The three friends stood off a ledge that poured the water out of the cave. Below them was a land covered with mists. A few of the larger plants were noticeable, but everything else was covered by fog. Ali looked at Abe.
"This is the Valley of Mists. It holds many dangers so we must stick together."
"The Valley of Mists? This place looks like a cemetery."
Littlefoot and Ali both looked at Abe. He realized what he said and started to climb down the cliff. The longnecks followed.
"What's a cemetery?" asked Littlefoot.
"It's a place served to remember those who…passed on."
Littlefoot shook a little.
"Geez. Sounds creepy but wonderful."
Abe looked at him strangely.
"We don't have anything like that," explained Littlefoot. "When you die, you die in the open. We don't have a place to honor them."
Abe's feet touched the hard soil.
"I understand. Now as Ali mentioned, the cure for all is called the Night Flower. Ali, do you know where they are?"
She thought hard.
"It's been a while. Um, Littlefoot, do you know where?"
He tried to remember.
"I don't know. We were just walking around when we rested near them. I remember what the place they're at looks like, but that's it."
"Too bad I don't have one," said Abe. "If I caught its scent, I could whiff it out."
"Well, I guess we have to walk around until we're lucky."
Littlefoot marched ahead. Ali and Abe followed closely behind him. Abe thought of a better plan so enough and walked away from the longnecks. Littlefoot walked up to him.
"Abe, where are you going?"
"Towards the river."
"But why?"
"It'll make it easier to find these things."
"I don't get it."
"Because you don't have the power."
Abe and Littlefoot stood at the shore of a river. He now understood. To him, it was risky for her.
"But you didn't even ask her."
"Ask me what?" questioned Ali, still confused about Abe's plan,
"Well, we don't know where the flowers are, so I plan-" began Abe.
"He wants you to use the river as a walk path to find the Night Flower," interrupted Littlefoot.
Ali looked at Abe. He put his hands on his back and explained.
"We don't know where the Night Flower is. My plan is to use the water to find where it is. You have gotten the hand of your magic, so I use hoping you would scale the water to find the Night Flower."
Ali thought about it.
"It makes sense and will get us there quicker. Okay."
Littlefoot approached her in shock.
"But Ali, I'm worried. There are beasts in the river."
"But Littlefoot, they can't see me. Remember when you couldn't. Besides, you need to trust me."
"I do."
"Then let me do this."
He looked at her pleading face and sighed. He nodded. Ali jumped into the shallow water and turned into water. She merged with the river and swam rapidly away. Littlefoot looked down.
"Think positive," said Abe. "Worrying will cause more pain."
He nodded and stared out into the river.
The baby rainbow face rested in a meadow filled with closed leaves. She cried, knowing the fate of her parents. They had told her to run as a blue raptor challenged them. She had watched both of her parents die before her very eyes from a safe distant. The raptor didn't even bother to search for her. He wondered off in the opposite direction. Scared that her parents were gone, she ran until she couldn't run no more. Tears rolled down, knowing she was all alone.
Soon, she sensed footsteps coming from the stream that cut the meadow in half. She panicked and hid behind the tall flowers. She watched as the water took the shape of a longneck. A pinkish longneck soon appeared. The longneck walked out of the water and shook the water off. She looked around.
"This is the place. Better tell Abe and Littlefoot."
The rainbow face looked at the longneck with interest. She was so concentrated on the longneck that she accidentally kicked a pebble out of the bunch of flowers she hid in. The longneck saw the rock roll and faced the direction where it came from.
"Who's there?" she asked. "You better show yourself if you know what's good for you."
When nothing appeared, the longneck blasted the area with water. The plants dropped to the floor, revealing the soaked rainbow face.
"Who are you?"
The rainbow face approached her.
"Please don't hurt me."
"I won't. Just tell me who you are."
"My name is Vinna."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ali. What are you doing out here?"
Vinna cried, remembering the events that took place not so long again.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."
"My parents were killed by a raptor," she said as she calmed down.
A raptor? The Valley of Mists was too unstable for raptors. Why would one appear?
"Do you know what it looked like?"
"It was blue with yellow eyes."
Ali gasped. Lucastrof was here, meaning he had followed them.
"I noticed you can change your body into water."
"It's a long story."
"Are your parents also chosen like mine were?"
Ali looked at Vinna with a surprised look.
"You mean your parents were also magic?"
"My mom and dad were the last of their kind who had magic. I heard them tell to the raptor that he would be defeated again. I guess they knew him."
"Wait. Do you have magic?"
"I can make roots and vines grow and protect me."
Ali needed to tell Abe.
"Follow me."
Ali walked along the water's edge. Vinna followed.
