-v-

Chapter 19: Growing apart

Biter tilted his head as the Petrie echoed his final verse.

As me and she fly away,

we took no head of the fading day,

But as twilight turned to night,

The pack's problems began to take flight

He is talking about our mommies and daddies! Biter deduced, as the pack was finally referenced after a long fixation on the two flyers. He had been interested in Petrie's and Soar's story, but for obvious reasons the tale of his parents interested him more. What happened to all of them?

He spared a glance at his father as he thought his curious thoughts. Littlefoot was looking at Ruby knowingly as they seemed to carry on a conversation with their eyes. The slight tinge of embarrassment on Littlefoot's face, and the supportive look of Ruby made a chill go up the youngling's spine. He remembered the adults singing about the possibility of the pack splitting up, but the significance of his father's response was uncertain to him. Was he the one that caused the splitting of the ways? Part of him wanted to ask his parents what happened, but a slight pinch caught his attention before he could say anything.

Swipe's face greeted his, but there was none of the usual playfulness in her expression. Instead she simply gave a friendly shake of the head which communicated her message clearly.

Let mommy and daddy tell us in the song.

Biter paused and briefly considered responding in kind to his sister, but he soon thought better of it. She was right, of course. The rest of the song would soon be sung, and their questions would undoubtedly be answered.

"Alright, children, I think that we might want to leave it there for tonight."

Before he realized what he was doing, Biter could feel the whine escape his throat at his father's announcement. His whine was barely heard, however, over the combined protests of the rest of the assembled children. Even Sauria's loud 'boo' could be heard in the cascade of dissents. It was enough to make Ducky laugh openly.

"Don't worry, children! We will finish tomorrow, yep, yep, yep! But all of you will need to get some sleep before then."

Spike nodded, "We will have another long day of travel. You might even be too tired to stay up to hear the rest of the songs..."

A chorus of protests arose from the children as Spike smiled widely in Taunt's direction. Spike knew how to get the children into a frenzy, and Taunt nodded at his handiwork. This then caused all of the adults to stare in Littlefoot's direction as he feigned annoyance, but he eyes gave away his insincerity.

After all, the best way to get the children to agree to something is to make them think that they have won...

"All right, we can do one more song tonight, but then it will be time for sleep. No exceptions!"

The children cheered in agreement as Littlefoot looked over at the other parents with amusement and a wink. Their little conspiracy had worked. Then, after a long stretch for his legs, he positioned himself in the center of the circle.

"Alright, Taunt, I think it is time for us to tell our tale. Tonight, children, you will hear how the pack parted ways."

Biter watched in transfixed silence as Taunt joined his father in the circle, and gave a quick bow that was quickly reciprocated. It was one of the most important gestures that a sharptooth knew by instinct. The gesture that let everyone know that what followed was an act, or play. The sort of gesture that one would only do prior to sparring or demonstrating a dangerous attack. Its offering by both adults before the song indicated the severity of what was about to not only be sung, but also acted out, in front of the children. It was enough to seriously worry both Biter and several of Taunt's children.

"Dad?" Biter asked in confusion.

"Daddy?" Pouncer offered with great concern.

Littlefoot turned towards the children and gave them a calming smile. Taunt, for his part, addressed their concerns.

"Many things were done in those days that none of us are proud of. Friends attacked friends," gasps erupted from several of the children, "and a darkness descended over us that we had not seen except in hunger madness."

Littlefoot nodded, "We have long since made peace with what happened, and asked for forgiveness from those we have hurt, but the emotions are still raw, children." his face took on a stern expression, "So I ask all of you to promise us that you will not be angry at your friends' parents, or taunt your friends about what happened back then... it is all in the past."

The children mutely nodded, Littlefoot and Taunt's explanation having scared them more than it reassured them. Now they truly had an indication of what happened during those dark times. And it wasn't good.

Littlefoot took a deep breath upon seeing the stunned agreement of the children, "We will now sing to you the Song of the Parting of Ways."

Several years ago:

"I could have taken the swimmer!"

"And leave the pack's flank exposed?"

"You don't need to make all of the kills, Seeker. The rest of us are quite capable..."

