Battle of the Sacred Essences

by Thunderblade

The dinosaur realm will never be the same! A strange creature has invaded the Great Valley that claims to be from the future with a disturbing past. Littlefoot is intrigued by it but he is have some bizarre dreams of his own. [Complete!]

24. Part 22: Fate's Lifestream

Chapter 75: A Risky Attack Plan

Jill and Stone engaged the Red Phoenix in a ferocious battle that had every prehistoric commentator on edge. It was difficult to see who was attacking whom with limbs flying furiously through the air but the two former Red Phoenix mercenaries had the Red Phoenix's blade to consider which she had no remorse in sweeping at them with.

"Whoa! Look at them go!" Littlefoot exclaimed breathtaken but all the while, slightly nervous for their safety.

"I do not like this. Oh no, no, no," Ducky whimpered.

"Me neither," Petrie whined looking pitifully at Jason who was still crashed out under the tree.

"I just hope they do it," Ali pleaded. The others nodded solemnly as their attention was quickly reverted back to the battle scene.

The speed and fury of the fight failed to fluctuate even a degree as wave after wave of attacks came in from Jill and Stone. They relentlessly punched, kicked, blocked and parried whilst trying their utmost to avoid being hit with the Red Phoenix's magically enhanced tentacle which she branded regardless of her opponents being completely unarmed. Stone threw a left and right jab at the Red Phoenix's face which she dodged effortlessly. On her rising, Jill spun around to catch the Red Phoenix off-guard with a reverse kick to her head but she quickly ducked it and swept Jill's standing leg out from underneath her. Hitting the ground, Jill gasped and rolled to one side as the Red Phoenix ploughed her weapon into the grass. With her huddled over her trapped tentacle, Stone promptly lifted his heavy boot up and into her stomach, followed by a two-fisted jackhammer to her spine. The Red Phoenix flinched and tore her blade up out of the floor to slash Stone across the chest. Stone hopped back but the Red Phoenix followed up with a slash to his head forcing him to arch backwards uncomfortably. Knowing he was now blind to her next attack, she attempted to bring her blade down and through his exposed chest but Jill caught her glowing hand at her wrist halting the blow. Struggling for a moment to two, the Red Phoenix dropped down all of a sudden and, placing her feet in her abdomen, rolled backwards and threw Jill over her head and onto her back. Jill hit the ground hard but had no time to recover as she rolled sideways to avoid being stabbed in the forehead. Cursing as she missed again, the Red Phoenix failed to notice Stone behind her who stepped into the back of her knee joint causing her to collapse to one knee but he didn't waste anytime and seized her in a headlock from behind. Unable to use her blade effectively, the Red Phoenix flicked her right leg up and smashed Stone in the bridge of his nose. Dazed but unshaken, Stone gripped tighter forcing the Red Phoenix to her knees. Enraged, the Red Phoenix held her tentacle up in front of his eyes and it exploded with a blinding white light. Stone yelled in pain and released his strangling hold. The Red Phoenix didn't waste a second of her gaining the upper hand kicking Stone away from her. She raised her blade high over the blinded sergeant ready to drop it down on his head. Suddenly, Jill darted out of nowhere and jumped directly between the two of them as the Red Phoenix launched her attack. As the blade swung down, Jill closed her eyes, held her hands up and miraculously clasped the tentacle in between the palms of her hands. On impact, a gigantic gust of wind erupted around her throwing the subdued Stone back into the crowd of dinosaurs and out of harm's way.

The Red Phoenix gawked in sheer shock at the sight of Jill knelt before her with her weapon pinned in her hands as if she was praying with it; her hands were smothered in green flames. She snatched her weapon away as Jill jumped back. The two women glared loathingly at each other just waiting for the other to make a move. Something twitched in Jill's eye which sparked the Red Phoenix to attacking. She slashed malevolently with her tentacle but the flames on Jill's hands shielded her from harm as she deflected each strike as they flew in at all angles. One attack came down over Jill's head but she knocked the blade up with a swift upwards block and promptly smashed the Red Phoenix in the gut with her free, left hand. The Red Phoenix stumbled slightly but came back with a fierce swipe at Jill's neck to sever her head from her shoulders. Reacting within a split second, Jill arched backwards with her arms crossed over her face. The blade clashed with the fiery gauntlets, that flashed down her arms, with blinding sparks causing it to glide over Jill's head harmlessly. With her opening, Jill leapt up and extending her leading leg in mid-flight, she dropkicked the Red Phoenix square in the chest. Hitting the ground, the Red Phoenix spat lividly and flicked up to her feet. Jill readied herself for another attack watching her opponent's every move. Suddenly, the Red Phoenix flicked up her unarmed hand and shot a quick energy blast towards her. Jill stood primed but the ball shot straight past her.

"You missed!" Jill snorted indignantly.

"Did I?" the Red Phoenix smiled slyly. Horrified, Jill snapped around to see the glowing energy shot head straight for the audience of dinosaurs on the other end of the meadow.

"No!" she yelled in panic but there was no way she could prevent it from hitting its target, "Damn you Phoenix!" The dinosaurs squealed in terror as the ball approached them but Littlefoot jumped out in front of them all to take the full brunt of the ball's destructive force.

"No! You can't!" he cried slamming his eyes shut as the ball hit him full on. Something flickered blue before his vice-clamped eyes and a translucent blue surface shone in front of him mere fractions of a second before the ball was due to hit. The shot bounced off the magic shield Littlefoot had managed to conjured up and repelled it in the exact direction it came from. The impact threw the little longneck back into the crowd of awestruck adults where his grandparents immediately sprung to his aid.

"Littlefoot! What was that you just did?" Grandpa Longneck stammered.

"It's a loooong story Grandpa," Littlefoot replied shaking his head before running up to the front of the very grateful assembly. In the meantime, the deflected energy shot zipped through the air back towards Jill. Jill took a step to the side and allowed the ball to bolt right by her. The Red Phoenix, shocked at first, held up her weapon and managed to strike the ball again and launched it back at Jill who was oblivious to the deflected shot being deflected again.

"Jill! Jill, look out!" Cera screamed. Jill whipped around, just in time to see the ball coming right at her. She held her hands up in defence but something got to the ball before it reached her. The ball was batted away out of harm's way where it smashed into a tree and completely disintegrated it.

"Jason!" the gang cried in surprise.

"Jason, you're all right," Jill said a little alarmed by his presence.

"Yeah. Think I needed that little break," Jason smiled but his expression turned grave as he looked up at the Red Phoenix, but now, this has all this has got to stop."

"Couldn't agree with you more. Any suggestions?"

"You fools are wasting your time," the Red Phoenix bellowed over the noisy clattering of thunder, "I cannot be defeated so long as the powers bestowed upon the Stone of Essences exist. As long as you harness you powers, so will I."

"The power…" Jason hummed.

"The power?" Jill reiterated a little confused. Then, Jason's mind clicked.

"Jill. Go get Littlefoot and his stone. I'll deal with the Red Phoenix," he said flatly.

"What you got in mind kid?" Jill asked but Jason just smiled.

"Trust me…" With that, he reactivated his overcharged Laser Blade and dashed at the Red Phoenix without another word. Jill stood dumbstruck by his words as she watched the two of them clash weapons once again. Something in her gut twinged nervously at Jason's plan but she quickly darted back to the others to retrieve Littlefoot.

"Jill! What's going on?" Ali asked despairingly.

"Yeah Jill. D'ya wanna explain what the hell's going on?" Stone groaned still recovering from his blindness. His world was still a hazy shade of fuzzy colours with little distinguishable features.

"No time," she barked as she turned to Littlefoot, "Littlefoot, come with me."

"What?" Littlefoot gasped a little taken aback.

"Jason's got something planned. Don't know what and don't know how but he needs our help so c'mon."

"What about the rest of us?" Cera moaned.

"Just keep your distance," Jill replied, "if what Jason's got in mind is going to work, I doubt it will be peaceful." The gang looked hopelessly from Jill to Littlefoot but he shook his head.

"No guys. We're the ones she wants. I don't want any of you to get hurt." The group fell silent as Littlefoot and Jill turned away.

"Littlefoot?" Ali called to him as he began to walk. He turned and looked at her, "…be careful…"

"Don't worry. I will be," Littlefoot smiled.

"Take care of yourself out there lieutenant. Looks like this mission's down to you three stone carriers. Good luck," Stone said saluting but he was shocked to feel Jill peck him on the cheek.

"I'm coming back Sergeant. Count on it," she nodded back in reply. With that, both Littlefoot and Jill ran out into the field to assist Jason.

Further into the Green Meadow, Jason and the Red Phoenix had come to a stalemate as they wrestled with each other as another exchange of sword swipes had ended in another grapple. The two of them struggled and strained, leaning on their weapons trying to force the other to concede.

"Persistent aren't you?" the Red Phoenix grunted.

"I won't…back down! I won't give in…to your…dirty trickery," Jason growled pushing harder on the handle of his Laser Blade.

"Not even this one?" the Red Phoenix said darkly. Jason's eyes widened as the tentacle he was battling against suddenly wilted and fell limp like a dying snake. Jason gasped as the tentacle wrapped itself around his glowing, blue, incandescent blade, gripped tightly and began pulling to snatch the Laser Blade out of his grasp. Having to react to the sudden switch in battling motion from a push to a pull, Jason grabbed on with two hands trying desperately not to lose his sword. The Red Phoenix smiled with an evil grin and retracted her tentacle pulling Jason in with it. As he flew in with the sharp withdrawal, Jason cringed as he felt the Red Phoenix's knee plant itself firmly in the pit of his stomach. Flinching but determined not to surrender his weapon, Jason yanked his Laser Blade back and regained some safe distance from any more attacks.

"That…was low!" Jason spat still slightly winded.

"Now as low as this…" the RED Phoenix gleamed.

Snapping her fingers on her free hand, the tentacle instantly shattered into a set of razor sharp barbs that each glowed with their own magic sheath and were now hovering in front of Jason's face. Panic-stricken, Jason turned and fled and the possessed barbs gave chase. Hot on his heels, Jason desperately wracked his brains for some idea of how to shake them off. Looking up ahead, Jason saw a tall tree fast approaching him. An idea jumped to mind. Deactivating his blade, Jason threw the handle at the tree's trunk where it stuck fast about two feet up from the base. Taking a mighty leap, Jason hopped onto the handle as it stuck out of the tree and used it to spring up high. With the barbs directly behind him, they all plunged deep into the tree's thick trunk as Jason majestically back somersaulted to his feet. Without wasting a second, Jason landed, pulled his Laser Blade out of the tree and ran towards the now unarmed Red Phoenix. Roaring, Jason slashed at her, once in range, but she fiendishly teleported behind him and, as he turned to look for her, unleashed a jaw-breaking, spinning roundhouse to Jason's face sending him reeling backwards.

"Jason!" Littlefoot cried kneeling down as he pulled alongside him.

"You all right kiddo?" Jill asked helping him to his feet. Jason didn't say anything as he wiped a trickle of blood from his lip as he glared at the Red Phoenix. She was smiling at him as the magic shards of the surprise splitting tentacle attack reformed in the palm of her right hand and grew into the same sickly weapon encased in it's magic, protective sheath.

"I can sense it in you," the Red Phoenix drooled as she returned his icy glare, "I can feel it. A burning fury ripping through you blinding you from the obvious and blatant fact that you cannot defeat me."

