A chapter story where each chapter has a new plot. But the overall story summary is two sibling praying mantises and their rivalry that will always bring on a sweet moment in the end. This is one of those stories I wrote for the sheer fun-ness of it, so enjoy the spazziness of my mind's creation.  

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Summary: 2 Mantises+ 1 Cookie= 1 Pissed off Mantis

Chapter 1

"Gimme!" The tiny mantis Hisoka yelped, hopping up and down with arms held up, trying the grab the object of interest from his older sister, Harmony. But the larger mantis showed no signs of sharing and even went a step further. Smiling playfully, she held out the cookie as if offering it to her little bro. But when he tried to snatch at it, her more experience reflexes allowed her to lift the food thing out of the youngster's reach. "Gim-"

"Oh no, little Hisoka. Baby mantises can't eat this stuff." Harmony interrupted. Hisoka stomped his front right leg and glared with his large chibi eyes.

"Why not?!" He demanded an answer. Harmony held in a laugh at her sibling's attitude before continuing her game, practically holding the object in his face.

"Because it's too much to handle. So good and delicious and tasty a-"

"MINE!!!!" Hisoka lunged for it, but Sister Mantis saw it coming and once more jerked the cookie away, laughing and about to take a mocking bite out of the treat. The toddler insect's eyes widened. "NO!!!" He lunged again and climbed onto his sister.

"Get off, pipsqueak!" Harmony yelled playfully, thrashing half-heartedly. This was all still fun and games for her. It's awesome being the oldest, you get to constantly remind your siblings that you're the one in charge. And she's female, so she'll be larger than all her brothers throughout their lives, something she's bound never to let them forget.

"I'm no pipsqueak!" Hisoka...well....squeaked, trying his best to grab that cookie! He's never had one before and he so wanted to try it! He so wanted to HAVE IT!!! Plus, Harmony had it and whatever she has, he tries to steal and vice versa. Harmony is just a heck of a lot better at stealing his things than he was with hers. Again, that older sister superiority... She kept laughing even as her brother managed to take the cookie because he was so small compared to her that she could easily hold him up too. Hisoka clung stubbornly to the food, trying to yank it out of his sister's grip without any success. "I want it!" He shot.

"You can't have it!" Harmony shot back in a more amused tone. She lifted the cookie (and her brother's dangling form) up and down, over and over. A thoughtful look came to her. "You're so light for a nymph. You need to eat more..."

"I will if you gimme!!" Hisoka persisted, still clinging on to the cookie like his life depended on it. With such a stubborn grip, he'll make a great predator someday. Though, at the moment, Harmony will never admit that! Or admit the fact that, out of their hundreds of siblings, Hisoka was her favorite.....Well, maybe she'll admit it if one adds the three words 'to pick on' after 'favorite'.

"I'll give it to you if you say the magic word." Hisoka was quick to respond.

"No!" The dreaded magic word; he'd shudder in horror if he wasn't busy attempting to steal the cookie, 'attempting' being the key word. Harmony smiled.

"You sure? 'Cause it's soooo good and tasty beyond bel-"

Hisoka couldn't take it anymore. "Please!" Harmony wasn't done yet. Oh no, the torture had one more classic step to go.

"Please what.....?" Hisoka glared cutely at her and she just kept that triumphant smile. Her victory was sure. Finally, after five minutes of that staring contest, Hisoka fidgetted and muttered incoherently. Harmony's smile widened and she said in a sing-song voice. "I can't hear you."

"PLEASE GIMME!!!" Hisoka screeched. Harmony shrugged.

"Okay." Letting go of the cookie, she watched as Hisoka scurried off under a mushroom nearby with his prize and took his first bite......

"BLEH!!!....Ewwwww...." Harmony laughed as Hisoka threw the cookie away in disgust. Mantises don't really like cookies, she knew that all along...But Hisoka didn't. Ahhhhh, her prank for the day ended in success. Victory, unlike the cookie, tasted so sweet.

Still giggling, she turned to walk away. "Now you know next time, pipsqueak. Never mess with...." She trailed off when she heard sniffling and she turned her head to find her little brother sitting there silently, crying his eyes out with accompanying hiccups. Okay....She can be a mean sister with the teasing and pranks and all, but she's not completely heartless. She did have sympathy for her siblings on occasion and this was one of those occasions....Sighing, she wandered over, knowing just what will cheer him up.....

A few minutes later, brother and sister were sitting side by side under the mushroom, happily sharing and nibbling on a tastier cookie: .....A large cockroach......

--

Big Sibling Moral: It's good to harass your little brother/sister! Makes those cute, bonding moments even sweeter!

Little Sibling Moral: Don't be in a hurry, you might not like what you get; sit and wait (and shed a few tears) for the yummies to come to you via your big sister/brother!

END OF CHAPTER 1

This is one of my most popular original stories. It was inspired by the many videos of honeybees vs hornets. With my love of insects, I couldn't help myself. The story's like A Bug's Life or something, but a bit more.....natural. Without further ado, here's the summary.....

Summary: A young bee's colony is attacked by their worst enemy. How can she possibly survive?

....and here's a cover I drew for this particular story (Yay!! More lazy work!!   )...



.....and here's the Prologue....

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In the mountainside of Japan, a lone wooden cabin sits undisturbed in a clearing surrounded by serene forests. But its inhabitants are far from undisturbed. They got things to do, some of them with places to go. Up here, flowers don't always stay long and they have to take advantage while they still can! They were as busy as bees...

Literally...

"Hungry!! Hungry!! Hungry!!" came the chant of the baby bees. Young worker bees rushed from honeycomb to honeycomb, feeding their younger sisters with a mixture of pollen and nectar. Yet the babies had endless appetites and they would continue the mantra immediately after they swallowed their food. It never ended...

