Ducky123's fic

[Ducky123]

It is nice to see that Ducky has regained the will to live. in-yes.gif The scene with Littlefoot was a nice touch. I like how she went to Littlefoot as she thought that he would probably know the right words, but in the end he didn't really have to say anything, he just needed to be there for her.

Yes, sometimes actions speak louder than words I personally have never been in a situation where I had to comfort a friend but I reckon it wouldn't do any harm to be just there, to listen to their hardships and wait until they feel better.

Thanks for the review

[Cancerian Tiger]

I was hoping it's not really depression.  I know from past experience all too well how it feels to battle depression, and it's a royal you-know-what to overcome.  

Littlefoot's response reminds me of a time when a friend of mine went ballistic over a minor disagreement with someone and was talking about going home and blowing themselves away, and I simply responded like he did.  I had no idea until this incident that this friend of mine had bipolar disorder, so that was unnerving.  And you're right, sometimes it's your actions and not words that can make a difference to someone .

I'm glad to see our sweet little swimmer is hanging in there, and hopefully she'll feel better now that she has her belly full and catching some z's .

[bushwacked]

Another later than late review... I can only hope you forgive me, Mr. Ducky  

Anyway... it looks like things might be starting to look up for the group, now that they've found food and Ducky doesn't just want to sit down and die anymore Although with Cera's back injury, things are still pretty dicey for her... hopefully Pterano and Petrie's mum will have some luck in tracking them through the caves   Though why do I have the feeling things won't be that easy...

[Ducky123]

CT: Well, I haven't had an opportunity to meet somebody who is suffering of depression yet and I'm happy I haven't... Though if I was faced with that topic, I'd try to offer any help I could possibly give... like Littlefoot

BW: Thanks for your review (every review is better than no review at all )

Though why do I have the feeling things won't be that easy...

Well, because your sniffer is good Won't tell more since that was already too big a spoiler I suppose

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Chapter 38: What will they do next?

Littlefoot awoke. He quickly realised Ducky was no longer sleeping beside him. More accurately, she was nowhere to be seen at all. Panicked, Littlefoot overviewed the place they had chosen for resting. Cera was still sleeping some steps away from the little Longneck, not making any sounds, and Petrie was snoring, too, but Spike was nowhere to be seen as well... Where were they? Did they leave their group? Littlefoot couldn't believe they did, but there was a slight chance his fear might come true.
Anxiously, he shook Petrie and Cera to awake them. Petrie jerked up and looked confused at first but Cera didn't awoke at all, no matter how many times Littlefoot tried...
"Where Ducky? And where Spike???" Petrie questioned rubbing his eyes.
"Well, if only I knew, Petrie... they disappeared," the Longneck responded uneasily.
"Ducky gone away, 'member?" the Flyer reminded Littlefoot.
"Yeah, but she came back to me eventually and slept by my side," Littlefoot explained.
"Why she gone to you?"
"I dunno. She cried and fell asleep after that."
"Hmm..."
"She seemingly ate the leaves we left for her before she came to me... There ain't any left, see?"
"Me see."
"But where is she now?" Littlefoot racked his brain.
"Spike know the way to food so he and Ducky maybe gone there to eat?"
Littlefoot's eyes widened. "Right, that's probably happened... Ducky woke up, hungry. She woke up Spike since he knows the way and they went away." Littlefoot took a deep breath of relief before continuing. "I wonder though if they bring some food here..."
"That is, if you right," Petrie retorted.
"I'm pretty sure I am. Besides, it was your thought." Littlefoot smiled slightly.
"Yeah, there no reason to leave," Petrie said.
"Right, should we follow them, just to make sure?"
"Petrie trust Ducky, and Spike, too."
Littlefoot's concerns switched to the orange Threehorn that showed first signs of an approaching death. Cera was unusually high-temperatured and her breath was hardly perceptable. On top of that, the injury on her back produced a thick, yellow-ish and funnily smelling liquid and it was heftily swollen.
"Cera is in an alarming state..." Littlefoot eventually mumbled.
"Yeah, she ain't strong anymore."
"I fear she won't make it if we don't find the leaves Ducky talked about..."
"What that noise?" Petrie suddenly piped up.
"If you were quiet, I might be able to tell," Littlefoot joked in an attempt to improve their mood filled with worries and anxiety.
Petrie looked at Littlefoot grinning. They both listened to the noise. It sounded like somebody humming, and Petrie had heard the voice before. Terrible memories flooded his brain but the fact that it was Ducky who uttered the sounds banished them quickly to be replaced with joy.
"It Ducky!" he announced merrily.
"And Spike.." Littlefoot added, relieved.
The two came in sight. When Ducky saw Littlefoot and Petrie, she sprinted towards them, Spike following her, laid-back. The little Swimmer had such a speed that she just knocked Petrie down, and hugged him.
"I am so sorry for everything that I said to you last night!" she cried both of joy and grief. "I do not know what was wrong with me, oh no, no, no."
"Me just glad you not dead or gone away," Petrie replied croaky since Ducky choked him accidently.
"It's alright, Ducky. Losing loved ones is terrible... We all can relate to your situation," Littlefoot said and looked at the group. Everybody nodded, except Cera of course.
"Thanks for bringing us some food, also," he added smiling.
"You are welcome, you are, you are," the Swimmer replied and finally released Petrie only to hug Littlefoot tightly. Spike expressed his appreciation in his own way.
"Group hug!" Petrie announced.
"Oh please, please, please!" Ducky begged.
So they hugged each other until Littlefoot's stomach made a familiar sound.
"I hereby announce: Let's feast!" Littlefoot chuckled.
Spike made a concerned sound pointing to the body that was Cera.
"She is very ill, I'm afraid," Littlefoot explained. "See, I tried to wake her up but it is no use."
"Do you think she will be alright?" Ducky questioned.
"I'm afraid she won't..." Littlefoot sighed. "Let's better eat, we need all food and strength we can get."
"Yeah, me believe me can't do anything to help Cera," Petrie sighed.

