Chapter 3: A confession at night
Littlefoot's mood improved significantly when he saw Ali approach who immediately aimed a smile at him.
"I'm back!" the lavender-coloured girl announced happily, most of her negative thoughts and worries pushed to the back of her mind for now in order to enjoy the rest of the day.
"Welcome back, Ali!" everyone replied, gathering around the two longnecks, Chomper and Ruby returning from their little "hunt" just then as well.
"What are we going to do?" Ali wondered.
"More importantly, did you see Rhett anywhere?" Cera inquired. "He simply mustn't know where we are!"
"No trace, no," Ali sighed, brushing aside a surge of bad emotions. "Though I guess we should get going rather soon before he realizes that we might be here."
"Agreed," Ruby replied sternly. "If Rhett doesn't know where we are going, then he can't go where we are going so we have to go somewhere Rhett doesn't know where somewhere is."
"Also, it should be somewhere not too easy to find, he mustn't find us by chance either!" Cera ranted.
"In other words, let's get going," Chomper summarized with a cheeky grin. "Shall we?"
"How about Meadow of Tall Grass?" Petrie offered. "Tall grass hide us well."
"Not a bad idea, Petrie," Littlefoot praised. "But what should we play there?"
"Let us play catch, yep yep yep!" Ducky proposed eagerly, an excited smile on the swimmer's face.
"Yeah, that could work," Littlefoot mused. "It would certainly allow us to have some good fun and hide from Rhett."
"I have a LOT of energy right now!" Cera announced, puffing herself. "So it's a good game to play."
"Shall we do it?" Littlefoot inquired.
"Yeah!" the others shouted in unison with happy cheers.
"What are we standing around for? Move it!" Cera prompted, marching ahead of the group. The others followed in a rather merry mood.
"He has more guts than I thought…"
Rhett got up from his crouched position. He had been using the plentiful vegetation to obscure himself from being seen by the others he'd been observing intently. Part of him was a little upset about getting ditched during the game but on the other hand he really didn't care about any of them at all so it was merely a mild irritation, like a bitter taste from a funny plant in one's lunch. Thankfully, he had realized in time what game these idiots were playing with him; the talk he'd just eavesdropped on only confirmed that, leaving only one conclusion.
"He has told them after all, that retarded idiot…" The boy had not only lied but he was actively keeping Ali away from him and that was the true crime. "He's going to suffer for this though I will need to set it up." As Rhett pondered about a scheme that would allow him to make the insolent flathead pay, he began following the retreating forms of the purple-gray longneck, his insufferable companions… and Ali.
"Idiots, don't think for a second that you've lost me…"
"Boy, that was fun!"
Littlefoot laughed happily as his legs burned with exertion, the sinking form of the Bright Circle shining on his back. They had spent the whole afternoon playing to their heart's content, although he had been caught way more often than he'd have liked to admit. There hadn't been a single sign of Rhett following them either.
"Thanks for the fun games, everyone!" Ali exclaimed with a friendly smile when everyone gathered, tired and word out but satisfied with fun and laughter. "It was super nice to play with everyone again, let's do it again!"
"You bet!" Cera thundered full of spirit.
"What are we gonna do tomorrow?" the female longneck wondered curiously.
"Something fun!" Petrie giggled, receiving a mild roll-eye from Cera.
"Obviously," the Threehorn commented dryly.
"How about we go swimming, huh?" Ducky suggested but Ali didn't seem to like it.
"Well…"
"Let's explore some cool places around the Valley, with Ali!" Chomper exclaimed with his trademark toothy grin.
"In that case, we could use the Secret Caverns to meet up, the Secret Caverns we could use!" Ruby proposed. "Rhett doesn't know them because he doesn't know where they are!"
"Great idea, both of you!" Littlefoot praised them with a proud smile. "What about it, Ali? Wanna go on an adventure here in the Great Valley tomorrow?"
"Hmm, sure!" the girl replied after a moment pondering about the idea. Littlefoot could only muse why Ali was acting a little thoughtful all of a sudden.
"Alright, then we'll meet again tomorrow at the Secret Caverns!"
The group of friends all said their good-bye's and began heading to their respective homes in the Valley. In the end, only Littlefoot and Ali were left.
"So, shall I take you back to your herd, Ali?" Littlefoot offered with a kind smile. Ali still seemed to be a little thoughtful as if she was brooding over something.
"Mmh, yeah," the girl replied. Littlefoot looked at her oddly but didn't say anything.
"Making me watch their bullshit all day, geez…"
Rhett frowned from his position hidden in the vegetation of the Great Valley. No matter how he tried to put it, he hated this place, however its plentiful assortment of greenery served his current objectives quite well at the very least. It was almost too easy to remain unseen and still see everything.
