Little did I regret that little interrogation, but I guess it was all just selfish intent. It was all more for me than for that widow, but I had a mind to make that hornet suffer the same way Flitter did. I didn't know why, but it felt so good. Perhaps I made it a little worse for that hornet, but there was something that I still couldn't understand. It wasn't just the fact that Flitter was one of the only maternal influence in two grasshopper's petty lives, but she was the only one who didn't judge us right off the bat. She didn't judge me… even when Emerald hated me all that time. She treated Molt like he hatched in her own nest. She was the first real friend I've ever had during my sad, little existence in this huge world. She was technically a mother to us (since we never really had one). We never got such support from anyone, who wasn't an insect. I hated to say this to myself but I too had lost something that morning … that died with her. As if I wasn't enough of a poison for them to deal with.

In a way, I blamed myself for her death. I well could have protected her. They just came in so fast, everything just broke into a mess. If I didn't distract Blade… I don't even know. That was one thing I disagreed with Emerald on. I couldn't think about what could have happened. Emerald saying that I couldn't stop it from happening hurt more than I could ever know. By what that one hornet, who mentioned seeing Molt with her that morning when she died, there was a much larger scale other than random attacks on birds. No insect, in their right mind, would just swarm pollinators when they had their guard down. If this Queen that the hornet scout mentioned was planning these attacks only for new nest locations, than this meadow alone was screwed. That Blade was a captain of hers, by the obvious officers he had following him like idiotic flies to a turd. Nabbing one with a web was a far cry from what really had to be done. First thing was first. I had to find that island. That was going to be their next spot, for a raid, I was guessing. I had no other alternative but to trust what the widow said, and I hoped Molt was somewhere out here. If something happened to him also, that would add to my massive guilt trip.

I wanted what was best for my little brother. Which was why I gave him so much space before. He said that he didn't hate me, but he did. I knew he did. For good reason. I just tortured a hornet by tearing his wing off, so in my own way… I could be a monster if I so choose. I may have lacked in any poison or advantages, but I had wings, skill and precision. I didn't just act on instinct all the time unless someone was about to jump me. I was confident in myself. Much more than Molt was.

Just as I suspected, the farther I flew west, I began to see a tree in the horizon, accompanied by distant gold hillsides. Hindered by thirst and hunger, I had to catch a break. I could push myself to the limit but I had to save up my strength. I landed carefully, checking around for any bird nests… I couldn't fathom if Molt was even eaten by a bird. I couldn't let that anxiety get to me. At least not now. I had to make sure that I was well hidden against the golden brown dirt, so not to catch attention of any hungry bird or another one of those hornets. I was so close to being entirely hidden before there came a sharp sound of wings. An array of shadows blocked out the sharp sunlight. For the first time in almost three weeks into the summer season, I finally saw them in a swarm.

There were three, then six… then nine, all of which were going the same direction I intended to go. I couldn't let them see me…. They were obviously dead on set on another assault.

I slowly rose up along the closest dead leaf, confident in my own camouflage, as I watched them swarm farther. As soon as I could see the bloody red stingers in front of me, I started my wings.

Those bastards were fast, so I had to start tailing them while being a little creative at the same time. Grass was our best friend when it came to stalking. We didn't get the name for nothing. I kept them in my view until I found out there was another dry creak that stayed unseen for quite a while. What hit me first was the memory of the berry bush the flock stayed at the passed spring season, which was so jarring to me that I had to stop and think. The sun struck the dry bed so hard that I had to squint just so I could see better. Right there, at the heart of the bed, stood an island with the tree I've been told about sitting smack dab in the middle of it.

The swarm I was following seemed to go off track, across this river. Careful, I found a decent perch where I could take a load off, for just a minute. Just trying to stay on the same league with these guys was impossible and they went off somewhere else. I knew for a fact that they were going to return. Maybe they did see me follow them. The important thing was that I had found the island. I could see why they would want it. This tree was very tall to my eye and it looked very durable by how thick its bark seemed to be. Thanks to the severe summer so far, most of its leaves had fallen off and the grass littering this small island took on that same dry golden brown. After seeing that swarm, I wasn't so sure if setting foot there was a good idea. Whether they've already claimed it or not, I was waiting for them and I had to see if there was anyone living on this hunk of dirt.

The Colony's POV
As soon as they were told that it was safe again to go out and reclaim their collected grains again, the foragers carefully stayed under the shade of the grass and clovers as they spread out in their search. That one worker who begged to help the fallen grasshopper worriedly did his best to bring as much as he could muster back into the hill into the grain storage chambers. Flik was known to be the laughing stock of the colony, simply because he had a creative mind. He was often scorned for wasting good resources on his ideas. So he was banned from building anything just until the rains returned and growth was happy again on the island. He was the only ant who, despite being laughed and scorned, had a courageous side that Atta had already seen. It was surprising to most that he volunteered to help the hurt grasshopper and, at this point, everyone knew about it.

