Chapter XV: The Ending of Secrecy and the Beginning of War

In which Dusk's mysterious group member is finally revealed, and a battle of both sides begins.

Petrie rolled over and yawned. He raised his head opened his eyes drowsily. He then closed them and tried returning to sleep. Then they suddenly opened wide when he realized what he was lying on.

"Guys, wake up!" he exclaimed.

"Not now, daddy. Just a few more…" Petrie pecked the back of her head and she jerked awake. "What!"

"Ali gone."

Hearing that brought Littlefoot full to his senses. "Ali?" he called out. "Ali!"

Rey walked over. "Don't bother," he told them. "She can't hear you because she was never here to begin with."

"I hear what you mean, but I don't know what you mean," Ruby said. "We all saw her."

"I told you all long ago, that if you don't see it with your own eyes, you won't believe it. It seems you all have the reverse as a problem as well," Reina said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cera demanded.

"You rely too heavily on what your eyes do and not perceive. You have to work with more than just that. Rey and I looked, and what seemed to be Ali did not walk away. There are no new footprints, and no one can retrace one's steps perfectly."

"Maybe someone transported her away," Littlefoot suggested.

"We know that power very well, so we are also aware that that couldn't be it. I examined the area that 'Ali' was sleeping in. There is a small puddle of the ointment I applied last night. I was suspicious, so I applied much more than necessary to leave ample evidence. If she was transported away, the salve wouldn't have been left behind. What we all saw yesterday has ceased to exist," Rey told them.

"Oh! That reminds me!" but then Petrie quickly covered his mouth.

They all turned to look at him. He chuckled nervously and said, "Nothing."

"Petrie!" Cera yelled.

"Okay, okay. Me sleep on Ali before, back in the Land of Mists, so me got to know really well how she smells. Last night, on Ali, Petrie no smell anything."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO RIGHT AWAY!" Cera bellowed.

"Me- too tired?" he replied with a sheepish grin.

"You did well, Petrie," Rey complimented.

"Me real sorry, okay? Me- huh? Petrie do- well?"

"Yes. If we had made a scene last night, they would have known we were on to them. For all they know now, we have no idea what happened to her. Now we can be ready if it shows up again," Rey explained.

"I don't understand," Littlefoot spoke up. "Who exactly was that?"

"Not who, my boy, but what," Rey replied. "Reina have had our suspicions that Dusk's group had one, but this confirms it."

"Will you start making sense already?" Cera said impatiently.

"If you hadn't interrupted, perhaps he'd've been able to," Reina told her.

"As I was saying, what we saw wasn't a real anything. Dusk's group must have an illusionist. They have the power to change the sensatory signals that enter one's body, and even create an entire entity that emits signals of its own. Sustaining an object like that takes a lot of concentration and energy. They can do one more thing, but very few illusionists I've come across have been able to do it, because it takes immense mental focus and energy. It is the ability to create illusions and implant them into someone as memories, and in doing so, control him or her. Both sustaining an object that isn't real and manipulating someone's memories take so much energy that the illusionist must be awake for them to hold out."

"An illusionist doesn't necessarily have to be awake to keep false memories in someone," Reina corrected. "But if one keeps them going all the time, he or she won't get much rest while sleeping. I suppose those with a lot energy would keep it going all the time, because making fake memories causes quite a strain."

"I didn't understand most of that, but what I think I understand, I don't understand," Ruby said with a puzzled look. "How does changing someone's memory give an illusionist control of that dinosaur?"

"Do you obey your parents?" Rey asked her.

"Of course."

"Then, for example, I could create the illusion in your memories that I am your father, and in turn, you would obey me."

"Ohhh."

"Anyway, here's a simpler way of saying what Rey said: Illusionists can make things seem ways they are not, create things that seem real but aren't, and a select few can make dinosaurs believe things that aren't true," Reina simplified.

"Why didn't he just say that to begin with?" Cera asked.

"He has a real knack for making things harder than they have to be," she replied, annoyed she had to repeat everything.

"Me have question," Petrie spoke up.

"Yes," Rey answered.

"Why that Ali illusion have no smell?"

"Good question. The more senses who deceives, the more energy it takes. Whoever did this assumed no one would notice no smell so didn't make it to conserve energy."

xxxxx

"Hold on a minute," the young child requested.

"Yes?" his father asked back.

"So that 'masterpiece' thing that Ceit keeps talking about- was it that Ali illusion? I think that's what the story is saying, but it's not very clear."

"You're a smart kid, son. Yep, the Ali illusion is indeed the masterpiece Ceit spoke of.

"Okay then, and the story mentions that he made it before to go into the Great Valley. Did anyone see it then?"

"Actually, a number of dinosaurs did, but we're getting ourselves. The story will explain that in time."

"Alrighty, you can keep on reading." His father paused. "Please." He then smiled resumed the tale.

xxxxx

Suddenly, out of nowhere came a loud crunching of branches in the distance. Everyone immediately looked in the direction of the sound, and there came into view a small, white Sharptooth holding a small object.

