A/N: The longneck family reunite.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Land Before Time and its characters. Original characters are mine though.
CHAPTER 1
"Helen, my love. I finally found the Great Valley." Bron said, beaming down at her.
Littlefoot had been running around both his parents. His grandparents were not too far away just watching the scene with a smile on their faces.
"Bron? Are we really here in the Great Valley? Did we all make it?" Helen asked, confused.
"Yes, we're all here. We finally made it. But Helen, I need you to wake up now."
"I am awake though." She protested.
"Helen, my love. Please wake up." Bron said softly.
"This longneck is quite resilient. Would you look at that?"
"Careful now, you know we shouldn't be interfering like this."
The sleep story faded as Helen heard voices. Her body was sore. She slowly opened her eyes.
The bright circle was over head and shining down on her. She took in her surroundings. A barren wasteland greeted her.
Then it all came back to her. She had a son named Littlefoot, and they were attacked by a sharptooth. A great Earth shake had devastated the land and separated her from her parents.
Helen got up then took a look around. Her eyes landed on her injury. It was packed with warm mud and mint leaves. Her eyes caught site of a green and blue tail scurrying away. She knew that it was the one who helped her.
"Hey, wait a minute. Don't go." She called out.
"I told you we shouldn't have bothered, now look at this mess." A female said.
"We had to the help the longneck. We couldn't just leave her to die." A male said.
"Fine, I suppose. Might as well go introduce ourselves." The female concluded.
Two beings cleared the rocks they had been standing behind. Helen was shocked as it was two of them. They were rainbow faces.
"Were you two the ones that helped me?" Helen asked.
The male nodded his head.
"You have my gratitude."
The female nodded.
"My name is Helen and I'm searching for the Great Valley and my son Littlefoot. What may I refer to you two as?"
"Rainbow face is fine. It's what your species has been referring to us as anyway." The male answered.
Helen looked a bit puzzled.
Did the rainbow face mean species as in longnecks or species as in dinosaurs? As if they weren't dinosaurs themselves? Why did they choose to save her? Where was Littlefoot and her parents?
She had so many questions and didn't even know where to begin.
She wanted to ask many questions, but the longer she was here, the further away she was from Littlefoot. Helen looked thoughtful, but didn't question it anymore. She turned to walk away.
"Thank you for your help. I should get going now."
"The land has been devastated. But if you continue on your path, you'll find what you're looking for. For the path to the Great Valley hasn't changed." The male rainbow face spoke up.
Helen looked back. Then stopped and asked. "Will Bron find his way there too?"
"Yes, your mate will find his way back to you and your son. He will come with a surprise though." The female rainbow face said.
Helen was taken aback. She knew that these beings weren't ordinary dinosaurs.
They had saved her life and spoke of the future. No one did that. Ever. No one got into anyone's affairs.
Helen knew this all too well as she fought the sharptooth alone. No one had come to help her. Not that she expected them to. She still fought despite the fact the ground was shifting and ever moving and despite her injuries.
The male spoke up again, pulling Helen out of her reverie.
"In three days' time you will find the Great Valley. Just keep moving and don't ever look back. Littlefoot will come with a surprise soon enough." The male rainbow face said.
"Will any harm come to me and my family?" Helen questioned.
"Ah, that would be telling. Wouldn't it? Oh! Would you look at that!"
The male pointed at some meaningless spot out in the distance and Helen followed to where he was pointing.
When she looked back, the rainbow faces were gone.
Helen had begun her journey to the Great Valley. She was determined more than ever to find her way back to her family. She had no idea why she believed the rainbow faces, but she did. They had saved her life after all, and that was good enough for her.
She was curious about this surprise was that Littlefoot would bring. But it didn't matter at the moment. She'd cross that chasm when the time came.
For now she headed towards the Great Valley. The same way she told Littlefoot how to get there.
Littlefoot and his friends had watched on as the sharptooth drowned. They had just pushed a large boulder onto him ending his rampage once and for all.
"Come on guys, this way." Littlefoot called out. "I know the Great Valley is close. My mother told me it's beyond these mountains.
Cera the three-horn, sighed. Even though she and Littlefoot had fought a lot during their journey, he had even come back to save her from the domeheads. Ducky, the swimmer hopped on top of Spike, the spiketail. Petrie, the flier had perched himself on Cera. They all followed Littlefoot through the path.
