"But wait..", I said quickly before I stopped the twins from running. "What is it, mom?", Alex asked softly, and I looked at my twins gently. It's still hard to believe that I and my twins are grasshoppers. I have white-brown skin and the stripes on my legs is blue, like medium blue. And for the twins, they both have white-brown skin like myself while Ashley has light blue stripes on her legs, and Alex has dark blue stripes on his legs.
"I don't know how the ants..will react to us...as they are very scared of grasshoppers.", I said a bit worried. Chris widened his eyes, "Dang, she's right. Ant Island has a history with Hopper and his gang for at least two generations.".
"But what else can we do, Mom? We can't go anywhere else.", Alex said. "Alex is right...and beyond this island...is where that bird is.", Ashley said, feeling scared.
I turned to see in the distance, and they were right...in the very distance was the nest of the Bird. I instinctively shivered. Sure enough, the nest is built well enough, through I don't see any eggs, proving me that this is long before the movie timeline. I sighed heavily, "It's far from us, luckily, but the island is far as well...".
Chris hummed thoughtfully, "We could always fly across the riverbed, opposite the nest, in the shadow of the big tree...Maybe there's some shelter within the rocks.".
Angela...you and your family must stay on Ant island...There is a reason...you and your family were sent here. I heard a voice in my mind. I gasped softly in surprise, and I hear Ashley calling out to me quietly, "Momma?".
I smiled reassuringly, "If we are in the timeline of the movie prior to the events of the movie, we have to be in the vicinity of Ant Island. Tell you what, kiddos, if you meet Dot sometime when we are on the island, maybe Dot, being a princess, could convince the Queen and Atta that we are good...".
Alex grinned lightly, "Really?". Chris nodded, "It's worth a try.".
"Well...let's plan first..How we are going to introduce ourselves to the ants...without them trying to attack us or think we are part of Hopper's gang?", I said. "Okay...so what's your plan?", Chris asked with a grin.
"Okay...here is my plan...", I started to explain to my family.
-Time-skip-
I hummed lightly as I flew up, plucking out a couple of seeds from a plant, heading back to the clearing while waving here and there to a few ants down below.
We have been on Ant Island for almost 3 months...and oh, sure, the ants were scared of me...but after a long talk with the Queen...we were able to convince them that we are not going to harm them.
So, I, along with my children, and Chris, we have been helping the Ants gather food. I became close with the Queen as she was like a mother to me, and I grew close to Flik as I saw him like a brother.
And for the twins, they quickly made friends with Dot, and secretly showed her about flying with wings while individually, Ashley hung out with Atta at times when Atta is in her fretting fits while Alex helped out with Filk when I am not around. And Chris, he is happy to aid the healers when he has a break from gathering food, through there are moments I catch him in his daydreaming bits of meeting Francis.
I had to tell both Atta and the Queen the story of how my children were born, and how I lost my brother Josh. I had to change a few parts of the story as I could not let them know that I and my family were humans.
Of course, there are moments I have thought about telling them the truth as they accepted us into the colony, but they aren't fully open-minded as they haven't adopted Filk's brilliant inventions as of yet.
I was flying in the air as I then saw Flik with the Harvester sadly walking back into the field. "I know this scene...", I said quietly as I flew over to where Flik went. "Flik! Wait up!", Dot called out as she carried Flik's telescope as Alex and Ashley were following behind her.
Alex spoke encouragingly, "Don't beat yourself up, Filk. That harvester idea is brilliant!". Ashley nodded, "Yeah, sooner or later, the colony will see that you're right!".
Filk smiled softly, "I appreciate that, guys, and Dot, you know that too, huh?". Dot giggled warmly, "I believe in you, Filk, and look, the telescope works great!".
Filk sighed lightly, "A invention that actually works. First time for me...". "Don't let their words get to you, Flik..." I said softly as I landed besides Filk.
"Thanks, Angela..", Flik smiled at me. "You are like a brother to me, Flik, and I hate it when you get sad.", I said.
"Angela? I've been wanting to ask...How did you lose your brother?", Flik asked slowly. I haven't told Flik the story or the truth about how Ashley and Alex were born.
I sighed heavily, "He was attacked by monster grasshoppers...He tried to save me after I...got molested...". Filk widened his eyes in shock, and exhaled, "I'm sorry for asking...".
Dot asked in confusion, "What do 'molested' mean?". I winced lightly, glad that I didn't say the 'r' word, but that word is still the same in meaning...Darn ants for having good hearing... Alex patted Dot's shoulder, "Let's say that it is a very bad word to know. You cannot say that to Atta or your mom. Mom only knows it because of her dad...".
