I don't know you, but, I would like to say to you personally- thank you. You are the reason I am still writing this.
Reclaimer (All Rights Reserved)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sonic characters or Sonic X, they are all owned by SEGA. Please refer to the Author's Note in the short story (Lover).
Rated M
(F) Represents a different font.
To the one that will be.
Prologue
(F1)I am free. I have finished what I promised. He, I may never be forgiven.
(F2) Now, I die. Heed my warnings, see.
(F3) I witness what was unseen. I came from a world known, unknown to me now. I have seen the incorruptible become corrupt. The past can never… unless, the Emergence Wave…
Part 1
The End
"Sonic."
"Max."
The blue hedgehog eyed the Mad King with great suspicion. Sonic was among the few who were told that the old king was not to be killed. Instead he was to endure a life in prison, never to see the light of day. Never to hear the voice of a soul. However, the Mad King was indeed alive, was given a weapon, and was given the freedom to roam his kingdom. More precisely, Maximillian walked and admired the Acorn's flagship: The Alicia. The majestic, battleship was named after Maximillian's lover, the would-be queen.
The chipmunk felt the sting of the breeze flow by his open cheek. Never did he think he would be out of the Acorn dungeons. But never did he think he would see his flagship again. Max looked over the stern. He admired the small waves crashing against the larboard. To the many different species which was the crew- Max appeared as a child. A child who was given a new plaything. The chipmunks, porcupines, pigs, turtles, and many others on board would never listen to their old king. But they passed him, fearing him, cursing him, and going on about their seamanlike chores. While some of the men and women on board questioned the authority of the queen, who was at the moment speaking to Hamlin, Max looked at her daughter again.
Sally began yelling at the pig, and commanded with her hands towards other shipmasters. She was at the base of the plank extending from the large ship. The yelling did not suit Sally well. Not only was it distasteful, but to many in the Acorn Kingdom, Sally seemed off edge at all times. She always believed that peace was the noblest of objectives. But to approach war in such a manner was unlike her. And it was more of the way she thought her father to be.
"My queen I must protest, what you are doing is not wise." Hamlin objected. The pig surveyed the other shipmasters as if to say- "this does not concern you".
Sally was all too busy to respond directly or even look at the pig, "Hamlin, you have been given your orders. From the time I woke up till now, you have gone on incessantly. We cannot fight two wars. Keep the Golden Hive at bay."
"Yes your grace. B-but who is to…" Hamlin looked at the other shipmasters and lowered his voice, getting closer to the queen, "Who will reign if anything were to happen to you?"
Sally detested Hamlin and everything he did and asked at that moment, "Hamlin when I return, I expect your letter of resignation on my desk." Sally puffed up her chest and signaled the pig with an accusatory finger, "Don't think I'm not on to you pig! That business with Dragons losing their homes, you're sick Hamlin! Sick!"
Hamlin stared back at his queen with a less than displeasing expression, "How dare you? I have been loyal to the crown for many decades! I will not stand for this!"
Sally's eyes raged with fire, "Do you really want to start with me?"
The other shipmasters quieted and stopped talking to the queen about ship formations and proper navigational techniques.
"The hells with you, and the hells with your misbegotten crown!" Hamlin spat.
Sally pushed what parchments she had away to a shipmaster and towered over the pig, "I think I'll have that letter now. From now on, Hamlin, you no longer work for the crown. Your services are no longer needed."
"I don't suppose I can have that in writing?" Hamlin expectorated.
"Helmswoman!" Sally shouted, alerting the female steerswoman on her flagship.
"Yes your grace!" The female chipmunk shouted in response to the queen above where Max paid close attention to the bickering of his old advisor. Max scoffed at the pig.
"We leave now!" Sally shouted, still looking at the pig. "Mina." She motioned to the mongoose still at her side. Sally was handed a paper and quill, what she wrote she spoke aloud so Hamlin could hear. "Make sure this gets to Charles."
"Right away." Before the mongoose in mail could leave, Sally grabbed at her, whispered something, and dismissed her guard.
"That is all pig." Sally discharged Hamlin as he walked away proudly.
"That's my girl." Max whispered from above. Next to him yelled the Helmswoman at the crew, in response they yelled "aye ayes" and "yessir's".
Sally looked back and her eyes seemed to follow a trail that led to her father. Max looked at his daughter with soft eyes, he hoped she had not heard him. The wind howled and made Max's open mouth and teeth whistle. He held his skin-less cheek in pain. Sally realized what she was doing and spoke to the shipmasters once more.
