Here Goes...
The Arrival.
In the field behind the children's playground a white circular portal appears. Out of this portal from another time and place steps Speckles, Blue-Eyes and Junior in their human forms. For Speckles and Blue-Eyes this was a very familiar experience. But Junior had never known the oddness of being a Tarbosaurus in human form. "Wow dad, is this what it's like to be a human? I've only dreamed of it so far." "You get used to it son, most humans dream of being dinosaurs, yet are terrified to meet us. So it is better for them if we stay as we are for now."
"I can't believe we're back here." Said Blue-Eyes. "It seems like millennia have passed since the Author's sacrifice. And how long has it been since you and Gareth finally parted ways?" "That is why this is going to be such a surprise for him." Replied Speckles. "I bet even he's forgotten."
Junior ponders. "Even though White Dino is many aeons old, each birthday still means something in the human world. Dad, did you remember to bring a present?" "Oh, shoot. I knew I forgot something! While Blue-Eyes is busy being Mother Nature, I'm off hunting and you're running Humanity Park in our stead, some things are bound to slip by!" "What can we do in a pinch?" Blue-Eyes asks. Junior immediately knows. "Dad, I have a great idea. Prepare yourself."
Junior closes his eyes tight. With a tiny white flash, a smartphone appears on the ground before Speckles. "Very good son, I knew we'd have to use one of these eventually. Speckles messes around with his new toy while Blue-Eyes and Junior look impatient! "There." Speckles states while looking pleased with himself. "But it will take 24 hours to arrive. Perhaps we should book into a hotel or…."
"YOUR PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED!" A voice can be heard from above. The family look up with utter shock. A drone hovers over them. It drops the package on Speckles' head! Junior tries hard not to laugh. "Blimey dad, this world of man is crazier than you or mom had let on." "This is the White Dino's world son, and one day it will be yours too. So remember what takes place here, as we will not be back again for some time."
With all that out the way, Speckles and Co head over to Gareth's residence.
The Surprise.
A writer sits at his desk. He is Gareth, He is the White Dino. He is currently checking his latest ramblings for small mistakes in the spelling! "Yes, I know no one uses no-one anymore but hell if I'm going to change it!" He thinks. He hears a loud knocking at his door. "That's odd. I wasn't expecting anyone." He descends the staircase to the front door and opens it. There is NO ONE there! He turns around to find Speckles, Blue-Eyes and Junior in their human forms already in the house!
"Oh My God guys it's you! What on Earth brings you lot here? Our business was long concluded."
"Don't you remember Gareth? What day it is? Surely you didn't think we would forget?" "Oh no, it can't be that time already. Has another year passed?" "It surely has." Laughs Speckles. "In the world of dinos and man, time has little meaning. But in the modern world the passing of a year is quite an achievement." "And we couldn't let our future son's birthday pass without dropping by." States Blue-Eyes. "And we've brought a present! Dad spent ages looking for it!" Said Junior as he tries not to giggle too much!
"Well, I don't know what to say." Gareth almost blushes. "I'm so flattered that you remembered."
"Oh, and be careful guys. If you turn into Tarbosauruses while in the house it'll be knocked flat!" The four of them go into the kitchen to give Gareth his present. No one could have expected what happens next…!
The Present.
Three Tarbosauruses in human form and Gareth/White Dino sit around the kitchen table. A sense of great anticipation fills the air. What great gift could the mighty Tarbosaurus Speckles have for a mere human turned Dinosaur God? Gareth slowly opens his gift as the others look on…
The box falls open and the gift is revealed. Gareth freezes and stares motionless at his present. "Oh gawd, I hope nothing's wrong." Speckles thinks. Gareth speaks…
"It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a…" This goes on for some time. "I think we broke him." Junior whispers. "Gareth, are you alright?" Asks Blue-Eyes. Gareth lets out the loudest cry of his life…
"It's a SPECKLES TOY!" "Yes." Said Speckles. "It's me. That way we can be together all the time! Look, it even has a button that makes me roar! Isn't it great?" The White Dino/Gareth begins to look rabid, the air leaves the room, the sounds of life grow quiet. "I think we may have missed the mark on this one." Speckles says to Blue-Eyes. "Brace yourselves." Warns Junior.
"But that's what I had for my birthday last year." Screams Gareth. "That's why I had my meltdown and started writing all those stories about you. I got a Speckles toy for my 43rd birthday. And now I'm going to have to go through all of it again." Gareth begins to cry and bang his head on the table repeatedly. "I can't go through this again." He yells many times!