Abe eyed Littlefoot as he stared into the water. He sighed and stood up from the tree he leaned against. He walked over to the longneck.
"Littlefoot, I told you not to worry."
"I can't help it."
"I know. Having someone you love in what seems dangerous to you always gets you worried."
"I don't love her," he said with a blush.
"Oh. I thought you did. Besides, you can't hide it from me."
Littlefoot sighed.
"Every time I see her, I get nervous. I was happy she followed me when no one else did. It was like she trusted me enough to take a chance when everyone thought I was crazy. She has shown support for me these few days. I do have some feelings for her, but I can't call it love."
"Littlefoot, be careful. If Lucastrof finds out, you are a dead man…er…dinosaur."
"I know."
"Too late."
They turned around to see Lucastrof a few yards away. Abe growled. How come he missed his scent?
"Abe, is that nose of yours withering? I really don't care about the longneck's stupid girlfriend. I'm more interested in you and getting the Pentagon of Life."
"You followed us?"
"Don't act surprised, longneck."
Abe unsheathed his sword.
"But you're an idiot for revealing yourself to me. We both know I'm more powerful."
"That was because the last dinosaurs that sealed me away still lived. Now that I killed those dinosaurs, my full powers are back."
He raised his staff, and an orb of fire formed above it. He swept his staff through the air, releasing the fireball. Abe jumped out of the way as Littlefoot stood his ground. Abe looked back. Lucastrof laughed.
"That stupid longneck has already met his fate, so now it's time to meet yours."
The corner of his eyes caught a blast of fire. He jumped out of the way and looked at where it came from. Littlefoot stared at his opponent in his fire form. Lucastrof's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me this longneck is…"
"That's right," said Abe. "His ancestors kicked your ass before, and now, he and I will do it again."
"This should be interesting then."
The two friends faced Lucastrof and jumped into battle.
"So, you guys met someone called Abe that can sort this out."
"Yes," replied Ali. "He and Littlefoot are the ones that really know what's going on."
"Then why are you here?"
"Oh," blushed Ali. "I… My herd came here and…uh…"
"Do you like them?"
The blush faded.
"Yeah. They're my friends."
"No. I mean really, really like them."
The blush slowly crept back.
"So you take both?" summed up Vinna.
"Heavens no!"
Vinna thought about it some more.
"I like both as friends, but not both of them like…like that," continued Ali. "It's just one for me."
"So there is someone you like a lot."
Ali realized what she said and slapped herself mentally.
"Well…um…you see…"
"Just spill it out, girl!"
Ali nodded.
"Littlefoot. He's charming, handsome, smart, caring…"
"But his name is Littlefoot. I thought little meant small."
"He was given the name because I think it had to do something with his dad."
"Oh. For a second, I thought he would be too small for you."
Ali imagined if Littlefoot was any smaller. She chuckled at the thought.
"What's that?"
Ali looked up ahead and saw fire, stones flying, and dark energy orbs. Worried, she hurriedly ran towards it. Vinna, still wondering what was happening, followed her.
Abe did a backflip to avoid a darkened energy orb and landed next to Littlefoot. Abe looked at the longneck. He was panting heavily and would be too tired to use his magic soon. They had been fighting for only five minutes, but the battle was too intense for him. Abe faced Lucastrof. He smiled and launched a wave of blue electrical current. Abe drilled his sword into the ground and used his sword as an insulator. The electricity was attracted to the metal and jumped into the ground. It finally stopped, and Abe pulled out his sword.
"This is why I'm a scientist," commented Abe.
Abe raised his sword and swiped it across the air. It released a lava wave at Lucastrof. The wizard smiled and countered it with a red energy orb. The two attacks faced each other, one trying to overpower the other. Littlefoot looked at Abe's attack and blew out fire to assist it. Nothing came out. Though his body was still on fire, he was too weak to blow out anything. Probably he should have listened to Abe and spread out the use of his magic. What did he expect? It was his first battle with his fire powers. On top of that, it was against a powerful foe. Littlefoot put a determined face on and then charged at the two attacks. Abe called to him.
"Littlefoot! Don't do it!"
Littlefoot ignored him and rammed into the two attacks. An explosion occurred.
Ali and Vinna stopped when they saw a puff of fire in the air. It was followed by shockwaves that went throughout the Valley of Mists. They weren't that powerful.
"What was that?" asked Vinna.
"I don't know, but we need to hurry."
The two ran towards the black smoke. They slowed down when they approached the spot. Ali saw Abe looking down at something. The explosion had killed most of the surrounding plants and blackened the ground. Abe sighed. Ali and Vinna cautiously walked up to Abe.
"Abe?" wondered Ali.
