I do not own Gigantosaurus.
Sticky Situations
Under the golden light of the morning sun, Mazu carefully constructed a concoction that was the first step in her plans for a new invention. Half a coconut sat in front of her, containing liquidized sticky fruit, residue from the Weird Fishes' bubbles, the stickiest sap she could find and some water to thin out the mixture.
"Interesting! Mixing sticky fruit, bubbles and sap makes everything turn pink!" she exclaimed as she stirred the elements together with a piece of bamboo. When she was satisfied everything was thoroughly combined, she lifted out the bamboo, where a long pink strand of her freshly-made goo connected one end of the stick to the rest of the mixture. "And putting them together makes an extra sticky blend."
It took a few tugs in order to get the bamboo free. "Too sticky," said Mazu with a sigh. "If anyone tries to eat this, their teeth will get glued together. I'll have to weaken the stickiness…but not too much. I can't make a bubble-blowing sweet without it."
She tapped a finger against her chin, studying her goo critically. Though it certainly wasn't edible, maybe she had cracked the code to making her own bubbles. That was an important component to her invention, after all. She had to make sure she was at least on the right track.
She stuck the hollowed-out bamboo into the coconut and inhaled just enough to get the goo inside. She aimed the bamboo towards the sky and blew gently. A pink bubble began to form. Delighted by this development, Mazu kept exhaling, making the bubble grow bigger and bigger.
I did it! I made my own bubble goo!
Her excitement was short-lived.
It took a minute for her to register that her feet were no longer on solid ground. Blinking in confusion, Mazu looked down, only to find herself steadily floating in the air. "Too much bubble!" she cried.
She reached out, seizing one of her den's upper-floor windowsills. Her fingers clung to stone as she tried to let go of the bamboo. But some of the goo had gotten onto the wood and she discovered that her fingers were stuck.
"Uh-oh," she said with wide eyes.
The bubble kept trying to lift her higher into the air. Mazu held on to the den with all of her strength, feeling her arms strain. The bubble attempted to pull her right arm in one direction while the other kept her steadfast in place.
"Come on, come on," she muttered, shaking the bamboo as hard as she could. "Just need to get this off—"
Pop!
Mazu yelped as the bubble burst, drenching her in goo and sticking her to the exterior of the den. She stared down in dismay at the gobs of pink that pasted her to the den. Her feet dangled high above the ground.
"Oh, coconuts," said Mazu nervously. "That's a long drop."
She increased her grip on the window and tried to pull herself loose, hoping to climb to safety through the opening above her. But she was stuck tight and she eventually gave up. "Now what?" she wondered.
Her friends were playing at the lake, and she had no idea when they would be back home. She squinted out across the savannah, but didn't see a single dinosaur that would be able to help her. With a heavy sigh, she muttered, "I guess I'm going to be here for a while."
But assistance arrived only ten minutes later, and Mazu was greatly relieved to hear the familiar thumps of Giganto's steps. The enormous dinosaur rounded the corner of the den and, when he didn't notice the Ankylosaurus, she called, "Giganto!"
Pausing, Giganto looked down. Upon seeing the little dino plastered to the outside of her home with a strange pink goop, he gave a bewildered growl.
"Er, I had a little mishap with my newest invention," said Mazu sheepishly. "I made a goo that's really sticky. I can't get myself free. Could you please help me?"
With extraordinary care, Giganto grasped Mazu's left arm with his front teeth. With a firm tug Mazu was pulled free, leaving clumps of goo behind on the stone. Giganto placed her back on the ground and Mazu grinned.
"Thanks, Giganto!" She used her teeth to yank the bamboo from her hand, careful not to touch any of the sticky parts. She tossed it to the side and gingerly started to walk towards the creek. The sun warmed the goo on her scales and she could feel it melting against her. "Yuck."
She hopped into the lukewarm water, where it sloshed around her ankles, and tried scrubbing the sticky concoction off her legs. The goo stuck to her paw and when Mazu tried to fling it off, it just stretched out in thin, rubbery strands. "I really went overboard on the stickiness," said Mazu with a groan. "This is ridiculous!"
Giganto shook his head fondly as the young dinosaur pouted. He knelt down and lifted Mazu out of the water with his claws. Unprepared for the sudden ascent, Mazu held on to a talon for balance. "Giganto? What are you—?"
Her words were cut off with a small yelp of surprise as Giganto licked her head. "Giganto!" she said with a startled laugh. "What's gotten into you?"
