Cole suddenly stiffened and Littlefoot noticed.
"Cole, you okay?", he asked.
Cole looked down at his submerged foot and noticed something swim in the water and looked concerned.
"Something touched me."
Just then, a small head came out of the water before out of the water came out what looked like a small Parasaurolophus who looked a bit nervous.
"I'm sorry, but I thought you were a strange rock.", she said in a little girl voice, "I'm sorry I scared you, I am."
Cole's expression softened as he and Littlefoot acknowledged the newcomer.
"So, who might you be?", Cole asked.
"I am Ducky.", the small Parasaurolophus answered, "I am a swimmer."
Cole found that hard to believe, but since he was called "Rainbow Face" in this world, he thought it was better to keep his opinions to himself.
"Not to worry Ms. Ducky.", Cole said pleasantly, "I just got a little startled that's all."
Littlefoot then felt more at ease and curious.
"So, why are you all the way out here?", he asked.
Ducky's face fell as she sat on the edge near Cole.
"I am all alone, I am.", she said sadly as she sniffed before continued, "I lost my family in the great earth shake."
Cole felt sympathy as he placed a hand on Ducky's back which pretty much took up the whole part, but he was gentle not to push her or anything. Ducky put one of her own on Cole's and she looked a little better.
"You know, my friend Littlefoot and I are on our way to the Great Valley.", Cole said smiling warmly.
"You want to come with us?", Littlefoot asked.
Ducky's expression instantly turned to one of excitement and joy.
"Yes, yes, yes!", she said enthusiastically, "I do, I do."
Cole admired her attitude as he got to his feet and Ducky paused to admire Cole's full height.
"Wow, you are really big, you are.", she said in awe.
Cole blushed.
"Well, I'm not full grown yet, but I am pretty close."
As Littlefoot and Cole started off, Ducky came along. The area was mostly open with the sun baring down with low branched trees and large roots giving little shade, but not much.
"Is my family going to the Great Valley?", Ducky asked as the now trio walked along.
"Well, my mother said it's where all the herds are going.", Littlefoot told her.
"Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope.", Ducky responded.
Cole then saw a faint glimmer on a tree and walked over drawing the attention of the other two.
"Cole, what's up?", Littlefoot asked.
Cole just went closer to the tree as he noticed some sap glistening and touched it with his finger. The feeling was sticky but that was about it as he took his finger back.
"Sorry, I thought I saw something there.", Cole said a little embarrassed as he returned to the others, "May as well get going."
Ducky looked at Cole a bit curious.
"Do you have family Cole?"
Cole suddenly felt dread and though he tried to hide it, he found it hard to do so.
"They… passed away a long time ago.", he admitted, "Been on my own ever since."
Ducky's face looked sympathetic.
"I'm sorry I made you sad Cole.", she said to him hoping to make amends.
Cole gave her a smile.
"Hey, they're with me even though I can't see them."
Littlefoot was reminded of his mother and though he felt bad about it, the sight of Cole putting that kind of pain behind him helped him do the same.
/
As they continued on, the hopes they had started to wane as the ground became more cracked and hardened like it was dried up a long time. Seeing the cracks brough a memory of Cole's back before he had moved to Nome, Alaska. His old friends and him used to play hopscotch and another game which they tried to avoid the cracks in a playful manner. Just remembering it made Cole smile and chuckle which bought the attention of the other two.
"What's up Cole?", Littlefoot asked.
Cole looked the duo's way.
"How do you guys feel about a game?"
Ducky looked a bit curious like Littlefoot as Cole suddenly started hopping between some spaces and avoiding cracks.
"This looks weird, it does, it does.", Ducky said as she observed.
"It's actually pretty simple.", Cole explained as he hopped toward the other two, "Take a hop, but don't step on a crack or you fall and break your back."
Littlefoot and Ducky looked alarmed.
"You can fall and break your back?", Littlefoot asked.
Cole saw that this wasn't the response he was going for so he quickly made amends.
"Sorry guys, just a saying."
