(The Land Before Time belongs completely to Don Bluth and Universal Studios. This is for show, not dough.)

Prologue: Being Tween


Several months.

Several months had passed.

Our journey through the Dying Lands seemed like a faint echo in a desolate canyon. I thought I would of never seen the fabled paradise of a haven that was the Great Valley that was rumored throughout the lands somewhere beyond the west horizons. And you know what? Mama had been right. She and many others had been right all along. I still recalled the time I first was awoken into this world in the body of a newborn oviraptor/troodon hybrid in the small family of amargasaurs. But... ever since the Great Earthquake event... all that had changed. It had been right after my five other siblings, Mama, and I were welcomed into the apatosaurus herd led by the matriarch called Old One. The gruesome pack that had the most coldest predators had attacked me, my herdmate, Ducky, and my new found friend, Rhett. And as Mama came to our rescue, she was mortally wounded by the three lackies, Opaque the monolophosaurus, Slant the dilophosaurus, and Incisor the neovenator. Within the midst, four of my siblings met their ends due to both the Great Earthquake and the theropods. I was then separated afterward from Mama... and soon found her lying in the rain, dying. I approached her and she gave her parting words before slowly passing on. I was grief-ridden and distraught, blaming myself for the whole incident. But, as I trekked alone, an elderly sceliosaurus named Rooter and an elderly deinonychus named Blood Stone knocked some sense into me. That was when I soon befriended Roxy the pachycephalosaurus, Zino the therizinosaurus, Twine the dryosaurus, and Fray the thescelosaurus. Before I did though, I found a raised two hatchling theropods, Chomper a tyrannosaurus and Avian an archaeopteryx. Sadly, I had to hand over Chomper to a megalosaurus named Mega. And not long after, I was reunited with Littlefoot, Ali, Ducky, and Spike, and meeting Petrie (and meeting Cera once again). We banded together from there, but had trouble cooperating with Cera, but she finally came back to us... but hardships and tensions rose, and I lost myself when Cera remarked about Mama. That plunged us into a fight, causing me to go overboard and snap out at my friends and go our separate ways from there. I soon came eerily close to the Great Valley before being assaulted by Opaque once more, but was soon rescued by Blood Stone and Whispering Sky, a dakotaraptor I had met one night prior to the Great Earthquake. After Opaque was defeated, I met an orphan troodon named Mar. We spent the night in a small cave when I had realized the next morning after being shown the way to the Great Valley, that I had to go back and rescue my friends. So, after promising Blood Stone to take Mar with me to safety, we saved all of my friends, with the help of a yutyrannus named Polaris who was the auntie to Zino. But... after we saved Cera... she walked off in shame. Another night was spent when we shared out stories before, during, and after the events of the Great Earthquake. The next morning, we parted ways with Polaris and made our way towards the entrance to the Great Valley, but soon was met with Demise the gigonotosaurus, or The Great Sharptooth. We hatched a plan, me and Petrie nearly meeting our ends, to get rid of him. After plunging the brute into a deep pond, a kronosaurus had finished him off, but Petrie had been caught by Demise. We thought we had lost the pterosaur, but he turned out to be alive. Cera had came back that gave the final push to plunge Demise into the pond, we made amends, and reuniting with our families after entering the Great Valley. There, I was reunited with my herd... but I was alone and lost. I thought I had lost my entire family, but soon reunited with Nambi. Later, I went to consult Mar and Avian when Littlefoot and Ducky's mother, Lotus, offered to adopt us, in which we accepted. And so... as we spent our days in the Great Valley... we were all reaching the time of our lives when we were going to change vastly,

And I didn't realize that it was coming so soon.


"Look out belooooow!" I trilled, vaulting cleanly into the pond below.

"W-Wayward, wait, wait, wai-!" came the desperate calls from the magenta and scarlet bristled dryosaurus herself.

Sppplash!

"Uwaa!" Twine cried as a torrent of water showered over her. I surfaced, squirting water out of my teal snout.

"Waywaaaaaard!" Twine whined, staring at herself in disgust. "Y-You should know better!"

I simply simpered, cackling as I kicked my hindlimbs to keep me afloat.

Roxy simply rolled her eyes playfully, "After what we've been through? I highly doubt that."

Fray butted in coolly, "You would think they'd learn to control themself."

Zino emerged from the surface, paddling on his back, "Yeah... but it seems even after our life-changing death march... I realized that none of us have really changed either."