He gave a short, low rumble before continuing to lick her scales, the strength of his tongue easily outpowering the stickiness of her homemade goo. "Thanks for the help," said Mazu with relief. "I wasn't having much luck, was I?"
She was happy to sit in his claw and let him take care of the troublesome goo. She hummed under her breath, letting her eyes wander over the impressive view before her. Even though Giganto had great vision, it was no wonder that even he sometimes overlooked things. There was just so much to take in from such a towering height.
So she was quite proud of herself for spotting the tiny speck that was Rugo running amongst the emerald green blades of grass. "Hi, Rugo!" she shouted.
Rugo halted, rising up on her hindlegs and tilting her chin back as far as she could. Mazu was a little brown dot cradled in Giganto's claws and Rugo blinked in bemusement at the sight before her. "What's going on?"
"I was working on a new invention, and there was an incident," replied Mazu. "I was trying to make a bubble-blowing sweet but it was too sticky. It ended up all over me."
"A bubble-blowing sweet!" said Rugo eagerly. "That sounds delicious!"
"Well, my first try certainly isn't meant for eating," said Mazu with a wince.
She could not help but feel discouraged and embarrassed by how epically her attempt had failed. Her shoulders slumped, but a firm nudge to her back had her straightening again. She peeked at Giganto, who stared steadily at her. Though he spoke no words and made no sounds, the emotion in his eyes was all Mazu needed.
"You're right, Giganto. It's just a setback. I'll figure it out!" said Mazu confidently. "It's silly to think everything can be done right on the first try."
Giganto growled in approval and, when the little Ankylosaur was free of goo, placed her back on the ground. "Thanks, Giganto," said Mazu brightly.
"Hey, I think I've got some sticky fruit caught in my fur. I could use your help too, Giganto," said Rugo with a snicker.
Unimpressed with her wit, Giganto roared at her, sending the rodent tumbling through the grass. Rugo quickly took off with a cackle. "Let me know when you finish your bubble-blowing sweet, Mazu!"
When Rugo thought she was far enough away from Giganto's ire, she glanced over her shoulder. She could see Mazu talking animatedly to Giganto, no doubt telling him how she planned to make her second batch of bubble-blowing sweet. The Gigantosaurus seemed rather impressed by whatever Mazu was saying, and Rugo chuckled.
"I think I know who'll get to be among the first to test Mazu's new sweet."
…
Though the pile of golden moss was too tall for Bill to see over, his long neck allowed him to peek around it. He ventured through the jungle, keeping his senses alert for the raptors and Rugo. Cror and Totor would take great delight in pilfering his picnic food, and Rugo simply couldn't help herself sometimes. She loved food more than he did, and that was really saying something.
"I hope I gathered enough," he muttered.
He had promised Leon a picnic by the lake. The turtle had never tried golden moss before, and since it was the most delicious moss in all the world, Bill thought it was his duty to correct this. It would be very disappointing to the both of them if Bill failed to bring enough food.
"Well, I guess if there isn't enough, I can give him some of mine," decided Bill. The idea made him feel a bit glum, but he knew it was important to share.
Something wet plopped against his head and Bill glanced up in dismay. "Oh, not rain!"
The sky was still a brilliant blue. Directly above his head was a dino beehive, which was leaking globs of honey. Bill beamed. "Hey! I bet honey would go great with cave moss!"
He positioned the moss beneath the hive, so that the honey would drip directly onto it. He was so concentrated on keeping watch for dino bees that he failed to notice the branch supporting the hive was cracking.
A few minutes later, the wood broke through completely.
The hive plummeted, bouncing off the moss and cracking against the top of Bill's head. He pitched forwards with a surprised grunt, landing face-first in the hard dirt and spongy cave moss. When the stars cleared from his vision, he noticed two things.
The hive had split in two when it struck him, drenching him with honey. The second thing he noticed was the buzzing horde of dino bees rising out of the hive, obviously displeased with the destruction of their home.
"I didn't do it!" cried Bill.
The dino bees did not seem to care about whether or not it was his fault. They pursued the Brachiosaurus through the jungle and all the way to the lake. When the body of water was in sight Bill wasted no time in jumping in the deep blue water, submerging himself completely.
He held his breath, his cheeks puffed out, and peered anxiously at the surface. Light reflected off the water and he could see the shadows of the bees flitting angrily above him.
Just as his air was about to run out, the bees gave up and flew away. Bill popped his head above the water and took a deep breath. "Phew!" he gasped. "That was kinda scary. I hate angry dino bees."
