Ronnie Anne and Sid had just left school for the day with some major plans for their latest school assignment. Specifically, a project detailing the amazing wonders of the insect world. The two of them were very excited to get started on it. After all, being the daughter of a zoologist, Sid Chang was always amazed with the natural world, including bugs.
"I can't wait to get started on our project, Ronnie Anne. I just love entomology!" Sid said as they were walking home from school.
"Wow Sid. I didn't know you were so into bugs." Ronnie Anne replied. "Usually, most girls I know wouldn't be too fond of creepy crawlies. They'd probably just scream and run the second they saw one."
"Well I'm not like those kinds of girls, Ronnie Anne. I happen to think that insects are really amazing creatures. My mom once took me and Adelaide to the insect house at the zoo."
"Really? Were you scared?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"I was at first, but Mom showed me that I don't have to be scared. Sure, bugs are pretty gross at times, but then, that's just them in their natural world." Sid explained, causing Ronnie Anne to smile in awe at her statement. "So what do you say we get started?"
"You bet. We can head to my room and-" Ronnie Anne began. "Whoa, whoa there. If we're going to work on this project about insects in the natural world, I think it would be better to do field research in that very place itself." Sid said cutting off the young Latina, much to her confusion. "I think a better way of observing our six-legged friends would be to study them up close. Let's go to the park and do our research there. An up close and personal look at them will be much more rewarding and more fun. What do you say Ronnie Anne?" Sid suggested.
"You know what, Sid. That sounds like a great idea. And if we actually get to know them for real, it might get us some extra credit. Let's go!" Ronnie Anne agreed as they headed to the park to begin their field research.
They made it to the Great Lakes City park and took out their notebooks to begin taking notes on their research findings. The goal of the assignment was to study how insects function in their natural world and how and what they do to survive in it. Ronnie Anne and Sid split up to look at the insects that they could find in the city park. Ronnie Anne was looking at a butterfly on a tree and a bird right behind it. She tried to stay quiet to avoid scaring them away and then saw how the bird tried to prey on it, only to be scared away by the scaring looking face the butterfly made when it unfolded its wings.
"Hmm. Certain insects such as butterflies use their natural defenses to elude predators." She noted. She then saw the butterfly land on the side of a tree and camouflage itself to avoid other predators. "They try to avoid danger either by scaring away predators or hiding in plain sight." Ronnie Anne wrote in amazement, which grew into delight as she saw the butterfly she was observing fly close to her and then perch itself on her outstretched finger. "Hey there little guy." She chuckled.
Sid, on the other hand, was taking her own notes while watching an ant hill. To her it was like a miniature civilization where all of the ants worked together to keep it stable. "Amazing. Hi there my six-legged friends." Sid watched the ants rolled along, noting how teamwork was one of their greatest strengths along with their physical strength and other abilities. "Hey Ronnie Anne! Come over here!" Sid called as her friend came to her side.
"Check this out." Sid directed her bestie to the ant colony in front of them. "Wow." They both said in astonishment at the sight of all of the many worker ants at their feet. Good thing they kept a good enough distance away from them to avoid stepping on them.
"STOMP!!!"
"Ahh!" They both yelled in shock and backed away once they saw a pair of small blue shoes pop out of nowhere and smush a large group of ants into oblivion. Ronnie Anne and Sid then looked up to see who it was that would massacre such small and innocent creatures. Much to their surprise and annoyance, it was none other than Ricky, the little brother of Becky, the most dangerous girl at their school. "Hahaha! Take that you puny bugs!" Ricky cackled maniacally as he continued stepping on more ants.
"Ricky! What do you think you're doing?!" Ronnie Anne asked in irritation at the boy's behavior.
"What does it look like?! I'm crushing bugs. That's what me and Becky always do when we see these little pests!" Ricky answered stepping on more ants.
"Can't you see we're trying to do our project, here? Leave them alone!" Sid yelled.
"Ugh. Who cares? They're just gross, mindless bugs. You're supposed to squish them. It's not like they matter." Ricky replied as the two best friends glared at him, clearly appalled by the way he views insects. "What?! Everyone hates bugs!"
