The Gang of Five

The Land Before Time => LBT Fanfiction => Topic started by: The jewelstone queen on April 08, 2022, 11:45:49 PM

Title: Unbearable- A story of love
Post by: The jewelstone queen on April 08, 2022, 11:45:49 PM
I've deffinetly read a lot, but I'm not the best writer. But anyways, let's just jump into the story's details...

Summary-

During the days of Great growing, Littlefoot incounters a new emotional struggle as he decides to take his friendship with Ruby further. But when Ali returns, Littlefoot discovers the same feeling in Ali. Find out Littlefoot's decision in a heart-warming and dramatic tale of dinosaurs and love.

Fanfiction.net linky- https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14063661/1/The-Land-Before-time-Unbearable

Chapter 1- New changes and new problems

Early-morning sunlight streamed between the brambles as Littlefoot rose from his nest. Groggy from sleep, he stretched every limb and made his way to the open clearing. The light orange sunlight warmed his back.

It had been a few years since he rescued his father from the lava pool. The memory was gone now, knowing that his father was safe. But here in the valley, everything was changing. His friends, including himself, have gotten 10 years older, his shoulders were more broad and his neck had certainly gotten a bit longer, he wasn't as tall as his grandparents yet, but his head towered just above a grown threehorn. Not only did there size change, but their personalities were more amplified. Cera started growing her two horns, but they were'nt as sharpt as her tongue, and her retorts and habit of disagreeing with everything was a stronger trait. Petrie and Ducky's speech habits are still up to key, but lately it's been seen as a problem. Spike had grown his spikes to be small little plates. He still isn't able to speak words, and is constantly eating, even more frecuant than before. Ruby hadn't changed much, she was certainly a fast runner, as her race name inplies. Littlefoot couldn't help to notice that she would always linger at his side, he liked her company anyway.

Chomper however, without knowing it, had grown just as much as Littlefoot had. His cheerful attitude still remained, but such strength hid under his child-like personality. Often, the young sharptooth would playfully shove someone during a game, and accedentally send them to the ground.

Littlefoot sighed as he went through his thoughts. So much had happened in just a few years. A flash of orange caught his eye. 'Cera.' He thought with a smile.

She must have noticed him too since she pushed through the thin wall of ferns up ahead. She started towards him with a charging gallape.

"Whoa! Slow down!" Littlefoot moved out of the way just in time. Her growing horns nearly pierced him on his flank. "You nearly hit me."

"Ya know you're starting to walk slow like Grandpa Longneck, maybe you should grow slower too. Should I stop calling you Littlefoot?" She scarffed between breathes.

He rolled his eyes while shaking his head. "Come on, let's see what the others are up to." He headed for the water fall, where the gang usually meet up during the mornings.

"The bright circle is just barely rising, would you expect anyone else to up already?" Cera said with a dry sarcastic voice.

"For sure I know Chomper and Ruby will be out." And to confirm his decleration, they came within sight of a massive purple sharptooth-about twice Littlefoot's size-and the refined figure of a pink fastrunner. He was eager to get the day started, but when he approached them, Chomper held a frustrated look on his face, while Ruby held her chin with a finger worringly. "Hey...What's wrong?" He asked softly next to Ruby.

"It's just that... well..."

Before Ruby could explain, Chomper had lundged to the side while in the water. A small fish fluttered underneath him. He missed. The sharptooth slaped his tail on the surface indignantly.

With a frustrated sigh, Ruby continued. "It's getting a little hard finding enough food for Chomper."

Suddenly a plumb fish flew in the air and landed on Cera's nose horn. She wrinkled her face in disgust and annoyance. "Ugh, It can't be that hard, he was just fine yesterday." She said indignantly, while the fish slipped off her nose.

"You weren't even paying attenton to him yesterday." Littlefoot turned his head to her with a raised brow.

"Oh yeah. I don't know, I guess I didn't have the energy to pretend to listen to his promlems." The threehorn lumbered to the water an lapped at it.

While Littlefoot stiffled a laugh, he glanced over to notice that Cera's comment didn't help Ruby's worrys at ease. She hugged her arms close to her while staring thoughtfully at the ground.

Littlefoot's expression fell. He hated to see her upset. He brushed his nose against her cheek, alarming her slieghtly. Meeting her confused gaze, he flinched from her and looked away. 'strange..' He thought. He had reacted so absent mindedly. He cleared his throat to end the awkwardness. "Uh- Don't worry, I'm sure that Chomper will be ok. I'm sure we'll find enough food to settle his-"

"No! That's not what's wrong." Ruby's soft voice held frustration and impatience.

Her sudden outburst took him aback, and even Cera turned around to see what was going on.

Chomper made his way out of the water with a fish in his mouth. He slerped it up before attempting to assure his caretaker. "I mean, it's fine really! Sure it takes me a while to find enough food, but it's no big deal!" His lips curled to reveal a toothy smile.

"You're not seeing what I see. Just look around you! The other residents are starting to get cautious around you." Ruby flung a hand in the air dramaticaly. "Cera and Littlefoot's parents might not find you troubling but the others do."

Cera looked away in thought. "And if their uneasyness gets out of hand Grandpa Longneck will have to deal with it. Which means there's a chance that..."

"No... No! My Grandfather would never kick Chomper out of the valley!" Cera hadn't finished her sentance but Littlefoot understood where she was going.

A scoff sounded beside him. "It's gonna happen eventually-" Cera's muttered comment was cut off as Littlefoot shoved her harshly.

Suddenly the earth around them shook as Chomper rested with his back to the ground, resting his tiny arms on his chest. "Yeah... but in the meantime, why don't we enjoy eachother's time in the valley before I have to face the dangers of the mysterious beyond alright?" He joked with a cheerful and calm tone. He leaned his head a little to admire the soft bundles of clouds that dotted the light blue sky. It certainly was a nice day, and deffinetly one not to be wasted with worried thoughts.

Ruby seemed to acknowlage this and reluctantly rested herself next to the purple sharptooth. Littlefoot sighed with relief as Ruby put on a more familiar expression. "Whatever will happen, will happen later." She smiled as he sat next to her. He felt happy to enjoy the day with his friends. The warm sunlight washed over him, and he could feel himself getting sleepy again. He rested on his back and tilted his head to watch the pink fastrunner soak in the sun's warmth as well. Her gentle expression sparked something in him. It wasn't familiar, but he had a feeling that he knew what it was. He shook his head to clear that thought. 'She couldn't possiably feel the same way, and even if so, it was completely unheard of.'

He stayed there for a moment, rereading his previous thoughts. After a long while, Cera cleared the silence. "Hey so where's Spike, Petrie and Ducky?"
Title: Re: Unbearable- A story of love
Post by: The jewelstone queen on April 08, 2022, 11:50:46 PM
I've already finished Chapter 2, so here ya go!


Chapter 2- The unexpected battle
"They'll turn up eventually. The treestars are starting to change color, so I guess they're out grabbing a few before they turn brown and withered." Littlefoot suspected. His eyes met the leaves that hung limply on the branches nearby. They were starting to lose their light green colors. It wasn't too late until the whole valley was covered with oragne and yellow leaves.

"Why don't we make our way over to their nesting areas? See what their up to." Chomper suggested while sitting up.

"And give their siblings a scare with that foul smelling mouth full of teeth of yours? Right." Cera sneered. Her words were harshly chosen, but her voice spoke in jest. Littlefoot glared at her otherwise.

The air suddenly felt still. After a moment of silence Cera continued. "What's the point in waiting for them anyway? After all, we don't hang out together as a group anymore." For once Littlefoot had to agree with her. They were all still friends, but it felt as if the gang had split in two smaller groups. It was so natural now that no one mentioned it. He let out a steady breath, the realization washing over him at once.
"Why don't we hang out with them anymore?"

The threehorn turned her head to him slowly, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying. "Because, it's always been like that. They've grown apart from us and that's that. There's nothing much to it." She lumbered off to the side of the lake. "Who wants to hang out with two bone heads and an overgrown frog anyway." She muttered as she finished.

Littlefoot's tail slashed with aggrivation. Cera was usually moody but this time she went a bit too far. Even though she could have said something worse, she still assolted their own friends. What was she even saying? He was about to argue to her insult when Chomper's scruff chuckle rumbled in the air.

"Well... I might be an even bigger frog, and a bone head, but you still hang out with me." The young sharptooth put a clawed hand to his chest for symbolization.

Cera stammered over her words and she faced the ground, her eyes flashing back and forth to think of an explanation. "Well bacuase... It's whatever, it doesn't matter!" She lifted her head and swung around opposit of them. She was done talking about this.

"Hiding something?" Ruby stood up now, and turned her head to the side with curiosity.

"Why would I be?" The threehorn said over her shoulder. Her face shown with surprise. Littlefoot could see that she truely wasn't hiding anything. He looked at her for a moment, then shrugged his thoughts away. He assumed she was just being a bully.

Ruby's face clouded. Her eyes looking at nothing in particular. Littlefoot glanced at her and knew she was thinking about something. He smiled, it was deffinetly a normal habit of hers to suddenly stop whatever she was doing to ponder for a moment. He loved that trait of her. He suddenly shook his head. Why was he thinking about these sorts of things, and only towards Ruby? He looked away, trying to ignore his thoughts.

"I think it's because Petrie and Ducky are spending more time together. Surley it's not that we're ignoring them?" Ruby said, fading out of her concentrated state.

"That's a good point there. They are always together when I get a chance to walk by them." Littlefoot uttered, recalling some previous moments.

Cera circled back towards them, annoyed. "What does that matter? Can we stop talking about them now?"

Littlefoot couldn't hide his grin. So there was something wrong. "Oh all right, Cera. If it really bothers you to talk about them."

Ruby hopped in place imapatiantly. "I'm tired of being in the valley! Do you all wanna go somewhere so that we are somewhere else?"

Chomper nudged his caretaker playfully. "Wow, how unusal of you, Ruby. I'm up for anything. Feels like the whole valley is staring at me."

"Because they are." Cera replyed impassivaly.

Littlefoot didn't quite agree with this idea. He knew they all meant going into the mysterious beyond, but just to be sure he wanted to question if this was really the case. "Where to though?"

"Nothing dangerous of course. Just a nice stroll, maybe see something new..." He waited for her to continue. "...In the mysterious beyond."

'Of course...' Littlefoot's expression fell.



Even though they were older, their parents still instructed them to stay in the valley, where it was safe. But like every other occasion, they went out anyway, without informing anyone. They were nearing the borders, but before they stepped foot out into the world, Chomper's deep voice peeped from behind the group.

