Oof, this chapter turned out way longer than I expected! It's about the same length as some of the flashback chapters, despite there being no flashbacks whatsoever. Anyway, this chapter features a more flawed side of Amelia (since I tend to focus on her good qualities more for some reason). The gang of seven (or gang of eight in this specific case) play a big role in this chapter, and so do some of the other canon characters! It was a lot of fun for me to write, and it's pretty heartwarming, so I hope you guys enjoy! Please leave feedback and as always, have a good week!

Also, just a note — I apologize in advance for all the horizontal line breaks and any gramatical or spelling errors that I may have missed,,,

I've also been thinking about voice claims for characters in this story. As of right now, I have John Hurt as Tristan and Julie Andrews as Amelia, both of which I find very fitting.

That's it for the author's note, thanks for listening to ramble, you may now proceed with the actual story. :)

The pitter patter of sky water filled the cloudy skies, and the occasional rumble of thunder could be heard. The water dripped from the leaves, spilling onto the grass below, creating large puddles of filthy mud.

For most of the year, the Great Valley was a bountiful paradise. However, just like any other home, it had it's downsides. The cold times were trying and difficult, often creating inconveniences for the families of the valley.

Tristan and Amelia stood near the entrance of the cave, the clearing granting them access to the outside world. Moments after another rumble of thunder, a crack of lighting struck a large tree, pulling it from it's roots and bringing it tumbling to the ground.

Almost in complete unison, the two rainbow faces blanched, taking a step back.

"Well," said Tristan, scowling, "There goes our way out."

"Nonsense," replied Amelia, who walked up and gave the trunk of the tree a forwards nudge with her snout. After a moment of exertion, the tree was rolling down the small hill. She then padded back inside, shaking the water droplets from her tail.

"No need to show off," mumbled Tristan.

"It's not my fault that you're not as strong as I am."

Tristan, lacking a witty response, forced a chuckle.

Then, Mackenzie trudged over, looking up towards her mother. "Mom, when will the sky water stop?"

Amelia didn't quite hear her, as her attention had been previously occupied by something else.

"Oh, come now, Tristan," she crooned, "Stop sulking, will you?"

"Humph."

"Mom," Mackenzie called from below.

Amelia, seeing that Tristan wouldn't budge, shifted her attention to her daughter. "Yes, dear?"

"When will the sky water stop? I want to go outside."

"I don't know— where is your sister?"

"Sleeping."

"Still? It's the middle of the day!"

"Mm," hummed Tristan, "Not everyone gets up as soon as the bright circle rises like you do."

Amelia's furious glare could burn a hole through her husband's head. "Why are you trying to fight with me, Tristan? Did I do something?"

Tristan threw his head back. Then, he laughed. "I was only teasing, Amelia. Calm down. Why are you so on edge?"

Amelia sighed, closing her eyes. It had been a stressful few weeks, from Miriam falling ill to her continued tiffs with Tristan, to the fiasco with her daughters. While she was able to spend time with those she loved, she couldn't deny that she was growing more fatigued within the day, and would greatly appreciate some time to let herself go.

"...I know. I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright." He gave her a gentle nuzzle with his snout before licking some dust off of the apple of her left cheek.

Miriam awoke right then. She walked out, yawned, and licked her lips.

"You're finally up," sneered Mackenzie, "For a minute there, I thought that you'd relapsed again."

Miriam smiled cynically, tilting her head towards the side. "I'm glad to see that you're back to your old self." Then, she mumbled, "Although, I didn't exactly miss it..."

"Well, I miss the way you used to be. Didn't talk back as much."

"You're just upset because you can't bully me anymore."

"What?" Mackenzie asked incredulously. "When have I bullied you?"

"Lots of times. I can count them on my fingers."

"Well, here's one." Mackenzie lunged for her sister, and the two became engaged in a playful show of kicking and rolling around on the floor.

"Girls, please don't— girls, are you listening to me?"

Amelia looked down, tired and unimpressed. She hardly even flinched when they hit the ball of her foot while fighting.

"Girls..."

