Que

The next morning...

"Good morning, Que! It's time to start a brand new day!"

"Morning, Spidey..." I got up drowsily, after gretting him.

"What's wrong? Are you still sleepy?"

"Mmnnn!" I stretched my arms up high, then jumped out of bed. "I'm fine, but I could barely get any sleep last night..."

"How come?"

"It's becoming close to the time of year when the fireflies come out near the lake! And since I can talk to bugs now, this'll be the best Firefly Festival yet!"

"'Firefly Festival'?"

"That's my name for it. Heehee!"

I hurriedly got changed into the usual outdoorsy clothes I always wear.

"Their lights reflecting off the water is so beautiful! I can't wait until tonight!" I shouted, not being able to keep still. "I wonder what I should do until then?"

"Que, don't you have school today?" Spidey asked me.

"Oh no! I almost forgot!" I ran to school as quickly as I could, forgetting about breakfast.

--

Even though I was really worried about being late, I somehow made it just in time for the bell to ring.

"I-I didn't think I'd have to run here like that again so soon..." I said, exhausted and out of breath.

"I hope this doesn't happen often..." Spidey added, barely hanging on to my shoulder.

"Well, the bell's rung, so I'd better hurry to class..." I ran without looking in front of me, and accidentally bumped into someone. "Ow..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" An umfamiliar voice said to me.

"I'm fine. It was because I was rushing." I looked up after rubbing my head, and noticed it was a boy; a boy I had never met before. "Wait, who are you? I don't think I've seen you around..."

"That's because I'm new to this school. I'm Dean, I just moved here a few days ago."

"Oh, okay! I'm Que, it's nice to meet you!"

"I hate to interrupt, but..." Spidey said suddenly. "You'll be late to class if you don't get there soon..."

"Oh no, I don't want Ms. Emma to get mad at me! I'll see you later, Dean!" I rushed to my class.

--

I made it to class. Luckily, Ms. Emma wasn't mad at me.

I took my seat at 'my' big table. There are a couple of tables in the classroom for us to sit together, but I'm the only one who sits alone. Because no one ever wants to sit with me...

"Good morning, class. We have a new student today!" Ms. Emma said.

Everyone started talking loudly.

"A new student!?" "I wonder if they're interesting..." "We don't have any more places for them to sit, though..."

"Quiet, please." The teacher told the class, then turned towards the door. "Come on in!"

A transfer student? Could it be...

The new student entered the room.

"It's Dean!" Spidey shouted.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"

"Of course. I'm Dean, I just moved this region a few days ago."

"This is your first time in Htrae? Where are you originally from?"

"Scautry."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Wow, that must've been some trip!"

"Yeah, it took a lot of time to get here..."

"Well anyway, go sit at that table so we can start class."

She directed Dean to my table, since the others were already full.

"Poor guy; he has to sit at Que's table..." A girl at one of the other tables said quietly, while giggling.

Dean looked around, seeming confused.

"Hi, Dean!" I greeted.

"Oh, hello again!" He answered, sitting down next to me. "It's nice we ended up in the same class."

"Yeah!" I said happily.

I was about to say something else, but it seemed like something caught his attention.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but..." He pointed near my neck. "There seems to be a spider on your shoulder."

"Oh?" I looked at Spidey. "He's my friend, Spidey!"

"Friend?"

"Uh huh! ... You probably think that's weird, right?"

"No, no! Of course not! I-it's not weird..."

"That's okay; everyone thinks I'm weird. I'm used to it..." I said sadly.

"Don't worry. I don't think you're weird, Que." Dean told me comfortingly.

"R-really?! You really mean it?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Thanks!"

I was so happy. I finally met someone who didn't think I was weird! (Well, besides Spidey, of course.)

--

After classes were over...

"Okay, class is over!" Ms. Emma said to everyone. "Remember not to..."

"Yay!" The class shouted happily, then rushed out of the room... again.

"...rush." The teacher sighed. "Not again..."

"Why do they always do that?" I asked myself.

"This class sure is interesting."

"Huh? Oh, Dean!"

"Do you have any friends to walk home with?"

"Um, no..." I wish I did, though...

"I don't either, since I just transferred today. Do you want to walk home together?" Dean asked.

"Really? Sure, okay!" I answered happily.

--

"So how is it in Scautry?" I asked Dean, walking home with him. "I heard it was a nice and big place."

"Well, I wouldn't say it's extraordinary, but it is big. It has a lot of cities, too."

"Really? So why did you move here?"

"My dad used to work there, but he thought this region would be better for his work."

"What about your mom?"

"S-she..." Dean's face looked sad all of a sudden. "She divorced him. She's still in Scautry."

"O-oh... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

"If mommy ever left me, I'd be really sad. She's my only family and I don't see her that much already because of her work..."

"Oh... It must be pretty lonely..."

"Not really. I have Spidey with me now, so I'm okay. Plus, the Firefly Festival is today, so I'm really excited!"

"Firefly Festival?"

"A lot of fireflies appear near the lake near my house when Verna is about to start. They're really pretty!"

"I see..."

"So anyway..." I started to say, but then I realized I was home. "Oh, this is my house! It seemed not to take as long as usual to get here today..."

"It must've been because we were talking." Dean told me. "Talking with friends makes time go by fast."

"F-friend?"

"Yeah. Well, see you later, Que!" Dean said, then ran home.

"He's an interesting guy." Spidey commented.

"I-I can't believe it! A friend!" I started dancing around happily. "I finally have a friend!"

"What about me?"

