A/N: Done for Lj's KKM Challenge community and it's eighteenth round. The theme for this one is a backstory of anything in Shin Makoku...hence bearbees. ...enjoy!xD

Warnings: Contains OCs...as in all legends of origin.

A Crime of Passion: The Story of the Bearbees

Oneshot

The Southern Dimension was relatively a young universe. Contrary to the mass of swirling disorder made appeased by the gods as the making of Earth, this other wordly dimension emerged from the mists of a passive sort of peace.

Its forming years provided a most peculiar spectacle. The lands were covered with clear water. Creatures of the sea gamboled within its depth, uncontainably thrilled with their spacious habitat. Through time, the water level decreased, leaving in its wake towering mountains and lush lowlands.

Thus was christened Ptolemeia, the highest peak in all of the Southern Dimension with a picturesque plateau with forests and meadows. Ptolemeia overlooked Paradigo, a small expanse of lowland with fields of tall grass that light up when the sunrise hits them. Far off from the mountain's base was a vast, pristine shore leading to that clear sea.

For the longest time, it was the only piece of land in the entire dimension.

- - - -

If she had been on Earth, she would have existed during the Jurassic era, but her universe was nowhere near such chaos, otherwise the world she had come to know would be very old indeed.

Melopomene turned her face toward the impossibly blue sky before emitting a small "Nyuu..." and taking in the surroundings she had woken up to that day.

A glittering stretch of green meadow greeted her and bushels of flowers waved to her in the gentle mountain breeze. The tangy scent of pine tickled her small black nose and the pink of her short fur darkened considerably with the pleasure of the sensation.

Aah...

Melopomene could have lain in the field all day, if not for the Dew Mistress Dahila in need of her services.

Dahila was woven from Ptolemeia's forests at the same time her brother Mojares was spurned from the shores of Paradigo. The mistress was a creature of the Moon, intent on keeping the peace within the Southern Dimension. Her people were ever content things, passive and accepting. They considered her brother, the elusive Sea Guardian, as a diety of livelihood, as he was always quite generous in sharing with them the bounties of the waters.

Mojares, however, had always been restless. Dahila feared that if he disturbed her people's peace with his radical, insatiable passions, it would bring to the Southern Dimension a very abrupt end.

No. Dahila's people were peacefully passive things.

Melopomene sighed and got up with difficulty on her two stubby legs. Odd. During the pink bear's visits to the lowlands, she had already noticed she was different from most bears, not that it was much of a problem to ponder over. Still, they aroused curiosity enough. These bears were brown, grizzly, had huge claws and equally huge body mass. Melopomene, however, was small, pink and fluffy with blunt, cuddly stubs for limbs.

But Dahila had created her, called her a cute bear and loved her so she wasn't in the position to complain much. As stated, it was merely odd and Melopomene had always been exceptionally curious. It was the same oddity when she had seen those brown bears move (if they chose to). They waddled on all fours at a fantastically slow pace, whereas she ran, like her mistress, on her two legs as fast as the speed of sound.

After all, dew bears were not to be seen nor heard, especially by the village folk. She was told that if she would be seen, passion would erupt inside them and they would be consumed by flames.

Melopomene did not know what passion was. It was bad and that was all.

That aside, she did not know of other dew bears besides herself. As the young universe knew nothing of loneliness, the pink bear merely felt unnerved. She loved Dahila and her company, but could she please create another dew bear companion for her?

"Melopomene!"

Ah! Her mistress was calling! Fast as sound, she raced toward the quaint cottage on the edge of the Ptolemeian plataeu overlooking Paradigo and the clear water sea more than a thousand kilometers below. Standing on the delicate bamboo threshold was a woman of regal bearing. She had sky blue skin and flowing hair like fresh seaweeds. Emerald eyes glowing with affection matched the floor length wrap-around she wore, full as if spun from spiderwebs and dried forest foliage.

"Nyuu?" Melopomene cooed in dutiful query as slender azure arms of Dahila picked her up and carried her like a small child.

"You have a task at hand," said the Dew Mistress. "Dawn approaches the lands and it is your job to bring in the Morning Mist."

Dahila fished a golden pail from somewhere beside the entrance of the cottage. Inside it was a clear liquid like sugar water, garnished by a sprig of fresh lavender to sprinkle the flora and fauna with. She handed it to the pink bear she was cradling.

"Go dew the fields," she continued instructing. "And be quick before the birds arrive. Mojares waking will also wake the village folk. Remember what I warned you against instigating passion? By then you'd have to flee."

Dahila touched Melopomene's nose most endearingly and her bear gave an obedient mewl. She giggled as the bundle of fluff crossed her beady black eyes at the action. Setting the animal on the fresh green grass, Dahila waved goodbye as the ground swalled Melopomene whole.

- - - -

The pink bear resurfaced moments later, already on Paradigan soil in the midst of a truly beautiful plain. Village folk, as Dahila had put it, were the handful of peaceful, passive things living near the shore, who awoke when Mojares did. This ritual rising was signaled by birds taking flight within Paradigo's own forests.

