This chapter takes place 7 years after the first.
So Nahla would be 7,Littlefoot 8 and Tara I decide is about 15 (so she was 7 when Nahla was born),just thought Nahla could have a teenaged sister she kinda looks up to.
Shorty (who is now in this story) is 15 like Tara.
Well I can't remember if Littlefoot or Shorty is meant to be older...oh well. The age difference between Littlefoot and Shorty is for storyline reasons,not spoiling what for though My fic,my world,I control it xD. Yeah I know Shorty is not meant to be a teenager but around Littlefoot's ages,but I'm doing this for storyline reasons. So sorry if you feel like I'm throwing the movies out the window.
Anyway,onwards.
Tara lay snoozing in the sun,her parents were a little way off,she was supposed to be watching her little sister Nahla,but alas she wasn't really focusing on that. She sighed,her sister was such a little pest,but she adored her more then anything in the world. She blinked as she tried to locate her sister-not a thing. "Oh where did she go now,I swear this little squirt does this on purpose" she muttered standing up to go track down Nahla.
As she left sight,a pink body backed up of a log. Nahla giggled "Works everytime"she said to herself. Nahla was a mischievous youngster,she just wanted to have fun. She turn and walked off in the other direction. She studied the landspace,her and her family were in a small hidden valley,Nahla recently came down with an illness and choosing not to drag her through the Mysterious Beyond sick,her family had been hiding in here instead-until she was recovered. Luckily the illness was very minor,just a bad tummy ache if anything. Though it did cause Nahla discomfort,as much as she refused to admit it. Nahla remembered what her father told her.
"Where we are going,there is more food then you can ever dream off. Water so clear you can see the bottom of the lakes,it really lives up to it's name... The Great Valley"
"The Great Valley" Nahla whispered she sat down to think,not noticing something sneaking up behind her.
"And when it seemed all hope was lost..there he stood it was...THE LONE DINOSAUR-OW Littlefoot was jerked out of his 'pretending' by a misplaced foot and a tree root.
"Nice one" another voice said.
Littlefoot looked up to see a green longneck looking down at him"Hi,Shorty" Littlefoot grumbled standing up "You had to come just as I trip didn't you?".
"Of course bro,besides don't blame me. Mum sent me to get you" he gave a crooked smiled "Man it weird calling other longnecks my parents..." Shorty admitted. Shorty was an orphan when Bron found him while he was scouting ahead for food during a terrible cold time a few years back. Weak,injured Shorty would of had no chance of surviving alone,Bron knew that and didn't even think twice about taking him back to his herd. Jenna nursed him back to health without complaining for a moment. It wasn't long before she started feeling Shorty as her own son. It was nothing to have a discussion over,the family had a new official member. Littlefoot,though a bit jealous at first soon lighten up at having a brother,he was now completely devoted to Shorty. And Shorty protected his new little brother right back.
"Oh?" Littlefoot asked "What does she want?"
"I don't know" Shorty admitted "It's something for both of us,but she said she wanted both of us to be there before she tells us what"
"Oh ok" Littlefoot began heading towards the nest,Shorty followed him closely. Though Shorty towered over Littlefoot,he was smaller then he should be for a male of his age,he was the average size-for a female.
Shorty sighed,he remembered Jenna trying to cheer him up by saying some dinosaurs were just late bloomers,and they have a sudden and huge growth spurt,and he was one of those.
"Oh you found him" the voice of their mother jerked Shorty from his thoughts and he watched Littlefoot run up to her "Thank you Shorty".
Shorty nodded though he didn't really hear,"So what is up? Something wrong?".
"Wrong?" Jenna questioned "Oh no,everything is fine. I just heard of some news,something that you two might enjoy"
"What is it,Mother?" Littlefoot asked.