"We keep a strict one to three ratio heading east. The Irons will have one of the three attack due west. The rest will be sure to strike from every other direction." Sally explained as she pointed on a giant map held by her and seven other shipmasters, while thirty-four other shipmasters surrounded her, and then another circle of thirty, waiting to deliberate to the other three hundred or so. "Most likely, the line of battle will be led by the Irons, they have the better ships."
"Supposing that were true," A chipmunk shipmaster pointed at above where the battle was thought to commence- in between the Long Sea. "Then the Irons will head westward, meaning, the tactical advantage will be given to one of the other two, the Legion or Knottingham- coming from the north- the Albanian Current."
"What tactical advantage?" Sally asked, she shivered at the chill the air brought. These plans were discussed to death the night before, and still Sally was pleased they were going over it again.
Another shipmaster chimed in, "There is an unnatural, strong current that begins north, close to Albion, and heads southward into Iron borders."
"Echidnopolis has the faster ships, but they are no match for Knottingham's fleet. Would Dimitri risk bulk over speed?" Another shipmaster added.
"Wait, "Sally interrupted, "So we may have a fleet speeding from the north? We'll just have to beat them to it."
"I have full confidence in the Acorn fleet." Another shipmaster added as others piped up and yelled "Ayes".
Sally rubbed her eyes. It was too early to be out, and way too early to be making war. "The end goal is to strip the Irons of their back-up. We can't take three armies at once, so, if the Irons come from the east, we spread the ratio in half, and head north and south. That goes for all other venues. Is everyone in agreement?"
All, either said or shouted "Aye". A walrus shipmaster added, "Plan of retreat?"
"We take the Long Sea south, and make our way to the southern border." Sally stated, looking at the faces of her brave shipmasters. They were scared, as she was. The frigid air was enough for Sally to clatter her teeth together. She looked around at the fearful faces, they longed to hear of good news, they, as much as the queen, hated war. But they each knew of a vital necessity. A stipulation they held for their families. Sons, daughters, wives, husbands. Those that mattered more than their own lives. They were on the margin of death and sanity. Looking over sanity's looming push over a steep cliff. Waiting for death's impending clutches to overcome them all.
"Gentlemen, gentlewomen…" Sally started, finding the words being pushed through the clatter of teeth, "We leave those simple titles behind today, and now, and give way to the cold embrace of war. Steel yourselves! Take heart, in the fact that we may never come back to our families. But knowing empirically, that because of us, there may yet be a future for our families! Raise the Acorn flag high!"
"Aye!" In unison, the shipmasters dismissed to spread the plan of action once more, and to give the same words their queen gave them, to their crews.
Sally was at first surrounded by many, and then for a moment left alone. The chipmunk queen looked at nothing in particular. The cold air should have bothered her more, but instead, she ignored the striking chills hitting her cheeks and mouth, and eyes. She well-regarded the hot air being created from her mouth, mixing with her atmosphere. Where her body pointed was The Great Forest, and other Acorns emerging from the trees. She looked onwards and began thinking, is this real? Are we really going to war? How many more have to die?
Sally would have instantly traded her life for the thousands that had already given theirs to the evils of the Iron Queen, or the wicked secrets of the Legion of Darkness. Part of her feared everything that had culminated to this point, but all of her, would leave, only to show that she was a good queen, or at least a decent queen. A queen that would die for her people. And no manner of ill-spoken rumors, or diagnoses from past blood, would deter her from being queen. The only queen, for that matter, that the Acorns needed.
This new Sally put panic in the hearts of the Acorns, but it would put dread in the hearts of Regina and her bulls alike. Unfortunately, even this new Sally, did not give Sally the hope she wanted. She was not confident she could defeat three armies at once, and still hold the Golden Hive at bay.
Sally saw the specter of her mother again, just off to the side of her view. She blinked hard. Every time that would happen she would count to ten, open her eyes again, and reveal nothing was there. Only, when she got to ten, her mother was still there. Sally shook her head violently, but she stopped, thinking, acting this way would get the attention of her shipmasters. She turned back and looked high upon her flagship. Her father was no longer looking at her, or in sight.
The queen now walked and faced the plank which led to her ship. She maneuvered out of the way of one of the men lifting a crate onto the thick and large plank. Can I do it? She asked herself.
It wasn't a matter of if she could do it, or even if she should do it. The moral boundaries the queen had crossed until now had been withering away. Sally had already made her decision the moment she decided to wake up that morning. The moment she took the reins of her father's kingdom, that decision was made. It was only a matter of taking the first step.
