Hello, everyone. Where to begin? I guess I should start with an apology. I said I would be updating this with a chapter every month. Well needless to say, that didn't happen, and I'm sorry for that. It's been around three or four months. I guess you could say life got in the way a little bit, but the truth is, sometimes I get a bit lazy in my writing. There are days you get motivated to write and then you'll go whole periods without wanting to do anything. I will do my best to update more in the future and on a more frequent basis.
That being said, I do need to ask one thing. I appreciate that so many want an update to happen, but please do not review saying "Come on dude! When is it?" or something to that effect. Please understand that I am busy and a person with a whole life besides writing fanfiction. If you have a question, PM me, but my time is my time and please respect that. I promise to try harder to update in the future, but just be aware that I have work, a social life, and a schedule to keep as well.
Now, with that out of the way, please enjoy the latest chapter of the story!
Read and Review!
Chapter 13. The Blossoming
The orange threehorn ran so fast for so long, she seemed to lose track of all concepts of time. Cera wasn't simply running away from a misogynistic pervert, it was much more than that, even if she didn't consciously admit it.
By the time Cera did slow down enough to realize where she was, or what the hell she was doing, she found herself back at the nest, breathing heavy, stock still, but inwardly shaking at the ordeal she had just experienced. There was such a broad mixture of emotions working through her mind, it was hard to know which to address first, but as her adrenaline receded and the full implications of what had occurred hit her fully, anger ballooned within her, rapidly replacing her anxiety.
I doubt if I'll ever forgive daddy for this…
"Cera, dear! What's wrong?"
The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard as the foliage at the treeline parted to reveal a pink threehorn. The elder's expression matched the fear and concern in her voice.
Cera held no ill will towards her stepmother, as none of this was her fault. That did not make it any easier to properly convey the torrent of feelings she was currently failing to keep in.
"Tria..I...he…"
Tria's concerned expression turned into something akin to anger, but it was not directed at Cera. She barely noticed Tria edging close enough to whisper her name.
"Cera?"
Her stepdaughter continued to fumble over words, which was only one of many thing that told Tria straight away all was not well. And then she heard Cera say the unspeakable.
"He tried to mate...with...but I didn't...I didn't want to do it."
The adult female was left no illusion of what had just transpired. It was not common among theehorns, but she had seen enough to know that her husband's daughter had just been severely violated.
"Oh, my child…" she said in barely more than a whisper, and began to nuzzle her frill against Cera, who by this point was close to tears.
That was when the sound of more thundering steps could be heard. Steps that had a cadence that Cera could have identified anywhere.
But then the footsteps slowed. And stopped.
"Cera, just what is going on with you?" asked the voice of her father. "I told you to show respect and courtesy today at the gathering and instead you run off-"
"Topps," Tria tried to cut in.
"I'm very disappointed in you, young lady-"
"Topps…"
"We need to have a serious talk about your behavior-"
"TOPPS!"
His wife's interjection was loud enough to finally get him to cease his diatribe. He softened his stance but his voice remained somewhat stern.
"Tria, these kinds of shenanigans cannot go overlooked. As herd leader, I-"
"Will you just stop and listen for a change?!" Tria yelled at him with exasperation. "Your daughter has just been through an ordeal I can barely summon the words to describe."
It was only then that Topps noticed just how frightened Cera looked, something he barely saw in his first born. And then he caught something else…
"You can smell the scent as well as I can," Tria growled. "That young male, that brute, just tried to take advantage of your daughter."
There was no doubting it. The essence of Frank son of Blackhorn, was all over Cera and given her current state, there was only one explanation. He didn't want to believe it, he wanted this to be a bad dream. But the smell that hit his nostrils was as real as the Bright Circle in the sky. And then it began to sink in for the big male threehorn.
Topps began to shake, an unreadable expression on his face that quickly turned to something approaching an eerie serenity.
"Cera, I'm… I'll take care of this..."
"Yeah, a bit too late for the apology, daddy," Cera replied with a frightful snarl.
The threehorn went silent at his daughter's words. She could see him flinch with every word.
"Cera...please. I had no idea…"
"What?!" she exploded at him. "That he would try and mate with me? That he was a total jackass from the start? That you were intent on marrying me off without even giving me a choice?!"
Her father grew silent at her accusations. He had no defense from the truth.
Cera only offered a cold, hard stare and the following statement.
"Just stay away from me. You couldn't possibly make this worse than you already have."
With that, she turned and continued running, only this time it wasn't from Frank. She simply had enough of people letting her down.
Topps called out to her as she disappeared into the thick brush, but to no avail.
His wife was as equally condemning. "I hope you're happy, Topsy. For your own sake, you better make this right."
"I just don't understand what's gotten into her. What's happened to my sweet little girl?"