They ate their fill silently. Cera still didn't show any signs of consciousness.
"So what will we do now?" Littlefoot eventually spoke up.
"Well, we cannot leave Cera alone, nope, nope, nope. But can we stay here all the time?" Ducky was deep in thoughts.
"Me think we should find grown-ups," Petrie exclaimed.
"Yeah, but we can't leave Cera alone, either..." Littlefoot replied.
"But if we not find grown-ups soon, we never find them, or be finded..."
"That's right. One option is to split up, but I don't like to split up." Littlefoot was torn back and forth.
"Yes, maybe two of us get attacked by Sharptooth and the other two does not know, oh noooo!" Ducky reasoned.
"Petrie no like it either," the Flyer announced.
"Hmm..." Littlefoot considered.
"Cera not been nice to us, me just saying..."
"You are right, Petrie. Cera was especially not nice to Spike!" Ducky answered.
"Yeah... "Littlefoot sighed. "She acts kinda rude and unfriendly."
"So why we can't leave her, heh? We could do well without her," Petrie reasoned.
"Besides, she said that Spike would slow us down... Now she slows us down, yes she does!" Ducky said with slight anger.
"Good point, Ducky," Littlefoot remarked, "But if we leave her on her own, we would act even worse than she did."
"That true, but..." Petrie was saying, but Littlefoot interrupted him.
"I won't leave her, she needs our help."
"But Littlefoot, do not you want to find your grandparents?" Ducky questioned carefully.
"Of course I wanna see them again, but if Cera dies and I didn't do anything, this will haunt me for the rest of my life!"
"Littlefoot and Cera kis..."
"Petrie! This is serious, it is, it is," Ducky shouted in order to prevent the discussion from turning into a quarrel.
"Maybe we find a solution everyone agrees with..." Littlefoot sighed.
"Let us meet halfway," Ducky proposed.
"That mean?" Petrie asked.
"Hmm, how about waiting for a while? Maybe Cera wakes up meanwhile... However, if she doesn't, we go out there and search for these leaves."
"I say yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Ducky expressed.
"Me agree," Petrie said.
"Fine! Let's rest some then," Littlefoot suggested.
Spike didn't need to be told twice. He was already asleep anyway. The others plopped to the ground some distance away and tried to think and talk about happier things...
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I'm trying to upload only once a week since some people are obviously having trouble to keep up (and I'm suffering of writer's block...). I'm not yet decided... I'll eventually figure out a day for regular updates

The next chapter is pretty well summarised by its title: Storytelling, investigation and philosophy.

[Cancerian Tiger]

And they act out of character again, except for Littlefoot.  Man, I really did not like those three during this scene...about made me want to give them spankings...bad hatchlings !  

And poor Cera.  Man, I'm feeling like a broken record saying that.  Hopefully that tune will change soon .

[Ducky123]

Petrie and Ducky are acting out of character here, sort of. They usually wouldn't have such thoughts about Cera (and especially Petrie's thoughts are kind of mean) but the problem here is that they are in a very tricky situation. On the one hand, they don't want to leave Cera behind, but on the other hand, they want to reunite with the surviving members of their families. Ducky and Petrie are suffering most under this separation so seeing their families again is their priority while Littlefoot (and Spike to a fewer extent since he doesn't have any parents that he could see again) are defending Cera because they prefer to keep the group together. I hope this clears it up a bit  :unsure:

And poor Cera. Man, I'm feeling like a broken record saying that. Hopefully that tune will change soon in-yes.gif.

I'm not surprised to hear you saying that all the time. And I'm afraid that tune won't change too soon... Well, at least the focus will be taken away from Cera soon. There will be some more powerful chapters than this one in the future I hope.

[rhombus]

The gang is in a tough spot here.  As my personal system of morality could probably best be described as utilitarian, I can appreciate the moral ambiguity of this situation.    Do you abandon the weakened member in order to promote the survival of the other four?  Or do you help out the one member to the possible detriment of the others? It is true that they are acting a bit out of character, but then again they have been through a different set of experiences and interactions in this story than in the original film.  As a result, their views of one another are somewhat changed from the original storyline, but yet very similar, to the gang that we are used to.  Or at least that is my take on the situation thus far.

I don't really have much to add to this chapter.  I look forward to seeing how this situation resolves itself.  

[Ducky123]

Trying to upload every saturday now. Though it's sunday

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Chapter 39: Storytelling, investigation and philosophy

While the Flyers combed through the caves, Grandpa lead the whole group to a suitable place for storytelling. The little ones made themselves comfortable on a big, flat rock that stood out of the monotonous plateau, the grown-ups gathered around that rock in a semi-circle.
Grandma joined her mate to support him like in their younger days.
"Okay, so many listeners?" Grandpa wondered in surprise, he hardly ever had such a big audience listening to what he was telling in his life before and that considering his advanced age!
"I'm glad that so many joined the story telling event," he let them know proudly. "I know a wide variety of stories and those who lived in the Great Valley probably know some of them, especially the tales about the Valley itself." He paused to give his mate the say.
"I suppose those of us who weren't living in the Valley with us don't know them," Grandma smiled warmly.
"Therefore, I suggest to start with the story of the Lone Dinosaur who is said to watch over the Valley and keep bad luck away," Grandpa heralded.
"What do you think?" Grandma questioned pointing at the children.
"Yay!" they cheered and applauded. The grown-ups showed their willingness to hear the story too by nodding eagerly.
"I always thought this Great Valley was only a mystery and didn’t exist," one of the recently joined dinosaurs piped up.
"It did exist but now it's gone just like this cursed oasis..." the Threehorn whined.
"How come?" he asked.
"I will explain this later," Grandpa promised. "Now listen to the tale of the Lone Dinosaur."
He cleared his throat and started storytelling...

