A/N: I started writing this story while in the middle of writing Healing The Past. I wanted Littlefoot to have a complete family. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. This story starts off with a bit of backstory of how Littlefoot's parents met, before the events of the first movie happen.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Land Before Time and its characters. Original characters are mine though.
PROLOGUE
Long ago in the land before time, a shy teenage female longneck stood between her parents with her eyes downcast. She had reached the time of great growing and now it was time for her to be introduced to teenage male longnecks. She knew that one of the males would be her mate and husband. It was only a matter of time till the right one came along. Her parents were excited for her as this was her first time being introduced to potential mates.
Her mother looked over at her daughter. She leaned in close.
"Chin up Helen dear, eyes forward. Don't you want to make a good impression on your suitors?" Her mother whispered to her.
Helen lifted her chin and stared straight ahead. She did want to make a good impression. Her mother smiled at her daughter, then glanced briefly at her husband. He smiled back at his wife and daughter. Then faced forward again. The new family would be arriving any minute now.
A teenage male longneck was following after his parents. He had hit the time of great growing and it was time to be introduced to teenage female longnecks who would become his wife and mate. He had been introduced to a few females already, but they didn't work out as they had nothing in common with each other. They also had annoyed him to no end.
He hoped today would be different.
"We're almost there son. Shoulders back, chest out, chin up." His father said while briefly looking back at him.
The teenager followed the instructions and the family continued on. He did want to make a good first impression on this new female he would meet shortly.
The family entered a clearing with high grass surrounded by tall trees. The trees provided plenty of shade, which was a good thing considering it was a warm day.
The families sized one another up.
"Hello, thank you for coming. I'd like to introduce you to my daughter." The father said with nothing but pride in his voice.
"The pleasure is ours. I'd like to introduce you to my son." The other father smiled as he took in the family before him.
The sets of parents exchanged other pleasantries and formalities. It was time for the teenagers to step forward and meet each other.
The brilliant brown of her eyes surrounded by thick eye lashes is what caught his attention first. Her eyes were wide and questioning. Curious. She had a nice smile too. And she was very beautiful. She walked forward with her chin high and her attention right on him.
"Hello, I'm Helen. Nice to meet you." She said smiling with a hint of pink on her cheeks.
He even liked her voice too. It was soft yet direct. Angelic he thought. She almost made him forget his own name.
He took a step forward.
"Hi Helen, I'm Bron. Nice to meet you too." He said as he felt a blush creep up on him.
Helen looked into Bron's eyes in amazement never having seen an eye color like his. They were a deep teal color. They were memorizing to her and so unlike any color she had ever seen. She found herself feeling lost while gazing into them. He stood tall and proud just taking her in as well. He was very handsome to her. The teenagers honestly appraised one another while their parents continued to talk.
"Helen, would you like to go on a walk with me?" Bron asked.
Helen nodded her head, then winced. She remembered her mother telling her that she needed to always speak, especially when it came to answering questions from suitors.
"Yes, I'd like to go on a walk with you." Helen corrected herself, now feeling the blush becoming full blown.
Her cheeks felt hotter and hotter.
The two teenagers began to walk away followed by their parents. This was the next step after being introduced. They would take a stroll around the land just talking and trying to see if they were compatible, while being followed by their parents from a safe distance. This ensured that they were on their best behavior and it gave the parents a chance to get to know each other as well.
At this point, the parents knew that there was no need to introduce their kids to other potential mates.
If the male asked the female to go on a walk, he was interested.
If the female accepted the offer to go on the walk with the male, it meant she was interested as well. Things were looking great so far. The parents continued on after the teenagers.
As the teenagers continued walking and talking, Bron had made Helen laugh on multiple occasions. She found him really charming and funny. Bron found that he liked making Helen laugh. He thought her laugh was cute. He wanted, no needed to hear more of it.
They came up to some trees.
"Helen, would you like to stop for something to eat now?" Bron asked.
"Yes, I'd like something to eat thank you." Helen said, smiling now.
