After a while, they were ready for the journey. Cherry waved as they were going off with Flik to look for warrior bugs.

"And away we go." Atticus said.

Darla stood close with Atticus since he was her big brother and all.

"We'll get through this together." Atticus said.

Darla smiled up to him.

"Come on, guys, let's get going." Flik smiled back to them.

They then went off and the young ants followed after them.

"Hey, guys." Darla said.

"Hey fellas, beautiful morning, huh?" Flik greeted.

"My dad says he gives you one hour before you come back to the island crying." one ant boy said.

"Your dad's going to lose that bet." Darla said.

"My dad doesn't think that." the other ant boy said.

"He doesn't, huh?" Flik asked him.

"He bets you're all gonna die." the other ant boy replied.

"And he is wrong, we won't die." Atticus said.

"Well, he says if the heat doesn't get ya, then the birds will." the boy ant replied.

"Well, I think they're gonna make it." Dot defended.

"Nobody asked you, Your Royal Shortness." one boy ant scoffed.

"Yeah, Dot, what do you know?' the other boy ant added in.

"Leave her alone!" Darla glared.

"You gonna make us?" the boy ants glared back at her.

Atticus stood in front of Darla protectively with a sharp glare to them. This caused for the boy ants to gulp. Darla smirked as she stood close by Atticus. Cherry walked over as the boy ants ran away like cowards.

"Hey, Cherry, we're just about to leave." Atticus told her.

"You be careful, okay?" Cherry replied. "I know I don't say it a lot, but I care about you."

"I care about you too, Cherry, and I will be careful and so will Flik and Darla." Atticus said.

"I know you will..." Cherry replied. "I care about you like Vapor Trail looked after Sky Stinger in the Wonderbolts Academy."

"Who?" Darla asked.

"I'll tell you later." Atticus said, but smiled to Cherry's comparison as those two ponies were true friends.

"Tell me now." Darla said.

"I'll tell you on the way." Atticus smiled.

"Fine..." Darla sighed.

Cherry then went with the other ants as Flik climbed up a dandelion to fly with it toward the city.

"Ready to fly?" Atticus asked Darla.

Darla nodded. Atticus then carried her on his back and flew with her across the cliff while Flik rode on the dandelion. This surprised Flik as he looked down and saw Atticus flying with Darla on his back.

"So, who are those two?" Darla asked.

"There were these rookie pegasi entering for the Wonderbolts Academy," Atticus explained to her. "They were best friends... Sky had a lot of brothers and sisters with little to no attention from his parents and Vapor was an only child with constant attention from her parents."

"Cool," Darla smiled. "Wait, did Rainbow Dash meet them?"

"Rainbow Dash and Twilight," Atticus explained. "It was a Friendship Emergency. I felt bad for Rainbow though, she had just got back from the academy and was looking forward to a break."

"Yikes." Darla gulped.

Atticus smiled to her.

"Can I go to Equestria with you guys again soon?" Darla pouted.

"I guarantee it." Atticus soothed.

"Wahoo!" Darla smiled.

Atticus chuckled to his little sister as they flew off to the city. Flik, unfortunately, crashed into a rock. Atticus and Darla winced from that.

"Is he okay?" Darla asked.

"I'm okay!" Flik muffled.

"Darla, this might take a while." Atticus told his little sister.

"I don't mind as long as I'm with you." Darla smiled up to her big brother.

Atticus then helped Flik off the rock and flew them to the city. The ants then waited behind as they went to the city to find warrior bugs.

"How hard it could find them be?" Darla asked.

"Don't worry, Darla, knowing me, this won't take any time at all." Atticus promised.


Unfortunately, it took most of the day as it was now night.

"I'm sorry, Darla..." Atticus yawned. "This took longer than I thought it would."

"It's okay," Darla said. "At least we got to the city."

Atticus soon landed. The two then stood up and took long stretches as they ended up in the city where Flik was amazed. Darla pouted.

"Aw, are you hungry?" Atticus cooed to his little sister.

"Yes." Darla nodded.

"Let's get something to eat..." Atticus said before looking around. "Any place to eat around here?"

