Lost in Nightmares

[Anagnos]

Author's Note: Well, well, well... what is this you see? Am I really continuing a story you thought was already done? To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to return to this world and continue the storyline I started last year. When the opportunity presented itself, it seemed like the perfect time to make a comeback. For those that have read A Grief Observed, I hope you'll find this just as good, if not even better, but I'll let you be the judge of that. All I can really say is that I'm very pumped up to get the following chapters out as soon as possible. Just to be clear, you do not have to read AGO to understand the plot in this one, although it is recommended you have read the prequel.

Disclaimer: words in italics stand for flashbacks.

Summary: Continuation for A Grief Observed. Adapting is not always like a walk in the park. For Shorty, it was twice the trouble to make it to the finish line with his innocence intact. But what if the damage has already been done and irreversible? This is the next chapter in the life of a lost soul who found redemption in the most unlikely place and turned over a new leaf as a result.

Link to FF page: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13620926/1/Lost-in-Nightmares

This story is for the Gang of Five June 2020 prompt challenge.


Chapter 1:

Bron tried to block the slight heaviness and quiver in his chest and allowed himself to rock on his heels. He avoided eye contact with his deputy, fearful of letting his emotions get the better of him. He had not been brought up to be a leader and now that the duty had been forced on him, he was always careful enough to have a positive outlook.

If his companion noticed the signs of doubt he showed no sign of it. ''No doubt about it, something must be done. We lost six last night circle and the recent cooperation between predators and the vultures responsible for sabotaging our food supply has everyone on the edge. Moral is dropping and the more vocal protesters have even started to question the legitimacy of the leadership. I fear a revolt is inevitable.''

That did not surprise Bron. People who allowed emotions control how they behaved would eventually cost the lives of others around them, and that was something he wasn't about to permit. ''Let it be clear that I will not force anyone to remain here against their will. If they have made their decision to leave, then their fate is out of my paws.''

When he received no reply from his deputy, Bron decided to continue uninterrupted. ''Make no mistake, Arlo, I'm not saying we abandon them completely. We need each other more than ever. Our solitary days are coming to an end, and we must adapt.''

''As you will, leader,'' Arlo said. ''But may I remind you of our little project, the contingency plan in case something goes wrong? You know how it peeves me to leave things unfinished.''

''How could I forget? You've been reminding me of that since the raid we suffered from few days ago.''

''Doesn't hurt to be practical, no?''

Being overzealous did, though. Bron was glad to have someone by his side who knew more about management and inspiring people with words. Arlo was also one of the more skilled and experienced in the herd. If there was to be a fight, you'd want him to guard your back.

But Bron knew better than to rely on brute strength and devil's luck alone. Wounds would heal in time, but there was no cure for being a pompous moron and he flat out refused to let arrogance cloud his judgement.

You'd think that it wouldn't take a lot to win the confidence of those who followed you. Just tell them what they want to hear, keep them content and don't let them accidentally kill themselves. But there was more to it, far more. You had to inspire them or they'd find someone else to fill that spot.

It usually ended in one of two ways: either they made the right decision to oust an incompetent leader, or they'd end up killed by following a false one. There was too much to lose in either scenario and since it was too big of a gamble, Bron didn't even consider it. What he did consider was placing competent people in positions that suited their talents, and for those that did not fit the criteria, there was always something else.

At first, Bron had been little skeptical about such approach, but Arlo had vouched that nothing bad would happen as long as everyone did as they were told, and so Bron was forced to consent. It was not that he didn't trust the longneck to do his job, rather that not all were as trustworthy. But Arlo had a plan for that, too.

''Why not place trusted members in key positions around the herd? Some to watch the border, others to mind the more menial tasks. And for those that are left? Well, they'd make themselves useful by reporting any dissidents that may one day possess a threat to the herd, and should they opt to oppose you one day, we'd know in a heartbeat.''

Some might have considered that a massive violation of privacy and even betrayal – Bron included – but it got the job done, and since Bron didn't have any alternatives, he'd allowed it, although begrudgingly.

It turned out to be an effective measure. Now that Bron didn't have to worry about potential insurrections within the herd, he could focus full-time on keeping them happy while he let Arlo handle the more clandestine operations he couldn't be seen performing.

''No, it doesn't, and your approach has worked out so far.''

''I'm glad we agree on that, leader,'' Arlo said, with a hint of mockery.

It was the first time since the start of the conversation did Bron look Arlo in the eyes. Even now he stood at attention, even though Bron had forbid such formalities when it was just the two of them. Dark gray with prominent brown eyes, Arlo was a large specimen even by their standards. After all this time Bron was still unable to tear his gaze away from the deep scar that ran down diagonally across his entire visage.

Rumor had it he'd suffered a nasty blow while in mock combat that left his right eye completely blind, but that wasn't the only one. More prominent theory suggested he had earned the scar in a fight against three predators twice his size. Bron didn't know how much of those rumors were actually true or if they were complete fabrications, and since Arlo had refused to speak about it, Bron had to respect his decision and make no mention of it.

''Please, Arlo. I've told you already that there is no need for such formalities while it's just us. You can drop the act.''

Arlo merely laughed. ''Force of habit, leader. It can't be helped.''

Bron caught the glimpse of distant figure out of the corner of his eye when he was about to reprimand Arlo for the hundredth time. He turned to acknowledge the new arrival. He had an idea who it was, and was not at all surpised to see the familiar face he'd wanted to see. There, standing right at the edge of the glade and overlooking the valley below, stood none other than his foster child, Shorty.

He should have suspected him to eventually seek him out. Shorty had been craving for his attention for some time now, but due to his status as the herd leader, he had little time to spare for leisure time. Bron kept faith that once things settled down, he'd have more time for the small longneck. It wasn't too long ago that their relationship was anything but professional.

Shorty had been left an orphan after the catastrophic earthshake struck the world with such ferocity it appeared all hope was lost. Bron had been searching day and night for what remained of his estranged family, when he'd met Shorty and dozen other children with him. By some miracle, some of those children had later been reunited with their lost families, while the more unfortunate had quickly been adopted by childless couples. Everyone except Shorty.

The night after the herd had been amassed, Bron had taken Shorty away from the rest of the herd to talk privately about his upbringing. It had become clear fairly quickly why the child was so disheartened and lost. Bron had lost numerous friends over the years, some of those even from his childhood and moving on had not been easy. But it was different with Shorty. Whereas Bron had retained his father and younger siblings, Shorty had lost it all in a very short period of time. Such a loss was beyond devastating.

Looking at Shorty, Bron was suddenly reminded of his own history and the wonderful times he'd had the pleasure to see. He'd lost his mother early into his life, and not a day went by that he didn't think of her. By now, he was more or less over it, but there would always be a hole in his heart that could not be mended. Soon he'd been plessed with a mate and unborn child of his own, but what came after had torn it all apart. He prayed that somewhere out there his own child was still alive, but there was no way to be sure of it.

Bron had come to the conclusion long ago that he'd likely never see his dear mate again, and when the news of her passing had been uncovered, he'd started to lose the last of his dwindling hope. Azura was something else, all right, unlike any female he'd ever met. Her first impression of him was anything but pleasant when Bron had accidentally pushed her into a pool of mud. It was a complete mistake on his part, and had Azura been least bit vengeful, she would have killed him.

''Look at what you did, you dimwit!''

Bron was like in a trance. He could hear the angry words, the meaning behind them and the murderous look addressed to him when she received no apology or even a word out of Bron for that matter. Without another word, she left him there gaping like a fool. Lost in thoughts, Bron chased after her, completely oblivious to the looks he was receiving from everyone else.

She must have heard him approach, for she turned around and regarded Bron with disdain and a hint of mild curiosity. She was likely expecting him to finally apologize for his behavior, but had that happened, it would have been another story entirely. In the end, Bron had only managed to antagonize her further with one simple, yet gauche question.

''What's your name?''

It became eerily quiet. No one spoke for a long time, it almost seemed like everything around them had simply vanished without a trace. Without warning she swung her tail around and smacked him hard on the face. ''Seriously? Is that all you have to say?''

Bron didn't dare to follow after her once she practically ran away from the scene, one of her close friends right on her tail.

Right now, Bron could honestly say it had all been worth it, and it hadn't taken long before admiration replaced pain, like it had never been there in the first place.

Their relationship gradually began to improve once Bron finally mustered enough courage to apologize for his rudeness, and once she let go of her initial hostility against him, a whole another different side to Azura surfaced. They still fought from time to time, but would always make up in the end. Then the day came when Bron had asked her to become his mate. She'd been rendered speechless, which Bron was sure to savor to the fullest while it lasted. At the end of the day, both their families had rejoiced the new union, and Bron couldn't had been more happy.

They were much simpler times, but now they were just memories of the life he once had. Bron had taken his childhood and early adulthood for granted, and now they would never come back again. Everyone would get only one chance, after all, and Bron had consumed and lost his sooner than he would have liked. Now there was no more time for childish games or the like. He had a job to do, and an important one as well.

Too many looked up to him to even consider failing. They'd surrendered their lives for him to keep alive, and whether or not he'd make good on that promise he would do his very best or die trying. His father had always said it was better to get busy living than busy dying, and he'd taken that to heart. How he missed the wise old longneck with every passing day, but there was no reason to wallow in the past.

Shorty had still not moved from his spot, visibly apprehensive to take another step. Bron nodded encouragingly at him. At last, Shorty seemed to understand he lacked the time for now and he disappeared beneath the wild vegetation and out of sight. He'd have to talk with Shorty about it later and ask forgiveness. Before he turned away, Bron noticed three young longnecks – all of them around Shorty's age – come into view and make their way through the growth, following after Shorty while smiling ominously.

Bron did not like how it felt, but he could not do anything about it right now. Maybe he was merely imagining it, but there was something eerily sinister in the leading child's eyes, like it was almost predatory. Bron had seen that kind of sight only twice in his life.

It was the feeling you had when something bad was going to happen.


Shorty felt trapped. He swayed on his feet while his mind raced through all the possibilities. Uncertainty and self-doubt sweeped through the length of his elongated body, desperate to find answers. He felt worthless and unappreciated, like everyone around him seemed to think so. Apart from Bron, that was. The truth may have been hard to face, but there was no running from it.

What happened with Bron only few minutes ago was like a punch to the gut. Shorty was so afraid of the possibility that even his father figure was starting to harbor similar feelings towards him as the rest of the herd did. But as quick as the thought came up, Shorty dismissed it. No way in hell was Bron going to start ignoring him over something so trivial and unfounded. He'd been nothing but supportive and as a result, the only saving grace in the herd.

Shorty knew the reason why he couldn't spare as much time for him as he used to. His position as a leader demanded his utmost attention all the time, and he couldn't be blamed for something out of his reach. But still part of him wanted to hate Bron for it. It was immature of him, but Shorty could not afford to ignore his feelings anymore. Sure, his new life was not as bad as it could be. He had everything he could ever want: safety, food and the like. It wasn't the problem.

The real problem was that everyone outside of Bron seemed to view him as nothing more than a loose end. They'd change the topic every time they'd see him lurking about, and Shorty knew they were whispering things about him behind his back. Things that no one in their right mind would ever dare speak. And when he confronted them about it, they only hated him more. He was the pariah of the herd, a person that was generally despised by even those that had done far worse things before joining.

The cold truth that no one wished to say was that they didn't know him at all, and therefore had no right to judge him based on wild rumors. All they did was jump to conclusions, and Shorty was tired of being branded a freak of nature. Shorty stomped the ground, and mud flew all over the place, some of it even splashed on him, but he did not care. He'd have to take a bath on his way home.

Home. It was a foreign word, one that did not hold any meaning to him. He had a home once, a real home where he was welcome any time. But it had all been taken away from him. Maybe the reason why he was despised and distrusted by the herd was because they didn't know anything about his past. The only one whom Shorty had opened up to was Bron, and even he knew only a fraction of the full story.

He had been unable to speak about his past with Bron, in spite of of how much Shorty trusted the grown-up. He had no desire to think about those awful days of his life, when food was scarce and he had to keep one eye open every night whilst he slept. Some days he couldn't even bring himself to fall asleep because of how terrified he was. Shorty wanted to bury that part of his past for good. They were far too painful to relive.