"Bill! Are you okay?" asked Leon worriedly, swimming up to his friend.
"Oh, I'm fine."
"What happened?"
"A dino beehive fell on my head," said Bill with a shiver. "It broke apart and their honey got all over me."
Leon smiled. "I think you got our picnic all over you too."
Bill looked down at himself in surprise. Leon was right—clumps of moss were stuck to the honey smeared over his scales. He had been so panicked about the dino bees that he hadn't even noticed he was no longer carrying their lunch.
"At least you didn't lose it," said Leon with a laugh.
"But now we can't eat it," said Bill sadly. "It's all wet and soggy and gross. I'm really sorry, Leon."
"Don't be sorry. I'm just glad you're okay. We can find some other food for our picnic, and you can bring me cave moss any time, right?"
"Right," said Bill, cheered by Leon's positivity.
He waded to the bank, his hoofs squishing against the sand. He tried to peel the moss from his arm, but it just stuck to his paw instead. The moss had absorbed the water, making it weigh heavy against his scales and sink further into the layer of honey coating his body.
He tried fruitlessly to shake and pull the cave moss free. Leon watched Bill's wild and flailing movements. "Gee, dino bee honey is really sticky."
"It sure is. It also smells really good." He inhaled deeply, the mingling scents of honey and moss pleasing to his nose.
"I bet Termy thinks so too."
Bill's eyes tripled in size. "Terminonatator! I forgot about her!" He fearfully looked around, expecting the carnivorous dinosaur to rise from the lake's depths, ready to devour him.
What he found instead was a pair of hungry eyes several yards away, and a vicious red gaze pinning her in place.
Giganto lounged on the island, his sprawled form nearly occupying most of the water-locked land. His teeth were borne in a warning snarl, and when Termy shifted in the water, however slightly, a threatening growl rumbled from his throat.
"You don't have to worry," said Leon quickly. "Giganto won't let her come near you."
The tightness in Bill's chest eased, soothed by Giganto's presence. "Good thing he's here," he said in relief.
"The dino bees should be happy they left when they did," added Leon with a chuckle. "I think Giganto was getting ready to swat them for you."
"I'm happy the dino bees left when they did," said Bill feelingly. He tried once more to pry off some moss and when it remained plastered to his neck he groaned in frustration. "Why do these things always happen to me?"
"Grrrrrrrrrrr."
Believing the growl to be meant for Termy, Leon did not turn around. But Bill recognized the summons and glanced over at Giganto. The light green dinosaur jerked his head, indicating for Bill to come to him. The little Brachiosaurus was hesitant, his eyes shooting nervously to Termy.
Giganto rose to his full height, faced the Terminonatator, and gave a roar so ferocious it sent waves rolling across the water.
"Okay!" snapped Termy, her head popping completely above the surface. "It's my lake, but fine! I know when I'm not wanted. Thanks for ruining my lunch, again."
She swam off with a huff. Feeling much more confident now that Giganto had frightened Termy away, Bill swam to the island with Leon trailing behind him. He reached the shore and shyly shuffled up the sand. "Hi, Giganto."
"Hi, Big G," chirped Leon.
Giganto growled in greeting, lifting his tail to exchange a tail bump with Leon's flipper. His gaze fell upon Bill, his blue scales practically hidden by glistening yellow honey and gold moss. "I, er, had an incident with the dino bees," Bill said sheepishly.
Giganto raised a brow. Bill was slightly offended by the meaning behind it.
"I was being careful! You know things just kinda happen to me."
Giganto snorted at that—yes, he knew the sorts of things that just happened to the four young dinos.
He ducked his head and ran his tongue along Bill's back, removing most of the moss and honey stuck there. Without the water to ease the sting, Bill's eyes began to burn and blur from the honey dripping down his forehead. He raised his paws to rub at them and Giganto bumped them away with his nose. He lightly licked Bill's face, clearing the pesky honey, and the little dino blinked rapidly.
"Honey's really nice to eat, but it's terrible to have all over you," he muttered.
Leon waded in the shallow section of the lake, watching with slight awe on his features. He knew Giganto was kind. After all, he had been under no obligation to visit Leon at his old pond as much as he did. But this was different. He couldn't say he'd ever been the recipient of such deep affection from Cretacia's top dino. But that was okay. Giganto trusted him enough to show such vulnerability in front of him, and Leon was honoured.
