Princess Dot (now 16)
Cutter (now 17)
Cutter’s father (who was NOT in the movie) (now 43)
Queen Atta (now 28)
Lily Ant (who was NOT in the movie) (now16)
Flik (now 30)
Dr. Flora (now 41)
Gismark (now 17)
Reeda a.k.a. the ex-queen (now 60)
Nurse Fauna a.k.a. Lily’s mother (also not in the
movie) (now 41)
Also, Flik and Atta are married
Dot flung the door to her chamber open and threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in her pillow. Atta entered a few moments later. She ran over to her sister’s side and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Dot sat up and clung to Atta as she brought forth bitter, pain-filled sobs. Atta held her sister tightly as tears ran down her own cheeks as well.
"Oh, Dot..." she whispered softly. Dot was crying too hard too speak, and Atta could feel her frame shaking in her arms.
"I knew it was all too good to be true... I KNEW it..." she sobbed weakly. "There’s no such thing as love... Only pain and heartbreak..." Atta pushed Dot’s face gently into her shoulder and simply let her cry it all out.
Lily had seen Cutter and Dot, and how he had broken her heart. Anger welled up inside her.
'How DARE he do that to her??!!' she screamed within. She stomped off to find him, and soon had located his whereabouts.
"What have you done to her??!" she shrieked. Cutter looked up at her coldly.
"What concern is it of yours?" he asked her, his voice emotionless. Lily had to use all of her self-will to not rip him apart with her bare hands.
"She’s my best friend!! Do you have any idea what she went through just to actually confess all of this to you? And then you go and feed her off to the ant lions!!" Cutter angrily sprang to his feet and glared down at the blueberry girl that was slightly shorter than he was, yet still taller than Dot.
"She LIED to me!!" he screamed angrily.
"And she came here to tell you the truth, and how sorry she was!! Dot has always been afraid of love, you and I BOTH know that!! And yet here she was, telling you how much she loved you!! And at the first test of faith, you let her down!! And you know something else??!! YOU DON’T DESEARVE HER!!!" Lily then angrily walked away to find Gismark, tears sliding down her cheeks. Cutter was still for a moment.
"Was I a little too hasty?" he asked himself. He winced inwardly as he remembered the look of pain, of ultimate hurt and betrayal on Dot’s face, the way her face had crumpled into a mask of pure torture.
"Oh, what have I done?"
Atta held her baby sister’s now still form in her arms. Dot had long ago cried herself into a restless sleep, and Atta felt more tears choke her throat as the incident in the throne room replayed in her mind.
"Why would Cutter do something like this?" she whispered to herself. He had been telling Atta for the longest time that he loved Dot with all his heart, so why would he do such a thing as to completely shatter Dot’s soul? She had always been so strong, so independent... but not any more. The bright flame that burned within Dot was gone now, and an empty coldness was all that was left. Her heart was broken, the pieces thrown carelessly to the wind.
"Why?" Atta's only answer was Dot's gently breathing, and silence.
Cutter headed down the hallway toward Dot's chamber. He had to see her, tell her how sorry he was. He had been so wrong to do that to her. He had destroyed her. As he neared her chamber, he could hear light breathing, and the sound of someone mumbling to themselves.
"Dot?" he whispered as he entered her chamber. Atta's head came up, and her anger flared.
"What are YOU doing here?!" she asked him coldly. "Come to completely kill what little bit of a soul she has left?" Cutter looked down.
"I... I came here to apologize to Dot..." he responded. Atta scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right... tell me another one, while yer at it..." she replied sarcastically.
"Please..." he whispered softly. Atta sighed and gently shook Dot.
"Dot... wake up, Dot..." she soothed. Dot slowly opened her puffy, blood-shot eyes and looked up at her older sister. "There’s someone here to see you..." Atta told her, pointing at Cutter. Dot weakly turned around, then released a gentle cry of pain before whirling around and once again burying her face in Atta’s shoulder.
"No..." she moaned as she began to cry once more. Atta held Dot tightly. Cutter looked down, guilt welling up in him as he saw just what he had done to the one he loved.
"I... I’m so sorry, Dot... can you ever forgive me? You gave me your trust and love, and at the first trial of it, I failed you..." he told her. Dot could only continue to cry into Atta’s shoulder. Cutter looked down, his heart crushed at what he had done. He then turned to leave. Dot looked up just in time to see Cutter pause at the threshold to her door.