The whole hive was a bustle of activity. Foragers came and went. Guards checked each returning bee for the correct ID smell. Builders sculpted their wax secretions into hexagonal cells. Cleaners picked up after their hive mates. Receivers took the goods from Foragers and placed them into the cells. Mixers turned the nectar into honey by stirring it and fanning it. Nurses cares for the young ones and the Queen, who laid hundreds of eggs every hour.

Drones did absolutely nothing...

Mai Mai, one of the busy Nurses, shot a look at the closest group of Drones and she let out a huff of disdain. She didn't like her brothers' laziness, but like all her sisters, she tolerates them...at least until late fall comes. When that time of year arrives, the hive can kick the Drones out to die of starvation. A harsh punishment, but justifiable.

With a buzz of her wings, she continued on her way across the hive's honeycombs, heading towards the nursery for her shift. She had to push her way through hundreds of her other siblings, climbing over some, but she was used to these crowded conditions. She actually liked it a bit, as it was warm and reassuring to be among one's kin.

"Mai." The young bee felt a gentle nudge on the right side of her abdomen and she turned around to meet antennae-to-antennae with her Forager friend and favorite sister, Sashi. The older bee still had a full bundle of pollen on her hind-most legs and it was obvious that she didn't meet a Receiver yet.

"Want me to put those away for you?" Mai Mai asked excitedly, bouncing up and down with a buzz of her wings. She's been waiting for an opportunity like this! However, she saw Sashi tilt her head and lift an antenna questioningly.

"You're not old enough for that job." she pointed out. Honeybees were divided by age, put from task-group to task-group as she got older. That way, if building stuff wasn't your thing, you'll be practicing something new soon enough. These two were on opposite sides of the spectrum: Mai Mai just emerged from her pupa cell a few days ago and Sashi is just short of 5 weeks old, close to the end of her lifespan. She's expected to die a Forager.

But as for Mai Mai, she was unfazed by this rule, which she felt was made to be broken. Time for her favorite motto in life: "It's never too early to practice."

"I don't know...I still remember what happened last time..." the older bee muttered, memories of the somehow wrecked honeycombs came to her mind. Mai paused awkwardly, her own memories flashing in her head. But it didn't take long for her eagerness to resume.

"It was all fixed....I'll be more careful this time!" She widened her now glistening eyes and pulled off the cutest face she can muster. "Please...."

Sashi gave out a sigh of resignation, wondering why she was unable to resist that face, and listlessly passed the nectar to the Nurse. Mai Mai was also quick to gather the pollen afterward and hurried to the food storage cells, the Forager following close behind to make sure her over-enthusiastic sister didn't mess things up again, which would be highly expected...

--

Meanwhile in the branches of a nearby bush, a Giant Hornet scout watched the hive from a safe distance. But even this precaution won't last long. The hornet was only taking a short rest from his journey here. Earlier at the start of the day, his leader had sent him to find a bee hive and mark the spot for future take-over.

It wasn't a difficult job. He was 5 times the size of the bees and 20 times heavier. His thick shell will protect him from enemy stings and his deadly jaws can kill his rivals without any effort. He himself can wipe out 40 bees in a single minute. Add to that the fact that he's also one of the best soldiers in his colony, favored highly by his superiors. He had every reason to be confident.

"Any second..." he muttered to himself in a gruff voice signature to the males of his species. He waited for the last of the returning Foragers to enter the hive and then he tensed restlessly. It was time.

He flew closer, bending the tip of his abdomen down to reveal a fleshy scent gland, which immediately trailed pheromones...

--

Antennae perked up and the Guard bees became very agitated. They've picked up the scent of a hornet...a Giant Hornet. Without hesitation, they backed into the hive entrance and let out the alarm, shouting and jerking waves through the crowds. The colony has faced scouting hornets before and they knew how to react. "Hornet Alert! To arms! Be prepared! You all know what to do!"

Mai Mai and Sashi picked up the alarm, along with hundreds of others. They gathered around the Guards, all facing the entrance, waiting for their arch enemy to show himself.

--

The hornet landed cautiously at the ledge leading to the nest. He had seen the bees retreat inside and couldn't help but wonder what they were up to. Other scouts had mysteriously disappeared on their missions and he didn't want to be one of them. With hesitant steps, he crawled inside...

...And was immediately engulfed in a mob of bees. He struggled, killing those unfortunate enough to be near his powerful jaws. He tried to back out, but couldn't, his claws leaving furrows in the wooden floor beneath him. He was overwhelmed as the bees he managed to kill was pushed out of the pile and replaced with new insects.

The bees did not waste their time on stinging. They were experienced enough to know that it'll have no effect. Instead, they vibrated their bodies, slowly and steadily warming the bug bundle.

"Kill him!! Kill him!! Kill him!!" came the aggressive mantra as the bees continued their group defense.

The hornet felt the heat of the bees' bodies rising and so was his own...to a dangerous level. Knowing this was quickly becoming lethal, he struggled all the more viciously.

Meanwhile, Mai Mai clung to the intruder's abdomen just over the base of his stinger, but taking care not to be too near the end where she might end up getting impaled. This was her first time confronting a Giant Hornet and although the size of the enemy was intimidating, she felt her courage multiply with the number of her sisters.

Just then, something gooey and cool nudged against the underside of her thorax, but she ignored it. She just shivered more vigorously, trying her best to copy what all the other bees were doing. In this situation, it's best to follow the crowd.

The hornet scout felt the furry body of a bee rub against his scent gland and he managed to look back at the source. He saw that it was a young bee, not even a week old yet. Despite the situation, he gave quite a menacing grin. If his colony attacks this hive, this bee will be recognized as one of his assaulters. And knowing his leader, this little one will be made to suffer.

His body heat reached the lethal level. He was hit with a seizure and white saliva dripped from his jaws. Not ready to accept his fate, he made one last violent jerk backwards, using all his strength. This time, he managed to get free of the pile and tumbled out of the entrance. With a few bees still clinging to him, he fell from the ledge and collided with the ground. His body shook one more time and he went still.