Meanwhile, Pterano and his sister had checked the cave in again only to admit that it couldn't be passed anymore. The blood trails were to be seen here and there so they tried to trace back the events during the earthshake that with near certainty was the reason for the cave to collapse.
"They must have been almost hit by the rock slide, one of them was possibly hit by a sharp rock or even a Stonetooth..." Pterano told his sister and mother of his nephews and nieces.
"Yeah, considering the amount of blood on the ground, it could've only been the Longneck or the Threehorn that got hit by an unknown object," Mama Flyer observed.
"Or both..." Pterano muttered.
"But that's unlikely," she retorted. "The one that got injured must've been seriously hurt considering all the blood."
"If you say so..." Pterano sighed. He was still upset about not finding the opening at his first try.
"Wonder what the unfortunate one was struck by..." the female Flyer considered loudly.
"Me too," Pterano replied quickly. He was now viewing the obstacles on the ground hoping to catch any signs of a blood mark that would reveal the object the injured kid was hit by. It didn't take him long until he discovered the blood-smeared Stonetooth that apparently was responsible for the injury of one of the missing children.
"It was a Stonetooth!" Pterano called his sister who came to him instantly. "It probably landed on the unfortunate one's back and got stuck there but the other kid pulled it out."
"Right, we'd better go find them instead of observing unneccessary details," she proposed.
"Yeah, okay!" Pterano sighed frustrated. "There must be a system of paths over there."  The elderly Flyer pointed at the path the Gang had indeed taken.
"What makes you so sure of that it'll be a whole system of paths?" she countered.
"Well, every bloody cave I discovered when I was still young branched into several paths so why wouldn't this one be like that, too?"
"Yeah, this is logical," Mama Flyer admitted.
"Look! There's a small crevice." Pterano glanced at her his face expressing 'told ya!'
"I see, you think we fit through it?"
"Not trying won't help," he joked. "You're thinner than me so you gonna comb through what ever lies behind this crevice."
"I guess so," she merely replied and squeezed past it. "I passed it, here it is not as narrow."
"Good, just go as far as you can, you probably know what to do anyway, right sis?"
"Sure, seeya bro!"
"Seeya!"
With that Pterano turned around and took the path that would lead him to the Gang eventually...

Littlefoot, Petrie and Ducky tried to keep back their many worries, Cera's wellbeing being just one of them. Eventually, Littlefoot suggested to get to know each other better. They talked about their families and their life before everything they knew got destroyed for good, talked about their time between the doom of their home and the arrival at the now also destroyed oasis including the time they spent under the ash cloud and about just anything they could think of. But eventually, they didn't have anything to talk about so the worries came back to them.
"I would like to ask you something..." Ducky piped up shyly.
"Go ahead," Littlefoot answered.
"Well, I-I thought a lot about... where our loved ones go when... it's time for them to pass on..." Ducky tried to fight back the tears that were about to flow down her cheeks, she needed to remain sturdy, for the time being, that was.
"I remember a story my Grandpa told me when I was still a hatchling," Littlefoot responded. He didn't like the direction the conversation took but he just couldn't refuse to try helping the Swimmer girl.
"When a dinosaur dies, he leaves his body behind but his spirit continues to exist. He becomes one of the many blinky lights we see every night but only those who are connected to them by heart will see them. My Grandpa told me that he could still sorta talk to his parents for a few years until they finally moved on to a place nobody knows of. Maybe they reincarnate, but nobody knows it. I just do know that my mother watches me from up there. I do miss her terribly, but I know that she's in my heart and therefore always with me. That's what he told me at least..."
"That was a cool story, it was, it was," Ducky sobbed slightly, still fighting a silent battle against the tears.
"Me no know that," Petrie replied, speechless.
"Do you believe this? That our folks are still watching us from up there?" Littlefoot questioned them.
"Petrie not sure..." the Flyer responded elusively.
"I do not know whether I believe this but I wish it was true, I do, I do," Ducky answered.
"We could try to talk to them this night," Littlefoot proposed.
"YEAH! Can we do it, pleeaase?" Ducky begged making a puppy face.
"Me think me will go, too," Petrie spoke.
"Then it's a deal, we'll need to get some food anyway."
That being set, they took a little nap and soon the day was almost over...

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The actual storytelling will be the main plot of chapter 40 No Gang though.

[rhombus]

This is a lovely addition, as always.    There were no major errors that I can see and I have very little to say plot-wise, except for the last scene.

My goodness.  :blink: It seems that the thoughts of the gang have finally turned to the subject of death and what comes after.  Not an unreasonable jump, considering their dire circumstances at the moment.  Especially poor Cera.  Littlefoot's elaboration of what he heard about the afterlife was quite touching, and it doesn't technically contradict canon, as we have seen Littlefoot look up at a particular star in the fifth film when mentioning his mother.    This is easily one of the most touching scenes of the story thus far, and that is saying a lot.  

I look forward to seeing what story Grandpa Longneck tells the little ones.   He has quite an audience this time.

