A few days had passed and everything in the Great Valley seemed to be very stagnant and inactive. Ali's herd were making plans to begin their migration again once a few volunteers had returned after venturing out into the Mysterious Beyond to check that it was safe to continue. The Red Phoenix personnel had been very quiet and hadn't disturbed the Valley's residence for three days and no one had seen or heard any peculiar activity from them at all. Despite their unusual spell of idleness, this made everyone very nervous; especially Jason, Littlefoot and the rest of the gang. It was impossible for them to shake the looming feeling that they were up to something. Throughout the past couple of nights, Littlefoot's troublesome dreams had returned but he couldn't make any sense of them. Even discussing them with his friends didn't help clear them up but Jason felt that they would come into context some time later as the others had done beforehand. It was now morning and everyone was up and busy feeding in the meadows and surrounding thickets. Littlefoot and Jason were strolling through one of the more popular glades were dinosaurs like to eat their fill. Having satisfied their hunger some time before, the two of them were heading to the stretch of water where Ali's herd had settled during their stay in the Valley. On the way, Littlefoot was telling Jason more about his dreams as he finished putting something into his brown bag.
"Strange creatures…attacking…" Jason slurred as he pondered what Littlefoot's latest nightmare could mean.
"Yeah, just loads and loads of monsters running around. Everyone fleeing in terror, so scared…it was horrible…" Littlefoot said weakly.
"Are you sure it just wasn't another one of my horror stories getting to you? If it was then I think I'd better stop telling them to you," Jason said smirking. Littlefoot looked at him and sniggered.
"I don't think so…but I keep wondering what they mean. If my past dreams have all become real so far then more could follow," he continued but after thinking about it for a few moments Littlefoot stopped.
"What's up?" Jason asked double-backing when he realised that Littlefoot wasn't beside him anymore.
"Jason…I'm…I'm kind of worried about all this…" Littlefoot said sheepishly, "What if something does happen? If something like this was to happen then…everything will be my fault…"
"Hey, don't go blaming yourself. You never know, this could all be coincidence remember? Besides, you sound like me when you talk like that," Jason said smiling. He wrapped his arm over Littlefoot's head to comfort him. Littlefoot looked up at him and smiled half-heartedly.
"Don't worry pal. And hey! Don't forget that whatever happens, we all got each other. Me, you, Spike, Ducky, Cera, Petrie and Ali. If anything weird goes down, we'll all be there right?" Jason said optimistically, his smile never weakening.
"Yeah, I guess your right," Littlefoot said feeling a little better, "Oh! Speaking of Ali, we better get over to her herd's nesting spot. I think her herd's volunteers are due to be back this morning."
"C'mon, it's just ahead. Race ya there!" Jason challenged taking off. Littlefoot laughed and swiftly followed suit.
Puffing and panting, Littlefoot and Jason stopped just short of their destination. As they stopped to recover, they looked at each other and laughed again.
"Wooooo! That was fun!" Jason said breathlessly with his hands on his knees.
"Yeah, sure was," Littlefoot agreed laughing at the same time. Once they had racked up enough energy to move again, they both walked around the last set of trees before approaching the sheltered glade where Ali's herd were staying. To their surprise, neither Ali nor her herd were there.
"Huh? They're not here! Can they have left already?!" Jason exclaimed.
"N-no! Ali would just leave without saying goodbye!" Littlefoot said shaking his head.
"Maybe they're on their way out. C'mon, let's get to the Green Meadow and see if anything's happening there." Taking off like two shots from a gun, Jason and Littlefoot sprinted for the Green Meadow both hoping that Ali hadn't left the Valley yet.
It didn't take them long to reach the Green Meadow but at the rate they were tearing through the woodland, Littlefoot and Jason were exhausted when they got there. Upon arriving at the Green Meadow, there was a great crowd swarming and more and more were joining. Littlefoot and Jason staggered into the centre of the vast field and collapsed gasping for breath. The fear of missing Ali's departure had made them push themselves faster and harder in order to get there as quickly as possible. As they sat on the cool, wavering grass, four familiar faces strolled up to them from out of the crowd.
"And just where have you two been?" Cera asked eyeing them suspiciously.
"We…went…to…Ali's spot…but she…wasn't…there," Jason puffed.
"She…hasn't…left yet…has…she?" Littlefoot said hoarsely.
"No, I haven't left yet," a gentle voice said from behind Spike.
"ALI!" Jason and Littlefoot exclaimed in unison. Once they had reclaimed their energy, the two of them stood up.
"We went to your nesting place but we couldn't find you," Littlefoot sighed feeling greatly relieved.
"Oh no, don't worry. Did you really think I was going to leave you without saying goodbye? I wouldn't be much of a friend if I did," Ali said smiling warmly, "besides, I'm not leaving just yet."
"We are all here to wait for those of Ali's herd to return. They are due to come back today, they are," Ducky said.
"So, if those look-outs give your herd the all clear, when do you plan to head out?" Jason asked.
"Our leader says that we have delayed for long enough so I'd imagine as soon as possible. They might let those who travelled out into the Mysterious Beyond rest of a while but after that, we'll continue our migration up to the High Hills," Ali said bravely. She was determined to hide any signs of regret of her herd moving out. It had been a long time since she had spent time with Littlefoot and the others and she wanted to stay but she knew she couldn't.
The Green Meadow quickly became rowdy with chatter as a small herd appeared and confronted Ali's herd's leader. The gang looked up at the conversing adults fretfully, awaiting the verdict of when they would be leaving. The old longneck leader nodded one final time and then swung around to her herd.
"Listen up everyone. We have decided that we will be leaving once our brave travellers have fully replenished their strength. It seems that the outer regions of the Great Valley are once again calm enough for us to continue our migration. Therefore, I propose that once the Bright Circle has reached its highest point in the sky tomorrow morning, we move out."
On hearing the old longneck's decision, the gang all turned and faced each other.
"So, you're heading out at noon tomorrow," Jason said as coolly as he could, "looks like we've got about thirty hours or so."
"So what then? Let's not waste the little time we have left," Cera said trying to keep everyone's spirits up.
"Yeah, okay. What we do then?" Petrie asked smiling.
"Well, why not let Ali decide?" Littlefoot said turning to her, "Ali? What's it gonna be?"
"Well I…" she stammered but she was distracted by Jason who had flinched in response to something.