I snickered, "Hey, at least someone is speaking my language!"

Twine rolled her eyes, "J-Just... please don't splash me without my consent next time, Wayward."

I stuck out my tongue, "No promises."

The dryosaurus sighed. I then proceeded in paddling over towards the small waterfall where several streams of water flowed down from a cliff. I began scaling the incline until I reached a sturdy ledge. I took a deep breath as I gazed into the distance from my spot. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the familiar voice of Shorty.

"Hey, weirdos, wanna come and play tag with me, Rhett, and Spike?" I stared down at the hazel brachiosaurus-apatosaurus hybrid.

Roxy shrugged, "Guess it's better than doing nothing."

"Count me in," Fray added.

"I... guess I'll come to," Zino chipped in.

"I-I'd like to play to," Twine stammered in agreement.

"All righty then!" I declared, "That settles it!" I took the pleasure into doing a cannonball into the small pond, showering everyone with water.

I swam until I reached the shallows, in which I drug myself out and gave a firm shaking to my cerulean and indigo down. I glanced over towards the others, in which they weren't very pleased to be extra wet.

"Sorry," I smirked guiltily.

They all simply sighed, shaking their heads at me. I cackled as the four of them began dragging themselves out of the pond. I stood up as Shorty began walking. The prepubescent looked around at us with his small crested head.

"You guys coming or what?" the hybrid arched an impatient brow.

Roxy and the others were still drying themselves off when he made that remark.

"Uh... What do you think, Crossbreed?" the russet pachycephalosaurus bit back.

Shorty simply gave a huff, "I just don't want to keep Spike and Rhett waiting."

I came up beside him, "Hey, did you see if Littlefoot, Ali, Ducky, Nambi, Mar, or Avian wanted to play too?"

Shorty shook his head, "Nope. They're busy eating right now and Mar and Avian are off hunting."

I nodded, "I see."

Shorty flicked his tail, "Come on."


"Gotcha!" I proclaimed as I pounced onto Rhett, causing both of us to tumble into a patch of flowers.

"Ah, my barbed, clubbed tail!" the gray shunosaurus youngling cried. "There's petals stuck to my barbs!"

I simply ate the petals off, licking my snout in satisfaction, "You could've done that too, y'know, Rhett."

I simply stuck his nose in the air, "I do not simply just eat from my own barbs, thank you very much, Wayward!"

I smirked, "Tch, you're still it though!" I leaped off of him and began dashing towards the others. "Catch us if ya can, Clubtail!"

"H-Hey, Cresthead, wait up!" Rhett cried.


We all panted, resting on a large ridge that allowed us to see over the meadows of the valley. I sighed through my nares as I was suddenly met with familiar calls.

"Wayward! Wayward, come eat with us!"

I glanced over at my friends, "That's my mother. Cya!"

As I skidded down the slope back onto lower ground, the others said their goodbyes to me as I went off. I ran off towards the scent of my herd, glancing over to the side as I passed by Monsoon and Rapid's bayou.

"Good morning Miss Monsoon and Rapid!" I called to the two spinosaurs.

The large russet form of Monsoon peeked out of the water, water cascading from her crimson sail. Lifting her long, hooked crocodillian snout out of the murky water, a dead protopsephurus (a huge fish that had paddle-like fins and a swordfish-like mouth) hang limp in between her teeth.

Her snout curled into a smile, "Why, good morning, Squirt!" Her voice was muffled by her large catch.

As I raced towards the scent of my herd, I was met up with Mother, the grand blue-gray apatosaurus loomed over me, a smile on her face.

"Come along, Little One," she scooped me up with her tail, allowing me to slide onto her back. "It's time for your breakfast."

I settled into her ridged spine, yawning contently. As the blue-gray apatosaurus approached the daily feeding grounds, I took the opportunity to clamber up Mother's neck onto her head, trying to scout out Mar and Avian. I spotted Mar... but...

"Mother... Where's Avian?" I craned my neck to meet Mother's navy blue eye.

"I'm not sure, dear, but I'm sure he's around somewhere," the apatosaurus replied.

I sighed through my nares, glancing around the small grove of trees for the young archeaopteryx. I arched a brow as I heard a familiar snicker. I small smirk began shaping on my face. I casually pretended to disregard the snicker. A small huff sounded off. I simply listened to the familiar stomps of Mother's paws against the ground. I heard some rustling within the trees from the left of me and Mother. More rustling and faint chirping sounds of indignation. I casually glanced down at my fore claws. An aggravated trilling sound.