"It's a tradition in the valley" Jenna began "Every year around this time-well in a few days anyway the young ones of the valley and their parents of course,travel to Saurus Rock for a night of stories,games and food giving. It is to mark the anniversary of when The Lone Dinosauar himself saved the Great Valley" Jenna smiled when she saw the look on Littlefoot's face,she knew her youngest son admired the legendary dinosaur who lived so long ago "At first it was thought to be spiritual,that the nothing bad ever happened on that for the Lone Dinosaur himself would rise from the dead and protect the valley once more and if you dared to speak against The Lone Dinosaur's name on that night,bad luck would fall upon you and your most cherished loved ones"
"Is that really true?" Shorty asked "Seems like an old folks tale to me".
Jenna chuckled "Well,thats the story behind it. But all in all it's just a night of fun and games for the little ones"
Littlefoot looked up wide eyed "You mean...there is gonna be a g-g-g-host?" he shook,actually terrified "What if I say something bad? Will he do something bad to us?"
"There will be no dead dinosaur at Saurus Rock,I promise" Jenna said softly,realizing she actually scared her child "Dinosaurs do not rise from the dead. I promise all it is is games,little one" she tried to comfort Littlefoot "The story about him coming back and cursing you is just a legend made to scare dinosaurs".
"Oh" Littlefoot pretty much whispered.
Shorty sighed and moved over to his brother "Hey it ok,bro. I won't let any creepy old guy hurt yah"
"Why don't I tell you's another story?" Jenna suggested.
"What? Is this one about savage blood sucking three-horns?" Shorty joked making Littlefoot giggle.
"No,no" Jenna chuckled "It's about the Ancient Longnecks"
"Ancient Longnecks?" a new voice came as Bron joined them "You're gonna tell them about them?"
"Of course" Jenna replied "They are an important part in history of longnecks everywhere"
"Well,why call them Ancient longnecks?" Bron smirked "I believe the term everyone uses these days are the Mountain Longnecks"
"What about them?" Shorty pressed on as Littlefoot lay down against his side,ready for the story.
"Well,far away into the mountains,isolated from other herds lives a longneck herd,or tribe as they call themselves for some reason..." Jenna began "They have lived there since the dawn of time,it's said they have the power to contact the spirits of their ancestors,and the ones that have passed on can walk in the sleep stories of the living. Sending them messages of hope or incoming danger"
"That seems creepy...but cool" Littlefoot commented "I would be kinda freaked if a dead dinosaur started talking to me"
"Trust me son,these mountain longnecks are very different then us here in the valley" Bron carried on "They are completely guided by their ancestors. Here,we have a council that decides things,the mountain longnecks do not believe in that.
"Why not?" Shorty asked frowning.
"It's just their way,their culture" Jenna said softly "Many say they need to stop living in the old times and start living the ways of today. But they refuse to change their ways and traditions,and I agree they should be allowed to. They ain't harming anyone in doing so"
"There was originally five families making up the herd...er tribe" Bron added "But now only three remain"
"What happen to the other two?" a wide eyed Littlefoot asked.
"No one knows" an old voice answered,Grandma and Grandpa heard what was going on and joined them.
"Some say the two families vanished or died out. Some also say that those two families still live on,though of course the family members that broke off from the mountain longnecks would be long dead by now,but their descendants still live on,and still carry the blood of the Mountain Longnecks in them" it was Grandpa who spoke.
"Woah..." the two brother breathed at the same time..
"Is it true?" Littlefoot sat up.
"Yes dear,unlike the ghost-at-Saurus Rock-story-deal,the Mountain longnecks are very real and still live there today. However no one knows what happened to the two lost families"
"They say,one day a longneck will meet a Mountain longneck in his or her sleep stories,and discover they are in fact,the lost descendant,and with that knowledge he or she will be able to find the second family and the mountain longnecks will have the five once more" it was Grandma's turn to tell the story "But that part I have no idea if it is true or not" she added quickly "The two families could be long gone for all anyone knows".
The two brothers were silent,silenced by the story. They never knew out there,there was a whole different way of life being lived.
"I want to meet the Mountain longnecks!" Littlefoot commented happily.
Grandpa chuckled "And one day,you just might Littlefoot...you just might"
"They live on"
A female rose her head to look at the old male that spoken "Pardon?"
"The missing two" the male said "They live on,they still carry our blood"
"You mean.. Ahote's and and Teetonka's families? The ones that split off from us?"
