We Will Hold On Forever

by DaveTheAnalyzer

A chance encounter with old enemies leads Littlefoot and friends to discover a phenomena they can barely comprehend. The answers to that phenomena shall lead to tough choices that will drive them to their very breaking point.

5. Unmentioned Ties Part 2

We Will Hold On Forever

by

DaveTheAnalyzer

Chapter 05: Unmentioned Ties Part 2

Earlier that morning, Cera marched through the field in a pleasant state of mind. Normally, it would take sitting in warm mud or accomplishing a life threatening task to get her into this much of a good mood but something special was going to happen today and she couldn't wait to share it with Tricia. Her sister remained on her back, head flicking around to whatever caught her sparky interest. Occasionally, she waddled about and made coos of curiosity and Cera laughed as those little feet tickled her back.

"Stay in one place, okay? You don't want to fall and bruise your front leg again, do you?"

Tricia stopped moving and gripped Cera's frill with her forelegs, instantly becoming a model of propriety. Cera smiled, pleased. It wasn't always easy having her listen but the memory of having scraped her foreleg was apparently still unpleasant enough that she wasn't eager to risk a repeat. She was a bit of a handful, but Cera didn't mind that with Tricia. There was something about her open, innocent nature that put Cera at ease. She could be honest with someone who couldn't yet be judgmental of her, and Cera valued that. She only hoped the people they were going to meet would also be receptive to Tricia. Cera felt a fumble on top of her neck and realized Tricia was looking back unwaveringly in the direction they came.

"Sorry Tricia, Tria can't come along." Cera said. "It won't be a sisters' day out if the mother is along, right? Besides, it might be best she stayed behind…"

Tricia looked down and mumbled, noticing Cera's change in demeanor. Cera averted her gaze nervously as she walked.

"Listen, can you keep a secret?" she asked. "I'm about to introduce you to some very special people. This must be kept from Tria because this could upset her. I know she's the nice sort who wouldn't hold anything against them, but seeing them back might still make her sad. Can you do that? I know you like to imitate what other people say but can you try not to do that with the people we're going to meet?"

Tricia merely continued glancing down from Cera's frill, bemused. She clearly had trouble comprehending what Cera said. What Tricia could get out of it was that her big sister was behaving very oddly today and she stared at Cera as though asking for clarification. Cera sighed and muttered under her breath.

"Right. Don't speak for too long." Cera raised her voice. "Look, just don't tell this to Tria, okay? It'll make everyone happier. Agreed?"

Tricia still appeared confused but settled down with a warble of assent. Cera would probably have to remind Tricia again but maybe the next few minutes shall clear her confusion up soon enough. She felt guilty for being secretive around Tria about this but she didn't want to upset her. After their many cold times together, she was really attached to her stepmother and didn't want to choose any family member above another.

She reached the set of thickly clustered trees that signaled the end of the field. There was enough leaves to cast darkness and Petrie would have thought twice about going there. That area might have made Tricia nervous as well but fortunately the pair didn't need to enter there. Three figures could be glimpsed standing on the small forest's edge, details obscured by shadow but their shapes so recognizable to her. Cera's heart leapt.

"Hey. Hey!"

Cera galloped forward and the three figures noticed her approach. They also moved quickly to meet her. At the middle, they stopped and drank each other in, aglow with delight.

"Took you long enough to show up!" said one of the figures.

"Nice to see you again too." Cera said. "Man, it's feels like forever since we've been together. How long ago has it been?"

"Since before you made it to the Great Valley." said the second figure.

"That long? Then it really has been forever! What have you all been up to?"

The four devolved into eager chatter, recounting the amazing or amusing things they have seen or done. Cera was vaguely aware Tricia was staring at the trio but she was so focused on boasting, and teasing, and catching up, it didn't bother her too much. At length, one of the girls noticed Cera's passenger staring at them and raised her eyes to look at her.

"So is that Tricia?" she asked. "Wow, she's tinier than I thought."

"Hey, she's still a baby. She was born only, well…" Cera trailed off, frowning. "Anyway, it's pretty recent. I thought she would like it if she got to meet you guys."

"Are you sure she won't blab us to your new mother?" said another girl suspiciously.

"No Horen. She only knows a few words and my name is the one she likes to use the most." Cera raised her head proudly. "Needless to say, I seem to be her favorite."

Horen didn't appear totally convinced but softened a bit as another of the girls got closer to Tricia, bright-eyed and keen.

"She is a cutie." The second girl said. "I like her."

Cera rolled her eyes. "Of course she's cute, Rica. All babies are cute. It seems to be their job. And can you back off? You're scaring Tricia."

Reluctantly, Rica stepped back while the final as yet named girl considered Tricia fondly.

"Have you told her who we are yet?" she asked softly. "She must be a bit confused about why we look so much like you. It might be best to tell her now."

"Yeah Duane, I think it's time for the surprise to be revealed." Gently, Cera lowered Tricia from her back. "Tricia, these girls are Horen, Rica, and Duane. They are my sisters – and they are yours too."

Once again, Tricia didn't appear to know exactly what Cera was saying, but she stirred at the word, "sisters." She stared from Horen to Rica to Duane with amazement as her young mind put the pieces together. She glanced at Cera and back to the trio, her confusion clearing a bit but not by much. She still appeared baffled by something but Cera shrugged it off. When you were that young, being confused by things was to be expected.

"Don't worry, they're harmless." Cera reassured Tricia. "Well, maybe Horen can be a bit stern and Rica careless but they aren't so bad. And they're not from Tria. They're from my previous mother I mentioned before but that doesn't make me any less your sister, or them too. Anyway, look on the bright side. We're around the same age, so it would be like playing with four of me. C'mon, it'll be fun."

"I wouldn't consider playing with four of you fun." Horen said dryly.

"Quiet, I'm trying to persuade our littlest sister here. So what do you say, Tricia? Want to play with us?"

"Yeah, want to play?" Rica asked.

"We wouldn't mind you bopping around a rock with us." Duane said.

Tricia looked uncertainly from one sister to the next, each eager or encouraging. Even Horen managed to work up a friendly expression.

"What games does she like?" Horen asked. "Maybe if we play them, she'll decide to join in on her own."

"Let's see." Cera frowned. "She likes to run and roll around a lot. She likes to touch and play with people's horns and feet. There's not many games she knows the name of, which leaves us with…"

A slow grin came across her face. She locked eyes with Tricia for a moment before gently bobbing her nose to hers.

"Tag, you're it!" Cera declared. "Come and catch us!"

Laughing, Cera and her other sisters fled from Tricia, making sure not to be too quick and stay within Tricia's sight. Tricia continued to stare, watching Cera and her sisters weave around each other in silly patterns, working off energy in the silliest of ways. Their faces were alight with delight.

Slowly, Tricia smiled and gave chase, attempting to tag Cera and any of the others she could reach. Cera jumped over Tricia before she could touch her, Duane nearly collided with her and doubled back, Rica hopped around her while giggling teasingly, and Horen ran circles around her until she was dizzy. Catching them was easier said than done, but Tricia didn't care. She was having as much fun as her sisters and wasn't interested in ending things any time soon. Tricia couldn't bring up much thought at her age but at the moment, all she could think of as she ran with the other girls was how amazing Cera was to have sisters like these.

---

Tria stalked around, surveying the forest she walked beside. Tracking down Mr. Threehorn had been somewhat difficult, since anyone who might have seen him wander by didn't stick around in one location. Still, she was able to find enough people to talk to on the direction Mr. Threehorn took to be able to sniff out his route. Now she observed these closely knit trees for any sign that someone had entered them. Some tracks lasted longer than others and in a Great Valley populated with many large dinosaurs, these signs could blur together and vanish quickly. The grass and earth around here was mostly undisturbed. Apparently, not many were keen to hang around in these woods. So why would Mr. Threehorn be here?

She was so occupied with finding clues she didn't even notice the rumbling steps of someone approaching until she bumped into him. Grunting, Tria stepped back as she heard a strangled sound of consternation. Mr. Threehorn had just emerged from the trees and was looking at Tria with startled eyes.

"Topsy, there you are." Tria said. "I've been looking all over to find you."

"T-Tria." Mr. Threehorn stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"You were acting so strangely this morning. I'm wondering if you're alright." Tria looked over his shoulder. "What are you doing in there?"

Mr. Threehorn averted his gaze. "I'm – I'm just meeting with an old friend. They don't like to be seen around in public, that's all."

"What kind of old friend? Do you mean Verter? He didn't strike me as the type who avoided attention."

"I met other people since I last saw you. You would be surprised at the variety I associated with."

"Then why didn't you briefly explain who you're meeting with instead of being vague and running off like that?" Tria demanded. "You're not telling the whole truth, Topsy. You were never good at fibbing. Please, tell me. I can take the truth. What are you doing?"