"I hate to admit it but we just can't seem to topple her," Jill grumbled, "we've thrown everything at her."

"Is she really too strong for us?" Littlefoot breathed worryingly.

"No…she can't be. She must be able to be defeated," Jason replied shaking his head. He refused to believe the Red Phoenix was that much superior that they were no match for her.

"Your powers are far too weak. Your skills are admirable at best but without the proper knowledge of how to manipulate your power effectively…you may as well not have them at all," the Red Phoenix told them sounding rather irritable. Jason's face pursed up with anger but he quickly sighed submissively.

"You're…you're right…" he said negatively.

"What!" Jill and Littlefoot blurted gobsmacked.

"She's right. There is too much we don't know about our bestowed powers given to us by our stones," Jason said defeated.

"Jason! I…I don't understand. Why are you saying this all of a sudden? Why say all this now?" Jill stammered thunderstruck.

"My mother had been researching a perpetual energy source for years with Professor Baxter. She was the one who found the first Stone of Essence in the Andes and was also the first to analyse every part of it molecular structure. She had a much deeper understanding than anyone else of how the source could be used. Since the Red Phoenix has taken my mother's place, she too has that adept knowledge on the Stone's energy sources. I…I know that now…"

"…Jason…" Littlefoot gasped a little downfallen by his words. The Red Phoenix's smiled began to widen as Jason deactivated his Laser Blade and placed it in the side pocket of his scuffed, dirty jeans. Jill and Littlefoot then gasped as they witnessed Jason remove his gold pendent and ruby from around his neck and drop it on the grass at his feet.

"Jason! What are you doing!" Jill shouted horrified.

"The only thing I can do," he replied monotonically. He turned to Littlefoot and looked deep into his eyes. Littlefoot nodded, picked up his sapphire and placed it next to Jason's pendent. Jill was lost. She was speechless that both of them had just simply surrendered their Stones of Essence without quarrel.

"Jill…this is it…this is why I needed your help," Jason said flatly but Jill shook her head slowly as if were half expecting the two of them to suddenly turn on her.

"…this is also why I needed you to trust me…" he continued. Still confused, Jill reluctantly reached into a pouch on her waist and pulled out her emerald ring. She gazed into the frozen, swirled cloud at the stone's core before stepping forward and dropping it next to the others.

"I hope you know what you're doing kid," Jill said sternly as she fell back in line.

"Have a little faith Jill," Littlefoot told her smiling bravely. Jill smiled back but the Red Phoenix broke the mood with a nasty cackle.

"So…after so many pointless bouts, you've finally come to your senses. I told you that your puny powers are no match for mine," she said mockingly as she eyed the little collection of stones lying just in front of Jason's feet.

"Our powers individually may be no match for you…but collectively, we have the greatest power in the universe!" Jason boasted as he reached around to his back and pulled out his wooden piccolo from the rear pocket. The Red Phoenix looked at him peculiarly.

"So what exactly have you planned this time? I thought you were giving up?"

"Give up? I never said anything about giving up! This is far from over…" Jason scorned as he put his piccolo to his lips and began playing his mother's lullaby. As the sweet tune rang out over the meadow all three of them began feeling strange tingling pains. Littlefoot's eyes began to sting, Jill's hands felt like they were burning and Jason started to feel his chest pulling tight directly over his heart. Ignoring the pain, he continued his blissful tune that echoed all around them as the winds danced over the meadow carrying the music with it.

"What's going on? What's Jason doing?" Cera asked stupefied.

"He is playing his mother's song," Ducky sighed contently allowing her mind to wander freely with the music.

"But why? What's he trying to do?" Cera asked still perplexed.

"Look! Look what happening!" Petrie gawked pointing at Littlefoot and the others.

"The stones…they are moving! Without anyone touching them!" Ali gasped in awe. The gang all leapt forward. As Ali had described, the three Stones of Essence were levitating off the ground and were beginning to circle each other. They spun around each other, faster and faster, each stone leaving a glistening, ribbon-like streak behind in their motion.

Jason forced himself to concentrate over the burning he was feeling that was almost crippling. If he broke off before the end of the song, his efforts would all have been for nothing. He knew Jill and Littlefoot were suffering too but this was his last chance. Nearing the end of his mother's melody, the three stones were orbiting each other so fast, a white light began emanating from them and it was consuming them in a blinding ball. The light was so bright, it illuminated the entire meadow despite the black and grey clouds patching the sky. Jason played his final note and dropped to his hands and knees exhausted and breathless. He looked up at the ball of white light that had replaced the three stones whilst the cool, crisp air massaged his searing airways. The pain slowly dissipated allowing Jason, Jill and Littlefoot to stand upright but their attention was snatched by a number of vicious lightning strikes that shot from the stormy heavens and crashed just inches from the ball of light. Suddenly, the sky crackled lividly and a huge bolt of lightning hit the ball as if it were a spherical lightning rod. The ball erupted forcing everyone witnessing the marvel to shield their eyes. The glare gradually cleared and there, floating before them roughly half way between Jason, Jill and Littlefoot and the Red Phoenix was the thin, pyramid comprised of three golden triangles dripping glistening stars known only as,

"Heaven's Eternity Crystal…" Littlefoot gaped with wide eyes.

"So…you summoned it! You brought it here for me to complete with each of your life force. How very kind of you," the Red Phoenix beamed holding out her right hand to psychically pull it towards her but to her shock, the glittering, golden pyramid stayed exactly where it was, "what? What is this?"

"The crystal has been formed and it is fully charged," Jason announced boldly, "each of us surrendered our power to create it again unlike last time when you and Westwood merely stole them from us and used a measly sound recording. This is the real deal."

"But…I didn't surrender my power! Why have I been stripped of mine?" the Red Phoenix muttered staring at her hands.

"Have you forgotten? You're power is a residual product of our true powers. Whether you like it or not, you gave up yours without a say in the matter," Jill smirked. The Red Phoenix dipped her head and shut her eyes. A somewhat impressed smirk slowly grew across her face.

"Ahhh…I see now. I see the method in your thinking. With my power now gone, you feel you three can now take me on, am I correct?" she said without even glancing at them.

"Yeah!" Littlefoot yelled hopping forwards.

"You can be sure of that!" Jill added clenching her fists.

"NO!" Jason shouted objectively stepping in front of both of them. Littlefoot and Jill both turned to him perplexed.

"Huh? Whad'dya mean Jason?" Littlefoot asked striding up alongside him.

"I told you before, this is my fight. You've all fought enough," he said bitterly.

"But Jason…we fight together," Jill argued.

"This is a personal matter. As much as we've fought together up until now…I feel I'm the one who should end this…"

"C'mon kid!" Jill snapped but Littlefoot interrupted.

"No Jill. Let him do it. This is something Jason feels he has to do," he told her looking rather solemn. Jill looked at him for some means of an explanation, "he…Jason's suffered a great pain like I have. It really does hurt unlike anything else. Mine is now gone but I can tell, Jason, he feels it is time for him to end his too." Jill looked helpless.

"You can tell that?" Littlefoot nodded in response. He looked to Jason and smiled and he smiled back touched and grateful at his words.

"I really don't understand you kids," Jill sighed in defeat, her well of trust dwindling but still faintly present about their current situation. The strengthening smiles on both their faces was enough to prove they knew what they were doing. All the while, the Red Phoenix's signature smile turned into a malicious grin.

Chapter 76: An Invisible Death Blow

"So, with your elaborate plan in full effect, what exactly do you propose to do with our powers encased in this magnificent artefact of the ancients? I'm sure you know just as well as I do that your energy is in there too."

"Yeah I'm aware of that," Jason said strongly finally turning to face her having had his back to her for the majority of his conversation with Jill and Littlefoot.

"I was flattered by your little speech about my knowledge on the Stones of Essence and you seem fairly confident in your plan," she continued to drawl, smile ceasing to fade. Jason didn't answer. His nerves were on fire, which in turn, made his insides wriggle uncomfortably making him fidget.

"Tell me. You're blade? Will it still hold its charge now you've overcharged the battery past its maximum capacity?" Jason felt like he'd just swallowed a heavy stone as his stomach plummeted somewhere past his feet. He glanced at the plastic, black handle in his right hand and tried to activate it but it fizzled feebly without producing even a flicker of a concentrated energy blade. Jason cursed himself through clenched teeth. He'd never even considered that once he'd breached the Laser Blade's maximum charge that he would've obliterated its ability to store anymore.

"So…you're plan laid to waste? Or do you propose we grapple like a couple of petty thugs?" the Red Phoenix grinned folding her arms.

"Wait Jason," Littlefoot said to him lowly stepping alongside him once more, "you can still make it work." Jason looked at him a little taken aback but Littlefoot swung his head over to the centre of the field, not saying a word. Following his gaze, Jason looked up at the floating pyramid of glistening gold that hovered patiently in between them and the Red Phoenix. Jason locked eyes with Littlefoot once more finally catching on to this idea. The young longneck smiled but he gasped suddenly, eyes focused ahead. Without warning, he shot off into the meadow.

"Hey Littlefoot! Whad'dya…" Jason started watching him shoot past him.

"Jason! The Red Phoenix!" Jill yelled urgently. Jason, horrified, saw Littlefoot sprinting towards the Heaven's Eternity Crystal with the Red Phoenix doing exactly the same in the opposite direction. Jason dug his heels deep into the ground to kick off as hard as he could to sprint after Littlefoot.

Just ahead of him, Littlefoot's mind was buzzing madly as he tore headlong into the deadly game of chicken which the Red Phoenix had already obtained an unexpected head start. His four feet pounded the ground with Jason not too far behind. He didn't dare break eye contact with his shimmering prize just in front of him. He'd appeared to have made up lost ground but it was going to be breath-takingly close. The spectators of the gripping race drew sharp breaths as they came within a few metres of the golden pyramids. The Red Phoenix threw out her hand to reach for it but she was clearly out of range. Suddenly, the sickly snaking tentacle burst from the palm of her outstretched hand and it made a beeline for the Heaven's Eternity Crystal at high speed. The thunderstorm clattered noisily overhead like great sparking fireworks as Littlefoot gritted his teeth and forced every ounce of energy through to his galloping feet, pushing himself to go faster. Littlefoot saw the lower right-hand gold triangle flush blue as he and the Red Phoenix's tentacle came within reaching distance. It was going to be down to the wire. Littlefoot was nearly upon it but so was the Red Phoenix. Littlefoot's brain drained of thought; he closed his eyes and stretched out his neck as far was he could.

The two racers made contact and the raging storm shot a bolt of lightning from the blackened clouds; it were as if it was nature's way of waving a chequered flag to signal the end of the pulse-pounding race for the golden treasure. The meadow was once again engulfed in an unbearably bright light that forced everyone to shield their eyes.

"Littlefoot!" Jason shouted skidding to a stop and throwing his arms over his face. Both Littlefoot and the Red Phoenix had been swallowed at the centre of the white light. For a tense few seconds, there was absolute silence but as the curtain of light slowly lifted, a high-pitched ringing sound shot out across the Green Meadow like a power source beginning to flow. Braving the glare as it began to break up, everyone looked to where the Heaven's Eternity Crystal had been beforehand which was still shrouded in the white light. From the very centre, faint blue wisps of spiralling vapour began to radiate out. The light had fully disappeared and in its wake were two figures. One laying on the floor on its back and the other stood tall with numerous blue glittering ribbons of light rising and spinning around its body as if they were standing at the centre of steam-emitting vent. All eyes looked on as they all watched, their mouths stretched from awestruck gapes to gleeful smiles. The one standing at the centre of the corkscrewing cylinder of glowing blue ribbons was Littlefoot. At his feet was the Red Phoenix who glowered at him helpless and defeated.

