Quick note: This link will stay up until the end of this year. In 2021 I will replace it with a password protected link to make sure only our members have access to the file.

Does that mean the link will be discord-only soon or will the PW be available to anyone with member+ status? Just wondering as I think that some of the older members who aren't in the discord server (and inactive most of the time) might want to see it too whenever they happen to take a glimpse at the forum again and find this. I can grab the link now but others maybe can't 

Cool, I'll keep an eye out 

Attack on Titan took over my life for a bit 

Does that include any fanart as well? If so, please share, I really love the series 

Oh here's another one that could be funny.

EPIC FAIL!

Draw a character(s) of your choice as they experience a moment they'd rather forget. Whether tripping over a root in front of everyone or being caught doing something embarrassing, nobody is safe from the occasional fail!

The OC prompt might be the only one I would try to participate in (maybe).

Here's a boring but still funny idea for a prompt:

Swap colour patterns between two or more characters of their choice (with appropriate reactions to the sudden change)

Chapter 15: A slice of danger

Two days later, the riddle around the footprints still hadn’t been solved. Naturally, Bron and his herd had been following the trail ever since. It didn't divert from their supposed route at all but they hadn't been able to catch up to their targets despite Bron urging his herd to walk as fast as they could.

He still had no idea why he was so keen on getting involved with the other herd's matters, however he supposed that he was simply too kind a dinosaur to ignore the matter at hand. He had lost too much during his life to look away at the prospect of a longneck much like himself losing their home and, if Shorty’s hunch turned out to be true, their child too. After all, the trails were still strongly suggesting that the adult was following the more washed out tracks of the longneck child.

Shorty's interest in the fate of the longnecks didn't waver either for, Bron surmised, the boy, unpopular as he was among the herd's youth and adults alike, was hoping to find a playmate at last. Frankly speaking, Bron wouldn't be unhappy if this hunch would turn out to be true. To think that Shorty would quit hanging out with him due to the sheer depth of his boredom… As a matter of fact, it'd mean Shorty wouldn't be pestering him half of the day and get up to mischief the other half of it.

Helping out these poor longnecks might actually improve his life significantly. They'd just have to find the longneck and its child before something bad happened to them. Bron doubted greatly that a lone child could survive a land like the one they were passing for long - and chances weren't too glorious for a lone longneck either to be fair. The only reason he could travel with relative ease of mind was the protection that their sheer numbers provided. A lone traveler, not to mention a kid, didn't have that sharptooth-repelling advantage after all and chances were rather slim that they possessed great combat abilities either. They were prime targets as a matter of fact.

As night was drawing ever closer that day, putting an end to another day of walking in tormenting, scorching heat across devastated landscapes, Will walked up to Bron just shortly after stopping for the night in the middle of nowhere, although the place was slightly elevated from the surrounding area. Immediately, it became clear that the tall and muscular longneck didn't drop by for a chunk of gossip.

"Bron!" he called rather loudly, drawing Shorty's attention as well who was sitting a little distance away gazing in the distance in apparent boredom.

Bron, who immediately recognized Will's agitation, hurried over to meet him halfway.

"What's the matter? Any trouble arising?" the brownish longneck inquired.

"Possibly," came Will's immediate response. "Intelligence has taken sight of two sharpteeth in the far distance."

"Sharpteeth, you say?" Bron's eyebrows rippled as his mind worked vividly. "What kind of sharpteeth are we talking about?"

"Can't say for certain," the deputy grunted. "Getting dark and they're far ahead. One good thing about this blasted flat desert - you can spot anything coming hours before it reaches you. Looks like big biters either way."

"Where were they spotted?" Bron asked casually as he reviewed his options.

"When I got a glimpse of them myself, they were headed the same direction as us though they were far to the right of our path." Will looked at the herd leader with an expression of concern. "How shall we act now that we know of these sharpteeth?"

Bron's forehead grew ripples as well.

"If it's just two of them, there shouldn't be a problem," he spoke slowly, still working on a thorough plan as he answered. "We should take all our usual precautions; increased night guards, a tighter formation, keeping children in the center of the herd and so on…" he elaborated while still obtaining his pondering expression.

"Obviously," Will grunted grumpily. "What about our path? I'd say let's stray somewhat to the left where the Circle rises in the morning."

Bron examined the suggestion carefully when Shorty, having overheard everything from his position, jogged up to the two adults.

"Bron, you're not going to abandon those trails, are you?"

