Familiar Love

How much will you find?

Prologue: Wishful Thinking under a Starry Sky

The bright circle is so vibrant and beautiful. Its rays shine down in golden glory, warming body and soul and lighting the way to paths of a bright future. While some call it yellow and hot, those of clear vision can perceive its true nature as hope and safety. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, so it was perfectly clear outside. Few sleep while the bright circle has its shift in the sky with its radiant splendor that reigns down each waking moment. Too bad it wasn't out though.

The time was night, and all was dark save what little light the sky ornaments shared to the earth below. There was barely any wind, and it was sporadic, blowing on occasion without a pattern. The grass therefore rippled as randomly as the waves of the ocean, and the tree branches and bushes trembled even more so. The Great Valley was very quiet outside of the wind's targets, and nearly everyone was sound asleep. A few grownups were snoring, but few could tell unless they were very close, and almost no nests came anywhere near each other. Two figures, however, were not only away from their nests but very much awake, yet they were not having any trouble getting to sleep. They simply weren't ready yet.

"Wow. There sure are a lot of stars out tonight, grandpa." Littlefoot was lying beside his grandfather on some grass at the foot of a small hill, close enough that they shared the warmth of their bodies and the love in their hearts. He looked up in awe as he did every night when the sky was littered with gems, filling it with glowing magnificence.

"There certainly are, Littlefoot," his grandpa replied, nodding in agreement as he glanced down at him with a grin.

"I wonder what they're all for. I mean, they don't really give enough light to be very helpful like the bright and the night circle." He kept looking up, admiring the little lights and then finally glanced at his grandfather in hopes that he had a response.

"That's true. I can't say I know what the stars in the sky are for, but mysteries like this are what make life exciting. If we knew everything, where would the fun be?" He continued to smile at his grandson and only when their eyes broke apart did he too look high into the night.

"I hadn't thought of that," Littlefoot replied as he pondered it for a while, face clearly showing his concentration.

His grandfather chuckled at this and added, "By the way, there is an old story my grandpa told me about a special kind of star."

"Ooh, really? What's the story? I didn't know there are different kinds of stars." He nearly got to his feet in excitement but managed to stay nestled on the ground. He eagerly awaited what his grandfather would say next.

"We see stars staying in place all the time, but there are a few that fly through the sky. They're called shooting stars. Legend has it that if someone was to see one and makes a wish before anyone else who saw it does, that wish will come true," he explained while adding enough drama to his tone to truly make the account suspenseful.

"Wow…" came Littlefoot's amazed reply with eyes open wide.

Littlefoot's grandfather chuckled once again and replied, "Of course, like the Lone Dinosaur, it's just a legend, a story passed down to entertain the young ones."

"So you're sure it isn't true?" he asked his grandfather with a mix of hope and potential disappointment.

"Well, I can't deny I have my doubts about getting a wish granted, but it certainly is exciting to imagine, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, for sure," he agreed quickly.

Suddenly considering both the time and what Littlefoot's grandmother might think if she knew they were out here this late, he announced, "Well, it's getting late. Time for sleep." And with that, he scooted his grandson gently with his head over to their nesting area.

Littlefoot turned twice, yawning as he did so, and then lied down to rest. His grandpa walked over to his mate and began to snooze as well, making sure not to wake her. At last, all the dinosaurs of the Great Valley were getting their much-needed sleep, but that wouldn't last for long…

Later that night…

A dragonfly flew about the Great Valley. It passed threehorns, swimmers, and more kinds as he sought a place to rest. Finally, he landed- right on Littlefoot's nose. Looking about and not moving from his spot, the insect got comfortable. However, the tickling of his little wings and the slight pressure on the longneck's face made him awake after only a few moments. With a sudden jerking of Littlefoot's head in surprise, the bug quickly took off again to find a safer place to rest. The young boy took one more look at the beautiful, starry sky then closed his eyes, yawning as laid his tired body down. Suddenly, they opened wide. He was too drowsy to have noticed it right away, but before he had tried to sleep again, it had dawned on him that he had seen something moving up in the sky.

He got to his feet and looked upward once again with excitement. His mouth was agape as he gazed at a star shooting through the air. What a coincidence to have seen one already, he thought to himself. He had to make a wish before anyone else saw it! He prepared to speak, but his throat seemed to have stopped working for a moment. His eagerness was overwhelming, but he finally settled himself down enough to talk.

"Um, shooting star, I wish for-" he paused, eyes suddenly looking down as he tried ever so quickly to think of something he wanted. He was very happy, so it took him a little while, but at last, he knew what his heart desired. "My mother died a lot sooner than she should have, and I miss her a lot. I wish that my young mother was alive right now."

He finished his request just as the star was flying over the outside of the valley. He gazed around him, expecting his mom to suddenly appear nearby. Would she be behind him? He quickly turned around. Maybe beside his grandparents? His eyes darted to where they slept. At the main entrance to the Great Valley? With great speed, he hurried to the opening that visitors most used to enter. Alas, no one came into view.

"I guess- I guess it really is just a legend," he said to himself sadly, tail between his legs and head and eyes to the ground. He walked back to his nest slowly with a great sense of disappointment looming around him. When he got back to his sleeping place, he didn't bother turning a few times before lying down. He just plopped onto his belly and went to sleep.

Chapter End

"Hey, guys. It's the number one threehorn in the Great Valley, Cera. I just thought you guys could use a little preview of what's to come next time on Familiar Love, and with my smarts, I'm the best one for the job! So anyway, some good friends decide to leave for a while, and I'm really going to miss them, hard as that is to admit. I'm especially worried about Petrie though. Is he being led into danger?"