Fanfiction.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12535668/5/We-...Hold-On-Forever--1/2
We Will Hold On Forever
by
DaveTheAnalyzer
Chapter 05: Unmentioned Ties Part 2Earlier that morning, Cera marched through the field in a pleasant state of mind. Normally, it would take sitting in warm mud or accomplishing a life threatening task to get her into this much of a good mood but something special was going to happen today and she couldn’t wait to share it with Tricia. Her sister remained on her back, head flicking around to whatever caught her sparky interest. Occasionally, she waddled about and made coos of curiosity and Cera laughed as those little feet tickled her back.
“Stay in one place, okay? You don’t want to fall and bruise your front leg again, do you?”
Tricia stopped moving and gripped Cera’s frill with her forelegs, instantly becoming a model of propriety. Cera smiled, pleased. It wasn’t always easy having her listen but the memory of having scraped her foreleg was apparently still unpleasant enough that she wasn’t eager to risk a repeat. She was a bit of a handful, but Cera didn’t mind that with Tricia. There was something about her open, innocent nature that put Cera at ease. She could be honest with someone who couldn’t yet be judgmental of her, and Cera valued that. She only hoped the people they were going to meet would also be receptive to Tricia. Cera felt a fumble on top of her neck and realized Tricia was looking back unwaveringly in the direction they came.
“Sorry Tricia, Tria can’t come along.” Cera said. “It won’t be a sisters’ day out if the mother is along, right? Besides, it might be best she stayed behind…”
Tricia looked down and mumbled, noticing Cera’s change in demeanor. Cera averted her gaze nervously as she walked.
“Listen, can you keep a secret?” she asked. “I’m about to introduce you to some very special people. This must be kept from Tria because this could upset her. I know she’s the nice sort who wouldn’t hold anything against them, but seeing them back might still make her sad. Can you do that? I know you like to imitate what other people say but can you try not to do that with the people we’re going to meet?”
Tricia merely continued glancing down from Cera’s frill, bemused. She clearly had trouble comprehending what Cera said. What Tricia could get out of it was that her big sister was behaving very oddly today and she stared at Cera as though asking for clarification. Cera sighed and muttered under her breath.
“Right. Don’t speak for too long.” Cera raised her voice. “Look, just don’t tell this to Tria, okay? It’ll make everyone happier. Agreed?”
Tricia still appeared confused but settled down with a warble of assent. Cera would probably have to remind Tricia again but maybe the next few minutes shall clear her confusion up soon enough. She felt guilty for being secretive around Tria about this but she didn’t want to upset her. After their many cold times together, she was really attached to her stepmother and didn't want to choose any family member above another.
She reached the set of thickly clustered trees that signaled the end of the field. There was enough leaves to cast darkness and Petrie would have thought twice about going there. That area might have made Tricia nervous as well but fortunately the pair didn’t need to enter there. Three figures could be glimpsed standing on the small forest’s edge, details obscured by shadow but their shapes so recognizable to her. Cera’s heart leapt.
“Hey. Hey!”
Cera galloped forward and the three figures noticed her approach. They also moved quickly to meet her. At the middle, they stopped and drank each other in, aglow with delight.
“Took you long enough to show up!” said one of the figures.
“Nice to see you again too.” Cera said. “Man, it’s feels like forever since we’ve been together. How long ago has it been?”
“Since before you made it to the Great Valley.” said the second figure.
“That long? Then it really has been forever! What have you all been up to?”
The four devolved into eager chatter, recounting the amazing or amusing things they have seen or done. Cera was vaguely aware Tricia was staring at the trio but she was so focused on boasting, and teasing, and catching up, it didn’t bother her too much. At length, one of the girls noticed Cera’s passenger staring at them and raised her eyes to look at her.
“So is that Tricia?” she asked. “Wow, she’s tinier than I thought.”
“Hey, she’s still a baby. She was born only, well…” Cera trailed off, frowning. “Anyway, it’s pretty recent. I thought she would like it if she got to meet you guys.”
“Are you sure she won’t blab us to your new mother?” said another girl suspiciously.
“No Holly. She only knows a few words and my name is the one she likes to use the most.” Cera raised her head proudly. “Needless to say, I seem to be her favorite.”
Holly didn’t appear totally convinced but softened a bit as another of the girls got closer to Tricia, bright-eyed and keen.
“She is a cutie.” The second girl said. “I like her.”
