Chapter 12: Where Paths Diverge
Littlefoot didn't move quickly enough. The leader caught him just above his right shoulder, his claws digging in for grip. Littlefoot howled in pain and shook him off. The Sharptooth tumbled to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. It got back to its feet and began to circle its pack.
"We need to break through them," Fyn said, "or they'll just close in and take us all."
"Leave that to me," Cera said, snorting and pawing the ground. She lunged forward, horns bared. A brief expression of surprise registered on the face of the Sharpteeth in front of her before they were flung bodily into the air. Some landed without injury. Others weren't so lucky. The rest of the gang followed right behind Cera, taking advantage of the confusion she'd caused. The Sharpteeth tried to close the gap in the line, but Petrie appeared, swooping down on them from above and keeping them occupied.
"Good," Littlefoot panted, "now we have time. Ducky, you-" A screech sounded, and a Fast Claw pounced onto Ducky, dragging her to the ground. She looked up just in time to see its snarling face, saliva dripping from its jaws. She shrieked, kicking her strong Swimmer's legs deep into the beast's stomach. It howled as it fell back, nursing its injured ribs.
"Good one, Ducky," Cera said, astounded, "I didn't know you had it in you!"
There was no time to respond, however. The Fast Claws had regrouped, and were forcing the gang backwards. Fyn saw one suddenly dart forward and attempt to grab his leg. He dodged it, and kicked it squarely in the face with his front leg, forcing it back, but two more followed it, one leaping onto his side. Its sharp claws dug into his skin with excruciating agony, and its weight alone nearly crushed him to the ground. He clenched his teeth, fighting the pain, and struggled for balance, swinging the Sharptooth around and trying to force it off. Finally, he tried one last desperate act. He rose up and fell over onto his side, crushing the Sharptooth beneath him. The action forced the claws deeper into his side, but when he stood back up, his foe was lying dazed, imprinted into the ground. Fyn resumed fighting.
Littlefoot and Spike were having a tough time themselves. Spike's tail swung furiously, injuring Sharpteeth and knocking them over. One, however, managed to avoid it and bite down on one of the plates on his back. Littlefoot saw it, and rushed to help, nearly trampling a second Fast Claw. He knocked the Sharptooth away with his tail, diverting its attention to himself. Without warning, the Fast Claw leaped for his face, and Littlefoot barely had time to raise his head out of harm's way. The dinosaur missed, and Littlefoot saw his chance, hitting it a second time with his tail. This time, the hit sent the Fast Claw sailing into a nearby boulder, which it hit with a sickening crunch. Littlefoot barely had time to enjoy his victory, however, when three more attacked from out of nowhere, slamming into his chest at full speed and forcing him into a wall. Littlefoot heard something crack. He coughed, and tasted blood. Something in his chest hurt, and these Sharpteeth weren't about to walk away from what they'd just done. He saw them get to their feet, readying for another attack.
"Alright," he said, "now this gets serious." He shunted one of the Sharpteeth to the side, dispatching the other with his tail. He looked over at Cera, holding off no less than five of the creatures, and at Fyn, in the same predicament. Suddenly, he realized what was happening: the Fast Claws were driving them apart, cutting them off from one another to bring them down more easily.
"Everyone!" he yelled above the sounds of fighting, "try to stay together! If we-"
He was cut off, nearly knocked down again by another Fast Claw. Something would need to happen soon if they wanted any chance of winning this fight.
Fyn had become a target. His orange skin stood out amongst the shadowy rocks, but he preferred it that way: less Sharpteeth for his friends to have to deal with. He judged the distance he was from everyone else; finally far enough away to do some real damage. He bashed an approaching Fast Claw. Now was the time for action. He raised his tail, cracking it as he did, with a sound like Sky Fire. Then he brought it down into three Fast Claws nearby. They recoiled from the shock, screeching in pain at the scars the tail had given them. Before Fyn could ready his tail again, another Fast Claw rose up in front of him, coming halfway up his neck in height. This was a big one, and it was trying to intimidate him. Fyn rocked back onto his hind legs, towering above the Sharptooth. He drove himself forward, pushing the Sharptooth away. When he landed, he swung his tail again, driving even more Sharpteeth back. As more still came, he realized that they would need a miracle, and soon, if they were going to come out of this alive.
