation following orders.
Mai pressed closer to Razo, fighting back her panic as the hornet duo got closer, the bees parting reluctantly to make way. She and her brother stayed close to their mother's side. The hornet leader, much bigger than the Queen, paused before her and allowed her antennae to lightly tap his own. Mai was confused by this gesture. Her mother only did this to confirm the identification of somebody she's seen before. Odd... After a second of antenna activity, the Queen nodded respectfully.
"Shon." She acknowledged. Her children grew restless in surprise. She knew him?! "If I recall correctly, you saved my life once."
Shon chuckled menacingly. "Unintentionally. That mantis that tried to kill you was the real food I wanted to eat. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, is all."
"You seemed quite friendly last I saw you." The Queen pointed out. Shon made no hesitation in responding, his voice calm and steady.
"You had no colony back then. It would've been a waste to have killed you." He bent down and took a sip from a nearby honey cell. He paused for a second, tasting the sugary treat before grinning. "And it seems I made the right choice."
The bees buzzed in agitation. That honey was theirs! The Queen calmly lifted a foreleg and her children forced themselves to settle down. Shon just chuckled in amusement.
"Get used to it. We'll end up having this whole hive." He menaced. "And there's nothing you can do about it."
One bee couldn't help herself. "How are you surviving our defenses?!"
Shon grinned at her. "One of your little friends was nice enough to tell us all about your tactics, after careful persuasion from Namida, of course." He nodded at the female soldier. "We just added a little something to protect ourselves with."
"And what did you do?" The worker asked with the vague hope of using the answer as an advantage. However, the hornet just tilted his head with a mocking look on his face.
"Why would I tell you?"
The Queen decided to interrupt with a more important question. "Are we not able to negotiate this matter and perhaps reach a peaceful compromise?"
Shon glanced at Namida and his grin broaden. "Well, this is a first. But you have my attention. Tell me what it is that you want."
"I want you to leave." At this, the bees buzzed in agreement and the hornets muttered amongst themselves in amusement. Shon just stood there in mirthful thought before he responded.
"And what do we get if we were to indeed retreat?"
"We'll give you and your colony a fair share of our honey whenever it is asked of us." She told him. Although the majority of the bees were obviously upset with this decision, they did nothing to protest. Shon began grooming his antennae in consideration and finally shook his head. "Sorry, but you'll have to do better than that." The other hornets nodded and the Queen paused to think.
"Alright. You can have all the honey. Just allow us to gather our young ones and leave." She tried again. Mai nodded to herself. In her opinion, her little siblings were more important than all the honey in the world. So she was horrified when Shon disagreed with a comment that made her sick.
"It's a tempting offer, but not good enough. We need your children, for our own young ones need their protein."
Every worker bee yelled out their anger and Mai stepped up to the hornet before she could stop herself. "You leave my little sisters and brothers alone!"
Shon looked at her and, although he didn't seem aggressive, Mai backed away in fright towards her original spot. The hornet leader didn't falter his intense stare and Mai lowered her antennae uneasily. She was nervous of his unwavered attention and it was made worse when he pointed his antennae right at her. Why her? She wasn't the only one to protest against him. The other bees quieted down and Mai took notice of Namida and the other hornets. They also seemed confused by their leader's distraction and they looked over at her as well, antennae perked. Razo stayed by her and she leaned harder against him as the number of watchful eyes increased.
The Queen made another effort, trying to draw attention away from her young worker. "How about we leave you with half our pupae and all our honey?"
The Giant hornet slowly pried his eyes off of Mai and looked back at the Queen. But before Mai could risk a sigh of relief, he quickly returned his gaze in her direction as he gave his answer. "You don't seem to get it. We're not here just for your resources."
Mai gulped as she mustered the strength to speak through her anxiousness. "What else is there?" She immediately regretted asking as the hornet took on a more menacing look. He growled deeply with his response.
"There's revenge."
With that, he charged straight at Mai, jaws wide open. The Nurse screamed...
END OF CHAPTER 4
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I seem to be suffering from a case of SRS. Severe Randomness Syndrome, so I shall do this...
WAZZZZUUUPPPP!!!!!!! :P:
Alrighty, lets get this review going shall we?
"You see anything?" she asked him.