Littlefoot and Ducky looked more relaxed as they tried and were soon looking less anxious and happier as Cole kept up though it didn't take that much seeing that he was bigger than they were and he tried to be careful and slow so they could keep up.
"Wow, you're good.", Cole said.
Littlefoot and Ducky were soon laughing and having fun before Ducky decided to say the thing Cole said earlier.
"Don't step on a crack or you'll fall and break your back.", Ducky said playfully.
The trio paused as they caught their breath from the hopping around. Cole sighed contently as the memory of his past life before Nome repeated itself in his mind.
"Cole?", Littlefoot asked.
Cole was brought out of his thoughts as he saw Littlefoot looked his way.
"Sorry, I just…had a moment.", Cole said.
"A moment?", Ducky asked, "What's that?"
Cole took a breath before he started to explain although he found himself talking about something other than his real past life.
"Back before my parents…passed on, I saw a few of the older kids playing this and even though they wouldn't let me play so I practiced on my own. By the time I was allowed to play, the herd had died out and I was on my own."
Ducky looked apologetic.
"I am sorry you had to go through that Cole, I am, I am."
Cole gave her a small smile.
"Hey, at least I got plenty of practice to do it now, huh?"
Ducky seemed to brighten up as soon as she had gotten depressed which told Cole that she was often thinking positive or taught to be that way.
/
Just at that moment, Cole heard rumbling and then Ducky looked a little embarrassed.
"My tummy is talking.", she said.
Cole looked a bit embarrassed.
"Guess we haven't eaten in a while.", he said.
Littlefoot looked up at a low hanging branch of a nearby tree.
"I wonder what this tastes like.", he said as he observed it.
Cole came forward and gripped it before pulling it a bit toward him making it tense and then a scream came out as if it were nearby.
"It is talking.", Ducky said in awe.
Littlefoot looked doubtful.
"No, it isn't.", he said firmly.
"You shouldn't eat talking trees.", Ducky warned, "Nope, nope, nope."
Cole ignored her and pulled the branch a little more taught and something small came sliding down the branch and landed near Cole's hands. Unfortunately, Cole's foot slipped and when his behind hit the ground, his hands loosened enough to sent the branch to spring back into place and launch whatever had been there into the air before it landed in the dry ground hard enough to make a hole.
"What was that?", Cole asked as he got to his feet.
Ducky felt brave and went over to the hole with Littlefoot and Cole right behind her. She got there before them and peeked in looking curious and saw something in there. Coel looked over her shoulder and even in the dim light, he could see what looked like a small Pteranodon quivering in fear and trying to make itself hidden.
"Who are you, huh?", Ducky asked.
The Pteranodon came forward a bit and then spoke though fear was still present.
"M-m-my name Petrie.", he said shakily.
Ducky giggled as she back off and Petrie hopped on to the ledge of the hole where Cole could see that he was naturally brown.
"Petrie, huh?", Ducky asked as she observed, "Funny name."
Cole rolled his eyes as Ducky giggled again and Petrie looked a bit hopeful.
"I…I… I fly?", he asked.
"No, you fall.", Ducky said plainly.
"I fall!", cried Petrie as he fell to the ground in despair.
He paused however when he saw Cole in his full height and suddenly scurried behind Ducky.
"Who…who he?", he asked.
Cole leaned forward and gave a shy smile.
"Hello, my name is Cole and it's very nice to meet you."
Petrie seemed to calm down enough to get some courage and came out from behind Ducky who looked interested.
"You cannot fly?", she asked before gesturing to the tree, "Then how did you get way up there?"
"I climb.", Petrie answered as he flapped and was off the ground for a moment or two before he was grounded again.
Cole had the feeling that Petrie wasn't old enough to fly just like a baby bird who was just learning to do so.
/
Littlefoot felt like he should voice an opinion as Cole was making conversation and he didn't want to be left out.
"But you're a flyer, not a faller.", he said plainly.
Petrie frowned.
"Hard thing to fly.", he said.
He then demonstrated as he got off the ground for a moment or two again before returning to the ground.
