Hi, everyone. Sorry it's been so long. Here is the next chapter with Chomper's mother, and a small part with Littlefoot's grandfather. It is short, and I can say the characters were fun to write for. Here you go and I hope you enjoy reading!

Chapter 18 Arguing

Chomper's Mother

"Yes, we are."

"No, we are not."

Chomper's mother was on the verge on biting her mate's nose again as they waited for their children outside of the Great Valley. On top of Papa Sharptooth not being very cooperative, she and Ruby's parents were beginning to worry that their children had not received their message. In such a risky circumstance, anything could have happened. Red Claw might see them before they can see their children, Guido might not have made it, or those two low lifes they were forced to ask to deliver their message to Ruby's parents may have turned on them and revealed their plans to Red's Claws lackeys.

She barely noticed that one of Ruby's siblings had gathered up enough courage to inch over to her.

"If it helps anything," the tiny fast-runner said, "Guido's a good messenger. Ruby and Chomper just might be a little late."

She smiled at the tiny girl, careful to conceal her teeth. Since the little one wouldn't understand even if she did say something, their only way of communication was through expressions and motions. Ruby's father timidly stepped forward and pulled her back apologetically, then moved his family away from them to give them space.

That was just the chance Papa Sharptooth needed. "There. See how they respond to us? And they know us. Now how exactly do you think the herds in that valley will react if we just walk in and say, 'hey. We're the sharpteeth that attacked a few years' back and we would like to live here with you'?"

Mama Sharptooth shook her head. "It's not because we're sharpteeth. All of your arguing is just making them nervous."

Papa Sharptooth, usually optimistic and good-natured for a sharptooth, snarled his protests. "My arguing? My arguing! We started out just visiting out son, maybe trying to convince him to come back with us, and you turn it into a move-in with a bunch of leaf eaters…"

"Shh!" Mama Sharptooth hissed, darting her eyes over to Ruby's poor family, who were cowering against the Great Wall, watching them closely. They were scaring them for sure.

She turned back to her mate. "We have to stop fighting!"

Papa Sharptooth sighed in exasperation. "Well, I can't. You are being so difficult."

"I just asked! It couldn't hurt to ask, could it?! I just miss my son, and I'm tired of missing time with him because we are afraid Red Claw will…"

"I know, baby." She leaned into his cheek when he nuzzled her. After a while, he sighed.

"We can have him come back with us. Go somewhere far away like we did before."

Chomper's mother shuddered at the memory of that cursed Mysterious Island. "Yeah, you mean like we did with that island we almost never got off of?"

Papa Sharptooth sighed. "Well, I got us on it and I got us off, didn't I?"

"Oh, yeah. You sure did." She scrunched her face to imitate him when he noticed that the water lowered enough to reveal the remnants of the land bridge. "'GO! GO!'"

Her mate chortled and narrowed his eyes. "It worked."

"Uh-huh."

"We can try the cold lands."

Mama Sharptooth turned her head slowly to tell him what she thought about that. "You can try the cold lands."

Her mate chuckled and nuzzled her once more. "Oh, Risa. We stay together." He pulled back. "Right?"

"Right. I love you, Saban."

"I love you." His eyes moved to something behind her. "Look."

They were interrupted by the sound of a familiar, long-lost voice. "Mommy! Daddy!"

Saban turned and, for the first time since he left with Ruby, saw her son standing before them. "Oh, Chomper!"

She leaned down as far as she could and held her hands out to him. It was times like this that she wished their kinds' arms were longer. He ran right into the cup of her hands. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she nuzzled her son. Saban gradually leaned down and lovingly nuzzled his son. Risa watched as Chomper jumped and clung to the end of his father's nose. She could see that Saban's red eyes had softened as he greeted their son.

It took a moment for her to notice the leaf wrapped around his foot. She leaned down and touched the end of her nose to it, immediately smelling some blood.

"What happened to your foot?" she purred curiously.

Chomper drew it away so she wouldn't worry. "Oh, just a splinter, Mommy. The valley healer got it out and made it better. I barely even feel it now."

Saban glanced at her, then sniffed at the bottom of Chomper's foot. "The healer got all of it?"

Chomper nodded. "Yeah… I missed you both. I'm so glad you were able to get here."

Risa nuzzled her son. "I told you we would."

Ruby's father gradually stepped forward and addressed them. "I am sorry to cut things short, but it isn't safe out here in the open. My family has decided to cross the boundaries into the Great Valley. Have you…made your decision on where you go from here? There is a way, but… I will warn you that the residents will not respond well uninformed."

Ruby bounced up to get Chomper's attention. "Chomper! Isn't it wonderful? My family is moving to the Great Valley, and moving they are."