"Wait, aren't we going to get Petrie, Spike and Ducky?"

"Do we need them?" Cera sneered from the front.

"But we always go together for an adventure." Ruby insisted beside her.

Littlefoot could hear Cera's frustration in her snarl. "Ugh, look, we're already on our way, we don't need them alright!" She leaped forward, eager to get out of this topic. Something was deffinetly troubling her, he would have to confront her about that.

They walked on in silence, when suddenly Chomper started to snort loudly. "Wait. Stop." He smelled something, and was staring hard in the distance. With his suspitions, they all haulted to a stop, trying to see what Chomper was glaring at.

Ruby ducked downwind instinctivlely and sniffed around her as well. "A fastbiter." She announced quietly.

Chomper confirmed with a nod. "Male, a weak one seems like it..."

Littlefoot has faced these things before, he knew what to do. "Right, let's head to the left, and walk around it. He won't be able to notice us from all the way over here." The wind was carrying it's scent towards them, so the fastbiter wouldn't be able to detect them. Chomper and Ruby followed their leader's orders, Cera, however, hesitated and glared up ahead.

"Why don't we just attack it? You said it was weak right?"

"No, we're going to leave it be, it hasn't attempted to chase us." Littlefoot hissed, keeping his voice low. "Come on." He earged as he walked on with Chomper and Ruby.

Cera stamped her feet into the ground. "We're not little kids anymore! We don't have to hide from those ugly bastards anymore!" Her hollering allerted the fastbiter, lifting up it's grey head through the bushes.

"Cera!" Her friends all shouted their disappointment.

"Now what?" Chomper snarled crossly.

"Now...we fight!" Cera charged forward, her eyes locked on her victim. At this point, the fastbiter leaped out of it's cover and started to run in a big circle, inclosing them. Littlefoot could see the concentration and slight fear in its narrowed eyes, suspecting which one of them it would choose to attack first.

The fastbiter limped with hunger and weakness, the blood on it's body was black with age. It curled it's lips in a snarl and it's eyes glittered with determination however.

"There's no time to escape, try and counter it's attacks!" Littlefoot's voice boomed as he gave the order. They all turned their backs to eachother and watched as the fastbiter continued to circle rapidly.

Before the sharptooth could react, Cera lunged froward and slamed her head against the grey fastbiter, sending it in the air. It growled with anger. With hungered energy, the beast scrambled back up and with swift speed, charged straight towards his attacker.

But before it's claws met her skin, Chomper's teeth clamped on the base of it's tail. The fastbiter screeched with pain and surprise. It swirled around to snap at the young sharptooth. Chomper's red eyes sparked with fury. He wasn't going to let go. Suddenly the fastbiter's hind leg kicked him across his eyes. Only a few seconds and it's claws peirced into his right eye like a thorn in a tar pit. Chomper flung his head upward, shaking his head as if to remove the wound.

The fastbiter took the chance and veered to the right of the shadowing sharptooth. It attempted a jumping attack on Ruby, she would make easier prey since she was the smallest one in the group.

Ruby didn't have time to react, her lithe body quivered with panic. In just a few heartbeats the fastbiter would have a hold of her. The sharptooth curled it's lip in a tryomphant grin. His work would be over.

Frantically, Cera quickly flung her tail towards the grey fastbiter while it was still in mid leap. Her tail crushed against it's body, sending it flying once more. The fastbiter flew blindingly towards Littlefoot, it's limbs flailing wildly, trying to catch itself before it fell. In an instant, it's slim body landed squarly on Littlefoot's back.

Fading back into focus, the fastbiter teared into his shoulder, ripping off a thick chunk of flesh. Littlefoot, not having enough time to think of anything elese, started to wirggle on the sandy ground, attempting to compress the life out of the snarling creature. He could feel it's piercing claws embeded in his skin. While still struggling to detach the fastbiter, he cringed as he felt his skin break, a long cut ran down his back, blood ran freely from the agaped opening. He groaned feircly, and with a great haul he lifted back up, and before the fastbiter could make any other strikes, he put all his weight into his forelimbs, pressing down on the fasbtiers chest. He was twice the sharptooth's size, within a moment, the fastbiter wouldn't harm him or anyone else no more. Littlefoot grunted, he pressed down as hard as he could, ignoring the scratchs and hisses from below him.

Everyone else around him looked on in anticipation and respect. Then the grey fastbiter's agitated hisses and snarls turned to pleading whimpers and panicked growls. Suddenly, pity and realization washed over him. What was he doing? He'd never kill another living being, even at his current state, where he owned many scratches and a wound that spilled thick crimson liquid.

He no longer wanted to hear the creature's begging squeals, and with slight regret he lifted the weight off of the fastbiter, and watched as it scrambled out from under him. It limped away and until it was far away, it hissed indignantly before vanishing into the undergrowth.



While laying gingerly against a tree, Littlefoot listened as Cera continued on with her boasting while Ruby treated his wounds.

"-That mangy thing didn't even lay a claw on me!" Cera lifted her nose in a gloating manner.

Chomper however, didn't give in to her 'bravery'. "It was old and wounded when we first saw it. Of course it was weak."

Littlefoot blocked them out as they argued. They were a couple feet away from where Littlefoot and Ruby were resting. The group was settled in an inclosed clearing, encompassed by a wall of trees, just near to the valley's borders. He didn't want his grandparents to see him like this, and then he'd have to explain to them of where they were.

Ruby must have noticed his tired and thoughtful expression because the fastrunner quietly asked the obviouse question. "Are you alright?"

He let out an exhausted sigh. His scratches deffinetly stung, and the wound on his shoulder itched with pain as well, but the gash on his back was what bothered him. His body was sticky from the blood. Thankfully Ruby was seated right next to hiim, washing his injured body with moss soaked in water. He hadn't realized he'd been thinking for too long, and left her waiting, staring at him patiently. "Oh- I'm fine. At least I'm not unconscious." He said with a smile.

Her expression was readless, and when she didn't respond he continued. "I guess this means no adventuring for me right?" He was surprised by her heavily concered face.

"No."

"No?" He held his breath as she let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. That feeling was coming again... He had thought about the first time he felt that way towards his friend, but now that it washed over him again he began to realize that he actually liked her. He looked away, deep in thought. He certainly did like her, he liked her a lot. It pained him to keep this a secret. He told Ruby everything, sometimes he would only tell Ruby things, and only Ruby alone.

For a while he was like this, fumbling over his thoughts, until eventually Ruby opened her eyes again and stared at him once more. He lifted his gaze and their eyes met. Embarrasment flooded over him as he swiftly moved his glance away, studying the grass below him. Littlefoot could still feel her soft stare beating on him. Did she say something while he was dazed?

"Uh- what?"

"I said I'm glad you're ok." Ruby said quietly. She held a warm and joyful expression. A face he loved to see. Littlefoot was thankful that she didn't seem to mind the long wait for his reply.

He was still recovering from the shower of realization and emotions, so he simply gave her a polite nod. Eager to get away from her, he stood up, his limbs quivering with soarness.

"Hold on, I haven't finished, I'm not done." Ruby, surprised as he started to walk away. He was limping a little on the side where his shoulder was torn up. Littlefoot made his way back to Chomper and Cera, relieved when he felt the rush of excitment and embarrassment fade from his body. He gave a brief greeting, and watched them head over to Ruby so she could patch up their injuries.

They had mild scratches, and a few bites here and there, but nothing like what Littlefoot had. He couldn't help but laugh when Cera rejected the fastrunners help. She turned tail and ploped herself not too far from Ruby and Chomper, licking her scratches.

Littlefoot turned to gaze into the distance, his mind drifted into a world where it was just him and Ruby, but he frowned slightly. If he were to act the same way towards her just now, he would go no where, and probably make their friendship worse. He didn't want that...

Littlefoot turned to face her now, watching from afar as she examined Chomper's wounds. That's it. He wanted her alone. If he could ever get a chance to spend time with her with just the two of them, he would take that chance. How he longed to meet her eyes again.

Saddness pierced his heart as a dark thought made it's way in his mind. 'What if she doesn't feel the same way?'
Title: Re: Unbearable- A story of love
Post by: The jewelstone queen on April 28, 2022, 08:49:57 PM
Chapter 3- Unsolved situations

chapter summary- while Littlefoot and Ruby share their moment, Chomper realizes something's bothering Cera


Littlefoot shifted restlessly in the shade of a great twining tree. He had been waiting for Ruby for just a few moments, but to him it felt like eternity. His conversation with her replayed in his mind...


A few minutes ago


Littlefoot approached Ruby with a smile as Chomper made his way near the trees to look for ground fuzzies.

She hadn't noticed him until the longneck winced. The gash on his back stung as he moved around.

"Be careful, you might open your cut." She looked at him now with scolding eyes.

He rested in front of her, sitting down gingerly as to not provoke his wounds. "Ya know you shouldn't be worried about me all too much, take care of yourself first." He insisted, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"That fastbiter didn't lay a claw on me!" Ruby said, almost with pride. "But you got the worst of it, out of all of us you got ingured the most."

Littlefoot sighed. He didn't want her to worry about him, she and Chomper have problems to deal with already. 'A good distration is what she needs. but what...?' From the corner of his eye, Littlefoot could see Cera sharpening her horn on a tree, splitting away the bark. Her tampering shuffled the treestars above and casued a lose bundle to float their way towards her. She growled in frustration as they landed over her eyes. Cera trambled over them with bitter anger before stalking off.

They both stiffled a laugh. That's when Littlefoot had an idea. He turned back. "What do you say we go on a walk, we can gather treestars before they fall off?" His hospitable face hid uncertainty; knowing Ruby she'd probably refuse in this case.

"But you shouldn't be walking, Littlefoot."

'Yep, as I thought...' He suppressed a sigh. "Well, the bleeding has stopped, thanks to you, but might do me good if I stretch out my muscles for a bit." He suck in a breath. 'wow, and even out thought that sounded stupid.' Of course, he knew what she was thinking. He hardly rested after that fastbiter battle, and now he wanted to go on a walk? Oh who was he kidding? This wasn't about him right now...

Ruby turned her head to the side, searching through his expression with a confused face of her own. She was convinced eventually by his pleading face. 'Oh-' He meant to show a more passive expression. 'I don't want her to think I'm up to something...' And no, he had nothing planned, he just wanted to spend more time with her. Hopefully his nerves didn't get in the way this time, and maybe he could get a chance to Ruby's view point on him.