"Don't I have a right to some privacy?" Mr. Threehorn asked. "We might be mates but I don't interrogate you about your secrets."

"This isn't some ordinary secret." Tria said. "You weren't acting as though you were about to have a private mud bath or anything like that. It's as though you had an urgent meeting that you only just remembered and you're desperate to make sure I don't find out about it."

"That's because you wouldn't understand." Mr. Threehorn muttered. "It would only upset you."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a little girl!" Tria snapped. She took a deep breath. "You can trust me, Topsy. I'll listen to your explanation. We are both grownups. We can communicate, can we? I just want to head off any misunderstandings before they get blown out of proportion. Can you do that for me?"

Mr. Threehorn's defensive defiance turned into indecision. His face reflected the mental battle that followed. Tria waited, impatience starting to cold her chest. At last, something in him seemed to give and he sighed.

"Alright I'll tell you." Mr. Threehorn said. "Later, when the bright circle sets. I'm still in the middle of the meeting. But…let me be clear, Tria. I'm loyal to you. I always have been and always will be. Don't let anything you learn change that."

"That isn't very reassuring." Tria replied. "What's so bad about telling me now?"

"Because I need time to compose myself." Mr. Threehorn sighed. "Once this is done, I'll explain everything. Just wait patiently. I'll be there for you."

Tria held his gaze for several moments before she had to look away. "Okay. But you have a lot of explaining to do once this is over."

Mr. Threehorn nodded solemnly, and continued on his way toward a nearby pond. She glimpsed that several leaves had fallen on his back while he had been in the forest. The sight stirred up the memory of Tricia riding Cera that morning and she found herself talking.

"Are Cera and Tricia there with you?"

Mr. Threehorn turned and glanced at her in surprise. He considered answering her question before shaking her head.

"No. I haven't seen them since this morning. But I think they might be playing nearby, with – I'll explain when this is over."

And then he went over to the pond, had a long drink, and returned to the forest without looking at her. Tria stayed where she was, attempting to puzzle out what just happened.

*What can be so important that it can't be mentioned now?*

There were many details floating in her mind now. They had appeared distant and disconnected but there was clues in there. Dispassionately, as though her brain was separate from her body, it began to piece things together. She remembered Mr. Threehorn's sudden morning change in behavior; Cera proclaiming she and Tricia shall be having a "sisters' day" out; Mr. Threehorn expressing his faithfulness to her; his shot in the dark guess about Cera and Tricia's whereabouts and who they might be playing with; and a warning, an word of caution as to what to watch out for. Tria hadn't thought much about last night's meeting today but it came to the forefront of her mind and all of these separate observations got connected. Cold shot through Tria's heart and she stepped back.

"Oh, no," she whispered.

Turning, she ran as fast as she could in search of Grandpa and Grandma Longneck.

---

Cera was out of breath by the time the sisters were too tired to play tag. They had run all over the place, dodging Tricia and teasing her to keep going. Tricia put all the energy she had in catching Cera and the others. She hadn't cared in the slightest that she had trouble tagging any of them. The youth merely reveled in the thrill of the chase and being in the presence of family that made her laugh. She eventually did tag Cera but then her big sister turned around with a big grin and fulfilled her tagger role with all the exuberance of someone who can indulge in playing the role of villain. The role of tagger switched between Cera and Tricia as the morning turned to afternoon, but Horen, Rica, and Duane were always too quick for them. It had been a good expense of energy and the sisters enjoyed the opportunity to rest.

With the bright circle in the noon position, they laid on their back or stomachs in the open sunshine, soaking in the comforting heat. Exhaustion filled their forms. The only movement of note came from Tricia, who giggled and rolled out of the way as Rica contently attempted to catch her with her forepaws. Horen rolled onto her chest, finally at ease, and lazily flicking a thumb between two blades of grass.

"It's great to do this again." Horen admitted. "Playing without you was a lot more boring."

Cera raised her head, pleased. "I bring in the necessary excitement for a game. I'm sure some of my friends might be surprised by me saying that but…"

"You have friends who are more exciting than you?" Rica said. "I must meet them."

"Hey, none of them can beat me. They don't have my wit or brain."

"I've seen only a few with a wit or brain like yours." Duane observed.

"Well, I wish we can be in the presence of your brain and wit more often." Horen said. "Too bad things didn't work out with our folks."

Cera nodded sadly. "I wish they could have talked it out but Dad is stubborn. He can be a pain in the tail sometimes."

"Mom is no slouch at stubbornness either." Rica replied. "If you could hear how she tried to look for you after the earthshake. She was really desperate."

"She was upset when she could find no way to get to your side." Duane added. "We all were."

"And when she said we should go with the mixed herd, Dad got upset and…" Horen sighed. "You know what happened."

Cera shook her head. "It took forever to get Dad to tell me what happened. He could rant and rave forever about something he doesn't like but when it came to you guys, barely any word came out of him."

"That's our dad." Rica said. "Not very feelsy is he?"

"Hey, he's not that bad." Cera said defensively.

"I'm not saying that's bad. He's funny when he tries to be soft." Rica rolled over.

"I like it when he's funny." Duane giggled. "It's better than when he's mad." She stopped smiling. "They both tried to work it out. Really. But it wasn't enough. Things could have been better but…too late now."

Cera shifted uncomfortably. Thinking about what could have been, the fun family times that were now not possible, ached deeply in a way no surface pain ever could. Among this pain though was a spark of confusion. She felt a bit fuzzy about the details of her parents' conflict and how they exactly failed to make up but she didn't give those questions much focus. Her mind quailed away from the aching feeling, old and oddly intense, and shut it away. There was no use thinking such thoughts. Littlefoot made due with his limited time with Bron and Shorty. She could do the same. The only issue was when and how often Cera would be able to play with her sisters again.

"So, will you visit again?" Cera said casually.

"We're not sure." Horen said vaguely. "Mom just decided it was time to check up on you guys. Who knows when she'll decide it's the right time again."

"It depends on what this Tria person thinks too." Rica remarked. "Sooner or later, you'll get caught when you're doing something sneaky. That's just the way the circle of life works."

"I'm sure it'll work out." Duane said. "From what we hear, Tria seems nice. Even if she might be uncomfortable about Mom, she'll be okay with us hanging out, right?"

"I'm sure. Still, I didn't want to cause her any pain by suddenly announcing I'd be meeting up with my other mom and…" Cera trailed off. "Wait, how do you know about Tria and Tricia? Isn't this our first time talking and – hey, how did we plan this meeting if we never talked before?"

"Uh..." For a second, Horen was blank. "Mom communicated by flyer. Yeah. Different Herds interacting with each other is also becoming the norm in the Mysterious Beyond and she changes with the times too. I can't believe you forgot that."

"Oh. Oh, right." Cera nodded distractedly. "What's wrong with me? I forgot about our meeting this morning too. I must have been too tired when I got up to remember."

"You are so like Dad." Duane said good-naturedly. "Hopefully you will remember next time we meet."

"I hope Mom and Dad are getting along enough now that there'll be a next time…" Rica said.

Tricia looked among the sisters, having sensed the mood had gone uncertain and forlorn. Discontent, she got to her feet and babbled, repeating the same sound questioningly.

"Huh?" Cera said. "What is it, Tricia?"

Frowning, she made the sound again, fine tuning it into something a bit more familiar but still unintelligible. When Cera and the others continued to look blank, Tricia tried to say the word again.

"Wha – Wer…Where!" Tricia jumped, delighted by her accomplishment, and repeated the word. "Where? Where?"

"Where what?" Horen asked.

"Where?" She jutted her horn toward Horen, Rica, and Duane. "Where?"

"Oh, I think she's asking where you live when you're not with us." Cera said. "Good question, Tricia. Where have you all been staying, anyway? Why didn't you just remain in the Great Valley?"

Duane appeared uncomfortable. "Mom said she needed space after the breakup. Even with being in a place as big as the valley, she didn't want to risk the chance of running into him again. As for where we are…"

"We're in some place that's much smaller." Rica continued uncertainly. "We never caught the name of it but we don't need to worry about eating and sharpteeth don't seem to like coming around there."

"So, is this some mini-valley?" Cera asked.

"It's kind of hard to describe." Horen averted her gaze. "But it wasn't very far from here."

Cera frowned. True, there were a few green places outside the valley where even a herd can eat comfortably without worrying about going hungry but ones that sharpteeth couldn't access? She shoved the thought away before she could examine it. Horen might have been referring to a place a bit farther off, one she and her friends hadn't come across. Oh well. If she and her friends stumble into the Mysterious Beyond yet again, they could visit that place. It would be amusing to picture the sight of their faces. There was nothing unusual about her sisters' reactions to the question at all.