Oh, how cold Sally should have been that morning, and that she was. But to her, the cold was the last thing that worried her. She made herself believe that the weather gave her unexplainable comfort. That somehow the chill was fueling her. And as she took the first step, the wind carried her east onto her second step, and so on.
Max, the old chipmunk, the one they called the Mad King, was not able to see his daughter climb the ship, and so, was surprised to find her giving orders atop the flagship. He made sure he gave his daughter the right amount of space. He had not tried to speak to her about any specifics- anything regarding their relation, or even anything apropos the kingdom or the coming war.
Max saw hundreds of ships lining up, some had started their venture, but ultimately would wait for the lead-warship. He held onto the railing above the gangway, some men had just finished placing cannons below.
The helmswoman gave a commanding shout and the men above let loose sails of the foremast, the mainmast and the mizzenmast. As they did, most of the men climbed down the shrouds as three stayed upon each crow's nest. Crew from bow to poop attended to the ship, below and above they hurried and scurried. Max made his way back to the stern where the helmswoman eyed him whenever he was not looking. He knew her as Mrs. Helmswoman, but could not get a name from her. Nor would she allow him to have it. He did not remember appointing her as captain, although, it was unheard of that the helmsman be made captain, let alone a woman captain. Much had changed in Max's absence. The kingdom he knew once was changed. He came to a much more rowdy, war-like atmosphere, albeit, still a good, and might he add, a better kingdom than before. Even with the much acquired debt from the largest and wealthiest kingdom- Echidnopolis, and conflict, he revered the work of his daughter.
He wondered if his daughter needed help. He knew she needed the help, but offering his help, that was something more. He was told that Jules, the new general was sent away and captured, then Bernie was sent to find the Destructix. On top of all that, Merlin had gone missing for months. Max could offer more than tactical strategies in the battlefield, he could direct his daughter in the right way. Offer even everything he knew about the Legion and the Irons. But would she take his council?
"Off we go then." Max whispered as they set sail.
The helmswoman chuckled at him as she eyed Max when he was not looking.
"Caity, this is not our war."
"What about our friends? Are we just going to leave them too?"
"Sonic can take care of himself."
Knuckles the echidna strutted. His path surrounded his always-messy-but-now-cleaner-than-normal-kitchen, and his cluttered, uneven kitchen table. Each step was a much needed for the echidna to think, but with every anticipating step came the drudgery of suspense and the unnecessary admiration of his creaky hut.
Caitlyn the bat, or as you know her best, Rouge, stood her ground- at the threshold separating his kitchen and bedroom. It seemed that standing her ground would always work and help the bat win conversations, but as of late, these standings grew fickle, and had lost their groove. She thought it best to have these moments to parse through a meaningful conversation, and yet, as she stood, not sitting, it was all the more gratuitous.
"Sonic," Caitlyn began, feeling her mood change, and her expression became callous, "Sonic asked you for help. And you turned him down."
"So?" Knuckles did not look her way, "It's not like that hasn't happened before."
"You're bigger than that." Caitlyn scoffed at her partner. It was times like these when she would storm off, but something about his uncaring comments made her stay and she felt disgust at his idleness.
Knuckles pressed his fists on the uneven table and looked the bat square in the eyes, "What would you have me do? My hands are tied, my charge is with the emerald, and you know that."
"Why?" Caitlyn raised both of her arms in question, "What is the worse that's going to happen? Nobody wants it. No one has taken it in years, except for me and Eggman."
"But that's exactly why. Everyone thinks the Master Emerald has no magical properties like the other emeralds do, sure, that might be true, but what do you think keeps the other emeralds in check? And now that we know there is a thief here, other than you, who likes emeralds, you would ask me to leave?" Knuckles raised his voice, making the bat feel uncomfortable. He saw his words stung deeper than any wound he had given her before. "Caity, I didn't think." The echidna measured his words before he spoke again, "I promised you I would think before I spoke."
The bat should have been angrier with the echidna, but she felt lightheaded, something she had never felt before. Caitlyn took a seat next to the uneven table and took long breaths before speaking again. "I'm not angry with you."
Knuckles noticed this new reaction and sat himself next to the bat, "Is everything alright?"
"You know things are not alright. This whole Sonic thing… and no one has seen Tails or Cosmo in weeks. And what about Helen, and Rimas? It all just worries me." Caitlyn felt a strange, alien feeling overcome her. Could it be? Could it be the overwhelming feeling of redemption? Carried out through the vestiges of friendship. This, white, bat would love and hate to think so.