I'm not even gonna say it...
"Greetings little insects." He growled.
HOORAY!!!!!!!!
Mai set off the alarm. "Giant hornets! A whole lot of them! We're under attack!"
That period shoud be a comma. When you start a sectence with someone getting ready to speak and then they speak, the transition of that should have a comma inbetween, like this. Mai set off the alarm, "Giant Hornets! A whole lot of them! We're under attack!"
That single hornet leader was tearing both Guard bees apart as easily as if they were wet paper.
Nice metaphor. ;)
That's all I caught for spelling and grammer.
Uh oh, what's gonna happen to Mai? Where's Sashi, and what? The queen knows Shon? That's unexpected. Everything seems to be (Get it? :smile ) meesed up. I hope they turn it around soon. Like I hope you get the next chapter up soon! Nice chappy! Looking forward to the next one. :yes
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Randomness is goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddddddd........
I'm not even gonna say it...
Dang it again!! I thought I got all of them!! :lol This really is becoming a game for me!! I'll edit that right up!! At least I got the majority right!!
Comma, got it!! Thanks for that!! And for complimenting the metaphor :P:
Lotsa questions!! That means it was a good cliff-hanger then!! Yayz!!!
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Double-post!! Sorry!
Alrighty, let's see if I can win the grammer game this time!!! Squee!!
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Mai was lucky she wasn't alone, otherwise she would be dead. The instant her alarmed cry echoed through the hive, her sisters came to her rescue. With angry exclamations, a large group of them met Shon head-on and swarmed all over him, hoping to try the heating-ball technique again. Namida and a few other hornets charged and began killing the bees that engulfed their leader. More bees met them and the chaos began all over again. Then came the most horrible thing Mai's ever witnessed. While Razo pulled her away, she stared as Shon suddenly burst free and leapt. But not at her as was expected...
Shon took hold of her mother and with the greatest of ease and no hesitation whatsoever, he bit into her neck and ripped her head clean off.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Mai screamed as the distressed word was shared among the bee colony. She glanced at Razo and saw his huge eyes were bright with tears. However, he continued to drag Mai against her will to safety, wherever it may be...
If the chaos before was bad, this was even worse. At the loss of the Queen, the other bees went berserk. But Mai paid little attention. She just cried, staring at the body of her mother lying at Shon's feet. The hornet was chuckling before staring right back at her. Seeing him step closer, she panicked and followed Razo to wherever he wanted to take her. She could hear Shon coming after her and knew that, however selfish if sounded, her only hope of survival was that her sisters would distract him. But although the other bees did attack the hornet leader, it only took a brief half-second stall off his chase.
Those built up and Mai arrived at a large empty Queen cell.
"In here. And don't move or make a sound." Razo whispered as he nudged her inside. Once in, Mai turned to him, no longer finding his nudges annoying. There was one question haunting her mind, and for some reason, she wanted to ask him it now...even if it didn't seem important at the moment.
"Why are you helping me? I'm just a worker..." She went on with her query. Razo smiled.
"Yeah, but you're my sister. As your older brother, mind, I should help you...like you've been helping me whenever I got hungry."
Mai paused, seeing her sibling in a new light. This Drone was different than the rest; she learned that the moment he said her name. Despite her having tried to get rid of him, he still cared enough for her to help save her life. She gave a soft smile, having never thought she would ever say the next words in her lifetime: "You're the best brother anyone can ever ask for." Razo nodded sadly, lowering his antennae.
"Thanks. But that only makes me feel worse with what I'm about to do."
Mai's own antennae perked, a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"
"Goodbye, Mai. You're definitely a one-of-a-kind bee." Was his only response to her before turning around. Shon has just arrived and it was all Mai could do to stay hidden. She knew instantly what's going to happen and she didn't like it one bit. There had to be another way...But she knew there wasn't...
The hornet glanced around and glared at the Drone. "Where's the worker?"
Razo shrugged. "Which one? I know hundreds." He responded smugly, making Shon growl a bit under his breath.
"Don't play stupid. I know you hid her somewhere." He perked his antennae. "And I'll find her whether you tell me or not." The hornet moved a little closer and it was then that Razo charged and knocked the startled insect down before wisely stepping away. Mai's anxiety grew as she fought to stay still as Razo ordered. This was not going to end well...