"Fools, did they honestly think they got rid of me? How careless to assume that so non-chalantly…"
Rhett grimaced. At least the stupidity and naivety of his targets was working in his favor. Now only Littlefoot and Ali were left, the boy puzzling whether to make his next move already. As far as he was concerned, he could proceed with his plan now but, preferably, he'd catch Littlefoot alone again. Besides, a grain of curiosity remained. What would they do now that they were alone, now that they thought they were? Ali already seemed to fall for his lies, the two working together to get rid of him, HIM who the girl should be admiring, not that pathetic flathead from the Valley, no HIM. If he didn't do something, Ali would be beyond hope, he feared, and yet he felt like it was better to wait to observe. Waiting for them to separate seemed futile since Littlefoot would end up telling her and his god-awful friends anyway so Ali being a witness to him carrying out his new schemes wouldn't be much of an issue. However, he was just too curious (or fretful?) what the two longnecks would do when they were being by themselves. Stalking them seemed strangely entertaining when the other friends weren't around and Rhett just wanted to know if his observations would turn out to be true. He could tell that Ali in particular couldn't take her eyes off him which was the main reason why Littlefoot was such a threat to begin with but Littlefoot also appeared to act in a strange manner around the girl, their mutual crush couldn't be more obvious, their silly, childish feelings so blatantly apparent to the onlooker. He'd stay put for now and follow them around a little longer but, either way, at some point that night he'd make his move once he'd gathered some more data and entertained himself a little more…
Ali was deep in a state of reflection and contemplation as she trotted alongside the adolescent boy. Littlefoot was her best friend and Ali was so glad to be reunited, feeling like there was so so much she had to say and yet her lips remained sealed, the words not finding together to form sentences that weren't nonsensical garbage. Ironically, she felt really awful and happy at the same time, happy because of the amazing day she'd spent together with everyone and Littlefoot – even Rhett's intrusion couldn't really change that fact that she'd had a month's dose of fun on a single day, and, quite ironically, awful because of a set of happy emotions which were making a turmoil in her mind, emotions that she'd held dear ever since the previous year…
"Is it really time to say good-bye already?"
A younger Ali was facing an also younger purple-grey longneck as her herd was making preparations to leave the Great Valley.
"It's been a lot of fun, Ali," Littlefoot spoke with a genuine smile – unlike her the boy seemed to be able to hide the melancholy inside his heart.
"Yes, indeed but… see, I…" So many emotions churning inside her mind, so many things that she wanted to address, needed to tell Littlefoot, and, in the end, only a short sentence escaped her mouth.
"I-I'll miss you…"
Ali's head hung low. Why did she have to leave? Here, at the Great Valley, she was truly happy but her herd wasn't staying… it was really no fair!
"Don't be sad, Ali, it's not forever," Littlefoot spoke in an attempt to cheer the depressed girl up but he didn't quite succeed.
"I know but… see, not forever is still really long…" At that moment, Ali wanted to confess, confess her feelings all at once but no sound came, her body petrified in a wild turmoil of emotions.
"Hey, remember the first time we said goodbye?" the boy prompted which caused Ali to perk up a little. "You said something really important back then and I still have faith that one day it'll come true!"
Ali browsed through the depths of her memories real quick before she remembered which returned some of her energy at once.
"M-maybe we'll all live together someday…" she mumbled, barely audible.
"It's not more or less than a dream, true, but I've been hoping all this time to see you again and…" Ali heart skipped a beat. "…and you really returned after all. I was so happy! And I'll be just as happy next time too!"
Ali, despite her melancholy, couldn't help but feel happy as he said that. At that moment, the love for Littlefoot she had discovered during her stay was stronger than the sadness about the coming separation. Maybe she should just tell him about the feelings next time then?
"Ali, are you ready?"
The female longneck twitched as she heard herself being called quite urgently.
"Littlefoot, I've gotta go…"
"Yeah, I know," he replied, hesitant for a second which showed how strongly he actually felt against her leaving but he recovered his friendly smile soon. Walking up to her much closer than comfortable, he performed a gesture Ali didn't recognize at first but, once she did, she smiled. The boy was performing a gesture of parting; lowering her head slightly, they touched their foreheads gently.
"Safe travels, Ali," Littlefoot spoke with formality but his smile was unmistaken.
"Have some fun for me too, okay?" Ali said, torn between returning the happy smile and sinking back into depression. In the end, she remained somewhat between the two extremes.
"Sure, seeya next time, stay safe!" Littlefoot exclaimed with a grin as they broke contact.
"Yes, see you…"
Then, Ali turned around without looking back. Littlefoot couldn't see her tears as she joined back with her herd and, no sooner than the day was over, the Great Valley was already out of sight for a very long time…
Ali had only realized on that day that she loved Littlefoot and that she craved to be by his side, just as she was right now, only closer… Moreover, she'd realized just how much it hurt to be apart…
"L-Littlefoot?" Ali suddenly stopped, addressing the boy with uncertain, shaky words.
