The Founding of the Theropod Club-A Dinosaur Train Fanfic
The Dinosaur Train was chugging along down the rails as Buddy and his mom, Mrs. Pteranodon, were aboard the passenger car. Buddy was just sitting in his seat minding his own business when suddenly he heard a familiar sounding voice from behind him.
"Buddy?"
Buddy turned behind him and grinned. Standing in the aisle was Derek Deinonychus. "Derek! Long time, no see!" Buddy and Derek hi-fived. "What brings you on the Dinosaur Train?"
"Oh, I'm just coming back from an art club meeting. I'm heading home to my parents." Derek happily replied with a grin. "We made sculptures today and even had time to do a little painting. I've just started and I really like it. Not as much as making art out of gourds with my toe-claw of course, but still."
"Do you always take the Dinosaur Train all by yourself?" Buddy asked.
"Sometimes, the rest of the time I go with my parents."
"Do you know the dinosaur who always rides in the observation car, Laura Giganotosaurus?"
Derek's smile disappeared. "Actually, no. I've seen her from outside the train, but I've never met her in person before." He answered.
"Well in that case, you have to meet her. She's always in the observation car and is very nice." Buddy turned towards his mom. "Can Derek and I go visit Laura Giganotosaurus for a bit?"
Mrs. Pteranodon smiled warmly at her son. "Yes, yes it would be. Tell Laura I said hi and if you two need me, I'll be right here."
"Okay." Buddy got out of his seat and headed off with Derek to the observation car.
The doors to the observation car opened before Buddy and Derek stepped inside. They closed the doors behind them and looked up to see a big, tall green looking dinosaur. She looked similar to a T-Rex, but was a bit taller than one. This dino's name was Laura Giganotosaurus, and she smiled down warmly at the two children who'd entered. Buddy waved up at her. "Hi, Laura. This is Derek Deinonychus, a friend of mine. He and I have come to pay you a visit."
Laura brought her hands together. "Oh, how wonderful and thoughtful of you two to come and see me. I don't get enough visitors. And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Derek."
"Likewise." Derek said. He looked around the observation car. "So you're always in the observation car whenever you ride the train?"
Laura nodded down at him. "Oh yes, on account that it's the only car I can fit into due to my size, but it is very comfortable and nicely decorated."
"Laura, why did you say that you don't get enough visitors?" Buddy asked looking up at her.
"Well Buddy you, your family, and Mr. Conductor are the only ones who visit me on a regular basis. Other than that, I rarely get visits from other creatures boarding the train. I love my job; I really do with all my heart, but…" Laura closed her eyes and sighed. "It would be nice to have one or two creatures to talk to for more than half an hour or so."
Buddy and Derek looked at each other, both feeling a little bad for Laura. Then they smiled at each other and looked up at Laura. "We'll stay and talk with you for a bit." Buddy said.
Laura looked down at them. "Really?" And when they nodded, she smiled down at them. "Oh thank you two so much, you're both too nice. It can be very lonely sitting in the observation car by myself."
Buddy and Derek both sat down on the carpeted floor and looked up at Laura's face. "So how have you been?" Buddy asked.
"I have been well, thank you for asking, Buddy. So far for the past two weeks, I've seen no dangers on the tracks like fallen trees, but it pays to often be on the lookout."
"Lookout?" Derek asked.
"Yeah, Laura's job aboard the train is to keep an eye out for things on the track. And if she sees anything, she lets out a mighty roar to let the engineer know that the train needs to stop. Then she gets out and pushes whatever's on the tracks out of the way, so the train can move on." Buddy said to Derek.
"Wow," Derek said with an amazed look on his face. He smiled up at Laura. "Laura, it sounds like you have the coolest job in the whole world."
"Why thank you very much, Derek. I love it. I even get to turn the train around at the roundhouses so it can go to other places. Also I love to observe things, looking carefully at them that is, and I am a really great birdwatcher. I also love to draw birds in my sketch book."
"Draw birds in your sketch book? Wait, you're an artist?" Derek asked.
"Why yes Derek, I am an artist. Would you like to see my sketch book?" When Derek nodded, Laura turned around to fetch her book. She lowered it down to Derek and opened it, showing him lots of the bird drawings she did. Derek was very impressed.
"Wow, you're really good. You've put so much detail in each drawing." He looked up from the drawings at the creature that made them, and smiled proudly. "I happen to be an artist myself, as a matter of fact."
"It's true, Laura. Derek makes art out of gourds with his Deinonychus toe-claw. He's really good at it, just like how you are with your bird drawings." Buddy said.
Laura looked at the young Deinonychus. "Really?"