Shon stood with an enraged hiss, but despite this, he smiled. "This hive's much different than the others. First, your Queen wants to negotiate." Mai almost cried at the mention of her mother. "Then that worker bee flees instead of defending. Now, a Drone is trying to put up a fight to protect that little brat."
Razo's next words surprised her, as it was the words she spoke to him what felt like an eternity ago. "That 'little brat' just happens to be a member of this colony, my little sister." Mai was happily amazed that he not only listened to her, but that he remembered what she said to him. As much as she hated to admit it, Shon was right...This colony was different than all the rest, and she was happy to be a part of it.
The hornet chuckled. "Touching. Too bad you won't have a colony left. It's a shame that I'll have to kill you like everybody else."
Razo growled, tense and ready to fight. "Kill me, then. I dare you."
"Dare accepted." Shon sneered before charging at the Drone. Razo buzzed his wings and jumped backwards, lifting his abdomen in warning. Shon was unfazed and clamped his jaws on the bee's thorax. Mai winced at her brother's cry of pain and she knew what would come next. Razo tried almost desperately to sting but everytime he made the attempts, it had no effect. There was only a soft 'thump' as the weapon hit shell. She wanted to tell him how it's useless, but she couldn't without breaking the Drone's wish.
With a dark laugh, Shon tightened his grip, digging his mandibles deeper and deeper. Razo struggled with all his might, beating his wings as hard as he could. It was hopeless. The hornet shifted his hold to the bee's neck and, laughing harder, he ripped Razo's head off just as he had the Queen's. Mai held back a cry and tore her eyes away for a moment. Tears building up and flowing down her cheeks, she risked a glance. Her brother's twitching body fell to the ground senselessly and the hornet backed away in amusement. Seeing the Drone's demise, more than a dozen other bees challenged him and, one-by-one, they were instantly given the same treatment. This distracted him and he seemed to have forgotten her...for now. He perked his antennae for a moment as his large eyes scanned the area before he froze and walked off.
Mai couldn't give a sigh of relief. There was nothing to be relieved about. The Queen's dead, her brother's dead. Every minute, hundreds of her nestmates were dying. Nothing in her life prepared her for this...
Careful to stay quiet, she curled into a small ball, crying to herself. And a dreaded thought sure didn't make her feel any better: If you're this sad about Razo, imagine how it'll be with Sashi...
Lowering her antennae, she wondered where her sister was. The other bee was out foraging when the attack started. If Mai's lucky, Sashi might still be out there. She should go look for her, make sure she's okay and tell her everything. The older bee will know what to do. Mai tried to move, but her body didn't want to. Maybe she's so traumatized, she's in shock. It wouldn't surprise her. She felt tired, having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Maybe this was all some horrible dream? She had the childish thought that if she slept, everything will be better when she woke up. It was worth a try and at least she'll be able to escape the horror going on around her.
She drifted off...
--
Shon had lost that bee's scent, but he wasn't angered by that. Chances are that she's dead and if she wasn't, she will be soon. He'll make sure of that. After all, she can't stay in hiding forever. Pausing in his massacring of the smaller insects, he looked about with a smirk. Nothing made him feel better than the slaughtering of other creatures, especially of honeybees. Revenge tasted so sweet to him. And it was obvious that his plan had worked out perfectly. Not a single hornet had died so far; none suffered a baking death. The plant was doing its intended job very well, and he made a mental note to employ it in future raids if neccesary.
Taking in the scene, he thought about what he said earlier, about this hive being different than all the rest. In many ways that was true, so true he couldn't help but wonder if these bees could quite possibly be some kind of hybrid...No, he's witness the Queen's maiden flight. They were pure Japanese. Maybe this is how all Japanese honeybees act...No, he's destroyed native bee colonies on sight before and they acted pretty normal.
Or maybe it was genetic? Yes, the Queen was sort of...odd when he met her a long time ago, hyped up like she had too much honey in her system. That hyperness almost had the young Queen killed, but as mentioned before, Shon 'rescued' her...She didn't retreat from him like all the other insects would. In fact, she came right up to him and started asking who and what he was, what it was like to be him, where he lived, other inquiries of a similar nature. The hornet leader went along and answered most of her questions, leaving out details that might alarm the bee. She seemed delighted at making a new 'friend', following him for a while before going off to her hive to start anew...
