The Mysterious Mystery of the Missing Glasses[]
The weather outside was rather gloomy. It was thundering and raining quite heavily, complete with an eerie fog that seemed to stretch around the entire area outside Pouchy’s hive slot window, in addition to the unlit pumpkins standing ominously atop various rocks of the mountain. With a sharp crack of lightning illuminating his fur, followed by a loud grumble of thunder, Pouchy opened his eyes slowly, not particularly phased.
Pouchy stirred around in his hive slot, turning to the wall and speaking to Spectacles through it. “Hey, Specks! You up?” He heard a slight thumping followed by a quivering voice. “Y-Yeah.. Why..?” Pouchy tapped on the wall excitedly. “Just checking! Nobody else ever is, y’know!” He paused for a moment, placing a wing on his face in contemplation.
“Which I guess begs the question.. Why are you even up so early, anyway? Is it the lightning?” Spectacles sounded rather sad as he spoke. “W-Well.. Um.. Yeah.. Y-Yeah it’s just the lightning, haha..”
“..You sound pretty beat up about something, Specks.. You usually love this time of year!” Spectacles sighed, looking down and glaring at the empty shelf, now devoid of lenses. “O-Oh! Y-Yeah I do, haha.. J-Just.. Spooked from the lightning..”
Pouchy shook his head, leaning against the wall so Spectacles could hear him more clearly. “Well, I’m not sure if I believe that! Hm.. Lemme take a guess..” He looked around, placing his wing on his face. “Did you lose your glasses?” Spectacles’ eyes widened slightly. “H-How did you.. Know that..?”
“I’m your best buddy, Specks! It’s my job to know when you’re down, so I can turn that frown upside down!” Pouchy grinned. “O-Oh.. W-Well um.. Yeah, I l-lost them l-last night, actually.. I’ve b-been up for a while.. I w-wanted to get a drink of water and that’s when.. Y-Yeah..” Pouchy’s eyes widened.
“Wait, for real? You actually lost your glasses? I thought you were just messing with me!” Spectacles nodded on the other side of the wall, his expression rather distraught. “Y-Yeah, I lost them.. D-Don’t really know where, either.. T-They just sort of um.. Disappeared, a-and.. I’ve looked just about everywhere..” Pouchy snickered through the wall, grinning widely. “Well darn, Specks! You’re usually, like.. Super on top of that stuff!”
Spectacles grumbled vaguely as he spoke with slight irritation in his voice. “Y-Yeah yeah, I know.. I don’t know how it happened m-myself.. Guess I know what I’m doing later this morning, then..” Pouchy smirked as he threw on his Pouch, standing on the edge of his hive slot. “Later? Don’t you know you’re supposed to seize the day, Specks? Or, uh.. Morning, I guess!” He giggled once more to himself rather than Spectacles.
“P-Pouchy.. Can you take anything seriously? ..Feel anything o-other than happiness?” Pouchy nodded, retorting as he beamed to himself. “Darn right I can! Well, one of those things, anyway! Do you really think I’d be itching to get out of my hive slot if I wasn’t serious about this whole thing?”
“W-Well, no.. But.. You’re d-doing it because you want an adventure to go on, aren’t you?” Pouchy nodded with mock anger, huffing and puffing. “(Darnit! He’s right!)” Pouchy shuffled slightly, leaning out of his hive slot into the pouring rain. He stared at a pumpkin at the bottom of the hive for a moment before turning his gaze over to Spectacles’ hive slot. “Maybe.. And so what if I am? You know how I am, Specks! Besides, it’s a perfect day for an adventure!”
Spectacles coughed, his cough slightly echoing through the wall as he paused, allowing for a loud rumble of thunder to shake the honeycombs. “P-Pouchy, it is literally raining and thundering. B-Besides, it’s far too early, Diane will be looking for you..” Pouchy bowed his head. “Well, yeah.. But you know what’s worse than getting in trouble from Diane?” He paused, waiting for a response. “Y-Yeah, what is it..?”
“Not being able to see! So I’ll tell you what, I’m gonna go find these missing glasses and bring them back to you!” He smirked, speaking in a darker, grittier voice as he turned his head down menacingly, a shadow breaking across his puffy fur. “Whatever the cost..”
“W-Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.. If you get in trouble w-with Diane, it won’t be my fault! Y-You know she doesn’t like you to be out early.. E-Especially without telling her..” He paused, leaning ever so slightly out of his hive slot as he held up something in the pouring rain, the silhouette of an umbrella barely visible. “..O-Okay fine, I guess you’re going.. You really don’t have to.. B-But if you’re going.. take this, will you? You don’t want t-to fall over..”
Pouchy reached over, grabbing onto the umbrella tightly as he grinned. “Thanks, Specks! Though, if we’re being honest with ourselves here.. We all know I wouldn’t really need an umbrella! I’m a pretty good flyer, if I do say so myself!” Spectacles laughed slightly, popping back into his hive slot as he waved his wing around dismissively. “W-Whatever you say, Pouchy.. Just.. Be safe, won’t you?”
