Guilty Until Proven Innocent

[FlipperBoidSkua]

One of my two most recent fanfics, both chapter stories this time. This one's circles the Domehead trio in the original movie (ya know, the psychotic ones attacking Cera ) as well as Chomper, who will be negatively affected by their actions in later chapters. Here's a quick pic of the trio and my chosen names for them:



And here's the first chapter introducing the Domehead trio on a more...personable level.

Prologue

Hunger, starvation...It's strange what that state can do to you. It makes you think of things you never would have even considered before. With no plants to eat around here, there was only one option left for him. Sure, it was other Leaf Eaters, not his own kind. As such, they might as well be dirt. He had no issues with attacking them, even killing them if the situation called for it. But still...this? The ultimate taboo of taboos, the inconceivable? Cepher shook his head a bit, blinking before looking down at the beaten body of a young Fanback. Nearby, his two companions watched him in confusion, wondering when he'll lead them off to continue their journey to the Great Valley. But their leader wasn't moving.

Was it possible he was starting to feel sympathy for their latest victim? No, no, that's never happened before. But why else would he just be standing there, seemingly very deep in thought? One of them, a black-colored female named Pacia, stepped towards the largest member of the trio, voice surprisingly soft for her fierce appearance and demeanor.

"Cepher? Are you alright?" she asked him. Cepher didn't seem to hear her at first, still staring at the body blankly. The third in the group, a small male named Rus, also walked closer when their leader made no response. He reached out and gave a small push to get his attention. It worked and Cepher blinked again before raising his head to look at the other two as if asking what they wanted.

"Are you alright?" Rus repeated Pacia's question. Cepher nodded before looking back at the body.

"Yeah, just thinking about...something." he told them quietly, knowing the thoughts in his head was not at all good. His traveling comrades picked up on this and looked at each other, then back at Cepher.

"About what?" they both asked simultaneously. There was silence for another moment before they got their answer, this one spoken even softer than the last.

"Something bad," he informed vaguely, looking at them, sharp claws clenching and unclenching in what seemed to be anxiety. This was quite unlike him. And at this response, Pacia and Rus tilted their thick domed heads, eyes widening a little. Time to see if their hunch was correct.

"You're not feeling bad for that hatchling, are you?" Pacia asked. At this, Cepher huffed in deep disdain as he returned his attention to the corpse of said hatchling, his own eyes narrowing. It was obvious he was not pleased with their guesswork; how dare they even think he was feeling for this pathetic excuse for a Leaf Eater laying at his feet.

"Of course not." he assured them sharply, hearing them sigh in relief. But this relief was short-lived when their leader's strange look returned as he continued with one simple question: "When was the last time we had so much as a bite to eat?"

Pacia and Rus looked to each other in growing consternation at the question. Where was this going? Finally, Rus shrugged. "I don't remember."

Pacia nodded in agreement. "It's been too long really." It was true. The Bright Circle had passed over them many times from the day they were lucky enough to find some buried roots in the ground and having to laboriously dig them out of the hardened earth. And even then, it was far from a satisfying meal, hardly helping in the slightest.

Cepher grunted before very softly starting to explain to them what his mind has been saying ever since they rammed this hatchling to death. "We'll never make it to the Valley if we don't find something to eat and fast." Silence came as that was said. As much as they didn't like it, they knew he was right. They needed food, more than just a few little roots that were more trouble than they were worth, but there was no sign of anything even remotely edible nearby. Or so they thought as Cepher resumed. "It's obvious we won't be finding green food anytime soon. So if we want to survive long enough to get to our destination, we'll have to change our tactics a bit."

"What do you mean?" Pacia asked, her tail flicking to and fro. Another pause before Cepher spoke in his softest tone yet.

"We have food, all around us. We just have to let our eyes wander to what's at our feet." At this, Rus indeed looked to his leader's feet at the hatchling's body, soon understanding and jerking back in shock.

"Are you saying that we should...eat other Leaf Eaters?" he exclaimed more or less loudly, although his voice dropped when Cepher glared at him. He looked about to make sure nobody else was around to hear this before looking back to the largest member and speaking softly. "Are you?"

"Yes. I am."

At this confirmation, Pacia backed up a few steps, a look of horror on her face. "But we're Leaf Eaters. Not sharpteeth. We couldn't possibly-" Cepher cut her off, his voice still a conspiring whisper.

"Look, it's either that or we die. We're not going to make it to the Great Valley if all we do is forage for weeks on end for leaves that aren't there. Yet we meet up with trespassing hatchlings like this one practically everyday. We kill the majority of them anyway, so we might as well make some use of them."

"But we're not sharpteeth." Pacia repeated. "We're not made to eat meat..." she added, looking down at the body like it was going to rise up from the dead and attack them for having this conversation. Rus shared her look and gave a nod.

"Yeah. We might have the claws and teeth of a sharptooth, but not the appetite or stomach of one. For all we know, eating another Leaf Eater might do more harm than good."

"We won't know that if we don't try. Really, we have no other choice." He looked at them for a long time before changing his approach. "You both want to live, right?" This got a nod. "You want to reach the Valley, right?" Another nod. "And you're both starving, right?" Yet another nod, this one more hesitant. "Then what's the deal? The other Leaf Eaters and the other Domeheads won't know we're doing it. If anything, there's no reason to pass up this opportunity."

"There is a reason. It's called right and wrong." Pacia said. "Look, the other herds of Leaf eaters are low-lives, I admit. Some deserve to die by our claws. But eating them is more than crossing the line. Following a sharptooth's example will make us no better than the sharptooth itself." A couple more moments of silence passed before she shook her head. "No. No. This is where I put my foot down. I won't eat the flesh of another."

"Me neither." Rus agreed.

Cepher glared at them before softening, fully understanding what they're saying and, deep down, he agreed with them. Domeheads may be one of the most vicious of the Leaf Eaters, but even they had a sense of morals...to some extent. Unfortunately, his stomach had no such morals and it growled loudly, reminding him and the others of their extremely dangerous level of hunger. "I'm not liking the idea either, trust me. But like I said, we have no choice." He turned back to the body, frowning a bit. "It'll only be temporary anyway, only until we reach the Valley."

More silence, but even that was broken by more growls, this time coming from the stomachs of the other two. Their spirits sagged noticeably as their resolve began to break down and they looked at each other before Rus muttered very softly. "Only temporary?" Cepher nodded slightly. "Then we'll be right back to eating green food?"

"Exactly. And on the chance we find more green food on our journey, we'll enjoy them like we normally would. It's not like we'll be forsaking leaves forever."

More silence, shattered this time by Pacia. "And we won't actually...hunt down the other Leaf Eaters, right?"

"Of course not. We'll be doing exactly what we've always been doing, with just the little twist of eating what we kill. But we won't be actively stalking them or anything; we won't kill more than we usually do. In fact, we won't be changing much of anything, really."

"We'll just be eating them instead of leaving them for the sharpteeth..." the female continued with a meekness that was uncharacteristic for her.

"Precisely. They're gonna get eaten anyways, why not let it be us who eats them?" He watched the duo before him for a while before adding. "What else do we have to lose?"

This time, the silence went on undisturbed and was almost suffocating as nobody moved a muscle for what seemed like forever. Finally considering their very few options and choices, the two smaller members nodded very slightly, almost shamefully and they approached the hatchling as Cepher leaned down to sniff it a bit. He was hesitant as well, but determined to eat something. Clawing the carcass a bit, he took his first tentative bite. Pacia and Rus watched in disgust, to see how Cepher would react to this carnivorous action. Their leader wore a heavy grimace and he retched a few times, trying to keep the piece of meat in his mouth, but not wanting it in there at the same time. It was obvious he felt deep shame about this, like it was something truly evil, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from doing this. Dying of starvation was not the way he wanted to go. He couldn't really bring himself to chew it and just swallowed hard, panting heavily afterwards, as if exhausted by the effort of fighting his gag reflexes. After a moment of recovering from the deed, he reluctantly took another bite.

Pacia and Rus, seeing this, fought back their horror at the spectacle and at the knowledge that they'd have to follow the example as they stepped even closer to the body to give this a try themselves. They had pretty much the same reaction as Cepher, Rus actually spitting out his piece before forcing himself to try again. Each could only manage a few small bites, enough to take the edge off their hunger, before they hurriedly backed away from the body in revulsion at what they just had to do.

"That was...That was horrible..." Pacia muttered, rubbing her snout against the ground in an attempt to wipe off the blood without having to touch it with her hands.

"I don't want to do that again..." Rus added, trying to keep down what he nibbled off the carcass.

"We'll have to... We just gotta get used to it..." Cepher said as he gingerly laid himself down, not feeling too well as his stomach tried to cope with this sudden change of diet. "It'll get easier...eventually..." He wasn't sure if that was true, but he felt the need to reassure his companions as well as himself. The others nodded half-heartedly as they laid down in turn, neither feeling very good as they tried to keep their stomachs calm. Their stomachs weren't cooperating and neither were their minds, which were practically flooded with the feeling of shame and self-loathing for their unnatural actions.

But thank goodness it's all just temporary...

END OF PROLOGUE

I tried to keep to the LBT trend of naming characters based on their species. Pachycephalosaurus= Cepher, Pacia, and Rus! Creative? Probably not; easy to think up? Most definitely   ! Hope you all like this one!

[FlipperBoidSkua]

Thanks to Pangaea for providing the LBT Glossary! That really helped a lot.   Despite the lack of interest people seem to have in this story, I decided to continue because I genuinely like it enough to wanna finish it. But if your one of the people who do enjoy this, I hope you like this next chapter!

Chapter 1

A peaceful scene greeted the Bright Circle as it rose into the sky. Lambie, a Twocrest Swimmer, opened her eyes drowsily as the light flooded her temporary nest. Morning already? She was still very tired as she didn't get much sleep during the night. How could she? It was just yesterday when she was separated from her mixed herd of Far Walkers by a bad earthshake and she felt terribly vulnerable being alone out here in the Mysterious Beyond. She was just lucky that no sharpteeth arrived during her troubled sleep. That would've ended in disaster.

Standing and shaking herself out, she scanned the horizons for any signs of danger or of her herd. Nothing. The disappointment present in her mind was only getting stronger and she would hold back her tears if she had any left. She cried them all out while the Great Night Circle was still high in the sky. Really, who could blame her? She's never been alone a moment of her life and was always used to having someone by her side, showing her the way. Well, best to get a move on and find some breakfast to take her mind off her stress. Staying forever vigilant, even to the point of paranoia, she strode off silently, tail low and curled around her feet due to her current state of unease. Although she was already at the age of great growing, she longed for her mother right now. She just wasn't ready to be fully independent just yet. First thing she'll do when she reunites with the herd would be to snuggle into her mother's arms and tell her how much she loved her.

