I’ve been a fan of the bond between Littlefoot and his grandparents ever since I got back into the series and questions have popped up into my mind about the particulars of it.

For one, I wonder how close they were prior to Mama Longneck’s death. Did they contribute to parenting him as much as Mama Longneck did, or did they mostly keep their distance so she would do it herself? (Aside: Now I’m picturing Mama Longneck sending a “help me” look when Littlefoot is being difficult and the grandparents chuckling before replying, “I’m afraid, my dear, this your purview.”) Or was it somewhere in between? Having a parent there can and often does put some distance with the relationship with the grandparents. I have an isolated scene in my head where Littlefoot muses that if Mama Longneck survived, he mightn’t have been as close to his grandparents and wouldn’t be as brokenhearted when they pass on. This leads him to have complicated emotions about who did or didn’t live in his family, and the silver linings such clouds could have.

I also wonder to what extent the grandparents are taking care of Littlefoot for the daughter’s sake and how much they are doing it because they come to care for and value Littlefoot on his own terms. I’m unsure of the exact percentage, but I can surmise the latter increases the longer they take care of Littlefoot.

What are your thoughts on these questions and their bond in general?

Fanfiction.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12451580/1/The-Heroine-Inside

Summary: While journeying through the edges of the Land of Mists, Rhett falls in sinking sands that will swallow him whole. With no one else around, can Ali rediscover the courage inside her and rescue him?

Notes: Much shorter than Familial Tour, only several paragraphs over eighteen pages. This was my challenge to myself, to have a story about Ali that doesn't involve romance at all. I learned a bit more about Ali and became fonder of her while writing. As before, I nipped and tucked and edited this through the past couple weeks until it was up to snuff.

As a aside, you don't know how many times I mentally double-taked to make sure I didn't misspell the title as some kind of drug. So without further to do:

--

The Heroine Inside

by

DaveTheAnalyzer

Ali skipped around between the roots, making sure to keep her mother’s legs in the corner of her eye. Being back near the Land of Mists wasn’t a pleasant experience but there were only so many lands they could migrate through before they found themselves back in familiar territory. Old One had opted the longneck herd go through the less dangerous areas of their former homeland, where there were a few unusual tree denizens and craggly roots snaking through the earth but otherwise nothing that could be truly deigned a threat. Ali didn’t mind the roots. It was an entertaining way to play hopscotch and she giggled as he jumped between one sets of roots to another, barely dodging some of the sharper ones.

“This is fun, Mother.” Ali said.

Ali’s mother chuckled. “At least someone is enjoying herself. I’m afraid I can’t join in. If me or any of other grownup decided to join in, we would be causing a earthshake.”

Ali smiled. The mental image of any adult herd member, particularly the solemn and dignified Old One, partaking in the game was quite amusing. Even if there was no one else participating, at least she had the image of the herd hopping along and causing an earthshake to make her giggle.

She neared a few of the bushes and chanced going near them to glance into the leaves. Ever since her meeting with Tickles, she had grown a bit less afraid of the wildlife around here and she got in trouble for talking to strange creatures more than once. It was true she didn’t know what creatures she encountered might be friend or foe but some of them were quite amazing and if she could make a friend out of them, why turn down the chance? She peaked in one bush and saw the scurry of a disturbed insect. She peaked into another and found nothing notable. She checked the third bush. Green eyes stared back at her.

Ali yelped. So did the bush. After a rustle of leaves, a fellow juvenile longneck fought his way out and blinked bemusedly at her. Ali felt a twinge in her stomach.

“Um, hello Rhett,” she said softly.

“Oh.” Rhett said, recognizing her. “Hi Ali…”

The two stood there awkwardly. Ever since they left the Great Valley, Ali hadn’t gone out of her way to interact with Rhett. Though the pair did get along when they played with Littlefoot and his friends, the full magnitude of Rhett’s lies and what they almost made their herdo do had since sunk in. Guilt flashed through Ali, and she had a hard time maintaining eye contact. When the silence stretched on, Rhett attempted to fill it.

“So…” he dug a foot into the dirt awkwardly. “What were you doing looking through the bushes?”

“Exploring.” Ali said. “What were you doing in the bushes?”

“Playing. I was pretending to be a stealthy hero against the wild but I got spotted so…” Rhett trailed off. “Anyway, I’d better get back to my mom and dad.”

He hastily moved out of the foliage but he tripped on a branch and stumbled. One leg got tangled in a vine, his body went under another vine, and through his clumsy attempts to get out, he soon found himself tied up and pinned where he was. The sounds of his exertion drew the attention of some herd members. Rhett’s parents walked in.

“Rhett, what are you doing?” Rhett’s mother said exasperatedly. “Get out from under there.”

“I didn’t exactly intend to do this.” Rhett said defensively. “I’m too tied up to get out.”

His parents sighed and went down, biting vines around their son until they went to pieces. They helped Rhett pull himself out and ushered him off. Ali caught Rhett’s father whispering as they went by.

“Those are what your lies nearly did to you, Rhett. Be careful. We’re in a delicate position with the herd now.”

Rhett put his head down and the family tried to disappear into the herd. Ali watched with a bit of shame in her stomach.

*Why did I ever believe him?*

She already knew the answer. She had been thinking about it ever since the truth had been revealed and there was a lot of time to think when you were migrating. She didn’t like the conclusions she came to but she couldn’t turn away from the facts laid out before her.

As a member of a migrating herd, there were few chances to meet fellow children she would click with and be able to play with for any length of time. She had been taught to have some wariness of strangers, especially those of different species, so she led somewhat of a solitary life. To compensate, when she did meet other kids, she played and committed mischief with all her heart. She rarely expected things to be much different.

Her expectations changed when she met Littlefoot and the others. The loyalty that eclipsed species, the way everyone helped each other in times of danger, and soldiered on…she never encountered such a bond from children around her own age and she was surprised to find she fit right in. There, she found friends she became close to during a span of time that felt a lot longer than two days. It was exciting, terrifying, uncertain, and overall wonderful.

And within twenty-four hours of returning to the valley, she rejoined her herd and everything was back to the usual routine.

Everything changed after that. Gradually, Ali found herself feeling lonely, which she didn’t notice before she experienced that tight bond with Littlefoot and the others. There weren’t that many children in Ali’s herd. When she did interact with the children that were present, it was hard to forge the same kind of tight bond. Eventually, Ali found herself alone and though she made the most of it and spent a lot of time with her mother and other favored adults, she soon found herself wishing she had someone she can be with.

That was where Rhett came in. When their two herds merged, Rhett appeared interested in playing with Ali and talked frequently about his heroic exploits. Though some of these tales stretched credibility, she told herself her experiences with Littlefoot’s group showed there were children who engaged in dangerous adventures and it was nice to have someone to play with. Even when it became clear Rhett was inclined to call the shots in their games, Ali was reluctant to call him out on it. Ali looked back on those moments with shame. She thought she was quite bold sort, always trying to be polite, but not willing to take someone’s nonsense when the chips were down. Here, though, Ali saw how her delicate her courage was in the face of loneliness.

Rhett himself was also lost. With his lies exposed and weighed with the knowledge of nearly having Chomper killed, he didn’t know how to present himself. He still occasionally indulged in hero games but the other children didn’t want to have much to do with him and that passion was a major topic in his lies in the first place. It appeared he didn’t want to have anything to do with that lying anymore, but Ali wasn’t sure if they could be friends again. They were too awkward around each other to do more than exchange a few sentences before leaving, each reminding the other of their major follies.

Ali shook her head. It was too much to think about now. She would leave the possibility of her and Rhett’s relationship for the future to decide. Currently, she put her concentration on walking like everyone else.

The herd eventually chose to rest sometime after noon, lying very closely together in one corner of a misty clearing as they deliberated on where to travel next. Old One wanted to scout ahead. There was a path up ahead that would take them swiftly to their next destination but there were steep slopes on either side and with the land changing, one can never be sure how stable it would be.

“It would be best if only a few of our smaller brethren accompanied me.” Old One was saying. “We don’t want to endanger ourselves any more than we have to. In the meantime, rest here and be on the lookout for any danger.”

There were a few nods and the herd settled in a wide clearing while Old One and a few volunteers disappeared up the path. Ali’s mother watched them go with some concern.

“I hope it will be safe. I don’t much like the thought of having to travel another way.”

“We should take that other route anyway,” said a herd member. “It might be longer but it hasn’t changed like everything else, so it’s safer.”

“It might have changed in ways we haven’t noticed,” said a third herd member. “We might have to check it too. Hopefully, Old One will find that path is still useable and we can be on our way.”

“Still, if and when it does breakdown, we’re going to have to look for other places and…”

Several grownups fell into a debate about whether to take new routes now or wait until the old route became unavailable. Ali tried to follow the conversation on her mother’s behalf but her eyes soon glazed over and it became so mind-numbing she wandered off a good distance until she could barely hear them. She could still see them, their figures slightly obscured by mist, but visible. She snacked from the bushes, hoping they would be done debating by the time she filled her stomach. If being an adult meant you still walked around in confusion and worry, she mused, than it didn’t live up to its hype.

There were steps behind her.

“Hey, mind if I eat here?”

Ali looked up and found Rhett standing there.

“Be my guest,” she kept her voice even. “There’s plenty of space.”

Rhett stood on the edge of the bush and began eating from it. Attempting not to step away, Ali kept chewing, aware of every movement he took, not sure what was the point of this association.

“So…it looks like we might be here for a while.” Ali said finally.

Rhett nodded vaguely. “The grownups are still arguing.”

“And those who aren’t are just resting. I don’t want to do that.”

“Me neither.” Rhett agreed. “So should we do something else?”

“Hmm?” Ali said. “How about hide and seek?”

“Together? Um, we won’t stray far from the herd, right?”

“There are plenty of places to hide here, right?”

“Of course.” Rhett said, encouraged. “You better hide good then?”

Ali stared. “I’m going to be the hider?”

“Yeah. Why, do you want something else?”

Ali hesitated. “It’s fine,” she couldn’t resist adding. “I guess evading you would be fun.”

“Hey, watch it.” Rhett said, though he appeared buoyed by the banter. “You’d better get hiding then.”

Rhett turned around and started counting. Smiling in spite of herself, Ali turned and began running around the edges of the clearing. There were so many bushes to hide in but they would be all obvious to a seeker. So where else could she go? There was a cave in the distance but he would think to look there. Ali discounted hiding in trees since climbing would be dangerous (unless it was a very small tree). Eventually, Ali found a hole near a tree trunk that she could just squeeze into. It was an easy to miss thing, a bit obscured by tree roots, and Ali pushed herself into the shadows as Rhett finished his countdown.

“Ready or not, here I come.”

Immediately, she heard a rustle as Rhett nosed through the immediate foliage. Ali held in her giggles as his footsteps went away, came back, and went away again in his search. Rhett’s voice sometimes became audible.

“I will find you…there aren’t that many places to hide…”

There was the creak of rocks being shifted, the crackle of wood being swept aside, among other sounds. Rhett was doing his best to be thorough. Ali’s regret at being unable to challenge Rhett’s suggestion was giving away. If Rhett had to be the seeker, at least Ali could have some fun by outwitting him. The footsteps suddenly came very close and Ali stilled as a shadow appeared and seemed to pause over the hole. She saw the shadow of his head swing and for a heart-stopping second, she thought he found the hole.

Then he walked on. “You’re harder to find than I thought…”

There was an odd tone in that voice, as though Rhett was both frustrated and amused by his lack of success. Rhett hadn’t been that way before. Ali allowed a smile to cross her face. Maybe there was a chance they could get along better after all. If any of his old habits came back and Ali pushed back, he might be more receptive to the critique. Ali hoped she would regain the metal to call him out on this but she couldn’t help but fear the pair were still on too tentative ground to be open about it. Ali shook her head. This was a time to have fun, not worry personal and relationship issues.

Rhett’s footsteps vanished up ahead and Ali prepared herself for a bit of a wait. With these games, there was sometimes an uncertainty about when to conclude them. Ali didn’t want to stay in here forever and wondered if she would leave when Rhett made a noise of surrender or when a certain amount of time had passed. Soon all she could hear were the trills of insects, the skitters of furry creatures, the whish of the early afternoon wind. She couldn’t even hear the arguments from the herd. She had wandered a bit far to get this hiding place. For a moment, there was a flash of worry that she and Rhett might be too distant from their herd. Then she dismissed the thought before it could clamp down on her. There was the rustle of rocks in the distance and Ali couldn’t hold back a quiet sigh. Either Rhett was going to find her or he wasn’t. She just hoped this wouldn’t go on so long she would get bored of the game.

