Category: Land before Time
Rating: T
Couples: none
Warnings: Blood, Character Death (Same level as first Movie)
Chapter: 16
Copyright: © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
She was panting, each muscle begging her to take a rest. She looked at the Sharptooth in front of her, who was just waiting for an excuse to attack.
"Love?" His voice was worried and even afraid as he registered the shaking of her limbs and the racing of her heart. She turned her head to look at him, but that send everything spinning. Her body had reached its' limit.
Bron gasped in shock when something heavy impacted with his side, nearly throwing him down. As he recovered and looked to the side he saw Grandma Longneck on the ground, unconscious. He didn't even have time for an 'uh-oh', because Red Claw charged forward, aiming at the unconscious dinosaur.
Grandpa Longneck was about to throw himself in between them when something barreled against the pale-grey Sharptooth, throwing him to the ground. The light-green Sharptooth stepped forward a bit, shielding the fallen Longneck with her body as she growled something.
"Don't look, guys!" Chomper exclaimed in reaction to whatever she had said, covering Tricia's eyes as he did so.
The Leaf-eaters had not understood a word, but they knew the look in her eyes well enough: a look only present when Meat-eaters were about to kill. Had she warned her son? Or had the boy simply realized what was about to happen from what she had said?
At any rate, that was the end of Red Claw. Even as the 'biggest and meanest Sharptooth of them all' there is only so much you can survive.
The dark-green Sharptooth rose, no doubt saying something to his son before picking up the corpse together with his wife and walking off.
"Love?" Grandpa Longneck ignored the leaving Sharpteeth altogether, gently nudging his unmoving mate. At least she was breathing steadily, otherwise he would have really panicked.
"I think she just exhausted herself." Mrs. Swimmer stated, checking the older female over. "Between recovering from all these wounds…" She briefly touched one of the scars. "as well as the battle and her general age – no offense – she just overestimated herself. But with a good portion of rest, she should be fine."
The old Longneck briefly closed his eyes, releasing the breath he had been holding practically since she had fallen. "How is this even possible?" He turned to look at Chomper, the only remaining one that could tell him.
"Well, basically…" The young Sharptooth looked up at him. "My parents and sister saved her."
"They did?" Grandpa looked down at his wife again.
"Well, the three of them as well as Grandma Longneck said so." Chomper shrugged. "So I took their word for it."
"Why would Sharpteeth save a Leaf-eater?" Mr. Threehorn wondered.
"They recognized her as Littlefoot's grandmother." Chomper pointed at his friend. "And decided that since he was my friend, they'd try to save her. According to what Dad told me, it was a pretty close call."
"Then it seems I have to thank them." Grandpa Longneck softly said.
"Why didn't you come back?" Littlefoot demanded. "We were worried about you!"
"We were, we were…" Ducky agreed with the little Longneck.
"Well, they forbid me from telling anyone she was there on account of Red Claw making the area unsafe." Chomper looked at the ground. "But I knew I couldn't keep quiet, so I stayed away so I wouldn't tell you."
"At any rate, you both are here now." Grandpa said. "We can discuss this in detail once Grandma wakes up again."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
It took Grandma until late evening to wake again and even then it was only briefly. The next morning however she was far more rested. She woke being flanked by Bron and Grandpa with Littlefoot curled up next to her neck. It was good to be back.
She poked the sleeping form of her mate, waking him. He smiled the moment he saw her, nuzzling her.
"I thought I had lost you." He whispered.
"I feared that too." She chuckled softly. "But it has not yet come so far."
"It was dangerously close." He sighed, looking down on the sleeping form of their grandson. "I nearly died of grief, you know."
"Chomper told me." She rested her head under his. "I was worried I wouldn't recover in time."
"Threehorn reminded me I should get my act together though." Her mate pointed out.
"Now THAT Chomper failed to mention." She looked up. "Should I check you over for horn-marks?"
"No need, my love." He assured her. "It didn't come that far."
"Then he is going soft." She chuckled again. "Do you think they will wake soon? I must admit that the Mysterious Beyond has a certain lacking of green food."
"I'll get you something." He promised her, rising to his feet. "You rest some more."