Miriam and Mackenzie paid no heed. Miriam giggled and begged Mackenzie to stop tickling her, but Mackenzie refused to relent. At some point during their playful roughhousing, they landed in a puddle of mud.

Tristan stepped back, evading the incoming shower of dirt and water muddled together. Amelia, however, noticed too late. The mud splashed all over her face and her backside, both of which were now a filthy brown rather than the vibrant green that others were used to seeing her wear.

The two adolescents stopped, looked up, and separated from each other. Mud was now dripping from Amelia's beautiful face.

She looked to her husband, an expecting and impatient expression on her soiled face.

"Oh— uh," stammered Tristan, "Girls, please don't do that again."

It wasn't until he uttered the words that he realized how awful and pathetic they sounded in comparison to what he could have said. When he looked at Amelia, she had a different expression, charged with reproach and disappointment.

Miriam tried to speak, to offer an explanation. "Mom, we—"

Amelia did not want to listen to any explanation they had to offer. On the brink of tears, frowning, she turned tail and stomped away into a nearby corridor. The rustling of leaves could be heard, and then, silence.

It was a rather rare occurrence for Amelia to be the one angry at the girls as opposed to Tristan. She had always been the level headed one, rarely ever turning to anger in the face of difficulty. Usually, it was her who had to be the one to comfort the girls when Tristan lashed out at them in his usual blind rage of worry and fear.

The bout of sky water lasted until the afternoon. However, the land was still moist and soggy, the storm having knocked down more than a few trees, and causing minor mudslides which cost some dinosaurs their homes.

Amelia, wanting nothing to do with her daughters or her husband at the moment, found herself staring longingly at the streak of colors painting the sky. She began to step out, when Tristan stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"To help clear the wreckage," she replied bluntly.

"Amelia, that's a job for dinosaurs like the threehorns and the longnecks. The trees that fell are huge. You could easily get hurt."

"That could happen to anyone, Tristan."

"And it's a risk you're willing to take?"

"I live here. I might as well. Give something back in exchange for giving me a home, don't you think?"

"Well...I just came here to live peacefully with you and the girls without having to worry for your safety. I don't feel obligated to give anything, really."

"Alright. That's on you, then."

"Amelia," Tristan sighed, "Please don't do this."

"Don't do what? Help clean up?"

"No...I'm saying to stop being so stubborn. Seriously, you're overreacting a tad bit..." For a minute, it seemed as if he had something else to say, but then, he closed his mouth.

Amelia waited for the response she anticipated, her eyes narrowing when she didn't receive it. She inhaled sharply, wordlessly leaving Tristan standing near the entrance of the cave.

Tria's large feet squashed the soggy grass as she planted them firmly on the soil, using all her might to heave a fallen tree away from where she and her family nested. Mud had wedged itself in between her toes, and still, her efforts were fruitless.

Amelia came strolling down the grassy hills, a slight rush in her steps. Tria looked up, and blue met blue.

"Good afternoon, Amelia," she greeted.

"Afternoon, Tria. I'm sorry for barging in here without any notice—"

"Oh, no, no!" Tria insisted, shaking her head. "I'm glad to have you here. At least I won't be alone."

Amelia nodded, and resolved herself to the task of picking up the sticks scattered everywhere. "So...may I ask why your husband isn't here helping you? Why are you all by yourself?"

"Oh." Tria averted her gaze, and heaved a sigh. "Topsy and I had another little...tiff. I was just suggesting that we ask for help from some of the two-legged dinosaurs in the valley. I don't know, I just felt like it would be a lot quicker, and it would get the job done...but he wasn't having it."

"I understand," said Amelia, kneeling down to pick up a pair of twigs, "Tristan didn't want me coming here because he thought I would get hurt...and he doesn't really believe in giving back to the community."

"Aren't you stronger than him in terms of physical strength, though?"

"I am. Which is why I found it amusing that he'd be worried. I think he just didn't want me leaving."

"Mm. I see. Men are so strange sometimes. They care about us, but they sure have a funny way of showing it."

Amelia burst into a fit of giggles. "That much is true. But...I don't know."