But Shorty wasn't stupid. He knew that Bron at the very least suspected there was more to it, but out of respect had decided it was best not to pry. That had increased his appreciation for the adult, and made Shorty solemnly swear that one day he'd tell the full story in detail.

He sighed and started to get up. There was no point in staying here and waiting for something interesting to happen. Watching his own reflection had gotten terribly boring within few minutes. Perhaps he ought to use this opportunity and take the bath right here and now. It would save him the trouble for not having to do it later, and he'd still have some time before settling down for the night.

Before he could jump in the water, there was a loud rustle behind him. It seemed something interesting was about to happen, after all. Just not the kind Shorty hoped for.

''Well, well, well… look who we have here, guys,'' said a crude voice that instantly made Shorty's blood run cold. He recognized the voice.

A lone longneck emerged from the shadows and started towards him, displaying a wide grin. He was little taller than Shorty and much more bulky. Either the child liked to exercise or was just born with extremely good genes, Shorty didn't care at all. He was the last person Shorty wanted to see today, least of all here.

From behind him came two more longnecks, exchanging knowing looks and making faces at each other. Shorty had hoped it was someone else, but to his misfortune, he'd gotten the worst scum in the world.

''What, pray tell, are you doing here all alone, Shortsy?''

Shorty wished to be somewhere else. He'd heard more than enough about the awful nickname the trio had made for him. Most definitely not out the goodness of their hearts. He refused to acknowledge their presence, but that would only make them try harder to get under his skin.

''What? Can't even talk anymore? Are you that pathetic?''

''Shut up, Buck,'' Shorty said, swallowing hard.

''Hey, the little hatchling does speak!''

Buck turned away and burst out in laughter, gasping for air. ''Good one, Willow!''

More laughter. They certainly were enjoying every second of putting him down. Or as they liked to say, ''Putting the freak in his place.''

''But for real, what is a freak like you doing in this herd in the first place? You don't even have a real family, or friends for that matter,'' Buck said, mockingly.

''I hear he's so smitten with the leader that he's desperately hoping for solace from him. It's pathetic, really… I don't understand what he sees in you. You're nothing but a weakling.'' Willow continued.

It hurt to hear those words, but Shorty was damned if he was going to give them the satisfaction. Everything that came out of their mouth was load of rubbish. Although the third one in their group hadn't yet said a word, but continued to laugh with his peers. Shorty's rage was replaced by curiosity. He stopped to pay attention, furrowing his brow and releasing it in bewilderment.

The boy whose name he did not know, suggesting that he had joined up with Buck and Willow only recently, did not look entirely comfortable in their presence. It almost seemed like he was forcing himself to act a certain way to please his new friends. His body language may have expressed open hostility, but the look did not quite reach his eyes.

If only the same could be said about the other two. Shorty was afraid he'd revealed his true emotions, but when Buck and Willow did not take any notice, he sighed in relief. Asking for them to pay attention was a lost cause, apparently.

After another hurtful comment, Shorty could not take it anymore and started in the opposite direction, his bath long forgotten. But he couldn't block out the hurtful words from reaching his ears.

''Heck, maybe your mother didn't love you either, for she's not here to defend her precious little freak of a child!''

Something inside Shorty snapped, and before he even noticed, he was sprinting at full speed at Buck, more enraged than ever. His nostrils flaired, eyes protruded and muscles quivered. Shorty didn't know where the sudden strength came from, but one minute he was staring Buck coldly in the eye, and in the next he was towering over him while the bully lay on the ground, crying in pain.

For Shorty, it felt like an eternity passed before he was pulled away by the boy he did not know. There was no sign of Willow anywhere, and the boy directed him away from Buck with surprising gentleness. Shorty followed his gaze and only then did he realize the true extent what he'd done.

While Buck had been hollering insult after another just few moments ago without a care in the world, now he lay silent at Shorty's feet, breathing weakly while fresh blood engulfed his entire face and dribbled to the ground. Shorty looked down at his feet, and sure enough, they were covered in blood. Somewhere in the distance, a loud cry echoed through the valley.

[rhombus]

This story presents us with a most unexpected and welcome continuation of the "A Grief Observed" continuity, and one that appears to begin with a very severe situation.  I quite like how Shorty's situation is not the first area of focus in this introductory chapter, however, as the first portion allows us to see how Bron's herd has developed and hints at some tensions in the group as a whole.  This hints at trouble ahead for Bron, but this is when trouble of an entirely different sort arrives...

The shift to Shorty's perspective is well made, in my opinion, as we get to see him deal with his insecurities.  Hope intermingles with past despair.  Uncertainty mixes in with love.  Unfortunately it is in this time of self-reflection that antagonistic bullies intervene... and one just has to go one step too far.  The situation right now looks dire and I hope that Shorty only has to deal with having an assault to his name, as opposed to something more severe.  But, considering what Shorty has been through, this turn of events is very believable.  I look forward to seeing what happens next as Bron is made aware of the situation.

[OwlsCantRead]

In a way, it's fitting that Bron and Shorty are both the players in this story, as it's predecessor was mostly from Shorty's POV. I really like the look into Bron's past and the lingering regret as his own deputy is more endowed to maintain control of the herd through coercive means. He really regrets leaving behind Azura and his son, and perhaps this will tie into the way he views Shorty when things start to go very wrong.

While the insults and jabs bu Buck and Willow meant to be provocative, Shorty's short temper really gets the better of him, and it shows that even though he has some self-restraint and knows better than to take the bait, he has a long way to go from being the spunky youth we know him to be. Now the third longneck with Buck and Willow, the one who comforts Shorty, intrigues me, in part because by The Great Longneck Migration he is once again alone with no one besides Bron, just like at the end of A Grief Observed with Browntail and the other children finding their parents. Is this a case of a doomed friendship, I ponder?

[Anagnos]

Chapter 2:

Of all the things in the world, this was absolutely the last thing Bron needed right now. The day had begun just like any other, but already it was turning out to be one of the worst. How he would have liked to have pretended to have misheard the news or for it to have been a complete misunderstanding. Alas, the proof stood right in front of him in a form of a juvenile longneck.

A longneck he thought to have known inside out. Bron openly stared at the child, shaking his head in disbelief and at a loss for words.

''Why today of all days did you have to do something like this, Shorty?''

''You act as if I'd wanted this to happen,'' Shorty murmured.

''Did you?''

Shorty's expression blanched, mouth slackened and eyes widened. He moved back slightly, as if he was uncomfortable in Bron's presence.

''Of course I didn't. How can you even suggest something like that? Things just… got out of paw.''

Bron steadied himself against the rock wall for support, dropping his head and closing his eyes as in pain. ''Do you realize how precarious your position is? Not only have you put yourself in harm's way, but you've got me involved in this mess now as well. What do you think the herd will do once news spread? They will take their justice by force if they must, and since they know of the bond we share, it will only complicate matters.''

Shorty slammed his foot against the soil and when he spoke, his voice deepened. ''So I was just to stand there and take it all in like a good little boy? You didn't hear the things they said.''

Bron could only surmise what had made Shorty this enraged, but he did not dare voice it, wary of what his reaction would be. He had not seen him this livid in a long time, and whatever had happened, clearly had struck a chord.

''True, I was not there when it happened, but that still does not excuse what you did.''

''Well, maybe the only way I'll get you to see my side of things is by telling you what went down and all the awful things they said. They said that I was better off dead and that you didn't need to spend even one moment in my presence. They said that my own mother didn't love me one bit. I'm not sorry I did it. I'm sorry for taking it too far. They had it coming, had no right to say such awful things of someone they did not even know.''

Bron had to agree with Shorty there. They were pretty awful words to say to a child, and it was even worse when said words came from irrational children. No one in their right mind would have even considered speaking such folly, which lead Bron to believe the children's families had not placed much in the way of proper discipline.

The situation was a difficult one. While Bron trusted Shorty to tell nothing but the honest truth and even if one of the kids involved had already spoken for in support of Shorty, the others would likely try and twist the story around in their favor. If that happened, Bron would have to be extra careful to keep his emotions in check. If a leader was seen acting inappropriately, the entire herd would know before the day was over. Rumors spread like plague, and the more gory it was, the more it attracted attention. The wrong kind of attention.

He would be as unbiased as possible. He'd look at all the facts, hear each side, gather all the pieces together and then decide on a verdict. He could show no favoritism here, otherwise things would only escalate further, and that was something he could not afford. But since both parties involved were only children, the sentence would not be overly drastic.

Damn it all to hell. He should have been addressing the herd of their plans for the future and not in the middle of this mess. But when the leader's judgment was needed, there was no avoiding it. Either you ruled them, or they ruled you. There was no middle ground.

''Your actions, albeit understandable, will have consequences, Shorty. You must see how badly this could turn out to be if things take a turn for the worst. Majority in the herd are not pleased with this and will no doubt support the family whose son you've just harmed. Those who are more composed will remain open-minded for the time being. If you do not show remorse, they'll bury you alive.''

Bron beat Shorty in midsentence. ''Before you say that it wasn't your fault, I'd advice you to think twice. You may not have started it, but nothing changes the fact that you assaulted that boy. I need you to be smart about this, Shorty. I beg of you, do not make your situation worse than it already is. People may listen to me because I am the leader, but even I cannot stop a vengeful mob alone should they take matters into their own paws.''

He desperately hoped it would not come to that. Even if he had the support of Arlo and his deputies, they'd still be outnumbered and no matter how strong they were, even they could not hold forever. When a mob operated on a mindless instinct, things got bloody and he wasn't in the mood to start something today.

A series of loud footsteps stopped him from moving on. Bron was positive there was more than one individual on their way. Perhaps they were one of his many deputies coming to relay a piece of information to him. In that case, they seemed to be in the hurry which usually meant his attention was most needed. The group emerged from behind the rock wall, and Bron realized just how badly he'd misinterpreted the situation.

Instead of his subordinates coming to seek his counsel, it was actually the family of the injured child, Buck. They apparently had no desire to wait for the resolution, instead they seemed to be confident to deal with the matter right here and now. Bron had no idea what could have possessed them to march into his nest and start demanding things to be done. He could already feel the tension in the air when they stopped on the verge of his personal space. Rage was clear as day on their ugly faces, but should they try anything here, they'd regret it in a heartbeat.

He could feel how Shorty moved directly behind his leg to remain hidden from the enraged parents, and Bron couldn't blame him for that. Had he been in his position, he'd likely do the same. Bron just hoped they wouldn't be foolish enough to attack their leader in his own home, or the would be hell to pay. Their entire complexion seemed to want to tear him apart if their demands were not met, and Bron suspected what it included.

He'd felt the same kind of rage before, back when he'd learned of Azura's death at the claws of a sharptooth. He'd wanted nothing more than to tear everything apart in this way, but he knew better now than to allow emotions to control you. The mother's eyes flashed dangerously as she glared at Bron, although her anger likely wasn't directed at him specifically, but the person hiding behind him.

Bron wouldn't be intimidated. A frightened leader that allowed his underlings to push him around was no true leader. Only a pretender in cheap disguise.

''Normally I'd recommend you to schedule an appointment with one of my deputies if you wish to see me, and I don't usually take it kindly when someone intrudes my home like this. But it has been a long day and no doubt emotions are still running wild and untamed, so I'll overlook the intrusion this one time. How may I help you?''

''Where is that little brat that nearly killed my son earlier today? I'm going to make him pay for harming my flesh and blood!''

Bron was in no mood to deal with this now of all times, so he put down his foot immediately. ''His punishment will be decided in time. You're not helping your case by storming here and threatening a child.''

''Some freak hurts my child and you claim I can't even demand justice for it? You are the leader! You should set an example by protecting your herd from freaks like him!''

''That is exactly what I'm doing right now. You can scream all you want about injustice, but you shall not lay one paw on Shorty. That, I deny you.''

The father spoke next. ''It's useless, Jewel. No matter what he'll keep protecting that freak from punishment.''