"OKay." Ruby said at last, with a more relaxed tone. He could see that she was just worried about his injuries. He took that to note, not to casue any attention towards that while they went off. The fastrunner stood up, Briefly brushing pieces of grass away as she turned tail, into the trees. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to get a drink from the watering place over there. I'll come back to return!" With that, Ruby continued into the trees.

Before she was no longer audile, he hollered as her body started to disappear in the tangle of trees. "Let's meet back at the left side along the border!" Littlefoot fizzed with excitement as Ruby flicked her tail to show she had heard as it was enveloped by darkness.

Littlefoot turned to head to their meeting place when he saw Cera and Chomper standing curiously at him. He looked at the two of them, surprised.

He frantically thought of what to say as Cera stated the obvious. "Where are you off to?" Her glare held suspicion more than anything.

Chomper, meanwhile, waited expectantly for Littlefoot's answer. He completely trusted him of not hiding anything.

Littlefoot chose his words carefully, he didn't want his other friends to suspect anything. "I was just telling Ruby to meet me sometime later so we could discuss about how i'm gonna tell my grandparents of what happend." Littlefoot spoke confidently, and it was convincing enough to sway their suspicions away. "You know, about that fastbiter."

Cera puffed annoyingly. "Don't bother, they'll just give you the same scolding as Any other time." Littlefoot tried to muffle a relieved sigh as Cera started to walk away.

Chomper, however, still stood in front of him, holding an expression Littlefoot couldn't read. After a long pause and looking the longneck over, Chomper wismpered his final concerns, just to be sure. "Is everything alright?"

'Ok, so I didn't tell them the EXACT truth, but yeah, everything's alright! So far…' He gave a slight nod, his face shown a bit of bit of sorrow and regret. He knew Chomper trusted him, he was a loyal friend. Why didn't he just tell him what he was really up to?

Chomper looked at him gently, then smiled goodbye as he shuffled through the patch of trees.

Present time

"You're just too embarrassed to admit it to them, that's why." Littlefoot said to himself, still under the winding tree. He knew that was the reason he didn't mention his doings to Chomper and Cera. Who knew how they'd react if they found out Littlefoot liked Ruby.

"Embarrassed of what?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Ruby's voice rang in his ears. He turned to the left to see she had emerged from a band of brambles. "Oh! Ruby!" She gave him a moment to get his bearings. With a relieved sigh he calmed down and approached her with a friendly smile. "Sorry, I was just talking to myself while waiting here for ages!" He finished, saying the end of his sentence dramatically.

Ruby made her way beside him, and they both started down the path. The ground beneath him was sandy and the ferns were trampled away, making a trail.

A light breeze drifted beside him, calming his burning skin from the evening bright circle.

After a while she responded. "It's not like you're in a hurry to be in a rush?" Ruby held a thoughtful stare before turning back to Littlefoot.

"Oh no! I just wanted to go on a quick stroll." He panicked at her words, he didn't want her to think she'd done something wrong.

"Then why did you bring me? And not Chomper or Cera?" Ruby's soft glance held only curiosity.

Littlefoot fumbled over his words. He really didn't know what to say. "Well… I just…" Alarm washed over him in a wave. What could he say?

Suddenly his front leg gave way over a jutting root. Littlefoot let out a shriek of surprise as he staggered forwards. His outburst was muffled as his body rolled into a ball and continued to tumble. His predicament ended shortly when he made it to flatter ground. He lay still, his chest rising up and down to catch his breath.

Embarrassment flooded over him. 'Did that literally just happen? What did I even trip over? Littlefoot took a moment to regain his thoughts, trying to figure out what went on in the previous seconds. Suddenly he heard uncontrollable laughter.

He lifted his head a little to see Ruby holding her hand around her mouth, she laughed so hard that she began to tear up.

Hot embarrassment washed over him once more. He scrambled to his feet, trying to appear less of an idiot.

When her fit had ceased to a light chuckle. "My...I didn't know you longnecks could roll like that!" She paused to let out a short titler. After her laughter was at rest, she put on a more sympathetic smile. "Are you all right?"

Littlefoot let out a shaky sigh. 'I guess it was a little funny…' He smiled at that. But hearing Ruby's laughter tugged something in him. His heart pounded with excitement. "I guess I'm clumsier than you now." He took the chance to shoot a witty remark. Her reaction made him laugh himself.

Ruby's expression faded from an amused to an offended one. "I'm not clumsy!" She chirped with a high pitched voice.

Littlefoot snickered tryumphantly. He knew she wasn't really upset.

She stood still at the top of the slope. He admired the light that glowed behind her, making her shine almost. 'Just stay right there...' Littlefoot just wanted to stare at her all day.

"If you're not clumsy, than maybe you can race me without tripping on something?"

"You're talking to a fastrunner who can run fast! You want to race me?" Ruby put on a mocking skeptical face. She wasn't always competetive, but when she knew she was good at something, she was sure to show it.

All embarrassed and flustered feelings faded away as Littlefoot became more relaxed with inerracting with the fastrunner. They were always close friends, and out of the whole group Littefoot would come to Ruby for advice on how to fix cerain situations, and sometimes just the two of them would conversate during gatherings and such. They were just friends...but something in Littlefoot's head made him question everything again. The dreading thought that Ruby doesn't love him back, or the fact that all of this was wrong entirely. What would everyone in the valley think? Inappropriate? Disgusting? Unnatural? And what of his other friends? What would they say?

He could feel Ruby's gaze resting on him, then he realized that he had been contemplating for too long. Again. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"What's wrong?" With a hesitant voice, Ruby came to his side, staring up at him.

Littlefoot didn't like to worry her, and he definitely wasn't going to tell her about what he was thinking. "I just zoned out a bit, that's all." He shrugged.

There was a pause before Ruby spoke again. "Well. Let's say we get this race on shall we?"

Littlefoot held his breath. 'That was a close one. Alright, back on track, don't make her seem suspicious.' He prepared himself, ready to run when Ruby was at her right footing. He gave a slight glance to his right, where Ruby was standing with her legs fairly apart. He was going to enjoy this, Littlefoot just wished it would last forever.

"Ready?" Ruby held a mischivious grin. He had never seen this side of her, which he loved none the less.

"Ready." He confermed confedantly.

The orange treestars flew out from under them as they bolted through the sandy terrain. The two dinosaurs grinned with excitement.

And while Ruby's eyes narrowed with determination, Littlefoot couldn't hide his content expression as they raced on. He didn't see it as a competitive race at all. It was all more about the enduring feeling of doing something with Ruby, and that's all he cared about.

Both pairs of eyes watched one another as they continued on. This 'race' had turned into a playful runaway; no longer were their forms angled straight forward, eager to win, but instead their bodys circled one another in big loops. Their faces conveyed nothing but warm thoughts.

Littlefoot was lost in time, nothing else existed but Ruby and himself as the outside world blurred around him. He wished this moment would last forever, until fate thought otherwise…



Cera paced around with frustration; her rhythmic footsteps matted the grass.

Chomper, however, leaned against a tree with his tiny arms crossed, completely holding a different demenar than his friend over there. He glanced a peek at the agitated threehorn. 'Yep, she's definitely got something on her mind…Should I ask?' He let out a reluctant sigh. 'Alright fine…'

The corners of Cera's mouth curled into a snarl. This made Chomper question it even more, but he decided an attempt on finding out what was bothering her.

"What's up?" He tried to sound as approachable as possible, not wanting her to think he noticed her defeated look. He was, however, expecting her reply.

"Where the fuck did they run off to? It's been ages!" Cera growled. She briefly stopped her pacing to glare at the bright circle, which was at its peak.

Cera was right, Chomper had to admit. Littlefoot and Ruby have been gone for a while. "Didn't Littlefoot say he was going on a walk?"

"With Ruby?" Cera almost sounded bewildered. "Why Ruby? What does he have to tell her that he can't tell us?"

Chomper noted his leader's change towards the fastrunner, but he didn't give it much attention. "Maybe they just wanted to hang out."

Chomper suspected that a new thought reached the threehorn's mind. "Why doesn't he want to hang out with us?" She growled.

He knew that if they continued on like this it would be nothing but pointless arguments. Arguments that would get them nowhere but raise even more questions. His massive form sat down next to her with a loud thud. "Is It something we need to worry about? Just let him be, he's his own dinosaur, let him have some peace." He tried to soothe her with a gentle voice. Chomper was the big hungry giant everyone knew, but only a friend could see the kindness in his toothy smile.

The sharptooth's words did not calm Cera, however. "I don't believe it… he better not…" Her eyes were focused on nothing. It seems she must be having a battling conversation on her own.

Chomper tilted his head. He wondered what she was thinking about…

"Cera?" When she didn't respond, he pushed on. "What is it?"

Suddenly she turned on him, her throat growled with rage and frustration. "He's just going to turn out like the rest of them!"

Chomper narrowed his eyes. What was she talking about?
...

Instantaneously, Littlefoot and Ruby tumbled together into the thick brush. In that startling moment Littlefoot could only assume that he had tripped again, but ultimately their chaotic antics have gotten out of hand.

They slammed harshly at the bottom of the slope; their landing made the dirt puff up from the ground.

Littlefoot arose from his awkward position, he groaned as he felt soreness in his wounded shoulder. 'Now that was a bad idea…' He slid his expression below him, where Ruby's prone figure lay between his front legs. Her face was blank at first, but soon took on the familiar smile he knew well. Littlefoot began to panic and took on an embarrassed and apologetic grin. 'Oh sweet rainbowfaces help me.'

Littlefoot scooted away from her and stood up. Once again, he winced as the cut on his back began to provoke him.

"Oh no- I knew this was a bad idea! I'm so sorry!" Ruby's repentant voice cried out with such sorrow and regret that Littlefoot didn't know what to do. He stammered over his words as he thought of what to say.

"It's fine, look! I-I'm ok! That fall was my bad anyway."

He could only wish what was going on in the fastrunner's head. Until she thoroughly examined him, Ruby nodded her head slightly. "Ok. But from now on, let's just walk." She said hesitantly.

Littlefoot closed his eyes with a nod of his own as he walked steadily next to Ruby. "Did you care about me?" He shot a risky question, and even so risky that he felt nervous of his friend's answer.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She stated simply.