Oh, she'll never disobey her parent's order again, if she could just get back home… Hmm, seems she still had some tears left after all…

She paused by the edge of a forest, having spotted two Domeheads eating some leaves nearby. Although her mother has told her to be wary of this kind of dinosaur, as they tend to not be very friendly, there were a few nicer ones in her herd that once gave her and several other young ones advice on what to do if she met a Domehead stranger: usually she'll be tolerated if she kept a respective distance and acted submissive at all times. She's never tested that before, but she's desperate for company, any company, so the risks of experimentation would be worth it. First thing's first, she cleared her throat a bit to announce her presence. The Domehead duo looked over in her direction, chewing their Ground Stars in nonchalance even as they glared at the newcomer. Sensing hostility, she averted her eyes and lowered her head a bit, hands fiddling with each other in nervousness.

"Hello…" the young Swimmer greeted meekly, cautiously stepping closer. When she got no response, she continued timidly. "Is it alright if I join you…?" Still nothing but the munching sounds of green food. "Please…? Only until I find my herd again…"

Finally, she got something: a sharp snort from one of the Domeheads before both returned their attention to their meal. Taking this as acceptance, she awkwardly turned to the forest and started eating as well. She tried to ignore the soft whisperings the two Domeheads uttered to each other as they ate, no doubt talking about her presence. But they weren't chasing her off, so she must be doing something right. But after a few moments of peaceful coexisting, one of the Domeheads, a darker-colored female, marched over with a growl, roughly butting the Swimmer in the side.

"Ow! Hey!" the smaller dinosaur protested, forgetting herself for a second.

"Move, Swimmer!" the Domehead snapped back, giving her another hard nudge. The youngster then felt her humbled feelings return and stepped aside as ordered. The older female took a Tree Sweet from the tree Lambie was enjoying, never taking her glaring eyes from said Swimmer as she took a bite. "Keep going!" she demanded once more, voice slightly muffled by her full mouth. Lambie took a few more steps, looking over to the Domehead questioningly as if inquiring if this was a good distance. The short-tempered Leaf Eater gestured her to move yet farther and again, the Swimmer complied, having the slight feeling that there was some predetermined spot she was supposed to be in. Probably nothing; she'll just do whatever she's told without a fuss. And this seemed to satisfy the Domehead, for she hissed her words firmly. "Good. Now stay there, ya pathetic excuse for a dinosaur."

Too scared to disagree in any way, Lambie nodded softly and hesitantly resumed eating as the peace returned. She did stiffen as the second Domehead, a paler-colored male, moved to the other side of her, but he made no demands of his own as he seemed content with the distance, although he did growl at her if she so much as took a step in his direction. Trying to stick to her spot, she was about to nip off some Sweet Bubbles when the plants ahead of her started rustling. Curious, but nervous, she backed up a bit, earning a few more growls from her companions. She froze, looking from each of the Domeheads to the bushes. What was in there? Was it dangerous? She took a small half-step in the male Domehead's direction.

This got another snarl in response and she whimpered, automatically explaining herself. "There's something in there. It could be a sharpto-" She was interrupted with a cry of pain as something charged into her, hard. The force was enough to send her back, falling and skidding along the ground a short distance before the dust settled. Groaning in pain, she shakily pushed her body up and lifted her head, opening her eyes to see a third Domehead, this one larger than the other two. Confused at what just happened, Lambie got to her feet, chest hurting with each breath. However, no sooner has she gotten up than the Domehead charged her again, ducking enough to ram into her stomach and knock the wind right out of her before snapping around and slamming her down with his tail.

Coughing as she tried to get the air back into her lungs, she peeked up as the new Domehead stood over her with a growl before raising his claws and slashing down. She barely jerked away fast enough as the claws gouged the ground where her throat was a mere second ago. Thoroughly panicked, Lambie scrambled to her feet and dashed past him towards her companions. She didn't know entirely what's going on, but maybe the other two could talk some sense into this new character. Unfortunately, that was not going to be the case because as soon as she got into range, they both leapt upon her, their combined weight more than enough to make the smaller dinosaur lose balance and crash to the ground. Then came more pain as she felt their claws slash across her body. Screaming, she immediately began to struggle, kicking and thrashing and trying to stand despite the heavy weight of the two dinosaurs. And even when they got off, her efforts to get up didn't go far when the third rammed into her side and knocked her back to the ground, the twin horns on his nose inflicting damage of their own.

Things were getting out of hand as the Domehead trio continued to bite and slash at her. She didn't understand why they were doing this to her, but that was not important as she struggled all the more to get free of their frenzy, giving a bloodcurdling screech in the hopes of drawing the attention of someone who could help her. Her attackers immediately backed off at her deafening shriek and watched as she finally quieted and managed to force herself to her feet. Whimpering in her agony, she stumbled away from them, disorientated and dazed. All she knew was that she had to get away from them, and fast. Despite her injuries and her almost stunned-state, she gradually sped up into as best a run as she can manage.

She heard her assaulters give chase and, feeling as if her heart skipped a few beats, she continued to run a surprising distance in her terror. She knew that if she stopped or even slowed down, it would all be over and she would never see her mother again, see anyone again. That thought was enough to keep her on her feet and keep her running. However, escape wasn't going to be that easy as she reached the bottom of a giant stone wall that stretched from horizon to horizon. In desperation, she began scrambling up the slope so she can climb to the top and hopefully lose her attackers. That ambition was crushed as she felt claws sinking into her tail and yanking her back down with great force.

"Nooo!" she yelled out as she tried to fend off the rogues, who immediately started slashing and biting her once more. Through luck alone, her tail swept the ground and knocked one of the Domeheads' feet out from under his body and the other two jumped back to avoid the same. Lambie took advantage and made another run for it; although 'run' was more like a quickened stumble in a random direction. She spotted a cave in the wall and made for it, even as she weakened and had to drop to all fours to avoid falling over. Unfortunately, she didn't make it as another one of the Domeheads easily caught up and forced her to halt as he stopped in front of her. As he lowered his head to hers, she cringed involuntarily as she was expecting him to smash her skull in. That wasn't what the vicious creature had in mind though and only started pushing her back to prevent her from going any farther. Her remaining strength fading fast, she allowed herself to be pushed backwards and merely whimpered as the other two resumed their attacks, focusing on her legs and flanks. Quickly reaching the point of incapacitation, Lambie finally collapsed to the ground, too weak to get back up.

Finally, the rogue trio backed off and the largest one kicked up some dirt, no doubt about to deliver the final blow that will end her struggles for life forever. Vision blurred from her heavy tears of agony and distress, she could still see he was targeting her neck or head and she tensed, closing her eyes as she heard the charge coming.

"I'm sorry, Mom…" she choked out a whisper. She heard the leap and knew she had but a split-second left and she made it count for her last words. "I love you…"

Then came the impact and life for her was gone in an instant.

"Well…" Cepher commented as he stood back up after finishing off the Swimmer. Dusting himself off with a smirk, he turned his gaze to his companions. "Is it just me or is this getting easier every day?" This earned a couple of dark chuckles.

"Yup." Rus answered with a nod. "These Leaf Eaters are getting more gullible by the minute. After all, this one came right up to us."

"Must be because the old ways are fading out and she thought we would be harmless to her." Pacia added with a grimace. "Since now all the herds are getting along." The other two nodded with equally disgusted looks. Ever since the Great Earthshake, they noticed mixed herds were starting to appear. Though rare and unusual at first, it soon became the new tradition, a tradition the trio were strictly against. Why should they be expected to turn over a new leaf and treat other kinds with respect? They've never done so before and it will take a lot more than a major earthshake to even consider changing their minds.

"An idiotic decision indeed." Cepher commented before giving a menacing grin. "All they're doing is teaching their young ones to be easier targets." At his companions' amused nods of agreement, he turned to the body of their latest victim with a low growl. "Now, this thing isn't getting any fresher. I'd prefer eating my fill before a sharptooth shows up." Again, the other two nodded and joined him in this meal.

Several Cold Times ago, they were forced to change their habits, believing it would only be for a short-time. However, despite waking with twisting stomachs after each of their earlier meals, they eventually got used to it so they'd have no further ill effects. Then, before they even realized, they were enjoying the taste of other dinosaurs, even going as far as to give up their search for the Great Valley as they were having plenty of prey to feast on, even if they had to give up their meal whenever a sharptooth was spotted in the vicinity. The trio were still specialized in taking easy-to-kill hatchlings that they had such joy attacking even before their appetites shifted, but they never turned down the opportunity to take larger victims when they can. Of course, they still kept this development a top-notched secret. They will only eat what they kill when nobody was around to witness it, being sure to attack those who were alone. And between their hunting opportunities, they satisfied their hunger on plants, especially in the presence of other Leaf Eaters. Although green food was growing and flourishing once more in the Mysterious Beyond, the Domehead trio found the taste bland after eating their carnivorous diet. Still, no point in being picky so long as their stomachs were full.

And indeed, their stomachs were soon filled as they now ignored the eaten body of the Swimmer, wiping and licking the blood from their muzzles and claws until there was no sign to suggest their sharptooth-like ways. Cepher then led them curiously towards the cave their prey made an attempt to retreat into. Although they were wanderers, having roamed aimlessly ever since forsaking the Valley's journey and never stopping anywhere for very long, they never been here before. And there was no harm in exploring the unknown for the fun of it. Their leader gesturing them to follow his example, Pacia and Rus entered the cave cautiously, as they didn't know what to expect. It seemed clear and empty, though soon revealing itself to be a very large tunnel of some sort, as light was easily flooding from the other side. Glancing at each other, they walked towards the tunnel's end, covering their eyes a bit from the Bright Circle's glare. But once they saw what was stretched out before them, they gaped with eyes widened in amazement.

It was a beautiful valley, brimming with green food and holding a multitude of clear-looking waterholes connected by Fast Water and fueled by powerful Thundering Falls. It stretched as far as the eye can see and still showed no signs of stopping, its borders towering in mountains, some of which were smoking but peaceful and calm. The Domehead trio were mesmerized by the majestic sight, Pacia leaning a bit on Rus to steady herself from being overwhelmed.

"Where…What is this place…?" Rus muttered in his frozen state, his eyes slowly sweeping over the surrounding landscape, trying to take it all in. For a moment, it was silent before Cepher managed to choke out the most logical answer he could think of.

"It's…the Great Valley…"

They finally found it, and only when they weren't even looking for it. And although the land outside in the Mysterious Beyond has returned to its former glory before the food shortage took place so long ago, this valley still seemed like a paradise. It looked even better than they ever imagined and their imaginations made it a sight to behold from the beginning. Recovering a bit, Cepher smiled with a chuckle at this unintentional achievement before nudging his companions and starting to climb down a clear path leading into the Valley. Pacia and Rus, snapping out of it themselves, raced down after their leader, eager to explore their new home and everything it had to offer:

Safety from sharpteeth…

Enough green food to eliminate competition…

And plenty of nice, plump, better-quality-than-average Leaf Eater hatchlings to gorge themselves on…

END OF CHAPTER 1

Well, there we go! Hopefully I can get the next update done soon, so please enjoy this while I get working! *head crashes into desk, sleeping*

[LBTDiclonius]

Hey, I've already read your story on FF.net (yes, I do go on there a lot if anyone's wondering <_< ) And I stumbled upon your story. It's pretty good, actually. You should keep going with this. I hope you get the next chapter up soon.