"Right." Cera shook herself as she got to her feet. "All of you rested up? I still have much playing I want to do."

"Been waiting for someone to say that." Rica said eagerly, jumping up.

"Good thing our parents chose this field as out meeting place instead of any place with not a lot of room like that forest or…anywhere near a cliff." Duane suppressed a shudder. "We can run and play almost anything we want here."

"Then we'd better get playing." Horen followed her sisters' lead. "Let's teach Tricia about the many kinds of fun that can be had out there, especially with many sisters."

"You just read my mind." Cera smirked. "What do you say, Tricia?"

Tricia hopped into a standing position, tail wagging. Heartened by her eager anticipation, Cera and her fellow sisters plotted how to let her have fun in the way that would delight them all.

---

Littlefoot walked with his friends, having a hard time keeping his attention on the search for Cera. It took a bit longer for them to reunite than expected. After hearing of their involvement with the ghosts, the families wanted to spend more time with their children, claiming it to be for the gang's benefit but Littlefoot suspected it was also for their own. The gang didn't have the heart to refuse and some part of them went along with this.

Littlefoot had to admit, he loved being with his grandparents for that length of time, though there were details that meant he wasn't always happy. It all started on a good note, when he came galloping in and they got a good glimpse of his face.

"Oho, what is that you have in your nose?" Grandpa Longneck laughed, he and Grandma rocking their heads with mirth.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" Littlefoot grinned widely, standing tall and turning his face side to side to give them a good view, thrilled by their amusement. "My friends made me try it while we were goofing around and I think I like it. What do you say?"

Grandma Longneck smiled wryly. "I don't think it'll start a trend but you certainly wear it well. Is that how you kids entertained yourselves?"

Littlefoot gave them a more detailed account of how he ended up with the nose plugs and the food game Ruby introduced them to, heartened by how his grandparents smiled and chuckled at the silly things his friends said and did. They sat around relaxed for a few hours, playing a few games that sometimes involved his grandparents trying to imitate his nasally voice with varying degrees of success. Littlefoot's smile barely left his face and for that time, he felt like he was really bringing light into their lives, as they said.

Eventually, his grandparents told him he should remove the leaf plugs and go over to the nearby river to wash his nose.

"We don't want to risk you getting a nasal infection, now do we?" Grandma Longneck said.

"Definitely not." Littlefoot replied.

He ran off to the river, throwing the leaves into a small easy-to-overlook hole and cleaning his nasal passages in the water, taking a bit longer than expected but he didn't mind, warmed by how good-natured and content they were when he left them. When he returned to them, though, their demeanor had changed. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck were far more subdued, troubled, with little flickers of horror in their eyes. Chest twisting with dread, Littlefoot approached them carefully.

"What is it?" he said. "What's wrong?"

They started, as though surprised about his reappearance. They stared at him, nervous, not knowing what to say. Littlefoot couldn't help noticing there were recent footmarks in the grass. He turned to them with some dread.

"Did – did someone come around?" he asked. "It's – it's it happening again, isn't? Why else would you have those looks on your faces?"

Grandpa Longneck hesitated but said. "We're not sure if this is a case. We're going to check, but it might be nothing. Still…we'll prepare for the worst."

Littlefoot gave a soft, upset sigh before he quickly walked up to press against them. He felt them nuzzle him, presumably to assure him by seeking comfort, and whatever good mood was left evaporated. They tried to resume their chat and play but it was still quieter than it used to be. Littlefoot caught them glancing at him every so often. He could surmise why. They didn't talk about it but they knew the arrangement. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck would deal with the ghost and Littlefoot wouldn't get involved. Littlefoot could understand, not wishing to go through something that sad and traumatic again. Still, there was something weird about the concern in their eyes as they glanced his way that sent a chill of unease through him. He tried to brush it away, his worry for his grandparents more dominant. It wasn't a worry that went away by the time he bid them a subdue farewell to reunite with his friends.

Littlefoot's eyes were turned to the side in thought as he and his friends walked along. He wondered where his grandparents were right now. Were they breaking the news to someone that a loved one was a ghost all along? Whatever assurances he told himself, Littlefoot's mind kept lingering on what the fallout would be and how his grandparents were coping with the responsibility.

He forced himself to focus on their search for Cera. There was initially some difficulty in catching her scent. Spike, and especially Chomper, had kept their leaves in their noses a bit too long and they looked like they regretted their decision as their nostrils itched. Eventually, they had to pause to wash their noses under Ruby's advisement and that caused some delay. Though unhappy to fill their nostrils with water, Chomper and Spike did pick up Cera's smell.

The pair's noses took them near the resting place of Cera's family, through some fields, and around clumps of foliage. Wherever she had been going, she wanted to avoid as many obstacles as she could. That wasn't out of character, since Tricia was in Cera's company and she didn't want her little sister to be stuck or trapped somewhere. They still had little clue of Cera's destination or what she was doing there until they heard laughter in the distance.

"That Cera!" Petrie said.

"And Tricia." Ducky said. "They sound like they are having fun, they are."

Ruby frowned. "I'm hearing other voices. Who are those voices with Cera and Tricia?"

"I don't know." Littlefoot said. "They do sound a bit familiar though. Let's go see…"

They were among a thin line of trees not large enough to be called a forest. In addition to the trail going through here, the treetops provided some relief from the strong sunlight. From their position, they could see a great field and, in the distance, a forest. Close to that forest was Cera and Tricia, laughing breathlessly as they passed a rock between themselves, running as though pursued by invisible competitors. It was easy to locate their laughter but the other laughs were a mystery.

"It's just the two of them?" Ducky said. "Huh? Those other voices must be watching from somewhere close by."

"It can't be that." Ruby said. "There is only grass where they're playing and the grass is only high enough to hide Tinysauruses. None of those sound like a Tinysaurus I met."

"Then who is there?" Petrie wondered.

Littlefoot was quiet for a long moment. His eyes searched the surroundings thoroughly for any signs of life beside Cera and Tricia. His heart sank, cold prickling through him, as he began to get an inkling for why his grandparents looked at him with such concern.

"Chomper," Littlefoot said at last, "do you smell anyone there?"

Chomper stepped forward and sniffed. "Not anyone in the immediate area. Just Cera and Tricia…" he tensed fearfully. "Wait, you don't mean this is-"

"If we can't see anybody and if Chomper can't smell anybody," Littlefoot said, "where is that laughter coming from?"

A chill of horror blew past them. Ducky stiffened from her position on Spike.

"You mean Cera and Tricia are playing with ghosts there?" she squeaked.

"They must be people she know, like Hyp." Petrie said. "Oh no, oh no, this bad. We have to tell her."

Petrie began to flap ahead but Ducky quickly jumped off Spike to intercept him.

"No wait, we cannot do this," she said. She fidgeted. "Maybe we should leave them alone. The other voices sound like they are Cera's age. Maybe they are previous friends or brothers and sisters. If this is the only time they can be together, we should not ruin it, we should not, we should not."

"We shouldn't be hasty." Littlefoot said carefully. "But we still don't know what effects these ghost have on those they were close to. What if this makes Cera and Tricia sick or damages their emotions in a big way? We definitely can't check on the state of the bellydragger now and as for Hyp…his father might be willing to talk but Hyp would be with him and he'd likely start chucking stuff at us the second he sees us approach," he checked the sky. "The bright circle is nearly down. We should get my grandparents. We can find out how to help Cera and Tricia by talking to them."

And he was already thinking about how to help the sisters. He understood why his grandparents didn't want him involved in any other ghostly phenomena – they didn't want him or his friends to go through this sort of personal pain – but this was his best friend. With what she was about to go through, Cera needed the support of her friends. Not to mention if his grandparents were going to deal with children who were tangled up with ghosts, Littlefoot wanted to be there to help and support them…

"Littlefoot is right." Ruby said. "Grandpa and Grandma Longneck would know the right way to break the news to her."

"We should probably leave, yeah?" Chomper said. "We don't want them to notice us."

"That's right." Littlefoot replied. "Let's sneak back. If we're quiet, they probably won't know-"

"Hey, why are those kids watching us?"

The group jumped at the unfamiliar voice. Cera and Tricia had stopped their rock game and were now looking straight at Littlefoot and the others. Littlefoot cringed. While debating about whether to approach Cera or not, he neglected to tell Ducky and Petrie to get back into the tree shadows where they wouldn't be seen.

"Yeah?" said another voice. "They act as though they haven't seen threehorns play with each other before."

"That's because those are my friends." Cera said. "They haven't met you yet. Guys, come on over! I might as well introduce you all to each other."

