Hi, welcome back! Thanks to everyone for reading so far.

We've got a slower and darker chapter here where I hope to really flesh out the eighth member of the gang. Her backstory, my take on her perspective of canon events, and ... Well, you'll see what happens. This was a tricky and delicate one to do, but I really hope you like the end result. We'll be getting plenty of more development on her, Shorty and Guido as well, with my aim to develop the three newcomers to a point where the Gang of 7 are at.

As always, if you like this, I always appreciate feedback in favs/follows/reviews, and of course, the Land Before Time and its universe belongs to Universal.

Chapter 12 – Thoughts and Traumas

With Cera, Petrie and Shorty having left, the seven remaining friends stared at each other in disbelief, still trying to process the sudden friction that had split their group apart. Finally Chomper spoke, "You don't think there's any chance in calling them back to apologize, right?"

No one replied right away. Knowing how stubborn Cera was, how sensitive Petrie was, and how volatile Shorty was, getting them to all come to a quick and heartfelt apology would be very difficult. "Perhaps if their elders apologized, then maybe they would apologize …" Ruby said, but trailed off, shaking her head. If bridging the gap between the three of them was difficult, concocting a scenario in which Bron, Topps and Pterano would apologize to one another was laughable, especially given the tension between them was only going from bad to worse.

"We probably can't get them together just yet," Littlefoot said finally. "But that doesn't mean we can't be there for them in the meantime. And if we all work together, we'll get them to talk, I know it. It's just gonna take some time and patience," he paused as he turned to Ducky. "Ducky, since you and I are both married, why don't we make sure we'll always be there for our mates? You know, be there to listen to them, soothe their feelings, and hopefully help bring them back together again."

"I will try, I will," Ducky said nervously, a bit of doubt even creeping into her voice.

"It's not gonna be easy, but I'm sure we can do it," Littlefoot said bravely. "Cera and Petrie fought before, remember? But they came together, as they were still friends at heart. I'm sure they still are now," he said, desperately hoping this was true. He had to, for he could not think of the alternative. The silence after this pronouncement he made stung, for the lack of a biting, questioning response from a certain threehorn was far worse than any skeptical comment she could possibly make.

"Spike, do you want to help me out with Petrie?" Ducky asked her brother, who nodded determinedly.

"And Petrie and I are good friends," Guido said. "You can count me in to help him out."

"I guess I can be available for both Cera and Petrie, whoever needs us can find us," Ruby said as Chomper said, "Me too."

"Then who's going to be there for Shorty?" Ali asked concernedly, looking at Littlefoot.

"Er ... I'm not sure I can," Littlefoot said slowly. "If Cera knows I'm talking to him, she won't want to talk with me anymore. You know how she gets."

"I guess you're right," Ali said uncertainly.

Nobody else said anything, only looking back at Ali. "Are you saying … I talk to Shorty?" she said in surprise.

"Well, no one but the two of you live in that corner of the Valley," Ruby reasoned. "And no one but the two of you are farwalkers here."

"And you know how Shorty gets when he's around you," Chomper said cheekily.

"What do you mean?" Ali asked, blushing a bit.

"Well … You know, with the painkiller plants, and how he was carrying the trees in," Chomper explained as the rest of the gang fought hard not to smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ali said uncertainly, but the moment of levity couldn't help but make the others feel a bit more cheerful.

"Besides Ali," Littlefoot said encouragingly. "Shorty listens to you. He just asked you a question of what you thought of Mr. Threehorn's comments, right? Maybe something you say might be just what Shorty needs."

"I don't know what I could say," Ali said doubtfully. "Nothing I can say will matter."

"Everything you say matters! You figured out what happened with Ann before anyone else, right?" Littlefoot asked. "And even if you don't see it, you'll never know whether you can help Shorty or not until you try."

"Oh yes yes yes. And Shorty likes you, he does!" Ducky added brightly.

Ali sighed, but she knew they were right. Shorty needed a confidante, and out of the seven of them, she was clearly the best-positioned to do it. And besides, a small part of her relished the prospect of speaking with Shorty alone …

"Okay then," Ali sighed, "I'll see what I can do."

"Great," Littlefoot smiled. "Hopefully we'll be able to bring our friends back together soon."

And soon, everyone was on their separate ways, knowing what they had to do to have any chance of bringing their sparring friends together again. Though they never had quite a conundrum like this, with three of their friends having such an intensely personal conflict, they were determined to mend the ties in any way possible so they could all be happily together once again.

Ali trudged off to her herd uncertainly. She still wasn't entirely comfortable about the prospect of watching over Shorty and his volatile personality, though she had to admit that the prospect of doing so gave her some relief. With Littlefoot being unable to see him and Bron now having to educate the three new young longnecks, Shorty could no longer count on the attention he once had from his family. Not only that, but he was the only one of his species of longneck in the Valley, making it even less likely he had someone else to talk to. Realizing that made Ali all the more glad that she would be there for him.

Besides, the more she thought about it, she had begun to realize how much time she spent with him without fully realizing it. From their first encounter of dueling fast biters together and the time they spent gathering treestars for their friends' double wedding, to helping Shorty with the well-wishers upon Littlefoot's grandparents' deaths, to the whole incident with Etta and Wild Arms to bringing tree stars to their friends in the Mysterious Beyond, the two of them had found themselves together a lot.