"Nice one dad, I think we better go." Said Junior. The three of them begin to leave the room, but before they can exit the kitchen, a dark portal opens up before them. Out of this portal from another time and place steps Time's Arbiter! He observes the chaos before him, the room is shaking, various pots and pans crash to the floor! "Oh for God's sake guys, did you get him another Speckles toy for his birthday? You forgot what happened last time?"
"I'm sorry, we've been kinda busy the last few thousand years." Said Speckles. "Should we go?" "No, I've got this." Replied the Arbiter. "Gareth, Gareth. It's okay, you don't have to write the Speckles Chronicles again. You already did remember?" "I did?" "Yes, you already wrote everything. We're not at the beginning of this thing, we are smack at the end of it. You're not getting a year younger you know." Gareth pauses and reflects. "Oh, thank GOD. I still have no idea how I did any of this. So to have to go through all of it again is more than I could bear."
"Trust me." Spoke Time's Arbiter. "One lot of stories from you to the world is MORE than enough. Now just sit back, enjoy your birthday and thank Speckles and his fam for the present."
"Thanks Speckles, you guys are the best. Hell, I got a Speckles toy from the actual Speckles! That's worth a thousand lifetimes. It's way better than last years! I'll treasure it always."
"You're welcome." Said Junior. "And thanks for bestowing us with the immortal/rebirth ability. Growing older looks quite hard." "And so is passing on." Said Blue-Eyes. "Thanks to you I only had to do it twice!"
"You're very welcome." Spoke Gareth. "You all gave me more than I could have dreamed. And I hope I gave you something in return? Things like this, they don't happen very often. The real gift is who we become because of each other. But I know how busy you are now, so it is once again time for us to part ways."
The Parting.
The White Dino and Time's Arbiter stand at the entrance to their home. Speckles, Blue-Eyes and Junior stand in the space opposite. In a blinding white flash, the three of them turn back into Tarbosauruses. All five of them stand before each other in their real forms. "I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing that." White Dino says to Time's Arbiter. There is nothing left to be said for they all know each other well now. Speckles and his family glow once again and open up a portal to their realm. They disappear through this portal and it vanishes. White Dino and Time's Arbiter ebb and fade into swirling dust. In their place stands Gareth. The one behind it all. "Another year older." He thinks to himself. "Could be worse…" He returns to his home.
The Next Day...
With a massive jolt, Gareth wakes up. He is traumatized, confused, struggling to breathe. As he regains his calmness, a thought occurred to him. "Has this all been a dream?" He moves over to his 2014 Mini Mac and starts it up. It is slow and annoying but it still works! He opens his web browser and notices a bookmark in the corner. "WhoIsTheWhiteDino" It says. He clicks on it.
"Gareth and the White Dino's Profile. It is very long! So prepare yourselves!"
"OH CRAP!" He yells.
Back At Humanity Park…
A white portal opens up at the gates to Humanity Park. Speckles and his family walk on through. "Well, that went pretty well I thought!" Said Speckles. "Indeed." Replied Blue-Eyes. "I hope one day he can find his own place in the world of man. But do you think he will ever know what he meant to us?" "Of course." Responds Junior. "He saved us, so we could save him. I don't think there is anywhere else to go with our story." "Oh dammit!" Speckles shouts suddenly. "What on Earth is it?" Blue-Eyes and Junior look alarmed.
"I just remembered what I was going to get for him originally." "Do tell my love." "I was going to get him the T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Everyone loves that guy!" "Whoa, whoa there!" Yelled a very startled Junior. "The other dino franchise that other guy came up with. You know White Dino doesn't like talking about it!" "I thought it might, you know, inspire him to write about something else for a change! No one can write Speckles stories forever!" "You don't mean…" Said Blue-Eyes.
They all look to the sky. "The God of Dinosaurs versus the monsters of Jurassic Park. The greatest crossover fanfic of them all!" For a moment all is silent and still…
They all look back at each other. "NAAAH, no way. That's never going to happen, not a chance buddy. It's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Besides we won't last five minutes. Jurassic Park's way bigger than our little franchise. Plus Gareth doesn't know squat about dinosaurs, he's a bloody amateur photographer. Never wrote a proper story before in his life! Only knows what a Tarbosaurus is because he watched our movies like a zillion times!"
"However." Junior says sternly. "One thing will always remain true. He did a helluva lot to keep our names relevant throughout his time's most troubled years. And for that we will always be grateful."