Littlefoot and the others stood indecisively for a moment. Littlefoot was tempted to move away quickly but that would only complicate matters. Reluctantly, he led his friends up to where Cera and Tricia were.

"Remember, guys," Littlefoot whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "when the ghosts speak, stare in the directions of their voices. Try to be positive. This is another meeting with new people."

"This creepy." Petrie murmured.

"Ssh!"

As they neared, they saw Cera and Tricia standing in anticipation. Apparently, the two sisters were pleased to have them around. Cera waved them over.

"You came just in time," she said. "Sorry I haven't told you guys about this but they were only going to stick around for a day, so I wanted to make the most of the time I have with them. I'm sure you understand."

"Um, who are you making the most of your time with?" Ruby asked delicately.

"C'mon, shouldn't it be obvious? We kind of look alike. These are the sisters I hatched with – Horen, Rica, and Duane. You three, these are my friends – Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Chomper, and Ruby."

Littlefoot swept his gaze about to cover for his ignorance of the sisters' locations. "Um, nice to meet you all."

"The same goes for you," said a calm voice. From where Cera pointed, it belong to Duane. "We have, erm…heard a lot about you."

"And we've even seen one of you too," a second sterner voice, Horen, said. "Weren't you the longneck that tried to charge at Cera as though you were a threehorn?"

"Uh, yeah." Littlefoot turned to Horen, attempting to be sheepish instead of on edge. "I think I saw you three there too. Funny how some friendships start. But I, um, definitely don't regret it."

"Though Dad sometimes does." Cera said. "Though he's pretty accepting of them now," she smirked. "If you get him alone enough in the right mood, he might even say he likes them. Oh, it's such a hoot."

As Cera's sisters chuckled knowingly, Littlefoot attempted to give an amused smile as he mentally plotted what words to use.

"Speaking of your dad Cera, where is he?" he asked.

"Oh, he's with Mom in there." Cera said, jerking her head to the forest. "She came to the valley with my sisters for today, and our parents planned it so we could play while they caught up."

*Another mother. Maybe that's what my grandparents are going to – oh, Cera.* Littlefoot thought, heart breaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friends struggling to fight the devastation and sympathy from entering their faces. For all he knew, Mr. Threehorn's previous mate was still alive and was experiencing this haunting too but he doubted that with the mention she came along with Cera's sisters. Cera rarely mentioned her mother and sisters but the gang seldem had much of as inkling as to why until now.

Despite his efforts, some of his inner turmoil must have showed on his face, for Cera's glowing expression faltered slightly and she tilted her head at him.

"What's that look for?" she asked.

Littlefoot started and shook his head. "Nothing. It's just, we met Tria, and she was worried about why you and your dad were so eager to get away from her."

"Oh." Cera said, regret entering in. "I guess we could have done that better but her knowing my mom would be here would only upset her." With effort, she rallied. "Don't worry, we'll make it up to her. After all she does for us, she deserves it."

Horen's voice hummed, unsettled, while Duane made a subdued sound. In the awkwardness that followed, there was a rumble of steps as though someone stepped closer to examine this strange assortment of kids.

"You have a sharptooth for a friend?" Rica's voice asked. "Wicked!"

"Um, is that good?" Chomper asked, nervous instead of bemused.

"A talking sharptooth? Wow, you have some interesting pals, Cera!"

"Interesting definitely describes them." Horen's voice said neutrally. "I didn't think you would make these kinds of friends."

"Me neither." Cera admitted. "But it seems I like those who are annoying and weird. They ain't so bad."

"Well, if Dad's okay with them…" Horen replied, some doubt present but ease entering her voice.

"I guess around here, herd intermingling is normal." Rica said. "I've been a bit curious about how other herds worked."

"Well, here's a great opportunity to learn about that." Ruby replied. "Actually, you can learn about it in other places as well. Herds made up of different kinds are becoming more common out in the Mysterious Beyond."

"Really? Huh, don't remember bumping into that much. Oh, other than that flyer who passed along a message to Dad and Cera." Rica said. "Though tell us, do other herds have something against eye contact? Because you're looking all over the place. It's weird. Is there something on our faces?"

"Not that we can notice." Ducky said.

"Nothing wrong." Petrie laughed nervously. "It just too bright to see out here."

Tricia laughed. She seemed to find something about what Petrie said amusing. Upon attracting everyone's attention, she hobbled to face them and babbled, attempting to narrow down the words she wanted to say and pointing around. For some reason, Littlefoot felt a flicker of unease the longer Tricia did this but he didn't know why. Before he could explore the feeling further, Tricia spoke.

"See-through."

"Come again?" Cera asked.

Tricia giggled. "See-through."

She waved around again. Puzzled, Cera looked about but didn't notice anything. She was far from the only one bemused. The gang could practically hear her sisters survey the area in confusion. Littlefoot and the others had a hard time pretending to be confused, some open awareness and fear slipping onto their faces. The threehorn sisters didn't remain ignorant of this, as the gang felt more than one pair of eyes stare in their direction

"You guys…" Rica said slowly. "What is she calling see-through?"

"Um…" Petrie said.

"Is she talking about water? Like some pond?" Duane asked. "Why do you all look so nervous? Is that water toxic?"

"We are not exactly nervous." Ducky said weakly. "And there's no pond nearby, toxic or untoxic."

"Then what is she talking about?" Cera demanded.

"You lot are still not looking directly at us." Horen said. "It's not that bright, not really. We're not scary to look at. You have a sharptooth friend, for goodness sake. So what's the big deal with us, huh?"

"The big deal isn't you precisely." Ruby said.

"Then what is it?" Rica said curiously. "Just tell us? We don't bite – much."

"It's um...we don't want – we can't say." Chomper said.

"What do you mean?" Duane said, friendly mediating tone holding a bit of nervousness. She shook it off. "Rica's right, no matter how silly she is about it. We've been living outside the valley for a long time, with all that entails. You can be honest with us. Really."

That cornered Littlefoot and the others. Their eyes slid nervously around but it was clear they had to say something sooner or later. Cera and her sisters looked and sounded so honestly confused but they were expecting answers. Tricia looked between her sisters and the gang, her simple amusement devolving into unsure confusion over what was happening. Hastily, Littlefoot stepped forward, finding it hard to meet Cera's eye.

"Look, just…go back to your parents," he said. "Go back to them."

"Wha?" Rica said, thrown.

"You know where they are, right?" Littlefoot continued. "Just…find them. Be with them."

"What does this have to do with you not looking at my sisters?" Cera demanded.

"You three haven't seen your father in a while, right?" Littlefoot asked. "Same with you and your mother, Cera. Don't you want to see them again? Just – just go to them."

"I don't understand." Duane said. "Are we having two different conversations here?"

"Are you going to explain yourself at all?" Horen asked.

"Go back to your parents." Littlefoot repeated, pleaded. "Spend what time you can with your family. Just go to them. Go."

His eyes went in Cera's direction, who looked a mix of baffled and concerned. As she took in his pleading stare, though, she slowly stilled, gaze becoming blank.

"No," she said.

"Be with them." Littlefoot said.

"No, no." Cera said.

"Huh Cera, what are you saying?" Rica asked, bemused and a bit hurt.

"I know their request is a bit sudden, but we've been planning on meeting with our parents anyway, right?" Duane said.

Cera didn't pay any attention to them. She was looking at her friends with the flickering beginnings of numb anger. Littlefoot and the others suddenly understood her three no's weren't about reuniting with her parents. She was cottoning on to what was going on.

"Get out." Cera said lowly. "Leave."

"Now what?" Horen said incredulously. "Cera, aren't these your-"

"I said leave!"

Cera charged at her friends angrily, causing them to jump away with a start and hastily back away. Tricia screamed and staggered back, scared and concerned by Cera's change in demeanor.

"We're leaving, we're all leaving." Littlefoot said hastily.

"That's right, go." Cera said, walking after them to make sure they didn't stop. "I don't want you here anymore."

"We'll leave you alone, really. Just, find your family, find them."

"Don't even think about calling your grandparents! I don't want to see any hint of you or your family for the rest of the day!"

"Cera, what's the matter?" Rica asked. "Why are you so mad all of a sudden?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." Cera replied.

"But why were your friends so concerned for us to be back with our parents?" Horen said.

"It's nothing. It's just stupid. My friends are being stupid."

"What are they being stupid about?" Duane asked.

"It's nothing, really nothing!" Cera said, voice going a bit high. "They – just need – to go away!"

She emphasized each pause with a slight pickup in speed, attempting to get her friends away. Littlefoot and the others were scared. They rarely saw this kind of deep fury in Cera before. Tricia's lip wobbled as she kept her distance, as though fearful that baffling anger might be misdirected to her. Yet in their fear, the gang also felt a sort of sadness, as a desperation tinged her fury, a desperation that the reality she believed, treasured, was real. But her sisters weren't standing silently as she tried to drive her friends off.