And play dumb as she might, there was no denying that Shorty really liked her. His awkwardness and clumsiness around her, his hot jealousy towards her new flirtatious herdmates and his asking her for validation to back her up, not to mention all his facial cues further giving him away, made it very apparent to her just how he was feeling. Subtleness was not Shorty's strong point, and though sometimes he had a very poor way of showing it, she knew that he cared about her. In a way that may not always come out right, but one that was all too familiar for her …

She sighed heavily. Was she really ready for this? She closed her eyes, thinking back long, long ago ….


The four-cold time-old longneck squinted up through the mists to the two forms high above her. The herd was grazing a ways off, but they both stood, looking down at her expectantly. She had been seeing her parents muttering together in the distance, throwing concerned looks her way. She suspected she knew what it was about. Her parents had been trying to get her to talk for as long as she could remember, but she could never quite get the words out. She focused on taking deep breaths, hoping to get something out more than an incomprehensible stutter, so her parents would be happy …

"Mommy," her mom said slowly and clearly as both parents lowered their necks so their heads were right by her. "Say Mommy for me?"

"Mmm," Ali said slowly, cutting off at the end as she looked down sadly.

"It's all right," her dad said. "Why not try Daddy?"

"Dah … doh …" Ali said, tripping up once again.

"You're getting there," her mom continued as Ali looked at her. "You almost did it. Why don't you try Da?"

"D … Da," Ali said.

"That's it!" she said as her parents stayed right at her.

"Now say Ma," Ali's father said encouragingly.

"M … Muh … Ma," Ali said, and her heart taking off, she looked at each of them in turn, touching each of them on the nose as she said, "Ma da! Da ma! Ma da! Da ma!"

Then through the mists behind them, a series of vicious shrieks occurred, and saw her parents' expressions go from joy to fear.

"Linda! Get Ali out of here and get back to the herd. I'll be okay, promise," her father said.

"Oh, but …" Ali's mother said.

"Now! Or they'll get Ali!" her father said as he got his tail ready.

So Ali's mother picked her up and tearing through the thick layers of mist, she ran off to the herd, which had already begun to run away for dear life. She eventually caught up to the Old One, who was one of the slowest of the herd, but still running at a very brisk pace.

"Louise, take care of Ali," she said as Ali's mom hurriedly transferred her. "I've got to help Appo. I'll be back."

"Wait!" the Old One exclaimed, but Ali's mother headed right back to the battle. It was impossible for Ali to see what was going on beyond the thick veil of mists, but she could still hear the bone-chilling sounds of combat and sharptooth screeches ...

Eventually, the herd got to a clearing where they could finally see one another properly. The Old One immediately gathered the herd together.

"Everyone here but Appo and Linda," she said, doing a head count. "Right. Seniors, stay here with Ali and me. The rest of you, go out and …"

She trailed off as Ali's mother returned, her neck sagging as she arrived. There was stunned silence as she hoarsely whispered, "We lost him …" Then she fell onto the damp, grassy ground and began to sob.

Everyone looked at each other sadly as Ali ran over to her mother, prodding her front paw. "Ma? Ma?"

"I'm right here, honey," she said in a lifeless voice, and moved her paw just enough to draw Ali into one prolonged and bittersweet hug.


A cold time had passed and Ali was now five cold times old. Since her father's death, she had always stuck closely to the herd, knowing that by doing this, she and her mother would remain safe. She had many questions though, and one thought in particular kept bothering her, something she didn't quite understand.

"Mommy, how come everyone is so big and I … Well I'm ..., So little," Ali asked. "Is something wrong with me?"

Ali's mother laughed. "No Ali. You're just young. You see dear, the rest of us have experienced many cold times. You are the youngest of our herd, and the only one of your age we've had for some time. But not to worry. You too will grow to become just as big as the rest of us."

"Oh …" Ali said thoughtfully, before she asked, "Are there others like me out there? Of my age?"

"Of course," Ali's mother smiled.

"Well how I come I haven't seen any?" Ali said.

"They're all in the safety of their own herds, just like you are," she explained.

"Oh, okay," Ali sighed.

One day, the herd was having a drink when Ali heard voices squealing in happy laughter and splashing in the water nearby. Ali's mother looked at her. "Ali, it sounds like there are little longnecks your age nearby. Do you want to go meet them?"

"Sure," Ali smiled.

So after letting the rest of the herd know, Ali's mother took her downstream to where the voices were. It was difficult to make anything out in the mists, but when she lowered her to the ground, Ali could feel where the playful energy was coming from, and instinctively wandered her way over to it. Her heart beating with nervousness and excitement, she wondered who she would find when the mist all cleared up. She could just make out the outlines of two little dinosaurs, to her surprise, did not have long necks like her, but rather little plates on their backs …

Suddenly, Ali felt herself being picked up, and her mother carried her back. "Mommy, why?" Ali asked.

"Because those are not longnecks," Ali's mother explained. "They belong to another kind of dinosaur called spiketails, and you shouldn't play with dinosaurs of other kinds."