“You’re asking ME if I’ll be safe? Specks, relax, I’ve got this all in the bag! Or, uh.. Pouch!” Spectacles snickered sincerely. “Y-Yeah yeah, good luck on your l-little quest then, Pouchy..” Pouchy turned his head back to Spectacles, speaking in mock seriousness as he repeated the menacing stance from before. “Oh, Specks.. I don’t need luck, not when I’m a master detective..”
Hiding in the corner of a particular Shop, a mysterious figure stood, chuckling silently to themselves as they watched Pouchy from afar, their face entirely concealed with shadow, their form decorated with a rather fancy suit, cape, and hood. With a swift motion, they disappeared into the rain, leaving behind only an uncooked omelet in their wake.
It was a dark and stormy.. Morning. I stepped out of my hive slot and was immediately greeted with a cold scent. The scent.. Of a grisly crime. It was at that moment that I flew down to the Sunflower Field, picking up a flower and tossing it into my mouth and holding it there as one does a toothpick. I must say, it’s quite gloomy out here. Though, with every case, it’s important to have a proper mood. See, if it were a sunny day.. It’d seem quite contrasting to be on the case of something so serious. So dastardly and deranged.
“Ooh! A dandelion!”
So anyway, the first suspect I spoke to was Black Bear. He blubbered and babbled with a nervous quivering in his voice due to the thunder, but nothing too useful came out of his honey-coated mouth. However, he did guide me over to something.. Intriguing. He pointed beside himself towards an array of.. Cold eggs. Completely scrambled. From a baby chick, there’s no doubt. He tried to tell me about some white clover, among other things. In which with guilt, I ended up staying.. Longer than necessary. I do love a good story, I won’t deny it.
Aside from that, I flew a great distance until I came across Mother Bear. She seemed.. Very insistent on getting me to stay. She talked my antennas off, talking about random things and asking about my parents and such. Saying “Your mother and father would be worried sick if they saw you out this early! In the rain, not to mention! I know I would give my cubs a stern talking to if they ever did such a thing. If.. If they ever.” She lingered on that last sentence with a sense of longing. And anyway, she had baked some toasty treats, and, as creeping of a guilty pleasure it is, I succumbed to the intense pressure of the frosted treat. If I were worried about anything other than the case, then I would have said she is very skilled at baking. But alas, I have much more important endeavours to attend to. She did, however, point to another pile of eggs. There was definitely an observable correlation, but one I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Yet. Couldn’t quite pinpoint yet.
Aside from that, I spoke to Brown Bear next. He was rather happy. A bit.. Too happy. It was at his space I had spent the longest. Not because of any particular liking, but because his mannerisms were.. Suspicious. As if he were.. Hiding his true intentions of emotions. His excessive use of “Bud” coupled with his strange habits in both the way he spoke, what he spoke, and how he shuffled about from place to place, gave me an eerie vibe. He shifted and leaned on various rocks eccentrically, popping a Royal Jelly into his mouth each time I questioned him, clearly not bothered by my intense interrogation skills. Yet, after looking around and inspecting his day-to-day-home of the Clover Field, it seems I had found nothing out of the ordinary. Apart from some more egg whites thrown against the Wealth Clock. It ticked ominously, as if foreboding something sinister. I never have known why that thing is there. Maybe to tell the time? Maybe to print something? Through my travels I have seen my Beekeeper visit it but only a few times, accompanied by a loud clang of it. As difficult as it is for me to say this, it is.. Rather cool.
Aside from that, I moved on to the next candidate, Panda. Now. I must be honest. Panda Bears, in general, have very poor eyesight. I definitely am aware of this from my own thinking and am in no way knowing of this information due to my friend. So, if anybody was an especially good candidate, it was him. Perhaps he stole the glasses, using his status of ‘protector’ to get away with the gruesome crime? One could only wonder, before I arrived at his home in the Bamboo Field. The rain continued to pour and the lightning kept crackling through the various green vegetation littered about. It was as though I was getting close to my answer. Very close.
Upon finding him in the forest, walking around repeatedly, he turned to me before I even saw him, already glaring at me. He spoke short, snappy, and to the point. “What do you want here, kid? I’m trying to keep guard here. So unless you’re lookin’ for guards work, I’d suggest ya’ go home to your mommy and daddy.” Now that was especially suspicious. Why did he want me to leave so badly? Hm.. Perhaps because it was HIM who had stolen the glasses? He knew I was onto him, didn’t he!
“Just.. Get out of here, will you? Can’t ya’ see I’m busy, kid? I don’t have anything to do with your ‘detective’ shenanigans.” Pouchy scowled, continuing to pace around. Pouchy launched into the dreary fog-filled air, grinning as he flew around Panda, inspecting him studiously. “Busy, huh? Busy with STEALING glasses, per chance? I’m onto you, pal!”