"What's wrong?" Littlefoot asked him as he put his hand up to his ear.
"My Frequency Amplifier's going off. Looks like Professor Baxter wants me in again, " Jason said tapping the tiny machine behind his ear to stop the beeping.
"What? Now? Can't he wait? We got other things to do," Cera barked irritably.
"Sorry Cera, I gotta go find out what he wants; it might be important."
"Wait Jason. We'll go with you," Ali said shouting after him as he started for the Forest of Fear. Jason turned and looked back at her a little confused.
"It's okay. Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing Jill one last time. Y'know…just to see how she is?"
"Oh yes! I would like to see her again too! Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky chirped happily. The others all chattered agreeingly.
"Well, can't argue with that. C'mon let's go! The sooner we sort this out, the quicker we can get back to messing around," Jason said waving them after him. With one last smiling glance each, the gang cantered after Jason as he disappeared into the nearest copse.
The gang quickly ploughed through the Grazing Pasture and straight into the Forest of Fear without a single thought about its supposed curse and supernatural ability to kidnap those who dare venture into it. Before long, they found the Red Phoenix complex sitting in its man-made clearing with thin beams of sunlight encircling it. As last time, Jason took point and examined the entrance before signalling to the others that the coast was clear.
"That's weird," Jason said a little perplexed.
"What weird?" Petrie asked finding his usual perch on Jason's shoulder.
"There's no sentry posted here. No one's guarding the front gate," Jason said curiously.
"What's so weird about that?" Cera asked naively.
"It's nothing. C'mon, the gates unlocked. The professor obviously cleared the way for us," he then said shaking his mind of his earlier uncertainties. Pulling the gate open, everyone filed inside and Jason led the way into the complex once he discovered that the front door was also unlocked.
Inside, the gang wandered down the halls to reach Professor Baxter's lab. Strangely, the corridors were abnormally quiet and the labs that were usually buzzing with erratic activity were all empty. With no one around, the tiny base seemed must larger than normal.
"This isn't right…where is everyone?" Jason exclaimed perplexed.
"Where all the humans gone?" Petrie asked nervously.
"Could they all have returned to the human world?" Ali asked.
"Nah, that can't be the reason. If that was the case, why would the professor still be here?"
"Maybe he has stayed behind to wait for you Jason," Ducky suggested.
"But the professor said that there isn't enough power to initiate the Chronos Doorway yet," Jason objected.
"That's right," a croaky voice said from in front of them. Everyone jumped not realising that Professor Baxter was only a few feet ahead of them. Littlefoot and Cera fell backwards onto Ali, Spike and Ducky whilst Petrie had tumbled into the hood of Jason's jumper closing the neck of it around Jason's throat.
"Oh…phof-yesser! Isss you," Jason quacked as he clasped his windpipe.
"Yes. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to frighten you all. Please, follow me," the old man said adjusting his glasses before leading the way. As everyone recomposed themselves and Jason could breathe again, they all followed the professor into his laboratory.
Once everyone had waddled their way into the tiny room and found a seat somewhere, Jason placed his bag down in the corner and instantly began firing questions.
"Hey professor. How come there's no one here? Where are all the scientists and military squadies?"
"I'm afraid I don't have the authority to divulge such information my boy. We are at a very crucial stage in our energy development programme. Everyone has been given special orders from our director, Mr. Westwood," Professor Baxter said fiddling around with unknown equipment on the work surface.
"So why did you call me here then?"
"I need you to take a little medical check for me. It's painless and it will only take a few minutes."
"Oh okay then. What you gonna do?" Jason asked as he hopped up onto the examination table.
"It's just a quick scan of your vital signs. I want to see if the results of this data sample I've taken reacts with specific brainwave patterns and other physiological components. I would normally ask one of the other scientists but they are all busy with their other assignments the director has given them. Don't worry it's all external so no needles or anything." A little concerned, everyone looked up at Jason but he just shrugged.
"So what are we supposed to do?" Cera asked sternly.
"Hmm? Oh yes. I'm afraid you all will have to wait outside. Jason will need to be completely undisturbed for this examination otherwise it will make the results unreliable," the professor stated.
"Can we go and see Jill?" Ducky asked sweetly.
"Very well. Can you remember the way? Security is minimal so you won't have a problem getting to her room."
"Okay, thank you Professor Baxter," Littlefoot said heading for the open door. He then turned back and watched the professor place a strange looking machine on Jason's head, "Cya later Jason." Jason waved to them as they passed the window and started for Jill's room.
Roughly remembering the way down to the recovery wing, Littlefoot and the rest of gang headed down the corridors that, to them, all seemed exactly the same.
"Let's go this way," Petrie advised pointing in one direction.
"Is it that way?" Ali asked looking down one corridor of a T-junction.
"No! It's definitely this way," Cera called nodding her head in the opposite direction.
"Oh! This is so confusing, it is, it is," Ducky whined holding her head.
"No wait. It's this way, I remember these doors with the shiny things on them," Littlefoot said looking up at the Greek letters and numbers on the doors. Cera snorted ignorantly having been proven wrong as she waddled down the corridor, ahead of the pack. Near the end of the hall, the gang found the area where Jill's room was but the door was closed and since they were all the same, no one knew which one to go through. After a little argument about which door was Jill's, Littlefoot pulled the handle of one of the doors and it swung inwards. Relieved that he had picked the right one, the gang strolled quietly into Jill's room. Jill was still in her coma and it looked as if she hadn't budged an inch since they last visited her. Everyone looked over her mournfully. Littlefoot looked up at the machine that was monitoring her closely trying to understand what all rolling graphs and coloured lines meant. Failing to comprehend what the ECG machine was displaying, Littlefoot looked down on Jill again. Thoughts of her rescue and the human woman in flowing, white robes from his dreams and how he had linked her to all the business concerning the Stones of Essence.
As everyone sat in silence watching over Jill, there was a sudden bellowing in the room which made them all jump.
"Littlefoot," the voice rumbled. Whirling around, the gang saw a huge man standing in the doorway. It was Captain Hunter.
"You!" Cera blurted angrily.
"Are you Littlefoot?" he asked nodding in Littlefoot's direction, completely ignoring Cera.
"Y-yes," Littlefoot answered nervously.
"Mr. Westwood would like to see you. He said it's important and that you'd understand," the burly captain said, his gaze was piercing. Littlefoot turned to everybody else who returned his glance.