[FlipperBoidSkua]

Thanks, LBTDiclonius. I'm glad your liking the story so far. And you won't have to wait another second for the next chapter!  

Chapter 2

Laughter filled the air of the Great Valley as a Tree Sweet plopped at the very center of a small clearing. Two teams stopped on opposite sides of the clearing, the giggles dying to be replaced by an air of seriousness. One team consisting of Littlefoot, Chomper, and Petrie exchanged challenging looks with their 'rivals', consisting of Cera, Ruby, Ducky, and Spike. This was for the winning point and neither team had losing as an option! On some unspoken cue, Littlefoot and Ruby lunged simultaneously, forepaws and hands both gripping the Tree Sweet at the same time.

"Well, seems we both have it since we both grabbed it." Ruby said with an amused grin. Littlefoot returned the smile with his own.

"Yeah, but my team will be the one to win!" he said playfully.

"You can't win if you won't be winning." With this, Ruby yanked the Tree Sweet out of Littlefoot's hold and the chase was on! Laughter and playful exclamations once more filled the air as Ruby raced for the goal.

"Ruby! I am open, I am!" Ducky shouted, waving her hands and jumping for attention. Ruby spotted her and acknowledged her words by taking the risk to stop.

"Okay, Ducky! I'm throwing it to you so you can catch it!" Then came the toss, as it was just in time before Littlefoot tackled her down one second too late. Ducky was about the catch the Tree Sweet, when Chomper raced in front of her and snatched it himself.

"Hey!" Ducky protested, despite a fun-loving smile on her beak.

"I got it! I got it!" the sharptooth said proudly before making a run for the goal, Cera, Spike, and Ducky at his tail. He knew he wasn't going to make it and he looked about for a team mate and saw Petrie flying to land right at the goal between two trees.

"Pass to me, Chomper!" the Flyer yelled out. "Pass to me!" Chomper was just about to do just that when he was tackled by Cera, the Tree Sweet literally flying out of his hands high into the air straight for the goal. Petrie flew up to catch it, but it went right over his head into the surrounding trees quite a distance.

"Wow." Cera muttered as she got off Chomper, who seemed equally surprised before a happy glow spread across his face.

"Does that mean we win?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course not!" the young Threehorn claimed as the others gathered around them.

"I dunno, Cera." Littlefoot started. "The Tree Sweet did go through the goal and Chomper was the one who had it."

"No way! I call that an unfair shot!"

"Or lucky shot." Petrie said as he landed on Littlefoot's head, which nodded in agreement to the Flyer's words. This only got a glare and huff from the unimpressed Cera.

"Well, if that's the case, I call a rematch!" she demanded.

"Oh, yes yes yes! A rematch!" Ducky bounced in happy excitement that the prospect of another round.

"Alright! I'll go get the ball!" Chomper said before going off to locate where the Tree Sweet had fallen, and to possibly find a new ball to replace it, in case it smushed against a rock or something. But it wasn't going to be a rock it would splat onto...

"Hey!" Rus exclaimed as something splattered all over his head. Growling, he wiped off some of the stuff from his face and looked at it, trying to identify it. Pink and sticky...He licked it a little. A Tree Sweet? Cepher and Pacia was watching this in confusion before looking up simultaneously at the tree above them. No signs of Tree Sweets. But then how did this one splatter all over their comrade? Well, obviously, someone threw it at them and when they find that someone, they'll make him pay dearly for this ridiculing act! They were already glancing about, but it seems they didn't have to search too hard nor too long as the bushes nearby rustled and out stepped...a sharptooth?

"I thought this Valley didn't have sharpteeth." Pacia whispered to Cepher, scowling at the carnivore, neither of them alarmed as this was a hatchling and they quite literally had hatchlings for breakfast. Though they've never tried to eat a baby sharptooth before...

Chomper looked up at the very large figures and saw they were Domeheads that he's never met, seen, or smelled before and that one of them was...uh oh. Seemed the ball chose the wrong place to land and now he and his friends could be in big trouble if these newcomers told the other grown-ups. He should apologize and explain what happened before the situation gets worse. "Oh...Um, sorry about the Tree Sweet, sir. My friends...and I...were..." He trailed off with a gulp, fiddling with his claws as he didn't like the look he was being given by his audience. They seemed amused, but it had a kind of menacing edge he just didn't like.

"Well, would you look at this! A talking sharptooth!" the largest Domehead snickered as he approached and picked Chomper up by the tail.

"I've seen it all now." the smaller black-colored one added with a smirk. Chomper didn't respond to this, as his world was now upside down, literally. It took him a moment to get over his confusion and notice the tight, almost painful grip on his tail. Despite his initial humbleness, he couldn't stop his indignation at his position. Not only was his tail -along with his sniffer- one of the more precious parts of his body, but the way he was being held made him feel little and he did not like it when he's made to feel little.

"Hey! Let go!" he demanded, kicking a bit as he wriggled to try and get free. His words went unheard as the Great Valley's newest visitors continued their conversation, which was getting to be quite terrifying for little Chomper to hear.

"Talking or not, I think we'll be doing a service by getting rid of this nuisance!" Rus snarled as he came over with a glare, still trying to wipe off the Tree Sweet juice. The others barely gave those words a second thought before nodding.

"I think that's a great idea." Cepher approved, smirking menacingly at the hatchling dangling helplessly in his claws. The sharptooth gave a whimper as it stopped struggling with a horrified expression that the trio loved seeing in their targets. The look of fear never got old. And it only grew better as Pacia stepped closer with a soft snicker.

"It's obvious this little pest snuck in the Valley to have itself a never-ending supply of Leaf Eaters to eat. Am I right, sharptooth?" she asked mockingly, placing a sharp claw under the sharptooth's chin, just to hear it whimper again. The sharptooth shifted away from her claws before it shook its head fervently, its little hands waving in denial.

"N-no! I live here with my friends!" it exclaimed.

"Oh, so there's more sharpteeth hiding around here?" Cepher interrogated with a taunting grin, tightening his grip on the sharptooth's tail once more, earning a yelp and another wriggle before it answered desperately.

"No! My friends are Leaf Eaters! I swear! I'm a nice sharptooth!" The trio didn't know how the sharptooth expected them to react, but those words were hilarious enough to make them crack up, Cepher's grip tightening all the more in his extreme mirth. It took a moment for them to recover from their laughing fit before they returned their malicious glares to the hatchling.

"A nice sharptooth?" Cepher growled in heavy amusement before looking to his companions. "First time we ever encountered a talking sharptooth and the only thing it will say are lies to save its own skin."

"But I'm serious!" Chomper yelled to the grown-ups, feeling himself on the verge of angry and frightened tears. 'Save its own skin'? Was he really an 'it' to them? Were they really willing to hurt him or even kill him? Well, of course they are. All other grown-ups did when they first met him: Ali's Herd, Doc, even Cera's Dad when he was first introduced to him. This group wouldn't be any different. But he still tried convincing them he's good, at least that worked before...but only when his friends were there. So, he had to get to them somehow. It was his only chance. "If you don't believe me, my friends are over there!" He pointed the way he came, hoping the three Domeheads would go to see his friends and learn that he wasn't lying. "There's Littlefoot and Cera and Ducky and-"

"Shut it, kid!" the Tree Sweet male snapped, eyes filled with renewed rage before looking to the largest member. "Can we just get rid of it now?"

The apparent leader smirked at his angered companion before snickering at the youngster. "Might as well. No point in delaying the inevitable."

Filled with overwhelming fear, Chomper very much wanted to delay the inevitable and, seeing no other option, he followed the instincts that's been yelling at him from the instant he was picked up. There was a brief flash in his mind of Littlefoot telling him long ago that sharptooth behavior wasn't allowed in the Valley, and his next action was definitely a sharptooth behavior. His mind vaguely gave a silent apology to his best friend as he acted. Grabbing hold of his own tail, he managed to pull himself up enough to sink his teeth into the leader's hand, easily drawing some blood. Hearing the cry of pain, he was dropped to the ground, quickly trying to recover from the impact.

Looking up at his tormentors, he definitely recovered double time with a scream before running off, the leader's claws slashing into the ground where he once stood. Terrified, he saw the dark female lunge with open jaws and he leapt straight into the air just in time to avoid being bitten himself. Landing in an unbalanced stumble on her head, he made no hesitation in sliding off and making another wild dash, still screaming as he felt a crash just behind him, sending him falling forward with a grunt. Risking a glance, he saw he just barely avoided being crushed under the Tree Sweet male's skull. Moving faster than he ever thought possible, he jumped back to his feet and ran off towards his friends, the only thing he could think of doing.

"Littlefoot! Help!" he yelled out in desperation, pushing his way through the undergrowth, hearing the grown-ups pursuing him. Knowing his life depended on it, he sped up as fast as his legs would go, hoping and wishing so many times that he would make it.

"Chomper!" Luckily, the gang met him half-way and, still in a panic, he threw himself against Littlefoot, his words pouring out of him faster than he can think.

"Tell them I'm a nice sharptooth! Tell them I'm a nice sharptooth!"

"Tell who?" Ruby asked, very concerned of her charge's fear and general demeanor. Chomper, shivering and whimpering, huddled against as many of his friends as he could at once, pressing as tight as he could for any feeling of safety. But even with his efforts, he still gave a yelp as his attackers rushed into view, skidding to a stop. The gang were more than startled by the Domehead's sudden, aggressive entrance and they jolted back with screams of their own. But that died out quickly for a brief moment of silence, with only the sound being Chomper's heavy breathing and whimpering.

"Move." the leader growled, clenching his claws as he sneered down at the gang. Littlefoot cleared his throat to get over his intimidation enough to step forward a bit.

"No. Chomper's our friend. He-"

"Kids, we heard screaming! What's going on?" another voice came up and everyone looked over to see Grandpa Longneck and some of the other grown ups, who paused at the sight of the newcomers. "Why, we didn't know we had visitors to our Valley. When did you three arrive?"

"Better question is what are you doing with our kids?" Mr. Threehorn demanded angrily, stepping forward in a confrontational manner. After all, there had to be a reason for the screams and it seemed logical to assume these newcomers were the cause of it all. But the Domehead trio were far from intimidated and huffed, each of them crossing their arms defiantly.

"We did nothing to the Leaf Eater brats. It's the sharptooth we're after." the leader hissed with particular malice.

"Chomper's harmless! He'd never hurt us!" Littlefoot defended as he stepped protectively in front of Chomper, not going to let anything bad happen to his friend. They've been through too much, helped and saved each other too many times to back down now.

"Yes. Chomper is our friend and he has never harmeded us, nope nope nope!" Ducky claimed herself, Spike grunting and nodding his assurance. However, the trio seemed far from convinced and the leader lifted his hand a bit, blood still dripping a little.

