We Will Hold On Forever
by
The Analyzer
Chapter 01: From The Mists Part 1
On a little known river in the Mysterious Beyond, two companions by convenience were once again in a foul mood.
"You really did it this time, Dil." Ichy muttered.
He and Dil had been riding through the waters in mutual silence, stewing over the latest blunder in their never-ending search for nourishment. Lately, their prey in the Land of Mists had adapted to the changed environment and got cleverer, making getting a full belly an arduous challenge. New predators and other residents had moved in and they didn't take too kindly to the old guard. The mists that helped Ichy and Dil in so many hunts had then disadvantaged them. The pair were often unaware of the presence of the aggressive competition until it was almost too late. They usually had to scramble away before being found. Dil's stealth in the water in these cases was limited and nontransferable to land. With all these obstacles in the way, it was only a matter of time before the pair really ticked off someone bigger and meaner than them.
Dil's eyes lowered. "Well, how was I supposed to know that longneck swimmer was there with how still he was?"
"You should have been more careful after the last time we nearly got caught." Ichy said. "Always stay low while swimming. How hard is that to understand?"
"It's kind of hard to be invisible and keep ears above water." Dil growled. "C'mon Ichy, I did everything you asked. I kept quiet. I asked if there were any swimming longnecks in the area. I swam so slowly I might as well have stayed still. I did my best. But those swimming longnecks were everywhere! Face it Ichy, it just wasn't a way to live."
"It's called adapting. You either shape up or ship out. Those regular longnecks shipped out, remember? We were going to be the ones who shaped up – fitting right in with the mists, taking advantage of the new rivers, making all the weird creatures our dinner. We might have even got used to those large swimming longnecks and carved out our own niche. But that takes time and look where your impatience to get somewhere got us – chased out of the Land of Mists on the threat of becoming someone's dinner! We can never go back and lean on the advantages we had there. Now we have to go the even longer route to get our next meal."
Dil grunted. "Don't think because you're the eyes you're also the brain. You didn't see him either. You couldn't fast talk your way out of the situation - you barely got us out of there alive. Look, we can pass blame all week if we want, but what's done is done. What's important is how this longer route is going to give us a meal."
Ichy was displeased to be denied the last word but he was tired from arguing and Dil did have a point. His gaze turned onward, to where the river bent and vanished into the distance.
"I've seen a few rivers like this whenever we neared the edge of the Land of Mists, and I've followed them some ways. Not much life kicking around but they do lead to some caves we can take advantage of. If we do this right, we can have all the morsels we need."
"Morsels for me, more like." Dil said. "You're doing well for someone who hasn't eaten much lately."
"That's because you thought I was some other feathered flyer and nearly ate me again!" Ichy snapped. "If that small domehead hadn't slipped into the river, I believe you really would have finished me off. That'd scare the appetite out of anyone."
"Still, you haven't chomped on much of my later catches." Dil paused, her next words laced with the slightest fraction of concern. "You should be too tired to fly by now."
Ichy shrugged. "Maybe I'm adapting to the sparse pickings. Or that whole escape mess is still giving me a high. Either way, I'll get my appetite back when we feast in the Great Valley."
Dil stopped so abruptly Ichy was nearly flung off her snout. "The Great Valley? You're kidding me!"
"No, but don't you see how brilliant it is?" Ichy said eagerly. He waved expansively. "Only plant eaters live there. Any meat eaters that wander in get chased out – usually because they're too big and stomping to stay hidden for long. But we're small enough to sneak around and nip any tiny prey unfortunate enough that stray near us. They can't know all the tunnels – by the time they think something's up, we can disappear back into the dark. We can time ourselves enough that it would take forever for them to get suspicious. After all, some dinosaurs must disappear or die in the Great Valley. They can't keep track of everyone."
Dil turned this over in her mind. Those were good points. The pair's smaller size might actually benefit them for once. It was hard to chase after intruders in a tunnel if you were larger than the tunnel. As long as they were quiet, they would be set for a while. Nevertheless…
"That still leaves us with even more big critters to be mad at us," she pointed out. "We won't have mists to keep us hidden. If we get caught too far from a cave, we're screwed."
"Ah, but without the mist we won't get lost." Ichy said. "I can scout the area and pick out potential targets. All we have to do is stay quiet and out of sight. This'll work, you'll see."
Dil sighed. Some part of her remained wary when Ichy had that scheming tone in his voice but the possibility of having enough prey to not go hungry for a while…it was too hard to resist. She was tired of going with an empty stomach for longer than was comfortable and worrying about danger all the time. At least in the valley, she could lower her guard a bit. Not to mention Ichy schemes didn't always go wrong. As much as he could drive her up the wall, she needed him for his eyes and brain. There was only one answer she could give him at the moment.
"If it gets us food, I'm not complaining," she grumbled. "I just hope no one recognizes our tracks."
Ichy waved dismissively. "I doubt they will. I've heard Great Valley born residents don't wander out and those that migrate there tend to stay put. They probably haven't encountered anyone like us. If anyone has, well…what are the odds we'll run into them? Let's just focus on the prospect of having a filling meal," he rubbed his wings together, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Yes…I can already feel my full stomach now."
Littlefoot yawned, working the stiffness out of his neck. He didn't get any sleep stories but he had a fine rest all the same. In his often adventurous life, having an uninterrupted and full sleep was a treasure, and he appreciated any time he could have it. As he looked around, he saw his grandparents seemed to feel the same way. They lay near Littlefoot as always, eyes closed and expansive forms curled near each other. Littlefoot smiled. It was sweet to see how close they were to one another, and to him. Also, he was pleased to wake up first this time.
"Grandpa, Grandma, get up!" Littlefoot called. "Time to rise and shine. It's a beautiful day."
They didn't stir. Littlefoot frowned. Well, hearing did fade a bit with age. Littlefoot sometimes had to raise his voice more than once to get their attention. He took a deep breath.
"C'mon, Grandpa, Grandma! You said you wanted the first taste of the water greens in the lake. You don't want to back out now!"
At this point, they normally would have groaned and grumbled affectionately that if Littlefoot wanted them to be punctual, they might as well get up. But not so much as a peep. Frowning further, Littlefoot wandered over.
"Grandpa? Grandma? Are you alright?"
As Littlefoot got mere feet from his grandparents, he noticed their massive sides weren't moving. Strange, everyone breathed in their sleep and it was especially noticeable in big dinosaurs like them. And even at their quietist, his grandparents made some noise. Yet he heard nothing.
That was when the smell hit his nostrils. Littlefoot twitched back at the sweet stench, which he couldn't immediately identity but made his stomach curl. He encountered this smell before, and not within a particularly good context. After a reluctant moment, his mind went back to the time of that encounter, when the sky water dampened the intensity but it was still something he couldn't ignore as he watched fruitlessly for life to come back to….
