New Worlds

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Well hello there my wonderful readers. So here we are, the first year that's split into two parts. A lot happens in this year, that I hope you guys enjoy! As always don't forget to leave a review letting me know what you think or drop a fav and a follow and I'll see you guys next week!

Chapter 3 – The Fearful Fours part 1.

After Terra died, Una became scared of everything.

She didn't want to be left alone, she couldn't sleep at night unless she was tucked right into Rela's side. It took many moon phases to get her out of that, and back into her own nest but every night she slept alone she woke up with some kind of nightmare and wanted to be right next to Rela afterwards.

Though Rela loved having her little hatchling close to her, that too was getting old.

So Rela put her little hatchling to asleep another night. Una was in full view of all the raptors, she could open her eyes and see all of them. This was to make her feel safe, and for once it looked like it might work.

But then, in the middle of the night a little scream peeled through the night and the group of raptors all collectively groaned now that they were awake.

"Rela"! was barked at her from all corner of their little nesting area in tones of disrespectful annoyance.

"I know, I know," she said, already moving towards the little nest of leaves and vice that Una was hiding in. "Una…"

She had tried to be patient, but this was starting to wear on even her. She needed sleep, they all did, and sooner or later Una's cries were going to attract a predator. It was a miracle that one hadn't been attracted yet.

"It's coming to get me mummy," Una said from within her little ball of leaves. All Rela could make out was her little hatchling's eyes. Who would have thought bipeds had such active imaginations.

"Nothing is coming to get you. You're nothing but bones, you wouldn't taste good."

Una sniffed a bit, her tears fading immediately. "I stay with you, mummy?"

Rela really should have said no but she rarely said no to her little hatchling, and that was part of the problem.

"Alright… but this is the last night," she warned already knowing she was lying.

Una clamoured out of her nest and scrambled over to where Rela slept beside her. She waited for Rela to settle in before she curled herself up to Rela's side. That time when Una fell asleep she stayed that way.

-JP-JP-JP-

Today was the first time Una would be felt alone since Terra had died. Six moon cycles had gone by and while Rela knew Una was still afraid she needed the whole pack for this hunt.

That and her pack mates were sick of babysitting her.

But Una wouldn't stop crying and it was hurting her heart to hear it.

"Una stop this," Rela snapped. "You will be alright."

"But what if it comes back?"

"Well with all your shrieking it probably will."

Rela shot a glare at Roc who crouched into a submissive stance despite seeming very pleased with himself.

But Una had stopped whining. Though her tears were still streaming down her face, at least now she was doing it silently.

"You will be alright. Remember your hiding hole?"

The hiding hole was a dug out space beneath a rotting stump. Rela had marked the stump plus the hole itself to ensure no one moved into it. Between the smell, the dirt and the roots nothing would be able to find her little hatchling if she hid there.

"Yes."

"If something big comes, run to the hole, okay?"

"What about the eggs?" one of her packmates asked.

"Not like she'll be any good against an egg eater," Roc snarled.

Rela glared at them all. Roc had a point though.

The Eggs were freshly laid a few nights ago. All except Rela had a new clutch coming this time around. Rela was too buys with Una to have new hatchling to worry about. And Una, who only came up to Rela's haunches and had no claws or sharp teeth, would not be good protection. Not for herself or any eggs.

She turned back to Una. "Don't you worry about that. You just hide, alright?"

Una nodded despite the murmur of displeasure that whispered through the pack.

"And try not to cry."

Una nodded and Rela moved in to nuzzle her little hatchling good-bye before sending the pack on their way and leaving Una behind.

She wanted to say that it was alright, but Rela was nervous too, she just didn't want anything to happen to her little hatchling.

-JP-JP-JP-

Una was scared.

A good raptor shouldn't be scared.

She had cried today, not wanting to be left alone, and her mummy had looked so upset. Then she heard the disappointed pack murmurings when Rela said not to protect the eggs.

She didn't want the pack to be upset, she didn't want something to happen to the eggs that held her future playmates.

So she would be brave for them.

Una counted the eggs.

Splashed in the water then recounted the eggs. She did not lose a single one.

So she rewarded herself with a mango.

Then she counted the eggs again, still the same number and then she figured she'd start on making her nest for the night.

She climbed up the closest trees to borrow branches and vines and leaves to build it up. it was on her way down that she heard the chirping. Una dropped everything to the ground and then soundlessly dropped too, crouching, hidden ben the tree's roots. It wasn't bird chirping but it didn't sound like it was coming from a big threatening predator either.

And then this little dinosaur hopped into her clearing. It looked like a little raptor, except it's head was smaller. It even had the head swivel.

Una had never seen anything like it before.

"Hello," she said stepping out from the roots and it's beady gaze focused on her.

This couldn't be a baby raptor, it looked to be a fully grown something, she just didn't know what.

"Food?"

"No, I don't have food," Una said. "But my pack with be back with food soon."

Her pack didn't like to share but if this was a baby maybe they would.

"Food."

Una shook her head. "No… no food…"

"FOOD!"

And then the clearing was filled with all these little raptors all screaming: "Food!"

Una had no idea what was happening but they clearly weren't scared of her. They went for the eggs and Una yelped.

"No! No! Leave them alone!"

These were supposed to be her new siblings, they couldn't eat her new siblings. She swatted a few away but they just kept coming. They managed to crack one egg open and Una howled in dismay. No! Her mummy would be so mad!

While they all piled onto the shattered egg the others that couldn't get any turned their beady gaze onto her.

"Food!" they all started chirruping but Una wasn't going to let them take more eggs.

But they were all moving towards her now. "Una not food!" she cried but one hopped closer to her and nipped at her ankle.