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of a petrified scream.

Heart in her throat, Ali jumped and squeezed out of her hideaway before sprinting as fast as possible. The mist cleared, revealing the screams were coming from a small cave opening in a hill of rock. It took more seconds than she liked to reach the cave, jump over the boulder covered in vines, and see inside.

“Help, Ali!” Rhett cried. “I can’t get out!”

For a moment, all Ali could do was stare, mind frozen in horror. Rhett was struggling in a pond of dark sinking sand a few feet into the cave, his forelegs moving desperately to stay above afloat. He was already halfway consumed and more of him was slowly but steadily sinking into the sand. His cries for help made Ali shake herself.

“Hang on, Rhett!” Ali said. “I’ll – I’ll do something!”

Ali dropped down from the boulder and got as close to the sinking sands as she dared. She didn’t know what she was doing but she got on her toes and swung her long neck out for him to grab. Rhett made a few swings with his hand but there was still plenty of feet between them.

“I can’t reach!” he said.

Ali tried out with her tail, stretching as far as it would go. She watched with a turned head as Rhett thrust his forelegs forward, attempting to use momentum to get himself closer to her, but his teeth kept napping at thin air over and over again.

“That doesn’t work either!” he cried. “Ali, help!”

Ali swung her head about, breathing rapidly. “What do I do? How do I help him – wait!”

Her eyes caught sight of the boulder covered in vines, recalling how similar vines had pinned Rhett down before. Quickly, she reared on her hind legs and searched for the most solid and well-connected vine of the bunch before she gripped her teeth on it and crunched down until she felt the thick plant matter part under her jaw muscles. Once that was secure, she returned to the sinking sands with the vine gripped in her mouth.

“Rhett, catch!”

She threw the vine over and Rhett made a grab for it. There was a small obscuring splash and Ali feared a moment that Rhett had missed again but he surfaced with the vine firmly gripped in his teeth. He grabbed more of the vine with his forelegs and gripped it tightly, stabilizing himself.

Even so, that wasn’t the solution to their problem. Rhett attempted to pull himself out with the vine but he could only move a few inches before the sinking sands sucked him back in. The sinking sands was a weaker version of tar – there was far more ability to move but it still stuck to anyone trapped within it like glue. Rhett panted, his briefly moderated fear now surging back out of control.

“I – I can’t get out!” Rhett said muffledly, panicked.

“Hold on, I’ll call for help!” Ali said. “Just hang on tight. We’ll get through this.”

“No, don’t leave me!”

Her heart trembled from that plea but there was nothing else she could do but get the assistance of those larger and stronger than her. She leapt out of the cave opening and went ahead a few paces, calling out.

“Help! Rhett is trapped in sinking sands in a cave! We need help!”

There was no response. The mist obscured the herd from view. She still couldn’t hear their debate or any sound from them. Have she and Rhett really wandered that far from the group? She took a few more steps out but found herself rooted to the spot. She couldn’t leave Rhett here. If his grip slipped and he needed help, there would be no one there to give it to him. Ali settled for shouting louder, raising the pitch of her voice until it cracked.

“Everyone, help! This is Ali! Rhett is stuck in the sinking sands of a cave! He needs to be rescued! Can anyone hear me? We – need – help!”
 
Her voice echoed out into the clearing, vanishing into the fog. Several seconds passed but there was no sound of response. Ignoring the tears stinging at the corner of her eyes, Ali screamed once more.

“Is there anyone out there who can hear this? Help us! Please…help us!”

Again, nothing. Ali panted, the full implications of the answering silence coming to her. Yes, they must be still debating about which path to take. In such an absorbing conversation, even those not taking part would be oblivious to any distant voice calling out for them, especially the voice of a child. No matter how loud Ali shouted, there was only so much distance her voice can be carried and right now she was too far to be heard by any members of the heard.

*That’s not all. They probably wouldn’t be able to fit.*

Ali turned to examine the cave opening. It was quite small – a longneck head wouldn’t be able to fit in and, though a tail might, not for very far. The tail wielder wouldn’t be able to see where they were going and could possibly cause a cave-in. The same result could happen if they attempted to make a bigger hole for their heads. Either way, the larger members of the herd would be of limited help to Rhett. Which left only one person that could really save him.

*It’s me. I have to do something.*

A trill of trepidation went from Ali’s heart down to her body. She really needed to find the right strategy to rescue Rhett. If she wasn’t careful, she could get dragged down with him. The sinking sands were sticky and difficult to get unhooked from. One wrong move, and no one would probably ever know what happened to the two. Would Ali be able to save Rhett successfully? Ali had little if any idea whatsoever of how to accomplish this. Saving another life was a huge responsibility and her mind buckled under its weight.

*Hang on. I did save someone else before.*

Immediately, she went back to the time she journeyed with Littlefoot and the others, when Cera had fallen into fast water and was menaced by that sharpbeak and bellydragger. For a moment, it didn’t seem like there was much that could really save her. But Ali looked around and a plan opened up to her, one that led her down to river shore, up atop a snarling bellydragger and to Cera’s rescue. Not much thought has been spared about the great risks involved. Despite her fears, whatever the consequences, she didn’t let anything stop her from doing the right thing and not only did it save Cera, it earned Ali her friendship. Ali always used to do right for herself and others but she let her loneliness in the cold times since weaken her resolve. Ali began to think if she let things be, it would sort itself out. But she was wrong. Sometimes, whatever might go wrong, the only solution was action.

And the only thing that would save Rhett, whatever the risks, was action.

Breathing carefully, Ali forced calm to cool through the fear buzzing in her veins. A solution. She needed a solution. She returned to the cave entrance, examining her environment as she did so. There was little she could do with leaves and it would take too long to cut down and drag a branch here. But as she walked on the boulder, she felt another kind of plant matter beneath her feet. Maybe the vines could be of help?

“Ali, did you get help? Are they coming?”

She saw Rhett, dirtier than ever, having sunk a bit deeper into the sinking sands and holding on desperately for dear life. The vine was already being used as a stopgap measure, Ali realized. It was only able to keep Rhett from sinking any further but there was only so long it would be able to fulfill that purpose. She couldn’t be able to pull him out of the muck with only her teeth while he barely held on with his own teeth and forelegs. Unless…there might be more than one way to use the vines.

“They couldn’t hear me.” Ali replied. “I couldn’t stray far but…hang on. I’m going to get you out. I have a plan. I just need you to be strong for a bit longer.”

Rhett whimpered. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

Still, he redoubled his hold on the vine. With his words in mind, Ali quickly inspected the rock and its vines, finding places to snip them here and there, making sure they were extra-long in case she misjudged the distance. At last, she dragged several ropes of vine off the rock before she sat down and started wrapping it around her legs, tail, middle, and other firm parts of her body.

“What are you doing?” Rhett demanded.

“Making sure all the vines will stay tied to me.” Ali replied, making sure each vine was knotted firmly. “I’m going to need all the strength I have for this. Making sure they’re all in the right place to use my strength is important. You’re going to have to tie those vines around your body before your front legs so you won’t slip out of them and I can pull you out.”

“Tie them around me? I might sink faster if I let go of this vine!”

“You’ll still hold on with your mouth but you’ll have your paws free to tie in the vines.” Ali admitted.

Rhett shuddered. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“It’ll be okay.” Ali said. “Just follow what I say. Please, try to be brave like the hero you pretended to be.”

Rhett’s breathing reluctantly calmed. “Okay. I’ll try.”

Nodding, Ali finished tying vines around herself before she dragged the loose ends to the edge of the sinking sands. She tossed out the vines around her neck. He freed his forefeet and barely caught it. She made a reassuring head gesture, grabbing the vine keeping Rhett afloat with her teeth and tail.

“Wrap that around yourself and when you tie it, make sure the knot’s in front of your chest.” Ali instructed.

“Easier said than done when you’re sinking.” Rhett muttered.

Nevertheless, he followed Ali’s careful instructions, quickly rolling one vine around his chest before tying it firmly. He did the same with the next vine Ali provided him and the next. Nearly every time, Rhett almost missed catching the vine. One time, he completely missed and had to fish it out of the sinking sands before it got stuck there. Nevertheless, he managed to keep hold until at last he had all of the vines tied around himself. Ali gave a tug from her tail vine to make sure it was solid

“Alright, when I say so, let go of the vine in your mouth and keep still.” Ali said. “I’m going to drag you out of there and it would help if I meet as little resistance as possible.”

“I’m not sure about this.” Rhett said, shaking a bit.

“We’ll get through this.” Ali replied firmly. She put her back to him and dug her feet into the dirt. “On my count. One, two…”

The vine Rhett held on to tremored, as though his fear was being transferred down it. Ali tried to ignore the tremors going through her as she steeled herself to pronounce the decisive number.

“…three! Now!”

There was a hesitant pause and then the vine in the grip of her teeth and tail went slack as she felt a great weight press at her skin. Letting go of that vine, Ali thrust one leg forward, then another, beginning the laborious process of pulling Rhett out of the sands.

She knew it would be hard, but she was guilty to be surprised at how hard it was. Putting one foot in front of the other was slow work. Her muscles seared with each movement, the vines tight and digging into her skin. It was a struggle to not be dragged back by Rhett’s weight. She could hear the sound of him being pulled through the sinking sands, with the slight crackle of the stickiness as it slowly thinned and snapped away from him. Rhett came across a batch that became particularly attached to him but Ali doubled her efforts and she managed to get him free and slide him through the next several inches. This happened two or three more times, but Ali was glad to find they weren’t insurmountable obstacles and a bit more effort got Rhett through it with only sore skin to show for it.

She could hear Rhett breathing hard as this happened. Glancing back a few times, Ali saw Rhett mostly kept still but there was panic just below his eyes and Ali feared how long he could keep it down. She was a quarter of the way to the cave entrance, she told herself. She was making progress, this wouldn’t take forever. She made sure her movements weren’t too abrupt or nervous less her own trepidations traveled down to him.

Rhett was more than halfway through the sinking sands and the vines attached to him never showed any signs of give. Ali wouldn’t have to worry about any of them snapping, she thought with relief. Rhett had worryingly sunk a bit lower along the way but he seemed to manage himself fine until he slowed to a stop amid a patch of particularly stubborn sticky sand.

“I’m stuck.” Rhett said.

“Don’t worry, I’m working on it.” Ali reassured.

Ali pulled hard, but she only felt the slightest give from the sand. Rhett’s breaths quickened.

“I’m not moving.” There was a slight sloshing, as though he attempted to jerk himself out. “It’s not getting off. What now…what now?”

“Stop moving!” Ali said. “You’ll only make it worse.”

“How much worse can things get? I’m going to die,” his breathing rose another octave. “Oh no, I’m going to die!”

“Don’t panic. That doesn’t lead anywhere and you’ll…”

Rhett had fallen beyond reason. He screamed in fear and flung his legs desperately in a futile attempt to free himself, only attaching other parts of himself to that strong sticky patch and quickening his descent into the sand. The struggling overcame her strength and Ali gasped as she was dragged back, leaving thicker grooves in the ground. She grappled the earth but no sooner did she put a foot in front of herself that it got pulled past where she started. She was being sucked toward the sinking sands and no matter what she grabbed or thought of, there was nothing that seemed to stop it. Despair rose in her.

*Maybe this was too big for me to begin with.* Ali thought.

Much less of Rhett could be seen now. Only the parts above his shoulders were visible and his flailing weakened, either by the constricting sand or exhaustion. The desperation drained out of him, leaving him shaking with fear. A little whimper escaped and a tear slid slowly down his cheek. He was terrified of death, he didn’t want to die, but he saw no way out and he could only despair at the fate the circle of life placed him in. Ali’s heart seized at the sight.

*I couldn’t save him. If only I really called for help, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.*

She felt her tail and then her rear feet come in contact with the sand. She attempted to pull herself out but her heart wasn’t really into it. She was moving on self-preserving instinct, helplessness numbing her. As more of her sank into the sand, she listlessly wished there was more she could have done.

*Wait…could there be more?*

It didn’t seem possible but she found herself thinking about the second time she visited the valley. Littlefoot and the others’ plot to reveal Rhett’s lies blew up in their faces when Rhett led the herd to deal with Chomper. Trying to stop a whole crowd of adult longnecks from hurting one sharptooth youth should have been considered hopeless. But Littlefoot and his friends rallied. The gang pinpointed where Chomper and the herd were going, found the quickest route to intercept them, and stood bravely in front of their friend as they pacified the herd with the truth. It had gotten the kids a scolding but everything worked out because they worked together. Without their hope and cooperation, their sharptooth friend mightn’t have survived that day. At that time, Ali learned that even if a mistake was made in a dangerous situation, there was always a way to survive, especially if you have friends and loved ones who trusted and listened to each other.

