Chapter IX: The Thief and the Stone
In which the past comes to light.
Nine dinosaurs appeared atop a tall mountain.
"Wh-what's going on?" Cera stammered. "How did we get up here?"
"You worry too much about the how's and why's when what's done is done. We are here, so let's discuss our situation and move forward," Reina told them.
"Hmph! Do you know anything but rudeness?" Cera demanded.
"Living with that father of yours, you should be quite used to it," Reina replied.
"Ooh!" Cera squealed before starting to charge, but Littlefoot stepped in front of her.
"Okay, we're here," Littlefoot said, "So please tell us what we need to do to help."
Rey cleared his throat. "This is about the Stone of Cold Fire."
"Huh?" Petrie interrupted. "Me thought that all made up."
"Oh yes. When Pterano tried using it, it did not work for him, nope nope nope," Ducky added.
"The reason it did not work for him, is because that was not the stone. It was just a rock I had sent to this planet to help me find the real thing," Rey explained.
"What do you mean, 'this planet,' and how could you send a flying rock?" Littlefoot asked.
"It's a long story. I will start at the beginning. Everyone should take a seat," Rey instructed.
"How can we take anything when there's nothing here to take?" Ruby asked.
"He meant 'sit down'. I don't see how the creatures of this planet survived as long as it has with such limited intelligence."
"Hey!" Cera shouted.
Rey sighed, then sat down to set an example for the group. Littlefoot followed suit, then the rest of them sat down together.
"My kind lives peacefully on another world. This planet you call home is not the only one with life. Someone found a strange stone, and after picking it up, received great power. He shared it with many others, giving anyone a gift as well. Eventually, some of our wisest researchers learned how to adjust the stone's energy output to various ends, one being to have its energy flow so folks didn't have to touch it to receive it's power. We thrived using the energy of the stone, as it gave us all great power, the ability to do things your kind can only dream of. The stone's power was used equally for us all, until one day, a rather selfish 'Rainbow Face' (as you call us) decided to flee with the stone to this world. We believe he wanted to wait until the rest of us ran out of power then return to take over."
xxxxx
"Unh, ugh," Menta moaned, as she slowly opened her eyes. A wet leaf covered her forehead, and she was sprawled out on a nest of dry ones. Though her head still throbbed slightly, she was more concerned about Dusk's reaction.
"Um," a voice said. Menta jumped slightly, and the voice continued, "Sorry Menta, it's just me," the Long Neck told her. "Dusk asked me to keep an eye on you and tell him when you awoke, but uh, I can wait a while if you'd like."
Menta smiled. "Thank you. Though I typically like to get things over with, I would like more time to collect myself before the lecture of my life."
The Long Neck chuckled slightly. "I understand. Are you alright though?"
"I'm fine, really. If I wasn't already tired from the journey, I wouldn't have ended up like this. Nothing happened to Dusk, right?"
"Perfectly safe."
"And that's all that matters."
"Alright, you just get some more rest and I'll stay here to if you need anything. Besides, Dusk will figure out you're awake when I leave."
"Oh, I think I'll figure it out before that," Dusk said, standing right behind the Long Neck.
xxxxx
"One day, he came into the stone's holding area and stole it. He chose his timing well. Some of our kind had been working on a method to visit other worlds. It was a very complicated procedure, but an opening was created in the end. Though it was believed that it would take anyone to another world inhabited with life, it wasn't certain just where this world would be. The thief grabbed the stone and ran through the opening, and ended up in this world. It wasn't hard to figure out what happened with several bits of evidence that was collected, and some of us went through as well to catch him and get the stone back."
"So there's a whole other world out there filled with dinosaurs just like us?" Chomper asked.
"Not quite," Rey answered. "We have no diversity. Using your reference of us, there are only 'Rainbow Faces' where we come from. This world has a few of them here and there, but they are originally from our world. This one had none before some of our inhabitants decided that they wanted to observe the dinosaurs of elsewhere. Anyway, some of us came here to find the thief and the item he stole, and find him we did. He was cautious, believing we might come after him, so he hid the stone.
