CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Meanwhile, Chomper, who didn't know about the sad event that Littlefoot had suffered, arrived at the home of his parents. Mom and Dad. It's me. said Chomper.
Hello son. What brings you here in the middle of the night? asked his mother.
Well, I thought you'd want to know that I'm married. said Chomper.
Married. To whom? We've never met the girl. said his father.
She's right here. It was true love at first sight. said Chomper. He introduced them to Tiny.
She's a real looker, Chomper. said his father.
I've also got a problem. said Chomper.
You tend to get those when you get hitched Chomper. It comes with the territory. said his father. Chomper laughed and his mother rolled her eyes.
No, it's about the Great Valley. said Chomper. He told them everything about Shredder and the accident with the Clubtails.
When Chomper was done, Chomper's father said As though a Flattooth wouldn't do the same to defend himself and to defend those he loved. I'm sure the Great Valley will understand if you explain. This Guido must just have a bug up his tush.
Chomper did recall how Littlefoot and his friends had tried to drown Shredder. Perhaps he could bring that up as an example of why he had acted how he had. After all, there was really no difference. However, he knew that the Great Valley might not let him there alive to go tell them that.
Chomper, still in thought, noticed Tiny, who seemed sick. What's the matter dear? he asked her.
Before she could reply, she vomitted. Food loss. Oh dear. Chomper moaned.
Tiny turned to stare at him. Chomper, I'm pregnant. she said.
Chomper, though he knew this could happen,was still taken aback. He was going to be a father! He felt elated.
When are you going to have the eggs? asked Chomper's mother.
In a few days I expect. Hopefully before the attack on the Great Valley. Tiny answered.
Chomper noticed the Bright Circle heading over the horizon. They were two hours away from the pack. And they had just that long to get back. We need to go. said Chomper.
Hope to see you two soon. said Chomper's parents, waving goodbye.
Meanwhile, Tucompso asked Ruby So, what caused those longnecks to die? where they sick? Did they have a bad growth? (cancer)
They were just old. And when you get old enough, you die. It's just part of the Circle of Life. I don't like it, but it is what it is. Besides, they are with their daughter now. She got killed by Shredder 20 cold times ago. Today was really hard for Littlefoot. It's like losing his mother all over again. said Ruby.
Guido, meanwhile, talked to his new girlfriend. "Normally the Great Valley is happy. It's been unpleasant lately with the threat of Sharptooth, with Chomper going rogue, and with the death of the Longnecks. I think we are the last Gliders on this side of the Great Divide." said Guido.
Guido tried to get her worms to eat. However, he misses and instead grabs Tricia's tail. "Ouch!" said Tricia.
"Sorry Tricia." said Guido, embarassed. In the confusion, the worms have gotten away. "So much for getting some grub." Gudio laments.
"I can get some from that rotting tree over there." said Tricia. She charges at a tree and hits it with her two horns, knocking it over. The rotting bark breaks open, revealing lots of Crawlers. Guido and his girlfriend eagerly head toward them.
You can die just from getting old? I have never seen that where I come from. And I don't think it's fair. How long do I have left? Am I old yet? asked the energetic shorty sharptooth Tucompso.
You can die from many things. Falling into a Gurgly Pit, being eaten by a Sharptooth, dying during an Earthshake, dying of hunger or thirst, dying in a fight with another Leaf Eater (yes, I've heard of such things), falling off a cliff, being stepped on by a bigger dinosaur, getting buried during a sand cloud, being buried by a landslide (avalanche), being in too much heat, too much cold, drowning, falling into tarpits or sinkings sands, or of old age. Old age seems the best way to go. said Ruby.
I don't think so. I see it as just knowing it's going to happen and slowly waiting for it to do so. If we survive all those other things attempts to kill us, haven't we earned some sort of right to continue to live forever? Who thought this was necessary to add to the list? said Tucompso.
It's part of the Circle of Life my friend. We aren't meant to know everything. Ruby replied.
Ruby dives into water, pulls out a snapping shell, and eats it. She gives Tucompso another one. Then she goes and eats Sweet Bubbles. If you can eat meat, why do you eat that disgusting stuff? Tucompso asks her.
Littlefoot, meanwhile, heads out into the Mysterious Beyond. He wants to be alone. He is saddened about the loss of his grandparents. Also, he is angry about Chomper. He walks alongside a beach near a cave, thinking alone.
Meanwhile, nearby, the two Egg Stealers are happy. They have laid their eggs.
"Pretty things. Aren't they?" said the male.
"Yep. I don't produce ugly stuff." said the female.
Outside, thunder rumbled and it began to rain. "Glad we picked this cave. It should keep us safe from the sky water." said the male Egg Stealer.
Littlefoot, meanwhile, moves underneath trees to avoid the rain. He still gets hit with some, but avoid most of it. However, he moves as lightning flashes in the sky, hitting a tree 100 yards from him. He heads toward the cave but finds he can't get in.
"Oh just my luck!" he moans.
However, as it keeps raining, he sees that the beach behinid him is flooding. He is about to head another way, toward higher ground. However, he pauses. He thinks he hears voices crying for help in there. Meanwhile, water, falling in from the roof, starts to flood the cave.
"Didn't think of that genius, did you?" grumbled the female. The room continues to flood.
The two worry about their eggs. They hear Littlefoot outside. At this point, they don't care if he's an angry Flattooth, upset about some lost eggs, or even a hungry Sharptooth. "Help us!" the two cry.
"Damn we just cannot get a break can we." grumbled the male Egg Stealer.
Fins from swimming Sharpteeth begin to pop up in the water.
"Would you Sharpteeth just go somewhere else?" shouts the male Egg Stealer. He says throwing a glassy volcanic rock at one of them. "Maybe if we climb high enough into the rock we can find somewhere safe to set the eggs." he tries climbing but some kind of algae slime grows on the rock making it to slippery.
The Swimming Sharptooth comes toward Littlefoot. Littlefoot dodges the Swimming Sharptooth and it misses him. It hits the blockage of the cave, breaking it open. LIttlefoot goes around the Swimming Sharptooth and heads into the cave. He meets the Egg Stealers.
"Great, a Longneck." mutters the female Egg Stealer. The two almost drown in the water. However, Littlefoot, feeling sorry for them, rescues them and their eggs with his neck. They reach the back of the cave. The water is rising right behind them.
"We're doomed!" cried the male Egg Stealer.
Littlefoot whacks the cave wall with his tail. The wall shatters, opening up due to the force. The three run out of the cave and to safety.