"Hmm?" Littlefoot wondered, coming to a standstill while giving Ali a curious look. "There's been something on your mind for a while now, hasn't it?" He'd noticed that Ali had been pondering about something not only now but also earlier while switching location for their afternoon games. Of course the boy hadn't said anything, after all he didn't know what this was all about or if he'd been seeing things but, when Ali nodded, he knew that his perception hadn't deceived him. "What's up then? It's not about Rhett again, is it?" Littlefoot inquired with mild curiosity.
"No, not this time – I mean, indirectly, yes…" Ali replied, her mind an utter chaos. "See, I've had a talk with my mother about… see, I kind of asked my mother if we could leave the herd to live in the Great Valley…"
"You were actually serious about that earlier?" Littlefoot inquired in temporary confusion.
"Of course I was, didn't I tell you how terrible life in my migratory herd is? Especially if your only friend is a douche like Rhett…" Ali sighed. "Anyway, my mother did not like the idea – we didn't fight or anything but… she thinks that it'd mean betraying our herd if we left them which I kind of don't understand to be honest…"
"Oh, so that's what's bothering you… understandable." Littlefoot gave the girl an apologetic look. "Any way I can help?"
"Well, I already used my trump argument and pretty much all I could think of that speak bright about the Valley. Unless you know of more which I'm not aware of, I don't think there's much I can do to convince her…" Ali sighed once again. "Oh well, I'm not going to give up that easily, I really do want to live here… with you, all of you…" A hint of melancholy mixed into her troubled expression.
"That'd be a dream coming true for both of us, I think," Littlefoot said with a weak smile, not catching the implementation of his own words.
"Certainly…" Suddenly, Ali's face brightened up. If Littlefoot was happy if she lived in the Great Valley then surely he was having some feelings for her as well? How convenient that she'd been thinking about asking him a certain question anyway…
"Littlefoot, do you need to be home when it gets dark today?" the girl asked as they picked up a slow trot again.
"Well, my grandparents just gave me permission to get home as late as I want so I guess I do not need to be home just yet. Why do you ask, Ali?" A curious glance was resting on Ali now. Just what was the girl implying? Did she want to go out with him in the middle of the night? And why?
"Oh why, I… see…" Ali was suddenly very interested in a flying buzzer crossing their path. "Are… are you up to spend some more time together tonight?" Ali asked quietly. Littlefoot couldn't help but notice her sudden shyness around him.
"Sure I am!" Littlefoot grinned; somehow he had a feeling that Ali was up to something he'd regret missing out. "But what's the big idea? Wanna have an adventure in the dark? Is it that?"
"No, not quite, see…" Ali gulped. "W-we haven't had much time to be by ourselves yet and… see, there are a few things I'd like to tell you and… I also have a few questions I'd like to ask…"
"And we're heading to your place because you need permission too, right?" Littlefoot concluded, Ali nodding briefly, in response. "Any special place you wanna go to talk?"
"Well… it should be a lonely place where we don't disturb anyone…" Or be disturbed, Ali added though she didn't say it out loud.
"I see," Littlefoot said with a grin. "Provided you're allowed to go, I know just the place not far from where your herd is sleeping. You'll definitely like it!"
"Great!" Ali replied with a shy smile. Almost everything was ready now, excitement rising the closer they got to her herd. Would her mother let her go with Littlefoot or would her plans be crushed? Despite how shy and awkward she felt about revealing her affection towards Littlefoot, Ali wouldn't allow herself to give in to these doubts. The purple gray longneck was such a kind character that Ali could feel at ease. The worst to happen was that her affection would be unrequited – which would be a terrible downer, no doubt, but she knew Littlefoot wouldn't quit being her friend. He just couldn't, she knew he wouldn't. Ali didn't want to regret anymore, the past year painful proof of her mistakes. Overcoming her doubts, worries and shyness was a relatively small price to pay in the light of what she had to gain.
"Let's hurry!" Ali urged and the two friends jogged the remaining distance merrily.
"Geez, what's this stupid girl blabbering about?"
Rhett grunted as he eavesdropped on the talk between the two fellow longnecks walking ahead of him. "Sounds like Ali wants to get lovey-dovey with this flathead, well I'm about to puke…"
If his suspicions turned out to be true, he'd have to intervene… At this point, it seemed like Ali's mother was his only hope left but would she really forbid Ali to go with Littlefoot, given that she certainly wouldn't let her go with him? Grudgingly, Rhett carried on with his research…
Dusk was spreading fast over the Valley when Ali and Littlefoot arrived at the forest where Ali's herd was residing, the sky turning purple.