Panda clenched his fists, raising a paw up defensively as he used the other to scrunch his nose in annoyance, sighing exasperatedly. “No. I’ve got no business with your stupid little mystery roleplay. I already said that. I’ve got people to protect, bugs to bonk. And it’s a constant battle; tryin’ to stop all the little idiots wantin’ this mountain for ‘emselves, especially when I got Bees and Bears like you that don’t take non’a this stuff seriously. So no. I’m not worried about some lousy glasses.” Pouchy leaned in close, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Are you really really sure, Panda??”
Panda swatted Pouchy away, waving his paws around frantically. “YES!! Now just leave me alone. I’ve got no business with any of this. If I ain’t busy enough to even talk to you, so what makes you think I’d be willin’ to steal some glasses? I got people to help.” He paused, looking intently at Pouchy before speaking up again. “And no, before ya’ ask, just because I protect people ain’t mean I’m interested in gettin’ your friends little glasses from whatever little creep took ‘em. I’ve got bigger fish to fry. Or bugs, for that matter.” Pouchy lowered his wing in surrender, sighing. “Okay, fine! I guess.. I guess you’re not a suspect.. For now.. Don’t think I’ve stopped watching you! I’ll know if you have them!”
Panda crossed his arms, speaking roughly as he spoke with a slight hint of sarcasm in his gritty tone. “Ya’ don’t say. Wait a sec, what was that?” He frenziedly pointed behind Pouchy, making a mock scared expression, holding his breath incredulously. “Oh my gosh! I think it’s the glasses thief!! BZZZZZ KAHHH!!! KABOOM!!! PLUCK!! BAKAWWWW!!! Oh my gosh! And he’s making strange noises! Kid, it’s your time to shine!” He made additional cracks and spit sounds with his mouth as Pouchy immediately looked the other way, flying off in a frenzy. Panda smirked complacently for a moment, before continuing to pace around the bamboo forest. “Heh, stupid kids. All so gullible.”
Well, it seems I have been deceived. By myself, I mean. I should’ve known he wouldn’t have been a suspect. I suppose it was a brief moment of falter. Heck, he even tried to help me catch them! Speaking of which.. I’m getting really curious as to exactly who would need those glasses. And what’s with the eggs everywhere? We’re truly dealing with a deranged individual. A crazed, egg-obsessed maniac. Who.. I guess also likes stealing random Bees’ glasses for some reason. Regardless, I headed to the next suspect.
Polar Bear was standing atop the snowy portion of the Mountain. I must say, it’s rather tedious to get up there. It took me a while, I’ll say that, and that’s with flying. I can only imagine how long it would take for somebody flying. Maybe he likes solitude? Or maybe he’s trying to hide stolen glasses.. Regardless, as the rain turned to snow, I approached him on the mountain. He turned to me, grinning playfully. Now, I’ll say something. He certainly was happy, and.. Rather confident. Not the weird vibes like Brown Bear, though.
“Oh, hey, what’s up, man? I saw your Beekeeper here yesterday. What’re you doing away from their hive? You might get eaten by something. Heheh. Just kidding. But still.” Pouchy sighed, straightening his Pouch as he smiled. “Well, my friend lost his glasses, and.. I’m wondering if you had any information on, like.. Where they are? I’ve looked everywhere!”
Polar Bear stood in place for a minute, walking around the snow with repeated crunches and placing a paw atop his mouth. “Hm. No, I don’t got nothing, man! Like, I’ve seen these eggs around here and stuff, but.. Not too much else than that. Really hoping we don’t got any other cook on the Mountain. Sounds rude, but I’m supposed to be the meal-maker around here. Not some rando, hehheh.” He chuckled lightly, leaning back on a snow covered rock. “Say, you’re up rather early. If you want, I can make you some breakfast. Obviously, we’re gonna be quite limited with time I take. Well, and the snow, I guess. But still, I can make you something if you want. Your Beekeeper delivered me a buncha fresh ingredients yesterday.”
Pouchy’s eyes sparkled as his mouth watered hungrily. “Would I?? YES!!! What do you have??” Polar Bear laughed for a moment, holding up his paw and walking down the snowy corner of the mountain as Pouchy shook with anticipation. He arrived back with a pan and various ingredients. “I’ll keep it simple. We can have some mantis meatballs.” He began stirring in the pot as he placed the various ingredients into it, whisking it around with perfection. Pouchy’s eyes sparkled as he looked in the pot. “Wow! That looks awesome!” He stopped, narrowing his eyes as he shifted his vision from the pot to Polar repeatedly. "Does anybody in your family cook too?”
“Oh. No, not really. Well my main one, anyway. Us Polar Bears aren’t really.. Connected, ya’ get me? And.. y’know, I’ll be honest with you. It isn’t easy having a magical cousin. Y’know that Bear that shows up here every year? Yeah, that’s him. I care for my ‘Cuz. He’s family. But.. We’re just so different. Our family was.. Really spread out. Guess that’s how we all ended up so different.” He laughed, continuing to stir the pasta unbothered as Pouchy watched him with awe, his eyes and mouth shimmering.