"He did it!" Ali cried overjoyed as cheers erupted over the Green Meadow. The gang danced around each other in triumph. Jason beamed at Littlefoot as the little dinosaur quickly searched around for a clue to what had just happened. He gazed rather dumbly at the celebrating crowd but as he adjusted his focus to the blue barrier surrounding him, he gave a shy smile.

"Way to go Littlefoot!" Jason hollered over to him cupping his hands over his mouth to throw his voice. Littlefoot continued to gleam as the blue slithers of light spun faster and shrunk directly into his torso.

Lost in the moment of success, both of them failed to notice the Red Phoenix getting to her feet.

"Littlefoot! Jason! Look!" Jill shouted to them. They whirled around just in time to see the Red Phoenix's outstretched hand make contact with the lower-left hand gold triangle which flickered green.

"You may have beaten me to your power Littlefoot but the spiritual essence of the Summoner's Soul Emerald is mine!" she cackled as her body became illuminated in a forest green beam of light. Her body began to levitate off the ground as the spinning cylinder, identical to Littlefoot's except green, began to shrink and she seemed to absorb it through her skin. Her entire figure glowed a sharp shade of green before she dropped to the ground. Littlefoot, thunderstruck by her sudden reappearance, took an apprehensive step back as she snapped an icy glare at him. With her power restored, she smirked evilly as she dashed over to him and delivered a nasty back-fisted hit across Littlefoot's face knocking him over. Littlefoot winced with the blow, his cheek stung unpleasantly and his eyes watered. Trying to get the pain to subside quicker, Littlefoot suddenly found a shadow stretched over him. He gaped fearfully as he lay on his side staring up at the Red Phoenix whose right hand was glowing a vibrant, green.

"No! Littlefoot!" Jason cried taking off to head towards him but it was easy to see that he would not reach him in time.

"No more games Littlefoot!" she spat; her tone was fierce and angry, "you and your friends will perish by my hand!" Her voice boomed with the shaking skyline as the same tentacle the Red Phoenix brandished as a weapon previously shot from the palm of her glowing hand. The green light wrapped itself around the tentacle encasing it in a magic sheath once more. Frozen with fear, Littlefoot stared, eyes wide, at the Red Phoenix as she raised her weapon to strike. Littlefoot's breathing suddenly stopped; the air was trapped in his throat and his heart was thumping hard and loud under his ribs. The crowd gasped horrified.

"Littlefoot!" his grandparents cried.

"No! Littlefoot!" all his friends wailed.

"Litttleefooooott!" Jason screamed from behind still sprinting madly to try and reach him. The Red Phoenix's eyes swelled with malice as she dropped the blade and swung at his head. The world blurred in front of Littlefoot's eyes as the voices screaming his name rang long in his brain.

"Nooooooo!" Littlefoot screeched slamming his eyes shut in pure fright. Suddenly, the winds picked up and a strong blast shot up from Littlefoot's fallen position. As the Red Phoenix's blade was due to strike, something shimmered before Littlefoot. The attack came crashing down on top of him but it halted inches from his forehead. By the sound, it seemed like the weapon had clashed with another surface. Looking up, Littlefoot found a transparent, convex wall arched over his head. It had shielded him from the blow but the Red Phoenix's tentacle appeared to be cemented to it. The Red Phoenix was trying with all her strength to yank it off but she was stuck fast. Littlefoot was holding her in.

"Wha-what is this!" she shrieked fretfully but her anxiety quickly switched to anger as she raised her other hand which sparked lividly.

"You!" she growled.

"Help me!" Littlefoot cried desperately.

"Littlefoot! Heads up!" he heard a voice cry. Turning, Littlefoot saw Jason nearly on top of them. His hand was extended at full reach but the Red Phoenix's hand was high and ready to strike. Jason's palm slapped on to the top golden triangle of the hovering crystal which flashed blood red.

"Littlefoot!" he yelled but Littlefoot seemed to understand before he could say anything more. With a blink, the protective barrier above him erupted and shattered like glass throwing the Red Phoenix off-balance backwards. Her arms flew up wildly as she attempted to regain composure but at that moment, Jason charged in just as a red, glittering, spiralling cylinder drew itself into his body. Streaming past Littlefoot, Jason activated his Laser Blade, which immediately produced a blue, overcharged energy blade, and swung it horizontally out to his right hand side…

For a split second, the world froze in its tracks as if time itself had been destroyed. The Red Phoenix's eyes grew large with extreme shock. Everything and around the Green Meadow froze as if an artic wind had blown over it encasing everything in ice. Every living creature in the area had become statutes staring out into the meadow. Jill jogged up to Jason and Littlefoot who stood, side by side, trembling slightly, unable to speak a word. It had all happened so fast. They glanced at the Red Phoenix who stood holding her abdomen. Gingerly, she removed her clamped hands from off her stomach to reveal a great scorching cut across her torso which was bleeding quite heavily. Hypnotised by her terrified gaze, Jason eyed the Red Phoenix strangely. He was so confused. He felt incredibly hollow like he had nothing contained within him. No bones, no internal organs, no emotions; just an empty shell stood before the Red Phoenix as she began to waver unsteadily.

"Jason…the crystal," Littlefoot said. Jason blinked once or twice to break his trance and looked at the golden pyramid. All three triangles glistened their respective shades (red up top, green to the lower-left and blue to the bottom-right) as all of them approached.

"N…no!" the Red Phoenix gurgled lurching forward but her wound pulled tight forcing her to drop to her knees. Blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"How are we gonna remove my power from her?" Jill said looking at the Red Phoenix who was doubled up on the ground in excruciating pain, "I doubt she'll give it up willingly."

"Don't worry, I know how," Jason said coarsely. He placed his hand on the top triangle and with his other hand, he pulled his piccolo out of his pocket.

"Come on," he signalled to them. Silently, Jill and Littlefoot touched their respective stones. The Red Phoenix continued to squeal in anger and pain as she watched them helplessly.

"Now what?" Jill asked.

"Just concentrate," Jason said. Closing his eyes, he gently rested the piccolo against his forehead and quietly began humming his mother's melody. Within seconds, Littlefoot found himself humming the tune in exact time and pitch as Jason. Before long, the music entrapped Jill in its haunting melody and she too began humming along. Strangely, to their surprise, a high-pitched, sweet tune began emanating from the little wooden pipe. It was playing Jason's song at its own accord. Slightly startled, Jason snapped his eyes open feeling the instrument giving a little tug. Jason opened his hand allowing it to float in mid-air, playing as if it where in the hands of a phantom. Littlefoot and Jill, who finally caught on to Jason's sudden stop by the time they'd reached the chorus, stared at the piccolo in a stunned silence. They began feeling a little peculiar. The hovering piccolo started to glow with a bright light and it started spreading to the three of them. Each of them eyed themselves and each other in awe. Their bodies began glowing too, each bathed in a warm growing aura of their stones' colours. The Red Phoenix's limp body shone the same shade of green as Jill's as she lay, face down, on the grass.

The melody piped up energetically as it approached the final chorus shooting a great beacon of light up into the sky, parting the clouds and dissolving them. Golden rays of sunlight pierced through the evaporating cloud cover, illuminating the land with a basking warmth welcomed by all who were stood witnessing the show of magic lights. The melody drew to a peaceful, long, final-noted end. The four glowing bodies swallowed their lights and a bright flash exploded from the Heaven's Eternity Crystal. As the light faded, Littlefoot, Jason and Jill, having removed their shielding limbs from their eyes, gawked at each other for a brief second then to their surroundings. The trio of golden triangles had disappeared from view leaving a gentle snowfall of glittering stars in its wake.

"Whoa!" Littlefoot breathed admirably.

"That was a light show big enough to make Broadway look like a night light," Jill beamed. Jason smiled but a glistening twinkle caught his eye. On the ground, lay each other their three stone exactly as they had been left shimmering in the gorgeous sunlight. He bent down to pick them up and, sliding his ruby pendent back over his head, he offered Jill and Littlefoot theirs in and outstretched open palm.

"That was amazing!" a voice came from behind Littlefoot making him jump.

"Enjoy the show then?" Jill said turning the remnants of the gang who came bounding over excitedly compared to the sluggish, apprehensive pace of he adults who all seemed reluctant to move forward.

"Wow-wee! Thas-ee was big!" Dinah exploded leaping so high she nearly flipped head over heels.

"Purrdee too!" Dana added with a wide grin.

"You all did very good! Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky yapped merrily as Spike beamed nodding earnestly.

"You were very brave Littlefoot," Ali smiled. Littlefoot felt his stomach give a weird little hop at Ali's compliment.

"Oh well…I err…I just did what I had to do to help," he said very modestly, his face flushed very warm. He found it difficult to keep eye contact with her for longer than a few seconds.

"You were great Jason," Cera said, "and so were you Jill…Jill?" She glanced around to find Jill had shifted from where she was standing.

"Where'd she?" Cera mumbled but her question was swiftly answered when she turned to see Jill standing uncomfortably close to Stone who had his hands fastened tightly on her hips.

"Mission accomplished Serge," Jill said sweetly. She slowly removed her beret with one hand and quickly dropped it to the floor.

"A job well done lieutenant," Stone replied gently allowing Jill to sweep his own emblem-sewn beret off his own head. Without warning, Jill launched her face into Stone's and draped her arms over his broad shoulders locking each other in a kiss. Zephyr gazed up at his owner and whimpered curiously. Cera's jaw dropped open like a loose drawer. She turned to the group so fast she nearly toppled herself.

"What are they…! How long have they…! I mean…why are…? Did you guys know about this?" she bumbled stupefied.

"Uhh huuuhhhh," the gang hummed in harmonious unison, broad smiles etched into their faces. Jason shrugged as he caught Cera's dumbfounded gaze and Petrie perched on his shoulder to offer his congratulations. After many happy expressions and a few short explanatory stories, the crowd of dinosaurs looked to the three humans (and Zephyr).

"An incredible tale. One I'd never would've thought possible," Mr Threehorn said clearly impressed, "I never would've believed it if I hadn't seen it myself!"

"It's the stuff of legend!" another male dinosaur gawked.

"So, with all that has occurred, it is safe to assume that this is all over?" Grandpa Longneck asked innocently craning his great neck down to Jason's eye level but before he could answer, a nasty groaning noise like the sound of someone struggling with a heavy load, shot out from behind Jason. All heads snapped around to the source of the noise.

"…No…not just yet…" Jason said gravely looking over his shoulder. The Red Phoenix, was groaning and struggling to stand. She giddily clambered to her feet.

"…N-nooo!" she gurgled, "this…is not…over…yet."

"Oh no! She's still here!" Ali squeaked.

"Doesn't she know when to give up?" Cera barked indignantly.

"…Ja…Jason! This is not…we're not…finished…" she shrieked dangerously pointing at him as she trudged drunkenly over to him. All eyes fixed to Jason but he pretended he didn't notice them as he turned to face her, his expression tightening.