Littlefoot's breath hitched. "No. No, no, no."
Littlefoot raced forward, thrusted onto his hind legs to push on Grandpa's face, and ran to Grandma to do the same thing.
"Get up, please get up. Get up!"
He pressed his head against their noses, trying by some miracle to move their heads and stir consciousness back into them. There, Littlefoot noticed his ears hadn't been lying – he couldn't feel their breaths, the air that should be breezing in and out of their mouths and nostrils, that which made all life healthy and able to move on. Littlefoot continued to push and shove, the exertion forcing him to inhale more of that sweet, putrid stench he attempted desperately to ignore.
"Not you two." Littlefoot panted. "Oh, not you too!"
Littlefoot didn't stop trying to wake his grandparents even when it was clear he would get no response, not a startled snort, an abrupt expanse of lungs, or even the twitch of a tail. Wet pricked his eyes, and his heart pumped from more than the exhaustion that started to settle in his legs. Only when he didn't have any more energy to push and the stench became so unbearable did he stagger away and collapse. Littlefoot looked between Grandpa and Grandma helplessly, vision blurred, no longer able to stop himself from crying.
"Please, don't leave me now," he said "There's so much I want to do with you. You're the little family I have left. Grandpa! Grandma!"
"Littlefoot? Littlefoot!"
Littlefoot felt a nudge at his side, and his vision was blurring from more than tears. Blinking, he found himself right back in his sleeping spot and turned his head to see Grandpa and Grandma Longneck gazing at him with concern. They loomed over, his worried guardians, and very much alive.
"Are you okay?" Grandpa Longneck asked. "You've been making a lot of noise."
"You look like you've been crying." Grandma Longneck peered closer. "Did you have a bad sleep story?"
Littlefoot raised a paw and found wetness around one eye. He turned his head and rubbed the tears off.
"I'm fine." Littlefoot said hastily, voice also wet. He cleared his throat and looked up, smiling warmly. "I did have a bad sleep story, but I feel better now that you're here."
His grandparents smiled, touched. Littlefoot was being truthful – seeing his grandpa and grandma here made all the terror of the sleep story distant and blurry. But he didn't want to go into detail about it.
"We're glad to hear that." Grandpa Longneck replied. "But are you sure you're alright? Grandma and I are always open to discussing whatever might be upsetting you."
"As you're probably reminded once in a while," Grandma Longneck said wryly, "we've been around for a long time and seen a lot. We've even gone through struggles that might be similar to what you're facing now. If there's any way we can use our experience to help you, we wouldn't mind giving out advice."
Littlefoot hesitated, but shook his head. "I'm okay now. Maybe I'll tell you about it later if it really bothers me."
His grandparents nodded, ready to deal with such a response. Grandma Longneck looked at her husband.
"I believe there's still time to get the water greens in the lake," she said.
Grandpa Longneck nodded, chuckling. "There is. Come, no need to dawdle when we have bellies to fill."
The pair turned and began walking, and Littlefoot scrambled out of his sleeping nook to follow. He kept up, swinging his head around curiously, happy to be up and drinking in the sights of his beautiful home. If his grandparents watched him out of the corner of their eye, they would be reassured whatever troubled him had passed and focus on how they could entertain themselves for the day.
For Littlefoot, that trouble hadn't passed completely. Every once in a while that morning, he couldn't help surreptitiously watching his grandparents' gait, the way they drew in breath, how they got from point a to point b. Adult longnecks weren't known for their swift movement and his grandparents' pace wasn't that much different, he mused. Their breathing sounded fine. They got to the lake and located the green food in the water with little trouble, so their sense of direction was as good as Littlefoot remembered. They were in great health, and it appeared they could go on for a while yet.
*But how long will that last?* Littlefoot thought.
He struggled with the question. Littlefoot had always known his grandparents would pass, sooner or later. He suspected other children knew this with their guardians but that was something they could wait to deal with until they were grownups. But Grandpa and Grandma Longneck were older. They might die before Littlefoot became an adult. He didn't know what he would do if the signs came that their end was coming. Littlefoot jumped into action when Grandpa Longneck fell ill and risked his life to get him better. Littlefoot would do all he could to recuperate them but if there really was no delaying their demise, Littlefoot would be crushed.
*We've been with each other for so long but there's still so much I want to do with them. I haven't heard all of their stories. We haven't played much, though at their age they can't help that. At the very least, they can see me grow. I want them to be happy with who I'll become – that I can take care of myself and have a good life. I just hope they live long enough to see that.*
"Hey, Littlefoot!"
Littlefoot raised his head from the water greens his grandparents fished out of the lake to see Cera standing expectantly on a hill, twitching her head back.
"You finished eating yet? The others are waiting, c'mon."
"I'll be done in a minute!" Littlefoot thrust down and began finishing off the last of the green food but paused and looked up to his grandparents. "Will you be okay, Grandpa, Grandma? I can stay if you want some company."
Grandpa Longneck chuckled. "That's very considerate of you, Littlefoot, but play with your friends. We'll be fine."
"Your grandfather is right." Grandma Longneck said. "At your age, you should be enjoying your youth to the fullest. Trust us, we can find our own way of entertaining ourselves."
"Um, okay." With slight reluctance, Littlefoot returned to his green food. With a slurp, he swallowed the last of it and nodded to his grandparents. "See you later."
Littlefoot scampered over to where Cera waited. She led him to the meeting spot with some impatience.
"You took your time eating." Cera said.
"Sorry," Littlefoot said, "I was busy thinking."
"You can eat and think at the same time."
"Let's just say it was pretty hard thinking."
Cera gave him a curious look but didn't pursue the subject. They continued their jog until they found the rest of the gang near the cave Chomper and Ruby rested. Petrie was rocking from his perch on a rock, eyes lowered in oddly wistful thought but he perked up when Littlefoot and Cera arrived.
"Morning, Littlefoot," he waved. "You came in time. Chomper was about to tell us what he found in cave."
"Do they involve sky-colored stones?" Cera said. "I hope it won't go like last time."
The others looked at Ducky, who clasped her hands most innocently. "Oh don't worry, I've learned my lesson. Oh, I have. I'll be on my best behavior with whatever we find."
"I don't believe what he found would interest you in that…interesting way." Ruby chuckled. "Chomper found a cave system with a river that has interesting plants."
"Interesting plants?" Cera asked. "What kind of interesting?"
"These plants grow on rocks." Chomper replied. "I kind of saw them on the island me and my parents stayed on but these are…different. I think you'll like them. There are also cool water swimmers, they can jump like they're flying and everything!"
"Water swimmers can be flyers?" Petrie shook his head. "Me even more confused now than ever."