Petrie was doing his best to distract the hungry Fast Claws from his friends. When they began to stop paying attention to him, Petrie upped the ante, diving low to grab rocks and dropping them onto the Sharpteeth from above. He was getting their attention again, and he'd even managed to knock one flat with a well-placed drop to the head. He flew high, surveying the battle. One Fast Claw was sneaking up behind Ducky. He dove straight for it, aiming for the face. He ran squarely into it, catching it by surprise and forcing it to fall over backwards. Unfortunately, the Sharptooth's tail swung wildly, catching Petrie and throwing him high into the air. Petrie struggled to regain control, tumbling like a leaf in a fast wind. When he finally recovered himself, he stopped to look at what was going on. There were at least twenty Sharpteeth, he counted, and outside of this rocky area, only sand was present. There was no one in the immediate vicinity who could help. How would his friends survive this? He shook his head, clearing the thought, and dove back into the fight.
Littlefoot and Cera were fighting side by side, swinging at Fast Claws left and right. They were backed up into a corner formed by a rock wall. Fyn was being forced into the same area from the side, along with Ducky and Spike. Petrie was still in the air, but Littlefoot was unsure about how long he'd be able to stay up. The Flyer already looked tired. Littlefoot himself was nearly out of breath, and the pain in his chest was only being made worse by the fighting. He wasn't sure they could keep this up for much longer.
"They're changing tactics," Fyn said, throwing a Sharptooth off of his back.
"Huh?" Littlefoot said, his speech dulled by fatigue and pain, "They are? How?"
"They're trying to drive us into this corner," he gasped, cringing as another Fast Claw sunk its teeth into his leg. He drove it away with a bellow. "I don't know why, and there's not really much we can do about it."
"We'll outlast them," Littlefoot said, "for our families back in the Great Valley. We will return."
"For once, I'm actually listening to you," Cera said.
Ducky was trying her best to stay behind Spike, but she soon found the two of them right next to Littlefoot and Cera, trapped. They were doing an excellent job of keeping the Fast Claws at bay, but Ducky knew they couldn't hold out for long. Fyn, too, fell into the group shortly.
"Why?" Cera asked, "I've never seen Sharpteeth do this before. They can't hope to take us down if we're all together."
Fyn was fighting hard beside his friends. The tip of his tail was covered in blood, and he didn't know whether it was his or the Fast Claws'. It didn't matter, he knew, somehow the Sharpteeth had to be stopped. Suddenly, he heard a sound from above. It was the sound of pebbles being pushed over a ledge. Fyn looked up and immediately understood the Fast Claws' plan. At the top of the rock wall were several more of them. They had divided their attackers, sending a few up above the action. No one noticed, he reasoned, because of the battle.
"They're above us!" He yelled. As soon as everyone looked up, the dinosaurs' world became a whirlwind of teeth, claws, and skin. The Fast Claws jumped down, instantly pinning everyone to the ground. Fyn pushed himself back up, throwing some of them into the air, but others followed, bringing him down again. Littlefoot kicked out with his powerful legs, sending Sharpteeth flying, but when one was lost, another took its place. Cera was helpless on her back; her horns couldn't reach her assailants, and her frill was unable to protect her. As she looked to the sky, she could see the Fast Claws, screeching in her face, and beyond them, Petrie, circling above. When the first Sharptooth's claw scratched across her unprotected underbelly, Cera bleated loudly, and her vision blurred and swam in and out of focus. The pain was unendurable. Through the haze, she could see Petrie opening and closing his mouth, as if he was saying something, but she couldn't tell what. Her sight was going dark now, as the Fast Claws fought over her. Finally, one stepped onto her belly. Its weight forced the air from her lungs, and she watched as it opened its mouth full of sharp teeth, preparing for the killing strike to her neck.
"So this is how it ends," she thought, "here, in some forgotten part of the Mysterious Beyond at the claws of these... things." Despite her thoughts, she was starting to accept what was about to happen. Suddenly, the ground began to shake.
"Odd," Cera thought, "is this what dying feels like?" The shaking was getting more intense. As the Fast Claw darted forward for the final bite, Cera closed her eyes and suddenly felt the weight lift from her chest. Had she died? She opened her eyes. All of the Fast Claws around her had stopped, and the one that had tried to finish her was... flying? It seemed to be hovering over her. When her vision cleared, she saw what had really happened.
"Chomper!" Littlefoot cried, under a mound of Fast Claws.
Cera's savior was, in fact, Chomper. The great Sharptooth was holding the struggling Fast Claw aloft with his jaws; no small feat considering the creature's size. As she watched, Chomper threw the Fast Claw away, as if it weighed nothing more than a leaf. As the Sharpteeth around her began to scatter, Cera shakily got to her feet, watching her friends nearby do the same. Some of the Fast Claws, whether out of foolishness or a desire to impress their leader, attacked Chomper. It would be their final mistake. Cera watched in awe as the Sharptooth lifted another Fast Claw from the ground by its midsection. He bit down, and the dinosaur went limp. He then dropped the lifeless Fast Claw and roared threateningly at the others. Their miracle had arrived. At that moment, Cera lost consciousness and fell to the ground, her world going dark.