Littlefoot shivered at the memory of the day's hunt. They had managed to bring down the swimmer, but Taunt had taken it as a personal affront that Littlefoot had called him off and made the kill. Deep inside Littlefoot wanted to diffuse the situation. He knew that in his desire to protect the rest of the pack he was being a bit too zealous in his efforts. However, in that moment, his instincts got the best of him.

"Says the sharptooth who left his packmates exposed..."

Taunt froze as those words left his leader's mouth. Everyone else stopped as well at Littlefoot's utterance. It was nearly unheard of for him to openly insult another packmate in a non-jocular way. In the seconds that passed Cera carefully positioned herself beside her mate in a show of support, while Ruby did the same behind Littlefoot. The others stayed where they were, as if they had no idea where to go.

"What did you say to me?"

Taunt raised his head defiantly at Littlefoot's insult, not moving from his position. It was a challenge.

Littlefoot hesitated at Taunt's open defiance. He had spoken without thinking, and his instinct-crazed mind had made the situation infinitely worse. However in that instant he didn't dare consider the possibility of apologizing or backing down. He was the leader, and Taunt was showing him up in front of his mate! He would not yield here.

"You heard what I said."

The words were cold and emotionless. The utter lack of affect even surprised Ruby who let out a small squeak behind her mate. Meanwhile, Cera was uncharacteristically standing behind her mate and said nothing. Had any of them been thinking rationally then they would have tried to stop the situation or talked sense into the participants, but everyone remained silent.

Only the two fastbiters growling broke the silence.

Without considering what his actions meant, Littlefoot clinched his claws and placed his full weight on his back legs. He would not permit a challenger to stand unopposed! He was the leader! His challenger would either yield or fall.

"Hey, guys, what is going on?"

Littlefoot jerked at the sudden bellow across the territory. A small part of his mind told him that the voice belonged to Chomper but in that moment it screamed 'bigger sharptooth!'. He knew that this challenge would have to wait for another day.

"Guys!"

The purple sharptooth could be heard running as the ground shook with the reverberations of his footsteps. This was what finally motivated Taunt to speak.

"We will settle this tomorrow."

Littlefoot glared at Taunt, "I will meet you tooth and claw any day."

Both fastbiters turned around without a sound as their mates followed them wordlessly. In their wake the rest of the pack could only watch as their packmates went to their respective sleeping areas. It was in this state that Chomper found the dead swimmer and the rest of the pack.

"What in the name of sanity is going on?!"

"Dear?"

Littlefoot jerked violently as his mate called for him. This caused her to shrink back into their sleeping area, which was now more of a nest than anything else. The submissiveness of her actions were completely unlike her some part of his mind confided in him, but a deeper part told him that this was the way of things when eggs were coming.

I am expendable; she is not. I must protect our position.

"Yes, dear?" he attempted to put on his bravest face as he faced her, but his eyes could not hide his agitation. Nor, for that matter, could his trembling claws.

Ruby paused for a moment before she took a few steps out of the nest. Her demeanor changed in those few moments, his mind noted, as something seemed to harden in her demeanor even as her eyes remained as sympathetic as ever.

"How are you holding up, dear?"

Littlefoot clinched his clawed hand, "As well as can be expected. I never expected to be challenged... especially not by one of my friends."

Ruby nodded as she nuzzled his side, "Surely there is some way out of this?"

The brown fastbiter shook his head as he looked at the vines that he had prepared earlier. They were laid out with great precision. A reminder of what he would face the next day. Only now they would not be protecting him from the enemy, but from a threat much closer to home.

"I... don't think so, Ponder. Not unless Taunt sees reason and backs down."

He fell silent after those words and looked at the vines once more. These were nearly a month old now, and were ready to be replaced with a newer batch. He could see the signs of wear and tear on their surface... the ripping at the edges from constant use... and even a familiar set of claw marks on the vines for his neck.

Taunt's claw marks.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday. He had been sparring with several of the other members of the pack, a regular occurrence for all of them. Ever since the Battle for the Valley they resolved to always remain in top physical form, and with robust vines covering their bodies the risk of injury was greatly reduced. It was this security, however, that allowed Littlefoot to get too cocky. It was then that he learned another lesson in humility.