Bron was starting to lose his patience. ''I assure you, there will be a just punishment in due time. But mark my words, if anyone in this herd would be so ludicrous to think they can harm children and face no consequences, you're severely mistaken. Do not test my limits.''

''Don't you dare stand there and claim he'll receive just punishment when he will not. We all know you'll just give a light slap in the tail and that'll be the end of it. Where is the justice for our son who is currently in severe pain?'' Jewel screeched.

''What would you have me do? Whip him until my tail turns red? Banish him into the wilderness? Let you be the judge of what is an acceptable punishment for a young child?'' Bron shook his head in disgust. ''That is now how we operate and no amount of arguing will ever change that. You say you want justice for your son? This is not the right way to go about it, not at all.''

Bron practically shook with uncontrolled rage. The only thing that prevented him from giving them a piece of his mind was that it would only make things much worse for both him and Shorty. It filled him with disgust that they had the nerve to stand there and insist that it was completely acceptable to punish a child so severely. It was totally unacceptable behavior.

Jewel turned her gaze down and locked eyes with Shorty. Her frown deepened and Bron feared whether she'd try to attack the child. Fortunately, no such thing happened.

''Just you wait, you little freak! One way or another you will be punished accordingly and on that day we'll be there, cheering in delight to know that justice was accomplished!''

She turned to Bron. ''And you… you dare call yourself a leader? You're only a pathetic excuse for one. As of this moment we're no longer a part of your herd. It was a grave mistake to ever join with the likes of you. Should've listened to my mate's warnings…''

Just as quick as they'd come, they left without another word. Jewel and her mate muttered inaudible threats and promises of retribution, but all of it fell on deaf ears. With one last fleeting glance, Jewel had turned on her heels and raced away, seemingly disgusted being with her former leader on the same premise. Bron was worried they might have tried to overpower him, but had apparently lacked the courage to carry out the deed.

Bron snapped out of it when he felt Shorty press up against him, still very much in fear of what had just transpired. He reached down and briefly brushed his snout against his to bring comfort for him. The poor kid was almost clinging onto his touch, his pained and watery gaze stared deeply into him.

He took a deep breath to calm himself before he could trust himself to speak. ''You see, Shorty… not everyone can be reasoned with. When they want blood, they'll be willing to pay the price for it.''

Beads of sweat gathered on Shorty's forehead and when he spoke, his voice lowered to a faint whisper and Bron would have missed what he said had he not been keeping close attention on the child. ''You don't think… they'd actually make good on their promise?''

''The thought crossed my mind, but should they try, it will be the last thing they ever do. Yes, they may have very likely not heeded my words, but when I make a promise, I always keep it.''

Maybe as a precaution he should have someone keep an eye on them. You could never be too careful with their kind and he'd rather be safe than be stabbed in the back later. Right now his only concern was to make sure that Shorty didn't suffer an emotional breakdown. The herd would have to wait, his attention was needed elsewhere.

Bron had meant every word he'd said. Harming children no matter what they'd done was something that did not fly well with him at all. His own father often spoke about his paternal grandfather and how the abuse he'd suffered still hurt him to old age. Since then he'd had a major issue with immoral mistreatment and it tore him apart to see how some still continued to suffer under their strict and authoritative parents.

If he was honest, Bron was more than glad to see Jewel and her family leave. They'd never been in his grace and the only reason why Bron had even considered accepting them was because they had small children with them. While he disliked people like Jewel, the children were innocent and he could not make himself to hurt them.

They had made empty threats before, but this time Bron sincerely believed their words to be the real deal, and that others might follow them once they learned of the dispute. Bron could not bring himself to even care about that. It seemed insignificant. Still, it had not brought him any closer to a solution as to what he was to do with Shorty. Obviously, he could not simply let him go without a punishment for his actions, but at the same time he felt the kid had been through enough already.

One way or the other, it would send a clear message to the rest of the herd about what kind of a leader he was truly at heart. Rules were made for a reason, and if the leader himself did not follow them, why should the rest? Children would always get into disagreements, but nothing quite like this. No matter what decision he'd make, it would spread like wildfire and cause mixed feelings. Jewel and her family would likely go into frenzy if they learned he'd let Shorty go without a punishment, and part of him wished to irritate them as much as possible.

But that was not how a leader behaved.

''Shorty, I need you to listen to me. I hope you understand how wrong you were to use such violence on Buck. I do not doubt your honesty or your intentions, but that did not give you the right to beat him up like you did. Believe me, I know just how hurtful comments like that can be, how they can destroy you from inside out. But even if they were complete morons without empathy, you can't go around hurting others. I need you to be the better person.''

Shorty broke eye contact and bend his neck downward. ''Yeah… I know, but I still stand behind my words: I'm not sorry for defending my mother's memory.''

''You're as stubborn as my mate was,'' Bron smirked. ''Just between the two of us, I understand your feelings very well, but I'm still very disappointed in you, Shorty. I expected better from someone like you. You're a smart kid. You have nothing to prove.''

''If you must know, I send a word out for someone to go check Buck's condition. He's currently resting, and while he'll be in pain for quite a while he'll pull through just fine. He'll have a few bruises to show for later, but no lasting damage was done. I can see that you regret your actions and because of that, I think we can put this incident to rest for good.''

''What of my punishment?''

Bron gave a half-hearted shrug. ''Well, I think confined to the nest for a while and limitation to your free time along with constant supervision will be enough. I'll see whether I can reach Buck's parents before they decide to leave so that you can apologize to him. The boy may be a brat and a bully, but he at least deserves that much from you.''

Shorty swallowed. ''Do I have to say sorry with his parents there?''

''They're unlikely to leave his side, but if you're afraid they'd try anything, no need to. I'll be there every step on the way, and since Buck's condition is still weak, I don't think they'll be leaving any time soon. Even they would not risk their son's life by putting him in harm's way in the wilderness.''

While Shorty wasn't too keen on being confined to the nest, he was undoubtably happy for not receiving a more grim punishment. Some in the herd would still piss and moan about it, but they'd have no choice but to accept it. Bron already dealt with dissatisfaction on a daily basis, what was little more?

''Great… I was afraid you'd say something like that,'' Shorty said.

''Be glad you got off this easy, Shorty. I hope you've learned something from this. This is your chance, do not waste it.''

''Yeah… you're right, like always. Does that mean I can go now? Are we done here?''

''One more thing before you go, Shorty. I'd planned to keep this in the dark for a good bit, but I wanted to give you a fair warning before the time came.''

''Time for what?''

''While this land has served us well until now, I'm afraid we must be on our way soon. Food is starting to get more scarce by the day, sharpeeth are getting more bold in hunting us down and the growing discord among the herd is too great to go unnoticed anymore. Because of that, I've decided to move the herd soon, to search for a new fertile land that is not filthy with predators and vultures.''

Shorty's eyes widened. ''Why are you telling me this?''

Bron smiled. ''Well, to be frank, I happen to trust you more than the majority in the herd.''

Bron saw that Shorty had trouble wrapping his head around the sudden revelation. He was glancing around as if Bron had been meaning someone else and it only made Bron laugh more and soon Shorty joined in as well.

''I believe I've wasted enough of your time, Shorty. You're free to go. Just promise me one thing, will you? Try not to get into trouble for the second time in a row.''


From one-hundred-fifty only twenty-one had lost their lives during the arduous journey. It was seven days ago since they had reached this new and fertile land, and already Shorty was tired of it. Bron had kept true to his word to have him confined to his side for the duration of the trip, and even forbade him from exploring once they stopped to rest. Shorty had practically been glued to him while avoiding hostile looks from everyone else.

Because of that, he had not been allowed much of privacy, so when the first opportunity presented itself, Shorty virtually jumped at the chance to be left alone. If there was one good thing in all this, it was that finally he had a real chance to spend as much time with Bron as he possibly could. Surprisingly, he'd even been allowed to participate in some of the meetings between Bron and his deputies, but his heart wasn't in it. Meetings bore him to death and he'd even fallen asleep more than once.

Bron had found it overly ridiculous, much to the irritation of the green longneck. Perhaps Bron thought he could learn something from the experience and even mature a bit, but he never did say why he'd allowed it. He would just gaze at him with that stupid arrogant smile on his face, as if he knew something Shorty did not. While Bron had found his appearance a welcome addition, same couldn't be said of the other high-ranking members of the herd. They didn't say it, but Shorty could feel that they did not want him there.

The reason was obvious: all of them respected Bron too much to not get on his bad side and left their animosity generally in the dark. But when Bron hadn't taken him to any meetings for a few days, Shorty decided to get to the bottom of it. He confronted Bron once the adult came home the same day, and he'd got his answer.

''Why don't you go out and explore the area a bit? I know you've been itching to get away from my shadow ever since we departed.''

Shorty had been both anticipating those words and at the same time fearing when they'd resurface. The reason he'd been wanting to hear them for a while now was because he still wished to properly explore his new surroundings in peace. The last thing he wanted was to be bothered, especially by his former tormentors. Interestingly, he'd seen no sign of Buck since the fight and the only time he'd seen Willow from a distance was when she was playing a game with some of her other friends. Whenever their eyes met, Willow would quickly turn around and pretend not to have seen him.

It was not a surprise she'd be afraid of him. After what he'd done to Buck, she was right to be cautious around him. The situation with Buck, though, was a bit more mysterious. Always true to his word, Bron had taken him to apologize for the longneck the very next day, but when they arrived, there was no trace of them. Apparently they had indeed left soon after their argument with Bron had run its course. In such a short time span, Willow had lost a dear friend of hers forever.

Good riddance. Both of them deserved to know what being left alone felt like, and Shorty was not ashamed to admit as much out loud. The statement had attracted silent agreements from some, while others voiced their dissent quite vehemently. Of course, Bron had not been pleased to hear such an outburst, but had merely shaken his head in disappointment.

The second part why he was hesitant to start exploring, was because he'd enjoyed spending more time with Bron and had not wanted it to end. But in his heart, Shorty knew he could not spend every waking moment of the day in his company. Bron's duties as a leader always took priority over leisure time, and before long his disappointment soon made way for the thrill of adventure. Bron had even encouraged for him to make friends with some of the children from other herds that shared this patch of land with them.

Shorty had never seen so many longnecks in one place, but that wasn't the part that puzzled him. Mainly his unrest came from the most recent sleep stories he'd been having. Not only that, others in the herd had reported similar episodes, and it was almost too crazy to believe had Shorty not seen them himself. Furthermore, he wasn't sure if it was just him, but there was something odd about this land, the way it seemed to call all of them here for some reason he did not know. No one did, and it only lead to widespread paranoia.

But like any child his age, Shorty was easily distracted from adult business, and if he was completely honest, he had no desire in any of that. Bron did say to enjoy every day of your childhood while you could, because before you knew it, it would be over. Because of the words of encouragment from Bron, Shorty had decided to at least try and make new friends. After all, what was the worst that could happen? At worst the group would refuse and all he had to do was find some other group to play with. Heck, he didn't really need an entire group to play with, just one was more than enough.

It would make his day if he'd get someone to play with for even a few minutes. There had to be at least one person out here who would wish to play with him, Shorty was sure of that. It didn't take long for him to find a potential group of children. There looked to be at least six longnecks, most of them around his age or younger while few were older and even seemed to lead the small group.

Whom Shorty speculated to be their parents watched them close-by, every so often putting their conversations with other adults to hold and check to see if they were still in their sight. Even if the valley seemed safe enough, it looked like no one was going to risk being caught off-guard. No matter how safe the area might have looked like, there would always remain a hint of threat and these longnecks weren't about to take that slim chance.

Shorty shook his head. No way in hell could a sharptooth sneak upon a group this large. They outnumbered any potential predators hundred to one, but old habits died hard. When Shorty had briefly led a small group of children in the wild, he'd never let his guard down for one second, even when the situation seemed okay. All it took was one fatal mistake, and that would be it. Out there, anything could kill you if you were not prepared.

But this was not the Mysterious Beyond he was so afraid of. Here, he could let go of his fear and enjoy life as a free child. Shorty started towards the group. He noticed that some of the adults had stopped to observe him, curious as to who he was and what his intentions were. When he was few feet away, one of the older children finally noticed him. To Shorty's surprise, he regarded the green longneck with interest and happily waved a warm welcome with his tail.