Chomper looked somewhat saddened by this news, but Risa could tell he was trying to act happy for Ruby. "Oh, that's great…Ruby…."

When Risa leaned down and nuzzled him, he quietly squeaked to her in sadness. "I wish you could, too."

Saban's eyes hardened again in answer to his son's comment, but only Risa could see that it was a lot of effort for him.

"Well, we can't…"

"Actually Chomper, we wanted to talk with you about that." Risa interjected before her mate could crush the ray of hope forming in Chomper's eyes.

Chomper watched her curiously as she took him from his father and sat him on the ground. "I need you to tell Ruby's father that we want to come to the Great Valley. What does he advise?"

Chomper made her heart melt when he brightened. "Honest?! Okay, let me ask him!" Without a moment's hesitation, he took off running to Ruby's father and began speaking in plant eater language for them. It was a relief to be able to communicate.

Saban growled furiously, then began calling after his son. "No, Chomper. Wait! We don't- OW!"

He didn't get any further because Risa smacked him on the back on his leg with her tail. He turned to check for damages, then used his own to rub away the sting.

"Why did you do that?!" he hissed furiously.

"Because if we want to be with our son, we have no choice," she snapped.

He wasn't pleased. "We have more choices than this, Risa! We're Sharpteeth for-"

Again, he didn't get to finish. Thank goodness. Chomper ran up to them excitedly. "He says that there is a pass that can still be used, Mommy! He said he would lead you, but that he advised we ask permission to enter the valley first…"

"And how does he think we are going to do that?" Saban snapped.

"Uhh…" Chomper placed a hand on his face thoughtfully, probably trying to remember what Ruby's father said. He started to walk back over to ask again.

Risa pleaded with her mate. "Saban, please…"

Saban softened a bit, then growled. "Chomper!"

When Chomper turned around, he tilted his head to the right. "Tell him to come here."

He didn't sound happy about it, but he was complying for now. Risa decided not to say anything else for now.

Ruby's father came with Chomper, but with fear in every step. When he got just close enough, he cleared his throat and resumed the conversation.

"I was just telling Chomper that I am sending my family back the way Chomper and Ruby came, while you and I travel to Two Boulder Pass. You might be able to get through there. I would advise sending Chomper with them to ask permission, then having a messenger from the valley come back with him to give you their answer. I imagine they will have someone ready to greet you at the pass."

Saban and Risa shared a glance, then Saban surrendered and sighed his answer. "Fine, but-"

"Thank you," Risa finished.

Chomper's little cheeks beamed as he translated for her. They could somewhat understand when plant eaters spoke, but they couldn't say anything back, and it was easier to understand their son when he as he translated. Risa even beamed at what a wonder he was.

She wished she could say the same for Saban, he was bent over with sadness. Risa's heart went out to him.

"Saban…" she started.

"Don't," he grumbled.

"Saban."

"What?!"

"Thank you."

Saban lifted his eyes a little, then sighed. "I don't think it's going to work, Risa. We are sharpteeth. We'll starve under their rules. Even if we can live there. I want to hunt, I don't want to be fed. And I don't want a bunch of weed chewers telling me what I can and can't do-"

His growls were rising with every note, so she pressed her nose to his cheek to keep Chomper from hearing. "Alright, okay. Saban. Shh… Calm down. We can talk later."

Saban was coming as close as he ever did to panicking. "We'll starve if they had their way, Risa. They'll run us off, I'm telling you."

"It's worth a try, Saban. You don't know that. We'll talk to them when we get there, okay?"

They were interrupted by their little son, who seemed to have been watching them along with Ruby's father for the last few minutes.

"Mommy, Daddy? He said we had better go ahead."

Risa nodded to Ruby's father, then scooped Chomper up one more time to (as much as she hated it) to say goodbye for now.

When he was close enough to her face, he looked into her eyes hopefully. "Are you really coming to live in the Great Valley?"

Before she could speak, Saban interjected with a stern growl. "We're not sure yet."

Risa shot him a look before nuzzling her son once more. "We hope so."

Chomper perked up and nuzzled her back. "I'll come back as soon as they say something. I hope they say yes."

"I don-"

Risa smacked him in the back of the legs once more, causing him to growl a low screech. She smiled at Chomper's puzzled expression and nuzzled him once more. "Please be careful, my son."

"I will, Mommy."

He turned to his father, who hesitantly nuzzled him back silently before setting him down on the ground.

They watched as Chomper ran up the rubble blocking the valley pass with Ruby, her mother, and her siblings. Ruby's father sighed and began walking.

"We had better start moving. We have a few days' journey," he stated kindly.