"There is much we haven't seen." Ruby said. "Our job growing up is to see a lot and learn a lot."
"Will it be the kind of growing and seeing that involves tasting these plants?" Cera asked. "Because the last time any part of my family tried that, me and Daddy had to look after Dinah and Dana because my big sister's mate got sick eating a funny plant…"
"Don't worry Cera." Ducky said. "If anything's wrong with the plants, I'm sure Spike will warn us. Right, Spike?"
Spike nodded proudly, and sniffed around, making a series of humming sounds that gave him joy. The others couldn't resist smiling.
"Well, I heard spiketails have hardier stomachs." Cera said wryly. "What might be delicious to Spike could make the rest of us hurl, so let's not be too eager for a nibble."
Spike gave her a bemused look but chuckled and shook his head. He wasn't going to deny Cera's assessment if it showed him in a positive light. Petrie meanwhile gave a shudder.
"Me hope there some light down there." He then added quickly. "Me do find it interesting but…if there anything dangerous in caves, me prefer to see it…even if it scare me even more."
Chomper smiled wisely. "Don't worry. Let's just say the lights will come from an interesting place. So, are you all up for it?"
There were nods and murmurs of assent. What Chomper hinted at tantalized their imaginations enough that they were willing to see it for themselves. Since this cavern was in another part of the valley, they began their trek, humming about adventuring and bantering like usual. Littlefoot became more cheerful. Nothing like a trek of exploration with friends to lift one's spirits. The disturbing dreams were the furthest thing from his mind. He was more interested in Ducky's amusing anecdote about two of her siblings switching places to stay with their father. The gang was so caught up with that, they barely noticed the local residents they passed, at least until one talked to them.
"Morning kids. Where are you off to?"
It was Mr. Clubtail, casually chewing some treestars that had luckily fallen from a tall tree. He spoke to Littlefoot and the others with a bit less of his characteristic gruffness but there was a keen gleam in his eyes that made the seven stop.
"Um morning, Mr. Clubtail." Littlefoot said. "We're just exploring some caves."
"Just going to gawk at some weird plants and water swimmers." Cera said. "Nothing unusual."
"Nothing unusual, huh?" Mr. Clubtail said wryly. "That's how it always starts."
"We'll be fine." Ducky said. "There are days when nothing bad happens. There are, there are."
Mr. Clubtail snorted. "That's what you say in the morning but by the afternoon, I wouldn't be surprised if you come back with tall tales about how you kids nearly got killed this time."
Littlefoot winced as he felt a dull thud in the pit of his stomach, the dream rising back unbidden in his mind. Fortunately, no one noticed this unusual reaction. A few laughed and sighed in exasperation.
"Oh, you're so dramatic." Chomper chuckled.
"Just for that, if anything does happen, you won't be told what happened." Ruby teased. "After all, there are adventures we haven't told everyone about."
"Though we tell you if we need rescue from anything." Petrie said nervously. "Just follow the screams. We make sure to be loud."
Mr. Clubtail sighed. "Either way, I can't help but think I'll hear something about you lot. Try to actually be safe. Some rare sweet bubbles are becoming just the right amount of ripe today, and it'd be annoying having to abandon them to save your hides again."
Cera rolled her eyes but Littlefoot stepped forward.
"We'll stay out of trouble, Mr. Clubtail," he said sincerely. "Enjoy your sweet bubbles."
Mr. Clubtail gave them a look of amused skepticism, but returned Littlefoot's nod of farewell all the same, and the gang moved on. Cera grumbled under her breath.
"It's not like we ask for help that often from that lazy tail," she said.
"He cares." Ruby said. "He doesn't want us to get hurt. He just shows his caring through grumpiness."
"Why doesn't he just show his caring straight out?"
"You don't always show your caring straight out." Ducky pointed out.
Cera opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out, so she resorted to glaring. Petrie landed on her frill, barely holding back a smile.
"Don't worry Cera," he said. "We find that your charm point."
Cera sniffed and shook Petrie off her head. "Well, that concern might be true, but he could have put it in a better way."
"He mightn't have put it in the nicest way," Littlefoot said reluctantly, "but caves can be dangerous. It wouldn't be the first time we got in trouble in one of them. Let's actually try to stay safe, okay?"
The others turned to stare at him for several seconds at the suddenly cautious tone in his voice.
"Okay?" Cera widened an eye quizzically. "It's not like we're planning to do anything else. We don't exactly search for danger. Don't think too much about it. Mr. Clubtail might be worried about us but I'm sure he also doesn't want one of his gorge fests interrupted."
Chomper nodded thoughtfully. "It is annoying when you're in the middle of eating some delicious flaily crawlies and something distracts you before you can swallow them."
Spike swished his head up and down in agreement, giving his friends a fond but exasperated expression. Littlefoot smiled at his friends' antics as he and Chomper led the gang to another part of the Great Wall, trying to ignore the uneasy prickling still in his tummy.
* I'll keep a better eye out for trouble.* Littlefoot thought. *Cera's right, I shouldn't think about this too much but…better safe than sorry. I might get a better view of what Chomper's going to show us.*
He wouldn't raise the issue again. It was clear from his friends' reaction to what he blurted that they thought it was odd and that he was being paranoid. Littlefoot had to admit, they would be right. He was letting the dream get to him more he wanted to. He didn't wish to bring down the mood when they were beginning a morning of fun and exploration. Time to just enjoy his day with his friends, as his grandparents told him to, and he wasn't going to turn down good advice from them.
They quieted as they approached the cave opening. A sleeping spiketail lay against a nearby tree, her snores quiet but nasally, and they slinked past not wanting incur the annoyance of an adult by interrupting her rest. They entered the cave opening, only tall enough for Ruby's head fin to brush the ceiling. The cave curved down, with the occasional sharp and narrow bends that were difficult to navigate in the lowering light level. Fortunately, the wider among them like Spike were able to squeeze through without much trouble and they soon heard the familiar sound of running water echoing off of cavern walls.
Chomper smiled. "We're close. Be careful where you stare, guys."
That vague comment left everyone bemused but Spike inhaled through his nostrils and he let out an intrigued bay. The others also worked their noses and identified an odd, not unpleasant wet plant smell. Interest tugged, they picked up their pace until they came out into a wider tunnel where their eyes were dazzled.
"Wow." Littlefoot said, and then squinted. "Ow."
Chomper chuckled. "Yeah, I said something like that when I first saw it too."
For covering the tunnel walls was a moss that emitted a glow. It was dim, no brighter than the buzzers whose rear ends could glow, but the greenish-gold was wondrous. It was everywhere, most of the lights barely shining out as small pinpricks but a few were clumped together enough that they actually pricked at their vision if they stared too directly at it. A few holes from above glinted morning light into the tunnel, providing the moss with the source to glow. It was like watching the bright circle shine through the green of leaves, only stranger and more beautiful. Littlefoot and the others took a moment to admire this surprise of nature.
