Chapter XXI: Generous, yet Selfish

In which Dusk tries again to give and take.

"So Dusky, how're you gonna find your friends?" Coaley asked.

"I'm not," Dusk replied a smug expression, turning to Ceit.

The Flying Sharptooth sighed. "Very well, ma lord," he said, taking to the skies.

"Are we just going to sit around while he looks?" Agu asked.

"We could use a break after traveling so far," Dusk pointed out.

"Aw, I'm not tired; I'm bored."

"Why don't you go exploring then?" Menta suggested.

"Good idea, but don't go too far," Dusk instructed.

"Can I go too please?" Coaley asked.

"I don't know, can you?" Agu joked, starting to laugh.

Coaley sighed. "May I go too please?"

"Of course. Have fun you two, but stay together," Dusk told them.

"Do we have to hold hands too?" Agu asked sarcastically. Dusk gave him a look which made him shiver, and the two kids ran off together.

"Mind if I take a nap somewhere on the beach?" Ali asked.

"By all means," Dusk replied. Ali walked a ways away and lay down to get some rest, leaving Dusk and Menta alone.

"I'm not questioning your actions, just trying understand them. Why are we looking for these friends of yours?" Menta asked.

"Well, I am curious how they and their son are doing."

xxxxx

"Agu!" Coaley huffed, "Please so slow down!"

"Forget it! I can't have fun exploring when I have to tag along with someone. Copy!" Two more Agus entered the scene, and they all ran in different directions. "Betcha don't know which one is the real me!"

Coaley did not even guess. She came to a sudden halt, panting as all three Agus disappeared into the trees. "I hope he doesn't get himself hurt," she thought to herself.

She walked along the edge of the beach. The coolness of the small waves brushing against her feet felt so good. She then turned to the ocean hearing splashing nearby. A Swimming Sharptooth was splashing about, and his head was shaking violently. Finally, it spit something out into the water. She squinted her eyes against the bright circle, and she saw that it was a little Sharptooth! He wasn't that far from the island, and he was unconscious. She quickly swam out to him, clutching his neck and holding his head above the water. "Warp!" she said, and immediately returned to dry land. She then set him down, sprawled across the sand.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "It's Chomper!" She knelt down, resting his head on her lap. The young, male Sharptooth soon started moving his head around, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Thank goodness, he's alright," she thought to herself. "And he's even cuter up close."

"What- where am I?" he asked drowsily.

"On an island, safe and sound," she told him. Chomper quickly sat up.

"Who're- wait, I know you! You're one of those mean Sharpteeth with Dusk!" He tensed, expecting her to attack him, but she only looked at his behavior curiously.

"None of the Sharpteeth with Dusk are mean. Not even Agu. Well, maybe he's a little mean, but I know he has a good heart. At least, I hope so. By the way, the name's Coaley."

Now it was Chomper's turn to look out of sorts. She was talking to him as if they good friends. She didn't seem at all riled that he, one of Littlefoot's group, was standing before her. He tried to remember how he got separated. "Where did you find me?" he asked her.

"I saw you get thrown out of a Swimming Sharptooth's mouth, not too far from the island. I went out and brought you back."

"Why would someone from Dusk's group save me?" he asked with a guarded tone.

Coaley looked at him, tilted her head to the side, and frowned. "Why do you keep talking as if we're bad? You're hurting my feelings."

Chomper walked over and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I'm just confused. Dusk has done some bad things, so I just don't know what to think of him."

Coaley looked out over the waters, as if in contemplating. "If your mommy was starving, and the only meat around belonged to someone else, would you take it?"

"Of course! I'm not gonna let my mom go hungry!"

"But Chomper, stealing is wrong." Chomper froze at her words. "Sometimes, when trying to do something good, bad things may happen. Dusk's heart is for all of us Sharpteeth. He is fighting for our kind, Chomper."

"What do you mean?" he asked her. "What is Dusk trying to accomplish?"

Coaley's body suddenly flew back into a tree, dazing her.

"Coaley!" Chomper shouted, quickly got to his feet and rushing to her side.

"Whew, that close," Petrie said. "One of Dusk's friends nearly get you, Chomper." The rest of Chomper's friends caught up with them.

"Chomper, are you alright?" Littlefoot asked him.

Chomper, however, was too angry to pay that question any heed. "Petrie! Coaley wasn't going to get me! She saved me, and you attacked her!"

"M- me sorry," he stammered. "Me- not know."

"One of Dusk's group saved you? That is more unusual than usual," Ruby said.

Coaley started coming to. "Ungh." Chomper helped her sit up. She looked around at his friends, and deduced what had happened. "Chomper," she said quietly. "Dusk is doing no different than what your friend just did." Her words stunned him as they sank in. "I hope to see you again." She then leaned forward and licked his cheek. "Warp." And just like that, she was gone.

xxxxx

"Ugh, I try to eat one, and they all go crazy. Why did I have to leave her behind? Her warp power would be SO useful right now," Agu said dejectedly as he ran from a swarm of buzzing buzzers. "Copy!" A single replica of Agu popped out and ran to the army of insects. They stung it all over and it vanished. Agu turned back to see if that had thrown them off, but they were still coming. "Come on!" he exclaimed in frustration. "Coaley!"

"You called?" she asked, standing before him with a grin and her arms folded.

"Phew, I'm saved. Quick, can you warp us out of here?"

"I don't know, can I?" she wondered aloud with a smug expression.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry about making fun of you earlier. Now hurry up! Ah!"

The swarm was just about to engulf him when Coaley said "Warp," and they were gone, back with Dusk and Menta.

Dusk looked at the two Sharpteeth and raised a brow. Coaley was rubbing her back and Agu was breathing very hard. "Have a little excitement, did we?"