"If it's harmless, it wouldn't have bitten us." he claimed with a smirk, amused as everyone gasped in horror and every gaze turned to the young sharptooth. Chomper's jaw dropped that this was being used against him, though he honestly shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. Fiddling with his claws once more and staying behind Littlefoot, he tried to choke out the words, practically feeling the awkward and hostile atmosphere surrounding the entire area.

"It wasn't my fault..." he muttered before pointing to the Domeheads shakily. "They...They were trying to hurt me... I had to do something!" He looked up at Littlefoot pleadingly. "Right?" The Longneck only hesitated for a second before nodding.

"Right, Chomper." he agreed confidently. "You wouldn't hurt anybody without reason."

"Seems we all got off on the wrong foot." Grandpa Longneck said before looking back to the Domeheads. "Chomper is a sharptooth, yes, but he's an equal resident of this Valley. He lives here and is welcomed by all of us." He tried to ignore the huff Mr. Threehorn gave. "And all three of you are welcomed as well to stay as long as you need."

"Good." the leader hissed sharply, face disgusted for some reason, the other two sharing the same scowl. "Because we're not leaving at all."

Grandpa Longneck seemed a bit taken aback at the hostility these three were displaying, but looked passed it to keep the peace. "Even better. I think-" He was immediately cut off by the smaller male.

"Don't even bother finishing that sentence. We don't care in the slightest what an old flathead like you thinks." This triggered another collective gasp as the children looked at each other in disbelief before Littlefoot glared at the Domeheads.

"You can't talk to my grandfather like that!" he protested, angry that someone would insult his family so openly and with such a hostile tone. The smaller male snapped a glare to the young longneck, snarling.

"Back off, kid, before something happens that you or your friends might end up regretting."

"Don't you dare threaten the children!" Mr. Threehorn roared, stepping even closer to the Domeheads, of which the female member snorted disdainfully.

"We threaten whoever we want, and no hornface is going to tell us otherwise." This got even more gasps from everyone, who couldn't believe their ears. Nobody has ever insulted Mr. Threehorn and certainly not with such an offensive term. In the stunned silence, the leader hissed out his words with just as much hostility as his companions.

"Living here, we have one simple rule to set out. And we'll make it clear for all you tiny-brained idiots: we don't want any of you low-life weaklings bothering us. It's bad enough you're tainting this Valley with your presence; we don't want to make things worse by interacting with any of you scum for more than necessary."

Mr. Threehorn was the first to recover and he was far from happy with this situation as he stormed even closer, head lowered threateningly as he practically roared. "Now, see here, you vermin! You can't just storm in here and insult us, then expect-" He was interrupted when the Domeheads gave a bored yawn and proceeded to ignore him, turning their backs disrespectfully as they walked off to vanish into the vegetation once more. Mr. Threehorn growled all the more and seemed just about ready to charge in the general direction of their departure but Grandpa stopped him by speaking.

"I'm sure our guests are just tired from their undoubtedly long and difficult journey here and they will calm down soon enough. Until then, we will honor their wishes and give them room to settle. Then we can start over in our greetings." The other Great Valley residents grumbled under their breaths from the rude introduction the Domeheads presented and of Grandpa's forgiving words, but they nodded begrudgingly. Grandpa Longneck then turned his attention to the kids. "Why don't you young ones go on and play, just be careful not to aggravate our new arrivals any further."

Littlefoot sighed softly, hanging his head a bit. "Okay, Grandpa."

Without a word, the gang went off to try and resume their play, finding another Tree Sweet to replace their previous ball. The game soon started, things a bit quiet at first before the spirits began to rise and the laughter began to slowly inch its way back into the game. Only one who remained in a non-playful mood was Chomper. The ball rolled by his feet and the young sharptooth only looked down at it listlessly before giving it a nudge that was supposed to be a kick. The others, noticing his state of mind, put the game on hold and wandered over.

"Hey, you alright there, Chomper?" Cera asked with a confused look. Last time she saw this kind of behavior was when Ducky was mad at Spike and she knew something was on their youngest member's mind. Chomper looked at her and the others for another moment, before muttering softly and with a still slightly-frightened tone.

"If you all don't mind...I'm gonna go back home."

"You sure, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked in concern. This was one of Chomper's favorite games and it wasn't like him to want to walk away right in the middle of it.

"We still have fun game. We no win without you." Petrie added, landing by the little sharptooth. Chomper gave a soft half-hearted smile that one could easily tell was forced.

"I know, I just think it's sleep-time for me now..." With that, he turned and headed off to the Secret Caverns, while the others looked amongst themselves in confusion at his words. After all, the Bright Circle was still high in the sky. Sleep-time isn't even close. But thinking of what happened not too long ago, they couldn't really blame him. They just hoped he'll be okay...

END OF CHAPTER 2

Aww, poor Chomper. He gained yet another experience in life-threatening trauma. Hope this chapter's good as this is the first time I did any of the main characters excluding Chomper and Ruby.

[LBTDiclonius]

Thanks for the chapter! We finally got to see what the gang were up to. Those domeheads just rubbed me the wrong way. Trying to hurt Chomper like that. They ticked me off at that point. I don't think Mr. Threehorn is very fond of them. I wonder what mayhem will ensue now that they're in the valley? I hope you get the next chapter up soon. Things are getting interesting...

[FlipperBoidSkua]

Still so happy your liking this story! I'm already working on the basic outline of the next chapter!   Yeah, Chomper needs a hug! And Mr. Threehorn's definitely gonna be having some issues.

 :! *notices your member ranking* Hey! You're a Ducky now! Last I checked you were a Petrie! Congrats!!  

[LBTDiclonius]

Thanks for noticing the new level! If I could I would definetely give Chomper a hug! He's so cute! Good luck on the chapter!

[FlipperBoidSkua]

The next chapter's up!! Dun dun DUUUUUNNNNN!!!  

Chapter 3

The shadows of the trees grew longer as evening came, the Bright Circle sinking slowly, but steadily beyond the Smoking Mountains. All around the luscious paradise of the Great Valley, many of the residents began settling at their nests to rest after a long day of various activity. In the Secret Caverns, young Chomper was sitting up against the wall of his cave, staring down blankly as his mind was plagued with memories of what happened earlier that day. Once more, his sharptooth nature almost got him killed. Can't he ever meet grown-ups just once without them trying to cause harm to him at some point or another? Sighing deeply, his tongue licked around the inside of his mouth a bit. It was still plagued with the taste of that Domehead's blood. Despite his carnivorous nature, he did not like it one bit. All it did was remind him of what he had to do...

He's purposely bitten someone, bitten a Leaf Eater. He has broken a promise, a vow that was made long ago that he would never intentionally harm a Leaf Eater during his stay in the Great Valley. Maybe it was the start of something bad, something that could mean leaving his friends forever. He knew what the grown-ups thought of him. He knew he wasn't entirely welcomed to stay here and now, the adults have all the more reason to distrust him. After all, what's to stop him from hurting anyone else? Trying to hold back a whimper, he leaned off the wall and laid himself down, hugging his tail tightly, feeling as though he almost lost it. It was still hurting from the injuries made by the leader's claws and the bruises from being held in such a tight grip. He won't be surprised if he'll still be feeling this a few days from now.

"Chomper?" It was Ruby. Chomper didn't answer. Maybe if he was lucky, she would think he's gone away. But he knew that was an unrealistic hope and it wasn't long before Ruby entered the caves and found him curled up almost in a ball. Seeing his depressed mood, she spoke quietly. "Are you alright?"

Chomper remained quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I feel terrible..."

Wandering over and sitting beside him, she gave him a caring, reassuring smile. "You can't feel good if you feel terrible." She placed a hand on his back comfortingly. "Maybe I can help in helping you."

Sighing once more, Chomper sat up, still looking down at his feet as he spoke. "Earlier with the grown-ups...when they heard that I...bit that Domehead..." he started before looking up at his caretaker with sadness in his eyes. "Do you think they're mad at me?" Hearing this and looking at him, knowing that he needed a positive answer, Ruby shook her head in confidence.

"Of course not, Chomper. The others are too busy being worried about you to be mad at you." At this, Chomper sadness faltered with a very soft, relieved smile.

"They are?" For once in a long time today, Chomper felt a spark of hope. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he originally thought. Maybe he won't be chased out of the Valley after all. And he felt all the more better when Ruby nodded.

"In fact, Grandpa Longneck wanted to know where you were for story telling 'cause you weren't there to be told the story." she informed him, earning an even larger grin on the young sharptooth's face. "And I'm sure Ducky and Petrie's mom would worry too."

"And even Mr. Threehorn?" Alright, now he was pushing it, but he was feeling so increasingly reassured that he couldn't help himself. The Fast Runner hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say to that. Mr. Threehorn's just too hard to please; almost nothing will make him happy. At least that's how she, and the majority of the others, saw it. However, she did remember Mr. Threehorn defending the children from the Domehead's hostility, and that included Chomper. So...

"Yes, even Mr. Threehorn." A moment of silence came and, for once, it wasn't of the uneasy kind. In fact, the younger dinosaur gave a soft laugh and hugged his guardian tight.

"Thanks, Ruby." he said as he felt her embrace him back.

"Helping with your problems is no problem at all." she told him before pulling away and standing. "Come on. I think Grandpa Longneck might still be telling stories during this story-telling time." Seeing some of Chomper's nervousness return, she tilted her head a bit with a considerate smile. "Or do you wanna stay here so you won't be out there?"

Chomper thought to himself for a moment. He did enjoy story-time and according to Ruby's words, everyone's been worried about him. Well, maybe he shouldn't worry them any longer. He's staying here in the Valley, at least for the time being and it's going to take more than a new group of Domeheads to make it otherwise. With a determined look, he nodded and stood up. "Alright. Let's go!" Following Ruby out of the Secret Caverns, Chomper stood tall as they made their way to the Glowing Crater where Grandpa always told his tales. At the moment, he just hoped he didn't miss any of the good stories...

"Surprise!" Chomper jumped as they arrived to their destination. To his astonishment, Grandpa Longneck wasn't there at all and instead Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike, and Petrie displayed a giant leaf which was full of delicious-looking Crawlers. Getting over his startlement quickly, Chomper grinned and looked up at Ruby, who smiled back just as happily. The young sharptooth gave her another hug before rushing over to his friends to give each a hug in turn.

"Thanks guys!" he exclaimed before asking. "But why'd you do it?"

"Well, since you were feeling so bad, we decided to try and make you feel better." Cera told him as Ducky nodded.

"So we broughted you lots and lots of your favorite Crawlers, yup yup yup." Ducky joined with a happy nod and her characteristic warm smile.

"And we sent Ruby to go and get you." Littlefoot finished.

The youngest member of the group didn't know what to say. He didn't expect them to do such a kind thing, just to make him feel better. They must've gone through a lot of trouble to find all these Crawlers and keep them on the leaf until he came. They may be very different from him in so many ways, but they were still the greatest friends he could ever ask for. Turning to the pile of food, he picked up a handful and turned to his friends. "Want some?" He did love to share, even though he knew how the others would react...