"You were right, Chomper." Ducky said. "It is interesting. It is, it is."
"These are far from the only glowy plants we've seen." Cera said. "Still, they're fun to look at."
Petrie flapped up to examine the less bright moss. He didn't get too close, as though suspecting it might bite, but the wariness was mixed in with growing, sincere interest.
"It spooky." Petrie said. "But…it pretty too. I don't think it so bad."
"Maybe not so bad to look at." Ruby said. "But is it bad to taste? What do you say, Spike?"
Spike approached a nearby wall of moss, sniffing speculatively. After getting his muzzle near one spot, he nasally drank it in and considered what he got. Spike stepped back and shook his head, making a "nu-uh" sound. Everyone else laughed.
"If Spike's not going to touch it, then I'm not going to either." Littlefoot giggled. He smiled warmly. "Thanks for showing us this, Chomper."
"Hey, why see something amazing and not share it with your friends?" Chomper said modestly. He suddenly grinned. "And I'm not done sharing. There's the water swimmers I told you about."
He pointed at the river cleaving the tunnel ground into narrow paths. Narrowly shaped fish had just leapt out of the water, sailing through the air with translucent fins before diving out of sight. The others gasped and laughed with delight. Ducky jumped closer to the river.
"I can swim like that, I can, I can. Oh, I'm sure my brothers and sisters would love this. They like imitating water swimmers," she turned to the others. "Does anyone want to see me try it?"
"Sure!" Littlefoot said. "Maybe we can start practicing it."
"I don't think everyone's bodies is built for that." Cera said.
"You did fine with Ducky's swimming lessons," Ruby pointed out. "And we did fine with her swimming lessons. So why can't you do fine with this?"
Caught off guard, she bore everyone's looks before leaning toward the water and wiggling with her tongue stuck out determinedly.
"Alright, you asked for it! I'm going to master that swimming technique."
"Me too, me too!" Petrie said excitedly. "Swimming is like flying underwater, and me should be able to do the flying part."
"I don't want to be left out of this either." Chomper said.
"Alright, you guys!" Ducky made a beckoning motion. "Follow my lead!"
So saying, the seven stood near the river edge, and leapt in. They stroked underwater and noted the short distance to the bottom before surfacing and swimming after the flying fish, who sailed more quickly ahead, unnerved by these strange new pursuers. Ducky built up speed and imitated the fish's leaps with near perfection. The others were much less graceful. Petrie twirled in the air but fell on his back, Spike only achieved a few inches before falling with a great splash, Cera returned to the water in a belly flop, Ruby and Chomper only slid through the water faster, and Littlefoot unbalanced and rolled onto his side. They stumbled and bumped into each other, sending waves splashing in all directions. They were a jumbled mess. It would take a while to get the swimming move perfected.
Littlefoot resisted choking on water as he laughed. He kept an eye out for anyone who might get hurt from the chaos but that didn't mitigate his enjoyment of this silly game. They were chasing odd fish, in a cave with glowing plants. As far as Littlefoot was concerned, his spirits couldn't be higher. Being with those he considered as precious as family, exploring what was out there and playing to their heart's content was what living should be. He treasured such days and hoped there were innumerable more to come. He was so cheerful that even this morning's troubling sleep stories were far from his mind…
Meanwhile, farther back in the tunnel, Dil swam with Ichy as her passenger. It took a bit of a climb to get in here but Ichy swung his gaze about smugly. At last, they were in the fabled Great Valley and the whole population was theirs for the taking. So far, the only noise he heard was the rushing of water, the movements of the fish, and the activity of the valley from the holes above. From what he could overhear, the valley residents were oblivious to the threat passing beneath them. Yes, Ichy thought. As long as that ignorance remained, the pair wouldn't have to be hungry for a long time to come.
Which was why he was disconcerted to hear the laughter of children up ahead. Ichy hopped closer to Dil's ear.
"Do you hear that?" he whispered. "I didn't know kids played here."
Dil slowed to listen, and frowned. "Maybe some swimmers or underground types like to hang around here?"
"No, it doesn't smell like this place has regular visitors other than water swimmers. These kids have the scent of being the usual dinosaurs I hear live the valley. They don't seem like the type to hang around here."
Dil hummed. "They do sound kind of familiar. Should we make them our first main course?"
"Let's make sure no one knows where they are. If someone does know and we attack...that spells trouble for us."
"Good call." Dil replied. "I was going to tell you to get off anyway, your feet are still a bit too cold for my liking. Can't you get that fixed?"
"My feet are fine. You cold-blooded animals are just too sensitive." Ichy shook his head. "Never mind that. Let's see if we can warm ourselves with these kids' flesh."
Grumbling, Dill nevertheless went low into the water, her nostrils peaking out. Rolling his eyes, Ichy flew close to the ceiling so the annoying moss lights wouldn't give him away. As he neared the sound of laughing children, it became clear Ichy's sense of smell was correct. These youths were mostly land dwelling types and from their splashing in the river, they were exploring. Ichy flew even closer to the kids, seven in all, attempting to eavesdrop.
"How much farther can we swim anyway?" The threehorn said breathlessly. "If we topple over a waterfall, I'm going to be mad at you."
"Don't worry." A flyer did the backstroke. "Me could fly ahead and make sure nothing dangerous there."
"And we have Spike and Chomper to sniff out anything like that." A big mouth swimmer briefly jumped above the water, leading this group. "Besides, the water speed would change if a waterfall is coming."
"Even if there's no danger, we should go back at some point." The longneck said reluctantly. "We didn't exactly tell Mr. Clubtail where we were going, so if we get lost, our folks might have difficulty finding us."
There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group, including the spiketail and two other kids but Ichy barely paid any attention to the latter pair. His eyes were wide. Dil's sense of smell was correct about these kids being familiar. The flyer flipped clumsily in his swimming and for a moment, his eyes were gazing in Ichy's direction. Ichy flinched but kept still and silent. The flyer looked away and continues his swim without any particular reaction. No one else looked up. Thankful they were wrapped up in their fun, he carefully zipped back to Dill.
"They're free pickings." Ichy said. "Oh, this is a reunion I can't wait to have."
"Reunion?" Dil repeated. "So we did meet them before. Did they see you?"
"One of them did look up but I don't think any of them noticed me."
"Stealthy, again." Dil's expression turned teasing. "You know, I'm kind of glad I almost ate you. It seemed to have scared you into becoming much better at skulking around for food."