"Would they eat me?" Ali said worriedly.

"Oh no … Spiketails eat tree stars like us, so we mind their business and they mind ours. But spiketails can still be very scary and may even hurt you. Especially if for some reason they feel their young ones are under threat. You must always be careful around dinosaurs of other kinds, especially when you're small like this."

"Yes Mother," Ali said. "But do you think I'll meet a longneck my own age someday?"

"I'm sure you will," she replied. "And you're going to like them very much."


It was not until a cold time later however, that that event finally happened, during a pit stop in the very place where Ali found herself now. At the time, she viewed it only as "the place where our cousins live." But she had never forgotten the time she met her first friend, a memory which she still held dear to her heart.

She was just playing in a bush when she heard a voice call out, "Wait a minute! Is that you, Cera?"

That's when she first saw him. It was a longneck, just like she was, and by the tone of his voice, a longneck actually her age! She wanted to say something to him, but couldn't figure out just what, so she figured the best thing she could do was to be playful about it. Biting his tail, harder than she meant to out of sheer excitement, and spying on him being confused was so funny … Until the joke turned on her when that log collapsed with her weight and then, they met face to face.

"Hey, you're not Cera. You're a longneck like me!"

Judging by his tone of voice, he, like her, he didn't have any longnecks to play with … This realization generated enough excitement to give her just enough courage to speak up. "I'm Ali. What's your name?"

"Littlefoot."

"Um …" Ali stuttered, still nervous, but seeing how friendly Littlefoot's tone was bolstered her to go further. "Wanna play with me, Littlefoot?"

"Sure."

"Great! Not it! You're it!" she pecked him, just as her mom would peck her, and for those few wonderful minutes, everything seemed perfect as she wondered in awe in the presence of her new friend.

Then it all came crashing over. Four bullies had put themselves right in her, of all other kinds, just like her mother warned her about. Fear paralyzed her as she drew back next to Littlefoot, who looked at her in concern as he asked, "What's the matter, Ali?"

"I'm … I'm afraid."

And then they started mocking her.

"Are we scary?"

"Oh yes! Petrie very scary."

"Well, it just so happens that threehorns can be very scary. Grr!"

Cowering besides Littlefoot, she waited for his warm words to protect her. But what exactly he said caught her thoroughly off guard.

"Gee Ali, there's nothing scary about my friends, honest! They're really, really nice."

She stared incredulously at him. How could he be so foolishly blind to think of those bullies as friends?

"Littlefoot, they're not longnecks like us!" she tried explaining sensibly. "I'm sorry everyone, I can't play now."

Of course, she would not give up on her first friend that easily. Somehow, she had to put him right. If he was going to be her friend, she had to save him from those bullies … And so she developed a plan.

Once the others had left, Ali revealed herself and said, "Shh! Littlefoot, I'm over here."

"Did you change your mind? Do you want to play with me and my friends?"

But she wouldn't answer. She was going to start playing right at that moment to distract Littlefoot from his other "friends". And of course, the trick worked like a charm. They got to spend some more moments together, and finally, Ali plucked up the courage to ask the question. "You're really fun, Littlefoot. I hope we're friends."

"Of course we're friends!" Littlefoot exclaimed, and with that, Ali's heart soared as she splashed her.

Then everything began to fall around her, Littlefoot's grandfather was sick, and after finding out there was nothing they could do, she went into a fitful sleep … Then Littlefoot woke her up.

"I've got to find the night flower."

"What?!"

"Shh! Will you tell me where to find it?"

"I can't, Littlefoot. It's too dangerous. The Land of Mists is filled with horrible monsters. You can't go by yourself."

"I'm not. I'm going to ask Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike to go with me."

Those bullies … Those bullies he was going to ask for help before her. Hurt, she could only ask, "But … what about me?"

"Well, I … I didn't think you wanna come because you … You don't like my friends. And besides, you just said you didn't want to go."

"I'll go, but …" And then it occurred to her. She could help Littlefoot all by herself, proving to him that she was his one true friend, the only one that he could count on in times of danger, and they would save his grandfather together. "But we can't take the others."

"Huh?"

"See," she improvised, "If we take them, it'll only slow us down."

"I don't know," Littlefoot said, but she wouldn't give him any more time to consider. "Hurry, Littlefoot. I know the way, the others don't. We have to go now or the grownups will try and stop us."

But little did she understand how difficult the trip would be. So much so that she knew she couldn't do it by herself. And she knew that getting any of the grownups to help would just whisk them home without getting the night flower … So with a deep lump of anxiety and regret, she had to swallow her pride and hope that Littlefoot's friends were as good as he said they were …

Confronting them and owning up to her mistake wasn't easy, and in retrospect, she didn't blame any of them for doubting her story at first. But to her surprise, Ducky, Petrie and Spike instantly joined her, and eventually, even Cera came to the rescue. Seeing their reactions as they reunited with Littlefoot shocked her even further. Not only did they prove themselves not to be bullies, but it was apparent to Ali how close each of them was with Littlefoot, making her realize that she could be friends with not just other longnecks, but anyone she wanted and who wanted to be her friend. And in contrast, Cera's cold reactions to her afterwards made Ali realize just how much hurt she inflicted on the others, especially Cera, and at that moment, she resolved to mend things with her … And when the opportunity came, she did not hesitate to help Cera out, putting herself at grave personal risk like never before. She could not forget just how surprised Cera was when she came to rescue her. And just like her first moments with Littlefoot, she would never forget the conversation with Cera afterward.