"I’m so sorry, Dot..." he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. Dot felt something within stir, something that she would recognize anywhere. Her passion for Cutter.
"Cutter..." she whispered hoarsely. Cutter turned, and Dot felt her heart overflow with love when she saw the true care that his eyes held for her.
"Oh, CUTTER!!" she sobbed as she jumped up from her bed and hugged him tightly. Cutter wrapped his arms around Dot and held her close.
"I’m so sorry, Dot..." he told her with tears rolling down his cheeks. Dot began to cry all over again, but these were tears of happiness.
"I love you, Cutter!! I love you!!" she sobbed into his shoulder.
"I love you too, Dot," he replied. Atta smiled as she watched them, feeling the sudden need to have a special moment like this with the one she loved. She silently slipped around Dot and Cutter, gave her sister the thumbs-up sign, and went to find Flik.
One hour later found Atta sitting alone on the edge of Ant Island. She hadn’t found Flik anywhere; he wasn't in his chamber, anywhere outside, or anywhere in the hill. She sighed and drew her knees up to her chest as she looked out at the moon and the stars. She felt tears roll down her cheeks, but she angrily wiped them away.
"This is no time to start crying... Dot has done more than her fair share of that today... don’t you start that," she scolded herself. However, she could still feel tears rolling down her cheeks. This time, she let them stay. She lowered her head onto her knees and began to cry. "Maybe just a few tears..." she mumbled to herself. She hated when Flik disappeared like this. Ever since his accident and losing his memory, Atta had always been terrified of losing him. She felt the tears come slightly harder, but she paid them no mind. After all, it was not her place to tell him where he could and could not be, although she knew that she had the power to do so. It took Atta a moment to realize that she was sobbing now. Big, gaping sobs that shook her entire body. She also realized that she no longer cared.
Flik walked through the tall grass, looking everywhere for Atta. "Where could she be?" he asked himself. Dot had told him that Atta had been looking for him, and she had been gone for at least an hour. So, here he was, searching for her. He had a pretty good idea as to where she was. The very edge of Ant Island. She always went there when she needed to think, to be alone, or to cry. He sighed, knowing that she had been doing a lot of the last one lately, even though she tried to hide it. Flik always noticed the red eyes, the tear-stained cheeks, and the flashes of fear in her eyes. He knew she was afraid of looking childish or stupid in front of him... and that was why he chose never to mention her appearance after she had been crying. As he neared the spot that she always went to so she could be alone, he heard bitter sobbing. He lowered his head sadly, knowing instantly that it was Atta. He sighed and wondered how he was going to approach her.
Atta looked out at the stars again as more tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘Why? Why me?’ she thought as she lowered her head and continued to cry sorrowfully. Atta didn’t even hear the slight rustling in the bushes that Flik made when he stepped onto the cool rock that marked the edge of the island. She startled when two hands set gently on her shoulders. She looked up, expecting to see Dot or her mother. Her eyes widened in surprise, and Flik winced when fear and embarrassment flashes through them.
“F-Flik!!” she exclaimed as she began to wipe the tears away. ‘He caught me... I can’t believe I let my guard down like that...’ she thought as she desperately wiped her face. Flik gently grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her eyes.
“Don’t, Atta... don’t be afraid...” he whispered softly. That was the point where Atta almost lost it.
‘I can’t... I can’t let him see me cry!’ she thought inwardly. She remembered back to when she had been sick with the fever, and he had been getting over the accident that he had been in. He had seen her cry then, but that was only because the fever had made her weak. She was better now, and there was no way she was going to show him any form of weakness.
“I’m fine, Flik... what’s there to be afraid of?” she asked him, her voice quavering slightly. Flik looked into her blue eyes, and Atta felt her body began to shake.
‘No.... no, I CAN’T!!’ she thought as she tried to bring her hands up to her face. Flik tightened his grip, refusing to let her move her hands from her lap. He wasn’t holding her tight enough to hurt her, but it was tight enough that she couldn’t move her arms. “Flik, please let me go...” she begged him softly, bordering on the edge of an emotional breakdown. Flik shook his head.
“No, Atta... I’m not going to let you do this to yourself...” he told her gently but firmly. Atta tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong for her. Unable to hold it all in anymore, she lowered her head once more as she began to cry. Flik released her arms and hugged her to him tightly.
“No... please, don’t...” Atta whispered weakly as she tried to push him away, but he tightened his grip, and she gave up and slumped against him as she felt a tidal-wave of emotions sweep over her.