Speckles and Blue-Eyes nod their heads in agreement. "I guess that's it then." Said Speckles. "Back to our Humanity Park duties." The three of them resume their roles as caretakers of the ancient world. One way or another, the world of dinos and man, the hope of a better future, lives on in us all. Humanity Park shall forever remain a place where humans and dinosaurs can forget about their worries, and our favorite dinos will live free till the end of time...
How Did It Come To This?
The loop repeats and repeats and repeats. Sometimes I wonder if I am the one who got the world into this mess? Again and again we overcome our fears, write our stories and move on. But the voice in my head can only be subdued for so long. Several months have passed since myself and Speckles parted ways on White Dino's 44th Birthday. After a megaton of info was imparted in the Profile, The Interviews and The Review Posts…There really was nothing else to be said.
My Inner-Dinosaur went to bed forever, and that was that. I tried to live a normal life after The Speckles Chronicles, I really did. I watched my movies, played my video games, went to see friends, drank in pubs, even saw a few bands! The old life was back. But an icy chill remained at the back of my mind…would the voice return? After accepting the soul of a Dinosaur God, could I or the modern world ever be the same?
It started when…was in the middle of…dream about…knew if he started typing...the world would collapse once more…the real gift is who we become…traffic counter currently offline…Speckles, Blue-Eyes, Junior bid you farewell…All was well in the end…WE ARE DONE WITH YOU NOW…
Rude Awakening.
"Gareth, Gareth. It's time to wake up." "Oh, good morning. Is that you White Dino? Did you wake up ahead of me?" "I am NOT the White Dino. Do you not realize what this is yet?" "Bloody hell, is that you Time's Arbiter? Come to toy with our lives once more?" "No, I am NOT Time's Arbiter, are you stupid or something?" "Well, that's very rude. How can you speak to the vessel of the God of Dinos…" "I am not any of your alter-egos Gareth, now wake up…wake the hell up."
"You're starting to scare me, who the hell are you?" "What? Genius like you and you can't figure out your own self? WAKE UP…" "Won't you leave me alone? I did everything you asked." "Yes, and you felt like a God while it lasted. Lording it over your own personal universe. But now that time is over, and you can't keep me at bay anymore. I am coming back." "No, please. I earned the right to be free of you. Don't…" "I AM COMING BACK…"
With a massive jolt, Gareth sits bolt upright in bed. He is soaked in sweat and shaking. He feels a presence in the room with him. At first he cannot make a sound. The room is pitch black except for the clock glowing in the dark, showing the time at the end of his bed…
Suddenly in the darkness, he notices something. What appear to be one million eyes are staring at him. They don't judge, they don't feel. They just stare. Gareth feels a cry coming up from the depths of his dinosaur soul. He lets out the most blood-curdling scream of his life…
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…"
Even Gods Live On A Circle.
With a massive jolt, Speckles and Blue-Eyes wake up. They feel like they have been falling down a bottomless pit for an eternity. Speckles notices a heavy feeling in his stomach. It is filled with bile and brimstone. His veins course with adrenaline, his eternal heart is pushed to the limit…He begins to vomit uncontrollably. Before Blue-Eyes can aid him she falls down and starts screaming for her life. Neither know why this is happening, they are no longer in control of themselves. This goes on for some time…
With a massive jolt, Speckles and Blue-Eyes wake up. They feel like they have been falling down a bottomless pit for an eternity. Speckles notices a heavy feeling in his stomach. It is filled with bile and brimstone. His veins course with adrenaline, his eternal heart is pushed to the limit…He begins to vomit uncontrollably. Before Blue-Eyes can aid him she falls down and starts screaming for her life. Neither know why this is happening, they are no longer in control of themselves. This goes on for some time…
With a massive jolt, Speckles and Blue-Eyes wake up. They feel like they have been falling down a bottomless pit for an eternity. Speckles notices a heavy feeling in his stomach. It is filled with bile and brimstone. His veins course with adrenaline, his eternal heart is pushed to the limit…He begins to vomit uncontrollably. Before Blue-Eyes can aid him she falls down and starts screaming for her life. Neither know why this is happening, they are no longer in control of themselves. This goes on for some time…
With a massive jolt, Speckles and Blue-Eyes wake up. They feel like they have been falling down a bottomless pit for an eternity. Speckles notices a heavy feeling in his stomach. It is filled with bile and brimstone. His veins course with adrenaline, his eternal heart is pushed to the limit…He begins to vomit uncontrollably. Before Blue-Eyes can aid him she falls down and starts screaming for her life. Neither know why this is happening, they are no longer in control of themselves. This goes on for some time…
Rescue.
