Apparently forgot to upload this...
Chapter 46:
With joy, Ali watched her friend Littlefoot rush down the steep wall that surrounded the little valley they were residing in. This time, she hadn't prepared a surprise for him but she didn't exactly have enough time to prepare anything for him anyway, having only waited for him a few minutes.
"Hey Ali, I'm back!" Littlefoot exclaimed as he was approaching fast. "Did you have to wait long?"
Ali held back her response until Littlefoot had arrived at the berry bushes where she had been waiting for him, standing right in front of him. While she was waiting, she had also been thinking about what to do for the rest of the day. She had planned this already…
Littlefoot was caught off-guard when Ali suddenly nipped him on the face.
"You're it!" she exclaimed, running away from him. This was a game of catch!
"Hey!" Littlefoot shouted in false outrage once he got over the initial surprise of the girl's actions, pushing his legs to chase after his mischievous friend. "Oh wait until I get you!" he yelled after Ali who was laughing very hard about Littlefoot's funny reaction. However, because of this fit of laughter, Ali couldn't keep a high speed, allowing Littlefoot to catch up in no time, playfully biting Ali's tail.
"Hey! How dare you bite me!" Ali shouted at Littlefoot.
"You're it!" Littlefoot teased, trying to get away from the girl but her acted angry face made him laugh so hard that Ali got him in no time. This pattern continued for some more minutes until they eventually ended up wrestling each other in a play-fight which Ali, to the surprise of both, won after pinning Littlefoot on his back in such a way that he couldn't get back up again.
"What are you going to do now, huh?" Ali teased, a triumphant grin on her face.
Littlefoot had to admit that he could struggle as much as he wanted but he still wouldn't get back on his feet. Ali had placed a major portion of her weight on his front limbs, thus rendering him incapable of standing up.
"Well?" Ali pressed the matter, grinning smugly at her friend who tried to look as innocent as he could. She didn't expect his response though.
"Just taking a sunbath…" Littlefoot answered, grinning himself. "My belly doesn't get a lot of these…"
"REALLY!?" Ali sputtered. "This is all you have to say?! REALLY!?"
Littlefoot raised his eye-brows slightly.
"Yes…"
Ali couldn't help it anymore, holding her belly as she roared in laughter.
"You're hilarious!" she managed to say inbetween her laughing fit.
Littlefoot finally joined the laughter too.
"Well, should I have said that I lost against a girl in a fight? How embarrassing that would have been…" Littlefoot snickered.
"But you DID!" Ali pointed out, still laughing.
"Uhh… yes," Littlefoot admitted.
Ali shook her head. It took her another two minutes to get her laughter under control again.
"One of these days, Littlefoot, you'll have me laughing so hard that I won't be able to breathe anymore, so be careful," Ali spoke eventually, exhausted from the games and the laughter.
"Don't laugh so hard then," Littlefoot advised wisely which only earned him a stare from the girl.
"Right, so uhh… what do we do now?" Littlefoot wondered, noticing with slight remorse that the day was drawing to a close - the Bright Circle was sinking in the west, about to disappear behind the horizon.
"Just don't make me laugh like this again, please!" Ali pleaded. "As much as I like you for being able to make me laugh like nobody else can… it still hurts."
"I didn't want to hurt you," Littlefoot quickly stated, a little worried for a moment.
"Don't worry, I'm more than fine," Ali assured her friend, smiling. "This was so much fun!"
"I agree, it's always fun playing games with you, Ali!" Littlefoot spoke, smiling back.
"Yeah, but, right now, I need to do something more relaxing." Ali already knew something they could do which could be labelled as relaxing.
"Sure but… what?" Littlefoot asked, clueless.
"Well, I think I have an idea," the girl spoke in a mysterious voice. "Just follow me." She had been looking forward to this all day but it was still a bit too early.
"Follow you where?" Littlefoot wondered.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, silly," Ali answered, chuckling. "Now follow me, or are you scared?"
"I'm not scared!" Littlefoot retorted, scandalised.
"Well, then come along!" Ali exclaimed, walking towards the center of the valley.
