Welcome to book 2 of Cold Fire Chronicles, a retelling of the 2nd Land Before Time Movie: Great Valley Adventure! Let's see what the teenaged Gang and their realm-hopping human companion, Remy, get up to in this retelling.

Chapter One: Thoughts

Remy sat at her dining room table, absentmindedly gazing at her most prized track and archery trophies in the small display cabinet. Most of her trophies and certificates had been left with her mother, but there were a few she couldn't part from.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, the eighteen-year-old turned back to the book sprawled in front of her. Graphite sketches of strange plants and fruit filled every page while elegant scrawl below the hand-drawn pictures described each plant.

"This kind of looks like deadly nightshade," Remy mused, pressing her finger to the odd-shaped flower before jabbing the dark-colored berries. "These things seem to cause the same symptoms too. Duskberries, huh?"

She closed the journal, sighing loudly. "At least the plants are sort of similar. I don't think the Shard would let me die from eating a poisonous plant anyway…maybe." Remy stroked the blue crystal around her neck, the flame-like inside dancing in the light as she tilted it back and forth. "I'll have to thank Suri again for giving me the plant journal."

She stood from her seat, stretching her arms above her head, honey-brown eyes wandering back to the cabinet filled with trophies. It had been pleasant living on her own, but she had to admit, it could get lonely, even with a furry companion. Living two-and-a-half hours away from her mother had been hard initially. Eventually, Remy got used to it.

Her high school friends were all in college, and only a few of her classmates remained in her hometown. It just took some time to get used to the new town and make new acquaintances. Not that it was hard to contact her high school friends, but having a face or two to greet in town was always a welcomed sight.

A squawky meow drew Remy from her thoughts.

A white, grey-tabby-point feline stared up at her. Ghost rubbed his face against the side of her leg, grey striped tail held high in the air as he walked past her. He paused, looking up at his owner with large, slightly crossed blue eyes.

"Yes, Ghost?" Remy knelt, scratching the feline between his ears.

She smiled to herself. Down the hallway was the smallest bedroom, which she had labeled Ghost's room. A cat-tree and shelves had been installed for Ghost to perch on and allow him to look out the large windows. A fancy litterbox was hidden away in the corner so that it wouldn't bother any guests if they wanted to visit the feline's room. Lots of tasty treats were stored in a cabinet while healthy and delicious food was always available. Toys were scattered everywhere, though half of them were lying elsewhere around the cabin. Since she was living by herself, Remy had cat-ified the room so Ghost would be entertained when she was gone.

"I've got to leave in a few minutes to visit Heather and Felicity, Ghost." Remy ran a hand down Ghost's back. "I haven't seen them in almost two months. As soon as I get back, I want to visit my friends in the magical dinosaur realm. You might be alone for a day or so."

The cat was not bothered by her words, giving a loud trill and rubbing his face against Remy's hand. She laughed, picking up the white cat and walking to the small kitchen table. She placed Ghost in the spot he usually ate and picked up her latest pay stub. Going through a mental checklist, Remy slipped the stub into a folder that had been casually tossed onto the kitchen counter.

It hadn't been more than a week after Remy had visited the magical realm of dinosaurs that she decided she needed a job. Not only that, but she had wanted to live closer to the access point of the realm. After her weekend adventure, she visited her grandfather at the nursing home and told him everything. She had needed to tell someone of her unbelievable journey within the realm of magic and dinosaurs. Also, she wanted to satiate her curiosity about her deceased grandmother's own adventures.

Remy's grandfather had listened contently to her story from beginning to end. When she had finished, the first words he said was that he saw so much of her grandmother in her as he smiled and pattered her hand. He then explained that he knew much about the world Remy had visited, though he had never seen it himself. Selah, Remy's grandmother, had been going back and forth between the realm ever since she was out of college. However, her enthusiasm for the realm had died long after she had met and married Remy's grandfather. Remy's grandfather didn't explore the topic further and kept most of the information about her grandmother's secretive past to himself.

Her grandfather was the first to mention that Remy could live in the cabin. Having seen the spark in his granddaughter's eyes when she spoke about the adventure she had in the magic-filled realm of dinosaurs, he knew that it would be best if she was closer to the rune-engraved rock. He had given her a wink when he spoke about it being easier on her mother. Remy wouldn't have to worry about her mother becoming suspicious about her absences or visitations to the cabin every other week. It was a good thing the cabin hadn't been used for some years, and no one minded that Remy was now living in it.

After the chat about Remy's adventure, the conversation between her and her grandfather had drifted to other things, from the fun games he played in the nursing home and the movies he watched to what the other members of their family were doing in their lives.

The next day, Remy then told her mother about her grandfather's offer. Her mother was surprised by her daughter's sudden idea of moving out of the house but wasn't against it.

It wasn't much longer until Remy had moved into the cabin for good, taking Ghost with her. She then found a job as a phlebotomist in a clinic in the nearest town. Within six weeks of moving into her new home, she had finished the training to become a certified phlebotomist and was soon working a 7/70 shift. For seven days, she would work ten hours every day, but then she would have the next seven days off to rest, rejuvenate, and visit the realm of dinosaurs.

Remy ran a hand through her dark wavy hair, almost exasperated at what had happened in the past two months. Still, she smiled as she traced the vague shape of a sauropod on the dark wood of her dining table. It seemed that everything had fallen into place after her adventure into the dinosaur realm. She had found a place in life. She had a home, a job, and a way to get into the realm without looking suspicious. Remy even made sure to clarify to her mother that if she didn't answer her phone for a day or so, it meant she was out hiking and that her mother shouldn't worry.

Remy had visited the realm several times already since her first adventure. Every other week she found herself in the world, unable to stay away much longer. In the realm, she had become good friends with Suri, the girl around her age who first greeted her in the Great Valley. Remy had also become accustomed to the other small groups of humans that had made their homes in the Great Valley.

The five she had traveled with and eventually made friends with during their challenging journey were all getting along. Littlefoot was enjoying life with his grandparents and always looked forward to when Remy visited the Valley. He had attempted to make friends with the other long-necks, but he couldn't help but gravitate back to the four that had survived the journey to the Great Valley with him.

Spike had made a nest near Ducky's family, even though he was old enough to live on his own and had been doing so for a season or more, it seemed that the swimmer had taken a liking to him. He was happy enough to sleep nearby her family's large nest. Petrie was also doing well, his mother welcoming him with open arms. However, his clutch-mates had begun to give him a hard time about every little thing he did. Maybe it was out of jealousy or perhaps embarrassment because their brother was so different from them. For now, the adolescent pterosaur was thriving as best as he could with his heckling siblings.

Even Cera's cold-hearted demeanor had warmed some. It seemed that after having lost almost all her family, including nearly the entire herd, she finally understood how important family and friends were. Though, her father was as harsh and brash as she was and didn't take kindly to his only surviving daughter frolicking with those that were not three-horns. Even if Cera had warmed some to the small mixed-herd, her exterior was still stone hard, and her words tended to be as sharp as her horns.

Nonetheless, everything in the Great Valley was well, and Remy was glad.

When the clock struck 9:00 A.M. on her phone, she exited the cabin, locked the door behind her, and slipped into her van. It was time to visit Heather and Felicity at a quaint café halfway between their hometown and Remy's cabin. She hadn't seen her friends since they started college and was excited to hear what interesting news they had.