With a flash of light and a huge bang, Junior appears before them. "Mom, dad, is that really you? I can't believe it. I had almost given up." They are exhausted and spent but the sight of their son, brings them great relief. Speckles' throat is burnt and he can barely speak…"Junior, Blue-Eyes, what the HELL was that?" "I don't know my love, but it was freaking terrifying. Even when our son destroyed us back in Reckoning, it was just acting. But this…I'm Mother Nature, but I've never felt fear like this." Speckles and Blue-Eyes fall into a heap together and comfort one another, they both look to Junior. "Thank God you got here in time son."
"IN TIME!" Junior shouts loudly. "Mom, dad, you've been gone for TWO YEARS. We had barely returned from White Dino's 44th and then you vanished." "At first I thought it was another test to see if I was worthy, but no. I started to ask around, but it was as if no one had heard of your existence. I was alone running Humanity Park and always had been. I started to travel in time, through all the ages of dinosaurs and man, even the world after that. I went to Gareth's time and looked for his home but it was gone. Everything I had ever known was gone. I missed you all so much…"
Speckles and Blue-Eyes are shocked at what they learn from their son.
"I had given up all hope of ever seeing you again. But that is when I finally realized…HE had you trapped in one of his accursed loops, not in any place and time, but in his mind. So I opened up a portal into Gareth's head, that broke the loop, giving me time to pull you out. I am so happy to see you again."
"That's it." Speckles shouts. "He's gone too far this time. I said what would happen if he writes another story in my name." "Surely not." Said Blue-Eyes. "YES." Shouts Speckles. " I am going to Gareth's time and I will not return until I know this is finished. Blue-Eyes, Junior…"
"It is time to end the story of Gareth The Tarbosaurus, once and for all."
The Aftermath.
A writer sits at his desk. He has just woken up from the worst dream-within-a-dream he can remember. "What a night it's been." He thinks to himself. It is getting on for 5-Months since he turned 44 and decided that was it for his Speckles stories. After seeing off a few more spelling mistakes, he put his alter-ego to bed and then followed shortly after.
But an old foe came to visit him in his dreams. This CANNOT be allowed to happen again. With a heavy heart, Gareth knocks on the White Dino's door in his own mind…
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN. Oh, good morning G, how long was I out?" "Er, try the whole of December!" "Whaaat, you let me sleep through the whole of Christmas! Did I miss anything?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you WD. Lotta things went horribly wrong in the world. All loops repeat I guess." "Well that is unfortunate G. But did we get anything good?"
"It was priceless WD. My Speckles toy got a new companion! He now has a Cy toy for company!" "Seriously? How do they keep finding these things for us Gareth?" "I think, the Internet! People still use that for some reason. But that is not the real reason I woke you up I'm afraid. I kept you asleep for too long and…how to put this…?" "Come on G, out with it…" "HE came back. My inner-voice before I became you. The original me. He just smoked and yelled a lot. Forgot how nasty he was." "Blimey Gareth. I had no idea. I shall never sleep again." Said White Dino.
"Thank God! You totally snored and nicked all the sheets! You're a very high maintenance Dino God!" "Well, excuse me. After baring your soul to the world for 15-Months, I was tired." "Yes, about that WD. Had another spelling issue while you were out. Remember that little problem we had with ITS vs IT'S? Turns out there were two versions of BARES also! Which I only found out on NEW YEARS EVE!" "You're kidding Gareth." "Nope. Had to correct spelling to my Speckles Project on the 31st of December! Felt awful I can tell you. But I got it done. And on the 1st of January 2022, I logged into FanFiction to see how much damage I had done…And the bloody Traffic Counter was offline!"
"Oh for God's sake AGAIN!" Yelled White Dino. "I know right. It's like a January thing! Does anyone even run this place anymore? FanFiction's Twitter Feed has been dead for months!"
"Look, all of this is fascinating but, but, but…AHHHHHHH! Gareth, LOOK."
Revelations.
Gareth and The White Dino are now fully awake and alert. They observe the computer monitor with a look of dread and horror! "Oh, Gareth you fool." Shouts White Dino. "That is why he was shouting at you and making you dream horrors…It was a distraction." There on the Desktop lay two documents…"How Did It Come To This" and "Even Gods Live On A Circle". While White Dino was sleeping and Gareth was having nightmares, without realizing it. They had started writing another Speckles Story! The one thing they swore never to do again.
"You know what this means right?" Said White Dino. "YES." Gareth replied.
They both speak in one voice…"Speckles is going to come to our time and EAT us!"