"Stone? Can I borrow your Blade?" he droned. Stone reached for his Laser Blade and after a nervous second, handed it to him.

"There's not much charge in it. I wouldn't rely on it too much," he warned.

"It'll be just enough," Jason said looking back to the Red Phoenix. She was wavering unstably towards them. Swivelling on his heels, he walked out to meet her. The gang wanted to take off after him but they automatically knew what Jason's reaction would be. The audience watched in an awed silence. Jason had stopped a few feet from the Red Phoenix as she took a couple more stumbling steps towards him and then stopped also. The re-absorption of the Stones' magic energy had completely healed her gaping wound in her stomach but she was acting as if the injury had been made even deeper.

For about a minute they stood staring each other down, neither one losing eye contact. The Red Phoenix grinned despite her instability which made Jason's fingertips tingle with anticipation. Just when it looked like the Red Phoenix was about to attack, she suddenly doubled up in pain clutching her injury point which was no longer visible. Everybody jumped slightly at her sudden folding, even Jason, unaware of his nervousness, was clenching his weapon a little tighter. The Red Phoenix's painful wailing gave way to panicking, short-drawn breaths as she looked up fearfully into Jason's face. His eyes met her panic-stricken mien and for a fraction of a second, he could have sworn, for the first time, he saw his mother staring back at him. The Red Phoenix winced in pain again and sank to her knees. All Jason's previous anger evaporated in an instant to make way for something more along the emotional lines of guilt and even regret. The Red Phoenix smiled weakly at him before falling limp and started to tumble backwards but to her great surprise (and that of everyone watching), Jason caught her before she hit the ground. The Red Phoenix glared at Jason with wide eyes as he held her head in his hand. She coughed sickeningly before finally finding her voice.

"I…I can't quite believe this…" she stammered slowly, "after…after everything…Jason…you…you would pity me now?"

"I…I can't say exactly for myself. It's hard for me to understand let alone explain," Jason said, his voice tracing hints of panic, "it seems as though, as much as I denied it before, without your powers, I could really see the mother I lost a long time ago. But, it was only at that instant, when my blade hit and I witnessed you at your most vulnerable. And just then, when you stared at me…when I saw you in pain. I…it was as if I saw your human side again." The Red Phoenix smiled again but choked on her next breath. Jason laid her down gently on the grass and watched as her expression turned stony and almost resentful.

"I never would have imagined that the three of you would be my match. Me…the greatest achievement of modern medical science. The first ever human being to undergo a full resurrection and continue life from the exact point where I had once had it ended…" Jason looked at her as his tidal wave of emotions lapped the shores of his brain again making everything difficult to comprehend. The Red Phoenix continued on raspy breaths.

"I was beaten by such bunch of naïve fools…a mere boy, a military thug and a child of an era long since past."

"You brought this on yourself!" Jason cried, his voice was shaking, "Your sole purpose was to kill! You killed me and you were going to do the same thing to everyone and everything I cared about! I…I had no choice…"

"Everything…all that I had envisioned…everything I had revealed to me once I obtained the true power…dashed and in tatters," the Red Phoenix began to croak before exploding, "you ruined it for me! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU! What am I inferior to you in? The pain I felt and had to endure just to see the light of another day was not even enough to give me the honour of prolonging my own existence. I survived so many death-ridden trails…only…only to trip and fall at the final hurdle…all without so much as a simple reason why…"

"Any human could have achieved what you were hoping…but you even said it yourself that you don't consider yourself human anymore," Jason said gravely, "you lost the human part of your heart. You became a monster hell-bent on destruction. No destiny could proclaim such a prophecy. Not if it meant the end of the world."

"Well…it looks like…I'll never get to accomplish what was so painfully scored into the back of my mind. I can see that now…a blind ambition with not even a trace of genuineness. I simply followed orders to the slaughter. Maybe I didn't have as much control as I liked to have believed," the Red Phoenix said bitterly, "there's nothing left for me now…nothing." Jason just looked at her, his insides squirmed within him making him feel sick to his stomach.

"I hope…with your existence that somehow defies my own, that the power of those wretched stones haunts you. All of you! And I pray for the day this disgusting, pitiful world you have created will turn its back on you and be your demise…" the Red Phoenix hissed hatefully.

Jason was speechless. The words he had just had spat at him hit him with a horrible strength he hadn't anticipated but for some reason, the guilt in him multiplied exponentially rather than the overwhelming sense of anger he had expected. From his crouched position, he tried to catch the Red Phoenix's eye but her head was turned away from him.

"Why don't you just kill me now? If this is the way the world is going to have to be…I'd rather not be a part of it," she said indignantly.

"Fine…if that's how you'd prefer it…I will!" Jason shouted trying his utmost to overpower the guilty conscience screaming in his head.

Cautiously, Jason rose up to standing and looked at the Laser Blade handle in his hand. The onlookers who had been listening to the entire conversation, all held their breath as Jason activated the energy weapon, which flickered an unhealthy pale red, and dangled it in the palms of his hands directly over the Red Phoenix's chest. The Red Phoenix remained silent not looking as Jason hesitated to make the final strike. He tried with all his might to suppress the screaming of his conscience by fighting back with thoughts and plausible reasons that his killing her was the only way. His brain fogged up with confusion. He had to do it but the command was lost somewhere in the dense matter of sounds, visions and thoughts ringing in his head. Jason shook his head violently to try and unscramble the mental noise. Inching the blade slowly upwards, the audience looked on as Jason shut his eyes tight and let out a terrified cry and plunged the blade downward. Hardly able to look anymore, the crowd gasped in horror and amazement. Jason slowly opened his eyes to see what he had just done but the Laser Blade had not hit its target. Instead, the very tip of the blade was hovering, hardly a quarter of an inch, above the Red Phoenix's exposed chest. The Red Phoenix rotated her head to look at Jason as he stood over her panting and looking extremely shaken.

"Why'd you stop? What's with you?" she barked irritably, "Just…kill me…" Jason took an unsteady step backwards and shook his head defiantly.

"You can't do it can you?" she sneered reading the frightened expression on his flushed face.

"…Jason…" Littlefoot sighed sorrowfully.

"You're going to regret that decision kid! You said all along that you wanted to end it. You wanted the satisfaction of knowing that you set your mother free and now given the perfect chance…you can't do it…" Jason's body turned icy but it seemed to calm him. His brain was no longer buzzing with the electricity of thought and everything seemed perfectly clear and in focus. With a deep breath, Jason allowed the Laser Blade to dangle inoffensively by his side where the battery final gave in and it fizzed out.

"No…you're wrong. I'm afraid, it is you who is sadly mistaken Red Phoenix," Jason said unthreateningly, "my fight is already over and I have already set my mother free." The crowd mumbled in a perplexed drone.

"What? What are you talking about?" the Red Phoenix glowered quickly followed by a nasty whooping cough.

"That final hit…that was it. With that, I saw my mother's figure flash before my eyes. It was like a signal to me that I didn't get at first. There is nothing left between me and you. You're just another disgusting mutant to crawl out of that hellhole Red Phoenix Labs. You're no more superior than those zombified scientists."

"What did you say! How DARE you compare me to those lowly simpletons!" the Red Phoenix spat lividly.

"You were created in that lab by the Red Phoenix Corporation just like all the others. And it is that same establishment that will be your end. Just as you killed Westwood…the one who brought you to life will be your executioner...not me. Strange how irony always seems to work out."

"What are you…" the Red Phoenix began but her body suddenly gave a horrible lurch as she felt her skin shoot up to a feverish temperature and she began sweating profusely. Suddenly, she lurched up again and started coughing into her hands. She drew a sharp panicked breath when she found blood on them.

"What? What's…happening…to me!" she gasped horrified as she felt her whole body give another strange shudder like a pulse of electricity flooding her nervous system. It almost felt like there were creatures crawling under her skin. Shivering uncontrollably, the Red Phoenix cast a frightened expression at Jason who was simply looking at her neither contented, fearful nor panicked.

"It's begun…" he said calmly without fluttering an eyelid.

"What? What did you…do to me?" the Red Phoenix quivered coughing, once again producing a bloody cloud.

"I've done nothing to you. You are merely following the same fate as all the other members of the Red Phoenix Corporation; blinded by their own superiority and lust for power," Jason scolded, If I remember correctly, Westwood said there were two components to your returning to life; one was a special vector to resurrect and the other was the power of the Stones of Essence to maintain the vector. Since your power has been removed, the very same vector that reanimated your body and kept you from passing on to the next life has become unstable." Jason then ducked to crouch next to the suffering Red Phoenix and spoke directly into her panic-flushed face slowly and potently.

"Do you remember? Remember what that vector was?"

"…N-n…nooo…" the Red Phoenix gasped horrified, her eyes swelled in realising fright, "the…the…super…the super…virus!" Jason nodded glumly. The Red Phoenix's words seemed to ring out over the meadow like they were all trapped in a tight, tall canyon.

"The virus responsible for the outbreak in London is the same thing Westwood used on her to bring her back?" Stone gaped.

"The very same," Jill verified, "Westwood and Baxter must have given the same sample to our other squadron members after butchering them all first somehow." Jason nodded at Jill and then stood up, his gaze refocused on the Red Phoenix.

"Having my mother's knowledge and witnessing my younger siblings deaths, you should be aware of the vicious nature of the virus," Jason warned but before the Red Phoenix could reply, she gave a sickening twitch. Her skin felt irritable and sticky as giant red blisters began forming on the surface of her body like giant bubbles rising in a cauldron's mixture. Suddenly, the Red Phoenix screamed in pain as one of the giant blisters on her right forearm exploded in a bloody explosion leaving a gaping crater in her flesh. The audience gasped in horrific disgust at the sight of more blisters erupting leaving great gouges in the Red Phoenix's figure like a rabid animal were devouring her alive. The gang were deadlocked into a awestruck gaze unlike the Threehorn Twins who had dived behind Cera's back legs to distance themselves from the gory scene.

"What's happening to her?" Ali asked barely able to utter more than a breathy whisper.

"The virus…the thing responsible for all the monsters we've seen and fought both here and at headquarters. The same thing was inside the Red Phoenix keeping her alive when kept in check with the power from the Stones of Essence," Jill explained almost cringing at the sight of exploding flesh, "with her power removed, the virus has become unstable and now its returning to its initial destructive design."

"Me geddit. Now her magic power gone, the sickness no longer under control," Petrie cawed. Jill confirmed with a nod.

"So…you mean she is…" Ducky began but couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. Littlefoot's eyes shot from the Red Phoenix up to Jason who began to turn and walk away.

"No…" a voice cried from behind Jason. He looked back around to see the Red Phoenix in tears as the virus continued to destroy her body from the inside out. "Jason please…you can't…leave me like this! Please!" she sobbed.

"There's nothing between me and you now Phoenix," Jason said coldly, "besides, the virus has already gone into full effect…nothing can help you now."

"Jason PLEASE!…Just kill me now…I don't…I don't want to…suffer…anymore…PLEASE! I beg of you!" the Red Phoenix cried desperately but her words made Jason snap around at lightning-quick speed.

"How dare you beg for help!" he shouted hotly, his voice was losing its strength and began to tremble, "How can you plead for assistance? Beg for a quick death after all the pain you put me through! The pain you put ALL of us through! And the lives you were so willing to rob without giving it so much as a second thought! How can you ask for anything more?" Jason fearing his emotions would overrule, turned away but before he could take a step, the Red Phoenix called to him again.