After a few minutes of grooming, Bill was good to go, his scales clean and shiny. "Thanks," said Bill, smiling a smile that was just as full of love as Giganto's gaze. "I'd like to think you did it for me, buuut I think it might have been for the free moss."
Giganto's eyes narrowed playfully and with a quick sweep of his tail, he knocked Bill's legs out from under him and sent him falling into the warm water. Leon laughed. "Nice one!"
"Okay, okay, I deserved that," said Bill with a splutter, his legs kicking to keep him above water. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's get some food for our picnic. Do you wanna have a picnic with us, Giganto?"
Giganto nodded, and Bill beamed. Leon grinned. "I guess we're going to have to find lots of food. Maybe we should start with…some honey?"
Bill whipped to stare at him with a scowl as Giganto gave a hoarse, barking laugh. "Not funny."
…
"Glimmer berries, how you shine! I looked for you far and wide, and now you're mine!"
Tiny sang her cheerful tune as she skipped through the jungle, following the well-tread path that snaked all the way back to the den. She carefully balanced a dozen large, round, light green berries in her arms. Glimmer berries were named such due to the sparkly coating on the skin, and Tiny grinned with delight as the sun's rays reflected off the berries, causing them to shimmer brilliantly.
Distracted by her sparkling fruit, Tiny did not notice she had company until it was too late.
"What do we have here?"
Tiny jumped, her eyes darting up to see her way blocked by Cror and Totor. She instinctively took a step back. "Just some berries," she answered.
Totor tilted his head, peering at the berries curiously. "I've never seen berries like those before."
"Where'd you find them?" demanded Cror.
"Um, I don't remember," said Tiny truthfully. She had been so engrossed in her quest to find the rare berries that she hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings.
Cror and Totor exchanged a mischievous glance. "If we can't find these strange shiny berries ourselves, we'll just have to take yours!" declared Cror.
She lunged forwards and ripped the fruit right out of Tiny's arms. "Hey!" shouted Tiny. "Give them back!"
Tiny tried to snatch her berries from Cror's claws but the raptor held them out of her reach. "I didn't hear a please," said Cror mockingly.
"Please!"
"Hmm…let me think." Cror pretended to consider giving back Tiny's berries. "Nah, I don't think so."
"But they're my berries!" protested Tiny. "I worked hard to find them!"
"And we worked hard to steal 'em! Didn't we, Totor?"
"We sure did," said Totor with a snicker.
As the two raptors laughed, Tiny clenched her paws into fists. "This isn't funny! I want my berries back!"
She charged at Cror, hoping to startle her into dropping the glimmer berries. But Cror was not intimidated in the slightest. She merely grinned and tossed the fruit over Tiny's head. Totor leapt forwards and caught them before they could hit the ground.
"Dino in the middle!" he called.
He went to throw the berries back to his sister, but halfway through the motion he tripped over a rock sticking out of the dirt. The stumble threw off his aim and the berries went sailing right into Tiny. Unprepared for the assault of fruit, Tiny tumbled backwards and ended up sprawled on the ground, covered in glittering green berry slime and clumps of mud.
Cror and Totor would have cackled at the state of her if it wasn't for the little dino's stricken expression. As Tiny's eyes began to water, Totor said quickly, "Sorry, Tiny, we didn't—"
The young Triceratops burst into tears.
Her wails echoed amongst the leafy trees. Totor tried to shush her. "Don't cry! We'll find you some more berries. Please don't tell your brother."
The ground began to shake, the strength of the vibrations causing the trees and bushes to tremble and shiver. To any newcomer to Cretacia, they might mistake the sensation for a ground wobbler. But Totor and Cror recognized the rhythm immediately—it was the sound of Giganto sprinting, and it seemed like he was coming straight for them.
"It's not Trey we have to worry about," said Cror in panic. "Let's get out of here!"
The siblings took off, streaking amongst the trees. But their speed was nothing compared to Giganto's. Trees splintered at the trunks as he thundered through the jungle, single-mindedly following the small, distressed cries. When he arrived at Tiny's side, it didn't take him long to identify the cause of her unhappiness.
Eyes narrowing into slits at the red and green blurs trying to flee the scene, he let out a booming, furious roar.
The force of it bent the thin trees and peeled leaves off branches and bushes. Much like the foliage around them, Totor and Cror were caught in the powerful rush of wind and they were sent into a series of uncontrollable somersaults.
"We're sooorrrry!" shouted Totor before he and his sister pitched down a steep slope, vanishing from sight.