Cera rolled her eyes. “Of course she’s cute, Rita. All babies are cute. It seems to be their job. And can you back off? You’re scaring Tricia.”
Reluctantly, Rita stepped back while the final as yet named girl considered Tricia fondly.
“Have you told her who we are yet?” she asked softly. “She must be a bit confused about why we look so much like you. It might be best to tell her now.”
“Yeah Duane, I think it’s time for the surprise to be revealed.” Gently, Cera lowered Tricia from her back. “Tricia, these girls are Holly, Rita, and Duane. They are my sisters – and they are yours too."
Once again, Tricia didn’t appear to know exactly what Cera was saying, but she stirred at the word, “sisters.” She stared from Holly to Rita to Duane with amazement as her young mind put the pieces together. She glanced at Cera and back to the trio, her confusion clearing a bit but not by much. She still appeared baffled by something but Cera shrugged it off. When you were that young, being confused by things was to be expected.
“Don’t worry, they’re harmless.” Cera reassured Tricia. “Well, maybe Holly can be a bit stern and Rita careless but they aren’t so bad. And they’re not from Tria. They’re from my previous mother I mentioned before but that doesn’t make me any less your sister, or them too. Anyway, look on the bright side. We’re around the same age, so it would be like playing with four of me. C’mon, it’ll be fun.”
“I wouldn’t consider playing with four of you fun.” Holly said dryly.
“Quiet, I’m trying to persuade our littlest sister here. So what do you say, Tricia? Want to play with us?”
“Yeah, want to play?” Rita asked.
“We wouldn’t mind you bopping around a rock with us.” Duane said.
Tricia looked uncertainly from one sister to the next, each eager or encouraging. Even Holly managed to work up a friendly expression.
“What games does she like?” Holly asked. “Maybe if we play them, she’ll decide to join in on her own.”
“Let’s see.” Cera frowned. “She likes to run and roll around a lot. She likes to touch and play with people’s horns and feet. There’s not many games she knows the name of, which leaves us with…”
A slow grin came across her face. She locked eyes with Tricia for a moment before gently bobbing her nose to hers.
“Tag, you’re it!” Cera declared. “Come and catch us!”
Laughing, Cera and her other sisters fled from Tricia, making sure not to be too quick and stay within Tricia’s sight. Tricia continued to stare, watching Cera and her sisters weave around each other in silly patterns, working off energy in the silliest of ways. Their faces were alight with delight.
Slowly, Tricia smiled and gave chase, attempting to tag Cera and any of the others she could reach. Cera jumped over Tricia before she could touch her, Duane nearly collided with her and doubled back, Rita hopped around her while giggling teasingly, and Holly ran circles around her until she was dizzy. Catching them was easier said than done, but Tricia didn’t care. She was having as much fun as her sisters and wasn’t interested in ending things any time soon. Tricia couldn’t bring up much thought at her age but at the moment, all she could think of as she ran with the other girls was how amazing Cera was to have sisters like these.
--
Tria stalked around, surveying the forest she walked beside. Tracking down Mr. Threehorn had been somewhat difficult, since anyone who might have seen him wander by didn’t stick around in one location. Still, she was able to find enough people to talk to on the direction Mr. Threehorn took to be able to sniff out his route. Now she observed these closely knit trees for any sign that someone had entered them. Some tracks lasted longer than others and in a Great Valley populated with many large dinosaurs, these signs could blur together and vanish quickly. The grass and earth around here was mostly undisturbed. Apparently, not many were keen to hang around in these woods. So why would Mr. Threehorn be here?
She was so occupied with finding clues she didn’t even notice the rumbling steps of someone approaching until she bumped into him. Grunting, Tria stepped back as she heard a strangled sound of consternation. Mr. Threehorn had just emerged from the trees and was looking at Tria with startled eyes.
“Topsy, there you are.” Tria said. “I’ve been looking all over to find you.”
“T-Tria.” Mr. Threehorn stuttered. “What are you doing here?”
“You were acting so strangely this morning. I’m wondering if you’re alright.” Tria looked over his shoulder. “What are you doing in there?”
Mr. Threehorn averted his gaze. “I’m – I’m just meeting with an old friend. They don’t like to be seen around in public, that’s all.”
“What kind of old friend? Do you mean Verter? He didn’t strike me as the type who avoided attention.”
“I met other people since I last saw you. You would be surprised at the variety I associated with.”
“Then why didn’t you briefly explain who you’re meeting with instead of being vague and running off like that?” Tria demanded. “You’re not telling the whole truth, Topsy. You were never good at fibbing. Please, tell me. I can take the truth. What are you doing?”
