"Nahla? You want to speak to me?"
Nahla jumped and turned around "Why do you have to sneak up on me like that,Teetonka?"
Teetonka chuckled "Because it's amusing..to me anyway. Anyway,you wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes..I have found Littlefoot" Nahla sighed.
"I've noticed,good job you're one step closer to our goal" Teetonka looked down on her.
"Yeah,one down 500 million to go" Nahla said in her usual sarcastic tone.
The ghostly male glared,which made Nahla shut up-for once. "Anyway,you need to build a friendship with Littlefoot"
"I'm working on that..." Nahla sighed.
"No you're not-you ran away from him" Teetonka snapped "Don't tell me you're 'working on it' when you're not"
"You saw that?"
Teetonka nodded "I see everything,girlie" he sighed "Okay,maybe I'm being a bit harsh I know I should give you time...but this is so important that it works out..."
"I know,Teetonka" Nahla sighed "If this does not work out the mountains will explode and the whole world will collapse into a fiery pit of death" and back to sarcastic attitude it was.
Teetonka growled and bought his tail down with a loud whack.
Nahla jumped "What did you do that for?" she complained.
"Because of YOU" Teetonka snarled "I don't believe out of all the descendants I have,it had to be YOU to be the one that will lead the lost families back,you're the most sarcastic attitude filled longneck I have ever met in my life"
"Well,sir...if you think about it..this isn't your life...because really..you ARE dead" Nahla grinned not dropping the sarcasm.
Teetonka felt like banging his head against a rock but instead he just took a deep breath to calm himself "Kids these days,now back in MY day..."
"NO!" Nahla cried "Please,don't go into the whole 'back in my day' thing,I haven't got the next 100 years to spare listening to it"
"We'll we showed our elders respect,not making jokes every chance we get. We knew when to be serious"
"Sorry,'serious' isn't something I tend to do" Nahla said with a flick of her tail.
Teetonka snorted "Yeah it didn't take me very long to figure THAT out" he began to walk around Nahla "Anything else you need to ask or report?"
"I have a question,has Littlefoot been contacted by his ancestors yet?" Nahla asked in an actual serious tone.
"No,not yet,why do you ask?" Teetonka wondered.
"Just curious..." Nahla replied "But it would be easier when I explain to him about all this,if he too knew about being a mountain longneck and not just think I'l some crazy girl trying to con him into coming to a faraway land with me"
Teetonka thought for a moment "Good point..for once,there is a chance he will think this as a trick or his family would at the very least...very well,Ahote will visit him tonight" Teetonka began to fade away "Meet him by the Thundering Falls tomorrow and don't ask why. Just do it" and he was gone.
"Sure thing..." Nahla said to no one. She sat there for a moment before standing up and looked around the large valley "Now...where is my family..."
"This is a wonderful place" Nani commented as the adults now relaxed after getting a tour of the whole valley.
"It is indeed,worth all the traveling" Kai agreed nuzzling Nani.
"I take it that means you'l be staying?" Jenna grinned at them,it was so nice to have another longneck family around now.
"Of course,we couldn't drag ourselves all the way and just to turn around and leave again" Kai smiled until Nahla needs to take us back to the mountains anyway he added in his thoughts.
"That is great news" Bron commented "Would you like to relax some more or shall we see you to a resting place?".
"We need to find our daughters first" Nani sighed shaking her head "And you know kids.." she chuckling.
"Do we ever.." Jenna rolled her eyes "Our youngest son,Littlefoot loves to cause mischief"
"Littlefoot?" Nani questioned outloud,she remembered Nahla telling her Teetonka told her to find someone named Littlefoot.
"Err..yes,Littlefoot is the name of my son" Jenna rose an eyebrow "I know it's a bit of a strange name for a longneck,but the name is has very special meaning and value to our family"
"Oh,I didn't mean anything like that. It's just I heard that name mentioned before..." she trailed off.
"Who by?" Jenna asked.
Kai and Nani glanced at each other,do they tell them the truth? No,they couldn't. Why would they believe the anyway?