With the troublemakers taken care of, Giganto turned his full attention to the sobbing Triceratops. He bent his head low and sniffed for any injuries the raptors might have inflicted on the child.
"I'm f-f-fine," said Tiny with a gulping breath. Her vision was still blurry with tears but she couldn't scrub them away with her dirty paws. "Cror and Totor stole my berries and when I tried to get them back, they ended up all over me." She stared miserably down at her arms and legs, which were slick with a murky mixture of berry slime and mud. "Ayati told me about glimmer berries and how they sparkled like no other berry she'd ever seen. And since Ayati's seen a lot of berries, I knew they must be beautiful."
Giganto eased down to lie beside her. His eyes were still intent on Tiny, so she knew he was listening—but that didn't surprise her. Giganto could be a very good listener when he wanted to be.
"She didn't know where they grew, 'cause the seeds are carried by the wind and don't always grow in the same place twice," continued Tiny. "I looked for these glimmer berries for so long. I was so happy when I finally found them. I knew they would be perfect for painting. I was gonna make Rocky a super special sparkly Giganto card." Her beak started to tremble as the disappointment swelled in her chest. "I know it's silly to cry over spilled berries, but I was so excited to paint with them and now it's all ruined!"
She lowered her chin with a soft sob. But before her tears could start anew, a nudge from Giganto sent her falling back with a soft, startled yip. The sound quickly turned into surprised giggles as his tongue swiped over the berry juice sticking to her horns.
"Giganto! That tickles!"
The tears were replaced with laughter, which brought great contentment to Giganto, and one other observing the pair from the coverage of dense jungle thicket.
Trey had also heard Tiny's cries, but Giganto's long strides enabled him to reach the little Triceratops first. Trey wished he had been given the satisfaction of scaring the raptors away himself, but he knew only Giganto could have instilled such fear in them.
He watched his little sister be bathed by the fiercest and most powerful dinosaur in all of Cretacia. It was almost surreal, to see Tiny giggle and squirm as Giganto cleaned the muck and slime from her scales. His movements were gentle, and though his tongue was three times the size of Tiny's small form, each stroke barely made her move.
"Whatcha lookin' at?"
Trey jumped, just managing to swallow back a startled shout. "Don't do that," he snapped at Rugo, who stood on a tree branch above his head.
"Sorry," the rodent said, her tone making it clear she wasn't apologetic in the slightest. She followed his gaze and smiled. "Guess it's Tiny's turn to get a bath from Giganto."
Trey's eyes went wide. "Her turn? No way. You mean he's done this before?"
"Well, I've only ever seen him bathe Mazu," said Rugo with a shrug.
"But why?" asked Trey, baffled.
"What do you mean?"
"This is Giganto we're talking about! He's big, scary, tough and he likes to be alone."
"I think Mazu, Rocky, Bill and Tiny get to see a whole other side to Giganto that he doesn't show to any of us," said Rugo thoughtfully.
Trey, who knew very well Giganto loved the kids as much as the kids loved him, still had trouble grappling with the knowledge that the Gigantosaurus had a soft, paternal side. For practically all of Trey's life, Giganto was a mystery that loomed over Cretacia. The Giganto he had known in his youth greatly disliked being bothered or pestered, and he certainly didn't play.
"It's weird, that's all," he said at last. Smiling, he added, "But also very sweet. My sister and her friends are pretty special to be able to bring out this side of Giganto."
"That's for sure," said Rugo with a laugh.
The last clump of berry slime clung to the scales between Tiny's eyes. Giganto swiped it away with the tip of his tongue and Tiny sat up, a bright smile on her beak. "Thanks, Giganto! I feel much better now."
She nuzzled his jaw and Giganto growled affectionately. He rose to his feet, towering high over the land, and Tiny craned her neck back to peer up at him. Giganto raised a claw to the south and roared. Although the observing Trey could not distinguish any meaning from the brief, simple sound, Tiny understood Giganto's non-verbal communication perfectly. "You know where I can find more glimmer berries?" she asked excitedly.
Giganto nodded.
Tiny jumped with glee. "Yay! I should have just come to you in the first place! You know everything!"
She regarded the Gigantosaurus with adoration shining in her green eyes. The usual viscousness in Giganto's red irises was offset by tenderness as he used his tail to flip Tiny onto his broad back. "Woo-hoo! We're going on a glimmer berry hunt!" she cheered.
"Ooo, ooo, I want to try a glimmer berry!" said Rugo eagerly. "See you later, Trey!"
