Chapter 25: Back in the Great Valley
For the past couple days, everyone in the Great Valley had been very unhappy. No one was more upset than Mr. Threehorn, who was in an especially foul mood thanks to the failure of his scheme to take Cera away from her friends.
At nightfall, Tria had just finished helping Tricia fall asleep before she went to find her husband. She found him sitting alone on the grass, looking thoroughly distraught. She then walked over to him, and asked, "Are you okay, Topsy?"
"No," Topps replied. "I miss Cera… I can't stop thinking about her."
"Yeah, I miss her too," Tria agreed.
Topps sighed, "Well, if I can't be with Cera now, the least I could do is to try and help her out. I've arranged for another suitor to come tomorrow afternoon. I know she's resisting marriage now, but once I find her the right husband, I know she'll be happy in the long run."
Topps sighed again, and Tria looked at her husband and asked, "Topsy...I have a question for you to think about. What are you looking for in Cera's husband?"
Topps looked at Tria confusedly, and said, "Well for starters, I want him to be a threehorn."
"And why is that so important?" Tria asked him gently.
"I thought that would be obvious," Topps answered. "But if you wonder why...well, because…it's the way we do things, Tria, and you know it," Topps answered firmly. "And besides, to even imagine Cera marrying a spiketail or a beakface or especially a flathead is vile, despicable, disgusting, revolting…"
"Okay Topsy, I get your point," Tria interrupted. "But…is that all you want out of him? Think beyond his lineage and think about what you want Cera's husband to be like…"
Topps paused, then he looked softly at Tria. "I want Cera to be well cared for," he answered. "I want for her to have a husband that would love her as much as I would…a husband that's brave and caring and completely faithful to her…in other words, a husband who has the heart of a threehorn. A heart that we threehorns have all strived to have since the dawn of time and that no one else could ever have."
Tria smiled softly and rubbed her head against his affectionately. "Topsy, I'm sure that Cera will find someone out there who has that heart you are looking for," she began. "You might just need to think beyond how long his horns are and if you do that, someday you might just find that Cera may have found that someone that you are hoping for."
Topps then looked at Tria suspiciously. "You're telling me that Cera has already found someone? And you didn't even tell me?"
"Not yet," Tria quickly answered, though she did not look directly into his eyes.
Topps sighed, before saying, "I'm going to prepare the Great Valley for Troy. He's the newest suitor I found, and I can tell he has potential. He's very strong and very brave…he fought off countless sharpteeth in his herd, and he's interested in becoming a herd leader when he's fully grown. And I also need to convince the others to help get Cera back."
"Topsy, you know how I feel…" Tria began, but Topps quickly interrupted.
"Once she's back, I can introduce her to Troy and they will happily marry," he declared. And with that, Topps growled determinedly as Tria looked at him and sighed.
The next morning, as he had done so many times before, Mr. Threehorn urged the idea of forming a search party to the other parents. Despite his numerous failed attempts to convince them before, he showed no sign of letting up as he gathered the sleepy parents for yet another meeting.
"We need to do this to get the children back," Mr. Threehorn told the others determinedly. "If we don't…"
"For the last time," Grandpa Longneck sighed, interrupting Mr. Threehorn. "My wife and I can't make this journey anymore. We're both very old and we would be more of a hindrance than a help to you and we'll only slow you down."
"Humph!" Mr. Threehorn growled. "You longnecks are just lazy."
"We're not going either, Mr. Threehorn," Mama Swimmer told Mr. Threehorn, and Mama Flyer nodded.
"We've got our other children to take care of," Mama Flyer added. "Who would watch over them if we went along?"
"If we went along, the children here would be all alone, and then they might do something reckless…like try to find us," Mama Swimmer added, causing Mr. Threehorn to growl.
"Topsy," Tria told him. "I know you care about Cera and want to get her back. But I can't come along with you. I have to take care of Tricia, just like Ms. Swimmer and Ms. Flyer have to take care of their children. And besides, I don't like the idea of taking Cera away from her home and friends forever like you were suggesting. Cera's so close to her friends, and she'd be heartbroken if you took her away from them!"