"Thanks Ali."

"You're welcome."

"Hey guys! You don't have to worry anymore! Ali and me are friends!"

Reliving that moment still gave Ali a rush of joy, and at that point, she could still remember everything became like a sleep story. She never felt so light and happy as in those moments, almost floating along as she was singing, playing, and frolicking through the suddenly much less frightening Land of Mists, with six friends, including Tickles, making what should have been a scary, stressful, anxiety-ridden trip into a bright, happy jaunt with the discovery of the night flowers being like the treestar on top of the tree. Even though there were dark moments, nothing felt truly hopeless, for the shared bonds they all had together truly saw them through the satisfying finish, where Grandpa Longneck miraculously recovered from his disease just as they hoped.

And then it all came to an end. Before she knew it, her herd was leaving, and they were off to the Mysterious Beyond, with the parting words, "Maybe we'll all live together someday …" In the time that followed, she always wondered whether she should have just stayed in the Great Valley with Littlefoot and his friends, and the possibilities that could have happened had she taken a different course. What would it have been like growing up with them, being there for each of their special moments? How would it feel to be a part of the adventures she knew she had to be missing out on? How were each of them doing now? And with no one else her age to talk to in her herd, she kept reflecting back on their journey. Often her mom would have to snap her head out of the clouds as she kept singing the song they once together to herself.


Shortly after her eighth cold time however, something happened that took her life on yet another turn. She woke up one morning and to her surprise, she saw that the Old One was busy speaking with a longneck she never saw before.

"Mother, who's that?" Ali asked curiously.

"That is the leader of another herd," she explained. "He has suggested to the Old One a herd merger."

"Herd merger?" Ali asked blankly.

"Yes. A herd merger is when two herds come together as one," Ali's mother explained. "Which means if they agree, we will have some new herdmates. And with a larger herd, we'll all be safer from sharpteeth."

"Oh," Ali said curiously, taking in the possibility. Then a thought occurred to her. "Do you think there might be kids?"

"Maybe," Ali's mother answered. "Maybe."

Soon, the Old One announced that the two herds had been integrated, and the new herdmates began to mill about and introduce themselves. Ali felt very shy as she politely introduced herself to the much larger newcomers. However, soon she felt a tail swat her on the back. Turning Ali gasped as she found herself face to a face with another longneck just her age with sparkling jade green eyes and a smile brimming with self-assurance.

"Hey, you're just about my age!" he said excitedly, holding his head up. "You part of the Old One's herd?"

As Ali nodded shyly, he said with a grin, "Well guess what? You and I are herdmates now. Thank the Bright Circle I finally get to be with someone my own age. The name's Rhett. And you?"

"I'm Ali," she said politely as she saw Rhett keenly nod.

"Nice meeting you, Ali. You were the only kid in your herd too?"

"Uh …. Yeah."

"That's great. You didn't have any friends, and I didn't have any friends. But now the two of us can be best friends together," Rhett said, his eyes twinkling as his voice radiated excitement.

"Well, I have some other friends," Ali said. "I'd been on a wonderful adventure with them once."

To her surprise, Rhett suddenly seemed to wilt, as if Ali said something deeply hurtful to him. "Where are they?" Rhett asked, looking around tensely.

"They're far away from here," Ali said, lowering her head sadly, wondering if she said anything.

Well, sounds to me that they're not very good friends if they're not here for you now," Rhett said, looking at Ali intently. "But I'm not like that. I'll always be there for you, and you can count on me to be your best friend so long as we're together."

Ali said nothing as the boy longneck looked imploringly at her, his eyes fixated on hers as she could see the deep commitment emanating from them. "You said you like to go on adventures?"

"Well, uh … As long as there are no sharpteeth," Ali answered honestly.

Rhett smiled confidently. "You're not gonna deal with sharpteeth with me, trust me."

"But how do you know that?" Ali asked. "My dad was attacked by a sharptooth when he least expected it."

"Well, erm, uh …" Rhett paused as he said, "Promise Ali, that's not gonna happen again. You're safe with me because I'm, er … The hero of the herd and the scarer of sharpteeth! Always there to rescue you, whether you know it or not!"

Ali looked at Rhett, seeing his eyes passionately light up as he grew more confident as he spoke. "I've been the protector of my herd. I know it sounds crazy … But listen to this!"

And with that, Rhett launched into impromptu recounts filled with colorful language and epic tales. They seemed fantastical at times, but Ali couldn't help but find herself wanting to believe them. Here was someone pouring out everything he had to her … An experience she never quite had. Sure her parents loved her very much, and Littlefoot and his friends still had a place in her heart. But none of them quite had the intense, passionate focus on her as her new herdmate, seemingly willing to do or say anything to have her transfixed in his gaze. When he finally finished, he said, "And that is how I did it! And if you'll be my best friend, you won't ever have to worry about anything again, for I'll make sure you'll always be happy. You'll always have me and I'll always have you. So whaddya say? Wanna be best friends till the end?"