"Hello Mum!" Ali called when she took sight of her parent who smiled at her the moment she noticed her.
"Welcome back, Ali," the grown-up said, regarding Littlefoot with a nod. "Thank you for returning Ali home, Littlefoot."
"You're welcome," the boy replied with a polite smile. His glance then moved to Ali who was slightly nervous.
"Mum, could you do me – no, us a favor? A big one?" she asked with a pleading expression. "See… we still have a lot to catch up on and there is this place where you can see the blinky lights really well, we'd like to go there…"
"Oh?" the adult wondered curiously. "Normally, I'd probably say "no" to that but this here is the Great Valley after all. As long as you two don't stay up all night and stay within the borders of this valley, I'm okay with it." A smile flashed across her face though it paled in comparison to Ali's.
"THANK YOU!" Ali exclaimed, running up to her mother in order to nuzzle her in appreciation.
"I'll promise to bring her back soon," Littlefoot said with a cheeky grin, unable to hide his joy either. "Thanks for letting us go."
"You're welcome," Ali's mother spoke in mild amusement. "Have fun, you two."
A little later, the two longnecks were climbing a steep path at the edge of the Valley's walls under the dwindling light of the Bright Circle which lead up to a vantage point from where one could not only have an excellent view into the vast expenses of the Mysterious Beyond but also get a splendid look at the night sky. Thankfully, the few Sky Puffies that had occasionally crawled across the sky during the day had dissipated, revealing a clear sky. Weather was perfect. As the two young longnecks arrived, the first Blinky Lights began to pop up and the colour of the sky began to approach a dark blue, soon to become pitch-black.
"Is this the place you mentioned?" Ali puzzled as they stepped onto a rock ledge hanging far into the Mysterious Beyond. Littlefoot came to a standstill as she piped up, peering into the far distance.
"Eeyup, this is the place," the boy replied, grinning. "This is from where I saw your herd coming when we met for the first time."
"I see," Ali replied with a smile. Together, they walked up to the outer edge, glimpsing down the abyss below them.
"Better not fall off this rock though," the boy joked and Ali instinctively took a few steps back which made Littlefoot laugh. Their moment of joy was rather short-lived though. Littlefoot could see nervousness grow in Ali's face which was so good-looking when she smiled – he supposed that it had to do with the thing she meant to talk about. "So… what is it that you wanted to talk about, Ali?" he wondered in a casual voice, seating himself some distance from the edge on the smooth rock which formed the ledge they were standing on.
Ali didn't quite respond, instead hunching down next to him with a serene expression.
"Ali?" he reinforced his inquiry after some moments had passed.
"It- I don't know where to start yet… or how…" Ali stated awkwardly, looking away bashfully. "G-give me a little moment to sort my thoughts please…"
"Sure thing," Littlefoot responded with a bemused look. "Ali sure is acting funny…" the boy concluded as he took occasional side glances at the girl who was invested in gawking at the rising Night Circle on the far horizon with a thoughtful, almost pained expression. But, truth be told, it wasn't just Ali who was acting out of character. A funny feeling was manifesting itself in his body – the strangely churning, awkward and yet happy feeling he'd felt earlier in the day already. Just what did it mean? Did it have to do with the fact that he was hanging out with her or because he and Ali were alone right now? Every time he'd felt it, Ali had been right next to him though they hadn't always been alone when he did. Somehow, Littlefoot began to rise some suspicions but since he didn't know the meaning behind this, he could only muse about the significance of these new, odd sensations which Ali's arrival brought along.
Another side glance at the female longneck. Ali seemed very restless, Littlefoot noted, and, somehow, it seemed as though every time she changed her pose, her body was gradually inching closer to his, almost to the point where it began to feel uncomfortable in an awkward fashion yet he couldn't really object. The touch of her skin felt kind of nice, although it didn't help his attempts to find out more, only that it somehow seemed to make the feeling more intense by the minute, increasing his uneasiness but also his happiness. Just what did it mean? What was messing with his head?
Suddenly, their tails touched and Littlefoot could feel an electric current, strangely warm and pleasant, running through his body, energizing him and causing an odd sense of ecstasy. He couldn't quite place those findings yet but all he knew was that he wanted to feel this again. Instinctively, he moved his tail as well and turned his long neck once again to take a glimpse at Ali only to find the girl facing him, apparently having the same idea at the same moment.
*thump* *thump*
"Why is my heart beating like I've climbed a whole mountain?" At this point, it was futile to deny that Ali had something to do with this. Their eyes met for a brief moment; Ali's blue eyes were reflecting the light of the Night Circle and, albeit just for a second, a shy smile flashed across her face before she looked away bashfully.
