Hey everyone! This oneshot takes place in my 'Our Past and Our Future' timeline/AU but it's before Chomper met Arya. It serves as a sort of a more in depth backstory/flashback.

I also wrote this for the July prompt for fanfiction prompt challenge over on the Gangoffive forum. So enjoy! Also, don't forget to read and review!

Past: Lessons

"There comes a time in everyone's life where a choice must be made, one which may irreversibly alter the path ahead." When Chomper is on the verge of starving, he must make a choice if he is to stay in the Valley. This may be the hardest thing he's had to do, but luckily he has the support of his friends.

It was another warm day in the Valley, the Bright Circle shone brightly as it always did during the Warm Times. It was the perfect weather for friends to play in the water. In fact, that's what Littlefoot and the others were doing while she sat on the bank, waiting.

Chomper had yet to show up.

The young Sharptooth had went through a growth spurt over the last Cold Time and was now only a little shorter than Ruby, who was now half the size of her parents. And with the growth spurt came the growing appetite. It was getting harder and harder for him to find enough bugs to fill him up on a day to day basis. He sometimes spent most of the day just trying to find enough to eat. The thing that really startled Ruby was that the poor Sharptooth was beginning to lose weight. It wasn't noticeable at first but after a while he started to look sick, constantly being in pain from an empty belly.

Ruby knew she wasn't the only one to notice. Littlefoot was also distressed about his friend's plight, sharing worrying looks with her and the others when Chomper wasn't looking. They all knew that something had to be done in order to save him. And they knew that if nothing was done then either Chomper had to leave the Valley or, and more morbidly, he would starve to death. Nobody wanted their friend to leave and they certainly didn't want to watch him waste away.

No one was more frightened about the predicament than Chomper. Although he didn't voice his concerns, they could tell that he was terrified of what was going to happen. Chomper loved his friends, and the Great Valley, and would do just about anything for them. He just hoped it wasn't having to leave. He hatched here after all.

Ruby was then alerted to the sound of rustling bushes. Out stepped Chomper, whose attention was on his feet as he approached the pool. Something must have happened as she could see tears pricking his eyes. It was something they noticed happening a lot more recently and the miserable sight broke her heart each time.

She stood and met him some of the way. "Chomper! Hello my friend, my friend hello!"

"Hey Ruby."

His dejected greeting as he passed her erased her friendly smile. The others had paused what they were doing when they heard Ruby's welcoming shout. They too frowned in concern as they watched the Sharptooth lean down to take a drink. It was apparent to them all that today was another bad day for the young Sharptooth.

"What's wrong, Chomper?" Littlefoot was the first to approach him, the others soon crowding around him as well.

Chomper gulped down the water and sniffed. "I . . . I overheard some adults talking." His voice was shaking, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"So?" Cera snorted, which caused Littlefoot to nudge her and shoot her a warning glance.

Chomper swallowed, his throat suddenly becoming dry despite the drink he just had, and continued. "They were talking about me."

"What did they say, Chomper? Chomper, what did they say?" Ruby questioned. Her elder sister instincts were flaring with the urge to protect, as was usual these days.

So Chomper recounted how, as he was foraging for creepy crawlers in a place full of holes and rotten logs, he stumbled across two adults. A Spike-thumb and a Swimmer were browsing leaves off the bottoms of trees and engaged in conversation. Not wanting to disturb them he hid behind a nearby bush and overheard bits of their chat.

"I can't believe that Sharptooth's still around," One said.

"He's getting too big." The other agreed. "I'm surprised he hasn't attacked anyone yet."

Then, Chomper recalled, it got worse. "He should have been kicked out a long time ago." The Spike-thumb had said. "It's only a matter of time before he eats someone!" Chomper explained that he ran off after hearing that last part.

By the time he had finished, tears were starting to stream down his cheeks. His friends had varying levels of surprise etched onto their faces. And in Cera's case, the Threehorn looked ready to march right back to those idiotic grown-ups and give them a piece of her mind. Chomper was at times emotional, even more so since entering adolescence, but it took something truly upsetting to make him cry. Lately, it seemed to happen more and more. Littlefoot was the first to recover from the shock and speak up.

"Don't listen to them Chomper." He started, nudging the Sharptooth to comfort him. "You're our friend and you're a good Sharptooth. You deserve to be here, just like everyone else." The rest nodded and hummed their agreement.

Chomper gave a small smile and wiped his eyes. "Thanks, guys." Then his face fell as a thought crossed his mind. "But if I can't find something better than creepy crawlers to eat then I'd really have to leave."