"O-okay…" he replied a little apprehensively. As he stood up to move, so did the others.
"You are to come alone. Your friends are to leave the premises immediately," Hunter continued.
"What? Littlefoot's not going anywhere without us!" Cera shouted annoyed.
"Littlefoot, you're not honestly going to go with him are you?" Ali whispered to him.
"I have to Ali. Remember what I said before? Mr. Westwood says I can help to save the humans. It's okay…I'll be fine. I'll meet you guys in the Green Meadow later okay?" Littlefoot said solemnly. At first, the gang were surprised to hear Littlefoot's response but they nodded in acknowledgement. Cera grunted indignantly but agreed to leave.
Walking down the maze of corridors, the six dinosaurs and Captain Hunter stopped in front of the large, oak doors of Westwood's office.
"Go straight in kid. Mr. Westwood is waiting for you," Hunter declared.
"What about my friends?" he protested.
"I'll see them off the grounds. They'll be safe," Hunter said blankly. Littlefoot looked at his friends still concerned for their safety.
"It's alright Littlefoot, we'll be okay. You do what you have to do," Ali told him nobly, the others all nodded agreeingly. Smiling, Littlefoot watched Hunter lead them away before he approached the great doors of Mr. Westwood's office as they opened automatically. Still feeling incredibly nervous, Littlefoot stepped into the vast room as the doors then closed behind him.
Chapter 47: Moulding a Fragile MindLittlefoot walked into the magnificent office and still found it as awe-inspiring and incredible as the first time. Everything was perfectly fitted and spotless from the towering oak bookcase to the stone statuettes positioned around room. Straight ahead of him, Westwood sat with his fingers interlocked and his elbows on his massive desk. He was staring directly at Littlefoot which made him feel extremely self-conscious.
"Littlefoot! My dear boy! Come in, come in, don't be afraid. Make yourself at home," Westwood chanted merrily as Littlefoot slowly approached the centre of the room with loud, clapping footsteps. As he came to a halt, Littlefoot looked down at the giant symbol of the red phoenix rising from the golden flames that was on the floor. Despite meeting Westwood before, he still felt incredibly vulnerable.
"I'm so glad you came my boy. It's good to see you again," Westwood said offering a rare smile.
"You wanted to see me about something didn't you? I have an idea but I'm still a little unsure," Littlefoot said cautiously.
"Straight onto business I see. You'd make a very good salesman Littlefoot. I would recommend you signing for my management team," Westwood chuckled. Littlefoot smiled weakly which faded as quickly as it showed.
"Right, since you'd prefer to skip all the idle chit-chat, let's get down to situation at hand," Westwood said leaning back in his huge, leather armchair which creaked piercingly, "I must stress that we are in a bit of a crisis in terms of our development on the energy programme. You see, our complex is rapidly losing its energy reserves and they will require replenishing some time very soon. It is imperative that we return to our own time so we can survive."
"What are you saying? Are the humans disappearing or…dying or something?" Littlefoot asked naively.
"In a manner of speaking, yes. If our energy sources are to be completely depleted then I'm afraid we will no longer be able to return home and that will then mean our ultimate demise," Westwood said facing the wall with his index fingers resting on his chin.
"What? So if you don't go back, you'll all die?!" Littlefoot asked extremely shocked. Westwood nodded.
"Couldn't you just all live here with us? Jason has managed so you could too, right?" he suggested.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Our way of life is completely different to yours and if we fail to activate the Chronos Doorway, we will all perish. Even though your friend Jason has survived this long, he too will eventually fall ill and then die. It is inevitable because we are not accustomed to your world and I fear that it is not possible with the little time we have left," Westwood said gravely.
"N-no! That can't happen! Can't you do something? I don't want you all to die! Especially Jason!" Littlefoot cried horrified.
"Yes…there is a way…" Westwood breathed. Littlefoot blinked once or twice awaiting his answer, "The three stones…they are our only salvation. Only but harnessing the power of the three Stones of Essence can we reactivate the Chronos Doorway, return to the year 2113 and therefore save ourselves. From there we can go back and fix the problems we have made as a race and prolong our existence."
"Of course…the stones…" Littlefoot thought aloud.
"You know who has them don't you?"
"Huh? Why yes! I have one…I think Jill may have one and the last one has to be Jason."
"We have recovered one of the three. You were right in assuming that our very own Jill Fielding had one of them but so far, we have been unable to recover the other two."
"I can give you my one. I've got it at home," Littlefoot announced excitedly.
"Great! That just leaves Jason's stone," Westwood said.
"It's okay. I can just ask him. I'm sure he'll understand if it is to save your kind," Littlefoot said jovially. He was very surprised to see Westwood shaking his head.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Littlefoot asked concerned.
"I'm sorry to announce that Jason is not co-operating in this matter despite its great and dire urgency. It seems as though Jason is unwilling to relinquish his pendent and help out. When we discovered this, we had to take it by force. That will explain why we had to capture him and take it from him. We didn't want to have to do it that way but we had no alternative. You might say it's almost as if Jason doesn't want the human race to get another chance."
"No…that can't be true! Jason wouldn't wish for something like that…" Littlefoot said in disbelief, "would he?"
"It certainly seems that way. Mysteriously, the pendent we recovered from him disappeared from my office. We were deeply upset that we lost it because we thought we'd never make it back in time."
"That…that was me Mr. Westwood. I took Jason's pendent…I'm sorry," Littlefoot said lowering his head shamefully.
"That's alright. I understand you only had your friend's best interest at heart but I'm worried that it has cost us much time and if we don't reclaim it and initiate the Doorway…well…I think I'm mentioned it enough time to clarify the seriousness of this situation. Unfortunately, Jason does not seem keen on helping us."
"He did seem really unhelpful. He doesn't seem to think that you want to help your kind. He…he doesn't seem to trust anyone. I don't know why he keeps thinking that. I have to admit, it made me really angry when he said that everything about this was a lie."
"Well, I'm sorry to have to report this to you Littlefoot but I'm afraid I have some rather disturbing news about Jason," Westwood said slowly but sternly. Littlefoot looked up at him slightly confused. Westwood signalled for him to come closer as he began typing on his computer's keyboard.
"What is it?" Littlefoot asked at he approached the desk.