“Don’t I have a right to some privacy?” Mr. Threehorn asked. “We might be mates but I don’t interrogate you about your secrets.”
“This isn’t some ordinary secret.” Tria said. “You weren’t acting as though you were about to have a private mud bath or anything like that. It’s as though you had an urgent meeting that you only just remembered and you’re desperate to make sure I don’t find out about it.”
“That’s because you wouldn’t understand.” Mr. Threehorn muttered. “It would only upset you.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a little girl!” Tria snapped. She took a deep breath. “You can trust me, Topsy. I’ll listen to your explanation. We are both grownups. We can communicate, can we? I just want to head off any misunderstandings before they get blown out of proportion. Can you do that for me?”
Mr. Threehorn’s defensive defiance turned into indecision. His face reflected the mental battle that followed. Tria waited, impatience starting to cold her chest. At last, something in him seemed to give and he sighed.
“Alright I’ll tell you.” Mr. Threehorn said. “Later, when the bright circle sets. I’m still in the middle of the meeting. But…let me be clear, Tria. I’m loyal to you. I always have been and always will be. Don’t let anything you learn change that.”
“That isn’t very reassuring.” Tria replied. “What’s so bad about telling me now?”
“Because I need time to compose myself.” Mr. Threehorn sighed. “Once this is done, I’ll explain everything. Just wait patiently. I’ll be there for you.”
Tria held his gaze for several moments before she had to look away. “Okay. But you have a lot of explaining to do once this is over.”
Mr. Threehorn nodded solemnly, and continued on his way toward a nearby pond. She glimpsed that several leaves had fallen on his back while he had been in the forest. The sight stirred up the memory of Tricia riding Cera that morning and she found herself talking.
“Are Cera and Tricia there with you?”
Mr. Threehorn turned and glanced at her in surprise. He considered answering her question before shaking her head.
“No. I haven’t seen them since this morning. But I think they might be playing nearby, with – I’ll explain when this is over.”
And then he went over to the pond, had a long drink, and returned to the forest without looking at her. Tria stayed where she was, attempting to puzzle out what just happened.
*What can be so important that it can’t be mentioned now?*
There were many details floating in her mind now. They had appeared distant and disconnected but there was clues in there. Dispassionately, as though her brain was separate from her body, it began to piece things together. She remembered Mr. Threehorn’s sudden morning change in behavior; Cera proclaiming she and Tricia shall be having a “sisters’ day” out; Mr. Threehorn expressing his faithfulness to her; his shot in the dark guess about Cera and Tricia’s whereabouts and who they might be playing with; and a warning, an word of caution as to what to watch out for. Tria hadn’t thought much about last night’s meeting today but it came to the forefront of her mind and all of these separate observations got connected. Cold shot through Tria’s heart and she stepped back.
“Oh, no,” she whispered.
Turning, she ran as fast as she could in search of Grandpa and Grandma Longneck.
--
Cera was out of breath by the time the sisters were too tired to play tag. They had run all over the place, dodging Tricia and teasing her to keep going. Tricia put all the energy she had in catching Cera and the others. She hadn’t cared in the slightest that she had trouble tagging any of them. The youth merely reveled in the thrill of the chase and being in the presence of family that made her laugh. She eventually did tag Cera but then her big sister turned around with a big grin and fulfilled her tagger role with all the exuberance of someone who can indulge in playing the role of villain. The role of tagger switched between Cera and Tricia as the morning turned to afternoon, but Holly, Rita, and Duane were always too quick for them. It had been a good expense of energy and the sisters enjoyed the opportunity to rest.
With the bright circle in the noon position, they laid on their back or stomachs in the open sunshine, soaking in the comforting heat. Exhaustion filled their forms. The only movement of note came from Tricia, who giggled and rolled out of the way as Rita contently attempted to catch her with her forepaws. Holly rolled onto her chest, finally at ease, and lazily flicking a thumb between two blades of grass.
“It’s great to do this again.” Holly admitted. “Playing without you was a lot more boring.”
Cera raised her head, pleased. “I bring in the necessary excitement for a game. I’m sure some of my friends might be surprised by me saying that but…”
“You have friends who are more exciting than you?” Rita said. “I must meet them.”
“Hey, none of them can beat me. They don’t have my wit or brain.”
“I’ve seen only a few with a wit or brain like yours.” Duane observed.
