Author's notes: The ellipsis means, 'new scene during same event', where you see it in a new line.


A Burning Reminiscence

The scene at the meeting place is a somewhat gruff and depreciative instance of the early morning. Mr. Threehorn, who by now has lost some colouring to his hide, is the one who first called for this gathering to commence. Despite his old age, he still has the audacity to bellow everyone there much to the annoyance of his fellow neighbours.

"What is the meaning of this?" Asked the old Ankylosaurus.

"Yeah! Kosh is right!" An old female Maiasaura continued.

"We could all still be resting you know!" Replied an old Coryphosaurus with an angry strut towards Topsy, causing a young adult Triceratops to storm forwards and stop him in his tracks.

"Hey! Leave my father-in-law alone!" Though he seemed a little annoyed, he was very sincere with his response. "Why not listen to what he has to say? He called you all here. At least show your respect!" His reply is quickly met with silence from all those around him.

"Thank you Kodi." Topsy's voice is much more gruff at his old age, perhaps even a little quieter than what most older residents are used to. With a slower stride into the centre of the meeting place, he begins to explain. "Now! I've seen a fair amount of dry and, flaky green food since my day. We are only a few days into the Time of the Changing Treestars, and already food has been drying up. So long as the Thundering Falls doesn't stop flowing, a water problem will be no issue for us."

"Then why did you call us here Mr. Threehorn?" Littlefoot questioned before remembering the first major fire that happened in the Great Valley. "As we have no water problem, a fire wouldn't happen any time soon."

"A good question, as always Littlefoot." Petrie complied as he rest perching atop Littlefoot's neck. "Me no know how you come up with such things?"

"The reason behind why I called you here, is the fact that our food has been drying up, much quicker than it has in the past. If this wave of heat continues into next month, we may have bigger problems to, worry about. Namely fire!"

"But. Our water is still plentiful. How can fire start if our water is plentiful? Littlefoot mentioned there would be no fire." A male Saurolophus pressed as he strode a few steps forward. Topsy though, sighed at the response he got, letting Kodi take over so he could catch his breath.

"Okay father!" Kodi walks into the centre after Topsy stands beside a Longneck younger than him. Littlefoot knows that both his father and Cera's dad get along very well now, despite him remembering their past arguments where they sometimes had to be split up. "Though I value your point Ruben, I'm afraid what father is trying to say is very serious! Hence why we are having this meeting! If this heat continues, our water supply will diminish daily! When the first month comes to pass, both water and food will become scarce unto the point it cannot resume!" His words force worried gasps out of those in the immediate vicinity. "If this damn heat continues with no sign of Skywater, our humble Great Valley will become barren, inhospitable! A hazardous land where fire could kindle at any moment, destroying everything in its wake!" All dinosaurs in the meeting rapidly change their countenance to a more dire form, Topsy accepting the possible fate of the land, and Kodi unwilling to vociferate what must happen if fire does indeed happen. "When it reaches the other side of the Fast Water, I'm afraid we can do nothing but leave and find a new haven! We all know what this means and who we must sacrifice if we are to habituate a new and safer land!" He pauses. "That is all!" Kodi then heads back to his father-in-law, checking that he is okay and breathing casually again as the adults start discussing amongst themselves of their worries, causing discord that Bron would see to the end. "Are you alright father?"

"Yes, thank you son." Bron walks into the centre and raises his voice over the raucous the adults are making.

"ENOUGH!" His single word made everyone turn towards his towering stature. "We do not need this cacophony! We must accept what may happen, and live from it! All of us had survived before coming here! And I know we can do that again!"

"Bron sure does have loud voice." Petrie acclaimed.

"That's my dad for you." Littlefoot commended.

"But it's all so sudden Bron! Our children may not even survive if fire starts!" Ruben replied in concern.

"I understand Ruben, but you must keep hope alive!" He pauses. "I believe we are in need of a dismissal. I'll do the honours." He turns to Topsy. "Topsy?"

"Go ahead Bron! I'm getting too old for this."

"You are all dismissed! Thank you for turning up at this most urgent of circumstance!" All the adults disband from the meeting place, heading back to their nests or out for a graze. But Littlefoot still felt uneasy. He understands what must be done, but could not hold back from remembering the first major fire of the Great Valley. The time he almost lost his best friend Cera and Mr. Threehorn, a few days after the Thundering Falls had stopped flowing.


There is a fallen tree in an unknown location of the Great Valley, accompanied by the noise of a Pterosaur. Looking around Littlefoot steps on a weak branch causing it to break, gulping when Cera arrives. As the others appear Spike crashes into Cera making her scream, and they quickly fall before crashing down at the bottom. They rise up after seeing an opening in the rocky cliffs gasping upon going through, where Ducky simply states a well known fact that all of them know already.

"It is the Mysterious Beyond."

"And it have water! Whole bunches!" Petrie ascertains as they all look out from over the ledge, seeing the many water pockets that have been stored amongst the desolate wasteland. But there is a storm brewing when they finally notice an area blocked by a rock-slide, with a breeze blowing small dry leaves accompanied by thunder and lightning. This area of water is the only known source for the Thundering Falls that they know of.