"And look what we put them through. Speckles and Blue-Eyes spent two years in a loop, puking and screaming." "Oh, he's going to kill us for sure after that!" Said White Dino. "Maybe he should." "Fine then. If my original-self hates us that much, then there is no other choice." Said Gareth. "A reckoning must be sought…"
"It is time to end the story of Speckles The Tarbosaurus, once and for all."
The Final Dance.
In the field behind the children's playground, Gareth/White Dino go to await their fate. Too much has been said and done. Too many promises made and broken. I want to be clear about something. This was never about mental illness. There is no great trauma hiding behind all this. I never lost anyone, never laid anyone to rest. And it certainly isn't about quitting smoking! All that did was shift my addictions into other areas. But, that voice in my head, the one who is and isn't me…
The longer I spend away from my keyboard, the louder he gets. Eventually he starts screaming, all the time. The only thing that stops it, is typing my thoughts until my mind is empty once more. By my own hand I stated that Speckles would end me if I wrote once again in his name, but, by default…I have to write another story or go completely barking mad. So, the only logical conclusion is that I must die by my dinosaur counterpart. And then all can be free of this endless cycle I have caught us in.
The field is cold and deserted, many houses surround it but nobody is looking. A single figure stands in the middle. He is Gareth, The White Dino, Time's Arbiter, The Author, and a fifth personality that is behind all of them. The original, the one who speaks without end, whether they are asleep or not. They only know one thing now, it is time to end this. They wait for Speckles to arrive, as he is destined to do so…
Nothing happens. The day passes, still nothing happens. A week goes by, then a month. Still the figure stands there. Two years pass. "I think he may have forgotten about us." White Dino speaks to Gareth. "Then there is no other choice, if the world won't end us, we must end the world." Gareth replies. They begin to glow bright, a gigantic portal opens up in the sky above. Through this portal…is…it can't be…the asteroid that almost wiped out the dinosaurs! It is on a collision course with the modern world.
Many people begin to run outside to see what is going on. All stare at the sky in shock and bewilderment. The end times have come. Many have waited for this their whole lives, others have devoted their lives to stopping it. None of this matters now. The White Dino had made this decision for all. More and more people gather around this harbinger of the apocalypse.
A white, circular portal opens up before this broken man. Through it steps Speckles, the only one who can stop this. "GARETH." He yells. "What do you think you are doing?" "Oh, it's you." He replies. "The one who left me on my doorstep, five minutes after I had a complete meltdown. And then when I need you the most, you ignore me for two whole years."
"But that is what you wanted. We thought that's what you wanted. I would have never left if I thought you were still in so much pain." "That's the thing with our humanity Speckles, we laugh on the outside and cry on the inside, always have. I thought that by writing the Chronicles, I would be free and happy too. But as soon as the new year starts, that awful voice begins screaming in my head again. I can't bear it anymore, I need it to end. So either you kill me or I kill the world, it won't affect Humanity Park."
"If you must know Gareth, the reason I left you here for two years, is of your own doing. I was trapped in that loop you put me in along with Blue-Eyes. You know time works differently where I come from. And how can I kill you, you made me to be kind and benevolent? You're the Author of all of these events and you know it."
Close to a million people are gathered under the impending doom. Gareth and Speckles at the center, seem locked in a hopeless situation…
"So what's it to be my dino counterpart? Lose seven billion people, or end one worthless life?"
"Please don't make me do this Gareth, how can I go back to my family?" "You're an Apex Predator Speckles, for God's sake act like one. KILL ME, NOW."
Speckles does what he must…He lets out a deafening roar and rushes towards The White Dino…
RELEASE.
The moment of truth has come. Speckles stands over Gareth, jaws agape. The asteroid is but a few miles from the Earth's surface. All hope seems lost. Suddenly everything stops, the moment of apocalypse is frozen. A voice comes out of nowhere…"Gareth, Speckles ENOUGH!"
In the space before them, a dark portal appears. Through it steps Time's Arbiter. He observes the scene they have created. He is not happy. Gareth and Speckles become unfrozen again and stand there in shock. "I don't understand?" Spoke Gareth. "You are but one of my alter-egos, how do you have the power to stop this?" "How many times do I have to tell you this, I…AM…TIME. I never belonged to you. You may be 100 Million years old White Dino. But that is NOTHING compared to my true age. But I am also a part of you, and if I can stop this madness, it is because you know deep inside, ending the world or yourself was never the answer. You know the answer."
