EPILOGUE
A/N: The gang hit the time of great growing. Chomper leaves the Great Valley. The secret identity of the Rainbow faces is revealed.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Land Before Time and its characters. Original characters are mine though.
Years had passed. The gang were all teenagers now.
Littlefoot and Shorty had hit the time of the great growing. The days that they could ride on their parents had long since passed.
Chomper did too. While he wasn't as big as his brothers, he wasn't a small child anymore either.
Helen and Bron knew that they'd have to get ready to introduce their sons to females. But they were puzzled about introducing a female to Chomper.
"Bye mom, bye dad, we're off to hang out with our friends now." Littlefoot had called out to his parents.
Shorty just smiled at his parents then took off after Littlefoot.
Helen and Bron nodded then smiled. They turned their attention to their youngest.
"And what are you up to today?" Bron asked.
"I want to go to the Mysterious Beyond today." Chomper answered.
"Chomper, I really wish you didn't." Helen started.
"I know mom, but it's the only way I can learn about sharptooth habits. I'll be careful. I promise." Chomper smiled big, showing off his razor sharp teeth.
"Pleeeease." Chomper pleaded. He clasped his hands together, while giving his parents pleading eyes.
Helen sighed. Bron had a thoughtful look on his face. That look right there, always had them giving in to their youngest.
Somehow, Chomper had convinced his parents to let him go into the Mysterious Beyond so he could do his sharptooth things without scaring anyone in the Great Valley. They eventually agreed, but on the rule that he had to be home before the bright circle set.
"Okay son, you can go. But you need to be home before the bright circle sets. Just be careful. Got it?" Bron said.
"Yes dad, I'll be careful."
The parents nuzzled their son and watched on as he took off.
"What do you think he's doing out in the Mysterious Beyond, Bron?" Helen asked.
"I don't know Helen, hopefully staying out of trouble."
Helen didn't really want to think of her son out in the Mysterious Beyond. So she switched gears a bit.
"Bron, we have to start arranging for Littlefoot and Shorty to meet females and potential mates. They've hit the time of the great growing."
Bron thought about this. He thought about when he was a teenager. This process had been easy for him, since he had met Helen. The love of his life.
"Yes Helen my love, I know."
"Does it seem like they are interested in females yet?" Helen questioned.
Again, Bron thought about the time when he was a teenager. He wasn't necessarily thinking about females, but his parents had starting arranging meetings.
And the rest was history.
"Regardless, it's what we have to do. Although, it might be different seeing as though, they just want to be with their friends all the time." He said after a moment.
"Can you blame them though? They've gone through a lot together. It's like they are inseparable."
Bron knew this to be true. Their sons wanted to be with their friends, just as much as their friends wanted to be with their sons. Even if they did nothing but grazing, they all wanted to be together, grazing.
The other parents had taken notice of this.
"Well Helen their potential mates will have to be comfortable with them having a blended family and as well as their friendship with the different species. Times are different than when we were growing up."
And it was true, Helen and Bron had grown up among their own kind. It wasn't until when they had left their initial home and traveled that they experienced being among other species. Despite this, they never had prejudices towards other species.
"Bron, do you think their potential mates will be comfortable with that?"
"They have no choice. Littlefoot has never put up with prejudice, even as a child. Neither has Shorty. And they both are fiercely protective of Chomper. If the potential mate can't accept our family dynamic or their friends, then they aren't the ones for Littlefoot and Shorty."
"Speaking of Chomper, how are we going to introduce him to females? Not like we can waltz into the Mysterious Beyond ourselves to find him a mate or something."
This had Bron.
In all his years of traveling, he hadn't picked up on sharptooth ways or their courting behaviors. He only knew of their viciousness and how they hunted. He had picked up on some things because of Chomper. But its not like he could ask his son about sharpteeth courting behaviors.
Bron groaned at the thought.
"I don't know Helen, but we'll figure it out. We've got to." Bron said with nothing but determination in his voice.
"I hope you're right Bron, I really hope you're right." Helen sighed.
Bron turned to walk away.
"Come Helen my love. It's a beautiful day out for a stroll."
He turned back, giving his wife the biggest smile ever.
Helen blushed at this. Bron was still as charming as the day she met him. Even after all these years.
She took her place next to her husband and the two took off.
As they passed by multiple families, they were greeted with warm smiles and nods. They were well respected and even took on a role of being among the leaders of the Great Valley dinosaurs.
Out in the Mysterious Beyond, Chomper had heard crying followed by grunts and roars.