Ichy huffed. "I've always been stealthy. Not many noticed me before and I always want to improve. It's just that I have had a great learning curve lately. Don't think too highly of your contributions."
"Yeah, well…all I care about is that your more useful now anyway." Dil said. "Anyway, who are these kids we met before?"
"Well..." Ichy smiled. "You might recognize them if you get close enough and have a taste."
Littlefoot, in the meantime, found his good cheer giving way to concern. Their splashing slowed, their attempts to imitate the leaps of their query (some of which were starting to succeed) draining their energy. They had long lost sight of the flying fish. This game wasn't going to last for much longer. Littlefoot examined his surroundings keenly. There wasn't as much of that glowing moss here and the even dimmer light level gave his earlier voiced worries more weight.
"I think we went far enough." Littlefoot said. "Want to head out?"
"Definitely." Ruby said. "My arms are definitely swimmed out."
Petrie nodded. "Me swimmed out too."
"Yeah." Ducky said. "Besides, it's getting too dark to swim."
Cera wasn't pleased but said, "Well, if Ducky's says so, maybe we should trek back."
"I'll use my sniffer." Chomper said. "I admit, I haven't gone this far out before. But I'll try to retrace our steps." He sniffed, and his brow furrowed. "Hmm, I didn't smell this before."
"What haven't you smelled before, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked.
"I'm pretty familiar with the water swimmers but there's something new here." Chomper frowned. "We've encountered this smell before…and I don't like it."
Littlefoot's neck prickled. "Should we get out of the water?"
"Maybe?" Chomper sniffed again, frowning harder. "When I smelled this smell, it was on land. I was scared when I caught it…there was a lot of running, even though they couldn't go very fast…" He trailed off, and panic twisted his muzzle. "Oh no! We really need to get out now!"
"What?" Petrie yelped, gazing about. "What in water?"
A growl rumbled behind them. Slowly, they turned to find a giant, vaguely triangular head rapidly approach, the rest of its long body surfacing, scarlet eyes fixed on them.
"Bellydragger, bellydragger!" Chomper exclaimed. "Out!"
They swam to shore with double the speed, kicking up waves to get away. Ducky was the first to reach shore and she beckoned quickly as Cera scrambled out after her. Spike nudged Petrie on his nose and heaved himself onto land. Ruby leapt out, swung her tail to a struggling Chomper, and fished him back to terra firma. Littlefoot slowed to give his friends space to surface. Reassured they were all safe on dry land, he desperately pawed at the shore. He could hear the bellydragger getting closer, closer, that rumbling growl rising as he was seconds away from becoming a meal. The others gripped his forelegs quickly and pulled hard. Littlefoot was grateful when he got hauled out just in time, the bellydragger snapping its mouth inches from his flailing rear legs and tail.
Littlefoot and the others pressed their backs to the far less mossy wall and cautiously crawled back to put more space between themselves and the immediate threat. The bellydragger followed them with a slightly unfocused gaze, an annoyed curl on its muzzle.
"Those screams really sound familiar," the bellydragger said. "Are these the kids I think they are?"
"Yep, Dil," a voice called out. "The same ones that were obsessed with those glowy flowers."
Shock and dread shook through Littlefoot and the others. They recognized these two predators.
"It's you guys!" Cera said. "The bellydragger and sharpbeak!"
"Me didn't want to see them again." Petrie gulped.
"What are you doing here?" Littlefoot demanded. "Shouldn't you be back in the Land of Mists?"
"Oh, we would like to." Dil growled, hatred in her tone. "But you guys are cursed. No sooner did you make your last minute escape that some new residents moved in and took all the food. Eventually, they drove us out!"
"So now we're here finding a new food source." Ichy said. "And what do you know, our old prey happens to live here," he then purred. "This is oh so convenient on all sorts of fronts."
"Oh, where is that sharpbeak?" Ducky scanned the tunnel ceiling anxiously, remembering all too well the terror of being snatched into the skies. "I can't see him. You'd better not eat us! Our folks – they know where we are, they do, they do!"
Ichy chuckled. "Nice try, big mouth. I've already overheard you lot say you didn't mention where you were going. If you end up disappearing, Dil and I will have some leeway while your parents desperately search everywhere for you. It seems dinner will be sweet indeed."
"You overheard us?" Petrie squeaked. "Did you notice a sharpbeak smell, Chomper?"
"No, I didn't!" Chomper said, distressed. "Water can dampen my sniffer but if he was above us, I should have caught something."
Chomper's statement caused Dil and the elusive Ichy to turn their attention to him and Ruby. There was a strangled pause from Ichy.
"You've got to be kidding me." Ichy said at last.
"Hey Ichy," Dil squinted, "is it just me or are there two new kids with them?"
"There are. They replaced the longneck girl with a fast runner. Goodness knows why, I thought they would be leery of anyone who can't decide between eating plants or meat. But that isn't the most shocking part. They replaced their fuzzy pet with – I can't believe this – a baby sharptooth!"
"A baby sharptooth?" Dil repeated. "You've pulling my leg!"
"I'm having a hard time believing it myself but my eyes aren't lying." Ichy protested. "A baby sharptooth is standing with them. It's bizarre."
"I'm not a baby." Chomper stepped forward defiantly. "And it's not bizarre to be with your friends."
Ichy and Dill gave a small double-take, mouths gaping as they goggled in Chomper's direction.
"Did – was that the sharptooth that just spoke in leaf eater?" Dil asked.
"Yeah." Ichy said, dazed. "His mouth moved and formed the same sounds as those green guzzlers. We're really encountering some high class weirdos here. And he said they're his friends. Did this little freak learn that language just for that?"
Chomper bristled at the insult. "To make a long story short, yes!" he snapped. "Save your comments on my taste in friends. We've heard them all."
"And I'd be careful at who you're calling freaks." Ruby said. "A bellydragger and sharpbeak speaking leaf eaters is pretty freaky too."
"Freaky? Pah!" Ichy scoffed. "It's a strategic advantage. When we encounter our food, we can know how they plan to fight back or escape, and cut them off. It's left us with some full bullies and you guys say some amusing things before you get eaten. I'm surprised more meat eaters haven't taken up such a great skill."
"Though I can understand why they don't." Dil said. "The gossip I hear from you leaf eaters while hiding or waiting to pounce can rot the brain. I almost lashed out too early several times to make the agony go away. There are times when I wish I didn't understand your stupid language."
Ichy sighed. "And as usual, your ignorance is annoying in any language. Stop missing the forests for the trees. Don't you understand you're sounding as stupid as this little biter who learned a language for something barf-worthy like friendship?"
"I'm not little!" Chomper said, stepping forward angrily.
Ichy chuckled. "Oh, I think we've hit a sore spot for him. He isn't going to be much of a threat. Dil?"
