Chapter 9: Set You Free

A warm breeze swept over Bee's cheeks, stinging the soft skin, stirring her out of the abyss of unconsciousness. Her eyes felt heavy and wouldn't open, as if they were sealed shut. Exhaling, she turned her head back and forth and tried to escape the sleep paralysis that held her. Finally managing to open her eyes, the fatigue that immediately slammed down on her was enough to take her breath away.

The muffled silence and swimming vision made Bee grunt and wince. Her head was throbbing. Her legs felt tingly. And—

–It's so hot… she thought.

A heavy thud landed next to her, the tremor startling her enough to try and look over. With more than enough difficulty, Bee managed to turn her head to the side and squint through the waning haze to see a shaking body.

Isn't that… one of the guys who attacked Helystn?

The cowering alien held his hands flat to the ground, in a defenseless position.

What's he—?

In an instant, the shaking body had stilled, contorted, and then exploded into indistinguishable bits of hot, fine dust. The blast hit Bee straight on and she grimaced before hyperventilating. Bee coughed and turned onto her stomach, giving a cry of pain when a sharp ache panged at the base of her skull.

Bee, now very afraid of whatever new threat had appeared, tried to control her breathing as she also strained to look around the clearing for Helystn. She hoped with all her heart that he hadn't met the same fate as the alien next to her had. Then, her traveling gaze saw a tall figure near the sapphire tree line. Its messy white hair glowed with a light blue sheen. Its eyes were a frightening silver that pierced through the hues of the night.

"Helystn," Bee whispered.

She watched his impassive expression melt away as he collapsed to his hands and knees. He coughed and sank his head to lean on the grass, bracing himself on his forearms. She could clearly see the pain he was in as he arched his back and clawed at the iridescent sward beneath him.

But.

He killed those people… He—he killed them…

Bee knew she talked smack and had a bark bigger than her bite. She could defend herself and others if the need arose, but never liked hurting people. Helystn didn't just hurt people though. He destroyed them.

For the first time ever, Bee felt a terrible emotion when she saw the heaving form of Helystn. It was something she'd never experienced, even when he had dropped from the sky onto her head. It was terror. It was dread.

She felt fear.

Toward him? Or his actions? His potential? She didn't know, but she did know that the cold that settled on her heart was not something she wanted to associate with seeing her best friend.

She crawled up to sit on her knees. Bee didn't move for a while, she just sat there and watched. When moving to see if he was alright occurred as an action in her mind, she fisted her shaking hands and stood up on wobbly legs. Her head still hurt, and she cursed under her breath, but inching slowly, closer to Helystn, she fought through the pain knowing he was suffering more than she was.

Helystn heard grass crunch underfoot in front of him. Looking up, he saw Bee and relaxed. His building smile stopped though, when she halted a foot from him. Fear etched on her face.

Oh no. Somber thoughts fell on him like a bitter cold shower, shocking him into the reality he had just created. She's afraid of me. I'm a—

/—monster…/

Bee gulped when she heard his low whisper. She had tried to squash the bad thoughts as best she could, but couldn't help the lurch of fear when she saw him raise his head.

"No," she told him in a trembling tone, almost at a whispering level. "Helystn—"

/Monster. I'm a monster. A monster,/ he chanted.

"Helystn, please," Bee begged.

He hiccupped, a sob racking his body. /A monster./

Pity blossomed in Bee's chest, almost eradicating all her fears in an instant. When she opened her mouth to quell his self-loathing, a loud rustle in the tree line caught her attention. Turning around, Bee's eye's widened at the sight of more troops gathering together, forming into groups to surround them. Helystn sniffed and looked up too and saw the large numbers that had assembled. Knowing this time, he wouldn't be able to do anything to defend the two of them, his sadness increased.

/Bee…/ he began. /I'm—/

Helystn stopped when Bee turned her back to him.

Monster.

/Bee…/

The young woman stretched out her arms level to her waist in defense before the still kneeling, exiled Star Creature. His surprise was evident, but not as apparent as her own. Bee wasn't sure why, but even though Helystn was a bit scary, her gut was telling her not to give in. She was weak, but that wasn't going to stop her. Her head was throbbing and aching, but that was going to deter her. Probably one of the most dangerous creatures to reside in the known universe was right behind her.

But she would defend him to her last dying breath.

She flinched when a large hand encircled her wrist, tugging at her ever so gently. Looking down, Bee furrowed her brows at the tear stained face of Helystn.

"Hey man," she protested.

/Don't./

She recoiled a bit. "What? Helystn, please, let go."

/I can't let you do this Bee./

His hoarse voice urged her to turn around to fully face him. He grabbed her other wrist and guided her to kneel.

/Don't. You don't need to do this,/ he said.

"I want to help you."

/Bee./

"I want to protect you," she said louder.

/But—/

"Helystn! You're my friend! I can't lose you… So let me protect you!"

Her declaration sped up his heart, but nagged at the back of his mind. The word 'friend' had a sour taste to it after all that they had gone through these last few days. Even before their mission to Royal Space… They had to be more than just that.

/Bee. Don't do this. Stand down./

She heard the command in his voice and grit her teeth at his stern expression. "That's it then? You're willing to die? After all this? Just like that?" she choked.

She stared at him fiercely, unable to believe that this was how they were going end. Helystn didn't answer her and continued to stare at her with saddened silver eyes. He didn't want her to protect him anymore. Whenever she did, she got hurt. She was always getting hurt because of him. He couldn't bear to have her be put through any more pain because of him.

He continued to watch her. Bee's quivering lips, heated eyes, reddening cheeks. He wanted nothing more than to protect her himself. Despite the growing danger surrounding them, he couldn't stop his rapid heartbeat from calming.

I'll protect you, he told her silently.

Bee saw the conviction in his gaze and shook her head at whatever convoluted ideas he was preparing in his mind. She was immensely surprised when he let go of her wrists to encircle his arms around her shoulders. He couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine at the contact. Her despair, her pain, her anger. He'd take it all, for her. Reaching up, Helystn wove his tan fingers gently through Bee's thick brown locks. Exhaling, he placed his hands on the sides of her head and coaxed the concussion she acquired to disappear.

The rush of heat that spread through her instantaneously was reminiscent to when he healed her ankle. Bee's wide, brown eyes gave away her frightened thoughts. He painfully sighed and let his hands sink back to her shoulders where he rested his forearms.

/I'm getting you out of here…/

The grass crunched and weapons clanked.

/I want you, be free,/ he told her. /I want you, to live on./

"I don't understand," Bee whined, tear threatening to flow. "Why can't we both leave?"

/I'm not strong enough… And no matter where I go, this will follow./ Bee shook her head. /I shouldn't have asked you to come. You were safer at home. With Cass. With—Deckard…/

"No! I want to stay with you!"

Helystn kissed her. The horrible anguish flowed into him and he tried so desperately to cut off the flow of connection like his kind. Focusing, he thought of the blue and green planet of the humans. Bee's world. Her home.

Breaking apart, they both took a breath and looking into each other's' eyes.

/Goodbye, Bee./

"NO!" Bee screamed as he faded away in a warped flash.

[A/N: ... I want to cry. Here we have the turning point. The story will stay T rated, but I have an alternate chapter thing in mind that I'll do as a smut M stand alone fanfic. Wanted to let y'all know that. That's not why I'm crying though. Geez, its because I can't believe this is how its going to go. No spoilers, but yikes. When I looked at the way I wrote the end, I feel as if I should end it differently.

What do you guys think? They way it's going now, how would you see this ending as? Magic, science, love transcending time alternate universe theory? What are y'alls thoughts?]