Tria, ho had briefly returned to her task, looked up in curiosity. "Hm? What do you mean?"

Amelia sighed, almost repressing the urge to open her mouth. "I feel like this is just selfishness, but...I do wonder if Tristan does love me."

"Amelia!" Tria scolded the rainbow face, her eyes wide. "How could you say that? Look, I'm no expert, but I know true love when I see it. And I've seen the way Tristan looks at you when you're together, and that is love."

Amelia shook her head, holding her head in the palms of her hands. "I know. It's...awful. Perhaps, I'm just asking too much of him. But our arguments have been more frequent, and I can't really tell if he holds any regards for my feelings at all."

Tria could sense the distress in Amelia's calm and refined voice. "Why don't we sit and talk about this?"

So, Tria led her friend to a flat rock she could sit on. Amelia neatly set the sticks aside elsewhere and brought her knees to her chest, feeling the hot tears spring to her eyes.

"Let's talk about the specifics," said Tria. "Was there anything in particular that made you feel this way?"

"Earlier this morning, Miriam and Mackenzie accidentally splashed some mud on me. I'd told them to stop fighting, but they wouldn't listen...I was hoping Tristan would at least scold them. But...that didn't happen. He even told me I was overreacting to all of this. Now, I'm very calm and level headed, and I don't ever get angry that easily. But I swear, Tria, I wanted to punch him."

Tria clicked her lips, her baby blue eyes soft and understanding of her friend's plight. "Oh, sweetie. He doesn't mean any of that. He's just insensitive. Topsy's like that too."

Amelia whimpered softly, burying her face in her hands. "I'm just so tired. No one will listen to me, and I feel so unappreciated. I thought that if I could reach a certain place, then everything would be alright and sort itself out. But I see now that it's not that simple."

"It's never simple," concurred Tria. "If it only it was, hm?"

Then, from behind them, Cera passed through the trees, her little sister sitting on the frill of her head.

"Tria, I'm back— huh?" She helped Tricia down to the soft grass before returning her intrigued gaze to the sight before her.

Tria was talking to one of the rainbow faces, whom Cera recognized as the mother of Miriam and Mackenzie. The threehorn's eyes were worried but gentle.

Cera looked to the rainbow face, who would occasionally let out a sniffle or two, her eyes moist and bloodshot.

"I just wish he'd consider how I would feel," Amelia sobbed, hugging her knees.

Cera wondered who 'he' was. The most likely scenario was that it was Tristan, which meant that Tristan and Amelia had been butting heads. Without another word, Cera made sure no one was following her, and disappeared into the shadow of the trees.

Tristan twitched and turned as he attempted to fall asleep in the nest of leaves and other vegetation. It was no use. He had grown so accustomed to feeling Amelia's body gently pressed up against his as he slept that trying to sleep without her beside him proved to be immensely difficult.

At last, he relented. Kicking a few leaves off of the nest, he padded outside. In the distance, he could spot the longneck family contentedly grazing on some tree stars in trees too high for other dinosaurs to reach. Scratching his side with his right leg, Tristan bounded across the valley. He slowed down at least halfway, not wanting to be completely out of breath by the time he made his entrance.

Kenneth and Linda were using their flat teeth to strip the tree stars from their branches, while Littlefoot snacked on a pile sitting at the foot of the tree. Tristan, who did not fancy striking up a conversation out of the blue, simply walked over to a nearby stream, and began drinking.

Kenneth bit down hard on a tree star, causing water droplets from the tree to fall, sprinkling Tristan with them down below.

"What the—" Tristan startled, and then shook himself dry.

Kenneth looked down. His eyes widened slightly, and he laughed before lowering his head. "Er, my apologies, Tristan. I didn't quite see you there."

"It's quite alright, Longneck." He swept the remaining droplets off of his arms with his hands. "How are you and your wife doing this afternoon?"

"We're fine, thank you," Linda said in her good natured way, smiling sweetly at the rainbow face.

Kenneth nodded his head. "And what about you, Tristan? How is your family?"

"The girls are fine, although...I'm fairly certain Amelia's angry with me."

Linda's smile vanished, replaced by a look of concern. "Why in the world would she be angry with you?"

