The guides were pretty quick, though they often times slowed down for the smaller flightless bees to catch up. Benjamin found himself stumbling pretty often, the rough terrain of the... He guessed hive, often caught on his little feet. Walking around definitely felt more difficult then when he was a human and he guessed his small little feet with less joints were to blame.

Other bees had flown by while his group was moving through the hive. A lot of other bees actually, it was a hive after all. While there were less bees then Benjamin had expected, there were still a good few hundred, maybe thousands. Though none of them really talked. Or maybe they were? Benjamin wasn't a grown up yet biologically and mentally, so he didn't really know if they had some way to talk other then the strange click speech that the bees here could use.

Speaking of that, the entire group of immature bees were fairly silent the entire way to wherever they were going. Not a single peep escaped their strange mouths. Which kind of unnerved Benjamin, but they were hive creatures he supposed. It's probably natural for them to not give much input without being asked to do so.

Is that... The air kind of feels colder around here... Are we going outside? Benjamin picked up the pace a little bit and tried to move to the front of the group. The other bees seemingly made way for him which was greatly appreciated by one Benjamin, though another of the bees ended up keeping pace with him as well. After he'd reached the front, the air definitely felt different. Colder, but, something more open.

Lo and behold, an opening out of the yellow hive terrain peered out into open grassland, though very very very far below them. The beehive was... I wanna say a few hundred feet of the ground...? Though Benjamin almost jumped off the edge when he heard the 'voices' of their guides behind him. [You all will be brought down to the surface for minor pollen collection. You will be observed throughout this process, and after you've finished you will all be returned to the hive for further instruction. How you proceed will be up to you as you see fit. That is all, please prepare yourselves.]

Prepare ourselves for what? Also wait what? We're going down th-CLICK!

Benjamin... Chirped, in surprise as he was picked up from behind by one of the adult bees. He squirmed for a moment before calming down as he was held hundreds of feet off the ground. They were with their own kind, they wouldn't deign to purposefully kill him! Also... Flailing around so high up doesn't put a good mental image in my head...

They actually descended at a rather quick pace, touching back down onto solid ground nearly as fast as he'd learned to speak, though this time on the earth instead of beeswax. Benjamin had been one of the first, though the rest were quickly brought down. Long open fields stretched for as far as the eye can see, and Benjamin had to say... It was a little intimidating. What exactly were they supposed to do out here? 'Minor pollen collection'? I mean I know bees get pollen and that's like, their whole thing. They pollinate plants and they're super helpful or something? But does that really equate to monster bees as well? No offense theoretical bee observing my mind.

It took them a little bit, but Benjamin eventually found their first friend. All the bees were pretty similar, but they did have different patterns of fur. Black and yellow was of course a given, but they were in different forms for every bee. Benjamins friend was fairly standard, Yellow head, black and yellow striped torso, black legs and limbs. There were a few other bees like them, but their friend specifically had a few black lines of fur around the top of their head.

After a short moment of deliberation, Benjamin just decided to drop pretenses. Right as their friend was about to wander off as they were told to, they jumped forward with the best smile they could muster. Which also wasn't difficult, they were inclined to like this bee, and hugged themselves around their kind-of-neck. They were bewildered for a moment, before slipping out of Benjamin's grasp, staring at them befuddled. Benjamin waved at them in the same manner that he had while in the hive, it's eyes went cloudy for a moment before a proverbial light bulb went off and it waved back, a small smile forming. This, is the beginning, of a wonderful friendship.

...

Benjamin had mostly relegated themselves to following after their friend, speaking of their friend, they'd need a name and Benjamin figured they were on speaking grounds. [so-]Click-[so do you-]click-[do you want a-]click-[a name?] Benjamin managed to get out the words somewhat coherently, so they were sure that it'd got through to their friend.

[A name?]

Yeesh? They really are a pro huh? [Something to]-click-[to call you. I'd like]-click-[that if you'd let me know.] Alright! Almost got all of that out without stutters.

[Worker bee.] They replied without hesitation.

[No, that's a thing not]-click-[not a name. A name is something that makes you]-click-[that makes you, you.]

[Yet I am a worker bee. I have not known anything]-click-[anything else in my existence, so what else would you call myself?]

So, they can still stutter huh? [I mean you aren't a worker bee yet.]-click-[We were all just barely born weren't we?]

[Very well, hatchli-]

[No! A actual name! Nothing less for a friend!]

[A friend? Is that what that strange attack was earlier?]

[Well, that was a hug not an attack, but yeah! Friends! Two peo-]-click-[bees who like each other a lot!]

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Their friend paused for a long moment, clearly thinking to themselves. [You make odd sounds, friend.]