“But we’re still related, heh. Sometimes it isn’t as noticeable, but.. It’s there. We got that signature attitude to us. We just.. Have our different means of expressing it. Me? I like to take it easy. Cook some good food, share some good laughs. Sometimes you just need to relax. Best not to get yourself in a place where’a buncha paws ‘n wings are askin’ for things. I guess he already chose that fate, though, heh. Y’know..” He stopped, tasting the pasta as he ran to get a vial of pepper which was hidden under a marked snow mound. “He’s so busy with work, I hardly ever see him. Well, I see him. But I don’t see.. Him, y’know? I’ve tried to get him to take it easy. Maybe even cook a thing or two? He then spins around and does all that jazz. It’s gotta be takin’ a toll on him, hehheh.”
“Well I’m sorry you feel that way, Polar.. Just know that it always gets better! He’ll see one day!” Polar Bear chuckled, taking the pasta off of the pan as he poured it into a bowl hidden in the snow, handing it to Pouchy. “Haha. Thanks, man.” He stopped as Pouchy began eating the pasta, speaking up as he rubbed the fur underneath his hat “Sorry for tellin’ you all of that! You’re just a little kid. I should keep my family troubles to myself, heheh. Panda tells me not to let on all of myself. But you know how it is, don’t you? Sometimes you just can’t help but.. Talk.”
“Yeah, I get that.. My friend tells me the same things, actually!” Polar laughed, looking beside Pouchy as he ever so slightly shifted the snow underneath himself to sit down. He held up the pan into the snowy air as the small snowflakes landed against the metal, melting against it. “You know, man, I actually got this from your Beekeeper. They gave it to me a long while back. Their first Beesmas here. They’re pretty cool stuff!”
“Yeah! They even let me and my friend go on adventures!” Polar Bear laughed heartily, looking up at the falling snow. “Oh, for real? Yeah, I guess that’s my bad, man. I should’ve known. If they ever talked, I’m sure they’d tell me loads about y’all. You seem like nice kids, hehheh.” He stood up, brushing himself off as he noticed that Pouchy had finished the bowl. He picked it up and tossed it perfectly back into the snow. “I’ll clean that later, heh. You have a good uh.. Case-Solving deal, or whatever it was that you were doing. Once again, sorry for going on a lot. Beekeeper’s usually super short with me. I guess I just.. Like somebody to talk to. Maybe a little too much!” He laughed, grinning.
Pouchy turned back towards him, beaming exuberantly. “Well maybe you might need a friend! Try talking to Mother Bear! I’m sure she’d love some company! I’ll try to talk when I can, though!” Polar Bear brushed the excess snow off of his fur, straightening up his shirt. “Yeah, she would. Hopefully I won’t talk her ears off, heheh.”
Something stood behind Polar Bear through the vast snow; a strange hooded figure, decorated with multicolored ovals. Pouchy narrowed his eyes “WAIT! Polar! I think there’s-“ He pointed frantically behind Polar as Polar spun around, kicking up the snow. “Oh, I guess you got me! That was a good one!” Polar Bear laughed heartily.
“No, like..- There was really something behind you! Some kind of like.. hooded dude.. Or something!” Polar Bear shrugged, moving his shirt collar. “Hm. Well whoever it was must’ve been pretty fast, heheh! You ought to catch up with them.” Pouchy nodded quickly.
Pouchy waved as he flew away from the snowy portion of the Mountain, down farther to where Science Bear resided.
After a long while of flying, I made my way to Science Bear. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the figure from before. Science Bear was working on something, and seemed rather surprised at my detective endeavors. We spoke for a while, but nothing of interest regarding the case was really said.. Though, I did manage to find out what the eggs were from. Turns out, they are from chicks. The master detective is right about something else. What a surprise. Anyway, it was then that I began to make my way over to an old friend.
It was still raining and thundering. The perfect setup for another crime to happen. The perfect weather for stolen glasses to slip by completely undetected. But the best detective on the Mountain is not going to let it happen. Nothing has ever slipped through my wings. I never get distracted, and I always solve my cases with flawless efficiency. Nonetheless, it was pouring whenever I arrived at the Coconut Field. After a long while of wading through pale flower petals, I eventually spotted her, sitting peacefully. Does she not know of the severity of the crime that just took place here?
Spirit Bear sat in place smack-dab in the middle of the rain, seemingly unfazed by the drenching it gave her fur. She lifted up her head slowly, clearly in no rush. “Oh, hello, Pouchy. How are you on this rainy day? You know, I have always loved the rain. It is calm; peaceful. Yes, oh yes, it can be scary at times. But as can everything. For the majority of the time, it is calming. Just as a comforting embrace of a parent to child.” Pouchy was a bit shocked, his tone conveying it. “How.. How the heck did you know it was me??”
Spirit Bear laughed gently, lifting herself up with her petal wand as she smiled, her fur wrinkling. “Oh, dear, you must know something. My eyesight isn’t the best. It hasn’t been in a while. That is what happens when you are old! And you will know it too one day, as unfortunate as it all is. We all will. Such is the passage of time, and we are only a small blurb on the infinitely-chugging train that is the universe. Oh, what did you say again, dear? I apologize. I got this old mouth running.” Pouchy laughed, grinning. “Well, I asked how you knew it was me! I saw your eyes closed!”