“Well, I wish we can be in the presence of your brain and wit more often.” Holly said. “Too bad things didn’t work out with our folks.”
Cera nodded sadly. “I wish they could have talked it out but Dad is stubborn. He can be a pain in the tail sometimes.”
“Mom is no slouch at stubbornness either.” Rita replied. “If you could hear how she tried to look for you after the earthshake. She was really desperate.”
“She was upset when she could find no way to get to your side.” Duane added. “We all were.”
“And when she said we should go with the mixed herd, Dad got upset and…” Holly sighed. “You know what happened.”
Cera shook her head. “It took forever to get Dad to tell me what happened. He could rant and rave forever about something he doesn’t like but when it came to you guys, barely any word came out of him.”
“That’s our dad.” Rita said. “Not very feelsy is he?”
“Hey, he’s not that bad.” Cera said defensively.
“I’m not saying that’s bad. He’s funny when he tries to be soft.” Rita rolled over.
“I like it when he’s funny.” Duane giggled. “It’s better than when he’s mad.” She stopped smiling. “They both tried to work it out. Really. But it wasn’t enough. Things could have been better but…too late now.”
Cera shifted uncomfortably. Thinking about what could have been, the fun family times that were now not possible, ached deeply in a way no surface pain ever could. Among this pain though was a spark of confusion. She felt a bit fuzzy about the details of her parents’ conflict and how they exactly failed to make up but she didn’t give those questions much focus. Her mind quailed away from the aching feeling, old and oddly intense, and shut it away. There was no use thinking such thoughts. Littlefoot made due with his limited time with Bron and Shorty. She could do the same. The only issue was when and how often Cera would be able to play with her sisters again.
“So, will you visit again?” Cera said casually.
“We’re not sure.” Holly said vaguely. “Mom just decided it was time to check up on you guys. Who knows when she’ll decide it’s the right time again.”
“It depends on what this Tria person thinks too.” Rita remarked. “Sooner or later, you’ll get caught when you’re doing something sneaky. That’s just the way the circle of life works.”
“I’m sure it’ll work out.” Duane said. “From what we hear, Tria seems nice. Even if she might be uncomfortable about Mom, she’ll be okay with us hanging out, right?”
“I’m sure. Still, I didn’t want to cause her any pain by suddenly announcing I’d be meeting up with my other mom and…” Cera trailed off. “Wait, how do you know about Tria and Tricia? Isn’t this our first time talking and – hey, how did we plan this meeting if we never talked before?”
“Uh...” For a second, Holly was blank. “Mom communicated by flyer. Yeah. Different Herds interacting with each other is also becoming the norm in the Mysterious Beyond and she changes with the times too. I can’t believe you forgot that.”
“Oh. Oh, right.” Cera nodded distractedly. “What’s wrong with me? I forgot about our meeting this morning too. I must have been too tired when I got up to remember.”
“You are so like Dad.” Duane said good-naturedly. “Hopefully you will remember next time we meet.”
“I hope Mom and Dad are getting along enough now that there’ll be a next time…” Rita said.
Tricia looked among the sisters, having sensed the mood had gone uncertain and forlorn. Discontent, she got to her feet and babbled, repeating the same sound questioningly.
“Huh?” Cera said. “What is it, Tricia?”
Frowning, she made the sound again, fine tuning it into something a bit more familiar but still unintelligible. When Cera and the others continued to look blank, Tricia tried to say the word again.
“Wha – Wer…Where!” Tricia jumped, delighted by her accomplishment, and repeated the word. “Where? Where?”
“Where what?” Holly asked.
“Where?” She jutted her horn toward Holly, Rita, and Duane. “Where?”
“Oh, I think she’s asking where you live when you’re not with us.” Cera said. “Good question, Tricia. Where have you all been staying, anyway? Why didn’t you just remain in the Great Valley?”
Duane appeared uncomfortable. “Mom said she needed space after the breakup. Even with being in a place as big as the valley, she didn’t want to risk the chance of running into him again. As for where we are…”
“We’re in some place that’s much smaller.” Rita continued uncertainly. “We never caught the name of it but we don’t need to worry about eating and sharpteeth don’t seem to like coming around there.”
“So, is this some mini-valley?” Cera asked.
“It’s kind of hard to describe.” Holly averted her gaze. “But it wasn’t very far from here.”