"Eww!" they all said simultaneously before they all laughed together, settling down to tell stories of their own as Chomper happily enjoyed his gift and the company of his pals.

Few Nights Later...

A very large Domehead made his way through the undergrowth slowly and steadily, making sure not to make the slightest rustle that might alert his presence to his prey: a hatchling Spikethumb that wandered from its nest to play with a late-night Buzzer. He remained ever alert, as he knew there were herds still awake and his chances of getting spotted increased with every minute of the hunt. It was best to get this done as quickly and quietly as possible.

Cepher lifted his head just a bit over his cover to scan for his companions. They were setting up a three-way triangular ambush and if all goes well, the attack shouldn't last more than a second. He spotted some movement a little ways across from him. It was Rus inching ever closer to the hatchling as well. And a second movement from the opposite side of the smaller male showing where Pacia was coming. Almost there. He once more lowered to the ground, his eyes focusing back to their target. It hadn't noticed them at all, giggling happily as the Buzzer landed on its nose and it went cross-eyed trying to see it. Just one more step, then another, and...

Silently, he lowered his head and lunged as the others mirrored his actions for the kill. The Buzzer took off quickly, but the hatchling had no way to escape. It only managed to let out a scream of fright before... The simultaneous head-on impact between three Domeheads was a spectacular sight for any who witnessed such a thing, but not for the one who was literally caught right in the middle of it. For the hatchling, death was instantaneous. But its scream did not go unheard.

"What was that?" a rough, but sleepy voice came from nearby and the trio looked up with a surprised jolt. Time to beat a hasty retreat before the voice's owner investigates. Pacia and Rus bounded off into the undergrowth, Cepher grabbing their snack and following his companions out of sight just as a familiar Clubtail entered the scene.

Seeing nothing in the clearing itself, the large Leaf Eater did spot the rustle of the vegetation that might show where the noise-makers retreated. As such, Kosh was not going to dismiss the noise so easily. That scream might've been from fear, which could mean a threat in the Valley. And he was making it his business to find that threat and get rid of it. Huffing, he ambled towards the now-still bushes and shoved past them to find the Domehead trio that arrived a few days ago. Though he's never met them personally, he heard from others that they're an extremely rude and hostile group. Currently, they seemed to be sleeping rather deeply. Regardless of that, he was going to wake them up as he felt irritable enough from his disturbed sleep to ruin someone else's.

"Hey! Wake up!" Getting no response, he went over to the small male of the group, leaning his head down to his ear, and- "I said WAKE UP!!!"

At this, the Domehead jumped up in surprise and accidentally landed on the female, who jumped awake in turn with a cry. The third member woke up at the noise and growled at the Clubtail.

"What're you doing in our territory?" the leader hissed sleepily, but with an angry tone, not bothering to get to his feet himself. Kosh snorted with a glare.

"Your territory? Ha!" He shifted his glare from one of the trio to the other. "I heard screaming from around here and I wanna know who caused it."

"Go back to your nest, spikehead, because the only screaming you heard was your own while you were sleeping." the smaller male insulted and Kosh growled quite angrily. This trio was notorious here for their foul use of degrading terms, but hearing the insulting word firsthand was another issue altogether that made his tail swish as he retaliated.

"How about I make you all scream!!"

"We'd like to see you try, berry-breath." the female retorted, apparently well-aware of how Kosh spends most of his days. It shouldn't really be a surprise, but it was enough to make him snort all the more angrily, wanting to charge them. But physical confrontation would only lead to trouble in the Great Valley society and he'd rather not be the center of that kind of attention. The Domeheads seemed to pick up on his reluctance to attack as they laid themselves back down to go to sleep once more. Keeping himself from acting too rashly, Kosh turned and went off to his nest, grumbling under his breath as he pushed the earlier scream out of his mind. It was probably nothing but a bunch of annoying kids causing mischief...

Upon hearing the departure of the Clubtail, Cepher opened his eyes with a smirk and stood. Hidden beneath his body was the dead hatchling. Luckily, he was large enough to fully conceal it from even the sharpest of wandering eyes. Pacia and Rus 'awoke' from their pretend sleep as well before shaking themselves off and wandering closer to their leader.

"That was a close one. Great idea, Cepher." Pacia complimented quietly, so not to risk further unwanted intrusion. The head of the trio chuckled darkly as he nodded.

"It really was too easy." he said before leaning down and picking the little hatchling in his jaws, shifting his teeth to grip the middle portion. Eager for their share, the other two bit into their desired piece before they pulled the child apart. They hadn't eaten meat since their arrival here and the taste was like Tree Sweets to them. They savored it for they knew it would be a few more nights before they can have more. It was a strategy of Cepher. If they ate hatchlings from the very day of their arrival, the residents might associate the rise of missing hatchlings to their presence and chase them out, or worse. So their leader had them wait for a few nights to allow everyone else to get used to their presence. Now that the Domehead's had taken their first victim, they would increase the process little by little, and it would eventually get to the point where they can eat their fill of hatchlings every night.

Of course, Pacia once pointed out that the other Leaf Eaters would investigate and try to find out who was responsible. The response to that: Why suspect a new group of Leaf Eaters like them when there's a sharptooth child there to shift the blame on? It would all work out perfectly, and if not... The increasing difficulty can only improve their hunting skills and make them even more lethal in their tactics.

Finishing their snack, they went through the routine of getting rid of the evidence. The bones of their meal was small and fragile enough to be eaten, so that itself was not a problem. Licking the blood from their claws and mouths, they also ate and licked the blood-covered grass and swished the bloodied ground with their tails. Digging a bit as an extra precaution to hide the sight and scent of blood, they then settled down to sleep peacefully until the Bright Circle rose. They didn't even react when a sudden, very loud cry echoed through the Valley...

"Where's my baby?!"

...Except for the smirks now growing in their dream-filled sleep.

END OF CHAPTER 3

[LBTDiclonius]

Awesome chapter FBS!  Aww, that poor hatchling  that was really mean. I'm glad Littlefoot and the gang made Chomper feel better. It just breaks my heart to see him that upset. Now I  get the feeling that the Domehead trio are going to get more violent and now start to shift the blame unto Chomper and this is where the story starts to pick up. Oh well, time will tell. Please get the next chapter up soon!

[Pangaea]

I still don’t feel like I’ve apologized enough for taking so long to review this story when I promised you I would. It’s as if thinking itself has become so difficult for me that I can’t push myself hard enough to write reviews. I'm so sorry about that! But, at last, I've gotten around to it!

This is certainly one of the darkest LBT stories I have ever read, but so far I am finding it to be very good! Despite its tone, it really feels like it could fit in the LBT universe. Most of the scenes certainly wouldn’t be suitable for the movies, but hunting, killing, death, and tragedy undeniably take place in the LBT world, and you depict them in a manner that feels realistic for the LBT dinosaurs. I also appreciate that the violent scenes are not especially gruesome in detail.

I did notice several parts of the story where it shifted from past tense to present tense. I also saw a few grammar and punctuation errors, but I’ll only point these out if you want me to.

Prologue:

I love how you demonstrate in the conversation between the domeheads that, despite their aggressiveness and speciesism which leads them to go so far as kill other dinosaurs for no reason other than hatred, even they have standards that make them extremely reluctant to even consider eating meat, and that they only do so as a last resort against starvation. When the domeheads actually ate meat for the first time, you did an outstanding job describing and emphasizing how repulsive they found it.

Chapter 1:

The opening of this chapter was probably one of the saddest scenes I’ve ever seen in a LBT fanfic. There were parts when I briefly thought Lambie was going to get away, but ultimately I wasn’t surprised at the outcome. (It was even sadder to find out just how close Lambie got to reaching the Great Valley before she was killed. ) I certainly didn’t dislike the chapter, though; I admire how flexible you are as a writer, handling action sequences and scenes in which characters are emotional, conflicted, or contemplative with equal proficiency. I was surprised when it was revealed how much time had passed since the prologue, and a little chilled at the change in the domeheads’ attitudes about carnivory since then. :blink:

Chapter 2:

Another surprise for me was that you didn’t have a part involving the domeheads’ meeting with Cera from their perspective. :! (Oh well, maybe I can do that if I ever write my own story about them. ) I’m still hoping it’ll be referenced in some way, though. (Although I’m not sure she’d recognize them, I wouldn’t be surprised if the domeheads brought back some bad memories for Cera; heck, after her experience with them, she might have even secretly acquired a fear of domeheads.) I thought it was funny that Cepher got hit with the tree sweet, but gosh, poor Chomper. What an awful experience. And wow, those domeheads didn’t even put on a faÁade of civility. :blink: I’m surprised even Grandpa Longneck was so forgiving.

Chapter 3:

Loved the scenes with Rubyóand later the rest of the gangócheering up Chomper. I like the plot point (for lack of ability to come up with a better term ) of Chomper biting a domehead in self-defense becoming the basis for Chomper’s fear that he’ll be kicked out of the valley because he broke his promise that he’d never bite a leafeater (something I don’t recall him ever mentioning that in the TV series; evidently his promise was your own invention, another idea of yours which I like ). Though I think that if there was anyone Mr. Threehorn would forgive Chomper for biting, it would be the domeheads. Speaking of which, while I was reading this chapter, I started wondering about what’s going to happen to them in the end. :unsure: As nasty as they are, I have an indescribable fondness for them and don’t really want to see them die, but unlike most other LBT antagonists, they have succeeded in perpetrating some truly heinous acts, and I can’t imagine they’ll get off easily for them.

Again, I’m loving this story, and really hope you continue it!

[LBTDiclonius]

^ Me too.

Dude, it's been weeks since you updated!  Whoa, first time I've used that emoticon, now come a not-so-not-used one!

I really love this story and would love for you to update soon! Pretty please?

[FlipperBoidSkua]

Awwwwwwww, it's alright Pangaea! You kept to your word and I'm so very grateful for that!! In fact, when I saw that you had commented, I had an adrenaline rush of excitement and hugged my plush paratroopa so tightly with my usual shrill 'squee' of happiness. I can't thank you enough for giving my fanfic a chance!!

I also appreciate that the violent scenes are not especially gruesome in detail.

Nah! Although I can get very detailed with gore if I want too, I feel there's no room for it in this story. I try to limit myself to what I thought would have a chance at appearing in the original movie: violence and prehaps some blood! But nothing too bad at all!

I did notice several parts of the story where it shifted from past tense to present tense. I also saw a few grammar and punctuation errors, but I’ll only point these out if you want me to.