"Our daughter,Nahla...she met your boy..."Nani said,that was true but not the real reason they know about Littlefoot.
"Oooh" Jenna said smiling,not feeling one bit specious "I hope Littlefoot was kind too her"
Kai snorted "It's Nahla the one you should be hoping to be kind,with her attitude she might offend another young one,even though it's never on purpose and she is just joking,it ,may happen..."
"Nothing wrong with a bit of attitude" Grandpa said "As long as one doesn't take that attitude too far..." he stood up "Anyway,would you like me to help you find your young ones?"
"If you don't mind,sure" Nani stood up and Kai quickly did the same.
"No idea where they could be though..." Kai admitted looking around.
"Well,we are in no rush,we'll check everywhere" Grandpa nodded to the distance with his head "Shall we?".
"I'll come too" Grandma said standing up quickly.
"I'll go find Littlefoot and Shorty" Jenna offered "Though I am sure they are fine,but you never know..."
Bron yawned "You go on and do that...I'll wait here and-OW"
Jenna whacked him in the head "YOU,will be coming with me" she ordered standing up.
"Yes ma'am..." Bron said in a surrendering tone and stood up.
"Right lets go" Grandpa said leading the newcomers and Grandma off.
Bron watched them leave and turned his mate "So where are they?"
Jenna just hit him again "If I knew where they were,we wouldn't be needing to go look for them in the first place"
"Oh yeah..."
Shorty and Tara were laying side by side,they shared a pile of tree-sweets after Shorty have Tara a tour and they exchanged jokes,complained about their younger siblings,though they also admitted they love them.
"This place is beautiful,thanks for showing me around,Shorty" Tara said warmly,the female longneck was a brown colour-that had a silver tint to it,her underbelly was white,her pale green eyes were highlighted by the black rims around them,she had black legs up to her knees. She looked like a mish mash of her whole family.
Shorty thought she was interesting looking,maybe even beautiful. He never seen a longneck who looked like that before,it was interesting for sure. He shook his head realizing she had spoken "It no problem" he studied her for a moment "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure" Tara replied
"Is,Nahla..your blood sister?" You and her look..."
"Nothing alike?" Tara laughed "I know,we are full blood sisters but strangely enough Nahla is just our mum all over again,while I got traits from both my parents and my grandparents" she looked over at Shorty "What about you? You look nothing like your family..umm that was your family right?"
"Yeah they are my family...my adopted one anyway.." he paused "My real parents died long ago,and the rest of my herd abandoned me...then this guy called Bron found me and took me to his family..they took care of me,soon enough the ones who were strangers became mum and dad,and Littlefoot become my little brother,though I will never forget my real parents"
Tara was quiet for a moment "I'm sorry about your parents,and what your herd did to you..."
"It's in the past" Shorty said quietly "This is my life now and I am not taking it for granted,I still think about what would of happened if these guys never picked me up..I'll be dead by now no doubt..."
Tara placed her tail on his back "Listen,life isn't meant to be easy. It will throw challenges at you and no one will know the outcome. The only real certainty is life,is no one makes it out alive,we all die in the end"
Shorty stared at her before smiling "You're right,and smart too"
Tara choked back laughter "Don't flatter me please"
"But you are,for someone your age you're really wise..where did you learn all that stuff?"
"My mother" Tara replied flatly "She is obsessed with 'wisdoms'"
"Oh..." Shorty said "Know I get" he laughed.
"You know,Shorty I think we're are going to be great friends" Tara commented with a smile.
"I know we will Tara..." he looked into her green eyes "I just know we will.."
"You're it!" Cera cried as she tapped Littlefoot with her head.
"Hey! I wasn't ready" Littlefoot complained.
"Well,if you weren't standing there daydreaming,you would of been ready" Cera shot back.
"I was NOT daydreaming..I was just thinking.."
"Whats the difference? You were standing there going 'la di da di da'" Cera huffed making Ducky and Petrie giggle.