Risa felt so bad for him; it was obvious that he wanted to be with his family, but he was kind enough to take them another way. They followed him and talked quietly as they traveled.

"He's so kind," Risa commented to break the ice.

Saban snorted. "He is."

After a moment of silence, he resumed his concerns. "And another thing…."

Risa sighed and took a few quick steps to keep ahead of him. This was going to be a long journey.

Grandpa Longneck

The old longneck laughed at the nervous couple before them.

"Why of course we aren't angry with you, Britta. You told us upfront about you and Pterano, and…"

He didn't really have the words because he couldn't imagine how such a just creature could love one like Pterano; but if the years taught him anything, it was that he didn't have all the answers. But the way Pterano kept an arm around Britta's shoulders said he cared deeply for her. And Pterano did have the potential to be a good creature; maybe she could turn him around for the better.

He didn't have the words for this kind of thing, so Grandma smiled at him before leaning down to talk to a timid Britta.

"In the little time you have lived her, you have proven yourself faster than anyone ever has. You deserve to be happy, dear."

Britta brightened, then hugged Grandma Longneck. "Thank you," she whispered sincerely.

While Britta and Grandma chattered, Grandpa Longneck and Pterano sat in awkward silence for a few moments. By the way the older flyer was gritting his teeth and rubbing his shoulder, Grandpa guessed that he was struggling for words as much as he was.

But he was curious about why someone like Britta would fall for someone like Pterano so quickly. And given the circumstance, maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"So, ahem… I understand you and Britta knew one another before…?"

Pterano took the opportunity and began to explain good naturedly enough. "Why, yes. Since we were hatchlings. We were, uhrm…going to be married before, but we only had time to form a union when we got separated in an attack by sharptooth flyers. I believed her to be dead until…I saw her just after I returned."

Grandpa Longneck tried not to sound as surprised as he felt. He was guessing that was the reason for Pterano's actions when Britta revealed herself at the meeting. He knew they had a past from what Britta said before, but he had no idea they were separated so suddenly. Maybe that was why Pterano was the way he was. Still, that gave him little excuse for his previous actions. Grandpa Longneck also wondered why they didn't just marry before; it wasn't uncommon to marry right away if the couple wished to remain together always. But he decided to hold his questions for now.

"Well, ahem… If you wish to be married anytime soon, I would be happy to…arrange a ceremony…."

The last thing he wanted to do was speak on Pterano's behalf, but Britta was right. The only hope of Pterano changing his old ways for sure was to just give him a chance as a resident in the Great Valley.

Pterano's eyes shone as he brightened. "You would do that? For someone like me?"

Grandpa Longneck nodded (he hoped he didn't look too grim). "You have the same rights as everyone else in the valley."

They were interrupted by a tiny voice. "Grandpa Longneck! Grandpa Longneck!"

All four adults turned to see Littlefoot's little friend, Chomper, running up to them with Ruby. Grandma Longneck spoke as both children stopped and inhaled deeply to catch their breath.

"Slow down, young ones," she chuckled, "Back already?"

Britta gradually reached out and rubbed Chomper's back to calm him down. "What's the hurry?"

Chomper got his breath and used his little arms to push himself upright again. When he finally did speak, he spoke too quickly for what he was saying. "Ruby's mom said my parents might be in trouble from Red Claw. They want to know if there is any way they can stay in the Valley."

The silence that followed was deafening; Grandpa actually wondered if shock had made him deaf to all sound. He took in all the faces around him: Chomper's desperate expression, Grandma's mouth slightly open, Britta's eyes filling with fear, and Pterano standing frozen. Littlefoot had heard, too. He had been playing nearby, and ran over when he saw Chomper and Ruby. Now he was frozen with his mouth in a perfect circle, wondering what his grandfather would say.

Grandpa Longneck shook his head to regain sound.

"Umm…. Well, Chomper. I'm afraid you'll have to go before the Council and tell us everything. When…are they coming?"

"They only have a few days' journey to Two Boulder Pass. They said they would wait outside the boundary… Grandpa Longneck?"

Two Boulder Pass. Of course. Probably the weakest entrance to the valley in that, if sharpteeth were to figure out how to navigate it, the valley would be no safer than any other.

"Y-yes?"

"What if Red Claw catches my parents? They might be in a lot of trouble if he finds out they went around him to meet me."

Grandpa Longneck had not seen Chomper's parents since they invaded the valley long ago. But if he remembered right, they were quite a hassle to deal with together.

"I'm sure they can take care of themselves until we can make a decision, Chomper."

As the little sharptooth clung to his foot with a tight expression, Grandpa Longneck could only wonder how this would affect the valley.