[Ducky123]

I'm glad you liked it There will be more scenes about that subject in the future... eventually

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Chapter 40: The tale about the Great Valley

The crowd applauded after Grandpa had finished narrating the tale of the Lone Dinosaur.
"Thank you," he said and nodded to a few individuals. "Should I continue with the story about the Great Valley?"
"Grandpa will tell it from the view of a certain group of Great Valleians; some had already been there and some decided to stay there after we arrived," Grandma added.
Everyone seemed interested, even those Great Valleians that had heard this story several times before.
"Well, everything started when the land began to dry up," Grandpa began. "Watering holes and vegetation became rarer and rarer and it became more difficult to satisfy our hunger and thirst. Back then, we didn't do much together, we just lived separately - every herd, every kind for its own. As you can see, we stick together nowadays, especially in times like this. This story is about how we discovered the Great Valley, together. We heard rumors about a place still lush and green that was said to be safe from Sharpteeth."
"Was it really safe? I mean, those creatures always find a way in sooner or later, don't they?" a Swimmer questioned.
"It was, almost..." Grandpa replied.   
"You'll hear more about it later," Grandma promised, blinking to Grandpa.
"That is right. Anyhow, many families decided to migrate, each on their own for the time being," Grandpa continued. "Though very soon, Sharpteeth began to stalk us, taking away the weakest of us. Because of that, we eventually formed a mixed herd for the sake of safety in numbers, like we did just yesterday. From that day on, we ate and drank together, fought together if a Sharptooth threatened our children and we made decisions, together. Though the Great Valley was just a mystery, we followed the Bright Circle to where it touches the ground. Since we couldn't avoid having contact with  the other dinosaur kinds, some individuals started to befriend dinosaurs of other kinds. We got to know each other better and this was the key to our success. After a long, long time of travelling, one of our Flyers spotted the Great Valley. We settled there and the bonds between the different kinds endured. Together with some residents, we eventually developed a true community." Grandpa cleared his throat before continuing. "One day though, about one Cold Time after we had arrived at the Great Valley, two huge Sharpteeth somehow climbed the so called Great Wall and sneaked in."
Some individuals and the kids gasped.
"Don't worry little ones, nobody died back then," Grandma assured them.
"'Cept one of those raptors..." the Threehorn grunted.
"SSSSSHHHH! Do not spoil everything!" a Domehead scolded.
"I continue..." Grandpa interrupted. "Of course they had been spotted fairly quick; everyone gathered at the Rock Circle where we would meet whenever there is a problem to be solved, or a decision to be made. As a group, our chances to drive those Sharpteeth out of our Valley with success were fairly high. The Flyers spotted the intruders and we headed towards them and fought them back to where they came from." Grandpa suddenly hesitated to continue. He knew he would hate telling the part that would be next, yet he decided to tell this story. With a sigh, he eventually continued. "When we were close to the Mysterious Beyond - that is, what we used to call everything outside of the Valley - my daughter pushed one of them down an abyss. The one that was left fled off. We know that this very Sharptooth finally took revenge for that by attacking us in the oasis."
"And did he get your daughter?" One of the Swimmer kids questioned shyly.
"Yes... he got her," Grandpa sighed and Grandma came to his side.
A flood of condolences, was the reaction of the crowd.
"Thank you," Grandpa responded, toneless.

He didn't tell more stories after that incident. Instead, he announced everyone may continue to tell their own stories which they did so he had time to think. For some odd reason, he accused himself for not protecting his daughter at the most important moment although he knew that he couldn't have helped her... it would have ended only in unneccessary bloodshed. "This way I protected Grandma at least," he reasoned, which made him feel much better. He should be grateful for the things he still had and not complain about those he couldn't save. He just hoped Littlefoot was indeed all right and not hurt... He joined the audience listening to the ones speaking...

Petrie's Mother soon arrived at a spot where three paths were separating.
"I should've suspected I would encounter something like that," she cursed, Pterano's words in her head. Sighing, she took the rightmost of them.

Pterano was walking along the path until he too had to decide between two divergent paths. "Told ya!" he said, gritting his teeth. He took the one that was less narrow. What he didn't know, was that the Gang took the narrower path...



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The next chapter will deal with the Gang mainly. Won't reveal who is in the focus until next Saturday

[rhombus]

A nice addition as always.  I can easily imagine why Grandpa would lose the desire to tell tales after recounting the death of his daughter.  It will be interesting to see how the gang is faring while all this is going on with the adults.  

I only noticed a few minor things:

"Watering holes and vegetation became rarer and rarer and it became more difficult to satisfy our hunger and thirst. Back then, we didn't do much together, we just lived simultaneously - every herd, every kind for its own. As you can see, we stick together nowadays, especially in times like this. This story is about how we found the Great Valley, together."

"We just lived separately - every herd, every kind for its own." would be a better fit here.

Petrie's Mother soon arrived at a spot where three paths were separating.

"where three paths separated." would be the right word here.

[Ducky123]

Thanks for the review

Even though I'm one day too late, you will now get to see how the kids are faring

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Chapter 41: Cera's last words???