A hive Shon's quite happy to destroy. By now, nearly every bee is dead, a few still left standing to make a last futile effort to defend before going down like the rest. Pathetic creatures.
He spotted Namida, already beginning to collect honey and bee pupae for the young hornets back home. She's a strong fighter, one of the best in the colony, and even Shon admired her skills...from afar of course. As a rule, Shon's the strongest and largest hornet in the colony, so Namida must truly be incredible to earn his admirations. He wandered up to her and, seeing his approach, she immediately snapped to attention.
"After giving what you collected to the other hornets back in the nest, I want you to join me in scouting for bee survivors. I don't want any of these fuzzballs to live through this." Shon told her. When he wants revenge, he wants it to be complete. He never liked it when bees live to tell the tale of his assaults. Namida knew this very well and she gave a small nod.
"Yes, My Lord."
END OF CHAPTER 5
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We interrupt your your review for this random quote of the day,
WAAAAZZZZZZZUUUUUPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P:
I think that's starting to become quite a habit.
Anyhoo, let's get going.
Mai's own antennae perked, a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"
That should be a comma. You've got these quite a few times.
"Yeah, but you're my sister. As your older brother, mind, I should help you...like you've been helping me whenever I got hungry."
Mind you perhaps?
That's about it. Good job! You almosted passed! I sure you'll get it next time. ;)
Awww. That was a sad chapter. Hopefully the next one will be a bit less depressing. I have one question...where did Sashi go? Did she die? I hope not, but life sometimes doesn't work out in your favor. Nice chapter. Get the next chapter up soo, Untiul next time, Squeeeee!!!!!!
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A habit I will happily continue!!!
WAZZZZZZZZZZZZUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPP!!!!!! :P:
Mind you perhaps?
Nah, that's just the talking style of Razo and myself! :^.^:
Eep!! I'm late on updating, my bad!!! I've just been busy!! But here it is!!
-~-
Mai awoke slowly. For a few brief seconds, all was confusion. Where was she? How did she get in here? Why is it so quiet? Her biological clock told her it was still daylight and the hive is always busy and noisy all day. Then, it all came back to her: the hornets, the murdering.....She felt tears burn her eyes all over again and she tried hard not to sob in case the enemy insects were still out there. She should find Sashi now, if the older bee's still...
She stopped herself from finishing that thought. Had to think of something positive for a change. She forced herself to assume that her sister was alive and well, out there somewhere.
With extreme caution, she very slowly poked her antennae out of her hiding place. It smelled of hornet, dead bodies, and blood, intermixed with honey and the smell of fear from the pupae. She didn't want to go out of her hiding place, the only place in the hive she felt safe in. But it had to be done. She had to get out of here, that was her only chance. She can't stay here forever. Taking a deep silent breath, she hesitantly peeked out and almost immediately pulled back as some hornets went by towards the entrance to the hive, carrying crying pupae in their jaws and forelegs. Mai had to fight the instinct to defend the innocent babies. That wouldn't lead anywhere and would only get her killed for nothing.
The hornets did not notice her and continued on their way. Mai waited until she could no longer even smell them before trying to get out again, this time with more success. Glancing around outside her cell, she was struck with utter horror. The bodies of her sisters and brothers littered the ground, literally carpeting it so the floor can't be seen. Blood was everywhere, pooled under the remains and splattered over the walls and cells. There were headless bodies and even just legs clinging to the vertical cells where their owners have been killed on the spot. It didn't take long for the young honeybee to notice something.......
None of the bodies were hornets. Her colony, containing tens, maybe even hundreds of thousands of bees facing hornets that only came by the dozens......and the bees were all dead, with not a single enemy take down. In the wise words of Razo: 'That ain't right....' Speaking of her brother......
Still wary, she crept out of the cell and went over to the decapitated remains of her sibling to pay some kind of respect. This is a first: Drones never get the respect of the dead as they weren't good for practically anything. But this one was a bit different. He went from bossy and lazy to brave and caring. This is one male she'll definitely remember for the rest of her life.