The bees let go of him and immediately assumed he was dead. Flying back to the hive, the bees went on with their work as if nothing had happened.

Moments later, the hornet scout twitched and revived. He was far too weak and knew that he wouldn't last much longer. But he wanted to die with his mission successful. That was the one thought in his mind. Summoning the very last of his strength, he shifted his abdomen until the scent gland touched the wooden wall of the cabin. He rubbed the wet pheromones onto the surface, marking the hive's location for his colony to find, raid, and destroy.

His body convulsed once more and he went into his death throes, his body thrashing uncontrollably for another minute. Afterwards, he laid still on his back, wings spread to their full extent, legs drawn to his thorax, his abdomen curled inwards.

Staring at the sky, where Forager bees flew back and forth, he forced out a dark chuckle. "Enjoy it now...you miserable bees...My colony and I...will have the...last...laugh..." His vision blackened and he allowed himself to be folded in Death's dark wings.

END OF PROLOGUE

Who says bugs are heartless?  



Anywho, this is my lazy work.... Regardless of that, I like how it turned out. This is Shon and Namida, two Japanese Giant Hornets.....slightly anthropomorphized. I have a deep love of insects (they're almost never appreciated!!) and these hornets are among my favorites. I have a story I wrote that I'll post if anyone shows interest here... Summary will be written below in case anyone's interested. :^.^:

The characters in this pic:
Shon is the large male hornet with the standarized design and Namida is the smaller female with a more 'feminine' design. Yes, I know most male insects are smaller than the females (and that they lack stingers), but let me have my fun!  

Story Summary:
Ever watched the videos on youtube of these hornets fighting a whole colony of honeybees? I was inspired by that and so wrote a story centered around a young worker bee as her colony's attacked by Giant Hornets. And who's leading the assault? Why, none other than Shon himself.

I always wondered if Mr. Clubtail and Kosh are the same characters. I mean, Kosh sounds a lot harsher (both his words and his voice) in the TV Series than Mr. Clubtail in the movies like 3 and 5, especially the latter with this quote:

Morning kids. Nice day for a tree star.

Even his arguing didn't sound as harsh:

And I've seen your kind waste too. Splashing around needlessly, for shame.

Seems like a rather large change to go from that to doing things like laughing/belching berry juice all over Cera and Chomper and just being gross and rude in general.

*shrugs* I just wanna know people's thoughts. And sorry if there's a topic on this already...

Didn't see a topic of them, so I thought why not? Let's discuss this symbiotic trio of carnivores here!

I am a spazz and proud of it!

After encouragement from Pangaea, I decided to finally put up an Ask Me topic. So any questions you have, I'll be more than happy to always answer! Whooooo!!  

General info:
I love animals with an extreme passion. There is no animal I dislike or am indifferent to! Though I'm not as knowledgable as Pangaea, I certainly love dinosaurs and try to learn as much as I can about my favorites. And!.......That's all I'm saying for now!    Ask away!

One of my two most recent fanfics, both chapter stories this time. This one's circles the Domehead trio in the original movie (ya know, the psychotic ones attacking Cera ) as well as Chomper, who will be negatively affected by their actions in later chapters. Here's a quick pic of the trio and my chosen names for them:



And here's the first chapter introducing the Domehead trio on a more...personable level.

Prologue

Hunger, starvation...It's strange what that state can do to you. It makes you think of things you never would have even considered before. With no plants to eat around here, there was only one option left for him. Sure, it was other Leaf Eaters, not his own kind. As such, they might as well be dirt. He had no issues with attacking them, even killing them if the situation called for it. But still...this? The ultimate taboo of taboos, the inconceivable? Cepher shook his head a bit, blinking before looking down at the beaten body of a young Fanback. Nearby, his two companions watched him in confusion, wondering when he'll lead them off to continue their journey to the Great Valley. But their leader wasn't moving.

Was it possible he was starting to feel sympathy for their latest victim? No, no, that's never happened before. But why else would he just be standing there, seemingly very deep in thought? One of them, a black-colored female named Pacia, stepped towards the largest member of the trio, voice surprisingly soft for her fierce appearance and demeanor.

"Cepher? Are you alright?" she asked him. Cepher didn't seem to hear her at first, still staring at the body blankly. The third in the group, a small male named Rus, also walked closer when their leader made no response. He reached out and gave a small push to get his attention. It worked and Cepher blinked again before raising his head to look at the other two as if asking what they wanted.

"Are you alright?" Rus repeated Pacia's question. Cepher nodded before looking back at the body.

"Yeah, just thinking about...something." he told them quietly, knowing the thoughts in his head was not at all good. His traveling comrades picked up on this and looked at each other, then back at Cepher.

"About what?" they both asked simultaneously. There was silence for another moment before they got their answer, this one spoken even softer than the last.

"Something bad," he informed vaguely, looking at them, sharp claws clenching and unclenching in what seemed to be anxiety. This was quite unlike him. And at this response, Pacia and Rus tilted their thick domed heads, eyes widening a little. Time to see if their hunch was correct.

"You're not feeling bad for that hatchling, are you?" Pacia asked. At this, Cepher huffed in deep disdain as he returned his attention to the corpse of said hatchling, his own eyes narrowing. It was obvious he was not pleased with their guesswork; how dare they even think he was feeling for this pathetic excuse for a Leaf Eater laying at his feet.

"Of course not." he assured them sharply, hearing them sigh in relief. But this relief was short-lived when their leader's strange look returned as he continued with one simple question: "When was the last time we had so much as a bite to eat?"

Pacia and Rus looked to each other in growing consternation at the question. Where was this going? Finally, Rus shrugged. "I don't remember."

Pacia nodded in agreement. "It's been too long really." It was true. The Bright Circle had passed over them many times from the day they were lucky enough to find some buried roots in the ground and having to laboriously dig them out of the hardened earth. And even then, it was far from a satisfying meal, hardly helping in the slightest.