It was day two after the grasshopper's rescue and his ban may not have been lifted but at least the Princess and the Queen saw that he still had promise. Usually they felt threatened from outside visitors, but not many grasshopper came through this territory. Why should anyone pass through here anyway? Water was not a given and could only be found in live flowers or the moist underground. One tactic they learned altogether was the ground getting even more wet the lower they dug. This island was there only home, considering how dangerous it was to move. That was how they were managing. There was hope that water was still gathered in the riverbed and had collected low somewhere when the bed dried up. All they needed to know was exactly where.

So it was all well for the rescued locust, even when he felt terrible when he was offered another precious bead. He didn't feel at all worthy to take another. Even though it only had been two days of rest, Dr. Flora was already beginning to truly care about the fumbling grasshopper. Now that he recovered, his personality really began to show. He was a little childish, but respectful in ways that she didn't expect. The council though pressured her to ask him questions about before he came on the island. He didn't have to say it, but she was able to tell that he had a lot to say. He clearly had a lot to say, but on different things. She offered him another bead of dew. During his time here, at an easy pace, she and other nurse ants helped his molting by getting rid of any loose pieces, off of his legs and arms. So today, he felt cleaner and stronger. He took the small drink to be sweet to her. He was so grateful.

"Thank ya, miss. I really don't know how to repay ya."

"Don't worry your head, Molt. You came a long way, I bet." Dr. Flora giggled as she set the flower back on its spot.

"…yeah." she heard him deeply reply as he hung his head again.

"Dear. What is it?"

"I-it's… it's nothin'."

Tears certainly didn't mean nothing. She cocked a brow at him.

"Molt… How many times have you been told that you were safe here?"

"I know, um, I know… I-I just don't wanna talk about it… I'm sorry." he began to choke a little.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I can just see that you're holding back, it's no wonder you're molting so much."

He softly chuckled.

"It's just so hard to trust again. I've been a long way, yeah. Other bugs just want to hurt me out there… a-and I'm not used to that."

"Where were you going?"

"Nowhere, I guess…. A new home. I was with a flock of hummers, but I got lost."

The mere mention of hummer surprised the nurse ant.

"Come again? Hummers? You mean hummingbirds?"

"Yeah… wait, ya know 'em? Did ya see them?" he perked up, full of hope. "Their Prime leader name is Emerald…."

"Not lately since it's so dry out here, but flocks fly by sometimes. Mostly just one or two once in a while, but… what shocks me is that you know them."

"Aw gee…" he sighed, sitting back down on the flower again. "Hop was right. I'm not soldier material…"

"Hop?"

"My brother…" he lowly mentioned, his mind venturing off again. "I don't think I'll ever see him again either. G-gosh, he'd kill me if he found out I lost them!"

"You have a brother, Molt?"

"I do… I doubt you've seen him. Since I'm grasshopper number one—"

"The council has been begging me to ask you if you knew others. If you have a brother, he could be looking for you."

"I doubt he is… He thinks I'm with the flock."

Meanwhile, it was ordered that only foragers were allowed outside until another alarm would sound to beckon them back in. As they would do their work, they had to keep a look out for another grasshopper of the same golden color. If that wasn't enough, they still felt as though they were enslaved by something invisible with all these constant threats from those red and gold snatchers. Flik wondered how this would turn out. So many of them were taken away and there was no other defense other than hiding away. Even when Flik felt his confidence die off again and again, he was still trying to figure out ways of defense. Other than just silly ideas, like a bead of dew combined with a blade of grass making a telescope, there were ideas that could match up with these Snatchers easily. By seeing the weed barbs growing on some of the dead stalks, perhaps he could speak to the Princess about it. He was unsure though, but he had to be brave.

He came upon another weed and stroked one of the barbs on it, feeling how hard and sharp it was getting. Feeling a little tearful, he gathered his courage and broke it off.

"There has to be something." he thought out loud. "We can't hide forever."

Something spooked the discouraged young worker. He perked up and gasped before he hid under a leaf. Something or someone landed hard onto the earth after this sharp sound of strong wings. Those beats sounded deeper. Heavier even. Much different than the Snatcher's wings, which sounded shrill, sharp and almost humming. When Flik inched out from beneath the leaf, he thought he saw another golden brown, like the fallen grasshopper they found before. As far as he knew, that one was still here on the island, healed after his heat spell. To his dismay although, he slowly poked out to see who was perched on top of the highest rock on the island. It surely was gold and this one looked very bold and strong. Compared to the other one, along with that strength, this grasshopper stood much taller and was longer in body. Besides Flik, there were other witnesses too who could see from the stalks. What struck Flik the hardest was that scarred eye.