Being ever curious, he followed to where the commotion was taking place. He came upon a sharptooth snapping at another sharptooth who was covered in scratches and bites. Chomper knew a bully when he saw one. Without thinking, he charged the bully and the two went sprawling.
The sharptooth who was crying had watched on as the newcomer fought with the bully. The newcomer had eventually killed the bully.
He stood up after delivering the killing blow asking if she was okay.
"Are you alright?" Chomper asked roaring.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks to you." The female said.
Chomper blinked, it was a female sharptooth he was talking to. He never talked to one before.
"But you're hurt though."
She looked down at herself then faced Chomper again.
"Its fine, these will heal in no time."
"I'm Chomper, what's your name?"
"I'm Trexa. Thank you for helping me."
Just then, two grownup sharpteeth had come upon them, roaring.
"What's going on here?" The male demanded, especially after seeing his daughter covered in scratches and bites.
"Daddy, Chomper here saved me from him." Trexa said pointing to the dead sharptooth.
"Thank you for saving our daughter." The female smiled.
"You're welcome. Glad I could help." Chomper said with a smile on his face.
The grownups looked down at the little sharptooth. They could sense something was different about him.
"Young one, where are your parents? It's dangerous for you to be out here by yourself." The mother said.
Chomper looked at the ground. Then looked up.
"My mommy and daddy died a long time ago."
"Have you been surviving out here all on your own?" She questioned.
"No. I live in the Great Valley with my new family. They took me in on that very day."
"Sharpteeth don't live in the Great Valley. How is it that a sharptooth family took you in, while there? " The father observed.
"I'm the only sharptooth in the Great Valley. And a sharptooth family didn't take me in. Longnecks did."
The grownups exchanged looks.
"Longnecks took you in?" The mother questioned, confused.
"You've been brought up by longnecks?" The father asked disbelieving.
Chomper nodded his head.
"Mom, dad, my grandparents, my older brothers and friends don't care that I'm a sharptooth. They love me regardless. And I love them too."
The grownups exchanged looks again. Chomper growing up among longnecks and other leaf eaters is what was different about him.
"What are you doing out here though?" The father asked.
"Mom and dad let me come out here from time to time. I come out here to observe other sharpteeth and try to learn sharptooth things from them."
Chomper paused then looked around.
"Well, I better get going. Don't want mom and dad to worry."
Trexa looked up at her parents.
"Can we help him? He helped me today."
Her father nodded. He liked Chomper already.
And he hadn't had luck in finding a mate for his daughter yet.
"Chomper. How would you feel if we showed you sharptooth things?" The mother asked.
Chomper clasped his hands together.
"That would be great. I'll have to let my mom and dad know and they would want to meet you all. But please don't hurt them."
The sharptooth family looked at one another.
"But we don't speak leaf eater. How can we talk to them?" Trexa asked.
"I speak both leaf eater and sharptooth." Chomper said proudly.
The family exchanged glances again. They've never heard of or seen a sharptooth speak both leaf eater and sharptooth.
"Well I have to go now. But I'll come back with my family."
Trexa had walked over to him and licked him. "Thank you."
Chomper started to turn red in the cheeks.
"You're. You're welcome." He stammered out.
The grownups smiled. They already knew they saw their daughters' future mate.
Chomper was blushing by the time he got home.
"Finally you're back. Geez what took you so long?" Littlefoot asked while looking down at his little brother.
Noticing Chomper was a nice shade of red, Littlefoot lowered his head to be on eye level with him, to get a closer look at him.
"Hey, why are you all red like this? Did something happen?" Littlefoot asked surprised.
Chomper pushed him away.
Shorty took notice too. And went in for a closer look as well.
Chomper pushed him away too.
"I'm telling mom and dad." Shorty teased playfully, about to turn away.
"No, I'll tell mom and dad myself!" Chomper shouted.
Just then, Helen and Bron walked up.
"You'll tell us what?" Bron asked with a bemused smile on his face.
Chomper gulped. "Well, today I met a girl."
"A girl? I knew it. Is she pretty?" Shorty asked.
"Yes, by sharptooth standards she's pretty. I'm not sure if she's pretty by longneck standards though."
The blush spread even further.
"Well, do you like her?" Littlefoot asked.
Sensing her youngest son was getting more and more flustered, Helen decided to put an end to his misery.
"Littlefoot, Shorty leave your brother be. Go on Chomper, tell us what happened today."
Chomper looked up at his mother with gentle eyes, thanking her. She winked at him, then he told his family what happened.
"So why is the sharptooth family okay with showing you sharptooth habits and such? And how do you feel about that?" Bron asked.
"They offered to show me sharptooth ways since I helped their daughter. And I think I can learn a lot from them."