"I don't think so." Darla frowned.

"I'm sure we'll find something, if not, I'll make you something, deal?" Atticus replied.

"Okay." Darla hugged him.

"Follow me." Flik said.

Darla and Atticus followed after Flik. A daddy long-leg spider walked over them as they approached the bug city.

"Wow." Darla smiled.

"It's like New York City, but with bugs." Atticus commented.

"Yeah." Darla nodded.

"Wow," Flik smiled at the sights. "The city."

"Sure is big." Darla said.

A few of the bugs bumped against the trio and glared to them.

"City folk." Darla smiled weakly.

"Let's try to stay out of their way." Atticus said.

A bee was beating up a fly and kicked him out of one place.

"Tough bugs!" Flik cheered.

"Let's go then." Darla said.


Flik, Atticus, and Darla then walked over to the bar that seemed to have tough bugs. There were many bugs inside having their meals and there even appeared to be a snail.

"How will we choose?" Darla asked.

"Pardon me, sir, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment," Flik tried to get attention. "We represent a colony of ants. We're looking for tough bugs, you know, mean bugs. Bugs that-"

No one seemed to be paying attention to him. Flik followed a bug as Darla and Atticus were about to catch up until a group of other bugs were sulking as they were fired from a flea which they found to be humiliating.

"Maybe that group can help us." Darla said.

"Fired by a flea, how humiliating." the stick bug whined.

"Let's face it, we stink." the ladybug commented.

"You're fired!" the pill bug twins said to each other.

"Oh, will you shut up?" the spider complained to them.

"Excuse me." Atticus spoke up.

The group then looked over to him.

"You're fired!" the pill bugs continued, annoying the spider even more.

"I'm guessing you all were fired from your jobs." Atticus said.

"You have no idea, kid..." the ladybug grumbled.

"Well, if you're interested, we could really use your help." Darla said.

"Help?" the spider asked. "What kind of help?"

"It's a long story, but these other ants really need some help," Atticus said. "There's grasshoppers!"

"And where they keep coming to the ants just for their food." Darla said.

"Dat's horrible!" the fat caterpillar pouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dears, but we're circus performers..." the butterfly said.

"Wait, what?" Darla asked.

"How are you all at acting?" Atticus added.

"I for one am quite brilliant!" the praying mantis bragged.

"And the rest of you?" Atticus smiled.

"Um... Well, I don't like to brag, but I suppose we could give it a try..." the ladybug said.

"I can coach you," Darla offered. "I used to be an actress."

"It's true." Atticus smiled.

"You, an actress?" the praying mantis replied.

"Allow me to help..." Darla smiled smugly. "I've been acting since I was four."

"Yeah, she was once a movie star." Atticus said.

The ex-circus bugs looked to the ants and to each other, wondering if this would be a good idea or not.

"Please." Darla begged.

"You should put on a show for us though, look brave and tough." Atticus suggested.

"Yeah, that would be awesome!" Darla agreed. "So, what do you say?"

There soon came two house flies in the bar who were looking for the male ladybug.

"They found us, and I don't think they're very happy." The ladybug said to his friends.

"You want my big brother to help fight them off?" Darla asked.

"Uh, he can try..." The ladybug replied.

"Atticus?" Darla signaled.

Atticus nodded and soon got ready.


The two flies landed near the ladybug. "Hello, girly bug~" they then mockingly greeted.

"Shoo, fly, don't bother me." The ladybug grumbled.

"You heard him." Atticus glared.

"Oh, you know who you should meet, our pal Thud." One fly smirked.

A muscular fly soon landed right behind Atticus.

"He's behind me, isn't he?" Atticus asked.

The two flies smirked.

"That's a yes," Atticus said. "One moment please while I beat him up."

"Who are you supposed to be, Atom Ant?" Thud glared to Atticus.

"You could say that." Atticus smirked.

Thud just laughed at him like he was nothing and reached out to beat him up. "You're next after this puny ant, Girly Bug." he then smirked towards ladybug.

"Great..." The ladybug said weakly as he sat with his friends.