"I wonder what she's up to this time…" Littlefoot mused, trotting along his friend as they took a walk across the valley which also led them past the area where Bron's herd was residing. Bron himself was seen talking to a couple herd members but they were too far away to catch any words of the conversations going on. They even caught a quick glimpse on Shorty but the green Longneck didn't notice them, appearing to be thinking about something.
*
"So… how did Shorty behave while I was gone? Did he break the restrictions that I set up for him?" Bron asked a small group of Longnecks who were supposed to watch the little troublemaker during his absence.
"No, he stayed where you ordered him to be and he didn't cause any trouble," one of them answered - they hadn't been watching him very well though, not noticing his run-in with Ricky.
"Very well, that's a relief," Bron sighed. He had been expecting to hear all sorts of things but this. "Well, thanks for taking care of this, I will appoint somebody else for the duty tomorrow. Good night!" With that, Bron turned away from them, heading towards his nesting area… to Shorty. He trusted his herd members but he would still ask Shorty a few questions…
*
"Where are we going, Ali?" Littlefoot eventually insisted after they had walked through much of the valley - the Bright Circle had already disappeared behind the high walls.
"We're almost there, Littlefoot," Ali promised. It was still a bit too early but it wouldn't take much longer until she could do what she wanted to.
"Quite a long walk," the boy complained. "What do you want to do anyway? The Bright Circle is going to disappear soon, Ali."
"I know…" Ali spoke mysteriously, grinning.
Suddenly, it clicked in Littlefoot's mind.
"Right… that's what you want to do… you mentioned it earlier today!" Littlefoot exclaimed in excitement. "She wants to watch how the Bright Circle disappears behind the horizon with me! I should have known!"
"Pooooossibly," Ali confirmed, grinning even broader.
"Then why do you lead me through the whole valley when all we would have had to do was climb the wall right next to us!?" the male Longneck suddenly raged. "We can watch the Bright Circle from literally anywhere on that wall!"
"Well, it was still a bit too early and I didn't want to wait for an eternity until the time has come," the female explained. "Are you tired from the walk?" There was a subtle amount of tease in her words.
"Why no!" Littlefoot disclaimed. "But still… I think it was unnecessary."
"Look at it this way, Littlefoot," Ali explained. "This way, we explore a part of the valley that we haven't been to before… and, besides, this side of the valley is much better for viewing."
"Huh?" Littlefoot didn't get the girl's line of thinking.
"See, the Bright Circle is disappearing behind the horizon in this direction." Ali pointed to the wall in front of them which they were approaching while crossing a wide meadow of tall grass, using the trails that other Longnecks had long since carved into it. "Now, if we had decided to watch from the other side, we'd look across the whole valley too. But, from over there…" Again, the girl pointed to the wall in front of them. "From over there, there is only the Mysterious Beyond to look at. Isn't that much more exciting, Littlefoot?"
"Hmm…" Littlefoot was still in the process of thinking about Ali's words. "Thinking about it, I think you have a point…"
"I know," Ali grinned, playfully bumping into Littlefoot.
"Still, there's one thing I have to disagree with…" the boy mused, unimpressed by Ali's attempt to start yet another play fight.
"What would that be?" Ali asked curiously.
"You made that decision to walk all the way, not we, only you!"
Ali facepalmed.
"Wow, and that's important?"
"No," Littlefoot chuckled. "Just wanted to point it out."
"Littlefoot…"
Ali spent the rest of the way shaking her head in disbelief, much to the amusement of Littlefoot.
*
"Well, what have we been up to today, Shorty?" Bron entered the clearing where Shorty was residing. He scanned the boy carefully.
"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Shorty shouted in panic, having interpreted Bron's tone as a sign that he knew about his encounter with Ralph.
"Relax, Shorty, I'm not assuming that you've been doing anything that you weren't supposed to," Bron spoke calmly.
"I didn't leave this clearing, I didn't even go to the watering hole to drink," Shorty promised. "Can I go now, I'm thirsty!"
"You didn't drink? Well, drinking and eating is fine, didn't I mention that?" Bron wondered.