Bron cast a quick look at the newcomer which was a mixture of a scowl and gratitude. Albeit clearly mingling with adult matters (Will sent a very unamused stare the green boy's way as Bron didn't fail to register), Shorty had voiced what he was afraid of suggesting. Deep inside, he knew that Will's suggestion was based on cold logic and facts - usually the best thing to keep in mind when making important decisions, however his heart was speaking a different language. These sharpteeth surely hadn't noticed them yet (or else, he surmised, they'd have turned around) but what if they had taken notice of something else? Yes, what if they were stalking the lone longneck from afar, waiting for the right moment to catch them off-guard? And even if they happened to take notice of his herd, what could they possibly do other than hope for a lucky miracle (or a thorough battering, Bron thought grimly)? Numbers were on his side whereas a single longneck would be an ideal target, especially after many days of travel without food and water. Bron felt responsible for the well-being of the lone longneck and its runaway child, thus arguing against his deputy's proposal.

"I surmise two sharpteeth can hardly cause any significant harm to the herd as long as we take all precautions and keep them where we can see them," Bron explained matter-of-factly to a disgruntled Will. "I'd like to keep the current course regardless of this new danger for it is a danger we can and will deal with if circumstances demand for it."

"Are you listening to the insolent boy again?!" Will shouted in significant displeasure, his eyes flickering at innocent Shorty who was looking expectantly at Bron.

"Not exactly," Bron said evasively, avoiding Will's direct stare. "It just so happens that I share his thoughts and concerns about the dinosaurs these trails unmistakably belong to."

"Nonsense, you must do what is best for the herd and that's avoiding those blasted sharpteeth, not walking straight towards them!" Will took a heavy breath in his agitated state.

"The herd is hardly in danger," Bron said casually. "But I daresay that longneck whose trails we're tailing is significantly in danger. Who do you think those sharpteeth might be after? They're likely stalking, waiting for a chance to attack. I reckon we should… "

"No we ruddy shouldn't!" Will thundered, loud enough to stir nearby herd members. "Will you stop letting your ruddy emotions get in the way of making decisions you need to make? Will you ruddy stop endangering the herd's safety unnecessarily?!"

Bron's casual look vanished from his face.

"Why take risks when there's a safer way? Why risk a brawl with deadly sharpteeth when it can be avoided for a stupid longneck who mightn't even want our help?"

Bron gave a mighty sigh. Will was undoubtedly someone relying on cold, cruel logic. It was part of the reason why he was chosen deputy not soon after the herd had formed and, although his ideals often clashed with his own, they had always been able to make good decisions. It seemed to Bron though that Will was more irritating than usual ever since they had set off on their journey. Casting aside those musings, Bron spoke up.

"I stand firm in my belief that we should be following the trails. Those sharpteeth aren't likely to be a threat and if they indeed have any ambitions you know we'll crush them like we always do."

"Tomorrow we stray from the trails," Will grunted more quietly. "Last word's yours 'f course but know that I'll blame you for anything that'll happen." And before Bron could get another word in, he had stormed off. Exchanging shrugs with Shorty, Bron assumed that the deputy had given in, although reluctant, to his plan.

"Tomorrow we'll find that longneck, I surmise," Bron spoke quietly, a dark vibe mixing into his tired voice. Would they arrive in time to save them from the sharpteeth? Both longnecks had a rather restless sleep that night.

*

*thud*

A cloud of dust rose from the ground as the small pink longneck dropped to the ground under the watch of the rising Night Circle. The last remnants of daylight were vanishing at last; the heat was finally on the retreat. The desert had turned from a flat, rocky hellscape into an even more hellish sandscape. Dunes tall as mountains reigned mercilessly over the area and, after crossing one too many of those monstrosities, her legs could move no more. It had been another day full of pain and suffering.

Although nighttime was much more bearable than the scorching afternoon heat, Ali could still feel the relentless heat even now. The Bright Circle was still burning her weakening body after its disappearance from the sky, the irritating pain still present. Shivers ran through her body soon as the Night Circle fully took reign of the sky, bringing the cold of the night along. Ironic, wasn't it, that after being tortured by the heat of the day, she was now freezing. Freezing so bad that Ali found enough strength to shake, yet her body wouldn't rise.

Her mouth was dry, so dry in fact that part of the skin inside was cut and inflamed. Ever since dropping head-first into the dune, sand was filling it too. Ali couldn't seem to find the strength to spit it out.

Things had deteriorated alarmingly fast. Two days ago, the girl had been full of spirit, dreaming of the day she'd meet Littlefoot again whereas now she wasn't even sure if she'd be able to get up in the morning to come. Ali was hungry but that wasn't the problem. Her thirst was killing her and her whole body had begun to ache not only from exhaustion but from the scorching heat as well, joined by an ever worsening, pulsating headache. It was particularly pronounced on her back and the back of her head. Would she even be able to take another day out in the unforgiving desert?

As Ali lay there, unable to move, shivering and suffering from great pain, she finally began to allow a thought she had constantly blocked from her consciousness to reach the surface of her mind.