"Is this about them not looking at us?" Duane said. "Is something about that scary?"

"Don't think about it!" Cera replied desperately. "They just think – they believe – it's not true! It's sick, it's sick!"

"It does have something to do with that, doesn't it?" Horen said impatiently. "Why won't you tell us? Dang it, we're threehorns. Can't we take anything?"

"We can but – we shouldn't! You shouldn't!"

"If this isn't really true, why not tell us anyway?" Rica said. "What does them not looking at us have to do with their insistence to meet our parents?"

"Can't you all stop being curious for one second?" Cera demanded. "Just forget about this! Be happy we're together now!"

"But we can't be happy when you're yelling at your friends and hiding stuff from us." Duane replied. "Mom says you sometimes have to go through pain quick in order to heal a wound. Just tell us quickly and even it's scary, we can get over it."

"You can't get over this. Once you hear this – once it's said-"

"Dang it Cera, are you really still such a baby?" Horen said angrily. "For all your talk, you haven't changed much from our hatchling days when you squealed away from sky booms. Just because you're still a coward doesn't mean you have a right to keep things from us. Now be brave for once and come out with the truth, because we're not going to stop asking until you do!"

With stress pushing her to the edge, those were just the words needed to set Cera off.

"Don't call me a coward!" she snapped. "You want to hear the truth, huh? Why would you want to hear about this freaky and messed up stuff? Are you that desperate to hear that my friends are deluded enough that they can't see you? That they think you're ghosts? That you died while trying to get to me after the Great Earthshake?"

Cera panted, her anger and raising her voice forcing her to stop attempting to charge her friends off as she recouped her energy. Everyone stood silently as they took several moments to absorb what she said.

"What do you mean, we died looking for you after the earthshake?" Horen asked nervously.

Cera stiffened, eyes wide with horror. Breathing through her nose, she glared at Littlefoot and took a step as though to confront him but she cried out and collapsed while gripping her head. Tricia let out a sound of distress and went to Cera's side while other galloping feet signaled her sisters did the same.

"What's wrong, Cera?" Duane asked.

"I don't want to – I don't want…" Cera trailed off as the headache eased and gazed up with much regret. "I remember," she said, as though in apology.

"What does that mean?" Rica asked. "What were you talking about with them not seeing us and us being ghosts?"

"The meaning from those words is clear." Cera said miserably. "It means…only Tricia and I can see. Tricia called you see-through because…I don't know, maybe because she's young or related, she can see you for who you really are. You're ghosts. Which means you're not really here. It means you're…dead."

"Now that is ridiculous." Horen scoffed. "First you say your friends are being sick and deluded, now you agree with them. It's long stopped being funny. There's no way we can be dead."

"If that's true, should I be able to do this?"

Cera jutted a paw at a spot of what appeared to be empty air. There were screams of shock and flutters of movement.

"You put your paw in my chest!" Horen exclaimed. "How – how did you do that? It is…"

"Impossible? You prove that wrong. You really are ghosts." Cera then said bitterly. "I've been playing with ghosts all day."

"If we're ghosts, does that mean…" Rica said. "No. This has to be some weird sleep story. This isn't cool at all. Wake up. Wake up!"

There was several swiping sounds and more shrieks. By then, three forms were distinctively becoming clear. They were adolescent threehorns around Cera's age, who looked quite similar to her in everything but slight things like eye color or horn shape. Currently, they were surveying each other with horrified fascination. When slapping herself didn't work, Rica apparently tried to hit her sisters to wake them up and her paw going through them only confirmed their horrible reality. Tricia stayed where she was, fear still present but relaxing as her confusion over the situation became dominate. She only watched as the three sisters shook, mouths open, struggling to accept what had never been considered before.

"Tricia is right." Duane said faintly. "We are see-through."

"No wonder you were scared of looking at us." Rica said to the gang.

"Sorry." Littlefoot said. "When we could hear but not see you, we were going to get our grandparents and wait until there was time to break the news, but when you saw us, we thought it'd look too suspicious if we ran away."

"Wait until you can break the – has this happened before?" Horen said quickly. "Do you know where this is coming from? Is there a way to stop this, to reverse it?"

"This – this happened two times in two days." Ruby said. "We don't know what the cause is or if it can be reversed, whether that means stopping ghosts from appearing or -" her breath shook. "We're sorry."

Glaring at them, Horen started pacing nervously, eyes attempting to be contemplative about this mystery but more and more terror leaked through.

"How – what lead us to this?" Horen asked.

"The last thing I remember is…falling." Rica said.

"Me too." Duane said. "And then…nothing."

"No! No, no!" Horen said desperately. "This isn't real! You can't be dead and aware at the same time!"

"We're too young!" Rica cried. "This isn't fair! Now we'll never grow up!"

"This is the end?" Duane said faintly. "I can't – it's too soon!"

Horen was looking around desperately, as though to search for some comforting explanation and losing more of her composure when none came. Rica rocked on her hind legs, rubbing her forepaws over her forehead and eyes, her breath coming out in wet bursts. Duane shook in place, trying to calmly take in their reality but it was like a mountain and every part she absorbed was taking in another devastating fact about what they couldn't accomplish. Picking up on their distress, Tricia hobbled over to each of them, chattering concernedly to get their attention but they were too caught up in their inner turmoil to notice her. Cera was slumped beside them, miserable, eyes shining wetly, but there was mostly bitter resignation that all of her hopes involving the sisters she hatched with were brutally dashed.

The gang wasn't doing so well either. Tears streamed down Ducky's face as she looked at the threehorn sisters with a personal empathy. She hugged Spike's neck and he was crying too, devastated these sisters who were having so much fun before now had to face their mortality so soon. Petrie shook with a bit of fear but his instinctive dread of the supernatural was gradually being overwhelmed by wet-eyed sympathy for these ordinary children cut down by tragedy. Ruby and Chomper held hands as they exchanged helpless glances, not sure how they could help, reminded of precious family who might be claimed by the ruthless Mysterious Beyond at any time. Littlefoot's vision blurred, shame and sadness making everything sickly and numb. He attempted to do the right thing, spare Cera of the pain Dil and Hyp went through, but his unwatchful eye and clumsy words screwed things up again. Now the first of the best friends he made had to deal with the consequences and there was little he could do to set things right.

"What are we going to do now?" Duane asked, voice cracked.

"I don't know." Rica replied. "What do – can ghosts do anything?"

Horen sniffled, looking around again. "Where's our parents? Dad – we need to meet Dad. And Mom – I want Mommy!"

"Mom?" Cera said, bitter apathy swiftly replaced by a terrible realization. "That's right. If you're here, then that means…we really need get back to them now!"

Cera got up and took off, with her ghostly sisters scrambling after her with the desperation of being told there is a sanctuary in a storm. Upset, Tricia attempted to follow but her little legs weren't as speedy. As her sisters sprinted ahead, she was covering less and less ground. She warbled desperately as she couldn't catch up. But then a head bobbed up from under her and she slid down Littlefoot's neck to find he and his friends running after the threehorn sisters in pursuit.

"Don't worry, Tricia." Littlefoot said. "We'll catch up with them. Just hang on."

Warbling in worry, Tricia saw little choice but to get a good grip. She trusted Littlefoot and Cera's other nice friends. Maybe they would be able to do something that would make Cera and the other sisters less upset. With that hope, she and Cera's friends entered the forest.

---

Tria tried not to glance backwards as she searched the area where Mr. Threehorn came out. She had no guarantees her mate would exit through the same route but she didn't have much else to go with. She had a sense he would reuse this path, though, and she hoped her instincts were correct. If he emerged from even a bit behind her, everyone's cover might be blown and she didn't want to make hay about something that mightn't be anything at all.

*I hope I'm wrong. I really hope this is nothing. But if this is true...*

There was a rustle in the forest. Behind her, there was the ever-so-slight rumble from particularly large trees but she tried not to pay attention to that. A second later, Mr. Threehorn appeared. He had his eyes on a spot in the air level with him and he chatted genially as though someone was there. Tria's heart twisted, for more reasons than one. The most dominant feeling was shock, the fear of worst suspicions being confirmed, and what it might mean for him and the family.

But underneath was a faint but uglier, envious bout of pain. She hated that was her reaction, like she was one of those petty love story characters she swore she would never be like, but she couldn't help it. No matter how she logically put the situation, it still hurt to see Mr. Threehorn having a good time with another woman and that he didn't trust her enough to inform her of the truth. Even with those emotions churning inside her, she kept a level face as he moved out into the light.

"There you are, Topsy."

Mr. Threehorn jumped and turned to her, alarmed. "Tria. Don't sneak up on me like that. Now's…not the right time."