Ali didn’t have that many people by her side at the moment but there was one person with her who could cooperate. But he wasn’t listening, just as he always didn’t listen. A hot outrage seized her.

“Stop moving, Rhett!”

Rhett froze, shocked out of his own misery. He never heard Ali speak with such a whip-like tone. It was like the sound of a branch snapping after being bent too far for too long. Ali stared at Rhett, panting.

“Look at what you’re doing,” she said. “You’re endangering both of us.”

“What? But I didn’t -” Rhett stammered.

“Because you didn’t listen to me, you sank even deeper into the sinking sands and now I’m caught up in it too. We could both get swallowed up here.”

“I’m scared. How else should I react?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being scared.” Ali then glared. “But you should have trusted me to get you out of this. Rescue requires trust from both people but because you thought I couldn’t do anything, it’ll be a lot harder to get out.”

Rhett appeared floored. He looked at his own sunken state and how Ali was halfway enveloped by the sinking sands with new eyes. After a moment, shame settled in him.

“You’re…you’re right.” Rhett mumbled. “Because of me…we’re both going to die.”

Unexpectedly, Ali smiled. “I said it would be a lot harder. I didn’t say it was going to be impossible. My front feet are still on the ground and my back feet can still feel the wall. With a bit of teamwork, I’m sure we’ll be able to get out of here. Will you be able to do that?”

Rhett stared. Then he nodded slowly, not moving at all.

That was all the assurance Ali needed. She turned her attention forward, scrapping her forelegs hard against the edge, her rear legs finding the wall of the sinking sands and attempting to gain purchase. She dug and kicked and scraped with increasing persistence. She worked herself up until she could move faster than the sands could suck her in. Ali could feel how strong and sticky the sands were but slowly her forefeet inched forward, the sandy strands being pulled away. Soon all four of her feet were on firm earth and now the hard work was going to start.

Using all the strength in her body, she began the process of regaining ground. Though the vines were coated in sand, they were strong as ever. She felt them tighten and yet hold as she moved, feeling them constrict her limbs and cutoff some of her blood supply. She made one step and another, one step and another and Rhett was pulled along, not moving, alternating between closing his eyes to calm himself and staring at her in amazement. He got pulled up a bit but he was primarily tugged across, making slow and glacial progress.

Ali occasionally got stopped in her tracks by Rhett getting stuck in a particularly sticky sand spot but redoubling her efforts and not giving quarter usually freed him in the end. The challenge was made all the easier because Rhett remained perfectly still, making no more than the occasional grunt when some of the stickiness pulled away a bit of skin. That suited Ali just fine, because she needed as little distractions as possible.

By the time she neared the boulder, her muscles were sore and flaring with protest. It took all the will she had to make them move according to her decisions. Rhett was so close to the edge now, his forefeet inches away from grabbing solid terra firma. Ali just needed to use a bit more strength to pull him across. Gritting her teeth, she strained one front leg forward and then another. The sticky sand let out its biggest sound of protest from the exertion yet. Encouraged, Ali ignored the pain everywhere in her in favor of keeping going. Almost. So close, so close…

There was a hasty slop and Ali turned to see Rhett had his forefeet on dry land and was hastily pulling himself out of the muck, the sticky strands attached to him thinning and coming apart. Covered in dirt on almost every part of his body, he shook the last of the stubborn strands and galloped toward the cave exit as though the sinking sands pursued him. Ali didn’t object, also moving quickly to get out of this cave.

They scrambled up the boulder and managed to get back outside without somehow not falling flat on their faces, the vines flopping all around them. Ali laid against the boulder while Rhett flopped onto the ground. They both panted, exhausted to the bone, and putting everything else aside to just recover from their near death ordeal. Slowly, though, Rhett turned his head to Ali in wonder.

“That – amazing. You – you saved me.”

Ali didn’t answer right away. The two sentences lodged into her brain. Gradually she stood up. She wouldn’t go so far as to seriously call herself amazing – ingrained politeness still had some hold on her – but pride now filled her. She had saved someone. Through taking action and doing all she could, she pulled a fellow youth out of the sinking sands and he now lay alive beside her. She was sore, dirty, and exhausted but a completeness filled her that hadn’t been there for a long time. She had made the right decision. There were times where one needed to be brave and draw no quarter to anyone in order to get things done. Though she didn’t want to go out of her way to be mean, she felt much less hesitation with being honest with her companion as well.

“I did.” Ali said quietly. “You didn’t make it easy though.”

Rhett stiffened before he lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve been screwing up, haven’t I?”

Ali stared ahead. “Something like that.”

“Did I screw you up?”

“It wasn’t just you.” Ali then added. “But you didn’t help matters.”

Rhett was quiet for a moment. “Why did you even save me, if I did those bad things to you?”

“Because it was the right thing to do.” Ali replied. “Not saving you never occurred to me.”

“I didn’t think that. When Chomper pretended to hunt us and you asked for my help, my first thought was just to run away. It all turned out to be fake…but I still abandoned you. And I hurt you enough that you didn’t do anything yourself but turn to me for help. I thought you were just a playmate before but…”

“You’re finding there’s more to me than meets the eye?” Ali suggested.

“Much more interesting than all the lies I came up with.” Rhett agreed with a bit of a laugh. “You had much more of an idea of what to do than I ever would. I wondered if I would make it and that you saved me even after all I did…” he shook his head. “I’ll listen to you more from now on. Count on it.”

“I’m not going to be wise all the time. I’m a kid like you too.” But Ali smiled, finally meeting his eyes. “Still, it’s nice to hear that. I’ll hear you over if you hear me over. Is that a fair deal?”

“Sure.” Rhett got to his feet. “Should we be getting home now? The others are sure to be worrying about-”

As he spoke, he began walking off and tripped over the vines tangled around him. He lay there stunned before shaking his head and standing up but the vines had tangled themselves even more between his legs. He could only move his limbs halfway and he wobbled before flopping on his side, twitching among his bindings.

“Um...I think I might need some help,” Rhett said sheepishly.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think this will be – whoa!”

Ali attempted to follow, only to find her own legs restricted by vines and she also fell. She blinked down and moved experimentally to find there wasn’t much give.

“Looks like we’re both stuck.” Ali admitted.

“Yeah, and we’re dirty too. We don’t exactly look like fine and mighty longnecks.”

Ali realized he was right. She appraised Rhett and saw he had been more tied up than he was earlier in the day, forcing his legs and tail to stick out at odd but harmless angles. He was covered from head to toe in sandy muck and even though his head hadn’t got enveloped it was still splattered from being dragged to safety. Ali was in a similar state. Though she hadn’t sank as far into the sinking sands as Rhett, she was just as messy and held hostage by the vines. That combined with the incredulous expressions they both wore caused Ali to giggle. She found it hard to stop.

“What’s so funny?” Rhett said, baffled.

“You’re right. We aren’t fine and mighty. Look at how silly we look.”

Ali continued laughing. Confused, Rhett looked at his own mucked up state, at Ali’s, and back again. Something clicked, and a grin split his face. His laughing started low but in spite of himself, it rose until it match Ali’s. Their hysterical laughter echoed throughout the clearing and they alternated between rolling on the ground and pounding the dirt. It was such a relief to find something to laugh about, especially something that contrasted so sharply with that frightening experience, and it took a while for the pair to come down enough to be able to form words.

“We – we should probably go.” Ali shook a tear from her face. “The herd is probably wondering where we are.”

“But we’re still stuck here.” Rhett said, breathless.

“Don’t worry, we just need to bite through them. It’s hard but if we choose the right vines…”

Looking down, Ali selectively bit the vines connected to her neck, legs, and tail. She tugged and pushed, and they eventually came apart enough that she could crawl out to freedom. Rhett watched her enviously.

“Um, a bit of help here. I would do the same, but they’re all covered in dirt.”

Ali gave Rhett a dry look and Rhett had the grace to appear sheepish. Grimacing, he put his teeth around the vines attached to his chest and Ali did the best she could to cut through the ones that connected to hers. Rhett had to spit out some grim but he freed himself all the same. Exchanging tired but amused shakes of the head, they made their way back to the herd’s resting spot.

They found an aggregate of worried longnecks, some searching the area while others whispered worriedly among themselves, their tones full of confusion and dread. Marshalling them all was Old One, who had returned from her scouting mission and was maintaining calm throughout the ordeal.

“…keep a clear head,” she was saying. “They can’t have wandered far. We must go to where they have last been seen, follow any tracks they might have left behind, and spread out from there. Now does anyone remember where they have last been seen?”

“I was kind of distracted but I’m sure they went in that – that…” Ali’s mother turned to point with her head but froze. “They’re coming in our direction.”

The others stared in confusion before they noticed Ali and Rhett’s return. They gawped at the pair’s sudden appearance and dirty personage before crowding in close, angry and concerned.

“Where have you been?” Ali’s mother demanded. “We’ve been worried.”

“You can’t just disappear on us like this.” Rhett’s father said. “Why are you in that state?”

“Um,” Rhett averted his gaze, “we – I kind of got stuck in sinking sands.”

“Sinking sands?” Rhett’s mother said sharply. “Where? When? How?”

“In the caves over there.” Ali answered, waving back to the where the pair came from. “We were playing hide and seek, so he looked in there and fell in. It was hard but we managed to get out.”

“You mean the sinking sands in the cave.” Old One asked. “Those sinking sands?”

“Are there any others around here?” Rhett replied, looking around nervously as though afraid those other sinking sands were about to pounce him.

The others exchanged looks of disbelief.

“Around this area, there is only the sinking sands in the cave.” Old One said finally. “And they have taken many young ones and smaller dinosaurs. We never heard of anyone escaping from them before.”

Whispers rose up from the herd. Ali took a moment to digest this. Now that she thought about it, that sinking sand was especially sticky. It took all of her efforts to pull Rhett through it. No wonder the herd stayed away from that part of the clearing. She knew that cave of sinking sands was dangerous while fighting for their lives but with this new information, Ali looked back on the experience with a bit of a chill.

“I didn’t know any of that.” Ali said quietly.

“Me either.” Rhett said, looking green.

“It’s a good thing your ignorance wasn’t your downfall then.” Old One replied sternly. “You should count yourselves fortunate for surviving such a danger, especially after wandering away from adult supervision. I hope this experience has taught you to think more carefully before you let boredom or curiosity lure you away from the herd.”

Guiltily, Ali and Rhett bowed their heads.

“I should have thought about that.” Ali murmured. “Sorry.”

“I got stuck in there, I should have been more careful.” Rhett said. “I would be a goner if it wasn’t for her.”

Old One surveyed the pair silently for a moment. Her expression softened.

“Well, at least you two appear to have learned something from that ordeal,” she said gently. “We still have some time before we move on. Clean yourselves up in the river over there and make sure to keep in sight of the grownups.”

“Thank you, Old One.” Ali said. “I’ve had enough adventure for one day.”

“After today, I wouldn’t want to be beyond adult supervision again.” Rhett muttered.

Old One nodded, the briefest of smiles flitting across her face before she moved on to talk about their next destination. Ali and Rhett went to the river a bit hidden by the trees, their parents trailing after them and watching like flying sharpteeth. The pair washed in the shallows, throwing water over themselves and scrubbing at dirty spots with their heads and tails. It was difficult – the grime was just as reluctant to get wiped away as the sinking sands were of giving up their catch. Ali’s skin was starting to feel a bit sore by the time she cleaned up a spot and she moved gingerly as she cleaned other parts of her body.

“So, you really forgive me?”

Ali looked up. Rhett was wincing from one foot to the other as he washed himself but not just because of soreness. From the way he averted his eyes, he had been working himself to speak. Ali was confused.

“I mean, after all I done.” Rhett continued. “From how you said you we were going to hear each other, you were okay with associating with me.”

“That’s what I meant.” Ali said.

“You said something similar after the mess with Chomper was cleared up. But why – even after all I did, why are you so forgiving?”

Ali stared and thought the question over. It was true Rhett had did some very selfish things that hurt her and hurt those she considered her friends. He only stopped because of some major shocks that those like him were usually unlikely to face. Any other person would have understandably cut all ties with Rhett after the truth of his lies got out. So why was Ali willing to let bygones be bygones and stay in contact with him? After some moments, the answer came to her.