They eventually came to the landing that overlooked the Great Valley. Green food and water was plentiful here. They had never seen so much greenery before. The mountains were high as well.
It was just as magnificent as his mother said it was.
The kids had taken off once they spotted their own kind. Littlefoot had stayed put. He looked into the sky.
"Mother, we did it. I found the Great Valley. Just like you told me."
Littlefoot too had taken off when he spotted two elder longnecks. He ran towards them.
"Grandma, grandpa." Littlefoot called out and had come running into view.
The elder longnecks stared with wide eyes. They thought that they'd never see their grandson again.
"Thank goodness." Grandma said, tears sliding from her eyes.
Grandpa had tears in his eyes too. "I was so worried Littlefoot. I'm glad you are safe, little one."
The elder longnecks nuzzled their grandson. . He knew that they were his grandparents by their scent and by their love.
Days had passed and even though Helen was beyond exhausted, she managed to keep pushing herself. Thoughts of her family kept her from giving up. She wanted to see her son more than anything. She had passed the mountains that burned and finally came up to another mountain pass. In her heart she knew that she was just upon the Great Valley.
She came to the same landing that her son and his friends had stood on days before. She overlooked the valley. And it was everything she had hoped it was. Green food and water was plentiful here.
She made her way into the valley in search of her family.
Helen had come up to her parents.
"Mom, dad!" She called out.
The elders looked in her direction doing a double take.
They all nuzzled and rubbed their heads together.
"Our dear Helen. We thought all was lost." Grandma had said with tears in her eyes.
"When Littlefoot told us about the fight with the sharptooth and how he stayed by your side, we thought the worse." Grandpa had spoken.
Helen looked at the injury still packed with mud and leaves. The elders looked on as well.
"I passed out after telling Littlefoot how to get here. Then I had a sleep story I was here with both him and Bron. Then I heard unknown voices and I woke up. I don't know why, but rainbow faces had saved me."
The elders looked at each other with wide eyes. But never the less nodded anyway.
"Mom, dad is. Is Littlefoot okay?" Helen asked worried.
"He's fine dear." Grandma confirmed.
"Littlefoot, Littlefoot. It's time to come home." Grandpa called out.
Littlefoot and his friends were all playing when he heard his grandpa calling out to him.
"Hey guys I gotta go. That's my grandpa. See you all later."
They all bid him farewell.
Littlefoot had come running home. He came to a skidding halt at the sight of his mother.
"Mother! Is that really you?" He raced towards her. Tears in his eyes.
"Littlefoot, my precious son." Helen had tears in her own eyes.
Mother and son nuzzled each other for a while. The elders looked on.
Littlefoot pulled back. "I did like you said mother. I found the Great Valley."
"I'm so proud of you my son. I knew you could do it."
"Mother, what happened? I thought you died."
So Helen told him everything.
"Mother, what are rainbow faces?"
"Well dear, I'm not sure, but that's what they told me to call them. They have many colors on their faces."
Littlefoot looked to be thinking.
"And they saved you? How did they know how to help you? Why didn't they help when the sharptooth was attacking us? Were they following you?"
Littlefoot bombarded his mother with questions all without taking a breath. Helen smiled a bit then shook her head.
"I don't know Littlefoot, but when you've been given a second chance at life, you don't question it."
Littlefoot nuzzled his mother again. He was so happy that she hadn't die and would be forever grateful for the rainbow faces.
Far far away, Bron had made it back to where his home used to be. The great Earth shake had changed everything. It took him so long to find where the nest had been, he wasn't even sure that it was really it.
He had succeeded in finding a forever home, now he just had to find his family. He looked around just taking everything in. He'd find his wife someday. He just had to. He would find her and his offspring.
What had she told him? That they were going to find the Great Valley. Bron looked around again, taking one last look around. Nothing was recognizable anymore.
What was once green, was replaced with deep cracks in the dry Earth and land masses that protruded from the ground.
This was no longer his home.
With a heavy sigh, he left the barren land in search of the Great Valley.
Days had passed, Bron kept traveling. He only stopped to get a few hours' sleep.
His family was his everything and the faster he got to them, the faster they could be together. He couldn't make up the time he had lost, but he vowed to never leave his family again.
Over a hillside, smoke had caught his attention. He made a slight detour and headed in that direction.
Bron came upon many longneck carcasses as he entered the dense forest. They hadn't looked like they were attacked by sharpteeth.