"What is this feeling!?" Littlefoot was confused to the point that it made him angry at his lack of comprehension. He liked Ali, he really did, always did, but still he hadn't ever felt like this about her before. Perhaps it was a thing when one was getting older? He was already beginning to realize that The Time of Great Growing entailed much more than growing like crazy as the name implied. He could almost hear his grandpa's voice in his head, explaining how children began to think differently about the other gender, sometimes without realizing it.
"Wait a second…" Littlefoot was close to the answer but that was when Ali decided to speak up again.
"Littlefoot?" The girl was still not looking at him directly, looking a little beside him as if something greatly embarrassed her. "D-d-do you l-l-like me?"
"Huh?" Apparently, Ali had sorted her thoughts now, however Littlefoot's first impression was that she'd done a terribly poor job. What a stupid question to ask something so obvious. Weren't they good – no, very good friends? Best friends? Either way, he needn't waste a second about her silly question for he really did like her.
"Silly, you're a very good friend, we just wouldn't be if I didn't like you," he responded with a grin, teasing the girl a little but Ali's reaction strongly indicated that he had missed the point after all.
"T-that's not quite what I meant, Littlefoot…" Ali said quietly, awkwardly shifting around on the spot. "I knew that you like me of course but do you… like me? See…" She shifted around some more, sitting right next to him so that their whole flanks touched.
"Urgh, why… this tickles from the inside!" Touching the girl like that amplified the odd feeling which Littlefoot suspected to be a feeling towards Ali tenfold if not more. Littlefoot couldn't help but smile happily. "This feels so nice though…" Being up close like this felt so rewarding; her body was warm and her skin was much smoother than his. Instinctively, he allowed himself to lean slightly to the right – against Ali, feeling content doing so.
Ali didn't speak up again so the boy began to study the sky with all its blinking lights intently, hoping he'd get to see one of those travelling blinky lights that raced across the sky as opposed to their stationary brothers, flashing up just for a brief moment, some so bright that they rivalled the Night Circle for just a short moment. Rumor had it that seeing them gave the one who saw them a free wish to be granted. Would he see one tonight? It certainly wasn't too common to spot them, many simply weren't bright enough and more often than not he'd fall asleep rather quick during observation. Certainly, he'd seen a few during his life but never had a wish turned true yet, frankly, so Littlefoot remained a little wary. Nonetheless, trying to spot one gave the observation of the blinky lights a whole new level of entertainment.
Although he didn't want to say it out loud, Littlefoot was still puzzled as to why Ali had suddenly stopped talking once their bodies touched. Certainly, she couldn't have been finished? A quick glance at her confirmed that she was still very thoughtful although he could hardly tell what his friend was truly thinking about or feeling at that moment. At least she seemed a little less troubled than before. Littlefoot could only muse that this way of spending time together, sitting up close and simply letting one's mind relax from the many events of the day, had calmed down the girl and he himself couldn't deny that he liked it… liked her. Only Ali was capable of causing these odd yet pleasant and desirable emotions and, slowly, Littlefoot began to rejoice. For all he cared, he'd like Ali to stay at his side just like that for a while longer…
"Wait, isn't this what lovey-dovey people are like when they're together?!" Suddenly, that thought crossed his mind and lingered when he thought about how his grandparents or other couples spent time like this together, getting physically close and doing things that lovers usually did… Instantly, Littlefoot jerked slightly as the implementations began to dawn on him.
"Is-is something wrong?" Ali wondered shyly, momentarily turning her neck to look at him.
"O-oh, not at all!" Littlefoot quickly assured. "I was just thinking that I saw a flashing light on the sky but I guess I was seeing things. Wandering Lights sure are rare after all…" It was a quick lie he'd forged up out of the blue but it seemed to satisfy Ali's curiosity. He wasn't really sure if what he'd just figured was really true and, even if it was, could he tell her? Could he really tell Ali that he liked her like his grandparents liked each other? How Topps and Tria liked each other… Was it even that kind of feeling to begin with? Was Ali sharing it? He was only now beginning to grasp on what Ali had tried to say earlier.
"Come to think of it, whatever she meant to tell me earlier, she felt uneasy about it… I feel uneasy about this myself so could it be the same feeling after all? Does Ali like me more than I thought? Do I… like her more than I thought I do? She didn't tell me in the end but… maybe she was acting so weird because she wanted to show me instead? After all… she did get rather close like… like my grandparents often do… So does she- does she like me that much? Do I like her this much? I feel… something b-but it's a feeling I've never felt before… Could this be how it feels like to be… in love with someone? Yes, maybe…" Littlefoot's thought process came to an abrupt halt when caught the girl glimpsing at him. Just how silly had he been looking while lost in thought like that? Immediately, his stomach was full of tickling little buzzers again, torturing and pleasing him at the same time. Ali didn't look away this time; she was wearing a shy but sweet smile and the Night Circle illuminated her face.