Ali looked into his blazing, unflinching eyes, so filled with resolve that she couldn't help but get a little teary-eyed with seeing just how much interest he had in her. "Well, um … Okay."

"Great! I'll show you a game called rescue. Come on!"

And with that, she and Rhett spent every day playing with one another. Landscapes passed as did the seasons on their long migrations, but the two of them were so within their own world that everything else went like a blur next to their games, adventures and talks. While it was mostly him taking the lead, she didn't mind. She always felt appreciated being part of his world, and from then on, she never felt lonely.

Her flashbacks too had also ceased, to the point where when they ultimately returned to the Great Valley a cold time later, her memories there had long been cast aside as she enjoyed the wonderful friendship she had in the here and now. Little did she know however, that this visit would change everything once again …

"Ali!"

Ali turned and saw galloping toward her two kids she met way back, but ones had been part of her sleep stories long afterward. "Littlefoot! Cera!"

"Ali, I'm so glad you're back! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Ali."

So long had Ali anticipated this moment in her sleep stories and the excitement around it, she surprised herself when the only words that came out were a mild, "It's been a while."

She heard Littlefoot and Cera rattle off some games to her, but then heard another voice. "Ali!"

Suddenly, everything around her seemed to vanish as she felt two conflicting forces. It felt so nice to see Littlefoot and Cera again … But something was holding her back. Suddenly, she didn't feel all that comfortable being with her old friends. Not when someone else was wanting to see her.

"Hey Ali, aren't you coming?"

"Hey Ali."

Her old and new lives were coming to a head, and she felt stuck in the middle. But as she struggled to deal with it she realized that she'd feel a lot worse about disappointing one of her friends than the other. With a tinge of regret but a firmer conviction, she answered, "Actually … I have a new friend I play with."

"That's okay. He can come too."

"Uh … I don't think Rhett will want to."

And before she knew it, her best friend and old friends collided with a thud, and to her dismay, saw that they were fighting. Seeing her old friends taking such a skeptical tone to her new friend made her really sad. Somehow, she had to show them how special he was, maybe then they'd understand what he meant to her … And then it occurred to her.

"Tell them about your adventures, Rhett!"

So Rhett launched into some of the same wondrous stories that enchanted her when they first met. She expected her old friends would ooh and ah just like she did, but to her surprise, they cut him off before giving him a chance to finish, and Cera skeptically asked, "So Ali, were you with Rhett when any of this stuff happened?"

She quickly clarified the situation, but they continued pressing in on him, causing him to lose the fiery confidence in himself that she so admired … "Oh, well, that mountain of rocks was mostly built. But I did finish the top."

"See?" she exclaimed excitedly, eager to back her friend up. "He finished the top!"

She could feel Rhett's warm eyes and smile brightly on her as she felt a surge of pride in herself, sticking up her friend in the face of the continued attacks, each barb stinging more than the last … Maybe Rhett was right … Maybe they weren't such good friends as she thought …

"Of a mountain? That's pretty hard to believe."

Her first friend's words came crashing down on her like falling stone teeth. Suddenly instead of a friend, he almost seemed like a bully trying to get under Rhett's skin and make him look bad, and though confrontation wasn't in her nature, she had to do something to stop her friend from being personally attacked …

"You're just mad because you can't knock down trees with your tail!"

To that day, Ali was still surprised in how she lashed out at Littlefoot like that. In that moment, Ali thought Littlefoot must have changed, in order to get such a nasty, skeptical streak when he used to be so open and welcoming. But in retrospect, Ali realized that the one who had truly changed was herself. Far from reminiscing about the days of being with Littlefoot and his friends, when push came to shove in that moment, she found herself firmly on Rhett's side. The bond she and Rhett had forged by being best of friends for a whole cold time was more than enough to overcome any lingering nostalgia she may have had. And in the end, even though Littlefoot and his friends proved to be right about Rhett's stories, she wasn't upset with him. It was the thought that counted after all, and even if the stories weren't true, they were still an effort on his part to make her feel better and to become her friend, and her gentle support encouraged him to own up to his mistake.

She was very grateful though when Littlefoot and his friends reminded her why she missed them so much in the first place when they invited the dejected Rhett to play with them. They proved to be just as great friends as she remembed, their warm hearts and fun personalities being more than enough to quickly rekindle Ali's temporarily frayed relationships with them, and they spent the remainder of their stay in the Valley playing together as a gang of nine on a few days that Ali would never forget. She appreciated making new memories with each of them, especially Littlefoot, her first and closest friend of the gang, and who was more than relieved that her momentary doubts about him were simply misplaced. But still, when it was time to go, it was less bittersweet than it was the first time, since she knew she would always have Rhett, her best friend, for company.