Ruby frowned in thought. She did have one solution in mind. Scaly Swimmers were abundant in the Great Valley with all the water that it contained. Some could even get to a good enough size that a full grown Sharptooth could easily fill its belly. She had seen it happen out in the Mysterious Beyond and some kinds of Sharpteeth actually fed exclusively on Scaly Swimmers. Even her family sometimes fed on them and she was taught from a young age how to catch them. However, dinosaurs were disapproving of Chomper's current diet of insects, what would they say to this?

When she and Chomper first arrived in the Valley, they agreed not to eat meat within the Valley walls. It was easy for her since her kind could live off of green food as well as meat, but it was harder for Chomper. After all, his kind solely ate meat, but it was agreed upon that he could eat the insects and water creatures that called the Valley home. But Scaly Swimmers contained blood, something that would be extra disturbing to those who would come across him eating one. Would that be accepted as a possible substitute?

Ruby pondered this as she took in Chomper's current state. She was just able to see his ribs poke out whenever he took a deep breath. His once sharp red eyes were now dull and bags could be seen under his eyes from sleepless nights dealing with stomach pain from hunger. He looked to be in pain, both physically and now emotionally. He needed food and fast.

With that final thought racing through her mind, she looked at the fast water. She knew there were Scaly Swimmers there and she knew how to catch them. She abruptly turned and made her way to the fast water, ignoring her friends' worried inquiries, and waded into the water just below her waist. She paused there frozen with her hands at the ready, waiting for one of the fish to swim nearer.

She noticed a sudden flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. It was a lone Scaly Swimmer lazily swimming by. Ruby slowly got into position and breathed to steady herself for the strike, vaguely aware of her friends watching her in confusion. Then with a blurring strike, she snatched it from the water and flung it onto the shore making her friends yelp and jump away in surprise.

Chomper stared gobsmacked at the wiggling morsel at his feet, then up at Ruby as she came to shore. Of course he knew that she could fish and that her kind ate the Scaly Swimmers. He also knew that he had eaten some. But that was before they came to the valley and they promised never to eat meat inside the valley walls. Chomper knew all of this, but couldn't help salivating at the sight of the flopping Scaly Swimmer. Even just one of these could certainly remedy his hunger.

He involuntarily licked his lips, aware that his friends were looking at him with nervous expressions. He glanced at the Fast Runner who was now shaking herself dry. "A-Are you sure Ruby?"

The Fast Runner sighed and gave him a solemn look that proved just how hard this was for her. "Eating this is better than not eating this, Chomper."

Chomper gulped, staring at the Scaly Swimmer as its movements finally slowed. He wanted to refuse, but a sudden pang of hunger made him wince. Stomach pain was the norm for him these days, but this seemed worse than before. Like his stomach knew there was a potential source of food nearby and was urging him to take it. Chomper sighed before taking the first bite, ignoring his friends' disgusted complaints.

Immediately, the sweet metallic flavour exploded on his tongue and he had to hold back his moan of pleasure. He was mildly surprised at how juicy the Scaly Swimmer was as he could feel them slowly running down his chin as he chewed. After a few more bites, Chomper was delighted to feel some relief from his hunger that he hadn't felt in a while.

He was so focused on eating that when he went to take another bite, he was surprised to find that the only thing left were the bones and the head. When he looked up, Chomper was met with the sickened grimaces of his friends. He winced and wiped the juices off his chin, embarrassed that they saw his momentary lack of control.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Does that feel better Chomper?" She asked with a small smile.

Chomper nodded and licked the stickiness from his lips. He didn't feel any more pain and for once he wasn't hungry. His belly had a comfortable weight that he hadn't felt for a while and it felt better knowing that he didn't have as hard or as long for it. Chomper smiled at the Fast Runner who returned it.

Littlefoot moved beside Chomper, careful to avoid the Scaly Swimmer remains. "So," He began, his attention on Ruby. "Do you think this will work?"

The Fast Runner nodded. "Yes, I've seen grown Sharpteeth survive on Scalies in the Mysterious Beyond. It's only a matter of learning how."

"But won't grown-ups be against Chomper eating Scaly Swimmer?" Petrie piped up from atop Spike's back, shuttering at the memory of moments ago.

Cera snorted. "Who cares? As long as he's not eating anyone!"

Littlefoot looked at the Sharptooth who hadn't spoken since he finished eating. Chomper indeed looked better and Littlefoot saw a brightness in his eyes that he hadn't seen in a while. "What do you think Chomper?"

The Sharptooth glanced nervously around at his friends then down at the bones of the Scaly Swimmer at his feet. He almost started salivating again at the thought of getting more. It'd been so long since he had actual meat that he almost forgot what it tasted like and some part of him missed it. However, the other part was worried about what would happen if he agreed. When he was just eating Crawlers, he could sometimes pretend that he wasn't really a Sharptooth despite not being able to eat green food. But if he chose to learn how to catch Scaly Swimmers, he was one step closer to being a real Sharptooth.