"I don't know. We fight a lot, but it's rarely ever anything serious. And right now, she seems to be taking everything I say the wrong way, as if I'm attacking her outright or something."

Kenneth raised an eyebrow. "Have you and Amelia, uhm, talked about this?"

"No...not quite."

"Well then, my friend, there's your problem. Communication is key. It's why Linda and I get along so well."

"Not only that," added Linda, "But the poor dear must be feeling stressed out. Mothers have to take on so much, and get so little in return."

"She did seem like she'd been feeling overwhelmed..."

"I don't blame her," said Kenneth. "Being a mother and a wife is a very hard act to follow."

Littlefoot had been eavesdropping on the conversation which didn't really concern him, but it wa rather interesting to listen to. Just as he resolved to stay and listen to the rest, he heard a whisper from the bushes.

"Pssst! Littlefoot!"

Littlefoot recognized the voice as belonging to Cera, and walked over, crouching behind the bush. "What is it, Cera?"

"I think Miriam and Mackenzie's parents are fighting."

"They are fighting."

"How do you know?"

"Their dad is telling my grandparents all about it. I think their mom is feeling stressed out."

"Well, we've gotta do something about it!"

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"Since when do you care so much about their parents?"

"Does it matter?"

"No...not really."

"Then let's go and find the others."

Ever since the arrival of the rainbow faces in the valley, Mr. Thicknose found himself keen on learning more about their species. However, the agile dinosaurs always managed to elude his gaze, somehow.

"The rainbow faces," he began, "Aptly named by their brightly colored snouts, have always been more...secretive, than other dinosaurs. They tend to keep to themselves, but despite that, they've always been known to be more open minded than some and more welcoming of other kinds of dinosaurs."

"I wish my face was rainbow," remarked Eva, who sat beside Chomper.

Mr. Thicknose cleared his throat a moment before speaking. "Ahem...well, Eva, every dinosaur has something special about them. For the rainbow faces, it's clearly obvious that it's their, erm, rainbow faces. And for you, I would say that the sail on your back draws quite a bit of attention. Do you know what it might be used for, exactly?"

"Um...well, sometimes, when my mom or dad are really angry, their sails turn really red. It's kind of scary, but cool at the same time."

"That's amazing," said Ruby. "Can you actually do that, Eva?"

"Uh...not really. I can't. Not yet, at least."

Ducky watched as Spike took a bite from a thick patch of grass, giggling. Even after so many years, her adoptive brother's habits were highly amusing. She briefly looked up towards the rest of her friends. "I know what is special about Spike. Yep, yep, yep!"

Suddenly, there was the sound of quickly approaching footsteps, getting louder and louder.

Petrie looked around, bewildered. "What that?"

Then, as if out of nowhere, Cera and Littlefoot burst through the bushes, breathless.

"Nice of you two to join us," said Mr. Thicknose. "Welcome."

"Actually, Mr. Thicknose," Littlefoot said rather sheepishly, "We came to get our friends."

"It's very important," added Cera.

Mr. Thicknose sighed. "Very well," he said with finality. "Thank you for coming, children."

The juvenile dinosaurs all rose and dispersed, following their friends. Eva turned briefly to wave goodbye to Mr. Thicknose. Then, she too ran to catch up with the others.

"So," said Ducky, "What is the matter?"

"Miriam and Mackenzie's parents are fighting," explained Littlefoot. "We need to get them back together so that they can talk."

"Well," Ruby mused, "Do you know why their parents are fighting the way they are fighting?"

"Their mom says she's feeling unappreciated and tired," answered Cera. "Or something like that."

"In that case, what they need is some place nice to gather their thoughts together," deduced Littlefoot.

Chomper gasped, an idea having occurred to him. "What about that shady place with the small river and the waterfall?"

Littlefoot grinned in excited agreement. "Yes! That's perfect!"

"But how we going to get them there?" Petrie inquired. "If they fighting, me no think they want to talk to each other."

Cera narrowed her eyes, thinking intently. Then, she grinned rather slyly. "I might be able to do something about that."