"Good bye Razo....." She whispered softly. "Thank you so much for what you did for me. You didn't have to do it, since it was, as you would say 'too much effort'. But you did it anyway, and I'm forever grateful. I'm sorry I ever thought badly of you." She smiled softly as silent tears went down her cheeks. "But could you blame me? I am your younger sister, mind......" With a shaky sigh, she nuzzled the larger body. "Wish I could've said this sooner, but......I love you, bro-"
"Talking to a corpse? How sweet...." A voice interrupted. Mai shot around in horror as Shon stepped closer. In response, the smaller insect stepped backwards, shivering in fright, which the hornet seem to find most amusing.
"What do you want from me?" She managed to choke out through her terror. She never understood that, never understood why he singled her out. Was it some kind of hornet tradition to pick out a particular innocent victim to torment? The response she got was an almost amused growl.
"You don't know? And I've heard so many others say honeybees were intelligent." He mocked, taking another step. "Seems they're wrong..."
"Just tell me, okay!" She said this with more desperation than anger. If she knew why Shon paid her special attention, maybe, just maybe, she can talk him out of it....even if compromise didn't work before...
With the same mirthful face, he answered quite menacingly. "See for yourself." He snapped his jaws at her and she yelped with a jump. Yet, she knew he missed on purpose. Why, she didn't know. But she wasn't going to question it. Instead, she scurried off as fast as she could towards the entrance. She didn't even know if he was giving chase. She startled quite a few hornets that were hanging around the ledge and they growled at her. Her instinctive terror increased a hundred-fold, but they didn't attack her....
That was another thing she won't question and she jumped off the ledge, opening her wings in an attempt to fly. She was thankful she knew the basics because of Sashi's lessons, but this was only her second experience and she had those injuried Razo gave her. As a result, she was very clumsy and her painful wingbeats only succeeded in softening her crash to the ground below. Dazed, she stood and jumped again with a cry. Another hornet!!...Wait...
This one's dead...
Amazed and confused, she sniffed the huge body and immediately recognized him. It was the hornet scout that she....In horror, she understood everything now. The scent! She tried desperately to clean it off, but it was too late. It was dried and permanent, the scent mark she'll have for the rest of her life...Whimpering, she backed into the wall, where she picked up the same smell....The scout lived long enough to mark the nest. That's how the other hornets found the hive!
Slowly, she approached the body. Honeybees had a built-in grooming brush on their legs; maybe hornets would have one to get rid of the scent...the scent she wanted so badly to be gone....
--
Shon moved out to the ledge where the bee retreated to, growling at the other hornets who quickly bowed their heads. He made a quick search for Namida, but didn't see her in the group. She's probably still hunting for strays. He got back to business and looked down the edge, spotting the bee examining Khan's body and the scent mark he left. Good, the bee was getting the message. Took her long enough. He glared back at the others.
"Keep this in your heads: That bee is mine to kill." He hissed. The subordinate insects nodded, not wanting to test him. After all, whatever Shon says goes, no matter what. The hornet leader flew down quickly and landed right in front of the bee and beside his deceased soldier. The furry insect cowered back, twitching her stinger as if it can do any harm to him. Shon said nothing at first, looking at his fallen scout. Turning a sharp gaze back to the bee, he growled. "You get it now?"
The Mai bee gulped and nodded softly. "I...I did-"
She was interrupted as Namida and her brother, Sheshu, landed nearby, both keeping a safe distance from him. Shon smirked. "Nice of you two to join us."
Namida and Sheshu nodded respectfully. Sheshu was normally a Guard that spent most of his time protecting the entrance of the nest. He's a strong insect though and proves himself a skilled bee-killer whenever Namida found it in her time to drag him along, sometimes 'dragging' can be taken literally. He isn't against the fun of bee hunting; like all other hornets, he enjoyed it. But sometimes, you just wanna break for yourself. However, when it comes to Namida, he'll do anything for his favorite sister. And this undying loyalty spread to his leader as well.
Shon nodded at the bee, and at the unspoken signal, Namida circled around one way, Sheshu the other, blocking any retreats. The bee looked back and forth from one of the trio to the other, obviously more than a little frightened. Such panic showed in her voice.
"Please, leave me alone. Please..." The Mai bee begged, lowering to the ground. "You all took my colony....Just go...."