"It was a mistake!" Suddenly, a few hot tears shot into her dry eyes though her body almost immediately shut the supply as Ali wept quietly and drily for there was simply not enough water in her body for it to go to waste like that.

"Running from home, running from mother, it was all a big mistake! I will never… I will never see him again!"

Heavy sobs shook her battered body, causing additional pain and exhaustion. Panic and fear, not to lose Littlefoot but to lose her very life, was grasping her tight as if attempting to suffocate the little girl. Ali had walked too fast; she had walked too far to turn around, knowing that the distance was enormous and her resources drained. Her only chance was to keep going until her legs would break, leaning on the miniscule hope that, behind the dunes, water was waiting. However, even if it was there in reach, would Ali even have enough energy left to rise again?

"Littlefoot, what am I supposed to do? Help me!" she screamed though no sound escaped her mouth - it was all in her head. The image of Littlefoot didn't turn up this time; had even her best friend abandoned her? Ali only cried harder as despair did its frightening handiwork. Would she really die here in this hell, all alone? Would anyone ever know?

Ali's despair grew to such heights that her body managed to rock, squeeze out some more tears and cry out for help despite the fact that she was injuring the skin of her dry mouth with every cry, despite the fact that the desert was completely devoid of life.

She was all alone; nobody could hear her pleas for help. Only when the Night Circle stood high above her, Ali passed out at last.

*

Another day had passed; another day of fighting her way through this blasted desert, another day seeing nothing but the footprints Ali had left on the rocky floor which was merely covered by a thin layer of powder-like sand and dust. The footprints didn't seem to lead her any closer to her dear daughter no matter how far she walked and no matter how much she pushed herself to increase her speed. There was no doubt that the trails belonged to Ali, but where was she? Her head start had been about a day, she reckoned, but, after a couple of days, shouldn’t she have caught up with the small child by now? Ali was barely reaching the height of her knees; there was no way the girl could walk as fast as she could with those little legs of hers!

Regardless, she hadn't caught up. The trails were slightly washed out by the gentle breeze which meant they were at least a few hours old.

"I'd never have guessed that a little child could walk so fast… oh Ali." With a heavy sigh, Ali's mother collapsed onto the still warm floor, the last of her strength leaving her at once. No matter how much she pushed herself, she was too exhausted by the end of the day to walk into the night. Now if that was what the girl was doing each night… but where did she take the energy? And, surely, the girl couldn’t keep it up forever? She was bound to crash from lack of sleep sooner or later, right?

It was only on second thought that the grown-up realized that she may have underestimated the amount of growth Ali had undertaken in recent time, possibly blurring her understanding of the speed at which Ali seemed to be traveling.

None of this really mattered at this point though. All she could do was to keep doing her very best catching up with Ali, hoping (or dreading?) that Ali would struggle with the harsh conditions before she would, allowing her to get closer at last. Although determined to rest well in order to be full of strength in the next morning, the thoughts about Ali and her well-being kept her from finding rest for a long time just like every night.

A fair distance from her, a pair of sharpteeth also settled down for the night - she hadn't noticed them whereas the predators had certainly taken notice of her.

And they were starving.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here's chapter 15 everyone. Another two days have passed out there in the Mysterious Beyond and while this chapter is short, it comes with some interesting developments. While Bron and Will are clashing over the decision how to react to some sharpteeth, Ali's Mother could possibly be targeted by them but she isn't aware of the danger due to her worries about Ali overshadowing everything,
Meanwhile, Ali has reached her limits, realizing her folly. Everyone is in a bit of a tough spot, how are things going to play out? The next chapter will cover Littlefoot's journey again, however this storyline will continue in chapter 17, yep yep yep!

I've sort of quit role-playing so idk. If everyone else is still in I might reconsider my decision but knowing myself I'm probably just going to be overwhelmed with things as soon as I get a job. Between my own stories and a RP, if I don't have time I'll rather neglect the RP than my stories so idk

First of all, it's been ages since I have read this story so I hope my view isn't too detached from the events of anything pre-chp65 

Before I start my review, I would like to add something to my review of chapter 65. The conclusion at the end of the chapter was really emotional and while you could have certainly extended the emotional scenes, I think the way you did it worked just fine for this chapter. I almost shed a tear when Ali realized she had lost her mother 

-

Review of chapter 66:

Everyone in the Valley sleeping together + remembrance night are both great symbols that underline the Valley's unwavering unity which is its biggest strength 

Great reference to Littlefoot losing his mother

I'm a sucker for well written emotional scenes. After chapter 65, I was praying for such a scene and you've delivered mate! Ali's situation here is absolutely terrible. She has no family left and her mother died such a meaningless and stupid death, it's almost as if fate is mocking her. She died for the sake of a valley that's never been her home and, arguably, Ali could very well start hating the Great Valley for taking away her mother.

