Chapter One: Bumping Into Bambo

As the young Threehorn Cera walked through one of the Great Valley's many forests, she carried herself with a distinctive strut of pride in every step, even more so than usual. And why wouldn't she? After all, it was a milestone day in her young life, the day that every Threehorn her age eagerly waited for: Her top horns had finally started to come in. True, they were only little round nubs for now, but one day, they would grow into a pair of mighty spears!

Cera's father, Topps, was so proud of his daughter. "My little Cera's growing up." he had sobbed unashamedly. "It seems like it was just yesterday that you were crawling around the nest, learning how to walk."

Cera's stepmother, Tria, was a little less sappy about the development, but still quite emotional. "Good for you, honey!" she had said excitedly.

Even Cera's half-sister, Tricia, seemed excited about it, babbling some hatchling talk interspersed with "Cera".

Cera was now on her way to meet up with her friends, intending to show off to them just how "grown-up" she was becoming, not to mention rub it in Spike's face (Her Spiketailed friend had just yesterday been bragging about how his back plates were beginning to grow out).

As she passed by a group of bushes, Cera heard a strange rustling sound coming from the other side. As she moved in closer to investigate, her head suddenly collided with something that was very hard.

"Ow!" Cera cried out angrily, leaning back on her hind legs, and using the front ones to rub her head. "What's the big idea?!"

"Sorry." called out an apologetic voice from behind the bushes, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Well, you..." started Cera, stopping as she saw the stranger come out from within the bush. It was a young Threehorn boy, whose body was colored several shades of brown. He was slightly older then her (His top horns had already developed into points), and his eyes were brown and warm, just like the mud in Tria's secret place.

"You... you..." mumbled Cera. For some reason she couldn't understand, she found herself transfixed, unable to take her eyes off of the newcomer.

"Hi, there!" the young Threehorn said good-naturedly. "My name's Bambo. My herd just migrated here. What's your name?"

Inwardly, Cera shook herself, trying desperately to repair the connection between her brain and her mouth. "Ce... Ce..." she murmured.

"Ce-Ce?" repeated Bambo. "That's an... interesting name."

With a supreme effort, Cera managed to pull herself together. "No!" she screamed. Slightly embarassed by her outburst, she quickly composed herself. "I mean... my name is 'Cera'."

"'Cera', huh? Well, that's a nice name, too." said Bambo, courteously. "But I kinda prefer 'Ce-Ce' myself." he teased. "Maybe I'll call you that instead."

"Don't you dare." said Cera playfully, regaining some of her old attitude.

"Tell you what," smiled Bambo, "let's have us a little tussle. If you win, I won't call you 'Ce-Ce' anymore."

"You're on!" said Cera, and the two then engaged in a playful clashing of horns, with Cera eventually managing to turn Bambo over and pin him with her front legs.

"Okay, you win! You win!" chuckled Bambo, who Cera then helped back on his feet. "I've never been beaten before, ever. You must be one great tussler. Then again, you'd have to be, with a great-looking horn like that." His compliment caused Cera's face to grow hot.

"Thanks." Cera muttered, lowering her head so Bambo wouldn't see her red cheeks. "You weren't so bad yourself."

"So, 'Cera', what do Threehorns like you do for fun around here?" inquired Bambo.

"I was just going to meet up with my friends." said Cera, the blush wearing off.

"Mind if I tag along?" asked Bambo. "My mom's always telling me I should make new friends."

"I don't know," said Cera, warily. "My friends aren't exactly Threehorns."

"Well then, what are they, 'exactly'?" Bambo asked her.

"They're... all kinds, I guess you could say. You can still come though, if you want to." offered Cera.

"Sure, why not?" replied Bambo. "I've only ever met Threehorns before, so it should be interesting to meet these 'all kinds' of yours. Lead the way."

Cera led her new companion towards Green Hill, where she and her friends usually met each other in the mornings, at the same time feeling an odd fuzziness in her chest. She dismissed it as simply a feeling of joy at having made a new friend. Now that she really thought about it, Cera realised she had never actually had any Threehorn friends before. After hatching, she had always been in the company of her father and sisters, and not long after that, she had met Littlefoot and the others, and they had quickly became the only friends she felt she'd ever needed... until now, it seemed.

'That's all this fuzziness is', she thought to herself. 'I'm just happy at having a Threehorn for a friend'. She had no idea how wrong she was...

To Be Continued...

(The Land Before Time series, and it's characters, are the properties of Amblin Universal. Bambo is my creation, although I did take the name from what Cera was originally to be called, before the creators decided that she was to be a girl.)