Cepher grunted before very softly starting to explain to them what his mind has been saying ever since they rammed this hatchling to death. "We'll never make it to the Valley if we don't find something to eat and fast." Silence came as that was said. As much as they didn't like it, they knew he was right. They needed food, more than just a few little roots that were more trouble than they were worth, but there was no sign of anything even remotely edible nearby. Or so they thought as Cepher resumed. "It's obvious we won't be finding green food anytime soon. So if we want to survive long enough to get to our destination, we'll have to change our tactics a bit."

"What do you mean?" Pacia asked, her tail flicking to and fro. Another pause before Cepher spoke in his softest tone yet.

"We have food, all around us. We just have to let our eyes wander to what's at our feet." At this, Rus indeed looked to his leader's feet at the hatchling's body, soon understanding and jerking back in shock.

"Are you saying that we should...eat other Leaf Eaters?" he exclaimed more or less loudly, although his voice dropped when Cepher glared at him. He looked about to make sure nobody else was around to hear this before looking back to the largest member and speaking softly. "Are you?"

"Yes. I am."

At this confirmation, Pacia backed up a few steps, a look of horror on her face. "But we're Leaf Eaters. Not sharpteeth. We couldn't possibly-" Cepher cut her off, his voice still a conspiring whisper.

"Look, it's either that or we die. We're not going to make it to the Great Valley if all we do is forage for weeks on end for leaves that aren't there. Yet we meet up with trespassing hatchlings like this one practically everyday. We kill the majority of them anyway, so we might as well make some use of them."

"But we're not sharpteeth." Pacia repeated. "We're not made to eat meat..." she added, looking down at the body like it was going to rise up from the dead and attack them for having this conversation. Rus shared her look and gave a nod.

"Yeah. We might have the claws and teeth of a sharptooth, but not the appetite or stomach of one. For all we know, eating another Leaf Eater might do more harm than good."

"We won't know that if we don't try. Really, we have no other choice." He looked at them for a long time before changing his approach. "You both want to live, right?" This got a nod. "You want to reach the Valley, right?" Another nod. "And you're both starving, right?" Yet another nod, this one more hesitant. "Then what's the deal? The other Leaf Eaters and the other Domeheads won't know we're doing it. If anything, there's no reason to pass up this opportunity."

"There is a reason. It's called right and wrong." Pacia said. "Look, the other herds of Leaf eaters are low-lives, I admit. Some deserve to die by our claws. But eating them is more than crossing the line. Following a sharptooth's example will make us no better than the sharptooth itself." A couple more moments of silence passed before she shook her head. "No. No. This is where I put my foot down. I won't eat the flesh of another."

"Me neither." Rus agreed.

Cepher glared at them before softening, fully understanding what they're saying and, deep down, he agreed with them. Domeheads may be one of the most vicious of the Leaf Eaters, but even they had a sense of morals...to some extent. Unfortunately, his stomach had no such morals and it growled loudly, reminding him and the others of their extremely dangerous level of hunger. "I'm not liking the idea either, trust me. But like I said, we have no choice." He turned back to the body, frowning a bit. "It'll only be temporary anyway, only until we reach the Valley."

More silence, but even that was broken by more growls, this time coming from the stomachs of the other two. Their spirits sagged noticeably as their resolve began to break down and they looked at each other before Rus muttered very softly. "Only temporary?" Cepher nodded slightly. "Then we'll be right back to eating green food?"

"Exactly. And on the chance we find more green food on our journey, we'll enjoy them like we normally would. It's not like we'll be forsaking leaves forever."

More silence, shattered this time by Pacia. "And we won't actually...hunt down the other Leaf Eaters, right?"

"Of course not. We'll be doing exactly what we've always been doing, with just the little twist of eating what we kill. But we won't be actively stalking them or anything; we won't kill more than we usually do. In fact, we won't be changing much of anything, really."

"We'll just be eating them instead of leaving them for the sharpteeth..." the female continued with a meekness that was uncharacteristic for her.

"Precisely. They're gonna get eaten anyways, why not let it be us who eats them?" He watched the duo before him for a while before adding. "What else do we have to lose?"

This time, the silence went on undisturbed and was almost suffocating as nobody moved a muscle for what seemed like forever. Finally considering their very few options and choices, the two smaller members nodded very slightly, almost shamefully and they approached the hatchling as Cepher leaned down to sniff it a bit. He was hesitant as well, but determined to eat something. Clawing the carcass a bit, he took his first tentative bite. Pacia and Rus watched in disgust, to see how Cepher would react to this carnivorous action. Their leader wore a heavy grimace and he retched a few times, trying to keep the piece of meat in his mouth, but not wanting it in there at the same time. It was obvious he felt deep shame about this, like it was something truly evil, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from doing this. Dying of starvation was not the way he wanted to go. He couldn't really bring himself to chew it and just swallowed hard, panting heavily afterwards, as if exhausted by the effort of fighting his gag reflexes. After a moment of recovering from the deed, he reluctantly took another bite.

Pacia and Rus, seeing this, fought back their horror at the spectacle and at the knowledge that they'd have to follow the example as they stepped even closer to the body to give this a try themselves. They had pretty much the same reaction as Cepher, Rus actually spitting out his piece before forcing himself to try again. Each could only manage a few small bites, enough to take the edge off their hunger, before they hurriedly backed away from the body in revulsion at what they just had to do.

"That was...That was horrible..." Pacia muttered, rubbing her snout against the ground in an attempt to wipe off the blood without having to touch it with her hands.

"I don't want to do that again..." Rus added, trying to keep down what he nibbled off the carcass.

"We'll have to... We just gotta get used to it..." Cepher said as he gingerly laid himself down, not feeling too well as his stomach tried to cope with this sudden change of diet. "It'll get easier...eventually..." He wasn't sure if that was true, but he felt the need to reassure his companions as well as himself. The others nodded half-heartedly as they laid down in turn, neither feeling very good as they tried to keep their stomachs calm. Their stomachs weren't cooperating and neither were their minds, which were practically flooded with the feeling of shame and self-loathing for their unnatural actions.