Melopomene had to hurry. She would have more time to enjoy the sun after her task was over and she was safely made unseen by the tall grass.

She waddled toward a flower bush, ready to dip her lavender sprig in the dew and paint it. Closely examining the globular drop of nectar hanging from a yellow petal would be her undoing, an unliikely cause for the paving of a new history, a re-engineering of evolution.

She emitted a loud "NYUU!" and fell backwards as a frightening buzzing thing almost flew into her face and stung her with that pointy attachment at the other end of it's body. Her golden dew pail soared from her paw and sailed in a graceful arc into the sea, but not before showering the fields of Paradigo in glittering sundrops.

Melopomene hardly noticed. She was still staring in awe and shock at the strange, hovering animal before her. It was very tiny. It has a tiny yellow circle for a head, with reed stem things sticking out of it and the largest set of black eyes ever seen. It also had a tiny circle for a body, stripped black and yellow, but that wasn't the oddity.

It had wings.

Up till that moment, all the flying animals Melopomene had known within her existence were only birds. She had never even seen one up close, but was hopelessly fascinated by how they could take into the air without effort.

So, was this a bird? Oh how Melopomene wished she could fly like that. There was an ache deep in her chest but it was dull. Peacefullly passive was what she was only allowed to feel.

"Nyuu?" She cocked her furry little head to the side curiously.

"Gee..." answered the bird.

The pink bear frowned. Birds don't go "Gee", they go "Uwa". Did this mean there were other animals besides her that could fly? Hope overrode the her pain and swelled inside. She carefully approached the flying thing with an outstretched paw.

"Gee...suu..." it said.

Melopomene looked even more inquisitive than ever. It was called a Geesuu then? Could they be friends?

"Nyuu!" she invited and the flying Geesuu ventured nearer her nose. She could feel the butterfly kisses of those gossamer wings and felt a churning in her stomach. For sure her fur had promptly turned fuschia.

I wish I could fly, she conveyed. You aren't a bird, so you must grant wishes! Be my friend.

And Melopomene knew, despite all the companionship and love her mistress offered, she longed for something more and something else. The Southern Dimension was so peacful because Dahila did not allow passion to thrive under her watch. It was there, but it had yet to be heard of.

Mojares was rumored to be fostering passion as his child, but the Dew Mistress would have none of it. Passion would bring this world chaos. It was simply forbidden.

Geesuu perched comfortably on top of Melopomene's head, tugging her from her thoughts. It became clear there was much more than hope and a ticklish nestling she felt as Geesuu made her head a bed.

Melopomene flushed purple and sat down amongst the dew heavy tall grass, mewling in absolute delight. She was the first in this young dimension to fall in love at first sight. And it was in that subtle passion, Dahila had warned, that overwhelmed peace and consumed it with flames from the inside out, burning away before being fully aware of what was burning it.

The pink bear elicited a happy nyuu and Geesuu buzzed contentedly as they were slowly consumed by flames.

This rush...it was incredible! And it had happened so fast, there was no stopping it! She had never experienced anything like it before. Melopomene couldn't wait to tell her mistress. That is, if she could even—

- - - -

Back on the Ptolemeian plateau, Dahila was frowning. Ah, not again.

Two blossoms falling from her Daisy Tree spoke of more victims falling into the arms of emotion way too much than their bodies could take. Passion was all consuming. It was truly dangerous!

Peace needed to be kept and in order to do so, the Southern Dimension should be kept content! The village folk were sustained by the clear water sea, companionships and conversation. The animals thrived with the wild. What more was there to be asked? Surely Mojares would understand? Unless the Sea Guardian would rather have the young universe already perish in mythical flames.

Falling daisies don't lie. More and more burn away everyday.

So, who was it this time? The Dew Mistress sighed at the thought of visiting Paradigo. She stepped out her cottage with a rustle of leaves, glancing once over her shoulder to find the green meadow beyond quite undisturbed. Melopomene had not come back yet? She must be sightseeing. That bear could be such a child sometimes.

- - - -

The village folk bowed and dispersed, promptly returning to their daily chores after greeting their Dew Mistress with empty smiles. If only to keep the...

"Mojares!"

The swirling clear waves kissing the beach rose and materialized into the form of a man, who very much resembled the colors of his sister if nothing else.

"Yes, Dahila?"

The mistress crossed her arms. "You have taken another of my people to your kingdom under the sea..."

Mojares gave an apologetic tilt of the head. "It shall only be a matter of time before they will all be consumed by their discoveries of passion. You cannot do anything to stop them."

"Indeed," said Dahila. "But do you not want to keep the peace?"

"Ah. A very bland peace it is."

The Dew Mistress huffed, glancing about to seemingly escape the enigma she was faced with. She still didn't know who or what was consumed by the flames and whether or not her brother had got wind of it and brought the certain whatever to the realm beneath the sea before it completely burned away.

"Who did you get, Mojares?"

The Sea Guardian looked nonplussed at the loaded question. "I retrieved no one."

"What?"