Smoke wafted into his nose causing him to cough slightly. He backed away a bit, trying to catch his breath. Wailing children caught his attention. He continued deeper into the forest.
"Be quiet, someone will hear us." A child had said, trying to hush the others.
Bron heard someone speaking. He sounded like a child himself.
The children tried to calm down.
But Bron heard sniffling and faint crying now. He got closer and closer.
He came upon a clearing and spotted the green young longneck first. Then he spotted about half a dozen of hatchlings who immediately ran behind the green longneck.
Bron looked at all of the children, immediately noticing that none of them were his. He put two and two together.
These young longnecks were orphaned due to the fires. And the carcasses he had just passed were their parents.
"Hello children. The name's Bron. What's yours?" He smiled.
The green one spoke up, narrowing his eyes. "I'm Shorty. And they can't speak yet."
"Nice to meet you Shorty and everyone else. Listen everyone, it's not safe here. We've got to get out of here."
"Why should we go with you?" Shorty questioned.
Bron looked sharply at Shorty. This kid had pride. But his pride could be his downfall someday. If it wasn't kept in check.
"Because I'm the only one who can take care of all of you and keep you all safe from sharpteeth." Bron answered.
Shorty's eyes widened. Bron did have a good point. Seeing as no other grownup came for them, Shorty motioned for the hatchlings to follow him and Bron.
"Okay, we'll go with you. But where are we going?"
"We're going to the Great Valley. Then we can figure things out once we get there. Now let's go."
Bron led Shorty and the others out of the forest. He made sure not to backtrack the way he came. The children didn't need to see a whole herd of dead longnecks who were more than likely their parents.
The rainbow faces had seen the whole exchange. They sat on a tree branch out of the way and out of sight.
"So this is Bron." The male looked at his companion.
"I assume you want to help him too." The female said already knowing that they would interfere again.
"Yes, is that not why we are here?" The male asked.
"We're here to observe, not to interfere. Although I suppose, we've already altered the course of things by helping the female longneck."
"Exactly. Since Bron and Helen are connected, we might as well help their family."
"But only that longneck family. No one else. We cannot interfere anymore." The female crossed her arms.
The male smiled sheepishly. "Come, let's catch up with them."
The rainbow faces followed Bron and the others out of the forest, making sure to keep a safe distance.
By the time night had fallen, Bron looked back at the children. They were all exhausted and probably hungry too.
He couldn't do anything about them being hungry, but he could carry them so they could continue on their journey. He stopped, and bent down. He picked up the children two at a time to place them on his back. Shorty was the last one.
"No thank you. I'm fine." Shorty declared.
Bron ignored him and picked him up anyway. Shorty huffed, then muttered his thanks.
Almost immediately the children had fallen asleep. Bron continued on into the night. He was exhausted, but he had to keep moving. Thoughts of his family kept him going.
Hours later, Bron came to a lone tree that barely had any leaves on it. As hungry as he was, he opted not to eat. There was barely enough for him, let alone the little ones.
He scanned the area, just looking and listening to any sounds of danger. Sensing none, he went to lay down. He'd wake up in a couple hours, feed the little ones and continue on.
Bron woke up when he felt the little ones shift and giggle. He opened his eyes and found plenty of green food surrounding them. He looked up at the tree then looked at the ground.
There was no way that tree could have provided all of the green food. Or maybe it did. He was beyond exhausted. Maybe he was seeing things, maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. He watched on as everyone ate. He ate after the children had their fill. They continued on.
"Bron, how many kids do you have?" Shorty asked.
"I'm not sure. I left my wife to find a better home for all of us." Bron answered.
"Did you find that home?" Short questioned.
"I did."
"Are we going there now?"
"No. We're going to find my family first. Once I find them, we will go to the place I found."
"What if you can't find them?" Shorty questioned.
Bron stopped walking. He turned to look at Shorty.
"I'll find them. They have to be okay. They just have to be." Bron said in a tone full of conviction.
Shorty didn't say anything else. Bron didn't either as he started walking again.
Another day of uneventful travel had passed. They passed the longneck rock formation and the mountains that burned. Once again all the children we're riding on Bron's back.
It was the safest option, as Bron had to cross pools of tar and liquid fire. Bron came upon the mountain range and started to scale it. He knew that what lay beyond was the Great Valley. There was no way it wasn't.