"Come on, Taunt! I know spiketails that are faster than you!"

Littlefoot smiled as his little insult had the desired effect. Taunt lunged forward and attempted to slash at Littlefoot's neck, but he easily dodged to the right and retaliated with a slash to Taunt's retreating arms. He was able to make a glancing blow against the vines on Taunt's arm.

"Arm strike! Keep fighting!"

Littlefoot grimaced at the announcement from Petrie. In order to prevent injuries the pack had decided to only fight until a 'lethal' blow was delivered. After all, that was what it would take to win a battle.

The two fastbiters began to circle one another as each looked for an opening. The distant forms of their friends were ignored as each predator only focused on their counterpart.

"Come on, dung-for-brains! Are you going to chase your tail all day?!"

Littlefoot glared at Taunt. Even though this was only practice, the petty insults each threw at one another were quite effective at eliciting rage. Here in the meeting circle they agreed that there would be no limits to the vitriol in their threats and insults, as in a battle they would have to remain calm no matter the instigation.

However it seemed that no one was better at finding the right words than Taunt.

"Are you this slow when you are with your mate at night?"

Boiling hot rage descended upon Littlefoot at Taunt's accusation. For reasons that would remain a mystery to him for quite some time, Taunt's words against his prowess as a male fastbiter made something snap inside of him. The result was instantaneous.

Roar!

With a massive burst of energy from his legs, Littlefoot propelled himself forward and slashed blindly at Taunt's head. In the resulting blur, Littlefoot could not see how the other fastbiter had evaded him, but he could see that he now had his back turned and was preparing to flee. The predatory part of his mind knew that this was the right time to strike. Without thinking of anything else Littlefoot leapt into the air, his aim squarely at Taunt's back.

Slash!

"Stop fighting!"

"Oh no! Seeker are you alright?!"

It took several moments for Littlefoot to realize what happened. He had been in mid-leap for Taunt's vine-covered back when the sudden appearance of an orange tail and a flash of claws entered his vision. Then there was only the brown hues of dirt.

His thoughts were confused, 'Taunt tricked me?'

"Hey, Seeker, are you alright?"

Littlefoot looked up as Taunt looked down upon him with concern. His face was joined by Ruby's and Ducky's as Cera carefully examined his neck.

"That was too close, dear!" Cera reprimanded her mate, "You nearly cut the vines all of the way through!"

"I didn't exactly give him much of a chance, Stern Claw..." Cera shifted her gaze to Littlefoot as he began speaking, "...not unless he wanted a chunk out of his back..."

Relieved to see that her mate was relatively uninjured, Ruby pushed through the others and gave Litlefoot a light nuzzle. Her offer of a helping hand was readily accepted as Littlefoot rose to his feet once more. Now he could see the rest of the pack and their relieved expressions. However, it was the look of one fastbiter in particular that surprised him.

Taunt's eyes were wide with worry, as his head was downcast with a look of shame. His tail drooped and his scent radiated misgivings for his actions. It was only then that Littlefoot realized how much his actions had affected the fastbiter. Taunt had no choice but to defend himself or risk injury, but yet he still regretted striking his friend.

Taunt jerked as Littlefoot patted him on the shoulder.

"I think that you won that round, Taunt."

Taunt hesitated, "Seeker... I'm..."

Littlefoot waved him off, "No one can fault you for defending yourself," then seeing that he still looked penitent he continued, "I'm just glad that you are on my side!"

It was only then that Taunt laughed with his characteristic humor. Regardless of their respective flaws, Taunt and Littlefoot were good friends and packmates. Nothing would ever change that.

Littlefoot gulped as the intruding memory faded from his consciousness. He had no idea that his overreaction to Taunt's insult was the beginning of something more serious, nor did any of them see the signs of heightened emotion. The change in his perspective and behavior was now too much for Littlefoot to ignore as Thud's cautionary words echoed in his head. Worse yet, his most recent words to Taunt only confirmed how far he had come from the friendly, forgiving leader that he was a mere month ago.

"I will meet you tooth and claw any day."