"No…" Shorty replied quietly.
"Well, you may, sorry for not making that clear…" Bron apologised. "Well, I wanted to take a drink before preparing for the night. Wanna join me?"
"Why is he so friendly!?" Shorty was puzzled by Bron's behavior, keeping his guard.
"Okay…" he answered, though somewhat hesitant.
*
"Ah, good timing!" Ali exclaimed as she arrived at the top of the wall, Littlefoot slightly lacking behind.
The Bright Circle stood very low above the horizon - soon it would disappear. Ali loved to watch this happen… and it did not occur often that she had such a good location and weather conditions to do so… not to mention the great company she had.
"Why do you want to watch this so badly anyway, Ali?" Littlefoot questioned as he arrived at the top as well.
"It's wonderful, Littlefoot," the girl responded dreamily. "Besides, it's just a perfect thing to do to round up a great day." Ali smiled.
"Sure it is! You didn't need me though, did you?" Littlefoot wondered. He did like watching sunsets but he didn't understand why Ali was that eager to pull him along.
"Hey, that's the whole point!" Ali suddenly shouted. "The point is that we watch it together, relaxing, thinking about the day or just… talk. That makes it special to me…"
"Well, let's relax then, the day was eventful enough," Littlefoot replied, now understanding why Ali wanted him to be with her right now. Or at least he assumed so.
"Come on, make yourself comfortable, it's starting," Ali spoke invitingly, lying down comfortably. Indeed, the Bright Circle wasn't far from touching the horizon anymore, slowly taking on the typical orange colour right before sunset.
Littlefoot did as he was told, taking a seat next to Ali.
"Hey, I'm not going to bite you," Ali giggled. Littlefoot had taken his seat too far away from her in her opinion.
"Huh?" Littlefoot didn't get the message.
"Well, come a bit closer…" Ali explained, chuckling about Littlefoot's reaction.
"Well… if you like…" Littlefoot responded hesitantly. "Ali, what are you up to?"
"Closer…" Ali whispered sheepishly, after Littlefoot moved a little closer to her as he was told. He was still so far away that another Longneck would have fitted between them.
"Ali, what's the p…" Littlefoot questioned but he was already interrupted by the girl again.
"Just do what I tell you to do, you won't regret it, I promise," Ali spoke warmly and also a bit shy. "Come on, Littlefoot, hurry up, will you?"
"Ali, what on earth…" Littlefoot was as confused as he could be. Nonetheless, he followed her instructions, approaching another few inches. Still not enough in Ali's eyes.
"Closer!" Ali demanded, this time with more vigour. "He's ruining the moment if he doesn't hurry!"
Littlefoot moved another few inches closer to his friend but it was still not close enough in Ali's opinion.
"Sigh, if he doesn't move, so will I!" Rigorously, the girl got up from her comfortable position on the ground, walking over to Littlefoot and plopping down to the ground right next to him - so close that their bodies touched.
"THIS close, silly," Ali shouted, shaking her head while sighing much to the amusement of Littlefoot. However, that amusement didn't last long.
"NOW, we can finally watch this wonderful event!" Ali spoke a bit harder than she intended to. Indeed, the sunset was merely a minute or two away. It would take place any second now.
"So… we just relax now and watch it?" Littlefoot asked.
"Exactly, and that's why I want you to be next to me, silly," Ali explained sheepishly, a grin appearing on her face, a sparkle in her eyes.
"You need me to relax?" Littlefoot inquired in surprise, laughing a little.
"Yes, I do!" Ali answered defiantly, demonstratively edging even closer to her friend. "See, it's very relaxing to be close to you while watching the Bright Circle disappear…"
As Ali slightly and carefully leaned against him, Littlefoot began to feel very awkward about the whole situation yet he didn't want to think about that right now. The bottom of the Bright Circle was already beginning to touch some distant mountains. It was beginning.
*
As Bron and Shorty were drinking at the watering hole, the grown-up tried to start a conversation with his not-formally adopted son.