The elder longneck sighed internally as she heard the swimmer's words. The Time of Great Growing was always a challenging time, and Susa despite having numerous children had never gone through this portion of the journey of parenthood. And of course, when she had sought advice from the elder longneck at the Thundering Falls, she had been all too happy to assist her.
"The Time of Great Growing is also a time of great confusion for parents and children alike. Often times when it is hard for us to understand our younglings, it is wide to look at our own journey through the Time of Great Growing."
The longneck looked down at the confused swimmer.
"When you were in Ducky's place how did you feel?"
Susa could only gaze up at the magnificent falls as she answered.
"Oh, it was hectic to say the least," she said with a small chuckle. "Between growing pains, males, mating, mood swings, and all the stress that came with it, I'm not sure how I survived."
It was only then the mother hadrosaur realized her folly. Sighing she spoke once more.
"It's not that I forgot my own Time of Great Growing, it's that I thought I could get Ducky through it by disciplining her so she wouldn't have to experience the same thing I did. I remember driving my own mother crazy with my backtalk."
The old longneck nodded sagely.
"Grandma Longneck, I never met Littlefoot's mother, but I do recall her presence during our journey to the Great Valley. You must have come into conflict with her at some point while she was in her youth. What did you do?"
The longneck laughed, "During which incident? When Adeline and Bron decided to go to the Towering Cliffs when they were just entering their Times of Great Growing? When she called me an old shrivel neck?"
Susa could only gasp in shock.
"I reacted badly of course, but the only thing I could do was to learn from my mistakes. My attempt to ground her for running off to the Cliffs cause yet another journey… so we know where Littlefoot gets it from… but eventually I found out what worked better than anything else."
"And what was that, Grandma Longneck? How do you teach your daughter at this age?"
"We simply listened one day. We had an airing of grievances and thoughts, and more than a few harsh words were said. But once Grandpa and I were willing to listen to her, she was more willing to listen to what we had to say."
She sighed. "We also decided that, with conditions, we were willing to tolerate Bron."
"Well, thankfully, my Ducky hasn't had much an interest in boys just yet. At the same time, it's hard to imagine Littlefoot's mother behaving so recklessly. From what I've heard of her, she was quite a remarkable and caring dinosaur."
Grandma nodded, "She was, even in her difficult moments. But caring without experience leads to recklessness. It is often our failures that lead us to our successes."
Susa looked down at the water plants that at this point she scarcely felt like eating.
"Well from where I stand, it feels like Saul and I have failed too often with Ducky lately. As much as she has caused me grief, I must acknowledge my part in what's happened lately."
Grandma nodded for her to continue.
"And worst of all, I think I've taken out some of my own frustrations on Spike. Tell me, do you find that raising a boy is less or more challenging than a girl?"
"Well, each kind is different. Our primary concern with Adeline was teaching her what to expect from males and choosing the right mate to take for a husband. The ancestors know just how much grief that caused us," she explained with small laugh. "Littlefoot on the other hand is a different story. He has a strong penchant for leadership and that skill must be honed but he is…how shall I put this? A male. I find young boys tend to be distracted far more easily in pursuit of glory, eating, and sleeping. Our Littlefoot has always loved to excitement and daring, but getting him to focus on the herd, on a potential wife…well it's not a task for the faint of heart. Even so, each child is an individual and brings their own challenges. What worked for Adeline isn't necessarily the answer for our grandson. I only hope we can get him to focus on what's important."
The longneck turned then. "And with Spike you have the other challenge of raising one of another kind, and one who hatched and was named by a certain little swimmer."
"I still remember the day she brought him to our family," Susa reminisced. "I had nearly forgotten Ducky was the one who found him and gave Spike his name."
"Our kids do seem to have a knack at becoming parents early," Grandma snorted, "At least Ducky brought in a leaf-eater. I think we all remember when they finally explained Chomper to the valley."
The two female dinosaurs laughed at this, and it all of a sudden, Susa felt weeks of stress and worry lift considerably from her shoulders.
"You are wise beyond anything this Valley has ever seen, grandma longneck. This paradise would be long forsaken by now were it not for you and your husband."
"We do what we can," replied the old sauropod modestly. "None of us have all the answers. Therefore, it is imperative to be supportive and give advice when it is sought, and when it is needed. You appeared to carry a heavy burden when you came to me today, Susa. You are kind, loving and want what's best for your children. My heart tells me that you will find a way."
Susa nodded in appreciation. Every word Grandma Longneck spoke was true. She loved her children and would do anything for them, but her being the parent did not make her infallible or without error. Perhaps she was just as much to blame for the poor relations with Ducky and Spike.
Her anxiety rose as she hoped she could remedy the situation with them, praying to the ancestors it was not too late to do so.