"…Please. You can't…leave it like this…" Jason froze for a minute. Had her words gotten to him?

The gang all adjusted their focus onto Jason, all watching carefully and attentively for his reaction. Littlefoot felt his heart sink at the thought that maybe Jason had regretted his decision but he watched him shut his eyes and heard him take a deep breath. On exhaling slowly, Jason opened his eyes again and Littlefoot felt relieved to see him take another step towards the gang without even glancing over his shoulder. Littlefoot began to walk out to meet him.

"…Jason?" he asked semi-apprehensive.

"Littlefoot…" Jason replied wearing a sweet, sincere smile, "it's finally over."

The Red Phoenix continued to writhe and scream behind Jason as he gazed up at his entranced audience.

"Well done kid. I was beginning to worry about what you were gonna do. Thought you might take it a bit too far," Sergeant Stone said impressed by his actions.

"Thanks. I was a little worried myself at first but I was determined for her not to get to me…not again," Jason smiled, "here's your blade back. Guess I didn't need it after all."

"You did good Jason. You did as you wished in ending your fight and freeing your mother. That took a lot of bravery and you came through," Jill congratulated.

"I had you all behind me. There was no way I could fail with you guys backing me up," Jason replied. He turned from Jill to the gang (who were all beaming) and finally came to rest on Littlefoot who was standing beside him. Littlefoot's smile widened which quickly spread to Jason's face. Not a word had to be spoken but the young longneck silently applauded him and hi, in return, replied with a muted thanks.

As the moment grew in the glistening beams of the sun, Jason was alarmed to see Littlefoot's face turn stony and rigid from shock. Air seemed to be escaping Littlefoot's mouth but hardly a sound could be heard. Scanning down his body, Jason gasped in horror at the sight of what appeared to be an extremely long, thick worm sticking out of Littlefoot's right side around the lower region of his ribs. Jason locked eyes with Littlefoot as the little brontosaurus began to waver unsteadily.

"…Jason…" he breathed airlessly.

"…Littlefoot…" Jason gasped silently before exploding, "NNNNOOOOOO!" The blood-covered worm extracted itself from Littlefoot's side with a sickening rip and cracked backwards like a whip on Jason's scream.

"PHHOOEEENNIIXX!" he bellowed spinning around but as he completed his half turn, the worm attacked and plunged itself into the left side of Jason's chest. Tracing the body of the bloodstained worm, they all followed it back to the palm of the Red Phoenix's right hand. Her body was barely recognisable from the pocket-holes left in her flesh but the exploding blisters had now stopped.

"My dear boy. You…and your…beloved friend…will…suffer…the same fate…as I…" the Red Phoenix choked weakly, "in…your deaths…and rebirths…and with… both your powers…you will…continue…my work…where I…have left it…" With that, she retracted her tentacle and finally flopped to the ground unleashing one long, last breath before lying completely still.

"Littlefoot! Jason!" the gang cried as they collapsed to the ground.

"Oh no! Littlefoot! Jason!" Grandma and Grandpa Longneck whimpered in dismay. Jill and Stone dashed forward to take charge; Jill taking Jason and Stone seeing to Littlefoot.

"Jeez! They're in shock! We've gotta act fast!" Jill barked opening one of Jason's eyes fully, "Pupils are dilated and aren't responding!"

"Littlefoot's breathing is sounding difficult! His pulse is flying!" Stone reported loudly as he fought with Littlefoot's shaking body. Suddenly, his head fell limp and lolled to one side.

"Crap! He just lost consciousness! Jill! This poor kid's a wreck! They need medical attention NOW!"

"Jason stay with me! STAY AWAKE!" Jill shouted at him but he promptly passed out as well, "Dammit! Jason's crashed out too. They're both infected with the virus. If they don't receive proper treatment, they'll be dead in under an hour!"

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!" Ducky cried holding her head in her hands as Spike whimpered crestfallen.

"This can't be happening!" Ali whispered horror-struck.

"No! Littlefoot…Jason…No go!" Petrie wailed.

"Won't any of this stuff help?" Cera cried desperately, flinging Jason's bag at Jill.

"There's no time! They need to…" Stone began but he was horrified to see Littlefoot's condition worsen, "Crap! Jill, we're losing 'em! Littlefoot's just stopped breathing!"

"I've lost Jason's pulse! His heart's stopped beating. They're deteriorating faster than expected!" Jill called back as she started to attempt to resuscitate him. The gang and their folks looked on helplessly and downfallen at the lifeless bodies of Jason and Littlefoot. The gang couldn't believe, after everything they had all been through together, this would be where their adventures, as an unbreakable team, would finally end.

Chapter 77: Riddles from the Darkness

All was dark. A deep, never-ending blackness that failed to show even the smallest glimmer of light. Nothing became of the darkness, no land, no sky and no life except for a single figure that lay suspended in the black. Not one lifeline seemed to ring out from this lifeless corpse but suddenly, the body twitched and became animate again. Slowly, and drearily, as if it had awoken from centuries of slumber, the figure craned its head up and surveyed its lack of surrounding though weary eyes.

"Wh-what…what happened? Where am I?" it said examining the blank atmosphere and then its aching, entropy-riddled body that seemed reluctant to shift. Straining as every muscle creaked into action, the figure slowly pushed itself onto its four feet, unfurled its tail and held its head high on its long neck.

"What is this place? Where is everyone?" Littlefoot said aloud, semi-hoping that someone would hear him.

"Hello? Anyone there?" he called but the only reply he got was his own voice echoing inexplicably through the nothingness, "HEEEEEEYYYYY! Someone!…Anyone!" still no answer. "Grandma! Grandpa!…Cera? Ducky?…Spike, Petrie, Ali?…Jason?…" he cried but yet again, nothing. Littlefoot began to feel extremely vulnerable and self-conscious; he was all alone. He didn't want to be alone. The thought of having no one next to him filled him with fear. Fear of being attacked with no help even though there was nothing to be scared of. An icy chill ran down his spine at the thought of something watching him; he didn't feel safe. Just as he was about to call out again, to his great relief, Littlefoot heard the faint sound of someone calling his name. Due to the quietness of it, the summoning voice was impossible to identify but it seemed to be getting closer and growing louder.

"Who's there?" Littlefoot shouted to where he thought the voice was emanating from. Despite him acting defensive, it brought him comfort that someone was there with him but the sense of security was quickly displaced when Littlefoot heard a low hissing from behind him. He glanced back over his shoulder nervously but he quickly wished he hadn't when he saw a number of evil, glaring pairs of eyes snap open in the pitch black. Shrieking, Littlefoot sped off in the opposite direction as the eyes began pairing up with gleaming, wide mouths all revealing dangerous sets of flesh-tearing teeth.

Unsure to where he was running, Littlefoot heard the beckoning voice shouting his name again. It sounded much closer and was becoming more distinct and recognisable but it sounded as if the voice was hurried and restless as if whomever the voice belonged to were running and calling at the same time. Was it in some sort of danger? Having heard the voice much closer now, Littlefoot felt his stomach leap a little. As he cantered forwards, someone in the distance ahead of him was running towards him. It was standing very upright and only two limbs appeared to be hitting some means of an invisible floor.

"Is that?" Littlefoot whispered to himself almost squinting to try and focus on the figure in the distance now not too far away. Its voice rang out again but this time he was sure he knew who it was.

"…Jason! Jason, it's you!" he cried with soaring spirits.

"Littlefoot! I found you at last!" Jason beamed jogging up to meet him face to face, Littlefoot doing the same from the opposite way. To their surprise, as they approached each other and got close enough to touch, there was a loud DONK noise like the sound of something hitting a glass panel without breaking it. Somehow, Littlefoot and Jason had hit a surface that appeared to be in between them, separating them.

"Ahhh…what?" Littlefoot hissed in pain and then awe looking to see what they could have possibly collided with. Having massaged the feeling back into his numb face, Jason cautiously raised a hand up in front of him and quickly withdrew it as his fingertips brushed lightly over something standing solidly before him. Littlefoot, from the other side, watched confusedly as he saw the pads of Jason's hand flatten on what appeared to be an invisible surface.

"What is it?" Littlefoot asked lifting a foot and pressing it on the strange, transparent wall.

"An invisible barrier of some sort," Jason reported tapping the wall with a knuckle. Suddenly, a deafening screech shot out from the darkness forcing Littlefoot and Jason to hop back from the barrier.

"What's that? What is this place?" Littlefoot breathed, cringing as the screech erupted again.

"I don't know," Jason replied throwing his hands over his ears, "I can't remember how we…" He stopped in mid-sentence. Something just clicked but it made him shudder with sickening dread. The wailing and screeching continued as Jason looked down at Littlefoot's right side. There, just to the right of the imaginary divide between his stomach and chest, was a gaping hole where it looked like something had tried to burrow its way into Littlefoot's thoracic cavity; it was bloody and raw-looking.

"Littlefoot! Your side! It's…" Jason gasped pointing at the wound. Littlefoot craned his neck down and looked at his belly and screamed at the sight of a great chunk of his flesh missing.

"What! What…happened to me!" he wailed horrified glancing back up at Jason but then, he noticed a similar, bloody gouge high on Jason's chest. Following his gaze, Jason thrust his right hand on the tear in his clothes and skin looking terrified.

"Oh no Littlefoot," he breathed airlessly, his eyes bulging with panic, "the fight in the meadow…she…I…I think…I think we're…dead!"

"No! We…we can't be! We can't be dead!" Littlefoot exclaimed, "We're still moving! We're still talking to each other! How can we be dead!"

"I don't know but, maybe…" Jason started but his attention was quickly pulled to another loud shriek that rang out much longer and higher pitched than the last. Littlefoot and Jason instantly forgot about their fatal injuries and dropped to their knees clutching their ears. The pitch was becoming painful as it reverberated and buzzed in their heads. All of a sudden, the shrieking ceased, wrapping the void in a suffocating blanket of forced silence. Littlefoot and Jason precariously lifted their hands (and forefeet) from their ears and cautiously looked in the direction from where the audible missile had erupted. To their surprise, there was a small circle of white light hanging in the darkness which looked a lot closer than it really was. It was difficult to tell since there was nothing on which to gauge the distance. Littlefoot and Jason gave each other quick dumbfounded glances before readjusting their focus back on the light which seemed to be radiating out like a light-emitting star. Before either of them could speak, a heavenly-toned, feminine voice echoed over the perplexed two.

"Two worlds…one planet…" it rang sweetly resonating throughout the void like they were standing in a narrow corridor. Littlefoot and Jason stared at each other again, their voices still stuck somewhere in their throats. The light, then, seemed to withdraw slightly and pull in on itself as if it were due to collapse but it suddenly exploded, throwing out a white ring from its equator that flooded the area. Littlefoot and Jason were worried at first. They didn't know whether to dodge the pulse or not but it passed directly through them causing them no damage. As the ring dissipated into the blackness, a growing rumbling started emanating from the white light. Littlefoot and Jason braced themselves as a roaring wind shot right into them head-on. The initial blast was so strong, they were nearly swept off their feet. The gale-force gusts continued to thrash against them as Jason threw his arms over his face and Littlefoot turned his head to the side still trying to squint at the light that appeared to be going haywire.

"What's…going on?" Littlefoot shouted over the battling winds.