Bron stood on the landing. His eyes wide. He shook his head, doing a double take. He finally made it to the Great Valley. Green food and water were more than plentiful. He saw the herds and took note that they were living together in peaceful harmony.
Shorty and the hatchlings couldn't believe their eyes. They had never seen a place like this. Bron spotted a herd of longnecks, but he didn't see his family among them.
He continued scanning till he came upon a distinguished old longneck. He knew then, that it was his father in law. He made his way to him with the children still on his back.
Grandpa and grandma had woken up early as they liked to drink the morning dew that collects on the tree stars. They were in light conversation when they heard the approach of someone. The elders gasped when they saw that it was Bron.
"Bron, you're here. We thought we'd never see you again." Grandpa greeted him.
"Thank goodness. I'm so glad you made it." Grandma said.
"I'm glad to be here too." Bron confessed.
Grandma had spotted the children on his back. "And who are these little ones?"
Bron gave a sad look. He'd talk with the elders after they figured out what to do with the little ones. The elders exchanged looks, they had caught on without Bron saying anything.
"Right. Why don't we figure out the next move here?" Grandpa said.
He knew some of the longnecks in the Great Valley had lost their young to egg nappers and they wanted children. Maybe they could pair the children with them.
The elder longnecks led Bron to the other longnecks in the valley. After hours of pairing the orphaned children with the grownups, only Shorty was left. Bron decided to keep him, himself.
Bron turned to the elder longnecks.
"Is Helen and my offspring?" Bron couldn't finish the question.
He wasn't sure he wanted to know just in case it was something bad.
"She and Littlefoot are fine, Bron." Grandma confirmed.
There's only one? Bron had thought. He only had a single son, Littlefoot?
Littlefoot had woken up and stretched. He opened his eyes and saw his grandparents approaching with another grownup longneck. He gasped, then went to hide behind his mother.
Helen had woken up when she felt Littlefoot behind her. She looked around.
"Littlefoot." She said softly.
When Littlefoot said nothing, she stood up.
She noticed her parents first then squinted her eyes noticing the other grownup longneck. She took in his coloring and his eyes. It was Bron.
"Bron?" Her eyes started to water. She couldn't believe it was him.
"Helen." Bron called out. His eyes started to water.
The two walked towards each other and nuzzled each other. It was a sweet reunion. They stayed rubbing their heads for a while till Bron finally pulled back.
"Thank goodness." They muttered in unison.
Littlefoot had watched the whole exchange while hiding and Shorty hung back near the elder longnecks.
Helen had taken a step back and turned her head.
"Littlefoot, please come here."
The grownups watched as Littlefoot left his hiding spot and slowly made his way to his mother.
"Littlefoot I'd like you to meet your father, Bron."
Father and son just stared at each other with questioning eyes for a long time. Littlefoot had no idea he had a father. He just thought it was only his mother and grandparents.
"Dad?" Littlefoot asked tentatively, looking up at his father.
Bron lowered his head. "Yeah son, it's me. I'm your dad."
Littlefoot then went running towards his father. Bron nuzzled him. Helen watched on with a smile on her face.
"Littlefoot, look at you. You've grown up to be a fine young longneck. Just as I hoped you'd be." Bron said while holding back his tears.
He had finally found his family.
Then he remembered they had a new addition.
Bron looked back, his eyes honed in on Shorty who was near grandma.
"Shorty, come." He called out.
Shorty had looked up at the elder longnecks and they nodded. He slowly walked forward.
Littlefoot watched on as Shorty slowly approached.
"Littlefoot, this is Shorty. Shorty, this is Littlefoot."
Both boys stared at one another.
"Dad, is Shorty my brother?" Littlefoot asked. Bron nodded.
Helen looked at Bron. She gave him that look that they needed to talk. He nodded in understanding. They absolutely needed to talk.
Eventually Littlefoot's friends had come to retrieve their friend. Littlefoot had introduced Shorty to his friends.
"Hey you guys, this is my brother Shorty." Littlefoot announced proudly.
"I'm Cera, a three-horn of course."
"Me Petrie."
"I'm Ducky and this is my brother Spike."
Shorty took in the other kids. They weren't longnecks, but they were still kids.
"Hi everyone. Nice to meet you." Shorty smiled.
The grownup longnecks watched the whole exchange.
"Hey wanna go play now?" Cera asked.
Littlefoot looked back at his mother. "Mother, can Shorty and I go play now?"