Littlefoot shuddered at the memory of his words. It was exactly the sort of threat that Calin would have made to his underlings. What was he becoming?

"What have I done?"

He closed his eyes as the slow breathing of his mate beside him made his body shudder. Ruby's loyalty during this time was the only thing that prevented him from breaking down completely. It was an almost unthinking loyalty, some part of his mind cautioned. The kind of loyalty that only existed between mates and the closest of friends.

Like the one that he just challenged.

"If you hadn't held your ground, then he might have taken yours. If he had taken yours then you wouldn't be leader anymore."

Littlefoot sighed at Ruby's words, "But at what cost, Ponder? Taunt is my friend!"

Ruby broke away from him and looked him up and down with a fatigued expression, "He is my friend too, but I am more concerned about you, dear. You were right not to back down, but you need to stop this before it goes too far."

Littlefoot nodded, "Taunt might get hurt."

Ruby glared at him, "You might get hurt. That is what I am concerned about!"

Littlefoot smiled at her with confidence that did not reach his eyes.

"I will be alright, dear. I have thought of a way to get out of this honorably... I just hope that that smug bastard is smart enough to understand what I am doing."

Ruby didn't bother to confirm the identity of whom Littlefoot was speaking, "...and if he isn't?"

Littlefoot frowned as his eyes turned cold, "If he wants to learn his lesson the hard way then so be it."

Ruby closed her eyes and shook her head sadly as her mate embraced her once more. She could only hope that the coming night would not be the last time that she felt that embrace.

"Just who does he think he is?!"

Taunt slashed the tree with unrestrained fury as splinters of bark flew from its surface like flyers from a cliff. He had struggled for many moments to control his rage, but nothing seemed to work. He had been talked down to by his own leader, and the loss of face infuriated him on an almost primal level. The reason for his extreme reaction, or the retort from Littlefoot did not matter to him in this moment of passion. All that mattered was the restoration of his position.

My children will not have a coward for a father!

Behind him Cera's concerned form watched his battle with the tree in silent contemplation. She knew that it would be useless to try to talk him down in his current state, nor to convince him that his anger was misplaced. She too had felt the burning anger at having her mate so easily dismissed, but unlike Taunt she had noticed the hesitation. Littlefoot knew he had gone too far, but could not bring himself to retract his words. Not in the face of outright opposition to his authority.

She sighed as the sounds of slashing ended and her mate's heavy breathing took its place. She could see that though his energy had been dissipated, his anger had not. The fury in his eyes still radiated out into the fading sunlight.

"He hesitated, you know."

Taunt turned from his position in front of the tree at his mate's sudden statement. Confusion clouded his eyes for a moment, which gave him an almost crazed look, before they were again overtaken by his anger.

"That won't serve him well when he faces me then. A slow fastbiter is a dead fastbiter."

Cera frowned. She scraped her hind leg on the ground as if she were making a scrape to rest in, but then promptly sat down in front of where she had been standing. She knew her mate well enough to understand when he was speaking reasonably or not.

"Do you plan on making him a dead fastbiter?"

The momentary look of shock on Taunt's face was enough confirmation for her that some part of him realized how insane this situation was. For that reason she ignored his next statement.

"He said that he would meet me tooth and claw any day! If he dies then he will have no one to blame but himself!"

He promptly faced the tree again and took on a fighting stance as if he were going to slash some more bark off of its face. However, he did not move in on his fictional opponent, but merely glared at it as if it were the most obscene thing in the world. Some part of Cera mused that this was the perfect analogy for their current situation. Waiting for a stupid battle that was started for stupid reasons by two males who could act very stupid when it suited them.

When she clasped her hand on his shoulder he nearly yelped in surprise.

"You didn't say 'yes' to my question."

Taunt frowned and groaned in annoyance, "I didn't say 'no' either."

Cera nodded as Taunt finally faced her again, "No, but I know you, dear. You want to knock some sense into him... heck, I want to do that too... but you don't want to murder your friend," she frowned at him, "You are not that kind of fastbiter."

Taunt held his gaze for only a few seconds before looking away and giving a heavy sigh.

"No... No I am not, but I might have to be after tomorrow. I can't just back down, Stern Claw! I just can't! You deserve better than that and so do our children!"

