The drive toward Springfield took much longer than Kevin had initially expected. The road stretched through several towns and rural areas before gradually becoming more urban, with the scenery changing from open fields and scattered farms to rows of houses, stores and businesses packed closer together.
Queen Buzzara and several members of her council were sitting comfortably in the backseat of Kevin's car, while the rest of the Chocobee soldiers had been divided among the other vehicles accompanying them. Despite the number of bees in the delegation, their small size made it possible to fit quite a few of them inside without much difficulty.
For a while, everything seemed normal.
Then Kevin began noticing something strange. The plants along the roadside were looking worse.
At first, it was only a few flowers that caught his attention. Their petals had turned brown and hung limply from their stems. A little farther ahead, several bushes had lost most of their leaves. Even some of the decorative flowers planted outside houses had wilted completely.
As they traveled deeper into the city, the problem became more obvious.
The normally colorful streets had become noticeably duller. Flower gardens that should have been full of life were dry and lifeless. Some trees had begun losing their leaves despite it not being the proper season for them to do so.
Kevin glanced at the scenery but said nothing.
He already knew why this was happening.
It was the consequence of what had happened with Barry and the bees.
After Barry had won the court case, the bees had been liberated from the restrictions that had previously governed their relationship with humans. At the time, Kevin had known how the story was supposed to unfold. The consequences would eventually become obvious, and Barry would realize the mistake he had made but a couple of weeks had already passed.
The situation had not corrected itself.
If anything, it appeared to be getting worse.
Kevin tightened his grip slightly on the steering wheel.
He had originally intended to stay out of the situation. If the events continued according to the original story, Barry would eventually understand the consequences of his actions and everything would begin moving toward a solution.
But things were different now.
Kevin had become involved with the bee situation, and Queen Buzzara was sitting in the convoy behind him. He also had his own farm and a growing dependence on the ecosystem around him.
He couldn't simply pretend nothing was happening anymore.
Beside him, Queen Buzzara watched the dying plants through the window.
Her antennae lowered slightly.
She clicked her tongue. "It's already happening."
Kevin glanced toward her through the mirror but didn't respond.
The Queen continued staring outside.
Flowers were dying, the plants were struggling and if the situation continued, it wouldn't stop with Springfield's gardens.
Kevin kept driving.
Hours passed before they finally reached the part of Springfield where Vanessa Bloome's flower shop was located. By then, the streets had become quieter. The convoy eventually slowed and stopped in front of a small storefront.
Kevin looked through the windshield. A faded sign hung above the entrance.
[Vanessa's Flowers.]
He stared at it for a moment.
It was almost ironic.
The flowers displayed outside were wilted, with several completely dried out. The plants that had probably once made the storefront colorful now looked as though they hadn't received proper care in weeks.
Kevin sighed quietly.
He parked the car and turned off the engine.
Queen Buzzara looked toward the storefront from the backseat, while the other bees quietly waited behind her.
Kevin then turned around slightly to face the Queen. "Lemme handle the talk first, then I'll introduce you."
Queen Buzzara nodded. "Very well."
Kevin opened his door and stepped out.
He walked around to the other side and opened the rear passenger door. Queen Buzzara flew out first, followed by the members of her council and several soldiers who had been riding with them.
The tiny bees gathered outside the car.
Kevin looked toward the flower shop, took a slow breath and walked toward the entrance.
Then he reached for the handle.
_____
Vanessa Bloome sat behind the counter of her flower shop, staring sadly at what remained of her business.
There was almost nothing left to sell.
The flowers that had once filled the store with bright colors had wilted. Some had completely dried out, while others were barely hanging on. The shelves that should have been covered with bouquets were mostly empty.
Vanessa rested her chin against one hand. Business had practically disappeared.
Who would come here to buy flowers when she couldn't even provide them?
She slowly looked around the shop. She couldn't help but sigh.
How had everything gone this badly?
Vanessa had once believed she was doing the right thing.
She was a florist. She loved flowers, and she had always felt sympathy toward bees. When Barry had told her about what was happening to his kind, she had listened to him and wanted to help.
At the time, it had seemed like the right thing to do.
She had never imagined that everything would eventually backfire so spectacularly.
Now she was beginning to understand the consequences.
Her own flowers were dying.
Her business was collapsing.
And the situation with Barry had become much more complicated than she had ever expected.
Vanessa lowered her head.
She still couldn't believe she had become involved in all of this. She had even found herself becoming attracted to Barry. The thought alone made her cringe.
"Why?" she muttered quietly. She rubbed her forehead.
Why would she even be attracted to a bee?
She knew humans could have unusual relationships in this world. There were plenty of strange things that existed, and there were even people who formed relationships with beings that weren't exactly human.
But a bee?
Vanessa sighed again.
Maybe it had been because Barry was kind. Maybe it was because he had spoken to her differently from the people she normally met or maybe she simply hadn't been thinking clearly.
Whatever the reason, she now felt increasingly embarrassed whenever she remembered it.
She lowered her head until her forehead rested against the desk. "This is ridiculous."
She remained there for several seconds.
Then—
Ring!
The bell above the shop's entrance suddenly rang.
Vanessa lifted her head.
Someone had entered.
She quickly straightened herself and forced a professional smile onto her face.
The person standing in the doorway was a young man she didn't recognize.
He was tall, well-built and dressed neatly, with dark hair and a confident but approachable expression. There was something naturally charming about the way he carried himself, yet he didn't seem arrogant. His appearance immediately stood out in the nearly empty flower shop.
Vanessa stood from her chair. "Hello. What can I do for you?"
She glanced around the store before spreading her arms slightly. "If you're going to buy flowers, I'm afraid I can't give you much right now. As you can see…"
She gestured toward the wilted displays.
Kevin looked around the shop. He could see exactly what she meant.
He then looked back at her and gave a small smile. "Hi, my name is Kevin Harlan."
He raised one hand slightly. "And about the flowers, I might have something to talk about that."
Vanessa blinked. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Harlan. I'm Vanessa Bloome, the florist of this shop. And what do you mean by that?"
Kevin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked directly at her. "Is Barry here?"
Vanessa's expression changed. She immediately became more cautious. "Barry?"
Kevin nodded. "Is he here?"
"He's still at his hive," Vanessa replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why are you looking for him?"
She took a small step backward.
Kevin noticed the change in her body language and immediately raised both hands. "No, no, you misunderstood. I'm not here to do anything bad."
Vanessa remained cautious.
Kevin turned toward the entrance. "My companions just want to see him."
He opened the door wider.
Vanessa looked past him. Her eyes widened.
Standing outside was Queen Buzzara. Behind her stood dozens of Chocobee soldiers, along with several members of the Queen's council.
Vanessa's mouth slowly fell open.
Kevin glanced back at Vanessa. "See?"