It all started when the rainbow faces were looking at their reflections when they had an idea to see what the herds were up to in the Great Valley. So they waved their hands over the water, creating a window for them to see what each of the dinosaur herds in the Valley were doing, but there was one group in particular that they were interested in, a gang of seven young teenage dinosaurs, Littlefoot, Ducky, Cera, Petrie, Spike, Chomper and Ruby. They were talking, laughing and playing together under the watchful eyes of the grownups, and to make it better, the Bright Circle was high in the sky with no sky puffies in sight.
But as they watched, they sensed something was wrong as two of the children, the young longneck and threehorn, seemed to be deep in thought. While the other young ones were playing toss the seed, it seemed to be out of character for the two of them not to join in with the game. So the Rainbow Faces decided to listen in to the young dinosaurs' conversation.
"Hey Cera," asked Littlefoot. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a longneck? Like walking in my paws for the day?"
"What do you mean?" Cera replied.
"I mean like I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a threehorn," explained Littlefoot.
Cera looked at Littlefoot mischievously. "In case you have forgotten flathead, I am one, so you could just ask me."
"Haha, you know what I mean Cera," Littlefoot said.
Cera laughed. "I know, I'm just messing around. I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to be able to reach tree stars on top of the trees like your grandparents do. I would be bigger than everyone else in the Valley, and I'd get one up on my dad."
"Haha," smirked Littlefoot. "True, but being a longneck and being bigger has its challenges too. Like you would have to control your neck and your body. Not only that, but you would have to watch where you're walking to make sure you don't step on anyone. Well, apart from sharpteeth."
"That's true," Cera smirked back. "All sharpteeth apart from Chomper and well, that explains why you're clumsy."
"Hey, I'm not that bad!" replied Littlefoot.
"Well, you nearly fell over me twice," Cera laughed. "I thought there was going to be an earthshake."
"I'm not that big yet," Littlefoot said, laughing.
"Anyway," Cera smirked. "I think we do have challenges. Like we can't see as far as longnecks and horns can break if we are not careful."
"It would be fun to be able to bump things like trees and rocks with a horn on my head. Your dad would throw a fit if I was you," snickered Littlefoot.
"Haha, yes," laughed Cera. "He would most likely say what's that longneck got my daughter into this time."
"Haha," agreed Littlefoot. "Probably my grandparents would be taken aback, then probably lay down in shock."
Cera looked mischievously at him. "Though I don't think they would see much difference."
"Why?" asked Littlefoot.
"Well you are not exactly masculine for a male, are you?" Cera replied.
"Hey, I'm still growing!" protested Littlefoot.
"And you are a little clumsy too," added Cera. "And Dad says I'm more like a boy than a girl."
"I'm not that clumsy," replied Littlefoot. "And plus, it would be weird for me not to reach tall trees with my neck, or help move trees and rocks."
"I think I'd struggle without my horns," agreed Cera. "Like I would not be able to crack rocks or push trees down or bump into trees to bring down tree stars."
Littlefoot pondered for a second. "I just remembered something my grandparents said once."
"What's that?" asked Cera.
"They said that we're the opposite parts of the same tree star," Littlefoot smiled.
Cera laughed. "What are they trying to say? But I can see why they would say that. But don't tell anyone I said that."
"I won't, I promise," said Littlefoot.
"You better not," Cera smirked. "Anyway, let's see what the others are doing."
So Littlefoot and Cera walked over to the rest of the gang.
"Hey guys," greeted Littlefoot.
Ducky was looking at her friends curiously. "Have you guys ever wondered what it would be like to be different? Like, say, if you woke up as a different dinosaur?"
"What you mean, Ducky?" Petrie asked, looking at her confusedly.
"I mean what if by magic I woke up as something else?" Ducky explained. "Like a flyer."
"Like me wake up like swimmer?" Petrie asked curiously.
Ducky nodded, "Yep yep yep."
"That sounds interesting," said Littlefoot thoughtfully. "But I don't think our parents would like it."
"Especially my dad," Cera snorted.
Chomper laughed. "Yeah, he would be really mad!"
"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a threehorn," Littlefoot pondered.
Cera smirked. "It would be fun to imagine the look on our parents' faces!"
Ruby chuckled. "It would be funny, it would."
"Imagine you woke up as a fourfooter, but you were a twofooter before," said Ducky playfully.
"Tripping up all over the place," laughed Chomper.
"I think our parents would be worried, worried they would be," said Ruby thoughtfully.
"Or falling out nest because you no fly before. Or forgotten how to fly! That would scare Petrie," Petrie said, shivering.
"That would be hilarious to see," agreed Cera. "Though Petrie, everything scares you."
"Petrie not scared of anything!" Petrie insisted.
"Or us fourfooters walking on twos instead of fours," said Littlefoot. "Falling on our faces because we don't know how to walk on two legs."
Spike, who in the cold times since had begun to speak, added, "Imagine if I woke up like Chomper and Chomper was like me, hmm."
"It would be funny!" said Chomper brightly. "Like I'd always be hungry, but I'd struggle walking on fours. Not only that, I'd have to control my tail more, or I could do damage. Or forgetting I have four legs, not two and tripping up."
"Mama would probably think Spike is being clumsier than normal, yep yep yep," Ducky giggled.
"I don't think I'd like to be a sharptooth," pondered Spike. "I'd be worried about what to eat but walking on twos would be funny, like falling out of our nest."
"So if you could change, what would you be?" Ruby asked.
"I would like to be a flyer, yep yep yep," said Ducky.
