Hopper's Narrative
I escorted the Princess directly back to the colony, as quiet and as quick as could be, just in case any hornets were listening to our conversation. Things had to start happening tonight before anyone could suspect this little Island of anything. Due to how long I stayed back there, the stars were already out and the young Princess felt a little lost. I could tell because her flight pattern was starting to go a little off track. I was honestly feeling a little worried, even though I had only just showed a side of mine to her that no one would ever see. Not even Molt, to be honest. Hearing her yelp as she pressed against the air, I reached my claw and got her by the hand before she could go out too far. I made sure she stayed right beside me.

"Head ahead." I told her, straight-forward.

She tried it and her flight pattern got a little better. I kept hold of her but it really surprised me that she clung to my claw so tightly. "You're okay, just - look ahead, look ahead, you're driving me nuts!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I simply can't see."

I sighed yet I didn't let her go. It was so odd to me that these ants had come to trust me so much. At the time, I didn't invite trust to come to me so easily… nor did I feel that I deserved such an honor, I should say? This was something Molt always had a problem with; trusting me again… although I really know that he had changed his mind. From him, now it was coming from the Princess, which really made me feel that I couldn't be careless and screw this up. My heart felt like it was constantly being stabbed by spikes, so much so that it wouldn't shock me if I didn't care anymore. It was that exhausting, quite honestly, but I somehow just hung onto it…. What was truly on my mind was this idea that began to poke at my side every since it hit me when I basically poured my soul out, not long ago. Right when we got back to the island with just the moonlight guiding us, I startled the guard at the entrance to the hill with Atta by my side. I pressed myself in with her tailing me before I looked at one of the guards. Gladly, that uncertainty in their eyes was gone at this point, which made me pleased.

"We must speak to the Queen, right away… We have an emergency." I stated, slowly catching my breath after that hurried flight.

The severity in my voice did not let the guard hesitate as he led us back down to the Council, where I spied Molt slowly coming up the tunnel. I stopped him with a single claw as I looked back to be sure we were alone.

"Hop, wh-what…? What's goin' on?"

I hushed him, knowing that he would not be all right with this idea I had. Gripping his arm, I pressed him to come with me to be out of earshot of the ants and the bird.

"I know you're going to hate me for this."

"H-hate you? Why would I ~ H-how could I?"

I sighed, pinching my brow, feeling the anguish rush back to me again. How was I going to explain this to him…? "Just listen to me, Molt. Over the river, I found the mother. And she was dead…" I began. "… which proved to me that it was the hornets who did this. We can't see them but they're here, spying around. We have very little time now and I need you to promise me something."

I could see in my brother's eyes that he was dreading to know what that promise was… because this could be the last time that we'll ever see each other again. This was what was building up ever since we both landed on this Island. The moment when he heard me say that one word, promise, his face hardened as if to tell me that I dared to have the gall to pull another stunt. I sure as hell was. He pulled away from me and I just stared him down, knowingly.

"No. No, no, no… I know what you're thinkin'! I'm not having it…"

I was sort of surprised at this, since he avoided me for the most part. I shook my head in pity. I understood why he was mad. He had to put up with me, he had to put up with losing two mothers in his life. He had every right to be mad.

"Just listen." I rose my claws to calm him down… At least tried to. Again, I felt tempted to not touch him and give him the space from me that he deserved.
"Listen?" he happened to shoot back with a new hint of passion in his voice. "I just got to knowin' ya again…. You're leaving again, aren't you?"

"This might be the only way to save this anthill. Even if it means that I might not be around —"

"Don't say that, ya will be around. P-promise me that, Hopper."

Never would he say my full name like that, so with that it came with all seriousness. Feeling all twisted on the inside, I looked my brother in the eye and gently rested a claw on his shoulder. Nodding, I took one second to gather my thoughts.

"I will promise… to try, Molt. But I can't make a promise I can't keep… but you have a way better chance than me. You're one of the best nurses I've known and that bird needs one. Right now." As I spoke, I personally found it hard to say it since I began to feel the tears coming back. This could be the very last I would ever see my only brother ever again. If this plan would work, I still didn't know that I myself would survive. "Now it's your turn to promise me… that you'll take care of her. That you'll take care of this colony… if anything, help them find a good home."

"Hopper, I ~" Molt struggled after taking all that in.

"This is the last night. I may not come back. I'm just telling you this now so you won't get your hopes up."

"I mean, Hop- That's awful…" Molt's voice began to break. "… please, ya can't say that. Ya need to hope at least a little bit… l-like… I didn't expect to be rescued by them, but I had hope. Summer has hope… and she's still alive. Like we are. After such a long way."

"Hope…" I sighed as I looked on whilst being lost in my thoughts, thinking and thinking again about this plan. "I used to never believe in it. I guess I should thank you for that. Even after what I put you through, you stuck through it. To be fair, you're stronger than me. Flitter would be proud."

Molt's eyes widened at my saddened words before they began to grow misty. Summer who rested nearby ruffled her feathers and looked on at the two of us. Molt glanced at her before trying to speak again. He smiled though as I pat his back once more in a more taunting manner, like how we used to when we were nymphs.

"Flitter… would be proud of you too." Molt finally spoke.

I chuckled lightly. "I highly doubt that. She'd be yanking my antennae, for sure, right now."

Molt lightly chuckled, cheering up a little.

"Captain?" came Flik's voice, which was full of concern. "… the Queen is asking for you."

This was it… I really needed to know if all this was going to work. I turned to see the inventor in the tunnel, shyly prying in. I turned to Molt and we both exchanged understanding looks. As he began to go, he glanced back twice as I began to leave the tunnel. Pressing all of these emotions aside, at least for an hour, I tread through to the Queen's Main Tunnel which scaled down into the lower regions of these burrows. Ironically, I had the one ant I needed to talk to, for the moment. In case he didn't know already, his idea could be of good use to me… or rather all of us.

"How much did you hear in there?" I asked him to start something during this long walk.

Flik nervously smiled but the smile was sweet. "You two really care about each other…"

I shrugged, half-heartedly. "Well, we grew up together. When it was just us, we worked together. A lot like you ants. That's definitely something honorable. More like crucial when it comes to survival techniques."

"That's very nice of you to say…"

"It's true. Even with these hornets around, you're all still here by some miracle. I don't know. Same thing when hummers band together, they can fight off snakes and hornets with only one or two getting hit. I thought way different when I was young. I thought it was just one bug for himself. If you weren't strong enough, you were no match. When you have someone else with you, you have a slightly better chance at surviving for another day. As a matter of fact, Atta told me something about you. Flik."

"Uh- what? M-me?"

I rose a brow at him as we stopped for a moment. I patiently held my claws behind me.

"Yes, I believe you know what I'm talking about. Let's get to the bottom of this, " I continued anyway to ditch the ant's nervous rambling. "… you're an inventor. And she said you had an idea that I might consider and I'm using that term very loosely here."

"W-well… I do. I just don't know if it would be worth it."

"Try me."

"It's a weapon. I-I got the idea while foraging by finding these sharp thorns. I've collected some already and made one. By using a thin blade of grass and a bit of web, I've made something that can shoot these thorns into the air, at the hornet's wings to make them fall."

That actually sounded like it had a lot of promise. "…and you thought it wouldn't be worth it?"

"Ah, n-no. I mean, not many inventions I've made really helped the colony, so I guess I gave up for a while."

"I'll see about that. Come on…" I said as he pressed him on with me towards the Royal Tunnel.