Chapter XVII: The Dawn of Light
In which Littlefoot casts darkness aside.
"Ugh, I can't believe they kicked our butts," Ago whined.
"Don't feel badly. I powered you up, so you had a lesser chance to win," Ali reasoned.
"Thanks," he replied. Then her words sunk in, and he recognized the sarcasm. "Hey!"
"They are indeed quite strong," Ceit commented. "It's no wonder they were prophesied as having the potential to stop us."
"If it wasn't for Coaley here, they'd've gotten the stone back," Dusk added. Coaley beamed. "And the rest of you performed nicely as well. Besides me, while you've all tried out your abilities, you've never been in an actually fight before. Ah!" Dusk quickly clutched his shoulder.
"Easy, my lord," Menta told him, pressuring him back to relax. "That Long Neck was clearly playing for keeps."
"Yes," he replied. "His attacks were so relentless it was all I could do to survive; I couldn't get any shadow pulls in at all. Perhaps if I was prepared, but his strength caught my completely off guard. If he hadn't passed out, history would have repeated itself."
Menta shuddered and the others looked at him with perplexed expressions.
"It's nothing, never mind. Anyway, they won't be so lucky next time. That fight showed us a lot, so we'll be ready. I don't know how they found us the first time, but they may very likely find us again in the same manner."
"Then what can we do?" Agu asked. "If we can't lose them, why run?"
Dusk took a deep breath and exhaled. He hated hiding things from his comrades, but he knew their knowledge may jeopardize their cooperation.
"We're not exactly running from those dinosaurs. We're running to some dinosaurs. I would like to visit some old friends of mine. We haven't talked in a while, and it would be nice to socialize a bit."
Menta eyed him suspiciously. "If only I hadn't promised to stay out if his head, I could find out what he's up to," she thought to herself. "And there's no point in asking. When he wants us to know something, he tells us on his own."
"Ooh, more friends? Yay! I can't wait to meet 'em. Are they in a place I've been to before?" Coaley asked.
"Sorry, kiddo. We'll have to walk there," Dusk replied.
"Okey dokey, Dusky," but she quickly covered her mouth.
Dusk chuckled and said, "You saved the stone. You can call me whatever you wish."
"Ooh! Thank you! Let's see now. How about- Super Dusky, Commander of Shadows!"
"That has a nice ring to it," Menta had to admit.
"Agreed," Dusk added with a big grin. "Just use a bit of discretion. Otherwise, you'll be out of breath in no time." The whole group started laughing, then Dusk straightened up, donned a serious expression, and said, "Let's get moving. Oh, and Coaley, I'll hang onto the stone now."
"Alrighty," she replied, handing it to him.
Menta suddenly froze, looking very worried as she remembered something. Dusk turned to her, noticing, and gave her a smile that said, "All is forgiven." And with that, the six dinosaurs began making their way out of the Night Forest, towards a new location.
xxxxx
"They are going this way," Cera announced, as she began guiding the others.
"Your power is very useful, it is, it is," Ducky told her.
"Hee. Thank you," she replied with a proud expression.
"I just hope the usefulness of her ability stays useful," Ruby said thoughtfully. "If they leave to where there aren't any plants, we can't keep tracking them this way."
"So Littlefoot, being our leader and all, what are we gonna do when we catch up to them again?" Chomper asked him.
"Well, I uh, I'm not sure yet. We may have to fight them again."
"That won't be a problem. We whipped them easily earlier," Cera pointed out.
"Still," Ruby continued, "I don't think getting the stone back will be a walk in the meadow. That little Sharptooth that was with them can disappear at will. We'll need some kind of strategy for next time."
At the mention of Coaley, Chomper blushed.
"You okay, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked.
"Yeah…"
"You think she's cute, don't you?" Cera teased.
"No! Well, kinda, maybe…"
"Chomper likes a girl. Chomper likes a girl," Cera chanted.
"I do not!"
"Easy, guys. Let's try to focus," Littlefoot instructed.
The group pressed on a while longer, then Cera came to a halt. Turning to the others, she said, "They're out of the forest. I can take you to where they got out, but I can't lead you any more."
"That is okay Cera, okay that is," Ruby told her, patting her on the head.
"Yes, Cera do good job for sure," Petrie chimed in.
"Uh huh, uh huh," Spike added.
"Yeah, don't worry. I'm sure we'll figure out something," Littlefoot encouraged.
As the gang was about to reach the exit of the forest, they all heard a familiar screech. Turning around, the kids saw the same Flying Sharptooth that had snatched Ducky earlier, wounds completely healed. It began descending towards Littlefoot, talons extended; she remembered him.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her again," Littlefoot announced.
