Chapter: 14: An Uncomfortable Subject

The night before the last event in chapter 13.

It was a full moon tonight; silver moon light cast large shadows all across the Great Valley. All was quiet as many families were turning in for sleep. But Littlefoot was not asleep at the moment.

He was up and wide awake, although Ducky's younger siblings were already fast asleep beside the massive bulk of his Grandma. Ali was also up, she sat next to him, his Grandparents were both having a hushed conversation with Ali's mother but Littlefoot's mind was elsewhere. He had remembered what he had originally intended to do three days ago. He had been about question to Mr Swimmer about Ducky's whereabouts and he would have if Ducky, along with her mother, had not arrived at that very moment.

But after overhearing his Grandparents talk with Mr Swimmer, he was made even more curious about The Trial of Destiny but he had a very bad feeling in his stomach about it because of how the adults looked so grim about it and they usually knew what was going on.

Tonight, however Littlefoot had resolved to ask his Grandparents about The Trial of Destiny. Ali rubbed up close to Littlefoot's body as it was a cold night. Littlefoot looked distractedly off into the distance and largely ignored her. Ali could tell that something was troubling Littlefoot. She knew him too well to miss a hint; she could see it in his eyes, his troubled expression, his agitated body language and also by the fact that he had appeared to have forgotten that she was here. "Littlefoot?" asked Ali.

Littlefoot didn't respond so Ali pressed her muzzle against his neck. Littlefoot finally snapped out of his trance and gave an apologetic look to Ali. He rubbed up against Ali's body as if he had only now begun to feel the night's cold. The two friends sat together for a while looking up at the starlit sky, sharing each other's warmth and providing each other comfort. Finally Ali broke the silence between them.

"What's troubling you Littlefoot?" she asked plainly.

Littlefoot looked at her thoughtfully and asked her a question.
"What do you think is going on with Ducky?" he asked.

Ali was a little surprised at his question but it was evident to her that all the recent events involving Ducky had made Littlefoot feel a little worried.
She chose her answer with great consideration "I think that Ducky has a lot of troubles at the moment" she said slowly.

Littlefoot had a weary look on his face when he next spoke. "I'm worried about her. She looked so exhausted after she came home with her mother from the training and now we haven't seen her for the past three days. I've seen her mother looking for her. Something bad is going on and she's not telling us". Littlefoot spoke his last words in a deeply agitated voice.

Ali considered what Littlefoot had speculated. He was indeed right about how tired Ducky looked when she arrived home and now it appeared that she was missing. "Do you think that she is not telling us because she is worried about how we will act?" asked Ali.

Littlefoot looked at Ali. "I'm sure it has something to do with this Trial of Destiny" he said.

"I don't like the way the grown ups appeared all worried about it but we don't know what it is about, it might just be an Individual Trial" said Ali.

"I don't like the way that the grown-ups looked either and I think that this Trial is more then what it seems" said Littlefoot "so I'm going to find out".
Littlefoot raised himself and walked over to his Grandparents, closely followed by Ali.

"Grandpa, Grandma, can I talk to you for a moment?" asked Littlefoot in a polite voice. The two elder longnecks turned to their Grandson.

"Of course Littlefoot, what is it?" asked Grandpa.

Littlefoot took a breath and began his inquiries. "Do you know where Ducky is? We haven't seen her for three days".

Grandma and Grandpa both exchanged worried looks. Littlefoot had thought this would be the case so he started off with a subject that they would not find too awkward. Grandma was the next to speak "We don't know dear, Ducky has been training with her mother somewhere out of sight" said Grandma half truthfully.

Littlefoot was not at all convinced that his Grandma was telling the whole truth. "Why are the Swimmer children sleeping with us then?" he asked. His Grandparents both wore nervous expressions. He was evidently sticking his nose into an uncomfortable subject.

"Mr Swimmer asked if they could stay around for a little while because their family is busy at the moment" said Grandpa.

Littlefoot decided that he had better ask what he was going to ask before the conversation got any more awkward. "We didn't mean to eavesdrop. We just wanted to know where Ducky was".

Both his Grandparents now wore shocked and alarmed expressions. "How much of that did you hear?" asked Grandma nervously.

"I would like to know" said Littlefoot "what is The Trial of Destiny?". The elder longnecks both let out shocked gasps. "We know Ducky's going to take this Trial and we were wondering what it was" asked Littlefoot.

Littlefoot watched as his Grandparents exchanged anxious looks. He wondered if he had gone to far but then he saw his Grandma give one long, slow nod to Grandpa. They were going to tell him. "Well Littlefoot, Ali" said Grandpa " The Trial of Destiny is..."

Littlefoot and Ali walked slowly towards their usual meeting place outside the Secret Caverns. They were both awfully tired having hardly slept at all after Littlefoot's Grandparent's had told them about The Trial of Destiny. They were horrified when they heard that Ducky would probably not survive the Trial. They had also been informed about the Swimmer family's predicament and it shocked them when they heard what Sculra was like.

The two friends had laid close to each other that night. They nuzzled each other and entwined their tails, in an attempt to provide some comfort to each other. Ali was in tears after that meeting and Littlefoot hardly kept his in. He was reminded once again of the loss of his mother and now he was in a position where he had to watch one of his friends fight for her life in a Trial that would more than likely kill her. It was too much for Littlefoot. He nuzzled Ali in an attempt to calm her; she nuzzled him back. The night had suddenly felt much colder.