"Just notice me already, Wayward!" A high pitched voice hissed in my left ear just as I was shoved to the side, completely unbalanced.

I let out a startled caw as I was knocked clean off of Mother's scalp, in which the apatosaurus quickly acted.

"Got you," Mother gently clamped her teeth on my tail, lifting me back up.

I sighed through my nostrils as I held onto the impish navy blue archaeopteryx with both of my navy blue forepaws. He twittered in amusement as I simply rolled my eyes. Mother slid me back onto her scalp as she simply chuckled.

"I think Wayward has finally noticed you just fine, Avian dear," Mother joked, continuing her walk.

Avian, now into early younglinghood and able to speak just about fluently as me now, huffed and pouted, "Yeah, but they should've noticed me earlier, Mother!"

Mother only chuckled. I shook my head at the youngling, who was now settled beside me, "I did notice you, Ave, I just like messing with you."

"Well I don't like you messing with me!" the stubborn male theropod huffed.

"Now, now, my children, there is no need for that," Mother insisted, "Besides... It is time that you two eaten. No need to waste your energy on bickering."

Finally, the female apatosaurus halted, "Here we are, you two. If you need me, I'll be grazing with Grandma and Grandpa."

"Yes, ma'am," we both replied in unison.

With that, Mother lowered her head, allowing for the two of us to to scamper to the ground. I began scenting the air as Avian hobbled over towards a tree. I smirked as I spotted a lilac drepanosaurus, the lizard-like reptile's two large fore-claws digging into the tree bark as it made its way up the trunk. Crouching low, I began to stalk towards the little diapsid. As I reached the base of the tree, I immediately shot up, swiping a set of claws out to knock the drepanosaurus off of its perch. It let out a small squeak as it was shoved towards the ground. Deftly from much experience, I jetted after it, catching the reptile in between my teal snout, sinking my serrated teeth down onto its spine. I crunched down until I heard several pops and cracks and felt the creature go limp in my jaws. I then proceeded in sauntering off with my catch, intent on finding a spot in peace to eat. As I spotted a small peaty river bed by a calm, yet possible deep and wide brook that had several sauropods lounging in, cooling themselves off on such a humid day. Within the bunch, I spotted a few of my herdmates. Also within the small crowd were earthy and rusty colored saltasaurs, isisasaurs, spinophorosaurs, brontosaurs, and even some patagosaurs. A few plateosaurs and seitaads were here and there, along with some scutellosaurs and gastonia. A few pachyrhinosaurs were scattered along the shallows with some koreaceratops, stegoceras, and homoalocephales. My eyes scrolled around the unusually large brook and even spotted some camptosaurs, rhabdodons, a few zalmoxes, and parksosaurs. Searching around some more, I even saw some hadrosaurids wading around. I was a bit confused... I had always seen them do that. At closer inspection, I noticed that Ducky, a hadrosaurid ornithischian, had webbed paws and a body built for swimming. Back in my past life, I could remember that hadrosaurs were not aquatic or semi-aquatic by any means, but rather just lingered around rivers. But apparently in this particular universe... the hadrosaurs were apparently semi-aquatic. Strange, yet fascinating. I guess this universe really was different than the dinosaurs of my own past world, especially since they literally talked and could think like a human and cried and blushed and all that. Might as well accept that fact that these hadrosaurids in particular were semi-aquatic like that of spinosaurs, especially spinosaurus.

And apparently the sauropods of this world even grazed and sunbathed in the water sometimes, which had been long debunked back in my past world. So it wasn't a surprise that even the sauropods tended to have aquatic qualities to their feeding and behavioral patterns.

As I settled in between two curved, interlocked roots of a cypress-like tree, I began digging into my drepanosaururs, eating away gratefully. Once I finished, I disposed of the remains properly, shoveling it into the peat. I was still a bit hungry, so I decided to go hunting for some amphibians or even some insects. After a brief scouting, I managed to snag a few beetles and dragonflies. I began digging in the ground for some tubers, and when I dug some out and began eating one, I heard a familiar call. Turning my head around, I was surprised to see Grandma stationed in the deep brook, her eyes planted onto me, a smile on her wrinkly, aged face. I smiled, finishing my tubers and began hobbling over towards her. She was by the bed, so I trailed across on land. Yet, as I began heading up a small rocky incline, I slipped on the slippery surface. Yelping, I was quickly caught as Grandma, the grand blue-gray apatosaurus shifting me unto a better position on her grand tail. I cackled as she began lifting her tail up towards her aged face.