"What can I do?" Knuckles extended his arm and held the rough hands of the bat, with his own coarse, red hands. It was an odd sight to see Knuckles without his giant, white, gloves, and yet the two had grown accustomed to much of themselves throughout the months. Their true selves of course.
"You mean, what can we do?" Caitlyn restated for the echidna. As the bat winced in faint pain, the echidna took the time to caress her cheek. Which she gladly took and supported with her other hand.
"Of course that's what I mean." Knuckles closed his eyes and imagined them someplace else, alone, without fright and tears. "Where would I be without you?"
Caitlyn sneered, "Knuckie, you know how I feel about that." The bat made herself chuckle but also made herself be sterner.
"I'm serious, and I'll keep saying it." Knuckles opened his eyes to see the same result of the topic brought up. "I love you Caity." With each word and the name came great, simple, and soft enunciation. A phrase now deliberate to Knuckles, but it came with too much clarity and attachment for Caitlyn.
The bat began to bite her nails nervously and looked around and away from the echidna. Knuckles patted her hands away and said, "Hey, stop that. It's a bad habit."
"Sorry." The bat apologized, but the words seemed to flutter away from the intended and found their way escaping the hut.
Knuckles let each unresponsive response go without question, but through him, he mistrusted Caitlyn. Within he felt she loved another. A fault and thinking error that came naturally with the simple and through-the-motions relationship. But it was her inability to say the words that should have been studied more closely. A fault, not of hers, and not of his.
Knuckles sighed plainly and left the room, worrying the bat a tad. When he came back he placed the emerald shards on the table and his lucky hat on his head. The emerald shards had begun to heal themselves, but not as quickly as Knuckles wanted.
"Maybe, Charles will need some help." Knuckles assumed as the bat got up to lightly kiss him.
"Thank you." Caitlyn whispered. The two began to walk away but the bat was stopped by Knuckles.
"I'm scared. Of losing you." Knuckles confessed. He hated himself for becoming so emotional, even in front of the woman he loved.
"You won't." Caitlyn sealed the promise with another kiss.
"The Forgotten War. In the days of Jun Kun there were three major wars. The first as we all know it, was the fall of Camelot, the Dragons or, the Shinobi Clan, as they were called then, were given that kingdom." Max had to constantly hold the left side of his open cheek. The whistling that came in through his mouth had become aggravating for him, and distracting to his daughter and the helmswoman. Even Sonic had sat a few feet away from the old king.
It was still light out, so when Max laid all manner of trinkets on a map on a wavering barrel, it could be seen clearly. Max had retained his entire mannerism and gesticulation from a life ago, this bothered the blue hedgehog. Speaking with demeanor was always the aim of Max, letting go of his sister's death-Sonic was unprepared to do.
With or without the attention of the Hero of Time, Max continued, "The second, The Silent War, was all rumors and rumors of war. Apparently powers were shifted, and control was taken from the Irons for a time, only to be given back. The third, "Max raised a finger and pointed on the map- east of the Long Sea, where Knottingham should be, and then where Camelot once was- west of the Long Sea. "Secession's War." A great sea of both pain and recollections filled the chipmunk's head. He quickly and automatically shot a distant look at his daughter, "Your mother and I made the Camelot Freedom Fighters."
Sally had heard the story many times, and even Sonic, who seemed uninterested, gave little attention to Max. Sonic interrupted him, still not looking his way, "We don't need a history lesson."
Max nodded, and with clattering teeth responded, "Right. I led all campaigns against the Irons. On Camelot grounds, and on their ground." Max looked as if he had misplaced something of his, "Actually, except for one, I befell a sickness. Sally you're too young to remember the Dark Plague."
"No, I've heard of it." Sally nodded and reassured Sonic and the chipmunk helmswoman, "That's how Knottingham lost their last king." Sally looked around to see the only one who knew what she was referring to was her father, "You've all heard the stories. First it was Rob, the king's son, and then King Lionel. So the crown was given to his brother Ban."
Sonic shrugged indifferently, his mood since that morning had not improved, and Sally was picking up on it. She could not say she did not approve, but she guessed in time of war, that was to be expected.
Sally was still unclear on many things, she returned her attention to her father, "Wait, so how did you survive? Victims of the Dark Plague are said to never recover."