"Should we try to wake up Cera again?" Littlefoot eventually asked after everyone had rested to be at their optimum strength.
"Oh yes, yes, yes! Maybe she wants to join us?" Ducky chirped.
"Me no do it; Cera no like it!" Petrie said, remembering the last time he did wake her up.
"I'll do it, okay?" Littlefoot exclaimed and walked to the sleeping Threehorn. After they had tried shaking her, he sighed and opened Cera's eyelids. First, he talked to the Threehorn softly, then a little louder. Eventually, Ducky uttered a shrill scream as if just having noticed a Sharptooth approaching her. Cera stirred slightly in her sleep.
"Cera?" Littlefoot tested her level of consciousness.
"Hmm?" the Threehorn hummed back, not opening her eyes.
"How are you?" Littlefoot questioned. He didn't try to hide his concern.
"Stupid question..." Cera replied weakly. "I'm gonna die."
Ducky whispered something into Spike's ears who nodded at Ducky's words.
"You won't! We're gonna get you outta here... somehow!" Littlefoot promised, though he didn't have a particular idea on how to do that at present.
"Just... leave me behind. I don't deserve your attention..." Cera whispered.
"Everybody makes mistakes, Cera," Littlefoot explained. "It's never too late to admit one's fault."
"If that was meant to be an apology, I accept it, I do," Ducky said.
Spike stared at Cera for a while. He reconsidered how badly Cera treated him, and everybody else at that. His face looked forgiving, but not absolutely trusting.
Cera didn't answer. She had fallen unconscious again.   
"I believe Cera will not join us, nope, nope, nope," Ducky admitted unhappily.
"Me think so too," Petrie agreed.
"Well, we won't achieve anything by waiting so let's go to the green food," Littlefoot suggested.
Seemingly, Spike appreciated that idea highly; he didn't feel well being in company of the dead-looking Threehorn lying in the corner of the small cave.
"But Littlefoot..." Ducky piped up. "We cannot leave Cera alone, oh no, no, no! What if something... bad happens???" Ducky didn't dare use the term death.
"I'm sorry Ducky; we can't do anything," Littlefoot explained.
"Unless we find leaves," Petrie reminded them.
"But you said... riiiiight..." Ducky was just about to retort to Littlefoot when Petrie came up with his constructive point.
"I doubt we will discover any leaves since Spike and I didn't find any so far, and we walked a fair bit that day we first found the food," Littlefoot stated.
"But you did not know what they look like," the Swimmer reasoned.
"Oh... right," Littlefoot cursed.
"So how they look?" Petrie questioned with his squeaky voice.
"Well, they are thick and very dark-green-ish coloured, they are, and they feel curious when you touch them, yep, yep, yep," Ducky explained in detail. "Oh, and they taste yucky, they do, they do."
"Okay, that should be enough to recognise them if there are growing any." Littlefoot stated.
"Me got it." Petrie squawked.
"Let's go then!" Littlefoot called.
"Yep, yep, yep!"

Petrie's Mother stood at the entrance of the cave that had the shiny stones in it. She was stunned, admiring the beauty in front of her eyes. Step by step, she slowly walked deeper into the cave. After some time, she had to admit that this cave was a dead end so she eventually turned around back to the branching of paths.

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...which is not good. Cera, that is.

The next chapter will just continue the plot, mainly. There will be a particular interesting scene with the Grandparents though

[rhombus]

Poor Cera.  If she has gotten to the point where she is accepting of death then that is certainly not a good sign.   But at least they are about to attempt to find plants that should help her.   Although based upon Cera's symptoms, they have better hurry.  :unsure:

I only noticed a few issues in this chapter, and they mainly have to do with word usage.

"Shall we try to wake up Cera again?" Littlefoot eventually asked after everyone had rested to be on top of their strength.

'Shall' should probably be replaced with 'should' here.  This is not incorrect per se, but it is a bit too formal for Littlefoot.  This is a mistake that I also make from time to time as I have a tendency to write in an overly formal manner.

"I doubt we will find any leaves since Spike and I didn't find ones so far, and we walked a fair bit at that day we first discovered the food," Littlefoot stated.

'Discovered' should probably be replaced with 'found' here.  Once again, the use of discovered is not incorrect, but it is a bit formal.

It will be interesting to see how this develops.   I am curious to see how the Grandparents factor into future events.

[Cancerian Tiger]

Poor Cera only seems to be getting worse, though I have a feeling that is all about to change .

[Ducky123]

Thanks for the reviews

rhombus: Yeah, the only question is: Will they find the curing leaves?

CT: Your feeling isn't that wrong. Why would I kill off Cera in a fic that should orientate to the original Land Before Time? I should stop spoiling things  

I have edited the previous two chapters very slightly.

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Chapter 42: Meanwhile in the evening...

While walking towards the exit, they didn't utter a single word. The thought of Cera passing on was simply horrible for the little ones, even though Cera hadn't acted particularly nice. Finally, after they had stepped out of the cave, Littlefoot spoke up.
"Well, here we are..."
Ducky, Petrie and Spike stared at the Longneck, causing an embarrassing moment.
"Right... we gotta separate into two groups. Who shall go with whom?"
"Can I go with you, Littlefoot?" Ducky asked without her usual enthusiasm.
"Yes, of course!" Littlefoot replied. "Then you two build the other team?" he questioned, addressing  Petrie and Spike.
"Petrie no mind it," Petrie stated.
Spike grunted, which Littlefoot interpreted as similar to Petrie's statement.
"Eat your fill on the way; it might be the last feast in a long while..." Littlefoot suggested.
"Which way will we go, Littlefoot?" Ducky asked.
"The one that leads us back to the Big Water." Littlefoot answered. "That's unless Petrie and Spike wanna take that way..."
"You fine with going along this way, Spike?" Petrie asked the Spiketail, pointing at the way leading away from the Big Water.
Spike didn't reply but walked into the direction Petrie pointed at.
"I believe he says yes, oh yes, yes, yes," Ducky said, smiling a bit.
"Fine! Seeya later!" Littlefoot called.
"See you later." Ducky said, waving goodbye.
"Bye!" Petrie squawked.
They separated into two directions.

Pterano walked a fair distance until he finally encountered something other than just rock. He literally bumped into it, a wall of black rock that blocked Pterano's way.
"Huh?!" Pterano wondered; he didn't quite expect to bump into anything at all. "Alright, no light at all so I couldn't have seen that one coming..." He tried to orientate himself but it was too dark to even recognise the walls. "Considering how dark it is in here, there won't be anything behind that wall but more rock," he talked to himself. A river of fire had blocked an exit leading towards the oasis so he was right, Pterano concluded.
Uttering a sigh, the Flyer turned back to try the other option...

