Category: Land Before Time

Rating: T

Couples: canon ones of the adults

Warnings: AU

Chapter: 4

Copyright: Characters & places © By Appropriate Copyright-holder, Plot & OC´s © by me

Author's Note: this is a sequel to Future before Time

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"That does sound like him." Grandma looked into the tree she was resting beside. As Tria had feared-slash-suspected, Pterano had flown straight to the Longnecks to inform them of what she had revealed.

"Well, this is not something we can just talk to him about." Grandpa mused darkly, turning to look at the general direction where the Threehorn-resting-place was. "There were changes, after all… in the strictest sense of the matter, you are no longer the ones you were before you were taken."

"Changed to the point of completely rejecting us?" She threw her husband something of a glare, as if challenging him. "Your wives and-or children?"

"Of course not." He joined her on the ground, managing to keep from flinching at the strange feel of her skin when he settled against her side. "But this is Threehorn. He is not the most rational among us when he is emotionally involved, by a fair margin. And having his wife and youngest child involved is very much emotionally involving."

"Yet Olophon is taking this far better." Pterano spoke up softly, wrapped up in one wing. "He and Hadria seem to have picked up right where they left off."

"Olophon is not like Old Threehorn at all, not to mention he and Hadria regularly separate for periods of time." The male Longneck took a deep breath. "I am not saying that he is right, but I can see why he might be… suspicious of things."

"Add his normal character and it is a mess waiting to happen." His wife conceded. "Not much we can do about that, can we?"

"Beyond waiting until he has at least calmed down somewhat?"

"It's the same every Cold Time..." Grandma Longneck mused, torn between a strange kind of amusement as well as frustration about the matter. Granted, normally it was some variation of strangers having come into the Valley, but this time it was a matter of several residents simply returning and him labelling them as strangers. "And considering Tria is the problem..."

"We'll have to be the ones to confront him." Her husband finished, wondering if taking Bron and the Old One along for back-up would help or just make matters worse.

The female beside him chuckled weakly, probably considering something similar to that. They would be discussing that one for a while, no doubt about it. That time wouldn't be now though, as the rest of their family was returning to the Longneck-restingplace. They couldn't help but wonder if the children would be able to escape the politics this time around.

Sadly, precedents showed that there wouldn't much hope for that around here.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey guys." Mary waved at the massive creature looming overhead. She had come with two guards, both heavily armed. Her grandfather had barely resisted the urge to send Lewis, but could not disagree with the assessment that sending the person who had lead those that took several members of the Valley might go poorly.

"Hey." Littlefoot grinned at her from underneath his grandmother. Several dinosaurs were nearby, having gathered at the agreed-upon spot. "Been a while."

"Sure has." She approached, for now confident that her protectors outnumbered those that might want to harm her. "I look forward to actually being able to see your valley this time around."

"The children will enjoy showing you around." Grandma leaned down a touch. "Do try to stay away from a black threehorn."

"Same story as the last time I was here?" The group headed towards the Valley slowly to allow to humans to keep up without having to run.

"Always." Littlefoot smirked, an orange threehorn that was walking with them almost glowering at them. "Oh yeah, I probably should introduce you to everyone, shouldn't I?"

"Maybe wait with that until we are in the Valley and they encounter them." Hadria suggested, walking beside them. "I feel we are as hard to tell apart to them as they are to us."

"Yes please." Short of colours, Mary couldn't really tell any differences between them. She felt that the age-old statement of 'colour-coded for your convenience' was very much at play here. They could tell her all about the others, but she probably would not be able to recognize them at all.