"Die!" she screeched, and the whole group gasped in astonishment that they could understand her. As she drew near, she shouted, "Grow!" and her body size increased five fold.
"What in the world-!" Cera shouted.
"Oh no!" Ruby exclaimed. "The stone's been in the forest so long, I'll bet that that Flying Sharptooth got power of her own!"
"Just what we need…" Littlefoot sighed. "Oh well. Here I go!"
"Don't forget to use light this time!" Chomper reminded.
"Oh yeah. Light, shine within my heart!" With a brilliant glare, Littlefoot's skin shown like the stars in the sky and he donned a noble countenance.
"I wish not to fight thee, miss. Leave us in peace; let blood be spilt not.
"You'll pay for stealing my children's lunch!" the Flying Sharptooth said with a shrill cry.
"I see," Littlefoot said thoughtfully. "Thou hast a pure heart, but not all means can justify an end. I shall not sit idly by when a friend is endangered."
Ignoring him, she quickly slashed with one of her claws, but Littlefoot dodged it easily. She began swinging both claws towards him, and pecking at him as well, but Littlefoot kept moving just right in order to avoid all the blows entirely. She stopped quickly, pulling her wing back and putting a large amount of strength into a swing, then let loose. Littlefoot ducked, and her attack chopped right through a tree, knocking it down.
"Fight, Littlefoot. Come on!" Cera coaxed.
"She is but a mother looking after her young. I have no desire to fight one such as her." She took to the air and made an aerial charge for him, but he side-stepped with incredible ease, so she slammed into a tree. She shook her head to regain her senses, and a small trickle of blood slid down her beak. Littlefoot saw this, and claws began to extend from his feet.
"Finally he's going to attack her," Cera thought.
Littlefoot rushed towards her at a startling speed and quickly slashed her beak with one of his front feet. The Flying Sharptooth winced, expecting pain, but she opened her eyes to find the pain from her beak gone. The wound from the impact was no more. She looked up at Littlefoot in confusion.
"It is not the way of light to destroy, or harm. I am of life, preservation- and healing. Be it that thou can understand me, I implore you to go your way in peace. Thou hast only tried to look after thine own, just as I am." Littlefoot turned and walked over to a large, rotten log lying on the ground. He turned it over, revealing several worms. "Take these, and satisfy your kin."
The Flying Sharptooth got up, walked over to him, and scooped several of the creatures up. She started to fly away, and shrank back to her normal size. Before she left eyesight, she turned and gave him a look that Littlefoot just knew meant, "Thank you."
"Release," Littlefoot said, and his coloration went back to normal. However, for the first time, he did not seem winded at all. "Hey, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. I don't feel tired one bit."
"Your light form is dumb," Cera said bluntly. "All you do is avoid attacks and heal. 'Fighting' like that won't help us beat Dusk."
"I healed that Flying Sharptooth?" Littlefoot asked in surprise.
"That's right," Chomper said thoughtfully, entering the conversation, "Littlefoot doesn't remember what he does in his forms. And yeah, that Flying Sharptooth got hurt and you healed her."
"Then how did I win?"
"If I had to guess, my guess would be that she was thankful you healed her so stopped fighting," Ruby explained.
"I see," he replied. "I just hope that enemies in the future will also be like that."
"I doubt it," Cera told him. "Sure, your dark form usually comes after us, but at least it actually fights."
Littlefoot froze.
"Cera!" Chomper exclaimed, nudging her in her side.
"I attack you guys when I'm in my dark form?"
Chomper stepped forward reluctantly. "When you're dark, all you can think about is fighting. Whenever we've gotten in the way, you've turned to us. But don't worry, everything's fine."
"How can fighting my friends be fine!" He paused in recollection. "Wait a minute. Back when that Fast Biter was attacking that Ali illusion, and you got hurt- that was me, wasn't it?"
Chomper lowered his head. "Yes," he said quietly.
"So that's why those Rainbow Faces insisted I only use light! I am so sorry, Chomper! Why didn't you guys tell me this earlier?" Littlefoot was clearly horrified at what he'd done.
"We knew it wasn't your fault, nope nope nope," Ducky told him.
"So we no want you feeling badly," Petrie finished.
Spike shook his head in agreement.
"Thank you for being thoughtful, but I should have been told right away! I would have made sure to have never used that form again if I'd only known. From now on, I'm done with darkness."
"No, Littlefoot! Your dark form is where your power's really at, and we need it for beating Dusk. We'll just make sure we don't get in your way again," Cera told him.
"I can't put you guys at risk," he told them all solemnly. "I'm going to do my part to help win this battle, but I'll be doing so with my light form alone."