"I want to show you something," Westwood said as he continued to punch commands into his computer, "Remember when we took Jason in for the second time? You were in Professor Baxter's lab at the time but Captain Hunter and Sergeant Stone interviewed him in one of our interrogation rooms. This is an audio recording of what he said. I must warn you that this will not be enjoyable." Littlefoot gulped a little but nodded in acknowledgement. With that, Westwood played the footage of Jason in the interrogation room.
Littlefoot watched the computer screen, awaiting every word Jason spoke. It seemed relatively irrelevant but suddenly, the computer exploded with Jason's recorded voice screaming.
"Damn them! Damn ALL of them! They've mess up my life…… Damn them all to hell!!! I'm just another freak to them! They don't care! They don't give a crap about me! Damn those Re…………nix bastards! When will it stop?…When will all this madness come to an end?…When can I find a……………by those power sapping leeches?…They don't give a damn about anything but themselves! I'm just another statistic to them…just another mindless, pathetic creature that doesn't belong anywhere! I hope those raptors tear them all to shreds! I hate them!…I HATE THEM ALL!!!"
Littlefoot stepped back from the screen utterly bewildered. Despite the strange blanks, Littlefoot was horrified that Jason had said what he did.
"I…I don't understand…wh-who was Jason talking about when he said all that?" Littlefoot said slowly.
"Captain Hunter had asked him about his feelings of everything here. What he said was about his experiences whilst he was living in your homeland," Westwood said shaking his head.
"This…this can't be right?! Ja-….Jason…said that?!" Littlefoot stuttered weakly. He suddenly felt incredibly sick.
"I'm sorry you had to find out like this but those were Jason's exact words. It seems as though he doesn't want anyone to share the power which he has encased in his pendent. It seems to me that he may have some sort of evil ambitions of his own. Perhaps, obtain all the stones for some other plan he may have," Westwood suggested.
"It can't be! It…It just can't…Jason would never do such a thing…he just wouldn't…!" Littlefoot said trying hard not to believe what he had just heard.
"Do you want me to play the audio recording back again just to clarify?" Westwood offered unhelpfully. Littlefoot shook his head as it hung close to the ground.
"I just can't believe that Jason could say that about the Great Valley…about everyone…about…me…" he sighed. He felt as if he wanted to cry.
"I have some other footage but I fear it may be too disturbing for you to watch," Westwood said slowly. Littlefoot lifted his head slowly and stared Westwood in the eye.
"What is it?" he asked cautiously.
"It is footage that will undoubtedly put you off humans for life…what if I were to tell you a dark secret that I'm sure Jason never told you," Westwood whispered darkly leaning closely to Littlefoot. Littlefoot's eyes widened fearfully.
"What if I were to tell you that some of us humans…are meat eaters…"
"What! No! That's…that's impossible! Humans are meat eaters?!" Littlefoot cried in terror.
"Not all but some are. Me for example, I can't stand meat. I think it's disgusting and gut-wrenching to think that someone could kill a helpless creature just to feast on its flesh," Westwood said cringing.
"B-bb-but Jason's not a meat eater! He eats green food like me and my friends!" Littlefoot protested helplessly.
"Humans are very good at disguising themselves. Some humans can eat both plants and meat. They are a special type of human called Omnivores. Ask Jason himself and he'll tell you exactly the same thing."
"No! I don't believe it! I-it's not possible!" Littlefoot stammered.
"It looks like you leave me not other choice my boy. Look here," Westwood said directing him to the screen. Littlefoot looked and gasped in horror as he saw a number of blood-stained humans hunched over something that looked like the corpse of another creature. They appeared to be eating it as one turned slowly and looked directly at the computer screen. Littlefoot jumped away from the computer wailing in fright as he locked eyes with human. Its eyes were unfocused and its irises were greyed over as if they had dirty in them. Its face was covered in blood.
"STOP! PLEASE STOP!!!" Littlefoot cried utterly horrified. Westwood tapped on the keyboard and the image disappeared.
"You see my boy. Nothing is what it seems. That is why it is very important that we return to our time as quickly as possible. Not only for our sake, but also for the sake of your homeland. Please Littlefoot. Help us! Help us to return home so you can save our kind but also…save your own!" Westwood pleaded with him.
"Al-alright. I'll give you my stone to you. If I get it, you can go home. I don't want my friends or family to be harmed but those meat eating humans. I can't believe it…after all this time I knew Jason; after everything we did together...he could have been a sharptooth all along. Ali was right…about everything. That's why she never trusted him…she must have found out somehow!" Littlefoot whispered to himself.
"Hurry Littlefoot, we don't have much time. I will need those stones as soon as possible," Westwood said waving to the door that had already opened automatically.
"Okay. I'll get you the stone!" Littlefoot said running for the open doors.
"Don't forget Littlefoot! You are the only one who can save our kind and yours from total annihilation!" Westwood shouted after him as he disappeared around the corner.
Once Littlefoot was out of sight and the doors shut behind him, Westwood grinned sinisterly.
"Yes dear boy. Run! Run as fast as you can! Collect the stones for me…you will undoubtedly be crowned a hero. A hero that will bring about the greatest change this world has ever seen." He then turned to his computer screen and switched the image of the sickly looking humans back on.
"Movies…warp the minds of our younger generations! What a pity! And that edited footage of Jason's little recorded tantrum…heh heh…genius! The kid fell for it like a sap! Oh Littlefoot…you poor fool…you don't have a clue about what you are about to unleash on the world do you? So, innocent and naive and now with a new enemy…your very own human friend whom you cherished so much! This will be an interesting interlude for me whilst I prepare the main event!" With that, Westwood turned to his computer terminal and began typing on it again.
"Project Red Phoenix is almost ready…and I can't wait to see the show!"
