A few weeks passed since that faithful day. Atta was in her room, looking at the map. It read that the valley was a luscious place with plenty of good food and only herbivorous dinosaurs. Before she could continue her study her mother The Queen as well as The Ant Council entered.
"Atta dear." The Queen called.
"Uh yes mother?" She asked worried that they knew she and Dot had snuck out.
"We have a situation your highness." Thorny said.
"A situation." Cornelius repeated.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Well I did some calculations, and according to them, food on the island is scarce." Thorny explained. "It's only a matter of time before it's all gone for good."
"How's this happening?" Atta questioned.
"It's because of the double offering Hopper forces us to give every year from now on." Dr. Flora answered.
"It's gotten to the point where all the food is gone." Mr. Soil said "We're not sure what to do."
At first Atta didn't know what to do either. But then she got herself an idea.
"What if we leave the island, and never return." Atta suggested.
This caused a surprised shock among everyone.
"Your highness?" Said Thorny.
"What ever do you mean?" Asked Mr. Soil.
"Well not too long ago, Dot and I found this old map lying around." She said showing them the map. "It shows the way to a place known as The Great Valley."
"The Great Valley?" Asked Thorny.
"I never thought I'd hear of a place even I've never heard of." Said Cornelius.
"A place even Cornelius has never heard of?" Asked Dr. Flora. "Doesn't sound like a good idea to me."
"Just what's in this so called valley?" Asked The Queen.
"Well it's a very safe place. With lots of food, and space and, dinosaurs." Atta said.
"Wait what was that last one?" Mr. Soil.
"Dinosaurs?!" Asked Dr. Flora.
"Yep." Said Atta.
"Your highness we can't leave the island. And even if we could the dinosaurs would eat us." Thorny said.
"Eat us." Cornelius repeated.
"Wrong, the valley only has plant eating dinosaurs in it. Meat eaters aren't capable of entering through the mountains and terrain around the valley." Atta told them.
"But how would we enter?" Flora asked.
"We can tunnel." Atta answered.
"Tunnel?" They all said in unison.
"Your highness, with all do respect, this is not a good idea." Said Thorny.
"Not a good idea." Repeated Cornelius.
Atta now knew how Flik felt.
"Look if we don't do this, then sooner or later Hopper won't be satisfied by the little food we have to offer. He and his grasshoppers will rein and take over." Atta told them.
"She's right." Agreed The Queen. "I vote we leave and never return."
"Well if you both say so." Said Thorny. "Just let me draw another copy of the map on a blank leaf so I can use that."
"All right Thorny." Atta agreed.
Later they had all hoisted a colony gathering and told the other ants of their plan.
"I know that this island has been our home for longer than any of us can remember." Atta said speaking into the leaf microphone Flik gave her. "But this is our only chance to survive. Times have changed and we must change with them." The colony was surprised and a little sad to leave their island home. But knew the princess was right and that they had to leave. Soon they all began cheering. Atta smiled and looked at the microphone. She wished he could be here right now. "I have only myself to blame." She thought to herself.
And so the ants began to work together. To tunnel their way to The Great Valley. The ants started at the main tunnel inside the anthill and started digging from there. With all the ants working together there was no worrying of getting tired out. The tunneled a good long distance away from Ant Island, under the creek, and passed forest. Days passed. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into a whole month before the ants finally reached their new home. The Great Valley. Or at least they were under it.
"So according to the map we should be tunneled directly under The Great Valley." Atta told the colony.
"So what now?" Asked Dr. Flora.
"Should we go up to the surface and start building the new anthill?" Asked Mr. Soil.
"No." Answered Thorny. "There are dinosaurs up there."
"Dinosaurs up there." Repeated Cornelius.
"Well we don't have a choice." Said The Queen. "We'll have to go up there sooner or later to build the anthill."
Meanwhile Atta was walking ahead staring at the map.
"Yes well maybe I can find a safe place where the dinosaurs aren't-" But Atta was so caught up in the map that she didn't watch where she was going and bumped straight into another ant.
"Ahh, Ow." They both said.
"Oh sorry." Said Atta.
"No it was my fault Princess Atta." Said the other ant.
Suddenly Atta's heart stopped and started again at the sight of the other ant. It wasn't just any ant. It was an ant she thought she would never see again but hoped she would. A blue harvester ant. It was...
"Flik?"