''Hey there, friend! I don't believe we've met. My name is Juro. Would you like to play with us?''

Shorty hesitantly returned the gesture. ''The name's Shorty, and may I play with you guys, for real?''

''I don't see a reason why you couldn't. The more the merrier, you know? It's nice to meet you, Shorty. Come, I'll introduce you to the rest.''

Shorty followed after him. This was going good so far, too good, really. He'd never had much luck with making new friends out of the blue like this. Perhaps Bron was right to urge him to make new acquaintances. He could already see the smug grin he'd wear once Shorty came back home and told him all about it.

''Hey, guys, this here is Shorty. I figured he could join us. You have nothing against that, right?''

All at once, the children's attention shifted from games to Shorty. He felt a bit uneasy when they stared at him so intensely. One child moved away from the group and stopped right beside Juro. ''Wouldn't hurt to have more people to play with, right guys?''

All of them voiced their agreement at once, although one of them, slightly younger than Shorty, was slow to join in and only made a move once her companion lightly slapped her shoulder. Shorty wasn't sure what the look had meant, but a part of him didn't like how she seemed to view him in suspicion. Shorty thought she just wasn't used to strangers joining with their group to play.

Shorty shrugged it off and merrily joined his new friends. He was approached by one of the youngest and smallest in the group. The boy smiled at Shorty, and he returned the gesture just as fast.

''We were about to start playing hide and seek just now. Wanna play?''

''I'd be happy to.''

''Since you're new here it wouldn't feel right to have you be the seeker first. If there are no volunteers, I can be it for this round and the one that is found first will be it the next round. Do these rules sound good enough?'' Juro said.

''I'm okay with that. But if I happen to be caught first, I'd like for someone to show me around a little bit. Like you said, I'm new here and I don't know my way around here quite well yet.'' Shorty said.

''I find it hard to believe your parents haven't allowed you to venture out and explore by now. Your herd has been here for some time now, hasn't it?''

Shorty regarded her question. It was the same girl who had shown slight dislike towards him earlier. Her tone wasn't exactly cold, but neither was it friendly.

''Well… not really. This is the first time, to be exact.''

''Give him a break, Seraph,'' Juro said. ''Shorty, don't mind her. She just likes to question new people without caring how they might take it. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.''

''I appreciate it.''

''Whatever,'' Seraph shrugged. ''So, are we going to play today or not? I need to get home soon and I'd like to enjoy what little time I have left.''

''She's got a point there. We still have so time before our folks will call us back. It would be a shame to miss this chance,'' Juro agreed, his declaration completed with nods of approval from everyone else.

''Okay, I'll start counting in a moment. Oh, and Shorty, no need to worry if you don't know your way around here yet. All of us were once as ignorant as you, but it didn't take us long to figure it out. If you'd like, I can take you on a tour after the game.''

''That would be great, Juro. Thanks!''

''I'll count to thirty. You have until then to find a good place to hide, or I'll be coming for you!'' Juro tried to imitate a sharptooth, but all it did was cause everyone to crack up and Shorty couldn't help but join them after a moment or two. They certainly seemed to be quite the close bunch.

Juro closed his eyes and turned to face a lone tree. When he started to count, Shorty did not waste one second before he started to run away from the area, hoping for a good hiding spot to present itself to him.

He found many really good ones and it started to become increasingly difficult to choose the very best one out of all of them. There was a rock wall he could hide behind that would mask his entire presence, but it was a bit too close to Juro's position, so Shorty decided to skip it and look for another spot.

Another spot was amidst a dense hammock. It was an ideal spot, for his coloration was rather similar and would help camouflage himself. Some would have called it cheating, but you had to use what you had in your possession without fail. If it was any of the other kids in question, they likely would've picked the spot first and not felt bad about using the specific tactic to have an edge in the game.

But as he was about to sink out of sight, one of the other hiders revealed himself from among the pile. The little longneck had the same idea he did, and Shorty barely had any time to react before the child motioned for him to scram. Such a shame. It was a very good place to hide and it had been taken from him. Juro had likely already finished counting and would be on his way any second now. There was no time to waste.

Perhaps he could hide inside that hollow log over there? It looked to be large enough for him to fit through without problem, but what if he miscalculated? The last thing he wanted was to accidentally get stuck and be made a fool out of in front of his new friends, so the log was definitely out of the question.

If he was a swimmer, he could have easily submerged beneath the waves of the nearby lake. But after a closer look he came to the conclusion that he was neither a swimmer or small enough to fit his entire body in the water to fully immerse himself. It was another dead end. A flyer could have flown all the way to the top of the tree and remained there for the duration of the game. He would be hard to spot from all the way up there, but alas, he was born a longneck.

Shorty cursed his luck. Perhaps there was still some time to backtrack and hide behind the rock wall or persuade the longneck to share the hammock he was hiding in? He could try to evade Juro by approaching from a different angle so that he wasn't spotted. He just had to remain unseen. It was the gist of the game, after all.

''Shorty? Is that really you?''

Shorty stopped and nearly fell head first to the ground. Whoever this person was obviously didn't know the principles of hide and seek, otherwise they would've never dared to open their mouth when the seeker could be near. If they did not shut up soon, Shorty would be found by Juro and then the game would be over for him. He was about to give them a piece of his mind, when he came to a sudden stop.

From the hammock, a faint figure had emerged. She was a longneck around his age, but what made Shorty freeze in shock was that there was no mistaking who it was. He would never forget the melodic voice that had accompanied him for much of his early childhood. She stood there, observing him while her breathing quickened. Finally, she stepped forward and her voice was dipping with awe.

''It really is you… I thought I'd lost you that day… that horrible day when everything we knew turned to nothing.''

''Mena? Is it you?''

What were the odds this would ever happen, that one of his former friends whom he was sure had perished long ago, now stood in front of him in the flesh? It was unbelievable, but the proof was right there.

''No… there's no way you can be alive… not here… not now,'' Shorty whispered to himself, but Mena had heard it.

''But I am, Shorty. I survived that terrible day,'' she was crying now, her tears fell down and started to form a small pool at her feet. ''So did you… I've dreamed of this day for a long time and now… it's finally come true.''

''Is this a trick? A horrible joke by fate?'' Shorty reached out to her. She replicated the gesture.

''You're really here?''

''Yes… I am here. Alive and well.''

Shorty did not need further proof and nearly tackled her to the ground. She felt strangely light, like she was as light as a leaf. It was definitely odd, but none of it mattered to him. He hugged her strong enough to break her bones, but she gave no indication of sudden pain and clung onto him with her front paws.

''What about Dorne? Is he here too? Did he make it?''

He felt Mena shake her head. ''No… he didn't. I saw him go down, there was nothing I could've done to help him. His entire family followed soon after. It was so horrible… to watch them all die while I could not do anything.''

They separated. ''Shorty, are you alone? Did any of your family survive?''

Shorty's breath hitched in his throat. ''No. I lost mother the night it happened… the only reason I'm alive is because of her. She would not let me die in her place or with her. Then she…''

''Shorty?''

Shorty turned around and saw Seraph there, her eyes narrowed and mouth hang open. She didn't seem to get a word out at first, but when she did, her tone was as cold as ice.

''Who the hell are you talking to?''

''What do you mean? To my good friend, Mena, of course!''

His answer only seemed to confuse her more. Shorty gestured towards Mena. ''See? She's right here. Mena, please introduce yourself to her, would you?''

He turned to face his friend, but there was no one there. There was a chance that Mena had been spooked by Seraph's sudden arrival and fled, but that explanation turned out to be invalid once he looked down. The only footsteps he could see were his own. Mena had never been here. All of a sudden, Shorty felt dizzy.


Author's Note:

You must think I'm quite cruel to have Shorty go through all these horrible events in such a short amount of time, but that's how I like to portray this character. Shorty is one of those you can't help but feel sorry for and narrating his story has been a blast. I must admit that I've begun to slightly hate myself for writing such a sad history for him, but that is the beauty of character development. I expect there will be one more chapter before this story can be wrapped up, but since I have so many good ideas to use, I fear the story might get its unexpected 4th chapter as well, but we'll see how that goes.

If anyone is curious as to what sort of an issue Shorty could be dealing with at the end, it is something that hits quite close home to those that have served during wartime and you can expect to see more hints dropped in the future.

But I do have good news for you, too. Now that my civil service is at its end and I'll be spending the final week on holidays, I should be able to get the next and hopefully last chapter done in no time. These past few days have been filled with writing and I'm confident I can keep this up. I hope you have enjoyed the latest installment of Lost in Nightmares.

OwlsCantRead: It was always my intention to include both Shorty and Bron's POVs in this story. Like you said, the prequel was largely narrated from Shorty's point of view, so I wanted to give the readers bit of an idea what both of their lives would've looked like. It would be too early to speak about how Bron's relationship with Shorty might reflect on Littlefoot and his deceased mother, but you're on the right track for sure. The nameless longneck in Buck and Willow's company, for lack of a better word, is bit of an anomaly, but you raise some interesting points about how his presence might impact the story, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see?

Rhombus: Truth be told, my initial plan was to jump straight into the scene with Shorty and the bullies, but later realized it would create issues if the reader didn't know what exactly was going on. Think about it this way, people most certainly would've been quite puzzled as to why Shorty was feeling this way and instead of giving a vague and short answer, it was better to just write an opening scene that explained what could've caused him to feel so let down. Since Bron is still relatively knew to the role of being a leader, it would not be that surprising for there to be certain issues he can't handle on his own. This is the part that Arlo comes in and I specifically wrote his character for that reason.

Sovereign: It's good to hear that you found this idea a good one. Like I previously mentioned, after finishing the prequel story I wanted to continue the story more and finally I was given the opportunity. Most of these chapters will be shorter than you would expect from me, but I figured it would be better to separate the whole story in smaller sections like so. Before you mentioned it, I'd planned for Arlo to be a relatively minor character that would've had only one appearance in the entire story and his character would've largely remained unexplored as he wasn't the main focus, but now I've got a few ideas where to take his character next.

Thank you for the reviews, everyone and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

[rhombus]

I quite like how we are immediately greeted with Bron's reaction to the news in this chapter.  The elder longneck is quite understanding, considering the circumstances, but he is also quite aware of the possible repercussions of Shorty's actions.  Here we get to see how Bron thinks.  He is careful to rationally and almost coldly consider the possible consequences of an action before taking any immediate action.  He also does not appear to make a distinction between explaining these consequences to an adult or a child, telling Shorty rather bluntly what is at stake here.  This at the same time makes Bron seem like a very competent leader, while perhaps also having a bit of an odd perspective as an adoptive father.  Considering what we have seen of him in canon sources, this seems quite in-character.

The fact that the hotheaded family directly confronted Bron and then stormed off when they did not get the results they wanted was not unexpected in my mind.  Oftentimes a child who is entitled and speaks without thinking is sired from parents who are incapable of setting boundaries for their children and seeing their own faults.  It is nice to see that the other children of the herd are a bit more hospitable.

Which brings us to the last scene... now this is certainly interesting.  I can only imagine what the other children think when they see Shorty talk to someone who isn't there.  Is this specter from Shorty's past a sign of mental instability and past trauma, or is it something more.  I am very curious to see what comes from this development.

This was quite a nice chapter that has expanded on both Bron and Shorty's personalities.  I look forward to seeing what happens next.

[OwlsCantRead]

I do think that Bron rationalizing that he should let Shorty off with a slap on the tail to spite Buck's family is rather fitting considering that even before he meets Littlefoot he felt a bond with Shorty. I really liked his talk with Shorty, as given what happened there really is no easy solution to the predicament. I do think that it was a bit crummy that Jewel just left with Buck when it was clear so wouldn't get what she wanted. Petty, yes, but it shows that Shorty and Bron has the higher moral ground than someone unwilling to face their faults.

The surprise and haunting appearance of Mena, whether as a figment of his imagination or as an apparition, is a harrowing reminder and juxtaposition to his willingness to be a carefree kid at the end. Perhaps, in a way, that combined with the initial comment Buck made about his mother shows that he hasn't quite let go of his past.

