Pain Revirberating

In the Great Valley, an old longneck rested in the watering hole. Water from the thundering falls cascaded down, churning the water around in swirles. But even so, the old Longneck stood motionless. He stared down at the water, but didn't really see anything. His thoughts were elsewhere. As he stood here hest deep in the water all the could think about was his family, and all that had happened. His mate was dead, his daughter died long ago, and now his grandson had left. Everything he cared about was gone now. His heart ached and he shuddered. A tear fell from his eye and slashed, adding to the water below him.

"You seem to be taking all this rather well." Someone said.

He turned around and caught sight of the speaker. Another longneck, not quite his age, female. Dara. Doc's mate, whom he had left behind. "Good morning, Dara." Grandpa longneck addressed her, then turned back.

She stepped into the water and walked up nect to him. "I sympathize. I don't know exactly wht you feel, but it must be terrible."

Grandpa Longneck continue to stare at the ripples in the water. "I've lost everyting. I have nothing left to live for."

"Now don't say that. Littlefoot is still alive. He left the valley to keep you and everyone else here safe. You should be proud of him. He thinks of others always before himself. He's a brave boy. Plus he has Doc with him, so he'll be safe where ever he is." Dara stated. She dipped her head in the water, and pulled back, bringing a mouthful of water plants with her. She chewed on them for a few seconds just beore swallowing.

"I'm afraid I may never see him again. It's all over for me." Grandpa stepped out on shore, his head hung low as he walked towards the woods. Water fell off his great body.

Dara climbed out of the water after him. "It's not over. Doc will return with Littlefoot and when they do, you'll be amazed to see him. He'll be so grown up, big and strong. A longneck any grandparent would be proud of. And when they do, you'll know for a fact that Sharptooth will never cause problems for you or your family ever again."

"You sound so sure."

"I am sure. I know Doc, and he never lets anyone down. Trust me." Dara smiled, and started on her own way. As she walked away through the woods, she looked up to the sky, and the bright circle above. "DOn't make a liar of me, Doc."

7 years later...

A herd of traveling longnecks thundered across the plains. Their numbers ranging over forty strong, everything around them seemed to take notice. Their mighty legs, each as thick as tree trunks, pounded into the earth with a thundering boom. Mighty tails as long as theur necks swung from side to side. They seemed oblivious to everything around them.

A young female raised her head up higher than the rest and scouted the land. A small grove of trees to the west, a few solitary ones to the east next to a flowing river. Along the plains, small two-lagged dinosaurs scampered and jumped. Three Spike-tails drank from the river. She noticed nothing of importance.

"Ali, do you see anything?" Her mother called.

"Not much." She said back. In the years since she last visit the Great Valley, Ali had grown to almost 30 feet long and 15 feet tall at the shoulder.

"Alright, everyone." The Eldest of the herd said. She turned to face the mass of dinosaurs. "We'll head to the river and drink our fill before continuing." SHe changed direction, now moving to the river. The herd followd behind her.

Ali came up to the water, small waves splashing against her toes. She craned her head down to the cool surface and began to drink. Water rushed down her throat, cooling her from the inside. As she raised her head, shacking the water from her muzzle, she heard a loud roar. "RrrrrRRRRRAAAAOOOOORRRRrr!" It split the air and shook the leaves from the trees. The Spike-tails across the river paniced and started to run.

She turned to face the sound and saw a predator emerge from the grove of trees behind her. A large old sharptooth, deep green with one eye eld tightly shut. It stepped out of the shadows, sniffing the air and snarled. It faced tghe herd and roared again. Ali nudged her mother next to her. "Mom! Mom, look, a sharptooth!" Her mother rasied her head from the water and turned to face the predator.

Sharptooth stamped his feet against the ground. Slowly the herd began to turn and face him. The longnecks growled and a few raised to their hind legs and crashed back down, showing off their strength. Sharptooth didn't advance however. He waited. He watched as the shadows behind the trees on the far side of the river began to move, crouching closer to the distracted herd. The shadowy figure emerged from those trees and slinked into the river, quietly and quickly sinking beneath the water. Still the longnecks took no notice of this deep purple sharptooth. It swayed it tail back and forth in the water, propeling it forward and toward the unsuspecting prey.

Suddenly, the water exploded behind Ali and the herd. She turned to look and saw the huge jaws of another sharptooth close around the back of the longneck closest to her. She screamed in terror. The other longnecks paniced. As each saw the sharptooth behind them they took off running as fast as their legs could carry them. The purple sharptooth dragged his captive kicking and screaming into the river. The longneck trashed and screamed as the water around him turned red. Ali was unable to move, transfixed by the awful sight in front of her.

Another roar came from the green sharptooth as it began to charge. As the Elder Longneck tried to make her escape, Sharptooth collided with her, sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She cried out on agony, red blood squirting across the groung. Sharptooth yanked his jaws back, ripping a chunk of flesh away. The Old longneck hobbled away, blood pouring from the wound in her side. She didn't get far before she collasped from fatigue.

Ali finally found the strength in her legs to move. As she started to run, the purple sharptooth from the river raced after her. She looked over her shoulder, catching eyes with the predator. But as she did, her foot hooked on a rock and she tumbled to the ground. As the dust settled and she started to get back up, a powerful clawed foot slammed onto her back, forcing her back to the ground.

She looked up at the face of her attacker. The purple sharptooth. Saliva dripped from his beared teeth. But as she continued to look at him, she began to reognize him. Her voice caught in her throat as she spoke. "Chomper?"

The Sharptooth froze in surprise. He backed away, releasing his hold on her. "Ali?" He asked.

She got back to her feet and took off running as fast as she could. This time, Chomper did not follow. Instead, he turned around and walked back to the river. He stepped back into the water and grabbed the floating carcass of the other longnek. He dragged it back to shore next to the one killed by Sharptooth. "Why did you let that one go? You had her in your cluthces." Sharptooth scolded.

"I figured I already had food for today. I didn't need it."