It's very natural for Littlefoot to approach her, trying to do something for her. I love that you're referring back to the original movie. It gives so much more context to Littlefoot's emotions and it's always good to see continuity 

Ali's grief seems to be portrayed in a very natural and believable way. She's heartbroken, she's crying, she's clinging on to something that reminds her of her mother the sleeping spot, another nice throwback to the footprint scene and the TreeStar). She's also angry, not at Littlefoot whose comment may be aimed at reassuring the mourning girl but backfires horribly. No, she's angry at the unfairness of life. It's an all too understandable reaction. Poor Ali. She did not deserve this

Littlefoot's solution is absolutely brilliant and I can hardly give you enough credit for writing such a wholesome scene that tickles my emotions in more than one way. Ali's reaction probably matches my own feelings. It may seem a little extreme to kiss Littlefoot like that and it may be a little quick for Ali to accept such an adoption (I'm sort of dealing with something similar in Of Loss and Discovery) but you've clearly prioritized the emotional impact here and it absolutely works! Splendid scene!

I also rather liked some descriptions such as Ali's World losing colour or the weight of the world lasting on her. 

It seems Diver has lost her innocence with severe repercussions. Seeing such brutality at display can do that to a child and the fact that she had seen her parents do some cruel things is giving her a crisis. Again, I must applaud you for referencing the movies.

Ruphus' explanation is written very well. He is both understanding of Diver's feelings and making good arguments that Diver can understand and accept. Combat is awful and anything goes if it means that you survive - or protect those around you. It's a great lesson for life 

I had a good chuckle at Cyrest's comment. Maybe Ducky can really make him do anything with her cuteness? 

Whoa, how satisfying to see bullies being beaten up. I had forgotten these guys existed lol.

Good bye Bluey's eggs  :(Petrie Poor Sura having to go through this all over again.

Spinner finally gets to shine in this chapter. I'm not sure if this method works for real but it's certainly a nice explanation and to see Ducky master it is wonderful 

Sculra's story gives so much more context to the behavior she is displaying. While I think that this part isn't as well written as the rest from a technical standpoint (I feel like you could have tried to write this from Sculra's perspective rather than telling most of it from a narrator's POV. Show, don't tell. A mistake I frequently make myself to be fair  ), it certainly does deliver a frightening backstory for a frightening and well written villain. I'm kind of glad that I don't have to sit out the cliffhanger you evilly placed there 

Jumping back to the beginning, there's one thing that confused me a little. You mentioned a time skip but then jumped to scenes that happened little time after the battle. I know what you wanted to do here but I think it could have been a better choice to restructure the first scenes so that they go in chronological order.

Overall, this was a very interesting chapter with a hot pot of different scenes that all played out rather nicely and continued the story nicely. It finally seems like the Trials are in grasping range and I'm not sure whether to be thrilled or frightened yet 

Good job mate 

-

Review of chapter 67:

Hmm, whatever Sculra was planning to do must not have had an immediate effect or is this a plot hole?

I think the introduction of the Trials is written quite effectively, using poignant one-liners to put emphasis on the most important facts. It is indeed amazing to look back at Ducky and how she has continued to evolve and grow over the course of the story. I daresay that Ducky's growth matches your own growth as a writer. While it might look like Ducky has become somewhat unrecognizable, it is important while writing characters out of character to keep the circumstances in mind. Ducky was never placed in any situations in the movies that forced her to change her ways. Even in 8,even after playing bait in 1, she is still Ducky because it's only a temporary situation. The Trials have put her through unimaginable pain and hardship so to see Ducky being a character with mental strength that probably rivals Littlefoot and Cera is perfectly understandable and I'd just like to point out that you've done a splendid job developing her character over time. She still struggles but she's a lot stronger now and she's still Ducky, easy to recognize at a glance 

Sometimes a small gesture can have a huge effect on someone. Ray and Rapid have shown that excellently I think. Both unfortunate to be crippled with an injury, they have learned to help and appreciate each other. It doesn't seem like an important scene in the bigger scheme but it's little things like this that show your understanding of the characters you write about and your ability to develop their personalities and abilities. 

You had me confused just as much as Trough for a second there. So Elliot died, what a tragedy  :(Petrie You never know when to quit with the tragedies in this story 

I am impressed by the amount of tact Ducky's siblings had at the time and I agree with Sura's reaction to the situation. She was acting fair and understanding, focusing on the fact that they meant well and prioritizing their current mental health just like Ducky's siblings are aware of the importance of Ducky's mental health.