"Your father and I want to meet them. Will that be a problem?"
Chomper rubbed his snout.
"I hope it's not. I mean after all, I did save their daughter from a bully."
"Good point. Well, I want to go too." Littlefoot declared.
"Me too. I want to see this girl that has Chomper all red in the face." Shorty teased.
As if on cue, Chomper reddened again.
"Shorty." Bron said in a warning tone, looking at his eldest son.
"Okay, okay dad. I get it. I'll stop." Shorty backed down.
"Well that settles it, we'll all meet them." Helen concluded.
The rest of the day Littlefoot and Shorty teased Chomper about this female sharptooth.
Helen and Bron looked on shaking their heads. Yes, their boys had grown up a bit, but they were still kids.
Big kids at that.
They knew that when it was time to introduce Shorty and Littlefoot to females that Chomper would tease them too.
"Funny how we were just talking about this earlier today. Guess we'll have to see what happens from here on out." Bron looked at his wife.
She looked to be thinking about this. Then sighing, she shook her head.
"I suppose you're right. Think those two will ever let Chomper live this down?" Helen motioned to her sons.
Bron looked over at his sons who were still teasing and laughing at the youngest.
It had been hours already.
And they couldn't stop laughing, as if this was the funniest thing ever.
Finally deciding the laughter was enough, Bron addressed his children.
"Littlefoot. Shorty. Enough you two. Leave your brother alone. Tomorrow, I expect you both to be on your best behavior while meeting this family. Understand?" Bron said with a hard tone.
Littlefoot and Shorty abruptly stopped laughing and teasing Chomper. They exchanged looks.
Very seldom was their dad stern like this, but when he was they knew he was serious.
"Yes dad, we understand." Littlefoot and Shorty said in unison.
Bron nodded then started to turn away. And Helen turned away as well.
When the parents turned away, Chomper had stuck out his tongue in a mocking manner towards his brothers.
Before the bickering began, Bron had beat them both to the punch, turning back around again.
"Chomper." He said in a warning tone. "Don't antagonize your brothers. I expect you to be on your best behavior tomorrow as well."
Chomper nodded his head in understanding. "Yes dad, I understand."
Helen just watched on.
Whenever her boys were rowdy, it was always Bron was better at straightening them out than she ever could.
Again, their style of parenting complimented one another and it was the perfect environment to have their boys grow up in.
"Alright you three, its time to settle down for the night." Helen said softly.
Helen turned to walk away. Bron followed her. And the three boys followed their parents.
They settled down and eventually went to sleep.
The next day, the longneck family cleared the Great Valley. Chomper had led them and came upon Trexa and her family. The families watched on as Chomper and Trexa both lit up and went running to one another. They locked hands and started to spin. Only disengaging when Trexa's father cleared his throat.
Littlefoot and Shorty snorted, trying to hold in their laughter.
Chomper roared, introducing his family to Trexa's family.
"Mom, dad this is Trexa, and her mother and father."
The longnecks nodded.
"Please ask them to explain if it's going to be a problem to show you things." Helen asked.
Chomper roared, translating.
The mother roared back answering.
"They said it won't be a problem because they know I'll catch on quickly."
That's very perceptive, Bron thought. Chomper was a quick learner. He had seen this over the years.
"What is it that they want to show you?" Bron asked.
Chomper roared, translating.
The father roared back answering.
"They want to show me my place in the world as a sharptooth and how sharpteeth play a part in keeping the balance of the world."
Helen and Bron nodded, they remembered Chomper telling them years ago his parents telling him the same thing.
"What do they gain from this arrangement?" Bron asked.
Again Chomper roared, translating.
The father roared back, answering.
Chomper reddened. Then turned back to his family to translate.
"They said they think I'd make a good mate for Trexa as I've already proven that I can protect her."
Helen gasped, "But you're still very young."
Littlefoot and Shorty exchanged looks. About to burst into laughter, one look from Bron had Littlefoot and Shorty hold it in. Bron knew they wanted to laugh.
However, he didn't want Chomper or the female to be embarrassed. Nor did he want her parents to be offended or angered by the laughter either.
"They said sharpteeth find mates earlier in life than leaf eaters. This is the way for sharpteeth." Chomper said.
"And how do you feel about this Chomper?" Bron asked.
"I'm excited to learn my place in the world as a sharptooth. And I'll be protected while I'm out here too."
Chomper did have a good point there. Knowing he'd be protected, would ease their worry.
However the question clearly went over Chomper's head. Helen and Bron exchanged looks. Either he purposefully didn't answer it or he really wasn't thinking about a female in that regard.