“Oh, that?” She chuckled, grabbing a petal out of her belt and holding it up against the rain. “We all have a certain energy about us, you know. And once you learn that energy, you are able to distinguish others from beyond words and sight alone. You have a certain.. Presence to you, Pouchy. It is as if the world grows brighter whenever you are near. And I can see it. Not see it, but.. You know what I am trying to get at! Some things are rather hard to articulate.” Pouchy nodded, flying closer to Spirit Bear. “Oh yeah I get it! So.. About what you said, actually.. I wanted to talk to you about something.. Basically, my friend lost his glasses, and.. I was wondering if you knew anything about where they might be?”
“Glasses, hm? Why, if only glasses could work the magic for me. But, ah, a life without it's challenges is hardly a life at all. Why, if I could see perfectly, then I would not be as in tune with nature as I am now.” She leaned against her petal wand, lifting up her paw and blowing the petal off so that it flew throughout the gloomy rain-filled air. “Why.. No. I do not believe I know anything. But, I can say that I felt something not too long ago. A sinister energy, somewhere around here. You might want to speak to Dapper Bear. Why, all that young Bear does is look at others. Not for good, either. He loves nothing more than correcting people’s fashion choices. We’ve all got our core interests. And, even though I personally disagree with it, I suppose that is his.”
“Oh, yeah! I was actually going to talk to him next!” She laughed, sitting back onto the ground as she picked a coconut up off the ground, inspecting it intricately. “Oh, little Pouchy, you always have everything planned out. Well.. maybe not always. But this is why you have.. Who was it? Spectacles. Yes, Spectacles. You have him to keep you in check. We all need somebody to balance us out. That is what the universe is built upon. Balance.”
“Yeah, I guess we really do compliment each other.. Well, okay, I got glasses to find, see ya’ later, Spirit!” Spirit smiled, leaning against her petal wand as she watched Pouchy take off. “Goodbye, Pouchy! Say hi to Spectacles for me.”
It was after that that this mystery began to take its ever-expected dark turn. I arrived at Dapper Bear’s shack right as the thunder and lightning began to crackle against the still-stormy sky. Seeking shelter from the rain and an answer to the puzzle piece, I knocked on his door with unmatched precision.
Dapper Bear peered through the blinds of the shack, narrowing his eyes annoyedly as he saw Pouchy with his Pouch in his wings. Pouchy made a shocked expression before putting on the Pouch. Dapper Bear opened the door, a sinister creaking emanating from its wooden surface. “Hello, Pouchy. I apologize for not letting you in sooner. But you must know, my presence is only for the most sophisticated of fashion connoisseurs.” He spoke in an eerie tone, perfectly catching onto Pouchy’s vibe.
Dapper Bear welcomed Pouchy inside of the shack. The rain poured and slammed against its outer walls with exceeding vigor, punctuated with regularly occurring crackles of thunder. “So, why have you come here anyway, Pouchy?” He said, giving up the mysterious voice. “Oh, well.. My friend actually lost his glasses! And.. Well, I’ve been trying to find them for him! Well, I think it’s less of a ‘lost’ and more of a ‘stolen’..”
Dapper Bear paced back and forth, wiping his paw against a Planter of Plenty until he could see his reflection. He stared at the mirror-like surface for a moment, smirking. Eventually, he turned back to Pouchy with a paw on his face in contemplation. “Hmm.. I might know what you’re talking about..” He paused. “I’ve seen some suspicious things around here lately. Very suspicious.”
Pouchy’s eyes shimmered with interest as he spoke exuberantly. “REALLY? Ooh, ooh! What kind??” Dapper Bear looked at Pouchy’s overly enthusiastic expression, sighing. “It’s not exactly a good thing, you know. But I’ve seen something running around here, back and forth. Some sort of hooded figure. Disappearing back and forth; into tunnels and little gaps between walls. Had little multicolored packages in their hands, like candy. Got some strange egg obsession, too. Seems to be carrying them around everywhere. I can’t say it’s exactly, you know, smart fashion-wise to have a bunch of multicolored eggs stuck to your suit. Kind of ruins the vibe.”
“Hm.. Candy.. So they’re a thief with a sweet tooth I see..” Pouchy paused, twirling the flower in his mouth around as hit gritty voice was replaced with something exuberant. “..Eggs? Oh, yeah! I know that guy! Well, kind of.. Back when I was talking to Polar, I saw them standing behind him!” Dapper looked down, dusting off a shelf as the lightning crackled. “Hm.. Well, if it helps any.. There's a spot by Black Bear that I’ve seen them visit occasionally. They move too fast it’s hard to even make out what they are doing, even from somebody with as keen eyes as yours truly.”