Trough didn't show quite as much tact though. While he's a loveable character, he can be a bit of an idiot at times 

Ah, every once in a while it's refreshing to laugh about a silly joke. Loving the playful banter here I'm repeating myself but I'm also loving those small references to the movies or, in this case, the TV series. I've actually referenced the same episode in RTTLOM so it is a episode I can actually remember to some degree  and it doesn't stop there, you're referring to the star day episode too (which I hardly remember, only seen it once and that was probably in 2014). I wonder what Trough has in mind for Ducky, maybe a candlelight dinner? 

And now it has officially started... Dang 5 years in the waiting and we're finally here. The Trials are starting 
Good job writing that judge, his speech pattern is very convincing of his position and age and it kind of reminds me of Albus Dumbledore from HP 

Thank God Covid-19 hasn't made it to the Great Valley so no Social Distancing during the socializing event 

That little joke aside, I have quite some things to say about the socializing. First of all, I think I would have had a lot of trouble getting such a scene right so kudos for attempting it and kudos for trying to write characters that you did not create. That is some serious challenge, especially since a lot of different authors have offered to help here. Lots of different writing styles and techniques and let's not forget the fact that you absolutely had to improvise here. Really impressive, mate 

Before I start commenting on the individual meetings and OCs, I'd just like to sneak in a little remark that's on my mind right now. Again and again I am surprised that the unique personalities and the differences in the physical appearance and abilities of Ducky's siblings continue to work out just in the favor of the plot. If you've written Spinner just so that he could aid Ducky 60 chapters later and Opal just for that little scheme to work, then you've had an amazingly complete picture of what's going to happen in the story even 5 years ago. And even if it's purely coincidental, you're doing a splendid job at exploiting the differences and unique features of her siblings to the most

Okay, I guess I'll start with good ol' Sucky

It feels so surreal seeing my own character at display here. Originally intended to be little more than a crack fic, Sucky became quite a popular character and she absolutely had to have a cameo here 

I actually remember awfully little of her story other than that she kind of died. You're definitely exploiting her catchphrase well and while I'm pretty sure that I've written her a bit different, I certainly love your version of her! I suppose it was super convenient for her to be a character Ducky would sort of know   

I'm not sure what to say about Pellie yet but her disability sounds like a great base for an interesting character.

OH yikes that final scene 

Ruphus is the same as Trough, a loveable guy with a bit of a hot temper. Man I smell some pretty good scenes in the future. To add a small family reunion side story to the trials is a smart move

Well, I don't really think there's anything I can complain about in this chapter, well done 

Chapter 14: Footprints

Ali’s mother crashed to the ground with a groan. No matter how hard she tried, she had to realize that her body wouldn’t be able to keep up with the things she wanted it to do. In order to rescue Ali, she’d have to walk day and night at her fastest pace, however she wasn’t as young as she used to be; her mid-aged body had limits which were entirely oblivious of her magnificent quest to find the girl. Moreover, her bottomless worry about her daughter's well-being was eating up all her remaining energy. It was a maddening condition. Didn't she have to mobilize everything she got in order to maximize the odds of success? Or, maybe, was this all her body could do?

It was barely nightbreak when she had to surrender for the day and lie down to sleep, her legs hurting from the fast pace she had maintained all day. Certainly, she had been going at double the speed they would travel at during their migrations. Ali couldn't possibly be traveling at such a rate, considering the fact that she was a lot smaller and couldn't cover nearly enough distance even if she broke into a jog.

As the longneck took a gaze into the distance, a number of bad feelings began to emerge. Somewhere out there, Ali was probably sleeping all by herself, a little lonely longneck with no means of direction and protection from predators. Although Ali's journey appeared to be roughly following the vague sense of direction so far which she could sense somewhere inside of her there was no telling if the child was able to feel it too. It might just be a case of luck; purely coincidental.

"More importantly, could I even protect her?"

Of course, sharpteeth could sneak up on Ali while she was wandering around all alone, all the more reason to hurry. However, even if she managed to find the girl could she prompt Ali to follow her back home? And even if she did manage to convince her, a feat quite unlikely after their horrendous quarrel, how could she even protect the child? How could she protect herself to begin with? Returning home to the herd was something as unlikely as sharpteeth being nice now that she was banned. There would be no safety for either of them.

Ali's words had stung but the little girl, even in her fury, did say a few things that weren't outright delusional. Her calling the herd members 'cowards' was certainly correct and she could tell that Ali's words had also referred to her own mother. In a world where survival was the most important thing to strive for, cowardice wasn't a sin. It was a life-preserving character trait; it had kept her alive all these harsh years. Throughout her life, she had always been surrounded by stronger longnecks to keep herself from danger. Only after Ali had lost her father back then, she had been forced to be the protective parent. Her cowardice had led her to join the first herd of longnecks that she had come across, a decision she regretted now. The adult knew exactly what Old One had meant when she had called her a useless member. She had never fought a predator.

She couldn't protect anyone.

