Chapter 2: The hunt begins

And so, the next morning, the herds left The Great Valley and set out to find another land of Plenty. As they made their way to The Great Wall, Littlefoot and Chomper took one last look at the valley. The Thundering Falls was sure to do its thing and all the plants will grow back. And soon the scaly-swimmer eggs will hatch and once they're full grown, they'll be enough food for everyone.

Turning back to the herd, Littlefoot and Chomper went to catch up with them.

A couple days has passed by sense they left The Great Valley to find more food. They've gone from deserts with cracked up grounds, high mountains, and many forests. But though they marched day after day, they could find no such furtle peredice. All the tree had nose green on them. They found a couple watering holes. But there were no scaly-swimmers to catch.

Most of the watering holes were dried out. The empty watering holes was enough to drop sadness in the Two-claw. And for the Leaf-eaters, everywhere they went, the Swarming Leaf-gobblers seemed to have proceeded them. And each day the herd grew hungrier, thirstier, and more discouraged.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Said Ruby.

Raph was quite upset enough to hug his daughter.

"I know Ruby. I am too. We all are."

Littlefoot was just as upset as Ruby was. He hopped they'll find more food for everyone soon.

One day, as the Bright Circle was setting, they came across a dead Big-mouth who was down to bones.

"Don't look dear." Mama Swimmer said as she held onto Ducky.

Cera started to sniff the air for something. She did get something. It was coming from an old log. She ran to the log and pushed it down. Only for a giant bug to come out. Cera screamed as the bug flew away and she bumped into her father.

"Don't you see?" Grandpa asked as he looked at the Duck-bills tracks. "The Duck-bill was heading this way when it died. There's obiasly no food in that direction. So we must change our course."

"Oh come on." Said Topps. "Everyone knows how stupid Duck-bills are. This old fool just wondered in circles for days. And that's what'll happen to us if we don't keep moving in a straight line."

"Come on. There's no need to fight." Said Bowser. "I can smell water coming those mountains over,"

"Liston up Sharptooth!" Topps said fermly. "I for one am getting so fed up with this 'I'm bigger so that makes me better than you' additude for yours!"

"You're father can't talk mine that way!" Chomper said to Cera.

"He can talk anyway he wants!" Cera shouted back.

Before the others knew it, Cera and Chomper started to ram each other.

"Guys! Stop!" Ruby shouted as she and the others rushed over.

"Friends no fight." Said Petrie.

"No no no." Said Ducky.

"Stop guys." Said Littlefoot. "I know what you're thinking but we're all under a lot of presher. We gotta keep control of ourselves."

"Oh. Sorry." Said Chomper.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Said Cera.

"So that settles it!" Topps said again. "At first light tomorrow, we're splitting up! For now on, it's every herd for itself!"

And the grown-ups agreed with him. The gang gasped now that what they feared of has now come true.

Ducky and Spike couldn't sleep that night. They were still upset that they were gonna be seperated from the others forever.

"Now, get some sleep you two." Mama Swimmer said to them. "We leave when the Bright Circle rises in the sky."

"I am going to miss Littlefoot and Cera and Petrie and Chomper and Ruby." Ducky said as Spike agreed with her.

Just then, Petrie flew over and said,

"Me no miss Ducky. Me no miss Spike. Because,"

"Well maybe I will not miss you ether." Ducky said in anger.

"Shh. Nobody have to miss nobody. Littlefoot have plan. Come on."

This got Ducky and Spike to smile as they got up and made their way to the others.

The next morning, the Bright Circle was rising up in the sky slowly. Raph and Oliver were still upset from yesterday. They knew how close Ruby was to Littlefoot.

However, Jane and Lolls rushed over and woke them up by pushing them.

"Hmm." Oliver grunted.

"Mommy. It's terrible." Said Jane. "Ruby is missing."

"Good joke Jane." Raph muttered.

"No. It's true. She's really gone." Said Lolls.

The two grown-ups snapped their eyes open and saw that Jane and Lolls were right. Ruby was gone.

"Ruby? Where are you?" Raph called out.

"What is it?" Bowser asked as he walked over.

"Ruby's missing." Said Oliver.

Bowser then turned back to where he was sleeping. Chomper was also missing.

"Chomper!"

"What is it?" Mama Swimmer asked as she and the other grown-ups woke up."

"Ruby and Chomper are missing." Said Oliver.

Just then, Mama Swimmer said her kids rushing up to her.

"What's wrong little ones?" She asked.

The young Swimmers pointed to the spot Ducky and Spike were sleeping at. There were also gone witch made her gasp.

"Ducky! Spike!"

The other grown-ups were starting to panic. Mama Flyer began to count her kids. Just as she let out a screech. Petrie was also missing.

"Petrie? Petrie!" She dug through the temperairy nest to find him. But he wasn't there.

"Littlefoot!" Grandpa called out.

"Littlefoot!" Grandma called next. But Littlefoot was gone too.

Topps was running around the place. But even Cera was missing.

"CEEEEEERAAAAAA!"