Darla Discovers a Bug's Life

chapter 6

The ride continued on, nothing could seem to cheer anyone else up.

"Uh, I hear that your mom's friend Queen Novo has a niece going to the School of Friendship in Equestria...?" Cherry smiled nervously to Atticus who looked down in the dumps. "They'll get to meet another Hippogriff since that terror of The Storm King and Tempest Shadow and Thunder Cloud?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's nice." Atticus said.

Cherry sighed. "Who am I kidding?"

The circus bugs could tell how much this was affecting the group.

"Don't worry, guys," Heimlich comforted. "Circus life isn't that bad."

"Really?" Darla asked.

"Yes, you guys can be part of our act." Slim offered.

Cherry and Atticus looked to each other before sulking, almost together like siblings since they've been together so long. "Pass..." they then droned as they looked like they didn't care anymore, matching the atmosphere of the outside world.

"Here, like this." Francis said as he then slapped Slim, causing him to spin around and land in the ladybug's arms.

Flik even looked unfazed. Heimlich, Francis, and Slim did a pose together to be funny.

"Slapstick, get it, I'm a walking stick...?" Slim smiled nervously before sighing and gave up. "Ah... Never mind..."

"You listen to me, my boy, I've made a living out of being a failure, and you sir, are not a failure." Manny advised like a father figure.

"Oh, Flik, you've had some good ideas." Rosie soothed.

Darla and Amber frowned to Flik, Cherry, and Atticus, wishing there was something they could do to help. They soon heard someone coming.

"FLIK!" A voice called out.

"Dot?" Flik wondered.

"Flik, wait!" Dot cried out as she seemed to be flying. "Wait!"

"Dot's flying!" Darla smiled.

"Ants can fly?" Cherry asked as she didn't know that.

"What're you doing here?" Flik asked as he helped Dot since she looked wore out from flying.

"You have to go back..." Dot panted. "Hopper into the anthill, and his gang's eating everything."

This caused everyone to gasp.

"And I heard a grasshopper say that when they're finished, Hopper's gonna squish my mom!" Dot then added.

This made everyone gasp again out of horror for the little ant princess.

"Oh, no, not The Queen!" Heimlich cried out.

"We have to do something!" Darla added.

"How?" Francis asked.

"Come on, you guys, think!" Gypsy said before she suddenly had an idea herself. "I know! The bird!"

"Yes... Of course..." Manny agreed.

"That will work." Amber smiled.

"The bird, that's brilliant." Slim nodded.

"Yeah!" Heimlich agreed.

"The bird won't work." Flik sulked.

"What are you talking about?" Francis asked Flik. "It was your idea."

"Come on, Flik." Amber said.

"But you said that everything--" Dot tried to add.

"Forget everything I ever told you, alright Dot?" Flik sighed to the young ant princess. "Let's face it. The colony's right. I just make things worse. That bird is a guaranteed failure... Just like me."