"Haha,very funny" Littlefoot glared "I was thinking about Nahla"
"Nahla?" Petrie asked confused "Who Nahla?"
"Some new girl,she acts really strange and I'm trying to figure out of she was hiding something..."
"Hiding something? Like what?" Ducky wondered outloud.
"I don't know..." Littlefoot admitted
"Like I said" Cera butted in "She is an outsider,and ALL outsiders are weird,they MAY be nice,but they'll still be weird"
Littlefoot shook his head "I don't think she is weird like that,it just the way she acted...was kinda weird"
"You do realize that makes no actual sense,don't you?" Cera grumbled "If she acts weird,then she is weird"
Littlefoot just shook his head again "I'm going to befriend her..maybe she was just weird because she is new in the valley and doesn't know anyone"
"If you say so" Cera said turning around "I've got to go home now,see yah's" she walked off nose in air in the distance the others could hear a voice calling "CERA!"
"Littlefoot?" Petrie flew onto the longneck's head "You sure you want to make friends with the outsider?"
"She is not an outsider,Petrie she is just new,we were all new once too remember?"
"Oh yeah..." Petrie said flatly "Me forgot that" he got off the longneck and hovered in the air.
Littlefoot wished he had a hand to face palm,honestly..some dinosaurs "Just because she is new here,does not mean we have to treat her like an outcast" he added to what he last said.
"So you will be her friend?" Ducky asked.
"Yeah,I will" he stood up seeing his parents in the distance "I'm going to go talk to my parents,maybe they know more about her" he ran off before he could hear his friends goodbyes.
"What is it with longnecks wanting be friends with other all the other longnecks?" wondered Petrie outloud.
Ducky shrugged "But we can not tell Littlefoot who to be friends with,and maybe he is right. Maybe Nahla is really nice,yep yep yep".
Spike nodded in agreement before turning his focus onto a fern bush.
"Petrie!"
"Ooh,that my mama. Me got to go" Petrie began to take off "Bye,Ducky and Spike" the small flyer croaked out and flew off.
"Hmm...now what?" the swimmer as the spike-tail.
Spike just made a confused sound in response.
Night had fallen,Nahla had be found shortly after her parents set out to find her. Tara was found with Shorty,both were talking about their birth homes,after a quick goodbye and a promise to meet up tomorrow they parted ways.\
"Hey,Tara" Nahla began asking with a teasing tone "Who is your new boyfriend?".
"He isn't my boyfriend" Tara said quickly "He is just a friend who happens to be a boy"
"So he is a boyfriend. If he is a friend and he is a boy..." Nahla said in usual attitude.
Tara shoved her sister playfully "Ha ha ha,you know very well I know just what you meant with 'boyfriend'" she chuckled "Girls can be friends with a boy without being in love with him you know,but if we can't and you're gonna be friends with Littlefoot-that means he is going to become your boyfriend..aww kissy kissy" she teased
Nahla huffed knowing her sister got her "I hate when you point things like that out" she muttered.
"I love it when I get to prove you wrong" Tara smiled "Did I tell you? Shorty is Littlefoot's big brother"
"He is?" Nahla asked "But..why do I need to know that?"
"Well you don't really,he isn't a mountain longneck" she noticed Nahla's confusion "He ain't blood related to the family,he is adopted..just thought you might want to know more about who is in Littlefoot's family"
"Ah...I just remembered something..."
"What?"
"Littlefoot is going to be visited tonight..."
Tara stared at her "So he finds out tonight? But we just got here!"
"I asked,Teetonka to see to it. It'll make things easier,I don't what him thinking I am a weirdo who speaks with the dead." a cheeky grin spread across her face "We can be weirdos who speak with the dead together,that is a great way to form a friendship is it not?"
Tara chuckled "I just hope he isn't too freaked out,no doubt Shorty will tell me about it tomorrow,shall I tell you want he tells me?"
Nahla nodded "Yeah,and I'll see if I can squeeze any info out of Littlefoot,and he doesn't do it I'll bash him in the head until he does"
"Nahla,did I ever tell you what a supportive friend you make?"