Darla decided to watch this as she knew who would win.

"'Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home'." The two flies mocked the ladybug.

"Hey, leave him alone!" Darla glared.

"Shoo, kid, this don't concern you." One fly glared back.

Darla began to hate the flies more and more.

"Not so tough now are you?" One fly glared. "Alright clown, get up and fight like a girl."

The ladybug glared about that until they all looked over and saw Atticus handling Thud.

"That guy would've been perfect for our Robin Hood thing." The ladybug whispered to the other circus bugs.

"He sure would." The stick bug nodded.


Thud soon yelled out and ran away with the other two house flies.

"Now don't make me catch you bugging that ladybug again or I'll tear your wings off!" Atticus threatened after rough-handling them.

"You did it, Atticus!" Darla cheered.

"Eh, no biggie, are you okay?" Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just can't believe what jerks flies can be." Darla replied.

"Believe it." Atticus said.

The circus bugs now wondered what they could do now that they were fired.

"Do you think maybe they can act like warriors to help protect Ant Island?" Darla asked her big brother, feeling bad for the circus bugs.

"Sure they can; this could be like an act for them." Atticus said.

"Hey, Flik!" They both called to the venturing ant.

Flik turned to them, and Atticus and Darla soon told him about how the circus bugs could help Ant Island's condition against the grasshoppers. Only they told him that the circus bugs were warrior bugs.

"YOU'RE PERFECT!" Flik told the circus bugs before bowing to them. "O, Great Ones, we have been scouting for bugs with your exact talents."

"A talent scout." The butterfly/moth told the other bugs with her.

"My colony's in trouble, grasshoppers are coming," Flik continued. "We've been forced to prepare all this food."

'I'm sure they'll agree.' Darla thought to himself.

"Dinner theater." The praying mantis said.

"Food?" The caterpillar smiled.

"Please, will you help us?" Flik asked the bugs.

The circus bugs looked around before smiling to Flik.

"We'll take the job." The stick bug decided.

"Knew it." Darla smiled.

"Really?" Flik asked the other bugs out of surprise.

"You can all explain the details on the way." The stick bug said as he helped the others onto the large dung beetle's back to give them a ride.

"Let's get on our way." Atticus said.

"Okay, come on, everyone, break a leg." The black widow spider told the others.

"Whoa, you're vicious." Flik said to her.

Darla was about to say that was just an expression for good luck, but Atticus stopped her as that might ruin the guise, so she decided to change the subject. "So, who are you guys?" she then asked.

"Well, I'm Rosie, and this is Dim." The black widow spider said, introducing herself and the dung beetle who seemed to be simple and childish.

"Ooh." Darla smiled.

"Aw, you're such a cute little thing." Rosie smiled back to her.

"I'm Gypsy, and this is Manny." The butterfly/moth introduced with a smile to her and the praying mantis she was close with.

"Are you two a thing?" Darla smiled.

"Actually, yes," Gypsy smiled back. "We're very close, and even married."

"How romantic~" Darla smiled.

"So, uh, who are you guys?" Atticus tried to talk to the pill bugs.

The pill bugs spoke to him, but it was in a language he didn't understand.

"Sorry about them, but they only speak Hungarian." Rosie sighed since she knew how frustrated Atticus must've felt.

"Heh..." Atticus said nervously.

"Anyway, their names are Tuck and Roll." Rosie told Atticus and Darla.

"Um... Hi..." Atticus smiled nervously.

Tuck and Roll spoke to him, but it seemed to be nonsense.

"Uh..." Darla said.

"And, you guys are?" Atticus asked the other bugs.

"I'm Francis." The ladybug said.

"And I'm Slim." The stick bug added.

"I'm Heimlich, you have any food?" The caterpillar asked hungrily.

"Sorry, no food." Darla said.

"Aww..." Heimlich frowned.


Dim soon flew them out of the city and into Ant Island. Manny and Gypsy also flew since they had their own way of flying.

"I wonder how things are going back on Ant Island?" Darla said.

"Oh, they'll just be thrilled when we come back with these warrior bugs!" Flik beamed.