Amelia and Tria had remained in the same place as they were previously. After Amelia was done sobbing and feeling sorry for herself, Tria brought her a whole leaf of purple sweet bubbles.

Their softness and sweet taste as well as their moisture proved to be the ideal snack that Amelia needed after crying for so long. She popped one into her mouth, and swallowed it. Soon, the number of sweet bubbles on the leaf began to steadily dwindle.

"So," said Tria, "How do you feel?"

"Better," Amelia managed to say as best she could with a mouth full of sweet bubbles. "But I don't want to see Tristan just yet."

"I understand. Take however long you need."

"Tria!" Cera's loud voice echoed from the trees, just loud enough for Tria to hear.

Tria flashed a smile towards the rainbow face. "Excuse me."

She stomped over to where her stepdaughter was eagerly waiting. "What's up, Cera?"

"Lower your voice," Cera whispered. "Listen, do you think you can take Miriam and Mackenzie's mother to that one place? The one with the shady trees and the river with the waterfall? The one my friends and I discovered the other day? We showed it to you, remember?"

Tria raised a brow, confused and somewhat bewildered by the barrage of questions. "Um...yeah, but why?"

"Because we want to bring their dad there too."

Tria's confusion turned into amusement as she quickly realized what Cera was trying to accomplish. "Aw, are you guys trying to get them to make up?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Will you help?"

"Of course I will. But how are you kids going to get Tristan to come over there?"

"We've got a plan. Don't worry."

Tristan sat in a patch of grass where a few flowers were beginning to bloom. In his hands was a wreath of white flowers which he was trying to intertwine. He stared at the flowers, disappointment in his amber eyes.

"She wouldn't like this," he mused aloud. "It doesn't even match her personality! Damn it!"

Littlefoot and his friends turned a corner and found Tristan venting his anger out onto a band of flowers.

"What's wrong, Mr. Rainbow face?" Littlefoot asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Just Tristan is fine, thank you," he told the little longneck. "And...I'm trying to make a wreath of flowers for my wife, but I can't seem to make one that she'd like."

He looked down at Eva, and then plopped the wreath of flowers onto her neck, ignoring the one or two petals that fled from the wreath. "Here you go, sharptooth. This color suits you."

Eva toyed with the flowers slung around her neck, smiling in wonder and amazement.

Ruby spoke up next. "So you are not angry with her as much as she is angry at you?"

"I don't have a reason to be angry at her," Tristan began to explain. "She, on the other hand, has plenty of reasons to be angry at me."

Littlefoot lowered his neck. "Well...would you be willing to have a chance to make up with her?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't show my face to her until I've made her the perfect gift. It's the least I can do."

"Maybe we can help look for some flowers that would suit Miriam and Mackenzie's mom," suggested Chomper, "There's flowers all over the valley!"

"That would be much appreciated, children. Thank you."

Tria and Cera came strolling back to where Amelia was still sitting, having finished the last of the sweet bubbles.

"Amelia," said Tria, "Cera just reminded me about this place in the valley that she discovered with her friends. It's really cool and shady, and it's the perfect place to relax and let yourself go. Since the mud pool is flooded right now because of the sky water, this is the next best option. I really think it would help you feel better. What do you say?"

"Do you really think it would...?"

"I know it would."

"Well, then...alright. Lead the way."

"Come on, Tricia," Cera motioned for her little sister, who ran after her as Tria led Amelia to the mysterious and unknown location.

Tristan held the new and improved wreath in his hands. The tiny dinosaurs had searched all across the valley for a variety of flowers — namely blue ones.

The wreath consisted of a large light blue consisting of a million tiny ones, white flowers with light blue stigmas, and lastly, some bright yellow blossoms. One flower wasn't all that Tristan needed. He needed several of them, for Amelia had many different aspects to her which made her special.

"That is very pretty," commented Ducky, "It is, it is!"

"Ooh, me sure hope that their mom like it," said Petrie, flapping his wings in mid air.

"I hope so too," remarked Tristan, slinging the wreath over his wrist. "Thank you for the help, little ones. I appreciate it."