Cera frowned. True, there were a few green places outside the valley where even a herd can eat comfortably without worrying about going hungry but ones that sharpteeth couldn’t access? She shoved the thought away before she could examine it. Holly might have been referring to a place a bit farther off, one she and her friends hadn’t come across. Oh well. If she and her friends stumble into the Mysterious Beyond yet again, they could visit that place. It would be amusing to picture the sight of their faces. There was nothing unusual about her sisters’ reactions to the question at all.
“Right.” Cera shook herself as she got to her feet. “All of you rested up? I still have much playing I want to do.”
“Been waiting for someone to say that.” Rita said eagerly, jumping up.
“Good thing our parents chose this field as out meeting place instead of any place with not a lot of room like that forest or…anywhere near a cliff.” Duane suppressed a shudder. “We can run and play almost anything we want here.”
“Then we’d better get playing.” Holly followed her sisters’ lead. “Let’s teach Tricia about the many kinds of fun that can be had out there, especially with many sisters.”
“You just read my mind.” Cera smirked. “What do you say, Tricia?”
Tricia hopped into a standing position, tail wagging. Heartened by her eager anticipation, Cera and her fellow sisters plotted how to let her have fun in the way that would delight them all.
--
Littlefoot walked with his friends, having a hard time keeping his attention on the search for Cera. It took a bit longer for them to reunite than expected. After hearing of their involvement with the ghosts, the families wanted to spend more time with their children, claiming it to be for the gang’s benefit but Littlefoot suspected it was also for their own. The gang didn’t have the heart to refuse and some part of them went along with this.
Littlefoot had to admit, he loved being with his grandparents for that length of time, though there were details that meant he wasn’t always happy. It all started on a good note, when he came galloping in and they got a good glimpse of his face.
“Oho, what is that you have in your nose?” Grandpa Longneck laughed, he and Grandma rocking their heads with mirth.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Littlefoot grinned widely, standing tall and turning his face side to side to give them a good view, thrilled by their amusement. “My friends made me try it while we were goofing around and I think I like it. What do you say?”
Grandma Longneck smiled wryly. “I don’t think it’ll start a trend but you certainly wear it well. Is that how you kids entertained yourselves?”Littlefoot gave them a more detailed account of how he ended up with the nose plugs and the food game Ruby introduced them to, heartened by how his grandparents smiled and chuckled at the silly things his friends said and did. They sat around relaxed for a few hours, playing a few games that sometimes involved his grandparents trying to imitate his nasally voice with varying degrees of success. Littlefoot’s smile barely left his face and for that time, he felt like he was really bringing light into their lives, as they said.
Eventually, his grandparents told him he should remove the leaf plugs and go over to the nearby river to wash his nose.
“We don’t want to risk you getting a nasal infection, now do we?” Grandma Longneck said.
“Definitely not.” Littlefoot replied. He ran off to the river, throwing the leaves into a small easy-to-overlook hole and cleaning his nasal passages in the water, taking a bit longer than expected but he didn’t mind, warmed by how good-natured and content they were when he left them. When he returned to them, though, their demeanor had changed. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck were far more subdued, troubled, with little flickers of horror in their eyes. Chest twisting with dread, Littlefoot approached them carefully.
“What is it?” he said. “What’s wrong?”They started, as though surprised about his reappearance. They stared at him, nervous, not knowing what to say. Littlefoot couldn’t help noticing there were recent footmarks in the grass. He turned to them with some dread.
“Did – did someone come around?” he asked. “It’s – it’s it happening again, isn’t? Why else would you have those looks on your faces?”
Grandpa Longneck hesitated but said. “We’re not sure if this is a case. We’re going to check, but it might be nothing. Still…we’ll prepare for the worst.”Littlefoot gave a soft, upset sigh before he quickly walked up to press against them. He felt them nuzzle him, presumably to assure him by seeking comfort, and whatever good mood was left evaporated. They tried to resume their chat and play but it was still quieter than it used to be. Littlefoot caught them glancing at him every so often. He could surmise why. They didn’t talk about it but they knew the arrangement. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck would deal with the ghost and Littlefoot wouldn’t get involved. Littlefoot could understand, not wishing to go through something that sad and traumatic again. Still, there was something weird about the concern in their eyes as they glanced his way that sent a chill of unease through him. He tried to brush it away, his worry for his grandparents more dominant. It wasn’t a worry that went away by the time he bid them a subdue farewell to reunite with his friends.
Littlefoot’s eyes were turned to the side in thought as he and his friends walked along. He wondered where his grandparents were right now. Were they breaking the news to someone that a loved one was a ghost all along? Whatever assurances he told himself, Littlefoot’s mind kept lingering on what the fallout would be and how his grandparents were coping with the responsibility.