"Say Shorty, what do you think about my son Littlefoot so far. You've already met him the other day after all…"
Shorty interrupted drinking huge loads of water to satisfy his strong thirst. Before he knew what was happening, he felt a surge of anger taking hold of his whole body. "Great job, Bron, great job…one way to make me mad!" Somehow, the boy managed to hide it for the time being. His answer, however, was still not quite like Bron had expected.
"Well, I don't like him!" Shorty exclaimed disdainfully.
"Could you specify that a little?" Bron requested, obviously not liking Shorty's response at all but, at least, he wanted to know why the little troublemaker would think so.
"Well, because… because he's a spoiled, little know-it-all, that's why!" Shorty shouted, snorting. "I just don't like him!"
"Hmm, I thought you always wanted a brother, Shorty?" Bron continued then, a little disappointed.
"What is he even up to?! Doesn't he realise that this little despicable idiot is responsible for all of this?!"
"I thought you could become brothers but… if you don't like him…" Bron continued.
"What are you alluding to?!" Shorty was mildly enraged - the feeling that Bron was still on his side slowly beginning to fade.
"No thanks, I'd rather be brotherless than having a wimp like him as a brother," Shorty declared rudely.
"Well, it was just an offer…" Bron shrugged, continuing to drink.
*
Ali leaned against Littlefoot as the Bright Circle began touching the horizon far away in the Mysterious Beyond. None of them understood where it actually touched the ground but, at this moment, none of this mattered. All that mattered for Ali was that Littlefoot was here with her to watch this phenomenal spectacle together - watch the huge ball of fire that grew even much, much bigger when touching down as it slowly descended from the sky, turning redder and redder the lower it sank - watch the air quivering in front of the huge, red form due to the heat from the day rising from the sun-baked ground of the Mysterious Beyond - watch the Mysterious Beyond itself as it was illuminated by this unusual light - all the same feeling the warm bodies of each other as well as the last rays of warm light before it would finally disappear to make room for the Night Circle to take over. Ali felt her heart beating a lot faster than it had to as she snuggled up even further with Littlefoot who returned the gesture half-heartedly while trying not to think about the feelings that this woke in him. Ultimately, as the Bright Circle had finally disappeared in its entirety, leaving only the ever reddening and darkening sky to be admired as well as a few high clouds being beautifully illuminated, he eventually couldn't block the thoughts that were spinning around in his head anymore.
"What am I feeling? Why does it feel so wrong? And what is Ali feeling and why does she do this?!" His head was literally bursting with questions. Of course he hadn't forgotten about the incidents of the afternoon. He had already figured out that Ali liked him quite a bit. Frankly, so did he. "Then why does it feel so… funny?" As Ali wore a smile of pure happiness on her face, snuggling up with him, all he felt was… awkwardness? Yes, that was a pretty good word to describe it. He really liked the girl, her antics and the games and adventures he's had with her but such close body contact outside of physical games didn't feel quite as great. Why was that? Ali seemed to enjoy it!
"Wasn't that absolutely awesome?" Ali spoke quietly, removing her head from Littlefoot's for the first time since the sunset had begun to look at the boy with sparkling eyes and a dreamy look on her face.
"Absolutely!" Littlefoot confirmed, shaken out of his thinking for a moment. There was no reason to deny that the sunset they had just witnessed had been a huge spectacle because it was. Secretly, Littlefoot thanked the girl for dragging him along to see this but, just as secretly, he wished she hadn't. He felt like there was something about her which greatly changed the way he'd look at the first longnecked friend he'd ever made… and the look Ali was giving him only confirmed this.
Ali sought eye contact with Littlefoot, her eyes filled with wonder, excitement and curiosity meeting his filled with uncertainty, surprise and also a bit of worry.
"Littlefoot? Would you mind if we stay a little longer?" the girl voiced up. "Just until it gets dark…"
"Uhh, sure," Littlefoot responded nervously, the intense gaze of Ali distracting him. "Why is she looking at me like this?!"
*
"By the way, Shorty, if you continue to behave during the next few days, I might allow you to meet others again provided I am supervising you," Bron casually mentioned while observing Shorty, who seemed to be quite angry for some reason. "Some members of the herd are urging me to punish you even worse than I do, Shorty, but I know that this is not going to make things any better."