"You tell them, little bro!" Ronnie Anne and Sid flinched and grew nervous as they could recognize the voice that said that. Becky was coming up right behind Ricky to congratulate him for his heinous actions. "Taught him everything he knows." Becky said patting her little brother on the back.
"Becky. That figures." Ronnie Anne said, folding her arms in disgust. "We're trying to do field research on these insects for our project. If you don't mind."
Becky laughed at their reasons for being at the park after school. "Why would you want to study these stupid bugs? They're nothing but insignificant, mindless, worthless pests that have no meaning in the world." Ronnie Anne and Sid were greatly appalled by what she said and stood their ground.
"How dare you, Becky! Insects happen to very fascinating creatures. And should be respected." Sid tried to convince Becky to see another side of the insect world, but to no avail.
Becky scoffed. "Yeah right. Anything that's smaller than you and weaker than you is just a helpless victim that you can beat any way you want. Watch." Becky then walked over to the anthill, eyeing it with such malice and sadistic intent. And Ronnie Anne and Sid definitely weren't prepared for what she did next. To their shock and disbelief, Becky gave a hard kick that knocked away the entire anthill and trampled all over it.
The two of them were speechless as Becky decimated the whole ant colony while her little brother just laughed sadistically. "You go sis! That's what I would do to them."
"And that's why you're my little bro." Becky added, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.
"I can't believe you just did that, Becky. And you're teaching your little brother to do this." Ronnie Anne shot back.
"Yeah, so? It's not like they can fight back." Becky said, as she then left them all with a giggle. "Come on, Ricky. Let's go home."
"What's wrong with you, Ricky? They might just be little bugs to you, but how would you feel if that was you in their place? I bet you wouldn't like it if someone picked on you because you were smaller than them." Ronnie Anne scolded.
But Ricky only scoffed unfazed by Ronnie Anne's jab. "Yeah right. I'm not a worthless bug. And besides, I'm just as tough as my big sis. Nobody can pick on me." Ricky then followed Becky heading for the park exit.
Ronnie Anne and Sid stood there disgusted with their attitude. "You know, Sid. I bet if they knew what insects really have to go through, they wouldn't treat people the way they do to them." Ronnie Anne said.
"Yeah, but there's nothing we can do about that. I just wish that Ricky would understand what a bug's life is really like. Then maybe he'd know what it's like to be tormented by someone bigger than him." Sid agreed.
Meanwhile in Royal Woods, at the infamous Loud House, Lisa Loud was currently working on her latest invention. "It's finally ready for testing." Lisa said.
Her machine appeared to be a ray gun-like apparatus that was pointing directly at Lola's beloved teddy bear, Mr. Sprinkles, who was sitting on a chair in the corner of her room. "Ready to begin test." Lisa then began inputting the commands on her computer and activated the laser. She put her safety goggles on and directed the nozzle toward the bear as it powered up. But right when she was about to fire it-
"LISA! Where's Mr. Sprinkles?!" Lola burst into Lisa's room with a yell and startled Lisa, moving the laser off course.
Suddenly, the laser fired a blue light beam that bounced off the walls of her room. Lola and Lisa ducked to avoid it as the beam ricocheted off of every surface in its path. Pretty soon, it flew out of the open window of Lisa's room, which was also on the front side of the house, causing it to bounce off of every window it could find. Then finally, the beam bounced off of one more window and then just flew somewhere far away. Lisa looked outside and had no idea where it ended up but one thing was for sure now. She was in big trouble as she turned back to an angry Lola and gulped in fear of her menacing face.
"Oh dear." That was all she could say.
The stray beam flew off for miles until it made its way to Great Lakes City, bouncing off more windows and out of nowhere, as Ricky was about to leave the park, following his recent ant murder, he suddenly felt a strange sensation as he was engulfed in a bright blue aura. The next thing he knew, his entire view of the world around him grew larger and larger until finally, the blue aura faded.
"What the? What happened?" Ricky said, confused.
He then stood up and saw that somehow, everything around him had grown a lot bigger. There were giant green trees towering over him, which were actually grass, along with huge rocks and other plants around him. He looked around fearfully as everything looked gigantic to him, but what really scared him was seeing a giant ladybug run by him. "Wait, if that was a ladybug, then that means-- No! I shrunk!!!"
What happens next?
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