'That wasn't a no…' He thought reluctantly. 'What happened to the fun we just had? Don't you think we're more than just friends now?' Littlefoot stared at her. He pleaded to the world to let him know what she thought of him; but the fastrunner's face showed a blank expression, she was good at masking her inner emotions. He sighed as they continued on in silence.



They were nearing the end of the path, and they could see the valley's main clearing.

Before they came in view to anyone, Littlefoot leaned forward to give Ruby a quick nuzzle as a goodbye. However, Ruby hadn't noticed and took a few steps away, dodging Littlefoot's attempt.

She soon departed after giving Littlefoot a generous nod.

The longneck turned away, embarrassed at his failure. He could see Chomper and Cera in the distance as Ruby trotted there way. Looks like they are in some kind of conversation…

"He's just going to turn out like the rest of them!" Cera's yell put a puzzled face on the young longneck. It was common for her to shout, but what she said didn't make sense to him as he walked by.

Chomper noticed him and titled his head as a greeting. "Have fun on your "walk"?"

Littlefoot swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. 'I hope they didn't see anything.' His focus remained on them as they stared at him.

Chomper held a skeptical look, while Cera gritted her teeth in frustration; her angered stare burned on him.

Frantically thinking of what to say, Littlefoot was saved as Ruby jumped to his side. "We just wanted to see where that fastbiter went." She assured.

"So that's all you were doing?" Cera hissed doubtfully.

Littlefoot met Ruby's prompting nod. He relaxed a bit to seem more convincing. "Of course, you aren't assuming anything now are you?" Littlefoot said with a challenge. He wanted to be his normal self again. His friends were like his herd, and he was their leader.

What seemed like many night circle cycles, Littlefoot continued to hold Cera's glare with a stern expression of his own. Chomper and Ruby stood to the side, awaiting what would become of the situation.

Finally, Cera broke her focus and turned away. "Fine." She mumbled.

Littlefoot knew she was on his tail, but he spat back one final remark so they'd think nothing of the fact that he lied. "What's with you? I can't just spend time by myself anymore?"

Cera paused. "If I misunderstood you…then I'm sorry." She said with a low but sincere tone before walking away.

Chomper and Ruby looked on as Cera's form disappeared into the distance. They didn't know what to do. Should they cheer her up? Or leave her alone…

Guilt washed over Littlefoot. He tricked them, he deceived his own friends, and for what? To save him from embarrassment? Littlefoot lifted his head when Chomper nudged him with his snout.

The great sharptooth held an assuring smile. "Well…see you later I guess. It's getting late, what do you say we get something to eat, Ruby?"

"Yes please, I'm so hungry that I'm starved." She said eagerly.

Chomper couldn't hold in his amused chuckle. "You might be older than me Ruby, but you'll never outgrow that little habit of yours."

Littlefoot let out a laugh of his own as Ruby's happy expression faded into annoyance. "Well you wouldn't know how to handle it if you had to handle it!...I-I mean-" She was angered at her own frustration.

When their laughter subsided, Chomper prepared himself in search of his evening meal. "Alright, come on, before I starve from hunger." He joked.

"You know what, I'll catch up." Ruby growled.

"I'm gonna be in trouble tonight, aren't I." It wasn't even a question, he was sure his caretaker would get a talk in, and possibly a nip on the tail. That was how they bonded, and despite his massive form, Chomper was still under Ruby's care, from discipline to playful rituals.

Ruby nodded bluntly. "Yes. Yes you will."

Despite Ruby's omanice words, Littlefoot couldn't suppress his laugh. He watched as the young sharptooth mockingly skipped away from Ruby's playful swipe. He continued to watch with an amused smile when Ruby retreated in front of him.

Although Chomper was out of sight, Ruby spoke in a soft-quiet voice. "Don't worry about Cera, she might worry too much, but sometimes she gets a little over her head."

'I'll say.' Littlefoot commented.

"I didn't want her to assume anything, which is why I mentioned the fastbiter." She paused to acknowledge Littlefoot's nod of understanding. "Besides, what's wrong with two friends spending a day together?"

"Friends…?" His whisper was barely audible.

"Of course! Oh! And be careful when you meet your grandparents. You know, about the…fight?"

He hardly heard a word as she continued on. So that's how she saw him. As just a friend? 'This won't work at all…' Littlefoot felt defeated and heavy-hearted. He slid his gaze to the ground, unable to look at her.

"Take care ok?" Ruby began to make her way in the direction that Chomper had. She waved a friendly hand as she disappeared into the bushes. Littlefoot didn't reply, nor did he lift his gaze. 'Oh Ruby…'
Title: Re: Unbearable- A story of love
Post by: The jewelstone queen on May 15, 2022, 04:03:14 PM
Chapter 4- Worries and assurances

Chapter summary-
We find out what happened between Ducky and Petrie, and during Littlefoot's conversation with Ducky, we learn about Ruby's view points from the previous events.

Littlefoot curled stiffly in his nest of ferns. His body heaved with a long sigh of relief. Thankfully his grandparents weren’t there to ask him any dubious questions that would prompt them to ask even more questions. Unfortunately this was contradicted as the large form of Grandpa longneck shuffled in the darkness. Littlefoot became still, pretending to be asleep.

The young longneck gritted his teeth nervously as his grandfather’s voice filled the chilly air. “Why so late, Littlefoot?” His tone was quiet, but raspy from age.

Littlefoot reluctantly dragged his head up. ‘Here we go…’ He thought before replying carefully. “I was out..exploring…”

“Exploring ay? I thought you said you were too old for that?” His grandfather croaked with a bit of humor in his voice. It was true, the gang still go journeying, but they hadn’t called it ‘adventuring’ or ‘exploring’ since they were kids.

Littlefoot thought carefully. Let’s see, what’s  a good excuse that would work here… He tried to stay calm, and concentrated on keeping his voice steady. “Well, my friends just suggested that we walk along the border and-”

“You got attacked by a sharptooth?” Littlefoot was surprised by his grandfather’s flat tone, as if he saw the whole fight. When Littlefoot didn’t answer, the mighty longneck continued. “Don’t think that you can just sleep it off and ignore it. I see those scars.” His voice was shaky. Littlefoot could tell the pain in his grandfather’s expression. Despite it being nearly pitch black, he could make out the elder’s sad face, it must have pained him to see his grandson injured.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa…I just-”

“It’s not your fault.” Grandpa longneck cut him off once more with a soft tone. “A sharptooth attack is nothing to be sorry for, unless you’re an idiot and you give the first strike. You just need to make sure not to get into trouble like that again. My concern is, are you alright?” The elder’s stare looked over his grandson, making sure his wounds weren’t severe.

“Oh I’m fine. Ruby helped me patch it up.” Littlefoot assured him.

Grandpa longneck leaned back as he relaxed. He let out a content sigh. “Ah…Well, glad you have a friend like her.”

“Yeah…” Littlefoot looked away as his mind drifted back to what had happened that day. He felt empty-hearted. She might be a great friend, but what he saw in her didn’t come close to what she thought of their relationship. Maybe he wasn’t being obvious enough? His contemplative state was interrupted as his Grandfather cleared his throat forcefully. This was turning into a bad habit…”Oh, sorry. I was just thinking…”

“Might I ask what’s on your mind?” The longneck prompted. 

And of course, there was no way he’d tell anyone about his ponderings. “Well…Maybe it’s not the right time.” Littlefoot said finally.

“The time of great growing brings many emotions and new experiences. I at least hope you know that if you need to talk about… anything, me and Grandma will be here for you.” The elder held a soft expression as he settled himself for sleep.

Littlefoot’s shoulders relaxed. He noted to thank the stars for keeping his secret. He decided to conversate normally. Suddenly he acknowledged that the valley was now quiet and the night circle was at its peak. It was certainly late. “By the way, where is she?” He hadn’t seen his grandmother since early morning.

“She’s right here…” Grandpa Longneck rested his head on a large boulder, or so Littlefoot thought it was a boulder…Through the darkness Littlefoot could see his grandmother’s still figure beside Grandpa longneck. Littlefoot noticed the faint rise of her body as she slept. His grandfather let out a quiet chuckle so as to not wake up his mate. “It’s so dark you didn’t see her right? You should get to sleep now.”

Hearing that, Littlefoot agreed with a sluggish nod. He was starting to feel tired, he experienced a busy day. From the fastbiter fight, to the heart-melting moment with Ruby, and having to turn down Cera’s suspicion. Cera… Littlefoot noted that he would have to find out what the meaning was to Cera’s shouting words. ‘He’s just going to turn out like the rest of them!’ Her angered roar still lingered in his mind.

“Oh, and Littlefoot?” Grandpa Longneck whispered hesitantly.

Littlefoot lifted his head slightly.

“There’s something special happening tomorrow. I hope you’ll find that you might enjoy it.” The elder longneck’s mouth rested into a soft smile.

Littlefoot didn’t have anything in mind of what his grandfather said, he was too tired to think of anything else anyway. He gave the elder a slight nod before curling himself comfortably into his bedding of ferns. He closed his eyes and instantly fell asleep.

Then, the young longneck opened his eyes to burning sunlight. He dragged his head up, still groggy from sleep. His face contorted with disbelief, the bright circle was high in the sky. He was still tired, even after waking up at a later time than usual.

He stood up with clumsy movements before dragging his feet to the watering place before-

CRASH!

From what Littlefoot could see in those quick seconds, a flash of pink bolted towards him and crashed with such force that it knocked the breath out of him.

Littlefoot lay on his back, now recognizing the figure on top of him.

“Ruby?” He panted.

“Oh sorry, did I startle you?” The fastrunner said with cheeky sarcasm.

“No, not at all-” Littlefoot rose to his normal height, gasping to replenish the air he lost.

“Seriously though, are you ok?” Ruby said, now with a more serious tone.

Littlefoot found his breath again. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good…” Ruby’s voice trailed, her soft tone carried such unfamiliar sweetness that Littlefoot couldn’t hide his confusion.

“So what’s the rush?” He asked, wanting to forget the confused feeling.

“Nothing, just wanted to see you…” Her voice faded once more, but that wasn’t what really startled him. Ruby pressed her head under his chin, and feeling the sudden act of affection made him flinch. Littlefoot’s face flushed red and he looked down at her, wide-eyed. Her slow movements allured him, his instincts wanting to return the affection. And although this gave him a burst of excitement, he could feel panic rising over everything else. This was so unexpected of someone like Ruby…Just a day ago she said so herself that they were friends… And even though Littlefoot wanted to have something with Ruby, this was going too fast.

