Chapter 9: Thanks For Our Lives

We could all hear the blasts of the blow-horns. Several ants were blowing on them. It was time. The circus bugs were leaving.

It seemed only yesterday that Hopper had been finished for good, yet it was quite some time ago, as it was now spring. After his demise, P.T allowed the circus bugs to stay for the winter, as it was too dangerous to leave the island safely. Now, however, they were going. Although we were sad to see them leave, we knew why they were going, and they promised that they would return. Both the circus bugs and I had been thanked several times since then, but only by a few at a time, as no room in the anthill could hold the whole colony. I was standing by P.T's circus wagon, which was parked near the tree root. He was ready to go, and the circus bugs were giving their farewells. P.T. himself was on an upturned wastepaper basket right next to me. Some ants had just given Gypsy a flower as thanks.

'Oh, you're too kind!' remarked Gypsy.

'Thanks again!' said Slim to several ants.

'All in a day's good time!' said Manny proudly. Dim emerged from the crowd, moving a lot slower and more awkwardly than usual. Rosie addressed him with a suspicious grin.

'Dim...' she said slowly.

'Aww...' moaned Dim. He opened his shell, revealing several kid ants that had been hiding there, clearly wanting to tag along on the circus bugs tour. The kids chorused in on Dim's "aww" as they walked back into the crowd, clearly depressed that they could not come.

'Oh,' began Rosie, 'I'm so sorry kids, I wish you could come too.'

Dot and the other blueberries were with Francis, and they were crying as he held them. 'I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry,' he said, while clearly on the verge of crying.

Tuck and Roll were entertaining various ants with their usual Hungarian gibberish and by poking each other with Hopper's antenna - I was right, they had taken it from his head. They broke into hysterics and some of the ants laughed along with them.

'Hey, let's go,' yelled P.T, 'we've got a schedule to keep!' He pointed into the circus wagon, which lay open.

'Hup-hup-hup-hup-Hey!' chorused five ants as they cart-wheeled past P.T and his fireflies into the wagon. They were the same five ants who had assisted Tuck & Roll when the ants had fought back, and they were going along with the circus.

'Hey Tiny!' yelled P.T. 'Let's get this show wrapped up; we've got paying customers hatching!' Molt hopped into view, stammering as usual. We had found him after me and Atta had returned to the island, and P.T had agreed to hire him for the circus, which benefited everyone.

'Yes, Mr. Flea! Yes sir, of course sir, right away sir!' said Molt very fast as he clambered into the wagon, carrying some of the circus' stationary. 'And, um, I just wanted to thank you for giving me a chance, because it's an honour to work with creative giants –' clearly bored, P.T gestured to the two fireflies, who started to close the wagon lid '– such as yourself –' the fireflies snapped the lid shut, slightly drowning out Molt's voice.

'Shutting up,' came Molt muffled voice from inside the wagon. P.T leapt on top of the wagon and turned to face me.

'You're sure you can't come on tour with us?' he asked. He had asked that question several times since Hopper's fate, and he didn't seem to take no for an answer.

'Sorry,' I shrugged. 'My place is here.'

Suddenly, I realised someone had taken my hand. It was Atta, and she was smiling.

'Good answer,' she said quietly. We smiled at each other. She had not asked why I had returned, not had anyone else. They all knew the answer.

'Oh well, your loss,' shrugged P.T, 'one minute insects!' he yelled to the circus bugs. He then leapt down to his millipedes and began preparing them for the departure.

Atta and I walked around to the side of the wagon, where Slim, Gypsy, Manny, Francis, Rosie, Tuck & Roll and Dim were waiting. Atta addressed the circus bugs. Dot appeared at my side and I smiled at her briefly. The Queen and the four council ants were hovering awkwardly behind us. 'I want to thank ALL of you,' began Atta, 'for giving us back out hope, our dignity, and our lives.'

'And to you, Princess Atta,' said Slim, 'you have given us so much, please accept this gift, from us bugs to you ants.' He stepped back, and Gypsy handed Manny a leaf. Manny moved forwards, creating suspense with hand movements, and then he pulled out a rock from behind the leaf.

'For you,' he said to Atta as he handed it over. Realizing what the circus bugs were trying to do, I grinned at Dot, who gave a brief silent laugh.

'Oh,' said Atta as she took the rock and held it nervously, 'it's a rock...'

Francis, Slim and Manny grasped each others hands and chuckled, clearly thinking they had interpreted my old metaphor correctly.