Too much was at stake to lose her precious children.
The sun was nearing the twilight stage of its journey across the sky beneath the land of dinosaurs. Most of the herds had finished the last of their foraging for the day and were beginning to settle down for the night. But for one longneck, the coming darkness provided an opportunity he rarely felt the need to take advantage of- to trod upon the grasses of the valley without unwanted eyes gazing upon him.
Entering from a clump of trees, Littlefoot lamented he was fast becoming too big to hide easily much longer among the vegetation. It seemed like only yesterday he and the others could all fit inside an average log. Then again, a lot of things had used to be. At the moment, he not only lamented that his size made it difficult to camouflage, but how it had changed everything in his life.
As he walked onto the low grasslands in the center of his home and the last of the spiketails lumbered slowly into the distance, he wondered just how it had come to this- he and his friends hadn't seen each other in days, his grandparents seemed to eternally worry about him, and Shorty was intent on hooking him up with anything that moved.
What the heck is going on here?
He should've asked that question a long time ago, but it made no difference at this point. He supposed that the Time of Great Growing would present problems, however, not to the extent it would turn his life upside down. Maybe he could accept that his friends would have problems of their own (he knew Ducky and Spike weren't getting along with their mother) or that his grandparents might be too invested in his future as a herd leader. It definitely wasn't a shocker that Shorty was preoccupied with chasing tail. But that wasn't even the half of what was on his mind.
No, of all things to screw with his psyche, it was an orange threehorn with incredible horns and the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. The one, despite the endless arguments over the years, sometimes to the point of getting physical, he cared about more than any other. And yet, how could he forgive her for what she said only nights before?
How could I forgive myself?
As much as Cera had hurt him, confused him, angered him, he knew he was not blameless for their fall out. Littlefoot, tired of the threehorn's constant bullying and aggressiveness, had gone for the jugular. And in doing so had made her cry and made himself miserable in the process. No matter how he tried to justify it, the same thought always came back to haunt his mind.
'How are you any better, if you sunk to the lowest level possible to get back at her?'
Steel resolve gripped his heart. He tried to swat away the doubts as a clubtail would with the buzzards on a hot day. Gazing towards the west, where the last bit of light glimmered on the edge of the Great Wall, he saw the outline of a rock by the shores of a small pond. A rock that looked almost like…
Then his will broke and the dam burst open. With an angry yell and a flick of his tail, he hit a pinecone so far that it actually hit the water of the pond about thirty yards away.
Breathing from his heavy outburst, he was about to turn around and go find a resting spot for the night when he heard a very familiar voice.
"Nice shot. You're getting pretty good at that."
Littlefoot did a double take before peering closer at the rock by the pond…or what he thought had been a rock. His eyesight may not be as sharp during the late hours, but he knew that tone from anywhere. There was no mistaking who it was.
Logic dictated that he should walk away, but instinct had other ideas. Strangely enough, he did not back off into the distance or run, but kept moving towards the figure to the west. There was no real thought process to it, his legs seemed to carry him to the pond whether he liked it or not.
Soon, he was at the water's edge and directly next to the figure who had praised his pinecone flick. He didn't know what to expect or even what to say, and he knew the dinosaur didn't either but someone had to make the first move. It might as well be him.
"Hi," he said lamely.
"Hi," the figure replied back.
It was then he decided to look over and confirm what he already knew, and sure enough Cera was laying on front forepaws, appearing to be just as miserable as he was.
"You liked my shot?"
"Farthest I've seen you hit it up to this point," was the short answer he received.
Littlefoot swallowed nervously.
"I suppose that's how you knew it was me."
"I had a hunch."
There was something off about the normally aggressive and confident threehorn. Even in the fading light of the day, the teenage longneck could see there was no spark in her eyes, no boasting or loud proclamations. It was rare when he saw Cera like this, and he could only recall a handful of times when he had seen her in such a state.
It's probably because of me and what I said the other night, Littlefoot thought sadly. He decided to dispose of the pleasantries and say what needed to be said.
"Look, Cera…"
"I'm sorry," she said cutting him off before he could say the words.
Littlefoot was so taken aback, he barely registered what the threehorn had just said to him.
"What?"
Cera turned and looked at him for the first time, her green orbs gazing into his soul. From this angle, it seemed she may have been crying.
"I'm sorry, Littlefoot. For everything I've done to you. From when we were hatchlings all the way up to what I said a few days ago. For as long as we've known each other I've never treated you right, and I hope you can forgive me for that."
As if to emphasize how lousy she was feeling, she kicked a rock with her front paw into the pond.
Littlefoot, meanwhile, couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was Cera of all dinosaurs. She rarely ever admitted to being wrong about anything. And yet here she was, apologizing profusely. He could recognize an olive branch when he saw one.