Bron searched around and found the tree with the greenest tree stars on it. He walked over to the tree, breaking a branch off of it. He presented the branch with the leaves to Helen. Helen had accepted the offer, then ate a few leaves.
Helen was beyond impressed to say the least. She didn't know what to expect, but so far Bron had exceeded all her expectations. She was looking forward to what was to come.
This was the next step in their courtship.
The male had to show he could provide food for the female. Bron went a step further with this by providing a sample first. If she didn't like it, he'd break off another branch from a different tree. This would show he was paying attention to her wants and needs.
"Is this." He paused. "Is this okay?" He stammered out, blushing.
"Yes its fine, may I have more please?" She said with the blush on her cheeks.
Bron walked to the tree and stood on his hind legs as he applied pressure to the tree trunk with his forelegs. Helen ate her fill and took a few steps back to show she was finished.
Bron slowly backed away from the tree, so it wouldn't smack him in the face as he took his weight off the trunk. He too ate his fill then returned to Helen.
Helen thanked him and they resumed their walk, ever so often glancing back at their parents who only smiled and nodded in approval.
The rest of the day had flown by. No hiccups, no awkwardness. Helen and Bron were inseparable by the end of it. They had enjoyed each other's company so much that when they had to part, they both had looked forlorn. Like they didn't want to part. Ever.
After Bron and his parents took their leave, Helen and her parents talked about the day.
"He's such a nice young longneck. And has good manners too." Her father concluded.
"I think our dear Helen made a good impression today. Did you see how enamored that young longneck was?" Her mother said.
Helen blushed. Her parents were totally embarrassing her.
"Mom, dad. Please." Helen pleaded.
"Helen dear, we're just commenting on how nice that young longneck is." Her mother said, with a soft smile.
"I know mom, but it's still embarrassing."
"Why? Don't you want us to like him or any potential suitors?"
Helen thought about this. She really didn't want to meet anyone else. She liked Bron and they had a lot in common.
"Mom, dad. Is it okay that I don't want to meet anyone else?" Helen questioned shyly.
Her parents had exchanged knowing looks.
"No dear, that's perfectly fine." Her mother confirmed.
Her father had a smile on his face. He could tell his daughter was taken with the young longneck today too. As he was with her.
"Come dear, its time to settle down for the night. I have a feeling we will be seeing more and more of the young longneck." Her father had said.
Helen felt her cheeks reddened. She couldn't help it. But she followed after her parents and took her place next to them as they settled down for the night.
She looked up at the night circle with thoughts of Bron on her mind. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Bron was at his nest with his parents.
"I think today went well. Wouldn't you agree honey?" His father said.
"Yes it did go well. Her parents were very nice and eloquent. She definitely comes from a good family." His mother concluded.
"Bron you did so well today."
Bron hadn't even heard his father address him. His head was in the sky puffies.
He couldn't stop thinking of Helen and how beautiful she was. He liked her a lot and knew that she would be his wife and mate. He was already head over heels.
"Bron dear. Did you hear what we said?" His mother's voice cut into his musings.
Bron shook his head and answered with an eloquent, "huh?"
His parents looked at each other. Their son had a faraway look about him. He never looked like this from previous females. They knew he was taken with that young longneck from today.
"We asked if you wanted to meet new females." His father said.
Bron answered immediately. He didn't have to even think about it.
"No. Helen is the one." He said with finality.
His parents nodded. They knew their son had made his choice. Hopefully Helen had made hers and it was their son. It made their jobs as parents and finding potential mates easier if they had chosen their mates already.
"Glad to hear that son. She's a lovely female for you." His mother had said.
Bron blushed at this. "Thanks mom. I think so too."
"Come, let's all settle down for the night. Our dear son here is going to need all his rest if he's going to court his future mate." Bron's father said.
Bron grinned. His parents were so embarrassing. But they were right.
He would court Helen, spending all his time with her and getting to know her. He followed after his parents as they took their place to go to sleep. Bron looked up at the night circle with Helen on his mind.
He too went to sleep with a smile on his face.