That got another smile from Benjamin, which their friend quickly replicated. [Seriously though I need something to call you besides what you are, please.]

[I don't think I know what to call myself. I don't have the same ingenuity you have friend.]

[I guess we have that in common, I was never good with names myself to be honest.]

[me too.]

Well you have the excuse of being alive for a few hours! I've had sixteen years but I can't just say that! Or I mean, could I? I dunno, maybe later. [Well-]click-drat. Can't make long sounds? Not sure I like this mouth. [Well. How about Honey?] You're sweet enough to deserve the name anyways.

[Sure. Honey sounds like a good name, but, what about you?]

[Oh, my name? My name's Ben-]click-[Benjamin thanks for asking.] They smiled again. [Okay, now what are we supposed to be doing again?]

[You're very unfocused aren't you Benjamin?]

a short moment of awkward silence passed as Honey stared at them.

[Maybe.]

...

So, following by proxy, Benjamin had managed to figure out why he even had a tongue to begin with. Turns out, and guess what? Not even a tongue! It was used to produce sound via the odd chirps, but when exposed to a less humid environment the thing actually narrowed down and extended. Benjamin had absolutely zero idea how it did it, but it did. The end of it turning to a fine point, which as Honey had demonstrated, could be used to do something to the particularly giant flowers that littered the terrain.

With a bit of an awkward attempt, Benjamin leaned his face into a large multicolored flower and stuck his "tongue" out. They maneuvered it for a bit, before feeling it hook into something. They almost panicked and yanked it out, but natural instinct seemed to take over for a moment. Benjamin breathed in, and they felt a substance of some kind move down their mouth tube thing. It wasn't particularly unpleasant, but wasn't anything they'd call exactly pleasurable either. They could kind of taste it too. Maybe it was a tongue? Or maybe it's just placebo.

During this entire attempt, Benjamin had just been leaning into the petals and they looked quite silly because of it. Though, Honey hadn't said anything so they figured it wasn't that bad or they weren't doing anything too stupid. After a few seconds, they pulled their tongue back into their mouth and pulled away from the flower. That was... Odd. But I can get used to it, if that's what I'll have to do for a living, I can deal.

[I believe we're full.] Honey said after Benjamin had stepped away.

[What makes you say that?] I can finally hold a conversation without stuttering, you've come so far Benjamin.

[I can no longer extract anything, I do not believe you can either, why would you have stopped otherwise?]

[Fair point.] I'll just leave out that I'm not... Quite, full. [Then what do you think we should do Honey?]

[Return to the hive, of course.]

[Ah right, that's obvious, silly me!]

Honey stared at Benjamin again and they smiled haphazardly, that's a new one! [You really need to focus more friend.]

[You're right, I really do.] They smiled back.

Without further adieu Honey started trudging back to where they'd been initially dropped off. Automatically assuming that'd be where they should go. They weren't exactly wrong either, as a few bees had already been there, and a few minutes later the rest who had gone out arrived. Then the adults weren't far behind.

One by one, they carried all of the younglings up to the hive, with Benjamin being one of the last this time. Once they all reached the top, they were addressed as a group once more. [Excellent work young ones, I trust we can expect great things from all of you for the hive within short order. You will now all be separated according to what was observed during the exercise. If you believe you will not be satisfied with your field of work within the hive it is imperative that you inform your respective teachers. We will expect greatness in any field you are to work in, but those who enjoy their work itself besides simply benefiting the hive often produce better results.]

Wait, what? Is this not like a "Do what you're told or perish!" Kind of deal? I mean all the better, but it doesn't seem like a cooperative species would survive just by uh... Letting people do what they want, but then again I think it's in their insti?-Oh they're not done yet. [Once you have completely finished your education, you will advance your class and become unable to leave the field of your choosing. Now, you will be lead to your destinations.]

Alright, this whole "your purpose" bit doesn't sound quite so bad any more. If we can switch to something else we think we'll like better that's fine by me. [Hey, Honey?]

[Yes, friend?]

[Think we'll work on the same thing?] Benjamin asked a little bit apprehensively.

[I am sure we will not be separated. Do not worry.]

They smiled in reassurance, and Benjamin smiled back. One by one and in groups respectively, young bees were lead off in different directions until they eventually vanished out of sight. One by one, until only they and Honey remained... And remained...

Is... Is something wrong?

[You two are a bit of a special case, the queen takes special interest in abnormal young ones.]

...What...? A short moment of silence passed before Honey asked, [abnormal?]

[I'm sure you can guess if you were to put your minds to it, Honey, Benjamin. As you would call yourselves.]

Oh.