"She's beautiful…" Littlefoot mused, a warm feeling overcoming him. He was unable to move, unable to avert his gaze. Mutually, their tails touched and intertwined without either of them noticing and his heart began racing in excitement once he realized it.
"Littlefoot," she said in her angelic voice, sweeter than all Tree Sweets the Valley had to offer. "I still haven't told you, Littlefoot…" Her words were quiet; almost a whisper yet Littlefoot heard them loud and clear as if it was Mr. Threehorn with his booming voice yelling next to him. Just hearing her voice which carried so many feelings, so many emotions, made him feel so warm… so happy. Right now, Littlefoot thought that Ali looked and sounded like an angel, her cute smile numbing his senses.
"Yes, now I'm sure… this is it indeed," he thought and, finally, he ceased to resist the idea of Ali and him being in a relationship that went beyond friendship which had been subconsciously hindering his thought process before… He liked the girl more than he'd ever thought and, with his confusion about his feelings sorted out and knowing that Ali shared them, he no longer felt uneasy to say out loud what Ali had been trying to tell him already before. But the girl beat him to speaking up first.
"For a long time, I thought the feelings in my heart were what you feel towards a friend but you were the only one out of my friends where I felt like this… at first I thought it had to do with the fact that you're the only longneck but… even Rhett, I once considered him a friend too and I felt nothing like that…"
Littlefoot couldn't help but grin in a sheepish kind of manner for he already knew what Ali meant to reveal in front of him. Thinking back about her behavior throughout the day, it was so strikingly obvious that she had a crush on him now that he was aware of it as well as of his very own crush. These feelings were absolutely mutual and the boy really wanted to be the one who finally said it out loud, given how ridiculously dense he had been up until now…
"It's the same for me!" he exclaimed but then he began to ring for words to say as his mind entered a love-stricken turmoil. "I sensed a strange feeling deep inside me ever since you arrived here the other day, not knowing what it is or what it means… It has been bothering me ever since whenever you were around me b-but it's not a bad feeling at all – it was only annoying because I didn't understand it until a moment ago! D-don't get the wrong idea…" Embarrassed, Littlefoot had to look away when Ali put on a mirthful expression all of a sudden, fully aware of what Littlefoot was getting into and very glad about it, appreciating, moreover, that he decided to try saying the words she couldn't bring over her lips, these words so tough to say despite how important they were to her.
"You only just realized, huh?" the girl said in a bantering tone, looking even more adorable when she giggled about the expression that he made in response.
"Y-yeah, I guess…" Littlefoot hummed bashfully. Nevertheless, now was the chance of his lifetime so he broke free from the curse keeping his tongue in check and spoke up with new confidence. "Ali, I…"
"I know." Abruptly, the girl moved her neck forward, her nose touching his ever so tenderly. At that moment, no more words needed to be said as the moonlight illuminated their silhouettes. Littlefoot smiled happily, closing his eyes and rejoicing in the moment, Ali doing the exact same thing. They spent a little while like that, relaxing now that each of them knew of the yet unsaid feeling that they shared, that was until Ali retreated a little in order to take a new glimpse at the purple-grey boy who she adored so much.
"I couldn't be happier right now," she merely stated with a look of satisfaction on her face.
"Same here," Littlefoot replied, gathering all his courage to finish the sentence he'd meant to say earlier before Ali had intercepted his first attempt with that sweet moment they had shared just now. "Ali?"
"Mhm?" The girl tilted her head somewhat, resulting in a facial expression so cute and adorable that Littlefoot was taken aback for a moment.
"I-I really really like you and-and I think you…you look…" Embarrassment began to hit like rocks falling from the sky and Littlefoot could bet a week's share of Tree Sweets that his cheeks were on fire at that moment.
"Hmmmmmm?" Ali grinned, knowing full well that this would be Littlefoot's confession.
"I think you look really nice like… in a beautiful kind of manner, I mean…" Littlefoot stopped when Ali's uncontained laughter cut through the silence of the night. Littlefoot didn't know what was happening until he felt Ali's warm cheek touching his own and he relaxed immediately, leaning against the girl.
"Anyway, Ali, I…" he unglued himself from her cheek again as to look the girl into her beautiful blue eyes when he finally said it.
"I love you, Ali!"
"Silly," she whispered in a sweet voice, her smile broader than her face could contain. "I love you too, Littlefoot. I want to be together with you here in the Great Valley. Forever."
Littlefoot's heart immediately skipped a few beats before it began beating twice as fast as before.
"Yes, let's be together, you… and me."