“Oh Flik...” she moaned as she buried her face in his shoulder. Flik held her tightly in his arms. She began to sob uncontrollably, her whole body shaking violently. Flik set his hand on the back of her head and gently pushed Atta’s face into his shoulder to muffle her sobs out slightly. She clung to him tightly and cried bitterly, unable to hold it back or act tough any longer.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Atta’s sobbed softened down, and she lay leaned against the one she loved. She looked up at him with red, puffy eyes. Flik held her tightly, and she closed her eyes and fell into a restless doze. Flik held her until the first rays of the morning sun shown over the horizon, and the stars gave way to the dawn.
Lily was dozing lightly in the corner of the office in the infirmary. She had gotten sick of looking for Gismark, and she had plunked down in the office, hoping to ask Dr. Flora when she came in.... unfortunately, she fell asleep. Since every ant in the colony had their own chamber once they grew out of the larva stage, no one had noticed that Lily was gone. Therefore, Dr. Flora got quite a scare when she came to the office the next morning to get some paperwork.
“Goodness....” she mumbled when she noticed Lily. She considered waking the sleeping girl, but smiled and decided against it. Instead, she did her paperwork in the office, patiently waiting for Lily to wake up. After a few minutes, Lily opened her eyes and rubbed them sleepily. She startled when she looked up and saw Dr. Flora.
“Oh!! Dr. Flora!!” she exclaimed as she got to her feet. Dr. Flora smiled.
“You are the first person to spend the night in my office besides myself and Nurse Fauna... you must really need something...” she told the young ant. Lily nodded.
“Yes, I do... have you seen Gismark anywhere?” she asked the petite nurse as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Dr. Flora shook her head.
“Sorry, Lily... I haven’t seen him since yesterday...” Dr. Flora winced slightly at the thought of the incident in the throne room between her son and Dot. Lily sighed.
“Thanks, Dr. Flora...” she whispered. She then turned and walked out. Dr. Flora watched her go, then sighed and went back to her work.
Flik sighed and looked out at the rising sun.
“I best wake Atta up... her mother’s going to blow her stack when she finds out that Atta was out all night...” he told himself. He then gently shook Atta.
“Wake up, love...” he whispered. Atta opened her eyes sleepily and looked up at Flik. He smiled and stroked her forehead with his hand. She smiled lightly, then shivered slightly in the cold morning air. Flik pulled her close.
“What... what time is it?” she whispered. “Is the sun still going down?” Flik chuckled slightly and kissed her.
“No.. it’s just now coming up...” Atta’s eyes widened in surprise.
“We’ve been out here all night?!!” she shrieked as she jumped to her feet. Flik got to his own feet and put an arm around her.
“Yup... you looked so peaceful, I didn’t have the heart to move you...” he told her. Atta sighed and touched a hand to her head.
“My head hurts...” she moaned. He chuckled once more and kissed her forehead.
“After all the crying you did last night, I’m not all that surprised...” he told her. Atta sighed again and yawned.
“C’mon, we best go back before we give yer mother a heart attack...” he told her as he led her down the rock towards the anthill. Atta sighed and walked with him, hoping that her mother wasn’t going to be too upset that she was out all night. It wasn’t that she wasn’t old enough to make her own choices, but still... it was wrong of her to make her mother worry like that. She sighed once more and prepared herself for the worst.
Lily walked down the hall towards her chamber. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying that she had been doing, not to mention the fact that she hadn’t got much sleep. She sighed as she walked slowly towards the small room that was her own. She was giving up her search for Gismark. Obviously, he was hiding from her. She had looked everywhere, and still there was no Gismark. She slumped against the wall as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Why is it that whenever I need him, he’s never there?” she asked herself as she lowered her head onto her knees, which were drawn up to her chest, and began to cry softly.
“Where is he? And why is he hiding from me? What did I do?” she moaned as sobs raked her body. She closed her eyes and let all of the stress from the previous few days come pouring out. After a few minutes, Lily wiped her eyes and got shakily to her feet. She sighed once more and headed for her chamber.
Gismark ran down the hallway, calling out “Lil!!?? Lily??!!” every few moments.
“I sure hope she doesn’t think that I hate her...” he mumbled to himself. Somehow, he always chose the worst possible moments to take a LONG walk... and being out all night qualified as long. Once he had gotten back to the anthill, Cutter had told him that Lily had been looking all over for him. So here he was, looking for her. He still couldn’t believe how big this anthill was... it was all so... CRAZY!!!! He sighed and decided to once again check her chamber.
