Well, this here is my first Land Before Time fic, and I just wanted you all to know that I'm going to stay as true to the TV series as I can with this concept. Hopefully you'll bear with me for some of the confusing parts. If you guys don't understand something, though, feel free to PM me with questions. Here's to enjoying a little Chomper/Ruby romance - it's mild, don't worry!
Without further ado, let's go back... to a land before time...
Diamonds Aren't the Only Ones…
The sun was shining high in the sky over the Great Valley on the day our story begins. There were a few scattered clouds, but they only added to the perfection of the scene. Dinosaurs of all kinds were grazing on the plants that the valley provided. With no carnivorous dinosaurs around to threaten them, the herds were not particularly worried about anything. The sauropods were enjoying the leaves atop the trees, the triceratops were grazing on the ferns, and the hadrosaurs were eating the plants found underwater. All were with their own kind, save for a small group of seven young dinosaurs.
Possibly considering them an unusual herd of their own, these kids hardly spent time apart from one another. Littlefoot, a young brown apatosaur, was leading his fellows in a game of Kick the Seed, a game reminiscent of modern day soccer. Cera, an orange triceratops, was busy chasing close behind him. Ducky, a green saurolophus; and Spike, a green stegosaur, were trying to block the seed. Petrie, a small brown pterodactyl, was attempting to steal the seed away from Cera and Littlefoot, with a young pink oviraptor, Ruby, hot in pursuit. The greatest exception to the group was the one waiting to block the seed on the other team. This was a young blue tyrannosaur: Chomper. Having been hatched by the other members of the group, save for Ruby, he developed a soft spot for his herbivorous friends, consuming primarily insects. Ruby, being omnivorous, did not have as much trouble as Chomper did at fitting in. And it is these last two dinosaurs around which our story revolves…
"C'mon, Littlefoot, pass it here!" The tenacious three-horn readied herself as the long-neck flung the seed in her direction.
However, Petrie managed to get between the seed and its target, only to be knocked out of the air because of his small stature. He picked himself up quickly enough to avoid being trampled by his friends, carrying the seed with him to the goal. "Haha, me got you now!"
Just about to reach the end, the flier was blocked by Chomper, who kicked the seed far into the field.
"Not this time, Petrie!" Chomper taunted.
"Ohh… me get you next time!" Petrie called back towards his sharptoothed friend as he flew off towards the seed.
Chomper must have been stonger than he thought, because he kicked the seed clear to the other goal. As soon as Ducky and Spike saw it coming, they readied themselves. Spike angled himself back, and then –WHAM! He struck the seed so hard it went sailing clear into the Mysterious Beyond.
"Spike!" everyone shouted in unison, half playfully, half scolding. Being virtually incapable of speech, Spike merely lowered his head and let out a vague sigh.
"Well," said Littlefoot, "it's about time we started heading back home anyway. I don't know about you guys, but I sure am hungry." As if to prove his point, several stomachs rumbled in response to the thought of food.
"Yeah, I'm starved!" announced Chomper, who was met with the nervous gaze of his friends.
"Don't get any ideas, Toothy!" Cera criticized. Chomper hung his head in embarrassment. While generally accepted by the herd, Chomper occasionally received subtle accusations when he announced his hunger.
Fortunately for him, Ruby was there to watch out for him. "We know you're like that Cera, but don't be like that," she scolded. "Chomper would never eat any of us. He's too sweet and nice." She turned and smiled at the hungry carnivore. "Right, Chomper?"
Chomper felt a rush of gratitude, relief, and… something else. Something he had not felt before. "Uhh… Yeah. I'm nice!" He smiled to show his pleasing personality, but only ended up flashing the group his mouthful of sharp teeth.
"Uhh, Chomper?" Ruby looked at him. "That's not really helping. But we still know how sweet you are." Chomper lowered his smile, again getting that same strange feeling. What was it? Chomper had a guess, but he was slightly worried about it. Littlefoot was smart. Maybe he could help…
"Yeah, well I'm heading back to see my dad and Tria. Catch you guys later!" Cera waved her tail at her friends and headed off. After a few more goodbye-for-nows, everyone headed back to their particular stomping grounds. Chomper was lost in thought nearly halfway to his cave before he suddenly remembered that he was going to get Littlefoot's help and ran to catch up with him.