But upon leaving the Valley, Ali saw how much the experience had truly scarred Rhett. Where he was once bursting with swagger and enthusiasm, he now became oddly subdued and quiet. She suddenly found herself as the one starting conversations and the one asking him what he wanted to do, to which he always asked her what she wanted to do instead, putting all the onus on her to come up with things for them to do together. The life had died from his voice, and he had truly become a shadow of his former self, now listlessly lumbering in a sluggish gait and hardly saying a word.

One night several months after the visit, shortly after she turned eleven, Ali woke up and saw that Rhett was no longer there. She looked around and saw him lying at the edge of the cliff, staring at the Night Circle off into the distance. Being sure not to wake anyone else, Ali approached Rhett and gently greeted him. "Hi Rhett."

"Hey," he said dispiritedly.

"Mind if I talk?" Ali asked.

"Whatevs," Rhett mumbled as Ali sat by his side.

"You doing okay?"

"Why'd you care?"

"Well we're best friends Rhett," Ali reminded him. "Of course I care about you, just like you always care about me."

"Yeah," Rhett snorted. "The me who never existed was something, right? Now you know I'm just a fraud."

"Oh Rhett, I never liked you just for those silly stories," Ali giggled gently. "I mean, being a hero is great, but that's not why I like you. You're so full of life and you always have an eye on me. I've never had someone quite so … Well, interested in me as you are," she said with a slight blush. "You make me feel like I'm in another world."

"Heh, some world," Rhett said dispiritedly. "You'd never like me if I said what I really was. An unwanted egg left behind by my own family who just happened to run into a herd, and then into you. Why would you like me if I wasn't something well, great? If I didn't do anything to make you impressed?"

"I'm sorry for what you've been through, Rhett. But it's not what you are, it's who you are that I like about you. I really mean that. Even if you may feel down on yourself, I'll never feel down on you. You're really something special, Rhett … I don't know, I just … Well, really like you for you. And I always will."

Rhett nodded slowly, his eyes welling up for a moment. Then he shook his head and cleared them, saying determinedly, "I may not have been who I said was … But that's gonna be who I become someday. The hero of the herd and the scarer of sharpteeth. But I'm not doing it just for myself. I'm also doing it for you. I'm gonna give my all to always make sure you're safe and happy, and you'll never have another thing to worry about as long as I'm around," said Rhett, slowly gaining his confidence back as to Ali's delight, he lifted his head and sat up. "You're gonna be so proud of what I'll become, Ali. And that's a promise I intend to keep."

"Oh Rhett," Ali said, and slowly, without fully realizing it, she felt her face drawing closer to his … And an in immeasurable flood of warmth went through her still young body as their cheeks briefly touched. Suddenly, she didn't feel like such a hatchling anymore …

They broke apart, and Rhett stared at Ali, perplexed. "You really like me, Ali?"

"Always," Ali nodded, and the two of them just stared at each other with warm, tender smiles.

Then the ground around them began to rumble. At first they thought they could ignore it, assuming one of their herdmates stood up from their rest. "How are we going to explain this to the grownups?" Rhett smirked.

"I don't know," Ali said. "But I don't care as long as …"

But she never got to finish her sentence, for out of the corner of her eye, the source of the rumbling became apparent. A massive two-clawed bigbiter was headed straight toward them, running at an alarming pace. But it was sneaky, for rather than roar as they so often do, it closed in on them with a deadly silence.

"Help!" Ali and Rhett both shouted as it drew closer. Unfortunately however, the grownups were in a deep sleep and many of them were snoring loudly, making their distant cries for help unheard. Looking at each other, they realized there was barely enough room for two of them to stand on the cliff. They had to get off one by one if they hoped to make a getaway.

"You go first, I 'll follow," Rhett said at once.

"But …"

"Now! Or else we'll both be sharptooth food!"

So with that Ali ran, and just in the nick of time. By the time they had turned themselves around, the sharptooth had blocked their way off the cliff, and Ali had just gotten through the sharptooth's legs before it lowered its massive head. "Come on Rhett!" Ali shouted, hoping to hear Rhett answer.

But to her shock, Rhett was still trapped at the cliff's edge, the sharptooth's head lowered down on him as it drooled hungrily. "Rhett! Jump on its head and climb up it!" Ali shouted. "Then we'll get the grownups!"

But Rhett didn't seem to hear her, and she watched in horror as instead, Rhett stood his ground and said, "You've come here to fight me? Well, you've got another thing coming, sharptooth!"

"Rhett, no!" Ali shouted as she frantically bit onto the sharptooth's tail. Unfortunately, her little, flat-toothed bite didn't even provoke a reaction from the sharptooth, who continued to advance on Rhett as Rhett backed up to the very edge of the cliff …

Then it happened. The sharptooth stepped forward, putting enough weight on the cracking cliff to finally sink the part he was standing on. Seizing the moment, Rhett finally climbed onto the sharptooth's head and began to hurry down the sharptooth's back, hoping to finally make it back to rocky ground. But just as Ali realized Rhett may pull the incredible off, the sharptooth, in one last move, moved its tail off to the side. This got rid of the bridge Rhett was counting on to make it back to land, and so now he was far enough away from the cliff that he had no choice but to jump.

