End Of Redclaw

The Great Valley, a peaceful place were dinosaurs of many different species have come to live in harmony with one another. In such a place, the longnecks tower above the others and eat the leaves from the tops of trees which no other animal can reach. Two great longnecks, known to all simply and Grandma and Grandpa longneck, grazed from a tree by the watering hole. Below them in a clearing, Topsy, the resident three horn, was instructing his youngest hatching, Tricia, on proper charging techniques.

"Now, remember, Tricia. Keep your head down so that the horns face completely forward. Yeah, your getting better." He said, watching the small pink three horn try. Grandma and Grandpa longneck giggled slightly. "What's so funny?"

"Just watching you." Grandpa longneck said. "At your age its amazing you can still be that patient with a hatchling."

"Grandma! Grandpa!" A familiar voice shouted. Turning their heads, they saw Littlefoot and the gang running up toward them.

"Littlefoot! What seems to be the matter?" Grandpa longneck asked.

Tricia ran up passed her father and strait to Cera. "Cera!" She screamed, nuzzling her head against the leg of her older sister.

"Grandpa! We found something! It's Screech!" Littlefoot shouted. "The Fast-biter!"

"What? Did he get in the Valley somehow?" Grandpa Longneck asked.

"No. It seems that…" Littlefoot started, then paused. Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to finish his thought.

"He's dead!" Cera shouted.

"What!?" Her father exclaimed. "Screech is dead!?"

"That's not all." Chomper said, stepping forward. "Before he died, he said something about someone coming back."

"What do you think, Grandma?" Grandpa Longneck asked.

"I think we should go take a look at least." She replied. Together, the two great longnecks began to move toward the Great Wall.

"You don't think you're going anywhere without me, do you?" Topsy said. "Tricia, go back to mommy. I'm going to go take a look at this, too."

"Come on, we'll show you where." Littlefoot said.

"Uh, Littlefoot," Petrie said. "How grown ups go through cave? They too big."

"We'll have to reopen the Hidden Valley to get out." Grandpa Longneck said.

Together, all of them made their way to the blocked off Hidden Canyon and the grown ups steadily began moving the rocks and boulders. Grandpa Longneck would place both his front legs on a boulder and move it slowly to its side and rolled it away. As time passed, slowly the canyon began to reopen until finally they could all get out.

"It's open." Grandpa Longneck said.

"Okay, children. Show us where you found Screech." Topsy said.

"I can find him." Chomper said. He got out in front of the others and lifted his head into the wind. He sniffed, trying to get the scent, but only the scent of the many strong Tree Sweets reached his nose. "Eww. These Tree Sweets are making my sniffer burn."

"Don't worry, Chomper." Ruby told him, as she came up beside him. "Once we move out of the Canyon, your sniffer will be working fine." She looked back and motion to everyone to follow her. "Come on." She stepped over the rocks that still remained and out through the canyon, followed by Littlefoot, the gang and the grown ups.

Once on the outside of the canyon, the smell of Tree Sweets wasn't as strong as it had been and Chomper could smell again. He sniffed the air again and easily found where they should go. The smell of blood was unmistakable. "This way," he said, walking off to the north.

/

As the plant-eaters moved off to the north following the scent of blood, Sharptooth came up from the south. He had checked the wind and made sure that he would be downwind of the canyon opening. His foresight had paid off. Such stupid grass munchers, they had just left the door open for him. Almost too easy.

Sneakily, making sure to place his feet softly against the ground, Sharptooth made his way into the Hidden Canyon. The strong burning smell of the Tree Sweets made him wince for a second and brought a tear to his eye. But still he muscled through it. They might be enough to make most sharpteeth turn away, but he was stronger than all other sharpteeth. No bad smelling plant would keep him away from his objective.

He passes through the canyon, making sure to breath through his mouth rather than his nose, and entered the Great Valley. The first time he'd been here in almost 100 years.

/

Chomper led the group, following the smell of blood in the air. "It should be right up ahead." He said as he looked over his shoulder.

Sure enough, as they moved passed a great standing rock, they found the body of Screech. Just as they had left it. His head was arched back, blood puddled around his mouth. All across his body they could see bite marks, deep bite marks. His ankle was twisted backwards and both arms were extremely bloody.

"Oh, that's terrible." Grandma Longneck said.

The body of Screech was soon passed over by Chomper. He walked right passed it and began to follow the trail of red left behind it. He sniffed at the blood trail momentarily, then continued along it.

"Chomper, where are you going?" Littlefoot called.

"Chomper, you can not run off alone, no no no." Duckey shouted from atop Spike's head.

Littlefoot started off after Chomper and everyone followed in pursuit. Chomper followed the blood trail as it wove it's way through the rock maze that was the Mysterious beyond. It wasn't long before Chomper found where the trail ended. He looked down at the end of the trail dumbfounded, then looked up and saw two rows of enormous teeth right in front of him. Hugh teeth lunging at him, trying to tear at his skin and grind him to bits.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Chomper screamed and fell backwards. He scrambled to his feet and tried to run again, but he was so scared that he slipped again. After he tripped the second time, he simply curled up in a ball and shivered. As the seconds turned to minutes and no pain came, Chomper slowly uncurled himself. "What's going on? If I was being attacked, I'd be dead now." He looked up and saw the teeth right where they were before, unmoving.

"Hey, Chomper!" Littlefoot called, as he came around the rock. "You shouldn't run off like- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Littlefoot screamed as he saw the mouth of teeth.

"Hold on, Littlefoot." Chomper said. "It's dead. Look." Chomper pointed at the creature. Only then did Littlefoot recognize it for what it really was. Redclaw. The Scar that was carved over his left eye was plain as day.

By this time; Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Ruby, and the grown ups had also come around the rock and seen it. Redclaw's body also covered in bite marks. Deep gashes could be seen in his stomach and chest, and a chunk of flesh had been torn from his back. Laying not far away was the body of Thud, just as maimed if not more so that Screech.

"Oh, my…" Cera had to turn away. She ran to her father's side and forced herself to keep from throwing up. Her sentiments were shared with the rest of the group, utter speechlessness. No one could seem to say anything to even grasp at the gravity of the situation. Although one thing was certain, something very big and power had to be behind this.

"This is impossible." Ruby said. "Redclaw is the biggest and meanest sharptooth ever. How can he…"

"These marks were left by another sharptooth," Chomper said.

"But I don't understand," Littlefoot exclaimed, "what sharptooth would be bad enough to kill Redclaw?"