The Spider and the Butterfly

Chapter Thirteen

Sure, it hurt a little. But this was his lot in life, whether he liked it or not. He was a spider. The mere mention of him was a bane to their joy, a wrench in their happy machine. He was their natural enemy, and he had to eat their kind in order to survive. What he viewed as normal, they viewed as evil, cruel, and monstrous. They were all the same, all of them. Except...except...

Daisy. When she looked upon Fang with those sweet, thought-provoking eyes, it was a gaze of wonder. A look of curiosity rather than disgust. Her warm hand on Fang's shoulder whenever they curled up to nap was perhaps the closest thing to affection he had ever received in his life.

Fang couldn't understand it, and it hurt to try. He didn't know whether to smile or weep. For the first time, he didn't have the answer. How could someone so innocent and kind have compassion for a creature as vile and creepy as him? His heart hurt so much, and he was beyond confused. But...he didn't want this to stop. As troubled as his mind was, he didn't want to lose that mysterious feeling that hounded him from within, an odd mixture of hope and pain. A sense of longing and fear all at once.

The spider looked back at the insects of Ridpath one more time before trotting off towards his den.

                            ***********

That night, Mist had arrived in the village. His yellowjackets hid themselves in the alcoves of the nearby houses while he went to search for an old friend. The mantis made his way to the eastern edge of the town, letting memory serve for directions.

Eventually, he found what he was looking for: an old lead pipe that was partially buried in the dirt. Mist proceeded downwards, eyes flickering around him. Where is that fool? he wondered.

A cold sharp blade met his throat. Mist stopped in his tracks, venturing to turn his head towards the shadowed figure. "Hello, Rogue..."

Two bright red eyes met his, intense and unblinking. The green pupils in the middle gave Rogue a crazed look. "So we meet again, Mist..." he chuckled darkly. Removing his blade, Rogue stalked around to face the mantis. Mist stared back at the assassin bug, his frill nearly covering his face like a cloak. "I had a feeling you'd come back some day, to ask me for help."

"Don't patronize me, you bloodthirsty jerk..." Mist growled.

"Look who's talking," Rogue shot back. "From what rumors I've heard, you've killed off all your red wasps and created a twister that nearly levelled my house." The wheel bug's pupils narrowed even more as he added, "I should drop you where you stand."

Mist flexed his claws. "Perhaps we should save the fighting for later, Rogue. I didn't come all the way to this waste of space to be lectured by a hypocrite."

Rogue smiled, cutting through the first layer of his exoskeleton with his knife. "Indeed. I do believe you require my...services?"

"More than that. Consider it a sort of...challenge. You see Rogue, I have a problem. A, uh...a spider problem."

The assassin bug started laughing, his wheezy giggles echoing throughout the pipe. "A spider problem?" he snorted. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're insulting me."

Mist leaned forward, getting impatient. "This isn't just any spider. He took something very important from me, but I can't get it back without your help."

Rogue shook his head, grinning. "Alright, what kind of spider is it? Spinner? Widow? Trapper? Jumper?" He slipped on a pair of black leather gloves.

The mantis replied, "From what I've been able to tell...a wolf spider. A really big, really smart one. He took down many of my troops after storming my oak tree and kidnapping my butterfly."

Rogue's eyes lit up. "Wolf?" he asked excitedly. "I hadn't seen one of those around in years. Also, what was that you said about a butterfly?"

"That's none of your business," Mist snapped. "I just needed her for a little science project-"

"Well your 'science project' nearly killed me. So in a way, it is my business..." The leather glove snapped as Rogue glared over at Mist. "And don't worry about the girl: it's the spider I'm after. I get my trophy, you get your butterfly."

After a tense silence, Mist sighed and extended a claw. "So...I guess we have a deal?" Rogue took his claw and shook it. "We have a deal, ol' chum."

                            ***********

Dot awoke before the others did. She still felt weak and tired, but she didn't feel any pain. She wobbled onto her feet, using her spear as a crutch. The ladybug slowly walked over to where Daisy was.

The butterfly slept peacefully, curling her arms around Fang's leg. The spider was protectively cradling her and Sage to his chest, something reminiscent of a smirk on his face.

"I love you, Daisy. I love all of you." Dot leaned in and kissed every one of them. "I couldn't have asked for better friends like you." She turned to the snoozing spider. "Take care of them for me, big fella."

As Dot ventured outside the den, a few of the overhead stars began to blink out and fade away. A thin blanket of fog enveloped Ridpath. She smiled, taking in a nice deep breath. Then she set off for a place she hadn't been to since her childhood.

It was a lovely birch tree up on a hill, overlooking the bug community. Her mother had raised her and her siblings here, and even after all this time had passed, the tree still proudly stood. Its leaves were all the colors of autumn: red and gold and brown.

Sitting down at the tree's base, Dot made herself comfortable and laid her spear up against the bark. The sun peeked up above the horizon. "How...beautiful..." the ladybug whispered, admiring how the yellow rays turned the fluffy clouds pink.

Right before she closed her eyes for the last time, Dot was pleased to see a rainbow form above Ridpath. It was such a promising sign to her. The ladybug smiled, at peace and full of relief.