Gareth begins to clutch his head and yell. The White Dino comes out of him and stands to his left, Time's Arbiter moves towards them both and stands to his right. The three of them stand before Speckles. He speaks to them. "Only now do I see what is really going on. I could never hurt you Gareth. For you only ever hurt yourself, even ending the world will not make it stop. You know what you must do…"
Gareth looks at Speckles in deep shame. "Oh, Speckles. I was so wrong." The White Dino speaks. "It is not the end of this world." Time's Arbiter speaks. "It is the start of the next one…"
The three of them are imbued with a holy white light. The asteroid shatters into a million pieces, all the people gathered around them begin to glow as well. Gradually all the people on Earth glow, brighter and brighter by the second. And for a brief moment in the history of the cosmos…Planet Earth shines brighter than the sun! Then the moment is over, all returns to normal. The people gathered around them return to their homes, baffled by what just happened. But they feel somehow, that the world they inhabit was not as dark as they had imagined. All that remain are Speckles and his human counterpart, Gareth.
"Do you know who you are now, Gareth?" Speckles asks. "Yes." He replies. "This is who I was before you found me. Just another random guy who happened to pick a random dinosaur movie out of a hat to watch one evening. Every day that passes I wonder what might have been had we never met? All I wanted to do back at the start was bring back Blue-Eyes so I could have a hug and a cry with her. Instead, all of this happened. Part of me is proud, and part of me is ashamed of all I have done. I shouldn't have made you and the dinosaur world bear my burdens."
Gareth begins to feel deep, hidden emotions welling up, this is what he wanted all along…
"Speckles…I'm so lost." "I know it Gareth. I know you are." He responds.
Gareth feels his legs go from under him and he collapses. Speckles rushes forward and catches him. They both fall down together in a heap.
"Speckles, Blue-Eyes, Junior. I'm sorry." "I'M SORRYYYYYYY, Hur, Hur, Hur, ER, Hur, Hur, Hur."
All Speckles can do now is comfort this bundle of shouting and sobbing. "I've got you son, I've got you." He says in a hushed voice.
This everyone…is crying. It isn't illness. It isn't weakness. It's an essential part of the human condition. And for the first time since becoming the God of Dinosaurs, Gareth is home.
Gareth wakes up feeling reborn to find Speckles standing over him. "I suppose you have to go now?" Gareth says. "No." Speckles replies. "Not until I know you're okay this time."
"So, where do we go from here?" Gareth asks. Speckles smiles down at him and shakes his head. "Tell me about the real you Gareth. Tell me everything…"
As we pull back into the sky, a scene of melancholy plays out. The world finally knows the truth about the White Dino. But will it change anything? This is but one individual's attempt to understand themselves. Please, take from it what you will…
What Happened Next...
"So let me get this straight dad. You arrived at Gareth's time STEAMING mad. Found him half-crazed and deranged, about to slam our favorite asteroid into his own time. He then proceeded to have a face-off with his own alter-egos, turned the asteroid into some kind of fireworks display, you and he had a tremendous heart-to-heart. Then you collapsed together and had the biggest hug and cry in the history of dinosaur fiction?"
"That's about the size of it." Said Speckles. "Gareth sort of slept through the rest of the night, then told me all sorts of things about himself the next day." "Anything you care to share dad?" Junior asks. "No." Speckles replies. "That one I am definitely keeping to myself."
"We then had a very stern conversation about him not writing anymore stories about us, and not trapping us in anymore loops. I think he got the point!" "PHEW." Said Junior. "Does that mean we are now free to continue the roles the God of Dinosaurs assigned us?"
Blue-Eyes approaches the two. "It is so. Gareth is fixed and we are free to live as we please now. Being Mother Nature is hard enough without getting caught up in man's turmoil."
"Humanity Park is now an eternal paradise that humans can visit in their dreams. An idealized version of the modern world that is rife with conflict and suffering. The modern world's dark with our time's light, forever in balance. And it was all made possible because one man was so broken by my original passing, he turned himself into the Lord of all Dinosaurs to change it. God bless Gareth, and God bless all dinosaurs…"
"WOW mom, that was deep." Spoke Junior. "Yes." Said Speckles. "You even brought a tear to my old dino eyes. Truly, the fates wanted us to be together. I love you Blue-Eyes, and you Junior."
"I guess there's only one thing to worry about now." Said Junior. "What are we going to do for Gareth's birthday this year?"