Instinctively, Ali ran to the edge of the cliff, holding her tail out as far as it would go for Rhett to clamp onto. "Rhett, I'm over here!" Ali shouted, not being able to see what was going on behind her as she painfully stretched her still short tail out. For a moment, she could feel a breath of warmth right at the end of her tail. But that moment ended. Rhett had misjudged when to grab on, and as a result, he clamped his mouth shut several inches below where Ali's tail actually was. All Ali then remembered was an endless scream as she saw Rhett plummet to the ground far below with the sharptooth that had left her forever scarred with a deep wound to the heart.


Ali shuddered as she kept walking on, trying to clear her darkest moments from her mind. Then she remembered the situation in front of her. Due to happenstance, she was now tasked with being Shorty's confidante and she knew that he desperately needed help from someone who would care about him, and due to her friends' circumstances, she was the one best equipped to do it despite her past traumas. She knew that Shorty would listen to her perhaps better than to anyone else, and the two had slowly built up a friendship that she knew was closer than any friendship Ducky, Spike, Chomper, Ruby or Guido may have with him. And on the upside, she knew that none of the others could connect with him on the same level she could, between their shared experiences of both being longnecks, both forming very special relationships with Littlefoot, and both having to deal with what seemed to be endless hardships in the Mysterious Beyond.

But other things still held her back. What would Rhett, who she had promised friendship and loyalty to for so often, think of her abandoning her promises all together to be with a boy who so obviously was attracted to her? She felt a twinge of guilt as she thought. All of her words would be empty and meaningless to the one who so deeply craved her appreciation until his last breath. And besides, was she even ready for another relationship? She could never forget the pain of losing both her father and best friend, and was not sure she could take yet another heavy, emotional blow. Could she possibly be able to bear worrying about losing a third loved one?

She remembered that she was nearly betrothed to Littlefoot, and while she felt a tinge of regret of not being the mate of her first friend, she honestly felt more relief. By her siding with Rhett over Littlefoot way back then after she befriended both, she knew that there would always be some doubt in her heart as to how much she could possibly love him. And Littlefoot, who had always been such a kind, supportive friend to her, and who had such a big, warm heart, didn't deserve a relationship remotely compromised with even the faintest thought that he may have been a second choice ... Compared to the deep connection Littlefoot had forged with Cera, fraught with trials and conflict but in the end always remaining an unwavering, unbreakable bond that seemed to only get stronger, her relationship with him, while very good, still felt decidedly shallow.

But despite all this, there was something about Shorty she just couldn't turn away from. Like Rhett, he too needed help. Beyond his grumpy, sometimes cocky, and occasionally antisocial nature, Ali could tell that not only a good heart lay inside, but also a heart filled with hurt. She had so many questions about him, that she could only suspect the answer to, knowing that he would have only shared with Littlefoot or Bron, who would have undoubtedly promised to be confidential. But for all she knew, Shorty may have been keeping secrets that even they didn't know about … What was his childhood like? Did he, like Rhett, grow up with no family until he met Bron? What else could he be hiding behind his outbursts? And what could she possibly do to help him? The unanswered questions continued to gnaw at her, as did coming up with any way she could possibly help him. But as someone who dealt with plenty of trauma herself, she had to consider the possibility she might have some insight to help Shorty through his troubles ...

She looked up to see the forms of Cam and Mia running to her. She couldn't help but to smirk for a second. If they somehow got ahold of Shorty's secrets, chances are the whole world would know about them. And once again, they seemed to be carrying themselves as though they had something on their mind.

Bracing for whatever bit of gossip might be headed her way, Ali was shocked to see that upon a closer look at their faces were drenched with tears, their eyes mostly shut as they bawled continuously. Leaving her thoughts aside, Ali ran over to assist her distraught friends.

"Cam, Mia," Ali said breathlessly, approaching the two of them. "What's wrong?"

The two didn't answer right away, only putting their heads onto Ali's neck and as Ali felt their tears streaming down her neck, she realized it had to be something very serious. "Are you two all right?" Ali asked gently.

"It's the Old One," spluttered Cam. "She … She …"

"She's gone," Mia finished with a hiccup before the two started incessantly crying again.

Ali's heart plummeted. She knew the Old One was getting up there in years, but through all the activity of recent days, it didn't even occur to her that this could happen ... Not just yet ...

Feeling all cold inside, Ali did her best to console her friends as the three of them went back to the herd. Everyone, even Len, Gus and Earl, who had only just joined the herd, was gathered around the Old One's still lifeless body. Though the others weren't crying as profusely as Cam and Mia, Ali had never seen such looks of sorrow on many of their faces as they all bowed in respect around her body in silence.

The rest of the day and the next flew by like a blur. Many of the Great Valley residents stopped by to pay their respects to a herd leader that most of them didn't know well, but deeply respected and held in high esteem. Ali herself was greeted by Littlefoot and her other Great Valley friends, including Cera and Petrie, who had put aside their anger at one another for the moment to provide support to comfort Ali. The gesture of support from her Great Valley friends helped a lot, and she began to fully appreciate the impact her presence had on Littlefoot at his grandparents' death.

Eventually however, the one who she wondered most about, after looking at her hesitantly several times throughout the day, finally approached her. "Um, sorry about what happened," Shorty said awkwardly.

