Life 341, Day 96

  Throughout my many lives, we have somehow never found this location. Today, we have found something that goes beyond logic, something that has all of my friends scared, awed and anxious.

  We have found a single house, next to Raging Lake, protected by a singular vespiquen, which was able to take on every companions that I am travelling with. most companions I am travelling with, Princess did not wish to participate.

  This singular pokemon was able to wipe the floor with all my friends, Master got a broken arm, while Paladin is still in a coma. Hound and Knight are somewhat still functional, and Cutter is sleeping off the damages. We should all be dead. The only reason we are not is thanks to a blind lady calling herself Lena Kurrow. Like me, she has not used a single soul coin for herself, unlike me, she was not aware as to what soul coins are, thinking they were strange little shells her vespiquen got her when they went to a nearby beach.

  Her memory of Earth is somewhat strange due to her disability. It seems she still thinks herself on Earth for some reason, and is ignoring the fact that a two meters tall humanoid bee creature serves as her guardian. Which is also a strange occurrence, I have met vespiquens before according to my journal, but I do not think they towered as this one does. The nickname 'Lil' Bee' sure is ironic here.

  Anyway, this lady was kind enough to let us stay and recuperate, apologizing for her guardian overzealousness in her duty.

  She did confide to me she was quite scared when her guardian kidnapped her from her garden. As much as I tried to make her understand what her 'garden' really was, she still denies not being on Earth, stating her father always told her of magical beasts frolicking among the humans, and that she is quite happy to have earned the attention of one such creature. I did not push further than that.

  Once the team has fully recovered, we will push further East, toward this supposed isolated island where they are trying to recreate technology.

  I'll have to warn the vespiquen about my oncoming raid as well. I hope she can help me if my friends are still recovering.

  Life 341, Day 98

  Why is she staying in this place? I asked, I had to. Lil' Bee, this vespiquen... she is everything I could hope my friends to become.

  My friends are still recovering, and Princess alone would not have been enough to overcome the fourteenth week raid alone. Lena convinced Lil' Bee to help me, as she felt responsible for my plight, and the vespiquen begrudgingly agreed.

  To say she wiped the floor with the raid is an understatement. There was no challenge for her. The moment the portal opened, she sent blades of wind inside and diced an entire army in seconds. Only the leading Praetor survived the first move, but the vespiquen just flicked her arm, and a swarm of... something looking like bees just devoured it. It took less than thirty seconds. And then the portal closed.

  I had no hope of winning against her, she had been going easy on us from the whole time. I do not even understand how I could have ever hoped any of my friends could overcome her.

  So I asked Princess to ask her, and here is the answer.

  'I care not for others, only Lena. She helped me, nursed me, made me grow without ever seeing me. So I protect her. She will only die when she has to, not because something makes it so. I protect her, always.'

  The bond Lena and Lil' Bee share is something much deeper than the bond I have with my team, and I can only respect it.

  Once we are healed, we shall head out. Future me, if you ever stumble upon this land, do not expect a kind welcome, but know you shall pass through unimpeded should you remain away from the apiarist house.

  Although evening has come, the sun remains on the horizon for another couple hours.

  After an hour of fruitless research, I took out Aster's journal and started reading, finding the passages about the meeting between him and Lena in his final life. As he describes her as a young lady, and adding the fact she still remembers him, I realize she has been alive since before Aster's death.

  I put away the journal, pensive, and let my thoughs drift as I observe the vespiquen order combees and the bees of this world together. These bees are too big to be normal bees. Most bees on earth rarely exceed two centimeters, and here, most bees could hardly fit on my open palm. And the fact that some have hats makes them even more bizarre.

  Lil' Bee spend a good couple hours herding the insects and pokemons, collecting honeycombs, nectar and somehow raw resources like stone and wood logs. This one has me curious, but I refrain from approaching the far too powerful insect type.

  As the bees slowly retreat into their hives, and the combees join them, the sun finally dips beyond the horizon, coloring the floating islands in golden colors for an instant before plunging the world in darkness.

  The disappearance of the light has Mewtwo stir, and he comes out of his meditation. Did I miss anything? He asks me.

  "Not much, just a bee acting as an apiarist."

  Eh...

  Said bee approaches us, and take notice of the journal resting by my side. Without even asking, a small swarm of tiny bee-like insects escape from beneath the bee pokemon robe shaped abdomen and snatch the journal off the ground, depositing it onto the vespiquen waiting hand.

  She buzzes in curiosity as she starts leafing through it. "Hey, careful, these are the memories of my predecessor!" I warn her, and her gaze intensifies.

  She buzzes a question and Mewtwo quickly set back his psychic translation. "-ur relation to the Stradiv"

  "Stradiv?" I parrot back, before realizing. "Oh, you mean the author?"

  The vespiquen nods. "Well, I am his inheritor of sort."

  My answer puzzles the vespiquen, and she turns to Mewtwo, hoping my psychic friend can help clarify my answer. Do you know the cycle humans go through here?