Rugo scampered down the tree trunk and followed Giganto deeper into the jungle. Trey watched after them, feeling the ground shudder beneath his paws with each of Giganto's powerful steps. If he was being honest with himself, he could admit to being slightly jealous that he was no longer the only dino to receive Tiny's reverence.
But it was a dimly burning feeling, one that he could squash and subdue. He was far more grateful to Giganto for protecting his sister and her friends, and always being there when they needed him the most.
Given how much trouble the four little dinos often got into, it was a fact that helped Trey sleep peacefully at night.
…
The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky, the orange glow receding with it as it slipped slowly behind the horizon. Since it was their last round of tag for the day, Rocky was determined not to end the game still being It.
He sprinted through the jungle, sweeping his gaze back and forth, scanning the emerald greenery for his friends. He burst through a section of trees and into a clearing, where he found Bill. "Ha! Found you!" he said triumphantly.
Bill yelped and started to run. Rocky chased after him, crossing the small, flat grassy area and into another portion of the expansive jungle. Bill ducked amongst the trees and jumped over fallen trunks. He stumbled to a stop when he reached a slope and he peered nervously down the drop.
The pounding of paws against the ground caused Bill to look over his shoulder. Not willing to make the leap, Bill resorted to dropping to the grass just as Rocky lunged for him.
Rocky let out a startled shout as he tripped over Bill's body. He went rolling down the slope, through a clump of bushes and came to a stop in the middle of a patch of bright yellow flowers. "Ugh!"
"Rocky!" cried Bill in concern. His anxiety forgotten he slid his way down the dirt incline. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Rocky, getting to his hoofs. He wrinkled his nose at the sticky, sap-oozing flowers, their liquid coating his red scales. "I just landed in sap flowers." A grin formed on his features and he jabbed Bill's arm. "Tag! You're It!"
"Aw, I should have seen that coming," said Bill with a laugh.
The two dinos picked their way up the slope and Rocky called, "Tiny! Mazu! I'm not It anymore!"
Tiny and Mazu emerged from the trees. Tiny looked at Rocky and burst into giggles. "What happened to you?"
"I fell into sap flowers," said Rocky. "But I got Bill! So that means I win."
His friends exchanged amused glances. "Sure," said Mazu patiently.
"We could probably squeeze in another round," said Rocky hopefully.
"I think we should be getting back," replied Mazu. "It'll be dark soon. Besides, now you have to clean yourself up."
"Or Giganto could do it," chirped Tiny. "I'm sure we'll run into him on our way back. We usually do at this time."
"No way!" said Rocky, seeming rather horrified by the idea. "That's not happening."
"What's the big deal?" asked Bill.
"I'm too old for that," said Rocky with a sniff. "I can bathe myself."
"We're the same age, and Giganto gave us a bath," pointed out Tiny.
"Well, that's because you needed extra help. I don't need that. I can get this sap off, no problem! I'll meet you guys at the den."
Without waiting for a response, Rocky darted off in the direction of the lake. He crossed through the jungle and reached the beach. The lingering orange light glimmered off the water and Rocky went to the edge, his paws sinking into the warm liquid. He knelt down and splashed water over his body, trying to scrub off the sap. When that didn't work, he charged into the lake and submerged himself completely.
He floated in place just beneath the surface, his legs kicking to keep him from going any deeper. The water burned his eyes, causing Rocky to blink rapidly. On the tenth blink, he saw a dark figure moving through the depths.
Right towards him.
Rocky's scream came out garbled, a rush of bubbles leaving his mouth. He swam for the surface and broke through, coughing and spluttering. He climbed onto the sand and scrambled backwards as Termy rose out of the water.
"Ooh, what do we have here?" she sang. "A nighttime snack."
Rocky was still well within Termy's reach. Panic built in his stomach and he grabbed what was nearest to him to defend himself—a piece of driftwood.
Termy lunged towards him, her massive jaw opening. Rocky flung the wood directly into her mouth and Termy reared back, choking in surprise and disgust. He sprang to his feet and taunted, "How's that for a nighttime snack?"
He raced into the jungle and only halted when the lake was no longer in his sight. He took large gulps of the evening air, trying to catch his breath. When his heart beat slowed, he straightened and glanced down.
"Aw, coconuts!"
His brief dive in the lake hadn't helped at all. The sap glistened on his red scales, only a few yellow petals had been dislodged, and his scramble across the beach added a layer of sand on top of the sticky fluid.