Littlefoot became light-headed as Ruby continued to nuzzle her nose in his neck. He continued to stare with his mouth partly open–speechless. He felt dizzy as a bunch of questions jumbled in his head. Does this mean that she really did love him? And if that was true, she was rushing in too fast…

After a long while of panicking and flustering, Littlefoot gave in to his cravings. If this was really how Ruby felt, then he wanted to savor each moment. Littlefoot relaxed as he cupped her head under his chin, nuzzling the precious fastrunner as she buried her nose in his neck. ‘This is too good to be true, almost as if I’m dreaming…’ He thought with a bit of humor.

“Because you are.” Ruby said flatly, not looking up.

“...What?” Littlefoot stopped with perplexity. How could she read his thoughts? Unless…




Littlefoot shot his head up. He looked around frantically to realize that he still lay in his nest. The bright circle was beginning to emerge above the mountains. It was all a dream…

The dazed longneck stood up, he glanced behind him to see that his grandparents were still sleeping. He let out a sigh. “No point in sleeping now… what a weird sleep-story…” Littlefoot mumbled as he made his way to the watering place. That’s when he stopped.

“Wait… Just like my sleep-story. I was about to get a drink, and then…” He glanced around, expecting a flash of pink. All was still and quiet except for the insects that chirped during the night. He cautiously made his way to the body of water, still glancing around for any pesky fastrunners.

Littlefoot finally reached the water’s edge, and eagerly lapped at it. Savoring the cold taste, he looked at the water below him. From his examination, he noticed a wave of ripples that came opposite of him.. Looks like someone else woke up early for a drink. Only when he looked up did he recognize the unique form of Ducky.

Her expression was filled with happiness as usual. The young swimmer put on a smile, immensely happy to see him. She stretched a hand out and waved it violently. “Hi Littlefoot!” She hollered with a child-like voice.

Littlefoot couldn’t mask his own happiness. He hadn’t seen his friend not too often, since her and Petrie weren’t technically part of the group anymore… He pondered this with sad eyes, which Ducky was able to recognize.

She approached him now, while he stayed where he was, staring at her. She ignored Littlefoot’s upset gaze. As Ducky approached, Littlefoot could make out her newly structured body. She wasn’t as big as her mother yet, but she lost the light green color to her skin. Her legs were more hardly structured, and thankfully she still held a childish head. Her big blue eyes, that cute smile, the sight of her made Littlefoot miss her all the more. What was keeping her and everyone else from the group?

Eager to find out, Littlefoot made his way to her side. “How’ve you been, I know we don’t see each other often…”

“Yeah…” Ducky said hesitantly. “Well, I was not expecting you here, nope nope nope!”

He chuckled at her so familiar verbal tic. It was certainly annoying, but that’s what he loved, her uniqueness.

“But since we are together I think it is a good time to mention something…” She began again, only this time her joyful expression loosened. “It is about me and Petrie.”

Before she continued, Littlefoot could already tell what the swimmer was to announce. Finally! Some answers to what’s been going on! Thankfully he wouldn’t be getting this information out of Cera, and the whole world knew she wouldn’t reveal anything about her this current situation.

“Does it also have something to do with why you, Petrie and Spike don’t hang out with us anymore?” He spoke with a hissed whisper, not wanting anyone else to hear.

Ducky frowned. She could hear his flat tone, as if he already knew the answer. She drew back a breath and released a long, soft sigh. “Yeah, well… “ She sighed with sad frustration. “We did not mean to upset her…” Her voice drifted as she looked away.

“Cera?”

She turned back. “Me and Petrie, we kind of…” She clenched her hands together. She let out a nervous mumble.

Littlefoot could tell what she was thinking, but he dared not to say it. But could it be possible that Ducky may be in the same situation as he is? No, that can’t be right!...Right?

“Let us just say that me and Petrie supposedly did something wrong… and yes, it did upset Cera.”  She confirmed with a nervous nod.

Littlefoot took these words to thought. So maybe it was true? He didn’t want to jump to conclusions however, so he prompted more questions. “Why was she upset?”

“It was a few night circles ago, but I think I remember her saying things…as if she did not want to be friends anymore.” Her voice was hesitant, and her eyes focused on nothing.

“Ducky…” He began with a gentle voice. “Tell me what’s going on.” Even though they hadn’t spent time together recently, he was still her friend.

The air felt still as Ducky paused. She tried to look into his expression. Finally, she spoke, her words so quiet Littlefoot had to lean closer for him to hear. “Promise me you will not tell a living soul about this.”

Littlefoot nodded sincerely. He was getting tired of having to guess what was going on; trying to read Ruby’s expressions, not certain on if Chomper’s suspicions grew, exasperated by Cera’s confusing outbursts, and now Ducky is struggling to tell him something. He held her stare carefully, showing her that he could be trusted. He waited for her to continue.

“Me and Petrie. We…” She sucked in a breath. “We are in love.”




Ruby woke to a soft touch. She raised her head to see Chomper prodding her gently. “Phew, I thought you’d never wake up.” He joked with gentle eyes.

“What’s the matter?” The fastrunner stood, stretching each leg carefully.

“Nothing, you would normally be up by now. The bright circle is over the trees now.” Chomper stared curiously at her weary stance.

She tried to stifle a yawn. “I’m fine…” She said simply, looking away into nothingness.

Chomper knew that look well. “Something on your mind?” He smiled down at her. Even though Chomper was a lot bigger, he wasn’t all THAT big, so thankfully they didn’t have to find another cave.

Ruby noticed his large form and his soft smile, he was a sight that one wouldn’t normally see everyday. She was proud of his growth. But suddenly her sweet expression faded as the sharptooth’s smile brought back last night’s ponderings…

However tired she was, Ruby’s mind had raced restlessly during the cool night. While in that time she rolled and fidgeted. Now aware of why she was so tired, she gazed back up at Chomper. For a while she stayed like this, until finally answering his cautious question. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

She lied.

They reached the line of trees just outside their cave. Chomper had waited for Ruby to catch up, but she fanned her hand at him, gesturing him to go on ahead.

Ruby watched as Chomper disappeared into the band of trees. Her eyes looked distant as she recalled her previous thoughts. She noted that Littlefoot was acting strange lately… She had a feeling of what it was, but feared too much to even consider it. Her suspicions rose each moment she spent with the young longneck, and she hated herself for enjoying it too. It was all mindless play, and during those sweet moments she acted uncharacteristically impulsive. And sure, she and Littlefoot shared similar traits, and bonded quite well over the years; but Ruby hadn’t realized until later on that their friendship would grow.

Ruby slid her eyes to the ground. The time they spent was enduring–she smiled at that–but then the haunting questions and possibilities dawned on her again. She asked the same questions Littlefoot had done, and still, neither of them could make out an outcome.

She sighed. So far, she had kept a passive expression during some close calls. She was a master at concealment; for many years of living in the Mysterious Beyond, she had learned to not reveal her current thoughts during danger or suspicion. She had learned to disguise her emotions, whether she was scared, sad, and… something else…something new…
The fastrunner put her hands together. Was it that the time of great growing had maybe caused these new temptations? Ruby could hardly remember the day she started to feel her attraction, it was a while ago in fact, but she had brushed the thought aside.

She bit the bottom of her lip nervously. She could feel her instincts itching, and she wanted to relieve that itch… With severe concentration, she concluded two options: She could participate in the forbidden love, or never interact with the young longneck ever again. The thought of never seeing Littlefoot again made her heart empty. But even she knew that that would be unhealthy, and eventually, she would give in to temptations.

However, the negative outcomes opened up to her, and they were so great that Ruby shot an uneasy glance in all directions, wondering if anyone was watching her ridiculous state.

The overwhelming thoughts were too unbearable, so Ruby walked into the group of trees, searching for her childish friend. But to conclude her aching thoughts, she told herself one final assurance. The assurance that would forever break their bond, that would keep them from ever meeting eyes again. Even speaking to him would cause suspicion from the other residents, and their friends…

Ruby spotted a patch of purple in all the ferns and brambles. He crouched over something and lifted his head to reveal a plump ground fuzzy between his jaws. Her mouth watered at the sight. Even though she had agreed to the valley that she wouldn’t eat meat, Ruby would often sneak a mouth-full from Chomper’s kills. Yes… they have all gotten persistent, even Ruby–thanks to the time of great growing. This was something else that she had to hide.

Chomper trampled through the undergrowth to greet her. “Fwook you wong enouff.” His voice was muffled by the creature’s fur. He dropped the stiff body to the ground. “Ya know… Makes me uneasy that I can’t live off of stinging buggers and crawlers anymore… Like you said, I’m starting to feel like the whole valley’s watching me.” He glanced around as he said this.

“You shouldn’t be worried.” Ruby started with an assured and soft tone. “You’re a sharptooth, and the valley needs to realize it. Plus, they know you, they know you wouldn’t kill in… that way. And even if they found out that you have a new habit of killing ground fuzzies, they would confront us about it.”

Chomper paused for a moment. “Can you explain all of that again? I was distracted by all the ‘knows’ in each sentence.” He was partially teasing, but he was barely paying attention.

Ruby put a hand to her forehead. “You haven’t changed at all have you? Still not listening to me like when you were a little biter…” She shook her head with mock disapproval.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry my supervisor.” He bowed down to her dramatically.

“Is that sarcasm I hear? That’s it- I’m eating half of this now.” With amusement glittering in her eyes, Ruby swiftly seized the creature in her mouth and darted away.

“Hey!” Immediately Chomper bolted after her, his heavy footsteps shook the earth. He could hear Ruby’s muffled laughter as she still held the furry creator in her beak.




Littlefoot stood there with his mouth ajar. He couldn’t have known that Ducky and Petrie were together, the feeling carved a hole in his heart. They were his friends, and yet he didn’t even know about this.

A mixture of alarm and disbelief mingled with happiness for his friend. He was glad to know that he wasn’t the only one. Even though he was bewildered, the excitement and eagerness washed over everything else.

“How did you do it though? Were you not concerned that you love someone of a different species? Wha-how did you make it work?” He fumbled over his words, trying to get Ducky to answer the questions he’d been asking for several days.

Ducky was taken aback by his reaction, she stared at him, wide-eyed. “Are you not upset about this? Are you not mad? This is an interspecies relationship I am talking about here…” Her face showed nothing but astonishment.

“I know, yes, I was surprised, but… “ Littlefoot was about to continue, but he stopped abruptly, realizing that he also had a similar secret. He paused and looked around. The bright circle was on its way to its peak, and other residents began to make their way around the valley. “We can’t talk about this here.” He whispered.