But thank goodness it's all just temporary...

END OF PROLOGUE

I tried to keep to the LBT trend of naming characters based on their species. Pachycephalosaurus= Cepher, Pacia, and Rus! Creative? Probably not; easy to think up? Most definitely   ! Hope you all like this one!

After some encouragement given to me by some of the members here, I decided to post the rest of my LBT fanfics. And I decided to start with this one cuz it was the first LBT fanfic I ever wrote (though not the first I posted here), concerning Thud. Inspiration for this was my favorite TV episode Escape from the Mysterious Beyond.

Thud knew something was wrong with his tail. It's been aching terribly since that accident on the high ledge where rocks piled painfully onto the poor limb. Of course, he never showed his extreme discomfort to Screech and Redclaw. If they knew about it, who knows what they'll do. Loyal friendships in the Mysterious Beyond was rare, if nonexistent. Most relationships are a simple matter of convenience. Practically the only exceptions are between mates or parent and child.

Closest thing to a 'friendship' Thud had was with his brother, Screech. But besides that, there was one other sharptooth he held a kind of positive respect for. That was the little biter that hung around the Leaf-eaters...he forgot his name. The hatchling help Thud free his tail and in return, Thud saved him and his friends from being found by Redclaw. But that was a one time thing...

The green Fast Biter looked over at his sleeping companions and saw it as an opportunity to check out his tail. Standing and making sure the other two were deep in their sleep by nudging them hard, he backed into an isolated corner in their cave home and turned his head to assess the tormented extremity. It seemed fine on the outside, but why was it hurting now more than ever? It was giving him a bad headache, comparable to the sick feeling those smelly Tree Sweets gave him.

He reached out with a two-fingered hand and gently touched the tender limb. Pain shot up and Thud cried out before quickly muffling it to a soft rumble. His eyes tearing up a little, the carnivore checked the others to make sure that they didn't wake at the sound. Redclaw was growling in his sleep, probably because the still-snoozing Screech shifted closer to lean his head on the larger sharptooth's body. No sign of stirring...

Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back to his tail. More careful this time, he curled his tail around, cringing in pain and trying hard not to be too loud. Examining the limb, he tilted his head this way and that to see the target of interest at every possible angle, as if it was his first time seeing the body part.

He didn't get it...It looked just fine. Yet it was giving him the worst pain in his experience. Maybe the problem was inside. It wasn't impossible. Maybe his tail's broken...but wouldn't it have healed by now? He didn't know. Sucking up the pain, he poked the tail with his snout. It felt a little harder than usual. Should it be worrying? It causes pain, so it should be very worrying.

Time to check this out on a closer scale...

Almost reluctantly, knowing what to expect, he settled back down. He lowered his head to the ground, and with one hand, he clamped his muzzle shut. Squeezing his eyes tight, he lifted his free hand and, before he can change his mind, he hastily slashed a small cut in the middle of his tail. It was all he could do not to scream. Instead, he growled and pressed his teeth together so hard, his jaw muscles began to hurt. Tears of agony rolled down his cheeks.

Taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, he again checked on Redclaw and Screech. Still nothing...Thud was both relieved and amazed. They're sleeping so deeply, anyone can come and go anytime they pleased. Well, the important thing is that he won't get caught doing this. Looking at the cut, he saw a kind of goo ooze out. It wasn't blood. Being a sharptooth, he knew very well what blood looked like.

This stuff, whatever it was, was strange to say the least. It was a disgusting yellowish color and it smelt awful. It seemed impossible that it was coming from his body. Thud grimaced, leaning in to get a closer look. Raising a hand, he was about to poke at the unknown fluid, but appeared to have second thoughts. He was torn between revulsion and curiosity. Revulsion won out and the Fast Biter withdrew his hand. He stood up and carefully walked out of the cave towards a nearby river. He wanted the stuff off and he couldn't bring himself to lick it clean.

Arriving at his destination, he turned around, laid on his belly, and gingerly dipped his tail in. The result was a strange sensation, both slightly painful and wonderfully soothing at the same time. The (relatively) small sharptooth sighed in relief and relaxed, closing his eyes. Content for now, he allowed his mind to wander to what he was going to do next.

He didn't know what to make of this strange tail-phenomenon. He should probably find somebody to help him. But who would do that? In the Mysterious Beyond, if you so much as imply that you're injured or sick, you'll be dead before you even realized that you've been attacked. He doesn't even want to risk telling Screech and Redclaw. Now if he did tell someone, it has to be someone who wasn't from here...someone who was harmless to him...preferably someone who's gotten him out of trouble before...

Eyes snapping open, he knew of one person who fit that description and that was-

"Little biter..." he muttered to himself. The young sharptooth has helped him once before, there's no reason to think that he won't help him again. But it was the middle of the night. The little biter will be sleeping in the Great Valley. How was he supposed to get to him? Taking his tail out of the water with a wince, he turned to the wall barrier of the valley, getting to his feet.

If there was a way in, he'll find it. He would like to be back before the Bright Circle rises and, more importantly, before Redclaw wakes up...

--

Thud walked slowly along a ledge trail half-way up a cliff, sniffing heavily. He's caught the little biter's most recent scent not too long ago and was following every twist and turn all the way up here. There has to be an entrance nearby. How else can the young ones come and go as often as they do? He just hoped that the opening would be big enough for him.

Looking up from his sniffing, he peeked over the edge and saw how high up from the ground he was. One slip-up and he really would get an injury worth dying for...or dying from...Focusing back to his task, he lowered his sniffer near the ground and resumed his tracking.

Coming to a small cave, he knew his efforts had paid off. Narrowing his orange eyes and growling to himself, he evaluated the size of the opening very carefully. He concluded that he should be able to fit if he proceeded low on all fours. Seeing no other options, he did just that. Closer to the ground, he carefully squeezed inside and followed the little biter's scent.