He forced himself to focus on their search for Cera. There was initially some difficulty in catching her scent. Spike, and especially Chomper, had kept their leaves in their noses a bit too long and they looked like they regretted their decision as their nostrils itched. Eventually, they had to pause to wash their noses under Ruby’s advisement and that caused some delay. Though unhappy to fill their nostrils with water, Chomper and Spike did pick up Cera’s smell.
The pair’s noses took them near the resting place of Cera’s family, through some fields, and around clumps of foliage. Wherever she had been going, she wanted to avoid as many obstacles as she could. That wasn’t out of character, since Tricia was in Cera’s company and she didn’t want her little sister to be stuck or trapped somewhere. They still had little clue of Cera’s destination or what she was doing there until they heard laughter in the distance.
“That Cera!” Petrie said.
“And Tricia.” Ducky said. “They sound like they are having fun, they are.”
Ruby frowned. “I’m hearing other voices. Who are those voices with Cera and Tricia?”
“I don’t know.” Littlefoot said. “They do sound a bit familiar though. Let’s go see…”
They were among a thin line of trees not large enough to be called a forest. In addition to the trail going through here, the treetops provided some relief from the strong sunlight. From their position, they could see a great field and, in the distance, a forest. Close to that forest was Cera and Tricia, laughing breathlessly as they passed a rock between themselves, running as though pursued by invisible competitors. It was easy to locate their laughter but the other laughs were a mystery.
“It’s just the two of them?” Ducky said. “Huh? Those other voices must be watching from somewhere close by.”
“It can’t be that.” Ruby said. “There is only grass where they’re playing and the grass is only high enough to hide Tinysauruses. None of those sound like a Tinysaurus I met.”
“Then who is there?” Petrie wondered.
Littlefoot was quiet for a long moment. His eyes searched the surroundings thoroughly for any signs of life beside Cera and Tricia. His heart sank, cold prickling through him, as he began to get an inkling for why his grandparents looked at him with such concern.
“Chomper,” Littlefoot said at last, “do you smell anyone there?”
Chomper stepped forward and sniffed. “Not anyone in the immediate area. Just Cera and Tricia…” he tensed fearfully. “Wait, you don’t mean this is-”
“If we can’t see anybody and if Chomper can’t smell anybody,” Littlefoot said, “where is that laughter coming from?”
A chill of horror blew past them. Ducky stiffened from her position on Spike.
“You mean Cera and Tricia are playing with ghosts there?” she squeaked.
“They must be people she know, like Hyp.” Petrie said. “Oh no, oh no, this bad. We have to tell her.”
Petrie began to flap ahead but Ducky quickly jumped off Spike to intercept him.
“No wait, we cannot do this,” she said. She fidgeted. “Maybe we should leave them alone. The other voices sound like they are Cera’s age. Maybe they are previous friends or brothers and sisters. If this is the only time they can be together, we should not ruin it, we should not, we should not.”
“We shouldn’t be hasty.” Littlefoot said carefully. “But we still don’t know what effects these ghost have on those they were close to. What if this makes Cera and Tricia sick or damages their emotions in a big way? We definitely can’t check on the state of the bellydragger now and as for Hyp…his father might be willing to talk but Hyp would be with him and he’d likely start chucking stuff at us the second he sees us approach,” he checked the sky. “The bright circle is nearly down. We should get my grandparents. We can find out how to help Cera and Tricia by talking to them.”
And he was already thinking about how to help the sisters. He understood why his grandparents didn’t want him involved in any other ghostly phenomena – they didn’t want him or his friends to go through this sort of personal pain – but this was his best friend. With what she was about to go through, Cera needed the support of her friends. Not to mention if his grandparents were going to deal with children who were tangled up with ghosts, Littlefoot wanted to be there to help and support them…
“Littlefoot is right.” Ruby said. “Grandpa and Grandma Longneck would know the right way to break the news to her.”
“We should probably leave, yeah?” Chomper said. “We don’t want them to notice us.”
“That’s right.” Littlefoot replied. “Let’s sneak back. If we’re quiet, they probably won’t know-”
“Hey, why are those kids watching us?”
The group jumped at the unfamiliar voice. Cera and Tricia had stopped their rock game and were now looking straight at Littlefoot and the others. Littlefoot cringed. While debating about whether to approach Cera or not, he neglected to tell Ducky and Petrie to get back into the tree shadows where they wouldn’t be seen.