After nobody had any more stories to tell, Littlefoot's Grandparents wandered away from the herd a bit to have a break from all the jabbering.
"I doubt we will ever see our grandson again..." Grandpa sighed, looking upset.
"Don't say such a thing, Grandpa!" Grandma Longneck insisted. "If we want to continue and to keep going the way the Great Circle of Life dictates us, we mustn't allow our emotions to control our perceptions."
"Yeah, you are right but look what is left of our once so big family..." Grandpa responded, deeply depressed.
"I agree; if we aren't able to find Littlefoot or Bron for that matter, we'll be the only ones remaining." Grandma explained.
"Being by far the oldest..." Grandpa muttered.
"Well, at least we still have each other." Grandma reasoned.
"I know, I know..." Grandpa admitted. The two Longnecks sought each others’ bodies for comfort.  Grandma shed a few tears;  Grandpa felt like doing so but just couldn't. Instead, he thought about life.
"Think about Mr. Threehorn's situation; he has lost everything..." Grandma stated. "His wife, his home and his offspring."
"Yeah, I agree. Shall we talk to him?" Grandpa questioned.
"I don't think he'll appreciate it at the moment," Grandma guessed.
"Yeah, it is none of our business after all, technically..." Grandpa replied.
"Let's watch the Great Circle disappearing, it's usually a great sight as you should know." Grandma poked her mate, attempting to smile.
"I agree, you know I like the sight, don't you?" Grandpa poked his mate back.
Together, they walked to a different place where the scenery would be more spectacular.
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In the next chapter, the search will begin. Besides, Ducky and Littlefoot will have an interesting exchange

[rhombus]

So the search begins...  I suspect that we will soon find out if the gang can find any assistance for our poor Cera.  It will also be interesting to see the interactions between the members of the two groups as the pairings are not the usual suspects.  We have also gotten to see the melancholy of the grandparents in a more direct way than we have seen in quite some time.  Grandma's advice is quite apt, I must agree.  It would generally be unwise to cheer up Mr. Threehorn, especially in a situation like this where he believe that he has lost everything.  

[Ducky123]

I suspect that we will soon find out if the gang can find any assistance for our poor Cera

Yeah... though the question is how? If they find anything at all  :unsure:

It will also be interesting to see the interactions between the members of the two groups as the pairings are not the usual suspects

True As you will see reading the chapter that I'm uploading by this update, I have put my focus on Littlefoot-Ducky.

We have also gotten to see the melancholy of the grandparents in a more direct way than we have seen in quite some time. Grandma's advice is quite apt, I must agree. It would generally be unwise to cheer up Mr. Threehorn, especially in a situation like this where he believe that he has lost everything. in-yes.gif

True too. Glad you enjoyed my update.

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Chapter 43: In search of the cure

Spike and Petrie sitting on the Spiketail's back walked some distance before they decided to have a break for eating their fill. So far, neither of them had discovered any of the leaves Ducky had described.
After a while, they continued to search for them.

Littlefoot and Ducky soon came to a halt in order to eat some green food. However, since concerns about Cera's wellbeing spoiled their appetite, they didn't eat as much as they should've done in order to regain their full strength.
When they were walking along the little vegetated area, Ducky eventually broke the silence that had been a result of their concerns regarding Cera.
"Littlefoot?"
"Yes Ducky? What is it?"
"I still do not understand how you could have left Cera alone, no, no, no." Ducky wasn't disappointed though her no, no, no sounded somewhat disappointed. "What, if she wakes up all alone?"
"Ducky, I'm confident she won't ever open her eyes again..." Littlefoot explained.
"I know, therefore we search for these leaves, right?"
"Sure, but I'm afraid it'll be too late to save Cera..."
"Do not say that! What makes you so confident anyway, heh?"
"I... Ducky, please..."
"Tell me the truth, Littlefoot. Please... I know you are thinking that I cannot endure the truth but I can."
"Are you sure, Ducky?" Littlefoot was kind of worried about Ducky's sudden robustness of mind.
"I am, Littlefoot, I do know the truth already... I know that she is about to die, just like our parents did. Is it that what makes you so confident?"
"Yes, Ducky. I... in the night where the storm was raging, I dreamed about my mother and... she died in this sleepstory. Just before she closed her eyes forever, she sounded exactly the way Cera did..."
"Are you afraid of seeing her die?" Ducky asked ruder than she intended to.
"'Course not, Ducky! I just don't want to do nothing at all, that's it."
"But at least one of us could have stayed with Cera..."
"Nobody should walk around alone in the Mysterious Beyond, Ducky. Stay in a group."
"Do not remind me of these wisdoms. I know them by heart, I do, I do. But why do we need two groups? I do not understand."
"To be faster... If there are any of these leaves, we're more likely to discover them in time if searching with two teams. See, if we waste too much time, it might be too late to save Cera..."
"Nothing is going to work!" Ducky whined discouragedly.
"I'd have liked to have somebody take care of Cera, Ducky. I considered this; the risk is too high. I'm sorry."
"No, I am sorry because I did not see that you were right, Littlefoot. I did not want to argue, nope, nope, nope."
"We didn't exactly argue, Ducky. We're not Cera after all..."
"Still, I feel sad now."
"Let's just forget about this, okay?"
"But I cannot forget it right now..."
"Ducky, it's really okay. We both had a point of view that we were trying to defend and I'm glad you voiced yours." Littlefoot stopped walking and nuzzled Ducky. Ducky in return gave Littlefoot a short hug.
"Let's go on looking for those leaves."
"Oh yes, we need to hurry, we do, we do!"
With that, they continued their so far fruitless search, in harmony again.

