Chapter 56: Just a dream?
"Mum? Is that you?" Cera asked quietly, addressing the grey female Threehorn.
The spoken-to turned around, seemingly not surprised at all.
"Ah, I saw you coming. My dear, sweet Cera!" she said happily, bowing down to allow her daughter to hug her which she wildly did.
"Oh mother, I'm so glad to see you again!" Cera cried.
"So am I, my daughter," her mother responded with tears of happiness in her eyes.
"So I'm dead I guess?" Cera then questioned her mother.
"Yes... and no," came the response.
"Huh? You're either dead or alive, not something inbetween!" Cera shouted with some annoyance in her voice.
"Oh dear! Calm down, I'll explain. At this very moment, you are neither dead nor alive."
"But how's this even possible?" Cera questioned.
"Well, you would have died due to that injury on your back sooner or later but down there - where the living are - is somebody who deeply cares about you and your wellbeing. Whether to stay here or return to the world of the living, is completely up to you."
Cera didn't expect that answer. Who cared about her? Her dad? It had to be him... but how would he know of Cera's severe wound? How would he know that she was about to die? So was it those guys she used to travel with? Did they really care for her after everything she has done and said? Cera prefered to find that out by herself rather than to ask her mother. Though she clearly disliked the thought of somebody saving her life for a Threehorn never needed any help. Never ever!
"I'm... not sure what to decide, mum," Cera mumbled with uncertainty.
"You are very strong, brave and determined, Cera. Don't you want to go back to have a fulfilling life?"
"Well, sure... but I don't want to lose you now that I'm finally with you..." Cera responded.
"You have never lost me, Cera," her mother said calmly, smiling at her daughter. "And you will never lose me..."
"You gotta explain THAT to me," Cera remarked.
"Oh Cera..." the adult chuckled. "You might know that there is the body and the soul..."
"Uhm... maybe?" Cera replied.
"Well, if you die, you leave your body behind but your soul does not die. Your soul will move to a special place that is unique for every dinosaur. We call it the Great Beyond. From there, you'll watch after those you care about."
"So... lemme get this straight... You're dead, right? You've been killed and feasted upon by this Sharptooth but your soul, I'm just talking to with my soul, has moved on to this place but my body lies around in that damn cave, right?"
"That sums it up just nicely," Cera's Mother said, nodding.
"That's weird!" Cera protested.
"Yet, this is the truth," her mother answered.
"So what d'ya mean by saying you've never lost me?"
"I'm always in your heart and watching you, Cera. So let your heart guide you. Listen to what it is telling you and decide thereupon."
"You gotta be kidding, Mum!"
"Cera..." the female grown-up sighed. "I cannot order you to believe my words and neither do I want to... I can only beseech you to never forget what I just told you. You'll regret it otherwise; maybe not tomorrow but you will, one day." Cera's Mother took a breath and locked eyes with her bewildered daughter. "So will you return to the world of the living or do you want to stay with me and your sisters in the Great Beyond? If you go, there will be a bunch of young dinosaurs that will be very, very happy to see you open your eyes and return to them. We, on the other hand, will meet again one day anyway... when your time has finally come to leave the world of the living forever..."
"I'll go back... I guess," Cera mumbled. "Guess I'm too young to die, eh?"
"You are never too old or too young to die, Cera. Remember that Mr. Thicknose was pretty old when he eventually passed on and also remember that the Longneck had laid four eggs but only one hatched alive. You know that very Longneck, Cera. Let me tell you one thing you should always remember."
"Okay," Cera responded simply.
"You may be a Threehorn, very strong, proud and determined to achieve everything you want to, but you also have to remember that working in a team is the better option in many cases. Sometimes, you have to ignore those threehornish ways of thinking to achieve something. The true traits every dinosaur should have are not pride, strength and determinedness but friendship, peace and love. Everybody needs some help in his life, remember that! You may leave now."
"Just one last question, mum... Is this here even real?"
"It is all happening in your mind, Cera."
"So am I dreaming?"
"Yes, wake up... now."
Cera opened her eyes. She didn't immediately recognise the place she was at but the voices she heard were familiar.
The Threehorn had felt a sudden sensation and everything had turned black. Then she had lost consciousness only to wake up in almost complete darkness.
Cera's mind wasn't yet working fast and her eyes needed some time to adjust to the darkness. Since her sense of sight wasn't working yet, she relied on her ears. She received silent whispers of two different dinosaurs, both sounding familiar.
"Ducky? Petrie?" she finally realised. "So where are Littlefoot and Spike?"
Ducky and Petrie hadn't known how long they were united in their embrace. Eventually, Petrie removed his wings from Ducky's body and smiled at the girl.
"You my best friend, Ducky. Me ever told you that?" he said very quietly.
"I do not think that you have told me that, oh no, no, no," the Swimmer replied. "But neither have I told you that you are myyyy best friend."
"Me really... your best friend?" Petrie asked, astonished. "Me thought Spike your best friend..."
"Well, Spike and I... I think we are more like brother and sister, yep, yep, yep," Ducky explained.
"Ah, me understand... Soo... anyway, you my best friend, now me said that."
"You are my very bestest friend, too! Oh yes, yes, yes!"
Ducky's and Petrie's shining smiles met each others before they gave each other another quick but powerful hug. Then they moved on to other subjects.
"Me really wish we be in more happy situation right now," Petrie said with a sigh.
"I know, Petrie, I know," Ducky replied. "I am not happy about this either, oh no, no, no."
"Well, me coulda told you that," Petrie then snickered.
"Hehehe," Ducky giggled. "You know, Petrie... As long as we stay together, we will be strong, we will, we will."
"That true, we will make it as long as we together," Petrie spoke, smiling.
Then, out of nowhere, came a yelp...