Chapter 48: Anger Burns its Raging FlameLittlefoot ran at breakneck speed down the twisting labyrinth of corridors to reach the exit. He had no idea where he was going and his mind was clouded with a mass of thoughts of everything that Westwood had said whilst he was standing in his office. Nothing seemed to make sense as he tried hard to process all the information that had literally been thrown at him. He was the one who could save the humans and also the dinosaurs of the Great Valley in one move. Littlefoot's brain then turned to the horrific scenes of the diseased looking humans and seeing how they were consuming what appeared to be a fresh kill. As much as he didn't want to accept it, he honestly couldn't believe that humans were capable of eating meat. His thoughts then flickered to Jason and the possibility that he could be one of those he'd feared or perhaps he was one of the types of humans that could eat both; an omnivore. Although he didn't even want to consider the fact that Jason was a possible meat eater, he couldn't help but wonder why Jason had not mentioned when they first met. He had told them everything else including the darker side of the human race but why would he hide just that particular detail? This made Littlefoot feel slightly betrayed but worse of all, it made him feel angry. Not only did Jason hide something from him but he was not being very helpful in the whole matter of getting his kind to return to their designated time period. Could Westwood be right in thinking that Jason could be intentionally holding on to his stone for desires of his own?
Still unsure of where he was, Littlefoot continued to charge down the white, spacey corridors hoping to find the way out. As he passed another laboratory window, Littlefoot looked in and then skidded to a halt. Professor Baxter was busying himself in the lab but Jason was nowhere to be seen. Out of breath, Littlefoot walked up to the door and let himself in having discovered the mechanics of a door handle.
"OH! Littlefoot! It's you dear boy…I must say that you startled me," the old professor said wiping his brow with a handkerchief after jumping nearly double his own height.
"Oh, sorry. Have you seen Jason? I need to talk to him right away," Littlefoot said feeling a little guilty he had frightened the old man to the point he was almost hyperventilating.
"I'm afraid not. He left the lab a few minutes ago; you've just missed him. He said was going to find the rest of your friends but Captain Hunter already escorted them out. I'd presume they will be out in your homeland now," Professor Baxter said folding the little, white cloth and placing it back in his breast pocket behind his name badge. Littlefoot then remembered what he had said to Ali and the others before he met up with Westwood.
"Okay, thanks Professor Baxter. I'll see you later then," he said running out into the corridor. The professor scratched the bald tip of his head and watched as the door slowly pulled itself closed.
"Fascinating…he was able to manipulate a human structure and gain access to my lab. Maybe Jason was right in saying that these dinosaurs are not as simple-minded as we first assumed," he said smiling. He turned back to his work just the door burst inwards just inches before it was due to click shut. The professor leapt up, throwing his tools around the place flailing.
"Oh my! Littlefoot! What in the world are you doing?" the old man panted placing his hand on his chest, clearly frightened half to death.
"Oh…umm…sorry…can I ask you something?" Littlefoot said smiling uneasily.
"Yes, anything. What is it?"
"Errrmmm…where's the way out?" The professor shook his head sighing whilst Littlefoot continued to grin nervously. Having been shown the way to the exit by an extremely shaken Professor Baxter, Littlefoot thanked him and shot off towards the Green Meadow.
Littlefoot's world was a blur of multiple shades of green as he leapt out of the Forest of Fear and ripped across the Grazing Pasture. He had silently hoped that the gang has disregarded his statement to meet him in the Green Meadow and had waited for him a lot closer. Seeing that this was not the case, he continued to roar through the fields in order to reach his destination. Just then, his mind suddenly switched back to what Westwood had said.
"Wait a second. I can't just go off knowing what I do now. The humans need to return home," he said to himself, "if the humans need to get back to their own time, maybe it might be better if I head home and get my lucky stone now. Yeah! That will help them out." With that in mind, he made a quick detour back to his sleeping place to grab his sapphire. Taking a little shortcut through a small patch of woodland, Littlefoot arrived at his home ground and began rummaging around in his sleeping pit for his stone. Once he found it, he placed it on the grass and stared deep into it. The beautiful, shimmering gem seemed greatly hypnotising as Littlefoot continued to gaze and wonder about everything Westwood had told him. Did it really contain an awesome power that could be used by just about anyone? Where the legend true and there was a special transformation that occurred once they were altogether? Snapping out of his little trance, Littlefoot thoughts soon turned to Jason and what Westwood had mentioned about most humans having the capability to eat both plants and meat. This made him both sceptical and angry as he looked up the petrified tree Jason had been using as a bed since his arrival to the Great Valley. If it were true, why did Jason not tell him before now? The anger burned in him for a little longer before something emerged from the bushes surrounding his home. Whirling around in shock, Littlefoot found himself face-to-face with Captain Hunter.
"Arrrgghh! A-ah!…errr…Wh-what are you doing here?" Littlefoot yelped horrified by his sudden appearance.
"I'm here to collect the stone from you," Hunter said tonelessly.
"H-how did you know where I was?" Littlefoot stammered still slightly shaken by his presence.
"That doesn't matter. Now, do you have the stone or not?" he said blandly. Littlefoot looked to the grassy floor and the captain followed his gaze. Bending down to pick up the tiny sapphire, Hunter placed it in his pocket and turned to leave.
"Hey, wait a minute! Can I ask you something?" Littlefoot called to his back. Captain Hunter paused but didn't turn to face him.
"What is it?" he said spitefully.
"Erm…is it true…that humans can eat meat? I mean…do you eat meat?" Littlefoot asked nervously. Hunter didn't answer right away, he seemed to be distracted by his thoughts.
"Yeah, I do. I enjoy eating meat so I suggest you get out of here before I start on you," he barked nastily. Littlefoot flinched and backed away from him slowly. Without another word, Hunter walked into the bushes from whence he came and disappeared. Still greatly disturbed, Littlefoot shook his head to try and rid his head of the awful images he had just manifested mentally. Once the thoughts had gone, Littlefoot quickly remembered that he was supposed to be meeting his friends in the Green Meadow ages ago. With his sapphire now clearly out of his possession, Littlefoot sprinted for the meadows.
Littlefoot soon found himself in a sheltered glade just before the Green Meadow where he stopped to recover from his run. As he stood under the shadow of a large, swaying tree breathing heavily, Littlefoot's ears then picked up on the sound of a set of familiar voices coming from the other side of the bushes. He shuffled quietly to the edge of meadow's border and poked his head through the leaves. On the other side, Littlefoot saw the gang standing a little distance away from his hiding place. Just as he was about to go out to greet them, Jason jogged up to them looking very happy-go-lucky. Changing his mind, Littlefoot shrunk back into the bush but remained poised and keen to listen.
"So here you guys are. I wondered where you lot disappeared to," Jason said puffing, throwing his bag down beside a shrub.
"We've been here for a while now. What took you so long?" Cera said a little demandingly.