"We should get going," said Ruby, "Maybe you can surprise her!"

Tristan tapped his chin in a moment of thought. "She does like surprises..."

"Let's go then," urged Littlefoot, beginning to walk off.

And so, Tristan followed the young dinosaurs, who truthfully, seemed to be looking forward to this more than he was.

Amelia was led by the group of threehorns to a place obscured by tall bipinnate leaves. She could hear the calm rushing of the waterfall, the gentle rustle of the trees, and already, she was in paradise.

She looked back at Tria with uncertainty, but her friend only urged her forwards. Amelia took one step forward, and entered the small and secluded oasis.

There was a terrace of rocks, acting almost like a stairwell to the waterfall, which pooled into a stream. The trees towered high into the sky, providing plenty of cool shade.

Her mouth agape, she continued further. She hadn't even known a place like this existed in the valley.

Unseen to her, Tristan had stepped in from the opposite side. He too, seemed nervous, but Littlefoot and his friends pushed him forward. Their cover was nearly blown, however, when Spike proceeded to munch on one of the leaves.

The group of dinosaurs quickly departed from the scene, leaving Tristan to his task.

When Tria spotted Tristan, she knew her work was finished. She looked towards her daughters.

"Come on girls," she whispered, "Let's go find your father."

Cera helped Tricia onto her head, and the trio was off.

Tristan and Amelia were now alone. Amelia edged towards the stream, not having spotted Tristan standing behind her.

Luckily, Tristan had stealth on his side. He crept around silently, making sure Amelia never saw him, no matter which way she turned her head. Then, a blade of grass snapping in two gave him away.

Amelia turned, stared directly at Tristan, and shrieked. "AH!" She stumbled backwards, falling into the stream with a loud and powerful splash.

Tristan winced, turning his head away as he was showered in water droplets. Then, he directed his eyes at his wife, sitting in the stream, soaked from head to toe. He jumped in, steadily maneuvering his weight through the shallow water.

"Amelia— are you alright?" He began to help her up, leaning back when a fish leaped out of the water and nearly landed on his nose.

"Oh, please, you've done enough, haven't you?" Amelia was close to tears once more, but she still allowed Tristan to help her to her feet.

Tristan offered an awkward chuckle, as though he had remembered a distant memory from long ago. "This— This actually reminds me of the day we first met. Do you remember?"

Amelia scoffed, smiling wryly, yet fondly. "Of course I do. How could I forget? I'm just grateful that I didn't fall in the mud this time."

Tristan chuckled, and gently guided her onto dry land. Amelia curled up on one of the rocks near the bottom of the waterfall, lightly sprinkled with water.

Tristan sat near the bank, soaking his feet in the stream, unsure of what to do from here. Then, as if something had overcome him, he hopped into the stream, waded over to Amelia, and slid the carefully crafted wreath of flowers around her neck.

Amelia's hands drifted towards the flowers, eyes wide with astonishment. "What is—"

"For you. I'm sorry, Amelia."

"What was the need for this? You didn't have to this."

"I did. I had to show you how sorry I really am, because I'm absolutely miserable without you."

Amelia stared at the wreath for a long time. Then, her eyes grew moist, and she burst into tears. Her husband had been so thoughtful, and here she was, resolved to give him the cold shoulder all because she was a tad bit sensitive.

"Oh, Tristan," she sobbed, gripping the wreath around her neck, "You were right. I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"No," he disagreed, "I should have shown my appreciation for you in a clearer way. I shouldn't have been so insensitive."

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything that terrible! I was just overthinking things and it made everything so much worse."

"Well, that makes the both of us."

"If anyone should be apologizing though, it should be me."

"Amelia—"

"No. Listen to me, please. I was feeling overwhelmed in the morning. I felt that no one cared how I felt, even if you were only joking. No one would listen to me. I was just angry, and I overreacted. I expected too much of you, and it was unfair. I'm sorry, Tristan."

"Alright, but—"

"Would you just forgive me already so we can both get on with our lives?"

Tristan laughed to himself. "I forgive you, Amelia. I could never stay angry with you for long, as you can see. Now, if you would forgive me for not considering your feelings and not listening to you, I would be the happiest rainbow face in the world."