The bellydragger surged forward slowly, the flaps of Ichy not far behind, her mouth rising to land. Hurriedly, Chomper went over and stepped up.
"Don't you get any closer!" he said.
Dil and he stopped, caught off guard for a second, staring at Chomper as though unable to process what he was doing. Gradually, though, they began to laugh, their voices rising in volume until that mocking, hysterical sound reverberated around Littlefoot and the others. Chomper tensed.
"Are you…" Dil took a moment to catch her breath. "Are you seriously thinking your puny self can do anything to shield those leaf eater brats?"
"Oh, this is too rich." Ichy guffawed. "If we weren't so hungry, I'd suggest we'd keep him as a pet. Whose a stupid, mushy baby? He is, he is! Whose going to fail in protecting his friends because he's a weak sap? Why, the one over there! Oh, this'll be fun!"
"Be quiet! Nothing will happen to them!" Chomper said desperately. "If you touch them, I, I-"
He faltered, unable to think of a good enough threat. Ichy and Dill continued laughing, voices higher than ever. Chomper's shook his head to fruitlessly block out the sound, breathing becoming unsteady. He glared angrily even as a drop of fear entered those red eyes. Littlefoot stepped near him protectively.
"Chomper, don't let them get to you." Littlefoot said. "They're just trying to make sure we can't get out of here."
Dil sneered. "Some sharptooth. They are usually tough and scary but this one needs his leaf eater friends to defend him!"
"Yeah, a few jokes and he's already hyperventilating!" Ichy jeered. "He won't be any danger. He'll end up in our stomachs like the rest of his friends."
Chomper shook his head desperately. "No! I have a pretty powerful bite, it'll hurt and –"
Dil and Ichy only responded with more cruel laughter. Chomper slumped, gaze shaking helplessly. Littlefoot wanted to wrap his neck around Chomper comfortingly but now wasn't the time. From the predators' mirth, they were winding down the conversation and were about to go for another attack. Littlefoot examined the tunnel ceiling desperately for any sign of Ichy. On that Land of Mists adventure, the sharpbeak proved to be a nuisance that tripped the gang up while they tried to flee Dil, and he was a downright menace to Ducky and Petrie. They needed to know where he was so he wouldn't sneak up on them or rat out their location. Yet wherever Littlefoot looked, he couldn't spot Ichy, and panic rose. This part of the tunnel was dark yet not that dark. Did Ichy suddenly become even more experienced at hiding himself?
Dil chuckled lowly. "I'm getting bored of messing with these kids, Ichy. Let's have lunch."
"Yes." Ichy purred. "It's almost the afternoon. Now would be an appropriate time to fill our stomachs. Be sure to leave some for me, Dil."
"Don't worry. I won't swallow all of them whole, so you'll have some pieces."
Dil resumed her approach and all of them became very aware that bellydraggers got their name because they could move on land. Fear gripped Littlefoot and the others but it was Ichy's cackle overhead that made them lose it.
"Run!" Littlefoot shouted.
Screaming, the seven took off as Dil's jaws snapped around the place they stood a second ago. They raced down the way they came, Dil keeping up easily in the water. Whenever one of them got too close to the shore, she snapped at their feet or tails, and they leapt out of range and quickened their pace. All the while, Ichy's voice was never far behind, shouting directions and orders. Only with sheer speed did they avoid getting a limb torn off but Littlefoot didn't know how long that will last.
"I hope you picked up our scent of where we went, Chomper!" Cera panted.
Chomper sniffed desperately. "I – think I got something but we've been in the water for awhile, so we're going to have to keep going until I can be sure."
"I don't know how long we can run after that swim." Ducky said.
"We're going to have to know by continuing to run." Ruby said. "And hopefully we won't lead them into the valley in the meantime."
"That's right!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "The bellydragger might go up the river to the surface and the sharpbeak can fly after us. We can't have them hanging around the valley."
"Maybe the grownups can take care of them." Petrie said nervously.
"Maybe with the bellydragger but the sharpbeak's small, he can evade detection. We need to do something so neither would be –"
The water next to the fleeing gang exploded, and Dil shot out, her jaws descending upon them. Littlefoot and the others scattered and Dil's head landed with a crash. In the chaos, Littlefoot was pinned against the wall as she snapped her mouth at them, several of those snaps only missing him by a hair's breadth. Dil flailed her head too wildly for Littlefoot to move. He waited, terrified, for those teeth to make contact, but a voice rose out in defiance.
"Leave Littlefoot alone!"
Chomper charged in angrily, head lowered. Dil whipped to his voice and the force of the head movement knocked Chomper off his feet. He fell hard, whimpering and gripping his head. Dil continued thrashing to bite Littlefoot, who remained just as trapped. He didn't know how he was going to escape until Dil focused her attention on Ducky, Spike, and Petrie on one side. A slender arm grabbed his foreleg and snatched him out of Dil's reach.
"There you go, Littlefoot." Ruby said.
"Thanks, Ruby." Littlefoot panted.
Cera's teeth grabbed the scruff of Chomper's neck and she dragged him off, annoyed.
"You're not a threehorn, don't act like one," she growled.
"I'm sorry for getting in the way." Chomper muttered.
"Never mind that now." Littlefoot said. "She cut us off, where do we go?"
"Into our stomachs!" Ichy jeered. "Get them, Dil!"
Dil advanced eagerly on Ducky, Spike, and Petrie, apparently holding a particular grudge against the trio for thwarting her and Ichy last time. Littlefoot jerked his head about for some sort of way out. In the low light, he couldn't see much of anything and he automatically leaned against the nearest wall to keep his distance from Dil, only to find there wasn't any wall at all. Littlefoot stumbled, rebalanced himself, and turned to find a smaller tunnel whose destination vanished around a bend. Hope leapt up his throat.
"Guys, an escape route!" Littlefoot said. "The bellydragger can't follow us here!"
The others did a double take and visible relief came on their faces.
"This is good news." Ruby's brows creased. "But Ducky, Spike, and Petrie can't reach this good news!"
Littlefoot turned to where the trio backed away from Dil and shouted, "Guys, look for a tunnel and escape down it! There are ones around here!"
The trio were only slightly reassured by this suggestion.
"But how?" Petrie yelled. "It dark!"
"Press against the wall!" Cera replied. "You'll be bound to fall down one!"
Realizing her prey found a route to escape, Dil angrily turned on Littlefoot, Cera, Chomper, and Ruby but the four yelped and went down their little tunnel. Dil was consternated to find her shoulders slam against the walls on either side of the tunnel and she couldn't go any further.
"Dang it, they're getting away!" Dil growled.
Ichy fluttered above her head. "Then get the other ones Dil!"
