Chapter 9: Still one of us

After a couple minutes, the gang was closer to finishing their food.

"You know, this strange food not that bad." Petrie said as he grabbed a flower and put some stuff on his Sweet Bubbles. "Especially with just a dash of stinky on it."

Meanwhile, Cera was telling Strongtooth about what they were doing here.

"So anyway, that's how we got here. I know our folks are worried about us. But we can't find a way to get back."

"I don't want you to go." Strongtooth said sadly. "Stay here. I'll take care of you like Littlefoot took care of me."

"Thanks Strongtooth. But I don't think we can get used to living in a place that...uh...smells like this. But thanks for the food though. You sure you won't have a bite of those Scaly-swimmers Chomper left you?"

Strongtooth wanted too. But then he remembered something. His parents still didn't like Scaly-swimmers after eating the ones in the Big Water.

"Uh, no thanks. I gotta go." He said as he walked away.

Cera then turned over to Littlefoot.

"I think I know what you're worried about." She said to him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You're worried that Strongtooth might end up becoming a normal Sharptooth someday."

"What? No. That's not what worries me."

"Then what is it?"

"His parents. I'm worried that they might find out he's friends with us."

"What's wrong about that?" Cera asked confused.

"Remember what happened back in The Great Valley? On the day we hatched him?"

"That time was different." Cera said seriously. "We saw Strongtooth walking up the cliff to rescue you and Ruby from the Egg-stealers. But they tossed you guys already and me and Spike were able to catch you. If Strongtooth hadn't gotten his parents to chase the Egg-stealers, they'd still be after us by now."

Littlefoot looked at her. He wasn't sure, but Cera had a point. If it wasn't for Strongtooth, the Egg-stealers would still be after them by now.

"You're right. What was I thinking? Strongtooth helped us a lot. I just don't know what to say to him."

"Don't worry. I'll talk to him for you." Cera said as she ran off to find him.

"You think she wants that last Tree-sweet?" Littlefott asked the others. Until Spike walked over and ate it.

It didn't take Cera too long to find Strongtooth as she found him walking home.

"Strongtooth." Cera said to him. "Wait. There's something I need to tell you."

But before she could say it, Strongtooth's mother snuck up behind her and hid behind a bush. Strongtooth then walked over to her as she nuzzled him before walking away.

"She really loves you." Cera said as she came out of hiding.

"Yeah." Said Strongtooth.

"What'd she say anyway?"

"She told me not to play with my food."

"Aw. That's what I wanted to talk about. I'm sorry Strongtooth. But if your parents knew we're friends, they'd never let you see us again. That's what Littlefoot was worried about."

"It's alright Cera. You are what you are. He is what he is. And I am what I am. We can't change it. But we can still be friends. Can we?"

"Of course we can. I'm sure Littlefoot will be happy to hear about that."

"Strongtooth!" His mother called.

"I better get home. See you later."

"You too." Cera said as they walked away from each other. Until Cera realized something. "Oh no. I bet somebody ate my last Tree-sweet."

Cera ran back to the Stinky Place as she topped just outside of it with Littlefoot looking at her.

"Well?" He asked.

"Strongtooth said it'll be alright if his parents find out about us." She answered as the others walked over. "As for the rest of you. If that Tree-sweet is gone, I'm going to be really mad."

Just then, the others saw something behind her and ran back inside.

"Yeah! You better be scared. Because if somebody ate it,"

Before she could finish, she heard a roar and looked behind her. It was the Horned Sharptooth.

Cera screamed as she ran inside. However, the Horned Sharptooth ripped the flowers out of the ground with its mouth. The Stinky Place couldn't hide the gang anymore. They ran away as the Horned Sharptooth ended up spitting the flowers out and went after them.

Meanwhile, Strongtooth wasn't close enough to home as he heard the roaring not to far away.

"I wonder who that is. Not my daddy. Or my mommy."

"AAAAHHHH!"

"Cera!"

Acting quick, Strongtooth used his sniffer to find the gang.

Back with the gang, they all ran across the log bridge without slipping. But doing so made it wobble.

"Whoa!" Chomper screamed as the log began to fall with him still on it. But he grabbed onto the ledge in time and climbed up as the Horned Sharptooth arrived.

"Ha ha!" Cera laughed.

"The log is gone. You can not get across." Ducky teased.

"Me think you a stinker." Petrie also teased.

However, the Horned Sharptooth was able to leap over the pit and made it to the other side safely.

"Just kidding." Said a very nerves Petrie.

The gang quickly ran away from the Horned Sharptooth again as they went down a hill. Just as they reached a rock with a small opening under it.

"Under here." Littlefoot said as he lead the others inside.

The Horned Sharptooth tried to get in. But his horns made to hard for him as he snorted on the gang.

"Phew!" Cera exclaimed.

"I don't think he can reach us." Said Chomper.

Wrong. Because the Horned Sharptooth managed to use its horns to sash the rock into pebbles.

"I don't agree with that." Said Ruby.

The gang moved out of the way as the Horned Sharptooth missed them and ended up biting the pebbles instead. Just he ended up spitting them out.

The gang was now running as fast as they can. However, they came to a dead end in front of a cliff. And what was at the bottom?