'What's with the rock?' whispered Cornelius to Thorny.

'Must be a circus thing,' shrugged Thorny. Dot giggled briefly at me before I stood up to face the circus bugs. Rosie spoke up.

'Well Flik, you really goofed up,' said Rosie quietly. She then broke into a tearfully happy smile. 'Thanks.'

'Yeah...' I said nervously, 'you too.'

There was a brief pause. Rosie suddenly started clapping. The other circus bugs joined in too. I could not believe it. I turned around to face the colony.

The council ants, the Queen, Dot and (YES!) Princess Atta were clapping too. Before I could do more then look slightly surprised and cheerful at the same time, the rest of the colony started clapping too.

I could only put on a look of happiness not unlike the one Rosie was wearing as the colony continued. I was finally respected, but much, much more that I had ever dreamed of! They moved in closer; I could almost feel happiness radiating from the crowd too. I was almost on the verge of happy tears, and then –

Someone had taken my hands again. Looking up, I saw that it was Atta. She looked just the same way I did. Before I could say anything – she had kissed me on the cheek. It felt like heaven; complete bliss. That alone would have been enough, but put in respect and I felt on top of the island's tree!

Suddenly, the Queen pulled off Atta's princess tiara from behind. Atta let out a barely audible gasp before she turned around. The Queen placed Atta's tiara in her hands. We all knew what was coming. I joined in the clapping. Smiling now, Atta knelt before her mother. The Queen took off her crown and put it on Atta's head. The crowd was cheering even more. Atta stood up proudly, clearly relieved. She then glanced at the tiara still in her hands before tossing it into the air. Dot flew up from the ground and caught it perfectly on her head. The crowd cheered even more loudly as Dot giggled. P.T was sniffing from on top of the wagon where he waited.

'All right,' he said timidly, 'now it's getting mushy, we're outta here. Eyyahh!' he yelled, whipping his millipede's reins. They stumbled and started to pull the wagon along. Rosie, Slim, Tuck & Roll were already on board. Dim, Francis, Manny and Gypsy started flying, waving to the colony, who waved back.

Dim locked his legs around the grasp handle of the front wagon and lifted it into the air, the millipedes hanging below by their reins.

'Wowwwww...' said several kids slowly as the wagon flew over the tree root.

'See you next season,' said Rosie as she waved.

'See ya Flik!' cried Francis, still flying.

'Bye,' cried Rosie, 'we miss you already!'

'You're fired!' cried Tuck/Roll - whichever one had au natural eyebrows.

'You're fired!' cried Roll/Tuck - whichever one had a unibrow.

Slim suddenly gasped and pointed downwards at the tree root. 'We forgot Heimlich!' he cried. He was right! No one had seen Heimlich since Hopper had been dealt with. But now I saw. There was a cocoon hanging from the tree root. It was swinging now. Suddenly, the bottom opened and Heimlich was there.

'I'm finished!' he said happily. 'Finally, I'm a beautiful butterfly!' He squirmed, trying to get out and, mere seconds later, he squeezed out, leaving the empty cocoon behind. He landed on the ground. He didn't look any different, except that there was two tiny curled up wings on his back. Heimlich glanced around at them, squirmed again, and they popped open.

'Mein wings!' he remarked. 'Oh, they're beautiful!' Four adult male ants quickly rushed in to help him up.

'Heimlich!' cried one of them as they supported him off the ground. 'The wagon's taking off, you'd better start flying!'

'But I am flying!' he said as the ants struggled to lift him into the air. Francis and Manny fell back and grabbed him by an end each, trying to lift him.

'And from way up here you all look like little ants!' he said as Manny and Francis successfully lifted him up.

'Auf wiedersehen!' he yelled to the ants as he took off.

'Bye!' I waved as they flew off. Suddenly – I was being lifted into the air by my arms. It was Atta and Dot! I smiled as they lifted me into the air towards the tree root. They put me down and they landed either side of me. We all waved to the circus bugs. And – several ants shot cut stalks from several of my stalk cutters, which the colony was now using to harvest. They collided in the air and burst into green fireworks (of sorts). As more of them collided, I looked at Atta and she looked at me.

Words weren't necessary. We smiled at each other and I held her left hand in my right as we waved harder than ever at the circus bugs as they flew over the river and across the grass plains.

I didn't know what was in store for the colony now – but it had to be better then what we used to have.


Approximate Movie Running Time: 84:11-88:24 (NTSC); 80:49-84:52 (PAL)