The hornets shook their heads and Namida spoke, antennae perked to pick up the scent mark. "You were one of the bees responsible for killing Khan."
"Bu-" Again, the bee couldn't finish as Sheshu continued.
"He was one of the top soldiers, very much respected and a close companion to us all."
"Please, ju-" Once more, she couldn't go on as Shon finished with a loud hiss, always having the final word.
"If it wasn't for that fact, I might've accepted your Queen's offer." The smaller bug looked shocked, distressed, all sorts of other similar emotions showed in her face. He grinned and continued. "It's your fault your colony is dead."
Now the fuzzball seemed like she's been struck in the face by some invisible force and he knew what kind of impact his words were having on her...and he enjoyed it. He could see tears welling up in the bee's eyes, ready to resoak her already matted fur. She looked at the other two as if hoping for sympathy, but it was clear that she wasn't getting any. After a moment of comprehending this, she shivered and seemed to be getting angry.
"Please let me say one thing!" She practically shouted to Shon, apparently tired of the constant interruptions she's been receiving lately. Namida tilted her head at the bee's sudden, somewhat brave change of character, but she did nothing to change her position in this conflict. Sheshu looked about ready to snap at the little bee, but knew it wasn't his place unless Shon ordered it. After all, this was supposed to be the leader's kill, not theirs. The furry insect took a few shaky breaths before seeming to revert back to her terrified and submissive state. "I-I'm sorry....Very, very, very sorry....Please, I didn't mean to cause anyone trouble....But just leave me be...I'm sorry...."
Did she really think a number of 'Sorrys' would change Shon's mind, will change any of their minds? Well, she had another thing coming. This Giant hornet leader did not have sympathies for his enemies. He'll torture them and no matter how much they begged and pleaded, he won't forgive and forget. No exceptions will be shown here. With a deep growl in his voice, as he was none too amused with her previous outburst, he gave her what could be the last words she'll ever hear.
"You will be." He charged and this time, her colony isn't there to save her.
END OF CHAPTER 6
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I've got good news and bad news. The good news is...you passed the spelling and grammer game! :celebrate Cheers for that!
The bad news is...I"M NOT GOING TO BREAK THE HABIT ANYTIME SOON!!!!!
WWWWWAAAAAAASSSSSUUUUUPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 :P:
Awesome chapter. No nitpicking!
Shon is really getting on my nerves. I finally get why the hornets attacked now. And Poor Mai! Wasa gonna happen eh? I wanna know! I was strating to wonder where you went FBS. Glad your back on. ;)
I know this is a little off-topic but, isn't RPing fun!?
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Yayz!!! Me pass grammer test! Me wonder how long that lasts!! :D
This is the last chapter I have typed up in my computer, mainly cause I lost my written paper version. But no worries, I can continue if I put my mind to it! Progress will just be a bit slower. Hope you like this one!
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"Get away from her!" Came a surprisingly loud voice and something furry collided with Shon, the high speed force causing the hornet to stumble a couple of steps. The 'attack' was so unexpected, it took Mai a moment to recognize the clump of worn wings and dull fur that now clung stubbornly onto the large insect's face, keeping out of reach of his deadly mandibles.
"Sashi?!" The young bee exclaimed in amazement and horror. She's alive and came just in time! But she was attacking a bug many times their size. Mai didn't know what to do, but charged anyway and tried to bite Shon, her efforts having no effect. She saw Namida and the other hornet about to rush to aid their leader. Sashi snapped her gaze to her and Mai saw a fierce liveliness quite unlike her listless friend.
"Mai! Run! Now!" She demanded. Mai didn't want to run, didn't want to leave her friend behind. But the tone and Sashi's serious, 'do-as-I-say' face made her break for it. Namida and the other hornet snapped at her, trying to catch her, but Mai jumped with a yelp, jaws closing just a short millimeter away from her fur. She landed in a scramble and bolted out of there before stopping at the edge of the forest and looking back, not wanting to make a full retreat without her sister.
"Sashi! Come on!" She yelled as her sister scurried over the hornet, trying to dodge his claws to avoid being grabbed.
