CHAPTER XIX: BIG DIFFERENCE MADE
Rosie jumped off Weaver, landing near Cora on the branch. She quickly grabbed Cora and, with surprising strength, pulled her free. Cora positioned herself next to Rosie, and they both looked down.
The alligator closed its jaws slowly, and then it sunk back into the surface of the swamp. It was over.
'Where's Dim?' said Cora hurriedly. They both looked around, until they saw him, two inches away on the other side of the branch, covered it twigs. He looked very dead; he was on his side, his eyes were closed, and he wasn't breathing. He was still leaking blood though.
'Oh no...' said Cora slowly.
'Dim!' gasped Rosie. They both hurried over to his body, and, straining briefly, they quickly shoved the twigs off him.
Rosie quickly conjured some more spider web from her bulgy abdomen, and she stuck it on Dim's cuts, stopping the blood leaking.
Cora just stared at him, unable to believe what she was saying. She had said she had despised him – and now he was dead.
'No... No...' she breathed slowly. 'You can't... please...'
She remembered watching when Dim had originally returned from the hornets, and collapsed in front of the crowd. She had shed a tear while several beetles carried him inside the tunnels.
"You're very brave and bright", she had thought.
Rosie finished patching Dim up, but he still showed no signs of life.
A memory flashed across Rosie mind too: she had secretly kissed him while he had been asleep the night before he had left the circus. The thought haunted her, but it also gave her life.
"I love you, you bright beetle", she had thought.
Looking at his lifeless figure, they both lowered their heads. Floating in the background, the other circus bugs and Weaver, looked shocked, and closed their eyes in respect.
Suddenly, Dim coughed, spreading some tree dust away from his body. He opened his eyes slowly, groaning.
Rosie and Cora both let out sighs of relief.
'Oh, thank goodness,' said Rosie.
'Dim,' said Cora slowly, looking at him straight in the eye, 'I don't despise you.'
'Listen,' said Dim, 'I'm... I'm so sorry I deserted you...'
Everyone, especially Cora and Rosie, looked at Dim with expressions of apologies as well.
'U knuw mir,' said Heimlich, from where Weaver was still hovering in the air, 'I'm tu young tu hold a grudge.'
Dim looked at Rosie and Cora again. He held up two of his feet in their direction, looking more hopeful then since this whole crisis had began.
They both looked at him with appraising looks, and then Cora held one of his feet with her own; Rosie gave him one of her hands.
'Hey, guys...' said Dim slowly.
'Yeah,' they both responded simultaneously, still holding one of his limbs each.
'Was I...' he struggled, 'was I... bright?'
Cora and Rosie widened their eyes at these words. They both seemed to be wondering what to say. Rosie spoke first.
'Well,' began Rosie slowly, 'yeah.'
'You were brighter then bright,' said Cora.
'I was?' said Dim in awe, both of himself and them.
'You were... luminous,' said Rosie.
'Really?' questioned Dim.
They both nodded, surpassing a smile.
Dim chuckled, looking around at the watching circus bugs and Weaver as well.
They all chuckled, just going with the flow of their savior. Eventually, though still on the ground, Dim spoke again.
'Thanks.'
I was giving my final speech to the colony and the circus bugs, back in the main colony clearing. They had to leave soon, as P.T. still had them under contracts.
'... and you guys were the first to like me for who I am,' I said to the circus bugs. 'And... You made a difference in me.
'But we all made a difference,' I continued, turning back to the main colony, who were close by. Cora, Weaver, and the King and Queen were at the front.
'All of us,' I said. 'Even the hornets...'
There was pause. Eventually, Rosie clapped for Dim, almost crying from happiness. The other circus bugs joined in within a second.
Looking behind me, I saw Cora, Weaver, and the King and Queen also clapping (by slapping their front feet against each other).
Before I could look more then surprised, the rest of the colony was also clapping. Berry, Quick, the deep-voiced male who drank his own pee once... everyone.
I smiled, feeling the sunshine shining harder than ever, even though it was the middle of the day anyway. And then –
'Uh, excuse me...' said a voice. We all looked up; it was Palpatine, hovering above us. Some of the beetles looked afraid, but not as afraid as he did.
'Hi...' he squirmed slowly, raising a claw, and giving the "live long and prosper" sign.
Heimlich opened his mouth... and puked up the remnants of his last meal.
'Don't be afraid,' he began slowly, aware that the whole colony was watching him, 'I just wanted to say that... it's great that you're free, and... I'm sorry if I caused you any pain, and...'
'You didn't,' I interrupted. We hadn't seen him since we had chased out the hornets, but I knew he never meant any harm.
'Maula did,' I said to him, still sounding peaceful, 'but you didn't.'