Ali didn't say anything else, inching up to Littlefoot as close as was physically possible. Littlefoot immediately returned the favor, simply closing his eyes as he leaned against the girl, his smile broader than ever. Today had been one of the best days in his life; the issue with Rhett just couldn't change that fact, not when he learned today that his distant childhood friend was now what his friends would probably dub his "flame", although Littlefoot didn't really think of them like that just yet. It was true that he and Ali now shared a special bond but they would have to strengthen that bond before they could become true lovers. For now, he settled on calling it a serious, mutual crush.
The feeling of Ali at his side truly was a marvelous one and the boy made sure to take in every second of it while he could, not knowing how many opportunities like that would open up in the near and distant future – Ali seemed to think likewise. Now was simply not the time to worry about any of that. Time was passing in slow-motion but, gradually, the Night Circle rose higher on the sky and so were the blinky lights in their unique constellations and positions.
"You know, I could do this all night…" Littlefoot eventually spoke up with a content sigh, his voice soft, almost dreamy although Ali made sure to beat him in that regard, sounding even more distant and absentminded when she replied.
"I could fall asleep like this…" she yawned contently.
"No way, I promised your mother to return you home," Littlefoot retorted playfully.
"Yes, I'm aware of that," Ali said with a smile. "Just a little longer, okay?"
"Sure thing," Littlefoot chuckled, feeling a warm sensation of tiredness slowly embrace him too. His eyes were roaming the skies again to keep him awake and to get a chance at seeing a Wandering Light. Admittedly, it was a silly rumor to chase after and there was simply no proof that wishes really did come true, yet he preferred to believe in those rumors for right now he had a really important heart wish; having it granted would mean the world to him.
"By the way, should we tell the others?" Ali quietly spoke up after a while, not taking her eyes off the sky, apparently admiring the amazing spectacle as well, not ceasing to snuggle up to him.
"Huh?" Littlefoot jerked slightly since he was lost in concentrated observation.
"Well, I am wondering… should we keep it a secret that we…" Ali couldn't help to giggle in a silly manner. "Well, that we are a lot closer now."
"Oh, a-actually…" Littlefoot blurted out in slight nervousness. "Let me think about it for a second…" Ali had mentioned a good point. Should they let on that were now lovey-dovey with each other publically or should they act as unsuspicious as possible while they weren't alone by themselves? Truth be told, Littlefoot felt eerie and very uneasy about other dinosaurs seeing them being close and intimate with each other and, in particular, his grandparents and his friends. "I'm certain I'll never hear the end of if it they find out…" he frowned and just thinking about what Cera's reaction might be like if she walked in on them being like this gave him shivers.
"Erm, perhaps we shouldn't make it too obvious…" the boy eventually reasoned, however, completely acting as if this night had never happened was something he didn't want to go through either nor, he surmised, could he act normal around Ali, not anymore. "We don't have to tell anyone and… well, we should be subtle while the others are around, I think?"
"Yeah, I was thinking along those lines myself," Ali admitted. "See, it's not just Rhett's comments I'm afraid of…"
"I could never look Cera in the eye again if ever she finds out about this…" Littlefoot uttered a profound groan which made Ali laugh loudly.
"I can so imagine, hahaha!"
"Okay, then it's decided, let's do it like we discussed!" he announced with a smile.
*flash*
Suddenly, a flash of light blinded both of them momentarily. Littlefoot blinked and then he saw what was the source of the sudden phenomenon.
"A Wandering Light!" Ali exclaimed in awe before he could voice his own astonishment about his surprising luck. A wondrous spectacle was unfolding in front of their eyes as the two young longnecks leaned against one another while watching the natural fireworks on the skies, the flash of light disappearing to reveal a fiery streak cutting through the distant sky, breaking into several segments before slowly fading into the darkness.
"Make a wish, Ali," Littlefoot whispered, happy and content.
"Already did," Ali mumbled quietly, smiling with her eyes closed once it was over. Even the skies were celebrating their new relationship, it appeared.
"Me too," he announced. "Let's hope our wishes come true."
"Yep." Ali gently rubbed her cheek against Littlefoot's who returned the gesture just as carefully, chuckling in a silly manner. "Will you tell me what you wished for?"
"Of course not!" Littlefoot thundered indignantly. "A wish won't ever come true if you go around telling everyone. You have to keep it to yourself or you'll have bad luck instead. Or so they say…" Playfully, he poked the girl who giggled heartily.
"Right, right!" Ali returned the gesture which was the start of a poke war which soon turned into a full-fletched play fight, both longnecks laughing in silly fun. It was only when breathing became difficult that they laid back down to recover from that overdose of laughter.
"That was fun!" Ali said with a happy sigh.
"You bet!" Littlefoot agreed eagerly but there was a grain of salt spoiling his mood somewhat. "We should go back soon though or your mother might get angry with us."
"Yeah…" A quick moment of melancholy struck the pink-coloured girl but her smile was back up in no time. "Oh well, let's get going then. Tomorrow is another day."