Yeah, never been good at tenses and have been trying to break the habit for years. Luckily, some of my reviewers say I'm getting better slowly, but steadily!!   Errors?! Where? *has my "anti-bad grammer" flamethrower ready* Bring it. *epic sunglasses of dooooooom!!*

The opening of this chapter was probably one of the saddest scenes I’ve ever seen in a LBT fanfic. There were parts when I briefly thought Lambie was going to get away, but ultimately I wasn’t surprised at the outcome. (It was even sadder to find out just how close Lambie got to reaching the Great Valley before she was killed. )

Lambie was a very successful experiment in my writing. I had the thought that if I introduced a character that was named, readers would start to feel for him/her. I had the instinct that if I didn't name Lambie, most people would write her off as doomed from the start. So I named her to have readers think she's important enough to start bonding with. And it worked better than I hoped. Many readers and some of my reviewers thought she was gonna make it and have a tearful reunion in the end with her family. Before the chapter was submitted into public, my sister (being helpful for once : ) read the chapter and genuinely thought Lambie was a main character. She had the sad emotions I was looking for when Lambie met her fate and thus, the scene made it in the final draft of the story and I learned a new lesson in writing! Of course, now I'm careful not to overdo it as it probably won't fool readers a second time!!

Another surprise for me was that you didn’t have a part involving the domeheads’ meeting with Cera from their perspective. (Oh well, maybe I can do that if I ever write my own story about them. ) I’m still hoping it’ll be referenced in some way, though. (Although I’m not sure she’d recognize them, I wouldn’t be surprised if the domeheads brought back some bad memories for Cera; heck, after her experience with them, she might have even secretly acquired a fear of domeheads.)

  No worries, I'm saving a special scene for Cera later in the story *cue evil laughter* !! Oh! And if you do write a Domehead story of your own, tell me!!! I would LOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEE to read it!! *spazzes out*

Loved the scenes with Rubyóand later the rest of the gangócheering up Chomper. I like the plot point (for lack of ability to come up with a better term ) of Chomper biting a domehead in self-defense becoming the basis for Chomper’s fear that he’ll be kicked out of the valley because he broke his promise that he’d never bite a leafeater (something I don’t recall him ever mentioning that in the TV series; evidently his promise was your own invention, another idea of yours which I like )

Yeah, I made up the promise. I don't recall one being made; closest to that is LBT 2 when he's still a baby, nodding to Littlefoot's words of "No biting, okay?". And I thought: 'If he's ever allowed to be in the Valley, he's gonna have to make quite a few vows to the residents'. Not biting a Leaf Eater is what I think one of the promises might've been. But I'm glad you're liking the theory!

Though I think that if there was anyone Mr. Threehorn would forgive Chomper for biting, it would be the domeheads. Speaking of which, while I was reading this chapter, I started wondering about what’s going to happen to them in the end. As nasty as they are, I have an indescribable fondness for them and don’t really want to see them die, but unlike most other LBT antagonists, they have succeeded in perpetrating some truly heinous acts, and I can’t imagine they’ll get off easily for them.

  Mr. Threehorn ain't liking them!!

Yeah, almost everyone who's read this has some attachment to the Domeheads and pity that they were practically forced into their horrible habit by desperation. Many wants them to reform and change their ways, a few want them to die, others are willing to accept any outcome. As to the ending I have in mind: *zips my mouth close and beams happily*

Again, I’m loving this story, and really hope you continue it!

^ Me too.

Dude, it's been weeks since you updated! Whoa, first time I've used that emoticon, now come a not-so-not-used one!

I really love this story and would love for you to update soon! Pretty please?

Dude, it's been less than a month!   No worries, guys. I'm planning to (hopefully) pull an all-nighter tonight and maybe (just maybe) I'll have the next chapter ready for submission!! I can't thank both of you enough for supporting this story!! I call a group hug!! *hugz!*

[LBTDiclonius]

I happily accept your group hug.*Hugz back*Yayz! I love hugz!

If you do update, I shall "squee" very loudly. It's a  pleasure reading and reviewing your stories! They alway's put a smile on my face. I love them! I really hope you do! It's looking great! :^.^:

[Pangaea]

Awwwwwwww, it's alright Pangaea! You kept to your word and I'm so very grateful for that!! In fact, when I saw that you had commented, I had an adrenaline rush of excitement and hugged my plush paratroopa so tightly with my usual shrill 'squee' of happiness. I can't thank you enough for giving my fanfic a chance!!

FlipperBoidSkua, in case I haven't said this already (if I have, then it's worth repeating), one thing I really enjoy about reviewing your work is how enthusiastic your replies are. Thank you.

I try to limit myself to what I thought would have a chance at appearing in the original movie: violence and prehaps some blood!

That's exactly what I approve of in LBT stories.

Yeah, never been good at tenses and have been trying to break the habit for years. Luckily, some of my reviewers say I'm getting better slowly, but steadily!! Errors?! Where? *has my "anti-bad grammer" flamethrower ready* Bring it. *epic sunglasses of dooooooom!!*

So, um…is that a yes or a no as far as my offer to point out the errors? :blink: (It is, I'll admit, a lot of work on the other stories I provide spellchecking services for, so I'm not necessarily eager for a yes. )

Lambie was a very successful experiment in my writing. I had the thought that if I introduced a character that was named, readers would start to feel for him/her. I had the instinct that if I didn't name Lambie, most people would write her off as doomed from the start. So I named her to have readers think she's important enough to start bonding with. And it worked better than I hoped. Many readers and some of my reviewers thought she was gonna make it and have a tearful reunion in the end with her family. Before the chapter was submitted into public, my sister (being helpful for once : ) read the chapter and genuinely thought Lambie was a main character. She had the sad emotions I was looking for when Lambie met her fate and thus, the scene made it in the final draft of the story and I learned a new lesson in writing! Of course, now I'm careful not to overdo it as it probably won't fool readers a second time!!

I like authors who strive to surprise their readers. I agree: very successful. (Interesting story behind it, too!)

No worries, I'm saving a special scene for Cera later in the story *cue evil laughter* !! Oh! And if you do write a Domehead story of your own, tell me!!! I would LOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEE to read it!! *spazzes out*

Can't wait for that scene! And I'll definitely let you know if I start writing a domehead story (though unfortunately I can't see it happening anytime soon). I would, of course, try to make it not too similar to your story, though some parallels are probably nigh unavoidable.

Yeah, I made up the promise. I don't recall one being made; closest to that is LBT 2 when he's still a baby, nodding to Littlefoot's words of "No biting, okay?". And I thought: 'If he's ever allowed to be in the Valley, he's gonna have to make quite a few vows to the residents'. Not biting a Leaf Eater is what I think one of the promises might've been. But I'm glad you're liking the theory!

Yes, it's exactly the kind of thing that I imagine would have happened in Chomper and Ruby's unseen induction into the Great Valley. (That's what I should have said originally; I think my brain was shorting out on me while I was writing that part of my review. )

Yeah, almost everyone who's read this has some attachment to the Domeheads and pity that they were practically forced into their horrible habit by desperation. Many wants them to reform and change their ways, a few want them to die, others are willing to accept any outcome. As to the ending I have in mind: *zips my mouth close and beams happily*

No spoilers, good!

I'm planning to (hopefully) pull an all-nighter tonight and maybe (just maybe) I'll have the next chapter ready for submission!! I can't thank both of you enough for supporting this story!! I call a group hug!! *hugz!*

Great! Just don't overwork yourself. (I know how that feels, and it's not pleasant. )

*joins group hug too*

[FlipperBoidSkua]

A week later than I expected, but it's done!! And no worries, Pangaea, you don't have to point out errors if you don't want to; I certainly don't wanna give you more work to add to your busy schedule

Anywho, here's the next chapter!!

Chapter 4

It was the third group meeting in less than four nights. The adult dinosaurs of the Great Valley began gathering in the Circle of Rocks, many tired from the lack of sleep that was becoming a trend since the incident. But the subject was just too urgent to be dismissed so easily and the night was the only time they can secretly discuss without the children knowing. It's been a couple of weeks since the Spikethumb child went missing and a few more disappearances began happening since then. At first, the grieving parents reluctantly accepted the fact that their child probably wandered off into the Mysterious Beyond to be lost forever. But now...now the occurrence was happening too often to be blamed on coincidence alone. There was a more sinister reason behind this and that's what this meeting was called to solve.

Sitting at the end of their personal ledge, Cepher yawned from both boredom and from the late hour as his companions tried to keep themselves from nodding off. They hadn't the slightest interest in these meetings, but Cepher told them that they had to attend to avoid suspicion, and to make sure the others weren't catching on to the truth about the hatchling disappearances. While they were waiting for everyone to arrive, they occupied themselves with glaring and growling at any dinosaur that came too close to their spot, essentially creating a bubble for themselves. The other Leaf Eaters, though returning the glares on occasion, were too tired to object to their behavior and each went to find a free spot far from the Domeheads. Everyone seemed to be plenty used to their newest arrivals and their apparent need for personal space.

Finding it hard to keep her eyes open, Pacia head drooped as she leaned hard on Rus's side, who was fighting his fatigue a bit more valiantly with frequent stretches, easily supporting their female comrade. But even with his efforts, his eyes began closing as their leader watched the final dinosaur walk into the Circle of Rocks. Noticing that this one moved with exceptional slowness due to being a sleepy Spiketail, he couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Hey, dirt-breath, why don't you hurry up so we can get outta here?!" Cepher yelled to the Spiketail, who was about to retaliate when Mr. Threehorn, still spiteful, did it for him.

"Why don't you keep your beak shut, Domehead?!" This immediately got the other two to wake up as their leader snapped his attention to the Threehorn.

"Shut it, frill-neck. You were especially slow coming here." He snapped back, the other dinosaurs still acting shocked and muttering at the derogatory insult. Though they were used to the presence of three highly-territorial Domeheads, they still weren't used to their foul language and negative attitudes. The only one who was used to it in the slightest way was Mr. Threehorn himself, as he was no longer stunned still at the words and was in fact pawing the ground in anger.

"Come down here and say that!!" The older dinosaur dared, ready to charge. Cepher was merely amused by this and stood up.

"My pleasure." Jumping from the ledge and landing nimbly on his claws, he lowered his head, kicking up some dirt as well in preparation for his own charge. But before either of them got anywhere, Grandma Longneck got between them.

"That's enough. Both of you." She reprimanded in a firm, authoritive voice.

"My friends, fighting will not solve anything. We must put aside our differences to address the issue at hand." Grandpa Longneck joined, walking over to stand by his mate.

Mr. Threehorn huffed and began grumbling about how the Domeheads needed to find a new valley to live in. Cepher paid no more attention to his rival and only growled at the elder's words. 'My friends'? Ha! He'd rather get eaten by a sharptooth than be friends with a Longneck, or any other dinosaur kind to begin with. And putting aside their differences? Only in their sleep-stories. He turned his attention to his companions and motioned them over, just in case he would need back-up for some reason or another. Seeing no point in staying where they were, Pacia and Rus bounded down to join their leader's side, scowling at the presence of the other herds as Grandpa continued.

"I'm sure you all know why we're gathered here tonight. Some of our youngsters are disappearing for reasons unknown."