Palpatine surpassed a smile at these words.
'You're always welcome here,' said the Queen to Palpatine, looking up at his as he looked down at her.
Palpatine paused at these words, clearly lost for words.
'OK,' he smiled, surpassing a brief chuckle. He gave the "live long and prosper sign" again, and then he turned around and flew off.
We watched him get smaller as he flew off for a few seconds.
'We gotta go too!' exclaimed Slim. All the circus bugs turned to leave... except Rosie. The other had only walked a few paces, before they realized that she was still looking at me.
I looked at her, seeing both Cora and myself in her. I smiled, although it was a smile of both joy and sorrow.
She didn't smile back at me, but instead just held her hands close to her body, looking tearful.
'Rosie...' I mumbled, fiddling with my feet as I talked, 'I'm... I'm gonna miss you...'
Rosie broke into a tearful smile at these words.
'You too, Dim,' she said, coming closer. I could feel the power radiating from her.
'No matter what anyone says,' she said, as we came closer – into a hug – while she leaked a tear, 'you'll always be bright to me.'
I embraced her in the hug we were sharing. It felt like bliss.
Eventually we broke apart. We both looked at each other for what felt like an eternity. No more words were necessary. We both understood.
She turned and walked away. The other circus bugs looked at me for a few seconds before they also turned and walked away.
I looked down at the ground, painfully unaware that the rest of the colony was still here. Something didn't feel right. Despite the fact that the hornets were gone... something was still missing...
'Dim!' said a voice ahead. I looked up to see that it was Rosie, just a few inches away with the other circus bugs.
She tossed something through the air, and I caught it with my feet. Looking down, I realized that it was the second web-bound pebble – the one that Rosie had made to cheer me up.
Looking up at her again, I saw that she was holding the first web-bound pebble – the one that I had made to cheer her up.
I nodded at her to show that I understood. She nodded too, and then turned away and left.
I watched their figures as they got smaller. That was it! I knew what was still missing...
I turned to the colony again, but particularly Cora.
'Hey,' I began. 'I gotta...'
They looked at me, while I continued to stammer.
'I gotta go...' I mumbled, not able to find ways to communicate it effectively.
They stared at me for a few seconds, before they nodded. We all knew and understood.
I smiled at them, before I turned and ran off towards the circus bugs.
'Wai – Wait!' I cried, as I caught up to them. They turned to face me again, their faces full of surprise.
'Rosie,' I gasped, as I reached them. 'Everyone...
Can I... can I go with...'
Their eyes widened. Rosie looked at me, they pointed at them briefly, questioning me question.
'Yeah...' I said.
Rosie smiled again at that, as did the other circus bugs.
'Welcome aboard!' said Francis, clapping me on the back.
Rosie looked at me. We both held out our web-bound pebbles, and we juggled them against each other.
We had just turned to leave, when I remembered something I had forgotten to do.
'Wait guys!' I said, stopping them in their tracks. I quickly gave Rosie my web-bound pebble briefly. 'I forgot something...'
They had only just let me go when I quickly ran back to the colony, who was still watching from a distance.
I ran up to Cora, getting so close that no one else could hear what I was about to say.
'Cora,' I whispered in her ear, 'will you be my mate?'
Instead of responding with words, she smiled just like Rosie, before kissing me on the cheek, just like I had done.
She kept her lips planted there, for almost too long, I thought. I didn't mean now.
'Uh, Cora...' I stammered, 'I didn't mean right now...'
'Sorry,' she stammered, letting go of me. I looked at her in an appraising sort of way, before I turned around – and opened my wings to fly back towards the circus bugs.
'Go have fun with your friends!' I heard her say, as Rosie climbed on top of me and I picked up Heimlich with my legs. Francis rose into the air with Slim and Manny floated beside them.
I turned around so I could see them as we flew away. The colony was cheering as we flew over the grass stalks, and so were the circus bugs.
'Goodbye!' cried Francis, also flying backwards.
'Have fun, beetles!' whooped Slim.
'Ja!' exclaimed Heimlich.
'Bye!' called several beetles in the crowd.
'See you around, dude!' roared Weaver, just loud enough that we could all hear him.
'See you next time, Weaver!' I called out to him.
'Bye Cora!' I finally said.
There was a pause, before I finally turned around to fly away properly.
'Bye Dim,' said Cora quietly.
As we flew over the grass stalks, right next to the swamp, back to the circus tent, while Rosie carefully clutched our two web-bound pebbles, I knew we'd learnt several things from this - but one thing in particular.
Your friends can be those who like you for what you've done – but they should be those who like you for who you are.
Approximate Chapter Running Time: 01:26-01:30