Amelia reciprocated his smile. "I forgive you, Tristan, even if you are a blubbering mess."

Their eyes met at that exact moment. Amelia's almond shaped, whimsical sea blue eyes, dotted with long and curled lashes, locked with his. And his somewhat rounded amber eyes, slightly wrinkled but filled with experience, locked with hers.

"For what it's worth, Amelia," began Tristan, "You are a good mother. You're kind and patient, and you always try to listen to the children, rather than yell at them. I'd suppose you have what it takes to raise them on your own without me."

Amelia narrowed her eyes, shriveling away from him. "That's not funny."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He raised his hands defensively before gently prodding her snout with his. "But you really are fantastic. Yelling is easy. All they have to do is anger me. But it's hard to stay calm when they test your patience, and I've seen you do it. I don't blame you for getting angry today, and again, I'm sorry for not being more firm with them."

"The one time you should've gotten angry, you didn't," Amelia teased. "But it's alright, I'm proud of you for trying to keep your temper under control." She then reciprocated his loving gesture, closing his eyes as she embraced him. A few moments later, she snapped out of her lovestruck daze. "We should probably get going. It's almost time for dinner."

"Dinner can wait," Tristan said smoothly. "Come now, we're alone in a nice and peaceful place, without the girls. What could be better?"

"Are you saying you don't love the girls?"

"I do, but they do have a tendency to wear the both of us out, don't you think? I'm saying we should just stay here for a bit, and let ourselves go for a while. When we go back home, we'll be completely relaxed."

Amelia steadily began to warm up to the idea. A contented sigh slipping through her, she leaned against Tristan, who took a moment to pluck a ripe red fruit from a nearby tree. He dropped the fruit onto the rock, where it split into two, revealing a million tiny red seeds inside.

Amelia glanced up at him and smiled, using her mouth to pluck a handful of seeds from the fruit before swallowing them. Still leaning against her mate, she looked up at the sky, which had turned a gleaming orange, puffy pink clouds moving gradually across the sky as the bright circle shone like glistening gold.

When they made the trek back home, Amelia and Tristan walked side by side. Tristan seemed to be telling Amelia a humorous joke, for in the midst of her giggles, she let out a snort. She still wore the wreath of flowers around her neck, and sticky red juice lined the corners of her mouth.

The bright circle had retired for the day, making way for the night circle, which had not risen just yet. The sky was mostly dark, with a faint undertone of gold, and some of the twinkling stars had already come into view.

Miriam and Mackenzie came loping towards them, their tails bouncing as they ran.

"Mom, dad," said Miriam, "Where were you? We were looking all over for you."

"Yeah," agreed Mackenzie, "We already went through all the snacks and I'm still starving!"

Miriam gave a concurring nod.

"Oh, hush," said Tristan, "You're fine. There's plenty of food in the valley to sustain you. You could have gone and eaten some yourselves."

"Well, we did," said Mackenzie, "But we wanted the really moist tree stars."

"You could have asked Mr. or Mrs. Longneck to help you," stated Amelia.

"But we've never even really talked to them..."

"There's a first time for everything."

Mackenzie gave a shrug, choosing not to argue any further. "Can we go eat some more?"

"Make it quick. The bright circle has already gone from the sky."

Miriam and Mackenzie ran off to the small canopy of trees, stripping the branches of their leaves. Amelia and Tristan watched them before turning their heads and continuing on towards home.

Amelia collapsed onto the bed of leaves, wrapping her tail around herself. Tristan plopped down beside her, lowering his head. He could hear that tired sigh leave her, and chuckled softly.

"Tired, aren't you?"

"Mhmm...what a day."

"It's okay if you want to rest. You deserve it, after all."

"You deserve it too, love. We both do. We are good people, and we've suffered enough."

"Make no mistake about that." Tristan chuckled once more, pressing his forehead against that of his mate's. "Good night, Amelia."

Amelia sighed once more, resting her head on the grass and letting herself slip into the half conscious doze that eventually led to sleep. "Good night, Tristan."