For the next month, Bron would continue to court Helen with both sets of parents in tow. Every day, their bond grew stronger and stronger. Eventually they got married and set off to begin their lives together.
Normally, the female would leave her parents to join the male's family. But seeing how close Helen was to her parents, Bron decided to leave his parents to join her family. He would miss his parents, but in his heart he knew he made the right decision for Helen and himself.
Years later, Bron and Helen were fully grown longnecks and her parents were older now. The four of them had lived together and traveled the land, seeing and experiencing all sorts of things. They settled down in a few places over the years, moving every so often.
There hadn't been any children yet. But that was soon to change.
Bron, Helen and her parents were currently eating from tall trees at their nest.
Helen had felt a bit dizzy and nauseous. She had been feeling this way for a while now. She never told Bron or her parents about it. Maybe she had eaten something that didn't agree with her. She stopped eating and took a step back.
She felt like she needed some water.
Helen made her way to the watering hole. Bron and the elder longnecks just watched her. Bron stopped eating and went after her. He met her just as she stepped into the cool water.
"Helen love, are you okay?" He asked full of concern.
She felt ill, but did her best to put a smile on her face. She didn't want Bron to worry about her. She was sure that whatever it was, would pass. The cool water helped to soothe her.
"I'm fine, I just needed some water is all." Helen smiled weakly.
Bron looked at her as if he didn't believe that. He noticed she had been acting strange lately. Then it hit him, the dizziness, the nausea, her decrease in appetite.
It all led to one thing. She was with child. His child! He was going to be a father.
Bron stepped into the water with her. He nuzzled her head.
"Helen, I think we're going to have a hatchling." Bron said while not attempting to hide his eagerness.
He was excited at the thought of fatherhood, even though it scared him.
Helen pulled back, looking at him confused a bit.
Then it hit her, all the things she had been feeling lately pointed to the fact that she was with child and she was going to be a mother. She looked down at her stomach. It didn't look like she was with child. But in her heart she knew.
And truth be told, she was ready to be a mother.
Then a blush came on her face. She thought about all the times she and Bron mated in hopes of her becoming with child. Bron looked over at his wife. Her blushing was still adorable to him even after all the years. He knew exactly what the cause of her blushing was from. He too was thinking of the numerous times they had mated.
Luckily his in laws let them have their space. In fact, it seemed like they encouraged it.
Bron then groaned, the fact that his in laws knew what they were doing and how many times they did it was certainly embarrassing. Yes it was a part of life and he too was a grownup, but it was still embarrassing.
"I think you're right Bron. We're going to be parents! How exciting!" Helen squealed out.
Bron looked around and frowned. Even though this place was nice, he knew it couldn't be their forever home. There was nothing outside the mountain path except a desert. A dry desert at that.
What would happen if the weather became so dry and they didn't have anything to eat or drink anymore? No, they couldn't raise their child or children in a place like that.
The elder longnecks walked up.
"Helen dear, is everything alright?" Her mother asked.
Helen was beaming.
"Mom, dad. Bron and I are going to be parents!" She happily said.
The elder longnecks exchanged looks. A while back, they had let Bron and Helen have their space for a few days here and there.
They knew what had transpired. After all, it was only natural.
The elders smiled. They were going to be grandparents.
"That's wonderful. Congratulations you two. You'll love parenthood." The elder male said, smiling.
Both parents to be smiled then nuzzled each other.
"I love you Helen, more than life itself. You and that little one or little ones you're carrying."
"I love you too Bron, more than you know."
They spent the rest of the day grazing lazily.
Weeks had passed and Bron's worry finally took hold of him again. He pulled the elder male aside and told him about his plan to find a permanent home for all of them.
"Bron, do you think that is wise?" The elder had asked him.
Bron furrowed his brows in contemplation.
"What choice do I have though? Helen and I want to raise our children in a better place than this. It's nice now, but the land outside these walls are constantly changing and very dry."
The elder was aware of this.
"Yes I know and I agree. I just don't want you to have regrets at not being here with my daughter while she's going through this."
Bron looked thoughtful at his father in law.