"I've literally just come back from the professor's lab. It turns out that that data sample didn't work out so he said he was gonna investigate it a bit more. The funny thing was that the data didn't seem to be of any great relevance to anything. The whole testing thing seemed a little pointless if you ask me," Jason said airily. He then looked around having just noticed something.
"Hey…someone's missing…where's Littlefoot?" Littlefoot flinched a little at Jason discovering his absence.
"Littlefoot? Oh! He had something he needed to do," Ducky said smiling.
"Really? Like what?" Jason asked intrigued.
"We dunno. He had to go talk to someone. That big, bossy-looking human came and got us from Jill and led us out. Littlefoot went somewhere else," Ali replied.
"You what? Littlefoot was taken somewhere else? Well come on! Don't just stand there! Let's go back and get him!" Jason cried desperately as if Littlefoot was in mortal danger.
"No, no Jason! It alright! Littlefoot wanted to go. That human say that he had to talk about something important," Petrie said quickly flying down in front of Jason's face to stop him.
"That's rubbish! Littlefoot's probably being experimented on right now! We have to…" Jason began but Littlefoot ran out from behind them all.
"No, wait! It's okay! I'm here!" he shouted across the meadow to them.
"Littlefoot!" everyone called happily.
"Oh thank goodness!" Jason sighed flopping his shoulders down from their tight, rigid positions and letting his arms dangle limply beside him.
"Hi guys. Sorry to keep you worrying," Littlefoot said as plainly as he could but the thoughts of what Westwood had spoken to him about earlier were burning in his brain. He wanted to launch multiple questions at him but he knew it wasn't best to do it in front of everyone else.
"So just where have you been? And what's all this about you going off to have some 'super' important chat with someone inside the Red Phoenix building?" Jason said with a rather fatherly tone.
"I was talking to Mr. Westwood about a few things. That's all…nothing serious," Littlefoot said trying to shake off any suspicion.
"You're a terrible liar Littlefoot, you know that?" Jason told him smirking. Littlefoot, however, did not find this very humorous.
"What did you talk about Littlefoot? That human who walked us out said it was important when he came to get us after seeing Jill," Ducky said sweetly.
"Yeah Littlefoot. What did you talk about? What was the big emergency meeting about?" Jason asked sarcastically.
"It's nothing…" Littlefoot said a little snappier than he meant to. Jason was beginning to irritate him and the burning of the questions he was dying to ask were becoming harder to prevent from bursting out.
"Don't lie to me Littlefoot! I can tell it was something of great interest otherwise Westwood would never have summoned you. He's a cold, hard businessman not a telephone hotline to discuss life's problems. What was it about? C'mon, you can tell us," Jason said rather bossily, walking up so he was practically an inch away from Littlefoot's face.
"Jason, I said it was nothing! Just forget it," he replied tersely. He then walked straight through Jason knocking him to one side. The gang were a little surprised to see Littlefoot act in such a matter and instantly became concerned. Jason, on the other hand, had taken this as an offensive challenge.
"Hey! What's your problem?" Jason barked at him as Littlefoot moved to sit in a sheltered area. The warm rays of the sun had made him uncomfortably hot and sticky and with the heat and pressure of suppressing his questions that were very rapidly becoming much more anger-driven.
"What is wrong Littlefoot? Are you sad about something?" Ducky asked caringly following him to his seat.
"No Ducky I'm okay," he said trying hard to produce a smile but it didn't work out as he had envisioned.
"Are you alright Littlefoot? You don't seem yourself at the moment," Ali said soothingly as everyone else brought up the rear.
"C'mon Littlefoot. You can tell us. What's bugging you?" Jason said trying to be friendlier.
"You are bugging me at the moment!" Littlefoot snapped unintentionally. Jason took a step back greatly shocked by his answer. It was definitely not what he had expected him to say.
"Me? What have I done? What have I said to upset you?" Jason said pointing to himself trying to look as innocent as possible.
"It's not what you've said that's upset me. It's what you haven't told me!" Littlefoot snarled standing up and stepping towards him threateningly.
"What? What are you on about? I've been completely open with you. What haven't I told you that you want to know?" Jason said utterly gob-smacked by Littlefoot's sudden enraged confrontation.
"Completely open with us huh? So what about your kind's dark, little secret?" Littlefoot said dangerously. Everyone else looked at each other stunned.
"Wha…? What dark, little secret? I have no idea what you're going on about?" Jason stammered innocently yet nervously. He took another step backwards but Littlefoot followed him up.
"Mr. Westwood told me about your kind's dark secret that you conveniently forgot to tell everyone," he continued but much more sarcastically.
"WESTWOOD!?! He lies Littlefoot! I honestly don't have a clue what you're going on about! You are officially freaking me out now!" Jason said feeling frightened as he held his hands up in defence.
"Littlefoot? What is this about? What dark secret?" Ali asked plucking up the courage to talk to him.
"Mr. Westwood told me that not all humans can be trusted. In fact, some humans are actually our enemy!" Littlefoot said disgustedly. His eyes narrowed and were transfixed on Jason.
"What? That's crazy! Westwood is talking nonsense! Are you going to believe him over me?!" Jason protested.
"He didn't just tell me Jason; he showed me. On that white computer thing. He showed me a human eating another creature!" Littlefoot blurted angrily.
"WHAT!!!" Jason exclaimed helplessly.
"You heard me! I also spoke to that other bossy human and he said he like the taste of it too!" Littlefoot continued to erupt. Jason just stammered in pure shock unable to produce whole words.
"Wait a minute Littlefoot. You saying that humans are………sharpteeth?!" Petrie said slowly. Jason's eyes widened with dread when Littlefoot stared at him coldly and nodded. The entire gang gasped horrified.
"N-no! That's not true! I promise you it's a lie!" Jason cried desperately. He looked on powerlessly as the rest of the gang instantly zipped behind Littlefoot, now, greatly afraid to stand next to him.
"Guys listen! Humans are not pure carnivores! We can't eat raw meat, it would harm us since we can't digest it!" Jason pleaded with them but he instantly knew this was the wrong thing to say once he'd finished talking.
"But you're not denying that humans actually can eat meat though, are you?" Cera said jumping out from behind Littlefoot. She looked ready to charge.