He turned towards the window, watching the rain pour throughout the darkened and dreary skies. “You might want to be careful. Whoever it is.. Doesn’t seem, like.. You know, they’re exactly.. Friendly. I will say though, they’ve probably got the best outfit I’ve seen on the Mountain. So, you know, it balances out!” Pouchy nodded hesitantly. “Uh huh.. Well, thanks for the help, Dapper! I’ll be on my way!”
Dapper Bear opened the door for Pouch, taking a slight bow as he narrowed his eyes, speaking with a sinister undertone in his voice. “Good luck, Pouchy.” Pouchy waved to him as Dapper shut the door, his outline lit up through the window, shutting the blinds quickly.
So that was that. I now knew where to go. Well, mostly. It.. was quite unfortunate. With the distance, I mean. I don’t mind flying; a skilled detective is superb at all types of movement, land, sea, or air. The problem was, however, what if they struck again while I made my way over? It was a very good chance, especially with what Dapper Bear had clued me in on. However, sometimes sacrifices must be made to achieve justice. And this was a sacrifice I found inescapable. Besides, once I found their lair, I’d return all the stuff. Good as new.
“Hey! Get back here! ..And return those glasses, too! Thief!” I pursued after the figure as they made their moves swiftly across the terrain, somehow, faster than I was flying. With a swift motion, they threw an egg at me, leaving me on the ground, breathing heavily. I was injured. Gravely. This couldn’t be how I went out. Pouchy, the master detective, taken out by nothing more than a simple boiled omelette.. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the holiday candy. Nor would I be able to see my friend one last time..
“Oh, wait..” Pouchy scraped the egg off of himself, dusting off his wings. With a slight pause, he hopped back into the air, pursuing after the figure. Pouchy narrowed his eyes sharply as he caught familiar lenses in their hand. “Hey! Those’re my friends’! You can’t run forever!” Pouchy lunged at the figure as they suddenly hopped backwards, causing him to crash into the mushroom field. The figure hopped through the vast field of mushrooms, perfectly positioning each and every hop.
Pouchy flew back into the air, the thunder crackling around him as he flew through the rain, using the umbrella as a gliding system to pursue after the figure. The figure turned around sharply, launching a volley of eggs. Pouchy swiftly spun around, using the umbrella to deflect all of the eggs. “Ha! See, I told you! I’m the master detecti-” Pouchy laughed confidently as he got slammed in the head with an egg. “..Darn!” As Pouchy regained his balance, the Figure effortlessly bounded through the vast fields of mushrooms, climbing up to a particularly tall one before jumping off the surface, using their cape to glide safely across the rest of the large field, tightening their hood through the torrential downpour.
Pouchy rubbed his eyes as he took off after the figure, weaving through the mushrooms as he began catching up to their gliding form, sticking out his wing to attempt to latch onto them. With a swift motion, they threw themself onto the ground, immediately taking off running, throwing a dozen eggs behind their trail. The lightning crashed as Pouchy flew through the storm after the figure, managing to keep relative pace.
With an immediate motion, the figure hopped into the air, managing to glide into a small crevice hidden within a wall. Next to the wall stood Black Bear. “Hey! Black Bear, get that guy!” Black Bear looked around frantically, shivering. “W-Where are they?!” Pouchy pointed in front of him. “Darn! Well, behind you now! It’s okay though, the master detective’ll handle this!”
Pouchy pursued after the figure, turning his body horizontally as he flew through the crevice, landing in a mysterious portion of the mountain never before seen. There were various stalactites and stalagmites handing and standing ominously. The thunder crackled and the yellow light of the lightning showed shattered reflections through the crevice. “What.. Is this place?” Pouchy called out as he flew around aimlessly through the dreary tunnels; they appeared to be drenched in a strange blue fog. “Hey! Where are you? You can come out, already! I’m gonna find you anyways, so.. You might as well just give up now, pal!”
He flew along the glowing yellow and blue tunnels, noticing a decent deal of reflective glass fitted against various walls, replacing the normal illuminated-yellow shading of them. Pouchy looked at himself through the mirror, smirking as he placed his wing atop the flower in his mouth. “Well I do look pretty snazzy if I say so myself!” Pouchy shook his head, scoldingly. “Right.. Serious, Pouchy..” He heard footsteps through a distant part of the tunnels and turned his head like a cat.
“Yeah! I heard you! Don’t play dumb!” Pouchy looked around, narrowing his eyes as he flew around slowly, swiftly picking up pace and noticing a fast moving blur in the mirror. “Ha! I got you now-” He lunged at the reflection as he bumped into the wall, instead seeing himself. “Darn you, mirrors!”
Pouchy lifted himself back up as he heard another rustling, picking himself up from the ground and pursuing after it, weaving through the various tunnels. “I really got you now!” The figure looked back at him, waving the glasses within their covered up hand mockingly as they hopped to the side, dashing through another tunnel. “Yeah I saw where ya’ went, buddy!” Pouchy turned down the corner as the figure threw various eggs at him, Pouchy spinning around the umbrella and reflecting them all. “(Woah, I really got all of them..) And there’s more where that came from!”