Disgruntled, Dil turned and followed the sounds of the trio slamming themselves against the wall in search of an escape route. Ducky, Petrie, and Spike backed away when they saw her advance, keeping their sides hugged to the wall in hopes of running into something that wasn't wall.
"Spike, sniff for a tunnel!" Ducky exclaimed.
Spike flared his nostrils, looking forward where Dil blocked the path Littlefoot and the others took and backward where their ultimate escape route was so far away. Spike didn't know what he was smelling for. Ichy and Dil approached, the former watching in anticipation as Dil's opening mouth closed the distance with the helpless trio…
With Ducky and Petrie on his neck, Spike slid back and the three yelped as he fell into a small hole that barely accommodated his size. Scrambling, Spike's tail vanished down the tunnel and Dil's mouth closed around only air. She snarled.
"Did they escape, Ichy? Dang it all, I nearly had them!"
"I'll search for a route to get them, Dil." Ichy replied. "I'm definitely getting better at this stealth thing. Their expert nose sharptooth couldn't even find my scent. The benefits of my new bathing plan, I guess," he added, preening. "Wait around here and I'll get back to you."
Ichy looked between the two holes and decided to go after Littlefoot's little party. The annoying longneck appeared to be the leader of this odd herd and it was likely the remaining three would go for his group. Best to see how they plotted against the pair and find a dastardly way to circumvent them.
Meanwhile, Littlefoot and the others were desperately navigating the small tunnel complex in hopes of reuniting with Ducky, Petrie, and Spike. Chomper still nursed a headache, so he wasn't in any shape to help. Littlefoot hoped charting a route in the direction the trio were last seen would lead to a reunion. He silently flagellated himself as seconds of nothing ticked by.
*If I said no to this trip…* Littlefoot thought. *If there really are no holes further down-*
Cera cried out when someone ran into her. Littlefoot whirled to find Spike collided with Cera in the low light, Ducky and Petrie atop him. Relief came across everyone and Spike ran forward to lick the four.
"Ack. Okay. Stop." Cera sighed fondly. "A nuzzle would have sufficed you know."
Spike chuckled and abided with a gentle head bump, Cera no longer protesting. They settled down to business once Spike calmed down.
"Alright, we really in trouble." Petrie said. "How do we stop them from going into valley?"
"Me and Chomper aren't familiar with these caves but those two plan to be familiar with them so they could slip in and out, and eat anyone they can get their mouths on." Ruby said.
"And we're distracting them from their plan. If they do get us…" Ducky covered her mouth. "Oh no, oh no…"
"So while we distract them, let's ruin their plan." Cera said grimly. "We bury the river entrance and anywhere else that could get them out on top. Making sure they're distracted while we do this might be a problem though…"
"So we split up." Littlefoot sighed. "If we must…" He examined his friends carefully. "Cera, you go with Chomper, Petrie, and Ducky. Hopefully Chomper might sniff out the entrance. Be sure to keep Ducky and Petrie close by. Spike, you're coming with me since you have a good nose as well. Ruby, hopefully we can put our heads together and keep the pair distracted long enough that we can come up with something better. Is that clear?"
There were nods, some more reluctant than others. Not everyone was pleased by this arrangement.
"So me and Ducky are with Cera just to be protected?" Petrie said miserably.
"You can at least fly or swim out into the valley to survey how big the river entrance is." Littlefoot said. "That would help in bringing it down."
"But you spoke like being protected is the only important thing." Ducky said.
"It is important. The sharpbeak is a danger to you. I have to have you protected."
The pair weren't exactly convinced but Spike stepped closer with a beseeching expression, pained that he couldn't be their protector. He sent an uncertain look toward Littlefoot, who briefly had second thoughts. He glanced at Chomper. Should Littlefoot have Spike and Chomper switch places, so Ducky and Petrie would be more assured with another protector? No, Chomper's nose was stronger and that needed to be used with disposing of the river entrance.
"No, the groups stay as they are." Littlefoot said. "You all play a role, I assure you."
"But not with the bellydragger." Chomper said surly.
"Chomper, let's not get into this. Any second, any second, the sharpbeak will-"
"You were thinking that when you looked at me, weren't you?"
"For goodness sake, keep your personal drama for later." Cera said impatiently. "Right now-"
A familiar and unwelcome cackle intruded upon them. Jumping, they turned to the little passageway where the sound echoed from, the widest of this little network. There was enough space for someone much bigger than them to come in and sure enough a pair of red eyes were emerging from the darkness. The echo of flapping wings were prominent above the bellydragger.
"Now, don't mind us." Ichy said. "Argue some more. It makes it easier for my friend to find you."
Littlefoot turned to the others. "Go! You know what to do!"
There was no argument. They separated into two groups, Littlefoot's group racing down a tunnel wide enough to accommodate the three walking side to side while Cera's pack went through a passageway with barely the sufficient amount of space for Cera to move without scraping one of her sides. Dil went after Littlefoot's group without any hesitation but paused when she noticed Ichy lingering at the intersection of tunnels.
"What's the holdup?" she asked.
"I overheard a bit of their plan when scouting ahead." Ichy replied. "Maybe we should split up to sabotage their…sabotage."
"Not right away. I can't see much without you."
Ichy rubbed the bottom of his beak thoughtfully. "Alright, we'll have some fun with the longneck, spiketail, and fast runner. They grouped the small ones around the threehorn and sharptooth because they're afraid of what I'd do to them. So it'd be fun if the three stop hearing my voice while you corner them somewhere and puts two and two together that I'm getting myself a snack."
Dil grumbled with pleasure. "Fear does add a certain spice to the meal. Alright, let's see what you can spook up."
Littlefoot kept checking behind him as he, Spike, and Ruby continued their jog. They slowed down when they noticed their pursuing query wasn't fulfilling the pursuing part of the bargain.
"Have they gone after Cera's group?" Littlefoot wondered. "If they have…"
Ruby placed a soothing hand on Littlefoot's shoulder. "You're plan will work, Littlefoot. Cera and the others have went down the narrower tunnel as planned. Not to mention us bigger dinosaurs are here to get the sharpbeak and bellydragger's attention, correct?"
Spike's eyes widened on confusion for a moment. Then something clicked and he glanced at Littlefoot with narrowed eyes. Littlefoot couldn't meet his gaze.
"I did think the bellydragger would follow our group if the larger of us were here." Littlefoot said sheepishly. "But the reasons I said to the others are true too. Don't worry, we'll be with each other every step of the way. You might even get an opportunity to get another whack at that sharpbeak, Spike."
Spike was only somewhat mollified. The slap-click of a massive low-lying body moving in their direction put to rest any further discussion as Dil's silhouette became clear behind them.
"There they are, Ichy." Dil's voice echoed. "Having another one of their chats."