"Thanks, Grandma," I nuzzled the tip of her snout.

"My, you really don't change, hm?" the elderly female diplodicid sauropod chuckled.

I shook my head, giggling, "Guess not much, huh?"

She simply shook her head at me in a amusement, "Even a dizzy ceratopsian could outwit your clumsy self. But, I suppose we all have our quirks."

"So, what's up?" I titled my head, bicolored eyes curious. "You wanted me, right?"

She nodded, "Indeed, young one." She gently placed me onto her ridgy spine. She turned her long neck over to a young ginkgo tree, leaning her neck into it so the branches could reach down towards the lower ground of the brook beds. "Here, you can have the last ginkgo leaf, Wayward. It's one of the more freshest and moist on the tree, so I thought you'd enjoy a little treat, since ginkgo leaves are your favorite."

I beamed, reaching to grab the fan-shaped leaf in my beak, "Thanks, Grandma!" With that, she removed her head from the tree to let it sway back evenly. "Hm, nice trick."

Grandma craned her neck to face me, "No, no, dear, it is not a trick. Any dinosaur could do it."

I blinked, "Oh... Lemme try then, Grandma!" I leaped off of her back and back onto the higher grounds, where the grass was.

I eagerly scampered over to a fern tree and began shoving at it, attempting to make it lie almost flat like Grandma had done. But that only ended in me being flung back like an insect down a small hill and onto a small geyser. I sprawled out as I tried to regain my footing, but I suddenly felt a deep rumbling. Several of the geysers around me began steaming and spouting out bits of hot water. Quickly, I felt the nape of my neck be gently yanked at as I was pulled away from the erupting, scalding geyser spout.

"Puh, guess I'm too little, huh?" I crossed my forelimbs dejectedly.

Grandma settled me down on her back once more, "You're still very young, Wayward dear. You'll get the hang of it one day, I assure you."

I scoffed, curling up in the folds of Grandma's shoulder blades, "Tch, I hate being small." I stamped a forepaw, bringing my head down in aggravation. I always had, that was one thing I did remember from my past.

Grandma smiled, "Don't worry, Wayward, you'll be grown up soon enough."

I arched a brow, "But, Grandma, oviraptors and troodons don't grow to very large."

Grandma shook her head, "And what about your brothers, Avian and Mar? Theropods like Mar and especially Archaeopteryxes don't grow to be very large either."

I glanced down, "Yeah... well... "

"Hey, Wayward, I wanna go play with Tricia, Tippy, Seena, Hibiscus, Hil, Hint, Hue, Picky, and Bash!" Avian suddenly came gliding in, perching on a branch on the bare ginkgo tree.

As I glanced over to the young, navy blue arhcheopteryx, I found a smile spreading across my face. I glanced up at Grandma.

"Grandma, he can go, right?" I asked.

"Only if you go and watch him," the familiar voice of Mother soon caught me off guard.

I snapped my attention over to the grand sauropod as she waded in the deep brook, followed by Grandpa.

"Yes, it would be best if you watched over him," the elderly male agreed.

"Hey, why do I have to be babysat!? I'm grown enough!" Avian scoffed in rebuke.

"Because you're still very young, better safe than sorry," Mother assured him.

He sighed, "Fine..."

Grandma lifted me with her head onto higher grounds once more as I began sauntering after him.

"Have fun and stay out of danger!" Mother called after us. "And Wayward." I halted and glanced over at her. "You best stay out of danger too, the Valley is full of it. And keep a close eye on Avian."

"Yes, ma'am," I simply replied, jetting over to the archaeopteryx.

As the two of us reached the top of a knoll, Avian's friends were there waiting for him. I spotted Seena, a bright pink dryosaurus youngling, and Hibiscus, a pale pink dryosaurus youngling, who were Twine's little cousins, standing near their elder cousin. I also spotted Spike with Tippy and Cera with Tricia, along with Fray and her three younger brothers, all russet with brown quill downs, except for Hil having hazel eyes, Hint having brown eyes, and Hue having deep blue eyes. Within the small crowd, I even spotted Zino with his little brother, Picky, who was a golden-downed therizinosaurus youngling, and Roxy with her little cousin, Bash, who was a light brown pachycephalosaurus youngling. As me and Avian came to a stop, I smiled at my friends.