The sun dipped fully behind the horizon and the final orange rays were smothered by an inky blanket. The twinkling stars and crescent moon provided enough silver light for Rocky to make his way down the well-tread paths of the jungle without stumbling.
"I just didn't spend enough time in the water, that's all," muttered Rocky.
The creeks in Cretacia were too small to bathe in. He couldn't use the river, since it moved too fast and would just carry him all the way to the waterfall. The only other large body of water that was relatively close by was the pond where Leon used to live.
It was a trek away from the den, but Rocky didn't mind. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Termy trying to eat him.
Rocky arrived at the pond and inched his way into the water. He didn't wade too far out, knowing it was dangerous to swim at night. He stayed on the bank, where the water was waist-high. He held his breath and plunged below the surface. He scrubbed until his knuckles were raw, refusing to give up. But as he sat on the muddy bank, the water tickling his chin, he grew more and more vexed as the sap stayed firm, no matter what he tried.
"Rocky! There you are!"
Rocky nearly jumped out of his skin. He peered up at the sky to see the shadowy figure of Hegan flying above him. "Hi," he said in surprise.
"I was starting to get worried," said Hegan with a relieved sigh. "What are you doing out here so late?"
"Oh, I, uh, didn't feel like going to sleep yet, so I decided to take a long walk," said Rocky quickly. "Why were you looking for me? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," assured Hegan. "Actually, Giganto's the one looking for you. He asked for my help. Or, rather, he asked your friends to ask me for help." She gave a small chuckle. "I don't know how you kids understand him. His roars are all the same to me. I ought to let him know that I found you."
"Wait, no, it's okay, you don't have to—"
But Hegan was already flying off. Rocky frantically looked around him, trying to find a possible escape route, before deeming it a pointless endeavor. Even he, with all his confidence, knew he couldn't outrun Giganto.
He remained in place, with his head bobbing above the water. It was the only part of his body untouched by sap and sand, and Rocky hoped he could convince Giganto to leave him be. "Be cool," he whispered to himself.
The water rippled as Giganto's steps vibrated across the swamp, and Rocky could see his towering form lumbering in his direction. Hegan flew above him, and Rocky plastered on a smile when they reached the pond's shore.
"Hi, Giganto," he said brightly.
"See, there he is, safe and sound," said Hegan in satisfaction. "I'll leave him with you."
Giganto inclined his head with a low growl. Out of habit, Rocky translated the non-verbal communication, trying to keep the dread out of his voice. "He says thanks, and that he'll make sure I get to the den safely."
"Hope you can get some sleep tonight, kiddo. I'm sure Mazu will have a herb that can help you if you're struggling to fall asleep."
"Yeah, she probably does. Thanks, Hegan. Good night."
"Good night, Rocky, Giganto!"
Hegan soared off, arching higher into the night sky. Rocky tilted his head, trying to see as much of Giganto as he could from his position without budging an inch. "Why were you looking for me?"
Giganto motioned in the direction of the den and roared shortly.
"Oh. Yeah, I didn't go back with the others. I wasn't ready to sleep yet, so I went for a walk, and I ended up here, and I thought the water looked refreshing, so I stopped for a soak." When Giganto regarded him with narrowed eyes, Rocky defended, "I didn't go swimming. I know it's dangerous to do that in the dark." When Giganto only continued to stare at him, Rocky cleared his throat. "It's like Hegan said. I'm not sleepy. It's really nice tonight, and Leon's old pond is quiet and relaxing, so I'm just gonna stay here for a bit. You don't have to stick around. I can find my way back to the den myself."
Rocky thought he'd done a rather good job at sounding casual, and Hegan had given him a solid excuse for why he was in the swamp so late without his friends. But Giganto appeared suspicious, not convinced, and Rocky snapped, "What?"
"You're up to something."
The spark of joy at having the deep, raspy voice directed solely at him was smothered by indignation, and Rocky glared. "I can't believe it! This is the first time you've spoken to just me, and it's an accusation! It was supposed to be a praise or, or a compliment! I waited a long time for this moment and you ruined it."
Rocky turned away with a huff, crossing his arms underneath the water. He wasn't given even a second to sulk. With expert precision, Giganto's tail sliced through the water, sending up a great splash, and knocked into the Parasaurolophus. Rocky shrieked as he flew through the air and landed with a solid thud a few feet away from the shore.
With the little dino out of the water, Giganto's senses were overcome with sap, which dominated Rocky's usual scent. At the questioning roar, Rocky's cheeks heated with embarrassment. "I don't want to talk about it."