“You appear to be willing to change.” Ali said slowly. “You realized you’re wrong and are attempting to work away from it. Not perfectly but…it’s more than I can say for some people. It’s kind of hard for me to hold a grudge unless it’s something really really bad. And I’ve made some mistakes too. I was nervous about Littlefoot’s friends and usually dissuaded him from them being around at first. When we went to rescue his ill grandfather, I didn’t exactly tell him all of what I did or didn’t know about the Land of Mists until I was pressed to. I got over some of these things but others I’m still working on too.”

“Really?” Rhett asked.

Ali nodded. “I have done some deceitful things myself. Not as extreme as many of your lies but…Littlefoot and the others have forgiven me for my mistakes and it’s hard for me to hold grudges. Not to mention…you’re figuring yourself out. I’m still figuring myself out. I’m thinking that maybe we could figure help each other figure ourselves out together. We have been through some amazing stuff, that few others have. With that in common, let’s try and see if we can really be friends.”

Rhett nodded, his unsureness disappearing into encouragement.

“Of course, just because I’ll be your friend, it doesn’t mean I won’t call you out if you do something wrong.” Ali said hastily. “You’ll be hearing a lot from me whether you like it or not.”

Rhett laughed. “I think I might need that anyway.”

By this time, they wiped off the last of the dirt. Other than looking a bit red in places, there was no sign they had been stuck in the sinking sands at all. Ali and Rhett shook themselves dry, relieved. As amusing as being dirty can be, there was no great feeling quite like splashing yourself clean. Something about that lodged an idea of mischief into Ali’s mind. She turned innocently to Rhett.

“Since you’ll be hearing a lot from me, you might hear me say a few things more than others.”

“Really? Like what?” Rhett asked, having no idea what was coming.

Ali flicked her tail and slapped it on Rhett’s side. “Tag! You’re it!”

Before he could react, Ali had already zoomed off, giggling to herself. She heard a strangled cry of consternation and there was a patter of footsteps that hastily tried to catch up with her. She made sure to stick close to the herd as she ran but fortunately there were many hiding places to take advantage of. With their parents and other herd members following them with their eyes, Ali jumped into a bush on the side of the path and waited until Rhett galloped past, slowing breathlessly.

“Where – where are you? I swear I’ll -”

Ali reached out and nipped Rhett’s tail before he could finish. He yelped and she raced off in the opposite direction, ducking into another bush around the bend. No sooner did she settle in that Rhett panted past.

“How can you move so fast?” he muttered.

Her answer was to slink around and accidentally-on-purpose brush past him. He jumped but she disappeared before he could catch her. She returned to the river and hid above in a small tree, watching as he moved cautiously, poking his head into foliage and on a general lookout for anything out of the ordinary. He didn’t anticipate she would use higher ground to evade him. She waited until he walked into the river to make the next move. She leapt down and covered Rhett in a great splash, causing him to stumble. He shook his wet head and gazed woozily at her.

“For someone who just rescued me, you have a lot of energy.”

Ali giggled and backed away. “Well, what can I say? Learning can energize you – and I just learned one other thing – you can’t catch me!”

And Ali darted away. He stared after her retreating figure, his brain struggling to catch up with her words. Then he surged to his feet.

“He – hey! I can catch you! That’s not fair! I’ll-”

Rhett moved after her and there was laughter beneath his footsteps. Ali continued to evade him, sometimes nipping and touching to startle him. Rhett still made startled noises but amusement entered his voice more and more the longer this game of cat and mouse continued. Ali grinned. The pair of them might make more mistakes and were still figuring themselves out but Ali felt she was now on firmer ground on who she was as a person. After the confidence she regained, she had the feeling she could take on any challenges that awaited her in the future.

The End

Fanfiction.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12373051/1/Familial-Tour

Summary: When Bron and Shorty make their first visit to the Great Valley, Littlefoot is delighted to introduce them to his friends and the amazing sights. With two new companions and old and new tensions, shall this tour go as smoothly as Littlefoot hopes?

Notes: At last, my next fic. This is a one-shot, but one that's nearly sixty pages, so I needed to split it into three parts. Basically, my test drive of the main seven plus several other characters. I nipped and tucked and edited this for several months until at last I decided I made it presentable enough for posting. So with no further ado, here it is.

--

Familial Tour

by

The Analyzer

Littlefoot had been on his way to play with his friends when he heard the raised whispers. Slowing, he peered through the trees. A crowd had gathered in a large clearing, observing a herd arriving from the more commonly used entrance. Newcomers weren’t unusual. They came to the Great Valley around once a week, by themselves or among herds, making this place their home or a rest stop for a longer journey. The valley residents only occasionally gathered to greet visitors and the children weren’t required to be present unless something important or interesting was happening. So Littlefoot just glanced at the herd, about to go on his way, when he noticed the herd was mostly longnecks, some of whom unleashed stirrings of familiarity.

Littlefoot stepped out to survey these visitors, who swung their tall necks to gaze around with interest. The familiarity wasn’t strong but Littlefoot had the sense he had seen some of these longnecks in passing some time ago. It was puzzling but the more he thought about it, the more certain he became. A few of the grownups parted and two longneck figures stood out – a green colored youth around Littlefoot’s age and a brown adult with a commanding presence, talking to a few valley residents with a genial smile. Littlefoot found himself scampering forward, confusion blooming into joy.

“No way….yes!” Littlefoot then cried out. “Dad!”

Bron turned in the voice’s direction and lit up at Littlefoot’s approach. Bron lowered his head and Littlefoot was all too happy to accept the nuzzle, so grateful to feel that fatherly contact he had only got to know briefly a few cold times ago.

“You really came.” Littlefoot murmured.

“I did say I might bring my herd here for a visit.” Bron replied. “It took some persuading but I got it to happen.”

Shorty watched Littlefoot and Bron continue rubbing their heads together with tolerant amusement. “Alright, are you two going to be at it all day? There must be more interesting things to do in this valley than that.”

Bron and Littlefoot chuckled, and disengaged. To Shorty’s surprise, Littlefoot then turned and nuzzled him as well.

“I’m happy to have you here too, Shorty.” Littlefoot said.

“Whoa, whoa!” Shorty backed away and tripped, gaze shifting around awkwardly. “Um, I…it’s not like I really missed…okay, I admit, there was some part of me that wanted to see what you’ve been up to. Happy?”

Littlefoot answered with a grin. Shorty rolled his eyes but broke off laughing, now more at ease. Bron smiled appreciatively at Littlefoot for that accommodation. Littlefoot had been truthful. He was glad to see his father and Shorty again with almost equal passion and he couldn’t wait to spend time with them.

In the meantime, some members of Bron’s herd had been watching the trio’s reunion with a bit of mirth.

“At last, your true agenda is revealed, Bron.” A lady longneck teased.

Bron sighed exasperatedly. “For the last time, my true agenda was to find a place where the herd can relax and eat in safety. I’ve been informed the Great Valley is plentiful in green food, is insulated from the threat of sharpteeth, and is a pleasant place to rest in. Not to mention this place lays near the route to our next destination. As you can see, those sources have proved themselves to be more than correct.” Bron looked up and smiled. “And here come two of them now…”

Littlefoot turned, and his morning went from great to fantastic. His grandparents walked up, beaming at the scene before them.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise.” Grandpa Longneck said. “How are you, Bron?”

“I’ve been good.” Bron answered. “Leading a herd is never easy but the effort has been rewarding and I’ve been in good spirits these last couple of cold times.”

“And I can guess where those good spirits come from.” Grandma Longneck said, attention shifting briefly to Littlefoot. “How have you been, Shorty?”

“Huh?” Shorty blinked. “How do you know my name?”

“Littlefoot has mentioned you a few times.”

“And so has Bron during that fun little longneck excursion.” Grandpa Longneck said wryly. “Some hints have been dropped about your relationship to Littlefoot and Bron. So…has it gone where we suspected it might go?”

Shorty only looked confused but the question stirred Littlefoot’s memories, bringing up the exact details of his farewell with his father.

“Oh, that’s right.” Littlefoot looked at Bron. “Remember what I said last time about Shorty? I didn’t say his name but you knew what I meant. So have you…did you really…?”

Bron smiled. “Shorty and I talked it over. Since I look after him most of the time anyway, we decided he might as well become part of the family.”

“Which makes us brothers, I guess?” Shorty said. “If that’s what you still hope for. I mean…”

Littlefoot’s heart swelled. “Of course it’s what I still hope for! I always wanted a brother. Oh, you’ll make a great one.”

He was so overcome with emotion he bounded over to press against Shorty. After a few seconds, Shorty good-naturedly shoved Littlefoot back.

“Hey, stop trying to bowl me over. Geez, I might not survive a day with you if you continue to be like this. Is this what brothers usually do?”

Littlefoot and Bron laughed, and Shorty cracked a smile, pleased at the reaction. Littlefoot looked with anticipation singing within him. A day? They were going to spend the day with him? Surely, Bron would be at least busy with some herd duties but Littlefoot would take anything to spend a long amount of time with them. Littlefoot felt like he could walk on air. Today was turning out to be very great.

Grandpa and Grandma Longneck, in the meantime, had also been chuckling fondly over the scene. They smiled reassuringly.

“Well, welcome to the family Shorty.” Grandpa Longneck said. “Now we can really assure you Grandma and I will do all we can to make your stay comfortable.”

“Oh. Right.” Shorty’s eyes darted about again, a blush coming in. “About that first question, I’ve been doing fine. Very fine. And for saying you’ll make me comfortable – thanks.”

Bron caught their attention before Shorty could get anymore embarrassed.

“You’ve arrived at just the right time.” Bron said. “My herd has been haggling me about coming here just to see my son when there are benefits to stopping here as well.”

His herd members, who still watched him, chuckled, or shook their heads.

“Still think that was your primary goal, Bron!” The same lady longneck called out.

“It’s a heartwarming bonus. Besides, if you can answer two questions with one answer, I don’t see why any of us are complaining.” Bron turned to Littlefoot’s grandparents. “You see what I have to put up with? I would appreciate if you can direct us to where migrating herds usually eat. Rest assured, we’ll only be here for two days. I don’t want to disturb the balance of the Great Valley by allowing my herd to eat willy nilly.”

“You shouldn’t worry.” Grandpa Longneck reassured. “You came at just the right time. There’s plenty of green food to go around. However, if you want to know where the best green food is, then I’ll be happy to provide recommendations.”

Bron appeared relieved, and he and Grandpa Longneck actively conversed about the best trees to feast from in the Great Valley. Then they discussed what the herd could do in the valley, and when and where they could regroup for later discussions and their eventual departure. Littlefoot found the happiness in his chest wilting. Bron’s herd could only stay for two days? He hoped he would have more time to be with Bron and Shorty. He wanted to get them to appreciate what he had here in the Great Valley.

But Littlefoot shook his head. This wasn’t the only time someone he loved could only stick around for a limited period. He made the most of such time then and he would do the same now. Littlefoot thought hard about how to make the most of these two days and was so busy with accepting or throwing away ideas about where to visit or what to do he didn’t hear a voice calling out to him.

“Littlefoot? Can you hear me? Littlefoot.” Grandma Longneck said. “Is your head in the sky puffies?”

Littlefoot blinked, and grinned sheepishly. “Oops. You could say that. What were you saying?”

“I was trying to get your attention on an important issue.” Grandma Longneck lowered her head to whisper. “It’s about two additions to our valley that might cause a stir if you introduce them.”

Littlefoot looked at his grandma blankly. Then his heart lurched. “You mean Ruby and Chomper. Yeah. I do remember Dad calling sharpteeth cowards. That might make meeting Chomper awkward.”

“And Ruby and other fast runners have experienced some distrust from both leaf eaters and sharpteeth.” Grandma Longneck said. “Fortunately, not as many have found issue with her in the valley, but it’s a risk you might have to prepare for.”

“Right.” Littlefoot nodded reluctantly. “But I don’t want to leave Ruby and Chomper out if Dad and Shorty are going to meet my friends. I’m sure they won’t hurt Ruby and Chomper if we explain things to them.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Grandma Longneck said. “Still…Ruby and Chomper should have a say in if and how they reveal themselves, don’t you think?”

“Reveal themselves?” Grandpa Longneck popped in, also speaking quietly. “I’m sure there’s a reason you two are whispering.”

Grandma Longneck started at her husband’s sudden appearance but replied all the same. “We’re discussing how to introduce Bron and Shorty to Ruby and Chomper.”