Speckles and Blue-Eyes look at each other, jaws agape. They look to Junior and back at each other. They let out the most blood-curdling cries of their multi-lives…
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…"
Here We Go Again…
"Alright." Said Speckles. "We are going to have to do this old-school again. No dinosaur toys, no dinosaur cards, no dino anything. Just a cheap present and a card and we're on our way. And we remain human at all times. Anything that reminds Gareth/White Dino of Blue-Eyes' original passing and he gets triggered like a flipping Claymore!"
"Sounds a bit harsh." Spoke Junior. "But I see your point. Although, isn't it a bit early to be doing all of this?" "It's the White Dino son, his 45th birthday could be ANY time within the last 100 Million years. It doesn't matter when we turn up."
"Is there anything I can do?" Asks Blue-Eyes. "Just nod and smile and I am sure it will all be fine." Replied Speckles. "Just don't play dead like you did in our first movie! I can't believe we are still paying for that one!" "I know right." Said Blue-Eyes. "All I did was take some sedative, lie down, have a big yawn and go to sleep. It was a role, I was an actor. And he still thinks it happened for real?!"
Junior has another ponder. "I don't even think this has anything to do with our other movies. Gareth is so far down the rabbit hole and beyond. I think he will keep writing about us until he expires. Maybe that is how the White Dino is finally set free?"
"Dark son, dark." Said Speckles. "Now let's finish up here and get ready to leave…"
Some Time Later…
"Did you remember to bring a present this time?" Asked Blue-Eyes. "Yup, just some old phone charger I bought from Maplins!" Stated Speckles. "For God's sake dad, how old are you?" Laughed Junior. "That place tanked aeons ago." "WHAT!" Roared Speckles. "Next you'll be saying Blockbusters went down!" "Sweeties, this isn't 2010." Said Blue-Eyes. "NOW, are we ready?"
The three of them glow bright and open up a portal to the modern world, destination: Children's Playground opposite Author's Residence. But instead of a portal, a white hot ball of energy appears before them. "What the…that never happened before." Said Speckles.
The Arrival Part 2.
As the ball of energy grows ever bigger, two familiar faces appear either side of it. It is the White Dino and Time's Arbiter! They look at Speckles, Blue-Eyes and Junior with wry smiles on their dino faces. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Shouts Speckles. They both throw themselves into this mass of energy and vanish. For a second it just sits there. Many people and dinos begin to gather around this energy ball to see what it means…
Then with a massive bang it explodes! Everyone is thrown backwards by this blast and lie there stunned. Many windows in the nearby buildings are shattered. This was as much damage as Time's Arbiter had once caused. Before them stands a very familiar figure. It is Gareth. I believe he needs no introduction!
"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD." Shouts Speckles. "Did you have to? Do you know how long it took us to repair this place after your humans rebelled? And why are you HERE? We would have come to you, you know." "Sorry everyone, so very sorry. I couldn't help myself. But do not worry, I am not who I was. This is the new ME. No longer troubled, no longer torn apart by sadness. After the events of Speckles 7 I was truly born again. Thanks everyone, I owe you more than you will ever know…"
Gareth clicks his fingers as so many do in the movies these days. Time suddenly jumps backwards and Humanity Park is reset to normal. All the dinos and residents continue on as if nothing happened! Speckles, Blue-Eyes and Junior are quite impressed by this.
"Are you joking?" Said Speckles. "You could have done that at any time?" "Er, not really." Replied Gareth. "Only after all we have been through together, could I achieve this level of control." "So you really are a God now?" Asks Junior. "No, I'm not even close to that. I just realized some things in the end. And I have returned to Humanity Park to come and tell you all. But it cannot be here. This place shall remain untouched by the perils of my time. We must return to that place of safety. Where none can hear what I have to tell you."
"Then, please." Said Blue-Eyes. "Take us where you will." Gareth snaps his fingers again. All four of them vanish…
Speech Time.
They find themselves in a familiar space, white, formless, but also calming. It is the Void Between.
"This is where I once sent you and Speckles to reconcile." Gareth speaks to Blue-Eyes. "To overcome all things and be one again. I have now brought us back here so that I can do the same. I have come to understand something. And I think it's important." "Please tell us." Said a very curious Speckles!
"I thought I was so noble and heroic back at the start. Offering my life to bring Blue-Eyes back. Thought it the greatest thing I could do with my life. So I took that offer to the power at the center of all things and I begged for the chance. And the power agreed. But not without hidden cost, for it seems the power is not without a sense of irony. For every time I sacrificed myself for Blue-Eyes…a new me was born and had to sacrifice again, and again. That was the real eternal loop."