Cera fell silent upon that outburst. She knew quite well that was the crux of the problem, but she had to force Taunt to admit it.

"Damn it, Dad, why did you have to be right about the Time of Mating?"

Cera sighed as she sat beside her mate and joined him in watching the falling of the Bright Circle. The sounds of distant flyers and the bellows of unseen leaf-eaters gave the fading day a sense of normalcy that was terribly out of place on this day of uncontrolled passions. Cera could only muse on its meaning. Was it the calm before the storm, or a sign of calmer days ahead?

"If you want to back down, dear, I won't think any less of you."

Taunt turned towards his mate with an almost insulted expression, before calming slightly when he saw her concerned face.

"I will not back down, Stern Claw. This must be."

Cera sighed as she watched the pink hues of the setting Bright Circle fill the cloudless sky. She was not always the most introspective dinosaur, but she knew her mate well. What he needed was a change of perspective. Her perspective, to be more precise.

"I used to be a threehorn, Taunt. I was taught by my father to never back down from a fight, and to fight until you couldn't carry on anymore. I was taught to never show weakness, because it was only by acting strong that the herd was motivated to stay strong. And I followed those words without question until I was five Cold Times old, and do you know who taught me to back down every once in a while?"

Taunt remained silent, but reluctantly nodded for her to continue.

"Seeker was even more annoying as a longneck, if you can believe it. He kept on insisting that he knew the right way to the valley because his mother told him before she died. Well finally after being chased by sharpteeth, having no food or water, and dealing with his smug face the whole damn trip I finally snapped."

Taunt blinked, his anger having been pushed aside by his curiosity. He had not heard this part of the story before, "What happened?"

"I insulted his dead mother." Taunt stared wide-eyed at her, "He demanded an apology. From me. A threehorn. It was that fight that led the gang to split up."

Taunt licked his teeth nervously before he spoke with a disbelieving voice, "You guys split up?"

Cera nodded. "Yep, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The others decided on following my lead, whereas Seeker went on his own. Thank goodness he came back for us after he found the valley otherwise we all would have been dead," she looked at him with an almost sheepish expression, "There is a reason that I let him be the leader in our little adventures."

Taunt looked down for several moments as he drooped his shoulders in a look of defeat.

"If you think it is best for the pack that I back down, Stern Claw..." he clinched his claws tightly as he grinded his teeth, "Then I will back down. I will do it for you..."

Cera interrupted, "Taunt..."

"But don't think that I will forget his insult. If I back down then I will never be able to look at the others again."

Cera growled, "I am not asking you to back down!" Taunt tilted his head in confusion at that clarification, which made Cera sigh, "I am asking you to give him a chance to make amends. Just like I did after we got to the valley. If a young arrogant threehorn could admit to a longneck that she was wrong, then I know that Seeker can do the same. You just have to give him a chance. He is our friend, Taunt. Even if he may not seem like it right now."

Taunt was silent for several moments as he processed his mate's words. The anger was still there. The idea that another male would try to insult him in front of his mate was outrageous to the extreme in his eyes. But I did force the matter with my challenge. A leader can't stand down from that and still be leader...

"I really screwed things up, didn't I?"

Cera nuzzled Taunt's neck as she growled softly, "Yes, you did. But not as much as Seeker. Just promise me one thing, dear."

Taunt nodded his head, "Anything, you name it."

Cera closed her eyes, "Just promise me that you will get back to me in one piece."

Taunt didn't blink, "I promise."

The two fastbiters then embraced as the Night Circle took watch over the skies. Its pale light illuminating the pack's entire territory as day became but a distant memory. Neither of the two would-be combatants knew of the meeting that had just ended by the stream.

Its consequences would be felt for seasons to come.

The next day:

Ruby was awakened by a sudden touch on her shoulder.

"It's time, dear."

The rose-colored fastbiter's eyes opened with glassy incomprehension before finally settling in grim realization. The Bright Circle was high in the sky and the sound of singing flyers could be heard. Above her, her mate wore an oddly emotionless expression as vines covered his arms and chest. Protection from what was about to come.

"Seeker..."

