Part 2- The Runaway
"What do you mean I can't get near him? He's my friend!", Littlefoot objected.
"Littlefoot... I wish there was an easy way to say this... I almost lost you for good one time, and I just don't want to lose you again, especially for a sharptooth.", he said sadly.
"Chomper is different! He'll never hurt anybody!", Littlefoot stood up for him.
Bron sighed and said: "Littlefoot, you haven't been around as much time as I had. Sharpteeth can do awful things. They don't have friends or any emotions. I don't know how you even thought of trying to befriend one. Even if he is a 'friend' for now, it's only a matter of time until he becomes the vicious killer he really is.".
Littlefoot couldn't say anything. His own dad was saying such horrible things about Chomper without even meeting him once!
He ran away, crying.
Bron was about to go after him, but Shorty stopped him by saying: "You really didn't listen to him, have you?", and he walked away to the gang.
"Why do I always have to make everyone so sad? Littlefoot... I'm sorry, but this is really for your own good...", he thought and walked over to Grandpa and Grandma.
Not far from there...
Shorty approached the gang slowly.
"What makes you look so sad?", Ducky asked him.
Shorty sighed and said shortly: "Dad doesn't allow me or Littlefoot to be near you, Chomper, sorry guys.".
The others gasped and Chomper called: "What did I do?", wondering what he could possibly have done.
Shorty walked away slowly, still thinking about what happened. Chomper definitely wasn't someone he could trust blindly, but surly he can't be that bad...
"It no fun without Littlefoot.", Petrie said sadly.
The others nodded and Chomper asked: "I'm tired. Can we go now, Ruby?".
"Okay.", she replied and they said "Goodbye" to their friends.
"I think we'll go too.", Ducky said and Spike nodded.
"Me too.", Cera and Petrie said, and the gang returned to the nest, each thinking about the problem that came up with Littlefoot.
That night...
Littlefoot returned to the nest, still slightly crying.
He was glad to see that his grandparents weren't there yet. He didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment.
He lied down and immediately fell asleep. The events of that day still haunted him in his sleep-story:
"Chomper!", Littlefoot called when he saw Chomper running away from something.
"Littlefoot! Please stop him!", he cried.
"This is only for your own good, Littlefoot...", Bron repeated this sentence without an end until he hit Chomper with his tail, and the sleep-story ended.
Littlefoot shot up, gasping with the sleep-story still fresh in his mind.
He looked around and saw his grandparents still sleeping, and surprisingly, Shorty sleeping just beside him. Bron was nowhere to be seen.
Littlefoot remembered Bron's words and he started crying again, not noticing that his feet were carrying him somewhere else...
Shorty, who was woken up by Littlefoot stared and said nothing, but then he noticed something alarming- Littlefoot was taking the path they used to the Mysterious Beyond!
"Littlefoot! Littlefoot!", he whispered, but Littlefoot didn't listen, or didn't hear, and he kept walking in the dangerous path.
"Littlefoot!", he whispered again, but in vain- Littlefoot was now in the Mysterious Beyond.
Shorty ran after him, but it was too dark to see Littlefoot anywhere.
"Oh, this is bad!", he said when he got an idea, not a very good one, but worths a try.
He came back to where he saw the gang again, but couldn't see any nest from there.
"They're not here, but I have to find them somehow!", he thought and turned back and hit Cera with his head.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!", she asked him angrily.
"Cera! Listen, Littlefoot went out to the Mysterious Beyond!".
"What? I thought something was strange, that's why I was on my way to see him!", she said and and went in another direction.
"Are you coming, or what? We'll need some help!", she asked him.
"Oh, yeah.", he answered, still surprised about her quick reaction.
Some time later...
"Ducky, Spike! Wake up!", Cera nudged them.
"5 more minutes, mommy. I am very tired. I am, I am.", Ducky replied, still sleepy and Spike made an annoyed grunt and fell back asleep.
"Fine! If you don't come, we'll go save Littlefoot ourselves!", Shorty said and turned back, but when hearing what he said Ducky and Spike immediately woke up, with Ducky saying: "Is Littlefoot in trouble? Oh no, no, no. We're coming!".
Shorty smiled. "Good.", and the 4 went together.
Waking Petrie up was easy- Shorty simply called "Sharptooth!" and Petrie immediately woke up, screaming "Where?!".
"Shh! There isn't really a sharptooth, but Littlefoot needs our help. Come on already!", Cera explained.
Petrie looked at Shorty angrily, but muttered "Okay.", and joined the others.
They headed to Ruby and Chomper's cave, and Cera called them from outside: "Guys, Wake up! It's important!".