"What do you mean?" Shorty inquired, muttering.
"What you did was horrible, Shorty, but…" Bron didn't get to finish his response, Shorty violently interrupting him.
"I KNOW!" the green Longneck roared. "Yes it was a horrible thing to do but I had my reasons! You just don't understand me, Bron!"
"Shorty…"
"I don't want to do it again, I don't want to hurt others like that again and I want others to give me a chance! So stop rubbing it into my face!" Shorty was breathing heavily, agitated.
"Would you let me finish what I have to say instead of interrupting me!?" Bron thundered, getting angry too. "In case you didn't notice, Shorty, I am defending you in front of the herd time and again - I've been doing so for many years, in fact! I've always apologised for all the crap that you've produced and added the, oftentimes, frustrating task of looking after the naughty brat you often were upon me in addition to my duties as a herd leader! And how did you thank me? You produced even more crap, Shorty! Your attack on the little Longneck yesterday really tested my patience with you, my friend! Don't test it any further!" Bystanders were muttering amongst each other as Bron continued to shout at the boy but the grown-up didn't care.
"So how about you little troublemaker finally showing some gratitude!? I could have chased you out of the herd long ago! Heck! I could've left you and the little ones out there alone but I allowed you to come along only through my sheer kindness which you've abused too many times already!"
Shorty was listening to Bron's lecture expressionlessly, knowing his lectures too well already to be afraid of this one - though he had to admit that it was one of the rare vicious ones… and one he, admittedly, deserved.
"Please don't see the enemy in me, Shorty," the grown-up continued, somewhat calmer. "You are your own enemy, I'm trying to help you in case you didn't notice that yet!"
"I know." This was all Shorty had to say.
"I do believe that you really mean it when you claim that you want to change. Prove it and you will be rewarded, show me otherwise and you will lose my support."
"Fair enough," Shorty grunted, turning away from Bron to eat some of the tall grass growing on the shore of the watering hole.
"That boy…" Bron sighed, trying to calm his mind by watching the high clouds in the sky being illuminated by the retreating Bright Circle.
Soon, they returned to their nesting area and, without another word uttered, tried to find rest, both dealing with their own thoughts.
*
Ali and Littlefoot continued to gaze into the distance for a couple more minutes without exchanging a word, each lost in their own fantasies as they huddled close together - well, Ali anyway. As calm and relaxed she appeared to be to an outside viewer, as nervous and excited she felt on the inside, her heart beating twice as fast as would be necessary, a tickly and tingling sensation making itself known in her whole body… and thoughts about the Longneck who was seated to her left being subject of her current daydreaming, plans for the rest of the evening being made.
Littlefoot's thoughts were mostly focussed on the girl to his right too, however, he wasn't getting any of the feelings that Ali was feeling, just confusion over the whole situation. As his gaze was wandering across the horizon, distant landscapes - unknown and mysterious at the same time, caught his interest - the adventurer in himself waking up. Oh what would he give to explore all of that. However, he knew that it was a dangerous thing to do… and, if he were completely honest with himself, he already had quite an adventure on his journey from the Great Valley to this wonderful place which also had many of the qualities that the Great Valley offered them. Getting almost eaten by an alligator was only the most perilous of many experiences that the young Longneck had made on his journey.
"Besides…" he mused. "Cera would kill me for having yet another adventure without them…" His friends… Littlefoot wondered how they were holding up without him as a central figure in their little gang. Would they miss him? Most certainly! After all, he missed them badly. If it weren't for Ali, Littlefoot would feel their absence even worse since there'd be nobody to play with.
Soon, however, gazing into the vastness of the Mysterious Beyond got him bored eventually.
"Say, Ali, how is your little friend doing?" Littlefoot spoke up in an attempt to break the silence between them and to fight boredom, pulling Ali out of her daydream.
"Oh, you mean Cho?" Ali wondered.