"Oh no! The Big Water!" Petrie exclaimed. "And the Swimming Sharptooth."

He was right. Because a grey tooth was sticking out of the water.

"Well never mind that Sharptooth." Said Cera. "Worry about that one."

The Horned Sharptooth was getting closer. The gang backed away a bit. Only to get closer to the ledge. But jest as he got closer, he ended up roaring in pane. And what was that on his tail?

"Strongtooth!" The gang cheared.

Strongtooth had his mouth biting on the Horned Sharptooths tail. However, he saw Strongtooth and was about to attack him.

"Hey! Leave him alone you big bully!" Cera shouted as she charged at the Horned Sharptooth and raimmed his foot.

That got Strongtooth to see the Horned Sharptooth closing his mouth to him. Acting quick, Strongtooth let go and fell. Making the Horned Sharptooth bite his own tail instead. Just as he edned up roaring in pane.

"Good work." Ruby said to Cera.

But it wasn't over yet. As the Horned Sharptooth was about to attack them.

"Hey! You!"

Turned to the left, the gang saw Strongtooth's parents walked over.

"Get away from our son!" Roared his mother.

Just then, Strongtooth's father circled around the Horned Sharptooth. Until the Horned Sharptooth slammed its horn on him. Then Strongtooth's father bit it on the belly. Only for it to scratch his face and then kick him away.

Strongtooth's mother charged at the Horned Sharptooth and knock it over. However, he quickly recovered and scratched her face before knocking her away with his tail.

"You can't do that to my mommy!" Strongtooth roared.

Just then, Strongtooth's father ran over and knocked the Horned Sharptooth back with his tail. But it was heading for the gang but they moved away in time. However, Strongtooth was cought by the Horned Sharptooth's tail which got him to fall into the water with it.

Strongtooth managed to rise his head to the serfece. But he couldn't swim very well.

"Mommy!" He shouted.

The Horned Sharptooth tried to get him. But the water made it too hard for him to do it.

"Oh no! Strongtooth!" Cera shouted.

Before the others knew it, Cera leaped off the cliff.

"Cera! NO!" Littlefoot shouted.

"You are not a swimmer!" Said Ducky.

And then, SPLASH! Cera landed in the water. And for just after five seconds, she rised up with Strongtooth on her back.

"Hang on. I got you." She said to him. "Stay in the still water."

And then, the Horned Sharptooth ended up drifting away in the water. It was done. The gang and Strongtooth's parents cheared to see that both of them were safe.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna try and get us back to shore." Cera said again.

However, Littlefoot spotted a tooth sticking out of the water.

"Oh no! The Swimming Sharptooth!"

He was right. It was back and it was now circling Cera and Strongtooth.

"Cera. I'm scared." Said Strongtooth.

"Hang on Strongtooth!" Cera said to him.

Both of them paniced as the tooth got closer to them. However, Cera felt a body touch her from under. A green body. And then they saw it. It wasn't the Swimming Sharptooth. It was a Swimming Longneck.

"You children look tired." She said to them. "Can I give you a ride?"

Cera and Strongtooth nodded. The Swimming Longneck then took them back to the shore.

The gang cheered as they hugged each other. Or in Littlefoot and Ruby's case, they were kissing.

"Yeah! Way to," Chomper shouted. However, he looked up to see that he was hugging Strongtooth's father. Who smiled as he was glad as well. "Yeah! Whoo! Alright!"

"Last stop. Everybody off." The Swimming Longneck said as they got to shore.

Ducky walked over to her. She was quite impressed to see that even Longnecks can swim.

"Hello Deary. I'm Elsie." She introdused herself as Cera and Strongtooth walked off of her. "Ohh. Watch the eyes."

Cera ran to the gang as they gave her a hug or nuzzle. Strongtooth also ran to his parents as his mother picked him up before turning to the gang.

"Don't worry. You're safe with us." She roared.

"She says you're safe with them." Strongtooth translated.

Strongtooth's father then sniffed them before whisping to his mate, 'Anything that smells like that couldn't taste very good anyway.'

"What did he say? I couldn't hear him?" Said Chomper.

"He said yeah. Same goes for him." Said Strongtooth.

"You know, I think we now like the Two-claws who like getting along with the Leaf-eaters." Roared Strongtooth's mother.

"Me too. Maybe we can get along with the Leaf-eaters. And find some better tasting Scaly Swimmers." Roared his father.

Strongtooth's mother gave Cera a nuzzle to thank her for saving Strongtooth's life.

"You're welcome." She said to her.

"You were right Cera." Said Littlefoot. "We still have Strongtooth as our friend. In fact, he's like family to us."

"Yeah. Just like our families." Said Chomper.

"Only our families no like Plated Sharpteeth." Said Petrie.

"Our families." Ruby said sadly. "Not that we ever will see our families again. See our families again, not that we ever will."

"What's that young Fast-runner?" Elsie asked. "Got some lost relations on the other side of the pond you say? Well, I just might be able to do something about that."

Upon hearing that, the gang smiled.

Authors Note:

This was a long and hard chapter to write. I'm not sure how it'll turn out. But I guess it is what it is. And yes it's true. There are gonna be some things that Cera's ganna belieave in this.