Epilogue
The eggs were lined carefully and meticulously against the sides of the nest. Shael, who had arranged them, looked carefully at her handiwork, to make sure she'd left no small detail out. Her young would have to be perfectly situated when they hatched; she would accept no other alternative. Before long, her mate, Fyn, arrived as well, also admiring the job she'd done.
"Impressive," he said.
"Who knew?" Shael responded with a smile. "Who knew that we would be parents someday? I know I'd never considered it before we were mates."
"Well, I guess our plans change over time," Fyn said. "As I recall, it was you who suggested the idea."
"Well you agreed."
"Guilty," Fyn said, teasing.
"You are ridiculous," Shael laughed, playfully swiping him with the end of her tail.
"Come on," Fyn said, getting into a mock defensive position, "just one round, you and me. Scared?"
Shael was laughing even harder, now; so hard, in fact, that she didn't even notice Littlefoot and Taria sneak up from behind.
"Surprise!" Littlefoot said.
"Littlefoot, Taria, it's great to see you. What are you doing here?" Shael asked. The two looked knowingly at each other.
"We wanted to introduce you to the family." Taria said.
"Fam- they hatched?" Fyn was ecstatic, "I have to see them! Give me an introduction."
Littlefoot turned, showing off four little Longnecks on his back to Fyn and Shael. He dipped his head towards each one in turn, naming them.
"This one," he said, pointing towards a rose-colored female, "is Apa." He moved on to a dark reddish-brown male, who was raising his head to look around. "That's Cref, this is Maina," he gestured to a sleeping blue female, "and this," he said, coming to the last Longneck, a dark grey female, "is Littletail."
"Littletail?" Fyn asked, "that sounds almost like your name."
"It's a naming tradition for my family," Littlefoot explained. "Almost all of us are 'Littles' at some point in our lives."
Fyn nodded as Littlefoot let the little ones down to play. They immediately clustered around Shael's and Fyn's nest, looking curiously at the eggs. Then, the first small crack sounded from one of the eggs. Fyn looked on in wonder.
"I name it if it's a girl," Shael said.
"Fine, but if it's a boy, I name him," Fyn countered.
The egg began to split, its shaking seeming to trigger the two eggs near it to begin cracking. Fyn peered closely at the egg. The young dinosaur inside had already managed to break off a significant chunk of the shell. Fyn and Shael looked on, beyond joy, at the miracle before them. Finally, with a squeak, the egg's occupant tumbled out onto the Valley floor for the first time. It was a boy, and his markings were almost identical to Fyn's with one exception: a white streak running from the top of his head almost to his snout.
"He's beautiful," Shael said, licking him to clean him up. "Alright, Mr. 'if it's a boy, I name him,' what's your name?"
Fyn didn't hesitate. "Polen."
Shael nodded, "I like it. Polen it is." The little Fin-Neck was already up and peering at Littlefoot's and Taria's children, looking at his new friends. As the other two began to hatch, Fyn and Shael named them: Fas, a red male, and Neya, a little tan female. They watched as their children mingled with those of Littlefoot and Taria, becoming acquainted with each other. In time, they knew, they would grow to experience many of the same things the adults had experienced in life, and would become the next generation of friends, adventuring through the Great Valley and possibly beyond as they'd always done.
Littlefoot saw all of this and smiled to himself. His grandmother had told him about the Circle of Life long ago, and he now fully appreciated it, seeing it in action. Finally, he could see his role in it. As he watched his children and his friend's children playing together, he knew that he'd made the right choice long ago when he decided not to just quit on his journey to the Great Valley, instead opting to persevere regardless of the challenges that faced him on the way. It was truly moments like these, he knew, that made all of life's hardships worthwhile.
And so concludes another tale. I'll be on a long break from writing from here on out. Maybe just a "one shot" or a short story sometime in June... I'll be attending BCT at the US Air Force Academy, so obviously, writing during that six-week period is out. But, I will do my best to come back once BCT is done. Please review, and have an outstanding summer.
May the Bright Circle always guide your journey,
-YF
P.S. By the way, a little trivia here. The name "Polen" is a reference to Fyn's grandfather, Poldar. It's his way of paying homage to the Longneck he respected the most in his life. Just a little tidbit of info there!