"Yeah," they both said at once in a low tone. The group then quickly turned as they heard loud stomping coming from deeper in the island.

"It seems that Ceit was successful," Dusk commented.

"That I was, ma lord," he told him, landing nearby. "I gave them a brief explanation as to why you won't be as- recognizable."

"Good work."

"Thank you."

Two giant Sharpteeth emerged from the island's foliage and stood before the group. The male lowered his head to Dusk's height.

"Wow. If I hadn't seen you with my own eyes, I'd've never believed it," he said to Dusk.

"Yes. It is the unfortunate side effect of having such power," Dusk responded.

The female laughed and said, "You're kinda cute like that."

Dusk made a crooked smile and rolled his eyes, and her mate gave her a bemused look.

"We haven't see you in a while either, Menta," Chomper's mother told her. "How have you been?"

"Oh, alright. Yourself?"

"Both me and my husband have been doing well, thank you."

"How many of you aren't how you look?" Chomper's father asked them.

"Besides Menta and I, just Ceit, the one who found you two. Now," Dusk continued, clearing his throat, "I would like to speak to you two- alone, please." His companions exchanged glances. "Coaley, would you be so kind as to take everyone off the island for a few minutes?"

"Okey dokey Dusky."

Coaley was about to warp them away, but Menta whispered in her thoughts, "Just take us a short ways away. If we're caught, I'll make sure the blame is on me. It is very important that you do this."

"Warp!" Coaley said, and the whole group vanished- not far from where Dusk and the two Sharpteeth stood. The group hid behind some bushes, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"How's that boy of yours?" Dusk asked them.

"He's growing into a fine, young Sharptooth," the male answered. "Although, he has a very unusual choice of friends."

"I haven't seen him since he was just a hatchling. In fact, you hadn't even named him yet. If I may, what exactly is unusual about his friends?" Dusk reached down and grabbed a large beetle, munching on it hungrily.

"He made friends with Leaf Eaters," he replied.

Dusk started to choke on the insect. Pounding on his chest, he managed to swallow.

"I was expecting a reaction like that," the female said with a laugh.

"The boy- what did you name him?"

"Chomper," his father told him.

Dusk was dumbfounded. What he meant to be simple chit-chat before his main point ended up becoming a revelation. He quickly regained his composure and said, "That's a nice name."

"Thank you," Chomper's father replied. "Now Dusk, I know you came here to do more than ask about our child. You have a way of easing into serious issues, but we're good friends, so there's really no need to warm us up. What's on your mind?"

"Aren't you worn out from fighting Flatteeth for food all the time?" Dusk asked them.

The two adults looked at each in surprise. "What do you mean by that?" Chomper's mother asked. "We're not that old."

"No no, sorry, that's not what I meant," Dusk said quickly. "What I mean is, are you tired of meals always having to be a chore? Wouldn't you like to just relax and eat whenever with no hassle?"

"Of course," Chomper's father replied. "What Sharptooth wouldn't?"

"Ceit explained the stone's power to you, I presume?"

"Well," the male began, "He said that it grants special abilities."

"Good. He was wise to leave the other part to me. This stone," Dusk told them, holding it out in front of him, "Will grant someone a single wish, provided four others wish for the same thing at the same time. I need your help in making a wish. I want all Sharptooth kind to be able to live off of green food like Leaf Eaters. No more needless tussles and food available all over."

The two adults grew silent in thought for a time. "An intriguing proposition," the male finally said.. "Our son would grow up in a peaceful world. He's so gentle. I've worried that he wouldn't be successful when the time came for him to hunt. I like the idea."

"I do too. But I don't understand something. I saw four others with you- three Sharpteeth and a flying one. What do you need us for?" the female asked.

"A few of my companions aren't fond of me making that wish, so I don't have enough to do so."

"What don't they like? They love hunting their meals that much?" the female wondered aloud.

"That's not it!" Menta shouted, coming from behind the bush. "Dusk hasn't told you everything. Tell them, my lord. Tell them what must happen to one of the dinosaurs who make the wish."

"Menta…"

"Well, Dusk, what happens?" the male asked.

"For the wish to come true, one of the wishers must give up his or her life. I've already established that I'd give up my own."

"Dusk, I can't believe you!" the female exclaimed. "You're being generous and selfish at the same time."

Dusk raised a brow.

She continued, "You have friends that really care about you, friends who can't bear the thought of seeing you die, and that includes us. While giving to the world, you're taking away from those close to you. My husband and I would never help you do such a thing."

"I am being generous to them as well!" Dusk retorted indignantly. "I am giving them a better life to live."

"No life without you, my lord, could I ever call a better one," Menta told him, lowering her head.

Dusk was furious that Menta had interfered, having come so close, but he veiled his emotions. "I am sorry for causing you distress," he told her. "There's nothing more for us to do here. We're leaving."

"You really have to go so soon?" the male asked him. "We haven't seen each other in a long time. I'd like to catch up."

"I'm sorry, but we must be going. Nice seeing you two again."

"Dusk…" the female said sadly.

Dusk turned his back on the two parents and started walking to where Ali was resting. His companions followed. Chomper's parents watched Dusk leave with a heavy heart. They could see that he was upset, much as he tried to hide it, and they didn't want this visit, the first one in a long time, ending on such unhappy terms.

"Would you at least consider spending the night?" the male asked him.

Dusk stopped, half turned, and looking him right in the eyes said, "No. And if anyone asks about why I was here, tell them nothing." The two adults nodded.

The group met up with Ali, and Dusk gently woke her, saying it was time for them to go. "Coaley?" Dusk asked.

"Uh, where to?" she asked back.

"Anywhere but here."

"Oh. Okay. Let's see... Warp!"