"Hey! Hey, Littlefoot!" he shouted. Littlefoot turned around to see who was calling, finding Chomper running at full speed to get to his location.
"What is it, Chomper? What's the matter?" Littlefoot felt a sense of urgency from Chomper, considering the sprint he just ran. "Are you okay?"
"I'm… fine…" Chomper said between gasps. "I… need to… ask you… something… important!" he eventually choked out.
"Couldn't you just ask Ruby? You wouldn't have had to run after her." Littlefoot waited as his friend finished his labored breathing.
"No. It's… It's about her." Chomper drew a circle in the dirt with his big toe, holding his hands behind his back. He didn't make eye contact with Littlefoot.
Littlefoot was curious, but his hunger overrode that. "Listen, Chomper. I'm still hungry, and I know you are…" Chomper's stomach mumbled in assent to this. "… so how about I go home to eat, you go home to eat, and I'll come by your cave afterwards. Sound good?"
"Yeah, I guess." Chomper was still anxious to confirm what that funny feeling in his chest had been when Ruby had complimented him, but he could wait until lunch was over. "See you later, Littlefoot."
"Bye, Chomper." Once again, both dinosaurs headed in opposite directions to eat.
As Chomper headed back to his cave, he kept thinking about that odd feeling he had been getting. What is it? How come only Ruby made it show up? Despite his internal speculation, Chomper still had an idea on what it was and why Ruby made it show up. However, he was not really willing to admit it to himself.
He looked around and noticed some insects, allowing for a momentary lapse in his obsession. "Ooh, yum!" He consumed as many as he could rather quickly, but there was no real urgency. The bugs were plentiful even after filling himself to the brim. Chomper licked his lips, then proceeded to head to his cave to ponder his thoughts.
About an hour or so later, Littlefoot walked up to the carnivore's cave to see what the big fuss had been all about earlier. Chomper was getting ready to greet him when he noticed Petrie sitting on his back. The pair noticed Chomper's puzzled expression, so Petrie spoke up. "Oh, Petrie see Littlefoot walking all by self so Petrie fly down and follow. Littlefoot say he going to see you, so me decide to come along." Chomper shrugged and welcomed his friends into the cave.
"Now, what's the matter Chomper?" Littlefoot plopped down on the cave floor as Petrie climbed up his neck to rest on his head.
Chomper began pacing his cave, trying to ask his questions but not knowing how. "Where do I start?"
"Well," Littlefoot suggested, "you said it had to do with Ruby, right? What about her?"
"It… uhh… I don't know, really." Chomper lied. The confusion was becoming contagious, though. Littlefoot and Petrie looked at each other, both wanting to help Chomper amid his inner turmoil. "You see, when we were playing Kick the Seed today, I had this funny feeling."
"Funny feeling? Chomper sick?" Petrie interjected.
"No, not that kind of funny feeling." Chomper scratched his head, thoroughly annoyed with his inability to communicate with his friends for the time being.
"When exactly did you get that feeling?" Littlefoot asked, hoping to arrive at a conclusion – eventually.
"When Ruby said how nice and sweet I was." Just remembering her say it brought the funny feeling back. "And now I have that feeling again. What is it?"
Littlefoot looked up in thought, but he saw Petrie – who was still perched on his head – smiling knowingly. "Petrie, what are you smiling about?"
Petrie looked down at his confused friends and said in a sing-song little voice, "Me know what you don't, me know why Chomper feel so funny!" Petrie looked at Chomper, who happened to be sporting a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "And me think Chomper already know why he get funny feeling!"
Chomper said, rather indignantly, "Well, what is it? Tell me!"
Littlefoot's curiosity had now been more than piqued, and he was listening to Petrie with rapt attention. "Me know and you don't!" Petrie sang again.
"Just tell us!" the ignorant duo shouted. This shut Petrie up in an instant.
"Okay, okay! Petrie tell you!" Petrie looked Chomper in the eye. "Chomper get funny feeling around only Ruby, right?"
"Yeah…"
"And Chomper only get it when Ruby say nice things about Chomper?"