She noticed this and nodded.

They made their way to the shelter of a group of trees. The shade made Littlefoot’s wounds stop stinging from the beaming sun. When they finally settled, Ducky continued with a shaky breath.

“I just thought… that since this is wrong, you would be upset and maybe run off to tell someone.”

“Ducky, I’m your friend, and I already gave my promise. You and Petrie’s secret is safe with me.” He assured her with a gentle voice. “Does your parents know?” He asked curiously.

“Not that I know of, yep yep yep.” She shook her head happily. “Me and Petrie only spend time together alone.”

Littlefoot’s questions still buzzed in his head. He felt like a naive child, as if asking his mother questions with curiosity about things he was just then learning about. “But… Might I ask how you made it work?”

“What?”

“Your relationship, how did you work it out? You know, despite the downsides of it.” He asked slowly, curious of her answer.

“Well, once we noticed we felt the same way, we started hanging out with each other. But eventually we knew it wasn’t right…So me and Petrie talkeded it over and we decided that it was better to share love rather than avoiding it. So what if it was wrong? I love Petrie more than anything. I do not care if it bothers a few dinosaurs.” Her voice rose, as if she was proud of something she was fighting for.

“So…no one knows?” Littlefoot said with a skeptical look.

“No one but you.” She smiled warmly.

Littlefoot was listening intentionally to her words, but he thought of his own predicament. “Are you sure that Petrie loves you?” He didn’t meet her eyes, he spoke as if he was talking to himself.

Ducky paused, she was taken off-guard. “What? Of course he does! Petrie was the one who confessededed first.”

“So… is that all you have to do? Confess?” Littlefoot looked hopeful.

“You sound as if you are living in this kind of situation. Is something wrong?” Her curious glance burned on him. Could he tell her? It would matter anyway, being that she had already spilled her secret to him. He wanted to go back to the way things were, having his friends back, being able to trust everyone…Littlefoot sucked in a breath.

“You’re right. There’s also someone out there that I love.” He began with a shaky voice. He felt hot with embarrassment, Ducky would be the first to know of his longing relationship with Ruby… Thankfully he was sure of her loyalty.

A bright smile sprouted on her face. “It is about time! Who is it? It is not Ali right?” She talked fast with excitement.

Ali? Littlefoot hadn’t heard or even thought of the young longneck ever since their last meeting…and how long ago was that? She was probably about as big as he was now. “No, not at all!” Ali was certainly one of his best friends growing up, but he didn’t see her in that way. “Someone else… in the valley.” He looked away, preparing for her reaction.
She stared with a blank expression. After a long pause, she answered, confused. “Cera?”

Littlefoot was completely surprised, and hearing this he couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. “Oh gosh, when yellowbellies fly!”

She joined in his laughter, and after they relaxed, the answer began to dawn on her. “So if it is not Cera, and I do not believe it is me…” She looked up to see Littlefoot shake his head. “Then… “ Her eyes became bright. There were no other dinosaurs who were their age except… “Ruby.” Ducky whispered with happiness. “I always thought you two would be a great pair, yup yup yup…”

Littlefoot sighed with a faraway look. “I wish she thought the same…”

“Wait- so she does not know?”

“I don’t think so… Oh Ducky, I’ve been through some tough times with her. And I’m worried, all of these possibilities are so overwhelming. I love Ruby, I really do! But what if she doesn’t think the same about me? O-or what if my grandparents find out…” His body shivered with anxiousness. Saying these familiar questions out loud made it even worse. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Do not think about it that way. Do not worry, me and Petrie will help you.” She gazed at him gently, and her expression shown with sympathy for her beloved friend.

Littlefoot met her gaze, and he nodded slowly. “Thanks…”

“We understand what you are going through, so that’s why me and Petrie are here for you. It is just a shame that our parents can’t help us, because then they would be furious if they found out about all of this!” She laughed to herself. And even though Littlefoot could recognize the child-like personality in her, he had noticed that she too had grown. She was about head-leveled of him; and despite her verbal tick still prominent, he noticed that she would use big words while talking, and—he had to admit—she gave good advice. They leaned forward in a hug, he missed his friend deeply, and he was glad to have her back.

They exited the protection of the trees, but just before they could advance any further, a large group of longnecks filed into the valley. Littlefoot and Ducky stopped in place, their eyes narrowed to watch the herd in the distance. Littlefoot heard a sharp gasp from Ducky, and he soon found out what was the cause of her startled noise. In the band of gray longnecks, Littlefoot caught a glimpse of a light-purple figure. Ali!

Title: Re: Unbearable- A story of love
Post by: The jewelstone queen on August 19, 2022, 06:08:04 PM
Chapter 5- new arrivals


“After so long, she finally decides to show her tail around here.”

Littlefoot looked beside him to see Cera shouldering her way between him and Ducky. The threehorn had teasing eyes, but her face  showed excitement. Littlefoot was glad she had gotten over her hostility from the day before. Glad that was one least thing he needed to worry about, Littlefoot thought.

The three rushed over to the advancing herd, and The old one had stopped in front of the entrance to greet Grandpa and Grandma longneck. As the herd dispersed, Ali became visible behind the jumble of longnecks.

“Ali!” Littlefoot cried.

The purple longneck turned her head slightly, exhaustion in her eyes, but they lit up when she spotted her childhood friends. Ali leapt towards them, and they were all racing so fast that Littlefoot thought they might collide with each other.

Littlefoot skidded to a halt when they were just one tail-length away. “It’s been so long! I’m so glad to see you again, Ali.” He said warmly.
 
“Yeah, I’m glad that we get to stop by the valley.” Ali leaned forward to give Littlefoot a friendly nuzzle, which he accepted.

“You mean to say you are not staying?” It was Ducky’s voice that rang beside Littlefoot.

“Yep, in case you all didn’t know, the cold times are coming back.” Ali said softly, but Littlefoot could see the distant look in her eyes.

“Yeah, as if we didn’t know while our tails are freezing off.” Cera growled, her words were half-hearted, but Littlefoot and even Ali could hear the usual playfulness in her tone.

“Wow, you all grew some last time I visited! Ducky, you used to be so small…” Waiting for Ducky’s embarrassed chuckle to fade, Ali continued, with a far away look. “I wish I was here so we could watch each other grow up.” She said, almost with a whisper. And seeing her solemn face made Littlefoot want to assure her.

Ali stared at her three friends and looked around, as if she was searching for something. “So where are the others? Spike, Petrie, and the…the two other ones?”

Littlefoot heard Cera from beside him, snickering. Surely she would know Chomper? After the foolish tactics that were brought upon Rhett to prove to Ali that he had been lying to her. Yes, it worked—Littlefoot noted—but maybe a bit too well…
“Ah, Petrie and Spike are probably still in their nesting areas.” Ducky stated cheerfully.

“Gah- we’ve been standing here for too long–and I’m sure all that traveling has gotten you hungry. You wanna join us for a meal?” Cera started to turn tail at those words, and at the mention of food Littlefoot noticed his hallowed belly.

With a grateful nod from Ali, they trekked towards the thick undergrowth, exchanging friendly small talk as they went. When the group was a couple Longneck–necks away, a flash of pink, and then purple crashed out of the bushes.

Littefoot saw Ruby’s eyes stretched out with surprise. She skidded to a halt before them. Pounding close behind was Chomper, his eyes gleamed with playfulness, but he too stopped when he noticed the group of dinosaurs in front of him. Ruby shyly dropped his prey as she examined the slightly familiar form of Ali. “Ah– nice to see you again, Ali.” The fastrunner said with friendliness.

“Hey…Uh… You.” Ali bowed her head with embarrassment. Littlefoot had guessed that she couldn’t remember Ruby at all, they only interacted when Chomper attempted to act like a blood–thirsty sharptooth in front of Ali and Rhett.

That’s when Littlefoot caught sight of Chomper. His looming figure blocked the sun, sending streams of light from the corner of his head so that his teeth glistend. Ali stared at him up and down, and for a moment Littlefoot thought that Ali didn’t recognize Chomper either. From a first glance she instinctively braced herself, ready to run.

“Hey- wow, it’s ok! Look, it’s just Chomper.” Littlefoot assured her. And for a moment, he could see Ali’s posture relax, and she narrowed her eyes at Chomper.

The young sharptooth tried to smile innocently, but he instantly frowned when he noticed that doing so would show his sharp teeth.

Cera smiled with amusement while Ali pricked up again. “Ah! Chomper! Sorry I was mistaken.”

“No worries.” Chomper smiled again with nervousness. Even though he had gotten used to other dinosaurs for assuming he was just a regular sharptooth, it still pained him to see them run off or shriek with terror. Ruby noticed his upset look so the fastrunner leaned on him and muttered a few comforting words.

“So where’s Rhett? I’m looking forward to jabbing him in the ass.” Cera jeered, looking around for the cowardly longneck.

Ali ignored Cera’s threatening comment. “He might have wandered off somewhere in the valley by now. He’s probably getting a drink after our long journey, maybe we’ll find him on our way over there.”

Littlefoot nodded and they all headed for the watering place. Littlefoot was so excited, he wanted to spend the whole day with Ali, but the look on her face showed exhaustion. Energy pulsed through him, but he knew she needed the rest. They made it to the edge of the water, the grass feeling slippery and cool beneath them. Littlefoot watched as Ali gratefully lapped at it.

Then he noticed his Grandparents leading the rest of the herd into the valley. They looked as if they wanted to talk to him, but they only nodded their heads to him before continuing on.
I’ll see them in a little while.

“So what do ya wanna do first, Ali?” Cera’s voice made him withdraw his gaze.

“Actually, I want to rest for a bit.” Ali said while she settled down in a clump of ferns.

Littlefoot rested beside her, as did Cera and Ducky. Only Chomper and Ruby stood awkwardly to the side, and Littlefoot was so caught up in his reunion with Ali that he hardly noticed Ruby’s uneasy posture. Without a word, she trotted away, as if in a hurry.

Chomper watched her go, his eyes narrowed in confusion. “I’ll see you guys later, gotta finish breakfast, ya know?”

When the young sharptooth had left, Littlefoot saw Ali shift around. “So, when he says breakfast, he means crawlers right?”

Before Littlefoot could answer, Cera cut him off with a cheeky grin. “Oh no, ever since he got bigger, Chomper usually goes searching for any dinosaur that gets lost in the woods.”

Ali shivered, and for a moment her eyes stretched with fear.