"Go on! Flower #4, Mai! Go to Flower #4!" Sashi yelled back and Mai knew what it meant. Flower #4 was basically the fourth flower Mai crashed into during her flight lesson. She was to hide there and wait for Sashi. Still, to leave the old bee here.....That was unthinkable! But her sister gave her that face again and, reluctantly, she turned and darted off into the forest as fast as her legs could go. Hoping her sister would be okay....
Seeing Mai go, Sashi was going to make a break for it too when Shon finally managed to grab her and yank her off of him. Growling and glaring at the defiant bee, he threw the little insect towards the wall of the cabin, where she collided with great force and fell to the ground, where she landed with a sound 'thud'. She didn't move....The Giant hornet leader wasn't in the mood to fully verify if she was dead and he turned to the other two.
"Sheshu, you are dismissed. Namida, follow me immediately." He took off from the ground and flew into the forest to hunt for Mai. The two hornets didn't dare hesitate, knowing their leader was now in a very bad mood. Only glancing at the fallen old bee, they went their separate ways. After a few moments, Sashi's wing twitched and she lifted her head with a groan. It felt like she's been hit by a windshield.....Looking about, she knew she had to get to her little sibling fast! Before the hornets do! Unsteadily, she got to her feet and beat her wings. Nothing happened.
"Come on....Let me fly one more time......" She beat her wings as hard as she could and she felt her claws leave the ground. Exhausted, but determined, she made her way into the forest towards Flower #4....
--
Flower #4...It was a rather large flower; purple with an intricate pattern of blue and green and a special arrangement of the petals. It should safely house the young bee as she waits for her sister to catch up. Staring up at the plant, the UV rays bouncing off it making it highly appealing to the bee, Mai felt as if she was being beckoned to come over to it. Instinct, she knew. Hopefully, a bee-only instinct the hornets won't know about....
She went to the trunk of the bush and climbed up. She didn't think she was experienced enough to fly again. She might veer off in some random direction or worse, the enemy insects might hear her wingbeats and come to investigate. Besides, the wounds around her wing bases still jolted with pain at her last attempt to fly. Pausing a twig away from the flower, she followed another piece of advice Sashi gave her about landing on flowers. She scanned the area, eyes sharp and antennae perked. This precaution is necessary. There's a lot of mantids around these parts and some can look disturbingly like a flower.
It was all clear and Mai went towards the flower, speeding up when she heard buzzing. She scrambled inside and peeked out just enough to see Shon and Namida fly by, obviously searching for her. She stayed quite still, not daring to breathe until the sounds of their wings faded into the distance. That was a close call: If she stayed outside the flower for another second, they would've gotten her. Luck was definitely on her side right now...
More buzzing. It was different than the hornets, but she still felt a jolt of panic. This didn't prove necessary as Sashi landed on the petals in complete exhaustion. Mai couldn't keep in her cry of delight and she took Sashi and practically dragged her deeper into the flower and hugged her with all her might. She was crying tears of joy into Sashi's fur and felt her sister pet her antennae in reassurance.
"I thought I'd never see you again, Sashi...." She muttered, voice muffled by her sibling's fur.
"Shhhh. It's okay. I'm here..." Sashi whispered to her, allowing Mai to cry all she wanted. After a moment, she pulled away and held her younger sibling steady as she looked her over. Mai sniffled during the examination, but other than the wounds on her wings, she was uninjured. Sashi continued in a hushed but urgent voice. "I don't wanna ask this, but....What happened?"
Mai was about to break down to more tears, these of a more distressed nature. She tried to sound clear as she explained. "Soon after you left for a forage, Razo was getting on my nerves and I....I-I tried to kick him out of the hive but.....the hornets came and I've never been more scared in my life. Mom tried to reason with them, but it didn't work and they...they...." She bursted into more tears and snuggled tight against her sister, who whispered more reassurance to her even as Mai continued. "It's not fair......Their leader, Shon, he killed Mom. He killed our Mommy....It was horrible....(sniffle)....Razo saved me, Sashi. He saved me after what I tried to do to him....Shon killed him too....I'm a bad sister..."
"No, you're not...." There was tears in her eyes too, but her voice was steady enough. "None of this is your fault Mai, no matter what anyone says, it wasn't your fault, okay?"