"Yes, one of my hatchlings vanished without a trace just the other night." Mrs. Maia hissed, more than a little unhappy at that fact. She was a fairly aggressive member of the Valley, having a strictness that rivaled that of Mr. Threehorn. But she was also the most dedicated of mothers and an incident like this, especially when it included her own children, was a direct insult to her and she does not take direct insults very well at all. Hearing her words, some other parents nodded, including Mrs. Tubehead.

"Mine too. I went to sleep with all my babies accounted for, then woke up to find one missing out of thin air. I don't understand how that can happen!"

"I think I have an idea!" Kosh exclaimed harshly, glaring at the Domeheads. "Maybe this bunch chased them off. They've certainly been doing that a lot since they got here." The Clubtail was right in this aspect, though even he didn't know just how right he was. He's just aware that these Domeheads seem to take pleasure in pursuing children that 'got in their way', but not of their more sinister motives as they've never actually harmed any of the hatchlings they've chased. Of course, the Domeheads had a response to this and Cepher didn't even miss a beat, icy blue eyes glaring thorns at the Clubtail.

"We only drive them off when they trespass our territory. Keep them away from us and our trees and we wouldn't have that problem." He retorted as Rus smirked.

"Really, those brats probably ran off after smelling you." He mockingly wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You can make a whole herd of Longnecks pass out with one breath." Despite this being spoken by a hated member of the Valley, some of the others couldn't hold in a chuckle at how true that comment was. But they forced themselves quiet as Mr. Clubtail casted a glare at them before beginning to say something in a sharp tone before Mrs. Swimmer spoke up.

"Let's not turn against each other. It's never helped us in the past and it won't help us now. A time like this needs team work."

Grandpa nodded. "Mrs. Swimmer's right. We must be calm and logical." This got a few moments of silence as everyone began to think of a reason for the disappearances. And once more, it was Mrs. Swimmer who made the first suggestion.

"Perhaps a sharptooth got into the Valley."

"Impossible!" Mr. Threehorn snorted. "If a sharptooth snuck in here, we would know about it."

"How about a smaller sharptooth? Those can easily be missed." A Rainbowface spoke with a slight swish of his tail. "Or a Sharptooth Flyer who could just fly over the Great Wall?"

"But we would surely have seen some sign of their presence." Mrs. Tubehead said before pausing and looking about in uncertainty. "Right?" This earned a moment of uneasy silence as most everyone began looking around each other's feet, as if expecting to find a sharptooth version of the Tinysauruses lurking about. Everyone except the Domeheads, who rolled their eyes in skeptical disbelief at everyone's stupidity before Cepher spoke up.

"How idiotic can you all get?" He growled, earning the hostile attention of the others. He continued nonetheless as he didn't care if he was liked by them or not. "Here you are, looking around like the sharptooth would just show itself out of nowhere. Instead of looking for some unknown threat, why not go through the list of threats that we already know to be in the Valley?"

"We don't have threats in the Valley. At least when it comes to sharpteeth." Mrs. Flyer told them in confusion. The Domeheads snorted as Pacia crossed her arms.

"Really, wingbrain? Maybe we'll have to simplify it a bit more."

Rus nodded as he spoke up. "It's obvious that a sharptooth is among us. There's no other explanation for something this frequent. But what if it's not hiding at all, and is wandering around in plain sight?" This got mutters, most asking what the Domeheads were talking about. Cepher smirked before casually displaying his bitten hand. Though it has healed pretty nicely, it still bore a scar as a forever reminder of the injury's former presence.

"I'll give you all three guesses."

Silence. Everyone was stunned at the suggestion before half-hearted whisperings began spreading as they glanced at each other in further uncertainty. But even this unsure muttering began turning into words of suspecion concerning the young sharptooth in question. Yes, the youngster seemed to be a good candidate for the cause of these disappearances, but...

"But Chomper has lived peacefully with us for more than a Cold Time and he has shown no signs of having such intentions." Grandpa Longneck said, shaking his head. "Surely-"

Cepher didn't bother letting the elder finish the sentence as he continued. "Surely, the sharptooth is getting older with each passing of the Bright Circle. If he has been here for longer than a Cold Time as you claim, then he's obviously beginning to realize that Crawlers and Buzzers aren't enough to feed himself. It's very possible he's beginning to turn on us Leaf Eaters as a result."

"Letting him stay is basically giving him permission to eat our hatchlings." Rus added as Pacia nodded in turn.

"And it's only a matter of time before he grows large enough to turn his attention to the rest of us."

This got more considerations and agreements, this time more confident of their decision. Yes, they all disliked the Domeheads greatly, but they did bring up a good point. This whole thing was Chomper's fault, they were now certain of it. And already the yells of outrage began distinguishing themselves, mostly from the mouths of those parents who lost their young ones.

"Let's drive him out!"

"Let's smash him!"

"Let's feed him to Red Claw!"

"Everyone, please! Calm down!" Grandpa Longneck spoke up relatively loudly, trying to be heard. It worked and the others began to quiet down to hear what he had to say. "We shouldn't be so rash as to assume something that we don't know for sure. For Chomper's sake and for the sake of the children, we shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Longneck?" Mr. Threehorn asked.

"I think it would be wise for us all to be more vigilant. Perhaps we should take turns watching over the Valley and work together to keep a closer eye on our children. Until we know for certain what's happening, that is the best we can do." This got a few nods and more muttering, though none was loud enough to stand out. "Now let us return to our nest for some sleep. Anyone willing to stand guard tonight?"

Nobody seemed to have heard him this time, or maybe they just weren't acknowledging his question as they started dispersing back to their nests, wanting to go back to sleep as soon as possible. Grandpa Longneck sighed, knowing his age was against him when it came to standing guard all night, but thankfully Mr. Threehorn walked over and spoke up. "I'll take watch, Longneck." At this, Grandpa nodded softly with a relieved smile.

"Thank you, my friend. I wish the best of luck." With that, he joined his mate in returning back to their nest. Mr. Threehorn grunted before glaring in the direction of the Domehead trio. They glared back before Cepher gave a mocking smirk and led his companions away to 'their' clump of trees. The old Threehorn huffed with a growl before walking off to begin his nightly watch, pausing to glare off towards the Secret Caverns, considering the words of accusation towards the young sharptooth. Could Chomper really be capable of harming those missing hatchlings? Well, he is a sharptooth, so maybe, just maybe...

Only time will tell...

The Next Day...

"This just keeps getting better and better." Cepher growled with an amused grin, sitting at the edge of their home territory, eating a large Tree Sweet. Pacia and Rus was settled on either side of him, eating their own treats as the trio watched the hatchling sharptooth play with his friends. The Domeheads were still scoffing at this mixed species friendship. These children certainly looked old enough to have been taught some amount of species-only dignity, or to at least have the knowledge to avoid sharpteeth. Yet, here they were, giggling happily in the same gullible traits as that shared by the grown-ups. A shame, really... The trio didn't even want to imagine what the young Domeheads of the Valley were being taught. It made them shake their heads in pity at the very thought of it.

Their minds shifting back to more important manners, last night was more than a success. They weren't at all suspected and planted the first seeds needed to keep it that way. Already some of the other members of the Great Valley was focusing a bit more of their attention on the sharptooth child, but...

"This guard duty business will probably be a set-back." Pacia pointed out, keeping to her role of acknowledging the stuff that needed the most attention and this indeed needed some attention. Rus nodded in his usual agreement and this inevitably earned a smirk from their leader.

"Perhaps so, but it'll be a good thing for us. I mean, what better way to improve ourselves than to have our midnight snack right under their unsuspecting noses? Even better, the guards won't even know what they'll be looking for. They just think their vigil will be for a creature with sharp teeth and not for 'harmless, little Leaf Eaters' like us." The others nodded to this as well, as they've had similar conversations before and knew that all their questions had already been answered. It didn't really surprise them that Cepher had this whole thing figured out. They won't be at all surprised if he had another plan for tonight either, a subject that Rus couldn't help bringing up.

"Will we be having ourselves a decent meal this time?" He asked, keeping his words vague as the day-shift Flyer guard soared overhead. Cepher thought for a moment, waiting patiently for the Flyer to swoop off and mind its own business. When it did, he continued on.

"No. In fact, I have another idea. Tonight, we'll take on the guard duty ourselves."

This got a shocked reaction from the other two and it took a moment for them to recover enough to look at each other in consternation before piping up a single word simultaneously.

"Why?" After all, why waste their time helping out the Valley? That's like saving a Egg Stealer from an angry mother: there's no point in it and you have nothing to gain in the end. Plus, they were tired. They hadn't had a good night sleep in a while thanks to these secretive adult meetings at the Circle of Rocks. Why make it any worse with a stupid project like this? But fortunately, their leader had a method to his madness.

"Because nobody will ever suspect us if we do some certain contributions. We...'helped' in the meeting last night and something tells me we need to do a little bit more to strengthen their suspicions for the little sharptooth." Understanding that their leader had a hidden agenda in mind, they snickered as they ceased their casual observations of the children and returned into their clump of trees, settling into the center clearing and giving a few yawns as they curled up and fell into a restful nap. After all, they needed to be ready for their next step...

Later That Evening...

"You three...really want to help?" Grandpa questioned as the Domehead trio stood before him, each of their arms crossed. They nodded in answer to his inquiry with the usual contemptuous scowl they held when speaking to another Leaf Eater who was not of the Domehead type. "I appreciate the offer greatly, as do plenty of others, I'm sure. But may I ask why?" He couldn't help but question. These three were the last dinosaurs he'd expect to volunteer for night duty.

"Well, flathead, we've been discussing this earlier today and we've decided to do a little investigating." Cepher growled, the other nodding in deceptive casualness.

"Investigating?" The Longneck asked in confusion, wondering what they could mean by such a thing.

"Yes, investigating. That's what you call searching for the answer to a problem via clues." Rus hissed mockingly as if Grandpa was an idiot. But Pacia continued with the answer the Longneck was looking for.

"We still think the little sharptooth is responsible for all this, and we're going to prove it. What better time to do so than the night shift when the killings are likely going to be done?"

Grandpa nodded to her rhetorical question, but still felt the need to voice his reassurances concerning their theory. "Now, now. I understand your suspicions, but I truly believe that Chomper is quite innocent about this whole thing."

"You believe, but you don't really know, pebble-brain." Cepher began. "That's the real flaw in your logic. Instead of making assumptions like that and risk letting the facts slip through, allow us to reveal the truth in the best way we can. If the young sharptooth is innocent, fine. We'll admit to being wrong and we'll go on with our investigation. But if the sharptooth really is to blame, then it'll take care of this entire issue once and for all. Plus, it'll have the added bonus of showing how idiotic you all turned out to be and perhaps you'll actually start using that thing called a brain." He swished his tail with a grin. "You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by letting us take the shift tonight. So what's it going to be?"

Grandpa hesitated, but really couldn't find any reason not to let them carry out their offer. Their ideas and thoughts, though unnecessarily harsh and rude, was certainly more logical than that of some other residents around here. And although they were a rowdy bunch of aggressive dinosaurs, they haven't yet proved to be untrustworthy when it comes to a situation like this. After a moment of thinking, he nodded. "Very well. You three can take the night shift. Be careful and I wish you all luck in your ambitions."