She did not push back when Littlefoot suddenly embraced her. It took everything that she could muster to avoid shaking with fear in anticipation of what awaited him. But she knew that he needed her to be strong at that moment. He would have enough doubts without her adding to his inner struggles. It was only when he broke away that he finally spoke again.

"I hope... that he realizes what I am doing."

Ruby tried to put on a brave face, but her eyes betrayed her uncertainty, "I'm sure that he will, dear. Just... be prepared in the event that he does not."

The brown fastbiter nodded grimly, "If it comes to that then I will be ready."

Roar!

Littlefoot closed his eyes as the echo of the roar seemed to vibrate through his bones. That was the alert call, and he knew what was coming next.

Roar!

"Well, I suppose that I shouldn't keep him waiting," he gave Ruby a sad smile, "It is time to end this."

With a sad sigh Ruby nodded at her mate's words. Littlefoot and Taunt had placed themselves in an impossible situation where neither could back down and still save face. Now it had come to this. Thud's words had never seemed more prophetic.

If we had just split up like he recommended then we wouldn't be in this place... Her mind reluctantly acknowledged the truth, He didn't want to appear weak in front of me, and Taunt did not want to appear weak in front of Stern Claw... We really messed up!

With solemn silence the two fastbiters walked the short distance between their sleeping area, and the pack's usual meeting area. It did not take long for the distinct forms of the other packmates to appear in the distance, while Chomper was nowhere to be seen. The fact that Cera and Taunt were positioned side-by-side only heightened the tension in the waiting group. Each of the others stood by their mates, neither looking directly at the two competitors. Only Taunt's yellow eyes greeted his with their cold, unreadable gaze.

Littlefoot willed his body into remaining calm as he approached the meeting circle with his head held high. He slowly looked at the other packmates in order to assess the situation. The obvious glare from Taunt and Cera standing by his side was not unexpected, but the apathetic expression of the others surprised him. It was as if they had already made up their minds about something.

Littlefoot frowned. He... or Taunt... would have to deal with that later. Now he had a challenge to attend to.

Littlefoot shifted his gaze once more at Taunt's blazing yellow eyes. They were as unreadable as ever, though Taunt's scent communicated nervousness. Welcome to the club, Taunt.

"You are here to challenge me then?"

Littlefoot was careful to keep his voice neutral despite his instincts telling him to rip Taunt limb by limb. He now fully realized what was going on, and what he needed to keep under control.

"I am... unless you admit your fault."

Littlefoot blinked at this. This was not the same obstinence that he had experienced the day before. They were ready to go to blows before Chomper had intervened. He resisted the urge to visibly relax at this fortuitous change, but his hopes were raised nonetheless.

"To admit fault during a challenge is to admit defeat," Littlefoot intoned cautiously, "Are you demanding that I step down?"

Taunt's tail twitched several times as Cera visibly tensed. However, Taunt's words were controlled even though they were a bit terse.

"I am demanding an apology. That is what I demand."

Littlefoot could see the other packmates shift uncomfortably in the background as mutterings could begin to be heard. Some part of his mind noted that it was an odd reaction, but he forced his attention squarely on the subject at hand. Taunt had given him an opening, so it was only right for him to do the same. He tried to hide his nervousness as his tail gave a slight tremor. If Taunt failed to take what he was about to propose then he had little hope of resolving the issue peacefully.

"If you step away from your challenge then I will step away from my words."

There it was. The only peace offering that Littlefoot could make without stepping aside as a matter of tradition. An offer to return back to the status quo, and a way to apologize for his mistakes. He knew that to offer an apology even after a challenge was withdrawn would be seen as weakness in many packs. A possible grounds for further challengers. However, he knew his packmates. If this unfortunate matter was put aside then they would welcome it with open arms.

The mutterings among his packmates stopped as the reverberations of Chomper's footsteps could be heard in the background. The others seemed to hold their breath waiting for Taunt's response. Would he accept this offer or would he force Littlefoot's hand?

Taunt resisted the urge to shift uneasily as Littlefoot's stern form stared at him with an unblinking expression. He met his counterpart's expression with a stoic glare of his own. The words from his pack leader still echoing in his mind.