"Josh sacrificed himself to give me time to escape...and that's how I lost my brother.", I said with a sad look on my face. Flik placed his hand on my shoulder in comfort. "It's one of the reasons that my mother and I don't get along...and why she doesn't like Alex or Ashley.", I said with a scoff.
Filk nodded in understanding, "Estranged from your mom, huh? That's just stupid for her to do that to the twins. I mean," looking over to the twins, "You are wicked smart, Alex, and you are a great listener, Ashley!". I chuckled softly as the twins gave out smug, proud smiles, and Dot giggled, "Yeah, Filk's right!".
"So, remember whenever you're feeling sad...you can come to one of us...we'll be there for you, Flik.", I said. Flik smiled as he hugged me. Alex and Ashley giggled as they joined in on the hug.
I smiled warmly as Dot joined in, "Hey, count me in!", laughing lightly, and then I heard horns as Filk froze up with a frightened look, "They're coming!". "Mom!", Dot cried out as she ran back to the clearing with the food pile.
"Mom!", Alex and Ashley hugged me with frightened looks. "Don't worry, I got you two!", I said as I picked them both up and carried them in my arms.
If my twins remained humans, they can't be picked up or carried by arms for they are 14 years old, but being grasshoppers, smaller than me or Hopper, close to Dot's size, but a bit taller than her, they are easily picked up and carried to safety.
I flew as fast as I could, landing besides the Queen as I saw her cradling Dot, hearing Atta attempt to call the ants into order. The Queen gave out a sharp whistle, "It's no time to panic! Get all the food you got into the pile, and get below! Go, go, go!".
"Angela!", I turned to see Chris running up the anthill. "Come on, Angela, follow me!", The Queen said quickly.
I nod my head as I followed the queen. Chris stood atop the anthill, waiting for me with a frantic look, "Thank god you got the twins! Come on, let's get downstairs!", helping the Queen gently as I followed him and her into the anthill, my twins cuddling tightly to my shoulders, barely hearing Atta call out to the last straggling ants, and I widened my eyes, gasping softly, "Filk's still outside!".
But then we heard the buzzing of the Grasshoppers. "Momma..", Alex and Ashley whimpered in fear. I rubbed their backs to comfort them. "It's ok..It's ok..I got you two..", I said softly.
I hear Atta nearby, muttering repeatedly, "They come, eat, and leave.", and I comforted the twins closely before I then hear Filk's voice, wincing as I realized that the food pile's gone. Great. I just hope I better change things from now on.
"Oh, great. Now we know what comes next.", Chris whispered to me. "Princess, there's something I need to tell you.", Flik said nervously.
"Not now, Flik..", Atta whispered harshly. "But Your Highness, it's about the offering!", Flik said frantically.
Atta shushed him, and then we heard the grasshoppers land. "Hey, what's going on?". "Yeah, where's the food?".
All the ants gasped in horror and shock. "What did you do!?", Atta hissed angrily as she glared at Flik, and the rest of the ants turned to look at him. "It was an accident...", Flik whimpered with a gesture of his arms.
Chris stood in front of me, and to my shock...The grasshoppers don't seem to notice me. Then everything stopped as we heard a loud slam, and I turned to see a certain one eyed Grasshopper standing in front of Flik and two other ants.
"H-Hopper.", Flik whimpered in horror. I exhaled slowly as I watched him walk calmly, the ants moving back to give him room in fear, and I shivered inwardly as I heard his voice for the first time. He's clearly angry due to the tone.
"So, where is it?", Hopper asked as he stared at the wall. I could see Flik shaking. "Where's my food!?", Hopper shouted as his voice echoed throughout the room.
Ashley and Alex whimpered, shaking as they stayed close to me, literally sitting on my lap. "Isn't it up there?", Atta stuttered nervously. "What?", Hopper asked with a glare on his face as he approached her.
"The food was in a leaf sitting on top...", Atta explained as she was looking down, and then she saw Hopper in front of her. "Excuse me.", Hopper said with a half-lidded look.
"Are you sure it's not up there?", Atta asked anxiously. "Are you saying I'm stupid?", Hopper asked harshly. "Do I look stupid to you? Let's just think about the logic, shall we? Let's just think about it for a second.", Hopper said as he crossed his arms.
"Shhhh...", I whispered as I tried to comfort the twins. "If it was up there, would I be coming down here to your level, looking for it?", Hopper growled in anger.
Atta shook her head, "No, no...I didn't mean to imply...You see, it wasn't my fault... It was..", and I saw Filk gasp silently, wincing as Hopper glared at her, "No, blame yourself. Heck, why am I talking to you? You don't look like a Queen, you don't even smell like a Queen.", his antennae playing around.
The Queen piped up, "That's my daughter, heir to the colony. I was teaching her...". Hopper nodded, "Ah, I see, taking over the Queen's duties, princess. Well, it's your fault that there's no food.".