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