"The Flying Rocks must have caused slides in the Mysterious Beyond too." Littlefoot stated to his friends.

"Yeah! And those dumb slides blocked up our water!" Cera moaned with a shout over the thunder.

"Come on! The grown-ups will know what to do!" Littlefoot concludes as they walk back through the opening when more lightning occurs with thunderous roars from the sky.

...

The sky is suddenly darker as the wind begins to increase in speed, causing Petrie to get blown through the air uncontrollably.

"Whoa!" Passing by Cera he grunts, grabbing her horn as the wind continues to blow. "Bad weather for flying!" He acclaimed before they carry on heading back to their parents. Suddenly, lightning strikes a tree ahead of the gang giving them reason to scream; rapidly sliding to a stop the gang gasp when the blazing tree lands in front of them.

"Back this way! I know another path!" Littlefoot shouted over the noise before leading them away from the hazard, but the fire follows as they scream and run away. Stopping to look back on a large slab of mossy rock to view their distance from the fire, they jump down and quickly carry on as the fire engulfs the nearby trees and plants, growing in size every second. Dangerously spreading, burning trees collapse onto otherwise clear land, creating a fire wall that coaxes the flames to spread in other directions. They make it out of the trees but the fire looms and smokes, blocking the path back in that direction. They manifest from the black smoke and scream again in hope their parents hear them.

The gang finally reaches Littlefoot's grandparents overlooking Mr. Threehorn's bossiness over a Duckbill drinking from the little water there was left.

"That's enough! You've had your share for today!"

"The Threehorn is getting far too bossy!"

"I agree!"

"Grandma! Grandpa!"

"Daddy!" They hear Littlefoot and Cera calling them and soon realise they are stressed and frightened, running towards them with their friends. Catching his breath, Littlefoot informs them of the danger.

"Fire! There's fire in the valley!"

"Are you sure Littlefoot?" Grandpa's voice was very stern, and a hint of worry was present.

"Yes grandpa! It's near Two Boulder Pass!" Littlefoot states as he looks in that direction. Grandpa follows his gaze.

"Yes! We can see the fire signs from here!" The other grown-ups begin gossiping amongst themselves on the sudden location of the fire.

"Two Boulder Pass! That's not far from here!" One Hadrosaur replied.

"Calm yourselves! We will lead you to safety!" Grandpa complied over their voices, but then Mr. Threehorn cuts in unannounced.

"No! I will! They'll be better off following me!" He seems to pause in thought, searching for a path that will help them flee to safety. "This way! Come!" He starts for the path he found, but Grandpa states the obvious slightly annoyed by the Threehorn's poor choice.

"But you're heading downwind, where the fire will surely spread! We must go upwind of the fire!"

"Do as you will Longneck!? But Cera and I go this way!" He continues on forward a few steps. "Come Cera!"

"But daddy!" Cera cried, but Mr. Threehorn rapidly turned his glare upon his daughter.

"The others can do what they want! But you are my daughter, and you will do as I say!" After answering back, he complacently struts on knowing his daughter will follow.

"I'm...em!" Cera gives in. "I'm going with my father." Her final answer though she is scared, is accepted by her friends and all those in the vicinity. But knowing her father will say otherwise, all she can do is head on and follow him wherever he goes against the wishes of herself and all the others. Ducky starts pacing after the decision had been made and Cera disappears amidst the trees.

"I do not feel good about this! Oh no I do not!"

"Grandma, grandpa! Can't you stop them?" Littlefoot pleads.

"I have to go after them!" Grandpa assumed, taking full responsibility. Grandma agrees as her mate heads off in the direction Mr. Threehorn had gone.

"Yes! Littlefoot, you come with me! We'll lead the others to safety!"

"But what about everybody else in the valley grandma!? What will happen to them!?"

"They'll use the escape routes closest to them!" Grandma assures. "Now come!" Grandpa disappears through the trees downwind, as Grandma plans the escape for the others. "Everyone follow me! Children first!" Despite the adults bickering amongst themselves as the children go first, they follow the Longneck in hope she can lead them safely away. They all begin the ascent to the cliff, that will keep them above the flames.


Littlefoot also remembers how his grandfather, Cera and Mr. Threehorn arrived after reaching the safe location above the forest fire below. How joyous he felt upon seeing them again, but Petrie soon brings him back to his senses under the wonder as to why he had suddenly stopped in thought.

"Littlefoot! Are you okay?"

"Yes Petrie! I'm fine now!"

"Me believe you had been in thought over something. My guess would be the fire we had in the past."

"So! You remembered it too?"

"Yes! Spike too me think!" Petrie flaps his wings and hovers in Littlefoot's eye-line, trying to forget what he had remembered by changing the subject. "But our partners may be waiting for us to return!"

"Yes! I'm sorry about the worry I caused you."

"Don't worry! Me see you later maybe!"

"Sure." They each head off in their separate ways, back toward the comfort of their new family lives. But as the day moves forward more, the heat increases and the cloud cover dissipates to reveal the burning Great Circle once more.