Lily collapsed onto her bed and began to cry again. The last few days had been so hard, and it was finally getting to her. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in her pillow.
“Why all of us?? Why NOW??” she whispered angrily. She curled herself up into a ball and cried harder, wishing that she had Gismark there with her, but she had to face reality on this one- she was alone. And that in itself was the worst feeling in the world.
As Gismark neared Lily’s chamber, he could hear the sound of weak sobbing coming from within. He winced.
“Great...” he mumbled to himself. He had made her worry about him. “Lily?” he whispered as he stepped into her room. Lily gasped and brought her head up from her pillow.
“Gismark? GISMARK!!” she sobbed. She jumped from the bed and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her to him tightly.
“Shhh... it’s gonna be ok, Lil....” he soothed, holding her protectively as he stroked her back. She nuzzled her face deep into his neck and cried. Gismark could feel her warm breath on his neck, and her tears as they wet his skin. After a while, she stopped her bitter sobs, and she withdrew her face from the protection and shelter of his neck to look up at him. Her eyes were puffy and red from all her crying, her cheeks stained by the tears. Gismark wiped a stray tear from her cheek.
“Feel any better?” he asked her softly. She nodded tiredly and leaned back against him. Gismark rocked her like a young child, and she closed her eyes and pulled closer to his warm body, feeling perfectly safe. He continued to rock her, and finally Lily fell into sleep’s waiting arms.
“Atta!! Where were you all last night?!” Reeda asked angrily. Atta winced and sighed.
“I was outside... with Flik. I... I needed some time to myself, so I went for a walk... he found me, and I fell asleep in his arms... and when we woke up, it was morning...” she explained. Reeda sighed and gave Atta a skeptical look, almost as if she didn’t believe her. She then sighed.
“Ok... well, all that matters is that you’re alive... and well...” she told her, giving Flik a smile. He smiled back, and squeezed Atta’s hand. She squeezed back.
“Can we go to bed now?” Atta asked her mother. Reeda nodded, and the two headed off to the chamber that they shared.
Gismark looked down at Lily, and smiled softly when he noticed that she had fallen asleep. He eased her onto her bed and pulled the covers over her. She smiled in her sleep, and she snuggled under the warm leaves and lay still. He sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her face with his hand. A sudden sound at the door startled him, and he turned around quickly. Standing in the doorway was Nurse Fauna, Lily’s mother. Gismark smiled, and she smiled back before silently entering.
“Hi... how’s Lily doing?” she whispered as she sat beside him.
“She’s fine... she just needed a hug, and some time to cry...” he responded. Fauna smiled and looked at him.
“I wanted to thank you for taking such great care of my daughter for me...” she told him softly. “Somehow, I just always knew that you and Lily would end up having feelings for each other... Thank you so much for treating her so well... after her father’s sudden death, she needed a friend... and maybe a little more...” she told him as she gave him a warm hug, which he gladly returned. She then stood, smiled down at her daughter once more, and silently walked out. Gismark watched her go, then laid down by Lily.
"I love you, Lily...” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around his sleeping love. He then fell to sleep.
Dot pulled her body even closer to Cutter’s. They were sitting on her bed, enjoying each other’s company. Cutter tightened his protective grip on her, and she sighed happily.
“Cutter... I’m sorry about... you know...” she whispered. He smiled and kissed her cheek lovingly.
“No... I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have just jumped to conclusions like that...” he told her. “Anyways, it’s over now... let’s just try and relax... ok?” he soothed, taking her hand in his own. She smiled and nodded.
“Yes... I would like that...” she told him as she set her head on his shoulder. She had never felt such happiness.
“I am EXHAUSTED...” Atta groaned as she eased herself into bed. Flik lay down beside her and smiled.
“ I know just how you feel, dear...” he told her as he pulled her close. She snuggled closer to him and sighed.
“Do you think that things are finally going to quiet down around here?” she whispered. Flik sighed.
“I dunno... I mean, with Lily’s father’s death... and the thing with Dot and Cutter... things sure have been interesting... wouldn’t you agree?” he asked her. When Atta gave no response, Flik looked down at her, smiling slightly at what he saw. She had fallen to sleep, her head rested on his shoulder. Silently, he pulled the covers over both himself and Atta.
“Sleep well, my Queen... for the change of events has left you tired... and you deserve the rest...” he whispered as he closed his eyes, and let the cooling ripples of sleep consume him.
