Epilogue

The moon shone over the Great Valley. Despite the piles of cleared debris all over the land, there was an overwhelming sense of peace. Once the news that the bad luck had been stopped, all the herds could rest easy, knowing that no more sudden, unnatural disasters were on the way.

The night's calm was soon joined by the sound of an ocarina's melodious tune.

From the nesting grounds of the long-neck family, Elaine watched Aylene from afar as she played her instrument on a small hill. Sitting beside her was Littlefoot, who was gently swaying to the melody.

The song Aylene played made Elaine misty-eyed, but also feel at peace. It was a song that invoked fond memories of the past, but also a hope for the future to come.

"How you holding up, Grandma?"

Elaine turned to Derek, who sat down next to her.

"I'm doing well," she replied. "Just thinking about the past."

"I see," Derek said.

There was a moment of silence between the two. Then, Elaine sighed.

"Seeing those two," she said, referring to Littlefoot and Aylene. "It reminds me of when Doc and I were young. Here in the Valley, we used to talk about exploring the world that laid beyond. We wanted adventure. To travel and see new sights. And for me, it was to see a world full of wonder. Yet, I think we both knew that the Valley would always be here, waiting for us to come home."

"That so?" Derek said, shrugging. "I'd say the same about our world. When Sis and I first came here together, I saw how amazing it was. Yet, there's nothing like returning to our world."

"That's true," Elaine agreed. "There's a comfort in knowing you can go home. Doc has always been a wanderer, but I know even he will return when he needs a place to call home."

"And now that you know you can return," Derek grinned, "you can be right here waiting for him."

Elaine looked at her grandson with a loving smile. Though the ache of Doc leaving was still present, it was lessened by the assurance that someday their paths would cross again. They were no longer divided by their worlds.

They're worlds were joined once again.


Aylene played her last note before lowering the ocarina from her lips to her lap. She opened her eyes and looked up to the sky. As she stared at the stars, her eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong?" Littlefoot asked, noticed her look.

"Nothing," Aylene said. "It's just…I've been thinking."

"Is it about the Time Stone?"

Aylene glanced at Littlefoot and raised an eyebrow. "How'd you guess?"

"Because I've been thinking the same thing," said the long-neck. "We solved the mystery of the bad luck, but we didn't solve the mystery of why that Stone kept yours from working. Why did it keep Elaine from returning? And why did it work for you?"

Aylene shook her head. "I don't know. But I do know that Ken told me the same happened with his grandfather." She gripped her ocarina. "But why? And what kind of Stone is it? It created all those disaster, but it also upgraded my Stone. They're obviously connected, but how? What's the connection?"

"I wish I knew," Littlefoot said. "All I can think is that they might be the same thing, but one is bigger than the other."

"Then why doesn't my Time Stone have the same powers it did? Is it because it's smaller?"

"Didn't you once tell me that you thought the Time Stone responded to the will of the user?" Littlefoot recalled.

Aylene nodded. "Yeah. And it only works for humans. I also know that apart from opening portals, I can't use it in my world. It seems this world is the only place where I can use it."

The girl held the Time Stone in her hand, gazing down at it with curiosity.

"There's so much I don't know about this Stone," she said softly. "Just when I think I've figured it out, something new happens. I just don't know what to think about it."

"I don't either," Littlefoot confessed. "But I do know one thing."

"What's that?"

Littlefoot gave Aylene a wink and grinned. "You and I have another mystery to solve. And that means another adventure to take."

The word "adventure" sparked a fire in Aylene. She straightened and grinned confidently.

"You got a point," she said. "Which means we have a journey to look forward to. You, and me, and the rest of the Gang. That is, if they are up for it."

"I know they will be," Littlefoot replied. "Besides, they'd be mad if we left them out again."

Aylene giggled at the statement. She looked to the stars again, her smiling growing as she watched them twinkle.

"Then I guess it's settled," she said. "Let the journey begin. I'm ready."

"We're ready," said Littlefoot.

Sitting side by side, the two friends gazed up at the endless sea of stars, taking in the peace of the night.

The day was over, but another was on its way. The night would soon give way to a new dawn. And with that new daw would come a new day.

With that new day would come a new adventure.

A new journey.

The End


And with that, we have finally, FINALLY come to the end of "The Secret of Saurus Rock Retold".

Oh boy, this one took ages to write. Though I can't say that I didn't have fun.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU all for you patience and support!

I'm sorry my updates became less frequent. Life caught up with me, and I had to sort out my priorities. Plus, I ran into some issues when writing this story, and I had to slow down and think about them.

But I couldn't leave this unfinished. And I couldn't have finished it without your support for this fan series.

Thank you all so much! You guys are fantastic!

And don't worry, I haven't given up on this series. That said, it's going to be a while before the next story comes out. I've learned a few new writing techniques, and I'll be using them for the next one to ensure quality writing, and consistent updates.

Plus, I'll be going back over the previous stories and make updates to things like grammar and spelling errors. Great way to sharpen my skills, and I want to make these stories the best they can be.

Again, I can't say this enough. Thank you all so much!

In the meantime, get ready. The next story is going to be where the Time Stone Saga kicks off.

Stay tuned for "The Stone of Cold Fire Retold"!

Thank you all again, and I hope you have a great day!