Helen nodded at this, smiling. "Be careful you two."
The grownup longnecks watched the children scamper off.
Helen turned her attention to Bron and her parents.
"Helen, I. I don't even know where to begin." Bron stammered out.
"Did you ever end up finding a place for all of us?" Helen asked calmly.
"I did, but it took a long time and the journey to get there wasn't easy." He looked around. "The place I found was nice, but it's nothing compared to the Great Valley." He sighed. "I should have never left you. I'm so sorry Helen, my love. I hope you can forgive me someday."
Helen just listened. She had been worried more than anything that she'd never see Bron again. But here he was actually standing in front of her.
Bron went to nuzzle her again, finally noticing the scar on her back.
"How'd you get that?" Bron asked, looking at the scar.
"A sharptooth. When Littlefoot was very young, a sharptooth had attacked him and his friend. I heard this and fought with the sharptooth. It gained the upper hand when it jumped on me and bit me and clawed at me. I kept fighting despite my injuries. Littlefoot was the only thing keeping me going. Then a great Earth shake happened, and I watched on as the sharptooth fell into the new formed chasm there."
Upon hearing this, it fueled Bron's hate of sharpteeth even more. Then he became angrier at himself. He should have been there. Helen took a deep breath then continued on.
"After the Earth shake stopped, I finally collapsed. My injuries were too much. Littlefoot found me and I told him how to find the Great Valley. Then I gave in to the darkness. I had a sleep story that we all were here. But you kept telling me to wake up. And I did. Especially when I heard voices. Rainbow faces had packed my wound which saved my life. And within three days I made it here too. And Bron guess what? Littlefoot had done exactly what I told him to. He found the Great Valley."
Bron was speechless for a bit. He would be forever grateful for the rainbow faces.
"Helen, I'm so sorry. Had I known the events that happened after my departure, I never would have left. I really hope you'll forgive me someday."
Helen looked up at the sky for a bit. Then back towards Bron and her parents.
"Things happened the way they did for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but I've stopped questioning it. I'm just glad we're all here, together."
They nuzzled again. And grandpa cleared his throat.
"Bron, why don't you tell us what happened and how you came here with multiple young ones."
Bron took a deep breath. Then started to speak.
"I had just gotten back to where our home was, but it was completely unrecognizable because of the Earth shakes. I had to find you all so I started following the bright circle. One day I had seen lots of smoke over some hills and I changed course a bit. Upon entering the forest, I had seen lots of deceased longnecks. I assume the fires is what killed them. Then I heard crying children. So I walked deeper into the forest and finally found them. I knew that the ones I saw were their parents and that they were alone now."
Helen and her parents had universally sad looks on their faces. Bron continued on.
"The children followed me, then I just carried them as exhaustion pulled at them. I spotted a lone tree that had barely enough for me to eat and settled down next to it. The next day I woke up there was so much green food it was almost unbelievable. We all ate and continued on. We finally made it here. Grandpa and grandma helped me find homes for the little ones. But no one wanted Shorty."
Helen sighed.
"That's so terrible. I'm glad nothing happened to you or the children. Bron, I'm pretty sure the place you found is nice, but I really don't want to leave the Great Valley."
Bron nodded his head. "Don't worry Helen, my dear. I have no intention of leaving you ever again. This is home. Our home."
"Bron, how do we tell Shorty about his parents?" Helen questioned.
"I don't know, Helen. I don't know. But we'll figure it out together." Bron confirmed.
The elders just listened on. They had two grandsons now. Things would be different they knew for sure.
"Bron, you look exhausted. Why don't you lie down now?" Helen suggested.
"You sure that's okay?" Bron questioned.
"Yes, its fine. You're home now, you can relax." Helen smiled.
Bron went to a tree and began eating, he was starving. After eating till he was nice and full, he went to lie down. He was in the Great Valley and had found his family. He could finally permit himself to sleep.
The rainbow faces were perched atop of a tree branch, they watched on as the three longnecks left a sleeping Bron.
"That wasn't so bad. We didn't interfere that much. Now did we?" The male said.
"I suppose we couldn't let Bron and the others starve." The female agreed.
"Now that these two are reunited. Let's see what the children are up to."
The female nodded. Taking one last look at the sleeping longneck. The two rainbow faces left in search of Littlefoot and his friends.
A/N: Read and review, please. Thanks!