In spite of their better judgement, the trio lingered so Dil could close some distance before fleeing at a light jog. Littlefoot was only slightly reassured to hear the flap of feathered wings. That meant Ichy also couldn't resist the lure of larger prey. Cera and the others could now do their work unmolested.
The trio came across an intersection, featuring more of the variety passageways, one of whom ascended up in a spiral. Littlefoot ignored that feature, scanning the ones wide enough for Dil carefully.
"Are we trying to get them lost?" Ruby whispered. "How do we not get lost with them?"
"Can you still remember the scent of that glowy greens, Spike?" Littlefoot asked. "We might need to rely on your nose to get out."
Spike took a whiff of the air, and nodded quietly. Hearing that slap-click becoming faster, Littlefoot pointed toward the widest of the tunnels to the left and they picked up their pace. Dil could be heard still closing the distance, unleashing another of her hungry rumbles loud enough to vibrate their chest cavities.
"You're getting close Dil!" Ichy said gleefully. "So close! Closer, closer, closer -"
The repeated word filled Littlefoot with panic, as intended. They couldn't run forever. Their games had taken a lot of energy. Sooner or later this latest bout of running would drain the last of their stores and they would be at the mercy of Ichy and Dil. Littlefoot, Spike, and Ruby felt air get displaced from Dil's bites near their tails, and Littlefoot quickly looked for a place to retreat to. He spotted a narrow opening that led to a cave and pond, complete with an even smaller opening on the other side. His heart leapt.
"Over there!"
Littlefoot dived through the hole, Ruby not far behind him. There was a thunk and Spike was wedged in the hole. Littlefoot and Ruby's heart froze but Spike only had to do a bit of pulling and he popped out. It was just in time, as Dil's jaw rammed through and got wedged in place. She cried out, red eyes darting about in consternation.
"What, what?" Dil said. "Dang you kids!"
The others took several steps back at her anger, struggling to catch their breath.
"I – I think that'll hold her off for now." Ruby panted.
"Maybe." Littlefoot lowered his voice to a whisper and drew close. "We might have to make it hide and seek to recharge until the others could finish their mission."
"We'll have to vary things up so they wouldn't become suspicious."
Littlefoot nodded. He was glad to have Ruby around. As the oldest and having spent most of her life surviving in the Mysterious Beyond, her insights with hiding from predators were valuable. The trio hugged against the other wall, stepping a bit into the pond. Spike stumbled, the depth further than he thought. With the bellydragger's sight problem, maybe they could evade her when they squeezed out the other exit. Dil tried to shove her head further through with no success.
"I'm going to get you, somehow!" Dil shouted. "You can't stay in there forever, and when you leave-"
Dil shoved back out and in, unable to handle the tightness pressing onto her muzzle. In response, cracks snaked outward and several pieces parted from the edge to tumble upon the ground. Dil froze. She repeated the action, the hole cracking a bit wider, allowing her jaws a few more inches in. A slow grin crossed her face.
"You know what?" Dil said. "Stay in there for as long as you want. I'll be coming to you."
Dil backed out and shoved in again, more pieces tumbling down. Littlefoot and the others found themselves hugging against the wall as Ichy's laugh loudly bounced off the walls.
"You got her to use her brains," he hissed. "Now you're really in trouble."
"You just got to use my triumph as an insult, don't you Ichy?" Dil growled.
"That was a compliment, don't act like a stinging buzzer."
Littlefoot's eyes flitted to the other, smaller exit, mentally calculating how many seconds squeezing through the hole would take. It would be close but they had few other options. With a head flick, Littlefoot beckoned the others to follow. He smooshed through and met resistance but a quick shove from Ruby and Spike got him out. Ruby had more luck, bending down and squeezing her limbs against herself tightly before popping out. She and Littlefoot turned with forelimbs at the ready as Spike came through. As they feared, he got wedged halfway through and they grabbed his forelegs and pulled hard, the scrape of his rear feet desperately kicking on the other side prominent even through the wall.
"Come on, Spike." Ruby said. "Suck in your stomach. Go in and out as the bellydragger did."
Spike sucked in breath and thrust himself back and forward, causing a few cracks to come in. He got through a few more inches but the roar of a collapse in that cave was deafening and time ticked away.
"Spike, move!" Littlefoot shouted. "We need to-"
The wall around Spike cracked harder and exploded. The three were sent back, pelted by debris. Littlefoot's knocked against the opposite wall, and stars burst in his eyes. Spike landed upside down, a circle of rocks clinging to his middle. Ruby shook her head and already stood alertly. The dust cleared, Dil marched through the wider opening she made for herself, and she shook her head.
"You didn't need to make that much of a dramatic entrance!" Ichy said, coughing.
"Hey, I didn't expect the walls to be so thin." Dil replied. "You should have caught that."
Ruby stirred. "The walls are thin here…"
No one heard her. Dil gave a hiss and advanced until only several feet separated the trio from certain death. Awakening with a head shake, Littlefoot sprung up.
"C'mon, let's go!"
Littlefoot ran and he could hear the patter of Ruby keeping up but soon became aware another set of footsteps weren't beside them. The pair turned to find Spike had just upright himself against the wall, the ring of rocks still clinging to him. He was cornered by Dil and shook with terror. There was still plenty of space for Spike to flee but he seemed rooted to the spot, eyes not wavering from the bellydragger.
"Spike, get out of there!" Littlefoot shouted.
Spike didn't dare move. Frustration welled up in Littlefoot but then he saw how Dil swept her head back and forth in Spike's direction, occasionally squinting. Dil was blind, and especially had a hard time seeing still figures. If Spike moved, he likely feared he might get spotted and pounced on. That was an understandable worry dealing with a large bellydragger but Littlefoot knew that Dil would sooner or later spot him or that Ichy might guide her to him. He had to take a chance very soon, or he might have no chance at all.
Quickly looking around, Littlefoot spotted the pebble-like remains of the wall Dil broke through and an idea occurred to him. Remembering what Shorty taught him, Littlefoot came back and flicked several rocks at Dil with his tail. They crackled on her forehead and she snarled at them, giving Spike an opening.
"You have to move, Spike! Move, move!"
Spike stirred, and stared at Littlefoot. For a second, his mind seemed to blank, as though not sure what to do. But then Spike saw Dil swing her head about, realizing prey was nearby through Littlefoot's call, and was shocked into action. To Littlefoot's relief, Spike began to gallop past Dil, but the remains of the wall around his middle started breaking apart. Spike slipped and slid, stumbling over the wall pebbles from his middle just as he had passed Dil's head. Dil turned and snapped at him. Spike continued to stumble and slip, terror on his face as he barely dodge those rapidly closing bites…
Next time…
From the Mists Part 2