"Not a clue!" Jason yelled back, "Who was that woman who spoke to us?"

"I don't know," Littlefoot cried.

The winds began to die down so the two of them could stand upright again.

"What was that all about?" Jason said lowering his shielding arms. Littlefoot just shrugged as the angelic voice sang out again.

"Two worlds…one planet…"

"Wait! Who are you!" Jason shouted up into the air.

"Erm…Jason?" Littlefoot hummed a little unnerved, "Can you feel the ground shaking?" He was right. Jason could feel the ground beneath him quaking and it was getting stronger.

"Look, there!" Jason warned pointing at the light, "Something's coming this way, and fast!" Littlefoot snapped his eyes back to the light. Something was indeed hurtling its way directly at them.

"What is it? You think it's dangerous?" Littlefoot whimpered nervously.

"Can't say but I'd prefer not to stick around to find out," Jason said turning to start running with Littlefoot quickly following his lead but as they kicked off to flee, it didn't seem like they were getting anywhere. With nothing passing them, it was like they were sprinting flat out but remained in the same place.

"Are we actually moving?" Littlefoot wheezed.

"Don't feel like it does it," Jason replied breathlessly. They both stopped to recover for a second and looked back at the light. Whatever was chasing them was still there and they hadn't appeared to have gained any ground.

"What is that thing?" Littlefoot cried exasperatedly.

"I don't know but we can't outrun it," Jason said. As it got closer, it seemed to be panning out sideways and was picking up speed. A gust of rushing wind hit them both in the face as it charged on now nearly upon them. Littlefoot and Jason screamed in fright tucking themselves into tight defensive balls as it finally rolled over them. It sped past at a blinding pace like a speeding train but both of them, from their squat positions, passed directly in between what looked like a massive rush of colours all at variable heights. Littlefoot and Jason, whilst slightly fighting with the roaring wind, assumed more natural stances and gawked at the blur of shades shooting past their line of sight. Although moving at the same speeds, there was a definite contrast on each side of the invisible divide between Littlefoot and Jason. Littlefoot's side was a rush of leafy-greens and natural earth-bound colours whereas Jason's side was a flurry of colours of more stony-grey shades. The vision of these colours zipping past was equivalent to watching a racing train tearing past a station platform as the colours began to take some means of solidity. It seemed to be building a scenery.

After a while, the wind stopped and the black void of nothingness had instantly transformed into two vivid inhabitable environments.

"Whoa!" Littlefoot gasped awestruck. His side of the barrier was filled with tall trees all with bushy, healthy-looking canopies complete with a crystal-clear flowing river, a large open field of dancing blades of grass on a sweet breeze with a ring of towering mountains spiking the sky-blue horizon in a haphazard arrangement.

"It's…the Great Valley!" he beamed overjoyed to see his homeland. He looked over at Jason who was entranced by his surroundings consisting of mile-high skyscrapers, concrete streets and roads bending and twisting their way deeper into the mass of shops and buildings that mimicked the path of the roadlamp-littered pavement. Vehicles parked on the sides of the roads adding to the urban decoration of the human establishment.

"No way…" Jason breathed flabbergasted, "The City of London…exactly how I remember it! The way it was before the viral outbreak!" Littlefoot and Jason excitedly surveyed their home worlds before looking at each other.

"What brought us here?" Littlefoot asked confusedly, "What's going on?"

"I'm just as stumped as you Littlefoot," Jason admitted as humans suddenly materialised on the street from out of nowhere, going about their daily lives as normal. Similarly, herds of varying species of dinosaurs began appearing in the field and in and around the trees acting as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Littlefoot looked to a dinosaur to his immediate left that had made him jump as it chomped its way through the leafy bushes. It was going to blindly bump into him. Littlefoot quickly apologised and hopped to one side but he gasped in shock to see his tail pass right through the grazing dinosaur.

"What!" Littlefoot gaped wiggling his tail to check it was really there as the dinosaur plodded off to find another source of sustenance. He was about to turn to Jason but he had already let out a frightful yelp and backed into the invisible barrier which promptly threw him forward again.

"That bloke walked right through me!" he wailed looking as though someone had just slapped him in the face.

"My tail went through that spiketail," Littlefoot announced in a similar, shocked tone.

"This…this doesn't make sense. Do we not exist? Or is this all some sort of weird illusion?" Jason said now panicking a little.

"Could we really be dead? Could we be ghosts?"

"No! This can't be real! We can't…" he began but the same female's sweet voice rang out again uttering the same message.

"Two worlds…one planet…"

"Two worlds, one planet?" Littlefoot reiterated but then Jason snapped his fingers.

"I get it. It's our two eras Littlefoot," he said explosively, but Littlefoot looked at him clearly thrown off, "don't you get it? Yours and mine. The Great Valley and London, 2113." Littlefoot blinked still not following, "It's the dinosaur world and the human world. Two different realms that both inhabited the Earth but at two different time periods." Littlefoot then beamed in acknowledgement but the voice spoke again; this time it said something different.

"…Two friends…parted by an impossible barrier that could not be crossed. The barrier of time's flow…"

"That must be us Jason, " Littlefoot said smiling, "and that must mean that this invisible wall that's keeping us apart is the barrier of time. The time difference between my world and yours."

"You're right," Jason agreed, "but what is this all about? A series of riddles? Hey, maybe if we solve these riddles, it'll help us get out of here." Littlefoot nodded but the voice spoke to them again.

"Two friends who suffer the same pain…a childhood pain of seemingly ancient personal history…separated by time…brought together by a common, deathly cause…"

"'A common deathly cause'? Don't like the sound of that," Jason replied lowly.

"I wonder what she means," Littlefoot said suggestively but as he finished his sentence, the entire area (both Littlefoot's and Jason's) trembled as if a giant's thunderous foot has just stamped on the ground. The boom rang out loud and clear attracting the attention of both worlds' inhabitants as well as Jason and Littlefoot's.

"What have they seen? What are they all looking at?" Jason quizzed scratching his head.

"Jason, look! Up in the sky!" Littlefoot warned. Snapping his head skywards, Jason saw what looked like a fiery ribbon flicker and dance across the now warm, orangey horizon making its way high above the border between the two worlds. All eyes of all onlookers fixed on the flaming streak as it spiralled over the barrier.

"What the hell is that!" Jason breathed warily.

"I don't know," Littlefoot replied blankly.

Suddenly, the ribbon of fire exploded, throwing out a wave of flames that filled the sky. The horizon was completely swallowed in a frenzied blaze of wild fire that devoured the sun, the dusky sky and the soft cottony clouds. The humans and dinosaurs began chattering nervously and some had already begun to panic. Littlefoot and Jason were still eyeing the flaming string expecting a little more and, to their surprise, the voice spoke out again, revealing another riddling statement.

"A legendary beast…relived in a modern era…brought to life…to end life…" Littlefoot and Jason looked at each other dumbstruck.

"That doesn't sound good," Jason said worryingly. Before Littlefoot could answer back, the ribbon exploded again but this time, a screech shot out from its hanging position; it sounded like a very large eagle. Littlefoot and Jason gazed up at the searing skyline just in time to see the ribbon slowly unfurl to take the form of a fiery bird with a menacing mien of pure malice. As it spread its flaming wings out to their full length, it threw its head back and let out another shrieking cry. Then, it craned its head down onto the two panic-stricken worlds while its inhabitants ran and fled in all directions. The bird's golden eyes then snapped and locked onto Littlefoot and Jason who were the only two who weren't fleeing for their lives.

"No! A…a phoenix. The RED Phoenix! It…it can't be!" Jason gasped horrorstruck.

"The Red Phoenix! Here!" Littlefoot said shakily, now paying a lot of attention to his fellow dinosaurs sprinting madly in random directions, "What should we do?" He glanced at Jason.

"Dunno if there is anything we can do," Jason said flatly. The phoenix above them suddenly began to beat its huge, flaming wings. On its third cast, the phoenix cried to the heavens with its wings held out at maximum span. The ground began to tremble and shake with increasing violence. All humans and dinosaurs were now paralysed with fear and the instability of the quaking ground (including Littlefoot and Jason). Suddenly, there was a flash of intense heat that hit them so hard, it almost floored them both. Gazing up, Littlefoot and Jason gaped in horror as they saw a gigantic, blazing wall passing over their respective terrain like a tidal wave of fire engulfing everything before them. Still glued to their spots, Littlefoot and Jason ducked and shielded themselves as best they could as the hundred-foot, wall of flames flooded over them.

It took a few seconds for the immense heat to gradually cool off their skin and this was the signal for Littlefoot and Jason to slowly and cautiously stand up and examine their miraculously unharmed selves.

"We…survived?" Jason gawked patting himself in random places to ensure he was all there.

"Looks like it," Littlefoot said giving himself the once over. He then looked out at his surroundings and gasped horrified, "Jason, look…" Jason did as instructed and turned to his environment which instantly made his jaw drop open with unbelieving revulsion. The two worlds were completely destroyed. The bustling streets full of activity had disintegrated into a dusty, grey wasteland of demolition. The buildings that seemed to touch the very sky were battered, weathered and lay crumbled on the pavements that bore great cracks like an earthquake had ripped through the peaceful little scene. The roadlamps were bent and twisted like thin-wire coat hangers no longer functioning. Vehicles lay strewn across the scene, some overturned and ablaze along with the bodies of numerous men, women and even children as the dust-thick air blotted out the fiery skyline. Littlefoot's was no better. The towering trees that shone healthy and green had been stripped of their leaves and bushy canopies with most lying uprooted and broken on the forest floor. The sweet smelling field was now a smoky, barren plain presenting not even a single flower. The mighty mountains had crumbled like mounts of dirt with some sprouting fiery jets of lava and others threw large clouds of smoke and ash into the already carbonised, dense, choking air. In amongst the burning remains of the last signs of flora were motionless bodies of countless dinosaurs of all herbivorous species which made Littlefoot feel sick to his stomach.

"The Red Phoenix's doing," Jason said biting his lip greatly angered by what he could see, "'A legendary beast' that came to life in a modern era…MY era, to end all life…" Littlefoot looked at Jason concerned, "The Red Phoenix Laboratory Corporation. The virus they created with the sole purpose to kill all lifeforms that contracted it. Both plants and animals alike." Jason tried to look at Littlefoot but he found he could only do it out of the corner of his eye. He suddenly felt dirty and dishonourable. Littlefoot wanted to say something comforting but nothing came to mind. Despite his worry, it seemed fruitless to even try.

"Danger and fear was now the meaning of life…the unearthly challenge of survival against…the greatest of all odds…" the heavenly tone sang suddenly making them both jump, "…unable to contain the evil unleashed…the planet had no choice but to surrender its will and meet its dark fate…at the hands of carnage and destruction…"

Littlefoot and Jason dropped their views from the sky again as the woman's voice silenced but they couldn't seem to make eye contact with each other. Neither one felt dignified to interact with the other. The phoenix overhead let out another screech still with its impressive wingspan stretched out full. Then, Jason heard something shuffle on the ground in amongst the inanimate bodies of people that lay sprawled everywhere.

"What was that?" he said edgily eyeing the dead crowd but nothing replied.

"Something's not right," Littlefoot warned, his nerves tingled unpleasantly as if to pick up a signal being transmitted through the air. Suddenly, there was a grunting sound coming from somewhere in the close vicinity which made them both leap with fright.