"Spike?" Petrie piped up during the monotonous seeking. "How come you not talk like we others?"
Of course, Spike couldn't reply in a way Petrie would understand. The Spiketail wondered if the Flyer would get messages transmitted by gestures. It was worth a try, Spike figured. He made a scary face that was meant to resemble the Sharpteeth that killed his family. "Ah, me geddit..." Petrie squeeked falling silent again. Spike really wondered why the Flyer made himself comfortable on his back. Couldn't he just fly? He would see a lot more from up there for sure...

Neither Pterano nor his sister found anything of interest. Discouraged, they walked back to their herd to announce the bad news. But Pterano eventually saw a small side path that he hadn't noticed at first. Fresh hope coursed through him and Pterano entered the path, walking along it...

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What do you think? I have focussed on the talk between Ducky and Littlefoot. I hope the other scenes don't seem rushed too much :unsure: I just couldn't think of anything to add...

I'm generally suffering of writer's block lately Hope that's gonna change soon as I have enough free time to get some good progress... but my brain fails me...


In the next chapter, Pterano is going to tell the group what he has discovered thus far, Littlefoot has to make a tough decision and Spike has an interesting suggestion as for what to do. It'll be a 1000+ words chapter and many of the ones to come will be a little longer than you are used to from me... though not much longer That is if I can continue writing soon of course.

[rhombus]

What do you think? I have focussed on the talk between Ducky and Littlefoot. I hope the other scenes don't seem rushed too much  :unsure: I just couldn't think of anything to add...

I think that this chapter holds up quite well.   The interactions between Littlefoot and Ducky are certainly believable and in character.  Likewise, the argument between the two works quite well in showing both points of view.  One viewpoint expresses the idea that since her death is probable, they should simply be with her when she passes, whereas the other suggests that they should try to find help until it is too late.  This is reminiscent of sort of discussions that often happen when a loved one is struck by a illness that may be terminal.  There is often the choice between fighting the disease (which may be a prolonged, painful, and fruitless battle) or simply trying to live their remaining months in peace.  Those discussions are never easy and you captured that turmoil very well in this chapter.

I'm generally suffering of writer's block lately  Hope that's gonna change soon as I have enough free time to get some good progress... but my brain fails me...

I am sorry to hear that.  I have always heard two conflicting points of view on how to deal with writer's block.  One line of reasoning states that you simply have to wait until the impulse to write again returns to you.  The other recommends that you keep on writing in the hope that the plot re-motivates you to think of new ideas.  When I had a rough period in writing my story, I went with the second option and simply continued writing until the motivation returned to me, but everyone is different in what works for them.

In the next chapter, Pterano is going to tell the group what he has discovered thus far, Littlefoot has to make a tough decision and Spike has an interesting suggestion as for what to do. It'll be a 1000+ words chapter and many of the ones to come will be a little longer than you are used to from me... though not much longer  That is if I can continue writing soon of course.

I look forward to it.  

[Ducky123]

Thanks for reviewing

I think that this chapter holds up quite well. in-yes.gif The interactions between Littlefoot and Ducky are certainly believable and in character. Likewise, the argument between the two works quite well in showing both points of view. One viewpoint expresses the idea that since her death is probable, they should simply be with her when she passes, whereas the other suggests that they should try to find help until it is too late. This is reminiscent of sort of discussions that often happen when a loved one is struck by a illness that may be terminal. There is often the choice between fighting the disease (which may be a prolonged, painful, and fruitless battle) or simply trying to live their remaining months in peace. Those discussions are never easy and you captured that turmoil very well in this chapter.

Yeah, you're right. I was trying to have Littlefoot who considers the chances Cera has (--> pretty much none) and Ducky who tries to fight even though it seems to be for vain, likely. In case of Littlefoot, it's his instinctive responsibility for his group and their aim: To find their parents (there will be another aim added very soon ) that is driving him to abandon Cera for the better of the rest of them. A hard but reasonable decision
In case of Ducky, her caring and soft side drives her to fight for Cera's life although the threehorn's behavior has been pretty rough and impolite. Besides, she hates injustice and abandoning Cera just feels utterly wrong in her view. Her "angry" side is also present in this chapter though, other then Cera would, she admits when she is wrong
Hmm, maybe analysing my own fic helps getting back into it  

I am sorry to hear that. I have always heard two conflicting points of view on how to deal with writer's block. One line of reasoning states that you simply have to wait until the impulse to write again returns to you. The other recommends that you keep on writing in the hope that the plot re-motivates you to think of new ideas. When I had a rough period in writing my story, I went with the second option and simply continued writing until the motivation returned to me, but everyone is different in what works for them.

Both ways, I have tried during previous periods of struggle as well as recently but it hasn't worked thus far... I'll give it another try later. If it doesn't work, I'll switch to option 1 and try again in a couple days... Luckily, I'm majorly ahead of myself (well, not for much longer ) so I can keep uploading

[Ducky123]

Writer's Block? What's that? Wrote 3000 words yesterday. Struggled free for the moment at least... and I hope this is going to stay that way when school begins again on Monday  

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Chapter 44: Cursed misfortune

Pterano walked along the path when he heard a sound. Skidding to a halt, the Flyer listened carefully. However, there was perfect silence. Slowly, Pterano continued walking, past the little Threehorn girl that was struggling with death...

When Petrie's Mother climbed out of the cave, it was already pretty dark, the last bit of light quickly disappearing in the west.
Immediately, she was bombarded with questions.
"Hey, hey, HEY! Not all at once, please!" she called. "Pterano and I seperated in order to be faster; no, I didn't find the kids; yes, I have found blood."
"Our last hope is Pterano then..." Grandma Longneck sighed...

Pterano eventually stepped out of the cave happy to have found an exit. "What a relief!" he exclaimed. "Either, they have been able to get out of the cave or my sis found them..."
The Flyer looked around; he spotted no sign of the kids at all. Hoping his sister would have found them, he took off.