"Cera, it's not just your fault. It's mine too. Two wrongs don't make a right. I tried to hurt you when you hurt me. I take the blame for that."
"No, Littlefoot," the threehorn shook her head. "That was one mistake you made, I've made them all my life. I should've realized this a long time ago. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have…Frank wouldn't have…"
Immediately, Littlefoot looked sharply towards her. He hadn't liked Frank from the moment Cera had mentioned him, and he had quietly observed the male threehorn hitting on passing females rather aggressively while eating tree stars with his dad. But from Cera's tone, this was much more serious than that.
"Cera, what happened? What did Frank do?"
"Nothing, I shouldn't have said anything…" Cera murmured.
"He tried to force himself on you, didn't he?"
"Littlefoot wait, it's not what you think- "
But even as she tried to play it down, a strong musk hit Littlefoot's nose that was most certainly not Cera's. The meaning was clear.
"I can smell him on you. Don't try to deny it. That's his scent isn't it?"
Cera inwardly cursed herself.
I spent nearly all day trying to get his damn smell off of me and it still didn't work.
"It's not a big deal, I'm okay," she said trying to dismiss it as if it were nothing, but on the inside she could feel her resolve breaking.
She could have guessed Littlefoot wouldn't buy it.
"Cera, you're far from okay. For once, please let me help you. You don't have to hide anything from me, especially not this."
The softness of the longneck's tone was so soothing to her that within moments, she was crying again. And like the thundering falls, the tears fell without any consideration for her pride. For the first time in her life, she felt completely vulnerable.
"Im s-sorry," she said, heaving through heavy sobs. "I don't mean to…"
"Cera, please don't apologize," Littlefoot replied as empathy poured from his being. "I can't imagine what you went through but I promise I'm here for you. I won't leave your side until you tell me to."
Then a thought occurred to him, as anger surged through him.
"The valley needs to know about this. What he did is an exiling offense-"
But Cera cut him off.
"No, Littlefoot! Please, just let it go! I don't want this to get any worse than it already is."
"As long as he's here, Frank is a threat to you. I can't allow that to happen-"
"You just promised to stay by side until I told you otherwise. I need you Littlefoot…" she heaved an intense breath.
"I've always needed you."
That last sentence struck the teenage longneck so heavily, that he did something he had never done to his best friend before, but had wanted to do for quite a while. He nuzzled her cheek.
To his even greater surprise, she returned the gesture.
"I've never thought you were dumb or weak or lazy, in fact it's the opposite. Ever since we were hatchlings-"
"Cera?"
Littlefoot cut her off, and now it was his turn to gaze deeply into her eyes, one that made the threehorn go the color of the sunset that was practically picturesque beyond the Great Wall. She awaited his words, the moment in time seemingly lasting a life age of the earth. And then without warning, they came.
"I love you."
And to her shock, amazement, joy, or perhaps a mixture of the three, she uttered the same response.
"I love you, too."
Nothing could have prepared either of them for what happened next. Slowly, they leaned in towards each other, Littlefoot's heart pounding with anticipation, Cera's stomach fluttering madly. It didn't matter if one was a longneck and the other a threehorn, this felt more natural than anything in their lives.
With the fiery canvass of the sunset behind them, their lips met, opening the floodgates of ecstasy. A long-awaited romance had fully bloomed in their beloved home. One could feel the spirits of the ancestors smiling down upon them, the wind whistling through the trees, creating music like so many chimes and bells echoing throughout the valley. All was peaceful, all was well.
That is until something broke through the brush and abruptly ended the moment between the two teenagers…
"There you are, Cera," said a gruff voice that nearly made the threehorn jump out of her skin, and Littlefoot was not far behind her.
"Oh no," Littlefoot muttered as he and Cera broke apart, his ecstasy quickly turning to fear. He knew that tone from anywhere and it was the last one he wanted to hear.
"I was looking all over for you, I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry about Frank anymore. I saw to it that.."
And as Topps came closer what he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. His jaw went slack, and Cera didn't know whether or not he would die of shock or erupt like a volcano. Either way, they were totally screwed.
Realizing, she was still in an intimate embrace with Littlefoot, she quickly backed away and gave a rather toothy grin.
"Um…h-hi, daddy," she said nervously.
Meanwhile, Littlefoot was nearly paralyzed with anxiety. He didn't know what would happen next, but whatever it was, it was not going to be pretty.
Ah, shit…
Ha! How about them apples, eh? Totally had to leave you with a cliffhanger. After all, what's a romantic adventure without a cliffhanger? Especially when Topps is involved! xD
I can't tell you specifically when my next update is, but I can promise you it won't take as long as the last one.
Thank you to all who have stuck with this story, even as I struggled to get out of a slump.
Rock on!
~TheWasp