[Anagnos]

Chapter 3:

''There is no official name for it, but most have referred it as the Imaginary Sickness in the past. Only those that have been in serious traumatic events show signs of it. Symptoms may include rapid changes in personality, abnormal anger or even hallucinations. It would appear that young Shorty here has all of them.''

Bron listened as the healer went on, but he wasn't really paying attention to her anymore. His attention was for the person suffering from this condition. Shorty stood short distance away, head bowed down and eyes closed.

''It is a very rare sickness,'' the healer said. ''I've only ever met one person who had it and even then it wasn't this severe.''

''Is there a way to fix it? Make it go away?''

She shrugged. ''If there's one, I don't know what it is. Some may start to show symptoms only after many years have passed, while others have them right at the start. Do you have any idea what could have caused it to go off?''

''All I know is that everything was just fine earlier today. Something very bad must have happened.''

''Yes, that seems likely. Which brings us to the question on how to fix it. Well, there's not a known cure for this. He may never be fully rid of it, but he can learn to control it.''

''Please,'' Bron said. ''Tell me what is. Anything to make it better.''

She shook her head. ''It is not that simple, Bron. You see, the only one to truly decide whether they want help for this is the patient himself. If he does not believe it can get better then how can anyone else? But he will not be alone in this. The road to recovery is long and hard, which is why he'll need someone to support him.''

While it was not the answer he'd been awaiting for, it was better than nothing. All he could do was help Shorty through this to the best of his ability. Alone he did not have much of a chance, but together they might pull this off.

It all reminded Bron how unfair it was, especially to a young child that didn't ask for this. Shorty deserved to be happy and free, not under constant torment. What if it was all his fault? Had he not seen how much the child suffered and now they were in this mess?

''Does this mean he'll keep having hallucinations of people that are not really there?''

''I wouldn't count that out just yet,'' she frowned in thought. ''A child's mind is more open to such tragedy.''

''What can we do about it?''

She considered it for a moment, then said, ''I would suggest that you place someone to watch him all day. Have them report everything. If anything changes, I wish to be alerted immediately.''

She came closer and whispered, ''It is probably for the best that he's kept apart from the rest, for the time being. They may not find his condition a welcome one and may even try to hurt him for it. People hate anything different from them and I fear anything they might say or do will set it off again.''

''You think this will help him?''

''It is the best we can do right now. If the situation should change, bring him to me and we'll see what can be done.''

''Uh-huh. What about that person you spoke of earlier, the one who had the same condition. Did it get better for them?''

''A little. She learned to control it to some extent and even work through it, but to my knowledge still continues to suffer from it to this day. With enough hard work, anything can be done. You just have to believe it.''

''Very well. I'll have someone keep an eye on him. I can take the responsibility myself whenever I can, but I fear that is far and few between.''

She nodded. ''Be sure to give me updates on his condition every day. Even if his condition stays the same, I want to hear about it. If it gets worse, you know where to find me.''

''Will do. Thank you, healer. You've been a great help.''

''I'm just doing my duty as a sworn healer, dear leader. But you're welcome.''

With that, she left. Bron didn't move until she was well away to overhear anything that was to be said between him and Shorty. Privacy would be needed and he knew that Shorty would likely speak more openly if it was just them.

''Shorty? Will you come over here, please? We need to talk.''

Shorty did as he asked, but not very keenly. Bron dismissed it and said, ''How are you holding up, kid?''

It was a stupid question, but one he had to ask.

''I'm not sure,'' Shorty said. ''I think I'm not as shocked as I was before, but it still doesn't feel right.''

''I wouldn't expect you to. It will take some time to get used to this, but we'll handle it. You don't have to be afraid.''

''I'm not afraid! I just don't know what to think anymore!''

Shorty's tone took him off guard. He had never seen him like this and it unnerved him a little.

Shorty sighed. ''Sorry. I'm just so tired of hearing the same words again and again. That it will be okay, things will get easier. Well, they don't feel like it. It doesn't help that everyone out there thinks I'm a freak.''

''I don't think you're a freak. Neither does the healer.''

''You two are the only exceptions,'' Shorty said. ''You think I like when people say those awful things behind my back? You think I can just close my mind from it and it will be fine? I just want it to end.''

''I know it's hard, Shorty. This condition is not easy to life with, but I promise you this, one way or another we will make things better again.''

''There you go again with that 'It's going to be fine. You'll see' talk. For all we know I will never be rid of this illness. I heard every word the old healer said. Don't try to hide it from me.''

Just what he'd been afraid of. The kid was more bright than people gave him credit for. He had to find a way to salvage the situation and placate Shorty. Failure could mean that the condition was triggered again, which he did not want.

''Then you understand what must be done. I will not leave you to deal with this by yourself. On that you have my word and don't I always keep it? Maybe once you're better again, the others will see you for who you truly are.''

''Don't you dare give me that excuse! You and I both know that I've never had a place in this herd, despite what you say. Even the kids I just played with won't look at me anymore! They all see me as an abomination!''

''Shorty, please,'' Bron pleaded. ''You must not talk like that. Everything that will have to be done is for your own good. You have to see that.''

''Maybe I don't deserve help! I'm just a freak who has but a distant guardian that doesn't even give him the time of the day to see him! I'm done with being ridiculed and hearing the same words every single day! I will not hear it any longer!''

''Shorty,'' Bron started, but his pleas failed to be heard.

''Just leave this poor freak alone and go do your leader duties! It's all you think about anyway!''

Shorty disappeared into the night before he had a chance to explain himself. Bron wanted to follow after him, but knew it was best to leave it be for now. It wouldn't do either of them any good to get any more riled up today. What both of them needed was some peace and quiet and time away from each other.

Come tomorrow, both of them would be composed and they'd laugh about it later until their bellies hurt. While the kid was a handful, he really did love him. That night was the first one in a long time did Bron sleep alone, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that it was wrong.


Three days passed and it marked the third day in row that Shorty had not spoken a word to Bron. The events that took place continued to haunt him. So much had changed and none of it was good. He knew that it was his fault. He was the one to instigate the delicate situation by placing blame on someone who had nothing to do with his condition.

That word only made him angrier, but it was mostly placed on himself rather than anyone else. He had been cursed with something beyond his control, something that couldn't be helped. And he had likely driven away the only help he would ever get.

People had been correct from the very beginning. There really was something wrong with him. It had taken this long to accept it. He did not care. All that mattered to him now was how to fix this mistake.

And the only way that would happen was if he apologized. Both of them would have had more than enough time to cool off after the big argument, but still Shorty liked to postpone it as long as he could. What was he so afraid of? The reaction he would receive?

It was exactly that. But when the fourth day rolled in, they finally met again. It hadn't gone like Shorty had planned. To him it was like another day, but for some reason it felt different. More bright. It felt weird to say it, but he felt like another person at the time. So it was because of that he'd decided to have some innocent fun.

Only it turned out to be not as innocent as he'd thought. Shorty didn't recognize him, most likely he was a new arrival, but when he saw this brittle looking longneck it seemed like the perfect opportunity. It made him think back to the day when he'd been playing with the children, before any friendships he'd forged were annulled.

Bust most of all, he cursed that traitorous worm he had considered to be a friend, Seraph. She was the one who had revealed his condition to the rest in the group. When he had tried to talk to Juro and the others the next day, Seraph had quickly put a stop to it with, ''We don't play with freaks.''

Right after that, he had walked off, giving up any chance he could convince them to change their minds. But then Seraph said something that instantly made his blood boil.

''That Willow was right about that one. Shortsy… what a brilliant nickname for a freak.''

It was no surprise why Seraph had seemed hostile. It was because she already knew of him before they'd officially met, and apparently had already made her opinion of him. Over the next few days he heard more rumors about him. About how he had almost killed another kid for no reason at all.

But this particular longneck was no Buck, Willow or Seraph. He seemed just as eager to explore as Shorty had been. Perhaps they shared more than...

No. He was done trying to fit in with them. If the world only saw him as a freak of nature why not just give them what they saw? It was easier than pretending to be something you weren't. So, instead of being the one to be mocked, he decided to be the one doing it this time and tripped him when he wasn't looking.

Sure, it must have taken him by surprise and maybe got even little hurt, but no way did it hurt as much as he pretended. It had not stopped him from screaming bloody murder.

''You tripped me!''

''Did not!''

''Did too!''

Neither of them were in any mood to call it quits. When the boy got right in his face, Shorty pushed back.

''Wanna do something about it-''

''Shorty? Shorty, what's going on?''

Bron had the annoying tendency to pop into existence from out of nowhere. Shorty cursed his bad luck. Once more fate was working against him like clockwork.

Not wanting to admit he was the one to instigate the fight, Shorty made up something in his mind that wouldn't look bad on him. He held up his tail as if in pain. ''Ow! He stepped on my tail! On purpose!''

Bron humored him. ''Who did?''

He pointed at the boy. ''Him!''

''Him? The one you tripped?''

''Yeah, he- I mean no! I didn't trip him!''

He knew it was too late to try and spin the story around. He'd been caught in the lie and it was only a matter of time until Bron called him out for it.

''Shorty, come on, It's me. Now give me the truth.''

If only he'd been more careful of his surroundings, he might not even be in this mess now. Alas, his bad luck continued to haunt him. He knew he would not be allowed to leave until he'd told the truth. Out of options, out of time.

''Okay. I tripped him.''

''So what do you say now?''

Curse him for making him do this. Shorty turned to the boy, already loathing the words that would come out.

''Sorry.''

''It's okay,'' the boy said and Shorty took that as his cue to leave. He did not see Bron or the boy for the rest of the day or even the day after that. Fed up, he forced himself to go look for Bron the next day so they could finally make up and start anew. The adult had disappeared off the face of the earth, and not even his deputies knew where exactly he was.

To his surprise, it didn't take long to find him. There he was, running across the field with that boy right on his tail. What exactly had happened between them once he had left that would make them behave like this? His curiosity got the better of him and he asked a passer-by if they knew anything about it.

It was an older longneck, probably well past his prime that gave him an answer. ''Why, that there is my grandson spending time with his father. Can you believe it? After all this time they're finally reunited.''

Shorty now knew everything he needed. The way they had been behaving around each other and the reason why he had not seen a glimpse of Bron for days. It was because they knew each other, because they were family. He recalled Bron mentioning something about his former family, but could not recall what he'd said.

Then it clicked. Now that he had his son back, he didn't have time for him anymore. Bron had not come to seek him out for two days because he was too busy with his real son. He began to feel a nagging emotion deep inside him, taking hold of him.

Betrayal. From the one he considered to be the closest thing to a family he had these days. The elder noticed his discomfort, bent down to his level and said, ''Are you feeling okay, little one?''

Those same damn words he did not want to hear ever again. He glared at the elder. Taken aback, he hastily backed away. The action surprised even Shorty himself, but he didn't care. He ran until his legs couldn't carry him anymore. But that hadn't been the end of it.

As days passed by, he started to see them more frequently. Each time it happened, his anger continued to grow. First it was focused mainly on Bron, but it eventually transferred to the boy, Littlefoot. It was an odd name, especially for their kind and it made Shorty wonder whether he'd been bullied because of it. Part of him took delight in that, to see him put down a peg.

He had stayed as far as he could from either of them and for a time it worked like a charm. That hadn't stopped Littlefoot from trying to make peace with him. He didn't want to make peace with the annoying little git, but that only made him try harder to get his attention.

''Hey, Shorty!''

What good mood he'd had before Littlefoot showed up evaporated once he saw him. He sent a rock flying in his direction, trying to hit him in the head and knock some sense into that flat head of his. Littlefoot ducked and the rock flew out of sight.

''Hey! Nice hit!''

Shorty hoped the rock would have been enough of a hint that he wanted to be left alone, but perhaps he had overestimated the git's ability to think for himself. Not paying him any mind, he returned to what he'd been doing.

''You know, any time you wanna be with my dad and me-''

''Listen pal,'' Shorty paused and faced him. ''I can be with Bron anytime I want to. You got that? I know him better than you.''

