Chapter 6: In the Great Valley

(Meanwhile ...)

Ono, Haki, Salma, Dalia and Hanna managed to leave the Nadembo Caverns.

"Oh!" Dalia exclaimed, shaking off all the dust that had accumulated on her fur, "I thought you left a mark on the walls to guide us back."

"But, I did…" Haki responded, equally surprised.

"It must have been that collapse. It made the marks on the walls disappear," Ono guessed, "Anyway, we're finally outside, and I'll go ask for help."

"Go ahead Ono. "We will go after you"

(A few minutes later ...)

"What?!" Dan, Shany and Geno exclaimed, upon receiving the news from Ono, which scared him, because he thought that everything was his fault, for being so permissive.

"I am truly sorry, your Majesty!" said the egret repentantly, expecting the worst.

Koda looked at his brother: he was elated by the news that Simba was missing for the second time (this time with Amira, Bambi and their friends); However, he knew that he would never give in to hatred, despite the scar. As he anticipated, Dan took as much breath as he could, before asking:

"Are you sure they're okay?"

"Yes, uncle," Haki responded, "They called us from the other side, and we heard each other well."

"Well…" said Shany, who had also calmed down, "I'm sure that as long as everyone is together, they'll be fine."

"Yes, but we have to rescue them, who knows where they are," Geno responded.

Dan turned to his brother.

"Koda, do you think the roar will be enough to push those rocks away?" asked.

"It won't be a problem," he responded, "The real problem is where they came in. Ono, you said you had to duck through that tunnel, didn't you?"

"That's right," Ono responded, still shy.

"Then we're too big to pass…" Dan inferred, "And we're only talking about lions. In your case Geno, there is your size and the horns"

"But we must find a way!" he exclaimed, "There must be someone to help us!"

"I think... I know who can help us," Shany commented, to everyone's surprise.

"Oh really? who?" Dan asked.

"An old friend of ours, and my mother's, don't you remember him, Dan?"

The adult lion reasoned a little: he had lived so many adventures; he had even lost his memory. Under those circumstances, it was very difficult to remember someone specifically... even an image of a small, golden, blind creature in the darkness of a cave was drawn in his mind.

"Kuchimba!" he exclaimed, finally remembering.

(Meanwhile...)

Immediately, before either of them could say anything else, or perhaps greet each other, they both stumbled on their paws and fell backwards. Simba immediately ran back to hide behind some rocks with the rest of his friends.

"Hey!" shouted Cera's voice, "Who's there? A Sharptooth? What did you see, Littlefoot?"

"Sharptooth?" asked a frightened Petrie.

"I don't know... it didn't look like a Sharptooth," Littlefoot answered, "What do you think, Chomper?"

Chomper sniffed as best he could with his nose, so much so that the cubs could hear him.

"I don't know this smell," said Chomper, "But it doesn't smell like a sharp tooth and... there are six"

Ruby's head peeked through the cave's hole where Littlefoot had peeked earlier.

"Hello?" she asked the cubs, "Who are you? Don't be afraid, we can be friends."

Amira poked her head over the side of the rock.

"Really?" she asked, "We recently ran into a large predator with sharp teeth and a big red scar, and it wasn't friendly at all."

"Red Claw?" Petrie asked (the tone of concern or fear was evident), "Did he chase you?"

"Who is Red Claw?" Bambi asked, poking his head out as well.

"He is the evillest Sharptooth of the The Mysterious Beyond," said Chomper.

"And he's not friendly at all...no, no, no" Ducky added.

"Don't worry, you can trust us," said Littlefoot.

"Well, that's enough for me," Sam said, leaving behind the rock, like the rest of his friends.

"Wow, what kind of creatures are you?" Cera asked, looking at them strangely.

"We could ask you the same," Maya responded.

"I am Simba," he answered, introducing himself to the dinosaurs, "This is my sister Amira and my friends: Maya, Nabil, Sam and Bambi."

"I'm Littlefoot," he said, "This is Cera, Ducky, Spike, Petrie, Ruby and Chomper."

Cera moved closer to Simba and Amira, examining them better.

"You are not dinosaurs, what kind of creatures are you?" she asked again.

"We are lions," Amira explained, "Bambi is a fawn and Sam is a dog."

"Wait a minute…" Maya said, walking over and counting Cera's horns, "One, two, three… three horns?"

"Of course, I have them! I'm a ThreeHorn!"

"Three horns?" Bambi exclaimed, looking back at everyone else, "It looks like the story Ismena told us…"

"Who is Ismena?" Ruby asked, "What part of the The Mysterious Beyond are you from?"

"We don't know what you mean, but we come from the Pride Lands," said Simba.

"Strange, I've never heard of that place in the The Mysterious Beyond," said Chomper, "What about you, Ruby?"

"Me neither," she commented.

"Excuse me, but what is the ' The Mysterious Beyond '?" Nabil asked.

"Well, outside of the Great Valley all there is the The Mysterious Beyond ," Littlefoot explained.

"It's full of Sharpteeth, and Red Claw is the most evil and dangerous of them all," added a frightened Petrie.