"Yeah, you were visiting her while I was talking to my dad, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was," Ali responded, turning to Littlefoot to get a better look at him... at the cost of their heads not snuggling up anymore though. "I'm sure she will recover from her injuries in no time. She's strong if she has to. Even though she's constantly feeling a lot of pain, I haven't seen a single tear in her eyes. She'll be fine… and she told me she's looking forward to meeting you."
"That's great to hear," Littlefoot replied sincerely.
"Yes, it is. Though I find it weird that she is so eager about meeting you, considering that she usually hates strangers…" Ali puzzled, her previous thoughts about Littlefoot temporarily forgotten.
"Well, it's a good thing," Littlefoot said, shrugging.
"Yeah… she also gave me a riddle by the way… and I can't figure it out!" Ali chuckled. "Well, I'm sure I will, eventually."
"A riddle?" Littlefoot inquired curiously.
"Yeah… it… kinda has to do with the relationship between us… but I'm not sure if Cho would consent to me telling you…" the girl responded, hesitant.
"Oh, that's fine," Littlefoot spoke, smiling. Ali returned it.
"I wonder though… what does she think about Shorty after that attack…" the boy mused. "Did you talk about that by any chance?"
"Actually, we did indeed…. Quite a lot," Ali confirmed. "Believe it or not but she is not nearly as mad at him as I am… don't try to understand Cho, she is like that sometimes…" Ali sighed.
"Okay… will remember that tomorrow, when we visit her," Littlefoot promised with a mixed expression. If he had been the one to be almost killed by Shorty, he'd be boiling. Why wasn't Ali's little friend?
"Anyway, what have you been doing with your father, Littlefoot?" Ali then questioned, smiling at her friend. "He seemed to be listening to you before you came back to me, were you telling him stories?"
"Why yes, he wanted to know more about my friends so I ended up telling him the story of my journey to the Great Valley with them… we didn't get finished today though," he explained, snickering.
"I really wonder how Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike are doing…" Ali sighed, remembering the rest of the gang she had temporarily become part of when she visited the Great Valley long ago. "I've missed them, do you?"
"Yeah, I miss them a lot too," Littlefoot admitted. "And they also miss you, Ali."
"I wish we all could just be together again, you guys are such good friends and…" Ali blushed slightly. "You're my best friend."
"Thanks, Ali!" Littlefoot grinned. "I don't like liking one of my friends more than others so you're all my best friends!"
"Fair enough!" Ali grinned back. "I'm your only Longneck friend though." She gave Littlefoot a suggestive look.
"That's true, I guess that makes you special in a way," Littlefoot shrugged.
"It does," Ali smiled warmly at her friend who, after a short silence, went on about his time with Bron.
"My dad loves stories about me going adventuring by the way!"
"Well, he'll have a hard time catching up then!" Ali giggled, Littlefoot joining in.
"Oh yeah, you bet! At some point, we need to tell each other stories that happened since we last met!" Littlefoot suggested. Ali was on the edge of her seat.
"Absolutely! Why don't we start right now?" the girl proposed but Littlefoot shook his head.
"I think there isn't enough time for this tonight," he said apologetically. "It's getting dark and I do not think it would be wise to get into trouble for being home late."
"He has a point…" Ali sighed.
"Well, maybe you are right, Littlefoot. I do not want to go home though… not yet." "I want to be with you!"
"It's a rather long walk since our nesting places are on the other side of the valley… we might get lost too since we don't really know this part of the valley yet…"
"Aww, come on…" Ali begged but conscience won the raging battle in Littlefoot's head.
"Sorry, Ali, but if we get into trouble, we might not be allowed to see each other at all," Littlefoot pointed out, finally convincing his friend.
"Ehh, right. Let's go then, the beautiful part of the show is over anyway," Ali submitted, tomorrow would be another day. The sunset had passed its beautiful phase - now it was simply getting more and more dark while the colours on the sky were retreating to be replaced by an ever darkening blue which would soon turn into perfect black dotted with little white lights… and the Night Circle, obviously.
"Let's take the same route back so we don't get lost," Littlefoot advised.