Derek smiled as he lifted up his right foot and showed Laura his big toe-claw. "Yeah, I've got a whole bunch of art I made at home. My parents are really proud of it. Even my dad makes art with his toe-claw; we think it runs in the family. Say, would you like to come visit me and my family and see my art?"
Laura smiled down at him. "As long as it's okay with your parents, then I would love to come and see your art."
"Okay, I'll ask my parents when I get home." Derek said with a nod. He was so glad to have met another creature who shared the same interest in art as him.
Laura nodded back at him. "It's great to be able to make art and have others who are proud of it, like your family for instance. I know for a fact that my family is proud of my bird drawings, they say I'm the best bird drawer around."
"You certainly are." Buddy said.
Laura looked down at the little orange T-Rex. "So how have you been, Buddy?"
"Great, I'm riding aboard the Dinosaur Train, and after having such a wonderful playdate with Annie Tyrannosaurus. We played Kick the Cone, that's kicking a pinecone and looking for whoever's hiding, and pretended to be huge T-Rexes and roared. RAWR!" Buddy said standing up and giving a big, pretended roar. Derek and Laura both clapped before Buddy sat back down.
"And I am sure that you will grow up to be a big and great T-Rex, Buddy." Laura said kindly.
"Oh, thanks Laura."
Then all three of them heard something, the chirping sound of a bird. A bird with the colors of white, blue, and red for feathers flew down into the observation car and landed on top of Laura Giganotosaurus' head. Buddy grinned. "Hey, it's Angela Avasaurus. Hi Angela, how are you?" Buddy hadn't seen Angela since the day Laura drew her picture and learned about Laura's love of birdwatching and drawing.
"Oh, uh, good." She said calmly and timidly. "I was just flying overhead and saw the Dinosaur Train below me, so I thought I'd fly down and rest for a bit." She looked down at Laura. "You don't mind me being on your head, do you Laura?"
Laura smiled. "Not at all. I'm glad you are here, would you like to join our little group and talk?"
"Oh, sure. I just hope I won't be much of a bother if the train whistle…" And just then the train whistle blew and Angela jumped up and squawked loudly in fright before settling back down atop Laura's head. "Oh, how I wish it wouldn't blow so loud." She complained.
But as time wore on, Angela found herself all right in Buddy, Derek, and Laura's company. They all talked about art and how they've been all week, talking happily and having a good time. Laura was sitting down on the floor with Buddy and Derek sitting before her. As they were talking, Laura looked down at Buddy and Derek before looking up where she knew Angela was, perched atop her head, before smiling and giggling a little.
"What is it?" Buddy asked.
"Well, it's very curious I must admit." Laura said looking up at the clear, blue sky.
"What's curious?" Derek asked sitting up straight with his hands resting on his knees.
"Yeah, Laura. Don't leave us in the dark." Angela said looking down at the female giganotosaurus.
Laura looked down before she continued speaking. "Well, all four of us in this little group appear to have a few things in common."
"Like art?" Derek asked.
"I do art, though I don't think it's as good as you and Derek's." Buddy said.
"And I don't do art." Angela added.
"No, no, not art. More about our appearances. You see, we are all theropods."
"Theropods, what are those?" Derek asked looking curiously up at Laura.
"Theropods are a group of dinosaurs who have a few features in common. We have a strong sense of smell," Laura pointed at her nose. "A long tail to help us keep our balance," She gestured to her tail and waved the tip of it a little. "Mouths full of sharp teeth to help us eat meat," Laura opened her mouth and showed her sharp and pointy teeth. "And lastly, we all have three-toed feet." Laura held up her left foot and wiggled her toes back and forth.
The others looked at themselves and realized that Laura was right. They all had three-toed feet, sharp teeth to eat meat, long tails to help balance themselves well, and had a great sense of smell. They were all theropods, just like Laura said.
"Wow, Laura you're right. We all are theropods." Buddy said.
"Yeah." Derek said looking at his three-toed feet and smiling a little. "What an awesome group to be in."
"It is, and an interesting group as well." Laura said smiling at them all.
They all sat and chatted for a while before Buddy stood up. "Well, I'd better be joining my mom back in the passenger car."
"And I'd better go with you. I have to wait there until the train gets to my home." Derek said standing up as well.
"And I'd better be heading off to." Angela said before flying down onto the floor. Then she smiled a little. "But it was nice seeing and talking with you all. Oh, and learning about theropods."
"Likewise." The rest of the group said.
"I've loved this so much. It was so great to see and hang out with you all. If only we could do this more often…wait, that's it!" Laura smiled down at them all. "How would you all like to be part of a club with me?"