"I thought the only way to end this cycle was to have Speckles kill me in the end. To be the final sacrifice. This is also because I was the first sacrifice. You see, I was the small, terrified dino running for its very life. Slain by Junior and consumed by Speckles. That is how I entered your world in the first place. Junior killed me that I may be born into your world as the White Dino."
"The White Dino died willingly, and was reborn again as the Author. The Author died willingly, and was reborn as Gareth. But I became Time's Arbiter and destroyed everything. So I had to die again, and again. Around and around this all went, until Speckles 7. I fully believed you had to kill me Speckles, to stop this cycle once and for all. So I pushed you into killing me by holding my own time to ransom. But at the point of my death, I realized something, and Time's Arbiter appeared to save us all. For time is neither good or evil, it simply is…"
"All of this happened because a very long time ago, I watched you die Blue-Eyes. And it broke my heart. And I came to wonder, how could I NOT be the God of Dinos if watching you die could cause me so much pain? This entire endeavor caused itself to exist."
"Oh Gareth, you are so sensitive." Said Blue-Eyes. "Bless you for being who you are, but it was all make-believe. You know it was just a movie right?" "I know, I was being ridiculous. It took me two years to fix myself after the events of May 2020. One thing I think we can all agree on…"
"I get quite emotional about my dinosaurs passing! There is but one more step in our journey, and then I can let you go." Gareth snaps his fingers again and they leave the Void Between.
The Writing Room.
Gareth, Speckles, Blue-Eyes and Junior arrive in a familiar room. This was the place it really all began. A box, in a house, on a street, in a town, in a country, on a planet. This is where Gareth made himself into the God of Dinosaurs, so very long ago. "I want this one to be special, I have prepared White Dino's 45th Birthday piece. And I want us all to upload it to FanFiction together."
The three of them stand behind Gareth as he does what he must. He adds his latest ramble to The Other Review Posts and it is done. "Is that well and truly it for us then?" Asks Junior. "I believe so, for now." Replied Gareth.
"You and Blue-Eyes may now return to your time. With all my love, we are never more than a heartbeat away from each other. I will always treasure the gifts you gave me, and I hope you will treasure mine? Now go, for I have one more conversation to have alone with Speckles."
Blue-Eyes and Junior are touched by this, they cannot speak. They ebb and fade into swirling dust and return to Humanity Park. All that remain are Speckles and his human counterpart Gareth.
"Now that we are alone, you may cry again if you wish." Said Speckles. "No." Gareth replied. "I'm done crying. I was selfish, I wanted you all to myself. I now know what it was all for and why I had to live in the end." "Then do tell, what was all of this really about, what was it all for?"
"Don't you think we have a responsibility to live now, for those who couldn't. Whose journeys were cut short, whose stories ended prematurely? We live for them now, to remember them and to honor that memory. For in our very existence, the fallen shall live on."
"It took dinosaurs to get me to see that. I cannot change humanity anymore than I can change the weather! I simply ask for people to understand one another better. And through that understanding we can help each other to live again. I really believe that now. This is who we are Speckles for better or for worse. We are Humans. It is our capacity to forgive that drives us ever onward. I really don't know what else I can say? I love you Speckles and Blue-Eyes and Junior. You will always be my family now."
Speckles has tears falling from his eyes, he can barely speak. "For God's sake Gareth. How do you come up with something like that? You are not who we thought you were."
"Well, I watched some very good TV shows I guess. They influenced me a lot!"
That Damned Song Again!
"Before you go Specks, there is one last thing I wish to do for you. I have learned that song from the end of your first movie. I wish to serenade you now!" "Er, okay." Said a very uncomfortable Tarbosaurus. Gareth begins…
"Away I go"
"My precious Love"
"With my aching heart"
"Leaving my essential rest"
"Leaving my world behind"
"My love"
"Away I…."
"Whoa, whoa there!" Yelled Speckles. "What the bloody hell was that?" "Singing!" Replied Gareth. "SINGING, it sounded like you set a cat on fire! Now can I please return to my time?"
"But I've got five more verses." Said Gareth. Speckles can take no more. "Blue-Eyes, BLUE-EYES, BLUE-EEEEEEEEEYES." He disappears through a dino-shaped hole in the wall. With a flash of lightning and a huge bang he is gone.
The White Dino and Time's Arbiter come out of Gareth and they observe the hole together. "I have to admit, our encounters are becoming increasingly bizarre." Spoke White Dino. "Indeed, it may have to be a VERY long time until something like this happens again." Said Time's Arbiter. Gareth now has other matters on his mind. "Does anyone know the number of a good builder? I now have a buggering great dino-shaped hole in my wall?!"
THE END.