Dahila turned on her bare heel, hoping to find answers on the thatched village huts, the sandy shore or the heavily dewed field behind them. Something gold glinted under the sun.

Melopomene!

The Dew Mistress ran toward the center of the tall grass, her brother following in solemn curiosity.

"Where—?"

"That pail belongs to your dew bear?" Mojares asked.

"Yes," his sister answered breathlessly, winding her way through the flowers in search of the frisky pink bear. The sky was thick with birds that had flocked to watch the the ethereal pair. "She has been gone all morning. It doesn't take her this long to dew the fields before the birds awaken."

But oh how Melopomene had done a most excellent job this time. The picture was so surreal, almost like a farewell.

"Hn. My messenger bee Geesuu has gone for quite some time too." Mojares observed absently, turning about in an attempt of a futile search of his own. Genuine shock was to override them moments later.

"Sister...this patch."

Dahila followed the direction of his outstretched finger. A cry of anguish ripped through her throat, oblivious to the fire that had begun to erupt in her legs. Oh her dew bear! Her bear she loved with a mother's love! Her bear she took care of like a lonely child towards its favorite toy...

"Melopomene!"

They burned. The Sea Guardian was unsettled.

At the center of whithering long stemmed mums, still bowing as embers ate at them from the inside, lay charred remains of seemingly one entity. Entranced by the motlen black burn darker than night, the siblings failed to see a thread of pink fur and a fragment of gossamer wing floating in the breeze.

The commotion coaxed the village folk and wild animals from their homes, puzzled at the noise and feelings they never honestly witnessed, let alone felt, before. They heard that flames always met those unfortunates in the end.

"NYUUGEESUU!"

A majestic, unexpected beast burst forth from the depths of the clear water sea. It was pink like a dew bear, bottom striped yellow and black like a bee. Sticking out from its furry back were wings like thin, intricately veined glass, beating rapidly as they fought to keep the animal airborne.

"Nyuugeesuu!" It exclaimed again, followed by a reverberating mewl that shook the heavens. Pink fur rose in a surge of uncontainable passion.

Dahila and Mojares recognized the glow. It was the most forbidden Love. Before anything else could happen, the giant Nyuugeesuu exploded into tiny replicas of itself.

The village folk were overwhelmed. It was like breathing life in. It was too much but then it was what they has so blindly searched for and now desperately crave. To hell with this peace.

And hell it was, as Paradigo was devoured by the flames.

The Dew Mistress was right. Any manifestation of passion could overthrow peace in the impossibly shortest amount of time. The passive nature she had worked so carefully for was the twisted brand of protection destined to be her undoing.

"Ah, brother..."

Love continued to wreak havoc in the land. The burning victims threw themselves into the clear water sea, whose waves were all but crashing into the shore. Mojares' kingdom rose to the surface.

Melopomene truly did not expect that her morning would have ended with the utter destruction of Paradigo her mistress had guarded against the evils of passion so ardently. But the bear (or was she now a bee?) was in a new light, a new consciousness that Geesuu had helped her discover. Dahila had been consumed by that flames, the passion she had tried to avoid for the save of a passive peace.

It was worth the sacrifice.

Mojares' people were loud and noisy. They were full of life, cheerfulness and the freedom to love and cry. It was emotions brought about by the giant Nyuugeesuu.

The unusual animals littered the sky, making birds panic, dazzling the new world amidst birth and destruction. It was evident that the kingdom under the sea was surprised at the change of their environment, having been living quite exciting lives, like a thriving Atlantis returned to the light of the sun.

"What are they?" people were wondering out loud in awe. Children were laughing and chasing the Nyuugeesuu. Lovers gazed at them in mutual understanding. "They're beautiful."

Mojares closed his eyes in satisfaction and turned to what remained of his sister, already beyond saving from the chest downward.

"Dahila..." he whispered brokenly.

"Mojares..." the Dew Mistress replied, reaching out to him with weakened arms. Her brother took them with utmost tenderness. "You told me that it was only a matter of time before this peace would be consumed by passion..."

The Sea Guardian sank to his knees, holding his sister close. "You knew this would happen in the end. You pushed me to bring out the passion...the life of the people in this world. Know, my sister, that you will not die in vain. I will keep the peace."

His sister nodded, pursing her lips to stop the tears from falling. "...M...melopomene?"

A Nyuugeesuu heard the call, and, ever obedient, rushed at the speed of sound toward the Dew Mistress' side. Shaking blue fingers caressed the small animal with fondness. "Why didn't you tell me you wanted to fall in love?"

"Nyuugeesuu..." it mewled mournfully.

"Be happy." With that, Dahila burned away.

Every Nyuugeesuu felt what had happened and took those words to heart, keeping the special power to give love within themselves, serving as a new embodiment of the humble love, the subtle universal passion, between the dew bear and the messenger bee.

They were the symbol of life and love, a crime of passion.

"It looks like a bear...a weird one for sure...but then it also looks like Lord Mojares' messenger bee!"

"So what's it called?"

END

A/N: Yep...so how was it?xD