"Heh, I guess ya'll have babysitting duty, too, huh?" I cackled.

Cera, Spike, Fray, Roxy, Zino, and Twine immediately were the first ones to turn their gazes to me.

"Wayward!" the six dinosaurs chorused in unison.

I came up to them as Spike greeted me with his trademark licking-to-the-face. Cera and I rubbed a frill-horn tip and crest tip together.

"Wayward, Wayward!" Tricia and Tippy came bounding over to me. It was the same thing the two had done when I had met up with them again when I had first arrived in the Great Valley.

The two ornithischians proceeded in bowling me over as they gave me series of nuzzles and licks. I cackled as I tried my best to shake them off.

"H-Hey, cut it out you two! It's not as if I've been gone for a month!" I shoved at them.

"Yeah, but you still came to play with us!" Tricia countered, standing proudly over me.

Tippy nodded, his cerulean eyes large, "Yeah, yeah! We're gonna have fun, fun!"

"Well, we won't be able to if you guys don't let me up," I arched a playful brow.

The two exchanged glances, "Oh... yeah... sorry!" The two younglings proceeded in getting off of me.

I stood up as I shook out my cerulean and indigo down.

"Alright, you guys ready to go?" I asked my friends.

"Yeah, we're just wasting daylight by now," Cera snorted.

"Yeah, let's go!" Avian flittered, gliding off into the distance. "Not it!"

"Hey! We're not gonna be it!" Seena interjected, Hibiscus nodding.

"Count me out!" Hil agreed.

"Count me out, too!" Hint echoed.

"Count me out... three!" Hue parroted awkwardly.

Picky exchanged looks with Bash, in which the two males simply shrugged and went after Avian, the others following.

"Well, I'm not it!" Tricia bounded after her friends.

There was a pause.

"Tippy's it!" they all chanted.

"What, not fair, no, not fair!" the creamy brown stegosaurus bolted after them.

I glanced over to Cera and the others, "Might as well go after them."

"Agreed," Roxy nodded.

"Y-yeah... my little cousins are very quick when it comes to tag," Twine noted.

"Mhm, my brothers too," Fray agreed.

"Hey, mine too!" Zino crowed.

"Let's just go already!" Cera huffed, charging after her own ward.


After a few rounds of tag, we all settled by a pond under some shade, watching our younger siblings, cousins, and herdmates from a distance. The ten of them were doing something along the lines of rolling rocks and pebbles down a hill and into another body of water. I was just about to rest my head down when I heard an angry, feminine shout.

"Hey, stop rolling those rocks down that hill!" I immediately shot up to see what the hubbub was about., the others following.

We skidded to a stop as we saw an angry hazel colored maiasaura, her brown eyes trained of the younglings. I glanced over to see Avian about to hurl another pebble down the hill when I glared and elbowed him, causing him to drop it dejectedly.

"My eggs are down there in my nest!" she sat back, crossing her forelimbs in anger.

"Sorry, Miss Maia!" I apologized as I herded the youngsters away.

As I shooed them away, I saw something out of the corner of my eye, but I simply shrugged it off. I turned my attention to the others.

"Aw, that was no fun anyway..." Hibiscus kicked a pebble disappointment.

Seena plopped down beside her clutchmate, "Nope, not fun at all..."

"Booooring..." Hint drawled, his two brothers nodding.

I heard Roxy snort, "Why didn't you check to see if there were any nests down the hill in the first place?"

Fray nodded, "Yes, you three should know better." She glared at her three triplet brothers.

Spike even seemed unhappy with Tippy, who shied away sheepishly beside Tricia.

"What do you guys wanna do now?" Avian perked up.

His friends all shrugged.

"Oh, I know, I know!" Bash suddenly leaped to his paws. "We can go to the Tall Grasses!" He simpered impishly, brandishing his blunt fore-claws, "And play Carnivore Attack, roar, roar!"

The youngsters all belted out in laughter, agreeing.

Picky simply huffed, "Not if I have to be the carnivore again."

"Hey, what if Tricia being the carnivore?" Seena piped in.

Tricia arched a brow, "Huh? Me?"

Hint, Hil, and Hue all scuttled over to the pink triceratops youngling with pleading eyes, "Pleeeeeeaaaase, Tricia?"

"Yeah, Tricia can be the carnivore!" Hibiscus beamed.

Tricia sighed, "Okay, I'll be the carnivore."

"Yay!" the youngsters cheered.

"Let's go then!" Bash cut in.