The figure hopped into the air, straightening their cape as they glided into another tunnel, throwing eggs behind themself excessively as they continued to see Pouchy on their trail. Pouchy waved through the eggs, getting ever closer to them as the figure suddenly ran down a particular hallway, halting movement. They turned back around to face Pouchy, raising up their fists. Pouchy’s eyes widened. “Woah no man, I don’t want to fight! I just want the glasses!” The figure threw an egg at Pouchy as he dodged it. “Chill, man!”
Pouchy raised his fists reluctantly, smirking. “Well, fine! If it’s a fight you want, then it’s a fight that you’ve go-” Suddenly he heard a loud, familiar, feminine voice speak up over him, followed by tired wheezing. “POUCHY! Where have you been all day?! I have been worried sick about you! And you’re in some, some.. Tunnel about to fight some random guy??”
“Well, Diane, Spectacles lost his glasses, and-” Diane spoke up, arching her eyebrows as she scrunched her nose, running another hand through her ears. “..AND, Pouchy, you could have waited until AFTER the rain. Not to mention, you should let the adults handle things like this! You could have seriously gotten hurt.. If you aren’t already!” She flew over to him, inspecting him intricately. “Oh thank goodness you aren’t hurt. But still!”
The figure stared at Diane confusedly, exchanging glances with Pouchy before raising up an arm as they prepared to launch an egg at her. “And YOU! You better hand these glasses back right this instant! Do you not realize how petty it is to take things from children? You should be ashamed of yourself!” The figure threw the egg at Diane as she swiftly caught it, flying up to them and chunking it against the ground, pointing her wing at them with an accusatory stance. “And enough with throwing things! There are better ways to solve problems than with violence!”
The figure raised up another egg as Diane lifted up her fists, encasing it instantly in honey, firing another at the figure’s hands. “We ought to tell somebody about how awfully you are behaving! Throwing eggs at this poor child and stealing candy? That is just disgraceful!” She exhaled in disappointment, her tone shifting to something more gentle. “And Pouchy. This doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You get back to the hive, there will be no trick-or-treating for you.” Pouchy’s face contorted into a frown that covered his entire face. “Darn it..”
Diane dragged the Figure out of the tunnels as Pouchy followed behind them, speaking excitedly. “So, how was your day, Diane?” Diane sighed tiredly. “It wasn’t very good. I was worried about what trouble you had gotten yourself into. It wasn’t until Spectacles eventually spilled the beans that you had gone out looking for his missing glasses, that I began asking people questions.”
Eventually, the three had made their way out of the tunnel. She sat the figure on the ground, who seemed to be glaring sharply underneath the hoodie. “Oh don’t get mad at me! You got yourself into this mess yourself, bud!” She narrowed her eyes at the figure as she turned back to Pouchy, placing a wing at her hip. “Pouchy, please go to your hive slot. I will be speaking with you later.” Pouchy nodded sadly, flying off to the hive slot. “Yes, Miss Diane..”
She then turned to the figure with a scowl. “Alright, I have spoken to you enough. Come along.” She dragged the figure along under her grip as they attempted to struggle out of the honey. “Mhmm. Your little eggs won’t work on that.” She nodded knowingly as the two made their way over to the bamboo field; the rain now much more calm.
Panda hopped out of the bamboo stalks, bat in paw. “Who is it?!- Oh, hey. Who’re you?” Diane sat the figure down onto the ground. “Well, if you saw a little Bee running through here a while ago.. I am taking care of him.” Panda glared as he looked onwards, pulling a bamboo stalk out of the ground with a singular motion and scratching it with his claws. “Oh, yes. Yes, I saw that kid. Tried to interrupt my guard duty. ..And you’re kind of doin’ the same.”
“Well I am very sorry. He can be a.. wing-ful, sometimes.” Panda laughed irritably, throwing down the bamboo stick. “Sure can. Now what do you want, before we have a similar situation?” He carefully eyed the figure sitting on the ground beside Diane.
“Well.. If he was questioning you about something.. This is the one who stole those glasses.” Panda laughed, grabbing onto the figure tightly. “AHA! I knew there was a thief around here! Everybody was trying to make me feel like I was being overparanoid. Like usual.” He coughed. “Well anyway, you oughta skidaddle. I got things to do.” He waved his paw dismissively as Diane flew away from the Bamboo forest, eventually, after a long while, arriving at Beekeeper’s hive.
Before long, she sat next to Pouchy in his hive slot. “You know I was not trying to be rude to you earlier today.” Pouchy nodded. “I hope you do. Because I never do anything to be rude to you. I love you like my own child. And I can’t stand to have you getting hurt, especially not while you’re supposed to be under my care.”
“..But why didn’t you tell me where you were going, Pouchy?” Pouchy sighed, rubbing his fur. “Becuase you wouldn’t of let me go! I thought, y’know.. Maybe I could’ve made it back in time before you woke up!”