"I don't like that idea either… Ducky and Spike would be so upset if Cera left," Mama Swimmer added.
Angrily, Mr. Threehorn stomped his foot. "I thought the idea was to separate the children from each other!" he yelled.
"Yes, but not forever," Grandpa Longneck replied. "The idea was only to make sure the children could not help the sharptooth anymore. Once our search party finds and kills the sharptooth, I don't see any reason why the children should not be able to see each other again, do you?"
Grandma Longneck, Mama Swimmer, Mama Flyer, and Tria quickly nodded in agreement, while Mr. Threehorn stood firmly.
"You don't understand," Mr. Threehorn yelled. "They're interested in interspecies marriage!"
This part of the conversation was new to all of the parents. There was a lot of murmuring as the parents looked anxiously at each other. Grandma and Grandpa Longneck, remembering their conversation with Littlefoot, looked at each other in shock, before Grandpa Longneck asked, "What are you talking about Mr. Threehorn?"
"Your Littlefoot has been asking about interspecies marriage! And with my Cera sitting right next to him!" Mr. Threehorn shouted angrily. "And don't try to deny it, because I heard them talking about it myself!"
"My friend, he must have been only curious about it," Grandpa Longneck argued. "He asked us a similar question…"
"He what?" Mr. Threehorn roared, stomping on the ground, his eyes livid with rage.
"But Littlefoot knows better than to be in a relationship like that! Besides, my wife and I are tirelessly working on finding a suitable wife for him before we go. So you have no reason to worry about it," Grandpa Longneck replied.
But before Mr. Threehorn could respond, a loud voice abruptly called out, "Where's my girl? Mr. Topps, where is she?"
Mr. Threehorn gasped. "Oh…it's Troy! He wasn't supposed to come yet! Well, at least he's prompt and punctual. That's one more good thing about him. And besides, some enthusiasm can't hurt. Tria, come with me. The rest of you, stay out of my way. I've got business to attend to." And growling, Mr. Threehorn huffed off, while Tria looked back at the others apologetically. There was an awkward silence following their departure, before Mama Swimmer and Mama Flyer returned to be with their children, leaving Grandma and Grandpa Longneck alone together.
"Who's Troy?" Grandma Longneck asked.
"No idea," Grandpa Longneck replied. "But we've got bigger problems to deal with right now."
Grandma Longneck nodded in agreement. "We can't take any chances. If Mr. Threehorn's right, we need to act," she told Grandpa Longneck, who nodded. "We have to decide right now who will be Littlefoot's wife."
"Well, I think that part is simple," Grandpa Longneck replied. "Cam and Mia certainly won't make Littlefoot happy, and he won't want to marry either of those two."
"I think you're right," Grandma Longneck told him, "And now that Ali's mother is not here to discourage it… we'll talk to Ali and see how she feels about it."
Grandma Longneck then lifted her head up high and called out, "Ali? Can you talk to us?"
From a ways away, Ali answered, "Sure. Just hold on." Nearby, they could heard a loud angry voice roar out, then they heard Mr. Threehorn say in a frantic way, "Now let me explain."
Grandma Longneck replied, "Okay!" and waited for a few minutes. Then abruptly, they heard that loud, angry voice shouting, "You tricked me! Did you really think that I'd marry a difficult wife who is friends with lower species? You've got to be kidding me."
They heard some rustling in the woods, and abruptly, a teenage threehorn who was large, grey, and muscular rammed through the bushes. He growled furiously as he raged, and then he saw Grandpa and Grandma Longneck. Grandma and Grandpa Longneck instantly realized that this threehorn must have been the Troy that Mr. Threehorn had been seeing.
"Oy! Do you flatheads live here?" Troy shouted, his eyes narrow and furious.
"Why…yes," Grandma Longneck answered, appalled with Troy's temper and rudeness. "And you shouldn't be calling us that."
"Just as I thought," Troy growled, ignoring Grandma and Grandpa Longneck. "Threehorn Valley, please…and I bet you know this Cera, right?"
"Uh…yes, she's our grandson's friend," Grandpa Longneck answered.