He looked away, clearly embarrassed, and Giganto's expression softened. He gave a low, encouraging roar, and Rocky felt he owed his friend an explanation, since Giganto had been searching for him out of worry. "I fell into some sap flowers and now I'm all sticky," he mumbled. "I was trying to clean it off."
Giganto tilted his head to the side. He growled in bewilderment. There were plenty of other water sources closer to the den—what was he doing all the way at Leon's old home?
"Er, well, I, uh…" Rocky rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I tried the lake, but Termy came after me. I needed a big body of water, so this was the next place I thought of."
Giganto snarled at the thought of the lake-dweller, whom he had never much liked. He lowered his head, but Rocky scrambled backwards, out of his reach. Giganto raised his brow and Rocky said hastily, "I appreciate you want to help, Big Guy. But I've got it covered! I can get this gunk off myself."
Giganto gestured towards the pond with his tail, an invitation for Rocky to go right ahead and do so. Rocky marched back into the water and rubbed at his gunk-covered arms, legs and torso.
"Come…on…you…stupid…sap!"
Shaking his head at Rocky's stubbornness, Giganto scooped the little dino out of the water with his tail. He placed Rocky on the ground and licked his right side, easily removing the clumps of sap gathered there. "Giganto!" whined Rocky. "I'm not a baby."
Ah—that's what all the fuss was about. Giganto snorted and Rocky scowled up at him.
"It's not funny!" He let out a grunt when Giganto licked his back, sending him rolling forwards a bit. "Hey! You did that purpose!"
Giganto exhaled sharply, a tell-tale sign that Rocky was pushing his luck and really ought to rethink whatever he was going to say next. Rocky clamped his lips shut, but his moodiness faded as he realized he wasn't nearly as sticky, and that it was actually pretty soothing, to sit and let Giganto groom him.
He purred without meaning to, but before the mortification could set in, Giganto nuzzled his cheek with the tip of his nose with a gentle purr of his own. With a few final swipes of his tongue, the last of the sap was gone. Rocky stood up, relieved to be free of the icky feeling of stickiness.
"Thanks," he said sincerely.
Giganto nodded in acknowledgement. He straightened up and headed into the jungle, casting a glance over his shoulder to make sure Rocky was following. The young dino had to jog to keep up with Giganto's massive steps, and when his breaths started to become laboured with fatigue, Giganto lifted him up with his tail.
Rocky curled up between two bright red spikes, and the swaying motion of Giganto's tail caused his eyes to flutter shut. He was almost half asleep when Giganto's roar spurred him abruptly back to full consciousness. He opened his eyes to see the den cloaked by shadows, the windows glowing softly from the light of the glow sticks.
Mazu, Bill and Tiny spilled out of the den, wide-awake and relieved to see their best friend. Rocky cheerfully raised his paw in greeting and hopped off Giganto's tail. "Hey guys! Sorry I took so long."
"It's okay! We're just glad you're—" Bill recoiled as Giganto suddenly bent low, almost nose-to-nose with the three dinos. The Gigantosaurus' displeasure was plain on his features, and Bill said nervously, "What's up, Big Guy?"
Giganto snorted sharply, his eyes narrowing. Mazu raised her paws. "We didn't lie!"
"You asked us where he was, and we really didn't know. But…I guess we didn't tell you the whole truth," said Tiny sheepishly. "Sorry, Giganto."
"That's kinda my fault," spoke Rocky, going over to stand with his friends. "I didn't want you to know I got covered in sap, 'cause I knew you'd try to help and I was sure I could get the goop off myself." He grinned at Giganto. "But sap is way stickier than I thought. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be sleeping in it. Thanks for always being there to help us."
"Even when we drive you crazy," said Tiny with a giggle.
"We don't know what we'd do without you," said Mazu feelingly.
Bill shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that."
A yawn broke from Rocky and he smothered it in the crook of his arm. Mazu set her paw against his shoulder. "It's late," she said, her eyes half-lidded with drowsiness. "I think it's time for bed."
Giganto growled in approval. Before the little dinos trooped into their den, he roared pointedly, which meant 'try and be more careful with yourselves.'
"We'll try," said Bill, though he didn't sound very convinced.
"But we make no promises," said Rocky, a bit cheekily.
"'Cause that would be a promise we probably can't keep," said Mazu.
"We're very good at getting into sticky situations," chirped Tiny.
With equal parts affection and exasperation, Giganto rumbled, "That's an understatement."