Shorty was sure they were only going to get Ruby so he asked her: "Aren't you just going to get Ruby?".
Cera rolled her eyes and looked at him: "We're here to get Chomper too of course!".
Seeing that they aren't coming out, Cera went inside to get them, and the 3 came out a bit later, Ruby and Chomper rubbing their eyes.
"I told you what dad said...", Shorty began to remind them what Bron said.
"Hey, is Littlefoot your friend, or isn't he?", Cera asked him angrily.
"Okay, okay. Just keep him away from me.", Shorty agreed, if keeping Chomper away.
"We're here.", Shorty said briefly as they reached the place Littlefoot went though and had a good view of the Mysterious Beyond, the bright circle was already beginning to rise.
"Me see him!", Petrie called from above them as he spotted Littlefoot down below.
Petrie was suddenly blown away by a strong gust of wind.
"What are you doing, Petrie?", Ducky asked him from below him.
"Wind... Too strong!", he said and with much difficulty landed on Cera.
The wind kept blowing, so Petrie said: "Me no can fly in this!".
"That smell... I feel like I know it...", Chomper said as he sniffed the air.
"It smells like... Umm...", he said, but wasn't sure because of the gang's smells.
"Red Claw!", Cera called.
"What's Red Claw?", Shorty asked them.
"He's biggest and meanest sharptooth around! He is, he is!", Ducky explained.
"Wait, how did you know it's Red Claw?", Chomper asked Cera and turned around: "Ahhh!!!".
Red Claw and his fast-biters were charging right at them! The gang unintentionally got split- Shorty and Chomper ran back to the direction of the Great Valley, and the rest in the direction of a cliff!
Red Claw called to Chomper: "I'll take care of you after your friends' turn.", and he laughed evilly as he and the fast-biters aimed at Chomper's trapped friends.
"Help!", they screamed, but in response, because of Red Claw's weight, the cliff collapsed!
Fortunately, the fall wasn't very long so no one was harmed, but it was too long for any of them to climb.
Luckily, a lot of rocks fell on Red Claw, Screech and Thud, giving the rest time to run.
"You have to get help!", Ruby called from below as they started running.
Shorty and Chomper stared at each other. Maybe they didn't trust each other very much, but their friends were in troubles!
"Okay, okay. Ride my back, I'm probably faster than you.", Shorty said and Chomper climbed on his back.
Shorty ran back to the Great Valley, to Littlefoot's nest, but Grandma and Grandpa weren't there!
"Where are they?", Shorty shouted and ran around, forgetting for a moment that Chomper is on his back.
"They're this way!", Chomper called as he got their smell and pointed towards the Thundering Falls.
At the Thundering falls...
Grandma, Grandpa and Bron were discussing about yesterday. The grandparents tried again to convince Bron to change his mind about Chomper.
"I know what you're thinking, but Chomper isn't bad at all. Just meet him and see!", Grandma said.
"Maybe now, but like I said, one day he won't be so nice... Sharpteeth can never be friends of leaf-eaters. Look at it! They can't even talk!", Bron said, just as Shorty and Chomper arrived, running, with Shorty shouting: "Grandma and Grandpa Longneck!".
Bron was too shocked to say anything since Shorty was bluntly doing what he specifically forbade him from, but Grandpa Longneck quickly asked: "What happened?".
Shorty was still gasping form the running, so Chomper explained: "Littlefoot and the others are in danger! No time to explain, just come quick!".
Bron was again stunned by Chomper's ability to talk since he wasn't aware of it until now.
"Lead the way!", Grandpa called and he picked up Shorty and Chomper, Grandma and Bron beside him.
Back in the mysterious behind...
The gang ran away from Red Claw and his fast-biters, trying to find Littlefoot.
"Everyone! What are you doing here?!", he asked, shocked as he noticed his friends running towards him.
"Hmff! We should be those to ask this question!", Cera said angrily.
"Never mind that! Just run!", Ruby called as the predators were running behind them.
Not far above them...
Chomper and the 4 longnecks reached to where the cliff once was and stared in shock to see the kids being chased by Red Claw!
"Grandpa Longneck, can you lower us down?", Chomper asked him.
"No, Chomper, It's too dangerous!", he explained, but Chomper didn't give up: "If we don't go down to help them, it will be too late!".
"Yeah, please!", Shorty added and Grandpa gave in, lowering them down using his long neck.
"We'll try to find a way down for ourselves. Be careful... All of you...", Bron said and the 3 Longnecks went to look for a way down for themselves.
Once again, Chomper rode Shorty, who ran as fast as he could towards the others, who were now cornered by Red Claw and his fast-biters...