What Lurks In The Shadows (WoF)

🐝 Chapter 17 - Bumblebee 🐝

Bumblebee shook her head. Her homework from Webs' class was...difficult.

She wished she had Auklet here to help her. Bumblebee really did. But when she got the news her Clawmate was going home, back to the Kingdom of the Sea, Bumblebee had been shocked.

Why did Auklet have to leave? Does she not like it here?

She would miss Dusky's metamorphosis ending. It was happening tomorrow after all.

The days had gone long, and painfully slow. The sun seemed to move at a snail's pace, and only the evenings and nights were peaceful.

Bumblebee stared back at her cave, where she was alone. The somewhat desolate, quiet and small cave seemed huge and echoed more than ever.

"Bumblebee?" A familiar voice sounded. Bumblebee whipped her head around to the voice, suprised to see Mink's pale gray scales.

"Mink." Bumblebee greeted the IceWing.

"We thought you'd like a visit, y'know. Since Auklet..." Mink trailed off slowly.

"Left?" Bumblebee snapped, not meaning to sound rude. "Yeah. And who's 'we'?"

"Us." Peacemaker poked his head around the corner, his frills bright pink. "We thought we could come over for a sleepover."

Mink nodded eagerly. "Yeah! It'll be fun, I promise."

Bumblebee was hesitant to respond. "Alright. Come on."

Mink squeaked in delight as Peacemaker and Cliff entered and looked around. It felt off without Auklet or Dusky.

They'll be back soon. Everything's gonna be fine, right?

🐝🐝🐝

"Why did Auklet leave again?" Cliff asked, worry edging his tone.

Bumblebee was about to respond when Mink started to explain. The HiveWing's gaze drifted slowly to the cave window.

It was dark out, stars and the three moons shimmering all at once. Bumblebee felt weird without the silence of night, since she never really experienced a sleepover before.

"Bumblebee? Pyrrhia to Bumblebee!" Mink snapped, glaring playfully at Bumblebee.

Bumblebee snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at her Winglet. "What?"

"It's bedtime, now go to sleep!" Cliff turned towards Peacemaker and the two dragonets curled beside each other, draped in moss and leaf blankets.

"Oh, okay. Goodnight," Bumblebee turned herself to face the window and curled close, buzzing her wings lightly.

Mink grabbed a small plush seal toy from beside her and snuggled up with it. Bumblebee remembered she called it 'Seal', and if was made from real polar-bear fur.

"Goodnight, Auklet." Bumblebee whispered as her eyes fluttered and she slept.

🐝🐝🐝

"Wake up, Wake up!" A voice and a claw prodded Bumblebee awake.

It was Peacemaker.

"What?" Bumblebee stammered, sitting up. "Where is everyone?"

"In the Great Hall!" Peacemaker gasped. "It's Dusky!"

"Dusky?" Cliff's tired groan came from beside the HiveWing as he sat up, suddenly alert. "What's wrong?"

"No time!" Peacemaker wheezed, turning. "You'll have to see!"

Bumblebee raced after the hybrid as he sprinted down the hall, fluttering his wings to move faster.

Bumblebee was too tired to care that her talons stung from sleeping on them wrong. She didn't care.

Dusky mattered, not her talons.

When they reached the Great Hall, dragons swarmed everywhere. Clay was grabbing rabbits and chickens for Dusky while Tusnmai argued that SilkWings are vegitarians.

Luna watched hesitantly, her gaze sad and tired as if she had waited for this all night.

The cocoon, however, was shaking. Sunny paced worriedly around it, and all Bumblebee could do was watch.

Before her eyes, the silk case around Dusky splintered in half, breaking and falling to the sides. In its place was a dragon that looked just like Dusky, but with bright indigo wings and purple patterns like mosaics splattered on them.

The SilkWing blinked, and Luna rushed forwards to help him out of the silk woven around his back talons.

"Dusky!" Cliff cried. Peacemaker held him back, keeping their tails twined together.

Auklet should have been here, she really should have been. Bumblebee thought.

"I'm sorry, Auklet. I'm sorry you missed this." The HiveWing muttered.

"Bumblebee?" Luna's voice sounded as she walked towards Bumblebee. "Can you take care of Dusky while I talk with Bullfrog and Pineapple?"

Bumblebee nodded, "of course."

Luna sighed in relief and turned, whipping her wings around and trotting to speak with the medics.

"Where's Auklet?" Dusky panicked. "She told me she'd be here!"

Bumblebee's wings buzzed and she flapped one around Dusky's back, careful of his delicate wings.

"I'm sorry. She's not here."

Dusky's gaze fell to the ground. "Where is she? Did she sleep in? Or maybe-"

"No, Dusky." Bumblebee looked him in the eyes. "She went back to the Kingdom of the Sea."