  The question offends her, and she buzzes loudly in answer. Right, of course you do. Well, Astra here is the new life of Aster, but slightly different. Just as I am. He raises his right arm, displaying the Trio's tattoo upon it. We are both chosen by a Trio of gods to oppose the current ruling one.

  The vespiquen nods. "The Stradiv also was on quest to oppose the dark one. The Stradiv told us he wanted to get us all home. Lena laughed at that. Will you also try to take us home?" Lil' Bee asks.

  This has me stumped. "I... do not know. Our current goal is simply creating some sort of object, I guess we will see once we reach that point. It is still far in the future." I finally answer after a minute.

  A soft silence descends upon us after my answer. Lil' Bee gives me back my journal, and settles before the porch. Mewtwo returns to his meditation, and I return to my system reading.

  After another thirty minutes passes, Lil' Bee jolts awake, and turn toward the house. Her sudden movement takes me out of my reading.

  Noise reaches us from within the cabin. Something is moving inside. Unsure if I should be worried, I rise as well and try to look inside the house. The noise continue to approach, until it stops right before the cabin door. Lil' Bee gently approaches it, and slowly turns its handle, buzzing softly. Something shuffle back from inside the house, and Lil' Bee open the door in full. For a second nothing comes out, and then Lena appears into the soft light from the moon and stars.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I relax, realizing Lil' Bee was not reacting to a threat, but to her charge awakening from her nap.

  "Evening Lil' Bee." The ex-apiarist wheezes. The aged woman seems even frailer than earlier today. "Please, help me sit by the porch."

  The vespiquen gently takes the trembling blind lady arm, and guides her to the edge of the cabin porch. After a long minute of groans and soft grunts of pain, Lena is seated.

  "Ah... Thank you my cute little bee." Lena whispers.

  Silence returns, but only for a few seconds, as Lena starts humming.

  The sound has Mewtwo open an eye, and look at me in curiosity. I simply shrug, unsure as to what to do. I do not want to disturb her and break what appears to be a daily ritual.

  Lena continues humming for a couple minutes, before she a coughing spell forces her to stop.

  Once she regain her wheezing breath, she extend her arm around her, the vespiquen soon getting into reach of the searching appendage.

  "I am no longer the scared young girl you kidnapped Lil' Bee. I fear I will have to leave you soon..." The old woman whispers.

  The vespiquen buzzes softly, guiding the trembling arm to her head. "I still do not understand why you did that, all those years ago. But it was fun... thank you... I..." Lena falls silent.

  "Oh dear... Did we not have guests? Do not tell me you chased them out!" Lena seems to regain some composure as memory of our presence rise in her mind.

  The vespiquen buzzes her denial, and then motion for the both of us to says something.

  "Hum... evening?"

  "Oh! How long have you been there!" Lena exclaims.

  "The... entire time..." I hesitate.

  "Oh my, and you did not say a thing?"

  We did not want to break the moment. It seemed important to you. Mewtwo replies.

  "Humph! Spying on an old woman. Why I should have Lil' Bee throw you out!" She groan, and Lil' Bee seems ready to act on her charge threat. "But I should have asked first. It is not easy, you know. You think you get it after so many years of living without sight, but sometime, you still forget the basic for those with sight." She sigh, calming down.

  "I asked that boy all those years ago, just for a second, or even less. To experience sight. I had that idea because he seemed to be able to communicate with his own friends surprisingly easily, and without needing sound. Well, his friends could not do something like that. They could send words, and concepts, but no pictures. I did not even know if I would have been able to understand it, but I wanted to try anyway. My... My father always took hours describing things in the tiniest of details, so I could imagine it in my mind... it filled me with so much joy and expectation... He always told me it would work one day. I would see... but then he disappeared, and Lil' Bee took me here."

  We let Lena talk, but I glance at Mewtwo at the mention of sending pictures or even seeing through someone else eyes. He nods, and get up.

  Miss Lena... I might be able to grant your wish. Mewtwo declares, to the immediate gasp of Lena and angry buzzing from Lil' Bee.

  "Oh shush you! You think I care about danger at my age? I have lived long enough!" She chastises her guardian, "Are you serious? This is an empty promise right? Just to give hopes to an old woman."

  "I do not think so, Mewtwo did so with me previously. I had lost my sight momentarily, and he shared his own while I recovered." I reassure her.

  "Humph, then please, do so. Give me sight." She demands of my friend.

  Mewtwo nods, before answering out loud. I will attempt to.

  Mewtwo then closes his eyes, and concentrates. I will first send you a picture, and you will tell me what you see.

  After a moment, Lena speaks up. "Did you send it?"

  I... did... hum, give me a moment, this might cause some discomfort.

  More silence follow, broken by a slight groan from Lena. Then she suddenly gasps. "Wha- What is that."

  That is a picture of the night sky. The dark outlines are the floating islands covering the sky, and the little bright dots are stars. The moon is the large half circle on the top right.

  "That is incredible. Is this what you see? Constantly?"

  Yes, yes it is. I will now give you a direct line to what I see. Be aware, you will see yourself.