…
Chomper had followed the scent trail to the Fast Claws, knowing nothing other than that some part of him knew they had to be stopped or destroyed. When he arrived, he found the creatures attacking a small group of Leaf Eaters. They were of no concern to him at the moment, however. He reasoned that if he wanted to save them for later, they would cause no trouble in their weakened state. He charged in headlong, decimating the numbers of the Fast Claws. The Leaf Eaters, he noticed, seemed to recognize him for some reason. He only thought about this briefly, however, as he fought off the menace. Whether they recognized him or not wasn't his concern. As he attacked, the Fast Claws all began to retreat, finally falling back until none but the wounded, dead and dying remained. Chomper let out a roar of dominance, challenging any to take him on. For a few moments, there was silence, but it was broken by a single screeching call. Chomper hadn't expected an answer, and was surprised.
From out of the Fast Claws stepped their leader, untouched by battle. Its golden-yellow stripe glistening in the Bright Circle's light. Chomper growled low. This was to be his challenger. Before it advanced any farther, however, the Fast Claw spoke in the Sharptooth tongue.
"You had the chance to kill them all once before. Why make the same mistake twice? Help us destroy them, and you will have your fill. If you deny us, you will realize your consequences as you lay dying on the sand."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Chomper answered, "I've never seen these Leaf Eaters before."
The Fast Claw snapped its jaws. "It matters not. Either join us or die."
Chomper snarled. "I'll never join you. Those Leaf Eaters are mine to do with as I please, and you can't stop me!"
"Well," the Fast Claw said, "we'll see about that, won't we?"
The two began circling each other, with the Drylands and the fading Bright Circle as their background. The other Fast Claws pulled into a circle around them. The tradition of a challenge was an old and familiar concept to them. The victor would stay and enjoy the kill, while any of the loser's comrades would be forced away, to find prey elsewhere. Still, the two circled, each waiting for the other to move. Finally, Chomper took a step towards the Fast Claw leader, testing it. The Fast Claw responded by roaring and extending its hands outward, revealing its two long, deadly claws, and the smaller, but no less dangerous claws adjacent. Chomper rushed forward, hoping to quickly grab onto the Fast Claw, as he'd done before. His opponent, however, was much more nimble than its pack mates had been. It sidestepped, out of reach of the massive Sharptooth's jaws, and raked its claws down its opponent's back. Chomper howled, and butted the Fast Claw with his head. The force of the blow staggered the creature, but it shook itself, and sprang back into action. The fight had truly begun.
Again, Chomper tried to bite down on the Fast Claw, but this time his opponent had a different plan. Instead of sidestepping, the Sharptooth took a step back, and as Chomper's jaws closed on the empty space where it once stood, the Fast Claw jumped forward, latching its claws onto the sides of Chomper's head. Chomper roared furiously, shaking from side to side. The Fast Claw couldn't hold on, and fell away, sliding to a halt farther away. It panted. Finally, it had found a worthy opponent.
…
The gang watched, too exhausted from their previous fight to move. Cera was unconscious, and in bad condition, but Littlefoot had managed to stop the flow of blood from her wound with his tail. Now, he was applying all the pressure he could, to ensure that the wound stayed closed. They all viewed the battle in awe.
"This is what Chomper was capable of all along," Littlefoot said. "I can't believe I ever worried about him going out into the Mysterious Beyond."
"He definitely could have beaten us back at the Big Water," Fyn agreed, "some part of him must have been holding back."
Cera groaned, moving again for the first time in a while.
"Finally," Littlefoot breathed. Ducky instantly moved to Cera, nearly planting her face right in the middle of the Threehorn's. Cera awoke to the image of a Swimmer plastered across her vision.
"Eek!" she shrieked. Everyone began to laugh.
"Not funny," Cera mumbled, "I just wasn't expecting her, that's all."
She slowly craned her head forward.
"Try not to move too much," Littlefoot said, "you're hurt."
"Don't worry about it," Cera said, wincing, "what's going on over there?" She nodded towards Chomper, who was still in the thick of battle.
"Chomper saved us, he did, yep yep yep," Ducky said. "Now, he's fighting the leader of the Fast Claws."
"Wow," Cera said, impressed by Chomper's skill, "I didn't know he had moves like that."
"None of us did," Fyn said. Cera's attention focused towards the fight. This would be interesting.