"You say it!" Littlefoot agreed. "Better not be too tired to play tomorrow."
Ali gave a curt nod. Without another word, the two young longnecks made their way back under the watchful glance of the Night Circle and a certain beige-coloured longneck…
This is my submission for the february prompt of the Gang of Five Forum fanfiction prompt challenge for the prompt "Love"
So, yay! Littlefoot and Ali shippers come forth, I guess? xD Just writing this made me super happy, I really hope it'll have a similar effect on you :)
But Rhett is up to something and the next prompt is "conflict/battle" so... uh oh...
hadiginga chapter 3 . Mar 7
I really hate rhett he always tells lies I don't want him to be whit Ali I want Ali to be with littlefoot
Don't worry, Rhett won't win. The love between Littlefoot and Ali is stronger than his idiocy ;)
LittlefootXAli chapter 3 .Mar 7
Chomper joked about eating Rhett. That seems like a more likely scenario now.
No Rhett on the menu in this story but Rhett will get what he deserves :)
Guest chapter 3 .Mar 8
Thank you for the thoughtful response. You've already heard my thoughts on this chapter, as per usual given our arangment, but there's no harm in reiterating a few things. I've despised Rhett since his unfortunate introduction, but somehow you've made me think even less of him. Upon my first reading I didn't expect Rhett to be physically stronger than Littlefoot, but it creates an intriguing brain vs brawn dynamic that suits Littlefoot. After all throughout the franchise he's survived by strategizing rather than using brute strength to solve his problems. It will be interesting to see how he deals with this. While I absolutely hate how he treats Ali like property, I commend you for making a realistic love triangle. Yes it's not a true love triangle since Rhett's feels are unreciprocated, but situations like this are far from the happy misunderstanding the tv show portrayed. Ali's confession to her mother was also very well done. Although I wholeheartedly agree with Ali, both of them came off as reasonable to some extent and you never demonized her mother for the sake of her argument. It felt like I real emotional conversation between family members and clearly conveyed why Ali is dissatisfied with her life in the herd. You've always been good with emotional scenes, both positive and negative, and that's on display here. For example, this chapter shows sides of Ali that are typically ignored by most authors. No one is perfect and this chapter shows her acknowledging a character flaw. Likely due to her compassion, Ali can be eager to please. Both wanting everyone to be happy and to see her in a positive light. While this is good intentioned, it can lead to situations like what you described in her conversation with her mother. Although to her credit she is trying to overcome this much like her shyness in the fourth film. In addition you also showed her more jovial side like what we saw in their original meet cute scene. I like that you subverted the trope of the shy girl who doesn't know how pretty she really is. By contrast Ali seems to know exactly how pretty she is and seeing her take advantage of that for some lighthearted teasing of Littlefoot was very entertaining.
Great work as always, I look forward to seeing what happens next.
Thank you very much!
I don't have much to say in response since everything you mentioned is true and correct. I'm super glad that you are happy with my work and I hope future chapters will work out just as great as the ones you've just praised :)
The Rhombus chapter 2 .Mar 12
Well, it looks like Rhett has not improved his people skills any. :p Although he and Ali are the only longnecks of roughly the same age in the herd, it seems that he has taken a different route in this tale than in the Seven Hunters. Instead of soul searching and reflecting on his shortcomings, he has become even more fixated on Ali despite her obvious misgivings, and now the animosity is building in him to actual cause Littlefoot harm. I can see how this is not going to end well...
The Rhombus chapter 3 .Mar 12
"After the group was done eating (Chomper had disappeared for a bit)"
I somewhat hoped that Chomper was having a certain friend for dinner, if you know what I mean. :p
Ali has certainly put her thoughts into meaningful words at this point as she told her mother about her desire to leave the herd in order to be free of Rhett's unwanted affections. At the same time we get to experience the full extent of Rhett's unrivaled dickishness. The fact that due to his lifestyle Rhett would be the probable victor in any fight and that longneck society is apparently quite medieval about courtship and what "consent" is, creates a rather dark perspective in our favorite sauropod's mind. I can certainly see why Ali is looking for an off-ramp from her current life.
I suspect that with Rhett's scheming, Littlefoot might have to use his wits (where he has a large advantage over Rhett) in order to outmaneuver Rhett's aggression. I can certainly guess how the "love" and "conflict" prompts are going to be fulfilled in the near-future. :p I look forward to seeing how this story develops in the chapters to come!
Thanks for the review(s)!
Yes, Rhett is acting like a big douche here and that's quite intended :DD
I certainly know what you mean but I'm afraid Rhett is not on the menu... :P
All well said, Littlefoot's wits will be more than required in the next chapter, that much I can guarantee already. And yes... now you see why I was so keen on using this for the prompt challenge for even the order of prompts mostly fits the action of the story :)