  Another moment passes, and sob escapes the old woman, and she barely remains upright. "This- This is me?" She raises an arm, stopping mid-way. "I- " She turns her head left and right, feeling confused. "Could... Could I see you? All of you?" She asks, with tears running down her face.

  Mewtwo looks to his right, getting me in his field of view. I wave, and Lena waves as well. He then floats toward one of the cabin window, trying to catch his own reflection. I am unsure you can fully discern me, but here. He also waves at his reflection, and Lena giggles at that. "I can see you yes."

  Finally, Mewtwo turns around, and moves behind Lena. Lil' Bee buzzes threateningly at that, but the only thing he does he gently turn her and himself toward the vespiquen. And here is Lil' Bee.

  A strangled gasp escapes Lena, and Lil' Bee recoil, afraid her friend fears her form. "You- You are beautiful. I should have called you tall queen rather than Lil' Bee." She whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks. She stumble forward, missing the step from the porch, and falling into the arms of the rushing Lil' Bee.

  The two embrace each others, and even the stoic vespiquen sheds her mask and shows her happiness. They remain so for long minutes, before the vespiquen gently grabs the old lady in a princess hold. Lena has fallen asleep again, and Lil' Bee takes her back inside to rest. I can only guess that Mewtwo has cut the connection, as he breathes out, slightly exhausted.

  A little ding grabs our attention, and we raise an eyebrow at what we see.

  We simply look in astonishment. "I uh... I'll keep the candies in storage yeah?"

  Mewtwo simply nods.

  Minutes later, Lil' Bee returns and look at us imperiously. And then she bows to us. Mewtwo gets the translation running before she even begins to speak.

  "You have given a great gift. You may rest for the night. You will always be welcome here." She says, and then settles back on the stairs.

  We also settle back on the porch, and let the night pass. Surprisingly, no monsters arise, and I can only guess it might be some sort of effect from Lil' Bee.

  When the morning arises, I notice Lil' Bee has gone somewhere. I had been too engrossed in working on my armor to notice. I finally decided to repair and improve it, finishing the modifier quest at the same time. The reward is rather small, but every bits help in the long term.

  As the shadow of Icen Sky Peak retreats and light fills the front yard of Lena's home, Lil' Bee returns from her errand, carrying a semi-transparent white sheet.

  Mewtwo awakes as Lil' Bee passes us. He catches a glimpse of the sheet, and gasps. Oh no.

  "What?"

  Lena... is dead.

  I look at him blankly, before realizing what he is implying. "You think what you did..." I leave my question in suspend, and Mewtwo nods.

  Minutes later, Lil' Bee exits the house, the shroud now filled with the body of Lena Kurrow. She glances at us, and motion for us to follow.

  Confused, we get up, and do so.

  Lil' Bee begin a slow fly along the road leading to the cabin. From the beehives, combees come out and join our funeral parade and forming ranks on either side of their queen.

  We traverse the flower field covering Lena's yard, and then continue along the cliff. The sound of waves has us look down the sharp edge of the cliff, and witness blue and cream serpents joining our parade in the water. Their cries echo along our way.

  Soon the cliff slopes gently down, and we reach a beach bordered on one side by a forest. At the edge of the forest, fifty-nine tombstones rest. We approach them, and I notice the oldest one is covered in moss and even that a small tree has started growing along its edge.

  The sea serpents, gyaradoses, come at the edge of the beach, and one slither to us. Its ever angry face judges me and Mewtwo, but a soft buzz from vespiquen has the beast leave us be. He slams his fan-shaped tail on the ground, and a hole appears next to the fifty-ninth grave. Lil' Bee gently deposit the shroud, and summons winds to let sand and dirt fill the hole.

  Once it is covered, every gyarados cry in unison, the scream making birds fly in fear from within the forest. They all shout a large glob of water into the sky, and soon after a fine rain begins to fall around us. Lil' Bee summons a small ball of fire above her, followed by every gyarados as well, and soon the little balls of sunny day creates multiple rainbows all around the beach. Every combee bow forward, and so does Lil' Bee.

  We bow as well, and remain so for long minutes.

  Once the artificial rain stops, the gyaradoses begin to leave, some growling what might be words of comfort to the vespiquen. The combees also dash away, still having their daily chores to go through, and soon, only the both of us remain, along with Lil' Bee.

  The vespiquen remains silent for some time, before turning our way. She motion to Mewtwo, and he nods. And then she speaks.

  "I do not place the blame on you. This life was her longest. The gift you gave her on her final day far outshine the fact it may have ended her. She will return, she always does. I thank you for joining our small ritual to honor her. Go when you wish. But know we will always welcome you. I apologize for my doubts. And I warn you, your followers are still there, at the edge. Be careful, and good luck."

  And with that, she takes off, leaving us alone with the freshly added sixtieth grave of Lena Kurrow.

  Aster's remnant beg me to do something to honor one of the few decent humans left on the Ezian Planes, and I take out a few of the tall mystical flowers we have, a yellow one and an black one, and plant them on top of the grave.

  Mewtwo then carves her name on the tombstone, and we stay for another couple of minutes, silent.

  Once we have mourned enough, I consult my map and compass, and we resume our journey to the east.