"Oh Littlefoot why her? Why Ducky?" cried Ali.

Littlefoot nuzzled his friend "I don't know" he said mournfully " but what I do know is that we will help her when she comes back" said Littlefoot with resolve. Ali agreed, she nodded to Littlefoot's statement. They would be there to help Ducky.

The two Longneck's arrived at the Secret Caverns. Everyone else was waiting for them apart from Chomper and Ducky. Littlefoot noticed this. "Hey, where's Chomper?" he asked.

Ruby stepped forward. "He was with me yesterday in his cave. But then Ducky's mom came in and asked Chomper to help find Ducky". Ruby looked very concerned "She said that Ducky was in danger, in danger Ducky was in. Chomper then left to look for Ducky with her mother".

Littlefoot and Ali exchanged a dark look with each other.

"What's with you two today?" asked Cera "you look like you both have had a tough night, but I know that look Littlefoot. You always carry it when your worried so would you please tell us what happened last night?" asked Cera, who was unusually sharp today.

"Hi Guy's!" said a familiar voice.

The six friends turned to see Chomper arrive. He was wearing a blank expression on his face. Ruby ran forward and anxiously asked if he had found Ducky. Everyone else crowded around Chomper and eagerly awaited his report.

"I found her alright" said Chomper grimly. The was a collective sigh of relieve from his friends but Chomper wasn't finished yet. "In the Mysterious Beyond" he finished. He looked up at his friends to see there mouths wide open in shock.

"Ducky go to...Mysterious...B...B...Beyond?" stutted Petrie in fear.

"Why would she do that" asked Cera in a startled voice. Cera looked at Spike, he had been wearing a look of horror on his face ever since he heard that Ducky had run into the Mysterious Beyond.

Chomper looked slightly hesitant at Cera's query "I overheard Ducky talk with her mom and she said that no one had ever survived the Trial of Destiny.

There were worried looks around the circle except from Littlefoot and Ali.

Littlefoot spoke next "Ali and I asked my Grandparents what the Trial was last night and what Chomper says about no one ever surviving the Trial is true and..." he said slowly. Ali began to sob.

Cera guessed what Littlefoot had to say "and Ducky is going to do the Trial isn't she?". Littlefoot nodded. A long silence descended on the circle of friends and for a long time no one said anything as they all tried to absorb the shock of this news. Ali was sobbing quietly, Littlefoot nuzzled her. Spike was now breathing hard and fast. To hear that his beloved sister would soon be dead hit him like an earth shake. Spike trembled on his legs, the shock was way to much for him, he fell to the ground and blacked out.

Cera and Chomper both stood rooted to the ground as if they had been paralysed as they tried to digest the news. Ruby was almost inconsolable. She was trembling from head to foot. Ducky had always been a dear friend to her, she had welcomed Ruby in with open arms and was always there when she needed her. Petrie who had been hovering above his friends heads fell onto Cera's back when he heard the news, tears started to fall down his cheeks.

"We c...c...can't let Ducky do this" said Petrie his voice was filled with the fear that the others all felt.

"We have to save her, save her we must" said Ruby in an uncharacteristically small voice. She went over to the stream and sipped some water, then she took a tree star full of water and dumped the it over Spike's head, which brought him back to consciousness. Spike whimpered quietly.

The others all turned to Ruby, they all thought the same thing. But how could they do this? Littlefoot cleared his throat and relayed to his friends what his Grandparents had said to him last night. When he finished everyone had there mouths open again.

"So..." said Cera "It's all this Sculra's fault". Cera's breathing became hard and fast. The six friends knew what was coming and hastily backed away from Cera. "This so called Swimmer is sending Ducky to her death BECAUSE SHE CAN!" Cera yelled out the last part, she then stood back on her hind legs and gave a roar of fury.

After that Cera quietened down but her temper was still past the boiling point. She charged it a large rock on the edge of the clearing. She smashed into it with full force and the rock shattered. Cera stood there panting, her face was contorted with rage. Littlefoot and the others approached cautiously as Cera was still angry. But what happened next was both surprising and alarming.

Cera dropped to the ground and gave a few chocked sobs, evidently she was still trying to be tough but now that she was faced in losing one of the friendliest and caring dinosaurs she knew, the emotional flood gates finally opened and overwhelmed Cera with grief.

The friends stood beside her Ali, Petrie, Spike and Ruby were also sobbing. While Littlefoot and Chomper had pained expressions on their faces. They were hardly maintaining control over themselves. The situation was just so unprecedented and horrifying.

Littlefoot finally found a voice. "I understand why Ducky didn't want us to know, but she still should have told us. We could help her" said Littlefoot "I don't think any of her brothers and sisters know either. They all brought the grow-ups cover story as did we" Littlefoot said in a regretful tone.

"But now" said Littlefoot "I know what we must do". The others looked at him hopefully. "We will inform Ducky's siblings, they at least have a right to know of the danger that Ducky is in...Then we will go to Ducky and do what we've always done". Littlefoot straightened himself out and rose to his full height. "We will help her survive the Trial".

"Yes" said everyone in the circle vigorously, their hearts filled with new hope as they set off to the aid of their dear friend.