“..So you knew I didn’t want you going on that wild goose chase?” Diane laughed lightly, sentimentally. “Pouchy. I know you want to help. And you certainly did a good job. But you can’t just.. Go to dangerous places without telling people. You could have seriously gotten hurt. Spectacles said he tried to warn you, but.. I know how you are. You’re stubborn. You like to go your own way. And as much as that is a wonderful trait to have, sometimes it serves us better to let others handle difficult situations.” She looked down alongside Pouchy.
“Yeah yeah, I know..” Diane exhaled sentimentally “I don’t ever enjoy punishing you. But you have to understand. As much as I’m okay with you going on your little adventures, you have to let me know. And if you have a gut feeling that I won’t agree with you going somewhere, then I probably won’t. Some places are too dangerous for a little Bee. In the future, yes.. But.. You still have a lot to learn. You can’t just.. Rush out of the Hive as soon as the sun hits the horizon. ..And you have to be careful. I know how you are, but..” She looked at him as the rain softly pitter-pattered outside. “You don’t always have to do everything. Some things--like what happened today--should stay with the adults. That is what I want you to take away from this. Okay?”
Pouchy smiled, nodding as he hugged Diane. “I understand!” Diane smiled as she sat back up, lifting up her wings. “Good. And do you see how I am speaking to you?” Pouchy nodded, smiling. “This is how parents should talk to their children. Don’t let anybody tell you that mindlessly screaming and punishing is normal. You don’t learn anything from fear.” She looked down, an uncomfortable memory creeping into mind. “..Because it’s not. Always try to talk things out. Whatever happens, whatever adventure you’re on, I want you to remember that.”
Two Days Later
The holiday had come, and the night had been rather eventful. Well, not for Pouchy. Instead of trick-or-treating with the other Bees and Bears, he instead found himself in his Hive-Slot, though, unsurprisingly, not very bored. He had been placing various different petals onto a piece of paper, simulating a Map; though being rather sloppy in its composition. With a sudden knock on the door, Pouchy opened it, only to find Spectacles, who was dressed up in a fluffy angel outfit, and Diane.
“Oh, hey guys!” Spectacles smiled, holding two large bags filled with multicolored wrappers up to the tops. “T-This halloween was great.. W-Well, all halloween, but.. E-Especially this one..” Pouchy’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, really? Show me what you got, man! C’mon!” Spectacles laughed slightly as Diane shook her head knowingly, flying back to her own Hive Slot.
“W-Well, it took all evening a-and.. Almost all night, but.. W-We went to almost every place o-on the Mountain!” Pouchy raised an eyebrow as Spectacles handed him a chocolate bar. He swiftly tossed it into his mouth, speaking through crunches. “..Almost? Tell me what happened, man! You know you gotta go to every place for maximum candy, right?”
Spectacles grinned knowingly. “Y-You’re talking to Mr. Halloween r-right now, of course I know that.. B-But.. We were supposed to g-go over to the Bamboo Forest, to get candy from.. You know who..” He halted, rubbing the side of his head as he sat the candy down. “W-Well, turns out he was handing out licorice.” Spectacles paused for a moment before continuing. “..B-But Diane likes it, so.. We decided to go, and.. Y-Yeah he sorta.. C-Chased us off.. I’m kind of scared to go back there, now..”
“Oh. Don’t be scared of that guy, Specks! All he does is patrol all day! Seems like a pretty boring job to me, probably why he’s so grumpy all the time!” Spectacles laughed, taking off his angel outfit and sitting it on the hook beside Pouchy’s Pouch as he popped a mini-chocolate into his mouth, chewing it neatly. “Woah! Neat costume, by the way!” Pouchy pointed as his eyes sparkled
Spectacles smiled softly. “T-Thanks.. Diane bought it for me f-from Dapper Bear.. I was too shy to go get it for myself, s-so.. Yeah.. B-But what about you? How was your Halloween?” Pouchy grinned exuberantly, gesturing for Spectacles to follow him. “It was great! You know me, I found stuff to do!”
Spectacles looked at the large Map Pouchy had moved against the wall, showing various different locations marked by different colors of petals stuck on the page. “W-Woah, t-that’s..” He took a bite of another chocolate, swallowing it before speaking. “S-Sophisticated.. It l-looks awesome! I n-never knew you dabbled in.. A-Art..”
Pouchy high fived Spectacles and glanced back at the Map. “Well, y’know, I hadn’t, until now! Crazy the things boredom will do to you, huh?” Spectacles laughed with amusement. “W-Well I meant, like.. I didn’t know you had the uhm.. Patience to d-do something like that.. Y-You’re always getting distracted, a-and stuff.. No offense..”
“None taken, Specks! And.. Yeah, I’m surprised! But, y’know, it’s not like I had much better to do, so.. I kind of had to!” Spectacles snickered slightly as he popped another candy into his mouth. “W-Well you’re ungrounded now, so.. T-That’s cool!” Pouchy threw multiple candies into his mouth, grinning. “You’re telling me!”
The night continued as usual, as the two friends ate candies and talked about their two simultaneous adventures, no longer with a grand overarching mystery hanging above their heads. And thus, concludes the Spooky yet thrilling Holiday season.