She ran over to the group, got on her knees, and presented the item to Rey.

"Please forgive us for the trouble we've caused you," she said, "Now I beg of you, take the stone and go back to your world."

The group was all in shock, but Rey quickly composed himself and reached for the Stone of Cold Fire. A loud screech suddenly pierced the sky and a Flying Sharptooth swooped down and caught the stone in his talons before Rey could grab it. He flew high into the air, far out of reach of the land-walkers. More noise filled the forest and a group of small dinosaurs arrived before Littlefoot and the others.

"Betrayal, Menta?" asked the black, male Sharptooth.

"My lord! I- I-" Dusk raised his hand, and she grew silent. He then turned to Rey.

"We meet yet again, Dusk," Rey said solemnly. "Now we shall end thi-"

Chomper had been looking at Coaley curiously, but then he noticed Agu and his eyes widened. "Wait, I know you!" he exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," he replied.

Chomper scooped up a rock, then tossed it at Agu's feet. Agu's eyes widened.

"Hey, now I remember! You're that kid who was muttering to himself and throwing things at me! I went and asked my parents to get rid of you because it was really creeping me out."

Now it was Chomper who went wide-eyed. "Oh, no wonder he never talked back to me," he thought to himself. "I completely forgot to speak Sharptooth!" Remembering the task at hand, Chomper looked to Dusk with big eyes. "You- you're not going to fight us, are you?"

Eyes still on Rey, he replied, "That depends if your friends are going to let us walk away with the stone or not."

"I think you know the answer to that already, Dusk," Rey told him.

"Not necessarily," Dusk replied nonchalantly. "Why don't you come out, Ali?" Littlefoot's head jerked over. A small Long Neck emerged from behind a tree. "If things were to become- complicated- during this encounter, I cannot guarantee her safety."

"Nice try," Reina said with a smirk. "We know you have an illusionist in your group. That Ali isn't the real one."

Petrie flew over until he was right above her, and began sniffing. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Me think this one real! It has her scent."

"The illusion was more than likely improved since the last time," Rey said cautiously.

"Which one of you knows Ali the best?" Dusk asked.

"I do," Littlefoot replied with confidence.

"I will have her released long enough for you to ask her one question that only she would know. Then you can be certain if she is real or not." He nodded at Ceit.

The Long Neck blinked a few times, then looked around her in alarm. "Wh-what's going on? Where am I?"

Rey and the others with him looked at her suspiciously. Then Littlefoot walked up to her.

"Don't worry Ali. Its going to be alright. I can explain everything. But first, do you remember when we got the day flowers to help my sick grandmother?"

"Huh? I must dreaming. We went to get the night flowers for your grandfather."

Dusk nodded at Ceit again. Ali suddenly grew silent.

"It's the real Ali!" Littlefoot shouted. "Let her go!"

"Don't follow us through Coaley's warp hole and you have nothing to worry about," Dusk assured him.

"Dusk," Chomper said, quite upset, "What you're doing is wrong. Please, don't keep her any longer."

Dusk sighed. "Chomper, you don't understand now, but in the end, you will thank me for what I'm doing."

Chomper bared his teeth. "Ali is my friend, and I will never thank you for doing this to her!"

"You misunderstand," Dusk told him. "The 'Ali' you met in the Great Valley was just an illusion. The real one has been with us longer than you realize. Despite Ceit messing up her coloration somewhat, no one realized it wasn't really her, luckily. So in reality, Chomper, you never knew Ali."

Chomper's mouth dropped open, but he quickly recovered. "So what?" Ali is Littlefoot's friend, and any friend of his is a friend of mine, so there! Now please let her go, Dusk. I am asking nicely."

"Until my mission is done, I cannot, sorry. But I still believe that when all is said and done, you will be grateful for what I am doing. Now, if you'll all excuse me," and he turned to leave.

"Not so fast," Rey told him. "We never agreed to your terms."

"But Rey! We can't risk hurting Ali. It will be hard to fight them and make sure she's okay at the same time," Littlefoot said.

"That is a risk we have to take. If Dusk gets what he wants from the stone, something terrible will happen," Rey replied.

Dusk took on a bemused countenance. "You're obviously misinformed, but anyway, if you want to fight- very well. Everyone, come on."

Menta looked up to Rey and mouthed, "I'm sorry," and rejoined Dusk.

Rey turned to his group. "Alright everyone, this is it. You have had plenty of time to understand your power, I just wish you'd've had more time to try them out. Still, no better time than the present, I suppose."

"Let's do this," Littlefoot said, a fire in his eyes. "Darkness, burn within my body!"

"STOP!" Reina shouted, but it was too late. Littlefoot had gotten so caught up in the moment that he had forgotten his warning. Before them stood a Long Neck with skin like night itself.

Littlefoot glared at Dusk, and said, "Don't think at any time that this is a nightmare. You'll soon see that this is far worse. Rawww!"