"All right, now we're talking!" Picky smirked.

As the nine of them went off, Avian suddenly stopped them.

"Wait, you guys... Tall Grasses is all the way on the other side of Quicksand Pits," the navy blue archaeopteryx pointed out.

"So?" Picky turned to face him. "What's the big deal?"

"Well... my mom and grandparents don't want me going across the Quicksand Pits without them..." Avian insisted.

"Oh yeah... That's right..." Tippy stared at the ground.

"Quicksand Pits are dangerous!" Hint agreed.

"Very, very dangerous!" Hil added.

Hue imitated drowning in quicksand in emphasis.

"Yeah... it is..." Seena frowned.

"I forgot that," Hibiscus sighed.

"Pfft, you guys are all just a bunch of eggs," Picky scoffed. He began skidding down the hill, "I can cross Quicksand Pits with my eyes closed!"

"With his..." Hue gasped.

"Eyes...!" Hil put his paws to his beaked snout.

"Closed!?" Hint gawked.

"And not looking where he's going?" Seena titled her head.

"Hey, that sounds like fun!" Tippy proceeded in closing his eyes and walking blindly.

That ended in him bumping into Tricia and letting out a squeaky squeal. Tricia giggled at his antics.

"Hey!" Picky called to them. "Are you scaredy-eggs coming or what?"

"Yeah!" they all began skidding after the therizinosaurus youngling.

I quickly decided that was when I should step in. I skidded after them, cutting them off in their tracks.

"Oh no, busters," I fanned out my tail fan in disapproval. "Not on my watch."

Zino and the others soon came up beside me, "Yeah, Picky, you should know better than to go wandering off into danger!"

Picky immediately lost his bravado, wincing at his scornful older brother.

"Yeah, Tricia, I won't hear the end of it from both your mother and my parents!" Cera snorted.

Avian glided up at me, clinging from my neck, "But... wayward... we'll be careful... honest!"

I gave him an uncertain look.

Tricia glanced up at me, "Yeah... we'll be okay with you guys watching us, right?"

The other youngsters mumbled in agreement.

I sighed, "Fine... but only if you guys let us help you, okay?"

"W-Wayward..." Twine gave me a crazy look.

I reassured the magenta dryosaurus, "Don't worry, Twine, I'm not gonna let them go first."

"If you say so..." Twine glanced down the the ground.


"Are you sure about this, Wayward?" Zino inquired.

"Yeah, we can still turn back now and find another place for them to play," Roxy insisted.

"No! Tall Grasses is the only good spot for playing Carnivore Attack!" Bash insisted.

"Fine, but let us go first," Fray demanded.

With that, we began leading the youngsters across the steppingstones that littered the pits. As we hopped from rock to rock, I heard Picky speak.

"Come on, you slowpokes!" the therizinosaurus youngling insisted. "You guys are taking forever!"

"Picky, slow down!" Zino fretted.

"No way!" Picky bit back. "I'm gonna go as fast as I want!"

Just when he said, that, he slipped on a rock and fell into the quicksand. It began dragging him in deeper the harder he struggled.

"Help! Zino!" he crowed. "I'm sinking! I'm sinking!" He was sinking the more he thrashed.

"Picky, stop panicking!" Zino crowed, hopping over to his brother. "It's only gonna suck you in deeper!"

"Don't worry, I'll save you!" Bash insisted, stopping on the rock Picky fell on and began tugging at his long fore claws. That only escalated into the pachycephalosaurus falling in too. "Aaaah! Roxy, help!"

"Bash!" Roxy screamed.

Hint, Hil, and Hue rushed over to and began tugging at the two, but began losing their footing. This led Fray to quickly act and began tugging at her little brothers, but when she slipped too, we were all forced to go after the bunch. We all yanked at them, but we were quickly pulled in along with them. I began hyperventilating as deja vu struck me.

"Help!"

"Someone!" Roxy and Mar cried.

"Anyone!" I trilled, tearing up.

"Heeeeelp!" I found myself trilling.

I suddenly lost control of myself as I began thrashing, causing me to get sucked under at a much quicker rate.

"Wayward, calm down!" I heard Roxy warn me.

Until I was completely pulled under.

The next thing I knew... I was coughing up a storm, trying to relieve myself of the sand caught in my lungs. Once I did, I saw the others gathered around me, all looking ashamed.

I saw the hard stares of my mother, grandma, and grandpa.

And I knew what was going on.