''Well, I-''

''Yeah! And he likes me better!''

''Oh, yeah? Well, he's my dad!''

There was the reaction he'd wanted. Shorty threw another rock, but this time it found its mark. Littlefoot cried out.

''Ow! That hurt!''

''Wanna do something about it?''

But Littlefoot didn't take the obvious bait. He turned and walked off. ''No thanks.''

''That's what I thought,'' Shorty ran after him. ''Coward! Baby!''

What he did not expect to see on the other side of the steep hill was Bron. He looked to be disappointed. Once again he managed to make him feel like the scum of the world. Too much was too much, and Shorty didn't wait around. He returned to the pool with his tail between his legs. They did not follow him or call out to him. They simply left, leaving him there alone.

That had been the final straw. After that day he decided that enough was enough. He was done trying to make a difference. So it was with that he knew it was best to leave the following night. No one would miss him, no one would need him. Once he was sure that everyone around him had fallen asleep, he started to carefully tip-toe around the sleeping forms.

He did not want to even accidentally step on someone and risk awakening them. He made sure to avoid brushing up against anyone, for the fear that they might wake up. From the sound of it, most if not all were heavy sleepers. Trying to maneuver around wasn't as easy as he'd thought. More than once he almost tripped on someone's tail or leg.

He made it to the other side without a hitch. Perfect. Everything was going according to plan. Come dawn he would be far away from this place and starting a new life out in the wilderness. He took one last look at the life he'd had, forced his body to obey his commands and never looked back again. He was afraid that if he allowed himself a second glance, he would never be able to tear his eyes away.

''Shorty! Hey, Shorty!''

The voice carried over the wind and he recognized it even before turning around. There was no mistaking that voice. It had plagued him for many days now.

''Oh. It's you.''

''Yeah. It's me,'' Littlefoot said. ''Where are you going?''

''What's it to you?''

''Well, it's just that… it's still kinda dark and you're out here all alone. My dad probably wouldn't like it.''

''Oh, right,'' Shorty scoffed. ''Like he'd care. Now that he's found you, he'll ignore me like everybody else.''

He turned to the other direction. He would rather be anywhere but here, stuck with the most annoying git in the world. But Littlefoot stood in front of him, not moving a muscle.

''Shorty, you'll always be special to Bron. You've known him all your life. Well… almost. I just met him.''

Part of him wanted to remove the petty obstacle from his path, but another part couldn't help but listen to what he had to say.

''You know, it might sound silly, but in a way, I feel jealous of you.''

He gaped at Littlefoot. ''You? Jealous of me? Is this a bad attempt at an bad joke?''

''No, no! Just… let me explain, please,'' Littlefoot looked at him pleadingly.

He wanted to deny him, but he was curious as to what he could have meant. Reluctantly, he nodded. ''You have 5 minutes to explain. Then I'm gone and you'll never see me again.''

''Thank you,'' Littlefoot began. ''It's just like I said. All this time I didn't even know I had a dad. I mean… of course I knew I had to have had one, but… you know what I mean, don't you?''

More than little embarrassed, Shorty nodded.

''Anyway, when I finally did learn of my dad and that he was still alive, it made me think of what I'd lost. My mother.''

Out of all the things he could have said to make his point, it was the last he expected to hear from Littlefoot. He swallowed hard and said, ''You lost your mother?''

His question was followed by a moment of silence. ''Long time ago, yes. Back when the great earthshake happened. I still blame myself for that, even to this day. You see, before it happened, I had snuck away from the nest to play with a hopper… when things took a turn for the worse.''

''The earthshake did not kill her, not really. Her death was caused by the most dangerous sharptooth I've ever seen. It all happened because of me. I never should have left the nest that night… everything went bad after that.''

Shorty did not say a word for a long time. What could he say to that? They had both lost someone very dear to them, but for Littlefoot it was twice as hard to get over. They'd survived, but at what cost?

''I-I lost my mother, too. On that same day.''

''You did? I mean… I'm sorry to hear that, Shorty.''

He sighed. His gaze never wavered from Littlefoot. ''You know what's the worst part? That because of my… condition, I fear I might lose my memories of her. With each passing day it's harder to remember things about her. She gave her life to save mine and I can't even hold on to her final wish.''

He had not cried for a long time, but he was now. He felt Littlefoot hug him warily at first, but when he wasn't pushed away, he melt into the embrace. Shorty realized he was crying, too.

''I've often thought about it, you know,'' Littlefoot said. ''How different would my life look had I just stayed put that night. My mother would probably still be alive and here with my family. But she's not. She's gone and nothing can change that. But even if she's not here, she'll always be with me. Your mother, too. We can't change the past, but maybe we can change the future, sort of.''

''What do you mean?''

''I wouldn't have made it this far had it not been for my friends,'' Littlefoot smiled. ''Without them I would be lost and the funny thing is that we didn't start out as the best of friends. There was a time when we could hardly stand each other. We fought, too. Well, more often than not with some.''

''But the reason we survived was not because of dumb luck or strength. But because we stayed together in the end. Yes, we have grown closer since then. The bond we share now is stronger than before.''

Littlefoot turned to him. ''Now that I've heard what you've been through, it made me think that how different would your life look had someone been there for you all this time. And that made me think that… well, I was kinda hoping-I thought maybe we could be like, you know, like brothers?''

If he'd been surprised to hear Littlefoot's history, this news made him doubt his hearing. But when he looked up and saw the encouraging smile upon Littlefoot's face, he knew it was the truth.

Treading carefully, Shorty said, ''You mean… like real brothers?''

''Well, as real as we can be. We both know what losing someone dear feels like. But we also know what finding someone you love feels like. Bron, in spite of not being your birth dad, might as well be a dad to you. And… I've always wanted a brother.''

''But the way I've treated you all this time… you would just forget that ever happened and move on?''

''Not really. But what reason is there to hate someone that doesn't deserve it? When I look at you I don't see a freak. I see you.''

Last of his mental barriers went down. Few moments passed, then Shorty smiled at Littlefoot and he returned it. ''Come on. Let's go back and maybe we don't have to explain to Bron what we were doing out here. At this time, no less.''

''Yeah, agreed,'' Littlefoot nodded. The Bright Circle was starting to creep up from behind the distant hills. If they didn't make it back to the herd soon, they'd be in a world of trouble.

Littlefoot stopped to watch. ''I think something's about to happen soon.''

''What makes you say that?''

''Don't you feel it?''

''Feel what, Littlefoot?''

''Shh! Just listen…''

He rolled his eyes, but gave him the benefit of the doubt. He strained to listen for anything that Littlefoot could have picked up, but he only heard the wind beating down at them. ''I don't hear anything.''

Something smacked the top of his head. It didn't feel like an inanimate object, so it had to be some kind of a small creature. He looked up and saw a brown flyer hovering in the air. Taken by surprise, he did the first thing that came to mind.

He screamed. The flyer screamed, too.

Shorty crouched behind a rock wall and waited for something to happen. He did not expect Littlefoot to greet the little rascal.

''Petrie! Where did you come from?''

''Littlefoot! Me knew that you! Me see you from far and me say 'that Littlefoot', but the others no believe me, so-''

''Others? The whole gang? Are they here too?''

Shorty watched the spectacle and slowly edged toward the two, curious as to who this mysterious flyer was and what he was doing here.

''Oh, sure! All here!''

By then he'd stopped beside the fallen flyer and looked him over. The flyer, Petrie, snapped out of his stupor and turned to look at Shorty. He seemed just as clueless as Shorty.

The fact was not lost on Littlefoot. ''Oh, Petrie. This is Shorty. Shorty, this is one of my good friends, Petrie.''

''Uhm… nice to meet you?''

''Same,'' was all Petrie said before he turned to Littlefoot again. Shorty realized his curiosity with him might have spooked him, so he backed away to a fair distance, giving him room to breathe.

''Petrie, you said the others were here. Where exactly are they? I don't see them with you?''

''They be here real soon. Me left to scout the area, to find Littlefoot. And found you Petrie did!''

The ground trembled at their feet, rocking them to and fro. Petrie took it as a sign and said, ''That be them now!''

''Uh-huh. Are you travelling with an adult by any chance?''

Petrie seemed confused at his question. ''Well, yeah. We travel with Pat, he be a nice longneck we met on the way.''

The thumping grew louder and stopped once the person doing that stepped into their view. It wasn't an longneck like Petrie had said it was. The thing that came from around the corner was a sharptooth, hungry and very angry by the looks of it. And it was looking right at them.

Petrie broke the silence with, ''That not them!''


Bron woke up during the night more than once, but would always fall back asleep once he made sure that Littlefoot was snoring softly beside him. Grandpa and Grandma longneck had made sure to relate all of his son's past adventures when it came to sneaking out once the dusk set. It had been a lot to take in at first, but all of them had laughed about it once comparisons were made between Littlefoot and him as a young, adventurous child.

So he was more than little surprised to see him right where he was supposed to be. He was relieved that his presence after all these years was enough to control more of his impulsive actions. But thinking about his son brought up something else.

Shorty. He could not forget the looks the young longneck had been throwing in his direction ever since he discovered that he and Littlefoot were related. Day after day he'd always make time for Littlefoot, but when it came to Shorty, he had done nothing.

Bron looked up to the sky, wondering where exactly he had made a vital mistake. Despite their argument, the last thing he wanted was for Shorty to be alone. Dawn was fast approaching and if he were to go back to sleep right now, he could still catch a few winks before had to get up and start the day.

Ever careful not to arouse his son, he ever so slowly lowered his neck back to its former position and closed his eyes. But then snapped them open right away when he didn't feel a presence beside him.

Sure enough, there was only an empty spot now where Littlefoot had been sound asleep moments before. Any and all fatigue faded immediately and he was wide awake by the time he got to his feet. Something about this felt very, very wrong.

Roar cut through the morning air, leaving an ugly stench in its wake. Bron's attention was on the other side of the valley where it had come from. The sound caused some sleeping forms to rouse from their slumber, while others turned to their other side and continued to snore. Those that did wake up, however, looked around in puzzlement.

Some of those now awake happened to be his deputies. Arlo, awake as ever lumbered over to him. ''Leader, you don't think..''

''It is,'' Bron said before he galloped away, causing dirt and dust to fly about the place. Arlo, true to his vow, quickly woke up the rest in an instant. He commanded them to their feet, but in their groggy state they did not manage much. It still amazed Bron how Arlo had not even considered to question his judgment before he'd acted. He'd definitely made the right choice with him.

It would take Arlo some time to organize them into a group and prepare them for a fight, but Bron did not wait for them and left them behind to pursue the threat himself. Sharpeeth did not just announce their presence without a good reason, and this had the sound of an unmistakable call for a hunt.

Even if there was one more than one, Bron would manage. One against one was always generally better and this wouldn't be the first time he'd beaten one in single combat. He didn't really even need to beat them, but buy enough time for the others to get here to assist. The part that worried him was the sudden absence of Littlefoot and the appearance of the sharptooth. These two things could not be coincidental.

He came atop the wall in matter of seconds and there stood the coward he'd heard before. In the midst of it all, he could see Littlefoot. He'd been right then. His son had snuck away from the nest and now was in the middle of this mess. Bron promised the time to reprimand him would come, but not now.

There was no way was he going to make it down there in time, which meant he had to think of something else and fast. He found it in a form of a huge stone, large enough to cause some serious damage, but still light enough for him to throw all the way down. He wrapped his tail around the base and begun to push it down. All he had to do was get it moving down the wall, the momentum would provide the rest. Rooted deeply to the ground, Bron was still able to get it moving little by little.

The stone cracked and gave away. Bron pushed it down with all his might. It slid over the edge and begun to pick up speed, making awful lot of noise on the way down. The sharptooth, ever so oblivious of the approaching threat to its life, did not notice the stone until it almost hit him right in the head. It snarled and seemed confused.

''Up here, coward!''

Baring its crooked and dirty teeth at him, it finally looked up to where Bron was. While the stone had not finished the job, it sure did make the predator see red. Not giving the sharptooth the opening, Bron charged at it.

