A cold wind blew a crossed the mountain peak. Angella clutched her staff in hand, beside her Micah stood motionless and she felt reassured, a little. Here, on the edge of the Whispering Woods, they were exposed but they had been assured that Locust would honor the truce. With all that had happened, Angella felt more than a little anxious as she watched the flying machine approach, half expecting it to attack or to be the vanguard of a far larger force.
The machine had four large wings that gleamed in the sunlight and dwarfed the sleek cockpit, giving it a strong resemblance to a butterfly. It circled the peak twice, slowing as it went before rising up and setting down in front of Angella and Micah. It rested on six metal legs and its large wings folding up and out of the way. The cockpit opened and Lord Locust stepped out, removing his helmet and setting it on the seat before approaching Angella and Micah.
"Lord Locust," Micah began. "You have been summoned to this place for a petition of demands upon-"
"Micah!" Locust bellowed, his voice echoing off the stone faces of the mountains around them. "I have more important things to do than waste my time with the likes of you," he said, letting his words drip with contempt and impatience.
Micah clinched the staff in his hands and Angella noticed his knuckles were turning white. "We called you here to hear our formal declaration of hostilities."
Locust scoffed. "A declaration of hostilities? You are declaring war on us?"
"That is correct."
Locust folded his arms and glared at them with an air of passing interest. "You called me here, half way a crossed Etheria, just to tell me you are declaring war? The least you could have done is send it by messenger, and not waste my time," he turned back towards his flying machine.
"Lord Locust, please!" Angella called, stepping forward. "It is custom that before a formal declaration, the rulers of the two kingdoms meet for an airing of grievances."
Locust waved his pincer dismissively. "That is intended as a last ditch attempt at reconciliation."
"Is that so wrong?" Angella asked.
Locust narrowed his eyes on Angella. "An airing of grievances? You want me to stand here and tell you what you should already know?" he gave a mocking laugh.
"We came here to give you a final chance at peace!" Micah said, "And to give you a chance to avoid bringing more pain and sorrow onto your people and you mock us for that?"
"More pain and sorrow? Tell me, your 'royal majesty' what were your terms for peace, exactly?"
"That you and Lady Dragonfly surrender yourselves into our custody, disband your armed forces, expel the Horde outsiders from your realm and dismantle their machines."
"Disband our armed forces? And I suppose you will want your forces in our land to see to it that the Horde is removed and their machines destroyed?"
"Of course we will, we will drive this corruption from our world and save your people as well as ours."
"Save my people? From what? The very future they are building for themselves?"
"We have to destroy them and anyone who is aiding them on Etheria."
"Such as my people for instance?"
"You either stand with us or with the Horde!" Micah roared.
Locust folded his arms and answered in a deceptively calm tone of voice. "Then I certainly am not with you."
"I can see that we are wasting our time. I should have known better than to reason with someone who would side with the Horde over his own people, who would let Hordak corrupt his own daughter."
"Don't talk to me about my daughter," Locust's voice became low and menacing.
"What kind of a father are you?" Micah demanded.
"Me? You remember that day, eight months ago? When I came to you for help? When I begged and pleaded for you to save Scorpia's life, do you remember?"
"Of course I remember," Micah said.
"And do you remember what happened? You threw me out!" Locust stepped forward and leveled his thick red pincer at Micah. "So what do you think I did afterwards? I'll tell you, I went back to my wife and my daughter, no, correction; to the burnt and bleeding remains of my daughter and sat there, watching her getting weaker and weaker begging someone, anyone, to help her and then who comes to us? After you and Angella, after Castaspella and all of Ethera told us no, who came to us and offered to save our daughter's life?" He let that hang in the air for a moment. "So they gave her a new heart, a new lung, a new arm, they patched up her foot and her face and now she's laughing and smiling and practicing the harp again." Locust's voice was getting louder and angrier as he spoke each word. "She has her whole life ahead of her again and you ask me why I side with them? With the people who saved my daughter? What kind of a father am I?" he stepped back and folded his arms again. His voice was returning to something that sounded almost civil "So tell me, Micah, what would you have done? Hmm?"
Angella blinked and her mouth hung open as his words sank through her mind and into her heart.
"If that was Glimmer, instead of Scorpia, and the only person who could save her was Hordak, what would you have done, Micah?"
"I'd never let Hordak put one of his machines inside my daughter, ever!" Micah said, looking Locust directly in the eye and did not flinch or hesitate.
"Even if it meant letting Glimmer die?"
"Even so, better to die than to be turned into one of those horrific abominations."
Locust turned to Angella. "And what about you?"
Angella pressed her lips tightly together. She opened her mouth to speak but turned away from Locust. She did not say another word, not that she needed to.
"You have heard our terms," Micah said. "What is your answer?"
Locust spat on the ground, turned and climbed back into his machine. He put his helmet back on his head, closed the hatch and the machine carried him back over the horizon.