Buddy, Derek, and Angela looked at each other before looking up at Laura. "What kind of a club?" They all asked in unison.
"A club about theropods, where everyone who likes theropods can come together and talk about theropods, a Theropod Club if you will. We could meet aboard the train here in the observation car and talk about theropods. We could even go visit certain theropods. I happen to know of a lot of them, very close friends of mine, who would be a lot of fun to visit. So what do you all say?"
Buddy, Derek, and Angela all huddled together and whispered to each other. Laura waited patiently for their responses before they all turned to face her again.
"We've decided that we would be happy to join the Theropod Club, Laura." Buddy said with a smile on his face.
"Excellent, now we must decide who will be president of the club. That's who will be charge of running the club."
Buddy, Derek, and Angela all huddled together again and looked up at Laura. "How about you?"
"Me?" Laura's eyes widened.
"Sure, you did come up with the club, Laura. So it's only right that you be the president." Angela said and both Buddy and Derek grinned and nodded.
Laura smiled at them all. "Okay, then I would love to be president of the Theropod Club. It would be an honor and a pleasure."
"Theropod Club?" Mr. Conductor had just stepped into the observation car to see how things were going with Laura. He had just heard talk of Laura being president of said club and was curious about it. The others turned to him and Buddy grinned.
"Yeah, a club about creatures who like theropods. Would it be alright if we held meetings for the club on the Dinosaur Train, here in the observation car?" Buddy asked Mr. Conductor.
"Why bless my scales and feathers, of course you can!" Mr. Conductor said with a smile on his face. "Sounds like a really fun club to be a part of."
"You know I just thought of something." Laura said. "How about we have a banner for the club? We could hang it in the observation car whenever we have meetings."
"Sounds great! I'll go get the supplies you need, don't move from this car!" Mr. Conductor turned and walked quickly out of the observation car. He was back within five minutes with a white banner, some small buckets of paint, and some paint brushes.
"Excellent, just what we need for our Theropod Club banner!" Laura said excitedly. All four of them got right to work on painting the banner while Mr. Conductor watched. When they were done placing two theropod dinosaurs on the banner and painting it, all four members signed their names and placed their handprints in paint next to each of their names. After it was dry, Laura picked it up and hanged it on the wall behind her. "Excellent, the banner looks really great." All four of them stared at it and admired their handiwork. Mr. Conductor said good-bye and headed back to the passenger car.
"Okay first motion of business! All in favor of making Laura Giganotosaurus president of the Theropod Club, say ay!" Buddy said.
"Ay!" All members said loudly.
"Congratulations, Laura! You're president of the Theropod Club!" Buddy said before all of them cheered happily. "So when's the next meeting going to be?"
"Well, Buddy and Derek…" Laura said to them as the train stopped. "I think you should ask your parents if it'd be alright to attend the meetings."
Just then the observation car doors opened again and Mrs. Pteranodon and Derek's parents walked in. Buddy and Derek smiled at each other before walking over to their parents.
"Guess what, Mom? Derek and I have just joined a club, the Theropod Club!"
"Really?" Mrs. Pteranodon and Derek's parents all asked in unison.
"Yeah, in it we get to talk all about theropods and discuss their features. Would it be alright if we got together with Laura and Angela for another meeting?" Buddy asked.
Mrs. Pteranodon squawked and smiled. "Why of course you can, Buddy! How wonderful about you being a club. I'm so proud of you, Buddy."
"And so are we, Derek. We would love for you to meet in this club again, as long as you're okay with being in it and your art club?" Derek's mother said.
"Of course." Derek beamed. They looked at Laura, who was smiling. "In that case, how about we all meet next week on Wednesday, one week away from today?"
"Sure!" The rest of the Theropod Club members cried.
"Very well then, meeting adjourned." Laura said.
Angela, Derek, and Derek's parents said good-bye before the train left Deinonychus Depot Station and headed off for Pteranodon Terrace. It arrived there a short while later and Buddy and Mrs. Pteranodon stood on the wooden platform waving good-bye at Mr. Conductor in the passenger car and then at Laura in the observation car.
"Bye, Mr. Conductor! Bye, Laura! Can't wait until the next Theropod Club meeting!"
"Good-bye, Buddy and Mrs. Pteranodon! See you at the next meeting, Buddy! Any time before then is also okay if you want to visit! Adios!" Laura called waving back. The train then left the station and started chugging off to its next destination.
"Let's get going, it's almost time for dinner." Mrs. Pteranodon said. And so she and Buddy began walking back home, a big grin spreading across Buddy's face. He couldn't wait to tell his dad and siblings about the Theropod Club.
THE END