Adding to the fear for Ali's safety as well as her own, the feelings of regret and low self-esteem became ever so profound as the last light slowly retreated in the west, the night now fully dark and gloomy.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of fright creep up her spine. What if a predator was just lying in wait to eat her once she had fallen asleep? What if Ali was targeted? Would she ever be able to find her sweet little Ali before something happened to either of them? The trails were thankfully still recognizable in the loose layer of dust and sand which covered a layer of sunbaked soil becoming hard as rock. One windy day and the dust would be stirred up; any clues about Ali's whereabouts would be gone forever. She absolutely mustn’t let that happen but there was nothing she could do to influence the wind. She felt powerless. For now, all she could do was rest her legs and hope that tomorrow she’d be able to walk further.

Worries were continuing to gnaw at her even as she attempted to rest. Tears falling from her eyes for quite a while, she eventually found into an uneasy sleep.

*

If by some peculiar instinct, Bron woke up when the night was still not quite over yet. The Night Circle still roamed on the sky although it was already sinking close to the horizon at this point. Dawn was only an hour away at best.

As he lay awake, unable to fall back asleep, a lot of worries plagued him. The brown longneck was once again reminded of the fight with the other herd as he threw a glance into the forest behind him. Even though Old One had claimed to grant him and his herd reluctant permission to stay for a night, Bron had an awful feeling. The old longneck might have enough spite inside of her to exploit the limits of her statement to the maximum. There was a possibility, at least, that they wouldn't let them have a full night of rest, appearing at the first sign of dawn to chase them out. Bron knew for a fact that the old leader wouldn't back down a second time if he challenged her sense of time. A fight between the two herds mustn't break out!

On a whim, Bron decided to wake his herd just before the Night Circle left the sky. As it turned out, his predictions were perfectly accurate. The sky was barely beginning to light up in the east and Bron’s herd had hardly finished eating another few days’ worth of food while drinking plenty of water when a line of longnecks emerged from the central parts of the valley.

“I see you weren’t lying about your ambitions at all, young one.” Old One emerged from the line of longnecks, approaching Bron who quickly rushed to the scene while his herd gathered behind him again.

“Unfortunately, that also goes for the amount of food you stole from us so greedily…” she sighed with a hint of anger, looking at the whole area which was pretty much stripped of its food. “I take it you are leaving now?”

“Yes, we will be on our way any moment now,” Bron confirmed with a nod, noting that Old One wasn’t nearly as rude as on the previous evening although this probably had something to do with the fact that his deputy was glaring at the old dinosaur rather sharply.

“Just out of curiosity, where are you headed to?” Old One interrogated almost formally. Bron could only muse where that sudden interest arose from but he answered her nevertheless, appreciating the more diplomatic encounter for what it was after expecting to be chased out.

“As I mentioned yesterday, we are embarking on a journey to find out what the sleepstories are telling us,” Bron explained calmly. “I take it you are thinking little of it?”

“Quite correctly so,” Old One growled. “You have got to be delusional to go on a journey, blindly following some intuition or whatever else is giving you directions. There is no gain if safety is at stake.”

“I beg to differ,” Bron replied with a smile. “If you honestly paid any attention to your sleepstories then you would know that there’s a great event all longnecks are supposed to be seeing and participating in. Who knows, maybe it’ll be something incredible or maybe there’s something we need to do? I really can’t tell but sitting around with this feeling would drive me crazy, not knowing what I might encounter, not knowing what I might miss. Don’t you feel the same, Old One?”

“Stop talking about this nonsense already,” the old dinosaur demanded. “Anyway, what direction are you headed to?”

“Gee, I wonder why that even concerns you after everything you’ve said,” Bron answered with a mirthful glance. “Well, you’ll probably spy after us either way so I might as well… You see, we’re walking with the Great Circle in our backs, moving slightly towards its evening position each day. That’s the rough direction we need to go but I’m certain that you, too, can feel it, right?”

“That does not concern you, young one,” Old One said drily with a derogative look at Bron. “Either way, that’s excellent. In return for granting you food and a place to stay, I demand that you follow and find a fugitive from our ranks who dared challenge my leadership. They should be headed the same direction so capture them and return them to this oasis!”

Bron deadpanned.

“Uhm, excuse me but what exactly are you planning to do with that fugitive longneck?” the brown-ish coloured longneck requested with a befuddled look.

“That is a matter of my herd, it does not concern you,” Old One shrugged him off.

“Also, if I may,” Will chimed in. “What’s in for us? We don’t gain a thing from such a deal.”

“Indeed, you are in my debt after all,” Old One said in direct response to the deputy with a matter-of-fact, sly grin. “And, as such, I expect – no, demand that you take my quest.”