"I understand but it's something I have to do. Helen will have both of you during this time while I'm away. Once I find a better land, I'll come back then we can all go there together."
"Have you heard of the Great Valley?" The elder asked.
Bron thought about it. "Not since I was a child. My grandparents used to tell me that the land there is always lush and green, with plenty of flowing water and high mountain ridges that keep them safe from sharpteeth."
"Yes that's correct. Do you know the way there?"
"Vaguely. I know it's past a cliff that looks like a longneck and past the mountains that burn."
"That's also correct. If you're going to search for the Great Valley, we all should come with you."
"I can cover more ground alone though."
"There's safety in numbers, Bron." The elder reminded him.
"Yes I know, but I don't want to put Helen through that. She's going to need as much rest as she can possibly get."
The elder nodded at this. He too remembered when his wife was with child and how much rest she needed all the time. He looked at Bron with sad eyes as he really didn't want him to leave his daughter alone while she was with child. But he understood Bron's reasoning as well.
"Okay Bron, if this is your choice. You have my support."
"Yes, thank you. I won't let you down."
The two males retreated back. Bron broke the news to his wife and mother in law. And as he suspected, they both gasped and protested his decision.
"Helen my love, just trust me. I'll be back before you know it. I've got to find a place better than this for all of us."
"Bron, please don't do this. Let me come with you." Helen pleaded.
"No my love. It's too dangerous. I can't afford anything happening to you and those little one's you're currently carrying."
"You're right, it is dangerous. Which is why I need to go with you."
The elder longnecks just looked at the parents to be with sad eyes. They understood Bron's point of view and their daughter's as well. They watched on.
Helen sighed, defeated. She gave in, although she wasn't comfortable with the thought of him being alone out there in the wilderness.
"Okay Bron, I trust you'll be okay. Just please come back to us. Please."
The parents to be nuzzled one another.
"I love you Helen, I'll be back before you know it."
"I love you too Bron. Just please be careful."
They disengaged and Helen watched Bron clear their nest. She saw him at the mountain clearing and he turned back, searching for her. He winked at her, then continued on. Helen turned towards her parents and they nuzzled her as she cried and cried and cried. It was all they could do to comfort her.
Months had passed, and sure enough the land had changed. Food was becoming more and more scarce, same with water. The longnecks and other dinosaurs had left their home in search of food.
They were constantly being stalked by sharpteeth. They all knew that safety was in numbers and as long as they were together, they had a fighting chance if the sharpteeth ever decided to attack. The herd continued on, till the night circle would come up day after day.
Only stopping to hatch their young.
Helen wished with all her heart that Bron was there. But he wasn't. It was just her and her parents. She was thankful for them. They had provided lots of support for her.
Helen laid her eggs, only to be devastated when they had hatched prematurely. They didn't survive. Only one egg remained. Helen watched over it fiercely for days. On a night when it rained hard, an egg napper had snatched her only viable egg. Helen hit it with her tail. It dropped the egg and she went following after it. Her egg rolled down some twigs and into a little river, before rolling onto a little hill. Little creatures had gathered around the large egg as it started to crack.
The hatchling kicked its way out of its egg. Just looking around.
He looked up seeing his mother looking at him. She looked so enormous to him. But he knew that she was his mother. He continued looking at her then rolled backwards. He landed near the little creatures and they came closer to him.
They scared him, he got up and ran towards his mother to hide, slipping and falling each step of the way. She picked him up by his scruff and set him on her back, near where the base of her neck was. She and her parents smiled at him as he nestled and went to sleep.
"My precious Littlefoot." Helen smiled at her only child. He was the future. She looked up at the sky.
"Bron, my love where are you? We have a son. His name is Littlefoot. Please come back to us." She said aloud to no one in particular.
Years had passed. Littlefoot was now a curious child. He would always ask why this or why that to both his mother and grandparents. Helen would always tell him not to worry about such things. One day he asked why they were constantly moving.
"Well son, we can't stay in one place for long. Sharpteeth hunt us." Helen explained.
"Mother, what's a sharptooth?"