Thud didn't like this. A Fast Biter was not made to move this way and sometimes he came close to falling forward on his face. Not only was this undignified for a sharptooth like him, but sometimes his tail would come into contact with the walls, sending up an agonizing jolt of pain. He avoided crying out, as it might alert the whole valley to his presence.

He didn't have to go through this for very long. Soon he reached the other end of the tunnel and he made no hesitation in squeezing back out and hurriedly returning to his usual upright posture. He didn't know how Leaf-eaters could stand being on all fours all the time. He was glad he was a two-legger.

Looking around, he noticed that he had the whole Great Valley in view. Even he'll admit that it was a nice looking place. He could see Leaf-eaters everywhere, sleeping soundly without a care in the world. Thud heard his stomach talking and he realized how hungry he was...But he wasn't here to hunt. Anyways, he didn't want to challenge these Leaf-eaters all by himself. Maybe next time when he was with Screech and Redclaw.

Moving carefully down to the ground, Thud stalked quietly between the sleeping Leaf-eaters. He was breathing slow and deep, silently taking in scents. He was alert especially to the larger creatures. Last thing he needed was one of them waking up, seeing him, and setting off the alarm. No doubt they'll panic and attack him or at least try to drive him out. He did not need that happening right now.

His sniffer led him to another cave, but thankfully, it was larger than the previous one. Looking around one more time, he went inside and immediately spotted the little biter curled into a ball, muttering in his sleep stories. Satisfied that he made it this far, he quickly moved closer and nudged the youngster with his snout.

"What?" the little biter mumbled in the Leaf-eater language. He dazedly opened his eyes and looked up at Thud with a groggy expression. However, almost instantly, his eyes widened and he began to scream in terror. The Fast Biter was anticipating this and pressed a hand on the little one's snout, gently enough not to cause harm, but firmly enough to shut him up.

"Listen, little biter." Thud growled softly in the sharptooth language. "I'm not here to eat you. If I were, you'd be dead by now. I came for your help."

"My...help?" the little biter questioned, voice muffled, in the same tongue. Thud nodded. "With what?"

The larger predator glanced around, making sure that nobody was listening before taking the risk and letting go of the little biter's mouth. The youngster stayed put and didn't set the alarm. Instead, he looked up at the Fast Biter almost expectantly. Thud didn't want to waste time and went straight to the point.

"There's something wrong with my tail." he told him, turning slightly to show off the limb. The little biter peered at it inquisitively. "It started since that earthshake accident."

"When the rocks fell on it?" the young one asked. Thud nodded with a growl. The little biter glanced around before giving the larger sharptooth a suspecious look that made the Fast Biter growl a bit louder. "How did you get in here?"

For a moment, Thud said nothing, baring his teeth in a snarl. He didn't like the little one questioning his motives and actions. No doubt if he answered that question, the Leaf-eaters will block it off like they always do. He didn't want that because he wishes to be able to return with more sinister intentions. For now, the only response he gave was a dark chuckle.

The little biter sighed, knowing that he won't get an answer. "Why ask me? Why not Screech and Redclaw? They're grown-ups. They probably know more about this than I do."

"Because..." Thud started, frustrated at the fact that the little biter has obviously forgotten the ways of sharpteeth. He blamed the Leaf-eaters. "I never even told them about the accident. And you're the only one who's ever help me before."

The little biter thought for a long moment before giving a smile. "Okay. Let's see what's the problem." He stood up and ran behind the Fast Biter, who lowered on the ground to make his tail more accessible. While the young sharptooth evaluated the limb, Thud scanned the area for intruders. He wasn't to be caught off guard by a restless Leaf-eater. Instead, it came from another source. There was a sudden short burst of pain from the tail.

Thud jumped up on reflex and glared at the startled little biter. "What're you doing?" he hissed at him. The youngster was trembling fearfully, fiddling with his hands.

"I just poked it. I didn't know it was going to hurt." the little one muttered defensively. Thud growled angrily, giving the other sharptooth a scolding sideways glance.

"Chomper?" a soft tired voice came from the tunnel nearby. "Are you okay?"

Thud snapped towards the voice, teeth bared, and Chomper seemed nervous. "Uh oh.."

A pink Fast Runner walked in sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Seeing Thud, she froze with a terrified expression. The green predator crouched, ready to pounce, when Chomper approached their stunned visitor.

"It's okay, Ruby. Thud won't hurt us. He came for help." Chomper tried to reassure. Thud growled at this. He can take help from a young sharptooth, but not from a Fast Runner. They were only part-time Leaf-eaters, but they were close enough. And Thud wasn't that desperate...Chomper turned to him and continued in sharptooth. "This is Ruby. She knows a lot of things and she always helps me with my problems. She can help you too."

"Chomper. What's going on?" Ruby asked. Chomper turned back to her.

"Thud's tail hurts. I don't know what's wrong with it. Maybe you do? He promises not to hurt you..." He looked over his shoulder at the Fast Biter. "Right?"

The said sharptooth growled at Chomper for a few seconds before considering Ruby. She stared back at him worriedly. Thud spent a moment weighing his choices. He was already losing dignity as it was; did he really want to make it worse? But his tail was killing him and from what he heard, this Fast Runner was very knowledgeable. Maybe she can be useful. Chomper seems to believe that. Well...he'll forget about dietary differences, for the sake of his tail.

Thud gave a barely noticable nod in agreement before adding: "It's just a one time thing." Chomper grinned and looked back at Ruby.

"He promises." he told her. The Fast Runner gave an uneasy, half-hearted smile.

"Alright. Sure...Me helping will be helpful..." she agreed. Thud grunted nonchalantly and laid himself back down as the hatchlings rushed to his aching tail. They examined the limb carefully, whispering amongst themselves. Ruby paid much attention to the cut Thud made earlier, which was oozing more of the stuff. The Fast Runner hummed to herself thoughtfully before looking at the large predator. "I'm gonna have to touch your tail. Is that not okay?"