“Well, we’re on a tight schedule so… I respectfully decline,” Bron explained with a grin. “After all, it’s none of our concern. I humbly recommend that you take your herd matters into your own responsibility.”

“You…” Old one hissed but Will stepped forward.

“You bunch of lunatics shall not pursue us or cause us any trouble, is that clear?” he said quietly but it had just the same effect as yelling around. Old One slowly backed away.

“Well, we’ll be on our way,” Bron said, apparently in great spirits. “If you change your mind about going, you'd better hurry or you won’t make it!”

“Not bloody thinking about it…” Old One mumbled through gritted teeth.”

“Very well, longnecks, follow me!” Bron called and, before sunrise they had left the small valley.

Shorty looked back at the valley where the other herd was still standing, still observing and making sure they were really departing.

“What a crazy herd indeed…” he muttered as the first rays of the Bright Circle enriched the land with light and warmth, soon to turn into unbearable heat.

“Capturing someone… what a funny request,” Bron wondered out loud too.

“You know,” Shorty piped up as his focus returned to the path ahead, rocky and somewhat dusty wasteland with nothing but the occasional boulder standing out from the monotony wherever he looked. “I’ve just been thinking, Bron… I’m really happy I didn’t bump into some old witch like Old One back then. I’m glad I found you instead.”

Bron slowed down significantly to look down at the green-coloured boy.

“Oh my, I didn’t realize but, every once in a season, you actually say something nice, Shorty.” Bron bent down his neck to nuzzle Shorty who backed away at first until he reluctantly endured it. “I’m glad that I met you too. Life would be boring without you. Come along now.”

Although a bit embarrassed, Shorty returned Bron’s smile and they continued to walk for a while. Soon the valley was out of sight, nothing but endless wastelands surrounding them. The longer he thought about it, the more it actually began to bother Shorty. He certainly wasn’t born with great empathy for others but being kicked out of a herd sounded a bit harsh in his ears. Old One may have called them a fugitive but even Shorty could read between the lines.

“A fugitive questioning her leadership… they must have left knowing they’d be booted…”

Sending a longneck away like that to travel such a dangerous and hostile landscape all alone didn’t sit well with him no matter from what perspective he tried to look at the situation. Or perhaps he could simply relate?

“Bron, can’t we do something about that longneck they kicked out? I kinda wanna help them, you know?”

Bron raised his eyebrows quite a lot as his attention turned to Shorty.

“My, what’s up with you today?” he wondered curiously. “You haven’t done something bad, acting all nice so I don’t get suspicious of you, have you?”

Shorty responded with a shocked expression.

“Uhm, what? No, I didn’t do anything, honestly! It’s just… it kinda bothers me what happened to that longneck…”

“Speaking from experience there, are we?” Bron raised another eyebrow.

“I guess so,” Shorty simply replied with a shrug, not feeling like reminiscing in the past right now. “I wouldn’t wanna be kicked from my herd… then again… I wouldn’t wanna be in that herd to begin with!”

“Neither would I want to be in that herd,” Bron confirmed with a sigh. “Well, I can relate to your concerns and, to be frank, I share them too. If that longneck is following their sleepstories too, then we should bump into them sooner or later unless they’re really fast.”

“Maybe we could look for their foot trails?” Shorty suggested.

“Brilliant!” Bron exclaimed happily. “Keep your eyes open then.”

“Okay!” Shorty immediately began looking although it would take him until late in the evening to spot the trail far to their right.

"Bron, I think I'm seeing it!" the boy eventually exclaimed. The Bright Circle stood low, helping with the discovery as the long shadows increased the contrast of anything that wasn't too flat to throw a shadow in the first place.

Immediately after confirming Shorty's discovery with his own eyes, Bron adapted their course slightly so they could inspect it.

“Hmm, a trail of just one longneck heading roughly the same direction as we do,” Bron spoke as he slowly followed the trail for a moment. The desert was particularly dusty where they were, almost sandy in some patches even, so trails were very well visible.

“I guess it won’t hurt to follow as long as that longneck doesn’t deviate from our path too much, right?”

“Yeah!” Shorty agreed eagerly. “Let’s go after them!”

“Wait a second, Bron…” both Bron and Shorty turned around to see deputy Will approach them, apparently overhearing their talk. The tall longneck wore an uneasy expression.

“Hey Will, what’s the matter?” Bron interrogated with a happy smile. “It’s not sharpteeth, is it?”

“No, although one can never rule that out…” Will replied drily. “Bron, don’t you think it’s better to stay out of that herd’s business? We can only guess how lunatic that leader is… she might just try to hunt that longneck down on her own or try to assault us… I think meddling with their business only leads to no good!”

“Hmm…” Bron pondered. “Can’t argue there but what can those guys really do? There isn’t anyone following us, is there?”