"Thank you Shorty," Ali said. "I really appreciate it."

"You doing okay?" he asked simply. Ali could tell that Shorty was struggling to figure out what to say to her, yet all the same, he cared enough about her to visit her anyway. The thought and effort he made alone made her feel a lot better as she mumbled, "Yeah, I guess … As well as I could be."

"Yeah, that's good," Shorty paused. "Er … I figured you might need someone to talk to, and … Ugh, I just can't figure out what to say, sorry …"

"Don't apologize," Ali said kindly. "Your being there for me helps a lot. It makes me feel less … Well, alone," she said.

Shorty looked dumbfounded as he profusely blushed for a second but then said, "Well I'm glad I can help," he smiled, hurriedly looking away from her, undoubtedly trying to cover the streak of red spreading across his face. "Oh, and Ali?"

"Yes?" Ali said.

"Well uh … Well uh … I just hope you get better. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, I don't like seeing you so sad. And uh … I'm here if you need me for anything."

Ali couldn't help but feel her eyes soften. Despite his awkwardness, she could feel Shorty's care and concern focused right at her, and she felt touched in a way she hadn't in quite a while now ...

"Thanks Shorty," Ali said again, giving him a tearful smile. "I … I didn't realize how nice it is to hear that."

Shorty stood by her side throughout most of the day they, making small talk until Bron came by to call Shorty over soon before the funeral. After the tearful service, filled with the elders of her herd, including her mother, giving impassioned eulogies, was over, the herds dispersed, leaving only the members of her herd in the clearing. It was just then, seeing them together and without the Old One's presence that Ali realized how small her herd had become. Apart from her, Cam and Mia and Earl and his two friends, the herd only consisted of eight older adults, some of whom were almost as old as the Old One, including her mother and seven others named Pete, Peaches, Harland, Genevieve, Benton, Neg and Hal. All of them had been under the Old One's leadership ever since Rhett's and her herd merged or longer, and without her, none of them were prepared to start a meeting.

Then a frightening possibility occurred to Ali. What if none of them stepped up to become herd leader, and delegated the task of herd leadership to the younger generation? At nineteen cold times, she was barely of age … She was far too young to be tasked with herd leadership … Wasn't she?

As Ali thought, the elders stared expectantly at one another, hoping for any of them to break the awkward silence. At last, her mother spoke up. "I think it's quite clear that none of us elders want to be in charge of the herd, correct?"

The seven others nodded. "And considering the youngest in the herd are too young at this point, our options are limited. We can perhaps travel without a leader and …"

"But who'd be responsible for making the decisions for the herd like Louise did?" asked Benton.

Nobody was prepared to answer. "Perhaps we have a vote among us to determine what we as a herd should do?" Peaches asked.

"On every single decision?" Harland sighed. "It's so much harder to be a leader than a follower."

"I agree. I can't handle that kind of pressure," Genevieve put in.

"But we need wise leadership if we hope to keep migrating through the Mysterious Beyond," said Benton. "All of us are getting up there in age, and we can't just count on our bodies to get us out of trouble anymore. None of us are as young as we used to be."

However, Ali saw that in the corner, Earl, Gus and Len were busily chatting to one another. After seeing Gus and Len nod, Earl spoke up. "I think," he said, "We should merge our herd," as Gus and Len backed him up.

"With whom?" Genevieve said.

"Well, who do you think?" Earl said confidently. "Bron is looking out for the three of us, and so why doesn't he look out for the rest of the herd?"

The group paused for a moment to consider the possibility. "It would be a lot to ask of Bron to take all of us in," Pete said.

"But his herd probably is in need of new members, considering all they've been through," Hal said thoughtfully.

"He's a wise, experienced leader, just like Louise was," said Neg.

"I think you may be onto something," said Harland. "Should we ask Bron to do it?"

The eight elders thought for a little before eventually all coming to an agreement. "I think it's the best shot we've got … We're leaderless and quite low in number … Do you want me to ask him?" Ali's mother suggested.

The other elders agreed, and with that, the rest of the herd waited in anxious silence.

Before long though, Ali's mother returned, with Bron in tow, accompanied by the other elders of his depleted herd.

"Linda here has informed me that you would like us to consider a herd merger," Bron asked. "And I have to say my herd too is low on numbers, so a merger would serve the interests of both our herds. I've consulted with my herd and we have agreed, for as long as we remain in the Great Valley, to tentatively try out this arrangement. If the differences between us end up being too great, we can peaceably separate and return to the way we were. But the benefits of an alliance between our herds are too great to ignore and could quite possibly improve everyone's safety whenever we return to the Mysterious Beyond. So therefore, I conditionally accept your offer to welcome your herd into mine," he said with a smile toward his new herdmates. "And I hope that this all goes smoothly."

Gratefully, each of the elders in Ali's herd gratefully nodded, while Earl, Len and Gus cheered excitedly. Cam and Mia seemed relieved and began to chatter amongst themselves again, but Ali remained deep in thought. No sooner had she just had the chance to reflect upon her life when once again, everything turned upside down and she had become a part of a new herd. And a herd no less, that happened to include the one who tickled her mind more than any other.