"Why Ducky?" Petrie asked.
"Because I would like to fly above the sky puffies and see the whole Valley from above and to experience what it is like to live like a flyer, yep yep yep," said Ducky dreamily. "But while it would be fun, I would still miss being able to swim. What about you, Petrie?"
"Me be swimmer," replied Petrie. "Like swim under the water but me no like getting wings wet. It nice to experience living like a swimmer, but me would miss flying. What about you, Cera?"
"Me? I'd say I'd like to be like Littlefoot, a longneck," grinned Cera. "Because I could reach the highest treestars on the tallest trees and see over things farther away like his grandparents do, as they are the first to let the Valley know if a sharptooth has come in because they see and see before we do. And to annoy my dad. But I'd miss being able to crack rocks with my horns and bump trees. Like I told Littlefoot earlier when he mentioned it."
"So you two were quiet and deep in thought earlier," Chomper observed.
"Yep, we talked about it and thought about it," smiled Littlefoot. "I told Cera I'd like to experience being a threehorn because I'd be able to smash rocks and bump trees and move trees with my frill, like Cera does. But I'd also fight sharpteeth with the horns on my head and live like a threehorn. I'd miss not being able to use my neck to reach high places though, like high treestars in a tall tree. What about you, Chomper?
Chomper thought. "I'm with Cera, I'd be a longneck like you. Not only would I experience living like you and eating like you but I'd see life from a leafeater's point of view. Not only would I see and hear what you see and hear, but I'd think the way you do. Like I'd like to understand more what it's like to be in your paws especially when sharpteeth attack. There's one thing though, I'd sure miss my scaly swimmers," he said as he licked his lips. "What about you, Ruby?"
"I'd say I'd like to be a swimmer too, like Petrie," said Ruby. "Because I'd like to swim as well as Ducky and to experience things like she does. Like see things from her perspective and see how her herd lives. But I'd miss not being able to run fast, especially (when my friends are in danger?)."
As the gang were talking amongst themselves, there was a sudden whishing noise behind them, causing them to jump and look behind them, where they saw two rainbow faces standing in front of them.
"You guys again?" Cera asked. "Who are you?"
"I'm Gill," introduced the female rainbow face. "And this is Gilbert."
"What do you guys want?" Littlefoot asked curiously.
"We were just passing through when we couldn't help but overhear the conversation you young ones were having," explained Gill. "So we thought we might be able to help you."
"What do you mean?" Cera asked suspiciously.
"What if somehow you were able to walk in each other's paws and see what it's like to be a different kind?" Gilbert asked.
"Like say you Littlefoot woke up in the body of another kind," added Gill.
"But it's not possible," said Cera.
"How do you know?" Gill asked. "What if by magic it happened?"
"But magic doesn't exist, exist it doesn't," Ruby observed.
"Well, how do you know it doesn't exist?" asked Gilbert.
"Me no see magic," said Petrie, "So how we know it real?"
"If we can't see it or hear it, it can't be real, right?" Chomper asked.
Gill smiled. "Just because you can't see something or hear something doesn't mean it's not real, young one."
"How do you know?" Littlefoot asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Gilbert smirked. "That would be telling, wouldn't it?"
"Remember what your mother once said, Littlefoot," explained Gill. "Some things you see with your eyes, others, you see with your heart."
"I remember," smiled Littlefoot reminiscently. "So we can't see it but if we believe it, then it's true in our hearts."
"Yes, you know, like shooting stars in the sky. If you see one then make a wish, it sometimes comes true," said Gill.
"Mama once told me about flying rocks that look like stars flying through the air and if you see it and make a wish, something good will happen," said Ducky excitedly.
"Me mama told me that too," added Petrie.
"My family told me that once," said Ruby thoughtfully. "But I thought that was just a story to get hatchlings to sleep."
"Mommy and Daddy said once that somewhere there's a place where dinosaurs can make things disappear like other dinosaurs and bring back lost or dead dinosaurs. But I thought they were just bedtime stories," smiled Chomper.
"That sounds weird coming from your parents, Chomper," Cera smirked.
"Hey, they can be nice sometimes," Chomper replied.
"They didn't eat us when I saved Chomper," Littlefoot pointed out.
"See? That was nice," Chomper said, smiling at littlefoot , as the whole gang and the rainbow faces laughed.
"Okay Chomper," Cera said, still laughing.
"As we were saying, umm …" Gill began, "I think there's lots of possibilities if you were to be another kind but there would be hurdles (not easily overcome/easy to overcome)? The only thing that I'd say is that if a sharptooth attacks, that could be a problem, but I think it would work."
"Magic is very much real," explained Gilbert. "It's around us, but if you believe it, then you can see things beyond your imagination."
"Wow, I'm curious about being a threehorn," exclaimed Littlefoot. "So if I had magic, it could happen?"
"Yes, young one," Gill smiled. "Sometimes it can make your deepest desire happen before your very eyes."
"Can you make it happen?" Ducky asked eagerly.
"That would be telling, wouldn't it?" Gilbert smirked.
"Telling what?" Ruby asked.
"Never you mind," Gill said simply. "Anyway, I think it's time to get home. The Night Circle is starting to rise."
"One last thing before you go," Gilbert said wisely.
"What's that?" Ruby asked as the others also looked curious.
"Two or more of you may wake up … differently," explained Gill. "I don't know how or why, but you will feel different. Good night, young ones."
And as the rainbow faces disappeared, the gang slowly headed back to their nests.