Max chuckled, he was glad she had asked, "That was what I was getting at." Max stopped pressing his fists against the wobbly barrel, and began to clutch at his hand. He unhurriedly removed the glove of his left hand, this time getting the attention of Sonic. The old king revealed a dark, splotchy, mark on his hand, starting from the tip of his pointer finger, spiraling down to his elbow. Sally remembered the dark scar, but was never explained to her of what it was.
Max started to speak again, only this time with less fervor, "My men, and even I, were losing. We saw our true opponent, Regina, that ruthless cow. But there was another. You all know Dimitri. Dimitri had uncovered Graal, Galahad's sword. Stole it right from under us." Max paused, he felt the information he was giving was plentiful enough to inspire confusion.
Max continued, "He gave the sword to Regina, and that seemed like the end. Before I befell the sickness I saw her, fighting. She hardly moved. You would see her coming, but, the sword was too quick. One person, one fat, cow lady, had the entire Freedoms Fighters beaten."
Sonic shook his head, "What? What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, we almost lost to Regina. Not the Irons, just her." Max said plainly.
"Pigswallow." The helmswoman spat.
"I agree with Mrs. Helmswoman." Sonic looked back out to sea. "You've been locked away too long dear Max."
Sally raised her hand, "Please, continue."
"Really?" Both the helmswoman and Sonic asked simultaneously.
Max smiled, but it quickly turned feign, "Regina will risk fighting this battle." This comment made Sally's eyes widen. "The Iron queen has become overconfident. We take the queen…"
"We take the biggest piece." Sally finished for him.
"You really think the Iron queen will risk dying, over the biggest battle of the century? Perhaps even of three centuries?" Sonic asked.
"Yes." Max responded. "The trick is, fighting Graal."
Sonic scoffed, "I've had my share of focus locus, but magic swords?"
"In my day, Caliburn was the cornerstone of animal evolution in the kingdom. Without its light we would not have been able to make the Acorn kingdom in the first place!" Max realized he had shouted and apologized.
"Easy gramps." Sonic retorted, "And where is that sword now I wonder?" Sonic knew which nerve to hit.
Max took two deep breaths and began to direct himself to the blue hedgehog, "I know I have wronged you, and your family, in ways that I can't possibly-"
"You're an old sard!" Sonic excused himself as he yelled the words. He climbed down and Sally was shocked to hear Sonic use such inflammatory language.
As Sally began to follow after Sonic she was stopped by Max, "Leave him be, he's right." Sally saw her father was holding on to her and gave him a distasteful look. Fiona, from afar looked concerned and got up to see what the matter was.
When Max let her go Sally began, saying to the helmswoman, "Give the signal."
The steerswoman nodded and lit a torch. She began to raise a flag, signaling the other ships. She was hailing them, using an old Acorn code designed by Max.
Sally looked at her father again, this time disappointingly, "This is the point of no return. Whoever turns back now, will be branded a traitor."
The order was to walk covertly to the destination point. But being surreptitious wasn't a strong attribute for the Golden Armada, or even walking for that matter. But the hums had definitely and significantly died down since they reached the Acorn Border. Perhaps the heir of The Golden Hive would have ushered better- if he were still under the impression that his people were fighting for something righteous. His wife, Saffron was not at all convinced. But Charmy, had something to prove.
The two newly-weds brought a scrupulous energy of satisfactory pliancy. Not in the sense of near-insubordination, but more of the fact of receiving- new-air, from this heir.
"The map says there is a river past this next bend. It leads up to the Dragon Dojo." Saffron whispered to the much-armored, young bee.
"No river." Charmy corrected. It would be half-light in a few hours, and so would begin again their march.
"Okay, but the map says-"Saffron tried.
"No river. The map is wrong." The boy-bee snapped. The two stationed behind a clearing of trees, inside a tall oak. The rest of his army might have done the same behind them, or in between tall grass.
Saffron quieted. She wondered if her company was enough to keep Charmy at bay, or keep him reviled at the task at hand, or even at her. The image the Queen-Bee had of her other half was of the one she knew from as long as she could remember, to their sixth birthday. It was very unlike the reflection Charmy was portraying now.
He's never this quiet, Saffron thought as she brushed away excess mail from her knees. Even as she wore armor the girl seemed fashionably dressed. While her hair matched her golden breastplate, she had her metal boots painted with bright pink. Her leggings were also laced with pink. And as she uncomfortably shifted on the tree the two hid in, Saffron placed her hand on Charmy's cheek.