Troy growled, and said, "Figures…that old crackpot has been playing games with me. Now why am I even talking to you flatheads? Get out of my way! I'm leaving."
And that, Troy took off, huffing, "That girl won't even make sure my nest's always in order…won't obey my every word…won't tell me about how great I am…fools around with other species…you've got to be kidding me."
"Well," Grandma Longneck told Grandpa Longneck, shaking her head. "I'm glad that we're not marrying Littlefoot off to someone like him, aren't you?"
"Looks to me like Mr. Threehorn is having some difficulties," Grandpa Longneck sighed, and the two of them laughed gently to each other.
A few minutes later, Ali walked out into the clearing. "You wanted to see me?" Ali asked.
"Yes Ali," Grandpa Longneck told Ali. The two of them looked down at Ali seriously, then looked at each other and nodded. "Listen. The two of us won't be alive for much longer, but before we go, we would like to see Littlefoot settle down with someone. We would normally leave it up to Littlefoot of course, but since he seems to be a late bloomer, we would like to prod him along while we still can in hope we can find a good wife for him that he would come to love in the years to come."
"We did a lot of thinking about this," Grandma Longneck told Ali. "And we've come to realize that the best wife for Littlefoot would be… you. You and Littlefoot have always been close to each other since your first visit to the Great Valley, and Littlefoot has always been looking forward to when your herd would be visiting again. We know that he really likes you, and we know that you two will be very happy together."
"We promise he'll be just as great as a husband as he is a friend," Grandpa Longneck told Ali gently. "So… would you marry Littlefoot and put our most pressing concern to rest?"
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looked down at Ali eagerly, who looked deep in thought. Her eyes became a bit misty as she stared slowly at the ground. She smiled to herself as she imagined herself happily marrying Littlefoot, then looking off with him at a beautiful sunset on top of some far away cliff, kissing his cheek and rubbing their necks together in happiness, and imagining the two of them raising children together.
But then, she shut her eyes. Her smile slowly slipped and her expression became unreadable as she remained silent for some time. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck watched Ali expectantly, while she averted their eyes. Then, at last, Ali cleared her throat, looked up at Littlefoot's grandparents and said, "I care for Littlefoot very much."
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looked at each other delightedly, and Grandma Longneck said, "Ali, that's great news!"
Grandpa Longneck energetically added, "Now, once we find Littlefoot, we will break the news to him and prepare the wed…"
But then Ali shook her head. "I said I care for Littlefoot very much…so much so that I cannot become his wife."
"If it's about your mother, we can arrange…" Grandma Longneck quickly said.
Ali however shook her head and interrupted, "It's not…"
"Or if you're concerned that you're too closely related…" Grandma Longneck continued.
Ali shook her head again. "It's not that either."
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looked stunned before Grandpa Longneck asked, "Then why can't you, Ali?"
"If Littlefoot and I married, he would never be truly happy. Sure, he likes me a lot, and the two of us are great friends. And part of me still has a crush on him…but I know his heart wouldn't want to do it. He would be endlessly regretful by being married to me, and… I know a marriage between us would never be really happy."
"But Ali, Littlefoot cares for you!" Grandma Longneck insisted.
"I know he does… he's a great friend. But you see, I can't marry him because… Littlefoot's heart belongs to somebody else," Ali told Grandma and Grandpa Longneck, who looked at each other in shock. "Excuse me for a moment, I have to let someone else join this conversation." And Ali walked into the forest, leaving Grandma and Grandpa Longneck standing there, still looking completely mystified.
A few minutes later, Ali returned. She was accompanied by Tria, who was looking at Grandma and Grandpa Longneck with a knowing expression on her face. Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looked at each other bewilderedly.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Longneck," Tria greeted them calmly.