“Yeah?” said another voice. “They act as though they haven’t seen threehorns play with each other before.”
“That’s because those are my friends.” Cera said. “They haven’t met you yet. Guys, come on over! I might as well introduce you all to each other.”
Littlefoot and the others stood indecisively for a moment. Littlefoot was tempted to move away quickly but that would only complicate matters. Reluctantly, he led his friends up to where Cera and Tricia were.
“Remember, guys,” Littlefoot whispered out of the corner of his mouth, “when the ghosts speak, stare in the directions of their voices. Try to be positive. This is another meeting with new people.”
“This creepy.” Petrie murmured.
“Ssh!”
As they neared, they saw Cera and Tricia standing in anticipation. Apparently, the two sisters were pleased to have them around. Cera waved them over.
“You came just in time,” she said. “Sorry I haven’t told you guys about this but they were only going to stick around for a day, so I wanted to make the most of the time I have with them. I’m sure you understand.”
“Um, who are you making the most of your time with?” Ruby asked delicately.
“C’mon, shouldn’t it be obvious? We kind of look alike. These are the sisters I hatched with – Holly, Rita, and Duane. You three, these are my friends – Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Chomper, and Ruby.”
Littlefoot swept his gaze about to cover for his ignorance of the sisters’ locations. “Um, nice to meet you all.”
“The same goes for you,” said a calm voice. From where Cera pointed, it belong to Duane. “We have, erm…heard a lot about you.”
“And we’ve even seen one of you too,” a second sterner voice, Holly, said. “Weren’t you the longneck that tried to charge at Cera as though you were a threehorn?”
“Uh, yeah.” Littlefoot turned to Holly, attempting to be sheepish instead of on edge. “I think I saw you three there too. Funny how some friendships start. But I, um, definitely don’t regret it.”
“Though Dad sometimes does.” Cera said. “Though he’s pretty accepting of them now,” she smirked. “If you get him alone enough in the right mood, he might even say he
likes them. Oh, it’s such a hoot.”
As Cera’s sisters chuckled knowingly, Littlefoot attempted to give an amused smile as he mentally plotted what words to use.
“Speaking of your dad Cera, where is he?” he asked.
“Oh, he’s with Mom in there.” Cera said, jerking her head to the forest. “She came to the valley with my sisters for today, and our parents planned it so we could play while they caught up.”
*Another mother. Maybe that’s what my grandparents are going to – oh, Cera.* Littlefoot thought, heart breaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friends struggling to fight the devastation and sympathy from entering their faces. For all he knew, Mr. Threehorn’s previous mate was still alive and was experiencing this haunting too but he doubted that with the mention she came along with Cera’s sisters. Cera rarely mentioned her mother and sisters but the gang seldem had much of as inkling as to why until now.
Despite his efforts, some of his inner turmoil must have showed on his face, for Cera’s glowing expression faltered slightly and she tilted her head at him.
“What’s that look for?” she asked.
Littlefoot started and shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just, we met Tria, and she was worried about why you and your dad were so eager to get away from her.”
“Oh.” Cera said, regret entering in. “I guess we could have done that better but her knowing my mom would be here would only upset her.” With effort, she rallied. “Don’t worry, we’ll make it up to her. After all she does for us, she deserves it.”
Holly’s voice hummed, unsettled, while Duane made a subdued sound. In the awkwardness that followed, there was a rumble of steps as though someone stepped closer to examine this strange assortment of kids.
“You have a sharptooth for a friend?” Rita’s voice asked. “Wicked!”
“Um, is that good?” Chomper asked, nervous instead of bemused.
“A talking sharptooth? Wow, you have some interesting pals, Cera!”
“Interesting definitely describes them.” Holly’s voice said neutrally. “I didn’t think you would make these kinds of friends.”
“Me neither.” Cera admitted. “But it seems I like those who are annoying and weird. They ain’t so bad.”
“Well, if Dad’s okay with them…” Holly replied, some doubt present but ease entering her voice.
“I guess around here, herd intermingling is normal.” Rita said. “I’ve been a bit curious about how other herds worked.”
“Well, here’s a great opportunity to learn about that.” Ruby replied. “Actually, you can learn about it in other places as well. Herds made up of different kinds are becoming more common out in the Mysterious Beyond.”
“Really? Huh, don’t remember bumping into that much. Oh, other than that flyer who passed along a message to Dad and Cera.” Rita said. “Though tell us, do other herds have something against eye contact? Because you’re looking all over the place. It’s weird. Is there something on our faces?”