"If it means I won't have to leave the Great Valley. . ." Chomper said after a while before sighing. "Okay, I'll do it."

Not much later, the young Sharptooth found himself nearly waist deep in the Fast Water. The others, except for Ruby, sat on the bank to watch the lesson. Chomper stared at the bottom, scanning for movement since after he first waded out he noticed some Scaly Swimmers dart away. He tried not to move in the hope that they would come back if they saw that the coast was clear. Ruby was next to him, bent over with her head close to the water's surface in the proper stance. Chomper wordlessly copied her and got into positon.

"The first thing you need to know about catching Scalies is that there is a lot of waiting." She began, eyes glued to the water. "And because there is a lot of waiting, you need to be patient. Patient is what you need to be."

Chomper nodded in understanding. Patience was the first rule that was instilled to him by his parents when he was just learning to hunt. Even though he instinctively knew the basics right out of the egg, it took some time to learn to wait for the most opportune moment. Although, he still had trouble remembering his lessons from time to time.

After a short wait, he spotted a Scaly Swimmer lazily swimming out of the corner of his eye. His muscles tensed in preparation to spring as he watched it move closer.

Ruby must have spotted it too because she continued on with the next part of the lesson. "Okay, since your arms are well. . ."She paused to gesture to his short arms. In response, Chomper raised a brow at her causing Ruby to chuckle softly. The Fast Runner bent down until her chin was barely touching the water and her eyes never leaving the Scaly Swimmer in front of her. "You'll have to use your mouth. Wait for the Scalie to get close and then grab it. But you'll have to be fast because if you're not fast you won't catch it."

Like before, she struck with blinding speed, this time using her head to snatch the Scalie Swimmer. Ruby used the momentum to throw it to the bank where it flopped around. The others flinched in surprise, but weren't as startled as before. Chomper watched as the wiggling slowed and looked to Ruby who wore an expecting expression. It was now his turn.

Chomper mimicked her stance and waited for another Scalie to swim by. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to spot one on its way over. He tensed as the Scaly Swimmer stopped and held its position directly in front of him, mentally playing back Ruby's demonstration. He took a breath to steady himself and then struck at it with all the speed he could muster. Unfortunately, the Scaly Swimmer was faster as he completely missed and ended up with a mouth full of water. Chomper came back out sputtering and coughing, ridding the water from his mouth and nose.

Ruby chuckled, flicking water off herself from Chomper's splashing. "That was a good first try, Chomper. You just need to practice until practice isn't practice anymore." She then gave him an encouraging smile. "Just like with Log Running."

So Chomper tried again and again to catch a Scaly Swimmer. After a while, he started getting closer and closer with each try. It was both encouraging and frustrating since he could sometimes feel them slip out of his jaws and was left spitting out water. Ruby had since waded back to shore to watch and give him advice when it seemed like he needed it.

He growled under his breath as he watched another swim in front of him. With a breath, Chomper struck at it and with a rush of excitement he finally felt his teeth clamp down onto the wiggling body. Unfortunately, the rock he was standing on shifted making him lose his balance and disappear under the water with a splash. He came up sputtering and trying to shake off the water, having lost the Scaly Swimmer.

Seeing his friend was getting frustrated, Littlefoot decided to step in. "Uh Chomper?" He started nervously.

"What?" Chomper growled, sounding harsher than he meant to be.

"Maybe you should take a break." Continued the Longneck.

Chomper sighed. To his dismay, he'd actually gotten worse in catching Scaly Swimmers where he would miss them by a wider margin than when he started. He chalked it up to being tired and he could feel the familiar hunger pangs beginning again. Chomper then remembered the Scaly Swimmer that was still sitting on the bank from Ruby's earlier teachings. In fact, having a rest and something to eat sounded pretty good right about now. With that thought in mind, he turned and waded to shore and shook himself dry.

"Do not worry, Chomper." Ducky piped up from beside Spike as the two were enjoying a snack of leaves from a nearby bush. "You will get the hang of it. Yep. Yep. Yep."

He smiled appreciatively at her. "Thanks Ducky." Chomper replied before moving towards the dead Scaly Swimmer to start eating.

Ruby watched as Chomper dug into his meal. She sympathized with young Sharptooth since she was once in his place and knew how frustrating it could be. Only she wasn't in danger of starving or being kicked out of her home. Chomper was and if he couldn't feed himself soon then both options could become a reality.