"Yeah, good idea…" Ali agreed, rewarding Littlefoot's idea with a smile. "Even though it is safe here, I don't feel eager about not finding my way back home…"
"Okay then, let's go!" Littlefoot exclaimed, walking ahead though Ali was right next to him in no time, making sure to walk as close to Littlefoot as she could.
*
Littlefoot and Ali hadn't been the only one's to watch the sunset this evening. A particularly large couple of Longnecks stood on the southern rim of the valley's walls, their necks entangled as they leaned against each other while the sky was slowly darkening above them, announcing the nearby arrival of the night.
"This was the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time - aside from you, that is," the gigantic form of Kenneth spoke in his calm, deep voice, bending his neck down to the smaller female who was considered a giant among her fellow Longnecks nevertheless.
"Stop it, you!" Sue retorted, blushing badly about the compliment of her compagnon. She had only met him a few hours ago and, already, they were as familiar around each other like an old couple.
"Thank you for inviting me to observe this little wonder of nature with you, it was a blast, Sue," Ken spoke, affectionate.
"Why, you are much welcome, dear," Sue chuckled. "A blast it was indeed."
"Got anything else planned today?" the male casually mentioned. With amusement, he observed the reaction this caused in Sue. Extreme excitement.
"No-ho, I am free tonight," Sue whistled, a sheepish grin appearing on her face. "What about you, Ken?"
"Got nothin' planned," he shrugged. "Not yet." There was a flicker in his eyes which were directly staring into Sue's.
Both understood the message. Without another word uttered, only mysterious glances exchanged, they slowly walked into a sparsely populated area of the valley, only the wind knowing what happened thereafter…
*
When Littlefoot and Ali arrived back at the nesting area of Bron's herd, the sky had almost turned black already, only the distant orange hue on the western horizon providing a little remnant of daylight to the two children. Except for agreeing on a meeting point for the next day, there had been silence between them - after spending almost all day together, there wasn't much left to talk about but a lot to think about and remember. However, as they passed by the sleeping area of Bron and Shorty, Ali suddenly remembered something.
"Littlefoot? Did you actually ask Bron about Shorty when you were talking to him?"
"Huh, why would I… oh…" That was when Littlefoot remembered. "Uhh, right... "
"Do not worry, Littlefoot," Ali spoke as she noticed the guilty look the boy'd give her. "Ask him tomorrow then… also ask Bron if I may see Shorty to give him another lecture if necessary. There are some things I need to talk about with him…"
"Well, are you sure this is going to change him significantly, Ali?" Littlefoot questioned, doubtful.
"See, as you said earlier today, Shorty likes me… he wants me to like him so he will listen… at least I hope so."
"Well, I'll ask him tomorrow, won't forget it again," Littlefoot declared, sighing.
"Much appreciated," Ali smiled, quickly nuzzling Littlefoot much to the boy's surprise.
After another two minutes, they had to separate to walk to their respective families to spend the night.
"Well, today was a lot of fun!" Ali exclaimed, turning to Littlefoot, facing him. "Thank you for the wonderful day with you, Littlefoot." With that being said, Ali, again, began nuzzling Littlefoot who slightly recoiled.
"Don't you like it?" Ali asked in confusion and disappointment, retreating from her friend.
"I do… just…" Littlefoot was searching for the right words, noticing the slightly sad look on Ali. "It feels… funny when you do that…"
"Parents nuzzle their children to show them their love…" Ali explained, though that was only one part of the explanation. "And friends do it to show that they like each other. Don't you like me, Littlefoot?"
Littlefoot was quick to respond.
"Ali, how is this even a question?!" he shouted. "I wouldn't be playing games and do all sorts of things with you if I didn't like you… silly girl." He chuckled lightly.
"But you don't like me nuzzling you…" Ali protested weakly, pouting slightly.
"Yes, because it feels awkward if you do so…" Littlefoot explained, shrugging.
"Okay then…" Ali spoke up, trying to hide her disappointment. "Well, see you tomorrow."
"Good night, Ali. Seeya tomorrow!" Littlefoot called before the two children separated, each going back to their nests where their parents were already waiting for them...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now I'm just curious what you guys are going to write in the comments xD