“Not that we can notice.” Ducky said.
“Nothing wrong.” Petrie laughed nervously. “It just too bright to see out here.”
Tricia laughed. She seemed to find something about what Petrie said amusing. Upon attracting everyone’s attention, she hobbled to face them and babbled, attempting to narrow down the words she wanted to say and pointing around. For some reason, Littlefoot felt a flicker of unease the longer Tricia did this but he didn’t know why. Before he could explore the feeling further, Tricia spoke.
“See-through.”
“Come again?” Cera asked.
Tricia giggled. “See-through.”
She waved around again. Puzzled, Cera looked about but didn’t notice anything. She was far from the only one bemused. The gang could practically hear her sisters survey the area in confusion. Littlefoot and the others had a hard time pretending to be confused, some open awareness and fear slipping onto their faces. The threehorn sisters didn’t remain ignorant of this, as the gang felt more than one pair of eyes stare in their direction
“You guys…” Rita said slowly. “What is she calling see-through?”
“Um…” Petrie said.
“Is she talking about water? Like some pond?” Duane asked. “Why do you all look so nervous? Is that water toxic?”
“We are not exactly nervous.” Ducky said weakly. “And there’s no pond nearby, toxic or untoxic.”
“Then what is she talking about?” Cera demanded.
“You lot are still not looking directly at us.” Holly said. “It’s not that bright, not really. We’re not scary to look at. You have a sharptooth friend, for goodness sake. So what’s the big deal with us, huh?”
“The big deal isn’t you precisely.” Ruby said.
“Then what is it?” Rita said curiously. “Just tell us? We don’t bite – much.”
“It’s um...we don’t want – we can’t say.” Chomper said.
“What do you mean?” Duane said, friendly mediating tone holding a bit of nervousness. She shook it off. “Rita’s right, no matter how silly she is about it. We’ve been living outside the valley for a long time, with all that entails. You can be honest with us. Really.”
That cornered Littlefoot and the others. Their eyes slid nervously around but it was clear they had to say something sooner or later. Cera and her sisters looked and sounded so honestly confused but they were expecting answers. Tricia looked between her sisters and the gang, her simple amusement devolving into unsure confusion over what was happening. Hastily, Littlefoot stepped forward, finding it hard to meet Cera’s eye.
“Look, just…go back to your parents,” he said. “Go back to them.”
“Wha?” Rita said, thrown.
“You know where they are, right?” Littlefoot continued. “Just…find them. Be with them.”
“What does this have to do with you not looking at my sisters?” Cera demanded.
“You three haven’t seen your father in a while, right?” Littlefoot asked. “Same with you and your mother, Cera. Don’t you want to see them again? Just – just go to them.”
“I don’t understand.” Duane said. “Are we having two different conversations here?”
"Are you going to explain yourself at all?” Holly asked.
“Go back to your parents.” Littlefoot repeated, pleaded. “Spend what time you can with your family. Just go to them. Go.”
His eyes went in Cera’s direction, who looked a mix of baffled and concerned. As she took in his pleading stare, though, she slowly stilled, gaze becoming blank.
“No,” she said.
“Be with them.” Littlefoot said.
“No, no.” Cera said.
“Huh Cera, what are you saying?” Rita asked, bemused and a bit hurt.
“I know their request is a bit sudden, but we’ve been planning on meeting with our parents anyway, right?” Duane said.
Cera didn’t pay any attention to them. She was looking at her friends with the flickering beginnings of numb anger. Littlefoot and the others suddenly understood her three no’s weren’t about reuniting with her parents. She was cottoning on to what was going on.
“Get out.” Cera said lowly. “Leave.”
“Now what?” Holly said incredulously. “Cera, aren’t these your-”
”I said leave!”
Cera charged at her friends angrily, causing them to jump away with a start and hastily back away. Tricia screamed and staggered back, scared and concerned by Cera’s change in demeanor.
“We’re leaving, we’re all leaving.” Littlefoot said hastily.
“That’s right, go.” Cera said, walking after them to make sure they didn’t stop. “I don’t want you here anymore.”
“We’ll leave you alone, really. Just, find your family, find them.”
“Don’t even think about calling your grandparents! I don’t want to see any hint of you or your family for the rest of the day!”
“Cera, what’s the matter?” Rita asked. “Why are you so mad all of a sudden?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Cera replied.