"You didn't say you would be done with your business when the bright circle sets." Tria replied. "Don't worry, I'm not too mad. I'm just concerned. What's going on?"

"Oh. I'm…" Mr. Threehorn looked down and made a waving motion. "As you can see, I'm meeting with my previous mate. I haven't heard from her in a while and I wanted to catch up on old times."

"I see. With your other daughters as well."

"That's right. Right now, they are playing with Cera and Tricia. Don't worry, they'll treat them well. From what she said, they have been quite looking forward to meeting their new sister."

*Oh, no.* Tria thought. *Is this, is this really...*

"I'm sorry for the secrecy," the voice of Mr. Threehorn's previous mate, Mrs. Threehorn, said. It was smooth, no-nonsense, hardened by tough experience. "We didn't want to upset you. You know the stories. It only takes a bit of misunderstanding for some unfounded love drama to start. We should have solved that by just being clear with you."

"Well, I'm glad to have someone…with some sense." Tria said, trying to keep her voice steady. Hearing about ghosts yesterday was one thing, concerning yet distant and hypothetical, but being confronted by the genuine article was an unnerving experience. Her mind raced. *Oh goodness, this is real. She is here. Then Cera's sisters are really involved with this? Oh, those poor little girls!* Outwardly, she kept herself composed as she continued. "I also apologize for intruding on this family time. I should have been more trusting."

"You don't have to worry. Things between us aren't what they used to be anymore." Mrs. Threehorn said. "Let's just say after the earthshake separated us from Cera, it caused some…tensions. It's when a crises comes around that your relationship is truly tested, isn't it?"

Tria remembered the conflict about the Tinysauruses. "Yeah, I know."

"Anyway, we argued about how much risk we should take searching the shaky cliffs for a route to our side, how long we should wait for her to get to us before striking out on our own. We were both desperate to find her but I wanted to keep us safe as well. I thought the newly integrating herd would be the safest place to keep our kids and they weren't going to wait for us forever. He didn't agree and thought we should stay until we get her and strike out on our own. I thought he was being too prideful to consider what was best for our girls. I became his mate because of his pride and certainty but then…"

Mr. Threehorn nodded solemnly. "I always liked you for how pragmatic you were but at that time, I thought you didn't love our daughters enough to get them all back and it was insulting that you thought intermingling with other herds was safer than trusting the threehorn way would keep us alive like always. That, and the stress of finding Cera, it made me angry…"

"Time wasn't on our side." Mrs. Threehorn continued. "We really tried to find her but when the herd finally decided to depart, I put my foot down and said we had to go with them. With the stress of leaving Cera behind, not knowing if she was alive or could follow us, and of not being able to agree if this was the right thing to do…" There was a sigh. "Something snapped. We…couldn't stay together anymore."

Tria remained silent. Already, her heart was lowering.

"I took our remaining daughters with me to go elsewhere. I was happy to hear Cera returned to the valley but I needed to start over. Fortunately my three daughters and I found a good place to live. It became a home. Still, I began to miss my old mate and Cera, so I contacted him to arrange for a visit."

"I said some things I didn't want to say." Mr. Threehorn said. "I wanted to have at least a chance to make things up. Cera also missed her sisters. She really looked forward to playing with them again when she came to the valley and when she saw only me there…" he shook his head. "I didn't do a good job of explaining things. She never mentioned them again. Never thinking about the other parts of your family…that isn't right. At least today the two of us could patch things up and allow our daughters to play and catch up with each other."

"So I'm not here to take Topps back." Mrs. Threehorn said. "As much as I care for him, that is over. As he said, I only came back to heal old wounds. I hope that is some comfort to you."

"It is. Thank you for your concern." Tria was quiet for a moment. "So the reason your previous mate and Cera's sisters didn't make it to the valley is because you separated?"

Mr. Threehorn sighed. "That's the long and short of it."

"That must have been a painful experience."

"It took both of us this long to gather the nerve to see each other again." Mrs. Threehorn agreed. "Shame on us. We should have been mature enough to arrange meetings sooner."

"I see." Tria took a long, shaky breath, stealing herself. "Can you get Cera and the girls? There is something important I have to tell you."

"Hmm?" Mrs. Threehorn said warily. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain when you get the girls. This is something you all need to hear together."

"Tria – oh, come on." Mr. Threehorn protested. "What I did was wrong, I admit it, but was it to the point you're considering separating from me? Let's – let's think this through. We can work this out together. I don't want to upset you or the girls."

Tria shook her head. "No, that's not it Topsy. I am mad you didn't trust me with the truth but we can work it out. No, what I'm about to say is much bigger than our relationship."

"Is that so?" Mrs. Threehorn said, wariness still present but confusion increasing. "What is it?"

"I can't say anything until all of the girls are here. It's really important that you all be together for this."

"This doesn't sound good." Mr. Threehorn said. "Why can't you talk to us about it now, and we can tell them later? We don't want to cut into their playtime with bad news."

"I can't explain but it must be done." Tria said. "You…need all the time you can with your family for this."

"What? Tria, it sounds like I'm not the only one who has been keeping secrets. What's so important you can't tell us separately? Can't you even give a hint to what you're going to say?"

"I'm sorry, you two. I said too much already. Just do as I request, and bring Cera and the others here."

"Oh come off it, Tria." Mr. Threehorn said impatiently. "I accept that you're angry with me for what I did but turning around and using the same vague treatment against me isn't going to solve anything. Come on, out with it."

"Please Topsy." Tria pleaded. "If I tell you the truth, and the girls aren't here, you're going to regret it," she turned to the invisible third threehorn. "Can't you talk some sense into him?"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Topps here." Mrs. Threehorn said. "I can see from your expression you're not up to anything truly malicious but I want to make sure what you say is safe for the girls before I bring them around."

Tria found herself stuck. Mr. Threehorn and the unseen Mrs. Threehorn's concern was unambiguous but their tone was firm they weren't going to get Cera and her sisters until they got an explanation. Tria had to do something to that effect but she knew that if she did, there was no going back and precious time would be wasted finding their daughters instead of being with them. Her mind blanked. She couldn't think of a solution out of this, and she didn't want to hurt her family in this way. Helplessly, she glanced back at those same large trees, seeking assistance. Mr. Threehorn and his mate were confused but then a voice spoke out.

"Do you really want the explanation now, my friend?"

The large trees behind Tria rustled and Grandpa and Grandma Longneck emerged into view, walking over and sadly surveying the threehorns.

"You two?" Mr. Threehorn said, even more baffled. "What were you doing back here?"

"Were you watching us this whole time?" Mrs. Threehorn said.

"Tria requested our help." Grandma Longneck then sighed. "And it seems her suspicions have been confirmed."

"What suspicions?" Mr. Threehorn repeated. "Why would Tria go to you and what does that have to do with an explanation…"

He trailed off, taking in Grandpa and Grandma Longneck's solemn faces and Tria's sad expression. Mr. Threehorn stepped back sharply.

"No, I won't believe it," he said. "I'm not going along with this charade. I won't have you ruin this special day with your sick fancy. I won't!"

"Topsy," Tria said softly, "please get the girls quick."

"What is it, Topps?" Mrs. Threehorn said warily. "Why must we get the girls quick?"

"Don't listen to them!" Mr. Threehorn said, furious. "They're just winding us up."

"They look too serious to be winding us up."

"Does it really matter if they believe their own delusions or not?"

"If they're just delusions, just tell me what's going on?" Mrs. Threehorn demanded, concerned.

Mr. Threehorn stared ahead. "Y-You wouldn't like it. It's better you don't know."

"Don't patronize me. Why are you keeping information from me, when you were rightly mad at Tria for doing the same seconds ago? Just tell me."

"Well…" Mr. Threehorn gazed at her, some of that anger faltering into concerned reluctance.

Mrs. Threehorn finally lost all patience. "Damn it Topps, I'm a grown threehorn. Even if it does upset me, I have a right to know!"

"Alright, alright. They think you fell to your death on the way to the Great Valley and believe you're an invisible ghost," he said this in a slight rush, shaking his head with disgust. "Do you see how nonsensical and sick this is?"

Mrs. Threehorn was silent for a moment. "Falling to my death. Where did you get that from?"

"No one mentioned anyone falling to their deaths at yesterday's meeting." Grandma Longneck said softly.

That stopped Mr. Threehorn in his tracks. His eyes were wide with surprise – and fear.

"You're all serious...about this ghost thing. You're taking this so seriously." Mrs. Threehorn's calm voice became even more wary. "Can you three see me? Is there someone…next to Topps?"

