Chapter 2: The Stone of Cold Fire

The object in question was a meteorite about half the size of Littlefoot's head. But unlike other meteorites, which were inevitably pitted and scorched from their high speed plunge through the atmosphere; this meteorite was completely undamaged. In fact, nothing marred its glassy, reflective surface. Even stranger was its color; most meteorites were an unremarkable black, brown or grey but this meteorite was a shade of icy blue like that of glacier ice.

Littlefoot and the surrounding dinosaurs stared out of awe and curiosity of this strange meteorite. Some of the dinosaurs showed clear expressions of astonishment but most just simply stared at the meteorite as if it were nothing more that a harmless curiosity.

Many minutes passed before Littlefoot spoke up. "Guys, I really think that this might be the actual Stone of Cold Fire," he said.

Chattering broke out among the gathered dinosaurs. Many of them could not believe what they had heard. The real Stone of Cold Fire had landed in their valley…which made no sense since everyone knew the Stone of Cold Fire was just a myth. Some of the dinosaurs backed away from the group so they could snicker without offending Littlefoot while some of the less polite snickered within earshot of Littlefoot.

Cera and Ducky pushed their way through the crowd just as Littlefoot had finished speaking

Cera rolled her eyes. "Littlefoot, you're too old to be believing in stories like that," she said.

Ducky nodded as well. She had not changed much aside from growing larger. Her light green skin and sky blue eyes of her childhood remained. "The Stone of Cold Fire is just a story. It is, it is," she said. Her speech had not changed at all. Her voice still had a childish lilt to it and her verbal quirks were still present.

"What's all the fuss about?" Mr. Threehorn demanded, pushing his way through the crowd. Some of the gathered dinosaurs rolled their eyes at him; the decades had done nothing to tone down his arrogance or bluntness.

"Well, Mr. Threehorn, a rather odd sky-rock has landed and it looks just like the mythical Stone of Cold Fire." Grandpa Longneck said.

Mr. Threehorn groaned. "Damn it, we had this occur with Pterano and his two accomplices! The stone was a fake then, it is a fake now and it will always be a fake!" he said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the stone emitted a pulse of blue light, as if it had heard Mr. Threehorn's words. Arcs of blue-white electricity began to dance across its icy surface. Many of the dinosaurs backed away from the crater in fear. Some of the dinosaurs simply bolted.

"Uh, Mr. Threehorn, you may want to reconsider," Littlefoot said with a slight tremor in his voice as he hastily backed away.

Almost as soon as Littlefoot finished speaking, some lightning bolts struck a boulder near him, gouging deep trenches in the hard rock. More lightning bolts issued forth from the crater, bombarding the landscape with searing bolts.

"Scatter!" Grandpa Longneck shouted as he dashed away from the impact site. What he had said was totally unnecessary as many dinosaurs had already fled or taken cover behind rocks when the bolts began issuing forth from the crater.

"No, it can't be the Stone of Cold Fire!" Cera said. Deep down, she knew there could be no other explanation but she hated being wrong. She, Littlefoot, Petrie and Ducky were crouched behind a large rock that shuddered under the constant impact of lightning,

"What else could it be?" Littlefoot shouted over the crackling of the lightning bolts.

"I don't know!"

Petrie was shuddering violently from fear as he remained behind the rock. He wanted to say that it was the Stone of Cold Fire but fear had rendered him mute.

Suddenly the sound of the lightning bolts bombarding the vicinity stopped.

"Is it over?" Littlefoot asked.

Cera peered out from behind the boulder. "It's over," she said.

Littlefoot stuck his head over the boulder and peered around. What he saw astonished him.

The area was completely devastated. Boulders and cliff faces had gouges carved in them from the ferocious lightning storm. Smaller boulders were blasted to rubble. Craters and scorch marks marred the rocky ground. The stench of ozone hung in the air. To Littlefoot's horror, there some dinosaurs - their bodies burned - were killed by the powerful electrical discharges.

Cera, Ducky and Petrie followed Littlefoot out from behind the boulder and onto the ravaged landscape.

"That stone is not a very nice stone. Oh no, no, no!" Ducky said, shaking her head and surveying the destruction.

"You think!" Cera replied. Several dinosaurs were also coming out from behind cover and surveying the damage.

"Everyone head immediately to the Thundering Falls Lake!" Grandpa Longneck's disembodied voice called.

Littlefoot sighed. "No guesses to what this is about," he said.

He then headed off to the Thundering Falls Lake along with the other dinosaurs.

A few minutes later, the group arrived at the Thundering Falls Lake. There, several dinosaurs were gathered, chattering about the strange meteorite.

"Everyone," Grandpa Longneck began.

The dinosaurs gathered ceased chattering and turned their eyes to Grandpa Longneck. The tension in the air was almost palpable.

Grandpa Longneck cleared his throat. "As you have no doubt witness, a sky-rock has just landed in Two Boulder Pass. While I am hesitant to say that it is truly the Stone of Cold Fire, there is no doubt that stone possesses power and dangers that we do not know of. Therefore, everyone must stay away from Two Boulder Pass. Dismissed," he said.

Gasps tore through the crowd. Stay away from Two Boulder Pass? Grandpa Longneck rarely if ever ordered the adults to stay away from anything; let alone one of the more important entrances and exits to the Great Valley!

The crowd dispersed to go about their own business. Littlefoot was pondering exactly what was going on. His brain was charged with thousands of questions. Is that really the Stone of Cold Fire? Will someone try to steal it? Will it pose a threat to the Valley? Littlefoot sighed and headed off to the Feeding Grounds.

When he arrived at the Feeding Grounds, he spotted Ducky, Petrie, Cera, Spike and Ruby playing a game of toss-the-seed. Littlefoot decided to join in. Toss-the-seed was one of his favorite childhood games and it was still one of his favorites. He wondered why Ruby was here but he quickly remembered that a herd of Fast-Runners – Ruby among them - had immigrated to the Great Valley several years before. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting that important fact.

"Heads up!" Ruby shouted, as she tossed the seed to Littlefoot. Ruby was quite a bit taller now and her magenta skin darkened to light ruby color. Her voice had also matured and it gained a slight lyrical quality; not to mention her speech patterns had changed; no longer did she repeat a statement at the end of her sentence.

Littlefoot headbutted the seed to Spike, who sent it flying back at Ducky, who swatted it into the air towards Ruby.

And so the cycle repeated itself, child-like laughter echoing from the group as they rejoiced in an old childhood game.

Eventually, as night fell, the group dispersed and headed to their nests to sleep.

Littlefoot lay in his nest, pondering the day's events. He drifted off to sleep as the Night Circle rose high into the starlit sky.