“Ah yes.” Grandpa Longneck flicked his eyes to Bron, who was still giving orders to his herd, Shorty standing proudly nearby. “I’m sure, under the right conditions, you’ll be able to sway them. You kids have inspired shakeups in even the most stubborn of people.”

“Thanks. I…” Littlefoot hesitated. “I won’t tell Dad and Shorty anything until Ruby and Chomper have a say. I don’t want to spring this on any of them.”

“That’s considerate of you.” Grandpa Longneck said.  “Just make sure not to wait so long the issue springs itself on them. Though speaking of your friends, weren’t you on your way to meet them?”

Littlefoot jumped guiltily. In the excitement of seeing Bron and Shorty again, Cera and the others had been driven clean from his mind. Before Littlefoot could reply, the longneck herd was dispersing and Bron and Shorty approached him and his grandparents. The two looked pleased.

“Unless there’s an emergency, my herd leading duties are done for the day.” Bron said. “Now I can attend to my other duty.”

Littlefoot perked up. “You mean…”

Bron smiled. “You have Shorty and I for the day. So what shall we do? Take your time. I know our arrival is sudden and you must be bursting with ideas.”

“Oh, I am!” Littlefoot said eagerly. Then he reconsidered. “Um, but I’m going to have to go somewhere for a bit. There’s something I have to-”

“Littlefoot, there you are!”

A new voice interceded, and Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike galloped out of the foliage, breathless. Cera gazed at Littlefoot in annoyance.

“We’ve been waiting forever for you. What kept…”

Cera trailed off as she and her companions spotted Bron and Shorty. Dawning expressions came across Cera and the others’ faces.

“Oh…” Ducky said. “Hi Littlefoot’s dad, Shorty. It’s nice to see you again. It is, it is.”

Bron smiled. “Hello, kids. Are all of you and Littlefoot happy?”

“Um…as happy as if bright circle is shining inside us.” Petrie said with forced cheer.

Shorty widened an eye quizzically and sent an amused smile at Bron. Looking awkward, all of their earlier annoyance gone, Cera’s group fidgeted.

“Well…we’ll be on our way now…” Cera began to turn around.

“Wait, you guys!” Littlefoot said quickly.

The group stopped their departure but gazed at Littlefoot understandingly.

“Hey, it okay.” Petrie replied. “This rare opportunity to be with your dad and Shorty.”

“Family time is important.” Ducky said, Spike nodding in agreement. “We can come around some other day.”

“We’d probably be a distraction while you give them a taste of the Great Valley experience.” Cera said.

Littlefoot shook his head. “You’re as much a part of the Great Valley experience as anything else. You won’t be a distraction at all. If anything, you’ll make this day even better.”

Bron lowered himself to Cera and the others’ eye level. “I never did get to talk to you children much. I would like to get to know the friends Littlefoot speaks so highly of.”

Shorty shrugged. “Eh, why not. From the stories Bron tells, you’ll probably make this trip interesting anyway.”

All the apprehension drained from Cera and the others. They looked amongst themselves with the first stirrings of bright smiles. Ducky clasped her hands together.

“Oh thank you so much, Littlefoot,” she said. “We’ll make this family time very happy, oh we will.”

Cera preened. “Besides, you can’t remember everything in the Great Valley. If we’re touring, you might need some reminders of where we’ve been,” she paused. “Wait, family time? Does that mean Shorty’s really-”

“Yep,” Littlefoot said proudly, standing next to Shorty. “He’s my brother now.”

There were gasps and cries of joy for Cera and the others. Shorty had a hard time meeting their eye, unused to all this positive attention. Ducky jumped on Spike and clapped her hands happily.

“Oh congratulations, Littlefoot!” she cried. “Having a sibling is the best thing ever, it is, it is.”

Spike nodded emphatically, gazing warmly up at his sister. Petrie chuckled.

“Me happy for you. You already look after us like a brother already, so this won’t be too hard.”

“I’m so sorry for the suffering that is to come.” Cera said dryly. When the others glared at her, she added. “Kidding! Seriously, congrats. Having a brother or sister does have its good points, so I’m sure you two will get along well.”  

“Thanks.” Littlefoot said. “I’m pretty new at this, so I hope you can be patient with me Shorty.”

“Hey, I never had a sibling before either.” Shorty said. “So at least neither of us is going to be better at this.”

Littlefoot chuckled. “That’s the one way of looking at it.”

“You know, it’s kind of funny.” Cera commented. “Now everyone among our group has a sibling. Well, everyone except…Chomper. ”

A few of them squirmed as they became aware of Bron and Shorty watching with bemusement, the implications of these two meeting the valley’s most unique residents became clear.

“Where are Chomper and Ruby anyway?” Littlefoot whispered, looking around nervously.

“They woke up late and didn’t get chance to eat.” Petrie explained, automatically also lowering his voice. “They thought they could eat when you come along but when you didn’t, Ruby took Chomper to a good snacking place while we searched for you.”

“I see.” Littlefoot hesitated, but couldn’t think of any other options. “Petrie, can you go tell them who’s in the valley and whether they’ll be okay with meeting them even with what some think of their food issue?”

“Food issue?” Petrie said blankly.

“Yeah. You know…that food issue.”

Littlefoot stared harder. Petrie continued to look puzzled until the others cottoned on and also gave him significant looks. Then Petrie’s eyes widened.

“Oh, food issue!” Petrie began to fly higher. “Me know what you’re saying and will tell Ruby and Chomper about it right away. Be back soon!”

So saying, Petrie flew off. Littlefoot was relieved – he felt guilty for sending his friend on a retrieval mission so soon after vowing his friends shall accompany him on this day but maybe the issue with Ruby and Chomper would be taken care of quickly. Bron and Shorty had watched the whole coded exchange, bemused.

“Are Ruby and Chomper new friends of yours?” Bron asked.

“Yeah.” Littlefoot said. “We became friends with Ruby more recently but we met Chomper a few times before. They’re busy but if all goes well they might meet you later today.”

“What do you mean, ëif all goes well?’” Shorty asked, suspicious.

“Um, you’ll understand when you meet them.” Littlefoot averted his gaze. “Don’t worry, Petrie will rejoin us without missing much. Anyway, why don’t we begin exploring the valley? There’s just so much to show you!”

“Littlefoot’s right.” Grandpa Longneck cut in. “No time like the present. Be on your way.”

“We can make time to talk when the bright circle comes down.” Grandma Longneck reassured. “Have fun with the kids, you two. You won’t regret it.”

The grandparents lingered long enough to nod at Bron and Shorty and wink at Littlefoot before walking off. Littlefoot smiled appreciatively. At times like this, he really valued how much he and his grandparents could be on the same wavelength. Bron and Shorty silently observed the grandparents’ departure before Bron returned his attention to Littlefoot’s group.

“It seems you have a surprise for us.” Bron said wryly. “I don’t know what it is, but I look forward to it. So, where shall we start?”

Littlefoot thought it over and turned unsurely to his friends. Now faced with the responsibility of this tour, he was at a loss for where to begin.

Cera chuckled. “I said you would need us. How does starting at the Thundering Falls sound?”

Littlefoot agreed that the Thundering Falls sounded like a good idea and they led Bron and Shorty there. As they moved, Littlefoot could see Bron and Shorty looking around with interest, observing the geography of the land, the diversity of plants, and the variety of dinosaurs eating and kibitzing. Littlefoot was nervous when they passed Hyp’s group, since the trio could still be troublemakers even if they weren’t as mean as they used to be, but fortunately they were wholly focused on kicking around a rock, yelping and then laughing coarsely whenever the rock struck one of them too hard. Bron seemed interested in these examples of inter-species mingling. The topic appeared to slip his mind when they at last came across the majestic Thundering Falls.

A wide curtain of water fell before them, nearly turning white in its descent. Where it met the beginning of a great river, foam rose up. The roar signaled the power of natural forces, which altered and broke the land over unfathomable generations to create wonders that gave relief and shelter to life attempting to survive in a wide and difficult world. Several dinosaurs were drinking from the water and a few of the larger or more daring sorts bathed in the waterfall, closing their eyes and letting the liquid deliciously soak their skin. Bron marveled at the sight. While Shorty didn’t appear much impressed, he did look at the waterfall bathers, intrigued.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.” Littlefoot said. “This is an important source for the valley’s water.”

“So important that a lot of the green food dried up when some flying rocks blocked off the falls.” Cera said.

“But we unblocked it and shared the green food that remaineded until it all grew back.” Ducky said. “I like swimming around here, I do, I do. Spike does too, though Mama warns us not to get too close to the falls. They’re difficult to swim around.”

Bron chuckled. “This does look dangerous as it does beautiful. I believe it’s wise here to listen to your mother’s advice.”

“Advice we still try to impart to them but it’s hard to make it stick,” said a wry voice.

Mr. Threehorn and Tria approached from a set of chewed bushes, Tricia laughing as she tried to balance against her father’s nose horn. Tria surveyed the group with her genteel smile.

“Why hello everyone.” Tria continued. “Who are these two new faces?”

“This is my father Bron and adopted brother, Shorty.” Littlefoot nodded to each of them. “Dad, Shorty, this is Cera’s family – Mr. Threehorn, Tria, and Tricia.”

Tria and Mr. Threehorn gave a small double-take, visually comparing these guests to Littlefoot. Tria smiled.

“What a delightful occasion. How do you do?”

“So you’re the father of Littlefoot I heard about.” Mr. Threehorn said gruffly, looking briefly at Littlefoot. “At least that longneck migration nonsense actually did some good.”

“For that alone, it did so much good.” Bron said. “But it wasn’t nonsense. It gave so many of us an opportunity to be part of something spectacular, and your daughter and her friends got to witness it.”

Mr. Threehorn scoffed. “So you say. The bright circle falling, longnecks keeping it up in the sky…it sound pretty unbelievable.”

Bron’s expression turned mediating. “Well whatever did happen, it was a sight to behold. I’m sure threehorns and other herds have been part of holidays and events that are just as spectacular that I’m ignorant of.”

Mr. Threehorn didn’t seem to know what to say to such a balanced reply. Tria stepped firmly forward.

“Whatever is behind them, these holidays and events do make nice occasions to get together with family and community,” she said pleasantly. “Enjoy your stay in this beautiful valley.”

Bron nodded agreeably. Mr. Threehorn looked disgruntled a potential argument had concluded on such even territory but then Bron peered closer at the child balanced on the former’s horn.

“Though I must say, your daughter Tricia here is also beautiful.” Bron said. “Look at how she stays on your nose. It’s precious”

Mr. Threehorn raised his head slightly, mollified. “Of course Tricia is beautiful. She’s my child. All of my children are beautiful.”

Bron chuckled. “Every good parent thinks that, as they should. We’re biased that – ooh, careful there!”

For Tricia stared at Bron and attempted to reach out with a paw, only to wobble and nearly fall off. Mr. Threehorn hastily tilted his head and Tricia was able to rebalance. Bron got his nose closer so Tricia could properly bridge the distance and pad at it in bright fascination. Sighs of relief followed as the three adults smiled.

“She’s good at balance.” Bron said.

“Gets it from her parents.” Mr. Threehorn said.

“I hear Cera’s as good with balance, with what I hear about their adventures.” Tria said.

Bron, Mr. Threehorn, and Tria continued to murmur fondly amongst themselves. Cera sighed exasperatedly.

“Oh great, it’s goo-goo-gaga time,” she said. “Grownups can be so embarrassing.”

“Yeah.” Shorty grimaced. “Bron said it’s all part of the skillset of being herd leader and parent but still – it’s weird.”

“It might be weird but it seems to have worked.” Littlefoot said encouragingly. “Being herd leader means being able to smooth over arguments and he seems to have got onto Mr. Threehorn’s good side.”

The others glanced at the three adults again. Mr. Threehorn and Tria had allowed Tricia to climb onto Bron’s snout. Bron nearly sat down to minimize the height of any possible fall. Mr. Threehorn and Tria laughed gently as Tricia scaled up the longneck’s forehead and began to hop around. Bron didn’t look the least abashed and laughed right along with the couple.

“Well, Mr. Threehorn doesn’t look grumpy anymore.” Ducky said.

“You might be right.” Cera said grudgingly. “Though without Tria around, he would have a harder time getting Dad into a good mood.”

Shorty turned to Cera, bemused. “Wait, ëTria?’ Isn’t she your mom?”