Pacia and Rus exchanged smirks as Cepher snickered.

"Keep your luck. We won't need any of it."

END OF CHAPTER 4

[LBTDiclonius]

YAYZ! You updated this! SQUEEE!!!!!! Told ya I'd 'squee'  

Didn't find anything wrong with this, good job!

Okay, my predicitions were correct, they have now shifted the blame unto Chomper. This chapter had a lot of unexcpected twists and turns, nice.  

Please update soon! Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Pangaea]

A week later than I expected, but it's done!! And no worries, Pangaea, you don't have to point out errors if you don't want to; I certainly don't wanna give you more work to add to your busy schedule

I’m probably beginning to sound like a broken record here, but I really can’t tell you how grateful I am for your continual thoughtfulness and patience regarding my reviewing, FBS.

I had a hard time deciding where to start on this chapter. Indeed, much of what I have to say relates not to this chapter specifically, but to the story in general. Your portrayals of the familiar LBT cast members are dead-on (I even liked how you handled Mrs. Maia; your description in the chapter was almost exactly how I interpreted her character based on what was seen of her in LBT VI), and you’ve done a really outstanding job at converting a trio of one-shot characters into far more effective and complex villains than the majority of carnivorous antagonists seen in the LBT series. It’s because they’re so conniving, sneaky, and methodical in their techniques that I think they’re such interesting villains. I wonder, though, what do they plan to do after they’ve gotten rid of Chomper? And I continue to be astounded by how tolerant Grandpa Longneck is of them. I’d expect he’d at least reprimand them for their rudeness. :blink:

There are also aspects of the writing itself that I don’t believe I’ve commented on. You have a very colorful and descriptive style that is easy to follow, good for helping readers visualize the scenes, and a lot of fun to read. An example of a line that I particularly liked:

Of course, the Domeheads had a response to this and Cepher didn't even miss a beat, icy blue eyes glaring thorns at the Clubtail.

I just love how you substituted “thorns” for the usual “daggers”, since the latter don’t exist in the LBT world.

Oh, and I’m glad that there’s finally someone else who thinks it’s “Tubehead”, not “Twoped”.

There’s so much that I like about your story that I’m actually concerned that my reviews are too heavy on the compliments and too light on the constructive criticism. :unsure: So rather than go to the length of pointing out every single typo, grammatical error, and tense lapse in the text, I thought I’d just comment on certain parts of the story where identifying potential improvements could significantly benefit the story and your writing skills in the long run.

"Let's not turn against each other. It's never helped us in the past and it won't help us now. A time like this needs team work." Grandpa nodded.

"Mrs. Swimmer's right. We must be calm and logical." This got a few moments of silence as everyone began to think of a reason for the disappearances. And once more, it was Mrs. Swimmer who made the first suggestion.

The highlighted portion would probably be better moved to the beginning of the second paragraph. I have difficulty myself with dividing sections of text into paragraphs, but one method that I find to be fairly effective in making the story easier to read is that if a character performs an action and then speaks (or vice versa), especially if another character is speaking and/or acting immediately before or afterwards, then the action and line should be in the same paragraph, to prevent the actions and lines of different characters getting mixed up. (When I initially read the above text, I thought it was Grandpa Longneck who had first spoken, since his action was in the same paragraph as Mrs. Swimmer’s line, and separate from his own line.) This rule wouldn’t necessarily always apply, though. For example, in the following excerpt, while I’d personally be a little more inclined to move the action to the beginning of the following paragraph, I can imagine it would work either way (since it is made clear that it is Mrs. Flyer speaking before the domeheads’ action is described).

"We don't have threats in the Valley. At least when it comes to sharpteeth." Mrs. Flyer told them in confusion. The Domeheads snorted as Pacia crossed her arms.

"Really, wingbrain? Maybe we'll have to simplify it a bit more."

This earned a moment of uneasy silence as most everyone began looking around each other's feet, as if expecting to find a sharptooth version of the Tinysaurus' lurking about.

This should be written as “Tinysauruses”, without an apostrophe. Plurals are never denoted by apostrophes.

Why?" After all, why waste their time helping out the Valley? That's like saving a Egg Stealer from an angry mother: there's no point in it and you have nothing to gain in the end. Plus, they were tired. They hadn't had a good night sleep in a while thanks to these secretive adult meetings at the Circle of Rocks. Why make it any worse with a stupid project like this? But fortunately, their leader had a method to his madness.

Personally, I feel this whole paragraph would be better written out as dialogue from Pacia and Rus. I’m running into a cognitive brick wall trying to explain why; all I can say is that I think it would sound better and make more sense to hear them speak their argument to Cepher rather than just express it in their minds.

Wow…That review was a lot longer than I’d planned. :blink: Ah, well, your story deserves it.

[FlipperBoidSkua]

YAYZ! You updated this! SQUEEE!!!!!! Told ya I'd 'squee'

'Squee'-ing is awesome!! Thanks for reviewing!! I'm having the urge to write out the next chapter a bit earlier than usual; I think my Domehead obsession is reaching its peak because of this story!!

I’m probably beginning to sound like a broken record here, but I really can’t tell you how grateful I am for your continual thoughtfulness and patience regarding my reviewing, FBS.

It's not a problem. I know you're very busy with real life and with reviewing other people's work (and your probably feeling stress from all that), and I certainly don't wanna make it any worse for ya! :^.^:

Your portrayals of the familiar LBT cast members are dead-on (I even liked how you handled Mrs. Maia; your description in the chapter was almost exactly how I interpreted her character based on what was seen of her in LBT VI)

Phew!! That's a relief to hear. I'm certainly much more anxious with describing known characters with set personalities and set speech patterns (Ruby's especially difficult for me on the latter) to follow than I am with, say, the Domeheads, who have almost no personality known other than extreme aggression (so little, they almost feel like OCs)....

Yeah, I certainly don't think Mrs. Maia is evil, just an overprotective mom ("Good Mother Lizard", anyone? ) with an almost Mr. Threehorn-like mindset. That's what I got from watching her handle Ducky. Although JitteryDragon's youtube poop concerning that scene was hilarious ....

Anywho, I'm once more becoming glittery-eyed with your compliments to my righting style and with how interesting you're finding the main characters. Makes my feel all warm inside!

I just love how you substituted “thorns” for the usual “daggers”, since the latter don’t exist in the LBT world.

Oh, and I’m glad that there’s finally someone else who thinks it’s “Tubehead”, not “Twoped”.

The "thorns-for-daggers" thing was fun and I'm soooooo happy that it manages to make you smile!! And to me, "Tubehead" makes a lot more sense to me as a LBT name/term than "Twoped" (don't they already have the term "two-legger" for that?). Especially since I imagine Mrs. Tubehead to be a Parasaurolophus or something of that nature.

There’s so much that I like about your story that I’m actually concerned that my reviews are too heavy on the compliments and too light on the constructive criticism.  So rather than go to the length of pointing out every single typo, grammatical error, and tense lapse in the text, I thought I’d just comment on certain parts of the story where identifying potential improvements could significantly benefit the story and your writing skills in the long run.

How thoughtful of ya! I take criticism well if they help and yours are certainly helpful!! In fact, I didn't hesitate to fix the errors you pointed out!! Thank you!!

The paragraphing point made a lot of sense to me . Sorry if I cause confusion . I'll certainly keep a closer eye for stuff like that in the future.

This should be written as “Tinysauruses”, without an apostrophe. Plurals are never denoted by apostrophes.

And here's another example of a teacher lying to me  (Alright, DarkHououmon defended my last teacher in the Pachycephalosaurus thread very effectively, so now that teacher's off the hook!! Let's see if we can save this one!! ) She told us that if a word already ends with an "s", we're not supposed to put an "es" at the end (a rule I've broken many times already ) and that an apostrophe will do the job more effectively. Since I was expecting constructive criticism for this story both here and in FF.net, I refrained from "breaking the rules" and did what I was taught to do, thinking it was correct grammer. Sorry....

Personally, I feel this whole paragraph would be better written out as dialogue from Pacia and Rus. I’m running into a cognitive brick wall trying to explain why;  all I can say is that I think it would sound better and make more sense to hear them speak their argument to Cepher rather than just express it in their minds.

I'll certainly take that into consideration; it might make the chapter longer and I like making chapters longer for some reason ! I'm gonna 'plot-out' how that little questioning scene will go now!!

Wow…That review was a lot longer than I’d planned.  Ah, well, your story deserves it.

*once more glittery-eyed* Awwww, I know I too say this alot, but I certainly enjoy the kindness of the people here and I certainly enjoy your reviews!!

[LBTDiclonius]

It;s not a problem at all FBS! In fact, I love reviewing your stuff it's so awesome it's not even funny! And yes, 'squee' -ing IS in fact, pretty awesome.  

[Pangaea]

I'm once more becoming glittery-eyed with your compliments to my righting style and with how interesting you're finding the main characters. Makes my feel all warm inside!

*once more glittery-eyed* Awwww, I know I too say this alot, but I certainly enjoy the kindness of the people here and I certainly enjoy your reviews!!

You're welcome on both accounts. I must thank you as well; it's statements like these that make me feel that all the work I put into reviewing is worth it. :^.^:

"Tubehead" makes a lot more sense to me as a LBT name/term than "Twoped" (don't they already have the term "two-legger" for that?). Especially since I imagine Mrs. Tubehead to be a Parasaurolophus or something of that nature.

That's basically the same thing I thought. The term “twofooter” was actually introduced in the TV series, but still, why would the LBT dinosaurs have a name that's a combination of an English and a Latin word?

The paragraphing point made a lot of sense to me . Sorry if I cause confusion . I'll certainly keep a closer eye for stuff like that in the future.

No need to apologize. Like I said, I'm just trying to help you become a better writer (of course, you're a pretty darn good one already ); finding out what areas you can improve in is all part of the learning process.

This should be written as “Tinysauruses”, without an apostrophe. Plurals are never denoted by apostrophes.

And here's another example of a teacher lying to me  (Alright, DarkHououmon defended my last teacher in the Pachycephalosaurus thread very effectively, so now that teacher's off the hook!! Let's see if we can save this one!! ) She told us that if a word already ends with an "s", we're not supposed to put an "es" at the end (a rule I've broken many times already ) and that an apostrophe will do the job more effectively. Since I was expecting constructive criticism for this story both here and in FF.net, I refrained from "breaking the rules" and did what I was taught to do, thinking it was correct grammer. Sorry....

Well, something that occurred to me after I posted that is that apostrophes can be used to pluralize single letters, numerical symbols, and other non-words (e.g., S's, 4's, >'s), but as far as I can remember, I've always been taught that it should only be used for contractions and possessives. I've never seen the plural of “mess” written as “mess's”, for instance. I would think that using apostrophes for that purpose would just create confusion between plurals and possessives. No fault of yours, of course.

Keep up the good work!