"Yeah…"
"Does funny feeling feel like big bubble inside you?"
"Yeah! But what-" Chomper was just about to snap when Petrie finally stopped the riddles.
"Then Petrie think that Chomper in LOVE with Ruby!"
This left an awkward silence, Petrie smiling smugly at Chomper while Littlefoot considered this new theory. Strangely, Chomper sat there with a slightly dejected air about him. This went on for several minutes, until finally the silence was broken.
"I think he's right, Chomper." Littlefoot looked up at his embarrassed friend. "I mean, there's not a whole lot else it could be."
Chomper let out a deep sigh. "That's what I thought…"
"Well, what's wrong with that? Ruby's really nice – you guys would be great together!" Littlefoot didn't understand Chomper's stress.
"Yeah, but I don't think she likes me…" Chomper let out another sigh.
"Don't worry Chomper!" Petrie flew down from Littlefoot's head. "It no problem! Ruby not like you now –" Chomper frowned at this. " –er, not like you like that now. But maybe Ruby change her mind! What if Chomper make Ruby like him?"
Once again, both grounded dinosaurs were stuck looking at the flier. "What do you mean, Petrie?" said Littlefoot.
Petrie retook his favorite perch atop Littlefoot's skull. "Easy. You get food Ruby like. Make it look all pretty-like, then give Ruby some. Ruby and Chomper sit and talk, and before you know it," Petrie took to the air, "Ruby love Chomper, too!
"Actually, that's not a bad plan." Chomper looked at Littlefoot like he was crazy. "Seriously! You go find things like sweet bubbles and other stuff she likes, then set it all up. Petrie and I will go get her, and you two can sit under the night circle and talk."
Chomper considered this for a moment. "I guess… Wait, why under the night circle?"
"The bright circle is going down soon, and do you want to go to sleep with this feeling?"
"I don't think I could sleep!"
"Exactly."
"But guys, I can't love Ruby!" Chomper's nerves began to take over.
"Why not?" Petrie questioned.
"She's supposed to take care of me!" Chomper shouted.
"Well," Petrie elaborated, "if Ruby love Chomper, Ruby take better care of Chomper!"
"But… But…!" Chomper was trying to find an excuse as Littlefoot and Petrie just sat with smug looks on their faces.
Finally Chomper found something better to work with. "She's a fast-runner! And I'm a sharptooth! We can't love each other!"
"Nevermind that, Chomper! That terrible reason not to love Ruby!" Petrie chastised his lovestruck friend. "But if it make Chomper feel better, me will tell you a secret!"
Chomper, now only slightly curious, nodded in assent.
"That terrible reason not to love Ruby because, well… because Petrie love Ducky!" Petrie said this last part quickly, however he did not shrink back in embarrassment as Chomper had done earlier. "Ducky a swimmer and Petrie a flier, but me no care."
Chomper and Littlefoot just looked at one another. Then Littlefoot spoke. "To tell the truth, Petrie, I kinda thought you really liked Ducky."
Petrie merely smiled. "Yep, yep, yep!" This brightened the mood immensely, causing everyone to start laughing. Once they finished, though, Petrie spoke again. "But now me go do for Ducky what Petrie tell Chomper do for Ruby. Petrie get Ruby and Ducky and bring them to thundering falls at night. Then we get Ducky to like Petrie and Ruby to like Chomper. Me see you later!" With that, Petrie flew out of the cave and back into the heart of the Great Valley.
Littlefoot and Chomper stared after him. "I guess that's why he's afraid of everything else. He's got so much courage with Ducky." Littlefoot turned back to Chomper to give him one last bit of advice before heading home for the night. "He's right, though. If you love Ruby, show her. Get her some sweet bubbles and just sit and talk with her. It'll work out. Petrie will be there to help you. Good luck, Chomper!"
"Yeah… Thanks, Littlefoot." Chomper waved his friend goodbye as he set off for home. Chomper, however, had to get started on his plans. "Alright. Get some sweet bubbles, then sit and talk. I can do this. I WILL get Ruby to love me!" Chomper continued his motivational speeches to himself as he went out to search for his prospective female companion's favorite food.