It has been 2 years since Sunny's royal Jellying. She hadn't been too well to find employment. Most companies turn down Stucker basic bees for lack of abilities. If she weren't to receive any funding during her unemployment, she wouldn't even be able to survive.
Another day had rolled into the kingdom, and Sunny had come out of her house to run to the grocery store. Picking out some berries, rhino beetle meat, and bee bread for a salad she would make at home. Doing her best to ignore the other bees around her, shooting gazes and talking behind her back. Returning home, she looked up to see her good friend Quincy flying around, delivering mail from house to house.
"Sunny! Good morning, my glorious friend! I got something for you!" He opened his satchel and handed three letters to Sunny. "Wish I could stay and talk, but today the post office is full of letters! Maybe tonight once I get all these delivered, we can hang! See you, Sunny!!" And with that, Quincy zipped into the sky.
Sunny looked at the letters and scrolled through each of them, one from her mother, one from Brock, and one from an unknown source that she presumed could just be scam mail or bills she needs to pay. Going into her home, she opened up to the letter her mother had written her.
"To my beloved Daughter
I hope it's going well for you. Mondo Mountain feels so quiet in your absence; I was hoping you could visit me sometime if the guards would allow you. I miss you dearly each day, hoping things will get better; I would pray to Photon for a miracle. I had received a note that the guards are giving me a new spouse to remarry and hope for better results. Such cruelty for saying that, it boils my hemolymph.
Oh, I've written my recipe for my blueberry pie, hoping you could recreate something we once made together.
Love you so much
Sincerely,
Mother"
Sunny smiled as she turned to the back of the note to read the ingredients and instructions of the pie recipe. "Thank you, mother, I'll make it after I'm finished my lunch." She opened up the letter from Brock and began to read through it.
"Hey Sunny
How are you? Things had been slightly rough up in Mondo Mountain. I had been hired to demolish some rocks containing materials for building new hives. Unfortunately, Mondo Chick woke up and started attacking some of my co-workers. I'm thankfully safe, but many of us had been injured thanks to that vicious creature.
It's sad that I have to write letters instead of calling, but Mondo Mountain's signal towers were damaged in a landslide.
I had met this wondrous fire bee named Pepper; she's quite a talker and doesn't fear anything, except for werewolves.
Let me know how things will be for you soon.
Sincerely,
Brock"
Sunny set down her friend's letter and picked up the final one, feeling a little skeptical about what this letter could belong to. Upon opening it up, she was given even more confusion than answers.
The letter revealed an image around the fountain with writing and a smiley face. "Meet me here and sunset, I want to talk to you.
B"
Seeing the letter B made Sunny believe that the letter was from Bumper; perhaps he had come to perform another show like each year.
Enthused about meeting him again, she left her home and flew off towards the fountain area. The sunset gleamed from the walls and reflected on her wings, shining like a prism. Upon landing at the fountain, she noted that the area seemed quiet and empty. "Bumper! Bumper, I'm here? Bumper..? Hmm..maybe I was too early..." So she decided to sit down and wait, staring at the waters that flowed from the stone structure onto the vessel below.
"Psst...over here...Sunny"
Sunny then froze upon hearing a voice and looking to a bee from the corner of her eyes. Instead of Bumper, she was looking at a bee with white and grey colouring, two black painted lines adorned their face.
"Glad you could come...now don't be afraid, I ain't gonna hurt or anything...I know the pain of how it must feel to be a Stucker...we all do..."
Soon, other bees with the same colours and facepaint came up to Sunny. They all gave her a smile of reassurance. Among these white bees were also some other Basic bees, more stuckers like her.
"My name is Quartz. We are the Brave Bee gang, we are a group of Stuckers like you who have been ridiculed by society...we want you to join us on our mission." Quartz looked around, having the feeling that guards could be around. "We'll explain later...follow us to the wilderness segment, that is where we set up!"
Fearful and confused, Sunny had chosen to obey. Perhaps these bees are protesters who want fair treatment for Stuckers? Or do they want to steal from her? She just followed the group that seemed to welcome her with open arms.
"Sunny, come, I will explain everything." Quartz then walked up to a rock and lifted it, revealing the Boulder to be just a foam replica. Underneath was a passage that may lead them to their hideout. The room was quite cozy and wide with bamboo breathing holes up top to ventilate the space."Now, my friend, we all know that the kingdom has some silly hierarchy that determines not only the rarity, but also what jobs bees can work, which can marry, and which can perhaps go to Mondo Mountain for better opportunities...we all know how segregated this who place is, yet we know no one gives concerns as to fear of what could happen...so, what is the plan? Well, we are familiar with the walls of our kingdom, the ones too high for any bee to fly over. Those who try to climb or look over are immediately caught by guards and thrown into dungeons regardless of what bee they are. We've been planning to try and dig underground. However, we felt something whilst digging tunnels below." Quartz led Sunny down the tunnels they had made before stopping at a tunnel that was enormous, something that would take quite a while for a bee to do. Giant claw marks seemed to also decorate the walls.
"These giant tunnels...they were made by something large and powerful. There are so many tunnels that stretch for perhaps miles. This could be our chance to find an exit if we can find the end of these tunnels...this is our chance to escape outside the walls..."
Sunny's eyes widened before she nodded and looked at her. "I saw something long ago...beyond those walls...I saw a forest... and a lake, there's a world out there...but why are we forbidden to go out?"
Quartz looked down and sighed, looking at the tunnels once more. "Perhaps the Event bees don't want us to know...and these tunnels could be a sign of what is out there. Maybe they got scared of what was out there and hid us in the kingdom...frankly, I'd rather be out there, free and running, than stick with leaders who tell people what to do..."
The other Brave and Basic bees then walked over to the tunnels, holding some spider silk ropes and torches as they began their Expedition into the dark tunnels.
"So, you all yearned for freedom? But what about the other bees? Wouldn't they want freedom as well?" Sunny turned to Quartz, who shook her head.
"Why would they care...they have benefits, and they are happy with them...we don't have anything...yet our words will never be heard...it's time we get out of here and start a better life outside...one in which we can be at peace"
Sunny to think about her livelihood. She does have her mother and friends who still love her, but with how busy and far away they are. She has been alone and surviving on what she could pay for; it was no way for anyone to thrive.
"Quartz, I may consider your offer once I believe I am ready. For now, I wish to see my family here one last time..."
The leading Brave Bee smiled. "Don't rush yourself, Sunny. This plan is still very slow, so it wouldn't hurt for you to say goodbye...whatever you do, never tell anyone about this whole ordeal...our freedom depends on this mission and we can't afford to lose it..."
With that, Sunny slowly left the hideout and made sure to close the entrance with the foam Boulder in order to prevent anyone from passing by. She then went home, slowly sneaking by the guards who were making sure everyone was in their homes and not wandering around. Once she reached it, she turned on the television and reflected on the idea of freedom; she could only imagine what her friends and mother might think.