"All we can see," Grandpa Longneck said, "is Mr. Threehorn. We can hear your voice beside him but…we can't see the person who it belongs to. "

"D-don't say that." Mr. Threehorn tried to keep his defiant tone but his voice was faint. He was stunned by the words that fell out of his mouth. There was barely any room for anger. "She's right next to me. Can't you see? She's solid as solid can-"

Mr. Threehorn had been twitching his head toward where Mrs. Threehorn's voice originated for emphasis but he froze in mid-motion. Tria and the grandparents couldn't see what was happening but from the sound of Mrs. Threehorn's intake of breath, they could guess what it was.

"Topps," Mrs. Threehorn said with a quiet tremor, "your horn is in my horn."

Mr. Threehorn staggered away but the damage had already been done.

"No!" he exclaimed. "You can't be dead! I won't believe it! I – argh!"

Mr. Threehorn collapsed, gripping his head as though a large boulder had smacked him hard. He couldn't stop the groans from escaping through gritted teeth and he let out measured breaths to make the pain bearable.

"What is it, Topps?" Mrs. Threehorn demanded. "What's happening to him?"

"He's starting to remember what really happened." Grandpa Longneck replied. "We saw this before. I'm afraid this is going to be painful."

"So I'm really dead. I'm really…" Mrs. Threehorn trailed off.

"We're so sorry." Grandma Longneck said. "There's no good way to break this news. We don't know how you're here, we only know that ghosts unwittingly cause memory lapses in those closest to them."

"Then all that stuff about our separation, it was…"

Mr. Threehorn's headaches eased. He slowly returned to his feet, stricken. "It never happened. If it was my choice, I would have preferred us being separated to…to this."

"I…" There was a shaky breath and the faintest start of a threehorn's outline started appearing. "I'm starting to remember too. What actually happened. Oh, no. It's so different, painful, I…"

"Rest a bit." Tria said softly. "If this is too much, you don't have to think or talk about this if you don't have to."

"No, I must. I'll face this. For something this monumental, I can't run away." Mrs. Threehorn's voice hitched before she continued. "We were looking for a way to get to Cera's side after the earthshake, going wherever we could along the cliffs. I knew the earth was still unstable and kept calling Horen and the others to not walk ahead but with Cera missing, I wasn't thinking clearly. We were desperate."

"We remember." Grandpa Longneck said. "We heard your desperation after the earthshake, before we went off to help form the herd."

"We were going to return to ask your family to join but we couldn't find you and when Mr. Threehorn came back alone, we feared…" Grandma Longneck said.

"Yes." Mrs. Threehorn said. "If only we knew Cera would make it to the valley, we might have joined. Then we…but hindsight isn't helpful now. We did actually argue a bit about joining the herd, as detailed before, but we were mostly trying to balance looking for Cera and keeping watch over our other daughters at the same time. There was a lower spot among the cliffs we thought Cera might be able to reach and we went toward it.

"I didn't know what was happening until it was too late." With every sentence, Mrs. Threehorn's voice lost a bit more of its calm quality, a barely controlled wavering becoming prominent. "One second, we were walking on stable ground toward the spot. The next, there was a crackle and the earth broke apart into rocks in front of me. I turned around just in time to get a hold of the new cliff that appeared. My daughters…they dropped out of sight and their screams stopped after I heard a crack. I knew I shouldn't have looked down but I did and I – I saw what happened. It made me irate. Horen, Rica, and Duane suddenly dying felt like something huge had been ripped from my chest and I was screaming in that horrible way I thought I was too calm to ever do. I couldn't think in my grief. Topps kept telling me to hang on, to be alive for Cera. I tried to climb back up, for her and him, but I was holding on by my front legs. I couldn't crawl up and could only hold on for so long before I fell and…I don't remember anything after that."

"I was alone." Mr. Threehorn said, vacant stare an echo of that horrible moment. "You and the girls dead, Cera missing…I thought I lost everything."

Silence. Mrs. Threehorn became clearer now, a lighter grey mother who didn't appear unfriendly by any means, but had the air of someone who made serious and practical decisions, genial but reserved. Now that was starting to collapse. She looked down at her ghostly form with barely-restrained shock, her attempts to coolly assess her condition giving way to shaking horror. No matter how she tried to prepare for many scenarios, there was no way to deal with the fact she was a ghost or that her life had long been over. It appeared to take all her strength not to collapse.

Tria watched with both incomprehension and sympathy. Though she was open-minded when it came to the supernatural and trusted Grandpa and Grandma Longneck's word, the reality of ghosts was more than she could take. It left her a bit tingly and shaken, and her heart twisted in sympathy for Mrs. Threehorn. To begin today believing you were coming here to make amends for family conflict, only to find not only much of that was a lie but you weren't alive for a long time, must be horrible. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck observed, having prepared for this moment but their eyes were dark with pained empathy. They glanced at one another, as though imagining themselves in Mr. and Mrs. Threehorn's position and wanting to press their heads together, but thought it inappropriate to assure one another of their physical presence while Cera's parents could never again take comfort in warm contact.

Mr. Threehorn stared at the earth, most of the anger and emotion hollowed out of him. Now the truth had been revealed, he appeared at a loss for how to cope. Mrs. Threehorn noticed this and, with a flash of sympathy, focused upon him, forcing up a wistful smile as though to distract herself from the pain.

"So I suppose this is some blessing," she said. "That we can talk now."

"I suppose so." Mr. Threehorn sighed heavily. "Oh, what can I say to you now?"

"I don't know." Mrs. Threehorn shook her head helplessly. "No one thinks about those things until it happens. I…suppose I'm glad to hear that we never really broke up, even if our arguments indicated it was a possibility."

"Yeah." Mr. Threehorn replied. "At least today we were able to settle a few of those worries and have some last words," he sighed again. "But I didn't want any last words. I wanted to correct things, I wanted-"

"I know." Mrs. Threehorn said. "I feel the same way. I was so looking forward to helping our four girls into adulthood but now-"

"The girls!" Mr. Threehorn cried. "If you are here, then Horen, Rica, and Duane…I said they would be with Cera and Tricia," he look around desperately, "but I don't know where they are!"

Mrs. Threehorn briefly looked to Tria with sudden, almost sad understanding. "Now I see why you requested us to be together." She turned to Mr. Threehorn. "Let's find them, quick. You said they weren't far. We just need to shout for them!"

And the pair took off at a run, calling out their daughters' names, forcing Tria and Grandpa and Grandma Longneck to scramble after them. Tria's chest ached with remorse. With so much unknown, she had been told it was best to end this ghost business early before any damage might affect the living, but she couldn't help feeling she sabotaged a family's chance to really mend ties again.

---

Cera continued running. There was a rushing sound in her ears not related to the wind blowing past. She could see her sisters keeping up with her out of the corner of her eye and being able to see the foliage and sky through them made her heart wrench. This whole reunion had been a lie. In that delusion, Cera had been hoping reconnecting bonds would mean she would see more of her sisters and mother. She was aware things could never be the same but at least they could spend time together as a family. Littlefoot made it work with Bron and Shorty, so Cera's family could do it too.

That wasn't possible in reality. Her mother and her sisters had died senselessly long ago. There was no conflict that split their family apart and there were no more future meetings to look forward to. It had only been some incomprehensible, magical fluke that Cera was able to get to be with them again at all, and it wasn't going to last past sunset. She felt angry at the world in general but, in her rush, that was now pushed aside. If this was really the only chance in her lifetime, at the very least she could speak with her mother again.

"Do you have any idea of where she is?" Cera asked.

"We're not sure." Horen said. "We know where she was going to meet Dad, but they must have wandered around while catching up on old times."

"Great, just great." Cera muttered. "Let's just get to them before any of you girls fade."

"We're going to fade?" Rica squeaked.

"I thought being ghosts meant we can stick around?" Duane said.

"I wish that were the case. But if you aren't going to stick around, wouldn't it be better to be with Mom and Dad?"

The only response Cera got were unsettled whimpers and her sister caught up to match her urgent running speed. Cera was disturbed. She had expecting that kind of reaction from Rica and Duane but that even Horen couldn't contain her dread for the end broke Cera's heart. It only made her more determined to find her parents before her sisters could disappear for good.

"Mom! Daddy!" Cera cried. "Where are you? We need help!"

There were several cries of "Mom!" and "Dad!" from Horen, Rica, and Duane, each higher and more desperate than the last. So far, they have gone through the edge of the forest and got no response but before Cera could lose hope, they turned a corner and they heard voices call out.

"Cera? Girls? Is that you?" Mr. Threehorn called.

"Daddy, we're here!" Cera said.

"Don't worry, we're coming."

Cera's heart almost froze. The last time she had heard that voice, it had been across a newly created gorge. She picked up her pace even more as Mr. and Mrs. Threehorn came running around the corner, the desperation in their faces mirroring their daughters'. Cera accepted a nuzzle from her father before turning to accept the same from her mother. Her head went through Mrs. Threehorn's jaw.