Charmy was caught off guard, looking and tracing the stinger engraved on his chestplate. He quickly noticed his dozing off and tugged at the map slightly, away from the girl. As she handed him the parchment he proceeded to point at the river first, then the dojo, North of the dojo and a few inches left of it, "No river, "Charmy repeated, "the dojo is farther north. I know it because I've been there with Espio and Vector plenty of times. Before entering Dragon territory, we slept in a village called Newcork. And…" He paused, he had a distant look as he said the words, "I think the mayor… no- governor was called Sir Eleanor. I guess I remember how nice she was because the Dragons were kind of mean. Except for Valdez." Another distant look.
"You have good memory." Saffron complimented. She had begun to play with her hair and had found an unwanted and knotty curl.
"We had to, Vector made us research before we went detectiving." Charmy wondered if that was an actual word, as did Saffron.
The bee-girl tried to identify the cause of Charmy's discontent. It was easy to talk to him, about anything, and he never hid secrets from her. But one thing he spoke of less was about his two companions. This time she placed her hand on his knee and she pried, "You never talk about Vector, or Espio much." She half expected him to make a joke about it.
"What's there to talk about?" Charmy was cold in his remark.
"They were your friends too, weren't they?" She almost ignored his last comment.
Charmy nodded and looked up. Through a clearing of leaves he no longer saw the sun, but a reflection of dying rays.
"Maybe we should visit them." Saffron hoped.
But Charmy ignored, "Isn't it weird that we haven't encountered anyone? A whole army, ten caravans, and enough supplies to last-years. If you haven't caught on, that's why we are waiting for half-light now."
"Don't change the subject." Saffron snapped. "And don't be snide with me."
Charmy looked away embarrassed and apologized, "Sorry sweetie."
Saffron softened her tone as she heard his "sweetie" remark, "Charmy, be straight with me. Why won't you talk about them? And, why are you doing this?"
Charmy looked at his wife with a puzzled look, "You know why. I have to earn my title, I have to be respected."
The girl was not at all satisfied with his response, but she trusted Charmy with all of her being. She remembered, before they left, Charmy was set on leaving his crown. He did not deem himself worthy of his father's estate, belongings, or any of the kingdom. His parent's untimely passing shook both him and Saffron. She wondered if it was at all appropriate to even bring that up. But with the Dark Plague, comes little cure, and for Charmy, his little cure would have to be time.
"I hope you know-" Saffron was interrupted by a soldier bee in golden plated armor.
"My king, my queen," He was a relatively young bee, who would have looked younger if it wasn't for his shadowy facial hair, "It's Captain Florentine." He said pointing at another tree, close to theirs.
"What is it Aster?" Charmy was proud that he remembered the bee's name. But as he commanded, he felt ungainly for the fact that Aster was probably two decades older than him.
"He's been sick since we left the hive." Aster started again, both bee's feelings reciprocating, "He just fainted."
Charmy quickly looked at Saffron, she returned the glance. The two left their tree, walked and climbed the tree that Aster led them to. It was larger than theirs, and it fit about twenty of the bees. Two of the soldier bees had the captain lying upright on a thick branch, making sure he was given water and was kept from falling off.
Captain Florentine was in his sixties, and he still wore his black armor from forgotten wars. Although, his helm lay on his stomach, many a times it fell from the tree.
"Mm-… sh… shadows…" Florentine mumbled.
"What does he have Lieutenant?" Charmy asked Aster while he and Saffron's attention was at the mumbling bee.
"He never told me, he always brushed it off and said he was fine." Aster clenched his fist as if he was in great pain and Saffron noticed this.
Charmy grabbed hold of one of the soldier bees, "Basil, give the Delay Signal."
"Right away your grace." The bee enthusiastically responded and left the tree."
"We can't delay all for one bee." Saffron reminded Charmy.
"We can take care of him. We can stay here if we need to, until he's better." One of the two taking care of the captain offered.
Charmy shook his head, "I know, it's not that." The bee climbed down the tree and his wife followed. The young bee felt a sting and a pain in his head. He held his temple until Saffron reached him.
"What's wrong?" Saffron asked.
"Something feels wrong." Charmy looked at the sky once more, seeing the last of the rays of half-light.
"Do you think it's the Dark Plague?" Saffron wondered.
Charmy shook his head again with discomfort, "The plague is faster, and you can see it. It's probably just exhaustion."
"Well, whatever it is, I think Aster has it too, I think." She said without thinking.
"What makes you say that?" Charmy asked.
The Queen-Bee shrugged.