Littlefoot glared at the snickering threehorn. “No, Cera. That’s NOT what he does.” He softened his brows and turned to Ali. “Crawlers and buzzers don’t really fill him up anymore, so he eats swimmer scallies and sometimes ground fuzzies.” When she didn’t relax he added, “He wouldn’t hurt any of us. He’s still the same friendly sharptooth you met seasons ago.”

Littlefoot heard her muffle a sigh of relief. “Well, I’m glad.”

After some time of chatting, the four of them showed Ali around the valley. For the few times where she had visited, Ali hadn’t gotten a good view of the place. Littlefoot enjoyed each moment with her. And for a long while he had forgotten about Ruby. Good… However much he loved her, she only drowned him with pain. But not for today. Today he would give him his all to Ali.

For a little while they played a quick game of toss the seed. Cera was reluctant to join however. Littlefoot noticed that every time Ducky spoke, Cera would look away, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. Littlefoot figured she was still sour towards her and Petrie.

As he aimed a hit towards their goal, he wondered where the young flyer was.

“Oh come on Ducky! You could have stopped him from making the score!” Cera yowled from across the field.

“S-sorry!” The swimmer said apologetically.

“It was a clear shot for me anyway.” Littlefoot tried to support his timid friend.

“Yeah, good game though! I haven’t played that since we were kids!” Ali panted as she approached him from the side.

“Hey, whoa, we’re not THAT old!” Cera said as she lumbered towards them.

CAW!

Suddenly a welcoming call pierced the air. A shadow cast on the ground as a lean-shaped flyer landed gently on the ground.

“Petrie!” Ali squeaked.

“Ali! Me see you and herd enter Great Valley. Me wanted to say hi but me had to take care of siblings first.” Petrie was about shoulder height of Littlefoot now.

“Hey Petrie, it’s been a while huh?” Littlefoot nudged the flyer playfully with his snout.

“Since when you get tall!” Petrie gasped dramatically.

With a slight chuckle, Ali said, “And you still haven’t fixed that habit of yours.”

Petrie shrugged. “It still bother my mom a lot, but me no care.”

Everyone broke out with light laughter, but with half closed eyes, Littlefoot noticed Cera’s uncertain stare. Her gaze traveled from Ducky to Petrie. An old spiketail could guess what she was thinking. He bit his lip nervously. “Uhm- Alright, well I’ve been meaning to talk to my grandparents, so I’ll see you guys later. Ducky, Petrie? Do you want to walk with me?”

With Petrie’s reluctant nod and Ducky’s faint “Sure.”, they headed away from Ali and Cera. Littlefoot didn’t want to leave Ali alone so soon, but he didn’t want anything to escalate between Cera and his two other friends. Soon they were out of sight, and Littlefoot saw Ducky relax.

“Boy am I glad that tension is over!” She said cheerfully.

Petrie growled from beside him. “Me can’t believe she cast us out like that. She supposed to be friend!”

Littlefoot sighed. “In a couple of ways she’s just like her father.” It was true, if Mr. Threehorn ever found out about Ducky and Petrie, he’d go on a verbal rampage. Thankfully though, Cera’s keeping quiet.

“Yeah, but enough about that, you got your own problem, remember?” Ducky amused with a smile on her face. “And I did not tell Petrie yet, nope nope nope.”

“Tell Petrie what?”

“That Littlefoot is in the same spot as we are.”

Stop! Littlefoot was going to admit to Petrie, but they made him more embarrassed then he needed to be. He forced out a sigh. “Yeah, but it’s a bit worse.”

“So Littlefoot like someone?”

With Littlefoot’s stiff nodd, Petrie continued. “It not Cera right?”

“Why does everyone think it’s Cera?!” After his offended outburst, Ducky and Petrie shared a fit of laughter.

“It’s Ruby, but I don’t think she knows yet.” Littlefoot said when the two of them settled down.

Petrie rested a finger under his beak. “So you need help, right? Well me think you in good hands now. Me know all about getting the girl.” He held a smug smile.

“I still cannot believe it was you who confessed first.” Ducky said, nudging him on the shoulder. “You were spitting and sputtering so much! Oh Littlefoot, you should have seen his red face!”

“Hey, now that enough! You making me look like a fool!” Petrie shoved a laughing Ducking in the grass, careful not to push her too hard.

 She sat up and grabbed Petrie’s wing, pulling him to the ground with her. In an instant they were a tangle of tails and flailing limbs. Ducky squirmed from the bundle and raced in the tall grass. With Petrie close behind her, he nipped at her tail, making the swimmer “Yip!” with alarm.

Littlefoot looked on, he felt happy for them. But watching his two friends jump around made him want to share a moment like that too. He longed to have someone to cuddle, someone to share problems with, someone he could depend on for trust, someone to love.

He let out a long sigh.
Petrie and Ducky must have noticed his dejected look, because they ceased their playful antics and stood in front of him.

“Ya know it will not help you if you just mope around.” Ducky said gently.

“Yeah, go find her, maybe talk to her. Littlefoot has to move forward.” Petrie added with a faint smile. Littlefoot was glad he had friends like them.

He sucked in a breath, and squared his shoulders confidently. “Ok! I’ll do it. Thanks guys. I’ll tell you how it went when I come back!” As he headed off, the three of them exchanged their goodbyes, and with that, Littlefoot started towards Ruby’s and Chomper’s cave. But from behind him, he could still hear their faint voices in the distance.

“Now where were we?” Ducky’s menacing tone made him want to look back, but thankfully he didn’t need to. He heard the wild rustling of grass and Petrie’s surprised yelp followed.

.
.
.
.
“You probably shouldn’t eat so much meat. It’ll make you crave more.” Chomper’s voice was shaky with uncertainty as Ruby tore into the flesh of a ground fuzzy.

“It’s just a nibble.” She protested as she licked the blood off her jaws.

“JUST a nibble? You practically ate it all!”

“There’s enough to spare.”

“But you can survive on green food!”

“I caught it, didn't I?”

“That’s not the point!”

Littlefoot scrambled up the slope and reached the entrance of the gapping cave. He could hear a series of protests and frustrated growls. Just then he stopped dead. What would he say anyway? Especially if they were arguing.

Just then he heard a fit of intense sniffling. “Someone’s here.” Chomper stated.

There was no point backing out now. “Yes, it’s me.” He entered the cave. “Sorry for intruding.”

“Hey, no worries.” Chomper said cheerfully. He was laying on the cool rocky floor, with a fair pile of ground fuzzies and small lizards resting beside him. And just below him was Ruby. When Littlefoot came into view she slid something behind her.

Littlefoot stood uncomfortably, he felt so awkward all of a sudden.

Finally, Ruby broke the thick silence. “What do you want.”

He flinched at her fierce tone. “... If this is a bad time… I could- uh…”

Without another word, she stood up and started to walk away, revealing the half eaten creature on the ground. Littlefoot winced at the sight. It’s chest had been ripped open, showing off the contents inside. A sickened gasp escaped him.

Ruby sharply turned her head around, not realizing she gave her meat-eating tendencies away.

Chomper noticed this and fumbled for a bit, trying to think of a way to back up his caretaker. “I-it was mine, I was just about to finish it when you walked in.”

Littlefoot didn’t get fooled by Chomper’s nervous expression, but he didn’t want to accuse Ruby like this, he knew their diet was hard for the both of them. He decided to let it go. “Ok. Well…” He stared back at Ruby. She stood in a firm stance. “Maybe a walk would make yo-”

“No!” She snapped, but then she softened her gaze. “Not now… Sorry.” She walked swiftly to the back of the cave and disappeared in another direction.

The two of them stood there as the sound of her rapid footsteps faded away.. Littlefoot watched the ground, his head hurt from confusion and desperation. Was she angry at him?

“Listen.” Chomper’s gentle voice made him look up again. “Don’t worry about her, she’s probably a little grumpy since she didn’t get much sleep.” With Chomper’s sincere gaze, Littlefoot had to believe him. But Ruby wouldn’t be upset just because she was tired.

There was no point lingering around when his Grandparents had something they wanted to tell him. He nodded his head to Chomper as he went through the entrance and into the midday light. Well that didn’t go so well… Maybe Chomper was right, and she probably was tired. Littlefoot shook his head in disbelief.

He could see Ducky and Petrie up ahead. He raced towards them, but when he got near he could see his Grandfather approaching them.

“Ah, Littlefoot, I was about to look for you. Me and your father need to discuss something with you.”

“Dad?! He’s here?” Littlefoot couldn’t help but leap up in the air with excitement.
 
Ducky and Petrie moved aside as Bron made his way in front of his son. Littlefoot was as big as a threehorn compared to his father. “Glad to see you’ve grown!” Bron bent his head to nuzzle him.

“What, you thought I’d stay a kid forever?” He joked, which earned a light-hearted chuckle from his father.

“Well, it been like, 15 seasons, and back then we still kids.” Petrie stated flatly.

(no one’s gonna recognize that fourth wall break? Alright…)

“Well, it’s very important that Bron be here today.” His Grandfather stated, he gazed proudly at his grandson. “And sometime during the days of great growing, we hold a celebration.”

“And it’s only for longnecks.” Bron added.

“What’s the celebration for?” Littlefoot’s eyes shown with curiosity.

“We’re going to change your name, Littlefoot.”














 



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Title: Re: Unbearable- A story of love
Post by: The jewelstone queen on August 29, 2022, 10:21:38 PM
chapter 6-Constant misunderstandings

"Change my name? But…" Littlefoot stared in confusion. Why had he not heard of this before? And what's so important about changing his name, he liked it fine.

Bron lowered his head comfortingly to his son. "It will do you just fine. Most longnecks are honored to receive their new name."

"But why?" Littlefoot's face was distorted in puzzlement.

"It's just what happens when young longnecks reach adulthood. It's been a ceremony for many generations." Grandpa longneck pointed out excitedly. It was as if he was already imagining his grandson in the center of a grand celebration.

Littlefoot sputtered with exasperation. "Wait, let me-"

Bron's voice sped up with exhilaration. "We'll have the ceremony this afternoon, just before the bright circle leaves the sky." And with that, the two longnecks walked off and talked to each other excitedly, leaving Littlefoot and his friends behind.

"Me wonder what Littlefoot's new name gonna be…" Petrie didn't seem to catch Littlefoot's frustrated glare as he chirped happily. Luckily, Ducky seemed to notice.

"You can tell them you do not want to change your name." Ducky said as Cera, Ali, and Spike approached the group.