The sharptooth charged as well, just what Bron had been hoping for. Let the idiot take the bait while he took care of the problem. Just before they clashed, Bron ducked and used his tail to trip the foul beast. It worked and the beast went down, looking dazed. It got up faster than Bron would have liked and delivered a deep bite to his leg. Bron screamed and tried to push it off, but it stubbornly held on.

Suddenly, it let go and tumbled down the steep wall. He saw another longneck, much older and feeble looking than he, appear out of nowhere. He nodded to the elder and said, ''Thanks, stranger.''

''Don't mention it,'' the elder nodded back at him and started to the top of the wall. Bron took a peek at the fallen predator. It did not move, neither did it seem to be breathing. A blow like that wouldn't have killed, but temporarily destabilized. Chances were it was still alive, albeit out cold. Better to get out while they still could and wait for backup to arrive.

''Littlefoot? Where are you?''

''Dad!''

His son came at him, full speed ahead. Bron did not mind that he was slightly causing his leg more pain when they met and the kid hugged his injured leg. Littlefoot noticed his discomfort and backed away. ''Oh! I'm sorry, dad! I didn't mean to!''

Bron did not see a reason to be angry with him right now. ''Don't worry, Littlefoot. What matters is that you're okay. However, we should go. We're not safe with that thing still here. My foot may also need some help.''

Littlefoot nodded in agreement. His leg did look pretty bad. The bastard had done a number on it and more time wasted here meant less trying to heal it.

''Littlefoot, there's something important I must ask. Do you know where Shorty might be? I have not seen him for days and if he was out here when that sharptooth-''

''No need to worry, dad. Shorty's been with us all this time. Look, there he is!''

He looked where Littlefoot had pointed and there was the familiar sight of the green longneck. Seeing him up there in safety was a blessing.

''Were there more of you out here?''

''Oh, right. My friends. They're right over there with Shorty and Pat, the longneck that helped you.''

How he had missed them he did not know, but was glad to see that everyone was okay. What surprised him was that aside from Shorty and Pat, they were all different species. Swimmer, flyer, spiketail and even a threehorn. Bron had forgot to ask Littlefoot of any friends he'd made when they'd been together, it had completely slipped his mind.

Not that he was against the idea of different kinds being friends with each other. He wasn't as prejudiced as his grandparents had been growing up. All that mattered to him was that they treated Littlefoot well. His son's happiness would always come before his own.

They reached the top of the wall soon after Pat and the children. By then Arlo and the rest of herd had started to gather around them, taking care to keep an eye out for anything that might take them by surprise. Bron went directly to Arlo, but once the deputy saw his wound, he immediately called the healer.

The wound wasn't as serious as he'd thought, but it still hurt like hell when he moved it, much to the displeasure of the healer. The inspection lasted only a short while before the healer decreed he should stay off his feet for the remainder of the day. Not wanting to annoy her, Bron did as she ordered.

Arlo came up to him after the healer had done her duty and left them. ''Leader, we have a situation.''

''What is it?''

''We now have not one, not two, but three very angry and hungry sharpteeth on our land. They probably heard all the commotion and thought there to be an easy meal to sink their teeth into,'' he smiled. ''Only the poor buggers did not realize just how many of us were here.''

''How's it looking down there?''

''So far so good. My people are busy trying to clean up the place from the filth and we expect it to be done soon. They may be big and strong, but so are we and we have the numbers. So far they've been content with staying in the background and trying to pick us off one by one. With your blessing I would like to ask that we simply remove them here and now and spare us the trouble.''

''Very well. Just take it easy and don't get cocky. We might have the superior numbers, but even one wounded sharptooth is still dangerous. Keep me updated if the situation changes or if more should appear. You got all that?''

''Loud and clear, leader,'' Arlo walked away, issuing orders as he went.

Bron sighed. ''Now if you all please excuse me, I think I need to go lay down for a while. My leg is killing me,'' he turned to Littlefoot. ''Son, would you mind accompanying me to the nest? I believe we need to talk about your little… escapade.''

The once happy smile turned into an ashamed and knowing frown. Despite the situation, Bron shook his head and chuckled. ''I won't talk your ear off, but you do need to hear everything I have to say.''

''Okay, dad.''

''One last thing,'' Bron gestured towards Shorty who was standing with Pat and the other children, watching the herd battle the sharpeeth below. ''Could you get him for me, please? This concerns him, too.''


Shorty followed after Bron and Littlefoot. Whatever reason he had for separating them from the herd remained to be seen, but he had his suspicions. But he did not understand why it had to be done right now when there were three sharpeeth lurking about.

Bron's words still rang in his head when he had questioned why they had to leave then and there. It is not our concern, Shorty.

It was all he'd said to either of them since leaving the others behind to deal with the sharpooth problem, yet it felt like he was saying it to reassure himself that he was doing the right thing. Soon they came upon the sight of the abandoned nest and watched Bron almost immediately lay down to rest.

He'd heard the healer say something about keeping weight off the bad leg for now, but it looked like even the short journey here had not done it any good. Bron had never been one to care much of small injuries if they didn't have an impact on his daily functions. He tried to hide his obvious discomfort from him and Littlefoot, but that didn't work out as Littlefoot watched his father with growing concern.

''Dad, how's the leg?''

''Uh-huh… I'd say pretty good. It could be a lot worse, though. No need to worry about my health, son.''

That was Bron. He was always looking out for others even if his own well-being suffered. Shorty had always admired that part of him. Littefoot nodded, but didn't seem entirely convinced. Bron gave him a slight nuzzle on the head. It worked and Littlefoot brightened up.

''So,'' Shorty began. ''Why did you call us here?''

''I brought you here because there's a lot we need to talk about. To clear the air around us.'' Bron looked at both of them, intent. His gaze lingered on Shorty a bit longer than was necessary, but he shrugged it off as concern.

''But first I want both of you to answer one question. What were you doing outside the walls? You know it is forbidden to leave, especially without adult supervision.''

It was a question Shorty didn't want answered. Littlefoot, however, didn't hesitate. ''I don't know what Shorty was doing there at the time, but I saw him leave and it got me curious and little worried. I went after him, we talked and came back. That's when the sharptooth arrived and… you know the rest.''

Littlefoot gave an apologetic look to Shorty. The truth was going to come out one way or another, so what was the point in trying to hide it? He nodded slightly at him, reassuring it was fine with him.

''Why didn't you wake me up and tell me what was going on, Littlefoot? That would have been the smart and right thing to do. Instead, you risked your own life.''

''I don't know, dad. Guess I wasn't thinking clearly at the time,'' Littlefoot looked to be ashamed.

''Obviously. If you were, you wouldn't have done such a reckless move. I'm very disappointed in you, son.''

Littlefoot did not say anything. They all knew how wrong they were, even if done for the right reason. Bron turned to Shorty. ''As for you, Shorty, what were you doing out there alone after dark?''

There was the dreaded question. He could always try to lie his way through, but what kind of a message would that send? Even if Bron would believe, which was very unlikely, Littlefoot wouldn't stand for it.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. ''I was out there because… I was going to leave. Leave and never come back, that is,'' he turned to Littlefoot. ''But Littlefoot… he came to stop me from leaving. It's my fault he was there in the first place. If I hadn't-''

''Stop.''

He stopped. Afraid to look at Bron, Shorty waited for the angry and disappointed words to come, but they never did. Finally, he raised his head. Bron wasn't even looking at him. In fact, he seemed to stare at nothing in particular.

Bron's gaze returned on him. He didn't say anything for a while, just continued to watch him in silence. Then he said, ''I was afraid this might happen. My fears turned out to be true.''

Shorty could not believe his ears. Had he even heard that right? Had Bron really been worried of him running away one day? Bron rounded up on him and said, ''Shorty, can you give us a minute? I need to talk to Littlefoot about something. I'll call for you when it is time.''

Not questioning his request, they watched as he disappeared from sight and only when he was gone did they start talking again. Shorty sat down, waiting for them to be finished. It happened far sooner than he'd thought. He was in the middle of thinking what he was going to say when Littlefoot came for him.

Bron was still in the same place as when he'd left. He hadn't moved at all since their conversation had started, and for a good reason. Littlefoot placed himself beside his father. Shorty took his place in the exact spot where he'd been a moment ago.

''Littlefoot has told me many things, Shorty,'' Bron started. ''But I would like to hear them from you, too.''

Shorty sighed. ''Okay. I'm ready.''

''First, I would like to know what could possess you to think it was okay to leave the herd like that. Had Littlefoot not come after you, we probably wouldn't have seen you again.''

It was time to tell the truth. He swallowed and began. ''I felt trapped. Like I had no place among the herd anymore. I thought it would be better for me to just disappear, like I had never been there in the first place. Everything and everyone continued to push down at me. Eventually it was impossible to ignore… with my condition and all that. It just… fell apart.''

Bron frowned while Littlefoot looked to be sorry. They did not say a word, so Shorty thought best to continue.

''Everyone around me have always seen me as different. Not one of them,'' he looked at Bron, then Littlefoot. ''Everyone except you two. But when I saw how much fun you were having without me, it felt like betrayal. Like you didn't want me around anymore. You hardly even acknowledged me so what was I to think? That it would pass? That everything would go back to the way it was?''

Shaking his head, Shorty said, ''I felt like everyone was against me. That everyone was blaming me for something I had no control over. I couldn't handle it. Which is why I decided that if no one truly wanted me here, then I was better off out there by myself. It's not like I haven't seen it before…''

There were no more words he could say. He had said his piece and now it was time to see how it would go from here. There was nothing but silence for a long time before Bron said, ''I never realized how much it hurt you, Shorty. The fault is partially mine, for I did not heed the warning signs. Because of that it almost ended up costing me more than it already had.''

''There's no excuse for what I've done and I will carry the shame of it with me to the grave. I know it's not a good reason or even an excuse for my actions, but when the person I thought to have lost so long ago suddenly stood in front of me, it felt like nothing else in the world mattered.''

Bron shook his head. ''I see now what a horrible mistake that was. Just because I got my son back did not mean I had to abandon the one who had been like a son to me from the start,'' he smiled. ''It is curious how one so small can see so much. Whereas someone like me, despite being big, can see so little.''

It was then that Littlefoot spoke for the first time. ''My grandparents always say that while all of us make mistakes, we can always come back from them if we so wish.''

''Uh-huh. They were always more into teachings of life and wisdom than I was,'' Bron smiled sadly. ''Just like your mother. She could always see the best in everyone.''

All of them laughed. It was the best feeling Shorty had felt in a long time. To finally know that you belonged in some place. He could not think another feeling like it in the world, and for one moment he felt like the luckiest longneck to ever walk the world.

The sky blew in a brilliant shade of violet. Bright flashes of light flew in every direction. None of them had noticed how quickly the weather seemed to shift and yet it felt like it hadn't. It was beautiful, but disorienting to watch. His eyes hurt when he looked at the center of it all. It was by far the weirdest thing he'd seen, for it looked like the Bright and Night circles were almost starting to combine with one another.

''What the-what is that?'' They heard Littlefoot's question, but didn't react aside from exchanging looks of utter amazement. Shorty finally managed to say, ''I don't know, but it's definitely not normal.''

Bron hummed in agreement, then said, ''Whatever is going on out there must be important.'' He got up. Littlefoot reacted right away.

''Dad, you shouldn't be on your feet right now. Remember what the healer-''

''I know, but this is too important to pass. Will you two accompany me?''

They bobbed their heads in unison, just as curious to learn what was going on. The journey back to the wall was spend in total silence. All three of them keen to watch the phenomenon on the sky. It was over by the time they made it back to the wall. That day, every single soul in the valley could agree on one thing; they had witnessed something extraordinary.


It had been only one day since the strange event had taken place and people had more things to say about it every hour. Questions that no one could answer. For Bron, this had been a nightmare. More than once was he disturbed by wary individuals and he was starting to get tired of it.

They should have been grateful that whatever caused the sky to act like that had scared the sharpeeth away before it was even over. He'd known them to be cowards all his life, but in a strange way he could understand them, even if just a little.

But that was something he was not going to admit to anyone. Not even his own family. Luckily for him, he was entirely occupied with one question to himself: where was the herd supposed to go now?