Bron tried again.
"How do you feel about the parents interest in you being their daughter's potential mate, son?"
Chomper put his hands on his head, clearly embarrassed.
"That's okay Chomper, we can talk about it when we get home."
Chomper nodded at Bron.
"Helen how do you feel about this?" Bron asked turning to look at his wife.
Helen looked at Chomper and the sharptooth family and she started to cry. Sometimes when she looked at Chomper she could still see him as a shy little sharptooth. But alas, her boys were growing up.
"Sometimes I still see my shy little sharptooth. I'm not so sure I'm ready for this shift in life yet." She answered honestly.
"Helen, he is growing up. Same with Littlefoot and Shorty. This is the next step in their lives." Bron said trying to reason with his wife.
Littlefoot and Shorty exchanged looks again, wanting to collapse into laughter.
Sensing this, Bron narrowed his eyes while looking at the two of them.
"Littlefoot. Shorty." Bron didn't even have to say anything else or raise his voice.
They knew. They calmed down again. But their smiles didn't leave their faces.
"Okay, how often would you have to come and stay with them?' Bron asked.
Chomper roared, translating.
The mother roared back answering.
"They said I can stay with them for seven days at a time. They understand you all are my family and don't want to take me away for too long."
Helen and Bron nodded at this. Satisfied with the answer.
"I think we've heard enough. If this is what you want to do Chomper, you have our support. We expect you to be on your best behavior while you're with them though." Bron said.
Chomper nodded.
"Thank you for meeting us today. We will see you all around." Helen said.
Chomper roared translating.
The family roared back, then waived.
Chomper and his family left and returned back to the Great Valley.
The gang had met up at their usual spot. Littlefoot and Shorty finally collapsed into laughter when they told their friends about their meeting. Chomper was red the entire time.
"Hey, you heard it's how sharpteeth do things." Chomper defended.
"Same with three-horns. My dad introduced me to a few males already. And my head hurts so much nowadays." Cera complained.
Cera's horns had broken through the skin on her head and it was very painful. They weren't fully grown in yet, but she wished they were so they could stop hurting.
The gang settled into talking about their literal growing pains.
"My head hurts too. It does. It does." Ducky said while pointing to the back of her head.
"And Spike hurts too. He does. He does." Ducky said as she moved closer to her brother to point out the plates on his back and the spikes on his tail that were coming in.
"Me head hurts too." Petrie said, rubbing the back of his head too.
"Well sometimes my teeth hurt, when new teeth grow in." Chomper said as he opened his mouth full of nothing but razor sharp teeth.
"And it seems like they'll keep replacing themselves too. When I break one, it falls out and a new one grows in." Chomper said as he shook his head.
The gang looked at Littlefoot and Shorty who have yet to complain about their growing pains.
"What about you two? Don't you have pain anywhere?" Cera asked.
Littlefoot and Shorty exchanged glances.
"Not really. I mean sure it hurt all over as we started growing rapidly. But it's nothing compared to what you all are going through." Littlefoot said.
"Mom and dad said we're only going to get bigger too." Shorty concluded.
Shorty looked at Chomper, grinning. "But now that mom and dad aren't here. I get to make fun of you for having a girlfriend."
"Trexa's not my girlfriend!" Chomper shouted.
"Oh I'm sorry. She's your mate I meant!" Shorty laughed, then playfully ran away from his brother.
Chomper growled and took off after him.
Taking the hint, Littlefoot decided to poke fun at Cera.
"Don't forget about Cera's boyfriends!" Littlefoot laughed.
"What did you just say?" Cera narrowed her eyes.
"You heard me." Littlefoot teased, then started to run away.
Cera growled and huffed then took off after Littlefoot.
Ducky, Petrie and Spike watched on shaking their heads. The more things changed, the more some things remained. After a bit, they calmed down and went back to hanging out and chilling for the rest of the day.
A year had passed. Chomper and Trexa had become mates. They weren't fully grown up which meant they would continue to live with her family. When they became full grown adults they would either leave her parents or stay with them. Either way, safety was in numbers and being with Trexa's parents almost guaranteed they were safe in the Mysterious Beyond. Chomper would visit his longneck family from time to time. But it was never more than a few hours.
Trexa and her family didn't feel comfortable going into the Great Valley. The Great Valley inhabitants were still weary of sharpteeth even though Chomper had been raised there. The day Chomper had announced his plans to mate Trexa and live with her family in the Mysterious Beyond had Helen completely devastated. She had cried for a long time and was inconsolable. She only calmed down when Chomper declared that he could come visit from time to time. She didn't like it, but growing up was a part of the circle of life after all.