A group of three went to bring them back. It took a while, but they finally tracked him down. He kept on the move, but justice cannot be escaped from. When they found him, he was already being attacked by others. A giant of a beast along with his two followers. The power that the stone granted him allowed him to wield fire, and he fought hard. He slashed the giant with a blazing whip, burning his flesh from his eye all the way down his arm. Unfortunately, that only enraged the giant further, and thief was caught then devoured. The ones we had sent waited too long to intervene, and as a result, we had no easy way to find where the stone hidden."
"A burn from his eye down his arm?" Ruby pondered. "Could he be talking about-?"
"We brought them back, and eventually created a way to find the stone's general location. We infused a large rock with some of the stone's power that was left in our world, and sent it hurdling through space. We had reason to believe the empowered stone would move toward the source of its energy, like an attraction. With the speed it flew at, we theorized it wouldn't be able turn enough to land at the Stone of Cold Fire's exact location, but its general area. It landed on this mountain."
"Wait," Littlefoot interrupted. "That stone that Pterano chased after and we all found- was that the stone you all sent?"
"I say again, you have a sharp mind, Littlefoot," Rey told him. "What we said to the adults of the valley was true. However, we chose our wording carefully, making them think we referring to the rock you saw fall. We said, 'What if this was no ordinary flying rock?' What if it was, for example, a Stone of Cold Fire?'. We never said we actually thought that rock was one. 'What if's' can be applied to anything. If I said, 'What if it rains today?' that doesn't mean I actually thought it would."
"If I had to guess, I'd guess this happened before Chomper and I moved here?" Ruby asked.
"Yes," Littlefoot replied. "I can tell you all about it later."
"Okay, thank you."
"As I was saying," Rey continued, "We told everyone about the real stone's power in hopes of getting help in our search. We thought that, maybe, if some went looking for the rock Littlefoot had seen, they would find the real one. We thought it was a stroke of luck that Littlefoot had seen it and told the others, but the actual stone was never discovered. When all had been said and done, it was time Reina and I reported back, so we returned to our world. We've made many trips to continue our search, but they were to no avail."
"Perhaps if you didn't keep insisting on seeing what these children were up to," Reina added a sigh.
"You'd been spying on us?" Cera asked angrily.
"Observing, is the term I'd prefer. You kids, especially Littlefoot, have shown a broader mindset than any others we've come to see on this planet, so I've developed an interest in your activities and adventures."
Be it spying or "observing," all the children felt a bit uncomfortable that they had been watched on many occasions, and they shifted around uneasily.
Finally, Chomper broke the silence. "So, I'm guessing you want our help finding the stone?"
"You are correct," Rey told him.
"The magic left in our world is dwindling. We have come to rely so heavily on it, if it leaves completely, things will not go well."
"Hey, I thought you said it was our world that was in danger," Cera pointed out. "Or did you just say that so we'd help?"
"Many, many years ago, a 'Rainbow Face' had a vision that a world would be in peril- yours. A group of dinosaurs of this world would gain control of the stone and attempt to use it. The stone has the ability to grant one wish, though while the details aren't important, it isn't easy to do. He foresaw that without the aid of a group of seven dinosaurs, each different and living in one place, a wish will be granted that would mean trouble for this world. His dream was passed down over the generations, and I believe those seven our the children who stand before us."
The children grew silent at the dire prospect Rey was presenting. Finally, Cera spoke up.
"Even if we are, you make it sound like some big adventure, but all we have to do is find the stone, right? It may take a while, but it doesn't sound very difficult."
"Oh, but it is. You see, there are others seeking the stone," Rey explained.
"You mean uncle Pterano still looking?" Petrie asked.
"No. We've kept an eye on him here and there, and he truly believes the stone does not exist. The group seeking the stone is lead by someone you've all met- the Sharptooth called Dusk."
Chomper gasped.