"If you step away from your challenge then I will step away from my words."

He took a shaky breath as he considered what Littlefoot was offering him. He would not allow Taunt to best him in the challenge, but he would renounce his hurtful words from the day before. Part of him demanded that he fight this to its conclusion. That he not give Littlefoot any way to save face. That he show his dominance here and now.

No... That is instinct talking... I have to be strong here. He is my friend!

He took another breath as he stepped forward towards Littlefoot's position. He could see his friend tense up as he prepared for any eventuality, but Littlefoot refused to leave his place. The pack leader refused to resort to violence, but yet he refused to show any weakness either.

Neither will I.

"Very well, Seeker."

The sound of exhaling could be heard from the assembled fastbiters as the realization of what happened registered in their minds. Littlefoot relaxed slightly as well as his tail sagged in a mixture of fatigue and relief. It was only when Taunt saw this that he averted his eyes and calmed his racing heart. It was over.

Roar!

Taunt froze at the sudden deafening percussion. Littlefoot also froze in confusion as he spared Taunt a surprised look. It was an expression that Taunt returned before he turned towards the source of the sudden roar.

Chomper.

"I am pleased that you two have made up, but this cannot continue."

Taunt tilted his head at Chomper's imperious tone. It was not a statement of opinion that Chomper was offering, but rather a direct order. It was only then that he noticed the positions of the others.

They were standing in front of Chomper. A show of solidarity. Taunt's mind couldn't wrap itself around the meaning of this, but Littlefoot knew right away.

"You're challenging me, Path?"

Taunt looked at his friend, which had mere moments before been his adversary. The sound of betrayal in his voice made something rise in Taunt's throat. The loyalty that he had nearly betrayed the previous day had now returned in full force. He did not consider the meaning of this sudden change in feeling, but Chomper was all too aware of its meaning.

"Even now Taunt stands beside you protectively, Seeker. He was ready to attack you yesterday. What does that tell you?"

Taunt stepped back as if he had been struck. Littlefoot's response was immediate and harsh.

"I will ask again: are you challenging me?"

Now Taunt could see what Chomper was getting at. Littlefoot had just made a magnanimous offering of peace to Taunt moments before, but now he was as obstinate as Taunt was the previous day. His concern began to change to horror.

Chomper snorted, "Listen to yourself, Seeker! You sound just like you did yesterday. At this rate how many of your friends you will attack before Ponder lays her eggs?"

"This has to stop! I don't want to see anyone hurt. No, no, no!"

It was only now that Littlefoot looked at the assembled pack in front of Chomper and considered its significance. Ducky was the first fastbiter to say anything beside Littlefoot and Taunt. But she was not the last.

"I can feel anger when I am by Finder, even though he is my friend and Haven's brother. What could happen if one of us goes to blows?" Leap offered, "How would I explain myself to my mate?"

"And it's getting worse!" Spike exclaimed uncharacteristically, "How bad is it going to get?"

Littlefoot was seething, "Have all of you turned against me?"

Taunt looked helplessly at Chomper. He could not imagine what the situation seemed like from Littlefoot's perspective. For Taunt this was merely the confirmation of what needed to be done, but for Littlefoot it was nothing less than a coup.

"Littlefoot..."

Littlefoot merely glared at Taunt's use of his leaf-eater name as the brown fastbiter advanced towards Chomper. It was only now that Cera dared move into the meeting circle and whisper in her mate's ear.

"We need to stop this!"

Taunt sighed and whispered back, "What can we do? Path is right you know."

Littlefoot did not hear the hushed conversation behind him as his attention was directed firmly on the purple sharptooth that lay before him. Eventually he stopped and addressed him directly.

"How can you do this, Path?! And all of you! Haven... Leap... Finder..." He was nearly hysterical, "Have I not been a good leader?"

Ruby advanced to his side, "Dear..."

Littlefoot looked down as the reality of the situation became apparent to him.

"Dear... it's over."

Taunt sucked in a breath at the events playing out in front of him. It seemed that the rest of the pack wanted to avoid a bloodbath, and they had called upon the only dinosaur that they knew who could bring the fastbiters under control.