"I mean a person like me; in my class! I never thought this day would ever come!"

"Hopefully, you two will be friends for a long time."

"Yeah. I hope me and you will be, too! Forever even!"

"U-um, yeah... Of course..."

"Anyway, time to get ready for the Firefly Festival!"

"You sure change gears quickly..."

--

A few hours later, at the lake...

"It's getting dark. It's going to start soon!"

I got ready and sat down near the lake, and was super-excited!

"I can't believe we've been waiting here for four hours..." Spidey added, not as cheery as I was.

"I was so excited, I couldn't wait!"

"Yeah, yeah; I know. But isn't it dark enough for them to be out now?"

"You're right. That's weird..." I looked around, but didn't see a single firefly around. "They'd usually be h-..."

"Someone, help us!" I heard a light cry in the distance.

"What was that?" Spidey asked.

"It sounded like it came from someone in the woods." I got up, and headed for the trees nearby.

"Be careful, Que! It may be dangerous if you go too far, and you could get lost!"

"I'll be fine. I've explored these woods before."

But Spidey had nothing to worry about, because I found the source of the voice right away.

"It's the fireflies!" I shouted in surprised.

"What are they doing in those bottles?"

"Please get us out of here!" They pleaded.

"Don't worry, I'll help you!"

It was kinda hard, but I managed to open all of the bottles. Spidey tried to help, but he wasn't strong enough to do anything.

"Thank you!" The fireflies said all at the same time.

"Your welcome."

"Many thanks, young human female." A different-looking firefly said to me. It was bigger, orange (instead of yellow), and had a weird way of speaking.

"You look different than the others..."

"Correct. I am Flame, leader of the Firefly Troupe. We have a festival of sorts at the start of Verna every year at this lake."

"I know, I always come here to watch!"

"Oh, so you are the lass who..." He started bobbing up and down. "Wait a second, you can understand what we're saying?!"

"Yes, that's right!"

"I always try to talk to humans to see if they can understand me, but I can't believe I actually found you..."

"Found me?"

"Yes. You are the Bug Guardian, are you not?"

"Bug Guardian? I've been called that, but I'm not sure..."

"The Bug Guardian?" "She has returned!" "Oh, joyous day!" The fireflies all said to each other.

"I am so glad I lived to see the Bug Guardian." Flame said. "We will put on an extra special show in your honor."

"W-wow, thanks!" I said, even more excited than before.

"Okay, let us begi-..." He started to say, until we heard a "splooshy" noise behind us.

"What was that noise?" I asked, running back to the lake.

"It's a human!" One of the little fireflies answered, looking down at the lake.

I looked down where some of the fireflies were. With their light, I saw it was a person; and he wasn't moving!

"Oh no! I have to do something!"

"Wait, Que. He's probably the person who trapped the fireflies." Spidey told me.

"It doesn't matter! We can't just leave him there; he could be drowning!"

"Very well, if the Bug Guardian says so." Flame flew in front of my face. "In that case, we shall offer our assistance!"

"Really? How?"

"Like this!" The smaller fireflies flew around my back, and lifted me up.

"W-wah!"

"We'll fly!"

"W-we're flying!" I shouted, amazed. "Spidey, we're flying!"

"No, you're flying!" Spidey corrected me. "Now you can easily help that person!"

"Firefly Troupe, forward!" Flame directed, floating over my head.

"Here we go..." I flew toward the guy, then lifted him up. "He's kind of heavy..."

"Don't worry, we'll help you!" The fireflies said to me.

"W-wait, that person you're holding..." Spidey started to say.

"I-it's Dean!" I finished.

Dean started to wake up, while still in my arms. "Uh... what?"

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"A-an angel?" He asked, his eyes half-open, and with his glasses almost falling off his face.

"Hm?" I looked above my head, and saw some of the fireflies make a halo shape. "Heehee!"

"Que, let's set Dean down now."

"Yeah, okay." I told Spidey.

I set Dean down near a tree.

"Let's go. It's best he doesn't know who you are."

"Why?"

"The last Bug Guardian kept her power a secret so no one would make her use it for bad things. Seeing you with all these fireflies like this would be suspicious..."

"Oh, alright..." I directed my attention to Dean. "Goodbye Dean, and be careful from now on!" I flew away; back home.

--

After I made it home, the fireflies separated from my back.

I yawned. "I'm getting sleepy..."

"I think we should call it a day." Spidey suggested.

"B-but I didn't get to see the Firefly Festival!"

"Don't worry, Bug Guardian." Flame told me. "We'd be happy to perform anytime you want! Just say the word."

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"Well, then we'll be off. I look forward to seeing you again, Bug Guardian!"

"Bye bye!" The yellow ones said to me, then flew off with their leader.

"That was fun..." I yawned again. "I guess I'll go to bed early today..."

"Hopefully tomorrow will be another nice day!" Spidey said.

"Yeah!"

End of Chapter 2

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Writer's Comments:

"Que flies away, leaving Dean behind. Why did he follow Que? Does he know about Que's power? And will he be okay sleeping under a tree all night? Find out in Episode #03 of Bug Guardian..."

... That was the outro for the previous version of this chapter. I like it, so I wanted to put this somewhere in this one as well. I guess the comments section is better than nothing.

Anyway, this was put up for Bug Guardian's 5th anniversary, which is 7 days from now. I haven't been having that much extra time lately, so I wanted to get it done as soon as possible.

And it is! So there. I think I've said all I've needed to, so... see ya.

Until next time... (I swear I must be stealing that from someone...)

- CS-Masyet