"No…not exactly. Humans aren't natural born carnivores! I'll admit that we can eat meat but not a fresh kill. We are not sharpteeth! Besides, we only eat a specific type of meat that only exists in our time. Anyway, humans don't just eat meat! You've seen me eating with you guys loadsa times before now! I can eat fruit and other plant material! Heck! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even know what a treestar was! None of you have ever heard me mention the idea of consuming another living creature here right?" Jason said trying to win back his friends' trust but it didn't appear to be working.
"Mr. Westwood said that humans can pretend to eat plants but they also eat meat. What's that about then? He said you were something like omi…omvi…" Littlefoot asked probingly.
"You mean omnivores? Littlefoot! Listen to me! Humans are not carnivores…it's true we are omnivores. Most of us eat both kinds of food. Some can only consume plants like you guys but no human can solely eat meat! They'd die if they did; especially raw meat" Jason said despairingly, "Please guys…I'm not a sharptooth! I can tell you that from the very bottom of my heart that it is the honest truth when I say that I am no threat to you. Please…we were such an unbeatable team before but are you willing to kick me out now…after everything we've been through together and the fun we've had you are prepared to just…discard me because of a basic fact that I failed to tell you?" The gang shuffled uneasily.
"But why did you hide it? Why didn't you tell us before?" Littlefoot asked firmly but he could feel Jason's words getting to him slightly.
"I didn't see the need to. Once I became friends with you guys, it really didn't think it was necessary to tell you. Also, I feared you'd desert me if you knew," Jason said pathetically.
"But how can we trust you? How do we know that you won't try something behind our backs?" Ali asked sternly.
"I guess I can't get you to trust me. Where your trust lies is your decision. All I can do is persuade you. But look at it this way, can any of you say that any humans that happen to be here now have attacked any dinosaurs in the Great Valley in pursuit for food? Have any dinosaurs disappeared without a trace because of us hunting?" Everyone was silent because they couldn't disprove him. Still sensing a nervous edge to the situation, Jason continued.
"And Littlefoot. What about the stories you and the others tell me about your sharptooth friend Chomper? He is a fully-fledged Tyrannosaurus Rex from the description you always gave me of him yet you befriended a creature that is supposed to be your natural born enemy! With that as a rather puzzling yet impressive credential how can you condemn me, a creature that does not hunt for food, that could possibly die if I eat meat raw and can happily survive on plant life as you have? Please, I beg of you! Don't abandon me now! Please………?"
The gang were greatly touched by Jason's speech but none of them could answer. They all fidgeted unnervingly but remained on the spot. Jason felt his spirits die instantaneously when no one spoke back to him. Deeply hurt, he slowly turned towards the woods.
"Wha…Jason! Where are you going?" Ducky asked worryingly.
"I'm going to the Red Phoenix base. Since I cannot regain your trust, I don't feel I have the right to stay here anymore. If I no longer have friends here, then I obviously don't have a home here either. I never thought that such a large gap could be torn between us by a little fact that could have been managed in a much more controlled manner. I'm truly sorry you had to find out about it this way…really I am…" Jason sighed. He couldn't look at them directly so the best effort he could manage was talking to them from over his shoulder. When no one replied, Jason turned back to his path and started heading for the Forest of Fear.
"Jason, wait!" Littlefoot cried feeling regretful.
"Forget it Littlefoot. I thought we had something going together but obviously I was wrong. I'm sorry I was such a burden on you………" Jason mumbled, barely audible for them to hear. Before he reach the surrounding hedges, Jason feel something wet his hand. Turning back, he found Spike licking his back of his hand happily.
"No Spike…I'm sorry I can't stay. If I am such a large threat to you all then the best thing is for me to leave. Your home will be safe again that way," Jason said bending down to pat him on the head but this made Spike playful smile fade as he could sense Jason's dying spirits radiating through his voice and touch.
"Goodbye Spike…tell the others farewell for me…maybe they'll listen to you since they can't seem to be able to listen to me…" With that, Jason picked up his bag, swung it over one shoulder and walked into the trees and out of sight.
The five dinosaurs stood and looked at each as Spike returned to rejoin the group. From the sorrowful look on his face, they all guessed that Jason had left. It was quite a while before anyone said anything but Cera was the first to break the silence.
"Humph! I can't believe the nerve of that kid! He was actually a sharptooth just pretending to eat green food," she said totally disregarding what Jason had said in his plea.
"What Cera?! Were you not listening to what he said? He said that humans could die if they eat meat fresh from a hunt. Jason must have been telling the truth," Littlefoot said aggravated.
"But he admitted it! He said that humans eat meat! Isn't that proof enough?" Cera retorted.
"He was right though. Since the humans have been here, no dinosaurs have disappeared from the Valley mysteriously. So, maybe he was right when he said humans can survive without meat," Ali said calmly.
"I feel terrible…yep, yep, yep…" Ducky said guiltily.
"Me too. Jason no hurt anyone in Great Valley and we all think that he was a sharptooth even when he say he not," Petrie agreed sitting next to Ducky to hold her under a wing.
"This is my fault. I can't believe I let that human talk me into thinking that Jason was a sharptooth," Littlefoot said feeling greatly dishonourable.
"So why did you blow you top and start shouting at him then?" Cera snapped indignantly.
"I…I don't know…I guess I was…kinda…really angry about it. I didn't think that maybe Jason could be telling the truth instead. It was just that horrible thing Mr. Westwood showed me…it looked so real," Littlefoot sighed.
"What did he show you?" Ali asked cautiously.
"It was what looked like a human and it was eating something. It had blood all around its mouth. It really scared me…" Littlefoot said shuddering.
"You see! Obviously humans are sharpteeth if he showed you that," Cera exclaimed.
"I…I don't know what to believe right now…but…I really wish I wasn't so hard on him…" Littlefoot sighed. He looked up at the path Jason had taken. A soft wind made the leaves dance and quiver, slightly obscuring his vision of the dusty trail into the woods.
"So what now? Should we try and get Jason back?" Petrie suggested.
"No. I mean…what if it's a trap to lure us to the humans?" Cera shrilled forewarningly.
"A trap?" Ducky asked confused. It was clear she was in two minds about the entire debate about Jason's true identity.
"What? Don't be so stupid Cera! Why would Jason want to do that? Why, after everything he has done for us, would be suddenly turn on us?" Littlefoot argued hotly.