Littlefoot sighed. "It's not that I don't want to, I just don't think it's necessary."

"Are you talking about the longneck ceremony? My mom told me the same thing just now." Ali rested beside Littlefoot and she quivered with happiness. "Aren't you excited?"

He grumbled with frustration. When he didn't say anything, Ali continued. "Maybe we'll have the ceremony together!" She held a bright smile, and jumped up with excitement.

Cera scoffed and shook her head. "What's the big deal anyway? They're just going to change your name. You'll still be you at the end of the day."

"Yeah…I guess you're right." Littlefoot had to admit.

"And," Ducky started. "They said it was tradition."

"Right." Littlefoot was glad to have his friends in times like these. "I guess I'm getting worked up. I've just had a lot on my mind lately…" His voice trailed off, remembering the defeated conversation he had with Ruby and Chomper. He bit his lip with frustration. He just wanted to spend time with Ruby. Littlefoot remembered her intense posture, and the way she refused to meet eyes. A surprised gasp slipped out of him. What if she already knows?-

"There he goes again, his mind is always where it shouldn't be." Littlefoot recognized the snotty voice of Shorty.

"Shorty!" Littlefoot touched snouts with his long since visited brother. He chuckled when Shorty playfully recoiled his neck, so that the aimed nuzzle missed his head.

"Well, glad to see you haven't changed either." Littlefoot joked. Shorty scowled angrily while everyone laughed softly. After their laughter silenced down, Shorty spot with a boastful voice, as usual. "Well guess who finally got their longneck test." He swung his head up proudly.

"Yeah, and it probably took about 3 cold times before you were ready." Cera retorted flatly.

"That probably be true." Petrie agreed cooly as Ducky nodded her head unenthusiastically.

Shortly grumbled as he tried to counter the sharp remarks. "Yeah, well- well you'll see when I become the best leader a herd could ever want! You'll respect me then!" He smirked.

Cera leaned next to Ducky as she hissed a purposely loud whisper to her. "Sounds like something a bad leader would say."

"Hey!" A chorus of soft laughter followed Shorty's offended outburst.

Someday he would prove his leadership, but, shaking his head with a smile, Littlefoot suspected that the time would come in the far future.

Suddenly a large tree seed rolled clumsily in the middle of the center of the group. They all stopped to see Spike swishing his tail mischievously. Littlefoot soon got the idea.

"How about a quick game of toss the seed? We haven't played that in a while." The game would be even more fun now that Ali and Shorty were here.

They all seemed to agree. And when Spike launched the seed into the air with a powerful swipe with his tail, the game was on.



Ruby paced in circles until she gently rested on the edge of the cave entrance. The edge of the cave was elevated, so that she had a good range of Littlefoot and his friends. It looked like they were about to play some game…What was it called again? She hadn't played any kind of game in such a long time. Her heart acked, she wanted to run down to them and join their light hearted play. 'But he's there.' She thought with narrowed eyes. 'Any interaction will ruin me.'

"Is that Shorty?" Chomper's booming voice made her jump.

"Haven't seen him since he made a lousy attempt to lead us across the Great stone walkover." Ruby remembered, amused. She let herself get distracted from her monotonous thoughts.

Chomper stepped out onto the ledge, and peaked down to the group of friends. "We should go say hi!" He wagged his massive tail excitedly, and Ruby had to duck her head to avoid being hit.

"You might scare him. Shorty isn't the brightest when it comes to nice sharpteeth."

"But aren't I the only one?" He asked innocently.

Ruby stifled a laugh. "Go on then, I'll be right here. Don't run towards him though."

"Yes ma'am!" When she was half way through her instructions, he was already making his way down the slope.

"Tell him I said hi too!" She tried to holler before Chomper came out of range from hearing. He gave her a smile to show that he understood. However much she wanted to meet Shorty again, it would be too unbearable to run into another slip up with Littlefoot. So she shuffled around until she was all snug against the cool rock wall, and gazed lovingly as she watched Chomper race from the slope.

He must have remembered what she said about running, because when he neared the group of dinosaurs, he slowed down.

She strained her ears to listen.



"That wasn't too bad for the first time in a while." Littlefoot panted, the seed resting next to him where their goal was.

Cera growled from her awkward position on the ground. She had attempted to stop the seed from reaching the other goal, but obviously she didn't make it. "If you longnecks weren't so tall, we would've won."

"It was probably Spike who gave us the advantage, he has a fighting spirit for these kinds of things." Ali announced happily.

"So another round then?" Ducky picked up the seed, ready to send it in the air.

Suddenly, Shorty scrambled across the grass and shouted, "Sharptooth! What are you rock heads waiting for? Run!"

Cera barcaded Shorty from the side so he didn't attract unwanted attention from the other residents. "Would you cool it, it's just Chomper."

Shorty wasted no time in looking back, he forced his way passed Cera and continued to shriek aimlessly through the valley. "Sharptooth! Sharptooth in the valley!"

A couple of nearby dinosaurs looked up, startled. But when they saw Chomper their alarm faded, but they continued to stare around Vigilantly.

Chomper sneered to himself, he should have been more approachable. Littlefoot rested his tail on his back comfortingly.

"This always happens!" Chomper waved his tiny arms around in a frustrated fit.

"I'm surprised Ali recognized him." Cera said, watching Shorty disappear from sight.

Ali sighed. "Well, you all seemed relaxed around Chomper, so I figured it was ok."

After a short time of waiting. Ducky broke the silence. "Should we go get him?" No one else had time to reply as thunderous pounding shook the clearing. The rhythmic booming acceded from where Shorty had vanished. The group turned their heads to see a massive brown longneck charging in their direction.

"Dad no!" Littlefoot stood beside Chomper. It looked like Bron wasn't going to slow down anytime soon. Littlefoot stared on in desperation. Shorty must have told Bron there was a sharptooth in the great valley. Littlefoot noted to nip his tail whenever he got the chance.

Littlefoot had no choice but to launch himself in front of his father, and instantly they collided and tumbled to the ground. They were in a tangle of legs and tails, and Littlefoot could feel pain pulsing from one shoulder.

Slowly, Littlefoot lifted his head. "Errgh… Dad? Are you ok?"

Bron shook his head and gained his posture. "Littlefoot, get out of the way!" He leaped forward and nudged Littlefoot to the side. "That sharptooth was about to bite your head off!"

"What are you talking about? This is Chomper, remember?" Littlefoot spoke fast with desperation.

When Bron didn't change his hostile demeanor, Littlefoot continued more urgently. "He's been my friend for so many cold times, you met him when I took the great longneck test."

The great longneck stared at Chomper thoroughly, and after so long, he leaned back. "Chomper, right?"

From his nervous and frightened posture, Chomper replied with the softest whisper Littlefoot had ever heard. "...Yes sir."

Bron nodded his head respectfully. "Sorry I mistook you for a sharp- I mean, for a bad sharptooth. But Shorty told me…" He looked down at his son, who was standing beside him.

"Yeah…I didn't realize it was you Chomper. I mean, what can you expect when you see a nearly grown sharptooth charging right at you?" Shorty peeped.

"I wasn't running." Chomper indicated.

"But you had your teeth bared and everything!"

"I was smiling!"

"Oh.. Sorry. Well anyway, glad to see you've come this far without eating anyone." Short smiled brightly.

"Shorty!" Bron and Littlefoot both scolded him in unison. Shrinking at their glares, Shorty recoiled behind his father with an apologetic smile across his face.

Bron shook his head disapprovingly. "Alright, we have some time before your ceremony, Littlefoot. Meet me and Grandma and Grandpa longneck at the entrance of the Great valley.

"Don't worry, I'll be there early." Littlefoot looked at his father with determination. If this was really part of becoming an adult longneck, then he would be ready.

"Yeah, we will be there to support you, Littlefoot!" Ducky cheered happily.

Bron shook his head. "Oh no, you can watch from afar, but this ceremony is intended for longnecks only."

"...Oh." Ducky's smile fell with defeat. Littlefoot frowned at this.

"It's ok, I'll tell you what happens when it's over." He promised with an assured smile.

Just then something scampered toward, the clumsy feet of a fastrunner skidded to a halt in front of the group. She kicked up dust and loose rocks at her abrupt stop.

"Ruby, are you ok?" Chomper looked down at her with concern.

"Are YOU ok?" She panted. "I just saw a huge longneck running towards you, and I thought you were in danger!"

"Oh- no It was just a misunderstanding. Do you remember Bron?"

Ruby looked up at Bron with slight accusation.

Bron returned her stare. "I know I should remember you, but I can't seem to get the name out… I must be getting old…"

Littlefoot chuckled. "You're not old, Dad…" He said warmly.

"Well anyway, I'll see you before the ceremony. And don't worry, we'll tell you what you need to do." And after they exchanged their goodbye's, Bron left with Shorty in toe.

When he was sure that Bron had left, Chomper mumbled, "Phew, that was scary. I nearly peed myself."

"And then we would all be in trouble." Cera added.

The rest of the group joined into soft laughter. Thankfully Bron had taken the time to look Chomper over before going through with an attack. Littlefoot sighed exasperatedly. That could have played out a lot differently.

Just then, Ali jumped to his side. "Aren't you excited! We're going to get our new names soon!" Her face showed nothing but excitement.

He laughed at her innocence. "You bet I am. We'll just have to be patient in the meantime."

"Too bad Petrie and friends can't join the celebration." Petrie said solemnly. And Spike echoed his statement with a reluctant whimper.

"I know," Littlefoot sighed with frustration. "I guess that's how tradition works. You can all come though. Just make sure you're not too close."

"How does that work?" Cera growled.

Littlefoot could only shrug.

"Well, I better go hunting. Again." Chomper moaned. Littlefoot noted how exhausted he looked. So far, his friend was doing well with food. Hopefully that stayed this way.

As Chomper proceeded to turn away, Ruby followed him from behind. Suddenly Littlefoot had the urge to get her attention. His tongue started moving before he could think of what to say.

"Hey Ruby- uh.."

She stopped walking, but didn't turn to look at him.

"You'll be there at the ceremony won't you?"

After some pause, she gave him a quick glance. An emotional expression that was so unfamiliar to him. Her gestures were so hard to read. He stared at that blank expression for so long, and then she walked away.

Littlefoot's new name will be revealed in the next chapter! And then the following chapter will be nothing but fluff aca Littlefoot and Ruby moments! (Pls, someone help me with their ship name if you know what that is.) Have a nice Day/night/morning!