Neither Ducky and Littlefoot nor Petrie and Spike found any leaves so they eventually turned around and walked all the way back to meet up with the others, hoping the other group would've found the special leaf...

When Pterano arrived at the dinosaur crowd, he was greeted just like his sister.
"QUIET!" Mr. Threehorn bellowed in order to be able to listen to the Flyer.
"Where are the kids!?" he growled.
"You haven't found them either, sis, have ya?" Pterano questioned, receiving a clear no from her.
"Well, they are certainly not in the cave anymore, I have found two exits, one of which is blocked by a fire river that has turned to rock and the other one lead me to the very other side of the mountains we're currently at."
"Does that mean they're alive???" Mama Swimmer called, excited.
"Probably, yes..." Grandpa concluded.
"So they are out there somewhere, all alone, aren't they?" Petrie's Mother asked.
"It seems so..." Grandpa replied.
"Oh my..." the Threehorn gasped in shock. "How big are chances that we will find them?"
"If we send the Flyers on a lookout right when the Bright Circle rises, chances aren't too low I guess," Oscar piped up.
"Why not doing it tonight?" Mr. Clubtail asked.
"Well, would you spot anything in this darkness?" Pterano countered.
"Ehh, right..."
"Then it is settled. The main group might want to move to a more pleasurable place than here though.." Grandpa spoke.
"Yeah, there is some food down there," Pterano told pointing to the direction of the Great Valley.
"We'll move to that green food tomorrow; now you may rest." Grandpa turned to his mate and walked some distance before laying down for sleep...

Eventually, Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie and Spike met at the exit of the cave again.
"Did you find any leaves, did you?" Ducky asked in worry.
"We no find anything, ohhhhhhh!" Petrie squeaked.
"Damn it! There has to be a way to cure Cera!" Littlefoot whined.
"Oh no, no, no, no, noooooooo!" Ducky exclaimed.
"What we do now?" Petrie questioned.
Spike munched on a farn.
"Oh Spiky, eating will not help Cera, oh no, no, no," Ducky told Spike.
Spike shrugged his shoulders and continued his dinner.
"I'm afraid we can't do anything for Cera," Littlefoot announced, dispirited. "She's lost."
"Nooooooo..." Ducky moaned.
"Uhh ohh..." Petrie said and gulped.
Spike stopped eating. Just now, an awful thought haunted him... Was he guilty of killing Cera? Not directly of course but he did hit her injury, aggravating it in a possibly fateful way. Spike gulped as conspicuous as Petrie.
"We need to continue the search without Cera, as hard, unfair and disgusting as it sounds..." Littlefoot announced after a while. He feared that especially Ducky might react angrily to this decision. Making decisions for others was a thing he never would have chosen if given an alternative but there wasn't one. Neither Ducky, Petrie or Spike could possibly make decisions that would be beneficial for the group since Ducky and Petrie would choose their emotions over rational thinking and Spike couldn't talk at all. Littlefoot considered himself responsible for his friends and he felt that they needed him. He didn't want to disappoint the cheerful but emotionally weak Swimmer, the fretful and easily scared Flyer and the mute and easygoing Spiketail; he would lead them to their parents... or at least to a place where there was enough food and water to survive.
"I-I g-guess s-so..." Ducky said in a shaky voice, a single tear rolled down her cheek before she was able to fight against the desire to cry - this was clearly not the right time to break into tears. She had to stay strong for the time being.
"Me understand we must leave Cera behind but me still feel sad," Petrie spoke in a husky voice.
Spike's facial expression was clearly stating how he felt; bad, worried, guilty and depressed.
"Any suggestions as for what we could do now?" Littlefoot questioned, somewhat clueless.
Ducky and Petrie merely stared at the ground as if deeply depressed which they which they, in fact, were. Spike, however, appeared to be thinking about something.
"You do not know what to do either, do you Spiky?" Ducky questioned, sighing.
Just, when Ducky adressed him, the Spiketail remembered everything... and he knew what they could do now. Uttering his unique range of sounds and emphasising his message with gestures, the Spiketail tried to convey his propose to Ducky. The Swimmer first didn't seem to understand what Spike was trying to tell her but at Spike's second try, Ducky understood her friend's idea.
"Me wonder what Spike saying..." Petrie mumbled to Littlefoot.
"Well, I hope Ducky is able to understand him," Littlefoot answered.
"Hey guys! Spike has an idea, he has, he has," Ducky called in excitement.
"Yes? Tell us about it, please," Littlefoot requested, suppressing his excitement.
"Well, Spike told me that we all have a special light in the sky that is shining brighter than the others. According to him, the loved ones who have passed on are always watching us from up there, they are, they are," Ducky explained.
"So? What your point?" Petrie squeaked.
"It is Spike's point of view, not mine, yep, yep, yep," Ducky chirped.
"Not important, please tell us now because it's getting pretty dark and we need to rest in order to have enough strength to search for our folks tomorrow," Littlefoot said and shrugged her off.
"Alriiiiiiiight! Spike says that we should go to a lonely place and look into the lights in the sky, yep, yep, yep."
"Okay... dunno what this is gonna bring us but we don't have a clue what to do anyway so let's do it!" Littlefoot exclaimed.
"Me not sure but me gonna do it," Petrie replied, being a little startled.
"Yes, yes, yes. Let us do it," Ducky said.
The four young dinosaurs separated and walked a little distance so that they were all alone. Then they plopped to the ground wondering what the lights were going to tell them, if anything at all...

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I am very curious about your opinions, yes I am! And I wonder if anybody can guess what is going to happen in the next chapter Spike gives you a hint ^^

In the next chapter, (no, I'm not going to give the answer away) ... Ehh, I will only say this: You'll love it! 1500 words btw...