"At least she warns me..." Thud muttered to himself. Chomper looked sheepish when he heard that.

"He says it's okay."

Ruby placed her hands near the wound and squeezed more goo out. Thud's eyes snapped wide and this time, he couldn't stifle his scream. Suddenly, Chomper pounced onto his snout, trying to quiet him. It was all the Fast Biter could do not to thrash around and yell his lungs out before killing these hatchlings. He growled, telling himself that this was something he'll just have to endure.

After a long agonizing moment, Ruby paused and Thud went limp with relief, Chomper sliding off his face. The Fast Runner looked at them and made her conclusion.

"I've seen something like this with my eyes before. One of my little brothers had it." she told them. Chomper smiled.

"And what happened?" he asked. Ruby paused, with a look that showed that she really didn't want to answer that question. Chomper got the hint and gulped and Thud look terrorized by the news. To think he might die from this...It was unfathomable! He knew now that he really needed to get better soon. Thankfully, Ruby had something better to say.

"But one of my sisters also had it and we found a way to make her all better so she would not have it." she informed the two sharpteeth. Chomper and Thud sighed and the former allowed a smile on his muzzle. Leave it to Ruby to solve everyone's problems. She bounced over to the entrance. "Come on, we need to gather some stuff so they can be gathered."

Thud stood up, wincing at the lingering pain in his tail, and followed the little ones out. He wasn't going to give them any chance to get away. Though he was sure that they truly wanted to help, he didn't want to take the risk. Last thing he needed was to be abandoned at a time like this.

Quietly, they moved quickly to wherever Ruby was planning to take them. Tiptoeing around a Longneck's nest, Thud paused as he recognized the little one and the male grown-up. Baring his teeth, he stepped closer. He remembered confronting the adult and being thrown in the air twice because of this Leaf-eater. Now the Longneck was sleeping...and vulnerable.

Chomper and Ruby returned and tried to push the Fast Biter away, but Thud didn't budge. Luckily, he decided on his own that he'd rather not draw attention to himself and turned around to continue on their route. The Fast Runner appeared to be looking for something and although Thud didn't like being out here, he made no rush. If it'll help with the pain, then it was well worth waiting for.

Ruby seemed to have found what she was looking for and hurried to a bush nearby, picking tiny Tree Sweets and plucking off two very large leaves. Chomper looked confused and Thud gave a quiet growl. This hatchling was supposed to be helping him, not gather midnight snacks! Placing the Tree Sweets on the leaves, she gestured that it was time to go back in the cave.

Returning was easy and Thud stared at the sky to assess the time. It was close to day, a glow showing the imminent arrival of the Bright Circle. They should hurry.

Looking at the Fast Runner, Thud lowered to the ground once more. In frustrated confusion, he watched as she put the Tree Sweets into her mouth and chewed them in her beak. Chomper tilted his head.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Ruby tried to answer with her mouth full, but her voice was too muffled to be understandable. She held up a finger, gave a few more chews, and almost eagerly spat the mush onto one of the leaves.

"That's one Tree Sweet that wasn't very sweet." she muttered to herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She smiled at the others. "Just trust me." Her smile disappeared as she looked at Thud, as if about to convey some bad news. "I'm gonna have to take that gooey stuff out."

The Fast Biter's eyes again widened and his tail automatically rose higher out of reach, making him wince. He shook his head, vaguely wondering if there was a less unpleasant method. Ruby stepped closer, dragging the leaf with her.

"Thud, that gooey stuff is the hurt. The less you have, the less hurt you feel." she informed him. The sharptooth narrowed his eyes, but he had to admit, that did make sense. But the pain of taking the 'hurt' out was unbearable. Oh, well...This will just have to be another thing he has to endure. Sighing in resignation, he moved his tail within their reach and closed his eyes tight in grim anticipation. He heard the Fast Runner approach his tail.

"You ready, Thud?" Chomper asked. The said sharptooth grunted in response and tensed, knowing that the agonizing treatment will begin at any minute now.

"Chomper, normally I'd want you to stay away from another sharptooth's mouth, but-" Ruby started, but Chomper finished her words with action. Thud felt the little biter jump onto his sniffer and try to hold his mouth shut. The Fast Biter allowed this, knowing it was for good measure. "Okay. Here we go."

Almost immediately, the pain started up with earnest and Thud's cries was muffled by Chomper's efforts. It took every ounce of will power he had to keep his tail still for Ruby. His instincts told him to lash out at the source, but he instead satisfied that urge by cutting deep furrows into the ground with his claws. He wanted to just scream as loud as he could, but that wouldn't be possible with Chomper clinging to his sniffer. The Fast Biter shook his head, but, luckily perhaps, the smaller sharptooth held on tight. Tears welled up and he fought to keep them at bay, without success.

Then, impossibly, the pain began to subside…very slowly. Thud opened his eyes and saw Chomper staring back with a sympathetic look. He turned his head to Ruby, the younger sharptooth still hanging on. The Fast Runner was still squeezing at the wound, but there was less ooze coming out, having been replaced with blood.

"There." She said, stepping back. She looked at Thud. "My sister said that was the most hurtful part of it." She said this as reassurance and the large sharptooth nodded subtly while Ruby picked up the mushy Tree Sweets. She smiled. "And she said that this was the bestest part because it wasn't so hurtful."

She smeared the mush on the injury and Thud flinched involuntarily. But it was barely painful and reminded him of the river he visited earlier. Speaking of 'earlier', he looked towards the entrance for the time. The Bright Circle hasn't appeared yet and the Fast Biter began to feel anxious. Screech and Redclaw will wake up soon…

"Okay, we're almost done…" Ruby announced. She finished up and Chomper let go to help her wrap the large leaves around the mid-section of his tail, covering the wound. They tied the ends together and stepped away as Ruby examined her work proudly.