"Jason! Behind you!" Littlefoot shouted urgently. Whirling around, Jason was just in time to see a blood-covered, diseased-looking man launch itself at him. The grey, waterlogged, hanging skin of its hands clamped around his shoulders as it made a bite for his neck.

"Eeeeyyaahhhh! Get off me!" Jason shrilled battling with the ill-featured person as it hissed and spat in his face.

"Jason!" Littlefoot yelled as he made a dash to help him but he quickly remembered about the invisible barrier as he ran headfirst into it. Jason then lost his balance and toppled backwards with the attacking man but it was still relentlessly trying to sink its teeth into Jason's neck. With a struggling effort, he managed to get his leg tucked under the man's abdomen and gave a violent kick with his two feet. The man flew back the way he came and landed in a messy pile a few metres away allowing Jason to hurryingly stand up and dust himself off.

"He's a zombie. He's infected with the virus and it's brought him back to life," Jason panted looking down on his attacker.

"I don't think he's the only one, look!" Littlefoot blurted looking past Jason. More of the once deceased members of the public were starting to get up, all looking pasty-faced and ghostly white.

"But…I don't get it! As normal people they went right through us. Now as infected virus carriers, they're able to see us and attack," Jason said nervously as all eyes suddenly swept onto him having locked onto his voice.

"Maybe, if we are…dead, they can see us. Maybe they couldn't when they were all alive," Littlefoot suggested but he let out a horrified scream when he saw some diseased creatures of his own to suddenly deal with. The majority of them were wearing Red Phoenix squadron uniforms whilst others wore white lab coats. To make things worse, a number of carnivorous dinosaurs had also jumped into view and hissed malevolently.

"Oh no! They're here in my world too!" Littlefoot cried helplessly as the fleet of undead humans and raptors started to advance on him.

"Damn. The Red Phoenix team that were in the Great Valley! They were infected too and those raptors must have been some of their test subjects," Jason said flicking between Littlefoot's ambush and his own.

"What'll we do! There's way too many of them to fight! We'd never beat them all!" Littlefoot whined backing away slowly from his advancing crowd.

"I don't know. There's nowhere to run but there are too many to fight against," Jason said shaking his head pessimistically backing up as well. They were being closed in on as Littlefoot and Jason backed themselves into a corner. They flattened their backs against their blockade and stared at their oncoming assault.

"Trapped!" Jason cried horrorstruck.

"What now?" Littlefoot wailed but then, the female voice came to their rescue with another riddle.

"The dead walk to plague on the living…but those shown heaven's guiding light…would stand up and use it to pierce the darkness…just as destiny foretold…" The two proceeding armies froze in their tracks on the woman's final word.

"What're they doing?" Littlefoot questioned.

"Beats me," Jason shrugged, what are they all staring at?" For some peculiar reason, all the undead humans and experimental subjects were all looking up at the sky. Littlefoot and Jason did the same out of sheer curiosity. There, slowly making a descent down from the burning sky like snowflakes were two star, one blue; the other red. They gracefully lowered down in between Jason, Littlefoot and their onlooking squads of enemies and paused at roughly eye-level.

"Those lights…" Jason hummed hypnotised slightly by the red star hovering in front of him.

"Could they be…" Littlefoot began staring at his star of blue that seemed to be calling out for him to make contact with it. None of the groaning, spitting monsters budged an inch in the presence of the two lights as Littlefoot and Jason continued to examine them. They seemed to be mesmerised at the sight of the two spiking balls of light and were completely oblivious to Jason edging closer to his one. Carefully, he raised his hand up to the red star but snatched it back a little, feeling slightly apprehensive. He turned to Littlefoot who was at a similar distance to his own blue star as Jason was to his red one.

"Whad'dya think?" he asked Littlefoot with a puzzled expression.

"If it's what we think it is, then…it should be fine right?" Littlefoot said not sounding entirely convincing.

"Okay, after three…" Jason breathed readying himself.

"One…" Jason raised his hand up level to the light and Littlefoot turned to face his own.

"…Two…" Their nerves tingled as Jason then said,

"…THREE!" Littlefoot plunged his nose into the light and Jason thrust his hand onto his. On contact, Littlefoot and Jason felt their bodies suddenly become light as a feather. Something boiling hot shot through them and burned at their very centre. It felt like an implosion was sucking them in from the inside but suddenly, the bizarre force snapped in reverse and a huge pressure burst out of them through their skin. Littlefoot and Jason, both on their knees, slowly stood up breathing heavily. Examining each other and then themselves, they were amazed to see that they were both wrapped in a wispy aura of the colours of the stars they had just touched.

"Whew! What a rush!" Jason panted feeling strangely exhilarated.

"I feel…strange. I feel…stronger somehow," Littlefoot gasped. He suddenly felt so full of energy.

"Three legendary powers awakened…three legendary beings reborn in a new generation. A warrior, a guardian and a summoner…" the angelic voice called out again, "powers given to fulfil each of the carriers' destinies…to survive their trial…"

"'Survive our trial'?" Jason repeated looking perplexed, "I got what she meant about those light being the powers of the Stones of Essence but, what'd she mean by 'survive our trial'?" Littlefoot looked at him blankly as the voice continued,

"…a trial to prove that their might and courage…is more powerful…than death…" Littlefoot and Jason looked at each other thunderstruck at the words they had just heard echo from out of nowhere, "with their power given a form…can they survive their torture?"

Suddenly, Jason's right hand grew warm; he could feel something in it. Looking down at the strange sensation tickling in his hand, Jason found, to his great surprise, a long, glowing beam of red light in his grasp which looked remarkably like the shape of a sword. Jason gasped at the gleaming red blade and swung it through the air watching it streak through the space leaving a faint blur tracing its path. As Jason gawked at his mysterious new weapon, Littlefoot was stood glaring at a blue, arching barrier that had suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. It ripped like water as he blinked at it but it looked solid as it shimmered a beautiful shade of sapphire blue.

"What just happened?" Littlefoot asked watching the shielding barrier move with his head.

"Dunno. Maybe this is what we're supposed to use for our 'trial'," Jason replied flicking his sword through the air again.

"…they are now set…" the voice announced, "…one has proven their courage over the trial already…and now…the other two must do so as well…it is the ultimate test…" Responding to the voice's final word, almost like it were following a command, the phoenix floating above them let out another ear-splitting screech, throwing its wings out wide. As the fiery falcon cried, the invisible barrier dividing Littlefoot and Jason burst into flames like a sparking fuse heading for a bomb. It zoomed from the far distance ahead of them and zipped right past them. The phoenix quickly silenced and the wall of flames died out. Nobody moved a muscle as a weird cracking noise, like a breaking ice sheet, sounded. Littlefoot and Jason turned to each other and found bizarre, white cracks growing and worming their way along what looked like thin air. All of a sudden, a great crash rang out and the invisible wall shattered like a pane of glass throwing shards into the air, evaporating before they touched the ground. Littlefoot and Jason hopped back from the destroyed wall looking shocked but before they could speak, the heavenly-toned, sweet voice spoke out one last time.

"The barrier of time has been destroyed…the trial begins. Have at you, those chosen by fate…the price for failure is unimaginably high. Show your strength, arm thy courage…and prove yourselves to be…the heroes destiny has written for you to be…" With that, a soft gust of wind blew sweeping the voice away. At the same time, the wind seemed to reanimate the undead armies that had now merged into one huge battalion. They hissed and spat at Littefoot and Jason lividly as they stood, now side-by-side, eyeing their onslaught.

"You ready Littlefoot?" Jason asked furrowing his brow into a focused, concentrated gaze.

"I'm ready, we'll beat them together!" Littlefoot replied standing primed to react to the first attack.

"Then…LET'S GO!" Jason roared as the fleet of virus-ridden creatures charged at them.

Chapter 78: Fate's Final Strike

Their trial, as foretold, had begun. Littlefoot and Jason stood ready to receive the first attack that was coming in from directly in front of them. A man in a Red Phoenix Squadron uniform came lunging, arms outstretched and snatching at the air. Taking the lead, Jason leapt forward to meet him and sliced at him with his sword of red light. The man crumpled with the hit and quickly disappeared in a flash of white light as it dropped to the floor. Three more humans sprung into action throwing themselves at Jason from three different angles but with a quick spin, he carved through them all with ease. The halved bodies quickly vanished just as the first had but Jason was not quite ready for the next wave of diseased raptors that jumped ahead of the crowd. Caught off-guard, Jason was knocked down by a pouncing raptor narrowly missing its glaring incisors sweep past his face. On the follow-up, the raptor swiftly seized a bite at Jason's neck but it was suddenly smashed in the head by a rampaging sideways barge from Littlefoot, bowling Jason's captor and its accomplices over.

"You okay?" he asked as Jason hopped to his feet.

"Yeah, thanks," Jason smiled but a roar stole his attention, "look out!" The raptors had recovered sooner than expected and were quickly on the assault again closely followed by a fresh wave of infected civilians and lab technicians. Littlefoot jumped in front of Jason, planted his feet firmly on the ground and stood strong and defiantly before them. The raptors charged straight at Littlefoot but bounced off his shimmering blue shield and each exploded in a ball of white light of their own. Littlefoot staggered slightly with the force of each of the individual hits and he was finding it difficult to maintain his ground. The wave of new enemies was thick and fast, smothering Littlefoot from all directions with some even managing to get around his frontal shielding and attack from the sides. Jason instantly leapt to his aid swiping at those who were swamping the poor longneck at his flank.

"Thanks," Littlefoot breathed smiling.

"Don't mention it," Jason beamed back.

"Uh oh! More coming!" Littlefoot then announced.

"There's hundreds of 'um!" Jason gasped exasperatedly, "But we gotta wipe 'em all out!" Littlefoot nodded as he followed Jason deeper into the fray.

Taking a dash to the right, Jason crossed from Littlefoot's world border into his own territory. After taking a giant spinning slash at a set of diving civilians, Jason chucked his sword straight into a line of advancing Red Phoenix squaddies. The red sword of energy tore right through them forcing them to erupt and disappear behind a curtain of white light. Running to catch up with his weapon, Jason tugged the blade out of the wall of a building where it had come to rest and quickly swung his foot around kicking another creature in the face sending it into a crazed flip where Jason instantly followed up with a downwards stab at the floored enemy to finish it off. Littlefoot, still on his side of the time border, rampaged through the attacking crowd, ploughing into them all, cleaving a clear path like a razor-sharp knife. Those foolish or unfortunate enough to come into contact with his blue shield of light evaporated in a white flash. Suddenly, as Littlefoot dispatched three more monsters that tried to leap on him from in front, he felt his tail stretch painfully as if something heavy had anchored it to the ground. One of the humans had grabbed his rear appendage and was holding onto it tightly. Littlefoot, stopping in his tracks, snapped a nasty look at the creature hooked on his tail who stared back dumbly. Irritated, Littlefoot whipped his tail inwards pulling its rider in with it. As the creature stumbled forwards, Littlefoot swung his head around smacking the human hard in the stomach with his barrier. The man lifted off the ground, flipping madly as his body grew brighter and erupted in its white light just like the rest of the fallen. Littlefoot smiled feeling impressed with himself just as Jason came charging in with his glowing sword firmly planted in the chest of another zombified scientist as he swung around to meet Littlefoot.