"My precious Littlefoot. Sharpteeth are well, sharpteeth. They are meat eaters and hunt other dinosaurs. Us included."
Littlefoot stuck out his tongue. "Really? Dinosaurs eat other dinosaurs? Gross."
Helen shook her head. "Son that's what they are. And it's what they have to do to survive. Just like us, we eat green food to survive."
"But we're not eating other dinosaurs." Littlefoot pointed out.
"True. But it's the circle of life my son. Where we're going, we won't have to worry about sharpteeth. There are high mountains and peaks that will keep us safe. There's plenty of green food and plenty of water, more than you could ever eat, and more than you could ever drink."
"Will there be other kids to play with?"
"Yes, my son. There will be plenty of longneck children for you to play with."
"Mother, what's a longneck?"
"That's what we are dear. There are different types of dinosaurs. You have the fliers, the swimmers, the spiketails, and the three-horns. We always keep to our own kind though."
"Why?"
"It's just what we do. It's always been that way dear."
"But why?"
Helen looked at her son in mild amusement.
"It's just the way it is. But don't worry, the Great Valley will have plenty of longneck children. We just have to get there first."
Littlefoot sighed. "I wish we were there already."
Helen nuzzled her son. "Me too, son. Me too."
The herd continued on, each separate and staying to their own kind. Keeping an eye on their children. The threat of the sharpteeth still very present and very real.
One night, Helen had been sleeping and unbeknownst to her, Littlefoot ventured off. He had found the three-horn girl and was playing with her. The two had been attacked by a sharptooth.
"Mother!" Littlefoot had called out for his mother.
Helen had awoke with a start. She thought she was in a sleep story, but Littlefoot was actually calling out for her. She got up and looked around. One, noting he wasn't there and two, she heard the loud roaring of a sharptooth. She went racing towards her son.
The sharptooth had both Littlefoot and the three-horn girl cornered about to devour them. Helen had come barreling into it, throwing it into the cliff side. Helen watched the sharptooth right itself before coming after her and the children.
"Run you two, get away from here!" She bellowed out, and backed away as the sharptooth turned its attention towards her, snapping its powerful jaws.
Littlefoot and the three-horn girl ran to some nearby rocks trying not to get in the way.
They watched on as the two grownups fought. The sharptooth pounced on top of the longnecks back, sinking its claws and teeth into her. Helen had screamed in distress, then using all her strength, she threw him off of her.
Just then, the ground started to shake violently across the land. The ground beneath the sharptooth had started falling into the Earth itself.
Littlefoot and the three-horn girl had run for it, tripping over themselves.
"Mother!" Littlefoot called out to his mother. He was beyond scared.
Helen was exhausted and wounded, but she got up and raced towards the children. She caught both her son and the girl before they fell into the darkness. She hit the sharptooth one last time with her tail as it was trying to claw its way back up. It roared as it fell into the newly formed chasm.
Helen set the children down and the three-horn girl had went racing towards her family calling out to her father. Helen heard the loud roaring of the grownup male three-horn.
After a while, the land finally stopped violently shaking. Many dinosaurs fell to their deaths, many families were separated, many trees became uprooted, liquid fire burst through the surface and new land masses were formed. The land was now dramatically changed.
Helen, Littlefoot and her parents had become separated.
It started raining, and Littlefoot had finally found his mother. She was laying down on her side breathing very slowly.
Helen opened her eyes as she felt her precious son start rubbing his head against her.
"Mother." Littlefoot was rubbing his head against her, tearing up.
"My precious Littlefoot, do you remember the way to the Great Valley?" She asked quietly.
"I guess so. But why? Get up." He was sniffling.
"I can't, my dear. Listen to your heart, it will guide you."
"Mother, please get up." Littlefoot pleaded.
"Littlefoot, you must follow the sun everyday past the longneck rock formation, past the mountains that burn. The Great Valley is beyond those burning mountains." Helen whispered. She then closed her eyes.
"Mother. Mother." Littlefoot was full on crying now.
The world faded black for Helen.
A/N: Read and review, please. Thanks!