"I guess it is.", Littlefoot said, "We can't do that."
"No, we cannot.", Ducky agreed.
Cole saw Petrie's expression become one of doubt and woe so he thought about changing the subject.
"You know, Littlefoot, Ducky and I are on our way to the Great Valley if you'd like to come with us."
Petrie looked on board right away.
"Oh, Petrie like that."
Cole placed an open hand on the ground and Petrie got on before Cole brought him up to his shoulder where Petrie perched.
"So, any idea where to go now?", Cole asked turning to the others.
Ducky stayed close to Littlefoot before Cole heard their stomachs growl again which reminded him of what they were doing before they met Petrie.
"Oh, well, before we do anything, we should get some food in us so we keep up our strength."
Luckily, there were some bushes nearby alongside the low hanging branches which Cole gathered so that the group could eat. The sun was setting in the distance so Cole started making a bed like he did before.
"What are you doing Cole?", Littlefoot asked.
"Making a nest.", Cole answered, "Would you like one also?"
Littlefoot yawned, but nodded showing that he did. As Cole worked, Littlefoot, Ducky, and Petrie helped out. Soon, Cole had quite a large patch of grasses and made sure a large rock sheltered them as the group settled into a huddle.
"Well, early to bed, early to rise.", he said as the group settled.
"At least we are with each other.", Ducky said, "We are, we are."
Cole couldn't help but agree as the group settled to sleep as he watched the sun sink below the horizon.
/
Cera hopped to another rock as she made her way through the cavern. It had been a long time since she saw Littlefoot and Cole, but the words Cole said to her still rang in her ears.
"Well, you made it to the bottom."
She thought she would find some way to get up the other side, but the further she went, the more it seemed to be out of reach. She felt something brewing in her heart and as much as she tired to ignore it, it just grew until it became hard to ignore. Light shone into the cavern and she looked around for some way to get out before she slipped and fell down a ramp before landing at the bottom. A light lit up the cavern again and Cera turned to see Sharptooth on his back and she screamed making an echo before she ducked in cover. Cera hid there, but nothing seemed to be happening so she peeked out and Sharptooth didn't seem to be getting up. She grinned as she thought she was safe.
"Not so tough now are you?", she thought to herself as she walked up to the predator's body.
She paused and looked up at his exposed teeth and since they weren't moving, she made a face and rammed his head. She bounced off, but she hit him again with the result repeating itself.
"Okay, you asked for it.", she thought as she backed off.
Once she got a good distance away, she scrapped the ground a couple times as she prepared to charge once more.
"I'm really going to make him hurt.", she told herself.
Oh, her father would really be proud of her if she told him about this. The mental image of her father's smiling face was enough for her to want to do it.
"Okay, on three.", she said as she tensed.
She counted down in her mind and then charged eagerly towards Sharptooth's head with confidence. Just as she got close, Sharptooth's eye suddenly shot open. Cera didn't notice at first, but then when she saw it, whatever confidence she had vanished.
"Shaptooth woke up?!", she thought.
She tired to stop herself and managed to just as she saw herself in the eye and Sharptooth growled as he started to rise showing he wasn't dead, but merely knocked out.
"I gotta get out of here!", Cera screamed silently in her mind.
She turned and bolted as the sound of crumbling rocks sounded off behind her. She had to get out of there and fast!
"Please don't let him eat me!", she prayed.
As she ran, she heard Sharptooth roar that echoed throughout the cavers and made bits of rock to fall and shook Cera's heart which urged her to run faster. She then heard thunderous footsteps which told her Sharptooth was right behind her and she had just ran into a dead end! Now what was she to do? If she went back, she'd run into Sharptooth and there didn't seem to be another way out. Cera looked around frantically as Sharptooth's footsteps grew louder and louder signaling that he would be there in only a matter of time. Then Cera saw a set of rocks that led up to the edge she started on, but she was too scared to care. She jumped from one rock to the next and just made it into the edge when Sharptooth's jaws came up and almost clamped on her tail. Cera kept running while Sharptooth roared again as the moon hung above.