"I am now the pack leader!" Chomper exclaimed loudly. The resulting silence made a shiver go up Taunt's spine. Not a single sign of protest emanated from the pack. "And I will be until all of you are fit to be a pack again!"

Taunt closed his eyes. He knew what was coming.

"You are my friend, Seeker, even if you don't think so right now. It is time to do what is best for the pack, and deep down you know what that means right now." Littlefoot did not stir as he continued to look down at the ground below him. Chomper merely shook his head and continued, "Go to your territories, lay your eggs, and care for your children. The Bright Circle will rise over the pack again one day, but it will not for some time."

Silence fell upon the pack as they awaited the inevitable order.

"The pack is disbanded. Disperse!"

The time of parting, that had for so long been delayed, had finally come. In that terrible moment no one could foresee what awaited them in the days to come. The only thing that they knew for sure was that for the first time in years they would be forced to face it alone.

The present:

The children were silent as Littlefoot and Taunt finished their duet. Swipe and several children were visibly teary-eyed, whereas Biter and Pouncer both looked shell-shocked upon hearing how their fathers nearly fought to the death. It was so absurd and terrible as to defy belief, but the emotions in their parent's words destroyed all doubts.

"That... that's terrible!"

Littlefoot nodded sadly at his daughter's words, "Yes it was, Swipe. Yes it was. It was one of the most terrible days that the pack had ever had."

Taunt nodded, "Your father didn't realize it at the time, but Path did us all a favor by taking command at that time. He was the only one who could give that order... otherwise Seeker would have fought the challenge."

Biter spoke softly, "Would you have fought anyone else, Dad?"

Littlefoot merely gave his son a sad look. That was answer enough.

"We all were not ourselves back then," Leap affirmed, "If the pack had not been split up by Path's order then it would have split up violently. We did what had to be done."

Breeze nodded, "It was not an easy decision, but Path was resolute that it was necessary. So... we allowed him to make that challenge and we made sure that Seeker knew that we were on Path's side. It was one of the hardest things that I have done."

Cera frowned at those memories, "The song leaves out how angry I was... it was probably a good thing that the pack was apart for awhile."

Ponder nuzzled her children as she motioned them towards the makeshift sleeping area, "I was upset as well, but I soon realized why the rest of the pack had done what they had done. Your father realized it too."

"Though no one had better get any ideas!" Littlefoot yelled in a jocular fashion, "If one of you challenge me then I might just let you have the pack... then you can have all of the fun of trying to keep all of these ankle-biters in order..."

Taunt took a little bow, "I dodged quite a burden back then, didn't I!"

The pack laughed as Taunt dodged a playful swipe from Littlefoot. It was heartening to see that the friendship that had been threatened during those dark days was still intact. However the question of what happened afterwards still troubled the assembled children. The answer to that question would have to wait until the next night.

Little did they know that their stories of the troubles of the past would soon be overtaken by the troubles of the present.

Well it took a few weeks, but I finally found time to finish the chapter. I hope that you all enjoy this latest (belated) chapter.

RichardTerminator: Yep! We will see how Petrie and Soar are doing in the near future.

bryan mccloud: We have not really seen what Chomper and Thud's pack's reaction to the news is, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the final act of the story. As for why the valley did not recognize Chomper's parents... we might get some information on that soon.

More Dakka: I hope that you enjoy the latest installment.

gordhanx: Since I have a late new chapter, I can't really fault you for having a later review. d-: Thanks for the review! I rather enjoyed writing the previous chapter, and we will see more of Soar and Petrie's past in the next few chapters. Let's just say that Petrie is going to experience firsthand (firstwing?) some of the oddities of flyer courtship.

Black Dragon Master: Exactly right. Chomper's parents are having to do what they think is in the best interest of their child, and in such circumstances even unthinkable choices are possible. Nonetheless, I suspect some of the valley residents will not be so open minded if they meet the two sharpteeth... things might get a bit interesting in the next act of the story.

On another note, I am trying to decide what to write after I finally finish this story. If you have any ideas for potential short (1-3 chapter) stories then let me know. I am thinking about writing a few first-person perspective stories in order to change things up.

Until next time, have a nice week!