It was not long after Littlefoot fell asleep for the night,that he found himself in the same spot as Nahla did when she first met Teetonka. The exact same spot,the waterfall was louder then ever.
"Huh?" said a confused Littlefoot as he looked around "Where am I?" he stood up and walked on,soon reaching the same river Nahla crossed on her first visit here. He looked around and spotted the stone bridge,he walked across it still confused. Where was he? How did he get here? Where was his family? "HELLO?" he called "Anyone here?. No answer he looked to the ground for a brief moment before looking up and nearly screamed.
Standing before him was a longneck,but this longneck didn't seem right. His eyes and body glowed and had a ghost like presence about him.\
Littlefoot began backing up and terror,his not leaving this supernatural being of a longneck creature thing.
"Calm,Littlefoot" the longneck said.
"How..do you know my name? And who are you?" Littlefoot whispered in fear.
"My name is Ahote and I bought you here for a very important reason,you are from my family line,a direct descendant of the mountain longnecks"
"You mean,THE mountain longnecks?" Littlefoot asked.
"Yes,THE mountain longnecks" Ahote edged closer "It is your job to bring your family back to these mountains,and make the three a five once more. I made the mistake and you must fix it,your destiny had been laid the day you hatched,return our family to their real home,where our roots first began...this place" he nodded at the mountains around them.
"But if theres only three...and theres meant to be five...don't we need two families?" Littlefoot asked confused.
Ahote nodded "Yes,the second family already resides in the valley you call home,the young one they call Nahla-"
"NAHLA?!" Littlefoot interrupted
"Yes,she is the second one. She knows what her duty is,she has already been contacted quite a few times..." he paused "Oh,and she knows you're also a Mountain longneck. Thats why she was 'acting weird' when she met you"
Littlefoot looked to the ground "So she is not just a weird outsider?"
"No,you and her are pretty much the same. You both have same destiny to fulfill,you must work together"
"I'll try and work with her,I'm going to find her tomorrow and try and make friends...now I know the truth about me...and her...though it's going to be an awkward conversion..." Littlefoot snorted with laughter at the thought of the two randomly bursting into a conversion about the ghosts of their ancestors and how they must return to some mountain place.
"Don't worry about that for now" Ahote said like he had read Littlefoot's thoughts "Just focus on making friends with the girl,then you can start talking about the mountain return"
"Will we get along?" Littlefoot questioned.
"Well depends"
"Depends?" Littlefoot pressed on
"Depends on how much you can handle a girl with a big sarcastic attitude" Ahote chuckled "But,Teetonka-thats the ancestor Nahla speaks to,says she is quite nice,hardly ever serious but nice. I'm sure you'll get along with her just fine".
"I can handle some attitude" Littlefoot said "Unless she starts getting bossy"
"I think she is just sarcastic and loves to joke around,she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. You'll have great fun with her".
Littlefoot nodded "Right..."
"I know this is really strange to you but I could explain it best I could for now,you're beginning to wake up so our time is up,I'll speak with you again..then I'll take you back..back into the days the mountain longnecks were formed. Farewell Littlefoot,meet Nahla at the Thundering Falls tomorrow" with that said the longneck faded and Littlefoot found himself falling into darkness.
"AH!" Littlefoot jerked awake with a scream,he panted and looked around,he noticed his mother was standing over him looking concerned.
"Have a bad sleep story,little one?" she whispered nuzzling him.
Littlefoot nodded "Yeah..."
"Do you want to tell me about it?" his mother lay down next too him.
"No..I don't even remember most of it" Littlefoot lied "All I remember was the end..where I kept falling into nothingness...I'm fine,Mother"
"Well,try and get back to sleep. Sleep stoires can't affect you in the real world,they are all in your head" Jenna nuzzled him one last time before closing her eyes again.
"You'll be surprised,Mother.." Littlefoot said to himself "You'll be surprise how much this sleep story is going to affect not just me...but all of us..."