Mai closed her eyes tight and choked out more words. "Yes, it is.....The hornets said so. Shon and his girlfriend.......They said it was all my fault....They would've spared our colony if it wasn't for me....The smell Sashi, it's still on me..." -Her sister looked horrified at this and even sniffed the spot herself- "...And it won't go away no matter how much I groom.....They're hunting me. Shon and Namida...They're hunting me and they're not gonna stop.....I'm scared....They're gonna get me...."
"No, they're not." Mai was surprised and confused at the certainty of her sister's voice. She perked her antennae as she kept her face buried in Sashi's fur, listening through her tears. "We're gonna go to safety, at least temporarily."
"But where....?" Mai asked. Sashi sighed as if she didn't like their choices, or their choice was a great risk to take.
"We're going to the nearby nest. A Yellow hornet nest..." She said. Mai looked up in horror. She never heard of Yellow hornets, but the word 'hornet' was bad enough. She was about to say her confused protests, but Sashi was already resuming her talk. "They're our enemies in normal circumstances. They occasionally come to our hive to have some honey and pupas, and we usually give them the heating ball treatment."
"Then why are you saying we should go to them?....If they're our enemies...."
"Because they were never a real threat to bee colonies. They don't wipe us out like their cousins do. And they face the same problem as ourselves. The Giant hornets kill their colonies too." -Mai was horrified at this. Hornets attacking hornets? Unbelievable!- "Honeybees and Yellow hornets have a common enemy and I hear that they'll allow stray honeybees to take refuge in their nest for only a little bit, just long enough for the bees to find an adoptive hive willing to take in a stranger." She sighed again. "But those are just rumors. I don't know if it's true, but in our situation, we have little choice...."
Mai understood that. Either take the risk or spend their lives in solitude, the worse fate a honeybee could imagine. This was their chance to be lost among the other insects. Shon and Namida wouldn't think of searching for her in a hornet's nest and Mai would eventually be safe in a far away hive of other honeybees. She nodded and her sister nodded back. They made their way to the entrance and Sashi held her forearm in front of Mai, signalling that she'll check if the coast is clear. The older bee peeked out.....
And was immediately snatched from above with a startled cry.
"Sashi!" Mai exclaimed and rushed out to see a certain Giant hornet holding tight to the struggling honeybee.
--
"Let her go!" The Mai bee yelled at him and he laughed as he hovered above her. Shon knew he heard voices coming from over here. He had separated from Namida and flew over, tracing the voices to this flower. His senses proved correct when he saw the old bee peeking out of the flower and he had snatched her in his claws. He already had a plan with these two, a plan to make the Mai bee suffer. After all, he hadn't failed to notice her attachment to this old fuzzball.
"You want her?" He sank his jaws into the captive bee's thorax and heard her scream of pain. Sweet blood came from the wounds and oozed down his throat, giving him a great feeling of satisfaction. He heard the Mai bee scream as if she was the one being bitten, yelling at him to let go of her sister. He smirked and opened his jaws to release the bee, snickering and having further proof that indeed, his target cared very much for the one he held hostage. He's gonna have some fun with this and he taunted her. "Can't fly? Or are you just afraid?"
The younger ball of fuzz glared at him with never-ending tears flowing from her eyes. "Leave her alone! It's me you want!"
"True enough. But I might as well have fun and cause you a greater pain by giving your precious sister your intended treatment as well. In case you don't know what I have in store for you...." Shon trailed off mockingly and he dug his claws into the old bee in a tighter grip, enjoying the resulting cry of pain. He looked back at a low buzzing as Namida flew over. He nodded to her, gesturing that it was time to go back into the nest and he snapped his gaze back to the puny insect before he flew off. "Meet you in our colony, fur ball!"
Leaving the land-bound bee behind....
END OF CHAPTER 7
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WWWWWAAAAAAZZZZZZZUUUUUPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your getting goood. You passed! ;)
Oh geez...poor Sashi...(sniff) On a lighter note, haha! I can imagine what Shon would say and do if one of the hornets or anyone for that matter, called Namida his girlfriend.
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!" Then he would rip them apart limb from limb. Heh heh. :lol
I liked this capter. I have no problem with waiting, I'm patient. And I hope you get the next chapter up soon.
P.S. I love your new avatar!