…
Chomper and the Fast Claw leader broke away from each other again, resuming their circling walk, each bearing scars inflicted by the other. Chomper was getting tired. Whatever strategy this dinosaur was using to weaken him, it was working. He was breathing hard, and he could taste blood, his blood, running into his mouth from the claw marks on the sides of his face. If he couldn't end the fight soon, he would tire and fall. Again, he charged forward, and again, the Fast Claw dodged him, lashing out. Chomper suddenly recalled what his opponent had done at the beginning of the fight. The scratches on the sides of his face were a testament to that particular maneuver. Could he count on his opponent to make the same move again? It was a risk, he decided, that he was willing to take. He opened his jaws wide and rushed forward, moving to attack the Fast Claw. Like the last time, his opponent stepped backwards, then latched onto his face, screeching, its claws digging into Chomper's still fresh wounds. This time, however, instead of trying to shake the attacker off, Chomper had a different plan.
Summoning his remaining strength, he lifted his head and his assailant aloft, then brought both down, smashing the Fast Claw into the hard Dryland ground, cracking the dried dirt. His head rang from the impact, but Chomper shook it off. His next attack had to be quick and committed. Before the Fast Claw could move again, Chomper's jaws closed around its neck. He gave his head a short, sudden twist, and the Fast Claw's neck emitted a sharp "crack." His opponent lay still. The battle was over. Chomper placed his foot on the body of the Fast Claw leader, raised his head to the sky and setting Bright Circle, and let out a terrible and loud roar. The other Fast Claws scattered, fleeing to places unknown. Satisfied, Chomper relaxed, stepping off of his former opponent and moving toward the Leaf Eaters. His appetite would soon be satisfied.
…
The gang watched as Chomper defeated the Fast Claw leader, and silently cheered when the fight had been won. Then they saw Chomper begin to approach. Cera was in no position to move, and nobody was about to leave her. Even if all of them had been able to run, they would never have been able to escape Chomper. They watched, helplessly, as Chomper neared. Then, Littlefoot stood up.
…
Chomper saw the Leaf Eaters, helpless and wounded, lying together. This would be an easy meal. Then one of them stood. Chomper was confused. Was it trying to fight? He growled, to try to subdue the Longneck. It didn't work. The Longneck, in fact, actually took a step towards him. As he came closer, something about him unnerved Chomper. He couldn't tell why, but some part of him seemed to believe that this creature was why he'd come here to fight the Fast Claws. Had he come here to help these Leaf Eaters? Why? He was troubled and hungry, but decided not to advance any further. After all, there were plenty of Fast Claws left lying around to eat.
…
Littlefoot watched, scarcely daring to breathe, as his old friend backed away. Did he recognize him? Littlefoot couldn't tell for certain. All he knew was that for the moment, he and his friends were safe. He moved back to them. He'd taken his tail off of Cera's belly when he'd stepped forward, and it seemed the bleeding had stopped. They could finally begin walking again. He watched as Chomper began to feed on the dead Fast Claws. The Circle of Life had a purpose for everyone, he knew, and Chomper was simply following his. The fact no longer troubled Littlefoot.
"I think it's time we moved on," Cera said, getting to her feet.
"Yeah," Littlefoot agreed, whispering, but let's keep it quiet."
They all stood up, and began to start walking away, when Chomper turned to face them. He began walking in their direction, stopping right in front of Littlefoot. Had he changed his mind about leaving them alone? If he had, Littlefoot knew, he and his friends would make an easy meal. The Sharptooth stared into Littlefoot's eyes, seeming to penetrate through them and into his very heart and soul. It almost seemed like Chomper was searching for something; an answer, perhaps. Then Littlefoot saw something in his eyes. It was very faint. A glimmer of recognition, perhaps?
The Sharptooth turned away, back to his meal, leaving Littlefoot to speculate. The Longneck watched him go, until another figure caught his eye. It was a Fastrunner, standing on top of the rock wall where Littlefoot and his friends had been trapped. For a moment, Littlefoot's and the Fastrunner's gazes met, and he knew instantly who it was: Ruby. She had stayed faithful to her promise to always be a companion to Chomper. Littlefoot nodded to her, and she nodded back, and in that instant, Littlefoot knew that all would be well. Suddenly, he remembered Bron, and where he had been headed. He turned back to his friends.
"Ready for a new adventure?" he asked. "The Great Valley is just a little farther away."
"I'm in," Fyn said.
"Me too," Ducky joined in.
"And always me," Petrie said, settling on Littlefoot's head.
Cera groaned, "Fine, but the next person who says 'shortcut' gets the horns!"
Everyone laughed as they walked towards home, into the night, and onwards to a new adventure and a new life. They had lost a dear friend, but as they all knew, nothing had to be forever. Maybe Chomper would come back, someday, and if he did, they would all welcome him back as warmly as ever before.
Until then, however, they were prepared to face a new part of life, maturity, with all of their courage and memories of Chomper backing them. Tomorrow, they knew, a new day would dawn, and they would welcome it, and embrace it, as Chomper had finally embraced his future. Their next stage of life had begun.