Category: Land Before Time

Rating: T

Couples: canon ones of the adults

Warnings: AU

Chapter: 7

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

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

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One of the humans also said something and Bron could see the yellow human flinch at whatever it was. Beside him, the lighter Sharptooth purred something, which made her mate make a very interesting sound he couldn't quite place.

In front of them, his mother-in-law was talking softly to one of the humans, this one mostly white. Littlefoot seemed intrigued, though his eyes kept moving back to the yellow form.

"You cannot be serious." The elder female recoiled and Bron nearly shot forward to get his son out. Having sensed what he wanted to do however, the female Sharptooth was already in his path, shaking her head lightly.

"It is far too early for something like this, Cian." Hadria pointed out, eyes fixed on the white human. "We barely came home."

Oh, that did not sound good by any means. He didn't even need to hear whatever it was the humans were saying to know that.

"You cannot ask this of me." The elder female's voice had dropped again and he noted with some horror that there was despair in there. "Cian, even you must be able to see how poor he looks. He will not survive this." Below her, Bron saw his worst fears confirmed when Littlefoot's attention turned to the back, eyes looking at the dangerously thin older male Longneck.

Grandpa Longneck flinched, almost recoiling. "Dear?" The neat separation fell apart when the grey male moved forward, bypassing even the other returnees to join his wife. "What are they asking?"

There was a tremble in the old body, though Bron was unable to tell if it was exhaustion from the trek here or something deeper.

She turned to him in answer, and with that profound abilty that one can only gain by being together for most of their lives, it seemed he knew everything just from that look. Their heads met gently, and though he could not hear it, he saw her mouth move.

He could tell that the Sharptooth did manage to hear her though, the light-green form shifting. Below them, Tria considered the scene, sky-blue eyes narrowing lightly. Even the humans were not making a sound, from what reached him, at least.

"I will go." The tension had bled from the elder female at the touch of her mate.

"Wait, what?" Tria's eyes snapped upward. "Longneck…?"

"I will not argue the point, Tria." Grandpa backed away some and Bron was more than sure that this time the trembling was from apprehension at his wife's statement.

"I am pretty certain we can all agree that there are better options." Pterano spoke up. "Far better options."

Even the Sharptooth seemed to think so, a deep growl filling the air around them. It was getting quite clear that it might well result in another of the Valley's day-long arguments, when a human made itself heard again. It was not the yellow one, though from the reactions, it might well have been a worse one.

Bron could not stop his instinct to back away when the Sharptooth roared in anger, red eyes alight with rage.

"Tyra." Despite her attention being on the female above him, Littlefoot almost scampered out of the way when Chomper's mother wheeled on the one that had spoken, roaring something that was both accusation and challenge. "I am not deaf. Stand down." She strained against the words, something having put her near a bloody rampage. "Tyra. I can and will stop you. Stand down."

"Me thinkest we ought to let her." Hadria countered sharply. "Someone has apparently forgotten exactly what led to these events."

"If someone does something here, it will not be us, Hadria." Grandma looked down. "Chomper."

"Errr… yes?" The little Sharptooth was still standing between his father's feet, where he had been translating what he himself had understood.

"Tell your father he can eat the human that last spoke." Whatever the thought-process that led to that statement, it seemed to mollify the other grown-up Sharptooth, even if he didn't like the thought himself.

"You are aware that a bunch of children are here, right?" He finally made himself heard, almost flinching at the look his mother-in-law gave him. It was as if he was a youngster again, feeling the full judgement of the elder female when first meeting her. "Mama Longneck..." He dearly hoped the endearment would help him reach her. "With all due respect, I don't think they ought to see that." Either the very act itself, or even the mere fact that Grandma Longneck of all creatures had ordered it. Luckily, from what he could tell, Chomper had not yet translated it to his father.

"Bron." The voice was cold, colder than he had ever heard of her. "He just suggested getting it all over with, removing these webs from us. I do not need to remind you what happened when Threehorn tried."

He did remember… how could he not remember when she had told everyone that the stones were a part of them now, as much as any other part? That removing them could – and most likely would – kill them, no matter how carefully done. The human had suggested killing them all… it certainly explained the fury, because who wouldn't be when threatened with death?

He came to almost admire the white human when it spoke up once again, drawing the elder Longneck's attention down again. The small form, barely twice the height of Littlefoot broke free from the group, closing the distance between dinosaurs and humans. The act had to be admired, since Grandpa Longneck was shifting his weight in threatening ways. His tail wouldn't do much against to something that small and probably nimble, but crushing was very much a feasible option.

"Do that."