"No!" Cera said. "Why can't I feel you, this isn't fair!"

"Unfortunately, this is how it is. Don't worry, Cera," Mrs. Threehorn's breath shuddered for a second, "this will do."

Reluctantly, Cera continued to push her head into her mother's transparent face, the temperature drop from contact a poor substitute for a mother's warmth. Mr. Threehorn lowered his head to accept the ghostly nuzzles of her other daughters, barely able to keep his face from shaking.

"I'm so glad to see you girls again," he said.

"Are we really going to fade, Daddy?" Rica asked.

"Cera said we would." Duane said.

Mr. Threehorn couldn't answer. Horen looked up, face also shaking.

"The last thing I remember," she said, "was falling. Did we die there? Is it…true?"

Mr. Threehorn stared solemnly. "I'm sorry."

Something in Horen seemed to break. She pressed against Mr. Threehorn until her head was hidden and sobbed. "Daddy…"

The other girls did the same, Duane unable to keep sharp, wet breaths from escaping and Rica was unnaturally quiet, faint shivering whimpers barely audible. Cera and Mrs. Threehorn went over and joined them, pressing close and nuzzling anyone within reach, making sure no one was alone or forgotten in their last time together.

Even as that was happening, several footsteps announced the arrival of company. Littlefoot and the others carefully slowed as they entered into view, hesitating over intruding on this private moment. Then Littlefoot lowered his head and gently deposited Tricia.

"Go to them," he said.

Babbling in confusion, Tricia tottered uncertainly to the threehorn family, staring wonderingly at the ghostly Mrs. Threehorn as though unable to know what to make of her. Mr. Threehorn noticed and welled up a smile.

"There you are, Tricia."

Tricia hopped over and all too happily nuzzled her father. She then noticed no one seemed to share her good spirit, that the scary mood from the field continued, and warbled in concern. Cera turned and nuzzled her, unable to hide the tears starting to leak out.

"Sorry for leaving you behind, Tricia." Cera said. "When we heard about my mom, I got scared and forgot – sorry."

Tricia nuzzled back, a bit soothed by Cera's words but her sadness only confused her further. Mrs. Threehorn watched the pair with sad relief.

"At least Cera wouldn't really be alone," she said with soft affection. "Tricia looks precious. I wish we could have gotten to get to know her more."

"She's so curious and playful." Mr. Threehorn said. "She looks up to Cera and likes nearly everyone she meets. I'm sure she'd come to really value you all if you could stick around."

Another set of footsteps announced more arrivals. Tria and Grandpa and Grandma Longneck came up from behind Mr. and Mrs. Threehorn. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck rose a bit as they glanced at Littlefoot and the others, alarmed they were present at this sad family reunion. Mrs. Threehorn glanced at Tria and smiled sadly at her mate.

"At least you aren't really alone either. It looks like you found a real keeper with her."

Mr. Threehorn hesitated. "I really value Tria – but she doesn't replace you. It's not a slap to her, I'm only trying to say-"

"She's valuable in an equal but different way to me." Mrs. Threehorn said patiently. "I know, Topps. If our roles were reversed, I probably would have found myself in a similar situation. After talking with Tria, I could see why…why…"

Mrs. Threehorn trailed off, and nearly collapsed. Horen, Rica, and Duane also dropped, looking momentarily faint in both meanings of the term. They became even more translucent for a second, becoming vague outlines, before their full color came back with a start. Tria hurried closer, concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"It's hard remaining here." Mrs. Threehorn said weakly, struggling to push herself to her feet. "We don't have long. You all were right. After being made aware that we're ghosts, we'll fade back to wherever our spirits have been dwelling."

"No!" Rica staggered to her feet panickedly. "I don't want to die!"

"I don't remember where we've been." Duane said, head shaking slightly. "What if…what if there's nothing?"

"Oh no." Horen said, covering her eyes. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Cera said sharply. "We can find a way to make you stay, right?"

"That's right." Mr. Threehorn said, with a flash of his usual defiant spirit. "What are the rules for this kind of thing anyway? It's all nonsense. Maybe we can find some special rocks or plants or something else that might keep you here."

"Even if there was such a thing," Mrs. Threehorn said softly, resignedly, "is there enough time to find it?"

All the fire went out of Cera and Mr. Threehorn. They already knew the answer. He pressed his head into Mrs. Threehorn's.

"No," Mr. Threehorn murmured.

Horen reluctantly uncovered her eyes. "I guess…that's just the way it is," she said as though to comfort herself and everyone else but instead she sounded like she swallowed a lemon.

Tricia made a noise of alarm. She was beginning to get the implications of the sadness around her and she ran up to Horen to press against her nose pleadingly only to fall through. Startled, she tried again and got the same result. She went over to nuzzle Rica and her head went through hers. Pressing against Duane's leg only caused her to fall to her side again. She gazed at them all, upset she couldn't feel their warmth, and at the fact she couldn't convince them to leave. She warbled pleadingly, eyes wide. The three glanced at her, guilt and warmth flickering in their faces.

"Sorry, cutie." Rica said, voice cracking. "We really can't stay."

"It was fun being with you. We apologize for leaving you behind." Duane gave a wavering yet reassuring smile. "Be careful. You should grow old before you become like us."

"You won't see us again." Horen said miserably. "You might not even remember this."

Tricia didn't find these answers reassuringly. Whimpers escaping her wobbling lip, she collapsed and cried. Cera went over and nuzzled her, and Tricia accepted her sisterly touch gladly. Cera's own tears came down more heavily.

"Don't worry Tricia, I'm here." Cera said. "At least we can be sad together."

Tria looked at Mrs. Threehorn with concern. "Is there any way we can help you?"

"Yeah." Mr. Threehorn gazed at his former mate desperately. "There must be something, anything. I don't want to lose you all again."

Mrs. Threehorn smiled faintly. "It's okay. This is just where the circle of life turned. We'll just…have to adapt," she continued with a bit more strength. "We're both strong enough that we can deal with this, right? Besides, neither of us is going to be alone."

"That's right, Daddy." Rica said, taking on a bit of that strength. "We have Mom."

"And she has us." Horen said, apparently finding some comfort in her statement.

"You have Cera and Tricia." Duane said quietly. "And…Tria. I don't know her but she seems nice."

"See, we're both doing well with what we have." Mrs. Threehorn said. "At least we could talk one last time. I'm sure you'll all do fine together, Topps, just as long as you learn to be okay with being vul..."

Mrs. Threehorn and the girls slumped and faded a bit again. This time, they couldn't regain their color. Horen, Rica, and Duane hastily stepped closer to their mother, pressing near her and each other as much as they could without phasing through one another. There was still fear but gradual acceptance of their fate as they looked at their living family members.

"We can't hold it back anymore." Mrs. Threehorn said. "We're going back."

"Why?" Mr. Threehorn murmured. "Why does life have to be like this?"

"Hey, you always said to be tough." Horen replied. "Now live up to that."

"Be tough enough not to die too soon." Rica grinned weakly. "Live until you're old and kind of loopy."

"As sad as it is, this is a reunion to delay for as long as possible." Duane said.

"How's that supposed to make us feel better?" Cera said bitterly. "We'll barely remember you then."

"At least you will still remember." Mrs. Threehorn answered. Her tone turned grateful. "I'm glad that you're all not alone. Goodbye. Thank you…"

Then they faded, their color draining, their outlines becoming less distinct. Soon, there was no one there at all. The others were quiet, the only sound present that of Tricia's cries and Cera's sniffles. Even the gang struggled to keep their tears quiet. Cera, Tricia, and Mr. Threehorn stayed where they were, watching the spot where Mrs. Threehorn and the girls had stood for what seemed like forever. Then Mr. Threehorn turned and walked away, all that rough determination gone. Tria stepped forward hesitantly, but decided not to follow. Cera and Tricia were not far behind their father, heads down. Out of the corner of her eye, Cera saw one of her friends stir.

"Cera?" Littlefoot said tentatively.

Cera looked at him. Littlefoot was always so well-intentioned, so empathetic. She knew he had done his best to help, to warn her back to her parents. Yet all Cera could feel now was an ugly, curdling resentment.

"Why couldn't you have waited until tonight?" she said. "At least then I'd have spent more time with my family and to at least enjoy the thought of seeing more of them again."

And ignoring Littlefoot's guilt-ridden expression, Cera continued following Tricia and Mr. Threehorn out of the forest, wanting to forget this falsely hopeful day.

Next time…

An Unwelcome Reunion Part 1

---

Note: I originated the names for Cera's sisters from the Triceratops' Scientific Name Species epithet: Horridus.