That time Una cried out in pain.

"Food!" they all cried joyously and then they swarmed her like they had the egg. Each taking turns hopping and nipping.

Una tried to back away but they tripped her up. Once she was on the ground they were biting her all over. Una cried out and covered her face, trying to avoid their nips and teeth and failing. It hurt, they might even rip her up but at least they had left the eggs alone.

-JP-JP-JP-

When Rela heard Una's cries she abandoned that hunt she had her pack on immediately and rushed back to the nest. Finding it over run with Compy's was unexpected. These little scavengers would eat anything, and a nest of eggs was a prime meal for them. Realizing that it was Una they had swarmed instead of the eggs had set her heartrate up.

She jumped into the fray hissing and snapping at all the little Compy's who dared to cross into her territory, who dared to come into her nest and hurt her little hatchling. She managed to snatch up a few of them, the others ran away screaming, then Rela turned her attention to her little Una who had curled up in on herself.

She was bleeding everywhere, little pieces were missing in the shape of their greedy mouths. But she was whimpering and alive and that was all that mattered. None of the bites looked too serious, but she wasn't a raptor like her and could get very sick from these bites.

She went about licking the injuries as the others filed into the clearing. Each taking stock of their nests. Only one egg lost. Remarkable, but then again, they must have turned on Una when they realized her to be easier and tastier prey.

Una was crying again, big shuddering sobs, and she was doing it quietly as requested.

"What's the matter, does something else hurt?" Rela asked.

Roc had nuzzled in beside her, was softly licking at her wounds, helping Rela clean them. It was odd to have him so close to her, for him to care, but she was busy talking to Una who was clearly very upset. After this, Una was certain she wouldn't ever be able to leave her hatchling alone again.

But Una said: "They ate eggy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

Rela turned to the lost egg, and the mother who was fixing up her next to fill in the space to keep the other eggs from sliding out.

"It's alright Una," Rela said. "It's alright. Why didn't you run? You were supposed to go to the hiding hole."

Una shook her head. "Didn't want them to eat anymore eggies."

The others in her pack turned to her, surprised. Rela too was surprised. She had stayed, let those creatures take pieces of her to save the eggs? What a brave little hatchling.

Una swiped at her eyes. "I sorry… I couldn't stop…"

"We always lose an egg or two," Rela said. "You did a good job."

She nuzzled Una's cheek. A soft spot where there were no more bites.

Yes, a good job indeed.

-JP-JP-JP-

"They're hatching! Mummy! They're hatching!"

Rela lifted her head and turned to where Una was standing waving wildly. She was hopping from nest to nest watching the eggs wiggle.

Around the clearing the other raptors all raised their heads. Then they were all rushing towards her. Rela went with them, only to watch her excited little hatchling as she went to each and every nest to check each and every egg.

She got in everyone's way and was generally being quite annoying to the point that Rela was forced to take her away.

"Come on little hatchling," she called. In fact she had to call it a few times before Una reluctantly left the nests to join her.

"Come, we'll go for a walk, we'll pick you up something yummy to eat."

"Okay mummy."

She left the pack to watch their eggs hatch and took her little hatchling into the jungle. Her little hatchling couldn't live on a diet of just mangoes so they had started looking for foods that she could eat. So far they had found that the spike yellow fruit was good for her. She especially liked drinking from the round nuts. She couldn't eat the outside but she loved the white skin inside. They had watched the monkeys open the nuts so they could get to the meat inside and they had copied it. Opening them up on rocks when they could find them.

They foraged a bit, Una's little arms filling up with mangos and other fruits. When they were heading back Rela would take the round brown nuts back to their nesting sight with her mouth.

She was going to have to look into finding a better way to carry all of these things.

"Mummy?" Una suddenly asked.

She had a habit of just singing random words sometimes but Rela knew that this time her little hatchling was asking her a question.

"Yes?"

"How come you don't have any eggs to hatch?"

Rela blinked slowly before saying: "Well I have you. And that is enough for me."

Una turned to her. "Does that mean you'd have eggs to hatch if I wasn't your hatchling."

"Probably…"

"Does that make you sad?"

"No," Rela said meaning it completely and she moved in to nuzzle her again causing the little girl to squeal. "I love my little hatchling."

After the nuzzling Una was quiet for a little while longer. "Am I always going to be enough or will you hatch eggs too?"

"Maybe one day, but you don't have to worry about that."

Rela watched as her little hatchling frowned. "What? What's the matter? Why are you asking about me and eggs so much?"

"Because I want sisters," she said. "I want to help you hatch baby sisters."

Rela found herself snorting in amusement. "And maybe one day you will," she said, moving to nuzzle her girl again. She continued to nuzzle her until she was nothing but a squealing ball of mess at Rela's feet.

When she was done she smiled down at her little girl. "But right now, you are all I need."

"You're all I need too mummy."

Una got up, picked up the dropped fruits. Once everything was back in her arms she asked: "Do you think the new babies will like me?"

Rela thought back to the last time they had hatchlings and how they hadn't realized that Una wasn't food. She didn't want her baby being chewed up again, especially after the compys a few moons ago.

"I don't see why not."

And it was true. Una was older and wiser now, more like a raptor than she was back when she was new to the pack. There was no reason why this time couldn't go better than the last.

"Oh yay! I can't wait. Can we go back now mummy? See how many are out?"

Rela smiled at her eager little hatchling. Even though she didn't have any eggs to hatch she was quite excited to see how many hatchlings they got that year. She always loved having hatchlings around.

She took up the brown tree nuts into her mouth before nudging her hatchling in the direction of the nest. Yes, maybe this time would be better.