“Tria’s my stepmom. My other mom is…” Cera trailed off and shook her head. “I had issues with accepting Tria as she and Dad got together but she was always okay with me calling her by her name. Just call her whichever makes me comfortable, she’d say. She treats me as well as she treats Tricia, who calls her ëMom,’ and I like her just as much.”

“Huh.” Shorty had an unusually thoughtful expression as he gazed at Bron but said no more.

Soon Bron returned Tricia to Mr. Threehorn’s horn and was wrapping up the conversation with Cera’s father and Tria.

“Hopefully, I’ll meet you three again.” Bron said. “Bye Tricia.”

“Wave goodbye to the nice longneck, Tricia.” Mr. Threehorn said, and Tricia obligingly waved a paw at Bron.

“Make sure the kids don’t wander off into the Mysterious Beyond again.” Tria said brightly.

“We’re touring the Great Valley!” Cera said. “The Mysterious Beyond isn’t in the Great Valley, so why would we go there?”

That elicited laughter. Cera rolled her eyes as they bid farewell to her family and walked off. Littlefoot was relieved. A part of him feared what would happen if Bron dueled minds with the stubborn Mr. Threehorn but the former handled the interaction wonderfully. If Bron could get Mr. Threehorn to warm up to him, then his interactions with the other valley residents wouldn’t be any trouble. With pride bouncing in his chest, Littlefoot thought about where next to tour when Bron spoke to him.

“So you’re still gallivanting off to the Mysterious Beyond, I see.” Bron chuckled.

Littlefoot blushed. “We don’t do it that often. Really.”

“It’s not like we enjoy getting chased by sharpteeth.” Cera said dryly. “Usually we’re going out there to save or keep an eye on someone.”

Ducky nodded. “That happened when our glider friend Guido sleepwalked and sleep-glided out of the Great Valley. Oh, it was very hard to keep him safe. But on the plus side, Guido reremembered he was a glider and helped us when we needed him, he did, oh he did.”

“Reremembered he was a glider?” Bron repeated. “That sounds like quite a story in and of itself.”

Spike bayed agreeably, shaking his head in wonderment at the weirdness the gang often ended up in the middle of. And Guido’s situation was only the tip of the iceberg.

“There was also that time we escorted a yellow belly herd to Berry Valley.” Cera added. “It was a pain but Littlefoot was on a wisdom streak and we had to stay the course. They did have their own wisdoms though and they kind of grew on me by the time we said goodbye to them at their valley.”

Shorty frowned. “That does sound like a pain. Aren’t yellow bellies stupid?”

“Now Shorty,” Bron said, “I’m sure they can be as bright and intelligent as any other dinosaur.”

“They were.” Littlefoot said. “I came away after that learning a few things myself.”

“And the things we learn in these adventures do come in handy.” Cera said casually. “I mean, going toe-to-toe with Redclaw and his cronies would be a lot harder if we hadn’t been fighting sharpteeth since we could crawl.”

Bron and Shorty nearly stopped following, and stared.

“Did you just say you went toe-to-toe with Redclaw?” Bron said slowly. “That Redclaw?”

“Yep.” Cera said proudly. “More than once even.”

Shorty’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying. They’re really pulling our legs this time, Bron.”

“Cera was just slightly exaggerating.” Littlefoot gave her a disapproving look, and she glared in annoyance.

“Slightly exaggerating?” Bron repeated. “Are you saying you did meet Redclaw multiple times – and survived?”

“We really have.” Ducky said. “Redclaw and his fast biters might be good at hurting big guys but they have a harder time hurting smaller guys like us. They aren’t very smart. We once made them go away by pretending to be big sharpteeth, we did, we did.”

The others nodded sincerely. Bron and Shorty were slightly round-eyed, the former struggling to digest this information while the latter looked them over, not knowing what to make of these youths who weren’t much older than himself. At last, Bron nodded dazedly.

“You’ve said you fought sharpteeth before,” he said. “But to be experienced enough to fight Redclaw…”

Littlefoot squirmed uncomfortably. “We encounter a lot of sharpteeth on our adventures. It’s hard to avoid them. We just…learned how to deal with him.”

“Screaming and running does buy us enough time for either grownups to come to the rescue or for one of us to come up with a plan.” Cera said. “Our plans usually involve hiding somewhere and losing them, throwing stuff from a high place until they trip or fall, or screwing with their heads until they run away. We’ve gotten pretty good at it.”

“If you’re still standing here, you must be doing something right.” Shorty said, only a bit dryly. He had witnessed himself the talents of Littlefoot and the others when those sharpteeth came around during the longneck migration, and couldn’t be as skeptical of these claims.

 “That’s an understatement.” Bron said, with some pride. “I’m impressed you can imitate a sharptooth with your voices. If I tried that, it’d probably sound like gibberish. Where did you learn that?”

“We had help from – um, our new friends!” Ducky hastily edited her sentence.

“That’s right.” Cera nodded. “Let’s just say they have some knowledge about that stuff.”

Bron’s expression turned to confused intrigue while Shorty started looking annoyed. Littlefoot tried not to cringe. Despite his reservations, Littlefoot had been enjoying being open about his adventures. He and Bron had talked about them before. Mentioning these adventures now, though, Littlefoot feared Bron would disapprove. That Bron and Shorty were amazed and impressed made Littlefoot proud. If they didn’t exactly condone Littlefoot and his friends being in danger, they were happy they went to such lengths to learn and help people. Littlefoot was glad to have such a good reception.

But in Littlefoot and the others’ eagerness to impress their guests, they nearly let slip about Ruby and Chomper again. Now Bron and Shorty were paying attention to their secret, and that was bound to arise suspicion. The more they paid attention to the secret, the more likely they might put the pieces together. This might be something they wouldn’t be proud of. Littlefoot wasn’t eager to get into a conflict now. Quickly, he thought of a distraction.

“Anyway, we need to get to our next stop.” Littlefoot said brightly. “There are some amazing peaks around the Great Wall. I know a few that you’ll like.”

Littlefoot drew the group near one section of the Great Wall, pointing out some of the nicer-looking mountains around the valley. As part of a migrating herd, Bron and Shorty weren’t strangers to tall and beautiful mountains but these ones were large and decked with enough interesting features that the pair could pause and appreciate them. As they moved about, they came by a flyer’s nest. Mama Flyer had been carefully distributing berries to a few of her children. She looked up at the approach of Littlefoot’s group and gave a welcoming smile.

“Morning, kids.” Mama Flyer greeted. “I assume these two are the father and brother of Littlefoot I’ve heard about.”

“How do you know that?” Shorty asked.

“I’ve heard word from a few of my children after breakfast. Word can travel fast when you’re a flyer.”

“Dad, Shorty, this is Petrie’s mother and some of his brothers and sisters.” Littlefoot said. “This nest is where they live.”

“A pleasure to meet another family of Littlefoot’s friends.” Bron nodded. “I see Petrie isn’t bereft of siblings.”

Mama Flyer chuckled. “There are several more but they are staying with their father at the moment. We get along enough that our children can choose to spend time with either of us when they desire.”

“I see.” Bron’s expression became sympathetic.

“No, don’t be sorry.” Mama Flyer said casually. “It’s nowhere near tragic as what your family went through. Even if we aren’t as close as we used to be, it’s still an improvement. Not many flyer fathers are present at all.”

“There’s that bright side.” Bron smiled. “Still, it must be difficult to keep track of Petrie and what the rest of his friends are doing. They’re quite adventurous.”

Mama Flyer laughed. “That’s an understatement. Of all my children, I didn’t expect Petrie to fall in with that kind of crowd. Not that I’m complaining. They do so much good for him –”

“Littlefoot!”

Petrie’s call intruded upon the conversation. He flapped into view, landed on Littlefoot’s head, and whispered breathlessly into the longneck’s ear.

“It bad. Me couldn’t find Ruby and Chomper anywhere.”

“You couldn’t?” Littlefoot’s voice rose in spite of himself.

“Me looked at the usual spots they ate but they weren’t there. Me looked at other places too, like where they play or rest, but no luck. Either me too slow to catch up to them or they went somewhere else.”

“Somewhere else?” Littlefoot looked urgently at the others. “Do any of you know where they might have went?”

Cera shrugged. “I haven’t heard anything from them.”

Spike nodded in agreement with Cera’s statement, troubled. Ducky looked thoughtful.

“Wait…when we left, I think I heard them say they might try a good place for delicious bugs Guido recommended through Cera’s dad. They mentioned something about trees.”  

Petrie fidgeted. “Well, that not specific. There are lots of trees in valley.”

“Why don’t you just go and ask Guido about the kind of trees he meant?” Cera asked.

“Oh, he ate some bad red plant that had crawlies on it. He has been delirious ever since.”

Cera scowled. “Let me guess. It’s the same red plant with the round top that put Dinah and Dana’s father out for days?”  

Petrie nodded rapidly. “That the plant. If me talk to him, he wouldn’t be able to give straight answer. Oh, what now? Me can try to search for them more, but it might take all day...”

Littlefoot saw Petrie fidget anxiously, movements exhausted from many hours of flight that might turn into many hours more. Littlefoot’s heart ached with sympathy. He couldn’t allow this to go on. Resignedly, he blew out a breath.

“It’s alright, Petrie. You don’t need to overwork yourself. Stay with us. We’ll just have to play it by ear.”

“No.” Petrie protested. “Me can try again, look for all the places with interesting bugs, and-”

“And you’d miss much of this special day. I want you to be part of this, Petrie. I want you to have fun, not be tired and anxious.” Littlefoot said firmly. “I’m sure Ruby and Chomper will sniff us out. Don’t worry, we’ll do our best to make sure Dad and Shorty welcome them then.”

“Really?” Petrie said reluctantly. “If you sure. Me don’t want to disappoint you, Littlefoot.”

Littlefoot smiled. “You did your best. I’m sorry I sent you on that wild errand. But at least we know a bit more now.”

Petrie smiled gratefully and hugged Littlefoot’s forehead. Littlefoot nuzzled back, attempting to ignore the guilt flaring in his chest. Petrie was back and that was what mattered, he thought. When Ruby and Chomper came, they would deal with it then. In the meantime, their exchange hadn’t gone unnoticed.  

“Having trouble finding those friends?” Shorty asked.

“You could say that.” Cera said. “One of them has a good nose, so they should get to us soon enough.”

“Huh.” Shorty then muttered. “This is a lot of fuss for finding some simple friends.”

“These friends are kind of special.” Ducky said. “You’ll see how special soon. Don’t worry, they’re really nice!”

Shorty’s response was to give them a look of deeper suspicion. Hastily, they changed the subject.

“Anyway, me back!” Petrie said with force cheer. “Me hope me didn’t miss anything!”

“Oh, nothing much.” Cera said. “We looked at the Thundering falls. We bumped into my parents and Bron sucked up to them by cooing over Tricia. We told them we don’t march out to the Mysterious Beyond on a regular basis to fight sharpteeth. He’s talking to your mom now. Oh, and she might have said something embarrassing about you.”

“She what?” Petrie yelped. “What did you say, Mama?”

“I said nothing embarrassing, Petrie.” Mama Flyer said patiently. “Cera’s only teasing you.”

Petrie crossed his arms and glared at Cera. She was unabashed.

“I did say, ëmight have,’” she said.

“It’s only praise.” Bron reassured. “She just mentioned how your choice in friends have improved your character.”

“Oh.” Petrie colored bashfully. “Me be quiet then.”

Bron and Mama Flyer chuckled good-naturedly.

“I assume you know the new friends Littlefoot and the others made.” Bron said. “They seem rather secretive about them.”

“Secretive?” Mama Flyer said blankly. Then her expression cleared. “Oh, I do know those friends. They’re sweet. Though if the kids want to keep them a surprise, I’m not going to spoil things.”

“Curiosity is eating at me, but I’ll play along. I could tell they were hiding something but I thought it best to let them have their surprise. It would hopefully make everyone happy.”

Mama Flyer chuckled. “Yes, that’s a balancing act with my kids too. If they want to surprise me, I let them but if they have done trouble…oh, I’ll sniff them out. None of them are good at lying. It’s almost cute when they try.”

Bron nodded. “When I’m not exasperated with what Shorty got involved in this time, his defiant explanations can be endearing. It’s weird what we find loveable in our children.”

“Indeed. Petrie has some anxiety about how he speaks but I find it quite – oh, I shouldn’t be saying this too loud…”

As Bron and Mama Flyer’s voices quieted fondly, Petrie and Shorty grimaced.

“Oh, now you’re embarrassing me, Mama.” Petrie put his wings over himself.

