Category: Land before Time
Rating: T
Couples: none
Warnings: Blood, Character Death (Same level as first Movie)
Chapter: 4
Copyright: © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me
Author's note:Italic is Sharptooth (the language)
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The young Sharptooth walked up to the cave in which she smelled her parents.
"It's me, don't bite." She called out before entering. Her mother was resting on the ground, one red eye watching the cave-opening. Her father was standing deeper in the cave, his dark color making him hard to spot.
"Found anything?" He asked. His sharp teeth gleamed in what little light entered the dark cave as he talked.
She gestured down with her head to the branch she was carrying in her claws. "I was lucky a bit to the North."
"I hope no one saw you?" Her mother rose from the ground, reaching to take the branch.
"No one. Most Sharpteeth stay clear of the area around the Valley. Red Claw's stench fills the very ground." The young Sharptooth looked up. She was about two thirds of her parents' height and should have gone off alone. But with Red Claw loose in what the Flatteeth called the Mysterious Beyond even the bigger species of Sharpteeth followed the principle of safety in numbers and when she by chance had come upon her parents they had invited her to join them.
Her mother, a light-green Sharptooth, walked into the darkness of the cave with the branch, while her husband, a dark-green male, now took up guard at the entrance.
The young Sharptooth joined her mother, her own color even lighter than that of her mother, making her seem more white with a green tinge than anything else.
"But how can these help her?" She watched as her mother started to rip off leaves, carefully shredding them above the wounds of the female on the ground.
"They slow the bleeding." Her mother answered, stopping ever so often to check her progress.
"I think she needs more than just a slowing of bleeding." The daughter answered, the smell of blood clinging to the one her mother was tending.
"I know, but it is all we can do, since someone…" The older female pointedly glared at her mate. "Refuses to help."
"It is useless; she is as good as gone." He snarled back. "I still think it is a waste of time, and meat, to tend to someone in such a state."
"Idiot." His mate snarled. "A deal is a deal."
"And I won't back off." He answered her. "If you need me, I'll be hunting some dinner, since the biggest source of food we can find has to die first."
As he left the cave his mate growled in frustration. "At times, I wonder why I mated with him. He is more thickheaded than a Threehorn."
"Somewhere, he does have a point." Her daughter pointed out. "You yourself admitted she is almost certainly done for."
"Bite me." Her mother answered. "Now go keep watch. If Red Claw finds us we're all dinner."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Hey, Longneck." Mr. Threehorn called out as he climbed up the rest of the way. The only acknowledgement he got from the older longneck was a short glance. "You do realize several days have passed?"
"Yes." Well, at least Littlefoot's grandfather was talking, Topps surmised. It could have been worse.
"Look, I am really bad at this and I used all my softness around your grandson, so I'll be brief." The Threehorn said. "Get your act together and get over it."
The famed temper Littlefoot had not witnessed, despite having willfully called upon it, now released itself against the second-oldest resident in the Great Valley.
"What?" The old Longneck whipped around, glaring at the other male beside him.
"You heard me: she's dead. Deal with it and get your ass back to your resting-grounds." Mr. Threehorn stood his ground as the bigger male roared in anger.
"Don't push me, Threehorn." Grandpa Longneck gritted through his teeth. "I am not in the mood to deal with you."
"Well, I'm not leaving until you get your act together." Cera's father stated, glaring just as much as Littlefoot's father. "And that involves getting over it."
"How dare…?"
"I know how you feel, remember? But unlike you, I could allow myself to wallow in self-pity. You can't, so get over it." He had called it a kick when talking to Littlefoot, but right now he was more like charging the older longneck. "Your grandson lost his mother-figure in pretty much the same way he did his mother. He needs someone of his family to be there for him. Right now, that means you. So don't insult their memories by letting that kid fall into shadow. Before you know it, he no longer runs from Sharpteeth because he thinks it's no use." The gray face softened. "I do not tell you to forget her; I am reminding you that you should not forget her grandson. Your grandson, who needs his grandfather the most right now. His friends can support him in many ways, but not the ways he needs right now. Get your act together, before you also lose him."
Anger made place to grief as the Longneck turned to look at the mount of rubble. "I loved her."
"I do not doubt that." The Threehorn answered softly. "But you are not proving that love by letting Littlefoot, who despite all his adventures is just shy of being a hatchling, try to deal with this alone. Did you know that until I talked to him he had not moved from your resting-grounds? He had not drunk or eaten ever since… well… you know…"
"He… had not?" Grandpa Longneck was shocked.
"Not a single leaf." Mr. Threehorn nodded. "He needs you, Longneck."
The massive body turned slowly. "Where is he?"
"Hopefully wherever his friends are." Cera's father gently nudged Littlefoot's grandfather's legs. "Go."