"Yes,the very ones"
"How is that possible?"
"I walked with Ahote and Teetonka last night in my sleep stories" the male answered "They have direct descendants living,each have gotten the power of contact which had otherwise died out in their lines. Our ancestors will be able to reach them in their sleepstories"
The female blinked "Who are they and are they young?"
"Children" the male now turned to look at her "They won't understand their power,but they must know they are one of us." he looked up at the sky "One is a female,Nahla she comes from Teetonka's line. The other a male coming from Ahote's line is named Littlefoot"
"So what is the plan?"
"Teetonka contacts the girl,her family is heading to the valley where the boy resides. Neither have met though that can be arranged. Teetonka's speaks with the girl,show her some flashbacks. Show her who she really is,and with luck and Teetonka gives her a big enough hint she'll realize that Littlefoot is the other"
"And?"
"I am not sure,that lies with our ancestors what she does about that or what the boy does,the most important thing is that they come to the mountains where they belong,after that we'll just have to figure out which side of their parents is a Mountain longneck too"
"Hmmm..." the female murmured "I do have a question though-why are we going through the girl?"
The male shrugged "I don't know,thats just the way they want to do it. The result is the same in the end anyway".
"True enough" the female said and and turned away.
A scream filled the air,Nahla was shocked when someone or something grabbed her. "Let me go! HELP!"
"Calm down squirt,it's me"
"Tara!" Nahla cried "Don't do that! I thought you were a sharptooth or something grabbing me"
"Well,you shouldn't of ran off and then I wouldn't of had to come and grab you" she snorted and carrying her sister by the tail she walked back to the family's current resting place "Just be happy mum and dad aren't back yet to know you disobeyed their orders" she dropped her sister on a pile of soft grass before laying down next to her. "You know Nahla,I still remember the day you hatched,boy you looked so confused" she chuckled.
Nahla poked her tongue at Tara "Well,you were confusing me. I have no idea what you were doing,you were such a loudmouth"
"Oh yeah?" Tara smiled with mischief "Come here you little squirt" before Nahla knew what was happening,Tara grabbed her and trapped her between her front legs "I know your weakness,take this" she grabbed a tall nearby flower and stared using it to tickle her sister on the chin.
"No! No stop it!" Nahla said through laughter as she tried to break away "Tara stop it!"
"Nah" she chuckled before noticing one of Nahla's feet was exposed which quickly began her new target for her 'attacking' "This is fun,I could get used to this game" Tara giggled as Nahla tried to pull her foot back laughing heavily.
"Tara! Stop it-it-it tickles"
Chuckling,Tara dropped the flower and released her sister "Thats what you get for running away from me"
Nahla huffed but leaned her head into her sister.
Sighing,Tara pulled Nahla closer to her nuzzling her softly "Ok I admit,I can't stay mad at you" she whispered "Besides,who I am to talk? I was just like you once,but after you were born. I changed my ways"
Nahla rose her head "Why?"
"Because I wanted to protect you at all costs,I wanted to be the best big sister I could be"
"Oh Tara...you are the best big sister" Nahla yawned.
Tara smiled and lick Nahla's face "Have a rest now,I won't leave you I promise"
Nahla smiled and closed her eyes,she took a breath in and whispered "I love you,Tara" she sighed before falling into sleep.
Tara smiled and rubbed her head against Nahla's body "I love you too sis,sleep well. I'll protect you"
Ok,so in the first part of this chapter,we got Nahla being a little annoying brat xD.
In the second part we got,Littlefoot and Shorty learning the Mountain Longnecks story.
In the third part we meet some mystery characters,these Mountain Longnecks are a very strange bunch aren't they?
And then we end off with some sister love,nawww.
In case you're wondering,the Mountain Longnecks have their own culture and beliefs. And most of their names will be either be Native American or Maasai,just to make them stand out from the valley dinosaurs even more then they do...xD
-Rhombus,thanks for reviewing (I read the one you left on GOF too,just haven't gotten around to actually replying it yet,but I want to say. Thank you for your kind words.