“They’re going goo-goo-gaa-gaa over us.” Shorty breathed out hard. “I feel like hiding under a rock whenever he does that.”

“Me too.” Petrie paused and looked at Shorty. “You know, that nice for you.”

“Why’s that?” Shorty asked irritably.

“That mean Bron like you.”

Shorty froze and examined Petrie with narrowed eyes. Petrie flinched away. To his surprise, though, Shorty relaxed and became thoughtful.

“Maybe he can make the cooing less embarrassing.” Shorty muttered.

Bron and Mama Flyer wrapped up their conversation on less embarrassing grounds, talking about the relief land dinosaurs provided to flyers on journeys and giving anecdotes of land dinosaurs’ amusing opinions on the matter. He chatted with Petrie’s siblings who had some surprisingly complimentary things to say about Petrie. Then they moved on.

“…dealing well with encountering so many kinds in one place.” Mama Flyer was saying.

“I’m no stranger to encountering different kinds of herds.” Bron replied. “You can’t be picky about who you ask for information and I never had the heart to be rude to others. Talking with other kinds can actually be quite pleasant. Like now, for instance.”

“Oh, you flatter. But don’t let me hold you up. Run along, and enjoy the valley.”

As she suggested, the group ran along. Petrie was still red in the face from his mother’s cooing and his sibling’s compliments but looked cheerier to be back with the group again. Comfortably perched on Cera’s frill, Petrie watched Littlefoot study his surroundings.

“Hmm…” Littlefoot murmured. “Where next, where next?”

“Unless it’s really dangerous, we’ll go anywhere with you Littlefoot.” Bron said gently.

“It’s not that.” Littlefoot said absently. “It’s just…I don’t want to show you anything you probably already see every day anyway. I want you to see some amazing things particular to the valley. But I keep having to strike out places like caves and holes that are too small for you. I know that still leaves in a lot of places but it’s hard to figure out which is unique to here and which I’m sure I’ve seen elsewhere before.”

“Don’t be too concerned.” Bron reassured. “When you migrate, things can start to blur together, but I’ve learned to look for the unique in even the familiar. You’ve been around so much, I’m sure you have a story for each sight that can bring out the uniqueness there.”

“Well, I don’t have a story for everything.” Littlefoot said sheepishly.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to think of something. Even if you can’t, though, being with you at your home brings enough uniqueness for me.”

Littlefoot smiled thankfully at his father. Cera and Shorty made lighthearted gagging faces but he paid them no mind. It was nice to have Bron explicitly announce how much he treasured this experience. With the encounters with Cera’s parents and Petrie’s mother, a part of Littlefoot feared that talk might turn south and Bron wouldn’t be able to understand why the valley was so important to his son. Bron was handling the sights and encounters as well as Littlefoot hoped he would. Littlefoot wanted to continue to impress him with extraordinary sights and that had stressed him out a bit. Littlefoot still wished to aim high, but with Bron’s reassurance, maybe he could aim for something a bit more reasonable.

“How about we have a look at some of the bigger trees around here? When my grandparents get treestars from them, it’s quite a treat. You two should have a taste.”

Littlefoot directed the group to some of the more impressive forests and trees of the Great Valley. Bron and Shorty were encouraged to sample various treestars. Bron hesitated and sometimes refused to take from certain trees because they weren’t as abundant in leaves or others were feasting from them. Littlefoot insisted it was no big deal, though, and the locals sampling the trees also had no objections, so Bron gave in and shared his bounty among the children. Cera and the others’ expressions indicated their fondness for Bron shot up with this generosity. Noon was coming along and their bellies were feeling comfortably full as they wound their way to the last of the leaves.

“I’ve seen bigger trees even Bron couldn’t reach with some amazing treestars.” Shorty said as they feasted on a tall tree not far from a snaking river. “But you lot aren’t doing bad here.”

“It’s why we struggled so hard to get here in the first place.” Cera laid on her stomach, chewing contently. “It’s great to have a variety to choose from.”

“But coming here was really for our families.” Ducky piped in, quickly snatching a treestar from the pile before Spike claimed it. “We really wanted to get back with them, we did. Meeting them here made all that walking and hard work really, really worth it.”

Shorty swallowed and examined Ducky thoughtfully. “Was it as hard as Bron tells it?”

Petrie chuckled nervously. “There were a few fights.”

“Yeah.” Littlefoot’s eyes lowered. “We weren’t very mature. Sorry for ignoring you, Petrie.”

“Oh, it fine.” Petrie smiled. “Besides, when we really need you, you came.”

Littlefoot returned the smile. Cera suddenly appeared quite interested in her bundle of leaves, not meeting anyone’s eye. She seemed thankful when Ducky broke the silence.

“We all did our part to get here.” Ducky explained. “Whether it was finding food, getting directions, or running from a sharptooth. I even played a part in, erm…making the sharptooth go away. That is something I’m quite proud of, I am, I am.”

“Didn’t the others strong-arm you into being bait?” Cera asked dryly.

Shorty turned to Ducky, stunned. “You were strong-armed into what?”

Littlefoot, Petrie, and Spike, too, suddenly found their food quite interesting. Littlefoot tried not to allow the shame to show on his face. He preferred not to bring too much attention to the more pragmatic and morally dubious actions he took in the journey to the valley. He knew some of them were the right decision but Littlefoot could never be comfortable with them. It disturbed others to hear of children making such choices and the gang wasn’t eager to bring attention to themselves in that light.

“Um, I was strong-armed.” Ducky said sheepishly. “But I’m still proud of it. That part we don’t dwell on, especially with-”

“Ducky, Spike, there you are!”

Relief washed over Littlefoot as everyone was distracted by Mama Swimmer’s arrival. She came walking in from the river, followed by a descent quantity of her nine or so children. Ducky started.

“Mama!” she exclaimed, her delight a bit strangled. Quickly, she turned to Shorty with a finger to her lips. “Shh!”

“You must be Bron and Shorty.” Mama Swimmer said. “Hello, I’m Ducky and Spike’s mother.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Bron turned his attention away from the tree. “Has word really traveled that fast about this little party?”

Mama Swimmer smiled wryly. “Gossip can get around the Great Valley, for good or ill. Fortunately, it’s good this time. I hope my kids haven’t been a distraction from your family time.”

“No, they have done nothing but brought good cheer to this expedition.” Bron turned fondly to Littlefoot and the others. “I’ve heard a lot about his friends during the migration, so it’s great to get to know their lovely peculiarities in person.”

“That’s good to hear.” Mama Swimmer became nervous. “If Littlefoot has mentioned his friends, I assume he has given some details about Ducky…and Spike. I know it seems kind of strange…”

“If I judged you for adopting children, I would be an almighty hypocrite.” Bron said firmly. “You give Spike love, and a home. Having a paw in adoption myself, I find that any challenges you encounter…they don’t go away, but you find you can take them on.”

Mama Swimmer relaxed. “I see. Yes, I know what you’re saying. Before, I wondered how adopters dealt with the challenge of such a responsibility. When Spike sailed in and Ducky proclaimed he was family, though, I found I didn’t care about the challenges and welcomed him with a nuzzle.”

While Bron and Mama Swimmer spoke, Shorty started when he felt a nudge. Spike stood close, expression content and encouraging as he bumped Shorty’s side again.

“What?” Shorty said, puzzled. “What is it?”

Spike jerked his head toward Bron and Mama Swimmer, baying happily. When Shorty continued to look blank, Ducky brightened and hopped over to lean affectionately against her brother’s neck.

“Oh, Spike is happy that we all have such great parents.”

“Really?” Shorty asked. “Why’s he acting so chummy with me about that?”

“You both have similar situations.” Ducky replied. “He found a happy home and so did you. At least, that’s what I think he meant. Spike?”

Spike nodded eagerly. He turned to his collection of treestars, sniffed at them, and hummed a tune, staring expectantly at Ducky. She smiled at him.

“Yes, I know green food makes you happy enough to sing, Spike.” Ducky said. “I sometimes like to sing about food as well, I do, I do.”

Spike tilted his head, as though this wasn’t the answer he expected. Then he sighed fondly, took a big bite out of his pile, and nosed up a few leaves to Ducky. She gasped happily and embraced his neck, the two the most content of siblings. Spike gave Shorty a fond look and indicated to Bron and Mama Swimmer again. Shorty, heat radiating from his cheeks, nodded awkwardly.

“Yeah.” Shorty murmured. “It’s great, I guess…”

Also feeling moved, Littlefoot got closer and bumped into Shorty’s other side, smiling encouragingly. Shorty didn’t know how to react to this brotherly affection, so he awkwardly nodded again before stepping back and eating some more treestars. Unsure how to react, not sure if he did the right thing, Littlefoot did the same, eying Ducky and Spike thoughtfully as Bron and Ducky’s mother wrapped up their conversation.

“…nearly know him as well as all my kids.” Mama Swimmer was saying. “And yet I feel Ducky is more attuned to him. There are always some things I’m not always sure about.”

“No, it’s okay.” Bron replied. “I’ve sought advice from other parents in my herd and even those with the chattiest kids feel like they don’t know them completely. I feel guilty about how clumsy I’ve been with him.”

“Parenting is a work-in-progress. Hopefully each step we take is a bit more graceful.” Mama Swimmer smiled sheepishly. “At any rate, don’t let me delay you. There is still much to see.”

“As I’ve been told many times. Thank you. In exchange for the advice, may I give you some food?”

Ducky and Spike’s family gratefully receive some treestars from Bron. The family waved, Bron returning the gesture with his tail, before they resumed their travels along the river. Bron observed their departure and brought his attention back to Littlefoot and the others.

“That was a pleasant conversation.” Bron said. “I hope everyone had their fill. Where do you suggest we go next, Littlefoot?”

Littlefoot ate a treestar to give himself time to think. “We could…find someplace to view the valley. I still remember when I first saw it all from high up and I know of a few places where we can get just as wonderful a view.”

“Those can accommodate someone of my size?” Bron said wryly.

“I know of some places that Grandpa and Grandma can go to without much fuss. I know of one that’ll fit all of us, but it’s a bit of a walk and I’ve been down it only once. I hope you don’t mind us doing some backtracking.”

Bron didn’t find that a problem, so the group marched into one of the denser Great Valley forests. The trees and foliage were more tightly pressed together. Only a path carved out by many passing large dinosaurs gave Bron any room to move. Littlefoot was glad nothing much had changed. Apparently, people still took this route to either get that view or conduct other business, and that meant his memory wasn’t playing tricks on him. Hopefully his mind still retained the routes his grandparents took. Littlefoot didn’t want Bron and Shorty too breathless and disgruntled from retracing their steps to appreciate the amazing sight he hoped to display. That thought occupied his mind to such an extent that he nearly missed hearing a pair of voices.

“Man, they’ve been all over the place,” said a slightly haggard, young voice. “Do Great Valley dinosaurs love doing workouts?”

“It must depend on the person,” commented an older voice wisely. “Because some persons I’ve seen seem content with eating and not moving around much.”
 
“At least I think we’re caught up to them now.” The first voice took a deep breath. “Hey Littlefoot, guys, are you there?”

Everyone stopped at the call of that familiar voice. Heart pumping, Littlefoot exchanged gazes with Cera and the others, and saw they were as tense and worried as he was.

Part 1/3

After watching the first movie a few times, I started to wonder how Cera’s thoughts about the gang and how she came to warm up to them. She doesn’t seem to think highly of them through much of the movie but she doesn’t protest too much when she and Littlefoot play with bubbles before Sharptooth comes along and at times she seems to stick with the gang for more reasons than mutual protection. When Littlefoot and the others, covered black goo, pick up Cera and reassure they aren’t monsters, there’s shot of a smile briefly coming across her face. She comes through for them in the end when they drop the boulder on the sharptooth.

I kind of got the sense that liking these strange collection of dinosaurs snuck up on her before she was aware of it, but what do you all think? What did Cera think of the gang and how did she warm up to them as the movie went on?

Fanfiction.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11983183/1/Red-Reflection

I posted this in June as my first toe dip into The Land Before Time fanfic world. It's about Littlefoot's thoughts and feelings during and after Chomper's hatching, so that required playing through those movie 2 scenes over and over again so I could portray it accurately. The only proof reader available is me, so I might have missed some grammar stuff. But I'm mostly happy with how it came out and hopefully this gives some entertaining insights into Littlefoot and his bond with Chomper.
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Red Reflection

by The Analyzer

“Look.”