Thud stared at the leaf covering (Similar to the ones Ducky and Spike was wearing in the sixth movie) and moved his tail a bit. It ached just a little, but it was a whole lot better than before. He was glad he came here, even if it was a one time thing. He gave a small smile and nodded at the hatchlings, thanking them.

"You're welcome." Chomper said, smiling back. Ruby grinned as well.

"Happy to help!" she said before adding in a whisper: "Though you should probably go before the grown-ups know you're here."

Seeing the point, Thud stood up and hurried to the entrance. He gave them a quick backwards glance and walked off. As to be expected, he tried to remain inconspicuous. But it didn't work this time as he heard someone shout.

"Fast Biter! There's a Fast Biter in the valley!"

Like a guilty Egg Stealer caught in the act, Thud put on a burst of speed towards the small cave he used to get in, a familiar black Three Horn hot on his newly treated tail. The sharptooth wasn't going to stand and fight like he would usually do, as he didn't want to undo all he's worked for. And although he's leading them to his only way into the valley, it didn't matter anymore. That can be his return gift to the hatchlings: Saving them from future intrusions by him. And as long as the Leaf-eaters didn't venture into the Mysterious Beyond, they'll be safe...That is, until he found another way in...

Climbing up and arriving at the cave, he growled at his pursuer before tucking his tail safely between his legs and throwing himself inside on all fours. The Three Horn smashed into the wall, which brought down rocks to seal the entrance. Thud ignored this and kept moving forward until he reached the other side.

Standing up and shaking dirt off, he again checked the time and saw the Bright Circle clearing the horizon. Uh oh...Redclaw and Screech should be waking up by now! With that in mind, he hurried along the ledge back to the ground before running towards their home cave.

The cave was empty when Thud arrived. The Fast Biter paused in confusion, sniffing the air for any sign of his companions. According to his sniffer, they left not to long ago. He should follow their trail, make sure that-

"There you are!" He heard Screech's voice and turned around to face his approaching comrades. His brother continued. "We woke up early and you weren't there. So I've been sniffing all over for you."

Thud's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" As he did so, he again tucked his tail under. Last thing he needed was for them to figure out why he left in the first place. He didn't know what they'll do to him, but he could imagine something horrific. It usually is whenever Redclaw was involved.

Screech nodded. "Of course. You're my brother. Redclaw certainly didn't care..."

"Nope." The large sharptooth muttered distractedly. He was staring at Thud's tail. Screech also took notice of the leaves on his brother's limb and sniffed it curiously. Redclaw shoved the blue Fast Biter away. Thud backed up a few steps and Redclaw knocked him over roughly and sniffed the plant intently. The smaller sharptooth growled defensively and the other predator was about to bite the stuff off like it was some kind of parasite.

Thud gave a panicked scream, got to his feet, and ran behind his brother, who continued to stare at his tail like nothing else in the world existed. Finally, Screech couldn't hold his question off any longer. "Why do you have that?"

Thud paused, wondering why trying to hide something only makes it more obvious. He did NOT want to tell them about it, but what's the point of lying to them? They'll find out eventually and it'll all just backfire on him. Might as well get it over with and take the consequences like a true sharptooth. However, Screech beaten him to it.

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that your tail's been hurting?"

The green Fast Biter was stunned. "You knew?" he managed to choke out in his shock. Redclaw snorted in an insulted manner and gave a rare smirk, like Thud was a hatchling that just asked an obvious, not to mention stupid, question.

"We're made to notice things like that." he told him. Thud was truly amazed. They knew all along and-

"And you never tried to kill me?" he couldn't help but ask. It's the way of the Mysterious Beyond, after all. Any injuries was treated as a weakness and weaknesses was treated with death. Why were they making a special exception for him? His thoughts were interrupted when Screech chuckled.

"Of course we never tried that. You're my brother. And Redclaw's our friend even if he doesn't want to admit it." Screech grinned at the larger carnivore, who was growling with eyes narrowed. This was a rare moment where they were actually having a relatively decent conversation. A conversation Redclaw decided to end.

"Trust me when I say that if you weren't useful to me, Thud, you'd be dead a long time ago. Fast Biters like you two are not entirely off my diet." he hissed. Both Fast Biters gulped, reminding themselves to try harder to stay on Redclaw's good side. The scarred sharptooth looked off towards a point in the horizon, sniffing, before continuing with a growl. "Now, I can smell a family of Fast Runners. Follow me."

He walked off with Screech rushing to keep up. However, they paused when they realized that Thud wasn't following them. Screech tilted his head in confusion and Redclaw bared his teeth in frustration. The hesitant Fast Biter quickly stated his explanation before any harm could be done to him yet.

"I'm not hungry. You both go on ahead." he said, turning back towards the cave. He was, in fact, very hungry. He has been since he first woke up. But he figured that since he had two hatchling helpers, he owed them two favors. And since he was the best in the trio at catching speedy prey, not participating will definitely lower the chances of the Fast Runners getting caught.

"Are you sure?" Screech asked. Thud looked back at them and gave a small smile.

"It's just a one time thing..."

THE END

A rather long OneShot and it's gotten kind reviews. Hopefully it'll be the same here! Though I'll admit, I'm not skilled with Ruby's speech patterns. Please bear with me on that.  :unsure: .....

Made three pics, mostly Sierra of course... And I'm not the best artist in my family, so please excuse the general bad-ness of these three pics.

Our Flyer Trio as Babies-


A Pal's RP OC "Girlfriend" For Sierra (Oh....how he hates her sooooo much....)-


Sierra Being Pwned by Said "Girlfriend"-



I suck at coloring (the third pic, my pencils didn't like me at all). And backgrounds are never nice to me so I avoid them as much as possible by not doing them at all in most cases! Sorry for that...

Edit: I did it!! Thanks so much for showing me, Adder!!