Littlefoot's grandparents were speechless. Ali then cleared her throat and began, "When I came back to the Great Valley, I still had my childhood crush on Littlefoot, despite my mother's objections. We walked together for a few times, and on those walks I must admit that my feelings deepened and I considered the possibility of marrying him. But then, on the evening he left, I saw Littlefoot having a sleep story. He looked more passionate than I'd ever seen him before. And in his sleep, I kept hearing him murmur one name. 'Cera…Cera…Cera…'"
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck gasped, and looked at each other, stunned. Tria, however, looked entirely unsurprised. "It's been the same on our end," she told Grandma and Grandpa Longneck calmly. "Not that she'd ever tell anyone, but I could tell that Cera had been having sleep stories. And in them, I often heard her calling out Littlefoot's name. I've been keeping close to her so Topsy can't hear them, and from hearing her night after night, I'm absolutely certain that Cera is saying Littlefoot's name in a way that shows…she has feelings for him."
Ali then explained, "I could tell instantly that Littlefoot loved Cera when I saw him wake up. He instantly asked me to help her, and when I told him he was murmuring her name, he blushed furiously. Since I knew how he was feeling before he fully understood it himself, I withdrew myself from his consideration. You see, I care for Littlefoot… I care for him so much that I want him and Cera to be happy in their relationship."
"But…but…she's a threehorn…and you two are both longnecks…" Grandma Longneck sighed.
"One of the things I learned from Littlefoot and his friends," Ali replied, "Is how it's possible to be friends with other kinds of dinosaurs. I didn't understand that before I met them because I had only gotten to know other longnecks. But now I understand that it's great to have different kinds of friends. And not only do Littlefoot and his friends live by this, so does the entire Great Valley at its best, which makes it really special here. In my herd, it's always been only longnecks, and we've never even considered letting anyone else join our herd. The Old One keeps on saying that it's impossible for different herds to happily live together. But by seeing you guys, I know she's wrong. I'm still amazed how all of your different herds are able to get along so well together. There's nothing like it in the world beyond. So why would anyone who lives in this wonderful world of harmony keep two lovers apart just because they're not of the same kind?"
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck stared at each other in deep thought and began to whisper. They had never imagined a longneck falling in love with a threehorn, let alone their own grandson. Ali and Tria looked knowingly at Grandma and Grandpa Longneck, who looked uncertain.
"Well… if that's what Littlefoot really wants," Grandpa Longneck told them shakily, "Then we will accept it and we will end our plans for his betrothal."
Ali nodded silently. Then, Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looked at Tria. "You surprise me Tria… you haven't raised any objections to this," Grandma Longneck told her.
"That's because I don't have any," Tria explained. "I trust Cera's judgment on this. I've seen Cera and Littlefoot together for years. They've always seemed to have a special bond with each other which has grown stronger and stronger with time, to the point where they know each other like the back of their foot. I'm sure that Cera would've thought of the consequences of their love, but Cera's always been a stubborn one, and I'm sure that once she knew she wanted Littlefoot, she committed herself to being in love with him and only him for the rest of her life."
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck nodded, looking assured. "There's still one problem though," Grandpa Longneck told her. "Your husband. He sure seems to be upset about interspecies marriages and seems to be brooding about it."
"Oh, Topsy…" Tria sighed. "Well, I won't pretend that he'll be thrilled about this. He's doing everything in his power to make sure that Cera and Littlefoot don't marry. He tried to take us away from the Great Valley before to get Cera away from Littlefoot, and he's looking very hard for suitors… I'm sure you must have heard Troy just now. That boy has got to be the worst fit for Cera in the world...don't get me wrong, Topsy has good intentions, he's just doing what he thinks is best for Cera, but he's letting his old prejudices get to him. He's not able to come to terms with the fact that Cera and Littlefoot are seriously in love. But mark my words, my stepdaughter is just as stubborn as he is. When she puts her mind to it, she'll find a way to deal with Topsy and make their marriage work."
"But what if your husband prevents Cera from being with Littlefoot?" Grandma Longneck asked. "If he wants to prevent their marriage, wouldn't he try to keep them as separated as much as possible? Or wouldn't he try to make life so uncomfortable for them that they'd be miserable forever?"
"Yes, he might try," Tria told Grandma and Grandpa Longneck thoughtfully. "But I'm going to try and see if he can be reasoned with before we get to that point."
And with that, Tria walked away into the forest, with Ali walking out soon after, leaving Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looking concernedly at each other.