The one thing that cheered her up was Chomper was doing better than she did after her first lesson. Perhaps it was because his predatory instincts were stronger than hers. After all, he was a pure Sharptooth while she was half Leafeater. Needless to say, Ruby was confident that he would be able to succeed at this because he didn't have to go through this alone. Ruby saw that Chomper had once again reduced the Scaly Swimmer to bones. She noted that this time he wasn't consumed by hunger and ate more slowly. That was a good sign that he was on his way to getting better.

"You did great, Chomper." She said with a smile as she approached him.

Chomper huffed in response. "I didn't even catch anything." He looked at Ruby and she saw how defeated he looked. Chomper looked to be on the verge of tears. "Every time I try, I miss! What if I never catch one?"

Ruby placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You will, Chomper. You just have to keep trying. If you keep trying, you'll catch one."

"I'll never be as good as you." Chomper quietly replied, his saddened gaze turned to the ground.

"Well," She began. "I had a lot of practice to be as good as I am. And you know what?" Ruby gently tilted Chomper's chin so he was looking at her. She smiled. "You did better than I did my first time."

"Really?"

Ruby chuckled at his shocked expression and nodded. "And if you did better than me on your first try, imagine how much better you'll be after many tries."

This seemed to cheer Chomper up as a new determined light shone in his eyes. He gazed at the fast water in time to see a group of Scaly Swimmers swimming past as if they were taunting him. Chomper turned and saw the encouraging faces of his friends who he would have to say goodbye to should he fail. He wrinkled his nose and squinted at the Scaly Swimmers in defiance. No way was he going to let a bunch of Scalies beat him!

"You're right, Ruby!" He said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Chomper. Chomper, you're welcome." She replied, grinning. "And don't worry about being hungry, I'll help you with not being hungry."

So after taking a break to play a much needed game of Toss the Seed, Chomper went back to the Fast Water for round two. He was in much better spirits this time around after playing with his friends. Chomper was usually too busy hunting Creepy Crawlers to be able to.

Chomper once again stood motionless in the water and waited for the perfect time to strike. Unfortunately, he missed another Scaly Swimmer and was left sputtering and shaking his head. However, he didn't let it bother him as he got ready to try again He kept trying until the Bright Circle started its descent in the sky. And the closest he came was having the Scalie in his jaws, but it escaping before he could get it to shore. Ruby decided to call it a night and caught him his dinner before they joined the others in one last game before they were called back to their nests.

After a few more days of practice, Chomper was starting to look like his old self again. Ribs weren't sticking out whenever he breathed and he was gaining more and more energy. Yet, he was never able to get a Scaly Swimmer to shore. He was now great a catching them in his mouth, but they never quite make it to dry land. His friends were supportive and cheered him up when it looked like he was starting to get burnt out. And Ruby kept her promise and caught him Scalies to eat when he couldn't.

Now Chomper stood in the slow current of the fast water, eyeing the lone Scalie swimming in front of him. He snarled and readied for the attack. Like the other times, he struck with the speed of a bolt of Sky Fire and felt his teeth close around it. Feeling it trying to wriggle its way to freedom, Chomper tightened his grip until he felt the tips of his sharp teeth pierce its skin and tasted blood on his tongue. Then he flung it towards the bank. And, unlike the previous times, it landed on dry land where it flopped around.

It took a moment for Chomper to process it but when he did, his face broke into a huge grin. "I did it!" He cried. "Ruby, did you see?"

Ruby laughed in joy as Chomper waded to shore. She met him as he exited the water and gave him a congratulatory hug. "I did, Chomper! I knew you could do it. Do it, I knew you could."

The others congratulated him on his first successful catch and he thanked them before he dug in. Chomper was blown away by how much tastier this Scaly Swimmer was compared to the ones that Ruby had caught for him. He was always told that food tastes better when you work for it and he agreed whole heartedly.

From there on, Chomper practiced day after day and improved to the point where Ruby didn't need to catch him his meals as often. Sure, there was the odd time where he was having issues but those were becoming few and far between. And during those days, the young Sharptooth filled out to a healthy weight and became the ball of eagerness and energy he was known for. Ruby and the rest of the gang were relieved to see Chomper improving in health, knowing that they postponed, if not completely destroying, Chomper's possibility of exile.

Ruby smiled to himself as she watched the young Sharptooth fish. Her and the others decided to break for lunch and were lounging around on the bank. She turned and was munching on a nearby berry bush when she heard a yelp followed by a splash.

She whirled around in time to see Chomper surface and spit out water. Unlike the last time he ended up under water, he was laughing as he tried to rid himself of the water. The others who had seen him flail before he fell in, began to laugh as well and Ruby joined in.

Ruby watched as Cera leapt into the water to begin a splash fight. "Everything is going to be okay now. Now everything will be okay."

Thanks for reading!