“Who knows, wouldn't surprise me,” Will grunted. “We should leave that longneck be and be on our way.”

“I see your point but we’re headed the same direction so I think it’s safe to follow those footprints for now. If they start to differ from our path, we can think about it again? I feel like there’s something we can gain if we follow that longneck.” Bron tried to convince his deputy but it wasn’t quite as easy.

“Urgh, Bron, I don’t know…”

Meanwhile, Shorty continued to study the footprints. Every now and then, smaller footprints seemed to stick out between the big ones, almost as if another, much smaller longneck, had walked this path too. A child? Shorty's curiosity was immediately awakened. As Bron began to try arguing with emotions and empathy, the boy investigated the footprints with utmost concentration, glad to have something to do as boredom was a common problem during their journey. No matter how far he looked, it always seemed like the grown-up had stepped onto the small ones which meant…

“Bron, can I say something real quick?” he piped up excitedly.

“What is it?” Will grunted angrily, strongly disliking Shorty for all the mischief he would often cause. “Don’t you see we’re busy here?!”

“It’s about the footprints!” Shorty cried. “Look at them closely, there’s a second pair and it belongs to someone with feet of my size!”

“A child’s footprints?” Bron bent down his neck to take a closer look. Indeed, Shorty hadn’t been lying. Although a little washed out from the wind and constantly covered up by the bigger ones, one could clearly recognize a second trail - the trail of a child about Shorty’s size.

“Maybe that longneck had a child and took it along?” Shorty suggested.

“Those trails are older than the ones the adult left,” Will grunted. “Probably that child’s a runaway, a no-good and the parent is going after them.”

“Shut up…” Shorty grunted sourly. “They might need our help…”

“I’d say forget them and move on!” the deputy thundered. “Bron?”

“Well, I also believe that we should follow them, especially if your guess about the runaway is true, Will…” Bron said in a troubled voice. “They wouldn’t last long against the sharpteeth here and I’d rather save them if it’s within my range of possibilities.”

“Urgh, do whatever you want then, Bron!” Will ranted and turned away, leaving him alone with Shorty.

“What’s his problem?!” Shorty grunted in annoyance.

“Beats me,” Bron shrugged. “Well, let’s follow the footprints for a little longer and see if we can catch up to them.”

“Yeah, thanks Bron!” Shorty agreed and so they walked well into the night that day.

*

Ali looked up at the starry sky. Her legs hurt like crazy and the combined efforts of hunger, thirst and exhaustion were beginning to take a serious toll on her. Moreover so, loneliness was eventually creeping up on her like an old friend as she spent day and night all by herself without a soul to accompany her. At first, the outlook of meeting Littlefoot and his friends was enough to comfort her but, gradually, being the only dinosaur in an endless desert began gnawing at her. Had it really been the right thing to leave home, leave her herd, leave her mother? Hadn’t she been a little bit too rash in her desperate attempt to run away?

No matter how long these thoughts continued to spiral in her head that night, Ali knew that it was already too late to turn around. Regret was growing stronger within her heart but all she could do was hoping it’d somehow work out.

The moment she gave up was the moment she lost the game after all and Ali wouldn’t lose faith that easily. Tomorrow, she would rise again and walk endless distances through neverending dry lands, hoping that her sleepstories wouldn’t lead her astray…

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A little unusual to have no feedback but I suppose a 1-year hiatus can do that to you 

This chapter continues where I left off last year. Bron leaves the small valley where Old One resides and decides to follow Ali's mother who trying to find Ali while struggling with insecurities from a (not quite yet) disclosed past. I know Ali's part is really short again but there is little to write. Going chronologically, it made sense to write a small update about her mental and physical state as she continues her reckless journey. She'll certainly have a somewhat bigger scene in the next chapter 

This chapter was only grazing a 2k word count (wrote it way over a year ago) but I did a lot of editing here (now slightly over 3k). Particularly the initial scene about Ali's Mother and the scene before Bron has another chat with Old One have been extended quite a bit. There's also another idea that's been brought to my attention (Shorty finding Ali's foofprints could be written better) but, for now, I'll save it for an eventual overhaul of the earlier chapters (it's definitely coming, I wasn't aware of certain things back then and my writing style evolved a bit since then). For now, my priority is to keep the updates strong and regular though.

Chapters for SDP are definitely going to be much shorter than chapters for other stories, at least for the moment as there's only so much I can pack into these right now. I'm trying to stay within the bounds of 2,5-7.5k for now.

The next chapter will elaborate on the events of chapter 14. Are they going to find Ali's Mother? Is Ali's Mother going to find Ali? How's Ali faring? And how is Bron going to deal with a new discovery they make? Come back next week to find out! 

Must be weird to read about what each other is writing on the forum haha. Really rare too for siblings to share a passion, you're really lucky guys