He looked back.
"Hey Ali."
"What happened?"
"Lucastrof attacked. The battle was intense, but it ended. Lucastrof manage to escape with a few burns. I had some burns and cuts from trying to contain the shockwaves. However…"
Ali looked at what he was looking at. Tears formed.
"Littlefoot!" she yelled.
"He was the one who stopped the battle."
"Littlefoot?" wondered Vinna.
Littlefoot lied on the ground with severe burns and cuts. A few of the burns were second degree burns. A deep cut wrapped around one of his legs, almost like it was cut off. Ali plotted herself next to the body and rested her head on his head.
"Littlefoot, you can't die. No."
Abe walked up to Ali and looked down at her.
"Ali. We need to go."
"Not without him!"
"But we need to stop Lucastrof."
Ali faced him angrily.
"Is that all you care about? Littlefoot is dead, and it's your fault! If we weren't out here, none of this would happen! If it wasn't for you, Littlefoot would have still lived longer!"
Abe sighed.
"But…I thought I could-"
"But Ali, it's not Abe's fault."
Ali's eyes sprung wide opened. She lifted her head up. Vinna approached them. Abe stiffened. Littlefoot's eyes opened.
"Sorry I worried you," he continued weakly.
"Littlefoot!" cried Ali in joy. "You're alive!"
Littlefoot formed a smile. Abe looked at the longneck and smiled. This longneck was stronger than I thought. Abe walked away to find some medicine. Vinna saw this and followed Abe. They introduced themselves.
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"I'm sorry, Ali."
"Don't be. You're alive. That's all I care about now."
Ali lowered her head and nudged Littlefoot's cheek.
"Ali. Ali! The burns!"
Ali remembered and lifted her head up. Littlefoot's eyes followed her.
"So, who's that with Abe?"
Ali looked at where Abe was. He and Vinna were picking at plants.
"Oh. That's Vinna. I found her in the Meadow of the Night Flower. Lucastrof killed her parents not too long ago."
"So that what he meant when he said something about killing two dinosaurs. Does she have magic too?"
"Yeah. She's able to control vines and roots."
Abe and Vinna came back. Abe squatted down and poured a mixture of concentrated plants and water down Littlefoot's throat.
"This might him feel better. It will heal him, but it will make him feel like he was drunk."
"What's drunk?" asked Ali.
"You'll see. Lucastrof escaped, so he might know the location of the Bark of Nature. Ali, you stay here and protect Littlefoot. Vinna and I are going to get the Bark of Nature."
"But-"
"We need to. I don't want this misfortune to happen to others. He'll be fine."
Abe and Vinna walked away. He soon stopped and glanced back.
"If he says something weird, it's just part of the drink I gave him."
Ali stood confused as Abe and Vinna left.
"What was that, Old One?" Ali's mother asked.
The explosion had been noticed in the Great Valley. The Old One lifted her neck and squinted her eyes.
"I don't know, but it came from the Valley of Mists.
Ali's mother grew worried. She just hoped her daughter was alright.
Vinna and Abe looked around the garden of the Night Flower. Vinna used the roots to help her find the object Abe described to her. She found something and had the roots of the flowers bring it. They gently threw it at us. Abe smiled and picked up the green bark.
"This is what I'm looking for. Thanks Vinna."
"No problem."
The duo walked back to where the longnecks were. Abe explained more about Lucastrof and the Pentagon of Life. Vinna understood why the demon knew her parents. They had told her stories of their past and explained everything when she figured out she had magical powers.
As they got back, they saw Ali ten feet away from a hiccuping Littlefoot. She stared at him in annoyance. Abe and Vinna approached her, and she faced Abe.
"What a jerk! At first, he was really kind to me until he slapped my behind with his tail. He then laughed about it and said about… It was disgusting!"
Abe laughed.
"First-timer. The medicine I gave him contained alcohol. I don't know how much, but I guess I gave him too much."
"What's alcohol?" asked Vinna.
"It's a basic drink that if you drink too much, it makes you act weird and stupid."
"So he's under the influence of the medicine?"
"Pretty much."
Abe walked over to Littlefoot. He looked up and hiccuped.
"Dude. Why does that sexy girl don't like me?"
Abe sighed and picked up Littlefoot.
"C'mon, you guys. We need to get out of the Valley of Mists and find the two remaining parts."
Abe carried Littlefoot, and they marched out of the Valley of Mists. Along the way, Littlefoot continued to talk about the simple things he saw and would whistle. Ali got annoyed and told Vinna to use her powers to shut him up. Vinna called upon the loose vines they walked by, and they wrapped around Littlefoot's jaws.
"Ah," said the trio, "much better."