This land, while fertile and relatively safe, wasn't going to last. Everyone feared the sharpeeth would return once they gathered their courage and may even bring backup for all the trouble they'd faced before. While the longnecks would still likely outnumber them, it was a chance no one wanted to take.

Bron surveyed his surroundings. While most herds had only started the day, many preferred to be on the move as soon as possible. In every group he passed there were those that would not stop talking about the odd phenomenon like it was some kind of a sign.

Many, him included, thought that was nothing but baloney while others believed it to be the truth. Bron himself had never been one to believe in the supernatural, but this time he was forced to accept that maybe there were things in the world they were not supposed to understand.

He saw Grandpa and Grandma longneck make their way to him. He greeted them warmly and they returned it. ''You know,'' started Grandpa. ''If I wasn't here to see it, I would never have believed the person who claimed to have seen it with their own eyes.''

''It certainly was something extraordinary,'' agreed Grandma. ''I've never heard or seen such a thing in my life before. It reminds me of an old tale my mother used to tell when we were kids. Apparently it had been passed down from parent to child for generations.''

''You think this may have had something to do with that old tale?''

Grandma shrugged at his question. ''It is possible. In it she spoke about a great abomination coming down to destroy everything in its path. But a brave group of longnecks were called upon to stop the evil. Do not take my word for it, but I think it might have had something to do with the Bright and Night circles.''

''Well, in that case I think we just stopped a great evil from invading this land, didn't we?'' Grandpa fooled around. Bron and Grandma laughed it off.

Bron cleared his throat, getting their attention. ''Are you two busy with anything right now? There was something I wanted to ask of you. It has to do with Littlefoot.''

''Not at all. We were just about to have one final look around the place. It is highly unlikely we will set another foot in this land again.''

It was Grandpa who said it, but his mate stood by his words.

''I'm sure you have noticed that Littlefoot and I have been spending a lot of time together recently. Now that I've found him again, I don't ever want to lose him. Which is why I have to ask if it was possible for him to come with me. I want to be there for my child.''

Their eyes widened. They clearly had not expected this question to come up so soon. Grandpa said, ''Well… I'd be lying if I said we didn't see this coming. We do not blame you for wanting to be with him. That's what we want, too,'' Grandma nodded along with him.

''But that would mean we wouldn't see him for a long time,'' Grandpa looked away, his eyes found Littlefoot in the mess of bodies. ''We have raised that child ever since that horrible day. To lose him like this, it would be beyond painful.''

''You wouldn't be losing him,'' Bron said. ''He would still be free to visit you from time to time. When our herd would be close by to the Great Valley, that is.''

''True, but that wouldn't be for a while,'' They looked at him sadly and this time it was Grandma who said, ''Separating from Littlefoot is something we thought wouldn't have come up before it was our time to depart to the beyond. But it is not our place to say what should be done. You're his father, but I think we should hear what Littlefoot thinks. It's going to affect him the most, after all.''

He could agree with that. ''Yes. It crossed my mind, too.''

''Glad we understand each other,'' Grandpa said. They saw Littlefoot make his way over to them. He received a brief, but almost unnoticeable nod from both of them.

''Okay, then,'' was all he said before he left them.

When Littlefoot was right beside him, he turned to him and said, ''Good job you did yesterday, big guy.''

''Thanks, dad. You too.''

Littlefoot then went over to Grandpa and Grandma. They both nuzzled him lovingly and long, few tears escaped from Grandma's eyes. Then they stepped away and left father and son alone.

It was just them now. Bron lowered his neck down and said, ''Are you okay, son?''

''Yeah,'' was all Littlefoot said, but Bron could see he didn't feel like it.

No better time than the present, Bron thought. ''I'm sure you knew this was going to come up sooner or later. But I wished to do this now, so you know all your options.''

Littlefoot sighed. ''But I already know, dad. It's either to stay with my grandparents or go with you, right? Part of me knew it was going to end like this, but now that the time is here… I'm not so sure anymore.''

Bron did not say a word, he let Littlefoot continue uninterrupted. ''I've been thinking about this a lot. I really wanna go live with you.''

''Well, that's great!'' Bron exclaimed; ''I can't wait to introduce you to the herd. I've always told them I had a son somewhere. I just can't wait to see their-''

''But I can't.''

Bron's enthusiasm died. ''What? What do you mean by that? Of course you can!''

''Grandma and Grandpa really need me. I need them, too. And my friends. You see, they came all this way just to find me. I'm just not ready to leave them yet.''

''But, Littlefoot, I… can't just leave my herd. They depend on me. I'm their leader.''

''I know,'' Littlefoot said. He looked behind him where Shorty stood watching at a fair distance. ''For some of them, you're even more than that.''

''Yes,'' Bron said. ''I know.''

It was silent for a moment or two, then Littlefoot said, ''I'm really happy I finally found you. And when I'm older, we can have some more adventures together. Can't we?''

Bron nodded. ''Count on it. Hey, who knows? One of these days I might drag my whole herd over to the Great Valley for a visit.''

He nuzzled Littlefoot. ''I love you, son.''

''I love you, too.''

Littlefoot started to leave, but then turned around. ''Do you remember what we spoke about earlier? About Shorty?''

''How could I forget?''

''Then… you know what you must do, right?''

Bron gave a nod. ''I do. I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago,'' he smiled. ''Thank you for making this foolish old longneck see that.''

Littlefoot guffawed. ''You're welcome. We all need little guidance every now and then, don't we?''

''That we do,'' Bron agreed.

''Well, I guess this is a goodbye, for now,'' Littlefoot said, frowning.

''Every goodbye is just another hello for later, Littlefoot,'' Bron winked.

They both laughed. Bron watched as Littlefoot went over to his grandparents. He didn't hear what they were saying, but they looked happy to hear the news. They bent down and nuzzled Littlefoot. He replicated the gestures with joy.

With one final glance exchanged between father and son, it was Bron's time to leave. Actually, it was about the time for the whole herd to move out as he saw Arlo point out from the distance, impatient to get on the move.

He only gave a brief nod to his deputy, an unspoken order to get moving without him leading. His order was acknowledged and done before long. He spied Shorty making his way along with the rest of the herd. With an idea in mind, Bron snatched him up on his head and said, ''Hey, Shorty, want a lift?''

''Woah! Hey! What's the big deal?''

''What? Don't tell me you don't like to ride, kiddo. We both know that's not true,'' Their guffaws filled the entire chatter of the herd, some paused to look at them. Neither of them noticed anything out of the ordinary.

It lasted only a short while, but both were happy for the chance to cut back and enjoy the little things in life. Then, Bron's tone grew serious. ''There's still a lot we need to talk about, Shorty. About you and me, most of all.''

''Oh,'' Shorty said, not catching on. ''About what?''

''About what kind of a life we can expect to live together as a family.''

The words he had been avoiding all this time, but the words he had wanted to say for a long time were finally out. No more hiding, no more running. Shorty seemed surprised by it, and said, ''Family?''

''After everything we've been through, it would be impossible to think us as anything but that, Shorty,'' Bron said. ''I didn't want to see it before, but now I have no choice but to face it. Ever since that day we first met long ago, we've shared something neither of us have with anyone else. I was an idiot, Shorty. I didn't listen to you when I should have. It is selfish of me, I know, but if it's not too late to ask, can you give this idiot a second chance? To make things right, to start over?''

Shorty did not say anything for a while. He didn't need to, as at that moment he lightly slapped Bron's head with his foot, grinning from ear to ear. ''Uh-huh… let me think about that. How about… yeah?''

Damn child was playing with him, just like old times. Bron smiled in delight. ''Thank you, Shorty. That means a lot to me.''

Bron didn't know where fate would take them. But as long as they were together, it would be fine. He felt happiness surge through him. It was a very long time ago had he felt like that. It was the best feeling you could have, and not to be taken for the granted. Life had not been easy for either of them, but they knew the worst was behind them. It was time to open up the next chapter in their lives.

They knew all was well in the world. It was a damn good time to be alive.


(Author's Note)

There we have it, folks! The third and final chapter is finally out and this story is officially wrapped up now. I thought about separating the last chapter into two as it was already long, but I wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible. I had a blast writing this and I think it turned out better than the prequel. However, I'm afraid that this will be the last Land Before Time story you'll see from me for the time being as I want to experiment with other things, mainly other fandoms and trying my hand in original fiction. But not to worry, this does not mean I'll completely abandon writing LBT. I will just be taking a break from it.

Imaginary Sickness is the equivalent of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Dinosaur world, which probably wasn't that hard to figure out from my comment in the previous chapter. I thought this would make the story more juicy if Shorty was forced to confront the part of his life he so desperately wished to forget. Please tell me whether I succeeded or not, because I always appreciate when people point out where I can improve my skills in. With that said, it is time to go over the reviews from the previous chapter. I wish you a very happy and safe summer! I'll be sure to enjoy the weather here for as long as I can, because it will not last.

OwlsCantRead: Crummy is definitely the word I would use to describe someone like Jewel. You could almost say that people like her don't care about anyone but themselves and in a way that is true as you've seen. A parent who loves their child would not resort to such brash behavior, which has shown that Jewel is unqualified to be a parent. You've clearly understood her character very well.

Rhombus: When I was writing the scene where the kids were playing and suddenly Shorty's deceased friend comes out of nowhere, I tried to imagine myself in that situation, not only with Shorty, but with Seraph as well. What would my reaction be like if I saw someone talking to a person that wasn't there? Probably not very good one and I'd be rightfully ill at ease. Not everyone will react the same way, but I feel like many would be just as perplexed as Seraph was. And as for the kids, like you saw in this chapter, it definitely hasn't raised their opinion of Shorty.

Sovereign: The problem I faced when writing the scene you spoke of was how to portray all of the characters in the scene. Jewel and her family were quite easy to plan, but when it came to Bron and the decision he would have to make it was a bit harder. I'm afraid you might have overlooked the issue here. The perpetrator in question was a child, so what would be a fitting punishment? Obviously I couldn't have had Bron punish him like he would an adult, so I had to choose from two options: either give no punishment at all or give one a parent might give to a misbehaving child. You can probably see why I went with the second one in the end.

Thank you for the reviews. They're always appreciated!

[rhombus]

Wow, there is a lot to take in with this concluding chapter.  Though you indicated in your author's noted that you debated about splitting it into two, I am glad that you kept the chapter unified.  The chapter is a bit long, but it works well in this context.

The Imaginary Sickness.  This is a very fitting LBT name for a serious disease and one that the herd healer seems to be familiar with, which is fortunate for Shorty even if he does not yet realize it.  I could easily see another healer who might have only seen a longneck version of schizophrenia come to a very different diagnosis.  Despite Bron's understanding, Shorty is distraught about his situation and everyone's reaction to it.  His alienation from the rest of the herd's children is as believable as it is unfortunate.

All of this certainly adds further context to Shorty's initial reaction to Littlefoot.  Not only has Shorty's standing with Bron (in his mind) gone down, but now his real son has arrived.  This makes Shorty's resolution to just leave and go off on his own again make all the more sense.  I quite enjoyed how you integrated the interactions between Littlefoot and Shorty, the arrival of the gang, and the resolution of the tenth film into the overall narrative.  It tied everything together into a very enjoyable conclusion.

Though it is a shame that you are going to be taking a break from writing LBT stories, I do wish you the best in your new projects.  It is always good to try new things and I look forward to seeing what those new projects happen to be.  If they turn out as spectacular as this story then they will be quite imposing indeed.

[OwlsCantRead]

It was a bit of a long read, but I do think it worked well as one chapter, in fact to the extent that it ironically felt like it was shorter than was required in the end.

I mainly like the way you described how wary and distrustful Shorty become after his diagnosis, especially after with the revelation that the kids in the herd only feel more justified to outcast him for his behavior. It lends credence to Shorty's belief that he has been replaced in Bron's mind, and I think the heart-to-heart scene where hey become brothers all the more special.

Overall, I liked this story. I never really was the biggest Shorty fan, but these two stories have painted the orphan brachi in a light which sells his relationship with Bron.