"We realized…" Sam said, "We should go back to the cave and wait for help."

"But... what if that Red Claw is over there..." Amira commented, "We can't go back until he leaves."

"And I'm hungry too…" Bambi added, the others feeling the same.

"What if you come with us to the Great Valley?" Ducky suggested, "We have enough food and a good place for them to stay; yes, yes, yes..."

Spike shook his head, so the cubs realized, he wasn't talking.

"That's an excellent idea, Ducky," Littlefoot supported him, "Come, you'll be very welcome."

Instantly, the entire group of dinosaurs nodded happily at the possibility of them coming to their house. Seeing that they had no choice, the present's group followed the past's group through the cave.

"At first you scared us," said Chomper on the way, "We didn't think there was anyone else in the Secret Caverns, we thought it would be Screech and Thud, who had sneaked in somehow."

"Who are Screch and Thud?" Amira asked, out of curiosity.

"The two fast Sharpteeth that are always with Red Claw," Ruby explained.

"Are they your subordinates?" Maya asked, "Well, we were lucky that only the big one was there."

"Hey... Chomper, right?" Bambi asked as he realized, "Aren't you a Sharptooth too?"

"Yes, but Chomper is good. It is, it is…" Ducky said. Spike nodded.

"Yes, and he has grown up with us and Ruby," Littlefoot clarified.

"Chomper only eats insects," Ruby continued, "And he would never use his teeth on one of us."

"Yes, of course…" Cera commented in a sarcastic tone.

The path through the cave, which his new friends called "The Secret Caverns", was illuminated by the light that filtered through the reddish walls of the cave. The soft glow of the rock walls created a warm and welcoming atmosphere as they made their way through the tunnel. The walls of the cave were covered in reddish tones, creating a feeling of mystery and beauty around them.

"Look, we're almost there," Petrie told them.

"Be careful where you fly, Petrie," Littlefoot warned him.

In the last part of the cave, several stalactites hung from the ceiling of the cave, some of which dripped water occasionally adding a magical and majestic touch to the environment of the Secret Caverns. Finally, the sunlight could be clearly seen ahead.

"Wooooooooooooah !" our first group exclaimed.

And his impression was no wonder: what his new friends knew as 'The Great Valley ' stretched before them, a spectacular landscape full of life and color. Countless varieties of plants abounded, rising in all directions, offering a feast of colors and textures. The soils were astonishingly fertile, allowing trees, plants and flowers to grow with impressive rapidity. Bright leaves and vibrantly colored flowers dotted the landscape, creating an ever-changing color palette. Freshwater waterfalls dotted the landscape, providing a constant flow of fresh, crystal-clear water that was sure to keep all living things well hydrated. The valley's water system was extensive and provided life for many creatures.

All of this was surrounded by a majestic great wall, a towering mountain range that acted as a natural barrier. As their friends would later explain to them, this great wall kept out almost all predators, allowing the creatures of the valley to live in harmony and safety. Finally, volcanoes rose on the horizon, forming an impressive line on the periphery of the valley.

"Is this your home?" Simba asked, stunned.

"It's home to many dinosaurs," answered Littlefoot, "I live with my grandparents."

"And me with my dad, Tría and my little sister," Cera added.

"I have my mom and my brothers," Petrie said.

"Me too," said Ducky, "And Spike is like my brother too; yes, yes, yes..."

"And you, Chomper? And Ruby?" Amira asked.

"We were separated from our families in the The Mysterious Beyond," Ruby explained, "But I know they are okay."

"Yes, and since my parents are adult Sharpteeth, I know they are very well," said Chomper.

"Littlefoot!" exclaimed a somewhat senile voice.

"Cera!" exclaimed a somewhat grumpy voice.

"Grandpa!" exclaimed Littlefoot.

"Dad!" Cera exclaimed.

The present's group watched impressed as two dinosaurs similar to Littlefoot and Cera approached. However, the differences were notable: First, they were adults and huge. Secondly, the size of the LongNeck was much larger, but its gray colors and wrinkles indicated an advanced age; while, in the ThreeHorn, the gray and somewhat dark colors were also noticeable, but not so much because of the age.

"We were looking for you everywhere," Littlefoot's grandfather told them, "It's time to eat."

"Wait a minute…" Cera's father said, changing his tone of voice as he noticed the group of the present, "Who are those strange creatures?"

"He calls us strangers when they are the ones with three horns…" Nabil commented to Maya.

"Hey!" exclaimed the father and daughter when they heard it.

"They're our friends," Ducky told them, "They are, they are…"

"Good afternoon, Mr. LongNeck," said Simba. "My name is Simba, this is my sister Amira and my friends: Maya, Nabil, Sam and Bambi"

"They were chased by Red Claw," Ruby continued, "And they came here."

"Yes, Grandpa," Littlefoot finished, "And they need a place to stay."

Grandfather seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then asked:

"Where are your parents?"

"Um…" Bambi muttered.

"Well…" Amira tried to say, "It's hard to explain…"