At Ducky’s single word, any other distractions that might be on Littlefoot and the others’ minds vanished. Unwaveringly, they watched the egg as cracks snaked across its surface. Ducky briefly put her ear to it to hear out for any life inside. Petrie flapped off the egg and settled on the edge of the tree stump just in time. A single three-clawed foot kicked itself out.

“It hatching.” Petrie said.

The egg turned and a short, triangular tail was the next to be freed. Littlefoot felt his heart beat in anticipation when an upward pressure struggled to push through the egg. All of the egg but the top came apart, revealing another three-clawed foot and a pair of skinny two-fingered arms. The last of the round shell covered its head, further driving up the suspense of what kind of dinosaur the hatchling was. But with the revelation of all of its body so far, Littlefoot felt a stirring of unease.

*Hang on.* Littlefoot thought. *What kind of guy is this?*

Judging from its upper limbs, it didn’t seem the type to walk on all fours. So it would use just two feet like Ducky. But Littlefoot couldn’t recall any swimmers who had only two fingers on their hands, nor had young that started out this big. There were possibly other kinds of swimmers Littlefoot hadn’t seen but his instincts told him that this hatchling wasn’t one of them. Maybe it was a domehead? No, the head shape didn’t seem right and Littlefoot was pretty sure they had more than two fingers.

The closest species that came to Littlefoot’s mind that matched this hatchling was Hyp’s kind. Littlefoot wasn’t hearing good word about Hyp in his time in the valley but he wasn’t going to hold it against this hatchling. But again, those two fingers discounted that possibility. There was something about the hatchling’s shape that made Littlefoot’s tummy start to tighten, not helped when the hatchling briefly looked around in what seemed like a predatory manner. Littlefoot tried to tell himself he was being silly, there was nothing to be scared of about a baby, and they were going to make sure the child would be taken care of to the best of their ability.

Then the hatchling gracefully threw the shell off of its head and smiled down at Ducky, its complete shape clear to all in the glen.

“It’s – it’s a –” Littlefoot said with dawning realization.

The hatchling opened its mouth in greeting, revealing tiny teeth, pointed teeth, and a bolt of terror struck everyone present.

“Sharptooth!”

Ducky and Petrie scrambled away from the sharptooth, catching up with Cera and Spike in the hasty retreat from the glen.

“Sharptooth!” Cera screamed.

Littlefoot glanced at the sharptooth, his running friends, and back again, momentarily unable to comprehend the situation. Then he locked eyes with the sharptooth and got another glimpse of those pointed teeth, and pure instinct kicked in.

“Run!” Ducky yelled.

Littlefoot needed no further encouragement, scrambling in the dirt to try catching up with his fleeing friends. But by the time he picked up speed, his neck got caught in a low-hanging vine. Littlefoot was too much in panic to do anything but continue running in place, hoping sheer momentum would break the vine. His struggles only reared him on his hind legs, his front limbs uselessly digging the air, before the vine returned all that force onto him and he was sent flying, landing on his back for his troubles.

Dazed, Littlefoot found himself right back next to the small sharptooth. He stared at it, and Littlefoot raised his head for a better look. The sharptooth turned away to coo at the air. Then it regarded Littlefoot with those red eyes, the same red eyes of the sharptooth that killed Littlefoot’s mother, that tried its hardest to kill Littlefoot and his friends, those eyes that still haunted Littlefoot’s nightmares…

Littlefoot screamed. He ran off, hoping the sharptooth didn’t have the persistence of its older brethren and got distracted by something shiny which would hopefully lead it out of the Great Valley forever. But he slowed, remembering the shock on the sharptooth’s face and cautiously puttered back. Littlefoot saw the sharptooth had lowered its eyes, gaze searching the ground and he heard indistinct mumbling. There was still a smile but a tinge of sadness was starting to come in.

It – he was alone, Littlefoot realized. The hatchling had only just come into the world and there was no one there for him. From the way he looked down, he probably wondered what he did wrong to end up like this. Some part of Littlefoot, the part that still remembered the agony and isolation of that loss, resonated with the hatchling sitting by himself on the tree stump. Littlefoot felt a wash of sympathy.

“Oh, he doesn’t look so dangerous,” he said.

Littlefoot slowly stepped closer, the hatchling watching him with that sad cautious smile.

“It’s alright. I won’t hurt you.” Littlefoot said soothingly.

The hatchling jerked back slightly. Littlefoot wondered for a moment if he should have invaded the hatchling’s personal space when the latter lifted out his tongue and licked Littlefoot straight across the cheek.

Littlefoot laughed. “Friendly, aren’t you?”

The hatchling opened his mouth in the biggest smile, showing his teeth, and putting his hands against each other. He gazed at Littlefoot with all the love that someone so young could have and Littlefoot raised his head in realization.

“Hey, I bet you think I’m your mama – a, papa.”

The hatchling pressed his hands together bashfully, worshipful eyes on the only person paying him any attention. Littlefoot’s heart melted. Up until now, he sometimes pondered why parents could be so mushy with their children even when those children did something foolish. Now Littlefoot could see why. He looked at the hatchling and felt a powerful surge of affection. He didn’t care that the hatchling was a sharptooth. At the moment, all he thought was that the youth in front of him was sweet and beautiful and perfect.

*Is this how Mom thought about me? Is this how my grandparents think about me now?*

Then Littlefoot remembered his own eyes also had a kind of reddish tinge. If he and the hatchling weren’t different species, Littlefoot could have conjectured they were distant relatives of some sort. Littlefoot resisted the urge to laugh. There he went, doing another parent thing, comparing what traits of his own had been passed on to his charge. That was silly, but Littlefoot found he didn’t mind being silly one bit.

Then a touch of reality struck Littlefoot. He wasn’t this hatchling’s parent and he was still a child himself. If the hatchling started to think of Littlefoot simply as his papa, that might lead to issues when the hatchling came to question how he came under the longneck’s care. Best to be truthful of the complexities of their bond, and make clear that just because the hatchling had a different family arrangement didn’t mean he was loved any less.

“Well, I’m not really. But don’t worry, I’m going to take good care of you. My friends will too, once they see how nice you are.” Littlefoot began to walk out of the glen. “C’mon, I’ll show you around.”

Littlefoot couldn’t wait to show the hatchling the Great Valley. The thought of touring the majestic sights of his home, seeing those young eyes shine with wonder, caused happiness to swell in Littlefoot’s chest. Littlefoot looked back in time to see the hatchling get to his feet to follow, lifting one leg…and unable to finish the stride. He flailed his arms as gravity took over and fell chin first. Littlefoot winced. He now remembered one important part of child raising he neglected to address. Sighing, he smiled fondly.

“Oh, I guess I better teach you to walk first.”

The hatchling had opened his eyes and sat back up, watching Littlefoot expectantly, already knowing a lesson was coming up.

“First, you lift one foot.” Littlefoot made sure to lift that front foot in plain view of the hatchling. “And then you put it down in front of you.” He gently placed that foot on the ground. “Then you lift the other.” He took several steps and faced his sharp-toothed charge. “Now you try it.”

The hatchling got to his feet again. He put one foot in front of him – success. Then he took another step, and another. The hatchling started gaining speed, still looking so uncertain with operating these lower limbs. Littlefoot’s encouraging expression turned to worry.

“Slow down, you’ll hurt yourself.”

The hatchling looked panicked but before Littlefoot could do anything, the former took a wrong step and landed nose first in the dirt. Littlefoot immediately closed in to look over him.

“Are you okay?” Littlefoot asked.

The hatchling lifted his head and cooed reassuringly, all smiles.

Littlefoot sighed. “You’re going to have to be more careful.”

The hatchling’s smile vanished. He cringed, scared, sad. He lowered his gaze awkwardly, a single tear falling from his face. Littlefoot felt as though a sharp stick of guilt struck his chest.

“It’s okay. I’m not mad, um…” Littlefoot cast about for something reassuring to bring that smile back and suddenly discovered he was fishing for a particular kind of word. “Hey, you need a name.”

Even as Littlefoot said this, a buzzing rose in the air. The hatchling brightened as a flying buzzer hovered over his head. A determined gleam entered those red eyes and he chomped at the buzzer. The buzzer swerved and the hatchling glanced at it in consternation. He tried for another chomp, and missed again. The buzzer unwisely perched on a plant not far off and the hatchling grinned in anticipation, gaze never wavering from it in the slightest. Those two bite attempts gave Littlefoot inspiration.

“I know, I’ll call you Chomper.”

The newly-christened Chomper lived up to his namesake even before Littlefoot finished the sentence, his third chomp on the buzzer hitting its mark. Littlefoot cringed away as yellow fluids sprayed across Chomper’s maw. Right then and there, Littlefoot was reminded he was still dealing with a sharptooth. A sweet and beautiful and perfect hatchling sharptooth but a sharptooth nonetheless. Littlefoot’s love for Chomper didn’t waver but he became cognizant that his charge had a particular need that must be addressed.

“I guess…you’re hungry, huh?” Littlefoot said hesitantly.

Chomper chewed, wiggling his feet, gazing innocently at Littlefoot. For a second, Littlefoot wondered if the murderous sharptooth that dogged him and his friends also gazed up at its – his – parents with such sincerity and love while chewing meat. Inside, Littlefoot shuddered. What could lead such sweet children into becoming such terrifying and brutal killing machines? The thought of Chomper acting like that to fulfill his hunger, that sweetness gone, hurt Littlefoot’s soul. Littlefoot tried to think of a way to circumvent that – maybe there was a route to peacefully address Chomper’s unique diet.

“Gee, I know what sharpteeth like. But, well…” As the idea came to him, Littlefoot had a problem meeting Chomper straight in the eye. “Maybe I can teach you to eat green food like me. After all, I’m your papa now.”

Littlefoot emphasized that last statement with a nuzzle, and Chomper cooed with delight, turning to watch him with that innocent interest. Out of the corner of his eye, Littlefoot spotted a branch of leaves within reach that would be suitable for this test.

“Here.” Littlefoot broke off a stick and laid it at Chomper’s feet. “These leaves are really tasty. Try some.”

Intrigued, Chomper loudly bit the stick of leaves and chewed, trusting Littlefoot’s word. Those red eyes were turned to the sky thoughtfully as more and more of the leaves vanished into his mouth. Littlefoot got closer to watch, hope rising. Maybe the food thing wouldn’t be an issue after all.

But Chomper suddenly spat out the stick of leaves in disgust with enough force to fall on his backside. Chomper let out a “blargh.” The green food apparently seriously disagreed with his taste buds and Chomper glanced at Littlefoot as though currently doubting his guardian’s wisdom.

Littlefoot shook his head. “Whew, this is going to be harder than I thought.”

Nevertheless, Littlefoot was undaunted. He circled around so he could face Chomper.

“Chomper, you stay here, okay?”

Chomper nodded happily and made an affirming noise. Littlefoot smiled.

“You won’t go anywhere?” Littlefoot gently pressed.

Chomper shook his head, and went “Nuh-uh.” He remained firmly seated on the ground.

“Good.” Littlefoot raised his head. “I’ll be right back. After I get some advice from my grandparents.”

With that, Littlefoot started off to where he remembered his grandparents were, eating green food by the lake. He felt the weight of this new responsibility and yet soldiered on. He was going to have to word his questions carefully so his guardians would be none the wiser over Littlefoot’s little project. At times, they could be eerily perceptive over what was traveling through Littlefoot’s mind. It was a risk that some wouldn’t take and Littlefoot could picture one particular person’s reaction to his attempt to involve the grownups even tangentially.

“If Cera ever finds out, she’ll kill me,” he muttered.

Still, Littlefoot felt this was a risk worth taking. Chomper needed to eat and Littlefoot didn’t want to leave the hatchling hungry if he could help it. Littlefoot himself was still young and didn’t know much about the world. There could still be a way to have Chomper favor green food. If that didn’t pan out, Littlefoot would find some other source of nutrition for Chomper. The dangers of raising a sharptooth were probably great but Littlefoot found he didn’t much care so long as Chomper was content.

If told that morning he would find himself with the task of taking care of a meat eater, Littlefoot would have fled from the responsibility as fast as possible. Now Littlefoot couldn’t even conceive of abandoning Chomper. The very thought of filling those sweet and innocent eyes with disappointment and betrayal broke Littlefoot’s heart. He became determined to stand by Chomper through thick and thin. A bond had been forged, a powerful connection that came into being the minute red eyes met red eyes, that made Littlefoot want to do anything within his power to make his charge happy. However events might turn, whatever challenges lay ahead, Littlefoot shall continue loving Chomper and do his best for the sharptooth with a soul that reflected his own.

The End