Bron looked at his wife. Even after all these years, she was still beautiful to him. He felt fortunate and elated that she had chosen him. Today was the day that they would introduce females to their sons.
Bron looked at his sons. "Littlefoot, Shorty your mother and I are so proud of you. Even though you're going to meet females today, just be yourselves. There's no pressure to pick anyone today."
"Dad, didn't you pick mom right away though?" Littlefoot had asked.
"Of course I did!" Bron answered almost immediately.
"Bron." The way his wife said his name and gave him that look had him clearing his throat.
"Alright, your mother wasn't the first female I had met. But she was the one that captured my attention almost immediately." Bron had a blush on his cheeks.
Even after all this time, his wife still made his heart flutter.
"And mom, did you pick dad right away?" Shorty had asked.
"I'd like to think I did. I was nervous as it was my first time meeting a male. But one look into his eyes told me he was the one."
Bron reached over and rubbed his head against his wife. Littlefoot and Shorty averted their eyes. Their parents were so embarrassing. Bron and Helen eventually disengaged.
"Just because our experience was a certain way doesn't mean your experience will be the same. Just be yourselves and the rest will fall into place." Helen told her sons.
Bron led his family to the gathering of longnecks.
In a tall tree sat the two rainbow faces. The male turned to his companion.
"Looks like our jobs here with this family are complete." He observed.
"I don't think so, we've got to continue watching over this family. Their story is not complete." The female said.
"Don't tell me you've grown attached to this species." The male quipped.
"Ah, that would be telling. Wouldn't it?" She winked.
His companion had rolled her eyes. She had found herself attached to this longneck family. But she wouldn't be caught dead admitting it. The day they packed the female longnecks wounds, she knew their fates were intertwined and would forever be intertwined. The rainbow faces would continue to watch over the longneck family till the end of their days.
Suddenly Helen turned her head towards the tree as if she knew the rainbow faces were there, watching them.
"Thank you." She said as if she was looking directly at them.
The rainbow faces didn't say anything, but Helen knew. She had been grateful to them for sparing her life so long ago and for continuing to watch over her family.
"Helen, is everything okay?" Bron asked her.
"Yes, everything is fine!" She declared with a smile.
Later that evening, two spherical balls of light shot from the Earth towards the skies above. Landing at their destination, the spherical balls began to materialize and take shape. A male with long flowing hair and flowing robes was accompanied by his companion. Her hair was long curls that were flowing as well and she wore a flowing dress. Grasping hands they walked towards two golden doors that opened into a spacious room. The room was filled with both sunlight, moonlight, and twinkling stars and adorned with large columns along the walls. A giant wheel was levitating in the middle of the room.
"Noom, Nus you've returned." A pleasant ethereal voice said. "How are things progressing on Earth?"
"Things are progressing well. However, I must admit we've interfered with a family." Nus said.
"Interfered how?" The voice asked.
"We've saved the life of a female and have been watching over this family ever since." Noom stated.
"Very well, I'll allow this." The Supreme Being said as she hovered in the middle of the room, taking in both Nus and Noom.
The Supreme Being then produced a miniature asteroid and it began levitating in front of her. Nus and Noom exchanged glances.
"Can we stop this from happening?" Noom asked full of dread.
"The wheel of destiny cannot be stopped, my child. The Earth cannot sustain dinosaurs forever. They must fall in order for other creatures to rise and flourish." The Supreme Being stated while producing miniature glaciers and they too began to levitate.
"The Earth is destined to go through cataclysmic events in order to strengthen its survivors. When the Earth first took shape, its volatility made it impossible to sustain life. But life found a way. Life will find a way after this asteroid strikes. Abuse of the planet will bring about its destruction. But even so, life will find a way." She explained.
"Can the dinosaur family we've chosen to watch over be allowed to grow to old age and pass away before the asteroid strikes?" Nus asked.
"I will permit this by slowing the wheel of destiny my child. But that is all that can be done. Go now, return to this family and continue watching over them till the end of their days." The Supreme Being said, dismissing both of them.
Nus and Noom nodded in understanding. They both exited the room and when the doors closed behind them, they turned into two spherical balls of light again and headed towards Earth. Landing in a tree high above the longneck family, they assumed their disguises as the rainbow faces.
Many, many years later after the last of Littlefoot's children passed away from old age, the Earth was hit with the asteroid that would cause the dinosaurs to go extinct. Shedding tears now, Nus and Noom returned to watch over the Earth as both the Sun and Moon.
A/N: Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. I had a great time writing it.
Read and review, please. Thanks!