"You okay?" Jason asked shoving the scientist off his blade with his foot.

"Yeah fine," Littlefoot replied slapping an approaching squaddie with his tail so hard it flew into the surrounding members of the Red Phoenix's private army, "you?"

"Great! I'm almost enjoying this," Jason smiled hacking another four down with a single swift flick, "this is too easy! Hardly a challenge at all!"

Suddenly, the phoenix overhead cried as if to be greatly angered by Jason's boasting. Rearing back its head and beating its wings, the phoenix, for the first time since its appearance, took flight. It shot high into the blazing sky and swooped down on the battlefield.

"Heads up!" Jason shouted taking out one more creature before diving to the dusty floor. Littlefoot, seeing the screeching, flaming giant bird swooping at him, leapt to one side and flattened himself against the blackened, scorched earth. They both stood up as the dive-bombing bird shot back up into the sky glaring at the pair of them.

"That flying monster looks angry," Littlefoot warned eyeing the phoenix as it hovered high above them.

"Look! It's dropped a load of fireballs everywhere," Jason announced staring at the ground. Sure enough, numerous amounts of flaming balls were burning in random places on the battered, cracked floor. Counterattacking another infected experimental raptor, Jason eyed the fireballs peculiarly. The burning balls of red, yellow and white began to change shape and morph into flaming figures laying flat on the ground. Suddenly, the burning bodies groaned and began to stand up. Jason hopped back a couple of feet in horror as the scenery littered with hundreds of these blazing figures all starting to stand up.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jason gawked backing into Littlefoot who looked at him alarmed. The phoenix gave a deafening cry and the flames disappeared in a flash but to Littlefoot and Jason's utter horror and dismay, the virally infected humans and other assorted creatures were stood glaring at the two of them.

"Oh no!" Littlefoot gasped fretfully, "they're…they're all back!"

"This is bad…seriously bad news!" Jason said weakly, "the phoenix resurrected the creatures we had previously defeated. Brought them back from the dead!" Without wasting another moment, the new reformed monsters roared and hissed before charging at them full-pelt. Jason dodged a claw swipe from a raptor aimed at his Adam's apple but he was promptly seized by a mass of zombified civilians that all pounced at the same time. Jason tried his best to struggle free, slashing at whatever he could but he was very swiftly becoming overwhelmed.

"Jason!" Littlefoot called headbutting one scientist out of the way. Taking a leaping bound, Littlefoot swung his head in a wide arc at the crowd smothering Jason. Everything within range evaporated instantaneously allowing Littlefoot to go to Jason's aid. Still slightly disorientated, Jason swung his sword madly behind him. It was going to catch Littlefoot in the face.

"Jason wait!" Littlefoot cried despairingly but the momentum of the swing was too great to be prevented from hitting Littlefoot square in the head. Littlefoot cringed as the red sword clashed with him but to his surprise, the sword ricocheted off his blue shield and was thrown in the opposite direction. The glowing blade flew out of Jason's clutches and shot like a bullet past them. Flying without an owner, the sword tore through the air skewering many enemy monsters through the stomach in the process. Hooked onto the speeding blade, the skewered creatures slammed into the wall of a crumbling building where they were pinned and, giving up their last of their energy, they collapsed and erupted into balls of white light and disappeared.

"Wha-what was that!" Jason shrilled in awe as he dashed over to his sword and yanked it out from its vertical pedestal.

"Something happened when your glowing cutter hit my blue wall," Littlefoot said but he was interrupted by another squawking wail from the phoenix overhead.

"Look out! It's coming down again!" Jason yelled dispatching another set of Red Phoenix squadron members before diving to the concrete pavement. Littlefoot mimicked him as the gargantuan of a flaming falcon swooped down over them again dangerously close to their flattened positions. As the phoenix shot back up into the sky again, Littlefoot and Jason couldn't help but sigh in anguish as they saw more fireballs laying on the ground all starting to morph into figures of the fallen and even more enemies.

"Oh man! Not again!" Jason moaned watching the blazing bodies beginning to stand up.

"That phoenix thing keeps bringing them back!" Littlefoot said as the flames quickly flickered and died, leaving the newly formed bodies behind in its departure.

"We've gotta stop that miserable bird from creating new monsters…and resurrecting the old ones," Jason said readying himself for another attack.

"But it's too high up! How are we going to hit it?" Littlefoot groaned as a new wave started lunging for the two of them.

"Wipe these guys out and we'll counterattack it," Jason suggested decapitating an enemy and watching it fizzle out in white light.

The fresh wave seemed faster and more furious than the others. It was difficult for Littlefoot and Jason not to get swamped but with a little co-operative tactical assistance from one another at the right times saw them through their onslaughts but it was evident, their energy levels were running dangerously low.

"I…don't know…how much…longer…I can…keep…this up…" Littlefoot panted shoving a pouncing woman away from him.

"Come on! We musta slain…enough of these…things…by now!" Jason protested exhaustively as he spun around and sliced through the ring of diseased civilians and Red Phoenix army personnel closing in on him. Jason hunched over and breathed heavily as his full turn landed and his dispatched enemies tumbled to the concrete ground in pieces. Jason wiped his sweat-speckled forehead with the back of his non-weapon wielding hand.

"Come on you lousy torch-lit pigeon! How much longer are you gonna float up there for!" he screamed at the phoenix that hovered high over them like a godly spectator overseeing the battle. The monstrous bird snapped its head down and glared at Jason malevolently, "Yeah, I'm talking to you sad excuse for a firefly! Now I've finally got your attention, let's talk!" Jason smirked darkly but Littlefoot was horrified by his insulting of the phoenix.

"Jason! What are you doing! Are you trying to make it mad?" Littlefoot hissed through his teeth.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do," Jason replied to the awestruck Littlefoot but he quickly caught onto what the scheming kid was up to. As they both wasted another attacker each, Jason turned back to the phoenix.

"Come on! This is too easy! Why don't you come join in the fun?" he taunted wagging his blade back and forth at the phoenix mockingly. The huge falcon screeched deafening as if greatly angered.

"I thought you'd say something like that. Come on flappy! Let's see what you've got…come on tweety bird. Let's go!" Jason edged waving the beast on. The phoenix cast its mighty wingspan out before taking flight.

"That's it…it's taking the bait…" Jason mumbled to himself but he quickly turned to Littlefoot, "Heads up Littlefoot! It's coming!"

"What!" Littlefoot gaped as he threw another raptor away and into the crowd. He had become so engrossed in the fighting he almost forgot where he was. Jason hacked down another few entities before standing to face the now dive-bombing phoenix with wide open arms.

"COME AND GET ME!"

The phoenix roared shaking the ground as it plunged straight at Jason and Littlefoot.

"Gotta time this right…" Jason hummed to himself. The monstrous beast soared to the earth below and glided parallel to the ground. Littlefoot dove to the carbonised grassy floor as the phoenix shot over his head kicking up a storm of dust from the floor as it passed. Lost in the dust cloud, Littlefoot tried his hardest not to be pulled over by the powerful blast wind that resonated from the phoenix's wings.

"Jason! Jason, look out!" Littlefoot choked but the wind roared over him and the dirty air was blinding. The phoenix was nearly upon him as it opened its giant talons to snatch at its target.

"NOW!" Jason screamed winding up his arm. With every ounce of his strength, Jason launched his glowing red energy blade into the air. The sword spun madly through the air space straight towards the phoenix. Almost as if it had anticipated his attack, like it already knew what he had in mind, the phoenix banked effortlessly to one side allowing the blade to shoot past harmlessly.

"No! No…damn it!" Jason cursed loudly punching his thigh in rage. The phoenix quickly readjusted its flight path and dove headfirst at the now weaponless boy. Jason leapt to one side, covering his head with his arms as he hit the dirt just as the blast of heat and flames trailing the gargantuan bird shot past. Jason quickly hopped to his feet to look for his blade but a voice shouted out to him.

"Jason! Look out!" Littlefoot yelled but strangely, it sounded more like an order than a warning. Whirling around, Jason saw Littlefoot stood poised right in the way of the flying sword. The velocity it was travelling it at would easily kill the young dinosaur in an instant if it struck him.

"No! Littlefoot! The blade!" Jason warned flapping at him to move out of its way but Littlefoot didn't seem to acknowledge. Instead, he looked focused and primed to receive the deathly blow. The sword was now too close for him to dodge and Jason watched in fear as the sudden thought of his attack intended for his enemy was about to strike down his friend instead.

"Get down!" Littlefoot barked again just before the blade struck him, full-force, directly in the face. There was an incredible flash of electric blue that consumed the little longneck, stealing him from view for a second. Suddenly, as if by a violent chemical reaction, the area exploded with the sound of a massive energy discharge accompanied by a blinding flicker of neon, blue light. Littlefoot flew backwards from the flash epicentre like someone had physically thrown him out of the way. As Littlefoot shot one way, a blazing red streak ricocheted off in the opposite direction. Jason quickly realised why Littlefoot had warned him and arched over backwards to drop awkwardly to the concrete to evade the glowing red bolt that shot skywards at supersonic speed. By this time, the phoenix was recovering from its diving attack and swooped around to refocus its gaze on the worlds beneath it but it craned its mighty head round to see the red streak of light zooming right for its face. In a blink, the red bolt plunged itself deep in between the phoenix's glaring yellow and black eyes where it became stuck fast.

On the ground, Littlefoot and Jason had slowly clambered to their feet both feeling beaten and a little shaken.

"Littlefoot, you alright?" Jason asked rubbing his left arm briskly to revive the feeling in it.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Littlefoot replied smiling but winced slightly at the same time. Suddenly, there was a deafening screech of panic from overhead. The two boys snapped their eyes to the sky and gasped in awe. The phoenix was writhing and squirming erratically whilst screaming at an ear-splitting pitch in pure agony. It seemed to be having immense difficulty maintaining its airborne position as it flapped and squawked madly. Littlefoot and Jason looked on in dumbfounded silence as the colossal, flaming bird's entire body began to glow a brilliant white. Scanning their paired worlds, the two of them watched the hundreds of creatures, mutants and diseased humans all writhing and wriggling like they were being tortured from their insides.

"What's going on?" Littlefoot breathed fretfully as every inhabitants' body began to glow white just like the phoenix.

"You…you bounced my sword back and it hit the phoenix!" Jason said hoarsely. He could feel a burst of excited welling up in his chest as the realisation started to take hold of him, "Littlefoot! You slayed the phoenix! We beat them…our trial is over!" Littlefoot's eyes shot round to meet Jason's which were dancing with a glint of glee in them.

"We…we did it?" he croaked weakly but a smile spread across his face as Jason's verifying nod confirmed his answer. Before either of them could celebrate, the phoenix gave one last brain-piercing wail of pain which stole their attention. Gazing at the fiery horizon again, Littlefoot and Jason looked up just in time to see the phoenix throw its gigantic wings out to its sides to full span; its body now almost completely blurred in a sheet of ghostly white light. Then, in a split-second, the phoenix exploded like a fiery grenade throwing out a wave of roaring fire that began engulfing the entire landscape. Littlefoot and Jason huddled close together panic-stricken as the world around them disintegrated in the tidal wave of fire that swept over them.

"JAAASSSOOONNN!"

"LITTTTTLEFOOOOOT!" The two of them screamed in fear as the wall washed over them, consuming them and transforming their surroundings into a blank screen of white nothingness.