"Well you seemed to think so too a little while ago," Cera said ignorantly. Littlefoot wanted to reply but he sighed in defeat knowing that she was right. He felt so dirty and undignified that he had thrown himself so fiercely at Jason and backed him into a corner. On top of all the events and things Dominic Westwood had said to him about saving the human race and his tormenting dreams, he was completely lost.
"Well…what now? Should we go after Jason and tell him we're sorry?" Ali asked.
"Sorry? Sorry for what? If anything, he should be apologising to us for lying to us!" Cera snorted angrily.
"But he did not lie Cera. He simply did not tell us that he may be a sharptooth. I do not see that as lying, oh no, no, no," Ducky said nobly. Spike nodded, humbly agreeing with his sister's statement.
"But he gone now. We have to go to human place all by ourselves to get him back," Petrie said nervously.
"Well, you guys can go but I'm not going anywhere near another human now that I know that they are sharpteeth!" Cera blurted.
"Humans are WHAT!?!" a thunderous voice bellowed over them. Cringing at the sheer power of its tone, the gang whirled around to see Mr. Threehorn standing close by with a menacingly furrowed brow. In the distance, more adult dinosaurs were heading their way. Cera cowered under her father's massive head as she turned to face him.
"Erm…hiya Daddy…" she babbled sheepishly, trying to make herself as small as possible.
"What did you just say about that human boy Cera?" Mr. Threehorn grunted looking her straight in the eye with a vice-like gaze that was impossible to escape. Cera gulped as the rest of their parents joined to form a semi-circle in front of them. All six of them felt their throats go dry as the adults towered over them like a prehistoric jury.
"Well Cera? I'm waiting for you to answer me…" Mr. Threehorn said scornfully tapping his front foot with impatience.
"I said that erm…" Cera began with a tiny voice. She was silently hoping that the others would help her out but they remained silent.
"I heard you say something about humans. Now…what was it you said?" Mr. Threehorn continued to thunder with a highly dangerous tone that clearly signifying that lying was definitely not an option.
"I said…erm…that…humans are…sharpteeth…?" she stammered with a nervous grin. On hearing this, Mr. Threehorn roared and all the other adults began quarrelling anxiously.
"Is this true Littlefoot?" Grandpa Longneck asked carefully.
"N-no! I-it's not like that Grandpa!" Littlefoot said uneasily.
"But is it true? What Cera said?" Ducky's mother asked sounding very afraid.
"Well…y-yes! Humans can eat meat but they can't…" he said but it he had already said enough.
"So that human boy you've allow to go gallivanting around our homeland is actually a sharptooth?!" Mr. Threehorn yelled at a pitch that could have shook the earth. Despite their desperate attempts to put their folks' minds at ease, between Littlefoot and Cera, they had to explain the story of how they'd found out that humans had the ability to consume meat. Just by looking at the horrified expressions of their faces, the gang quickly realised that they had failed miserably at clearing Jason and the other humans as the half-ring of grown-ups chattered to each other.
Pulling themselves out from under their parents' noses, the gang huddled now feeling greatly relieved to be out of the spotlight.
"Way to go Cera! Now we've had to tell the elders that Jason may be a sharptooth!" Littlefoot barked in a low tone so not to be overheard.
"I had no choice! Whenever my dad looks at me like that I can never do anything except tell him the truth. Besides, I'd hate to think what he'd do to me if I had lied," Cera protested quietly.
"What now? I do not think my Mama will let me or Spike see Jason again even if he does come back," Ducky squeaked worryingly.
"Me neither. Mama will have me in nest for days before me get to come out again," Petrie agreed.
"What are we gonna do? I don't think any of our parents will allow us to even look at a human now that we've told them," Ali whispered anxiously. Before anyone could reply, the six of them were summoned over by the elders. As each of them obediently followed their commands, they looked up at their respective parent, but could all tell what they were going to say.
"Cera! You are to come home immediately! You are no longer allowed to enter the meadows without my permission!" Mr. Threehorn said bluntly.
"What! But Daddy…that is so not fair!" Cera whined.
"No buts! As long as those two-legged menaces are roaming around our Great Valley, you will stay by my side at all times! Your new task will be safe guarding the twins," he ordered, as Cera continued to whinge and complain. Turning away from the group, he stomped out with his daughter blabbering at his heels.
"Ducky, Spike. I'm afraid that goes for you two as well," their mother saurolophus said sympathetically.
"But Mama! We did not mean for this to happen! Jason is still our friend!" Ducky said helplessly.
"I am sorry Ducky and although that may be, I do not think it safe for you to see that human again," their mother sighed. Without another word, Ducky and Spike accepted their sentence and glumly followed their mother towards home. Similarly for Petrie and Ali, they were instructed to stay close to their parents and were forbidden to venture anywhere without their presence overshadowing them. As the little field began to clear one by one, Littlefoot hung his head shamefully, awaiting his punishment. It took a long time for his grandparents to actually speak as they gazed at each other and then down onto him.
"Littlefoot…I hope you understand the seriousness of this situation," Grandpa Longneck said caringly but firmly.
"Yes Grandpa," he replied mournfully.
"I know that you see Jason as a very good friend but it is now impossible to remove the fact that his kind have the ability to eat meat. We are glad you told us about this but we also understand that this will now be very hard for you," Grandma Longneck said slowly. Littlefoot nodded in acknowledgement but did not raise his head. He didn't feel justified to look anyone directly in the eye.
"I…I didn't mean for this to happen…I was…I was just angry that's all," Littlefoot said weakly.
"We know that Littlefoot but if Jason is now seen as a risk to those who live here, then you understand that he may not return home with us anymore, don't you?" she continued. Littlefoot nodded.
"I don't think he is coming back anyway Grandma," he said desolately.
"…We…did enjoy his company though…" Grandpa Longneck added warmly. Littlefoot looked up at his grandparents slightly bewildered and offered a small smile.
"He was a very nice child but now with what has just occurred, I believe that it is best to leave the humans to sort out what they have to do and return to where they came from," Grandma Longneck then said which made Littlefoot's smile quickly fade.
"Come my son. As with the others, you are to stay close to us until all this has settled," his grandfather said finally as he and his partner turned to head out of the field. With a heavy weight upon his heart, Littlefoot slumped behind thinking about the mess he felt he had caused.
"Jason………I'm so sorry…" he whispered to himself, "…I never planned for it to turn out this way…please…forgive me…"